Marcus entered the prison humming to himself. Or it might have been humming, but being as tone-deaf as he was, nothing that came out of him would ever be called music. A new arrival piqued his interest now, a young Paladin that had bumbled into Shallamar and attempted to kill the Ur'dead there. After they had thrashed him, the Commander of the Ur'Guard had dragged him to Marcus and asked to torture him as a special favour. Honoured, he had agreed, and now looked down at the merian on the table.

 

"What is your name? Bare in mind if you do not tell me it then I will give you a stupid one, and you will die in anonymity" asked Marcus, and the paladin stiffened.

 

"I am Squire Malem, of the Paladins, and I will not tell you anything! For the glory of the Light, and Lady Alicia Tanestra!"

 

Marcus let him struggle a little, then clocked him across the cheek. He cried out in pain, teeth flying in bloodied lumps. Marcus thought he had broken his nose in two places, and nodded in satisfaction. "Cute. As for Lady Alicia, I guess they are still keeping it quiet?" spoke Marcus casually, ignoring the disgust he felt at Malem's sobbing. Just a few teeth knocked out and a broken nose had caused him to blubber like a baby. "Look at you. This is the best the Paladins have to offer? Hardly worth the effort to torture you, so instead, I will tell you the story of someone who actually had spine and more balls than you."

 

For giggles, he gripped Malem's jaw and tore it out. A moment later he slathered regeneration on the bleeding wounds, seeing the skin knit slowly. "This is diluted regeneration, so it will take an hour to fully regrow your jaw. In the meantime, try not to gurgle too loudly."

 

Marcus washed his hands in the basin provided and wiped them clean, a low guttural moan escaping from the back of Malem's throat. It was the only sound he could make, and it was quite pleasant to Marcus's ears. "I have certain rules when it comes to torture and dismemberment. Those with certain gravitas are treated specially, mostly because of their spine and will to survive. Unlike you, they have faith in their own rubbish. I barely respect some of my city mates, but these idiots with boundless stubbornness, steel spine and gorgeous beauty, oh how I love them."

 

***

 

A bucket of cold water was thrown on the shackled merian, the woman gasping and coughing, sopping blonde hair almost falling in front of her face. A mixture of human and merian ancestry had given her the regal and noble appearance of the aqueous race and the beautiful golden locks and face of a human aristocrat. Dirtied undergarments were all that remained of her clothes. Not that Marcus went for that sort of thing, anymore. He'd castrated himself, defying the need to have children and pass on genes. He would live forever, so would have no need for them.

 

He also absolutely despised rapists.

 

"Hello again Miss Alicia, did you enjoy your accommodation?" chortled Marcus as the assistant left. Alicia's sole response was to spit in Marcus' face. He wiped it away without complaint, enjoying her fiery personality.

 

"We should really go on a date first, fish woman. So, day fifty is it of our association?"

 

More silence. He walked forwards and gripped her neck. The Paladin just hung there, glaring at him. "Say something. Say something or I will crush your throat like an egg" he snarled, but Alicia said nothing. This scum in front of her repulsed her sensibilities.

 

"You don't scare me, monster. I've known other people like you. Unable to satisfy their own impure urges, gripped by inadequacies and cowardice, the only way you can enjoy yourself is hurting and destroying the innocent and the helpless. You are nothing new, Marcus d'Lardick, son of a mare, and I will not scream or beg for your amusement" replied Alicia defiantly, thinking of Shakiniel's smiling face and being filled with her righteous fury. "You sicken me."

 

He gut-punched her, the merian grunting in pain. Alicia breathed heavily with wheezy breaths; that had hurt. "You want to talk about being sickened? I can smell your stink from a mile away. All of you Celestians with your hypocrisy and your weakness, your delusional ideas of justice and arrogance. Merians are the worst, throwing their weight around and grasping hold of some ancient mirage of nobility just because they have scales."

 

Alicia got her breath back, and sneered. "What, not even viscanti whores will touch you?"

 

Marcus scowled, letting go. "I bet you wouldn't feel so superior if I cut up your pretty face" he threatened, flicking out his scalpel.

 

"So why don't you? Because I'm the only woman who will even look at you?"

 

"No. My respect for you"

 

"Ha!" laughed Alicia derisively, forgetting her stoic composure for a moment, intrigued at this topic. What do you know of respect, taintling? Your very existence disrespects everything the Elders fought for, everything we mortals fought for" jeered Alicia, disbelieving this overcompensating little thing could understand what she was saying.

