The Gathering

by S L Dearing

"It's ok, Tanner. I'll be fine."

  Once Alia was tied up, her shirt was also removed from her back. Then from either side, the leather straps connected with her soft flesh. She felt her hands grip the chains that held her. The searing pain shot through her with each strike, but she would not scream.

  Finally, the lashings stopped and she too received a dousing of salt. Stinging fire raged across her flesh as the crystals were forced under her skin. She still did not scream.

  "Nicely done, Gentlemen. You may amuse yourselves for a little while longer, but remember, I need them alive and coherent."

  The Hordesmen smiled as they began to beat all three of the prisoners. Blaylock watched with mild interest. He was thinking of Coeli Stark. He couldn't get the smell of her out of his mind. When he was brought back, he raised his hands.

  "Hey, enough already. Take 'em to separate cells in the hall. Put her in the gate."

  The guards dragged the three prisoners into the hallway. Blaylock turned to the Shape.

  "What now?"

  "Well, I need to visit with Mrs. Stark, then we wait."

  "Great."

  They walked out of the chamber and down the hall. From the shadows, Albion had seen everything. He realized his mother had made him forget. He wiped his face and slipped back into the darkness.

  117

  Scott slept quietly as Sara watched over him. She glanced up occasionally from her papers and then back down, her hands working feverishly laying ink to paper.

  Scott slowly opened his eyes and watched her, the way her head lay to the right, her delicate fingers holding tightly to a pen, moving it with lightning speed, only stopping to read what she had previously written and then move her golden hair behind her ear.

  “Boy, I missed you.”

  Sara looked up and smiled. She moved towards him and put her tiny hands on his arm.

  "You were only gone for like a day."

  Scott smiled.

  "I started missing you the minute I walked out that gate."

  He picked up her hand, gently ran his fingers over hers and lifted it to his mouth, softly kissing her fingertips. Sara smiled and turned crimson, her heart beating wildly.

  "What are you writing?"

  He was still holding her fingers to his lips. She smiled and shrugged.

  "Just a poem."

  "About?"

  "It doesn't matter."

  "C'mon… read it to me."

  Sara shyly smiled and pulled the papers out in front of her.

  "Ok, but I'm sure it sucks."

  "I'm sure it doesn't."

  Sara rolled her eyes and started to read.

  "Once I played a game with life. A version of hide and seek. Can you catch me? Who am I? None could see me. The real me. My wicked temper, my shy interior, my love of words. No one until you. You saw my soul, you fought my demons, you held me tightly. I tried to run, afraid of myself, but still, you held me tightly. It was then I realized, I was tired of the game. No more running. No more hiding and in turn, I held you tightly."

  Sara stopped and looked at Scott sheepishly and shrugged.

  "That's it so far."

  Scott frowned and nodded.

  "You're right, that sucks."

  Sara frowned and tried to pull back, but Scott laughed and held her hand.

  "No, I'm kidding, I'm kidding… it was beautiful… just like you."

  "Yeah, whatever."

  Sara started to sulk, but Scott pulled her to him until they were nose to nose.

  "Hey, I'm sorry. I loved it. I really did. How could I not love something you wrote about us?"

  Then he pulled her face to his and softly kissed her. Again, her heart was beating so hard she thought it might burst from her chest. She finally pulled back as he softly touched her face.

  "You're supposed to be sleeping," she said.

  "Climb up here and I'll sleep."

  Scott patted the bed next to his left side.

  "You’re hurt."

  "This side, not this side. Get up here."

  Sara blushed and climbed up on the bed as she laid her head on his chest. Scott wrapped his arm around her and let his fingers touch her hair. He pressed his lips to her forehead and closed his eyes.

  “I love you.”

  Sara smiled and snuggled into his chest. Then she whispered.

  "I love you, too."

  Soon their breathing was slow and steady as they slept.

