{"id":336,"date":"2022-10-15T00:01:00","date_gmt":"2022-10-15T00:01:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/?p=336"},"modified":"2022-07-28T11:54:10","modified_gmt":"2022-07-28T11:54:10","slug":"mercenaries-tale-4-01-gratins-story","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/mercenaries-tale-4-01-gratins-story","title":{"rendered":"Mercenaries’ Tale – 4.01 Gratin’s Story"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Tales of Sin, The Mercenaries\u2019 Tale: Act Four<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Polaris<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…<\/em>How droll. The three of you here, and you each believe that together you might have the slightest of chances of overcoming me…\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was the low groan of an engine and the sound of music. Those were the first things Gratin was aware of as he clawed his way back to consciousness. His head was throbbing and his mouth was dry. If he hadn\u2019t known better then he would have thought he\u2019d been drinking. It certainly felt like something had been working away at his system, which was a foreign feeling. It usually took a lot to leave him in this sorry state; there was something about the way mages\u2019 brains were wired that made them less susceptible to outside influences such as alcohol. This didn\u2019t bode well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It took several minutes before his head felt clear enough to be able to consolidate his senses and begin taking in his surroundings. He was in some manner of vehicle, a roof over his head and the seat below him gently rocking as the vehicle manoeuvred itself across uneven terrain. He had been strapped into the seat, the belt holding him in a sitting position. Doug\u2019s bionic arm lay across the seat beside him, the hand resting on his lap. The heat he could sense beyond the confines of the vehicle informed him that they were still in the desert, an old and worn tarmac road stretching out for miles both behind and in front of them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

His friends were sitting in the front, Doug driving and Kate in the passenger seat fiddling with her music player which was currently plugged into the car\u2019s stereo system. The two were bickering.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI still wish you\u2019d let me drive,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFor the last time, no one\u2019s out here! We\u2019re not gonna get pulled over!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis car is left-hand drive. I can clearly see that you\u2019re struggling with the gear changes. You\u2019ve nearly driven into a ditch five times already,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell maybe you should\u2019ve let me take the convertible. That was right-hand drive and I\u2019m pretty sure it was an automatic!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt wasn\u2019t exactly inconspicuous,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe haven\u2019t seen anybody since the service station,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThere\u2019ll be more people around when we reach the airfield. Roaring up in that sports car would\u2019ve had all of them notice us. I\u2019ll rather keep any attention on us to a minimum. Besides, it\u2019s not like you would\u2019ve been able to keep it. Doubt they\u2019d have room on the plane for a start and I bet it had a tracker chip to boot,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIt might not have,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou know it did. It was too flash not to,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI coulda disabled it,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre we really still arguing about this?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re the one complaining about this being left-hand drive when we could\u2019ve gotten a perfectly good right-hand one,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you didn\u2019t have to drive,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCongratulations, you have gone full-circle,\u201d Gratin interrupted irritably, \u201ccan you be quiet now? You both sound like an old married couple and my head still feels very tender. I fear it may crack open like an egg at any second.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The sound of the mage\u2019s voice caused the two humans to pause. Kate then turned in her seat in order to get a good look at him, her face awash with relief.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou\u2019re alright?! I thought for sure we were going to have to try and find a doctor or some sort of magic equivalent!\u201d Gratin rubbed his head to try and ease the aching, wincing at Kate\u2019s exclamation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cQuiet voices, please. I was not exaggerating when I said I was still sore,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSorry…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI do not believe I require medical aid. Rest and a good meal should suffice,\u201d Gratin informed them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWorked for me!\u201d japed Doug, \u201cwelcome back to the land of the living, mate!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThank you.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There was a pause, the little car continuing to zip down the stretch of road, the tarmac stretching off across the horizon. It was peaceful, not another soul for miles.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gratin couldn\u2019t help but feel that something was expected of him, the Mistress watching him like a hawk over her seat\u2019s headrest and Gratin was sure that the Meatbag kept glancing at him in the rear-view mirror as well. He could feel their eyes on him, the tension palpable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gratin cleared his throat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat is our destination, exactly?