STEEL AND FLESH

UNDISCLOSED SPIES

King Lauihnio and the captain made for the entrance to the dungeon.

Beyond the large Boulder was a dark walkway with multiple torches positioned strategically providing light along the walkway that was covered with broken stones and moss.

At the end of the walkway they branched left, walking along a path that was characterized by twisted trail leads, pillaged rooms and cells that contained prisoners. Suddenly they are able to sight Lord Garthine Polion beside a large iron door. With king Lauihnio being a few paces away from him Lord Garthine Polion bowed his head. "Greetings my king."

"So have you been able to get a word out of him?" The king looked anxious.

"I am afraid not my king." His tone showed some element of resentment. "It is either he is stubborn enough to keep the secret with him or he doesn't know the identity of these spies. But my king we have done everything we could to get this man to talk but we haven't gotten anything reasonable from him." Garthine Polion whispered.

On hearing this the king grunted in anger. "Now don't you tell me that, I know this man knows the identity of these spies and I will make sure he vomits that information - where is he?" Lord Garthine Polion opened the large iron door.

"In here my king." He said.

The cell was stuffy and smelly as a result of the extremely poor ventilation. The fire torches that were lit on the three braziers made the color of the room orange and filled with heat making all men present at the cell excrete enormous precipitation through the pores of their skin making them look shiny like they bathed with oil.

Bongan laid there in the midst of five Bauthinian soldiers with a red swollen face, eyelids nearly shut with strands of hair falling from the front of his forehead in thin clusters.

Wearing only an already blood stained subligaculum, he was immobilized by the chains that bundled his both hands and feet. "Ahhhh." He groaned after a lash of whip landed on his back which was battered with blood, bruises and blisters. He moaned feeling extreme pain as a result of the lashes he received on his back.

"I wonder what it would cost you to spit the names out you Elerian." One of the soldiers said menacingly. With the emotionless expressions on the faces of the soldiers, they circled around Bongan.

King Lauihnio was angry, he had not expected it to come this far, he expected the names of the spies to be revealed the next time he got a message from Garthine Polion. He bent toward Bongan.

"You proved you were stubborn, this is what you got. However I don't think you understand how important the identity of this spies are to me, for the security of my people." He said.

"I told you I do not know the identity of this spies." Bongan grunted in resentment. King Lauihnio drew some breath in and stood up straight.

"However since this method does not work, let's try another method, you tell me who the spies are, I will reward you with four hundred yaserii coin, one gram of gold and servants, cattle, sheep, horses, you would go back to Eleria richer than you ever were - just tell me the names of these bloody spies, that is all." The king said.

Bongan sniffed and supporting himself on one elbow he looked at king Lauihnio's eyes. "King Lauihnio, I am a soldier, I have done things both bad and good, I have soiled my hands in blood, I have lied, for my family, for the country which I pledged alligence to, even for my very life, but I swear by Oridon's mace, I am not lying now." He grunted gritting his teeth.

On hearing this, the king burned with anger, he gritted his teeth. "Soldiers, flog him till the truth comes out!" He shouted.

With menacing looks the burly soldiers who circled around Bongan took turns to whip him like predators hunting down their prey.

Garthine Polion was uncomfortable at the sight because he knew there would be consequences, extreme consequences, he wondered if there was any sense in what king Lauihnio was trying to do which however did not deliver the desired results they wanted, frowning his face he moved to king Lauihnio.

"My king, I hope you are aware that if this man dies in our hands we would not only have to worry about King Brothlander but king Waigni as well." He said.

"Garthine Polion, I would appreciate if you let me be."

"But..."

"I will hear no more from you." King Lauihnio shot him a cold look. Garthine Polion then took a few paces away from him.

Bongan shouted, groaned and moaned in pain as the heavy lashes landed on his back. The soldiers used extreme strength swinging their whips over their heads, grunting and laughing with pleasure while inflicting pain on Bongan.

Lord Garthine Polion shook his head while he witnessed the terrible sight. He looked at the king in disgust and wondered what king Lauihnio would do if the armies of the Quanians and the Elerians were upon Bauthinia.

"Halt!" King Lauihnio ordered after he heard Bongan utter some words.

"It looks like he said something." King Lauihnio paced towards him. "You said something, I want to hear it." King Lauihnio said. "Ahhhh." Bongan grunted in pain, staring at King Lauihnio in enragement. "Don't try my patience, what did you say!"king Lauihnio yelled.

Bongan looked dizzy and he struggled to move his arms and legs shivering as he crouched on the blood stained floor.

"Cresor!" He looked up with his face smeared with sweat and blood he struggled to say. "Cresor!" The king frowned.

"Cresor!, What is cresor does anyone have an idea of what this man says?" King Lauihnio looked at his men confused at the word Bongan had uttered. The soldiers shook their heads in reply.

"Cresor means sword in Elerian." Lord Garthine Polion said dryly.

"King Lauihnio, I have told you countless times, I know not the identity of the spies you desperately seek, I know you do not believe me but weather you believe me or not, no one in this room can change the fact that I know nothing of this men." He paused then grunted in pain.