Author's notes section:
2022-02-09: Hey, a small update for the story. So far, it is only a preview. However, I should be able to finish it soon. Please, bear in mind that it is, as mentioned, a preview. Some parts of it might not be included in the final release.
2022-02-14: Hey, I have managed to finish up the chapter. I hope you will like the little twist I have made. This story can be considered as an opening for the `Sometimes it is better not to know`. I will write a new chapter of that story shortly. Thanks for your patience. And... above all, sorry for a long time of writing these last few chapters.
Don't forget to comment. I really appreciate your feedback.
Note that the dialogues written in italic are thoughts.
As always, I would like to thank you for everything. See you soon :)
Changelog:
[2022-02-09]: A preview was released.
[2022-02-14]: The chapter was updated. Its latest version was released.
Info: Overall, the current plan is for me to write 'My home is where my heart lies' and 'Family tree' alternatively. Between the updates of these stories, I will try to upload other texts. Maybe, just maybe, I will be able to finish some of the short stories. However, I truly doubt that. It seems that most if not all of the stories will be extended both in terms of the time and the number of chapters.
Info: I will try to rewrite some of the older chapters between releasing new ones. I expect to start working on that goal in the middle of January. So, please be informed that the new chapters might take a bit longer to be finished and published.
Bonuses' section:
A new story taking place in the Warhammer 40k universe.
Story of one lost soul: The war call: rewrite.
An entirely new story (possibly Akali x [Irelia, Syndra, Katarina]).
A new short story (Vi x Cait).
An entirely original story (possibly even 2 stories, one taking place in medieval times, the other in the far future)
References:
*bonuses will be worked on when I don't feel like writing the chapters pointed out in the schedule :D
End of the author's notes section.
The `Betrayer` allowed Maiev to lead him for a couple of brief moments. Regardless of what people believed, he was not blind. And… even if it would have been the case, the entirety of the cavern was memorised in his mind. So it would not have been an issue to wander around with his gleaming orbs wholly shut. Every detail of his prison was visualised in Illidan's mind.
"What have you planned for today?" the demon hunter asked.
"What do you think?" as expected, the warden answered with a question of her own.
"Oh, I believe that you have something special in place for tonight," the man responded teasingly. "After all, you have always come up with something new. You hate repeatability."
"Oh, is that so?" Maiev hummed, letting go of the man's hand. "I think you're getting bold, Stormrage," she added, harshening her voice a little. "It might be a right moment to correct this misconception of yours before it bears fruits."
"What is on your mind, then, my dearest warden?"
"Lay down for a starter," the white-haired elf ordered. "Then, you can prepare yourself for a plank."
"As you wish," Illidan spoke simply.
As the tall demon hunter lay down on the rocks, the warden's smirk only broadened. To some extent, the woman expected Illidan to hiss as soon as his abdomen and torso touched the ground. However, to her mild dissatisfaction, the man remained silent.
"Playing strong, Stormrage?" Maiev opted to taunt her prisoner.
"It hardly differs from my everydays' experience," the raven-haired man replied in a whisper-like manner.
"Ah… I've nearly forgotten that you've never provided you with a real bedding," the warden chuckled, flashing her broad, mischievous smirk. "How does it feel to lay on the bare rocks that take away the warmth from your very flesh?"
"I have grown accustomed to these special circumstances," the demon hunter commented. "Do you have any other instruction for me, or is it sufficient for you to see me like that?"
"I wouldn't worry about that minor detail if I were you," Maiev responded immediately. "For now, let's just see whether these muscles of yours can last more than a moment of stain."
Illidan did not reply. He was all too aware that it was just a part of Maiev's game. It would be more beneficial for him to remain silent. After all, it was all but inevitable for this situation to get worse. So, without further elaboration, the raven-haired man opted to follow the direct order.
Throughout these past ages, his physical prowess was slowly fading away. Even though most of his muscularity had somehow managed to survive these years of imprisonment, he definitely felt weaker. But, regardless of what people said, Illidan Stormrage was anything but a fool. It would have taken him time, a lot of time, to regain what had been lost. And, that knowledge bothered the demon hunter.
Nevertheless, the `torture` continued in relative silence. Whilst the man's mind was in a constant, chaotic fight, his physical frame seemed unimpressed by the challenge. It would have taken more, much, much more for his defined abdomen muscle to start struggling. The `Betrayer` found some solace in that fact. Though it was too little too late for him.
"Feeling weak, Stormrage?" the warden continued with her mockery.
