Drowning~Chapter four "What truth is there in a dream"
.
.
Rath sat in the warm room in a large chair next to a steadily burning fire.
Cesia sat comfortably on his lap. Her arms around his neck with her head
against his chest.
'How did this happen?' Rath thought to himself. 'Like a week ago its like
we could hardly stand each other, but now...what's going on? What's wrong
with me? What is this, thing inside of me. It's like a new kind of pain.
No, not pain. Its-something-better. Warmer. It wasn't there before. What is
it?'
Rath quickly stood up, knocking Cesia to the floor. "Im going for a walk"
he said dryly.
As he walked past the front counter, the receptionist called after him.
"There's another room available if you're still looking for one." She said
a bit timidly.
"Yeah, sure, I'll be back later." he said in a daze. Rath trudged through
the forest, going in no particular direction. So many things were going
through his mind. 'Why am I acting this way? What's happening to me? I
don't act this way. Its not who I am. Im not the type of person to let my
guard down. I don't show emotion. I don't let anyone in. I wont let anyone
in.' Rath kicked a large rock in frustration and it landed in a near by
bush.
"OUCH!" a voice called from behind the bush.
"Oh crap." Rath muttered under his breath, reaching for his bell sword.
'Where is it!' he thought franticly. He searched his memory for its
whereabouts and he faintly remembered putting the bell on his bedside table
the night before. 'Shit!' he mentally kicked himself, picking up a stick,
the next best thing. Rath positioned himself between the bush and his
oncoming enemy. Whoever it was, he was ready.
.
"Come out here you son of a bitch!" the voice yelled in anger.
Raths anger boiled inside him. He didn't know who or how many he was up
against, but he swore to slit that guys throat. Rath held his Brach tightly
in both hands and charged forward, through the bush. Immediately he knows
it was a bad idea. He was out numbered 100 to 1, and soon to be surrounded
with no way to escape. Not that he would have. He just liked to have his
options.
"Which one of you wants to die first." Rath said in a clam and somewhat
smug voice.
"So you're the little maggot who threw the rock at me head." A rather large
bandit spoke. He must be the leader.
"Well, actually I kicked it at a bush, your rather large head just happened
to be in the way. What's a little man like you going to do about it." Rath
said keeping his tone.
"I could kill you with my eyes closed."
"You'll be dead before you put even one finger on me."
The man laughed. "And I suppose your going to kill me with a stick will
you."
Rath couldn't say anything to this. The bandit was right, he couldn't kill
him with only a stick to attack and defend with.
"Bind him." The bandit ordered. Before Rath could react, three men were on
him, binding his hands and feet.
As the bandits led Rath through the forest and sword point, Rath sqwermed
back and forth, thrashing around trying to get the minds off him. He wasn't
going to give up without a fight.
"I would stop if I were you." said the large bandit. "It's only going to
make the knots tighter and your only delaying the inevitable."
"And what its it exactly that you plan on doing to me?" Rath asked,
although he already knew the answer.
"First we'll have some fun torturing you, then we'll kill you."
"Im not afraid of death." Rath spat at the man.
"Then what are you afraid of?"
"You don't seriously expect you to answer that do you."
"No, but if your as weak and stupid as you look, then threes no harm in
trying."
"Who are you calling weak! I could slaughter you in my sleep." 'he has no
idea who I am. And I don't plan on telling him either. To know who I am and
see me in this predicament, would only be seriously degrading.'
"He, Your anger is a sure sign of weakness. You may act tough but your no
more then a little boy whose gotten in way over his head."
Rath steamed in anger. He would have given anything to have the bell sword
in his clutches at that moment and cut the damn bandit to shreds. He didn't
care if he died. No one would miss him. His mind suddenly flashed on Cesias
smiling face. He quickly pushed thoughts of her away. He wouldn't risk
putting her in danger.
Raths thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shove to his back. He growled
at the man who'd done it. The bandit kept a straight face and slapped Raths
tender cheek with the flat of his blade. Sending Rath to the ground,
letting him taste the gritty dirt beneath his feet.
.
The men around him laughed.
.
Raths anger was boiling up inside him. He would not stand for being
publicly humiliated. These bandits would pay.
.
When night fell upon the forest, the bandits stopped and made camp. Rath
was tied to a post in the middle of the camp to be watched. Rath still
struggled against his restraints, tugging at them, wanting to be freed of
them. But it was no use. His wrists were red with rope burn, and if he
didn't stop soon, they would start bleeding. Not that Rath particularly
minded.
.
Later that evening, the bandits made it they're entertainment out of Raths
torture. He was tied down and beaten in ways of whips and an assortment of
other weapons. When they were done with their fun, they threw him into a
strong cage they had constructed of wood and left him there.
.
