Different than expected.

I could see Shina's look of mixed curiosity and paralyzing fear from the side of my eyes as the lights traced down Smoke's face. To my great surprise, they stopped halfway down his neck. His breathing quickened and I heard muffled screams from beneath my hand as the lights seemed to go into his skin. They then began moving, leaving a line of what seemed to be a tattoo behind them, ink of a dark green shade. They carved into his flesh, him jerking to shake them off, until they finished their design and snuffed themselves out.

I released his face, and he slumped forward, his breathing catching as he seemed near retching from the pain. I chuckled to myself while grabbing and lifting his chin to get a better look at the design. I momentarily got to see that he was in fact crying, his eyes somewhat glossed over from the pain that applying mark of submission apparently causes. 'Leave it to self-righteous assholes to come up with a excessively painful process to rip away someone's will and claim it's a way to help people. Fucking hypocritical bastards, I suppose I should let them see how their rehabilitation method feels.'

Looking at the mark itself, I could quickly deduce why it may have been different than Ariel told me it would be. It formed a tight collar of sorts, made of the same thorned and fanged pattern that my divine mark had as its wreath. Looking at it, I could swear that when he moved, it adjusted on him like an actual collar instead of a tattoo. This gave me an idea.

I let go and moved back to get a view of both of them. "Now then," I said with a sigh in my words, "Let's start over, yes?" I looked intently at Smoke, "Tell me honestly, have you lied to me during this lovely conversation?"

He looked to me, tears still clouding his vision as he started to speak, "N-". He immediately let out the most pained wail I had ever heard in either of my lives. I saw the collar seem to tighten, the thorns and fangs seemingly digging into his flesh, though not drawing blood. He was actively sobbing, clearly unable to continue talking as he flailed his head to find a position that was less painful, unable to escape the collar that was a part of his skin.

I rotated my head to the side so I could look down to see Shina. "Well? Will I be needing one for you?"

Her wide eyes moved from Smoke to me. She tried to speak, but could not seem to find words. She cried as she couldn't find her voice, instead almost throwing her head side to side.

I gave a polite small nod, "Good, I didn't want to use another." I cleared my throat, "Well, what do you think of it? I shall call it... The Collar of Thorn and Fang! Or... does Fang and Thorn sound better?" I stroked my beard as I considered it.

Meanwhile, Shina finally found her voice. "W-w-what is it you want from me?"

I turned to look at her, feeling a slight pang of guilt as I looked at her broken expression. I shook my head with a sigh and turned back to her with a softer expression, "My apologies, I got carried away." I gave a large exhale before clapping to get myself back on track, making her recoil away from me. "Well, I had best be letting Mathew have his body back soon, so is there anything you wish to speak with me directly about first?"

She regained her composure slightly before speaking, "Are you going to let me go?"

I waved my finger, "Don't get cocky now."

She looked at me angrily, "But you said-"

I interrupted her, "I said the less useful one would die, I never promised the other would live." Her face fell, she seemed utterly defeated. 'The perfect moment to be a shining hero against the trauma I caused myself.' "However, I do believe you are worthy of living."

She looked to me with hope, "Then, you'll help me get out of here?"

I gave a more friendly chuckle, "I will have Mathew take charge of your imprisonment. I doubt I could convince Norman to let you go entirely. Plus, it would be a waste to let one with such potential go back to banditry."

Her face slightly fell before rising again at the end of my statement. "You mean-"

I looked past her in an inspirational pose, "I hope for you to fare well within my church once it is complete."

I gave her a nod before brining my hands to my face. She called out, but I was already done playing pretend as my own god. I slowly moved my hands up my face, returning all the slight details I had changed back to its previous state. The last mark of my return to the character of Mathew being the disappearance of my divine mark.

I gave a satisfied exhale before opening my eyes and looking at them both. "Well, it looks like it went... Interestingly."

Shina breathed heavily as she watched me with an unreadable expression. Smoke was curled up as much as possible, seemingly mentally broken from the pain and the possible acknowledgement that he was going to die.

I looked to Shina and spoke, "Is there anything I can help you with before I attempt to negotiate with Norman for your... exchange?" She shook her head slowly; I nodded in response.

I walked to the door of the cell and knocked on it. There was a moment where nothing happened, then I remembered the spirit guarding the door. "Open it please," I hoped the door wasn't too soundproof. Sure enough, the door was opened, the Spirit holding it like a butler at the door.

Norman and Oliver seemed to have been trying to entertain themselves with some form of game, thought they were already looking to the door by the time it was opened. Norman called out to me, "Done then?"

I gave him a bow, "For the most part, though I do have a request."

He squinted at me, "And that is?"

I explained myself, "I have rendered one of them unable to deny my requests, I shall leave them to answer any questions you have," Norman gave me a rolling finger gesture to get on with it. "I request to be allowed to handle the punishment of the other one myself."

He held his chin as he thought hard for an answer, "On the condition that we may approach you if we need information from them." He settled on.

I gave a nod, "Fair enough."

He spoke to some guards, and it was arranged that Shina would be brought to the church upon its completion. I then approached Smoke, telling him orders that Norman had requested. "You are to answer the questions of these men as truthfully as you can, admitting if you do not know information. When they tell you they are done with you, you are to die a slow and painful ****, whichever you find to cause the most suffering that you are capable of." He seemed almost lifeless, his eyes glossed over and his body unmoving, but I could sense that he was still officially living.

I gave Norman a satisfied nod, which he returned, then our group left the dungeon together.