Uphill Battle

[Dracos]

"Poorer choices?" His sarcastic nature coming out for a moment. "I suppose it was only the superior wisdom we are endowed with that lead to you being tied up on the ground in a forest listening to heresy?"

Dracos

[Brian]

"I'll listen to no more of this," the older priest groans.  "Give me death, or give me silence.  But end this mockery!  You've seduced one sworn brother enough away from the path -- I won't be another one.  Not today."

The bound knights offer their own grunts and wordless headshakes -- except for Garcia, who is still soundly out.

[Carthrat]

"Hmph. Cowards all," spits Tom, derisively. "What's your name, boy?" he queries the younger, more pliable Questioner.

[Brian]

"Quincy," he squeaks out in reply.

"You shame us," the elder priest spits.

[Carthrat]

Ignoring the head-priest, Tom starts undoing the ropes around this.. Quincy.

"My wits are mine, Quincy, but it seems my memories remain fractured. I know I was transformed by the gates.. is this a common occurence? Are there others like me across the world?"

[Brian]

Quincy nods, glancing at the other freed thralls.  "Y...you are the only thralls being trained here," he says, not quite flinching away when he's freed, but obviously very nervous.  "The rest already serve another.  More are trained in Windhurst."

[Dracos]

Dracos shook his head.  "As you wish.  But you've failed again.  You could not even convince an open minded man," He gestured to Tom, "That such fear was warrented.  You had the chance to show the wisdom of the church and yet again you squandered it.  Know though, that we won't kill you as you would have surely slain all of us.  Consider that carefully."

Dracos paused a moment in thought.  "I would know one thing, if you know of it.  Before I arrived...and before the thralls revolted, the man responsible for training them had already been murdered.  With this," he pulled forth the blade he'd taken from there, pausing but a breath to see if the man would simply be out with it.  Not expecting it though.

Dracos

[Brian]

"Wh...."  He shakes his head, blinking.  "That's steel with an anabaric-treatment," the head priest says, bewildered.  "It's illegal to.... Anabaran spies!  There are traitors among us already!  We are doomed!"

[Carthrat]

"Mmm. And, another thing.. how did you know I was from Anabara?"

[Brian]

Quincy flinches.  "I ... was at the Windhurst gate when you were being regressed," he says in a meek, frightened voice.

[Carthrat]

Tom frowns, leading Quincy away from the head priest.

"I checked some papers earlier. Every man- except for me- had a name and some crime that they had allegedly commited. Numbers from two to twenty were listed.. but no number one, which I have discerned to be myself.

"In other words, I'm asking you if you know who I am, or, at least, why."

[Brian]

"Y...you came from Anabara," Quincy says, meekly following Tom's guidance.  "I was told you were plotting to destroy us all, and ... it was for our own safety.  I know you met with the other Anabaran -- the one we had to let back through to his own sphere.  His friends were kept behind...."

[Dracos]

Dracos hid his inward pleasure at how readily the man proved to be a source of information despite his evident hostility and indoctrination, continuing to slowly push for more.

"What's more...is the man who did this seized much of the information that was kept there," He watched further.  "You know what this means," He said meaningfully.

Dracos

[Carthrat]

"That would be.. Nathan Shuker? So he DID return to Anabara.. wait, why had we come here? And why was he permitted to go back?"

[Brian]

The elder priest shakes his head again.  "It means that you're toying with me," he groans.  "They've already learned the secret of the Gates!"

Quincy winces at the elder priest's words.  "Nathan was released because he agreed to give up your location in exchange for safe passage.  Even then, the knights were prepared to seize him at the Gate itself ... and only he escaped.  Nathan alone made it back through."  He looks away.  "I don't know more about the circumstances.  I was just told you were a spy."

"One of a great many," the elder priest snarls.  "We obviously didn't do enough!"