The path of chaos

[Sonya]

Όνομα Συγγραφέα: Sonya (and Saruman)

Είδος: σαδομαζό φαντασία :Ρ

Βία; θα μπορούσες να το πεις κι έτσι

Σεξ; ίσως :Ρ

Αριθμός Λέξεων: 9.168

Αυτοτελής; Όχι, 6ο μέρος

Σχόλια: λοιπόν, αυτό δεν είναι ακριβώς δικό μου δημιούργημα. Δεν είναι μέρος του ημερολογίου της Λάιρα και δεν έκατσα να περιγράψω το σέσσιον. Αυτό που βλέπετε, είναι μορφοποιημένο σε word το ίδο το session, όπως ακριβώς παίχτηκε (οκ, διορθώθηκαν τύπο, αλλά το πιάσατε το νόημα :Ρ). Δεδομένων κάποιων μελλοντικών γεγονότων (αυτοί που τα ξέρουν, να μην κάνουν spoilers), το ημερολόγιο είναι πλέον πολύ λίγο για να επιτρέψει σε οποιονδήποτε δεν είναι ο Χρήστος ή εγώ να παρακολουθήσει τα γεγονότα. Σαφώς και θα υπάρξουν κομμάτια ημερολογίου (τα οποία βρίσκονται εκτός session), όμως επιβάλλεται narrative. Καθώς τα logs υπάρχουν ακόμα, προκαλώ σε στοίχημα όποιον μπορεί να καταλάβει πού σταματάει να γράφει ο Χρήστος και πού αρχίζω να γράφω εγώ.

 

 

 

The morning was somewhat cloudy as the usual time for breakfast came. The toll of the bell signifying the gathering of the Bladers, gave its monotonous tone, calling them to begin a tiring day, each one having their own chores, being that training, cleaning, or patrolling the forest. The forest patrols, being not really necessary lately, occupied the Bladers only in the hunting of wild and dangerous animals, and not so in finding and neutralizing intruders, as the Emperor had eradicated the Celtic nations of the west.

 

Laira did not go down for breakfast at all. Alone in her room, she tried to examine herself, see if she had any scars, if she felt any pain, in order to understand if the rape had indeed taken place, or if it had been a dream or an illusion. She found out that her body didn't have any scars, and she would feel it acutely if she has lost her virginity. The marks would be obvious. Of course, curative spells always existed to remedy such situations. Her body was flawless as ever, as if nothing had happened last night. Rather numb, she dared exit her room and tried to find Gilthanas.

 

Gilthanas, as always at breakfast time, would be at the head of the table. Even though he was a person that actually could be called as chaotic, he was completely punctual at his duties to the Bladers. Laira approached him, but did not seat herself down for breakfast.

 

"Master, could I use one of your horses today? If it is not inconvenient, I would like to go to the city and spend my day with Sirdan."

 

He lifted his eyebrow, in a gentle manner, and he turned his face a bit.

 

"Cirdan? He exclaimed. I think not," he said with a calm expression. "Go to my office, I will come to you as soon as I finish my breakfast."

 

Laira had not the scornful or angry expression of the past few days. It was obvious that she had expected a refusal, but that only gave her eyes a melancholic shadow. She made a small curtsey and left the breakfast room.

 

The office was as interesting as always. Except the big desk that seemed to be imposing with the throne that Gilthanas used for himself, it had a numerous collection of books, with poems and songs, literature and philosophy. There was also a collection of musical instruments, and sculptures that depicted the Emperor, an elf of extreme beauty and a haunting feeling inside him. The office smelled the slight smell of musk, and was quite filled with light.

 

Laira paced slowly in the room, looking at the books and occasionally touching one of the instruments with a sorrowful expression. It was as if she was trying to recall all her tenderness for music. Sometimes she mumbled a tune. Eventually, the door opened. Gilthanas entered the room, and his expression was more than serious.

 

"I have eyes and ears in the city, even though I have not been there myself. Sirdan has serious trouble these times. I would suggest disturbing him no farther."

 

He paced a bit, as he sat on his throne.

 

"I heard that his parents were murdered. One of them was a high ranking officer in the military, and thus, I have been able to find out. He is under current investigation by the Seneschal of the city; however, there is much crime to be found wherever someone can see. The bad thing is that as long the Emperor is strict, the crime becomes smarter."

 

He looked at some scrolls on his desk, reviewing them, and lifted his eyebrow.

 

"Therefore, I would suggest not going there. It would make things worse for him, while you would be implicated in the investigation."

 

"I am sorry to hear it. I would write a few words to him, but I am afraid you would disapprove and, indeed, it might be unwise. Well," she said, rubbing her forehead, "if this be the case, I suppose I will have to do without him. Is there anything else you would?er? want of me, or am I dismissed?"

 

He turned to her and watched her calmly, almost coldly. He stood up from the throne and moved closer to her, leaning upon the desk. He seemed to smirk.

 

"What will I do with you?" he said very softly. "You are one of the most chaotic persons I ever seen. Yes... I would like you to caress my chest and then lick it and I would like to have you here, in the office."

 

"Then I am sorry once again, but I will not oblige you, master. You will have to be satisfied with only the rumor of an affair between us. I know that you are desperately in love with me, but you will have to survive without my vagina. Besides, you proclaimed that you would have me crawling on my knees for your experienced hands and I am very far from reaching that point. Anything else?"

