Lainor moved down the hallway with Neserin and through another door, and he was right. They were in the dungeons—cell after cell occupied by someone whimpering or moaning in their horrible conditions. Lainor could be heartless when the occasion called for it, but he usually preferred to kill once he was through with his enemies. Aksha seemed to revel in the torture. Some had teeth missing or skin burned with acid, supporting puss-oozing boils. It was not a pretty sight, and the worst part, most of them were men. He could feel Neserin wanted to point out that fact, but thankfully, she heeded his earlier instruction.

They continued down the dungeon, which was just a long hallway with cells on either side. Then, they reached the point where the cells were empty. Lainor paused and looked around. He would've conferred with Neserin but didn't want to risk being overheard. Seeing no other option, he continued walking. It wasn't long before he saw a literal light at the end of the tunnel. He passed Neserin a quick smile, and they made their way to it.

At the end of the dungeon hallway, torches were lit around two occupied cells. Both of which were encased in swirling clouds. Sitting in the cell on the right was his target.

Meera looked up with a frown, and Lainor had the urge to pause before realizing she had seen Aksha's face, not his. He had nothing to worry about.

"What is it, sister?" The daughter asked. "Who is this?"

Lainor sighed internally as he used Identify to confirm that the woman standing watch was another daughter of Aksha.

With just her standing watch, getting Meera out shouldn't be too hard as long as she holds the keys to these strange cells.

He nodded to her. "I'm here to pay your prisoners a visit, especially—"

He was interjected at the sight of what could only be Kalrina. It was like someone had given her an acid bath and then beaten her half to death. The once beautiful woman was hardly recognizable. In case that wasn't enough, there was a ring of a fuming green liquid that could only be acid. It prevented her from going to her chamber pot if she could even walk in her condition.

"Mother's doing," the daughter said. "You know, how she gets when she doesn't get what she wants."

"Indeed."

"Why are you here, sister? Do you bring a message from mother?"

Lainor pried his eyes away from Kalrina who was staring at her with her one good eye. "I was part of the expedition sent to capture this traitor, but they…"

Kalrina laughed. "Are you one of the ones I ripped into with my skill?"

"And now you pay the price for it. Keep your tongue between your teeth unless you wish me to add to your miseries," Lainor snapped.

"Who is this woman?" Aksha's daughter asked.

"This is Neserin, a powerful necromancer, and cryomancer," Lainor replied. "She's a…defector from the Cult of Aetheron."

This got everyone's attention, even his Cultist sister, as this was not what they had agreed upon. But this was the only path forward as something told him, maybe the dead daughter's memories, that any sorceress worth her salt would not have fallen for the lies they had concocted. And this was an excellent way to sow some chaos as they made off with the prize.

"Well, well, never thought I would be seeing two Cultists in one week," Kalrina said, voice strained and on the edge of stuttering, undoubtedly from the pain.

Lainor snapped his head to her. "Didn't I tell you to shut up?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, baby Aksha. Should I prostrate myself for you while I'm sitting here quietly?"

Lainor's nostrils flared. He huffed but ignored her and looked to his body's doppelganger. "I should not have brought her here, but I couldn't help myself. I just had to see this vile creature and get even, but it seems mother beat me to it."

Before the daughter could reply, he turned towards Meera. "Hello, Champion's sister. We meet again."

Meera stood and came to stand face-to-face with him. She squinted and rubbed her chin. "Which one are you? I swear we've killed so many of you that you all just blend in together."

The Jailor huffed. "We're all the splitting image of our mother. There is no difference between us."

"So, you say," Kalrina cooed.

"But I swear these daughters are even more ugly than their mother, or is it the other way around." Meera rubbed her chin. "Definitely the mother. Something to do with her shitty personality."

"Shut up, both of you," snapped the Jailor. "Speak one word against mother, and you'll wish you had never been born."

"Seems we've hit a nerve," Meera stated. "Please come in here and reprimand me. I've been waiting for one of you to step in here, or are you too afraid…just like your mother."

This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.

Lainor couldn't care one way or another, but to keep up appearances, he crossed eyes with the other daughter and nodded. After all, this was the best way to get Meera out of here.

The Jailor moved for the cell but stopped after taking a single step. From down the long dungeon corridor came the sound of heels clopping against the stone floor. The daughter snapped to attention. Lainor turned with a frown, but his reaction turned from confusion to fear when the light of the floating torches washed her face in the light.

[Sorceress of Rebirth – Level ???]

The real Aksha was coming.

Lainor glanced at Neserin, and the woman rightfully so took a slight step back. This was the one person they were supposed to avoid. Now, she was strolling towards them like a tigress on the hunt. Looks wise, there was no difference between Aksha and her daughters, but this woman had an aura all to her own. It was like Lainor was standing before the dragons again. But this time, he didn't have His Eminence's protection and had the woman's sole attention.

"Mother," the Jailor bowed her head.

"Mother." Lainor followed suit.

Every moment that passed, dread built up in him, and a quick glance confirmed that the same was true for his companion as well. Aksha's eyes bore into him as if trying to see through to his very soul, which was exactly what the sorceress was doing. The last time he felt such terror was when Mirageiros thrust his arm through the barrier and gripped him by the throat.

Why is she here? Despite the chill in the dungeon, he could feel himself sweating.

