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| Details |
| Author: | Saaron |
| Summary: | Helyn and her succubus, now aware that people are looking for Sandy, have to think of the next step in their plans. Sandy asks to be forgiven. |
| Rating: | A for Adults Only 18+ |
Arc: The Sandysappearance
Helyn slams the door of her small house in Duskwood shut.
“They’re looking for him,” she whispers, her breath short and her shoulders shaking. Anyone would be appalled by the smell in the room she’s entered, but she’s been living in Duskwood for a while now, and she’s spent weeks with this particular smell too. She’s used to the mix of blood, sweat, and excreta, by now. As used to it as anyone could be, at least.
Sandy, is kneeling in the living room, chained to the floor, surrounded by a Fel ritual circle keeping him hidden from most locating spells. His gaze is empty, staring at the ground, or rather, at a plate with food placed on the ground, just out of reach. A slice of bread, and some ham. He’s shirtless. Not that the succubus and her master started by undressing him to question him, as what’s left of his shirt lays on the ground next to him, the tears coinciding with the wounds on his back. The young man has lost a concerning amount of weight already.
As Helyn walks closer, the succubus, sitting on a chair facing the young man, her head resting on her hands, looks up smiling brightly. “Welcome home, master!” She then turns to Sandy, still smiling. “Would you look at that? It has been two days with your meal just out of reach, and you have not touched it once.” She gets up from her chair and kneels to Sandy, holding his face and raising his gaze to hers. He gazes through her, as if she wasn’t there, forcing him to look at her sadistic smile. “If only you would tell my master what she wants to hear, I could loosen the chains, and you could get your food… Just tell us where her brother is and what you did to him, that is all we ask.”
Sandy doesn’t answer, he just stares at the ceiling, as if he were not there anymore.
“Well, it will not be this meal, at least. It’s been out for too long. We would not want you to get seriously sick, are we? Eating can wait for tomorrow.” The succubus grabs the plate and throws it into the lit fireplace. The smell of the burning slice of bread and ham does finally get a reaction out of the young man, as he turns to look at the fire, biting his lower lip, which he has already bitten until it bled before. She flaps her wings happily at the sight of his discomfort.
The demon smiles, walks back to him, and gently pats Sandy on the head as if he was her pet. She looks at Helyn smiling. “What were you saying, master? I was lost in thoughts, my apologies.”
“They’re looking for him. The warlocks in Stormwind have been talking about these… Posters, even maybe investigators… they’re looking for him! For us!” The teenager’s hands shake.
“Only now?” The succubus laughs. “Well, they must not care about you much, hm?” Sandy doesn’t react. He just stares at the fire, feeling as though he could see the smelly fumes of the burning food traveling through the room.
Helyn breathes shakily as she runs her hands through her hair. “They’re going to find us! Keeping him here… this was too risky! What if they find a way around the Fel prison? What if they’re already onto me, and they’ve followed me here? We should have just killed him!”
The succubus walks to her master, and gently grabs her by the shoulders. “Do not worry, master, I am here. I will help you.” She begins pacing around the room, still grinning, tapping her cheek with her finger.
Sandy turns his head, he looks at Helyn right in the eyes. At first, his gaze is blank, but it quickly turns into a mix of emotions. Sadness, fear, and somehow… compassion. Helyn doesn’t perceive anger in his eyes, which doesn’t make sense. He should feel angry. Her hatred briefly disappears from her eyes as she spots this detail. Why doesn’t he despise her? It doesn’t make sense!
Helyn has no more time left to ponder this question, as their shared look is interrupted by the succubus hitting the warlock in the jaw with her knee. Her smile having finally disappeared, she speaks through her teeth. “I told you not to look at my master in the eyes.”
Sandy, after taking a few seconds to process the kick, places his teary gaze back on the ceiling.
“So…” the succubus walks back to her master. “If they’re finally looking for him, it is true. We’re in danger.” Helyn’s face drops. Even the mastermind behind her plans seems to admit defeat. “However… There are two things we can do if we still want answers on what happened to your brother. A risky one, and a riskier one.”
“… What’s the risky one?”
