I was getting hungry. They fed us here, but rations were small so we would slowly lose our strength.

“Mister Zariel. Again with me, please.”

Old Bob came again to cell that I shared with Jason. It wasn’t his name. Appraisal told me he was named Clarence. And I am sure he lives at home with both parents, and that they have a real good marriage…

“No until you would served us some decent food! Come on! You can take away our freedom! Our magic! Our dignity! But please! Don’t take away our cutlet de volaille! With extra spinach!” “It’s our third day, yet you still look so cheerful. You almost make me doubt in my skills. How is that – you will tell me everything I want to know, and I will serve you the dish you want, hm?” “…” “Your answer, mister Zariel?” “You are… a true… monster. You could used against me my friends, family, everything I love… but that’s where I put the line! You sick sadistic fuck! To use a cutlet against me?! Have you no heart, no soul, no mercy!? YOU EVIL BASTARD!”

Old Bob became inpatient, he nodded toward the guards.

“Bring him.”

Two solider wearing gear partly covered in white onyx grabbed my under arms and begun dragging through the corridors.

“CUTLET!” I yelled with all strength I had in lungs “SOMEONE SAID A CUTLET?!” Pyrox rushed with his whole body onto bars “GIVE ME ONE TOO! GIVE IT TO ME NOW YOU FUCKING BASTARDS OR I WOULD TEAR YOUR FACE OFF AND EAT IT RAW!”

I started laughing hysterically. There is at least one true madman here. If other prisoners have some guts we could made a small show, unfortunately, they were sitting calmly in their cells.

“Wait here. Today I will teach some younglings. This is also why I hope that you won’t give up. Those little bastards have lots to learn. Be nice, don’t do anywhere. I will bring them.”

And he left. I heard his stairs echoing through the room. After five minutes I heard many more footsteps, but not those of old Bob. Didn’t he come along?

“Are you sure we can walk in? I heard that Master is very strict.” “Stop being such a pussy! We were supposed to have lessons in torture room in block S, and here we are! Inside asshole!”

Awww, little birdies came without old eagle? How can I play with you?! I started sobbing.

“Do you hear that? Someone is here?” “Tied witch? COOL! I want to rip his teeth!” and then they walked inside and looked at me “… he is almost a kid…” “Please… please help me… why am I here?” I kept sobbing “Please, I will be good, so don’t hurt me? Why did you kidnap me? I did nothing wrong! I just want to go home!” “C…Can it be that we would train on innocent?” “WHAT? Just look at his hair! He looks and smell like witch for a mile far and wide!” “THEY DID IT TO ME! My hair!.... my hair… they throw on me a liquid… it hurts so much… so much! Pleeease! I won’t tell anyone about that! So please!” “They though us that sometimes you would interrogate an innocent, that this is a risk of being torturer. That we would have to carry on… what if…” “We were told that we would train on witch from Neira…” “Please! Please! I am from Abgurh city!” I recalled name of one of smallest city in Holy Kingdom “In the middle of town we have chapel, in front of it a small fountain!”

Or so I hoped. That was general pattern of raising cities in holy kingdom. Church of chapels in the middle – so everyone would be equally close to the god.

“Every Friday on pool in front of mayor’s house a market was settled! Mother was sending me there to buy fishes! I beg you! It hurts! It hurts so much!” I started crying aloud. “I… I won’t hurt intentionally an innocent! Where are keys!”… idiots. Idiots everywhere “Stop it you idiot! We will be in troubles!” “Greater than him!? I won’t stand it! I can’t stand it! We were supposed to carry holy duties! This is far from any form of holiness!”

I tried looking as pathetic as I could, groan in fear.

“Fear not, brother, I will help you…” he really found a keys! Right now he was opening the padlock attached to collar from onyx near my neck. “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!? IDIOTS!” Old Bob came in the room “STOP THAT!” “I beg you! Faster! FASTE-E-ER” I cried “Ss..s..save me!”

But torturer jumped in and kicked young man. The key was stuck in the padlock, but I was lacking ability to turn it in any way. Stupid leather bonds! So close yet so far.

