Chapter 26: Bravery and Fear

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Arisa) Being dragged by poles and shackles toward Marak should've been a big clue that I was a reluctant party but did any of those frightening creatures show concern or put effort to stop this? No, quite the opposite actually they started to cheer.

My stomach dropped and I once more attempted resistance. I dug my bare feet against the cool stone floor only to find myself losing traction when they changed it to sand with symbols. I jumped startled giving another cry of despair at this bizarre quick change.

My heart was pounding fast, my body ached, and my head hurt as if something inside me was longing to lash out but it was just as shackled as I was.

'Hannah and Rex are coming. I just need to hold on. Delay..'

All thoughts of delay vanished when I saw what was on the table near Marak-knives and a strange sword. I thrashed against the shackles my panic and fear level sky high.

I scream trying anything I could to try to get the monsters around me to stop.

The guards at my side shifted nervously when Marak moved from his place towards me, the kept nervously glancing back as well.

"Arisa!" He said calmly amidst the chaos he went to cup my face and close my mouth to cut off another scream. "Calm down.. Look I know you are confused right now and probably scared but this ceremony is very important. I'll try to get you through it as fast as possible – alright?"

He was speaking very fast his own eyes going past me, his jaw tightening he gestured for the guards to bring me closer to the table. I trembled but something about Marak's words his tone they'd made my body forcibly calmed me down. But he could not stifle the dread I felt the fear roaring in my heart as he came forward with a small bowl and a silver pair of scissors.

I closed my eyes feeling faint, dizzy, and suffocating all at once. A low whine escaped my lips. I-I can't handle this!

He cut the annoying loose hair they'd kept out of the hair do which partly relieved the tickling on my collar bone then he clipped a few of my nails.

My eyes fluttered open my heart taking a little courage from the lack of pain then bulging out nearly at the sight of a small knife in his hand.

NO! No please.. no more scars.. Please .. I .. I didn't do anything!

Marak reached for my hand and I once more tried to jerk it away only to find him numb it somehow keeping it in position in order to prick the finger tip of my index finger.

I watched droplets of my own blood join my nail pieces and hair lock in the bowl strangely dissolving together when they touched. I squeaked when Marak added his own things to the bowl and felt a strange sense of satisfaction when his own strange blood joined the bowl.

A cloud started to form a red mini cloud but it was parted as a beautiful silver cloud burst making a dazzling geyser of sorts.

I stared at it the meaning of it lost to me but the crowd gasped apparently surprised by the show. I don't know why they sounded a little wary I think I preferred to the red. A buzz of conversation zipped through the crowd and nervously glanced to Marak seeing him stare at me with intense concentration.

Unfortunately his concentration for broke as well as my train of thought when smoke flooded the area making me cough.

My vision was obscured only for a moment. Marak muttered a few words being quite close to me and clapped his hands causing a tunnel of wind to clear the stage we were on revealing none other than my heroes.

Rex and Hannah were a mere two feet from me and unfortunately the guards.

"Well now.." Marak said his voice booming making sure all could hear him, "I'm impressed you two trespassers have made it this far.." I blinked hearing a flicker of admiration in his tone.

He cleared his throat moving to stand between me and my rescuers.

"As admirable as your conquests thus far have been…I'm afraid you'll have to leave now."

"Tch.. Sure we'll leave but not without Arisa!" Rex growled his hair still standing up his eyes non-glowy but narrowed.

"Well you're not leaving WITH Arisa. " Marak said firmly standing his ground.

Hannah was trying to peer past him and to me her tone tired but anxious, "Arisa ya okay, sis?"

I wanted to answer her but I couldn't speak all I could offer her was a soft wail in reply.

Hannah staggered bumping into one of the guards that tensed up. ""W-What did you do to her!? Why did you tie her up like an animal?! And great fates what the heck is he wearing!"

I would've laughed at her questions especially the last one if I wasn't one more knife from fainting.

Marak seemed to start to get impatient or maybe it was the crowd growing restless.

He took a deep breath and gesture to the guards speaking in that strange harsh language. The guards wne to restrain Hannah and Rex who didn't show outwards resistance right off the bat.

Hannah seems exhausted and Rex didn't have much left in him either.

Marak turned to me making me tense and shy from him, "Arisa."

I slowly looked to him, scared.

"This isn't conventionally done but.. I'll keep them here if you calm down a little.. "

It was a devil's bargain and to be honest all I wanted was to wake up from this nightmare. He looked at me so intensely with those mismatched eyes and I felt very light headed.

"…" I tried to breathe evenly feeling like the walls were closing around me , trapped like a rat in an inescapable maze.

"W-What exactly is this place!" Rex demanded struggling weakly in the guard's hold.

Marak turned to face him a flicker of annoyance betrayed, "This is the Goblin Kingdom … You're currently under Hollow Lake. "

"Under it!?" Hannah repeated startled by this piece of information.

I felt a wave of sickness assault my body and I started to slip down to my knees but the poles I were attached to propped me up. So… Dizzy…

"Goblin!" Rex said picking that out of the information instead, "You're a Goblin!?"

Marak struggled to be patient, "Yes… The Goblin King…"

Hannah snickered and for a moment amidst this insanity I found a brief smile on my face knowing she must've been thinking of the old movie Labyrinth and David Bowie. Marak looked nothing like him.

"Alright… You're a Goblin King and this is Goblin Kingdom.." Rex repeated putting the information with a bit of impatience together, "W-What is all this about then!? Some type of blood sacrifice of a pure maiden!?"

I took a shaky breath in at that trying to combat the dizziness trying to fight my way to my feet once more.

"Of course not!" Marak said managing to sound offended, "This is my wedding… "

I wasn't surprised by the stunned silence that followed Rex and Hannah at that remark.

"WEDDING!?" Hannah yelled anger reawakening in her.

Rex tried to take this in stride but it was his turn to sound offended, "Wedding?! But that's MY girlfriend!"

Marak's patience well seemed to be drying up after the day's events and he sharply turned from them and his attention back to me.

"Yes… my wedding… you don't understand a lot of things and I don't have time to explain them. One day perhaps you'll find it in your hearts to forgive me and understand but for now… I must do what is needed-" Marak started only to be cut off by Hannah's protest.

"WAIT!" She shouted panic entering her tone the anger quelled down by the situation coming into perspective and perhaps she also noticed at last the table of tools, "…Y-You don't know Arisa at all.. She's scared to death right now and would make a terrible queen….She's too weak willed she takes a while to warm up to people and she cries at wilting flowers and other sappy stuff. S-She wouldn't last down here… She needs stars and sunlight and … Stuff you wouldn't be able to ever give her… "

"My people need a queen and her compassion is something that will return once the fear subsides," Marak argued .

"N-No please… " She swallowed uncomfortable with having nearly begged, "… I know her.. and she's already been through enough abuse in her life to live the rest of it down here… So… So.. your people need a queen right… "

Marak looked at her half realizing where she was going with this.

"So….take me instead."

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002fox: *Collapse* Alright so it's been ages since an update and as an off note.. I have totally forgotten the steps of the ceremony and realized my copy of the first book went missing. T_T;; So hope this was somewhat in the right steps from memory… Hope you enjoyed and please leave a review :D