A/n
Here is the next chapter, again the story in general overall has not change, but details have, so enjoy the story!
Chapter 24: Time in a New Prison
-Neutral pov-
The path one walks forward on can be many things, whether it is straight or crooked, wide or narrow. For a good portion of it, an individual chooses where the path goes and what turns they take. However, there are factors that can't be chosen or waved off which can cause great upheaval. For Saber, those factors come often enough and aren't nice to him at all and now once again, he faces the effects of such factors.
-Saber's pov-
I woke up slowly and the first thing I noticed was I couldn't move my arms and legs accompanied by a horrible headache. I would also assume a good size lump on the back of my head at the very least. Oh dear, this feels oddly and rather familiar and I don't like the reminder of what I was remembering! I opened my eyes and found myself looking at the ground moving past me and when I twisted from side to side only to find I was bound to a wood pole. It was then the scent hit me, and it took a great deal of effort not to hurl at what was assaulting my senses. The air REEKS of the scent that was of apes, no doubt about that! I would question is do these apes ever bathe?! I was trying not to choke on the smell they put off and I thought for the first few minutes that I would suffocate!
If apes were taking me somewhere, then my questions are where they are taking me and why. They have more a reason to kill me than take me somewhere else, so why tie me to a pole instead? It's not like I have a choice in this of course, but my curiosity would not be silenced and so was working. It was while I was in my thoughts that I felt a bump on the pole, and I heard a voice, "It would appear that you are awake then." Oh… I have heard that voice and I twisted as best I could to get the view of the owner of the voice, "Turn the pole."
The pole I was bound to, began to spin and now I was looking at the sky. I brought my chin to my collar bone and saw that the owner of the voice was a monkey, one I had met previously. I sighed and let out a whisper, "Exis."
This was a very unexpected turn of events and unwelcome indeed! The phrase that comes to mind in this current situation I find myself in would be simple. 'I'm going to hell in a handbasket'! Exis simply stared at me with a cold neutral facial expression and I was beginning to dislike the silence that was present. "So, I have to admit, I am impressed of you slightly," I said.
Exis continued to gaze at me, but I saw the smallest movement of her eyebrows rising. What I had said had piqued her interest, if only slightly, but nonetheless, I may be able to work with this, "How so," Exis mused.
Oh Oh Oh Oh, I definitely could work with this! I thought about my current standing and I had her talking and if I played my cards right, then I could get some possibly valuable information! Okay play it cool and deliver the flattery in bountiful amounts, "Well, you actually captured me. First, Mara has been trying to catch me for a few weeks now and she has had no success in that. Then, Shiek tried a few days ago and failed. Out of the three of you, I was expecting that Shiek would be the first to catch me given enough time as he is the most tactically minded of you three. I guess that this proves 'you can't judge a book by its cover' as the saying goes. You striking me from behind is effective, since I could not see it coming."
I had expected her to smirk or something of the like to preen her pride, yet she did nothing of the sort. Exis's face was expressionless, yet she still put out an aura of coldness and death. She was an 'S' case type of assassin and she didn't need to prove it, she showed it much better! "Yes, I know about your victory over Shiek. It is quite surprising to find out as he does not admit his failures to others if he does not have too. You keep proving yourself more similar to us with each skirmish," she iterated.
I see her comment that I think she meant as a compliment, but it's more of an insult if you ask me. Although, she was presenting an interesting quality I hadn't seen before and with the members of the Silent Killers, I'll take what facts I can get about them. Exis was showing herself to be a type of observationist or someone that takes the time to study and observe an opponent, much like myself. Hmmm, I hadn't expected this as the one time I had been around her was our first encounter.
The initial impression of her is that Exis is cold and emotionless overall and she was an expert with using a staff. Having battled her, where she had literally broken up the ground within a six-foot diameter by just thrusting an end of her staff into the ground had proven that to me. However, the feature that stood out the most was her eyes. Her eyes crimson as blood, when I looked into them I saw emptiness. If the phrase 'the eyes are the window to the soul' was true, then Exis soul was dark, no question. In short, Exis had the eyes of a killer and one that has and most likely still did kill others. That is why knowing that she was part of an assassination group isn't hard to believe at all.
Yet, now knowing that she was also an observationist, I was forced to take stock of recent events. I had the feeling for the last few days, that someone had been watching me. I could now see it had been Exis, she had been watching me and studying me for the last few days. I would hazard a guess she had started sometime before I had fought Shiek. If that were the case, then I had to admit that she had even been able to completely elude my senses, which was rather troubling to me as not even Mara and Shiek hadn't completely done so! That presented a clear fact I didn't like, that is when it came to stealth and concealment, so she was good! I had completely underestimated her and I was paying for it right now and I couldn't help but sigh at my new understanding I had now acquired. "It would seem I have underestimated you Exis, I admit it though shamefully so. I will not do so in the future, rest assured Exis," I stated flatly.
I meant what I said, I wouldn't underestimate this monkey again intentionally, I would take her seriously. The monkey cocked her head to the side slightly, "Oh, is that some kind of threat?"
I met her gaze and gave her a cold glare of my own, "I do not make threats, I make promises," I replied.
She humphed at my declaration, then she gave a short but sharp tap with one of her feet before leaping off the log. The next thing I know the world began to spin and after a couple of seconds I was back to the view of the ground in front of me with the log had been spun a hundred eighty degrees again. Exis could have just said that our conversation was done instead of spinning the log around. I sighed, well this is one hell of a crap shoot I now find myself in and I have no ideas of how to get out of this.
The next few days were some of the longer ones that I have lived through in a long while and that's saying something. I felt near constant pain in my wrists, stomach and lower legs for the rubbing the ropes or whatever had been used to bind me to this log had rubbed badly. The rest of my body wasn't much better as I had been feeling the cramps coming on from being kept in the same position for a while. At the times that we stopped, I would be untied from the pole but my wrists and ankles would be tied together, making sure that I had the least opportunity to escape.
