Ahnasha's words served to inflame Fendros' guilt further. Ahnasha had every right to be angry for having Fendros let her suffer. To this, Fendros kept his eyes closed and his head bowed. Today, he had fought too much and was ultimately defeated. There was nothing else he had left to say but a meek "I know."
His breathing remained unsteady as he quietly tried not to sob. His whole world had collapsed as far as he was concerned.
Sabine let out a disappointed sigh. "Fine," was all she said before she turned on her heel and went with them to the ruins again. The tension in her posture and stride suggested that she was rather angry at this decision, but her protest was purely passive.
Muttonhawk Member
Let Slip the Corgis of War
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Dear Mr Curly,
I have done little travelling lately because I have been so dreadfully weary. Can it be true as the old Ecclesiastes said; that all things lead to weariness? Surely not. Perhaps the opposite is true: that all nothings lead to weariness. I have a peculiar feeling, Curly, that I am worn out from something I haven't yet done and the more I don't do it, the more exhausted I become. How strange. Could it be something I haven't realised? Perhaps it's something I haven't said? Something I haven't finished! It must be very large and true whatever it is and a lively struggle in the doing but I look forward to it immensely. I know I need it. First, however, I must curl up in my chair and sleep deeply with the duck. Perhaps I'll dream of this thing and wake up refreshed and do it. My fond wishes to you Mr. Curly, and to all Curly Flat.
Yours sleepily,
Vasco Pyjama
xxx
P.S. Not having breakfast can make you weary. That's for sure!
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The next person to post may assume that I jab our friend awake.
The area was secure, at least for now. Shiva emerged from her cover, scanned the area with her plasma gun raised and found nothing but her teammates. Now that she had a closer look at the dead soldiers around her, she hoped that their appearance would be more telling. They wore no distinctive markings that she could recognise, and they didn't really have time to search through all of them. She guessed she should have expected as much. Word of having caught one alive made her perk up, though.
Shiva strode over to the unconscious human and knelt down. Without prompt, she put her weapon to the magnet on the small of her back and leaned in closer. She started by taking out a torch, holding one of the human's eyes open and waving it in front of the eye as it was lit. Given Bit's report, perhaps Shiva could make herself useful again. She took out a stimulant shot from her medkit, propped the tied up human's back against a pillar, removed his methods of communication by unceremoniously removing his helmet, then held his limp body against the pillar with her free hand.
As she bit the cap off the stimulant needle, Shiva looked over to Opus. "I can wake him up if you promise to be quick," She blew the cap onto the ground and looked to Rareth before finishing, "but if we need to get going, it's your call, commander." She trusted Opus enough with his idea after his performance in the elevator, but there was still a sense of urgency to be met. As soon as Rareth gave the word, she would jab the human in the arm and arouse him from the nightmare they had caused. Being in such a situation would likely be uncomfortable.
Shiva strode over to the unconscious human and knelt down. Without prompt, she put her weapon to the magnet on the small of her back and leaned in closer. She started by taking out a torch, holding one of the human's eyes open and waving it in front of the eye as it was lit. Given Bit's report, perhaps Shiva could make herself useful again. She took out a stimulant shot from her medkit, propped the tied up human's back against a pillar, removed his methods of communication by unceremoniously removing his helmet, then held his limp body against the pillar with her free hand.
As she bit the cap off the stimulant needle, Shiva looked over to Opus. "I can wake him up if you promise to be quick," She blew the cap onto the ground and looked to Rareth before finishing, "but if we need to get going, it's your call, commander." She trusted Opus enough with his idea after his performance in the elevator, but there was still a sense of urgency to be met. As soon as Rareth gave the word, she would jab the human in the arm and arouse him from the nightmare they had caused. Being in such a situation would likely be uncomfortable.
Having discovered XCOM:EW recently and having a blast, I'll be keeping an eye on this. Can't guarantee super-frequent posts, though. At least not for the next couple of weeks.
Hmm, heavy weapons guy. That sounds like fun.
Hmm, heavy weapons guy. That sounds like fun.
Well, this has been a dark scene so far.
