Chapter 8: Hunger

Chapter Eight.
Hunger

Sitting somewhere, dark damp. No. Hot dry. It changes, constantly shifting like the world around them. It always changes, and yet. The one thing that remains the same is him. A fixed point in time, waiting for what seems like forever for something to happen. Thing is, we never know really what the one little thing is until it does happen. That was the feeling in this place, waiting for something that wasn't going to happen. Waiting for something that invariably wouldn't come to one like him. Peace. When Jack awakened in the camp after this dream of waiting, once again the thoughts of the court returned to him. He had beenm in there during the dream, waiting eternally on a stone throne that errily mirrored the one in the seat of Pride. He and the others had yet to enter the place.So what lay within was still a total mystery for him. For everyone. But it was that darkness in the corridor leading inwards, there were no doors only the open gaping black maw that led inside. It was like walking inside the mouth of a monster, to be consumed. Perhaps the idea of it being the court of madness wasn't such a strange idea after all. The thing was certainly driving him round the bend at the moment. It was odd, looking more closely, he saw Jonah standing at the entrance to the old court house, leaning slightly against one of the pillars next to the sign that the archeologist had managed to decipher. Their mission here was to find the gluttons resting place and yet thus far all they had managed to do was go deeper into these tunnels with a bunch of old minded idiots and trap themselves between killer ants and for all they knew, getting lost in a maze of tunnels. Admittedly the latter was, thus far preferable to being eaten alvie by a swarm of flesh eating tunnel ants, but it still wasn't pleasant as things stood. Particularly not with the court of madness being there in front of hjim. He walked up and appraoched Jonah, tapping the man on the shoulder. " We should go inside" Said Jack, his voice low. Nervious. Honestly he wasn't too sure of it himself. But it felt as if it was something they needed to do. As if they had been drawn here for a reason. As if there was something that was drawing them in, that kept brining their thoughts back to the court house in the first place. Jack had a feeling, and more than likely Jonah did as well. That there would be something in them that would remain after seeing this place. Something that would constantly drag them back here. A feeling that much like the hunger would grow and grow. A requirement. That they would feel it until they gave into it. Thing was, they might never find this place again. And the court of madness would drive them insane. Jonah lightly nodded his head, seemed that they were both in synch on this point. That the court of madness was going to be their next destination no matter what their main and current quest was. " Lets just make it quick" Said the leader of fear, quickly and bluntly to Jack, as if anything else was going to be the case. Jack nodded slowly and spoke himself. " And we don't risk combat in there, for one this place could collapse intor the lava pits around here if he fought...and for two. I just don't like the look of this place....its got this feeling....I can sense that theres something in there. Something that we need to see...soemthing that we need to confront...if we don't....I don't know what to do...". Jonah nodded. " I've got the same feeling....there is deinatly something about this palce that...isn't right". So. Together. The two men wandered inside. The thing they didn't realise however, was that they would regret ever doing so.

To Jack, the inside of this place was once again, too much like the seat of pride for his own comfort. It was almost as if the two buildingshad the same sort of design. The same architect that oversaw the building of both. Of course, it was difficult to tell in certain areas due to the pasage of time and of course the collapsing of certain areas. This place had after all fell from the surface and down into the tunnels of the underworld. There were doors on the inside unlike the out, however they were slightly sindged at the sides, probably due to some kind of laval flow that may have gone through here recently. He pushed open of them what he could, Jonah pushjng the other. The second one that Jonah pushed collapsed under the weight of the push. Sending dust flying up into the air. Jack coughed violently under the wave of obstructing dust. The throne there, in the centre of the room. Much like the one at the seat of pride. All too much like that one. But this was the court of madness. A place of insanity. Jack approached the throne. Jonah's face was filled with confusion as well. Jack runnning a snigle finger across the arm rest of the chair. It was caked with dust, hadn't been used in a long long long time. There were differences on damage levels, on some design features inside and out. But they were minimal. For all intents and purposes. This building was almost an exact replica of the seat of Pride.

" I know what you are thinking Pride".

Spoke a voice from the shadows. A figure stepped out from them, robust, a bronze skinned giant. His eyes, black as the very abyss he emerged from. Jonah jumped back, hand reaching for the knife at his belt. Soemthing was...wrong with this. Jack knew that the manw as a demon and yet, he couldn't sense anythign of his presence. It was much like Ceila, or when Jonha used that technique to disguse his taint. But this, this was different. Once he could see Jonah, no matter how many times he used that technique he could keep track of the taint. Same with Ceila. But with this man. There was nothing there whatsoever. Nothing at all. The man raised a hand. " Peace be upon you men...for now my mind is my own". Jack raised an eyebrow. And then. Realisation dawned on him. Black eyes. This man. He was the glutton.

