Spellbound

There are several types of people in this land. Those that fight until they are broken and submit; those that fight until they have noting and submit; and those that fight until they have nothing and fight on, for they have nothing left, it's the only thing they know how to do.

For Alanna, formally of Trebond and Tortall, her "training" consisted of pain, pain and more pain. She had thought she knew of pain, for surely there was nothing quite like a lashing, accept maybe childbirth which she had never seen or experienced and she did not plan to, but she was wrong. She didn't know how long she had been here, to be honest it didn't really matter, all that mattered was the pain. It never ended, long had her screams become soundless and she barely had the strength to moan as she endured her torture.

At first she had begged and pleaded for Him to stop, He wouldn't, He would only scorn her and argue she was weak, that in time this wouldn't hurt, not once she progressed. And she understood that, slightly. He had started her off light, which in its own way was torture, for she knew if this was light, then what was the torture to become like.

She tried not to think of things like that, but like her imprisonment, she didn't have a choice. It was starting to become clear, she didn't have a choice. She was nothing, nobody, only a slave. She didn't own anything, she was worth nothing, she didn't even own herself. Raku did, she referred to him as... well, "Him". "He" worked fine also.

And now, reflecting on her sorrows, her misery, hanging from the ceiling with her arms dislocated and chained above her, she realised she was worthless. Her life, her dream as a Knight had come down to nothing, all her training and practice had come down to nothing. And it crushed, it really did just as she had cried from the pain, she now cried from sorrow.

As the years wore on her... love slowly turned to scorn and then into hate. How she hated them, every single one of them! For ruining her dreams and leading her to her current position, right now she was without her nails and was once again hanging above the ground. It seemed to be one of His favourite torture methods.

Today, she was in the midst of a weeklong session, a session of endurance and strength. And pain, always pain. A long stake, barely rounded to avoid piercing, rested just below her left foot and above her head her right thumb was taking her body weight.

It was called The Picquet and wasn't really used for damage; this torture method was primarily for pain. It was designed so that when her strength faded, or the pain got to her, she would lower her weight onto her foot when the agony on her thumb became too much. Then she would hurriedly raise her weight back onto her thumb before her strength betrayed her and she could only moan in pain as her weight rested fully on the stake.

To keep her mind off the pain, her request of literature had been approved, for The Master and subsequently Raku, believed in "knowledge is power".

Her learning at this current moment was Lore's of Magic: the Realms of The Gods and Immortal Creatures and was virtually an instruction manual on how to act and speak to various Gods and also all habits and magic of all Immortals. It also spoke of the difference between the two "Immortal's".

The Gods, animal and Human, were called Immortal for should they be slain they would be immediately reborn in an identical form. The book then continued on to examine and explore every single Immortal that could be slain by arrow, spear, magic and blade, and their creation.

Having never seen any Immortals she eagerly read everything about them, even the ones she feared, for Raku had come by to observe her progress and had seen the book turn a page about Stormwing's and had chastised her. Her face had burned at his statement as she knew what he said to be true and had returned to the Stormwing page and had read with determination.

Her interest aroused she continued reading, the glow off a fire kindly lit to keep her warm adding little to the books glowing surface. It was truly magnificent, an unimaginable Masterpiece. By daylight the ink remained as dark as coal on pure pearl-white parchment and by night, when light was absent, the letters turned gold and glowed brightly against the darkness. The drawings of each immortal were replica of their real-life counterparts with arrows revealing weaknesses and strengths, along with precise scripting describing each feature.

Alanna blinked as she realised this was in fact an instruction manual of how to capture, imprison and enslave and kill immortals. It showed examples of how it had been done in the past, methods used and what went well and what didn't. She learnt that lying was impossible around Griffins and that their feathers, when used in arrows, heighten accuracy and, if worn, allow the wearer to be impervious to magical illusions.

The book offered cures for the undetectable poison from the saliva of flesh eating unicorns and that giant, winged, legless lizards that breath a yellow fog that gives humans a dry, long-lasting cough and makes their eyes burn and blur were called Wyvern's and only the command of their cousins, the Dragons, could turn them away.

For Dragons she learnt they were intelligent, learning from scrolls and books, and were sophisticated magic users who's scales changed colour depending on their mood.

After a few days, it could have been years, Alanna was lowered to the floor and released from her chains. She slumped forward, her thumb swollen and raw and her foot bruised and tender, unable to stand.

