Cult AU

[keenly]

Dramatis Personae

ADIUTA
Elven Servant
Friendly but brainwashed.

MASTER INPROBUS
?????
Just a nice guy.

HARIOLUS
False Divine
Was not elected as Divine in Tevinter, so started a cult claiming himself as the true Divine.

EWAN
Praestes
Trying for promotion?

FAMULA
Human Servant
Serves Benedict.

FAMULA
Human Servant
Was forced to sever two of her fingers.

Comments

[keenly]

Colin's fight against the man holding him grows frenzied. She doesn't have to lose her fingers, not if he gets to her soon, if he's allowed to--

"LET ME HEAL HER!" he shouts. "You've made your point! LET ME HEAL HER!
PLEASE!"

[sulahnan]

In quick succession, the Famula's fingers are picked up, her hand is wrapped in a cloth, and she places the knife on the cloth so she may offer it back to the Praestes without touching it.

And Praestes, rather than allow Colin to carry on in this fashion, reaches out to grab the man's face, fingers digging into his jaw and his palm covering his mouth. The guard is controlling his own expression, only the merest flicker of contempt visible in a twitch of his lip before he turns to pick up his knife.

"Yes, he did," he answers Benedict, wiping the Famula's blood off of the knife with the cloth covering her hand. "You are the heir to a powerful bloodline, and your potential is being wasted."

[altusimperius]

"That's right," Benedict snaps, sensing how this is beginning to turn, "I am."
He points at Colin. "Don't you touch him like that. He's--"

Uhhh,

"--very important to me." When in... well, not Minrathous, but when with Minrathousians, do as the Minrathousians do.

[keenly]

The taste of the salt of the man's palm, the dig of his fingers, something cold and hot at once settles in the pit of Colin's stomach. Unable to help it, his body freezes as he finds himself once again praying to a nonexistent god that this is as far as it will go.

[sulahnan]

"We know that, too," he assures, and gestures to Colin with the knife point. "He is your incentive. Because if you do not calm down and act rationally--"

The blade finds Colin's cheek, just above the Praestes' thumb. He applies enough pressure to just barely draw blood, a single droplet following the curve of the blade to its notched hand-guard. No blood gets on Praestes' hand.

"--we will have to persuade you."

[altusimperius]

"Stop. Stop!"

Benedict holds up his hands, which he can't seem to keep from shaking. "I'm calm. I'm rational. But I want an explanation."

[sulahnan]

Surprisingly, Praestes does take the knife away from Colin's face. When he talks, his voice is smooth as an oil slick.

"Of course. We are simply trying to ensure that you're well taken care of," Gestures around them. The servants have taken up their original places beside each bath, heads bowed, hands folded. The woman who mutilated herself is shaking slightly, but dares not move a toe out of line.

Behind Benedict, the guard who had subdued him has even taken a step back.

"Once you are cleansed and dressed in fresh, clean clothes, Master Improbus will explain everything. You are our honored guest. Your...friend...will have a place as well. You'll have a chance to be part of something bigger, to live a life of ease. Don't you see? You are chosen."

[altusimperius]

"You keep saying cleansed," Benedict says warily, nearly interrupting him, "like, do you mean cleaned? Cleaning is what you do in a bath, cleansing is..."

He trails off as he looks around at the sallow, hopeless faces in the room.

"...well it's like. Getting rid of impurities." His eyes slowly wander back to the guard. "Isn't it. But there's no need for any of that, I'll take a fucking bath if that's all you want."

[sulahnan]

The guard does not look amused.

He releases Colin's face, only to backhand it immediately after.

"This isn't the time for you to press your luck with pedantry, brother Artemaeus. Just look at what you've done. Cleansing refers to the process, and cleaning the filth from your bodies is only the first stage in that process."

[keenly]

By the time his face is released, Colin's eyes have squeezed shut. Before he can even breathe, he is struck, pain flashing through his face and neck, body tensing further, heart hammering. It doesn't matter. He is a pawn in a negotiation. Blood is not trickling into his mouth already. All that really needs to happen is survival.

[altusimperius]

"Stop it," Benedict hisses, starting towards Colin and moving to grip his arm possessively.

"Fine. Cleaning. Let's do it. Just leave him alone."

He hesitates.

"...and where's Athessa?"

[sulahnan]

"Who?" Praestes nods to the Famula...Famulae? To the servants, who return to dote upon Benedict and Colin, tending softly to wrists and faces and hands.

[keenly]

Colin flinches away from the touches again, still trembling, but there isn't much he can do about this. He needs to reserve his demands for the poor elf whose fingers were severed. Still, he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt that wherever Athessa is, she's being turned into one of these poor folk.

[altusimperius]

"The elf who was with us." Benedict flinches away from the women trying to touch him, but seeing as he just said he'd comply, he tries his best to be still.

