Chapter Six

Lost in the dark, Sollux tried to find the strength to open his eyes, but the best he could manage was a slight twitching of his optic muscles. He exhaled sluggishly and took in a steady breath before trying again with success. The dimly lit chamber that greeted him was exactly the same as before, save for the presence of a lone guard seated near the cell door. He blinked, opening his mouth to speak but only able to utter a disjointed gurgle of vocalizations that strained his throat painfully. At least he had gained the attention of his keeper, though the effort brought a sudden wave of nausea that had him clutching at the wet stones for fear of spinning into regurgitated disaster.

A cool hand pressed against his forehead, surprisingly gentle given the circumstances. The shock of touch gave Sollux enough of an anchor to fight the rise of bile back down his throat. He cautiously settled on his knees, turning his gaze upon the amused looking sea troll kneeling in front of him. His vision wasn't as blurry as it had been before and the strange mental haze he had felt the first time he had woken was less intense now. He considered trying to test his psionics again but hesitated at the memory of the agony that effort had caused him earlier.

"Not very talkative are you little yellow blood?"

Such a smug tone should be expected, he supposed, but it grated on his every nerve all the same. Sollux narrowed his bi-colored gaze and gave his guard a deep frown in response. The sea dweller laughed at the display, his expression relaxed and genuinely amused.

"Easy now sparky, I'm not going to rough you up or anything like that. In fact I've been sitting on my ass waiting for you to wake up for over half a cycle. You're one heavy sleeper kid." He bared a sharp smile as he settled down into a more comfortable position on the damp stone floor. "Don't want you thinking I'm uncultured or anything so let me introduce myself. The name is Cronus Ampora, and I will be your official care taker until such time as our high and mighty prince decides otherwise. So you had better get used to that right away and be a good little wriggler got it? I don't have any interest in scrapping with you. I'd much rather play nice for now, we might even become pals if you play your cards right." He winked, which was entirely revolting in Sollux's opinion, but the lethargy of his muscles gave him incentive to be cooperative for the time being.

Cronus took his silence for agreement and continued to ramble on in an easy manner. "Glad that's settled. Now let me clear some things up for you since I'm such a considerate guy. You're in the high security level of the royal dungeon, but that's actually a good thing because there aren't many prisoners kept in this hall so you don't have to worry about any troublesome cell mates. You also get the benefit of having the best guard in the palace as your personal keeper. I'm sure you're wondering why you're even alive and the answer to that is, I have no damn idea. It wasn't my call to make obviously but I'm sure the prince is keeping you around for something really special. You might be able to meet with him at some point, I'm sure he'll want to talk to you now that you're awake. Of course that is if you can speak, which I think you can, you just haven't tried hard enough yet." It seemed he had been starved of conversation for some time, or perhaps he just wanted to torture Sollux by talking his ears off as he didn't appear to be giving the other troll a chance to respond in any way.

The younger troll sighed heavily as he listened to his guard blabber on about the various ways he could try to strengthen his vocal chords. The sea dweller even tried to coerce him into uttering a few basic vowel sounds before his irritation hit its limit. With as much force as he could summon, Sollux slapped his hands against the stone and snarled out a gravely sounding, "Enough!"

He had the satisfaction of seeing Cronus appear briefly startled, but it was short lived as the sea dweller broke into a wide grin of accomplishment and clapped his hands together.

"That's perfect! See? You can do it, I knew it all along."

Sollux swore he had a new migraine coming on fast, but beyond the aggravation he could distinctly feel the strange weight within his mind that gathered like a dense fog around his psionic abilities, burying them within his mental pathways and cutting off any attempts to rouse them. He scowled in disturbed bewilderment, finally holding up a hand to gain Cronus' attention.

"Explain to me why I can't use my psionics. What did you do to me?" No matter how horrific the answer may be, he had to know, had to discover if there was a way to reverse it, if he could regain the use of his psionics and escape.

Cronus fell uncomfortably silent, his expression losing all traces of humor as he stared into Sollux's eyes. There was a faint shift in the fins on the side of his face, a small twitching that could have been from some unspoken anxiety. Sollux suspected it had something to do with his question. He narrowed his gaze, repeating himself in a lower tone.

"What have you done to me? Tell me, I have a right to know." He pressed his guard, leaning in when the other troll tried to shift his gaze away.

Cronus let out a deep sigh and stared sidelong at his prisoner. He debated with himself mentally, considering what would be the repercussions for disclosing information without approval, but there was something about the yellow blood he liked, maybe it was because he just reminded him of-no he wasn't supposed to volunteer information, his job was to be a guard now, he liked this position. He wanted to keep it, but that look, those eyes were so intense. He could feel the barrage of emotions welled up within them, threatening to pour out at any moment. He grimaced as he shook his head, yielding.

