[My stay in the Dungeon still leaves me with many nightmares. If not for Yuriel’s comforting embrace, I’d rather sleep with the feel of a solid wall on my back and hard ground beneath me. The soft feather stuffed mattress feels like quicksand pits of the Kor, sucking me in, a bit at a time. Drowning me.... Maybe Yuriel does not realize how much her warm touch has helped me. Slowly and surely, piece by piece, making me whole…..
On another note, the recent bout of nightmares has again jogged my memory. At least the satisfaction of trapping those damned Shadow Prowlers still sweet even though the after taste is bitter. Though I finally know the holder of those Amethyst eyes. Finally. Whenever I thought back to that dream, the glimpse of purple left me with a plethora of emotions, adding coals to my ever-increasing fire of curiosity driven insanity. Why? Why? WHY!? Why do those eyes remind me of a dearest memory. Of respect. Of sad parting…. Of regret? But the memories brought with them a cool wind dosing the fire. Like a blossoming spring in the desert. That person…She… was my teacher.
The world of caves and stone was not merciful to me. Of the snippets that remain in the scattered mind, I had almost forsaken my humanity. A beast in human skin. Then, I knew no love. No hate. No envy. No pride. Only hunger. Deep, deep hunger, anger and fear. Yes….it came back to me a while back. Before I hunted the shadow prowlers, I used to skitter around in the [Northern Small Caves]. Which housed tribes of goblins. Yes… goblins….but not like the ones here… no. they were INTELIGENT. I remember. I saw it in their eyes. Though I was too far gone to recognize the emotions, but now I remember. The giant earth mole had swiped me by the tail against a stone wall. It had been a miracle how I survived. By the time I had strength to stand up the mole was gone. But I had to move. I could not stop. The bugs and vermin came for anything with flesh and not enough strength to move. I had seen it. They gnawed off the flesh, bit by bit. Whilst you breathe. Whilst you feel every bite. No. I would not end that way. No. So, I walked. I don’t know how far or how long but I fell eventually.
When I came to, I was in a cave. The smell of goblins, unmistakable. The first smell I remembered smelling. and the first thought that came to me was, 'haven't had goblin in s long time.' There was food beside me and my bone mace. I scarfed down the food by the handfuls, a painfully learned habit, and took my bone mace. As I was about to leave the small cave room a silhouette came from the side. My body like a puppet swung the mace to the left. A sickening crunch told me I had done damage. But I had felt absurd to me. ‘a goblin? Felled so quickly?’. The soft bluish-purple glow of the moss let me see the slim body of a female goblin….and…right beside it…no. HER was a child. Carrying a plate fashioned out of a shoulder blade containing bandages. I had glimpsed at the child’s face. A face that still haunts me in the night. Sometimes it’s morphs into Anika standing beside Yuriel. The Surprise. The confusion. The dawning realization. The horror. Cascading river of emotion. But I was blind. So blind and FOOLISH!!........... No…….. I was broken. Too broken to realize what kind of monster I was.
I swung again, releasing another shower of blood. More came to end up the same way. Elongating the trails of blood longer and longer. To think I had the thought of taking a bite out of those corpses. DISGUSTING!.... well no matter how many times I tell myself that I am not the same man anymore-hardly could be called a man then, but there is this lingering fear. What if I loose control one day what if I’ll do to my own family that I did to those poor souls……..
Anyway. My teacher, Asahi, saved me. After my slaughter of the goblin tribe, I was driven out of the northern small caves by the rest, into the [Stone Canyon]. Stone Canyon, that’s where I learned from my mistakes and instead of being a emotionless monster I became a vile cunning Beast. And that is where she found me. A week away from starvation and exhaustion.
Diary entry no. 143]
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The sky had turned black with a Shimmering silver moon hanging in the dark backdrop with a twinkle of glittery stars to keep it company. Down below the dwarfed bushes were wrapped in the blackness stretching from the leaves of the towering trees, as if afraid the likeness of the abyss would be tainted by a stray trail of light. Among the cowering bushes lay an entrance to the caverns below. A Figure moved quietly among the trees’ shadows, getting closer to the hole, ever slowly. It cast a suspicious gaze in every direction before disappearing into the caves within.
