His scream echoed through the sparse chamber over the hiss of burning flesh. The torturer brought the white hot iron away from Taris’ side. The assassin sagged in his chains in the middle of the room, exhausted. Four orbs of intense light floated around him, keeping any shadows far away from him, keeping him from escaping. His eyes burned, and he was beginning to doubt if he would ever see again, even if he did manage to escape.

His magic tingled on his skin, but after a couple hours of this, he couldn’t continue to heal himself, instead just numbing the pains. The torturer came back with a whip, Taris could hear him crack it, if not see it. He’d been whipped before, and could handle that pain. Then the bladed tip slashed his cheek. Another scream tore out of his throat, and the bladed whip tore into his back. The whip cracked against his back until he couldn’t scream anymore. Taris’ head hung down and the chains attached to the posts to the sides pulled at his arms and shoulders, but even that strain was drowned out by his wounds.

The torturer stepped away and came back a moment later, and the elf tried to muster the energy to brace for what might come, finding himself unable to. He couldn’t even scream now, his throat felt destroyed. At least he thought he couldn’t, until the man poured alcohol over his back. Every slash felt filled with molten iron. One last anguished scream tore from him before the pain overwhelmed his magic and he slipped mercifully into unconsciousness.
[i]
“Taris.”
He looked up, his eyes still working in this realm. Layne caressed his cheek, “I’m so sorry my love. I wish I could help more.”

Taris shook his head, “I’ll be fine, Kentaro is dead, Aera is safe. That’s all that matters.” At the look on Layne’s face he felt his stomach drop out. “She is safe, right?”

Layne looked despondent, “I’m sorry Taris, but I found another spirit that was searching for you. She’s scared, thinks she failed you.”
“Arauka…”
A tear leaked from her eye and she nodded. “I tried to bring her, but she says she can’t face you yet. She can’t stop crying. I asked her who it was, but all she said was ‘Kartaians’. She also mentioned someone named Envy, who was hurt too.”

Taris crumpled to the floor. “Arauka, no. I’ve failed again. Damn it all, why? First you, now Arauka and Aera…” Layne tried to put a hand on his shoulder but he stood and pushed her away. Black flames swirled around him and he roared in despair. Layne reached for him again. He slammed a fist into the ground and the world dissolved around him.[/i]

He returned to the waking world, returned to the pain. Only now, the physical pain couldn’t begin to compare to the pain in his soul.