 

Neither her eyes, nor the tone of her voice showed anger or sorrow. It was as if she felt too tired to actually feel anger. His smirk turned into a maniacal laughter... He moved towards her menacingly, and slowly he whispered in a very ironic manner.

 

"I can read your mind..." he said mockingly."You want to crawl to me," he said once more. "But... most of everything, you need me to break you." He said, and suddenly, his eyes became normal again. "Come with me." He moved towards the library, and pushed the twin eyes of he statue of the Emperor, making a secret door appear. A tunnel, with stairs descending was behind the door, which led downwards.

 

Laira laughed aloud at his maniacal look and did not step back when he leaned towards her.

 

"So I was right after all. You do desire me. It amuses me exceedingly", she said but there was not amusement in the coldness of her countenance.

 

When he opened the door, she made a theatrical gesture and after he started walking, she followed him.

 

The stairs descending were dark, and only a nightmarish light coming out of violet gems was showing the shape of the steps inside the darkness. As they descended, they were led into a maze of corridors and steps, obviously secret passages that led everywhere inside the building. However, Gilthanas moved through a specific route, that was quite complex, including the use of several secret levers, either they be loose bricks or hidden buttons. Their route led towards a specific set of double doors that had depicted the "Dance Macabre", a dance that skeletons were dancing, with death being the one bearing the lute. The door was made of copper, already green from the age that left its mark upon the door.

 

Gilthanas used his hand as a key and pushed the double door, leaving a creaking sound, as he stepped inside utter darkness... Laira hurried to follow him and tried to remain as close to him as possible in order not to loose him in the dark.

 

The darkness was much stronger as the double doors closed behind them, with a menacing sound. Inside, the smell of corpses was prominent together with the smell of preservatives and musk. "Ignare" Said Gilthanas, and suddenly torches lit up, giving their oily addition to the existing smell, shedding light inside the room. And a majestic statue appeared in front of her eyes, made by parts that were taken from corpses. Gilthanas started to laugh manically once more, as he moved to the statue. The statue was an undisputable work of high art, even though macabre in its essence. It did not depict a person, or something, but it was a complex of bodies clinging to a staircase made of bone, reaching to the top, where, whilst the faces were full of anguish, the eyes, that were gems by themselves, seemed to look with hope towards the one that was there, leading them towards a destination. The top figure, was a skeleton made of bone and tattered rags, painted in a resemblance of a nightmarish clown, which had his arm extended upwards, towards the majestically painted ceiling, which was depicting a portal towards a new life. The painting included every joy of life, and seemed to be a completely relaxing view, filling someone's eyes with hope.

 

Laira's face became unreadable, as she looked at this piece of macabre art.

 

"Why are you showing this to me? Is it supposed to frighten or impress me? It is? extraordinary, but not my kind of art."

 

He turned towards her, and his eyes were full in melancholy and regret. There was gentleness deep inside him, and he spoke in a soft tone, as if he did not wish to disturb the dead, obviously, his own victims.

 

"I believed you would understand, but it is not so. Never mind. Let us move back."

 

He turned his back towards her and moved again to the doors.

 

"It is unbecoming to a bard, you know,? he whispered, "to have only that to say when he sees something like that."

 

He pulled the doors, open once more, and almost in a whisper he said: "I am deeply disappointed."

 

"If a place is important to you, you do not laugh at it as soon as you enter it. Did you expect me to respect this which you did not? I told you before and I shall tell you once again, Gilthanas. You mock everything that you hold dear, by pretending it is trivial. Fine by me. Your heart, your rules. But do not expect understanding, since you offer none."

 

She touched his hand.

 

"I am sorry if I have offended you. But I must speak the truth as I see it. I cannot share your grief. I am too small to touch it. Small by age and experiences, small, maybe, by what you are used to. But I am honest."

 

He seemed to be full of anger as he stopped.

 

"IDIOT!" he screamed as he heard her. "I have been teaching you all this time, and you have not understood anything?"

 

He turned towards her, and spoke flushed by anger.

 

"When will you stop being a peasant, when will you open yourself to the world I present you?" he said, as he seemed to be more and more irritated.

 

"You have been teaching me?" she replied softly. "What have you been teaching me? Madness? Insanity? Maybe I do not want to see the world through your eyes, Gilthanas. Maybe I am afraid to do this."

 

He turned towards her and grasped her from the shoulders shaking her.

 

"The bard is so many things, multiple things that make up a puzzle. A puzzle he has to solve through logic, sometimes, and mostly by intuition, passion, and surrendering. It is not my world to see, nor anyone else’s. It is the world. The utter and ultimate madhouse!!!"

 

Laira stood motionless while he shook her. When he had ceased speaking, she raised her hand and gently brushed his cheek.

 

"Intuition, you say? Passion? Surrender? These are things that you know well, indeed. But, my dear, this is not all there is. You have opened your mind to so many dimensions I'm not sure it's in your head anymore. But you keep your heart shut to yourself alone. So you miss beauty. Real beauty. I do not want ever to end up like this. My heart is all I have. Mine. I may not be intelligent, intuitive or passionate, not wise in the least, but I still have my heart. And I am not willing to give it away for all the knowledge of the world. I can see the dream, even though I am haunted by nightmares."

 

He responded to the touch, taking once more a gentle expression.

