[i][b]Disclaimer: The following post contains a scene where rape has been implied, but not shown. I hope I have handled this matter tactfully, since it's a very serious one. If you would be made uncomfortable by such a scene, than please skip this post as I would hate to be the cause for unneeded discomfort.[/b]
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[h1]Argus Leandros[/h1]

As Argus lay unconscious in the detention tent and held by icy bindings, his eyes would began to move rapidly beneath his eyelids, his breathing beginning to quicken as the terrors of his mind set to work feeding on his fears and insecurities. Nearly invisible threads of black could barely be seen swirling their way around his head. Dark whispers could be heard, the words spoken in a language beyond comprehension on a conscious level, and yet set alight a dark passion and hatred within those who dared to listen to their unholy chorus of hidden voices.

[i][h2][u]Inside Argus' mind[/u][/h2][/i]

"What do you want, Grim?" Argus asked in a cold tone, staring daggers at the figure in front of him. They were tall, dressed in all black, casual clothing as he walked up to Argus' kneeling form. He looked nearly identical to Argus, except that his eyes were completely black except for his pupils, which had changed to a menacing crimson that burned with all the intensity of a volcanic eruption, full of nothing but malicious insanity as he gazed at his young wielder with the same condescending grin he always wore.

[colro=Red][i]What, I can't just want to hang out with my favorite person in the world?[/i][/color] Grim asked playfully, his voice seeming to calm from all directions, echoing within Argus head as he closed the gap between the to. They were currently situated with a decrepit looking arena, dried bloodstains running along the floors and walls, the oppressive darkness of the ceiling making it feel like the place would come crashing down any minute. Argus hated when Grim forced him to relive his memory of this place, but that's why the bastard did it.

"What. Do. You. Want."

[i]My, my, you're sure cranky? Maybe it has something to do with you taking you're anger out on that girl like you did?[/i]

"Hey she wanted a fight, so I-"

[color=Red][i]Went all out on her like you wanted to beat her into the ground, like you were back here in the arena of your childhood, only without the killer instinct. You can try to deny it all you want, and I can't say that it isn't amusing to see you try, but the truth is that you needed an outlet and she was handing it to you on a silver platter. I mean think of the day you've had! Helping a girl only to find out she's a monster, try to cheer a kid up only for him to make you relive your worst memories and trivialize everything you went through, and then this big chested bimbo comes and tries to pick a fight with you.[/i][/color] Grim walked around Argus as he spoke, reaching down to ruffle his hair, which brought nothing but an angered growl from the young mage, much to Grim's satisfaction. [color=ed1c24][i]It truly was a pathetic attempt, as you probably could've have killed her easy if you wanted to. She was strong, but she wasn't a true fighter, probably never had to truly risk life and limb to survive in a fight. No, this fight should've been easy to draw out until she tired herself, and then all you had to do launch an attack to finish her . . . and yet, you went all out from the beginning, wasting her early rage just so you could relieve your own emotional baggage. And to make this even more pathetic, it didn't even work. You're still as angry as before, no matter how much you hide or deny it, if not more so, and that was probably your third strike with this new guild, huh. They're going to punish you, then throw you out like the troublesome piece of trash you are. Just like everyone else you've tried to stay with sine you're escape, you're nothing but a burden and an embarrassment, unable to keep yourself in check, lacking in discipline, and always trying to stop yourself from killing people.[/i][/color]

"Go fuck yourself."

Grim let out a spiteful laugh at Argus' words, slamming his foot into the young man's face so hard that his skin split upon impact, spreading fresh bloodstains to join those of old. Letting out another laugh, he continued to rain down blow after blow upon Argus, who curled up as best as he could to defend himself from the attacks. As Grim reached out to grab him by the hair, a change came over them. Grim was now a intimidating guard dressed in armored robes, the symbol that encircled Argus' neck emblazoned in bright red upon his ebony breastplate. His face was an ugly mess, and his breath reeked of alcohol and poor hygiene.

"What the fuck did you say to me you piece of slave scum? We keep your pathetic hide breathing, and this is how you think you can treat us, you ungrateful shit." The man cursed as he brought up Argus by his pale blonde hair, yanking so hard it felt like his scalp was about to get ripped off. As the young boy, looking no more than 14 years old, looked up at his tormentor with haggard blue eyes, defiance could still be seen raging inside of him. In response to the man's tirade, he spit a glob of blood right into his face, earning him another knock upside the head, a kick in the gut, and the joy of getting slammed into the floor. Soon, he felt the icy edge of a dagger against his neck, the stench of the guard's terrible breath making his eyes water as fear crept into his heart. "I should kill you right here and now. No one would miss a worthless sack of hit like you, and while you're a good fighter, they'll always be more." As the dagger began to dig into his skin, drawing forth his crimson lifeblood as it went, a voice suddenly called out in distress, halting the blade and filling the young boy with dread.

"Stop Mr. Guard, sir, please." A young girl looking to be about 17 years old rushed forward, looking worriedly at Argus before turning her attention back to the guard. She had a petite figure, her emerald green eyes, flowing blonde hair, and delicate features would've been a blessing anywhere else. But in her position, these looks were not but a curse. The guard gave a smile as he rose from the ground, taking the dagger away he approached the girl.

