Natarek stopped when they entered the dungeons of the Cathedral; he pointed a sharp talon to the farthest cell where the rest of Zephon's own lieutenants had gathered. "In there, we have a prisoner of great importance. He was found just outside of the western gates, he had killed three of our fledglings. From the looks of him, milord, he appears to be a Sarafan priest." Approaching the cell, the lieutenants backed off as Zephon peered inside.
Stretched out on the cold stone floor, the only light coming from Nosgoth's double moons through a small window, bleeding from his nose, lips and face covered with bruises, was a man wearing the armour of the reviled and hated Sarafan. The captive tried to push himself to his knees, but the injuries given him by the vampires had made him weak, and the soldier fell back defeated. That did not stop him from looking at Zephon with such insane anger blazing on his face, but the Clan lord gazed right back with his cold eyes; both silently gauging the others strengths and weaknesses. The Sarafan broke eye contact first and looked behind Zephon at Zarina; she had stayed close to the opposite wall and as far away from the other vampires as possible.
"Sorceress Larconquelle," the warrior spoke, his voice raspy. He raised a hand weakly towards Zarina, and then let it drop to the ground. "I have finally found you, my Lady." Zarina, her face suddenly flushed with colour, pushed Zephon aside and knelt down, reaching her graceful hand through the bars to touch the Sarafan's fingertips.
"Ferrio. It is you, Ferrio. What has brought you here, my old friend?"
Ferrio coughed and once again pushed himself to his knees, enclosing Zarina's hand in his own. "To find you, of course. Since the last battle where you had been captured, I was sent by Lord Roken of the Western Chapter to bring you back. What are you doing in a place like this, Zarina?"
"She does not have to answer your questions, human. You will answer to us," Zephon spoke harshly as he pulled Zarina to her feet and pushed her away from the cell. "Tell us why you are here, the truth, and your death will be quick and painless."
"To find her and bring her back to where she rightfully belongs, hell spawn. That is the truth." Ferrio coughed again, deep and strong enough to shake his whole body. When his hand came away it was covered in blood.
Zarina whirled on Zephon, her face mere inches from his. "Find him a doctor; he cannot answer you petty questions in this condition. Look at him, he will die before the day is out, my lord."
"He can answer them with the way he is. If he dies then that is that, one less human for my kind to worry about. Your friend was able to converse with you easily enough, consort." Ferrio's expression turned from one of pain into shock as he heard those words echo in the dungeon halls. Zephon smiled at the Sarafan after he caught sight of the man's expression and nodded. "Oh yes, you did not know. Well, she is my consort, now allied with us vampires, lowly Sarafan. But that is unimportant; just tell us the truth as to why you were here. Why were you trespassing in lands that even your kind would not enter without some sort of army that walks behind them. Tell me, or I will question you and I assure you that my method is one that you will not be fond of."
"I will answer no such questions, vampire. Release my friend for I command it."
"You are in no position to give demands," Natarek voiced. He leaned against the wall, an arrogant expression on his usually impassive face. The other commanders laughed maliciously at the human's plight. Zephon gazed at the Sarafan priest for a moment, then at Zarina. Why was there hope in her eyes directed at him when she knew he would give none? Human feelings were so weak and useless.
"Since you will not talk, you will be tortured. Natarek, Siglar, prepare him. We will drag an answer out of your lips, human, and only after we are satisfied with the answers will you die."
Natarek swung the cell door open and he and Siglar entered. Ferrio rose unsteadily to his feet, blood seeping from a wound in his lower abdomen, and lunged at the vampires. Siglar punched the warrior in the gut without breaking stride; Natarek grabbed the Sarafan before he could fall to the ground. Zarina covered her face with her hands, not wanting to see her friend's accusing eyes glaring at her as he was dragged past. She felt helpless; she was helpless to do anything. The rest of Zephon's officers filed past their Lord and Lady to begin the interrogation on the Sarafan.
"How could you," Zarina whispered softly. Her blue eyes, wet with tears, looked into Zephon's soulless gray. They were filled with hurt, such pain that he looked away disgusted. "You could of let me stay a few moments longer with him. I haven't seen him in so long, so very long. How would you feel if you had someone you had known all your life just taken away like that?"
Zephon shifted his weight from one foot to another and glared at her. "I would not mind at all. In fact, I know a few people that I would like to be rid of entirely. If you want to see your beloved friend, then come with me to the interrogation, wench." Zarina stopped her crying and looked at the Lieutenant for a moment. Zephon expected some sort of wounding comment to come from her, but Zarina did not say anything. She acted instead.
She slapped him full across the face.
For a few moments, time seemed to slow and stop. Lowering her hand, Zarina wiped the tears from her eyes and walked away quickly, the rustling of her skirt the only sign of her passage. Zephon's cheek stung, but he made no move to see if he had been cut. He couldn't believe that Zarina had slapped him; no one had done anything like that to him in his whole life. One side of Zephon wanted to go after her, to beat her, but the other side told him to stay, to leave Zarina alone with her grief. He did that just that, thankful that there was no one around to see his embarrassment. He did not care for Zarina or her feelings; she could throw herself from the Cathedral for all Zephon cared.
As he walked down the dungeon corridors to the interrogation room, Zephon wondered why if he didn't care for Zarina at all, then how come his chest was hurting so much and he couldn't stop thinking about her?