Step…step…stepstepstep. He stated running, finally safe from any foreign gaze.
Panting and heaving he arrived in a chamber carved into the rock, where a man in his mid-40s stood before a beautiful polished obsidian Altar. He was also clad in a withered dark purple robe. His hair mate, black with grey streaks along the sides. His eyes were murky grey like rotting water with darkness dancing at the edges. The altar on the other hand only had a book bound in black leather forming a visage of cleanliness and dark beauty- a stark contrast to the Priest.
“Father Xoan, I bring grave news” he half shouted through his ragged breathing. “It was just as you said. Four Adventurers came to town yesterday. Strong ones. Too strong to be Gold.” “They had a [Gaze Medallion]. They got to Russel, Norman and the rest. They almost had me. If not for your timely message, I would not be here.”
“Hmm. It’s good that you were able to escape, Malcom.” “It was inevitable. Sigh. The baron got too greedy despite my warnings……even with one foot in the grave he is still harming us with his stupidity.” The priest replied- Furious.
‘[Crows]’ Xoan thought of the word akin to poison, ‘you will not be able to stop me this time.’ He looked towards his right hand and found nothing but a small stump there as he remembered the sapphire eyes boring down onto his soul.
‘No matter how many limbs you take, you cant stop me’.
{Flashback}
He found himself in his old home back in the empire. It was 30 years ago when the relationship between the church of Chaos and the Temple of Amai was becoming worst and worst. Originally, he was a priest in Estaria, but the drive to help the people and spread the teachings of chaos lead him to accept the missionary quest to the Eldian Empire.
Back then one of the vessel states, [Kurzesh principality] in west had rebelled against the empire. The brutal war left corpses, crimples, sick, widows and orphans in its wake.
In times like these all the religions would do welfare activities to promote their beliefs. And due to the competition for recruiting people and the major differences in their beliefs the religions would often clash with one another. The Continent of Gladia was the unwritten territory of the temple of Amai. But the people in need were too many. Hence despite the religious differences the church sent their missionaries and healers to Gladia. However, this was not well received by the temple. Fearing that the other religions trying to establish their presence in Gladia they started targeting the weak priests and monks.
Xoan was oblivious to these happenings, focusing on saving when everyone else was ripping at each other’s throats. During these missions he happened upon a frontier village where he found his love, Chani. Being a ordinary priest incapable of performing any divine magic, he could stay on a missionary mission as long as he wanted and was allowed to marry whoever he wanted. So, he settled down into village, preaching, healing and providing basic education to the children.
Life was peaceful and full of hope when the good news of his lovely wife being pregnant came to light. He was elated, practically jumping around like a child and those nine months were the most heart-warming time he spent with her.
Alas poor Xoan was devastated when the midwife informed him that his wife had passed away while giving birth to their son. His mind was abuzz, thinking of many things yet not being able to form any thoughts. He practically pushed and shoved his way throw, into the birthing room. There he saw the pale body of his love taking her eternal rest. Her silky hair now coarse and dull, there was a sheet covering the body but still had a large stain of blood near the nether regions.
“….there was a complication during the birth, she kept loosing blood after the birth and there is no healer. The alchemist said there was problem with the blood…..not…clouting..... And Her heart could not bear the burden. ” however the words faded in and out, muffled, distorted as if Xoan was in a dream. A nightmare. He just walked up to the bed and lifted up the sheet- uncovering her face with a jittering hand.
There she was, lying still with a blissful yet longing expression. Seeing her like that really turned it into reality. He embraced his dead wife while crying his heart out. “How…. how could you leave me in this accursed world……..How will I live on without you…………What will I tell our son.”