EXP:1197

II

A glutton. An abomination. A demon who was strong enough to kill and devour the souls of hundreds of thousands of his own kind. To let the hunger for power and souls become a very part of him. To let that hunger escalate and consume him. Till he, or she. Was no longer a person. But a living embodyment of that hunger. They no longer had a personality. A sense of ethics. Likes or dislikes. All was gone in the face of the hunger. They didn't love. Tehy didn't cry. Pityable creatures. And here he was. Talking to one. This was however. Strange. All he knew about the gluttons were that they were monsters, with little more intellect than beasts. The words of the glutton itself indicated that this indeed was true. That his mind was for now. His own. But for just how long that was going to last, Jack didn't dare harbour a guess. He drew the sword from his cane and pointed it to the creature, who took a step back. But again placed his hands in front of him. " I know that you came here seeking me out. I know what you think that you must do. But let me assure you. I am no more abomination than you yourselves...". Jack understood the logic behind that one, he had done many questionable things. Yet this was all about survival. He couldn't trust the glutton to leave. " So then, what do you suggest that we do? Merely turn our backs on you and leave?". The Glutton was answerless. For that was no something he was too sure of either. Jonah spoke up, the leader of fear having none in his voice. " Tell us then Glutton, just why can you talk? Just why is it that your power of hunger is not infecting us with the same madness?".. The glutton ran a hand along the side of the stone wall of this court.

" There is something about this place that seems to resonate with something inside of me". He shurrged. " I cannot answer it....but for some reason here I feel as if I am safe, I no longer feel the need to feed...I no long have the all consuming desire to davour everything and everyone....I ...am ...free..". JUack shook his head slowly. "If what you say is indeed true, then glutton I fear you are more a prisoner than you ever were before....before a prisoner of your hunger...now you are trapped with hope in sight...for if within these walls your power cannot escape....then to leave means to return to that madness". The glutton nodded. " I am aware of this". Jonah relaxed his position slightly, however his eyes still tense as ever. " Tell me then glutton" sSpoke the leader of fear. " How is it that you came to this place....do you remember?". The Glutton let out a sigh. " Yes....I remember the hunger driving me forward to a massive source of life and magic...So thus I was rought to the nest of the tunnel ants.....as you can imagine that didn't go over well with them....they swarmed and forced me to escape...unfortunatly my influence poisoned them further, causing them to become more ravenous....And then...I came upon this place.....I came near the camp of researchers...and immedietly my mind was my own again..but I was drawn to something...something that I wasn't before...drawn to this place...you must have felt it too the moment you came within range....an indescrible sense of needing, needing to go somehwere....So I moved deeper in...found this place....and realised that whilst it is my prison...it is also my freedom from that terrible hunger". Once again, Jack found himself shaking his head. No, this wasn't right. He would be trapped within this place and whatever field of effect it had upon them. But it would never be a permenant solution. The only true course of action. Was to take no risks. And murder this one for the greater good of his kind. Jonah seemed to share this line of thought. " You can't remain here...you would always be tempted by that hunger...you might not feel it now, but you will....its nothing but an appetite suppressant...and once you are unleashed on the world there will be terrible concequence for those who do...that would be us". The glutton did not seem very happy at this turn of events, but at the same time he didn't seem too surprised. Almost as if he had assumed something like this was going to happen. " What right do you have to judge whether or not I should live or die?". Jack merely chuckled under his breath. " The same right as you when you murdered those thousands of Oni and became the abomination that you are today!".

The glutton went quiet as the last words of Jack echoed throughout the hall. He merely grumbled about soemthing to his side. And then drew a sword from his back. " Very well Pride and Fear, you can try to defeat me as you wish...our powers will not work in this place....so this battle is down to skill alone...let us determine who is truely worth to rule the underworld!". It was ironic. Here once a place of justice A justice in hell. Justice. Trial by combat.
EXP: 997

So here it was, a battle that neither Jack nor Jonah were fully prepared for. Jonah had promised Gerret that they would not confront the glutton, and yet, both fate and chance had brought them here. A drawing of three that would ultimately end with the death of at least one of them. What the glutton had said was true. For whatever reason this building held their powers at bay, this would be little more than a test of skill. However. Jack's grim resolution that reflected in his face indicated precisely what he was thinking. Regardless of how much power the abilities ofa glutton provided them. In order to become one in the first place they had to be a demon strong enough to devour mountains of their own kind.

