Worthless Joy

Chapter 22

Akrios really didn't like the torturing sessions. They used all sorts of tools on him. It was worse than Uncle Garret. Far worse.

He was told he couldn't scream, but eventually he broke and started tearing out his vocal cords with the screaming. They burned him, whipped him, cut him. It was awful.

They had implanted some magic into him. It was a brain washing device. It told him Alexio wouldn't come for him, and take him home. It told him whatever he believed were lies.

It was worse than the torturing sessions. Akrios told himself he'd never believe it. Never ever.

But sometimes, you can lie to yourself, can't you?

***

He never knew what time it was. It could've been a year, or just two years, but Akrios wouldn't know. Most of the times, he'd just forget about time and just zone out on the pain. Except that was a big problem.

He'd have to listen to the voices in his head. They'd tell him: "Alexio won't come back! He won't rescue you! Never, never!"

It was hard for Akrios to not believe them, but ever so slowly, he started to.

It was torture.

***

It had been so long. He didn't know if his protector was going to take him home again.

That's what the voices said, anyway.

He wanted to go home. Very badly.

Silence.

There was always silence, huh?

The silence hurt as well. His back throbbed, along with his legs, arms and everything in between.

Footsteps.

Protector wasn't going to come and rescue him this time.

Sliding cell doors.

***

"Prince, get up." the Guards bowed, opening the doors to his cell, and grabbing his shoulders. The Prince stood without hesitation, and hardly put up a fight. He still wouldn't obey fully, though. The voices they planted into his head helped the process along; they ensured loyalty to the King was secure. Very secure.

"Protector..." The Prince mumbled, weakly pulling away from the guards. One of the two smacked the child upside the head, digging his nails into his shoulders. Akrios merely flinched.

"The King is great. The King will rescue us all," the guards chanted to the Prince, pulling him into the torture chamber.

"King.. King," Prince repeated.

***

The Prince was thrown in a heap at the King's feet. He kept his head down, submissive for his King. "My King... King..." he muttered.

Recluse grinned his approval. "Marvelous! Good job, men. You will be rewarded. We must take him into war. The Greater Good fools are getting rebellious and antsy. Let's answer their calls!"

The Vampire Guards yelled their approval, stomping their feet with joy. The Werewolves joined in as well, clapping wildly. Recluse grinned, and hefted up his Prince.

"Together," he spoke over the crowd of followers, gesturing to the Prince, "we will kill the Elves and Centaurs. We have the Prince!"

***

Dux stood before a large gathering of both Elves and Centaurs alike. He raised his hands for silence, and not a cricket was to be heard. He took a deep breath, "Ladies and gentlemen. Tomorrow, we will be heading out for war against the dreaded Recluse. We will fight for a cause: peace. We will take the Prince from Recluse's clutches, and give him the peace he deserves. He will most likely be brain washed. Do not kill him. Aim for the Guards and Werewolves.

"We will achieve our goal for peace. We will kill Recluse and remain victorious!" Silence descended, and Dux took a breath again. "Many of us will die. It is inevitable, but let us make this war short, and clean. No deaths in our hearts than we need, yes?"

Roars of approval.

"Alright, men. Let us prepare for war!"

***

The King looked at his Prince with a strange glint in his eyes. He was currently looking over his son's armor. It would not do if the Prince died in battle. So it was only fitting if he had the thickest armor, along with magic resisting charms, set by the King himself.

"Thank you, my King," Prince bowed respectively, his bright blue eyes that had had so much life, blank now, and his voice monotone. He had no mind of his own. Recluse grinned in glee. This was all going according to plan.

"You are of royal blood, and we must unlock your powers, my Prince."

"Yes, sir."

They trained, trying to get the Prince's powers to unlock and flow through his veins. Nothing happened though, nothing spectacular. All the Prince could do was block; no attacking. That was well, after all. Recluse could take down the Greater Good without the Prince's attacking assistance. He planned to have the child by his side anyway, so Recluse supposed he could use the extra blocking protection.

"Prince, when we head to war, you will stand by my side, and protect me at all costs." Recluse commanded arrogantly.

"Yes, my King," the Prince bowed again, his black hair falling in front of his eyes. "I will protect you with my life."

The King grinned maliciously, "Very good."

***

The Vampire Guards, Werewolves, and the King and Prince were walking in group formation out into an open field. They spread out, and assumed attack position. The King and Prince stood on a raised hill that out looked the whole field, and gave a 360 degree field of vision.

The field had trees and bushes scattered out it, but it was circled off with trees. Grinning ear to ear, Recluse watched as the Greater Good idiots emerged from the forest, stomping their feet in anger. He raised his hand, and slowly, clenched his fist.

A battle cry wore out, and the Vampire Guards, and Werewolves tore across the field, running head first into war.