"I know," I whispered to the man in the prison cell.
I continued my route to the barracks. My patrol was over; Rahul relieved my watch. I eventually made my way to the barracks without looking at another prisoner. A miracle, really. I can't help but have a conscious mind on these actions that we must commit for the entertainment of the Magon. Magon truly are terrible things; they aren't even beings. They have only twisted thoughts about making the world hell for us Nigon. If only we would band together to destroy the Magon rulers and governments, we could live normal lives in peace. I have to be supporting my insane sister in the slums, but if there were a rebellion, we could live in good conditions. If only...
"Kret, the torturer, told me to tell you that you're to accompany him tomorrow during the torture session of the first three prisoners." I looked at the man across the small table with disbelief. My appetite immediately vanished.
"What?" I asked for clarification.
"Sorry, pal, but it's the truth. Better eat while you can." He pointed his wooden spoon at the bowl in front of me.
"I really can't. Lost my appetite."
"Most do. A little tip for you tomorrow morn; don't close your eyes. He'll not shock you, but the other guard might, depending on who it is. If it's a girl, you're in no trouble; she's a Sieclon, so she has a soul. Oh, and look away from the horror. Try not to vomit."
"You've been there before, eh, Saur?"
"Aye, pal. They take me frequently to that damned dungeon. You should really drink something, so the vomit won't take long to clean, and the chance of vomiting is lower since it may leave you by then. Water and tea are best."
"And aye to you, I'll keep your advice in mind."
I took the tankard of water (I've rarely even drunk mead or ale since it costs too much, and the low pay for being a prison guard doesn't help, either) and drank from the rim of the lead. The lead by itself was bad enough to taste, but the water was clearly gathered at the bottom of a stone well with dirt accumulated at the bottom.
When I slept in the barracks, I couldn't. I heard the snoring of my fellow guards. They seemed to sleep soundly enough. I wondered if Saur couldn't sleep on the first night before he went to the dungeon. I wondered if he could even sleep afterwards.
I rose in the morning, sleep-deprived and shaking. The four other guards minded me not; they knew what was happening to me. Saur gave me a reassuring cheers with his mug, and the other guards gave me good luck. After I drank more water, chilling from sitting during the bitter night, no blanket to cover it from the harsh atmosphere around it, I slowly made my way to the stairs down to the dungeon, where I was greeted by a female Magon guard, wearing a copper helm and leather armor, as standard with most Magon guards, and the torture master, a hood and mask obscuring his features but his grey, soulless eyes.
As I walked with the torture master and Magon guard, I noticed that the Magon guard was a bit shaken as well. It seemed that the torture master saw this, and he spoke up.
"Listen, guards," he began with what seemed to be his most comforting voice, "I'm not supposed to be nice, but don't be shaken. I won't punish you, but others might. And it will show the town's weakness to the prisoners. None would want that on our part!"
"I was tortured often as a slave," the Magon guard commented, "The reason why I shake."
"Ah, yes, I remember now, Sieclon. And the Nigon here? Your reason?"
"I am shaken. I'm just shaken," I answered, shivering against the heat of the enclosed prison, and from the cold look of the torturer.
"Of course. Only... Moore, was it? Saur? Lor? Only that guard is never shaken. Well, at least not anymore. Nigon, you're not required to feast your eyes upon the torturing; you only must keep prisoners from escaping. That is your job as a guard. Gods know I can take care of myself! No guards truly needed for that matter..." He trailed off, looking into one of the cells that was guarded by a Northeastman.
An ominous man, even more ominous than the torture master, was quietly speaking to the man who warned me yesterday. The other, older prisoner was moved to the opposite cell, I observed. When I glanced back to the torture master, pure fear was written in his eyes. How could such a monster be afraid of something?
"M-master Eslient..." the torture master greeted in disbelief. The Magon guard and I gasped, but nothing more.
Eslient turned around, responding with, "Oh, Kret. Perfect timing."
"Of... course, sir."
"I would like for you to torture this one here first. Forget the other three. Get anything and everything from this one. Keep him alive, though, but send pain down his very soul. He needs a good reminding of what he is."
"Of course, sir!"
"Get in, then," the Northeastman boomed, seeming to only whisper, but sending his voice vibrating through my mind, and what looked like the minds of the other two as well, considering that they and I all stumbled back a few steps.
"Of course, sir."
The torturer shoved the Magon guard and me inside the cell, where we took the prisoner that Eslient was speaking too. After we exited the cell, the torturer dashed us along, relieved slightly only after we went down the stairs.
"What the hell is your business with the leader of this town that he speaks to you?!" the torture master practically screamed.
"He would only benefit if I told you," the prisoner responded.
"Wait... you have green hair. Only the Scentral family and its heritage in the Eslients has green hair like yours. Don't tell me you’re Eslient’s cousin? Nephew? Damn it."
"Worse than that."
"... Whatever, I'm required to torture you anyways. I don't know what he wants, but I'll make sure Eslient has all the information that can be squeezed from your Nigon brain. Guards, restrain him on the stretcher."
We strapped the prisoner on a wooden table with belts to hold victims in place while the torturer prepared a tome full of most likely painful but physically harmless spells. Once he finished finding a certain page, he turned to the prisoner on the table.
"Alright, before I start, would you confess anything that Eslient would need to know?"1025Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡcHLycqAXk5
1025Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJ6KGCCCBVw
"His lies are going to be the end of him."
“Very well, if you so must insist..." He charged black magic in the shape of a sword.
His palm was sweating, but he pointed it towards the prisoner nonetheless. I looked to the Magon guard and noticed that she had her eyes looking at the ceiling, trying to force her eyes to stay open. I followed her actions and stared at the ceiling. I did it only in time, for the torturing started.
What followed was worse than my most frightening nightmare. I had not looked at the table once, not even after the session. Once I found my way back to the barracks, I fell onto my bed and pulled at my hair. As a guard, I thought, I am wasting my life!1025Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLJkJzzGuiV
