Chapter 3 - Training

This is a pretty bad room to be in.

The walls appear to have been stone grey at one point, but they're red now. Evidently, I am not the first to come here. I just hope I am the last to come here, this is... bad.

Hooks dangle from the ceiling, and chains snake across the wall like metallic vines of pain. Various devices are strewn about the room, all of them stained with the blood and the essence of my forebears. Narrow bars let some light in through the walls near the ceiling, casting an eerie glow onto the various machines littering the room. Much like a flame on a body, something already dark and twisted becomes even worse, like something out of a nightmare that rose from the depths of a demented mind.

"Go on! We're starting now."

Oh flames.

"Ehrm, starting what, exactly? A feast? "cause I sure am hungry..."

"Training! Now for lesson one: no talking. You are a worthless mutt, and no one wants to hear you."

"Zztzz augh!"

The electricity! It's like a fire raging through me, tearing me inside out! Wrenching my innards and interrupting the once steady beat of my heart. Whether it stops it has yet to be seen.

"Mutts, do not talk. Clear?"

"Ye-zztzz augh!"

It races through my body, burning nerve endings like trees in a blaze. I'm pretty sure I won't feel much physical pain after this. As long as my heart beats, though, the rest will still be there. Would it be too much to ask for the shock to permanently stop my heart? With my nerve endings gone, I have no outlet, no way to cope with life. Of course, it might not be permanent, but all the same, a break from everything would be nice. A permanent break.

"Clear?"

I really hate this guy. This isn't the main reason, it's way, way, way down the list.

But I suppose I shouldn't tell him that. Or anything, for that matter.

"Good. Now, let's head farther in, shall we?"

I'd rather not, but something tells me I don't have a choice. Otherwise, I might catch fire from all this electrocution, and in more than a metaphorical sense. I thought only mad scientists used electricity.

"Get on that wheel."

I think I may have lucked out. I can't see it that well yet, but... oh. Flames.

"As you can clearly see, you will be placed on the wheel. It will begin to rotate, and you will have to keep up with it, or you will fall onto the spikes. Apparently, it's painful. However, I'll let you see for yourself, if you want. Or even if you don't. Now, get on."

Oh, I'm going to regret this...

This wood feels slippery. Wait, is that red? No no no! Why is there blood on this thing?! The spikes are below! Shouldn't the blood be there?

"Alright, starting the wheel."

Alright, this isn't too bad. Fairly slow: I can handle this. Unless it speeds up.

Like that. Flames.

Why is this thing so fast?! I hope I don't have to keep this up for long, I'm almost going as fast as a motorbike on a freeway!

"Now, while you do that, let me explain a few things. One: you will be paired with an Etiord, and will have training with them. I am in need of a new mutt, as the last few I had appear to have died. Absolutely pathetic. Let's hope you at least last long enough to be worth it."

Things just keep getting worse and worse, don't they? And faster... yeah, this is definitely getting faster over time.

"Two: apparently, your name is Eniepe. Here, however, you will be addressed as mutt. You are here to be reborn into a creature of good, and are nothing more than a mutt right now."

I'm going to hate this. I mean, that term is just really offending. So is being associated with this cult, though. At least he hasn't forced me to do anything particularly demeaning yet.

"Three: you will be tasked with-"

No! I'm slipping! Why is there so much blood on this thing? And why is it fresh?!

"Yip!"

Oh, those spikes really hurt. That one went clear through my back right leg. Not my first time being impaled, and certainly not last, but I swear; I am never getting used to that. The feeling of something cold and foreign painfully sliding through something that has never seen the light of day is... unnatural, at best. I may not have nerve endings, but I still have nerves. Flames, that hurt like heck!

Ugh. Need to get up off of my right side. I just need t- oh flames! That's a lot of blood. Maybe he'll let me rest and recover? Hah. At best he'll give me a little salt.

"Just because you get hurt you think you can stop? You really are weak. You should have gotten right back up and onto the wheel. No, no, it's too late for that, come down."

