Chapter 9: Disillusion

Breghen had no idea of where he was. One moment, his surroundings were equal to a pitch black darkness, the next moment, it was at blaze. Demon hounds were circling around him, their fangs bared. Their growls sounded hungry, wanting fresh meat. When Breghen looked around, he saw different elements. Some of them were looking like they had burned skin, holes in their body that showed the burning innards of the creatures, like lava was bubbling inside them.
Another was frozen to the core, a cold aura around it, it’s eyes a bright blue. It’s fur, or what should go as fur, was rimmed with ice.

The third kind looked like it was attacked by acid. Skin and flesh were melted from its body and what Breghen thought was it’s blood, dripped on the ground, giving a hissing sound when it fell on the dark underground. A sharp scent came from this creature, making clear that his blood was pure acid.

The last one looked like a walking electric cloud. Dark clouds surrounded it’s leg, neck and tail. Crackling thunder surrounded the hound, rippling over his body.

And when Breghen made a quick count, there were more than a hundred of these creatures circling around him.

The boy itself could not move, it was like his feet were glued to the ground. When he looked down to his own body, still half naked, stripped from the waist up, he saw eight holes in his abdomen, still dripping blood.

A loud snarl made the boy look up, only to see one of the hounds charging in his direction. Its burning coat welled up, making it’s innards glow more fierce. Breghen could only raise his hands in defense. He had expected for the hound to gnaw at his body, ripping him apart, but it were flames that surrounded him. The boy screamed from the excruciating pain. It was like his body was burning. He flicked with his hands, but the flames kept swirling around him. When Breghen thought he could no longer endure it, the flames seemed to seep into his wounds, entering his body. For a second, he saw his veins flare up in an orange color and a wave of heat went through his body, almost like his body was gonna explode. 

Breghen tried to catch his breath when the feeling subdued, but the growl from the hounds was the warning that another was starting to attack. This one was the cold element that charged. He raised his hands again, but it was in vain. Extreme coldness surrounded the young boy’s body, making it unable to use his limbs. It was like his body was turning into ice itself, ready to break by a simple touch. And again, the element seeped into the wounds, creating a cold rush through his body that was ten times worse than a brain freeze. 

One by one, the hounds attacked, surrounding his body with their element, dragging him to the end of his energy. Breghen went through the waves, but he could feel the loss of control. After each fight, he felt his energy fading, his resistance, his will to fight. It felt like his legs were gonna give out. He wanted to accept the darkness that surrounded him.

“Don’t give up!”

Breghen’s head shot up, spooked by the sudden voice that echoed in his head. When he opened his eyes, he saw that there was a barrier around him. A thin sheet of energy and when one of the hounds attacked, he felt that their attack was less severe as before. He could still feel their heat, their electricity, but it was no longer as excruciating. 

“Who?” the boy whispered, catching his breath in the process.

“You have to hold on!”

The boy huffed, clenching his teeth together.

“I am not strong enough to fight them.”

“You are …” the voice echoed again. “You don’t have to do this alone.”

“Who are you?” His eyes shot around, but except for the barrier, he couldn’t see anyone. At first he thought it was Lolth, here to watch his fight. But Lolth would never aid him. He was a male, a Drow male. Lowest of the lowest. And Lolth was not merciful. If she would be here, she would watch and enjoy the view, thrive on his suffering. 

“I’m here to help you.”

He noticed that the pain was less than before. The attacks didn’t hurt him so much. He could still feel it, feel how the power surrounded him before it seemed into his body, to attack from within. . 

“Do you have a name?” he asked carefully. He still expected for the voice, that sounded like he could trust the creature, to turn evil.

“I can not tell. There are too many praying eyes in your mind. But you are no longer alone.”

No name, hu. Breghen sighed, realizing that he would not be able to learn more. He concentrated again on the stream of attacks, soaking them up like a sponge.

“It’s almost over …” the voice warned him. That knowledge calmed him down, knowing that an end was near. It gave him a goal to focus on. He could hear the roars of the demons but it was like they were fading, becoming less and less. One by one, the demons entered his body. Each time he saw his veins flare up with energy, with magic. He could feel how their power was rushing through his body … and how it was binding with him.

“This is a gift, child, not a curse. Embrace it!”

The last demon roared, charging in his direction. The young boy could only brace himself for the impact. The demon attacked, and got soaked up just like the rest of them, releasing his power in the boys blood.

“Remember, you are not alone!”

A flash of bright light! He opened his eyes with a scream. He could hear shouts coming from all around him, excited voices. His vision was still blurred, but he saw people running around. Dark skin, white hair, a cold stone under his still half bare body.

“He’s awake! Warn matron Nazira!”