\u201d he questioned, feeling somewhat uneasy by the attention his friends were giving him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAt the moment we\u2019re just hoping to get as far away from the power plant as possible. Annie thinks there\u2019s an airfield up ahead somewhere. We\u2019re meeting her and the boys there,\u201d Kate explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAre we continuing to work with them from here on out?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNah, they\u2019ve gotta get back to their bosses at New Dawn. Annie just wants to say goodbye to Red properly before they head off. No idea where we\u2019re gonna go yet. Salmanic\u2019s not too happy with us so dunno how safe going back to the City\u2019s gonna be,\u201d Doug chimed in, Kate nodding.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBeen too nervous to turn on the radio to be honest. Nobody\u2019s supposed to see inside the power plant without Salmanic\u2019s say so and we definitely did not have their say so…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI\u2019m tryin\u2019 to be optimistic myself. S\u2019not like there\u2019s much they can do now we\u2019ve seen the place and gotten away. They might send some assassins, tops, to make sure we don\u2019t talk but that\u2019s not something we couldn\u2019t handle,\u201d said Doug with a shrug.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cActually it could get a lot worse than that…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOh?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThey might try and spin it so that we end up taking the blame for the pipe bombings. It\u2019s not like anyone besides us and a handful of Salmanic employees know the truth. We might wind up with all the law enforcement they can throw at us chasing after us. Or even the PSF if their spin doctors and bribe money are good enough…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cBull, they can\u2019t get away with that\u2026 Can they?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWouldn\u2019t be the first time. They\u2019ve done it before.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTwo words; Cecilia Salmanic,\u201d Kate grimly told him. Doug frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSilverton\u2019s wife?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMmmhmm, died mysteriously three years ago. Press blamed New Dawn. Only the thing is, New Dawn were actually trying to recruit her. There was a big internal investigation, New Dawn couldn\u2019t find any evidence whatsoever that said anyone affiliated with them killed her off. Try telling that to the media though. It\u2019s Salmanic\u2019s word against New Dawn\u2019s and Salmanic\u2019s word is law. Same thing could easily happen to us, stands to reason,\u201d she summarised. Doug frowned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWould he waste all that on us? We\u2019re nobodies!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNobodies who saw Silverton\u2019s biggest secret. You want to bet on it?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAll right, yeah!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kate unplugged her music player from the stereo and turned on the radio, twiddling the knobs until she found a news report.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c-The authorities are on high alert after these terrorist attacks on the Salmanic pipeline, Salmanic themselves offering a 500,000Kr reward to anyone that apprehends the terrorists. They are believed to be armed and extremely dangerous. Approach with extreme caution. They are Katherine \u201cBlaise\u201d O\u2019Donnell, a former New Dawn terrorist; Douglas McCracken, a former PSF soldier and wanted criminal; and Gratin, a grade six fire mage believed to be using an alias. Salmanic are also offering payment for any information regarding these three terrorists-\u201d Kate shut the radio off again and turned to Doug, the \u201cI told you so\u201d clearly visible on her face. Doug\u2019s eyes were on the road, the cigarette in his mouth drooping as he mulled this turn of events over. It was an unlit cigarette, Doug merely having wanted something to chew on until he had a hand free to smoke up properly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWell Shit. My Aunt\u2019s gonna kill me… I\u2019d give you a tenner but my wallet\u2019s in my back pocket and, you know, one arm…\u201d he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel for emphasis and chuckled nervously. Kate plugged her music back in.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd that\u2019s why I didn\u2019t want to take the sports car.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlright, a twenty then,\u201d Doug conceded, causing a smile to flicker across Kate\u2019s face. Her eyeline gravitated back towards the passenger on the back seat.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOf course, we apparently have a queue of people after us now. We might have to start giving out tickets soon to keep things orderly…\u201d Gratin\u2019s head took up a sideways lean as he regarded the gunslinger. It was unlike Blaise to be cracking jokes at a time like this, although the thought of \u201cKate\u201d being a somewhat different entity to \u201cBlaise\u201d briefly crossed his mind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou seem in high spirits, all things considered,\u201d he commented. Doug and Kate exchanged a brief glance, Gratin\u2019s empathic abilities picking up a bubble of warmth enveloping the two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cDespite all the shit, the trip\u2019s been kinda therapeutic to be honest mate…\u201d said Doug, a grin on his face.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThat being said, there\u2019s still a few questions that need sorting out…\u201d Kate added. Gratin\u2019s face remained blank as the other two waited for a response from him. Doug grew impatient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cCome on Archie, it\u2019s your turn for story time! We\u2019ve both done it!