Pacing in the command tent, a man kept checking over reports when he noticed that one of the reports was about a roaming group of undead at the western border.
"Sergeant Morris, Bring some men to Herl and deal with the reports of thieves in the area." Commander Lowe had been rearranging the Fire Wolf Brigade for the past week under orders from the King. His entire unit had been ordered to conduct round ups on criminals, under the King's order, they would have complete authority. It was nothing out of the ordinary but the frequency of their patrols had increased significantly, leaving his troops of elite archers to be worn and tired.
"Yes Sir!" Gesturing to the few men beside him, Sergeant Morris made his way to the Stables. "Where has Zao Zhan been? These stables are filthy. He had a few days leave, its been long enough" He got all of their attention and said, "In any case, lets go deal with these thieves then head to Portano. Maybe his family knows what is going on."
'I don't get it, he should have been back by now.' Mounting up, The group of Fire Wolf Brigade Scouts went to go look for their missing member.
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"Elder Tai." Elder Gong contacted Elder Tai with a menacing tone as he stood over a strange pool of muck. "Elder Tai, What have you discovered from interrogation?"
"After removing roughly 40% of his bones and feeding him a few sandwiches made with his own manhood, we finally got some answers. I've been enjoying myself during the wait." Elder Tai cackled and fanatically continued with his findings. There was a look of satisfaction, the torture had taken longer than he expected and it left him feeling cheerful.
"The Assassin claimed that he sent in the Ancient Cobra King, the Father injured it and the Ancient Cobra King fled. Before he could make a move on the others, they were already on alert and in greater numbers." Elder Tai pointed his index finger and spun it to mark his lack of enthusiasm and continued. "After, our assassin returned to report his failure." Elder Tai concluded his brief and dull explanation.
"So.. you've failed to get the answer's I've asked for?" Elder Gong was incapable of displaying any more patience concerning the matter. "Detain him.. throw him in the dungeon and await my return." The Guards that were surrounding Elder Tai stood up. "Send Crows to Maria's Men. When they arrive, have them sent directly to me for their orders, no more failures can occur."
"Elder Gong! You can't dispose of me.." Throwing a fit filled with anger, Elder Tai called out further. "I am your interrogator! I will not be detained!.. Hey!.. Get your hands off me!"
'Thud' After being knocked out, dragging him was nothing. Soon the sound of a slamming door could be heard, Elder Tai had been thrown into an anti-magic room, bound, gagged, and strapped to a familiar table.
"Let us see what you have learned.." Elder Gong started pulling the Armor and Items from Elder Tai's unconscious body.
"What's this?" A box filled with organs was removed from a spacial bracelet. "Is this your personal reserve? Such a pitiful example. You don't even have that many... hehe." He made a ticking noise and wagged his finger. Elder Gong grinned, cracked his knuckles and looked at Elder Tai unconscious on table.
"Well, no matter. I will find out everything and then we can be done with this folly of yours one and for all." Elder Gong drew a pail of acid over from the corner. "Chain him up. Leave him gagged for now.. I don't want answers before I've finished punishing him."
Placing the pail acid under Elder Tai's feet and securing it to the floor below. Elder Gong lowered Elder Tai's body until his toes started simmering in the bucket. Almost Instantly, Elder Tai awoke with a muffled scream and started to curse his former assassin, the gag in his mouth shook violently and he began to throw up from the pain.
"This won't end by giving me answers and you deserve this for your failure at the falls. As a Elder of our Council, your failure to complete your duty had jeopardized everything. Your life means nothing in terms of our ultimate goal. You will know the consequences for your misplaced trust and absence!"
Lowering the chain further, the bottoms of Elder Tai's feet started to dissolve, the effervescing souls of his feet were giving off an unforgettable smell.
Gargling noises from Elder Tai's mouth were muted enough by the gag, it made it easier to hear the sounds of his boiling flesh. By the time Elder Gong started asking questions, Elder Tai no longer had kneecaps and special steps had to be taken care of to stay awake. He was smeared in a light healing potion, something to keep him alive. It stopped the bleeding between questions.
The cost of a healing potion was cheap enough, and Elder Gong had yet to vent his fury. Back in their home territory, it was common place to simply gas them. Now, face to face, Elder Tai had been lowered quite a bit due to his shortened height. Elder Gong removed the gag and knelt beside the bubbling bucket.
He asked his first question, "What was your crime against this committee?"
"..." Elder Tai hesitated and Elder Gong started motioning for the chain to lower him, the next body part to enter the acid was danging between Elder Tai's legs.
"I didn't take command of the problem myself!" Elder Tai spat out a mouthful of blood along with his words, he knew, in his mind, that he deserved this punishment. Rather than being gagged and tortured again, he owned his failure and bit down the excuses.
"What was your next course of action after retrieving the weapon?" Pressing on, Elder Gong decided to see what else he could find.
"I was unable to lift it; Retrieval was impossible from the beginning. As we all know, I can lift more than any of the the other Elders here, between us, I am the strongest. When Cassius's body fell from the cliff side and into the River below, I couldn't hold him or the weapon for even a second. The Cliff side collapsed under the weight, after splashing into the river, he was swept away." 'huff' 'huff' "I sent some men to retrieve it but they never returned." Elder Gong slapped Elder Tai with a spike rod, it gashed his face open a bit, he had swung hard.
Bloodied and battered, Elder Tai continued , "Tracking down my men, we discovered a burned down shack and the corpses of the search party." Another spit of blood marked the end of Elder Tai's rant, he gave all the details he could in a hopes for an end to the taste of rust in his mouth.
