Chapter 7 A chaotic trial:
Changeling kingdom Niliphim dungeons four days later:
The Colonel ad Chrysalis had become extremely good friends they seemed to like certain things the other did too and The Colonel had started to trust her even telling her certain things he had done not all and not the most gruesome, but already a few that involved either huge assaults or ones were through the more gruesome events he had caused were made possible through.
He however only told things from after his two millennia of being locked away. He rather didn't talk about what happened before he got locked up by The Captain well in reality The Captain had thought he killed him when in reality it had only caused him to be imprisonment. The guards had told them that Chrysalis her trial would be held today.
The two laid in the hay looking at the ceiling seeing as there wasn't much to do besides sleeping, eating, talking or just daydreaming and none of them really felt like talking Chrysalis because she was nervous for the trial and The Colonel was thinking how in case Chrysalis would be sentenced to death for that was a possibility if she had been a bad ruler in the eyes of the counsel he would be able to save her. He didn't want to lose his first true friend in over two millennia after barely four days.
Suddenly the door opened and a guard said. "Queen Chrysalis the court is ready to see you!"
Chrysalis stood up and walked out the dungeon when the guard said. "You too stranger."
The Colonel was surprised to say the least he hadn't expected their trials to be on the same moment, but he stood up and walked out of the cell. The guards handcuffed him and put a strange black device on Chrysalis her horn it obviously was uncomfortable for her to have on as she looked numerous times with sadness to the device on her horn.
The Colonel wasn't much better the guards had really taken the tightest cuffs they had to their disposal that fit around his wrists. The Colonel and Chrysalis walked next to each other with two guards in front of them and what looked like the commander and two behind them.
'Pathetic I could break free without even breaking a sweat,' The Colonel thought, but kept a normal pace. After a while they finally entered the palace. AH good we are in the palace I started thinking you guys lost the way," The Colonel said referring to the long walk. Chrysalis chuckled slightly at his remark. The guards only hissed at him, but just continued the path.
After a little while of going up a few stairs, going a few times right then again a few times left The Colonel gave up on trying to memorize how to go. "Seriously how could anyone find his way in this building," The Colonel whispered loud enough for Chrysalis to hear.
"Practice," She replied after letting out a small chuckle. After a while they finally arrived at some wooden double doors with some guards in front of it. The prison commander went towards them showed them a paper before they stepped aside and opened the door both Chrysalis and he were pushed through them and they were in a big room in the middle was a circle and the counselors were sitting on an elevated position in a crescent moon.
Both he and Chrysalis were chained to the floor. He because of a chain that was attached to his cuffs and Chrysalis was bound by all four to chains that were attached to the ground. The counselors were talking over Chrysalis even if Chrysalis couldn't hear what they were saying he could make his hearing better so he could hear what they were saying.
"What a pathetic excuse of a queen! I hope we can get this over with quickly I can't believe I need to waste my time on her and that filth whatever it is," A fat changeling counselor said.
"Agreed kill them both and be done with it," A thin counselor next to him said.
If The Colonel hadn't had his helmet on the counselors would have seen an evil smile creep on his face however he averted his attention from the two when a stern loud female voice yelled "SILENCE!"
He looked in the face of a female changeling which was about the same height as Chrysalis was only older. Her appearance made Chrysalis shrink a bit.
"We are here today to judge Queen Chrysalis to judge whether she is a worth to be a ruler or not, but first I would like to know your name Stranger and what you are," The female counselor asked on a way like she was speaking to filth.
"I am called The Colonel and what I am you ask. I am many things, but the thing closest to what you mean is A necromorph," The Colonel asked his voice full of domination while he rose to his full height.
The counselor just snorted like she was offended by the fact this vermin in front of her dared to speak with such tone and looking her straight in the eyes like he had no fear of her, like he didn't believe she could do anything to hurt him.
"Very well then I shall return to you after I finish with my daughter!"
The Colonel needed to suppress a hiss she talked about it like she meant I shall return to you after I completely broke down my daughter in front of the entire counsel.
And so the trial began for hours the counselors asked questions to Chrysalis pointing out every mistake she made during her rule. Chrysalis defended herself valiantly, but as time went by The Colonel saw her defense weaken and the counselors made full use of the holes she made.
After a while Chrysalis had lost her self-confidence and she started shaking and her eyes started to tear up more and more. The Colonel could only watch as Chrysalis defense broke down completely how she couldn't handle the accusations anymore and then at the sight of how she sat there completely defeated broken by her own people his head started to hurt.
The Colonel was pulled down into a deep memory from long long ago.
