[MATURE: READ IF YOU DARE]
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Alannah Valos had a power. Just like her mother, Alannah could drift through realms and back with just a single thought.
Each realm Alannah would enter, she would discover an entirely different world. It was as if she h...
I stood in a large oval room, my back against the wall as I attempted to stay out of sight. In front of me stood a small group of women, their skin dirty and with fierce looks in their eyes. Some stood nude, while others wore blood on their body as if it were war paint. Others, unlike myself, stood clean, their clothes intact and hair laying straight on their shoulders as if they hadn't just gone through an extremely traumatic tournament.
Slowly, a once light tapping grew louder as the King strolled into the room, his dark black hair gelled atop of his fresh clean hair, his suit having nothing but a single spec of dust on it. Even his eyes sparkled, sparkled with mischief and sadism.
"You all look so beautiful," He started, "Which makes this all so hard" He didn't even try to hide the wicked smile that spread across his face.
"The third trial is a trial of endurance. Each woman in this room will be placed into a cell. These cells will contain nothing but a large metal table and a bucket," He paused, a large smirk covering his face as he spoke the next sentence, "Every three hours, you will be subject to one of fifty-two torture devices. These devices will not directly kill you.
"The longest two to survive will make it out alive and go on to the final round. Only the strongest will pass this round and live. May you be the last woman standing."
With that, gloved hands latched onto the back of my arms, pulling me into a headlock and slowly out the room.
No one had time to react as every guard that stood idly in the room quickly advance on their targets, dragging them to their respective cell before they could protest.
I had been so caught up in wanting revenge that... that I had forgotten where I was and I was stuck in. I knew about the third trial, but the thought that I could win this because I was significantly wiser than everyone else got into my head. I had my chance to escape, the second trial would have been a perfect time to just wait it out and continue my mission but I didn't.
What have I done? If I win this, so many potential women will die just because I wanted to preserve my life, but If I die... all of this would have been for naught. I would have travelled so far and experienced so much only to die at the hands of a Cruel King.
~
It was cold, the winter's air biting at my bare skin as I huddled in the corner for warmth. I had been thrown into the tiny cell, the harsh metal cell doors slammed behind me as the guards snickered at my shocked face. It had happened all so quickly, and here I was, sitting huddled in the corner waiting for the first round of torture to begin.
I wonder what mother would think. What would think about everything I have put myself through just to find her, how I have sacrificed so much just to be near her again. What would she say? Would she be disappointed or proud of how much I've learned along the way? Who I've met and had dinners with, who I've trained with and fought and even watched the soul binding ceremony of two beautiful mates.
How did I get here? Why was I so wrapped up in my mission to miss the beautiful sky or the fresh green grass? Why didn't I just stop and breathe and enjoy life for as long as I could?
I felt like I was swimming in my own doubts and disappointments, I was so submerged that I almost ignored the high pitch cackle of a guard as he rattled keys, it was long before a series of thumping boots followed.
I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, as he advanced, his heavy boots stopping to stand directly in front of my cage before he twisted the keys into the cage door and opened it. Three men quickly followed his silent command and stepped into the room, allowing the door to be shut and locked behind him.
The men were tall, their armoured figures standing over my huddled body.
"Let's begin."
~
Their wicked smiles left the room as they took a large branding rod and a bucket filled with burning hot charcoal rocks, my shaking and searing pain left laying on the table.
'Th-they branded me' I thought in shock, my entire body shaking as adrenalin pumped through my body.
I could hardly see straight, my eyes bloodshot and blurry as my skin puckered and oozed an unknown liquid.
Even if I could see, I wasn't even quite sure if I wanted to know what they had done to me, what they had branded on me like some cattle waiting for the slaughterhouse.
I wasn't sure if my tears were from the pain or for the fury I felt towards the King. The burning hatred for everything he had put me, and the other women through. Forced us to hunt each other down and brutally murdered each other, dumped us in a hole, expecting us to escape and win his hand like he was worthy.
Perhaps over time that could have been forgiven, perhaps there was a bigger picture that I hadn't seen yet, but this-this was beyond anything I have ever been put through, which is saying so much. I know I am so strong, but what he has done to me... I want to crack. No- I feel like I'm going to any minute now.
Now put this into perspective, if I am struggling to survive and cope with the experience and knowledge I have been gifted, then how in the world does he expect these woman to cope? How does he expect them to go through all of this and come out the other end wanting to lay beside him in bed?
How are they coping? Being forced to murder their best friends and neighbours; locked in cages and holes and tortured for hours without break. Starved and deprived of basic human needs.
I couldn't handle it anymore, the thoughts drowning me. With that, I looked down, unable to hold in the scream of pure rage.
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~Property of the King~
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