Mevi lay on the ground, beholding the alien form that was certainly the source of the commanding voice. A glowing pale-blue light emanated from the form of the alien, which seemed like it was made of a gelatinous liquid that shifted and changed shape like it couldn’t properly maintain a humanoid form. Her voice escaped her, the coughing fit had torn at her throat and only sputtering groans came out as she panicked. The liquid creature held the glass vessel that contained whatever had just been inside her. A dark sickly tar that writhed in the small container, bashing itself against the walls of its new prison towards Mevi, like it still tried to fight to reach her. The liquid creature changed its attention from Mevi back to the captured sickness. The arm that held the glass vessel elongated far beyond what should be possible for a humanoid, stretching almost like rubber five or six meters away to set the glass vessel on a nearby table. Then the creature turned once again to look at Mevi, still laying on the ground with a small puddle of sickness and blood next to her. The liquid creature reached a hand down towards Mevi, and its hand wrapped gently around her throat.
Slimy, sticky, and smelling vaguely foul. Mevi had an alien made of gelatinous pale-blue liquid gently squeezing her throat. She held still, terrified at the unknown creature’s intention. It claimed to be Modrak, but could he be such a strange anomaly as a man made of liquid? Mevi submitted to its authority, she felt weak after the violent retching from before and couldn’t even attempt to fight back against whatever the figure might try. Yet as she flinched when the ooze moved to fully engulf her neck, the soreness and bloody pain in her throat began to vanish. She felt her throat somehow healing in moments. The creature, who claimed to be Modrak, withdrew its appendage and commanded once more, “Speak. Who are you to invade my workshop? So insignificant you are, not even realizing your own infection.”
Mevi hesitated only for a few moments, not daring to insult Modrak further, “My name is Mevare Bensari… I was sent here, by Lords Magi Odion and Maphet. They told me to seek you out…”
“An errand girl?” the liquid form shifted instead of walking, and it moved away towards the table where the sickness now sat, “Pathetic. To send one to me so defenseless.” Modrak began gathering devices of strange types, seemingly preparing an experiment with the contents in the glass vessel.
“Yes, I admit my powerlessness… But I was still sent here, my lord. Please, I need your help. My friends…”
Modrak cut her off sharply, “Your friends? Those fools who were caught by my extensions? Your Sentinel sent here to mock my defenses? Or perhaps the fools who were convinced out of their hiding only to be captured by me at last?”
Mevi stopped speaking, feeling her spirits fall and her face flush after Modrak’s descriptions.
“No response? Again, pathetic. The Magi should’ve sent me one more sure of themselves. Alestair maybe. Speak what you want clearly, errand girl. Or I will throw you out alone.”
Mevi couldn’t understand Modrak, but spoke with confidence after gathering her wits for a few moments, “I need my companions, all of them, returned to me. I also must complete whatever mission the Magi set for me here.”
Modrak ‘turned’ to face Mevi, but it was little more than a gesture as its arms continued working behind it on the table, “Finally. I detest pleasantries. But why would I ever comply with anything you demand? You assaulted my laboratory, destroyed my prized creations, and your friend attempted to pilfer from my collection.”
“The Lords Magi demand my obedience and for this I need my companions. I beseech you, Lord Modrak. Please give them back to me and help me.”
The liquid form of Modrak paused whatever it was experimenting on. The sickly tar had been removed from the jar and thoroughly killed, somehow. It was being dissected on the table, it seemed to outwardly be a rubbery sickness but as Modrak had been terrorizing it the entity proved to have internals. Blackened red flesh was torn open and pieces of organ displayed alongside the strange corpse. Modrak fully turned its attention to Mevi. She couldn’t help but quietly seethe. Being forced to essentially beg, her companions being captured for seemingly no reason, and its near refusal to entreat with her despite her Magi-given quest. A single bubble appeared in Modrak’s chest and slowly floated upwards until it escaped from the liquid form’s shoulder. “You hate me, or an emotion similar to hate. Such a strong emotion for something as weak as you.” Modrak said suddenly.
“I apologize if I seemed that way, my Lord. I do not, I just need to complete my task so I can begin my next. So I can properly serve the Magi.” Mevi replied, terrified that she had been displaying her emotions so clearly, but she was sure she had been careful.