"I bet you would want to see me beg for a pause, would you not, Shadowsong?" the man taunted back. "Despite all of these years down here, I am more than capable of enduring through your games."
"Is that so, my dearest prisoner?" a quiet question followed by a giggle sounded. "It seems… it seems that I've been too generous for you. I shall correct my mistake, then. You're supposed to atonement for your crimes after all."
"So, what would you want me to do, Maiev?" Illidan asked, unimpressed by the warden's statement.
"Oh, for now… remain in this position," Maiev responded. "I have an idea how to spice up your `torture`."
Stormrage opted not to reply. At this point, it was just a battle of words between them that mattered little. So instead, the raven-haired man decided to delve deeper into his mind to relive some moments from the past. Some happiness was unfortunately needed for him to stay sane.
Soon enough, Maiev's plan was revealed. At first, a cold as ice iron gauntlet was placed on Illidan's upper back. Then, an unexpected shiver ran down his spine, causing a somewhat pleasant sensation. A moment later, the woman's other hand was placed near the end of his spinal cord.
"What are you doing, warden?" the man asked, trying to control his emotions. "Do you intend on stabbing me with something?" he added emotionlessly.
"Oh, no, it'd not bear any fruits. I don't like my action to be fruitless," the white-haired woman responded. "However, I grew tired. So, I think I'll use you as my seat for now, at least. We'll shortly find out whether your boasts hold even an ounce of truth," she added, chuckling.
"Do as you must," Stormrage responded emotionlessly.
"Oh, I'll most certainly do so," the warden spoke. "I don't need your permission to put you to any use I see fit. I thought that your memory was better, my dearest `Betrayer`. But, oh, it seems that all these years here must have changed that. Though, worry not, you'll not leave this prison, at least not soon," Maiev continued to play her game of mockery.
"Spare me your pity," the raven-haired man grunted. "You fail to fake it. The amount of venom contained in your words is astonishing, to say the least."
"I'm more than happy that you've noticed," a chuckled response was provided. "However, it's high time for me to proceed with this `torture` session."
As soon as the last word escaped the warden's slightly parted lips, she dug her steel claws into Illidan's flesh. Even though Maiev did not put much force into it, the metal pierced through the skin effortlessly. Some bluish blood began oozing from the shallow wounds. Still, to Maiev's dissatisfaction, no sound had been drawn from the prisoner. Instead, he remained silent as if not affected by the warden's actions. As a result, a nasty smirk appeared on the woman's beautiful face.
"You want to play that game? Fine, let's see how long will you last," Shadowsong uttered inside her mind, slightly amused.
Without further delays, the claws were allowed to sink deeper. Then, as the warden supported her weight upon them, she awaited a response from Illidan. So, with her body hanging in the air, she waited patiently for 30 heartbeats. Her steel nails had torn the fibres of the man's muscles, yet he remained constant. Now, the blood was flowing freely, quickly covering a decent part of Stormrage's back. It was just a matter of time before the liquid would start dripping onto the stone floor.
"You're stubborn as hell, Stormrage!" Maiev acknowledged in her thoughts. "Let's finish it before I pierce through his bones."
With that, Shadowsong sat on the middle part of the prisoner's back. The woman was mildly angry. All she wanted was to draw a response of sorts from Stormrage. Yet, in his stubbornness, the man decided to endure the pain, giving her little to no satisfaction. As Maiev pulled back her claws, a disgusting, gurgling sound filled the air. The tips of her steel gauntlet were sticky with the bluish soak, fresh and intensive. At least an inch of these claws was put into the man's flesh.
"You're stubborn, Stormrage!" the warden commented.
"I thought that we had settled that topic long ago," the raven-haired man responded emotionlessly. "Still, by all means, proceed with what you have in mind."
"You're annoying sometimes, Illidan," Maiev allowed herself to call him by the name. "You didn't need to endure this. However, knowing you, you've made it some sort of a twisted feat of strength, a test."
"Can you blame me, my dearest warden?" an amused demon hunter asked. "It is the only way I can prove that I am still worth something. I can no longer train. After all, these shackles you have removed earlier, the walls, the glyphs are forbidding me from doing even that. So all I can do is to watch and hold a battle in my mind."
"So… is it your way of asking me to allow you to train a little, my dearest `Betrayer`?" the white-haired woman chuckled. "Is that what you want? Is that so simple to satisfy a man like you?"
"It is not a matter of me being satisfied," a hushed whisper sounded. "It is a matter of dealing with my own thoughts. When I train, I can freely disregard them. I can put all these muscles to work. I can rely on muscle memory to carry me through the training. So, my mind can be switched off," Illidan added.
