Chapter Sixteen: Sehkment

It was roughly a few hours later that I stopped in a nearby ditch to rest that night. I went for as long as I could, but I couldn't help feeling alone. Yuli. Kojiro and I had lost him at the waterfall. And Kojiro, how did he fare against Kioko, or how was he faring? Looks like Kioko was turning into his adversary.

Speaking of adversaries, I still had a score to settle with Sehkment for kidnapping my kid. He was going to die slowly and painfully. That snake was going to regret the day his mother was born once I got through with him. I would make him pay dearly.

"Ah, so we meet again, Torrent."

I looked up in alarm to see Sehkment standing over me. Well, Sehkment in subarmor. I hadn't really seen him out of subarmor before. He had shoulder length green hair, tiny black dots with large, snake like eyes and pale, pale skin. I stood up and backed away slightly. I was still a little afraid of him after he'd captured me. But then I toughened up. "You harmed my little girl."

Sehkment sneered. "Beautiful little girl she is. If she weren't so young, I'd deflower her."

THAT got me mad. I grabbed him by his neck and slammed him into a conveniently placed nearby wall. For the first time he looked almost scared. He knew that he had seriously ticked me off and he suddenly looked like he WAS regretting the day his mother was born. "YOU FIEND! KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF MY DAUGHTER!"

He smirked. "Not a chance. When she's older, she'll be lovely, and, she'll be mine," he said. I tightened the grip around Sehkment's neck.

"Then I'll be forced to kill you," I said.

Sehkment grabbed my own wrist and wrenched it away form my neck, throwing me to the floor. "Oh really? I am a very dangerous Dark Warlord. You won't be able to protect her forever, Torrent. She WILL be mine."

"Not if you're rotting six feet under," I said.

Sehkment laughed. "Yeah, right. You wouldn't be able to kill you. You probably won't even be able to defeat me in battle."

I stepped back. "Let's see about that. Armor of the Torrent, DAO SHIN!"

"VENOM!" screamed Sehkment. In a burst we both were clad in our armors. I wielded my yari expertly, giving Sehkment a death glare that told him I meant serious business. I intended to harm him. I intended to kill him. He went near my daughter. He wouldn't leave her alone.

"Ariel is only four years old. You have no right to harm her," I said. "Let's fight."

Sehkment's swords clashed with my yari for what seemed like an eternity. Metal met metal. I blocked his slashes and he deflected my strikes. The battle could have lasted five minutes, could have lasted five hours. I wasn't really sure. All I knew was that I intended to kill him.

Unfortunately, it wouldn't work out that way.

Finally it got down to sure kills. I unleashed mine first. "SUPAH WAVE SMASHA!" I cried out as the gush of water erupted from my weapon.

Fatal move.

Sehkment grinned, then released his Snake Fang Strike on me. What that did was not only block my attack from hitting him, it deflected it, sending it back at me. I had an eerie flashback from my battle with Red Torrent. Before I could leap away or so much as put up my face mask, the attack hit me full force. I screamed. The burning was so much worse than Red Torrent's attack had been.

I fell to the ground, gasped for breath. My armor willed itself away, and I felt weak. I felt Sehkment lift me into his arms. "Let me go you monster," I was barley able to say.

"How'd about not?" said Sehkment smugly. That was the last thing I remembered. . .

Hissssssssssssss.

I awoke to that sound.

Hissssssssssssss.

What was that? I came to my senses and realized I was tied up, suspended by a chain connected to a pulley, and dangling above a pit of boiling acid-

BOILING ACID!?

"I see you've finally woken up Torrent. Hope you enjoy your little bath."

I looked over to see Sehkment standing by a switch. "With one flip of the switch, that pulley will begin to slowly lower you into the acid. Little by little your body will feel the hiss as it eats away at your armor, then, it will reach your sensitive flesh. It takes painful seconds for it to devour the bone. Seconds. You'll die slowly and painfully, leaving me to have your daughter when she gets older. I'll have Master Talpa spare her until she's just old enough to bear a child. Maybe I'll name my child after his grandfather, Cye of the Torrent. Failure."

"Leave Ariel alone. Even if you DO kill me, Kojiro will NEVER let any harm come to her!" I said.

"Good bye," said Sehkment. "You have twenty minutes until you die." He flipped the switch, and after a few loud buzzes and hums, the chain began to slowly lower me down into the bubbling red liquid. "I'd love to stay and watch, but, I have other things to attend to. Chow!"

I watched as he left. Soon, I'd die. Soon, I'd loose all hope of protecting my little girl. I couldn't let him get her. I had to escape. Unfortunately, it was hopeless.

Ten minutes later, I was below the surface surrounding the acidic pit. Hope was diminishing rapidly. There was no way out. I was doomed. Until I heard that absolutely wonderful inquisition.

"Hey, what's this?"
I looked up. Someone was in the room! I was about to call for help when I saw a much older Kento look down. "Cye! You're alive!"
I saw an older version of Sage join him. "Cye! How the heck did you get down there!?"

"Sehkment put me down here and I'll be dead if you guys can't get me out of here!" I said.

"Cye, hold on, I think I've almost got this dumb thing figured out," came Rowen's voice. I felt the chain stop, suddenly dip, stop again, suddenly go straight up, swing over towards the guys, and drop me on my bottom. Kento and Sage immediately began to free me from the chains, Kento giving me a hug once I was free. I returned the hug, feeling tears coming to my eyes.

"I missed you, why did you have to leave?' asked Kento.

"Yes, why DID you have to leave?" I looked up to see Ryo towering over me. He, too, was much older looking, more mature. Half of him looked overjoyed to see me, the other half looked angry at to why I had left.

Rowen came over as well. "Ryo, lay off him. I'm sure he had a good reason to leave. That message he left on the answering machine, that was sincere," he said, kneeling down in front of me. "Did you come after us?"
"Yes," I said. "I missed you guys so much."

"Then why didn't you come back?" asked Kento.

"I was afraid to," I said, looking at the ground.

"Why? We're your friends, aren't we?" said Sage.

I took in a deep breath. "Well, remember when I spent about a month absolutely disturbed?"