"All right, I'll make a deal with you kid. I'll answer your questions the best that I can, but you got to make it all worth my while. Deal?"

Sollux frowned cautiously at the odd proposal.

"What exactly do you want from me? I'm not in any position to give you a single thing right now."

Cronus grinned roguishly in response and winked again.

"Don't worry about it, when the time comes around I'll call in a favor so to speak. By the way that lisp you have is kind of endearing, I only know one other yellow blood that lisps like you do, I guess you all lose that as you age? Maybe you learn how to work that tongue around those snaggle teeth." He laughed briefly, ignoring Sollux's irritated expression entirely. This troll was hardly ina position to talk to him about speech impediments, Sollux could barely distinguish anything he said with that strange wobbling accent he had. Maybe all sea trolls spoke like their heads were stuck inside water bubbles?

"I don't know what the exact mixture is, or all the junk they mix up to create it, but you have been pumped full of sluice. It's a special invention we use on yellow bloods to dampen or completely break the connection they have to their blinky light powers. I don't know when you'll be able to use them again but I wouldn't try to fight any future injections if I were you. Not everybody in Aquaria is as kind as myself you know what I mean?" Cronus arched his brows up and down conspiratorially and Sollux took note for the first time of the odd scar over his left temple. He didn't give it more than a casual consideration as the crushing realization of what had happened sank in.

The anger swelled first, his fists clutching so tightly his nails left bruising crescents in his palms. How could this happen? What did they possibly want out of him? How was he going to get out of here? Worst of all he still had no idea what had become of Aradia and Karkat. A wave of fear crashed over him, his eyes growing wide as he looked back at Cronus.

"The ship I was on, what happened to it, to the crew? Are they being held here too?"

Cronus gave him a bemused look for a moment, tilting his head and rubbing a finger across the point of his chin in thought.

"I doubt it. You're the only valuable troll as far as I know of. If I remember the briefing information right, you were taken by Captain Teteri, and she doesn't take captives generally. I imagine any friends you had on that ship are in the bellies of the sea beasts by now. Don't be too sad though kid, you've got a whole new future to look forward to! I told you the prince must have had some reason for keeping you around. I'm sure you are going to be more than just another battery for the generators. All the other yellow bloods get plugged in to help light the cities or power the engines on the deep ships."

Sollux could hardly believe his ears. Cronus had the gall to tell him not to be sad when his friends had been destroyed, his country was defenseless against attack, he was unable to use his powers and facing a life of unknown tortures and enslavement for however long he may survive? The most horrifying part about it all was the genuine attitude the guard had, as if everything about the situation was a mundane occurrence. Then he considered what had been said about all of the other yellow bloods. How many others, he wondered, had been dragged to the seas to suffer fates in this twisted kingdom?

"All of the others? How many others have been taken Cronus?" He swallowed thickly, trying to hold back the urge to cry and scream for Aradia and Karkat, trying to keep some sense of stability about him as he prepared for another dose of his disturbing, new reality.

"Well the yellow bloods are all hooked in to genetic power hubs and used as energy sources more or less. I'm pretty sure the palace has two currently and the capitol city runs on three. I think the smaller cities each use two and there's one per ship so that would add up to around twenty. We had another one but he didn't take well to the sluice. I don't think he'll ever be of any real use again but he's decent enough working in the kitchens. Usually the menial labor is relegated to the rust bloods. Any green or blue bloods are kept as personal slaves by the nobility. Citizens aren't allowed to keep personal slaves, only labor slaves and drones aren't allowed to own anything since they're a little unstable at times you know? I haven't picked any for myself yet, being a soldier I'm considered nobility of course but I just haven't found a troll that really holds my interest long enough to keep. At least the brothels are always available for poor guys like me."
The laugh he broke into was amused and care free and completely revolting to Sollux's ears. His entire sensibility was outraged, disgusted and terrified. What kind of place was he in where other trolls were subjected to such debasement and humiliation and suffering? He knew that slavery was tolerated throughout Alternia, his sire had slaves, but it was never forced. He had never bothered to fully study the arrangements and never desired a slave of his own, but slavery was always an optional penance for those who had committed crimes, had debts they couldn't pay or had in rare cases chosen to submit to such a life. Every slave had certain rights to decent treatment that were enforced by the legislacerators, heavily enforced. That much he remembered learning about during his studies. What Cronus had described would never be tolerated in any other kingdom.

