Breathy words washed over Val as Solena strutted towards him.
Don't look at her eyes, don't look at her eyes!
"Come now, Val, why do you resist? You know you want me. So take me! There is no false propriety within the halls of Highlords, my sweet. Come. Embrace me. Let me show you rapture neverending."
She hissed and stepped back, sensual lips twisting in a snarl as the hiss and flash of a Psiblade activated cut through the air.
"How dare you! You will sheathe that now and submit, or learn what it means to cross a true Highlord, Valor Hunter. And you will not like the lessons I will have to impart when I slice apart your beautiful flesh!"
Her declaration broke off in a startled cry as Val's blade streaked through the air, desperately backpedaling with her blade activated only just, as Val's vicious barrage of blows forced her back.
"Are you mad? Hold! We have declared nothing! You wait for terms, fool!"
But Val paid her suddenly panicked tone no mind. He knew that once battle was joined, all niceties of etiquette and formality were just that, tools to codify and defang the sheer brutality of combat. To tame duels into a matter no more serious than sport. Yet he wasn't here to avenge some petty slight. He did not seek some court advantage over her. Knowing his planet and everyone he loved were in peril even now, he sought only one thing at that moment.
And that was Solena's head.
And perhaps she could see it in his eyes, for all that he avoided her gaze. He could feel her mind desperately seeking to fasten upon his own, trying to sink her claws deep into the cracks she perceived as weakness. But the only chinks she could find were those worn away by the howling wind, the storm roaring before her. Vast, impersonal, inevitable, just as was the death he would bring.
"You are a pathetic savage. You will never be one of us!" She shouted in defiance to the mocking laughter sent her way by the partygoers even as she furiously retreated, sprinting behind the dais, Val proceeding at a more cautious pace, blade in Ochs, content to leave the Overlord himself be, focusing on one enemy at a time.
The hiss of forceshield activated, Solena now girding her courage and approaching cautiously as the Overlord's glare instantly quailed the onlookers to deathly silence, Val all but tasting her fear.
"You can't win, Val. This is pointless. You are in the heart of our power! If you are truly too foolish to duel with terms, you will earn nothing, even should you best me!"
Val said nothing, simply edging closer as Solena pled her case.
"Only mad curs battle freeform, Val. Your blade is over a thousand years old! It is a First Era relic! It lacks the grace and refinement of a true Psiblade. You cannot even use a shield with it!" She shook her head as if in pity, forcing scorn into her voice. "I have held back up to now, for not wanting to damage such a prize as you have turned out to be. Don't force my hand, Val. Concede to terms, attack with the tip. I will answer in turn. And that way I don't have to butcher you to end your folly."
Egowhip resisted!
She flashed a triumphant smile even as Val felt a deadly blast of force roar through the empty void of his soul. She flinched, swallowing, apparently surprised to see him still standing. Yet her alarm faded as soon as Val stopped, head lowered, swaying slightly on his feet.
"Ah, not quite so durable as you had thought," Solena clucked, approaching with far more confidence, and Val felt a second blast howling into the void, rocking only slightly as it slipped away into endless shadow.
"Poor Val. I give you credit, boy. For an earthling, you show considerable promise. I would almost consider you worthy of breeding stock. Almost. But your fragile minds, dear, are an unforgivable weakness. Still, it is remarkable how well your mastery of the darker arts allowed you to resist my will for so long. Quite remarkable."
Val had fallen to one knee, trembling as he hunched over his crackling blade, Solena's soft voice crooning, her own blade lowered. Val saw it all out of the corner of his eye.
"Solena." A hard word of warning from the Overlord himself. The man was no fool. He knew.
And Val had only a heartbeat to seize the Vor.
Faster than most of the onlookers could blink, Val had sprung to his feet, slamming toward a flatfooted Solena who let out a startled cry, lashing out with her blade as Val closed.
In that heartbeat, Val felt that same furious frisson he had when last dueling Halvar, abruptly pivoting his hips and projecting his weight forward as his blade snapped down with the torque of his entire body.
