Chapter 15: Chapter 14: Marastruck [3]

Chapter 14: Marastruck [3]

Metal shackles tightly bound to their wrists, the war criminals once held captive by Reoh were now encased in a cold, stone cave. The darkness was dense and thick like an eerie fog. With their vision obscured, many of them tried to break free from their steel restraints, only to ultimately fail.

The cuffs were bound by reinforced chains hammered into the rocky walls of the cave.

“Don’t bother,” Manho whispered, lighting a torch just a few feet ahead of them. Once the area was finally illuminated, the prisoners could see that they were lined up against the wall, their arms raised high into the air and shackled tightly together.

“Excuse the… rough environment. I’m working with scraps here. Though, I’m sure you insolent lot wouldn’t be worthy of a majestic execution anyway, considering your crimes.”

“The hell are you talking about?!” One of the prisoners called out. Unlike the others, he had enough energy left in him to speak. The rest of them looked pale and frail, their skin wrinkled and shriveled heavily, and their bodies malnourished. “Are you with Reoh?”

“We’re ‘acquainted,’” Manho responded, “he’s quite the gentle fellow. Although he hasn’t really been doing his job, I felt kind enough to let him be.”

Manho places the lit torch onto a wooden pole in the middle of the room, holding it in place.

“You lot, however, will not be given that same chance.”

Manho rolls up the sleeve of his newly woven red tunic, revealing a set of lines running through his arm like veins. They would pulsate with a glistening gold color every time he took a breath.

He took a few steps forward, getting down on one knee and placing his palm firmly on the stone floor. The lines on his arm would start to slowly fade, projecting themselves onto the ground, weaving themselves into the shape of a Magic Circle. Once the circle is complete, Manho slowly lifts his hand, a golden flame manifesting from the base of the circle and reaching up to grace his palm briefly as he stands up.

“This is the Flame, a manifestation of my strength given temporary form for the sake of my evolution. It breathes, just as I do, though it hungers for the sins of others. Your mistakes and your grievances fuel this flame. Take this moment to forgive oneself, and accept your fate with open arms; for there is nothing you can do.”

The prisoners look at him, breathing frantically as their bodies begin to shake and quiver. Terror began to overwhelm them, a primal fear they never knew they had. Internally, they were screaming and begging for mercy, tears running down their cheeks. As much as they wanted to yelp and cry for help, their bodies did not obey their thoughts. Fear shackled their helpless bodies, pinching their throats closed and tightening the chains that firmly held their wrists together.

The life in their eyes begins to fade, their pupils constricting as the world grows dark for them. For a second, the only light they saw was Manho himself, like a majestic angel descending down from the heavens to greet them in their final moments. They could not fathom what they were seeing, however. An odd mixture of fear and relief were the only things they could comprehend.

Manho raises his hand into the air, rubbing his thumb and middle finger together slowly.

“To hell you go.”

He snaps. From beneath each of them, a golden Magic Circle appears as their bodies become engulfed in raging flames. They break out into a symphony of agony fueled screams, their skin quickly becoming charred and brittle in an instant. After only a few seconds, their cries for help would cease as their flesh and muscle are fully burnt to a crisp, the crackle of the receding flame chipping through their bones being all that remains.

With every second that passed, their bones would turn to ash, being absorbed into the Magic Circle beneath them. The Flame that Manho initially placed would become slightly bigger as the ashes were consumed.

Once the ash was swept clean, the flames would disappear. Manho crouched down again, placing his hand on the Magic Circle as the runes retracted themselves back onto his arm.

“...I thought they’d be more fulfilling,” he muttered, covering his arm with his sleeve. “Back to my studies then.” He walks over towards the torch, grabbing it by the handle and taking it out of the pole.

“Manho,” a voice called his name out from the darkness. Manho turns his head to see Gon entering the small room.

“The young lady has woken. You said you wanted to talk to her?”

Manho’s eyes widen, and a joyful smile comes across his face as he walks towards Gon. “Well this is a pleasant surprise,” he said with a chuckle.

Gon steps aside, allowing Manho to walk past him. The two of them walk into a nearby cavity, where a large cage is stationed in the corner of the room. A single lantern sits on the floor beside the cage, illuminating the surroundings with a dim light. Not too far away from the cage was a small bucket, filled with water and fish.

Inside the cage is the woman they decided to spare from Reoh’s basement, her wrists shackled together as she laid down on her side. Her skin is pale, perfectly complemented by her long white hair that covered most of her face. The antlers that protruded out of her forehead seem to be even larger than before. They were a deep shade of dark brown, the outer layers peeling slightly.

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Manho takes a few gentle steps towards the cage, the torch still in his hand.

The woman perks her head up as she hears him approaching. She rolls over, back up into a corner of the cage while staring at Manho with her light blue eyes.

“Relax, relax,” he mutters, “I’m not going to do anything bad to you.” With one hand, he opens the door to the cage and swings it open. He looks back at her, politely waving and smiling at the woman.

