soul forged

Chapter 2

Pharuan was indeed taken to a prison hidden deep beneath the ground, a hole that was thrown away from the world. The inmates here are allowed to roam the tunnels freely but all this did was make it a prison run by gangs, the guards to make sure none escape they did not care what they did to one another while they were here. In the days or maybe weeks, it's hard to keep track of time, Pharuan has spent in this place he has seen that outsiders could come in to perform whatever dark desires on inmates they wished. He assumed this came with a hefty price tag but as in most the world money will buy pretty much anything.

He has heard the screams of men and woman both from these encounters. Bone chilling screams from torture. That was the true horror of this place, the gangs would commit plenty of violence but that was to keep order. Leaders of each faction keeping their positions secured and the rules in place. Pharuan is not an unknown force in the world, few know his face and can put his true name to his code name as a hunter but few have not heard one tale or another of his great hunts.

Someone leaked who he was and quickly the gang leaders all sought to recruit him but he refused them all. Not wanting to get involved in the politics of this place, none likes this but most left it be as long as it remained a refusal to all and their rivals would not gain such a powerful ally. He had no visitors in this time and unsure if this was a good thing or a sign of something even worse to come, Pharuan kept to his dirt cell. Magic was void in this dungeon but he spent his time keeping his body honed and ears open to any and all information he can devour. How the gangs, guards, and special guests moved, personal relations between them all, how some preferred to torture or worse yet use the prisoners they would visit. Any bit of information he could file away in his mind with the hope of someday being able to use to his advantage.

His routine today is broken. Coming back to his cell after what makes for lunch in this place he finds 2 smirking guards waiting for him. "Congratulations you have your first visitor today."

The guards shove him along the path taking him to one of the torture chambers he has heard many a scream come from. "Oh this should be good. Whoever this bloke is has paid a lot of money to keep anyone else from having a Crack at you in your first month here. He wanted you all to himself."

The 2 guards keep up this sort of mocking banter as they escort Pharuan to what will be the start of his nightmare. He gives them no response to the mocking, knowing doing so will only gain him a quick beating from these lowly creeps who only desire to feel better about their own crappy lives they have no real power in.

Entering the chamber he sees countless items of various types waiting to be used on his flesh. Some obvious on how they could be used, others complex gadgets that even Pharuan is unsure of their exact purpose. He is strapped into a wooden chair and left there in the room.

Some time later the door swings open yet again and before he could see this newcomer he hears that voice lined with gravel. "I told you I'd come visit you." The man comes into his view, a large frame but a mask hides his face. He can make out red skin beneath the flowing dark robe that hides the man further. Whoever those people in the stone chairs were, they do prefer their secrecy.

The figure slowly walks about the room, examining different tools as he monologues to Pharuan like some damned super villain in a movie. "I have spent many hours imagining what this encounter would be like. I will admit I always pictured having those whores here to really drive my point across to you. Don't you worry though you'll be here long enough that in time I'll find them again. You'll see those lovely ladies once more yet you might regret that. I always desired my freedom from the chains that had bound me, always serving others always using my power not for what I desired but for the wishes of other idiotic fools that would somehow find my lamp."