Steps echoed down a poorly lit and decrepit stone corridor.
A man wrapped tightly in grey and black robes walked past many cells, keys jangling in his pockets. His hair was spiky, one thick strand coloured in deep red, stuck out the most as with each stride it bobbed from side to side. The rest of his hair was black. Ruby-colored eyes, and on the right side of his forehead he had a fissure-like dried scar, which looked as if it would burst any moment.
The man also stood at 5,9. He held a massive black steel staff that had many beast-like patterns on it.
Some cells would make noise as he went past but he ignored them until.
"AHHH GET ME OUT—" he slammed his staff into the cell bar which caused the bar to shake violently along with a deafening ringing sound which rang out to other cells in that area too.
The prisoners held their ears in pain and agony, some passing out from the intensity.
On the other hand the man wore a straight expression, as he tapped the staff on the bar again; ceasing it.
Silence hit the corridor…
The man continued down, the stone corridor walking through many corridors and rooms.
Until reaching an open room, in the center of the massive room, was a big hole; there was no light at the top. It looked of pure darkness within, with a narrow staircase and no railing, leading down.
The man threw his staff down there, he waited, for a moment and then jumped inside, as he descended through the darkness, he looked completely unafraid, landing with one foot on top of his staff masterfully then he flipped forward plucking his staff out of the ground and landing on his feet. He stuck his staff to his back. The area at the bottom of the hole was lit up by purple candles, to the far right was the end of a narrow staircase.
In front of him was a rectangular shaped dark tunnel entrance. After a while of walking through the darkness he heard noises.
"Trick!" a male voice shouted followed with the intense sound of shuffling cards.
"TRICK! Try better than that charlotte!"
"Trick OHH MY YOUR SOO DREADFUL! CHARLOTTE!"
The man got closer, but picked up his pace.
"Trump! Haha you lost Charlotte."
The man reached the end and saw a lamp lit in the middle of two jailers, a human man and an elf woman, playing with cards on a wooden table.
The elf jailer, her face to the table groaning in annoyance.
The human jailer took a swig of some water, his face full of glee.
His eye quickly caught the man approaching from the darkness.
"Hey head jailer!" He promptly put his wooden cup down.
"Hi Quill" the head Jailer said grinning.
The woman still remained with her face down—cards still in her hands.
"Did they send you down here?"
"Yes, for the prisoner."
"Amazing" the elf's said her voice muffled,
While the other jailer leaned back and pumped his fist up.
"Were you two scared or something?"
"Yes!" the elf said.
"Never mind going in, you try to be here for days on end and that thing is making noises while talking and laughing to itself in there. Outloud mind you." Quill said.
"Fie! It's horrific" Charlotte groaned.
The head jailer laughed at this and got closer, bending down and leaning on the wooden table.
"Let me tell you guys something. They called me in for a meeting as you all know and told me a little bit about it." Charlotte rose slightly and Quill leaned in.
"Do tell." Quill said.
"It's actually a small boy that's in there. They brought him because he was causing problems outside in Viscura."
"Younger than you?"
"Yeah way younger they didn't tell me exactly but they referred to him as a child."
"No way. Is it that necromancer everyone was talking about?"
"I suppose but again they didn't specify anything."
"That would mean he is that necromancer who caused all of this sudden panic in Viscura. No wonder both of our bosses came down personally and jailed him, in deepest part of this prison" Charlotte said,
"It is indeed bizarre. Anyway I was tasked to deal with him, as they believe having you guys there might give him a chance to escape." the head jailer said, standing up straight.
"Makes perfect sense, well I am extra glad we don't have to deal with that anymore now." Quill said, dusting a card off Charlotte's head as she nodded.
The head jailer smiled and walked forward, shuffling through keys.
"Don't destroy the cards, I want to play sinapo as well."
He picked a stone key and put it in, the door patterns lit up, which made it slide open inside there was a staircase leading down the way, and once he walked through it shut tight, and its light vanished.
"Alright! While we wait, why don't I destroy you again at this."
Charlotte just looked at Quill, her eyes twitched.
Mana enveloped all the cards, making them levitate and rotate to face Quill.
Quill's eyes darted around nervously "uhh charlotte."
Then cards bombarded his face all at once. He fell back off his chair screaming "AH!"
