Atrox Melior Dulcissima Veritas Mendaciis
Translation: The Bitter Truth is Better than the Sweetest Lies
Pepper took a deep breath, Tony's dark brown gaze on her thoughtfully.
"According to legend, Summac was an ancient demi-god of fire. It lived in the stars, burning through space brightly. One day, during an electric storm, it crash landed on Earth. It landed in a dirt-filled field. Its body nearly destroyed, it was breathing its last when a kindly woman passing by, came to its aid. Since it needed fire to live, it taught the passerby how to create fire and how to restore its strength, using wood to burn its fire within."
"The woman helped Summac and in turn, the Demi-God said it would grant any wish of hers. The woman was awed by the power of fire and asked for the ability to magically conjure up fire and control it at her will. Summac granted her wish and she became the first human who was able to control fire. The woman taught people around her, how to use fire with wood and stone. But she kept her own power hidden, fearing they would label her a witch."
"She was also my earliest known ancestor, Elizabetha. The Demi-God had not only blessed her but also blessed her genetic chemistry, such that the gift to control fire, would pass down from generation to generation. But only to the female members of the family and only from mother to daughter. The descendants of the first flame controller, Elizabetha, who have the ability to control fire, are called the Daughters of Summac."
Tony was staring at her incredulously and she tapped his chin.
"I am one Daughter, the last of my line actually." she said sadly. "My mother... my mother was not... I mean, she could not control the flame. She had the power, but she hated it, the ability. She feared it horribly. I do not know why... I think she had a bad experience with it as a child."
Tony tilted his head curiously and she explained. "One of my mother's sisters was a Daughter as well and I do not know, something happened as they played together, as young children. In any case, I never met my aunt who had the power. She died in another land. My mother spoke of her rarely."
"My mother begged of me to hide my power. She said... she said people would fear me for it and it did nothing but harm. She said it was not a blessing but a horrible curse from which our family would never be free... unless we died out."
He asked her slowly, "How did you hide it?"
She shrugged, memories coming back to her. "It was difficult as first, I would randomly start fires and smoke would waft from my hands and... well, I was a very lonely child because the other children were scared of me. They wouldn't come to play with me. But..." she shook her head. "But gradually, I learnt how to stamp it down. I learnt how to control my temper. And I made great friends with the young ladies of court. So I forgot about it. It would only manifest itself when I was very emotional or very angry and I had learned to subdue it, even then."
"All was well. Then one day, the Necromancer Stane came to Cumbria."
Tony stiffened and Pepper saw the arc, which had been glowing soft blue, burn brightly and powerfully in his bare chest. He twisted his hand around the glass and looked away, exhaling deeply.
Tall, bald man with a long, flowing grey beard and twinkling light blue eyes. So light, they are nearly translucent. He comes to them in resplendent robes of purple.
"My name is Obadiah Stane, I am a humble necromancer from Moria, I come to these lands to learn more about the world."
His voice is so friendly and booming. Indeed, he seems to be a noble, regal man with a ready smile.
Pepper continued. "He was allowed to stay at the Castle because he had impressed the Queen with his manners and his charm."
But she feels deep down, there is something about him. Something evil. The way his smile never reaches his eyes. The way his light-colored eyes dart about the place, as if searching for something. The way he looks at her, inspecting her and smiles evilly. As if he knows... he knows there is something wrong with her and can not wait to have her under his control.
"Stane was the perfect guest. He was smart, he was a man of the world and would entertain the Castle's court with stories of adventure and travels. The court was in love with him, he could do no wrong in their eyes."
But there are incidents that she notices. Children and animals fear him. Goats turn up dead, throats slit and bled dry. The population of snakes and bats in the area, increases noticeably. He came alone but somehow in a week, he acquires a few companions, hulking brutish men, with dull eyes and speaking in an illegible tongue.
"Stane spoke little about his personal life. He would spend his spare time, reading in the Castle library and discussing with the apothecary."
She pushed her hair back from her face. Tony was still watching her thoughtfully.
