[h1] Let The Games Begin [/h1] [h1] [color=ed1c24]Mat[/color] and [color=bc8dbf]Emiliah[/color] [/h1] Emiliah followed Mat's conversation as long as she cared too, which wasn't long. Their pathway seemed suspiciously...free of obstacles. There were signs of recent human death everywhere, dried blood spatters...more like stains on the swept floor. Like someone had been by recently to clean. The floor started to go in a vague downward motion, despite having been the left choice, it seemed that the church itself was leading them downward towards hell. Soon, arches started to apear, tempting travelers to go down the much tighter pathways. Emiliah also noticed that the tempture seemed to fluctuate greatly. One moment causing her breath to come up in thick clouds as ice criss crossed over her spear head. Then the next, being so hot that the air hurt to breath. [color=bc8dbf]"Hey Mat,"[/color] she said, she hadn't noticed how long the two seemed to have gone without taking, nor could see recall how long they'd been down there. [color=bc8dbf]"I think....I think something is wrong. I think we should turn back," [/color] It was at that moment they entered a room like none that had ever been seen before. It was large, a near perfect circle. The walls were covered with hundereds, if not thousands of human heads. The ones closest to Emiliah and Mat were more like skeltons, but the deeper into the room one got, the more the heads seemed to be going through variouse states of decomposing. A thick soup like liquid from the rotting flesh was pooling on the floor, slowly drifting towards the door. "Turn back?" came a voice that sounded like a mixture of a deep voiced human male and some kind of clicking animal, and filled the room. "But you've only just arrived," Out of the shadows came a creature who seemed to be constantly changing in appearance, but never moving at the same time. It wore a cloak of shadows and carried a long pointed spear in one hand. "And look, you're just in time to join my army," Mat grimaced as they continued going down the hall, feeling like everything was wrong while they descended. [color=ed1c24]"We turn back the problem doesn't get solved, and it'll just grow worse..."[/color] He whispered to himself, for once being serious. Mat quieted himself and slowed his breathing, trying to listening for anything that would come out of the darkness. His eyes darted from each skull, wondering which one would come to life and try to kill them, but then he heard the deep voice. Mat quickly turned to the voice of the creature, prepped to fight, but he lowered his spear slightly as he saw the creature emerge. Mat tried to think of what to do, what to say even, but his mind just turned out two words. [color=ed1c24]"Well...shit."[/color] Emiliah looked at the creature standing in the middle of the room. Her heart suddenly trying very hard to escape her chest. A large part of her wanted to just...kneel down. To kneel down and never [i]ever[/i] get up again. It was only a very small part that stopped herself. Instead, she reached without looking she reached out and took Mat's hand in her own, pulling him backwards towards the door. Her eyes stayed glued to the creature until the moment her back hit solid wall. "Looking for something?" The voice called out again as Emiliah spun around to see nothing but wall behind her. [color=bc8dbf]"T-The door, w-where was it, It. It was right here,"[/color] she said to Mat. Suddenly her mind clicked as to what made her so scared as the image of the demon werewolf filled her mind. [color=bc8dbf]"Mat...we...we can't kill,"[/color] she whispered. Mat had completely stopped talking and allowed Emiliah to guide him back where the door was as he kept watching. He could feel a mental pull on him that just wanted him to collapse, but Mat focused himself and reminded himself in his head what he was doing. Right as they got to the door Mat's eyes opened wide at the realization that there was no door. [color=ed1c24]"This is not a mere necromancer,"[/color] he realized. Mat looked toward Emiliah and didn't know how to respond to her for a while until he focused himself again. [color=ed1c24]"There's a way out of this, there's gotta be..."[/color] He mumbled to himself as he looked back out towards the darkness. Emiliah pressed herself closer to Mat, if only to eliminate the number of sides that the demon could attack from. The gunk on the floor slowly creeping towards them, steam slowly starting to . She heard Mat say something about a way out. “You’re right,” She whispered “There is always a way out,” She said, unsure of who she was really trying to convince. “Do you really think that, little girl,” said the Demon. If she didn’t know any better, she could have sworn that the creature was…amused. [color=bc8dbf]“Y-yeah,” [/color] she said, clearing her throat. [color=bc8dbf]“There…there is ALWAYS a way out,” [/color] A cackle came from the creature. “The little mouse thinks she can out smart the snake. I’m almost tempted to let you try,” He said, placing a finger under his chin. “Almost….but