9:29 DRAGON
"Quickly!"
Jowan was waving her over from behind a bookshelf, he had a manic grin on his face and a greasy satchel in his hands, "Come on now!"
Kena did a quick scan to make sure no nosy apprentice or enchanter was watching before jogging over. Jowan pulled her behind a bookshelf, and they both huddled together as he pulled two warm apple turnovers from his bag.
"My friend gave these to me, new year's gift, have one! Before the Templars notice."
Kena was nervous, ecstatic, and ravenous. She quickly took the turnover and bit into the pastry, the aroma of cinnamon and apple filling her mouth, "Maker that's good," she managed through chewing.
"Don't talk with your mouth fool you goof!" Jowan laughed, before polishing off his own turnover in two bites. Kena wondered how he didn't choke.
"She said she could get us a couple more tomorrow," Jowan began, "if there are leftovers after the new year's celebration."
"Yes please!"
Jowan quickly folded the small satchel and shoved it into his robe pocket and as if on cue, Templar Cullen rounded the corner of the bookshelves and locked eyes on the apprentices.
"Uh, ahem, you can't eat in the library, please," he half stuttered, mostly looking at Jowan.
Jowan rolled his eyes, "Does it look like I'm eating?"
Kena tried not to look guilty, forcind down the last bite.
Cullen glanced over at Kena and sighed. Was he angry? Kena noticed she had some crumbs on the front of her robe and quickly dusted them off.
"Sorry, I was the one eating, I-" she looked at Jowan, "he was just telling me off you see…"
Jowan rolled his eyes again, and Cullen scratched the back of his neck, clearing his throat, "Well, uh, please refrain from eating in the library, we must keep clean, we've had an increase in pests lately… not that it's your fault," he quickly added at the end, dumbly dropping his arms to his sides.
"Right, we'll be careful! Thank you ser Templar!" Jowan said, grabbing Amell by the wrist and quickly trying to lead her away, but Cullen reached over, placing a hand on Jowan's shoulder to stop him, "Wait, I… uh I need to speak with Ms. Amell please. I have a message from the First Enchanter."
Jowan let go of Kena's wrist and crossed his arms, "Go on then ser Templar."
"I… uh, for her ears only," Cullen was sweating as he gestured toward Kena.
Jowan sighed, "Fine," he turned to her, "I'll meet you by our quarters after, ok?"
Amell nodded and watched Jowan saunter away.
"Cullen cleared his throat, he was barely making eye contact with her now, "Erm, ah, happy new year."
"Happy new year," Kena quipped, forcing an awkward smile. She was grasping her hands together so hard her knuckles were white, "I'm sorry again, really, I don't usually eat-"
"What? Oh no, it's, um," Cullen cleared his throat and seemed to regain his focus, he took a step toward her, "please be careful with Jowan, he… may not be what he seems."
Kena furrowed her brow, "What?"
Cullen shook his head, his expression more serious, "I shouldn't be telling you; Irving didn't send me..."
"Okay…"
He leaned in so close Kena could smell a hint of soap waft from his neck. He was whispering quickly, "Within the next few months, your Harrowing is coming, be ready."
Her heart skipped a beat at the sudden intrusion of her personal space, and she had to lean back to look him in the eyes, "My harrowing?"
Cullen seemed to be pleading with her through his gaze, but just as quickly as he leaned in, he had turned and was practically running away. Leaving Kena red faced and flustered.
That was weird.
With her mind now a million miles away, Kena returned to the apprentice quarters and practically tripped over Jowan in her haze.
Jowan grabbed her by the hand and pulled her close, mockingly rubbing the back of his neck and overenunciating his words, "Ohhh, pleeeaase refraaain from eating in the libraryyyy."
Kena burst out laughing at the horrible impression, quickly forgetting the awkwardness of her strange encounter with Cullen, and Jowan shoved her away as tension from earlier melted away.
He always knew how to make her laugh.
"Ha-ha-ha. Oh, come on Jowan, he's just doing his job."
Jowan plopped down on the bed, resting his hands behind his head, "I bet he saw you walk behind the bookshelves and thought to follow, we all know the rumors, what a creep," he spat.
"Or he smelled the fresh apple turnovers you so cleverly brought into the library," Amell deflected, plopping down on the edge of his bed.
Jowan flipped on his side, resting his head on his palm, "Oh yes we all know those lyrium junkies have the best sense of smell."
"Jowan!" Kena shouted, throwing a pillow at him, "Let it go, he's one of the nicer ones, at least he doesn't bash people over the head for every little thing."
Jowan grabbed the pillow and threw it back, "I suppose," he quickly changed subjects, "so what did Irving have to tell you?'
"What?"
Jowan laughed, "Flustered by the pretty Templar now, are we?"
"Shut up!" Kena scowled.
He laughed, "FINE! Sorry... but what did he tell you?"
Kena smacked her forehead, "Oh, right, um… something about my harrowing coming, but it's a secret, I guess? Don't tell, please." She bit her lip, unsure if she should say anything about Cullen's other warning.
Jowan scowled and sat up, he seemed to mull over his next words, "I'm older than you, and I've yet to take my harrowing… awfully nice of Irving to give you a warning," his words were tinged with bitterness.
She decided it was best not it bring it up just yet.
Kena placed her hand on Jowan's arm, "Irving didn't tell me, I guess Cullen found out somehow and decided to warn me."