Then that black day comes, when he shows them his true intent. And in one fell swipe, everything changes.
Pepper swallowed, the next part of her story difficult for her to talk about.
"One night, I could not sleep. A night very much like tonight. I had snuck downstairs to read."
Dark, stormy night... the wind howling and shrieking with force, thunder rumbling loud and hard, lightning streaking the sky in angry purple bursts... she cannot sleep. She hates thunderstorms. It had been such a night when her father died... returning home late from a tournament and fell from his horse in the storm. She hates such nights. Something tells her to go downstairs. She does not know what but she goes anyways.
"I found Stane in the library, he was looking for something. He was trying to find a hidden safe, a secret alcove in the library, used to hide something very precious."
A single light on in the library. And there is the Necromancer, lurking in the shadows. Feeling behind bookshelves, searching under them, touching the walls. He yells in frustration and she watches him silently. She does not know what to do. She is so stupid, she does not suspect what he is after. But he finds it. He finds the book with the family tree documented. He opens the page and realizes the clue, the first letter of the first names of all the Daughters. The phrase formed, ignis aurum probat, is engraved on a plaque below a portrait in the library.
"Pepper, What was he looking for?"
"He was looking for an ancient heirloom, passed down by each Daughter to the next. The Necklace of Summac. A large fire opal set in gold and hung on a chain of gold links. It is a magical object, much like the Blood Gem that Morganna used to drain energy. It was created by Elizabetha during one of her fire rituals. It is said to contain the Demi-God's raw essence."
Stane pulls the portrait off the wall and finds the safe. He smashes his bare hand into the metal surface and breaks the door. She finally finds the courage to step out from under the shadows.
"I confronted him and he just looked at me and laughed. And then he used a spell on me. A spell of immobilization."
The Necromancer waves his fingers and suddenly, she is being held against the wall, by an invisible force. It presses against her tightly, so tightly, she cannot not even move a finger. She watches helplessly, as he pulls out the large orange orb, glowing red and gold ominously in the darkness. The Necromancer passes his hands over it reverently. It seems to pulse at his touch.
She cries out desperately, "Put it back! It is not meant for you."
He laughs at her derisively. "What do you know, foolish girl? At last, I have found what I require..." He puts the Necklace around his neck and walks towards her, to exit the room.
"I was upset, I couldn't let him just walk away. Every fiber of my being urged me to protect the Necklace. It could not fall into the wrong hands. So my long suppressed power manifested itself, instinctively coming to my aid."
Her palms start to itch. She feels her heart throb powerfully. She does not want to control it this time. She wants it to come forth, to burn him. She closes her eyes as the fire begins to burn within her. The Necromancer is about to cross her path. She breaks out of the hold he has on her and levitates upwards. He stares at her with shock.
"After so many years, my power was free. And I was angry. I wanted to hurt Stane for stealing."
Her eyes burn with light. She says loudly, "You thief, you liar, you came here for the Necklace!" She forms an orb of flame in one hand. The Necromancer exclaims in awe, "You are... You are one of them!" You are a Daughter of Summac!" She fires the orb at him and he deflects it back at her. The flame washes over her harmlessly.
"He dodged my blow and ran out, towards the courtyard. I followed him, eager to get the Necklace back."
Pepper picked up the blanket from the bed and wrapped it around her, feeling a wave of coldness pass over her.
She runs down the steps, two at a time. She can hear him laughing in front of her and he leads her to the square, shaded square of the Castle. Thunder roared all around them, windows banging, the wind howling in the trees and angry streaks of light blasting through the black sky. The Castle is awoken now and she sees her mother there, standing by one of the pillars, face white with shock. But the Necromancer is standing his ground, mockingly smiling at her.
"Stane challenged me. He wanted me to show him what I could do."
So much power, so raw, so untamed... show me what you can do, girl! Come on!
"And at first, I held back, unsure. I dodged his blow. Then a voice began to whisper in my head. A horrible voice. Egging me on."
Hit him, burn him, destroy him with your fire... you must let go. You must do this, Virginia. Face your fear.
