The month of 1066 CC
This is the place. A man with coiled, dark brown hair with several strands of silver hair was hidden underneath the darker strands. He looked up at the cavern that he was about to enter. It was dark out, but if his lead were correct, it would lead him to the perpetrator he'd been tailing for months.
The individual he'd been following had been doing dealings in the Aurora Federation's Web of Scarlet that sold illegal merchandise across Aurum’s borders.
He had heard body parts were being sold to the highest bidder and rumors of a ‘Homunculus’—An experiment that was once human, but altered by adding archaic properties to their DNA.
Arcemedus didn't know the full extent of the process, but his job as a Locksmith and ex-custodian was to ensure that the people of Aurum were safe from the dangers and evil of the world.
He prayed to Saint Lumos that her light would guide him as he traversed the cave's depths.
Strangely enough, it wasn't the cold or darkness that put him off, but the lack of Fiends wasn't in the area. Typically, it was where they inhabited, but no creature was to be found, which meant Arcemedus was on the right track.
He traversed more, plunging into the caves with only a lantern as his light source. Around 500 years ago, their ancestors had used lanterns to guide them in the darkness when there were no street lights, but Arcemedus was practical like that and thought carrying one on hand would be beneficial.
He continued the long trek, climbing up and over cavern walls. Jumping over cliff steps that had a deep drop into the dark abyss below, he walked along a thin stretch of cavern wall that would meet his end in the cavern depths should he miss a step. What kept him going was not only civilian safety but his family.
His father, Ealdred Ashbourne, was the greatest Locksmith the world had ever seen, and he was inspired to become a Locksmith himself. He was aging and had told his son he'd retire soon and open a guild to train the next set of heroes. But most importantly, his wife, Eida, and their daughter, Lyra.
He knew she had it difficult raising a family while he worked– It wasn't ideal to be married to a Locksmith–you never knew when you'd get a letter stating that your spouse had died. Plenty of people told Arcemedus and Eida that, but the two loved one another, and they wanted to break the status quo– or so they wanted to.
Arcemdus didn't want Eida to live through that grief or have Lyra grow up without a father. Yet, the many times he tried to step away from the Locksmith life, an insurmountable dread came over him.
He tried to find any job that would keep him moving, but none quenched the fire that prohibited him from being active.
Nothing suited him but being a Locksmith.
The consequences caused him to miss many events, like the birth of his daughter, but he hurried home the moment he found out. He knew he couldn't keep doing this now that Lyra was getting older. He didn't want to lose his wife or any more moments with his child, despite the under-stimulated feelings he'd often get.
He'd ignore it all to be with his family, but first… He had to solve one last case that had been evading him for years and could be proof that the once elusive Children of Deimos were back.
It wasn't until he saw the light from the end of the cave that he reached his destination, and his jaw dropped at what he was witnessing.
Several machines were powered in the cave, and all were connected to water tanks filled with humanoid bodies and wires strapped to their naked bodies. There couldn't have been more than ten humanoid figures, which he figured were Homunculus.
Arcemedus bent down behind a boulder to keep himself hidden as he surveyed the scene before him, waiting for the perpetrators to reveal themselves.
This is madness. Who could be doing this? People or not, this is inhumane. He took notes and typed them into his Voxlink. Unfortunately, he couldn't message a guild since there was no service in the cave's depth. He would need to leave and wait for backup if they tried to reach him.
However, he bumped into a hard surface when he turned to leave the cave. Craning his neck up was an unbelievable, giant-sized person, staring at him with a cloudy and blank stare. The figure was round and heavy set, with a double chin and balding dark brown hair. Their skin was grayed out, and they had a lifeless look in their eye like a corpse.
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Before Arcemedus could retrieve his weapon, the giant reached out a giant hand and grabbed Arcemedus’ face in their sweaty palm, cutting off oxygen and rendering him unconscious.
A few moments later, he woke up strapped to a chair with chains on his arms and legs.
Someone clapped, making Arcemedus look up at the person. It was a stout older man with a hunched back and balding gray hair. He had weathered pale skin, and over his wire-rimmed glasses were dull and lifeless gray eyes, like the giant-sized figure standing at attention beside him.
