THE THIRD MAGE 39 Interrogation

But Denaire felt Damien was trying to talk to her, as Damien, as her brother. So, Denaire silently commanded Bouncy to help her communicate with him. It was recently that she found out that she could telepathically talk to her creations in a certain radius.

"Denaire," she heard a voice inside her head, which she knew all too well, was from her brother.

"Brother Damien," she answered.

"I'm sorry. Someone made me do it. I'm sorry. I don't want to do this anymore. I'm sorry."

"It's okay brother. I completely understand. Tell me who did this to you. I didn't know that Exoshans have very powerful mind-control magicians."

"There isn't. They could only mind-control at a certain distance. But this magnitude…"

"Then who –" Denaire immediately thought of one person, the Chief Truth Examiner. Brother Damien's superior in the Truth Court.

Damien saw what his sister was thinking and agreed to it. "Yes, this connection then is special because it denies access to mind control. So, he wouldn't know about this."

"Yes, I prepared it so because I feared that they might use me instead. Pretend that you're controlling me. I will give very truthful answers. Don't worry; we have a plan to escape here. We'll let you in, somehow."

Damien agreed and to the outside world, started asking questions.

"Denaire," Damien said mechanically. "Are there still Onirons left?"

Denaire schooled her face of one whose brain was taken over by someone else; face devoid of expression and staring straight ahead. "Yes."

"Then where are they now?"

"On an island near Oniro."

The King, upon hearing the answer, erupted in rage. "But there weren't any people there! Damien, ask her where the island is."

"Denaire, where is this island located?"

"At the Aenario Sea, some nautical miles from the east coast of Oniro," Denaire replied to which made the King even more furious.

"No! There was just nothing there! Damien, ask her where could they possibly transfer. There weren't people there anymore."

"Denaire, no one was found on the island you mentioned. Do you know of any place where they could have moved?"

"No," Denaire answered robotically. "I think, they may have gone back to the mainland."

The King threw a chair in rage and walked to Denaire in huge steps. He held Denaire's chin up forcefully. It took all of her willpower to let the King hold it all the while playing doll.

"If you do not answer me truthfully, I will punish you!"

Denaire kept quiet and stared straight at the King's face though her focus was never on the face. It was as if she was looking at some faraway distance.

The silence infuriated the King even more. "Answer me!"

The King's Chief Knight interceded and reminded the King, "Your Majesty, she couldn't answer you for she could only listen to the one controlling her mind."

As if enlightened, the King pushed Denaire to the ground and went back to his seat. "Damien, ask her again."

And so Damien asked again, and Denaire answered the same thing.

The King was getting impatient. He asked his knights, "Are there Onirons left?"

The Chief Knight answered, "There still are, Your Majesty. But, we have interrogated all of them save for this girl."

"Useless!" spat the King. He leaned his head on the back of the chair and thought over some things.

"Damien," he said after a minute. "Ask her if there are other islands at the Aenario Sea."

"Denaire, are there still other islands in the Aenario Sea?"

"I don't know. As I understood, we Onirons couldn't sail in the Aenario Sea, and as such was left with areas still unexplored. The current there is strong during midday and midnight, so it is hard to travel there for long distances."

"Does she believe that there are other islands in there?"

"Denaire, do you believe that there are other islands in the sea?"

And as if for revenge, Denaire answered, "I believe so." Huh, good luck scourging the whole sea, she thought.

King Andrew stood up and ordered his knights, "Round up the sailors! Get ready for the search in the Aenario Sea by dawn tomorrow. And take her away!"

The knights quickly moved and executed the orders by the King. Denaire slumped on the floor and watched as Damien was escorted back up with the King.

Some knights took her and knocked her out cold.

***

Hiro paced back and forth in his living room for more than an hour now. He couldn't sit and stay idle knowing that Denaire was in danger. He couldn't sit still for he felt that he did nothing to ease the fear and pain Denaire might be experiencing at that moment.

His subordinates were all worried too, but they couldn't pace all at once because the general ordered them to stand at attention.

Just then, a foot soldier came running towards the general.

"General Hiro!" he yelled.

The general advanced toward the soldier. "What is it?"

"The King has finished interrogating the madam."

General Hiro's face lit up. "Oh thank the G.o.ds. So, where is Denaire now? Is she coming back here?"

The foot soldiers face fell immediately. "General Hiro, I just saw the King's knights carrying her unconscious inside the castle."