"Hmmm… let me think about that problem of yours," Shadowsong hummed, cupping her jaw. "But, for now, let me enjoy my seating."
"You do you, Maiev," Stormrage commented.
However, the man decided to give the warden as much time as she deemed needed. So, instead of continuing their contemplation, he opted to focus on the excess weight placed on his middle back. Maybe, just maybe years ago, he would have been able to disregard the occurrence. However, sadly, it was not the case in his current form. Nevertheless, Illidan needed to focus solely on keeping his frame from trembling. And… the wounds Maiev had inflicted on him did not help in that process.
Soon enough, sweat began pearling upon his brow. It was a really rough situation for the man to be in. But, unfortunately, beggers can not be choosers. It was beyond his reach to alter the current situation.
"It will be only a matter of time before my breath becomes shallow," the demon hunter thought. "Still, I do not want to give Maiev the satisfaction of defeating me. My pride is everything that is left from my past."
As expected, it did not take long for the man's breath to become heavy. Even though the white-haired woman had not spoken a word in a while, she continued watching the prisoner. A decently-sized pool entirely made of Stormrage's sweat had already managed to form below him. Although it was evident that the man tried his best to remain constant, he was about to fail. His defined, muscular frame started to tremble lightly a couple of minutes ago. It was a matter of time before Illidan's strengths would run out. Still, it must have been admitted the demon hunter lasted a lot longer than she had initially thought.
"Exhausted, Stormrage?" the white-haired woman opted to taunt the prisoner. "It's getting a little bit uncomfortable to sit here, I must say. Are you getting tired, `Betrayer`?"
"How much time passed?" Stormrage asked, slightly breathlessly.
"Wrong question," the warden corrected him.
"How many centuries passed, warden?!" the man asked, raising his tone a little bit.
"Oh, not that much," Maiev giggled. "It's been only five minutes."
"I might be a little bit blind, but I am not stupid," the demon hunter commented. "So, how much time passed?" he repeated the question.
"Around an hour," the white-haired woman responded. "Surprisingly, you did good, no, great," she allowed herself to make a comment.
"Does it even matter?"
"Oh, yes, I think so."
"What do you mean by that?"
"You'll be allowed to train," the warden stated whilst standing up. "I need my fellow sisters to be in a top shape for any unexpected urgency. So, it'd be a waste not to utilise you in that process."
"Why are you doing this?" the prisoner asked, still in a plank position.
"These shouldn't be of your concern," Shadowsong quickly cut off the discussion. "I think we can both benefit from this solution. You can stop doing that already. Our today's `torture` session is nearly over."
"What do you expect me to do, then? What is your plan?"
"I'd not worry about these minor details if I were you," a bland response was provided. "Before I go, let's deal with your wounds. Come here," the warden requested.
"Why are you doing all of these? What is the catch? There must be something you seek to obtain through this offer," the man slowly rose up, whispering.
"I might tell you one day," Maiev simply spoke. "But, as you might expect, today isn't that day. Come closer, then turn around; we need to bandage these wounds."
Stormrage knew all too well that there was no point of further dispute here. So, instead, he did as he had been told. The man would have to lie if he had decided to state he was not in pain. At least some of Maiev's claws tore down his muscles' foundation. Especially the ones that had been dug near the end of his spinal cord. So, without uttering a single word more, he closed the distance between them and turned around, exposing his bruised back.
"What do you try to gain through our banter?" Illidan tried once again to gain some information.
"You're awfully stubborn tonight," Shadowsong commented. "The deal is simple; you help me, I'll help you. And, by help, I mean, I'll make your life here bearable."
"That is reassuring, thank you, my dearest warden," the demon hunter whispered.
The chief warden tried to ignore the last statement. However, she miserably failed to do so. There was a subtle change in the man's tone. Something that the white-haired woman could not have placed precisely. It bothered her, but she opted to first deal with the man's back.
Some water was poured onto the wounds to wash off most of the caked blood. Maiev watched its trail till the slightly contaminated liquid soaked into Stormrage's pants. Then, with some hesitation, the woman lifted a piece of fabric, wiping out the rest of the blood. It felt weird, so inappropriate, yet at the same time, more than welcomed. The chief warden found herself puzzled, conflicted. She did not like that feeling, yet she continued with the task ahead of her.
"Why am I doing this?" she asked herself, deep inside her mind.
"You can fool anyone, but yourself, Maiev," some part of her subconsciousness replied to that question.