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat Doug means is \u2013 and we don\u2019t want you to feel like we\u2019re bullying you into anything here \u2013 but we don\u2019t feel like you\u2019ve been entirely honest with us. In other words-\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c-What the fuck was up with those bastards that broke into the plant and tried to run off with you?!\u201d Doug \u2013 ever the one with a way with words \u2013 summarised. Kate rolled her eyes. Gratin\u2019s head drooped, the mage taking to staring at the floor.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI apologise. I had not known what Abaddon\u2019s employers were capable of…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAbaddon?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cFucked up face guy?\u201d the other two mercs spoke in unison, both equally confused.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat\u2019s that bastard got to do with this?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI thought you said he worked for the Tserulian monastery. Those did not look like mages or monks and that\u2019s putting it lightly…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI fear there may be more than one bounty on my head,\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe kinda figured that out for ourselves, Archie. How come so many people are after you? And what\u2019s a GR-whatsit anyway?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWould you believe me if I told you that I could not remember?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSeriously?\u201d stated Kate, deadpan. Gratin sighed, slumping into his seat and rubbing his face. He looked tired.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMy tale begins twelve years ago…\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u204e \u204e \u204e<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Everything was cold. Cold and wet. Thick liquid, like treacle, was all around, Gratin submerged. Something was clamped to his face, some manner of tube protruding down his throat. This fact became very apparent as the muzzy fog of sleep slowly rescinded and Gratin\u2019s eyes fluttered open.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He was floating in a tube, his arms chained to the floor. The tube was filled with a thick, bubbling gel-like substance. A mask was attached to the lower half of his face. More tubes and wires were attached to various parts of his anatomy, the other ends connected to the ceiling of his small prison.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Confused panic began to set in, Gratin pulling at his chains, the links unyielding. He began to yank more frantically, muffled cries escaping his lips. Everything before this point was blank.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why was he here?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Why was he restrained?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What was this?<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It didn\u2019t make any sense!<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The yanking turned into violent thrashing in his desperation to get loose. The liquid began to feel warmer. The bubbles increased, the chains around his wrists began to glow bright red. With one final thrust, the chain gave way, the links snapping.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

His arms now free, Gratin placed his palms on the glass wall of the tube. The glass began to melt, Gratin falling out of the resulting hole and into the dark room beyond.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The tiled floor was freezing cold against his naked flesh. Gratin lay there, panting as he attempted to catch his breath. As soon as he were ready, he reached up and grabbed the tubes running into the face mask. Grip tightened, he began to tug, the tubes currently running down his throat beginning to retreat back out into open air. They brought stomach acid with them, Gratin spewing the contents of his stomach across the floor as the tubes came free.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Breathing heavily, he looked around the darkened room, eyes settling on the open door on the far wall. After ridding himself of the other tubes and wiring, he shakily tried to stand. It took a couple of attempts, Gratin stumbling, falling back to his knees, then using the wall to help himself to his feet. On unsteady limbs, Gratin shuffled forward like a toddler learning to walk.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The corridor beyond was just as dark and just as cold. Gratin made his way down it, naked and alone, his breathing slowly evening out. Eventually he came to a t-junction. It was at this point that he realised he was no longer alone. Two creatures were standing down the connecting corridor: bipedal and slightly taller than Gratin by a foot, wearing some manner of black coverings with a green symbol the escapee did not recognise. The bipeds seemed shocked by his sudden appearance, the two beginning to gibber. The nearest raised its arms, the other reaching for an oblong attached to its waist. The first made a number of low, bleating noises as he slowly approached. Gratin shrank back, looking for an exit. His attention was drawn towards a wall with a glowing green light arranged into the forms of a number of strange symbols. The second one must have been worried by where the naked man was looking as it let out a yell and pointed the oblong at him. It pressed a button, the oblong firing some wires at Gratin that attached to his skin. Electricity flowed into him, Gratin\u2019s muscles seizing up and forcing him to his knees.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The two bipeds began to bleat in disagreement at one another, the second of the two holding down the button on its device.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The air around Gratin began to heat up, flames beginning to sprout off his flesh. With a scream, the flames pulsed out and the corridor exploded. Gratin became aware of the lack of electricity paralysing him the same time he realised that there was now a draft. The bipedal creatures had collapsed and had become badly charred. There was also now a gaping hole in the wall revealing a snowy landscape under a night sky. Eager not to run into any more hostile bipeds, Gratin staggered out into the frigid air.