Theo – Part 4

Inside the cell knelt former wizard Arthur Down. Former, because he resembled little of his previous self. His arms were drawn up above his head and it reminded Theo of the demon Arthur had restrained in a similar manner. The cufflinks were metal and nailed into the stone wall.

The cufflinks hummed vibrantly with magical energy and Theo silently applauded the ingenuity of the WC. The cufflinks were enchanted to suppress the magical talents of those attuned and used very frequently within the Empire; mostly in the Empire wars that involved capturing certain enemies with an aptitude of magic.

Arthur did not look up when Theo entered, his head lolling so low Theo could just about see his spinal bone protrude from the back of his neck. He was severely malnourished, beaten, but most disturbing of all was his skin or lack thereof. His chest twinkled a deep red under the torchlit Theo held, and Theo saw the ribcage press grotesquely against the scabbed skin. Theo noticed the pool of water at the wizard’s knees and detected the stench of urine as he approached.

“Arthur,” Theo whispered, suddenly wrapped with the contemplation on whether he had the resolution to question such a broken man; he after all was responsible for his capture.

“Arthur!” Theo said again, this time giving fuel to his voice. The man looked up feverishly.

“Please—” he muttered through dry broken lips. “Don’t hurt me”

Arthur’s hair had grown sinewy and thin, his facial hair sprouted in selected regions of his chin and Theo found himself reaching for the chains that restrained him—in a desperate attempt to free the tormented boy. This was too much. This was too barbaric. Theo heard movement from Thana out in the hall behind him. If he could not get Arthur’s chains off, she could.

“I’m not gonna hurt you,” Theo heard himself say, fumbling loosely with the cuffs tattooed with magical glyphs. Arthur’s forearms had shrunken to kindling sticks and patches of flesh had been delicately stripped, giving rise to a pithy fragrance like rotten tomatoes.

“I’m going to get you out,” Theo said without so much as a thought about what he was doing. His thought process had shifted so violently by what he witnessed, he suddenly disregarded everything that wasn’t rescuing this young man from torture. He told himself that he would have never had helped if he knew what Skinner would do to Arthur if given half a chance.

“We tried to bring him in after his appraisal but he illuded us, let him realize how much of a mistake that was”, were Cedrick’s Broome’s words that played over in Theo’s mind. The words were then interrupted by the whining of the door behind him as it opened.

“Thana!” Theo yelled turning. “Help me with—” he paused. It was not Thana that stood in the doorway, but Skinner, and he had a few friends that began to filler into the room: each one as large as the previous.

“Well, it appears Thana has made herself scarce. She always was so very clever” Skinner said with relish and Theo’s heart sank into an abyss.

Skinners men approached and Theo found his dagger appear in his hand like it sometimes did on its own accord. He only had the one, and in the tight confounds of this cell, Theo felt very much in the same predicament the wizard had been in; without the advantage of a demon veering for him.

The sight of the dagger gave the thugs little pause and even blessed Skinner with a sly smile.

“Come now Theo, don’t make me kill you,” he said surrounding himself amongst his men. Theo lowered his posture as he had in that sewer tunnel against Thana, it did not work then but he doubted any of these men were vampires.

“Kill me?” Theo heard himself say, unable to process logical thought other than preparing to fight. “Will you keep me alive like Arthur here?” he finished snapping his head back towards the wizard who still hung semiconscious. The look Skinner made then was enough to startle him; he pointed at Theo, like a man discovering who murdered his wife after a decade of investigation.

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“You’ll tell me how you discovered that name Mr.Wood,” Skinner said scornfully, but Theo saw fear in his eyes. He knew Theo was not acting alone, he suspected perhaps the guild had been infiltrated and Theo felt comfort in Skinner’s sudden unease. Then the realization hit him. How much torture would he endure until he sang the names of all the people he was in league with. How long and drawn out would Skinner make his tortured life even after he told him everything he knew.

Despair washed over Theo large enough to drown him, and he raised his dagger high. Better to die at his own hands than Skinner’s. He raised the knife to his throat and pressed its polished steel against the point that meant no return. The thugs went to approach but were halted by Skinner's sudden disruption.

“Wait!” he shouted. “Let’s make a deal Theo. You tell me who you’re in league with and I’ll let you walk out of here alive”

Theo relinquished a smile of absolute insanity, like all dead men blessed with the clarity to think without the fear of death clouding them.

