Chapter 21 Sebastian Evergrand
Outside Room 4 in the interrogation sector of the base, Goliath was staring at the time on his phone. Just as it ticked to 1 o’clock, Roach emerged round the corner.
"On time, that's not like you," Goliath commented.
“I had some things to do,” Roach dismissed. “Is he in there?”
“Yeah,” Goliath said, stepping closer to Roach. He leaned in so the conversation stayed between them and whispered, “What happened during the Horde, it won’t happen again, will it? We’re the Ill-Favoured Five, not four.”
Roach hesitated to reply. His eyes darted left before saying, “If I need to go, I will. There’s nothing you can do about it. I’m faithful to a fault, Goliath; I wouldn’t go without a good reason.”
Goliath nodded his head. “I appreciate that.”
“Are we ready to torture!” Spike yelled, jumping high in the air and tucking his knees in. In his hand was a large suitcase held shut by a hefty lock.
A large black hand grasped the back of Spike’s neck. “Shut the fuck up, Lord Evergrand is coming right now,” Boseman whispered in his ear. “Shoulders up, back straight,” he told the team.
The team composed themselves as Lord Evergrand walked around the corner with two suits flanking him. He hadn’t shaved for days and two sets of bags hung under his eyes. Just behind him was the mind mage and healer Goliath had asked for.
“Lord Evergrand,” Boseman said, “this is the team”.
“Ah, the Ill-Favoured Five once again, I hoped you take my offer up.”
“You’re the one who wanted us to do this?” Goliath questioned.
“Of course, Boseman here said a certain someone in your team is adept at gathering information. I believe it's only fitting as he tried to kill you too.”
Spike leaned back and folded his arms smugly.
“That would be Roach,” Boseman said, pointing to him. “He knows what hurts.”
“Afternoon, Lord Evergrand,” Roach introduced again, nodding quickly.
“My only wish is to end his life myself,” Lord Evergrand remarked.
“If that is what you want, lord,” Boseman obliged. “Would you like to speak with him first or watch from behind the glass?”
“I’ll watch. I have brought these two as requested to aid in the information gathering,” Lord Evergrand told them. “I hope he would crack straight away but he didn’t as much budge.”
“Most likely been trained, lord,” Roach explained. “We go through it too. If he hasn’t offered a half-truth yet I’d be worried.”
“Well, do as you wish with him. Just don’t kill him.”
“Of course, Lord Evergrand,” Roach said. “Should we start?”
Lord Evergrand nodded.
Goliath discretely leaned towards Mute and whispered, “You don’t have to watch if you don’t want to.”
Mute stayed still for a second—her hand twitched ever so slightly. Turning on the spot, she strode away. Boseman led Lord Evergrand and his bodyguards into a room with a wall replaced by a one-way mirror. Inside were listening devices and screens that showed footage of the room in front. They sat down in the centre and waited patiently.
“Who are you two?” Goliath asked the two mages.
“Gadriel Fural,” a woman replied. “An honour to be working with the Unwanted.”
She was a di-human; part orc and part human. She was tall and robust and wore dark robes that that showed no skin. “I am the Mind Mage you requested. Master Rank at the Seven Spheres.”
“And you?”
“I am Cathrine Wheeler, your healer. I am not from this country. I was trained at Port Allwood. I do not have qualifications but I can assure you I am adept in my mancy. Lord Evergrand would not hire me otherwise.”
She spoke in a broken accent that was unfamiliar to the team. She was adorned in a quality battle dress that matched her dark green, long hair—a sign of a powerful mage.
“Good. Both of you will do as I say. If you don’t, you’ll be in his position. Do not directly engage in conversation and do not physically touch him if not requested to. Understood?”
They both nodded.
Goliath turned around to his four teammates. “Who’s leading?”
“I will,” Roach said sternly. “How intense do you want this to be?”
“Boseman said anything goes, just don’t kill him.”
“Can I not torture the guy?” Spike complained, outraged. “I brought my own gear.” He held up the large briefcase.
“On second thought, Spike, go into the other room,” Goliath ordered.
“You’re fucking kidding me,” Spike spat, “fuck you giant.” The eccentric bard didn’t stick around for long out of fear, scurrying into the viewing room, still clutching the briefcase.
