Draiks and Angels: Deity

31 - Seal

Husani came to himself on the floor of the alcove where he had stayed when Satiya, Khait and Amisi moved on. How many times had Satiya pulled from Kek, now? At least a dozen. He was weak and tired. But surprisingly, he was only about as weak at pull twelve as he was at pull three. That didn't say much because he still felt like a limp noodle.

He heard footsteps coming down one of the hallways and froze. The alcove was partially hidden, but someone could see in if they tried. He watched carefully, but whoever it was turned down a separate hall and didn't come into his view. He breathed a sigh of relief, until he heard them coming back.

He watched as a larger-than-reality man made of pure blackness walked into the crossroad of the hallways and stopped. Kek! An entourage of robed figures followed behind him. Kek looked around as though searching for something and Husani got a bad feeling. Sure enough, Kek turned and spotted the Angel in the alcove. He smiled viciously, snapped his fingers and pointed at Husani.

Husani tried to get up, to fight back, but he was too weak. At least it was awkward for the men to drag him out of the small space, he thought with satisfaction. They threw him at Kek's feet, where he landed on his chest, unable to get his arms to absorb the fall. The Shadow regarded him for a minute. Husani knew time was almost up.

Kek turned and strode down one of the halls, commanding, "Bring him."

At that moment, Satiya started another pull. All of Husani's senses were taken over.

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When Husani returned to awareness, he found he was collapsed on the floor in a dark room. There were black fires impossibly giving off light in torches around the walls. There were chains with manacles attached to the walls at regular intervals in pairs. There were three heavy wooden tables set at an incline with chains and manacles at the short ends.

In front of him, Kek was sitting in a large, black chair, watching him intently. He quickly tried to get up in the face of his enemy, but he could only manage to get to his hands and knees. Even then, his arms shook.

"You'll have to forgive me, there is no one here to greet you," Kek smiled slightly. "I've been busy lately, and their only purpose is for me to watch."

"Watch what?" Husani managed to ask without gasping for air.

"Revenge!" Kek smiled wickedly. "Oh, I know you Angels here aren't the ones who sealed me thousands of years ago, but you are the descendants. It gives me great pleasure to torture you all and imagine your ancestors watching their kin's pain!"

Husani felt his blood go cold. Torture?! That's why he's been taking and keeping the Angels!?

Kek got out of his chair and started walking around Husani, "But as for you. I could tell someone was stealing my power, so I went looking and found you, smelling of my magic. But I see now that you are not the one. You are but a vessel. Someone is feeding my power into you and I was unable to take it out of you just now. Who is it?"

Husani clamped his mouth shut and turned his head away from Kek, making his meaning clear. Kek stopped in front of the Angel, reached down and snagged him by the throat, lifting him high into the air with one hand.

"I could kill you here and be done with it!" he snarled.

Husani scrabbled weakly at Kek's hand, and Kek noticed something.

"Or," he said, grabbing Husani's left lower arm and pulling it to the side, "I could follow this band."

Husani's eyes widened. The armband linking him and Satiya! Kek can track it?! And at that moment, Satiya pulled more power from the Shadow, plunging Husani into a rush of black senses.