“None of it has been real has it?” The young man questioned as he was visited again by the familiar soothing voice. “Everything I have seen is just what someone wanted me to see. Either hers or yours correct?”
“I have shown you the history as I know it, not how I want it to be. Ahryn however is trying to find a way to break you and access your power. That is her gift beyond anything else.” The answer came quickly yet without being contrived or forced, he could sense that much.
“What then is real? What of the Rakshar, Vrok, Mora, Elidra, Burakani, my father, my mother and my family? What of the babies, the girls?”
“I think it is time for you to find out for yourself. It has been too long that you have heard from others what the world is. There is a single universal truth; you are the Chosen of Xhuri. No amount of history can or will change this. You are who you are, as Xhuri wished you to be. The Rhiyans struggled and worked tirelessly to decipher the right person. Only by guessing you did they finally stumble upon the truth.”
The young man could feel himself nod in response. He wanted the voice to push a direction so he could shut it out like every other voice that attempted to assault his mind. “We will meet you and me.” He said with finality.
“What makes you say so?” He could almost see a smile on the voice’s face, still hidden by a deep shadow.
Pausing, the young man stopped the words before they blurted out. Carefully he weighed the each word, testing its sincerity. “Because I want it to be so.”
“Then I await this meeting.”
Opening his eyes, the young man could see the flow of everything around him. Every strand of existence flowed before him as a permanent screen to the world around him. But there was more now, he could hear the sounds emanating from the strands. Carefully he reached out to embrace all the strands only to have them call out and encase him. They knew his name and his existence and waited for his will. With the world clear before him, he lied down and fell into a sound sleep.
****
Long ago, early in his captivity, time was not measured by the rising of the sun and moon. Each morning it had been the same for such a time it was almost the only memory left. She entered, administered his treatment and left him weary and on the verge of breaking. He no longer wondered why she continued to do this, he no longer asked. Most importantly he was unsure why he continued to endure and simply did not just give in. For most of his life deep, so very deep, in his heart he could feel a fire that refused to die, refused to extinguish. While no one act seemed to stir it, the culmination of the administering of his torture gave it more fuel to burn. It was more than awake, more than aware, it was everything about him; he was the fire and today he would set his life afire.
Following the old and long ritual of his waking hours his arms were pulled high above him, just at the point of his maximum reach. Another set of chains were set upon his ankles. Today it would be the tumble and fall; as he called it. Each time his arms slackened, the chains upon his feet were pulled with such a sudden jerk, the only thing stopping his fall was the crashing of his head onto the unforgiving stone. Within moments after his fall, he was pulled back up to his original standing position and the cycle would start again.
Each time this treatment was given, it was the first fall that he dreaded. With each additional yanking and crashing, his head would ring louder and the pain on the back of his head would deaden. By the time he reached the sixth of seventh cycle, his anger and defiance would swell and it wasn’t necessary for the chains to haul him back to his feet; he did so with his own strength and will. Yet even that would prove short lived and cyclical by the end of the day. As always he would lose count by the time he reached his twelfth his mind could no longer keep the numbers straight as the echo of the previous falls almost blocked out all other sounds. At some point he would begin to count again, if nothing more to pass his time.
Several times, he remembered calling out, but only in a cry of rage. Today there was no rage, there was only going through the motion. Today, yet again, he would endure. Not because they allowed him to, but because he refused to let them control his life. More importantly he knew today he would be free. The reason for the tortures no longer mattered to him; in fact he almost found their means and actions comical and childish. Only one thought, one direction could entertain him now. Ending the treatments and leaving his captivity. Internally and hidden the fire raged almost out of control, waiting for that moment of release.
Hunger called to him at some point during the day. He knew he would not eat. The young man determined he was not fed during his treatments simply because no one wanted to clean up the mess or waste the food he would violently expel from his body. The captive was almost happy for this act as the smell of his vomit during the early years of his torture added an element he could not seem to escape. But still each day the hunger would call. His halfway point, yet still he had several hours to go.
He wasn’t sure when but he had blackened out. It was just another part of the system of his torture. Yet today, it was her voice that brought him out of it. She was there, she was watching. She would of course tell him otherwise, but he could recognize the scent of his master torturer easily enough. The years had attuned him keenly to her. The echo of her boots, the perfume, the line of her breasts against her clothing, the sound of her almost scratchy voice, and of course the taste of her skin, lips and mouth; Ahryn.
Lips pressed to his as he found himself responding with vigor. Once again the fire of his defiance rose to the surface as he pulled himself away. He felt her giggle against his struggles as she pressed her actions, digging her fingers sharply into his shoulders. He could tell by the sudden warmth she had drawn blood, yet against his still ringing head, it was nothing.