 

"It's a she, you know" and he pointed to the skeleton, the symbolism of death. "She is the one that guides us, the sister of life." He looked deeply into her eyes. "You just cannot see beauty yet. Beauty is not what you were taught to know, but the ugly; the disturbed; the evil. Whatever you conceive as beautiful, is not what needs us" he said, not really elaborating about death any more. "We are needed by the ugly, the depraved, the ones that need to see beauty into the vilest of acts, or to be liberated by them."

 

He approached her with whispery lips, his breath caressing her lips.

 

"We are not the ones that reproduce the nightmares of 'proper' beauty. If we were so, we would be just a phantom of real terror, a disturbed and convenient image, a propagation of this, blind 'order' of things, that actually does not bring hope, nor light. It just breeds terror. And I am in the choice of bringing terror, greater terror than the ones propagate. Terror of a sudden awakening. This is not my, but our duty. To be able, to make beautiful and hopeful songs to the right ears, and nightmares to other, more convenient senses."

 

For once, she did not step back, but tolerated his breath on her lips.

 

"But can we, can you see the beauty? Not fabricate it, not show it when it is not there, not create it in the stead of ugliness. Only see it. In a lily. In a beautiful song. In the small places where it is hidden. Not for the others. For you. To know that no matter how twisted things are, Beauty is always there. To keep your dream alive in the nightmare. To be in touch with your heart and let it sometimes rejoice. Not only suffer for the pain of others, but rejoice for the simple fact that it is still alive through all this."

 

She touched his hair.

 

"I wish I could comfort you. I wish I could?" she hesitated for a moment. "But it is of little matter. You are who you are and I am who I am and we see the path from different angles. And I am not sure that I can bear your view."

 

He smiled gently and spoke softly to her once more.

 

"Beauty in a lilly? A song of beauty and hope?" his eyes filled with darkness. "I can see them. I can find them important, and I need to protect them."

 

He moved a bit back and turned his back to her, holding himself as if he was cold, by an extremely cold breeze that would make someone fall.

 

"I know all these, I see all these. But I don't see only these."

 

He started to mumble frantically as he kept holding himself, trying to shield him from the cold.

 

"But I see everything, and that, is what I am. And that is what you should be. Not blind, but free."

 

He shook his head, as if trying to deny the things he just said.

 

"Dreams are like the world. Light and darkness. And between dreams, there is art. Dark art, and art of Light. Together, they create a world, apart, they create fanaticism, and ugliness" he said, as if remembering times he did not believe such things, as if he had his own logic once. Then, he started to laugh once more, in a maniacal way. "And only the laughter remains, through utter terror. It is a she, I tell you!" He turned at her, with his eyes full of madness. "Terror, terror terror!" He started to dance as if he was a puppet, walking towards her.

 

"When roses bloom,

Hope is an endless refuge,

Your smile, a bittersweet tree,

From where, the fruits of our innocent love,

Will feed upon our children.

Blind love,

Tormenting my world,

Touching my sanity,

Finding my heart.

Wormlike, and beautiful,

Mighty Cupids arrow,

Show me the way,

Save this day."

 

Laira shut her eyes with desperation in front of this performance. A thought occurred to her and it hit her like a hammer. Without moving, without opening her eyes, the uttered one small question, with a voice barely above whisper.

 

"Who are you?"

 

He looked at her as if frozen in time, as if he was a still picture of some kind, a painting, or a broken doll... He smiled at her with madness deeply inside his expression.

 

"Who are you?" he repeated. "Who are you?"

 

His lips were still, but the words came around her, from the darkness. "Who are you?" the words were repeating themselves, including her own voice now, being around her. And then, a symphony of whatever she said in the castle, from the first day she was there, were started to be recited by the darkness... hammering her with her own voice. Gilthanas raised his hands, and screamed: "ENOUGH!" and everything became still once more, and silence filled the room. Gilthanas then, curled in a ball on the ground. His eyes were full of tears, and he was crying.

 

Laira, quickly recovering from the shock (and very much hardened from the experiences of the previous days) kneeled beside him and took his head in her arms, caressing his hair and whispering a soft song.

 

He whispered.... "The price of freedom is torment, Laira."

 

He looked at her.

 

"Madness takes its toll... But is the only way," he suddenly started laughing once more. "You asked me to become the best bard in the world, didn't you? No fancy songs, no music coming from your lute," he said, as he was laughing. "But to play the strings of the universe." he said, as he looked towards the sculpture, extending his arm towards the figure of death herself.

 

"The path you asked me is cruel. It has death, it has decay, it has laughter with tears." He said... "And it demands to be delivered no more."

 

Laira did not let go of him.

 

"Hush now, my darling," she whispered with a motherly voice, "Come, my dearest, let us get out of this place. Let us go out, a stroll in the woods, what do you say? Come on now."

 

His voice became once more gentle, and his face solemn, even though wet from the tears, as if an actor changed his expression immediately.

 

"For the last time, I beseech you; take my offer, and move to the academy I will send you in Solatti. Leave this place, for since I moved in, it is cursed."

 

"I will not leave you. I cannot leave you. You asked me once if I would stay, even though I had to deal with death and destruction and ugliness and I said that I would. I might lose much, including my sanity, but I will stay here, do you hear me? In this place, with you. I might want to kill you sometimes, but right now I want to protect you, no matter how naive this sounds. Do not send me away for some stupid curse. You took me in, now you have to put up with me, because I will do excessively stupid and childish things that will embarrass me exceedingly if you try to send me away."

