The raven watched as Hale strode north, toward Helda's chamber. It blinked once, and its pale eyes darkened back to black.
Meanwhile, inside the prison, Sely's amber eyes fluttered open, catching the dim light with a glimmer.
"Haaah… you need to stall for time, Hale. For both of us," she murmured under her breath.
A faint vibration of mana hummed in her throat, her eyes brightening as she sensed the response. The team is ready… she thought. But before she could link with them, there was a nuisance she needed to deal with—one she'd been eager to silence after four days of torment.
With a deliberate gasp, Sely sprawled across the wooden floorboards. "Aaahhh… water… someone… give me water…" Her voice cracked, weak and desperate.
Four days had passed for her without food or water, save for what Hale gave her. Her body could endure far longer even without it…but her captors didn't know that. Deception was her weapon now.
She added a twitch to the act, spasms rippling through her body. "Aahhh…".
The wooden door creaked open with a heavy thud. A bald barbarian woman lumbered in, scowling.
"The fuck's wrong with ye now, cursed Nyxari?" she growled, voice thick with irritation. Her eyes were heavy with sleep, her face hard with the cruelty of someone who had spent the last four days finding amusement in another's pain.
She was the prison's warden…though "warden" hardly meant much in this camp. Normally the captives were either killed or shipped back to the Heartland within 3 days of capture. But with Helda gone until today, Sely had been left in her hands.
The warden shuffled up to the bars, irritation twisting into glee as she saw the Nyxari spasming on the floor.
"Kekehaha… so the proud little cursed born finally breaks, eh? Four days ye laughed while I cut an' burned ye… but now ye beg like a dog." Her grin split wide, showing yellow teeth.
"P-pleaase… w-water…" Sely croaked, licking her cracked lips, her face pressed to the floorboards. Her bound hand stretched toward the bars, trembling with desperation.
The warden's eyes lit like she'd been given a gift from the gods. "Water, eh? Oh, I'll give ye water." She fumbled at her belt, keys jingling, and pushed the door open. Stepping inside, she grabbed Sely's hair and yanked her face up.
"My water might be a wee bit salty, but it'll suit scum like ye just fine." She slammed Sely's head back to the ground, cackling.
Unbuckling her belt, the barbarian shoved down her crude beast-hide pants, baring herself with no shame as she squatted over Sely.
The Nyxari whimpered, "P-please…" her bound hands sliding to clutch at the warden's leg, her amber eyes wide with desperation.
The warden smirked, spreading herself. "Beg better, scum. Open yer mouth—"
Her words stopped abruptly when she noticed the change.
Sely's lips curved into a sharp, mocking smile. Her desperate mask melted like wax, revealing something far too calm, far too amused. "Please… you should give a better pose before you die."
A wet sound split the silence.
Shlick—
A spike of darkness lanced up from the floor between the warden's legs, impaling her from cunt to gut in one sick thrust. Her breath caught in a gagged whimper, the scream crushed in her throat as her body convulsed.
The warden's eyes widened. She tried to cry out—only for black, snake-like tendrils to coil up from where Sely's hand touched her leg, binding her arms and jaws tight.
"Mmmhh—! Mhhhmhh!"
Only a strangled, muffled scream escaped the warden's throat.
Sely rose slowly, the iron cuffs corroding and flaking away under the caress of darkness. Her amber eyes gleamed, cold and cruel, her voice almost playful.
"What's wrong? Never seen a witch before?" She tilted her head, chuckling softly.
Sely crouched, caressing the warden's cheek with mock tenderness. "You've cared for me so diligently these past four days… but I've no time to repay the favor. Consider this mercy." She kissed her fingers and tapped the warden's cold cheek, smiling slyly. "Good night, baldy. And don't worry—I won't tell a soul how you died. Hehe. That would be too much of an embarrassment."
The warden's blood pooled hot across the floorboards, mingling with the piss dripping down her thighs. Her trembling eyes fixed on Sely, wide with horror and disbelief, before the light drained from them entirely.
Sely exhaled, brushing dust from her hands as she stood. Her lip curled at the stench. "Tch. Should've killed her before she pissed herself." She shrugged, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. Meh…it's not like this shitholes my house anyway.
She then snapped her fingers.
The pike of darkness writhed, unraveling into a whirling maw of shadow beneath the corpse. The warden's body sank as if the floor itself had turned to liquid night, piss and blood pulled down with her in silent, merciless suction. A heartbeat later, the prison floor was pristine, only faint blood stains remained.
The shadows rippled again, vomiting the body and other remains into the far corner of the chamber, stacked like garbage.
Sely gave a satisfied nod at her handiwork, then plucked the warden's keys from the cage door. The wooden door entrance was already ajar; she leaned out just enough to scan the quiet camp. No one lingered nearby—she had confirmed that much earlier through her raven while checking on Hale.
Drawing back, she shut the door firmly and locked it tight from the inside.
"Hah… time to get to work," Sely muttered, turning back toward the cage.
* * *
Hale stood a short distance from the great yurt—Helda's chamber.
"I guess this is where we part, lil' brother," Remy said. Her voice, usually so mischievous, was softer now.
Hale turned to her with a grin. "Don't worry, sis. I'll make sure to survive tonight." He then leaned close, whispering in her ear, "And don't forget your promise. If I come back in one piece, I'll make sure to fuck you for a whole week."
Remy's breath quickened hearing that. She moved faster than Hale could register, wrapping her arms around his neck and biting down.
"Ahn… sis, what are you—" Hale let out a low moan, his hand brushing through her hair.
She pulled back, eyes still heated. "Claiming you. I wanted to claim you down there too, but…" her gaze faltered, sadness flickering through.
Rhea stepped up beside them. "Good luck… ahm, brother. I hope you make it through tonight." Her ears flushed pink—it was the first time she'd ever called him brother.
Hale smirked, taking her hand to brush a kiss across it. "Thanks for the encouragement, my lady. Maybe I'll even include you—" his eyes flicked to Remy, "—when we're busy that week."
Rhea blinked, then realized what he meant. Her face burned. "B-bastard!"
Before she could strike him, Hale slipped away toward the yurt, laughing. "Hehe… adios, girls. Pray for your big brother to make it big tonight."
But as he turned toward the looming chamber, his smile faded. His chest tightened with nerves. For all his teasing, he knew this was life or death. Brom's warning echoed in his mind: don't lose control. Then Sely's words: stall for time.
He didn't know what "losing control" meant here, or what good stalling would do… but maybe if he dragged things out long enough, Helda would get bored and fall asleep. The absurd thought made him chuckle as he stepped toward whatever awaited—heaven or hell.