What if Hem got the chance to find Zelika in Sjug Hakar Im?...
‚Zelika…I will get you back, no matter what.' I whispered as she was dragged away and stared at her and the children.'I love you Zelika, I wont let you die there in their hands.'
My eyes opened to pure darkness and I looked around, not knowing or remembering where I was. Sjug Hakar Im…of course I'm still with the child armies…Zelika…I felt the tears on my cheeks as I rubbed my burning eyes. This place is horrible. I waited in silence for the day to start here and soon enough it did. Another fighting lesson with all the other children, with the blood thirsty child's that were put under drugs. I did my best as always, Loosing or dying wasn't an option, while I had to find Zelikas mental signature around me. It was so long since I've seen her, since I was free. I sighed and did what I had to do, until it was dark and we were supposed to be in our sleeping Halls.
I let my false self behind without a second thought and went through the darkness, searching carefully for Zelika. As I almost had given up I felt it, it was small and almost not there at all, but it was and it had to be her. I went closer to where I felt her. I stepped carefully around in the darkness and was aware of every sound, no matter how faint it was. I haven't ever seen that house, if you want to call it a house, it isn't quite the right description for it, but I wouldn't find a better one.
I lowered myself to the ground and sat there, staring at the closed door, mentally stretching to feel the guard. As I finally found it I held my breath, trying to feel it's form, to make out the pattern of it and destroy it. I undid every guard, everything that guarded this place everything to make sure I would get into the house and out of it too, with Zelika. At least that is my hope.
It took me a long time to destroy every layer of the guard that was spun like a Spiders web, carefully and tightly around the house. I sighed in relief as it all vanished and slowly stood and laid a hand on the door. The wood was so cold and so drenched with darkness it almost made me throw up. I opened it slowly to avoid making any noises that would wake unwanted attention and draw eyes on this house. Even more slowly I closed the door behind me again.
I looked around, trying to get used to the darkness which seemed almost to pure, to dark to even get used to and try to look through and see anything at all. After a while I saw the faint outline of objects and…people. I tried to look closer and get to know what was where, where ended one thing and where began another. There were so many wooden benches, and iron benches with spikes on it. Seats with spikes on it and handcuffs as well as foot cuffs on it also a belt was on the top to bind ones head to it. I shivered in horror. And went further into the house, around the next corner I saw an Iron cross where a young boy was tightly bound to. Around his hands and feet were barb wire chains, to keep him from moving sharp blades were outlining his body, his arms and his sides just like the floor beneath him was bloody. I took a deep breath, which wasn't the best idea I had, it smelled horrible here, it made me even sicker and I bend over in pain as I threw up.
'Zelika…' I whispered barely audible. At hearing a voice the boy opened his eyes and I watched with horror, I thought he was dead. I walked closer and mentally touched the area around him. No guards were placed inside the house, at least not here. I shielded my hands and tried to get the blades away from him before loosening the barb wire and helping him to sit down on the floor. He tried to talk but somehow couldn't. I lit a mage light, small enough to not get any attention drawn to it and I saw with horror that his lips were sewn together. 'Shhh, don't talk boy, I will try to help you if I can.' I whispered and took a piece of the barb wire to cut the stitches open. As soon as I was finished the boy breathed in deeply. I would have tried to heal him, but I hadn't had enough strength left to do so, and what I had left I had to keep in me for Zelika. In case I find her that is, which since seeing that boy I dearly wish I wont. At least not here, not like that. The thought that this or even worse things could have happened to Zelika hurt in my chest more than anything in the past days. A tear rolled down my cheek 'I will look if find anyone else, please, stay here, I will get you on my way back if I can.' I whispered and the boy nodded and closed his eyes.
I walked further into the darkness and into the horror and terror of this house. I mentally touched my surroundings everywhere I went, every person I walked past, but all of them were dead by now. At the end of the long hallway, if you like to call it that, was a door, I touched it and slowly opened it a bit to step in, I held my breath as I looked around, everywhere on the floor was glass apart from a wooden bench on one side of the room. Even as I stood there I felt the ceiling coming closer, it was very slow but it would surely on one point crush every little thing in this room. I heard the slow breathing of someone on the bench, I tried to step between the pieces on the floor and hissed and cursed as I scratched my foot open on one of them. I heard a muffled, surprised sound from the corner 'Zelika' I whispered and tried to get near her. She looked at me with her piercing and so beautiful eyes, which held so much in them right then. I jumped onto the bench as I thought I could so I wouldn't have to run over the glass anymore. I kneeled beside her and took her head with one hand to free her from the gag that was bound around her head so she wouldn't be able to scream. I hugged her thin body in my arms 'Zelika…' I whispered again and sighed with relief that she hadn't been tortured right then like the boy was. I felt scars on her back that hadn't been there before and I saw some on her face too. She looked so fragile and weak, like I've never seen her before. I mentally touched everything in the room and felt a connection between the ceiling and the floor. It didn't move now. 'Have you ever tried walking around here?' I asked softly and she nodded before she tried to answer.
'The ceiling began moving towards me as I did and…' I hushed her with my finger her voice sounded so weak and scratchy, she hadn't much to drink here.
'We will have to hurry to get out of here then.' I whispered and looked around, I held her hand in mine as I tried to heal as much of her open wounds as possible. 'No matter how proud you are, even if you hate me for it afterwards and try to kill me for it, I'll carry you. I don't think you can really walk and above all not fast enough between the sharp pieces on the floor.' I said and stroked her face gently. She nodded and leaned her head against my shoulder, I looked up at the ceiling counting down how much time we had left to get out. It wasn't that much. 'Zelika hold on to me as best as you can now.' I told her and felt her hands tighten around my neck. I jumped from the bench as far as I could, even though I knew I'd hurt myself. I tried to get out as fast as I could, At the door I turned to look into the room, the ceiling was now barely high enough to walk through, even when you bend your back forward. I sighed with relief and let Zelika down to walk on her own, her arm lay around my neck and I let my hand around her waist to help her.
