The 8th Tetrad: Breaking Bond

The Punishment!

Her father awaits them all. He is already aware of what happened to his sister, Aria. As soon as they reach the main gate of the castle, King Horus immediately orders the Medicus to prepare the purification hall and asks Aleem to summon Gaia.

"Father, I want to see Aria's cleansing." Hera sought out his permission.

"No! I do not permit you in her chamber. Quade, bring Princess Hera into the dungeon!" He ordered.

Everyone's puzzled by what the king says. They cannot believe that he's sending his daughter to such an evil place.

"Father! Please don't..." Aarush called their father.

"What?" He bawled.

"Hera did all she could to save Aria, it's not her fault that these hungry vampires attacked them," he tried to reason.

"It wouldn't happen if she didn't take Aria outside the barrier!" he explained furiously.

"But, father! It has also jeopardized her life..." Aarush continued.

Hera then interrupts them, "Enough, Aarush! I shall obey your command, Your Majesty!" Hera bowed her head and nodded to Quade to take her to the prison.

"Hera!" her brother called her name.

Everyone around her weeps. They know the dungeon is a tough place to live. It's a very disgusting place for torture. Before Quade comes for her, Aureum talks.

"Your Majesty, this is your daughter and a princess of your kingdom. She could have made the mistake of taking Princess Aria outside of the barrier, but that was at Princess Aria's request. Please, have a heart!" He pleaded.

After Aureum speaks, Queen Montana shows up. Confused about the commotion, she asked what was going on.

"What is this all about?" The queen inquired.

"Quade, also lead the stranger to the dungeon. Let him join the princess there if he wishes to!" He again ordered her.

Hera can't believe her father would take such a decision. This time, she failed to control herself.

"King Horus, why would you punish an innocent man for having uttered his thoughts?" She protests, "It's not you at all. This is not how you have long run this realm. Be reasonable with your decision and release the guy. I have already accepted my retribution. You don't need to include him here.” She said with conviction.

So she asks Quade to stay away from Aureum. He wants to object, but he stops when he sees how dazzled she is. He agrees and obeys, as she suggests.

"My king, have a heart! Don't do this to your daughter. I am certain that she regrets her actions. She did what she must and she herself even almost lost her life. Please, listen! I'm begging you!" The queen pleaded.

The queen tries to stop King Horus's decision. However, he had already decided and given his firm words.

"Whoever disobeys my order is free to join the princess!" King Horus left everyone in awe.

The royal guards accompany Hera outside the castle, while her brother Aureum and the others have a grudge against the king for his unjust order.

"Wait! My dear, I am so sorry for all this! I will not stop convincing him, so, kindly wait for a while." Queen Montana cried.

"Mother, he will not bend his words. We all know that and he is right. I am taking full responsibility for failing to fulfill my duty, and that is to protect my sister at all costs, and let everybody down, so, please worry not. I have to face the consequences of my failure." Hera kissed her mother before she turned her back.

#

TO THE DUNGEON:

It didn't take long for them to reach the detention area, where she had to change into the low-level clothing of the prisoners. After she wore it, she met Quade one more time.

"Pardon me, Your Highness! I must place this upon you!" Quade cried, then, "Vinculum! " (tie)

Then a magical handcuff attaches to her wrist.

"You have nothing to apologize for because you only followed the king's orders. That's the task you must do, Quade! " Hera tapped him on the shoulder and smiled.

Then they get into the prisoner's carriage, which will lead her to the dungeon. It moves. While she sits quietly inside, her mind wonders what's going to happen to her sister.

"Please be safe, Aria! Forgive me because I cannot protect you!" Tears moistened her cheeks.

On their journey to their destination, she remembers the dungeon was located apart from the castle. It takes some time to reach the place. She had already fallen to sleep on the way to her hold.

"Woohh!" The Royal Guard stopped the horse.

Hera wakes up from the sudden halt. As she looks around, she notices that they have already arrived at the place.

"Here we are, Your Highness!" A royal guard announced.

He opens the carriage and helps her out. Hera can see from a distance that Quade is talking to somebody, and she knows that this could be the beginning of her life in the infamous cave of torture and pain.

"Could he be the keeper of the dungeon?" She wondered.

After a few minutes of discussion, with the guy it seemed intimidating, because he is pretty big and abrupt. He even has a long scar on the left eye that blinded him this way. They're coming right now.

"This is Princess Hera! You take care of her! Do what you have to do, it's the king's orders," Quade instructed him.

