Dragon Ball Next Generation
The Grey Saga
Part 2: The Sacrifice
Chapter 7
I followed the large group into the dark castle. The eerie feelings I got from the outside intensified. The building it's self almost seemed malevolent. There were no electric lights, torches were lit every fifty feet or so, not giving up much light. I followed the group blindly down a hallway, waiting for my eyes to adjust.
When they did, I realized that at least twenty more people had joined us, follow at a distance. I realized that all of them, except Grimes, were keeping their distance from me. Maybe, I had gone too far. Perhaps they were afraid I would kill them as well.
I shut the thought out of my mind. Even though I thought it was necessary, I still didn't want to think about it. I hadn't wanted to kill him, and he was so weak to begin with, with all the injuries Xander had given him...
Stop it!
I focused on the group, trying to go into a kind of auto pilot. I just followed, not thinking of what I had done, or what they thought of me, or how strange my surroundings were.
We entered a large hall, lined with tables, and a giant fireplace at each wall. Other then a few blood-red candles on the tables, there was no other source of light. Opposite the door we came through, there was another door that opened when we entered. Six cloaked beings came forth. Immediately, the others dropped to the ground, prostrating themselves, leaving me the only one standing.
Two of the beings were extremely tall, one almost twice my height. Three were almost my size, and one of them barely reached my shoulder. I could not see their faces, due to the hoods and bad lighting, but I knew by the way the others acted that one of them must be Turmeric.
The one third to the right raised a gnarled finger, and pointed at one of prostrated figures.
"Grimes, you have done well. Follow me." He said, his voice barely a hiss. "You as well, Champion."
We followed the beings across the hall, and through the other door. I found myself in a room, with a fire going at one side, a chandelier above us, and a long table facing us.
"Master," Grimes said, "I present to you Spar Kain, our new Champion." One of the beings my size stepped forward, lowering his hood. I gasped at his appearance. It was a demon! He had dark-red skin, complete with small fangs, tiny horns on his forehead, and silver hair running down into the cloak.
"Greetings, Champion." He said. His voice identified him as the one who spoke before. "I am Turmeric, master of this castle."
"You're... a..." I managed to say, not really acting. I had known what he was, but still the sight of something I had only heard about in stories was still shocking.
"Please, don't be put off by my appearance." Turmeric said, giving a not so innocent smile. I nodded weakly. After the shock wore off, I was able to study him more closely. His ki felt very strange. Yes, it was dark, and evil, but there was also something extremely different then other's ki.
Turmeric was a master of the Dark Arts, which was why his ki felt different. Magic is really just another way of manipulating ones ki, but only a few can do. Instead of using it in its raw form like we do, magic users let their ki do things for them. Like changing an object into something different, or using it to manipulate elements. My own Flame Cyclone was kind of a mix of magic and ki, allowing it to take the shape of fire. The ki is summoned by use of spells, which helps the user concentrate on their ki, instead of manipulating it in its raw form.
"After all," Turmeric continued, "despite our looks, we have more in common then you think. We both have a goal in our life, one that takes precedence over everything else in our lives. Am I correct?"
I thought about the Greys, the people I swore I would protect, the man I had just killed to keep that vow, and Ann. I nodded.
"And, if you help me achieve my goal, I will see that you reach yours as well." He said. Our eyes met, and an unspoken agreement was made. It was one I intended to break all too soon.
"What is your goal?" I asked. Turmeric grinned.
"To those men out there, I might be master." He said. "But I myself am a disciple to another. One of my brethren, Garlic Jr. He achieved what no one else has: immortality." My eyes widened in "disbelief".
"It's true. But, he has been banished to a dimension of his own creation, the Dead Zone. Anyone else who entered that plain would die an agonizing death, but he lives, and I plan to resurrect him from his prison. Once he comes back, those who serve him will reap the benefits of following an immortal master." He explained.
"So, I help you, protect you from attacks, and when Garlic Jr. is resurrected, he will revive the Crane School?" I summed up.
"When Master Garlic arrives, the Crane School will be the only martial arts school allowed." He said.
"Very well." I said. I glanced around at the five other cloaked beings, none of whom had revealed themselves.
"These are more disciples of Master Garlic, and myself." Turmeric said. He motioned to the first being to step forward.
"This is Lon Talbot." He said. The being pulled down his hood, revealing a human face. I had expected another demon. He had a broad face, lined with stubble, extremely bushy eyebrows, and dark blonde hair that reached to his shoulders. But his eyes were what caught my attention. They were yellow, a color which I had never seen before in human eyes.
"Welcome, Champion." Talbot said, staring at me with his feral eyes. His ki was also unusual. He was even weaker then the previous Champion, but there was something hidden with in it, a malicious, force, waiting to be called upon. I can't explain it well, but it seemed like it was some kind of great hunger. It was buried so far that I could barely sense it.
