The Slave Prison

[Tifa Lockhart]

‘Fondly’ named ‘The Pit’ by the people of Solaris this prison is run by slavers who are actually under the employ of the Solaris royal family. It is a place used to silence convicted men and woman and hostages. It is their proudest accomplishment in order to ‘bring justice’. It is officially a place of detention, meant to help straighten out Solaris’ alarming crime-rate, but in reality it is a way for the royal family to flatten any opposition.

[Tifa Lockhart]

It was cold and dark... always dark, and almost always cold. She was wet, with what she could no longer remember, not that it was important. She sat up slowly, her eyes focusing as she returned to consciousness, not that there was anything for them to focus on, save perhaps for the tiny shaft of light that managed to squeeze through a crack somewhere in the black roof high above her. This was solitary confinement... a magically guarded cell she'd spent far too long in.
Her memory began to return slowly, she was in pain, burning pain, tears streamed down her face. She was wet not with water or sweat, but with blood, from the lashes that marred her tiny body. She let out a keening wail, which would have been a plea for help if her mouth wasn't bound shut. It was like a human muzzle, leather straps designed to stop her from speaking. For a time it had been an effort by the guards to stop her using magic, but they'd fast learned her magic was not the kind that came from words. Now the muzzle was to stop her pleas for mercy appealing to the guard's better natures.

She had two solaces in this barren hopeless place: the first was the tiny ray of light that always found its way into her world, no matter how the guards tried to fill the holes. And the second was a strange knowledge she held, she didn't know how she knew, but she knew that one day someone would save her, come and free her from her torment. She didn't care how they did it, she just wanted to be free in one way or another.

[Yuna Braska]

The thick leather creeked as his hand closed into a fist. The gloves were way too small for his hand and it had already cut through the middle of his fingers. He could feel the cuts try to heal themselves over the fabric, and then rip away when he tried to wiggle his knuckles. Sero hated the gloves so much, they were strapped to his arm and his arms were tightened to metal rods running arcoss his back. The contraption prevent his upper arms to move at all, an adjusted accessory to stop the 23 year old from taking swings at the guards. The metal rods because he broke the other model with too much ease. A couple of leather straps to break is easy for Sero, but in bundles of 6 to 8 accompanying metal was not the most comfortable thing in the world. If his hands were bare, perhaps then he could transform into one of the many insects that crawled around his cell, he even tried shoving a spider down one of his gloves in order to get out of this horrid place. Though the guards have been smart with this newer model. Now Sero could only clench his fists, bend his elbows, and walk.

10 years he had been in this prison, and those many 10 years have brought pain and torture but he was still alive. He had lost count about how many times he wanted to die, though he would always remind himself of his sister. His beautiful young sister who he was taken away from.
Sero sat on the floor of his cell, opening and closing his fist, listening as he heard footsteps slowly come towards his room. It must of been about mid morning, cause he had already had two visits today. He waited patiently to see the man he wanted to kill.

" Morning boy" The deep throated man said through the bars on the door. He was around mid 30's with almost good physic as Sero, always had a straight back and a cheeky grin.
" Are we gonna go through this again today?" He asked, leaning in a little closer to the bars.
Sero leaned off the wall, the metal bars digging into his back. " Depends.. what is on the to-do-list today?" Sero asked, a small grin rising. "Lashings? Bashing? Burning? You have nothing left to surprise me with Sir"
"Maybe we having been using the right methods?" The man grinned back before stepping out of the way to allow the guards to rush in. Sero couldn't really do much but go with the guards. He had learned that of all the times he has tried to fight back... it makes things worse.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Evonay wasn't sure how long she'd laid curled in his tiny pool of light, praying to whatever gods would listen. The creek of the cell door opening was not a blessing, but a curse. She knew well enough now that nothing good ever came through that door.
"Come on." A soft voice said as a guard entered and leaned down to help her to her feet. She whimpered but didn't fight him. She knew she was lucky, this guard was one that frequently came to her, and he was nicer than the others. He didn't hurt her unless another guard was looking, and even then his lashes did not leave the scars that the others did. She didn't know why he was so nice to her, but she was grateful for the occasional reprieve from agony.
"They're making an example of him again..." The guard whispered as he lashed her wrists with leather thonging and lead her along as if she were on a leash.

