Lillith

by Kate Gallwey

  I was sent up to ‘service’ the fairly frequent feasts and banquets. Many females where killed on a nightly basis, and also, which almost broke my heart all over again, their young were beaten, raped, tortured and often killed at these feasts. They killed each other with such ease and joy of it. The total disregard of life here shocked me but I had to hide all that I felt behind my mask of a mindless idiot, it was a hard lesson to learn and my life now depended on it.

  I sat naked at Lord Torek’s feet, chained through a loop in my collar, watching him play mind games of sheer maliciousness and with a cruelty that appalled me. I was planning many ways of which to cut his heart out slowly without it showing in my eyes.

  He would set warrior against warrior for the fun of it, he had old stately males butcher their long time mates and children to prove their loyalty. On and on is the list of misery that someone can inflict when they have no morals and absolute power of life and death over everyone in the Keep.

  The Keep was called Demos and it was a cesspit full of males and females that were tough to kill and disease free and could live for eons without growing old or change, yet they slaughtered each other for the fun of it and live their lives planning out the deaths of their peers.

  There were brown robed Priests of the Stone, worshiping the world spirit of Hellious. He was the master of Life and Death and his Priests could raise the dead. They couldn’t heal the sick but once they were dead the Priests could bring them back healthy. I had a sick feeling I had already experienced this.

  There were about thirty thousand people in that ancient huge stone structure that had spires and towers and walls that was twenty meters thick, many of the towers had fallen into disrepair and neglect, it had been built for many more as much of it stood empty. It looked out onto a black sand desert with thickets of a dark green twisted trees clustered around various springs, forming an oasis of sorts. The lavender coloured skies were overcast and threatening with thick black clouds that never saw rain fall from them. It was so hot and dry during the day that it could peel the skin from my bones, but at night the temperature would plummet below freezing and the Keep would become an ice box that could kill me if I wasn’t given a cover or blanket of some sort. It was so alien and bleak. I sure wasn’t in Kansas anymore.

  My magic spluttered and died out in when I tried it. With concentration I could call fire but this was a different universe and different laws applied. I would have to learn them and that would mean lots of practice.

  Despair nearly sent me mindless again. I wanted my freedom. I had to escape my master, escape this keep and then escape this world, a tall order. I had never prayed to a higher power before, I had always been the higher power, but now I wanted an opening of escape so badly I was willing to pray for it.

  I had spent the last three days and nights under the ‘care’ of Lord Torek, who was highly intelligent though he was vicious and cruel with it and I knew he was watching me closely. He had a torture chamber underneath his tower bedroom; it had a lovely view of the entire keep below, a torture room with a view, how quaint.

  He had something special planned for that night.

  With four females from the Lower Caverns of the Keep, and me chained to the wall trying not to show my hatred, he had all five of us to entertain him. There was the usual crying and begging for mercy, which he was not capable of, he sliced flesh and then inserted his manhood into the gapping bleeding wound, squeezing the edges to give him a more firm grip as he jerked up and down until he finished, with a grunt, the shrieks of pain and the gushing blood inspired him on to further heights of pleasure.

  Two females had bled to death by midnight and the third had gone into a catatonic shock that, much to his disgust, he couldn’t reach anymore, when he reached for the fourth one she just looked at him with big doe-like eyes.

  I made a stupid movement forward to say stop, I checked it immediately. I was tired; I had been awake for three of their long nights. He spotted my movement; he grabbed me by throat and stared deep into my eyes, his eyes looking silver in the lamp light. He laughed at what he saw and said in his guttural tongue, “There is someone in there again. Your Master will be pleased, if we let him know.”

  He stroked my body thoughtfully and then said, “If there is someone in there, she now can scream. I want to hear that scream.”

  Beings far more twisted and inventive at torture have tried this before and been unsuccessful, but it was a tough night.

  By morning I had his respect and he gave me some water and unchained me. He picked me up and dumped me on his bed, and I bled all over it. I didn’t care anymore and just curled up and went to sleep.

  I was given more freedom of the Keep after that and allowed to roam the hallways. This was a very dangerous place to be as a lone female was considered fair game if caught without the protection from a male. Unprotected females stayed in the underground Lower Caverns where the reared their young in the dark and damp. I moved through the shadows of the Hallways and stayed out of trouble and found places to hide; the warmest place with the most to watch was the huge kitchen.

  It was total chaos in there and the massive head cook was a castrate that had a long reach and a small whip that he would beat anyone that was working too slowly. I found a small hole up behind the chimney and I made a nest there. His name was Rutark and he had a soft spot for waifs and strays and he would leave a bowl of porridge and bread for me as he closed up the kitchen for the night.

  I had grown very skinny and gaunt as I was meant to eat food here and kept forgetting. I felt so uncomfortable all the time hunger was just another pain to endure. Torek and the males from the Barracks had forced me to eat their standard foods of greasy meats and I would just throw up or it would dribble out the other end of me. Not very pleasant, but they found I could handle the rough porridge and bread.

