Now imprisoned within the room, Gary was now facing a conundrum: What should he do now?
The clinking of chains reverberated into the space around him, a constant reminder of his current predicament.
Watching on, part of him desperately hoped that the chains would continue to hold strong. That they would remain unyielding as they had for nearly a millennia and return peace to both the throne room and his beating heart.
Yet, his less optimistic side could not be silenced. It taunted him the possibility that the chains would snap, releasing a being that he had little chance of overpowering. And despite his much-unfounded faith in himself, he doubted that he could convince the Demon King to let some impudent intruders off scott-free.
While the infernal race had long withered away, reduced to a state where they could only be found in the land that once was the core of their domain, their reputation was still as well known as it was unsettling.
The destruction and carnage they had released on their warpath ages ago were better described as a natural disaster rather than the work of war and battle. It was not just man and beast that had suffered; the land that they had trampled underneath their march was subject to their corruptive aura, turning what was once a fertile plain or luscious forest into a barren world of scorched earth and barren soil. Even with the passage of the years, the scars from their rampage could still be felt in some locations.
Simply put, he would be lucky if the Demon King didn't eviscerate him the moment he tried to offer some sort of deal.
Gary's mind raced with apprehension as he considered his options with a growing sense of anxiety.
If the chains were going to break, what should he do?
No, what could he do?
As he rubbed his fingers through his matted raven black hair with consternation, something landed on his shoulder with a solid thump, pulling him back to reality.
With a startled jump, he looked to his side to see Brandus grasping his shoulder with a grim expression.
"Done standing in place like a moron?" Gary roughly tossed his shoulder free from Brandus's grip as he joked, though his tone contained little mirth.
Brandus snorted in response, firing back. "I should be the asking you that. You haven't given up, have you?" His question elicited a raised eyebrow from Gary, who wondered if this was Brandus's form of encouragement.
Unable to think of a reply, he met the question with another.
"How are the others?"
"They're alright." Brandus seemed to notice the sudden deflection but chose to ignore it as he looked towards the rest of the team, who had begun to take some unsteady steps over to them. "Though they are still feeling it. I'm not back to full strength either, but I'm getting there."
"That's... good to hear," Gary admitted. Although he didn't know how much they could achieve, he would be lying if he said the presence of Brandus and the rest weren't comforting. At the very least, he wouldn't have to face this alone.
Still, the situation was still dire. Glancing back to the chain with a glint of steel in his eyes, Gary let out a frustrated 'Tsk' before posing a question to Brandus.
"So, you got any bright ideas?"
"...Just one."
Crossing his arms, Gary looked back to Brandus with an unexpected look.
Now that was surprising. He hadn't really anticipated a positive answer, but it came as a welcome surprise. He hadn't expected anything to come from raising the question, but then again, a different perspective may have caught something he had missed.
Who knows? maybe they weren't completely fucked.
"And what idea would that be?" Gary prodded.
But his question was left unanswered. Well, left verbally unanswered. Brandus walked past Gary, as if unaware of the fiery gaze cast upon him, and marched over the dirt and rubble that lay before him. Towards the source of their growing distress.
Gary bewilderedly stood in place for a moment, before closely pursuing behind him, his accessories clinking with each step, and shouting out. "Hey! You gonna tell me what you're gonna do?" he futilely demanded.
Reaching the end of the struggling chain, Brandus reached out to grasp a part of the link, wrapping his toned arms around the glowing construct, and began to firmly pull against the unruly fetters, tightening the already strained links.
Eyes growing wide with realization, Gary finally understood what the grand idea was, though he wasn't approving of it.
"You aren't serious, are you?" His shoulders collapsed a little as what little hope left his body, feeling the urge to let out a despairing laugh. To think that this would work was almost laughable, but then again, what did he expect?
Brandus's knowledge and skill of magic was almost nonexistent. The only thing he truly knew was the path of the warrior. But what could that strength achieve when thrust between the struggle of two forces that far outclassed the power of one human?
"You got any better ideas?" Brandus groaned, the skin of his palms beginning to bleed, painting the link he held into a mix of scarlet and gold as the chains underwent another period of violent tugging.
Gary shook his head as he let out a despondent moan, before walking to the side of a link, providing aid to the struggling Brandus.
"This is so fucking stupid..." He muttered, clasping his hands around the warm link and digging his heels deep into the ground, leaving a small pit where his feet could leverage themselves.
And then, he and Brandus entered the most extreme tug of war they had ever experienced. One whose stakes were a bit too high for Gary's liking.
And they began to pull.