Sunrunner's Fire ~ Chapter Four ~ A Short Leash
~One month after Chapter Three~
The cell was cold, damp, and things skittered in the corners and in the rotting straw that Ty had to sleep on. In truth it wasn't much better than the bare stone floor.
Ty sat leaning against the wall in the corner staring at the floor, or what she could see since there was almost no light in her prison. Her elbows rested on her knees with her hands partly clasped together in front of her.
As she stared at the floor some thing slithered across her foot, but that had happened so frequently in the past month that Ty didn't even twitch. Not even when whatever it was hissed and nipped her leg hard enough to draw blood. Tyrin's mind was far away from her body, her vacant, half shut, dull brown eyes revealed that all to clearly.
Brisk foot steps caused those eyes to blink and her body stiffened ever so slightly, but she knew it would be pointless for her to attempt escape. An eight-year-old stripped of weapons and chakra was little threat and no match for her father's body guards.
The door swung open and a square of light from an oil fueled lantern fell on the shoeless raven haired girl dressed in dirty, torn clothes. Ty gave herself a moment to adjust to the rush of light before looking up at her father's slime ball of an assistant who leered at her as he always did, "Get up and come here. Do not attempt to attack any one or escape."
Ty stood, moving with slow deliberate steps towards the smelly man. Hate and anger ready to break into rage buzzed in her veins, never had Tyrin felt such anger, even when Torak had control of her body and mind Ty hadn't felt such... bloodlust.
Ty couldn't think of a better word to describe the way she now felt towards this man for the things he made her do. She wanted to rip his heart from his chest and eat it and would if she was given the chance. Having two dragons whispering in her mind, especially an evil, bloodthirsty one had given her a more beastal outlook on things.
"Now fallow me to your father's lab. Do not make a fuss. Do not speak. Do not attempt to run away or attack me or any one else in any form" He ordered and turned on his heel to walk away. Tyrin fallowed. That was the other thing about the cursed collar that now resided around her neck. The person who held the key to it could give her any order he desired and she had to obey or the collar would shock her with her own chakra.
Like a dog with one of those shock collars Tyrin thought not for the first time or the last. The Keyholder, as Ty now thought of whoever held the key at the time could also will the collar to shock her if they wished. It made life very painful for Ty as that was her father's favorite form of punishment for her as reminder to always let Tao win their sparring matches.
Tao... Red flickered at the edges of Ty's vision in response to the rage that washed over her briefly. The two of them still sparred, while her father watched to make sure he won.
Even if I die in the process I will kill Tao for this Tyrin vowed silently. Very slowly and very painfully.
Tyrin fallowed her father's wormling into his lab, then through the lab into the great library. Ty had spent many a days as a child in this once comforting room absorbing knowledge one book at a time.
Now was a different story. The vast library was now where her father gave her orders, most of which she didn't like. Now her father was waiting for him, a silver collar much like the one she already wore in one hand, the key that went to it in the other.
"So good to see you Tyrin. I have a new collar for you. This one is different though. Instead of not being able to use any chakra you will now be able to use what would have been yours alone..." That didn't sound so bad, Ty had a lot of chakra to begin with, "...And your brother will hold the key. Here are your orders from me that you will still obey even when Taokishi is your master: You cannot tell any one what the collar is and may not even hint it to others. Understood?" He asked after placing the new collar around Ty's neck and removing the old one.
"Yes sir" Ty responded, looking at the floor. She never called him 'father' any more. She had a short leash now, but a little was better than none.
"Good. Tao already has the key. You may go" Ty went.
The wormling didn't fallow her as Ty made her way up the stairs to her room. Removing her clothes Ty entered the bathroom and turned on the hot water, she would be returning to the village after her 'illness,' 'accident,' or whatever her father had made up was deemed well.
The hot water poured over her for a time as thoughts tumbled like a waterfall through Ty's head. She needed help, but who was there for her to go to?
No one. You're on your own Tyrin. Get used to it. Every one you depend on will always let you done Ty told herself as tears mingled with the water. Alone.
After she was finished crying for what she vowed was the last time Ty stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel. Drying herself off she walked out of the bathroom directly into her room and donned clean pjs.
Looking at a picture on her dresser that held her, Tao, and Jiro all smiling at the camera Ty sighed. Reaching up she picked up the picture and dropped in her trash can.
Turning to her bed she dropped onto it's comforting softness and warmth she hadn't felt in over a month. Closing her eyes a single tear trailed down her cheek before Ty fell asleep.