LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 22: The Talk
This was a situation Vex never thought she would ever be in, sitting at a table inside her little prison, drinking tea while chatting with a highly intelligent monster that send the entire kingdom into a frenzy, while an elf sits in the corner sleeping peacefully. Yep this was by far the weirdest day in her life, not that she had much of a life outside her prison shack, so she couldn’t really compare to others but she was sure even most adventurers hadn’t had such a weird day like she had right now. Once Hanna had her urges quelled she was actually really polite, with almost perfect table manners that was only the cherry on top of the weirdness cake Vex was currently eating.
Despite having just been sexually assaulted and having seen her murder two people before that, Vex was feeling fine, save even, it was strange she knew she was supposed to be scared and hate Hanna for what she did, but she didn’t, in fact she was happy. Happy to see her jailers being killed? Could she justify something like this? Did they deserve to die because they did their job?
"So Vex, you said you have been imprisoned here for 20 years right? So how do you feel about getting your freedom back?"
Vex stopped mid sip of her tea at the words, was she finally going insane? She had wished for freedom for a very long time and in any other situation she would have screamed to accept the offer, she even did now, but stopped herself, this was to easy. There had to be more she was still talking to a monster here and while Hanna never truly said anything of significance during their chat, there were a number of things Vex had gathered regardless.
First of, Hanna came to the capital city to get something back that was apparently stolen from her.
Second she was obsessed with the prisoner called Adeline and wanted to know everything about her. Vex remembered the young girl fondly, during her short time here she made quite the scene, something about her lover coming to get her, typical crazy talk, but Vex loves these kinds of prisoners as they spice up her day at least a bit.
And third, even if she was unnaturally intelligent and polite, she still was very much a monster, having no regard to live besides her own even finding pleasure in the act of torturing and killing people and especially if other family members are present to also revel in their despair as they watch their family members get killed and tortured.
To say that Vex was frightened was a huge understatement, she was terrified by the beast in front of her, she wanted her revenge sure and she wasn’t afraid to murder if it came down to it, but this was a step above that, could she put the blame on the simple people? They hated her for her magic yes, but they didn’t know any better! They got lied to by an regime that forced their ideas and their ideals onto people. That was the root of the problem, it’s those who deserve to die!
Vex wanted her revenge and correct the wrong in the world, no Magic should be banned, no Magic should be restricted, the idea that some Magic can be inherently evil or wrong is just complete and utter nonsense to her and religion was nothing but a joke, if gods existed or cared they would have done something about this world long ago. You can’t relay on the gods or faith to fix the world!
This was the age of science and Magic, where through research and Magic the people would decided their fate no some guy chosen by a corrupt institution like the church, a world were everyone is free to do as they will, that is the jump the world has to make to survive! And she would gladly be the spark that ignites the fires of change.
But to archive this, she had to get her freedom back, she was under no illusion that the endeavour would be easy and sacrifices would be made often along the way, a fact she would accept, but could she accept Hanna, a clearly insane monster only interested in spreading chaos and death for her own amusement?
"I can give you exactly that, I can break your shackles and set you free. I will let you live out your greatest desires of revenge and mayhem, let the people who wronged you know that they messed with the wrong person. All I ask of you, is to be my little pet."
Vex knew this was no offer she was supposed to refuse, it was an ultimatum: Submit or die. Those were the options, she could see it in the glint of Hanna‘s eyes and the smirk on her face. But be it through madness or pride, Vex didn’t accept right away, first she questioned the ultimatum.
"I thought you wanted to give me freedom and yet here I‘m supposed to to be your pet?"
For a moment Vex felt smug, as if she just beat the monster at the game they were playing, the next moment, Hanna stood up smiling at the woman. The smugness left Vex‘ body instantly, being replaced with fear and dread, as Hanna made her way around the table she felt her body shiver and she held her breath, like the air around Hanna was toxic to breath, what was she thinking? This was still a goddamn monster she was dealing with!
"Yeah. There is absolutely no freedom for you after all, for any of us. We are all simple pawns controlled by something greater after all, but that’s not the point. No matter what you do and no matter where you go, someone is going to question your abilities, there is a reason Necromancy is banned after all."
Hanna stopped right behind Vex, caressing her head with both of her clawed hands, Vex held her breath and clenched her jaw, daring not to move, she feared one wrong move might kill her.
"Death is supposed to be the end, something ultimately good and necessary. Death is the only way of freedom from the pain and suffering of our existence after all, so someone interfering in that process of good and dragging someone back into the pain and suffering of the mortal world is obviously someone evil right? How can Necromancy be something right if it prevents someone from their deserved paradise?"
By now, Hanna went through Vex‘s long and unkept hair with one of her claws and her voice was barley a whisper by now, it almost felt relaxing to Vex if she ignored the very large possibility of her dying any second now, but when Hanna started to talk about how death was a way of freedom she couldn’t help but release a scoff at the idea, death was nothing but pain and she could reverted that pain, how can anyone see Necromancy as the evil and death as the good? It made no sense to her. Hanna smirked behind her.
"But I think we both know that the very idea is nothing more then bullshit, if death was supposed to free one from the mortal pain and suffering I wouldn’t be here after all. But that doesn’t matter to the simple man who fears death, we can’t imagine a world without ourselves in it and therefore it’s natural to fear death, but it’s inevitable in the end, so people make themselves believe that death is something beautiful."
