Disclaimer - I don't own any of LJ's characters and I don't make any money
blah blah blah. However, I do own Tar, Dain, Zarach and Bono, but
unfortunately, they haven't been paying their rent so I don't make any
money out of them either. Damn. Reviews are really appreciated.
CHAPTER EIGHT - ANSWERS
The morning after the capture of the intruders, Mary Lynette was summoned to their judging. Intruders into the enclave were usually killed for sport, unless someone already had a claim on them. She entered the main hall, where once again, Night People had surrounded the intruders; in what gave her feeling of déjà vu. She had dressed for what she was planning to do, not for what she was watching and therefore received several strange looks from the older members. The final words were just being delivered when she entered.
"You Redfern have killed in cold blood one of our own, attacked his wife and now you trespass into our very enclave after her? Death seems not a fit punishment for you, but it is the only punishment I have to give." The 'judge' as he was called, looked incredibly old, which was strange considering this was a Night World enclave. Perhaps he was a shifter, Mary Lynette wondered.
"So, if no one has any objections, you shall be executed in the traditional format of burning and staking."
"I object." She tried to keep her voice calm and steady; the voice of Xanna would also have been cold and calculating, but that was asking a lot of an already nervous wreak.
Mary Lynette could feel the eyes of the hundreds of Night Worlders gathered on her back. She could also feel their disapproval and annoyance at a young fledgling who'd seduced their commander. She continued anyway.
"I call upon the ancient judgement for dispute between NightWorlders. I wish to claim these intruders and as they killed my husband, I would like the chance to dispose of them when and as I see fit."
A murmuring flooded the audience. Mary Lynette was surprised at her own confidence.
As she saw it, she had given just reasons to the Night World to become the intruder's champion. But who would they pick as the Night World's champion?
*** "What are they doing?" Ash whispered to Zarach, who seemed to be the only one who had any idea to what was going on.
"The judge is picking a Night Worlder to fight Mary Lynette."
"What on earth for?"
"She's fighting for our lives, Ash. If she wins, we live. If she loses, well she dies obviously, then we're given to the Night World to be disposed of as they see fit. I wouldn't think about that too much, it's not a pretty picture."
Ash's expression was beyond words. He seemed to collapse inwardly at the mention of Mary Lynette's death, but a glimmer appeared in his eyes at the prospect of the remote possibility that they might actually get out of here alive.
He felt Quinn's hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry Ash, Rashel can look after herself; she'll get Thierry and he'll come back with the Daybreakers and destroy this enclave. We'll escape this you, I and Mary Lynette. We'll live through this."
Ash looked into Quinn's eyes. There was a deep sadness there, wondering whether Rashel would survive, and whether she would be able to reach Thierry in time to save them, but he voiced none of this and complained not once. Quinn's optimism was comforting, but it's suddenness didn't quite hide his despair.
Strong arms clasped Ash's hands behind his back and dragged him into a wicker cage along with Zarach and Quinn. The cage itself could just fit the three of them in it, but the bars looked surprisingly flimsy. Ash tried to ram the door, but was rewarded with a high voltage shock, sending him flying backwards in the air. He hit the ground awkwardly and was paralysed for several seconds. Quinn dragged Ash back against the back wall, thankfully made of packed dirt like the rest of the hall.
"Guess.I won't.try that.again." Ash's body still twitched involuntarily from the electricity, leaving him aching everywhere. He tried to grin at Quinn in a mischievous glance and failed miserably. The spasms shortened and became less frequent and Ash was able to sit up properly against the wall.
Zarach glanced at Ash.
"Mind guards." He said, gesturing at the outside of the cage. "Damned vamps and their mind tricks." He paused. "No offence."
"How come you know so much about this enclave?" Quinn had always been suspicious of the shifter, even though Zarach had made no effort to change when threatened and showed no obvious characteristics of his animal. Quinn wondered exactly who this guy really was and if they could trust him.
Zarach looked through the bars, focusing on something beyond these walls, beyond this place.
"I knew Tar's father when he was still alive. I used to stop by for long visits. After he died, I had no reason to be here. Tar wasn't like his father, but he was better than him." He said, motioning to Dain. "He is pure evil incarnated. I could never understand how Dain could have come from a decent enough vampire like his father." Zarach carried on murmuring about the good old days, so quietly that even vampiric hearing couldn't pick up most words.
"How come you never shifted when the vamps surrounded us?" Ash asked him, following Quinn's lead.
"Was a useless idea. We were outnumbered, Ash."
"What's your animal?" Zarach looked up into Ash's eyes. He looked incredibly worn, old far beyond his appearance. His looks aged him at about twenty five, but his eyes, his eyes said at least twice that, maybe even three times. That was strange, Ash couldn't remember hearing about immortal shifters anywhere.
The 'Judge' raised his long aged arm and pointed at one of the Night Worlders gathered and the hall fell into gossip.
"They've chosen."
The crowds parted to look at their champion, each person shifting out of the way of the hand. Would it be a witch, wondered Zarach. No, he doubted it. It would be most likely a member of the Brotherhood or a shapeshifter. He could see the back wall between the rows of bodies now, he would see the champion soon. An ethereal looking witch stepped nimbly out of the way to reveal the last person. It was Dain.
***********************************
Hope this chapter was alright!
Shadow: So many reviews *blushs* Thank you so much!! I've finished writing the story, not sure if I like the ending yet though.about five more chapters to go.
Practikalmagik: Glad you like it!! Wasn't sure if the whole hope lives on was a bit clichéd.
