Shadows Under Abfall Chapter 11

Elise and her knights led Elaine back to her quarters, each one still tensed for any retaliation. Elaine didn’t give them cause to strike. She stood unmoving as they shackled her left hand on a beam. If she was to come away from this with honor, she could not resist.

After the knights secured Elaine, they started at her armor. Elise worked at the leather straps, taking off her spaulders and gauntlets with practiced hands. The other knights placed them in a large chest, along with her sword wrapped in its scabbard.

Elise did the same with Elaine’s breastplate, leggings and greaves, placing them on top of her other armor. They left Elaine in the dark blue tunic and leather pants she wore beneath the armor. She was practically naked already.

Elaine’s heart dropped as they closed and locked the chest. The warmth of Astor had left her body, there was no light left to lift her up. The armor was all that she was. Without it, she was nothing.

“Change into this,” Elise said.

She threw the grey clothes of a prisoner at Elaine’s feet. Elaine picked them up with care, examining the coarse fabric. She held back a sigh, setting it back on the floor and starting to undress. Elise and the knights looked on, still tensed for a fight.

“At least I know where I stand,” she said as she pulled up her tunic over her head.

She heard the gasps before she fully removed it. She did her best to hold back the grim smile that tried to light her face. She might be defenseless, but at least she could draw some confidence from their faces.

“Have you never seen scars before?” she asked as she finished pulling her tunic off.

The scars covered her body, little nicks and cuts as well as a large mark that ran from her breasts to her stomach. The white bandages she used to bind her breasts hid part of it, but it did little to dull the effect on the other knights.

“Get on with it,” Elise said, her boot tapping the floor.

Elaine sighed, removing her pants and putting on the grey clothes. Her confidence was fading now. They bound her in shackles again. She flinched as they bit into her wrists. With a brutish shove, they led her back out into the light of the setting sun and started towards the temple.

She shivered under the gaze that followed them through the temple. Whispers burned in her ears as they walked past the Word. The priests covered their mouths once Elaine locked eyes with them.

“Good work,” Nathaniel said, smiling as they came into his office. “You all may wait outside while I talk with her. The captain isn’t a threat any longer.”

Elise and the knights saluted, leaving the room and closing the door behind. Only Elaine and Nathaniel remained. Nathaniel strolled to the window, humming softly to himself as he looked out at the bright day.

“Take a seat, my dear,” he said. “We have much to discuss.”

“I’ll stand.” Elaine stepped closer to the table. “What is the meaning of this? I have done nothing to betray your trust!”

“I disagree,” Nathaniel said, turning and scratching at his chest through his robe. “You doubt the righteousness of my actions.”

“What proof do you have of that?” Elaine clenched her fists.

“You’ve been talking quite a bit as of late.” Nathaniel took a seat at his desk, leaning back. “Many of your subordinates are worried that you might do something foolish and tarnish the Order’s good name.”

“Nathaniel,” Elaine said. “I have always been loyal to the Order. I have been a child of Astor ever since I was rescued from the streets.”

“Do not lie to me, harlot!” Nathaniel slammed his hands down onto his desk. “You’ve been against me for some time now. You tried to hide it, but I know. I always know.”

Elaine flinched back and Nathaniel cackled. There was something wrong with him. It was something more than just his hatred of mages. There was madness in his haggard gaze. Already, sweat stained his forehead.

“Nathaniel.” Elaine reached forward, placing a hand on his. “Tell me what is wrong with you. This is nothing like the man you once were.”

“Let go of me, traitor.” Nathaniel pushed her hand aside.

“I am no traitor.” Elaine stood back.

“More lies.” Nathaniel scratched furiously at his chest. “Curse this infernal itch.”

Nathaniel ripped open his robe, revealing his pale skin to Elaine. A dark spot rested over his heart, with splotches of the same mark covering his entire chest. Elaine gasped at the sight. She knew the truth.

“The plague,” she whispered.

“It’s nothing,” Nathaniel said, pulling his robe back up to cover the mark. “Nothing.”

“Wait,” Elaine said, holding out her hands. “Let me help you Nathaniel. This sickness has confused you.”

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“Enough of this.” Nathaniel raised his voice. “Elise, come in here.”

“Your Holiness.” Elise opened the door and saluted.

“Take her to the gallows.” Nathaniel stood again, turning away from Elaine. “I want her prepared for James’s inquisitors.”

“Wait.” Elaine held her hands up. “Nathaniel has the plague. He isn’t sound.”

The blow struck her swiftly, harder than Elaine expected. Elise’s gauntlet struck her hard across the cheek with a solid crack. Elaine fell back from it, clutching at her cheek. It swelled under her touch.

“Silence.” Elise grabbed Elaine.

Elaine couldn’t resist as Elise escorted her down the hall, with the knights following behind. She silently cursed that she had given up without a fight. Instead of a chance at death in battle, she would now face the inquisitors.

“This is the end of honor,” she whispered, earning another strike from Elise.

She should have noticed Nathaniel’s madness sooner. She should have noticed that his hatred, his fear was growing out of control. She could have stopped all of this from happening. She should have done something, anything.

She was still cursing herself as they led her into the basement of the jail. It was the same place she met her predecessor, and it would be the same place she would meet her successor. That would be her end.