Hot water poured over his skin, adding relief and new pain. It was just hot enough to alert his senses yet not enough to do any real harm. Almost immediately his skin was shocked with a blistering splash of cold water. With his eyes now wide open, he looked his captor directly in the eyes. Green eyes filled with fire responded in kind and would not release him from their gaze. Her cruel smile played across perfectly white teeth parted slightly to giggle at him yet again. Each time he closed his eyes to enjoy the hot water, he was met with body numbing splashes of cold. Even this wasn’t new.
She kept him in pain, but she kept him clean while in her presence. Only in her passions did she draw blood. Unfortunately Ahryn was passionate regularly. Scars were not uncommon his body and they typically became her focal points. While never completely undressed, none of her features were hidden. Each was used on him and against him. With each response given, her answer was pain.
“You have grown fine and strong.” She suddenly stated stepping away from him. This was new. Only spare few other times did she speak directly to him, and those were only so he knew exactly what she wanted. Everything was for her pleasure. “It won’t be long before that too fades. Do you remember when you first came to me? Such a young and pretty child.”
New anger filled his senses, almost taking him by surprise. There was something about what she said and how she said it. This new anger threatened to show itself, but there was more within it, something completely alien to him.
“Ah those beautiful blue eyes say so much.”
With a horrid smile she suddenly slammed one of his cuffs against his forehead. He wasn’t even aware when she had uncuffed him, but it was an error. His entire being screamed for his retaliation. Heat filled his entire body as he felt every muscle clench in response.
There! In a split moment he saw something new in her. Ahryn showed the faintest glimmer of fear. He could almost smell it upon her. Entirely her demeanor shifted. Yet in the next moment, her normal posture returned. Her eyes once again met his.
“You see Narva? You see what have made me do?” He realized now there was wet warmth flowing down his face. The cuff had cut him well and deep in his forehead. A pulsating warning was breaching his previous concentrations.
Absently he reached up and felt the wound and wiped the blood. Without an additional thought, he flicked the blood from his finger at her. A smile escaped his lips as the droplets hit her cheek, neck and bust line. Rage filled her eyes as she lunged at him in response. Easily he caught her wrists, yet was surprisingly met with her mouth hungering against his.
“NO!” His voice found power as he stepped back, spreading her arms wide and completely in his control.
Hauntingly she laughed at him. Suggestively she waved and swayed her body back and forth. “Take me my charge, it is yours to take. You are allowed to have pleasure. Pain and pleasure my love. Take me. There is nothing left but me for you.” The blood from his head had made its way to the corner of his mouth. Tasting the salty thick liquid, he suddenly willed the wound to close and the blood to stop. Delicately yet quickly the strands surrounding him answered his will. Just at the horizon of his view he watched and listened to his will while remaining on the physical plane, never lost in what he saw or heard.
Instinctively he repeated the process to end the heavy ringing in his head. Life anew burst through his body in response; answering his commands without hesitation or strain. Almost in harmony the strands danced and pulsed around him causing everything came slamming into his brain. All the memories, from that first moment to this became clear and complete. And now it would end. What he thought was anger, was raw power. With each torture, with each “treatment” they pressed his natural state deeper and deeper into his mind as it attempted to protect him. This was his defiance; this was the spark and fire that refused to give in that last moment.
“Fourteen years Ahryn.” It was being released now. A fiery glow encased his hands causing her to attempt to pull away. He responded by holding her even tighter. “Is this what you want?”
All of him as aglow now, it was almost at the point of uncontrollable. He could see her own essence shrieking back from his pulsing will, screaming to the deaf in panic. It too wanted to control his mind, to lash out and take vengeance on his behalf.
“Release it, all of it!” She commanded and almost begged of him in a deep moan of drunken ecstasy. “So long I have waited for this. Do not deny it from me. Free yourself to me Narvakhan!” Wrenching her hands free, she fell to his feet, exposing all of her flesh to him for the first time.
Clarity befell him, calming him completely. Looking down, almost with pity on her, Narvakhan knew it was over. “I am not you. I will not be you.” Gently he unwrapped her arms from his legs.
With Ahryn still on the floor staring at him, Narvakhan walked to a door on the far side of the room, opposite of where he knew she entered. Grapping fresh clothes waiting for him, he dressed with his back still toward Ahryn.
A simple soft change in the air announced her charge. Yet he already knew it was coming. Calmly he caught her and held her tight against him. What once enticed him, now felt foul and disgusting against his skin. With distaste but without causing her harm, lifted her and tossed her to his bed locking his eyes onto hers.
