Forgiveness
Summary: A tour bus disappears in an isolated part of England's country side where many people have vanished before. Balthazar goes to investigate, and since Dave is on spring break he gets to come along. Oh joy.
Disclaimer: All Publicly Recognizable Characters, Settings, Ideas, etc. are the Property of Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Productions. The Original Characters and Plot are the Property of the Author. The Author is in no way Associated with the Owners, Creators, or Producers of Disney and Jerry Bruckheimer Productions. No Copyright Infringement is intended.
Chapter IV
May 18
The next several hours were a painful blur. He was hot, sore, in pain and kept trying to throw up an empty stomach, his captors had placed him on a bed, but he fell off. Someone came in, heaved him back on the bed, he fell off a few minutes after whoever came in left. He felt like his organs were on fire. At some point sleep found him, and he woke up on the floor with the blankets tangle around him. His dexterity had suffered and it took him a good half hour to untangle himself.
Shakily he got to his feet, and wobbled more then walked towards the door. Put his hands against it and focused on passing through, only to receive an electric shock sending him flying and landing on his rear end.
"Ow," he laid back on the floor, deciding he would rest a bit before trying again.
He lifted his head when he heard the door open. There was Alyne standing, while a guard, who entered with her, closed the door behind them.
"How's Balthazar?" asked Dave turning his gaze back to the ceiling.
"Alive, he'll recover. Now what to do with you?" she raised her hand Dave felt himself been lifted and placed on the bed.
"Where is he?" asked Dave sitting up.
"In another cell, restrained. Man knows a few things about fighting. Gave one of my guards a black eye, and don't look so smug, his arm was broken as a result, should be fine in a few days." She added seeing his glare.
She took a seat beside him on the bed, "do you know how many sorcerers have existed in history who are capable of casting magic without a focus?"
"Two, besides me, Merlin and Morgana. Why are we still alive? I mean, the only reason you kept him alive was to lure me here, I'm here, you have me. Both me and Balthazar tried to bring you and your family down. So why not just kill us?"
Alyne smiled, "Good question. I take it you know of Dr. Mengele, you should have studied something about the holocaust in school, hard to miss his name. He was a Nazi doctor, my grandfather worked with him. He is most famous for his experiment on twins—"
"I know what he did!" exclaimed Dave.
"Right, well I can't help but wonder, what makes Merlin, and Morgana so different?"
Dave began to pale he clutched the edge of the bed. "Course you're very dangerous, the use of drugs to keep you subdued and not a threat to my people would taint the results, so I'd need your cooperation. "
"I'd never—"
Dave froze when he realised why Balthazar was still alive.
Alyne grinned, at the youth's expression. "Yes, you and your master are close aren't you? Must be, I mean you called him 'buddy' most apprentices aren't so informal, but you two…then there's what the man endured to protect you. And don't look so scared, the experiments won't be painful, for the most part, we need you healthy after all, and your health issues could taint the results just as easily as drugs could. Although the first test we have to run will hurt, it will probably be on par with what I did to Balthy—"
"Don't call him that!"
"Very well," she told him icily, "But the first experiment will hurt and like I said we need you to cooperate in order to have valid results."
Dave said nothing just stared at the floor. He was well versed in Dr. Mengele experiments, and the idea of been a guinea pig terrified him.
"Do you realise what that man put up with in an effort to keep you from coming?" she held up her hand a red energy forming into flame emanated from it
"Do you know what this is?"
"Something unpleasant?"
"Greececian Burn spell, makes the victim feel like they're on fire, they can feel their skin melt, the blood in the capillaries boil," she smiled. "And that's not the half of it." The energy from her hand changed from a flame to a deep red glow she brought her hand to Dave's chest.
Dave screamed, he couldn't believe the pain. He didn't think it was possible for a human to feel so much, like he was been drawn and quartered, dumped in acid burned alive all at once. Fortunately it ended quickly, Dave fell forward off his cot and onto his knees on the stone floor gasping for breath.