He whispered to her while sitting beside her on the bed. His tears fell on to her eyes, sliding down her cold cheeks as if expressing her own sadness at the untimely departure. He noticed that her body was covered in the sheen of sweat, ‘you must have been so tired.’ He held her face. A small part still hoping that she would just open her eyes and all this would have been a dark sick joke that they would just forget and live their life like they had planned out.
No such relief came.
A hand tightly grasped his shoulder forming akin to an anchor to this wretched reality, “Xoan, you need to hold yourself together, if not for her then your son.” The village elders came to lighten the burden on Xoan’s heart. They too knew how it felt to be powerless while their loved ones left one after the other, leaving them to live in solitude.
They knew that the only way to help the grieving husband was to make him realize that he was also a father. That he still had a reason to live. His father-in-law held his son, Jonah- named after the saint of Chaos. Xoan seeing the small delicate bundle joy peacefully sleeping in a wrapped blanket, unaware of worldly pain, felt his world slowly come into focus. ‘Yes, you still need me.’ Xoan momentarily came back to his senses. He held the baby, swearing that he would protect the innocence the best he could. He would shield it from all the pains of life.
Thus, a new bitter-sweet chapter began in Xoan’s life. The baby took all of his time and sleep, and Xoan got busy catering to his every need, leaving almost no time for him to reflect the absence of his wife.
Time passed and after 3 years the searing pain of losing his love had turned into a dull ache. He would shed a tear or two on occasion but the reality had set in. he would have to live his life without her. The teachings of chaos said, when someone dies the soul enters the chaos becoming one with everything. ‘Chaos begets existence. Existence begets order. Order begets Chaos.’ This verse would sooth his heart. His love would be with him everywhere he’d go. In the grass by his feet. In the air he’d breath.
Thus the time stretched on….until that fateful day.
He was having tea as he watched his almost four-year-old son playing with his wooden dolls. His father-in-law, a man of medium build almost white hair, black eyes and an angular face, was sitting beside him sharing the recent events from his trip to the city, while his mother-in-law with darker grey hair, brown eyes and slightly chubby frame, was in the kitchen cooking. It was sad to admit but he was could not make a decent meal to save his life. Initially Baby Jonah was tended to by a foster mother who’d feed him but as he got older the need to eat solid foods had become apparent, hence Zomi, his mother-in-law offered to cook for them.
“The things between the church and the temple are heating up again. Rumour is that now that the war is over, they want all the foreign missionaries out of Gladia as soon as possible.” Agnius, Xoan’s father-in-law, spoke sipping his tea.
“Hah, it’s all just a rumour Father, the temple can’t be too overbearing. They don’t want a Holy-War right now, and their own people are scattered won’t such actions put them in more danger then necessary? and the empire has just seen war, the Emperor wouldn't allow such a thing so soon.”
“No, Xoan I’ve seen it happen. Their warrior monks are going around village to village asking about anyone preaching something other than the Amai scriptures.”
“Well, the most they can do is make life a little difficult for us but it won’t change anything. Plus, you guys have helped me so much over the years, you more like my real parents at this point. Even if they try to force me, I won’t leave. You guys are my family now.”
Hearing that warmed Zomi and Agnius’ hearts both showing a soft smile.
“Well, the Spirit of Chaos has brought us such a fine son, we couldn’t ask for anymore,” Zomi chimed in from the kitchen. “Alright, the dinner is ready, bring little Jonah to the table.”
“Father, you bring Jonah I will set the table.” Xoan said while standing up. And walking to the kitchen.
“Alright little jo it’s time to eat. Put away the….”
BANG!!! Thunderous sound came front door and sound of windows breaking filled the air.
“hey what are you doi….” “AAhh” a muffled shout came from his father-in-law from the main room.
Xoan, greatly surprised and terrified for his son’s life, ran to the front of the house.
What he saw shook his soul. Dirt and dust flying everywhere. Men in silver chest Armour and orange robes wielding spears rushing inside the house. Agnius on the ground in a puddle of blood and one of the armed men holding his son by the legs upside down while he cried for dear life.
