Last chance

Perses watched the king through shaky vision. His body was strung up by the king's magic 15 meters into the air, and he was left aimlessly floating. The king would alter his position if he drifted too close towards the roof wall or floor to prevent him from regaining his footing.

Right now, he was descending, just in time to see a weakened Reverend limping towards the king. With great difficulty, he kneeled in front of him. The king listened to the Reverend's words with a tired smile on his face. Perses couldn't make out what they were saying. He couldn't hear anything, for that matter, aside from a quiet whirring. 

Eventually, a green light began to pulse from the king's hand. This light twirled towards the Reverend's close body and wrapped him in its green shimmer. After only a short moment, a few more words were exchanged. The Reverend then stood up and headed towards the back of the stage that Perses could no longer witness. 

Regardless of how confident the king looked, Perses had not given up. In fact, slowly, his vision had returned to him, but his ears were still a ways behind. His eyes were still covered by a layer of wet blood that persisted; however, the wounds themselves had closed. 

The king had already realized this. Rather, he seemed to expect it entirely. Instead of engaging Perses with a furious attack, a shadow fell across the king's face as he began to talk.

"It's too bad, Perses. You believe that you still have a chance, yet you forgot one thing. The one in charge of this kingdom, no, the empire's blessed... is me. You think I wasn't aware you could heal that you were strong, fast and armed with inhuman reactions? No, all Blessed are like that. Your too inexperienced in battle. That is why I now know that you don't understand your ability. After all, if you did, you would of used it already."

The king's egoistic rant gave Perses enough chance to remember what Machia had spoken of regarding abilities. Only then did he realize that the king was right. He had no way to defend himself in his current position. 

Helpless to move, the king's audacious boasting undermined Perse's patience. But then he was reminded of the time Hectate had collapsed on her way to her home. Recognizing this, a stubborn sensation rose within him.

"Oh yeah, so what? I've healed enough to see now you are exhausted. You probably don't have much magic or whatever it is, do you?."

Perses tried his own hand at defiantly bragging, but the impatient, prideful man didn't flinch.

"Well, that may be, but it doesn't matter. You see, you lost the moment I lifted you into the air. Remember, I've had years, no decades, to prepare for such a situation, yet what did you do? Waltz right in here with no method of escape. And then, to go as far as to defy me, Perses, my heart aches."

The king smiled contently at Perses, but seeing his questioning gaze, the king couldn't help but feel his smile widen even further.

"So you don't get it yet. Earlier, the stone doorway refused to break, no matter how hard I pushed you into it, correct? Well, that's because this whole room has a layer of that very same substance. I mean, look around you. Do you think a throne room would be this barren? What would the fools from the empire even think of me? No, I'm afraid all you have been led to is a fake throne, a trap, a cell if you will."

Perses looked around as much as his precarious position would permit. He had recognized earlier the simplicity of the hallways, but this room was the same. He had been so concentrated on analyzing the king and Reverend's words and faces that he hadn't even noticed how stripped the room was of, well, everything. 

"So you get it now."

Standing up and walking towards his throne, he announced, "What awaits you, Perses, is three days of relentless agony or at least until Machia makes it back. I do hope you're up to the task. I still have an important role for you, after all." 

With his free hand, the king pointed his palm at the throne, but nothing happened. The king then snarled and balled his palm into a fist. Suddenly, the throne split apart. The rock fragments were slowly hoisted off the ground and surrounded the king. Whilst Perses remained suspended in the air, he watched one of the many floating jagged stones begin to twirl. 

His instincts began screaming at him to move, but he could do nothing. For the first time, Perses showed a truly helpless face as the stone lunged straight for him. 

"AGHHHHGHH"

The stone pulverized his leg's flesh and became firmly lodged into it. He screamed from the pain. This stone, somehow, had pierced his leg with ease. The king took great satisfaction in this, letting out a heartfelt laugh. 

"YOU BROUGHT THIS ON YOURSELF BOY"

Cackling away, he eagerly fired up the second projectile with his right hand. The stone spun and launched forward, impaling Perse's other leg. 

"AAAAAGGHHH wai-"

The second impact shocked him as it disrupted his words and thoughts. His mind could only scream at him in pain. The king could not rebuke or insult Perses. His screams were simply too loud, but this satisfied him plenty. As if listening to a harmonious chorus, the king closed his eyes gratefully, basking in it. He didn't stop there, however. There was too much ammunition and too much fun to be had. 

A countless array of stones were flung towards Perse's figure as hours passed.

Many different names were to be screamed from inside the castle walls. But there was no one around to hear them.