"This is Vlad Orlok." The second being walked forward, lowering his hood. I gasped as I realized that he had no ki! None at all! The man who should have been dead had extremely pale skin, with black eyes, long ears, and short black hair.
"Welcome, Champion." Vlad said, giving me a quick smile. He had fangs!
"You're... you're... are you a..." I managed to say.
"Yes, I am... undead, to put it delicately." He said in a heavily accented voice. Instantly, my hands went to my neck. Vlad chuckled.
"Don't worry, Champion. I will not drink your blood. I prefer women's." He said. Somehow, I didn't feel very reassured.
"And the other three are more of my brethren." The last three stepped forward, unveiling themselves. Three more demons. The tallest one had black skin, the one my size had green skin, and the shortest had dark blue skin.
"Welcome, Champion. I am Cumin." Said the tallest.
"Welcome, Champion. I am Cinnamon." Said the green skinned one.
"Welcome, Champion. I am Chile." The short one said.
"We are all of dying races, brought together for one purpose." Turmeric said. "Once Master Garlic is brought back, our kind will become plentiful once again. And, we will lead our races, creating our own nations under Master Garlic."
"If he is imprisoned, how do you intend to release him?" I asked. I was anxious to get out of the castle filled with beasts. Once I knew how Turmeric was going to free Garlic, I could escape.
"Not now." Turmeric said. "You must be hungry, after winning the Budoukai, and your long trip." I wasn't sure I could eat in a place like this.
"I am, in fact. Thank you, Turmeric-sama." I said, bowing. It felt disgusting to do so, but hopefully it would help me earn his trust. Turmeric smiled, then nodded to Grimes, who left the room. The others sat at the table, and Turmeric signaled for me to sit at the head of the table, opposite him.
"Those people out there," Turmeric said, pointing to the door that lead the main hall, "do not know of our purpose. They are merely attracted to us. We supply them with the things they need to live, fulfill some of their desires, and they provide us with entertainment."
Two women entered, carrying our food. They gave Orlock a glass, which he sipped contentedly. They gave Talbot a large steak, which looked almost raw. He grabbed it, and tore at it with his teeth, ignoring the utensils. To the four demons, they gave each a whole chicken, which they sunk into. They gave me some chicken, mixed with steamed rice and vegetables. I took the chopsticks they gave me and poked at it suspiciously. It didn't try to run away, or bleed, to my relief. I wasn't really hungry; something that had happened very few times in my life, so I poked at it for a while, until I realized that it was catching the attention of the others. I grabbed a piece of chicken, and put it into my mouth, finding it surprisingly good.
I was half way through my dinner, when another woman entered. She could have been considered beautiful, if it wasn't for her eyes. I could see her fear in her eyes, which took all the beauty out of her face. Her clothes barely covered her, revealing her large breasts and slim waist. I saw Talbot watch her as she approached us, the lust obvious in his eyes.
"Would you like to have her tonight, Champion?" Turmeric asked.
"Huh?" I responded, not taking his meaning. Talbot chuckled.
"I'd take it, kid." He said, his eyes moving over the woman's body. "She'll do just about anything if you give her some food." He picked up one of the slim remains of his steak, dangling it from his hand. The woman's eyes followed it, back and forth. It was pathetic.
"No, not tonight." I responded, finally realizing what they were talking about.
"You know, Champion," Turmeric said, "I have never been able to fight with my body. Your martial arts never have been for me. I prefer the use of Magic." He said, and casually threw a chicken leg at the woman. She picked it up, tearing at it. In a few moments, it was stripped to the bone.
"Perhaps you would like to see one of my favorite spells." He said. Before I could reply, he began to chant under his breath, and gave a quick wave of his hand at the woman.
Her eyes opened wide, and she clutched her throat, gagging. Her face turned red, and her eyes became bloodshot. She began to foam at the mouth, and collapsed to the floor, convulsions spraying saliva and blood around the room, as wounds began to open up on her body. I stared at her in, but I couldn't move. I wanted to help her, but I knew it was already to late. She finally stopped convulsing as I felt her ki disappear.
Turmeric had been eating the same chicken, but nothing had happened to him. His spell must have poisoned the food while it was inside the woman. I stared at my own food, and pushed it away.
***
After dinner, I was shown to my room. I just wanted to stay there and sleep, and not think about the horrors of the castle. How long would I stay here? What else would I have to do? It seemed that everything in the castle was based on one thing. Death. How much more death would I have to experience before I could gain the necessary information from Turmeric? I didn't know if I had the strength to last much longer.
You have to become like them.
I realized what Dende meant by that. It was not necessary to gain their trust, but to hold on to my own sanity, I would have to become like them. I would have to learn to accept death, the death of others. It would mean that I could not be afraid to kill, because if I was, I would fail, and we would be lost to an immortal demon.
