Terrielle
1
They had been traveling since first light. The girl's eyes ached when she was pushed out and up from the gloomy dungeon where they had been held captive for hours now, and into the red morning haze. She wondered where her mother and brother were. Where was her father? She couldn't feel his psychic scent anymore, and that bothered her. She was beginning to get very worried about them.
The rough carriage ride to a landing web had irritated her cuts, and lashes from the whip strokes. They had even threatened to cut her if she didn't comply to what they asked.
She was the heir to the throne of the Territory. She was not an extraordinary witch. Only some sapphire-jeweled princess who hadn't the taste of a hard life. However, because she was the throne and could present a problem if kept around the castle even as a slave there, it could start an uprising. And there was no room in their master's plan for an uprising. So what better way to make some gold marks? She was attractive, and would probably be stripped of her witch's title sooner than she could be sold. And Lord Roselv would see to that.
The party reached the landing web. The sun was a little past its' mid-point in the sky, and Ares was dragged out of the carriage, screaming. She flailed, and kicked her legs to try to make the men let go of her, but that only caused another to grab her legs, and the one holding her torso cover her mouth. At this struggle, her sapphire jewel fell out of her shirt, and bounced around on her chest.
The brown haired man, Lord Roselv, had been keeping an eye on the scene, but when the metal of the necklace caught his eyes, he came over. He then snatched the jewel up, and studied it. "You're a sapphire witch?" he snarled to her. She kept struggling to get free. Then she figured it out: use your Craft. So she silently collected her power, and waited for her strength to grow. It reached it's breaking point right when Roselv was about to snap the chain, and take her last reminder of home, and power. She let her power burst free, knocking the two men away from her. Lord Roselv was thrown away as well, but not as far. Ares snatched her jewel out of his grasp right before he fell backward, almost taking it with him. He must have a darker rank. She thought to herself. She took her captors' moment of surprise to escape. She ran towards the trees that lined the landing web, using Craft to propel herself to get away. She was almost there. Just a little further...
She heard the men shouting at her to return, and she felt the power building up behind her from them, but she ignored them. Her goal was to make it to the forest. So close...
Something flew from behind her, and slammed into her back. Square on the spine. It knocked the air out of her, as she stumbled, and was thrown a few feet before harshly landing in the dirt with a cry of anguish.
"Is there a problem here, Lord Roselv?" it was a harsh, and biting voice that belonged to an older man. He looked down on the brown-haired man, who was still on the ground. Roselv looked up at his superior, and stuttered, trying to think of what to say. "You men. Go and pick her up, and hold her in the coach." he said gruffly.
"L-Lord Darius." Roselv stuttered. Lord Darius was a thin, ailing man of about 60. He had white hair, and walked with a cane, that he now leaned heavily on, peering down at his incompetent subordinate. His red jewel hung about his neck, glinting dangerously, cooling from the power he had just summoned.
"Don't let this happen again." he warned with a mean edge to his voice. "And if you allow her to make a scene in a more populated area, I will be forced to take measures you will not appreciate." the elderly man hissed. Then he sharply turned away from the younger Warlord, and limped over to the Coach. Roselv pulled his lips back in a silent snarl. He then snapped his head around to face the Coach, where he could hear the girl yelling, and making sounds of distress. It was her fault he wasn't making a good impression. He had been about to deliver a strike of power, but Darius had acted too soon.
After a quick scan of the clearing, Roselv turned and walked to the Coach. He stepped up the stairs and closed the door just in time to see the girl cuffed for biting one of the men. He grinned in approval, but he wished he could have been the one to do the act.
Ares was so shocked by the smack across her face, she was stunned silent. She went very still, and didn't even try to struggle when the men pushed her upright, and sat her in a seat. The elderly man sat on the same seat, looking stern, and unhappy at his followers. He held his red jewel as a flicker of power arose, and she felt the Coach encased by his shield. Soon, the Coach began to move.
Ares felt tears welling up in her eyes, as the stinging from the smack subsided a little. She glanced at the men once , and finally realized what was happening. She wasn't ever to see those she loved again. She was lost.
She leaned her head on the wall of the Coach, and closed her eyes.