575Please respect copyright.PENANAyxs9oPkXZe
575Please respect copyright.PENANAzmAG7I07x5
All taxes must be paid 575Please respect copyright.PENANAQBbd8M5mMO
in a timely and organized manner. Each prince controls tax 575Please respect copyright.PENANAqXnGkyP0W7
collection in his princedom War is forbidden between the princes. All 575Please respect copyright.PENANAwmbKwEa6W0
dissatisfactions must be dealt in a civilized manner. Via duels or by 575Please respect copyright.PENANAipOUwIumJO
lodging a complaint to the council of princes.The most powerful 575Please respect copyright.PENANAk2PTI9afVz
traders shall form a council of 10; with each member being called a 575Please respect copyright.PENANA3ZXrbwqNXb
prince. This council shall gather in emergencies: such as war, the 575Please respect copyright.PENANA5U9QjHnnks
enactment of widespread changes, as well as to deal with any 575Please respect copyright.PENANAyYldVSCI38
grievances between the princesIf any trader or isle within the trade575Please respect copyright.PENANArtHZUMmqvT
union territory is attacked all princes must come to the defense 575Please respect copyright.PENANAQyu12UYDSa
Declaring war on foreign bodies is forbidden. If any trader or 575Please respect copyright.PENANA0JDQPUjUIt
prince is found doing so they will be stripped of their goods and 575Please respect copyright.PENANAxA1QX6TIpo
factories and will have to contend with the war on their own.All magic 575Please respect copyright.PENANAKw2oIJnGDM
is illegal and practitioners will be prosecuted575Please respect copyright.PENANA9rySjP6Enp
We are traders, not warlords. We thrive on income and civility, not chaos and murder.575Please respect copyright.PENANAyWIjK9i1HR
'The union codex, rules the traders abide by.'575Please respect copyright.PENANArtZVbhc8B2
___________________________________________________575Please respect copyright.PENANAqsTqRVZ2cv
575Please respect copyright.PENANAMjRy0xlDcN
David has been in jail 575Please respect copyright.PENANAHQAN0lEMtq
before, a flying jail, a jail on the ground ground. All kinds and types.575Please respect copyright.PENANAorauN0d11o
Honestly he felt kind of at home when he woke up on the cold hard floor575Please respect copyright.PENANAGkwQIywO4H
of a ship to metal grates wishing him good morning.575Please respect copyright.PENANAYCz7M2dpFk
The cell was big enough 575Please respect copyright.PENANAJjyxGtIub5
for him to stretch his muscles and walk around a bit. He checked his 575Please respect copyright.PENANAW3cKxGgNq7
back pocket where kept Boyle's pendant but it was gone, good riddance. 575Please respect copyright.PENANADKcqwTXpOz
Luckily David didn't have any other belongings on his person and the 575Please respect copyright.PENANASbO68qhWIZ
guards graciously allowed him to keep his clothes.575Please respect copyright.PENANAyCGn0R5pCH
David didn't even 575Please respect copyright.PENANAbxJxBXlwux
contemplate shouting, as it usually invited a guard and when you're the 575Please respect copyright.PENANAFq5BNXlfmo
one in the cell why would you want a guard to be nearby. So David did 575Please respect copyright.PENANAjIlQOgb42o
what any sane person in his situation would, he went back to sleep on 575Please respect copyright.PENANAN757kryoEb
the bed hanging from the metal wall. 575Please respect copyright.PENANAuv2OcT82S5
Sadly event the best 575Please respect copyright.PENANAAXaFOFbN7R
plans sometimes fall apart and it was the case here, as he couldn't fall575Please respect copyright.PENANARJtMTRdLOk
asleep. There was something akin to ringing in his head, a feeling that575Please respect copyright.PENANAqSHf7AdAIu
something was close, similar to something he feels when he's near 575Please respect copyright.PENANAMEgkyiBrH9
Francesca. Soon enough David heard the sound of doors moving and he 575Please respect copyright.PENANAtcu57Cfr3E
