I am SO loving this story. It's been an absolute blast to write. Hope you're enjoying it as much as I am…
The Prophecy (Chapter 7)
The idea of what he had been able to accomplish, what he'd been able to create paled mightily in comparison to the fact that he now had the Mother Confessor to try it on. He never dreamed that he would actually have the opportunity to use it on her this soon. He had presumed that it would likely take months to track her down and capture her. He never would have guessed that she would be found right here, near the Keep at Carreth.
If his concept worked the way he had planned, the Mother Confessor and then the Seeker would be under the control of Darken Rahl. Then nothing would stand in Lord Rahl's way of conquering the Midlands and eventually Westland. They would fall easily under the control of the Master of D'Hara especially with the Mother Confessor and Seeker working as his special agents to bring about a plague of destruction upon the world.
Giller had sent a message in the journey book to Lord Rahl notifying him of his success, but now he would be able to let him know of the capture of Kahlan Amnell. He was sure that Lord Rahl would be most pleased to see personally his success of the device on her. If all went according to plan, one would be devised for the Seeker as well.
It had been a simple enough plan that required little work save for finding the correct combination of spells and magic to make his notion effective. All it took was a Rada'Han and some alterations to the magic that it carried inside it. Instead of it making their magic ineffective, it controlled the mind of the one who wore the collar. The wearer would be able to be manipulated into doing whatever they were instructed to do. They would have their abilities left intact but would only follow Rahl's commands, making them the perfect mercenaries…a curse upon the land. And who best to use them on but the Seeker and Mother Confessor. With them on the side of Rahl and D'Hara, the Midlands would quickly fall; resistance cells would scatter and dissolve. Everyone would lose faith and look to Darken Rahl as their liberator and source of hope and peace.
Giller smirked with excitement at the thought, his dark eyes gleaming with menacing intentions as he glanced at the unconscious Confessor chained to the wall before him. With any luck, the star alignment would be right for Rahl's arrival. Everything was falling precisely into place…better than if he had planned it all out himself…
They had been searching for hours, covering as much land as possible as quickly as possible. Evening would be coming soon and they didn't want the search for Kahlan to extend into the night. With the growing threat of evening, came the growing fear that something had happened to her.
"We should have found her by now, Zedd" Richard complained, forehead furrowed with worry, as they followed the bend of the lazily winding river. As they came through an out-cropping of brush and tall grasses that lay along the bank of the river, they spotted something red.
The familiar ring of the Sword of Truth resonated through the air as Richard drew his sword in anticipation of what might be lying in wait for them. The familiar crimson red of the Dragon Corp lay scattered in the grass along the river's edge.
Richard and Zedd approached cautiously, unsure if this was a trap. There were several Dragon soldiers scattered, lying dead. They each silently prayed that Kahlan had already returned to the house and was nowhere near here.
"What in the worlds happened here?" Zedd asked, not really expecting an answer. Whatever had occurred here, it appeared to have been quite a skirmish.
Richard walked over to inspect one of the bodies. As he got closer to a fallen soldier, he recognized a dagger that was protruding from his heart. "Zedd! It's Kahlan's dagger!" Richard cried. He quickly began scanning the bloody scene, praying he wouldn't see a white Confessor's dress lying in the grasses amongst the crimson clad corpses. He could not go through this pain again he thought as he silently pleaded to the spirits.
"She doesn't appear to be here, Richard" Zedd said trying to calm the Seeker.
"They must have captured her and taken her to the Keep" Richard surmised, hoping she was alright even if she was in the hands of the Dragon Corp.
"It seems she confessed this one over here. He appears to have taken on his comrades in a fight and lost" Zedd offered, hoping it would bring Richard some comfort that Kahlan had been able to put up a fight.
It did bring a small smile to Richard's face that his Kahlan had been strong enough or stubborn enough to take on the Dragon Corp. She never ceased to amaze him. After all she had endured over the last week, she still tried to take on Darken Rahl's best. As he thought of Kahlan, his heart swelled with his love for her. He just prayed that he would be able to find her, to tell her how much he loved her. He couldn't bear the thought of her dying, believing he didn't want to be with her or love her any more.
"So, how are we going to be able to get into the Keep and rescue Kahlan?" Richard asked, preoccupied with thoughts about how the last time they attempted that, Kahlan had ended up as Giller's lab rat with the Shakiah. Richard inwardly shuddered at the horrific memory of those needles being forced through the shackles and into her body, the look in her eyes, Rahl's touch on her face, her screams echoing throughout the room. At that moment, he thought he had never felt so helpless or so much rage in all his life. Then came Rahl's Trojan spell and…
"Very carefully…" the wizard replied as he rubbed his chin, deep in thought, interrupting Richard's own thoughts.
Kahlan slowly opened her eyes and tried to focus her vision. The room was dimly lit by torches securely held in place by braces made of iron that extended from the walls. She attempted to clear the cobwebs that hung in her mind. She had to take a mental assessment of the damages. She attempted to move only to find herself shackled to a wall. With the movement came sudden, sharp pains in her side that took her breath away. Pretty sure those ribs are broken, she thought to herself as she tried to control her breathing in hopes of lessening the stabbing in her side. The pain she felt throughout her body still paled in comparison to the gnawing agony of emptiness and despair she felt in her heart.
Her head pounded as she tried to recall what had happened to her and how she got here. She remembered being surrounded by Dragon Corp soldiers. She had put up an impressive fight, confessing the first soldier who had either been too overeager in his duties or too dense to know better than to meet a Confessor head on when her hands were free. It had weakened her considerably, using her powers to confess him, but he had been able to protect her just long enough for her to catch her breath from the initial exhaustion that came with it. Between the two of them, they had been able to take out several men before the confessed soldier had been slaughtered by his fellow comrades. Kahlan had been easily overpowered by the remaining soldiers after being tackled to the ground, violently kicked and knocked unconscious. She had been very fortunate that was all they had done to her. Dragon Corp was not known for their compassion or mercy.
Kahlan guessed she was being held at the Keep near Thaddicus's house. She just prayed that Richard wouldn't come after her. Of course, why would he? He said he didn't want to be with her anymore. She had caused him too much pain. This was probably for the best anyway; he could go on with the mission without her. She couldn't bear the thought of continuing their mission together. Of being that near to him and not being able to touch him, to hold him or be held by him, of not being able to be with him or to feel his kisses on her skin that sent tingles vibrating through her body. Tears began to well up.
"Well, Mother Confessor Kahlan Amnell. So nice of you to drop by to see me" Giller gloated, his dark malevolent eyes roaming over her.
"Giller! What are you doing still alive? Didn't I rid the world of your presence when you tried to harvest my powers?" she spit out. She was shocked by his presence. How could he have possibly survived? His roving gaze upon her made her skin crawl.
"The breath of life is a beautiful gift, Kahlan. Never take it for granted."
Even though she no longer cared if she lived or died, she wished she could be free from the shackles so she could break his scrawny little neck. He was a spineless coward who had betrayed the Confessors and had joined Darken Rahl. He had been the source of much pain and suffering. Besides, if she could eliminate him, it would be one less threat to Richard.
The closer Giller got to her, the more Kahlan pulled on the chains that imprisoned her. She had to find a way to be free from these chains that bound her to the wall. She suddenly caught the glint of light that reflected off something in Giller's hand, something she had not noticed earlier when he had first appeared before her. It was silver, round, and looked to be made of metal…it was a Rada'Han…