This happened often, one particular prisoner would get punished a lot, and the guards would often punish him in front of all the other prisoners in an attempt to make them behave. Evie felt that he might be the one, the one who could save her from her hell. Despite their attempts he was the only one so far to not eventually bow to their will. She followed the guard almost silently, the only sounds she made were the soft whimpers of pain as she limped on battered legs, the sounds muffled by her muzzle.

They reached the large open square with its raised dais. Tall walls surrounded them on all sides, topped with razor sharp spines and manned with guards who patrolled along it tirelessly. The dais was coated in years worth of blood, executions, beatings and all other sorts of horrors were commited upon this stage for all imprisoned here to see. Evie had seen years of it, watched men and women put to death or brutally tortured. For many years she had watched this particular man... and prayed for him.
"Please just watch this time..." He guard whispered softly, "If you make a fuss again they'll execute you for sure..."
Evie couldn't work out why he cared... or if he really did. Perhaps he was just saying these things to justify his actions to himself.

[Yuna Braska]

Sero was out in the courtyard before everyone else. He was sort of glad that these people were learning not to fight back. He didn't want any of them to get the treatment that he had been getting. Tied to a post, he watched as the prisoners flooded the square escorted by many guards. There was a table in front of Sero but he was confused to why it was bare.

One guard came up onto the platform and cleared his throat before he began. " I hope by the end of this demonstration you will reconsider your actions in the future" It was the same line he would say every time. Sero took in deep breaths preparing himself for the worst.
"Every minute blood will be spilt, until this man begs" The guard spoke again, pointing to Sero. He had never heard the guard say that before. They wouldn't kill him would they? They need him too much... They will give up like every other day.

The guard signalled another soilder near the crowd with a hand in the air. The other guard pulled out his sword and went behind a old man, around 50 years of age, and slit his throat wide before pushing the old man to the dusty ground.
Sero heard the last scream that man made before his horrid death. The body was twitching on the ground as blood stained the ground.
"NO!" Sero yelled out pulling against the strong post. His body trying to break the combination of ropes, leather and chains.
"Every minute blood will be spilt!" The guard repeated the crowd that was in absolute horror. Some prisoners had to be held by a guard to make them watch others die. Another short minute past and the same guard with blood on his sword went behind a pregnant young girl. The girl began to scream. begging to be let go by the guards that soon came over to hold her ready.
"Dont please Let her GO!" Sero pleeded with the Guard.
" Fight with us" The guard whispered. Sero clentched his teeth and looked away, his heart pounding harder and harder, almost loud enough to be heard. The main Guard grabbed hold of Sero's chin and pulled it around to just see the young girl's stomach get peirced by the long blade, her screams unbareable.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Evie had begun hyperventilating the moment the old man was killed. She wasn't that far from the man with the sword, not that she feared death by now, for that too was an escape. No, she hated seeing the blood being shed, the red liquid spilling out and drenching those in the crowd unlucky enough to be close to those killed. She let out a loud squeal, the closest thing to a scream she could get with her mouth bound. She wrenched her hands backwards, ripping her leash from her guards hands. The young guard recoiled with a cry of pain, hands dripping with blood as he nursed two ugly gashes from where he' tried to maintain his hold.

She tried to make a run for the dais, wanting to ease the torment of this man to whom she felt a strange connection. She wanted to yell to him, to help him, but she could not find her voice. She'd made it to the dais, scrambling up as chaos erupted around her. Her eyes were glowing and all around them rocks had begun to fly, launching themselves at guards. Any object light enough for her to manage she willed to fly. She dashed to the man's side, hands barely touching the ropes that bound him to the post before she was grabbed by the hair and yanked back. She gave a muffled shriek as the head guard lifted her from her feet, holding her up for everyone - especially Sero - to see.
"This insubordination stops here!" He belowed, the ruckus going quiet as all turned to face him. Many prisoners began to plead, 'not the girl!', 'mercy!', 'you monster!'

The guard turned, holding Evie up right before his eyes so he had no choice by to look into her eyes.
"You will join us, or this girls blood forever stains your hands." He raised his sword, placing it across Evie's throat.
The elven girl whimpered, but there was no fear in her eyes. She met Sero's strongly, trustingly. They were begging him to do the right thing, not to cave to the will of these people.

