Khana knelt in the corner of the hall. She was staring hatefully at Kay’rin. It was easier to stare at Kay’rin then to look at the horror going on in the rest of the hall. She would have vomited from the smell alone if she hadn’t vomited when she saw Sa’manatha dangling on that board. Her stomach was empty. Still she gagged from time to time.

She was shivering uncontrollably. These Kindred were monsters, who could do that to a human? The wizards of this Academy were monsters to go along with them. Kay’rin was a monster.

It was Kay’rin who captured them all as they reached the hall. Jace was on his knees screaming at the entrance. A wordless howl. She thought he was injured, when suddenly Kay’rin was there before all of them in a flash indicating she had teleported, with a glance at Jace on his knees she hammered Jace on the back of the head with a spell, then enveloped the rest of them in a dome of air. It was just air, she knew that much, but nothing she cast, or anyone else cast could break through it. They were prisoners and brought inside to see what happened to those who went against the “natural order” of things.

Elis’s Emissary was standing on the side of the hall, looking like nothing going on was his interest. He was a tall Kindred man with flame Red hair. He had yet to even speak. He had another kindred man speak for him. The wizards were strapping up Jace’s unconscious and naked body on a board next to Sa’manatha, while Shawey was being strapped up next to Jace.

Karius was arguing with Kay’rin, well he was talking to her but to Khana’s eyes it looked like he was livid about something, he kept gesturing toward Sa’manatha or perhaps Jace as he spoke. Khana was feeling pretty lonely right about now. She wasn’t a great big hero like Jace, and she already saw how powerless Jace was to change anything. Somehow that nice guy angered a God. There was no way to fight against something like that.

One of the old wizards got up on the raised marble platform and started to lecture. The many male disciples were listening and with rapt attention words like “above your station” and “shirking duty” and “abandoning your fellow man” were thrown about. She wished she could close her ears as she pulled the brim of the hat Jace made her down to cover her eyes. She didn’t want to give that horrid girl Kay’rin any satisfaction of seeing her cry.

She heard some more nonsense from the main wizard, apparently he was saying stuff like “order would be restored,” and humanity would get better. He was saying the Elis’s Emissary being here meant that the time for forgiveness may be near. Then he said that “all humans must do their duty,” and part of why Jace was dangling from the board was because he wasn’t doing his “duty.”

Those words ‘duty’ seemed to be a code word that everyone understood. The various male warlocks and a few of the channelers were looking at the girls like a pack of hungry wolves. Kay’rin was no longer paying attention to Jace but the male wizard. Her brows drawing down. As he went on and on about duty and everyone doing their part her expression got darker and darker. Finally, he said words that he probably wouldn’t have spoken if he had thought it through. He said “all the girls here will do their duty for mankind too”

The male wizard exploded. That brought an end to the revelry. It was dead silent in the hall Khana could feel the power gathering around Kay’rin. The other wizards obviously could because instead of stopping her they all faded into the background as Kay’rin passed through the sea of warlocks a dark expression on her face. She climbed the marble platform, turned and looked at the warlocks and spoke brief words.

“Every student will do their duty according to the rules of the academy. No more, no less. If I hear anyone here thinks to break those rules, bend them or change them I will destroy this island and kill every last one of you.”

“Today we gather because Elis ordered us to gather, to witness the punishment of one who went against the Gods. The channeler Shawey killed a warlock as well, which is why she is next to Channeler Jace. Finally, the slave called Sa’manatha the slave of the Channeler Jace was ordered to be tortured to the point of death by the Emissary of Elis as further punishment toward the Heretic Jace. As this order has been carried out, I ask the Emissary to make clear what we are to do with the slave called Sa’manatha.” Her voice was cold and methodical as always. She had a bored expression on her face as if the proceedings were beneath her. Had Khana not seen the look of anger on her face she would think that Kay’rin was uninvolved with the killing of that wizard, who’s guts she currently was standing in.

The kindred man next to the Emissary spoke out. “On the authority of Elis, all ownership of the slave called Sa’manatha has been voided. She is damaged goods. But a good healer may be able to stretch a few more years of life out of her. Her womb works. She is now for sale to the highest bidder. May it quick, I’m not sure many healers could recover her in this state for much if she’s left to dangle there much longer. Oh, one more thing. She was pregnant with a child; terminate the pregnancy whenever or however you see fit. If it wasn’t terminated by this ordeal already.”

Bidding quickly reached 7 copper tals and then stalled. She was a broken slave, who would want a broken slave? Khana raised her hand and bid 1 silver Tal. It was all she could do for Jace. She wasn’t surprised she won. No one would pay 1 silver Tal for a slave in this condition. But Khana just couldn’t leave her like that. Standing up she quickly ran up to the stage, and handed over the silver Tal. She quickly cast some magic to cut off the binding and caught Sa’manatha when she started to fall. Using magic to her absolute limits she carried Sa’manatha off the stage, and brought her over to the group of women at the side.

She was sweating and gasping for air when she reached the area she was to stand. This really was her limit to channel. A number of the women helped her set Sa’manatha down on a cloak, while they tried to straighten her limbs. Khana looked over at Karius desperately, Karius met her eyes, and nodded, making his way over to the others.

Karius knelt down and cast healing on Sa’manatha. He was still furious with Kay’rin. She had told him that the prisoners were not being mistreated. He had told Jace that she was fine. He was so mad when he saw Sa’manatha’s state he had snapped and started arguing with her. Now he knelt down and had a hand on Sa’manatha’s pale cold flesh he could tell her flame of life was almost out. He did what he could to stoke it a bit, help it recover some vitality, he was afraid that the curse would claim her life while he was healing her. It was a close run thing. Then he closed up a number of the wounds as if they never were. The arms and legs were healed straight, the bloody wounded from the flayed flesh was repaired. The problem was burns and damaged eyes were much harder to heal. He studied the injury for a long time, ignoring the cries of pain behind him occurring on the stage. He had no stomach to watch what was being done.

He felt a great deal of guilt for this tragity. He knew it was wrong to listen to that kindred man the moment he arrived. He was overbearing and obnoxious. His demands absurd. Yet what could they do? The man was a sorcerer. Karius was certain Jace had lied about the ward on Kay'rin. He had seen a lot of wards, the one he described did not seem possible. Still he had one of the warlocks cast a small spell on her, and verified that this ward did not exist. It was simple to heal her. She was barely injured as it was.

Setting aside his feeling's of regret he continued exmanining Sam. The burns were bad, as was the eye. Worse, her flame of life was flickering like a candle about to burn out. He couldn’t be concerned about the lives in danger on the stage, he wasn’t even sure he could save the one in front of him right now.