 

He turned to her in a gentle manner.

 

"I will torture you, do you understand that?" he said solemnly and slowly, as he looked at her face. "Be certain about what you just said; think it well, for after a while, you will be tormented. Tormented and devastated, moment after moment, for days. I ask you for the last time. Do you wish the path? Be taught by me?"

 

"What do you mean 'you will'?" she said with a teasing smile. Then her expression became serious.

 

"I'm frightened out of my wits to the very thought of the path and your teachings and my mental situation. I will stay. See I'm losing it already! Only promise me, to whatever you hold dear, that you will never send me away. Now, shall we go out of this place, please?"

 

He turned to her, and smiled.

 

"You said what you said, but you did not say that you do. Do you understand that you will enter my path? Do you wish that?"

 

"I understand that I will enter your path. Frankly, no, I do not wish to, but I see no other way either. And, anyway, you will receive my answer when we leave this place. I will say nothing more in front of her? ladyship."

 

He nodded to her, and he slowly stood up. He moved by the grace of a dancer taking her hand, and moving outside the room, and through new corridors, that seemed to lead to another part of the fortress, or more likely, to the forest itself. The cave entrance was well hidden, and when they moved out, they seen the brilliant sun, painting green the thick vegetation, which seemed to be completely magnificent. The clear air filled their nostrils, and the sounds of the forest filled their ears...

 

"I would not deny you that, before I imprison you," he said, and smiled. "Take all of it, the most you can take, for today you will be blasphemously abused. You accepted, and if you do not revoke your decision still now that you can, there is no turning back."

 

Laira did not respond, only took his hand and walked with him deep in the forest. She found a place where they could sit and sat on the grass. She let her eyes wander in the beauty of the scene and a sweet smile spread across her face.

 

"I know that I will suffer. I already have" she said, without frowning or changing her expression. "For every moment of joy I spent in the guild, there have been endless hours of nightmares, sorrow and tears. Take pride, Gilthanas, for you have been the cause of most of them. I cannot even tell reality from imagination anymore. By the gods, I do not even know what this day is, or what the previous and the one before it were! I do not know if I am living this or I am to wake up more confused. But I am as stubborn as a mule and probably a masochist. I was very different, only a fortnight ago and yet, I think that I am only now beginning to take a hint of what I really am. Am I dreaming, Gilthanas? And how can you answer me if I am? Never mind? It is so beautiful out here, that at this moment I am filled with temporary happiness. Tomorrow may be the worst day of my life, but this is a good one and I do not intend to waste it."

 

He smiled...

 

"Not tomorrow... Tonight will start the counting of your own nightmare, Laira. Tonight, when the glorious sun sets, it will be the beginning of your nightmare. And from tonight, you will be broken."

 

He smiled, as he slowly stood up and flexed looking at the plants around her. He slowly touched the leaves, not daring to cut any of them, and smelled them one after the other.

 

"Indeed there is beauty here. However, dear Laira, it is so obvious. So damn obvious. "

 

He smiled, and slowly started to sing, for the most beautiful sunset in the world.

 

"Well, if I am to be broken, then I'd better dance now that I still have all my limbs! Indeed, you have never seen me dancing, even though I was by far the best dancer in my village."

 

Laira stood up and happily danced, as Gilthanas sang. She seemed as if she wanted to embrace all the beauty that lay before her eyes.

 

"Beauty is obvious for the eye that looks for it. Look at this lilac, master; I do believe that it is dancing with me! And the birds are truly the best bards. We should be taught by their grace and capability to just sing for the sake of it."

 

It was a beautiful day, till the sunset, as music and dancing would be made to match with the whole scenery, making it easy to be a painting of proportions of a masterpiece. It would be a brief, a fleeting moment of happiness in the hourglass of the universe. And when the sun slowly shed his last ray of the light he kept so closely guarded in himself, then a frantic laughter started to erupt suddenly from Gilthanas' mouth. His eyes became mad once more, and he spoke with a hushed tone...

 

"Good evening, bitch!"

 

"So, it has begun" whispered Laira and her smile began to fade. "Good evening, master."

 

He laughed manically again, and he moved towards her, grasping her once more from her hair. He gave her a deep forced kiss in her lips, and grasped her from the wrist. From a small pouch, he took out his deranged mask, and slowly wore it, as the laughter became more and more frantic. And then, he started to drag her towards the dark cave.

 

"All I need is just a little patience" murmured Laira to herself and she obediently let him drag her back to that awful place.

 

The numerous corridors this time led them deeper, and lower. It seemed that they descended into a horrific dungeon, where there were eyes watching them, and in there, there was the echoing laughter of a madman. Wetness and fear was filling the room, as well as more and more decay. And slowly... they reached a barred pit. He grasped her hands, and laughed in front of her face, as he started to chain them with iron manacles. And when he affixed her upon the floor, he moved to unlock the pit's lid. When the dark iron door opened, the decay filled the air, of decomposing flesh, while he exclaimed:

 

"Here no one will hear you scream... Here you will see beauty."

 

Laira shut her eyes and let her mind wander back to the beautiful day she had spent in the forest. She tried to feel the scent of flowers in her nostrils, the song of the birds in her ears. She stood motionless, waiting for whatever this was, to pass. When the door was wide open, he grasped her once more from the wrists, and unchained her. He pulled her towards the pit, and shown her the contents of it. Decaying, rotten bodies of women, children and men, piled up together inside the pit.

