Crawling through the tunnel a barrage of thoughts circling over and over in Cleo's mind she couldn't help but feel vulnerable in the face of the new danger. Of the new foes that have emerged and supposed allies from within. She didn't know who to trust she just wanted the answers laid out in the open. No more of this secrecy and deceit. What was so important about Leaf?
"For someone who said that'd she'd always help Leaf no matter what you have a lot of turmoil," Dalamar's cold voice interjected from behind her.
"Keep out of my thoughts or you'll pay!" Cleo hissed dragging herself out of the tunnel only to have to help Dalamar out, "Trust me it won't pretty if you invade my mind again."
"Snappy aren't we," Dalamar mocked goading her into trying to even lay a finger on him.
"Oh move it so that Josh and Diane can get through," Cleo stated pushing Dalamar out of the way, "Josh grab my hand."
Smiling at her Dalamar couldn't help but watch without offering assistance. It seemed that Leaf had quite a hold on this young mortal. Human as she is she could prevail to be of some use in this horde of hell in this castle.
"You know instead of standing there with that silly god damn grin how about you help us out?" Cleo snapped glaring at Dalamar.
"But you seem to be doing so well," Dalamar ridiculed watching her as the anger rose deep within.
"Well if I'm doing so good how about I take a knife and cut-" Cleo started saying but had her mouth covered by an unseen hand.
Looking to her side thinking that it was Josh. But to her amazement it wasn't Josh but Leaf standing straight up staring angrily at Dalamar.
"Cleo we will not stoop to his level no matter how much we want to," Leaf stated standing beside her, "Even if he goads us into a corner we'll keep our peace and ignore him for now."
Removing her hand from Cleo's mouth she went to sit back down where she had been sitting the whole time. Only getting up to stop Cleo from saying something she would regret. Sighing she sat back down and closed her eyes against the pain of moving so quickly as to stop Cleo.
"I see that you yet live Leaf," Dalamar whispered coming to stand in front of her, "It seems you can not be diminished in state of mind nor your physical being."
"Cut the mockery Dalamar and shut up and sit down," Leaf stated ignoring the pain of breathing, "Cleo come on and sit down, you too Josh, Diane. There are answers I need before I make my choice of action as it is now."
Cleo was so overwhelmed with Leaf's presence that she ran and hugged her only to hear an intake of breath. Leaf wasn't completely healed enough to be having people being draped over her. Realizing her mistake if it was a bit to late she quickly backed off.
"I'm sorry Leaf I completely forgot about your wounds," Cleo hurriedly muttered uselessly blushing from her mistake and from Dalamar's mocking grin, "I'm sorry are you all right?"
"I'll be fine Cleo I've been through worse," Leaf gasped trying to make her breathing normal, "Josh Diane come and sit down. I'm glad that you two have come, though I must quench my curiosity as to why you are both here?"
"Its mainly Diane not me I'm just sort of the messenger but now that Diane's here I can go she'll deal with you," Josh stated nodding his head and retreating back to the tunnel where he went onto his own cell.
"Before we get to involved that I forget Cleo," Leaf looked over to Cleo her face a mask of her inner turmoil, "Tell me where did you get this jar of poultice? I know that no matter what Gabriel wouldn't have given it to you, and neither would Raven."
"Raven, what does she have to do with this?" Dalamar asked looking to Leaf with a perplexed look, "According to what they say about her she should be deep within Solmania territory. So she can't be here."
"I assure you she is I experienced her brutality first hand with a knife," Leaf whispered her hand unintentionally going to her upper shoulder where Raven had stabbed her repeatedly, "Now back to my original question Cleo, where did you get this jar of poultice?"
"A man that was dressed in black robes he'd said it would help with the pain," Cleo whispered, "He told me to tell you that they'll be coming back for you tomorrow at noon. So be ready, he said that you were a fool even though you were strong and endured such pain. He told me to tell you his name."
Cleo was quite for a bit afraid to say the name. Leaf could sense her hesitation and put a comforting hand on Cleo's. A comforting bandaged hand that was burning. Cleo could feel the heat and felt such remorse for Leaf. Placing her other hand on Leaf's gently that is.
"I'll tell but we've already talked about him before Leaf," Cleo started hesitantly, "He said that his name was Raistlin Majere."
"You lie!" Dalamar hissed, "Raistlin Majere wouldn't trouble himself with a pitiful little elf. You'll have to come up with something else for me to listen more to this rabble. Did you see anything that might indicate that it was Raistlin?"
"Dalamar calm down, Cleo can you explain anything unusual about him?" Leaf asked patiently watching Cleo.
If it had been Raistlin Majere then he would be angered beyond believe about Leaf. The two had heard of each other but had never actually met due to the fact that Leaf had been a virtual prison among her own people when Raistlin and his companions had come to see her father the Speaker of the Suns.
