(A/N) Thank you all for all your reviews. Like I said before it keeps me going strong even if I'm reading and my updates are slightly less often. That aside. I've spent way to long being soft. Now we all DIE! *insert evil laugh* No seriously though. This is probably my darkest chapter. At least it better be. Its also longer than i intended too . . . Regardless of that, review, review, review!


Chapter 9

Timber Embrace

When the door slammed behind them Brittany turned to look at it, drawn by the sound. It was not the same door they entered from, this one was thick, heavy, and thin light only entered through the cracks along its edges. Almost as if by some sort of instinct she ran to it, pulling desperately at the rusted metal handle, but it did not move. She flinched when she felt a hand on her shoulder. But it was only the girl, Raven.

"It's ok." She assured her then waved for her to join the others who had remained awake. At first she was met with relief. Quinn, Santana, and Artie all had stayed awake, as well as Puck, Finn, Mrs. Pillsbury, and even Raven. The group felt somewhat large to her, but she had never gone through one of the trials herself so she couldn't know for sure.

Her moment of peace was broken though as she looked beyond her friends and saw the world they had walked into. The entire room was dark save for a few dim torches that lined the walls sparingly and a shaft of moonlight that escaped through the open sky above. The walls themselves were made of cobblestone smeared with dirt and other dark smudges she would rather not identify. Above her head a grating separated the group from the outside world. Hanging from them, their wrists bound in chains that held them there, were bodies dripping with fresh blood.

That was when she noticed the cries. She had heard them since stepping into the room. But until then it had only seemed like a soundtrack to her, sounds echoing off the walls with no origin. But now she could see they were real. No more than a few feet away from the group a man hung in a cage shaped like a person. His screams caused her skin to prickle as black birds swooped through the grating and pecked at his flesh. The cage beside him hung holding the bones of its last victim, swinging back and forth in perfect rhythm. Its hands still clung to the bars of his prison.

Behind it a third cage hung, its front hanging open as nothing was inside. But that was to change. A powerful man seemingly built entirely of muscle dragged the cage's next inhabitant by his wrists. The pitiful man barely struggled in his weakness. The prisoner was thrown inside and the cage locked. And then the man looked towards them.

"'Ey!" He called in a loud voice that echoed off the walls, "Get yer-"

"Run!" Puck commanded. He turned to flee, taking Quinn under his arm as he did, but there was nowhere else to go. The door remained locked. The man came closer and others, matching him in his monstrous size and strength, came to join him. Raven alone stood as if she thought she could fight them.

She did try. The girl was amazingly agile and did manage to kick her heel into the wrist of one man. Finn joined her for a moment as well. But when then men outnumbered the group more than two to one they were forced to their knees, their wrists bound behind their backs with thick rope. Mrs. Pillsbury wriggled under their touch. Artie was simply held over one man's shoulder, his chair left behind.

The group was roughly led – or in artie's case carried - through the hall of the dungeon that was the trial. They passed so many others bound, chained, beaten, caged. So many others. They passed a round pit and although Brittany did not dare look inside she cringed at the sound of vicious dogs as they tore apart their live human prey.

A sweaty hand shoving against her shoulder brought her thoughts away from the dogs, but not in time. She stumbled on the floor as they passed the threshold of a crude metal prison cell. With her arms bound Brittany couldn't stop her fall and her shoulder was all that kept her head from hitting the stone. Santana hurried to her side, the last to enter the cell, and it was shut and locked behind them.

"Are you alright?" Santana asked on her knees beside her friend.

"I think so. It just hurts." Brittany struggled to get herself into a sitting position. Without her arms she continued to fall back onto the floor. Aside from Santana most of the others were still standing. Puck stood with his back to the wall, rubbing the cell bars against his bindings. Artie was the most hopeless of the group. With his arms bound and his legs useless he just laid there with his head against the ground.

"What the hell just happened?" Finn asked finally. Puck had managed to cut through one of the ropes and was beginning to free himself, then moved on to helping Quinn.

