Chapter Seven

By Genavere

Chaos would not have been the wrong choice of words to describe the palace when Munto and the rest got back. An emergency council meeting was called, mages were directed into the city to call for volunteers to begin the search for their missing Queen, and messengers were sent to allied nations to report the attack.

Word spread quickly between the populist and soon nearly all the citizens were looking for any sign they could.

While it gave him a sense of pride how well loved and adored his wife was, Munto knew the search would be futile. Gntarl had been a commander, someone the United Armies had relied on for his decisions and leadership. Before his downfall, he had been someone Munto had fought against more times than he could count, and some of those battles resulted in many of his people's needless deaths.

The ex-commander would use every tactic and resource he had learned through his years to ensure no one would find her.

He stood by the windows in his office and looked out onto his kingdom. His eyes burned, but it had nothing to do with the bright afternoon sky.

It has been such a beautiful day.

At that moment, Rui led the emergency council, Shuza was trying to heal the guard Tormo, and Yumemi…his fists clenched. She should be resting in their rooms or in the gardens. Reading a dull report while eating, or just standing next to him.

Until he found her, none of that could happen. Yet, no matter how hard he tried and strained, it felt like their connection had been blocked. There was nothing there, but he knew there was a touch of it. That gave him some hope. All he needed was a start and he could find her.

The door open and he turned to greet Ryuely.

"Munto." The man she addressed today was completely different from the one during the celebrations the night before. All the years of leadership and struggle had seemed to finally lift off of his shoulders with the help of the woman he proudly had by his side.

With her gone, all the light that made them shine had been extinguished. Yet, the words he spoke next expressed the true depths of his sorrow and ones she had not once heard him utter to anyone.

"I need your help."

###

Breathe…she closed her eyes. Take a breath in…and out…in—a scream ripped through her torn throat. Her numb fingers twitched, but could not move or clench in pain, but if she could blood would have been drawn.

Keep breathing…she tried to keep her wits, but her body shook with sobs from the unbroken string of pain. There was no strength left, not even to hold her head up, leaving her hair a curtain around her.

When the tech finally stepped back from her and the needle he had been pushing into her arm had finally stopped, she managed to take in several hurried gasps of air between each sob. The slow, agonizing pressure mixed with him constantly adjusting them while still in her flesh expressed just how much pleasure he found in the practice.

"That should do it, Commander," the tech reported, wiping the blood off his hands. Ten needles in total lined her arms. One in each hand, elbow junction, and shoulder with two more as conductors between them. If that did not work, then the legs would be next. He admired his handiwork, enjoying the look of the woman suspended up in the air with her arms outstretched.

They had thrown out the torn garments and she only wore a wrap that barely covered her middle section from her breasts to her upper thighs. The damage her body had taken over the last few days was evident in the skin shown. All of it could have been prevented if she had stopped fighting against their commander.

"Are you certain this will be enough this time? My patience is limited, as is my time." Gntarl stepped closer from his perch in the back.

Yumemi had felt his eyes on her the whole time the tech worked on her. He gave instructions when he was displeased with something, and even came up to test the needles after the first arm was done.

There was no sympathy or compassion in his actions. All she was in his eyes was a resource. A means to restore his power.

Long, gnarled fingers reached towards her and she instinctively flinched back, whimpering as waves of spasms from the needles went through her muscles and nerves. He scoffed at her as he checked all the needles over to ensure they were firmly in place. Once satisfied, he looked her over. "The anklet should be able to be removed now. The field has been confirmed?"

"Yes, commander," another tech answered who was stationed at a computer that was set up to take all the readings the scanners set up around the room would take. This was a step towards the future and possibly higher advances for the Heavens! One sacrifice was worth it.

"Remove it, and begin the test again."

A tech came forward and removed the cuff on her ankle with a small, black device and stepped back. As soon as it was off, a flow of energy rush through Yumemi. Had that cuff been keeping her natural Akuto low to keep her manageable? If it had not been for the constant state of pain, she might have realized it before, but now…

Some of the pain she had been in disappeared. Feeling began to seep into her toes and fingers. And inside of her surged a strength that surprised her.

Her chest felt like there was a fire burning inside that she wanted to use to destroy this very room and everyone in it for what they did to her and endangering her child.

"Subject's Akuto levels are rising fast! Preparing first test, initializing in three, two…"

A surge of power shot out from the wall and slammed into her. Crystals began forming around her, charged by the needles in her arms. She cried out, feeling them drive into her flesh and add bruises and cuts onto already existing ones.

"Crystal formation at thirty percent…forty…"

No…she was done with this trick. Even with the needles in her arms, she refused to be his puppet. Gritting her teeth, she focused on a crystal as it began growing towards her and pushed a wave of Akuto from herself. The crystal diverted its path and shot in the direction of the energy.

"Crystal formation has halted at sixty-five percent, commander. Better than the forty percent we achieved yesterday."

She had diverted it…sent the crystal away, and a good distance, too. Through ragged breaths and pain, a plan slowly began to form. The first thought was Gntarl, her eyes locked on him with a hatred she had never felt before.

A surge of energy towards him could end this.

No, that was reckless, she reasoned, and would throw away her only upper hand she had. There would be more tests, and now she felt an eagerness for them, even in the face of pain.

The tech with the needles stepped forward towards her. "The needles did their job to conduct the energy." A smile graced his arrogant face. "Not only did they increase the percentage by a good quarter, it made a huge difference from our first day of nothing. Plus, this is the first day we had the Akuto inhibitor off."

"Silence," Gntarl stepped forward again and lifted Yumemi's chin. There was something that changed just now, and he felt a moment of doubt with the tests. His fingers dug into the still healing cut on her cheek, bringing fresh blood forward. "Have you learned this stubbornness from that cursed Munto?"

She let out a short huff that had meant to be a laugh. "When married…and in love…you learn some things from each other." Her eyes raised and locked onto his.

A fear clenched his chest.

"But you wouldn't know anything about that."

Anger quickly rose up at her audacity and he turned his back to her. "Prepare the second test. We will exhaust all options as requested before the final option."

Hidden behind a curtain of hair, Yumemi smiled.