‘Warrior monks of Amai!!’
“Stoooop!!! Why are you doing this! He is just a child! He is innocent!”
“SILENCE HERETIC!!!”
The shout jolted Xoan’s mind to a stop. As he looked around seeing the men in silver and orange surround the house and him inside.
But his son’s cries kept ringing making him desperately think for any way to negotiate with these over bearing tyrants.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“UWAAAA..”
“Why won’t this stupid thing shut up!”
The monk Holding the baby punched Jonah, making him cry even louder.
“Don’t--!!” Xoan jumped forward, but was rewarded with a spear in his abdomen stopping him from advancing.
“STAY RIGHT THERE, HERETIC! WE KNOW THAT THIS CHILD IS THE UNHOLY FUSION OF YOUR DIRTY BLOOD…” and then looked at Zomi behind him, “AND TRATORS!”
Xoan did not realise when Zomi came up behind him but a monk held a dagger to her neck.
“YOU CANNOT DO THIS! WE ARE CITIENS OF THE EMPIRE!!! THIS IS A CRIME!!”
“SHUT UP FILTHY WENCH!!!” the monk behind her shouted and before she could protest furtherer, he carved a red smile across her neck forming a clean crimson line which turned into a fountain flowing down, staining her white shirt and then skirt, dripping down to the ground.
“OUrk……kqkq.” The room was filled with dead silence, only disturbed by the sound of Zomi choking on her own blood. Struggling to take one more breath. The Body lost control of its bladder and bowls, adding to the smell of copper already permeating from Agnius, who had already taken his last breath, laying in eternal rest in a large pool of his own blood.
The terror and rage were given no relief as she lost the light in her eyes.
Xoan didn’t know If it was the spear stuck in his abdomen or the nauseating smell but he felt sick to his stomach. “urgh..aaa”, Xoan vomited blood.
“Take this heretic and his unholy son to the stake to burn!” The supposed leader commanded
“Please. Just stop. Okay? Just stop and listen to me!” Xoan desperately pleaded for a way out.
“Burn me! Leave my son. Please……Just leave him be and I will come with you. Please let my son livi….uuuuumm” a monk tied a cloth through his mouth, tight around his cheeks.
“Just stay quiet and be purified by the fire.”
“Good thinking brother his meaningless drivelings were getting unbearable. Soon the holy mother will bless this wretched backwater village once we burn this filth.” Another monk added pointing to the tied up Xoan.
Seeing the causal way, they mentioned burning a child alive Xoan felt something inside him break.
A stream of tears that he thought had long run dry started again.
Feeling powerless and defeated. Walking towards a wooden pole in the village centre. Looking at the people he considered friends turn away from his plight.
The itch in his heart became simmering rage. and taking that rage he prayed.
‘oh [Xulmanir, Spirit of Chaos]. Heed my prayer. Enact my vengeance upon these [Human] scum. Make them feel the pain a thousand times worst then the pain I feel. They shall not find peace even in the chaos, let it consume their emotions and thoughts and feeling until there is nothing left of them. Let there be not grave stone and let there be no remembrance of their pathetic lives…..’
He prayed and prayed as they walked to the village centre. Seeing his end in sight and no response from his god, he was about to give up when- everything stopped.
Xoan glanced around in disbelief. He just a lowly priest without any divine magic. So how could he cause such a thing?
A wisp of red appeared in front of him in likeness of a face.
“DO YOU REALLY WISH ALL THAT A UPON THESE HUMANS,” a voice- jubilant and care free- exploded inside his head.
Xoan instantly realised what had happened. At first, he thought he might have summoned an angel from chaos but what he had attracted with his intense emotions was a dark force from the Chaos. A [Daemon].
Chaos has been interpretated in two ways. The first is freedom. The world is governed by Chaos. There is no plan. No fate. No destiny. Only chance, hard work and coincidence. This is the orthodox interpretation which is supported by the divine Spirit, Xulmanir.