opened one, the only one that was working, eye. Through his eye he could575Please respect copyright.PENANAVJukyF8XgH
see two guards carrying...something big, leaving a trail of blood. Now 575Please respect copyright.PENANAYl38PsXrvn
while David didn't get a good look that did seem to eerily look like Gob575Please respect copyright.PENANAzbVcYnJvOq
or at least what David wished Gob would look like. Either way that was 575Please respect copyright.PENANAjFctMUkffS
enough to get his attention and he stood up, as the guards locked the 575Please respect copyright.PENANAIswEZDfMY7
cell next door.575Please respect copyright.PENANAGsTXUkgyww
Another soldier came up 575Please respect copyright.PENANA6jbRUzd8kV
to David's cell, and David recognized him as the one who was trying to 575Please respect copyright.PENANADKZr75YjEC
talk Gob down. The officer gestured at the soldiers and they quickly 575Please respect copyright.PENANAWhRv7OJoG5
unlocked David's cell, who promptly presented his hands in submission. 575Please respect copyright.PENANANmsfAdBkHm
Sadly the guard didn't seem to care as one of them punched David in the 575Please respect copyright.PENANA7ijwFbSBlt
gut and the other handcuffed his hands, putting them behind David's 575Please respect copyright.PENANAKMTQFps7i5
back.575Please respect copyright.PENANAB0ik4PEHwE
While David would've 575Please respect copyright.PENANACCS2hSIEps
preferred everyone to be civil, his mind was too preoccupied with one 575Please respect copyright.PENANAtwkBWaaK31
fact, the tug was definitely stronger when closer to the officer. It 575Please respect copyright.PENANAS5cFE4NyPS
seemed he was the other chosen, David was hoping there were more as 575Please respect copyright.PENANAAitVdho3XU
Jesters words came back to him. 575Please respect copyright.PENANA4344K9tkb1
The walk itself didn't 575Please respect copyright.PENANAWt8capcB3b
last long as they arrived in a room with a table and two chairs, on 575Please respect copyright.PENANAt1J2pxGAq1
opposite sides. It was downright friendly if you ignored the blood 575Please respect copyright.PENANA64MEiIyEBe
splatters all around the room.575Please respect copyright.PENANAV6QPwjhnfb
David was put into the 575Please respect copyright.PENANAEmLW18O3xj
chair further away from the door and his hands attached to the handles. 575Please respect copyright.PENANA7vpmqKYvzs
The officer motioned for the guards to leave them and took a sit at the 575Please respect copyright.PENANA6WwGENcqHJ
other chair, staring into David's soul.575Please respect copyright.PENANAUshE2OSUDd
"Who are you?" So the questioning has started.575Please respect copyright.PENANAC3oC1aGwj0
"I'm David, the rebels 575Please respect copyright.PENANACafBOQTsEF
have caught me and took me hostage. I would like to..." before he could 575Please respect copyright.PENANAnpmwfeGDJe
finish the interrogator held his hand out to stop David.575Please respect copyright.PENANAwHeBp5QcJE
"Where are you from?"575Please respect copyright.PENANAQDStO5lcgx
"The Isle Commonwealth, Capital isle. I was..." again the hand came out. And notes were made.575Please respect copyright.PENANASxdd1dzM5t
"Why were you meeting with the trade union?"575Please respect copyright.PENANAr298i6ZSMz
"Didn't you hear me? I'm a hostage they didn't share anything with me!" David was adding agitation to his voice. The man nodded575Please respect copyright.PENANAftMEge3Ik8
"Where did the rebels move?"575Please respect copyright.PENANAr3Iimqjcky
"Gods, we're not getting575Please respect copyright.PENANAFxVT951EOX
anywhere here. I'm not a rebel. I was just captured by them if you want575Please respect copyright.PENANA3HQGAgJdvh
to know names I'll give you them! I owe them no loyalty."575Please respect copyright.PENANAGwiZzmKAM6
"We know the rebellion 575Please respect copyright.PENANASnBtlwt2zS