what is the fun for the snake if the game is over when the mouse dies?” Emiliah assumed the creature looked at Mat, then snapped its claws. “But the more….what fun. Okay, you can try, but you have to answer all of my questions first. And if you lie…both die,” Suddenly some of the skeletons starting falling from the walls, creeping closer to Emiliah and Mat. “I decided to make it more interesting. I want to see what my future warriorsslaves can do. Now, who will fight my army and who will answer my questions? If you fall fighting, you both die. If you lie, you both die,” Emiliah gave Mat a worried glance, tightening her hold on her spear. [color=bc8dbf]“We have to stall for time, do you want to answer, or fight?” [/color] Mat paused for a moment, thinking about what to pick. The creature seemed to want to test their limits, and find their breaking point. At first instict Mat wanted to fight. Skeletons were easy to pick apart if you hit them right, but there were a lot of them incoming. Emiliah was right that they needed to stall, hopefully they could find some escape route from this hell. Mat gripped his spear tight, but looked at his left hand and injured leg. Despite getting the plant to get rid of the pain, it was still an injured leg in the end, his hand too. With this many enemies Mat couldn't think of a way to make sure that they wouldn't use his injuries to their advantage. But, answering questions. There were many questions Mat would prefer not to answer. Most of what was asked of him he dodged around or simply lied. [color=ed1c24]"Putting me inbetween a rock and a hard place,"[/color] Mat muttered. If this creature asked even a fraction of what he was thinking, it would not go well for Mat. His hands clutched the spear even tighter, but then he felt a rush of pain surge from his stabbed left hand. [color=ed1c24][i]I fight, we'll die. I answer, we'll live,[/i][/color] he sadly thought. The hunter looked over at Emiliah and sighed before saying, [color=ed1c24]"I'll answer."[/color] Emiliah nodded, understanding Mat's choice and took a fighting stance a few steps away from Mat and...the voice. Almost at once, over a dozen undead were on her, attaking from all sides in a relentless stream of blows from all directions. Emiliah had a sudden realization that it wouldn't take long for them to start landing blows, if through their sheer numbers alone. "Excellet, well Mat, or do you rather Matrim. Let's start easy, what is your worse memory?" came the Voice, a hint of glee clearly upon it. Eventhough she shouldn't have been able to hear the voice over the sound of her fighting, it was like the sound was coming from inside her mind. At the question, Emiliah felt a flood of memmories fill her mind. Friends that had been crippled, lost. Until a single moment rested in her mind. Something she had long since tried to forget, to burry under other things. She was thankful that Mat was answering and not her. Mat watched as Emiliah began to fight off the undead all around her. The sheer numbers of the undead by itself seemed bad enough, and Mat could almost immediately tell that he made the right call. Emiliah could handle herself, but now he needed to hold up his end. The question seemed spoken in his mind, as if the creature already knew the answer. It seemed like the satisfaction was from Mat admitting it. As a normal hunter did, he had a lot of terrible memories but there was one that came clear and obvious. [color=ed1c24]"My worst memory...is when after I had searched for my father for days but ended up finding nothing. Then I decided to return home, my first home where my mom was still alive. I stayed one night there and woke up the next morning to find my dad's head next to my mom's grave. The note was the real stinger, [i]Just a small gift for the young hunter. Have fun![/i] I never found the witch that did it..."[/color] Mat closed his eyes for a moment and clenched his fist, then released. [color=ed1c24]"Next question?" [i]Just answer and move on. Don't dwell on it Mat![/i][/color] It was horrible....The moment Mat's mind settled on the memory..Emiliah...saw it. Saw the grave, the head. Saw the note. It wasn't only seeing it either. She could feel...feel the emotion that came with it. The pain of losing a father stabbed deeper than any knife. It was in that moment that one of the undead finally got through her defences. With a scream, it's long fingers dug into her arm, leaving three deep cuts. With a yell of pain and anger, Emiliah struck the creature down. Her breath coming in heavy pants now. "Next question," said the Voice. My aren't we eager. You hunters are always so 'good'. Never raped, killed, tortured, stolen, abused... I don't believe it. What is truely, the worst thing you have ever done? Mat wanted to run out when he saw Emiliah injured, but he stopped himself at the last moment. It would only ensure both of their deaths. Mat closed his eyes as he heard the next question and nodded. [color=ed1c24]"I guess you're right about that..."