The carts made their way through the city. None watched, they just went about their business. Unflinching guards stood stock still on every corner, unless trouble flared, and they suddenly sprang into action, subduing the problem. Derine couldn't be sure whether they were zombies or golems or some other construct. Zombies most likely. But flesh golems had equal weight. If they existed or something. Derine didn't know.
They came to a large building that smelt like petrol vapours both inside and out. Some of the zombie brought the carts to a building to the side, but the half-demon leader brought the prisoners inside, and bode Derine in. "Foor paaymeent" he explained.
They came to a large room, with lines drawn all around it. A pale, thin man came through some curtains, wiping his hands with a dirty cloth. "Ah, this must be the dwarf that helped with our little venture. Greetings and I thank you." Derine took the hand of the wheezing man and shook it. "Now, you will get payment immediately, but I invite you to come and watch something quite special. These are the survivors of the ambush, Chirc?" The man was canny. He knew dwarves couldn't decline an invitation so polite out of courtesy.
"Yees, Maasteer Eetuuglaa." The half-demon answered.
"Splendid, let's have a look at them." He wandered up and down the line until he came to the man in the blue cloak. The stared at each other. Derine could feel the tension. "Take this man to the dungeon and contact Miss Ilia. Someone over there will love to hear the news." The man was taken away with no struggle. The man walked back up and down the line. "Which one of you is the leader?" Derine was surprised when they automatically turned to the man on the end. A man at the peak of health, one who spent days outs of doors and ate a balanced diet. "Unchain him and bring him over there. I will deal with him later"
That left the four remaining bandits. "Unchain them." The servants that seemed to come from nowhere and go straight back unchained them. When they were free they all remained still, to Derine's surprise. They were an older man, an archer; a man of a similar age to the leader, if a bit older; a boy who had hardly escaped puberty and a woman who was no doubt his older sister, who was in the prime of womanhood. They stood, eyes barely able to keep open, breathing heavily and swaying.
"Chirc, if you could go and get the mixture ready." The half-demon left the room. The man came over to Derine. "Watch this. This was a lot of fun in my early years." He turned to the prisoners "Now, I want you to take off your garments and then kneel." He said in such away that Derine felt the tiny spark of compulsion that he should do the same, but the feeling passed. For humans, they weren't a bad looking bunch. Chirc returned with four bowls and a jug of a liquid so foul that Derine could smell it. Uncorking the bottle only made it worse. The half-demon poured the liquid into each of the bowls, filling it so it would look like it would spill if it moved. By some miracle it did not as servants placed a bowl in front of each of the prisoners. "Now," said the man, "drink, please." Again, it felt as though Derine should drink some of the substance, no matter how foul it actually was. Soon, all the bowls were empty.
For a few moments, nothing happened. Then the old man convulsed. They all started to twitch. It was the man who vomited first. It seemed the contents of his stomach tried to leave his body. Even the acid. They all started to vomit. Then blood started to come out of whichever orifice was closest. Derine quickly saw what was happening. Everything was being drained from the bodies. Water, blood, urine, faeces, semen, every liquid or waste substance. All coming out of the nearest hole and spreading across the floor, pooling around the body it had escaped from. It, by magic Derine supposed, travelled down the lines and out of the room.
When the convulsions had stopped from all four of them, Etugla leant the bodies of the two older men and whispered into their dead ears, which still dripped brain fluid. They then got up out of death and walked out the room. Chirc the half-demon stopped his master before reaching the brother and sister "Pleeaasee leeaavee theem maasteer foor mee too doo laateer. Ii waant too doo soomee...eexpeereemeents fiirst."
Etulga attempted to laugh. "Sure, I don't think that much time has passed. You'll need to reinvigorate them first. And don't forget to Rise them afterwards."
"Ii wiill noot." With a whisper into the bodies, Chirc and the brother and sister left the room. "It's best not to wonder what he will do to them. He can be a bit...hot blooded that boy. Heh." Etulga looked at the dwarf's horrified expression. "Don't worry, that's just the way I raise them. Most don't use it as it's not 'humane', but I find the Risen last longer if there aren't any fluids in the system to rot them. Now for you." He turned to the captain of the bandits. "Ah, I see I won't need to empty out your bowels. Dear, dear, dear. Now come here. You will learn the wrath of the Brotherhood."
He whispered into the ear again, something different. A horrified expression, a more horrified one, came over the bandits face. He was ageing. Slowly at first, but soon he looked like he was knocking on death's door. Etulga spoke again. "I have both released you and imprisoned you. You may no longer fear death, and fatigue will never hinder you. But you are under my control. As will ever be. Now go." The bandit, now a wight, nodded slowly and left.
"Ha. Now, master dwarf, your payment. 1,000 Krinar, was it not?" The dwarf only nodded. "Splendid. Here is your money," in a small skin pouch, "thank you once again for your help." Etulga was still smiling as he left Derine left the room.
Now what? thought Derine when he escaped that hell hole.
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