《Just Another General》


 Prologue: Pieces on a Board

    My opponent was not an idiot. My opponent was not hot-headed.


    My opponent this time was just very, very confident.


    If I had to say which opponent I liked the best, I would say the prideful ones are the best. There is something about the way their face looks while they''re wallowing in defeat that just makes you want to chuckle and pat them on the head at the same time.


    The board was spread, the pieces set, and everything was ready. Everything was set up as if straight out of a book, with the wooden swordsmen lined up in front and crudely carved horsemen backing them up. Right in the back, standing behind the crowned figurine, was my opponent. The poor crowned one...it doesn''t know how it is carelessly used. It was just a puppet, after all.


    The pieces began to move, first one, then all of them at once. It seems my opponent was tired of waiting. The poor thing...without patience, nothing except for mistakes can be made.


    I jittered my wooden playing pieces, making them move about in uncertain circle. With increased confidence, the opponents wooden figures marched up to within a couple centimeters of my crooked line, still shifting restlessly due to my slightly twitching fingers.


    With great fanfare, the wooden swordsmen charged the tiny distance to close with mine.


    Strike one.


    I pulled the swordsmen in the middle back, more and more panicked as the opponent closed in. My figures to the sides ran at a slight angle, away from the middle in order to spread out. I then pulled two of my figures in the very center to the side, making a passage.


    With the eagerness of victory, the wooden horsemen of my enemy charged through the middle, aiming for my own crowned figure.


    Strike two.


    It would take about fifteen for the horsemen to arrive at their target, and while the opponents back was cleared of all except those guarding the crown, I prepared my final card.


    Without hesitation, I cheated. I pulled wooden archers from under the table, and pushed them forward, towards the crown. When the figures surrounding the crown gave chase, I once again hid the archers underneath the table, causing the guards to follow.


    Strike three.


    The wooden horsemen came thundering toward my crown, and I smiled as I drew another figure from under the table, this time armed with long spears. They halted the confused figures, and while the horsemen were milling in panic, I launched my trap.


    From all around, my own wooden horses charged in between the gaps of the swordsmen, catching the enemy unprepared. The second the momentum of their charge depleted, they reversed and ran out, only to be replaced by the previously fleeing swordsmen, who hit a confused and off-guard enemy. the horses then circled around and hit them from behind, which sealed the deal.


    The crown started to fall-back, only for me to once again cheat. Three figures of men holding daggers came upon the crown, and took care of it.


    I pulled the archers back out from under the table, and set them back down on the outskirts of the board. They were finished with their work.


    However, the opponent was not defeated. The enemy that used to hide behind the crown has now cast of the cloak of a leader and taken to fleeing with the remnants of the wooden swordsmen. Meanwhile, the enemy''s horses were being annoying. They refused to surrender, and had started to disrupt the square of spears. I just shook my head.


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    I took my own horses and ran them over. When they arrived, the opponents horses finally gave up.


    Perhaps I could just let it go? Maybe I don''t have to finish it once and for all?


    I chuckled quietly. Sometimes, telling myself jokes makes me feel better. This was not one of those times.


    I placed the archers on the hills on either side of the fleeing column of wooden figures. I didn''t have to give an order.


    You''re dead.


    I stood up from the board, cracked my knuckles and my back, and walked out of the canvas tent. At the doorway I took a large black coat and placed it on my shoulders. When I stepped out of my tent, I looked over the board.


    Lines of disarmed and humiliated men filed past, escorted by silent guards. Way back in the distance I could see the many wooden sticks stuck in the ground.


    I placed my hand over my heart in a fist, and bent at the waist.


    Speaking slowly and somberly, I said "To say you were a worthy opponent would be a lie. However, thank you for dying so quickly. This way, my lieges name will not be tarnished."


    Then I straightened and put my hands behind my back, in parade rest. Feet shoulder-length apart, back straight, knees slightly bent.


    Then I opened my eyes, and my nose, and my ears.


    A hot, orange sun lying low in the sky and bloody, sweaty bodies. Moaning and screaming, the metallic scent of blood, all of those hollow looks sent from hopeless faces sent to me, not knowing what their fate will be.


    I leisurely walked over to the nearby sight of the brave, but stupid, horses.


    The spearmen stood at attention, and cleared a pathway through the middle, stepping smartly to the side. As I walked, I heard the murmurs of praise and wonder. I stepped up to the front of the formation, and turned over the first dead man I saw.


    I used a thumb to open his eyes. Clear blue, like a sea of saphire. He probably didn''t need to shave more than once a week at this age. He still had that open look on his face of innocence.


    I reached down, and coated my finger in the blood gushing from his maimed neck that still gurgled up from the frantic beats of his heart.


    I examined the blood closely. Then I licked it. No reason, just habit.


    Because, as a general, I might as well drink the blood of innocents. It is in my job description to send men to die and to kill, some even younger than this strapping young knight.


    He had died with a disappointed look on his face. He had come for the glory. A shame battle wasn''t a book.


    I would feel oh so much better about killing so many people if I at least knew they would go to whatever paradise they believe in.


    Paradise is for the innocent. Reality is for the practical.


    The battlefield is for me and my kind, us demons who might as well drink the lifeblood of men, the rate at which we reduce the population.


    I stood up, and straightened my shoulders. I then replaced my hands behind my back and walked back through the path made by my pieces.


    Even if I killed people with a twitch of my fingers, even if I condemned thousands to a lifetime of labor, I would not stop.


    With a smile, I nodded to the men. Even if I might feel like throwing up, no matter how many times I''d seen it, I refused to let the men believe anything except the best of me.


    I''m the general, after all.

 Chapter 1: Hi!!!!!!!!!!!!

    AN: I must confess one thing before you get too into this story.


    I am a scumbag.


    No, really, I''m a horrible person. Just one example of it is my nasty habit of writing stories, making a small portion of the people who read it chuckle out of pity, and then stopping for no reason at all.


    Take the last two months as proof. So I must say sorry in advance, and also...


    You didn''t think I''d write from the generals'' POV did you? You don''t think I''d actually write something interesting for once? A terrible person like me?


    Hah! I just teased you. I''m gonna wait for a while before going back, but until then, you''ll have to wait with baited breathe...or not. You could just stop now, since I''m bound to disappoint you.


    But hey! Sometimes something is beautiful just because of the contrast.


    For me, contradiction and contrast is everything. How far can I push something before it''s too ridiculous?


    I myself am contradictory. But, I talk far too much about myself already, so I''ll just get to the chapter.


    (Also, please don''t lynch me for teasing you in the prologue...I still need to troll the world. :3)


    <hr />


    -Abalon, Capital city of The Aselin Empire:14th district-


    Hi hi hi! I''m Lilea, age fifteen, five-foot-ten, blue-haired, dark-skinned, kinda bony, and clumsy. My habits include collecting interesting things, doing things for my neighbors, stal-observing interesting people, and making fun of my uncle. Some interesting things about me include that I''m heterochromatic, I''m better with my left hand, and I fall over a lot. I''m clumsy, after all!


    I live here-in Abalon! The center of the empire, the hub of commerce, and perhaps the city with the largest population on the continent! As you can probably see, I also get excited easily-but I just can''t help that the world is so energizing!


    I should also mention I talk to myself, sometimes in the third person, but I haven''t gotten the urge to strangle people while they sleep-except those who deserve it-so I''m most likely mentally stable... I can''t be the only one who talks like this, right?


    Right.


    Well, now that that''s resolved, I can give myself a tour of the city!


    I placed my hands behind my head, then did a perfect jump-bend onto my feet, followed by a cartwheel, then a running-jump-screw-flip to land with bent knees, then straighten up with both hands held to the side. Finally! I di-


    I felt the familiar rushing of air as my feet slid out from under me, and I hung suspended perfectly horizontal for about a second before gravity got tired of teasing me.


    Oww...every time....


    Getting back up, I walk over to the board over my bed, and chalked-up the fifty-seventh failure. This month. I don''t want to think of all the other boards stashed in the shed out back...my uncle wouldn''t let me burn them because he said, "We should treasure memories like this."-which would be touching, except he said that while curled up on the floor holding his stomach and miming my falls. A second later he was holding his stomach for another reason!


    I nodded to myself while walking over to the closet. For a bachelor like him, known around the neighborhood as, "creeping terror" he needed a firm, womanly hand. I just had to find one, somewhere...


    The problem was, only the women called him by the nickname. All of the other men just slapped him on the back and complimented him!


    Of course I can''t say anything, since I sort of respect him too...hey! It takes skill to hang upside-down from a tavern sign with a raccoon stuck under your shirt and two twisted-ankles just so you can peek into the woman''s baths!


    Ah...good times...I mean, uh, bad uncle! Bad, bad uncle!


    I sighed with exasperation as I pulled on a long hooded brown cloak and leather gloves. I won the gloves in a bet with the cobbler.(The bet was that I could stuff a raccoon in uncles shirt and he''d still manage to peek)


    Next I wrapped a red scarf around the lower part of my face, which was also acquired via a bet. (The bakers'' son dared me to trip uncle as he was jumping off a roof, resulting in two sprained ankles)


    After that, I carefully took a black silken eye-patch and placed it over my left eye. (Received from a grateful mercenary that I let into the baths while uncle was being chased by the inn-keep)


    Hmm, I think I''ve actually gotten more due to uncles'' irresponsibility than I''ve lost... Funny, that.


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    I took one last look at myself in a broken window, straightened the scarf and pulled the hood lower, then stepped out of the slightly crooked door.


    At first I held my hands over my eyes, blocking out the bright sunlight before feeling the sweltering heat of a summer sun. I took a second for my eyes to adjust to the light, while starting the daily process of being cooked in my clothes. Honestly, if these clothes didn''t prevent so much trouble I''d never even consider them.


    Taking my second step out the door, I picked up the sturdy walking stick that leaned against the door frame and strode out into seventh day of summer, AKA seven days into the preparation of slow-broiled Lilea. A favorite dish of the locals.


    Well, there''s always a silver lining! Since I wrap my feet in spare cloth, (I used to have shoes, but that dastardly bakers'' son beat me in a game of pokori. Well, I had cheated him out of his entire basket by that point, so I guess it was only fair to let him win one. Plus it means he''ll come back for more!) Because I didn''t have to wear that infernal leather deathtrap, my feet were at least able to breathe. Which was good, as my work required me to use them quite a bit.


    At my sixth step out the door, I was feeling excited by the prospect of a new day, the effect of the sun was slowly receding to the back of my mind, and anticipation was starting to dig into me. Which is, of course, when I stepped on a slightly crooked pebble and all of a sudden the world turned sideways.


    My first thoughts were, "Huh, that took twice as long as usual." and my next ones were: OH SHIT!


    However, i felt that glint in my eye, and smiled, knowing that I had bested gravity this time. With a triumphant yell, I planted my staff straight into the ground, while mentally giving karma the middle finger!


    ...A shame my staff planted on a particularly smooth pebble, granting no protection from the fall whatsoever. Fuck.


    As I looked up into the sky, suspended in free-fall, I thought deep, philosophical thoughts. Which, in my dictionary is a fancy way of saying profanity. Hey, it takes a lot of thought to make good swears. The arrangement of the words, the correct word for posterior, a suitably cutting insult, and something to say around your buddies when you don''t give a damn what other people think.


    Ahh...the world is so full of wonder~so full of life~ so full of--


    "Crack" Went my head against the ground. "SHIIIIIIIIIIIT!"


    I let the length of wood(don''t make the obvious joke) clatter to the ground while holding my head and curled into as tight of a ball as possible. I felt the lights swirl in front of my eyes, and tried my best not to cry while It faded away. As the ringing in my ears faded, I heard the clip of shoes on the stone, followed by a voice.


    It was exasperated and mocking, but had that tiny bit of kindness hiding in the back. "Really Lilea, I know I''m good looking, but I don''t think that''s how you fall for someone..."


    I forced my eyes open, looked up into the sorta-handsome face of my friend Aliben. I grasped his outstretched hand and allowed him to help me up, and up, and up, until I was looking down at him from a three-inch slope. When Aliben was reminded of the height difference, he seemed to deflate slightly, and his ego seemed to get back in check. Once up, I looked pointedly at my hand, which was still clutched in his own, and raised an eyebrow.(Even though he can''t see it cause'' of the hood, I can give off a feeling that accomplishes the same thing as an expression.)


    He followed my gaze, then turned the same shade of red that uncle did when spying on a hot one, and jumped back a few feet. He started looking at the interesting trees, the interesting grass, the riveting birds, and the breath-taking rocks. "H-hey, shouldn''t you b-be somewhere?"


    i stood still for one more second, just to watch the sweat slide down the back of his neck, before nodding. "Yep. Today''s gonna be reeeeeeal busy! I shouldn''t be wasting time with shorties like you."


    Leaving a sputtering, red-faced and humiliated hormone-drunk adolescent male behind, I felt a sincere smile cross my face.