[/color] he muttered as he searched his memories. Several truly terrible ones came up, but there was one that festered. [color=ed1c24]"After I found my father's head I went on a true hunt for witches. There was one in the pot that'll answer your question. The very first witch I found after my dad's death, I think her name was Abigail. I found her out, kidnapped her and locked her inside a small wooden cabin in the middle of the forest. It had to be far, or else people could hear her screams. Every day I was there I asked her, 'Was it you?'. She always denied it but I pestered, I needed to know. I skinned her, starved her, and let her hang onto a life by a thread. I never actually killed her, I simply just never returned to the cabin after I was sure she didn't do it. I let her starve to death in that cabin, making sure she suffered every second. I didn't even stop there, I kept going for years but at least I killed the other ones."[/color] Mat could see himself in the cabin now, watching the poor girl beg for death as he sawed off one of her fingers after skinning it. All he hoped was that Emiliah couldn't hear him over the fighting. Emiliah couldn't hear him, but she saw everything. Four weeks of torture rushing through her mind in a manner of seconds. Filled to the top with nothing but the feelings of rage and pain. It blinded her for a moment as her stomach decided to leave her body or not. That was all it took for the undead to lead a few more blows. Her whole body was starting to hurt and her mind swam with the echos of Mat's memories. She felt her body hit the ground with a crashed. She immediately curled up in ball to protect herself. "Change of plans," said the Voice. He held up a hand to stop the undead army from killing Emiliah. "I know the name of this witch," he said. "And I know where she is," The undead backed far away from Emiliah now. "Now, my question is. If I offered you a deal. Break one of Emiliah's finger for the name and another for the location, would you take it? We all know you aren't afraid of causing others a little bit of pain," Mat quivered where he stood, his eyes darting all around as he watched Emiliah fall to the ground. He wanted to rush in again, help her out, but he knew he couldn't. His eyes looked over at the creature, and then he heard the offer. The realization that he could finally find [i]her[/i] was stunning. All the years of searching, the number of witches he tortured, and it finally came down to this. This was what he had been searching for, no more asking and finding and running to false leads. Mat had no doubt that the creature knew the answer, but then he looked over at Emiliah. She was hurt enough from the fight, there was no doubt about that. How much would two broken fingers hurt over an answer? If it were him recieving it, there'd be no doubt about it, but it wasn't him. [color=bc8dbf]"It is okay,"[/color] she said quickly, still on the floor, everything hurt [color=bc8dbf] "I understand. I....saw it....I ...felt it. It is okay. I won't be mad," [/color] Mat's eyes went from Emiliah to the creature, and back to Emiliah, then stopped and closed his eyes. [color=ed1c24]"Fine, let's say I do. But even with the info do we get to leave so I can find her? It's useless if we can't right?"[/color] He asked the creature, taking one step forward. "The ring fingers. I don't need them to use my spear. Yes...it'll hurt...but...I will still be able to fight," She said, forcing herself up into a sitting position. There was a lot of her blood on her clothing, but over all she just felt...sore...tired. "Those are two different games. But if you get out of here, would you really want to leaving knowing that the information was sitting there. All you would have had to do was reach out and take it," the Voice was all but smiling now. Mat slowly nodded his head. [color=ed1c24]"...fine,"[/color] he muttered. He sadly looked over at Emiliah. Even with her saying it was okay it felt wrong, but two fingers would be the entrance to him finally ending his search. Mat walked over to Emiliah and sat down in front of her. [color=ed1c24]"I'm sorry, I am so so sorry."[/color] With that he took her left hand gently then quickly grabbed her ring finger and snapped it. Without pausing he went over to her right and snapped the ring finger on that hand. Emiliah let out an ear piercing scream as each of her fingers were broken. It took her a few moments to get them down to small sobs. Not caring that she was all but collapsed on the very person who did this to her. After a few moments the Voice spoke again. "Come closer," he said to Mat, gestering with a single finger. Mat grimaced as he felt Emiliah collapse on him from the pain. He stayed there for a moment doing his best to comfort her when he heard the thing speak again. Mat looked at Emiliah and gently let her down off him. Mat looked at Emiliah and gently let her down off him as he stood up and walked over to it. The Voice waited until Mat was only a foot away, before leaning down and whispering into his ear. "I said if," Suddenly Mat was alone in the room. Then he too vanished into a curtained room.