...Elf Kingdom border with the Slane Theocracy...
The Elf King was not unhappy. This was an unusual state for him because his usual emotional state was either boredom or anger...with occasional bouts of lust taken out on the females of his people...married ones were his favorite. Humiliating the husbands and watching their agony as their wives went to the bed of the king and having to hold their then broken wives on the next day...or week...or month as they wept out the memory of their time in the arms of a monster.
Those were some of his few amusements in the interminable boredom of his existence, but this was something new. A war against the Theocracy had failed to grant him the strong children that he needed, a war against the Sorcerer King and the...whatever they were, of the Holy Roble Kingdom though? That might do it.
He looked over at his copy of the treaty, he'd made a special point to bring it along. He threw a dagger at it, and it tore through a corner and stuck against the wooden wall. Desecrating the document was a pleasant past time, so much so that he'd made a game of it. He threw another knife, and another tiny sliver was cut away. The game was simple, the treaty would be kept until he'd cut it to pieces this way, over twenty five percent of it had already been cut up, it would be completely gone long before he reached the Abelion Hills.
A knock echoed on his carriage door. "Enter fool." He said dismissively, and a slender figure opened the door and bowed deeply. "Sire, our forces are being approached by a Theocracy liaison, they say they have twenty five thousand ready to join our line of march."
"Then have them do it, idiot, and get this formation moving again!" He snapped and tossed a dagger with casual strength in the direction of the unfortunate messenger. It hit the door and passed through it, impaling itself in the fellow's foot. He collapsed, clutching at the wound and thrashing around uselessly.
"Useless...all my children are so useless...can't even shut a damn door..." He said and closed it himself as the young male struggled to rise.
...E-Rantel...
The Platinum Dragon Lord was enjoying his visit to the market district, it had an enormous variety of goods, some of which he'd never seen before, a plethora of rune crafted items intended for very ordinary use, kitchen knives that did not need to be sharpened and saddles that reduced the weight of the rider on the horse, it was a magical bonanza, but what most interested him were the toys. He picked up a set of toy soldiers and approached the merchant selling them. "What is so special about these? They're a bit pricy at three silver aren't they?"
The merchant laughed, "Oh no, those little toy soldiers are enchanted, see, watch this!" He exclaimed proudly and took them from the Platinum Dragon Lord and laid them out on the table in front of him on two sides. "Red knights, advance left five. White infantry, advance right three." After each order, a set of them moved a small amount of space, he gave several more commands, and when the knights were close to the infantry, he said, "red knights, charge nearest infantry" and they moved quickly the last bit of space, and small quick motions showed them fighting each other, and soon only the knights were still standing.
The Platinum Dragon Lord looked at that in bafflement. "How...how...?" He couldn't complete his sentence before the merchant laughed.
"Its simple really, well...as simple as magic ever is, these aren't really strong enchantments, the little figures can only accept a few commands, and its meant to be done with game boards, but children seem to really enjoy waging these mock battles, the figures aren't intelligent, feel nothing, and their appearance of combat is really just predetermined motions based on your choices, but it still takes awhile, that is why it costs a few silvers." The merchant explained, "Frankly at only three, it is a huge bargain."
The Platinum Dragon Lord was forced to agree, and he handed over three silver without complaint. "Who makes these?" He asked.
"It was apparently a project of a mage's guild student, he got something called a patent that lets him and him alone produce this game for seven years, and the first round of sales let him hire some other students, they buy the figures in bulk, enchant them in huge numbers, and then have regular laborers assemble them into sets which are then sold directly to the merchant's guild which in turn licenses us to sell them, after seven years, anyone can make it, and anyone can sell it, but by then the original maker and his partners are all rich. Once anyone can make it, we expect the price to drop a lot, and then most people will be able to buy it." The merchant grinned happily as he pocketed the coins.
"Very...ingenious." The Platinum Dragon Lord said, "So the Sorcerer King's rule has been very good for you."
"It has been, its why I worship him as the god of commerce and fair deals." The merchant replied.
The Platinum Dragon Lord raised an eyebrow, "Is he not the god of justice, that is what I've heard of him as?"
