Gladya purrs upon the silence that now graced the room. "So you're the infamous Grayson. Man of few words it seems..." She began. "I'm willing to make a deal. You are not of this world and even you know it. I will help you go home. As for payment in return...."
'Here we go...'
"You will have opportunities and choices to display your willingness to keep a deal and pay over time. If you really want absolutely no debt,you will serve my whims,do exactly as I say like the drones do. Every. Last. Word. Yes? No?"
Silence graced the room again...
Grayson didn't even bear a twitch..
"Mmh...Fine. Think about it. You,Teleport him to the fortress,we got what we came for." Gladya said,pointing to a guard beyond his view. A hand slams down on his shoulder,and he flashed into what looked like an end stone prison.
Grayson's face turns an unhealthy shade of green,falling to his knees,and instead of dry heaving,he threw up blood. The guard watched over the male's suffering...
and sighed.
"Are you done?"
Grayson held up a hand as another,lighter burst hit.
He falls,half unconscious.
"So THAT'S why Gladya says dont teleport to the end with a human like that." She gently muses as she scoops the male up. She passes the normal cells,and instead places him in an obsidian cell..
The inside had been painted in the rough pattern of cobblestone to preserve some of the sanity of a prisoner.
"Welcome home...Prince Grayson." The guard purrs before leaving.
'prince..?'
The world fades into an unconscious,inky darkness,as if a dimmer switch had been turned all the way off...
Some semblance of a dreamless sleep fades in...
Such silence ...
BANG BANG BANG
Grayson was awakened to his Captor Gladya staring at him though the observation slot. "I'm surprised you trust me enough to sleep." She remarks. "Trust ain't nothin' to do with it. Your lakey teleported with me and nearly killed me."
"Lovely lady,that one."
"What do you want anyway?" Grayson spat.
"I wanted to show you why men are so much of an enemy to me. And why they're such a commodity to the world." Gladya said as she opens the cell. "Do not try fleeing. You are in a place you could never hope to escape on your own." she warns.
Grayson warily gets up,following Gladya through dark halls..
They come to a large set of doors. "What's with everybody in this world and big doors all of a sudden?" Grayson asked as the massive door in front of them was pushed open by a pair of decorated guards. "Security." Gladya said as the door opens to reveal a museum of sorts.
On pedestals,were armor,weapons and even enchantments from the skin of foes peeled away and petrified..
"You are seeing what had come of the War of Krubis. Enchantments weapons and even enemies are kept here as a reminder of the day man betrayed me. Man chose another romance over myself even though I had shown him how much I cared." Gladya began,leading him through the historic display.
"So you waged a war over a romance that wasnt interested in you?!"
SMACK!!
"How DARE you utter those words in my presence!! I was HIS first woman. HIS first sexual encounter. HIS first girlfriend. Dont you fucking DARE say that he wasn't interested." Gladya snarls roughly..
The outline of her hand began to fade into Grayson's cheek. "....I See what you are now....A Yandere...A bad one. What cost could you have possibly been owed that made you think like this?" Grayson asked.
she growls gently.
"GUARDS!! Get this man out of my sight!!" Gladya demands. A pair of guards approach him from behind. "Come with us,Prince Grayson. You will be escorted back to your cell." The guards said..
Grayson was in for a long visit here in the End..
[IN THE OVERWORLD]
"SHIT!! SHIT!! WHAT DO WE DO?!" Kupa yells gently as she paced around in Klovis' throne room. "Do what we always do. Wait." Klovis advised with a gentle tone.
'My queen,with all due respect,we all know that Grayson is very well in danger of being killed,or worse,possessed. We cant wait like we did last time. We need to act NOW,or ALL of the world will befall herself to Gladya's influence with Grayson at her side.'
"And what do you suppose we do Alex? It's not like we can simply open a portal to the End and pull him through. You've seen what Gladya has come to do with the male population." Klovis said.
'No,but he can. All we need are the catalysts to open the gate again. If he can open it from his side,we might have a chance.' Alex signs.
