Bendis let out a soft astonished gasp, sending her fragrance swirling again which brought me briefly out of my reverie. Her succulent perfume was tainted by the sour anguish that melted on my tongue. I glanced at her. She had a horrified grimace that I was sure mirrored my own- and I hadn’t even gotten to the very worst part yet.
My grief seized hold of me. I stifled a sob. My throat tightened,the pain bitter and centered. I didn’t want to remember. I didn’t think I would survive it.
But the frozen fire in my chest blazed as vivid as it ever had. It no longer just threatened to destroy me; it commenced its caustic path. And just like that the memory, crystal clear, moved into my eyesight. My heart seized and pain seeped out, radiating across my chest and crawling into the pit of my stomach. I swallowed hard, feeling the acidic burn of bilious venom in my throat.
“He smiled sardonically when he saw me, his cobalt eyes shined icily. ‘Amara …I was looking for you…’ He searched behind me. ‘Where is Odjit-Ka?…I require…something from her.’ He bared his teeth for just a second in a grin, it was terrifying. It was at that moment I realized what made his grin so much more menacing was the blood that was smeared across his cheek and down his neck. I think I understood what he was on an instinctive level.”
“Briefly, I worried about my ward; but at that moment I was panicked…desperate, really, to know if my son was alive. What could I care about anything if Abraxas had been killed? I couldn’t speak… I bellowed as I ran at him.
“But, I wasn’t focused properly; I didn’t realize I was surrounded already…there were so many of them!” I drew in a frayed breath as my demonic heart hammered against my chest.
“I was subdued quickly…” I felt my shoulders slump in defeat.
“Malachi glibly waved his hand in a gesture that his soldiers understood as he walked past where they held me. And …the soldiers eager to be efficient and too thrilled with the idea of the slaughter had been brutal and expeditious, as was evident by the bodies that lay all around me. But, their bloodlust had been mostly sated by the time I had arrived- instead what they afflicted upon me had turned into something …different.” I stopped briefly glancing at the dark red scars that scored my arms- the same type of scars that covered my legs, my torso, and my back- the ones that stayed angry looking even through the change.
“I kept waiting to die, I begged them for it- but that seemed to make it more enjoyable for them and instead it got worse. I couldn’t comprehend how that was even possible. It is astonishing how much one can go through and remain …aware.” I shuddered as I recalled their burning blades and their heinous laughter.
“I lay, barely breathing- in and out of consciousness. Vaguely, I knew that they had finished with me, that they had gone. I have even more vague…imprecise memories of Odjit-Ka- the ancient and frightening woman talking to me, telling me what I needed to do…she wanted me to get up and go somewhere. But, it didn’t feel like she was really there. Didn’t she know I was dying? Perhaps, she was dead and her spirit was trying to guide mine. I couldn’t know. Somewhere in the indistinguishable daze, thankfully, the pain became too much and my mind slipped into darkness.”
I sighed heavily again, I was exhausted. But, I had held onto this for too long. I couldn’t stop now.
“When I came out of the darkness I stayed in my stupor…it was like I was someone else. I headed in the direction that Odjit-Ka had directed me, though I had no idea that that was what I was doing.”
“The temple I ended up at was an open expanse with a prominent courtyard built into the rock face of a mountain, the center held a bonfire in a large golden basin. Several large pillars held up the portico that expanded further to feature a cavern lit by small blazes atop waist high columns. Everything was sun bleached white. I mean everything, the ground, the pillars, the rocks that were set in spirals that flurried across the base. It was much more elaborate than what I was used to.
“Dusk had cast a muted radiance across the veranda; I gasped as I peered narrowly towards the cave and saw a silhouette move out from the shadows. The man who walked in my direction was tall and frail looking. His hair was so light against his pale skin that at first I thought he had none, just some malformed head. As he moved closer to me, I could see his features more clearly; he was not frail but looked as solid as the rock that surrounded us and he had a very handsome face. His eyes, which stayed fastened on me, were a dazzling copper that seemed to glow. I watched keenly as a second man came up behind him looking, for all I could see, a warrior of premier magnitude. I glanced at the second man, he was tall, though, not as tall as the first man but stockier nearly double the width. His hair was dark and his skin was golden. He was hard and menacing. His eyes shined as well, but their color was a gleaming sea green. I knew I should be afraid, I knew they were not human; they seemed too lissome for that. But, really what was the worst that they could do?” I smirked dryly.
“I lifted my chin to prove my bravery. The first man chuckled, I eyed him curiously. ‘Look, Solon, she sent us a daring woman!” he inhaled as he tasted the air, lifting his head as his eyes closed. ‘Mmmm, she smells divine…’”
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©2010 N.M Faria
Tags: N.M Faria, RIXAS DE SANGUE
