Heh heh, I'm GOOD at writing dramatic pieces with lots of crying Ishtars! I really enjoyed writing this, except the ending's a little lackluster. Yeah, I know Keld's a little bitty bit out of character, but I decided that every good story needs a villain, and Keld's gonna be my villain. See? It's all good. (grins)

Broken Dreams: Part Two, Chapter Six

Shattered Souls

Duzell woke up with a pounding headache. He groaned and turned over, trying to get back to sleep.
Then he realized something wasn't right.

He sat bolt upright as his situation dawned on him. He was lying on the cold, hards stones of a dungeon cell. The only light was supplied by torches along the walls at distant intervals. The air was dank and musky. Vertical bars were set over the only entrance, so tight as to make it impossible to escape.

As he took in his surroundings, he noticed he was not alone. Laphiji was calmly sitting on a chair in the shadows outside of his cell, staring at the wall. He had changed out of his pajamas and put his hair up, but the dark circles under his eyes showed how he had been rudely awoken.

Duzell noticed another thing. He was under a spell. Well, that explains why Laphiji's here, he thought. Must be some sort of restraint spell, because I can't move very much.

He decided to try his hand at striking up a conversation. "Err... hi there," he tried.

The prince's eyes flickered towards him briefly before they returned to the wall.

Duzell would not be deterred. "Nice place you got here!"

"It's not mine."
The vampire blinked. He didn't expect a response. "Yes, well, I kind of figured that... Hey, is Ishtar okay?"

He coughed. "Ishtar is a fool. What did you do to her to ever convince her to keep you? In her own house no less!"

"Well, the thing about that is..."

"And Seiliez! How could you? My brother..." he sighed and closed his eyes dramatically.

Eww! "Well, if you're so smart, you tell me how I should find Phelios!"

Laphiji stared icily at him. "I think," he stated calmly. "It is time for you to go back to sleep."

Duzell felt the spell envelop him, and cursed silently. He fell to the floor, once again unconscious.

Ishtar, in the meantime, was having her own problems to deal with. She was in trouble. Big time.

"ISHTAR!" Keld shouted, his face a mask of fury. "WHAT were you THINKING?!?!"

Ishtar gasped as he shoved her into her bedroom wall. She dropped to the floor and sobbed halfheartedly. Tears coursed down her stricken face.

"I-I..."

"You STUPID, STUPID GIRL!" the old man shouted. He grabbed her by the shoulder and wrenched her back onto her feet. She gasped in pain. "Do you realize what you could have DONE?!?!?" he barked into her face. "Did you EVER stop to think of the CONSEQUENCES?!?!" His fury was frightening to behold, and Ishtar was on the receiving the full brunt of it. "You IDIOT CHILD!!!" She shook like a leaf in the wind.

"Sir Keld, what do you think you're doing?"

The voice came from the open doorway. They both turned to see Yuujel standing there, resplendent in a silver silk bathrobe. He frowned at the sight of Keld pinning his charge to the wall. He walked over and gently pried the sobbing princess from her warden's claw-like grip.

"This is not suitable behavior, sir Keld. You may leave."

"But... but Yuujel..."

Yuginn turned to him. "Keld, I gave you an order!" his eyes flashed. "You will leave, and you will do it now!"

The old man left. Yuginn turned his attention to Ishtar. He rubbed her shoulder where it was red from being gripped and wiped her face with a sleeve of his robe. "It's alright, princess," he soothed. "Don't cry."

She sniffed a few times. "No, i-it's not alright," she finally said. "Duzell..."

He regarded her sadly. "Why?" he asked quietly. "Why did you do it? Can't you see?" his violet eyes were clouded with morose. "He's the vampire king. He wants to find Phelios' reincarnation. He wants to kill one of your relatives."

"I-I know... but..."

"What if Phelios was Falan? Or Illsaide? Or my mother, or me?"

She looked struck. " No, he... he wouldn't be... he couldn't..."

Yuginn wasn't done yet. He cupped her chin in his hand and lifted her face until their eyes met. "What if Phelios was you?"

Her eyes hardened. She slapped away his hand and glared at him. "Duzie would never..." she spat. "Ever... hurt me. And if anyone..." her eyes filled with tears again, even though she was glaring murderously, "even thinks of hurting him... I'll personally strangle them... with my own two hands."

She stormed out of the room, in search of somewhere quiet.

She didn't watch where she was going; her feet worked on their own. She found herself in the garden where they had eaten lunch six days prior, and collapsed by the koi pond. Moonlight filtered through the apple trees and cast a dappled pattern on the ground. Ishtar sobbed, alone in the night for the first time in over half a year. The daffodils swayed mournfully, and the moon shone less brightly. The only sounds were a quiet splish from the fountain, and the princess's choked sobs. Her heart felt like it had been wrenched from her body and ripped callously into shreds.

Oh, Duzie, she sighed. Where are you? What's going to happen?

I just don't know anymore...