"I used that one a lot in the square, for two minute intervals and the time between wasn't much of a reprieve, your master was lashed, burned, cut and beaten. Through it all he said nothing about your location. Then there was what I did the night before…" she trailed off and smiled at the memory. "If you are one tenth of the man he is," she continued "You'll be able to endure a few uncomfortable experiments."
She stood and dusted herself off, "I'll give you time to think it over." She told him as she walked towards the door.
"There's nothing to think over," said Dave his voice caring only a slight tremor. "I'll, I'll cooperate, I'll do whatever you want. Just don't— don't hurt Balthazar."
"If you both behave I won't," replied Alyne, still facing the door. Dave could hear the smirk in her voice.
"I'm not doing anything until I see him. Until I know he's alright."
Alyne turned to face him, "You'll do as you're told, or the next time you see you're master, you'll find out exactly how much pain the man can endure."
Dave heard the door open and close he stayed as he was, on his knees. Going over what Alyne had told him, he couldn't believe Balthazar had done that. All that pain he wasn't sure he would have been able to hold out. And he wished Balthazar hadn't. The guilt was tearing Dave up, if only he had stayed with Balthazar. His master wouldn't have had to suffer, what had Balthazar been thinking? Dave would much rather the man had told Alyne what she wanted to know he would have forgiven him in a heartbeat. The apprentice couldn't believe it, he was actually angry at Balthazar for not betraying him, angry at the loyalty Balthazar showed. What was worse was that it was all for nothing, Dave was here, in Alyne's power and Balthazar had suffered all that for nothing.
Dave pounded the floor with his fist wishing he had something better to vent on. He'd be happier if Balthazar had just told them! Why didn't he? Why he'd have to be so bloody loyal!
"I would have forgiven you… you should have talked. I shouldn't have left, I should have gone to the castle… turned myself in sooner."
oo0oo
Balthazar moaned, and took stock of his situation. He was in a fairly comfortable bed that was next to one of the walls in his cell. His broken arm had been tended to, it was in a cast, and held in place by chain bolted to the wall and secured to the edge of the bed. His other arm and ankles were shackled to the three remaining poles of the bed. Ringless, and still in very bad shape from the torture he had endured, despite the, he had to grudgingly admit, top notch healing he had been given, he could not escape.
Balthazar frowned as a thought struck him, why was he been healed in a non-painful way? He was nearly pain free. Why would they do this? Did it have something to do with Dave? Had they wanted the kid for a reason other then the fact that Dave could be a thorn in their side?
The thought made his blood run cold. He started trying to free his left hand ignoring the pain caused by the metal digging into and breaking his skin the blood would only make his wrist slippery and aid his escape.
He had to stop a few minutes later however when he heard the door open.
"How's your back?" asked Alyne as she walked in. "The healing herbs and balms we put on should prevent any major discomfort."
"Where's Dave? Why am I alive?"
Alyne chuckled "Funny he asked the same questions. In another cell and we need Dave's cooperation for a few endeavours."
"What endeavours?"
"We're curious if we can somehow duplicate what he is, focusless sorcerers are rare, my grandfather worked with Dr Mengele, and I do have a master degree in general science from Stanford, so experimentation is nothing new to me." She raised her eyebrow as Balthazar struggle against his bindings.
"Argh!" he shouted in frustration.
Alyne rolled her eyes, and leaned forward so her face was a foot from his. "Give it a rest Balthazar, and don't cause trouble, because despite our agreement with Dave, we will hurt or even kill you if you get to be a problem. You seemed to like that little girl from the village, I bet Dave would like her too. If you die we could just use her as leverage. So do yourself, and her a favour and behave."
Balthazar turned his head to look the sadist in the eye, "I swear I'll kill you for this."
Alyne stood up and crossed her arms as she stared down at Balthazar over her nose. "Aren't you curious as to what we plan to do to him?"
"I'll stop you before you get the chance."
"Better work quick Balthazar, everything is just about set up. I'll be running the first test in half an hour."
oo0oo
"David?" said Alyne opening the cell door. "It's time for the first experiment you'll be taken to Balthazar after."
