Trevor could hear the whirring come to a stop and the vibrations under his feet start to lessen. Such a simple thing was so strange to put so much dread into Trevor. The stay of execution was coming to a close.
Slattery could feel the helicopter descend slowly and finally touch down. The man beside him, presumably that knob, Norriss, got up and went outside. Trevor moved his head around trying to position his ear and hear anything he could.
"…that him?"
"Yes. We have broken him out to come before our lord"
"Well done, Nighthawk. You will surely be rewarded this day"
Slattery listened intently. Nighthawk? He didn't understand one bit of what he was listening to. He chuckled to himself, always the kidder and the first to have some fun. And for that, he received a giant painful kick to his ankle. A kick that came from himself. "This is serious" he thought. "Something bad is about to happen and all I can do is make jokes?!"
Footsteps approached. Trevor turned his head in the direction of the approaching figure. By then the helicopter had died completely and Trevor heard only the sound of wind and what he thought was sand blowing against the sides of the aircraft. The approaching figure stepped up into the helicopter.
Trevor waited. He figured the new man would undo his cuffs and take him out. But nothing for the longest time. Finally Trevor heard something.
"False god" the voice spat.
"Sorry, love?" Trevor replied.
In an instant the man was upon Slattery. His hands reached around Trevor's neck and squeezed. Trevor gasped and coughed.
"THERE IS ONLY ONE MANDARIN, DECEIVER!"
As soon as it started it was over. The man who choked Trevor was pulled away and out of the helicopter.
"Raza, no! His life is for our lord to take. Not ours. Guards! Get him out!"
Multiple feet this time rushed up into the helicopter and freed Trevor of his bonds. They pulled him out onto the sand. Trevor's legs buckled and he fell to the ground. Sitting in a helicopter for so long passed out didn't help his motor functions one bit.
The guards pulled him up and walked him a great distance. Trevor felt the ground turn from less of sand to more of brick under his feet. Soon no light bled through his blind fold, only darkness. As he walked, he could hear his footsteps echo off the walls. He was in some sort of hall or large room. That was all he could think.
After a good five minutes of walking, they came to some stairs to which Trevor tripped down onto his face. The men leading him made no effort to stop his fall. They only came to him and lifted him up to his knees.
Silence loomed for a great while and Trevor didn't even want to think what would come next.
The guards removed his cuffs from his hands and the blindfold. Trevor's eyes were almost adjusted to the darkness, but his eyelids were closed for too long. He wasn't able to adjust immediately. Trevor looked around. He was in some sort of miniature pit. Twenty feet in diameter he could guess. With stairs circling around the entirety. Stone pillars were erected above the stairs encircling the small pit with torches mounted to every one of them.
Trevor gazed past the pillars in every direction. Thick darkness came in from behind the pillars. He could only see light in the pit in which he knelt.
A light footfall walked around the pit he was in. It was almost a whisper of a sound, but it was there none the less. He looked toward the sound, not being able to hone in on the sound itself.
And in an instant Trevor heard a voice. A light smooth voice. One that could coo a small child or enchant a mob of mad beasts. But it didn't have that effect on Trevor. No, this voice ran a chill of fear down Trevor's spine.
It spoke.
"Welcome to my home…great Mandarin."