บท 41: Chapter 40. What the Stars Say (Part 2) End of Volume 1
Few people know, but a dungeon was built in the dungeon of the northern castle. Since it had not been used for a long time, many people had forgotten it existed. This part of the castle was abandoned for decades.
But recently, for the first time in a long time, there was a prisoner here.
In the farthest cell, a muffled voice could be heard from time to time:
— Oh, heavenly luminaries. I pray you, save me.
Inside the cell was very dark and damp. There was not a single window. The old man reached for the only source of light — a torch on the wall outside — and prayed fervently:
— As you know, I have dedicated my whole life to you. I will give you the rest of my life. Please take care of me.
Benedict Samuel clutched at the cold iron bars like a bird eager to leave its cage. But she didn't stand a chance.
It was impossible to recognize in the current keeper of the Central Astrological Tower any of what was in him before. There was no trace of his noble statue.
The dignitary's hair was disheveled. His rosary beads were torn and scattered about the prison cell. His majestic robe had fallen into disrepair and now looked more like junk. Now the right hand of the Supreme Astrologer was no different from a common street vagrant.
Yet there was hope in his soul.
— I'm sure I'll be of use to you yet! O stars, give me at least one chance! — Having finished his sincere plea to the cosmic forces, the man folded his hands into palms and rubbed them.
He slowly opened his eyes.
The gray pupils stared disdainfully at the prison cell, which didn't even have a bed for sleeping or any human comforts. He had been living here like an animal for quite some time.
— I will remember this,» the old man gritted his teeth, «when His Eminence releases me from here, the ugly men who imprisoned me will not live a quiet life,» Benedict Samuel closed his eyes and dreamed of the terrible revenge that would befall his captors.
He did not give up hope that he would still be able to return. Surely right now Halias Dehsin was looking for him with all his men. There wasn't much time left to be patient.
At that moment, footsteps were heard in the ringing silence of the dungeon.
A footstep. Stomp.
Someone was coming down the stairs.
The old man tensed and opened his eyes. Without looking away, he watched as someone's figure slowly approached his cell. The light from the torches cast a small shadow on the walls. It was clearly a child. The Guardian swallowed quietly.
— Is that you again? — he hissed contemptuously: — What do you want?
Ever since he had been in this prison, he had been visited periodically by this little girl. He didn't know what kind of child it was. She didn't do anything to him and just watched from the sidelines. She seemed to be interested in watching him, like caged game.
Today she came again. Judging from the fact that it was very quiet upstairs, the old man guessed that it was nighttime. The girl probably always came down here at a very late hour of the day so that no one would notice her absence.
At any rate, Samuel wasn't too interested in who this child was or why she came here. But the fact that she was connected to those who had kidnapped him was more than obvious. It was infuriating to him. The Guardian looked at her and angrily ordered:
— Hey you! Bring me some food.
«…»
The golden pupils watched him with mild interest. The girl remained silent for a while.
— Are you hungry? — She suddenly asked.
The old man was a little surprised.
The only visitor to the cold dungeon had spoken to him for the first time. Her calm tone, inappropriate for such a place, sent shivers down the old man's spine. But he quickly oriented himself and arrogantly dropped it:
— Since I got here, I haven't been brought even a crumb of bread. Do you think I'm hungry!
The girl slowly opened her mouth.
— I see,' she replied without much emotion.
— Understandable? — The senior astrologer was terribly angry: «What can you understand, you little brat?! These assholes will pay for bringing me here. I'm giving you a chance to win my favor while you have the chance. Otherwise, His Eminence will not spare you.
Even in such a critical situation, Benedict Samuel did not lose his pride as a respected dignitary of the order. He hurled a barrage of insults at the girl. But she didn't even raise an eyebrow, looking at him with the same expression.
— Ah… I see.
Her equally indifferent reaction to everything made the old man's eye twitch.
— So you're going to do something about it! — The guardian couldn't take it anymore.
— Well… The grate is too narrow for me to let you eat,» the girl said thoughtfully, «We need to open the door first.
— Did you bring anything?! — The tower keeper asked briskly.
The girl nodded.
— Yes,» she replied, «I think you'll like it.
She unlocked the door with the key she had. The old man was a little surprised at first, but then quickly lost interest as he had more important things to worry about.
— Well? What did you bring? Give it to me! I'm hungry! — he demanded.
— …Now.
The girl slowly approached him. Even through the semi-darkness of the cell, you could see that her golden eyes were filled with a strange glint. Samuel felt strange and shivered, but tried to ignore it. After all, it was only a child. What could possibly happen?
