Post by Elinea on Jan 24, 2008 10:35:56 GMT -7
I kept losing this story on the computer and have rewritten it serveral times by scratch ---- well, here goes ! Sorry it's so long !
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Small wisps of fog were beginning to close in around Kaefir, and with it, the cold. The light was starting to fade rapidly, and soon Kaefir knew there would be none. The dungeon was quiet except for the soft sounds of dripping water somewhere off in the distance.
With the increasing darkness, came her fear. As good as her sight was, she still needed some small amount of light to see objects and images. Soon, she knew she would be in total darkness and facing whatever creatures there were in there, alone.
In the cell next to her, Elinea's cries had stopped, and now she heard her quiet breathing.
"Maybe she'll get a little sleep out of this someway, " she thought hopefully.
The cold had also affected her arm and leg muscles. They were all very stiff from the cold, slimey wall she had been chained to. She had been unable to move them much at all. The slightest little movement or stretch, made her winch.
Kaefir closed her eyes and thought about summer time in Kelethin. The sights, sounds, and memories of her home seemed very distant and vague now. They were too vague to give her any comfort. She sighed, and opened her eyes once again to the grim reality of their situation.
There was really no noise to keep her awake. The stress of the day had also taken its toll on her. Reluctantly, the sleep was coming, even though she fought it at first. Kaefir closed her eyes and was soon in an uncomfortable, but sound sleep.
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Kaefir was awakened by a sharp pain to her ribs, and the sounds of hysterical, otherworldy laughter. Her eyes flew open to see nothing but complete darkness. There was no light at all.
There was someone or something in the cell with her. Several of them. She had no idea how many, and tried not to think about what they might be.
There was another blow to her side, this time with a sharp, pointed object. She started to taste something metallic in her mouth and something warm starting to form and run down the side she had been struck.
"You can't see us, Little Priest, " whispered a voice from the darkness close by.
She had never heard a voice like that one, but she knew, "Undead," she thought, and knew she was right.
It was very close by and Kaefir could hear it breathing.
"You can't see us, but we can see you. How does it feel to know you can't help yourself, or your friend?"
"You were sent here to torture me, not her."
"What you do not understand, Little Priest, is that your inability to help is part of your torture, as well as pain."
Kaefir felt her arm hit by the blunt object again, this time with a loud cracking noise and horrible pain as it was broken. She never flinched or cried out.
There was silence after that, except for the constant, incomprehensible whispers of the undead.
Kaefir closed her eyes and again tried to put her thoughts back home in Kelethin. Her breathing had gotten very painful and labored, but she tried to keep her mind occupied with her memories and childhood songs.
"Kaefir, get them off, please!" From the next cell, Elinea was crying out in pain.
Kaefir's thoughts were jerked back to the dungeon and the sounds coming from Elinea's cell.
Over her intermittent loud cries, Kaefir could hear the soft sounds of hundreds of tiny feet.
"No, not Hetae's pets!", she realized to her total terror.
Her friend's cries were loud and constant.
"No please, please don't! Please stop!"
"Eli, listen to me."
"Kaefir, it hurts. They're all over me!"
Kaefir closed her eyes and concentrated her thoughts.
"Eli, listen to me. Listen to me very closely."
Elinea's cries quieted for a moment.
"There are things they don't know about healing, about my abilities."
"Kaefir."
"Eli, listen to me. Do what I tell you to do."
"It won't work, Kae."
"Yes it will, you have to tune the pain out and listen to me."
Elinea's crys got louder. Kaefir again heard the voices, growing louder in the cell around her.
"It won't work, Little Priest. You can't help your friend that way."
There was another sharp pain on her other side, again from a sharp pointed object. Kaefir doubled over and almost passed out.
The cries of pain got louder from the cell next to her. Uncontrolled cries and weeping filled the quiet of the dungeon.
The conversation, however, continued in Kaefir's mind, "Eli, listen.
Do what I tell you, please."
"I'll try."
"Tell me, what did you do when you were little and scared?"
"What does that have to do with now, Kae?"
"Eli, don't question me please. What did you do when you were little?"
There was silence, "Eli, you ok?"
"Fine. Kaefir, it was a long time ago."