Dave nodded and stood, Alyne had sent someone to bring him food while she was gone and he felt a lot better for it. He followed Alyne out of the cell and noticed the eight other people. There were five guards with her as well as Megan, and two men Dave knew were sorcerers from the rings in their right index fingers. He ignored them and followed Alyne through the dungeon up some stairs then a corridor them up several flights of stairs.
"What are you going to do to me?"
"We want to know if you're just a better conduit then other sorcerers or if you have a great deal of power, or some combination of the two. This test is for conductivity, and it involves forcing a great deal of power through your body, a small amount at first then more, until basically we nearly kill you. Like I said it'll hurt. But you will survive, I promise."
"Oh that's comforting."
"We're here kiddo," announced Alyne, as she opened a pair of large double doors. The room was circular with a large crystal embedded in the ceiling. The floor was covered with engravings Dave had never seen before was in the center of the floor two stone poles rose, Dave was quick to note the chains attached to them.
"Secure him," ordered Alyne.
Dave allowed the accompanying sorcerers to shackle his wrist each one to a pole. Once he was secured Alyne walked up to him and held up a mouth guard. "So you don't bite your tongue or damage your teeth."
"How considerate," said Dave before she shoved the piece of plastic in his mouth.
Alyne turned from Dave and started walking "Begin." She ordered as soon as she stepped out of the circle. Dave felt energy course through him it tickled in an uncomfortable way but didn't hurt.
"More," he heard Alyne say.
The energy increased and so did Dave's discomfort but nothing he couldn't handle. The procedure was repeated again and again. Eventually it got painful, soon after it became near unbearable.
"Arrghh!" cried Dave as he bit down on the mouth guard. It felt like something was tearing apart his body cell by cell from the inside. He couldn't make out what was been said by the other sorcerers in the room. He was surprised when the pain increased, if it weren't for his brief exposure to Alyne's pain spell earlier he wouldn't have thought it was possible to hurt so much. His legs gave out, he writhed in agony supported only by the chains that held him. Eventually the pain ended. He barely registered the shackles been removed, he did feel the energy heal the cuts on his wrist caused by the shackles. He allowed himself to he half carried half dragged by two sorcerers out of the circle they brought him to a chair and sat him down. He flinched as a light was shone in his eye.
"Pupils are reactive," said male voice he didn't recognize. "Breathing is a bit shallow but that's expected. He needs rest."
"Perhaps it would be best if I took him to Balthazar after he's had a chance to," said Alyne
"No." murmured Dave "Take me to him, now, I want to see him."
"Fine," acquiesced Alyne she turned to another sorcerer. "Wheel him out."
It was then Dave realised he was in a wheelchair. He felt the chair been pushed and followed Alyne out the doors, magic was used to levitate him and the chair down the stairs. Dave tried to focus, get the lay of the land and find possible exits. He needed to figure out where Balthazar's ring was because as soon as the sorcerer was feeling better, Dave was getting them both out.
"Balthazar?"
"Dave!" the older man smiled and Dave was wheeled next to the bed.
The younger man frown at the sight there was dried and fresh blood around Balthazar's wrist and ankles where he had tried to slip out of his bindings. Dave took hold of Balthazar's shackled wrist and turned to Alyne who stood watching the pair from a few feet away.
"I'm gonna remove the shackles and patch up his wrist."
Alyne nodded her consent she wouldn't stop him just as well Dave didn't have the strength to fight her. He ensorcelled the shackles open and used his magic to heal his master.
"Dave you shouldn't have come."
"They said they'd torture you in the square everyday until I surrendered. I had to come."
"They did?"
Dave nodded, and glanced over his shoulder at Alyne then back at his master leaning in closer to whisper. "Our friend told me, that's what Alyne said when they were cutting you down, you must have been pretty out of it. How's your arm?"
"Fine, you still shouldn't have come."
"I couldn't let them—"
"I told you before Dave, this isn't a two way street, I'm the master, you're the apprentice. I'm supposed to look after you not the other way around. When I give you an order you follow it. I told you run."
"I'm done with that. I'm going to try and find your ring, as soon as I do, and you're feeling better, I'll bust us out of here, okay?" assured Dave before leaning back in his chair.
