The Enchantments: Book 4 - The Key of Mulastef

Chapter 4: Disavowed

The screams echoed through the corridors like a soft symphony. At least it was to Roudem who was gliding down the hall like he owned it. In fact, it wasn't far from the truth. He loved the way the other minions cowered before him, the power he felt was intoxicating, and it coursed through his body like the cold blood in his veins.

A smile cracked across his putrid face, and he knew that the next few minutes the power would get even stronger. He hurried along gliding faster towards the sounds of the screaming that excited him; he knew this was going to be fun, very fun!

Roudem glided across the hall towards a large metallic door wasting no time in opening it, and the satisfying sounds of the screams filled him with more excitement than he could stand. He drifted over to the larger minion who was standing over a pathetic individual tied tightly to one of the poles.

"Everyone out!!" He yelled and waited for the half dozen minions to scamper out of the room before he approached the pole.

"Does that hurt?" Roudem asked sweetly putting his face within inches of the individual.

The man tied to the pole slid his head over gently and stared at Roudem his eyes caked in blood, and the sweat that dripped down his burnt and blackened face made seeing difficult indeed.

"You're enjoying this aren't you?" He asked.

"Sly my friend and confidante that is the farthest thing from the truth. I am not merely enjoying this," he moved to within an inch of his face, "I am relishing it!"

Sly's head drifted back away. "You realize I'm taking the brunt of the punishment in what was your mess." He whispered through parched lips.

Roudem smiled and turned Sly's head towards him and whispered. "Master had faith in you, and you let him down for the last time. He will never know that the plan was my idea. It was you that is taking the blame for this, and that's the way it'll stay."

"What if I... tells them the truth?" He stammered.

"You think they'll believe you." He said as he laughed out loud. "These creatures worship me, and they'll only think you're trying to make excuses for us not torturing you to death."

"Worship is a fleeting action, remember that Roudem. You could easily be here instead of me." He snickered.

"My young friend you will never get the chance to tell them anything. If I let you die here, they will never learn a lesson in power. They'll think that death is the greater of the two evils."

"-And what is the other evil?" He asked.

"Why my friend that would be banishment." Roudem laughed.

"WHAT!!!" Sly screamed.

"You believe that I would let you out of this punishment that easy. You will be taken from here and into the Desert of Forever. From there you will put into a portal and sent back into the realm you belong. There you will suffer beyond anything that we could ever do to you here. The humans will look upon you as a monster and never really let you fully into their society again. That my friend is what you deserve."

Sly then did something that both infuriated Roudem and confused him. He began to laugh.

"What could be so funny?" He snarled.

"You are so naive my friend, and I will find a way to come back and end your time on this earth faster than you can say banishment. But if you kill me now that will be the end of it."

Roudem thought this over for a few moments. "-And what makes you thinks you will have the fortitude to come back here?"

Sly turned his head to Roudem again with piercing eyes and stared at the man who was once his mentor. "I will make sure of that. That is my promise to you."