Disclaimer- I do not own NiGHTS.
Hello, I am looking for a beta reader to read my chapters. I am autistic, so grammar and spelling is hard for me. If I have a beta reader, I can update a little faster because I do not have to spend a few days going over in review. Thank you very much and have a merry Christmas.
It was cold. NiGHTS shivered as she felt the cold from Nightmare surround her. Her eyes fluttered open to see the situation she was trapped in. No weapon, her magic drained, and she was hanging from the ceiling by her wrists. Hissing, she tried yet again to pull away from her misery. No good, these chains were too strong.
NiGHTS sighed, defeated. She never thought she'd be back here. 'Should've been more careful.' She berated herself.
NiGHTS thought back to the night before, what else could she have done? Was there some way she could have escaped? No, Reala had set to good a trap. NiGHTS shivered as the cold air swept around her bare arms. NiGHTS blushed madly at her clothing. The clothing was no bother, ragged black shirt and torn pants. At least it covered her. NiGHTS would rather have been placed in her cloths, but, the problem was... who redressed her?
If it had been Reala, NiGHTS shuddered, she didn't know what to do. She couldn't beat him up, he was to strong. Maybe a different kind of revenge?
A creaking sound filled her small prison as NiGHTS felt a new kind of chill on the air.
"Reala." NiGHTS hissed, refusing to look at her old mentor.
"Such hostility," Reala taunted. "What have I done to deserve it?"
NiGHTS' temper flared. "How dare you." She spat. "You're the one who took me away from my home! You remember, I know it! You dragged me away from my family and locked me up in here!" NiGHTS glared furiously at Reala, hoping to bore holes in his head.
Reala wasn't fazed. It was true, he remembered kidnapping the child. She had fought back fairly well then. "NiGHTS," He started, almost kindly. "That is our culture. It is how we amass our army. You just happened to be selected."
NiGHTS growled and turned away. Thinking back to her home, she couldn't remember much. Just, it was warm... and she always felt safe there. She also remembered a smiling face, but couldn't place it. Suddenly, NiGHTS felt arms wrap around her stomach. She tensed as she felt Reala rest his head beside hers.
Reala chuckled as he felt NiGHTS tense up. This was to fun. He brought one of his clawed hands up to stroke NiGHTS' cheek. She shuddered as his hand rested on her face.
"Get off!" NiGHTS hissed. She began squirming, she needed to get away! Reala chuckled as his grip tightened around her small frame. He placed his smirking lips on NiGHTS neck, she always hated this. And it was true, NiGHTS felt like throwing up. She groaned, Reala was going back to his old tricks. She felt one of his claws on her stomach begin to slowly slide father down. She squirmed uncomfortably as his claw went farther and farther down.
Reala fought to keep the laugh in him from coming out. He loved taunting her like this; her face was appealing when she was nervous. At the moment a deep blush was covering her lightly tanned face. He took it a bit farther by moving the claw from her face to her chest. At this he heard her suppress a squeak of shock.
That was it. NiGHTS lifted one of her legs and placed a power kick to the abdomen of her tormenter.
Reala grunted as he was forced to stumble back. He frowned at the interruption, he had been enjoying himself. Reala smirked, and then proudly walked to NiGHTS' front. He stopped in front of her and eyed her face. She was still glaring at him, but after years of training her, well, her hate-filled looks no longer made him feel that stab of guilt.
"Why did you run away from me?" Reala asked, suppressing a smirk. "And after leaving, why come back?"
NiGHTS was about to shout at him, let all her anger out when what he said came through. A spark of hope filled NiGHTS. He hadn't found the medallion! If she could somehow get out, then she could find it. Now she just needed a way to escape. Hiding glances at Reala, she searched for his sword. If she could get her hands on it...
Reala smiled, curving his black lips into a picture that would scare the bravest of men. Hope is all Nightmares' recruits had, especially after being locked away for so long. Crushing that hope, watching it slip away from their eyes, there was no greater feeling.
He had trained hundreds of soldiers, but NiGHTS had been his special project. She had managed to go longer than anyone else in the cold, bitter blackness beneath the castle, hiding behind the bigger men who first drew the eyes of any trainer. It was pure chance that allowed Reala to see her potential.