"What did they do to you?"
Dave smiled tiredly and gently put down Balthazar wrist then manoeuvred his chair to the other end of the bed, to have a look at the master Sorcerer's ankles.
"I'm fine Balthazar," assured Dave as he removed the shackles and healed the cuts they had caused.
"You look like shit Dave."
"You're no beauty king yourself."
Balthazar tried to sit up but the chain wrapped around his cast made that impossible. Dave glanced at Alyne who nodded, Dave waved his hand the chain came lose.
"Careful," warned Dave as his master hauled himself into a sitting position on the bed.
"Thanks, you know when we get out of this, you're cleaning the store top to bottom every Sunday for a month."
"Why?"
"Disobeying orders."
Dave shook his head before dropping it into his hands. "You know what? Okay, sure. I'm too tired to argue."
"On that note," said Alyne "Greg, take David back to his cell. He needs rest." She held out her hand and curled her finger. Dave's wheel chair turned away from Balthazar and started rolling towards the door.
Balthazar stood and started walking towards his apprentice "Hey, we're not done—" the chain the that had held the master sorcerer's cast had morphed, it became longer and the end turned into a collar that reached out and locked itself around Balthazar's throat, the chain had pulled taught interrupting the sorcerer, who fell back and onto his rear end.
"Balthazar!" exclaimed Dave.
"He's fine, let's go David."
Dave craned his neck trying to get a better look at his master, he saw the older man grimacing in pain as he lay on the floor, then the apprentice was through the door, and in the corridor.
oo0oo
Balthazar covered his ears, someone a few cells over was been tortured, worse it wasn't the voice of a man he heard, it was the voice of a kid, Balthazar guessed someone in their teens.
He had a knife, a small blade hidden in his belt, he could use it to pick the shackle around his neck, then the door, but he didn't think he could make it out, even if he did, he couldn't leave without Dave and if he did someone else would be found to act as leverage against the apprentice. Besides Balthazar would be injured and that would delay any escape the pair hopped to make.
His hands weren't doing much to stop the screams. His mind flashed back to the Spanish inquisition, he had lost a friends in that mess. One young sorcerer, Hector, Balthazar had thought he might be the Prime Merlinian, he hadn't been but he had had potential, Balthazar had trained him for a time, before handing him off to another sorcerer, a good man named Nazario.
He thought Hector would be safe, live in the country, with another sorcerer who owned a vineyard. A peaceful life, Hector hadn't been happy about been sent to another sorcerer, but his life had been in danger a few times and he had been mature enough to understand, he and Balthazar had kept in contact via magic, letters took to long.
Then the accusations had been thrown, Balthazar had hurried over, teleporting after a few missed calls, after that it had taken days to pinpoint his former apprentice's exact location. Nazario had already been killed, Balthazar had managed to get Hector out, but the formerly vivacious young man… he was a shell.
Balthazar shook his head dispelling the memory. He never even learned how the two had been taken Nazario was powerful, Hector talented, how had the civilians managed it?
He massaged his temple in another attempt to stave off the memories. The screaming wasn't helping. He thought of Dave, thought of his wife and still unborn child was it a girl or a boy? What if they were in a similar situation been tortured and someone nearby could help but didn't?
But he knew he would be tortured he knew they may even kill him, Dave was strong but he'd never get out without the older sorcerer, neither would the rest of the people, he needed to bide his time. Going now would delay everything, and even more people would get hurt or worse if he didn't do this right.
He had seen the effects of a bleed hearts who let emotion cloud their judgement, seen how much worse it made the situation.
He heard another scream.
Balthazar sat up and got his knife out, the lock took a few minutes to pick, his right arm was still broken.
He rubbed his neck before starting towards the door, it took a little longer to pick but he was soon out in the empty corridor.
There were too many cells for a guard to be at each one, chances were there were just guards at the entrance to the dungeon, the Orricks relied mainly on chains and locks to keep prisoners secure.
His bare feet made no noise as he walked the corridors ears on the alert for any noise, besides the screams. It didn't take him long to find the source.