Andr teleports in,and every guard that was present lept into action. "WAIT!!" Kupa said,stopping the guards dead.
"I wish deliver a message only." Andr said,making sure she wasn't a threat,raising her hands with all of the swords,spears and arrows directed at her.
"Continue." Klovis said.
"I wish to help Grayson in his time of need. Gladya is sucking the life out of all realms,even her own for some grand event. "The Unification" she calls it,a Hive Mind. If she is successful...Only the gods could contain such power.."
"What does she want from Grayson,if it's a Hive Mind?" Klovis asked.
"The difference in gender...She needs an heir to the throne,as the void travels twice the time of the Overworld. If a ruler does not dominate the throne,utter chaos and destruction will ensue without the Overseeing."
"Ho...ly....shit..she needs and Admin!" Kupa exclaims.
The entire room cuts a look to the human creeper..
"An "Admin"..? Administrator..? A person that is capable of controlling existence with the right power? Someone to give her the permissions of a god? THINK about this,people!!" Kupa shouts.
"If Gladya humbles Grayson,she has his permission to exercise her own godlike whims.." One guards mutters..
"You. Ender. Deliver this message. Bear no Ill will. Queen Klovis expects your survival. Escape at any chance you can,even in the darkest of situations. Survive. Come home." Klovis saitriedllYour message has been heeded,Queen Klovis. I WILL bring him home. But he must find his own way if he is to escape."
Andr pulls out a piece of paper with coordinates on it,and hands it to the most silent of the group,Alex...
"Guard this coordinate with your life. It is the essence of this man's survival. Gladya will know i stole it from her memory. Use it wisely.." Andr warns,as she violently flickers out of existence-
"What..?" Kupa asked as she looks to Alex..
'If this concerns life and freedom itself...you are my translator. DO NOT tell the queen this slip of paper is important,at least for now..'
"Mom...The slip of paper is indecipherable currently..for now we must exercise a great deal of patience. We will find Grayson..But for now we must do all we can to maintain a low profile,and ensure the public nothing is wrong." Kupa said.
Klovis sighs....
She would play ignorant for now...
"Agreed. For now we will let nature sort out this new male debacle. We are NOT putting this discussion aside for long,my daughter. YOU have much to explain about your travels. The Stranger included." Klovis said.
'Not even home a day and shit goes to hell..." Kupa thought...
[IN THE END....]
48 Hours have already elapsed...
Grayson was already cowering in the corner of his cell...
The insanity of it all...
Hours in and hours out of nothing but the ring of his own ears..
Eventually that faded to silence...
No voices called out..not even his own habit of talking to himself amongst the silent atmosphere...
Pure silence....
A gentle voice emits from within the cell..
"Grayson...? I Have a message." Andr spoke..
Grayson flinched at her with the disturbance,looking to her.
"I only bear a message.. I will release you but I will cease to exist. This is a massage of Queen Klovis...'Escape at any chance you can,even in the darkest of situations. Survive. Come home.'." Andr quickly spoke,upon finishing her message she teleports outside and opens the door.
Grayson seeks the opportunity,although as soon as he left the door,Andr was laying down..
He lifts her into his arms..
"Ahh...Grayson...I knew I'd die ...gah..In your arms...Thank you...for letting me look you in the eye for once...Youve lived such a sad life...thank you..for seeing me eye to eye....' Andr said as she faded from existence..
He looks at the particles that emitted...
almost longfully...
Before too long,employing stealth to escape..somehow..some way,Grayson managed to get free of the End Queen's gaze...
He runs out into the desert that was the end,not straying too far from where he had been placed..
The sky was like that of his dream..Purple,almost static-like space,backgrounded in strange plants and strange yellow stone ..
All of a sudden a voice booms in his ear,"FIND THE PRINCE. BRING HIM TO ME NOW!!"
That voice was Gladya's...
He couldn't stay long. And so he continued to flee,until he found a cave that would be able to hide him...
[IN THE OVERWORLD]
A secret army had gathered,under Klovis,as yet another 48 hours had elapsed by now..
For now all Klovis could do was assemble her army..