Charlotte tried to remain pouting but she broke out in laughter, as Quill's ridiculous display…
As soon as the head jailer entered hallway, his boots squelched on stone floor,
Water seemed to be leaking from every crook and cranny.
He walked down the hallway. More cells were on both sides but were all empty.
The head jailer felt immense chills. As the head jailer's eyes focussed on the door at the end—suddenly he felt a sharp unsteadiness, but at the same time excitement.
Everything he knew now bubbled in his mind, as he strode confidently toward the stone door, which he unlocked with the same key.
His breath was shaky as he entered a medium sized room with faint mists of ice floating around it. In front of him stood a reinforced steel jail, its bars were thicker than any other cell, and they had runic symbols inscribed along each one even the door itself and around the lock.
The head jailer got closer, and gulped
The silence was loud.
"Hey, prisoner! Where are you."
The darkness within the cell was pitch black, and so thick it appeared tangible.
"Hey prisoner!"
"Who" a voice demanded
"The Head jailer"
"Did you bring food?"
"No—"
"Leave then." the voice interrupted.
"I need to see you, to verify you are actually in there."
"For what. What could I possibly do to escape."
"Just listen, and show yourself so I can be going."
"And how about if I don't want to?"
"Then I will have to do it by force."
"Haha—I would love that—haha"
The head jailer pulled out a lamp, and lit it up, while grabbing the keys he walked toward the door but before he could, a voice echoed.
"My fingers." The head jailer stopped at this looking down at the bar, as the necromancer fingers appeared wrapping around the bar, which immediately zapped him with mana making his hand recede back into darkness instantly. but he didn't make any sound
"How do i know thats your—"
"Seriously? I am a mage. All I can use is my own mana—which at the moment because of these cuffs I have no access to."
"Alright, fair enough."
"Not `fair enough` , it's the truth."
The head jailer didn't respond to that and walked toward the door, "Oh and jailer"
The head jailer looked back "Can you bring me my food tomorrow, it's been days since they fed me."
The head jailer looked at the cell for a moment and left.
A day passed.
The jailer came back down with food, porridge and water.
He entered the room again—not saying a word, as he placed the bowl of porridge and wooden cup in a slot through the cell door and slid it in on a tray on the other side. Closing the slot and leaving it there for the necromancer to pick up.
The head jailers face was stern as he stepped back,
"Brought me my food huh?"
The food was snatched from the tray, but the water was untouched.
The head jailer didn't pay it any mind and was about to leave.
"Your staff, what is it made of"
The jailer turned around.
"Ceridian"
"Oh, and you can lift it so effortlessly. Interesting."
The head jailer's stern face changed to a shy one, as he scratched his head.
"Thanks, I am pretty strong but honestly, it's not ceridian, I just made it look like ceridian."
"Looks to be a very substantial staff, nonetheless and its design flawless."
"You are very good with words, aren't you a prisoner hehe" the head jailer blushed.
"Are you a black smith or anything of that kind?"
"No, I never got accepted, too anything of the sort. When they did their checks on me they told me I wasn't up to standard and rejected me. So I sorta just tried to make due with what I had—"
"Self taught wow. That's astounding."
"Thank you, thank you so much!" The head jailer was smiling ear to ear, his cheeks flushed pink and he was basking in admiration.
Until it clicked his face went serious "you're trying to deceive me!" he lunged to the cell with his staff, whacked it causing the ringing sound.
"AHHHHH!" the necromancer screamed.
The jailer stood there unfazed listening to him suffer, then his eyes caught on to an empty bowl on the tray.
He finished that fast.
He took the plate, and whacked the bars again, stopping the ringing, leaving this time without a word.
2 days after this happened.
The head jailer was back, with food again.
Walking in and putting it at the door tray, the necromancer grabbed it.
"Are you going to say sorry?"
"For what?"
"For deafening my ears, on your last visit with that awful sound. All I did was compliment you.."
"I won't fall for your deceit today necromancer"
"Necromancer?... So you know who I am."
The head jailer slapped his cheek
Why did i say that
"Listen if you are really interested I can tell you a bit about me. It's only fair as you told me a bit about yourself yesterday."
The head jailer thought about this intrigued, he wanted to know so bad.
But he stood his ground. "No, not today necromancer, I shouldn't be talking to you."
"Alright alright. Can you at least tell me how you got so strong physically?"
"Why, you are a strong mage, why would you need to train your body."
