Inheritance

Part 2. Chapter 23: Restrained

Them watched the scene before him in shock. He glanced at Pollyanna--expecting the old woman to intervene and protect Taylor--but she was merely crossing her arms and watching with a blank expression.

I thought it was her job to intervene and protect the Arrozans? Pete commented.

Them wondered what the ancient warrior's thought process was, but he had the more pressing concern of helping Taylor on his mind.

He knew from seeing her on the dream plains just how much her magic could sting.

The fairy girl was sizzling with dark fire as she lay on her stomach from being knocked over by her dwarven opponent.

Them dashed to her side and put a hand on her back. "Are you okay, Taylor?"

Taylor was groaning furiously as she jaggedly rose to her feet. Maruka watched her with a raised eyebrow. "I-I suggest everyone stand back. Arrozans can get very angry very quickly."

"Disgust!" Taylor screamed.

However, no black fire was cast from her fingers--the man was preventing her. Taylor cried in frustration.

"I'll kill you all!" Taylor yelled.

"Disgust! Disgust! Disg—"

Them grabbed her arm fearfully. "Taylor, calm down! You know how powerful your magic is—it's perfectly fine when we're dreaming, but you could really hurt someone out here!"

Taylor knocked him away from her with a spurt of black fire. "Shut up! I am an Arrozan! I am not your lover or friend! You know as well as I do that you are merely company to me and nothing else!"

Taylor rose a clenched fist—a fist pulsing with black fire.

Pete dashed in front of Them and pulsed with a brilliant white light which caused Taylor to stumble backwards before she could unleash a flare of deadly magic. Taylor screamed and her hands turned black by how much magic was pooling in them--but Maruka seized her wrist and clamped a silvery bracelet upon it.

The black magic retracted back into Taylor's body, and she gasped in shock.

She tried to get the bracelet off, but it wouldn't budge an inch. She clawed at it with panicked gasps until her skin bled. "No, no, no! What is this horrid thing!"

Maruka smirked. "A gamayunian piece of technology that prevents the use of magic. I... Added my own touch to it, which is why it works. It can be removed by no one except me. We were warned ahead of time that the last member of the Arrozan family would be arriving here soon, so I worked tirelessly to get this bracelet working."

Taylor was in disbelief. No! Nothing can contain Arrozan magic. Nothing!

Taylor tearfully collapsed on her knees. "No..."

Them wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "Come on, Taylor, there are other ways to fight. It'll be okay."

"Get off of me!" Taylor shoved him away.

The whole room was watching the scene with intrigue—Them could hear them whispering about Taylor.

"That truly is the last member of the Arrozan family? I thought she was a man, not a woman?" One commented.

"Who cares? The Arrozans are guilty of heinous crimes. I doubt anyone would care if this girl went missing, and now that her powers have been taken away..."

Them worried about Taylor. He glanced over at Pollyanna again, but the old woman was examining her nails and seemed callously uncaring of Taylor's plight. Them gave the fairy girl an encouraging smile. "Taylor, waifs are weak creatures, too. We would be hard pressed to beat any other species in armed combat—that's why we're so proficient with bows! I can teach you to use one—"