That meant that even without his powers, this one was not going to be an easy obstical to overcome. In fact, it could actually be even harder considering that it no longer had the hunger driving it into a bestial rage, but now what seemed to be a kind of higher intellect on par with them. It was the first time that, Jack would actually have to take his proper stance for sword fighting. Normally it was rare outside of actually training that Jack would ever do something like this, but there was a chance that he could die. And he needed every advantage no matter how small. His eyes flickered to Jonah. Cursing himself that he couldn't read or telepathicly project his thoughts like Ceila.All that was left to do was hope that Jonah was smart enough to see an opertunity when it opened up. With that, Jack stabbed his own foot, the look of horror on Jonah's face was something that would have amazed anyone that saw it. Jonah ususally the stone faced emotionless statue. Yet now, when faced with the prospect of death. Seeing his own ally potientally ruin both their chances by crippling himself. It was almost too much to take in. The glutton too, had a face of terrible surprise and wodner. The blood instantly began to flow. And Jack began to work his magics. In an instant. Jack disappeared. The look of horror on Jonah's face turned to one of confusion to match the glutton. Immedietly the Glutton would feel a blade slide in between his ribs. Jack had used the technique devils peed, an ability allowing him to travel at an almost impossible speed, akin to teleportation.

The glutton however, fell forwards, grunting. Not put down. Jonah rushed in dagger in hand, but the fall seemed to be a fient, the glutton stood swinging its sword in an arc, aiming to slice Jonah diagonally and continue around to decapitate Jack. Jonah managed to stop himself quickly enough for the sword merely to nick through his clothes. Jack managed to bring his sword to the left side, blocking it from his face but sending him flying backwards. It reminded him all too much of that battle with what he thought had been Ceila's shade. Such strength, rolling after the fall he managed to get himself back onto his feet, whichw as a good thing,considering that the glutton didn't seem like he'd be giving them any breaks. Following right up into the next attack.

Exp:615
PWC:549

The Glutton appeared to be quite angry with Jack, proabbly due to the whole stabbing through the chest thing. Yet oddly when Jack took a loo0k at his chest, there was no wound there " Instant regeneration ". It was an advantage, for one it would make less intellegent demons think that this opponent was invulnerable to harm. But Jack knew that this was just as much an illusion as many of the other spells demons used. Although true, flesh wise there would be no injury. Instant regeneration however required just as much as normal regeneration. Supply wise that is. Regnerating wounds normally took up protien and other nutrients within the body. And of course. Energy. However the length of the process made it so that the loss of these supplies was barely noticed. Instant regeneration however. Took all the supplies of the body that would normally be used over a long period of healing. And did it all at once. Each wound that would be instantly healed would tax the glutton greatly. It would require enormous levels of power to keep fighting when each wound demanded such a great deal. So, this would be the plan. A grin on Jack's face. Jonah hadn't quite got it yet. But he would. In time.

Jack moved to the left, his sword flicking upwards and slicing open a portion of the opponents leg. It instantly regenerated but the strain of the regeneration was clear as the sword slammed down into the ground. The picking up was much slower allowing him to score another quick cut onto the back of the glutton. Again regenerating before he danced back and away.He looked at Jonah and smirked. " Instant regeration, small cuts may not put him down, but the healing of them will tie him out...allowing us to". A roar in the air. The glutton knew what they were discussing and had seemingly flung himself into a fit of berserkers rage.Amusing considering at this point his greatest asset was infact his intellect. Keeping it at bay using a berserker rage seemed to be something more fit for the hunger side of him than anything else. But perhaps it had been part of him so long that the intellect no longer belonged as part of the being. Jonah and Jack btoh dodged the intial clumsy swipe of the sword. Both driving back their blades into his chest, using the strength of his anger. He tossed them backwards. Moving in to pounce on Jonah.

Immedietly Jack to defend the leader of fear, struck out with his magic. Crushing his hand into a ball, the blood within the gluttons veins bursting outwards and pouring through his skin. A roar of agony, the attack interupted. Missing its target, Jonha gave him a brief. Thankful glance. Jack thought nothing of it. Survival was the game here. Jack rolled backwards and readied himself again to deal with the more enraged glutton. Jonah meanwhile cast upon himself a spell of illusion, fading into the background. Semi invisible. The two would have to forumlate a plan. But it would be one made up on the go.Jack rushed in at the glutton, pressing his sword against the others, and forcing his own hand to take up space within the gluttons. Now it was a case of lock and balance. Jack knew that he was outmatched on sheer brute force. However his superior sense of balance gave him an advantage that would offset such a thing. Besides. He only had to hold it for a few seconds before. A misting cloud of blood. A grunt as Jonah's dagger stabbed into the stomach of the Glutton. The man had noticed what Jack was trying to do. Distract and tie up his defenses. Enough for Jonah to move in on the assault.

Exp:711
PWC:636