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Kaelthir · Certifiable Joined: 28 Aug 2004 Posts: 1932

Zach laid on his back with his eyes closed, his body too tired to move-- partially from blood loss. He reflected on the evening pleasantly, for now more than ever he was free. Free from his family, and free from the destiny wrought onto him by his kin. If he died now, it would be because of his own choices, not because of fate's invisible hand. The last words Darrien said to Ekoth before the two left him for dead were still fresh in his mind, "I shall have you deliver the feet... the tongue... his personal belongings. All to his grandmother. Tell her that her grandson is no more."

Overall, Zach was surprised the process wasn't elaborately torturous. He had to admit, having his tongue cut out did catch him off guard, but it wasn't bad having his right arm and feet cut off with such a swift sharp blade. It didn't hurt nearly as much as the time his grandmother used her magic to etch runes into his right humerus, or the pain he would feel after trying to cast with that arm. Or any of her other experiments with him, for that matter. The torture endurance lessons she gave him were incredibly vicious as well, but of course that was the point. It felt good to be -free- from her, no matter the cost.

Zach thought back to a vision he had during slavehood, a vision of one of his ancestors dying over the course of three days. After the pain, the nightmares, the horror, all was silent and calm. That feeling, the serenity, Zach could almost identify with now.

Kaelthir · Certifiable Joined: 28 Aug 2004 Posts: 1932

Zach sat up in bed, rubbing his forehead and eyes with his left hand. His head ached, he could only vaguely recall the previous night. After a few seconds, reality began to sink in. He looked around quickly, realizing he was back in his own room and had no idea how he got there. Taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly, Zach thought back to the previous night, trying to remember everything he could.

He had rested like Ekoth told him to in order for his body to accept and be able to properly use the voidcrafted arm and feet he made. It had been a day or two since they were made, Zach remembered practicing with his new appendages until Ekoth returned. After straining to think, he recalled Ekoth giving him a ring, enchanted with a voice somehow.

After that came the lashings. He remembered Darrien visiting a few days ago to see if he actually survived. The lich was much more irritable than normal, and commanded Ekoth to fetch a whip and lash Zach one hundred times after his arm and feet were created. Thinking back on the night, Zach was impressed with Ekoth's method of whipping. Some sort of ethereal creation, it felt like a blunt serrated blade being ripped down his back. He remembered trying to focus on the pain and fall into meditation like he would with his training, but couldn't remember anything beyond that point. Perhaps Ekoth carried him to his bed, despite it being highly unlikely. Zach had no other explanation.

Zach lowered his left hand from his face and looked down at it in search of the ring. Surprised, he realized sometime in between falling unconscious and now he obtained an entirely new outfit. Ekoth surely wouldn't take the time to dress him, he wasn't sociable with others let alone caring. Looking around his room for any sort of hint as to what happened, he noticed a cloak, mask, and piece of paper on the table by his bed. He reached for the paper and began to read it, it seemed to be a series of notes.