"He threatens my mother and I fight him head on. But he is too powerful for me."
Mother! Move away! she yells and unleashes a stream of orange fire.
To her dismay, he conjures up a wall of ice and her flame melts it rapidly, into a pool of water. He winds the water with his fingers, turning it into a whip and lashes at her with it. The Necromancer lifts her up with just a wave of his fingers and the whip of water is now around her throat, squeezing her.
"Again, the voice in my head urges me to fight, to use my strength, to destroy him and let go completely. I struggle and manage to break free of Stane's magic."
You are stronger than this. Do not hold back. Let go Virginia! Unleash your flame!
She decides to listen to the Voice and with a last burst of strength, she desperately throws an orb of flame at the Necromancer.
"I was so angry." She looks down at her hands, moistening her lips. "I was so full of rage, that I wanted to kill Stane, irrespective of the consequences." He was laughing at me. "So I decided to focus all my energy and create a fire bomb. I did not even know what I was doing! I just..."
She forms fire in her palms and begins to create a giant circle around her, willing it to appear from within her. The Necromancer watches her silently now, alert and eyes gleaming with excitement. She has now encircled herself in a giant orb of flame, violently burning and ebbing.
She whispered now, "I lost my concentration, I did not have enough strength, I wasn't... I wasn't good enough to do what I wanted to do. And then... the voice said something and I was not looking ahead... I was not paying attention to Stane! He fired at me and I lost control of the bomb! I ..."
Her control on the orb slips and as the Necromancer sends a blast of lightning, she feels the flame explode around her, blasting her with heat. She falls backwards, hits her head hard on stone and then nothing...
Tony was staring at her in rapt attention, whiskey forgotten in his hand. Pepper swallows hard, feeling tears come to her eyes. It pains her deeply, the memory so raw and fresh, it nearly destroys her.
Quavering, her hands shaking, she says, "The bomb burst around me. I heard screams and shouts and saw nothing but light. I lost consciousness. When I came to... when I came to... I saw... my mother... lying there, next to me... dead, burnt... my flame... I killed her."
She ended on a whisper, a single tear escaping her control and rolling down her cheek. Tony moved slightly in shock but held himself still.
Blue eyes, that laughed and shone, so like her own, blank and empty. The face so familiar, the form so still, lying there quietly next to her. Hair singed badly. She looks down at the badly burnt body.
Face what you are. Look at what you have done. You monster, you murderer.
Tony reached for her then but she pushed his hands away, determined to finish.
"I do not remember much of what happened next. I was taken away... to the dungeon."
She is dragged away by her chains, one of his brutish oafs has it tightly in his hands and pulls her along. She cannot fight anymore. All her energy has gone away. She can see Stane hold the Necklace aloft in his hand, lighting illuminating him against the sky, saying something victoriously. The people began to kneel to him. She is dragged into a cell and chained to a loop in the floor. Then when the door slams shut, she is enshrouded in utter darkness.
"I do not know how long I stayed there. I could not believe what I had done. One day, Stane came to see me."
He looks down at her, his eyes glittering with malice. "My dear, you fought well indeed. But you really had no chance against me." She has no strength left in her to counter. He catches the chain around her neck and winds it around his hand, pulling her up forcibly to stand.
Then the Necromancer holds her jaw in his hand and tilts her head, holding her in place, looking at her greedily. She can feel a throbbing pain in her head and her ears start to ring. But she stays still because she is terrified. He leans close to her and whispers in the serpent's voice, "You will do very well, my dear. Your spirit pleases me immensely." He smiles at her obvious fear and whispers, again in that dreadful voice, "I will enjoy breaking it to bring you under my command."
She did not realize she had drifted off in her memories until she heard Tony's harsh whisper, "What did he want?"
Pepper swallowed hard. Tony's eyes had turned almost black and glittered dangerously at her, in the dim light of the room. She shrugged, tired now. "I think to join some army of his. I do not know. He left me alone then. But I was scared, so I planned to escape."