"Please head jailer!"
"There's no point you will probably die here anyway."
"Please, I really want to get big and strong before I die. I have always been frail and weak."
I Never would imagine a fearsome mage such as him begging for physical training and acting like a stubborn kid about it. Oh—thats right, he is a kid…
The necromancer continued to beg like a whining child.
The head jailer just looked forward in silence, his hard exterior breaking.
The cries of the child penetrated his heart, until it overcame his rational thought.
He couldn't handle it.
It shouldn't hurt right? He is just a kid.
"Fine, I will teach you the main few exercises i did and i am leaving ok?"
"YES!" The child cheered.
The head jailer showed the necromancer - "lie face down on the floor, then raise and lower yourself while remaining straight in posture. Find an elevated horizontal surface you can cling to with your overhand and pull your weight up and keep going till you reach your shoulders and repeat, legs out slowly lower your body and keep balance. Finally lie on your back and raise yourself to a sitting position before going back to the latter."
"Seems pretty easy"
"Try them and find out"
"Thank you oh and what's your name?"
"No problem kid. It's Akito."
Akito the head jailer left.
3 days passed by.
Akito the head jailer comes back this time with a bag and water.
He pulls out two loaves of bread and places them on the tray with the water.
"Your lucky we are feeding the prison today so you get something a little different"
No response.
"How did the exercises go?"
No response.
"Hey! kid speak!"
Did he die?
Akito sniffed smelling sweat and he looked down seeing sweat staining underneath the bars.
Oh he must have been going constantly over these few days. It's good to know he was serious about getting physically strong as his last wish and it wasn't some trick.
Well check up is done i should just leave.
He was about to leave, then he heard a short clatter from the metal tray. Smiling continued on his way out.
A few days passed.
Akito the head jailer came back somewhat jolly in his step.
This time he brought a lamp.
With just porridge.
"Hey necromancer"
No response as he put the food in the door tray.
"Hello!" Looking around to see more sweat stains, but he saw blood mixed in. This alarmed him.
He banged on the cell hastefully.
"Ok let me hear your voice kid! Come on you can't be that tired kid. We still need you for information."
I swear if he killed himself doing those exercises.
"You weren't supposed to do those that much, you need breaks!"
"HELLO!"
"Calm down." A cold voice echoed.
Akito sighed with relief, as he heard his voice.
"Thank the chaos's. So glad you didn't die on me"
"Yeah I was just finishing up."
"Oh how come I couldn't hear you."
"No idea, guess I am just that good at it now."
He must be that good he doesn't even sound out of breath.
"Moving on I want to tell you a story."
"No necromancer, I don't—"
"It will be quick, and interesting."
Akito thought about it for a moment.
Then crossed his legs and lit the lamp placing it beside himself.
He sat right in front of the cage.
"Perfect." the necromancer said as two purple orbs glowed within the pitch black of Cell.
Akito felt unsteadiness but excitement at the same time.
"Now let us begin."
"This story is about a boy that never lived."
"In truth he was born that way. As soon as he came into being, he couldn't breath, feel, touch, see or experience anything. He was stuck in a state of utter nothingness where all he knew was emptiness.
The boy never got away from that feeling even when he was living, It crept on him slowly.
So when he was brought to life for the first time, he became whole for the first time. It was an exhilarating time finally alive. Finally able to do all, he wasn't able to do before. He had the full experience.
Though as time went on he quickly learned he needed power to survive in this world and once he gained that he gained control, very soon he realised life was more than having senses and having full control over your body. Now he realised his purpose. Which was domination. It felt like he was made for it. Everything about him screamed it. He loved the control and power he loved, feeling of dominating others with it. Believing he was always superior in every way but then he faced a foe that opposed his views even though he triumphed over this foe the foe destroyed the very foundation of which he stood, mellowing and cracking his character.
In this state, he met a girl who brought something out through the initial cracks that were there, something new and he didn't even know the meaning of.
Leading to him, doing things he never would,
And it became even more real once he entered a new region. He didn't realise it at first but it started small, he would constantly spend time reminiscing, rather than working on his flaws, he would rather have fun with his servants that he started seeing as equals. Then take his life seriously. He eventually grew much weaker, in his soul and mental.
Losing sight of his purpose and progress he made.
He soon realised that he could not be in the same place anymore.
