CHAPTER 36

ZELDA`S FAITH

OLDER ZELDA`S POV:

I was chained up by my feet in a dungeon, imprisoned by some of the most horrid creatures I've ever seen in my life. I could barely think thanks to the awful headache they gave me. Throughout the day, while I was younger, I was beaten and tortured. They broke my ankle and bruised up my wrist, straining it. My left shoulder was whip about three times. It was red and swollen up. The rest of my body was covered in cuts and scrapes. My eyes were drooping, but I forced myself not to go into slumber. I was scared that when I woke up, they would have me inside a cage to become their entertainment. Being tortured is what they want. Seeing me drop to my knees in tears is really what they want to see. To laugh and point fingers at me. I'm like a jester to these devilish creatures.

Tears fell from my cheeks. It hurt to cry, but I couldn't help my emotions. I couldn't control them. In fact, I had no control over anything at all. I was tired, for one thing. I was hungry, but they wouldn't feed me. I was alone because I didn't have my friends and mother here with me. Most importantly, I didn't have Lloyd.

The last thing we said before we were split apart was that he loves me. He said it right in front of me. I knew he only said that because he felt something for me. We had feelings for each other that nobody else would ever have. The question was only one. Do I love Lloyd back? There's only one answer for that. Yes.

Footsteps descended down the hall. One of those creatures came to my cell door and started unlocking it with a key. He opened the cell door and came inside. The first thing he did was walk over to me and slap me in the face. Afterwards, he unhooked the chains from my feet and used his arms to force me to stand up.

"Hey!" the creature exclaimed, "You look different. Weren't you smaller a little while before?"

"As a matter of fact, I was," I said, "A curse has been brought upon me."

"Looks like we better tell the big boss about this. Let's get you to him."

The creature led me out of the dungeons and took me to this gigantic room that I haven't seen before. I had no idea what these creatures were, but they did seem to like the color red. After all, their bodies were red and so was their eyes. At first, I thought they were green, but their body color actually changes when their emotions do. My theory is that these things get angry a lot. Well, it's always easy to tell.

I was thrown to the floor, barely able to walk thanks to my leg, but I was forced to stand on it during the short trip here. I sighed trying to get up, but something kept me from doing so. I looked up to see a creature wearing a black cloak and its body was completely red. Looks like this creature is mad all the time.

"What happened to you?" the creature with the cloak growled.

"Nothing happened to me," I said, "I'm young by day and older by night. Aren't I beautiful when the sun goes down? Besides, I'll be back to my young self by tomorrow morning. Forgive me for being so snappy. You're the one that caused it."

"I was the one that caused it. In case you haven't noticed, I am the leader of the Ribulls. I don't cause anything. I make things happen."

"So that's what your tribes name is. How ridiculous. Tell me, oh great leader. What kind of animal are you? A bull or a rhino?"

All the guards inside the room laughed. The leader placed his eyes on me, giving me a glare. "It seems you have a bit of a sense of humor there. Well, I can make people laugh, too."

"How? You're as ugly as your words. How can you possibly make anyone laugh when they're laughing at your body more than your jokes?"

Everyone laughed again. The leader was starting to get frustrated. "What are you trying to do? Make me look like a fool?"

"Make you look like a fool? Oh, my goodness. No. I would never do that. Well, maybe just a little. I know good and well that you plan to make me the center of entertainment soon. If that's going to happen, I'll be making jokes about you while you torture me for sport. By the way, your horns look like deer antlers."

Nobody laughed that time. The leader chuckled. "Looks like nobody got that joke."

"Oh, really. I have plenty of them. You'll see."

"I don't want to hear anything else. I know what you're trying to do. You're causing a scene to make sure I'm too distracted to do anything."

"Why would I be trying to distract you? You're more of a distraction by the looks of your body than they are of my beautiful form."

The guards laughed once more. The leader became furious. "That's it! Guards, leave the room at once! I need to talk to this girl alone."

The guards left out of the room quickly. I gave the leader a nervous chuckle. "I suppose the show is over."

"You got that right. Thanks to you, my precious time is wasted. Well, no more. I brought you down here for a reason and I'm gonna make sure it happens."

"What are you going to let happen?" This time, I had no thoughts about joking around. This time, I was scared.

"I need to take some of your... blood."

I gasped. "My... blood. For what?"

"I've decided on something. Your too previous and too beautiful to be eaten."

"Eaten? What are you talking about?"

"Allow me to explain. You see, Ribulls are man eating creatures. Finding a human to devour is rare. When we find something rare, we wait a day or so to see what we should do with it. I've already decided what we should do with you. Once every three days, we shall take blood from you."

"How much?"

"About an ounce. I told you that you're too beautiful too destroy."

"I'd rather be destroyed than you take my blood."

"Not gonna happen."

"What do you want with my blood, anyway?"

"What do I want with it? If my mind tells me not to eat such a beautiful image, then I might as well drink the flesh that gives you life."

"Please, don't do this to me. I'd rather be set free."

"I'm sorry, but I can't let somebody like you go. I'll make sure you rot in your cell each day. I'll make sure it's locked tightly. I'll make sure you never see the day again."

"I can't stay here."

"You didn't let me finish. I'll make sure that you never eat again. I'll make sure that you never sleep. I'll make sure that you never do anything that's fun ever again."

"I'm not from this time period. I'm from the future. If I don't get back home in time, chaos will erupt and you will be in the midst of it. They will make sure to get rid of you first."

"If we are to go down, then you will go down with us."

"I will never go down! You know why?"

"Why?"

I released a glowing ball of energy from my hands, shooting it at the leader. He fell to the ground, grunting in pain. He stood up, glaring his angry eyes at me. "That's why."

"What are you?"

"I am the Mistress of Light, and I have no fear."

"You will have fear, and you shall enjoy it. Every single negative thing will be an enjoyment to you."

I sighed, seeing that I have been defeated. "Do what you must."

"Will you let me take your blood?"

"It seems you are in control of me. I no longer have control of myself. You shall make every decision for me every single moment of my life. I will never have the power to stop you."

"I'm glad you see it my way." He motioned for me to sit in a soft chair. "Have a seat."

"Why?"

"I plan to take your blood."

"Now?"

"Now."

"You just told me about all this."

"I know, but I really wanna know what your blood taste like."

I sighed. "Do as you must."

"Good girl. Now take a seat."

I placed myself inside the chair, propping my arm up on the table. The leader whistled to the door and in came a guard with a tub in his hands. He set the tub on the table and it was filled with needles and test tubes. Another guard came in with a towel and a bowl of cold water. Probably to keep me calm when blood was taken out of me. The leader removed a needle from the tub and brought it up towards me.

I closed my eyes, fearing the needle coming towards my arm. As it poked through my arm, I cringed in pain. Taking deep breaths, I tried to relax my muscles from the needle in my arm. I wasn't sure how long it took one needle to take blood from my arm. Once it was removed, the next one came. Just before it entered my arm, the door crashed opened. Who came through it? People that I was glad to see again.

YOU SHOULD KNOW WHO THOSE PEOPLE ARE. AT LEAST THEY CANE JUST IN TIME.

I'M NOT FEELING IT TODAY. I COMPLAIN A LOT. I KNOW.

I HOPE YOU ALL LIKED THIS CHAPTER. THERE ARE A FEW TO GO.

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