The fur on Garm's arms and legs turns a silver steel as he absorbs the properties of the armor. Raven is knocked back by Garm's now metal coated strike. His claws breaking and cracking what was supposed to be full metal armor.
[Raven] What did you do? This armor shouldn't be broken so easily. It's made from the finest ores mined from the east.
[Sakyo] Well, now it's nothing but scrap metal.
[Garm] Actually, I believe this armor can still be repaired, or the materials could melted down and reused.
[Sakyo] (sigh) Garm, remind me to teach you about wisecracks and sarcasm someday.
With a confused nod, Garm quickly subdues Raven, knocking him out and leaving him on the ground. The group then looks around, hoping to find a way out of the chamber. They check around the walls, under every boulder, even for gaps in the ground beneath their feet. After a few minutes of searching, Kaya finds something hidden in the wall.
[Kaya] Over here, Sakyo, wolf-guy, I think I found something.
The two walk over, not seeing anything different until Sakyo knocks on the wall.
[Sakyo] It's hollow. Garm, hit it as hard as you can.
At his order, Garm uses his armored fists to break the stone and dirt wall. A portion of the wall crumbles away to reveal another tunnel. A faint light can be seen down the end of this new tunnel.
[Sakyo] Good work you two. Now, take everyone down this path. Garm, once everyone is out, go find my mother and tell her we got all the captives out of here.
[Garm] Understood, but what about you?
[Sakyo] I'll catch up with you in a bit. There's something I want to do down here before I go. Before you go, take these. Save them just in case you need them.
Sakyo tosses a few pieces of Raven's armor that were broken off earlier. With no further questions, Garm leads the group of women down the new tunnel. As soon as everyone is out, Sakyo turns towards Raven's motionless body.
[Sakyo] You can stop pretending. I know you're awake.
After hearing those words, Raven slowly stumbles to his feet once again. His once confident stance now blood and bruised as he's barely able to get to his feet.
[Raven] Why didn't you kill me when I was unconscious? What do you want?
[Sakyo] Information on your group. I want to know where those monsters who attacked those villages went?
[Raven] Oh, what make you think that has anything to do with me?
[Sakyo] I noticed all the empty cells with broken bars throughout the tunnel. It's clear they were here, but now the only one left is that one you're failing to hide in that covered cage in the wall.
Raven's confident smirk abruptly fades, his eyes now shifting towards where he hid his tiger. Following his gaze, Sakyo makes his way towards the large cloth covering a section of the wall. Desperate to stop him, Raven picks up his sword and thrusts it directly towards his back.
Sakyo, as if exasperated from Raven's stubbornness, begrudgingly steps aside. Raven's sword is plunged into the cloth, an animalistic growl echoing out from under the cloth. Sakyo swiftly kicks Raven's now exposed back against the cloth.
It falls over him as he hits the ground, revealing a hidden cell holding a giant black tiger. Roughly five meters in size, the giant beast emits a menacing aura.
Against the foreboding feeling any normal person would feel in the face of such a creature, Sakyo can't help feeling drawn to it. He feels a resonance with this tiger's energy, as if it were calling towards him.
The giant tiger slashes at Sakyo, but is stopped by the clanging cell bars, knocking him out of his daze. Sakyo drags Raven back away from the cell, his body still wrapped in the giant cloth.
[Sakyo] What is this thing?
[Raven] Heh heh heh, you think slaves are the only way we made our money? We're just a small part of something you can never hope to stop.
[Sakyo] That doesn't answer my question. What is that thing?
[Raven] That's a Midnight Tiger. One said to be descended from Byakko.
[Sakyo] (Byakko? The white tiger? Is this guy color blind?) What's with its aura?
[Raven] Oh, so you noticed its enhancements? I'm impressed, miasma shouldn't be able to be seen with the naked eye. Do you happen to posses some magic eyes, or maybe you're a blessed child?
[Sakyo] Is that all you have to say?
[Raven] You won't get anything out of me. I'll never tell the knights anything, no matter how many years I must rot in a cage.
[Sakyo] (Whatever, I already got more than I thought.) If you won't cooperate with the knights, then I have a proposal.
