Sorry! But I have kept my promise, I just posted a chapter on another
story. (dodges tomatoes) Oh well, I'm getting this 1 up now, aren't I? And
I have to tell you a few things: I NEED PEOPLE TO SIDE WITH ME AGAINST LUKI
DIMENSION!!!!! He took down a terrific story called A Tantalus Christmas
and I need you to help me torment him into putting it back up! Are you with
me?
I smile at the king leaving, and silently thank Uncle for insisting upon expression training. If it hadn't been for that I would've been on the floor minutes ago, wobbly knees from laughter unable to hold me. I'm still nervous about the Queen and princess, they seem to be whispering something. I close my eyes and strain my ears, listening, automatically slowing my breathing and keeping completely still. It's the queen who's talking now, saying something about tests of some type. The princess responds, and I strain to hear her soft voice saying the exact words. She says something about having inspected me during the night and finding my side sewn up, then I hear two words clearly: a disguise. It's clearly the end of a sentence, and I feel afraid for the first time. A disguise is another word for costume, and clearly it didn't fool little miss Eiko. Uncle didn't mention she was this observant when he fought her, so it is likely a recent thing. It could cause huge problems for me, though. If they somehow rip open the sewn spot or rip a new one, it could mean discovery. Since only Catalina, the princess, and myself have horns it is a very distinguishing feature. The same problem with a tail; it would be easily noticed, hard to hide, and then there's the last fact that worries me. The queen once had a horn, and the king has a tail. They are a couple, and who knows what features their children would acquire. I never really thought about that until now, but considering we never knew our parents, it could be them. As soon as I think this I immediately regard it as ridiculous. Our parents had to at least have feelings of some type. The people we've been told is our enemy are completely ruthless, void of emotions. Those people are the rulers of the Mist Continent. From what I've seen so far, I'm beginning to wonder. The rusty knight was definitely Steiner, but if he's in cahoots with the rulers why did he get mad? The organizers of this sick plot aren't supposed to be able to feel. It is bred into children at the age of eleven here, but only if they are living with their parents or parent figures. That is the main reason why we had to kill so many. The deaths I caused aren't supposed to weigh me down, making me feel like I did something bad. I nearly sigh from these sudden thoughts, then catch myself. I mustn't show any weakness. That will only make the torture they're sure to do to me even worse. The princess leaves the room, and I feel the queen staring at me. "You might as well make yourself comfortable, you're going to be stuck in there a very long time." States the queen, and I am almost glad she broke me from my thoughts. "You actually think you can break me, get some information from torturing me?" I reply. The queen looks startled for a moment, then recovers. "Why would we torture you? You're a living thing, just as we are. You breath, think, and feel. We cannot torture those who, for one reason or another, have wound up in there. If we did we would not be any better. People always commit crimes for a reason; we keep them in that cage you're in until they tell us why. A thief may not have any money; a child on the street may be an orphan. We have never had a mass murderer in our midst before, but I dare say you'll talk soon enough." This time I am the surprised one, though I try not to show it. I was told they would torture us beyond reason if we got caught, that they would make us beg for death from the incredible pain they'd inflict. I was expecting to be whipped with a steel tipped whip, to be starved and dehydrated. To be stretched limb from limb, to be beaten to an inch from death. This would be minimal punishment at home for doing a single thing wrong, and he always swore he was taking it easy on us compared to them. It was always tough, but we would always endure. I feel a sudden jolt from the floor and look up. The chain is being drawn through a door into a room above me. I get it now; they only torture people out of their soldiers sight. That speech was meant for the soldiers, not me. I look around and, sure enough, the queen is out of the room. With a last glance around I get into a fighting stance. Best to be prepared, I think as with a last creak the cage rises through the trapdoor and it closes under me. I look around and find myself facing the royalty clique, the defect, the rusty knight, and General Beatrix. I bare my teeth, liking how they shine in the bright yellow room. I slowly turn and realize there are no visible doors. The only way out I know of is below my cage, and I can see the king putting on a lock and undoing the combination. He then walks forward and unlocks the cage with a key, drawing open the door. I stand still cautiously, not daring to step forward or back. Stepping back shows weakness, while rushing forward is often seen as an attack. The king glances back at his friends, amused. He then takes a seat in a comfortable looking place, made to support his back while he sits. The