Chapter Nine: "Torture"
'llll' Using the sharpened end of what he hoped was a rat's bone, Numair scratched in another addition to his number of tortures... 4...
Brand
Cliff
Horse
...Daine...
The last two were clearer in his mind than anything else...
The muffled footsteps and voices of several guards. "C'mon Flugt, we'll see a torture tonight the likes of which 'aven't been used since 'me father's days."
"Is this...wise?"
"'Course! How'll the master know?"
In the dead of the night, they half dragged the mage to a courtyard. In the middle stood a proud steed...wait...it was... made of... straw?
" 'Ere you go mate." The stronger of the guards gathered to watch, lifted Numair onto the horse. Pulling back his sleeves, he produced a small handful of fire, pouring it out of his hand onto the horse, it was instantly ablaze. Backing up, he and his friends stood together to watch a fire-full bonanza that would make any and all pyromaniacs and arsonists proud. The flames were already licking up towards Numair's legs... Large bright red fire gleamed as the guards grinned. It had most definitely been worth sneaking out of their rooms, stealing a prisoner and making their own form of torture...it had definitely been worth it.
As the smoke rose into Numair's eyes, they watered. As the fire licked his legs, threatening to set his robe ablaze, they burned. As the flames grew higher, he collapsed. Falling into the arms of another man. One who was not built to be a guard.
"What is the meaning of this?"
"Uhh... sir... it was Flugt's idea, h-he led us to."
"Who is this Flugt?"
"It wasn' me fault sire... I I-I-Was merely... tricked..."
"You are Flugt." Turning, he motioned to the large man behind him, another newcomer. "Baum, take Master Salmalín back to his..." he raised an eyebrow, "rooms."
Showing no sign of emotion, Baum took Numair from the other mage's arms, and carried him back to his cell...
The fourth torture... Daine... she burned just as fiercely in his mind as the fire did.
"How do you get in and out?"
"I'm friends with the guards."
"Just like you were friends with Kaddar?"
Instead of bursting into tears as he half expected her to, she leaned over and slapped him. It was with a strength that Numair didn't know she had that she hit him with. Leaving the image of a large hand on his cheek to add to the number of injuries he claimed.
"Don't you speak of him again."
"Why?" he looked up into her eyes, they were strangely cold.
"You know, Master Salmalín? Over the past few days, my greatest fears were realized. And overcome." She smiled, but it wasn't the warm grin that Numair was used to, a cold, sinister smirk played it's way onto her lips, he shivered. "My greatest fear, having to love you." turning, she sped on her heel and waltzed out.
The battle was still raging. People were dying left and right, blood lay in pools, surrounding the palace like a grotesque moat.
Daine stood at the top of one of the towers, armed with her bow, she shot at the enemies below, taking no notice of stormwings until...
Next to her stood the grief-stricken Thayet. Her natural beauty was blotted out by red blotches from tears...Jon was dead. She had left the castle's keep when she heard about her husband, no longer caring whether she lived or died.
Looking up and across the top of the tower, Daine swore. Incoming was a stormwing, it's face looked pressed with grim determination. "THAYET! GET DOWN!"
It was too late. The queen was picked up, and carried away.
Daine was helpless... what could she do? Shoot the stormwing and hope that Thayet lived after the plummet that would follow? Or follow herself? An incoming mass of arrows answered her decision.
Neither.
As arrows sprouted in her chest, it was all Daine could do to cry out that the queen was gone.
End Chapter Nine