'What's this ...' a hoarse voice said in the black space that enshrouded it's being ...
ripples carried out sound vibrations as it spoke ...
but there was no one or anything in sight ... to answer the question ...
in the blackness that bound the space and void ... chains in a black light materialised ... holding a man with red eyes ... black hair ... and naked body ...
his body was filled with riddled holes ... and black scars that didn't ooze blood ... instead .. they ate away his conscious ... second by second ... yet these seconds had done this over and over again .. for years ... without eating is entire being away ...
he held a face without pain .. or any emotion ...
his face was hidden under his wet black hair ... that revealed his only two ruby eyes ... which glistened in a light ever so peaceful ...
he had one of the black shining chains dug deep into his neck .. connecting to his spine ... causing him to be unable to move any muscle ...
even twitching was an impossible task ...
the years were uncountable ... how long he has been here ... and who had done this unto him ... was concealed under the sheets of unending disaster of darkness ...
'What's this ...?' he asked ...
his hoarse voice once again echoed inside the endless void ... filled with darkness .. with only him as the light source ..
but even so .. under his conditions he could see the ripples that carried sound vibrations ...
each letter had its own sound ... but the meanings between each and everyone of them were blanketed ...
the man seemed to have no idea what this place was .. and did not know what he was currently saying ... but also did not seem to care about the current time and space that swirled around him ...
the ripples made him deaf to his own words ... that could be heard coming up from the throat to the ear drums ...
the silence though did not bother him that much ...
the peaceful red eyes ... were too timid to be peaceful ... the light inside them .. was just a flickering flame the size of a fly ... that could easily be put ouy ...
all of this ... the current him ... was in an illusion .. of who knows what ... but from the peaceful presence in his eyes .. one could tell that ... his imprisonment was cruel if not inhuman ...
his life was based on a big lie ... that even he couldn't understand ...
his conscious was not aware ... but his body was ...
the sadness lit from within the flickering flames ... and the feeling of longing ... was deeply rooted inside his heart ...
noting that .. the conscious and the spirit of the heart were two different things altogether ... his body coursed with mental pain ... and suffering that he couldn't escape from ...
he was a being with two selves trapped into two different dimensions ...
'What's this ...' ... his voice broke ... as a black hooded figure ... with a two headed scythe .. in his hands ..
his hands were long and grew long fingers with sharp dirty yellow nails ...
he was taller than the average tallest being .. his skin was as pale as a white sheet ...
his cloak was dripping wet with black liquid .. and his two headed scythe was made from a dark thorny long branch .. that was surrounded by a mist of darkness ...
though there was this strange luminous light that only surrounded the area around him ... it was very comforting yet very discomforting ...
the cloaked man's pressure was enough to crush someone's soul ... but the chained man was already crushed ... and had no way of escaping his demise either way ...
the cloaked man ... then walked towards the chained man ... very quickly .. like he was running ...
the blackness around tangled space of darkness ... moved around the light .. as if afraid of getting in touch with it ...
when he was close enough ... he raised up his scythe and ...
***********
"He's lucky ... very lucky ... that you're from that clan .. and you're also his leader ... otherwise things might've escalated .. and I would've chopped him to pieces to feed my right hand men ...." the emperor said .. as he sat on the throne in his little rabbit form ..
the mixed coloured haired beauty looked up at the Leporid Emperor and smiled ..
"Thank you ... but aside from my prestige title .. you would've still spared him for something .. am I not correct ...?" the Leporid Emperor glanced at her and scrubbed it's fluffy chin ... with its little soft paws ...
"Indeed .... " he sighed ... but then ...
he continued .. "However .. I would've killed him if it wasn't for your clan ... although I need what belongs to me .. I would have not let an incompetent fool attack me in my own domain .. especially a filthy human with no interesting potential or features ... I'm not that desperate .. I call the shots here ... I made contact with him ... all because of what he had in his possession .. if I knew he was such a bastard who was accompanied by you ... I would've let him go ... after personally collecting my stuff ..." the captain nodded awkwardly ..
she then glanced at the sleeping man on her lap .. with a defeated spirit ...
'If only I had known he would be so stupid to insult the ruler of the forest ...' she thought ... as she recalled all that had happened ...
she sighed and sat quietly ... looking at the little rabbit ... with curiosity ...
major clans were not a secret to the world .. all across the giant continents ... and dimensions ..
every being naturally knew about their existence .. and it was also natural for the beings to be afraid when they even uttered their names ...
as all of that could lead to death ...
each clan .. had a prestige title .. held for their familial status ...
just like the Gaumont Clan ...
however .. there were some thing that were kept classified by the clans .. such as their prodigies ... so it was very weird for the emperor to just identify her so easily like that ...