Lethal: Thanks!
Spanishgoddess86: Again the writing is coming soon!!! Thanks for letting me know, it means a lot!
CHAPTER EIGHT - ANSWERS
The morning after the capture of the intruders, Mary Lynette was summoned to their judging. Intruders into the enclave were usually killed for sport, unless someone already had a claim on them. She entered the main hall, where once again, Night People had surrounded the intruders; in what gave her feeling of déjà vu. She had dressed for what she was planning to do, not for what she was watching and therefore received several strange looks from the older members. The final words were just being delivered when she entered.
"You Redfern have killed in cold blood one of our own, attacked his wife and now you trespass into our very enclave after her? Death seems not a fit punishment for you, but it is the only punishment I have to give." The 'judge' as he was called, looked incredibly old, which was strange considering this was a Night World enclave. Perhaps he was a shifter, Mary Lynette wondered.
"So, if no one has any objections, you shall be executed in the traditional format of burning and staking."
"I object." She tried to keep her voice calm and steady; the voice of Xanna would also have been cold and calculating, but that was asking a lot of an already nervous wreak.
Mary Lynette could feel the eyes of the hundreds of Night Worlders gathered on her back. She could also feel their disapproval and annoyance at a young fledgling who'd seduced their commander. She continued anyway.
"I call upon the ancient judgement for dispute between NightWorlders. I wish to claim these intruders and as they killed my husband, I would like the chance to dispose of them when and as I see fit."
A murmuring flooded the audience. Mary Lynette was surprised at her own confidence.
As she saw it, she had given just reasons to the Night World to become the intruder's champion. But who would they pick as the Night World's champion?
*** "What are they doing?" Ash whispered to Zarach, who seemed to be the only one who had any idea to what was going on.
"The judge is picking a Night Worlder to fight Mary Lynette."
"What on earth for?"
"She's fighting for our lives, Ash. If she wins, we live. If she loses, well she dies obviously, then we're given to the Night World to be disposed of as they see fit. I wouldn't think about that too much, it's not a pretty picture."
Ash's expression was beyond words. He seemed to collapse inwardly at the mention of Mary Lynette's death, but a glimmer appeared in his eyes at the prospect of the remote possibility that they might actually get out of here alive.
He felt Quinn's hand on his shoulder.
"Don't worry Ash, Rashel can look after herself; she'll get Thierry and he'll come back with the Daybreakers and destroy this enclave. We'll escape this you, I and Mary Lynette. We'll live through this."
Ash looked into Quinn's eyes. There was a deep sadness there, wondering whether Rashel would survive, and whether she would be able to reach Thierry in time to save them, but he voiced none of this and complained not once. Quinn's optimism was comforting, but it's suddenness didn't quite hide his despair.
Strong arms clasped Ash's hands behind his back and dragged him into a wicker cage along with Zarach and Quinn. The cage itself could just fit the three of them in it, but the bars looked surprisingly flimsy. Ash tried to ram the door, but was rewarded with a high voltage shock, sending him flying backwards in the air. He hit the ground awkwardly and was paralysed for several seconds. Quinn dragged Ash back against the back wall, thankfully made of packed dirt like the rest of the hall.
"Guess.I won't.try that.again." Ash's body still twitched involuntarily from the electricity, leaving him aching everywhere. He tried to grin at Quinn in a mischievous glance and failed miserably. The spasms shortened and became less frequent and Ash was able to sit up properly against the wall.
Zarach glanced at Ash.
"Mind guards." He said, gesturing at the outside of the cage. "Damned vamps and their mind tricks." He paused. "No offence."
"How come you know so much about this enclave?" Quinn had always been suspicious of the shifter, even though Zarach had made no effort to change when threatened and showed no obvious characteristics of his animal. Quinn wondered exactly who this guy really was and if they could trust him.
Zarach looked through the bars, focusing on something beyond these walls, beyond this place.
"I knew Tar's father when he was still alive. I used to stop by for long visits. After he died, I had no reason to be here. Tar wasn't like his father, but he was better than him." He said, motioning to Dain. "He is pure evil incarnated. I could never understand how Dain could have come from a decent enough vampire like his father." Zarach carried on murmuring about the good old days, so quietly that even vampiric hearing couldn't pick up most words.
"How come you never shifted when the vamps surrounded us?" Ash asked him, following Quinn's lead.
"Was a useless idea. We were outnumbered, Ash."
"What's your animal?" Zarach looked up into Ash's eyes. He looked incredibly worn, old far beyond his appearance. His looks aged him at about twenty five, but his eyes, his eyes said at least twice that, maybe even three times. That was strange, Ash couldn't remember hearing about immortal shifters anywhere.
The 'Judge' raised his long aged arm and pointed at one of the Night Worlders gathered and the hall fell into gossip.
"They've chosen."
The crowds parted to look at their champion, each person shifting out of the way of the hand. Would it be a witch, wondered Zarach. No, he doubted it. It would be most likely a member of the Brotherhood or a shapeshifter. He could see the back wall between the rows of bodies now, he would see the champion soon. An ethereal looking witch stepped nimbly out of the way to reveal the last person. It was Dain.
***********************************
Hope this chapter was alright!
Shadow: So many reviews *blushs* Thank you so much!! I've finished writing the story, not sure if I like the ending yet though.about five more chapters to go.
Practikalmagik: Glad you like it!! Wasn't sure if the whole hope lives on was a bit clichéd.
Lethal: Thanks!
Spanishgoddess86: Again the writing is coming soon!!! Thanks for letting me know, it means a lot!