Amulet of Quietus
Disclaimer: I thought everyone would get this by now. I don't own it, or I'd be one rich young lady.
Setting: Fowl Manor…finally! I mean…never mind.
Chapter 5: Memory Breaker
Anya's first instinct was to scream and cry simultaneously. Thankfully, she was too out of it to be ashamed when she did both.
The humans had done this. She was on a large slab of cold rock. It was pressing into her back. Leather restraints held her arms and legs down, but there was wool on the inside of them to keep her skin from being harmed.
The room she was in was dismal, to say the least. Gray walls, and a matching floor. The roof was an awful shade of black, and the only door was located on the opposite end of the room. No windows, no fresh air. She felt the area shrink in size.
A subtle scrapping sound behind her announced someone else was there. Turning her head the slightest bit, Anya became aware of something else. There was something odd around her neck. It was chilly, and strong. It didn't bend when she moved, and almost choked her it was so tight.
The Mountain, as she'd dubbed the large human, was messing with a large polished screen. The black field it showed had many white dots spontaneously popping up and disappearing. It was amazing.
"I see you've awoken." He stated flatly. That stone voice almost made her shiver.
"What is this? What do you want?" Anya struggled with the straps, knowing it to be useless, but wanting to try anyway.
Instead of answering, the human picked up a small black box. He flipped a switch, and static could be heard coming from it. When he pressed the button on its side, it went quiet.
"She's awoken, Sir." Anya nearly shrieked when a response came from the box.
"I'll be there momentarily. Get out of that refrigerator dwarf!" A crash and bang was heard from the box, and another voice could be heard.
"Just let me get the ham! All I want is a sandwich!" The static returned.
Anya gulped. She had a bad feeling about this. That feeling escalated when the door opened and the human boy walked in. He was dressed in a navy blue suit today, though it hardly took away from his evil demeanor. The dwarf, who was as always, in tow of the boy, added an odd contrast to the room. He sported an orange shirt, bright blue trousers, and a yellow cap. Simply striking.
"Ah, I see you've joined us, Ms…?" He was expecting an answer, huh? She'd give him one, that was for sure.
Anya spat at him, watching it hit his face, slide down his chin, and slowly dribble off from there. He reached out and with a handkerchief, dabbed at the blob until it was gone.
"Well, that was interesting. I can see you don't want to talk to me. Bad feelings about being taken from home, huh? Butler?" He turned to the Mountain. So he did have a name! Butler went back to the black screen, and pressed a button. The field changed to a vibrant blue.
"The screen over there is about to show us inside of your brain, Miss Sprite. This device about your neck was a recent invention of mine, inspired by your distant relatives, the fairies. You see, when they took my memory, they used a machine similar to this and probed in, looking for everything I knew about your world.
Well, now it's my turn. I haven't had time to test this, though, and I'm afraid it might not leave you, well, let's just say, completely sane." His smiled showed the fangs that lingered under his pale skin. This time, Anya shivered.
"What do you mean?" Her voice was weak
"I mean, if you want to guarantee that your memory and sanity are with you tomorrow, you might want to talk to me about the amulet. Now." His emphasis was impossible to miss. She gulped, the spit getting stuck briefly in her throat.
"I don't know anything about it. I've just recently discovered who guards it and where it is, that's all. I swear!" His eyes were starring at her.. They bore into her soul, evaluating her answer.
He shook his head. "Are you teasing me? I'm not an idiot, girl! Tell me the truth, or so help me, you'll have no memory of anything when were done!" His face had gone red.
"My m-mother guards it. I can show you where it is, but it takes a long time to get there. Please, don't hurt me. That's all I know, I promise. That's all she told me." Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. She was afraid, and she knew they could tell.
"And the one who holds the power to wield it? Who and where are they, might I ask?" Anya knew she couldn't answer. She ground her teeth together tightly.
"Not going to answer? Your choice." The child's voice lacked any emotion at all. With a nod, Butler stood and moved toward her. His hand lightly touched her skin and he fiddled with the machine at her neck.
"Remember, your memory was your choice. Your chose to part with it, and I'm sorry to say that it will shortly leave you. This device, as I've told you, looks into your mind. But I didn't mention the fact that whatever it finds is forever lost to the owner.
That screen there will show us what we need to see, and we will record it so we can view it again. Unfortunately, you will no longer be needed after that, so we can dispose of you then." He turned away and took a seat next to the screen.
