Xiao backstory

Chapter 2

I don't know how or when I passed out but I awoke in a cell with a stone floor and walls all minus one which were bars with a matching door. It looks like nothing I've seen before. This whole place reeks of blood and rot. The walls are clammy and cold. The bars were rusting and added a metal tingle to the air around me. It tastes disgusting. I felt sweaty and gross. My limbs feel detached from my body. In fact, my entire consciousness feels detached from me. Was I infected with something? Or is this some sort of weird state between life and death? Perhaps the woman who caught me was a god and I committed a deadly sin and this is my punishment. However, I don't know what I did wrong. I did steal a plant from my mother's garden but I also fed a hungry bunny with that very plant. Doesn't that balance it out? I also already confessed and my mother said she forgave me. Now that I think of it, who does this woman think she is? My business is none of her god or not! Even in my internal fit of rage I felt scared. I mean will I ever see my family again? My sister Avius was worried about me going into the forest alone. I was supposed to prove to her that I could do it myself. My mother and father probably think I ran away or that I'm dead already. I feel like I've failed them.

I must've sat in that cell for hours just pondering life and everything that's ever happened. I have no clue how long I've been there. The stone walls didn't exactly provide great sun viewing spots. No matter the time I began to hear a light clack of heels against the floor outside of where I'm stuck. As the woman who got me here in the first place approached she was wearing a style of outfit I've never really seen before. This was my first real look at her. She had on heels and a matching dress which was the color of blood. Her clothes looked tight and maybe think of whenever your clothes are wet and they cling to your body. But her dress doesn't look wet so i'm unsure why it looks like that. Her claws were a void colored black. I bet if you stared at them long enough you'd go crazy due to the darkness. Her hair looked just as dark and had a slight curl to the ends. Her face was something that just unsettled me. She was beautiful but she just looked so evil. Like killing 30 children for fun, kind of evil. Perhaps she is. I mean I am locked up in this disgusting cell and I am 13. 

    "Oh! Good, you're awake. Tell me your name boy, I want to be able to call my new pet by his name."

    Her voice makes me cringe; and who does she think she is?! Calling me some pet. Am I clearly not a living being akin to her? Even though now that I think of it, who knows, her presence is so cold she may as well be dead.

    "And why should I tell you? You're the one who locked me in this place!"

    "Well of course I did. Every pet needs a cage. Clearly you're the type to have an attitude."

    "STOP CALLING ME A PET!"

    I shook the bars like a child throwing a tantrum. I don't really care though. I just want to go home and I wish she would stop calling me a pet. It's weird and creepy.

    "I would if you would tell me your name."

    She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. I'm glad I was able to annoy her. Her condescending attitude is annoying. I sat in silence for a bit contemplating if I should tell her my name. I mean it would get her to stop calling me pet but should i trust her?

    "Fine. it's  Alatus. Can I be let go now?"

    "Why thank you! See i knew you would come around!. Oh and about getting out, you're not. You could be a valuable asset to winning this war. I'm simply not gonna give it up even if you said pretty please."

    "What war??? Why am I so special for helping you win? I haven't ever fought before."

    "Oh that's shocking you haven't heard of the Archon war? To put it simply it's a fight for seven seats as the strongest gods. The world will be divided into seven nations for you to win. I need you to help me occupy your village. Yakshas are quite strong and you can fight the remnants of gods which are such a bother and for the part about you never fighting. That's fair but that's an easy fix."

It's like she won't shut up. This war thing is stupid. I let out a hefty sigh but she gives me a death glare before I can complain so I decide to shut myself up.

"You're a fast runner and you have a special power that could assist me. Fighting is irrelevant, just take a blade to their heart, and bam. It's not like I'm sending you to the front line. I just need you to eat their dreams. All that's left after that is for me to control them and turn them into my henchmen. Once I win the war you're free and I guess your family too if you don't get super annoyed."

    " Why would I hurt my family? The tribe is my family too and what if I am super annoying! Do I just get freed at the cost of everyone I've ever known? Also what's this about eating dreams??? I've never heard of that so how do YOU know?"

    "Yeah yeah blah blah family family. That's whatever and I can tell you about your ability because I am the god of dreams. Your father made an offering to stop you from crying when you were a baby. You had such terrible nightmares I just made you eat them. Now with the war starting it's my time to use you how I wish. You would be suffering every night without me so dont you owe me?"

    " I guess you're right. Fine, I'll help you with your sick plan."