The door wasn't locked, Balthazar opened it a crack trying to see how many he's have to fight. When he saw the boy been tortured his eyes narrowed into slits, and his blood boiled.
There were two people besides the boy, both were guards. Balthazar opened the door with a flourish, both men turned, surprised at the sight of the intruder.
Balthazar took advantage and charged the nearest guard, he tucked his arm in and struck the side of his opponent's head, with his right forearm counting on the cast for protection, and to help inflict more damage. Knowing that if he used his left fist for the job, he'd probably break it.
With the first guard dealt with Balthazar moved onto the second who had, during the two seconds it had taken Balthazar to take out his friend, managed to recover from the shock. He swung at Balthazar, who ducked and with his left hand aimed a blow at his opponent's chest, right below the sternum.
Balthazar's blow had caused the cartilage below the sternum to be driven into the man's heart. The damage had been lethal, as Balthazar had known it would be.
The man fell.
The boy cried out again. Balthazar didn't blame him.
Hooks and been cut into his flesh, there were a couple on his arms and legs, placed just under the bone to suspend him in the air, there were numerous others placed randomly throughout his body some had been ripped out when the guards had pulled the attached chains to tight.
Balthazar moved to lower the boy, once he was on the floor Balthazar knelt beside him and only now that the guards were out and the boy was down did Balthazar take in the kid's appearance.
He was about sixteen maybe eighteen, light brown hair, blue eyes, freckles, he looked athletic, not muscular but sinewy. He was wearing nothing but a pair of shorts that Balthazar suspected from their torn state used to be pants.
"What's your name?"
"Robin," rasped the youth.
"Okay Robin," said Balthazar undoing his belt. "I need you to put this in your mouth. We need to remove the hooks but because of the barbs it's going to hurt a lot and I don't have time to be gentle. So you need to bite down on this or there's a chance you're going to bite off your tongue. Do you understand?"
"Yes," he said weakly.
Balthazar started on the smaller hooks embedded in the back first, he removed them quickly, barely even trying to be gentle, they didn't have time for that. Everytime he removed one Robin let out a muffled cry of pain, but he stayed still, he didn't flounder or lash out in his pain, an accomplishment that impressed Balthazar greatly. When it came time to remove the ones near his bones however Balthazar knew another approach was needed. There was a chance he would nick an artery if he wasn't careful and they didn't have time for that. He grabbed one of the guard's swords and tried to cut the chain attached to the hook. There were two problem hooks in each limb, Balthazar managed to cut four chains before the blade became too damaged. Fortunately there was another sword. Once all chains were cut Balthazar removed the hooks by pulling the chain through the holes, they widened the wound and hurt Robin, but he knew that any veins or arteries they came across they would only move aside, not cut.
"I'm guessing you can't walk."
Robin, to his credit, attempted to force himself up using his arms but the muscles were too badly damaged, and he collapsed.
Balthazar sighed and started undressing the guard whose head he had hit, he wasn't surprised to find the man still alive, the side of the head was a weak point in the human body. It was where three of the plates making up the skull fused and to top it off the was a major artery in the brain right behind it. It was disturbingly easy to kill someone by hitting them there, but the guards wore helmets so the man had been saved. Unfortunately.
Balthazar now had a moral dilemma, leave the man alive, and risk him sounding the alarm or kill him to slightly increase their chances of survival. Balthazar shook his head, he couldn't kill a defenceless opponent, no matter how much he wished to. This time tough he was more tempted then he had been in centuries, what the man had been doing to Robin…
He worked quickly and within a few minutes both he and Robin were dressed as guards.
"If anyone tries to talk to you," said Balthazar to his new charge as he threw the young man's arm over his shoulder, hosted him up and started dragging him from the cell. "Mumble a lot, as if you're drunk."
"Wha..ermer eroo saa."
Balthazar smiled at the 'whatever you say' in drunk speak. "Good." Thankfully the guard whose uniform Robin was wearing smelled slightly of alcohol that would help a little.
The two started trying to find their way out, they spotted a guard coming towards them but didn't alter their pace or their direction.