“This is at an end. No longer am I your toy. The next time you attempt to strike at me, I will not spare you. This is your only warning. I am leaving and will destroy anything that attempts to stop me. Do you understand me Ahryn?”
“You would damn me to face Rhiya’s wrath? After I have stood by you all these years to help bring forth this power? When others would no longer work with you, I was the one that kept you alive because I knew you would eventually reach your potential. All of this I have done for you!” She answered quickly, her old posture returning quickly, finding new confidence.
“No woman. I would see you damned by your own actions, there is nothing more I even need to do. Take credit for what is not your doing. It matters not any further.” Narvakhan answered as he turned from her again, walking back into the previous room, heading for the other door in the room.
“Your people are scattered. There is no support for you beyond these walls.” Ahryn called out to him.
“At least something will be familiar.” He replied not caring if she heard him or not. Reaching the other door, he simply willed it to open and found it falling before him. Catching him by surprise three faces looked up from killing the guards in the room and gasped audibly.
****
“We have to wait until she has been in the room a few minutes. If we don’t, we will lose this chance.” A young fit woman with short yet full hair stated quietly. Next to her a hearty older man, heavily dressed in armor shouldering both an axe and hammer carefully watched around them.
“It has been a long time Vi. This may be for nothing and if that is the case, we may as well find our end here.” He stated softly yet earnestly.
“Because we gave our word Uncle Ric. I would rather not see the old man again. He always gives me the creeps.” She pointed toward a large open room with several guards. “If for no other reason than I am too cramped sitting here, I want to be in that room.”
“Vi, shut up. Do you have any idea what the room is for? Have you not listened to anything Khel has said?” He asked as he shook his head? “With the stories she offers from that room, I would rather we were simply out of here. As I said, it has been a long time.”
“Where is Khel? It seems like we have been here forever waiting.” Vi stated quietly. “I want to leave this place Uncle Ric. If that woman or any of them has the will, we are dead. Have you thought of that?”
“By the Light Vi, would you shut up? We won’t have to worry about them having the will if you keep rattling on. I just may kill you myself.” He stated gruffly but reached over and squeezed her hand.
“Look, Khel.” The woman pointed again; secure they would not be seen amongst the many barrels of wine stored along the walls. Moving just beyond her vision, the woman she pointed to turned the corner and served several guards food.
With a soft gasp, both the hidden people pressed against the wall as several guards carrying chains passed within feet of them, making their way to the large open room. With quick movements, they attached cuffs and ran two of the chains through a slit in the wall leading into another room. Two more were attached to more chain running up to the center of the room. The guards moved with slow yet deliberate moves to fasten the chains and test their strength.
A third guard suddenly appeared in the room holding something they could not quite see. “By the Light!” Vi said under her breath as they attached what looked to be a naked man to the chains via his wrists and ankles. Straining to make out the face, the young woman almost stumbled forward.
With a certain roughness, the man with her shoved her back against the wall. Shaking his head and held his hand in front of her mouth. Softly he whispered. “Be patient, we can’t just barge in. Khel will let us know, now be still girl”
Opposite them, the third woman with long jet black hair moved amongst the guards and kept peering into the large room with the man being shackled.
“Need a good look lass?” One of the guards suddenly asked as he caught her looking.
“What are they doing today Commander?” She questioned as she deliberately served him a larger portion.
“I never bother to watch. Once you have seen a torture, you have seen your fill.” He commented as he ate. “But if you really want to see, Roy can let you in the observation room. Doubt there will be anyone else watching as we go through standards.”
“But commander, I would rather it was you.” The woman pouted.
“Aye lass, ye all do. However, I have my duties. Roy will see to it, wont you boy?” The commander ate greedily and wiped his mouth with a heavy glove. “But if you lose your breakfast, you will be cleaning it up. Why a woman would want to see such things.”
“It’s not the torture I want to see!” Roy suddenly chipped in, only to be met with that same heavy glove upon the side of his face.
“Watch it boy. If the priestess hears you, you will be the one in the room. Never forget that. Don’t cross the Ministry boy, not even in thoughts.” The Commander now pulled the boy by the shirt to his face, looking him directly into the eyes.
“Y…yes.” He stammered.
With another heavy slap, the Commander added. “Yes what boy?”
“Yes Commander!” The boy stated loudly.
“Darkness boy! I have lost my appetite. Might as well start my rounds early seeing as there is no point of staying here watching you blubber. Mind me on the priestess and the lass. I don’t want any reports of you watching what is best not watched. One report and you will spend a week finding out just what I mean boy.” Patting the serving woman on the shoulder he walked past the barrels, taking one more look into the large room with the guards working on chains.