The merchant chuckled, "As if a god could be so easily limited, to folks like Neia Baraja he is the god of justice, for the adventurer's he's usually the god of courage, for others he is the god of death, or the god of magic, or the god of war or pride or...a hundred or a thousand other things. When we call him the god of these things, we don't mean that these traits come from him, we mean that we emulate him at his best in all these things, and focus upon our core values as individuals. I have no conflict with someone who calls him the god of magic, nor deos that person have issue with someone who calls him the god of life, nor does that with someone who calls him the god of death. Worship for us is not simply an act of submission, it is an act of REFLECTION on our values and who we are and who we want to be and who we want to avoid being, our faith calls us to challenge ourselves, to be better than we were, stronger than we were, to apply ourselves to make our homes and communities and lives better, to be good neighbors, parents, children, and even good strangers."
The Platinum Dragon Lord couldn't think of anything to say to that. "I...see...well that is very educational, you've given me much to think about."
It was an honest statement, and he was still thinking in his room at the hotel when the Obsidian Dragon Lord joined him.
"What did you find?" The Platinum Dragon Lord asked as he glanced over at his newly arrived colleague.
The Obsidian Dragon Lord sat in the chair opposite him. "I tried to find slaves, I found no slaves, I found former slaves...but no slaves, just former ones who were building new lives. I found a former guard turned adventurer who apparently rendered a service to Neia Baraja and was rescued by the Sorcerer King and given a chance at a new life as a reward...he had nothing but good things to say. I tried to find a poor district, and instead I found growing commerce, I tried to find ignorance...and I found schools. I learned that the literacy rate has been rising and that the undead administrators have been utterly incorruptible. I thought at least one of us would find a sordid underbelly to this city."
He lay back in his chair and let his arms fall at his side in mock exhaustion, "Its been three days now, maybe he really is what he seems by his conduct, if this is a trick, its one I can't find the end game to."
"Speaking of games..." The Platinum Dragon Lord began, "look what I found, I want to try it out." He said, and took out the small sack of toy soldiers and laid them on the table. "Do you want to be red...or white?"
...Prart...
Neia Baraja was a very happy woman, elf after elf embraced her, young elves called her big sis, and the ranks of Black Justice had been swollen greatly by this addition to the ranks, she was sure her other officers would soon be outfitting the Vines and the Blood Miners with proper equipment, and with a proper army...it would be time to face off against Remedios Custodio again soon. The bitch had to die. But that was not high in her mind right now, she made her greetings and played the role of the devoted pope that she was, and when the last one was gone, she made her way to Tinamoc's hotel room. She found it easily enough, and was quickly directed to a luxury suite. The hotel was every bit what you'd expect a successful merchant to stay at. The carpets were thick and the furniture was ornate, with marble tables and smooth high quality wooden furniture with cushions coated in silk sewn on to them. Candles lit the way and bathed the room in golden light as she made her way up the stairs, ahead of her walked a well dressed servant, his back was straight and his clothes perfectly clean. His every step was equal distance from the last, he was almost as impressive in his dignity as Sebas, at least to Neia's relatively inexperienced eyes.
She thanked the man and handed him a silver coin in appreciation when they'd reached the appropriate room. She knocked three times on the smooth red stained door, and from within a familiar voice granted entry. She opened with gusto, closed it quickly behind her, and within a few long steps she'd hugged him for a second time that day.
"So, first thing's first." She said, noticing that CZ & Skana were already waiting at a table in the large room. "You pour some wine, then you tell us what you've been up to." She grinned and walked over to the table and sat between Skana & CZ.
"Alright, fair enough." He chuckled and took out a bottle from a nearby cabinet and brought it over to the table. He filled each glass, including one for himself, and took a seat.
"After we left Wenmark, we went Southwest, following the road along our expected route, but then instead of moving towards the coast, we ventured further South and took the road East, but this is the important thing...our scouts spotted Slane Theocracy ships when they went West to watch for trouble, lots of them, the Slane Theocracy must have taken ship awhile ago to have gone all the way around to land there, so we can count ourselves lucky we didn't end up in their line of march. From what we saw they were heading North, meaning they were probably going to link up with Remedios Custodio."
