Path Of The Broken

27. Lockdown-2

Master Healer Kevin stood behind the journeyman, his hands splayed on either side of the young man's temple. He could feel the trembling running through the boy’s body, as the talented journeyman tried to fight back against Kevin's will. A cruel smile twisted his lips; he always enjoyed this part—the part where the skilled journeyman realised that Master Healer Kevin wasn't just inserting a training bond into his mind, but that he was subverting the old binding and instilling his own. The truly talented always tried to fight back. If Kevin hadn’t already seized control of the journeyman’s vocal cords, he’d be screaming in agony. Not that he had to inflict much pain in this process, but he enjoyed breaking them more when he did. They either lost, or they died. Generally, they lost. The only issue was that when they died, he had to find some plausible excuse as to what had happened to them. It was such a waste of a good slave.

What he did to the journeyman healers—breaking their compulsion and binding them to his will—was similar in nature to what he did to those who bore the veil. He had learned through experience that those with actual power had more ability to fight back and heal. Or they would if they weren't drugged first. The properties of the toxin thankfully made resistance impossible. Unlike his emerging brethren, the healers were primed for him to take over their minds. They'd already submitted to another's will, their gifts being bound from childhood before they grew old enough to fight back to ensure they didn’t hurt anyone. The Guild helpfully instilled controls over their mind to ensure their trust and loyalty to the Guild, to ensure they didn't go back on their oaths, that they didn't kill another human being. All he had to do was twist and manipulate the compulsions that were already implanted in their head.

Kevin laughed as he felt the young journeyman collapse under his mental assault with one final soundless sob escaping the boy’s lips. He smiled grimly and finished laying the bonds in the boy’s mind, before laying him back and compelling him to sleep.

Kevin turned as his door opened, unsurprised to see one of his aides, Eric, come through the door, a look of concern on his face. That, if anything, caused some alarm, but he just waited patiently for his aide to tell him what was wrong.

"Master, the Grand Guild Master has issued a lockdown. None of us can leave the Guild." Eric was wringing his hands, sweat beading on his forehead.

"Slow down, what's happened? Why has the Grand Guild Master issued a lockdown?"

"I don't know, Master." The young man shuddered. "A messenger came, rumours said that it came from the king."

Kevin kept his face calm even though he wanted to rage. Just when things were going according to plan, something had apparently happened to turn those plans on their head. He couldn't afford to be locked down in the Healers’ Guild at this point in time. Their plans were too close to fruition. Still, it was too early to show his hand at this point; he had no choice but to comply with the Guild Masters’ orders. That didn't mean that he couldn't speak to the Guild Masters and try to convince them he needed to leave the grounds, out of concern for his journeymen. Kevin felt himself relax as a plan formed in his head. He just had to go to the Guild Masters to find out what the cause of the lockdown was, then find a way around their injunction.

"Calm down, stay here and watch our newest recruit. He should sleep for a while yet. I will go and see if I can find out more about the lockdown, then I'll be back."

Kevin gathered his things and left, quietly closing the door behind him. He made his way down the hallways he knew so well, seeking the other Guild Masters who, like him, were the heads of the various section and sat on the Council. Although at this time of day, with an alarm raised, he knew where he would find them.