Timeless Two

17

"Get them tied to the pillory." Grey orders as he comes into the torture room.

In short order the four men are tied to the pillory. Grey himself takes the whip he flicks it a few times to get the feel of this one. Once he's satisfied with that does he flicks it over the privates back. Ten lashes in quick order leaves the privates back a bloody mess.

He gives the corporal's fifteen each. By the time Grey is done with them not only are their backs a mess but they can barely stand.

The Sergeant he gives twenty lashes. The others wouldn't have acted like that unless under orders. And this particular Sergeant has been causing problems too small to be courtmartialed for but they have been noted in his file.

By the time Grey is done with him he's barely conscious.

"Get them down. Get their backs bandaged up. We're not done here yet." Grey is still very annoyed. He really doesn't like distressing Ari like she was when he had them brought in here.

"This is cruel and unusual punishment general," one captain says warningly.

Grey looks at him and smiles a cold smile. "Well then it's a good thing we're not part of the Geneva Convention then isn't it?"

Grey looks over the implements and chooses a knife. Testing it he doesn't find it sharp enough. None of them are. He's disgusted. He'd thought with all the blood and decaying flesh that the Aelven would have kept better care of their torture tools.

"Taren give me your knife." Grey had left his in his tent. He'd had hopes that he wouldn't have to use it this day. He should have brought it.

Taren immediately pulls his knife out and tosses it to Grey. Grey catches it with ease.

Another Captain asks. "Why isn't Major Jeshua here. You said that we all had to be here."

Grey doesn't look at the speaker as he tests out the knife. "I gave Jeshua another assignment. Besides which he needs to take his pain medicine before he passes out from the pain."

Grey nods this knife is properly sharp. "He should still be in the hospital recovering from surgery, but refused the surgery and instead came to the trials." Grey absently notes. "This will do fine Taren. Nice job."

Grey goes up to each man. He slices the uniform top away barely leaving a line of red from where the knife cuts each man. When done he goes for another implement but changes his mind and smiles wickedly. This will hurt much much worse.

He gestures and a cask of vinegar is by his side. He opens it up and takes the cup that also appeared and dips out a cup of the cider.

He goes to the private and gently lets the vinegar flow out. It soaks the bandages the man had just had placed on him. The privates screams reverberate in the room. Once the mans back is soaked in vinegar Grey steps back. "This man is done. Take him and wash him up. Rebandage him then return him to his cell. Better find him another shirt. Not a uniform though."

The guards nod keeping their thoughts to themselves. They lift the man up. The private is weeping at the pain every time the bandage moves it's fresh pain all over again.

Grey moves on to the first Corporal and does the same thing. Only he's not satisfied with soaking the bandages he coats the mans back and the vinegar finds the lines of the cut.

Once he's satisfied he moves to the next corporal. He repeats the treatment. By the time he's done both corporals are crying, quivering, masses on the table. "Do the same for these two as for the private."

Grey waits as the guards take first one than the other corporal off the table and out of the room.

"Why did you attack Jeshua?" Grey asks conversationally as he gets another cup of vinegar.

The Sergeant spits at him. "You're a freak just like him." Grey has been called a great many things before, very rarely have they been complimentary.

He decides he's bored with this game and wants it over with. He lets the vinegar run slowly down the mans back. When the man's back is soaked with vinegar he decides that a little change is in order. He gestures and rock salt appears by his side.

Taking a handful of rock salt he rubs it in the wounds he does this carefully to each and every wound. Taking his time to make sure he doesn't miss anything.

The man passes out from the pain and Grey revives him by tossing a cup of vinegar onto his face. Then Grey continues the punishment until he's sure that he hasn't missed a spot.

The officers are a little green at the cool efficiency that Grey does this in. And they are more than a little relieved when he finally has the guards take this one away as well.

"I don't know what set him off, but I won't tolerate that kind of behavior. Make sure your men know that I mean business. There are reasons the Aelven feared me. Captains makes sure that if your people wish to enter the vault that there will be enough time and people to keep the guards relieved on time.

"I didn't become this way because of the vault, remember that. I was this way before. Remember no side arms or electronics you wish to continue using. Dismissed."

The officers couldn't wait to get out of there. There is an orderly mad dash to the door.

Grey ignores them as he cleans Taren's knife. "I don't have a proper cloth to clean this. Is this the knife I gave you?" Grey says in apology as he hands Taren the cleaned knife.

"Yes. You gave it to me the day I made captain. You told me that you would like all your officers to wear a knife. Until then I hadn't even thought of keeping a knife. I thought a gun or my hand to hand would be sufficient. But it has come in handy especially against the Aelven."

"Yes. They had become so dependent on high tech weapons that resorting to such basic weaponry threw them. It's much easier to take down an enemy that is off center." Grey says as he leads Taren further into the room and out the door to the main dungeon.

Sheila already has a few people waiting in line for her services. Grey has no doubt that she'll take all of them. She hasn't eaten for awhile and she must be getting hungry by now.

He stops and has a talk with the guard. He gives him a paper and tells him to give it to Sheila when she asks for food.

The guard looks at the paper. It's a list of things that she can buy and the price listed next to it. It's a rather lengthy list and the guard assures Grey that he'll give it to her.

"Bring me the money for each item that she buys. I'll keep a record of it and give the money to Lady Anna." Grey finishes his instructions then leads Taren out of the dungeon and into the main corridor.

"I hope you have your clothing. If not you better not come with me. I'm heading to the vault," Grey says.

Taren shakes his head. "You're letting things slide Grey. You have massive piles of paperwork on your desk. You don't really have time to go to the vault."

Grey sighs, "I know. But, Ari is in there with Anna and Alexis. I have to get Ari so that the other two can go about their day. I'll be returning to my desk after I get her." It's not what he wants but it's what he gets to do.

"I have the other clothing with me. I'll go with you to the vault." He could've sworn that he could understand the trees last time he was there and wanted to see if he was imagining things or not.