Hey you people and reviewers! Got my next chapter up, and I am almost finished with the next one. I'm so happy that I finally at least get to work on my story. Ever since school started, I had this notebook and just started writing down what I had planned for the next two chapters! And lo and behold it didnt take me as long as it usually does to update. I apologize for making you guys wait anyhow. But besides that, I really appreciate all you reviewers. Your the ones who make me wanna keep trying to update as soon as I can.
Anywho, Capricorn may or may not be a little OOC (but who knows, his attitude was never really that clear in Inkheart. My opinion anyways.)
Enjoy!
The door to the church opened with a load 'BANG' while a dark silhouette figure came rushing through the doors, leaving the pattering rain outside and its cold wet feeling. The group of black jackets that had been eating a feast in congrats for another job completed from Capricorns orders, looked towards the figure. The men instantly recognized the scarred face as Dustfinger, but they couldn't see who the shivering bloody and muddy person in his arms was. The mysterious person also wouldn't show their face, keeping it close to the fire eater's body. The shivering person was clutching onto Dustfinger as if letting go would be the end of them.
Capricorn, recovering from the shock of seeing his hostage out and about, immediately told his men to grab onto the man.
"What is the meaning of this? How are you out, and who is that in your arms? They look as if you found them in a pit."
The black jackets tried to seize hold of Dustfinger, but the man struggled, keeping the figure in his arms away from the men.
"Wait! Capricorn, I need a doctor or someone who knows how to bandage cuts."
Capricorn laughed. "I can see that Dustfinger, but what makes you think that I would waste my bandages for some shivering pathetic outsider? This is not a charity, nor is it a place for someone like them to be in. After all, my men probably did that to that person for trespassing."
This comment made some of the men chuckle. It was no secret that the black jackets would take wanderers and sometimes pass the time away by kicking or hitting the poor soul.
"Please, she's hurt and has lost a lot of blood. I don't care what you do to me, but she needs help. I don't care what you do to me. After you take her, you can throw me back in the damn room for all I care." Dustfinger pleaded, trying not to burst in anger at Capricorns obliviousness that the person in his arms was someone that he knew Capricorn had a soft spot for.
"Oh be rest assured that you will return to your holding place until I decide a fitting punishment for escaping. But, perhaps I can take the girl. After all, she does remind me quiet a bit of Ann. Speaking of which," Capricorns colorless eyes scouted the area for the girl. "Where is Ann? She left here a bit before you showed up with that filthy—
Capricorns breath caught in his throat as he looked closer at the shivering person in Dustfingers arms, past the mud, wet matted hair, and bloody clothes.
The reason he didn't recognize the person in Dustfingers arms was because of the state they were in. Now he realized just who Dustfinger was holding.
Ignoring his men's stares, Capricorn quickly moved his way down the isles towards Dustfinger. His eyes were impassive, but some thought they saw a flicker of concern flash across his gaze. Dustfinger saw the quick emotion flicker upon Capricorns gaze on Ann and was slowly regretting brining Ann to him. If Capricorn actually cared about his Ann, then taking her away from the place was going to be harder than before. He first thought that Capricorn only cared about the girl's powers, but as the years passed in the Inkworld, and rumors about how the black jacket leader was obsessed about a fire eater girl, he was starting to realize that the man may want her more than for just her powers. Now, seeing the concern on his face, a face that was cold and uncaring while telling his men to go out and murder, confirmed his suspicions.
Once Capricorn reached Dustfinger and his men, he signaled the two to back off, then went to reach and take Ann from Dustfinger's arms. One of the men had fetched a blanket from the maids so that Capricorn would not dirty his clean ebony suit. Not that that was on their leaders mind at that moment.
When Capricorn reached to take Ann, the fire eater instinctively shifted away from the mans pale long hands and fingers.
"Give her to me Dustfinger." Capricorn ordered.
"What are you going to do with her?"
"I'm and handing her to one of the maids, she will have her wounds cleaned up."
"How do I know that you aren't just going to lay her somewhere and leave her to tend for herself?"
