As her assistant Selexia took flight into the crimson Abyssal skies of Torremor, Kalikekeztra turned her attention back to her prisoner. "We'll finish this before she returns," she said as she slithered towards him with blade drawn. Torturer and prisoner exchanged gazes before Keke swung her weapon down.
*Clang*
The Archon winced but his expression turned to one of confusion when he held out his shattered chains before him.
"Here, take this," said Kalikekeztra as she tossed the Archon his scimitar. A plain weapon as planar weapons go, well balanced and strong with a bird on its pommel.
The angel instinctively caught the sword even as he attempted to stretch his wounded wings. "Why?" he asked as he regarded the six armed demoness before him warily.
Keke raised one of her own blades, a rusty jagged one she recently picked up from a tiefling, and saluted her prisoner. "You fought well when we clashed blades. You might have even won if my hordes hadn't swarmed our position. Your skill intrigues me. I wanna see who's better," she said with a wide fanged smile.
The Archon took a step back and scanned his bleak surroundings. "On Lady Raziel's honour, I accept any challenge offered by the Abyss, but I highly doubt this will be an even contest. Do you have your minions hiding behind the rocks ready to intervene or is your winged companion hiding in the clouds?"
Keke laughed. "Selexia? Nah, she's out getting her torture kit. If anything, she'll probably take hours getting back, either by that Cambion fortress or that Incubus love nest nearby, that girl is so easily distracted. So, c'mon give me a good fight or I'll just gut you where you stand."
The Archon looked at his blade and then at Keke and finally bowed. "Regardless if your offer is legitimate or not, I thank you for giving me a chance to die in battle. Prepare yourself!" he said as he lunged at the six armed demon. Keke barely managed to block his blade and countered with a dagger and a mace of her own. She licked her lips with her long forked tongue as she felt her blood boil and rage at the coming battle.
Kalikekeztra's memory faded in and out. One moment she was fighting an Archon in the Abyss, the next she was in some dark hold, hanging with her arms overhead, with hands and feet clapped in irons.
"I doubt someone is going to free me and give me a weapon to fight my way out of this," laughed Keke to no one but herself. She doubt her 'friends' could or more importantly would mount any rescue attempt, especially against the forces that defeated her. Despite her relationship with Selexia, demons would only go so far to help each other out. It was the whole survival of the fittest, might makes right, biggest means strongest ethos thing they had going on.
Knowing she could only rely on herself, the Marilith yanked at her manacles. Despite the hull shattering choke slam she suffered, some of her strength had returned… had it been a week? She wasn't sure… but the irons still held. In her true form she should have easily been able to snap them, but there was a magic present that prevented her from shifting shape. She could still feel Selexia's pin in her hair, but despite how much she shook her head, the damn thing could not be dislodged. Not that freeing herself would make much of a difference. Her vision saw powerful wards around her and then there was the matter of her captors, specifically the old guy. While her occasional torturers had mainly been priests and wizards and of course the Prince, she did catch glimpses of her true foe. She recalled the events that lead to her defeat and capture, and doubt even at her best she was a match for that old man, so she suffered their tortures awaiting her chance. Which wasn't all that bad simply because her tormentors didn't seem to have a plan to break her. The old man seemed intent on depriving her of food and drink but the Prince guy seemed to go for the physical torture aspect when the old dude wasn't looking. It had been easy to resist their tortures and she remained silent despite their efforts. Their efforts were actually quite laughable by demonic standards, especially for one that survived the torture pits of Abaddon.
Keke closed her eyes and recalled the opponents she had defeated in the past. Astral Juggernauts, Elemental Lords…..Pitfiends, Balors, Nycaloths….Deva Champions, Eladrin Princes, and even an Archon Blademaster. None of them compared to the power and strength of that old man. In fact, she guessed the old geezer was on par with a Titan in power levels. Not one of those wuss ones that serve the deities of light, but one one of those bad ass imprisoned demigods on Carceri. He doubt the old guy was as strong as Taraksun but it would have been a close fight. Which made her ask herself why he was here on this miserable boat? If he was so strong, why had he aligned with these humans? It looked as if he was subservient to that Prince, but it might have been a ruse or something.
She knew that wasn't his real form, her 'true sight' eyes had caught a glimpse of her opponent but she couldn't quite comprehend what she saw. Coils upon coils of golden scales and claws. What in the Abyss was that? Some creature native to the mortal planes that don't make their way to the great wheel that often? One of those dra….
Keke's train of thought was interrupted when the hold began to shake violently to the chorus of thunder. There seemed to be a flurry of activity on the decks above her even as another eruption of explosions occurred.
A battle? From the amount of times her captors fired their strange weapons, she guessed it was a pretty violent one. After several more minutes of explosions overhead, the weapons of the Silver Hawk? Or was it the Shiny Sparrow? fell silent.
