Continued from here
36th Day of Winter, 512AV
Rattling Chains. When Wessler he realized that was where they were taking him, whatever was left of hiss resolve shattered like glass under a sledgehammer.
"Gods, please, please don't take me there, I-I I have money," he babbled as the silent group marched through the forest surrounding Provedan's fiefdom, "J-Just name your price and-"
Tortuga didn't speak: he just moved. He spun around and slammed his knee into the man's crotch, doubling him over. A nod to the Akalaks and two strong blue arms jerked Wessler back upright, just in time to see the bearded man pull a dagger from his belt.
"No!" He yelped as Tortuga roughly grabbed his hand. "NowaitI'msorrypleasepleaseARRGHHH!"
One swipe, and two of his fingers fell to the frozen dirt. Razkar blinked at them vaguely. His vision was... swimming... little by little. He knew it was blood loss. The journey back had been as fast as the one before it, perhaps even faster, held back only by Wessler's limping. An arrow in the leg will do that to a man.
But the cloth tourniquets and bandages covering his wounds were now soaked, and he felt hot, sticky liquid begin to trickle down his body again...
"I warned you." Tortuga said, wiping the blade on Wessler's shirt, the other man uncomprehending, just staring open-mouthed in horror at the place where two of his fingers used to be. "Speak again, you lose more. Now move!"
Wessler did as he was told. The group kept moving, Razkar gripping his trophies tight as he trudged behind them. He would not fall here. They had to get back to the encampment, and then...
Figures in the trees. Razkar's head jerked up and saw an archer in the limbs thirty feet above him, tracking their movements with a notched arrow. When he saw Tortuga, the man instead lowered his arrow, turned around and made a bird call. Within moments, it was answered by another sentry, even further away, then another...
"They're sending word ahead," the Burned Man said, keeping pace with Razkar, "To the boss."
"I know."
The words were almost snarled, the Burned Man realized. He glanced at the Myrian and took in the gritted teeth, the furious stare, and... did he same paler? He cursed in some language that was not Common.
"Gods, Myrian, how much have you lost?"
"We nearly back. When we back, you sew, I pay."
Ah, and didn't that just change the nature of Yakob's concern? If you could bottle the avarice that suddenly filled his eyes, alchemists and store owners would have paid a fine price for it. The hideously-visaged human ran a critical eyes over the wounds under the blood-soaked bandages and licked his lips.
"Might cost... twenty mizas. Gold. Get you all sewn-"
"Done."
Razkar rasped through gritted teeth, not even sparing the man a look. Another few chimes and the forest died to a field of churned, hard mud. Makeshift bridges were laid over trenches that lined the ground. Tents were dotted here and there, and the sun was beginning to set over the small hill the old mine entrance was cut into. Sellswords paused in their work to see the victorious, battered survivors return, pushing their mutilated but living prize before them.
Word reached Haev Provedan before they had even stopped at the entrance to his lair. The short, bald human stood there with eyes like stone and a face just as expressive, hands behind his back. Tortuga stopped in front of him, Wessler next to him, the Akalaks and Drykas and human and Myrian in a line behind them.
"As requested, sir."
Razkar saw the human blink, but there was no smile of victory, no gloating in his eyes. Provedan was above such prideful touches. He merely nodded, once, and cast those dead eyes to Wessler.
He might have screamed and raged and been a beast from the lowest pits for the way Wessler sobbed and collapsed in front of him.
"Mister Wessler," Provedan said, voice calm and level as a straight razor, "I have many questions for you. I hope you answer them promptly."
"P-Please-"
Provedan stepped to one side and allowed Tortuga to start manhandling the half-mad merchant down into the darkness. Razkar heard his voice, but for some reason he couldn't see his retreating head...
"You will fast learn, Mister Wessler, that that word will gain no purchase with me."
He couldn't see. He heard the words and felt the world sway around him, the Burned Man cry out as if from across a field... and then the ground rushed up to greet him.
