Rise of the Godking - Chapter 14

"Why… do you look like you're a kid being forced to eat food he doesn't like?"

Forgetting where he was, Daneel had begun a deep dive into what he was supposed to do if he wanted to tackle the succubus.

After reminding himself of the way he had felt the first time he had seen her, itself, he had shuddered and told himself repeatedly that he had to handle this matter with the utmost seriousness. Hence, he had started to think of his options… before being interrupted by the old healer.

Shaking his head, he replied, "Uh… Nothing."

Reese wasn't convinced.

"Don't 'nothing' me. My eyes may be old, but they are more powerful than you think. You looked exactly like a kid about to do something he was told not to. Why is it so important for you to find out this information?"

Daneel shrugged. "Because… I want to change something. I don't like the way that everything is. When I felt the same thing in my previous life… I could just tell someone and have it happen. Now… I've realized that I should do it myself, and I guess I'm just unwilling to accept that this should be my fate. Even if it is true… I want to make it better. My reasons may sound selfish, but…"

Reese raised his hand. "And what's wrong with selfishness? If used for the right cause, I believe it is no less a noble motive than others. I can tell that you still haven't grown out of the naïveté of a teenager… but it's your life. Even I wanted to do many things when I was younger. If I had been stopped… I would not have reached here, and become the person I am. So, who am I to stop you? But first, you have to understand the consequences of going to her willingly. Come with me."

When asked for a reason, Daneel had just lost himself in the flow and said whatever arrived at the tip of his tongue. From what had happened with Sebastian before, he had understood that no matter how he felt about it, there were still a few leftover feelings from Daniel Jerrock in his mind. And from his conversation with the old man so far, he had seen that he was shrewd, so if there was too much difference between who he was supposed to be and who he was… he might arouse unnecessary suspicion.



So, he had tried to tap into those feelings, and he had been successful.

Happy with the way it had worked out but still feeling uneasy due to the shadow that the succubus seemed to be casting over him, he followed the old healer as the man led him into his corridor and then onto the main tunnel.

Both moved to hide when they spotted an enforcer in his rounds, and while studying the man, Daneel learned a few tricks that hadn't come to him before.

For example, to hide, in his quest so far, he had tried to stick to the nearest stone wall as much as possible so that he wouldn't be visible. It had been quite hard and also painful as the walls tended to have jagged edges, but instead of doing anything like that… The old man simply sat down and stared at his legs. In an instant, he became the very image of just a normal slave going through his existence with no purpose, and because they saw so many such individuals all day, the enforcer's eyes passed over him without noticing anything amiss.

The second time it happened, Daneel copied him, and Reese nodded approvingly before saying, "Show them what they expect, and they will ignore you. You're a fast learner. I like that."

Despite himself, Daneel grinned with pride.

The grin fell away when they ducked into a cavern nearby, and found a man shivering on his stone bed.

Daneel blinked and squinted, running his eyes over the poor occupant. His eyes were wide open, as if he was staring at something that none of them could see, and his lips stretched into a sick grin, drool dripping from their corners and onto the floor.

His hands were raised, opening and closing repeatedly, while his hip kept moving up and down.

His extremely lewd actions immediately made a foreboding feeling come over Daneel. Ignoring what he was doing, he made his eyes linger on his skin and saw that it was wrinkled, hanging on to his bones and even sagging in places.

"How old do you think he is?" Reese asked, his hands behind his back.

"60, at least."

"He's 20 years old."

In the silence that followed, Daneel could only stare, agape.

'20 years old? What the hell? It's impossible!'

"There are many ways for a slave to die. One of them… ss to give themselves over to the succubus. This man is from the layer above the Pit. He was made a slave for having an affair with a lady from the top layer. He couldn't handle it. On his first day here, itself, he went to the Slavequeen… and he kept going every night after that. It has only been four days since he entered the pit. I doubt he will survive to see the fifth."

With a sad sigh, Reese stepped out of the cavern, but Daneel stayed for a few seconds.

The feeling of danger was much more amplified, now. It was hard to get past… but when he thought of the alternative, he was able to immediately shove it aside.

'I have so much to do. I can't let myself be stopped by something like this! Think, think, think! There must be a way to escape a fate like this!'

He didn't get an answer right away, but he did notice one thing: each visit had aged the man by 10 years.

'Should I consider sacrificing a decade for an answer? No… best to leave that for the worst-case scenario.'

The inhabitant of the cavern they arrived in next seemed much better off. It was a woman who looked to be in her 30s, and she even smiled when she saw Reese. The smile soured when she spotted Daneel, but Reese raised his hand and said, "He's with me. He wants to go to the Slavequeen, so I thought I should show him a few of those who already made the journey."

Daneel could read the emotions on the woman's face, clear as they were. She first fought with the overpowering hate that all slaves seemed to feel for him, and then, a cunning look passed her eyes before she hid it hastily and nodded.

Turning to him, she tried to keep her face straight as she said, "If you have any questions, ask away. I've only been there once… and it was glorious. Don't hesitate! She will take very good care of you!"

'Oh, really? If you wanted to lie, you should at least have tried to keep the fear out of your voice.'

Daneel was tempted to confront her about it, but he quickly saw that this was a great opportunity that he shouldn't waste.

Holding his chin with his hand, he thought about the most pressing question about the encounter that he was soon going to have to take part in. A few moments later, he gave up, because he knew nothing right now.

So, he decided to find out everything.

"Tell me what happened, step by step."

The woman hesitated, and Daneel could easily tell that she was considering whether she should go forward with her aim of bringing him to ruin, or let it go.

The hate won, and for once, Daneel felt thankful for its existence.

"I… I'll keep it short. Even the memories are poison-uh, no, did I say poison? I meant… that they are tempting. If I think about them too much, I might convince myself that I need to go again… I went, in the first place, because I missed my husband. She was so… inviting. She seemed to be able to read my mind! We talked and talked about the man I loved, about every one of his mannerisms, and about all of the memories I had with him. Then… she kissed me and told me to ask the question. I asked something silly, so it's not important… but still, she laughed and gave me the answer, and asked whether she had my permission to do what she wished. And… that's all I can tell you."

He could see that she had been about to launch into the details of what they had done, but he didn't need to hear them.

He had already gotten a hint of hope when he had heard her, so after she stopped, he stayed where he was and pondered.

When he looked up after a minute, his eyes were shining.

They walked out, together, after Reese thanked the woman. It seemed that the visits were at an end as they made their way back to his cavern, and as soon as they arrived, he asked, "Are you still dead set on it?"

His answer made the old man blink, and then look at him as if he was crazy.

"Yes. You said you give out tasks, right? Well, I have a task to give. Gather everyone you know, and we can begin!"