The Chained Maiden: Bound by Hope

by Ian Rodgers

  Scarrot growled, and to everyone’s surprised amusement, so did Dora.

  “You bought my father a whip from a… ack, I can’t even say it!” the half-orc cried in disgust.

  “Hey, I tried to find one that wasn’t crappy from one of the local stables, but they weren’t fit to beat a dead horse, let alone a demon,” Enrai joked. It faltered when he had to suffer both Scarrot and Dora’s glare.

  “Ignore him, dad,” Dora said with a snort. She reached into her own bag and pulled out two items that had been carefully wrapped. She passed it over to the slaver, who took them cautiously. Upon unwrapping the objects, he found himself holding his old weapons: a barbed scorpion whip and a simple corded leather whip.

  “When I rescued Rindel from the ruins of the caravan, he insisted I take these with me,” Dora revealed and Scarrot quickly discarded Enrai’s ‘gift.’ “I’ve kept them safe with me all this time.”

  “Thank you, Ildora,” Scarrot said. He then looked down at his missing leg. “But unless you have a spare peg in there, I’m still going to slow you down.”

  “No, you won’t,” Dora declared. As she said that, she reached into her pockets and removed two diamonds, clutching one in each hand. She kneeled in front of her father and placed her closed hands atop the scarred over wound.

  “I do not fear death,” she intoned solemnly. Silver flickered to life in her palms. The rough, uncut diamonds glowed as well, throbbing in time with her heartbeat.

  “‘I do not fear its embrace. I fear time. I fear failure. I fear not having lived a life worth living.” Silver sparks fell from her fingers and began to dance across the network of old scar tissue on Scarrot’s stump. The diamonds’ imperfections burned away under the power, revealing beautiful, perfectly cut diamonds in the shape of lily flowers.

  Then, with a deep breath, Dora continued her chant, reciting the rest of the long-lost Restore spell she had received from Vord the Lich. “And it is this fear that drives me ever onwards. Do not despair! I am not judgement, merely justice. I am not hate, but love. Give everything and expect nothing. Life and Death dance together in the eternal song of Existence. Restore!”

  The silver energy wrapping around her hands turned into glorious, radiant flames. The diamonds melted away, becoming part of the spell’s might. The fire surged forth, wrapping around the stump and took the shape of the lost limb. The elegant, ethereal flames burned brighter as more power was given to it. The silver bracelet around her right wrist glowed sharply as Dora was forced to drain the spells she’d stored within it to fuel the voracious appetite of the Restore spell.

  Dora felt the barrier she was within resist her spell. It kept things unchanging. It refused to deny this alteration. But she pushed on, drawing on everything she had, and the Level Ten spell managed to win against the time rejecting barrier. Slowly but steadily, Scarrot’s leg grew back.

  Everyone gaped at the Healer in awe. Even Scarrot couldn’t say anything. As the silver fire faded, left behind was a perfectly formed and functional leg.

  Scarrot gingerly poked it. It twitched when his finger touched the flesh of his kneecap. He wiggled his toes tentatively. Then, with shaky breaths, he stood up on. It held his weight and didn’t wobble or waver at all!

  “You healed my leg!” he exclaimed. Dora nodded, tired and drained. Even with the two fist sized diamonds boosting her Light magic, she had still been forced to push every drop of mana in her soul into the spell.

  Ain hastily passed her a small glass bottle of Mana Replenishment Potion, and she drained the cobalt liquid thirstily. She still felt painfully empty even after another bottle of the precious potion, but now the gnawing pain was a dull ache.

  “You like it?” Dora asked with a hint of teasing in her voice. Scarrot did like it, as he swept his daughter up into a crushing hug.

  “Thank you, Ildora,” he whispered into her ear. “Not just for my leg, but for giving me a chance to be a father to you, as I should have been.”

  Dora hugged the older orc back desperately. Eventually they had to separate, though. The dome wasn’t going to vanish on its own. Not yet, at least.

  “Come on, let’s go find the source of this barrier,” Dora said, surreptitiously wiping her eyes free of tears. Scarrot nodded at her in agreement, before turning to his men.

  “Come, lads! Let’s get out of here!” he bellowed, and the workers cheered, waving their weapons in the air with reckless abandon.

  The men led Dora, Ain, and Enrai through the building eagerly. While there were amazing pieces of art everywhere, they grew steadily more beautiful, elegant, and valuable. After passing a human-sized statue of an ancient general carved from a single piece of ruby and a vase depicting exceptionally lewd scenes of depravity, Dora was introduced to the innermost part of the palace.