The second and the forbidden interpretation in Disorder. In a literal sense, Chaos is the opposite of the Order, going against normalcy and routine. To make thing random and unpredictable. And this side of Chaos was governed by Daemons. They were disorder Chaos personified.
“TICK TOCK TICK TOCK, TIME IS RUNNIG OUT…….”
Xoan glanced at the monks, with Crecent smiles, looked more Daemonic than the Daemon in front of him. Then he glanced at his son, who had lost consciousness with a dried blood smear on his mouth and a blue bruises on his abdomen. Xoan did not hesitate anymore.
“Do it…..And take my SouL….”
“ Aa Aa Aa….TOO LATE. THE DEAL IS DONE. And the payment Has been taken.” the booming voice turned to a Wisper before disappearing.
At that moment Xoan realised his grave error, for the Daemon had taken his son’s soul. “No!” he shouted in indignation and horror but it was too late. The body of his son burst aflame, his skin blackening, cracking and then peeling off turning to ash as it flew away in the fiery embers, turning into a firestorm revolving around Xoan as it slowly expanded. All the while his sons body withered in the flame. The fire engulfed the whole village drawing a symphony from the screams of anguish and despair.
“aaaaAAAAAAA!!”
“AAA OH GREAT MOTHER FORGIVE OUR SINS!”
“Monster!! AaaaAAAAAMMONSSTAARRR!!!”
The bright crimson flame was persistent and overbearing, catching on anything- cloth, wood, flesh or metal- it all burned.
Amidst the feral screams of the villagers, Xoan heard a prepubescent voice calling for him from the source of the flaming vortex.
“Father…Father….save me….father”
“fa…….er..f..th…..father? FATHER Xoan get a hold of yourself!”
Xoan woke up from his nightmare, face gleaming with a sheal of sweat and ragged breathing and shaking body making him look like a old horse on his last legs.
Malcomb asked, worried, “Are you ok?”
“Yeah! yes. I’m fine. I’m fine…..hah. What were you saying?”
“……….I was asking if you are sure the Baron cannot help us. He was our only shield. Without someone keeping things from spreading, we would be found out pretty quickly.”
“No. He may not be dead yet but it won’t be long.”
“But with them following so closely will we be able to make any progress?”
“It can still be done. We are not far away from our goal now. We might have to be more subtle from now on.” Xoan’s head was still spinning from the nightmare.
Xoan sat down on a wooden chair and took a ring out of his robe giving it to Malcomb, “With this it should safer for you to move around. The city is too big. They will not be able to cover everything.”
“Except me, all the apprentices are dead. How will we find the work force?” Malcomb asked in confusion.
“I have a plan for that. Go the Northern district. It will be easy to find the materials for the ritual as well as help.”
‘The slums’ Malcomb thought in understanding.
“Go. We need to continue the work. Because of the damned crows the expected time is increased already. If want to keep making some progress we must use any time we have.”
“Soon we will summon the Chaos Angel and get everything we desire.”
The apprentice bowed and left.
‘I know you would not approve of this Chani but if the Daemon asks me to sacrifice the whole world for my son i will still do it. ’
Turning around he proceeded to kneel before the alter and continued his prayer, “Bring Chaos to order. Life to chaos. There is no right path as all paths lead to chaos. We come from chaos and go to chaos. No destiny for the great and no ill fate for the wicked. Embrace Chaos and it will embrace you……”
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Dark clouds were dragging a storm towards Almar while it slept. Meanwhile Rudius found Dolen in his workshop, still working on Runes. His thick arm struck the metal door as a gong making Dolen fumble and drop his hammer in fright. Turning around, scrunched nose in apparent annoyance, he said, “what?” However, upon seeing Rudius’ face he immediately retracted the venom filled raging look, but it was too late.
“Ah, my student is all grown up, trying to rebel already, when I haven’t even taught you all the Runes yet.” Rudius said with a smile that was not the smile. Dolen tried remedy the situation.
