Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Ten Fathoms Deep On The Road To Hell ❯ Chapter 2

* * *

 

Robbie led him by the arm through the crowded streets of the city with a knowing sense of confidence. He didn't waste any steps going through the streets and his eyes didn't miss a thing. He would point out things that he himself had failed to observe his first time through the city.

 

Robbie gestured at a storefront sign which read: Eggs 3 sil. a barrel. "Three silver? Those same eggs go for four times that in Valencia! Thats right bonny! I'm getting some!" He pulled Sideo forcefully by the arm over to the porch of the store.

 

"But what about the ship?"

 

Robbie looked at him as though he was crazy, "The ship will always be there, this is a once in a lifetime deal! I'll make a killing of them in the market!"

 

Sideo stared at him ruefully, "I thought you were a pirate? Wouldn't it be more of your thing to just steal the eggs?

 

Robbie shook his head sadly, "My dear friend, not everything I do is illegal. I'm more of a merchant by trade, and a pirate out of necessity."

 

"Really?"

 

Robbie shot him a grin, "O`course! now get me that wheelbarrow and bring it over there if you could."

 

"Isn't that someone else's wheelbarrow?" Sideo asked.

 

He heaved a long sigh and threw his arm across Sideo's shoulders. He talked to him as though he was a small child, "Captain Icarus, It isn't stealing if we return it after it has served it's purpose. We just need to borrow it for a moment."

 

"Borrow it? Why do we even need a wheel barrow! How many of those eggs are you planning to get!"

 

Robbie stared at him funnily, "Why, all of them of course."

 

"But that's going to cost us a small fortune, you'll be throwing away every piece of silver you just robbed!"

 

"Incorrect. It won't cost me anything at all."

 

"Then you are going to steal them!"

 

"Not at all."

 

"But you won't be paying for them?

 

"Correct."

 

"Why won't you do it legally for once and pay for them? They're just eggs."

 

"Because paying for things costs money, my money! Do you know what that does to one's profit margin? Absurd, now get that wheelbarrow over here."

 

"But that isn't your money!"

 

"Just get the damn barrow!"

 

Sideo finally just decided to oblige Robbie's demand, after all they were just going to borrow it. He wheeled it in front of Robbie and dropped it with a clatter. Robbie who had been fiddling with one of his pistols jumped at the noise of the barrow being dropped. He looked at Sideo and shook his head angrily.

 

"Not here," He shouted, "Over there, in front of the store! Bloody idiot."

 

Sideo managed to move the cart over to where he had wanted it, and walked back to him for further instructions. Robbie inspected his placement and approved it. "Okay, now here's the plan."

 

* * *

 

Sideo walked through the door of the store and looked around. It appeared to be a small general store, with various supplies packing shelves and wall space. The shop was dark and dusty, it appeared that the owner had not been blessed with a lot of business. The owner noticing at last that he had been given a customer squealed with glee and rushed around his end of the counter to assist him. He was a small mousey looking man, dressed in tarnishing grey and brown clothing.

 

Sideo fingered his pistol, this store owner was to be held up at gunpoint by him, and while he played the part of bad guy, Robbie would rush in and knock him down. After a scuffle Robbie wold come out on top and as a reward for saving the shop owner's life he would take the barrel of eggs as a gift. The keeper would be only happy to oblige this good Samaritan with a reward and he would be taken from the store with a promise from Robbie that he would escort him down to the jail immediately. Then that would be that, the storekeeper would live and Robbie would get his free eggs.

 

He stared at Sideo with small, hopeful, eyes. It was a shame to have to do this to the man. It was a win-win situation Robbie had assured him. Except it wasn't! Not only was it shameful it wasn't right! It wasn't Christian! Sideo had a change of heart. He took his hand off of his pistol. "I'd like to buy some eggs please."

 

"You would? How many can I put you down for?" The shopkeeper asked breathlessly.

 

Sideo examined the pouch of money Robbie had given him from the robbery. He counted the numbers in his head and handed the owner a couple pieces of gold, before replying "All of them."

 

"A-a-all of them! Sir, are you sure? Aagh, stop talking, of course he's sure! Yes sir, I'll will get those to you right away!" He shoved the gold into his pocket, scampered to the backroom where the barrel was, and hauled it outside to where Sideo awaited. "In the wheelbarrow please."

 

"Of course sir, thank you so much for your patronage!" The little man hauled the barrel into the barrow then clicked his heels in excitement and ran back into his store.

Robbie walked over from the other side of the street and met Sideo as he began to hoist up the cargo of eggs. He shot him a smile and told him "That was very clever of you. I get my eggs, and the storekeeper gets his money. I believe you forgot something in the store though, come on." He grabbed him by the arm and led him into the store.

 

The shop owner looked at him and worriedly gasped, "There's nothing wrong with the eggs is there? I swear they are the highest quality!"

 

Robbie smiled at him "Nae, the eggs are bonny. The reason we're in here is that my friend forgot something in your shop."

 

"And what was that? I could help you look for it." The owner said.

 

"Nae, you cannae help him find this particular thing."