 

"Word of your beauty has reached even Magnagora. Known as the most beautiful Paladin ever to exist in the past 500 years, lines of suitors after you do nothing to effect your stalwart dedication to the city. Seeing it in person now, I have to agree. At first I thought you were just like everyone else, taking the suitors into seedy cellars and doing your filthy business away from prying eyes. However, you have spine and grace. No whore can carry those."

 

He steps back and spreads out his arms, looking up at the ceiling. "Truly, you carry the favour of the Gods and the Fates, who bestow such beauty and admire those who display it proudly. My Patron , Lady Drocilla, respects and encourages beauty in its purest form, so for me to ruin such an example? Why, I'd lose Her favour."

 

Alicia stared at Marcus all the way through the rant. This Geomancer was quite insane. Scratch that, this Geomancer was even more insane than the others she'd met before. Although she did take pride in her beauty and spirit, she did it in honour of those without such blessings. By being a Paladin in the Light, and serving it with distinction, she was a beacon for the ugly and the weak. Despite the disgust he inspired in her, she even stood for the scum, selflessly working towards a time when such things are obsolete and he could be shown it was unnecessary. Still, in the bottom of her heart, festering within her mortal failing, a small part of her thought that not even this thing could be saved.

 

***

 

"So you see, I enjoyed working on her. I snapped her arm, and she screamed, but it was just the pain. I cut open her veins, pumping blood out, and she just stared. I even, although it sickened me, got someone to attempt to force themselves on her, but after the glare she shot him, he shrivelled to nothing and ran away whimpering" laughed Marcus, tapping the scalpel on Malem's stomach.

 

"Then I will fight you as well. In her name, inspired by her deeds. Just as my Lady did, I will not break either. You shall forever be tempered by the strength of my will" boasted Malem, sneering up at Marcus. The Mage drew a short sword and brought it down, cutting off Malem's arm. He screamed while Marcus looked on bored.

 

"How about you just bleed to death instead" pondered Marcus, injecting a stimulant into Malem's other arm to keep him awake through the pain. As the paladin writhed and pleaded, Marcus looked ahead, thinking back to how he had lost his greatest prize. He absentmindedly licked the blood from his fingers.

 

***

 

Two days after the last confrontation with Marcus, Alicia hung there, feeling sorry for herself. No guards were left down with her, and since she went on her own hunger strike, no servants arrived with food. The only fact she took solace in was that Marcus wouldn't kill her. It would end her 'pain' too quickly. She feared not death, just knew she had a lot more life in her. A scuffling noise outside the door distracted her attention suddenly, and the gate opened to show a young apprentice Geomancer in tattered robes. In his hands was a platter of stale bread and mouldy cheese.

 

"I'm sure your master has told you that I am on a hunger strike. I can live without food for many days, I will not entertain him!" snarled Alicia and spat in his face. The mage paused, then wiped off the spit and did something which shocked her.

 

He made a hand gesture and blessed her in the name of the Holy Supernals.

 

Stunned, she watched as he withdrew something from within his robes and beams of light shot forth, cutting the chains which held her to the wall. She fell forwards, whimpering a little at how heavy her body felt. Lax muscles felt like bread dough in her arms and legs. She needed excercise, but her rescuer had already gotten rid of the cuffs on her legs and pulled her up. "Lady Alicia Tanestra, I'm here to help you escape. Put these on, they are fake" he explained, giving her a pair of steel manacles that felt much lighter than normal ones.

 

"Who are you?" she asked quietly, putting them on and pretending to look meek, despite the rage and retribution she was feeling. She was free, and now she wanted to butcher the abominations around her. But her tactical mind cut through the bloodlust, revealing to the Paladin that she had no hope of escaping on her own, especially with her weakened muscles and a prison full of warriors.

 

He grabbed her by the shoulder, and steered her to the door. "My name is Kalliel, the Mercenary. Now shh, m'lady, and I will do my best to get you out" he whispered back, his eyes so kind and understanding, unlike the eyes of a vile viscanti. She squinted, and saw a faint illusion on his face along with something that her keen eyes identified as some sort of face makeup. Before Alicia could focus, however, he had pulled her gently through the door to the stairway, and she followed him subserviently. Only when they came to the next level did she panic a little, wondering if this was yet another method of torture, Marcus giving her hope and dashing it to pieces.