"Trust me. This will work. It'll take your mind off of the pain. I promise."
Elinea took a deep breath.
"When I was little.....well, I used to sleep with my bed against one wall of my room facing my door. I used to sleep with my back against that wall and my head covered with my sheets and blanket."
"Eli, why did you do that?"
"I thought that if any orcs came into my room, they couldn't see me with my head covered. If I kept my back to the wall, they couldn't sneak up behind me and I would see them first. As long as I saw them first, they couldn't hurt me and would just disappear and go away."
"Eli, I want you to be that little girl again. Go back to being that little girl in your room. I want you to keep the orcs, those things in your cell, from hurting you."
"Kaefir..."
"Eli, do it! Trust me, please."
"Ok, I'll do my best."
Her cries gradually quieted down, and the dungeon was once again silent. Elinea's breathing got quiet and regular.
Kaefir sighed and opened her eyes. She looked up, "Mother of All, thank you."
Closing her eyes once again, she too gradually fell asleep.
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There was a loud bang as the door to Kaefir's cell closed.
She looked up with a start out of a sound sleep to see two guards and a tall, beautiful Teir'Dal inquisitor standing in front of her.
"My name is Destinae. You must be the Feir'Dal healer."
She looked at Kaefir and shook her head, "I have to say, you are a pitiful looking specimen. I just don't see how you'll ever be an inquisitor. But then, I follow my instructions."
Kaefir frowned, "You'll never make me an inquisitor."
"Yes, well, I'd change my attitude of I were you and be cooperative. Your time in Freeport will be much more pleasant for you if you do."
The inquisitor started to reach out to heal her, but Kaefir stopped her.
"Heal Elinea first."
"I was told to leave her till last. She stepped closer and looked directly at Kaefir, And I always do what I am instructed to do."
The healing was short, but somewhat painful. Kaefir was released from her chains, but was left with her hands tied. One of the guards stayed close by her in the cell. The other guard and the healer left and went into Elinea's cell.
The inquisitor walked over to where Elinea was laying in a now small pool of congealed blood. She was quiet for awhile and then spoke, to no one in particular,
"Hetae's pets have been here, I see. That made a pleasant night for you, young wizard."
Elinea regaind consiousness slowly and with a very peculiar sensation. It wasn't terribly comfortable, but not really painful, either. She opened her eyes and looked up into Destinae's.
"That should do it. Get up."
The guard pulled her up and unchained her. Then she had her hands tied behind her and was lead out of the cell.
"Eli, you alright?"
Elinea gave a weak smile to her friend, "I'm ok, Kae. I think."
They were taken out of the dungeon, and once again lead down the streets and through the gates of Freeport. The day was gray and overcast, with a steady cold wind.
"It must never get very warm in Freeport," Elinea thought.
The two girls finally came to two very impressive buildings.
Destinae turned around and faced them, "This is where you leave company. Elinea is going to The Arcane Academy, my little healer here is coming with me to The Temple of War. Say your goodbyes, if you have any. I doubt very seriously if you will see each other for a very long time, if ever again."
Elinea looked over at Kaefir, she had started to cry silently.
"Kae, don't please. We'll be ok. You have to believe that."
"Eli.....", her voiced trailed off to silence.
Elinea looked up at the gray skies and felt tears starting to form.
She tried not to look back at Kaefir, but she did,
"I'll get us out of this, Kae. You got me through that awful thing in the dungeon, now it's my turn."
"You'll both find yourselves dead."
Elinea looked at Destinae, "I don't think so."
Destinae rolled her eyes up to the sky, "Youth is such a wasted commodity."
Destinae motioned to the guards. Each one took one of the girls by the arm and started to lead them away to separate buildings.
For a few minutes they were turned away from each other, but Elinea looked back one more time at Kaefir, to find her looking back also. Elinea smiled and winked at her friend and then turned back around and was lead into the door of the Academy.
As she was lead past the front doors, two figures in the shadows watched.
"I thought we'd put her in the basement."
"Excellent idea, Zocien. I agree."
"I also noticed that she servived your pets, Hetae."
"My pets don't usually kill, not those anyway. They just, well, they have their own talents. "
The two were quiet, when Hetae spoke up once again,
"Are there rats still in the basement?"