Tony nodded, "The sommelier, I remember, he showed you a secret chamber."
She smiled at him sadly. "That was a lie, Tony. I called the dungeon master into my cell, pretending to be sick. And then I stole the cell key from his pocket."
There is a dead rat in the corner. She shuffles there on her knees. She pulls against the chain around her neck, struggling to reach the dead animal with cuffed hands. Finally she has it and she pulls its tail apart from its body. Rigor mortis has set in and the tail is stiff and straight like a nail. She uses it to pick the lock at her hands and then on her neck.
"I left the cell. Luckily the dungeon master was at lunch and there were no guards. I wondered where they were. It was too risky to climb upstairs to the castle, so I crept into the toilets and escaped from the sewer."
The sewer opens into a filthy stream. There is a guard here, one of the castle's own, guarding a small gate that leads to town. She knocks out the man out, steals his clothes and horse and rides to the town, anxious to meet the people.
Pepper sighed. "The townspeople were so scared and frightened. Some of them who worked in the castle, had witnessed Stane's magic and the ... the death of my mother. So they were in awe of his powers and dared not defy him. But I soon realized they were also horrified... of me."
Whispers, loud whispers reach her as she talks to the Aldermen
'Murderer.'
'Sorceress.'
'Killer.'
'Freak.'
'She killed her own mother you know...'
'Fire bursts from her. She is dangerous.'
The Aldermen are terrified. She can see it in their fearful eyes. The way they clutch at their sheathed swords. Mothers send their children inside, the same children she used to play with everyday. Some do the sign of the Cross, others bring out incense. All out of fear. Fear of her.
"The witnesses had told the townspeople what I had done. And my power. They were scared and one of them asked me to leave. They said they would handle Stane on their own."
Only one match to light a blaze. The catcalls and yells grow louder. All want her to leave. Fear makes them hate and she can feel their hatred. And she deserves it. Are they telling untruths? Did she not kill her mother in plain sight?
She shrugged here. "With no support from the townspeople, I just could not stay. I had nothing but the stolen horse and the stolen clothes I wore. So I rode out from Cumbria with just that."
Tony interjected here. "What of the Queen? Your retainer."
Pepper swallowed hard. "Before Stane descended to the library, he stabbed the Queen dead in her bed. That is why the guards of the castle obeyed him wordlessly. He was now in charge."
The Queen is dead. Long live the Queen... she whispers to herself as she rides out, alone into the cold, dark winter.
She hugged herself. "I lied to you about how I got captured. The slavers found me traveling on foot, after the horse I rode, fell dead from the cold."
"It's an old friend of yours, at least that's what he said. He's been searching for you. The warlock Stane."
He's found me.
Pepper looked deep into Tony's brown eyes and felt the tears come back. "So now, Lord Stark, you know what I really am. A freak of nature who can't control herself, a runaway who the people of Cumbria hate and ..." she stammered this out in shame, "a monster who ... who murdered her own mother..."
She angrily swiped at the tears that had leaked onto her cheeks.
"I cannot go back ever. To my home. They hate me. They will kill me or hand me over to Stane."
Tony asked quietly, "Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"
Pepper said bitterly, "Who wants to give a murderer a second chance? Would you have trained me to be a soldier, if you knew I had blood on my hands? Initially, I did not know you... you could have been working with Stane. Besides Tony..." she paused, "I never intended to stay with you for long."
He looked shocked at that.
"I planned to stay at the Keep for two weeks and creep away one night. Then one thing led to another, and suddenly," her heart clenched painfully with memories of her and Tony, "I did not want to leave..." she whispered. "I thought I could hide away with you... I thought I could have a new life as your squire..."
She looked at him, sitting there silently, eyes wide, face tense. "Do you still want to court me, my lord? I am no lady, I am a runaway killer... I do not deserve your love... Tony... I do not ..."
Oh Tony, I have told you everything. If you hate me, I will understand. My heart will break but if you hate me, I will understand... I would not blame you... I hate myself what I've done...
