As Chaff to Me - Flavour of the Day with Cherry Jubilee
Author: Jon
Rating: R - Torture
Challenge: Flavour of the Day #2 - Chaff. Cherry Jubilee #7 - Trial by Jury
Toppings: None
Extras: None.
Word Count: 1097 words.
Story: Separate Paths
Notes: Fairly light torture. More of a beating, really. I've done a lot worse to some of my characters...anyway, I'm not sure if it deserves and R rating but I figure better save than sorry. I wouldn't like to read torture without some kinda warning.
"Please hold in your mind," Jerash said in that same pleasant tone, circling the Emala, "That as a Hunter of Truth your body means nothing to me. It is simply something that may be used to extract what I do hold to be of value. The knowledge within your mind. That is what I want. You will answer my questions or I shall break you, your body and your mind. I would prefer not to but..." He shrugged. "The truth is what matters. You are nothing but chaff, useful only for what you contain."
Emala licked the blood oozing from her burst lip and looked ahead, refusing to look at the man behind this. "Colonel Emala Kiara vet Deros, of the 112th Engineers of the nation of Terat."
Jerash sighed and struck again, smashing his hand against the side of her head across the ear. The blow made Emala jerk against the restraints holding her in place, made the chair tip on to two legs for a moment, made her head ring like a bell. Fresh blood splashed on the floor from yet another wound. Jerash rubbed his hand bu Emala doubted it had hurt him at all. The iron studden glove on his fists looked thick enough to absorb most blows relatively easily. And he seemed to know exactly what he was doing. She suspected he was quite practiced at this form of extracting information.
"Why do you insist on telling me what I know already, Colonel? I do not want this information. What I want is your knowledge on the abominations known as Golems and the corruption of the Hub. Maybe your knowledge will allow us to clense it, bring it back under the truth of God and Fate." Jerash waved at her. "You must know that your body has been strained by the release from stasis. How long do you think you can keep this up for?"
"Colonel Emala Kiara vet Deros," she replied in a thick voice, "Of the 112th Engineers of the nation of Terat."
Another blow and she felt her nose crack. She let out a cry at that as blood and tears flowed from her eyes. "You are a brave woman, Colonel." Jerash smiled coldly. "I see you are quite determined to refuse me. But you will answer, in the end. There are two simple questions to be answered...whether you repent for the sins of your nature and come to the Fate of God's Chosen and how much of your body is left by the time we are done here. I am sure you know this but this can become a great deal worse. Repent, tell us everything and you can still live a long and full life. Don't and what eventually goes to the stake will welcome it."
"Colonel Emala Kiara vet Deros." No, her voice wasn't shaking. Good. She couldn't let him know he was starting to get to her. "Of the 112th Engineers of the nation of Terat." She'd been trained to resist this. She couldn't give away secrets of the fortifications she built, the weaknesses only the engineers who built them would know. But then...what harm would it be to tell him these things? No, that was how it worked. You convinced yourself that each secret could do no harm until they had everything. She had to resist.
Jerash raised his hand and she couldn't help but tense up. Then he slowly lowered it. "Alright. I see I shall get nothing from this session. Very well." He nodded to an impassive guard at the door. "Take her back to her cell." The man walked over and began to untie her from the chair. As she stood Jerash suddenly turned back to her. "Wait. I have something I wish to ask, for my own interest. Why do you keep answering these questions as you do?"
"Because," Emala said slowly, "That is how we're supposed to respond when we're made prisoners of war."
The Hunter laughed. "Prisoner of war? What war? You have no nation, Colonel. I'm sure you've worked it out by Terat is something from the history book. Even your rank is archaic. You are a convict and entitled to no protection but that which Fate gives, and Fate smiles only upon those without sin."
"I'm not a convict!" she snapped. "There was no trial by jury. There was no sentance. There's only you, in this dark little ruin."
"Trial by jury?" He shook his head. "Some of the more heaten nations still use such a concept. Those blessed by Fate know that there are more sure and meaningful ways to make people walk the true path. If Fate did not mean you to be convicted then there would be no suspicion on you. It is a much more effective way of doing these things."
Emala stared at him. "You what? Fate doesn't mean we can't control our actions, that we have no choices. That's insanse!"
"So you say," the Hunter replied, "But here you are, clealy guilty, clearly being punished. And finally answering my questions. I wonder how long it will take to break you of the habit of answering in such a silly way next session?" Jerash smiled at the horror on Emala's face. "Oh yes. You answered me. Gave me what I wanted. As I said...you will talk. Maybe you will believe that now but I suspect you to be stubborn."
"I..." But he was right. Emala had talked. She dropped her head. Next time she would be wise to his tricks. She would hold out next time. She wouldn't aid this...ridiculous farce against everything she believed in, even with the most paltry knowledge. She wouldn't let them use what she knew to capture another person and treat them like this. And she couldn't lie because she didn't know just how much about her time they knew. Her time. How had she accepted that so quickly? Maybe it wasn't even true. Maybe. How could she have slept for so long...
The Hunter waved her forwards. "Yes. Indeed. Next time I believe we shall try...yes, ice. Oh, some of my fellows believe that you can purify with flame but ice works as well. Observe alcohol when frozen. The impure is left behind and the true essence emereges. Yes. I think we shall see how long you resist the cold." He looked at her. "I understand you know quite a lof about the cold, given your strange emergence."
