From the head embedded in the ground, a torrent of raw, guttural swearing erupted, punctuated by desperate threats that only caused Braedon to sigh, his focus unwavering as he looked down at the gruesome figure.
"Elena," Braedon's voice remained even, almost conversational, a chilling contrast to the words he spoke. "If you could please wrap your roots around him and slowly break his bones one by one. Multiple times for the larger bones, or even flat-out crushing them each time he says something other than answering my question." He met the head's frantic gaze with an unnervingly patient stare.
"Very well master." Elena replied slowly after giving him an look before a wide, almost childlike grin stretched across her lips, her eyes gleaming with a mix of anticipation and dark amusement as the air seemed to thicken, the unspoken tension palpable.
"Now, mister head," Braedon began, dropping into a half-crouch to bring himself closer to the dirt-encased face. His tone was deceptively light and mocking. "Let's start off easy. What's your name?"
He was met with another volley of furious curses, quickly followed by a sharp, piercing scream of pain as Elena's roots began to apply agonizing pressure, crushing a few of his fingers.
"Spike! They call me Spike!" the now-named man shrieked, his voice hoarse with torment. "My partner was Stitch! The names were meant to be ironic since I have the stitches and he had the spikes!" His words tumbled out in a ragged torrent, each syllable laced with agony, a desperate attempt to appease this cruel monster.
"I see," Braedon murmured, giving it a few moments to allow Spike's pain to help him understand the gravity of the situation he found himself in. "Now, next question: what were the two of you really doing here? I very much doubt it was just for the girl over there." His gaze flickered towards Rebecca who went rigid, an unreadable mask on her face.
"It was for her, but also to take anything she may have found!" Spike whimpered, the defiance utterly gone from his voice, replaced by a raw, desperate fear. "This area is considered restricted due to that horrid beast that took up residence here and its many monstrous plant creatures we use as a means to weed out the weak members, but we never told her that part, instead we tried to use it as a trap so we could rob her of anything she may have managed to find or get under the pretense of her breaking the rules we set for her!"
A deep scowl marred Rebecca's features, her jaw clenching as the deception became clear. Alice, seemed utterly unconcerned by the revelation as it had nothing to do with her, instead with a cheerful hum, she returned to pecking at some fresh fruit that had appeared nearby, enjoying the sweetness well escaping into her own little world, a stark contrast to the grim scene unfolding. Elena, for her part, simply watched, her grin unwavering.
"Now, where is your base camp? Is it the same one she had to go through? How many of your allies are there and what would I expect if I head there?" Braedon continued, his voice devoid of emotion, each question a hammer blow. "Oh and who is the strongest person there?" He filed away each piece of information, mentally constructing a blueprint for his planned assault.
"The leader's called Blade because of how he uses this weird ass sword and is fairly well known around the area due to his bloodlust and general lust," Spike choked out, panting through the waves of pain. "I can't tell you more though, else I'm a dead man!" His voice rose frantically, the fear of his own people momentarily eclipsing the torture he was enduring.
Braedon's smile, then, was not one of amusement, but of predatory intent. It was a thin, blood-thirsty curve of his lips that sent a fresh wave of shivers down Spike's spine, eclipsing even the ache in his bones. "And you will be a dead man now if you don't tell me all you know. Simple. At least this way I won't kill you and you might have a chance to get away." The implication hung heavy in the air – a chance, however slim, that hinged entirely on his cooperation.
Spike's eyes darted wildly, weighing his options, or rather, the certainty of death versus the possibility of survival. "There's still twelve others, including Blade!" he blurted out, a desperate cascade of information. "Everyone thinks it's the main base, but the real one is hidden from everyone while we grow our side in hopes of overthrowing them and taking control of everything! The conservatives as we call them are far stronger than us at the moment!" He told them well trying desperately to force himself out of the ground, a futile, spasming movement that only aggravated his broken fingers and eliciting another strangled cry.
"So, a wild dog planning to bite its pack?" Braedon mused, shaking his head slightly though his expression conveyed little surprise. He had expected something of this nature; ambition and betrayal were common threads in how the world works. When Spike offered no further words, Braedon gave a subtle nod to Elena.
Spike's screams intensified, rising in pitch as more bones audibly snapped and splintered. The sound was sickening, a symphony of suffering that made Rebecca flinch, though she forced herself to remain still. Alice though instead seemed to try and hum a light tune to match the screams, completely detached and uncaring.