others follow suit. I notice they leave one empty, a wooden one by the look of it. "Have a seat," Begins the king. "We're just going to sit and chat, get to know one another better before anything else. We want to know why you killed people, but that can wait a short while." I don't move in any direction still, unsure of his tactic. This is unlike any type of torture I've ever endured. I've never been told too sit down before, and I don't know what I should do. The king peers at me and obviously sees the confusion in my eyes. "Are you afraid to move or do you not know what a chair is?" My eyes widen as he correctly guesses not only one but both of my reasons. I hesitate a moment longer and both Steiner and Beatrix leap up. They walk forward, grab me by one arm each, and lift me up. I instantly thrash, causing them to drop me, and deliver a hard kick to their legs as I come down before darting to the opposite side of the cage. They both fall over and apparently can't rest any weight on the legs I kicked. The king chuckles as the queen casts Cura. "So I was right the first time. You're scared to move in any direction, and you're also planning on killing us all before finding an exit. It's a good thing we didn't bring any weapons in here, but lots of healing items. Now you might as well come out of there before we try to force you out once more," The king says, a small smile on his face. I look at him and feel warm all over suddenly, but refuse to move. This time the king and queen help haul me out. As much as I twist and struggle I haven't recovered completely from my two recent fights, and can't escape from their strong grips. They carry me to the. chair and place me down. I immediately jump up and try to get away, so the king and queen hold me down while the knights tie me tightly to the chair. The chains are stronger this time, and I will not be able to break them with as much ease as last time. They all sit down again and I realize with a shock this whole thing is too practiced for it to be the first time. They've done this many times before, maybe with every prisoner to ever come in the dungeon. "Let us get started. My name is Queen Garnet. You may address me as Garnet," Begins the queen. "My name is Zidane, my title is king, and you can just call me Zidane," States the king. I refuse to acknowledge these first two with even a glance in their general direction. "My name is Vivi. Please call me that," Adds the defect. The queen gets out of her chair and kneels in front of mine so we're eye level. "What is your name?" She asks, as if I was a little girl. I turn my head away. She gently takes my head in one of her hands and draws it to face her again. "Come on, I do not bite. We won't be able to use it against you in any way. Just tell us, please. We want to help you." I have no choice but to look into her eyes. Some how they comfort and sooth, telling me she'll honor her promise. What'll telling them my name do, anyway? It must have something in it for them. I continue to remain silent. The king speaks, "We're asking because there was a small toy flute found in the meadow you were caught. It has a name written on it, and we want to know if it's yours." My flute? The non-magic flute Catalina and I made up songs and codes on? If this is the only way of getting it back, I will. I take a deep breath and say, "Clara." The queen smiles. "That's a nice name," She comments, then reaches back to grab the flute. She puts it on my lap, as my hands are tied up, before standing up and going back to her seat. "Do you have a last name, too?" I refuse to answer this, and she doesn't come over this time. The princess says, "My name's Eiko, Princess of Lindblum, But don't ever call me Princess or you'll regret it." I refuse to look at anybody again, eye contact shows respect and that's one thing I don't have for them. I have plenty of respect for Uncle and Catalina, myself as well, but not them. "My name is Steiner. I am captain of the knights of Pluto, and I wish to ask you something after the introductions." Ask me something; I'll answer in a way you can't speak, rhetorically, or sarcastically. You're not gonna get any information from me. "I am General Beatrix. That is how you shall refer to me," She states. General Beatrix, Uncle was right about you if anybody. "Now then, for my question," Starts Sir Rust-a-lot. "How did you manage to do that much damage today? You very nearly killed many of my knights, and I want to know how it is possible. They are under the best training course I know of, and you have easily surpassed them." I nearly laugh out loud. My strength isn't all that great after all, and if his soldiers had lived a life as tough as mine is, they'd be just as tough. But I don't say a word, remaining absolutely silent, not even allowing myself to smile the tiniest amount. Any movement might give me away. I almost wish Catalina to be with me, so we can share the joke together. Instead I think of an answer that would cause him to scream and faint like a baby if he knew what it meant, "Practiced a lot." I look at him while saying it, trying at all times not to laugh. He looks very skeptical, but only says, "Then we shall practice even harder than ever!" He raises one fist while saying this, and I notice King Zidane having a sudden coughing fit that sounds suspiciously like laughter.
