Zeron groaned as he slowly came back to consciousness. He blinked and raised his head, he quickly noticed that he'd been tied to a chair in the middle of a medium sized room. it had a table in the center, with some chairs around it. There was a wine shelf on the one wall, a trashcan on the corner, and some clothes heaped up under the window. Lakan was crouched right in front of him, looking at him.

"He's awake." Lakan said. Zeron shook his head vigorously to get more alert. A frown formed on his face, he struggled to get free and, upon failing, glared at Lakan.

Hark came around him and crouched next to Lakan, looking directly at him. The three men held gaze for a few seconds.

"Why are you retards gawking at me?" Zeron asked. Lakan and Hark stood up and went about.

"We need information, Zeron." Lakan said. "Who are you, how are you connected to Ganz, and what does Ganz want?"

"My name is Zeron, I work for Ganz, and Ganz wants Pirun." Zeron replied.

Lakan and Hark were taken aback. They looked at each other and Lakan chuckled.

"I didn't expect you to be this co-operative." He laughed. "I just spent the last three hours setting up my torture spell."

"I'm not a fool, Aku'andan." Zeron said. "There's not a single person that can resist torture spells, That's what they're designed for."

"Wow." Lakan laughed, looking at Hark who had a pleasantly surprised expression on his face. "You're surprisingly rational. Reminds me of Lord Kardo's accounts of Ganz, actually."

"So why did you torture Segi then?" Hark asked Zeron.

"Isn't that already obvious?" Zeron asked "your stupid whore friend thought she was special"

He threw his head back and laughed. "That bitch actually had the audacity to tell me I couldn't break her. It took me five minutes."

"Do you always speak like this?" Hark asked. Lakan went and grabbed a bottle of wine, popped up the cap and poured himself a glass.

"Like what?" Zeron asked, raising an eyebrow at Hark.

"Every sentence riddled with curses and vulgarity. Do you not find it... debasing?" He replied. Zeron took a deep breath as Lakan drank from the glass.

"I'll not have a coddled and pampered floater baby police my speech." he retorted.

"You live on a floater, don't you?" He continued with a grin on his face. "How does it feel to live on a piece of land that literally floats on top of the world? to wake up every morning literally raised above the rest of humanity?"

Lakan laughed, confused. "I've never seen anyone this annoyed about floaters before, not even Binko."

"Why does Ganz want Pirun?" Hark asked, moving away the subject as fast as he could.

"What's wrong, floater kid? embarrassed?" Zeron asked chuckling.

"No one is embarrassed by that, Zeron." Lakan said. "I live on a floater and it's the best thing ever. The sunset up there is divine. Why would I ever feel bad about it? Now answer the question."

Zeron took a deep breath.

"Why should Ganz not want Pirun?" Zeron asked. "It is his homeland, poorly run by floater kids, pampered royalty and an impotent nobility. Ganz is competent, he is strong, he is brilliant. Why should Ganz not have Pirun?"

Lakan and Hark looked at each other.

"Let me ask you goons. I realize all you do is follow orders, but think for yourself for once." Zeron began. "Why should a man that was capable of capturing an entire city with just three casualties not rule it? If not for those cursed Sungans, do you know the plans Ganz had for Pirun?"

"There are procedures." Hark begun. "If Ganz wanted to rule, he could have started some sort of peaceful movement--"

"And why should he pander to incompetent fools?" Zeron shot back. "Ganz is the savior of Pirun. He is clearly the savior we need."

"You know, maybe you're not as rational as I thought." Lakan said.

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

"Then refute me!" Zeron shot back. "All of you have been brainwashed. Ganz ruled Pirun for less than a month and he already did more than that hag of a queen did in years!"

"Okay, listen." Lakan began. "In principle I don't even really care that much, But then you guys went ahead and massacred two dozen Sungan mages, and then you robbed them dry of their gold. That's an actual crime. we can't let slide."

"The Sungans were warned." Zeron said quietly.

There was a brief silence, as Lakan and Hark pondered the response. It was interrupted by Binko who opened the door and came in with food that had been provided to them by Keri. She placed the food on the table, noticing Zeron.

"Oh? he's awake?" She said. "Did you guys already start?"

"Yeah..." Lakan said.

"That's weird. I didn't hear any screams when I was coming." She said, looking at Zeron, who matched her gaze.

"We didn't torture him." Lakan said. "He just started talking."

They went ahead and explained everything that had transpired to her. After they were done she moved closer and looked at him while Hark and Lakan sat back and dug into the food.

"So where did you guys learn Elite warfare spells?" Binko asked.

"Ganz taught us." Zeron said.

"Where did Ganz learn it?" Binko asked.

"I don't know." Zeron asked.

"What do you mean you don't know?" Binko asked, getting annoyed. "Was Ganz a former war mage? No one knows who he is."