The man growled in frustration. "Honestly if I had ever wanted Ann to suffer, it would've already been done by now. Also, I swear to you that she will be taken care of." With that Capricorn gently, much to the fire eater's surprise, eased the girl from Dustfingers arms, and into his. But even if he was gentle, brushing up against a broken rib did little to ease Ann's pain. Though it was an accident.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
Ann's eyes shot open, red from crying earlier, and screamed a agonizing howl and she tried to be free from the arms holding her. She didn't think about the pain that would've occurred had Capricorn set her down. All she could think about was the knife stabbing feeling in her side.
All the black jackets slowly shifted away from the screaming girl (many losing their appetites and leaving) giving their leader room as he tried unsuccessfully to calm the girl in his arms to keep her from further harming herself.
Dustfinger, after hearing Ann's cries, made a reach for her, but one of the men near him elbowed in his stomach, leaving him kneeling on the ground gasping for the loss of air.
"Who did this to her?" Capricorns voice was laced with Anger, while trying once more to hold Ann without brushing against her side.
"B-Basta. He came back from where Silvertounge left him. I…I found him beating on her after I had gotten out of the small room. I don't know how long he had been doing it, but all I could hear were her cries. He apparently was taking his rage out on her for what had been done to him."
"And how exactly did you manage to escape your hold?"
The question hung in the air and Dustfinger knew that their was no point in lying at that point in time. So he shrugged.
"I had a piece of metal in my pocket that I kept for lock picking purposes."
The men that had Dustfingers affects knew that they were going to be beaten for the mistake.
"How did you get Basta away from her? I know that he had a knife on him and I am surprised that he didn't add new scars to your previous collection and he is not one to be beaten so easily in a fist fight." Capricorns tone this time was a little softer than the previous but still held the anger from before.
"When I found him I ran at him not even thinking about what I was doing and just tackled him to make him stop. He did, of course, have his knife and even tried to cut my throat. So I grabbed the nearest thing next to me, a rock, and slammed it across his head." It seemed like a lousy attempt to save Ann in Dustfingers opinion, but he acted so hastily that he didn't care what happened as long as Ann was safe.
"What did Silvertounge do to Basta to have him act like he did?" The question was of mocking this time, as if he already knew that whatever he had done was embarrassing to his most 'loyal' of black jackets."
"I don't know."
Of course I would like to know where your hiding Silvertounge anyhow. The sooner I find out, the sooner I can take Ann and leave.
Dustfingers thoughts were erupted as soon as he felt the men grab his arms and start to drag him back out into the rain and back into the darkness of his cell.
"Wait! Will I get to see her once she is better?!" Dustfinger shouted, beginning to get angry that he wasn't allowed to see that Ann was safe and healed.
Capricorn stopped and turned to face him. A cruel smirk came across his mouth.
"You may see her when I allow it. But for escaping you may just be held in your cell wondering if she ever did get better."
At the thought of not seeing Ann after this almost made the air to Dustfingers lungs catch, but Capricorn continued.
"But," he stated, "for saving her you may be allowed to see her for a few moments. Only a few moments."
Capricorn looked down at the girl in his arms and unlike himself, brushed a stray piece of hair behind her ear. Then he looked at his men.
"Take him back to his cell and then go out and find your comrade. If he is up and walking tie him up and take him to the crypt. If he is still face down in the mud, drag him down there."
With that Capricorn took his leave, girl in his arms, and headed away into the back room of the church by the spare rooms.
Dustfinger, as he was dragged out, thought he heard a light voice call out to him softly.
"Dusty."
Later that night while Ann lay in a bed, bandaged and unconscious, Capricorn sat in the corner of the room while he waited for the announcement that Basta was awake.
"Broken ribs, fractured wrist and bruises. Many bruises." Capricorn said to himself, staring at the girl in front of him that had brought him many emotions. Even after all of the times that she had declared that she hated him, it never softened his feelings for her. He knew it was unlike him to care about anyone besides himself, but somehow the small fire eater before him had broken that selfishness. Not to the point that he would care about others besides her, just her.
A maid that had told him of Ann's condition came in and started checking over the girl. While she put fresh bandages on her, a great guilt overtook him as he saw a bruise that he knew Basta had not landed on her.
