RP:Capture and Questioning of a Preklek
Summary: Sir Roldan the Red captures a Preklek who hints at a friendly relationship with the Black Lotus Clan. Roldan takes him in for questioning.
LOCATION: Xalious Meadow, Larket Cells
Taikahn : A door suddenly appeared. It was a grey-blue color, made of wood, facing the ground, and hanging seven feet above the ground in exactly the way bricks don't. Other than that and the fact that it hadn't been there a second ago, it looked perfectly normal.
Roldan, focused as he is, does not fail to see the door appear. At once, his sword is out, his shield is readied, and his visor is slammed shut. Cautiously, he approaches the door, ready to strike.
Taikahn opened the door. He wasn't vertical--it looked like he was lying down, except in midstride. He looked to the ground, eyes wide. Then he looked "down", which was actually towards the horizon, had just enough time to say "Oh, no," and then fell all seven feet to the ground, landing on his chest. "That hurts," he said, wincing.
Roldan is on the Preklek in an instant, cold steel pressed against the back of the lizard's neck. Despite the flurry of action, the knight's voice is bland and emotionless as he says, "One move, beast, and I'll sever your spine."
Taikahn sighed. "This is the second time today I've had someone try to kill me. It gets old after a while. Can we talk about this?"
Roldan smiles, his sword not moving an inch. "Talk," he says.
Taikahn closed his eyes. "May I have the pleasure of knowing who it is that might kill me?"
Roldan said to Taikahn, "Of course. I am Sir Roldan the Red, Sheriff of Larket."
Taikahn 's eyes opened, lighting up. "Aha! Then you're the one who has... ah... hunted those awful Black Lotus people, right?"
Roldan grimaces. "Trying to. They run like rabbits."
Taikahn nodded. "They would, wouldn't they. Listen, I have some information on a... Teira, I believe her name is."
Roldan moves his sword enough for the Preklek to sit up, though he doesn't remove it entirely. "Go on."
Taikahn sat up, crossing his legs, smiling. "Would you believe she's not at all who you think she is?"
Roldan said to Taikahn, "Explain what you mean."
Taikahn crossed his arms, surreptitiously grasping the handle of something on the underside of his gauntlet. "The only crime she's guilty of is being in the wrong place at the wrong time. I've spoken with her on numerous occasions, and nothing about her strikes me as evil."
Roldan's sword does not waver from Taikahn's throat, although the knight, trained firghter that he is, has most likely noticed the Preklek's movements. "Wrong. And here I had thought you were going to offer me useful information."
Taikahn sighed. "Have you ever tried having a civil conversation with her? Asking what she dreams about, how she feels about the world? Just because she's involved with a corrupt organization doesn't mean she's the way they are."
Roldan laughs, a sound more derisive than mirthful. "I realize that your kind comes from a different, twisted world, lizard, so perhaps you do not understand. But you do not have to. It is none of your concern." The blade inches forward, and the knight continues, "Now, be a good lizard and lie down on the ground, on your stomach. Put your hands behind your back, and do not move."
Taikahn sighed. "I've been here long enough to understand certain things. One of them? Don't judge a sword by it's sheath." He complied easily enough, although-- "As you said, I'm from a different world. My arms don't bend that way."
Roldan obviously hadn't considered that. "Well I must bind you somehow," he says. From his belt pouch, he pulls a coiled length of strong twine. "Do not be alarmed, however. I am simply taking you to my queen for questioning. I am sure you understand." The sword is held in one hand, the deadly-sharp edge now resting on the back of Taikahn's neck.
Taikahn blinked. "Uh, can we not bind me? I won't escape--muffins, I'll take us both to her faster than your horse if it'll change your mind."
Roldan, rather than listening to the Preklek, is instead contemplating how to tie his prisoner up while holding the sword on him. Coming to a decision, he shift the blade down a bit - then slams his gauntleted left hand forward in a swift punch toward the back of Taikahn's head, with force enough to stun a horse. His intent, obviously, is to knock the Preklek out cold, allowing himself time to tie up his charge.
Taikahn gets pwned by the fist and obviously knocked out. The door, oddly, slams shut and disappears again.
Roldan sets down his sword and begins to methodically bind and hogtie his prisoner. Swapping the twine for good strong rope from his saddle, the knight ties the Preklek hand and foot and slings him over the horse. Taking the reins, Roldan begins his long walk back to Larket, where the prison awaits.
Roldan brings his prisoner into the cells, unlocking the door with the key that hangs on the ring at his belt. With another such key, the Sheriff unlocks the manacles on the table in the middle of the room. He sets the Preklek down onto the table with ironic gentleness, locking his limbs in place. A small man in a stained apron comes forward, deftly stripping Taikahn of his clothes and belongings. As Roldan stands watching, the man hurries back with a bucket of water, which he heaves onto the Preklek's face.
Taikahn coughed, waking up in his disco pajamas. Why disco? Because, it's cool. Literally, I mean. The stuff breathes really well. Anyhow, where was I? Ah yes, Taikahn. He woke up. Instantly, he fought the restraints--and then relaxed. "Arg," he said, the splitting headache hitting him. "Did you have to do that?"