    Best way to start your day!

 Chapter 2: The Best Job in the World!

    Leaving behind the blond fop of a boy with an ego several sizes too large,(He''s probably compensating for something. ;) I ran at a light jog to my place of employ.


    I say, "Employ," but really it''s more of a place I go to do odd jobs.


    Passing the cobblers, I wave to the old gnarled man who sat outside stitching a patch onto his favorite coat. He merely nodded and turned back to his work. Likewise I passed the bakers'' shop,  pausing to leave a pretty stone at the front step. Running away on swift feet, I heard the door swing open and soft footsteps retreat back into the house.


    After running for seven blocks, I turned left at the corner of the inn and passed into a shop with such a low roof I had to stoop. I was immediately grateful I was wearing the scarf, as it saved me from inhaling a mouthful of smoke. Sitting behind the low counter was a short man pulling long and hard on an exquisite pipe, quite out of place in such a dumpy structure. One might even say the pipe was the only reason he got any business, but they would be wrong.


    In this sort of place, being able to keep your mouth shut was valued far more than anything else. It just so happened me and the midget shared this trait, even if our reasons were different.


    At my entrance the smoker didn''t even look up, but coughed out, "You''re late, I have a job for you."


    I nodded, then approached the counter and held out my hand. "Who''s my target?"


    The smoker reached into his ratty shirt with one hand and pulled out an envelope with the other. "District 7, fourth floor of the Reven family keep."


    I whistled softly. "Seriously, gramps? Who the hell asked for this one?"


    The old man grunted, then waved the letter emphatically. "You of all people know I don''t ask questions. Shut up and move, the client wants it delivered ASAP."


    I shrugged, then took the letter and pushed it into one of the many folds of my cloak, and turned to the door. "Whatever you say, gramps. I hope you''re getting paid well for this, Reven guards are hard to deal with."


    The smoker chuckled while refiling his pipe, "Are you admitting that you can''t handle it?"


    I smiled, then turned my head to look at him one last time. "Hah! Not a problem. I''ll be back before you can sa-!"


    "I wonder why the doorway is sideways?"


    Then my head hurt a lot, and I could practically hear the silent laughter from the old man. I got up hurriedly and ducked my head while running out the door, only to slip and crack my head on the doorstep as I fell. I could almost taste the pity from the old man.


    Fuck! I had been so cool until then too! FUUUUUCK!


    <hr />


    -District 14, Gramps'' Shop of Dubious Business-


    "What am I going to do with that child...?"


    I took a long pull, then exhaled all at once. From the shadow of the doorway leading to the backroom, The Client stepped forward and looked concerned. "Will he really be able to do it? He seemed kind of...accident prone..."


    I coughed out some more smoke, and let myself laugh a little. "Ha! Trust me, it''ll get done. Also, "he" is a "she" and is very sensitive. I would suggest wearing a meat-coat and kicking a sleeping lion before referring to her as anything masculine."


    The client widened his eyes, tugging at his fine cravat. "But there are three walls between here and there, and h-she has to climb four floors, all while avoiding dozens of guards!"


    I tapped out the burnt leaf in frustration. "Pft, walls? The fourth floor? HAH! Find me a sheer cliff, then we can talk."


    "B-but the guards-!"


    I took out my special bag, then measured out a sizable portion of the leaf. Nothing quite like Shevian brand from the west border of the empire to celebrate a fat paycheck. "Guards? To one such as her, they might as well be drunk farm-boys for all the good they''ll do."


    The client seemed mollified, and I smiled and told him to come back in an hour for the good news. After he left and called a carriage, I leaned back and closed my eyes.


    "Wait...I forgot to tell her which window...shit.


    Nothing too bad will happen, right...?


    I swore softly, and cracked my eyes open, thinking that maybe I can still catch her-


    A shadow covered the doorway.


    <hr />


    District 13, Foot of the Second Wall-


    I whistled softly as my gaze traveled along the pristine-surface of the wall. It wasn''t often I had an excuse to climb it.


    I grinned, then flexed my gloved fingers and took a running jump at the wall. Nine feet up, there was a thin crack just wide enough for my long, thin, yet strong fingers to latch into. I set my foot in a slight outcrop, then used my bent leg like a spring to launch myself two feet up and three to the right, just catching crevice with two of the fingers of my left hand. I let myself hang by two fingers, feeling the burning wires in my hand, and the chest-tightening feeling of falling.


    Then I breathed in, and flexed those two fingers to make the fire seem to rip from my hand and whip the length of my arm. I pulled and propelled myself up a foot to catch a shallow ledge with my right hand and replace my left hand with my left foot. It was times like these when wearing shoes would make this impossible, as I wouldn''t be able to grip the wall with my toes.


    I felt the sweat slide across my skin, and shivered with pleasure. Looking up...


    I had made it about one-third of the way up. I smiled.


    "Well, this will be fun."


    ...


    Three minutes of breath-takingly fun climbing later, I finally grasped the lip of the battlements. I let the steel-shod boots of the soldier pass before pulling myself up with ease. I turned around to look once more at the ground thirty feet below, and grinned, turning back around and stepping onto the walls'' walkway-


    "Huh, since when was my face closer to the ground than my feet?


    ...


    FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU


    <hr />


    -Gramps Shop of Dubious Business-


    I looked at the shadow, then shot my hand into my pocket at the same time the shadow closed the five-foot distance in a second. I felt the air whistle-


    -And held my two-inch flip-blade against his jugular, while his dagger froze, its'' tip making an indent in the skin covering my kidney. For a solid minute, we stood stock-still, neither moving an inch. As the shadow seemed unwilling to start, I spoke first.


    I whispered into his ear, "What about that client can interest the Emperors'' own police?"


    I felt the slight twitch of his ear, and knew that he was struggling to think of how I knew his employer. At his moment of distraction, I grabbed his wrist and twisted it, making him drop the dagger and cry out in pain as I pushed him down to a kneeling position, my flip-blade held against his throat from behind. He took a second to catch his breathe, before speaking in a calm, even voice. "If you know who I work for, then you know the consequences of killing me."


    I thought about it, the flipped my blade back into my pocket and let him go. He seemed slightly surprised at my decisiveness, as he stayed lying on the ground for a second more than necessary. Then he got up, and with all the dignity of a gentleman he brushed himself off and straightened his hat, making certain it covered his eyes. I then picked up my pipe from where it had fallen,  and poured some leaves into the bowl.


    I leaned against the counter, taking on my business tone, "So, tell me how I can help."


    He seemed unsure about this, "What? You''re just going to help like that? Aren''t you known for never breathing a word of your clients to anyone?" At the same time, he pulled out a pipe of his own.


    I set a light into my bowl, and let the smoke rush into my throat. "Exactly. However, I have that reputation because I''m alive. Can you guess why?"


    He reached into a pocket, then another, then patted a couple more. "No. To know of the secret police...who are you?"


    I dumped out the ashes, then refilled my bowl, and handed over the mans sack of leaves. "Here in this section of town, everyone knows."


    He reached out and took his sack, not quite sure how I''d gotten them. "Knows what?"


    I looked straight into his eyes, and conveyed my sincerity.


    "You do not, under any circumstance, EVER fuck with the Emperor."


    <hr />


    -District 11, South side of the third wall-


    I looked up the completely white wall, and sighed. If only I had the ability to walk vertically, I would stride up and over the wall. Sadly, climbing this wall was impossible, even for me. Forty-feet tall, without any blemishes whatsoever, not even a mousehole.


    Good thing I know the trick for getting through.


    I stopped by a brewers'' shop a couple feet from the southern gate, and leaned against an iron door. From a slit, two items were shoved through.  I took both, tucked them into my cloak, and walked through the shadows to the gate, where one guard was asleep, and the other didn''t even look at me. He did, however, smile faintly as I slipped a cask of beer into his hands.


    The army was really strict, especially because this was the capital. No drinking, no whoring, always be in uniform, always salute superior officers and nobles, treat all citizens with respect unless they are breaking the law, and under no circumstance can they receive letters from family members.


    As I passed through into the high-class section of the districts, I passed by the barracks of the ninth district, and left a nondescript box without marking on a stool outside. As I walked into the eighth district, I took out the thank-you note from the old woman who ran the brewery, and smiled faintly, before tucking it into a safe pocket. I took one last look behind to see a young man, barely eighteen, dressed in shiny plate and the Emperors'' purple walk by the box and make it disappear into the billowing purple cape that only the finest and highest ranking of soldiers wore.


    I turned away, and stepped up to the final objective of my job. The Reven family keep. Just like the third wall, this block of stone standing in my way was impossible to climb.


    Time to kick it up a notch!


    I flipped my cloak inside-out, revealing a red-and-yellow checkered outside. I then pulled from one of its'' deepest pockets a silver mask, the right a mirror, and the left with a single hole in the middle and a silly smile. I took of my eye-patch, putting it over my right eye. I then took off my gloves and turned them inside out, the left hand being a solid red while the right was a bright yellow.


    When you can''t accomplish something via stealth, just walk through the fucking front gate!


    I stepped out from between two buildings and took two giant leaping strides to arrive next to the guards. One was so shocked he dropped his pike, while the other stumbled over his own feet and let his slightly too-large helmet cover his eyes. I smiled under the mask, knowing it would give my voice a cheerful feel, and made sure to drop my tone a few octaves, while composing my mouth to speak with elongated vowels and random pauses to give my voice a far-off and mysterious sound.


    "Geeetiingss my, friiendss hoow, haas thee liight, treeaateed yoouu, thiiss daay?"


    The guard who dropped his pike hurriedly drew his sword, while the other awkwardly tried to straighten his helmet wile still holding onto an eight-foot spear. The first guard held out his sword, and spoke harshly. "Halt! You, stranger, what is your business here?"


    Like a leaf, I slid around his sword to his back, and covered his face with my left hand. I whispered into his ear, "Foor, yoouu haavee, seeen bloood, Alvin."


    The guard collapsed, my left hand trailing along his face, letting him slip to the ground. By this time, the second guard had somehow gotten his helmet straight, and held out his pike. It would have been threatening, had he not been shaking. Like an eel, I twisted my back under the pike, around, then twisted over it, bending my body in a way that would severely injure most other people. I arrived a few inches from his chest, and placed my yellow-gloved hand over his eyes, and giggled in his ear.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    In an extremely hilarious fashion, he leaped two feet into the air and did a 180 spin, before running as far away as possible. I took a bow, and walked through the front gate feeling amazing, especially with all of the passersby keeping their eyes glued on my every move.


    Yes! I did it! That was so co-!"


    "Huh, there are murder holes in the top of the gate.


    Why am I looking at the roof of the gate?


    SHIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII-!!!!


    <hr />


    -District 13, outskirts-


    "That damn old man..."


    I had to give that gramps credit, He was fast with a knife-maybe faster than me. Skill like that comes only with decades of practice, and when I think about his flip-blade cold against my neck...


    ...I get shivers. Nonetheless, I had business to be about.


    I had tracked the doomed noble by his carriage tracks, but even with my exceptional abilities, he had given me quite the chase. He had led me for miles through the city, doubling back and setting decoys, and I often had to take calculated risks to gain back lost ground.


    All of that ended now.


    I had cornered the target-John Treshard, the second son of a minor noble family-and he would now pay for his crimes against the Emperor.


    I waited silently, my long-rimmed hat pulled low to hide my eyes, and watched as a carriage that looked tattered and broken, quite unlike the one John had first taken, pulled up to a warehouse so far out of the capital I doubted even our network sent agents here during normal circumstances.


    However, John was doomed. It wasn''t that he was unlucky-he had a great amount of fortune to have made it this far. It wasn''t that he''d miscalculated-it was just that he had fucked up. Big time.


    He had committed one of the worst crimes possible in the Empire, a crime that only a dozen men had payed the price for, because only the incredibly daring and the even more incredibly stupid would ever even consider it, much less do it.


    I walked up behind the coach, then leapt up on silent feet behind the coachman. He wore cloths even more ragged that the carriage, and had a scar running down the back of his neck.


    With the same movement that I would use to slice an apple, I slit his throat, and bled him like a rabbit. Then, I moved into the warehouse unseen.


    Inside, the noble was sitting in a chair and breathing heavily. A dozen guards stood at the perimeter, keeping watch for anything suspicious. Two other men were taking care of the horses that had drawn the carriage. It''s now or never.


    I used my Quirk.


    In less than a second, I stood in front of the noble, John, and looked down at him. Then I grabbed him by the throat and lifted him a foot above the ground, and sliced a line across his stomach, then dropped the knife and tore out his intestines, and looped them around his throat.


    Then I used my Quirk again.


    Like that, I stood on the roof beam of the warehouse, and tied a knot with the fleshy rope onto the beam. Then I dropped to the ground, and picked up my dagger. Behind me, John swung slowly, his neck broken, and his stomach spewing all kinds of fluids. I turned toward the first guard.


