Chapter 18
“Where are they?” Councilman Murbank asks me calmly.
“Have you checked all the bathrooms in your house?” I sneer up at him.
“Again,” he tells the orc standing next to me.
I try to brace for the incoming blow, but that’s hard to do when your hands are tied behind your back.
I cry out as the fist connects with my stomach and the wind is knocked out of me, another orc behind me holding me in place on my knees to make sure I don’t move far. I think I taste blood in my mouth.
“Your turn.” Murbank walks a few steps to Khazak, who is kneeling next to me.
“Your mother’s...bedroom,” he wheezes out, and I snort a laugh at his joke, even as he takes another punch for it.
He’s asked us both at least a dozen times now, and I’m starting to run out of funny answers.
After trapping us in the hall outside, we learned that our hooded friends here were more than a little surprised to see us because apparently I am not the avakesh they are looking for.
They’re after Ragnar and Nylan for some reason, and they’ve been interrogating us for the last ten minutes to find out where they went.
There’s at least two dozen people in robes here, all orcs, men and women.
I recognize more than a few faces, no one I really know, but rangers and officers Khazak and I worked with nonetheless.
“This is growing very tiresome, gentlemen,” Murbank complains as he saunters back in front of me. “If you just tell me where they are, I can stop all of this.”
“Yeah, I know how torture works, asshol—Oooof!” I double over after he kicks me in the belly.
“Now, I will ask you again: where are they?”
“What about the barn you met your wife in?” I don’t even see the fist flying toward me before it connects with my head. Definitely taste blood now. I think he knocked a tooth loose. Worth it.
When the ringing in my ears stops (other than the one coming from the pedestal), I hear footsteps down the hall behind us.
“Sir, we have searched the entire area and can find no sign of them.” It’s Deputy Captain Keenguard—Ragnar was right about her. “Do you want us to try the city?”
“No, they have to be out there somewhere,” Murbank responds angrily. “Were any of the other captives forthcoming?”
“No, they only know that the captain and human were filling in for them for the night, not where they went.” As she talks, there’s more shuffling behind me, and I watch as Glasha, Ranger Hazatin, and Officer Stonearm are brought in by more orcs in robes.
Glasha is forced to her knees next to Khazak and me, but Hazatin and Stonearm are just dumped on the floor.
I can’t tell, but I hope they’re not dead, just unconscious, poison no doubt coursing through their bodies.
I’m surprised Khazak is still able to speak at all.
“Where’s everyone else?” I demand, thinking about Orim and Wu’dag and anyone else they’ve attacked.
I get a slap across the face in response. “You are not the one asking questions here. Where are they?”
“Are you sure you looked in all your bathOOOFFF.” I take another fist to the stomach, and as I’m bent over in pain, something in me finally snaps, and I let out a laugh.
“I am losing my patience with these games, human.” Murbank paces before stopping in front of me again. “The longer you draw this out, the more I will have to hurt you.”
“Okay, okay, okay. I’ll tell you. C’mere.” I speak low, encouraging Murbank to lean in close, just a little. “They’re right behind you,” I whisper, before I start to laugh again, not stopping even when I take another punch to the jaw. At least he can’t hit as hard.
“Are preparations still not finished? We do not have all night!” a new voice criticizes the man in front of me. A voice I know. I swing my head around to see someone else in robes entering the room.
“I am afraid we ran into a problem when our targets left camp early,” Murbank explains, cleaning some of my blood from his hand with a handkerchief. “We have captured their replacements, but they will not tell us where they have gone.”
“You are never going to get anywhere with that one, not like that,” the figure pulls his hood back to reveal the dark red hair of Advocate Naruk Redwish.
“You have got to be fucking kidding.” I start to laugh again, sounding even more unhinged. Of course, this asshole has a part in this.
“You two know each other?” Murbank looks between the two of us.
“Know each other? I wouldn’t even be here right now if it weren’t for this asshole.” My words immediately make Murbank eye Redwish suspiciously.
“Is that true?” It seems like these two already might not trust each other all that much, which gives me an idea.
“Hardly, I represented him and his friends after they—”
“Oh no! If this dickhead hadn’t tricked me into challenging Captain Ironstorm to a fight, I’d be sitting in a jail cell right now, not out here in the middle of the fucking forest.” The more I can get them to argue, the more I can stall them to give help time to arrive.