As we reached the boy, he lay still on the floor and I bit my lip, he was dead. I walked past him with Zelika, trying to make her go without looking at him or the cross behind.
At the door I stood still, trying to hear what's going on outside. I opened the door slowly and was glad to find that it was still dark. I looked around trying to figure out how we should get out. She tried to lift her arm and weakly pointed to the big iron door. I nodded in agreement and we went from one shadow to another, hidden in a glimmerveil as good as possible. I looked around for other people and for Irc, somehow hoping the bird would sense that I needed him. I heard something from the place and pulled Zelika closer to me, I swallowed hard as I heard someone coming closer I bit my lip and looked at Zelika, she looked so frightened and held tightly onto me I took her chin in my hand and lifted her head so she would look at me I leaned forward and leaned my forehead against hers before I whispered softly to her 'I love you Zelika, I don't know how we will get out here, or if we will get out, that's why in any case, I wanted you to know that.' I pulled my head back up and stroked her cheek gently before I held her close to me again and leaned my head against the wall behind me. Whoever was approaching had a feeling that we were here, Zelika didn't say anything, I knew she was too surprised to do so, I just hope that she can run anyway.
I was glad that it was just one of the children on it's way to steel something from the garden, but I still held my breath and I felt that Zelika did the same. The child walked past us, and almost ran into us. I breathed out with relief as the child vanished from my view and Zelika and me walked further, Irc was in front of me, not far from the door, I mentally touched him and tried in mindspeech 'Irc, I found her, please try to get us out or get the door to open up.' I saw him flying around.
'I will try to find something.' He answered before he vanished from my sight. I held Zelika close and I felt her tears soaking my dirty shirt. I looked at her and brushed the tears from her cheeks.
'Don't cry. Irc will find a way to get us out of this place.' She nodded slowly and buried her frightened face in my shirt again. I don't know how long we stood there until Irc told me where to go. It didn't take us long to get there, but the whole Irc had found was barely big enough, I helped Zelika through it was difficult even for her to get through. I sighed and tried to get through, Zelika helped me as good as she was able to. I heard the waking call and panicked, I struggled to get through the whole, coughing as I finally made it through.
'This way' Irc told me and Zelika and I just followed him blindly. Staying near Sjug Hakar Im wasn't an option, not now, that everyone's awake. We stopped where I hid my things in the earth and I got them out of the whole, handing Zelika the water bottle as I had my things back. 'Hurry up, Saliman is waiting for you Hem.' I nodded and looked at Zelika as she greedily drank the water I had offered her.
'Saliman is waiting for us, we must hurry to find him, Irc will lead us wherever he may wait.' I said and she nodded in answer. I embraced her as I had all my things back with me and she smiled up at me 'I'm glad you're back with me Zelika.' I whispered.
'So am I. Thank you for saving me from…them…whatever they may be.' I tried to smile at her.
'You don't need to thank me, it wasn't just a social act, but also a bit selfish.' I pressed her tighter to myself.
'You risked your life there to get me out of there.' She said.
'I know, and I already told you why I did it.' I answered truthfully 'I meant what I said in there. I love you and if this will ever come to an end, my only wish will be to marry you. But that's not something to be discussed here, we should get to Saliman.' I looked at her and her mouth stood open a bit surprise written deeply in her eyes and her face also.
'You risked your life just because…' she couldn't get any further as Saliman cut her sharply.
'Yes Hem, you risked your life in there, not just yours but also mine and your sister's life. Just like everyone else's who was with you.' He looked at me but I saw a smile on his face as he came closer 'But I'm glad to see you, both of you that is, alive again.' Saliman hugged me and Zelika tightly.
'We still need to find Maerad.' I said and sighed in frustration, I didn't know whether she was alive nor did I know where she was. And I didn't have the slightest clue where to look for her. North, that was an almost clear thing to say, but north is wide area to search considering the time we had left, that was an impossible task.
Months later in Innail
I walked through the garden of Innail, where, standing under a tree, Zelika was waiting for me. I took her hand and kissed in gently before looking straight into her eyes 'I love you more than my own life Zelika.' I whispered and she smiled at me.
'You've proven that already.' She said 'I love you too Hem' She added whispering and blushed slightly, even though I can not remember ever seeing her blush before. But I knew pretty well that until now she never dared saying that she loved me. She put her hands in my neck and pulled me down into a gentle kiss. Her lips were so soft, her kisses so tender and loving.
'I felt more than just horrible as I thought I'd lost you.' I whispered 'I never felt so alone ever before in my entire live. I couldn't imagine living without you, I still can't. The thought of losing you feels like a knife stabbing right through my heart. Which isn't really mine anymore anyway, it's yours.' I kissed her tenderly again and looked into her eyes.
'Hem, Zelika, come in, dinner's ready.' I heard Silvias voice calling to us and took Zelikas hand as we went inside. After a long dinner Maerad, Cadvan, Saliman, Zelika, and myself sat at the fire. I saw the longing look in Cadvan's eyes and also in Maerad's as they looked at each other.
Maerad smiled at him and he spoke with his soft and gentle voice 'If you would excuse us now, we're tired.' He offered Maerad his hand and helped her to her feet.
'I somehow don't think they will sleep.' I said.
'I think they will sleep…just not the way you think of it now.' Saliman said and laughed gently, I shook my head slightly.