Chapter Fifteen
All I can think about is that beautiful face. I had seen it the whole night through in my dreams. Adler. His gorgeous blue eyes, his strong arms, and his mesmerizing voice. I feel as though I’ve known him my entire life. Is it strange to say that I miss him? Because I do.
I just now realize what it is that has awakened me. Clanging and banging noises are sounding from beyond the door. It sounds like metal and stone colliding. Though it is not a very loud ruckus, I can still plainly hear it. I’m still tired, and still freezing. When I’m asleep the cold isn’t that bad. I turn to face the fire, which is still brilliant. It appears as though someone has tended to it while I was sleeping. For that I’m glad. I move closer.
Gazing into the flames, I picture a fantasy. I look out over rolling hills and shallow valleys from the tower which I’m kept hostage. I wish to stop gazing out at the verdant grasses. I wish to not only look upon them, but touch them. To only run barefoot through the soft lands. I throw the crown off my head and out my glassless window.
But lo, what could this be? A bold knight upon a white horse. As he enters the kingdom the young maidens gawk at the flawless creature. He rides boldly up to me. With saying no words, he extends his armored hand. Conveniently, I have a rope in my hands. I cast it out the window, but keep it tied to a post of my bed. Swiftly, I slide down the rope to meet him. He tosses me gently on the back of his steed.
We ride to the meadows. The brave knight dismounts his horse and helps me off. Finally, I touch the grass. It is better than I ever thought it could be. We race over undulating hills. When we feel it is time to rest, we glide to a willow. Sitting underneath, he takes my petite, white hand, and traces the faint lines.
Startlingly, my imagined fairytale is put to a halt.
“You’re being relocated” says the rough voice of Jolten. I’m so very weak. What’s the use in fighting anymore? I don’t even look at him as I stand. And, though I’m so terribly freezing cold, I do not shiver. I keep my eyes to the ground as I near his tall, shadowy figure.
“Other way” he simply states. I look to the door. Facing back to him, I wrinkle my eyebrows and crinkle my nose, not understanding. He lets out a superficial sigh as his terribly pointy fingernail stabs my back, pushing me forwards. I inhale sharply in pain, but his nail only digs farther into my back. I try to move faster, but am stumbling. I whimper with weakness. He pushes harder, and farther into me. I feel the velvet fabric of my dress rip as his nail pierces the thin layer of skin on the middle of my back. I bite my lip and quiver quickly.
“Cecilia! You will move faster! You will obey me! DO NOT TEST MY PATIENCE!” he fiercely roars. My eyes widen and without thinking even one ounce, I stop fully. I shakily, but strongly, yelp in reply.
“I know not where I’m going! How do you expect me to move faster without your guidance! I don’t know where to go!” My voice sounds strained. He takes me by my shoulders and whips me around to face him.
He lowly grumbles, “You will do as I say”. I keep an intense glare on my face.
“YOU-WILL-DO-AS-I-SAY!” he bellows. Startled, I blurt out jumbled words.
“Yes. Of course”. His face doesn’t soften as it usually would. He remains severe and somewhat worried. His eyes have turned black He leisurely closes them. With his left hand he strokes my cheek, moving my face closer to him. I relax some, assuming he has too. But then he begins to shake as his right hand raises to my eye. He brings his sinister fingernail into my sight as he touches the tip of it to the outside of my left eye. Slowly and painfully, he drags his finger down the side of my face forcefully, slicing a thin cut into my countenance. As blood drips from my eye to my chin in a graceful curve, he catches an amount of it with the inside of his nail. He closely inspects the crimson puddle, but disgustedly casts it to the stone earth.
Through quavering sobs, I manage to utter, “I want to see my father! You promised me I could see him! You promised!”
“You haven’t yet done what I’ve asked”
“You haven’t yet asked me!” He lets out a sigh, and nothing more. We reach the door that lingers in the back of the room. He opens it as he did once before and I become frightened. My breathing becomes stressed and heavy.
Before me lies a black corridor of dirt and stone. At the end, I barely notice the dull flickering of orange light. I begin to venture into the dark tunnel, but am stopped by a pinching feeling at the back of my neck. Jolten stands, not at all amused, behind me with his index finger directed at the spot where the unbearable pinching feeling is felt. His arm is slanted gracefully, extended into the air. I am forced into perfect posture, excluding the lowering of my head towards the ground. I can’t speak. I am completely paralyzed and immobile. My face is now wrinkled with distress and pain.
“I’m afraid I am to leave you once again, Cecilia. I will have my closest collaborator lead you to where you are to go”. He pulls me into his arms coldly and begins to harshly stroke my hair.
