Chapter Five
A heavy ache reverberated within his skull, the incessant pulse of pain making it difficult to pull his consciousness out of the dark embrace of sleep. Slowly, he became aware of the chill surrounding him and the lack of movement beneath his body. The realization of solid ground under his body brought a wave of memories to his mind; Aradia injured and in need of his help, the surge of sea trolls over whelming the crew, Karkat fighting and shouting curses and orders in a furious attempt to hold his ship and then everything had gone black. Where was he now? Where were Karkat and Aradia? Sollux sat up in a panic, glancing furtively about at his new surroundings.
Cold, stone walls boxed him in on all sides with a single barred door set in the center of the northern wall, locked with heavy bolts and chains. The floor was disturbingly damp and the only protection he was offered came from a thin blanket made of rough fibers that were crudely woven together. Cautiously, he stood and counted ten paces from the eastern wall to the western wall, and another twelve paces from the northern to the southern wall. A sharp snort escaped him as he peered through the bars and listened for any possibility of approaching footsteps. Hearing nothing but his own breathing, he prepared himself to break the chains securing his cell door; his hand reached forward toward the interlocked links, fingers curled and flexed and nothing happened. Sollux blinked initially, then frowned and tried again with deeper concentration. His efforts proved completely fruitless. Not so much as a blue or red spark would flicker between his fingers no matter how much psionic energy he tried to channel. The loss of his abilities was a staggering blow that left him reeling mentally and struck a chill of terror down his spine.
He staggered backward and crumbled to his knees, clutching his head in confused dismay. How had he lost his psionic powers? Why was he here and how would he ever find Aradia? Sweat began to form over his brow as he strained to summon even the smallest wisp of energy. He groaned under the intense mental pressure, hissing as he felt an unfamiliar haze within his mind. The sensation was numbing and deceptively forceful, slow at first but gradually becoming stronger until he felt an over whelming weight crushing the sensitive pathways of neurons within his mind. He cried out in pain, cursing and spitting as he curled in on himself against the dank floor. The pain continued to buzz in his head, waves of it radiating down the length of his spine and sapping away any strength he might have had. Writhing, he clawed at the floor and his own scalp, unable to stop the searing agony in his skull.
He wasn't aware of the purposeful foot steps approaching his cell door; nor the sound of the chains being removed and the soft creak of the barred door swinging open. He barely registered the firm touch of hands on his back but was unable to react to their presence. Only when he felt the subtle pin prick of a needle under the skin of his neck did he attempt to lash out. His wild swing was caught abruptly in a harsh grip, unyielding fingers forcing his weakened body to remain still as the injection was administered completely. As the needle was removed he felt a sluggish pull against his mind, the pain melting away under the steady wave of groggy, chemical induced sleep. He had a final moment of clarity in which to turn his head and regard his oppressor. A female sea troll stared down at him with what he could have interpreted as clinical curiosity, but he couldn't get his lips to move properly in order to question her or even curse at her. In the swirl of black that over came his vision he thought he might have glimpsed a second pair of boots quietly come to stand near her, but sleep took him before he could be certain.
"Well that was unexpected. He shouldn't have woken up so soon." A small frown tugged at Kasari's mouth as she observed the slumbering troll. She removed a slender roll of parchment and a pen from the bag secured at her right hip and began documenting the recent behavior of their prisoner. She checked his pulse and made a few notations before standing and addressing the figure at her side.
"His body appears to be adapting to the sluice more rapidly than we anticipated. It's likely the accelerated absorption that caused him to wake before his neural pathways were completely adjusted. This sedative should keep him out long enough for his mind to acclimate itself to the chemical changes in the sluice. The next time he wakes expect him to be disoriented, he may also become ill." She turned to look at the guard beside her, a scowl over taking her features as she noted his slouched stance and half formed smirk. He tilted his head in her direction and gave her a wink.
"Relax, you know I'll take real good care of our special guest. Someone so important to our precious prince deserves only the best of attendants after all, and I am the best." He broke off with a small chuckle and a full smile of jagged teeth.
Kasari felt her irritation growing. She snarled softly under her breath before coolly addressing him.