Whew! (looks at word count) 2066 words, not including these! Longest chapter yet, and I'm sorry I had to end it there! I will, if possible, get up 1 chapter for this story once every week (a week being Sunday-Saturday), but you'll have to be patient. This took 3 days to write, and I'm only stopping here because I've gotta stop or make the story one chapter shorter! Awesome, huh? Now R&R!!!!!!
I smile at the king leaving, and silently thank Uncle for insisting upon expression training. If it hadn't been for that I would've been on the floor minutes ago, wobbly knees from laughter unable to hold me. I'm still nervous about the Queen and princess, they seem to be whispering something. I close my eyes and strain my ears, listening, automatically slowing my breathing and keeping completely still. It's the queen who's talking now, saying something about tests of some type. The princess responds, and I strain to hear her soft voice saying the exact words. She says something about having inspected me during the night and finding my side sewn up, then I hear two words clearly: a disguise. It's clearly the end of a sentence, and I feel afraid for the first time. A disguise is another word for costume, and clearly it didn't fool little miss Eiko. Uncle didn't mention she was this observant when he fought her, so it is likely a recent thing. It could cause huge problems for me, though. If they somehow rip open the sewn spot or rip a new one, it could mean discovery. Since only Catalina, the princess, and myself have horns it is a very distinguishing feature. The same problem with a tail; it would be easily noticed, hard to hide, and then there's the last fact that worries me. The queen once had a horn, and the king has a tail. They are a couple, and who knows what features their children would acquire. I never really thought about that until now, but considering we never knew our parents, it could be them. As soon as I think this I immediately regard it as ridiculous. Our parents had to at least have feelings of some type. The people we've been told is our enemy are completely ruthless, void of emotions. Those people are the rulers of the Mist Continent. From what I've seen so far, I'm beginning to wonder. The rusty knight was definitely Steiner, but if he's in cahoots with the rulers why did he get mad? The organizers of this sick plot aren't supposed to be able to feel. It is bred into children at the age of eleven here, but only if they are living with their parents or parent figures. That is the main reason why we had to kill so many. The deaths I caused aren't supposed to weigh me down, making me feel like I did something bad. I nearly sigh from these sudden thoughts, then catch myself. I mustn't show any weakness. That will only make the torture they're sure to do to me even worse. The princess leaves the room, and I feel the queen staring at me. "You might as well make yourself comfortable, you're going to be stuck in there a very long time." States the queen, and I am almost glad she broke me from my thoughts. "You actually think you can break me, get some information from torturing me?" I reply. The queen looks startled for a moment, then recovers. "Why would we torture you? You're a living thing, just as we are. You breath, think, and feel. We cannot torture those who, for one reason or another, have wound up in there. If we did we would not be any better. People always commit crimes for a reason; we keep them in that cage you're in until they tell us why. A thief may not have any money; a child on the street may be an orphan. We have never had a mass murderer in our midst before, but I dare say you'll talk soon enough." This time I am the surprised one, though I try not to show it. I was told they would torture us beyond reason if we got caught, that they would make us beg for death from the incredible pain they'd inflict. I was expecting to be whipped with a steel tipped whip, to be starved and dehydrated. To be stretched limb from limb, to be beaten to an inch from death. This would be minimal punishment at home for doing a single thing wrong, and he always swore he was taking it easy on us compared to them. It was always tough, but we would always endure. I feel a sudden jolt from the floor and look up. The chain is being drawn through a door into a room above me. I get it now; they only torture people out of their soldiers sight. That speech was meant for the soldiers, not me. I look around and, sure enough, the queen is out of the room. With a last glance around I get into a fighting stance. Best to be prepared, I think as with a last creak the cage rises through the trapdoor and it closes under me. I look around and find myself facing the royalty clique, the defect, the rusty knight, and General Beatrix. I bare my teeth, liking how they shine in the bright yellow room. I slowly turn and realize there are no visible doors. The only way out I know of is below my cage, and I can see the king putting on a lock and undoing the combination. He then walks forward and unlocks the cage with a key, drawing open the door. I stand still cautiously, not daring to step forward or back. Stepping back shows weakness, while rushing forward is often seen as an attack. The king glances back at his friends, amused. He then takes a seat in a comfortable looking place, made to support his back while he sits. The others follow suit. I notice they leave one empty, a wooden one by the look of it. "Have a seat," Begins the king. "We're just going to sit and chat, get to know one another better before