"I don't think hell has anything to do with it boy," A voice outside the prison spoke. Brittany turned to see a graying man with ice blue eyes watching them. All of his pale skin, save for his face, was hidden behind a long, black robe. His hands he held calmly behind his back. "Although by the time we are done with you, you'll wish you were there."

"What do you want with these kids? They've done nothing wrong." Mrs. Pillsbury spoke with false confidence.

"I know what he's done," His eyes fell on Puck who was finishing the last knot on Raven's writs, the last of them to be freed, "But until he admits to it then all of you will just have to suffer for it."

"Look, I didn't do nothing." Puck said.

"I will be back in five minutes," The man said beginning to turn away, "Tell me where they are then or face the consequences." And he was gone.

"What does he want?"

"Nothing," Raven answered, "remember these people are only shadows. They either existed in the past or not at all. Whatever he wants from you it's not something you can give him. And because of that you will be punished. And thus, the trial."

"So what do the rest of us do?" Finn asked, "I'm not gonna sit back and turn into dog food."

"That's easy. Just bust outta here and run like hell." Santana told them, "Or screw a guard with the keys."

"Of course you would think of that."

"He'll be back soon." Mrs. Pillsbury reminded them, "We have to think of something before then, remember."

Santana sighed, "Fine. The guy's old. If he plans on doing any punishing of us he's gotta come inside to get us. Kick whatever's left of his junk in when he does and run."

"Nothing is ever that simple here." Raven muttered. The dark haired girl sat with her back against the wall and her arms wrapped around her raised knees.

"It's worth a try though." Finn said, "Better than nothing."

"Good luck with that though." They looked up and the man was there. At his sides were two of the black-hooded prison guards from before. A third fumbled with a set of keys as he searched for the right one. "Because I won't be coming anywhere near filth like you. Now, are you ready to tell me what I need to know?"

"Look, I don't know what you want but I don't have it."

"Fine." The door opened and two of the thugs stepped inside. The third stood at the doorway, blocking any form of escape. "Bring me one of the girls."

"Which one?" a guard asked. His beady eyes drifted from Mrs. Pillsbury, then to Raven, to Brittany and Santana, and finally to Quinn before starting over. Not once did his eyes fall on a comfortable place. The man stared at Puck, his eyes seeming to concentrate so hard he had to be looking into the boy's soul. He raised a hand, a finger extended towards his choice. He had chosen Quinn.

Instantly the cell burst with activity. Quinn fled to the back of the cell. Puck and Finn sprang to her aid as the guards rushed towards her. Santana however darted the other way, hoping to get past the man who guarded the door. He reached out with one hand and took hold of her wrist and lifted her in the air. He shook his head once slowly then through her back inside. One of the guards managed to take hold of Quinn's arm, just below the shoulder and she let out a scream so loud it shamed her own from when she gave birth. Puck leapt onto the back of the man who held her, holding tight like a monkey. The guard flailed, taking Quinn with him as his grip still held. The second guard pried him off and tossed him at an advancing Finn. As the two boys struggled to stand again the guards turned and left. All that stood in their way was Brittany. But she was pulled out of their path, Santana's hands hard against her shoulders.

"Santana your-" The other cheerleader quickly withdrew her hands and tucked them under her arms when the guards were passed and the door locked once more.

"My hands are cold, ok." She mumbled "Don't worry about it."

The glee club watched as Quinn was dragged, kicking and screaming, to their device of choice, something Raven identified for them as a picquet. One wrist was wrapped with rope and pulled high enough that her feet no longer touched the ground. She hissed painfully as she was lifted. She was given some relief though in the form of a blunt spike just above where her feet dangled. She could stand on it to keep pressure off her hand, but her weight would cause the spike to slowly impale her.

"Well," Puck muttered from where he watched, his eyes locked on the device, "That could have been worse."

"You say that now," Raven said, "but how long can she stay like that? She could die if it's for too long."