Raku examined her calmly, his green eyes unreadable, before lifting her easily to her feet and dragging her away. Forced to walk on her battered feet she resolutely followed her Master, tears streaming down her face as she refused to cry out. He led her into the castle, a great mould of coal that rising into the clouds never failed to fill her with awe and fear, and down several floors into the earth.

The tunnels were lit with flaming torches, forever licking at the walls fuelled by the millennia's of Master's reigning over the land and their endless supply of magic.

Several chambers opened as they walked and Alanna peered into them curiously as she was half dragged behind Raku. Her fear mounted as she saw people running back and forward to a gongs sound, when she saw them dragging great lumps of stone and when she saw them being beaten with staffs.

Raku turned to a right angles chamber, "Fear not," his voice was cold, like the Tortallan winters and she had learned to hate the sound, "this isn't the Chamber's of Pain. This is the Heart of Endurance, not torture exactly."

Alanna wasn't convinced, though experience led her to bite her tongue. They came to an old wooden door and it swung open easily, betraying its evident activity.

The room was big, about the size of the Tortallan ball room and stank of sweat even though there was a constant breeze and thermals rising from the room.

Several slaves, who looked decidedly well feed and cared for, were pumping their legs on two stands that turned a chain that in turn turned two big drums. The slaves were breathing evenly and were only covered in a light sheen of sweat, their thighs and calves bugled compared to the rest of their wiry bodies.

Raku ignored them as he led Alanna over to a previously unnoticed hole in the floor. The slaves stopped moving at Raku's command and watched guardedly as Alanna walked over to the hole. She blanched as she saw a carpet of sorts slowly rise up as it slowed its spinning. Glancing from the slaves to the carpet she realised that they were making it move.

Raku motioned for her to stand on the carpet, she did so reluctantly, spears of pain shooting up through the souls of her feet.

"You will not stop until I tell you to or let you, you will not stop until you slip into unconsciousness, nor will you stop when the slaves change shift. You will run on the spot until they start moving again," Alanna blinked without comprehension.

Raku smiled, a cruel smile, relishing in the power he had over another being, a magic, not his own, forcing his feelings into a vault.

"Should you stop, you will scream without pause for three days and three nights," he informed her, his voice nonchalant.

Alanna gulped, her brain still mulish and nodded.

"Oh, and before I go," Raku leaned over and in a swift movement broke Alanna's wrists, she screamed and fell, leaving the echoing crack to linger in the room.

"Remember," Raku warned, "should you stop, the pain you are now feeling you would welcome over the other I have planned."

A ring of emerald fire curtained around the ring, "Don't touch the fire," his voice mocking, Raku left with one finger then another shown to the slaves. They bowed him out from their seated positions, then they began to move their legs, forcing the soles of their feet against the stirrups.

Alanna jerked as the carpet beneath her began to move and she painfully hauled herself to her feet and began to stumble along, trying to keep in the middle of the carpet, away from the shimmering walls of emerald.

She walked until she dropped, the pain unbearable but the fear of pain keeping her going until she could no longer move. First the speed had been slow, a walking pace and she had been okay with that, shuffling along but then after about an hour the pace changed and she was forced to move faster, a speed between a slow jog or trot and a fast walk. This made her gate unsteady as she couldn't find a balance between the two and her foot jarred every time she put weight on it.

As she fell the last time she lay gasping into the carpet, her lungs burning with heat and her pulse thundering in her ears. And when she slid into the wall she didn't have the breath to scream, she only panted as agony washed over her in waves, the pain from her broken and swollen wrists and her toe and her thumb all made inferior.

Slipping into unconsciousness she briefly wondered if He would kill her, and then sent a brief prayer to the Great Goddess that He would.

Alanna gazed determinedly at the floor, humiliation sweeping through her as she avoided the eyes peering at her. Raku appeared nonchalant as he le

d her across the room and gestured for her to sit next to his chair. She obeyed immediately, shifting her head so that her hair covered her breasts and sat with her legs crossed with her hands on her lap.

Raku glanced down and raised an eyebrow at her attempt to conceal her nakedness but let her continue as he helped himself to some wine. Alanna's stomach growled as scents wafted to her nose as slaves came through closed doors, their arms burdened with great feasts.

Plates materialised at seats and at the occupants gestures food broke off and settled on bowls and plates. Alanna refused to look up, to met anyone's eyes, not even the slaves. Cutlery chinked as The Master's Council and teachers and slaves of highest rank began their meal.

