Ascension - (Alarian Warriors)

Aveyon awoke with a jolt, why had she been dreaming about the past? It wouldn’t do her much good now. How could she have seen it coming?

Thinking back to those moments in time, at what point would she have known? Some things stood out as strange to her now, since her current self knew what type of man Bevan truly had been. But everything she had thought about her saviour in the beginning had been a complete lie.

She couldn’t really see any other way to avoid what had come next. At the time he had seemed so nice... Maybe a little creepy now that she thought about his reactions to certain things.

She wished she had ripped his head off when she had first had the chance. At least the bastard was finally dead now. Never again would he touch her with those devilish hands. “And yet, you still haunt me...” she muttered.

She shivered in the darkness of the abandoned basement. She was still trapped. She had been locked away as a prisoner to a twisted man who had died around... tenish years ago, or at least she estimated it was around that amount of time. It was too hard to tell anymore, it was impossible to keep track.

No daylight ever shone through, and she couldn’t tell by how many times she fell asleep, as the pattern was too irregular. She was gradually growing weaker with each passing day. She had healed from her initial wounds decades ago; the elf healer hadn’t been a lie.

But not being human was the only thing keeping her alive now. It scared her to think how much longer she would last. She didn’t mind dying, in fact, she embraced the idea, living in hell was not her idea of fun. But only one thing kept her going and that was her father.

She kicked at the bars of her cage in anguish, regretting the action immediately as it took a lot out of her, strength she didn’t have anymore. The bars reacted by flaring up with a dull magical light. The essence that had been embedded into the cage was still there. Nothing ever changed, it was still as strong as ever.

Some of the others that weren’t trapped by spells had managed to break out and escape, they never stayed to try and help. She couldn’t blame them, not after what they all had been through, but she wished that at least someone would try. However, she knew the outcome. Her cage was the only one that was locked this way. All the others were able to break through the bars as it degraded, or they escaped the torment through death.

Her hand moved to her left eye; the empty socket ached. It felt strange at times. It was irritating but she’d long thrown away the fake wooden eye, simply because he had given it to her. By any standard what had been done to her was far worse than those that had escaped. But honestly, there was no sense in comparing, hell was hell.

Many people feared her truthfully; after all, she was the one person that had always fought back. She’d even injured Bevan on several occasions, but that had only succeeded in arguing with him. And when he got mad... well, her eye had been only one of the things he had taken from her over the years.

Her hands moved to rest on the dusty cold concrete floor, shifting her weight she tried to make herself comfortable. The only way she ever managed to stretch out her body was to slide her limbs through the bars. The cage floor itself was extremely small.

As she breathed in the stuffy air, she squinted trying to see through the darkness. Her vision was normally exceptional in the dark, but she no longer had any sustenance, and her essence was almost completely drained, it being used to try to keep her body alive. She was almost as powerless as on her first day in this retched place.

She sighed shifting her weight yet again. “I wonder if we will ever find freedom, or if we are simply destined to rot here?” The same question she had asked, who knows how many times now.

She wasn’t the only one left, one other remained. Very few had managed to free themselves. Most of the others had died without food and water in the first two weeks after their captive had passed, others killed themselves. The smell had been evidence of that, the damp musty air amplifying the stench. Rotting corpses was nothing new to them. They could no longer remember anything else, and it had become almost normal.

She rubbed her bruised neck, about a week ago she’d managed to take the collar off. It had restricted her already limited abilities. But even without it she still couldn’t break the cage bars, her commands would do nothing on non-living objects. The collar had stopped her from using what seemed to be a telepathic power. He’d been quick to create that little thing so she couldn’t get away, or rather make him let her go.

Though his spells were slowly fading, they still held strong in some respects. She cursed softly to herself and continued to poke at the bars with her index finger. She watched as with each touch the bars glowed again and again. The only light source they had. Though it didn’t spread far, or last for very long, it served at least as a small form of entertainment.

“How much longer?” The rats stayed well out of her reach now, it seemed they had learnt their lesson. Though she was careful not to kill them, their small bodies had barely kept her alive up till now. She was fading away to nothing and was afraid to see what had become of her.

Glancing at her skeletal hands as the bars flashed with light, she knew it wasn’t good. It was ironic how her race was meant to protect and stop the capture of supernatural creatures. Here she was, an Alarian Princess trapped with no way out.

Where was her goddess now?! Unlike the human ‘God’ the Alarian’s Goddess was normally in close contact with the royals and helped when she could. But even when she was younger and in her own realm, the goddess hadn’t shown herself for some time. Maybe her father pissed the goddess off too? She joked to herself.