Zornhau displaced Oberhau, his Psiblade crackling against Solena's as her blade was jerked offline, and only her desperately raised forceshield prevented Val from cleaving open her heart.
Her look was one of absolute terror as Val's blade all but melted through her barrier, sliding past the collapsing forceshield to score a deep gash to her shoulder. She screamed and stumbled back as Val weaved and darted clear, measuring her once more.
Solena shook, gasping and hissing furious curses but unable to lift straight her arm as Val slowly circled. Her bitter laughter washed over the raptly gazing audience as she shook her head in rue.
"Ever you are full of surprises, dear Val," she gasped. "It is a pity you were not born one of us!"
Val said nothing, sword raised high as he closed, preparing himself to finish the battle once and for all, yet wary still, lest Solena be feigning weakness, just as he had.
And perhaps she could see his ruthless intent, for all that he refused to meet her gaze.
She immediately backed away, and Val could sense her struggling to fully restore the shield raised desperately before her. "No, you've won. I concede the fight, Valor. I concede!"
Val squeezed his hilt ever tighter. The fury and hatred he felt for the woman who had invaded his world, capturing and enslaving his friends, near blinded Val to every other consideration.
"You will hold, Valor Hunter. By sacred rite, you have earned your right to speak before the council as one of us. For none without the gift can use the Psiblade, and victory in battle is the precedent that supersedes all others. Now sheathe your blade. The pawn you face still has use to me."
The Overlord's voice washed over Val, crackling with such potency that it was all Val could do not to be swept away by the tide, for all that he was firmly planted in darkest shadow. He forced his wrath to stillness, however, realizing how vulnerable it made him. The fury of the storm he would embrace, and no more.
As he allowed icy objectivity to take over, he realized that there was indeed value to appeasing the master of this circus. At least, for now. Bowing his head the tiniest fraction, he sheathed his will, his crackling blade shrinking and fading away.
As one, the audience broke into applause.
Solena did not hesitate to step back, sighing with relief as she released her own blade. "It is good that you obey our master's commands. You fought well, Valor. I... apologize for underestimating you." Her gaze had grown soft, Val could feel her measuring him in ways strange and unexpected.
Charisma check made. Critical success! Solena's view of you has changed drastically since you two first met. Your growth as a killer, mastering her in battle, along with your dark point and boosted charisma, have all shaken Solena to her core. Where once she saw challenging prey, she now sees a man worthy of her interest. Perhaps her heart as well.
The Overlord peered consideringly at Val. "You have earned the right to speak, and leave unmolested. Now say your peace."
Val dipped his head. "I have come to bargain for my friend's freedom."
The giant who was perhaps the deadliest of all Jordian Darklords chuckled. "Ah. Adolf did let choice details slip before he embraced a most fascinating end." Overlord Tytus smirked down at the pile of ruptured, suppurating flesh, each muscle having torn itself completely free of bone and sinew, bursting forth from the skin even now. The stench of ruptured bowels served as a discordant counterpoint to the scents of exotic perfumes and exquisite fare that otherwise wafted through the massive hall. "So
, how fares my dear apprentice?"
Val took a measured breath. "She fears your might still. She has no designs against you. She wishes only to live in obscurity with her lover, far from all intrigue and games of power."
A slow nod. "This is good. And thus she survives her final gauntlet, proving herself through the merit of her disciple. Very well. She and her crew are free to leave. She may consider her continued discretion an ongoing test, her freedom earned for so long as she can keep it, and I shall permit no bounty hunters to actively pursue her."
Tytus turned to a uniformed man standing at attention some feet away, presently gazing at the mass of rotting flesh that had so recently been an inquisitor, the officer now paling before Val's sudden regard. "Issodor. Inform command that Elise Highblood and her servitors are to be released from custody immediately."
The man snapped a salute. "Yes sir!" he said, quickly scurrying away.