On what I would guess was the second day, when we finally got out of the Arid Lands, making me think that we were heading south, things changed. It came when I then heard a shout from Exis and the apes carrying the log I was bound to stop. There came another barked order, but not from Exis and not a familiar voice and my mind was racing trying to figure out what was going on. I heard a blade being drawn in my near vicinity, and I had a couple of seconds to wonder what the apes would use that blade for before I heard a whoosh of the blade cutting through the air. I found out what the blade was for as I fell to the ground in a heap after my bindings were cut by the said blade. I had much less strength to work with due to my rough handling by the apes so I couldn't get to my feet. I did manage to keep myself from groaning in pain since I wouldn't give them the satisfaction that they had done something to me! Two pairs of hands grabbed me roughly under my arms and lifted me off the ground and I got a full view of my new surroundings.
I was in a valley that had little greenery in it at all, yet had mountains on both sides surrounding the area. The sheer number of apes that were here in this valley was huge, thousands perhaps which worried me a great deal! At the far end of the valley, there was some kind of city that seemed to be built in the remnants of ancients ruins. By the sight of the great number of apes that were here and the way they seemed to be set up, they were preparing for something big.
I wouldn't consider myself a genius, still, it doesn't take a genius to see the apes were preparing for a war and I had a good idea of who their opponents were going to be. I was starting to realize the importance of a recent event I had missed. Spyro and Cynder had been attacked so that they would most likely not be around Warfang for a while. If they were there, both wouldn't be able to help as much as if they weren't injured. As for me, I would guess I would be called the wild card in this as the apes didn't know very much about me and I had proven that I could take them with relative ease. One thing about the current situation was clear, I was in trouble while I am around here! "Well, this sight of so many ugly mugs is certainly one I could have done without," I muttered to myself.
Next thing I knew, I felt a fist slam into my gut and knock the wind out of me and left me wheezing on the ground. I gasped for breath feeling new waves of pain surging through me as I caught sight of another ape about to swing his fist to hit me. I braced myself for the strike so that I could attempt to counter, yet before he did another command was barked. The ape who was about to punch me stopped and then the two apes who were carrying me continued forward into the valley with the rest of the group of apes following behind them.
As we were entering the city, I was under the assumption that I was being taken to the one in charge, most likely the 'Ape King' I have heard a little about. In fact, I knew just bits and pieces about this figure, the 'Ape King'. Most things that I had on this guy was rumors and what I knew about the previous leader of the apes, the ape king Gaul. This figure that had taken over the position that Gaul's death at the paws of Spyro and Cynder had vacated was quite mysterious. They apparently controlled the apes by fear and something like a kind of brainwashing. Yet that was hard to believe since to brainwash someone requires that they have to have a brain to start with and I see that as a questionable with the apes. Well, I guess I will be meeting this king soon enough I will see what this leader is like.
Although, as I was being carried through the city, I was being jeered at by the apes which aren't that surprising I guess with the reputation I've earned with them. After a sizable distance, we were approaching a structure that was noticeably bigger than the city in front of it. I was carried into the interior of the palace like structure and as that was happening, I felt some feeling and response coming back to my body as I was recovering. I was still nowhere near enough to take on this group and those who are in close proximity to me, yet it was better than nothing. I will have to see how this plays on for now, since I have no prayer at fighting my way out at this time!
We entered a large room, I was unceremoniously thrown forward and I decided to play the weak prisoner for the moment and so I fell forward and crumpled to the floor. I still felt pain all over my body, but it wasn't as bad as I was portraying, but I would play it up for everything it was worth! Exis strode forward and bowed to the throne that I assumed was in front of me, but I was currently face down into the marble-like floor. "My liege, I have brought the odd one as you ordered," she stated.
There was silence as the reply to Exis, and then there was shuffling as the rest of the apes including Exis left the room. This left me and the ape king alone and I did not like that idea right now, "You can drop the act though I will say it is quite convincing."
I felt shocked at that voice for several reasons, the first they knew I was making it appear I was hurt more than I really was. And the second caused me to lift my head to look at the 'Ape King' to confirm it, "You are a female," I uttered.
The leader of the apes, the one that was making the apes more successful as of late was a female. It would figure in a fashion as women can do things that we men can only imagine! I gave her a once over, by her figure she wasn't an ape really at all, but more of a monkey like the silent killers. However, she was taller than Mara or Exis, yet I was taller than her. As I quickly calculated her height it figured her to stand at almost four feet tall, that was close to double the monkeys she seemed to be like. Her fur was the color of sand and was obviously taken better care of with work than the other apes take the time to. She had a long tail much like Shiek, and I'd learned to watch that limb they have that we humans no longer do.
The feature that caught my attention was her face was almost human, it wasn't like a monkey's where the lower half of the face juts out noticeably because of their jaw supposedly, hers did only slightly. She also had thin arrow markings on the center of her forehead and also on her cheeks. Maybe they were some sort of tribal markings. I have learned not to ask the question 'why' when it comes to the apes, it was easier that way. She looked close to human, which disturbed me for several reasons. And I stopped at her eyes that were a bright shade of magenta with my observations.
Overall she isn't bad looking now that I… WHAT AM I THINKING! This is… this feels so… wrong and degrading, that I was thinking that a monkey was in any way good looking! That was a huge insult to my male pride at the very least and my brain got a hard slap for that, curse you evolution! Why do you have to be so dang good at changing things? I mean granted, I as a human being, I'm farther along the evolutionary path than she is physically, nevertheless, she is much like what science would guess early humans were… never mind! I have much higher standards than that, I have qualities I want in a girl before I even consider one like 'that'!
Her looks were only part of the problem, her voice had quality in it. Maybe in the tone, that starts to affect my senses in a way I didn't like at all. I thought back to one of my original suspicions of how the leader figure was controlling the masses. Her voice was having an effect on me and I thought if I could be affected then the apes most certainly could be. This one fact would complicate things in ways even I couldn't predict, "Indeed, I am and I must say I have been looking forward to meeting you for some time human. It is clear we share common ancestry at some time in the past as we look similar to a degree," she remarked.
I kept my mouth shut tightly, I didn't trust what would come out of it right now and I forced myself to focus and ignore her tone of voice for it dangerous. She was trying to trick me for some reason and if there is one thing I hate more than most, it is being manipulated by someone else! She had gotten up from the chair or throne and had started to walk towards me, "Not feeling talkative, are you? That is a pity, there were several matters I would like to discuss with someone like you. I think you would be able to understand."
