A Sinner’s Chance - Chapter 195

There was a large commotion that spread through the Adventurer Guild’s ships as the red haired man announced himself and sat at the floating platform. Up until this point no one knew what he looked like and yet he had suddenly appeared before those of us gathered. Agamear nodded at me before murmuring and fiddling with a ring before his feet lifted off the deck and began to float towards the platform. Unlike Agamear I didn’t have a similar form of floating that Zinok and his man had used, rather I didn’t have a choice but to manifest and spread my wings of flame to take flight keeping pace just behind Agamear.

As we landed on the platform Zinok nodded to us and motioned at the seat across from him, smiling pleasantly as Agamear sat down. His eyes were like that of a predator as they sized us up, linger longer than I would have liked on me before he leaned forward and stared directly into Agamear’s eyes.

“Tell me Half-Orc, do you know the reason I am blockading this port?” he said, his voice powerful and containing authority.

Agamear wasn’t fazed in the slightest by the man’s intense pressure as he shook his head. “I don’t, nor do I care. You are impeding the flow of goods and endangering innocent people. All I want to know is what it will take for you to surrender.”

Agamear had been much more soft-spoken and gentle when he was working with the Adventurers, yet his intensity was not that different from Zinok’s, however as if Zinok refused to be matched, a tangible pressure suddenly pressed down upon me and I could tell that Agamear could feel it too. It was as if the gravity of the world had suddenly increased and was trying to force us to our knees.

Zinok’s eyes narrowed as he stared at Agamear. “It would be wise to put aside your arrogance and listen to me. You claim I’m hurting innocents by preventing ships from leaving the port, yet in my view it is you lesser beings that are bringing harm. You preach of helping others yet will turn a blind eye to the heinous and depraved acts that those in power commit simply because there is no benefit in it for you.”

Zinok stood, his chair and the table disappearing as he took a step towards Agamear, raging flames in his eyes. “Aside from my sister and myself, every single member of my crew was once an illegal slave, being traded by the powerful and corrupt. Every ship I’ve attacked and sunk belonged to them. So tell me, who of us truly cares about the innocent?”

For the first time in this life I felt powerless in comparison to another person. However, this did not stop me from standing in front of Agamear as Zinok approached, my naginata appearing in my hand. “Even if the words you speak are true, intimidation causes you to lack credibility.” I said, hoping that Zinok would back off.

Zinok however simply snorted at me. “You mistake my natural authority for intimidation, little girl. I have no need for such petty tactics, I had simply hoped that they would have sent a more reasonable person to talk with, not some stubborn and arrogant fool. Out of respect for the ancients, allow me to show you that unless you desire genocide, it would be most wise to listen to my demands.”

He took one step back as a powerful flame suddenly enveloped his entire body for a brief moment before vanishing. Zinok stood before me and Agamear no longer fully human, but rather in a similar look to myself when I was fully carapaced. However, instead of black chitin, he sported glistening red scales, a set of thick horns, along with the tail and wings of dragon.

“I know not which primordial being granted you a gift, little girl, but take peace in that no lives will be lost in honor of their memory.” Zinok said in almost a whisper before inhaling deeply and exhaling flames that spread out in a conical shape engulfing the ships sent by the Guild along with me and Agamear.

Despite saying that no one would die, the heat of the flames engulfed me and I could actively feel myself being burned. Even with my Yinfire absorbing and blocking the majority of the flame it was simply too powerful for me to easily convert. Unlike actual fire, this flame felt as if it had a limited conciseness that was seeking only to harm and not kill. Even limited intelligence caused the difficulty of Corruption spike and caused it to take longer.

However, just the fact that I could put up some resistance to the flame caused Zinok to look at me even more intrigued than he had earlier and before I could react even he suddenly flew straight towards me, a red scaled claw grasping my shoulder. “I’ve got some specific questions for you girl, don’t resist, I can promise you’ll be safe.”

I didn’t even have time to voice a complaint, let alone resist as powerful magic enveloped me and I suddenly found myself in complete darkness. My fire didn’t give off much light, but it was enough that when I brought it forth I could make out the details of the small room I was in. It was made completely from stone and there was no noticeable entrance or exit from the place, simply nearly identical walls with matching floor and ceiling. No matter what I did I was unable to reveal a path out and only succeeded in wasting my energy, not that that was much of an issue either.

I didn’t know how long I was stuck before Zinok appeared before me. “I didn’t think any of your kind still lived. I don’t know how much you know, but how would you like to kill a God?”