Arcemedus gritted his teeth, trying hard to escape prison, but to no avail. “Are you the one who owns this workshop?”
The man's smile chilled Arcemedus to the core as if the man was no more alive than the puppet beside him.
“You're quite perceptive, Arcemedus Ashbourne. I've been keeping an eye on you for quite some time. The Sovran’s have been reporting interesting information about you, and I've been fascinated by your skills ever since.” He spoke like he was talking to a prop, not a person, and his eyes twinkled in desire, but there was no light in them. It chilled Arcemedus to the bone, but he wouldn't let this man see his fear.
“You're sick, you know that? Fiends have more grace than you. Saint Lumos shutters in disgust at you.”
He grinned. “I'll take that as a compliment. But where are my manners? I should introduce myself.” He bowed. An eerie grin spread across his lips.
“I am Professor Walsh, The Mad, The Inventor, and Sovran #88, whatever name you prefer.” He held out his short arms to his giant. “And my latest experiment, Jormunger #99. Unfortunately, it's not too bright, but what it lacks in intelligence, it makes up for in brute force and strength.”
Arcemedus noticed stitches along their body as if parts had been sewn together. Even his face was stitched together, creating a deformed look on the giant's face.
Arcemedus was appalled by the inhumane treatment. The thought of each sewn body part from an innocent human being used for experimental purposes infuriated him.
“I take that back,” he said through gritted teeth. “You're worse than a Fiend. You're nothing but a lowly Veilspawn leech. You've ordered human body parts from the Web of Scarlet, right? I swear you won't get away with this on my Locksmith honor.”
“Yes, yes, the Locksmith code of honor to protect and aid civilians whether it's closing Rifts, defeating Veilspawn, or assisting humanity in mundane tasks.” He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the sheer goodness Locksmiths gave the world. “You also have a unique set of skills as a Custodian, of course, that didn't last long after you met your lovely wife, Eida, correct?”
Arcemedus saw red. His blood boiled, and all he wanted to do was to strangle the man before him. “Keep my wife's name out of your filthy mouth!”
“And your lovely daughter… What was her name again?” Ignoring Arcemedus altogether, he tapped his chin. “Ah, yes, Lyra Ashbourne. She may take up the family mantle like dear dad and grandfather.”
Arcemedus was fuming as his body shook with rage. Even without being in his radius, anyone could feel his large pool of aura as he called upon the Wellspring's power. Only Walsh was not fearful but stared in amazement at the profound power.
“Fascinating.”
The snap of chains broke Arcemedus free, and with supersonic speed, he was in front of Walsh, his hand gripped around the old man's throat. Before Sovran #99 could react, Arcemedus reached out his palm and summoned Zephyr. The whirlwind attack shot into the giant's stomach, catapulting him through the air and crashing into the cave walls.
“Amazing. Such power.” Walsh wheezed as he stared into Arcemedus' eyes with desire.
“You'll pay for all the crimes you have committed–”
“I'm afraid we'll have to decline that invitation,” a high-pitched young boy's voice said.
Arcemedus turned around but saw no one else in the cave with them.
“But I will admit,” The voice said impossibly close to his ear that he could be beside him. Arcemedus swung at the invisible figure but came up with nothing. In doing so, however, he released his grip on Professor Walsh. “The professor is right… you are fascinating indeed.”
Arcemedus gritted his teeth. “Show yourself, you coward– Aaah!” he yelled in agony as a severe jolt of electricity shot through his entire body.
He dropped to the floor, smoke came off from him, and behind him was Walsh with a giant weapon in his hands.
“You know, I could have gotten him, " the child-like voice said. They became visible to Arcemedus as he lay out on the floor, paralyzed. They had bright, colorful hair and clothing.
“You were toying with him, Trickster #0. I could have died, but how would you explain this to the Master?”
The Trickster rolled his eyes. “You know you enjoyed that, but what do we do with him now?”
Their attention was focused solely on Arcemedus's paralyzed form. Walsh smiled sadistic and coyly as if he were the personified Deimos himself.
Arcemedus could do nothing as he fell into darkness at the mercy of his captors. His last thoughts as he was sent into the unconscious depths were of his wife and child.
Eida, forgive me. Lumos, please watch over my family…