Words and pictures echoed through his mind. They hurted him pictures of the court,him in chains! The words echoing nearly yelling in his head. "Plague, Disease, death, mass murder, Cleaners, guilty, following orders, killer
More pictures. sick people walking through the street
Sounds of gunfire, men and women screaming, PLEASE HELP US! HELP!, No mercy, shoot on sight, Contain!"
Pictures of burning cities, choppers flying in, a bridge being blown up, sick people, executions, mass graves, men with gasmasks wearing black and military uniforms, files with classified on them
More words. Containment breached, code black, final solution
Picture of the City going up in flames
The Colonel woke up from the memory finding himself still in the court. The counselors looking at Chrysalis who was crying on the floor. Queen Chrysalis, The counselors have heard enough and we shall pass judgement on you now.
The Colonel would have been more worried about Chrysalis hadn't the memories left him completely stunned.
"You are hereby stripped from your title of queen and the normal punishment would be death, but we are not without mercy so you shall be banished after you have gone through the purification procedure to clean you of all the dishonor you could bring our race during your banishment," The female counselor said.
"Please mother I mean counselor Horan I beg you," Chrysalis begged while sobbing.
"You are no daughter of mine," Horan spat back before signaling some guards that unchained Chrysalis and dragged her to the room next to the court. The Colonel was worried he had no idea what the changelings meant with purification, but he doubted it would be pleasant. He saw the fat counselor leaving to the same room as Chrysalis had been dragged to and didn't like it.
"So how did you like the trial it is not really our habit to let a cellmate attend to the trial of the other, but this is a special occasion isn't it," Horan asked mockingly.
"Indeed I have been introduced to a new form of savagery from mother to daughter and to think that I thought I would find wise leaders in this place seems like I was too late the good one just got dethroned and banished to leave the filth in command," The Colonel said his tone indicated he was disgusted of Horan.
The counselors started yelling and screaming at the necromorph. "How dare you talk to us like that savage!"
"You are nothing more than filth that should be executed!"
The Colonel didn't say anything not even seeing the counselors worth the energy for a reply. Horan had kept silent the entire time when suddenly she spoke up. "You have a big mouth Colonel. You are a stranger in our land. You don't know anything about our culture and you already dare offend counselors What do you think you will achieve with it?"
The Colonel was silent for a little bit before he replied. "You are right I am a stranger in changeling land and I have not the tiniest clue about your culture, but I however do know injustice when I see it and this entire trial has been nothing else, but injustice.
Horan looked amused at him like his answer was a part of a good joke.
"Perhaps it is time for you to meet my daughter princess Nymfa. Chrysalis her successor. He heard a door behind Horan open and saw a female changeling slightly smaller than Chrysalis, but for the rest they could have been twins if her eyes hadn't been blue instead of green enter the room and took a seat next to Horan.
"So you are this stranger that I have been hearing of," Princess Nymfa said without too much interest yet also without hostility in her voice.
The Colonel didn't like her, but also didn't dislike her yet meaning that depending of how this trial would continue she might live another day so he replied in a semi-friendly manner. "I am indeed this stranger you're talking about and you are princess Nymfa if I am correct."
"I am indeed and l am also my sisters successor like mother probably already told you."
"Oh yes, she made it pretty clear that Chrysalis has no more role in this kingdom," The Colonel said while glaring at Horan who couldn't see that because of his helmet. Then a loud scream was heard from the room Chrysalis was in and the door to the room opened revealing a couple of guards who were dragging her to the middle of the room again and also a couple who were wearing something that looked like it was made to keep a horse like creature from moving.
It reminded him of such things the humans used to keep a horse calm in when they replaced it's horseshoes with. Chrysalis was badly beaten. She had endured numerous whipping and her head was wet seeing as she was obviously tortured he guessed she was pushed under water for a certain time period.
Now he watched how Chrysalis was tightly bound in the device disabling her to even move an inch. She had a belt around her muzzle so she couldn't talk anymore. She was looking at him with teary eyes with a begging look in her eyes.
"Now the final part of the purification process has arrived. Do it," Horan yelled loudly and through the door Chrysalis had been dragged out the fat counselor came out with an iron bar with a symbol on the end of it and a couple guards came in with a tub full of hot coals.
Both Chrysalis and The Colonel understood what would happen next and Chrysalis now started to fight with all her might to break free, but without result. The fat counselor laid the iron symbol in the hot coals starting to heat them up and once he found they were hot enough he used his magic to levitate it from the ground and started moving towards Chrysalis her left flank.
Chrysalis was now cowering at the sight of the hot metal coming her way. "How does it feel Colonel to only be able to helplessly see how a friend of yours is marked," Horan asked mockingly obviously having pleasure out of the fact that for the first time he visible stared to lose him unimpressed attitude. However the answer she got was the one she hadn't expected.
