In the leather on which it is born, the donkey will be torn.

Cousins Bleak – Collections

*

Arthur feels his legs aching from excessive walking. To find a point where they could cross the river without using the elf’s magic, they had to head downstream for over an hour to a point where the weakest flow of the river would not be threat if they slipped off one of the rocks or if one of the prisoners tried to escape.

After a long walk, they found a spot where the river funneled and the stones were larger and close enough so even Arthur could cross without much effort. That also helped when they carried the prisoners to the other side.

Fatigue only becomes a real problem when they need to redo the entire walk in the opposite direction, on that bank of the river, looking for the point where they left the horses. This task forced them to climb steep terrains in the midst of coarse vegetation that often scratched their legs to the point of bleeding and Arthur, inexperienced on all that, felt the full strength of such adversities.

Panting, he feels a wave of relief go through his mind as he realizes that they have reached the top of the terrain, above the level of the waterfall. The day has definitely come to an end, and, at that point, visibility becomes a problem that is impossible to ignore.

Rinlia does not allow the group to continue in the dark, as she is not willing to be lost in the forest while escorting prisoners.

The group hurriedly sets up a camp and the soldiers take turns to keep watch on the surroundings and on the prisoners. Arthur and Galaaz assist them so everyone can rest before the next day.

During the night, the wolf leaves the group for a few moments and returns with two wild cats between his teeth. Arthur sees Thiago and Yvanna deboning the animals and sharing them with everyone – except the prisoners. At first, he wants to refuse such food, however, hunger speaks louder, and he ends up accepting a small portion of the meat, roasted over a small fire.

Rinlia, despite being dissatisfied with the need to camp before meeting the lupines, is grateful for the time available to meditate and rest, recovering some magic energy in her body before the next day.

The night is quiet and, with the exception of some noises caused by small animals, nothing happens to disturb their rest. The next day, they go back to walking.

-They won’t be able to go to the Glade like this. – Yvanna pushes the werewolf until she is able to stand next to the leader. There is concern in her eyes.

The restrains to the movements of the nymph and the werewolf cut the wrists and ankles of both, which need to be almost dragged by the vampire and Thiago. Despite the physical resistance that the prisoners seem to have, it is evident that this is excessive for people who, as far as they knew, did nothing more than steal some objects.

-I know that. We will use Thiago’s horse and also your horse to carry them for the rest of the way back.

-But the werewolf will scare them. They won’t carry him.

The elf shakes her head.

-Our horses were trained by dryads. Leave the werewolf with me and… - She makes some mental adjustments. – And Arthur can go with Thiago. I will calm my horse properly and guide it more carefully until-

The elf interrupts her walk. Her eyes see, several meters ahead, a body lying among the trees. Despite the distance, she immediately notices that it is the inert body of an animal. Usually this would not be a reason to worry, however, they were very close to the place where she hoped to find the lupines. The presence of a dead animal in the vicinity can represent a big problem.

She signals to Yvanna, who follows the elf’s gaze and, despite having worst vision, can understand that something is wrong.

-Stay here with them. – Rinlia orders. – And keep an eye on me. I will go see what is happening.

The vampire agrees and signals for the others to approach her. While the vampire explains the situation to them, Rinlia goes ahead.

Taking care not to make any noise, she scans the surroundings with her eyes, heading towards the body. She deftly deflects all possible sources of noise and, were it not for her armor, she would be silent to the point of hiding even from her companions.

She goes to the animal’s body and realizes that it is dead. It is the body of a sorrel, with a wound on the stomach area that threw its internal organs to the ground. Its body is cold, but it is evident that it was not long ago that it was attacked. The fresh blood and the smell emanating from its insides indicate that it was alive a few hours ago.

The sight of the dead animal troubles Rinlia. The elf recognizes the horse she used to get to that point in the forest and the memory of its docile behavior all the way made her get attached to it.

She tries to convince herself that it is just an animal and there is no reason to be shaken, but the loss of an innocent life seems too heavy for her.

Rinlia takes a deep breath and runs her hand through her hair, regaining some composure. The trip is going on for too long and her psychological health is being damaged. She knows that, and yet she has trouble making her body listens to reason.

With shaking hands, she looks around. There are some signs of battle nearby: A tree appears to be pierced by something thin; the nearby vegetation was overturned by multiple creatures; the ground has footprints of the horses and wolves that ran away.

The elf searches for the probable creatures that could have caused that death.

“If one horse is here, the chances are that the entire group have moved.” She thinks. “Lupines and horses were attacked, but not like the golems did before.”