Neia frowned, and traded a look with CZ & Skana. "Remedios tried to ambush us, but she never pursued us with any seriousness after Wenmark, we wondered where she'd gone and why she didn't chase us down when she had enough cavalry to do it. I guess we now know why, she must have been informed of their arrival and moved to join forces."
Tinamoc put his glass down briefly and topped it off. "I expect so, well as we moved East, we made sure to scout around us as much as possible, we saw a lot of soldiers, and I do mean a LOT of soldiers. We don't have a precise count, but there had to be many thousands of them, the Southern nobles are going to arms, fortunately they seemed to have been focused on assembly points, they weren't looking for anyone otherwise we would have been screwed. We made our way North along the main highway until we got to the border between North & South. We were able to get through easily with the royal trade letter, nobody ever thought to cancel it, I guess they had other things on their minds, and nobody even inspected our cargo."
Skana set down her cup and held her hand out. Tinamoc passed the wine and she refilled her own glass. "Did you send word to our settlements, the places where most or all are loyal to the ideals of the Sorcerer King?"
"I did." Tinamoc answered, "I dispatched as many of the Black Justice soldiers as I could and ordered them to pass the word to every settlement in the area, the networks of communication that were established turned out to be very useful. Word reached me just the other day that Gustav Montagne has been gathering up volunteers, and our armies are joining up at assembly points of their own, some are moving to Kedyn, others are moving North to here, at least in this part of the country."
"Hoburns?" CZ asked.
"Underground cells primarily, we still have people there, Robel & Gilcrest have had to flee the city, they traveled East towards the Abelion Hills and a small army of human and demihuman followers is gathering near a little place called Commonton, it may be awhile before they're ready, but they should have ample time to gather their forces, I assume they're in contact with E-Rantel, but I didn't want to risk any interception using a message spell. All in all, things are looking better, I did hear that war was officially declared, and word reached me about Calca, but I don't know how Remedios will react to that, or has reacted. I doubt she'll believe it though. You know how she is better than I do." He said, turning from CZ to Neia as he explained the situation.
Neia nodded, "I do, I just need the means to bring her down. That bitch has got to die, without her...we'd have more..." She looked down sadly, "Without people like her...Illyana would be sitting here with us instead of...instead of..." She stopped talking and finished her glass immediately, wanting for the alcohol to numb the pain, she poured another and finished that as well, and then poured another.
Skana took the bottle and poured one for herself, then topped off Tinamoc & an increasingly intoxicated looking CZ.
"To Illyana, and the revenge we'll have for her." Skana said.
"To Illyana." They said in unison, and they finished the wine, Neia's mood had turned black.
"I want to visit her grave tomorrow...if that's not a problem for you all." She said.
They shook their heads slowly. "No...not a problem at all." Tinamoc said softly.
Neia sighed, "I was supposed to join the priests for dinner tonight, but honestly...I don't think I should. CZ...I hate to ask...but if it isn't to much trouble could you visit the temple tonight and tell them that I am worn out from the journey and need my rest, offer my apology and tell them I'll see them tomorrow."
CZ's eyes went clear as day again. "Intoxication protocol deactivated. I will do that." She said, she put a sticker on Neia's cheek. "Be cute." She added, and walked out.
Neia let out a heavy sigh, amazed at all the ways that the word 'cute' could be used by that little maid demon.
"Tinamoc, I really am glad to see you, but...I need some rest. I'm suddenly finding myself to be very tired." Neia said apologetically.
"Of course, I've already made arrangements." He said and drew a key from out of his pocket. "You are three dours down to the left from me when you exit this room.
When he slid the key across the table, Neia took it with a grateful expression and stood up. "Skana, are you coming?" She asked, and the taller woman looked at her with her one good eye and nodded.
"See you in the morning Tinamoc, lets have breakfast, sometime shortly after sunrise." Skana said sweetly.
"Always a pleasure." He responded, and gestured towards the door.
They walked out and quickly found their room, Neia fumbled with the key and the lock for a few moments before she got it in and unlocked it, when they both entered and she locked it behind her, Skana lit several candles, and just as she was turning back to speak to Neia, she found the warrior pope was inches away and she pressed herself in to the embrace of Skana the bold and kissed her passionately. Then she stepped back and began to undress as Skana looked at her in surprise.
