THE LASH OF FLAGITIOUS
"Your excellency, the monkey is too tight-lipped. He will not say anything about his collusion with the Dark Church", a server boy came to report to the Cardinal who was interrogating Hanuman.
"I'll make him talk when we bring him back to Elis. We have many tools that can make a tight-lipped open his mouth", the Cardinal replied to the server.
"But the Conjurer Court will not hand over the monkey to us. They will give the monkey to the Mages of Prolis after this Trial of Slaughter is over", the server boy replied to Cardinal Gungroy.
"Why those fools", Cardinal Gungroy complained.
"This public trial is already the biggest compromise we could get out of the Conjurer Court. We wanted to bring the monkey back to Elis, but the bloody conjurers decide to give him to the Mages of Prolis. This Trial is to appease our displeasure to allow us to interrogate the monkey here first", another Cardinal explained to them.
"I have a way to make the monkey talk", the server boy told the Cardinals.
"Really, what way boy?" Cardinal Gungroy asked the server boy.
"We can lash the monkey to make him talk", the server boy told them.
"You are a fool, those Mages of Prolis put the damn monkey in a magic protected cage. Our lash couldn't get through the cage", Cardinal Gungroy told the boy and scolded him.
"There must be a lash in the Church's inventory that could break through the magic in the cage", the server boy suggested.
"There is one lash that may break the force field of the Mages of Prolis, the Lash of Flagitious", the other Cardinal said to them after hearing the boy.
"I am no fool. I know about the Lash of Flagitious, but we lost the artifact when we retreated from Starri city after the demon invasion", Cardinal Gungroy told them.
"The Lash of Flagitious, I heard some of the boys mention it. It was sold in an auction in Tarah city some time ago by anonymous thieves", the server boy said to the cardinals.
"Is that true? Who dares buys the stolen holy relics of our church?" Cardinal Gungroy asked.
"I believe it was the Emperor of the Southern Empire. He buys everything whether they are useful to him or not", the server boy told the Cardinal.
"Damn those barbarians when they have access to money", the cardinal complained.
The Cardinal paused to think of a plan.
"Wait, I've an idea. Send someone to the emperor to take back our Lash of Flagitious", Cardinal Gungroy commanded.
"The emperor will not return the Lash that he bought in an auction back to us", the other Cardinal said.
"We tell the emperor that we are borrowing it from him", Cardinal Gungroy told them before he added, "when or whether we return it back to him or not that is a different matter altogether, hahaha".
"Who is going to ask the Emperor for the Lash?", the other cardinal asked.
"We better send someone unimportant to get the Lash from the Emperor if we don't plan to return it to him. We can say the idiot lost it", the server boy said to them.
The Cardinals paused to ponder it again.
"Idio…, no… erm, Boy, you go and get the Lash from the Emperor", Cardinal Gungroy told the server boy.
"Yes, your excellency. Gladly", the server boy replied to him and quickly went on his task.
"I doubt the emperor will give the lash to the boy so easily", the other Cardinal added.
"If the Idiot can't get it then we send a priest over", Cardinal Gungroy replied.
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"Cardinal, I've brought back the Lash of Flagitious from the Emperor", the server boy returned to the cardinal with a lash to the surprise of the cardinals.
"Good job, boy. I didn't expect the emperor would just give the Lash to you", Cardinal Gungroy praised the boy as he inspected the lash.
"He's lending the Lash to the Church, not giving it to me", the server boy replied.
"What are these damned gems on the lash?" Cardinal Gungroy asked.
"The emperor must have decorated the lash with the gems after he bought it. It would look plain otherwise and not suitable for the emperor's taste", the server boy told the cardinal about his opinion.
"Damn these vain barbarians who became emperor. That will be their downfall", Cardinal Gungroy said to them.
Then the Cardinal took the lash and went to question the monkey in the cage again.
"I ask you again, what is your connection to the Dark Church?" Cardinal Gungroy screamed at the monkey inside the cage again, but the monkey ignored him.
"You are forcing me to use this on you", Cardinal Gungroy said as he used his long lash that struck into the magic cage between the metal grilles to strike the monkey.
To the surprise of the crowd, the lash of the cardinal penetrated the force field of the magic cage of the Mages of Prolis to strike the monkey inside.
"Arrgghhhhhhh", the monkey screamed in pain.
Over at another floating pavilion, overlooking the interrogation, the Mages of Prolis watched in anger. They were about to stop the Church from breaking their powerful magic cage.
"What is that fool doing? He is breaking the magic in our cage", Mage Narga complained and shouted at the cardinals.
"How can we run a trial without inducements? This monkey will not talk to us willingly", a Cardinal replied to the Mage.
"Conjurer Ivior, stop the trial immediately. We are bringing the monkey away now", Mage Narga told Conjurer Ivior.
"Mage Narga, the Church insisted that we give the monkey to them, but we decided to give the monkey to you in the end. This trial is meant to appease the Church, we can't do that if they are not satisfied with their inquisition. Please understand our difficult position", Conjurer Ivior told the Mage of Prolis.
"Those fools are breaking our magic cage. Why do I care about these bloody fools", Mage Narga replied.
"I will kill you, stupid monkey if you don't confess", Cardinal Gungroy shouted to the monkey as he lashed at him again.
Suddenly, the monkey screamed and fell to the ground. The monkey was killed by the Cardinal's lashes to the shock of all who witnessed it.