Chekat

Chekat

“Minra, you have had your fun. I have come for the prisoner.”

Chekat stood at the edge of the forest glade, facing the torturer’s tent. She kept herself closed, and stared at Minra. The ratty little man stared at her, clearly trying to say something. She allowed herself some satisfaction when her closure forced him to resort to the Tongue. “Honorable Commander, I still have much to learn from him, I can–”

She cut him off with a shake of her head. “I have been told that he volunteers any information you ask, yet you torture him anyway.” She turned to one of Minra’s subordinates and reopened herself for a moment, instructing him to retrieve the prisoner. Minra began to complain, but Chekat purified diamond, using the roaring power to lay claim to all the space around him, silencing him. He clearly felt his space ripped away from him, and finally began to cower, as he should have from the beginning.

“Please, Honorable Commander, I beg of you…” he whimpered, falling to his knees.

“Yes, beg!” She used some of the spare power to magnify her voice, and it echoed around the glade. Torturers needed to be reminded of their place, Minra more than most. No other man her junior would ever have dared protest like this ‘man.’

To his credit, he realized what a mistake it would be to speak further, and did not beg.

A moment later, one of the soldiers emerged from the tent, half-carrying-half-dragging the prisoner, bound hand and foot. His chest and face bore fresh wounds; yesterday’s wounds had already been healed. Maintaining her hold on the space around Minra, Chekat called for the healer. The healer sprang to attention, snatching up a live branch on his way over. When she commanded him to heal the prisoner, he purified the branch and spread the resulting power across the gashes.

As the healer worked, Chekat leaned forward, forcing herself into the prisoner’s line of sight. “I’m told you call yourself Shiver. I am Commander Chekat, and I will be in charge of you from now on.”

He replied with gratitude, though with a hollowness to match his eyes. Chekat straightened in surprise. He sent mirth, and said that yes, he could talk like that, when the herbal smoke wasn’t blocking his mind. He slumped forward, the effort clearly draining in his state.

“Do not exhaust yourself. The High Chieftain has decided that you can be useful if treated well.”

Shiver nodded, then sent gratitude to the healer.