"Wait! I'll tell you! I mean it!" The fear was taking over. It shrouded all other emotions, making her feel lost. Anya fought to get loose, to escape this hell. Panting heavily, she slumped back into the table in defeat. They were ignoring her. It was like she didn't exist.
A burning sensation burst forth from the memory machine about her neck. Anya shuddered violently, memories coming and going rapidly. She screamed, lost to the pain of this torture.
Artemis cringed when her scream rang out. This was bringing her pain. But he would do what was required to get revenge. His father was what mattered, not this magical girl. The screen flashed, and Artemis took to the controls.
He surfed through her mind like the internet. On his keyboard, he typed in amulet, guardian, worthy one, and anything else he deemed relevant to the subject. He pressed record on the machine and let it roll.
There was a gorgeous land flying by, green field and mountains, and then several seas and islands. The TV then proceeded onto a miniature island with a large mountain in the middle of it. A cave was at the foot of the mountain, and in he flew. If Artemis could guess right, he'd say it was an island located around the Ryukyu Islands, which were just south of Japan.
In the cave was a woman. Dim light radiated from her blonde hair, and from the silver necklace behind her. She turned to Artemis and smiled. He guessed it was the girl's mother. The woman spoke. Artemis reminded himself it was only a memory.
"Not quite, my child. The Amulet gives the power of judgment to any one it deems worthy. This means they can take a life, or give it. But there are rules to this game."
A voice responded. It was the girls.
"Game! How can you call this a game? These are people's lives! And your just whisking them which way you will!"
The scene ended, and Artemis was taken back to the village where they'd found her. He was inside a small hut, and was currently leaning toward a red haired woman. She whispered something into the girls ear that made Artemis smile.
"Deidra Nevin, of the united States. She lives in the west, in a desert, and is training in killing arts. Find her, and protect her from these men, for they will use her power."
He ended it here. Artemis had mentally blocked out the screams coming from the girl. He knew she wouldn't be the same after this. It was best that he held her here for observation before continuing on with the plan. He went to see if she was awake, and found her eyes cracked open.
"Anya?" He asked, her name coming from his lips for the first time. He'd found it in one of the many memories he'd come across.
She didn't respond. Her eyes were shifting about rapidly. They never settled in one place. He snapped his fingers, gathering her attention briefly.
"Anya, can you hear me? I need to know if your ok, or not." She looked at him. The depth in her eyes had increased. They were pits, pulling him in. He had caused this.
Her mouth moved, and a barely audible whisper came out.
"I'm here." He patted her head, and she flinched.
"That's good. Very good." Looking over her to Butler, he nodded. The sedation she was going to receive would ensure she remembered nothing of this. Though he'd considered placing her back in the sprite world, Artemis knew it wouldn't work. He'd been left with too alternatives.
First, he could kill her. Rather, Butler could, and then he would bury the body. The second option didn't make his stomach turn as easily, but he was still uncomfortable with it. He planned on erasing her memory of the sprite world completely, and turning her into a faithful servant. It sounded cruel, but it had been a last resort to save her.
With some training from Butler, she might even make a half decent bodyguard. Goodness knew he needed one, what with Butler slowing down and all. At least there was an optimistic side to it all.
The injection flowed into her body easily. Anya tensed for a moment, and then was in the bliss of unconsciousness. Mulch, who'd remained quiet during the whole procedure, slunk forward slowly, looking intently at her.
"Did you just kill that sprite?" His shaky voice told his fear out loud.
"No, she's fine. Pack your bags." Artemis walked to the TV and extracted his recording. He then proceeded to the door.
"Bags? We just got back. Where are we going now?" Artemis stopped at the door.
"From the looks of it, the United States. I'd say the southwest, so bring short clothing and sunscreen. It's going to be a long plane ride." He closed the door, his mind pulling back into its self to work out the puzzle he'd yet to figure out.
Where was the chosen one?
Deidra Nevin gasped as her body hit the floor. It was the third time that day her teacher had thrown her to the ground, each time getting a little more violent then the last. She rolled backward over her shoulder, coming to her feet, and faced him.
This session would last for another twenty minutes. For the next five minutes, she would attempt to hit him, while he blocked her every move, and then they'd switch. After another five minutes of this sparring, she'd move onto the weapon form she was practicing.
Master Quinn, as he'd told her to call him, lunged forward, grasping her arm and twisting it, placing her in a leverage. She grunted, slapping her side to show him that she could feel it.
"Lost in our thoughts today, Dei?" She nodded, and attempted to swipe his feet from under him. It didn't quite work, though he did lose his balance. His grip tightened though, and when he went down, so did she. That made four falls.