Goliath slapped his hands together and nodded to Roach to enter, and so he did. Inside the medium-sized room was a man strapped to a chair that could extend out into a bed. A bright light sat above him. On tables against the walls were weapons ranging from mediaeval horrors to surgical tools.
“All these people, for me?” the man in the bed chuckled.
He was overweight and hairy. His teeth were stained yellow and his clothes stunk of dried beer. Half of his last meal was down a striped shirt with four buttons missing. Though he was a large man at six feet, his hands and shoes were small.
“Sebastian Evergrand, aren’t you a character,” Goliath grunted, stepping in after Roach.
“You know, this isn’t the first time I’ve dealt with the Unwanted,” Sebastian said, grinning.
“It’s going to be your last,” Roach replied calmly, walking around to the other side where a plethora of rusted tools was laid out. “You already know what we’re going to ask you. Give it up, or I will make sure I do more damage to you than Yelia.”
With a wide grin, Sebastian met Roach’s eyes through his mist. Not even a second later, a fist was thrown at his cheek. Sebastian scrunched his eyes and breathed out. “Good one,” he coughed.
Goliath motioned to the mind mage with his hand. She strode over to his head and grabbed his temples with both hands. Closing her eyes, she attempted to invade his mind.
“He’s got a lock,” she muttered.
Pointy gently touched her shoulder and brought her away to the side of the room.
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Lord Evergrand sat with crossed legs and a fist planted into his chin. “What does that mean: he’s locked?”
“It means another mind mage has encrypted his memories. Not even a slave crest could get him to speak about them if he didn’t want to. Doesn’t mean the end though. We expect it from almost everyone,” Boseman answered.
“So what does this now mean?”
“They’re going old-fashioned.”
Roach ran his fingers along the variety of weapons laid out.
“Pick the pliers,” Sebastian egged on. “I’ve got a cavity in my molar.”
Roach’s fingers landed on it. “Which side?” he asked, picking it up.
With his tongue, Sebastian tapped on it. “Right here.”
Roach placed a metal tube between his teeth and put the pliers inside. Clamping on it, he pulled a tooth quickly. A crunching of enamel sounded through the room and Sebastian screamed as blood poured out his mouth. However, the scream turned to a raspy, breathless cackle. He gurgled, “You got the wrong fucking one!”
The mind mage faced the corner with blown-up cheeks.
Roach went in once more, pulling out another. Yet again Sebastian screamed but this time, he belly chuckled. Blood dripped down his hairy chest and onto his stained shirt. “You got it! That’s it! Oh, THANK YOU! HAHAHAHA!” He spat out a mouth full of blood onto Roach who didn’t flinch.
Roach calmly placed the pliers back down and picked up a scalpel.
Goliath turned his back to Sebastian and towards the healer. whispering, “Watch his life force. If he’s losing too much blood, intervene.”
“Cock or face first?” Roach asked Sebastian.
Sebastian, now with a straight face, offered, “Do my toenails.”
“We’re already past that, mate,” Roach said to him. “Cock or face? If you don’t pick I’ll choose instead.”
Sebastian scowled and met Solomon’s eyes through his mist. “Face,” he grunted.
Roach grabbed the man’s neck and pressed it hard against the chair. Carefully, he pushed the scalpel in by the top of his eyebrow and curved it down to his eye. Sebastian could only scream and shake his seat.
“Enough! Enough!” he yelled.
“I don’t care about the information, I just like doing this,” Roach told him, dragging the scalpel towards his lip.
“AHHHHHHH! I NEVER GOT THEIR NAME!”
Roach tutted. With precision, he followed the man’s second chin with the scalpel. “Can you hold still?”
It only caused Sebastian to struggle more, budging the chair an inch. Once Roach was satisfied with the cut, he dug his fingernails under the skin and pulled gently.
“I don’t know who it was!”
Roach stopped and said, “It’s going to have to be more than that.”
“I SWEAR! BY THE THREE MOONS I SWEAR!”
Roach glanced at Pointy who was feeling the tops of his ears. It was a lie. Sebastian was shaking; he tried to speak but the blood coming from his mouth was choking him.
“Fix the holes in his mouth,” Roach instructed the healer. Hastily, she extended her hand out and swirls of green magic invaded Sebastian’s mouth. “What were you saying?”