"The others should be heading back now to base from their scouting and possibly with captives!" Spike shrieked, his voice barely coherent through the pain. "They should be moved along with most of those were 'sheltering' tomorrow to the slave market or fight pits! But that really is everything, I swear!" His pleas were raw, desperate, as the unseen roots delivered another brutal twist.
"Now, if you had just answered properly from the start, this wouldn't have been needed." Braedon's voice was calm, almost reproachful, a small, knowing smile playing on his lips, an amused glint in his eyes. "Elena, kindly let Spike go. Push him out of the ground for us."
With a swift, almost graceful raise of her hand, Spike was violently ejected from the earth. He landed with a sickening thud, gasping for air, his body a twisted mess of agony. One hand was visibly mangled, fingers bent at impossible angles and a leg was grotesquely deformed, clearly shattered in multiple places. Pain, however, quickly morphed into a primal, enraged yell. With a guttural roar, he lunged, a broken, dying man making a final, desperate attack against his tormentor.
But Braedon had anticipated it. Before Spike could cover more than a foot, a heavy chain wrapped around his neck from behind and yanked him back before slamming him to the ground with a heavy thud.
"Really? Jeez, talk about reality mimicking fiction," Braedon shook his head, a hint of genuine disappointment in his voice. "You get given a chance to get away and instead you try to attack me? Did you really think I didn't expect it? Well, sucks to be you." He turned away, dismissing Spike with a wave of his hand. "Elena, feel free to use him and his big goons as fertilizer or whatever you want. He had a chance and wasted it. The only reason he even got the chance in the first place was because it's something John would do but he wasted it."
Braedon walked towards Rebecca, his gaze softening slightly and then to a grinning Alice who was almost bouncing in excitement as she knew what would no doubt be coming next.
"Wait! NO! Please! I'm sorry, it was a mistake! Let me go! Plea—" Unfortunately, Spike's screams and pleading were cut short. Roots, thick and fast as predatory snakes sprang from the ground, wrapping around him with brutal efficiency before pulling him under. The sound of his struggles and gurgling cries faded quickly into silence. The goons who had previously had their heads sticking out also sank downwards, disappearing without a trace or a sound. All that was left of them was a few dark bloodstains on the now eerily smooth ground, which Elena quickly absorbed, leaving the earth pristine once more.
"So, what's the plan?" Alice asked skipping over, her eyes alight with a dangerous excitement. Her bloodlust practically palpable now as her thirst for battle and the thrill of the hunt reached a peak. Rebecca by contrast, seemed tense and unsure, her posture rigid was and he couldn't quite make out what her current thoughts could be. Elena, for her pat stood with eyes closed, a content and almost blissful look on her face, no doubt focusing on her own unique 'meal' along with digesting them for nutrients.
"Here's what we will be doing," Braedon began, his gaze sweeping over their faces, assessing their readiness. "While Rebecca storms the front of their base, pretending to be angry at being used and demanding answers well making a huge commotion to draw them out you, Alice, will swoop in well there distracted by her, I want you to attack them the back by surprise, freeing the blood from their bodies. During the commotion I'll be trying to slip past them, helping to attack them from behind well trying to provide support as best I can by covering you and attacking those who would try to attack you from range."
He laid out the simple but direct plan, receiving nods in return. Rebecca though was clearly reluctant with a tightness around her lips betraying her apprehension of this plan but a glance towards Alice had her keep those concerns to herself. Alice though was a vigorous, enthusiastic bundle of energy clearly excited that she would finally be able to spill blood and fight, her entire body thrumming with eagerness as the bloodlust seemed to drip from her. Braedon raised his small scythe, its polished blade catching the light as he swung it down, its handles tip pointing forward.
"Uhm, actually, it's that way," Rebecca began, pointing vaguely behind her, a blush creeping up her neck. Her tone went several notches lower, almost a whisper, as her shoulders slumped. "I'll show you the way once I go get my armor back on." She quickly slinked away, trying to disappear into the shadows, as Braedon simply looked at her, a knowing smirk on his face. Alice, meanwhile, laughed her ass off at both Braedon's mess up and Rebecca's own embarrassment, the sound echoing through the quiet clearing, thoroughly enjoying Rebecca's mortification.
With a cough and direction correction he spoke up again, trying to hide his embarrassment. "And onward we shall go, once Rebecca has her gear back on. Elena, would it be possible to get the gear off the goons and put them in front of me, please? I want to see if some of them can fit me, well if they haven't been crushed or anything to get the most food out of them."