Chapter 10

I have never slept as deeply as I did. I dreamt of nothing, and could not wake up. Everything was just a big, black haze and nothing was there. When I finally woke up, my eyes felt like weights and my entire body was sore as if I just did P90X 10 times over. Every muscle in my body from my toes to my fingertips hurt, and I was swaying back and fourth. Below me was solid rock, but it was moving. No, wait, I was moving.

The walls of the tunnel I was in were slowly moving past me, and it looked as if I was hovering above looking down at the floor. My mind seemed to still be wandering in the black haze, and I was groggy from my sleep. When I finally caught ahold of my senses, I came to realize someone was carrying me. Slow moving feet were coming in and out of focus as I started to remember the recent events. Orin almost kissed me, we were attacked, I was kidnapped and Orin is dead.

I shook my head, tears coming to my eyes once more. The body beneath me was gently bobbing up and down as they moved throughout the corridor. I began to try to move my legs and arms up and down, yet they were numb and stiff. As my blood started to rush to my legs, I started to feel them again. Trying not to draw the attention of my captors, I slowly turned my head to see the same two figures that I had seen before. The tall man resembling Orin's height was leading and the short man was trailing directly behind him. The short man was now covered in neon lights from head to toe. Tiny 2-inch lines of gleaming, neon paste glowed on his skin, creating a dim, but useful light. I could barely see the definitions in their skin. The neon-covered boy was nearly 4 feet tall, and had long, chopping blue hair with streaks of dark blue weaving in and out of his locks. All of his skin was a pale blue as well. He was wearing a green ragged shirt with ratty, brown capris. Around his chest and waist were sashes; the one covering his chest had different kinds of seeds and pouches (no doubt he was carrying more of the sleeping-seeds he threw at me) and the one around his waist carried two scabbards for his sai blades. He wore sandals on his feet that wrapped up his calf to his knee and on his right sandal was another fancier dagger. His long hair covered his eyes, but two stripes of black paint were smudged on his cheeks. He was muscular, especially in his legs.

The leader of the group was not as easy to see. The glow of the neon-stripes did not reach as far as him, but I was able to tell some things about him. He was nearly 6 and half feet tall, with dark, crimson red hair that had black streaks sliding through the strands of wispy un-kept hair. It looked as if someone spilled ink in a puddle of blood. His skin was white like Orin's, yet it seemed to have a small hint of grey to it as well. I could not tell what he was wearing, but it seemed like it was a mixture of green, black, red and brown. Around his waist hung a long sword. His sword wasn't ordinary though; it was made of glass. As if it was a window, I could see directly through it, yet in the middle of the thick, pointed glass was a long pointed piece of iron. The handle of the sword was sparkling, and made of silver. His back was to me, so I couldn't see his face.

The man carrying me was not as easy to describe either, seeing as I could only see his back. He was nearly 8 feet tall though, muscular, strong and massive. Next to my leg, dangling on the other side of him on his torso, I felt a sword in its hilt. On my knee, I could feel other weapons wrapped around his chest. One huge arm gripped my waist. There was absolutely no way I could fight all three of these guys off. Suddenly, an idea came to mind.

As the trio walked in silence, I moved my leg as slowly as possible over to where the sword was hung around his belt. I nudged the clip that kept the sword latched to his belt, trying to get it loose without being detected.

"Petro, remind me why we are taking the girl again? I mean, it doesn't matter seeing as she weighs practically nothing, but when she wakes up, I have a hunch she will be a hassle. Why couldn't we just kill her as well, or leave her somewhere in the forest?" The deep voice rumbled from beneath me. I stopped moving, and listened.

"Because she knows where we are now. Besides, who are you to kill someone we just rescued? She would probably run back to whatever Court she came from and would tell where we are. If Lady Tetra found out we killed her favorite little pet, she would come back here and slaughter us all. Not only would she be upset that we killed him, but we have been stealing and attacking her weaker troops as well. The rest of Initium probably wouldn't do anything, though they might send someone to scout us out. Or the gossip might spread about the guard we killed. Its better to be safe than sorry, Mucro." Replied the leader of the group. He did not turn around to look at Mucro; he just kept walking forward.

"Still, what are we planning on doing with her? We can't keep her here forever, and besides she is a WOMAN. No woman has ever been here!"

"So? She has just been saved from an Unseelie guard who could've killed her, she will be grateful to stay with us. I do not know what we will do with her, but for now, we will make her feel as welcome as possible. If she is hostile, you all know what to do, but give her a chance to adjust. Lets be thankful we got to her before that spineless 'Orin' got his chance."