[Yuna Braska]

Sero struggled against his bonds before seeing a very small girl run up to the platform towards him. His eyes were wide, this girl was so young... too young, looked no older than 6 or 7. The girl was doing exactly what he didn't want people doing.
He would of turned away from her eyes but they reminded him so much of his sister. The last thing he remembed of her was her beautiful face and eyes.
" She's a child! Do you have no heart!" Sero yelled.
"Time is fast Sero, or do you not care for these people" The guard said the sword still to the little elven girls throat. Sero looked down to the floor shaking his head.
"Oh well, no real lost anyway right?" The Main Guard replied moving his sword quickly to the girls thraot.
"I'll DO IT!" Sero yelled quickly, just in time for the Guard to stop his sword. "Ill do it please... please just leave her alone" He continued in a sad tone. The Guard smiled before dropping the elven girl hard on the floor to be picked up by the man who let her run from the crowd.
The Guard pointed at Sero, staring his straight in the eyes. " If you do anything funny. There will be nothing stopping me from killing everyone in this facility."
Sero looked towards the elven girl, thankful that he was able to save her but his eyes filled with defeat.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Evie whimpered when Sero gave in to their terms, though she made no sound when she was dropped heavily to the floor. She was weeping by the time her guard fetched her, jerking her to her feet with a practiced aggression that cant have been serious. There was only a few monsters here... the rest were almost as imprisoned as the slaves were. She knew that she no longer possessed the words to speak, her voice silenced for too long, but she had other ways of communicating. She met Sero's gaze, tiny hands reaching out to brush briefly with the flesh of his legs before she was dragged off by her guard. She was limping, obviously hurt by her fall from the evil man's hands.

Upon her touch visions would flash before Sero's eyes. They were visions of hope and light, visions of her faith in him, of her pain. She was twisted with agony, more pain than any child her age should ever have to endure, it was clear that her body could not take much more, images of a snake appeared several times throughout the flashes, an omen of death. She was conveying to him how she felt with pictures rather than words. But the message was clear.
Please don't give in... I need you... i can help you... please don't let them win.

[Yuna Braska]

Sero fell to his knee's when he was released from the post, his eyes watching as they dragged the two bodies out of the courtyard.
" You will be given a new cell, and we will begin tomorrow" The Guard whispered into Sero's ear before departing.

Sero was escorted to his new cell by four guards, the images that the young girl passed to him running through his mind. He couldn't stand to think of what that girl had been through.
" Dont mess around " One of the Guards warned before opening the bars to a small room with one small bed, a toilet and a sink. Sero was glad to see a bed, it had been years since he slept anywhere that wasn't the floor. The door was closed behind him with two guards inside with Sero. One had his sword out to threaten Sero as the other chained his foot to a hook in the middle of the room.
"Hands up" The guard demanded with his sword. Sero put his hands up as far as he was allowed to go and was surprised when the other guard was taking off the metal rods across his back.
"We will be back to put these back on later... " The Guards seemed very nervous as they left Sero's cell. He couldn't understand why they would take off the rods, perhaps it was just a reward for the horrible thing he has now agreed to.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Her guard wasn't quite so friendly anymore. Obviously when she'd hurt him he'd decided that being nice to a prisoner didn't pay off. He kicked her back into her cell, not caring as she went sprawling down on the hard stones and simply lay there whimpering.
"I warned you!" He hissed, "And still you ignored me. Miserable rat." He stalked off and slammed the door shut behind him plunging her again into a world of pain and darkness. She lay where she fell, lacking the strength to move at all. She simply lay there shivering and weeping, cold and alone. Would he do it? Would he give in an serve them?
She could feel the hope inside her, the belief that he would be the one to rescue her, failing. For so long she'd clung to that hope and it had kept her going, but as it faded, so too did her strength.

[Yuna Braska]

Sero ran his hands around the top of his gloves eventually finding a very small gap in the tight grip it had on his arms. He rushed to the sink and turned on the tap to flow down tthe small gap. Sero bit his tongue, holding his painful screams as the water trickled down his sensitive hand, soaking into the dead skin, raw cuts and healing wounds. It was hard to stand but Sero needed his hands to touch something.. anything and since water was the only thing available, he took it. He peered out his door and noticed one guard standing still beside the bars. he poored some more water down the gap of his gloves, slowly it was making it bigger.

