Nalia awoke with a sharp intake of breath, on a rigid stone slab. She felt hands touching her and strange wetness on her brow. Struggling to open her eyes, she saw distorted figures tending cuts and washing blood from off her. She hit the hands away and jumped into a defensive crouch. Blurred figures backed away and muttered to each other.
"Nalia, calm down. Nalia, listen to my voice, its me."
She strained her eyes and tried to focus in the flickering candlelight. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but choked and breathed harshly. Her throat was raw and every breath pained her. The voice spoke again and gave her a pitcher of water. She greedily gulped it down and listened.
"Do you recognise me? Listen to my voice and try to remember."
Nalia dropped from her crouch and perched warily on the edge of the slab. There was something familiar about the voice. Its soft tones reminded her of someone, someone safe and comforting. She tried to think, but it hurt too much. It felt like her head was full of insects, buzzing round and round, their only purpose to confuse and hurt her. She drank some more water and looked around and saw other people lying on identical slabs, being tended by cowled figures. The stationary bodies had horrific injuries, ranging from weeping sores to burns and in some cases they were lacking limbs. A wave of nausea hit her and she fell forwards. Two people ran to catch her but she pushed them away.
"Don't….touch..me."
The owner of the familiar voice stepped forward again and gripped her hand.
"Look at me! You have to remember."
Nalia tried to pull her hand away but the grip was strong, so she gave in and looked at the persons face. It was a middle-aged woman. Her piercing blue eyes were set in a face lined with premature creases. Her brow and lips were set stubbornly as she held Nalia's arm. She spoke again, slowly and clearly, her voice carrying through the small room.
"Remember! Who am I? Tell me who YOU are!"
Nalia shut her eyes and tried to think. The buzzing ache in her head heightened and she tried to think. She saw the piercing blue in her minds eye. It seemed to shine through the clutter and guide her mind. Images flashed through her mind. Swirling black and twirling swords, deep crimson and a sense of terrible loss. She broke out of her trance and fell to her knees.
"Nalia, I am Nalia. You are..are…damn it! I can't remember!"
The woman took Nalia's chin and tilted her face upwards to meet her gaze.
"Think child! The hardest part is remembering!"
Nalia held her temples and shook her head. She muttered agitatedly to herself and struck the ground in frustration. Sweat dripped from her forehead and landed on the sandy floor. She hated herself for not being able to think properly and having no control over her memory. The letter S burned in her head, but she didn't know why.
"S..s..s…s….s….s..s."
She repeated the letter over and over, hoping to find some meaning from it. The woman wiped her brow and murmured comforting words to her. The cool touch of the woman's hand unlocked something in her head.
"Serena! Your name is Serena!"
Serena cried tears of gladness and caught Nalia in tight embrace. The surrounding people smiled and talked amongst themselves. With each face she saw, new memories came flooding back.
"Praise be! I was so scared we were going to loose you. Are the memories coming back to you now?"
Nalia nodded. The new knowledge was overwhelming. Serena helped her to her feet and Nalia swayed on the spot. She looked round the room once more and her eyes fell upon her sword. It was still blood stained.
"Tate!"
She shrieked and tried to run back to the injured people. Still weak from her recent resurrection, she lurched against people and the stone tables.
"Tate! Tate where are you?"
She fell to the ground and lay wracked with silent sobs, until Serena ran up and pulled her into a sitting position.
"Where is he Serena? Where is Tate?"
Serena pointed to a table in the corner. Tate's body lay upon it, covered in a flimsy grey cloth.
"Why isn't he 'awake' again? What's the delay?"
"Calm down Nalia. His injury was more severe and it's taking longer to heal than yours. You only have yourself to blame."
Serena regretted the words the minute they left her mouth. Nalia slumped to the floor and cried again. A short man in a white robe came up and handed Serena a glass of green liquid. He gestured that it would put Nalia to sleep. She silently thanked him and held it to Nalia's lips.
"Drink it, it will make you feel better. Don't argue with me!"
Nalia drank it and coughed at the bitter taste. Serena rocked her and she soon fell asleep in her arms. Serena called for a couple of people, who proceeded to take Nalia to the sleeping quarters. Serena went over to Tate and tended his wounds, in preparation for resurrection.
