Stocus stood behind the one-way glass, happy that it had been installed just at the right time. They never did have many opportunities for interrogations in the prisons, most simply confessing their crimes as they did them. Certainly, a horrible attitude towards their careers as criminals but it was quite effective in cutting costs for the [Warden].
The glass itself had been more expensive than he would have liked, some more rare materials needing to be used to create such a piece of craftsmanship. Yet, he still felt happiness at the piece of gear, knowing he wouldn’t have been able to see such a sight without it. A lone man, clearly dirty from nights and days spent in the wilderness, dishevelled beyond belief. The eyes on him were more than enough to show that he hadn’t slept much throughout his journey, though that might not have been by his own will. The eyes showed desperation. But what for?
“You said you captured him outside the gates?” Stocus asked the nearest guard. A good handful had stormed into his office to give him the news, most having been scheduled to guard the entrance of the prison. While their information had been crucial, most had been sent back to their duties and only two had been allowed to stay.
“No, sir,” the male guard replied. With the helmet on, little emotion could be seen yet the trembling in the arms from a mere gaze upon him made it more than obvious why Stocus loved not being seen. People got scared too easily. “He ran inside by his own accord.”
A raised eyebrow was all the guard got in response as Stocus once again took a look at the newly arrived prisoner. They had escaped or had at least fled from somewhere. Why, though, had they found a cage more peaceful? Even when within a room by themself, the Warden was able to see their eyes flicker towards the darker spots of the room. A phobia gained recently? That could be useful in the future.
“And you, [Hunter]?” the Warden asked, not looking away from the dishevelled man this time. He was too interesting for that. “Why exactly did you find it necessary for me to be alerted about this? Your recent reports have already taken much out of my time and I don’t believe I need to be here for every prisoner you bring in.”
“Sir, this man is related to these reports to the point where he has been directly mentioned several times,” the Hunter answered. Her words brought the man’s attention to just how it would make sense before Stocus tried to apply the information already gained. A dishevelled man looking traumatized while wearing dirty and cheap leather clothing? There was only one in recent weeks that matched that description.
“Am I to believe that you have found the [Druid] by the name of Buck?” Stocus asked, his voice shifting to a tone of critique. “The very same you reported to me as dead?”
“I believed he was dead, sir,” the Hunter corrected. A lesser Warden would have punished a subordinate for such a style of tone. Stocus only stood quietly, waiting for any reasoning behind her previously shared information. “He had been dragged inside while having been severely incapacitated by my arrows. I saw no chance of his survival.”
“Neither have I,” the Warden had to agree. From her words, Stocus had come to the same conclusion. A weak Druid, without either Mana or strength, could not have fought off a raging army of monsters. The fact that he had been dragged inside instead of being eaten on the spot did leave the man with questions, however. “Are you sure there were never any clues to him having known of the Dungeon beforehand? No chance of mischief or planning?”
“His reaction to first entering the Dungeon would lead me to believe that was not the case, sir,” the Hunter answered. The time spent talking made Stocus think he should actually spend time learning her name, the worker being a fountain of information that needed to be wrung open for him. “When getting close to the trees beside the entrance, he fell over due to what I believe was extreme amounts of stimuli. While this could have been an act, I do not see why he would have done such a thing.”
An overly sensitive Mana-Core? It was expected in the lower ranges of Warriors but for a Magic-Related adventurer to have it was quite debilitating. Few with such a disability could ever reach a higher level of power, their mind not able to handle the sensual load. Yet… when looking upon the twitching fingers of the Druid, Stucos couldn’t help but wonder if it was true. He had to go in soon. But, there was still one question needed.
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“Did you mean when he went inside the cave itself or while he was still outside?”
“While we were outside, sir. At least more than eight meters away from the entrance.”
How unusual… There was another thing to look out for in the future, though he suspected none nearby to have the answer he was seeking. Stocus had fared through many so-called hidden locations but never had he seen such an obvious clue to what was truly going on. Only monsters inside the cave? As if that would ever happen.