    I used my Quirk. Then I held him by the hair until all the blood drained from his throat, and repeated the process thirty times.


    I walked out of the warehouse carrying the reins of two horses, and with a completely clean coat and hat.


    John had committed a crime that was punished only by death, and only in the most brutal way possible. John had done what no living man had ever done, and survived for two days after.


    He had flirted with the Emperors'' sister.


    <hr />


    -District 7, Reven family keep-


    I let the ringing in my ears subside, and the bright lights stop flashing before I attempted to stand up. When I stood, I looked around to find that everyone was laughing, and I took a few bows to hide my embarrassment.


    "I''ve never been so grateful for this mask..."


    The guards had gotten up, and were also laughing nervously. They made no more effort to stop me.


    Once inside the building, having gotten through the doorway guards the same way, I stepped into an empty room(a broom closet)and reversed my disguise. Once again, I stepped out looking like a beggar during winter. Then I opened the nearest shutters, and took to the walls.


    I would brag about my climbing ability...but all of the windows and ledges on the keep made it so easy to climb it would have been slower to walk. I take no satisfaction from that. In no time at all, I arrived at the fourth floor and opened the nearest door.


    Too late, I noticed it was fancier than all the others.


    I stepped into the room to be greeted by seven large, armored, bearded and excited men, all surrounding a table. For a second we just looked at each other.


    I raised my hand slowly,"...Sorry, I''m lost. Do you gentlemen know where I might find the lavatory?"


    With a single roar they all charged at me, and only by leaping over them, grabbing and swinging from a chandelier, and kicking open the door did I escape being chucked out the window.


    "Goddammit, Gramps! I knew you''d forgotten something! This always fucking happens, and it''s always your fault!"


    I ran from door to door, paying no heed to the finery, except the occasional shiny thing that just begged me to slip it off its'' stand and disappear into my pockets. Hey, they begged me! I have a hard time saying no, especially when they''re shiny and clear...


    Finally, I arrived at a door that, when busted open, showed a group of chattering peacocks grouped around a table full of tea, and biscuits, and other weird, peacock food. I shoved my way to the head of the table, then pulled out the letter gramps had given me. "Which one of you is currently conversing with a suspicious man who likes to skulk in the shadows?"


    The peacock at the head of the table raised her hand, and cleared her throat. "That would be me. May I ask your name?"


    I pushed the letter into her hands, the looked back at the door in time to see the sweaty, muscly, bearded, and very intimidating men round the door and come to a halt at seeing the chief peacock. But, they wouldn''t be stopped for long.


    I kicked open the shutters, looked back at the head peacock, and decided to screw around with her just a bit. Looking deep into her eyes, I said in my most exotic and deep, sultry voice, "You may call me Li, my lady."


    Then I turned and-


    "Huh, the sky is really pretty today. The clouds are so fluff-


    CUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-!"


    <hr />


    -District 14, Gramps Shop of Dubious Business-


    I puffed on my pipe extra-deep, letting the smoke enter my every part. Today had been a good day, and in no small way because of my visitor from the Emperor.


    I caressed the purple-silk purse that the shadow had left behind, knowing from experience that these purses held only the very purest White gold, and that I could buy the Reven family keep with this much gold. It had been in exchange for all the information I knew about the client, and also to help me keep my mouth closed regarding the Emperors task force.


    All in all, today had been a good day. Of course, when the girl comes back she''s going to be pissed. I''d better stay away from the sunlight for a day or two, until she''s had the chance to let out some steam on large, muscly men who could take a beating.


    Then I disappeared into a tunnel, and locked the door.


    Tomorrow was going to be dark, but at least I wouldn''t be spending it in a hospital bed.


    <hr />


    -District 14, Uncles'' house-


    I swore as viciously as I ever had, putting my cloak away and marking another successful mission on my board. Thirty-two to two. Quite a good record, if I do say so myself.


    I rubbed the massive bruise on my stomach, feeling quite thankful to Lord Reven-he was quite portly-for breaking my fall. It was times like those that I was grateful for nobles'' excess. As I was getting ready to collapse onto my bed, not bothering to take my eye-patch off-


    "This is a surprise. Who knew someone like you was here?"


    I bolted upright, looking at the shadowy figure standing in my doorway. Uncle wasn''t due back for hours-this man also stank of blood.


    Lots of it.


    The man chuckled, and took a seat at the bottom of my bed. "Don''t be alarmed, I''m not here to finish the previous Emperors work-I do only the current masters'' will. So, I guess I''ll have to admit that we failed in our mission-disgraceful. Oh well, I need to say something. Will you listen?"


    I looked into the face of the silently stepping man, and nodded.


    He grinned. "Wonderful. You see, word has reached the ears of some...influential people, of your ability. So, they pulled a few strings, whispered in a couple ears, and boom-you''ve got a job."


    I tried to speak up, "Wait, what? I-"


    He put a finger to my lips and silenced me, saying, "I meant very, influential people, the kinds that can have you tortured until you kill your own family and bring their still beating hearts to them on a silver platter." Then he smiled. "Oh wait, I guess that wouldn''t work on you. Your entire family''s already dead, so I guess a threat like that won''t work. Still, It''s something to think about. I''ll come in the morning so you can start, sleep tight~"


    Then he was gone. I shivered, and held myself. I curled into as tight a ball as I could, and blocked out the sounds. No, no, no, no.


    For the first time in ten years, I cried myself to sleep.


    <hr />


    -Distict 13, outskirts, warehouse-


    I breathed in, deeply.


    I stepped onto a floor that was coated entirely with a thin coat of dried blood, and smiled at the ring of drained bodies. My grin grew as I saw the solitary hanging figure in the middle of the room, so covered in blood it was hard to make out that he was hung with his own intestines.


    I sighed in happiness and satisfaction.


    I-Emperor Xelcrix the III, Glorious Golden Emperor of the Aselin Empire, who had doubled the size of the Empire in just two years of rule-am in a good mood. I called over the shadow on the wall, and said, "Give Jax a suitable reward. He deserves it."


    The shadow bent 170 degrees into a bow, and said in a voice so humble a priest would be shamed, "This one is honored to carry out your orders, and feels awe-struck by Your Excellency''s generosity."


    I just smiled and stepped forward, making a small cut into the hanging bodies'' throat. I dipped my finger into it, and inspected the luke-warm blood.


    I tasted the metallic flavor, and smiled in memory of the one who taught me all I know. I sighed again, and opened my mouth once again. "Nix, when is he coming back?"


    Nix bowed 175 degrees this time, and said in a voice smooth as velvet, "The General is currently in the north, subjugating the barbarians who have threatened your people."


    I sighed once more, and turned on my heel, stepping out of the warehouse and looking up at the stars.


    Before I was the Golden Emperor, I was the Child Emperor.


    Using everything and everyone at my disposal, I became known as the Bloody Emperor.


    Now, however, I''m tired of the name "Golden" and want something a bit more...exotic.


    Well, I''m bored. Might as well invade another country.


    "Nix! Which country borders us and hasn''t sworn allegiance?"


    "Argos, my lord."


    I grinned. "Send word to the general! I''m sending him reinforcements, and he is to use them to subjugate the ar-whatevers. Understood?"


    Nix bowed 185 degrees this time, and spoke softly,


    "Perfectly."


    <hr />


    AN: Maybe I should''ve broken it up into two chapters...

 Chapter 3: Saying Goodbye!

    AN: Well, if you''ve come this far, I probably won''t be able to deter you by use of normal means...


    Hah, time to get out the machines, huh?


    You asked for it...


    <hr />


    -Uncles'' larger shed, district 14-


    Thick, razor-sharp pinpricks of light shot into my eyes.


    "Haha! Good morning, Stem!" Yelled my uncle in an annoyingly loud and close voice. I accelerated my hand, heard the satisfying smack, and sat up while rubbing my eyes. When I felt that the time to open my eyes was appropriate, I looked over at the upside-down mess of an uncle who had somehow become my guardian. I hopped off the bed, stretched to the fullest extent, and then put on my day-face.


    By day face, I don''t mean I literally took out a human face and glued it over my own, nor that I just have a blank surface and I have a night face as well...or that I go around stealing other peoples'' faces and use those as disguises, though that would be interesting, and somewhat useful...maybe I could-


    No! Talking about myself in the third person is already bad enough! Lilea won''t add psychopathic-face-stealing to my long list of reasons people want to do me bodily harm! I mean, I''ve already stolen from half of the richest and most influential nobility, and about a tenth of those saw me do it, which is one-ninth too many!


    It''s not my fault that I take things! Lilea just can''t stand letting shiny, metallic, and extremely valuable objects that don''t seem to serve any purpose, mar the beautiful image of those majestic nobles! Especially when the majestic nobles aren''t looking!


    ...plus the local pawnshop enjoys giving Lilea heavy bags of other shiny stuff in exchange...


    Lilea will stop now. Moving on!


    After Lileas'' intense inner-monologue, which lasted around a minute in real-time, (That somehow forgot to mention the obvious mistake of the author, who forgo-purposefully didn''t refer to Lilea in the third-person in the last chapte-day, because of reasons unimportant to the reader) Uncle had managed to climb back onto his feet.


    Anyone who saw Uncle for the first time,(including Lilea, when she was still innocent and naive) would get this impression: "Damn, that guy must workout." in the case of males and Lil-ahem, no one, and in the case of females, "Blush I wonder what he''d look like with his shirt off...pant, pant."


    Lilea is included in the female-category. Obviously. Stupid.


    Still, he was tall,(6''1)  broad-shouldered, very muscular, tan, dirty-blonde, blue-eyed, had sharp cheek-bones, a strong jaw, and always seemed to be dignified, like a king. He was enough to turn any woman into a dirty fantasizing-pervert.


    Sadly, he could out-dazzle a sexually-frustrated rabbit, at least when it came to drive. When it came to actually, sealing the deal, he somehow managed to make anyone who knew him for more than one second(long enough to hear his first words)would immediately know that he was a no-good peeping-tom, who should be rightfully chased out with a frying pan, or a broom, or a stick, or a sword, if possible.


    I''d heard more than one of the waitresses at the inn say that he was, "The cruelest thing the Dark One could do to womankind."


    Moving on, Lilea decided that she was not very happy with her Uncle, and proceeded to approach him with a menacing grin. She''d once used the smile her Uncle used when he was about to embark on an especially frisky endeavor, but after much begging and bribing, her Uncle had persuaded her to never, ever use it ever again. Now she just used her instinctive, "You have ten seconds to live, beg me for mercy, so that I can take pleasure in denying you."


    You know, just doing what comes naturally.


    After taking five steps toward her Uncle, and having seen him mentally count off five seconds, he started to sweat. "S-stem, I k-know you don''t like being woken up, b-but if you just let me explain-!"


    All of a sudden, last night rushed to the front of my mind, and I forgot about my Uncles'' transgressions. For now.


    Lilea sat down hard on her bed, and let her head hang between her knees. Uncle stopped sputtering and looked over, not sure what exactly was happening. He had, after all, just had a near-death experience.


    Lilea put her left-hand over her left-eye, making sure that the eye-patch was still in place. After confirming its'' presence, Lilea let out a shaking breath. The shadow-in-a-hat flashed through her head, and she shivered a little.


    She''d done it. After seven years of thievery, someone higher than the cobbler had noticed her. Hah! She should be grateful that it had taken seven years for her abnormal abilities and appearance to catch on and alert someone who could order around more than a couple thugs. Now what? Someone knew about her, and if she did anything besides what they said...


    The shadows'' words echoed through her head. "The kinds that can have you tortured until you kill your own family and bring their still beating hearts to them on a silver platter."


    Could she...to her Uncle...? No! No, no matter how much they...she would never-!


    An arm that was thick with muscle, yet soft with care, circled around her shoulders and squeezed her against the unyielding wall of muscle that was her Uncles'' torso. Even though it was hard, it was comforting. My uncle said nothing, just held me up when I let myself go limp.


    Closing my eye, I could hear the rhythmic thump that was a universal sign of life. The smooth, even beat made me think of music, and dancing, and-


    -how it would look, pulsating on a silver platter, sitting in a pool of its'' own liquid.


    I tensed my shoulders, and put force into my feet, until I could stand on my own. My uncle still said nothing, but obligingly released his grasp on my shoulder and let me take a couple steps away from him and towards the door.


    On the way out, I turned around to look at my Uncle. "I''m sorry, but I-and I can''t-I have to-"


    "Shhh, it''s alright. When you''re ready to talk about it, I''ll be here."


    For a second, I felt a warm fluttering in my chest.


    Then it died. I turned my face away, and somehow choked out the words, "A-actually, I won''t be coming back for a while...you see, I found some...long-term employment, and I don''t think I''ll be able to see you for a while, so..." While walking out the door, Lilea set a sack filled with "liberated" objects on the ground, and stood back up. "Stay safe, Uncle. I don''t want to come back and have to dig a grave as my first act of coming home, eh?" She said, while adjusting her cloak and scarf.