“I DON’T KNOW WHO HIRED ME!”
“What was your objective?”
Sebastian’s mouth trembled. “FUCK YOU!”
“Alright, I’m going to have a break,” Roach said, settling the tools down and pulling a cigarette from a box. He lit the cigarette with an electronic lighter and moved back some steps to lean against the wall. “Goliath, can you take over?”
“I’m worried I might kill him,” Goliath muttered. He dragged a chair over from the corner and sat by Sebastian’s waist. He grabbed his wrist and turned it completely over. Ligaments, bones and cartilage twisted and snapped. “Soft hands. And hairy,” he noted amidst Sebastian’s screams. “Are you married?”
“FUCK YOU, GIANT!”
“Funny how the cocky attitude dropped after a minute,” Goliath told him. “Are you married?” he asked once more, looking at a ring that was swallowed by fat.
Sebastian didn’t reply.
“Can’t let go or can’t get it off?” Goliath grabbed the finger and bent it back. He then snapped the smaller joints and ripped the ring off. It clanged on the ground and Sebastian stared at it. Under his mist, Goliath smiled, “There he is. What was her name?”
“Cynthia H—”
“Sounds like a hooker.”
“She wasn’t a hooker!”
“A whore then.”
Before Sebastian could retaliate, Goliath bent his middle finger over. “So, who was it?”
“Dumb fucking giant,” he spewed, spitting thick blood in his face.
Goliath grabbed both remaining fingers and bent them back. “I don’t like being called that.”
Stolen story; please report.
“You fucking cunts! FUCK YOU ALL!”
“I’ll take over,” Roach told Goliath, flicking his cigarette onto Sebastian’s stomach. It burnt through his t-shirt and began cooking his flesh.
“Cock was it?” Roach asked him.
Sebastian clenched his jaw and scowled.
“Cock it is,” Roach concluded, beginning to cut away his trousers.
“I can’t watch this,” Lord Evergrand said, breathlessly. He got out of his chair and turned his back. Whereas Spike pressed his nose into the glass.
Roach peeled away the man’s pants with his knife, revealing the top of his penis which sat on two large testicles.
“You poor man,” Goliath commented. “No wonder you couldn’t satisfy her.”
“Whores love it… I like it when they laugh at it,” Sebastian remarked, but there was hesitation in his tone.
“Do women like emasculated men?” Roach asked him, spinning his dagger in his hand. “What are they called?”
“A eunuch,” Pointy responded.
“A eunuch. Sebastian the Eunuch, it has a nice ring to it.”
“Cut my cock off and I won’t tell you anything,” Sebastian told him abruptly. He looked around the room and focused his attention on the mirror. “I want coin … and a mansion—an entire whore house! Then I’ll talk.”
“Unfortunately, coin got you into this mess and it's not going to get you out,” Roach told him, cocking his head. He then proceeded to press the sharp edge against the top of Sebastian's member
The man winced, first attempting to endure, but broke down crying, “I’ll tell you everything you want to know. Who paid me—how much—when—where—”
“I’d rather cut your cock off,” Roach explained to him, pushing Sebastian’s head back.
“No no no—wait. I will tell you everything but you have to promise I can leave.”
Roach paused, the blade a centimetre away. “Well go on.”
“Not an Unwanted—I know you can’t be trusted.”
“He’s done his homework,” Goliath commented, clicking his teeth.
“It’s true,” Roach agreed. “You never can trust an Unwanted. But who you can trust is your brother. Setting your niece up for assassination; if I had any family, and anyone tried to hurt them, they’d disappear. Your brother does seem to have morality, unlike us, doesn’t he? Beg for his forgiveness, and I might not chop your cock off.”
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“What’s he doing?” Lord Evergrand questioned Boseman.
“Sympathising, lord,” Boseman replied, eyes fixated on the room. “Adrenaline has worn off, now bargaining begins.”
“He’s not going to be set free is he?”
Boseman smiled under the mist. “He was already dead when we brought him in, lord.”
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Roach crouched down to Sebastian’s face and stared into his eyes. “I’ll make a deal with you. Tell me who paid you—do not lie, and we will erase your memory and put you back into your whorehouse. How does that sound?”