"What's wrong with him?"
"Had far too much to drink last night, this morning really, needs a place to rest up."
"He'll need more then that if our Lady finds out he came in like that."
"Maybe I should get him out then, discreetly."
"Good luck with that," chuckled the guard, he was about to walk past them when he saw something that made his eyes widen he looked at Balthazar and Robin with pity.
Balthazar slowly turned his head to look behind him.
Alyne.
Smiling.
Like a cat would to a mouse.
Balthazar turned back to the guard, he used his right elbow to strike the man in the jaw, sending him spiralling to the floor unconscious.
That was one less opponent to worry about.
Carefully so as not to drop Robin he turned his body to face Alyne. "Stay behind me," ordered Balthazar to his charge, gently lowering him into a seating position on the floor.
Alyne rolled her eyes, held out her hand and with a quick jerk Balthazar felt a tug at his back and was thrown against the wall his hands and feet sunk into the stone.
"Such concern for the boy you helped trap you Balthazar Blake," she chuckled coyly.
Balthazar turned his head to glance at the boy, who seemed confused and scared as he returned the sorcerer's gaze.
He turned back to the sorceress, "He knew nothing, you made sure that what was done to him was done within my hearing range knowing I would help him."
"More like hoping you would help him." She corrected as she walked towards her prey. "Wasn't sure you were dumb enough to. Do you think me a simpleton? I know young Dave wants to get you and himself out. I needed an excuse to torture you so as not to go back on our deal, which was, as I am sure you recall, that no harm will come to you so long as Dave cooperates and you behave." She brought her hand to her chin as she smirked and looked down at the boy Balthazar had tried to help. "This counts as misbehaving, so I get to torture you and Dave postpones the escape plans." She moved her hand from her chin to Balthazar's, looking him directly in the eye "And after I'm done with you, your precious apprentice will be sufficiently cowed into not trying anything again for a long while."
"You could have just waited until Dave and I actually did try and escape. There was no need to drag the kid in."
"First of all by our laws he is no child, he shot and killed one of my deer—"
"Every deer is yours," rasped the youth, before the women could continue. "You leave nothing for us, my mother needed the meat, she is with chi—"
He stopped suddenly under her glare.
"Whatever his crime, he's suffered," said Balthazar "Return him to his home."
"Suffered maybe, but somehow I doubt he's learned his lesson from what he just said."
"He thinks the law unfair, that doesn't mean he'll break it again, he's learned, haven't you?" said Balthazar turning his head.
"I have," replied the youth, head bowed.
Balthazar turned back to his opponent, "You'll return him to his home? Alive and whole?"
"Well I was planning to cut off a hand… What would you offer me in return for this poacher's hand Balthazar?"
"I have nothing to offer," hissed the master sorcerer.
"Oh but I think you do. You're over fifteen hundred years of age, you've travelled the world. I'm sure you know where there are magical items that would be of value to my family."
He glanced at Robin again, "You'll let him go unharmed? Heal him?"
"Depends on the offer," she replied curtly.
"Mirror of Isridal."
Alyne smiled the Mirror of Isridalwas powerful but limited, it could be used to see anything, any event in the present or past at any location whether it be a few feet away or millions of light years away. But it worked by slowly taking in the magical energy around it. It took about a hundred years of charging to get one minute of use out of the thing. A sorcerer could not charge it with their own power, it just didn't work. He had searched for and found it years ago during his quest but it hadn't worked when he asked it to show him the Prime Merlilian. Likely due to the fact that Dave hadn't been born yet.
"You hid it?" she asked.
"Yes."
"How long ago?"
"Seven hundred years."
Alyne smiled, she walked to the guard, couched down and held her hand over his head, it glowed white and the guard moaned and his eyes fluttered open, he quickly stood up, as did Alyne, and he saluted her.
"My lady."
"Take this boy to the healers, they are to do all they can for him, then arrange for transportation to his home."
"As you wish," he said with a bow.