Raku raised his arm and a slave materialised at his elbow, she was in surprisingly good condition, clad in nothing but a loincloth and she looked as though she was feed regularly. Raku spoke in a low voice and she vanished, Alanna didn't strain to hear or translate what was said but merely waited, ravenous and longing for the meals out of reach.

The slave returned carrying a stool and waited behind her, Raku gestured for her to place to stool where Alanna was sitting and waited as Alanna refused to move. Eventually he tired of her lack of movement and barked at her to move.

She quickly moved at the order and stood aside as the slave swiftly placed the stool next to Raku and disappeared. Alanna eyed the stool warily as the remained standing, still refusing to acknowledge the others in the room. "Sit," Raku growled. Alanna sat.

Clasping her hands in her lap she kept her back straight and stared at the blank table before her. She flinched as a plate settled in her spot and felt her anticipation rise before she quickly quelled it. Raku wasn't going to feed her, not any of this delicious food. She was only good enough for scraps, but still she couldn't douse the ember of hope within her empty and cramping belly.

A second slave appeared carrying a steaming bowl and placed it before her. Raku watched her from the corner of his eye as he bit into a chicken leg.

Clasping her hands Alanna tried to ignore the smell hovering beneath her nose and closed her eyes, her embarrassment at her nakedness banished.

"Eyes open," Raku instructed and Alanna obeyed, finally looking at the meal before her. Large pieces of meat were surrounded by leafy green vegetables and a healthy dripping of red sauce covered them. Alanna's mouth watered and she instinctively leaned forward before remembering her place and she straightened. It wasn't the most appetizing meal she had ever seen or had, but compared to the tasteless soups and scraps she had been eating it looked divine.

Raku nodded his head and she dove for her knife and fork, though slowed at his command, "Not like a barbarian!"

Savouring the first mouthful she swallowed and sighed in pleasure, the taste was unusual, probably one of the various beasts from Tahakén, and the sauce had a strange metallic aftertaste, but she ignored it in light of the hot meal she was enjoying.

Raku had stilled and was watching her with something like amusement as she ate swiftly. Snorting he returned back to his own meal and from the corner of her eyes Alanna saw him reach for his goblet, catching her eye he smiled suddenly and raised his goblet.

Suddenly the smile vanished from his face and he stood, his chair crashed to the floor and Alanna rose to her feet to shift behind him. The doors burst open in a flash of light and the occupants shielded their eyes, all but Alanna, who had not been given permission to do so, and Raku.

A man with dishevelled brown hair and an unkempt beard stood in the doorway, his green eyes flashing with furry.

"Raku!" His voice boomed around the room and Alanna fell to her knees in pain as his voice roared in her head.

Raku's power flared across his skin and he pointed at the man, bellowing a word. Magic exploded in the room as the man deflected the blow; various Masters, Council members and slaves fled as wind and lightening ripped about the room. Alanna crawled for the doors, only to find they had been locked and she was trapped in the room as the two Mage's battled.

Hiding behind one of the pillars she watched in rapid fascination as the two men threw their Gift's at each other. Noticed only by Alanna, for she was looking in its direction, a form began to morph in the goblet of fire above the door and as Alanna glanced between it and the two mages she noticed a window.

Between an interlude in the fighting Alanna made a break for the window. The stranger saw her and barked a sentence; the floor beneath Raku turned to water and he fell into nothing as the floor covered over. Then Alanna went flying, she slammed against a pillar and saw stars as her head cracked, only the "training" she had received kept her conscious as she swam through the pain.

Cracks raced through the marble and it shuddered, Alana blinked and rolled away as small shards began to drop to the ground. Abruptly a larger piece fell and would have landed on her had she not moved.

A word echoed around her and her blood sang as she was lifted off her feet and dropped fiercely back onto the tiles, she screamed as her bones cracked and broke.

Gasping for breath, a thought ran through her head. Had she not been "trained" she would be dead, the pain too much for her body to bear.

Coughing she brought her fingers to her lips and they came away moist with blood. Breathing hard she consoled herself, soon she would die, the strangers intent was obvious and it would all be over.

Something inside her rebelled as she gazed at the quickly forming puddle of crimson dripping from her chin, and as she had once decided long ago in the Tortallan Prince's rooms, she was a warrior!

