Part 2, Chapter 10: Captivity
"Arrr.."
*Cough!* *Cough!*
Tomas awoke with a piercing headache and coughed to clear the bile in his throat. He felt stiff and sore all over and was immediately confused as to where he was. Blinking his eyes he tried to take a sip from his flask.
What the?
Shocked, Tomas discovered that he couldn't move his arms. He groaned softly, this development had caused a spike of agony in his head. The anxious need to take a sip from his flask grew within him.
Tomas licked his lips as he looked around, trying to get his bearings. He was sitting upright in a cold, hard, high backed chair. He couldn't move his arms or legs. The room he was in was dark and he could smell a damp musty odour. Suddenly, he became aware that he was naked and his flask was gone.
"Fucking thieves! My flask! Give it back! Give it back!"
*Cough!* *Cough!* *Arrc..pootch!*
Tomas screamed before choking on some bile and spitting to the side. He was dreadfully thirsty and his headache was getting worse. Tomas moaned pitifully and drooped his head until his chin rested on his chest.
"Give me back my flask." Tomas whispered.
A moment later, sounds of quiet weeping could be heard.
...
...
Tomas was startled awake when a bucket of water splashed over his head. He sputtered, choking, trying to breathe. When he recovered, he squinted at the light of the candle beside the door to the room. A black silhouette of a man stood before him. His identity masked by shadows, dark clothes and a mask.
"So dog, did you enjoy your wake up call?" The man asked.
"Who? Where is my flask?" Tomas asked desperately, straining at his bonds.
*Thunk!*
"Gahh..!"
"Oww.. You've got a hard face!" The masked man said as he rubbed his knuckles.
Tomas eyes glinted in anger, the man in front of him had just punched him in the face! It hadn't hurt much though, the man was clearly weak.
"I see.. I'll have to use these then." The masked man said as he withdrew a metallic object from his pocket.
Tomas squinted at them and as the masked man fitted them onto his hand he recognised them as brass knuckles.
"You fucking coward!" Tomas spat and glared defiantly at the masked man.
"Oh yeah? I'll tell you what then, dog.. I'll give you a sip of your flask if you beg me for it."
Tomas' face changed instantly and a look of hope spread across it.
"I beg you! Please, my flask, please! I beg you! A sip of my flask!"
"Good doggie. As promised here is your flask."
The masked man produced a metal flask and Tomas' eyes lit up with rapturous desire as he recognised it. The masked man opened the lid and offered it to Tomas' mouth. Tomas quickly opened his mouth and accepted the contents of the flask greedily.
"Pahh! Bastard!" *Cough!*
Suddenly, Tomas started choking and spitting, trying to vomit. The masked man burst into laughter.
"You like that dog? You like drinking my piss? You're the fucking coward. Don't you forget it."
*Thunk!* *Clang!*
*Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!*
*Thunk! Thunk! Thunk!* *Thunk!*
The masked man started to pant after unleashing a series of vicious blows to Tomas' face and body.
"You're a fucking tough bastard though." The masked man said, impressed that his efforts had only resulted in minor damage to Tomas. Normally he would be able to easily draw blood and break bones with his brass knuckles. Tomas, however, only had some light bruising on his face and ribs.
Tomas looked up and spat a glob bloody spit at the man.
"You're a dead man when I get out of here." Tomas promised.
"Pfft.. What can a coward of a dog like you do to me?" taunted the masked man, before spitting in Tomas' face.
The masked man took off his brass knuckles and put them back into his pocket. He took out a small satchel and showed its contents to Tomas.
"Do you know what this is?" asked the man.
Tomas recognised the contents and licked his lips, nodding.
"It's Black Dust!"
"Do you want some?" asked the masked man.
Tomas nodded eagerly, a desperate gleam in his eyes and a sheen of cold sweat on his forehead.
"Ok then.. I'll give you some."
The masked man put a pinch of the Black Dust in Tomas' flask and swirled it around a bit.
"You don't mind having it with my piss right?"
"Fuck you! You fucking bastard!" Tomas snarled between clenched teeth.
"Oh? You don't want it then? That's too bad." the masked man closed the flask's lid and went to put it away.