I laid there, thinking about death, killing, and how unfair that the world's fate had been put on my shoulders, with no one else to help me bare it. Xander, Dende, John, Angelina, Kargo... the people who were supposed to help me through this, the ones who I would fight with when the Greys came, they were not there then. It was all up to me, and I wasn't sure I could do it.
I fell asleep thinking that. I was so exhausted that I could sleep even on that hell on earth. I wasn't even aware that I had fallen asleep until I felt a hand clamp over my mouth, the weight of a man's body over mine, and the barrel of a gun on my head.
"Don't move, I'm not here to hurt..." He said, until threw him off.
"Fuck!" The man yelled, as he hit the wall and slumped down. For a moment, I thought I had knocked him out, until he raised his head, eyes glaring at me.
"What the fuck did you do that for?" He said in a whisper. "I was trying to say I wasn't going to hurt you. I just want to talk." The man lifted his gun, and released the magazine in the handle. It was empty. "See. I just didn't want you to make a lot of noise."
"I could have killed you." I said, trying to sound menacing. The man smiled.
"I knew you wouldn't." He said. "You're not like the others, you don't belong here."
"Didn't you hear? I killed the previous champion." I stated.
"Only 'cause you had to." He began to stand up, but sat back down as I lifted my hand, ki glowing in the darkness of the room. "I can tell about people. Kinda like a sixth sense. I know you're a good guy, you just do what you have to."
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"Because I needed someone else, someone who's not sick like the rest of 'em. 'Cause this place makes me sick, and I need someone else who's like me."
"Then, why are you here at all?" I asked. The man reached under his cloak, and produced a wallet. He flipped it open, revealing a badge.
"My name is Jack Satan, Imperial Police Department." He said.
"Satan? You mean, like Hercule Satan?" I asked. The man nodded. But, Mr. Satan's only daughter married Son Gohan, and took his name. Perhaps, somewhere down the line, one of Gohan's descendants changed their name back to Satan. That would mean that, at least distantly, he was related to me. It also meant that, however little, he had Saiya-jin blood.
"What is the IPD doing in a place like this?" I asked.
"Well, I'm really not representing the force here." He said. He looked at me, into my eyes. "You look like a guy I can trust. About a year ago, some of my buddies joined up here. I found out about it, and the kind a shit they do here, and I wanted to get the force down here and shut them down. I guess no one believed me, or the IPF doesn't have jurisdiction over monsters. So, I left, and joined myself. I've been trying to work myself up the ranks, and when I get one of those demons alone..." he held up his gun, "bang."
"You realize that would be suicide." I said. Jack shrugged.
"As long as I take one of them to Hell with me, I don't give a shit." He said. I think he meant it.
"What you don't realize," He said, "it that these people are sick. Really sick. You got a taste of it, but when you see the real thing I'm not sure you'll care either."
"You think you know me so well already." I observed. Jack gave a weak grin.
"You'll see. Tomorrow, go to the Chambers. You'll see."
***
I asked Jack what the Chambers were, but he wouldn't say. Instead, he asked me about my life. I told him. The real story, not the one I fed Turmeric. Because he was a cop, even one that hadn't been on duty for a year, I left out most of what had happened in Satan City. I just started from the abduction, and went from there.
To my surprise, he believed me. I didn't tell him of my heritage, or his, but I told him about the Z senshi, Dende, and Garlic Jr. He was shocked, once he laughed, but I could tell he believed me.
I smiled as I realized that I wouldn't have to do this alone. It was a great relief to just talk about it, about my mission, and what I had to do to complete it. It made it much easier to bare such a burden.
Jack left my room about two hours after he entered. He told me to request the "grand tour" that day, and see what the cult was really all about. I assured him I would.
***
When I awoke the next morning, one of Turmeric's "servants" came to me, and offered me a tour of the castle. I accepted. He brought me through the hall I had been through the other day, where the members ate. He led to a room that looked like military barracks, where the others slept. One entire wing of the castle was off-limits, even to me. It was where Turmeric's quarters was. I figured that any information I could get on Garlic Jr. would be there.
He then led me down numerous flights of stairs that led to the bottom of the castle. Two great doors led to what he told me were the Chambers. I asked him to show me inside. He hesitated, and fear crossed his face. He told me, his voice quaking, that I would have to go in myself, that he was not allowed in. He was cowering, as if I would strike him. I allowed him to go, and went towards the doors.
The smell hit me before I even opened the doors. The prevalent smell by far was blood. I had smelled it enough to know. I smelled smoke, wood burning, and something else burning. It smelled like hair, and flesh.