Does he want me on or off? He is so confusing. Get up! No, stay down! Make up your mind!

I feel a little woozy, especially after moving to get up. Then back down.

"Go to the center ring, and stand with your paws in the circle, Mutt."

Oh flames! It feels weird sliding out too! At least I didn't get the salt. Just more blood loss. Woohoo.

Now to get to the center on 3 injured legs, and 1 busted leg. Oh flames, this is painful. I suppose I deserve it, though; I never seem to do the right thing.

Alright, I'm in the circle, and woah! Alright, some cuffs just slid around my paws from the floor, which has rotated upside down. I appear to be in a space under the training room. Well, torture room is more accurate. All this blood flow to the head, and out of my side and legs, is going to start hurting pretty soon... yep. There it is. That hurts. I can almost hear voices, too, and, wait, no... There actually are voices!

"The new mutt? Yeah, I put him under. Fell off the wheel and thought he could stop. Idiot."

Well, that's definitely Him. He's definitely talking about me, but who's he talking to?

"You really take training them too far sometimes. Maybe you should pass him off to me, and-"

"NO! I will finish what I started, the dark within him must be purged."

"OK, OK. I get it. Calm down. I just think a more peaceful approach is better. It worked with mine."

"See! You don't need another!"

"Neither do you, if you're just going to get it killed!"

"You've gone soft on the beasts. We'll discuss this later. Now, GO! Before I decide to take disciplinary action on you!"

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir."

Are those... footsteps?

No! Don't leave me! Help me... please. I know I don't deserve help, or even life, but I'm all alone. Stranded, with Him.

"I'll be back in a while, mutt. We'll begin your next lesson then. Until then, get comfy. You'll be in a world of pain tomorrow, but don't worry. We'll get the Darkness out of you."

Tomorrow?! This is painful enough right now!

Well, I have some time to myself in a room that hopefully muffles sound. Might as well have some fun.

"I'm trapped in this cage

Stuck with this rage

Never run free

Feel mountain bree(ze)

Under the stone!

Feeling alone!

Never gon see

What I want to be

'Cause I'm alone

Completely unknown

Cryin' out...

Full of doubt

I've made mistakes

More than I can count

And I don't know

What I'm suppossed to say!

'Cause I'm alone

Completely unknown

Cryin' out and

Full of doubt

So many what-ifs

So many mistakes

So many reasons

I have to die"

Alright, next verse. This feels really good, and- wait, is that someone else?

"But even when you're alone

You never, truly, are.

All those you've known

Are there, inside, your heart"

It is! I'm not alone! I can't see them, but I can hear them!

"Under the stone!

Feeling alone!

Never gon see

What I want to be

'Cause I'm alone

Completely unknown

Cryin' out...

Full of doubt"

Alright, let's hear them solo again.

"Don't lose hope!

A bloodless Sun

Will come to light your day

Hope will return

If you let it

It'll stay with you forever

Hope or fear

If you let it

So hang on tight!

Everything's...

gonna be alright

Just have hope"

Let's finish strong. End today on a good note. I really hope I found someone that I can talk to, someone that I can be friends with.

"Under the stone!

Feeling alone!

Never gon' see

What I want to be

'Cause I'm alone

Completely unknown

Cryin' out...

Full of doubt

At least I was

Full of doubt

Crin' out

Alone

But now I have hope

And it, can never, leave me...

And with hope

I can find a better day...

'Cause with hope

The troubles of today

Are today's

And tomorrow is, another day..."

Aw man, that was fun. Maybe they are up for a conversation? Only one way to find out.

Ahh! Where is that light coming from? It looks like it's over by where the voice was coming from, and... is that Dad?! It is!

"No singing! You know what, you've been nothing but disobedient for the past 10 years! Enough, is enough!"

With a sickening squelch, I hear, more than see, a sword slide into his abdomen and pierce his heart, and the light fade from his eyes. Just as fast, the sword withdraws to its wielder aboveground. Leaving me with a lifeless companion.

No. I just... I just... got you back... no... Don't leave me... again...