Chapter 189: Torment
Ralf and Henrietta stand there silently waiting for the other to make a move, but they are interrupted by an explosion occurring a distance away. They turn to face it and eventually spot Michael on another hilltop standing over Sheffield, who was looking thoroughly ravaged by their battle.
Ralf shakes his head and helps Tiffania up while continuing to ignore the injured Agnes, "Come, we've got what we needed. Let them clear up the mess." he states before making his way over to Michael's location with the anxious half-elf in hand.
Henrietta doesn't stop them, and instead runs to Agnes side while levitating the unconscious Louise with her, immediately beginning to cast diagnostic spells and attempting to heal Agnes injuries. Michael had already recovered the Prayer Book, so there was no point even broaching the issue, especially with her entourage exhausted or unconscious, her personal guard injured, and her best friend down for the count. For all intents and purposes, they had won this altercation, all the while dealing Tristain a serious blow that it might not recover from.
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Ralf and Tiffania eventually reach Michael, but arrive at a rather grisly scene with him standing over an utterly butchered body that could only belong to Sheffield. Her eyes had been haphazardly pried from their sockets, her ears and nose had been cut, she was missing all of her limbs, her scalp had been sliced off and tossed to the side, and there were even stab wounds in non-lethal areas.
Michael could be seen grinning down at his work, almost as if he was in bliss or some kind of fugue state. Blood covered his hands, and there were spatters of it on his face and clothes, showing just how 'enthusiastic' he had been.
"How could you do this partner! She wasn't an enemy! And I thought we agreed not to swing me at corpses! How does hacking off limbs fit into that!?" Derflinger exclaims belligerently, sticking upright in the ground next to Sheffield's body.
Michael wets his lips, "She isn't dead yet, and you're under her control. Hmph, maybe I should have learned some healing spells. I've not even begin to pay her back for what she did to me." he growls while glaring down at Sheffield.
He wasn't sure if she was still alive or not, to be honest, the occasional rise of her chest made it seem like she was breathing, but maybe that was just wishful thinking on his part?
"You're sick! What's the difference between this and that Grimpt fellow!?" Derflinger angrily retorts, clearly not amused by Michael's rationalisations.
Michale scowls at being compared to such a person, "The difference is, I would be Grimpt's victim, coming back for revenge." he says but glances over when he hears someone make a quiet gasp.
Ralf and Tiffania were standing not far from him, looking between him and Sheffield's body with disgust, wariness, and not a small measure of fear. "Michael, you-... What have you done?" the bearded warrior asks in a low tone, wishing for a valid explanation.
"He's gone mad, that's what! Take him down before he butchers another town or something!" Derflinger exclaims, but Ralf and Tiffania ignore him and continue looking at Michael.
"Be quiet, Derflinger." Michael grouses before turning to the duo, "What do you want me to say? That some unseen force made me do this? No. This was all me, she got what was coming to her." he states while giving her body a light kick.
Ralf shakes his head, "I have seen warriors consumed by bloodlust, but this goes far beyond that, Michael. It takes a twisted sort of person to be able to willingly do this to someone, even if you despise them." he gestures at the corpse, "Have you done this to more people under our noses? How many victims are there? How can we trust that you are in your right mind!?"
Michael squints in irritation, Sheffield deserved far more than what she got as far as he was concerned. Instead of debating Ralf on the sanctity of life or some other bull shit, he turns to Tiffania who had lowered the hand shielding her mouth at the sight of Sheffield, "How about you, Tiff? Do you think this was unwarranted? You've seen first-hand how this monster haunts my sleep, do you think I'm losing it as well?"
...
Tiffania shrinks slightly under Ralf and Michael's gazes, but after a moment her spine straightens as she looks with determination at Michael, "I-... I trust you. If, if you think she deserved this, then she did." she affirms, though, not daring to look at Sheffield's body.
Ralf is scandalized by this, disbelief clear on his face. "Tiffania, you would ignore him torturing to death a downed opponent? A woman no less!? This-this is madness! Abominable!"
Tiffania frowns at him, "So what!? Did being an innocent woman stop Tatiana Baschet from burning me at the stake!? Did being innocent stop the villagers from burning down my home!? No!" she exclaims, thinking back to all the times she was attacked for the crime of being born part elf. All those times she'd Erased her attacker's minds and sent them on their way, only for them to eventually come back and do the same thing. "Maybe if I'd done this to them, they'd have learned their lesson and left me alone!"
...
"I... This... I cannot be a part of this," Ralf mutters with a hand on his face, mind in overdrive. Was Tiffania truly worthy of being a Void Mage if she was willing to allow acts such as this? He didn't know, Brimir had committed genocide in the past, yet he was renowned as the pinnacle of power, honour, and kindness... "How much longer until this kind of activity becomes commonplace? Would the smallest slight welcome torture? Would any with differing opinions be a target?" he murmurs to himself, glancing at Michael. He knew of Michael's dislike of Brimir and the Brimiric faith, but seeing his actions against Sheffield just now illuminated that there were still things about Michael that Ralf didn't know about. Didn't want to know about.
With his mind in turmoil and his own faith in Brimir shaken, Ralf whistles for his dragon and jumps atop it to escape and gather his thoughts, all while Tiffania and Michael watch with slight shame mixed with determination, and indifference respectively.
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