~Day 7~
Jean and the girl that never spoke had been taken the day before, and not returned. The two days would have over taken him without Shilana. The two talked softly to pass the time, she spoke of her life, growing up in the Silver Bazaar, and he told her of his life overall, and the noises he heard coming from beyond the door. She told him of the experiments, confirming the intelligence he had seen as well as his personal assumptions. This group was not part of the church or the assassins, but rather something along the lines of an independent operation, using the various branches of the Ishgardian government to further its own agenda. Using the eyes of the inquisitors and the strength of the assassins hunting for the ex-patriots, all in exchange for this new weapon, the Void Crystal, an element that would rip the aether from anything, or anyone. She told him what it was like to be strapped to the tables in the lab. The horrors she spoke of were far worse then he thought they would be.
Through it all he tried to comfort her when Erik noticed her courage wavering. He asked, "How often have you been worked on?" She looked stunned as she counted in her head the times, surprised by the answer, "Less the twenty I think. I may have lost count." Erik followed, "What of the other two?" Shilana thought, "Jean never until yesterday, he arrived the day before you did. The girl... I don't know. She has been mostly unconscious since I arrived last week." Erik considered this, less then twenty in one week and yet Shilana, though sickly and weak, was quite a ways better then the girl. And by the sounds of Jean's screams and sudden silence, he assumed the boy either died or lost consciousness quickly from just his first taste. Considering the effect of the void shards in their cages, Erik worked out a theory. The shards for him merely suppressed his aetheric skills and silenced his sense of the aether around him. Whether this was from his bodies unique adaptations to aether, or it was the simple fact that aether was not as vital to his system as it is for say a mage. A simple way to check, "Shilana, what is your profession?" She turned toward him more directly , "I fish for a living." Erik continued to question her, "So you do not use aetheric skills in your daily life?" She shook her head, "No, not at all, unless you count breathing and whatnot."
Erik was stopped from asking more as steps echoed down the hallway and the door opened. Guards entered carrying both the girl and Jean. As usual the girl was comatose Jean was nearly as well. He looked as though he had lost fifty ponze. He was frail and babbling, "Give it back... give it back..." Erik fought the rage welling inside as he wore his calm face. Looking at the guards as they left, he waited until they had left and spoke, "Jean, JEAN! Look at me!" he called sternly but quiet. Jean rolled to face the Sultansworn, catching a gimps at all his fellow prisoners and their concerned faces. Shilana whispered, "By the Twelve... what did they do to him?" Erik's attention focused, "The same as they did to you I would wager." The mixed Roe looked back to Erik in shock, "The pain in that machine was the greatest I had ever felt, but it didn't damage so." Erik was sure now, only one question to leave no doubt, "Jean... Jean, this is important. What is your profession?" The young man struggled to speak, "What?... I'mmm... uh... I am... an apprentice... a priest... in the service of Nald'thal." Erik nodded, "A Thaumaturge, it is harming him more because he depends on aether more."
Before Shilana could answer with questions the door opened, two guards entered with Doctor Ombre behind. "Captain. I have come to look at that shoulder. The body won't heal here you know. These void crystals see to that, weakening the body's aether to a point where the immune system simply stops working." Ombre place his hand on the broken shoulder and squeezed. Erik raged within but would not give the sick Doctor the satisfaction of showing pain. "Well... its broken. I have just the thing for the pain though, so don't worry. I promise on my oath as a doctor, you will completely forget that pain in just a few minutes." The man in the lab coat turned and spoke, "Take him to the Pandora Chamber."
Jean and the girl that never spoke had been taken the day before, and not returned. The two days would have over taken him without Shilana. The two talked softly to pass the time, she spoke of her life, growing up in the Silver Bazaar, and he told her of his life overall, and the noises he heard coming from beyond the door. She told him of the experiments, confirming the intelligence he had seen as well as his personal assumptions. This group was not part of the church or the assassins, but rather something along the lines of an independent operation, using the various branches of the Ishgardian government to further its own agenda. Using the eyes of the inquisitors and the strength of the assassins hunting for the ex-patriots, all in exchange for this new weapon, the Void Crystal, an element that would rip the aether from anything, or anyone. She told him what it was like to be strapped to the tables in the lab. The horrors she spoke of were far worse then he thought they would be.
Through it all he tried to comfort her when Erik noticed her courage wavering. He asked, "How often have you been worked on?" She looked stunned as she counted in her head the times, surprised by the answer, "Less the twenty I think. I may have lost count." Erik followed, "What of the other two?" Shilana thought, "Jean never until yesterday, he arrived the day before you did. The girl... I don't know. She has been mostly unconscious since I arrived last week." Erik considered this, less then twenty in one week and yet Shilana, though sickly and weak, was quite a ways better then the girl. And by the sounds of Jean's screams and sudden silence, he assumed the boy either died or lost consciousness quickly from just his first taste. Considering the effect of the void shards in their cages, Erik worked out a theory. The shards for him merely suppressed his aetheric skills and silenced his sense of the aether around him. Whether this was from his bodies unique adaptations to aether, or it was the simple fact that aether was not as vital to his system as it is for say a mage. A simple way to check, "Shilana, what is your profession?" She turned toward him more directly , "I fish for a living." Erik continued to question her, "So you do not use aetheric skills in your daily life?" She shook her head, "No, not at all, unless you count breathing and whatnot."
Erik was stopped from asking more as steps echoed down the hallway and the door opened. Guards entered carrying both the girl and Jean. As usual the girl was comatose Jean was nearly as well. He looked as though he had lost fifty ponze. He was frail and babbling, "Give it back... give it back..." Erik fought the rage welling inside as he wore his calm face. Looking at the guards as they left, he waited until they had left and spoke, "Jean, JEAN! Look at me!" he called sternly but quiet. Jean rolled to face the Sultansworn, catching a gimps at all his fellow prisoners and their concerned faces. Shilana whispered, "By the Twelve... what did they do to him?" Erik's attention focused, "The same as they did to you I would wager." The mixed Roe looked back to Erik in shock, "The pain in that machine was the greatest I had ever felt, but it didn't damage so." Erik was sure now, only one question to leave no doubt, "Jean... Jean, this is important. What is your profession?" The young man struggled to speak, "What?... I'mmm... uh... I am... an apprentice... a priest... in the service of Nald'thal." Erik nodded, "A Thaumaturge, it is harming him more because he depends on aether more."
Before Shilana could answer with questions the door opened, two guards entered with Doctor Ombre behind. "Captain. I have come to look at that shoulder. The body won't heal here you know. These void crystals see to that, weakening the body's aether to a point where the immune system simply stops working." Ombre place his hand on the broken shoulder and squeezed. Erik raged within but would not give the sick Doctor the satisfaction of showing pain. "Well... its broken. I have just the thing for the pain though, so don't worry. I promise on my oath as a doctor, you will completely forget that pain in just a few minutes." The man in the lab coat turned and spoke, "Take him to the Pandora Chamber."
![[Image: Emblem%252520by%252520Rhea%252520Zaheela%252520x50.png]](https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-5YSh8yMniHU/VlLStr_7SSI/AAAAAAAAIQ4/qLoOmtz-Jdg/s100-Ic42/Emblem%252520by%252520Rhea%252520Zaheela%252520x50.png)
