Chapter 5: Roach

I scrambled to my feet, “Hey, you alive?” The last remaining recoil faded away, making me feel human again. 

He lay motionless. I leaned close with Silent Scream at the ready. I bounced back with my heart in my throat, the bastard still breathed. I bounced back with my heart in my throat, clutching at the dagger, pointing it toward him in an awkward attempt to create some distance. Still, he didn’t move.

I crouched just out of range from his whip and gazed tiredly at him. “I can see you breathing.”

Still no reaction.

“I have all the time in the world. That wound of yours won't be getting any better no matter how long you play possum.”

I glanced at the dagger, and Sera's eyes met mine. I whispered, “He won't get better, right?”

“How should I know? I never fought one of them before,” she rebuked loudly, but not loud enough to be heard. 

I groaned. The thread of magic entangled his feet like a web. I got up and tossed the dagger into the air a few times, getting used to the weight of it. 

I held my breath and stepped into his range, my heart beat like the hooves of a runaway horse. It was fit to burst at any moment. Still, he didn’t move. 

I gulped, flipped the dagger into a reverse grip, and struck. The blade clattered against his steel carapace, bouncing off harmlessly, leaving only a small mark on the shiny armour. 

I sucked my teeth and pulled back only to see Sera stifling her laughter. As if she could do better, I thought. But she probably could. The chain posed little to no problems for her, after all. 

I shook my head and tried again. This time taking my time aiming. I struck him in the left side of his chest, where a human’s heart would be. The dagger vibrated wildly, sending tremors all the way down to my elbows. His carapace dented, and although it wasn't anything fatal, I was sure it hurt like hell.

“Still not getting up?” I sneered and glanced at his unguarded face. 

I could end it. All it took was to stab him in the face. But it just… felt wrong. No matter what he put me through, or how grotesque his face, he was still a living breathing being. He could speak, hear, and smell things, just like I could. Thinking back to my blade piercing his face made me shiver with disgust. Taking a life was a horrible thing to do, however necessary it may be at times.

I sighed, denting his armour to the point where I actually did some serious damage was a shitty way of killing him, for both of us – even if I hated his guts. Besides, the time needed to kill him that way was too costly. I had to break Sera out, and sticking around to see if the jailor had friends was not on my to do list. 

The gurgling sound of the madman's breath grew louder as I unfurled the thread and unsummoned my dagger. Even after pummelling him, his colossal hands lay as still as before. 

“What the happened to you…? Where did that fight go?!”

I circled him, and coiled the thread around my hands. I sat down on his back, swallowing hard. Suddenly, the engine seemed much more impressive. The hunk of mass was entirely metal, with some sort of organic vein-like tubes that pumped his blood into the furnace of the engine. I ambled my way around it, scraping my bare arms against it, it wasn’t hot.

I looped the wire around his neck. I never imagined just how hard it was to strangle someone this way. My biceps screamed as I pulled, the thread dug into my palms, drawing blood from both. 

The indignant feelings welled up all together, making my rage boil. All that he’d done to me. The burning, the hanging, leaving me alone for week upon week, everything boiled to the surface as the thread dug into his throat. 

His gurgling, my groans, and the quiet pitter patter of my blood striking against his neck created a macabre melody. 

“Just. Die. Already!” I wheezed between ragged breaths. 

My fingers began to whiten as his breath dissipated. The small embers burning in his engine stilled completely. I held the string taut for a few extra seconds, despite my arms and hands screaming at me to stop. 

When I was sure he wouldn’t get back up, ever again, I fell off him and stared at my hands. 

“Good,” said Sera. Her voice devoid of any emotion but elation. “Take his accolades, you will need them.” 

“Just give me a damn moment…” I mumbled, staring at my bloodstained hands. Just like back then. 

My mind wandered to my family. My poor brother. I still remembered how he gasped for air to the end. 

I rubbed my eyes, hard, and collected myself before I sat back up. The jailor’s runes carved themselves into the veil.

Battle-worn thimbles

Rank: Unsung

Type: Charm

Description: Once gifted to a talented soldier by a famed commander. These thimbles have seen much use in, and outside the trenches of war. 

Embroidery: Burst

Effect: The thimbles use refined magic to empower the user with short bursts of physical enhancement. 

Blood-forged engine Mk2

Rank: Whispered 

Type: Input engine

Description: One of the early prototypes of input devices and the predecessor to the widely used infernal engine. Created by the renowned alchemists of the underworld. 

Embroidery: Blood-furnace

Effect: The prosthetic refines concentrated magic inside the blood and sends it to a connected output device through the wielder’s intravascular system. 

I crawled to his fingers and pried the thimbles loose. The thimble on his middle finger was ornately decorated. It held a single red ruby the size of a pebble, and connected to the others with a thin chain. I held out the thimbles and inspected their insides, nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary. For good measure, I stuck my fingertip in and felt around their insides. 

“Why?!” I exclaimed and looked at the closest reflection. The insides of the thimbles were lined with sharp teeth.

Sera shrugged, “Stop complaining. Some accolades are practically as powerful as early stage blessings.”

“Is it going to hurt?” I moaned. 

She rolled her eyes wordlessly.

I gritted my teeth and shoved my fingers inside. The thimbles vibrated for a beat, then unfolded the sharp teeth. They pushed into my fingers slowly, making blood flow down my hands. They began to shrink until they fit my fingers snug like a glove. 

