Chapter Twenty-Two:
There Comes a Time When We All Must Die
Dmitri
DAY ONE:
Joshua stood before a large screen, staring blankly ahead as two guards dragged me into the room. I was chained from the neck down, with a gag wound tight around my lips. Alexei’s soldiers treated me like an incredibly dangerous threat, which, in their defense, was a pretty smart move. Prior to this ‘meet up’, they had taken turns getting a few swings in like children, which I took like a man even though it left me in incredible pain.
Joshua turned when he heard us enter the room, and looked down to me lifelessly, “This is the first time in your life you’ve behaved for me,” he chuckled, throwing me into the wall behind him. I smacked back with a thud, and moaned in pain as he dialed a number daintily into the keypad. A set of three rings erupted before Andrew appeared, yelling to the crowd of concerned soldiers behind him. “Good afternoon, Andrew.” Joshua said coldly.
“Where is he, Joshua?!” Andrew boomed in a complete rage.
“Aren’t you direct? He’s fine, I can assure you, for now at least.”
“I want to see him!”
“You’re so patient…” Joshua stepped aside, and gasps rippled through the crowd, “Doesn’t he look so cute when he behaves?” Joshua cooed, grabbing my hair and tossing me forward. I dropped with a thud; my head hung low in shame. Everyone, even Zachary and Andrew, shook in utter terror to see me in this state. It was slightly endearing that they thought so highly of me as a capable soldier, but also terrifying because it meant they truly had no clue what to do to help.
“Joshua, I don’t care what you want, I will deliver it; give Dmitri back.” Andrew hissed.
He walked around me, smiling devilishly as he tapped his fingers on the top of my head, “What do I want, what do I want…? Maybe a pony?” He taunted. “You have both brothers now, Andrew, so why can’t I have a playdate or two once in a while?” He cackled like a true villain.
Andrew’s eyes filled with horror as Cerelia came into view, “End this game, right now. If you don’t return him to us I will unleash hell on The West faster than you can blink.”
“And risk your precious angel getting hurt?” He grabbed my face, squeezing my cheeks with a chuckle, “Aww, she doesn’t care about you at all Dmitri! She’d sacrifice your life just to throw a tantrum because she doesn’t want to share her toys!”
“Joshua!”
“Stop yelling, it’s annoying.” He dropped me, turning to the screen, “If I can’t have your kingdom, then I want half of your soldiers, plain and simple. Give me everyone you have with a rank over thirty thousand. You can keep your little Cavalry, but I want the men, including your commanders and captain.”
“Hell, no.” Andrew scoffed, unsure of his words but respecting what I said to him before we left for this mission.
“Then we have no deal.” Joshua said simply, then snapped his fingers, allowing two guards to take turns punching me hard in the face. My head snapped back, but before I could recover another punch hit me. They did this for an unbearable minute and a half before stepping back, revealing my bloodied physique. Andrew jumped as I rocked back and forth for a moment, then fell to the ground.
“Joshua, please!” He bawled.
Joshua chuckled in delight, “I haven’t seen him in so long Andrew, I think a visit is long overdue. I have a wonderful little room for him, full of lots of toys to help keep him occupied.”
“You sick fuck; give him back to me, now!” Andrew screamed.
Joshua leaned closer to the screen, his eyes near black in the monitor, “Oh, now you have it in your head that he’s yours? You seem to forget, he’s MINE, always has been, and always will be. Alexei gave him to me far before you cared that he existed, and I have waited years to properly punish him for his defiance. I knew from the beginning that this child was a nuisance, and I can assure you that if he doesn’t deliver what I seek, I will take care of this issue once and for all.”
“I swear to god, if you touch a single hair on his head...” Andrew threatened in a voice that shook with undeniable rage.
Joshua plucked a strand of my hair up, giggling as he twirled it in his fingertips, “He’s just a kid, Andrew, just a body in your army, so let it go. You seem to forget something; the war will continue with or without Dmitri. You’re banking all your hopes on a single boy, and it’s pathetic. What kind of savior do you think him to be? Just because he knows a few of my tricks doesn’t mean he’s invincible.”
“It doesn’t matter what you think, he is my nephew, and I will fight for his safety.”
“You must give your precious boy options... I don’t know why you are being so brave now, since you didn’t bother protecting him from the beginning.” Joshua tilted his head curiously, “Are you just that fond of playing house with one of Morgan’s bastards? He’s quite good at manipulating people to his benefit, but you will see soon enough that he is nothing but my shadow. I did not invest years of my life into sculpting him to perfection, just so he could be turned against me. Dmitri Mortimer will be on the winning side of this war, but it will be my side, as always intended. I will prove this to you. He is the perfect weapon… my perfect weapon.” He said with such dedication in his voice that I shivered.
Andrew slowly looked up with the devil on his shoulder, “You want to play a game, Joshua, then let’s play. You have twenty-four hours to deliver Dmitri, or I will obliterate your country.”
“Don’t... That’s what he wants…?” I bawled.