He fondly remembered walking into that cell to select his next student. Reala had been disappointed, no obviously strong males. However, he had no intention of leaving empty handed. He walked amongst the captives until he noticed a young boy. This child hadn't been full grown, but had the potential to be moulded into something grand. Smirking, he had reached for this boy, when she had got in the way.
NiGHTS had refused to let him take the boy, kept telling him that the child was too young. When Reala attempted to brush past the scrawny female, well he was shocked to say the least. She had slapped him, clear across the face. She had attempted to punch him to, but the guards had restrained her before she could.
Reala could see no fear in her. NiGHTS was brave, or very stupid. He still couldn't decide what she was, not even after centuries of knowing her. His one mistake with training her is he hadn't waited to see the hope she clung to disappear. He had been so anxious to raise her skills; he had missed the fire that she continued to hold onto.
He would not make that same mistake this time.
"Now why would you return, what could be so important to get a hold of?" He taunted, he knew what she had come for, and he had counted on it.
"Could it be... this?" He asked, pulling the medallion from his vest.
'There.' He smiled. Utter shock, had NiGHTS truly thought he wouldn't search her clothes for unseen treasures?
NiGHTS felt rage fill her; he was trying to re-train her. She wouldn't allow herself to fall for his tricks. She had lasted through the first time; she would not give in now.
"You see NiGHTS." Reala said as he picked her hanging head to face his. "You cannot win. Come back to me, return to Nightmare. You belong with us."
NiGHTS pulled her head away from his grasp, refusing to look at him. 'Be strong.' She repeated in her mind.
Reala frowned; it wasn't working as well as he'd hoped. She wasn't showing the normal signs of surrender. As a punishment, he quickly flew above her to her chains. Grasping them firmly in his hands, he pulled, leaving her to hang by her wrists in midair.
NiGHTS hissed and attempted to fly to release the pain in her arms. It was no good, her power wouldn't return when she called upon it. She was still trying to figure out how Reala had been able to drain her magic. Nightmaren magic came from inside, only their god, Wiseman was said to be able to remove it.
NiGHTS felt herself bob up and down and she glance upwards to see what Reala was up to. He was raising her chains and he flipped them over a hook. This left her hanging three feet of the ground. NiGHTS hissed as she felt skin break and warm blood slowly slide down her arm. Was this Reala's plan? Torture? NiGHTS sighed as she braced herself. She could last through this. She knew it, she had to...
"Ugh!" NiGHTS gasped as pain came from her stomach. She looked at the assailant just as pain came from her cheek. NiGHTS closed her eyes and desperately tried to move away. She knew she couldn't, but she followed her basic instinct. Squirming furiously, she tried to get her leg between herself and the pain.
Then barrage of punches coming from the front stopped all of the sudden and restarted on her back. She released a short scream as a particularly painful one hit her spine. After the pain stopped, which had been quite quick in comparison to the beatings she used to receive, she opened her eyes to check the damage.
She was sore everywhere, there were many red marks on her body that would likely become bruises in the morning. Blood continued to flow from her arm, but it was coming out much slower now.
"Satisfied." NiGHTS growled at Reala, for who else was there to hurt her? She glanced at Reala with anger in her eyes, only to see him walk furiously from the room and slam the door behind him.
Reala quickly locked the door and nodded to the guards. 'What was that?' He thought, concerned. He had been having fun, training NiGHTS, he'd been waiting for this chance for years. He was immune to her glares; he had no qualms about locking her away.
'So why do I feel so guilty?' He asked himself. When did this start? Not when he captured her, no, he had felt better than ever before. Same with locking her up. He hadn't shown it, but he had felt uneasy dressing NiGHTS into those garments. But he had assumed that's because she was a beautiful female.
'Wait.' Reala thought. 'Do I think she's beautiful?'
He floated up to his rooms lost in thought. He was pleased to have her back in Nightmare, but why was he beginning to have qualms about hurting her? Pain was a major part of the training; he couldn't train her properly without it. Reala felt the strangest feeling he had ever felt. He wanted to apologize for her pain, even her imprisonment!
'What is wrong with me?' He questioned himself. 'Maybe I should see a healer about this.'
He quickly flew down the massive corridors until he arrived at a plain wooden doorway. He flew in and was immediately attended by one of the many medic 'maren.
"Is there something I can do for you Lord Reala?" he asked.
"Send for my healer." Reala said.
"And for Jackle," He added. "Send them to my throne room."
