Chapter 3.5

At dusk, I noticed our bearing changed north-west, and small shrubs began to protrude from the rock. I had little knowledge of the geography of the continent so I didn't know which country we were heading for, but I knew enough that I knew we weren't heading towards Garlantia.

A few hours into the darkness, trees became more frequent and made travelling in the dark more difficult, we stopped to made camp. Once again, I was ordered to collect firewood while the others prepared for the interrogation of the man in our boot.

The trees found in this country were different from those found in Garlantia and Reaven, they were low, dry and tough. Their leaves were a greyish brown, blending in with their bark. Often at their base was a tough mushroom type plant with spikes jutting from its flesh, after accidently stabbing my foot in one, I took care to avoid them. With darkness already upon us, it was difficult to see to collect enough for a fire to last the night, and by the time I returned the torture had already begun.

The head lights illuminated the area, with Louis Grey at the center, with the squad members surrounding him, casting long ominous shadows. He sat with his feet bend beneath him on a tarpaulin which was splattered with blood. His face was bludgeoned beyond recognition, with swollen eyes, split lip and a broken nose that was bleeding profusely enough to drip off his chin. Jay knelt by his side, holding him up for each hit.

"Answer my questions and this will be over. We know your country learnt of our plans and warned Reagen. We know the warning came from your organisation, who told you?"

The mans heavy breathing was interrupted by another gab to the stomach.

"why would your country protect Jason Smart?"

My eyes twitched and I listened closely. The man I was meant to kill, the reason the mistake was made, was this man. I didn't know whether to feel grateful or mournful- because of this man I killed the wrong person, another innocent life was lost. But I couldn't bring myself to hate the man. Instead, I was filled with morbid curiosity, I too wanted to hear his answer.

"Our country is the most technologically advanced nation, did you think we wouldn't find the message sent from your computer to Jason Smart the morning of the charity event?" he scoffs, "tell us the name and we can stop his." Rickon suggested casually, but everyone knew from the tone of his voice the torture wouldn't cease. He would continue until he'd finished his fun. "Well I'm sure you know it was all in vain." He kicks the man viciously, "All this pain was for nothing. Jason Smart is dead and the boy killed an innocent man." Louis Grey looked passed him, and his eyes met mine, the look he gave me… Pity, regret, and hopelessness. I couldn't stand it, I held back a whimper and looked away. Rickon laughed at the look he gave me, extracting sadistic pleasure from his compassion.

For the rest of the night, I couldn't look at him. But I listened. I listened to his screams as Rickon used the fire I made to burn his skin and pulled his nails from his fingers. After a while, the questions stopped, but the torture continued.

Two hours before dawn Rickon tires of his game of torture and Louis Grey collapses from his wounds. I guess it's no fun torturing an unconscious man.

The other men had already settled down to sleep, but I couldn't block the out cruel sounds of bones breaking and sadistic laughter.

"The given name Jacob isn't much use, there are a dosen officials alone I can think of with that name, but it's a start. Although he won't tell us anymore, he can still be useful. We're heading to Paela. Finding a dead Reagen man on Paelen soil, wouldn't be good for the upcoming alliance senate, would it?" I could hear the grin in his voice.

"True." Is all Jay replies, uninterested in the motivations behind his orders.

After I was sure they were both asleep, I crept away to relieve the burning in my bladder. On the way back I stumbled past the bloody mess of Louis Grey.

"Boy!" he croaked through the dried blood in his throat. I jumped, startled and reluctantly looked down at the bloody mess that was left of a man. "I'm sorry of what my mistake made you do." I couldn't give a reply, my throat tightened at the thought of what I'd done, and the pain he must have been in. "we can escape this place… You're not here because you want to be, are you?" he gasped, whispering frantically. I looked at his wounds, his left arm was broken, his shirt was bloody with wounds on his back and chest, and both hands and his face were a bloody mess. At his feet were the nails that Rickon pulled from his fingers, and the tarp was soaked through with an unbelievable amount blood. It was true that his feet were the least broken part of his body, but it was doubtful he could walk far. I felt doubt and pity for the man, which filled me with unease. "help me! please!" he begged. I walked silently past him without looking back, aware of the pleading eyes boring into my back, and settled into an uneasy sleep.

Pain woke me from my sleep, a low throb radiated from my right wrist, but that was over shadowed by the tightening in my chest. An invisible band wrapped around my chest and squeezed tightly, I grabbed at the material of my shirt, but it came away loosely. No matter how hard I pulled, the invisible weight refused to disperse.

Through my watering eyes I see a large shadow of a man looming over my writhing body, "Remember this feeling boy. This is the feeling of your betrayal." Rickons voice emerged out from the silence. He kneels and grabs my chin, working his fingers between the gap in my jaw, forcing my mouth open. He slides something in my mouth, and I'm forced to swallow. He lets me go roughly, and I roll away, wheezing and coughing. However, after a couple of minutes the pain begins to subside, and I slip back to sleep.