He could not be stuck. He needed pressure, he needed his old self back.
But he was foolish and feeble. He wasn't capable anymore and his enemies took advantage of this and took him down.
What a convenient time as with this—he was swiftly captured and tormented for days and shoved in a cell deep under ground. To them it was, victory but to him it was a perfect chance for growth, even the torture was growth. All his time within prison put him back into shape, mentally and in his soul even allowed him to learn and gain things he didn't have initially like a stronger body
"wow that was amazing and what of this girl, was she just someone that caused harm or did she actually add value to his life?"
"One of the first things he always thought about when thinking about her. When she touched him it felt like weight was lifted. She took him to warmer horizons, to the still sea. When he was still conflicted with the coldness and the patter of the rain. These things weren't felt with her, rather the warmness of the sun was felt."
"She showed him the delicacy of mana and that there is more to understand about himself. Yet all that's left is that he feels that he won't see her again but he would rather that, for the better of things, as she would only drag him down like the rest of beings around him."
He must advance to dominate and fulfil his purpose.
Not allowing himself to be there anymore.
That's why he is here right now.
To detach himself from it all.
To bring back a deeper part of himself.
Akito sat there for a moment soaking it all in.
"That was alot…"
"Yeah my name is Zero by the way."
Akito outwardly reacted by nodding, feeling somewhat speechless, but felt like he missed something, and just couldn't put his finger on it.
The purple orbs floated around the bottom of the cell, eyeing up Akito's staff.
"Oh one more thing, can I try to hold your staff?"
"Sure, remember it's heavy—" His voice trailed off.
He stood up and put the staff in front of the cell, then went to the side giving Zero some space.
A shadowy hand breached the cell bars and grabbed on to the staff.
Akito, not even realising his brain was still processing what Zero said.
It grabbed on the staff and lifted it, with ease.
"Akito look! come closer."
"Wow you have gotten strong…" Akito walked toward the cell.
Zero shook the staff around, lifting it to a slightly higher to level with Akito .
"Wait! How are you getting past the barrier—!"
Instantly the staff swung into Akito's side, pulling him in, and slamming him against the cell bars.
"AHH!"
The staff pressed Akito up against the cell bars, allowing the keys to be snatched swiftly.
Then the staff dropped and the door was opened, darkness left the cell door as it swung open.
Zero's body was shrouded in shadows.
His gleaming purple eyes are the only thing seen and his cuffs, which the chain was broken.
Akito slowly opened his eyes after hearing a thud.
To see a shadowy figure picking him up by the neck, but before he could say a thing the ground rushed up and he hit a wall knocking him out.
The cell door smashed shut.
A cloud of darkness followed Zero, as he headed toward the door.
The two guards outside stood not at the first door but at the tunnel entrance at the bottom of the hole, they had lit up the place with wall candles.
"Hey charlotte"
"Quill?"
"I am feeling pretty tired."
"Then go to sleep."
"But i can't because of our guard duty"
"Then why are you asking me?"
"Because I am bored."
"Just shut it Quill."
"But I am bored—"
A large dust explosion comes from behind them, pieces of the stone door go flying between them.
Both their faces looked shocked.
Then they felt that unnerved feeling, then unshakable chill running all over their bodies.
The sizzling rocks and crumbling noises filled the area.
Quill was about to turn his head, but a voice jammed his thoughts.
Don't!
What do you mean don't !?
Then it went silent and they heard steps.
Quill's eyes only glanced to the side of him and he regretted it, as he looked back to Charlotte whose eyes were closed, shaking her head side to side.
Is that…
Don't even try and look. Please, I am begging you.
I feel like we should do something.
She shook her head even more.
Quill kept looking at her not afraid of looking behind him.
Please don't. I am not willing to die in this stupid, stinky prison with you or because of you. So please go forfeit your life without me here anytime you want, but not when I am here or I will strangle you in the afterlife.
Quills eyes shut.
The figure posture bent, his arms drooped down. As it walked slowly each step echoed through the whole place.
Shadows followed it, snuffing out every candle light.
They made sure not to make a noise.
The figure got to the middle of the hole and jumped to top darkness following him.
They waited for him to land and his steps to stop being heard before they both collapsed to the ground.
They both breathed heavily.
"Alright, what you say we leave this place quill." he tone was serious.
"Give me a minute to breath...first."
They both got up and left up the hole.