 

If that was so, then she'd make sure her 'rescuer' was the first to go, with her bare hands.

 

The first level was lightly guarded, and his disguise fooled the sentries there. Soon her doubts vanished, and as movement returned to her body, she flexed her muscles. On the second level it had seem like there would be no trouble, but one seasoned guard had approached them in front of the door. He was a towering orclach dressed in battle armour and had an eye missing.  "What are you doing with her? The Enginseer has decreed she not be moved."

 

"I'm sorry sir, I am just following my orders. Lord Marcus wants to try a new technique on her, and it requires a different room. It's my first day I really want to impress him, please let me through?"

 

The ur'Guard frowned, tilting his head. Alicia kept hers down, breathing steadily and flexing her hands to try to get some movement into them. She also eyed the axe by the orclach's side; it looked very appealing, especially when she thought about connecting it with Marcus' face. "No, I cannot. He said under no circumstances"

 

Kalliel punched the air with his palm, elemental magic unleashing a massive charge that rammed the orclach in the stomach. He buckled over and Kalliel followed with an uppercut. The soldier fell on his side, and the mage clenched his fingers. "We should run for it, I think" announced Kalliel, for the guard's axe had clanged to the floor and created an unwanted noise. Alicia replied by throwing the shackles away and pulling up the axe. With the new weapon, her vitality returned, and the blood lust came with it. If it hadn't been for decades of strict Paladin tutoring, she'd have killed everyone in the room then and there.

 

"This has been a long time coming. Lead the way, Kalliel, and you will have the full thanks of the Paladins" announced Alicia, gripping his hand, and pulling him towards the door. Someone knocked on it from the other side.

 

"Marshal Dural, are you OK?" called a young sounding voice, and they rammed the door. A startled Taurian landed on his back, the two other sentries interrupted in their tea time.

 

"INTRUDERS!" yelled a viscanti and Alicia straddled the sprawled taurian, cold-cocking him to the floor. The viscanti charged forwards, sword out and swinging. Kalliel splattered the floor with water and he slipped on it, Alicia's axe coming down to cut off the viscanti's head. An air punch to the head knocked down the remaining one and they climbed up the stairs. Alicia stumbled, still not fully recovered, but Kalliel pulled her up.

 

"Your Highness, we must hurry" explained Kalliel, grabbing Alicia's hand as she aimed a kick between the legs of the guard who had followed them up. He keeled over with a groan and she followed the mage out of the room. As they turned to go down a long hallway a figure appeared in front of them.

 

"What the Nil is going on here? YOU!" roared Marcus angrily, steam and sparks flying from his eyes and mouth angrily. Steam erupted from his iron tanks and the air was filled with thick cloying fumes. "Get back in your cell."

 

"We're leaving, abomination!" yelled Kalliel, and dived to the floor, taking Alicia with him, to avoid the caustic fumes that blasted forth in Marcus' anger. "Shall I make you taste defeat again?"

 

"Cursed Aquamancer! This will be our last meeting!"

 

A shard of ice flew at Marcus from Kalliel's hands, his magnum coming up to deflect it.

 

"I have defeated you once before, and i shall do it again, Iron Magus" replied Kalliel, mind coming up with a plan.

 

"She is my prize, my challenge. My work with her is not done yet!"

 

"You arrogant bastard! I am Lady Alicia Divinus Janine Tanestra!! I am not your prize!" shouted back Alicia as she started forwards. Kalliel, however, pushed her back. Marcus played dirty and was destructive when mad.

 

"We're leaving, oh mighty Enginseer!"

 

Marcus unscrewed a valve on his iron tanks, soon obscured by thick fumes. "We'll see about that!" yelled the Geomancer, and flexed his fingers. The fumes reacted together, a whirling vortex that shot forwards. Kalliel swept his staff across, a gust of wind sending the smoke back. "What?! How?! You are an Aquamancer!"

 

"Wrong" responded Kalliel and twirled his staff to dispel the illusion he had put on it, swapping the coral out for crystal. A moment later compressed air shot out, ploughing into Marcus and hurling him into a wall. He slid down it and groaned in pain.

 

"Say hello to an Aeromancer you son of a bitch."

 

 

To be continued...