“Rounds Commander?” A guard questioned from the room.
“Aye, the boy has a guest in the observation room, leave him to it. You need to be at North wall by noon Yost. The boy can take your place here for the afternoon. Has to learn sometime I s’pose.” The commander called out as he continued to leave.
“Poor bastard. Better him than me. I get tired of cleaning this slop up.
“You and everyone else. See to it. No reports today.”
It wasn’t long before the guards exited the room, pulling the door closed behind them, offering no further view of the prisoner they shackled. Two entered the room where the commander sat and took to eating the remaining food. The third guard entered the observation room with the serving girl.
Carefully looking around, Vi tapped the armored mans shoulder. Using a sequence of finger movements, he nodded. Pointing to the two guards and pointing at him, he then motioned at the far room and pointed to the woman. Nodding in agreement, Vi turned to watch the hall the Commander walked out.
Suddenly gripping the armored mans shoulder, Vi starred at the woman making her way down the hall. Her striking fiery hair and green eyes could not take away from the amazing dress hugging her every feature. Ric too starred as was careful to not move at all. Every feature of the woman was startling and fierce. Without trying to, every private region of her body was easily seen with just a bit of focus. Yet her sway was not that of seduction, but of purpose and command. As she entered the room with the guards, they immediately jumped to their feet and waited.
“Good Morning Priestess!” They both exclaimed.
Saying nothing the priestess turned the corner and disappeared for only an instant. Returning to view with a key in her hand, she made her way to the door of the large open room. Quietly she pulled it open, entering and shutting it just as quietly behind her. With a click followed by the small cling of metal, the lock was set and the key passed under the door. Immediately a guard walked over and retrieved the key.
The guard called Yost returned the key and started to leave. “Remember what the commander said. I am going to head for north wall before I get stuck here again. Roy has clean up today, poor bastard.”
As the guard left Ric adjust his position and continued to watch the guards room. After a short time, the serving woman walked quickly out covering her mouth. With a signal using his fingers, Ric assured her no one was watching, she entered the hidden space amongst the barrels.
“By the Light they mean to kill him!” She exclaimed quietly.
“Khel, is it him?” Vi questioned as she and Ric looked to Khel her response.
“I don’t know who else it would be. Sandy brown hair and blue eyes hold the fire of the will. I just didn’t expect him to be so young. So many years a captive and still so young?”
“Khelidra, he was a lad when they took him, what did you expect? A boy reaches his manhood before these same many years.” Ric answered with a sigh in his voice. “We may be rescuing a shell.”
“If he even survives. Nohric they are dropping him on his head, it’s terrible.” Suddenly Khelidra stopped as she saw the tears on the young woman's face. With smile she added. “But he has survived this long, I am sure he is more than a shell.”
“Shell or not, my brother will no longer suffer here. Better we all die than allow this to continue.” She stated anger heavy in her voice. “It has taken us too long to get to this point.”
“We will have to act near to lunch or we will have a room full of guards. The boy mentioned all the guards get a turn beating prisoners after she is finished and leave a lot to be cleaned up.” Khelidra stated as she found comfortable spot.
“Why not now?” Ric questioned. “Is there a point to waiting?”
Khel nodded. “Roy also told me the priestess observes and works some lever to pull the chains. We have to be sure she is into it or she will notice people are in the observatory. I told him I was afraid and it frightened me too much. So now we just wait a bit.”
The waiting was greeted with the sound of dragging chains. With each scrape, Vi almost shivered and grew more and more angry. Several times Ric had to pat her hands and remove them from his shoulders as he repeatedly squeezed tightly.
Without warming the young woman left her hiding spot and began moving toward the guards’ room. With a small crackle of fire, the first guard covered his face, too late and fell to the ground. With only the smallest cry, he was met with a hammer smashing his skull. The second guard lost his hand to the axe and his voice to a heavy hand crushing his windpipe. With a horrid snapping sound, Ric slammed the convulsing body to the ground. Vi had already moved to the observation room, slamming fire into the face of Roy and cursing as he fell. As Roy attempted to scream, Khelidra took a dagger across his throat.
“Vi are you out of your mind?” Ric demanded as he pulled his axe tip out of the table. “A little warning would have been nice!”
“He’s awake!” The young woman answered. Suddenly I realized it was him and he is awake.”
“The Will?” Khelidra questioned and met Vi’s nod.
“Roy!” A voice called from the hall.
The commander turned the corner into the room to be met with all three attacking him. Ric collapsed both weapons to either side of his torso, Vi slammed his face with fire while Khel spun and dug a small blade into the back of his neck and another into the center of his spine. Not a sound escaped his lips and he crumbled to the ground.
