An aching body wreaked havoc on Cynder's mind as she slowly woke up. She tried to get up, but only managed propping up her head as she was also welcomed by a splitting headache. Forcing herself to stop, she gently rested her head her front legs. But as she moved, she noticed something on her scales, dripping down and going back to a large puddle that surrounded her body. Slightly gasping in horror, she realized it was blood.
A quick rush of adrenaline flooded her veins, forcing her to stand up despite the horrible pain. Once she did, she noticed the source of the blood.
The second she stood up a sharp pain exploded in her stomach. Dizzily, she fell back against the wall, pressing a paw on the pain in attempts to subdue it. Sickly red liquid rapidly flowed from her body over her paw. She didn't know how long she sat there trying to stop the bleeding, but after what felt like hours it finally did.
Getting up slowly, careful not to let the bleeding continue, she began to feel dizzy again. Damn that Eshira, she thought. Why does she want me? Why not Kiari or Renkin? Why the hell are they even with us anyway, they should have their own lives to deal with. A thousand questions raced through Cynder's mind, stopping abruptly as a crack of light appeared on the opposite side of the room.
The wall appeared to open up on invisible hinges, and once it did Eshira slowly walked into the cold stone room. "Good, you're awake," she said as if everything was completely normal. She pushed the door closed with her tail, leaving the only available light as a series of dim candles mounted on the walls.
"Before we start, let's get one thing straight," Eshira said, approaching Cynder with her crystal held high. "I don't need you here; I already have everything I need. You're only here because I don't want to kill you...yet." The crystal forced Cynder to crawl away to the corner, plastering a pain-struck look on her face as she half curled into a scared little ball. "Keep in mind that I can always drain your energy with my crystal again and let you bleed to death." She motioned to the deep cut along her stomach.
Cynder looked up at Eshira, seeing a hint of a smile appear on her face. She lowered the crystal, tapping it once and raising a skeleton. "Hold still," she said, placing a paw on Cynder's back and another on her collar. Not wanting to comply, Cynder tried to squirm free of her grip. A quick kick in the ribs stopped this.
In one swift movement, Eshira tore the collar off, releasing a few whisps of shadow as it broke. The second it did, the skeleton brought to Eshira a new collar. It was crudely made and dull gray in color, with dark crystal shards messily embedded into it. A small hinge bound the two halves together at one end, a half closed lock at the other.
Eshira spread the two halves wide, placing it on Cynder's neck and clicking the lock closed. "If you're wondering, and I know you are, there is no key," she said. "Now that you're all dressed for the occasion, let us begin."
--
"Cynder, no!" Spyro yelled as he saw her collapse to the floor. He looked at her limp body helplessly as it was picked up by Eshira. She took off with Cynder held loosely in her claw, looking as if she would slip out any second. "Don't you dare take her!" he hopelessly yelled.
"Spyro, she's gone," Kiari came up behind him, putting a comforting paw on his shoulder. "Even if we knew where she was going with her, we couldn't catch up in time."
"No!" he snapped back, shaking her off. "I'm going after Eshira, I don't care if there's an army waiting to stop me!" He opened his wings in preparation to take off, but only lowered them again as it sent a jabbing pain through the wounds on his back.
"Let it go, she'll be dead by the time we get to her," Renkin said. Spyro fell to the ground, streams of tears pouring from his eyes.
"You don't understand, Renkin," he seethed. "She's the only one I have left in this world. Without her I have...nothing to live for."
Renkin seemed slightly taken aback by Spyro's words, but quickly recovered. "You're right, I don't," he laughs. "But she does." He made a gesture to Kiari, who in turn sighed deeply.
She shifted uncomfortably, for Nine had brought back some horrible memories. "I loved Five. He died during the testing," she said abruptly, fighting back tears.
"And she got over her lost love. You will too, so let her go."
Spyro clenched his fists, every muscle in his body seeming to tense up as he did so. "NO!" he screamed, the word echoing off the walls. He lashed out at Renkin with his tail, which was easily dodged. "I'm not going to let her be killed! Say what you want, I'm going after her!" he shouted, whipping out his wings. The sudden motion caused the slashes on his back to scream at him with pain, but he ignored it. Leaping into the air, he shakily sped off.