“Alright,” Theo croaked wickedly and loosened his own dagger against his throat. “New deal. Tell me what you plan on doing with Arthur here and I’ll tell you everything”

Skinner surrendered a smile at the offer given to him but also narrowed his eyes in thought. Theo could feel those eyes scanning his hands, perhaps for a secret sending stone that might be pressed there. Skinner had no intentions of letting him go of course, but he could not risk the information getting out other ways.

“Come now Theo, you know I can’t—” Skinner managed before Theo pressed the dagger into his neck hard enough to draw blood. No amount of health potions would seal this wound fast enough before Theo bled out; and as well as his life, Skinner would lose the information he wanted.

“Alright!” Skinner shouted, halting Theo in his death pact. “Leave us” he commanded to his men.

His men looked confused for a moment before Skinner reinforced the point louder; they all left, leaving Skinner, Theo, and Arthur in the cell.

Skinner lowered his voice.

“Theo,” he began trying to conceal his concern. “I just need to know just who you work for, there is too much work for it all to be undone”

“Then answer my question” Theo replied flatly. “And don’t lie, Skinner, I’ll know if you do”

Skinner did not have the time to insight and sputtered.

“We need Arthur to open a portal,” Skinner announced under an irritated breath. “He’s the only accessible wizard within a thousand miles that’s capable to conjure such a…workload”

Theo snarled contemptuously. Just how high was this wizard’s appraisal to begin with, and if he was this powerful, why hadn’t Cedrick Broome raided the guild the moment he came into their possession; and a portal to where? The questions swam around Theo’s head like fish caught in a current.

“You’re telling me this boy is capable of conjuring portals?” Theo barked in disbelief and was mildly perturbed when Skinner released a smile.

“With enough Sphene dust, Yes”

The dots connected and Theo felt his heart explode in his chest.

“Just where is this portal being conjured,” he asked Skinner and Skinner locked eyes with Theo, his eyes were a blazing sinew of rage and reluctance. Theo raised the steel to his throat again, but Skinner never hastened his response and said slowly.

“Here and—” the room filled with silence; Arthur whimpered. “Wetbrook” Skinner finished.

“Are you mad?” Theo said in disbelief, and Skinner raised a hand to silence him.

“Who do you think pulls the strings around here?” Skinner declared. “We are her children, and the mother will reward her children when we take this city for our own”

Theo’s eyes raced around in their sockets, this could not be happening; why would they want to bring such destruction here, for gold, power, surely, they were not that foolish. Theo then remembered the city’s depleted state, the army that currently marched to Wetbrook. When they arrived, they wouldn’t find the spider host there, but receive news it’s here, in Leeside, in the place they left days before.

Skinner read the disbelief on Theo’s face.

“Come on Theo, you meddle in things far above your capability. Now tell me who you’ve been whispering too, and I’ll even allow you to leave the city”

Theo looked up and gazed upon Skinner. His own eyes forsaken of everything but defeat. Skinner gave him a sympathetic smile.

“Okay,” Theo said. “But I want one last answer from you Skinner”

“I believe I held up my part of the bargain Theo,” Skinner hissed through gritted teeth. “Who have you been whispering too”

“As a leaving gift, and a token of your esteem, who told you I’d be here tonight?”

Skinner’s expressions gave way to sinisterism and he began to chuckle fanatically to himself. Theo watched in silence and allowed him to enjoy his victory over him, if it meant he got the answer he deserved, he would pay it.

“Why it was Thana of course,” he said and began to chuckle more loudly.

The pieces had been moved and it was time for Theo to leave the board. Did they know her secret, that she was a vampire? Did it matter, would it be worth telling Skinner as much. Theo raised the dagger high to gather the attention of Skinner who silenced.

“I’ve given you all you asked Theo, and you’re free to leave the city. Just give me a name”

Theo considered.

“I’m sorry Arthur,” Theo remarked before swirling around and plunging the dagger deep into Arthur’s neck. Arthur barely moved when the dagger impaled him.

“NOOOOOOOO!” Skinner roared charging, his men burst into the room hearing their leader’s cries.

Theo pulled the blade around in a deep arc to finalize the deed, and his hands drowned red with the colour of Arthur’s blood.