Dominit was about to call out to them too let them know he was already in the bath hoping to avoid him being attacked by his new friends. Before he could utter a word he’d heard several more footsteps coming from the same direction and then a female voice talk to them. “Princess I was told to inform you that while the bath is ready your guest has already entered. If you would like we could have him removed.”

Dominit was able to make out the sound of metal scraping against stone. “No I don’t think that will be necessary but thank you Louise. I have much to talk to him about and I’d rather have him relaxed here than beaten bloody in a cell”

They were talking and still walking towards the bath. Appearing from around a corner Cassy, Emma, and seven other women dressed for a fight walked in. Cassy and Emma both had towels wrapped around their bodies. Cassy’s was a little bit higher than Emma’s most likely hiding the symbol above her breasts.

The other women stared in his direction as they walked closer. Cassy looked back to them and said “We’ll be fine you can go now.” They lingered for a moment before bowing and walking back the way they came.

Cassy sighed and slowly took off her towel and slid into the bath. As she began to undo her towel Dominit turned his head away to show a bit of respect. Emma took that opportunity to enter the bath as well. After they had all settled in Dominit took a moment to look over Emma. He’d never noticed she wasn’t a Beastkin. She was only a human he thought she had just been hiding her animalistic features to not draw attention while traveling. There was nothing very memorable about her appearance only that she had shoulder length black hair and brown eyes.

She noticed him looking her way and looked away from him to Cassy. “I guess now would be a good time to explain what that was about. They think you found me unconscious and forced this collar on me.” Dominit sighed because there was no way having people think you intently enslaved a kingdoms princess would get you very many friends.

“Exactly everyone in the palace wants you in the dungeon being tortured until you take this off of me. Which obviously wouldn’t help me since you didn’t do it.” I would recommend you stay close to me as someone may take it upon themselves to interrogate you.

He nodded and began to leave the bath giving the two ladies their well-earned relaxation time. After wrapping up and only showing the Cassy a momentary glance at his butt as had Emma turned away. Before walking to a changing room with his old clothes he turned back to Cassy. “If I can do you think I could get a small room with a bed? I’d like to take a nap before we do anything.”

She nodded and told him to ask one of the maids waiting outside to take care of him. He did as she said and found himself somewhere in the palace with a room of his own. Taking a few minutes to remove his armor he laid down and fell asleep as soon as his head touched the pillow.

He was expecting to wake up and spend more time training and talking with Nyx but for some reason he wasn’t there. It wasn’t that he showed up somewhere else it was that the usual place felt strange. Like something was missing and low and behold it was because Nyx’s was gone. Dominit wasn’t sure if this was a normal thing since it was the first time since he’d been here that she was missing.

Unable to do anything besides shout for her. After spending ten minutes doing so he decided it was a waste of time and went about his training throwing daggers and using his powers. Nyx told him that being in her realm made him able to use his powers as much as he wanted without the obvious fatigue after over using them in the real world.

After a few hours of training he felt a sudden pain on his right cheek. All of a sudden he was violently torn from his dream state and thrust into a dark jail cell. “Fuck me really literally just after she told me to stay close.” A man stepped into the cell with a furious look and behind him was a woman. The man was largely built and quite tall possibly seven feet tall with red hair that reached his shoulders and atop his head were ears. The woman behind him had orange hair and stood closer to five foot five. She was also glaring at him.

Dominit unsure of what was going on other than he was about to be interrogated tried his best to talk with them before any real torture began. “Hi there would you mind if I asked…” before he could finished speaking the large man punched him the stomach so hard he and the chair he was tied to lifted off the floor for a moment. He began to cough and wheeze as the powerful blow had knocked the wind out of him.

“You listen here Supremacy scum. If you open your mouth one more time without being asked I’ll take one of your fingers as payment. Now we are going to ask you a few questions and you are going to answer them honestly or else. Do you understand?” Dominit nodded slowly and began to stare angrily at the man.

“Good now first question where did you find our daughter?” Dominit thought for a moment and wasn’t sure who the man was talking about “Who?” he asked which was the wrong answer as the woman walked behind him with a blade and quickly severed his pinky finger from the knuckle down on his left hand. He ground his teeth and groaned. “You know who the princess. Where did you find her?”

