Fan Fiction ❯ The Ties That Bind ❯ Revelations ( Chapter 7 )

Chapter 7 - Revelations

Warning: Darker than previous chapters, hints of torture at the end.

"Impossible. He's supposed to be dead," a smooth, cultured voice said in sinful, teasing tones that filled the entire length of the darkened room where the owner of that voice stood gazing intently into a small crystal globe. The scene within the globe was of three beings, facing off in a parking lot miles away from the owner of that silvery voice. His figure was surrounded in the shadows of the room, even as the faint sound of falling water caressed the very walls around. It was a soothing, peaceful sound completely at odds with the man who owned the plushly carpeted room.
"Apparently, your well conceived plans were not as fool proof as you thought," a voice spoke from the same shadows, only it was rough and full of a pain that never died out in its deep resounding tone. The nobility of the man speaking as well as the contempt he held for the one he was addressing was plain to be read in that resonating tone. As he had spoken, the shadows parted around him to reveal where he hung in naked splendor.
"This is but a minor setback. I control half of the Speakers of the Council and by this time tomorrow I will control all of them. Nothing can stand in my way," that cultured, seductive voice said firmly and coolly as the owner of it turned away from the tense view within the globe to fall upon the naked figure literally dangling from his wall like a grotesque statue. The man was dangling from black chains that were alive with darkness and pulsing crimson that could only have been blood. Those chains bound his arms straight out to either side, even as they held his feet straight down. Flowing hair that was so dark it literally absorbed the light was matted to either side of a face that was beyond beautiful and defied any description to capture its glowing radiance. Eyes that were pitch black in the exact shade as the hair that revealed no white or pupil at all stared coldly back at the owner of that cultured voice.
Only pure evil could be as beautiful as this being was, down to every last sculptured muscle and tense line of his gorgeous frame.
"You're forgetting one little thing," the chained man spoke softly in a dark tone that carried the patience of a father speaking to a very stupid and slow child. However, no father in his right mind would have given a look that promised death and dismemberment in the most painful ways to his son.
"Then do enlighten me," the cool culture voice responded with a faint lifting of a brow, as the eyes beneath that quirked brow began to pulse faintly with the beginnings of annoyance. Normally, the first hint of that emotion within the man would have caused most anyone that truly knew him and all he was capable of to flee the area fast for their lives.
"This little Hunt you concocted could unravel everything you've worked so hard for," the being chained to the wall observed quietly, even as his own eyes flared with the sparkling of the stars in their limitless depths. Those stars died quickly away, leaving him grimacing in a pain that defied explanation or sanity. To survive such torment was a mark of who he was as well as what he was. The tone of voice when mentioning the Hunt was scornful and venomous to an extreme.
"I despise having little things like blood and family ties get in my way. Wouldn't you agree?" the owner of that cultured voice spoke with a beguiling smile that slide across his shadowed features, but never reached those flashing eyes. He took a slow step towards the wall that held the other prisoner with an underlying scorn to his own voice as well as amusement at some private joke that question implied for him alone. The very real sense that the chained man was the butt of that joke was undeniable.
"I wouldn't know. You left me no option but to sever all of mine already, Oklesta," the dangling man offered with bitterness and another flare of anger within the dark depths of his eyes. He spoke the other man's name like a curse and as if it tasted like pure poison upon his lips. The hatred between the pair was a palatable thing that crackled in the air between them even as it was underscored by a test of willpower and dominance that was obviously an old fight to them.
"Lord and Master to you," Lord Oklesta spoke softly with a tone of command that was absolute. He always expected absolute obedience from those around him. When he did not receive it, people usually ended up dead, or worse.
"Never," the hanging man said with relish and pure malicious defiance in his tone of voice. The smile that accompanied that tone of voice was a promise. A promise of violence and sweet agony for Oklesta if he ever broke free of the ties that bound him in place and the seals that held his power in check.
"We've been over this time and again," Lord Oklesta said with a sigh and a yawn of feigned boredom with the constant battle of will he carried on with his odd guest. He at least thought of the man chained to his wall as a guest, though an uninvited one that was dangerous to keep. The pride he held in having captured and contained his prisoner (no guest, really) was snide and complete. No one could defeat him. He was invincible, if still unfortunately mortal. But soon, sooner than anyone could have guessed, he would be truly immortal.