“No master it’s not what you think! I was just too focused on learning. That all.”
“Don’t worry dear disciple. I will wash away all of your rebellious thoughts. You can’t take this kind of thinking home with you. What if you affect my Yuriel, or poor little Ani?” Rudius started to approach with his tall menacing stature.
Dolen closed his eyes in anticipation for the painful beat…. cough…cough... disciplining action, but the pain never came.
He opened his eyes, at a snail’s pace to see Rudius not looking at him but at the anvil. He followed his gaze to find that the metal plate was emitting blinding radiance, Coating the forge in a pale white wash.
“By Dexima’s undying flame…. Did you succeed on the first day?”
Rudius asked in poorly masked surprise. Dolen got up off the floor from where he had taken refuge from his earlier fright. He uttered, “yeah. why? Should it be very hard?”
In the first few seconds he felt that he might really get the…. discipline instilled in him today but then the expression of Rudius’ face blossomed into a smile turned laughter.
“heh..hehe.hahahha… I knew I chose correctly when I accepted you as my disciple. Of course, Who else but me can choose so perfectly. The great Sunfire Rudius, Runesmith. How can I make a mistake.” He said overbearing confidence and jubilance.
“yes yes all hale my great master.” Despite the short temper and borderline abusive nature of their relationship, Dolen could tell that he was actually very proud of him.
“Say Master why did you come to find me. Are you going to teach me further?”
Rudius was a bit taken aback by this as he would have never imagined that his apprentice would have already formed his first Rune so quickly. It had only been two days since Rudius handed the Book of the Force to Dolen. By comparison it had taken Rudius a month to make his first Rune. Not to mention that this disciple of his had become a master smith beating all his rivals to the top in measly 10 years. there were people who dedicated their entire lives to the hammer never to touch the realm of the Master. These details made Rudius hopeful that Dolen was going to surpass him in due time.
Right there Rudius decided that he must put Dolen’s potential to full use.
“Yes, I will teach you further. But first you must start by making your [Komi],” Rudius said lifting his leather apron to reveal a soft leather sash with metal plates fitted on it. Each plate had a different Rune engrave on them, all. Komi was like a rank of a Runesmith. Each new Rune added a different area of mastery for a Runesmith.
“I am a 18 Komi Runesmith. With your first Komi you would be called a 1 Komi Runesmith.”
“But let me remind you that gaining a rank is not that simple. Learning a new Rune will not make a higher Rank Runesmith. You must have mastery in the application of the said Rune. Only then can you say that you have gained a Komi. By that standard you are still not fully a 1 Komi.”
“But it is considered a rite of passage to learn your first Rune, so you are allowed to wear in on the sash. But in the future, you must finish learning a Rune completely before you would be allowed to wear it.”
Dollen just nodded along, excited to take his first steps to becoming a Runesmith.
“Alright, let’s start with Runic shapers firs….”
BANG!!!
The poor metal door was burst open again but this time by a slim fair hand.
“Dolen Stoll! Do you know what time this is?” “No. why am I even asking you that. Obviously, you don’t know otherwise you would not make you wife and Daughter worry for your wellbeing. The sun has set and the moon has taken to the sky but you and your hammer……….”
Yuriel had burst forth into the workshop in righteous fury. Rudius seeing the anger from his daughter chose to take the pre-emptive strike before he was targeted as well.
“That completely right. How many times to do I have to remind you to not get lost in your projects Dolen! You need a work-life balance!” he shouted along. Meanwhile Dolen looked betrayed at his Master.
In took a few minutes for Yuriel to calm down after a lot of apologising from Dolen. Needless to say, he was going to spend the night on the couch today.
Afterwords they found themselves in the Stoll house dining table, having a late dinner, while Anika had gone to sleep.
“So, how is your hand Cannon coming along?” Rudius suddenly broached the topic of Dolen’s side project. A hand canon was a word he came to better explain what he wanted to achieve as the modern counterpart ‘gun’ did not exist.
