Into the death dungeons!!
**Damon’s pov**
“Fuck, fuck!” I hissed. I fucking hate myself for letting Rhaegar heal Natasha, but it had to be done despite knowing all too well the bitter sting of pain that would come with it. Natasha’s life was in danger, and she needed her strength back, that’s why Lukas and I took a promise from her to let that murderer heal her. I was unable to ask her for the promise, therefore I had Lukas take care of it. The feeling of helplessness was unbearable; it was as if my heart had been ripped away. She blames herself for failing to protect our daughter, but the responsibility lies with me. All I want now is to avenge my people, Natasha, and my daughter.
I let Harold know about all the plans. We have the armies of Artena led by Harold, the Kingdom of Hell led by Davos, and Chimaeras led by Aaron and the Beasts. Many allied kingdoms loyal to the council and witches’ coven also pledged their support.
Since only Natasha can breach the barrier, the Warp Crux is the sole means of access. The traitor only did one good deed—giving us plenty of his blood.
A bitter taste filled my mouth as I looked upon the Northern kingdom, a realm of death and darkness. The atmosphere felt like a sadist’s playground, teeming with the most depraved and corrupted souls. The landscape was large, covered with the forever blanket of snow. An eerie stillness hung heavy in the air, like time frozen in frost. The sky looked like a canvas of dark clouds merging with the jagged peaks of mountains rising like ominous sentinels. Frozen lakes resemble dark mirrors, while the gnarled trees look like wicked witches. The howling wind carried the distant calls of creatures that thrive in the cold and dark, adding to the kingdom’s otherworldly aura.
The Northern palace stood at the centre, resembling a dark, black heart. It was covered in a grey ash that looked like snow. It was rumoured that the ash consisted of the charred remains of the unfortunate victims. As for the castle, it looked as if the whole of it had risen from the mountain itself. The series of giant spires rose like giant demonic fingers over the towers. Crimson lights glowed from beyond the hundreds of arched stone-framed windows, making it look as if the whole castle had eyes watching the entire realm. The keep was the central and largest building. Smaller towers ringed it, the battlements and curtain walls enclosed it, and six colossal towers marked its corners. The whole structure looked like the grotesque version of Vampire’s castle.
“Where the hell is the Grim Reaper?” I questioned.
“I have no fucking clue,” Lukas replied.
“Bloody traitor-” I stopped mid-sentence as the space warped in front of us and a portal appeared, big enough for us both to step through. At the other end, we found the Grim Reaper waiting. The next thing we knew, we were inside a little grey room, a large window offering a view of the frozen scenery and the sky ablaze with auroras. Rhaegar was there, waiting for us.
I growled in undiluted anger. I was going to tear him to fucking pieces. A low, dangerous snarl warned of what was coming as I felt my fangs push through my gums. Fuck, but I could almost taste the traitor’s blood as the thirst for it was that great. Blood was about to be spilt...a massive amount of blood!
Grinning, I turned to him and said, “It’s time for you to die.”
“No! Damon, no...” Lukas came in between us and started his diplomatic showdown.
“No way!” I snapped back at him, making him growl down at me before warning furiously, “Get. Back!”
“NO!” I bellowed, pushing him on his chest. He swiftly locked his legs around me. He then threw his whole weight on top of me, pinning me down and shouting, “This isn’t the time!” We need to work together!" Ignoring him, I retaliated and swiftly flipped him onto his back before he could react, shouting, “He took the life of my unborn child!”
“If you do this…if you fight him or hurt him…then I swear to you, Damon, I will never fucking forgive you! NEVER! Do you hear me?!” Natasha mind-linked me. A growl of frustration escaped me as I pushed up from the ground, releasing him.
Her softened plea, “Please…don’t do this, not until our enemies are dead,” caused my shoulders to slump in pain. “We will deal with him once this is over. But before that, we need him on our side,” she said.
I knew she was right, which caused me to frown. Rhaegar was necessary for our victory in this war.
Rhaegar said, interrupting my thoughts, “We’re doomed if anyone spots us, so move it,” and signalled for us to walk on.
The dungeon's stone corridors stretched endlessly into the shadows, lit only by flickering torches that cast eerie, dancing shadows on the walls. The thick air inside carried the victims’ screams. The smell of mildew, rot, and old blood hung heavy in the air. The ceiling arched high above, barely visible through the gloom, and the floor was uneven, littered with debris and rusty chains. Every step we took resonated in the huge space.
On either side of the walls were iron-barred cells, their heavy doors slightly open, showing strange creatures that watched us suspiciously. Deeper inside, we found the torture chambers, filled with the horrifying screams of victims. Louder and louder came the cries of pain. People of all ages were imprisoned within the cages. Although the people were very much alive, a black essence like a deadly curse floated around them like shadows. They have yellow glowing eyes and their faces look dead. They all looked painfully thin and weak, with the bones protruding from their skin as if a wave of torture had swept over them. They all turned in our direction, thousands of eyes staring at us with their mouths hanging open as they howled, “Save us!” The incessant crying made me cover my ears to prevent my eardrums from rupturing.
“Can you smell that? Something is amiss!” Lukas spoke, looking around, trying to sniff the vibrations in the air. The childhood memories of this place had hit him hard and that can be seen on his face.
The moment after, a horde of beasts stormed the dungeons. While their faces were human-like, their bodies consisted of numerous muscle layers. Suspiciously, the leader glared at us, then licked his lips with a hiss.
“Who the hell are you!?” His eyes were glowing like embers.
“My prisoners,” Rhaegar said with a stubborn face, daring them to try fighting us.
“And what does King Louris have to say about this?” The beast’s eyes narrowed down at us, a strange mix of suspicious and dangerous.
“Nothing! Because you are going to die!” Rhaegar’s eyes glowed red, and the next second his body moved like a thick trail of smoke, and around three of the beasts were dead.
“Come on! You want to fuck with something, then I will give you something to fuck with,” one of the few remaining beasts snarled, his deadly talons showing a hint of a glint.
“Come on, you-” he began, but a scream interrupted him. I turned sharply, just in time to see him lying dead on the floor. A second man drew his sword, but a swiftly thrown knife severed his throat before he could attack. We heard another scream from behind. We all looked as another beast fell lifeless.
“Show your face fucker!” The leader of the beasts pitched in. Rhaegar’s chimaera form came in a full speed like a shadow travelling at a supernatural speed like a phantom, tripping and making the leader drop dead with his face facing the wrong way.
With the beasts slain, Rhaegar took us aside and asked, “What is your army’s arrival time?”
“3-4 days maximum!” I replied.
“Good! Until then, both of you should stay hidden. There is a change of plan now as we need more eyes and ears to know their plans. My uncle is hosting a ball for his ministers, so we have called the guards from other prisons for extra security. Take their clothes off and put them on. This will help you sneak in without getting detected.” He said looking at the clothes of dead beasts. We acted swiftly on his words. Then, we applied scent-masking motion and strange body paint to look like those beasts. We dumped their bodies in the cells of the famished beings. They consume every part of their victims, leaving no trace of our actions.