The shackles clanked shut and the doomed figure hanging from chains above knew he would never be free again. In truth, he was lost long before he embarked on this mission.
Dan'Toh tried not to shivver as he hung in the cold dungeon. He had heard horrors of what was going to happen to him, and of the inhuman being that would be performing his interrogation. They called him "Black Sabbath", otherwise known as Amarth Soulstealer. The dark lord of the North, holed up in his castle of ice and sending his minions out to terrorize and domination the population of the world. There were rumors that once he had been good, but that incomprehensible magic had stripped that part of him away leaving only cold black blood running through his icy veins.
There was a subtle click, followed by the deliberatly slow creaking of a door at the top of the dungeon steps. In spite of himself, Dan'Toh twitched in fear and his eyes shot up to the top of the long dark staircase. His tormentor was wasting no time, he would be upon him in moments. He was glad for this, or so he thought, that it would be quick rather than slow.
His steps were slow, precise and planned. The first Dan saw of him were the slick jet black boots that encased his legs. Made of some unknown beasts hide, they did not disappear into the shadows, but rather seemed to shine with some maelevolant light. The legs were slender, almost feminine and for a moment Dan'Toh thought perhaps the master of the castle was not the one coming to visit him. But those thoughts were dashed with just a few steps further down the stairs.
The figure's loins were barely covered by a thin black and indigo cloth that draped nearly to the floor between his legs. His manhood bulged in the thin material and seemed to throb as he approached his captive.
It was Amarth, the cold heartlessness of the man was not in doubt. On his chest he wore a partial armored breastplate of the same dark material as his boots. A black and indigo half cloak affixed to the breastplate and drapped over one shoulder. The black of his clothing was in sharp contrast to the milky white smoothness of his skin. Almost transparent as gossimar, you could imagine seeing weak muscle tissue underneath causing his movements. His long hair looked like spun clouds framing his face and trailing down his back.
But in his face... that cold small smile sent shivvers down the bravest man's back turning his spine to jelly. Eyes of smoldering coal simmered in his head, unreadible, terrifying to behold.
"Greetings... to Castle Amarth." the bold and sharp voice came from this small man. "I see you've been properly prepared for our little talk?"
"Just... just get it over with demon!" Dan mustered the courage to say as the dark lord approached him. Dan was hanging by his wrists, long chains stretching up to an unseen ceiling, while his legs were equally bound to the floor.
Amarth raised one slender hand, long black nails chiseled to fine tips, which he held poised over the bound man's heart. "You should with for it speedy... however it will not be." Icy blue electric danced from his fingers as Amarth made a clawing motion downward, Dan'Toh's shirt sparked and rent as the magic tore at it, from collar to waist his shirt was ripped open and bare flesh, now red with the marks from the eldritch energy.
Dan bit his tongue and refused to scream out despite the searing pain. Tears filled his eyes, but no sound uttered from him. Amarth smiled at him, his red eyes sparkling with interest. Amarth leaned in close, his pale lips next to Dan's ear, his arms embracing him "You have a secret, little worm... you did not journey all this way just to die." His breath chills Dan's ear, feeling like frostbite "Tell me!" he demands, his clawed eldritch lightning ripping Dan's back and shredding more of his shirt.
This time Dan could not help but cry out in spite of himself. But his cry was one of defiance "NEVER! Go to HELL you monster!!"
Amarth laughed at this, laughed to the point he nearly doubled over in mirth "Oh my poor soul... you have no concept of what true HELL is! But you will... you most certainly will, you will wish for it as a far more gentle eternal punishment than what I have in store for you!"
Dan stared at his tormentor with a look of panic in his eyes. He wasn't strong enough for this, he was a fool to volunteer for this mission, he wouldn't last and in the end everyone would suffer!
"Behold!" Amarth bellowed, and with a sweep of his arms, magic shimmered revealing what had once been a solid rock dungeon wall to become wisps of black smoke. The smoke parted to reveal an immense sphere. The sphere stood nearly three men high and rested on the backs of three living demons, forced to serve as a tripod to hold this unholy artifact.
The sphere was pure ebon, inside swirled what appeared to be silver-grey mists. They swirled and danced in their impenatrable container. Once or twice Dan thought he recognized one of the mists, and he bit back bitter tears in seeing them.
"My children... the Soulesphere... Final resting place for all those that oppose me, my greatest power and curse. Isn't it beautiful?" he asked, gazing lovingly up at the obsidian object. A face of some disembodied ghost appeared at the edge of the sphere, begging, pleading for release.
"NOOOO!!!!" Dan cried, unable to hold back at the sight of his own mother's soul trapped inside.
Amarth laughed again, slowly turning and walking back to Dan's struggling body. "Found one you know did you? Not surprising. I've collected so many over the years..."
Tears and sobs coming freely as Dan's anger and despair tries to claim him "You son of a bitch! You've ruined so many... corrupted good souls... Have you no soul?"
Amarth's fingers tease lightning out to bite at Dan's exposed nipple, not with any intention but simply as a matter of fact gesture. "No soul. I had one once, but found that power was far preferable to a soul. Now I... collect them. But you knew that already before you ever came here. Knew that I would capture you and tease out YOUR soul."
With a flick of intense pain, Amarth twists and releases Dan's nipple. The same fingers twist in the air as he conjures something out of the darkness. A violet blue crystal spins into exhistance to hover in his cupped hand. "I'll take your soul, but piece by piece. And in doing so you'll suffer agony like you cannot imagine. And before I'm done... you'll tell me the REAL reason you've came here." Amarth glances over his shoulder at the spirits in the sphere "And I suspect it's not simply as revenge for some poor long lost friend that I've abused."
Dan'Toh stares transfixed at the crystal, certain his inner resolve will not be sufficient to resist this soul tormenter, certain that he will fail in his mission and more certain still that he will very soon join his damned mother in her eternal suffering within that black globe...
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