"And we'll continue going over it. No one is my master, least of all you," the man upon the wall spat out with relish and pride. There was nothing broken or subservient to him, though he had once feigned it to keep what he held most dear intact. His greatest weakness and greatest strength could be found within that globe of crystal that Oklesta was constantly peering at.
"I will be once the medallion is in my grasp. Until then, you will continue to serve me unless you want the seals even tighter upon you," Lord Oklesta spoke softly with malicious promise in every single word. The way his eyes looked and his mouth smiled revealed exactly how much pleasure the thought of tormenting his wall decoration was bringing to him. Torture and torment are a true art form and one that Oklesta was very, very good at. Intimidation and blackmail were his other coins he traded in as well as life and, more often, death.
"I might be a demon but at least I'm not a soulless bastard who only wants power without consequence or purpose," the being upon the wall observed shrewdly, even as he took in every nuance of Oklesta's expression and speech. Nothing about his captor escaped the demon because he never knew when it might prove useful.
"You are weak and will gain me a crown and kingdom through your power," Oklesta spoke, smiling again in that sinister yet polite way he had about him as he strode over to the demon and lightly touched one of his legs. He stroked the being as he would have a treasured pet or object.
"I will fight you because even I have my limitations," the demon promised, hearing himself say words to the idiot that had bound him. These were words he had spoken to Oklesta too many times to count and still the man never believed him at all. Lord Oklesta only believed what he wanted to or changed everything around in his world so that what he believed became truth.
"Demons do not have limits. You are chaos incarnate and laws unto yourselves. Every first year dark mage knows such," Oklesta said in growing irritation as well as frustration at what he deemed to be stubborn, foolish pride on the part of his captive. The demon was obviously holding back secrets and great dark powers from him. He would have to give the insolent spawn of hell another lesson in humility soon unless he forget his place.
"Think again, fool. The universe is a series of checks and balances, not random chaos or rampant order. Demons and angels have their own limitations that only idiots would try to surpass. What you are attempting is suicide, on more levels than you can imagine," the hanging, chained demon spoke once again in a deep, gruff voice that held that impatient tone again. He was back to addressing an idiot who did not know one thing about the way the universe truly worked. One day, the demon hoped he could teach Oklesta a few things that the other would never forget. Oh yes, indeed.
"You only say such to tempt me into freeing you out of fear. I fear no one and nothing, least of all a weak demon who made the mistake of falling in love with a stupid human and having a family that make nice leverage against him," Lord Oklesta said with a superior look he usually reserved for fools that tried his patience and underlings not worthy to even lick his boots. The cool arrogance that slide across his face was all the more frightening and disturbing because of the lightning intelligence as well as surprising sanity that burned in his eyes. Oklesta was a man of power, intelligence, and the will to use the great magic at his disposal in any way he had too to achieve what he most desired.
"Your power hunger will be your undoing," the demon said coldly, eyes gleaming down into the darkness that always draped over Oklesta when he was in the privacy of his own chambers. The darkness around the man was a stifling thing, alive with terrors and secrets within it's depths that you didn't look to closely at for fear of your sanity.
"Your love of humans will be yours. We make a nice couple, don't we?" Lord Oklesta shot back, shaking his head at the stupidity of trying to teach a demon sense or respect. The only thing they understood was force and brute strength, much like the humans and fairies that he manipulated in his quest for ultimate power.
"I am nothing like you," the male dangling from the wall said with resolute conviction that was absolute truth. An odd thing to be sure coming from a race of beings made famous by their love of lying and deceit.
"You are exactly like me, only you have the power and immortality I do not have within my grasp yet," Lord Oklesta responded, drawing out the last word into a promise of things to come and ambitions yet to be fulfilled.
"You will never be half of what I am," the demon spoke softly, shaking his head as much as the bindings that held him in place would allow. The absolute desire to rend flesh and destroy the human before him caused him to strain at the bindings, twisting in their grasp even though it caused him pure agony to do so.
