The boys were all about to finish their breakfast when the girls came down to the feast hall. "Pay up Devi." Rachel put her hand out towards Devi and received some coin indicating that there had been some kind of a bet made. "Thank you." Rachel smiled and walked over to the table leading the group and sat down taking the last cinnamon bun and eating it happily as the others joined them as well. Ethan decided to ask the question now that the group had all collected together. "So when and who is going to visit the prisoner for questioning?" All heads at the table turned to him and there was a brief but tangible moment of silence.
"What do you mean, he's locked up we don't have to see him ever again." Rachel spouted giving her protest. Sintarra sided with Ethan on this one. "He has a point though it would be good to know why we were being targeted for murder. More specifically our woken who are supposed to be chosen by the goddess herself." Devi nodded as she sipped a tea clearly not fully awake as she had to drink slowly. Sara added her thoughts into the conversation as well. "I personally would like to know why someone has decided that they need to take my life. I was already scared about monsters but now I need to be scared of people too it seems."
Ethan looked around the table. "So then shall we raise hands if we wish to go, anyone who doesn't can stay here or visit somewhere else in the castle but I recommend we don't enter the city again for a few days. Not unless we know we're safe outside the walls of the castle. And seeing as how he claimed there were others with his mindset I don't believe any woken or their companions would be." There was a sombre air amongst the group thick enough you could choke on it and after the first minute of silence, Ethan rose his hand. Xavier couldn't help but desire answers but couldn't help but be afraid of seeing that man again. He knew the fact he survived was a mix of pure luck and Derek arriving to their aid. Still he knew he would have to face his fears sooner or later so he slowly raised his own hand looking down at the table to not see the other's faces in case it changed his judgement.
After another silent minute Ethan spoke up then. "Alright us four will go visit the interrogation and you three can wait for us to return. I recommend you visit the gardens for peace if you want to relax I'm sure the king won't mind it as he loves showing it off." Xavier looked up surprised two others were willing to go and was surprised when he saw Devi her face in an angry pout with her hand raised and Sara with a small grin along her lips as she lowered her hand to the table and pushed herself out of her chair. "Let's get going then, shall we? The sooner I can spit in that man's face for attacking children the sooner I'll feel better about this situation." Ethan smiled and chuckled a bit. "You know we're all adults here right? Children come of age at fifteen and pursue a career for themselves to live out by sixteen." Sara just shook her head. "I'm much older than you three in your group and to me, you're still children so I'm going to be a protective mama bird over you. If you have an issue with that you'll have to get over it relatively quickly or else face my wrath you hear me."
Xavier noticed Ethan's expression drop for a moment before he began to smile from her words. "I'll hold you to it then. No taking back those words miss Sara." Sara smiled and the group made plans on where to meet after the visit to the prisoner was finished. After agreeing that they would meet at the king's garden at the center fountain they all split up and went off to their separate destinations. Xavier trailed behind Ethan and whispered to Devi and Sara as they walked. "Do you think it's a good idea for us to go there? I mean what if we don't get any answers and he attacks us again cause we're woken?" Devi smashed her fist into her open palm and glared ahead at nothing in particular probably imagining the man's face. "He touches a member of our group regardless of who they are and ill make him regret being born." Sara smiled fondly at her partner and Xavier felt a bit relieved knowing he had two people who put protecting others over themselves on his side.
Ethan lead them down into the lower chambers of the castle and they soon went underground as they descended the final flight of stairs. Keeping silent he passed several large metal doors with bolts and locks on them and turned a corner towards another hall where Xavier noticed two guards outside either side of one of the doors. The two guards noticed the group approach and Ethan stopped before them and stood for a moment before he greeted them. "Morning gentleman, my squad members and I would request an audience with our assailant from the night prior." The soldiers nodded and undid the door without any hesitation. "Of course sir as you request. The quartermaster and the king are in there now with another pair of guards questioning him right now as well as a bishop for when he needs healing aid."
Ethan nodded and before the group could step in Xavier could already hear the sound of the quartermaster beating on the man as he grunted and his fist made heavy contact with the man. "How dare you attack innocents in my kingdom and let alone the woken who have been sent here to aid us. This treachery will not be forgiven but can be given a lighter sentence if you talk to us and release your master's name." The king spoke in a cold tone that made Xavier's back and arms get covered in goosebumps. When they passed into the doorway the first thing Xavier noticed was the pool of blood under the man spread across the floor and a collection of barrels all housing potion bottles but most of them already full of empty bottles. "Good evening your highness, I assume your and the quartermaster's interrogations have yet to bare any fruit?" Ethan bowed as he finished his sentence and the others Xavier included copied him to show respect to the king.
The king turned a bit surprised having not noticed the door opening probably fueled by rage and hatred at the moment. "No, not yet Ethan. Although I feel as if I am at the end of my patience and we should leave him here in the dark till he talks." Xavier felt a small wave of relief go over himself not having to be around to torture someone but that relief was overtaken by fear and hatred as he remembered this man tried to kill him and the others the night prior. Xavier then thought of something dark and grim but was uncertain as he remembered briefly seeing a map of the human nation and remembered it was landlocked. He decided to speak up and ask about what was on his mind to the king.
"Lord Rosewall if I may ask a question I believe I may know of a method that could work." The king looked over to Xavier and walked toward the corner of the room where the barrels of glass bottles were and Xavier could smell the lingering sweet scent they gave off left behind. The King placed a hand on Xavier's shoulder and pulled him in close his voice barely escaping his lips as he whispered. "What is your question my boy? I shall answer it honestly" Xavier hesitated for a moment as he felt a wave of fear and nausea settle in before he composed himself and whispered back. "By any chance, sir do most people in your kingdom have any knowledge of how to swim? and do they comprehend the sensation of drowning?"
The King looked at Xavier confused and narrowed his eyes in confusion. "No most don't unless they are able to visit lakes but that's often left for nobles or soldiers employed by the nation to learn in case they ever need it. And almost none have experienced drowning before let alone survived it if they have. Do you have a way to simulate that here because we have not enough water to waste on submerging a man?" Xavier hesitated as he knew if this went poorly the man's death would be on his hands and while he knew the man attempted his murder it still felt wrong to torture him. "Yes, sir I believe I have a method that we could use. It's a method I somehow remember from my past life where you can make someone feel as though they are drowning and even truly drown them even if they are on dry land with little water. It's a method I remember being called waterboarding."