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The wind biting at his exposed flesh, Gratin didn\u2019t make it very far before collapsing into a snowdrift. The last thing he saw before he lost consciousness was another couple of bipedal creatures, this time adorned with crimson robes making their way through the snowstorm towards him…<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u204e \u204e \u204e<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhat happened next?\u201d Kate asked, staring at him over her headrest. Gratin\u2019s shoulders bobbed up and down in a shrugging motion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI awoke in a hospital in the monastery. Apparently they had a few agents working in the area close to where I was being held captive. I believe they were the reason why the facility experienced the power-cut that disrupted the machinery containing me, allowing me to awaken,\u201d he explained.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you couldn\u2019t remember anything from before?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNo. I could not even understand English. The healers could not bring my memories back so some psychics had to imprint the language onto me so that I could be fully questioned. The Grand Master was very curious as to how a man with seemingly no past could be such a powerful magic user. It was the healers that informed me that I had been found on this planet, in Polaris.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAnd you think these \u201cG\u201d men were experimenting on you like what Salmanic\u2019s been doing to all those mages at the power plant?\u201d asked Doug, glancing up at the rear-view mirror.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI believe it to be possible. Perhaps they were further testing the drug Salmanic used to lobotomise those Darkworlders? Or maybe I was an initial test subject they had kept to examine the long term effects and forgotten about? Who\u2019s to say?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cUnless we do some snooping, you mean. I take it that you want to find out exactly what happened to you?\u201d Doug eagerly guessed. He was clearly becoming enthused at the prospect of making trouble for the \u201cG\u201d men rather then being confined to some hidden safe house somewhere, far away from any action.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOr even why they\u2019re suddenly so interested in taking you back. Following us into the power plant did seem like a lot of trouble to go to in order to retrieve one test subject,\u201d stated Kate. She was less enthused, a thoughtful expression across her features, one hand rubbing the lower portion of her face as she weighed up the potential for more trouble befalling their little group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPrecisely. Discovering who I truly am would be an acceptable outcome as well,\u201d the mage agreed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cI don\u2019t know Gratin, we do have a lot of heat on us right now. Surely it\u2019ll be better to lay low until things calm down first?\u201d Kate began, clearly feeling uneasy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhere\u2019s the fun in that?\u201d grinned Doug, \u201cI\u2019m with spell head. \u2018Sides, Doug McCracken ain\u2019t about to run away with his tail between his legs just \u2018cus some arsehole didn\u2019t want to pay us properly!\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cEver the voice of reason, aren\u2019t you Doug?\u201d said Kate, causing Doug to laugh. She decided it was best to ignore the fact that the reason they were now wanted was a little more complicated than Salmanic not being particularly professional in their methods of payments.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cPlease, Mistress Blaise, I need to do this and I would truly appreciate your aid. Besides, I believe you \u201cowe me one\u201d,\u201d the mage pointed out, facing the red head. Kate stared into the black pools of glass that were Gratin\u2019s eyes and sighed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAlright, fine. I\u2019m in. But we have to be careful! I\u2019m looking at you Doug. We need to play this smart so you better not give into boredom halfway through and start acting reckless, deal?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cC\u2019mon Love, I\u2019m the very model of playing it smart. I\u2019m a professional, ain\u2019t I?\u201d Doug told her, grinning broadly. His smile was infectious, Kate finding the corners of her own mouth being pulled upwards into a smirk of her own.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHnn, I\u2019ve got a list as long as my arm that\u2019ll prove otherwise but fine. We can discuss tactics when we know more about the place we\u2019re hitting,\u201d this caused Doug\u2019s grin to widen, the soldier putting his foot down. The car picked up speed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe better get a move on then!\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Tales of Sin, The Mercenaries\u2019 Tale: Act Four Polaris \u201c…How droll. The three of you here, and you each believe that together you might have the slightest of chances of overcoming me…\u201d There was the low groan of an engine and the sound of music. Those were the first things…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[32,31,111,103,33,120,9,44],"class_list":["post-336","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-mercenaries-tale","tag-blaise","tag-doug-mccracken","tag-flashback","tag-genetix","tag-gratin","tag-kate-odonnell","tag-the-mercs","tag-vehicles-and-transport"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/336\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.payneful.co.uk\/tales-of-sin\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}