    He chuckled at the inside-joke, and gave a thumbs-up that Lilea didn''t see as she closed the door behind her. It slowly swung closed, and she hesitated...


    Thu-thump, thu-thump.


    The door went click and she walked down the road to the square, pulling on her gloves. She didn''t look back.


    But she did listen to the rhythmic beats that echoed in her head, the ones that could stop at any time. Perhaps because of her.


    <hr />


    -Thoroughfare square, in front of the inn, District 14-


    It was the seventh hour in the day when the shadow appeared behind me and whispered in my ear to follow it. Without a word, I fell into step with it, as we headed toward the center of the city.


    Since Abalon was laid out in the shape of a tiered-cake, with the slices making up the districts and the tiers separated by walls, it was inevitable that something as important as this would require walking towards the inner city. Only fools and crazies stayed out in the slums, where the Emperors guards couldn''t stop agitated citizens from tearing overbearing nobles limb-from-limb.


    This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    I say "Couldn''t," but in reality, Lilea thinks the guards would help out the citizens if not for the secret police. The only difference between the slums and the inner tiers was how many guard-officers walked around who could report to their superiors.


    So, when it was well-known that important people stayed in the inner tiers, Lilea was a little surprised when the shadow stopped in front of a chapel just outside the outer walls. I was starting to question whether the shadow had gotten lost, when he stepped up to the chapel doors and took the black-skull knocker and banged it against the doors three times in quick succession. Within five seconds, the menacing wooden doors, carved in the likeness of a wall made of bones, opened with a screeching howl, not unlike a woman going through childbirth.


    Inside, a black-robed ghoul with a grey face forever frozen in the expression of sorrow greeted us, and silently waved for us to come in, after noting the shadow-in-a-hat.


    I slowly walked up the steps made of black-marble, wondering why the shadow had taken me to the chapel. Perhaps my employer was a pious individual? If so, that was bad news...


    The shadow led me through a path in between long pews lovingly carved to resemble emancipated men and women forced onto their knees and bound with ropes and chains, with faces frozen in howls and screams, their hands raised in repentance, begging for mercy and deliverance, and others who simply looked hopeless, and begged for release...from the bonds of mortality, to be clear.


    The carvings got more and more detailed and realistic the farther we got into the chapel, and I had to force myself to take steps toward the altar, while it was getting more and more difficult the better I could make out what the altar depicted.


    Then I felt a cold, vise-like grip on my shoulder, and I turned to look into the shadowed cowl of the ghoul, its'' screaming mouth inches from my face.


    <hr />


    -My larger shed, District 14-


    I sat for a long while after Lilea had left. I thought about everything she had been through, and how it had felt when she stiffened beside me, so hard I was scared she might break.


    I remembered a time, ten years ago, when I had first met her. At that point, she had just been some girl. She had looked at me with determined eyes, and a spark of fire had been raging in her, the way she folded her arms and looked at me, a complete stranger, with the quiet confidence that she could bend me over her knee if she wished.


    A year after that, the fire had dimmed, and she didn''t seem quite so sure of herself. A year after that, she finally opened up to me and told me her name. A year after that, the fire died, and she stopped walking with her head up, chin forward, hair tied back. That''s when she started hunching her shoulders, ducking her chin, and cut her hair, doing her best to make herself invisible.


    Even a soldier gets tired of fighting after three-years of non-stop action, with no chance for relief. For a child of six to stand the way she did, I can''t hope to ever hold my chin up and say with pride that I''m half as brave. Now...


    Now she didn''t stand, she crouched. She didn''t walk, she stalked. She was never relaxed, no matter how big her smile was. You could tell because her left-pinky would always twitch, itching to see if her eye-patch was on.


    I looked around, took the board with fifty-seven marks on it, and walked around to my smaller shed, where I lived. There, I had placed a hammock to one side with a chest under it, and a dress/wardrobe against the wall. Dominating the rest of the room was a cloth sheet, which I pulled aside to reveal one wall covered in marked boards. I took a second to hang the one in my hand in a waiting space before looking at the left wall.


    That small, ratty cloak that she used before she got her brown one. The mismatched gloves that were slightly too big and too small at he time. The seven different eye-patches, all worn out from use.


    I didn''t look at the right wall, but retreated behind the sheet and sat down on the ground to think for a minute. Or an hour. or maybe a few days.


    <hr />


    -Chapel of the Dark One, District 12-


    Lileas'' heart stopped, and her breathe froze in her throat, choking her.


    I leapt back, tightening my gloved fingers, and wrapping the cloak closer around myself. I tripped over a pew, fell in-between two pews, and looked directly into a hopeless face begging for the sweet, sweet release of painful death. I jumped up as fast as I could, looking over at he ghoul that had cocked its'' head at me. I slowly rose myself onto the balls of my feet...


    "Oi! Novice, take off the mask, will you? You''re scaring the little mouse." Said the shadow. In answer, the ghoul reached up one hand and tore its'' own face off, revealing a young, regular-looking boy. He turned to the shadow and bowed, saying,


    "My apologies, Master. I did not realize that you would be coming, and after wearing the mask for so long you forget you''re wearing it." said the boy, while looking repentant.


    The shadow waved his hand in irritation. "Enough with that "master" crap. I left the brotherhood three years ago, so my rank naturally means nothing." He explained in a pained voice, as if he had explained it many times.


    The boy shook his head, and said, "Not so. Master, you of all people should know that one cannot leave the brotherhood. sure, you''ve taken up an occupation...but one cannot conduct surgery by simply peeling the skin. What you''ve done does not come off so easily, Master."


    The shadow laughed, "Hah! I wouldn''t expect anything less from a novice nearing his Ascension Ceremony. Fine, call me what you will. Oi! Mouse! Over here!"


    I hurried over to where he was shaking his head at a boy who was unsuccessfully trying to hide a satisfied smile, and gestured to the altar. I nearly threw up at the sight.


    "Now, little mouse, I want you to know that from here on, you are to speak of nothing you see. Not that it won''t haunt your nightmares..."


    I must have had some doubt in my eyes, for he smiled at me. I said, "Scarier than a ghoul?"


    His smile half-melted. He supported himself by leaning against the altar, and spoke without a shred of mockery. "Believe me, if a ghoul was the scariest thing in the chapels, I would have achieved the rank of Master in a month, and not twenty years. What I''m about to show you has broken the minds of countless novices...and they were given five years of preparation and training. I''m not going to hold your hand as you descend into madness, got it?"


    I gulped. The Lilea nodded.


    Now he smiled like a demon, and pushed his fingers into the altar, and a grinding, grating sound followed by a section of floor behind the altar broke and slid, until it formed a spiral staircase. The he made a bow, gesturing  with grand motions. "Ladies first."


    I took cautious steps down, feeling the weight of the chapel crush my shoulders as I descended into utter darkness.


    In the dim light left from the hole up above, two orange orbs followed a solitary green one down the steps into hell.


    Then the light was snuffed out, and the true hell started.


    <hr />


    AN: Well, I don''t want to leave you on a cliffhanger, but i have to change location as the cops have tracked me down. So for now, this is where I leave you! Goodnight!

 Chapter 4: A Light in the Dark!

    AN: So yeah, I forgot to describe the altar...too late now, guess I''ll do it later. All it really means is that I only have to add the horror tag now, instead of last chapter.


    This is so exciting! I haven''t imagined such wonderfully gruesome methods for a long time, and now, I can show the world what goes on in my head!


    World, ready or not...


    ...here I come. :3


    <hr />


    -Below the North-West chapel of the Dark One-


    Lilea may be comfortable with dark places, but the pitch-black underside of a chapel dedicated to the Dark One was starting to make her reconsider what she was afraid of.


    Well, I''m at least going to get some light as soon as I can.


    Hmm, for some reason, I feel like something is going to happen...a foreshadowing of something to come.


    I can feel the pressure building, squeezing my temples together until I think my head will explode. Lilea has started breathing heavy, and her steps have started trembling. The rhythmic tap tap tap of boot on marble assaulted her eardrums, one after another in an endless pattern of pain. Slowly, the force got greater, and with each boom echoing through her head, the pain grew, and grew, and grew, until she could barely think.


    BOOM BOOM BOOM


    My head...it hurts...when will we get out? Why is it so dark? Get Lilea out of here! I don''t care how, just get me out!


    They stopped.


    I stood on shaking knees, holding my head as flashes of white and black alternated in my vision, making me think I''ll either faint or go blind. Suddenly, my breathing sounds just as bad as the footsteps, so I stop. But, after a minute, my lungs scream at me for air.


    And I can''t remember how to breathe.


    I choke and cough, trying to force something through my throat, but my lungs refuse to contract. I strain, and scream with so much force that my throat rips itself and I feel a warm liquid run down my throat. But no sound comes out, and I still can''t breathe.


    It''s dark. It''s loud. It hurts. Why does it hurt? Why is it dark? It''s silent.


    Lilea can''t breathe, but suddenly that doesn''t seem like such a problem. Yeah, what''s wrong with not breathing? The worst that can happen is death.


    Death would be nice. Why is it dark? Why am I so itchy? My hands are having trouble staying still. Almost like they have minds of their own.


    It''s dark. It doesn''t hurt. It isn''t loud. Then why do I still hear things?


    Screams. Yells. Begging. Sobbing. The sound of fists beating themselves on stone walls as they reduce themselves to bloody pulps. Footsteps. Far away, and the sound of flesh on flesh.


    It sounds like a pit of rats eating each other. But it''s overlaid with something else, something closer...


    It''s dark. It''s loud. Like a beehive. Why is it buzzing? Lilea itches, scratching her hand and throat to relieve the burning. But it just gets worse. No hope. No escape. Just the dark, and the itching, and the twitching. Twitching? Why is Lilea twitching? I''m not twitching. No, Lilea is shaking. Why am I twitching? It itches. It''s dark.


    It doesn''t hurt anymore. If it doesn''t hurt anymore, why am I in pain?


    A light. There, so far I cannot hope to reach, a light!


    I stumble toward it, and I struggle to breathe. Even though I can see the light, my vision is narrowed. Why can''t I see to the left? Eye-patch. Right. Never take it off, don''t let them see. Pain. Suffering. Jeers, yells, don''t let them see. Hate. The sound of Lilea getting her bones broken.


    Why am I twitching? It itches. Why do my hands feel wet? Why does my throat hurt? Can''t breathe, right. I can almost reach out and touch the light...


    It itches. I''m in pain. My ears are deafened by the silence. I''m being crushed. My hands are twitching, and they smell like blood. Did Lilea kill someone? Did I? Does it matter? Maybe they deserved it. I''m not guilty. Hide,  let them pass, so they don''t hit Lilea...hate. Hate. Hate.


    A hand. Just a touch on the shoulder, and all of a sudden she can move. She can breathe. It doesn''t itch anymore. Lilea isn''t twitching. My hands still smell like blood. Maybe Lilea killed herself? Maybe I killed Lilea? Or did she kill me?


    Something brushes my face, and I reach up to grab it. A handle, a box, a flap. I poke a finger through it, and it gets burned. Light. Lamp. Lantern. Light. Lilea is saved. I''m okay. It doesn''t hurt.


    I collapse, my knees unable to keep me up anymore. I''m taking huge, heaving lungfuls of air. My throat hurts. My lungs hurt. But it''s a good hurt, the kind that tells you that something is still there. I think the worst thing that could happen is that I wake up, and I can''t feel anything below my neck. Lilea likes her head and body to be one.


    The hand is taken off of her shoulder, and soon a strange scratching sound echoes from behind me. Someone, with a deep voice, is humming. He speaks in a satisfied voice, "Hmm, very nice. It looks like the new compound has even greater effects than the last one. I''ll have to inform Nix about this, he''ll want to know so we can speed up some of the other experiments..."


    The voice. Did it save her? Is it to blame? Should she kill it? Or should I?


    Another light. Right, it''s called a lantern. Lilea has one. The nice voice gave it to her. The voice mumbles a little more, and she hears the sound of quill on paper. It''s a scratching sound. She doesn''t like the scratching, it reminds her of the itching. Maybe she should kill it? But the voice is nice, it gave me a light...


    ...but when I find the shadow that led me into the dark, I will tear it apart until not even the bloodstains remain.


    No no no, Lilea would never do that! I can''t hurt a fly. It must be the dark, it''s making me feel weird. I should get out. Maybe the nice voice could tell me where to go to leave this hell? Lilea got all turned around.


    Then the light starts leaving her. Wait! Don''t go! Lilea is having trouble standing up right now! Maybe if I just use my hands to push off the ground, I can-


    "You know, it''s so dark I wonder if I''m sideways?"


