Deeper still

Kyrexiel stiffened. Things have gone wrong. So wrong he did not even know how to untangle it.

To think the Scuridae would be betrayed. The clan that he thought would be his ticket to the palace and uncover Elder Cormac's schemes.

The assassin leader shrugged. "Do as you wish. My master said you will receive your payment in kind. That it's beneficial to him even."

Then they left, just like they did when they came.

Orso was laughing again, his dark eyes shining with victory. "Slowly but surely, it'll all be mine. Just a step at a time."

"Why?" A dull voice asked. "Why do you do all this? We had an agreement!"

Orso looked at Urlk with something like mild pity. "It's only a business. Your clan is a ticket for me to reach the palace. Even if it is only once. Do you know what that can do for me? My life will change!"

Kyrexiel's head snapped up. 'Did he just say reach the palace? Or is it after the palace too? Why? How does the Iridessa and Cormac fit into all this?'

"Not only will my connections strengthen. I will get my hands on more of the crumbs." Orso stopped talking and looked at Kyrexiel. "But first, I have to make myself some stepping stones."

Kyrexiel began to understand what he meant then when Orso ordered his people to take them away. Urlk resisted at first but after a slap that knocked him down twice, he followed with a glare. His two remaining clan members made no fuss.

Kyrexiel didn't either, there was no reason to and he didn't want to risk getting injured and showing blood. They led them through a door and into a hallway that forced them to walk single file with them in the middle of the Ometra.

Then the hallway descended even deeper underground as the smooth stone floor turned to stairs. He didn't know where they were going but he knew it won't be somewhere he wanted to be.

There was only silence and the shuffling of feet of the Scuridae clan members. Urlk was glaring at everything, his eyes were hot with the promise of vengeance.

Kyrexiel made sure to give him space as he tried to work out his thoughts and emotions, and most importantly though, he wanted to figure out his next plan.

"Walk faster." One of the Ometra grunted.

And they did, no one wanted to risk being slapped and before they knew it they had reached the end of the hallway where a massive stone door was guarded by two Ometra armed with weapons.

When Kyrexiel and the rest entered the chamber, the first thing that hit him was the smell. It reeks of bitter sweat and pain. The whole air in the room was heavy with sadness that rested above the heart.

And then that of accumulated shit and piss hit him and he tried his best to not flinch and cover his nose. The room was big and was cut into several small prison spaces with iron bars.

It lined the walls, both upward and down.

'No' Kyrexiel took several steps back and smacked into an Ometra who grinned down at him. "Welcome to your new life!"

Eyes stared at them from the darkness of the prisons, dead eyes that were full of hunger. And it's not only Rashakas that was in the cells. There are beasts, wild flesh-eating beasts that snared and growled.

"What do you mean," Kyrexiel whispered.

"What he meant," A voice said and when he looked he saw Orso striding in front of the cells that contained beasts, he carried a big bucket in his left hand and then he dipped his hand into it and fed them with the flesh in it. "Is that you are now my slave and this is your new home."

Kyrexiel's shuddered and looked away. 'Is that the leg of yellow spots'

"A slave. You can dream on you worthless shit!" Urlk shouted. His voice was loud and when it dropped, some of the slaves in the cell cowered and flinched at his boldness.

They also leaned forward to see how Orso would react.

Urlk seems to realize what he just did as everything, including the air in the room, froze. But then he squared his shoulder and continued. "I'd rather die than become a slave to a betrayal like you! I'll kill you!" He was breathing hard now.

Orso sighed, he dropped the bucket and turned back. He wasn't smiling. "You won't die. Not until you make me some money. Do you think it's easy to keep slaves?"

He walked towards them, his eyes pinning them down. He gestured and one of his men around them slapped Urlk behind his head, sending him face down into the ground.

Then it was followed by a kick in the gut that sent all the air in his lungs out. And then more kicks until Urlk was curled into himself and coughing blood.

Orso looked at him flatly. "It'll be far better to know your place. That will save us a lot of time. Be like Reaper blood here."

Kyrexiel avoids looking at the bear giant. It wasn't like he knew his plastic or anything. The only thing keeping him standing was the thought that he might do something he'd regret if he should so much as blink too much.

And he also knew that there was nothing he could do now.

Orso moved closer to Kyrexiel and his hand gripped his chin tightly and then jerked his head up. "You look frail as if you will break but you are tough aren't you? The audience with like that. Something weak that'll put up a fight."

He released him and Kyrexiel sucked in a deep breath because he stopped breathing when his chin was gripped that tight. Orso was still in his face. "But you're still too weak. We'll have to raise your tier. A gamble."

Then Orso stepped away. "But those," he pointed to the two other clan members of the Scuridae. "Are worthless."