He flew away after that. The 'maren would do what he ordered. If he didn't, well, he wouldn't live long. He came once again to his room and roughly sat himself down.
He was furiously thinking about what could be wrong with him. It all started with NiGHTS, had she done something to him? The more Reala thought about it the more sense that it made. He resolved to harden himself, and find out exactly what NiGHTS did.
"Lord Reala?"
Reala glanced up at the healer. He stared at him for a minute before motioning with his clawed hand. The medic 'maren came forward and raised a hand. It began to glow and a foggy substance rose from it. It wafted through the air until it reached Reala. It began to spread over his body as he began to feel a bit lightheaded. He shook off his sudden relaxed feeling and focused on the medic in front of him.
"I'm sorry my lord." He said as he lowered his arm. "I can't find anything wrong physically. If you're feeling under the weather it must be mentally. Has anything new started-?"
He was cut off by a glare from Reala. Everyone should have known he was retraining NiGHTS.
"Right," He corrected himself. "Well, it can be tiring to train another; maybe you could give someone else that task?"
A rough cough escaped his mouth as Reala's claws grasped him around the neck. His icy blue eyes locked into the eyes of the terrified medic.
"NiGHTS belongs to me!" He threatened. "No one else can have her."
With that said, he through the trembling healer away.
"Get out of my sight." He snarled and turned around. He heard the nightmaren scamper away, muttering many apologies as he shut the door. He rubbed his temple as he tried to clear his thoughts. He flinched as his thoughts were interrupted by hi door, once again, opening.
"I don't know what you did to that poor guy," Jackle said in awe as he walked in. "But I think he's about to die from fright."
"Jackle." Reala said, giving him a curt nod.
"Yes, boss." Jackle said, mimicking him with a nod.
Reala gave him a quick glare, but then sighed.
"I need advice." Reala told him. "I think NiGHTS has done something to me."
"What!" Jackle shouted. "But-but how? I mean, she's been locked up."
"Jackle, I don't mean physically." Reala rolled his eyes. Why did he put up with this guy again?
"Oh," Jackle said. "Well, maybe you're feeling sorry for her?"
"I've been waiting for this chance for years. "Reala snarled. "You don't know how often I planned for her capture, for her return to our ranks. Why would I feel sorry for her now?"
"Well, they always say that a trainer can develop feelings for their students." Jackle sighed. "Face it, NiGHTS is pretty cute, and she's strong. Those are desirable elements in a ma-."
"Don't say it." Reala threatened getting to his feet. "Don't even think about it! NiGHTS means nothing. Nothing! And don't you forget it."
Jackle cowered against the wall. He and Reala had been friends for a long time, and he knew when and where he could cross the line.
This was not one of those times.
"Alright," Jackle gave in. "It was only speculation, forget I said anything."
Reala frowned as he went and sat down. Jackle thought that was his cue to leave, so he turned and began walking out. He was stopped short by Reala's voice.
"What is it like to possess a mate?"
Jackle thought for a second before answering. He had mated with another 'maren named Puffy. He had liked her a lot, had a nice warm feeling when around her. Puffy liked him back; she could always make him calm down, or be relaxed, no matter what was going on in his life.
"Having a mate is... confusing," Jackle explained. "It can be really good; they can calm you down, or relax you when you're upset or stressed. It's like having a best friend, but much more."
He watched Reala's reaction to what he was saying. He seemed to be deep in thought, one clawed hand resting on his chin.
"But it can be hard to," He continued. "If your mate is upset, or hurt, it's impossible to concentrate. The worry builds and builds until you know their safe. There is a weird feeling you get, so you can tell when their upset or angry. You can find yourself wanting to do things, anything to make them happy."
Reala's face scrunched up, he couldn't see himself worrying over a female's happiness. Frankly, Jackle couldn't either.
"It can be rough, but, it is the greatest thing in the world when she's upset, but you make her feel better." Jackle smiled. "Their smile seems so big, and their eyes sparkle. And it feels like all the suffering was worth it, just to see them like this."
Reala's face relaxed slightly as he continued to think. He waved his hand and Jackle understood, now was the time to leave.
Reala stayed and thought hard for several hours. He weighed the pros and cons of his decision, thought about every possible alternative, but they came to the same conclusion.
He didn't like it, in fact he hated it, but he wanted NiGHTS to be happy. He wanted to see her smile, but not at anyone else. Just at him.