It sounds like your only chance for survival, slim though it may be. In some ways you’d like to be out of this company and who are you really betraying? From what you’ve seen the company is little better than the demons. You’re sick of all of this, the fighting, the demons, the company, all of it.

“It’s a deal, but make a damn good effort for your kin NOT to target me, AND not to go chasing me either!”
“Okay! Sheesh, you’re mistrustful. You just make sure you do your part.” Big Red says and shakes your hand.

You both exit the abandoned store and you look for where most of your fellows are located. The village square of course. You know there are look outs in each of “corners” of the village. You sneak about the village like an assassin and ready your bow.

You take out each sentry in relative silence with your skillful bow shots and drag their bodies into a nearby house. Now nobody will raise an alarm too soon. You then head to the village square and begin interacting with some of them. They find it odd since you’re usually keeping to yourself, but they enjoy your playing so they don’t mind it when you do that.

Your Captain on the other hand comes out from the house he’s set up in and is wondering what all the commotion is. He gets angry.

“What the fuck are you idiots doing? We’re fucking deep in demon territory and you’re all making enough noise to attract a damn army of them.”
“What difference does it make? They got patrols that have come across our location before, so they know where we’re at.” You remark.”
“The difference is that I want you fuckers to be alert and focused if we get attacked, not getting drunk and dancing to music like some fucking sissy elf!”
“Aren’t you married to an elf?” you say still playing and backing away from the Captain’s reach. He’s almost in shock that you’d speak to him in such manner especially since you never usually speak too much in the first place.

“You, pig farmer are really pushing my patience tonight. If I didn’t need all the people I can get for this job, I’d kill you myself!”
“Shhh! I think you better shut the fuck up lute boy.” One of the other mercenaries whispers.
“Why? We’re already in fucking Hell, who gives a shit how much noise we make?”

You defiance gets worse and finally the Captain draws his weapon to shut you up. At this point you call him a pile of orc shit and run. This causes the rest of the mercenaries to get out his way as he charges at you. Some of them also give chase, but most just stay out of it.

Fortunately at this point the demons have finally gotten into position and strike. Most of the company is so bewildered by what has occurred between you and the Captain that they’re unprepared. Your Captain immediately stops his pursuit of you when a particularly large demon jumps on top of him from one of the rooftops. He fights it off with the help of some of his men, but you see more coming and continue to make your escape.

As you run away from the village, a few demons pass you by and don’t attack, looks like Big Red kept his word.

To a point.

Big Red suddenly appears in front of you.

“Thanks friend, now for your reward!” he says and then puts his fist through your chest which kills you instantly.

You don’t know how much time has passed, but you eventually hear Big Red speaking to you.

“Get up, I need your word.”
“Huh?” you say in a daze.
“Did I not get you to distract the Chimera Company in an effort to collect all their souls?”
“Huh? Yeah…” you continue to say in a daze.

You start shaking the cobwebs and see that you’re in a completely different place. A very bad place. Big Red and another much bigger demon are talking. You see the rest of your Company in the distance, naked and in chains. The entire landscape is very barren, has a reddish hue and its uncomfortably hot.

“Okay, you’ll get credit for all these souls.”
“Hang on, I want to keep this one, he has certain talents and he did allow all this to happen.” Big Red says pointing to you.
“Very well…that’s your right. Just sign there, and there, okay. Let’s load these sorry souls up!”

Big Red looks pleased with himself as the souls are taken away.

“Come on, I’m going to take a break.”

You feel compelled to join him, but you still have questions obviously.

“What the fuck man?! I’m in Hell!”
“Got it in one. Excellent detective work.”
“But…But the deal! You broke the fucking deal! I don’t belong here!”
“No I didn’t. I said my fellows wouldn’t harm you, not that I wouldn’t. Besides YOU made a deal with me, which damned you in the first place. You definitely belong here.”

The reality of this situation has now caused a massive amount of fear within you. You’re in Hell and there’s no escape from it! You can’t even attack Big Red, he’s got a permanent magical hold on you from causing him any sort of harm, though you probably wouldn’t be a match for him anyway. You collapse on the ground and feel defeated. Big Red stops, but he doesn’t get angry.

“Now what is your problem? I just saved YOUR soul from being eternally tormented by my superiors. They’ll probably be eating them and shitting them out only to eat them again for who knows how long. Not a pleasant process.”
“But…but what are you going to do to me?” you ask.
“You? You’re going to play for me at my home in the Blood Hills. Trust me, its not nearly as bloody as the name makes out.”
“Play?”
“Sure. I said you played pretty well, and I do appreciate such things. Music is one of my hobbies other than the whole soul collection thing of course. I’ve got sheets of music from lots of places; I can’t play worth a shit though. The claws don’t help either. Now come on let’s go.”

You are finding this very odd, but you don’t feel as bad now. You’re Big Red’s slave, but given where you’re at, things could be a lot worse. You’ll at least get to do something you’ve always wanted to do. Play music without hindrance. You wonder about your family, but there’s little that you can do for them now. You just hope things work out for them in the living world.

Big Red’s home isn’t some giant castle, but a moderate sized house. The inside is decorated with grisly trophies, which you guess can only be considered demonic art.

“Sinthinia! I know you’re here! I can smell your scent!” he calls out.

A sexy female demon comes out of one of the rooms. You can’t help but stare, she barely acknowledges you at all though.

“I’ve been waiting for you Big Red, so did the deal go down well?”
“Well, it could’ve gone better, but it was still a good haul. So how is it really going with Velzix?”
“(Sigh) He’s probably going to lose as predicted. I can sense it, anyone with half a brain can. That whole world is going to eventually become a graveyard, I know it. And the undead are no fun. That’s why I’ve come back here.”
“Well my house is your house. Let’s put some music on shall we?” Big Red points to you. “You, go pick up that mandolin over there and start playing that something on those music sheets I got set up. Sit over there and continue playing until I say stop which won’t be anytime soon.”

Once again you feel the need to comply. You do exactly as Big Red commands as he and Sinthinia head to a bedroom. He then stops to turn to you.

“Oh, I don’t know if you realized it at the soul market, but your Captain was NOT there. You know why? Because he somehow managed to fucking escape death! Now I could blame the idiots that were working for me for allowing him to escape, but I figured since I got you anyway, it would be more fun to blame you. Enjoy playing music for all eternity!” he says as Sinthinia giggles and they close the door.

You don’t quite understand that remark until you begin playing the mandolin. You begin to feel excruciating pain all over. Your mind is tormented with negative emotions causing you great distress as well.

Big Red has made it so your greatest love which is music causes you pain.

And you can never stop playing.

All you can do is suffer.