 

"Victims. Like you. Whose victims? You'll find out," he said, and cackled, as he shoved her inside the pit, the bodies breaking her fall with a squishy sound, as the body fluids and maggots were soft enough. From there, he lowered a big flask of water, and a packet of rations. "You will stay here... Forever." He said laughing, as he slowly closed the pit's lid, plunging her in such darkness, where only the figures of the corpses could be vaguely seen.

 

"Well, forever will not last very long with so little food" she whispered to herself, purposefully ignoring the fact that she was amongst decayed bodies. She looked around, trying to find if there was any corner unoccupied by corpses. The pit was full of rotten bodies, as if she was upon a well of corpses, instead of water. It was not a cell, but a pit. The stench was slowly more and more intense, as the laughter slowly seemed to move away from her position, and darkness filled the place, except of her own sounds.

 

After a while, her nose got used to the stench and it bothered her less that it did at the beginning. She found one of the less decayed bodies and on it she seated herself, placing the water and food carefully on her lap. She apologized to the recently dead for abusing him so cruelly and described to him the situation. Since she figured that her staying there would be of some duration, she decided to make the most of it. She had plenty of time to think and meditate on her days in the guild and her conversations with Gilthanas. She tried to focus on the thought that had occurred to her in the dungeon, that he was, in fact, TWO persons, and tried to recollect all she could that hinted towards this conclusion. Afterwards, she tried to remember with details the day that had passed, during which she was sent away from the guild and, therefore, all the following events had taken place and decided that whenever Gilthanas decided to let her out of the pit, she would ask examination by a physician. Then, she tried to create a story, or a poem, but that proved harder, since she had nowhere to write it down to. Another idea occurred to her then and she tried to imagine the life of every decayed corpse that surrounded her. She named them and gave them beautiful lives to have lived, only ending up here by bad luck.

 

It seemed like an eternity that passed inside the pit. Nothing more than her breath, no other silence than the slowly decaying bodies and her movements. But a scream suddenly broke the silence. One of the corpses screamed! A scream after seven days, an eternity of silence! And the bodies started to murmur, telling stories of hideous acts that happened to them, repeating them one after the other, constantly the same stories. The corpse she was seated on was the one that was a victim of murder. She was too beautiful for a noble to forget her, and too persistent to compromise. She was eaten by the lord's dogs as she tried to escape him. The other, was speaking of the strangulation he suffered by his brother in law, for denying surrendering the dowry of his sister. Children, did not know, did not understand why they died. They spoke of pain, searching for their toys. And the voices, dozens of them, kept speaking the same and same things.

 

Laira sympathized with every story she heard, especially with the children. Then, she reminded the children how happy they were when they were playing and how much their mothers had loved them when they were born. And to each and every body, she tried to remind them that, besides some unfortunate events and especially the fact that they were decaying with the company of each other instead of decent graves, there must have been moments in their lives full of beauty and happiness and they should stick to them. Having an eternity to spend in such a pit was bad enough, without focusing on the ugly side of life or death. She sang for them and told them beautiful stories, not letting anyone have a bad mood.

 

Her attempts seemed to have some effect, as she heard the voices calm... She could feel them listen, she could feel them respond to kindness. She could feel them need the attention of beauty and hope. She could feel the pain recede, and she could feel the souls, one after the other, slowly, through her songs to fly upwards, leaving her alone. It took one full day for her to release them. It took one full day for her to make them silent again. One full day for her to be alone in the darkness. Laira felt happy that even though these people had suffered a vast deal, they could still see and feel beauty and affection. She bid farewell every soul that ascended and, when they were all gone, she sang for them, for beauty, for life.

 

And time once more passed, as she was singing. Time passed slowly, as she kept there, singing with happiness, when slowly, a small voice, deep in, emerged...

 

"Lady?" the voice spoke... "Help me too please."

 

The voice was of a small child, a boy.

 

"I don't wish to be alone here. You took everyone away... Take me away too, please."

 

"Why are you here, little one? What has happened to you?"

 

"Kind lady, please..." the boy's voice spoke pleadingly... "I cannot move... it's holding me."

 

"What is holding you, my darling?"

 

"The bad man!" the boy replied. "The bad man," he moaned, and started to cry, a shrill that chilled the souls of the living....

 

"Hush now, my darling, there is no bad man here. There is just you and me. Now, speak to me and I will find you and see what is holding you."

 

Laira, guided by the cries of the child, tried to locate where inside the pit he could be.

 

She had to dig inside the corpses to find out... It came deep within, deep within the bottom of the pit. The boy kept crying.

 

"The bad man holds me. The bad man!" the voice of the little elf kept pleading, as it was really into panic. It felt alone now, no one to talk to.

 

"I am here, my dearest, I am looking for you. No one will hurt you anymore. I will find you and you will be free. Have faith, little darling, and just a little more patience" she said, with a soothing, mothering voice.

 

The digging took hours, as she was putting corpses in tiles going deeper and deeper, when fluids rolled upon her arms, breast, and face. Until she found the corpse. It was of an elven boy, rotten to the bone, like a puppet having his little arms and legs held by small parts of tissue. No eyes, no tongue. Only tons of maggots. The boy spoke.

