Mystics (Sanders Sides)

24

T.W.: blood, torture, kidnapping

Patton followed Deceit outside. The Naga was pulling himself up into his tree.

"Deceit? Kiddo?" Patton asked quietly, walking under the branches.

"What." Deceit spat.

"I... I just wanted to see if you were okay." Patton whispered, "You and Roman-"

"Don't! Mention! That human!" Deceit snapped, baring his fangs.

Patton jumped back, "S-sorry kiddo."

Deceit sighed. Patton hovered for a moment longer.

"K-kiddo? Why do you hate humans so much?" Patton asked slowly.

Deceit's scales hissed across the bark, "Its not a pleasant story."

Patton sat at the base of the tree, "Not all stories are."

Deceit sighed, "it was a hundred years ago. I had just gotten my forest and I heard loud bangs. Human armies had infiltrated and were killing each other. I needed to put an end to it, but I was young and naive."

~~flashback ~~

Yellow Tree Snake slithered up to a group of humans, his scales glittering dangerously in the low light.

"What are you doing in my forest." Yellow hissed, puffing out his scaled chest.

The humans raised their weapons. Yellow glared down at them and swiped their weapons away with his tail.

"Leave my fo-"

Yellow was cut off by a sharp pain in his side. His world spun and grew dark. He collapsed to the ground.

Yellow woke up on his back, laying on something stiff and cold. Cold metal was pressed against the scales on his wrists and all along his tail. His yellow eyes darted around the dark room. He started squirming, eventually thrashing around, trying to break free of his metal bonds.

A bright light erupted above him. Voices surrounded him. White masks. Sharp tools. Humans.

Yellow hissed, showing his fangs. He had always heard humans were dangerous. Hunters that kill for sport and science.

A human with a white hat grabbed a wicked looking tool and used it to grab one of the scales Yellow's side. He pulled.

Yellow screamed in pain as he felt a trickle of blood roll across his scales. The humans jumped back.

"It has human-like vocalizations!" One human yelled, "could it be a demon?"

The white hat human pulled another scale. Yellow thrashed around trying to escape.

"Stop! It hurts!" Yellow cried, tears starting to roll down his cheeks.

"It can talk!" Another said, "what is your name? What are you?"

Yellow was panting with fear and pain. White hat pulled another.

"Yellow!" He gasped, "My name is Yellow!"

Another scale.

Yellow screamed, "I'm a Naga!'

Another scale.

"Confess your sins demon!" White hat yelled.

Yellow sobbed. It hurt. Everything hurt. He didn't understand.

Another scale.

"Stop! Stop please!" Yellow pleaded, "it h-hurts!"

"It lies!" A human shouted, "it must be the demon of Deceit!"

Yellow sobbed, "My name is Yellow Tree Snake! I'm A Naga! I pro-protect the f-forest!"

Another scale.

"We know who you are! You are the demon Deceit!"

Yellow kept mumbling "no" under his breath.

Another scale. Another scream. Time blurred to Yellow until he forgot his name. He was hungry and thirsty. Bandages covered his torso, his right arm, and the right side of his face where all his scales had been stripped away.

The humans in white came in again.

"Secure it's head." White hat commanded.

The Naga didn't even try to resist as they strapped his head to the table with leather binds.

"Lets review the questions." White hat said, grabbing pliers, "what are you?"

"A demon." The Naga replied monotone.

"What is your name?"

"Deceit."

White hat smiled, "Good."

The human set the pliers down, picking up a syringe instead. Other humans held Deceit's right eye open with cold, metal tools. Deceit watched the needle get closer and closer to his eye. He screamed.

~~Present day ~~

Patton had tears in his eyes by the time Deceit finished his story.

"The rest of the Naga's rescued me soon after, but it was too late." Deceit wiped away tears, "My scales never grew back and not even the famous mer-healers could repair my eye. The others told me my old name was Yellow, but I can't hear it without thinking of those weeks strapped to that damn table, being tortured by those damn humans."

Patton choked back a sob, "I-Im so sorry, I never knew- I- I'm sorry."

Deceit curled himself tighter around the tree trunk and quietly whispered, "I am too."