Zeo the OTHER one: Should I confirm or invalidate your predictions? None of them…the only sentence I can say is wait and see ;)
Peachrocks: Turns evilThanks nowmy cliff hanger is botched. Anyway well I guess it's normal for Joanna to be a bit depressed by the situation…but her committing suicide wouldn't be a good idea since my story would be ruined :P
Fantasy Chick3435: I have nothing to say about your laziness coz me too I begin to be lazy sometimes…school is taking more and more place. I don't know if it's the same thing for you but that doesn't mean if it's the case that you shoudn't stop updating :)
Spider-bear:P Yeah, I've always considered Joanna to be a bit tom-boy. I know…I'm evil with all those cliff angers, but you're an author too! You know how irresistible it is to make one! Even if it'll get all the readers sick hehe :)
Esteban T. Rodriguez: Sorry for taking a WHILE to update. I've been more busy than I thought…I should get tortured by the eggplant man as punishment :P Should it take long before Jo and Jon together? Mmm…wait and see…and who see they'll REALLY get together ;)
Chapter 8: The capture
"GENERAL EASTON!" shouted Velvet
"You bastard…what are you doing here" asked coldly Jonathan as put an hand on his sword.
"Haha…I thought such low living beings in the hierarchy like you would be more respectful to a general such as myself…"
"We AREN'T low in the hierarchy! It's a great honour for us to work for the great Lord Carrington!" exclaimed Velvet.
"You have made a great mistake to face me. You both deserve to be killed for your sins. You helped…and one of you even loved a witch and made her children possessing her evil blood. It's useless to let people such as your kind live any longer. Guards! Get rid of them!"
All the knights under Easton's command took out their sword and attacked Jonathan and Velvet. Both of them avoided their attacks. Velvet landed next to a knight that she quickly made fall from his horse and killed with a knife she had hidden on a garter under her dress. Jonathan hurried for one of the archer who was aiming him near General Eason. He took out his small sword and threw it on his opponent. His enemy was instantly pierced by the blade. Jon took back his weapon and stole the bow of the dead fighter. A few warriors were charging in his direction. A few arrows were enough to create a pile of dead corpses in front of him…all killed by an arrow in the heart or in the neck. One of them was still agonizing…Jonathan looked at him with pity.
"May God protect you to your ascent to Heaven" whispered Jonathan as he ended his ennemy's pain.
Velvet, still in a intense fight, killed the knight who stood in front of her. Two of them tried to attack her from behind. Too bad…she already heard them. She quickly turned and stabbed both of them at the same time (A/N: they were one behind the other of course). The first one instantly died but the other was still standing, holding his bleeding stomach. The bloody woman insensibly cut the head of the last opponent.
General Eason looked at the pool of blood in front of him with an amazed look. No wonder Lady Dark had been so hard to capture with such killing machines from her side. The general used the most powerful weapon he was possessing. The life of the young woman in his hands.
"I don't know what this young woman represents to you…but considering the way you killed my knights, she must be more important than I expected" commented Trent as he took out his sword and put it on Joanna's neck.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING! LET HER GO OR WE'LL KILL YOU!" screamed Jonathan as he aimed an arrow at the general.
"I'm not the one who's gonna lose this battle. I'm the one who's controlling the life of this…reincarnation it seems"
"What do you mean? She isn't Joanna's reincarnation at all" replied Velvet with a calm but dangerous tone.
"Stop bluffing Lady Dark….The woman we exterminated a year ago was a witch…she must have made a pact with Satan while she was burning in Hell to give her a second chance of committing her horrible sins. The resemblance can't be a coincidence considering the people she's hanging with" retorted Easton.
"Easton…we barely know this woman and her motives. She's a simple traveler who stopped by. I don't want an innocent woman to be killed in front of my eyes again. If you one to kill someone, kill me and let her live" said Jonathan with a more than serious tone.
The general raised an eyebrow as he looked at the young man.
"As I see this creature is more than important to your eyes…there isn't a single change I'll let her go. She definitely can't be a simple traveler…The only request I can do for you is to accept your sacrifice and burn you with the woman you desire" answered Trent with a smirk.
Easton was suddenly interrupted by a bunch of guards surrounding him. Lord Carrington walked to Trent's direction with a disgruntled expression.
"General Easton. How dare you attack my warriors and move your troops on my territory without any authorizations" asked Carrington coldly.
"Well…look at what happened to my troops now…it seems I wasn't the only one to commit a fault. Those two people deserve death for killing several of Lady De Vries' servant" retorted Trent.
" I don't know what were you intentions but with all those guards around you, I can figure your motives weren't pacifist. You'll have no choice but to surrender. If you ever threaten the woman's life you will be instantly killed and war will be declared to your nation" responded firmly the Lord.
"It seems it won't be for today" said Trent with a cynical smile.
He suddenly threw something on the ground who created a great amount of light who blinded Carrington's knights for a few seconds. When they reopened their eyes, General Easton and Joanna were gone.
"No……NOOOOOOOOOOO! JOANNA!" shouted Velvet
"Joanna…" whispered Jonathan.
"We won't let him commit such things like that. He and his nation are going to pay" said Carrington with a dangerous tone.
Jonathan looked at the ground with a desperate gaze. He tried not to think about the moment when his wife was captured…and killed a few days after…Could the same thing happen to this traveler from the future? Velvet suddenly noticed Jonathan's current state.
"Jon, there is no way we're gonna let something like this happen again you heard me! We're gonna save Joanna. We MUST save her. It's not her fault if her kind of ancestor or alter-ego or whatever was hated by Lady De Vries. She doesn't deserve such treatments!"