Realization dawning on him he told the king and queen about the base he’d found her in. After finishing he was punched in the face. “You bastards what did you do to her while she was there?” He told them that he wasn’t sure as he’d snuck into the camp and saw the tent. He walked towards it hoping to find something good inside only to find the princess.

He was punched again in his stomach causing a small amount of blood to fly from his mouth as he coughed. “Good good now we can talk about removing her collar then yes?” Dominit looked at him and shook his head. Before he could tell them he hadn’t been the one to collar her another finger was cut from his left hand his ring finger.

He groaned again but was able to tell them he wasn’t responsible for it. This caused the king to laugh “If you weren’t the one who did it then she’d be dead as she has run away. No you are the owner that’s why you came here to try and negotiate a trade for her safe return.”

Once again he shook his head only to feel the knife slice through his middle finger. “AHHHHHHHH” he screamed. Causing them both to laugh at his pain. “Oh we’re just getting started boy.” His wife walked out from behind him wave the three fingers to him and exited the cell but turned back around and leaned against the far wall. “I get back from the summoning ritual only to find my daughter is being held hostage by you scum. Did you expect to walk away with whatever spoils we offered for her safe return?”

“Please I’m not who you…” Dominit’s face was rocked to the side as the king’s massive fist swung into it knocking him and the chair to the floor. He pulled the chair back up with Dominit in it and chuckled. “You shouldn’t interrupt. As I was saying no you won’t be ever leaving this castle alive. I will give you a somewhat quick death after a few days of torture. You should thank me for not having you healed and “playing” with you for years. Think of it as gratitude for safely bringing my daughter home.”

After his little lecture was over he began to unleash blow after blow into Dominit’s face. Having to stop after a few hits to pick him back up and start again. He was able to land twelve blows before there was a commotion down the long corridor that lead to the exit of the dungeon. “Princess please you can’t go down there right now you’re captor is currently being questioned.” Said an unfamiliar voice.

“What have you people done with him? How many times have I said that he saved me and Emma from “them”. He isn’t one of them. Now get out of my way or I’m make personally sure you are the next one questioned for daring to bar my way.

There was a clatter and the sounds of shoes hitting stone steps. A moment later Cassandra ran down the corridor then stopping as she saw her mother leaning against a wall in front of a cell. “Mother it’s so good to see you when did you get back and why are you down here of all places?” He mother smiled at her at was about to move to hug her when Cassandra pushed her back.

“What’s that in your hand mother?” before she could answer her daughters question the king walked out from the cell with his fists covered in blood. “Oh father you were here as well. This isn’t exactly the best place for us to have a reunion.” He smiled and nodded. “Indeed my little one. How about we go upstairs and talk?”

Cassandra smiled and nodded as they walked past her she stopped them “I’ll be up in a moment I’m looking for someone right now he saved me from “Supremacy” and I found out someone was questioning him. Gods help anyone who laid a finger on him.” She looked over to the guard and waved to him. “Show me which cell he’s in now.” The guard slowly raised his finger and pointed at the one her parents had just left. She frowned for a moment not fully understanding why her parent’s would be in Dominit’s cell until she realized who’d been “questioning” him.

She darted inside and upon seeing his sorry state scream out to the guard. “Hurry and bring a healer!” she cut him loose with her claws and slowly lifted him up putting her neck under his left arm to support her half-conscious saviour. After leaving the cell she saw no one had moved. She screamed again for a healer sending the guard running back the way he’d arrived. Cassandra started to drag him forward. As she passed her mother and father she saw what was in her mother’s hands.

She looked horrified and screamed at them both. “How could you do this to him? He saved me from them you idiots. But how do you repay him by cutting his fingers off and beating his face until is nothing but shattered bones.” They started to protest that she was being deceived that he’d only lied to her so that she would come to his aid if anything like this happened and that as soon as they got him to take the collar off of her she’d realize what they were saying was true.

At this point in the conversation multiple people began running towards them there were three people in white robes while they had five palace guards following right behind them. “Take him to my chambers and do anything it takes to keep him alive.” She quickly snatched his fingers from her mother “And put these back on.” Giving them to the head healer.

Everyone looked at the princess and her parents as they’d all been made aware of the man who’d enslaved the princess. Cassandra slapped him and told him to do it or else she would personally ruin any chance he had at furthering his position in Blazen. At that point Dominit didn’t remember much else. All he remembered was fading from a state of consciousness and something akin to a coma.