 

"Why, what is it he forgot?"

 

"The rules." Steel flashed through the air briefly before finding its resting place in the man's throat. He died without a sound. Robbie's blade destroyed his life. "You change the rules, I change the game."

 

"What the hell did you just do!" Sideo shouted

 

"I could ask you the same question, lad." Robbie replied. He struck him across his face with the flat of his sword. Sideo stumbled back, clutching the side of his face, hissing in pain. He then shoved his sword into Sideo's flailing arms and tossed him through the doorway of the store. He tripped over the step and fell, back first, into the gritty dirt road. Robbie stepped out of the store and shouted,

 

"Detain him, he killed the owner of this shop! Dinna let him escape, someone get the authorities!"

 

"No, I didn't, I swear..." He managed to wheeze out before the mob surrounded him, his eyes were drawn to the blood stained sword that rested on the ground next to him. They had to believe him! The last thing he noticed before the legs of the mob blocked his vision was Robbie, carting the egg filled wheelbarrow off into the distance. Then the blows began and didn't stop, until darkness crept upon him like a merciful angel.

 

* * *

 

When Sideo awoke he found himself in prison once again, but this was not 'fighting with sailors' a couple of days prison. This was 'torture you until we decide to hang you' prison. He peered through the darkness at the surroundings that would become his last home.

 

When Sideo awoke he found himself in prison once again, but this was not 'fighting with sailors' a couple of days prison. This was 'torture you until we decide to hang you' prison. He peered through the darkness at the surroundings that would become his last home.

 

The room was Spartan, the walls and floor completely bare of anything of usefulness. The only things he could find was a hole in the ground which would serve as his toilet and a soccer ball sized wad of hay for wiping. The door was thick wood, when Sideo knocked on it the resulting noise was reverberated loudly through his room, this meant it was also very solid wood, he would not be able to break it down. The walls were smooth stone, he would not be able to burrow through them. There were no windows to the room, a thud was heard and his door creaked open.

 

A bright torch momentarily blinded him, he shielded his eyes and when he was finally able to look at the person holding the torch his heart sank. He wore the crimson robes of the king's royal guard, he would not be tricked or persuaded. Legend had it these men never even talked, the guard set down a cracked bowl and a piece of bread on the ground and slammed the door shut again. The bread was horrible, dry and crumbly, but he consumed it ravenously and then drained the bowl of the water it contained. He slid the bowl by the door and sat down to think.

 

He sat and wondered how he would ever get out of the hopeless situation that he found himself currently living., he could conceive nothing. No plan, no idea, he couldn't even think straight. One thing kept searing through his thoughts: betrayal. He had been betrayed by many people in the latter half of his life, one would think he would grow used to it. He didn't. If there was one thing that was absolutely unforgivable in Sideo's mind it was the betrayal of trust. Trust was the one thing that could hold even the most unknown of strangers together, trust was something that once earned one should be able to put their total being into that pact and have faith that nothing bad would happen. The door opened again and this time it was a priest who walked in. He was flanked by two guards, both wearing crimson. He didn't look Sideo, "Torture chamber." He murmured softly.

 

The guards rushed forward and grabbed him by his arms and legs and pinioned them. The torture chamber was were confessions were always given in the end, always. It seemed bad things always happened to Sideo Icarus.

 

***

 

His wrists ached, they were lashed tightly together behind his back and no matter how much he fought they remained immobile. It was only a short walk down the dark damp hallway to the oak door that stood guard to a stairway. The stairway lead to the torture chamber, and everyone knew what went on in the torture chambers. The priest opened the door swiftly and beckoned for his two guards to follow. One flanked Sideo's rear and the other watched his front. They shoved him through the doorway roughly and he nearly tripped. The guard in front steadied him, and the grim procession continued down the stairs. At last they came to the bottom and only an open archway separated Sideo from the horror that lay in the room beyond. The two men again roughly nudged him through the arch. He found himself in an open room, lit by torches that ringed the walls. The sinister instruments filled the room. Everyone knew these instruments by name, The Rack, The Iron Maiden, The Spanish Pear, The Pendulum.

 

A man Sideo had not noticed at first whimpered loudly. He was strapped to the rack and was clothed in nothing more than a loincloth. He was mortifyingly skinny and Sideo could see his bones pushing into his skin, his ribs appeared like a xylophone. His arms and legs were imprisoned at each end of the machine, the vile hand crank loomed over his head. One of the guards forced Sideo into a sitting position, his hands still bound behind his back while the other walked over and placed a hand on the crank. The priest withdrew a clean book of paper from his robes and sat at a table adjourned with a quill and ink.

 

"Answer truthfully. Did you murder that shopkeeper?" The priest asked softly.

 

"No." Sideo responded. The priest simply murmured and recorded his answer down on the paper. It seemed to be his job to both question and record the questioning. He signaled a motion with his hand to the guard standing at the rack's crank. The guard smiled and nodded and with a loud squeal and a demonic thumping the crank turned its first eighth of a revolution. Then the unbearable noise of pain began.