They both rolled away, coming up again ready for another round. Deidra punched at his head. His hand came up, easily pushing hers to the side. It was exactly what she wanted. She raised her left leg, aiming a kick to his stomach. It found its mark, blowing her teacher backward. That was a first.
He was recovering as she bent over him.
"Master Quinn? Are you ok?" Deidra didn't have enough time to think before she found herself on her back, the wind knocked from her lungs. Quinn stood over her, smiling.
"Never leave your guard down."
Twenty five minutes later, Deidra sighed deeply, leaning back into the couch. The ice pack on her shoulder brought little relief, even though she was trying to convince herself it would do more.
She opened her math book and turned to the assigned page. Ach, graphing equations in the y- intercept form. Boring, easy, and done in ten minutes. Where was the challenge in that?
She stood up, looking the mirror. A brown eyed teen of thirteen starred back. Brown hair with blonde streaks lay on her shoulders, bright eyes shone with a glare from the light. She wore a black tank top, which just reached her belly button, black pants with numerous tears and strings hanging from them, armlets that were also black, and black earrings.
Though her friends thought her a punk, she resented being called that. This was simply her style, the way she wanted to dress. Most of the time Deidra couldn't explain why she wore these clothes. Not to them. They'd laugh, calling her insane if she told them the truth. No one believe in magic anymore. Not unless they suffered from the curse of it.
She plopped back into the couch, turning on the television. After flipping to MTV, she sat back, listening to Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day.
She was in a small cave, looking at a woman she'd never seen before. It was a blonde lady with soft looking skin and blue eyes. Her blue dress seemed barely efficient to cover her, but it didn't seem to matter to the woman.
Worthy One, it is an honor and also a great pain to see you. Her lips didn't move, but Dei knew it was her speaking.
Worthy One? Me? She looked around. There was no one else there. A nod came from the woman. She was the one.
Your presence here tells me my daughter has failed. It is still my job to guard the Amulet.
Amulet? Right as she asked it, Dei spotted the jewelry. It was a beautifully carved silver peace with a ruby in the center. She reached out, grasping it. A cold shock wave went through her body, making her let go.
You can not yet access it. Your dreams will only allow you to feel its power, but until your body touches it in the real world, it is stuck her, and its power is dormant.
Dei gulped. Power? You don't mean being able to hurt people do you? Cause I have to warn you, I can do that already. The blank expression on the woman's face could best be described as shock. She recovered quickly, and talked frantically.
I must ask you to remain there. Do not seek this tool of destruction out. Last time it was wielded, thousands of people died. And I must ask you to avoid the human boy who seeks you. An image of said boy appeared. His dark eyes glared at Dei, piercing her soul. Black hair, strong features. Expensive suit. Definitely an enemy she should avoid.
Fine, I'll look out for him. But, can you help me with these powers? Can you stop them? Please? The longing in her voice was almost pathetic. Magic had plagued her from a young age, keeping her from real friends. All she wanted was a release from it, to be regular again.
Magic is part of your life child. It will never leave you. Get used to it.
Deidra sprung upright, rubbing the sleepiness from her eyes. That was either the freakiest of most horrifying dream she'd ever had. She settled on the second. It was a little like a nightmare. She had just faced someone who'd told her that the magic would never leave her. Dei wanted to curl up and die.
A knock at the door sounded, startling her into falling on the floor.
She gathered herself up trying to look dignified. Deidra walked to the door, and through the glass pane saw the boy from her dreams. There was a monster of a man besides him.
Backing away slowly, Deidra hit the wall behind her. This was so not her day.
Author's Note
Well, though I'd leave y'all with a cliff hanger there. How'd ya like it? I enjoyed it. Makes you want to get mad at me for not typing faster, cause you know it will take me several more days to write the next chapter, huh?
Aren't I just an irritating little itch? No, I didn't cuss, I said itch. You know, those stupid little things you scratch at all day that never go away? I'm like them. Enjoy it while you can. (I'm on a sugar high right now, excuse the excessive writing.)
Well, I'd like reviews, but I think I've given up on them. sniffles All I wanted was a word or two. You people don't love me is that it? Lol, just kidding. Like I said, review if you want, doesn't matter to me. Whatever floats your boat, right?
P.S, apparently, someone else here got to my name. I had to change to finelley, a nickname from a dear friend of mine. Do I think it's immature? Sure. Does that mean I'm afraid to use it for fear someone will think me an immature child? Obviously not.
Finelley