"With every move I die, I'm fading, I'm broken inside"

Chapter Eleven

Soon, all too soon I was dragged to my feet again, I listened and watched as one of the holders took the mage's wrist and slit it open. He then let a few drops fall onto a piece of paper that was handed to scriber who started writing something.

"This one will be called Conner." Malachi spoke. He was then healed. Next was I, I didn't want to get cut anymore. Didn't I loose enough blood?

"This one will be called . . . Fajra." He said as I glared at him. Fajra sounded like a Durgen'len name. I bit my tongue as the Elvhen servant following him placed a cool wet rag in my hands. I quickly glanced at 'Connor' to see him pressing it against his brand. I was going to have to ask him what his real name was one day.

Malachi turned on his heel and started walking away; we were pushed by one of the guards that followed him around. I kept my head high as I could when you're getting pushed. Each step I took felt like I was getting choked, like an invisible hand took hold of my heart and throat. My chest tightened and I shook my head quickly.

Slowly my shoulders slumped and my gaze turned to the huge city's marble floor. It was cold, really cold. The beautiful scent of Magnolia made it to my nose and I felt the invisible hand loosen and I let out a soft sigh. He would want me to do whatever it takes to live.

Just like that I shook of the depressions greedy fingers and hold my head up high. I would do just that; I will survive. But it was easier thought than forgetting all the faces I killed, also the one who died for me.

Survive.

Survive, live.

Breathe.

Forget.

I turned my head up just in time to see a huge house; it was waaayyy bigger than all the other ones around it. Actually it looked like everything was built around it, like they were bowing their heads to the huge house.

"Take them to the baths and feed them. And bring me Ziy'ha and Siallin." He said and walked away. I was dragged away by a small young Elvhen girl. She was a da'len, only eight or so. The only thing that marked that he owned her was the bracelet that had his crest on it; the crest that was burned into my face.

The pain had dulled a little but the second that I took the rag off it flared up again. The house a beautifully built and the pillars had things like birds or ivy carved into them. There was so much art around that I just wanted to stare at them and thing of a million stories for each one.

"This way." She called out in her young voice only to see her turning a corner. I hurried after her leaving behind a huge painting that struck me the most.

It was a woman in a white dress stepping off a cliff with the ocean below her; she was reaching for the moon and the stars. She was reaching for hope. At least that's what I thought. The colors blended perfectly and the stars really looked like stars.

Soon I was being pushed into a steamy room and I held onto my little clothing as the servants tugged at them. There was a hot spring with a waterfall as a tub. I looked at it with amazement as they finally ripped my clothing out of my soft slender hands.

One grabbed my long hair and started brushing it as another all but pushed me into the warm pool. The water was so refreshing.

"I can wash myself!" I cried and backed up from the servant reaching for my shoulder with a soppy cloth. She smiled and handed it to me as I also tried to take my hair out of the others grasp. It seemed I was never going to loosen her grip so I quit trying and quickly washed myself.

I hand to wait awhile before she did and by then I was all but asleep in the pool. What woke me up was her throwing water on my head and getting a shit load of shampoo in my wide eyes. Once bath time was done I was handed a towel as another started re- brushing my hair and then patting it dry.

"The green dress!"

"No I think the white dress looks more beautiful!" and so they argued back and forth on which one I was going to be dressed in. I shook my head at both and walked over to a warm looking pedal soft dress that fell to my ankles.

"Oohhooo, you have a good eye." The one that wanted the green dress said and before I knew it I was in the dress and my hair was in a nice bun at the base of my neck.

I was dragged down the halls with my pale feet slapping the beautifully polished floor and the two servants giggling like little girls pulling at my hands. Weren't only the lords having servants follow them and help them?

Soon I was seated at a huge oak table and a warm bowl of soup and there was meat in it! I said a quick prayer of thanks to the Creators and dug into my food oblivious to the questioning look of the mage across from me.

"What were those words you spoke?" he asked as I was half way through my soup. I paused and starred at my bowl, a dark reflection looked up at me. My face was swollen and the burn was puckered and scabbing over slowly, there were dark bruises under my eyes.

"That was the Elvhen language, do you not know it? You have a vallaslin, no?" I asked.

"Val—what?" he asked.

"Vallaslin, the blood writing." I said pointing to his face.

"Oh that. My friend wanted me to get it, so I did." He said. I only starred at him like he was an idiot.

"Flat ear." I curse under my breath and finish off my soup. After I was done with it I was getting pulled away by them two servants to my living quarters. They shoved me into a nice gown and braided my hair.

"We'll wake you up when training is to start." Servant one calls out as she leaves my room, servant number two giggles and shut the door. I turned to really look at my living quarters.

It was a huge room with a soft fabric underneath my bare feet. To the right it a huge vanity, in the middle is a bed that I could never fill and to the right is a huge closet. Two night tables grace each side of the soft colored bed. On the one night table was the only light. The candle danced and danced as I walked over to it and licked my fingers to snuff it out.

I felt to the bed with a tired sigh and turned to my side. The blankets wrapped around me like a mothers hug and before I knew it a wave of sobs and tears come. I held tightly to the blankets as my breathless sobs suffocate me. I fell asleep hours later with tears in my eyes.