I was about to explode with anger. They killed him, and thought that they rescued me. I slowly nudged the sword clip again and again, until it was one push away from coming loose and crashing to the floor. I waited until I was of full strength and control, and pushed the sword once more with my foot. With a crash, the sword fell from the belt and crashed to the floor.

"Damn, I swear this sword always comes loose. Hold up a moment," said Mucro. He took me off his shoulder with two huge hands and places me down on the floor up against the wall. The short boy stopped a couple feet ahead and was looking at Mucro, and Petro stopped, still facing away. As soon as Mucro bent over, I took my chance. I sprung up off the floor, and sprinted away from the trio as fast as my feet could carry me.

"Wait! STOP!" yelled Petro, "Vel! Get her back here!"

The short boy started sprinting towards me. I hadn't thought this plan out, because it was so dark I couldn't see in front of me. I kept running though, but I knew from the increasing neon glow that Vel was right behind me. I looked back at him, and all I could see was the glowing figure reaching for a pocket on his sash and pulling out a long, thin rope with two stones tied at each end. He threw the rope at me, it catching my ankles and sending me falling forwards onto the stone floor. I scraped my arm when I fell, and some of my leg. Petro and Mucro caught up to the scene, Petro smiling down at me.

I could see his face now. He had eyes barely visible under his shaggy hair, which were golden and big. His skin was a creamy white with a greyish tint like I guess and he had a full, toothy smile. It wasn't the same smile as Orin's grin, but it was cheerful and just as big. His cheeks had a hint of pink in them, and a strong jaw line. His face made me smile, it was handsome, and made me feel calm. Although I was angry at the time, I couldn't help feeling a little bit happy. Mucro was next to him, with his face not as cheerful. He was bald, and huge. His eyes were a stormy grey and his pupils were much like a cat. He had a square face, and an extremely strong jaw line. His nose was large, and his ears were pointed at the top. The most unsettling thing about him though, was the huge, long scar across his forehead, down his eye, and to his cheekbone. He did not smile, and looked serious and un-amused. Mucro wore a ragged light brown shirt under a thick piece of black armor. The black armor held multiple daggers holding the same type of iron daggers that killed Orin, with the bone handles. He had another belt too, carrying a small pouch and the clip that carried his sword, which was now in his hands. He wore a pair of brown pants, and on his feet were a pair of black, lace-up boots. Petro wore a torn green shirt with an unbuttoned vest made of leaves and red vines dangling off his broad shoulders. He wore black pants and brown leather boots. Around his waist was a brown belt, which carried a pouch, his glass sword, and a normal dagger.

"Well, she's awake everyone," Petro said laughing. Mucro and Vel rolled their eyes.

"Please, let me go!" I quickly said, not thinking.

"That doesn't sound like a thank-you. We saved you from Tetra's pet, you could at the very least be thankful!" Spat Mucro, obviously grumpy.

"A 'thank-you'? You killed the guy that saved me from Tetra! She wanted him to kill me, but he didn't!"

"You must be mistaken! That creep Orin probably had other plans, seeing as he has always done things to better himself!"

"At least he never killed in cold blood! He never did anything to harm you!"

Petro's cheerful eyes and smile went away in a flash, and he looked at me dead in the eye. I didn't break his gaze, but stared directly back into his golden eyes. Mucro spoke up.

"As far as you know. So far he and the Unseelie troops had killed almost everyone's families! Including-" but Petro cut him off.

"Shut-up Mucro. That's enough about that. Still, it would be difficult letting you go and risking us being caught. Sorry, miss, but you have to stick with us for a while."

With that, he turned back and started walking, Vel silently trailing behind him. Mucro unhappily picked me up off the floor and threw me over is shoulder again.

"Put. Me. Down! Can you at least let me walk with you? I won't run away!" I shouted, pounding my fists into Mucro's back, not affecting him at all.

"Should we Petro?"

"Sure why not? But first, swear to me you won't leave."

"I swear that I will not leave."

"Alright, now that I have your word, Mucro, put her down." With that, Mucro set me down and took out a dagger. He cut the rope wrapped tightly around my ankles. I stood up and examined my wounds. It wasn't too bad, and it had already started to heal itself. The trio started walking forwards and I trailed behind them quietly. Several times I thought of making a run for it, but as soon as I did, it felt as if something was pulling me forward and making me forget about running away. Soon enough, Orin's voice echoed in the back of my head, "Never make a promise with them; no deals." Aggravated with my ignorance, I tried to get some answers.

"So, where are we going exactly?" I asked.

"To the others. Not much longer now, we are almost there. I am sure everyone will be delighted to see you." Said Petro. But Mucro chuckled.

"By delighted, do you mean astounded? Like I said, she is a WOMAN."