  118

  Alia sat in the darkness of her cell. She glanced around, taking in her surroundings. The cell was approximately twelve feet long and six feet wide with a tiny window at the end. She laughed to herself at the row of bars that fit in the small opening.

  “Only big enough for a bird, a raven maybe… “

  The walls were probably two or three feet thick. She couldn’t hear anything from either side. She felt the cold stone against the open wounds on her back. It was good. She stared at the window. The night had come and the moon shone through.

  The silence was broken by the clang of metal against metal as a key was pushed into the lock of the heavy wooden door. Alia turned her head and looked to see who would enter. The rush of light made her squint.

  “Close the door, Thomas.”

  There was that familiar voice that made her stomach drop and the hairs on the back of her neck tingle. She put on her best game face and looked up at the dark figure.

  “How are we feeling, Mrs. Stark?”

  “Peachy.”

  She could see the white of his teeth as he smiled against the faint light of the partially opened door, but no face.

  “Humor… well, I have something for you…”

  The Shape reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of jewelry. He let it dangle in front of her. It was a black amulet on a black chain. There were strange markings around the outside and a stone in the middle. It was also black, but Alia didn't think it should have been. She raised her head and looked into the nothing of the Shape's face.

  "For me? You shouldn't have."

  The Shape smiled again and knelt down in front of her.

  "Oh, Mrs. Stark… only for you."

  Then Alia watched as he placed the chain around her neck and gently pressed the amulet against her skin, just under her neck. She tried to push his hand away, but found she couldn't move. Then she felt the burning.

  "AAARRRGGHHHHHH!!!"

  "Oh, does it hurt, My Dear? More than the whips and salt? Hmmm, interesting… No matter as I can assure you, it is well worth it."

  The amulet grew orange around the edges and sunk deeply into Alia's skin. The long chain grew shorter and when it was tight it too turned orange and embedded itself in the soft tissue around her neck. Tears streamed down Alia's face as sickly sweet smoke filled the room. Alia had lost track of time. Although the amulet had only burned her for less than a minute, she felt as though it had been hours.

  "Are you all right, Mrs. Stark?"

  The Shape stood up and folded his hands in front of him. Blaylock was leaning against the door, smiling at her pain. She pushed herself back against the wall and then laid her hand over the amulet. Her skin was red and raw, still throbbing against her hand. She glared at the Shape.

  "What is this?"

  "It is a very special gift. You see it will allow me to take all the gifts that she meant for you, Mrs. Stark."

  Alia stared at him. She heard Ferage.

  She is calling to you, Alia. Why do you not answer?

  Then she understood. He wanted her magic, the magic meant for her. The goddess had known what was coming and she had come to Alia that day to stop them. Alia let her head fall back against the stone. The pain on her chest disappeared. She felt the tears hot against her skin. Her fear had held her back and it had cost her heart.

  The Shape looked down at her.

  "Ah, guilt… I believe I felt that once, only once. It served no purpose."

  The Shape walked to the edge of Alia's cot and sat down.

  "It
cost me a great deal to get my hands on that amulet, Mrs. Stark. A great deal. You should know that if you attempt to invoke her now, you will only succeed in giving me her magic sooner than the full moon, but it matters not. By tomorrow night, all of your gifts will be mine, for it is on that evening she will bestow her gifts to you, even if you have not called her."

  Alia stared at him.

  "How do you know all this?"

  The Shape laughed.

  "I have it from the horse’s mouth, as it were… no matter. You should know, there is no known way to remove the amulet, Mrs. Stark. It is an old magic. Some say older than the gods themselves."

  Alia took a long deep breath.

  "Let them go. You don't need them. You have what you want. Let my soldiers and my children go."

  The Shape smiled and stood up. Then he nodded to Blaylock, who stood up and walked over to Alia.

  "I'm sorry, but I can't, you see, Thomas has far too much anxiety. I think that you and your children and your soldiers are exactly what he and the others need as an outlet for that anxiety."

  Alia looked up at the man who held her captive. She gritted her teeth.