A demon shimmered into the audience chamber with a short slim woman resting over his shoulder. She was unconscious and her appearance showed signs of a skirmish.
Her dark hair was tousled and her clothes were torn and blood stained in places. The demon dumped her unceremoniously in front the seated figures. The tall man, who had killed Nalia earlier, stood up and walked over to the woman's sprawled form.
"What have we here Atraxar? A new combatant for The Arena?"
He laughed cruelly and prodded her, looking distastefully at her torn clothing. The demon laughed with him and rolled her over.
"She might not look like much at the moment, but wait till she's cleaned up a bit."
They shared a knowing look and sniggered. Atraxar trailed off and stood awkwardly.
"So, Nilim, I…uh.."
The man, Nilim, laughed again and went to his throne, where he knelt by a large box.
"You want your reward, don't you?"
Atraxar nodded and looked relieved. It was always awkward claiming bounty from powerful warlocks. Nilim held his hand over the box and it the lid started to shimmer. Reaching through, he pulled a shining orb out. He closed the lid and tossed the orb from hand to hand, watching Atraxar's eyes greedily follow it. He casually threw the orb to Atraxar and dismissed him.
"Hmm, now what do we have here. That dolt couldn't sense the power about you."
He bent down and inhaled deeply from her hair. Then he took an athame and slit the fleshy part of her thumb. Thick crimson blood flowed out and into a pewter bowl. He collected it and walked slowly to a chained woman in the corner. She shied away from him and hunched herself in further against the wall. He grabbed at her and she screamed, knowing what would come next. He grabbed her head and pried her mouth open. With his spare hand, he tipped the blood down her throat and waited. The woman gagged and choked on the blood. Some of it bubbled out the corner of her mouth and trickled to the floor. Suddenly she braced her hands against the ground and screamed. Her eyes glazed and shone red, and a cloud of light flowed out her mouth. It took form and depicted three women fighting demons. Behind them blazed the sign of the Triquetra. Nilim gasped and clapped his hands together.
"My, my, what luck. Looks like I've got a Charmed One."
A/N Thanks to KT for the whole name business..ye gods it took ages.
"Nalia, calm down. Nalia, listen to my voice, its me."
She strained her eyes and tried to focus in the flickering candlelight. She opened her mouth as if to speak, but choked and breathed harshly. Her throat was raw and every breath pained her. The voice spoke again and gave her a pitcher of water. She greedily gulped it down and listened.
"Do you recognise me? Listen to my voice and try to remember."
Nalia dropped from her crouch and perched warily on the edge of the slab. There was something familiar about the voice. Its soft tones reminded her of someone, someone safe and comforting. She tried to think, but it hurt too much. It felt like her head was full of insects, buzzing round and round, their only purpose to confuse and hurt her. She drank some more water and looked around and saw other people lying on identical slabs, being tended by cowled figures. The stationary bodies had horrific injuries, ranging from weeping sores to burns and in some cases they were lacking limbs. A wave of nausea hit her and she fell forwards. Two people ran to catch her but she pushed them away.
"Don't….touch..me."
The owner of the familiar voice stepped forward again and gripped her hand.
"Look at me! You have to remember."
Nalia tried to pull her hand away but the grip was strong, so she gave in and looked at the persons face. It was a middle-aged woman. Her piercing blue eyes were set in a face lined with premature creases. Her brow and lips were set stubbornly as she held Nalia's arm. She spoke again, slowly and clearly, her voice carrying through the small room.
"Remember! Who am I? Tell me who YOU are!"
Nalia shut her eyes and tried to think. The buzzing ache in her head heightened and she tried to think. She saw the piercing blue in her minds eye. It seemed to shine through the clutter and guide her mind. Images flashed through her mind. Swirling black and twirling swords, deep crimson and a sense of terrible loss. She broke out of her trance and fell to her knees.
"Nalia, I am Nalia. You are..are…damn it! I can't remember!"
The woman took Nalia's chin and tilted her face upwards to meet her gaze.
"Think child! The hardest part is remembering!"
