“You boys have no idea the predicament you’re in”

The figure waited, letting his words reverberate off the walls and ears in the room and dissipate to nothingness. As its words died it said nothing else and let the room become still, the only movement the slight rippling of the waves of shadow surrounding it. Aj and Kit were both silent as the grave, partly due to the piss-inducing terror that radiated from the shadow-wrapped figure and partly because both their bodies were entirely wrapped in an abundance of chains.

Unable to communicate or even make eye contact, the next few minutes felt like an eternity for Aj and Kit.

Seemingly finished drawing out the silence of the room the figure spoke again

“I will remove the chains from your faces and give your diaphragms room to breathe, do not shout,” it said, “This will be a final warning” it’s voice devoid of emotion as if reading a clause of a contract.

As the chains loosen and Aj felt his feet hit the ground he immediately swung a glance at Kit to see if he was ok. He saw Kit doing the same thing, looking at Aj checking to see if he was ok. The corner of Kit’s mouth quickly tugged up into a nervous smile in recognition, before once again becoming serious as Kit shifted his attention back to the figure. Aj couldn’t find it in himself to smile back, but he did muster enough courage to look at the figure as well.

What he saw was the figure giving Aj what seemed like his full attention, its amber eyes peering into his very soul.

“I come not as an enemy Andrew, I come to educate you on the dangers you are in and your options for survival” The figure paused “Your actions tonight have caught the attention of several interested parties, even now soldiers of the great families stalk this home and prepare to do you harm.”

The thought of other figures like the one in front of him outside his apartment drove even more fear into Aj’s core, but he swallowed the thought of the theoretical and summoned up whatever courage he had to deal with the one in front of him.

“What are our options?” Aj said trying his best to seem as flat and stoic as possible. The face of the figure once again curled into a cold smile.

“Good, I see that your Sovereign is somewhat stunted, but also fully matured,” The figure said his gaze turning to Kit, “I could assist you in killing it, the heart of a fully matured sovereign will be more than enough to push aside these would be assailants”

The chains around Kit began to constrict smothering him. Kit struggled and strained against the chains crushing and contorting him. He relented for a brief second, before erupting into motion, biting the chains and pushing them back with his limbs and vines. Aj was shocked to see several of the chains snap by the ferocity of his teeth and fiery limbs. This victory though was short-lived as more chains replaced the broken ones and began to smother Kit, fully covering him.

“Stop!” Aj begged, his game face gone, his desperation even more obvious.

“Oh, yes. Your other options.” The shadowy figure continued. “These assailants stalking you are following a trail that can remo-” The figure was cut off by Aj lurching forward in his chains, pushing towards him.

“Let Kit go! Please!” Aj pleaded. The figure only frowned and clicked its tongue before the chains pulled Aj back and mummified him.

“Be more composed Andrew, the choice is yours. I will not assist in the killing of your sovereign unless it is the choice you choose. For the moment he is safe within my chains” the figure smiled “The only danger to him currently is his own rage.”

Aj turned towards his friend, a hole in the chains surrounding him appearing allowing him to see the mass of chains covering his friend. As he stared, he caught sight of a small grouping of the chains bulging rapidly outward with a slight red tint of hot iron. Aj knew Kit was struggling, giving his all to melt and force them outward.

“See how he struggles even now, that rage could have been quite the strength to inherit,” the figure said wistfully “But as it seems you would rather choose another option, I will continue. By teleporting to the underworlds that trail will be severed and impossible to follow”

“And the other option?” Aj asked, the thought of traveling the underworld terrifying.

“Death” the figure stated “I will kill the both of you now, as a kindness”

“So our only real option is you forcing us… I mean teleporting us! into the underworld?” Aj reiterated attempting to avoid frustrating the figure any more than they already have.

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“If you wish to keep both you and the sovereign alive yes” The figure replied flatly

“Okay, then I guess we’re doing that” Aj was rattled. This was his biggest fear, he and Kit’s comfy safe life gone in a flash, but this was the only way they were both making it out alive so it had to be the only option.

“It’s good you’ve seen reason, I shall give you some slack, calm your sovereign.” The figure said

The chains mummifying the majority of Aj receded into the shadows leaving only a single loose chain wrapped around his ankle. Without wasting time Aj quickly walked over to the heap of roiling chains in his now-destroyed living room.

