“Warlord Levin!” Perla Doubis said while deeply bowing, just like Leo did before, “He had always carried it since the moment they arrived. I didn’t even know it was a weapon, I thought those were some kitchen utensils or something. It looks too clunky and heavy for a weapon, you know …”
“Show me!” Warlord said the words Leo was afraid the most to hear.
If she tore off the leather strips that hid the master Shaw’s runic formations, with his current strength Leo would be barely able to lift the Cleaver and running or even walking while carrying it would be out of the question.
“Of course!” Unfortunately it was the only answer he could give.
He put the tray with skewers on the table, took off the Cleaver, but before he made another step one of the soldiers belonging to warlord Levin stopped him.
“What the hell are you doing?” She asked, “Do you intend to approach the warlord with a weapon?”
“I’m sorry! Just be careful.” Leo said and passed the Cleaver over. Despite his previous story being relatively well received, he suddenly had another bad premonition.
“Perla Doubis is right. It’s really heavy.” The soldier said, passing the Cleaver over to warlord who took it with one hand and to Leo’s surprise easily swung a couple of times even though she was still sitting on a couch.
This woman wasn’t weaker than Lana, probably even stronger!
“It’s a complete waste of materials!” Warlord Levin stated, “Why in the world would anyone craft a crap like this? And why instead of using a sheath it’s wrapped in old leather strips?”
Before Leo could warn her, she tore off the strips, of course, along with the runic formations, instantly increasing Cleaver’s weight. No matter how strong the warlord might’ve be, it was impossible for a non-cultivator to comfortably hold such monstrous weapon in one hand and as a result it obviously slipped out.
What was even worse, it fell on the warlord’s lap edge first neatly separating legs from her body.
‘F*ck!’ Was Leo’s last thought before loosing consciousness.
The guard standing closest to him reacted first and disabled the ‘person behind the attack’ by hitting him on the back of the head. The weapon belonged to the male-slave thus obviously he was the one who tricked warlord Levin, but unfortunately it was too late – another howl of agony disturbed the night. This time it was less because of pain, but more because of anger and despair – one of the strongest warlords of the empire was crippled in an instant and it all happened because of her own curiosity and carelessness.
Leo didn’t know how long he was out, but when he came to his senses all he felt was a splitting headache. Actually there weren’t that many senses he currently had – he couldn’t see anything in the pitch black darkness and couldn’t hear any sound as well. He had hard time breathing, thus he lacked the sense of smell, but he could taste something disgusting was stuffed in his mouth – probably so he could not bite off own tongue and commit suicide.
Even though his limbs were numb, Leo could sense he was chained to a wall. He was clearly in some kind of a prison with no hope of ever escaping, but the question was ‘why?’. If people like Lana and her squad were intended to be executed on the spot after a ‘bit’ of torture, of course, then why would his puny life be preserved?
‘Damn it!’ He cursed to himself.
The rule number two was golden, but this time it was not his fault for not having anything to drink. The cloth stuffed in his mouth made it dry and the headache amplified the thirst even more. It did seem strange though – if only hanging at the wall without a drink was this agonizing, just how terrible an actual torture had to be?
At this thought Leo sighed in desperation, but few moments later he felt like punching himself.
First he heard distant footsteps and two or more people approaching, but when they entered his cell and Leo’s sight adjusted to the light of torches they brought along he noticed one of them was carrying tools which obviously were meant for torture.
‘Stupid Lana! Why didn’t she teach me how to commit suicide?’ Leo cursed.
The whole squad casually and painlessly departed to their next lives, apart from Lana who did suffer first, but he was about to get tortured for real. And compared to them he hadn’t really done anything bad! This was so unfair!
Also unfair was how the three women after arrival didn’t say anything – two immediately took positions at each side of the door, but the third, a thin elderly woman began to lovingly organize her tools on a small wooden table. And there was nothing much to organize – there were only ten or so different knives and pliers! Why the whole attention?!
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It didn’t take long for the fourth person to arrive although the wait was already a form of torture along with the heavy steps that could be heard long before the person came in. When Leo noticed the fat Varena’s warlord, Saida Baltis, squeezing through the door, he didn’t know if he should sigh in relief or scream in panic.
On one hand she initially wanted him as a compensation for her dead male-slave, but on the other – when Ivo was crippled she mercilessly mutilated Lana’s dead body just because she was pissed. This was an incredibly strong and moody person.
“Where I’m gonna sit?!” Was the first thing warlord said after entering and one of the guards at the door immediately darted out.
Few moments later she returned with large, heavy chair that suddenly looked surprisingly small after Saida Baltis sat on it.
“Let’s begin!” She said, “What trick did you use to make warlord Levin inaccurately judge the weapon’s weight?”
