Private Tales Let's Get Outta Here Red

[Kala]

Kala smiled, and then slowly shook her head. "Afraid not, Red."

The idea was an amusing one, but that would have been near blasphemy for Lylla.

"The Oni are her gods." Her voice was sounding weak now, but she did not want Kasimir to not understand this new environment. She knew that Lylla alone would have been terrifying to most. "She's a Shaman...of sorts."

The Ogress paid no mind to their conversation. Instead she seemed to be darting around the entire cabin in search of half a dozen herbs and other things to help her friend. All the while she was speaking to herself, calling out the names of things as if to help her remember.

"My name is Kala." She offered as she closed her, finding her head spinning slightly.

 

[Kasimir]

A Shaman?

Kasimir was trying to keep the ogre in his line of sight at all time whilst at the same time paying attention to... Kala. The same suited her. He shifted out of the Shaman's way as she stomped past causing the floor to quake under his feet. It was extremely disconcerting. He found a stool and then carefully dragged it over so he could sit beside her head. When he was seated he lightly dragged his fingers over her skin to push back the hair from her fevered forehead.

"Mine is Kasimir," his eyes flicked from her face to the ogre then back down to her. "Kala I'm sorry, I should have warned you about the Shadows..." Kas' face crumpled with worry as he glanced down at her arm. It looked bad. He knew it would be, there were vile things on his body that were designed to kill in a myriad of ways.

 

[Kala]

The Great Ogress stomped up besides Kasimir, offering the other Tiefling a frown for a brief second as she opened her mouth. "It was my own fault Lylla."

It was clear that there was a certain amount of weariness to the massive woman's gaze, though Kala's word was enough to at least not smash Kasimir into a finely ground paste. The Shaman set down a bowl besides Kala, a strong herbal scent coming from it.

"Lets take a look."

Lylla said curtly as she quickly began to unwrap the bandage that had been placed around her arm. Kala let out a hiss, but tried to focus her attentions on Kasimir. "It's alright."

She told him softly.

"The Mistake was mine." A whimper escaped her as Lylla pulled away the cloth, the ogress gasping. "Should've done more research."

The Tiefling said with a wince.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir braced for the hit; it was almost an instinct to just take a beating from a figure of authority with no fight. His head even hung down a little for he couldn't meet her gaze. He had failed, punishment would be certain. Her words were meant to comfort him, he could recognise that, but they weren't doing a good job of it. He was a creature made to take blame and accept it - nothing she said would erase years of being broken and remade over and over into this pathetic shadow of a man.

He gently caressed her hair again for he could offer no other comfort and tried not to look at what he had done to her.

"This is incorrect, there is no research on the Forsaken least of all me. You wouldn't have found a warning other than from my lips," his frown deepened and his hand fisted for a brief moment as the regret filtered through him. "I shouldn't have let you do it. It was... It was selfish."

 

[Kala]

Kala rolled her eyes, snapping back at Kasimir. "I'm not some little girl! I can make my own decisions and I made this one."

Lylla chuckled slightly, though her face was beyond grim. Kala could read the Ogress well, and she could already tell that the news would not be good. Fingers in her good hand tightened slightly, and she took in a slow controlled breath.

"It isn't anyone's fault but my own. You deserve to be free." She said quietly, glancing up at Lylla who was slowly shaking her head.

"Dear..."​

The Ogress was frowning deeply.

"I...do not think I can save your arm."​

Kala's eyes closed again, her head slowly slipping back against the chair as she let out a deep shuddering breath. "Then cut it off Lylla. I don't need it if it's going to be useless."

She wasm't good with pain, but she didn't like being told her decisions were not her own.

 

[Kasimir]

The shouting he was used to, it actually made him feel better in a way and he shut his mouth and nodded. He didn't want to distress her any further but he didn't know what else to do. He took back his hand and clasped them quietly in his lap. Kas wasn't at all surprised at the news the ogress delivered but it was still a blow; he had seen amazing things happen through the use of magic and he had harboured some hope that she would be able to save it.

Quietly Kasimir held out his hand for her to squeeze. The pain was going to be bad.

 

[Kala]

Kala grimaced as she watches the Ogress fetch what appeared to be little more than a massive saw. Her heart sank a little bit, fingers slowly wrapping around Kasimir's hand in a tight grip as her friend readied the tools she needed.

"This will help some, dear, but it will still hurt."

Lylla quietly went about applying the last in the bowl to Kala's still open wound. The pain spiked at first, but then an almost cold sensation slowly swept over her appendage. A deep breath sucked Into her lungs, and her eyes closed.

"Just do it." Lylla have her a pained expression, and then looked to Kasimir.

"Hold her arm, little one."

As Kasimir wrapped his own hands around Kala to keep her still the blue Tiefling began to breath faster and faster. Her chest rose and fell quickly, and then she squeezed her eyes shut.

The Ogress watched for a moment, and then brought the knife done.

The blade swept through flesh and bone like it was nothing. Lylla was strong, and her knife was sharp. In another circumstance the act might have been impressive, but to Kala it was pure terror. Pain shot up her arm, a scream escaped her lips, and a sensation of utter shock wracked her entire body.

Lylla was fast, applying the paste to the newly formed stump and bandaging it even as Kala screamed.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir stood and moved to stand behind Kala's head and held down her shoulder whilst holding her other hand firmly. This he knew. He had had to do the same with other colleagues before and he was prepared for the screaming and the thrashing that was about to come. Even so it still felt a little uncomfortable doing this for Kala. He took a breath and braced her as the knife came down sharply upon her.

