“For now, you will remain my slave, apprentice and test subject,” he said, and then nodded towards the folded clothes. “Put those on. The ones you currently wear reek of harpy.”
I unfolded the clothes, which revealed a black-laced corset and matching skirt adorned with skeleton-like images embroidered into the edges of the fabric. The attire also carried the scent of old blood, which made me hesitate in wearing it. Instead, I returned my gaze to him.
“Do you have a fascination for women's clothing, Sir?” I inquired simply. I hadn't really intended for the question to be as sarcastic as it might have sounded.
He rumbled in laughter. “Of course, not. I simply did not think my last test subject deserved to wear such lovely clothes as a corpse.”
I wanted to smile and think he was joking, but apparently, he was not. I set the outfit down and drew back away from him, frowning.
Noticing my actions, he approached. I was backed into a corner of the small room and his figure loomed over me eerily as his frail, icy-cold hand reached out and lifted my chin up for me to meet his gaze.
“My manners elude me, Dear,” he began with a smirk. “Perhaps some introductions are in order, hmm? I am Daggax'iylion. I do not expect you, a mere human to pronounce it correctly; therefore, you will simply address me as ‘Master’.” His cold hand stroked the side of my cheek gently, awaiting my response.
His touch felt as cold as death itself. I swallowed at first, the words having been initially lost from my mind. “I … I am … J-Jasmine…” I finally replied in a quivering voice.
“Jasmine …” he repeated with a grin. “Such a lovely name for a lovely girl who will bring about the true beauty of death. I do hope you will be more cooperative than my last test subjects.”
My face paled further. He had spoken as though he had done this many times in the past. Was this truly what my new life was promised — as an expendable test subject for this crazy man's experiments? I had lost a past life and all that I knew and yet, I was spared by the very creature who embraced death. He was a wise and seemingly powerful, yet calculating creature who had somehow taken the deceiving guise of a man with a hidden agenda of his own — an agenda, in which I knew he would not share.
Chapter 6
Despite Master Dagg's rather intimidating guise, he was quite the gentleman, ensuring that my needs were taken care of. Perhaps, this was merely his way of making me gain his trust. One would not think someone like him possessed such charisma. He gave me a ‘room,’ consisting of merely another small, hollowed-out cavern; a makeshift bed to sleep in, which was nothing more than a nest of hay; clothes which were obtained from the corpses of his previous victims; and food — perhaps the only good thing that came out of this little ‘bargain.’ He allowed me to wander his home freely, much to my surprise. I feared the possible consequences that would follow for attempting to escape, which probably explained his permitting my limited freedom.
For the remainder of the day, I explored the rest of the caverns to learn more about my new — and assumingly permanent — home.
The dank caverns I traveled through snaked in many directions — a well-crafted maze that one could easily get lost in. They reeked of the same fetid water and rotting vegetation scent. The moss-covered stalactites above were constantly moist and dripping with rank liquid that seeped through from whatever sat above the cave. Small puddles of greenish-brown, algae-infested water formed in certain spots of the cave floor from where it dripped above. Life as I knew it had no place here.
I continued my trek onward and deeper into the twisting tunnels. Emerging into another open cavern, the smell of rotting flesh immediately hit my nose as I discovered several empty cages lining the walls. In the center of the cavern, were two tables, upon which various types of tools lay. Approaching one of tables, I picked up a tool and examined it closely, noting its foreign craft and the sharpened edge which was covered in fresh blood. Realizing the tool was probably used very recently, I promptly returned it to its place. As I resumed my explorations, I spotted several chains hung from the ceiling, with severed corpses attached to some. My eyes burned and I cupped my hand over my nose and mouth to suppress the overwhelming stench of the corpses, but it barely helped. I carefully maneuvered my way around the area, almost stepping in small puddles of blood on the floor in the process.
What is this place? I thought, gazing up at a hanging corpse. I slowly approached the corpse and examined it from a modest distance.
The carcass had rotted so much that the blackened, feathery skin barely covered its exposed bones. The lower torso of the unidentified creature was naturally-severed from aging decomposition, leaving only the faint entrails of skin and bone. The half-skeletal face of the creature gazed at me with its piercing death stare. The eyes had been removed; leaving only two, empty sockets.
I stepped back from the thing, unable to look any further. This place was ridden with a certain kind of death that was foreign in my eyes and thus, disturbed me.
As I began walking away, I heard the faintest sounds of chains rustling. Stopping in my tracks, I looked over my shoulder at the rest of the room — more closely, the hanging corpses — feeling my own paranoia overwhelming me. Turning back around, I hastened my steps out of the room and the sound of the chains clattered even louder. As I glanced over my shoulder again, the hanging corpse I had examined earlier had fallen to the ground in a heap, its body having rotted beyond the chains' ability to support it. There was something else that had caught my attention, however. Those same, blackened sockets were now replaced with two, red-glowing orbs of dark energy. The thing had come alive before my very eyes.
When the two orbs caught my own gaze, the creature suddenly let out a familiar, ear-piercing shriek, which, once again, triggered a painful memory….
I sprinted out of the room as fast as I could with my hands cupped over my ears in fear. I didn't get too far, however, before I blindly crashed into Master Dagg and fell backwards. His tall, intimidating frame stood before me like a solid wall. I looked up at him fearfully, gazing into his intense, ebony eyes.
He huffed, annoyed, then shuffled off towards the larger cavern to investigate the commotion.
Silently, I followed him at a safe distance and observed.
Upon entering the room, his attention was immediately drawn to the reincarnated creature on the ground which continued to helplessly writhe and screech in terror. He walked over to the rotting thing and picked it up fearlessly.
In retaliation to Master Dagg's firm handling, the creature snapped its crumbling jaws just inches away from his face.
Unintimidated by the gruesome thing's violent attacks, Master Dagg narrowed his eyes and let out a low, threatening growl at it. The creature recoiled almost instantly and ceased its forceful resistance. Master Dagg spent a few moments carefully studying the thing before looking back at me, intrigued. He drew closer while carrying the creature, which now regarded me hungrily. The closer Master Dagg approached, the more violent the creature became.
I wanted to run away, but my muscles were frozen from fear. My heart was racing as I stood helplessly between him and that ravenous creature he held in his hand.
Master Dagg grabbed my wrist and dragged me over to a table where he also placed the creature facing upwards. He was not at all disconcerted by the series of high-pitched screams the creature gave in protest when he opened its mouth and revealed its yellowed fangs. Carefully, Master Dagg managed to force the creature to puncture its fangs into the skin of my wrist and feed upon the blood that oozed from the wound.