The great wooden doors blocked the sounds, as I opened them, I could hear the screams. Terror, joy, pain, pleading for mercy, men shouting as if they were watching a sport, crying. The mix of sounds made me involuntarily clamp my hands over me ears for a moment, then I entered.
As if the smell and sounds weren't terrible enough, what I saw went beyond horror. It dawned on me that I had entered a torture chamber. I saw men dangling from huge birdcages, under a roaring fire, backing alive. Others were on racks, their limbs being stretched in all directions. Those were the kinder treatments.
All around me, men in robes were acting like it was Christmas Day. Some were gutting a woman with curved daggers, smiling as she screamed, her organs spilling out on to the floor. They laughed at her as she pleaded for them to end it quickly. Others were being flayed, layer-by-layer. Men, women, even a few children.
Why! Why was this happening? What did these people do? I felt sick; I knew that I wouldn't be able to stop from throwing up. Luckily, everything I had eaten had been digested, so I dry-heaved for a good two minutes, and rose, gasping for breath.
I saw Jack, leaning against a wall. His eyes glazed over, he was in a different world. Hell, any world would be better then this. I walked over to him, wiping my mouth.
His eyes shifted to me, and he nodded his head to an adjacent room. It was empty, except for a dead body, hanging from a cage, the embers of a fire slowly dieing. The had-been man was covered in boils, but had probably died from dehydration, rather then burns. From the look of his face, as it froze in death, his death had been slow.
"Stop it!" Jack yelled. My eyes broke from the body, as I came back to the living.
"What!" I tried to yell back, but I could barely find my voice.
"You look like you're going to throw up." He said.
"Too late." I said, and slumped against a wall. "These people so sick. Their so sick." tears streamed down my face, as I began to shake involuntarily.
"You have to control yourself." He said, harshly, "If you show kindness, they'll turn on you. You'll fail your mission."
"I don't care." I spat. "This whole thing is fucked up."
"I know it is." He said, "goddamnit, I spent a year in this place. Get over it, and control yourself." How could I possibly "get over it"? It was inhuman.
"You don't have to feel it." I said, my voice giving way to sobs.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I can feel it. Their ki. I can feel them dieing. I can feel their torment. I can almost feel their pain." Jack said nothing, letting me vent. Slowly, the tears subsided, and I gained control of myself.
"Who are these people? The victims, I mean." I asked. I had to know.
"Different people. Some are from a nearby village. Others used to be Turmeric's servants," So that's why my guide refused to come in. He was afraid he would be tortured. "Others are members of the cult, who were too weak. Some of those out there did just what you're doing now." Why did he have to say that they were weak? Were they weak physically? The hierarchy here seemed to be strength. The stronger you were, the higher you were held in their eyes. Were they weak because they showed emotion? Was I weak?
I stood up, drying my eyes. "I'm leaving." I said. I knew that I couldn't stay anymore. If I did, I wouldn't be able to control myself.
As I entered the main room, someone caught sight of me.
"It's the Champion!"
Immediately, I was surrounded by cloaks. They kept their distance, but they all began to urge me to try out some kind of torture method. I refused, until one ventured closer, and slapped a dagger in my hand.
"Let's see how good 'e is with a knife!" he yelled. Another came forth with a woman in his arms. She was naked, and so emaciated that I could see almost every bone in her body. I looked into her eyes, and I saw nothing look back. Everything that the woman once was, everything that she could have been, was gone. She had been starved, and probably abused and raped so much that she had lost her will to live. All that was left was a shell of a human. Death would be a friend to her.
"Flay her!" I heard the others shout, among other things. I saw red. These people were sick! I should be flaying them, not this poor woman.
I flipped the dagger into the air, and caught the blade between my thumb and forefinger. With a flick of my wrist, I threw it. The man holding the woman gasped for a moment, as the dagger entered his head, killing him instantly. He fell over, on top of the woman, who made no move to even push him off.
Immediately, I heard shouts of anger, others were swearing at me, some began to spit. None of them came close though, afraid that they would be next. I turned, and the circle of men split apart as I went through the doors, out of the Chambers. I walked away, swiftly, as I promised myself that I would never go through those doors again.
I heard footsteps behind me, and I pulled up my hood so that they wouldn't see my tears. I turned around, and saw Jack.
"That was stupid." He said flatly.
"I don't care. I couldn't kill an innocent woman." I said. Jack sighed.
"It's not that. Those people don't give a shit about who you killed. They kill each other daily. They're upset 'cause you killed 'em too quick. They don't do that here. They expect the Champion to take days to kill a person." I stared at Jack as he said that. It was unbelievable. Nausea struck me again as I walked away.
I had killed someone, but they weren't satisfied. All because it had been quick. Why did I kill him any way? It wasn't necessary. I could have just walked away, and no one would have been able to stop me. Was it getting easier to kill?
I didn't want to think about it. But, I knew that before it was over, I would have to kill a lot more.