“You cannot hide your thoughts from me. I possess more power, knowledge, and influence than you can even imagine. I obey the Magi, only because it suits me. But their thoughts, and most of their minion’s, are shielded from me. You have no such talent. I can hear you, and I feel your anger.” Modrak shifted its form to stand next to Mevi, staring into the vat filled with humanoid subjects, “Oh you hate me a great deal for things you aren’t even fully aware of. Within you, you know what I am doing and you hate me for it. But even still, you aren’t fully aware of yourself. It is a curious thing. And a glaring weakness.”
Mevi’s frustrations were being stroked by Modrak’s simplest words, but she attempted to maintain civility, “There are many things I have seen that I disagree with… But I cannot see a way I can disagree with you, I can only try to save my companions and hope.”
Turning again to ‘face’ Mevi, “And that is your flaw. You wish for more than you can grasp. You are too weak to achieve anything. Yet you want and want. Meekness will give you no benefit. If you hate me, stop me. Take what you want, or are you content to beg for scraps as you always have? I see you, and you are a footnote in history. Your family threw you aside, your friends are dying, and you are powerless. Pathetic.”
Mevi felt herself building an internal rage she hadn’t felt for a long while. Not since her Daemon possessed her body to take revenge for Kalesi. Mevi’s emotions felt raw, powerful, and irresistible as this mockery of a humanoid mimic taunted her. She felt her heart boil with anger, and what felt like an ancient power slowly rose from its slumber. Mevi struggled against herself to contain the anger that had laid dormant for so long. Anger at the world she was forced into, anger at her family who abandoned her, anger at the near loss of her new family, anger at this creature that committed unspeakable acts against humanity, and anger at her own powerlessness. Modrak leaned in, closing the distance to almost nothing between them, “Your ‘Kalesi’ will die. And it will be your fault, because you can do nothing to stop me or anyone from taking from you.”
At the mention of Kalesi’s name, Mevi’s most dear treasure since her being given to the Magi, Mevi exploded. The ancient power that Mevi had felt growing inside her rose to the surface fully, she recognized its presence. Mevi’s Daemon, the entity that stalked her nights when she was young, and always fought to possess her with infernal anger. Mevi reached out in union with the Daemon, and an orange fire exploded from Mevi’s hand to strike Modrak. The liquid entity dodged and engaged Mevi.
The alien creature pulled back but quickly grew an appendage behind Mevi, striking at her from behind. But Mevi could almost see behind her even as she stared forward at Modrak’s humanoid form. A glowing stream of power erupted from Mevi’s heart and intercepted the gelatinous appendage behind her, the two powers strangling each other in a mixture of fiery aura and pale-blue power. Mevi strode forward, propelled by her Daemon’s anger but controlled by her own intent. Mevi reached out her hand again, demanding Modrak return to her, and a faint aura emanated out of her to grapple the liquid humanoid body. Modrak dropped to the floor, splashing into seemingly true water, the faint orange aura grasping at nothing but air. Manic laughter echoed from around the laboratory, emanating almost from the vat of glowing liquid. Mevi glared at the vat of liquid, it contained her friends and countless people undeserving of such unusual imprisonment. With her anger and determination manifest, Mevi reached up with both her hands to squeeze the vat of liquid.
As Mevi began to attack the vat itself, more appendages of Modrak’s body spiked upwards from around her and began whipping at her. Mevi’s Daemon focused on protecting her, deflecting and blocking the attacks even as it countered with its own attacks against the entities that continued to crop up. Mevi ignored the assaults and focused harder on crushing the massive prison. Modrak’s laughter echoed louder as if to taunt her more. Mevi had had enough, she would free those captured here and tear down this monument of terror.