anything else. We want to know why you killed people, but that can wait a short while." I don't move in any direction still, unsure of his tactic. This is unlike any type of torture I've ever endured. I've never been told too sit down before, and I don't know what I should do. The king peers at me and obviously sees the confusion in my eyes. "Are you afraid to move or do you not know what a chair is?" My eyes widen as he correctly guesses not only one but both of my reasons. I hesitate a moment longer and both Steiner and Beatrix leap up. They walk forward, grab me by one arm each, and lift me up. I instantly thrash, causing them to drop me, and deliver a hard kick to their legs as I come down before darting to the opposite side of the cage. They both fall over and apparently can't rest any weight on the legs I kicked. The king chuckles as the queen casts Cura. "So I was right the first time. You're scared to move in any direction, and you're also planning on killing us all before finding an exit. It's a good thing we didn't bring any weapons in here, but lots of healing items. Now you might as well come out of there before we try to force you out once more," The king says, a small smile on his face. I look at him and feel warm all over suddenly, but refuse to move. This time the king and queen help haul me out. As much as I twist and struggle I haven't recovered completely from my two recent fights, and can't escape from their strong grips. They carry me to the. chair and place me down. I immediately jump up and try to get away, so the king and queen hold me down while the knights tie me tightly to the chair. The chains are stronger this time, and I will not be able to break them with as much ease as last time. They all sit down again and I realize with a shock this whole thing is too practiced for it to be the first time. They've done this many times before, maybe with every prisoner to ever come in the dungeon. "Let us get started. My name is Queen Garnet. You may address me as Garnet," Begins the queen. "My name is Zidane, my title is king, and you can just call me Zidane," States the king. I refuse to acknowledge these first two with even a glance in their general direction. "My name is Vivi. Please call me that," Adds the defect. The queen gets out of her chair and kneels in front of mine so we're eye level. "What is your name?" She asks, as if I was a little girl. I turn my head away. She gently takes my head in one of her hands and draws it to face her again. "Come on, I do not bite. We won't be able to use it against you in any way. Just tell us, please. We want to help you." I have no choice but to look into her eyes. Some how they comfort and sooth, telling me she'll honor her promise. What'll telling them my name do, anyway? It must have something in it for them. I continue to remain silent. The king speaks, "We're asking because there was a small toy flute found in the meadow you were caught. It has a name written on it, and we want to know if it's yours." My flute? The non-magic flute Catalina and I made up songs and codes on? If this is the only way of getting it back, I will. I take a deep breath and say, "Clara." The queen smiles. "That's a nice name," She comments, then reaches back to grab the flute. She puts it on my lap, as my hands are tied up, before standing up and going back to her seat. "Do you have a last name, too?" I refuse to answer this, and she doesn't come over this time. The princess says, "My name's Eiko, Princess of Lindblum, But don't ever call me Princess or you'll regret it." I refuse to look at anybody again, eye contact shows respect and that's one thing I don't have for them. I have plenty of respect for Uncle and Catalina, myself as well, but not them. "My name is Steiner. I am captain of the knights of Pluto, and I wish to ask you something after the introductions." Ask me something; I'll answer in a way you can't speak, rhetorically, or sarcastically. You're not gonna get any information from me. "I am General Beatrix. That is how you shall refer to me," She states. General Beatrix, Uncle was right about you if anybody. "Now then, for my question," Starts Sir Rust-a-lot. "How did you manage to do that much damage today? You very nearly killed many of my knights, and I want to know how it is possible. They are under the best training course I know of, and you have easily surpassed them." I nearly laugh out loud. My strength isn't all that great after all, and if his soldiers had lived a life as tough as mine is, they'd be just as tough. But I don't say a word, remaining absolutely silent, not even allowing myself to smile the tiniest amount. Any movement might give me away. I almost wish Catalina to be with me, so we can share the joke together. Instead I think of an answer that would cause him to scream and faint like a baby if he knew what it meant, "Practiced a lot." I look at him while saying it, trying at all times not to laugh. He looks very skeptical, but only says, "Then we shall practice even harder than ever!" He raises one fist while saying this, and I notice King Zidane having a sudden coughing fit that sounds suspiciously like laughter.
Whew! (looks at word count) 2066 words, not including these! Longest chapter yet, and I'm sorry I had to end it there! I will, if possible, get up 1 chapter for this story once every week (a week being Sunday-Saturday), but you'll have to be patient. This took 3 days to write, and I'm only stopping here because I've gotta stop or make the story one chapter shorter! Awesome, huh? Now R&R!!!!!!