“Neither of us would be here right now if it wasn’t for him. ”
Murbank stares at Redwish disdainfully, and the red-haired orc only rolls his eyes in return.
“Are you honestly going to let this urchin manipulate you like that?” Redwish steps closer, before turning to look at both me and Khazak.
“The only reason he challenged the captain is because of a pathetic hero complex. He would happily throw himself on a sword if he thought it would protect his friends.” He pulls a knife from his pocket, then moves to stand behind Khazak in place of the guard.
Pulling Khazak’s head back roughly, he exposes his neck before holding the knife to Khazak’s throat.
“No, to get information out of this one you need only threaten someone he cares about.”
My heart skips a beat, and on instinct, I try to stand. “Let him go!”
“See? Pathetic,” he says to Murbank before turning back to me. “Now where are they?”
“Fuck you!” I spit with venom, regretting it the instant I see Redwish press the knife into Khazak’s neck.
“Ah ah ah! Any more of that, and I will bleed him out right here in front of you,” he threatens coolly. “We have plenty more hostages after this one. You would not want to be responsible for any more deaths tonight, do you?”
I’m stuck staring in silence for what feels like forever. If I tell them, they could catch Nylan and Ragnar, but if I don’t... I watch as Redwish presses the knife down harder, a small trickle of blood leaking down Khazak’s skin.
“Fine!” I shout before my head drops down in defeat. “Shad’rok Springs.”
“See? Much easier.” Redwish releases Khazak, pushing him to the floor before wiping the knife on his robe. Right away, the guy that was previously holding Khazak steps forward to straighten him back on his knees.
“Keenguard, Firedrum,” Murbank calls as he steps toward the temple entrance, hands already glowing with dark energy as he works a spell.
A second later, two black horses form, seemingly from nothing more than shadows.
Fuck, he’s the wizard? He’s the one doing all the actual dirty work?
! At least I know where the horses went now.
“Go. Find them and bring them back quickly.”
The two women each grab one of the horse’s reins and walk them out of the cave.
Of the faces I’ve recognized, those two are definitely the most capable fighters here.
Probably overkill for Nylan, but Ragnar might put up a decent fight.
The distant sound of thunder cracking gives me hope that they may have already abandoned the springs when they saw the rain coming. Maybe they’re already home.
“What do you want with Ragnar and Nylan?” I ask Murbank, both to figure out his plan and stall him while I try to think of something.
“Why would we tell you that?” Redwish answers for him, then turns to their robed lackeys and nods at Khazak. “Beat him.”
Immediately, three of them rush forward and begin punching and kicking Khazak’s prone form.
“Stop! Get off of him!” I struggle to get free and help before staring at Redwish with fury. “What the fuck!? Why are you doing this?!”
“Ay! The boy told you what he knows!” adds Glasha, also struggling with her captor to my right.
He strides over to me quickly, yanking my hair back roughly. “Because you do not seem to understand that you are not in control here.” Hand still gripping my hair, he forces me to watch as Khazak is beaten.
“Enough,” Murbank stops them a few minutes later, and Redwish releases me.
I watch Khazak crumple to the ground when he’s released, no longer a threat.
I try again to move over to him, but I’m held firmly in place.
He’s still breathing, but just barely. There’s blood in the corner of his mouth, and he hasn’t opened his eyes again yet.
When he finally does, he tries to stand, only to be grabbed and forced to his knees at my side once again. At least he’s conscious.
“I’m sorry,” I tell him, though if it’s for getting him hurt or telling them our friend’s location, I’m not sure.
“Do not blame...yourself for...the failings...of others...” he wheezes out, still looking at Redwish and Murbank with venom.
“Perhaps you are right. I see no need to be cruel. Afterall, you are about to witness something glorious: the Order of Zeus’s ascent to godhood.” Satisfied, Murbank turns to advance on me, and I see Redwish over his shoulder rolling his eyes. Well, that’s interesting...
“What the hell is ‘Order of Zeus?’” Besides having something to do with the temple, duh.
“It is this group of dedicated men and women around you, my dear boy.” Murbank straightens himself as he talks like a proud father. “Men and women of our city who understand that it is our destiny to achieve greatness. And after tonight, we will be unstoppable.”
He stares at me, smirking, and I stare back, confused. What is he talking about? We’re in a cave.