  The works of art displayed in the room were stunning in their beauty and wealth, as well as how they incorporated magic. The people and objects within paintings moved, animated by long-lost magical paint. Sewn tapestries and flags woven from the hair of virgins and rare, exotic beasts fluttered in ethereal breezes. Several statues which were painted to be life-like looked almost indistinguishable from the original subject.

  Along with each incredibly work of art was a bronze plaque that had the name of the artifact and its artist written on it in the Elder Tongue. Dora frowned as she examined the items. Try as she might, she couldn’t find the dome’s source. Whatever method the unknown work of art was using to project the barrier, it was undetectable through conventional methods.

  “I’m not picking up anything with Detect Magic or Analysis,” Dora said, disappointed.

  “Well, I am, but it’s for the built-in magical features and defenses of the artwork, not the dome.”

  She glanced over at Scarrot and Holt. “You guys have been in here long enough do you have any idea which of these is the culprit?”

  “You’d have to ask Uldo, he’s the only one who can read this gobbledygook,” Holt said dismissively.

  “Oh, right, you’re from Val’Narash originally,” Dora said, looking over at the bald, dark skinned man.

  “My mother was. I was born outside of the continent,” the muscle of the Menagerie stated. “She did teach me the language, though, so I can read the Elder Tongue. But knowing the names won’t help figure it out.”

  He pointed at a random statue. “That piece is called ‘Devotion of the Stars.’ And that fancy red and orange carpet they have on the wall over there? It’s called ‘The Floor is Lava.’ Seriously.”

  “Well, to be fair to the naming sense, that carpet is heavily enchanted with all sorts of fire magic,” Dora said, glancing at the decoration in question. “It’s a defense feature. Anyone who breaks into a house with that carpet and steps on it will spontaneously combust. Nasty, but effective against thieves.”

  “Huh. Well, then, what about that painting over there?” Uldo said, gesturing to the centerpiece of the gallery. “That right there is called ‘Depiction of Utopia.’ What kind of magic do you sense from that?”

  As soon as he said the name, Dora stiffened. In her head, the words of the goddess echoed. ‘Find Utopia…’

  “It can’t be,” Dora muttered, turning to look at the artwork in question. As she beheld the painting she gasped.

  It was beautiful. The painting was a landscape portrait of an unknown yet impossibly serene and pure location. At times, the painting would shift, the image on the canvas changing to another unearthly scene. A city of marble of gold with towers of glass. An ocean of starlight with sand as white and soft as clouds. Fields of lush, beautiful grain stalks. A thousand and one hills covered in flowers with a million and one colors. A golden sun with silver clouds.

  This and more flashed before Dora’s eyes as she stared into the painting. She felt a pull. A tug. An intense desire and need to touch the picture’s purple and gold frame. As if in a trance, the Healer stepped forward.

  “Dora?” Uldo asked worriedly. Everyone turned to look at her as sh
e began to approach the painting as if in a trance.

  “What’s going on?” Enrai demanded, pushing his way through the crowd.

  “I don’t know! She looked at that painting, and all of a sudden she’s acting like a zombie!” Uldo cried, confused as everyone else.

  “I think she wants it,” one of the workers said, watching as she grabbed hold of the edges of the picture frame.

  “Good luck with that!” another caravan crewman scoffed. “We’ve tried all sorts of tricks to get those art thingies off the walls! She’ll never do it!”

  Still in a dream-like state, Dora ignored all that they said, and firmly gripped the frame holding “Depiction of Utopia.” Then, with barely any apparent effort or difficulty, she yanked it off the wall. There was a popping, fizzing sound that came from where the painting had been stuck on, and with that, Dora blinked her eyes and blearily looked around at the stupefied expressions of the men nearby.

  “Whu-what happened?” she asked, her tongue numb for some reason.

  “Uh, you just managed to steal that painting. Somehow,” Reesh helpfully said. Confused, she looked down at the landscape painting she’d grabbed ahold of and hissed in a shocked breath.

  “It looks like I found Utopia,” she muttered under her breath.

  “What?” Scarrot demanded.

  “I’ll explain later,” Dora said, waving it off. She looked back down at the framed four foot by three foot work of art. Before she could say anything more, a rumble shook the palace, and everyone looked around in a panic.

  “I think I found the source of the barrier!” Dora exclaimed, holding up the artwork.

  “What’s happening now?!?” Reesh cried.

