Chapter 8 - In Captivity

The three prisoners of the Order of Vengeance were rounded up, tied to a post in the tunnel, and lashed for what seemed like forever by Torture. Finally, another man, a man who looked to be as old as Survivor was, came up and spoke to Torture. Neither Tyra, Krynn, or Relik managed to identify the tongue in which he spoke.

He then turned to the prisoners. "Welcome to our abode, I hope you'll enjoy yourself here. We have a bit of a problem in that we currently have little room in which to keep you, but I think we'll make do."

Gesturing with his hands, he ordered the three to follow him. Walking down the tunnel, the bones of countless people lay smashed against the wall, metal bonds still clinging to their wrists. As the group passed a turn, they saw exactly what the Order had done to the tunnel since the invasion.

In the wall they had carved a makeshift prison with metal bars and chains to keep the prisoners locked inside. The elder spoke again.

"I will require your weapons, or I'll let Torture have some fun with you - no holds barred."

All three relinquished their weapons immediately. The leader took the weapons and walked to one of the cells, in which three people were chained. They were all horrible emaciated, their ribs showing on their bare chests.

And with a single shot from Krynn's weapon, the elder ended their lives. Henchmen who had been guarding the others walked over, and removed the bodies, hurling them against the wall. Then they took the three prisoners, and chained them to a wall. And with a snap and a click, the doors were closed again, locking the three within their rooms.

The elder spoke again. "My name is Slaver. You shall not call me by my name. If you do, we'll remove your tongue, in much the same way as some of the prisoners have had before. I believe that you saw Torture's method earlier. If we hear you speaking to any prisoners other than the three of you, all will die by being chained to the tracks. No trains come, yes, but you will die slowly and learn the meaning of pain, as the tracks dig into your back."

He then called to another henchman in the strange tongue, and a small loaf of bread was tossed into cell with the prisoners, just within their reach.

Tyra, Krynn, and Relik all looked at each other with blank stares. No one said anything, but it was obvious from their expressions that they were sure this was the end.

They all slept, though none were able to sleep well. That night, as they slept, they were awoken by horrible, unearthly scream coming from a few cells down. Torchlight filled the cavern, and on the opposite wall, the shadows of a man being dragged by his feet along the floor flickered in and out.

The three stared at the shadows in horror. They again heard the strange tongue, and then the voice of Slaver.

"You thought you were clever didn't you? Thought formulating a plan to escape was fun, eh? Torture, bring it forward."

The shadows of Torture wielding what appeared to be a steak knife came into focus.

"Torture has here a rusted knife from the pretime. Your job is to cut off the fingers on your right hand one by one, and then the hand itself. If you don't, you will die in a much more painful way. These chains will help make sure you don't try to escape."

Krynn could hold it in no longer, and vomited along the floor of the cell. Tyra and Relik were soon to follow. They slept no more that night, as the sound of the man's screams of agony reverberated throughout the cavern.

At some point in what must have been the early morning, a man came walking down the tunnel, banging two shotguns together.

"Get up, you lazy slime!" he shouted, anger clear in his voice.

They were paraded out of their cells by the guards, and taken back to the main chamber of the prison. There a man with no right hand kneeled chained before Torture and Slaver.

Slaver spoke. "This man is to be a lessen to all of you. Do not try to resist us. It is futile and useless, you will perish before you are free." And with a few more words in the tongue, Torture placed a weak relic BB gun from the pretime behind the prisoner’s ear.

And in ten minutes, the man lay dead, his head filled with lead from the gun.