"She may be a princess of your kingdom, but here she is, nothing but a mere prisoner. Hahaha!" His laughter was terrifying and crept through her body.

Quade looked at her. He seems worried that he can do nothing to save her or stop this. Hera reads the anxiety drawn through his face, so to help him relax, she makes sure of one thing.

"Quade, you have done nothing wrong to me! I'm going to pull through, so don't worry!” She winked.

"No need to worry?" The dungeon master gave a smug look. "Hahaha! That princess is a big word! Let us see to what extent his valor will bring her! " Added the monstrous-looking dungeon master.

After giving a signal, a couple of goblins appear and catch her. They grab her arms and pull her near the entrance.

"Hey! Be careful!" exclaimed Quade.

They act like they're going to fight with the royal guards, including Quade, but the dungeon master blocks them immediately.

"Sorry, Quade! Now that you have officially entrusted me with this girl, you have no more authority here!" He gave Quade a stern gaze.

After he says this, an invisible wall appears between her and them. This is it! No more turning back!

"Your Highness!" Quade struck the invisible barrier while he cried out her name.

"Quade, go now and never look back!" Hera gave her an order.

"Hahaha!" The monster continued to laugh at their emotional farewell.

#

The goblins pull her, ready to draw her in. For the last time, she takes her last glance at the royal guards, and says nothing, for she had already agreed to her fate. As she enters the dark path of the dungeon, its awful smell greets her, it almost makes her stomach turn upside down. When they all reached a somewhat receiving area, the master stands near his so-called throne.

"Well! Welcome to your new realm, Your Highness! " The master of the dungeon spoke sarcastically.

He even bowed his head, provoking all the goblins to applaud with one accord.

"Ho! Ho! Ho!" they responded in unison.

Hera scans the place. It is lit by torches; the place has nothing but stone walls, the total opposite of luxury and beauty in the palace, but she did not allow them to intimidate her. She watches them all with a straight face. It always pulled courage from her face.

"You are courageous for a nice little girl!" He cut off her face by lowering his face and meeting her eye to eye.

"What are you going to do to me?" Hera asked boldly.

"Oh! I forgot! How rude of me! Allow me to introduce myself. I am Zoakuhr, the ruler of this place, which signifies my kingdom, my rule! And you, as my prisoner, follow everything I say. This also means that you have no right to question me!" And then he dropped the ball on her face.

She gives him a deadly glimmer, which intensifies his rage. He scoops her face and looks her straight in the eyes. Her nose smells his stenching scent, the type that can make anyone throw up. His breath stinks like a dead rat, his hands are rough and dirty, his clothes are nothing but a piece of cloth covering his waist down to his upper knee and an old cape.

"You're no royal here, sweet thing. Bring her to tormentis cubiculum (torture room)! I want to see how long this is going to last!" the dungeon master asks his followers.

The goblins move to her side and drag her through the deepest part of the dungeon. When they arrive at the darkest part of the cave, they push her and force her to kneel.

#

A hissing sound echoes through the place. The coldness there is not just because there's no light getting in, but also because the one who's occupying it doesn't have warmth at all. A shadow gradually appears in Hera's sight.

"Oh! Who do we have here? " A malevolent nymph showed up from the dark.

She wears some sort of fairy dress, though. What distinguishes her from Hera's kind is that she has long nails, completely dark eyes, long pointy ears, and jet-black hair. It is a nymph.

"She's a fairy princess!" One goblin presented.

She laughed with astonishment, "One royalty! That's first! Welcome to my chamber, Your Highness!" She said.

She bows as if she is paying her fake respect and walks toward her. Its long fingernails then glide over her smooth-pretty face.

"Who are you?" Hera asked her.

"Oh! It is a delight that royalty wishes to know this humble creature. I am Phelousa and since you are here, it only means one thing, that you are on the verge of facing the death of the torturer.” She explains everything as she moves behind you.

"What's that supposed to mean?" She asked again.

Rather than respond, Hera feels a slow movement of the blade-like pulling on her back. She's now writhing in pain.

"Argh!" She controlled her whimper.

"What's the matter, Your Highness? Does it hurt? Did I hurt you?" She said in a teasing voice while whispering this too close to her ears.

Hera tries to control the pain that she is feeling. She tells her no words, for she does not want to satisfy her evil doing.

"Oh! You're not much fun! I would love to hear you crying, screaming in pain, and begging you to stop me!” She expressed her excitement.

Phelousa then started hanging her sharp nails all over her back, where she almost ripped her clothes off.

"I will not let you have the satisfaction that you desire!" Hera said to herself.