The knights led her to the end of the basement hallway, the room reserved for active inquisitions. They didn’t bring her to any of the holding cells. Elaine’s hope faded. There would be no rest.

The knights strapped Elaine to the table in the center of the room, finally unshackling her hands only to bind them again with leather. They then left her there, only Elise staying by her side. Elaine wanted to speak out, to try to warn Elise again, but her swollen cheek stifled her words.

“So this is how it ends for you, captain.” Elise started to pace, looking to the torture implements that hung on the stone walls.

Elise picked up an iron poker, it’s pointed black end still covered in dry blood. She looked it up and down in the yellow light of the room’s lantern as she walked back over to Elaine. Elaine struggled against the straps, pushing her body away.

“You’ve been tortured before, right captain?” Elise asked, pointing the poker at Elaine. “You were whipped at least, judging by your scars.”

She started to circle Elaine, hitting her gauntlet with the metal in a cadence as she walked. She kept searching the walls. Elaine followed her path with her eyes, seeing each of the devices that she passed over.

“Nathaniel is going to promote me to captain next,” Elise said, placing the iron poker back on the wall. “I wasn’t sure I should accept it. I wasn’t sure if I was worthy.”

She picked up a hammer, forged of the same black iron as all of the other torture tools. Its head was like a clenched fist and each of the knuckles bore a long black spike. Elaine’s heart hammered in her chest.

“Now this one is interesting,” Elise said, holding up the hammer and swinging it in the air. “I think it might be perfect for breaking a traitor like you.”

With a quick swing, Elise raised the hammer and brought it down. Elaine flinched away, and the thundering crack of metal striking stone rang out. It echoed through the room, but no screams followed the strike.

“Very interesting,” Elise said as she pulled the hammer free from the wood.

“Do it already,” Elaine mumbled, looking down at the hole that now rested just beside her stomach.

“Why?” Elise asked with a small laugh. “I’m no torturer, Elaine. I’m merely a knight who enforces the will of Astor.”

“That would be my job,” James said, entering the room and closing the door behind him. “I see you’ve been keeping my new guest company.”

“No longer.” Elise started back toward the door. “She’s in your care now.”

“You still have no stomach for this then?” James asked as Elise opened the door to leave.

“No,” Elise said. “Perhaps I will in time, but not now.”

“Understandable.” James waved to her. “It is an acquired taste.”

With that, Elise departed, leaving only Elaine and James in the room. James hummed softly to himself as he set to work, moving a small table from the wall over to Elaine. He then started picking his own tools from the wall, placing each on the table just in Elaine’s sight.

“Now,” James said as he went about his work. “I’ve been told everything. Nathaniel was quite clear on all that you’ve done.”

He picked up metal clamp from the table. The design allowed James to tighten around her fingers with a single screw. He held it up to the lantern’s light, examining it. He brought it up above her head, reaching for her right hand.

“We’re going to start with some questions,” he said, taking her right hand and tightening the clamp until it was snug. “If you give me the answers I want, I will release the pressure. If you do not, well…”

He turned the screw right, suddenly tightening the clamp. A sharp stinging pain raced through Elaine’s arm. It wasn’t enough to make her cry out, but there was no denying she felt it. He then released the pressure, allowing the pain to fade.

“Just a taste,” James said. “Now, for the first question, how were you planning to release the prisoners?”

“I wasn’t,” Elaine said.

“Wrong answer.” James sighed, reaching up and tightening the clamp twice as hard as before.

Fire raced down Elaine’s arm again, but the pain was still not enough. Elaine tried to grin in defiance, but her cheek would only allow a smirk. James sighed in response, picking up the poker from his table.

“I didn’t think you would make it easy,” he said, his other hand pulling up her white tunic. “Part of me really hoped that you wouldn’t.”

He took the poker and touched it against her skin, the edge barely tracing a line on her stomach as he moved it up and down. It sliced a small cut in her stomach, adding another mark to the ones already there. Blood seeped from the wound with her every panicked breath.

“I see you’ve had this happen before,” James said, taking away the poker. “I can promise you a greater pain than you’ve ever known. I can take you to the edge of death and bring you back to experience it again.”

He stabbed the poker down, piercing through Elaine’s stomach with one stab. Elaine screamed. She felt no pain at first. Then it rose, a dull throbbing pulsing from her stomach that grew louder and louder in her head. A wall blocked all her thoughts. She couldn’t even speak.

“Let’s try the question again then,” James said, drawing out the poker.

His hands gained the glow of Grace and he touched the wound. In an instant, the pain fled from Elaine’s body. Her mind broke through the wall and back to the world. She gasped for air, struggling through the shock to breath.

“How were you planning to release the prisoners?” James asked again.

“I wasn’t.” Elaine gasped.

James put down his poker, looking down on her with a frown again. For a moment, Elaine hoped that he might believe her, that he might make the torture stop. However, a smirk tugged on his lips. From that single look, she knew that he had something planned.

“This isn’t nearly as fun anymore,” James said. “Ever since I found my gift, I’ve wanted to experiment more with it. What do you say, Elaine, do you want to feel the power of his Word?”

A bright hot white glow surrounded James’ hands, burning greater and greater until Elaine couldn’t see his hands any longer. With a sickening smile on his face, he reached down, grabbing hold of her stomach with an iron grip. Elaine didn’t have time to tense or flinch.

With a single touch, her very soul was ablaze.