The tyrant gazed down at Val once more. "Three of my pawns you have brought low. A remarkable feat, for an earthling. Your friends have their freedom. Now, what is it that you desire, Valor Hunter?"
Val paused a moment, letting himself sink ever deeper into the icy storm of his heart. Now, more than ever, he needed to cloak himself utterly.
Just as the Overlord began to frown, Val spoke.
"The humans captured so far are the prize I wish to claim."
Gasps broke from the crowd of bemused spectators, all of them staring with fascination, as if watching the most delightful of plays.
Powerful laughter boomed through the chambers. "Two hundred and twenty seven carefully harvested prizes. Ripe fruit I have only begun to squeeze. A year's worth of effort on my agents' part, delivering to my care only the most potent, malleable drones for my pleasure. You are bold indeed to dare such a claim. But you intrigue me, Valor Hunter, and primitive as earthlings are, you do not strike me as a fool. I assume you have a prize you feel worthy of this boon? Your lifelong service, perhaps?"
Val blinked, not having expected such an offer, nor how intently the Highlord would search for his gaze. Like fog lights blasting through the darkness, it was all Val could do to remain hidden in the shadow lurking behind all light. 227 captured slaves, prized for the feast of their potential, portrayed as an incalculable find. Just how valuable a piece was someone with Val's skills? It would explain why the giant upon the throne was trying to gain a measure of Val's soul. Ancient precedent or no, Val didn't delude himself into thinking he would escape unmarked if the overlord actually gained a grip on his psyche. The pair of them waged a silent, invisible duel in the space of heartbeats, the giant's cold smirk turning to one of dark approval.
"You have mastered the shadows well. Very good, Valor Hunter. Very good. I expect a certain amount of resilience in the pawns that serve me. If you truly seek such a boon, you will have to show your worth to me in ways not insignificant. And a child has unique access to avenues denied most of my pieces."
Solena nodded. "If I may speak, my lord, I think I know what this boy really wants."
The Overlord dipped his head. "Speak."
Solena turned her entrancing gaze towards Val, frowning in sudden confusion. He stood but feet before her, yet so deep had he cloaked the dark secrets of his psyche in Shadowmind that her gaze slid helplessly away from his form. Her eyes widened, pricked by sudden apprehension, fear turning to a sensual smile, a part of her exhilarating in the challenge that Val had become.
"Out of all the prizes that are ours, all the children we had just begun to harvest, Val alone had come with suspicion, motivated not just to embrace a fantasy world of wonder, but rather to claim that which we had already seized." Her smile widened as Val hissed, snapping her head towards him at last. Val quickly lowered his gaze.
"Julia Petrovsky. Perhaps the ripest of all your drones, Your Eminence. It was for her and her alone that our dear young assassin dared the lion in her den. A mere boy, thinking to challenge me." She chuckled softly. "How bitterly he fought. How glorious the blood of the pawns he shed. Delightful, really. He began to show me his true potential even as he aided me in cleaning up the unsavory mess that was Yuri's treacherous unit."
Val could sense her hot eyes burning for his own. "And I claim no bloodprice for your butchery of my mercenaries. If anything, I should thank you, Val. And what little I saw of your mind... fascinating. All that blood. All those souls you took to an early grave, your first kill at the ripe age of seventeen. And of course, it was the man who dared to take your lover that inspired your hot frenzy. Glorious. Simply glorious!" She gave a delighted chuckle. "So of course it is this Julia, yet another girl you sought to claim as your mate, who was stolen away, under your watch. That you have come so far, fought so hard to rescue her, is a delicious tale all on its own." She gave a bemused dip of her head. "And you have found her, Val. Found her at last. Congratulations. For might and prowess in battle take precedence over the fates themselves, and by right of your martial skills, you have earned the right to see your beloved."
She turned before her Overlord, bowing low, despite the vicious wound to her shoulder. "Perhaps, Your Eminence, if we were to bring the slaves forth, our newest member would understand better the prizes to be had in unstinting devotion to his Overlord."
