There was a ringing in her ear and a pressure in her chest.
They'd hit her harder than she had expected… It hurt to breathe, maybe she had broken a few ribs.
The position she was in didn't help with the pain, either…
She opened her eyes to a dark and damped dungeon, at least, that is what she could perceive from her blurred vision.
At the slightest movement, a shot of pain flashed up her spine, forcing her to intake a sharp breath.
Slowly she moved her head to the side, her hands were chained, much like her feet. She followed the chain up to a pin stuck in the wall, and then to her other hand… if she moved one hand the other would lift, causing her bruised body to hurt all over.
Eve decided to stay put and instead tried concentrating on her fire, as the Mage had taught her. But as she felt the spark of her powers rising inside her, she also felt something sucking it dry, leaving her far more tired than before…
She frowned confused and tried again. But like before her powers were sucked out. She got dizzy and her breathing grew shallow.
"It's useless." She heard.
Slowly she raised her gaze, the shadows flickered with the torches fire, there was some light, coming from a high barred window. In a corner, she could recognize the shape of a person. She squinted, unable to discarnate who it was.
"I got those chains especially for you. They cancel your powers…" The voice sounded again, it was a familiar voice… she'd heard it somewhere before… From the shadows, the figure advanced into the light and closer to her.
Now she could see him, Vortigern, stood before Eve. Eyes on her, he stopped right before her and crouched to her level. He stared for a moment.
"You know," He started. "I honestly thought that Phoenixes were just a legend… and yet here you are…" His eyes shinned with some unknown emotion, that Eve couldn't pinpoint. Wonder? Excitement?
But as quickly as they appeared they vanished, replaced by cold hatred and contempt.
He reached over and held her chin. Instantly Eve wanted to shun his hand away. Her entrains froze and twisted disgustingly, his touch was wrong! It didn't feel HUMAN!
Vortigern pulled her from the ground and towards him, the chains that held her arms rattle and pulled her wrists back.
"Ack!" She grunted, she hadn't noticed, but apparently, there was a gash in one of her shoulders, that reopened and was now pouring blood.
"I've sent my nephew a message," He said, without caring for her wounds. "If he wants you to live, he'll come with the sword and kneel before me."
"What good will that do?" She glared at him, mustering all her strength to speak. "You have no intention of letting me go!"
For the first time, he smiled. "Let you go? Now, why would I do that? After all, you're a Phoenix, and like I said you are a legend…" He closed in whispering in her ear. "Whether your alive or not…"
Fiercely, he shoved her and walked away.
Her back hit the wall with a pack, the chains rattling in her ears. It caused her great pain, and made her see stars… she blinked slightly as she could see the light of the door opening to allow the King to pass.
"Don't give her anything to eat or drink, no one is allowed to tend her wounds either! I want her weak and powerless… It will be easier if she doesn't struggle."
As his footsteps slowly grew further away Eve closed her eyes. If he needed her to be weak, she had to conserve her strength, for whatever trial the mad king had prepared for her…
She wasn't sure how long it had been since she fell asleep. But she was certain, that she wasn't any better. She felt feverish, her wounds had infected, and the pressure in her chest was growing, she could be bleeding internally… if this went on, she would die in a matter of hours, maybe minutes…
Suddenly, the door to her cell opened and the Mad-King walked in, Excalibur in hand.
He said nothing as he walked over to her and sat on a stool. As he admired the blade, his fingers caressed the hilt. "I've always seen this blade from afar… this is the first time I held it this close." He said as he admired the shine in it. His eyes then stopped on her and he almost looked sad. "I am, I must admit, a little disappointed though… I assumed HE would come in here to rescue you. A dazzling performance to save the one he loves. But instead, he preferred the other girl."
Eve didn't answer him. 'The other girl? Was the mage captured as well?' She thought. Was that his way of provoking her? Imply that Arthur betrayed her? To her surprise, she was able to plaster a smirk on her lips.
Vortigern's eyebrow twitched slightly, he rose from his seat and extended Excalibur towards her, placing the blade under her chin and raising it.
She felt a jolt of energy when it came in contact with her skin, the sword hummed softly, and for the first time, since she'd been captured, she regained some of her strength back. "Take some power from Excalibur, spare your strength." She heard that annoying and familiar voice, she almost snorted. There was no need to tell her that, she would take all the energy the sword was willing to give her and without Vortigern noticing.
"I've read all there is to know about your kind," He used the sword to delineate her skin, from her neck to her shoulder, when he reached her clothes, he pressed the blade towards her. "You were my hobby, my fantasy."
Evelyn held her cry when the sword penetrated her flesh, to her surprise flames leapt from the wound and engulfed the blade. The magic that had flowed into her was coming out.
"A Phoenix… the secret for power and glory." He pushed the sword further into her skin, like he didn't notice he was stabbing her. "I dreamed that I would find one, that it would bring me all that I desired! The crown! The kingdom! This sword!" The deeper he dug the stronger her flames grew but at the same time the weaker she got… "I would have done anything to get my hands on one… and here you are!" He laughed. "But you choose HIM!" The sword trespassed her coming out on the other side.
Finally, Eve screamed, not holding in the pain. "AAH!"
Vortigern tilted his head to the side and removed the sword. He then stared as the blood oozed from her wound… He kneeled and touched the pool that laid at his feet, bringing it to his lips, tasting it… He exhaled as he felt the power and excitement fill his body and moaned. "Aah! I can feel the power of the Phoenix's fire." Suddenly he reached for her hair and pulled her head backwards, exposing her neck. He smelled her skin and whispered in her ear. "Your blood will make me stronger and when he sees you, he WILL know what it feels like to lose all that is dear to him."
The last thing she felt was the hilt of Excalibur against her skull…
AN: Good day, my fellow readers and writers, I hope you're all at home keeping safe and well, and to the ones that can't stay at home, please, please protect yourselves. Wash hands, couch to your elbows and keep a safe distance from others, for your sake and theirs as well.
Any way, here you have it! New chapter! Yay! Wow, this took me longer to write than I had expected, but it is.
I hope you enjoy it and I'll try to post another one in two weeks. As you know were almos close to the end of the movie.
A friend of mine usually complains that I am cruel to my characters, so lets see what will happen with Arthur and Eve in the end xD
Goodbye, good health and stay safe.