  It was nice of Rutark but it showed that not only did he talk to Torek but they knew I was here. I found other hiding places for the days and came back to the kitchen at night. I moved through the halls like a mouse and had many narrow escapes from the killers and rapists that lived around every corner on this barren world.

  I explored Demos as much as I could and found it not very appealing, it was very old and was crumbling to pieces in many places. Much of it was inaccessible due to hallways that had crumbled and had fallen in.

  The Caverns underneath were full of females and their young. Water was plentiful and there was even a hot springs that were usually too crowded for me to even dip my toes in as it was full of warriors recovering from wounds.

  Their young were very similar to human children and would be running around making lots of noise, playing games with balls and ropes. The familiar scenes of children playing opened up many old memories that made me ache and want to cry, so I left the Caverns to the heights of the roof.

  I would spend the days on a deserted spire that with a little agility I could get onto the roof. It was a gentle slope with a small shelter and I could see the Outer Courtyard and the Main Gate. There were only two gates one back and one front, and that was it. I couldn’t see a way out of this world through that desert; it would probably kill me within the week.

  I followed the Priests of Stone for weeks until I found the room with the dimensional door. It took me a few days to find out exactly what I was looking at, for I could sense there was power here but for what? There was a pattern on the floor marked out by stones of power with symbols and words on them and a large circular stone covered in a flaky red paste that I presumed must open unto other worlds. I studied the pattern on the floor but I needed the key to the symbols before I could even think of activating the gateway home, I might end up anywhere and needed the dial code to Earth.

  Weeks passed and though I was relatively unmolested at this time, I wasn’t any closer to getting home.

  CHA

  PTER TWO

  a straW tO ClutCh

  I finally got the break I was waiting for, though it nearly cost me my li
fe.

  I was sitting up in my spire in the early morning with a full view of the Outer Court, there was no one about at this hour and saw two males dig a small hole in the wall by the Gate and then hide something in the hole, then cover it up. They came back the next morning and did the same to the other side of the gate. Then they climbed the wall to the Guard Post there and I watched as they cut the Guards throat and throw the body over the wall.

  This started to look interesting, nothing like a bit of infighting between your enemies to create an opportunity. I decided to go down to the Outer Gate to watch. I moved fast through the Hallways and found a small hole in the shadows by the stables and watched as the two traitors signalled to someone outside the Keep. They took the place of the Guard and waited.

  The Gates were opened about an hour later and I watched as a note was passed to the waiting ‘Guards’, they got excited at the news and one of them left through the Gate, leaving the other to stand ‘Guard’.

  Whatever was going on was interesting enough that I risked staying hidden half in a small hole and half covered by dirty sack, for quite a few hours. My pale skin was hidden by the fact I was filthy dirty and I learnt to tense and flex each muscle and keep my breathing slow and even, for these Hellion animals had excellent hearing and eyesight. I stayed there all day. I now have the patience to remain still for as long as I need to, this was the place that taught and tested me.

  A few hours later the other one returned as the Gate was shutting, pulling a small cart and dressed as a worker and they added sacks to whatever was buried in the Gate and causally placing more sacks around the holes and the Gate. This was getting quite serious.

  Then I got unlucky and then one of them stumbled over to where I was hiding carrying a sack and stood on me. He pulled me out of the small hole and realised I had seen all that had been going on and moved to strangle me. I had no chance against his strength; I bit him and kicked him hard on the thigh, which wasn’t a good move for I hurt a toe. But he dropped me and I ran. But these guys were fast and as one grabbed my arm the other was going for my neck, I twisted away and pulled down some straw from the stables this brought down some tools that were laying on the straw and a whole bunch of metal tools fell on their heads.

  I had to move and think very fast and see if I could get out of this alive. I made a gamble playing for the highest of stakes. I raced for the Hallways and the main part of the Keep.

  Both of them were hard on my heels as I run for the Great Hall where the midday feast was starting.

  I dodged passed the Guards at the doorway and threw myself at Lord Torek’s feet, and bowed my head, the two had followed realised that they had made a big error and started to back away but Torek sensing some entertainment here had them stopped before they could disappear into the Hallways.

  “What have we here?” he bellowed, I was in luck he was not drunk yet, but I did not look up.

  He grasped my chin and made me look at him.

  “Did you miss me? Who are your new friends?” he noticed the clean area around my neck and the bruises at my throat and laughed. “It looks like they got a little rough and tried to kill you, my little Fire Bird. Ahhh you are filthy, but they are clean, have we got ourselves a little mystery?” he left me and went to look and the two that were being held by his Guards. “Do I know you?”

  They stuttered and gave unsatisfactory answers and they stunk of fear, Lord Torek can smell fear from across the room. He respects only strength. He came back to me; I remained kneeling on the floor where he left me. “Well little Fire Bird, have you got a story to tell me or do we let your friends continue to play with you?” He wanted me to speak. I had to bend a bit here and actually talk to him. I hadn’t yet used my voice and my knowledge of the language was still very shaky and it had become rusty with disuse.

  I lowered my head and asked “What do I get if I do?”

  The room stilled, females do not bargain with Lord Torek. He started to laugh and the room relaxed a bit.

