Both Giamond and Thildemar were on their feet in a flash at the sight of Rose, or at least this shadowy incarnation of her. "Rose!" Giamond said with surprize. "How, how is this possible?!" He asked as he took a step forward. Thildemar caught his shoulder with a shake of his head as he stared at this apparation. "It is okay Thildemar, these shadows mean no harm, in fact they are probably our only allies in our search for Rose!"
Fu-Kar:
Just as Rose fell limp Fu-Kar opened her legs and set his tongue to work along her inner thigh. He stopped though, when he realized she wasn't fighting him any more. Looking down on her seemingly unconcious form he grunted and shook her leg, trying to rouse her, thinking that she had only fainted. No responce, and this angered him! He was having such fun with her but now she wouldn't play his game!? Then.. He would... He would... Again Atheria was at the door to the cell. "Time is up, I must tend to her... Prepare her for the rituals in the days to come. Go now,
Fu-Kar, and report to your masters if you must... I have not failed them, we are closer than we have ever been! Now GO!" She hissed and waived a hand sending a large blast of force at Fu-Kar, knowing he would not go willingly as long as his will held him here, in this realm. She simply sapped his will with her blast of magic. The ground gave way beneath him and he returned to his pit. As the hole sealed over Atheria came to her daughters side, taking her tattered and ripped clothes in hand and setting them at the head of the tomb.
"*I'm not sure how long I can..."* she felt herself fade a moment, someone was shaking...NO! She pulled herself back.
"*I can stay. The shadows say something is wrong with the food, someone's tainted it..."*
******
Atheria looked down at the battered body of her only child, and wondered if this was right. She pushed back those thoughts and had her magic lift the uncosious girl and moved her to a room covered in silk and furs. A large bath was drawn in the middle of the room, it had certain cleansing herbs in it required for the ritual. She frowned when Rose didn't awake as she was lowered into the water.
With a nod giamond sent Thildemar to stop the elven troup from eating another bite. "Stop eating, the food has been tainted!" thildemar shouted as he left Giamonds side. Most of the troup imediatly listened but a few were to far to have heard him. these he delt with eye to eye, nocking a bowl from one of their hands and shouting again for them to cease eating. This time they listened, all of them. Though with a collective groan. He set a number of them off to forage for fruits and berry's for the night.
"Thank you my daughter... We try to find you, your shadows have led me true so far! I will not fail you!" He said as he tried to touch her face, only to have his hand pass through her. He choked back a tear, lowering his eyes to the ground, to hide his pain from her.
Atheria:
Looking about the room Atheria's eyes began to glow red again. "There!" She hissed, seeing the thin link that Rose had escaped to her shadows with. She fought the urge to simply cut it and trap her spirit forever in shadow form, but no, Rose must be whole for the ritual... Instead of cutting the link she took hold of it with a magic force and pulled. Rose felt the tugging and tried to fight it but Atheria only pulled harder...
Ariadne smiled at the crone, who slipped her a secretive wink. "I was just worried about Giamond,"she said softly,"He's been a good friend. And I never knew he had a daughter..."
Later...
Ariadne strolled the grounds, free at last from the dreaded fertility. Now all she had to do was bear this child and raise it. Sighing, she thought longingly of her fertile days...
Undar jumped in front of her and she started. He smiled malisciously and grabbed her by the elbow, pulling her towards him. His hand clamped over her belly possessively. "So, you've born fruit, have you, Ariadne?"he said silkily, manuevering her towards the outskirts of the village. "Perhaps it's time to visit my folk, whore..."
Undar and his drow servant had not left as they had made the elders believe but had layed in wait for Aria to be unguarded. "This child will not be taught your weak ways! It will be taught the ways of the underdark! And you my dear slut! You will be used for amusment... Untill we grow disinterested in you... Or you die..." Undar's servant bitch slipped a silk sack over her head and they shoved her onto their covered wagon.
Giamond/Thildemar:
Several of the troup took ill in the next few hours from the food. Giamond had them placed in the care of the one healer they had with them. All the rest grumbled over the little food that was foraged. Giamond kept a sharp eye on them as did Thildemar from that moment on and in the breaking of day Thildemar spotted one of his troup about bad buisness. He went to Giamond and the two of them confronted the elf out in the woods alone. Sure enough it was a demon wearing the skin of an elf. They destoryed him rather quickly, almost too quickly. For the rest of the day Giamond and Thildemar were both on edge. But no other elf was suspicious to them...
Atheria:
"Sahai lotesca veractou!" Atheria hissed at Rose as she opened her eyes. And with that she forced a finger coated with some bitter red ointment into her mouth.
"It is unwise to fight it Rose... It will only bring you pain..." Atheria said, her voice seeming empty of all emotion. She laid her chilly hand on Rose's forehead. Instantly Rose felt a surge of dizziness flash through her. "Rose, this bath will make you forget, forget all your pain, all the sorrow that is your life..." Atheria said, her voice ringing in Rose's ears. "You will be made anew by its magic, never again will you wonder where you belong... For you will know, you will KNOW that this is where you belong!" Atheria's voice took on a sharp edge.
Rose shook her head, pulling from her mother's chilly hand. She felt a bit like someone was pulling at the strings of her mind, like a puppet show she'd watched once. She wouldn't forget, couldn't. Her life wasn't good but...It WAS hers. She wouldn't let this monster in a pretty shell take that without a fight.
She forced herself to relax. If she appeared to be fighting, Atheria would notice. She used the power she'd been unable to do much else with and built a fragile veil to hide her. Hopefully her mother would simply take it at face value.
"This is where I belong..." she recited in a dead, cold voice she'd used many times on the street.
With a dark grin Atheria stood from her daughters side and stepped away, to the cold stone tomb. She set a candle out on its surface and with the passing of her hand she set a flame to its wick. "Rose, come to me child, it is time to see why you were born to this world!"
Rose stood, feeling the water trickle off her naked body, it was a task not to blush, but to do so would give up the charade. She walked softly across the floor to Atheria's side.
"Yes, Mother..." she said in the same cold voice of before.
Rose's feet grew cold against the cold stone floor as she stood across from Atheria. the candle flame flickered wildly as both she and Atheria stared into its depths.
In it the two saw the fires of hell consume the earth, its minions running rampant, no one able to stand against their horrifying rage! Atheria stared at this with glea. "You my child will bring about a new age! You will be my masters freedom!" She hissed, her excitment barely contained as she swatted the flame out of existance.
Rose felt horror well up inside her like an open wound. She would bring this about? She couldn't...Wouldn't...In a few days, she decided, she'd have to make a decision. If her father hadn't found her...She couldn't be alive for the ritual.
She quietly locked her face in it's cold blank features and prayed for Giamond to hurry.