Just like Silent scream, the thimbles bound themselves to me. I didn’t see much reason in ever unsummoning them like I did the dagger. 

I was never one for jewellery, that certainly didn't change now that three of my fingers were clad in bedazzled brass up the the knuckle. However, I did enjoy the prospect of being able to royally flip people off, I enjoyed it greatly. I grinned at the thought and flexed my arm while activating the embroidery, Burst. 

A rush of physical power flushed through me. It was nothing short of exhilarating.

“Damn, that's nice,” I twittered and push-kicked the jailor's corpse. To my elation, he not only rolled over, but kept rolling until he hit the wall.

I was already content with the haul, the thimble’s effect was versatile and useful in many circumstances. But there was more, I glanced at the jailor’s whip with a shiver. 

“Thank God I didn't have to take more hits from this…”  

Cruel whip

Rank: Unsung  

Type: Armament

Description: The favourite tool of a torturer gone mad. The time-folding of the Chambers of Crushing is feared not only by the enemies of the underworld, but also by its denizens. Before the torturer knew it, nothing remained of his mind but the madness of scourge. 

Embroidery: Sadist

Effect: The teeth of the whip dig deep, enhancing the sensation of pain in its victims.

I didn’t like it, it was a cruel tool. Besides, I didn’t really see myself as a whip-wielding badass. Still, I picked the whip up just in case. It didn't bind itself to me like the other things, despite my blood smearing all over it. 

“Why won’t it bind to me?” I asked Sera with my brows in a knot. 

Sera smirked, “Why do you think?” 

I don’t fucking know. That’s why I asked.

I shook my head and wiped Silent scream free of the jailor's blood. Just around the bend, the flames of the inferno coloured the walls crimson. If others would come, they wouldn’t come from there. 

I drummed my fingers against my chin, “Now. What to do with you?”  

The jailor was as tall as a giant, and heavy enough that he couldn’t even carry his own weight without using burst. Dragging him to the inferno wasn’t an impossible task, but it sure as hell wouldn’t be easy, or desirable.

I spared him a last glance, collected my things, unsummoned the threads, and hurried back to the torture chamber. 

The keychain and worn coat were still laid on the ground. I threw a few cautious looks around to confirm I was alone before I collected the keychain. It was weighty, and the amount of keys hinted that it would take me a long time to get out of this damn place, especially if all doors were locked.

I looked at Sera while I fastened the keys to a belt hoop, “Where to?” 

“That way,” she answered and pointed without missing a beat.

I raised an eyebrow at her willingness to answer, and nodded. The hallway she chose was… unique. Cracks spread out like spiderwebs along the floor, even the archway was in a state of decay. Large pieces of it had fallen off and littered the floor with dark pieces of broken stone.

“Your reasoning?”

She smirked, “You asked, I answered.” 

I raised a finger and thought about a retort, but I didn’t have one. Her reasoning was good enough for me. There were so many hallways leading to and from the torture chamber that it made my mind reel. The sooner I got started in exploring them, the better.

With resolute steps and Silent scream tightly gripped, I trudged away.

No paintings adorned the walls of the corridor, only engraved runes and oil lamps. The lamps burned with white hot flames, flickering every now and then despite the lack of winds. The cracked floor pulsed rhythmically with a sickly violet light, not at all like it had in the torture chamber. 

I suppose humans really are adaptable, I thought. Not long ago, a floor with a pulse would have given me the creeps. 

The battered floor crunched underfoot as I crept forward. No amount of training could make sneaking on a floor sprinkled with gravel silent.

Minutes passed before I was welcomed by the sight of a round door of thick, polished steel. It was tall, wide, and had hinges that looked as if made to withstand bombs. It was a vault. A very locked one.

The incessant clatter of the keys hanging at my waist had made them impossible to forget. 

“What are you waiting for? Go on!” Sera gushed.

“Ugh,” I rolled my eyes at her enthusiasm. She wasn’t the one stuck with the task of sorting through all the keys. 

“This is the most adventure I have had in millennia!” she exclaimed as I tiredly flipped through the assortment of keys.

I restrained myself from complaining and forced a smile, “What do you think is inside?”

Click. The key jerked to a halt. Not this one, I thought and stifled a groan. 

Sera spread her arms in a grand gesture, “Riches beyond counting!”

Click.

“I seriously doubt they would keep treasure stashed away in a torture chamber…” 

Click.

She snorted, “Yeah? Then what do you think, genius?”

Click.

“I don't like guessing. It just sets you up for disappointment.”

Click.

“You must be fun at parties,” she rolled her eyes. “I will change my guess. There will be trinkets.”

Click.

“Wouldn't that be nice…”

Clonk.

My eyes widened in surprise.

The large handle rattled as I spun it until it could spin no more. Despite pulling at it with my all, it didn't budge until I used burst. 

It creaked open with a loud moan, a wave of stuffy air washed over me. I covered my nose and mouth with my hand. The dust finally settled and revealed what was hidden inside.

“Well this is disappointing,” Sera grumbled. “Which damned knave keeps a fancy vault like this empty?”

I chuckled at her complaints, though I was kind of disappointed too. I pulled an oil lamp loose from the wall nearby and stepped inside. The white flames lit the room.

“Well… It’s not completely empty,” I tried to console her. Piles of dust and decayed somethings covered the floor. The walls were made of the same polished steel as the door. Deep inside, there was another much smaller door.

Jagged, hand-carved runes adorned the steel surface:

DO NOT OPEN

“Open it,” said Sera.