The Grey Saga
Part 2: The Sacrifice
Chapter 7
I followed the large group into the dark castle. The eerie feelings I got from the outside intensified. The building it's self almost seemed malevolent. There were no electric lights, torches were lit every fifty feet or so, not giving up much light. I followed the group blindly down a hallway, waiting for my eyes to adjust.
When they did, I realized that at least twenty more people had joined us, follow at a distance. I realized that all of them, except Grimes, were keeping their distance from me. Maybe, I had gone too far. Perhaps they were afraid I would kill them as well.
I shut the thought out of my mind. Even though I thought it was necessary, I still didn't want to think about it. I hadn't wanted to kill him, and he was so weak to begin with, with all the injuries Xander had given him...
Stop it!
I focused on the group, trying to go into a kind of auto pilot. I just followed, not thinking of what I had done, or what they thought of me, or how strange my surroundings were.
We entered a large hall, lined with tables, and a giant fireplace at each wall. Other then a few blood-red candles on the tables, there was no other source of light. Opposite the door we came through, there was another door that opened when we entered. Six cloaked beings came forth. Immediately, the others dropped to the ground, prostrating themselves, leaving me the only one standing.
Two of the beings were extremely tall, one almost twice my height. Three were almost my size, and one of them barely reached my shoulder. I could not see their faces, due to the hoods and bad lighting, but I knew by the way the others acted that one of them must be Turmeric.
The one third to the right raised a gnarled finger, and pointed at one of prostrated figures.
"Grimes, you have done well. Follow me." He said, his voice barely a hiss. "You as well, Champion."
We followed the beings across the hall, and through the other door. I found myself in a room, with a fire going at one side, a chandelier above us, and a long table facing us.
"Master," Grimes said, "I present to you Spar Kain, our new Champion." One of the beings my size stepped forward, lowering his hood. I gasped at his appearance. It was a demon! He had dark-red skin, complete with small fangs, tiny horns on his forehead, and silver hair running down into the cloak.
"Greetings, Champion." He said. His voice identified him as the one who spoke before. "I am Turmeric, master of this castle."
"You're... a..." I managed to say, not really acting. I had known what he was, but still the sight of something I had only heard about in stories was still shocking.
"Please, don't be put off by my appearance." Turmeric said, giving a not so innocent smile. I nodded weakly. After the shock wore off, I was able to study him more closely. His ki felt very strange. Yes, it was dark, and evil, but there was also something extremely different then other's ki.
Turmeric was a master of the Dark Arts, which was why his ki felt different. Magic is really just another way of manipulating ones ki, but only a few can do. Instead of using it in its raw form like we do, magic users let their ki do things for them. Like changing an object into something different, or using it to manipulate elements. My own Flame Cyclone was kind of a mix of magic and ki, allowing it to take the shape of fire. The ki is summoned by use of spells, which helps the user concentrate on their ki, instead of manipulating it in its raw form.
"After all," Turmeric continued, "despite our looks, we have more in common then you think. We both have a goal in our life, one that takes precedence over everything else in our lives. Am I correct?"
I thought about the Greys, the people I swore I would protect, the man I had just killed to keep that vow, and Ann. I nodded.
"And, if you help me achieve my goal, I will see that you reach yours as well." He said. Our eyes met, and an unspoken agreement was made. It was one I intended to break all too soon.
"What is your goal?" I asked. Turmeric grinned.
"To those men out there, I might be master." He said. "But I myself am a disciple to another. One of my brethren, Garlic Jr. He achieved what no one else has: immortality." My eyes widened in "disbelief".
"It's true. But, he has been banished to a dimension of his own creation, the Dead Zone. Anyone else who entered that plain would die an agonizing death, but he lives, and I plan to resurrect him from his prison. Once he comes back, those who serve him will reap the benefits of following an immortal master." He explained.
"So, I help you, protect you from attacks, and when Garlic Jr. is resurrected, he will revive the Crane School?" I summed up.
"When Master Garlic arrives, the Crane School will be the only martial arts school allowed." He said.
"Very well." I said. I glanced around at the five other cloaked beings, none of whom had revealed themselves.
"These are more disciples of Master Garlic, and myself." Turmeric said. He motioned to the first being to step forward.
"This is Lon Talbot." He said. The being pulled down his hood, revealing a human face. I had expected another demon. He had a broad face, lined with stubble, extremely bushy eyebrows, and dark blonde hair that reached to his shoulders. But his eyes were what caught my attention. They were yellow, a color which I had never seen before in human eyes.
"Welcome, Champion." Talbot said, staring at me with his feral eyes. His ki was also unusual. He was even weaker then the previous Champion, but there was something hidden with in it, a malicious, force, waiting to be called upon. I can't explain it well, but it seemed like it was some kind of great hunger. It was buried so far that I could barely sense it.