Drawing on her reserves she hauled herself to her feet and straightened as she glowered at the stranger. Forcing the pain, the weakness, down she shifted into her newly learned fighting stance. Her hands were easily at her side and her feet balance shoulder-width apart, she bared her teeth in a challenge and watched as a blade of air shot towards her with something similar to relief.

Peace washed over her and she closed her eyes, allowing the feeling to flood her completely.

She stood alone, everywhere and nowhere. She could have been on a beach glowing in the sunset, atop a mountain watching a storm thunder beneath her, on a star filled flat plain with lush grass beneath her feet or within a glass palace as the shafts of dawn pierced the horizon. She was everything and nothing, never had she felt so small and yet so big.

Abruptly the waves on the beach began to rage, a blizzard was born atop the mountain, fog ghosted across the plains and cracks entered the glass.

Discord had entered her world, like a ripple in a pond it spread and grew as it approached her.

Her eyes snapped open and instinct guided her hand and memory moved her body. She pulled her right hand closer to her body as her legs kicked up and spun her around to the right, her left arm smoothly flowing through the air around her as she moved. Completing a full turn she took a step forward, following her left fist and released her magic.

Power crack and she was flung backward at the force of her entire magical life form being released. Above the doors, centred between the stranger and Alanna the form in the fire swooped down, getting snared in Alanna's Gift as it raced towards the man.

The wall cracked at the force in which she hit it and she slid down to the ground, watching as though she was through someone else's eyes as her Gift collided with the fallen fire form. She felt a searing pain throughout her body, as though she was being burnt alive and worse, for she had been burnt alive, and then there was nothing. Closing her eyes she smiled as she slipped into a cool embrace.

There eventually came a day, just one of the many she had faced and was to face, when she was summoned to The Master's chambers.

Nervously she made her way to the Masters chambers, outside she waited, casting glances to the two guards at the door as she examined herself in the mirror. Death Walkers made her skin crawl and their ember eyes frightened her more than the deadly mix of magic and body parts that made them, their eyes whispered death.

She looked different, that much was certain. The muscle she had lost since her banishment from Tortall had regained, though it wasn't as defined as it was before but she was stronger, the Heart of Endurance exercises had seen to that.

Her hair was long and, when untied from its normal braid, fell down her shoulders to the curve in her back, it was red. Not the copper she had been born with, years of eating red berries from the Red Berry tree had slowly tainted her hair, and once those in command had seen the effects they "insisted" she wash her hair with it. Now her hair was the colour of blood, bright and crimson.

She didn't mind, she no longer cared for her looks, lot that she did before but if people stared she would stare them down until they looked away.

Years of toiling in the fields of Tahakén, and within the Deserts to the south along with the jungle and mountains to the north and east had caused her skin to maintain a balance between a sickly pale and a dark brown turning her skin a golden colour. Her eyes were still a vibrant purple and her lips were a soft red, and, to her great annoyance she was still short.

Snarling at her reflection Alanna turned back to the door.

A bell flared above the doorway and the two Death Walkers glanced at each other before stepping to each side, away from the doors, a ring of black smoke fogged beneath their clawed feet. Alanna drew a breath and smoothed her facial features as she walked beneath the two gleaming weapons and into the Master's Chambers, the doors opening for her entry.

Swallowing she entered the room, the doors closing behind her as she examined the people that turned to stare at her. The Master eyed her cockily from his scaled throne, Raku stood at-attention next to him and in various chairs were The Masters' own commanders and advisors and others of higher rank.

The Tahakén ranks were fairly simple, The Master was at the top; obeyed by all, followed by those slaves that reached rank of Prince or Lord and then the Council of Anake followed by the various commanders and Masters of Craft. Anyone could learn off the Masters of Craft, their skills ranged from Masonry to Etiquette, Herb Lore and even Dancing, they had only one purpose; to teach.

The slaves rarely took advantage of their eternal years and Masters at their disposal, choosing, on their days without torture, to recover and relax. The council disapproved of the slaves taking classes, though it wasn't forbidden, it was discouraged. As of the new Masters reign the Masters of Craft had been hired out to whoever had gold and they taught classes.

However it was well known The Master liked his slaves all-knowing and intelligent so once a certain rank was achieved they were trained in whatever The Master wanted. It pleased him to command individuals better than any other in any craft, he often entered them in competitions and losing was not an option...

"You are late," The Master spoke, it wasn't a question but Alanna's mouth got away from her.