No, my chances was lost. I looked with sorrow at old Bob

“You couldn’t wait five more seconds, could you!?” “What did you learn in academy?! Evil has many forms and shapes. It would try to fool you! Use you for his own gains and evil deeds! You have no idea what kind of tragedy you could cause!” “Killjoy! Teasy!” I kept insulting him in polite manner “And I could have so much fuuuun with y’all!” “Let me present you, idiots! This is Zariel the abomination, called Whiteraven. Responsible for killing fifty four holy men send to catch him, it required help of Amelia from Crimson Lily to finally capture him, and even then she lost four of his men. Zariel, these are idiots!” “We already met!” I chuckled “Kid. You are far too soft. Quit this job, it doesn’t suit you.” I addressed a boy, about 15 years old, that found keyes.” “Hopefully, this would be a lesson for him, it would toughen him…” “He won’t, he would simply bring death on his companion. Not that I mind.” “As we have courtesy behind us, let’s get straight to business, shall we?” “After you! Oh boy, oh boy! What will we use today?” “I will let you decide. What tools do you want to be used on you?” “Ok, let’s start with something dreadful.. CARDIANL FANG! Bring the… COMFY CHAIR! The plushy one! Hm, no? then maybe… THE CUSHIONS! And then you would stand in circle above yelling CONFESS! How about that?” “Indeed, interesting idea, but I am afraid that we are lacking comfy chairs. Got only un-comfy ones.” “Nay. I have already sat on those. It’s getting boring Bob! I AM GETTING BORED! Do something! Dance for me maybe?” “Now, young apprentices, a rope – very easy tool, you can find it in every shop. You tie interrogated hands like this – behind his backs, and then slowly lift him by his arms. It is quite painful and in the final point his joints would snap….” “How was it?” Jason asked “They refuse giving me comfy chair, and gave me only one cup of coffee! At 11 o’clock!” “Horror, horror…” “But I endured!” “You are hero for all of us.” “That’s nothing, I tell you tomorrow I won’t even take coffee from them!” “So, you won’t run away today? My-my, that’s a surprise.” “Speaking about escape, have you heard old Bob shouting from the room?” “Ah! Right! I never heard his raising his voice, what happened?” “His stunteds almost freed me!”

He burst into laugh

“You are shitting me, right?” “Please, please, help me, it hurts! It hurts so much! Bad people kidnapped me from mama and papa!” “And then you remember that same people actually managed to capture us…” “Ehhh.” “Ehhh, ideed.”

Nun with assists of two guards came to the bars

“Supper, scums.” One of them proclaimed “Will you take bowl for me too?” Jason asked as he was sitting in opposite part of the cell “Sure!” I came to the bars. I hoped to play some prank on nun giving us food. But I didn’t.

Soon they left and I took my place near Jason

“Hey, wanna run away?” I asked “You kept asking that since you came here. No, I am fine here. Food is delicious, rooms comfy, and we are being asked to attend massage sessions in the room at the end of corridor… Of course I want.” “Then stay sharp. Tomorrow we will have our chance.” “Suuuure, and tell me, in that fairy tale, there were dragons too, weren’t they?” “Jasno, look at me. Prepare yourself. And if you could, try saying it to rest of the block.”

His eyes shined.

Another day, another wake up by old Bob, another morning, cold coffee at 11 o’clock, another session with pillows and cookies.

And I? I was talking. Talking like never. Mostly gibberish and nonsense, but here and there I dropped some useful information.

“You are pretty talkative today, mister Zariel.” “Maybe I decided to take a first step in our relationship and open myself a little?” “What is it?” “I just… I hope… that offer of yours, about giving me a cutlet, it is still valid, is it?” “I wonder…” “Come on! Teasy!” “Fair enough. As soon as you would tell me something about organization that support you. Miss Amelia reported, that it was very hard to gain any information about you, every record was damaged, books were partly burned in places where your name was mentioned. You yourself couldn’t achieve that, so…” “S…sir. I came to wash a prisoner…” a weak voice could be heard from the other side of door “Aren’t you bit early? We are done anyway. Come, my child… and you, answer, and I shall consider giving you a dinner you wish for.” “For Realies? You are best! Ok, so about my friends…” nun left two baskets of the floor – one filled with water, another with cloth “So… are you aware about so called Syndicate?” “Who didn’t? They are a legend. They were active few decades ago and were quite pain in the ass, are your friends somehow related with them?” “Somehow… Syndicate never vanished, it simply had… problems. Financial. When you shut the border they lost maaaany sources of finances. But, all they needed to raise once again, was coin – so they hired an alchemist – me, to start a small business, take apprentice and make potions for half of the price. Of course, you know how market works? When same good that cost less appears….” “… You could see whole batches of potion. You didn’t have to wait long for buyers… but it means… the gold you earned could be used…” “By Syndicate to be active again… what would they do first?” “… eliminate people that are blocking their actions… the assassinations of prelates in whole country… oh my god… Tell me more!” “Ok, so the first thing worth mentioning should be… that right now we have our agents EVERYWHERE!” I looked over his shoulder at the nun “Am I right?”