is led by Francesca Horrikh. He second in command is Gob D'Fortez. With 575Please respect copyright.PENANAdI7AGvHzox
the help of officers chosen by them they lead the rebellion..."575Please respect copyright.PENANAJnwWSsz3mt
"Well if you know all 575Please respect copyright.PENANAWoHQi4MGjL
that then why are you asking me? Go ask Gob you have him here!" David 575Please respect copyright.PENANA7TQIquSe3q
interrupted the officer, acting more agitated and scared. Act clueless 575Please respect copyright.PENANAswXyUd7YVb
make them doubt themselves. Sadly that tactic didn't seem to be working 575Please respect copyright.PENANAiTsucL4Lwm
on the imperial soldier.575Please respect copyright.PENANArR1ki41MNv
"I wanted to make this 575Please respect copyright.PENANAOcSmJ7KJ4T
civilized, sadly you don't seem to want to answer my questions and I've 575Please respect copyright.PENANA1GJF4gsBBp
no time. If you truly are but a simple hostage then you have my 575Please respect copyright.PENANACKXfdDeNex
apologies. My name is Fernand Schumah and if you so wish you can curse 575Please respect copyright.PENANAt9BAhmC2Ak
my name in the afterlife." Fernand gathered his notes, got up and was 575Please respect copyright.PENANAXsqGURLO9E
about to leave the room. David had an idea of what was about to happen 575Please respect copyright.PENANAggyXRMXaeT
but judging by the blood on the floor he wanted no part of it.575Please respect copyright.PENANAOkWznIRmAE
"Wait wait!" Fernand 575Please respect copyright.PENANAyeE5cw0Jf8
paused. "I've heard them mentioning moving to a different isle, one of 575Please respect copyright.PENANA20L3jK2Ty4
their previous hiding spots. I don't know where exactly...or how."575Please respect copyright.PENANA1DoRXkvOv6
Fernand was shaking his 575Please respect copyright.PENANA1b37kbXZU3
head. "Useless, we guessed they would move to a different isle, we can't575Please respect copyright.PENANAqBZfiJNhyp
keep guessing where." Fernand paused "We can't risk you knowing where 575Please respect copyright.PENANAjpuNigoxpN
they went, my apologies." For what it was worth Fernand seemed genuinely575Please respect copyright.PENANATOv5y0cYnr
sorry. But David was close to panicking now. Torturers were sadists by 575Please respect copyright.PENANAOkjHguUgg1
nature, they wouldn't care about anything but the screams they elicit. 575Please respect copyright.PENANAQYosdMDKSx
"Did you have any strange dreams? Someone telling you to do, or find, something?"575Please respect copyright.PENANAhTgmLJaM0R
That made Ferdinand 575Please respect copyright.PENANAiJUj1fnyi2
pause and sit back; David could finally see a flicker of emotion on the 575Please respect copyright.PENANAW2KVn2Da8y
man's face. "Why would you know about that?"575Please respect copyright.PENANA3CfZK6yq68
Fernand wasn't denying 575Please respect copyright.PENANAPFVBLSW2JJ
it, David was glad of that. "I had a dream like that as well, and so did575Please respect copyright.PENANA47P0cGF5sW
the rebellion leader, Francesca. Apparently they're The Five trying to 575Please respect copyright.PENANAtA2B2bXEWV
get us do something." 575Please respect copyright.PENANAEn9WqLhTiQ
"Blasphemy, he 575Please respect copyright.PENANA2rtoQUUXU3
introduced himself as such but is most likely a demon. A noble should 575Please respect copyright.PENANAZiqXQ8PzVU
know better." Fernand dismissed, but didn't immediately stand up.575Please respect copyright.PENANA8CAfSoNDvr
"Are you also going to tell you don't feel a tug when you're near me? Or what about the fact that we had the same dream" 575Please respect copyright.PENANAT0SBtF8Rvu
"Demons tend to plan 575Please respect copyright.PENANAgYA6Rmbypk
elaborately for their objectives." Fernand paused and sighted. "But 575Please respect copyright.PENANAmj5Y5ADEjH
let's say it's true, what did your vision ask of you?"575Please respect copyright.PENANAaASKT5p4Ku