“You think I believe any of that?”
“Who are you so afraid to protect? Do you fear them, the people who paid you?” Roach asked.
Pointy was scrutinising Sebastian’s body language to determine what was true and what was false. It was easy, like reading a book. They learned it through training, but to understand each body language upon each word spoken was a gift of his.
Sebastian grimaced and looked away, then turned back. “I’m not scared of no Unwanted.”
“Then these people must be terrifying. This man here—” Roach pointed at Goliath, “can fold your body four times over. He can crush your heart in his hands.”
Sebastian’s lip began to tremble. Finally, they had him. However, they just needed a bit more.
“Well then, Sebastian, you leave me no other choice.” Roach kept close to Sebastian’s face as his knife was dragged down his body towards his crotch. Sebastian watched it with wide eyes. “What do we say, just the tip?”
The blade was pressed against the top of his penis, drawing the smallest bit of blood. Roach applied more pressure.
“IT WAS A GREY!”
Roach stopped, side-eying Pointy who tapped his thigh twice. Sebastian was telling the truth.
“It was a Grey. They - they paid me under the table. I had no other choice; accept the money or die.”
“A Grey?” Roach questioned, pausing for a second.
“Please, I swear on the Three Moons. It was a Grey!”
“Mercs - like us?”
“Yes!”
Roach suddenly lunged at the man’s neck with his hands and cut off his airways. His mist was an inch away—he stared into Sebastian’s eyes, seeing fear, revealing the truth.
“WHEN?!” Roach bellowed.
“A year ago!” Sebastian trembled.
“HOW MUCH?”
“Property in Urum and enough gold to sink a ship!”
“WHAT ARE YOU NOT TELLING ME?”
“I-I WANTED TO DO IT … I wanted to do it,” he said, breathless.
As Roach was about to pull away, Pointy said, “There’s something else. Something you’re not telling us.”
Sebastian’s breath quickened and his eyes darted between the misted faces. “What is it?” Roach asked, his tone guarded
His jaw shook from the fear alone. “Give us a name,” Roach insisted.
“It wasn’t something I was supposed to hear,” he protested.
Roach pressed the blade against the top of Sebastian’s penis, drawing another drop of blood.
“I just heard a name!”
“What fucking name?!”
“The Clockwork Caretaker!” Sebastian cried. “And something called the Stone of Discordia.”
The hairs on Pointy’s neck rose and so did the fur on his ears. “What about the Stone of Discordia?” he interrupted.
“I-I-I—”
“ANSWER HIM!” Roach screamed.
“They said find the Clockwork Caretaker. Then you find the stone.”
“What else?” Roach asked quietly.
Sebastian began to sob. “That’s it - it’s all I can remember.”
A glance at Pointy confirmed it was true. “We’re done,” Roach concluded, sitting up promptly.
“Let me go! I told you what you wanted,” Sebastian whimpered, struggling in his restraints.
Roach showed no signs of remorse.
“You said we had a deal!”
“Never trust an Unwanted. You said it yourself.”
“You cheating filthy bastards! All of you! You’ll all burn in the depths of Yelia’s Belly!”
Goliath opened the door and let everyone else out before closing the door behind him. They left Sebastian a broken man and it had only been ten minutes.
They entered the room adjacent to where Lord Evergrand was pacing backwards and forwards, massaging his temples.
“Nice job, Roach,” Boseman complimented.
“Thank you, sir,” Roach replied.
“So he did this by his own accord?” Lord Evergrand questioned, clenching a fist. “And what of the Clockwork Caretaker? And this Stone of Discordia?”
“His main goal was revenge, Lord Evergrand. We’d get nothing more out of him except his darkest secrets. When his emotions turned to his past - that is where the information ends. He was a pawn on the board.”
“What is a Grey?” Lord Evergrand asked them.
“A Grey is a masked mercenary - more specifically, they work out of Sandrum but have ties to all countries and cities. I wouldn’t worry about them too much.”
“They’re like you?”
Boseman nodded. “It just goes down the rabbit hole, lord. Someone hired a Grey who hired your brother - he just happened to hear a conversation that he wasn’t supposed to.”
