A young man looks with disdain at another, slightly younger man who is tied up. Guards surround the prisoner, weapons ready in case he attacks. The young man circles his prisoner, analyzing him.
"Well," the older one says giddily, "Death's son—caught sneaking an attack in my region!"
The younger man says nothing, his mouth gagged. Long, black, wavy hair hangs over his face, concealing the glare he directs at his captor. He notices his tall stature and strong build. He can't help but notice the rich, black horns that curved on his head. The man laughs, running a rough hand through his cropped, curly red hair.
"You? A demi-god as young as you? Fighting one as old as me?" He exclaims with disbelief before turning to the guards, laughing. "Can you believe it?"
He kneels and brushes the young man's hair out of his face, then grabs his jaw and smiles.
"My name is Ahluxtar, but I'm sure you knew that already," he says in a low voice, calm despite his earlier excitement. "What's your name?"
The younger man can't respond. He only glares. Ahluxtar studies him, eyes sharp as daggers, his grin twitching at the corners of his mouth.
"Don't you know it's rude not to answer a question?" he asks in a condescending tone. "It's customary to introduce yourself in my nation. Do people just brood in silence in yours? Come on—answer me."
The prisoner shifts against his restraints, his glare sharpening.
"Ouch. If looks could kill, huh?"
Ahluxtar steps back, then suddenly slaps him. Kohaku's head snaps to the side with a grunt.
"Doesn't matter anyway since I already know it," Ahluxtar says, the smile fading as he straightens. "You're the demi-god—Kohaku, Shinami's son. I would say a dime a dozen, but Shinami actually doesn't sleep around, unlike other gods."
He relaxes his stance and looks at the guards while saying with a smile. "Send our guest of honor to his chambers."
They nod, understanding what he meant by "chambers". Two guards grab Kohaku by his upper arms, which were tied behind his back, and force him up. Four others hold spears to his back and force him to walk.
A long spiral staircase leads down into a lowly dungeon. Wood lines the floor with a foul stench from years of soaked up sweat and blood. Chilliness could be felt from the cobblestone walls. The guards lead Kohaku to the lowest part of the dungeon, where he is greeted by a large, metal door. They unbind and ungag him before shoving him into a cell. The cell was small and dark, with a small window providing the slightest bit of moonlight. Kohaku tries the best he can to see in the dark, opening his eyes wide as if it'd help. His hands wave around as he tries to figure out what is inside the cell. He reaches a wall and starts to walk around its perimeter. He bumps into a table and starts feeling his way around it. Eventually, he stumbles across his bed. He sits there, contemplating his actions, what will happen to his army, and what will happen to him. His army commanders had heard from informers that Ahluxtar's kingdom had weakened significantly since the war. Shinami had sent troops to mow down the kingdom to snuff out any of Feyer's troops hiding there. He tries to fathom how Ahluxtar's nation regained its strength so quickly.
Kohaku looks at the iron door across from him and wonders if he could easily break it. As he is weighing that choice, he hears the door open. He jolts and feels the hair on his body stick up. The light from the hallway floods the room. It's just dim enough that his eyes don't have to readjust. Ahluxtar comes in holding a lantern. It illuminates and warms his already warm skin. He sets the lantern down on the table and shuts the door behind him with a heavy thud. The lantern is bright enough for the whole room to be seen. Kohaku stands up for a second before he feels strong arms force him back down. He feels Ahluxtar's hand grab onto his hair. Kohaku tenses up and tries to pull back, only to be roughly pulled back in place. His eyes widen for a moment, but relax back into a blank expression. He rubs his fingers against the sheets, putting all of his energy into suppressing signs of fear.
"I wouldn't try to break down that door if I were you," Ahluxtar warns, his brown furrowing as he does. "As soon as it breaks, an alarm will sound. I have guards that will come after you."
Kohaku scoffs and narrows his eyes towards Ahluxtar. He stares at his captor for a while, trying not to say the elephant in the room.
Ahluxtar lets go of Kohaku's hair and says, "Your powers will be subdued soon enough, so don't even think you can fight my guards. Not at the numbers I'll have them at, that is."
Kohaku looks at Ahluxtar, his mind only focusing on the rugged face looking down at him and the rough hand tangling into his long, soft locs.
"You're bluffing," Kohaku says, finally speaking up. "I've never heard of a demi-god taking the powers of another demi-god away."
Ahluxtar narrows his eyes at Kohaku's horns, which were coming out from the side of his head and curved up.
"Oh, I have my ways," Ahluxtar states, not taking his eyes off of Kohaku's horns. A small slit is opened up at the door by a guard. A tray is pushed through, and Ahluxtar takes it. He then sets it down at the table, next to the lamp.
"I know you likely don't want to eat, but you have to," Ahluxtar says. He points to the tray and waits for Kohaku to come.
Kohaku looks at the tray, and then at Ahluxtar, his expression giving nothing away. Ahluxtar folds his arms and comes closer to Kohaku.
"That was a command, not a suggestion," Ahluxtar states coldly. Kohaku continues to stare blankly. Ahluxtar tenses up at Kohaku's lack of expression.
Ahluxtar grits his teeth before stating, "Can you express anything but blankness or a glare?"
Kohaku remains stoic in the face, but his hands grip onto the sheets as he shrinks into himself a bit. He finally averts eye contact, but stays still.
Ahluxtar, frustrated, hands the tray directly to Kohaku. "You will eat, and that is final," he sternly demands.
Kohaku sighs and looks at the tray of food. He takes it and examines the contents. He was pleasantly surprised. It smelled good and looked amazing. Bison meat stewed in vegetables and a spicy, tomato-based curry. His stomach starts aching as the hunger finally kicks in. After some reluctance, he picks up the fork on the tray and begins to eat, albeit in small bites. His captor relaxes his posture and rubs his hands through his hair.
"See, was it so hard to obey?" Ahluxtar asks rhetorically. Kohaku says nothing.
"Not a talker, huh… That's fine, but it'll cause you issues tomorrow," Ahluxtar says. "I'll need you to talk tomorrow."
Ahluxtar notices Kohaku's clothes, which were far too thick for such a hot climate he's currently in. The Son of Death must be using his abilities to keep himself cool.
"Those clothes will also cause you trouble tomorrow, and possibly tonight."
Kohaku hears what Ahluxtar says and tightens his grip on the sheets. He opens his mouth as if to say something, but then closes it again. Ahluxtar sighs and opens the door.
"Goodnight, Kohaku. Try and get some rest."
With that, Ahluxtar leaves. Kohaku finishes his meal and puts the tray on the small table. He takes some of his layers off and lies down on the hard, cotton pallet. He starts contemplating again, this time about everything Ahluxtar had said. A tinge of shame fills his face at how easily he folded at the command to eat. The once proud demi-god worries what else he'll give in to.