Before Ann had walked out of the church, before Basta attacked her, Capricorn remembered that he had struck Ann on the face before she had left the building. She had been begging for him to allow her to go and see Dustfinger. He became enraged when she had not stopped asking him over and over when finally he decided to shut her up with a slap. The jealousy in his heart was to strong to bear and she took it out on her. He had marred her.
Now, because of his jealousy and Basta's rage, she was the one lying on a bed wrapped up. If he had never struck her, she wouldn't have left the church, and Basta would've never found her and beaten her.
Capricorn was still mulling over his thoughts when he realized that because of this ordeal Ann would become much closer to Dustfinger than ever before due to him saving her, and father from his grasp. It was killing him.
"Speaking of killing."
Capricorn stood from his chair and quietly left Ann to her rest while he went to find his 'loyal' black jacket and see him whether or not he was awake.
Down in the crypts Basta sat on the ground rather than the stone coffin where the souls of the dead ones slept.
Basta clutched his rabbits foot, his new cross, and his other talismans that he acquired, and waited for his fate.
Then, light suddenly drowned out part of the darkness as three figures descended the stairs and over to where Basta sat and stared. Two stayed put at the doorway while th third walked up to the cell.
"Get Up." A stern cold voice said. Of course Basta knew who's voice it belonged to. The man had been a father figure to him all of his life. Even after Capricorn had left him in a cage when Silvertounge's daughter brought the shadow to the Village to cast his, Resa's and the fat woman's fate. Basta forgave his master and willingly served him once more.
It looks like he was back where he started.
"Nice to see you again Basta." His voice seemed to scare the knifeman more than any other ghost down in the crypt.
"How was your trip?"
"S-sir, Silvertounge and the others, when the found me, they tied me up at some old rotten cottage up in the mountains my lord! Our men came and retrieved the intruders, but left me to suffer the snakes underneath and willow tree!. They forced me to call you, and held a knife to my throat. There was nothing I could do!" Basta could no longer come up with a excuses or think of anything else to say.
"I don't care what happened to you Basta." Capricorn said. "Your brought Silvertounge here, accident or not, and you found Ann. And speaking of our dear Ann—
Capricorn suddenly grabbed Basta by the collar of his shirt and held the man to the musty dampened walls. The leader of the black jackets had nothing but calm rage, even though the man would've killed Basta by now if not for the small restraint he had left.
"What I do care about is the girl lying unconscious on a be with broken ribs, a fractured wrist and bruises the size of your fist all over her body!."
"Sir, with all due respect, I don't see why her condition matters. She's alive and can still summon fire, can she not?
Basta was trying to pry his master's hands what now took hold of his throat.
"Oh, she is alive Basta, but having her in such a condition is allowing her to decide even easier to not comply to our demands. And because of your actions she clings even more so onto Dustfinger. With your rash actions you have jeopardized my plan and have hurt what is MINE!"
Capricorns hands suddenly turned a pitch black
"You know Basta, not many know I have such powers. After I was supposedly killed by the shadow, I was given a gift. A control over darkness. Of course I never told anyone after we returned, but now I intend to take this power to the Inkworld and rule. Fire eaters at my command, burning, scorching, exploding my enemies. No one will be able to stop me!"
Then, Capricorn returned his gaze to the man in his grasp, which was now turning a slight blue.
"Which comes to your punishment Basta. For every bone Ann has broken—
A punch into Basta's stomach resonated sickening cracks to echo off of the crypt walls.
"You shall break two. For every bruise—
A movement of his hands, cuts suddenly appeared all along Bastas body, making the man gasp at the sudden immense amount of pain.
"You shall have a gash. And as for her wrist, well," Capricorn grabbed the smaller mans arm and then snapped it in two with a flick of his hand.
"A broken arm should do, for this moment. Now then, you shall sit down in the crypt for three days and then I may release you. But, enjoy your punishment with the ghosts now Basta."
A deep laugh bounced off the walls as Capricorn and the other two left, along with the light. Leaving Basta with his fear and his pain.
A bit longer than my usual writing so I hope you guys enjoyed it. Next chapter will be up soon, almost finished with it! But you know the drill! R&R XD