  "You'll regret it."

  The Shape laughed and walked towards the door with a dismissive wave. Thomas knelt down in front her and grinned. Then he raised his eyebrows.

  "You're gonna be really fun… seriously, I can feel it."

  Alia sneered at him.

  "Go fuck yourself."

  Blaylock laughed to himself and then looked down at his hand. He made it a fist and then threw it forward. His hand met with Alia's mouth. Her head recoiled and when she turned back around, her lip was split and blood rolled down her chin. Blaylock then walked to the door and as he exited he laughed.

  Alia lifted her head and watched him leave, then licked her lip and spit blood on the floor. She propped herself against the wall in her original position as the laughter in the hallway subsided. She felt the sting of her tender flesh and the throbbing of her face. She began to feel every little ache. She sighed and closed her eyes.

  "How are we gonna get out of this one?"

  Soon her breathing got heavy and she slid off to sleep.

  Through the bars of her window, a raven appeared. It hopped into the room and gently landed on the bed. It stared at her sleeping body, cocking its head right and left as it looked at the black amulet now burned into her flesh. A look of recognition sparkled in its eye and with a flick of its head it flew back to the window and through the bars, flying into the night.

  119

  Sean sat on the eastern rampart staring at the horizon. The first rays of morning slipped over the hills and he thought back to several days before. He hadn't slept well since the rescue party had left.

  He had nightmares every night. He rubbed the back of his neck and breathed deeply. Then he heard the footsteps and turned to see Chris walking towards him.

  "You sound like an elephant."

  Chris smiled and sat down next to Sean.

  "You ok?"

  "Me? Sure."

  "You don't look like you've slept much."

  "No, not much."

  "For what it's worth, I'm glad you and my mom… well, you know. I'm glad."

  Chris shrugged and looked at the horizon as Sean studied his face. There were circles under his eyes and his nose and cheeks were red.

  "Chris?"

  Chris turned and looked at Sean.

  "Did you see something? Did you dream something?" Sean asked.

  Chris smiled and shook his head.

  "No."

  Sean nodded and looked back at the horizon. Together they watched the sun come up over the trees and mountains. Chris had come to talk to Sean about his dreams. He was shocked by how real they were. He could feel the pain. The pain of their whips, the pain of the salt and the pain of their fists and feet, but as he looked at Sean, he didn’t think he should tell him. He could tell by the circles under Sean’s eyes that he wasn’t sleeping. Also, he didn't think he should show Sean the bruises he had on his sides. Then he wondered if they were even his dreams.

  Suddenly Sean stood up and looked down at him.

  "C'mon, Kid. I'll buy you breakfast."

  Together they walked to the Dining Hall in silence.

  120

  "Tanner?"

  Sam groaned as he propped himself up and walked to the heavy wooden door.

  "Tanner? Can you hear me?"

  "Yeah."

  Sam heard Tanner's voice through the vent on the door.

  "Dude, you ok?"

  Sam listened and heard Tanner groan as he stood up and walked to his door.

  "Yeah, great."

  "I'm sure your mom is ok, Man. She's a tough lady."

  Tanner put his back to the wooden door and smiled.

  "Yeah, yeah, she is."

  Sam rested his head near the small window and took a deep breath, grimacing as he did.

  "Hey, whatever happens, Man… I say we follow your mom's lead. Whatever she does, we do. What'd you think?"

  Tanner rubbed his head and leaned forward.

  "Yeah, sounds good."

  Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of a large metal door being opened and crashing into the wall.

  "Hello, Gentlemen."

  They moved away from their doors as the Horde guards opened them and dragged the boys out into the corridor, dropping them near the stone walls. Blaylock and Brollen stood in the center of the corridor. Brollen looked over at Blaylock and smiled. Blaylock stepped forward and leaned over and into their faces.

  "Hello. How are we feeling? Pretty bad, I'd imagine."