"This is Vlad Orlok." The second being walked forward, lowering his hood. I gasped as I realized that he had no ki! None at all! The man who should have been dead had extremely pale skin, with black eyes, long ears, and short black hair.
"Welcome, Champion." Vlad said, giving me a quick smile. He had fangs!
"You're... you're... are you a..." I managed to say.
"Yes, I am... undead, to put it delicately." He said in a heavily accented voice. Instantly, my hands went to my neck. Vlad chuckled.
"Don't worry, Champion. I will not drink your blood. I prefer women's." He said. Somehow, I didn't feel very reassured.
"And the other three are more of my brethren." The last three stepped forward, unveiling themselves. Three more demons. The tallest one had black skin, the one my size had green skin, and the shortest had dark blue skin.
"Welcome, Champion. I am Cumin." Said the tallest.
"Welcome, Champion. I am Cinnamon." Said the green skinned one.
"Welcome, Champion. I am Chile." The short one said.
"We are all of dying races, brought together for one purpose." Turmeric said. "Once Master Garlic is brought back, our kind will become plentiful once again. And, we will lead our races, creating our own nations under Master Garlic."
"If he is imprisoned, how do you intend to release him?" I asked. I was anxious to get out of the castle filled with beasts. Once I knew how Turmeric was going to free Garlic, I could escape.
"Not now." Turmeric said. "You must be hungry, after winning the Budoukai, and your long trip." I wasn't sure I could eat in a place like this.
"I am, in fact. Thank you, Turmeric-sama." I said, bowing. It felt disgusting to do so, but hopefully it would help me earn his trust. Turmeric smiled, then nodded to Grimes, who left the room. The others sat at the table, and Turmeric signaled for me to sit at the head of the table, opposite him.
"Those people out there," Turmeric said, pointing to the door that lead the main hall, "do not know of our purpose. They are merely attracted to us. We supply them with the things they need to live, fulfill some of their desires, and they provide us with entertainment."
Two women entered, carrying our food. They gave Orlock a glass, which he sipped contentedly. They gave Talbot a large steak, which looked almost raw. He grabbed it, and tore at it with his teeth, ignoring the utensils. To the four demons, they gave each a whole chicken, which they sunk into. They gave me some chicken, mixed with steamed rice and vegetables. I took the chopsticks they gave me and poked at it suspiciously. It didn't try to run away, or bleed, to my relief. I wasn't really hungry; something that had happened very few times in my life, so I poked at it for a while, until I realized that it was catching the attention of the others. I grabbed a piece of chicken, and put it into my mouth, finding it surprisingly good.
I was half way through my dinner, when another woman entered. She could have been considered beautiful, if it wasn't for her eyes. I could see her fear in her eyes, which took all the beauty out of her face. Her clothes barely covered her, revealing her large breasts and slim waist. I saw Talbot watch her as she approached us, the lust obvious in his eyes.
"Would you like to have her tonight, Champion?" Turmeric asked.
"Huh?" I responded, not taking his meaning. Talbot chuckled.
"I'd take it, kid." He said, his eyes moving over the woman's body. "She'll do just about anything if you give her some food." He picked up one of the slim remains of his steak, dangling it from his hand. The woman's eyes followed it, back and forth. It was pathetic.
"No, not tonight." I responded, finally realizing what they were talking about.
"You know, Champion," Turmeric said, "I have never been able to fight with my body. Your martial arts never have been for me. I prefer the use of Magic." He said, and casually threw a chicken leg at the woman. She picked it up, tearing at it. In a few moments, it was stripped to the bone.
"Perhaps you would like to see one of my favorite spells." He said. Before I could reply, he began to chant under his breath, and gave a quick wave of his hand at the woman.
Her eyes opened wide, and she clutched her throat, gagging. Her face turned red, and her eyes became bloodshot. She began to foam at the mouth, and collapsed to the floor, convulsions spraying saliva and blood around the room, as wounds began to open up on her body. I stared at her in, but I couldn't move. I wanted to help her, but I knew it was already to late. She finally stopped convulsing as I felt her ki disappear.
Turmeric had been eating the same chicken, but nothing had happened to him. His spell must have poisoned the food while it was inside the woman. I stared at my own food, and pushed it away.
***
After dinner, I was shown to my room. I just wanted to stay there and sleep, and not think about the horrors of the castle. How long would I stay here? What else would I have to do? It seemed that everything in the castle was based on one thing. Death. How much more death would I have to experience before I could gain the necessary information from Turmeric? I didn't know if I had the strength to last much longer.
You have to become like them.
I realized what Dende meant by that. It was not necessary to gain their trust, but to hold on to my own sanity, I would have to become like them. I would have to learn to accept death, the death of others. It would mean that I could not be afraid to kill, because if I was, I would fail, and we would be lost to an immortal demon.