    I hit hard, and the lantern clatters out of my hand. I groan, and try to get up. I slipped again...dammit. Thankfully, the light comes back. It doesn''t sound concerned, instead it just sounds...neutral. "Did you break anything? Do I have to carry you?"


    I try to stand up, and finally manage after several tries. In a shaky, croaking voice that makes my throat hurt, I hurriedly say; "N-No! Everything is working right. But I would like to be carried..."


    The light starts moving away. Guess I won''t get a piggyback ride...sad.


    I move as close to the footsteps as I can, until I can reach out and touch the nice voices'' owner. I wonder why the footsteps sounded so loud just a minute ago? That being said, how long did I hold my breath? It can''t have been more than two minutes, surely. Maybe it was just a minute? Or thirty seconds?


    Then, all of a sudden, the ground levels out. Instead of walking down stairs, we''re walking on a level surface. At first I stumble, not quite remembering how to walk correctly on level ground. Those stairs feel almost like my homeland...


    A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Through the cloth I wear on my feet, I feel a dirt floor underneath me. Why marble stairs, and a dirt floor? That''s like having an exotic rug, and a rotted, broken chair next to it. Also, I hear noises.


    Breathing, Rattling, Coughing. Sobbing. The sharp sounds of boots thudding on dirt. I wonder how they can move around if everything is so dark? Maybe they can see in the dark...that''s a scary thought. What Lilea wouldn''t give for night vision...


    After walking for what felt like hundreds of miles, the sound of a knocker on a door broke her out of her trance. I nearly collapsed from trembling, hoping that I can see light once more. The door swings open on well-oiled hinges...


    ...and it''s just as dark as out here. The lantern is snuffed out. All of a sudden, my temples feel a slight pressure as I feel the darkness crushing me,  choking me, making sounds...


    Two hands grab me and shake me, then pull me a couple feet inside a room. I can tell it''s a room because the dirt always had a certain chill, whereas now the floor was wood. I hear the click of a door closing behind me, and I feel the twitching start again, and an itch starts at my throat...


    Light. Glorious, beautiful, wonderful light!


    I rush into it, Hug it, glory in it, feel it encompass my entire being...


    Now it only hurts when I blink.


    I slowly start to breathe normally, and begin to look around. A drawer with some pottery on top with a mirror hanging over it, and a couple chairs. Looking in front of me is a ghoul, but I''m not scared anymore. It showed me the light, so...


    I leap up, and hug the ghoul so hard I can hear creaking noises, and a gasping voice cries out. I let go just as quick, letting hte ghoul fall to the ground, and try to pat it to see if it''s alright. "You okay? I''m so sorry, I''m just excited to see someone else..."


    The gasping ghoul gets up slowly, cracks it''s back, and chuckles as it lays it''s hand on my shoulder. From the voice, I can tell it''s old. Most likely male. I''m glad I didn''t hurt him, I would have felt horrible...


    A familiar hand grabs my shoulder, and I look over my shoulder-


    The shadow.


    Without a word, and faster than he can react, I pin him against the wall and wrap my twitching fingers around his neck. I feel his hands on my arms, trying to do something, but I knee him in the groin before he can do anything. I lean in, using my weight to put as much weight and force into my fingers as I choke the life out of him. I look straight into his eyes, now that his hat has fallen off, and feel something akin to comfort from the look of terror and pain flashing through his eyes. Orange eyes. A strange color, you don''t often see those, except on people from a tribe down south.


    Something hits me in the back, but I ignore it. Crushing the shadows'' throat is more important. Then, I connect the dots. The nice voice. That fucking shadow. They''re not different. The gasping, choking sounds made by the shadow are made with the nice voice. And the hand that gave me the light is the shadow. Why? Why did the shadow lead me into the dark, just to give me light?


    I''m torn. Lilea doesn''t know what to do. Should she kill him? Should she not? Should I kill him?


    A hand without any force behind it lays itself on my upper arm, and I refocused my vision on the shadow, who was foaming at the mouth and not gasping anymore. Then I let him go, and he slid down the wall. I breathe heavily, panting with something like an animals deep, sucking breath. I look behind me, and the ghoul is holding a stick, and although I can''t see it''s expression, it looks surprised. I look down, and see the remains of one of the wooden chairs. Huh. I feel at my back, and it seems like nothings broken...hurts like a bitch, though.


    I look closely at the shadow, and he seems to have regained his composure. Impressive, he was being choked to death a couple seconds ago, and he already has the same arrogant look on his face. It makes me want to punch him.


    He stands up, and massages the red marks on his throat as he tries to regain his voice. After a couple minutes, he manages to say, "That''s one hell of a grip, I can see how you climb up walls. But, in the future, I''d like to appreciate your abilities from a distance. I know some people who would enjoy being strangled...but I''m not one of them."


    I try to say sorry, but all that comes out of LIleas'' mouth is a grunt. "Why did you take me here?"


    The shadow took a second to pick up his hat, then looked at me and said, "For my excellent work in the service of His Excellency, I was honored with a reward from my commander, NIx."


    I grunted non-commitedly, still trying to resist the urge to pin him back up against the wall and choke him until his eyes pop out and to push his throat so far back that his head falls off and then-


    ahem. Time to stop that train of thought.


    I say, "So what if you got something? I honestly don''t give a fuck about you."


    He rubs his throat some more, raises his eyebrow, and says, "I can tell. The reason you should care, is that my reward was...training the newest recruit to the Emperors elite. "To mentor the young'', says Nix, the bastard, "is the greatest joy a human can enjoy." or something like that. So, in other words, I''ll be teaching you everything you need to know about us, the empire, and what you are going to do in order to serve the emperor. Got it?"


    I nodded numbly. Wait, what?! The Emperor?


    Before I lose my mind, I speak once more. "That doesn''t answer one thing. Where the fuck am I? And what the hell did you do to me on the stairs?''"


    He smiles, then says, "You, little mouse, are below Abalon. Here, in the dank, dark shadows of the city''s buried body, the Church of the Dark One serves the Emperor with more...sensitive things. You''re in the Laboratory of the Emperor, and I''ll tell you what I did to you later. For now..."


    My ears perk up. "What?"


    He points at the ground, where the broken remains of a chair lay. "Help me pick that up. I don''t want you to trip again."


    I nod, then lean over-


    Huh, that mirror sure is nice. Why was I looking at it again? Oh right! I-


    "FUUUUUUUUUUUUUU-"


    <hr />


    AN: Well, it took me four whole chapters to make the MC homicidal. I don''t know what''s sadder, the fact that this is normal for me, or that it''s an accomplishment for me that I waited this long. I just hope this chapter is okay with RRL, cause if it isn''t...well, I''m going to do worse, so let''s at least hope I can get that far, right?


    The funny thing is that the last chapter, this chapter, and the next one were all supposed to be one chapter, but I got really interested, and added detail, and, well, as I''ve said before...


    It all went down-hill from there.


    Time to go troll the rest of the internet! I bid you all, adieu.


    Poor Lilea...this is just the beginning.

 Chapter 4.5: A New Home!

    AN: This isn''t really a chapter, just some stuff I wrote as it came to mind. Hopefully it gives you a better idea of Lileas'' personality.


    Like all my other series, these notes now have no meaning...


    But that won''t stop me from making them!


    As good ol'' Albert once said, "Insanity is doing the same thing while expecting different results." or something. It''s probably someone else who said that, and I''m totally wrong...


    But hey, what else am I doing, besides writing the same story of a demented person who suffered trauma, loses a part of themself, and then takes it out on the world?


    What have I been writing, except for the same story, seven times? The names may change,  and the situation, the piece that breaks off, but...


    Everything I''ve written on royal road has been the same story, with different names.


    But then, if that''s the case...


    ...why am I still trying to tell it, if it''s already been told?


    <hr />


    -The Emperors'' Laboratory-


    As we walked down the wood-paneled hallway, I made sure that the shadow was quiet and not up to something. The ghoul, meanwhile, was sort of half-hobbling and half-hopping, like he was trying to run a three-legged race with a single leg. I should probably stop using similes...


    We came to a nondescript door, with vertical slanting boards and no blemishes on the polish. The ghoul opened it and waved us through like a gentleman, and I stepped through, took one look at the roof, the walls, the floor, the waist-high table in the middle, then turned around, pulled my scarf down as fast as I could, and threw up all over the shadow.


    He dodged (unfortunately) by leaping backward. Subsequently, I was refused the satisfaction of making the shadow uncomfortable, and left to get on my hands and knees and puke. I waited until it stopped, looked over my shoulder, then went right back to throwing up.


    The shadow stepped past me and stood next to the ghoul while looking at...that. Just the thought evoked yet another round of my new favorite thing, ejecting my organs through my throat. Between hurls, I could make out a short conversation.


    The shadow started, "In the name of all that is unholy, this is quite a mess. I don''t know if I could make a mess like this even if I tried..."


    The ghoul hacked out, "Hehehe, you praise me too much. This was just an experiment to see how much force the fluids in a body can exert. The results were very...encouraging. As you can see."


    The shadow snorted. "You can give me tips later, for now we should get the mouse accustomed to her living quarters.  Once she''s done over there, of course..."


    The ghoul made a shocked sound. "You mean he''s a she? With that grip? That also means that you were helpless before a woman..."


    The shadow practically growled, "She''s fifteen."


    The ghoul took a second, then burst out into laughter, a sort of wheezing cough. "Really? With that height? For the great Jax to be held against his will by a girl half his age...people will start to think you''re into some weird stuff, if this gets around."


    I stand up and wipe off what bile I can, then turn left until I''m facing the wall opposite from...that, and sidle up to the shadow. He still seems out of sorts. "Wha- what are you saying! It was obvious that I couldn''t do anything!"


    "That doesn''t make it sound any better..."


    I tap the shadow on the shoulder, then point towards the door opposite of the one we entered. He seems amused by my reaction to...that...and leads me through the door into another hallway. It''s spacious, and there are six doors on each side. He points toward the sixth door on the right, and says, "That''s where you''ll be sleeping for the next...oh, five years, or so? it might take less or more time, depending on how well you learn and adjust to what you''ll be dealing with. Looks like we''ll have to start from scratch..."


    He starts to walk away, but I grab his sleeve as he turns. "You still haven''t told me what you did to me on the stairs."


    I can''t see his expression under his hat, but I get the feeling he''s smirking. "Just a little experiment. You are actually quite impressive..."


    Lilea is doubtful. "Oh really? How?"


    He shakes my hand free, then walks away and throws over his shoulder, "I''ve never seen someone lose it so fast, or so easily, before. To be honest, it should have taken another five minutes, and you shouldn''t have gotten half as crazy. I think you''re just weak-willed. We''ll see if your ability is up to snuff tomorrow, and maybe you''ll somehow get out of here eventually."


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "I can get out of this hell-hole? Really?"


    He opens the door sixth to the left while saying, "Yep. After two years, I figure you''ll snap for good, and we''ll have to put you down. Many a novice with twice the will and preparation has come down here, only to turn into a raving lunatic after a week down here. Welcome to the side of the empire no one sees."


    The door closes, and I wait a second before going to my room and opening the door. It swings on well-oiled hinges, and inside is a comfortable room. A cot, a dresser, a desk, and a chest, with a clothes hanger by the door. I sigh and put away my clothing, then sit on the bed and realize just how exhausted I am.


    It''s been...I don''t know how long. I don''t know when I''ll get out. But if I don''t do what they say...


    My Uncle gave me everything. After seeing what they can do, I no longer have doubts about the shadows'' original claim.


    If they wanted to kill my uncle, they could do so without any trouble. I hold his life in my hands.


    Maybe that''s why they haven''t stopped twitching.


    <hr />


    -Jaxs'' Room-


    The moment the door is closed, my legs collapse and I hold my throat while breathing deeply.


    This isn''t like me. I''ve always been clear-minded, and barely anything fazes me anymore. I''ve looked a thousand dying men in the eye, but not once have I looked into my killers'' eyes...


    Until today.


    As I was being held against the wall, I kicked my feet ineffectually and tried to break something. When that didn''t work, I tried to break her grab, but she kneed me in the groin. While I was helpless with pain, she crushed my throat and tore the air from my lungs. When the pain tears cleared, I could feel my vision darkening and I saw, in my mind, my last moment.


    One, glaring green eye. That''s all that was visible. I''ve seen so many eyes I''ve learned to read them.


    Hate, fear, anger, joy, sorrow, confusion, deception. The green eye, however...looked yearning.


    No anger. No hate. Just a want, a lust, a need, to kill me.


    I can repress memories...hell, I''d have gone insane if I couldn''t, but...


    I get the feeling I''ll see that green eye when I go to sleep tonight. And the night after. And every night then on.


    I''m glad she didn''t snap. If she did...I wouldn''t have stopped her. I need to be prepared.


    I walked over to the desk, then placed my observations of the experiment of the new drug, LSC13, on it before pulling out two of the daggers I had stashed there. I then reached into the handle of one of them, made certain the poison was there, and hid them in my clothes.