"I don't know ask that question to one that is indeed in that situation," The Colonel said before breaking his handcuffs with ease. Everyone looked with wide open mouth to him. "Surprise," He said before quickly breaking the guard on his right neck taking his spear and stabbing the guard on his left with it in his back.
The other guards quickly recovered from the shock at the sight of him killing two of their colleagues and started to charge at him. "Let's play," The Colonel said before transforming his hands into claws. Making all the counselors, princess Nymfa and Chrysalis to look even more surprised.
Meanwhile The Colonel was absolutely massacring the guards. The poor changeling elite guards proved to be nothing more, but butter in the way of the knife when he reached the still floating iron he took it with his claws and threw it at the skinny changeling counselor that had sit next to the fat one when they arrived.
A loud screaming was heard though the room when the counselor had been hit right in his chest by the burning iron. The pain and force caused the counselor to lose his balance and fall in the tub full of hot coal. The fat one looked terrified, but had not enough time to run before The Colonel took him by his neck right when he was going to consume him the double door opened revealing more guards and a better idea formed in his head.
He changed one claw back to a normal hand and went inside the counselor's body who started to cough and shake uncontrollably. He threw the counselor back out and he exploded a few tendrils came out of the counselor who pierced through everything guards, walls, pillars, the ceiling and the floor before they were pulled back in. The tendrils now carried guards, debris with them and once all the debris and guards crushed the body of the counselor the body exploded causing the hallway to be destroyed.
On the counselors faces and on that of princess Nymfa was pure horror written and on that of Chrysalis confusion. He changed the claw he still had in a blade and his normal hand in a whipfist.
He shot his whipfist in the ceiling above a counselor and immediately after the whipfist was planted in the ceiling he used it to shoot him in the air. The counselor tried to cast a spell, but was too late and was sliced in two by the blade. The two counselors next to him were also killed however The Colonel got hit by a green beam in his back.
He turned around and saw Horan's horn had a green aura around it. He saw the remaining counselors also charging up. "pathetic!" The Colonel hissed before changing his blade in a shield with which he blocked the rest of the beams in return he shot his whipfist and impaled another counselor before sending him flying through the room.
He noticed that the remaining changeling where divided into two groups princess Nymfa and counselor Horan in the middle of the crescent moon and the four remaining counselors on his left when he was still chained.
A plan formed in his mind and he changed both hands in hammerfists before running sideways on the wall bypassing Horan and Nymfa and right before he would bypass the counselors he jumped down from the wall and with all his power hit the ground with his hammerfists making spike shoot out of the ground impaling the four counselors.
Everything was silent in the room when the spikes retracted in the ground again after a few seconds and the counselor's bodies fell death on the floor. The Colonel stood back up and turned around to face Haron and Nymfa again. "Your counsel is death, your guards are death and you will be death soon too Haron so here comes my question how does it feel to fight a battle that you can't win?"
Nymfa was now shaking at the sight of the creature that had killed all the guards in the room, all the counselors besides her mother for the moment and the one who did it all without even sweating from the effort like he was cutting butter.
Haron looked around for help, for a means to escape, for anything to stop this monster, but there was nothing only her daughter and former daughter were still alive in the room. Chrysalis still stuck in the device, and Nymfa petrified from fear. "Weakling," Haron hissed at Nymfa before pushing her on the ground giving her a clear shot on The Colonel. She had charged up her most powerful spell and shot it at him.
Strangely enough he didn't transform one of his hands into that shield he had used moment ago to block the counselor's their attacks instead he stood there ready to take it and taking it was what he did. The beam hit him right in the chest. He should have been nothing more, but ash after that hit instead the only thing the spell did was pushing him backwards a bit.
Haron was stunned in all her years she had lived not a single enemy and she had had a lot of them had survived that attack, but here this thing stood two inches further away than where he had started and his chest smoking a bit that was everything her most powerful spell had done to him.
"That was you're shot now it is my turn," The Colonel said before changing his left hand back to normal and his right hand into a whipfist and shot it at Haron piercing her chest and pulled her closer to him. "Goodbye Haron and hopefully until never again," The Colonel said before consuming her.
He felt strange this energy he had absorbed from her it felt strange unnatural and suddenly he released a powerful shockwave filled with a green aura blasting wood and stone away. Nymfa was cowering in front of him. "Please don't kill me mother talked me into this if I didn't do what she said she would disown me," Nymfa said begging for The Colonel to spare her.
He took her by her neck and lifted her of the ground and looked straight into her eyes that were tearing and full of fear. "You are speaking the truth for that I shall spare you, but remember this you are a subject of mine and you shall answer only to me. I killed you counsel so now you have full control over the kingdom. For Chrysalis her royalty I can't do anything anymore without killing a lot of changelings the news is probably already spread through the entire city," The Colonel said before putting her down again.
