✓ Wizard's Apprentice | Legolas |

Book Three: Chapter Nine

We continued on for many days, many times I thought that I was going to pass out from exhaustion. But I didn't. I couldn't let Acheron see my weakness.

I walked behind him during our traveling which is what we were doing right now. And it was raining.

My ankle rolled as I stepped over a particularly large pebble, sliding into the mud. He turned around, snarling, then stopped when seeing me struggling to get to my feet.

"Put up a tent so I can check out her injury!" he ordered. His men put up a tent up in no time and soon I was on my back, my dress off. Acheron felt my breasts, then moved his way down to my stomach, pushing here and there, asking me if anywhere hurt. He touched the lower spot of my abdomen and I felt a sharp pain. He didn't need to even ask if it hurt there to know that it did. He moved his hands down my legs now, checking to see if there was any pain there. Just in my ankle. After bandaging it, he directed his attention back to my stomach.

"You do realize that this is the spot where children are conceived, right?" he asked, gingerly touching the spot. I shook my head.

"I didn't fall that badly." He looked uncertain.

"I don't think you know just how easy it is to ruin the baby making parts." I sighed, leaning my head back on a pillow. I knew that I can have kids. There's just no way that taking a spill while walking could change that.

Acheron settled down beside me, making sure that we didn't touch. When I began to shiver violently from the rain, he pressed his body up to mine. I didn't mind. I just snuggled closer. For an Orc, he was pretty warm.

"Night, Kaelen."

*

Finally, we came to a black marble palace. Acheron had carried most of the way which I appreciated but I felt that there was strings attached.

I was lead down a dark spiraling staircase until I came to what was undoubtedly a jail cell. I gave a questioning look to Acheron but he ignored me, putting my arms into the shackles that hung from the wall.

"The master will be in here soon." With that, he left, his cronies following closely behind him. I don't know how long I was alone, but long enough to get a nice bruise on my wrists.

"Well, well, well," a sinister voice spoke from the darkness. I looked up, peering around but only able to make out a figure. "You must be wondering what will happen to you. I'm going to give you choices to make it fair." He cleared his throat, walking into the firelight coming from nearby. The man had long black hair and piercing grey eyes. He looked slim even with his robes on.

"You can give in and help us lead the attack against humanity. After all, you are a necromancer." I gave a confused look.

"I'm not a n-necromancer," I replied, stuttering on the last word. He laughed wickedly.

"I can put your powers to good use with a little training. But you just have to be willing." I shook my head defiantly. I will not break.

"Okay, suit yourself." He snapped his fingers, replacing where he was with two very scaring orcs with weapons. All blunt so I wouldn't die.

"Anytime you want to give in, you can beg aloud for it to stop and it will," one said, picking up a club. He raised it just behind his head and sent it straight into my stomach. The place that I had previously hurt. The second orc brought up a stick-like weapon with tiny spikes. He took his swing, also into my stomach. The beating kept going but I didn't give up. I couldn't. The Orcs noticed this too for they tried a new tactic: Beat Acheron in front of me.

They chained him up from across of me, shirtless and void of his hideous orc attachments. He looked up at me, fierce determination clear in his blue eyes. I will remain strong and so will he.

The first orc took a swing with the club, like me. I flinched when it made contact with his groin. Acheron made a retching sound as if he was going to vomit. He didn't though.

The second took his turn, hitting the same spot as before. This time, Acheron did vomit. It almost made me want to vomit.

"Please stop torturing him," I pleaded. Acheron shot me a look that clearly said 'shut up'. So throughout the night or day, I couldn't remember, the orcs each took turns with us. It was just a game to them. Each time, it was in our reproductive areas. I think this was a 'Kill two birds with one stone' thing where we were beaten and made sterile. The Orcs took a break then, leaving Acheron and I alone.

"I can't keep going," I whined, crossing my legs where I was beaten. He nodded.

"When we get out, I'll try to get you with me. You'll be safe that way." A few minutes later, the orcs returned. I told them that we've decided to cooperate. Each one picked up one of us and carried us to what looked like a hospital, just less clean. A normal looking woman was tending to orcs. When she saw us brought in, she narrowed her eyes.

"What did you two do?" They looked away as if they were scared of her. She shooed them away and got started with examining me.

"Will I still be able to have children?" I asked hoarsely. She looked at me, a frown on her face.

"Honestly, I don't know. With these kind of injuries and how severe, your ovaries could be damaged. Not to mention that the spot where the uterus is is pretty bad." I looked away. She moved onto Acheron then. She examined his groin, her frown increasing.

"I'm afraid that you and Acheron will never be able to have children. It's just too damaged," she said apologetically. I nodded, leaning back, trying to forget the last couple of days.