Though Keke couldn't make out what they were shouting and yelling at above deck, she had the sense that her 'hosts' had won whatever fray they had engaged in. Though she didn't speak their lingo, she had been in enough battles to know what the sound of a route sounds like, even if they were Demons, Asura, or even humans.
Regardless of the outcome of the battle, Keke's blood boiled at the tangible scent of battle. It didn't matter if she was a general, a soldier, or even a prisoner…the anticipation of battle always brought out her most violent side. With renewed vigor Keke strained again at her bounds, wards and god -like captors be damned. She would escape at any costs.
While she dangled just above the floor, Kalikekeztra twisted her manacles methodically, wrapping the chains several times around her wrist, shortening their length. It was a grueling and painful process, but she eventually reached the point where the combined length of the chains were shorter than her arms. Ignoring the pain and punishment she had endured, Keke then stretched her manacles apart, hoping that the power of her limbs were greater than the strength of her chains.
"AAAAAAHHHHH" she inadvertently screamed as holy energy coursed through her wrists and ankles.
Keke thrashed in her bonds inadvertently from the sudden jolt, releasing her coiled chains as the fury was drained from her by the white hot manacles. They were apparently warded as well to prevent her escape. Keke tried to fight against the pain, but her flesh was weaker than her spirit. Dark blood bled from her nose, ears and even eyes. Regardless of how tough she was, the manacles were relentless as divine energy seared through her flesh, draining the fight and blood lust out of her. Though as an Asura she was resistant to fire, her 'humanoid' form was far less durable. Even their crude attempt to starve and dehydrate her had weakened her body, causing it to lose weight and some of its protective layer of fat.
"Bravo, bravo," said an effete voice from the doorway of the hold. "I've heard many disparaging things about you demonic halfbreeds, but none mentioned how tenacious you people were."
Keke ignored the pain and focused on the voice as she blinked away the blood from her eyes. A grinning young man with long black hair and silver armor appeared in the room. She knew his type, he liked to flaunt his power and prey on the weak. A common enough personality type in the Abyss and Abaddon. His name was Prince Vleda or she thought it was. Getting her head smashed in, repeated beatings from a cudgel, and the holy searings to keep her prisoner had an adverse effect on her short term memory.
"You can struggle all you want, but you won't break those bonds," chided the Prince. "And even if you do, there is the matter of my mentor's wards, my elite guard, and then of course there is Aurumgar himself. You know…my guardian. He's been gravely injured in a skirmish recently, by shark toothed arrows of all things. It seems this island of meek slaves have some warriors amongst them. Its only temporary, but of course you knew that. Hence your escape attempt. But fear not…we'll deal with the threat soon enough…"
Keke's ears attempted to perk up, but all she could manage was to wiggle them. Island of slaves? Someone injured that old man? How? What type of forces are outside anyways? Though she had kept mostly silent for the duration of her ordeal, her curiosity was piqued.
"What do you want," croaked Keke through the pain with labored breath. "You didn't come here simply to taunt me did you? Or have you come to finish me off, since your 'wet nurse' is off doing some real fighting?"
"Ah, the creature finally speaks," smiled Vleda. Though the Prince appeared annoyed his attitude changed at his now talkative prisoner. "I am not so barbaric, and do not need Aurumgar's permission to dispatch you. This is all your fault actually. You injured enough of my crew that we needed...conscripted rowers. We found this populated island on the edge of the Sea of Dawn and were happily capturing slaves when we were attacked. While Aurumgar sustained some injuries it gives me time to proceed with your interrogation in my own manner. I just came here to pursue a line of questioning that my so called 'wet nurse' might object to. I felt that he was being too kind on you, and my more direct approach would yield some answers." He said as he twirled his iron cudgel in his hands.
Keke ignored the threat of the club, but managed to raise an eyebrow at his statement. The Prince and the old man did things differently for sure. The old man despite his power was more of a pacifist while the Prince was the typical hot head. Though the Prince was in charge, he respected the old man's opinions, hence her relative lack of suffering. Also from the Prince's last statement, they appeared to have dissimilar opinions on certain issues, but sadly she was not skilled enough to take advantage of such a division. That was a task more suited for Selexia.
"First off, what is this? "asked Vleda as he produced a glass bottle from a satchel. He held it up and gave it a shake. "It seems to have a person inside of it, but I can't seem to get him out. I could ask Aurumgar, but I like to keep it for myself."
Keke stared at it briefly before she realized it was the bottle that Vikokoma had used to imprison Holy Sampada. She gave a puzzled look at the Prince and shook her head. It didn't make sense. They had weapons that would put any siege engine from Baator to shame, and possessed magics to negate even a Marilith demon like herself, but could not identify a simple magical item like the Rakshasa's bottle? While it wasn't the most common magical item she had encountered it wasn't exactly an artifact type device either. Though the more she thought about it, she also noted that her captors hadn't discovered Selexia's pin or even her true nature? Was their understanding of magic and its application that much different than her own? Keke wasn't sure.
