/\ Arawyn's Gate /\
~Chapter 2- The Awakening
.....
I woke up four times after that blast dropped me, and none of them was very pleasant.
The first time, most of me wasn't touching the ground. I glanced around warily, and as my senses returned, I began to feel a sharp pain on my hands and feet. Then, as more feeling came back, I wished that it hadn't. A hot liquid was slowly dripping down the backs of my hands, while the general pain now spread out into bands of searing irritation. My ankles were burning and constricted, as were my wrists. I tried to tilt my head back; all I could see at the moment was the sky, partially blocked by leaves and tree branches. I turned my head to the side, and felt a strong pain in my leg; I couldn't hold in a moan, the pain was so great. I saw Rika gaze at me now, sadness splayed on her face. Her hand reached out, and she extended a finger to touch my forehead. That calm feeling washed over me again, and the pain was momentarily forgotten. I slipped back out of reality, and as I did, I saw her mouth two words, a gentle look on her face. `
I'm sorry.
* * *
I woke up the next time, in pain once more. The blood on my hands had dried, while my ankles and wrists were now just giving off a dull ache. I knew not how much time had passed, but the sun was much lower in the sky than it had been before. Behind me (or rather, in front of me, as I was obviously the one facing backwards) I heard the beast-thing's growling, while Rika was talking to someone else. I could tell this because I soon heard a response, in a voice, perhaps thankfully, that I did not recognize in the slightest. I tried to speak, but my throat was dry, and my lips cracked. I decided simply to let myself lapse back out, not waiting for any aid this time, just to stop the pain I was feeling.
* * *
The third time, I woke up with the feeling of cold stone on my back. My wrists were held down to the stone by metal clamps, and my ankles were chained to it. And, as was to be expected by this point, my eyes were blindfolded with a strip of what smelled like wet leather, but felt like rough wood.
A rough hand grabbed my chin, and turned my head to, presumably, face whoever it was. The whatever-it-was tried to pull my mouth open, yet, being rather cautious at the moment, I resisted. Suddenly, a voice jumped into my head, commanding me not to oppose this one. I couldn't, and my mouth opened almost on its own.
I felt a strange liquid enter my mouth. It tasted of a strong spice, of something plantlike, of warm milk, and something else, something lurking in the background of this mixture, something dark, robust, and a somewhat sour flavor, as of tainted water. Yet somehow, with all these weird tastes, it made me feel better. Still, drugs can cause temporary euphoria, so I wasn't about to trust this concoction just yet.
Still putting up a fight, eh? someone spoke angrily.
said another, this time the voice was, quite despairingly, an extremely familiar one, but with a tone of such unusuality that I couldn't recognize it, make sure he drinks it all. We want him able to speak, don't we? This was followed by a soft chuckle.
Once the solution had stopped flowing into my system, the hand holding my head had let go, and my extremities were nearly numb from lack of circulation, I somehow felt a whole lot better. Unfortunately, this feeling didn't last very long. That voice began talking again. Its tone this time was rather patronizing, and this made it sound even more familiar.
So, why have you come back?
For some obvious reason that whoever this was didn't seem to notice, I didn't exactly feel like answering him.
You were reportedly easier to handle this time. I know Harai's powers haven't increased that much, so I'm guessing you felt like gracing us with your presence'.
The sarcasm in his voice was quite noticeable. I had yet to give any response, and of course, I didn't plan to give one response.
Well, brother, do you have nothing to say?
Now, I do have to say, this was the single most unnerving thing I'd heard since I had gone through that portal, and this was the most serious thing this being had said. The band over my eyes slowly began to decompose while on still being on my face, and still there was barely anything to see. Only one light in the whole room, and anything that was on except for the fringes of the light itself was still blocked out by the slowly decomposing blindfold.
Finally, as the top part began to peel away, vanishing into nothing as it did, I got the first peek of my interrogater.
And that first peek, was of dark blue hair. It couldn't be. It just couldn't.
The rest of the visual block disappeared.
It was.
Ah, there's the brother I know and everyone else despises. Feeling better, I take it?
What are you doing here!? And why is Ri-
He interrupted me with a sardonic chuckle.
What am I doing here? I believe your reappearance is in far more question at the moment. Why did you choose to come back, one would wonder, and where is the rest of your force? We guessed you had brought them with you to Caer Gothical, ne? You may be arrogant, but certainly not enough to think you could win on your own...or is that it? You lost, didn't you?
What the hell are you rambling about?
They broke through those wards, as well?
He grinned rather evilly, which was the most familiar sight I had seen yet. Eriol grinning like that, and luckily, he didn't have time to finish riding whatever disturbing train of thought he had gotten on board of. Loud explosions were going off on the other side of the door, and soon a large piece of the wall exploded inward. Smoke billowed inward, and as it cleared, there stood a horribly familiar person once more, in a setting she certainly didn't belong in.
Her dark hair billowed out behind her, and the single light reflected harshly off the full-body metal link armoring she wore, but only shown dull upon the bracers on her upper arms. Attached to the belt around her waist, was a sheathed sword, and she wore it with the air of one well-experienced in its use. A midnight black cloak trailed behind her, just barely touching the ground, and almost seeming to float. The floor behind was littered with what appeared to be guardsmen. Yet, despite all the circumstances, I couldn't help being surprised that she wasn't holding a camera.
And as Eriol turned to face her, there was a glare of pure hatred on his face.