‘Seriously?’ Leo looked at the warlord not knowing if he should laugh or cry, ‘If you want any answers at least take the thing out of my mouth!’
“Hmph!” Warlord Baltis snorted, “Looks like you want to play a tough guy. Trust me – sooner or later everyone talks. Ginta, you’re up!”
Realizing he had to do something, otherwise the old hag named Ginta with the thin knife in her hand would start cutting him, Leo said, “Mh, mh, mh … mh, mh, mh …”
Obviously he was making random sounds, but at least it looked like he was trying to talk.
Fortunately the torturer was smarter than her boss and took out the cloth from Leo’s mouth, saying with a sweet smile on her thin lips, “I know how to keep you alive even if you bite off your tongue. Trust me – it’ll be much worse if you do that.”
“Why would I do that?” Leo asked and got shocked how hoarse and dry his voice sounded, but noticing warlord furrowing brows in displeasure he said, “Your excellency! I don’t have any secrets and will tell you anything you want, but please, may I have some water to drink? It’s incredibly hard to talk, you know …”
“Weakling!” Warlord snorted and turned to the guards at the door, “Get him a cup of water and jar of wine for me!”
After the guard came back and the torturer fed him some water, Leo began to tell the made up story he intended to share previously in the courtyard. It was about him and a group of foreigners crossing the mountain range in the east, almost dying in the process, but at the crucial moment getting saved by incredibly strong person, who taught him for a brief period of time and ordered to carry the strange weapon. When the expert left, he was captured by Lana’s group and the rest was already known.
“Cute story.” Warlord smirked after Leo finished, “What do you think of it, Ginta?”
“I think he’s full of sh*t and takes us for fools.” Ginta seriously said, but then looked at Leo with the same sweet smile, but this time it filled the boy with a sense of dread.
“You know, at first I intended to give you a chance … maybe even keep you, but this …” Warlord Baltis said with a sigh and took few gulps of wine, “Ahh … your stag meat would go so good with this … cut off his left foot so he understands we’re serious!”
Leo’s scalp turned numb realizing they weren’t even going to ask anything.
‘Was the story really too unbelievable?’ He thought in panic.
Despite the splitting headache, he quickly decided to take another approach.
“Lana Rimkus told me to carry that item!” He quickly said, “I overheard that the Southern queen had it specially made, but I don’t know how and why. I didn’t even know that was a weapon! Please ...”
“You see! It’s not hard to tell the truth if you really try!” Saida Baltis said, “Alright, cut off his left leg to the knee for lying. Male-slaves need to learn obedience!”
Hearing it Leo almost fainted, but the old hag as if savoring every moment tore of his trousers and tightly tied a piece of rope above Leo’s left knee. Afterwards she turned to her tools on the table and began to heat up one of the knives on a flame.
‘F*ck this!’ Leo immediately decided even though he was in total panic mode, ‘If they really go through with it I’ll rather meet up with Lana and the girls than limp for the rest of my life!’
Strangely enough this thought immediately calmed him down. While watching Ginta’s knife turn slightly red Leo began to think of the ‘best’ way to commit suicide and had to agree – what Lana’s group did seemed to be most effective and painless. He could also jump from a cliff, but with one leg there was no way he would be able to scale one. Stabbing or cutting himself didn’t sound too pleasant to not speak of drowning. Attacking the guards also held the risk of getting knocked unconscious instead of getting killed and then the situation could become worse …
“Feel free to scream your lungs out!” Ginta’s voice brought Leo back to reality.
Strangely enough Leo could feel the knife’s heat from several feet away and her sweet smile made him nauseated. For the first time in life he had an actual urge to kill someone, in fact he wished he could strangle Ginta, stab warlord Baltis in the eye and for the dessert knock the heads off the shoulders of the two guards at the door.
Back when Lyam was murdered, he only felt panic and when Nathan tried to set him up, Leo only wanted to escape. The mothertuckers Bimpo and Onataka were only perverts and compared to the old hag with the red-hot knife they were actual angels. And lastly when Barbra was abusing him all Leo wanted was to kick her in the face, not really hurt her.
Apart from these situations Leo hadn’t really met any people he could call ‘enemies’ and he realized his life up until this point has been a smooth sailing, ignoring the fact he became an orphan at the age of five, of course.
‘Alright! I’ll pay you, bitches, back in the next life!’ Leo decided and took a deep breath in preparation of what was about to come.
Even though his leg below the knee was completely numb, something told him the pain of getting it cut off with a knife will be incredibly excruciating. But just as Ginta, using the tip of the knife, drew a thin line burning the skin around the knee marking the spot she was about to cut and the smell of burnt flesh filled the cell, Leo heard quick approaching footsteps that for some reason filled him with hope.
“What the hell are you doing?!” The person hadn’t even entered when an angry shout announced their arrival.