by Jeff Gunzel
Her bare fleet slapped the stone as she ran, but the suppressing effects of the collar hindered her top speed. The walls of the hallway seemed to warp, moving in and out around her, smothering, suffocating. A white figure rose up from the stone before her, its eyeless black sockets and skinless face flashing a skeletal grin. “Let me go!” it hissed. Viola rushed straight through the illusion, distorting its image like misty vapor. She raced around the next corner only to see it rise up once more. “You must release me,” it whispered, a bony finger curling, beckoning her towards it.
Viola stopped, sliding down to her knees. She covered her ears, lowered her head, and closed her eyes. “What do you want from me? Leave me alone!” she wailed, her hissing screech cutting through the walls, rattling their very foundation. A sword pommel came down from behind, cracking her in the back of the head. An explosion of pain, a flash of white, and she toppled forward, sprawling across the floor.
Her senses slowly returning, she lifted her head in a drunken haze. Vision blurry, she tried to focus her thoughts through the confusion. Both arms were elevated, and her knees dragged along the stone. Blinking away the fog, she could see a room with an open door just up ahead. There she could see Diovok, that unmistakable masked figure looming near the wall. At his side stood Kuuma, speaking with one of the guards while holding that same chart in hand. Near the other wall she could see the bench with leather straps, as well as the table of hot coals in the corner with the lid drawn back.
The guards at her side dragged her through the doorway, then propped her up on the bench. Going about their business without a word, they proceeded to secure her wrists. Her thoughts were strangely calm given the situation. Even knowing full well what was about to happen, all she could think about was how businesslike these humans were. They didn’t care about her pain, or even about her as a person at all.
She looked around the room as guards made small talk, some laughing at private jokes as if she weren’t even there. I’m nothing to any of you. Less than nothing. As she lay there numb, barely aware, the fabric of her tunic was lifted from her back. A part of her was still terrified, but on the outside she seemed completely calm. Resigned to her fate, she closed her eyes and lowered her head. She simply had no more tears to shed.
Kuuma glanced down at her briefly, his cold eyes detached, emotionless. Motioning to the guard behind her, he pointed to the table of hot coals. “Let’s begin, shall we?”
*
Bella reached up over her head, hands flat against the headboard in a long, satisfying stretch. This pampering was a dangerous thing to get used to. But after all that had happened to her, she refused to feel guilty about it. I’ll enjoy it for as long as I can. She smiled, hearing the chirping wheels of an approaching cart. She couldn’t say how many days she had been a guest of the spiritists, but she had grown plenty fond of that particular sound.
The entrance curtain fluttered inward, a silver cart leading the way. Bella quickly closed her eyes, trying to pretend she was still asleep. “Oh, I’m afraid you’ll have to do better than that,” said Rishima, leaving her cart near the foot of the bed. Sitting down on the edge of the bed, she drew her fingers across Bella’s forehead, brushing her hair aside. “Because if you are still asleep, I’m afraid I’ll have no choice but to eat this all by myself.” She leaned down, her lips gently bushing the side of Bella’s neck. Eyes still closed, Bella rolled her head as she smiled, further exposing her neck. Her whole body tingled with each kiss, those soft lips moving up the side of her neck.
Rishima stopped near her ear, giving her lobe a playful bite before whispering, “And then I would have to have my way with you while you sleep.” Bella’s eyes snapped wide open and she began to laugh.
“Or I suppose you could just eat with me first. Then later, I could have my way with you while you’re awake. It makes no difference to me.” After a shared laugh, Rishima nestled in under the covers. Cuddling beneath the blankets, they lay in each other’s arms for nearly an hour, laughing, talking, then kissing for long stretches at a time. Familiar, trusting, warm, it was as if they had known each other their whole lives. “Oh, I nearly forgot,” said Rishima, rolling from the bed to go bring the cart closer. But she stopped before reaching it, standing still while staring down at her feet.
“Rishima?” said Bella, the smile melting from her face as she sensed something might be wrong.
“I... I need to talk to you about something.” Rishima turned back, her hands nervously wringing the bottom of her shirt. “I am feeling pressure from the others. Talk has reached my ears, whispers that I have grown soft on my stance because of my feelings for you. Perhaps they are right, but I make no apologies for what my heart desires. That said, I do have an obligation to my people, just as you do to your people. We have nursed you back to health, clothed and fed you, and offered you a prominent position here in the tower. We can wait no longer. I need your answer.”
Bella sighed. “Rishima I—”
“Wait, please!” Rishima rushed to the side of the bed, dropping onto her knees and clasping Bella’s hands. “Please, let me finish before you answer,” she said quietly. “Before, I said that we needed you here, and that is still true. You alone are the one who can help us unite this region under one rule. Spiritist and human, united as one, would demonstrate a unified strength that would not be questioned. The threat against our world shows no discrimination. Its reign of terror does not differentiate between human, spiritist, or any other forms of life. But you and I together can—” She stopped, swallowing her remaining words, an attempt to subdue her growing excitement.