“He was always the jealous type,” Lord Evergrand sighed, “he should have come after me. What puzzles me, though, is why wasn’t my daughter attacked—dare I say it, killed in Sandrum when she met him.”
“Timing,” Pointy remarked, drawing attention to himself. “I believe the Children of Discordia wanted to plan this. It was supposed to be one tragedy after the other—a true show of chaos. In addition, having your daughter die in a foreign land would cause a war between Eurella and Urum.”
“Wouldn’t that make greater chaos?” Boseman questioned.
“Yes, actually,” Pointy said, finger on chin, staring at the floor. “Unless it was government-backed.”
“You’re saying this is an attack by a nation?” Lord Evergrand quiered.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, lord,” Boseman interrupted.
“No,” Pointy replied, ignoring Boseman, “it is by someone in Sandrum.”
“Pointy,” Boseman grunted in a low tone.
“Apologies,” Pointy responded.
“Lord Evergrand, we will work on this. By the contract with the king, we investigate local and foreign threats. Speculation now won’t get us anywhere,” Boseman stated.
Lord Evergrand nodded with his hands on his hips. Regrettably, he said, “Then there’s only one thing left.”
Boseman unhooked a pistol on his waist and handed it to him. “He couldn’t make you feel such pain just by torturing or killing you. He went after your daughter… By your terms, Lord Evergrand.”
Lord Evergrand looked at the pistol with hesitation. His eyes were fixated on it. Swallowing a stone in his throat, he took it - he needed to do it. He headed out the door and into the interrogation room.
“Stay by his side,” Boseman whispered to Roach.
Lord Evergrand entered and Roach slipped in behind him. He closed the door and looked at the mess which was his brother. Sebastian chuckled, his eyes rolling around his head. “Wasn’t the family reunion I was expecting.”
“You’ve done it now, Sebastian. Why do all this?” Lord Evergrand questioned, his voice quivering with anger.
“Why? I was supposed to be the heir, not you.”
“Father said—”
“What does father know? He is over 500 years old—the man is senile. Maybe if I spent more time making sure he doesn’t shit himself, I’d have a mansion in the Overground. I’d be Head of House Evergrand and you’d be—”
“My daughter!”
“Your false daughter!!”
Rage consumed Lord Evergrand and he pointed the pistol at his brother, pressing it into his forehead. “You tried to kill my daughter! My dear Elora! I’d rather you kill me!”
“Do it. Shoot me, brother,” he softly said with a bloody grin.
Lord Evergrand’s index finger curled around the trigger but his wrist started to shake. His top lip twitched and his eyes went wide. He eventually lowered it.
“Lord, would you like me to?” Roach proposed politely.
Lord Evergrand spun around with the pistol and pointed it at Roach.
“It’s not for everyone, lord,” Roach explained, laying a hand on the gun and slowly lowering it. “As long as I have your permission.”
Lord Evergrand stared at the floor - he was distraught. “Do it,” he whispered, turning away from Sebastian.
Without hesitation, Roach pulled one of his pistols out and shot Sebastian in the head. Blood and brain matter splattered onto the mirror.
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“That’s that done,” Boseman huffed, wiping his hands and getting up from his seat. “The Greys, huh.”
“Sandrum is the home of their operations, right?” Goliath asked.
“Indeed,” Pointy remarked, “but there would be talks of war if this got out. So I believe it is a person that is spearheading the Children of Discordia, not this Akira Weslen.”
“He still dies,” Roach announced, stepping back into the room.
“Oh, too fucking right,” Spike agreed.
Boseman’s phone rang, interrupting the conversation. “Yes. Oh. We found him? Two minutes.” He turned to the team and said, “War Room.”
Boseman, along with the Ill-Favoured Five, were fast-walking down a corridor in the base.
“Where is he?” Roach eagerly asked.
“Old Suffolk apparently.”
“Let’s finish this cunt,” Spike said, smiling through his mist. “Which Battalion are we in?”
“You’re leading,” Boseman stated, pushing open a pair of doors with both hands.
Spike stopped. “You what?”
Inside the War Room, there was a holograph in the centre projecting a map of a scarred mountain range. A dozen Elders were gathered around it with Administrator Speaker standing on a raised platform. Around the room were monitors where the Intelligence Department of the Unwanted was stationed. Their masks were white just like the Researchers.
