Ebony Mist -Original

Part VIII: Dungeon Dread

Alaura's breath was caught in her throat upon seeing the tall figure standing in the doorway to the stable. The black mare whose reins she held pushed her nose against Alaura's back, but the girl was trembling.

"What do you think you're doing?" Came the low rumble of the druid's voice, causing her to shrink back. She bit her lip then forced herself to straighten.

"I'm leaving. I'm going home," she managed to say.

"Who said you could leave?" The druid asked, causing Alaura to hesitate. Then the image of the bloody people in the circular room flashed before her eyes, and she grit her teeth, squeezing her eyes shut to keep the tears from falling.

"I saw those people in that room, the horrible things you did! Experimenting on people! It's horrible! And that's why I'm here, isn't it? For you to experiment on for your own sick pleasure! You're a monster, nothing but a beast in a black cloak. I'm leaving before you do to me what you did to all those people," Alaura's voice cracked as she spoke, feeling the hot tears run down her flushed cheeks.

Suddenly hands grasped her arms, causing her to look up into Xavier's shadowed face, anger flaring in his eyes.

"Don't speak of what you don't understand," he hissed through clenched teeth. "You are mine now, since you were ten you belonged to me. As such, I would have shielded you from the horrors I must create with my work. But you dare call me a monster when you know nothing of the truth! You won't be leaving any time soon, but if you want me to be a monster, then I shall be."

He yanked the reins from her hands, dropping them. One hand kept hold of her arm, the other grabbed the kitten, who hissed and clawed at his hand, but the druid ignored the scratches. Alaura fought against his iron grip, trying to pry his fingers off her to no avail. He dragged her from the stables, back to the mansion. She fought the whole way, dragging her feet and trying to grab door frames, but he overpowered her easily.

Through hall and down spiraling stone stairs into a labrynth of rock and iron doors. One opened as they came near, and with ease he threw both the girl and the kitten into the small cell which held only a small hole in the corner and mound of hay. Landing on the ground, Alaura sat up to look at the door.

"I gave you freedom, I gave you a room, and everything you would need," Xavier snapped. "And in return you bombard my delicate work, that which I meant to shield you from, and try to flee when you know you are mine, as well as insult me! Well, I'll show you how harsh I can be. You can rot in here until you break and are nothing more than a pawn of magic."

The door slammed shut, the clicks of locks echoing in the small room. Alaura got up and ran to the door, getting on her tip toes to see out of the small barred window after the druid.

"Please, no! Don't do this! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to! I-i was chasing after the kitten, I won't try to run away. Don't leave me in here! Don't leave me in the dark!" she cried, tears streaming. The only light came from magic flames that snuffed out behind the druid as he walked away. "Please, I'm afraid of the dark!"

As Alaura watched him, she swore she saw him pause and hesitate, almost turn to glance back at her. But it was only a second before he continued on as if she had said nothing. A few more steps and he was around the corner, the last lights flickering out, leaving Alaura in complete darkness.

The princess shut her eyes tight and sunk to the floor, leaning against the door. Sliding against it, she found the corner and sat with her back to it, shaking.

The sound of a mew broke the silence in the small room. Alaura opened her eyes, only to find no change to the sight as when her eyes were closed. She felt the weight of the kitten's paws as it climbed onto her lap and rubbed against her stomach. Sniffing, she put her arms around the kitten and hugged it close, closing her eyes. There was no other sound in the darkness save for her breath, the shuffling of cloth, and now the purring of the kitten. Alaura found herself to be trembling, her mind seeing ghosts around her of mangled monsters created by her malicious master.

Alaura opened her eyes, before blinking several times and rubbing them. She didn't remember falling asleep, but the memory of what happened caused a shiver to run down her spine, and it took all her strength to keep from not crying again. Blinking a few more times, she sat up with surprise, a blanket falling away from her shoulders. She was now on the pile of hay, the kitten had been curled up next to her now yawned and was blinking as well.

She was able to see this from a dim white light, the source of which was a small orb floating lazily above a wooden plate of food and a cup. There was also rough, slightly wrinkled and torn paper, and a charcoal stick sitting there in the middle of the room.

Going to the light, she almost touched it, but quickly pulled her hands away, afraid that it might disappear if she did. There was light, he had come while she slept and given her a light, some food and water, and means to write or draw. But it was bitter cold in the room, she realized. The shiver down her spine earlier had not been from the horrible memory, but from the damp cold of the dungeon.

Alaura ate the bread and bit of dried meat that was there, though she attempted to share some with the kitten, the animal showed no interest in either the food or water. So the princess took it all for herself, though it was nowhere near enough necessary to curb her hunger and quench her thirst. To distract herself from this, she turned to the paper and charcoal. She laid on the ground, pulling the blanket around her shoulders and picked up the stick, the paper in front of her.

Unsure of what to draw, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, before allowing her hand to do the work for her. Often times, when she simply wanted to warm up with a quick sketch, she would do this, and her hand would draw a rough version of what ever came to her mind, as she was in a trance like state.

A loud clang pulled her out of her drawing trance, and look up at the door as it swung open. Xi stood there, but said nothing, simply waiving his lantern and telekenetically picking up the plate and cup before leaving, the door closing behind her. Alaura bit her lip, and looked down at what she had drawn. Three of the pages were filled, each with their own image. Once was the kitten, another of the face of her parents.

The third had the greatest detail, and caused her to drop the piece of charcoal. Xavier looked back at her through the paper, black strokes depicting his strong features and piercing eyes, a light smirk on his lips. Half of his face in shadow of his hair as always, but the image was strangely alluring. She couldn't look away from it, lost in the eyes of her own drawing, feeling like it was alive as it stared at her. Blinking, it continued to smirk at her.

Alaura quickly covered it with her other pages, her breath catching in her throat, heart hammering against her ribs. It had blinked at her, a simple charcoal sketch on falling apart paper. The handsome face watching her not just as a still image.

The princess backed away into the corner with the hay, pulling her limbs in and wrapping the blanket tighter around her. The kitten snuck under the blanket to pop its head out by her neck, licking her cheek before curling up on her lap.

"What am I supposed to do?" she whispered to the kitten, staring at the pile of paper in the pale light. "I can't do this."

"You don't have to, you know," came a clear voice, causing Alaura to jump. Appearing before her was the faye that she had seen once before, in a time that felt so long ago, in a place that was so far away.

"You! What are you don't here? Are you here to get me out?" Alaura asked, shifting to get up, but a mew of complaint from the kitten kept her in place. The faye shook her head.

"No, it is not my place to meddle here. The druid is strong, and I cannot stay long, else he be aware of my presence. I come to give insight, something I had not the chance before. Your gift is something that all beings have, but yours is condenced, built up in you in a way unlike any other. This is inherited by you from the King of Muse, as such yours is the power of Muse. Just think now, what all is muse? Certainly not just painting pretty picture," the faye smirked.

"What do you mean?" Alaura asked, only to hear the faye giggle and watch as the strange creature vanished before her. "Power of muse..." Alaura murmered, remembering what had been said to her before about it. She glanced back at the pile of papers, letting the faye's words sink in.