    If she snaps again, I have to kill her. If I hesitate...


    Well, I''m going to be putting weapons in her hands. Let''s just hope she either snaps before she surpasses me, or dies before then.


    I then went to my bed and put my head to rest. It had been a long day, and tomorrow...


    Well, I wouldn''t say she would snap for sure...


    But, from what I''ve seen so far, what I show her tomorrow will break her into teeny, tiny, pieces. Then I''ll have to kill her. Goodnight, me. Sleep tight.


    Don''t let the green eye kill you.


    <hr />


    AN:Yeah...this isn''t what I started writing. Welp, I hope all of my hyping of the next chapter doesn''t go to waste...


    ...


    ...


    Hah! Sarcasm. Not much action, I didn''t even describe the scene on the operating table...but it''s late, and I think I''d get a little too into it...


    I should stop now, before I do anything crazy. Tomorrow, I think, will be interesting. I''ll have to think about it, a lot.


    Well, all of the methods have already been thought up, now I just need to dredge them up.


    Time to earn my warning level. If I can psyche myself up enough to put what''s in my mind into words.


    Oh right! I promised j0nn0 some music! Here</a>, another gem.


    I wonder if I''m just afraid to write what goes on in my head? Or maybe I''m afraid that other people will read it?

 Chapter 5: For Science!

    AN: Well, it''s late, I''m reeling especially crazy, and this chapter''s supposed to be messed up.


    It''s as if the stars align...


    As for the other AN you can forget them. I am quite fond of lying, after all. Hell, I''ve lied about the entire Lich story.  As for this one...I wonder what lies I''ll spin?


    EXTRA WARNING: If you''re offended by anything, don''t read this. So basically, everyone shouldn''t read it.


    Oh, and massive time skip from this chapter to the next chapter, so Trololololollolololololololololololololololololololololololololololololollolololololololololololololololololololololololololol


    <hr />


    -The Emperors'' Laboratory, Lileas'' Room-


    I was sitting on the forest floor, a dead fox on my lap. It was young, barely a month old. I petted it''s head with my five-year-old hands, and tried to smooth out the bloody fur. It had something long and metal buried in it''s side, with steel imitations of feathers on the end.


    I was crying, my tears falling on it''s head. This poor wolf hadn''t done anything wrong, yet it was still dead. My mother told me our souls went to someplace better when we died, my father told me that death was a fact of life. I''m not sure what to think.


    I grip the end of the metal rod with a shaking hand, and pull it out. At least it had been painless. I could tell it had died instantly, as the wound was clean. If the fox had struggled, it would have widened the wound. I took it a short distance, then dug it a shallow grave, next to it''s parents. All three would be dug up by other animals later, but I felt better for having done something.


    After putting them to rest, and praying to the tree spirits, I laid white lily''s on their graves. Their meaning, at least for my tribe, was peace. It was what the living wished for the dead, as my parents said. It was funny, then, that they had named me after flowers that were laid on the graves of the dead. My mother always asked my father why he was set on that name. My two brothers were named Baro, after the Beairs, who symbolized strength, and Eragel, after the Eragels that symbolized nobility. My sister was named Wutaro, to symbolize the beauty of water.


    I, however, had been named after a flower that symbolized peace. I doubt I''d ever understand why.


    As I got up to leave, I smelled smoke.


    "That''s odd...dinner preparations usually don''t start for another hour, and I don''t think it''s a holiday today..."


    I picked up my basket, filled with mushrooms and berries, and started back. Even after the death of those foxes, the forest still exuded beauty. The way the sun filtered through the leaves, and the gentle sounds of animals whispered softly in my ear. Without realizing, I''d begun to skip lightly and hum along with the sounds. I twittered with the birds, and clicked with the crickets, Stepping lightly with the rhythm.


    I spun lightly, feeling the leaves beneath my feet and the warm sun on my skin. I twirled with the wind, and followed the steps laid by the patterns of life.


    Soft, light, warm, fragrant. I touched a trees'' bark as I spun, and swiped a petal as I passed, picked a berry and dodged a branch, feeling the beat of nature. A Deiro grazed a foot by me, but my steps and motion swirled so unanimously with the forest that it didn''t feel my passage.


    Animals, plants, sun and sound, they beat in my body like a second heart. I danced to it, I danced with it, I danced to it. Steps sure and fast, beat pure and strong, beauty and strength blended perfectly into one, a single, perfect symphony. The forest laughed, and I laughed with it. I took it''s arms and let it twirl me around, spinning and laughing, feeling the soft embrace of life. Then I stopped.


    I looked forward, the beat drowned out, the sounds deafened from my ears, and all of the beauty bled out. I didn''t feel the basket fall from my numb hands, but I heard it smash against the ground. My knees were weak, and all thoughts in my head were replaced. The rhythm, the beauty, the life...was gone.


    I sat up, breathing hard. I slapped my face and felt at my left eye, making sure the eye-patch was on. I looked around the dark room, and let myself feel comfort in the fact that I was tens of feet underground and in the dark, dark belly of the earth. For a long time, I held myself in my own arms and let myself feel safe.


    I don''t know how long I sat there, but I didn''t try to stand up or go back to sleep. After an indeterminable amount of time, I heard steps from outside my door. They were quiet, as if the person was used to stepping silently. There was a knock, then light flooded my room as someone opened the door.


    The shadow stood, back dropped by the light, his voice sounding like gravel in my ears. "Wake up-oh, you''re up. Well, I hoped you got enough rest, cause'' we''ll be starting immediately. Come on out and eat something, then I''ll show you around. After that, I''ll give you your first lesson."


    I said nothing, but starred into his eyes. He seemed sort of uncomfortable because of this, and left. His steps echoed down the hallway, and I had to ask myself if I could get up.


    I threw off the blanket, then swung my legs around off the bed. I stood up without a problem, and began stretching. Nothing seemed wrong, and my body felt fine...guess dreams were only dreams. Lilea can handle dreams.


    Lilea stepped over to her wardrobe, then swung on her cloak and put on her scarf, wrapping it around her lower face. After adjusting it well, she pulled her gloves and, and I stepped out of the room. I started down the hall, remembering with a queasy stomach the scene that had been in the room before...


    I hesitated to open the door, but stiffened my lip and told myself that I''d not embarrass myself like before. I opened the door, and a pleasant smell reached my nose...


    On the table where...that...had been before, was instead a tablecloth and an assortment of food. FIfteen places were set, and besides the shadow and the old man, there were twelve other people. They all wore black robes, and beside each of their plates were ghouls masks like the novice and the old man. The twelve had bone-white skin, probably from being down here without the sun for so long. I sat down on the edge, and looked at the food.


    The old man acknoledged me, the shadow ignored me, and the twelve others seemed to be trying very hard to not stare at me. I filled my plate, then realized that if I took off my scarf, they''d be able to see my face...


    The shadow grunted, then said, "Don''t worry about it. Down here, the only thing about you that matters is your loyalty to the Emperor. Well, I say loyalty, but in reality as long as you do as your told you''ll be fine. Things like your skin don''t matter."


    I wasn''t sure I believed him...but, after coming down here, I had gotten a new outlook on life. I very much doubted anything other than my ability mattered, but showing my face to other people was...different, for me.


    Hesitantly, I pulled down my hood. The twelve showed moderate surprise at my hair color, but were a little more shocked when I pulled down my scarf. Seven couldn''t stop staring at my dark skin, and the other six stole glances every time they thought I wasn''t looking. Doing my best to ignore them, I put a smile on my face and ate.


    The shadow eyed my eye-patch saying, "Same thing with your eye. These people have seen much worse than a mutilated eye."


    I finished, let out a burp, then sighed. "I don''t wear an eye-patch to hide it. Rather, I''m wearing it for other people."


    He shrugged, then rose from his seat and headed to the door while motioning for me to follow. I got up and went out the door with him, feeling very odd that my face wasn''t covered.


    When we were about to leave the second door, he picked up a much larger lamp than what he''d taken down here when we first descended into this pit, and stepped into the small room before leaving. As I stepped into it with him, he struck a match against he wall and lit the lamp, then closed the door we came through and let the dark close in.


    For a second, we were in a small, dark room, and I felt a sense of deja vu, and thought back to the stairs. I had to resist the urge to strangle him again.


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.He opened the other door, and together we stepped out into the dark. All around, the silence deafened me. Like a thousand voices screaming all at once from a great distance. I followed the shadow, the chill from the ground permeating everything.


    As we walked, I stepped quickly to keep up with the shadow. He was walking with determined purpose, not looking to the side or behind, but with his gaze focused straight ahead. All around me, the silence warped and twisted, like the body of a long snake, thrashing and undulating, wrapping around and around, trying to strangle itself.


    Suddenly, the shadow spoke. "Hey mouse, have you ever wondered about the slaves?"


    I thought back to the men and women with gaunt faces and bent bodies, working endlessly on fields and construction. "I can''t say they haven''t crossed my mind, but I don''t really think too much about them."


    He continued walking, and spoke as if he hadn''t heard me. "You see, they were all either soldiers, beggars, or people who resisted conquest, at one point. Now, they are serving the empire they once resisted, making it prosper and become richer. Ironic, isn''t it?"


    I got the sense he was talking to himself, so I stayed silent.


    "So if the slaves were taken from the captured soldiers and the oppressed peoples from countries we''ve taken, don''t you ever wonder?"


    I felt the need to speak, as he had stopped. "Wonder what?"


    He whispered to himself, "The Emperor doubled the size of the empire. And yet, the slave population across the empire is only a third of the citizen population, on average. Have you ever wondered where the rest go?"


    I thought about it, but what he was saying didn''t make sense. "So what? Doesn''t that just mean their cities weren''t as populated as ours? They were all pretty small, and a third of the population is still very large."


    This time, he looked back at me. "No, you''re wrong. You see, if all of the slaves taken were to be put to work in the cities and fields, there would be an equal amount to the regular population. Because the Emperor didn''t just double the size of the empire, he''s doubled it and a half. So, if you believe what I''ve said so far, do you start to wonder where those hundreds, those thousands, those tens of thousands of prisoners went?"


    We''d been walking for a long time, but here he stopped, and held up his lamp. I looked at him, not comprehending, but then felt the stare of dozens of eyes. I looked around...


    The first thing I noticed were the bars. Wrought iron, five-feet high, and set less than a foot together. The locks on them were rusted, as if they hadn''t been used for years. Behind those bars, there were people.


    Light skinned, dark skinned, tall, short, bright-eyed and dark-eyed, all different sorts of people stared out at that single source of light.


    And cowered from it.


    I felt horror, disgust, and pity, to name three of my emotions. I looked at the shadow, saying, "What is this? Why are these people here? And why are they so scared?"


    He still spoke, in a slight whisper. "To answer your questions in order, this is the holding cell of the guinea pigs. They are here because they won''t be missed. And finally, they are deathly scarred of the dark, because they are exposed to it for months on end, but they are terrified of the light, because we teach them to."


    "Scarred of the dark? Terrified of the light? That doesn''t make any sense."


    He lowered the lamp, then covered it. My eye took a second to adjust, but when it did, I saw the shadow gesturing around. I looked closely, and saw small dots of light. They blinked in and out of existence as they passed bars, and their speed changed frequently. Again, the shadow whispered.


    "For the prisoners, the light means two things. They are being taken away by the monsters in masks, the novices, or..."


    Distance was hard to tell, but I heard a metal door squeal on rusted hinges, and the screams of several people. Then those screams turned to howls of pain.


    The shadow uncovered the lamp, then started walking down another path. Now that we had walked a little, I could see that the cells were laid out in a grid-like pattern, two cells by two cells, with around eight prisoners in each. As we walked, the number of people in the cells lessened, until we were walking through blocks of cells with single prisoners in them. They were...different.


    Some of them growled at me, others huddled in corners and clawed at the ground, or at their faces, and the floors of their cells were oddly flat...


    Here, once again, the shadow stopped. "Here is a place commonly known by the novices, though with no real name, as, "The halls of murderers. You see the people alone in their cell? There used to be seven other people in their with them. Those others you saw, they were relatively new. Only a month or so has passed since they''ve been down here, so they''ll still relatively sane. These people...some have been in for nearly six months, and the darkness drove them mad. The fear, the paranoia, the drugs we fed them, and the pain we doled out without discretion, finally snapped them. These people are those who survived, as there is a certain thing that we do after a cell has been down here for five months.


    We stop feeding them.


    And then, like animals, we leave them to fight. Usually they''re alone within two weeks. Once that happens, the more experienced members of the church get to take them, and do more...advanced experiments."


    I was shocked. I couldn''t speak, but numbly followed him as we walked further down. After a long time walking, we reached larger cells. Here, the shadow stopped once more.