Nalia held her temples and shook her head. She muttered agitatedly to herself and struck the ground in frustration. Sweat dripped from her forehead and landed on the sandy floor. She hated herself for not being able to think properly and having no control over her memory. The letter S burned in her head, but she didn't know why.
"S..s..s…s….s….s..s."
She repeated the letter over and over, hoping to find some meaning from it. The woman wiped her brow and murmured comforting words to her. The cool touch of the woman's hand unlocked something in her head.
"Serena! Your name is Serena!"
Serena cried tears of gladness and caught Nalia in tight embrace. The surrounding people smiled and talked amongst themselves. With each face she saw, new memories came flooding back.
"Praise be! I was so scared we were going to loose you. Are the memories coming back to you now?"
Nalia nodded. The new knowledge was overwhelming. Serena helped her to her feet and Nalia swayed on the spot. She looked round the room once more and her eyes fell upon her sword. It was still blood stained.
"Tate!"
She shrieked and tried to run back to the injured people. Still weak from her recent resurrection, she lurched against people and the stone tables.
"Tate! Tate where are you?"
She fell to the ground and lay wracked with silent sobs, until Serena ran up and pulled her into a sitting position.
"Where is he Serena? Where is Tate?"
Serena pointed to a table in the corner. Tate's body lay upon it, covered in a flimsy grey cloth.
"Why isn't he 'awake' again? What's the delay?"
"Calm down Nalia. His injury was more severe and it's taking longer to heal than yours. You only have yourself to blame."
Serena regretted the words the minute they left her mouth. Nalia slumped to the floor and cried again. A short man in a white robe came up and handed Serena a glass of green liquid. He gestured that it would put Nalia to sleep. She silently thanked him and held it to Nalia's lips.
"Drink it, it will make you feel better. Don't argue with me!"
Nalia drank it and coughed at the bitter taste. Serena rocked her and she soon fell asleep in her arms. Serena called for a couple of people, who proceeded to take Nalia to the sleeping quarters. Serena went over to Tate and tended his wounds, in preparation for resurrection.
A demon shimmered into the audience chamber with a short slim woman resting over his shoulder. She was unconscious and her appearance showed signs of a skirmish.
Her dark hair was tousled and her clothes were torn and blood stained in places. The demon dumped her unceremoniously in front the seated figures. The tall man, who had killed Nalia earlier, stood up and walked over to the woman's sprawled form.
"What have we here Atraxar? A new combatant for The Arena?"
He laughed cruelly and prodded her, looking distastefully at her torn clothing. The demon laughed with him and rolled her over.
"She might not look like much at the moment, but wait till she's cleaned up a bit."
They shared a knowing look and sniggered. Atraxar trailed off and stood awkwardly.
"So, Nilim, I…uh.."
The man, Nilim, laughed again and went to his throne, where he knelt by a large box.
"You want your reward, don't you?"
Atraxar nodded and looked relieved. It was always awkward claiming bounty from powerful warlocks. Nilim held his hand over the box and it the lid started to shimmer. Reaching through, he pulled a shining orb out. He closed the lid and tossed the orb from hand to hand, watching Atraxar's eyes greedily follow it. He casually threw the orb to Atraxar and dismissed him.
"Hmm, now what do we have here. That dolt couldn't sense the power about you."
He bent down and inhaled deeply from her hair. Then he took an athame and slit the fleshy part of her thumb. Thick crimson blood flowed out and into a pewter bowl. He collected it and walked slowly to a chained woman in the corner. She shied away from him and hunched herself in further against the wall. He grabbed at her and she screamed, knowing what would come next. He grabbed her head and pried her mouth open. With his spare hand, he tipped the blood down her throat and waited. The woman gagged and choked on the blood. Some of it bubbled out the corner of her mouth and trickled to the floor. Suddenly she braced her hands against the ground and screamed. Her eyes glazed and shone red, and a cloud of light flowed out her mouth. It took form and depicted three women fighting demons. Behind them blazed the sign of the Triquetra. Nilim gasped and clapped his hands together.
"My, my, what luck. Looks like I've got a Charmed One."
A/N Thanks to KT for the whole name business..ye gods it took ages.