  Sam and Tanner stared at him and then Tanner looked over at Gary, who blew him a kiss. Tanner sneered and let his head fall back. Gary laughed.

  "Well, my boys here need to release a little aggression, so we're gonna do a tap dance on your heads."

  He stood up and walked back towards Brollen who began to move forward, but Blaylock stopped him. He turned and smiled as he pointed at Sam, then Tanner.

  "Oh yeah, in a few hours … your bitch and your sister… all mine."

  Blaylock grinned and turned as Sam and Tanner tried to stand, only to be held down as Brollen and his men beat and kicked them. Blaylock held his palm to his face as he inhaled deeply. Her scent was still there. Sweet, like a peach.

  121

  Hannah's head was resting on Chelsea's lap as she slept. Chelsea gently stroked her friend's hair as she stared at the stone all around them. She let the hot tears in her eyes roll down her face and then angrily wiped them away.

  She sniffled and looked at the window in the their cell. The sun was shining though the bars and the rays of light fell on the gray stone floor.

  Then a movement came from the window. Through the bars, a raven landed on the sill and looked down at them.

  Chelsea smiled and held out her hand. The bird cocked its head back and forth and then jumped down on the cot and then the floor. It hopped towards her and then gently nuzzled her hand.

  "I'm glad you're here," she whispered.

  The raven cawed softly, causing Hannah to stir.

  "Shhh, she hasn't slept much."

  The raven nodded, but Hannah slowly opened her eyes and looked up at the bird.

  "How did you get in here?"

  "Sorry. He woke you?"

  Hannah sat up and yawned.

  "No… I was having dreams."

  She too reached out for the bird, which allowed the girls to stroke his satin feathers. He stayed with them for what seemed like hours, and then he hopped back up to the window.

  A loud clang came from their cell door as it began to open. Chelsea looked back at the window, but the raven was gone. She sighed, but then saw a single feather on the floor. As the door swung open wider, she quickly slipped it under her mattress.

  A Horde guard stood in the doorway.

  "Get up, the Master needs more of your blood."

  The girls sat holding one another
, neither trying to get up. The guard sighed and stepped out as two other Hordesmen marched into the cell and dragged them apart and out the door.

  As the cell door closed, the raven appeared back on the windowsill. It again cawed gently and then flew away.

  122

  Alia was asleep when she heard the heavy wooden door slam against the stone wall. Her eyes struggled to see as additional light poured in through the doorway. She felt a hand clench around her upper arm and yank her up. Her back connected with the cold hard rock of the wall and a sharp pain shot through her shoulder. She heard laughing, that same laugh. Thomas. Tommy.

  “Creepy little cocksucker,” she thought.

  She felt the sting of his hand against her face, then the dull tingling throb of his fist to her mouth. He continued to strike, over and over, her face, then her gut, open handed and closed fist. She felt like she wanted to throw up and then laughed as she realized she didn't have anything to throw up. He dropped her and she continued to laugh as blood rolled down her face.

  Blaylock turned back to the Shape and shrugged.

  "I'm sure you can think of something more creative, Thomas. Make her angry."

  Angry? They wanted her to call to the goddess. She pushed herself back and spit blood on the floor, then wiped her mouth. Screw them; they'd have to wait. She smiled.

  Blaylock turned back to Alia and grabbed her by the throat. He lifted her up and pulled her face into his own.

  “You seem to be enjoying this. Let me see what else I can come up with, Party Girl.”

  Alia continued to smile as he tightened his grip. She remained completely still, never dropping her gaze. She could feel her lungs beg for air as Blaylock’s grip got tighter and tighter. Her face was hot, but she still didn’t flinch and her smile never wavered.

  Blaylock's eyes narrowed, she should have been struggling by now. Her face was beginning to pale and her eyes were getting heavy. Suddenly, he threw her against the wall in frustration and she breathed deeply, but never gasped or choked. Her head was throbbing, but she stood up and looked him squarely in the eye.