Hanna leaned close to one of Vex‘s ears and licked it once before whispering in a husky voice.
"But let’s face it, that’s utterly wrong no?" Walking around Vex and back to her seat at the table, Hanna looked at the Necromancer before here, who relaxed slightly after Hanna was out of immediate striking distance, but she still remains unmoving, yet her eyes is all Hanna needs, she sees the glint in her eyes, the same glint she saw in Luisa, a spark she could ignite.
"Death is nothing more then a gateway to more suffering, to more despair and you have the power to pull people away from that suffering, you are a saviour a good person, you are in the right, but the people wouldn’t know that or accept that for that matter, but I do understand. If freedom is what you crave your best chances is to go with me."
Vex was squirming in her seat right now, she knew Hanna was right, how could she turn around an entire believe system that had prevailed for multiple centuries at this point? She was alone, maybe she could find another few likeminded individual mages, but realistically? There was no chance she would be able to topple the entire believe system, even if it was wrong and evil at the core, the simple man or woman don’t care, as long as it doesn‘t actively hurt them they don’t see any reason to rebel. Maintaining the status quo is more desirable for them, why risk rebel and then end up with a system that isn’t 100 percent better? Why take such a risk?
Finally sitting down again, Hanna reached her hand towards Vex a simple smile on her face, Vex stared at the hand in front of her, waiting for her to take it.
"I‘m giving you a chance to leave all of the persecution behind you and all you have to do for that is accepting a nickname and travelling together with me, then you can finally be free of the judging stares and hate of the unknowing people, you would be free to finally use your powers to their full extent with no restrictions, you would finally be free to get your revenge, at long last."
Vex was trembling at this point, she knew Hanna was right, that her ideas of toppling the believes of the people would amount to nothing the people already were distrustful of her and her magic and if she ran around trying to convince people that the church and the crown are evil? Who would the populace believe in that kind of situation? The answer was blatantly obvious.
Yet deep down, she couldn’t bring herself to hate the common people for that, if anything it was just further proof that the crown and church were evil and manipulative, trying to hold onto their power by banning multiple other things that could threaten their hold onto power.
Vex knew she was making a mistake of astronomical proportions, but in the end she couldn’t deny her urges. She longed for freedom, to finally use her magic and to start her plans of revenge and change And Hanna was her only shot at accomplishing these things and so she took the monsters hand.
Hanna simply smiled a little more sinister then before.
"Wonderful, if isn’t to much to ask, could you bring back the two guards? I would love to ask them a few questions regarding the prisoner Adeline."
Vex nodded once then exploded into glee as she realised what exactly that entailed. She finally, finally able to use her magic once more for the first time in 20 years! She closed her eyes and channeled her Magic revelling in the sensations she couldn’t feel in 20 years, like a cold and slow wind the Magic flowed through her body until she released it and guided it towards the bodies of the recently killed guards and after a few seconds the bodies started to convulse and twitch until finally standing up once more.
"Undead Thralls, these will perfectly follow any order I give them without question, they possess all the knowledge they once held as a living person." Vex explained gleefully.
"Then please ask them where Adeline is being held." Hanna asked, tapping her foot against the wooden floor of the shack, she was clearly less interested in the workings of Necromancy and more interested in finally finding her other pet.
Vex did as she was instructed and what was revealed made Hanna quite agitated.
"Prisoner Adeline is being held in maximum security in the Tower of Justice she scheduled to be executed this afternoon."
In the next moment the guard that brought the message was an entire head shorter, as Hanna sliced off his head with one swipe of her claws, the head tumbled to the floor but no blood was spilled, the furious Hanna turned to the second guard, her eyes hid a burning fire of rage.
"Where is this tower?!" She demanded. The guard did not answer, but before Hanna could rip his head off, Vex quickly repeated the question and the guard began to speak.
"The Tower of Justice is located next to the church in the second ring of the city, it’s The tallest tower in the whole city."
Without another word, Hanna sprinted out of the shack and towards the tallest tower in the city, Vex was standing still in her shoes still not quite comprehending what just happened, until she was reminded there was still another person inside the shack.
"Let’s just wait here until she comes back, in the meantime I could tell you a bit about what you just agreed to." Vex jumped a bit at the sudden voice but quickly remembered that the elf was still here and had apparently been awake long enough to witness Vex‘s greatest mistake in her life, or was she awake the entire time?
Luisa made her way over to the now vacant chair, sat down and extended her hand towards Vex.
"Name’s Luisa, I am also a pet for Hanna and I also hate the church, I think we will get along. Do you have anything to eat? I‘m still quite hungry since we skipped breakfast to get captured by the most incompetent military force I have ever seen."
Vex took the hand into her own, before grabbing a plate of bread from a cupboard behind her and setting it in front of Luisa, who’s eyes sparkled in delight at the sight of food.
"Why thank you! As a reward I will tell you all about how my life turned completely around all because I met an insane and intelligent monster, who loves to murder and torture people without any good reason besides her being bored."
Luisa took a piece of bread and began to eat, while Vex silently watched, judging by the way Luisa spoke of the monster she was probably a murderous psychopath as well.
"Why does it have to be two of them, wasn’t one enough?" Vex mumbled to herself.
'This was clearly the dumbest thing I ever did and yet this also happens to be the best day I‘ve had in 20 years. My life is a complete mess!' We’re Vex‘s thoughts before Luisa started to tell her about how she and Hanna burned down an entire village in one night.
In kind regards.
NoraNali