She was about to speak when Neia's forefinger covered her lips. "No...no talking, not now, I don't want to talk, I don't want to think, I just...this...don't ask...just let me feel this...something else." She said softly and Skana allowed the embrace of skin to skin, and did all she could till the candles died and they were left to drift into slumber in the darkness around them, to bring Neia out of the darkness that held her inside herself.
...Draconic Kingdom...Vanysa's Home...
Queen Draudillon did not know what else to say as Ainz looked at her, she did not meet the orbs that were his eyes.
"What of your reward to her, was that stolen also?" Ainz asked.
"Our...ah...well...the thing is, she didn't want anything." Vermillion said.
Ainz looked around at the hovel of rot that she had been reduced to living in. "At this point? When reduced to this?" He asked incredulously.
"We...didn't know, she never told us, if she had..." Queen Draudillon's face snapped up to look at Ainz, "If she had, I would have done something, she was a great hero, of course I wouldn't have let her be reduced to this, to a ruined life and a dirty hovel to die in. If only she'd have told me...I promise..." She looked down, ashamed all over again and wrang her hands.
Ainz sighed, "No that does sound like her, she wasn't keen on rewards, not that kind anyway, and she developed a great deal of pride, she was probably ashamed of having lost it all. But your nobles will be punished for this, severely. And as for you Queen Draudillon...I must give serious thought to your continued rule when your nation is officially integrated into my kingdom."
She nodded numbly. "Am I going to die?" She asked softly.
Vermillion, hearing her question, prostrated himself on the filthy floor of Vanysa's hovel of a residence, "Please...your majesty...my queen is truly a good ruler, I know it looks...bad...really bad, but she is devoted to her people, and she isn't stupid, she is capable of learning. You surely must know how she loves them, she offered to give up everything to you to save them, a queen like that doesn't come along every century, surely you see the value in a leader that has the common sense to protect the weak, even if she lacked the power to do it. If someone must suffer for this...I am her prime minister...it is my responsibility to ensure she knows everything that goes on, surely the failure is more mine than hers, if one must die for this...let it fall on me, and send a wiser adviser to the Queen in my place."
It was the right approach to use on Ainz, and they could feel the tension fading away. "A fair point. You will require AMPLE education before I deem you fit to govern after the integration, but the nobles who robbed her must perish. Will you surrender them to me?" Ainz asked.
She nodded numbly, "I won't miss them. Nobody will." She answered, "I will raise up new ones in a new system, borrowing from the Bloody Emperor's methods and creating a more competent administration."
At a gesture from the Sorcerer King, Vermillion began to rise slowly to his feet.
"Good, I also require one more thing." Ainz said.
"What will that be?" She asked fearfully.
"Twenty thousand soldiers, to open up a new front against the Slane Theocracy when the time is right." He said.
"It will be done." She answered.
"Good." Ainz replied with finality. "Now, we need a way to track her, so I need something of hers that she'll have on her, but...I don't know what she might have carried."
They returned to the palace as they discussed the matter and one item after another was shot down, finally the Queen asked...
"The coins you gave to her perhaps sire?" Queen Draudillon asked.
Ainz shook his head, "She had just recently been given them, to little time for them to be impressed with her essense, plus with them being given as a set, and you having one of them, it would be treated as a 'broken item' and of little use. But...perhaps something else will do." He said thoughtfully.
"Demiurge, send me Kyouhukou...and his children...yes...all of them." Ainz said through a message, and a moment later a gate opened, and through it passed a short, well dressed lordly postured insect.
Neither Queen Draudillon nor Vermillion knew quite what to make of this, and so rather than risk rudeness, they remained quiet.
"Kyouhukou," Ainz said, "I have a task for your children, you and you alone can do this for me." He said in a noble voice.
"Of course my lord," Kyouhukou said in a polite manner, "my children and I live to serve, only name the task, and it will be done."