After several more runs under water, Sero couldn't stand the pain anymore. How could water hurt his covered hands so much, it burned like acid. Sero ripped one leather strap from his shoulder, getting angry about how much they rubbed against his skin.
"Oi!" The Guard outside his cell yelled reaching for his keys and opening the door. " Stop that or ill call for your rods again" Sero ripped another strap from his shoulder, the release so statisfying.
"I said stop it!!!" The guard yelled again reaching for his sword. Sero flung back his arm and hit the guard right in the side of the face. At first Sero was about to appolagise but then realised how this could work. Sero gave the man another big blow to the face, his hand throbbing from the pressure. the guard fell to the ground, his keys thrown across the floor.
"Dammit" Sero said dragging his foot chain across the stones, reaching as far as he could to grab the keys that were his escape. He layed across the floor and after a moment or two, the silver ring of keys were in his glovede hands. Frantically, Sero tried to find the key to his chain. The guard he knocked out was mumbling lightly... he did not have much time.

[Yuna Braska]

Sero was struggling to avoid guards, they were everywhere. He would have to hide in places until they were pass and then sprint to the stairs to move down a level. Having stolen a guards sword, Sero began at every level to saw off a strap from his shoulder. One by one they can off until there were only two left. Sero stopped in the middle of a corridor when he heard a large deep bell go off from outside of the building. He knew now that the guards will be looking for him and it wasn't oo long until they caught up with him.
"There he is!" One yelled.
"Stop!" Said another. Sero frantically tried to rip off the last few straps, tearing them off his arms and shoulder to finally release one glove. Sero screamed with pain ask he tore the glove off his hand, skin peeling away from the back of his knuckles and wrist. He clutched his hand before using his stolen sword to fight off the guards. One by one they fell to a heavy blow to the head or a slit throat.
"Dalia get me through this" Sero said before leaning down to one guard and looking at his bloody body. Sero closed his eyes and ran through the images that were placed into his head by the young elven girl, the one that reminded him so much of Airi. Sero placed his now bare hand on one of the guards and shuddered.

Walking tall Sero, disguised as a guard followed the stairs until he hit a floor where a guard was standing outside a room with a brown door. " Is the elven girl restrained?" Sero asked calmly. The guard nodded.
" Is she needed?" he asked.
Sero shook his head closing his eyes as he drew his sword and speared it through the guards chest. He didn't want to open his eyes, he could hear the blood gurgling out of his chest and the guards moans as he fell to the floor. Sero stretched his limbs out painfully as he returned to his original appearance. The transformation almost took all his strength, he had not been able to configure it in over seven years.

Sero unlocked the brown door and opened it slowly, hoping that the girl was alright.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Evie had gone rigid when she heard the bells ringing, there was a commotion going on, and a tiny flicker of hope began to warm her heart. He was coming for her... he'd heard her plea and he was going to come for her. She lay silently, listening, waiting. Then finally the door to her cell opened, flooding her with light. She was curled, broken and bruised in the middle of her cell, but she sat up to meet the eyes of the man at the door. It WAS him, her saviour at last had come to take her out of this horrid place. She tried to stand but staggered several times, eventually managing to hold her ground long enough to run to him, throwing her arms around his waist. Images of relief, gratitude and fear would flash through his mind then, still overshadowed with the ominous presence of pain and suffering, but her relief was the strongest of all.

She gave a soft whimper as she looked up at him, her eyes glistening with tears. She was trembling all over, but it was obvious she was very glad to see him.

[Yuna Braska]

Sero crippled at the knees when the girl ran to meet him. "Please, you must be very quiet" Sero said try to shake the images from his head, it was making him dizzy. He reached around her mouth and quickly removed the muzzle from her face. His bare hand was beginning to bleed, sore from glove being ripped from the skin. He put his finger up to his mouth to gesture for the girl to be quiet. "We must be quick" He said before scooping the girl up in his arms and running out of the cell.

[Tifa Lockhart]

Even with her muzzle finally removed for the first time in years Evie did not make a sound. She hugged in close to Sero as he held her. She offered up the occasional image of concern in relation to his hands, noticing how horribly they bled. She didn't know how he planned to escape such a heavily fortified place, but she trusted him to be able too. She also offered up her childlike knowledge of the defenses, though it became clear she paid a lot of attention to them whenever she was out in the courtyard. Her images showed every patrol route along the wall and every sharpened spike.