"Yes…you're right. I couldn't stand any other Joanna getting killed in such ways. We'll do something…and let's hope it's not gonna end up like the other time…" replied Jonathan.
"The best thing you can do for now is to get prepared and to leave for Lady De Vries' lands. The quickest you'll be there…the best your chances to find Joanna alive will be" said Carrington.
"You think we could do it? Only Jon and me? Without any help or anything?" asked Velvet.
"It's better like this. If I give you an army to command, they'll notice you for sure before even entering their lands. You can easily pass incognito if you are disguised as two travelers" suggested Carrington.
"Yes…you're right…If we leave early, Joanna won't be already dead like last time" commented Velvet.
"Yeah, and this time I'm involved in the rescuing mission…whatever will be the consequences…I don't want to be a pathetic wuss like last time" said Jonathan with a dark tone.
……………………………………………………
Joanna woke up in a dark cell. Her wrists were chained at the wall of the cold room. She could easily guess it was night because a there was a small window next to her. She shivered as a cold breeze entered the prison. She suddenly heard the sound of a door being opened and closed. A guard (that Joanna hated since the first sight) approached her, holding a parchment in his hands.
"General Easton gave me the order to warn you that Lady De Vries will be ready to interrogate you tomorrow morning, to judge if you truly are the witch's reincarnation or not. Sadly for me…he prevented me from putting a single finger for you. Too bad…I won't have as much pleasure with you as I got with your predecessor" said the guard with a smirk.
"You monster…I guess that after your tiresome message you're gonna snore next to my cell all night…unless you decide to rape me while I'm sleeping…if I ever get to sleep" snapped Joanna.
"I would like to…But Eason told me that if I do that…he's gonna ask one of the prisoners who's there since a while to do the same thing as I did with you so I think that staring at you will be enough for tonight" replied the guard with the same stupid smirk.
"It will be enough for your entire life you freak" retorted Joanna with a dangerous tone.
"I wouldn't say so…I'm not so sure you'll still be able to talk after all the torture you'll have to bear…nothing will be there anymore to denounce me"
"The other guards of course. I'm sure they aren't all as depraved as you" said Joanna with more confidant tone than she truly was.
"The other guards? I wouldn't count on that little lady…no one will come for you the eve of your execution. You heard that! No one! Since no one came for the other before you…I guess it's gonna end up the same for you…" retorted the guard.
Joanna didn't said anything else. Arguing with this perverted freak wouldn't bring anything good to her. The last sentence he said was worrying her…Will this really happen? Why have they let Joanna die alone like this…They couldn't do that again…at least…she hoped…
……………………………………………………………
"Are you ready?" asked Velvet.
"Yes…let's go" replied Jon.
"Don't forget…you will absolutely not be able to come back after this mission because you will be considered as criminals. From now own you will be on your own" said Carrington.
"Yeah but…still not for life?" asked Jonathan.
"No of course not. But after this mission you will need to hide for a while. I will send you messages once in a while. I will also warn you when it'll be secure for you to go out from your hiding spot" responded Carrington.
"Wait a minute…you can't send us anything. You won't even know where we'll be!" replied Jonathan.
"Come on…I know you Jonathan…and I guarantee you that I already guessed where you will go, trust me" said Carrington with a slight smile.
"Oh now I get it! After we're gonna see your…friend?" asked Velvet with a playful smile.
"…Stop that…it's not my friend…it's an acquaintance" answered Jonathan as he slightly blushed.
"Haha…anyway I guess we don't have much time to mess around. Come on let's go" said Velvet with a playful tone.
"Good luck…and I hope we'll have news of you as soon as possible" said Carrington.
"Yeah yeah…don't worry…I actually HAVE to come back. A lot of people will be waiting for me huh Nathaniel?" asked Velvet as she looked at her husband.
"Yes…come back soon Velvet, we'll miss you" answered Nathaniel with puppy dog eyes as he was standing with their kids.
"Don't worry…mommy will be back…See ya!" said Velvet as she climbed on her horse and left her family
After a few minutes, the castle could hardly be seen. It was already night and both of the adventurers knew that they'll have to gallop all night long.
"I envy you Velvet…I just wish my kids too would be there to tell me goodbye" commented Jonathan with a sheepish tone.
"I'm sorry Jon…but I'm sure you'll find the two survivors someday" replied Velvet with a reassuring tone.
"Yeah…maybe" said Jonathan with an unsure tone.
………………………………………………..
"So…what's your name girl?" asked a middle aged woman with a smirk
"…"
"Come on…Don't be foolish with me. I can kill you whenever I want so I suggest you to not be so arrogant" commented Lady De Vries
"What's the point to obey to your orders? I'm gonna end up dead anyway" retorted Joanna.
"Don't be so sure of that…I'm the only one who can discover if you truly are a witch or not…so you must cooperate and only after I'll be able to judge if you deserve life or not" replied Lady De Vries.
"…What do you want…" asked Joanna
"Tell me first what's your name girl" answered the lady.
"I…"
Joanna sighed. She couldn't tell her real name or she would get killed for sure…And what if they discovered she lied? She would get killed too…so what was she better to do?
END OF CHAPTER 8!
Kill me with those evil cliff anger…I'll never stop…THEY'RE TOO ADDICTIVE! Anyway, loved the gory scene of this chapter? Lucky you are! Coz chapter will be at least as violent as this one! Now just wish your goddess will be kind enough to update again this week (evil grin)
MORE YOU ARE TO REVEW, MORE GORY WILL BE THE NEXT CHAPTER! So you know what is left to do…