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Plus, if Abolish were the ones to identify him, they wouldn't have sent someone to talk. They would've sent someone to either kill or capture him. Probably the latter. Then they could've used him as leverage against his brethren in Miro.

Not that he would have allowed that to happen, of course. He'd sooner destroy his own brain and be sent back to Warrenhold than let this mission become compromised in that way.

He knew that would most likely mean being unable to return to Vantalay, as his elders probably wouldn't green light a second trip here, considering the circumstances. But it would still be worth it, if it came down to that.

All that being said, Raul was still hoping to use this mission to prove himself as reliable to the elders. And to Lord Goffe.

He knew his brothers felt the same, too. After their time as Abolish captives, they'd been in rough shape. The only reason Abolish hadn't killed them, apparently, was because they weren't sure if Adan and Esai were actually servants or not. His brothers had played the vulnerability card--and quite well, apparently.

But that hadn't saved them from multiple daily beatings and worse.

Much worse.

Abolish had ripped their fingernails off, one by one. They'd branded their faces with cattle prods. They'd taken Adan's left ear, and Esai's right. They'd whipped them a half-dozen times and then flayed the skin off their backs. They'd threatened to kill Miroans in front of them. They'd poked out Esai's left eye and started pulling out Adan's teeth with pliers. And apparently, Abolish had been planning to slowly saw off their feet next, followed by their entire legs.

Raul had never seen his brothers in such terrible states. He'd wanted to send them back to Warrenhold, but they wouldn't hear of it.

"We're still breathing," said Esai. "We can still help."