[sulahnan]

"Ah, that." He scoffs, no doubt remembering how much of a fight she put up on the other side of the wall. He takes a few steps back toward the door, gesturing to his fellow guards to take up position outside. They may have their privacy for cooperating, but they are not trusted. "It may be returned to you, if it is easily broken. Elsewise, it will be assigned to a new master."

Or die in the breaking process.

[keenly]

It's seldom that Colin thinks of murder. The last time he thought of murder, he was seventeen. If they follow through with these threats against Athessa, he can't promise he won't think of murder again.

He swallows, though his mouth is dry.

"The woman," he says hoarsely. "The--her." He points at the elf whose fingers were severed. "I beg you to let me heal her. It would show you what I can do. It was our fault, we didn't know the rules of this place. Please."

[altusimperius]

"It?" Benedict repeats, disgustedly; even at their most oppressive, the average Altus recognizes that elves have genders and personalities. Even a dog isn't 'it'.

"I insist that she be returned to me at once," he adds, figuring it can't hurt to say so, even though he doubts his request will be granted. He continues to grip Colin's arm, as much for his own security as the latter's.

[sulahnan]

"You cannot cast in this room," Praestes says to Colin, affording Benedict nothing more than an unamused glance. His patience is wearing thin. "But I'm sure Master Inprobus would be interested to see your skill as a healer. The Famula will be brought to your quarters after you are clean and clothed."

At clothed, the servant who had gathered their clothing before does so once again, scurrying off with it so there won't be any further risk of the masters touching something so unclean. The Praestes lifts the injured Famula with a rough hold on her arm and pushes her out through the door ahead of him. "If you don't want to lose that opportunity, you'll be quick."

And he leaves.

[keenly]

That's something. Shivering, Colin casts away the clothing he had put on and allows it to be taken. He could have told Praestes he couldn't cast in this room, but whatever.

"Keep her fingers!" he tells them, to make sure they understand what is meant to happen. "Bring them with her."

One of the elves comes to press a cloth to his split lip. It stings, but he doesn't make a sound. His mind takes him elsewhere as they are bathed, far from the unwanted touches, somewhere where they are all safe and Athessa is with them.

[altusimperius]

For once at a loss for words, Benedict watches them leave, then turns back to look at Colin, and then the strange servants by their bathtubs.

...fine. He'll do what they say, but only because it'll help Colin calm down, and perhaps bring them closer to Athessa.

Split

[sulahnan]

With their ablutions finished, Colin and Benedict are shown to separate rooms of the fort tower, which has been converted into dormitories. Temporary housing, until they can be trusted with something more permanent in the stronghold's sprawling town. Servants rush hither ans yon, guards move about their rotations, and with the exception of one other mage in the same garb as they were given in the baths, they see no-one who might be in a similar situation as they.

Colin's room is on a lower level than Benedict's, though they are similarly laid out. No special treatment yet. Colin is left alone to come to grips with his situation for only a brief time before the same Praestes from before admits himself, the mutilated Famula, and Master Improbus.

[keenly]

Alone and desolate, Colin is huddled on the bed, shivering. He wants his friends with him. He needs to curl up against Benedict. He needs Athessa to tell him he's not alone. He needs to tell Athessa she's not alone. But Athessa is alone, and so is he.

But being alone is, perhaps, what he needs in order to think. When backed into a corner, he's used to that corner being in a place he won't get out of. He's used to needing bargaining chips in situations where he has no one on the outside.

The door opens and he jumps, but it's only two familiar faces and one unfamiliar one. He is afraid, so he uses it, shrinking against the wall and refusing to look his captors in the eye.

[sulahnan]

The first sound from Master Improbus is not a word, but a tutting sound.

"Oh dear," he says, his voice soft. He approaches the bedside, pulling a chair along with him and angling it just so. "You have had a hard day, I understand. But before I leave you to settle in, I have been told you have something to show me."

Improbus gestures to Famula, who is unflappable despite the sheen of sweat on her brow, and bids her sit in the chair. "Ewan, if you please—"

The Praestes steps forward and places a folded cloth into the Master's outstretched hand, which is then offered to Colin.

[keenly]

It's the one trick he can always count on: tyrants want to believe their victims are easily conquered. Colin's eyes shift to the folded cloth--the severed fingers? But before he can come to that, he has to choose carefully what he does and says next. Whatever comes out of his mouth at this moment is information his captors will use against him. The things he's actually worried about are the last things he should mention or ask about: being able to see Benedict, the locations of their crystals, and above all, Athessa. He could simply remain mute, but that would suggest some level of control to his enemy.

"May I have a drink of water?" he asks hoarsely. It's perfect, revealing nothing but suggesting Colin has already been stripped to a primal level.

[sulahnan]

The Famula starts to stand, but Improbus lifts his hand to stay her and she sinks back down.

"Of course you may," Improbus says, his voice gentle and understanding. The Praestes, Ewen, stiffly pours from a pitcher from the table in the room. Hands the glass to Improbus, who passes it to Colin. "You are welcome to make yourself comfortable here."