“Shut him up!” Joshua snapped as guard slammed his sword handle into my face, making me smack flat to the ground. Andrew’s eyes filled with horror as Joshua chuckled over me, “I will consider returning him to you. As of right now,” he grabbed me by the hair, letting droplets of blood run down his fingers, “My intents are simple. I am going to break this man down to nothing and rework him in my liking. If Dmitri wants to stay by the end of his visit, I welcome him. If he wants to leave, I shall return him. He’s proven he’s worth something after all, and I find that very intriguing. We will reconvene in one week; I’ll be borrowing him until then. I will prove to you that he is not the invincible hero you think him to be, but my pet, and only my pet.”
“I’ll kill you!” Andrew screamed bloody murder as the screen flicked off.
DAY TWO:
Light broke into the pitch black room.
It was Joshua’s first attempt to shake me up, but due to my practice with Michael and Stefan back home, I was almost unfazed. If anything the dark felt familiar, and I knew as long as the room was this way that I would be safe for the brief moments I could be. Joshua wrenched the door open slowly, nothing but a satisfied smile plastered across his face. Alexei and Walter walked into the cell after him, both deadpan, as the door shut loudly behind them. Outside the stone walls, bombs were echoing violently, followed by the screams of men and women, but Joshua was completely unfazed by the noises.
“What a beautiful morning to be alive; you remember Walter, don’t you?” Joshua asked, sitting down on a chair in the corner. From behind me, the sound of a whip cracking filled the room, which made me shudder slightly. Alexei had taken a spot against the wall in the far back, his eyes dead as he crossed his arms silently. “Today’s activities are simple,” Joshua started, pulling out a set of index cards and a pen, “I’m going to ask you questions, and you’re going to relay the answers. Understood?”
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
“Rot in hell…” I whispered.
The whip cracked against my back, sending horrific shivers down my spine. I gasped as it took my breath away, making Walter chuckle. “Hurts, doesn’t it?” He taunted.
“Am I understood, Dmitri?” Joshua barked. I slowly clenched my teeth together. “What is your full name?” He asked, switching a camera on.
“Dmitri, Michael, Mortimer…” I hissed in defeat.
“Your age?”
“Eighteen…” I replied bitterly.
“Height, weight?”
“6’2, 190…?”
“You’re a little thin; since most of that is muscle?” He commented.
“Why does that matter?” I snapped, receiving another crack of the whip.
“I didn’t ask for your opinion, did I? What is your position?”
“Cavalry Number Four… For The North army…”
He whistled, smiling, “Have you been assigned any missions in my country?”
“Not enough!” I growled, getting cracked again.
“Pity; looks like Andrew didn’t do a respectable job with you at all! You should never take pride in killing your fellow men, Pet!”
“I’ll kill you…!” I stammered, crying out when the whip cracked against my spine again.
“Dear god, you’re so soft!” He scoffed as he shuffled through his cards.
“I’d rather be soft, then a murderer…” I snarled.
Joshua held his hand up when Walter tried to break my spine, crouching before me, “And why is it so bad to take initiative, Dmitri?”
I panted past the undeniable pain, “Killing people isn’t taking initiative.”
“You’ve killed plenty of men yourself. You’re just like me; I can see it in your eyes…” he ripped my face up, smiling wickedly, “Tell me you wouldn’t brand your father the second you had the chance, or snap his neck for leaving you all alone as a child. That you wouldn’t drown your mother, strangle Alexei? This is all a façade, and a weak one at that. You’re chained to the ground, being tortured, and you’re still going to pretend you’re a decent person? Don’t you think it’s time to stop the charade?”
“You’re disgusting,” I spit through my teeth.
“Oh, I know, and I love it.” He stood and picked up my sword, chuckling once, “Why pretend with me, Dmitri? Why pretend like you love all these people? What are you trying to prove by being this, model citizen? That you have a heart, a soul? These poor, gullible people do not know the man I raised you to be, that’s for certain, or what you’re truly capable of. I can’t wait until the day comes where your secret explodes.”
“It’s not pretend, Joshua.” I whispered.
“Maybe it isn’t, but that doesn’t mean it’s working. Andrew left you here, if you hadn’t noticed, because he’s too scared to go into battle himself. He’d rather lose a valuable soldier then dip his toes in the pool.”
“Just because he isn’t getting himself killed doesn’t mean he didn’t care about me... You just haven’t ever felt what it’s like to love something, you cold hearted son of a bitch…!” I let out a scream of agony a Walter repetitively slashed me, his skin boiling.
“Enough, Walter.” Alexei snapped emotionlessly. Walter sighed and stepped back as I wheezed out hard breaths of pain. Joshua cut him a side glare, but flipped his next card over, acting as if this situation was a true bore to him. “So, the king’s precious angel is making some new friends I hear? Surely, you must have a person of interest amongst all of these beautiful young girls you’re surrounded by?” He teased.
I swallowed, which made him pause, “None…”
“None?” He snapped, raising his eyebrow, “That’s not what my soldiers told me. They saw you with a fine young woman, down at the old shopping center by Malcolm’s pier…?”