"Well he had a raspy voice as though he was real old," Cleo stated thinking back to the events with the man, "I saw that his hand that held the jar of poultice had a golden tinge to it but I just thought it was my imagination from lack of sleep or something. He was small and seemed real frail, it looked as though Leaf in your normal strength you could even break him in two. Otherwise he was unexpectedly treated me like a normal human being. Not like Gabriel who usually calls us creatures or pathetic excuses for a human."
"Even to that child you mentioned?" Dalamar demanded shocked about this turn of events.
"What, child do you mean Rebecca?" Leaf asked looking to Dalamar in complete and utter annoyance, "What does she have to do with this?"
"Does Gabriel call her creatures and pathetic excuses for a human too?" Dalamar stated still looking at Cleo, "Does he?"
"Yeah of course he does he wants to degrade us into thinking that were nothing but garbage to the rest of the world," Diane's voice whispered, "That includes Rebecca."
"When did you develop a heart Dalamar?" Leaf stated shocked that Dalamar actually cared for another human being, "Well? You've never even met the girl. Why would you begin to care about a total stranger?"
Ignoring the question Dalamar stated his cold icy voice back, "To the matter at hand it seems that this man that Cleo describes would be the famous Archmagus Raistlin Majere. Though I've never met him, yet that is, the Conclave heads have described him to me and that matches the description exactly."
"Thanks for clearing that matter up," Cleo stated rolling her eyes, "Now that all of us are positive that it's the famous magus what are we going to do about it?"
"I'm not sure at all Cleo," Leaf whispered struggling to stand up Cleo aiding her she walked over to the window ledge.
For a while no one said anything they just watched Leaf's back. They expected her to come up with something but she had not idea what to do. It was the honest truth this time. Her mind was still reeling from the pain she still felt, to think that they were coming back so soon for her meant that they were serious about this. She had to think of some way past this for her sake and the others. Sighing she looked out to the plains, a sea of green she wished beyond anything to go and lay in that wilderness. If they could escape and hide in the forest she was positive that they could get away, but how to get to the forest? To her dismay she saw the sun beginning to rise up. She was running out of time, in just a couple of hours they would be here for her and there was no way her smart ass mouth would get her out of this one. Turning around she saw the eager face of Cleo looking to her for the answer. Looking over at Diane she could see the terror that was etched in the face along with the mixed emotions struggling in her. Diane was still unsure of her decision. Over to Dalamar he gave the impression of being fearless of what was to come but he was still young just like her. Older then her but still young nonetheless.
"Leaf are you alright?" Cleo asked looking concerned at how long Leaf was staying quiet, "You look paler then before do you need to sit down? You shouldn't be moving about anyways your still on the mend."
"Cleo I'm always going to be on the mend!" Leaf snapped irritated beyond belief, "Don't you see that I'll always be this way cause I have no choice! I don't have some magic answer to this mess. If I help Dalamar I'll be freed but you all won't. If we try my plan there's a chance that Diane will get hurt and she won't be the one to pay, Gabriel will know it was my idea and just decide to kill me instead."
Falling to her knees no longer able to withstand the pain in her legs. She couldn't help but let it burst out. She knew it wasn't Cleo's fault or any of the others for her predicament. The gods gave her this choice. A choice isn't really what she should call it more like a blight that would follow her forever. She was stuck with this life, she couldn't help them escape any more then she could light a fire with wet wood.
"I don't have the answer I can't get us out of this no matter how much I want to," Leaf whispered the tears brimming dangerously to close to her eyes, "I'm just not strong enough."
"Of course you-" Cleo began but Dalamar covered her mouth causing Leaf to look up at him.
He was staring straight at her locking eyes with hers. He wasn't about to let Leaf give up but what she didn't need a pep talk to boast her confidence only to have it brought down again. She was strong but not that strong that she'd be able to handle it mentally. Her physique had changed immensely from the last time they had met. She was strong enough to handle out on the torture but her brain was still fragile and weak. She was mentally still the frail little elf girl all alone.
Cleo struggled to be let go but Dalamar was stronger then her. He could probably pick her up and throw her out the window. Leaf was still on the ground all alone and it was breaking Cleo's heart. She wanted to run to Leaf to help her but Dalamar wouldn't let her. She could see that Leaf's eyes were locked with Dalamar's but why? She couldn't figure it out.
"Cleo Leaf doesn't need another talk from you," Dalamar whispered so softly that Cleo jumped a little, "She needs to realize that we won't always be there for her that she'll have to use her mind to figure out her problems on her own. Isn't that right Leaf? That's what your thinking."
"Dalamar I told you stay out of my mind you don't understand anything but what you want!" Leaf shouted hitting her fist against the floor, "You think its easy to do this well I'd like to see how long it take you to scream under the pain that Raistlin can conduct. He's powerful you know it!"
