Ryas looked down at the pasty man who wobbled back and forth, trying to balance himself on knees that were too small to hold his massive weight. The man's breaths came out in heavy rasp through his mouth. "Pig, that's you right?"
Pig kept his eyes off into the distance. He trembled and his hands shook against the sides of his large body. "Yesss," he squealed.
"You were the last one to see that woman and the other one with black hair..." Ryas kneeled and looked at Pig with an icy stare. This porky man must be the weak link out of the bunch. He could break him. "You took the one with black hair and her," he pointed to Nian. "To the forest and then what happened?" He retrieved, a silver blade augmented with crimson jewels and the Ninx birds, from his belt. "Think carefully about everything that happened, that you said, that you did before you answer me. I want the truth." He twirled the blade in his hand before tapping it against Pig's cheek. "Take time to think about it." Ryas walked over towards Lohan.
"Easy General, before he shits himself." Lohan glanced over at Pig and back to Ryas. "Do you think he'll tell you the truth?"
"He'll talk. Look at him," and they both cast a glance over at Pig. "Did that woman tell you anything more?" Ryas asked.
"She said there's a man who leads this group. They call him Ward, but he's not here. He went after your girl. They should have returned by now, but it's already been two days."
Ryas paused, and his face hardened. "Line them up," he ordered. "Next to the Pig." He had to make sure everyone understood him, or the rest of the men would not fear him.
Lohan motioned for the captains to bring the remaining men out. Each man had their hands bounded back. Ox came out first followed by Irk and what's left of Ward's men. The soldiers forced all seven of them to their knees next to Pig.
Ryas took long, confident strides towards the men then veered over to Pig. "Tell me what happened from the moment you brought the two women into the forest." He flashed the blade in his hand to Pig.
Temperatures were mildly cool today but Pig's face was covered in beads of sweat. They slid down his red face and were absorbed into the cracks of what's left of his neck. "I told that one," his head pointed in Nian's direction. "To go relieve herself on the other side because she had to shit. Then I took the black hair woman to another bush, and she ran away."
Sweat dribbled down the pig's puffy face non stop and his eyes were constantly towards the ground. He's hiding the truth. Ryas pressed the blade onto the meatiest parts of Pig's cheek and flicked his wrist.
Pig screamed and clutched his neck. "My face!" he dropped to the ground. "It burns!" Ward's men watched in horror as blood stained his fat pudgy hands.
"The blade of a thousand cuts," Ryas held it up for the men to see. "It's forged with the ethereal spirit by a master alchemist and given only to the Royal Geneoshi. One cut feels like a thousand."
Pig thrashed and screamed on the ground clawing at his neck.
"Now tell me what really happened," Ryas kneeled next to Pig's body as he finished convulsing. He broke him. Everything that spilled out of this pig's mouth now should be nothing but the truth. "Did you touch her?" Ryas asked.
"No, I," his voice turned quiet.
"What did you do?" Ryas' snarled.
"I..." Pig hesitated.
"Speak quickly. Or I'll cut you again." Ryas pressed the blade back onto Pig's face.
"I... asked to see..." He hesitated once more.
"You wanted to see what?" Ryas pushed hard, and the knife cut into Pig's face again as he squealed.
"I - I'm. I'm born different." Tears poured from his eyes. "No - no woman wanted me. But that woman she made eyes at me all day. I figured she saw something in me no one else did, and I just wanted what's between her legs." Tears and snot came down all together. "Wa-Ward said that it could make a man whole again." Pig's pasty skin flushed red when a few of the captains chuckled too loudly.
Ryas looked over his shoulder at the men who instantly quieted. Both eyes flashed violet and even Lohan took a step away. His instincts were to run the knife right through this pig's skull, but death's too easy of a way out for cowards. This pig needed to be the example. "What happened afterwards?" Ryas asked.
"She tricked me. She kicked me between the legs and by the time I could stand again. She'd ran away."
Pig cowered on his knees when a burst of throaty laughter erupted from Ryas, he stood up, one hand clutched to his stomach and laughed louder. Breaking crotches it become Yuliah's signature move. This pig's her fifth. He wanted to see her again, and fought off the tightness in chest.
"General, are you all right?" Lohan placed a hand on Ryas' shoulder confused.
Ryas turned to address the men. "Do you know who I am?" he asked.
The men looked at one another and only Ox were brave enough to answer. "No. Are we supposed too?"
Ryas' hand passed through a head full of grease before his fingers gripped onto Pig's hair and yanked back. Pig let out a high pitch squeal.
"I'm General Ryas fucken Ib. You do not touch or look at what is mine, and the woman is mine." he slid the blade under the fat folds of Pig's throat. "Do you fucken hear me? Does everyone fucken hear me?"
"Yeeesss," Pig howled and Ryas slid the blade to his lips.
"There's a price to pay for trying to take what's mine." Ryas' other hand wrapped around Pig's chin. "Grab his arms," he ordered. Two men marched over and took an arm each.
Pig now kneeled crucified in the air. "Pull his tongue out," Ryas demanded. Two more men stepped forward and forced Pig's mouth opened. He screamed and tried to shut his mouth, but the Captains pried it open again.
Ryas looked directly at Ward's men, his face utterly stoic and sliced. "Next time don't touch what is mine. Or I'll take more than your this." He tossed it across the dirt. Pig's bloody tongue landed in front of Irk, who nearly fainted.
Pig gagged, spitting blood from his mouth, then both knees buckled, and his large body keeled over. Ryas stepped aside as he crashed to the ground.
"That's my mercy. Now, tell me what direction Ward headed?" None of the men answered and only averted their gaze. "You sold human lives. Broken our laws. I am the punishing sovereignty here. Tell me and in return I'll spear you this Pig's fate." When silenced only followed. Ryas pointed to Irk. "Fine - we'll start with this one. Bring him to me..."
"No!" Irk's red eyes widened. He'd been the only one crying loudly watching what happened to Pig. "NO!" he turned to Ox. "Help me!" he screamed and swatted at the men when they dragged him towards Ryas. "Ox! Help me!"
"Fuck!" Ox called out. "That pussy won't last worth a shit. Ward headed south, in that direction." Ox pointed. "After your woman. Now let'em go."
Ryas smirked. "Lohan..." he wiped the blade on Irk's shirt. "Have the Captains take them back to the camp. The rest of us will ride south."
"What about the women we found and the bandit's belongings?" Lohan asked.
"Set the horses free, send the women along with the Captains, and burn everything else." Ryas' eyes narrowed as he looked in the direction Ox pointed. There's still an entire day of light to look for Yuliah. She couldn't have gotten far.