*This chapter holds dark elements that those sensitive to torture or rape may want to steer clear. Nothing graphic is depicted, but sensitive topics are suggested.*
✻ ✻ ✻ ✻ ✻
The act had barely finished when Lana registered the sounds of struggle. Barut certainly didn’t get to savor his moment as he left Lana to her misery. She curled up, shaking from head to foot. She had begun to dread the unknown torture that was still to come, but the commotion continued. Barut was marching toward the corridor, barking orders to his men. Surely that meant her cries were answered. So Lana sat up and shouted out a warning that Barut was coming. Whoever was out there, hopefully they would be a distraction enough to allow her an escape.
Lana got to her feet and proceeded to the bars. She began to squeeze through them, pushing past the pain of the bruises and bleeding welts that covered her torso. She was nearly through when a guard entered the room and spotted her trying to escape. Quickly Lana sent her ball of fire at the man. He was knocked off his feet as the fire devoured him. A thrill ran through Lana. She still had strength to defend herself.
Once she was free of the cage, Lana suddenly remembered the hag. She looked over and was thankful to find she had disappeared. No wonder my spell worked, Lana thought to herself.
Fighting could be heard echoing up the hallway. Lana crept closer to sneak a peek of a possible way out. She would try to get the little man too. Lana looked around the corner and saw no one. Without waiting another moment she took her first step into the passage when the blonde haired man appeared, running toward her.
“You!” Lana breathed. She wrapped her arms about her, suddenly feeling embarrassed by her state.
“Get behind that corner Lana!” he instructed. He ran into the room and hid around the opposite wall. Lana didn’t react as quickly and heard another man shout her way. She looked and saw it was another of Barut’s goonies. A quick bolt of fire shot out of her hand as she slid behind her portion of wall.
The man had managed to work through the pain of the burns and rounded the corner, grabbing onto Lana. His touch was like spiders crawling all over her skin. Her mind went wild as she tried to shake him off.
“Let go of me! Let go of me!” Lana screamed. Once more it felt as though her efforts would be futile, but the blonde man came to her aid. The sound of crossbow bolts piercing skin and a sudden stiffness in the goonie told Lana that he was dead. She quickly moved out of his grasp and looked back at her acquaintance.
“Thank you! Um- what’s your name?”
“Ha! Real funny Lana,” the man replied with an unamused look. Lana looked back confused. The man took note and added, “It’s Sylis babygirl.”
“Right,” Lana said, nodding quickly. She tightened her arms about herself protectively. “Do you know who the Halfling is?” she asked.
“Nope. Never seen him before,” Sylis replied, his expression firm. “Let’s get going.”
Lana followed after. Once they got to the room where Barut conducted his torture on the little man, she could see her captor fighting valiantly against a mechanical man. Barut was looking worse for wear, which filled her with some excitement.
“Get Lana out of here!” the Warforge ordered as he hit Barut in the side. Sylis made to pull Lana along, but she slipped his grasp and ran over to the Halfling.
“We can’t just leave him. He needs help!” Lana explained as she undid the restraints. Soon she had the little man off and shielded by the concrete table. Seeing that he was still breathing and as comfortable as one could be when near death, Lana looked up and found Barut was laying on the ground.
“Is he dead!?” she shouted.
“No, not yet,” the Warforge replied. Lana quickly hopped the table. She didn’t care that she was naked. She didn’t care if the men saw her. Something new was working into her mind. Something sinister that begged to be quenched.
Barut had fallen! He no longer was in control! She had power over him!!
Without looking at the men, she asked for a knife. The mechanical being quickly placed a dagger into her hand. Lana swung a leg over Barut, straddling his chest, and proceeded to wait. All the things she would do to him danced across her mind. He wouldn’t need his fingers, nor his tongue. A few slashes to represent how he had lashed her. Oh and in the end he would need a smile to help him remember to be happy. If he managed to survive all that, then a few puncture wounds to the lungs would seal his fate.
“Baaarrruuut,” Lana cooed, stroking his face, “It’s time to wake up.” Eventually his face began to twitch, jerking around sleepily. “WAKE UP!” Lana yelled at him when her patience ran out.
Barut’s eyes snapped open.
“Hi!” she said sweetly, tapping the tip of his nose with a finger. “I hope you slept well. Looks like you had a rough night,” she pretended to console. Just as Lana expected, Barut’s eyes were filled with fear as he registered the predicament he was in. Lana’s smile broaden as she slid the blade of the dagger along her cheek thoughtfully.
“Remember how I said earlier... ‘at least I had the decency to kill you quickly?’” Lana asked rhetorically. Barut tried to speak, but Lana placed the dagger across his lips, “Shh, shh, shh. Let’s just say I’ve had a change of heart.”
A new cry filled the stone walls, a song that invigorated Lana and sent a ripple of excitement through her.
Sweet, sweet victory.
No comments:
Post a Comment