"Mom,why are we assembling the troops?" Kupa asked..
"If The Stranger doesn't pass through,and Gladya does,we need to be ready for a brutal war that might tear this world apart. Every last hand matters in times like these. For now we can only even begin to hope that the stranger is even alive right now." Klovis said as they looked at a currently deactivated End Portal..
[IN THE END]
Grayson was recaptured,in his cell. He was now chained with Obsidian. Steve gently taps his shoulder,"Look,Kiddo. You need to get those shackles off and escape again. You won't have another chance to work the lock once your replacement guards arrive." He explained.
Grayson sighs,pulling a bobby pin from among his hair,"It'd be easier to do if I had a screwdriver. Not like they even have one." Grayson mutters as he attempts turning the keyhole with his bare hand and the bobby pin.
The hole turns...
It gets warmer...
and warmer...
SNAP!
"Shhhhit..." Grayson groans as he pulls the newly broken bobby pin out and pulling one from the opposite side of his hair.
"The last bobby pin...IF I get out of here,Steve,I'll need more help than you hovering over my shoulder." He said,as he works the lock.
"Yeah yeah,I know,you'll need to fight. It's not my first rodeo in the End ya know?" Steve asked.
"Makes sense..." Grayson strains as he finally gets the shackle to open.
He peers through the observation slot. The door switch had been removed. "Aaand someone took the lever..what now?" Grayson asked softly..
"I possess you." Steve said as he took over Grayson's body using the enchantment. Steve checks his hands,before nodding affirmatively and starting to kick the steel door that blocked them from freedom.
After about 5 or 6 kicks,the door finally gave with a loud clatter. The glowing enchantment on Grayson's arm was slowly fading from a healthy sky blue,to red. "I can't work for long.." Steve said as he ran through the End Palace and into the Portal Room. A standing end portal frame could be seen,also deactivated.
Steve approached the portal,and began turning the Ender Eyes,until they all lined up,and the portal pulses online..
"Going somewhere,Steven?" Gladya asked as the possessed male turns. "Yeah. I'm getting the kid out of here. And there isn't a thing you can do to stop us." He said,smashing one of the eyes as he passes through.
"NOOOOO!!" Gladya roars as she reached out,grabbing Grayson's enchanted arm,and attempting to pull him back through. Though before she could,the portal closed around the male's arm,magically amputating it.
Gladya looks to the arm,then to the now disabled Portal,and roaring in anger,loud enough that even those beyond the void could hear...
[IN THE OVERWORLD]
Only 24 hours had elapsed,when the End Portal opens,flickering some before violently shooting an unconscious Grayson out and closing yet again. The guards gathered around him..
Grayson was shirtless,groaning in pain and grabbing at what remained of his arm. End Runes were fading into Grayson's skin.
Many of them tomes of imprisonment finally wearing away,now that he was free of Gladya's influence. A medic made their way through,with a stretcher team.
The medic passes her hands over Grayson's chest,"The stranger is alive,but only barely. He needs intensive care." She said as the team worked Grayson onto the stretcher.
He was carried to an infirmary,where Klovis,Alex and Kupa awaited him patiently..
When he arrived..
It wasn't entirely grim,but seeing the number of failed tomes on his body,and his missing arm,it really did remind everyone present that Gladya cared about nobody's expense,even her own.
Kupa sits on the bed,setting Grayson's only arm over her lap. "C'mon bud...youre tougher than this..." She quielty encouraged,rubbing his hand..
"Kupa..."
"NOT NOW...mom...Please.." Kupa said..
Klovis nods quietly,respecting her daughter's request..
The Medic turns up with a healing potion,"This should help restore him...But I'd suggest it being taken in small amounts. The Stranger has a serious Void poisoning from eating the food and just living there." She said.
"Understood,Medic. Leave it on the night stand..some of us are...more emotional than others right now." Klovis said.
The Medic did as told,leaving to attend to others that needed her help.
Grayson was pale...not clammy but close to it...
His breathing was weakened..
"Just hold on for me okay..? You'll feel a lot better soon.." Kupa said,gently caressing his cheek.