"That is not what I asked you.. Although, there are some details in your words that were not present before. We shall continue with that, only, after you have answered my question!" Elder Gong grit his teeth in anticipation. He wanted to do it himself but there were underlings watching. He had his assistant lower Elder Tai onto the table and with a sinister grin, he grabbed a pruning knife. "I understand your specialty was, I mean, is with a Knife. You really enjoyed skinning, but I wonder how many times you've been sliced your prey? Have you ever considered feeding the knife to them? What if I came in from the other side? What then?" He waited for a few seconds and Elder Tai refused to answer. "Answer my questions before I kill you or die for your stupidity."
"I was ordered to take the weapon to the council after it was retrieved. After that, it was suppose to be delivered to Lord Eddingar so that he could present them to..." Before he could finish Elder Gong had already started cutting the lips from his face, Elder Tai squirmed and shuddered, he wouldn't have the opportunity to speak clearly ever again.
Setting the knife down beside a pair of pliers, Elder Gong looked at Elder Tai who was gritting his teeth to bare the pain. "Stop answering question's I didn't ask. Oh? Looks like you're still awake, a lot of people pass out during that." Mocking Elder Tai for his indecisive answers, Elder Gong walked to the other side of him with a set of pliers in his hand.
"Open your motherfucking mouth, if you answer my next question correctly I'll stop.." Elder Tai looked at Elder Gong with utter disdain. It was not like hadn't been exactly where Elder Gong was standing.
"Who do you serve?
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Calistown had been crying with her daughter alongside Rachael. It was evident that it was going to take time to reach help, the poison would take time to remove, if it was even possible and then who knows.
The trip could to another kingdom be a week, it could also be a month. Crying alongside Lei, Calistown could see just how much Rachael was paining.
'What a good child.' Calistown looked at Rachael with different eyes. "You love Zhan, don't you?" A Mother knew love and she could see Rachael's clearly. Calistown kept trying to change the subject. It was all that Rachael could talk about.
Zao Zhan wasn't in danger when they left but journey's had problems.
With trembling hands, Rachael wiped the tears from her face before continuing, "I lost my Mother and then Father. If I lost Zhan also, I don't know how I could live on." Her voice continued to tremble along as she spoke, she found herself crying again shortly after.
Carrying Lei on her shoulder, Rachael paced around the house while the trio waited. The Townsfolk that settled in the area were watching over them, occasionally they would come by to bring food or to check on them. The City Guards were swarming outside, there were a lot of things happening at the Castle.
"The pup has grown a bit." Looking outside a window to kennel, Rachael noticed the Small Black Fire Wolf was rolling in the grass, charring it.
Calistown blew her nose and accepted the change of conversation, "Lei feeds it all day. She's almost as bad as her Father when it comes to spoiling little ones."
A faint smile crept across Calistown's face, it was the first time in a few days that she thought of something pleasant.
Day's passed and there was no word, then, a knock came from the door.
"Its been two weeks, we have no word yet.." Commander Lowe relayed what he knew, "We have prepared someone to stand by the gates and inform you the moment we get word. The King is asking many questions." The Wolf Brigade had come by before, they were searching for Zhan and when he was not in town, they were forced to return to duty, they were gone as quickly as they had arrived.
"I wonder how much longer it will be?" Rachael asked Calistown before noticing the change in Lei's expression.
A familiar voice had found her in the psychic torrent of feelings and thoughts that passed in the air.
"BROTHER! BROTHER IS BACK!" Floating up and spinning enough to make herself dizzy, Zao Lei shouted inside the house. Grabbing her Mother's hand, she pulled her to the door. She wanted to go find her Brother and Father. "FATHER IS HERE TOO!" Tugging her mother along, she was almost in tears. "LETS GO, LETS GO!"
"Are they really here?" Rachael could hardly bare it any longer, she sobbed uncontrollably and ran to join Lei, they all looked into the distance toward the northern gate.
"LOOK! FATHER! BROTHER!" Lei could see Ooran riding on the back of the Firewolf, he was looking against the Sunlight to see inside the city and shading his face. Dismounting, he noticed Lei just in time, she crashed into his chest.
Ooran winced a bit and Lei saw that it hurt him. "Sorry!, you're hurt!" She kept hugging him until her Mother was directly behind her.
Rushing up behind Lei, Calistown immediately embraced her Husband. "I'm so glad you're back." She kissed him several times and looked over at Zhan. "Where is Master Jiang?"
Rachael stood at the back and held her hands tightly. She waited for Zhan to come to her, he was suppose to tell his Family about certain matters but back then he was forced to leave so quickly.
"Lets all go home, We have some things to discuss." Zhan nodded, knowing exactly why Rachael waited so long.
Arriving at the house, the girls made some Tea and food while Ooran laid down for the first time in a week. After riding a Firewolf for so many hours a day, he was not only dry, he had sweat out all the water he had.
Both of the men were rank with body odor... and extremely tired.
"After I've said what I need, I'm going to leave so Father can take a bath. I need one as well." Walking up to Rachael, Zhan turned to his parents. "I have a question for you both, and I hope that you consent. I wish to marry Rachael." He held her in his arms and stared at them with a serious face, "Before she brings your Grandchild into this world."
Dropping the pretext, Zao Zhan knelt before his parents. "I love Rachael, I want her to be by my side." He didn't care about shame, pride or dignity, he cared about and loved Rachael deeply.
Ooran already knew but he had to put on airs. Looking at his Son's determination and honesty made him proud, "I cannot think of a better Wife, our family grows again. Dear, Did you hear that? We're having a Grandchild!"
"Three little ones running around is going to be..." Her face changed and she shrugged it off, "ahh, forget it." Calistown put her hands on her belly, then on Rachael's. "I bet they'll be thick as thieves, we better be prepared." Giggling and hugging her soon to be daughter-in-law, Calistown welcomed Rachael into the house of Zao.
"Three?" Ooran's eyes twitched.
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