"Come now, Your Highness! Let me hear you out!" She forced her

This time, she cuts her back using her long jet-black hair. It flogs her like it's got a life of its own. The pain gets even worse now that she cannot take it anymore. She screamed in total agony.

"Ahhhhh!" The sound of her first dying cries resonated in the dungeon.

Every wail she does makes the goblins chant. They cheer, make noises and some of them even dance.

"Wo! Wo! Wo!" they cheered in unison.

"Oh! Yes! More, Your Highness, more!" said Phelousa, as if it gave her ear o****m.

Listening to her every torment sends a chill of pleasure to her torturer, so, she adds more s***h this time, which makes Hera curl up more. Phelousa is truly enjoying the euphoria Hera's sound creates.

"Beg, I want to hear you implore my clemency!" She bent in front of her.

Seeing Hera's covers in blood pleases her. Phelousa held her face. She smirks after she sees her drenched in her own sweat.

"Oh! What a pity! I thought you could stand against me! Those fire in your eyes, I love them. I know that you're in a great rage, but, you cannot do anything." Phelousa taunted her.

She cups her face using her right hand and glides her long nails on her left cheek, using her left. Though Hera feels numb all over her body, her heart sores. She tried to lift her chin to meet Phelousa's dark set of eyes.

"You can hurt me all you want or kill me if you must, but I will never beg to your content." Hera gave her a smug look.

"Really? We'll see! Remember, your life is at my mercy! I can release you or end everything here!" She stated as she aggressively drops her face before she stands and turns.

Phelousa handles the torture of prisoners and Hera can figure out why. She loved to hear their anguish, their sorrow. Her power is to give torment and suffering to those who pass along her path. She is ruthless, a total evil. Her name, the Nymph of Darkness, fits her well.

"I will never plead for my life!" Hera declared using her remaining strength.

"I love it. The more you fight against me, the more I hear your agony. That is music to my ears!" She stood right ahead.

The goblins pull her back to her kneeling position as she almost drops herself on the cold, dirty ground. Quade's magic binding still ties her. Phelousa prepares for her next torture technique. Her locks of hair suddenly became a needle-like shape. Without stepping out of its place, its needle-shaped hair slides slither towards Hera. Phelousa smiled after seeing the dread on her face. One by one, they struck her body.

"Ahhhhhhh!" Hera writhed.

After each piercing, her body acts. It prompts her blood to boil from the inside. It is so hot as if there is lava in her that is about to explode.

"Yes! Yes! Yes! I like that sound! Come on, princess! Give me more!” Phelousa laughed. She savored them like a madwoman.

She has no intention of stopping until she gets her way from Hera to beg for mercy.

"You have suffered a great deal, Hera! It's nothing compared to this! You shouldn't be giving yourself up right now!" Hera was trying to refocus her mind and meditate, although her entire body was on the verge of yielding.

"I am eager to hear it! I am more than patient to hear you say it!” She kept piercing her with her needle-like hair.

Hera realizes that there is something happening. An event that is beyond her comprehension. Every part of her body is reacting in a manner that is unexplainable.

"What's goin' on?" My entire body just keeps getting hotter! I can't bear it anymore. I'm on the cusp of..." As she says this. "Argh! Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" A deafening cry emerged from her throat.

Those goblins who are holding her set her on fire.

"No, no, no!" they cried while they were trying to extinguish the fire.

Phelousa witnesses this in terror. She steps back as she feels the blaze coming out of Hera. She tries to find her way out, but she cannot break free from the ignition, which instantly blocks her way. Hera's body exudes more fire that is too strong for her to handle. It surges and easily crawls towards her torturer.

"No! Stop! Stop!.... Ahhhhhhh!" Phelousa screamed as the fire ate her whole.

The entire place feels like an inferno as Hera's body continues bursting out into flames. It quickly spreads outside the dungeon until it reaches the top where the dungeon master, together with his goblins, stands. Everyone dashes in chaos, all wanting to save their lives. However, it is too late for Hera's last bellow of anguish to explode, which destroys everything it touches. No one survives this rage, and unknowingly, Hera kills them all. Her body then drops to the ground.

"Aureum!" That's the only word she utters after she hits the ground.

It surrenders from exhaustion from all those prickings of needles, slashes of Phelousa's every whip, and the piercing of her long nails which helps awaken something in her.

And before she completely loses consciousness, she sees a blinding radiant light that makes it hard to even squint her eyes. The last thing she remembers is that she feels her cheek getting wet from something she seems familiar with.