Fendros silently stared at Ahnasha for a moment, partly in surprise. He could never prepare himself to hear her plead to die like she did. He knew that she was scared and scarred by her experience, but he had never witnessed it to such an extent as this. It was like she was a different person. The torturer had brought her to the brink of death, and now the determined, smiling Ahnasha Fendros knew had disappeared. Fendros could never forgive himself, why couldn't he have just answered the Argonian's questions sooner? Then she wouldn't have had to suffer.
"Ahna, please don't die." Fendros let his head bow forward again as his eyes shut in guilt, "Please, I love you. I need you, Rhazii needs you. Please don't die."
They reached the hideout, even though it seemed like more of a settlement than anything. Janius was quick to concur with Lorag, but Sabine stayed standing, surveying the walls and in particular the open gate. With all the people apparently associated with this place, Sabine's curiosity was piqued beyond playing it safe and going back to inform the cultists.
Sabine adjusted the makeshift bandage on her wrist. "There are a lot of people going in and out. I could go in and scout," she suggested indirectly while still keeping her eyes on the gate. "They won't look for me in there," Sabine turned her head to Lorag, "I could try and find where they are keeping Fendros and Ahnasha, the place is too big to search while fighting." Sabine's face was serious, but hinted at really wanting to sneak in. She had come to find Ahnasha and Fendros after all, not to attack a town.
"Ahna, please don't die." Fendros let his head bow forward again as his eyes shut in guilt, "Please, I love you. I need you, Rhazii needs you. Please don't die."
They reached the hideout, even though it seemed like more of a settlement than anything. Janius was quick to concur with Lorag, but Sabine stayed standing, surveying the walls and in particular the open gate. With all the people apparently associated with this place, Sabine's curiosity was piqued beyond playing it safe and going back to inform the cultists.
Sabine adjusted the makeshift bandage on her wrist. "There are a lot of people going in and out. I could go in and scout," she suggested indirectly while still keeping her eyes on the gate. "They won't look for me in there," Sabine turned her head to Lorag, "I could try and find where they are keeping Fendros and Ahnasha, the place is too big to search while fighting." Sabine's face was serious, but hinted at really wanting to sneak in. She had come to find Ahnasha and Fendros after all, not to attack a town.
"Wait, please, what about our child?! What are you going to-" The door shut with an echoing clang and lock and Fendros cut himself off. Their captor had finished with them, that was the end of it.
Fendros took a moment to try and calm down, but he couldn't really. His arms were hurting, he was tired, he was stressed, and his eyes burned with tears. He looked down, away from the door, then up to Ahnasha's face. "Ahna?" Fendros said quietly. He could tell she was as terrified as he was, but she was the one who had to suffer the physical pain. It caused a crushing guilt to grasp Fendros where he hung. "Ahna, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. This never should have happened." Fendros wished he had the answer. He wished he could undo himself from the shackles and just hold Ahnasha, so they could comfort each other. Even if they could just touch, if he could reach out and take her hand. "Ahnasha, please, say something if you can."
Fendros took a moment to try and calm down, but he couldn't really. His arms were hurting, he was tired, he was stressed, and his eyes burned with tears. He looked down, away from the door, then up to Ahnasha's face. "Ahna?" Fendros said quietly. He could tell she was as terrified as he was, but she was the one who had to suffer the physical pain. It caused a crushing guilt to grasp Fendros where he hung. "Ahna, I'm so sorry. I'm so, so sorry. This never should have happened." Fendros wished he had the answer. He wished he could undo himself from the shackles and just hold Ahnasha, so they could comfort each other. Even if they could just touch, if he could reach out and take her hand. "Ahnasha, please, say something if you can."
"It's a small room past that. It looks empty, but the hatch to the surface is on the ceiling." Fendros could only hope that the noble's men would leave Rhazii alone, but he didn't hesitate to continue giving information. He just wanted the nightmare to end. "The corridor that enters it faces another on the opposite side of it. There are other rooms to the left and right, mostly storage from what I saw. Straight through is the main hall. They use it as a court, with thrones on a dais, banners, a few tables and chairs, but still wide open. Past that, there is only one door. They didn't let us into it, but with how the cultists always went on about experiments, there isn't much else I would suspect to be there."