"Wait! I.. Give it to me! Please!" Tomas pleaded with a pitiful look.
"No.. I don't think I will now. I don't like cowardly dogs like you after all." The masked man started to pour the contents of the flask out over the floor.
Tomas watched on aghast and continued to stare at the puddle on the ground long after the masked man had blown out the candle and left.
Eventually sounds of quiet weeping could be heard.
...
...
Tomas nodded awake as he heard approaching footsteps. He groaned and shifted his aching body as much as his constraints would allow. He had been confined to the same chair and position the entire time. He had lost count of how many times the masked man had come to him and had no idea how long he had been trapped here.
Sometimes the masked man would beat him. Sometimes he would just torment and ridicule him. Other times he would bring food and water and feed him. Sometimes he would do all three.
Tomas had learnt that the masked man would only treat him like a human and feed him if he didn't beg for the Black Dust. If Tomas had so much as looked with desire at the Black Dust, the masked man would refuse to feed him and give him a vicious beating followed by ridicule. It had caused Tomas to weep in shame and self-pity. He had learnt during this time that the withdrawal symptoms of food and water were much more painful than the withdrawal symptoms of Black Dust.
Tomas licked his dry cracked lips and waited for the masked man to appear.
This time I will definitely not give in to temptation!
The masked man opened the door to the cellar and lit the candle by the door. Turning around he approached Tomas with a tray.
"Well hello again little doggie. How are you feeling today?"
"Water.. Please." Tomas begged through cracked lips.
The masked man placed the tray on the floor. On the tray was a cup, a pitcher of water and a hunk of bread.
'Now, now, little doggie are you sure? I could give you some water or food.. Or I could give you some of this instead." The masked man withdrew a satchel from his pocket and showed the contents to Tomas.
Tomas steeled himself and looked upon the satchel with disgust. It reminded him of his suffering and of his shameful state that had got him here in the first place.
"Hmm? What do you say?" The masked man waved the satchel under Tomas' eyes, near his mouth and nose.
Tomas closed his mouth tightly and turned his head to the side.
"Water.. Please." Tomas repeated.
"Well, well. I do believe we have finally made progress. OK then.. I'll give you some water."
The masked man held the cup up in front of Tomas and poured water from the pitcher into it. Tomas stared desperately at the water as it flowed into the cup, imagining its sweat coolness. He tried to swallow but couldn't.
"Here you are then."
The masked man lifted the cup up to Tomas' lips and slowly poured the water into Tomas' desperate mouth. After draining the whole cup, Tomas licked his lips and watched as the man poured him another cup. After draining that one as well the masked man fed him some bread.
Once he was finished the masked man stood up.
"Now what do you say?"
"Thank you.." Tomas stammered and started to weep.
"Good. I like my dogs obedient. I think you're ready to leave now." the masked man said happily, which surprised Tomas.
The masked man produced a key from within his clothes and went around the back of Tomas' chair. Tomas felt the man unlock the iron manacles fastening his legs first.
"Now, when you're free just follow me and I'll take you to a bath and give you some fresh clothes." the masked man said as he unlocked Tomas' hands.
Once free, Tomas stretched his legs and massaged his wrists. The masked man came to the front and beckoned him to follow as he picked up the tray.
Suddenly, Tomas snarled and jumping up grabbed the masked man by the throat and hauled him through the air to the far wall. Pinning him against the wall by his throat, Tomas glared into his terrified eyes through the mask.
"You think I would let you live after what you did to me?" spat Tomas with an intense rage etched upon his features.
Tomas was a platinum-ranked adventurer and had amazing vitality and strength. He could easily pin the masked man against the wall with his toes dangling in the air, despite his debilitated state. A feral gleam ran through Tomas' eyes and he started to punch the man in the gut repeatedly. Each punch had enough force to make the masked man's eyes pop. He turned purple and blood started to dribble out from beneath his mask.
With the masked man's internal organs likely ruptured, Tomas stopped and let him down. The man looked at him accusingly as he chocked on the blood bubbling up from his mouth. Tomas frowned down at the dying man.
"Did you honestly expect any other outcome? I told you I would kill you when I got out of here."