She stopped above me and looked down at me and smiled slightly. The smile may have seemed to a degree friendly, still, it wasn't in the slightest. She was deceptive, yet she could pull off the nice appearance believably well. She was honey-tongued, but I would say she had subtle venom in it! At least that is what I would guess by how she controls the apes so effortlessly. She snapped her fingers and a few apes entered the room, "Well since you do not want to talk, there is no reason for you to be here. But worry not, accommodations have been made for you. I hope you will find them hospitable."
As the apes pick me up once again, I highly doubted that I would like the accommodations that I would be getting here. The apes proceeded to haul me out of the room and then out of the palace of the apes as I was decided to call it. I was taken a short distance to a small one-room building. The second we had entered, I only saw black before the apes threw me further in and I crashed and rolled before I came to a stop. I heard a heavy door close and then the sound of a lock being put into place.
And so, I find myself locked in a pitch black cell and having been thrown in here hadn't helped the pain I was in go away at all. I felt around myself until I found the wall and shifted into a sitting position against the said wall. I then waved my right hand in front of my face and could barely see something as there were slivers of light getting through the wood the cell was built with. I let out a sigh at the current situation as this was a new low for me to experience for being in this cell in the middle of a city of apes. To make my chances even worse in this the fact the said city was surrounded by a huge army of apes as well didn't help me. And I have no idea what would be coming next, other than it would very unlikely be helpful to me.
After I had just sat back to the wall for a few minutes I think, I decided it would be good to at least explore the room I was now in. I couldn't get to my feet, so I crawled around the room to take in what I could of this room as I wasn't able to see well. My exploration didn't yield a great deal, I was in pretty much a square box space that the room was. The passage of time lost most meaning with it being close to completely dark, it makes calculating the passage of time very difficult.
After feeling around, I came into contact with an object and so I picked it up to determine what it was and it felt like wood. Well if it was, then I could get a look around my cell and without I used the fire element and light the object. The room was filled with light the instant I lit the object that I found was indeed wood. I looked around the room and wondered if I had light at all, and I started to think that the bland look that darkness had given before was a theme for the apes. The room was a rough cube shape that was fifteen feet in length and width and when I looked up and found this structure had a peaked roof due to the fact that the middle of the ceiling was higher than the ceiling at the walls. The center of the ceiling was twelve feet high and was ten feet at the edges at the walls. Their wooden support beams three in total that were perpendicular to the door. The beams were set so that there was a distance of four feet between the beams and one to two feet between the two outside beams from the walls. The floor was nothing more than dirt ground.
I sighed after taking in my surroundings, "Here I was expecting five-star accommodations from what I was told," I muttered to myself sarcastically. "To whom do I complain about this crap they call service?" I moved over to the wall opposite of the door and sat with my back to it, let out a breath and closed my eyes. I was getting close to rock bottom with this turn of events, "What a day, I started with lessons from Spyro and now I end out in a dark cell. What do I do now with this new visit to hell?"
I heard the voice of Shae answer in my mind, 'Not yet,' to which I rolled my eyes at that reply. I really didn't need that murderous sociopath's two cents, "Shut up you, I don't need your crap right now or ever," I uttered.
Silence followed my answer inside this cell and out as well, so I decided to give myself checking over after the events of the day. And after I had checked my body over I knew this was going to be hell. The skin on my wrist and ankles had been pretty much rubbed off and was raw and had bled a little, but now was caked with blood. The blow I had gotten to the back of my head still hurt though thankfully had not fractured my skull, but there was a sizable lump. I was also still recovering from my previous injuries which weren't helped by the handling and treatment by the apes. I put out the makeshift torch and with nothing else to do I fell asleep shortly after checking myself over and woke up to the same darkness I had gone to sleep to.
I stretched my limbs and body experimentally, nothing felt broken or out of place. I got to my feet and stood, but due to harsh pain that shot through my lower legs, I sat back down. Well, my legs will still need time to be in full working order, which I am unlikely to get I fear. This just showed that I need to start my plan to escape this hell and the sooner the better. I knew I had to get away, yet I knew should rush my escape I wouldn't get another chance for a long while if I did at all. I needed to be careful and patient in this though I hated to wait, biding my time will pay off with my escape. I would use the time I was locked in here to my advantage and prepare for the opportunity that would come. I stood back up and blocked out the pain and started to practice martial arts taking it easy so that I didn't further hurt myself.
After a long period of time, I heard multiple apes approaching my cell. I quickly put out the fire I had built and then lay against the wall. I didn't want to give them any reason to suspect me of anything or even think I was doing anything. I see no need to let them know I was planning something until I go through with it. I heard the bar I would guess from its place and the door opened and I had to shield my eyes as the light of the outside was much brighter than the fire I had used for light. My eyes had adapted to the dimmer light rather than the sunlight in a very short period in my view. A few apes stood in the doorway now and so I set my face into an expression of passive resistance. One of the apes came forward a few steps and look down at me, "You lucky, Leader wants you alive. We here, bring food," it said.
Lucky me I guess, I watched as they put down a roughly made tray that was more like a wooden box. This said 'tray box' had what looked like food on it but that was using the term food loosely. Still, I stayed exactly where I was and didn't move, why react to the apes when it would only give them an excuse to stay longer. I really wanted them to leave me alone, to which the apes huffed and laughed as they shut the door and locked it once again. I moved forward and relit the fire and took a look at what had been brought, the smell hadn't been encouraging.
On the tray or in the box as well, I really have little idea what was in this box. With dragons, at least the food they ate was somewhat recognizable and more than edible, which if I were to compare it to this stuff in this box, the stuff in front of me looks… like garbage, you would find in a very dirty dumpster honestly! There was a makeshift bowl of some type of gruel that smelled questionable. There were pieces of meat that looked like it had been taken from the bottom of the previously mentioned dumpster back home. No vegetables or fruits anywhere in the box as I looked around in it.