"I need you to find a blonde hair, not one attached to somebody, but a stray one, you are to search this room, the courtyard, and this entire city if that is what it takes, when you have it, bring it to me. If you find many, bring them all." Ainz said, and as the army of cockroaches came through the door, the lone pair of humans were heartily glad they were neither under suspicion nor standing to close. They began to swarm all over the room, their tiny forms perfectly suited for finding the clue Ainz desired
While the insects went to worked, crawling all over everything, Queen Draudillon & Vermillion carefully edged their way around the working masses with slow and steady side steps that inched their way in a curve to a table that had already been searched, and when they reached it, they took a seat, and were quickly joined by Ainz, who simply folded his skeletal hands and waited.
"Sire...what will you do with her hair if you find it?" Vermillion asked curiously.
"I will use it to find her location, hair is counted as a body part in magic, therefore with a single strand of hair, you can find the person to whom it belongs...if of course, you use the right magic." He answered, raising one finger to express that caveat.
"And if it isn't the right one?" Queen Draudillon asked.
"Eventually one of them will be. We just check them all." Ainz replied.
"So it will be a long evening then?" Vermillion asked.
"Not if we're lucky." Ainz said.
...Hoburns...Palace Dungeon...
King Astraka had a very comfortable chair under him, something he was quite glad about, after all even the most comfortable carriage was...tiresome, after awhile. All that motion and rocking, it was a real bother. It was even more bothersome when you had an unpleasant 'guest' who you really did not like for company.
But that was behind them both now. He touched his face where she'd dared to scratch him, and rubbed his arm where the chain that she'd turned into a weapon had struck him, it was a nasty bruise and it would be awhile before a priest with healing magic arrived. He got up and went to the unconscious woman who was propped up against the wall, she had better chains on her now, and would not be going anywhere. They were also the only thing she was wearing anymore. Her little stunt had cost her the last bit of his patience with her stubbornness.
Her head hung low, and he grabbed it by the hair, close to her scalp and pulled it back and he looked at her face. She needed a healer more than he did, he was fairly sure her nose was broken...but she wasn't going to get one, at least not until they were sure she'd need one in order to survive more interrogation.
"You could have had everything a person could want." He said to the unconscious Vanysa. "You could have had wealth, power, position, you could have had a life of luxury and ease, instead you spat on me, you tried to kill me, well...look where that got you? Instead of a comfortable room answering easy questions, you're naked in a dungeon and its going to get a whole lot more painful before its all over. What have you to say for yourself?" He asked in a gruff, angry voice. He shook her by the head, it jostled wildly in its limp state. "Well?!" He snaped, and then thrust it back down with such force that her chin bounced against her body.
She didn't answer. Unconscious people seldom had much to say.
"Whats the point?" he asked her as he strode back to his seat and reclaimed it, he propped his head up on his hand and rested his elbow on the arm of the chair. "Why do all this? What use is your loyalty to the Sorcerer King? He doesn't even know you're here, nobody does, the coachman who saw the kidnapping is...disposed of, and nobody else has even seen you. Its so stupid for you to have held out like you did." He sighed, and then he saw her stir.
Vanysa must have awakened sometime while he was speaking, because she answered.
"Don't...matter." She said and spat blood out onto the stone. "Don't matter if'n he never knows what ah done, what ah endured, don't matter if'n he don't even find me, or even if'n he don't care no more. Ah tole yah, dontcha get it? Stupid kinglet!" She snapped, her head swaying groggily as she raised her face to meet his. "Eben if'n he don't ever know...AHD know...an ah ain't no traitor, ah'd do anythin fer him, endure anythin fer him, don't matter whatcha do ta me, yah think ahm just an animal, just some thin that done been born ta give yah pleasure or power...but tah mah true king..."
Her eyes went clear and cold, and pierced him forcefully and confidently, even with her voice made thick from her broken nose, she kept iron in it, "He treats me as a person, he is worthy of my loyalty, he is worth dying for, and no matter how much you do to me, I will tell you nothing you vile letcher!" She snorted blood out of her nose and onto her skin.