"Yes, I believe there are."
He smiled, "Good. Very good."
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Small wisps of fog were beginning to close in around Kaefir, and with it, the cold. The light was starting to fade rapidly, and soon Kaefir knew there would be none. The dungeon was quiet except for the soft sounds of dripping water somewhere off in the distance.
With the increasing darkness, came her fear. As good as her sight was, she still needed some small amount of light to see objects and images. Soon, she knew she would be in total darkness and facing whatever creatures there were in there, alone.
In the cell next to her, Elinea's cries had stopped, and now she heard her quiet breathing.
"Maybe she'll get a little sleep out of this someway, " she thought hopefully.
The cold had also affected her arm and leg muscles. They were all very stiff from the cold, slimey wall she had been chained to. She had been unable to move them much at all. The slightest little movement or stretch, made her winch.
Kaefir closed her eyes and thought about summer time in Kelethin. The sights, sounds, and memories of her home seemed very distant and vague now. They were too vague to give her any comfort. She sighed, and opened her eyes once again to the grim reality of their situation.
There was really no noise to keep her awake. The stress of the day had also taken its toll on her. Reluctantly, the sleep was coming, even though she fought it at first. Kaefir closed her eyes and was soon in an uncomfortable, but sound sleep.
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Kaefir was awakened by a sharp pain to her ribs, and the sounds of hysterical, otherworldy laughter. Her eyes flew open to see nothing but complete darkness. There was no light at all.
There was someone or something in the cell with her. Several of them. She had no idea how many, and tried not to think about what they might be.
There was another blow to her side, this time with a sharp, pointed object. She started to taste something metallic in her mouth and something warm starting to form and run down the side she had been struck.
"You can't see us, Little Priest, " whispered a voice from the darkness close by.
She had never heard a voice like that one, but she knew, "Undead," she thought, and knew she was right.
It was very close by and Kaefir could hear it breathing.
"You can't see us, but we can see you. How does it feel to know you can't help yourself, or your friend?"
"You were sent here to torture me, not her."
"What you do not understand, Little Priest, is that your inability to help is part of your torture, as well as pain."
Kaefir felt her arm hit by the blunt object again, this time with a loud cracking noise and horrible pain as it was broken. She never flinched or cried out.
There was silence after that, except for the constant, incomprehensible whispers of the undead.
Kaefir closed her eyes and again tried to put her thoughts back home in Kelethin. Her breathing had gotten very painful and labored, but she tried to keep her mind occupied with her memories and childhood songs.
"Kaefir, get them off, please!" From the next cell, Elinea was crying out in pain.
Kaefir's thoughts were jerked back to the dungeon and the sounds coming from Elinea's cell.
Over her intermittent loud cries, Kaefir could hear the soft sounds of hundreds of tiny feet.
"No, not Hetae's pets!", she realized to her total terror.
Her friend's cries were loud and constant.
"No please, please don't! Please stop!"
"Eli, listen to me."
"Kaefir, it hurts. They're all over me!"
Kaefir closed her eyes and concentrated her thoughts.
"Eli, listen to me. Listen to me very closely."
Elinea's cries quieted for a moment.
"There are things they don't know about healing, about my abilities."
"Kaefir."
"Eli, listen to me. Do what I tell you to do."
"It won't work, Kae."
"Yes it will, you have to tune the pain out and listen to me."
Elinea's crys got louder. Kaefir again heard the voices, growing louder in the cell around her.
"It won't work, Little Priest. You can't help your friend that way."
There was another sharp pain on her other side, again from a sharp pointed object. Kaefir doubled over and almost passed out.
The cries of pain got louder from the cell next to her. Uncontrolled cries and weeping filled the quiet of the dungeon.
The conversation, however, continued in Kaefir's mind, "Eli, listen.
Do what I tell you, please."
"I'll try."
"Tell me, what did you do when you were little and scared?"
"What does that have to do with now, Kae?"
"Eli, don't question me please. What did you do when you were little?"
There was silence, "Eli, you ok?"
"Fine. Kaefir, it was a long time ago."
"Trust me. This will work. It'll take your mind off of the pain. I promise."
Elinea took a deep breath.