Nymfa gently started massaging her neck after his tight grip had given up it's grip around her neck. "How can I lead my mother has never teached me the more advanced things about politics," Nymfa asked when she realized she would need to do it all alone.
The colonel freed Chrysalis from the device and the device that was placed on her horn and gently rubbed over her head causing her to relax a little before replying. "You won't be alone. For now I shall see you as a friend of mine and friends of mine gets certain advantages."
He signaled her to come over making both sisters stand close to him. He took both their horns in his hands at first both mares didn't felt anything however after a few seconds they felt some kind of strange energy intruding their body at first it felt unpleasant and they started wriggling a bit.
"Don't move allow it entry," The Colonel ordered sternly making both mares listen directly. They were pulled in a world that exited out of black and yellow strangely enough they heard sounds no voices they heard voices, but from where.
They tried to locate them, but they were everywhere.
"Colonel where are we?" Chrysalis asked a bit uncomfortable in the strange world.
"Welcome in the mind the thing that all necromorphs connect to each other, but in this case it only allows me to talk to you and you to call me up anywhere I am."
Just as fast as they had arrived they were back they felt strange like some kind f second presence was in their body. "Can you hear me?"
Both mares jumped at the voice The Colonel sat in front of them and he hadn't moved his lips. "Yes," Both replied.
"Good now we are connected if you ever have trouble with something this is the way to reach me and I shall come," The Colonel replied before standing back up and started to talk normally again.
"I am sorry for your loss," The Colonel said referring to Haron making both mares nod as a kind of thanks. "I however fear we need to leave that little bio bomb I made has caused the hallway to be sealed off, but I can sense them almost being through it.
Nymfa you stay here and do as I say. Chrysalis I shall help you escape out of the city if you never want to see me again then I will drop you off and we will part ways," The Colonel said.
"No I come with you I have seen what you can do and I don't think you want to hurt me so I trust you besides you are the only friend I ever had," Chrysalis said.
The Colonel nodded happy that he hadn't lost his friend after the display he had just done. "How are we going to get out of the city the guards will have this place locked down," Chrysalis asked slightly worried and slightly curious.
"I have an idea," The Colonel said.
Boom a stone pillar was thrown through the wall of the palace and immediately after The Colonel with Chrysalis on his back jumped out of it using his gliding powers to glide away from the palace to freedom. Chrysalis had her eyes closed flying was one thing, flying on someone else another, but gliding against a speed that a firework couldn't keep up with was something she didn't like.
The Colonel started losing height and changed his right hand into a whipfist which he used to grab a wooden crane with which turned the whipfist into some kind of liana and so he swung himself through the entire city using buildings, bridge rocks, etc until he reached the city call which he just ran up to like it was normal to run up a wall. When they were on top of the wall he jumped off of it and started to glide away leaving the guards stunned.
By the time it was dark. Chrysalis and The Colonel were sitting by a campfire they had made by some rocks. Chrysalis had gotten all the blankets she was concerned that her friend underestimated how cold the desert could get. When she asked he just replied. "I have plenty of experience with deserts believe me on that one I can handle it you need it more."
Finally Chrysalis had given in and she fell asleep. The Colonel looked at the beautiful stars up in the sky. "So close," The Colonel said as he remembered Josh he started singing a little song.
"Twinkle, twinkle, little star, How I wonder what you are.
Up above the world so high, Like a diamond in the sky."
(The wind started to increase when The Colonel looked at the beautiful stars.)
"When the blazing sun is gone, When the nothing shines upon,
Then you show your little light, Twinkle, twinkle, all the night."
(The Colonel started to fall asleep and found himself in a dark void when suddenly a sort of spotlight fell upon a place in the void and he saw Josh walking there. The Colonel started to move towards him.)
"Then the hunter in the dark, Thanks you for your little spark.
He could not see which way to go, If you did not twinkle so."
(The Colonel is moving towards Josh when suddenly out of the darkness behind him an entire army of necromorphs followed him by either walking, crawling, dragging themselves, shuffling or flying.)
"When the blazing sun is gone, when the nothing shines upon.
Though i know not what you are, Twinkle twinkle little star."
Authors Note:
Hello everybody I hope you enjoyed the chapter. I thought what better way to end the chapter than with an extremely creepy lullaby so yeah… hope you enjoyed! Please leave a review, a favorite or a follow it shows me you guys appreciate what I do and I will be sure to get you guys more!
Useful information:
-The powers The Colonel used are from the games prototype 1&2.
-The lullaby on the end is from the trailer of the game dead space 2. I would recommend listening to it to create an even creepier atmosphere.
