Friends, Slaves, and Nightmares

24: Pain and Suffering

Damion wasn't oblivious to the fact an escape was happening. He turned, a sword now in his hand, and barreled towards Mina and David. He wasn't going to let either of them leave. Katey quickly kicked a rock square in the back of Damion's head, causing him to stumble and fall. She began to repeatedly kick rocks at him. Katey wasn't going to let Damion get over there easily.

David stared into Mina's eyes. He was desperate to get her out and see her safe. He opened his mouth and pleaded with her again, "Mina, just go! You're our best bet of getting out of here. We all can't go at once; we need help, your the only one that can do it at the moment now go.. Our only chance is if you go get help. You have to go, now, before it's too late..."

Mina shakes her head, staring back at David full of fear. Maybe leaving wasn't a selfish option. She would feel guilty, but he had a point. They needed help if everyone was going to make it out of here. She pressed David again, saying qorriedly, "I-I can't just leave you! Atleast try to come with me?.. Please?.." She looked around a moment and pointing to Katey and Damion as yet another colley of stones pelted Damion, distracting him momentarily. "Eve Katey is distracting Damion! Now please, come with me?.." She tried to pull David up again.

He winced as pain flared in his back from the lashes. "I'll only slow you down Mina... Now go! You're our only chance right now, go please!..." He watched Mina sadly now, grabbing her hands and pushing them away from himself, whispering quietly this time, "Go Mina... Leave and get help for us..."

She shook slightly now, afraid with tears in her eyes. The tears threatened to spill over her cheeks but she blinked them back and slowly nodded. "I'll be back.. I-I promise.." And with her last words, Mina turned towards the exit of the cave and raced out of it, allowing only only tear to travel down her cheek. What if she had made the wrong decision? What if David was killed?.. She could only hope she had made the right decision. Stay strong David, I said I would be back and I mean it. I'm not leaving you there forever with those psychos, Mina thought to herself as she torn across the ground towards the town.

Back at the cave, Damion was fuming with rage. A stupid slave had gotten away from him! And it was all that blind boy's fault. He had knocked Pitch out and that allowed the weird-armed slave to escape. He needed sevre punishment. Physcial pain wouldn't cover this punishment, that Damion knew for certain. He needed something different to punish him. Not physical pain, but maybe emotional pain or mental pain.

Damion stormed over to the blind slave, reaching down he grabbed David, who was struggling and trying to get away at this point. The blind boy was not dumb, he knew he was in trouble, but that did not mean he wasn't scared. He grabbed onto the back of his shirt and lifted him up. "You're in trouble boy. I'll make sure you get the proper punishment, slave... An offense like this deserves something special."

David slowly looked at the ground and stopped fighting Damion, allowing himself to be dragged. Fighting would only make it worse. The chains were reattached to the cave wall with a click. David continued to keep his head low and remained silent.

Katey was fighting against her own chains, having run out of rocks to kick at Damion. She wasn't going to be any help to David. Axel was staring fearfully at the ground, silent and still.

Damion let out a tired sigh, getting a bucket full of water and approaching Pitch. He dumped tell bucket's icy cold content on top of Pitch. "Wake up sleeping beauty, royalty ain't gonna kiss you awake."

Pitch jumped with a start, wide awake now. "I-I'm up!" He shouted out and blinked in confusion. The confusion quickly vanished and was replaced by rage.

"How was you nap then?" Damion teased and helped Pitch to his feet.

"Painful..." Pitch muttered angrily and glared at David. "Any ideas for his punishment, Damion?.."

Damion grinned and leaned towards Pitch, dropping his voice to a barely audible level as he whispered. "I have a few. You see, physical pain doesn't affect him much, but what dictates his actions is his friends. His emotions. He doesn't fear pain, but you saw how he reacted when you mentioned marking the girl. He's afraid of his friends getting hurt."

David's eyes went wide. They were glowing a soft green color as he listened in on their conversation with ease. Super hearing came in handy for him every now and then.

A sickening grin was plastered on Pitch's face. "You go mess with that dragon armed freak and I'll make sure David listens." He replied in a hushed tone.

"Want me to drag the girl back here for even more fun?" Damion asked, a note of excitement in his voice.

He enjoyed creating pain and suffering. His sick twisted mind loved it. Pain was something he liked to deliver and watch how it changed people. He could see in their face when they were going to break. Oh, how fun it was to watch people break! The hope that lit up their eyes and kept them clinging to life suddenly leaving them. Then when you continue with the procedures and watched the broken person bend to your will, lime clay in your hands. All you had to do was find the right tool to break the person. For most people, simple pain would do. But others you had to dig deep and find what makes them tick. Friends, family, possessions. Then you take it, and destroy it in front of them.

"No, not for now. I'll have him listen. Now go have your fun!" Pitch said, grinning as he went over to David and grabbed his head.

David felt as Pitch's power entered his head, he was forced to listen to Mina... She was running... Panting...

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Mina kept running. She could almost see the town now. Curling wisps of smoke rose into the air from chimneys of houses. She was going to make it! Her heart sank as something grabbed her ankle and tripped her. It felt like a hand. Dread filled her stomach.

No, no! I'm so close to getting help. Not now! She thought frantically.

"Hello there, slave!" Damion chirped and rose from the ground, a sword in hand. "Did you miss me?!" He brought the sword down.

The metal tore through Mina's leg. Flesh, bone, skin. Nothing stood a chance against the cold, harsh, blade of the sword. Red hot pain surrounded the wound and triggered a scream to fly from her mouth. "L-leave me alone!" Mina yelled and tried to move away to no avail. The sword went through her leg and out the other side, into the ground even.

"Awww, poor slave has a boo boo? Here, let me help!" Damion grinned and pulled the sword slowly from Mina's leg, twisting it as to cause her more pain and suffering.

Mina yelled out again and swung her clawed hand towards Damion. He caught her wrist in the air and pulled the blade completely out of her leg. The sword gleamed in the faint light of dawn and dripped with her own crimson blood. "You won't need this annoying thing where you're going slave!" He rose the blade over Mina's left arm. Her dragon arm.