Two thickset demons carried the unconscious woman through a torch lit passage. A dumpy warlock followed behind them, he was struggling to keep up with the fast pace of the demons. He tried to wipe the sweat from his brow and nearly dropped what he was carrying as a result. The demons looked back and laughed at him. He flushed and pretended not to care. He was Nilim's chosen talisman carrier, not some underling worker. He lifted his head and attempted to look majestic, but this only provoked more laughter from the demons. They carried on walking, until they reached a large wooden door. It was studded and had a large circular handle. The demons laid the woman on the ground and checked her restraints.
"There, we bought the witch as instructed. Now hurry and do your work, Ralis."
The warlock flushed again, and set the box at his feet. Then he knelt and opened the box. The ornate lid swung back easily, to reveal a simple pendant on a black cord. He pulled it out and held it over the woman. As he leaned towards her, she started to come round. Her eyes flickered open and she stared uncertainly around her.
"What the…? Where am I? Where are my sisters?"
She struggled weakly against her bonds and one of the demons aimed a kick at her. Ralis gestured and ring of blue flame surrounded him and the woman. He hastily pulled the foot back and glared ferociously at Ralis, who shot him an equally angry look.
"Nilim will not be pleased if you kill the woman before he sees her in battle. Back off and let me do my work!"
To his surprise the demons walked off muttering to each other. He smiled and dissipated the fire ring. The woman spoke to him, this time her tone pleading.
"Where am I? Who are you? Why am I here? And what the hell are those for?"
She looked warily at the staff and pendant. Ralis gulped and wiped his forehead nervously. He gave her a faltering reply.
"Y..y..you are in the underworld. In the slave quarters of The Arena."
She shut her eyes and groaned.
"You mean to say I am a…..slave? What is The Arena?"
Ralis nodded anxiously and coughed. The woman sighed and lay still.
"The Arena is a…a…fighting…stadium. Witches and other beings of good are captured and made to fight in it."
"What if I refuse to fight? What if I use my powers to escape?"
"If you refuse Nilim will kill you. At least when you fight there is a chance to live. This talisman will block your powers when I put it on you."
He lifted the pendant up and held it in the light. It was small and disc shaped. When it caught the brightness of the fire a dark metallic sheen appeared on its surface. The woman began to struggle again, and panic showed in her face. Ralis tried to put the talisman on her, but she started to roll herself from side to side. He knew that with a wave of his hand or a couple of words, he could have her unconscious again. Something was stopping him though. A small niggling thought in the back of his head. This didn't seem right, but then when had it? With a grimace, he held her head still and slipped the cord over her neck. The disc blazed fiercely for an instant, before reverting to its previous dullness. Almost immediately the woman became quiet, and the life seemed to drain from her eyes. Ralis almost took the talisman off, but fear of Nilim stopped him. He stared painfully at her and wished it didn't have to be this way.
With a sigh he rose to his feet and grasped the staff in both hands. He knew what was coming next and he liked it even less than administering the talismans. He struck the door 3 times with the staff. Each hit resounded down the corridor. The end of the staff began to glow and there was a loud clicking from the door, as it swung wide open.
One of the captives screamed madly and ran at the door. Ralis swung the staff at him. It shot a shimmering pulse, which stuck the fleeing man in the back and knocked him back against the wall. He stuck with a thud and crumpled to the ground. Serena rushed forward to help and glared at Ralis.
"What do you want this time? Come to drop off another slave, have you?"
Ralis recoiled from her icy tones and leaned on the staff for support, as he stammered a reply.
"S..S..Serena, don't start with me. P..p..please. I'm just doing my j..j..job."
She rose to her feet and took a step towards him, her fists clenched and face flushed with anger.
"Your job was protecting the innocent, until you abandoned it for power. And where has that 'power' got you now Ralis? The lackey of a warlock who thinks too much of himself? I pity you Ralis, oh how I pity you."
She turned away from him with a scornful look and helped the injured man to his feet. Ralis stood there unmoving. Her words cut him worse that any knife could. His insides knotted and he knew she was right. But she didn't know why he had done what he'd done and chosen to follow this path! He gripped the staff tighter and made the demons drag the woman into the room. With a defeated look on his face, he slowly walked out and sealed the door behind him.
