Solo The Torturer's Test

[Kurin Fell]

42nd of Winter, 518 AV

Continued from The Doctor's Inspection

Pay no mind to the screams.

The words had quite an effect on the young boy lying on the operating table; the moment Kurin turned in surprise to look at Petricious, the lad lunged for the door, nearly stumbling over Kurin's bag as he did.

"Ah ah, don't do that." Kurin's first instinct was to reach for the rope dart wound around his body, but if the boy had a concussion, the last thing he needed was metal dart to the head. Instead, he caught the boy by the waist, grunting as he caught an elbow to the stomach for his trouble. Shifting his hand up, Kurin found the line of stitches over his chest and pressed in, causing the boy to let out a wail of distress. His other hand closed around the blade at his hip, brought it up to the boy's throat. "Easy, you'll tear open your stitches." Now that would be fascinating to see, the way skin and flesh tore anew around the knotted catgut. Would it separate neatly, a little row of knots on one side of a bleeding wound? Or would it rip, chunks of flesh tied where they didn't belong? "Or injure yourself worse."

Something of his excitement must have come through in his voice, because the boy stilled in his arms, letting out a soft sob. "There you go, that wasn't hard." He patted the boy on the head, still keeping the dagger to his neck. "Come on now, let's not keep the good doctor waiting."
When he looked up, he saw the barest flicker of amusement in Petricious's face before the man turned away again, gesturing for them to follow him out the door.

"So, you caused all of these injuries? As a test?" Kurin asked, pulling the openly crying boy after the doctor. The man led them to a small shack behind the clinic, and produced a keyring from somewhere within his robes.

"Naturally. I can't very well trust an assistant whose capabilities I'm uncertain of, after all." There was a series of soft clicks as the doctor fiddled with the door. "A wide array of simple injuries was exactly what I needed to gauge your strengths and limitations in the medical arts." He chuckled as the door swung open with an agonizing screech. "You really are rather guileless, aren't you. A born sunberthian would have wondered how such a convenient test of your abilities had shown up on your very first day under my employ."

"In this town, Doctor, I expect I'll learn guile very quickly, or die in the attempt." Kurin told him cheerfully, coaxing the boy towards the building. "Why leave his legs alone, then, if you caused this? He could have esc- no, wait. You wanted him to run, to see if I could catch him?"

The inside of the building was utterly empty, save for a locked trapdoor, which the doctor opened up to reveal a set of stairs. "Now you're beginning to understand. Come along, chop chop."

[Kurin Fell]

Well, he supposed Petricious had warned him about the screaming. Though not that it would be quite so loud. "Did you build this place to echo like that, or was it just a happy surprise after the first time you vivisected someone?"

"I find it adds to the ambiance."

Kurin stopped dead in his tracks, a grin spreading across his face. "Was that a joke? An actual real joke?"

Petricious leveled a flat look at him. "I assure you, it was not." Leading Kurin into a side room filled with racks and cabinets, he gestured at a table in the center, liberally decorated with straps and manacles. "Secure him here." Sighing dramatically, Kurin did as he was instructed; manacles held the boy's ankles and wrists, while straps over his knees, elbows, waist and neck kept him immobilized. Out of habit, he tested each strap as he secured it, checking it wasn't cutting off circulation, despite being fairly certain the boy wouldn't last long enough for it to matter. "Now." Kurin turned to Petricious expectantly. "You have until I return to make him tell you his name. I expect him still alive when I return."

Kurin raised an eyebrow at that. "You're not going to supervise?"

Petricious scoffed, turning away. "In this arena, I couldn't care less what your methods are, so long as they work. Don't forget, if he says a word, he'll find himself taking up permanent residence down here. Whereas if he makes it through your interrogation, he'll be set free, though" —he smiled darkly— "somewhat worse for wear, I imagine."

"I guess, but this seems, well, anticlimactic. After all that setup upstairs, I mean. You're actually just going to leave me to it?"

"And what, exactly, would be the purpose of watching? You haven't the medical expertise for my methods, and I have little to no interest in learning yours. Besides, I wouldn't want you to feel self conscious." Kurin considered rolling his eyes at that, then thought the better of it. "I find that less experienced torturers work best alone, free from the fear of judgement. No one but this boy here will ever know what you do to him, and I expect he won't been keen on sharing, even if he survives. Understand?" He waited until Kurin nodded his agreement. "Excellent! Now, I'll leave you to it. Don't disappoint me."

And with that, he was gone. "No pressure." Kurin called after him, before sighing, and perching on the table besides the bound boy. "So, it's just you and me now. Alone in a dark dank dungeon for an unspecified amount of time. I don't suppose you could make this easy on me and just tell me your name right now? It'll spare you the next few bells, at least."

The boy squirmed ineffectually in his bonds, hiccuping with soft sobs.

"No, I thought not. Well, it was worth a try. Now," — he practically bounced over to a nearby rack — "let's see what goodies the good doctor has lying around."