"That's not right." Finn growled, "She already did her trial, why's she gotta go through this too?"

"Because Viktor still doesn't want her to leave. He's hoping she'll die where she hangs."

"But . . . She won't die," Brittany said, "Right?"

"Not if we can save her."

"Like you did anything to help." Finn growled at Mrs. Pillsbury, "First you let that guy get to Rachel and you didn't move a minute ago. Just go over there with Artie and wait until we tell you we need you." The guidance councilor opened her mouth to say something in return, but closed it and did as he said. She found a place to sit, her back not touching the grimy wall but close to it, and rested her head on her knees. She looked a lot like Raven in that position, the main difference between the two being their eyes. Emma's were still wide with fear but Raven simply shifted her gaze calmly around the room.

Minutes passed. Who knew how many minutes. The small group of glee clubbers remained in their cell. Emma stayed where she was, shuddering every few moments when someone cried out a certain way. Artie too didn't bother trying to move around. Without his chair he couldn't get far if he wanted too. Finn paced back and forth across the floor. Santana leaned against the outer wall of the cell her arms crossed over her chest. Every time she looked at Brittany there was something in her eyes, something different than Brittany was used to, and it made her uncomfortable. She curled closer to Artie who was always willing to wrap his arms around her. Puck watched Quinn intensely as she struggled from where she hung. Though she tried to find a balance between the two points of pressure she was failing. Her pale skin above her wrist was changing to a dark shade of purple and a trickle of blood leaked onto the spike.

"Dude we can't just stay here." Puck finally said,

"Then you'll tell me what I need to hear." The man who seemed to run this place, someone Raven had started calling the judge, said.

"What, do you just like sit around the corner and wait for us to say something." Santana snapped at him and she was ignored.

"I can't do that. I don't even know what you want. Just take Quinn off that thing."

"Fine," The judge raised a hand and waved two fingers. A guard opened the door, but did not enter. Just stood in front of it. "Come here." Puck hesitated. His body tensed and his jaw tightened. His eyes burned with anger and he looked only at the Judge. But he walked, slowly and steadily, out of the cage. Finn rose to stop him, but Puck raised a hand and kept going.

Once outside the guard bound his arms behind his back by the wrists with thick chains of iron. He was led away positioned between two tall columns of thick wood. At the ceiling, between the two columns a pulley hung, a thick rope wrapped around it. The guard took hold of one end of the rope while Puck's cuffs were attached to the other.

"You do know doing this isn't going to change anything. You think something like this is gonna scare me?" He grumbled. His voice sounded sure and certain, but such confidence was betrayed by the rattling of his chains from his trembling arms.

The judge flicked a finger upward and the guard pulled down on the rope. The pulley protested and squealed as the rope ran through it and Puck was lifted into the air. He groaned painfully as his arms were bent upward. Higher his arms climbed and deeper his groans became. His feet lifted off the ground. Finally he cried out as one shoulder, then the other, popped out of place with a crack. He hung, his shoulders distorted for a moment as Brittany looked away.

Beside her she saw the white and red uniform of her closest friend. As much by instinct as desire she turned to curl against her, to find comfort in the warmth of her skin and the closeness of her embrace. But when she came close Santana stepped away.

"Happy now." Puck gasped. Brittany finally managed to look back. He had been dropped back to the floor. His arms hung from his shoulders almost limply and he did not struggle as the guard relieved him of his chains only to bind him again, "Now let Quinn go."

"No I don't think I will." The judge shook his head, "I think a few days in the ravagers daughter will change you." And once more he walked away taking his guard with him.

Puck remained on his knees, his ankles bound to the base of a rod that wrapped around his body like the rings of a barrel. He was linked to it by his legs, his wrist, and his neck. With a push the ring was tightened and his body compressed against itself.

"He can't stay in that for long." Raven muttered the moment the judge was gone. "People go mad in those things."

"Wait," Santana whispered, "the guard walked off with the keys to the sweeper thing. We track him down, take the key, and Puck's free we get home."