There were countless trolls caught in this kingdom, living miserably and holding no hope of rescue. Aquaria was hidden to all, no one could find the strong hold of the Orphaner, and no one would be coming to save him. Sollux began to sweat as cold panic settled in his stomach. Cronus stared at him curiously, leaning in a little and snapping his fingers a few times.

"Hey kid, you doing okay? The sluice can make you feel sick so if you need to vomit let me know so I can move."

If he weren't about to hyperventilate, Sollux would have considered slapping the sea troll for his sheer stupidity. His brief contemplation was cut short as the cell door suddenly swung open and banged against the stone wall. A female sea dweller strode purposefully into the room and set her furious gaze on the pair of them. Sollux recognized her as the one who had given him the injection earlier. He leaned away involuntarily as she drew close, but her sudden attack came not at him, but at Cronus. The resounding crack of her palm against his face reverberated throughout the room as did the answering curse from her hapless target.

"Your orders do not include making idle conversation with the prisoner! You always botch things up Cronus, I don't understand why he lets you stay here." She sneered disdainfully; intolerantly glaring down at the bruising, angry troll still crouched on the ground. Cronus opened his mouth to say something but paused at the sharp footsteps near the door way. He glanced briefly toward the cell door and then quickly rose to his feet, his eyes fixed on the floor. Sollux glanced over at the female to see she was drawn up in taught attention, her gaze riveted to the ground as well. Curiously, he looked at the figure approaching them and got his first glimpse of the Aquarian prince.

He appeared to be several inches taller than Sollux was, broad in the shoulders and sturdy, but not overwhelmingly so. If he had his psionics at his disposal he could easily take him on, but without them Sollux knew he had little chance of fighting his way past the larger prince. Violet ringed eyes glared sternly at him for a moment before his dark lips parted and a sharp command issued out in a deeply displeased tone.

"Kasari, lower his head. He seems to be unaware of how to show respect."

Immediately Sollux felt firm hands pressing against the back of his skull, forcing him to bend so low that his horn tips nearly scraped the stones of the floor. He struggled to little avail, as his limbs were still adjusting to the effects of the sluice and the numbness hadn't completely worn off.

"My apologies Lord Ampora, I should have checked on the situation sooner." Her displeasure was meant entirely for Cronus, as was obvious from his nervous grunt from the side. Sollux noted the name she used and couldn't help letting out a small chuckle.
"Ampora? Are you all royalty or is Aquaria a pond of inbred glub beasts? I have to say if that's the mighty Orphaner's way of populating his kingdom he's more desperate than I thought." He laughed in derision, grunting harshly when Kasari shoved his face roughly against the floor in outrage.

The prince's voice came in a steely tone, cutting through the air of the cell with venomous fury.

"You were stripped of that name Cronus. You are never to use it again. I let you survive when you were disgraced; I spoke for you, to save you from the cull. Do not make me regret my actions."

Sollux heard a soft scuffling at his side, a few nervous murmurs and finally Cronus' voice, somber and resigned.

"I'm sorry it's an old habit. I won't let it happen again, no harm was done really, okay? I'll just go now if it's all right your highness."

He sounded genuinely distressed and Sollux wondered if Cronus was so eager to be out of the prince's presence then perhaps he shouldn't have been so quick to insult him. He needed to be careful, there had to be a way out of this mess. If he could hold out long enough maybe he could find a means of escape. No matter how much he wanted to survive, he couldn't bear the forced submission and humiliation expected of him. Aradia and Karkat wouldn't want him rolling over like a kicked woof beast for anyone, let alone the prince of the sea trolls.

"Kasari, escort Cronus to his chambers, see that he's relegated to eastern patrol duties for the next ten cycles." The prince's tone sounded vaguely amused near the end of his command, and Sollux frowned in confusion as he heard Cronus openly whining the entire way out of the cell and down the hall. Whatever their tangled relationship was, it seemed Cronus wasn't as fearful of the prince as he had first assumed. He jerked when unexpected hands rested on his shoulders, sucking in a shallow breath he dared to lift his head, staring defiantly into violet eyes separated from him by square-framed glasses.

A slight quirk of the prince's mouth drew his attention for a moment, the faintest hint of sharp fangs peeking from between the black painted lips. Jeweled fingers tipped his chin up a little higher, the prince's eyes holding a strange amusement to them that confused and alarmed Sollux at the same time.

"You have spirit, I think I'm going to like you." Eridan didn't mind the challenge the yellow blood was offering him. It would be invigorating to have someone to spar with mentally and physically, and in the end he would win this young psionic over, of that much he was certain.