[Raven] What? You'll just kill me here instead? Did you truly believe I wouldn't be ready to face death by now?
[Sakyo] Yeah yeah, save me the poems. You won't be facing death just yet. At the moment, you're much more useful to me alive. With that said, let's make a deal.
Puzzled, Raven lifts his head to look straight at the boy standing in front of him. Why would this child make a deal with him? This question keeps repeating in his mind. Despite his earlier words, he didn't want to die here.
[Raven] And just what kind of deal do you have in mind, child? Do you plan to enslave me?
[Sakyo] That would be quite the poetic justice, a slave trader turning into a slave himself, but no. What I'm offering you is a way to escape being captured by the royal knights, and all you have to do is follow my orders for the next ten minutes or so.
Raven can only freeze, confused by such an offer. What is this child thinking? Why would he let him go for a few minutes of obedience? No matter the reason, Raven can't bring himself to pass up such a promising deal. Sakyo uses his short sword to cut Raven out of the cloth.
[Sakyo] So, it's a deal then?
Sakyo holds out his hand, waiting for what comes next. As he rises to his feet, Raven accepts the handshake.
[Raven] Deal.
In that moment, a violet and black aura bursts from where their hands meet. This intense aura swirls around the two, chaining their souls by their wrists, before being pulled back in. When it settles, a familiar lifeless voice rings in Sakyo's mind.
System: [Notice: {Soul Contract} has successfully been established. You have acquired the forbidden skill {Devil's Deal}]
[Sakyo] (What was that? {Devil's Deal}? Forbidden skill? ...Cool!)
Before he can process what just happened, Raven unsheathes his sword and points it at Sakyo.
[Raven] What did you do to me?
[Sakyo] Stop!
With one word, Raven's body is frozen. No matter how hard he tries, he can't even bring his arms to rest his sword.
[Sakyo] (What the...?] Hmm... hand over that sword.
Against his own will, Raven lowers his sword and lands it to Sakyo, who subsequently takes it away.
[Sakyo] (Is this because of that new skill? It's like his body's under my control.) Hmm, Garm was right, you've got some nice equipment. I'll keep this sword.
Clang Clang Clang
That one sound echoes through the tunnel cavern. The bars that held the Midnight Tiger fall to the ground, having been loosened by the sudden burst of aura. Slowly, from the shadows of the cell, the giant tiger emerges.
...
A few minutes earlier, the knights had finished rounding up all of the guards outside the caverns main entrance. Before the captain can enter the tunnel to follow her son, she hears a voice calling her from deeper within the forest.
[Garm] Lady Reika!
Hearing the familiar voice, relief fills her mind as she sees the one she trusted to protect her son. However, that relief is quickly washed away when she doesn't see her son in the approaching crowd.
[Reika] Garm, where's Sakyo?
[Garm] Master stayed behind in the tunnel to make sure we did not leave anyone behind. He ordered me to take this group to you.
[Reika] And you just let him stay there? What if something happens to him? I told you to keep him safe!
Her anger grows at Garm's seemingly calm demeanor.
[Garm] I apologize, but I can not disobey a direct order from my master.
His hand reaches to his shoulder, remembering the immense pain that comes with disobeying a direct order. Reika's anger seems to fade slightly, remembering the slave crest that Garm bares on his back. A permanent brand on his soul that cries out in agony at the mere thought of disobeying a direct order. In this moment of silence between them, a new voice speaks up.
[Kaya] Um, excuse me, but that kid seemed like he can take care of himself.
[Reika] And you are?
[Kaya] Kaya, and you shouldn't worry. Your son beat the crap out of these guy's leader. He can take on anyone else down there.
RRRRRAAAAAAWWWWWWRRRRRR
Hearing the loud roar reverberate from within the tunnel, everyone is stunned at the immense amount of energy that followed it. Some of the guards and knights fall to there knees, unable to handle such dense power.
[Garm] What was that?
[Guard] So, he really let it out.
Amidst the captured guards, Raven's right hand man is the only one who knows this familiar feeling. Helplessness of prey under a natural predator. Reika grabs his collar, lifting him with rage boosted strength.
[Reika] What just released that much energy?!
[Guard] The boss's final trump card.