The War of the Roil: The Knight and the Warlock

Chapter 23: Painful Truths

Dregu hit the ground of his cell, blood pooling in his mouth.

"Where is your army located, creature?" the Atrellian dogs demanded.

Dregu stumbled to his feet without aid of his hands, since they were bound behind him in chains.

"Be trampled under hoof, pigs!" Dregu spat in Morgaul.

One of their shamans slammed him against a wall with his powers over the wind.

The door to the dungeon creaked open. The shaman let Dregu drop as he and the soldier turned to the newcomer.

It was the Knight boy. Edmaan Aizli. Or Edmund Isley. Though, the name sounded far better with a Morgaulish accent.

"Sir Knight!" the shaman exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"I have business with our prisoner." Edmund growled, "Leave us."

"Yes, sir." Both dogs responded before trotting off.

Edmund stepped into Dregu's cell, dragging a wooden chair in with him and taking a seat on it, his posture relaxed, almost sloppy.

"Finally. Someone I respect." Dregu chuckled, "But don't think your emotional sorcery will get the best of me just because of that."

Edmund grinned, "I had no intention of doing such a thing."

Dregu bellowed with laughter, "You're a man of many skills, Isley! I've never met a competent warrior able to lie so well."

Edmund frowned, "How do you know if I was lying?"

"We Morgauls are more than just creatures of combat." Dregu said.

"Whatever. I'm here for answers." Edmund growled.

"I won't tell you where the Karo-Kunnar is. Not like I know anyways." Dregu muttered.

"Why did you kill my sister?" Edmund asked, "Why did your people murder my sister in cold blood? I'm inclined to believe all the Atrellians say about you being savages, but I've had enough proof to know you aren't. So tell me why."

"Tell me, do you know why our kind has plagued the edges of your settlements for so long?" Dregu asked.

"Can't say that I do." Edmund muttered, "Though I know your kind were once slaves to the Ansami people."

"Yes. They worked us to death in the caverns below with their titanic machinery feeding off the mystical energies of Megyno." Dregu growled, "Thing is, once we escaped our chains, we found that we had been ruined beyond salvation. Megyno energy is dangerous, Edmund Isley. Our entire species had our very blood and seed destroyed by it."

"What do you mean?" Edmund asked.

"The more a Morgaul procreates with another Morgaul, the more deformed and deficient their child is." Dregu explained grimly, "We must mate with other peoples. Whatever disease that afflicts us then attacks the non-Morgaul half and leaves the child a full Morgaul."

"So you run around to small villages looking for people to rape?" Edmund snarled, "What did you do to Kaitlyn?"

"Nothing of the sort to her. But, if we didn't do it at all, we would barely be able to remember the last twenty four hours. Most would have less than four limbs. Others would grow extra." Dregu growled, "We have no choice."

"That doesn't make it right." Edmund said.

"We didn't have a choice until now. I am the first of many of my brothers and sisters who have been created from seed without the Affliction." Dregu said, "I am smaller because my body did not grow so large it killed itself."