"I have no time to deal with such trivial matters," he muttered to himself. Silently Zephon made a note that he would see her after the questioning to make sure she had not done anything stupid. Opening the door to the dark interrogation room, he closed it behind him, a malicious smile playing across his lips.
Stretched out on the cold stone floor, the only light coming from Nosgoth's double moons through a small window, bleeding from his nose, lips and face covered with bruises, was a man wearing the armour of the reviled and hated Sarafan. The captive tried to push himself to his knees, but the injuries given him by the vampires had made him weak, and the soldier fell back defeated. That did not stop him from looking at Zephon with such insane anger blazing on his face, but the Clan lord gazed right back with his cold eyes; both silently gauging the others strengths and weaknesses. The Sarafan broke eye contact first and looked behind Zephon at Zarina; she had stayed close to the opposite wall and as far away from the other vampires as possible.
"Sorceress Larconquelle," the warrior spoke, his voice raspy. He raised a hand weakly towards Zarina, and then let it drop to the ground. "I have finally found you, my Lady." Zarina, her face suddenly flushed with colour, pushed Zephon aside and knelt down, reaching her graceful hand through the bars to touch the Sarafan's fingertips.
"Ferrio. It is you, Ferrio. What has brought you here, my old friend?"
Ferrio coughed and once again pushed himself to his knees, enclosing Zarina's hand in his own. "To find you, of course. Since the last battle where you had been captured, I was sent by Lord Roken of the Western Chapter to bring you back. What are you doing in a place like this, Zarina?"
"She does not have to answer your questions, human. You will answer to us," Zephon spoke harshly as he pulled Zarina to her feet and pushed her away from the cell. "Tell us why you are here, the truth, and your death will be quick and painless."
"To find her and bring her back to where she rightfully belongs, hell spawn. That is the truth." Ferrio coughed again, deep and strong enough to shake his whole body. When his hand came away it was covered in blood.
Zarina whirled on Zephon, her face mere inches from his. "Find him a doctor; he cannot answer you petty questions in this condition. Look at him, he will die before the day is out, my lord."
"He can answer them with the way he is. If he dies then that is that, one less human for my kind to worry about. Your friend was able to converse with you easily enough, consort." Ferrio's expression turned from one of pain into shock as he heard those words echo in the dungeon halls. Zephon smiled at the Sarafan after he caught sight of the man's expression and nodded. "Oh yes, you did not know. Well, she is my consort, now allied with us vampires, lowly Sarafan. But that is unimportant; just tell us the truth as to why you were here. Why were you trespassing in lands that even your kind would not enter without some sort of army that walks behind them. Tell me, or I will question you and I assure you that my method is one that you will not be fond of."
"I will answer no such questions, vampire. Release my friend for I command it."
"You are in no position to give demands," Natarek voiced. He leaned against the wall, an arrogant expression on his usually impassive face. The other commanders laughed maliciously at the human's plight. Zephon gazed at the Sarafan priest for a moment, then at Zarina. Why was there hope in her eyes directed at him when she knew he would give none? Human feelings were so weak and useless.
"Since you will not talk, you will be tortured. Natarek, Siglar, prepare him. We will drag an answer out of your lips, human, and only after we are satisfied with the answers will you die."
Natarek swung the cell door open and he and Siglar entered. Ferrio rose unsteadily to his feet, blood seeping from a wound in his lower abdomen, and lunged at the vampires. Siglar punched the warrior in the gut without breaking stride; Natarek grabbed the Sarafan before he could fall to the ground. Zarina covered her face with her hands, not wanting to see her friend's accusing eyes glaring at her as he was dragged past. She felt helpless; she was helpless to do anything. The rest of Zephon's officers filed past their Lord and Lady to begin the interrogation on the Sarafan.
"How could you," Zarina whispered softly. Her blue eyes, wet with tears, looked into Zephon's soulless gray. They were filled with hurt, such pain that he looked away disgusted. "You could of let me stay a few moments longer with him. I haven't seen him in so long, so very long. How would you feel if you had someone you had known all your life just taken away like that?"
Zephon shifted his weight from one foot to another and glared at her. "I would not mind at all. In fact, I know a few people that I would like to be rid of entirely. If you want to see your beloved friend, then come with me to the interrogation, wench." Zarina stopped her crying and looked at the Lieutenant for a moment. Zephon expected some sort of wounding comment to come from her, but Zarina did not say anything. She acted instead.
She slapped him full across the face.
For a few moments, time seemed to slow and stop. Lowering her hand, Zarina wiped the tears from her eyes and walked away quickly, the rustling of her skirt the only sign of her passage. Zephon's cheek stung, but he made no move to see if he had been cut. He couldn't believe that Zarina had slapped him; no one had done anything like that to him in his whole life. One side of Zephon wanted to go after her, to beat her, but the other side told him to stay, to leave Zarina alone with her grief. He did that just that, thankful that there was no one around to see his embarrassment. He did not care for Zarina or her feelings; she could throw herself from the Cathedral for all Zephon cared.
As he walked down the dungeon corridors to the interrogation room, Zephon wondered why if he didn't care for Zarina at all, then how come his chest was hurting so much and he couldn't stop thinking about her?
"I have no time to deal with such trivial matters," he muttered to himself. Silently Zephon made a note that he would see her after the questioning to make sure she had not done anything stupid. Opening the door to the dark interrogation room, he closed it behind him, a malicious smile playing across his lips.