“We do nothing. We keep going as it is until he speaks. There is a possibility that nothing is linking us to this man. No witnesses, no one who knows you two know of each other’s existence, and we left no clues at the scene of the kidnapping. The risk is… what if there is? What if someone saw us? What if another warlock remembers seeing you listening in to his conversations, what if someone remembers your brother has a rivalry with him? What if the concealing spell breaks?” The succubus crosses her arms. “If we do nothing, we will know nothing about what the enemy is doing.”
Helyn hugs herself. “And what is the riskier option?”
“Well, if investigators are involved… they are looking for witnesses. And we have got one.” The succubus points at the teenager.
“Me?! You want me to testify?!”
“Precisely! Of course, being a witness of some kind will put you on the radar of this investigation, which is why it is riskier. But if you play your cards right – and I am immensely certain you can – why would they suspect you?”
“… what do you mean?”
“Well, you do not even have to lie, really. You are the victim of an injustice yourself!” she says, fakely shocked. “Your brother disappeared more than a year ago, and the whole thing has been swept under the rug! The bruisers of Ratchet knew that, whatever happened to him, whether it was because he was with the Alliance, or because he was a warlock, it was not a good look for the city. And not a good look for a city is not good for its business.”
Helyn keeps silent, thinking about this.
“Your poor brother was kidnapped, and no one was there to help you. No one except…” The demon struts behind Sandy, kneel behind him, holding him by his bloodied shoulders. “Except the ever-so-kind-and-helpful Gausanders Spellbond. He decided to help! Running in the same circles as your brother, he was perfect for this, and you were oh-so grateful for his help!” The succubus gets up, turning around her prisoner. “And well, if you look secretly into someone’s disappearance… you’re taking risks. The risk of meeting unsavory characters, or of being at the wrong place at the wrong time. And sadly, it appears the same fate has befallen him as it has befallen your brother.” She leans to stand face to face with Sandy, a smile on her lips. “Which fate it is is still to be determined, hm?”
“So you think…” Helyn pauses, trying to put the pieces of the plan together in her mind, fidgeting with her fingers. “I should say he probably disappeared… because he was looking into my brother’s disappearance, the disappearance he’s the cause of? And risk having the investigators look into me too?! This is insane!”
“Well, with…” the succubus frowns sadly and shakes her head slightly in confusion. Her wings drop sadly. “With both Carden an—and Sandy gone you’ve lost… two people you hold dear.” She laughs, covering her mouth with her hand, and her wings flap happily again. “Even if they look into you, there is a possibility they will look into your brother’s disappearance too, and your hands are perfectly clean on this one? Why would they suspect you of the second related disappearance, then? Why would they suspect such an angelic-looking girl, looking desperately for her brother, like you?” The demon shrugs. “I did say it was the riskier option, but at least that is the one where we are the most in control. They might keep you up to date on the situation too. It all depends on your acting ability, and I have faith that you can handle this. You are exceptional. Better any of the masters I have had in every way.” Her face becomes very serious, finally dropping the smile or the fake sadness. She speaks slowly, with gravitas. “It all depends on how much risk you are willing to take for your brother’s sake.”
Helyn pauses, taking a deep breath. Now not focusing on their plan, the two finally notice Sandy whispering something, Helyn slowly takes a few steps forward trying to listen in on what he’s saying. As she does, he keeps muttering, his eyes on the ceiling, ignoring her presence.
“… please forgive me for what I have done, I beg that you send me a sign that this wil…”
“Ah, yes. That is his new hobby. He has started praying to the Light for forgiveness, and asking it for protection,” the succubus chuckles. “A warlock, praying to the Light for his life. Have you ever seen such a desperate cause?”
“Praying the Light… for forgiveness?” Helyn asks, her blood boiling, anger slowly raising through her body, shaking with hatred for Sandy. She brusquely takes the whip from the succubus’s belt. “I should be the one you ask for forgiveness! My brother should be the one you ask for forgiveness!” She kicks him in the chest with all her strength, the chain tightening and his shoulders cracking as he’s pushed too far backward. He groans in pain but still returns to his prayers, tears falling down his face. She unwraps the whip, her jaw clenched and her eyes full of tears and hatred. She breathes shakily as her whole body trembles. “Now… You’re going to tell me… what you did to Carden…”
The succubus blinks slowly, her wings flapping.