Malicious Tales

Chapter 6

When Salem came to, he found himself on the floor a cold, dark cell. He could hear bugs scuttle along the floor, and shrieks of pain down the hall. Flaming torches on the walls outside the cell shed little light, serving only to create an eerie affect on the whole situation. Hearing a loud sigh, Salem turned to see a figure hunched over next to him. 

"..Malice? Is that you?" he asked warily. 

"No, it most certainly is not. I should think there's quite a difference between my sister and I, especially in physical appearance. Even in the dark you should know that, foolish cat," the figure scoffed from the shadows.  

"Synister Ruin? Why are you in here? I thought you were one of the higher class Necromancers?" 

Synister snorted at him, followed by what sounded like a sarcastic chuckle. "You think that makes me immune to punishment, do you? Ha. As if. My father discovered my treacherous ways, and I was tossed in here. I'm on Death Row now, for helping you and your gang of misfits escape all these years. I've expected this for years of course, but it doesn't make it any less irritating." 

Salem was silent. All the years gone by, he had always disliked Synister, distrusted him too. He only ever went with what the Necromancer said because Malice asked him to. Now that he realised the sacrifice that her half-brother had made for them, he had a newfound respect for the man. Pity it was when he was about to die. 

Malice had woken up in the same cell as her half-brother and Salem, but she had been pulled out as soon as she awoke. Now she found herself in her Father's throne room, standing before him as if she was one of his loyal subjects, a fact that she was well aware of and very much resented. She narrowed her eyes at the man who had put her and her makeshift family through so much grief. She had never seen him as a father figure and she knew she never would. He was her definition of evil, and it wasn't just the necromancy. She despised the man, and had wished him dead on many occasions. 

"Is there an actual reason for making me wait? Because if your only plan was to flaunt your flamboyant, aristocratic ways, I'd like to go back to my cell, thanks," she commented, tired of her father's antics. He had been sitting on his throne in front of her for the best part of a half hour, surrounded by skeletal slaves, giving orders to the lower class generals of his army, demanding fresh cups of blood at regular intervals. He hadn't so much as given a sideward's glance towards his daughter since she arrived, and Malice had been growing increasingly impatient. 

"Oh, Malicious, my apologies. I hadn't noticed you there," he grinned, not even looking at her. His daughter's scowl deepened even more, as did her anger. Malice had given up her full name years ago, and she hadn't wanted to hear it again, especially not from him. 

"Perhaps you should be more diligent, Father. If you can't even summon the brain power to notice me here, I'd say you'd be a delightful target for assassinations," she sneered, getting her own back. 

"Well, that's what bodyguards are for, now aren't they? Common sense, child." 

"Of course. You always were too arrogant to die." 

"Now, now, Malicious, if you continue speaking to me this way, one might begin to think you hold some sort of grudge against me," said Lord Ruin, his eyes darkening, though the grin never left his face. "So, would you like to hear the reason you're here and not dead? Of course you would. You see, I have a proposition for you." Malice raised an eyebrow, not particularly liking the turn their meeting was taking. 

"I heard the Risen offered you Sanctuary. I also heard you and your half-breed friend refused, but that the other two went with them. We need you to lead an attack on them. You call them up, say you've changed your mind and that you wish to join your friends. Go with them and we'll follow, launching a sneak attack on our enemies and the Sanctuary. In return, we will allow you and your three half-breed friends to do as you please. Do we have an accord?"  

"I'm not agreeing to anything yet. I know you. What's the catch?" Malice demanded, her eyes never leaving her father's. 

"Ah yes. The catch, as you call it. You see, the Fallen forces are too honourable to work with a half-breed, even if they're under my orders. So, I'm afraid we'll have to turn you into a full Necromancer." 

Malice frown disappeared, giving way to the shock. That had not been what she was expecting when she asked for the catch. Turning into a full Necromancer in return for her friends' freedom wasn't that bad a deal, in her opinion. It probably meant that the others wouldn't trust her as much for a while, but she needed to get Felix and Fallon back, and she needed to get Salem out of the cells. Agreeing to her father's terms was definitely the quickest way to do it.  

"Alright, fine. You want a Necromancer you got one. But the half-breeds go free, all of them. Agreed?"  

"Agreed."

Felix was going insane. Entirely and irrevocably mental. He could feel it in the pit of his stomach. But maybe that was just the hunger. Leaving Fallon to play with two other hybrid children, he went to the nearest Risen guard. An Earth Risen by the smell of him, Felix noted.  

"You.. You need to get me Pixie Pills. In fact, you'd probably be better with a Needle Nymph by now.. Please, if I don't have them, I don't know what could happen, but it certainly won't be good for anyone," Felix panted, trying his best to get the guard to pay attention. The Elemental just grinned at him, taking him by the arm and leading him away.  

"Oh, don't you worry, little half-breed. I'm sure our doctors will be more than happy to fix you," the guard sneered, throwing Felix into a tent just outside the perimeter. Felix took one sniff and nearly got sick. The whole tent reeked of blood and death and he was sure he could see dismembered limbs scattered about. If he didn't know better he would have thought it was hell. The half-Faerie was already weak from his hunger, so it didn't take much for the guard and the "doctor" to strap him to a medical table. Felix shut his eyes when he saw the scalpel.

Meanwhile, Malice found herself strapped to her own medical table, although she was there willingly. Her arms and legs were strapped down, but she could still move her head, and she was assured it was only a safety precaution. Her father had even allowed Salem out of the cell, though he was guarded. She could see him through the glass of the operating room, standing next to the Necromancer Lord. She gave him a nervous grin, then turned as the door opened, and in came Synister, led by two vampyre guards.  

"Syn? What are you doing here?" she asked, the confusion showing on her face. Synister only gave her a small smile as he was strapped to another table next to hers, and Lord Ruin stepped up to the microphone to speak to her. 

"Oh, Malicious, did I forget to mention? To turn you into a full Necromancer, you'll need someone else's power too. To block out your Elemental skills, and give you a bit of a boost. I thought seeing as your half-brother was so eager to betray us and allow you and your friends to escape all these years, I'm sure he's just dying to give you all his power, not to mention his life. Doctor, begin he process."