“Deimos!” he roars into the almost endless darkness. There is a sudden stir of shadow in the flickering light at the end of the passageway. I freeze, and remain still within the arms of this monster. I can feel his silent laughter through the shaking of his entire body. Every other beat of my heart is skipped. I can barely make out the shadow moving towards us. But, I can certainly hear the creature. Every time it takes a step with one of its four legs in our direction, the ground trembles. The dark outline of the beast grows steadily larger every passing second. Every breath it lets out with an animal-like grunt. As the air exhaled through the creatures nostrils travels through the vessel, it strongly makes its way to us. The warm breath slaps my face, and would nearly knock me off of my feet if Jolten were not holding me. The smell is repulsive. Of rotten meat is the scent.
As it is almost to standing right in front of us, I sulk into Joltens bony arms, terrified. And, finally, here it stands, waiting for the command of its master. On all four of its thick legs, it is as tall as I am. Almost, like a feline it appears. Two great tusks protrude from the corners of its mouth. The rusty fur on its back stands tall and fierce. The eyes that it beholds are a dark red, and they stare me down. On the very top of its head sits two stubby, yet lethal, horns.
“Deimos, show our new friend to her quarters” then he turns to me. “Cessy, by nightfall I will be back to retrieve you, and we will start on our journey”. My eyes stay plastered to this creature by the name of Deimos. Yet, I manage to spit out a few words,
“You still haven’t told me of what you want.”
“Cessy, do you remember when I informed you that you have alliances that I do not?” I do not answer. He only turns and looks at me as though my purpose is blatantly obvious. Then, he turns back around and begins to exit. I watch him leave, for only a second, then slowly ready myself to face Deimos. His growl is so low, that it is almost unable to be heard. I remain still. Before I know it, the fangs of the beast are far into my ankle, and I am on the ground. He runs unsteady, but quickly. Everything turns to a blur. I can barely feel my leg anymore. In fact, my whole body is almost numb. He breathing and mine are quick and heavy. Just when it seems as though we’ve been running forever, we come to a sudden halt that sends me flying into the air. Before I land, the back of my dress is caught by the large feline, and I am suspended from his mouth.
There is an intersection ahead of us. Beyond it, lies the tunnel once again. I begin to wonder why we’ve stopped, but there is now no need to ask a question already answered. Coming from the left is the noise of padded feet coming closer to us. They are moving slowly, and make me oddly curious.
My eyes burn, and I feel vulnerable. Now I understand, somewhat, why Jolten needs me. Two creatures that resemble a not much smaller version of Deimos carry the injured man-horse across the juncture. The first one walks backwards, carrying the bound feet of the majestic, white cetagal in its mouth. The other one has its jaw clamped around its neck. I notice the blood dripping rapidly from a huge clawed out gash in its side. I quickly clasp my hand over my mouth tightly and tremble in sadness.
I reach for the dagger that I took from Elvira. Damn! Jolten must have took it when he replaced my pajamas with the dress.
“Cessy. Look to the ground” I look down and see the very same dagger that had been taken from me. I pick it up, and quickly hide it in my sleeve. I then turn to see who had spoke to me. No one is here. No one besides Deimos and myself. Before I can understand what had just happened, or decide whether I’m going mad, I hear the voice again. It flows to me like a soft wind. It is sounds so graceful. Female. It is defiantly female.
“You know what you must do, Cessy. You are in vast danger. You must leave”.
Once more, the intersection is clear, and we proceed, me still being in Deimos’ mouth. He isn’t running like he was before. He seems much more cautious, turning his head in every direction constantly. I reach into my sleeve for the dagger slowly and carefully, making sure that Deimos cannot see what I am doing. Once the knife is grasped firmly in my right hand I look up at Deimos’ drooling face. With all my force and strength I raise the dagger into the air and then down again through the creatures throat. While doing so, I let out a fierce and frightening cry. This cry continues as I am dropped onto the cold ground and bathed with steaming blood. I mean, the blood of the animal is literally steaming. The stench is awful, containing certain components of the great-cat’s breath.
Before falling to its death, Deimos looks into my glossy eyes and growls a growl so terribly furious. He seems so far beyond infuriated and enraged. This makes me terrified as I sit as a statue and feel his breath, hot and close to my face. I hold my breathe, forcing me into perfect sitting posture. His eyes roll back in towards his brain and the intensity of his growl subsides. As this all takes place the slit in his throat I had made becomes thicker and wider. I notice that his heavy head is slowly falling backwards onto his body. Red, boiling blood cascades from his grisly neck, creating a soft waterfall of ruby. His immensely huge body thuds to the ground and his open eyes stay very much alive as they penetrate my being.