YOU'RE MINE.

Accept Your Fate.

(tw: hanging)

They had finally boarded the airship and Br'aad could just doze off. As he started to rest his eyes, a noise started to permeate his mind. The undertones of a clock ticking vibrated around his skull. He started to fidget, not wanting to hear that sound again, but the sound played consistently and as Br'aad closed his eyes, an image flashed.

Broken chains on the floor of a prison cell.

Then, another flash and the vision widens out to show the floor of the cell, somewhat stained with blood and made of mossy stone bricks.

One last flash and Br'aad sees the limp, lifeless body of the Storyteller hanging from a rope on the ceiling.

His eyes fall from that horrific sight to see etched into the stone wall, chaotic letters spelling out "You're MINE."

All of a sudden, the room wasn't just an image. Br'aad could feel the moistness of the room, smell the drying blood, and felt a shiver run down his spine.

"Gold, huh?" He heard a voice echo from behind him. "Doesn't suit ya as well." The half elf just stood there, stiffly. He felt a hand trace down his arm, making his skin burn and his hair stand on end. Then, he was right there, Obnock'shai, face to face with Br'aad.

"Long time, no see, Br'aad Vengolor." Obnock'shai sneered. Br'aad took a deep breath and spat right into Ob's face. This caused Ob to step back in presumed shock of what the half elf had done.

"Goodness gracious, you've got quite the temper." Obnock'shai says with a chuckle. He steps forward again and grabs Br'aad's chin sternly with his hand. "What happened to when you were an obedient little puppet? Or maybe or you're angry at..." As Ob trailed off, another image glared in Br'aad's mind of Sylnan. Of his lifeless corpse slumped against the side of the alleyway, blood staining his clothes.

He flashed back to reality, or whatever this was. Hopefully, not reality. Obnock'shai took his hand off of Br'aad's chin and started to turn around to the hanging body of the storyteller. He lets out a small chuckle, and turned on his heel at Br'aad his eyes searing with anger and hysteria.

"You thought this old prick could SAVE YOU?! HA!" Ob boomed, his voice echoing against the cell. "Read the words on the wall, my son! YOU'RE MINE!" He stepped closer to Br'aad and whispered into his ear, "And until you accept that, I'll make your life a living hell."

-

Br'aad woke up in his cot with a scream of pure terror.

Taxi, who was sleeping just adjacent to him, sat up with a start. He ran to Br'aad's side, Br'aad was just twitching and trying to find out where he was, what was happening.

"Br'aad! Br'aad, calm down!" Taxi said going to grab his shoulders but as he did, electricity spiked off of him, shocking Taxi. Taxi took a step back from him, to try and grasp what was different.

Br'aad looked down at his body and saw his tattoos were no longer gold, were not a light purple like before, but instead a dark, abyssal purple, with eldritch energy radiating off them. There was a burning feeling on the top of Br'aad's chest and Taxi could smell seared flesh in the air. As Taxi leaned down next to Br'aad again, Br'aad took off his vest to try and see the culprit of the burning. He could see burnt flesh in some sort of welt on his chest but only Taxi could read what it said.

"P-Property of Obnock'sh-shai..." Taxi whispered. Br'aad almost jumped out of his skin. This couldn't be happening, this can't be happening, he thought over and over. Br'aad started pushing himself away from Taxi, eyes filled with fear but almost just fearing himself. Br'aad managed to push himself up and then dash up the stairs to the top deck which left Taxi sitting there on the floor in shock.

Sylnan came into the room where their cots were, having been awakened by the scream earlier, in time to see Br'aad scrambling upstairs. Sylnan started to head up that way. As he passed by Taxi, Taxi looked up to him, confusion and sadness in his eyes.

"S-Sylnan, I d-" Taxi stuttered. Sylnan turned on his heel sharply to look at Taxi, cutting him off with his stone glare.

"Just let me handle this." Sylnan said, no emotions to be read.

-

Br'aad leaned on the rail of the ship, looking down at his tattoos, scratching at the brand. He heard wood creaking where the stairs were to see Sylnan standing on the deck.

"S-Sylnan..." Br'aad whispered.

Sylnan looked at his brother. There was the same look in his eyes all those years ago, when he'd first made that awful deal. Sylnan now saw Br'aad's tattoos had turned a dark shade of purple and were radiating pure chaotic energy. Sylnan heard a small cackle from the back of his head, tried to ignore it.

"Sylnan, please just go back down.." Br'aad mumbled, his eyes starting to fill with tears.

"B-Br'aad, wh-" Sylnan stuttered.

"Please go!" Br'aad said.

"Br'aad, I'm here, try to explain what happened to me!" Sylnan said caringly, trying to calm Br'aad down.

"No, no, no..." Br'aad mumbled. "GO AWAY!!" Br'aad put a hand out towards Sylnan and immediately knew what he'd done. A strike of eldritch energy hit Sylnan in the middle of his chest and he flew a couple feet skidding onto the deck.

"Urk!" Sylnan exclaimed as his back hit hard into the wood.

"S-S-Syl-Sylnan, I-I-I..." Br'aad stuttered as he started to run over to Sylnan's side. "I-I-I d-didn't m-m-mean to. I-I'm s-s-so s-sorry.." Br'aad helped Sylnan sit up, Sylnan coughing up a bit of blood as he did. Br'aad's eyes started to water. "Sylnan..."

As Br'aad was now so close, Sylnan could now easily see the brand on Br'aad's chest, a horrific sight with those horrid words.

"Dear gods..." Sylnan muttered.

Br'aad looked down at it, and backup to Sylnan and chuckled, "He's back!"