"One problem with your theory Tana," Brittany reminded her, "We're stuck here."

Santana looked back and forth between the door and her friend. Inspiration sparked in her brown eyes. "Give me your hairpin." And she did. Santana wedged the pin into the lock that held their door shut. There was a few moments of her muttering to herself as Finn kept watch. She grinned and pushed the door.

"You couldn't have done that before now?" Artie said. It opened with a loud squeal just before Santana closed it.

"We can't all leave at once." She said

"Why not?"

"Well, for one, I don't feel like carrying him," she tilted her head towards Artie, "But mainly its just because we don't know where the keys are. If all of us go stomping around out there we'll get caught."

"Santana's right." Emma spoke standing and walking towards the door, "Only two or three of us should go. I want to be one of them."

"Not the best idea," Finn said pulling the teacher back a step, "You'll only mess things up like before."

"I will not." Brittany was surprised by the sternness in her voice, "And Santana, since this was your idea you should come too." The dark haired cheerleader only shrugged in agreement.

"Fine, but if I'm going Brittany is too. There's no way I'm leaving her under the protection of the jolly green giant." Brittany stood hesitant, but then went to stand beside her friend. In truth, even though Santana was probably better suited to be wandering through this dungeon at all, she didn't want to be separated from her.

"the rest of you stay here," Emma commanded, "And keep the door shut. We'll be back before long."

Brittany stepped outside of the cell behind Santana, but her gaze drifted inward. Artie looked back at her, his eyes filled only with worry behind his glasses. She smiled and waved, but it did nothing to tell her that he was convinced she'd be safe. Raven pulled his eyes away, brushing his hair the wrong way like a child.

The two passed Puck and Mrs. Pillsbury paused to lean beside him and put a hand on his shoulder as comfortingly as possible. "Don't just leave me here," He pleaded, fear and panic ran wild in his eyes.

"We won't," She promised, "We'll be back before you even notice."

"I've, ngh, already noticed. Hurry it up. This thing . . . it hurts." Mrs. Pillsbury nodded and the trio of girls headed down one of the narrow hallways.

The entire dungeon was a labyrinth of soot lined passageways lined and lit with the pale amber light of torches. Cries of pain echoed all along its halls. Along the walls wooden doors led to other prisons. Some of which Brittany was foolish enough to look inside. She saw a man strapped to a table, his chest bare. On his stomach lay a cage of metal, the bars glowing with heat searing where it touched his flesh. Within the cage a panicked rat ran back and forth searching for an escape from the burning hot walls. Finding none it took to the ground beneath its paws and began to gnaw its exit through the victim. The man's cries only worsened.

Brittany gasped, her hands covering her mouth to stifle a scream, and she stepped back into Mrs. Pillsbury. The guidance counselor put her hands on her shoulders, telling her everything would be alright and that she was safe as long as they stayed together.

Santana stopped. The group followed. Her eyes fell on something lying on the floor. It looked like nothing more than a metal shaped pear with a screw instead of a stem. Santana lifted it and trailed her fingers across its surface, her eyes unreadable. For an instant they flicked to Brittany, but it was so fast it could have been imagined.

"What is it?" Mrs. Pillsbury asked.

"It's a pear. There's a second half to whatever it was called but I don't remember. I read it in a book once," Santana answered, "If I remember right the bigger part," she tapped it with one nail, "went into the mouth of a liar. And the torturer would twist this part here," She twisted the screw and the pear widened. Mrs. Pillsbury rubbed her jaw as though she could imagine it expanding in her mouth.

"I really think you should put that down now." She said,

"hold on, I wasn't finished." Santana didn't look up from the pear, "they used it on gays too. They just . . . didn't put it in their mouth."

There was a heartbeat of uncomfortable silence before Brittany whispered, "You mean they put it . . . "

"uh-huh." Brittany's legs tightened.