Mevi reached out one last time, her spirit flowing forward to follow her intent. Then, as she fully embraced her decision to tear down the very foundations of this ‘Tower of Pain’ the vat of liquid cracked and exploded. Watery ooze flowed like a wave from the vat of glowing substance. The liquid flowed past and around her, but completely ignored her otherwise as if there was some wall between her and it’s flow. The bodies within the vat remained carefully suspended, barely moving as the rushing ooze began to rapidly rail against the walls of the lab. Modrak’s manic cackling only grew more powerful. The watery substance almost formed into a vaguely humanoid shape around Mevi, splashing waves cascading over some invisible wall around her. The massive form loomed tall, and Mevi realized just how small she was compared to the oppressive power that Modrak possessed. The muffled echo of Modrak’s voice was gone now, instead it was a powerful boom that seemed to shake the entire spire, “There, I have done your will, insufferable Magi. Errand girl, you know not what powers you trifle with, but I have released yours without even your notice. Behold me now, in my terrible might, and cower.”
Mevi, still filled with defiance, stood her ground, “I won’t. I refuse to cower any longer if my friends are in danger.”
The cascading waves of pale-blue liquid crashed and rammed against the walls of the laboratory and against the invisible wall protecting Mevi. The towering form of Modrak loomed above her, leaning in to make her feel even more insignificant than she already did. As Modrak came close to her, with what Mevi thought was its head coming close enough to touch, the malevolent creature boomed again, “Fair choice of words, but entirely too foolish.”
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A tall hand reached down and pushed itself against what protective barrier apparently surrounded Mevi, and then a sound like shattering glass as the glowing liquid rushed past her defenses. Washed away by the rushing liquid, Mevi was jostled and thrown like a ragdoll through the flowing power. Her defiance neary beaten out of her completely as she was ferried around the room in violent currents. In only a few seconds the wind was knocked out of her lungs and forced her to curl into a ball so as to not be badly wounded against the hard metal surfaces she careened into. After those few seconds of torment, Mevi felt herself be placed on the cold hard metal floor once again. The pale-blue glowing ooze retreating back towards the vat it was once held within.
Mevi looked up, still partially dazed by the ordeal, and saw as the destruction she had caused was almost entirely erased. Modrak was binding the glass and metal back together somehow, bending what was broken back into shape. In only a few short moments the damage was entirely reversed like nothing had even happened. The flowing liquid returned to its container, and the laboratory looked no different than when Mevi had first entered. There wasn’t even any sign of residue on her or the floors. Utter defeat, it seemed. Mevi tried to manifest the orange energy she had channeled only moments before, but only saw sparks and sputtering attempts like something was snuffing it out. Modrak appeared again beside her, “You cannot manifest within my presence unless I allow it. It is why the Magi fear me, as I know they do. I have a mastery over form and body that they might only dream of. My power was achieved naturally, while their ‘gifts’ were from this wretched Barge.”
“What do you mean? Why do you torment me?” Mevi fished for answers.
“I do not owe you an explanation, and it would take too long for me to formulate one you could understand. I have done my duty, and will return your companions. Then you will leave.”
“I don’t even know what you think you did, I barely even know what I myself did.”
“And that is your fatal flaw, your potential is outshined by your overwhelming ignorance. I will give you this; I removed that sickness from you.” A thin arm outstretched pointing at the pristine workspace containing the sickening tar creature. “Planted for a Magi’s foul plot no doubt. You are free of its influence, and so to is your ability to channel Mana. Now you will take your companions and leave.”
As Modrak commanded her, a door somewhere further in the lab hissed open and let streaming light flow in. Clunking heavy footsteps clamored in, and Mevi rushed to see what its source was. Modrak disappeared, dissolving into the floor to leave nothing behind as Mevi searched for the noise. As Mevi rounded the vat of prisoners, she saw the open door with several iron sentinels streaming in. Carried by eight iron sentinels at any one time, and still putting up a powerful resistance, was her Sentinel. Scar, melt, and broken metal covered the thin armor that acted as its exoskeleton in harsh blemishes. When its helmeted face passed over Mevi its struggling stopped for a moment, then in a whirlwind of resistance the Sentinel threw off most of its escorts. Twisting in place with the sheer force of their body, several iron sentinels were funneled under the Sentinel while others toppled over themselves in an attempt to maintain their grip. The Sentinel used the confusion to rip itself from the remaining escorts and bounded towards Mevi, but the golden protector was noticeably slowed and almost limping as it reached Mevi’s side. What weapons or remaining heavy armor seemed to have been removed from the Sentinel, leaving it wearing only the thin exoskeleton metal plating with a dark bodysuit occasionally escaping to be seen where holes and breaches in the armor were obvious. The iron copies attempted to pursue, but Modrak reappeared from the floor once again and the unsaid command was heeded. The iron sentinels gave up pursuit and continued their original tasks, the Sentinel almost seemed confused for a moment but continued to maintain its guard of Mevi in careful watch of all the new threats. Hellion was produced soon after the iron sentinels resumed their duties, his unconscious body being dropped onto the metal floor in front of Mevi. The bulky robots then also began to work towards a nearby access panel in the massive vat itself. Saerin and Ouapi were being retrieved and disconnected from the wires and tubes. Finally, wheeled in on an examination table, the unmolested body of Zelkan. Still wearing all the same clothes and mask he wore when he was captured, in a peaceful sleep.