Serena rushed to the new arrival when Ralis shut the door. She pulled a knife from her belt and cut the cord binding her arms and legs. The woman curled into a ball and started to cry. Serena rubbed her back and tried to lift her into a sitting position. The man in the white robe walked up to her and handed her another cup.
"Thank you Johal. She is taking the block worse than most. She must have been cut off from a large amount of power."
She put the warm cup in the woman's hand and let the warmth spread throughout her body. Her face started to lose its pallid tone and her hands weren't shaking as much. Serena spoke softly to her.
"Its ok now, you're safe for the time being. Why don't you tell me who are?"
The woman gulped the drink down, and then wiped her eyes on her sleeve before shakily speaking.
"My name is Phoebe, Phoebe Halliwell."
Shocked cries and gasps filled the room. The slaves were speaking in loud frantic voices. Phoebe put her hands over her ears and tried to block it all out. Serena waved her hands for quiet and turned to Phoebe again.
"You mean, you are a..a…Charmed One?"
"Yes, or at least I was until they put this..this thing on me. It's blocking my powers somehow. How do I get it off?"
Her face fell when she saw identical talismans on all the other people. But being the type of person she was, she wasn't going to give up that easily. She grabbed the pendant and tried to pull it off. It flared red and her dropped it with a scream. There was a bright red sear where pendant had burnt her. Johal ran up with a pot of salve and Serena quickly smothered the burn with it.
"That's the first lesson you learn when brought here; never touch the talismans."
Phoebe grimaced with pain and stared at Serena.
"And what would be the second?"
"Even death isn't an escape from The Arena."
Phoebe didn't know how to respond. She was still dazed from the talisman and actually being caught. A tall blonde woman ran forwards, with a frenzied look in her eye.
"If they managed to capture a Charmed One, then what hope of escape is there? We have no chance at all."
A strong clear voice contradicted her. Nalia stood in the doorway to the slave resting quarters; her hair still messed from sleeping. She strode over to Phoebe and then addressed the whole room.
"On the contrary. I'd say our chances just improved radically. We all know the power of the Charmed Ones, now is our chance to tap into it and make an attempt for freedom."
She turned to Phoebe with a wry smile.
"With your permission and assistance of course."
Phoebe tried to smile back, but fatigue overcame her and she slipped into unconsciousness. Nalia and Serena carried her into the sleeping quarters and kept vigil by her bedside.
"There, we bought the witch as instructed. Now hurry and do your work, Ralis."
The warlock flushed again, and set the box at his feet. Then he knelt and opened the box. The ornate lid swung back easily, to reveal a simple pendant on a black cord. He pulled it out and held it over the woman. As he leaned towards her, she started to come round. Her eyes flickered open and she stared uncertainly around her.
"What the…? Where am I? Where are my sisters?"
She struggled weakly against her bonds and one of the demons aimed a kick at her. Ralis gestured and ring of blue flame surrounded him and the woman. He hastily pulled the foot back and glared ferociously at Ralis, who shot him an equally angry look.
"Nilim will not be pleased if you kill the woman before he sees her in battle. Back off and let me do my work!"
To his surprise the demons walked off muttering to each other. He smiled and dissipated the fire ring. The woman spoke to him, this time her tone pleading.
"Where am I? Who are you? Why am I here? And what the hell are those for?"
She looked warily at the staff and pendant. Ralis gulped and wiped his forehead nervously. He gave her a faltering reply.
"Y..y..you are in the underworld. In the slave quarters of The Arena."
She shut her eyes and groaned.
"You mean to say I am a…..slave? What is The Arena?"
Ralis nodded anxiously and coughed. The woman sighed and lay still.
"The Arena is a…a…fighting…stadium. Witches and other beings of good are captured and made to fight in it."
"What if I refuse to fight? What if I use my powers to escape?"
"If you refuse Nilim will kill you. At least when you fight there is a chance to live. This talisman will block your powers when I put it on you."
