Tony's eyes opened to take in dim torchlight and swaying rusted chains. To his surprise and suspicion, none of those chains were attached to him. His suspicion grew as he went to sit up and his body felt heavy. Tony couldn't tell if it was the lingering toxin in his veins or something worse.

The mat he found himself on was surprisingly comfortable; not as plush as his bed back on the Hagh T'nak or the lounge pillow he'd woken up on earlier, but much better than he expected. Before he could plant his feet on the floor and stand, the sound of stone sliding against stone reached his ears as a massive slab door opened on the other side of the darkened chamber.

"Less than six hours, I would have to say that is a new record." Serketzi's voice caressed his ears like silk.

"Longest or shortest time out?" Tony asked.

"Shortest, actually. Very surprising," she said more to herself than to him, "stand." she ordered.

Before Tony could think of a smart remark to make back to her, his body complied and a system message appeared in his vision.

Compulsion Successful

"What did you do to me?" Tony asked as a sweat broke out across his back.

"I gave you a gift, what... you don't like it?" she asked. The sing-song lilt of her tone and the way she loomed over Tony conveyed her condescension adequetly.

Tony called up his equipment screen, eyes narrowing in confusion first before going wide in shock.

Armor

Head: Empty (Doomed King's Helm Equip Requirements Not Met)

Neck: Essence Slave Collar | +6 Defense Rating

Chest: Ruined Leather Cuirass | +10 Defense Rating

Shoulders: Pauldron of Vengeance | ? Defense Rating

Wrist: Covenant | +5 Defense Rating

Rings: Empty

Hands: Ruined Duelist's Gloves | +0 Defense Rating

Waist: Brass Buckled Leather Belt | +3 Defense Rating

Legs: Cracked Iron Greaves | +5 Defense Rating

Feet: Ruined Plate Boots : +4 Defense Rating

A majority of his equipment was broken, the Gjoll Stone Amulet had been moved into his inventory along with the Doomed King's Helm that for some reason, could no longer be equipped, the Pauldron of Vengeance was no longer giving him a defense bonus, a new item labeled "Shattered remains of Legion" was also in his inventory, and worse than all of that was his new Neck Slot.

Tony focused on the item to review its description and immediately regretted the decision to do so.

Essence Slave Collar

A device linked to the Essence of a controller, it subjugates the very Essence of any sentient being made to wear it. The collar can be removed either by the controller, through advanced magic, or brute force.

Removing via brute force is highly discouraged.

Tony was frozen in place, What do I do? What can I do? he thought.

"What do you want from me?" Tony growled at the woman.

"I just want to have a nice, civil, conversation with you that is all," Serketzi said, "no threats of violence, no need for me to have my guards present, just you and me."

Tony narrowed his eyes at the Scorpion Queen. Jorogu did mention that they had history, he could only wonder what role that played in all of this.

Serketzi's eyes bored into his, "What are you thinking about, tell me," she ordered.

Tony felt the words forming in his throat and mouth and tensed his jaw, trying to keep his mouth from opening to spill out the information she wanted.

You have been Poisoned

The sensation spreading through his body was much different than the first time she'd poisoned him. It was the exact opposite. Instead of every muscle flexing and remaining tight, a wave of physical tension sloughed off of him causing his mouth to fall open.

"I was wondering if my capture and imprisonment had anything to do with whatever rivalry there is between you and Jorogu." he answered lazily.

"Ah, yes, you are clever. I heard that about you." she commented.

"Oh yeah? What else did you hear about me?" Tony quipped back.

"I heard that you are a fighter, that you stood against the Yokai Cluster upon your first arrival on Arach and slew Sujuko, the most evolved male of the Arach people in single combat," she said as she grabbed the front of Tony's tattered chest armor and pulled him into the middle of the room. She circled him like a predator circling their prey.

"Oh is that all?" Tony answered.

"No, but that is all that I'll say about it for the moment." she said as her nails ran from one of Tony's shoulders to the next, sending a chill down his spine.

"You know, keeping me here is a mistake," Tony said, fatigue settling into his very bones.

"Oh?" Serketzi said, "and why is that?"

"Because it ends one of three ways, either I cut my way out of here inflicting as much damage as possible on the way out, Auren and the Ascendants come for me and glass your whole hive, or Jorogu settles whatever business she has with you." Tony menaced.

"Listen to me, Antonious, and listen well," Serketzi said, "If it is truly to end in any of those ways, why has none of it started?"

Her question caught Tony in the chest. "What do you mean?" he asked, leering sideways at her as she continued to circle him.

"You have been in my possession for three days now, I sent a messenger to the Arach at the end of the first day, when we knew you were still alive. The messenger returned unscathed and with no message in return. Now, what do you think that means?" Serketzi stopped in front of him and lowered herself down to stand on her feet instead of being propped up on her tails.

Tony furrowed his brow. Sure, Jorogu had been upset with him over his... entanglements with Vasna, but they were working on that. She wouldn't leave him in the clutches of her enemy over that... would she?

"Besides that, even if your Ascendants were to seige my palace, they would have to break the blockade first. Your people may be strong, but mine have done this for millenia. It will take more than one god and his chosen to break through."

Tony couldn't tell if it was the collar influencing his acceptance or if she was just right about all of it; and if she was right about all of it, she would know that his claim about carving his way out of the den was all bravado.

Serketzi pressed one of her fingers underneath Tony's chin and forced him to make eye contact with her. He met her gaze for a moment and pulled away when a flush rose in her cheeks.

"That's it, that's the look that I wanted to see, and it was so delicious," her arms and tails wrapped around her body, holding herself as though enraptured by Tony's suffering.

"Go and rest now, pet, I'll be back to spend some more quality time with you tomorrow." she said, turning on her heel and sauntering out of the room, the large stone slab slamming to the floor with a resounding thud.

Despite the order-like nature of her departure, Tony felt no compulsion to go back to the mat and sleep. Instead, he took a moment to examine the collar. It was a thin band of metal that had two flares pointing down at the seperate ends, there were intricate etchings in the metal that depicted what he could only interpret as "bliss in servitude." When he tugged at one of the ends, Tony swiftly learned that the flared ends, resting on the inside curve of his clavicle, dug into his skin and cause a tremendous amount of pain when they broke contact with him.

"Well, I sure am fucked," Tony announced, "the question is, how hard..."