Tutorial Rewrite 43 (Patreon)

And apparently, that was the final part of the ceremony, because after that, the cage starts moving again. Specifically, we’re moving towards the castle. And it really is worthy of being called a castle. It’s huge, and it’s surrounded by a moat with a drawbridge, so what more could you ask for? The whole city is situated next to the sea, but the city itself is kind of raised, meaning that although the castle isn’t connected to the sea, it has a really good view of it. And this is where my cage is brought.

The drawbridge leads inside the walls of the castle, into a large courtyard. This is apparently the final stop, because finally, after so long, I’m released from the cage, though not without a fair bit of trouble.

<Chain.>

<Bind.>

<Attach.>

I can’t move. Two more magician-type people have appeared, both slightly older than Simel, both of them with what appears to be a profound apathy towards the whole mess. If it was just Simel, I don’t think I’d even need to struggle in order to break out, but with all three, I am well and fully restrained. But since this means that I can’t even walk on my own, a bunch of buff goblins are forced to carry me while the three magicians follow closely along as we head inside the castle, down into the very bowels of it, beneath the dungeons, into some dark, empty, dank extra-deep-dungeon-for-the-extra-bad-meanies. And down there, so deep even the torches seem muted, in the only cell that’s there, is where they leave me, chaining me to the wall by both of my arms and legs, pinned to it like an insect. It’d be easier to handle if the one who designed the clamps wasn’t literally satan. Who the heck puts barbs on the inside of these things?!

So dumb.

And like that, they leave me. Neat.

…Was that it? No, that isn’t it, is it? No way.

Hey, come back! You can’t just leave me alone down here! Aren’t I supposed to have a cellmate so I can turn this dungeon into a fungeon? I mean, what’s the point of chaining me upright to the wall if I can’t ask someone hanging right beside me, how’s it hanging? This is inhumane!

…Yeah, inhumane! So do something about it!

…

…Hello? Is-, is there really nobody there?...

It’s… it’s really pretty dark down here, huh.

My arms are starting to hurt a bit. You know, cuz I’m hanging on the wall? Yeah. The fact that the braces themselves have barbs on the inside is a bit bad too, but I’ve had worse, so, you know… I just… where did everyone go?

It’s dark. I can’t see so well when it’s dark.

It’s…

dark

and black

and dark

I feel myself slip.

Deeper, and deeper, and deeper, and deeper.

Into the black sea below, below, below, below, below.

Where everything is night, and black, black, black, black.

When I open my eyes, it’s black.

When I close my eyes, it’s black.

I can’t really tell if I’ve gone blind, or if that’s just how it is now.

If I did, it wouldn’t make any difference. The blackness is the same.

I hate this.

I hate this.

I hate this.

I hate this.

I hate this.

I hate this.

I need to kill that king.

I need to kill the goblins.

I need to kill the goblings.

I need to kill whatever gives me exp.

That’s the only way to get out of here.

Time passes like sludge, giving the illusion that it might actually move, while actually doing nothing at all.

But the pain reminds me that I exist. The barbs remind me that I’m here, and that I exist, and that I’m not just in my head, and that I can do things, and that I can cause things. Pain. That’s it. That’s what’s keeping me anchored. If I smash my leg against the wall enough, it breaks, and then I feel. If I bash the back of my head into the stone wall behind me, my brain quakes, and then I feel. If I lift my knees and stab them into my own chest just right I can crack a few of my ribs, and then I feel. That’s all I can do. Pain. Yes. That’s it. How blind I’ve been. I’m so glad that there is no pain tolerance. Without pain, I would be dead. I would be lost to the great black sea within me already. I would have sunken to the depths and been dragged deep into the black sludge down there, and drowned within all of that. But the pain reminds me that I’m drowning, and that I can feel. That’s all I need. It’s good. This is a good system. We are well-designed, to be able to feel. If I break my bones just the right way, it takes longer to heal, and I can feel for longer. Bash bash bash bash crack crack smash back crack splash crack splash bash bash smash crash bash crack crack smash smash.

Crack Smash Crack Smash

Smash Smash Crack Crack

Crack Bash Crack Bash

Bash Bash Crack Crack

It is music.