36th Day of Winter, 512AV
Rattling Chains. When Wessler he realized that was where they were taking him, whatever was left of hiss resolve shattered like glass under a sledgehammer.
"Gods, please, please don't take me there, I-I I have money," he babbled as the silent group marched through the forest surrounding Provedan's fiefdom, "J-Just name your price and-"
Tortuga didn't speak: he just moved. He spun around and slammed his knee into the man's crotch, doubling him over. A nod to the Akalaks and two strong blue arms jerked Wessler back upright, just in time to see the bearded man pull a dagger from his belt.
"No!" He yelped as Tortuga roughly grabbed his hand. "NowaitI'msorrypleasepleaseARRGHHH!"
One swipe, and two of his fingers fell to the frozen dirt. Razkar blinked at them vaguely. His vision was... swimming... little by little. He knew it was blood loss. The journey back had been as fast as the one before it, perhaps even faster, held back only by Wessler's limping. An arrow in the leg will do that to a man.
But the cloth tourniquets and bandages covering his wounds were now soaked, and he felt hot, sticky liquid begin to trickle down his body again...
"I warned you." Tortuga said, wiping the blade on Wessler's shirt, the other man uncomprehending, just staring open-mouthed in horror at the place where two of his fingers used to be. "Speak again, you lose more. Now move!"
Wessler did as he was told. The group kept moving, Razkar gripping his trophies tight as he trudged behind them. He would not fall here. They had to get back to the encampment, and then...
Figures in the trees. Razkar's head jerked up and saw an archer in the limbs thirty feet above him, tracking their movements with a notched arrow. When he saw Tortuga, the man instead lowered his arrow, turned around and made a bird call. Within moments, it was answered by another sentry, even further away, then another...
"They're sending word ahead," the Burned Man said, keeping pace with Razkar, "To the boss."
"I know."
The words were almost snarled, the Burned Man realized. He glanced at the Myrian and took in the gritted teeth, the furious stare, and... did he same paler? He cursed in some language that was not Common.
"Gods, Myrian, how much have you lost?"
"We nearly back. When we back, you sew, I pay."
Ah, and didn't that just change the nature of Yakob's concern? If you could bottle the avarice that suddenly filled his eyes, alchemists and store owners would have paid a fine price for it. The hideously-visaged human ran a critical eyes over the wounds under the blood-soaked bandages and licked his lips.
"Might cost... twenty mizas. Gold. Get you all sewn-"
"Done."
Razkar rasped through gritted teeth, not even sparing the man a look. Another few chimes and the forest died to a field of churned, hard mud. Makeshift bridges were laid over trenches that lined the ground. Tents were dotted here and there, and the sun was beginning to set over the small hill the old mine entrance was cut into. Sellswords paused in their work to see the victorious, battered survivors return, pushing their mutilated but living prize before them.
Word reached Haev Provedan before they had even stopped at the entrance to his lair. The short, bald human stood there with eyes like stone and a face just as expressive, hands behind his back. Tortuga stopped in front of him, Wessler next to him, the Akalaks and Drykas and human and Myrian in a line behind them.
"As requested, sir."
Razkar saw the human blink, but there was no smile of victory, no gloating in his eyes. Provedan was above such prideful touches. He merely nodded, once, and cast those dead eyes to Wessler.
He might have screamed and raged and been a beast from the lowest pits for the way Wessler sobbed and collapsed in front of him.
"Mister Wessler," Provedan said, voice calm and level as a straight razor, "I have many questions for you. I hope you answer them promptly."
"P-Please-"
Provedan stepped to one side and allowed Tortuga to start manhandling the half-mad merchant down into the darkness. Razkar heard his voice, but for some reason he couldn't see his retreating head...
"You will fast learn, Mister Wessler, that that word will gain no purchase with me."
He couldn't see. He heard the words and felt the world sway around him, the Burned Man cry out as if from across a field... and then the ground rushed up to greet him.