"When I was little.....well, I used to sleep with my bed against one wall of my room facing my door. I used to sleep with my back against that wall and my head covered with my sheets and blanket."
"Eli, why did you do that?"
"I thought that if any orcs came into my room, they couldn't see me with my head covered. If I kept my back to the wall, they couldn't sneak up behind me and I would see them first. As long as I saw them first, they couldn't hurt me and would just disappear and go away."
"Eli, I want you to be that little girl again. Go back to being that little girl in your room. I want you to keep the orcs, those things in your cell, from hurting you."
"Kaefir..."
"Eli, do it! Trust me, please."
"Ok, I'll do my best."
Her cries gradually quieted down, and the dungeon was once again silent. Elinea's breathing got quiet and regular.
Kaefir sighed and opened her eyes. She looked up, "Mother of All, thank you."
Closing her eyes once again, she too gradually fell asleep.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
There was a loud bang as the door to Kaefir's cell closed.
She looked up with a start out of a sound sleep to see two guards and a tall, beautiful Teir'Dal inquisitor standing in front of her.
"My name is Destinae. You must be the Feir'Dal healer."
She looked at Kaefir and shook her head, "I have to say, you are a pitiful looking specimen. I just don't see how you'll ever be an inquisitor. But then, I follow my instructions."
Kaefir frowned, "You'll never make me an inquisitor."
"Yes, well, I'd change my attitude of I were you and be cooperative. Your time in Freeport will be much more pleasant for you if you do."
The inquisitor started to reach out to heal her, but Kaefir stopped her.
"Heal Elinea first."
"I was told to leave her till last. She stepped closer and looked directly at Kaefir, And I always do what I am instructed to do."
The healing was short, but somewhat painful. Kaefir was released from her chains, but was left with her hands tied. One of the guards stayed close by her in the cell. The other guard and the healer left and went into Elinea's cell.
The inquisitor walked over to where Elinea was laying in a now small pool of congealed blood. She was quiet for awhile and then spoke, to no one in particular,
"Hetae's pets have been here, I see. That made a pleasant night for you, young wizard."
Elinea regaind consiousness slowly and with a very peculiar sensation. It wasn't terribly comfortable, but not really painful, either. She opened her eyes and looked up into Destinae's.
"That should do it. Get up."
The guard pulled her up and unchained her. Then she had her hands tied behind her and was lead out of the cell.
"Eli, you alright?"
Elinea gave a weak smile to her friend, "I'm ok, Kae. I think."
They were taken out of the dungeon, and once again lead down the streets and through the gates of Freeport. The day was gray and overcast, with a steady cold wind.
"It must never get very warm in Freeport," Elinea thought.
The two girls finally came to two very impressive buildings.
Destinae turned around and faced them, "This is where you leave company. Elinea is going to The Arcane Academy, my little healer here is coming with me to The Temple of War. Say your goodbyes, if you have any. I doubt very seriously if you will see each other for a very long time, if ever again."
Elinea looked over at Kaefir, she had started to cry silently.
"Kae, don't please. We'll be ok. You have to believe that."
"Eli.....", her voiced trailed off to silence.
Elinea looked up at the gray skies and felt tears starting to form.
She tried not to look back at Kaefir, but she did,
"I'll get us out of this, Kae. You got me through that awful thing in the dungeon, now it's my turn."
"You'll both find yourselves dead."
Elinea looked at Destinae, "I don't think so."
Destinae rolled her eyes up to the sky, "Youth is such a wasted commodity."
Destinae motioned to the guards. Each one took one of the girls by the arm and started to lead them away to separate buildings.
For a few minutes they were turned away from each other, but Elinea looked back one more time at Kaefir, to find her looking back also. Elinea smiled and winked at her friend and then turned back around and was lead into the door of the Academy.
As she was lead past the front doors, two figures in the shadows watched.
"I thought we'd put her in the basement."
"Excellent idea, Zocien. I agree."
"I also noticed that she servived your pets, Hetae."
"My pets don't usually kill, not those anyway. They just, well, they have their own talents. "
The two were quiet, when Hetae spoke up once again,
"Are there rats still in the basement?"
"Yes, I believe there are."
He smiled, "Good. Very good."