"What is this? "asked the Prince again, this time with a more demanding voice as he poked her now visible ribs with his cudgel
Keke considered saying nothing again and suffer through another round of torture, but something in her gut told her that this might be her chance. Her chance to escape. While the beatings and the lack of food and water thing didn't work in her favor, she did feel a bit more limber as her mortal body contracted. She wasn't sure, but she thought if he got close enough she could at least strangle him with her legs. It wasn't a good shot, but the demoness thought it would be amusing.
"It's an imprisoning device. Given to me by a Rakshasa," she said, carefully choosing her words in case he had some type of truth scrying magic in place.
"How does it work?"
"I..I'm not exactly sure. I was just holding it for him," said Keke truthfully while throwing in a hint of fear to get the Prince off guard.
Vleda nodded before returning the bottle back to his satchel. The Prince then raised his cudgel and raised it inches away from Keke's unflinching eyes. He held it for a moment before pushing away her sweat drenched black hair, revealing a pair of small grey horns.
"What manner of creature are you? Aurumgar still thinks you are possessed and is attempting to exorcise the 'demon' within you, but its more complicated than that isn't it? The demon is a part of your nature am I correct? I've heard that in Vinraj and beyond, men and demons cavort in the most foul manner….creating creatures known as tieflings, alu demons, and cambions. I was told they were weak pathetic mongel races, signs of their degenerate parents, but you are far from weak."
Keke nodded and knew she must tread carefully. Most mortals were demon fearing and rightfully so, and the Prince's people seemed to follow that trend. She knew it would not end well for her if she said straight out she was a true demon.
"I'm a tiefling. A hero amongst my people," she lied, risking any truth divinations Vleda might have set up. When no retribution was extracted upon her, she slowly relaxed slightly.
"What people might that be," asked Vleda, considering her words. "Where do you hail from?"
Keke was stumped. She didn't study the mortal realms much save for the realms of Ghata, Nashput, and Grom. And even then she knew them only by name rather than their culture or even language.
"Nashput, my countrymen didn't know I was a Tiefling. My horns are small so I hid them so I could walk amongst them," she said carefully, lowering her voice. "Even the rest of the crew didn't know what I am."
"As I thought. You most likely hail from the jungles around their so called Holy Temple. Am I right? That place is crawling with the demons," nodded Vleda as he approached to hear her better.
"Finally, where is Bey Javindar? He was supposed to be aboard the Gold Eagle, but we saw no sign of him before his ship escaped. I doubt a hot head like himself would not show himself when a battle was engaged," asked Vleda.
Keke grew red at the mention of Bey Javindar, but mumbled something under her breath instead. She wanted Javindar too, and was curious to pry what information she could from Vleda, but more importantly she saw her chance.
Vleda drew closer again, nearing the range of Keke's legs as he tried to make sense of her inaudible muttering.
Just as Keke was about to lash out at the Prince, a ruckus outside the hold's corridor caught Vleda's attention. The Prince turned away, spoiling Keke's attempt to wrap her legs around the Prince's neck and crush him like she would if she had her serpentine body. Frustrated she simply kicked him hard in the back instead, sending him stumbling forward, almost falling on his face.
Vleda looked panicked and shocked at first, but when he realized Keke was still safely bound and suspended, he raised his cudgel and began raining punishing blows on his captive. Blows to her legs, knees, and arms with a few body shots thrown in. He could have ended her swiftly with a series of shots to her skull, but each blow was struck to prolong her pain and suffering instead.
"Accursed wench! I was going to end you quick, but instead you'll suffer until you beg for death!"
"AHAHAHAHA! This is all you got? This is nothing worm! I've been tortured in the pits of Abaddon worse than this!" laughed Keke before she began to black out from the Prince's blows.
She wasn't sure what happened next, but as she faded in and out of concsiousness the doors to the hold exploded, sending the Prince flying into a corner.
Keke squinted attempting to stave off the darkness over taking her vision. She could make out a tall woman with a spear striding into the room. Her 'true' sight eyes saw nothing remarkable about her, but by the way she walked and held herself she felt an aura of nobility of power about her.
"By Puranas, what did they do to you?" asked the woman in shock and disgust.
Keke wasn't sure what to expect, but the woman incanted a phrase and Keke felt her chains grow brittle and snap above her. As she fell the mysterious woman caught her, even as soldiers filed into the corridor behind her.
Despite all that went on , Keke feebly reached for the Prince. He had his bottle, and that was the only way she was going to get her scimitar back. She strained in the woman's arms to reach for him but only managed to squirm in her grasp. The woman then incanted another phrase and the world turned white around her.