"You're hardly the best. In fact the only reason you were put on this particular detail is because of all the guards in the palace you are the least violent and too inept to cause trouble aside from running your mouth too much. Now your orders are simple, watch the prisoner, keep him safe, keep him in his cell, alert me if he shows any adverse reactions to the sluice or if his powers start to manifest in any way, and above all else do not harm him. Understood?"
"Loud and clear sweet heart. Now why don't you go about your business and I'll settle in to watch our sleeping friend." He winked again, thumbs tucked away in his pockets as he stepped out of the cell to procure a stool from the hall. Returning with his prize, he settled in against the corner near the door and waved a cheerful fare well to Kasari.
She gave him a final scrutinizing scowl as she made her way out, refastening the locks on the door and tossing the keys to him.
"Mind yourself this time Cronus, the reasons why you were chosen aren't redeeming enough if you don't keep yourself in check." She warned him solemnly before heading down the hall, her foot steps echoing against the damp stone walls for many yards.
"Mind myself? Like I need to be warned about that. By the void she's as up tight as they come. It's not my fault I'm so damn attractive after all. If the slaves can't keep their claws off that's nothing I can be blamed about." Chattering on to himself, Cronus turned his attention toward the unconscious form of the yellow-blooded troll in the cell. He stood up and sauntered over, kneeling down to poke at the smaller male a few times before rolling him flat onto his back. He tilted his head, curiously thumbing the edge of the other's chin and lower lip a few times.
"Well, well now. Aren't you a gangly fellow? Pretty enough though I suppose for a yellow blood, in fact you vaguely remind me of that bubble-headed jabber mouth in the kitchens." He sneered, absently ruffling the dark hair over the other boy's forehead. Sollux groaned faintly in his sleep, shifting very slowly under the sea dweller's hand. Cronus arched a brow as he leaned in, drawing his hand down over the psionic's cheek slowly. "Let's see how you feel when you wake up. But if you vomit on yourself I'm not cleaning you up, got it kid?"
Several levels below Sollux's cell was an opulent chamber filled with an array of woven tapestries and paintings all depicting scenes of triumphant conquest and victorious battles. At the center of the west wall were two full length portraits of powerful sea dwellers, the Orphaner in full battle array and beside him, an aged painting of the former queen of Alternia, the great Condesce herself. Her gaze bore down from the portrait with ghostly avarice and malice, and there were times Eridan felt her vision scalding him with her disapproval and disgust despite the fact that she had died long before he was born. He held his head high as he passed beneath her gaze, refusing to allow her imagined specter any attention this day. His focus was entirely bent on the tall form seated in the large throne upon the central dais.
Raised steps carved into the signature symbol of their blood caste ascended to a platform a solid six feet above the rest of the room, allowing the troll at the center to have the best vantage point of the entire chamber; it also afforded the same troll the pleasure of forcing any one that came to address him to look up in order to do so. In such ways his pride was satiated daily. There were jeweled chains at the base of his throne that ended in empty cuffs, two of which were still stained with thin lines of teal blood. Eridan was aware of the presence of numerous guards throughout the darkened corners of the chamber, but their force was rarely needed as his lord's most cherished treasure was always at his side, ever ready to blast a searing hole of white-hot agony through any offensive visitor.
The prince paused at the base of the dais, kneeling in customary reverence before his sire. He kept his gaze focused on the lowest step as he waited for the acknowledgment of his lord. It was never a good idea to speak to the Orphaner without his approval, Eridan had seen far too many incompetent servants punished for having loose tongues. Even court attendants and the nobility were not spared from the great troll's wrath if his authority was slighted in any manner. He breathed shallowly, growing anxiety swirling in the pit of his stomach as he considered all the ways he could try to explain his failure. He still hadn't come up with anything convincing enough to his own mind and he began to fear the prospect of his sire's retaliation for the disgraceful outcome of his mission. His fingers curled nervously against the floor, the fine points of his sharpened nails scraping over the polished stone. At length, he heard the shifting sound of the Orphaner's heavy robes and the purposeful tread of his thick boots descending down the steps in his direction.
"I understand there has been a mishap with your mission. Preliminary reports indicated that the target I specifically instructed you to obtain managed to elude you completely. One might question the decision to entrust such a valuable mission to someone who shows such an inadequate level of competency, as yourself." Though initially he carried an almost indifferent tone, by the end of his approach, it was clear that long brewed fury was battling its way to the surface. Bursting through the calm restraint of his voice to edge each syllable with poisoned disappointment and wrath. He continued with vigor, his booming tone echoing along the high walls of the chamber.