“None!” I barked. He nodded to Walter, who cracked me five times in a row. The pain was becoming utterly unbearable, and my consciousness was failing by the minute, but I refused to ever breathe Gwenevere’s name to him. Joshua created a circuit in which he drilled, “What is her name?!” into my head for over an hour, while Walter cracked the whip like a machine. My body had become so numb by the time the hour was over that I sat there like a zombie.
Finally, I had enough, and my adrenaline failed me. I flopped forward lifelessly, which made blood snake down my back and pool on the floor. Joshua paused mid-sentence when he saw this and tilted my chin up to reveal my barely conscious face. “I think we finally lost him. Walter, when he awakes, continue the questioning.”
“Yes sir,” he said, the door shutting loudly as Joshua took his leave, dragging Alexei behind him. Alexei continued to say nothing, a zombie being tugged by a maniac.
DAY THREE:
After twenty four hours of constant whipping, Walter grew tired of my reactions and moved to start mutilating other body parts. Alexei stood in the back of the room, hidden by darkness, and watched silently as Walter jimmied my arm into a metal brace. He wound a heavy weight into place, then took hold of a lever with a smile. “You’re quite the trouble maker…” he started, slamming the weight down on my arm. I choked a cry, pain ricocheting through my body as he and another soldier took turns smashing the weight down onto my arm.
Every single shatter reminded me of the night Joshua branded me so many years ago, and my cries weren’t just from the physical pain. Walter knew it, because every time a crunch sounded, he laughed like a psychotic maniac. I had been so good at keeping quiet, but now, I couldn’t hold in. Even with a gag my screams ricocheted off the walls, causing slight whispers of sorrow from anyone in the dungeon area of the castle. Alexei himself cringed at the sound of my bones shattering, and eventually, raised a hand. Walter slowly backed off, staring down blankly at me as I closed my eyes and prayed for my nightmare to end.
DAY FOUR:
After a day of absolute pure agony, filled with a hot iron pressed to my back, another set of whipping for information, and an hour of constant waterboarding, all I was praying for was death. I wanted it so badly that nothing else in the world mattered more than the end of my suffering. The pain was more than unbearable to sit through, and though my body kept trying to fight, my psyche had long since abandoned me.
The door to my cell slowly opened, and Joshua came in to sit down opposite of me. He flicked his camera on, then folded his hands. “Now, now, why are we so sad?” He cooed, flashing a light on to reveal my tortured and abused face. He even shivered but smiled softy. “Jesus, your covered in blood!” He lifted my shirt, looking over the burned skin, “That looks painful, but I’m not here to play doctor.” He placed the light on the camera, watching me snivel and shake in agony. “What is the one thing your heart desires most?” He asked emotionlessly.
“Death...” I hiccuped to his surprise.
“Is that so?” He pulled his sword free, placing the tip to my back, “If you want it so badly, beg for it, and you shall receive what you want.” I ended up falling silent, which made him blink, “Oh, are we thinking otherwise?”
“I will never stoop to that pathetic level again…” I answered unsurely. He smirked, twirling the blade as he paced before me. “Ten years ago, you were begging me not to execute you, and now you want death? How the tables have turned…” he raised the sword: I closed my eyes and waited as a rush sounded. The blade stopped just above my head, making him laugh loudly. “Did you think I’d actually kill you!” He sat back down, folding his hands, “What I don’t understand, is why you haven’t taken to my torture yet. You truly are a strong little thing. Are you trying to act tough, to prove your worth? You seem to forget, your mine. You have been mine since the day you were brought into this world, Dmitri, and will be until the day you die.” He paused, looking down to me with fury burning in his eyes, “I’m talking to you!”
I yelped, shuddering harder, “I don’t know what you’re talking about…” I hiccuped.
He crouched down, his face void of all emotion, “There comes a point in time, Dmitri, where even the strongest of men must crumble in order to finally see how wrong things are. Andrew is slowly beginning to corrupt you; he is showing you a world that is perfect, when we are far from it. Which do you want more, power, or morality?”
I looked up to him, my eyes dead in the reflection of his, “I will gain power, when I use my morality to crush you.” I weakly growled.
“Where did I go wrong with you?” He sighed, standing as he shook his head.
A moment later, I began hysterically laughing.
Joshua blinked, pursing his lips as I rolled off a long set of maniacal lighter. “Oh, Joshua!” I screamed, laughing louder. The sound made him back up a step, his eyes full of fear. “You are a fool!” I sucked in a loud breath, “You have set me up perfectly to destroy you! You trained me to be a weapon, and then let me walk right into Andrew’s castle! And now you’re trying to torture me?! You’re giving me more to work with, don’t you see? Because when I get my hands on you, I am going to make you endure a painful, miserable, death…!” I snapped through my teeth, gasping in horrible anger with a wide-eyed stare. “I am going to make you wish you were never born. You’re mistake was to try and break me down, because I feel stronger than ever. You, are, dead.”
He stood, sighing down at me. “You’re useless; truly, useless.” He walked out of the room, slamming the door shut loudly on my crazy laughter that continued to echo through the castle walls until the next morning.