 

"Lady... He keeps me back. I can not dream, I cannot play... Please, help me...." the boy said, as it was completely motionless. The voice, after all, was inside her mind. The boy once more screamed, as it called. "The bad man!!! The bad man!!!! The bad man plays with another now!" the boy cried...

 

"Hush, now, I have found you. I am here. You are not alone. See what we will do now? We will play. Together. We will sing the bad man out of here. Do you know that he cannot stand laughter and joy? But we will show him! We will sing and we will laugh him out of here. Because we are stronger than he is. We are happier than he is. He is but a poor bad man who cannot laugh. Come, my darling! Let us sing and laugh and play and he will vanish in the blink of an eye!"

 

To no avail. The boy seemed to be tormented, as if it was raped... The boy seemed to be completely out of there, where Laira's attempts did not bear fruits. A slight sound was heard, and from the pit, another corpse fell. A fresh corpse, a boy's corpse. A violated, beaten to death boy fell down... Upon Laira, upon the other boy's corpse. And the fresh blood and the flesh smelled like a pig she has seen slaughtered inside her village by her father...

 

Laira held the new body in her arms, gently, as if he was only sleeping.

 

"Oh, my dearest," she whispered. Then, softly, with one hand on the little skeleton on the floor, the other holding gently the boy, she started to sing a lullaby to the two boys. It would take long till the newcomer could speak. It would take seven more days to pass to attune to the next corpse, and the pleading of the boy she met there, kept coming to help him... Nothing could appease it. But before seven days pass, the lid opened, and a rope fell. The laughter once more appeared, and a voice, a voice that now touched her ears, came around.

 

"Come up, bitch."

 

"Now, my little ones" she said to the two corpses. "I have to go, but I believe it will not be for long. You must make happy thoughts to keep the boogey-man away until I return. And go to the stars, my little ones. They are waiting for you with beauty and happiness beyond words."

 

Laira arose and took the offered rope that led her out of the pit. She saw once more the nightmarish clown, as the light of the torches tore her eyes like daggers. She listened to the laughter, as he took her from the wrists once more. He pulled her even deeper, where she was led to a cage. He slowly grasped her from the hair, and gagged her. He then tied her down, so that she could not move and blindfolded her. Finally, he covered her ears. No sound. No sound at all... And he left her there. Without food, or water. For the rest of eternity to come.

 

Laira turned her mind towards the two boys in the pit. She felt that she had still some help to give them and, sending to their souls all her affection, she started to sing until she had no more breath for singing. Afterwards, she meditated on the experience she had had in the pit, on the stories she had heard from the corpses. Time passed. Nothing happened.... She finished all her song and stories. She stood there, without senses, or capability of movement.

 

Time passed; another eternity. Days and nights followed one another in the darkness, in the silence. Laira did not try to move or cry out for help. She waited for whatever end to come. And then, she felt to be moved, and she felt the clown untie her, and slowly release her. He took her exhausted body to her bed, where he put her there, all dirty, staining the sheets. He fed her water, and let her rest. The rays of the morning sun fell through the window.

 

"Master?" she called softly, when she opened her eyes after hours and hours of sleeping.

 

Gilthanas was there, watching her. He was impeccably dressed as he watched her smiling. "Laira." he responded, even though he said nothing more. "Drink this tea" he said, and offered her a bowl.

 

"I? truly believe that? I am not very? presentable at the? moment" she said, with a faint smile, after drinking the tea. "But my legs I? cannot feel them? strong? could you possibly assist? me to have a? bath? You have? done this in the? past ages? ago" She looked at him tenderly, as if it was somebody else who had done all this to her.

 

"You would wish me to?" he smiled as he started to take off his clothes. "I just don't wish my shirt to get dirty," he said, as he took her gently off the bed, and led her towards his pool.

 

He watched deeply into her eyes, as he moved her towards the warm water.

 

"Did you learn something?" he said.

 

"I believe I? did, master? What about you? Did you? learn something during my? test?" she said, with her arms around his neck and a deep gaze into his eyes.

 

"I'll tell if you tell," he said, as he smiled gently, and slowly lowered her inside the tub.

 

He didn't undress further though. He kept his distance, taking the wet rag to start cleaning her shoulders.

 

"I will tell. But not before you do. What I have to say, I want it to be the last word. First I need to hear your story" she said, following his movements with her eyes and enjoying the experience as much as it had annoyed her the first time it had taken place.

 

He smiled widely in this childish behaviour... He moved close to her ear and whispered tenderly, letting the air coming out of his mouth caress it.

 

"You need to hear my story, you say?" he laughed. "You are the student here, not I," he whispered, as his hands moved slowly towards her breasts.

 

"Oh, I think we both are students here. You say that you learned something and that is what a student does. Hey, is my vision playing tricks, or are you not holding the rag on this hand that is moving towards sensitive areas? Be careful, master, or I might assume that you are hitting on me" she said with no anger in her voice, only a teasing expression.

 

"Shouldn't I?" he said teasingly. He smiled as he slowly bit the point of her ear, and cackled. "Well, well, well...." he said."I learned that you could still surprise me. I didn't expect what I have seen. I would expect begging, or crying, or laughing. But you seem much more sober than before. I do wonder how, but I don't want to examine it right now," he said, as he moved to her breasts clearly now, and started to caress them, cleaning them as well... Sometimes he grasped them harder, sometimes softer... If he was allowed to.