The liquid that was in a cup… at least I think the wood cylinder was a cup, the color worried me. I sniffed a little closer than I had before and what I got from the cup, got me to jerk back hard with the first whiff! The contents of the cup smelled foul and it just reeked, there was no way I could mistake that particular smell, as I had been forced to smell it for years without relief. The apes had given me Alcoholic liquid, I wouldn't drink that stuff even the smell of alcohol is revolting to me! I don't want to taste it at any time in my life. Uncle Douchebag had been unknowingly teaching me the evils of alcohol for the last nine years at least, if not more. I sighed at seeing this garbage that the apes call food for the food wasn't any better than the liquid. This is a new low for me in my life and this is pretty bad!
As it tends to be with me, I then felt something cold hit my forehead and upon looking up, I notice the sound of rain. God, my faith in you is now restored, at least slightly, you keep this up and we'll talk, anyways thank you for this wonderful gift. I took the cup and threw the liquid that it started with out, used the wind element to clean the alcohol out and put under the center of the cell. Next, I focused the wind element into a small ball shape much like a bullet and formed my right hand into a gun and pointed up. I 'shot' the wind and got a small hole right above the cup. Now I looked in satisfaction at the small stream of water going into the cup.
My throat was dry and parched by this time and it felt worse as I watched the cup fill. Yet, when it had filled, I took the cup and gulped down the water, the cool water felt amazing, the best feeling I had since I been brought here. I put the cup back to let it fill again, I took everything in the box out then took the box and replaced the full cup with the box to collect water I can drink. I next went back to the rest of the food and took a closer look at the meat. It looked kind of like burnt chicken, but it had come from a bigger animal than a chicken. I sniffed and it indeed smelt like burnt chicken as well, so I took a bite to see what I would get. I gagged for a second as the taste hit my tongue before I forcefully swallowed. The meat didn't just look like garbage, but it tasted like it too and yes, I know what I am talking about!
So my question is how do the apes stomach this crap? I can barely get it down for goodness sakes. But in my current situation, I'm aware that I really couldn't be picky, it is still technically food I guess, so better force it down. I turned to the gruel, hoping that at least, it wouldn't taste as bad as it smelled and it tasted pretty much like dirty dishwater. Yes, I have tasted dishwater like I had tasted garbage, thanks to my uncle, he forced me to as punishment once for both. I have never forgotten the taste of dishwater or garbage because of those experiences.
After I had forced down 'the meal' I had been brought, I crawled over to the wall opposing the wall, laid down and clutched my stomach Said stomach which has processed a LOT of different and unusual things was refusing the stuff I had forcefully given it. It was making its protest known at the quality of food I had just eaten and its displeasure of it! I groaned, "Worst meal," I began before covering my mouth as a nasty burp came. The burp had been nastier than what comes out of my mouth normally, and I normally send out nastiness. I continued where I had left off, "have ever," another burp escaped me, "had!"
Now I have absolutely nothing against burps in the slightest, still, these burps were horrible and just not good at all. The burps tasted worse than the garbage I had forced down and that was really bad. I was trying not to throw up the garbage I had gotten down and I managed in this to keep the food down though with difficulty. Sleep didn't come to easy but it did come after a while when my gut got tired of complaining.
When I opened my eyes once again to the darkness that I was, unfortunately, becoming accustomed to now, I found no changes. The one current difference now, however, was my digestive system had finally stopped complaining and gotten the job done of processing the horrible garbage I gave it. So, it was time to get to work on doing what I could to prepare for my escape.
I lit the wood again and began to think about the things I needed to do to make an escape feasible. First, I needed to make this cell at least a livable space as soon as possible. Next, I needed more supplies to work with for my plan I was developing. I would most likely have to steal-I mean, borrow with no intention of giving back for a while. The other shortcoming in my plan was I had little knowledge of the layout of this place and that would need to change immensely if I was to escape successfully. The livable conditions should be easy enough to change for the better from what it is. The borrowing would need some work, but I would need to wait until I was outside most likely when I would be brought back to my cell from wherever I would be taken to. Learning the lay of this place would be the hardest of the three points as I would have far less time and opportunity to do that.
I got up slowly and then decided to get to work with the first order being making a latrine to improve the living conditions after all cleanliness is a necessity for livability. The ice element I think would be the best for that out all of the elements I could use. I would have loved to have use of the earth element for this, but I have no access to it at the moment. So, ice would have to do; it took four tries to form an icicle, but I managed it. I then started jabbing at one of the corners on the wall that had the door so that I could make a hole for a toilet. I say a rough toilet is better than no toilet even if a simple one that is just a hole in the ground.
After what I guessed to be an hour I finally finished my toilet hole, as I had broken out to beyond the cell with the small tunnel I had carved. I smelled the fresher air from the outside, I still couldn't see anything as the tunnel pointed down into a dark chasm. Now that I had facilities to work with I was one step closer to being in a better position. When I heard the sounds of a group approaching and I quickly put out the fire and took up my position of sitting with my back against the wall facing the door. The bar or whatever they use to lock the door scraped as it was removed and the door opened. It was night since the light was dimmer than earlier, but I had only a few seconds to take that in before some of the apes moved in and grabbed me roughly and carried me out of the cell.
The apes then proceeded to haul me through the city into their army camp and the further in I was taken the more worried I was becoming. The second the apes that were hauling me entered the army camp, many apes started to screech and scream at the sight of me. The jeering and the tone it was coming at me did not encourage me, it more told me that things were going done a bad road. As I was hauled pass many apes I would hear them threaten me with such things as that they would kill me or drink my blood. Those lines got me to mentally prepare myself to defend my life to the best of my abilities.
It wasn't the threats that worried me the most for I was expecting that kind of thing from the apes. My biggest worry was I was now in a camp that housed most likely over a thousand apes and all of them wanted a go at me. And with some of the signs that I was seeing so far, these apes may get that chance to fight me. I may be good at fighting, however even I would be suicidal to go into a fight with the odds stacked this high against me! When the apes carrying me had reached an open area in the camp they stopped and threw me forward to the ground.
I rose to my feet and slowly looking around at my current surroundings. Apes had formed a large circle around me, probably a hundred feet in diameter and they were still jeering at me, some even more so than before. Then there was a bark, likely some kind of order I would guess and the apes quieted down. "Kee kee kee, you look like you are ready for the fight of your life," said Mara and when I spun to the source I found the said monkey.
"Well I have to say, Mara, it is evermore a displeasure to see you," I greeted before glance around, "what is this all about?"