Dolen looked at his Master with suspicion, “I thought the idea of a ‘hand cannon’ was useless as it was only for weaklings or people with trashy Mana techniques.” Dolen’s voice, laced with sarcasm.
“And it’s true. Mana Cannons are a thing, but, A) they only use them as artillery in battles to take out large unmoving targets and B. those use pure mana in the form of elemental mana to cause severe damage which comes at the cost of their operations. I have worked on war machines before and if you ask me, they are too complicated and bulky to be of any use. Instead train a master level Knight and give him a decent sword.”
“Hah. its not like master knights grow on trees. And I don’t get it if you hate it so much why did you help me so much with it in the years past.”
“Because I’m giving you the benefit of the doubt. You remember what you said when started working on your ‘wind mill’ It made me sceptical at first. Hah.” Rudius turned to Yuriel and continued, “harvest winds to tame lightning he said. Hahaha,” The giant wooden-steel wind mill had indeed worked because of which House Stoll was the only one with electricity and the mill had become a major land mark around the suburbs.
“How about I just show you the prototype. The stress testing is almost fished.” Dolen said trying to get up when-
Bang!
“Eat your dinner quietly, then you can go play,” Yuriel said with finality.
Dolen and Rudius wisely shut up after that and quietly ate their food.
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When the whole of Almar had gone to slumber, Rouge elements finally found reprieve. Moving about under the guise of the night.
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAaaaaaa…..”a heart wrenching scream echoed in a random warehouse in the western district of Almar.
“TELL ME WHERE HE IS?!”
A lean dark figure had pushed a dagger in the thigh, tearing through skin and muscle, drawing the blood of a unfortunate individual tied to a chair.
“Oh! So, you will not talk. It’s all right. This was just a test. Now I am going to do the real thing” a surprisingly gentle voice of the man in black with a hint of amusement, whispered into the prisoner’s ear, making him shake in fear.
“Thomas, we should keep it down. Even if this is an abandoned warehouse it doesn’t mean no one might come this way,” a feminine voice suggested.
“Right, I should gag him. The next part could be a bit noisy.” Thomas replied, retracting his hand into his cloak before bringing out needles and a blooded rag.
“don’t worry about the blood. It was your friend’s, sadly he was also too stubborn, like you.”
“NO! PLEASE LET ME GO. YOU HAVE THE WRONG MAN. I KNOW NOTHING. I SWEAR.” The prisoner screamed- desperation taking over and tears beginning to fall.
“Now, mister you were the one that came at us with a knife while that man escaped, right?” Thomas said in a playful tone. His face then changed to concern as he placed, he caressed the man’s face, “sshhhhhh, its ok. It will be painful at the start. And the middle and the end. Sorry no fun part in this one. Well, not for you….hehe.”
Without giving another chance for the man to say anything, Thomas wrapped the blooded cloth around the mouth of his victim while his struggles against his bindings intensified.
Thomas took a needle and pierced it underneath the nails, in the soft tissue, leaking drops of blood.
“UUUUUuuuuuUUUUUUUU” the man writhed in agony.
“hehe, we are going to have a lot of fun together!!” Thomas made a face of ecstasy and borderline mania.
“Let’s leave Thomas and Jill here. The ‘Handler’ would be arriving and we should Rendezvous for debrief.” The man with broad shoulders said in his gravelly voice.
“it’s alright if we are bit late Lucius, it will probably take time for the noble to get settled.” a feminine voice replied.
“I would advise you against underestimating the noble, Kosa. If he was appointed as a handler by the order then you know the requirements the individual needs to fulfil.”
“5 years in the field.”
“And don’t forget that the Ravens never indorse Nepotism. Even if his father is a Count, that means nothing in the Order. That young man has a lot more skill than he is showing.”
Jill with shorter stature was left behind, while Lucius and Kosa left for the Flying Swan Inn, not caring about the gruesome scene taking place in the background.