Free Relias: Uprising by M.J Kreyzer

clipboard down on a nearby table and picking up another with a new set of questions, these written in fine cursive.
     “What were the details surrounding your capture by the First Legionnaire?”
     Luke took a deep breath and closed his eyes, his mind wandering back and bringing the image of the day to mind.
     “I was the last living Durant left in Olsgrad Canyon.”
     “Well that’s because you killed the other Durants.”
     Luke froze. He peered lividly at the doctor. It was clear that he was restraining himself from a murderous outburst. The doctor swallowed hard and made a note on the clipboard. He waved for Luke to continue. “If… if you please and… I beg your pardon.”
     It was hard for Luke to carry on. He wouldn’t be petty though. Just leap through the hoops and get out of there. “ I went out to face the Legionnaire army that had filled the canyon. Samuel Alighieri was still in control of the last functional cannon on the fortress and he destroyed the stabilizer within a small area. I was able to put up a barrier that held up against the Forge tanks and enemy rifle rounds and get close enough to use my sword, at which point I drew it and went head to head with the enemy soldiers. After a few minutes I became overwhelmed, getting dragged to the ground and taking significant injuries from who knows how many soldiers. After losing a lot of blood I passed out. I woke up strapped half-naked to a table with this tattoo being drawn into my chest.”
     The Doctor stepped up to Luke’s left side. He pulled the collar of Luke’s shirt down to reveal a tattoo on his upper right pectoral. It was a crudely and hastily drawn skull with what looked like a blindfold over its eyes and a knife going up through the bottom of its jaw.
     “It’s what they use to mark those being set aside for private execution.”
     The Doctor picked his glasses up and placed them on his nose while looking the tattoo over. “Then why are you still alive?” The Doctor asked.
     The Ditrinity was motionless. It was a question that each one of them had been wanting to ask. The Doctor stood over Luke, peering down at him in anticipation of the coming answer. Luke returned the Doctor’s gaze with a hard, disapproving glare.
     “Research.” Luke said.
     The Doctor waved a hand over Luke’s body. “Which is why you have the, uh-“
     “That was from torture.” Luke stated harshly. “Vladmir Frenz made sure that twice each week I was tortured within inches of my life. They’d use that to try and make me more submissive and then they’d put me on a meat table in a  lab where they’d perform research on me, dissecting me, studying me.”
     Sable had a hand over her mouth and hugged herself with her free arm and looked over to Hendrick. He leaned against the glass and continued to listen. Pontious was pacing the ground behind them all, his footsteps heavy, his breath shallow and his eyes fiery. Vyvyr watched with what appeared as objectivity while Trey had turned away and leaned his back against the glass, his arms folded and his head bowed.
     “And they did this… how?” The Doctor quizzed, again waving a hand over his body. “I saw no dissection scars anywhere on your body.”
     “That’s because Frenz is a Durant.” Luke snarled. “You’re a Doctor. You should be smart enough to know these things without prying them out of me. He healed me to keep me alive and conscious so they could examine how a living, breathing Durant worked. Most of their advanced technology has been developed because of that research. They’ve been able to create technologies that simulate Durant Elemental. The last six years of my life have been spent in isolation, being taken out to be tortured and watch myself get flayed like an animal carcass twice a week. We’re done here, Doctor.”
     Luke was  already sitting up. The doctor put a hand on Luke’s chest and made a feeble attempt to force him to his back again. “I’m sorry,