Quickly Vi grabbed the key from the far wall, falling into the others as she tripped over the body of one of the guards. In panic they untangled themselves, just as the door from the large room imploded. Dumbfounded they starred at the man standing in the doorway.
****
“Narvakhan?” The older armored man questioned as he looked up at him. Quickly jumping to his feet his words came quickly. “My Lord please, we can’t just stand here, you need to follow us. We will explain once we are away from here.”
Narvakhan paused as he scanned the people before him. It was obvious they were not guards due to the dead ones littering the floor. As he thought only one work escaped his lips. “Why?”
A short haired woman took his left arm while the long haired woman took his right, pulling him as they followed the soldier. Moving through the structure, Narvakhan noted the long haired woman was dressed similar to Ahryn, yet much more simply. Periodically he could catch her looking at him. To his surprise he found himself drawn to her. Not like he was with Ahryn, but drawn to her none the less. The woman on his left hummed with power, not unlike that which he has recently discovered in himself. But that too offered more. There was something else with that power, almost as if it intertwined with his. He could almost sense her heartbeat within his thoughts. Suddenly awash with awareness of her, he stumbled, almost bringing all three of them to the ground.
Grabbing him roughly and steadying him, the man in the lead took a moment to ensure he was steady on his feet. Narvakhan noticed then, the man was dressed almost identical to the guards they passed here and there. To his surprise they often parted ways for them to pass. His rescuers were not Rhiyans; they had to be some of his people.
Hope returned to Narvakhan as if it had never left. If these people were here to escort him from his captors, there was a chance his family still lived. If his people still lived, there was hope the Rhiyans did not control all the lands as Ahryn told him almost daily.
His thoughts were interrupted by commotion ahead of them. Several guards heavily questioned the man in front leading them. While the others may have stepped aside, these guards were pointing with weapons. One of the guards moved toward Narvakhan.
Within him, Narvakhan felt his will surge, almost embolden itself with a power from the woman next to him. Time slowed, yet he could hear the thunder of his own heart. Without a thought he grabbed the guard by the neck, avoiding his attack and in one fluid motion lifted him from his feet and brought him crashing to the ground. Using his own momentum, Narvakhan cart wheeled over the now lifeless body, grabbed a mace from Nohric’s back only to bring it crashing down on the next guard.
Following his power as it coursed through his every muscle, the tortured warrior unleashed everything he had into the guards even as their numbers continued to grow. He was unable to hear his own words, but he felt himself growl into the air as more of the garrison’s men fell to their death at his feet. Even in his blood rage, Narvakhan was acutely aware of everything around him. Out of instinct or self preservation, his new companions kept their distance as they made their way to the front entrance.
Several fell with each beat of his heart. Every surface of his body was covered with the blood of the Rhiya’s that stood before him but could not stop him. Without interruption he continued his strides to the door the others continued to attempt to open.
Narvakhan noticed the change in the air as it was suddenly filled the crackling of magic and the stench of creatures from the shadows. Strange and unfamiliar strands of power tried to take over his. Spinning to meet them, he found himself face to face with a demon. Eight feet tall, muscular, grotesque and horned, the creature spit its acid bile, yet missed its target. As if it was limitless, without the need of thought, his will swelled again. As his right hand offered a backhanded attack that smashed the creatures jaw with an eerie crack, Narvakhan lunged forward tackling the creature at the neck with his left hand. As the two crashed to the ground, once again growling, he suddenly spun without letting go of the demons neck. Death found the creature with a quick and grotesque snap.
Slightly leaning forward, leering at the other creatures, Narvakhan’s eyes found and locked onto Ahryn standing behind a wall of demons. Unlike any anger he had felt previously, Narvakhan opened his mouth to scream his bloody rage at her. As blood dripped from his face, fire suddenly filled his lungs and then screamed through is throat, billowing from his lips choking the air. Almost instantly the demons were destroyed.
Falling to her knees and then bowing all the way to the floor, Ahryn continued to stare at him repeating; ‘the dragon lives’.
Finally exhaustion hit him. Narvakhan turned and walked toward the door and the others. As he approached, each dropped their heads to him in respectful acknowledgement. Saying nothing he struck the door with the hammer guided by his will. As if it were struck by thunder, the door, hinges and part of the wall exploded outward allowing light and fresh air to pour into the structure. Without a word he moved forward. Guards positioned outside the door, not killed by the blast, simply stood aside and let him pass as the screams from Ahryn filled the air proclaiming the dragon lives. However none noticed the tears that streamed silently down Narvakhan’s face as he felt the breeze of freedom and the grace of sunlight wrap around his body.
No comments:
Post a Comment