Seeing Ahnasha back in a familiar shape helped Fendros to at least steady his breathing. Though the scars and the blood down her front was still unsettling, perhaps they would see some relief.
Seeing Ahnasha back in a familiar shape helped Fendros to at least steady his breathing. Though the scars and the blood down her front was still unsettling, perhaps they would see some relief.
"East..." Fendros bowed his head forward, closed his eyes, and tried to recall the xanmeer in terms of cardinal directions. Within, it was difficult enough to retain one's sense of direction, so it took a moment. There was also getting past the anxiety clouding his mind. As his memories returned, Fendros spoke with a grumble in his voice caused by his shouting. "A training room, a large training room," Fendros swallowed and opened his eyes, trying not to look directly at Ahnasha's insides, "I was never in that room without there being at least one cultist present practicing spells or some such." Fendros ran out of breath quickly as he spoke, so his next breath was deeper, "There are two doors out of that room, one goes to a larder, or kitchen area, I think. The other..." Fendros paused and looked at the healer monitoring him for lies. "...The other is a corridor that leads to bedrooms and the rest of the xanmeer." Fendros looked directly at the torturer. He wasn't done pleading, "The first bedrooms are the guest rooms that we were held in, one of them is where our son is being held. Please, he's innocent of all this, don't let your men hurt him."
"It's the only way to keep him safe, it's the only way to keep him safe, it's the only way to keep him safe," Fendros whispered to himself over and over again while the torturer performed the beginnings of a living conscious vivisection on Ahnasha. It was nightmarish, seeing her face and organs, smelling her blood. Tears started to fall from Fendros' eyes as soon as the torturer reminded him how this could be stopped, but Fendros only responded by raising his voice while he continued his mantra. "It's the only way to keep him safe! It's the only way to keep him safe! It's the only way to keep him safe!"
After a few moments, Fendros' body twitched involuntarily. With all of the emotion, fear and threat in the air, he hardly noticed how strongly his beast spirit wanted to respond to it. It's primitive mind wanted to break the shackles and tear the torturer's throat out, but Fendros knew that there were contingencies in place, it would not work. He tried to suppress the beast out of fear that if he was unable to answer the torturer, he would continue with Ahnasha beyond his control. He couldn't let her die. His mantra died down in volume, but went on faster until it held less and less meaning in his mind.
It went on for what felt like a long time, but was probably less given that every waking moment was of sheer horror. Each minute that passed made Fendros' beast spirit stronger. The two mental fronts he fought on, between the torturer and his beast spirit, eventually overwhelmed him. "STOP!" Fendros screamed out of nowhere, "STOP, STOP THIS! I'll tell you the layout, just stop!" Fendros face was still dominated by suffering he was going through, but his mind was disgusted that he couldn't fight for any longer. He had to stop the torture if he was going to stay in Dunmer form. "Please, heal her, don't do this any longer! I know the layout, I'll tell you if you please just heal her." Fendros pleaded.
After a few moments, Fendros' body twitched involuntarily. With all of the emotion, fear and threat in the air, he hardly noticed how strongly his beast spirit wanted to respond to it. It's primitive mind wanted to break the shackles and tear the torturer's throat out, but Fendros knew that there were contingencies in place, it would not work. He tried to suppress the beast out of fear that if he was unable to answer the torturer, he would continue with Ahnasha beyond his control. He couldn't let her die. His mantra died down in volume, but went on faster until it held less and less meaning in his mind.
It went on for what felt like a long time, but was probably less given that every waking moment was of sheer horror. Each minute that passed made Fendros' beast spirit stronger. The two mental fronts he fought on, between the torturer and his beast spirit, eventually overwhelmed him. "STOP!" Fendros screamed out of nowhere, "STOP, STOP THIS! I'll tell you the layout, just stop!" Fendros face was still dominated by suffering he was going through, but his mind was disgusted that he couldn't fight for any longer. He had to stop the torture if he was going to stay in Dunmer form. "Please, heal her, don't do this any longer! I know the layout, I'll tell you if you please just heal her." Fendros pleaded.
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