Sekhmet

Chapter 14

Chapter 14
Punishment
Sebastian

Sebastian watches Darcy stumble into the dark stone hallway, a pirate shoves him forward stepping between them forcing Sebastian to keep a distance preventing him from trying anything. Not like they warned Sebastian about a hundred times to not use his magic, or they'd execute Darcy on the spot. Sebastian didn't want to gamble any further and call their bluff, seeing as Darcy had no control over his magic at all, so he remained complacent... for now.

Another guard steps forward and attempts to shove Sebastian into the hallway, but it's like shoving a brick wall. He barely sways and gives the guard a conceited look. Sebastian steps through on his own, hands and forearms bound together with thick rope. They've been lead through multiple hallways and floors within the nest, Sebastian attempted to recall every turn and stairwell but soon lost track after walking for an hour.

Emerging from the long hallway they came to a circular hall made out of large stone slabs dripping with condensation. Three stories made up of a range of cells, with a hollow middle allowing prisoners to lean out and look down to the first floor. Each cell had two sets of doors.

One was made up of bars and the second was pure metal with a small square window at the top allowing people to look through. Sebastian assumed this was to limit noise or some form of isolation.

He noticed there was lot of them, prisoners, they're compacted tightly in inhumane conditions. Making the hall incredibly loud, voices overlapping each other as hundreds of eyes hardened down on them.

What made it worse was the place smelled strongly of burned flesh and river water, it made Sebastian's mind reel to those memories, the ones he packs away far in a box when he works at the forge beneath his house back in Kershel. The ones he only allows himself to remember to remind himself of what he did.

Darcy trips catching Sebastian's attention, the pirate picks him up roughly and throws him forward, Sebastian resists the urge to break free of the ropes. Heat brushed Sebastian's cheek as the neared the middle of the hall, at its centre was a large metal circle like a stove top, a large slit ran down the middle and emitted steam from its cracks.

Along the walls and floors are scorch marks and something clanged loudly bellow like a machine. No one seemed to stand on it, the pirates playing the role of guards paced around it on the stone path and all wore thick boots "move" the pirate behind Sebastian said with the strongest voice he could muster. Sebastian played along and followed Darcy towards a first level cell, no one was in it, and it was considerably larger than the others.

They get in and the door slams behind them. "You didn't have to come" is the first thing Darcy says, Sebastian turns to him he looks exhausted and beaten.

"You're right I didn't" Sebastian had half the mind to lay into the kid, perhaps use him as some kind of tool to get out of here, but he didn't have the heart to do it.

"It's my decision and now we're each other's problem" Sebastian sat down, careful to not rely on his bound arms too much.

Darcy awkwardly followed suit hissing in pain when his bent his torso "are you alright?" Sebastian asks studying the young boy as he stood back up "no, I'm pretty sure I broke I rib."

"I believe I broke that rib" their heads turned to find Artemis standing in front of their cell "don't steal other people's credit, kid" she gestured with a wave beckoning Darcy forward.

He did not and only perplexedly stared in silence, Artemis rolled her eyes stepping forward and reaching through the cage she gripped Darcy's shirt and pulled him forward. Sebastian jumped up to slam Artemis' arm into the bars only to be met with a wave of warm magic.