Roldan appears almost remorseful -- the knight has taken off his helmet, to better look at the prisoner. "I am afraid so. You see, your kind is not to be trusted." The small man stands silently by, waiting. Roldan steps to the table. "Well, shall we begin, then?" A rhetorical question. "I will start out by simply asking. It is in your best interests to answer the first time. Do you understand?"
Taikahn was, understandably, rather ticked off. "No," he said, just to annoy Roldan. "The word 'interests' is foreign to me." The tone was harsh and highly sarcastic. "Do I look stupid? Of course I understand."
Roldan simply smiles, and says, "You will speak with respect. This is your only warning." Moving even closer, he peers down at the Preklek. "Where is Triyul?" he asks, his tone saying that this is but the first of many questions.
Taikahn made a face. "I have no idea," he answered truthfully. "He could be anywhere in the multiverse. Hon--" He cut himself off before he could say something derisive.
Roldan sighs, and gestures to the other man, who moves to the table. In his hand is a long, thin-bladed knife. This, he puts to one of Taikahn's imprisoned toes and, with slow, practiced force, begins to shove it down, underneath the Preklek's nail, claw, or whatever it might have. Roldan speaks again. "Where in your world does Triyul live? Where in Hollow is he based? Where do his generals live?"
Taikahn narrowed his eyes, wincing but not giving the knight the satisfaction of a sound. "It ceased to be my world when I was exiled. I've made sure nobody can find where I live. He seems to be based in Gualon, and I've never met one so I couldn't tell you. Cut the torture, will you? I'm on your side in this."
Roldan gestures again to the man, who steps back, moving to light a small brazier. Meanwhile, Roldan again approaches his prisoner. "It may be that you are telling the truth. But we will come back to that. Where does Teira live? Where does she spend her time? Where do her clan mates live?" The questions are fired out rapidly.
Taikahn : This time Roldan was greeted with sadness, the preklek's eyes growing tired and old. "Even if I knew, you would have to earn that information. You want to kill her, and if you did that I'd have to stop you."
Roldan moves to the desk near the door, leaning over to write on the parchment there. He speaks the words aloud as he writes them. "Prisoner denies knowledge of invading army. Prisoner withholds knowledge of Black Lotus. Applied brand." At that, the other man steps forward. In his hand is an object like a fire poker, the tip glowing a cherry red. This is brought down toward the exposed flesh of Taikahn's stomach, intended to scorch and burn at his scaled skin, perhaps to go even deeper to the muscle beneath.
Taikahn had been burned before. It always hurt. "Ahhh. That always hurts," he muttered. The narrator decided to have mercy on this redundancy because he was getting tortured. "Ow ow. Finished yet?"
Roldan allows the torturer to draw the poker all the way up Taikahn's chest, stopping just before the throat, as the metal grows too cool to burn any longer. While the other man moves off to ready the next technique, Roldan again approaches. "Where does Teira live? Where does she spend her time? Where do her clan mates live?"
Taikahn said to you, "I told you already, blast it--I don't know. This is all really unnecessary. Can I go now?"
Roldan returns to his desk, again speaking as he writes. "Prisoner now denies knowledge of Black Lotus. Broke fingers." At those words, the torturer returns, a heavy hammer held in one hand. With the other, he grabs for Taikahn's left hand, placing it flat on the table's post. Roldan approaches. "One last time. Tell me what I want to know."
Taikahn had denied knowledge the first time, too. "What the muffin?! Look at yourself, man!" Taikahn stared defiantly into Roldan's eyes, his own emerald orbs peering deep. "You're torturing an innocent person who knows nothing useful. You're hunting innocent people who've done nothing but be associated with someone who did wrong. Who put you in charge of what is right? Who allows you to play god? Sir, let me tell you something. You're not hunting evil. You are evil, hunting those who are good. You're worse than that which you seek to eradicate. You've probably believed that you've been right this whole time, but open your eyes for once! Don't you see what you've become?" Taikahn seemed to be pleading, but oddly it wasn't for himself. "Save your soul before it's too late, Roldan. Make the right choice."
Roldan snorts, and waves the torturer away. Turning, he calls the guards in from outside. Together, they unlock the Preklek and transfer him to a set of chains on the wall, hoisting him up so that his feet, locked in iron, do not touch the ground, forcing Taikahn's arms, also manacled, to bear the lizard's weight. Roldan himself walks up with a burlap sack. "You truly do not understand. I almost pity you. The Black Lotus is guilty of crimes beyond count. They call the realm of Chaos their home. Any one of them are free to leave at any time, yet they do not. Instead, they remain on the side of evil. To stop them, drastic measure must be taken. I am convinced you know more than you say you do, but I have had my fill of questioning this evening. Tomorrow, we will begin again. I will send to the queen regarding your trial. Sleep well." The last words drip sarcasm, as Roldan slips the bag over the prisoner's head.
To be continued...