Suddenly, a thought interrupts everything else. The elf gets up, startled. After all, there is a type of creature that lived nearby. And, if the horse is here, it may be because those creatures have not yet had the time to return and collect their food.

Her heart is racing. She runs towards those she left behind.

Yvanna is the first to notice the frightened look on the elf’s face. Rinlia immediately grabs the vampire’s arm and guides her in the opposite direction.

-What is happening? – Arthur asks.

-Something is hunting around here. – The elf whispers. – Something powerful enough to make three lupines abandon the horses. From the tracks-

She does not finish her sentence. Instead, the entire group is able to hear the sound of something moving. At first is only one creature, then another and, finally, more than they can count.

A large group of creatures hidden by the vegetation move around nearby.

*

The door to the small room opened. The dark environment, lit by a single candle, is small enough to fit only the prisoner and the two visitors.

King Orlov takes the chairs that were used by soldiers at the door. The king offers a seat to the queen and closes the door behind them before taking a seat next to her.

In front of them, the large arms of an ogre are held above their heads by shackles that are bolted to the wall. His chest is bare and marks of recent blows appear all the way across his chest, abdomen and back.

When the king and the queen enter the room, his gaze is slow to focus on the presence of the newcomers. Since arriving in the kingdom, rescued from the ship that sank in Lake Martha, the prisoner has not received medical care. Instead, he was brought to the catacombs and was ceaselessly questioned.

The small portions of food provided had not yet showed major effects on his physical constitution due to the reduced period in captivity. The lack of water, however, shows signs of dryness on his lips and hinders the words that eventually pass through his throat.

-Barsen. Trustworthy soldier of Fiandel. – Aetna starts. – The information given to me is that you are part of the small group of soldiers esteemed by the Crown Prince. That your word is reliable and that your fame is almost comparable to that of Commander Rinlia.

-What do you want from me?

-You know what I want. I want a confession. – She accepts his defiant look. Her desire is not to waste any time. – How silly do you think I am? Did you really think that I would accept your departure from my capital on the same day that a prisoner escaped? Did you think that, because you are all foreign soldiers, I would let you go quietly?

-The lake… Was it you?

Aetna takes a moment before answering. Her husband awaits, attached to the role of a mere observer.

-Do you know what kind of creature am I? – She does not wait for the answer. – Many people think that I am a human, given the appearance I have adopted since my youth. I discovered early that this appearance makes it easier to live, even among non-humans. For some reason, other races accept humans as “normal”. Is it not strange?

The sound of the chains is the only one besides the queen’s voice.

-But I am not human. I am a magical creature, capable of taking a human form. In my world, we call ourselves Wconzach. For some reason, there is no literal translation for our name in this world. It is rare, but it happens. The elves call us “enchanted” and, as far as I know, that name is more popular. Our original forms differ, but we all have enough magic to subdue small armies, you know? Too bad we are so few. That lake creature is a Wconzach too. But it is an inferior species. – She shakes her head. – Very unreasonable. I have to keep it hidden for its own safety. As you saw, it was at least strong enough to intercept a ship.

-Did you kill your own soldiers?

-What do you mean? – The queen smiles. – None of my soldiers died. I mean, except for the fake ones created in the reports. I would never kill my soldiers. In fact, I didn’t even want Fiandel’s soldiers to die, let alone that ship’s crew. Unfortunately, as I only found out that your little entourage had left the kingdom a few hours later, I had to make preparations in a hurry. It was a crude plan, I admit, but it served its purpose.

-Your own people-

-And whose fault is it? – She raises her eyebrows. – You leave the city at the same night as a prisoner flees from my tower and you want me to do nothing? Especially when you know who that prisoner was?

-I don’t know what you’re talking about.

Aetna leans back on the chair.

-Of course. You don’t. That is what you have been saying to all the guards that tries to get the truth, isn’t it? Saying that you did not do anything wrong. Why don’t you admit it? You are a soldier. You know exactly what’s going to happen now that I got you here. Do you want to suffer? Until when? For what reason? Or maybe you don’t know what we can do to you. Is that it?

Barsen does not answer. He feels the pain on his shoulders, caused by the time he has been hanging by his arms.

-Barsen, today has been a long day. – She gets up, approaching the ogre. The king seems uneasy, but remains silent. – Because of that, I will tell you exactly what will happen, so we don’t have to waste time with threats and useless discussions.

He does not talk. She did not expect him to.

-You will stay here. Without food and such a scarce supply of water that you won’t be able to urinate. Eventually, your body will dry out and you will lose weight to the point of being unrecognizable. The chains in your arms will cut through your flesh, and after sustaining your body for so long, the muscles in your arms will gradually tear under the weight of your own body.