"Like I said, shut up Mucro. She will be treated like a guest."

"Who are the others?"

"Just the rest of the boys who have come here after being left homeless and family-less. Trust me, there are many more faeries here than you think."

"And aside from the pixies, you are the only woman to ever step foot down here," muttered Mucro, but Petro did not hear him.

"Don't you guys belong to a Court or something?" I asked.

"The Seelie and the Unseelie have been fighting for centuries, leaving fae like us to fight for ourselves. No longer will we stand aside under the ignorance of the Spring and Autumn Courts, and do nothing. We do not belong to Courts anymore." Said Petro.

"You guys had to have belonged to some Court."

"We are a mix. Some are from here in Initium, and some are from Morior. We even have some fae from the Summer and Winter Courts."

"How many of you are there?" I asked inquisitively.

"You will see soon enough," he said, looking back at me and smiling that happy smile. He looked back at Vel next who was walking and kicking pebbles on the ground.

"Vel, go run up and tell the others we are here…. And that we have brought a guest. Tell them nothing of her; I want this to be a surprise." Said Petro. He asked him this nicely, not as a leader or commander, but as a friend. Vel then nodded to him and ran up ahead, with his glow barely visible as he ran up ahead. Petro took a dry stick from a pile, which was neatly stacked next to him. He took a piece of cloth from his pouch and wrapped it around the end, and brought it to his lips. He muttered something, and the tip erupted into flames. With the brightly lit torch, I could see his face again, happy as can be.

"Does Vel ever talk?" I asked as we started walking forward again. Petro laughed for a while, and turned his head to me.

"If you are a friend, sometimes. He talks when he feels it is necessary. He is out there, but aren't we all? We all have our little ticks and gifts. For example, Mucro is the best knife thrower I have ever seen, and he has never missed a target, yet he is still quite a hot head," he said with a wink and a laugh to Mucro, who wasn't pleased, "Vel, he is small and quiet, but he is the fastest there is and knows all sorts of strange powders, seeds and tricks to use on people. And as for me, well, I am quite bossy at times, and impulsive, yet someone could say I am quite the acrobat and very good with a sword. I would rather be extraordinary than just extra ordinary, wouldn't you?"

I nodded, and Petro stopped walking. He looked forward and shined the light in front of him, revealing a wall with two stars in a line. He tapped the star on the right, and the door slid open. Inside, was a room full of all sorts of boys. Little kids, pre-teens and teenagers crowded the room, at least 20 stood in front of me. Some were playing with a ball in the corner, some were talking with each other, some were wrestling, and some were sleeping. There was something happening left and right. The brightly lit room was huge, and furnished. In the middle, was a long couch made of all sorts of fabrics, sewn together terribly. Underneath was a rug made of a fluffy animal skin, and a wooden table was centered on top of it. All around in the back were beds made of leaves, animal skins, hammocks and all sorts of other things. All around books, homemade paintings, pots and pans, plates, trash, balls, games and drawings were scattered throughout the room. It truly was an all-boys room. A stove and a sink stood in the back corner, and littered around the room was candles and lanterns. As soon as the door was opened, my mouth dropped open. Petro let out a laugh and grabbed my hand. I looked at him while he laughed, so carefree and happy at the same time. I couldn't help thinking of Orin.

"Come on, let me introduce you," he said to me smiling. I then noticed something about his smile that I hadn't noticed before. On both sides of his mouth, dimples formed as he grinned to me. I smiled at him. Although he did help kill Orin, which the thought of it made me angry as hell, he was only doing it because he cared for my well being and he wanted to help save me.

"Gentlemen and gentlemen, let me introduce you to our new guest..." he paused and turned to me, "what would you like me to call you?"

Orin's words echoed in my head once more; "do not under any circumstances, give someone your name." I made up a name as quickly as possible, not using my first name, but my last.

"Love, my name is Love."

"Well, pleasure to meet your acquaintance Love," he said with a bow and a smile. By now the whole room had turned to us, everything had stopped and everyone was silent. Vel, who was sitting on the couch, was smirking at us.

"Now where were we? Oh yes. Let me introduce you all to Love." He said, with his voice loud and clear.

For a split second, I looked at the boys and silence filled the room. Then Vel spoke up and for the first time, I heard his voice.

"Nice to meet'cha Miss Love," he said with a devious smile. Then the whole room erupted into applause and cheers. All the boys went nuts again, playing their games, laughing and talking. Mucro rolled his eyes and joined Vel on the long couch.

Without me noticing, Petro whispered into my ear, "I think they like you." And smiled his toothy smile once more. I laughed for the first time, and Petro walked off to the two boys wrestling, and started to wrestle with them too. I think I might stay here for a while.