“Kit, Kit!” Aj yelled, “I’m good, I’m okay, he’s not gonna hurt us, relax and he’ll let us go!” Aj continued yelling as he began pulling on the chains trying to have his voice reach Kit. After only a few seconds the rippling of the chains ceased and they too recessed into the shadows, revealing a pissed-off Kit. Seeing him like this reminded Aj how scary he could be. He stood now a full 8 feet tall, his body composed of both dark gray muscle and olive-colored vines. On those vines sat pointed thorns each of them lit with a steady red flame. Above his shoulders sat his Tiger-like head which was currently clinching its fanged teeth together.

“Whats the plan Aj” Kit said through gritted teeth, he looked extremely ferocious, but Aj could tell that he was exhausted. Aj wasn’t sure exactly what happened but being in those chains and struggling against them had taken a lot out of him, he was scared.

“We’re going to the underworlds, it’s our only option,” Aj said, Kit’s brows furrowed in confusion for only a second, before he started nodding.

“Alright if it’s our only option, then I’m in, I trust you” Kit began walking towards the figure and the stairs, a single chain remaining on his ankle, dangling and clanking as he walked.

“When do we leave?” Kit asked the figure

The figure regarded him with a patronizing smile “As soon as possible, which is right now, the both of you will be transported to a stronghold of the underworlds known as Rojasroc”

“There you are to find your own way and progress until you descend beyond the third ring of the underworlds. While traveling you will tell others that you, Aj, are a sovereign of little renown who made his way himself to the underworlds. You will tell no one of your encounter with a strange being from the shadows and you” He said pointing at Kit “Will be seen by no one, you are to remain in Aj’s heart at all times” He said pausing, staring at Kit

“If you are seen and word gets out that a human sovereign is still connected to his actual sovereign of more than 1 year. Then the powers that be will hunt you down with a viciousness and exorbitance rarely seen in the higher rings of the underworlds” The figure continued

“I cannot overstate the importance that the higher powers of the underworlds do not discover your true nature. Now, what questions do you have before you begin your journey?” The figure asked, a swirling dark portal appearing next to its bodiless face.

“Ok fuck, so many actually…. I really can’t leave his…?” Kit turned towards Aj “Heart?”

“Yes you are to repeat what you did when you noticed the robber indefinitely while in the underworlds, next,” The figure said speaking while exhaling to show his annoyance

“Are there any contacts you have in Roastrock that will assist us?” Aj asked

“It’s Rojasroc… and no, you are to make no attempt to contact me or any of my underlings at the threat of death,” The figure said plainly “Next”

“You have no other actual advice for us?’ Kit asked, “We are about to jump headfirst into one of the most dangerous places in existence and you have nothing that will actually help us survive?”

“Other than the instructions already given… No” The figure said plainly.

“Now that that’s taken care of, it’s ti-” The figure said before being cut off, by what sounded like a bolt of lightning striking right outside the house. The thunder shook the entire room.

“Quick!” The shadowy figure said, “There’s no more time for discussion, into the portal now before it’s too late!”

Aj and Kit were both shaken by the sudden thunder but quickly looked at each other for support before both nodding and heading for the portal on the stairs.

“Wait,” Aj said stopping right before the dark rotating portal “What’s your name?”

The figure cocked its eyebrows in confusion as another even louder bolt of lightning and thunder shook the house. This time the front door of the house was blown completely off leaving a figure in a blue and red cloak in the doorway.

“There’s no time!” Kit said rushing into the portal pulling Aj along with him as chains erupted from the shadowy figure to be met by a blast of lightning from the new arrival.

As they entered the portal Aj and Kit felt their body begin to turn to shadow and were both overwhelmed at the loss of feeling they felt resulting in them losing consciousness.

As Aj and Kit disappeared into the portal. The shadowy figure regarded the new arrival in the doorway who was wiping his hands off on his robes.

“Well Atka, was all of this really necessary,” The new arrival said now leaning against the doorway.

“You know it was, they need to understand that powerful forces want them dead and that the odds are stacked against them” Atka continued “Plus they were irritating me and needed a little push”

“Bring back old memories?” The new arrival asked

“Yes,” Atka admitted a hint of sadness appearing as he pondered times better left forgotten.

“Enough chatter and contemplation Leo” Atka continued “Depart before the other families arrive” With that, the shadows making up Atka receded into the shadows on the wall and left only Leo in the room.

“Whatever you say, boss,” Leo said, walking outside and disappearing with a crack of lightning and thunder. Leaving only an empty house.