The sound of the chains is the only one besides the queen’s voice.

-Every day, guards will come to visit you. – Her eyes do not express cruelty, but indifference. – They will hurt your legs, torso and head until you pass out. You will bleed, your bones will break and your muscles will be damaged to the point of no return. And every day we will ask the same question until you admit that Rinlia of Fiandel helped his escape. That she helped the boy from the Prophecy of the End.

Barsen does not respond. His eyes counter, with courage, the look of the Queen of Vivre. She continues.

-If, after all this, you still resist, we will pull out your nails, one by one. Then we’ll pull out your teeth, starting with the fangs that ogres are so proud of. Then, we will pierce your eyes and burn your arms and legs. Eventually, you will be blind, deaf and your entire body will be burned. At that point, the only thing your brain will be able to remember is the question we will ask every day before we pierce your eardrums: Did Commander Rinlia of Fiandel help the boy from the Prophecy of the End to escape? I will not cut your tongue so you can answer me. Because this is the only thing that I want from you. A confession. I want you to tell me that she stole that freak right under my nose. I don’t care about honor, pride or anything else. Just the information. Just that you confess.

-I-

-Shut up! I haven’t asked you the question yet. – Her tone is violent, completely different from the one she used at the beginning of the conversation. – I just want to hear one thing from you and it is not a smart answer or a sarcastic comment regarding what I’m talking. Where was I? Oh, yes. You would be unrecognizable even to your own mother. And if you still didn’t say what I want to know, then we would get to the point where I would give up. Because I admit that, at that point, I would declare my defeat. There is no way I could extract a confession if, after all, you refused to answer.

“And after that, a Queen would order your death, wouldn’t she? That would be the moment where your torment would be over. Perhaps that is the consolation that remains in your mind. After all, it is said that ogres are very concerned with honor and traditions. Giving your life for the kingdom would be a great honor, wouldn’t it?”

“That’s where you are wrong, Barsen. Because we are in Vivre. Here, kings and queens do not order the death of prisoners just because they want to. Here, life has more value than my will or your honor. You see, after all that torture, I would be forced to let you live, as long as your body could take it, like a slave in some coal mine or like a workhorse in some task supervised by my soldiers.”

“A life without seeing, hearing and, at this point, without talking, because I would not allow you to tell anyone what happened. You would be without a tongue, your teeth and without sensitivity in your hands. That is your future at the moment, Barsen. This is the path that awaits you if you don’t tell me what I want to hear.”

Even a great Fiandel soldier, from the tribe of the ogres, feels his chest tighten at those words. Even a brave soldier, who has lived through many life and death situations, is able to feel the strength that comes from the voice of the Queen of Vivre.

-And, during that time, you will think that I am a monster. That all this torture is unjustified, no matter what I have to gain from your confession. And even I, at times, will think of you with pity. I will come to visit your dying body to repeat the question and I will consider interrupting such atrocious gestures. However, when that happens, do you know what I’m going to remember? I will remember the lives that you threatened with your childish gesture. I will remember your foolish decision to keep alive the creature that threatens all life on our continent. Of course, you don’t understand a lot about magic and may think that I am overreacting, but you will understand. I will be sure to make you understand the weight of your sin. You will understand the number of lives that will be ended if that boy reaches his full potential. After that, my burden will be lessened. My conscience will be clear. And your wretched fate will only be an inconvenience on that journey.

The queen clenches her fists, irritated by her own emotion, which wants to dominate her speech. Her gaze sustains that of the ogre with difficulty and, despite knowing that she is intimidating him, she needs to work hard so that he does not see the terror she feels of such future.

-However, I will give you a choice: If you tell me what I want to hear, I can set you free. I will treat you like a prisoner and threaten Njalmar with the information you will give me. I’m sure he will be lenient with you, after all, that boy is also a threat to him, whereas you are a veteran soldier, who has already done a lot for the kingdom. We will do a hostage exchange and I will kill the boy. With that, you can avoid a lifetime of pain and despair.

-You-

-You don’t need to hurry. We both know what you will answer now. The words of a prisoner who has not experienced the pain of captivity in its entirety are usually full of emotion and devoid of reason. Don’t worry. I’ll be back. With a question and the same offer.

Queen Aetna gets up. The king opens the door for her.

She turns one last time to the ogre. Her gaze is a mixture of coldness, regret and anger.

-I hope you accept my offer. I have no pleasure on doing everything I said, but do not doubt my words: If you reject my offer, the only thing I will give you is endless suffering.

*

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