"You're early, I am right on time," she snapped as she mirrored Raku's stance. Raku closed his eyes as she spoke and briefly glanced heavenward before regaining control of himself.

The Master seemed amused, his Council however weren't pleased and immediately they were clamouring for her punishment.

The Master let them speak before halting them with his voice, "It seems your flippancy has yet to be beaten from you," Alanna glared at him as he continued, "Never mind, what I have planned for you will see to that."

Alanna's blood turned to ice, The Master wasn't a man to make false threats or statements.

She clenched her jaw and stared nonchalantly back at him, ordering her face to remain blank.

"Wish you were taller, do you?' Alanna paled; The Master's off-hand comments were very rarely without retribution.

Raku seemed annoyed with The Master for some reason, bordering on furious and for a moment she smirked at him, knowing he would punish her later, but finding the glare he shot her worth it.

"You're engaged," a lanky balding man, announced suddenly.

Alanna choked, she was what!

A sudden coughing fit left her unable to answer The Master as he asked her how she felt about that. Next to him, Raku grumbled and shifted on his feet, rolling his powerful shoulders.

Alanna swiftly recovered under The Master's glare and straightened, hiding her shock and mortification beneath a shifting mask.

"I'm sorry, I think I misunderstood you," she began, mentally crossing her fingers, "I think I just heard you say I am engaged. Now that you have my full attention, please retract that statement and tell me why I am really here."

The Master watched her, amusement; as rare as a star above Tahakén, gleaming in his eyes. He unfolded himself and towered above the others in the room, "Yes, you are to marry the Baron of fief Saigon."

Alanna balked and glared at him, "You're joking," she said flatly.

This time The Master smiled, and Alanna bit her lip and balled her fists as the man who had told her she was to be married, spoke, "No. You are to be married."

Alanna growled as The Master added, "The Master of Etiquette will teach you everything that will be required of the position you are pretending to be, and you will learn it." The Master's tone left no room for questioning and she knelt as she was dismissed.

Outside she waited for the doors to close before screaming in furry and slamming her fist into the nearest wall, merely a hairs-width away from one of the Death Walker's face. It blinked in surprise and shifted on its feet but otherwise remained neutral to her actions.

Yelling again she proceeded to pummel the wall with her fists until they began to bleed and then, further enraged she punched harder and harder until the splits in her knuckles pulled her skin wider and her fists were swollen. Finally stopping she straightened, nodded to the Death Walkers and walked away, her wrists swollen and bleeding, her bones broken.

Returning to her rooms she found a slave, of higher rank than she, waiting with healing salve and cloth. The girls face was shrunken and pale and her body lean and frail, she stood hunched as though expecting a blow at any moment.

Alanna looked at her for a second and then sighed and crossed the marble floor to sit on her cell-bed. Her room was the same as every other slave-to-be-broken room. It consisted of a single large room and a smaller one branching off it.

The large room was circular in shape with brackets, containing sadistic looking torture devices, on the walls and chests resting against them. A rectangular steel plate was raised off the ground by four sturdy poles and chains were locked onto manacles. The floor slopped on a slight angle, this was for cleaning purposes as this room was the general living area of the slave and blood never ceased to be washed from the tiles.

Above the bed were a series of pulleys, their design was such so that any part of the body, and the room, could be reached. The floor was hard, harder than the bunk and at times it would burn on account of the fire set beneath it, so though the cot was uncomfortable, it was preferable over burns. On one wall there was a gap and looking at it you could see the bed would fit easily into the space if it were turned.

The room branching off was even less appealing, called The Box it was small about as wide as the door opening to it, and only as tall as Alanna's chest. To fit inside you would have to fold your body up into a ball and squeeze yourself even smaller; there you would stay in pitch darkness until the torturer decided you could come out.

Usually Alanna would recite the various books and scrolls she had learned to memorise, sometimes she would recite spells and even create her own for future practice.

Like her time in "The Box" Alanna was unsure how long she had been at Tahakén, but she knew it was stretching well into a second millennia. How she knew, she didn't know but she guessed it had something to do with the Fleo un somnuiis ex obrie celebration every thousand years. The celebration was held when a star, brighter than the sun, crossed the sky and, seeing as she had arrived shortly before one and that another was approaching, she guessed her years between one to one and a half thousand.

Tahakén was always shrouded in darkness, the only light that of lightening or for the twelve hours the celebration was held. All other light was manmade; there was no sun and no stars, unless you decided to cross the boundaries of the castle, Tahakén, and into the lands beyond.

