The Heart (Langst)

Champion

Chapter 4

"Argh" Lance panted out as he woke up to pain and darkness. He was in the same cell he was used too. The room with the constant smell of blood and rough floors and walls. Distant screams of terror could be heard and just quiet enough the tears of prisoners dripped against the hard floor.

It's been weeks, months, years. It has felt like years, long, gruesome years, however he isn't sure. Time is endless in this disgusting hell.

Lances eyes parted hastily when he heard his cell door open. He hissed at the sight of purple skinned guards before scooting against the wall more. He curled up protectively and death glared the demons. He knew he seemed pathetic but trying to stop the new wounds from the last torture session from opening was more important than his pride. This time it included slash marks, electric burns, and filleted skin from whips. How fun.

Lance thrashed aggressively when strong hands gripped him leaving new bruises. His attempts however proved failing and eventually he slumped against his restraints.

'It's no use; they'll just electrocute me again. God the team needs to get here'. Lance thought with a grimace. These thoughts replayed on a daily basis. Burning into his conscious. The cloth shifted against the floor as he was dragged off to his personal hell.

Lance's brain focused on his hands, the pain, the thin slices of skin that split, anything to make sure he didn't think of what was ahead. The purple lights that shrouded him mocked his futile attempts.

A click of a door was heard and the dreaded room was presented. Lance was helplessly strapped down on the table and pain scorched his already scarred wrist and ankles. Scars and burns from the endless tugs trying to break the straps and be free. The memories of pain surfaced and he shut his eyes. The smells infiltrated his nostrils. The smell that reminded him of hospitals on earth.

"Welcome back Paladin. I've gotten some orders from the higher up, and I do enjoy them." Haggar's voice hissed into his ear and he flinched away.

"Since you've decided to not share any information to me or the other druids, we have decided to do some testing. Prosthetics are very difficult to master. And you deem a perfect subject." Lance looked up with wide eyes and was welcomed with a sharp grin before Haggar's face. "The last time we used any advanced prosthetics was when we had your leader in our hands, my hands, but since he's gone, you'll have to make do. They have advance fairly well since then however. Of course that resorted in some trial and error. Let us consider you a trial." Haggar's grin fell and then poisonous words escaped.

"Let's begin"

Lances eyes went wide in fear. Blue oceans swirling like a hurricane. Causing internal panic to surface and anger. This resulting him to thrash against the restraints. "Get away!" He screamed out as he saw the ghastly druids getting closer.

He looked around in a panic. The dark walls and purple lighting reflected his futile attempts. Scarred wrist and ankles strained and drew up more of the precious scarlet liquid. Dripping silently off of his dark skin that turned paler by the second in fear.

Ferocious hands gripped him harshly and held him still. Thin fingers wrapped around him like snakes, slithering and restricting him. The room blurred as Lance felt tears pool at his eyes and he was forced still.

"Now we haven't tested leg prosthetics lately. The blue paladin losing a leg. How ironic." Haggar's vicious voice tainted the air.

"Begin."

"N-no!" Lance screamed out and kicked against the hands before feeling large clamps on his right leg.

"No no no. Please don't" Lances tears overflowed and pooled down his face to his chin. A burst of fear was sent through the air.

"Get off!" Lance screamed as he felt a metal press against his thigh.

However his pleas were replaced with screams not shortly after. Screams echoing around the ship. Sending prisoners still. Fear spread like toxins throughout the atmosphere sending chills.

Lance screamed as white hot pain scorched through his entire being and his back arched. His eyes scrunched with tears pouring. His screams were cut off by a muzzle being placed over his mouth. He thrashed at the new found pain against his face. The muzzle cut into him deeply. Ouch. That would scar.

Moments passed and lance was shocked with a new pain. Electricity hummed through his veins, nerves, everywhere. It had erupted around his, now, right stump and his mouth opened in a silent scream into the metal muzzle once again.

After minutes of buzzing of wires, screams, and hushed voices of druids, everything was silent. Blood splattered around the room from Lance's thrashing. But the biggest puddle coated the table and dripped silently off to the floor. The stump now covered with a Galran leg prosthetic, and a discarded tan leg cut from the thigh down was discarded on a medical cart.

Lance lays motionless on the white table. His eyes rolled back and shallow breathes escaping in wheezes. His unconscious body lay vulnerable to the druids who peered down at their work. Satisfied.

Haggar grinned before flicking her wrist and the druids unstrapped his bleeding wrist and ankles. The Galran guards grabbed Lance's body. He was put into handcuffs and dragged out of the room back to his cell. The tiny whimpers of nearby prisoners echoed as they stared at the once cheerful blue paladin that promised them of escape when he first arrived. Pity soaked the metallic scented air.

Lance's body was discarded on the tough, cold floor of his cell. Lance lies still against the floor. A thin pool of blood has formed under his new metal burden.

Haggar's form appeared in front of the blue palad-, broken blue paladin. A thin finger traced his jaw and retracted. Walking from the cell and the door being locked with a slam. A thickness had formed in the air as heavy words escaped and fear shuddered through the ship.

"Welcome home, new champion."