She looked at him with a contemptuous and hateful smile, like he was the vomit of a dog beneath her feet, and then looked down over her exposed body, "You think this shames me?" She asked with a laugh that sounded half way mad. "Or did you just want an eyefull of what I'll never give you willingly?" She gave him a sadistic smile, "Maybe you're thinking that I'll be ashamed...because you are ashamed of what you look like naked...maybe you don't 'measure up' to the crown in more ways than one." She laughed and he turned beet red. "I look glorious in my beauty, its nothing to be ashamed of, and I would give it up to only one kind, one god...and...well one other that is none of your damn business...and you aren't worthy to lick the dirt from under their. No if there is any shame here it is with YOU, because shame comes from your actions and your choices, not from things beyond your ability to choose or change. In trying to shame me, you shame only yourself. Look all you want, even if you violate me, all I'll ever feel for you is hatred and scorn." She laughed again, and that was to much, he approached her swiftly, grabbed her hair again, forcing her face up to him, and said...
"No, you forgot one other thing you're going to feel." He slapped her again. "Fear. You'll feel a lot of that...till you tell me what I want to know." He said, and it was then that the torturer entered.
The King stepped back and sat in his chair as a burly looking fellow with dull, cruel eyes approached, Vanysa tried to kick at him, but could not find purchase to do so, and he' clearly had much practice at this, within half a minute he had her standing with her back bare to the king and her body secured stretched out. The torturer showed her the whip, holding it just under her eyes. "Speak...no pain. No speak...much pain." He said, she could smell the rancid stench of his breath as he leaned in close to whisper to her, she hated the feel of his dirty fingers on her skin, she hated the stink of his body that was...through some hellish miracle, worse than his breath, his nose reminded her of an ogre, and his eyes resembled those of a pig, he seemed more demihuman or beastman than human. She shut her eyes tight and shook her head in small, rapid motions.
"Ah said nobody gets tah touch me w'thout mah say so!" She shouted and flung her head back, smashing into the torturer's face, getting him to drop her hair and his whip, and sending him sprawling to his ass.
"You bwoke mah gawdamn dose you bitch!" He shouted, and went back to the king's side.
"No speak." He said bluntly as he wiped the blood away.
He picked the whip back up, and King Astraka spoke.
"What spell did the Sorcerer King use at Ha'ak Pale?" He asked, "What was its tier, how quickly did it kill, and was it easy for him to use?" His voice was disgustingly reasonable, but she said nothing as the torturer gave the whip a few practice swings.
"You can save a lot of lives, and yourself a lot of pain by telling me." He reminded her, and again Vanysa shook her head, she wished at least she could stop the shaking.
"Fine, be stubborn about it." The King said, and looked to the torturer. "Proceed."
The whip lashed into her back like a hundred knives, and Vanysa screamed like a banshee, it reminded Astraka of when she'd tried to kill him. Another strike came right after the first, and she arched her back and screamed again, this one ending in a wail, her flesh spasmed violently as her body tried to escape. A third lash scored the back of her thigh, tearing flesh away, and a detached part of her mind noted that the torturer was frankly amateurish. She knew there were much better ways to do this. Still it hurt like hell, and she couldn't keep back the scream that came with it.
"If it matters, I really don't like this, I'm not especially cruel, if you'd just answered me, you wouldn't be hurting like you are." Astraka said, he raised a hand to pause the torturer, and approached her from behind, moving directly against her flesh and whispering into her ear, holding her head back so she could neither move away from his voice or strike at him as she had at the torturer, she tried, she struggled.
"Ah said getcher hands offa me!" She managed to snap out, but he ignored her and whispered on...
"Did you know that there are limits to healing magic? If a body is too heavily mutilated, the person's injuries may 'heal' but they just become a mass of scars, we're going to do your back, top to bottom, and when we're done, its time for your front, and finally your face. You can hold out some...maybe even for an impressive period of time, but in the end you will tell me everything, and even if you do get to see the Sorcerer King again, he won't recognize you, not under all the marks you'll have, you'll be repulsive, ugly...you'll find out if the undead can vomit and retch, and I'll hate every minute of doing it to you...but you'll hate it more, and I'll do it anyway. Do you want kneel at his feet again, some ugly disgusting mass of pain, see the pity and revulsion you evoke in everyone around you, and have to beg others to touch you just so you can feel something, is that what you want? You'll kill yourself in a month, and just merit a few words of disgust before your corpse is tossed in a pit near the gutter you die in."
Vanysa began to wail softly as his words forced the scene into her mind, "But no matter what it takes...you...will...talk!" He snapped, and pushed her hard against the stone before returning to his chair.
