Journey to Psitharis

Chapter 12

I fell asleep after taking a few bites from the food the old lady had provided. I decided to save a bit of the drink that had performed such wonders on my health for right before they took me away. I heard them lumber down the stairs hours later, four or five of them from the sound of it. I grabbed the last of the health potion, drank it down and stood, ready to face them. With a renewed energy I was prepared to stand my ground, to tell them to let me go, to tell them I was a wanted fugitive, whatever it took to get me out of this mess. I wasn't waking up and re-entering the real world, so I needed to find a way to stall, to get out of whatever they had planned for me.

The thin man was the first through the prison door, followed very quickly by two of the twin goons. I think it must have been standard protocol. After all, he was such a small, worm-like creature I could have beaten him into submission if he didn't have an ample supply of Cryoventia. I stood in place, fists clenched, waiting to hear what he had to say.

"My, my, my." He began, hands clutched behind his back, eyes sizing me up. "You are the curious little thing, aren't you? First you disappear from one of my handlers, next you stand up to one of my guards when you had gotten away without a trace. I'd call you foolish, but I don't think you are devoid of thought, much like my precious pets are." He walked over to one of the guards and reached out, stroking him lovingly on the cheek. It was one of the creepiest things I had ever seen. The huge guard, instead of being insulted, responded the way a puppy might respond to an abusive master's one unexpected act of kindness. He leaned into his master's hand, happy to be acknowledged in any way. It was a repulsive sight.

"So, what's to be done with you?" he walked across the newly-clean floor, as if pacing to figure out what to do with the curious girl in his possession. "You are not from these lands. I can tell when the girls are 'local'. They just seem beaten down by life at such a young age. You seem to have a little spirit in you. It's spirit I will of course have to break, but for now it's too strong to put you to the banners." I figured he meant the long line of seamstresses I had seen earlier making the never-ending lengths of plain fabric. "Perhaps I should put you above ground, as one of the patrons. Then again the only ones allowed above ground are the ones who have gained favor with the queen, so that might be a tricky move. Not to mention your penchant for sudden outbursts." He paced for a moment more before he held his hand up in a "eureka" moment. "I've got it. We'll make you one of the Exceptionals! That way I can keep an eye on you, and it should be no problem to break that spirit of yours when you are being controlled by a good steady dose of Dioden, or more Cryoventia, if it comes to that. That's it, that's what we'll do with you. The old music box girl, I'm thinking. She was in such desperate need of replacing for quite a while. The last time the queen was here she complained about her haggard appearance. She has to be...replaced. I believe you will be a nice replacement for her."

I interrupted. "Speaking of the queen, that might be a bad idea. The last time I was here I was told I was a fugitive from the queen's justice. It might be more beneficial if you find that soldier you incapacitated and return me to face her wrath. If she finds out you've taken one of her prisoners it might not go so well for you."

I never saw the man reach in and grab a thinner version of one of the cattle prods the guards carried, but the jolt of the voltage as it coursed through my body told me he had just given me a nasty shock. My knees buckled from the extreme pain flowing through every single particle of my body. "Quiet your lies slave!" He shouted angrily. "Nobody escapes from Calperal once you have been claimed! You are mine. If what you say is true, then the queen is easy enough to placate. I hand you over after I am finished with you. And when I am finished with you, there will be little left for the queen to punish. But now, you are subject to my punishment. No one runs away from the great Calperal and gets away with it! Take her to the fitters! I am done with her...for now." The guard grabbed me and hoisted me over his shoulder. As we walked away I watched Calperal take a handkerchief from his breast pocket and wipe the hand that had touched the cheek of his "pet." Apparently he wasn't that enamored with his animals as he pretended to be.