The fields around the castle were difficult to farm, difficult meaning virtually impossible. The only source of natural light was once every thousand years so the slaves that worked the fields had to travel to Desert Perfeleatios with great round plates of polished bronze and capture the sun. They would then return and release the sun onto the fields via great pulleys and the process would repeat itself. Gathering water was just as difficult, if not harder.

The Master had decreed that only water from the Mountains of Revanah would suffice, and so the slaves had to trek to the mountains and back, carrying the water themselves. Beasts of burden were available for use, but the slaves were not permitted to use them, the tasks were done manually. Alanna knew this from firsthand experience, having spent about a century toiling at each slave task.

She shuddered and was brought back from her musing by the slave clearing her throat. Alanna blinked and shook herself and obediently offered her hands to be cleansed and bandaged and let her thoughts wander.

"Hm?," she asked of the slave as she realised she had been spoken to.

"I said, 'it's not all that bad."

Alanna's eyes narrowed on her and she raised an eyebrow.

"You are going to marry a Lord, you will be away from this place," the slave explained gesturing to Alanna's cell. Alanna looked around her and sighed, acknowledging the slaves words. Yes she would be the timid wife and obey her husband, but... she wouldn't be tortured! Though her fate was the life she had been avoiding by going to Corus, maybe it wouldn't be too bad?

Authors Note:

Can anyone draw? Wanna draw the dress? lol Also, something crutial happened in this chapter, see if you can spot it :)

ZG: I am curious to your selection of words. "Grow" was an interesting choice... do you happen to see into the future? :P (Let's see if anyone else actually reads the A/N ) Poor, poor Raku... ;)

Harunomiya: Glad you like it

Fang: It's always a pleasure. Review's give me a fuzzy feeling So don't you DARE stop!

Elaive: Thank you! More as requested * bows low*

Oh, and the next chapter is called Heart Broken so keep an eye out :D

~SPOILER~

Here Myles hesitated and George turned from the window, "Tell them the rest," he rasped.

Myles looked like he was in pain as he added, "The purpose is to torture, to take to the brink of death and beyond, in as most pain as possible, for centuries upon centuries. Until there is nothing left."

There were several moments silence, "So she is dead?

George answered the Queen, "The fate of the Slaves of Slaves, as they are sometimes called, is a fate not even the most vile and repulsive beings deserve. The Queen of Chaos would be more merciful."

George halted and looked back out the window adding softly, so softly the others strained to hear, "I hope she is dead. If she is not, we should pray that she will be, and soon."

Originally that ^^^ was to be the Spoiler, but ya know what? You'll be reading that next, so it isn't really a spoiler. This (below) you will have to wait for Mwahahahahaha

Read away!

Alanna opened her eyes in puzzlement and found herself facing a muscular, but scared, chest. Realising she had fallen asleep, and in Raku's arms, she blushed and tried to move away. Jerking back, she recoiled as her breast pressed up against Raku's forearm and then shifted when the other did the same against his torso.

Blushing she refused to look at him even when she felt his amusement deep within his chest. Shudders, not of fear or cold, for the water had remained a steady temperature, ran across her skin as his laugh vibrated into her body.

Raku abruptly released her and she darted to the other end of the bath, staring at him with wide eyes. Then she glared at him, he looked away for a moment before focusing on her with a determined glint in his eyes. Alanna was the first to look away but her head snapped back at his soft whisper, "Come here".

Alanna blinked and then blanched when he repeated himself, gesturing for her to come closer. She swallowed and met his eyes, refusing to look away.

Something was different and as he gazed at her Alanna felt jolts of electricity rushing through her body. She blushed and slowly let her eyes roam over his visible body before returning her gaze back to his.

Her body moved forward though the water, ignoring her mind ordering otherwise, until she was right in front of Raku. Her face matching her hair she allowed him to raise one hand and slowly stroke a stray strand behind her ear. Cupping her face he leaned in slowly to press his face against her neck, inhaling her scent. Then he slowly kissed his way up her neck and along her jaw, leaving her skin burning where he touched.

Pulling back slightly, his emerald eyes met hers and she shuddered again, before leaning into his palm. Raku's eyes glowed and then he leaned forward and pressed his lips onto hers. Alanna's arms latched around his neck, one hand grabbing a fistful of brown hair and Raku pulled her closer as she deepened the kiss.

;)