Tales of Astaria chapter 24: True characters and unlikely allies!

Everything was dark as Lucian floated through the abyss of unconsciousness. His senses were also blackened and dull as he felt nothing but the soothing sensation of weightlessness.

"Wake up, little hero." A voice said in the distance.

Lucian couldn't see where it had come from. In fact, he couldn't see anything at all.

"I said wake up!" The voice shouted again, this time the demon lords face appearing before Lucian's eyes.

"Argh!" He screamed as he suddenly shot upright.

Lucian took a deep breath and took in his surroundings, trying to get his bearings.

"Where am I?" He asked as he slowly looked around.

Lucian could see he was locked behind metal bars in a prison cell and quickly noticed that his hands and feet had been bound by shackles.

"What's going on? What happened?" He said as he tried to remember.

"Ah, you're awake." A familiar voice said from the shadows.

Lucian recognized the voice and thanks to his night vision, didn't have to wait for them to step out of the shadows.

"Gilly..." He said, not understanding what was going on.

"What's going on, Gilly?" He asked as the memory started to return.

"Where is Hestia? Why did Colin attack me?" Lucian said, asking more and more questions.

"Now, now lad," Gilly said as he raised his hand.

"It would appear you are in a bit of a bind." He then said as he pulled up a chair to sit on as he spoke.

Lucian put all of the pieces together as his anger boiled.

"You did this?" He said as he stood to his feet.

"Now, what did I just say. Sit down before you hurt yourself, boy." Gilly said.

Lucian sudden charged at the steel bars in an attempted to break free and attack Gilly. However, a sudden pain ignited in the pit of his stomach that dropped him to his knees.

"Ah, ah, ah," Gilly said as he waved a small device he had in his hand.

"I wouldn't try that again if I was you."

Lucian felt the burning sensation in his stomach give way as Gilly released his thumb on the remote he was holding.

"What do you think, eh? That's a magical seal I've placed on you there, lad. All I have to do is press this button and poof. Instant pain." Gilly said with a sinister grin.

"Why are you doing this?" Lucian asked after catching his breath.

"Why, you ask?" Gilly said as he leaned forwards with an all to toothy smile.

"Im a rare monster collector, Nobody in all of Astaria can boost such a collection as mine!" He said as he raised his arms into the air.

"So you kidnapped Hestia and killed Ron!" Lucian shouted.

Gilly hit the button on his remote, triggering Lucian to drop in pain.

"Nobody will stand in the way of something I want, especially for a creature as rare as your little Hobgoblin." He said as he stood to his feet.

Lucian bit through the pain and looked Gilly in his eye as he spoke.

"What do you plan to do with me?" He asked.

"Oh, I have something special planned for you, boy. Something very special." He said as he pressed the button once again, this time not letting go until Lucian passed out from the pain.

Lucian once again found himself floating in the dark abyss of his unconscious, although, this time he was not alone.

"Foolish boy..." Satan, the destroyer of world's said as he slowly walked over to Lucian, snatching him out of the void.

"So, you have finally come to pay me a visit," Satan said as he licked his lips.

Lucian took in every detailed feature, just as he had done the first time he laid eyes upon the monster.

"Let go of me!" Lucian shouted as he suddenly pulled himself free from the demon's grasp.

Lucian dropped to the floor and quickly got up to his feet, taking a ready stance.

"So the little hero has grown some sass," Satan said with a smirk.

Lucian wasn't sure what was going on and took a look around.

"Where am I?" He asked as he looked through the darkness.

"This is my realm, little hero. This is where I exist inside of you."

Lucian gave the demon a funny look as he tried to put the pieces together.

"So you're saying this is inside my head?" He asked.

"You really are a foolish child." The demon said as he snapped his fingers changing the scenery.

Lucian was suddenly whisked away from the darkness and into what seemed like a comfortable little cottage.

He took a good look around to see he was sat in a chair next to a open fire.

"What in the..." He thought.

"There are a few things we need to go over before you wake up boy." Satan's voice said from across Lucian.

Satan had also shrunk in size so that he no longer towered over Lucian.

"What do you want from me?" Lucian asked, getting more and more pissed off.

"Settle down boy. I should be the one who is angry here. After all, I'm the one who is trapped in a worthless runt like you." He said sipping on a cup of tea.

Lucian was extremely surprised now.

"But, I guess there is nothing I can do about that for now. Besides our time is up." Satan said.

Lucian had so many questions now, but his vision was becoming blurred and before he knew it he was awake and back in the real world. Well, if one could call it that.

"Awake already?" Another familiar voice said.

Lucian took a look around to see that he was still in the same cell. Only this time the person sat outside was Colin, the one who had kidnapped Hestia.

"You..." Lucian said as he charged at the metal bars.

"I dont think so," Colin said as he pressed the button, jolting Lucian full of pain, dropping him to the ground.

"I dont think so," Colin said with a surprisingly straight face.

"You see, Lucian... Gilly has asked me not to kill you. Surprising really." He said as he tossed the remote into the air before catching it.

"No, he wants to use you in the pits. Not that you will survive long there." He said as he slowly pulled a knife from his hip.

"If it was up to me, I would just kill you know," Colin said as he pointed the blade at Lucian.

"But, I guess it will be more interesting to watch you fight your way out of the pits. Who knows, maybe you'll survive." He then said as he re-sheaved his dagger and left.

Lucian watched as Colin left and haded the remote to one of the guards who were on duty, apparently keeping an eye on him and any others down here in this prison.

The guard walked over to Lucian as Colin left.

"Dont you try any funny business." He said as he walked away swinging the remote around so Lucian could see it.

"Damn it..." Lucian thought as he took a good look around.

"How the hell am I supposed to get out of this." He thought.

He still had lots of question about what was going on, including what had been going on in his own mind.

But that would have to wait. Getting out of this prison and saving Hestia came first. If he could find a way out that was.

"Hey, you." A voice said, coming from the cell next to him.

Lucian could see a tiny gap in the bricks and stone that formed the walls. Peeking through Lucian got a good look at who was calling out to him.

"Hey, you." The man said again.

Lucian took a peek through the crack and could see it was the man whose leg Hestia had broken. He seemed to have also been captured, but his leg seemed better.

"Hornby?" Lucian said surprised that it was him.

"That's right." The man said quietly as he made sure the guards couldn't hear him.

"Look I know you wanted to kill me for what Kain did to your friend, but I had nothing to do with that. Please you gotta use your power and get us out of here, I cant go to the pits." He said.

"But I killed all of your friends," Lucian said with a questioning look.

"Why would you want me to help you?"

"First they weren't my friends, and second your my best shot of getting out of here.

Lucian took a look at the guards and how far they were. He was pretty sure he could bust out of this prison with his strength, but without a way to get close to them before they used the magic device, he would drop from the pain before he could do anything.

"It's no use," Lucian said.

"I can't get close enough to them before they use that device," Lucian said.

Hornby took a good look and agreed.

"Can't you use any magic?" He asked.

"No... I don't know how." Lucian said.

"Well, how about this... I teach you to use magic, and you get us both out of here before we get killed in the pits!"