Hang Time

There are few things in life quite like dealing with necromantic withdrawals (taking life is a bit of a drug, just it hurts when you're doing it, you get weird mental imagery, and then you feel all used up afterward, so its the worst drug ever), its even better when you have to do it hanging from a wall stark ass naked.  And by better of course I mean worse. I felt better and younger which was a nice comfort from the extreme discomfort of hanging FROM A FEAKING WALL! They had shackled my wrists from behind and hung the chain on a hook, so my arms were sore, my back hurt, and I couldn't sleep at all. Not that I could sleep having to sort out the crazy memories of the ambassador. The good news for the emperor was he was the highest person in his organization as best as I could tell, when they had captured him it appeared like they had also gotten most of his entire group, I had no idea why he didn't just tell them that.  Unfortunately memories aren't exactly like feelings, so his motivations for the end of his life were a mystery to me.

One thing was clear though, the current emperor got their by bloody coup and it had upset a lot of people.  I also knew that Rojove was his right hand man in the coup (which lead me to wonder why Rojove was just a Colonel? I guess he liked the sound of it). The old emperor wasn't much better, but having his entire family poisoned at a royal dinner was a bit flare for the dramatic. It didn't really help me though since again chained to a wall.  Also from my limited attempts at it, the chains were antimagic, which made sense, I mean they knew I was a necromancer, it makes no sense to leave me my abilities. Hours passed in my cell, the flickering oil lamp light swinging overhead was my only friend, at some point I began singing, eventually I was joined by Rojove, I could see the door beyond my cell was pretty much like the one I'd seen yesterday just a desk and a chair.

"You sing terrible."

"What can I say I'm out of practice." I was out of practice, but its not like I always wanted to be a bard or something.

"Ahh yes your mouth, Malcyr's reports did mention you had a tendency to run on, so I'll be brief, did you discover more traitors in your interrogation?" Malcyr's reports? I didn't even think about that, obviously he was filing them, and that would explain why they didn't ask Morley, I felt all dumb for thinking he was involved when I had previously associated with a member of Ronerawth's own military.

"He was the leader, from what I saw when you captured him you killed most of his group, though without context of the people other than spotty memories I really couldn't tell you who they might have been, but he appeared to be the leader."

"We thought as much, but its nice to have confirmation." He went to leave, I was a bit perplexed, I mean I assumed they'd screw me over, I just didn't realize it would be right away like this.

"Just going to leave me hanging around like this?" My voice sounded more desperate than I intended.

"I considered it, but you could prove useful in rooting out the rest of the traitors." He went through the smaller room and banged on the door to the outside, a couple uniformed soldiers came with him and lifted me off my chain prison.

"Leaving on the shackles where's the trust?"

The colonel laughed and his men escorted me out of my makeshift prison and into the smoke filled world beyond.  I was brought back to my room from before but remained shackled, so now instead of living quarters it had become a new padded prison.  I couldn't say it was unexpected, the soldier remaining in the room to watch over me was a bit more offputting, as were my missing sword and any items I would have used to break the shackles.  At least I wasn't hanging though, small favors in the face of huge pains in my ass.