Mevi’s companions were returned to her, in varying states of damage and disorder. Yet her curiosity of Modrak was piqued with Zelkan’s pristine state. She could almost swear Modrak’s liquid body looked towards him, the thing’s head pointed in Zelkan’s direction like it had eyes to watch. Mevi decided not to broach the subject, and hoped she could escape this pit of horror without her companions being wise to what had really happened. As her companions were reclothed in basic garb, and loaded onto a large gurney, Mevi could not resist her need for answers. “Modrak, what about the rest of the people? You torture them, for what? Experiments?” Mevi asked suddenly.
“Torture? I give them pleasure and purpose beyond what they could imagine. In their otherwise pathetic lives.” Modrak seemed genuinely offended, at least by his tone.
“But you keep them here, force them into pods within the buildings outside, you suck dry any vital essences on the floors below. If not torture, then you run a cruel prison.”
“Foolish. Each and every creature within my control submitted willingly. Even your two companions couldn’t resist the promises I offered. Any you saw below had expired naturally, from their own mistakes or diseases in their life before. Do not presume to have some moral high ground here, dog of the Magi. Your masters do more, and worse.” Modrak let that statement sink in before readjusting his tone to one of stiff nobility, “Leave before my hospitality runs dry.”
So she did. Mevi knew she couldn’t very well break free every person within Modrak’s influence. Even if she did, what would she do? How could she take care of them? If she released them back into the cavern, most would almost certainly die even just of the elements, how would she be better than Modrak then? Her fury built, but subsided. She would not abandon them, she would remember the people here and return for them when she could make a better life than this. But she had to admit her own limits, for she didn’t even know what her limits were.
Mevi was escorted by a host of iron sentinels, who each carried heavy weapons of various sorts. The robotic creatures watched the Sentinel cautiously as they passed through the various levels of the spire. Mevi was escorted down to a larger transport of some kind, it physically exited the spire and twisted around until it reached the bottom doors. The large doors had been broken open, and drones were already constructing new braces and structure to fix them. When they reached the bottom Hellion awoke with a start. Trying to jump out of the gurney, but being caught and forced down by the iron sentinels. Panic raced across his face, but when his eyes fell on Mevi he assumed a false confidence. Still tied down, Hellion’s trademark grin came over him as he asked, “So, I’ll assume negotiations succeeded? Seems we’re gettin the royal treatment after all.”
Mevi couldn’t help giving Hellion a reassuring smile in return, she could sense his unease and stifled fear, “We are leaving. But there will be no ‘loot’ for you.” She said softly.
“Ah… Well, we tried. Least we didn’t get hurt.” His eyes shifted to the beaten and ragged form of the Sentinel, “Well, most of us at least. Your bot’s seen better.”
The transport landed on the ground rather quickly despite the immense height of the tower. As they descended to the bottom a group of mechanical escorts arrived through the main gateway of the wall. They carried, dragged, and escorted the band of rogues that had left to do Hellion’s tasks. As the transport fully stopped Mevi disembarked with her unconscious companions and Hellion. Most of Hellion’s rogues were being carried by the robots and had strange devices rigged to their faces like masks. They lay limp like they were dead, but faint breathing could be observed. Only two walked on their own, and they limped slowly behind the group. Hellion, still relaxing on the gurney, twisted to lay on his side, which nearly prompted the robotic escorts to pin him again. Yet as Hellion looked to observe his crew, his face fell and the two who walked didn’t meet his gaze. They almost seemed ashamed, but were mostly uninjured. Hellion called out to his two remaining crew, “You just couldn’t say no could you? Damn you all, don’t have a single thought between your heads that you think this is alright?”
