Dargan, You Fool

*BACK IN VALERIA*

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Azrael descended the stone staircase to the dungeons, his steps heavy with the clicking of his boots on the cobblestone. He moved deeper into the bowels of his palace, where torches flickered weakly against the eery darkness. At the end of the corridor, a cell came into view, the occupant slumped against the wall, chains rattling with every movement.

Dargan looked up as Azrael approached, his face bruised but his smirk intact. "To what do I owe the pleasure, Your Majesty?"

Azrael ignored the mockery in his tone, his black eye devoid of any emotions. "Your usefulness has reached its limit, Dargan. I want to know the 'master' that you serve."

Dargan chuckled bitterly. "Always straight to the point, aren't you? I do not think that is a wise thing to do, Your Majesty."

"Then let me make myself clear. You will either give me what I need, or your time in this world will end painfully."