Chapter 4: 4. Scapegoats
All three men stood rather close to the entrance, and I didn't need to squint my eyes to discover the expression of utter anger that existed on their various faces thanks to the two flaming torches they had brought with them.
Still, we were determined.
"Stop this nonsense at once!" One of the three commanded, but the noise only got louder and obviously more annoying.
"Stop!" The same man yelled, unfortunately at this point I could only read his lips to understand what he had said. Those men were determined, they practically braved death.
Untold fury bubbled in the chests of those men, and finally one of the other three stepped forward. A deep frown stretched across his face as he spoke.
"If you won't keep quiet, then I'll just shut you up," he muttered, stretching forth his right arm since the other held a flaming torch.
In one snappy movement, I watched the flames on their torches give birth to two jets of fire far too large to be natural.
Both streams of orange flames fell on two different cells and a cacophony of horrific cries unfolded into the chamber.
In an instant, the banging stopped and everyone including myself watched the scene of nine men being burnt alive.
Their roars and cries for help filled the entire dungeon, and their flaming figures illuminated a significant portion of its insides.
We all watched... in horror.
My countenance fell as I stepped back, having enough of that scene. Thanks to that display, It was easy to conclude that escaping would be far harder than I originally anticipated.
One by one those men dropped to the ground—Life having left their bodies. The scent of roasted flesh swept the entire dungeon and even if I felt disgusted. Not at the smell itself; which in truth was a far better option than a corpse's stench, but at the meaning of that aroma. Dead men. Scapegoats.
My expression went darker when my belly growled in hunger. I had never wished I could stop my nostrils from working with such intensity before. Not even the stench of the rotting corpse had brought me to that conviction.
Not too long after, and all nine men were dead. Their bodies continued to burn though. But the same man clenched his fist, and for a moment; I sensed the movement of Solarin. The flames vanished instantly.
That was "Flame-Craft".
My gaze fell on charred corpses that oozed smoke and of course the grimly savory aroma of burnt flesh.
In mere seconds all I could perceive was that aroma, and my belly grumbled even harder and louder. Thankfully I wasn't the only one.
"Despicable dogs," the man who had been the first to address us snarled at the sound of our hungry bellies.
Many bowed their heads in shame, but there really wasn't much we could do given our circumstances.
"Listen. You all are now slaves of the Empire. And as such, you will obey when given instructions. Failure to do so and your end will be like these fools.
"By dawn tomorrow you all will be moved to your various work locations. Welcome to your new life! This is what you get for standing in the way of the empire and her desires," he declared turning to leave, the other two following behind him.
Dead silence unfolded in the dungeon immediately after, as that announcement sent emotional shockwaves deep into the heart of every man.
This silence, however, allowed me to hear the voices of soldiers outside the dungeon. It was now safe to confirm that some men guarded the dungeon's entrance.
I sat at some point, picking a spot farthest from the corpse, even I had to admit our situation continued to degenerate into deeper trouble. Raking my fingers through the length of my hair I exhaled softly. Something I hadn't been able to do thanks to the stench.
Holding a handful of hair I allowed frustration seep into my thoughts, amplified by what I knew was fear. And how could I not be afraid?
There had been no reason for that man to announce the Empire's intentions, yet he had done so anyway. I understood why because not too long after a similar mood to mine filled the entire dungeon.
Helplessness, terror, desperation. Some even found their hope began to dwindle. I was one of those many.
That announcement had established the confidence the Empire had in making sure to carry out its objectives. And the charred corpses were evidence that they had the requisite amount of power to make it happen.
I knew what it meant to stand before 'Rebels'. The normal human could not hope to win against a person who had advanced a significant distance into the Earth-Realm.
One of them was capable of taking out nine of us with ease. That more than told of their power. A full group of such men could wipe us out.
"Even if they aren't all strong, this display has earned them our fear," I chuckled in cold realization.
No one, especially myself would want to risk going against them head-on. What could I possibly do in my powerless state?
Then again…
Those charred corpses afforded us a few hours of breathing without having to coil in disgust. But even that became choking.
They really didn't care about our well-being.
I would have taken that choking scent over the corpses, however, but gradually even that began to diminish, and both smells mixed to birth something I could only call an abomination.
Very soon I was back to holding my nose with pieces of my clothing. It had already been tattered when I got here, but my endeavors turned to a rag, I didn't care, though, it was time to gather information.
I hated that I had to do it so close to our day of departure, but before then no one had been willing. And each person was too busy trying to not die from the stench mere meters from us.
The only good thing about that cell was its spaciousness. It afforded us the ability to move away from the corpse.
By this point, maggots had already been born. Its decomposition proceeded gradually, and it was horrible, to say the least.
Swallowing hard, I inched closer to one of my cellmates. Over the past few days, we had limited our exchange of words to the bare minimum, and so far it had worked for us.
But things were different now.
He noticed me approaching him, and despite his completely docile expression, he gave off the vibe that he wanted to be left alone. Hopelessness was written all over his face.
'I can use that to my advantage,' I thought, holding no sentiment whatsoever.
Already having a series of questions in mind, I opened my mouth to speak through the cloth. My words were muffled but audible enough for him. The others saw this and glanced at us in slight curiosity.
It seemed they were hungry for anything that would take their minds off the incoming darkness that was their future. I could also use that to my advantage.
"Hey, my name is Marsh, what's yours?" I lied, hoping it could at least get him interested enough to speak.
Now that I sat almost shoulder-to-shoulder with him, it didn't take much for his glare to reach me. I didn't care.
"Please I need your help. It's something you can do," I pressed.
"What?" His tone beckoned me to leave, but a tinge of it held interest.
"I want to know all about this conflict," I announced, and confusion spread on his face, but he spoke anyway.