  “How about my word that you will not be hurt if you tell me the truth.” There was a challenge to his tone and I lifted my head and looked at him warily, “What is your word worth to a female?” he was taken back at that and the room went very still again.

  I had seen over and over again him promising young females that if they did something for him, he would give his word that they could go unharmed, he lied every time.

  Torek went and sat down on his throne and looked at me with narrowed eyes.

  “Lord Denrock,” he called one of his warrior commanders over, “assemble a small troop of warriors to escort the Lady Lillith to Redbridge Keep, take the necessary funds out of my personal coin if she tells me the truth about these warriors and what happened today.”

  He had promoted me from slave to Lady in a sentence though the difference was not that clear to me. He raised an eye brow in question. “Was that good enough for you? Lady Lillith, my word to one of my most trusted Commanders.”

  He was mocking me, and I knew he couldn’t be trusted. I had never heard of Redbridge but I needed a break of any sort.

  I lowered my head and explained brokenly what I saw. Warriors rushed to the holes that had been dug by the Main Gate and found explosives, they found more in the sacks, enough to take out the Gate and the Walls surrounding it.

  The warriors that had tried to kill me were now in big trouble.

  I got sent to Torek’s bedroom and not long after was given a hot bath by four very determined females, all bigger than me so I submitted to the hot water and allowed them to wash my hair, life becomes much brighter from the perspective of clean hair and a hot bath.

  CHA

  PTER THREE

  BriDge Of lOve

  Torek was thoughtful when he came back to his chambers that evening but did not speak to me. He gave me a blanket and indicated the corner of the room where he chained me to the wall. I felt like a pet, so much for the new title.

  He called in his first wife Channok to entertain him that night. He was allowed three wives because of his position as Lord of the Keep and Channok was the mother of his first born son, I found it very hard to keep track of the traditions and positions and what they meant, but figured she was the ranking female at Demos Keep, she was an exotic looking female with silver eyes. She kept me awake with all her screaming, begging and pleading for mercy, most of which was feigned if not exaggerated, and he beat her around the face until she bled from the nose and ears and she fell in a crumpled heap quite close to me.

  She had once beat me unconscious and had a nasty temper and took it out on all around her but now I pitied her and after Torek fell asleep I reached out to comfort, only to have my hand slapped away and have her spit at me. There really was not much comfort in this dog eat dog world.

  I found some though.

  The next morning I was bundled onto one of their six legged horses and five warriors and Lord Denrock were saddled up ready to ride. Lord Torek came out to see us off, and noticed I was riding with only my blanket as protection from the harsh sun. He took off his deep blue cloak with a hood and gave it to me. This was a mark of high favour and I think he expected some thanks, but I ignored him and looked away.

  Before I left this world I was going to kill him and enjoy doing it.

  The ride was not pleasant, the warriors found out I couldn’t cook for them, took their turns on me every night and there was no escape in the harsh conditions of the desert. I was beaten, sore and weary when we heard the roar of a huge waterfall and I was pleasantly surprised to find a place of enchanting beauty as we came upon Redbridge Keep.

  There were two pale slender towers either side of the waterfall and a big red bridge crossing between them. The city was up on the cliff and beyond you could see more towers, it was actually quite beautiful. There were trees, shrubs, herbs and even some small flowers of blue and yellow, I had not seen flowers on this world before Redbridge.

  We rode through the first tower and then across the Re
d Bridge, this made my horse and I very nervous as there was no rail. The great noise of the waterfalls nearly deafened me and we went through the second tower and there was the huge Gates that was the entrance into the Keep beyond.

  I was left standing at the Keep Gates as Lord Denrock motioned for me to get down and then threw down a large sack of coins to me. I picked them up and wondering what I was supposed to do next as I watched them ride away.

  A lovely golden eyed Lady with dark gold hair came down from the Keep and welcomed me to Redbridge. I was a bit stunned and must have gapped at her and looked like a country idiot. She took the bag of coins and opened it; she smiled and welcomed me to the School of Love.

  I thought I misheard her as she ushered me through the gates and into the hand of her servants, they took me through large halls all beautifully decorated with tapestries of greens and golds and murals of many colours. There were carpets on the floor and great glass chandeliers hanging from the ceiling. In comparison to Demos this was civilization, it had been a long time since I felt civilized.

  We stopped at an ornate gate and through it were small waterfalls and large baths, green plants were everywhere. This was girly heaven as it was filled with laughing and chattering females. Hair was being combed and nails were being polished and painted, bright bracelets, necklaces and rings, tiaras and armlets everywhere glinting in the sunlight, I could smell sweet perfumes and felt like I had fallen down a rabbit hole.

  I spent the next few days being washed and oiled, perfumed and combed. They had never seen red hair and green blue eyes were also rare here. I had my bruises gently brushed with an ointment that made the skin go a deep blue then a cloudy yellow and then fade all in an afternoon. I was given smooth silk-like dresses of green and blue and a warm woollen shawl that was thick and soft. I didn’t talk at all as their accents and dialects confused me and my command of their language was still quite poor. I heard them chatter about males, children, the usual but they would also talk about examinations and lessons with much giggling and laughter, I was uncertain what went on here.