Besides, he was finally distracted from these thoughts by the odor that wafted through the prison cell the next moment.
The little visitor took out and unwrapped the package, which contained a piece of meat. It was well cooked and smelled appetizing. The old man's eyes glistened greedily at the mere sight of it. Swallowing saliva, he snatched the piece from the girl's hands and immediately pounced on it.
Sitting in the corner of the dark cell, the astrologer gnawed on the meat like a ravenous beast. The girl watched him silently. After a while she asked:
— Is it good?
The old man did not answer as he was too absorbed in his food.
Then the girl slightly opened her mouth as if laughing and shook her head:
— It seems that your daughter's meat is indeed very tasty.
«…»
After these words from the girl, the tower keeper dropped the meat from his hands.
— What… What… What did you say?
— You asked me to bring you food,» she shrugged her shoulders, «Actually, I wanted to make a kebab first. But human meat was too tough for that. With your teeth, you'd have a hard time chewing it. So I had them just grill it as usual. I hope you're not offended by this humble meal.
Benedict Samuel stared at the child who had just said that. Her tone was frighteningly indifferent. It was as if it was really only about some roasted beast. The eyes looking down at the old man from above were abnormal, and he trembled.
The old man couldn't believe it. He sat on the cold floor, shivering and shackled around his neck, covered in sweat and terrified.
His only daughter, Sevia, lived in the center of the capital in a well-guarded estate. They had seen each other only recently, shortly before Samuel had traveled to the Imperial Palace to accompany the head of the Order to the council. The woman was alive and well. It couldn't have been her.
— You… You're lying!!! How dare you say such vile things to me, you lowlife!!!
The tower guardian turned pale, and the finger he was pointing at her trembled.
— I don't think I was wrong,» the girl shook her head, «But if in doubt, you can verify for yourself. Since it was your daughter, of course, I tried to be respectful and keep the remains in pristine condition. So you should recognize them.
«…»
After listening to her, the old man gingerly eyed the piece of meat he had tossed aside. Since he was very weak, it was difficult for him to walk. The old man crawled on his knees, shifting his hands and feet on all fours like a wild animal. He was trying to overcome his fear.
All this time the girl was watching him.
With trembling hands the old man dared to pick up the meat he had just tasted and after a short search he found an earring in the scraps of fried flesh. The astrologer himself had given these earrings to his daughter on her last birthday. And he himself had just almost swallowed them.
— Aaah!
Benedict Samuel squealed and recoiled backwards. He grabbed himself by the hair and began to pull it out mercilessly. He immediately began to vomit. The man seemed to be rapidly losing his mind.
— No! It wasn't her! I couldn't… I couldn't do it! — he continued to scream like a madman.
The guardian of the Central Astrological Tower was like a cornered doe. Terror gripped his entire being and he could no longer resist it. It seemed that the old man was alone in a terrible nightmare.
The girl was still looking at him. The astrologer rolled around on the floor, scratching and tearing at his hair. At one point he went into a hysterical fit and started laughing.
— Ha ha ha!
For a while she was amused by the spectacle, but then she quickly lost interest. Her thin lips stretched, but her eyes still emitted only darkness hopelessly lodged in her bones.
— Are you full?
The girl walked over to the old man, who was lying on the dusty ground laughing. He had clearly lost his mind by now. She was a little disappointed that it had happened so quickly.
She squatted down, ending up next to him. Her lips curved into a semblance of a smile.
At that moment, the expression on the keeper's face suddenly cleared. It was as if he had come to his senses for a moment. A grimace of horror contorted his face.
— You… You're a monster. A real monster…» he mumbled desperately, half unconscious.
Asil couldn't stand it and laughed.
— I'm only interested in one thing right now. Tell me. What are your stars telling you now? — She asked in a whisper.
«…»
— Did they say anything to you?
«…»
— Apparently not.
Asil Nara Asheloth grinned as she looked at the frozen despair in his eyes.
This was the end for him. And it seemed the old man was well aware of that. Left alone in the cage with the monster, it was useless to call for help.
He didn't have time to make a sound. Asil grabbed him mercilessly by the upper and lower jaws and began to tear them open. Bones and ligaments cracked at the seams. The old man's skull appeared to be split in two. It was a completely inhuman way of killing. Crimson blood gushed over the girl.
The frantic screams that came from the cell for the first few moments soon subsided. But even without that, no one would have heard them. After a brief pause, there was a slurping and crunching of flesh in the cell.
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