"Resume." He said to the torturer, and the whip returned to her flesh...again...and again...and again, till she'd screamed herself hoarse.
"Master...see master...ahm brave fer you...promise ahm brave...ahm nae strong...but ahm brave...ahl eben be disgustin ta look at...ta stay loyal...fergive me master...please..it hurts so bad...k-k-kill me...please...make it stop..." She whispered out so softly that for a time they did not even realize she was speaking, and by the time they did, she was falling back into unconsciousness from the pain, her head hung down again and King Astraka sighed with frustration.
"Shall I call for a priest to heal her sire?" The torturer asked.
Astraka was furious, "Absolutely not. Let her fester that way, just give her a bit more chain, we don't want her arms dislocated...while she's unconscious. We'll get back to this tomorrow, and try that next."
He got up and left the room, and the torturer went with him, leaving the naked and bleeding body of Vanysa to hang painfully from her chains. Her unconsciousness was less enduring than they expected, and she awoke only a few hours later, a crumpled mess on the floor, and forced herself to rise at least a little, the torch had been left going, and she could see a little around her, the room was wider than it was deep, and she was all alone. Water dripped in from somewhere, and the stones were rough cut and very hard. She was in agony, her back was on fire, her legs were on fire, her wrists were on fire, it felt like she'd been cut to ribbons back there and the burning was unbearable, and there was an awful stench where she'd soiled the stone. Her nose felt broken and blood was dripping down, she could move at least, the chains on her wrists were a few feet long, though only by a few paces. It hurt to much to stand, she reached back to try to feel the injury sites, but had only minor success, the pain was to great to allow her to keep back her tears, but hatred burned more than fear in her eyes as she stared at the door, her gaze was clear and intelligent in this moment, and a low snarl passed her bleeding lips.
She spoke aloud to the empty room. "I told you...you won't win you bastard." She looked around, there was nothing she could readily use, but then a moment of inspiration hit, and she took a deep breath and dipped her finger into the blood she'd lost that had pooled onto the stone floor. She felt another flash of gratitude to the Sorcerer King for having taken the time to teach reading and writing, and with some struggle and effort, she began to write in her own blood on her own bare chest. "Faithful servant."
Her tears when that was done were not for the pain of what was done to her, but for what she was going to miss. She spoke softly to the air, "I'm so sorry master...I'm going to miss you...miss teasing you, miss seeing you...miss your glances at me that showed me what you must have been like in life...miss that wonderful Demiurge...ahhhh how I'm going to miss our music...or will I, I don't know if the dead miss anything, or even if I'll find out...there was so much more to learn and to see and to do. I'm so sorry...but I can't let them win, and at least this way...he won't break me...I just hope you get the note on this chest you liked, that you understand, and that you forgive me." Her tears kept falling as she spoke to the air, and she opened her mouth, closed her eyes, stuck out her tongue as far as she could, pulling it out just a little farther with her fingers, and after just one more bracing deep breath...she bit down as hard as her jaw would let her, severing the tongue completely as close to the base as possible and spitting the severed part out as a bloody lump.
With no tongue to speak of, her screams failed to properly materialize, and she laid herself back on the floor and tilted her head back, it wouldn't take long before she'd choke on her own blood, then she'd be safe, and nobody could hurt her anymore.
As she gradually lost consciousness, she stared with sadistic eyes upwards at the ceiling, somewhere up there, Astraka was asleep, confident in his victories to come, but this wouldn't be one of them. As the blood began to fill her mouth she choked out a mangled, "Ah wen mudder fugger..." Then she couldn't breath as the choking began in earnest, that hurt too, for about a minute, then her eyes began to close.
AN: Well I hope you've enjoyed this chapter, there is much to go, and I've been really having a blast with this story. Of course double release days have now been extended to Monday thanks to food bank donation I just saw a little while ago. :) So...you slave drivers have me doing it yet another day. Gotta say this is probably the best use fanfiction has ever been put to. Blood donations save lives, food donations feed families, I'm really proud of all of you for your generosity. I chose the right series to write for. Eventually when this is done and I send off the series to the original author to see what he thinks of it, I'm going to have to make mention of all the positivity that came out of it. See you in tomorrow's doubles! ;)