"Oh, and why should I stop doing that, girlie? That brother of your gets away with far too much, and I should be sure to make an example out of so that the other fighters know that we mean business. But, I pride myself on being a man of mercy. If you would come to the guard room tonight, I'm sure I could be persuaded to change my mind." 

Argus tried to yell more obscenities at the man, but his chest convulsed painfully with every attempt and the words just couldn't form. His sister only spared him a passing glance, her eyes telling him that it was all going to be fine. To the guard, she gave only a small nod of her head.

"Thank you for your understanding."

The guard merely gave a sickening grin before walking away, while Argus lay on the gorund, his hands clenched into fists as tears streamed down his face. Then the figures faded away, leaving only Argus and Grim to stand there alone, with one of them smiling like a mad man. The other had his fist clenched so tight that his fingernails had actually cut into his skin, causing blood to drip down to the floor.

[color=ed1c24][i]Wow, you really are a plague to everyone who knows you, huh? Your sister had to give up her own body just to keep your worthless hide alive. Do you remember that, Argus, the nights where she came back from those 'persuasions' beaten and bruised, her clothes torn to shreds, yet still she gave you that sad smile that said everything was going to be all right. The nights were she cried herself to sleep when she though you weren't awake. Do you remember the helplessness you felt, the despair, the soul-crushing-WHOA.[/i][/color] Grim dodged a wild swing aimed at his head, than another one as Argus launched a furious assault on him, only to get sent flying with a kick to the gut, slamming him into the far wall of the arena. [color=ed1c24][i]Hey now, don't get mad at me because you couldn't protect you sister. If you didn't want to have these kinds of memories to look back on, you should've been stronger. But then again, if you weren't such a pathetic sack of nothing, then I wouldn't be around right now. You remember it, right? The day when you first asked for the power that the book refused to let you use.[/i][/color]

Argus was silent from where he lay on the floor, saying nothing as Grim crossed the arena in a flash, crouching in front of him with a sly smile on his face. [color=ed1c24][i]I do, it was truly a wondrous moment. You found that guard about a year later, broke both of his legs and his arms with your bare hands, and then proceeded to beat him as savagely as he did you, before finally choking him to death with a smile on your face. That was the first and, unfortunately, last time you'd ever murdered anyone, and you remember what you felt afterwards, didn't you? Euphoria of the highest order, a chill that sent shivers of excitement down your spine. It was such a beautifully bloody bot of revenge, wasn't it?[/i]
[/color]
"I didn't."

[color=ed1c24][i]Oh, you deny killing the guard in that fashion[/i][/color]

"No, I killed that fucker. I murdered him in0 cold blood, and I'd do it again if given the chance, but I didn't enjoy it. It sickened me to my core, I know it. You're fucking twisting my memories so I'll give into to you, but I'll never give in so stop trying, Grim."

[color=ed1c24][i]Ah, the lengths at which you lie to yourself is truly fascinating, yet vexing at the same time. But no matter, I should leave you to awake in your own time . . . but first, we have to end this like always, though this time, let's make sure you burn how pathetic, wothless, and powerless you are into your subconscious memory, before you wake up and forget.[/i][/color] Grim clapped his hands, and a new figure appeared. Argus' sister stood there, held by two invisible figures, and stared at him, her eyes wide with horror, before a blade sprouted from her chest in a crimson geyser. The scene would replay over and over, and Argus was as helpless to stop it now, in his own mind, as he had been then. Grim forced him to watch it, no matter how hard he struggled to look awyay. Again and again he was forced to relive the moment that haunted his thoughts day and night. And her death wasn't even the worst part about it. It was the way she looked at him, her eyes filled with horror, disbelief. . . and disappointment. It struck with a pain that ached worse than anything else he could feel, and as his emotions began to rise, the mind-scape of the Arena faded into a void of black and crimson chaos, whirling around him as he let out a dreadful howl of despair.

[i][h2][u]In the Real World[/u][/h2][/i]

While Argus had been tortured by Grim, his magic had responded in kind to his distress, coiling out from him in reaching tendrils, slowly deteriorating everything around him. As this happened, the whispering voices would increase in their multitude, spreading out throughout the camp with their hateful words, seeking to incite people to violence and rash action. He began to toss and turn in his sleep, trying fighting off the invasive presence in his head with mumbled words. His eyes would flicker rapidly beneath his eye lids, sometimes opening to show them switching between his normal eyes and the eyes of grim as the to wrestled for control of the body in their own way. 

Near the end, once people would begin to notice the disturbances and head towards the detention tent, the outline of an open book would be seen floating above his head for a split second, a demonic figure of darkness and shadows reaching out, before he let out a sudden scream before a pulse of dark magic was ejected from his body, ripping the tent to shreds and filling the camp with a sense of wrongness and malicious intent. Meanwhile, Argus would be on the ground, trying to raise himself up with his good hand, the healing worms on his bad one having perished before they could do more than seal the wound. His breathing was ragged, his eyes dilated, and memories of what had happened in his mind already fading into the depths of his subconsciousness, leaving behind only a sense of dread,hatred, and intense self-deprecation. He looked around confused by what had just happened. He'd had night terrors before, but they'd never caused such an intense reaction from him before.

With nothing else to do, he looked up sheepishly at whoever might have arrived at the scene, feeling utterly terrible, confused, and wanting to crawl under a rock and hide.