What's the truth of what happened to Christoph.


The official version spread among the filo-North faction of Eastern young fighters and Riddle family, is that Christoph was captured in a night attack from an enemy faction while he was resting in his camp with the soldiers.
What the soldiers found the next morning, was just some drops of blood on the ground, not far from where the medic was resting, and to that, the guys could only see two possibilities: either he was captured to be tortured for information or he was killed and his corpse had vanished already. They credited the first option because of the very small amount of blood. they guessed there would be quite some more if he had been killed there.

What happened that night.

Christoph was indeed resting after a rather hard day. They were attacked in their previous camp some hours before and he got a rather ugly wound caused by a sword cutting him. Nothing serious nor deadly though, his only worry was that it could get infected, given the fact they had barely any medical supply beside what he brought with him, which was enough for barely 1 day in there.
It was just the third day he was there and it was pretty clear to him that he would not be going back home. He was close to be killed that day and the enemy seem to target him for first in their attacks. But he didn't complain nor he spoke with the others.
He wasn't sent to the main "army", just a secondary group and most of the guys there did not even speak common language close to enough to be understood. Which -he didn't know- was at the base of the very fact he was there, bad communication skills.

Anyhow, after tending to his wound as he could, he tried to have some rest that night. No easy task, knowing that probably some attack will occur before dawn.
Just as he was about to fall asleep though, he hears something totally unbelievable considering the place. The crying of a little girl, begging for help. It got him up immediately and started to look around in the camp, noticing that all of the others were in deep sleep, except from the patrol guy who was nowhere to be seen.
Curious and worried, he went out of the camp, towards the place where the voice came from, pretty dumbly indeed. As a matter of fact, as soon as he went close enough from the camp, a man fully clothed in black and with covered face jumped on him, immobilizing him in no time and breaking his arm. He tried to struggle, but everything happened so fast he found himself unable to react effectively.

Before he could even think, the other teleported them to another area, completely different from where they were, more isolated and close to a river. Despite it was late night, the sky so starry and shiny gave pretty much enough light to see. Without a word, the man who kept holding his arms behind his back, started to push him towards the abandoned, half burned house in the place and once inside, he forced him to walk downstairs, to a totally dark room which smelt like no good.

Guessing -wrongly- what his abductor's intentions were, despite the broken arm, as soon as he was pushed away, he rushed at the mysterious figure and aimed to steal his sword, unsuccessfully. He was harmed and definitely no match for someone of the experience of the other. To that, the man hit him hard in the chest and grabbed him by hair and -broken- arm to keep him stiff. «Don't force me to harm you any further. Please?» To that, he slowly let him go and uncovered his face.
Christoph almost froze to hear that voice, recognizing it immediately even before Sao uncovered his face and he literally looked at him with shock, confused beyond measure. He never knew much of him, other that he is the uncle of Xiu and that he lives with them in Edward's mansion, so a thousands thoughts started to run in his mind, thinking he was a traitor and a threat for their family and the entire North. But before Christoph could say anything, Sao approached a desk and turned a few candles on, lighting the place a little. Clearly, a place used for nothing good. Dried blood everywhere, chains, knives, nothing reassuring.

«You are a man of science, someone rational, I know it. But you also were tortured so your fear doesn't make you lucid now.» Sao said calmly to him while sitting on a chair by the desk.

Christoph gasped and recoiled till reaching the wall, where he held his broken arm with his hand. He didn't know what to reply to his words, so he just waited for him to proceed, after all, he doesn't have much choice at the moment. The place is of course protected from magic thus he can't teleport. Sao is not a fool.

«I know this is not the most reassuring place. If you could trust me, you would realize that this is the safest place you could be, though. No one will come here. Nothing should go wrong and with your luck, I really can't risk.» Sao said with a low and slightly thoughtful tone while taking off his gloves and throwing them on the desk. Afterwards, he stood up and started to walk towards him, raising a hand as to reassure him.
«I know that as a man who was tortured, your mind is not letting you be lucid but I will try tp explain the situation. Your freedom to believe or not.
There is a civil war going on here and this is what you know already. A few opposite factions are fighting each other to steal the throne. What we are keeping secret is that one of these faction is being secretly backed from the North, indirectly, because we want this faction to be in charge. We want Choi Li-Huang on the throne, because we know he will make things change and set the bases for a durable peace and cooperation between our Realms.
I am a spy, using my contacts with nobles and generals to provide important information to the North and to make sure our faction will win this war, while thinking I am their enemy. It is deadly essential that my reputation here stays unchanged, and you know what my reputation is, so you can agree with me I can not just let you run back to your camp or home, after I volunteered to come getting you. Not before the right precautions will be taken in the other side.
You weren't meant to be here, no one of the previous medics was, either. We were unaware of it, even, because the people who asked for medical support was meant to ask for medical supplies. Who sent that message wasn't good eough at speaking common language, we can't blame them though, they are ignorant young sons of farmers, fishers.
It would be the dumbest thing to ask for, honestly. No wonder your predecessors were killed so fast. A single northern among eastern, will always be the first target even without knowing it's a medic.
When I heard you were sent here for this, Khai investigated and I came to the man who "hired" me, General Khan, in order to get my hands on you before them. I told him I would take care of the new medic and I came for you. They are by now sure you are dead. And it's what they must keep believing. I'll refer them some fake information I "obtained" from you.
What is really essential is that no one here will hear otherwise. For this, I can't let you back to the North until we shut every possible rumor and press up. You really best never set a foot back here until the war is over, when Choi Li-Huang will be Emperor.
So, for about two days you will have to stay here, your family will have to think you are still captive of who knows who, then Khai will come here, take you back and pretend he rescued you from somewhere. I'd much prefer if you didn't mention the truth to your family either. Edward knows already and that's enough. They can survive two days of worries.» He spoke calmly and clearly. He found it of utter importance that no unnecessary person heard of this, because his role in the East was still of extreme importance and he could not let everything get ruined because of this.
«I am aware you probably don't trust me yet. But I warn you, if you try to run away or make some mess, I will be forced to harm you and chain you. So, be quiet and calm, try to relax and think that in two days you'll be back home. Also, don't ever try to touch the sword of a Master of Shadows again, it could really be the last thing you do in your life.» He approached a chair to him in case he wanted to sit, but Christoph instead, sat on the dirty floor. He was confused and not trusting him much yet. Too many words.
Sao just sat on the chair himself, close to the other. «I wonder...have you ever raped a woman?»

Christoph gave him an almost shocked look at his question. «Of course no!»

«Tortured an innocent? Harmed kids? Offended the Gods?» Sao kept asking, but Christoph's answer was always a rather bothered "no!" as of course he never did anything like that.
«Then it's not the Gods to be causing all this to you. I have to admit that your bad luck have caught my attention, as it has little of natural in it...» He pondered, suspecting always more that he could be under a curse of some sort. Though, he already asked both Lydia and Bart if they cursed him or paid someone to do so, and both honestly said to never have done such thing. He gave Christoph a glance, noticing his black shirt was getting "wet" on a part, on the side of his belly. «Are you wounded?» He asked seriously, while standing up and kneeling beside him. Without waiting for his answer, he tore off his shirt to uncover the part, noticing the nasty cut he had. The wound was clearly infected. Sao swore in his language at the sight of it, as it seemed pretty serious. «You can't help yourself with that...and neither can I.» He stood up again and gave him a last glance. «I am sorry for this, I must call him. I can't let you die.» Referring to Edward. Said that, he left, teleporting away, locking him inside, for his own good, for real. (To be continued).
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1 | Nov 18th 2015 15:34