"We will leave you to your thoughts and be here when you come back from the torture session," Dalamar whispered dragging Cleo and Diane away from Leaf, "Try to get some sleep before they take you again Leaf. You'll need your strength."
Cleo and Diane struggled but the elf mage was quite strong for someone who looked like Diane could break him in two. Leaf watched Dalamar take them away and leave her all alone again. He was doing this on purpose. The bastard he was taking away the only friends she had. Running she tried to pry open the tunnel's entrance but found that Dalamar had put magic on it so as not to allow Leaf to follow them. Looking fearfully around she felt her insides churn as she realized to late that she had moved entirely too fast for her still healing body to take. Puking in the waste bucket she laid herself trembling all over onto the small straw mattress that would usually have Cleo right beside her for comforts sake.
Wrapping her arms around her stomach she tried vainly to fall asleep. Her thoughts kept on rolling around in her mind. She couldn't help but think of what Dalamar was up to. Why would her all of sudden act as though he didn't really need Leaf's help? She knew he needed it, why was he so stubborn? Sighing she thought of Cleo and Diane, what were they thinking right now? They were counting on her to save them from the terrors of Gabriel but she didn't know what to do still. She'd have to figure out some way to beat Gabriel but that was after her mental break down stopped that is. Raistlin sure did confuse things for her also. She could understand why he took on the black robes even Leaf could tell that he would some day but why was he so set on being a part of this torture scene. It was messy; he didn't seem the type to be messy.
Just as she was falling vastly asleep the door opened revealing a black robed figure. It wasn't yet time for them to come after her; it wasn't noon yet the sun wasn't even fully up. Walking in to the prison the figure sat down to the side of where Leaf was laying. Glaring up at the figure she tried vainly to see the face of this new comer. Whoever it was he or she sure knew how to hide from people studying his or her face.
"Its good to see you up Leaf," a raspy voice from under the cowl whispered, "We did not get introduce each other properly. I am Archmagus Raistlin Majere."
"Leaf," she whispered struggling once again to sit up she fell back down as her hand slipped on the slimy rock surface.
Raistlin gave her a hand in sitting up and Leaf finally got to see his face. Gasping she recoiled from what she hadn't expected. Seeing him smile at her he removed the cowl and she couldn't help but stare at him.
"I believe it's impolite to stare Leaf," he whispered sitting him more comfortably.
Raistlin Majere was a man of youth Leaf could obviously tell that. But his face had a golden tinge to it that was unsettling about it. It looked as though a gold crafter or something had smelted him. Though his figure depicted him as an old man he was not old not when you looked into his face. Probably handsome when he wasn't turned into something so unnatural it caused Leaf to get shivers. Looking into his eyes she was startled to see hourglass pupils surrounded by yet more gold.
"I was told that you were 20 some years old," Leaf muttered in awe of this strange man, "What did this to you? Did some magic turn you to this?"
"Yes I suppose you could say that," Raistlin whispered, "But I did not come down here to talk about myself I came to talk to you Leaf."
"What was it you wanted to talk about?" Leaf asked memorized by his eyes, "If you're here to torture me then I ask that you wait till dawn. You've already put me through enough pain let me rest just a little more."
"I'm not here to torture you I'm here to talk," he repeated his voice unusually calm compared to Gabriel, "Why did the gods chose you to be their messenger?"
"You want to talk about that," Leaf stated rolling her eyes finally able to dislodge her gaze from his eyes, "I really don't know how about you go and talk to them and leave me to die in peace seeing how there's no way I'm ever getting out of here."
"That's odd I've met your half sister and brothers and they don't seem to give up and yet you do," he whispered mocking her with the prospect of news of her family, "I didn't think an elf could give up or well that is allow themselves to be imprisoned."
"Well you've met one!" Leaf snapped burying her head in her hands unable to look at Raistlin, "I'm not strong I'm weak just like Gabriel said I was! Anyways it'll be just like home being a prisoner of someone I trusted or used to trust."
"If your so weak why is that you were able to withstand my spells," Raistlin stated softly, "When no alive has yet to do that."
"I was lucky that's all," Leaf murmured.
"Then maybe I was wrong about you," he muttered mainly to himself, "Maybe your not one of those ancient cohorts."
"Ancient cohorts?" Leaf stated, "What gibberish are you spouting?"
"Did you never know that your people were quite diverse?" Raistlin stated grinning mockingly at her, "Is it that elf's don't know that much?"
"If your only here to laugh at me then leave now," Leaf snapped narrowing her eyes in her anger, "I don't need this from you!"
"Calm yourself your brash just like your little friend Cleo who seems to have disappeared from this prison," he stated looking around.