 

"Now, now, what have we here? The tutor-student syndrome? For shame, master" she said with no actual anger. "If it does not distract you from what I have to say, feel free to entertain yourself with them, as long as you astrict there and not move lower. Well, now what I have learned? I learned that hope can hide even in the darkest pit. I learned that only when people learn to value their lives will ever be truly free. I saw ugliness and pain and sorrow and learned that they too are as important as happiness and beauty. But I also saw that for some there is no redemption. That there are souls incapable of feelings, cruel and black. But do you wish to know what kept me going, in the darkness, among the rotten corpses, in the silence and the absolute solitude??

 

He smiled, and returned to massage her shoulders...

 

"Pray thee, tell me," he said and then he started to wash her hair.

 

"Mmmm, that feels good, that feels clean, at last! So, what was I saying? Oh, yes! What kept me going, even smiling? It was you, master. The thought of you up here, believing in me, wanting me to succeed. The thought that if I failed, all that I had said to you would prove wrong, master, that I would let you down. But most of all? it was love."

 

She turned her body to face him and put her hands on his face.

 

"Inside the darkness, I knew I loved you, Gilthanas, and that gave me beauty and hope. Only to see you again, and be the same person that you left there."

 

She smiled sweetly and turned her back again, to let him go on with the cleaning of her hair.

 

He started to laugh. Heartily, frantically. He laughed his heart out.

 

?You liar!" he said, laughing. "You disgusting, perfect liar!" he said, and laughed without stop. He did know that Laira would never behave like that before. He resumed cleaning her hair, laughing.

 

"Anything else you learnt, sweetheart?"

 

"You may laugh as much as you choose, but I am in earnest! Come on, embarrass me more, as if it was not hard enough to admit it in the first place!" she said, laughing along with him. "You said, I don't even know how long ago, that you could read my mind. But can you read my heart? And do you think that I would lie to you about such a thing? For shame, not believing your dutiful disciple!" she said, throwing water on him.

 

He kept laughing... And he whispered to her. "Now... I have to ask you, Laira..." he said as he moved again to her breasts. "What are you? What does your image in the water show you?"

 

"For the moment, the water is showing your hands cupping my breasts. Ts ts ts? What am I to do with you, naughty master? Now, to be serious, I see a face that I haven't seen in ages. It must be mine, it looks familiar. Yet it is more. I cannot name what I see, but I see it."

 

He whispered to her biting her earlobe gently. "Describe what you see... Tell me," he said, as he cupped her breasts and squeezed.

 

"By the gods, I am doubly distracted! So be it. I see a happy face, beautiful, I must say. I see a face that has seen things beyond the ordinary. I see a peaceful face, feeling good with its owner. I see grey eyes that shine like the brightest sunray, I see rosy lips forming words and smiles, I see copper hair much longer than what I remember. And I see another face in the water, behind the female one. I purposefully ignore its hands and their occupation. It is a face that makes the other face smile. It is beautiful and the eyes full of wisdom and yet playful and teasing, like a child's. That is what I see in the water, master.?

 

He kissed her neck softly and he whispered.

 

"I need to tell you something though. Hear me, as I pour some wine to us." He released her breasts, as he stood up and moved to the cabinet, pouring wine in two chalices. "The pit" he said... "is magical. It draws every victim murdered in the forest." He said plainly. "I think you understood that already, no?"

 

"I did understand that it had magic, yes. And from the stories I heard, I understood so. So, that's why I ended up there? Because I died there?"

 

He laughed as he placed the goblets carefully close to her. He started to remove his boots, and undo his trousers.

 

"No, of course not!" he laughed. "Because I threw you there more likely!" He said cackling. "The well keeps the restless souls from haunting the forest." He stripped even from his loincloth, as he moved towards the pool.

 

"Good gods, I am relieved! I thought that I had died the day that you sent me away from the guild. Master, I think I did something in there?I think I released them? most of them. There are two boys there. One arrived a little while before you pulled me out and the other was screaming that the 'bad mad' held him."

 

"Yes, they are, weren't they?" he smiled as he started to enter the bath tub... "Now, you CAN understand the sculpture I believe, can't you? There needs to be a woman to release them." he said with a smile... "And the boys... I haven't taken care yet their killer, I suppose." He said smiling as he approached.

 

"Master, I will have to get back to them. I must help them, if I can. I knew not that avenge helped them be released. It relieved them that I listened to their stories and condoled with them. They needed someone to share their grief, poor souls?"

 

He sneered a bit. "You will just imprison yourself with them," he said, as he approached really close to her touching her shoulders gently. "The killer usually keeps the souls of the dead with him, if he does it in a violent way. They will not rest. Now, you can fathom what I do, and why I do it. However..." he said giving a long pause, "I cannot kill that one," he said as he smiled.

 

"May I ask why not?"

 

He said softly. "Because I promised you I would not kill anyone else. And there is no one else mad enough to do such hideous things as to rip out through pain and terror the souls of their victims." He cackled once more, as he looked at her.

 

"Master, now I want you to listen to me very carefully: I never asked you to stop killing. Only once I have requested a promise and that was that you would never send me away from the guild. I may disagree with your methods, but I never reproached you for your intentions. I know that they must be punished! I would prefer it done differently, but if this is your way, so be it. If you feel engaged by that promise, I heartily release you. Do what you must. Few are strong enough to do what they must, but I believe you are one of them. I have faith in the rightness of your actions. And I speak such after having been thrown into a pit and tied I know not where for I know not how long." she said with a smile.

