Etherea: The Lost Daughter

17

You would think, in a world of wonder, that the Fae could live peacefully. One would suppose, however, that darkness lives within us all; it is our duty to resist, to pursue the light at every chance. Nia reminded herself of this, as best she could, as she struggled against two pairs of strong arms; the men wrestled the wriggling woman. Nias nails dragged across the stone walls they passed; to no avail. She could barely see through the hood over her head. Despite this, she would not give up. Nia cursed as her magic failed her and swung her leg once more. They dropped her. Nia felt a fleeting whisper of hope; until a boot came crashing into her face. It knocked the wind from her lungs.

Fists smashed against her body, a hundred whacks against her skin. The all-too-familiar sound of scraping steel filled the darkness. Barely, she rolled away as that whistling noise coursed through the air. It crashed against the ground with a clatter. Nia counted her blessings as it sparked against the stone beside her head. Nia cursed as she felt that cold steel slice through the skin of her calf. She would not give them the satisfaction of knowing the agony she was in. With grit teeth as they assaulted her, Nia silently scolded herself for running towards this barbaric town.

She bit back her screams as another foot connected with her spine. A memory flashed, of the Faelcu ripping apart her flesh. Nia winced once more 'please get up' that mysterious voice rang in her head again. It became clearer each time, Nia realised it was a woman's voice. It was softer this time too, not harsh and disgusted like the times before. Another kick connected with her ribcage, Nia spluttered and a sob escaped her lips. Their laughter brought her shame as curled herself inwards, the hood fell from her face. In the darkness, it hardly mattered. 'They are going to bind you with foxglove, you need to get up. Now' Nia decided to listen, for this voice had not steered her wrong yet. 

Uaine ran frantically through the city, following faint trails of her, Scarlet light lined the cobblestoned path as he pressed through. Panic had already began as Fae ran towards the burning parts of their town. Torrin searched through the forest for his brother, praying his friend would return with Nia. Uaine cursed as he took in the smell of the city, it reeked of foxglove. That's how they've kept the women under their control for so long, Uaine realized. It turned his stomach, why would they poison them? To what end? Torrin tore through the wood like a madman, he would not rest until he found Rian. I was a fool to bring him, Torrin thought; but he knew in his heart there was none he would have trusted with his brother and he would not have been capable of focusing on their mission.

Nia did not know of foxglove, for Riona had burned every sprout within a thousand miles of their home, but she knew by the rotten stench that crept up her nose; she must heed the voice in her mind. With that decided, Nia took a steadying breath and rallied the strength from within. As she closed her eyes she thought of every foul thing she had encountered in this world. From the women in this court, bound and beat; to the beasts that chased them towards this treacherous path. Nia let thoughts of Torrin, Uaine and Rian fuel her. She would have preferred to draw from a happier place; but her anger greatly outweighed her joy. The two men could not have anticipated the sight  they would witness as the young girl leaped into the air. Her magic still subdued, Nia relied on every carnal instinct she had. Their shock did not last long as both men lunged for her. 

Torrin found his brother, tucked beneath the legs of the wolfhound; sleeping peacefully. The animal cocked its head at him, as if to say 'what did you expect?' Torrin almost wept with relief as he shook Rian awake, the young Fae looked at him with sleep filled eyes "what's wrong?" He asked as the terror on his older brothers face registered in his hazy mind "we have to go, I will explain on the way" Rian had little choice but to run after Torrin. The night air pinched his cheeks with frost as they sprinted back towards the city. Rian had a horrible feeling about this as his tired limbs ached. He reminded himself to stretch before bed next time, it seemed to be a regular occurrence that he would be woken from his slumber to a threat to his life.