"Kee kee kee, you are the evening entertainment," she replied.
Ah, I was afraid that would be the case as that wasn't going to go well for me by the end, I guarantee. I tensed up and shifted myself into the best defensive stance I could think of and readied myself Why do my hunches have to be so dang accurate in situations like this?
"Kee kee, remember our leader wants him alive that is all, kee kee kee," Mara announced loudly so all of the apes could hear her.
Crap, alive Mara says, that's extremely vague on what apes get to not do to me very soon! If anything all that means is that the apes can beat me to their hearts' content as long as I survive, regardless of condition! This is going to suck bad for me, isn't it? God, I thought we were beginning to have a deal going, an understanding if you will. So, when exactly did that do a one-eighty and want me close to death and that's what this situation is? It would seem I'm, as usual, left to my own devices and so, no need to hold back on them then! And they will probably have weapons where I don't… until I take theirs of course, but still.
The sound of some kind of bell rang which must have signaled for the fight to begin for five apes rushed forward at me. The first ape to reach me I shoved my right elbow hard into his chest, dropping him to the ground. The second I thrust my left hand, palm up at his face which gave me an audible crack that told me I had broken his nose and he collapsed to the ground in pain. Ape number three I gave an upward ax kick, which connected to his jaw and sent him flying. The fourth I used a roundhouse kick to force him back into the crowd of apes. The final of the first five I side-stepped and hit him with a hard chop to his neck and he dropped to the ground like the other apes that had attacked me first.
The apes became enraged at this, so much so that it was driving them into a frenzy. What I wouldn't give for a weapon right now as the first five hadn't had any. Now a great number of apes surged forward towards me from all sides and there was no point in count them as they would keep coming. I knew I was doomed to lose this fight before it started however, that's not to say I went down without fighting! And for a few minutes, I was holding my own against the horde, but it didn't take long for me to feel the strain.
Nevertheless, I knew I was done when I felt a club smash into my left leg. I heard an audible crack and the burst of pain shot through my left leg and I had difficulty standing. That meant that I had most likely just gotten my leg broken. That particular injury made things worse for me as it cut down my mobility quite a bit! I sunk to the ground, my left leg unable to support my weight and the apes were quick to take advantage of this and set about to beat me all over my body.
When the fight, if you could call it that had finally ended, I would've called it more of myself getting the crap beaten out of me by a very large number of apes. Although, I had managed to stay awake through it all before the apes were told to stop, which I swear had been a long while. There were little parts of my body that weren't cut or bruised and that didn't hurt. I don't think I have ever gotten this bad of a beating in my life, not even from my uncle though he had gotten closer than any before this. But I had survived the ordeal and that was important, I wouldn't let that be waved off, nor that I had done damage to a number of apes before going down.
As the two apes were carrying me back to my cell dragging me by my good leg, I found myself with a golden opportunity that I had wondering if I would get. There was loose stuff and crap of all different kinds, all within my hands reach and they were just calling to me, begging to be taken. Or that's what I say was happening and I do need the stuff to work with, so I certainly wasn't going to say no, especially not with the two idiots not watching! Anyways, I began to swipe and pick up as much as I could without being noticed by my 'couriers'. I hid the items I picked up anywhere I could, whether that was under my clothes or otherwise. When the apes had brought me to my cell and put me down in it, they left and closed the door and locked it.
I had to admit I was surprised they didn't notice some of the bulges of the items I had picked up. I was once again thankful that the apes were dimmer than dim and because of that were very easy to fool. For when I untucked my shirt, seven different items I had grabbed fell out onto the floor. I used my hands to push the items I had hid in my pants to come out and five more items fell to the floor. I looked over the items I had acquired and had to admit for just pick up random items in my reach and it wasn't a bad first haul. First and important at this time was two straight boards along with some kind of leather-like rope. I immediately set about to doing the best to fix my left leg. I let out a hiss as I moved the bone in my left leg back into its proper place, a very painful procedure. I then, pulled up my pant leg up and put the two boards on either side of my upper left leg and used the rope to make a splint to hold my broken bone in place as it mended. I pulled my pant leg down so that the makeshift splint would be less noticed if it was at all. I then returned back to the pile of items to see what else I had gotten. I saw I had gotten a small roll of some type of cloth material, three fairly good size pieces of wood, which was good as my original piece of wood was almost gone.
Back to the pile, something that looked like a ladle, a length of something that looked like wire or cable, how the apes have something like that is beyond my understanding or knowledge. There was also some kind of herbs, I would need some time to figure out what type of herbs but they could possibly be helpful. I saw a roll of material that when I gave it a shake unrolled into a kind of bedroll and that I will like to use. Granted, it may be thin, but it is better than the dirt floor I have right now and any improvement is a good thing! The last item I had acquired was some paper, or at least that is what I thought until I unfolded it completely. It was a kind of map on the respect that it gave a rough layout of the valley, this item was the best find I had at the moment for it would help in my escape plan. After all, as I have learned in my life, 'it isn't what job an object is made for, but what function you can find for the object'.
I crawled around hiding the items so that if apes came in unexpectedly they would not find them. I then, took the 'bedroll' and lay down and quickly fell asleep with a smile set on my face. I would make it out of this hell in one piece yet, I swear I will. Others can dispute, but I will prove them wrong before too long, it is an ability of mine that I'm proud of. Such were my thoughts as I drifted off to sleep.
The next time I woke up to the growingly accustom darkness or my cell, I stretched and to my surprise found I didn't hurt anywhere near what I had expected to after the fight. I lit wood with the fire element to have light and looked myself over and I was shocked, baffled and puzzled all at the same time. With the beat down I had taken, I should have been black, blue, purple or some different coloration from all the bruising I had to have developed. Yet there was nothing at all off-color or much evidence other than the bit of caked blood I hadn't cleaned off.
I untied the rope that held the splint in place and felt my leg to check how things were down there. And what I saw was simply not possible, my leg was broken last I checked and now it is well along the path of mending. I may not be an expert in the capabilities of the human body's healing factor, but I know enough to know that bones take more time to mend than I've had and the process has made noticeable progress. Yet my left leg was to my best estimation, more than halfway along in mending! I'm not complaining or anything, this is just weird and illogical and I'm suspicious of such occurrences. At least this isn't a stroke of my bad luck, I don't know how much more of that I can handle before it kills me!
