Author's Note

By popular demand, and because I found the idea delightful, this chapter deviates from the timeline to show a little bit of the treatment Orestes went through after his capture and interrogation by Shining Armor.

Special thanks to anyone that read this!

Chapter 16.5: The Inquisition

Chapter 16.5: The Inquisition

"You think you can treat me like this? Me? Lord Orestes, future Emperor of Equis?" Orestes sneered, barely fighting against his restraints, while he glared at one of the Scaled Guards standing a few steps away from him.

"..." The guard remained silent, though that didn't stop him from glaring death upon the pegasus stallion sitting on a metallic chair in front of him. The guard watched Orestes, the cursed Arch-Traitor, faintly struggle against the bounds, shackles, and bindings that kept him on the chair at all moments. He was butt-naked and had several scars of his own doing trying to free himself when he had the strength to do so, and several more from 'love taps' he and his fellow eleven guards gave him from time to time just to shut him up. At least for a few seconds.

"All of you are a disgrace for Malekind. But I offer redemption, for I am not without mercy. All you have to do is bow and pledge your loyalty to me and to Male Superiority and your sins shall be forgiven. Throw away the damnation females bring and join me in the conquest of Equis, and together we shall bring justice and order to this cunt filled world!"

A guard hit Orestes in the gut with the blunt end of his spear. "Shut the fuck up already, traitor!" The guard yelled while Orestes grunted. "Divine creators, why can't we just gag him, Major?"

"Because we were ordered not to." Another guard, a dragon, replied. "Ah, it seems our duty is fulfilled."

He said before the metal gates of Orestes's secluded prison cell parted open revealing several figures clad in Royal Guard, Night Guard, and Scaled Guard armor, plus a few Followers and several shamans, medics, and equipment came into the fairly ample cell.

All of them lead by a changeling clad in Scaled Guard armor and wearing a helmet in the shape of Spike's face. The changeling took it off.

"Captain Yog, we have stood guard over the--"

"Yog? You, the fabled Yog? YOU!? HA! You are even more pathetic than I imagined. But what can be expected of a bug waiting to be squashed under my hooves? Release me at once, insect, and I shall make sure you join Spike in Tartarus for your crimes against Male Superiority." Orestes spat with hate.

"That won't be necessary," Yog said looking at a guard ready to strike Orestes. He then smiled walking over to Orestes. "Do you know why you are still alive, Orestes?" Before the stallion could reply, Yog grabbed his lower jaw and forced him to stay shut while the stallion grumbled and growled trying to speak with muffled anger. "You are still alive because we need you that way for what we have in mind, but your crimes cannot, and will not go unpunished, Arch-Traitor. It is my duty, honor, and infinite satisfaction to be the one tasked with making you sing, scum."

Yog smiled, his expression turning maniacal. "Your screams of agony shall make up for the first part of your punishment."

Not a moment later did Yog spit a glob of green mucus over Orestes's eyes.

"MMMMHHGGNGNMMMMMAAA!!!!!" Orestes screamed against Yog's hold.

"Can you feel it, Orestes? That right there is a mix of changeling mucus and vile; a mix that turns into a weak corrosive acid. Can you feel it burning and eating away at your flesh?" He asked while Orestes continued to scream and struggle. "Pass me number six," he ordered before another scaled guard handed him a small hammer and a set of small wood nails. "You see, Orestes, as I am sure you know by now, I am the captain of the Claw Unit. We are widely known for our work as the weapon specialists, tactical assessments, intelligence handling, and our subterfuge operations. But like every other Unit, we do something more. Something below the surface. You see, Orestes, the Claw Unit is also in charge of the interrogation and torture of criminals, deviants, and traitors. You will not believe how many of your loyal subjects gave out their secrets to us."

"FFFJJJKKK UUU!" Orestes cursed.

Yog dropped his smile and let go fo Orestes. "Hold him tight, make him watch," as ordered, two Scaled Guards took a firm hold of the stallion's head and forced him to look down at his bound left hand. "This one is a personal favorite of mine. Please, scream all you want, Orestes. Give our audience a good show!" Yog said before putting a nail in between the space of nail and flesh of his exposed index finger. Then, the hammer fell upon the wooden nail, driving it deep into the stallion's inner, extremely sensitive flesh.

"AHHHHHH! AHHHHHRRRRGGG! FUUUUCKKK!" Orestes screamed as loud as his lungs allowed him while Yog hammered the nail further into his nail. Each strike barely strong enough to drive the nail millimeters at a time. Several seconds later Orestes snarled and drooled incoherently while the two guards forced him to watch every agonizing moment through a green mucus screen that also slowly burned him.

When the nail was finally all the way inside, Yog whistled as he tore away the exposed fingernail following it up by pouring salt water upon the beating, red flesh. Orestes screamed to the heavens once more.

"One down, nine to go~" Yog sang.

Over the course of ten minutes, Orestes could do little more than scream and curse at the whistling changeling while he nailed and tore away his fingernails. By the end of it, he was almost blind; the slow working acid doing its work perfectly.

"You know what to do," Yog commanded allowing the shamans and medics the space needed to work. A minute or so later, Orestes was back in one piece completely healed.

Orestes looked at Yog with hate. "If you think this is enough to make me reveal my masterful plans, you are sorely mistaken, bug."

"Ohohohohoho! That won't be necessary, Orestes. See, this isn't an interrogation: this is torture. The reason you were healed is to let you know that no matter what I do to you, you will survive and heal right back up, only for me to do something else. Again. And Again. And Again. I will push you to your absolute limits. I will give you back a billionth fraction of all the pain, suffering, and misery you wrought upon Equestria and the Crystal Empire. I will give you pain beyond measure, push you to the brink of death and madness, only to pull you back so I may rejoice in doing so again."

Yog's horn began glowing with an eery green light and his light began to shine with an intense green, burning hate.

"I am not Spike by any means, though I think I can come to a close second of what he would do to you, Orestes. What I did to you just now is nothing more than the tamest pain you will experience for weeks before what we have in store for you come to fruition." Yog snapped his fingers. A moment later a table filled to the absolute brim with jars containing liquids, sharp, blunt, piked, and other bizarre objects, and other instruments with unclear purposes was put at his side.

"The first phase is the tamest one, though the most extensive, Orestes. Physical Torture. Then we shall move to Psychological, Emotional, and finally to Magical. Oh, I can't wait for those, Arch-Idiot." Yog gave Orestes a fang-filled sadistic smile as the doors began to close once more.

"Let us begin," Yog hissed out.

Orestes screamed in pain and terror.

End.