Jowan rolled his eyes, "Why am I not surprised?"
Kena ignored him, "He says it's coming in a couple months, I'm sure yours will be any day now. So be ready!"
Jowan forced a weak smile, "Perhaps."
9:31 DRAGON
Kena's eyes fluttered open. There was a burst of raucous laughter down the hall, and she could hear the distant sounds of celebration, how long had it been? She heard two Templars flirting, joking about a kiss to ring in the new year. The Blight was apparently over, a new batch of apostates had been thrown in the cells around her, and it had gotten very, very cold.
She turned her back to the cell door and covered her ears, what use was there in celebrating in a place like this? Surely even they felt the demons pushing, pressing against the veil, whispering in the dark.
This much revelry was sure to attract something.
Maybe that's the point.
"Happy new year."
The voice was calm, quiet. Kena turned to face her.
"I saved you some bread."
Lily was holding a small slice of dried sourdough through the cell bars, she looked healthy, more content than the previous months. The Knight Commander had taken pity on her and allowed her to begin exploring the halls of their prison.
Must be nice.
Kena forced away the envy threatening to consume her and limped over, taking the bread and scarfing it down. She hadn't realized how hungry she was, "Thank you."
Lily nodded, looking up and down the halls, she turned back to Kena and passed a small cup through the bars, "Drink it, a bit of mead, it'll warm you, tonight will be cold."
Kena nodded and quickly swallowed the warm liquid, her stomach churned at the sudden addition of drink and bread, "Won't you get in trouble?"
Lily quickly reached for the cup and placed it in her pocket, "I've been talking with the Knight Commander, I tried explaining how we were both deceived… by him."
Still refusing to say Jowan's name.
Amell nodded, suddenly feeling light headed, she returned to the bedroll, "I don't know how much more of this I can take," A wave of tears began streaming down her face, it was harder to control her emotions when she was so tired, so exhausted, "everyday… it's harder to breath."
Lily looked away, Kena rubbed her eyes dry on the filthy collar of her robes, she didn't want to tell Lily that the demons had become louder the last few nights, that her dreams were no longer an escape.
Just another prison she had to survive.
"Hang on, Kena. I'm sure they'll see you're not an abomination soon," Lily whispered, still looking at her feet, the initiate quickly turned on her heel and walked away.
Kena shuddered, it was cold, so cold.
Exhausted, she tried for as long as she could to resist, but sleep soon overtook her.
The room was dark, smelling strongly of antiseptic and old blood.
"Welcome back."
Kena closed her eyes, smashing her palms so hard against her ears she felt her skull cracking.
"I can help you."
"STOP!"
"Are you sure that's what you want?"
She kept her eyes shut, the demon was breathing down her neck now, it ran its hands through her hair and whispered in her ear, "Let me save you... Amell."
It held her face in its hands, his hands.
Warm, rough skin, the smell of tea, soap and metal filling her nostrils.
Cullen's face.
She shoved him away with all her might.
Wake up, wake up, wake up...
"Why wake up when you can be happy here. You can live a lifetime here," he crooned.
Kena looked at the creature, a perfect replica of the Templar. It wasn't lying, she could live a lifetime here. It would all be a trick of course, but time meant nothing in the fade. What did she have to look forward to anyway? Maybe she could stay, be free of the pain...
But why Cullen? He had betrayed her, let her be taken.
"There was nothing I could do for you then, I can help you now."
"You're not real," she croaked.
"Everything is real here."
He lifted her chin, his eyes staring straight into her soul.
A sick feeling suddenly erupted in her belly, her mind trying desperately to hold onto reality.
"I hate you," she spat.
Cullen stepped back, his face contorted in pain, "I've always helped you."
"NO!" she threw a fireball at the demon, "You left me! You left me to die!"
"STOP!"
"I hate you," she screamed, throwing every spell she could manage at the creature.
She ran towards it screaming, hands ablaze, her throat tearing from the rage.
And the demon smirked, smirked!
She felt suddenly used, the creature seemed satisfied, as if it had gotten exactly what it wanted, and without a second thought Kena felt herself plunged into the abyss.
She woke with a start, back flat on a stone slab with three Templars at her feet, and the Knight Commander shook his head in disappointment.
Not again...
"You took too long," he gestured at one of the Templars, who began pulling her off the slab, "we'll try again tomorrow."
"NO!" she screamed, thrashing at the Templar, "I haven't done anything! I resisted!"
"You took too long."
Kena attempted to kick at the legs of the nearest Templar, but she was quickly smashed to the ground, the weight of the armor pressing into her back forcing her breath away. She was yanked back up, and the Knight Commander back handed her across face, "Behave that way again and you won't get a second chance."
She tasted blood, the stars bursting in her vision making it hard to focus. The Templars dragged her out of the chamber and paraded her passed the other cells.
"Take note! Outbursts will not be tolerated!" One of them announced.
They threw her face down into the cell, locking it without so much as a second glance.
She stayed on the floor for hours, too tired to move and in far too much pain to rest. She cursed their names, cursed Cullen, Jowan, Irving, Greagoir and every other person she could remember who had ever betrayed her.
"I hate you all," she cried into the ground.
No one, no demon, no templar, would ever have power over her once she escaped.
There would be blood and vengeance before she was through, and it would serve only to satisfy her.
Happy new years to me.