“Are all Elders and Acting Elders present?” Administrator Speaker asked.
“Thirteen present at base listed,” one responded.
Administrator Speaker cleared her throat and clicked a remote in her hand. It zoomed into a mountainous region with enormous tunnels dug out of it, almost as if a worm had chewed its way through. Broken railways and rotting huts lay abandoned at what appeared to be an entrance.
“Good. Akira Weslen and the item he has stolen is located in an abandoned mana crystal mine in Old Suffolk. Three Fodder teams have gone in and none have come out. All drones we have sent have cut out half a kilometre away. If this isn’t the man we are looking for then I shall step down myself. This man has crippled Mercy, wounded an Administrator and killed Pike as well as hundreds of our own. We know he is the one who influenced the Horde. Iceman and Sweat, prepare a full ground assault. Use Lord Evergrand’s funds to purchase top-of-the-line vehicles and plot a route towards the location; all red tape has been removed. Greenacre and Fetch, retrieve all available Unwanted from their current missions if you deem it fit and create a formation for the approach. The rest of you Elders will be in charge of battalions and Skyeyes will be monitoring this entire event from the satellites. The ground assault will be leaving at midnight. Boseman, you will be leading the Headhunter with the Ill-Favoured Five. I shall leave your formation and entrance to your judgement.
“Ill-Favoured Five?” an Elder questioned, side-eying the team. “This should be done by equivalent Elders, ma’am.”
“I agree,” Administrator Speaker said, pausing before she spoke again. “It is the last request of Mercy. He is stepping down as Head Elder.”
All the Elders hung their heads.
“Pity,” one said.
“Quite,” Administrator Speaker agreed, her tone void of emotion. “Although this assault is of the utmost importance, it was his last request and I shall honour it. Those who are not in favour do not raise your voice, I do not want to hear it.” She turned her attention towards the group in attendance. “Are you ready?”
Goliath looked to his team before stepping forward. “More than ever, Administrator Speaker.”
“You will leave at 0200 in the morning by Hovercraft with the Jagers—Boseman’s team. His team is far more powerful and efficient than any four of these Elders put together. There shall be no work politics, drama, emotions, or hesitation in this assault. We will kill this man and prop his head on a plate for the king and retrieve what he has stolen. Begin.”
“Yes, ma’am,” their voices echoed through the room.
Boseman turned to the team. “You ready to fight with the big boys?”
“You ain’t that big,” Goliath said, stretching his back with a grin coming out of his mist.
“I’m serious, Goliath,” Boseman said, folding his arms. “This is it. Mercy’s vouched for you on your most important job. You guys stood no chance at him before so I’m worried about how you’ll kill him now.”
“He’s weakened,” Pointy replied immediately. “Mana not his running through his body. He’ll be dead in a week.”
“Besides,” Goliath interrupted, “Roach can take his Soul Shatter.”
“That true?” Boseman questioned.
“Yes,” Roach said with a nod. “He’s mine.”
“Who says you get to kill him?” Boseman countered.
“I do,” Administrator Speaker said behind him.
Boseman took a step to the side.
“Roach will be the one to kill him, per Mercy’s final wish. Do not disappoint me. You failed to stop him last time but you will not fail this time. If not - and if you survive, you will take the mist off your faces.”
“We will not fail you, Administrator Speaker,” Goliath promised. “Pointy has told us he is weakened by the stolen item.”
Administrator Speaker took a step forward, dwarfing everyone around her. In a low, serious tone, she said, “Whatever you do, do not touch the item directly or you will long for death. It causes madness you see. Now if I were you lot, I’d take a nice sit down and prepare for your advance.”
“Yes, Administrator Speaker,” they all said, then taking their leave. All except for Pointy who had a question on his mind. He pushed his glasses up his face and turned to face her.
“Excuse me, Administrator Speaker,” Pointy called to her. “What exactly is this item? I think it will help us in taking him down.”
Administrator Speaker turned to Pointy, looking him up and down through her mist. “Some things must not be told for the information is more dangerous than the item itself.”
“Right, apologies for asking,” he said, flustered.
“I’ve read your file, Pointy. Curiosity does seem to get the better of you, it may even get you killed one day.”
Pointy nodded his head down and followed after the team.