"Why are you here?" Aksha drawled. "I do not recall sending another daughter to watch these two."

"Apologies, Mother." Lainor bowed his head and proceeded to feed her the lie that they had fed Arvena and the Jailor beside her.

Aksha's face didn't change a bit when Lainor told her that Neserin was a defector from the Cult of Aetheron. Her eyes moved from Lainor to Neserin and back again. It was like being sized up by a drake. Lainor hoped he was keeping his story straight as the only thing on his mind was if he'd been made. If Aksha had already seen through his lie and was letting him dig his own grave.

"I had my daughters scan that battlefield. They only found one survivor," Aksha finally said.

Lainor did his best to mimic the stone-faced mother of his body. "This wretch's attack blew me away." He motioned to Kalrina. "My legs were blown apart, and I would've bled to death if not for Neserin."

Aksha's gaze turned to Neserin. "Your tag tells me you're a necromancer."

"Y-Yes, Lady Aksha." Either the woman was terrified, or she was playing the part exceptionally well.

"If you're a necromancer, then how did you put my daughter back together if she wasn't dead?"

"I have skills that can heal or regenerate limbs for the living or the dead."

Aksha turned her attention back to Lainor. "And for that, you felt so indebted to her that you brought her to my home."

Suddenly, Lainor found it hard to breathe. "N-Not at all, Mother. It's what she told me."

He drew a deep breath. Now, to see if my gambit pays off.

"The Cult of Aetheron is working with the dragons to capture this one." He motioned to Meera.

Meera scoffed. "That shouldn't be a big secret. Hell, I could've told you that. We practically escaped from Drurith with dragons on our backs. Did the all-knowing Aksha and her daughters not know this?"

Lainor snapped his head to her. "Do you also know how they plan to do this? Do you know they mean to attack our very home to capture you? Oh, you did not. So shut your mouth and keep quiet until spoken to."

Meera scowled at him, but before she could reply, he turned to Aksha and continued. "It's true, Mother. They mean to finally come for us. Neserin knows of their plans. A small contingent of Cultists have come from Ealisto after one of their brothers failed to deliver Meera to them in Drurith."

Lainor could feel Neserin's eyes boring holes into the side of his head as he practically gave away their secrets, but she didn't see the big picture. He would have shared this with her, but she was too hot-headed. She would have never agreed to Lainor's plan. Now, she had no choice. If she said Lainor was lying, then Aksha would kill them both where they stood.

Aksha looked at Neserin.

"It's true," Neserin agreed, but her terrified persona had vanished, and in her place was a scorned woman who had been maneuvered into what she felt was a betrayal.

"I see," Aksha replied, with no emotions. "You will bring this forward before the Conclave and lay the Cult's plan before the Five."

"Yes, Lady Aksha."

Aksha looked to the Jailor. "Bring the prisoners. It's time for the trial."

The Jailor nodded and pulled out a keyring. All the keys were made of different metals. Some were made of a dark metal that could only be shadow steel. One was made of a metal that glowed yellow like the sun, one had a greenish tinge to it, and one looked like the clouds had been condensed into the form of a key. This was the one that she used to unlock Kalrina's cage.

The poison parted for her as she walked to reach the tortured sorceress. She was using the Toxinomancy skill. It was funny. Lainor knew all of Aksha's skills, so in a way, he could create an effective plan to counter her every move, only if she weren't a monster of a woman.

The Jailor looked to Aksha, who gave the briefest nod. She reached into her robes and pulled out a big vial with a green liquid—a Health Potion.

"I hope these past two days have made you reconsider, and you will confess your sins or be prepared to suffer much worse," Aksha said.

Kalrina smiled as she took the Health Potion with a shaky hand. "Thanks, love." She pulled the cork with her teeth, brought the vial to her lips, and let it drop from her hands. The bottle crashed, spilling the potion on the stone floor. "Oops. Well, it looks like I'll have to go like this."

There was a hint of annoyance on Aksha's face. "Do as you wish."

The Jailor did not clamp any cuffs on the woman. There was no need with Aksha present. She would be mad to run, that was if she could in her condition.

She winced as she stood and hobbled out of the cage, an ever-present smile on her lips as she stared at Aksha. The Jailor unlocked Meera's cage next, who moved for the lockbox that held all her chakrams, but the Jailor grabbed her wrist.

Lainor frowned. Why did they put her chakrams in the cage with her?

"There was a deal struck with your mother. My chakrams go wherever I go." Meera winked. "Perks of being the Champion's sister. Now, you have exactly two seconds to remove your hand before your mother has to make another watchman."

"Let her have them," Aksha said.

The Jailor let go, and Meera picked up the lockbox and nearly dropped it. The lockbox must've been heavy as it took Meera along with her. She groaned for but a moment, and then it was as if the lockbox weighed nothing at all.

"Okay, I was not expecting that, but given the weight of the clouds, it makes sense."

Lainor squinted and couldn't resist. "You're daft, lass. The clouds weigh nothing at all. How else do they float in the sky."

Meera moved her eyes from one person to the next. "Ah, I keep forgetting you people are so…backwards."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Lainor snapped. "The Varshans are not so advanced as you think."

Meera locked eyes with Kalrina, and they laughed as if it were an inside joke.

"Enough," Aksha said. "Come."