I laid there, thinking about death, killing, and how unfair that the world's fate had been put on my shoulders, with no one else to help me bare it. Xander, Dende, John, Angelina, Kargo... the people who were supposed to help me through this, the ones who I would fight with when the Greys came, they were not there then. It was all up to me, and I wasn't sure I could do it.
I fell asleep thinking that. I was so exhausted that I could sleep even on that hell on earth. I wasn't even aware that I had fallen asleep until I felt a hand clamp over my mouth, the weight of a man's body over mine, and the barrel of a gun on my head.
"Don't move, I'm not here to hurt..." He said, until threw him off.
"Fuck!" The man yelled, as he hit the wall and slumped down. For a moment, I thought I had knocked him out, until he raised his head, eyes glaring at me.
"What the fuck did you do that for?" He said in a whisper. "I was trying to say I wasn't going to hurt you. I just want to talk." The man lifted his gun, and released the magazine in the handle. It was empty. "See. I just didn't want you to make a lot of noise."
"I could have killed you." I said, trying to sound menacing. The man smiled.
"I knew you wouldn't." He said. "You're not like the others, you don't belong here."
"Didn't you hear? I killed the previous champion." I stated.
"Only 'cause you had to." He began to stand up, but sat back down as I lifted my hand, ki glowing in the darkness of the room. "I can tell about people. Kinda like a sixth sense. I know you're a good guy, you just do what you have to."
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"Because I needed someone else, someone who's not sick like the rest of 'em. 'Cause this place makes me sick, and I need someone else who's like me."
"Then, why are you here at all?" I asked. The man reached under his cloak, and produced a wallet. He flipped it open, revealing a badge.
"My name is Jack Satan, Imperial Police Department." He said.
"Satan? You mean, like Hercule Satan?" I asked. The man nodded. But, Mr. Satan's only daughter married Son Gohan, and took his name. Perhaps, somewhere down the line, one of Gohan's descendants changed their name back to Satan. That would mean that, at least distantly, he was related to me. It also meant that, however little, he had Saiya-jin blood.
"What is the IPD doing in a place like this?" I asked.
"Well, I'm really not representing the force here." He said. He looked at me, into my eyes. "You look like a guy I can trust. About a year ago, some of my buddies joined up here. I found out about it, and the kind a shit they do here, and I wanted to get the force down here and shut them down. I guess no one believed me, or the IPF doesn't have jurisdiction over monsters. So, I left, and joined myself. I've been trying to work myself up the ranks, and when I get one of those demons alone..." he held up his gun, "bang."
"You realize that would be suicide." I said. Jack shrugged.
"As long as I take one of them to Hell with me, I don't give a shit." He said. I think he meant it.
"What you don't realize," He said, "it that these people are sick. Really sick. You got a taste of it, but when you see the real thing I'm not sure you'll care either."
"You think you know me so well already." I observed. Jack gave a weak grin.
"You'll see. Tomorrow, go to the Chambers. You'll see."
***
I asked Jack what the Chambers were, but he wouldn't say. Instead, he asked me about my life. I told him. The real story, not the one I fed Turmeric. Because he was a cop, even one that hadn't been on duty for a year, I left out most of what had happened in Satan City. I just started from the abduction, and went from there.
To my surprise, he believed me. I didn't tell him of my heritage, or his, but I told him about the Z senshi, Dende, and Garlic Jr. He was shocked, once he laughed, but I could tell he believed me.
I smiled as I realized that I wouldn't have to do this alone. It was a great relief to just talk about it, about my mission, and what I had to do to complete it. It made it much easier to bare such a burden.
Jack left my room about two hours after he entered. He told me to request the "grand tour" that day, and see what the cult was really all about. I assured him I would.
***
When I awoke the next morning, one of Turmeric's "servants" came to me, and offered me a tour of the castle. I accepted. He brought me through the hall I had been through the other day, where the members ate. He led to a room that looked like military barracks, where the others slept. One entire wing of the castle was off-limits, even to me. It was where Turmeric's quarters was. I figured that any information I could get on Garlic Jr. would be there.
He then led me down numerous flights of stairs that led to the bottom of the castle. Two great doors led to what he told me were the Chambers. I asked him to show me inside. He hesitated, and fear crossed his face. He told me, his voice quaking, that I would have to go in myself, that he was not allowed in. He was cowering, as if I would strike him. I allowed him to go, and went towards the doors.
The smell hit me before I even opened the doors. The prevalent smell by far was blood. I had smelled it enough to know. I smelled smoke, wood burning, and something else burning. It smelled like hair, and flesh.
The great wooden doors blocked the sounds, as I opened them, I could hear the screams. Terror, joy, pain, pleading for mercy, men shouting as if they were watching a sport, crying. The mix of sounds made me involuntarily clamp my hands over me ears for a moment, then I entered.