“Of course that decision is yours alone to make. I shall not pressure you any more than I already have.” Rishima swallowed hard, glistening eyes with flecks of gold gazing pleadingly at Bella. “I always saw the strength you possessed, your leadership and spirit. I saw greatness before me, but there was one thing I hadn’t counted on. I didn’t know you would steal my heart.” She swiped her eye, purging a tear before it escaped. “I said if you refused my offer, my people would take you wherever you wanted to go. But I no longer wish that. I cannot make you rule by my side, but I am asking you—no, begging you—not to leave no matter what your decision. I will find another if need be. But please, just stay here with us.”
“Oh, Rishima,” Bella said softly, a deep sadness weighing heavy in her eyes. She kissed Rishima’s forehead before pulling her in close. They embraced for a time before she spoke again. “Even now it’s hard for me to believe. My fall from grace, my brush with death, yet all of that followed by possibly the happiest days of my life. I shouldn’t even be here. Only weeks ago I had a different life, one of power and influence. Now it seems so long ago I can hardly remember it.
“When you first asked me to join you, all I could remember were the difficulties of my former life. A life of sacrifices made to both myself, and to those I cared for. And all of that pain for what? I was practically a slave to the king, forced to abandon my friends and family. All this for the privilege of being a puppet for the city. When I think of how hard I worked, how much I gave up to achieve such misery, I sincerely begin to question my own sanity. I promised myself I would never walk that road again.”
Rishima loosened her grip, releasing Bella’s hand as she dropped her head.
“I was motivated by greed and got precisely what I deserved,” Bella continued. “I learned from the inside what truly motivates a king. He serves the people only when it serves his own interests. That is the way of things. It has always been the way. But perhaps my motivations are different this time around. I served out of greed once before and I will never do so again. I would not do this for you or even for myself. This time there is something bigger at stake, and if my presence at your side will somehow make a difference...”
Rishima lifted her head, her eyes filled with hope. “I told you before that I cannot do this alone. My feelings for you aside, those words still hold true.”
Bella rose from the bed, he
lping Rishima up off her knees. “Then you will not do it alone. I once bled for a man who cared nothing for me. Now I beg for the chance to bleed for a woman who means everything to me. I swear my allegiance here and now to Lunaris Tower and to the Moon Mistress. If this is my calling, my second chance at redemption, then I accept it with all that I am. I know these ghatins who threaten our world are not to be taken lightly. I see the spiritists have accepted the challenge to stand up to them. Why should the humans not rise to the call?”
She looked down a-her ankle, eyeing the three pronged scepter. “This was once considered a symbol of individual power belonging only to the one who bears the mark. I no longer see it with my old eyes. I now know this symbol has nothing to do with individuality. I was chosen, and have yet to live up to that honor. This power belongs to the people. I am but a weapon gifted the ability to use or abuse that authority, nothing more. It is time to give back all I have taken. You have given me a chance at rebirth, and I shall not waste it. I will answer the call, not as a representative of the humans, but as a symbol to all living things.
“May our enemies tremble at our feet!”
Chapter 9
“We’re getting close,” said Jarlen, his pace slowing. He was beginning to look uneasy, constantly looking around even though they hadn’t seen another soul in days. But that would change once they drew closer to the outskirts of Shadowfen.
“Looks like it’s only a bit further,” Assirra said, holding her map high, slapping away some of the crinkles. She turned it side to side, trying to assess exactly where they were. “We will see it long before we get there. I don’t imagine a city out in the desert will be a hard thing to miss.” True as that was, they were still in the forest where there was limited visibility. But they wouldn’t be for much longer. Even now the trees seemed to be thinning. Soon the road would lead them away from the cool shade. An increase in scattered light breaking through the treetops was already becoming apparent.
“I don’t need to see that scribbled piece of parchment to know where I am,” Jarlen growled. With his iron demeanor quickly deteriorating, he was beginning to make Assirra nervous. He was becoming twitchy and looking very unstable. “I’ve only traveled this path once before, but every inch of it is burned into my brain. Bound, practically sedated by the suppressing magic of that dammed collar, and still I can remember these surroundings as if it were yesterday. Funny how that works. You can walk the same path daily for years and never notice the disappearance of a bush or an entire tree. That is because there is no logical reason to believe you’re seeing it for the last time.
“But it’s nothing like that when you believe your life is soon to come to an end. Your mind takes it all in, down to the very last detail. That tree,” he pointed to the side. “I remember those markings carved into the bark.” Sure enough, someone had attempted to cut a crude design into its trunk—faded, the lines swollen over from the passing years, but it was definitely there. “And over there!” He pointed to the opposite side of the road. “I can still recall that gnarled oak. Look at it, twisted and bent like some ancient—”
“Enough,” Assirra interrupted. “I’ll not have you blathering on like some paranoid drunkard.” His savage glare flashed her way, red eyes flaring with the lingering threat of violence. But his rage quickly subsided. He looked away and continued his slow march down the worn road. Hugging himself, his hands rubbed opposite shoulders as he mumbled incoherently. It was only at that moment when Assirra first realized what he must be going through. They were heading right back to the place he had longed to escape from for so many years now.
