the flesh, it will be beautiful! Eat the flesh, and you shall be strong, stronger than–” His voice wavered and broke off as Juzo woke and fought against his tethers. Mar turned in his direction, mouth lined with blood.
“Ah, you are awake, sweet flesh,” he said, striding to Juzo. Upon closer inspection, in addition to blood, Mar’s lips and cheeks were smeared with bits of green leaves and the distinctive pale yellow star-shaped flowers of Fang Cress. Walter could finally identify what Mar was wearing. It was the flayed skin of Chuck, worn like a cloak about his shoulders. Walter widened his eyes and spat, fending off the urge to vomit.
“Leave him alone!” Walter growled, wiping spittle from his lips.
“Oh, shall we have you first?” Mar asked, looking to the sky. “No, no, this one’s the first, yes, they said this one’s the sweetest. Are you the sweetest?” He shuffled toward Juzo, wearing a beaming smile.
“Oh yes, I most certainly am the sweetest – just go ahead and release these ropes, and I’m all yours,” Juzo replied. He tested the rope again, flexing with all his strength. Walter prayed to the Phoenix that this gambit would work.
“Yes, you are all mine! Mine! Mine! I don’t have to share you at all now!” Mar squealed in delight, dropping his butcher’s knife. He reached for Juzo’s trousers and started working them off his hips, exposing his smallclothes.
“What are you doing! No! Stop! I’ll do anything, Mar! Please!” begged Juzo, his voice cracking and losing depth. Mar paused and greedily rubbed his hands in anticipation once Juzo’s trousers were at his knees. Mar seemed to enjoy watching him squirm, inhaling as Juzo petitioned for him to forgo what was to come next. “Very nice, yes, very,” Mar whispered.
Walter violently rattled his cage, and then started kicking the door as hard as he could, each stomp on the iron cage echoing through the camp clearing.
“You’re making a mistake, Mar! Don’t do this!” Walter yelled. Juzo’s eyes flitted to his, imploring aid. Hoof beats in the distance mixed with the clang of interlocking armor plates. An army! We’ll be saved! Is it the Midgaard Falcon? Are they going to Breden to fight the Cerumal? Walter thought. A far-flung and all-too-familiar roar caused his heart to skip a beat. The Cerumal! By the Dragon, we’re doomed.
Mar begrudgingly pulled his gaze from Juzo’s rear, and turned to the hidden path leading to the Helm’s East Road. “You boys don’t go havin’ too much fun without me!” he shouted, and moved in a way that loosely resembled a pirouette as he walked. Fang Cress certainly had unique effects on different men.
“You have to get to get me out of here,” Juzo whined, wriggling his fingers, trying to find purchase on the rope biting into his skin. “I can’t handle this, anything but this. This can’t happen, please no, by the Dragon, not this!” he said loud enough for Walter to hear, but soft enough that his voice didn’t travel to Mar’s ears. Never allow enemies to detect your fear ,Noah had said. The cookfire crackled and sputtered on Chuck’s severed leg, reaching visceral fat.
“What can I do?” Walter asked, wracking his brain for a solution. He could always solve a puzzle with enough time. He scanned his restricted surroundings, finding nothing of use. “Can you move your body to slide the ropes down or up?”
“Don’t you think I would have tried that? These fucking ropes have me pinned like a Shroomling in a Shiv Fang’s jaws,” Juzo said, and exhaled sharply. He took a deep breath and fiercely grimaced, flexing his sinewy muscles against his bonds in a herculean effort to free himself. The ropes remained intact, silently resisting. Juzo finally exhaled the long-held breath while baring his teeth. He started lightly tapping his forehead against the tree as tears streamed from his eyes. He smashed his head harder, leaving a red dot on the tree’s bark. “When I’m
“Ah, you are awake, sweet flesh,” he said, striding to Juzo. Upon closer inspection, in addition to blood, Mar’s lips and cheeks were smeared with bits of green leaves and the distinctive pale yellow star-shaped flowers of Fang Cress. Walter could finally identify what Mar was wearing. It was the flayed skin of Chuck, worn like a cloak about his shoulders. Walter widened his eyes and spat, fending off the urge to vomit.
“Leave him alone!” Walter growled, wiping spittle from his lips.
“Oh, shall we have you first?” Mar asked, looking to the sky. “No, no, this one’s the first, yes, they said this one’s the sweetest. Are you the sweetest?” He shuffled toward Juzo, wearing a beaming smile.
“Oh yes, I most certainly am the sweetest – just go ahead and release these ropes, and I’m all yours,” Juzo replied. He tested the rope again, flexing with all his strength. Walter prayed to the Phoenix that this gambit would work.
“Yes, you are all mine! Mine! Mine! I don’t have to share you at all now!” Mar squealed in delight, dropping his butcher’s knife. He reached for Juzo’s trousers and started working them off his hips, exposing his smallclothes.
“What are you doing! No! Stop! I’ll do anything, Mar! Please!” begged Juzo, his voice cracking and losing depth. Mar paused and greedily rubbed his hands in anticipation once Juzo’s trousers were at his knees. Mar seemed to enjoy watching him squirm, inhaling as Juzo petitioned for him to forgo what was to come next. “Very nice, yes, very,” Mar whispered.
Walter violently rattled his cage, and then started kicking the door as hard as he could, each stomp on the iron cage echoing through the camp clearing.
“You’re making a mistake, Mar! Don’t do this!” Walter yelled. Juzo’s eyes flitted to his, imploring aid. Hoof beats in the distance mixed with the clang of interlocking armor plates. An army! We’ll be saved! Is it the Midgaard Falcon? Are they going to Breden to fight the Cerumal? Walter thought. A far-flung and all-too-familiar roar caused his heart to skip a beat. The Cerumal! By the Dragon, we’re doomed.
Mar begrudgingly pulled his gaze from Juzo’s rear, and turned to the hidden path leading to the Helm’s East Road. “You boys don’t go havin’ too much fun without me!” he shouted, and moved in a way that loosely resembled a pirouette as he walked. Fang Cress certainly had unique effects on different men.
“You have to get to get me out of here,” Juzo whined, wriggling his fingers, trying to find purchase on the rope biting into his skin. “I can’t handle this, anything but this. This can’t happen, please no, by the Dragon, not this!” he said loud enough for Walter to hear, but soft enough that his voice didn’t travel to Mar’s ears. Never allow enemies to detect your fear ,Noah had said. The cookfire crackled and sputtered on Chuck’s severed leg, reaching visceral fat.
“What can I do?” Walter asked, wracking his brain for a solution. He could always solve a puzzle with enough time. He scanned his restricted surroundings, finding nothing of use. “Can you move your body to slide the ropes down or up?”
“Don’t you think I would have tried that? These fucking ropes have me pinned like a Shroomling in a Shiv Fang’s jaws,” Juzo said, and exhaled sharply. He took a deep breath and fiercely grimaced, flexing his sinewy muscles against his bonds in a herculean effort to free himself. The ropes remained intact, silently resisting. Juzo finally exhaled the long-held breath while baring his teeth. He started lightly tapping his forehead against the tree as tears streamed from his eyes. He smashed his head harder, leaving a red dot on the tree’s bark. “When I’m
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