    "Ah, this brings back memories. Back in the day, we were trying to cut down on costs, so we put nearly a hundred people in one cell. That was around a year ago. The people in these cells...can''t be called human anymore. Calling them animals would be a bit of a stretch, so we call them what they are...monsters. This here is, "The Den of Monsters" from which long-term experiments are still being done. The things we''ve done to them, the things they''ve done...I doubt we''d ever be able to turn them back into people, no matter how long we tried. Good thing we don''t have to try."


    He kept walking, and I couldn''t tell whether I was following him, or if the darkness was pushing me or dragging me with him. We walked for a long time, the crying and sobbing, the growling and howls, and the most disturbing, laughing, lone prisoners slowly grew distant. We came to an open space, and here there was a constant, grating sound.


    Screaming.


    It didn''t lessen, it didn''t stop, it just kept coming. They would take rests to breathe, then start all over again, getting louder, if possible. They overlaid each other in a reverberating, multi-voiced howl, that never stopped.


    "Here is the place where special prisoners, the kind that can take the punishment, are given...special treatment."


    I just kept my head down, and followed the shadow as he led me in a different direction. Frost crawled up my spine, and horror slowly mounted as I left behind the screams...


    And was embraced by the laughter.


    Inconsistent. Throbbing. Never-ending.


    "Here...here are the people that pain no longer fazes. Different experiments are used for them. Come on, the rest can wait. Now that you know what''s down here...I need to teach you how to survive in the world above. Before we''re done, you''ll forget there''s an above. But believe me when I say I won''t be forgiving. I may not have chosen this job, but I''ll be damned if I don''t do my best to help you survive in the world above. The skills I''ll teach you down here will make you useful, and because you''ll be useful, you won''t be discarded. Because you can count on one thing, above all else, in this world.


    If you''re of use to the emperor, you''re fine. If not...well, there''s another special place down here for traitors. I''ll show you tomorrow."


    We walked back to the small building were I''d slept, and I had to wonder how I''d ever accomplished a thing like that.


    I very much doubted I''d ever sleep again. Not after hearing that laughter.

 Chapter 5.5: The Dark & The Light

    AN: For the purpose of maybe letting the reader delve into a small part of my mind, I''ll write this from the first person. The reason I write this interlude is to help you understand what goes on down in the depths of Abalon. I realized, after writing chapter five, that I didn''t really tell you how this differed from other torture dungeons...I erred greatly, but do not be worried.


    You will soon know more than you ever wanted about these dungeons.


    <hr />


    -Cabin in the woods, three miles out of the city Abalon-


    My name is Garrat Helberous, I am the son of a high lord and one of the best merchants this side of the mountains, though no one really knows what lies on the other side. I reside within the commercial city of Delmos, though I often travel as my work requires.


    Now, however, I''ve been taken prisoner. Some upstart-midget Emperor has recently taken to conquering every tiny village and grandma''s house around him, and generally making himself a target. I doubt he''ll last, as after five months of war it isn''t looking too good for him. Sadly, I''ll probably have to wait several months for this capital city...Abalon, was it? to be sieged and taken. During that time, my business will suffer...tis'' a sad time, when kings and their armies are like disasters, and without warning you can''t help but be caught up and swept away with it.


    I was traveling through the countryside, all peaceful-like, when some bastard captain seized my caravan and shackled me and my men up in a line and made me slog through the mud for three whole weeks. They could have at least let me change into my hiking boots!


    Either way, me and some five-hundred other prisoners have been tied up ad left outside this abandoned cabin Alena knows'' where, and now some freaks in masks are moving along the lines of us and stripping us of our clothes. As a weirdo approached, I put up my hands in a placatory gesture saying, "Listen, this is fine Leon fur, if you would just let me take it off-"


    The freak ignored me and cut my wonderful clothing that probably cost more than his family, even mud-stained as it was, into shreds. After which they distributed dirty loincloths. I guess it was better than nothing, but still...another thing to note was that they didn''t discriminate by gender, and some of the more...rough-around-the-edges men had become very interested in what we''re doing.


    Next to me, Nieo, my solid bodyguard, stood stoically as if none of this fazed him, though he didn''t have to tilt his head to look down on the roughians as he stood nearly seven feet tall. He had always been the silent, very strong type, and he was also very affordable! Well, at least when you get him drunk enough. A few coins spent on cheap liquor, and you can get people like that to sign pretty much anything!


    He was, for some reason, also loyal. Not just to the money, though he did enjoy it, but he had developed an attachment to me over the three years or so I''ve had him with me, defending my goods from bandits and the like. I''d call him a fool for being loyal to a man who''s one and only true love is gold...but he''s like a foot taller than me, and his biceps are wider than my chest.


    After dressing us up in filthy loincloths like some kind of unholy pagan parade, they led lines of shackled people into the cabin. At first I was disbelieving that they thought we could all fit in there, but as two-hundred, then three-hundred people disappeared into it, I decided they knew what they were doing.


    As I entered the cabin, I saw the neat, clean, and simple interior, and the gaping hole in the floor as a large panel almost encompassing the entire floor was lifted. I followed the people in front of me, and as we descended the light slowly left my view. Soon there was nothing to see but the dark, and I became increasingly aware of the heavy breathing made by other people, and the jingle of the shackles as we shuffled down the marble stars.


    After feeling initial shock, I had found that the stairs were actual, genuine marble! And good stone, too. It would fetch a good price on the market, especially if it was sold to those looking for a dark color to contrast with the rest of the building.


    After a lengthy time, we finally reached the bottom. I couldn''t help shivering, as the chill of the dirt seemed to sink into my bones. and made my teeth chatter. I stumbled, nearly falling, as the shackles were tugged hard and I was forced to step forward quickly to avoid falling over. So far I hadn''t fallen, but I''d seen others who couldn''t stand up anymore be taken away into the woods. We never saw any of them ever again.


    Even though I couldn''t see anything but a single lamp, I could still make out iron bars. I had to smile bitterly, as it looked like I''d be waiting in this dank, dark, almost certainly rat-infested shit hole for the next several months of my life. I only hoped Niel didn''t become attracted to me, as I doubt I''d be able to stop him. Any other people would of course be clobbered, by the aforementioned fool.


    As we passed into the door, a masked freak marked something on a paper, and made a little mark on each of our cheeks. Like marking cattle, I see that these savages with no refinement have no humanity. I offered up a prayer to Alena, may she bless me, my friends, and my enemies, though hopefully not as much as me.


    We had our shackles taken off, and some idiot tried to jump the freak. The freak, masked as he was, made no expression but grabbed the idiot by the throat, twisted his body off balance, then snapped his neck with frightening efficiency, as if he''d done it many times before. As the freak left, he tossed the body back into the cell, and said, "You''ll thank me later. Or, well, I guess you won''t." then he turned and walked away, taking the lamp with him.


    I sighed, found a good corner, and sat down with my back to the outside. Even in this dark, Niel seemed to know where I was, and stood over me. I assumed he was in his classic bodyguard pose, back razor-straight and arms like steel poles folded over his brick-wall chest. Truly, an intimidating sight, and one that let me raise my prices many, many times. Hell, I hope we get out of here before too long, or I might develop an attraction to the man myself.


    Nevertheless, several hours passed like that. A few roughians attempted to gang up on Niel, and were let off with their lives. I patted his leg, as he couldn''t see my expression, and complemented him. I always try to space those out, as it seems he''s developed an intense feeling of need for them, and he always turns away and flicks his nose when I say thank you or the like. Damn, I really need something to take my mind off of Niel, the more I think of him the guiltier I feel about my treatment of him up to this point.


    Another hour passes, and a large sack full of, what I assume, bread, is tossed in. Once again, some upstarts attempt to monopolize it, but Niel let''s them off with a little less life than last time. They retreat back to their corner, whining like the curs they are. Niel has, as always, overestimated my appetite. He picked out five loaves, each as long as my arm, and offered me four of them. I just shook my head, tore off a half, and went over to the curs.


    There were twelve of them, and they were all young enough to be my kids. This is saying something, as I am in my prime of forty. I walk up to them, and their growling is silenced by Niels'' alpha-growl. I make sure that they''re intimidated, up against the corner and fearing for their life, then I reach out-


    And offer them the rest of the bread. They''re hesitant, and my quiet words seem to make them confused. After much shuffling in the dark, they have finally accepted my gift and are munching happily. I go back to my corner, and sit down. Niel is confused by my actions, which I can tell by his right foot tapping uncertainly. He is, however, too good a bodyguard to ask me why I did what I did. I refuse to tell him, as it will all be revealed all too soon.


    Three more days pass, sacks of bread being thrown in every twelve hours or so. I''d assume they were doing it at dawn and midnight, but I''ve noticed they are trying to mess with our perception of time. Once, they didn''t feed us for twenty-four hours, and the other prisoners didn''t seem to notice that anything was different. I guess I was the only one counting off the seconds.


    However, my plans were going according to plan. After my initial gift, and subsequent offerings, the Curs were now faithful puppies, who followed me everywhere and bowed to Niel like all men should to Alena. After aquireing their help, I myself monopolized the supplies, though I did so under the guise of "Rationing" it, and spoke iwht a soft and benovelonet voice always, asking people their names and bringing a sense of peace to them. Within a week, I had myself a faithful cult, who believed all the food came from me, and offered up their total obedience.


    Men are such easy creatures to move...hit them with a stick, and they will bite back, hit them more and they will run away. Offer them a treat, and they''ll love you like a god. Men are just dogs on two legs, that smell worse. Even more than bread, I wished they''d at least throw in a bar of soap or something. Anything, really.


    So everything was going well, I had total dominance of my cell, and was readying myself to relaxed and enjoy the rest of my captivity being treated like the avatar of god herself, when something terrible happened.


    They stopped throwing bread in.


    All of a sudden, I, the god that provided bread, was failing them. Men who have been tricked are half as dangerous as men who have loved and been stilted. The same goes double for women. So it was with a sinking feeling I counted off the thirty-sixth hour since they last threw in a bag of bread.


    The first day wasn''t that bad, the people in my cell were just a little confused. After the second day, they were getting restless, and fights broke out, though they still held respect for me. The third day, something was thrown in. It smelt of blood, and meat. It was cooked, and smelled quite good. I made certain Niel got plenty, but forwent eating while telling the rest that I was fasting for them. Their faith restored, their bellies filled, they went to sleep easy hearted.


    The next day their faith never wavered. The day after that doubts began again, and the fights came back even more fervant. The next day, everyone was too tired to fight.


    Then, something was thrown in. But before we could get to it...a person holding a lamp came into our cell.


    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    It was a man, nearly as big as Niel, but even more chiseled. He wore a loincloth like ours, but the similarities ended there. He held a leather whip, a short club, and iron nails. His head was covered in a cloth sack with a cross slashed through it, from which his burning eyes emerged.


    Then the pain started. I waved NIel back, telling him to let the freak tire himself out. I don''t want to risk Niel recieving any injury. And so, I must say that I am ashamed of myself. but I stood and watched as the freak flayed about himself with whip and club, smashing aside people like brittle branches. The puppies hid behind me and Niel, unsure of what to do. I simply watched.


    After twenty minutes, I began to get worried, as the freak showed no sign of slowing down. An hour later, most of the people in my cell were unconscious, so the freak took out the metal spikes, heated them up in his lamp, and stuck them in peoples eyes. When they woke up, he beat them senseless again. After three hours, he showed signs of fatigue, and I motioned to the puppies and Niel. He creeped up behind the man, then grabbed him in such a way that he couldn''t move. The puppies hit him, but their fists seemed to bounce of his chiseled chest. Three minutes later, the man shook free and laid about himself with fist and whip and club, until only Niel and the man stood.


    The freak swung, and Niel ducked while dodging forward, taking the man in the stomach and taking him down. Much smashing of flesh and breaking of bones ensured, and I must admit I pissed myself. After seven more minutes, the freak got up, having beaten Niel half-to-death. He looked at me, but seemed satisfied. After he left I went over to Niel and shook him, somewhat worried he wasn''t okay.


    I sat beside him for three hours, thirty-two minutes, and wondered about how I would say sorry for the first time. At that time, the cell door opened again.


    In strode those robed freaks, and they silently took NIel and dragged him out. Then they just left. I watched long after as the light retreated.


    They were heading in the direction from which only screaming and laughter echoed.


    The next day, it was discovered that a bundle of wood and flint had been thrown in. We were all hungry, and now that Niel was gone...I feared for my life. Even the puppies looked at me with doubt. So...


    I had the puppies lead all of the hundred-or-so people over to a corner of our large cage, and told them to lead loud singing. I asked to speak with one of the more out-spoken dissenters, and brought him over to the opposite side. When the singing started, I asked the dissenter to turn around, and then proceeded to strangle him from behind. Niel had taught me some easy ways to kill people from behind, though doing so for real was much more difficult than I thought. Once the man stopped struggling, I made sure his wind-pipe was well and truly crushed by stepping on it a few more times, then stripped him of his loincloth. I then broke his arm, but that didn''t do anything, so I broke his leg. That also didn''t work, so I broke the other one, which gave me the result I wanted.