I was just going around in circles about how this was happening, when my thoughts were interrupted, "It is not really strange that you have healed, it is a part of how you are Saber," said a voice.
I looked around as the voice had been as clear as someone speaking in this place, but there was no one there. "I could swear that someone was just speaking to me, but there is no one here but me," I muttered. "Maybe this is the first sign of me losing my mind, yet I do not think I am insane, at least not yet anyway. If you do not think you are insane it is very likely you are not. Then again, now that I think about it that voice sounded kind of like," I paused trying to recall that white dragon from the vision, "oh, what was his name… Koren if I recall correctly."
It was not a moment later, "Yes, that is my name," said the same voice.
I flinched and looked around again, "Okay, once can be written off as a coincidence, twice is something else," I uttered. "So then, uh, Koren, this is very funny and everything, but where are you?"
There was silence for a full minute, I know since I counted sixty seconds before I got an answer, "Um, I really do not know how to answer you in a way you would exactly understand or believe me," Koren replied and yet, I still saw nothing nor evidence of anyone else.
I sighed at the answer for with what I've been put through lately, I was willing to entertain ludicrous possibilities, "Try me," I challenged.
There was another period of silence longer than the one before, "Well um, I guess you can say I am in your mind, but that is not completely true," Koren was saying, "yet it is not completely wrong either as there is a connection."
I tried to process what Koren had just told me and it didn't make any real sense. 'He was in my mind, yet not in my mind' that's a contradiction in itself as a statement. In layman's terms, it made completely no sense whatsoever, "Really," I posed. "Er well, I suppose that makes sense in a totally nonsensical kind of way Koren. In plain speech, what you say does not make any sense."
There was a sound that I think was meant to infer a shrug of some sort, "I know," Koren answered. "But that is the best way I can think to explain it because I really do not understand how this works, I just know it does."
I mulled over what he said and put it aside for the moment as it wouldn't help to try and make sense of this. There were more pressing priorities to see to, "You said that me healing far faster than I normally would is a part of how I am," I questioned.
"Yes, that is the idea," Koren returned in almost a carefree tone.
I felt my left eye twitch in annoyance as I was beginning to get very irked by the easy acceptance of dragons of knowing something works, but not how! I kept calm, "Care to elaborate that said idea," I mused.
"I have no idea why," Koren replied, "it just is."
I reined my annoyance in so as to not explode with the lack of relevant information I was getting. Well, Koren, it would appear would be little help of how it was possible that I could heal from most minor and non-life threatening injuries apparently. At least this surprise was a helpful one for me and I needed as many of those as I could get right now. To say my current situation was grim for several different reasons would be an understatement. However, things were beginning to look up to a small extent and I wouldn't say no to that. I kind of had felt a dislike to the large amount of time to myself I was forced into recently. I surprised myself by this for I had in the human world preferred for the most part to be left to my own devices and means. Yet here I feel myself missing those who had been around me recently and had become my friends. I have always had a problem making lasting friendships, I stick out in such a way people have a tendency to avoid me.
Hence had someone told me that I would be in this kind of situation weeks ago, I would have thought they were crazy. This kind of adventure is what you would expect in a fairy tale, not reality and so unlikely to happen. Still, it had been more than a month, likely two if I was estimating right since I had come to the Dragon Realm which was a place that itself would be considered fiction. The Dragon Realm had rules that defied those of earth and logic as I know it, yet made perfect sense here somehow when it shouldn't!
Then there was the inhabitance of this realm and they were just as fantastic as they are the stuff of legend to humans. Spyro the 'famous' purple dragon that had become my first friend here in this realm; the 'go lucky' type and has unlike me good luck and he was one I got along with easily. Seth the shadow dragon, loyal to his friends though he tends to need a small push to move forward as he is somewhat shy and cautious though that isn't a detriment to him after he moves forward. The black dragoness Cynder even with her dark past that I have heard only pieces of, she has a strong heart even if we don't always see eye to eye or get along. Then the fun-loving ice dragoness Cyra, if there was someone who could brighten a room, it was Cyra. She is constantly positive and optimistic though how she is, I will never know.
And to be honest, I missed all of them even if I had been with them for a short period, I have grown fond of them. I was pained to admit that I was even beginning to miss that annoying dragonfly, Sparx. I sighed to myself at this thought, "This is definitely a new low for me, for me to miss the company of IC. What is this world or realm coming to," I muttered to myself
When I heard a group of apes coming towards my cell, I quickly hid away the map I had been studying for my plan. I had barely gotten to my sitting position with my back to the wall opposite the wall of the door when I heard the scrape of the bar being removed. The door swung open, it was daytime as the bright light came into the dark room. I covered my eyes to shield them from the bright light I have been denied for a while.
Yet, I heard someone come forward through the door whose footfalls were different than the apes. I still couldn't stop shielding my eyes as my eyes were having trouble adapting to the difference of light I was getting. I heard a huff and instantly knew two things, first the one in front of me was a monkey due to the fact that they were closer to my level and apes don't fit that description. Second, this is a monkey I had not met yet and as I hadn't like meeting the last two monkeys, I doubt I'll like this one any more than the previous silent killers I have met. After a few minutes, I was able to put my hand down and look at my visitors.
In front of me was a monkey with fur the color of the slate stone. Their eyes were magenta and were slanted slightly much like humans of Asian descent, unlike Mara, Exis or Shiek. The gaze that they were giving me was a piercing one, so I was beginning to be wary of this monkey. This one was as I estimated to be about two feet and eight inches in height. The said monkey also noted that they had thicker fur than the other three I had met by a margin. I had learned to note as much as I could with these monkey for no detail is insignificant with them, especially the difference between them. It can literally be the difference between life and near death experiences. "My my, you are not what I expected," said the monkey, implying that it was female. "From the many things I have heard about you, I expected a little more," she paused, "well more."
Her voice put forth a feeling of calm confidence as I met her gaze and didn't look away from her. Great another one for me to have to fend off, just what I don't need, "Well," I uttered, "you are new and rude to boot. So, who are you and where did you exactly get you information about me?"