"To find something, he 575Please respect copyright.PENANA7vktjrOJxE
wasn't specific." David was afraid of that, Francesca's vision seemed to575Please respect copyright.PENANAN5VxckAYRR
be pretty clear on what she had to do and David was sure it was the 575Please respect copyright.PENANALyncTnywMq
same for Fernand.575Please respect copyright.PENANADLkPOrwKG0
Fernand was about to say575Please respect copyright.PENANA2Pe4NkZfa0
more but shook his head. "All this just makes you more suspicious. You 575Please respect copyright.PENANA5OsgsvjTm1
knew of Francesca's visions, which means she trusted you enough to 575Please respect copyright.PENANAFrnUAymrPr
reveal that. Unless you know of a way of how I can feel Francesca as I 575Please respect copyright.PENANA4yT27h8vPR
feel you from a distance, the apparitions and their orders are useless."575Please respect copyright.PENANA3iO4zvOIZw
David quickly rummaged 575Please respect copyright.PENANApUd77H2FmU
his brain on what else he could use to hook the soldier. "She'll be back575Please respect copyright.PENANAKImjK9WXxf
to the last isle, the one you just attacked. She seemed keen to find 575Please respect copyright.PENANAKSJ3h8Vmci
something on it. If you manage to find that something first you'd be 575Please respect copyright.PENANAUI7dyFcYyC
able to trap her."575Please respect copyright.PENANAEXpXXiAq6Q
"And you know what it was or where I can find it?" 575Please respect copyright.PENANA0mghqJZQu5
"I just know it's on the previous isle. But I'm sure I can find it!" David said pleadingly, most of the acting gone by now.575Please respect copyright.PENANAKcFMblK5pj
"And how will you do 575Please respect copyright.PENANA386eritmG3
that? That isle has an expansive underground system.. It was lucky we've575Please respect copyright.PENANAxsinSuEg8M
managed to find you in the first place." Shaking his head Fernand got 575Please respect copyright.PENANAa2phs4ToR0
up. "Enough delays, you seem to know more than you're telling me this 575Please respect copyright.PENANA96VkI9rVui
little chat proved it beyond a doubt."575Please respect copyright.PENANA7exFHZ579m
"But I don't! I really 575Please respect copyright.PENANAZIQqv0M3fs
don't! I told you everything I know!" David was shouting, the whole act 575Please respect copyright.PENANAasoXDx3Sz2
gone, torturing isn't something one came back fully from.575Please respect copyright.PENANAoWv0tFkYQR
"Ah captain Schumah, a 575Please respect copyright.PENANAHX8bX6qCPK
pleasure as always." Came a jolly voice from the outside as Fernand 575Please respect copyright.PENANAnpc0FYaCC0
opened the door and left the room. A tall man came in shortly. Wearing a575Please respect copyright.PENANAgO7CiGfrhF
mask to hide his identity but still revealing his teeth, half of them 575Please respect copyright.PENANAnItCAkl9ZC
black. 575Please respect copyright.PENANAlgB0xp9JcH
"Well, well. What do we 575Please respect copyright.PENANAGviK7kiRo9
have here?" The man asked as he deposited a bag on the table. Coming 575Please respect copyright.PENANAJWNPTwsBYs
closer to David and investigating his burn scars.575Please respect copyright.PENANAOCw9rLIVJn
"Look, I swear to all 575Please respect copyright.PENANA33Yio7pmxk
gods. I don't know anymore. I'm..." his jaw was shut violently, causing 575Please respect copyright.PENANAR4uojlF62u
his teeth to hurt and gums to bleed. 575Please respect copyright.PENANAvl6r88ZJCx
"We will find out if you575Please respect copyright.PENANAmD2IOVimHF
do or not. Everyone is honest in front of the almighty god of pain." He575Please respect copyright.PENANASA3WbUcxEk
cackled at that. But then gave David a dissatisfied look. "Cheer up; by575Please respect copyright.PENANAjttCg5ZcjC
the time we're done here, we'll be good friends."575Please respect copyright.PENANAJtiq4iDwOt
David struggled against 575Please respect copyright.PENANAO0UXWX37vB
