Note: Alright. Managed to get this one and the last three other chapters done. Expect them to all be added sometime today.

I hope this chapter and the next don't seemed too rushed. ._."

Anyway, enjoy~


Pallum stirred, groaning softly.

Everything hurt. Her head pounded, her middle burned, her eyes throbbed and her mouth ached. What'd happened?

She sat up, clutching her scalp, eyes squeezed shut. What was making that annoying glow?!

"'Lum!" Someone suddenly hugged her tight.

She blinked her eyes open. A thirst and a hunger stirred inside her at the smell of another troll.

Then something papped the back of her head and shooshed her. She fought down her stirrings and returned the hug, feeling stiff.

"Cislec…" She mumbled happily.

Then the jadeblood froze. Everything rushed back into her memory. The standoff in the corridor. Their capture…

"I'm dead…" She hiccupped abruptly, tears of terror starting down her face as she remembered. Oh, how she would've given anything not to remember.

"Yeah, well, thort of…" The yellowblood mumbled into her ear.

"B-but I-I remember." She gasped, her shoulders shuddering as she fought not to cry. "I was dying…H-he said he…Oh no…"

Now she knew where she was. In a jail cell. That could only mean one thing. They had failed. Her son had been caught and now they'd be tried and sentenced individually.

The psionic tightened his grip, patting her back gently. She tightened her embrace, mumbling softly.

"They shouldn't have…I should be dead…He should still be free…A-and now I'm a monster…A rainbow-drinker."

~000~

They were dragged through the streets. Trolls sneered at them. Rotten vegetables and other unsanitary things were thrown at them. Pallum struggled, fighting to stand and walk to no avail.

The blueblood that had her kept knocking her down, abruptly yanking her cuffed and chained hands forward, causing her to stumble and fall. Cislec was dragged ahead of her by an iron collar and chain leash, gagging and choking at his rough treatment.

Finally, the two moirails were dragged out of the city and to the execution area. Her eyes narrowed at the sight of the three most high-ranking highbloods sitting on three thrones atop one of two platforms.

The Grand Highblood sat to the right, his face-painted muzzle stoic. A sea-dweller sat on the far left, threes wavering scars on his face as well as a sneer. And in between them sat the short, full-bodied figure of the Condense, a wicked smile about her smile.

The jadeblood growled softly as she and her companion were dragged onto the lower platform. She finally was allowed to stand, but had on wrist chained to the platform. She looked over at Cislec.

He was chained by his collar and arms, which were cuffed painfully by him. He looked at her and managed a brave, if small, smile.

She returned it before looking over her shoulder.

Teliah and Purdra were dragged onto the platform after them. Her son was then chained by his hands, which were cuffed behind him. Purdra was pulled down by only a collar, which seemed to be enough.

"Mom…" Teliah stared at her, giving a small smile.

"My baby…" She mumbled, reaching over and hugging him gently.

He rested his head against her shoulder. She smiled sadly, ears drooping. She rubbed the place at the base of his horns and hummed comfortingly.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The Condense roared, standing. The crowd of highbloods fell silent, watching her with gleeful anticipation.

Pallum tightened her grip on her son as the sea-dwelling queen pointed at them.

"We are here today to watch what happens when some trolls get the idea that rebelling is a good idea!" The crowd roared in agreement with her, pounding on their chests and swinging weapons.

The rainbow-drinker's eyed widened in terror as she hugged her son even tighter. Oh, dear mother Grub, no. She prayed, looking skyward hopefully.

"And now I shall give you're their sentences!" She raised her trident and pointed at them. "The mutant and oliveblood shall be executed! The drinker shall be sold into slavery and the psionic shall become my Helmsman!"

"No…" She whispered as the two executors mounted the platform. "No!"

They pushed her side with little difficulty and unhooked Teliah, dragging him off.

The bluebloods carried him up to the execution block and got to work.

Red hot cuffs were brought forward. His hands were forced into them and he screamed as they chained him to the stone wall. They stripped him, cutting in deep and laughing at his bright blood. This went on for a good while.

Finally, Clowar's executor stepped forward, an arrow drawn on his bow. He lifted his head, tears trickling down his face.

"Mom…Mom!" Her son called out, smiling sorrowfully and locking eyes with her. "Don't look…Don't look, mama!"

"NO!"

She surged forward along with her companions, reaching for him. Purdra nearly strangled herself, as did Cislec. She almost broke her wrist.

The arrow flew. An animalistic scream tore itself from her throat and she collapsed, falling to her knees as it struck home.

The jadeblood stared in disbelief, tears coating her face. No. This couldn't be happening. They couldn't have done it. They couldn't have killed her baby boy.

Purdra collapsed into the motherly troll's lap, sobbing harshly. She blinked, then ruubed the younger female's head before leaning against Cislec as he knelt beside her.

The crowd roared with enthusiasm, grinning wickedly and waving their weapons. Two bluebloods then dragged Purdra off the platform.

"No! Please, spare her!" The rainbow-drinker shrieked, reaching weakly after them. "She's just a child!"

But her pleads fell on deaf ears. Purdra was thrown onto the ground before her lover, unchained. She reached out to the bloodied cloak he used to wear and clutched it, tears of green rolling down her face.

The executor lined up another arrow. The cat-troll looked up at him beseechingly. He hesitated and then fired.

The arrow fell short.

"Go! Run!" Cislec cried as the oliveblood hesitated. "Thave yourthelf!"

Pallum looked up and smiled meekly at the girl tore off through the crowd, clawing her away through the highbloods. The other executors quickly circled the other, who had fallen to his knees. He was surely going to be punished.

The Condense and Clowar fought to sooth the riled crowd.

Pallum turned to Cislec and hugged him. She knew what would happen when he became a Helmsman.

"I'm going to miss you…" She sobbed.

"Yeah, I'll mithth you too." He mumbled, pressing his face into her neck. "I'm sorry for this."

"F-for what?" She hiccupped, looking at him. "I-I know she'll lock away your memories, b-but we'll still be moirails, right?"

He didn't answer.

"Right?" She asked desperately, forgetting about the crowd.

"No." He mumbled, tears running down his face. "I can't be your moirail anymore, 'Lum…I'm sorry…"

She fell silent, tears running down her face more rapidly.

Then the moment was over. A blueblood grabbed her and dragged her to her feet. She didn't fight. In fact, she went limp.

One day.

She'd lost her entire world in one day. Her son and moirail. In one day. In one moment. Gone.

Forever.

~000~

They stripped her and gave her the dirty and thin gown of a slave. Then they cuffed her more loosely and threw her in the nearest slave wagon.

She felt numb. Something had broken inside her. Something no one could fix. Not even her herself.

Her heart was broken.

And now only shell took her place.