"Never bring up Five again," Kiari said sternly, flying off after Spyro.
"What?" he said, taking off and following the two. "It was worth a shot."
--
Cynder let out a scream of pain as her wings were slowly pulled away from her body. The skeleton that was controlling the chains turned the wheel farther than her body would allow until it clicked into a locked position.
Eshira, who was watching calmly from the other side of the solid stone room, held a menacing smile on her face. "What now?" she whispered into her crystal necklace, which glowed brightly in response.
"It's almost time…" the crystal responded. "Do what you wish, but she must remain alive." Eshira's smile deepened. She knew exactly what to do with her.
She summoned the skeleton at the wheel, and after a short chat, it departed. Slowly, she approached Cynder.
As Cynder heard Eshira approaching, fear exploded in her body. She had no clue what was going to happen to her next, what to expect.
Eshira walked towards her slowly, knowing that the anticipation was eating at Cynder from the inside out. Unfortunately, she was right.
She raised a paw, slamming it down on Cynder's head and forcing her nose into the wall. "Your name is Cynder, correct?" Eshira said. Cynder responded by crying softly. "I asked you a question." She ground her head into the wall, causing her to give a harsh, painful moan.
"Yes…" she whimpered, trying to bypass all her agony.
Eshira let go of Cynder's head, leaving behind a few bloody claw marks. "So, Cynder," she said, walking off to the side and into Cynder's view. "Do you have the ability of fire?" she asked.
"No…" Cynder responded, scared of what might happen if she didn't answer.
"Very well," she said. Cynder heard a small metallic schink of metal on metal, followed by a slight twinge on her wings. She could almost look over at what it was, but she was in too much pain.
It was only when the twinge turned into a searing pain and started to spread across her wing when she started panicking. She forced herself to look to a side, mostly using her eyes only. After an agonizing minute, she saw what was on her wings.
Her wings were on fire. She could clearly see the orange flames licking the delicate skin, turning it quickly to ash. Another scream of pain left her mouth as the fire got larger and engulfed every last bit of her wings.
It took a long while for the flames to die out, each second another moment of increasing agony for Cynder. Eshira, of course, only sat back and watched her torture.
The crystal again started to glow. "Good, keep it up for one hour." Eshira released the chains, causing Cynder to fall to the floor in a heap.
Even though she was still in immense pain from her wings still smoking a bit, it wasn't enough for Eshira.
"Please, please no more..." Cynder choked out.
"As much as I would like to end it for you, my master wants you alive. The only thing keeping me from letting your suffer end is him." Eshira then blasted Cynder with five enormous rings of fear. The rings had the desired effect, for Cynder suddenly shrieked in terror and hurried to the corner of the room.
While Cynder was huddled in fear, Eshira was waiting for the real effect to kick in, and then it happened. Cynder's eyes suddenly shot open, revealing her soft green eyes grow wide and stricken with pain. The band's crystals then started to glow, Eshira smiling when it reached its brightest.
The second it got to its brightest, Cynder let out an ear-splitting scream so painful it made even Eshira hunch down a little bit. Once it subsided, it left Cynder panting like a dog. "That's a little taste as of what's to come. Every time you disobey, or if I just feel like it, that is what will come to you." Eshira cleared her throat before continuing. "After the master is done with you, well, let's just say he has better plans."
She snuffed out the torches, making sure to whip Cynder across the back with her tail when she passed by. "This place will be your tomb, Cynder," she said almost casually.
Eshira shot Cynder with a few more fear rings as she walked out of the cell, slamming and locking the door shut. She walked away, leaving Cynder to writhe in pain in a small pool of her own blood.
Okay, this here chapter isn't my favorite in terms of technique, style, and overall good literate flow. But, I LOVE the story part. Anybody crying yet? Kidding. Or am I? I'm not sure myself. It's 1AM as I write this here in the awesome city of Chicago, and I'm a little drowzy. Plus, I just got Team Fortress 2 and was playing that for the better part of the day. Anyway, I'm getting off topic. Tell me what you think, honestly. C'ya all laterz.
P.S. I'm seeing the spacing is a little off, in the document editor here. Sorry for that.