The giant smiled. "Indeed." He turned to the uniformed man who had quickly rushed to take the place of the one recently left. "Bring forth the slaves."
The man executed a bow so low his head near brushed the floor. "At once, Your Eminence." And within minutes, the first of the captives made their appearance. Dressed in a simple garment so white it shimmered, haunted blue eyes trembled before the court. Her skull was completely shaven, and Val could see several chrome socket ports fused to her skull. Dark shadows could be seen under her lids, and she looked somewhat gaunt.
"Please... please jack me in. Please jack me back in!" she cried, immediately breaking down into sobs. The servitor leading her into the hall shook his head and tutted, yanking her back to her feet, forcing her to stride another dozen steps before twisting her to face the Overlord and the audience of guests looking on. She immediately crumpled to the ground once more, shaking as if in palsy.
The aid immediately bowed just as low as the officer had. "My sincere and utter apologies, Your Eminence. The drones are being disconnected now. Our first batch has performed exemplarily, but they have been connected since they first arrived."
Val's hands were squeezed so tight he could feel the nails biting into his palm. The storm within him shrieked and howled.
Low, honey-laden laughter could be heard from the woman with the shimmering gold hair. "Ah, my dear sweet Val. I almost think I taste your ire, a beacon shining from that blotch of darkness you insist cloaking yourself within. Tut tut, my sweet. Do not fret. We treat our slaves with delightful care. Endless bliss do we provide them, our touch so delicate as we drain away their life force, the sweet potency of their minds. The poor girl shakes before us from simple withdrawal. For she knew no pain while under our care, only the most hideous of delights, roaring through her mind, endlessly. And now, for your sake, we have taken that away. Like stepping from heaven's light into endless dark purgatory, you have sentenced her to this fate. Best you hold to your discipline, dearest Val, as we free all the slaves for your perusal, for all that we know it is but pretense. In truth, there is only one slave you truly seek to claim as your own. Is that not so, dearest Val?" Mocking laughter resonated through the vast chamber.
"Do not worry, newest disciple of my master. Your sweet prize that you would devour with your lusts will recover in time, even as you would deny her a lifetime of endless pleasure for your own selfish use. And we do not dispute your right to do that, dearest Val, for prizes won by conquest are by their very nature righteous and absolute in their claimance."
Even as she said the words, yet another girl trembling in the throes of what seemed the most vicious of withdrawals was led into the chamber, begging and pleading for surcease even as she collapsed, writhing
in unspeakable withdrawal. Every one of the slaves brought forth was the same in their haunted gazes, the desperate hunger for whatever dark pleasures had roared through their minds when hooked to the terrible device that had been draining them dry.
Not a one was immune, not even the sweet, beautiful, gaunt face of Julia herself, the last to be brought forth. Deliberate, Val had no doubt, though she at least was not spewing bile or spasming, for all that her gaunt frame trembled with desperate need. She alone did not beg to be hooked back into whatever device had done this to them, even as her haunted eyes pierced Val to the quick, she alone able to find him in the dark void of his soul.
Cracked lips widened in the tiniest of smiles. "I knew you would find me, Val. Somehow, I knew you would come."
Solena trilled with laughter. "Somehow she retains wit sufficient to pierce the veil and sight her savior. How remarkable! No wonder you favor her, Val. She will make a fine prize."
Overlord Tytus gazed consideringly at the trembling girl, utterly ignoring the hundreds of slaves weeping and begging for surcease and mercy. "Very few have the gift to pierce Shadowmind. Very, very few. Perhaps two pawns can be forged this day." Val could feel the giant's potent gaze, hungry to catch him once more. "Well, Valor Hunter? You see the possible prizes before you. So many ripe souls you could earn for your personal use, in whatever capacity you see fit. Are you ready to swear life-long fealty to me? To earn the first of your prizes?"
Val swallowed, forcing down the storm of hideous rage roaring inside him. He was one with the absolute darkest elements of the void they sailed through, vast reaches of space stretching for eternity, just feet away.
Endless Online: Oblivion's Promise Page 28