The female monkey took a step back and bowed slightly, "My name is Sheras," she greeted. "Mara and Shiek have talked about you, Mara more than Shiek."
I rolled my eyes at that. Of course, her information would be from those two… figures, "Okay, it is a displeasure to meet you Sheras. As to your sources of information, Mara is completely obsessed over me so I would say her view is biased. Shiek is," I paused before continuing, "I would say bias since he lost to me recently in a fight, so he is holding a grudge and I assume is embarrassed as well I would imagine."
Sheras giggled at my reply and I didn't know how to take that. This monkey was something else from the other silent killers I have met so far, "You are quite amusing, that is a nice change around here. I have wondered what Shiek had been brooding over lately, losing to you would explain that. It is interesting to find out you beat Shiek in a fight, rather impressive for he does not lose to just anyone."
I stared at her sounded like she believes me, "Wait you believe me," I questioned.
"Yes, I do, with Mara has talked about you much more than anything else as of late so, I would say she is obsessed with you for some reason beyond my understanding. As for Shiek, there is little chance anyone would know of him losing since he will go to great lengths to make sure no one knows of such. However, Shiek has as I said been in a rather brooding mood since he has come back here, the only reason for that is that he lost. It is surprising that you did beat him, few can match Shiek in tactics," Sheras replied.
I was somewhat stunned at her view of the facts and that she didn't deny any of it, so was she trying to stroke my pride or something? These monkeys haven't and as far as I know, don't do anything without a reason that benefits them. I still didn't trust any of these monkeys periods and I would continue with this mindset for the time being. "What do you want then Sheras," I asked.
She gave me what I would guess is something akin to a malicious smile. You know, that smile is really giving me chills, I have a feeling I won't like what she is here for. She twisted her head to motion the apes forward and they moved into the cell, they grabbed me on either side and carried me out of the cell. I was hauled back to the palace. When I was brought to the throne room I was let go, forced to stand on my feet and I felt pain go through my left leg. My leg may be healing, but it was not back to one hundred percent yet and so I dropped to the floor.
"My lady, I have brought him to you as you have asked," Sheras stated.
I glanced back behind me to see Sheras bowing and leaving the room before I turned to the throne to see the female ape again, "We meet again."
I shifted myself into a sitting position on the floor and she was smiling at me. And I figured that it was time I make my honest and blunt opinion heard for I wasn't happy with what had been happening to me. "You know, I have been thrown and tossed to the ground, chucked into a pitch black cell. I have been beaten so badly to the point that I could not stand because I get my leg broken, along with my body hurts everywhere just for the sake of entertainment of others. All of this due to the hospitality of the apes that follow you and that you lead being forced onto me. Knowing all of that, do you really expect me to be friendly and nice to you? I will answer you," I said clearly, "Think again you freaking whench!"
The female continued to smile at me, "My you are much more talkative than the last time though whench is not my name it is Lucrecia," she returned.
Why the hell does she think for a moment that I freaking care what her name is with the crap the apes had put me through? My leg had been broken recent and breaking bones in a limb feels horrible I can attest to any that want to know. I was being abused steadily worse than what I would expect from Uncle Douchebag on a bad day and that isn't a compliment! I just gave her a cold gaze, "I do not care what you say your name is. I say again, if you really expect me to be friendly and nice to you, after what I have been put through, you have another thing coming whench!"
Apes came back in and grabbed me and picked me up and hauled me out of the room. And I found that it was just apes this time with no silent killers, which means it was time for another acquisition run. Oh, what the hell, I might as well call it what it is A STEALING SPREE! I will put the stuff to better use than the apes anyways, so I feel no guilt whatsoever about this! I stealthily started taking stuff that was within my reach and hid the stuff on my person, all the while the apes were oblivious to my activity. Ah, their stupidity is awe-inspiring, bless them for that quality!
When we had reached my cell I was thrown in this time rather than being set down like the last time. The jolt of hitting the ground hurt a bit, yet I held my peace as the apes closed the door and put the bar back in place locking the door. I strained my hearing to listen to the apes leaving. When they were out of earshot I let out the breath I had been holding and then I stood shakily and untuck my shirt and the stuff I had stolen fell to the floor. I did the same with my pants with the same results. I looked over my acquisitions that would contribute to the cause of my escape plan. I saw that I had got a cord around an inch thick and about six feet in length which will be useful. I got an amount of cotton fiber with I was grateful for when I had landed. I could make a pillow possible, but we will see. I noticed that I had picked up more cloth along with a small knife and some rough thread like stuff on a short stick. Well, with this I may be able to fix my clothes, no promise to the results of my attempts, but I will not complain about what I have to work with. The last thing I saw I had gotten on today's spree was what looked like a handle or hilt for a tool that had most likely had some sort of shovel or who knows what that wasn't there now. I took a deep breath and set to work on organizing the stuff I had theft today so that it wouldn't be found.
After I got my work done, I was satisfied with the work I had been able to do since I had gotten back to my cell. I now had a slightly more comfortable bed to sleep on now. I had made some crude minor repairs to my pants that could be passable for patching the rips and tears. I was working on attaching the cord to the tool handle in hopes of making a whip of sorts when I heard the sound of many footfalls coming towards my cell. Time for the apes again for whatever they are here to do! I hid the 'whip' I had been working on in a corner and took up my normal sitting position I had adopted to meet apes as of late.
The scrapping of the bar signaled that there were here for me and I was thankful that my leg was getting close to being good to go again. The door burst open and five apes came rushing in and I realized that these apes weren't here on orders to take me somewhere. They had much more malicious ideas in mind for me and if I didn't resist them, things would go much worse for me. I fought back, but these apes were stronger than me and they overpowered me and hauled me out and down towards the army camp. I had the chilling feeling that if I were to be present in that camp, then I wouldn't be coming out in good health at all. I struggled against my escort who held me tightly so that I couldn't escape so, my struggles were in vain.