his bonds. But it was of no use, both his arms were attached to the 575Please respect copyright.PENANAc0tQ8RMZwo
chair with metal bonds, while the chair itself was fastened to the 575Please respect copyright.PENANAFNH6W9MCaC
floor. No matter how much he tried to buckle it didn't move an inch575Please respect copyright.PENANAT3hEyQe35r
"Now how should we 575Please respect copyright.PENANADQDDrJT4Gh
start? With this?" The torturer took out a saw but then shook his head. 575Please respect copyright.PENANAObV0fnAGf1
"No too early, need to warm up first." He rummaged in his bag for a 575Please respect copyright.PENANAEpLJE6vGqi
while longer but then stopped and looked at David. "You know, I was 575Please respect copyright.PENANAv5IzBGiTCA
supposed to get three bodies. One was already dead so I couldn't have my575Please respect copyright.PENANAws3w8GE2pT
fun, the other one barely made any sound while I was having my fun, 575Please respect copyright.PENANA2u6U09QtyX
such a bore. So you my friend, I will definitely need to take my time, 575Please respect copyright.PENANAZ8ljrarOTc
with you. Make sure to scream for me." He gave David a crooked smile, as575Please respect copyright.PENANAK8hO8DCR3Z
he pointed a long finger straight at David's chest.575Please respect copyright.PENANA3EvL661UcT
Before David could reply575Please respect copyright.PENANAbpFaOVEu4W
he smelt something burning under his nose, without registering the 575Please respect copyright.PENANAr8VYtx5nEU
pain fully he saw smoke coming from the finger, then the pain hit him, 575Please respect copyright.PENANAHUxgwG6OYl
and he screamed.575Please respect copyright.PENANAfdjRpdIFU8
The torturer 575Please respect copyright.PENANAD3RLHyJbbT
clapped."Perfect!" He was practically jumping with glee. "Magic! How 575Please respect copyright.PENANAQmMgF65EUa
could I forget, you must forgive me, I should've just started off with 575Please respect copyright.PENANA0qOpwVZTL0
this."575Please respect copyright.PENANACk9cZXI4dW
The torturer moved his 575Please respect copyright.PENANA7Xkz3aB4eV
finger away from David's chest, but the pain didn't fade. Before David 575Please respect copyright.PENANA4r6PuTgAQC
could catch his breath, the burning finger was jabbed into his forehead 575Please respect copyright.PENANAJvpzfneXyN
and he screamed again. "Hahahah! And they say magic can't affect 575Please respect copyright.PENANAFZXrlvhQvb
humans. Even if you can't control the mind or heal wounds directly with 575Please respect copyright.PENANAJcXlZqWH22
magic, you can easily control or brake with the power of magic, don't 575Please respect copyright.PENANAhfRBGoVaxG
you agree?"575Please respect copyright.PENANAKuoTXahJDI
The torturer stopped his575Please respect copyright.PENANA5wtL6ZWCYD
smile and coked his head. "Oh, that reminds me, I should ask you 575Please respect copyright.PENANA1xucG35PO6
questions. Now what should I ask, I believe the good captain left me a 575Please respect copyright.PENANAenzj9gYBI3
list?" He took out some papers from his bag and gave them a quick glance575Please respect copyright.PENANAwkEfohqd2g
before discarding them on the floor. "Ah yes. Where did the rebellion 575Please respect copyright.PENANAhaPJvEqyJ8
go?" 575Please respect copyright.PENANAWEYUdEzC1V
David was trying to 575Please respect copyright.PENANASzsNObQIMG
formulate an answer, a lie, a scathing rebuke, anything but his mind was575Please respect copyright.PENANA3T0b2XPAMM
too muddled to think of anything. The torturer nodded. Smiling "Now I 575Please respect copyright.PENANAMTB21C6soC
guess saying you can't heal directly with magic is a lie, you can 575Please respect copyright.PENANAy1x9BiOWpS
cauterize your wounds! For example..." The torturer waved his hand and 575Please respect copyright.PENANAGtKYH1X0ke
David felt pain coming from his right arm, as he looked down he could 575Please respect copyright.PENANAdtc66nz9gi