Giving a quick set of orders to stand by until further notice, the Warden went around the walls to enter through the only door into the interrogation room. Just like the glass and walls, it had been quite expensive to gather. Sound isolation from the outside was rather important, after all, yet all sound from the inside needed to be heard clearly no matter where they were. However, there was one thing that could have been bought during that rather expensive shopping trip as well.
An air freshener. Stocus, so accustomed to having a daily routine during his older years, had almost forgotten the stink of somebody that had been running for more than a few hours. There was… blood, a few traces of defecated matter, and more than a little nuance of old and rotten plants. And not the good nuances either but those that showed off decay more than anything. The Warden had to steel himself and his facial expressions as he sat down on the other side of the table.
The Druid by the name of Buck was barely able to keep straight eye contact, eyes continuing to shift around the room no matter what. He lacked the attention needed during an interrogation. Stocus couldn’t have that, so he did the one thing he enjoyed the most. He used a [Skill].
It felt good as his [Oppressing Aura] was allowed to flex more than it had in years. He kept it low during most months, only truly needing it during the war. And with how quiet the area was… it was seldom called upon. Yet, there in that very room, Stocus allowed just a bit of it to slip into the mind of a weak Druid. And the effects? Well, there were no more glances around the room, the Warden having all the attention that he needed.
“I-” Stocus began, already knowing his words from the front and back. Yet, he had to stop instantly, another in the room seemingly feeling more important.
“You are powerful,” the dishevelled man said, his voice chattering. His breath rattled as he spoke as if his lungs couldn’t bear the words for more than a moment at a time. “You are- you can help!”
If the man’s hands hadn’t been chained to the table, Stocus did not doubt that he would have jumped right into him. The hint of desperation seen before was more than just that. It was… overwhelming in his character. There was nothing but that emotion. Just what was happening to him? The Warden wanted to know yet he could hardly start to open his mouth before the man blabbered on with nonsensical words. Nothing made sense, emotions plaguing him more than logical thought. It was annoying.
Another side-effect of increasing his [Oppressing Aura] was that some people found it hard to breathe. If the Warden increased it a tad more, they wouldn’t be able to breathe at all. And just a bit more after that, they would start falling to their knees and dying rapidly. Not that he used it for such, Stocus only just bordering on making the man unable to breathe. He needed some quiet if he was to ask anything.
“There. It seems you too know how to hold your tongue as much as like to run it about,” Stocus commented, putting his elbows on the table as he leaned forward. “You thought of me as powerful. I am. I am the Warden of this prison, the one who dictates who does what and for how long. As an example, I can choose how long you get to breathe.”
He allowed the man a quick moment to catch his breath, a moment which was spent gasping for air, before closing it right back up. A few tears fell onto the floor but Stocus cared little. He needed answers and he was barely getting started.
“If you answer, I will give you more time to live. Nod if you understand,” Stocus commanded. A quick nod was the answer he wanted and it was precisely what he got. Though, he also got the sight of a half-elf turning blue. That racial detail was something he kept in mind along with the disability, seeing yet another connection pop up. An unhardened body with a gift meant for the strongest only. It was only a matter of time, he supposed. “What is your name?”
“Buck,” the Druid rasped through gritted teeth as the air was finally allowed to travel to his tongue. Stocus loosened the hold for a few seconds, looking for any trace of lying. None being found, he tightened his throat once again.
“Why were you originally here at the prison?”
“To assist in fixing a relic.”
“A relic that does what?”
“Purifies the water.”
“Not quite but a common misconception. How many were in your group, including a certain someone?” Stocus said, loving the immediate response. It seemed some hate was still lingering in there. Something that proved how valid some previous claims had been.
“... Five.”
“You took some time to answer that one but I will allow it,” Stocus stated, taking away all breathing troubles. A few seconds were spent in silence as he allowed the man to regain all lost oxygen in his blood. “Now for the more important questions. A hunter of mine reported you dead. You had been dragged right into the clutches of a monster-horde so large that no man could count them all. Tell me just how you survived that.”
The widening of the man’s eyes led Stocus to believe it was going to be a hard truth to tell. That only made him more curious and more accepting about the amount of paperwork he would have to do once the current session was over.