“Aveyon, that you?” A shaky voice rose from the darkness.

Her cracked lips spread into a soft smile. “Who else could it be?”

“Right...Good point.” Came a soft whisper followed by a nervous laugh.

Emerald’s voice always lifted Aveyon’s spirits; she was the only one who had tried to get to know her. She had helped her through some of the worst times, and they had grown close. She would never forget what Emerald had done for her; her only regret was that she would never get to see her friend again.

Emerald had also been the healer, though at the time she hadn’t known that Bevan had been keeping her locked up in his basement while she lay on the floor above.

“Do you hear that?” The woman’s voice came again.

“Hear what?” She frowned and tried to listen.

“I think there’s a person up there...” Emerald was whispering even softer now, she sounded scared.

“I think... I hear it.” It was the lightest sound of footsteps.

“I don’t know if we... should we call out to them?” her voice was shaking.

Aveyon guessed the girl was thinking the same as her, they needed out and soon otherwise their corpses would be next to join the pile. They both clung to life as they both had goals they needed to accomplish.

Silence followed as the girls thought about their options. Aveyon wasn’t as concerned for herself; she still had maybe a year or two left in her honestly. But Emerald had been sounding weaker and weaker each day, she could have only hours for all they knew. Finally making the decision for them both, Aveyon spoke. “I think it may be your only hope at this stage.”

“Please help us!!!” Emerald tried to yell, but it only came out as a harsh whisper, even Aveyon cringed hardly able to hear her. Her heart ached for her friend. At that moment she decided. Nothing in this world would stop her from getting Emerald out of here today.

She had many thoughts running through her mind, who was it? How did they get here? Why now and not sooner? Was one of the warlock’s contacts? At this point nothing really mattered to her but their survival.

She hadn’t used essence in a long while. She had an extremely small amount of energy to call on; this really was their last chance. She didn’t have to yell in order for her projection to reach the person. From what she had learnt of her ability it wasn’t in her voice, but rather in the force of her thoughts.

However, it worked better and used less power with direct contact. If a person was willing to let her in from a distance, she would be able to portray her thoughts into another’s mind. It was easier on animals than on a more complex mind though.

Closing her eyes, she concentrated on summoning the little energy she had left. Reaching for the unknown person she immediately hit a barrier, their mind was guarded. Holding onto the connection was a costly task but she waited and hoped that they would let her in, they needed to, or everything was lost.

At this distance, she couldn’t force her way through, not without physical contact. If the person wasn’t human, then she wouldn’t be able to get in at all. The Barrier came down and she quickly projected her thoughts, while also speaking the intrusions allowed, making it easier for her to focus on getting the words across.

“There is a hidden door in the room at the back of the manor. You will need to break the floorboards to dispel the protection concealing the hatch to the basement, please... free us.” The moment she let the connection go, she felt her energy drain.

Her body could no longer hold its own weight and she slumped to the floor exhausted. She felt heavy and her limbs no longer obeyed her. Her eyes fluttered shut. She was very close to passing out. It took all her control not to give in. She heard faint muttering and then a rush of boots from above.

“I’ll get you out!” An unknown male voice yelled down at them from above the trapped door.

Her body stiffened as a shiver ran down her spine and a nervous shake set in. She was unsure as to why it bothered her so much that it was a male voice. She heard Emerald's short intake of breath as well.

“We need this Em, do not lose faith now.” Aveyon breathlessly spoke trying to calm her friend. She knew that she must be just as scared. It was unsettling to put their lives in the hands of an unknown male.

It was horrifying how one man had had such an effect on the two women. Aveyon was barely holding on to consciousness, but she heard Emerald whisper a soft yes in reply, right as the small door was opened.

Aveyon’s breath caught as light spilled in. She tried to use her arms to shield her eyes, but still, her body did not want to move. An unsettling stringing sensation burned through her one good eye, she shut it tight. Forcing herself to blink, she hissed as the burning returned. She could feel moisture form in her eye as she waited for her vision to adjust.

She immediately wished for the darkness again as her surroundings were revealed. Her eye widened in shocked horror. So many corpses lay in decaying heaps around her. She had hoped more than this had gotten out, so many victims lay dead surrounding her cage. The site really hit home that she had failed as an Alarian, they had all failed. So much so that the dead had become a part of the very same floor she had been sleeping on for years.

“Hel-Oh heavens!” The male coughed a few times. “That smell!” His shadowy figure blocked the top of the stairs, she saw him move his arm over his face trying to bloke out the stench.

