Four letters echo in my head. They spin and turn, tracing brilliant Lines. "S," it was a girls voice soft and comforting. "L," it sounded gorgeous. "E," it was calming. "E," it was enchanting. "P," the letter was an envoy to black. I sleepted there were no dreams, something I could not achieve no matter my effort. There wasn't a war fighting in my head, for once in twenty years I was at peace.
But tranquility could only last so long. A hand gripped my cheeks and squeezed.
"Who are you? Who do you work for? Is it the demonic cultists? Why did you run? How do you know about the demon king?" The voice was grizzled and old, filled with the crackle of a thousand cigarettes.
I open my eyes to find the floor to become the sky. I was hanging upside down looking at an old man's face. He has a rough beard, with patches broken up by a scar that runs from the top of his eyebrow to the bottom of his chin. On his head rests a beret with the crest of a tree being surrounded by all engulfing light. His eyes spoke how he would prefer me dead. I look around the room still dazed. On one side there was a shelf with dozens of torturing devices, on the other there was a soft bed neatly put together. Behind the man was an ordinary door that looked like, if you opened it you would find yourself in the market from before.
"Don't make this hard." He said it in such a way as to plead with me to make it hard.
I open my mouth and shut it like a fish gasping in air. I wasn't a liar, but in that moment words flowed like water.
"I was out on patrol near one of the local towns when I was attacked by an assailant dawned in black. In are scuffer he announced his plans to summon the demon king. The man was far stronger than me, and I had to retreat, but due to injuries during that fight I passed out in the middle of the road. I was then picked up by Zecta." I stopped there hoping my rushed story was enough.
"You know how to tell if someone's lying?" The old man asked. "If they tell you more than you ask for." He answered his own question. "So tell me who you are, and who do you work for."
"I am Xie, a soldier within the federation. My current station is within the sixth division." I make up a random division number to make it sound more plausible.
"You're one of those?" He grunts in disgust. "If that is in fact true I a member of the high inquisitors have no right to be the one questioning you. As such we will send you to commander Fraron where you will meet your judgment."
The high inquisitor shoots a small beam of light out of his finger, cutting the rope, and sending me falling to the ground.