    I took the some-what sharp piece of bone and cut off the mans head, then dug a small hole and stuffed it into it. I then cut/ripped off the arms and legs, which took significant effort. All the while, my puppies led the others in singing. after an hour, they went back to talking in small groups, only to find another sack of meat! It was raw, however, so they had to cook it. The smell of roasted meat pervaded the entire cell that day. They had little problem cooking it up, but when they asked me if I wanted the honors of cooking it, I refused saying I was a little tired, and to just bring me a small portion. One of them said I smelled weird.


    The next day, another bundle of wood was thrown in, and the singing was much more enthusiastic. My next greatest dissenter was taken aside, and after the singing was finished another sack of meat had appeared.


    This continued for several weeks, until someone commented that the cell felt emptier than before. Others agreed, and they got together to count. I was sweating profusely, but luckily for me-


    Another light appeared. The other prisoners were wondering what it was, but they went close to it as they were tired of darkness. The cell door opened...


    ...and the freak stepped in. Without a word, he laid about himself once more, until all were unconscious or screaming. This time, the beatings only lasted an hour, and I managed to escape pain by hiding under an unconscious person. The next day, I suggested the puppies lead some singing. There were eleven now, as one had been killed by the freak. I told them I''d bury him, while they should try to keep everyone''s morale up.


    There was three times the meat as usual that day. Recently, seasonings such as salt and pepper and other, stranger spices had been thrown in with the wood. I wondered why they''ed done so little for us, but all of a sudden given us such expensive luxuries. Well made a nice change of pace from straight meat, so that was good.


    For another week, things continued as they had, except the masked freak would visit every day. The time would change, and sometimes he would stay for six hours, others just a couple minutes. I stopped being able to avoid pain, as the cell was much emptier than before. The next day, someone stepped on a pile of dirt, and discovered a shattered skull. That in itself wasn''t a problem, but when they found dozens more hidden in other holes, things got kinda awkward. Suddenly, people started asking hard questions.


    "Why are all these skulls here?"


    "How many people are there in here? Let''s count."


    "Just what kind of meat have we been eating...?"


    When they asked these questions, they turned to me. They went so far as to hold a match up to my face-


    -witch was a mistake, as it was covered, along with the rest of my body, in flaking, drying blood. I blew out their candle, and slit two of their throats as they adjusted their eyes. I''d found some excellent femurs, and using ribs as daggers made carving and cutting much easier.


    They screamed, they yelled, they tried to get together and defend themselves-


    -but how do you defend yourself from someone among you? In the dark, the only thing they gained by shouting out their identity, was a rib in the throat.


    Niel was gone. I had to take care of myself. That''s what I''d been repeating to myself, over and over. It had become my mantra, the thing that kept me sane as I carved up my fellow prisoners.


    "I need to take care of myself." Slit The sound of liquid splattering dirt ground.


    "I need to take care of myself. Shrk A thump as a body fell over.


    "I just need to take care of myself!"  thunk,thunk,thunk,thuthuthuthuthuthunkunkunk.


    I paused, breathing heavy. Something was running from my chin, and from my hand, and I was sitting on something. I felt around on the ground until I found a match, then held it up. I spit out raw meat from my mouth, and looked down at the body I''d been mindlessly stabbing for hours. I''d gone through three ribs and a shin.


    Ha! hahahahah! Hah! Hah! Hah! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA


    The light came, and it beat me. People-no, meat-no, Niel-no,food was thrown into my cell every day. Sometimes it was a person. Sometimes an animal. Each time, something I had to kill. AND WHY WOULDN''T I WANT TO KILL!?!??!?!?!??!?!!?


    "Just take care of myself...just take care of myself...just take care of myself..."


    Always, the seasonings. They''d stopped giving me pepper and salt, instead they gave me a sweet powder. I needed it, and it made me feel good. When they didn''t give it to me, I killed things for longer. Lots and lots and lots and eat and eat and take care of myself and hate and hate NIel he left me I just take care of myself Niel left me I hate him I hate him I want to kill him I want to eat him I want to kill me I want to hate Niel but I hate me and I hate eating and I hate hate and I hate killing and most of all...


    "Just need to take care of myself...just need to take care of myself...just need to take care of myself...just...take...care...of myself..."


    Days. Weeks. Months. Years. Eternity. Life, death, forever and an instant. Light and pain and dark and pain and hate and dark and eating and killing and hate and the dark and light and oh Alena has abandoned me!


    "Just need to take care of myself, just need to take care of myself, just need to take care of myself!"


    Creeeeeeek The rusted metal door swung open, and from outside the masked angels came for me. I call them angels because the people they take don''t ever come back, so they must kill them, so I should go with them!


    I eagerly followed them, though they put me in a collar. They took me to the screaming and the laughing, and I smiled. Maybe I''ll meet Niel. I really hate or like him.


    They took me to a small, steel room. Light from a lamp above head, so bright I closed my eyes.


    Then they started.


    They clampd steel around my body and pulled me apart, they put stuff in and took stuff out, they moved things around and had lots of fun. Then they pushed me against the wall, and showed me something.


    It was a bag. A cloth bag, to be exact. Then they put it on my head, and left me in a pen of food. But I couldn''t eat it, because of the mask.


    So I broke their bones, and I cut a cross. Because I saw a cross before, the symbol of Alena...she hasn''t abandoned me! I''m alive! I can eat food and hate and kill!


    They gave me a lamp, and a whip, and a club, and steel nails. Then they set me loose.


    "Just gotta take care of myself...just gotta take care of myself...I''m taking care of myself!"


    HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHahaHAHAHHAAHaHahAHahAhAhahAhaaHaHAHAHAHAHAHAhAhahahaahAHAHAHaHAHAHahaHA

 Chapter 6: Down Below!

    AN: I''m sorry</a>, I lied.</a>


    But not to worry! I was also lying in all of the other ANs, so you don''t have to believe anything I say. After all, I''m always lying, even when I tell you I''m lying. Especially when I tell you I''m lying. What can I say? My lord Satan taught me well.


    (And if that doesn''t make sense, that''s because you still have your logic on. Honestly, people keep forgetting to turn it off...)


    <hr />


    -Walking next to The shadow, contemplating manslaughter(I swear it''s not normal for me!)-


    On the walk back, I tripped. It was a pebble so small that it could be mistaken for a rat pellet, but I still managed to fall on my back.


    I stared up into the darkness for a long moment, too mentally exhausted to get up.


    So, I turned off my brain. I placed my hands behind my head, curled my abs until I was supported entirely on my hands, then shoved off the ground and enjoyed contorting my body into a spring-loaded landing, from which I cork-screw-double-flipped followed by back flips to a cartwheel  which segwayed into a jumping-front flip, from which I bent my knees, then slowly rose with my arms extended to either side.


    Sadly, I just slipped again. I looked around for my chalk to mark up my fifty-eighth...oh right, I''m in a pit. Oh well, no worries! That just means I need to find myself a board. As my father always said..."If you fail once, you can be forgiven. Fail twice, and you wear it upon your back until you never fail again."


    He''d always had a strange way of telling us to do our best.


    I groaned and got to my feet, thankful that in my line of work not too many people saw me sli-


    ...I rotated my neck slowly, degree by degree.


    I turned my head, and saw the shadow. He was standing completely still, with his hat pulled low, hiding his expression. He was shaking faintly, and before I knew it I was growling softly. My hands were clenched in fists, and I felt as if my entire body was at war.


    Half of me really wanted to kill him...the other half was on the fence. The half after that was confused at how it existed, and the other third just sorta drooled in the corner. Weirdo...the final fifth was so lost it had somehow gotten out and gained independence. I''d better crush it before any sort of revolution or revolt can take place. I''ll have to secure the three halves support, then lobby a new law which will let me take action against-


    -and I''m just gonna stop now.  After my brief internal...something, I found the shadow staring at me with a questioning look. This is what I get for turning off my brain, my body''s started to revolt. I''ll have to bring it under stiff rein. Luckily, I have another whole stocked in the attic, hidden behind a boo-


    -Dammit!


    I turned on my heel and started walking back to the building that was...a chapel? A house? Dormitories? I guess the last one works. After a few minutes of walking, The shadow and I arrived at a small open area, which was covered in heavy sheets. I pushed it aside, to find a blinding light within. I stumbled out into the middle of it, then slipped and fell. I let my eyes adjust before getting back up. Lilea wasn''t very fast at adapting, as is seen by her falling over everywhere she goes.


    But Lilea won''t give up! She is used to having it hard, and thus she has developed a fool-proof way of dealing with it...it is the secretive, very confidential, working a 100% of the time, ten percent of the time, the well-known yet hardly ever used...


    "Fake it till'' you make it."


    What? Lilea is looking at me with a weird expression. Did I say something strange?


    Oh Dark One...I''m getting a headache from talking about myself in the third person...Rotting spikes, but I wish the shadow would get on with the chaining training. Hmmm...poor use of profanity there, though I would enjoy chaining the shadow to a wall of rotting spikes. Ahh...


    -Enough fantasies!  It''s training montage time.</a>


    The first thing we did was running. I fell down no less than seven times over the course of two hours, though I''m proud to say I never wavered or slowed.


    Next he tested my arm strength, first by making me lift weights. I had no problem up until the one-hundred sixties, which seemed to impress the shadow. I weigh one-twenty, so I have to wonder what''s so amazing about it. I managed to slip, even while sitting down, and nearly took his head off with a sixty-pounder, which was mostly an accident...I can''t say I didn''t slightly adjust my trajectory while falling, though I hit my head for momentary memory loss, which let me lie convincingly. I probably won''t have any permanent damage...maybe...I have a slight concussion...


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    After testing raw strength, he checked my endurance. I made it to the hundred-twenty-sixth push-up before I slipped, somehow kicking out with my legs and tripping the shadow. That was a little less accidental, but I didn''t really think about it...too much...not for more than a minute or two...


    Next we worked on flexibility, and although I didn''t find something I couldn''t do, I may have sorta kicked him in the head...on accident, of course. I was aiming for his kidney.


    After that, he told me to lie down and rest. I stayed completely still for several minutes, but started getting restless. However, through a grand amount of willpower, I managed to stay still!


    -until I slipped. How, I honestly have no idea. Dark One''s sake, I wasn''t even moving! But all of a sudden I was in the air, and hit my head. Still no permanent damage, but...Head my good feels not.


    After that, we ate dinner with the ghouls. They were all very polite, though every single one tried to convert me. As if I didn''t already worship the Dark One, I guess they must think I''m a heathen.  Dinner was a funny bird that couldn''t fly. Of course, it can''t fly now that it''s dead. Well actually, if you threw it hard enough...but would you have to rig up some sort of wings...? If it couldn''t fly when it was alive, then maybe-


    -I stopped that train of thought, then settled on the firm belief all the head injuries were getting to me. That, or I was a badly written character in a stupid fiction written by a finicky, indecisive, and in other words impulsive maniac who should get a life and stop being such a faggot.


    I made sure to hit my head extra hard on the table, so I would forget all of those thoughts. The others looked  at me weird, but at least I didn''t try to suddenly convert them to a religion that was solely based on a tree. Imagine that...!


    Thump, thump, thump.


    "U-um, Ms, I don''t think you should hit your head on the table like that..."


    Thump, thump, thump,


    "I really think you should stop...the master is talking with the agent in the other room, but they''ll hear if you get any louder..."


    THUMP, THUMP, THUMP.


    The poor novice tried to pat me on the shoulder, but I hit him in the gut and he bent over like a curtain. "Heeeeeeeh, please stop! Your making a dent in the table with your forehead! Please stop!"


    THUMP, THUMP, THUMP!


    After one, final slam, I managed to knock myself out. When I woke up, I was lying in bed with a bandage on my head. When I went to breakfast, the novices said I must''ve broken already...apparently it was a regular occurence for people who came down here to suddenly start hurting themself, or other people, or both, or to just start hitting stuff.


    In the morning, the shadow ran me through an intense exercise, followed by flexibilty and balance training. Walking along a tight rope didn''t really work out for me, since I seemed to slip off the second I stepped on, so he just told me to jump from one pole to another pole placed some distance apart. After breakfast, we would work on jump training, sprint training, sneaking training, and dexterity training by doing stuff like juggling.


    After dinner, he taught me how to use various weapons, not pushing any single one, telling me I''ll develop a preference soon enough. After that, we work on poisons and anatomy. Like various ways to insert poison into someones anatomy. Fun!


    Sixteen months, everything continued like that. Then, everything changed...


    <hr />


    AN: When the fire nation attacked.


    Don''t kill me please! It''s late and this is the only way I can lure wild Zeny''s out! I promise I''ll get to the general soon enough, but...well, we should already have met him by now. I just got...sidetracked...


    I feel like I''m forgetting something...meh, probably not important.