“Down here.” Aveyon tried to direct the man to the cage that actually had a living person in it. Something blocked the light in front of her, she saw hands on her cage bars. What amazed her was that the bars didn’t light up. Maybe they could be forced from the outside or by someone other than herself!

“How many of you are left?” she heard him say. “This- I’ll get you out.” He sounded so shocked and overwhelmed by the site that it surprised her.

Who was she kidding of course it wasn’t normal, it would shock anyone normal person right? But it could also be another trick, to lull her into a false sense of security.

“Two... only two a-” She stopped talking as her vision finally focused on the man that was kneeling in front of her cage.

Aveyon felt her jaw drop and her breathing stop, she forced herself to move and struggled to the front of the cage gripping the bars tightly. She felt like she was dreaming again, it couldn’t be!? The bars lit up at her touch and his eyes widened in realization, He seemed to understand the situation almost immediately.

“Anzel? I never thought I would see you again!”

He frowned at her and shook his head. “I- my name is Vincent, but you’re not the first to call me that...” He mumbled more to himself.

She eyed him suspiciously. “Who-what... are you then?” She backed away from the bars and sank into the back of her cage, that feeling of uncertainty returning. This was a cruel joke.

This... Vincent had the exact same face, it was eerie. Now that she thought about it, his voice was different and his eyes... they didn’t know her.

“Names aside, we need to get you out of there, you said two?”

She nodded her head, not taking her eyes off him. “Yes, a woman named Emerald is also here. She is on the other side of the room. I fear she is in a bad state.” She said it without a second thought, regardless of who he was they still needed out. If they live they can work on freedom later, right? She couldn’t command him with her thoughts right at this second, but he didn’t know that.

“I am fine for now, please get her and quickly.” She pleaded.

Reluctantly, Vincent moved away, seeing her concern for this Emerald he did as she asked. He made his way through the mass of cages that lined the room. It was hard for him to not look at the poor souls who had not made it as long as the two survivors. The stench was revolting and was causing him to cough constantly.

“I wish I found this place earlier.” He shook his head as he continued to pass the decaying bodies. “I was too late...” he whispered an apology to the dead. Making it all the way to the other side of the room, he tried his best not to stand on any remains or... excrement. “Nobody’s moving over here!” He called back.

Aveyon’s heart began to race as fear engulfed her. “You are looking for an elf with long black hair and greenish skin.” She called back, moving to the front cage again trying to see the best she could.

“Got her!” He responded.

She heard the braking of bars and soon saw a figure walking over to her own cage. Vincent came into view with a frail and deathly skinny girl in his arms. She felt her chest tighten as her heart dropped.

“Emerald?” Aveyon’s voice wavered, hoping she was still alive.

Emerald’s long raven black hair hung in a twisted and dirty mess, but she still managed to open her eyes and smile.

“Is she okay?” It was a dumb question, but Aveyon was afraid. She’d thought that feeling had faded from her a long time ago. Emerald’s skin was pale, and the girl couldn’t move at all on her own, it seemed she had been far worse than she had thought.

Vincent went to place Emerald gently on the first step leading to the door of the basement.

“No!” Aveyon half shouted. “You need to take her now, I will be fine, please get her help first, please!”

Vincent didn’t even get a chance to put the elf down. “But surely you want to come as well?”

“Of course! But...” she flicked the bars with a finger making them flare again. “It is going to take a lot more time for me. Time, she does not have”

Aveyon saw the look on his face. It was like he didn’t want to leave her behind. She smiled weakly. “Please, if she dies-” She pleaded, her voice broke not wanting to finish.

Vincent moved a few steps up towards the door and looked back at the girl with a mass of long white matted hair.

“Okay, I promise I’ll be back for you, Princess.” The elf needed him more right now, she was in danger of losing her life, so he agreed.

Aveyon moved forward and wrapped her hands around the bars looking up at him, almost pleading with him to help and yet she told him to leave her.

He turned away from her, the elf in his arms. The little green figure was shaking. Aveyon watched as Emerald was taken away in the arms of an unknown yet familiar man. She swallowed the lump in her throat hoping that she had made the right choice.

Sitting back, she forced a smile wishing with all her heart that the elf would live through the night. She didn’t understand the feeling of loneliness that came over her without anyone else there.

Though honestly that wasn’t the worst feeling, with the light shining through she could see all the bodies of the poor souls that weren’t as lucky, that was the worst.

She thought she might have had feelings of sadness for them. She was just numb as if she didn’t care. She knew she had failed as an Alarian, but didn’t care? What kind of a monster had this ordeal made her? The only person she cared for was Emerald.

She gasped suddenly remembering something. “He called me Princess... but how would he know that?”