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It had been hours, by his count. Each minute marked by water that dripped from one of the slats above his head. He'd given up counting the time, the drips of water days ago when his body wasn't battered and when he had been chained with his arms above his head. They didn't bother to chain him anymore. There wasn't a point. Between the numerous broken bones, the blood dripping from cuts across his body, and the sheer exhaustion of starvation, he had no strength to fight or run anymore.
Of course, the food in front of him now was tempting, but he knew what it was laced with, and could already feel the hands on him again. Hands he had held through childhood, hands he had trusted. It was worse than the torture, worse than the pain. The knowledge that he... that Alias would do this. Zhym hadn't believed the paladin capable and yet he was.
Zhym's thoughts were interrupted by the steps. After days of this, he knew who's they were, and he lay still. He hoped, prayed that Alias would think him unconscious. Unfortunately, the trembles his body produced gave him away.
"Zhym. Eat." Though his tone was soft, it was an unmistakable order. The concern though, caused anger to flare, fire to return.
"Why." All his hate pressed into one word. One word to spell his pain and fury and hatred, to speak his agony.
"You'll starve" The creak as the cell was unlocked, the steps as someone entered, and the slam as the door to safety was once again closed. Alias reached for Zhym, to help him sit up, but his arm was knocked away, the pirate pushing himself up, ginger hair falling. They'd taken his ribbon so he wouldn't use it to choke himself. They needed him alive.
"Don't pretend to care you draconic half-wit. Don't pretend that I matter to you. That your oath matters.
The look of pain that crossed the man's face was almost worth it, but the fury that followed told the truth. It had been a mistake to say that, to anger him more than Zhym already had. But what did he care? What worse could be done? They'd already tortured him. Already handed him off to their crew as a warm body to entertain. And then Alias.
The memory was nearly enough to bring him to tears. Alias had scooped him up, promising no more pain, and given him drugged wine. Alias, who had tied his wrists down, kissed the mangled and bloodied skin like it was glass, while his hands traced every wound. Alias, who instead of helping or treating his wounds, had opened zhym up and used him until the captive fell into the black hold of sleep.
"If it weren't for me, you'd be their toy. I'm protecting you Zhym. I'm fallowing my oath. You might not understand now, but you will. You'll learn."
"Learn what?" Tiredness rang in Zhyms voice and the damn burst, his tone ending in hysteria. "Learn what! That the person I trusted is a traitor! That I was never save with you! I was tortured and you just watched!" He shouted at the paladin. He watching this monster as it listened to his words, ignoring the hurt, wanting answers, and continuing. "You raped me! Was that protecting me! Was holding me down when I struggled protecting me! Was covering my mouth when cried!" Panic entered those dragon eyes. "No! I just-" "-Just what! Just wanted to hurt me? Just wanted to break me while I begged and cried! I pleaded! I fought and begged and bargained! You didn't-Ah!"
He was cut off, struck by the back of Alias's scaled hand, blood falling from where they cut his cheek, another injury to heal. That same hand tangled in his hair and pulled, forcing him to meet Alias's eyes. "I am doing this for you.I am the only one who can protect you. And if that means breaking you, so be it."