"You're wondering how I know about you being from that clan ..??" the captain nodded ... and raised her head up at it ...
the emperor sighed ... and opened its beautiful .. little blue eyes .. "You see ... just like you humans .. we rulers of the forest have our own prodigies ... that we hide from the world .. and the thing is ... we have a custom that every human and beast kind ... should apply to ... and that's when a child is born ... we introduce them to the other beast and human clans ... which makes us connect ... and I just happened to see you with your father holding your hand when you were still four years old ... who wouldn't remember that girl who embarassed her entire family anyways ... no offence though ..." ... the captain made that 'oh' kind of expression ...
and recalled the past events ... but couldn't remember any rabbit face in her memories ...
she just shook her head .. and sighed ..
"Can't remember ... " she muttered under her breath ...
"I don't blame you ... everyone looked down on you and they mocked you ... you were considered nothing but a useless peasant without uniqueness ... I would clear that from my memory without a doubt ... " the captain only glanced the other way. .. and ignored the emperor ...
"Come at me you fluffy ball ..." Theo groaned in his sleep ... flinging his hands around ever so slowly ...
the Leporid Emperor ... stiffened ... and looked over at Theo ... with a mad gaze ...
"He's still sleeping ..." ... the captain quickly said ...
"It would be better if he slept through the entire thing ... I don't want him getting too forward .. " the emperor said with an evil smile ... that caused chills to run down the captain's spine ..
soon .. though ... the sleeping beast .. woke up and hurriedly stood up on guard ...
his eyes were already on the rabbit emperor ...
his mind then reversed to their encounter .. as he couldn't recall anything that happened thereafter ..
he conjured a golden sword and pointed it at the rabbit ...
"You attacked me ..." he said ... dumbfounding everyone
the captain glanced at him and shook her head ... slapping her forehead ... "Theo .. that happened yesterday ... you've been out for hours ... " Theo glanced back at the captain and raised a brow ...
"Why is it that I can't remember any of that happening .... " he scratched his head in embarassment .. looking for an answer ...
captain Rose was struck again .. she raised a brow in return .. 'Is it because of that ..'
Theo called back his element ... and looked at the Leporid Emperor ... with an awkward expression ...
"Sorry ... Leporid Emperor ... I didn't think you would look so ordinary ... no offence but you look like a little bunny in that form ... everyone would mistake you for a little bunny ... this is your own fault .. mister ... but I sincerely apologize .. I will never insult you ever again ..." Theo said hesitantly ...
the emperor ignored his harsh disrespecting words and pinched his nose bridge with a deep sigh ...
his fluffy rabbit shoulders slumped down ... in defeat ..
he opened his left eye to glance at Theo ... and tried to calm his nerves down ..
"Okay fine .. now give me .. what I want ... " the Leporid Emperor said hurriedly .. as if he wanted the both of them to be out of his sight as quickly as possible ...
"Eh ..?? .. what you want ...?? be specific ... I'm not a mind reader ..." Theo said crossing his arms .. with an annoyed pout ..
"Ha~ ... my goddamned ... Core Eggs ...!!! " the Leporid Emperor shouted ... and jumped down from his throne .. and breathed heavily .. as smoke rose up from its body ...
"Sheesh calm down little thing .." Theo said .. in a low voice ... not wanting the 'crazy' emperor to go haywire ..
but he didn't want to let him off that easily .. "Look .. here ... let's not get off on the wrong foot .... let's both be civilised businessmen ... actually I think it's business rabbit and businessman ... a transaction ... like bartering ... I give you your Core Eggs and you give me something as valuable as the many Core Eggs ... I have ... that's a fair trade ... I'm actually quite good at this ..." the creatures around the throne .. backed away instantly .. without hesitation ...
the captain .. hurried to say something but a soft fluffy white paw .. Ross into the air and shut her up ...
"It's fine ... I'm assuming there are other damaged Core Eggs .. those can be yours since they will be of no use to me ... that's a fair share ... mark that ... and for the entire bulk of the other Core Eggs which are still in perfect shape and condition ... I'll give you this ..." as the emperor said this ..
a tube with a wooden lid .. containing a colorless liquid appeared from out of the blue ... and levitated right infront of his beautiful grey eyes ...
"Oh .. okay .. we have a deal I guess ..." Theo retrieved every Core Egg that contained a huge amount of lifeforce and energy .. and those that were in perfect condition ...
he then kept the other damaged ones inside his storage system ...
the trade between the two 'gentle'men ... went as smooth as a snail's glide ...
immediately after their barter ... Theo and captain Rose exited the guardian's path ..
[Ding!!]
[Second Mission Complete!]
[Pecuniary: 10]
.....