 

He smiled and looked at her, as if he was waiting for an invitation to come even closer, and dangerously so; he shook his head and he watched her for a while.

 

"You do release me?" he smiled and laughed. He looked at her. "I thought you would follow my path, and share whatever I do... or not?" he said, as he started to wet his body with the water of the pool. "Maybe, I say maybe, you need some madness inside you? Or do you already have it, and hide it very carefully?" he said, as he touched her cheek with his palm. "Because, I tell you... You can not turn back now. It is your destiny... To be totally insane."

 

"That I have accepted" she said with a hearty laugh. "Insanity seems to be an inevitable part of this game. Where you lead, I will follow. And if I falter in my step, I trust you will be there to guide me. But, I will have an opinion of my own and I will scold you, if necessary" she said theatrically, moving her finger in front of his face like a teacher.

 

He laughed... "Scolding is a prerequisite, whore... " he started to laugh manically once more. "The scolding of the madman is the ultimate truth." He laughed, and cackled and laughed some more. "Open your doors of your mind and you will see the truth."

 

"See? Now I will scold you. You shall not call me a whore, because you will have to tell me what you base this comment on and you will have no argument. Be precise. I do not get paid for physical services; therefore, I am not a whore. Is that understood, master?" she said and only part of her was smiling.

 

He laughed frantically... "My dear, my dear... Yes, I admit it! You have grown up.... But you will always be a whore in my eyes!" he laughed.

 

"And in your eyes I will remain, my dear. Look what you are doing now. You are in the pool with me, fully undressed and I was very kind as not to mention it. I even admired your natural gifts. And you come and call me whore and you spoil my admiration. By the gods, my dear, I must teach you some good manners" she said with a throaty voice and looked at him intently.

 

"And how, may I ask, you will do that?" he asked playfully, as he slowly watched her. "Maybe, this time, I should be prudent, and act as a virgin." He smiled and watched her even more intently. "However." he said, with a bit more serious tone. "I can give you directions, and tell you where you will find the killer. However... I wonder what exactly you WILL do then." He chuckled, feeling a new game rising from the ashes of Laira.

 

"What will I do with him? you know, this is a very interesting question. What I would want to do would be to tie him somewhere safe, question him until he admitted everything and then throw him in the pit and let the corpses do the job and make him plead for mercy. Then, I would slit his throat and throw him back in there. What I WOULD do, now, with the strength of a nine-year old and the fighting skills of a squirrel would probably be to die trying. That's why I would leave it up to you, who are an experienced fighter among other things. As for the manners" she said with a teasing smile, "I have some better ideas that I will keep to myself, my dear."

 

He touched his lips with his index finger, and slowly he shhhhed her.

 

"Magic, my dear, magic... You forget the factor that makes a nine year old child potent enough to defeat a manticore, and make it able to use a garrote to behead a tree trunk. And, after all... We should not forget the strength that madness gives, no?" he laughed maniacally once more. "You just invite it, and you will be capable to do whatever you WOULD like to do. Would you invite madness?"

 

"Not if she puts her feet on the table. Gilthanas, what could I do? Sing him away? I do not think that I would kill him, even if I had him lying helpless at my feet. I am not ready for this yet. I might be to protect, but not to avenge. Yet. But I would be there with you."

 

He puffed a loose strand of hair off his forehead when she said these last word...

 

"So no strength or skill excuses any more, ah?" he said and laughed. He looked at her and smiled. "Well well well well... Mayhaps little Laira is not mad enough yet," he said, as he moved out of the tab once more. He turned and shed a very bright green gaze towards her.

 

"You need to practice, my dear. You need to go deeper and deeper and dwell into what is forbidden. And then, you might come with me. Not before, nor after."

 

"Well, if that be the case," she said, getting out of the pool as well and moving with catlike grace towards a towel, "I might think about it more thoroughly and maybe concentrate on some things." She rubbed her body with the towel. "In the meantime, would be so kind as to inform me about the date? I would dearly like to know how much time I spent down there."

 

He smiled as he was rubbing his body with a towel too...

 

"Actually, you spent one and a half month over there... 42 days to be precise," he said and laughed. "Magic... isn't it very handy sometimes?" he said winking a bit as he gathered his clothes, and left the room just having his towel around his waist, and giggling to a Blader... "She was outworldlingly perfect in sex, you should try her someday," he laughed as he moved towards his room.

 

Laira got dressed, while shaking her head disapprovingly.

 

"So was he" she commented to the Blader. "Go to his room instead of mine if you ever feel like trying anything. He likes his Bladers paying unexpected visits with spicy intentions." she said, winked at him and walked away slowly and with her cute little butt shaking left and right.

 

The Blader seemed to stay speechless and shook his head... That master of theirs should be executed for certain. He kept on his daily chores, having the news spread properly, of course.

Edited February 22, 2009 by Sonya

[Amandel]

Ζωγραφίζετε.

 

 

Ρε, θα έπρεπε να σας προσλάβει η Wizards να γράφετε νουβέλες για τα alignments στα βιβλία της.

Νομίζω ότι το πάτε πάααρα πολύ καλά.