"So what she left who cares?" Leaf stated trying to act tough even though she wanted desperately for Cleo to be here.
She had begun to rely on the human for support when she had nothing to support her. All she had was the endless darkness that was consuming her soul.
"I think you care but that's not what we were talking about," Raistlin grinned still mocking her, "An ancient cohorts was only one of many that existed among your kind. They were emissaries of the gods, blessed with visions of the past mistakes and the ones to come. Some would say that was a blessing I'd say it was a nuisance for them. Though they had much power make no exception of that they were fearful of themselves. They didn't know what to do with them. They were always looked to when trouble came, always seemed to be the ones with the answers. Do you know why they had these answers Leaf?"
Shaking her head she was silent as she listened intently to Raistlin's tale. She couldn't believe it, everything he was stating was exactly what was happening with her. She saw visions of past occurrences she could tell now cause of the armor worn then.
"Because they were entrusted especially large amounts of knowledge that only their brains could handle," Raistlin murmured, "Don't forget that my dear."
Rising to his feet he looked back to her and smiled, "I know your one of them there is no denying that my dear. Soon your wings will take flight and it will be magnificent then you will find out what the gods have told you."
Shocked to the core she could feel herself shaking as she watched Raistlin leave the room deserting her with her thoughts. She couldn't be this ancient cohort thing. She just couldn't even if it did make sense. She was seeing the past and she must be seeing the future too. How that was possible that was hard to believe. Shaking she fell back onto her straw mattress falling asleep still thinking even as they came to collect her. She couldn't help but think of her wings, what was that supposed to mean? Were really wings or was it just a metaphor.
"Don't count on it my dear," Raistlin's oh so familiar voice sounded from behind her, "No metaphor at all intended, they'll come out soon even if we have to force them out!"
Shaking as they chained her to the wall she couldn't really even tell when she was getting hurt. She was too numb to it now with the prospect that they would force her wings out. She didn't concentrate on what they were saying but she heard the word wings and was surprised to look to her side and see glossy white wings. Her eyes widening she felt transcendent peace emit from them. She couldn't help but smile as she saw them moving her smile was one of peace. They had certainly come out a little to soon Leaf thought to her but they did come out.
"I told you Gabriel she's one of the ancient cohorts!" Raistlin hissed.
Leaf paid them no attention she couldn't help but be memorized by her wings shiny sort of reflection they had with the candlelight. She wondered what it would be like if she had real sunlight hit them.
"For now she'll go back to her prison and be left alone," Gabriel snapped as he walked to stand in front of Leaf, "Leaf look to me, Leaf."
Turning her head she saw that his eyes were full of hunger, a hunger or lust of power. He wanted to use her once again.
"You seem to know more then you let on," he whispered.
"If I knew more then why is it that I'm more shocked about my wings then you are?" Leaf asked her smile now gone.
Seeing the anger build in him her smile reappeared. Snapping his finger she watched as the guards came and took her off the wall and as she passed Raven she couldn't help but laugh at her.
"Raven you should see the look on your face its absolutely priceless," Leaf shouted as the guards led her out she could hear Gabriel quickly comforting Raven as she made to run after them.
Arriving back into her prison she looked towards the tunnels entrance she was surprised to see that they Dalamar and the others were nowhere in sight. Probably a good thing though seeing how her wings were extremely bright and kind of emitted a light of their own. Popping the stone up Cleo stuck her head and was one to stick her head back down and then back up. Dragging herself out of the tunnel she couldn't help but stare at the wings. With the remembrance that the others needed help out of the tunnel she quickly helped Diane and Dalamar out who also couldn't help but stare at the wings. Cleo blinked her eyes over and over and yet she couldn't change the fact that her friend had wings now.
"Where did those come from?" Cleo finally voiced her question, "When we left you were wingless what's going on?"
"Uh yeah these well they just you know sprouted while they were torturing me," Leaf stated rubbing the back of her head as she smiled, "We may have more of a problem then we did in the beginning Cleo."
"What are you talking about?" Diane asked venturing forth closer to the wings, "What could be worse then this? Can we touch them?"
"Yeah sure," Leaf whispered.
"What's the new problem Leaf?" Dalamar asked clam even though the wings were a huge distraction, "I don't mean to be mean but could you do something about your wings?"
"If I could I would Dalamar," Leaf stated narrowing her eyes at him, "I'm currently still trying to understand the things. All I can think of right now is that with these things out the knowledge is going to become ever so slightly revealed to me. Raistlin said that I was one of the ancient cohorts. I really have no idea what he means so don't ask. Now I'm going to sleep while you all talk about this oh so morally."
Leaf went to lie down her wings wrapping around her. Sighing she quickly fell asleep not hearing a word that Dalamar was saying or what any other was saying. Beyond her comprehension she began to dream of herself flying over the lands.