Rough Seas

12 - Night Terrors

(Theres some descriptions of death/violence in this one. No gore though.)

4 DAYS - NIGHT

Fire was everywhere. She was suffocating, the heat and the smoke were too much and she couldn't breathe oh gods she couldn't breathe. Her parents, reaching out to her and she can't reach them. Everything is so hot, and she can't breathe, and suddenly then she's running with Rupert, staring behind at the flaming ruins of their house. Time slowed as Katherine watches a man made of fire and ash stab his sword through her father's chest, her mother already on the ground, motionless. She watched as her father fell, the thing ripping it's blade out of his chest. It looks up at her, smiling, and Katherine hears a voice.

I'll find you, Delany

Katherine can hear faint screaming as the thing stalks forwards, stepping over her motionless parents. She begs for Rupert to go faster but their stuck, and that thing is only getting closer to them.

"Please!" She calls out, begging as the creature stalks forwards. "Leave my brother, please!" The tight grip on her arm loosens and she screams as she watches her brother fall prey to the same fate her parents had. "Rupert!" She fell to her knees, grasping at her brother's arm. "Rupert please!" There was a chuckle from behind her, and she whipped around, only to see a sword slashing downwards.

Katherine woke with a start, breathing heavily. Her hands shook as she sat up, eyes darting around the darkened room. Moonlight streamed through the window, casting shadows across the room. Swallowing, Katherine rubbed her sweaty hands on the blanket, trying to calm down. There was some shifting beside her and she tensed up, expecting that demon from her dream to be there. When an arm curled around her waist and a cold nose nuzzled into her thigh, she relaxed, knowing exactly who this was. Jordan. She brushed a hand through his hair, her heart starting to slow down. Katherine lent against the bed frame, letting her head fall back as she tried to control her breathing. All she could think about was the fire, and the smoke and the people screaming – Gods, she needed a distraction.

Letting her mind wander, trying to forget the nightmare, Katherine thought about the visit she and Jordan had taken to Tom's room. It was nice, having Tom stop being such an ass to both of them. She smiled slightly, thinking of the look Tom had gotten when talking about his home. That was the kind of smile that Tom should have on all the time, the happy, wistful one. Katherine blushed slightly as she imagined Tom being with the two of them at this moment. He would sleep on her other side, or maybe in between Katherine and Jordan. The moonlight would cast pale light across Tom's back as he slept. Tom would curl up close to both of them, pressing up against Jordan's chest or using her thigh as a pillow. Katherine smiled, almost hearing the shuffling of sheets as Tom sleepily snuggled up to her and Jordan.

Gods, she wanted that. She wanted to wake up next to both of them, share early morning kisses while lying in bed. Tom would let her play with his hair, as Jordan hated that for whatever reason, and Jordan would leave for his morning jog. He would come back all sweaty and Tom would shoo him away and tell him to take a shower, but not before giving him a kiss. Katherine smiled dreamily, all her fears pushed to the back of her mind as she imagined the perfect morning with the two of them.

She wanted it, but could she really have it?

-

"Another." Furia's voice was harsh as he watched Tom pant and ready his sword once more. Tom ducked and tried to strike Furia's side, but the fire being deflected the blade easily. "Pathetic. I've seen new recruits do better." Stomach growling, Tom gritted his teeth and pushed onwards. He had to get this perfect, or Furia would keep him longer. He had already missed most of breakfast and all of lunch, and he wasn't planning on missing a third meal as well. Hands shaking slightly, Tom gripped his blade tighter. Weaving around Furia's blade, Tom tried to get a few hits in, but all of them were blocked. He grimaced as Furia's sword sliced a thin mark on his arm. Trying something new, Tom ducked and swung, missing Furia, but not by much. With his lower position and some quick timing, Furia was able to push Tom to the ground on his back, Furia's blade at his throat.

"I yield." Tom said, biting back a snarl when Furia presses the blade into his neck, a grin on his face.

"And?" Furia asked sweetly. Tom glares at him, but Furia presses into his neck enough to draw blood.

"Fine." Tom spits out. 'You're the better fighter." Smirking, Furia sheathes his blade, offering hand to Tom. Rubbing his neck leave a little blood on his hands, and Tom glares at Furia who merely shrugs and grins a him. The grin fades away quickly and Tom feels the hairs on his neck stand up.

"My lord." Furia says, nodding his head in respect. Dianite merely grunts, and Tom swallows as he feels a hand on his shoulder. He must have been watching the two of them fight, and now he's seen Tom fail multiple times. Shit.

"Thomas. With me." Dianite says, keeping the hand on his shoulder as the two of them walked away from the training grounds. Tom only got more nervous when the two of the entered into Dianite's personal area of the courtyard, secluded and hidden from prying eyes. Fighting the urge to shudder, Tom walked up to the post with Dianite. He had been up against this post far too many times. Tom honestly thought that Dianite was a sadist. At least, he seemed to enjoy hurting Tom when he didn't meet the god's impossible standards. How was he supposed to master sword fighting in less than a week? "Do you know why I've brought you here?" Dianite asked, his voice low. Tom swallowed, nodding. Dianite always started off a beating with that phrase. He hated it.

"Yes sir." Tom said, cursing the shakiness of his voice. "I wasn't performing well in my training." He avoided Dianite's eyes, instead keeping his gaze on the ground. Why couldn't Dianite just hurry this up and be done already?

"Good. And you know what's going to happen?" Tom couldn't see it, but he imagined that Dianite was smiling at him. Sick bastard.

"Yes sir. I'm going to be punished for my unacceptable sword fighting." Tom heard Dianite hum, and Tom began preparing himself.

"Good. You know the drill." Tom bit his lip as he pulled off his shirt and let his head rest against the pillar. There were a few moments when Tom though that Dianite had decided that he didn't want to do this to Tom, but those thoughts were erased when the first hit came down. White hot pain radiated from Tom's back as Dianite continued, each strike sending an agonizing pain through Tom. He felt some blood running down his chin, and realized that he had actually bitten hard enough that his lip had started bleeding. Tom's hands were tightly clenched, and he choked back yells with every blow. Finally, the blows stopped, and Tom rested his head against the pillar, not knowing if it was sweat or tears that was pouring down his face.

Tom blinked his eyes and he was back in his room at Ianite's temple, tears definitely streaming down his face. He sniffled and wiped his eyes, wincing as his back ached. Nervously, Tom reached around to feel at his back for any marks. He couldn't feel any others besides the slight scars that he had from Dianite. Tom turned on to his side, arms curling around his stomach as more tears dribbled down his face. He wasn't going back to sleep, not with the phantom pain still lingering in his back, and hot tears running down his face.