see three of his fingers crushed, bone protruding. David couldn't even 575Please respect copyright.PENANAOcdpNrMhiF
let out a scream before fire overtook his hand, burning it to a crisp.575Please respect copyright.PENANABR0q3fUxRC
"See, the bleeding stopped!" The torturer loved and David added his scream to this symphony of horror.575Please respect copyright.PENANA6LWttrzIej
Then suddenly David was 575Please respect copyright.PENANA9ERW21cXsB
his with a force of cold water strong enough to brake his nose as it 575Please respect copyright.PENANA3Z8wDmOQmr
made contact with his face. "Where are the rebels?" The torturers voice 575Please respect copyright.PENANA2C6ablznaK
changed, becoming more matter of fact. That mad glean from his eyes 575Please respect copyright.PENANAg4d9dodc3A
gone, David almost believed that the whole thing was an act. "I...I 575Please respect copyright.PENANAKLyuztZPFe
don't know."575Please respect copyright.PENANApUIkbb3jvp
The torturer nodded and smiled again, the glean coming back. "Good."575Please respect copyright.PENANArglEHa8AwZ
"Now, while magic is 575Please respect copyright.PENANAHasLPR6X8P
amazing, variety is important as well. Wouldn't want you getting bored 575Please respect copyright.PENANAn2ty0FJrSD
in your seat there." The torturer gave David a smile and pulled out some575Please respect copyright.PENANAxlNo8YRyi0
pliers out of his bag. "Nails are pretty useless, aren't they?" He 575Please respect copyright.PENANAShMStKpcHz
tapped Davids fingernails with the pliers. "See it as me doing you a 575Please respect copyright.PENANA88lB2aupdz
favour." The first nail was ripped, it was a weird feeling for David as 575Please respect copyright.PENANAnlHnvbKIKK
he didn't feel pain at first, but then as the open skin was exposed pain575Please respect copyright.PENANAsLtogOWJhM
came and David screamed for someone to help575Please respect copyright.PENANAbwbJRRwNFT
~no one will come.~575Please respect copyright.PENANAaTW2Mm2GQF
After pulling out all 575Please respect copyright.PENANA7L8lgmO7Mx
the nails, David could hear the pliers hitting the table. His vision was575Please respect copyright.PENANAwrIOhSdPr5
blurry he couldn't see or hear anything, only pain existed. "ull out 575Please respect copyright.PENANAfdHuygGW8L
teeth, but that's what everyone does. A hammer...." David could only 575Please respect copyright.PENANAFcsOla6W4e
hear bits and pieces of what the torturer said. He then felt his mouth 575Please respect copyright.PENANAW20E8aLjeO
being opened. David tried to resist, he truly did, but he didn't have 575Please respect copyright.PENANAFm8ECzhKKR
the strength nor the will to do anything substantial. David then sensed 575Please respect copyright.PENANAhvejxgz6br
something metal and cold in his mouth, touching one of his back teeth 575Please respect copyright.PENANAvrRpVdcYYc
and then pain and the taste of blood on his tongue, slowly filling his 575Please respect copyright.PENANAlw71th1Z9D
mouth and dribbling on the floor. The scream came soon after, as David 575Please respect copyright.PENANAGK48n9yTej
could only think of the pain, with only a small part hoping that someone575Please respect copyright.PENANANx0B7f0f1Z
would rescue him.575Please respect copyright.PENANAjTifsHwPyY
~no one cares.~575Please respect copyright.PENANAP1Mt5o4wZU
Next few moments were a 575Please respect copyright.PENANAKrvSeOQBdv
blur, David was sure the torturer did something else, but he had no idea575Please respect copyright.PENANAzsmkV7op28
what. Until finally the pain was too much and David lost consciousness.575Please respect copyright.PENANAsiDPNGJAii
Thoughts that no one came and cared ringing in his mind as a constant 575Please respect copyright.PENANArRJcWiiGc4
companion in the darkness.
575Please respect copyright.PENANAQmSdgmWESz
575Please respect copyright.PENANATL9L29ZHsf