"Ok, um, that's enough of that then." Mrs. Pillsbury said quickly. She reached out to take it but her hands couldn't seem to touch it. Finally she gave up. "Uh, Santana, don't you think you ought to leave something like that alone."

"What are you crazy?" Santana tossed it a few inches above her hand and grasped it tightly when it landed, "And have them use this on us? I think not."

The three of them looked up suddenly as the sound of a bull lowing echoed. It was a nice break from the screams, but Brittany found herself taking a few steps towards it. She had seen plenty of bad down here, things she would never erase from her mind, but on top of that why would someone hurt a cow too?

The others followed her. But they seemed more interested in the fact that a cow was even there rather than why it was being hurt. The stone floor gave way to deep, black soil. The walls widened and opened into a vast chamber. The girls stopped as they reached the crest of a hill.

The hill they stood on was sharp leading to a circular platform. On it a bull stood, its skin made of gleaming polished metal. A section of its side was lifted open, the door sticking up above its back. Its head was raised and its mouth opened. It held an expression of rage as it held its golden horns high. Beneath its belly a stack of wood had been arranged. Beside it one of the guards stood holding a torch above his head. Beyond the bull another hill rose. This one had been prepared with long chairs where several men sat shouting. At the peak of it sat a chair where the judge sat.

"I've heard of this thing too," Santana whispered, "it's called a brazen bull. The person goes inside the bull's middle there through that opening and the door gets locked. Then the fire gets lit. The bull gets hot and the person gets barbequed. And inside are these pipes that change the person's screams to cow noises."

"Why would anyone do something like this?" Brittany whispered looking around at the crowd who watched the bull. Why were they there? Were they waiting for someone to be put inside? Brittany shuddered and looked away. Her gaze ended up falling on the judge and she cringed as she thought he was looking at her for an instant, his chin resting on his interlocked fingers. Dread filled her when she realized he wasn't and she followed his eyes to Santana who was returning his stare. He nodded, slowly and deliberately.

"Santana . . . "

"Brittany, before anything happens, before I do anything else I have to ask you this:" Her hand tightened around the pear, "Do you love me?"

She stopped, almost shocked at the question and its timing. But she knew the answer. Before she could say it Santana turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. She could not, however, savor the smoothness of her skin for what she felt was hard like wood. Before Brittany could try to move or speak Santana pulled her close, embracing her. One arm wrapped around her shoulders, the other over the small of her back. But what should have been a moment she enjoyed sent fear stabbing though her.

"You . . . You're not Santana . . . " She struggled trying to free herself from her tightening grip. She didn't feel like her. All of her was hard as wood. And as she grew closer and closer to the wooden Santana's chest and stomach she felt small spikes pressing against her. They grew in pain as each moment passed, a few of them threatening to break through her skin. Santana's grip was so tight air was being driven from her lungs and each breath became a gasp.

"Because if you do," Santana whispered in her ear, "then I'll have to punish you." Finally she screamed, though the effort burned her lungs as she felt the cold metal of the pear against her leg.

Beside them Mrs. Pillsbury was trying to free Brittany, pulling with all her might to separate them, but she simply was not strong enough. She talked as she tried, reminding Santana who she was hurting, but it didn't work. Brittany knew it wouldn't. This person, this thing, it wasn't her friend. But the aide of the counselor didn't last long.

Their struggle had alerted the people gathered around the bull. With the wave of the judge's hand the guard beside the bull looked up and marched steadily up the hill. With one hand he gathered a fistful of Mrs. Pillsbury's auburn hair and wrenched her away from the girls. She screamed and tried to pull away, dug her nails into his skin, kicked at his legs, anything to slow his decent down the hill. But the man was simply too strong. Bright lights flashed behind Brittany's eyes as she watched him lift Mrs Pillsbury off the ground when he was close enough. With a powerful swing of his arm he threw her into the bull.

Metal crashed as he closed the door and sealed it. The beast was already lowing as he lit the fire below its belly.


(A/N) Whoops . . . did I accidently make this trial 2 chapters long?