Shadow Warrior

Chapter 10

Leo woke with a startle. It was cold and the restraints around his body were laced with dark magic. It was feeding from him with each passing moment. His body screamed in agony, begging for relief.

A powerful feeling washed over him as he felt his bond with Abby sing. It spoke of hope and something else he couldn’t quite recognize.

Time was of no value here. It could have been minutes, hours, days, or even years. Here it was useless, only fed into its slow demise.

Leo knew what would happen when they learned of his situation. They would give him up for dead rather than waste resources. If they sent anyone in, it would be to kill him, therefore ending the chance of Valak returning.

He could feel Abby’s bond drawing closer with each passing moment. His mind was racing with hope, but so much fear. If Abby ever got hurt, he would never be able to forgive himself. She was walking right into a trap.

Surrounded by stone walls, he could hear mice and rats running about. The space was cool and smelled of the earth. A pressure drew behind his ears. The only light source given was a small candle hanging on the wall. There was a long crack on the cement below his feet.

Every once in a while, he could hear demons running about. Their excitement was audible as they made their preparations. Leo just had to hold on long enough for Abby to get there. He had been keeping himself calm with thoughts of Abby. Reliving their memories together. Not even a full life together. Remembering the moment, he fell in love with her. Or at least, the moment he realized he loved her.

Agonizing over her finding out and rejecting him. His fears of the Concurrence finding out the truth. Loosing her forever, being stripped of one another for a lifetime.

Now it all seemed so pointless. Should he be gifted another life, he would profess his love to her from the mountain tops. Never again hiding what he felt. Writing her love songs. Holding her until she fell asleep each night. Only living to see her smile. Hearing her joyful laugh as time took them on a new adventure. Fighting side by side until the end of time.

His thoughts were interrupted as a loud bang came from in front of him. His swollen eyes moved to the figure that stood before him. There stood Kesh, with an evil glint in his eyes. Smiling down on Leo. Setting his jaw, Leo prepared for whatever pain Kesh was getting ready to inflict. He had been tortured every time Kesh had come down. And several times by others. They were trying to break him down enough to get him to give permission for Valak to enter him.

“It looks like we have enough of her blood to complete the ritual. Too bad I didn’t need all of it.” Kesh laughed menacingly. “You are going to make history, boy. The Shadow Warrior who was blessed by Valak.” Leo could see in Kesh’s eyes that he was no picturing what his success would look like. Leo wasn’t going to waste his energy on this one. He had to prepare for whatever Valak and Kesh had in store.

Pulling a blade from his side, Kesh moved towards Leo. Slamming the blade through his leg, Leo gritted his teeth together. He wasn’t going to satisfy this deceiver with his screams. Kesh slowly slid the blade from Leo’s leg. It dripped with blood as he inspected it.

“I have received word that the Concurrence has chosen to leave you for dead. They are still going to stop me, but they don’t believe any of you that I am the culprit.” His eyes turned to slits as he looked down at Leo. “It was my vote that stopped them from sending little Miss Abigail resources.”

Leo felt the burning hatred for Kesh strengthen and hum through his body. The council was so blind they included him in the vote! What hypocrisy! All Leo could do was glare at Kesh as he moved about the small space. Kesh stopped, snapped his fingers, and two demons appeared before him.

“Turn him around, and get me the whip.” Leo assessed whether or not he would be able to escape.

As they moved his body, he could tell he was much weaker than he had anticipated. Attempting to escape now would be futile and only worsen the situation. He was going to have to wait for Abby. Worry filled his mind as he realized the Concurrence gave her no aid. She was coming here alone. This jolted his mind and body awake. He had to get out of here before Abby showed up and was killed in trying to save him.

The demons moved Leo without issue. Even with the shock to his system, Leo was still very weak. One demon ripped Leo’s shirt from his back. Baring it to the world. This was the one place he hadn’t any wounds yet. Considering his back was to Kesh and Kesh now had a whip, that was about to change.

He heard the whip swing back and flick forward. It hit his skin with a force that stopped the air from entering his lungs. Leo’s hands were balled into fists as he fought to keep from screaming. His legs pumped up and down to distract himself from the pain being inflicted.

Once Kesh started, he was relentless. Only allowing a few seconds between swings. Leo could feel the ripped open skin on his back behind kissed by the cold air surrounding him. With each swing, Leo’s resolve was disintegrating. He was letting out a hiss with each contact between his skin and the whip. However, with each hit, he was slowly losing sensation of the sharp stabbing pain. It was now more of a hot pain, radiating along his back. Defining where each wound was located.

Stopping, Kesh asked Leo again, as he had been since his arrival. “Do you give Greater Demon Valak permission to utilize your vessel and possess it in its entirety?”

Leo could only let out a soft squeak. “No.”

Hearing the whip pull back, he tightened his eyes as he prepared for the next round of pain.