Emala stared at him until her guard jerked her into motion. She could already feel the chill...
Rating: R - Torture
Challenge: Flavour of the Day #2 - Chaff. Cherry Jubilee #7 - Trial by Jury
Toppings: None
Extras: None.
Word Count: 1097 words.
Story: Separate Paths
Notes: Fairly light torture. More of a beating, really. I've done a lot worse to some of my characters...anyway, I'm not sure if it deserves and R rating but I figure better save than sorry. I wouldn't like to read torture without some kinda warning.
"Please hold in your mind," Jerash said in that same pleasant tone, circling the Emala, "That as a Hunter of Truth your body means nothing to me. It is simply something that may be used to extract what I do hold to be of value. The knowledge within your mind. That is what I want. You will answer my questions or I shall break you, your body and your mind. I would prefer not to but..." He shrugged. "The truth is what matters. You are nothing but chaff, useful only for what you contain."
Emala licked the blood oozing from her burst lip and looked ahead, refusing to look at the man behind this. "Colonel Emala Kiara vet Deros, of the 112th Engineers of the nation of Terat."
Jerash sighed and struck again, smashing his hand against the side of her head across the ear. The blow made Emala jerk against the restraints holding her in place, made the chair tip on to two legs for a moment, made her head ring like a bell. Fresh blood splashed on the floor from yet another wound. Jerash rubbed his hand bu Emala doubted it had hurt him at all. The iron studden glove on his fists looked thick enough to absorb most blows relatively easily. And he seemed to know exactly what he was doing. She suspected he was quite practiced at this form of extracting information.
"Why do you insist on telling me what I know already, Colonel? I do not want this information. What I want is your knowledge on the abominations known as Golems and the corruption of the Hub. Maybe your knowledge will allow us to clense it, bring it back under the truth of God and Fate." Jerash waved at her. "You must know that your body has been strained by the release from stasis. How long do you think you can keep this up for?"
"Colonel Emala Kiara vet Deros," she replied in a thick voice, "Of the 112th Engineers of the nation of Terat."
Another blow and she felt her nose crack. She let out a cry at that as blood and tears flowed from her eyes. "You are a brave woman, Colonel." Jerash smiled coldly. "I see you are quite determined to refuse me. But you will answer, in the end. There are two simple questions to be answered...whether you repent for the sins of your nature and come to the Fate of God's Chosen and how much of your body is left by the time we are done here. I am sure you know this but this can become a great deal worse. Repent, tell us everything and you can still live a long and full life. Don't and what eventually goes to the stake will welcome it."
"Colonel Emala Kiara vet Deros." No, her voice wasn't shaking. Good. She couldn't let him know he was starting to get to her. "Of the 112th Engineers of the nation of Terat." She'd been trained to resist this. She couldn't give away secrets of the fortifications she built, the weaknesses only the engineers who built them would know. But then...what harm would it be to tell him these things? No, that was how it worked. You convinced yourself that each secret could do no harm until they had everything. She had to resist.
Jerash raised his hand and she couldn't help but tense up. Then he slowly lowered it. "Alright. I see I shall get nothing from this session. Very well." He nodded to an impassive guard at the door. "Take her back to her cell." The man walked over and began to untie her from the chair. As she stood Jerash suddenly turned back to her. "Wait. I have something I wish to ask, for my own interest. Why do you keep answering these questions as you do?"
"Because," Emala said slowly, "That is how we're supposed to respond when we're made prisoners of war."
The Hunter laughed. "Prisoner of war? What war? You have no nation, Colonel. I'm sure you've worked it out by Terat is something from the history book. Even your rank is archaic. You are a convict and entitled to no protection but that which Fate gives, and Fate smiles only upon those without sin."
"I'm not a convict!" she snapped. "There was no trial by jury. There was no sentance. There's only you, in this dark little ruin."
"Trial by jury?" He shook his head. "Some of the more heaten nations still use such a concept. Those blessed by Fate know that there are more sure and meaningful ways to make people walk the true path. If Fate did not mean you to be convicted then there would be no suspicion on you. It is a much more effective way of doing these things."
Emala stared at him. "You what? Fate doesn't mean we can't control our actions, that we have no choices. That's insanse!"
"So you say," the Hunter replied, "But here you are, clealy guilty, clearly being punished. And finally answering my questions. I wonder how long it will take to break you of the habit of answering in such a silly way next session?" Jerash smiled at the horror on Emala's face. "Oh yes. You answered me. Gave me what I wanted. As I said...you will talk. Maybe you will believe that now but I suspect you to be stubborn."
"I..." But he was right. Emala had talked. She dropped her head. Next time she would be wise to his tricks. She would hold out next time. She wouldn't aid this...ridiculous farce against everything she believed in, even with the most paltry knowledge. She wouldn't let them use what she knew to capture another person and treat them like this. And she couldn't lie because she didn't know just how much about her time they knew. Her time. How had she accepted that so quickly? Maybe it wasn't even true. Maybe. How could she have slept for so long...
The Hunter waved her forwards. "Yes. Indeed. Next time I believe we shall try...yes, ice. Oh, some of my fellows believe that you can purify with flame but ice works as well. Observe alcohol when frozen. The impure is left behind and the true essence emereges. Yes. I think we shall see how long you resist the cold." He looked at her. "I understand you know quite a lof about the cold, given your strange emergence."
Emala stared at him until her guard jerked her into motion. She could already feel the chill...