"I don't know." Zeron replied.

"How did you intercept a wave call?" She asked.

"I didn't, someone else did it for me." He replied.

"Who?"

"A friend named Kris."

"How can we find Kris?" She asked.

"I don't know." He replied.

"Better start talking before I invoke a torture spell on you!" She shouted. Zeron laughed.

"Is there something in the water or are Aku'andan women just naturally idiotic?" He exclaimed. "I said I don't know, you stupid bitch!"

Binko slapped him and he groaned in pain.

"You're telling me you're a follower of a man whose background you know nothing about and you don't even know where your fellow henchmen are?" She retorted. "Who's the idiot here?"

Zeron glared at her. "I'm not a henchman-"

"Shut up, I'll be the judge of what you are." Binko interjected. She sighed and grabbed her bowl of food, which contained boiled meat and steamed vegetables, with a black sauce that was apparently popular in Saymor, She dug into the food with a fork and ate some.

"Were you part of the men the Sungans wanted to execute?" She asked.

"I was not." Zeron asked.

"So that means Ganz has more men than those dozen he attacked Pirun with." Binko said to Hark and Lakan.

"One would think that was obvious." Zeron said. Binko swiveled her face back to him.

"Don't get smart with me." She retorted. "that you're talking doesn't mean I still can't torture you for the fun of it."

"And I'm supposed to be the bad guy." Zeron remarked quietly.

"Shut up." Binko snapped. "Now how many men does Ganz have in reserve?"

"I don't know." Zeron asked. Binko frowned at him.

"Well what do you know then?" She asked.

"If I know something, I'll tell you. If I don't, I'll tell you." Zeron replied.

"Do you know General Makon?" Binko asked. Zeron nodded.

"What did you guys do to him?" She asked.

"He got off easy, all things considered." Zeron said. "In a street chase, he employed some sort of speed racing craft to escape, but it crashed into a building and exploded."

"And?" Binko asked.

"What do you mean and? of course he exploded and died!" Zeron snapped. "This is exactly what I'm saying. Aku'andan women are so stupid--"

Binko cut him off by jamming her fork into his foot. he screamed. She twisted. he gasped and cried out in pain.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" He huffed. She yanked the fork out and tossed it, bloody, into the cotton bag in trash basket at the corner of the room, she grabbed a piece of cloth and wrapped his bleeding foot in it.

He groaned as the pain dulled out.

"What will Ganz do next?" She asked.

"He will take back Pirun." he replied, grimacing.

"When is he going to do that?" Binko asked.

"I don't know."

"Hmm..."

"Do you guys have any more questions for him?" She asked Lakan and Hark. Who with their mouths full, tried to respond.

"Swallow first." She told them, sighing.

A few seconds later, Lakan replied. "Ask him if Ganz is interested in a peaceful transition of power. If he's so interested in ruling Pirun, he can just contest against Prince Karan in a democratic election or something. Does it have to be a conflict?"

Binko looked at Zeron. "Well you heard him. What do you say?"

"I don't know, I'm not Ganz." Zeron replied. Binko threw her hands up.

"Can you help us arrange a meeting with Ganz, then?" Lakan asked..

"I don't know. Are you going to let me go?" Zeron asked. Binko, Hark and Lakan looked at each other. Lakan shrugged.

"Well he's been co-operative, I don't see why not." He said.

"Hell no." Binko snapped. "All he did so far was insult me."

"Well to be fair...." Lakan began.

"If you finish that sentence I'm going to backhand you." Binko snapped. Lakan shrugged and put another spoonful into his mouth. Binko sighed.

"Alright let's have a vote." She said. "Do we give him back to the Saymor law enforcement, or do we release him so he can get us an audience with Ganz?"

"I say we release him. He's unhinged but he's not entirely crazy." Lakan said.

"He's a criminal though," Hark said. "I'm not sure we can trust him that well. What if we release him and he disappears?"

"I agree with Hark." Binko said. "We're handing him off to Serene, and finding Ganz ourselves. Besides now that I think about it, it's absurd to give Ganz a chance at ruling Pirun. What are we even talking about here? That man should be in a prison in the middle of nowhere for his crimes."

"Have you people learned nothing from the Sungans?" Zeron said.

"Shut up." Binko said. "What you guys did to Sungans is another reason why you all belong in prison or dead."

She glanced around the room. "Okay, I'm done here. I'm calling Serene and getting some rest afterwards. Tomorrow we refocus on nailing Ganz."

Zeron started to laugh softly, shaking his head. Binko, annoyed, smacked his head, then she headed out.

"You two have good battle skills, I respect that." Zeron said after she left. "So I'm just going to tell you for free, Whatever you do, don't find yourself on the wrong side of Ganz's wrath. Just, don't."