"Hold on a moment," she said holding up her hand, she walked over to Robin couched down again and held out her hand, it glowed a whitish blue. Robin blinked a few times and his eyes narrowed in confusion.
"Pain killer spell," she told him. She stood and turned to the guard, "You can take him now."
Carefully the guard picked up Robin cradling the youth in his arms. Once the two were away she turned to Balthazar.
"Now what to do with you?"
oo0oo
Balthazar, bit back a cry of pain as Alyne pulled one of the chains taught, which in turn pulled at the hook imbedded in his flesh. Balthazar was in much the same position he had found Robin in the only difference being that the master sorcerer had even more hooks embedded in his flesh.
"You have an impressive tolerance for pain Blake," commented Alyne airily. "Wonder if I should bring Dave in now?"
Balthazar, ignored the women focusing instead on his breathing, it helped distract him form the pain.
Dave sat in his cell board out of his skull, today had been boring all the Orricks had needed from him was a swab they had rubbed inside his mouth for DNA. He was feeling a lot better, still weaker then usual, but getting better, he figured he and Balthazar might even try to escape tonight, since his master hadn't been tortured today, he might be feeling well enough to attempt an escape he had been told this morning when they came in for DNA that Balthazar injuries had been treated, he had also been told that tomorrow would be very draining so tonight might be a good night to make a break for it.
He jumped when he heard his cell door open and Alyne stepped in.
"I take it you would like to see your master?"
"Yeah," said Dave standing up. He frowned when he saw a guard enter with a wheel chair, his frown deepened when he noticed the restraints, leather straps that would keep his wrist and ankles bound.
"Umm I can walk."
"Thus the restraints. Sit down Dave," she ordered gesturing to the chair, her voice had a hard edge to it.
Dave hesitated but walked to the chair and sat down the guard dealt with the restraints. The trip down to Balthazar's cell was quiet, but as reached the floor where Balthazar was being kept Alyne spoke.
"Balthazar tried to escape, he overheard my people dealing with a thief and… interfered. And I'm sure you remember the deal."
"The deal was I cooperate, let you experiment on me and you, you leave Balthazar alone."
"The deal also included Balthazar behaving himself, one of my men was killed during his impromptu rescue."
"So you tortured him again?" hissed Dave straining against his restraints.
"Tortured? Past tense? We still haven't finished."
Dave gripped the arms of his chair knuckles turning white. They stopped at a cell door, Dave tried to mentally prepare himself for what he was about to see.
It didn't work.
There was his master eyes closed grimacing in pain suspended in the air with chains hooked into his flesh, his bandages were gone his blood dripped to the floor. Dave tried to jump out of his chair, he thrashed against the restraints and called out to his master.
"Balthazar! Balthazar! Say something!"
No sound came. Dave gripped the arms of his chair as he leaned forward to get a better look at his master. Judging by his expression, Balthazar was trying very hard to remain silent.
Dave took a deep breath and closed his eyes. When he opened them again all he saw were the molecules in the chains holding his master up. He unclenched his hands from the chair's arms and stretched out his fingers as soon as he did the chains evaporated. The metal had turned to oxygen.
Dave caught his master before he hit the floor with magic and gently lowered him. He had just started to relax a bit when a hand shot out and gripped his throat. Dave struggled but Alyne had a firm grip on the arteries in his neck, soon his oxygen starved brain lost consciousness he lowered his gaze to his master as the world started going dark. There was so much blood. 'Please be okay.'
Balthazar, turned his head slightly and stared at the feet kick and struggle against the restraints. The master sorcerer tried to get up as the guard started rolling his charge out the door but soon gave up. He altered his gaze from the door as a soothing sensation spread through his right arm. He saw a feminine hand glow a pale blue as it healed the wounds on his arm. Briefly he wondered why Alyne was healing him. Was she worried about blood loss? Did she want to heal him just so she could torture him more without killing him? Was she done with him for now?
He doubted it was the last.
She saw him looking at her and smiled as she held her hand to his face, Balthazar felt himself becoming tired and his eye lids heavy.
AN- Yeah sorry that took so long guys just didn't seem to be much interest and I just didn't have any drive for it.