He lifted the pendant up and held it in the light. It was small and disc shaped. When it caught the brightness of the fire a dark metallic sheen appeared on its surface. The woman began to struggle again, and panic showed in her face. Ralis tried to put the talisman on her, but she started to roll herself from side to side. He knew that with a wave of his hand or a couple of words, he could have her unconscious again. Something was stopping him though. A small niggling thought in the back of his head. This didn't seem right, but then when had it? With a grimace, he held her head still and slipped the cord over her neck. The disc blazed fiercely for an instant, before reverting to its previous dullness. Almost immediately the woman became quiet, and the life seemed to drain from her eyes. Ralis almost took the talisman off, but fear of Nilim stopped him. He stared painfully at her and wished it didn't have to be this way.
With a sigh he rose to his feet and grasped the staff in both hands. He knew what was coming next and he liked it even less than administering the talismans. He struck the door 3 times with the staff. Each hit resounded down the corridor. The end of the staff began to glow and there was a loud clicking from the door, as it swung wide open.
One of the captives screamed madly and ran at the door. Ralis swung the staff at him. It shot a shimmering pulse, which stuck the fleeing man in the back and knocked him back against the wall. He stuck with a thud and crumpled to the ground. Serena rushed forward to help and glared at Ralis.
"What do you want this time? Come to drop off another slave, have you?"
Ralis recoiled from her icy tones and leaned on the staff for support, as he stammered a reply.
"S..S..Serena, don't start with me. P..p..please. I'm just doing my j..j..job."
She rose to her feet and took a step towards him, her fists clenched and face flushed with anger.
"Your job was protecting the innocent, until you abandoned it for power. And where has that 'power' got you now Ralis? The lackey of a warlock who thinks too much of himself? I pity you Ralis, oh how I pity you."
She turned away from him with a scornful look and helped the injured man to his feet. Ralis stood there unmoving. Her words cut him worse that any knife could. His insides knotted and he knew she was right. But she didn't know why he had done what he'd done and chosen to follow this path! He gripped the staff tighter and made the demons drag the woman into the room. With a defeated look on his face, he slowly walked out and sealed the door behind him.
Serena rushed to the new arrival when Ralis shut the door. She pulled a knife from her belt and cut the cord binding her arms and legs. The woman curled into a ball and started to cry. Serena rubbed her back and tried to lift her into a sitting position. The man in the white robe walked up to her and handed her another cup.
"Thank you Johal. She is taking the block worse than most. She must have been cut off from a large amount of power."
She put the warm cup in the woman's hand and let the warmth spread throughout her body. Her face started to lose its pallid tone and her hands weren't shaking as much. Serena spoke softly to her.
"Its ok now, you're safe for the time being. Why don't you tell me who are?"
The woman gulped the drink down, and then wiped her eyes on her sleeve before shakily speaking.
"My name is Phoebe, Phoebe Halliwell."
Shocked cries and gasps filled the room. The slaves were speaking in loud frantic voices. Phoebe put her hands over her ears and tried to block it all out. Serena waved her hands for quiet and turned to Phoebe again.
"You mean, you are a..a…Charmed One?"
"Yes, or at least I was until they put this..this thing on me. It's blocking my powers somehow. How do I get it off?"
Her face fell when she saw identical talismans on all the other people. But being the type of person she was, she wasn't going to give up that easily. She grabbed the pendant and tried to pull it off. It flared red and her dropped it with a scream. There was a bright red sear where pendant had burnt her. Johal ran up with a pot of salve and Serena quickly smothered the burn with it.
"That's the first lesson you learn when brought here; never touch the talismans."
Phoebe grimaced with pain and stared at Serena.
"And what would be the second?"
"Even death isn't an escape from The Arena."
Phoebe didn't know how to respond. She was still dazed from the talisman and actually being caught. A tall blonde woman ran forwards, with a frenzied look in her eye.
"If they managed to capture a Charmed One, then what hope of escape is there? We have no chance at all."
A strong clear voice contradicted her. Nalia stood in the doorway to the slave resting quarters; her hair still messed from sleeping. She strode over to Phoebe and then addressed the whole room.
"On the contrary. I'd say our chances just improved radically. We all know the power of the Charmed Ones, now is our chance to tap into it and make an attempt for freedom."
She turned to Phoebe with a wry smile.
"With your permission and assistance of course."
Phoebe tried to smile back, but fatigue overcame her and she slipped into unconsciousness. Nalia and Serena carried her into the sleeping quarters and kept vigil by her bedside.