"You dare to come to me now? I gave you a single task! You assured me you were ready, you showed so much potential Eridan! How dare you fail me and disgrace me like this! Do you not understand, boy , that you represent my name when you go out before all of Aquaria? I pulled you from the grub collection and chose you specifically to be my heir. I have groomed you and prepared you since that moment to follow in the path I forged for our kingdom and I have laid out the foundations for you to eventually rule all of Alternia after myself. Yet you continue to disappoint me! How difficult could it have been? I gave you one of my finest ships, a crew primed for conquest and allowed you the authority to select your own spies and attendants. The only intelligent move you made was to take Kasari with you!" His hand shot out, suddenly clenching around Eridan's left horn in a vice-like grip, yanking his head up at a painful angle.
Eridan stared wide eyed at his lord, fearful, pained and greatly distressed over his sire's displeased accusations. He winced behind his glasses as the nails of the Orphaner's claws bit down into his scalp at the base of his horn. A low hiss escaped his clenched teeth but he managed to suppress the whine that bubbled up in his throat. At the very least he would endure his sire's anger with as much dignity as he could. His lord studied his face for a long time, scowling down at him before leaning in till they were nose to nose and the hot puff of his breath beat steadily against his heir's face.
"Kasari has informed me that you were able to obtain the prince of the western kingdom. That is some measure of consideration. What do you have to say of this brat?" Sneering in expectant displeasure, he released his hold on the prince and allowed the young troll to collect himself for a moment. His gaze remained fixed with a steep scowl, though Eridan thought he could detect a small twitch of hope buried deep within it. He wasn't often rewarded with praise or approval from his lord but there were times when he believed the older troll was concerned for him in his own way, harsh as he often was.
The prince cleared his throat and rose to his feet, his fists dropping to his sides as he began to recount the information he knew about the yellow-blooded captive they had taken. He explained every detail he had learned and then ventured to make a suggestion, albeit cautiously.
"If I may my lord, I would like to have charge over the prisoner. I think he may be of use to us in the future. If not as a bargaining tool to obtain the psionic king himself, then perhaps he could become useful to Aquaria in other ways. His potential capabilities for psionic power may be greater than any yellow blood to date. We could make use of those abilities." It was difficult not to chew his lower lip as he watched his sire consider his words in heavy silence. Slowly, a menacing grin began to split the face of his lord. The Orphaner clapped a large, jeweled hand onto his young heir and chuckled darkly.
"Such a wonderful idea. If he's truly as powerful as you claim then he could become a valuable weapon for Aquaria. How perfectly distraught his sire would be to see him powering the very trolls he loaths so much, a broken force of pure rage and energy at my command. It may take time to break his will, but it can be done." He flexed his claws against Eridan's shoulder, a low rumble of laughter rolling within his chest.
Eridan hesitated, chewing at his lower lip before venturing to challenge his lord's plans. It wasn't that he wished to further displease his sire, but he had never found the same satisfaction in the training methods used to break the psionic slaves and he had all ready staked a sort of claim to this particular one. He wanted to use the boy, but with his own methods.
"My lord Orphaner, I mean you no dishonor but wouldn't be a greater victory if the psionic prince were a willing part of our forces? Let me bend him to my will not break him like a weary slave but let me shape his loyalty to myself and I promise he will fight against his own in our name." He flinched at the sharp grip that bore into his shoulder, peering steadily at his lord's scrutinizing visage.
"Bend him to your will? Very well. I shall give you a chance to redeem your past failure. For the time being you shall have personal charge over this low-blooded filth they dare to call a prince. I expect you to show progress in this endeavor by the end of the perigee. You are free to use whatever methods you deem appropriate to obtain his loyalty, but mark my words brat. If I do not see sufficient evidence to prove that he is yielding himself to you I will take over his training and condition him to fight on our side by my methods." The warning there was heavy and Eridan knew better than to question what would be his own punishment should he fail again. It was a deep measure of trust for his lord to so quickly allow him another task so precious as this. The fact that he had done so gave the prince a small glimmer of hope that just maybe his lord did care for his success.