When we got down into the army camp, the apes were riled up more than previous times. I knew this wasn't being watched by those who wanted me alive so, this would literally be a fight for my life and I was already at a disadvantage. I felt one of the apes holding me loosen their hold and I sprang into action. I wrenched my right arm free and punched the ape that held my left arm in the face as hard as I could, and he let go of me and howled in pain. I dropped to the ground and I felt my leg wasn't fully healed, but enough I could use it as I needed at this moment. I did a spinning roundhouse kick and took my escort by surprise and sent them flying into the crowd. I glanced around for something, anything to work with for a weapon in order to increase my chances to survive this fight. I saw a broadsword and grabbed it and swung it around myself to clear the apes that were approaching me. They back up slightly, but the majority pressed forward at me and it appeared the lot of them weren't about to waste their chance to kill me!
I was slashing and fighting hard and for a short period of time, it looked like I was doing fine against the apes. However, one thing changed that completely, which came unexpectedly to me in a form I missed. I didn't see an ape thrusting the dagger at me until it was too late for me to avoid. The sound of the dagger piercing me on my left side right under my ribcage was a quiet thump as the dagger was driven into the hilt. I knew instantly when the blade had thrust in me that this was going to be bad.
The feeling of the blade piercing me slightly below my ribcage on my left was colder as ice. The dagger had gone into the hilt and that was deep enough for me to seriously worry if I was going to drop right here and now. It was a likely possibility of me dying at some point afterward were I to bleed out. The blade was withdrawn from me and I instantly covered the wound with my left hand. When I looked down, I saw a large amount of blood seeping out and soaking my shirt. I felt myself becoming light headed and I collapsed to the ground.
The next time I opened my eyes and I found myself being carried back towards my cell. At first, my mind was clouded by pain and signal from my body screaming things were terribly wrong. But I was able to clear my head to a degree by force, enough so that I could start grabbing random objects that looked useful as I had developed the habit of doing while I had been here.
I once again thanked whoever had been the one responsible for making these apes so stupid and ignorant. They still never could figure out how things were disappearing or to where and I had heard some of them screech things about it near enough to my cell. Little do they know that I was the one doing that and I have yet to be caught. I was set into my cell, not thrown this time before the door was locked behind them. I let out a pain-wracked sigh for this is just great for me, my condition was bad and I didn't need to look at myself to know that. I found I was wrapped in some kind of bandages to cover my wound so that it wasn't bleeding freely. I crawled over to the pile of wood I had in one of the corners on the same wall that the door was on. I took a piece of wood and put it in the middle of the room and lit it.
I decided to undo the wrapping enough to see just how major the damage was right now. I wished I hadn't after removing the wrapping. The wound was about three inches in length which weren't what made this problem the degree of seriousness it was. This stab wound was open and I hazard a guess was deep enough to have difficulties healing without better assistance soon. The apes or the ones who had 'patched' me up had done a decent job temporarily though it wasn't enough for the long term. I needed to close the wound up as soon as possible and by whatever means needed!
Glancing over what I had acquired on this trip back to my cell, I took in what looked like thin yarn or some kind of thread, a small knife, and what appeared to be a long thin piece of metal with a small hole at one end. Seeing those gave me a potential idea of closing up the hole I have, but it wasn't going to be pretty at all. I began to make preparations for something drastic even by my unusual standards! However, if I was alive afterward due to the drastic idea, then that's all that matters!
After I had gotten things ready, I began to steel myself for what I was about to do. I wouldn't have considered something like this unless there was no other way. I would even, then I would question enacting the procedure I was about to perform. I engulfed my left hand with intense heat and placed it over my open wound but not touching it. To say I was in pain was an understatement, I hurting and what I was doing wasn't making it any better. In fact that I was about to put myself in even worse pain didn't sit well with me. Still, with the wound I had, there were two options, I could either close the wound by simplistic means and putting myself in far more pain in the processor I could leave it and hope I didn't bleed to death. I, of course, went with the first option of the two as it was slightly better.
I place my left and on the wound and hiss involuntarily at the pain and I ground my teeth at the burning sensation that came to keep myself from growling out. It felt like my skin and flesh under my left hand was cooking which in a way I guess it was. I was trying to use heat to sere the wound closer to being shut. And when I moved my hand away, I saw the wound had closed more, but not completely. I did another application of the burning heat to my side and it moved the process along though I didn't want to do this ever again.
Now that the wound was less wide open, it meant I would need to go with the second part of the idea I had in mind as well. I was by no means an expert when it came to sewing and as I looked over to my makeshift needle and thread, I was liking this idea less and less. To think my first try at a finer type of sewing was going to be on myself and with improvised tool and supply. I took up the needle in my right hand and sterilized it with the flame that was giving the room light. I threaded the needle and looked down at the wound once more. Even with my high pain tolerance, this would be painful and I wouldn't be able to completely ignore it.
The first puncture of the needle felt horrendous and I felt it more than the dagger stabbing me in a way. Cooking my flesh could have easily made it more sensitive to pain and that's what I was thinking was happening. Still, I gritted my teeth and my breath was coming out alternating between ragged and rasping in response. It took a great deal of effort to not let out a scream or howl of pain as I began to stitch my open flesh together. I continued after that sewing myself up from the marks of hatred and the grudges that the apes held against me. All the while, Shae was chattering away at how I should be coming up with ways I would be getting back at the apes. I ignored him as I knew what he suggested wasn't worth it, it was better to move forward from where I was now.
When I had finally finished sewing myself up which felt like it had taken a long while, I let out a long breath. I couldn't tell how long it really had taken me to patch and sew myself up, but probably not as long as I would imagine. I had ended out with seven rough and makeshift stitches that had closed the wound. I had rewrapped the injury with the bandages to help the stitches stay in place. Then I just lay on the floor trying to ignore the pain of what had been done to me and what that, in turn, forced me to do to myself. If I ever get back to earth, then I would have one hell of a time explaining to doctor and more specifically a dentist how this got to my current state. I drifted in and out of sleep without realizing it, since I really was beginning to be unable to tell the difference between being sleep and being awake.
There's no denying it anymore, I was definitely now in hell and slightly lower than the usual rock bottom. If there is something lower than the first circle of hell then I'm certain there. I know I will very likely regret thinking about it, but I really can't see how this can get worse than this is currently. Death isn't sounding all that bad as it did before I got here, yet that would give the monkeys the satisfaction of beating me and I WON'T give them that pleasure!
A/n
And that's where chapter 24 will leave off, hope you're liking the rewrite please some of you take the time to write reviews, thank you for reading this.