“Well, if Retvik is going, I guess I will go as well…”
All things considered, Trismit didn’t feel too bad, especially since he had just been told he had to give himself up to a dangerous deity that had forcefully taken control of his entire race. While he had expected to feel scared and upset, he was more annoyed that he had spent so long trying to escape tyranny, only to be handed back to it.
Sitting with Trismit was a small circle of other Rethavok, most notably their temporary leader Rethais, as well as Retvik himself. But Retvik, the other Rethan chosen to deliver themselves back to tyranny, hadn’t said a single word the entire time they had been there, explaining to Trismit what was about to happen.
“So, to be clear, if Retvik and I go and do whatever the Void Guy says, he will free a bunch of Rethavok and leave us all alone? Or rather, leave you all alone?”
Rethais nodded. He had been very patient with Trismit, despite knowing nothing about him. As far as the other Rethavok present were concerned, Trismit was a loner Rethan with no real loyalty to anyone, aside from his friendship with Retvik and his strange, electrical powers. None of them understood that Trismit had been a captain of the failed 11th Legion and was smarter than he made himself out to be.
“How many Rethavok?”
“Three hundred and two. Bringing the total of Hertany up to six hundred exactly.”
“And the Void Guy will stand by his words?”
“Hopefully, yes.”
Trismit shrugged. “Huh. Funny that. I thought a while back, last year even, about meeting deities. I met one not long afterwards but he was more like a Rethan than an actual god. And then boom, I guess I am meeting another actual god, but one who is even more like a Rethan than an actual god. More of an old-time Photeianos-like than a modern Rethan, but still…”
The other Rethans seemed to tut and shake their heads at that statement, but no one added any further comment. Trismit ignored their concerns and silent disagreement and turned to Retvik, who had been leaning back, away from the circle of Rethans.
“You and I, we will do as requested, yes?”
“I… I suppose…” was Retvik’s rather weak reply.
“You suppose?”
“It seems like I am going to be yet another sacrifice…”
Retvik’s ramble was interrupted by the appearance of another Rethan, standing in the doorway of the bare, concrete room, holding a large sheet of paper.
“They gave us a list, Rethais! They gave us a list!”
“A list of what?” Trismit asked.
“Every Rethan that Kenon is offering to give back to us…” Rethais explained as he scanned the list, before abruptly freezing. “He… he has my… my kid… He has Relkay…”
“You have a kid? They are called Relkay?” Trismit stuttered, briefly forgetting who he was talking to. “Oh. That… that is not good…” Again, Trismit turned to Retvik, waiting for a response. Just like Rethais, Retvik remained frozen in place, but for a different reason.
Everyone in the room was now staring at Retvik. Retvik responded by sighing, standing up and sighing again.
“Fine. Fine. I will do it. Have no choice now. His kid is more important than I am anyway.”
The clearly distressed Rethan grabbed Trismit by the hand and dragged him out of the room, down a hallway and out into the open, pushing past a multitude of other Rethavok as he did so. Above them, the sky had clouded over and was threatening rain. Once they were outside, Retvik fell to his knees, letting go of Trismit’s hand, breathing heavily and erratically.
Trismit watched for a moment, not sure what to make of what he was seeing. Past Retvik, he could see the gates to the town, currently being guarded by what few armed Rethans they had. Past that was the shadowy form of the being who was holding three hundred Rethans hostage.
“I am so selfish…” Retvik finally muttered, climbing back to his feet.
“Do you think Lord Kenon will hurt us?” Trismit exclaimed. “Is that why you are… so uncertain?”
“I do not want to hand myself over to a tyrant who almost certainly wants to exploit our unnatural abilities and will most likely torture us in the process, yes. That is why I feel so selfish. But it is just you and me, yes? Just two Rethavok. In exchange for three hundred, plus independence…”
“You really…”
“I am not happy about being yet another sacrifice. But oh well, that is how things are…” Retvik glanced over his shoulder, noticing that Rethais and the other Rethans had caught up with him. “Ah, you followed us. Well, how about you sign that contract and get this over with?”
“Retvik, brother, I-”
“No, do not say anything!” Retvik snapped. “Sign that damn thing, before I lose vision once more. Like I said, their freedom is far more important than mine!”
“Or mine…” Trismit added.
Rethais did as he was told and signed the contract. Retvik then snatched it from his hands, then led himself and Trismit over to the gate, where the Void Lord was waiting for them. There was a horrible, cruel smile etched across the monstrous being’s face, which only widened as he watched Retvik and Trismit approach.
Raising his clawed hand, Kenon snapped his fingers. Immediately, the 98 Rethan guards he had stationed by his side disappeared. Slowly, the black, antlered helmets on the remaining Rethavok began to disappear, crumbling into dust, while the robed parts of their armour disintegrated. As the armour faded, each Rethan began to come to, realising where they are and backing away from Kenon, making their way towards their new sanctuary. Once all the Rethavok were released, Kenon turned to his two newest possessions, fiendishly grinning.
“I am pleased. Very pleased…” the Void Lord boomed before fading away completely, taking Trismit and Retvik with him.