In this regard, he was much like any other creature of the wild threatened with captivity. There was no faster way to domesticate one than to take away its free will. Once enough time passed, the light in its eyes slowly begins to dim. Soon, all the instincts go dormant and it becomes but a shadow of its former self. Given an actual choice, many might prefer death.
“Jarlen,” said Assirra, trotting her horse up to ride beside him. “I’m sorry. Please, don’t think I am not grateful for your companionship. I know this is not easy for you.”
“You know nothing,” he muttered, still rubbing his shoulders as he walked. He seemed to be holding it together by a thread.
“Look, all I’m saying is that I need you to be focused. Otherwise, you become a liability. I can’t focus on our mission and keep an eye on you as well.”
“Let me make one thing clear to you,” Jarlen said with a harsh laugh. “I am not doing this for you.” He seemed steadier now. “Yes, there was once a time when I would have jumped into the sky and captured the stars had you asked me. But that was long ago. No longer are we that foolish young couple, believing this cruel world would just turn a blind eye to our forbidden relationship. We were from different worlds. It was doomed from the start.”
“Agreed,” Assirra replied, wincing at the way her voice cracked. The least she could do was try to sound just as confident as he did. Why did I answer so quickly?
“Well, this is different. It’s personal, and has nothing to do with you. I made a mistake, and I’m here to atone for that.” Assirra nodded her understanding. “But...”
“Yes?” she asked, tilting her head curiously. He was hesitating for some reason, and she wanted him to speak his mind.
“But I...” He cleared his throat. “I don’t believe I would have found the courage to do this alone. To be honest, I would have probably spent the rest of my days a free man. A free, homeless rogue who hated himself. How many years might have passed before I simply took matters into my own hands and ended my meaningless existence? Is that better than being forced to risk my life in the pit for the entertainment of these humans? I can’t be sure. I suspect neither life would be considered living at all.” He looked up to see her thoughtful expression. He saw no judgment in those eyes as she hung on his every word. “At least this way I have a chance to make a difference. I’m doing this on my own terms. No matter how any of this turns out... I, well… Thank you.”
She smiled down at him. “You really are a fool, aren’t you?” He raised an eyebrow in surprise. “Had you not joined me, I would have probably made only half the journey before turning back. In fact, I am certain of it. My intentions are good, but I am no hero. Can’t you see I am just as frightened as you are? I know that Viola needs me, but that alone would not have been enough to keep me going. I wouldn’t have made it this far. Is that not the most cowardly thing you have ever heard?”
“No,” he said softly, reaching up to put his hand on her knee. “I guess we are both cowards. Perhaps together, we can find just enough strength to see this through.” Holding his hand, she rubbed his fingers with her thumb. Feeling renewed, a peace that came from better understanding each other’s motivations on this quest, the two of them rode on.
“There,” Assirra said after a time, pointing up ahead. Off in the distance the trees seemed to have all but disappeared, leaving a wide-open clearing. The sunlight poured down onto the path like a shining beacon. Drawing closer to the forest’s edge, Jarlen gazed around uneasily. This was where it had happened. This was where he found his sister battling some strange creature that looked much like himself. What was that thing anyway? What did it want with her?
The suppressed memory was coming back to him now. Undead fighting all around, a few of them apparently controlled by Viola. How had she done that? He had no such abilities. Strange how he hadn’t thought of any of this since that day.
“Jarlen, it everything all right?” asked Assirra, watching as he moved from tree to tree, rubbing his hands across their bark. He didn’t answer.
He could still remember the way he felt when he saw her fighting for her life. In that fleeting moment his instincts had taken over. The need to protect his family outweighed his plan to betray her. He walked back across the path to the other side and knelt down near a fallen tree. Splintered, shredded, it was one he had decimated himself while trying to fight off that creatu
re. But it moved so fast, far faster than any living thing he had ever encountered.
Then, a most horrid thought occurred to him. Would she have been better off? He knew what life in the pit was like for someone like himself. Many a time he had wished for death, a mercy that seemed to be given to all those around him at some point. It was a mercy he had dealt to hundreds with his own bare hands, but it never seemed to find him. If I had let that creature kill her, would that have been the humane thing to do? He couldn’t have been held accountable for breaking his part of the deal. It would have been out of his control. She would have been given...mercy.
“Jarlen?” Assirra said again, alighting from her horse. She approached him cautiously, not exactly sure what he was thinking.
He took a step forward, eyes on the ground as his toes inched up. He seemed to be matching up his feet with some unseen footprints. “I was standing right here,” he said.
“Dear sister,” he said, pulling her close, embracing her in a warm hug. “I’m so very sorry for all of this,” he whispered in her ear. Content in the embrace of her long-lost brother, the meaning of Jarlen’s words hardly registered. He was going to protect her from now on. She would be safe. She would be—
Click...
She felt a coolness around her neck as the collar snapped shut.
“I was standing right here when I took everything from her,” he said, raising his hands to close the invisible collar as if she were still standing there. “I can still see the look in her eyes. It wasn’t hate or even anger, just...disbelief. She didn’t even think it was real.”
