“Could I do this or that or the other thing? It always comes down tome,” Roan laughed bitterly.
“What about one of the gates? We were able to lock one for a time to Nightvallen. Can we not unlock one by reversing that process?” Shaela continued though she clearly knew that it was unwise to keep talking.
“If that were an option, I wouldn’t have bothered with you. We wouldbeusing one of them now, wouldn’t we?” Roan snarled.
“Well, we can’t just stay here!” Her voice was high and tight.
“Are you afraid of Weryn? Or do you think that Daemon will storm in here and make us pay for our sins?” Roan baited her.
“I know that staying still is death,” she whispered.
“Well, you can blame Legion here for your Second death then!” Roan chuckled darkly. “They want Weryn to find us. Or find them in any case.”
Legion tried to snarl, but they truly couldn’t move.
“Why didn’t you know that?” Shaela’s words burst out of her mouth.
Legion could see that she wished she could pull them back in, because Roan making a mistake was… well, amistake. Just like snapping a finger of his off without having a plan.
“I did know that, Shaela,” Roan said almost sweetly. “Legion has always wanted this. But this time their subconscious and your lack of ability met in a brilliant and terrible mistake stranding ushere.”
“So what is the plan? What do we do?” Shaela cried, wringing her hands.
“I’ll take care of it. Like I always do,” Roan said. “Legion, put out your right hand.”
Legion was able to make a faint growl in the back of their throat, but they stuck out their right hand. Roan took hold of Weryn’s hand and examined it, turning it this way and that, as if he admired the fur on the back of the scaly skin, the long, black talons that tipped every finger, and the rough palm.
“You know, I have experimented on Weryn Vampires, alive and dead ones, during the War. I wanted to know how to break them down effectively,” Roan explained in what was almost a scholarly tone. “I found that cutting or ripping off limbs didn’t have much of an effect on the Weryn.” Roan took hold of the ring finger on Weryn’s right hand. “You see the moment they simply shifted into their animal or human form the missing limb reappeared in both forms afterwards. Not that it wasn’t painful for them. Of course it was. But it didn’t damage them permanently. Legion, rip off every finger on your right hand.”
Legion let out another strangled moan. Roan released that right hand. Legion lifted their left hand and was reaching for the thumb on their right hand, ready to do exactly as Roan had asked of them. Commanded them. They could almost imagine the crack of the bone and the tearing of their flesh. The spurting of their blood. The pain arcing up inside of them like an electric current. And they would have to do it again and again and again. Five times until they passed out. And even if they passed out, once they woke, they would continue the process as they would still be under the compulsion.
“Roan,” Shaela began, but one sharp look from Roan silenced her.
She looked away from Legion, not that she had been eagerly looking at them before. But now her back was to them. Legion imagined that she wanted to cover her ears with her hands.
Maybe she will find the power for one more teleportation…
Legion’s left hand closed around their right hand’s thumb. They began to force it back, preparing to wrench it off. Memories of their prey’s faces started to flicker though Legion’s mind.
Open mouths.
Pleading.
Begging.
Make it stop.
Please don’t!
Why are you doing this?
Don’t hurt me!
I’ll do anything!
NO!
Of course, Legion had never stopped. Their pleas had brought them a sort of pleasure. Cold and sharp. Like an icicle on their tongue. But this sensation was completely different. They felt their heart pounding in their chest. The bitter taste offear flooded their mouth. They would have pleaded if they could have said anything. But they couldn’t. Not out loud anyways.