"It's ok... it's ok..." his words felt pointless as she screamed and once the Ogress was done he let go of her shoulder and lightly brushed the hair once more from her face. "Hush, Kala. It is done," he glanced down at the stub then up to the Shaman with a slight grimace and nod in thanks. "You know... there are people who can build arms now..." he was trying to take her mind off the pain by talking.

 

[Kala]

Kala took short quick breaths, her eyes clamped shut as Lylla finished bandaging her arm and setting it so she would not bleed out. Fingers tightened on her good hand, lips thinning slightly as she heard Kasimir speak.

A chuckle escaped her. "Yeah, I've met one."

That little adventure down beneath the spine had been one of the most obnoxious she'd been on in recent memory, though perhaps this topped it. At least on that particular trip she hadn't lost any appendages. That was always a plus.

"He was a turtle." Her eyes opened up, Lylla standing over her and besides Kasimir. The Ogress shook her head.

"Unfortunately such things are not in my talents."

Kala smiled. "I think...I'll worry about that later."

The Tiefling said as she took in a heavy sobbing breath. Whatever Lylla had put on her stump was numbing the pain fast, but she could still feel the echoes of that agony slowly crawling up her nerves.

 

[Kasimir]

Kasimir still wasn't entirely sure the Ogress wasn't coming to smash his face in and as she came to stand beside him he stiffened uncomfortably and gave her a side long look.

"I know... of a few," he said slowly. There were master craftsmen in Vel Anir but he knew of ones in Alliria too, people whom he had come across during his missions. People related somehow to those on his list. That sacred list of people Vel Anir wanted dead. He wanted to apologise again but he knew his words would only anger her so he took a shaky step back and rubbed at his mark.

"I must ask you for one more favour. The Forsaken... will be tracing the mark. It is best if you dump me somewhere and make it look as though I have been tortured."

 

[Kala]

Kala gaped for a second. "Absolutely not."

There was in no way that she would torture Kasimir, nor make it appear like she had. Such a thing was utterly unthinkable. She wanted to free him, to drag him from the bonds of his slavery and give him a life. Not break his bones.

"I won't." She told him simply. "I can't."

Kala corrected. Even knowing what she knew, even realizing what would happen to him...she couldn't bring herself to do something like that.

She glanced away, looking at the floor in shame.

 

[Kasimir]

"Kala... please...." he put two fingers under her chin and turned her face back towards him. "If you do not do this they will do a lot worse to me when they find me," they would think he had tried to abandon the Forsaken. It might mean death if he was lucky, but it very certainly would involved months in a torture chamber with some of the worst Dreadlords and humans Vel Anir could cobble together.

"It won't hurt me, you could never hurt me like they do," he sighed and searched her gaze as he tried to figure out the words to explain to her why this was necessary. If she didn't do it he would have to find a way to do it to himself but they would soon find that out. His gaze lifted to the ogress almost thoughtfully. Having his face smashed in by her would be pretty convincing.

 

[Kala]

Kala felt her head be tilted back towards him, but the tears in her eyes were all the answer that he would get from her. There was no possible way that she could do it, no possible way that she could manage it and come out whole. "I can't."

The Tiefling said quietly, barely able to choke out the words.

"I'll do it."​

Lylla's voice was soft, softer than it had been anytime before now. The Great Ogress stood nearby, a frown on her deep gray face. It was clear that she did not like the idea of it, but...it was also clear that Kala would not do it.

The Ogress did not understand the full situation, could not, but she heard Kasimir's words.

"I'll do it."​

She said again quietly, attempting to draw some of their pain away.

 

[Kasimir]

The look in her eyes froze any other pleas for mercy in his throat and he pressed his lips together and gave a small nod instead. Acceptance. He pressed a kiss to her forehead as light and soft as a butterfly.

"Goodbye Blue," he gave her one last long look then drew back and stood to his full height and fixed his gaze instead on Lylla. He rolled his shoulders once and then inclined his head towards her like a gentleman would thank a person for a compliment. He wouldn't do it here inside where Kala would have to see and so he slipped outside hoping the Ogress would follow him.

"Thank you - please don't hold back," he said calmly once they were outside and closed his eyes, hands hanging limply by his side as he awaited the flurry of punches.

 

[Kala]

Kala could not have bared to watch, and if Kasimir had not stepped away she might have begged Lylla not to do it.

Instead they left her on the table, soft sobs escaping from her lips.

"It is a pity she did not succeed."

The Shaman said as she slowly stepped up to Kasimir. The Ogress was a massive thing, far larger than any human and big enough to even dwarf some buildings. It was clear that she had fought dozens of battles, a melody of scars covering her form.

"You would have made a Fantastic Reckoner."

They were the last words Kasimir would hear before the beating began.

There was no cruelty to the blows, no malice, but they were as fierce as anything he'd ever felt. The Ogress did not hold back, at least not to create the bruises he would need. In the end he would feel the sting of broken ribs, bruises across his face, and even a few cuts from the Ogre's rough flesh.

 

[Kasimir]

"Maybe, one day I will," Kasimir gave a half smile to the Ogress opposite him. A deep calm filled him and then the beatings began. They hurt, of course, but he was used to physical pain of a much higher level. He had once had a fishing hook split him from navel to chest and then had hung from the wound until the majority of his insides had lain at his feet. Then he had been healed and he had repeated the process. That had gone on for a week.

His mind quietly went to its small corner of solitude and it became as if he were watching what was happening to his body from a vantage point of his own. By the end he was a symphony of bruises and broken bones. He coughed up a horrible smattering of blood and put a hand to his chest where he heaved for air. They would definitely believe he had suffered. Perhaps they would even spare his life for that. Content he had hit the required level of pain he nodded to the Ogress and gave him her thanks before sliding into the shadows to walk to a random spot some miles away and collapse. All he would have to do was wait to be found then deal with the consequences.