The woman pulls her hands closer to her chest, flashing her teeth and growling at him. If the antlers weren’t enough of a giveaway, the authentic growl was more than enough for Manho to confirm she likely wasn’t human – at least not fully.

“The horns must be her attunement,” he thought to himself, “she must operate on primarily primal behavior and instinct.”

To him, this woman was particularly interesting. Not only that, he had a gut feeling that something was different about her.

“Reoh did say that she was found eating corpses. A cannibalist…”

“Are you hungry? I have some food.”

Manho reaches into the nearby bucket, taking out a fish and tossing it into the cage. The woman looks at him, hesitantly inching towards him as her eyes dart between Manho and the fish.

“Come on,” Manho pleads, “I won’t hurt you.”

She leaps forward, her movements a blur as she snatches the fish away with just her mouth. The woman crawls back into the corner of the cage with the fish still in her mouth, lifting her shackled hands up to hold it while she eats it raw.

Gon scoffed at the sight – he thought it was ridiculous. He was treating the woman like some sort of stray animal he was trying to tame and turn into a pet. Gon couldn’t understand why Manho decided to spare her out of all the other prisoners. She’s a vicious criminal just like the rest of them.

“What do you see in her?” Gon asked, being confrontational.

“I see a poor, lonely creature.” Manho didn’t bother to even look over at Gon, instead keeping his eyes on the girl as she ate the fish slowly. He noticed that she didn’t ravage through the fish, instead taking small, distinguished bites.

“Are all humans not poor, lonely creatures? We are all scarred by the crimes of the gods before us.”

“Poor? Maybe. Lonely? I disagree. We are social creatures, and I believe all of us deserve the opportunity to convene with others. Solitude is a curse that is more gruesome than death.”

“Some consider solitude to be a relief. Other people can often be difficult to deal with. Have you not considered that sparing her would be a nuisance? What if she is suffering? Wouldn’t death be her greatest relief?”

“I don’t see her suffering. Look at her, feasting gracefully – she’s savoring the moment. While she may not fully understand the sentimental things we value, that feeling is there. I believe in giving others a chance at life – a chance at redemption. This lady here looks like she hasn’t lived a life at all. So why should I take it from her?”

Gon sighs loudly. “I believe this is a waste of time and resources, Manho.”

“You will see, Gon. If she desires to live the life of a human, then I will bring her up to become a renowned warrior by my side. Besides, our numbers are dwindling, aren’t they?”

“What will you name her then?”

Manho pauses, placing one hand on his chin as he ponders.

“Elafi. It’s the name you’d give a deer or elk in the oldest dialects of Arcanian.”

Gon remained silent, he thought the name was a little silly. He decided that it isn't wise to go back and forth with Manho about this topic. Instead, he’d change it.

“I’m beginning to have concerns about Reoh. His effectiveness is subpar despite our collaboration. I wanted to ask you, Manho, why are you still persistent on working with him?”

Elafi finished eating the fish, tossing the remaining bones aside. Slowly, she crawls over towards Manho again, clearly still wary and cautious.

“I thought you would know the answer to that already,” Manho chuckled, reaching into the nearby bucket and tossing another fish into the cage. The girl grabs it and runs to her corner to eat.

“You’ve sensed it too, right Gon? That familiar, pulsating essence coming from deep within this island? Like a living, breathing creature is sleeping right beneath our feet.”

“Are you saying that Reoh would know something about that?”

“Why wouldn’t he? Despite his young appearance, he’s lived here for hundreds of years. Reoh is no pushover – he’s an experienced Mage, though he keeps that a secret. Surely, he’s sensed it too. If it’s been here all this time, he must’ve investigated it already.”

“I’ve brought it up to him a handful of times, and he seems clueless as to what I’m talking about.”

Manho grabs a fish from the bucket again, tossing it into the cage before Elafi could finish the other one.

“Then he has been playing you like a fiddle. Reoh knows it’s there, and he likely already knows what it is. Even if it won’t benefit me, I want to uncover it myself too. You know me – secrets are enticing. Few things bring me more joy than unveiling truths. In fact, I have my own assumptions.”

Gon raises an eyebrow while crossing his arms. He had a hunch that Manho was about to do some minor storytelling. Gon didn’t mind one bit though – Manho always told interesting stories.

“Enlighten me, m’lord.”

“I believe Reoh is hiding an Aurem.”

“...That’s a bit of a stretch, isn’t it? Aurems are powerful artifacts only possessed by the most powerful nations in the world. Redville is but a small village. Would an Aurem really be here?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? Every place in the world was once part of Olympus. I’m sure you recall The Grand Voyage’s marvelous attempt at rounding up all the Aurems countless years ago. They’ve gathered plenty, sure, but The Grand Voyage has yet to uncover every little nook and cranny in this world. I’ve experienced the sensation of Aurems before too, and the presence beneath this island is all too similar.”

“I have something in mind then, a way to get Reoh to finally crack and tell us the truth.”

Manho stands up and closes Elafi’s cage before turning around to face Gon.

“Well now it’s your turn to enlighten me, Gon.”