Ay moved quickly, she stabbed old Bob in the side and pushed his on the table

“DON’T KILL HIM!” I roared in anger “Suit yourself!” nun-ay said in her casual tone “Keys, keys… NYA-HA! Here you are! Fear not, Weird boy! I will save you in a jiffy!” she used her dagger to pierce torturer’s hand and pin his to the table “Wait here!” “I can’t believe in what am I saying, but I am happy to see you, Ay.” “Ah silly boy! I am sure you say it to every assassin that rescues you from enemy custody! Anyway, you are not my type, sorry! It’s not you, it’s me!” “Ay. Collar and bonds, please.” “Nya-haha! Silly me! In a jiffy!” she started working with keys near the collars “Anyway, you look like shit!” “Take this fucking collar away from me and I will heal in an instant.” “A-ha. Sure. No healing magic is THAT strong! Maybe after a week, or two..” in that moment collar fell on ground. I found the core containing hydra’s DNA and allowed its power to rush through me

My nails start regrowing, bruises disappeared. Old Bob was tugging my flesh with hot pliers, right now chunks of meat were reappearing on wound covering them. I had so many new scares to collection, but my body was restored.

“Holy… Moly…” Ay whistled with admiration “Now I know why Rouge is so crazy about you.”

I looked at Bob, grabbed a dagger that was pinning him and jerked it away. He hissed a little as I wasn’t very gently. Then I pushed him on same chair on which I spend last four days.

“You told me that ever in face of greatest misery we can still act as civilized man… and do remember what I answered you?” “That you wonder how quickly I would change my mind after I would sit in this chair.” “Indeed. But, you were playing with me for days… I can offer you only few minutes, but I am not going to be any less passionate about that.”

I grabbed scalpel and brought it dangerously closely to his eyes. He didn’t blink… HAHA! He didn’t blink!

“Booby, I would advise you to blink few times… soon you may miss this feeling…” and then I proceed to cut his eyelids away.

Ay behind me only licked her mouth with hungry gaze

I grabbed a spoon. Those spoon had only one purpose. I put them to use

“You aren’t too attached to your eyes, I hope? I mean… you have them since birth, am I right?”

This time I made him scream.

“Ow, ow, ow? Hurty? Does it hurty?” I asked with tone of the child “You know, I kept telling myself, that I don’t mind pleasure in bringing unnecessary suffering. That I kill quickly, that I bring swift death… Oh, I forgot. I am a fucking hypocrite!”

I was finished after few swift moves leaving gaping bloody hollows in place where he previously had eyes. I have never done this before, so he was bleeding but excessively. Not that he would live for long anyway.

“Now for a main dish… have you heard about Acid spitters? Snakes? No? Shame. But I will show you why they are called acid spitters despite the fact that they spit no venom…”

I positioned myself over him, morphed my teeth into fangs and… dropped few drops of venom into his wounds.

AH! How can human scream so… inhumanly!? Like a wounded beast! Like dying behemoth! MORE! MOOORE!

Nay, can’t waste even second more.

“It was nice to meet ya! You showed me lots of funny tricks! I will remember to show them you your friends… But… how many witch have you burned? It’s only fair to meet same fate, isn’t it? BUT! You are no mere bandit! So let me do it in proper way…”

I cough few times, lost my whole happy posture and with tone serious and crude I proclaimed.

“Clarence Woewalker, I accuse you of committing sins of hunting, torturing and killing countless number of witches. In your art you know no remorse nor mercy, so none shall be bestowed upon you. As the royal blood, I Zariel Whiteraven, God of the beasts, King of the monsters, Chieftain of bruteclans, warlord of nomad tribes, chosen by the god – our beloved mother Aira, with might bestowed upon me I sentence you to….. death.”

I pushed my hand near his mouth

“Actually you know what? I changed my mind. You have to ways of killing witches, ain’t you? Drowning in water or burning on pyre… so let’s combine those two! I will force magma – liquefied fire into your stomach, may it burn away sins you commited.”

He screamed just for moment longer. He died pretty quickly. Magma frozen quickly, leaving black scorched mark town his throat. I turned back to Ay. She was biting on her lip and was blushing as if in fever.

“Ya remember when I told you that you are not my type? Forgot bout’ that! I am wet.” “Focus Ay, focus. We are not free yet. Help me freeing my friends from block S.” “HYA? I was paid only for you! Maybe if you would have some action one by one with me later on I would consider….” “Ay. We are about to break from enemy territory. They will look for us. The more witches we would free, the greater distraction we would get…” “But in block S there are only few of… wait.” Her eyes shined “You don’t want to stop on freeing only block S, ain’t you?”

I smiled in response

“Doctor, oh doctor! Lunatics are taking over the Asylum!”