The two conscious rogues mumbled in response but avoided meeting Hellion’s eyes. Mevi moved towards them, but a strong metal arm stretched out from one of the iron sentinels to stop her. Mevi’s Sentinel almost struck the automaton after it obstructed her, but a single look was all her protector needed to know that Mevi was fine and to calm down. The group of them were escorted to the bottom of the road out of the Castle, placed at the entrance with three unconscious and the rest feeling defeated.
Hellion finally got up, no longer being forced to stay laying down, and Mevi realized he had several easily visible bruises. The rogue stood, but clearly leaned heavily on one leg over the other, his charisma and confidence almost depleted. But still that overconfident smile pushed through as he turned to Mevi, “Well, that’s that. Im outta the job, it was fun while it lasted!”
“What happened to them? Why did your friends go with them?” Mevi asked, still confused.
“Friends? Hahaha! That’s precious! We only used each other. I knew those layabouts would give up eventually, the promise of treasure can only take you so long after all.”
“But why did they go with the robots?”
“You saw those things on their heads? I think they’re like small computers or something. They make you feel good, and those pods feed you too I guess. We lost more people to bot’s by them just giving up rather than any of us actually dying. I always tried to say it was too good to be true, not to try and connect with em or something. Looks like they got caught, and they couldn’t resist the bots’ offer. Idiots…”
A somber moment passed. Mevi wondered exactly what the people went through, what it felt like to be so unburdened and flooded with apparent pleasure. If that truly was what the pods and strange devices did. Even more she wondered why someone would want to sell themselves for some fake pleasure, or if she would have a strong enough will to refuse something like that. Her mind was taken away from those thoughts when her sleeping companions began to stir.
Mevi moved to Saerin’s side, she stirred the most and first, but Zelkan remained quiet. As she rushed to her companion, she felt something heavy in her robe clunk against her thigh in one of the inner pockets. She didn’t carry many things with her, and didn’t remember storing anything there. Mevi fished into the hidden pockets and pulled out a small clear tube with a metallic cap. Within was a faintly glowing pale-blue liquid. Within was part of Modrak’s body. Anger and frustration filled her, that thing had snuck this container with part of it into her clothes. She was left with more questions than ever, and her emotions flooded through her like a dam had opened after years of being barred shut.
Balling her hand into a fist, squeezing the tube tightly with some small hope to crush it in her hand. Mevi couldn’t bear destroying the thing, she still wasn’t sure what she was actually sent here for, for all she knew the Magi wanted this tube of strange liquid. She wanted to throw the container and smash it against the ground, but instead collapsed to her knees. Mevi was exhausted, completely drained physically and mentally. Resting her head on the gurney Saerin lay atop nearest to the edge, she let the powerful emotions drain away and disappear. Instead a slow sadness, a sadness product from such overwhelming exhaustion and confusion, took its place. Small tears once again dripped down her face, but she kept herself from sobbing.
As Mevi’s emotions swirled with a new force not felt in a long while, a hand brushed against her head. A soft, gentle, hand placed itself weakly on her head, faintly attempting to run through her messy hair to clean up her friz. Mevi hadn’t noticed how mangled her hair and clothes had become, and as she looked up to see who attempted to weakly groom her she almost saw a moment where Kalesi was laying on the gurney. But instead the vision faded as the bubbled tears fell away to reveal Saerin’s bewildered and concerned face. “You got us back…” Saerin said softly.
Mevi nearly jumped into Saerin’s arms, it had felt like days worth of stress filled the hours between their departure. Mevi held back the fountain of emotions, and was content to have her companions back. She didn’t realize until now that she cared for Saerin and Zelkan so much. With her abilities unblocked, she would train doubly hard to protect them, and ensure nothing would steal them away from her again.