"True. I will be better," Lord Oklesta drawled out in slow response even as he relished the effect he had upon the captive swinging from chains against his wall. It wasn't often a mere human could cause such violent anger in a demon. It was a pure gift of his to be able to do so to his pet wall ornament.
"Coward. If it were not for the seals binding me, I would destroy you where you stand as you did that foolish worm earlier," the demon growled out softly, voice turning to something complete inhuman as his anger and rage grew. This was an old argument and fight between the pair of them that the demon constantly lost but still fought. After all, perhaps one day he would win.
"Another minor setback. Besides, that servant had long ago outlived his usefulness," Lord Oklesta spoke with utter disdain for the servant's life he had taken quite painfully and easily. There wasn't so much as a drop of blood left within his chambers to show that a human had died mere hours ago. The demon held no love for anyone that would serve Oklesta, least of all himself.
"What will you rule when you have destroyed the entire world for your own endless hunger and quest?" the male asked quietly, wondering if the mortal was really as insane as he guessed. Insanity was one thing but insanity with purpose, power, and a small streak of intelligent sanity behind it was something else entire.
"A kingdom of corpses if that is what it takes. Oberon and his stupid court will fall to me because it will be the Writ and Word of their beloved, precious Council. The Knights are so predictable that it grows tiresome," Lord Oklesta spoke with growing boredom and relish in his own scheming dreams. Dreams that would become reality in a few short days. It was inevitable, after all his years of quiet manipulation. Everything he had ever desired would soon be his for the taking. What a delicious thought.
"The Knights are more than you could possibly comprehend. It is the little things like honor and loyalty beyond your own petty schemes that you will never understand but which they live by that will allow the Knights to ultimately defeat you," the demon spoke softly and with a familiar sneer to his mouth that always raised Oklesta into a fit of temper. The subtle bandy of words to find weaknesses and thus to exploit them in another being was a gift the demon had in abundance. If only he were free to use his power to completely, he would have destroyed everything within his sight to get to Oklesta.
"Do not insult my honor because it is all that keeps me from destroying your pathetic offspring as I vowed I would not. Loyalty is too easily bought or coerced to be reliable. You, of all beings, should understand that," Lord Oklesta pointed out with a malicious smirk that brought forth a tired, longer suffering sigh from the dangling man.
"All too well," the demon replied, looking more or less just tired of the man who was bandying words with him. He was tired of many things, most of all hanging around on the wall and listening to the ravings of this mortal who would be king. He had heard it all before, a thousand times over. There was ironically nothing new in the petty desires and schemes of the human before him, only the fact he had incredible power to back it up where others before him had not.
"Now that we are agreed, do not ever lecture me upon the folly of the Knights and their imbecilic Order again. Are we clear or must I prove my point once again?" Lord Oklesta asked with a deceptively mild tone in his voice. It was a tone he normally saved for seducing the entire Council to his desires or simply to beguile them into believing that his way was the only way. He was rather good at it.
"I believe the appropriate term here is go to hell, Oklesta," the chained demon replied with a soft laughter that died quickly in the sudden silence of the room. The sound of lapping water was no longer present as even the very air seemed to still around them from the simple taunt that fell into that oppressive silence and living darkness.
"Demons are such gluttons for punishment," Lord Oklesta spoke with soft disdain as well as a flare of something that could only be described as pleasure. The sort of pleasure a snake takes in squeezing the life out of a keening mouse.
"Humans must always resort to violence to prove their imagined superiority," the demon spoke softly with a cool arrogance and disdain that went beyond the single man that was obviously about to torture him yet again to prove some nonexistent point. Goody.
"You bore me, Althor. Let us make this more interesting," Oklesta said with a feigned yawn accompanied by a malicious smile as he stepped directly below where Althor was hanging in place. A small ball of radiant power and light was forming between his palms, causing the demon to flinch visibly in reaction.
"Please, by all means do so if it will shut you up," Althor returned quietly, spitting out the words with another sigh. Long ago, this had become the routine of his life, though it would not last through eternity. Ironic, he had more faith in his offspring than anything else within the realms.
"Let us begin," Lord Oklesta spoke softly as the soft lapping of water once again resumed its peaceful melody. A melody that was punctuated only by the sounds of inhuman screaming and growling that signaled a rage that would have all the time in existence to grow.