Rath lay there, drifting in and out of a state of sleep and awake. It was
late at night when he was roused by a sound in the tent near by. The
bandits were making a plan.
.
"Lord Arthok, what is our next target." said one of the higher-ranking
bandits
Lord Arthok pulled out a large map, looking at it carefully. "Here" He said
pointing to a small marking on the map. "Our skills have been out of
practice for some time. This small hotel on the main road is just what we
need. There should be quite a few residents staying there. And from what I
hear, there is something of great value in the possession of one of the
people, or should I say, demons staying there. It's a very valuable item in
the black market. We can sell the braud as well." Arthok laughed smugly at
his plan.
.
Rath lay there in his little cage, hearing the whole conversation. Eyes
shaking in fear. He must have heard wrong. They were talking about a
different hotel.
But through all his denial, his thoughts came back to one person.
'Cesia, I wont let them take you.' Rath vowed to himself, his strength
dieing, allowing him to slip into unconsciousness. "Cesia....." He
whispered into the night. Seeing her bright face in his mind before the
darkness took it all.
.
.
.
"Rath!" Cesia yelled shooting up in bed panting hard, sweat dripping from
her face. She pulled the blankets tightly around her, taking in the warmth
they provided, but still found herself shivering. She looked around, hoping
to find the familiar face. Then she remembered. Rath had found another room
to stay in. The receptionist had informed her earlier that day. Cesia
picked up the little slip of paper the woman had given her. On it, there
was a number. The number of Raths room. Cesia slid out of bed and pulling
on a soft robe over her nightdress. The sudden cold shocking her body, but
it soon became warm, taking in her body heat. She slipped out of the room
and headed down the hall towards Raths room. She knocked a few times
waiting for an answer. When she received none, Cesia let herself in and
gasped. Rath was missing.
"Rath, where are you." Cesia whispered into the dark room.
She looked around and only found a few of Raths belongings the maid had
brought in earlier. She approached a chair and picked up Raths coat. She
breathed in his warm sent. Remembering just a few nights before, when they
had both slept under it together. She smiled at the memory, laying down on
the bed still hugging the coat.
Tears swelled in her eyes. "Where are you Rath?" She said to the dark room.
Her eyes landed on a shiny object on the bedside table. 'his bell sword!'
her mind screamed. 'but, he never takes this off.' She picked it up,
feeling the gentle hum of power it emitted. Her gaze fell on the window.
'Rath, if your out there without this, what could you be doing.
She cried quietly into the coat she still had close to her chest, her
crying quieted to a soft murmuring till finally sleep took her into its
world of dreams.
.
.
.*A/N This is for you Sophie*
.
.
Rath stood in a field surrounded by wild flowers of all verities. He opened
up his arms, letting the wind flow past him, ruffling his hair, his loose
shirt flapping around in the breeze. He took in the intoxicating sent of
the flowers and felt, for the first time in his life, completely at ease.
He fell backwards into the bed of flowers and closed his eyes, listening to
the sound of the trees blowing in the wind and the bees humming by.
Rath started to fall asleep when he found the gentle blue sky turning into
a dark gray, then into a black, filled with the fury of storm clouds.
Suddenly the ground beneath him disappeared, putting him into a freefall.
Tumbling him into darkness.
He found himself back in his caged, he looked up and found a warm smiling
face looking up at him. "Cesia, what are you doing here? They'll catch
you." He said worried.
"Don't worry, they've all gone out somewhere. Its just you and me."
Cesia unlocked his cage, taking Raths hand and leading him into the forest,
away from the bandit's camp.
When they stopped running Rath looked around and found them at the place
they had rested the night before they came to the hotel. The night he slept
next to Cesia to keep her warm.
"I know this place." Rath stuttered.
Cesia came up to him. A mischievous smile graced her face. "You know Rath,
when I woke up that morning, I was afraid something had happened between
us. At the time, I was a bit horrified at the thought, but now, that's
exactly what I want." She said seductively, showering him with kisses while
pulling at his shirt. She began taking his top off.
'What's going on.' Raths mind screamed. This was all so new to him. He felt
a cold slap on his face as the image of Cesia pulled away from him,
laughing coldly.
"You must be dreaming if you think I would fall for you." She said coldly.
"Cesia.."
"Rath, no one could ever love you. It's all in your imagination. Give it
up. No one has ever loved you a no one ever will." She spat coldly at him
and walked away into the darkness.
'No, this must be a dream. This cant is happening. Cesia....no' Tears came
to his eyes. It had been the first time he cried.
"CESIA!!!!!" Rath screamed into the night.
.
.
Raths eyes bolted open. He was in his cage. The bandits were still here
sleeping. It had all been a dream. A bad dream. But he couldn't get Cesias
words out of his head, "Rath, no one could ever love you......No one has
ever loved you an no one ever will."