Chapter 34: A Twist of Fate

Chapter 34: A Twist of Fate

"Now I'm about to make the two of you suffer to the point of breaking your minds, then have you fixed up and do it over and over, using your screams to lull me to sleep. Any last words?" the red being sneered, a malicious smirk dancing on his lips as he loomed over Alice and John.

"Parley!" Alice suddenly shouted at him, a note of desperation in her voice. The red being furrowed his brow, utterly perplexed. "It means you must take us to your captain as per the rules! See? I can also have good ideas," she continued with a wide smile, almost prideful in her attempt to outwit their captor. If John could have, he would have facepalmed at this moment.

"What are you even going on about? Is this 'Parley' word supposed to be some kind of magic or something?" the red being scoffed, his annoyance growing.

"Take us to your leader! Oh, come on! Something's got to work. Are we supposed to wait for John to suddenly get a massive power boost or awaken some kind of hidden power to beat the crap out of you? Or is someone going to suddenly burst in and save us?" Alice's voice wavered with a faint hint of worry as she forced herself to stand and approached John.

"Come on now! Any time now would be good. It would be helpful to save us with some kind of BS boost or item or anything!" Alice implored John, her voice carrying a mix of frustration and concern.

"Sorry to burst your bubble, but that's not happening. He's fast, and his hits really pack a punch. Not to mention those canes are deadly if they even touch us. I'm also out of knives and only have the dagger and scythe left. I really don't want to risk them or the chains. And yeah, I know this is where I should probably say we should run and grow stronger, but his position in this world means he could easily find us, unlike some lucky main character in a novel. And who would even come to save us? That weird old man? My brother? We're up a creek without a paddle right now, Alice, but I do have an idea, something I've read in apocalypse and system novels," John explained, grunting as he forced himself up and faced the red being.

"Amusing, I must say I'm glad you understand the situation. It would be amusing, though, to see if someone did come through. And you are right, your hairless monkey. I'd easily track you down no matter where you go. But please, go ahead and try your seemingly clever idea you got from works of fiction. It will no doubt be the last thing you get to do before I begin the torture. Consider it a final act of mercy," the red being taunted, his condescension dripping with every word.

"Hey, they are, or rather were, entertaining. And who's to say they aren't glimpses into different worlds? Gods and demons know our dreams tend to be glimpses into the various realms and realities that exist alongside our own. But I'm not going to debate this with you, as it would waste time and be pointless. Rather, I want to ask how you think you will get away with this," John challenged, his voice starting calm but growing louder and somewhat manic.

"Even if a god or two complained, I doubt you lot would be worth wasted time. Only one really high up would even be listened to, and it would take time for action to happen, at which point I would have already brushed it under the rug like many others do. And the whole 'behind you' thing is so stupid. Do I look like an idiot who would fall for that?" the red being snarled, ripping the chain and pulling John toward him. He then wrapped it around John's throat and slowly began to hang him with it, a cruel smile on his face.

"Oh? Is that so?" A deep, baritone voice suddenly spoke from behind the red being, causing him to drop John, who sputtered and rubbed his throat after landing on the ground.

Slowly, the red being began to shake, sweat forming on his brow as he turned around, only to be grabbed by the throat and lifted off the ground. "Boss!" he croaked out before the pressure on his throat increased.

"Now you remember who's in charge," the Jester said, his grip tightening as his eyes glowed with fury. "You all are coming with me. And you, I did not think you would once again cause trouble for me, yet only a few days later, I'm forced once more to where you are. Do you not think I have far better things to do?" the Jester complained to John, his annoyance mixed with a hint of amusement.

"Good to see you two. But what can I say? I really missed you and really wanted to see you again. Glad you're here, though," John chuckled, grateful for their unexpected savior.

"It was more luck than anything. The complaints came in droves, all pushed from a rather annoying individual. But enough of that. Pick up the girl and follow me," the Jester ordered, dropping the red being and grabbing him by the leg. With his other hand, he produced a key, which he used to open a door floating in the air in front of them.

"Don't make me wait. I have no patience right now, as I had just finished my paperwork, and instead of getting to rest, I had to come sort out this mess," the Jester grumbled, proceeding to walk through the door he'd created, dragging the red being along, who clawed at the ground but couldn't resist.