When Freedom Isn't Free

"You're free to go Mr. Lorentino." They say this now, two weeks of
torture, and now I was free? I knew something was wrong, but you
don't look a gift freedom in the mouth (well you could but you'd be
pretty stupid). It was the beaurocrat again, the old man interrogator
apparently had something else to do.

"Why now? I mean I've still got fingernails, teeth, able to talk, clearly
there is still something that could be done to me." Ok so maybe I did
look a gift freedom in the mouth.

"You know nothing, so you're worth nothing. I'd like to apologize for
the incovenience, but I'm sure what we did to you is less than you
deserve for something else." The beaurocrat nodded to his guards
and they escorted me out (I say escorted it was more like drug out, I
wasn't really that great at standing at that point). "If you see Lady
Lorissia Lorentino, you know where we are." I was dumped outside,
it looked like I was in Zorn proper (I wasn't used to the natural
sunlight so it took me a moment, but all the spires and people
walking by keyed me in that I wasn't on the outskirts). There was a
small package near the doors, inside was my sword, money and
some food.  There also was a note "Look up the Kulinara Family",
my captors apparently were trying a new long game.  Get me
interested in the mystery and then follow me to Lorissia, it was a
smart move because I'm naturally curious, but it was a dumb move
because I get lost so easily expecting me to find anyone in a fast or
timely fashion was expecting way way too much.

I was walking down a side street when that annoying pang of guilt
hit me.  Morley was still back there, why I cared was beyond me.  He
tried to kill me all the time, he was one of Valyra's nastiest most
pliant pupils, but still being tortured isn't fair even for a dick like
Morley. I walked back and started banging on the door. No one
answered, I looked up, it appeared to be some kind of large stone
tower, I don't even know if thats where I was originally. I sat banging
for a bit, eventually I gave up and sat down next to the door.  If you
asked me why I did it, even now I can't tell you. An old man
approached me and tossed a couple coins, it was marginally
insulting.

So I abandoned Morley, I'll admit it wasn't the best effort to actually
get him back, I didn't use magic, I didn't try and kidnap someone or
cause a ruckus.  I just banged on a door and then gave up. About as
much effort as he could expect from me honestly. I didn't hang
around Zorn for very long, figured I had a better chance of spotting
pursuers/followers/anybody if I made some time elsewhere.  Zorn
wasn't the only town with records and resources, and I had a lead to
something. Though as much as I was afraid of what the Red Hand
wanted, I was doubly afraid of running into Lorissia, I still had no
idea what she was going to do to me when she caught up with me. If
she caught up with me. Yeah things were looking bad, but then
again at least I wasn't being tortured.  There's always that "Man got
hit by a bull today, but at least I wasn't tortured" its a low water
mark, but you know me I take what I can get.