As if the smell and sounds weren't terrible enough, what I saw went beyond horror. It dawned on me that I had entered a torture chamber. I saw men dangling from huge birdcages, under a roaring fire, backing alive. Others were on racks, their limbs being stretched in all directions. Those were the kinder treatments.
All around me, men in robes were acting like it was Christmas Day. Some were gutting a woman with curved daggers, smiling as she screamed, her organs spilling out on to the floor. They laughed at her as she pleaded for them to end it quickly. Others were being flayed, layer-by-layer. Men, women, even a few children.
Why! Why was this happening? What did these people do? I felt sick; I knew that I wouldn't be able to stop from throwing up. Luckily, everything I had eaten had been digested, so I dry-heaved for a good two minutes, and rose, gasping for breath.
I saw Jack, leaning against a wall. His eyes glazed over, he was in a different world. Hell, any world would be better then this. I walked over to him, wiping my mouth.
His eyes shifted to me, and he nodded his head to an adjacent room. It was empty, except for a dead body, hanging from a cage, the embers of a fire slowly dieing. The had-been man was covered in boils, but had probably died from dehydration, rather then burns. From the look of his face, as it froze in death, his death had been slow.
"Stop it!" Jack yelled. My eyes broke from the body, as I came back to the living.
"What!" I tried to yell back, but I could barely find my voice.
"You look like you're going to throw up." He said.
"Too late." I said, and slumped against a wall. "These people so sick. Their so sick." tears streamed down my face, as I began to shake involuntarily.
"You have to control yourself." He said, harshly, "If you show kindness, they'll turn on you. You'll fail your mission."
"I don't care." I spat. "This whole thing is fucked up."
"I know it is." He said, "goddamnit, I spent a year in this place. Get over it, and control yourself." How could I possibly "get over it"? It was inhuman.
"You don't have to feel it." I said, my voice giving way to sobs.
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"I can feel it. Their ki. I can feel them dieing. I can feel their torment. I can almost feel their pain." Jack said nothing, letting me vent. Slowly, the tears subsided, and I gained control of myself.
"Who are these people? The victims, I mean." I asked. I had to know.
"Different people. Some are from a nearby village. Others used to be Turmeric's servants," So that's why my guide refused to come in. He was afraid he would be tortured. "Others are members of the cult, who were too weak. Some of those out there did just what you're doing now." Why did he have to say that they were weak? Were they weak physically? The hierarchy here seemed to be strength. The stronger you were, the higher you were held in their eyes. Were they weak because they showed emotion? Was I weak?
I stood up, drying my eyes. "I'm leaving." I said. I knew that I couldn't stay anymore. If I did, I wouldn't be able to control myself.
As I entered the main room, someone caught sight of me.
"It's the Champion!"
Immediately, I was surrounded by cloaks. They kept their distance, but they all began to urge me to try out some kind of torture method. I refused, until one ventured closer, and slapped a dagger in my hand.
"Let's see how good 'e is with a knife!" he yelled. Another came forth with a woman in his arms. She was naked, and so emaciated that I could see almost every bone in her body. I looked into her eyes, and I saw nothing look back. Everything that the woman once was, everything that she could have been, was gone. She had been starved, and probably abused and raped so much that she had lost her will to live. All that was left was a shell of a human. Death would be a friend to her.
"Flay her!" I heard the others shout, among other things. I saw red. These people were sick! I should be flaying them, not this poor woman.
I flipped the dagger into the air, and caught the blade between my thumb and forefinger. With a flick of my wrist, I threw it. The man holding the woman gasped for a moment, as the dagger entered his head, killing him instantly. He fell over, on top of the woman, who made no move to even push him off.
Immediately, I heard shouts of anger, others were swearing at me, some began to spit. None of them came close though, afraid that they would be next. I turned, and the circle of men split apart as I went through the doors, out of the Chambers. I walked away, swiftly, as I promised myself that I would never go through those doors again.
I heard footsteps behind me, and I pulled up my hood so that they wouldn't see my tears. I turned around, and saw Jack.
"That was stupid." He said flatly.
"I don't care. I couldn't kill an innocent woman." I said. Jack sighed.
"It's not that. Those people don't give a shit about who you killed. They kill each other daily. They're upset 'cause you killed 'em too quick. They don't do that here. They expect the Champion to take days to kill a person." I stared at Jack as he said that. It was unbelievable. Nausea struck me again as I walked away.
I had killed someone, but they weren't satisfied. All because it had been quick. Why did I kill him any way? It wasn't necessary. I could have just walked away, and no one would have been able to stop me. Was it getting easier to kill?
I didn't want to think about it. But, I knew that before it was over, I would have to kill a lot more.