Utrid chuckled, a touch of unease in his voice. "You're clever, but I don't want denial. I want you to tell me exactly why you were here. Most slaves and servants here know Lord Tarr's hunting routine. I'm not buying that someone told you to come here."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Pratik wished Utrid was as stupid as Tarr. Or, at least, wished that he'd actually bothered to think up a strong alibi before he came in. He'd been banking on the assumption that he either wasn't going to be caught or that if anyone caught him it would just be another slave. He hadn't considered Utrid would be skulking around the study as well.
Part of him thought he should switch his story suddenly. To sheepishly admit he was here for something relatively innocuous that would get passed off as harmless mischief. He was sure it'd be harshly disciplined, but he could probably get away with it.
But nothing was coming to mind.
Why would he be in Tarr's study, if he really was just a young, stupid slave boy?
"I think I got pranked, sir," Pratik said, allowing his anxiety to creep into his voice as well as body language. He could stay calm. But it seemed a better strategy to seem like a nervous little idiot rather than someone who had his shit together. "Send the new guy to look stupid. I don't think anyone meant any harm by it, sir. And now I know better, sir."
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"A prank is a rare occurrence in this Keep," Utrid mused, then took Pratik by his collar. "Let's go find this prankster together, shall we? You point him out to me."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
"Yes, sir." Pratik cowered, but did his best to be submissive so that Utrid wouldn't be too awfully rough with the collar. Hopefully.
Pratik hated the position Utrid was putting him in. But he couldn't figure out how to get out of it. He desperately hoped that he'd find a way to distract Utrid along the way, but he wasn't going to hold his breath. Something told him that Utrid was going to see this thing to the very end -- to flaying him, or whatever sorry sod Pratik pointed out to him.
He swallowed hard, feeling like a dick as he decided on what he had to do. If Pratik had to sacrifice someone to save himself... it was going to be Janek. Pratik hoped they didn't cross paths.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
Utrid guided him to the passage and shut it, then led him to the door. "You came in with the last shipment, is that correct?"
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Pratik made a mental note of how the passage closed, but made sure he didn’t look for too long. “Yessir.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Where were you taken from?" Utrid asked as he marched Pratik down the hall. He wasn't a particularly tall man, but he was of a good build and weight for a man in his fifties. His head was bald on top with a bushy gray mustache stretching from under his nose to either side of his chin. He had a haggard face, but his blue eyes were alert and watchful.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Pratik swallowed hard, Adam’s apple pressing against his collar. He felt like a school boy getting hauled to the principals office. At least, how he imagined that must feel. Seeing as he’d never been a student.
“The north, sir,” Pratik answered, wishing desperately that the conversation would be over.
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Further north than here? The Far North?" Utrid raised an eyebrow. "You don't look like a tribesman." He entered a stairwell, taking them up instead of down.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
Pratik wasn’t sure he liked the fact that we were going up. But he also knew he had no choice.
“I don’t much know my roots,” Pratik admitted. It was anyones guess where his shitty parents were from. “Just know where I was when it happened.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"And where is that?" They reached the top of the stairs. The hall was cold and unlit by torches; only a few windows shed light on the dusty stones.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
(Oh hecc I did not pay attention to this map when I said that aha)
This was a murder shack.
Utrid wasn’t taking him to see the other slaves. He was taking him to a place with no witnesses.
Pratik had the distinct feeling that he was about to get shanked.
“Isri,” Pratik said. “It’s a small town on the coast. Tiny.”
(If you want me to change that I can. Just making stuff up since there’s not actually a north on this map haha)
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"Ah." Utrid led him to the very end of the hall to a closed door with a rusted knob. "And who was the slave that took you?" He placed his free hand on the door to push it open.
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
He was definitely about to get shanked. He tensed.
“I think his name was Nasa, sir.”
"u and rina are systematically watering down the grammar of yws" - Atticus "From the fish mother to the fish death god." - lehmanf "A fish stole my identity. I blame shady" - Omni [they/he]
"So it was a one-stop trip for you." He opened the door. "In here. Come on, now."
"The Imperial need for control is so desperate because it is so unnatural. Tyranny requires constant effort. It breaks, it leaks. Authority is brittle. Oppression is the mask of fear. Remember that." -Karis Nemik
