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The glare of the morning sun, newly risen over the screen of trees, spears into the brain of the rider as his eyes flicker open, his head pounds as his vision adjusts, his left eye squinting slightly to cut out the light. He tries to move and finds himself immobile, staked to the ground by his wrists and ankles, loops of binding fibre tied to metal stakes and driven deep into the ground. From his position he cannot gain enough leverage to try to loosen the bonds, his head turns and he sees another bound rider. Two figures crouch over the spread-eagled prisoner, who does not move, merely moans desperately. The sound also echoes a desolate keening note which seems to eat into his vitals. He turns away, shuddering, the skin down his back prickling. Kragus turns to Eder, his eyes noting the movement of the second captive, he speaks conversationally but in a timbre designed to carry over the camp, but only just loud enough. "Now, remember. Whatever I do you must not interrupt or interfere. This delicate and time consuming work, it is not pretty but it is necessary. If you find you are distressed by what you see, just walk away. Return in an Ahn or so and I should be done. Well, with this one at least." "I will watch, at least for the moment." Kragus drops his voice.... "I see the other has woken, he is the one who will give us the information we seek. For now I want him to realise what is happening to his fellow here. I want him to anticipate that his time will come soon, I want his guts to turn to jelly at the merest thought of what will be done to him. You know that it is often not the physical pain of torture that loosens the tongue, it is the expectation that worse is to follow that can break the resistance. This is a much a game of the mind as a game of the body. For now I need him to become afraid. See to it, while I do what I can with this one." "What about him, he looks almost dead as it is ? " Eder pokes the moaning rider with his boot, noticing the lack of resistance from the limb. "This one is no good to anyone, it is clear that his neck is broken. It amazes me that he still lives." Kragus places the point of his dagger to the man's arm, pressing the blade deep into the muscle, blood wells up but the arm does not twitch or flinch... "Look, there is no feeling at all in his arms or legs, he cannot move much apart from his eyes. Do not worry, lad, I will let him pass on soon enough, even assist the process, but first he has a use. Go ..make sure that the one over yonder watches." Eder moves across the camp to the other stakes, prodding the other's thigh with his boot. "I know you are awake......watch my companion over there as he plays with your friend, see what fate awaits you." The rider wriggles in his bonds, turning his head away as the little colour he had regained drains from his face... A sharp kick from Eder soon turns him in the right direction. Watching with half closed eyes, Kragus sees that he now has the attention of his audience and reaches slowly to retrieve a skinning knife from his belt. Bending over his first victim, he lays the blade flat to the skin over the kneecap, and with a swift flick of his wrist, opens a flap of skin exposing the white bone beneath. He lifts the flap with bloodied fingers, before letting it fall again. Playing the scene for the ashen faced rider, Kragus calls to Eder. "This one is almost too far gone, I think, but I'll give it another try before I start on the other.....this should be drawing some sounds from him, maybe I'm more out of practice than I thought." The Captain bends again, purposely turning his face to the watching rider... he curls his lips into what he hopes is a sinister grin. Lowering his head further he whispers into the ear of the crippled rider. "I regret the necessity for this, but I promise you as soon as your friend seems ready to talk, I will put an end to this suffering." The glazed eyes give no response, no recognition, only a quivering groan escapes the blood-flecked lips, a little bubble forms at the side of his mouth, pops and sends a thin trickle down his cheek. The rider passes to the Priest Kings, but still he can serve his purpose. The Captain bends again to his work.......
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Chapter
Twenty-Five "A man with a kinfe"