The Sage of Einar

In a tent on the outskirts of the burned city, Ludovico was quite cheerful as he went through the metal tools on his table.

"What tool would be good enough to make you cry but without risking your life.

The tweezers would be perfect to be able to remove your teeth and maybe some nails, but that would only make you pass out from the pain because your mental state is not the right one. "

Ludovico put down the tweezers he had taken and kept looking at the metal tools until he came to simple, rusty scissors which attracted his attention.

"Since you do not have the mental capacity to react to any stimulus that could be done to your body, I think I will take care of cutting your hair and leaving you completely bald.

It may seem like a bit of a stupid punishment because it's not even a punishment, but don't worry, I'll take the time to make you pay for my hand and my ear.

I need a soldier to stop this stupid Bishop because I'll take care of giving him a haircut! "

After saying those words from the entrance door between a soldier who was completely muscular, without even saying a word he placed himself behind the chair where he was tied, Prisco held him by the neck as tightly as he could but without tightening too much to kill him.

Ludovico, seeing that the bishop was already fully supported and that he could not do something stupid when he began to cut his hair, began to use his only hand but start cutting the Bishop's hair.

Everything was going well until when he reached one of the Bishop's ears, Ludovico then got quite angry and with the scissors that had been cutting the hair, he got dangerously close to Prisco's left ear.

"I really want to cut off this ear or maybe the right one, but you know I'm holding back Prisco I'm going to make you suffer worse than your son, revenge will taste better when you're better off your head.

At that time I'll take care of making you scream, but now I just have to finish cutting your hair. "

After this Ludovico continued cutting Prisco's hair and when there was no more hair to cut, he put down the scissors and took a dagger with which he uses for removing the rest of the hair that was still on Prisco's head.

When he finished a smile formed on Ludovico's face so he looked at the guard "Bring the bishop's son and a whip. If I cannot torture the father I will take it out on his son."

The guard nodded and left the tent, while Ludovico sat in the chair and stared at Prisco's depressed and lifeless face.

"What did you see in those tunnels, Prisco? That question is not only asked by me but by the High Pontiff when they excommunicate you.

You know, I will only take care of torturing you until I am fed up then I will hand you over to the Vatican to be tortured and do it daily. "

After finishing speaking, Ludovico waited calmly seated in that chair until a soldier entered from the entrance of the tent carrying duke Dean in his hands, who seemed to have the same look as his father but with the only difference that he did react to the pain.

After accommodating him in a chair, Ludovico took a black whip from the soldier's hands, and without wasting time he began to hit the Duke's back, which was only bodies without arms and legs that he could not defend himself but he could not scream because he did not have language.

It could only be some meaningless noise but which made Ludovico feel calm because each lash he gave him was a way to keep his sanity because otherwise, he could only focus on the pain that he continues to feel in the stump of his hand.

After repeatedly hitting duke Dean's back, Ludovico decided to take a break, so he took a wooden glass from the table where he had the torture tools and poured it from the jug that had some grape juice.

When he felt how the sweet juice relieved the thirst that he had in his throat, he placed his hand on the table and stared at Prisco.

"Your son just got whipped by my hands and you don't seem to even care about him.

You are a bad father or you really ended up badly in your head, but it makes me desperate to see you inert in that chair so I will leave you alone with your son to talk.

If you can understand something, well I took my tongue out but I think I already told you ... "

Ludovico shook his head and endured the pain in his body as he tried to regulate his breathing. After a while and after drinking a little more grape juice he left the tent and went to his bed because he needed to rest.

When Ludovico left, Prisco who seemed to have his lifeless face began to laugh, containing the noise of his voice because he had that some guard could hear him.

'Damn you, emperor, I can't believe that you have me tied up in this chair and that you have cut my hair just because it gives you pleasure to see me humiliated, but even worse you made me watch you beat my son.

Who are you in a deplorable state, but everything is paid in this life Ludovico and you will do it with your own children if everything went well and the messenger who first sent arrived on time, all the information should have been received by Duke Hippolyte.

In addition to the massacre that you carried out in my city, I am sure that you are going to have a rebellion on your hands, I want to see how you manage to maintain power, Ludovico because I doubt that you can even leave this damn border.

But even if you can survive the rebellion and manage to assassinate all your children, you are still going to have to face the Viking threat from the north and the threat of the Muslims in the Iberian Peninsula.

Which option will you choose Ludovico, will you seek revenge in the north or will you simply face the Muslims, whatever your choice, you do not have enough strength to face both.

From the wound on your hand, I can assume that you are not going to live long either but who knows maybe you will surprise everyone and live to be an old man, then that would show that the pagans of the north have enough capacities to cut off arms. '

After thinking that, Prisco turned his head and saw his son Dean.

'I would like to tell you I'm sorry son, but unfortunately, I prefer to see you suffer before I can suffer.

Therefore, I will continue with my lifeless face hoping to deceive the emperor enough to let me go free or at least kill me without being able to suffer.

I never told you but I hate pain, I like to make people suffer but I don't like being hurt, I can only tell you, hold on, son, because soon you will be in heaven. '

In the morning of the next day, and after having breakfast, Ludovico entered the tent where he can see how Dean had a lot of dirty in the chair where he was sitting so the aroma of the tent was absolutely grotesque.

"I need a slave to clean up this idiot Dean's crap because the last thing I want is for Prisco to end up dying from his own vomit."

After a slave entered and began to clean up all the dirt that was in the place, Ludovico decided to start with his revenge because last night he had the vision that if he expected too much, perhaps the Bishop could never return to normal life.

So walking around the table he took out the available tools and from all of them he decided to take the iron tongs while he walked to where Prisco was sitting.

"Last night I had a revelation my dear Bishop, so I hope you are prepared for what I am going to make you suffer but do not worry we will start with something small, what do you think of the fingers of the left hand?"

Not seeing any reaction on Prisco's face, Ludovico showed a smile, and taking it from the Bishop's left hand are the tweezers to pull the first nail from the little finger.

With just a small pull, he tore off a large part of the nail which carried with it a piece of meat that revealed a part of the finger bone, Prisco at that moment wanted to scream with all his might but held back as much as he could but although he did his body could not do the same.

Ludovico, when saw the Bishop's face, could see that there were some tears coming from those eyes that seemed to have no life, so he began to laugh in a Machiavellian way as he saw the nail that had the iron clamps.

"That was what I wanted you to do, Prisco, you just had to show some sign that you were still receiving pain because otherwise, ours would not have made sense.

But now that you have given a sign that you are in pain, I will not let you go, I will take care of making you suffer every day until I get tired and end up handing you over to the ecclesiastical authorities to be punished for the actions you have taken.

Although it is a lot of talks, we should continue with your next finger because your poor little finger without a nail must feel quite lonely seeing that his other companions still have their nails. "

After saying that, Ludovico began to tear nail by nail from the bishop's left hand, while their laughter could be heard outside the tent, so the guards who were guarding only swallowed a little saliva because they agreed that the Emperor had gone mad.