  “The dome is either going to collapse, or it will slowly shrink until it’s part of the painting again!” Dora exclaimed.

  “Well how are we going to escape now?!” one of the workers demanded.

  “Um, well, I guess,” Dora stammered, caught on the wrong foot by the abrupt shift in her plans.

  “We’ll huddle close together and wait for the dome to either vanish or shrink small enough so Dora can toss her ring outside of its influence and summon the portal. Then, we run like our hair is on fire!” Scarrot declared, deciding for them their plan of action.

  “Sounds good to me!” Enrai said after a second to think it over. Muttered approvals filled the gallery towards the orc’s idea.

  “We can’t stay here, though! The demons won’t stand around waiting, they’ll be coming for us! We’ll need to find a place that’s defensible in case they come after us!” Ain said urgently.

  “I know just the spot! Everyone, follow me!” Reesh declared, and he began to lead the large group out of the gallery back towards the servants’ quarters.

  “When I was exploring, I found this dead end-like place. We can have our backs to the wall, while funneling the demons towards us along a narrow pathway! Easy to defend, and when the dome shrinks we can toss the portal-ring behind us and run through it without worrying about anything cutting us off!” the Menagerie’s lanky handyman explained.

  “That just might work! Good job!” Dora praised. He smiled sheepishly, only to scream in shock as he rounded a corner. The rest of the group skidded to a halt as well.

  The dome was definitely shrinking. They could now see the edge of the gold and blue barrier imploding towards them, or rather, towards the painting in Dora’s hands. But, at the edge of the dome were dozens of slavering demonic beings, cheerfully running amok in what was once a lobby.

  “How did they get inside so fast?!” Dora demanded incredulously.

  “Open window?” Enrai suggested.

  “Doesn’t matter how! They’re blocking the way forward!” Scarrot growled. “Gut ‘em, lads!”

  With a deafening roar, the caravan workers sprinted forwards, blades raised. They slipped out of the barrier and slammed into the demons, who had not been expecting to be attacked. They were caught by surprise and driven back. But not defeated. Demons were stronger than mere mortals and were beings of conflict and destruction, and though caught off guard, they rallied quickly and began to bite and gnaw and claw at the fighting escapees.

  Vim and vigor and cheap steel blades were not enough to match Abyss-birthed talons and fangs and hides and pure, unadulterated hatred. The slavers were soon crying out in pain and fear as the demons retaliated, forcing them back.

  “Let’s back them up, Ain!” Enrai shouted, darting towards the barrier. The Grand Elf nodded and drew his saber. Soon, they were joining in the slaughter, spilling demonic ichor everywhere. A crackling of lightning here, and demonic limbs went flying. A burst of flames there, and demonic flesh was turned to ash.

  After a short bout of violence, the group returned to the dwindling safety of the barrier, panting slightly.

  “Anyone hurt?” Dora demanded. A few men raised hands, showing off acid burns or deep lacerations.

  Though drained, Dora pushed herself to heal them quickly, her Light magic making short work of their injuries.

  “Take it easy, Dora!” Holt admonished her as she doubled over, gasping for air after healing the last person.

  “I-I’ll try,” she wheezed.

  “We cleared the way,” Ain said, wiping his blade clean of steaming black gore. “How much further?”

  “Um, another two corridors, a staircase, and an atrium,” Reesh replied.

  “We better hurry, than, I don’t like the looks of things,” Enrai said, eyeing the steadily shrinking area of the dome. Everyone nodded in agreement.

  They rushed past the disintegrating remains of the demons, trying to find their way out. More demons continued to appear, though, forcing the group to fight their way through each room and hallway they passed.

  “Just a little bit farther!” Reesh claimed. “Just a little bit more…! There it is!” he cheered happily as he led the group to the spot.

  Just like he’d said, the long corridor terminated in a dead end. While there were some doors along the side that led to storage closets, this was the best place for holding off demons.

  “How much time do we have before the barrier is small enough?” Ain asked Dora, who was still rather pale.

  “Uh, I guess a couple of minutes now?” Dora said, looking intently at the painting. “The rate of collapse for the dome has increased, so no more than ten minutes or so.”

  “That is ten minutes too many.”

  A voice filled with frozen fury washed over the group, and the prisoners all began to tremble.

  “He’s back? He’s back! Oh Cynthia, he’s back!!” one of the caravan crewman cried, throwing his sword to the ground and tearing at his hair.

  At the entrance to the corridor, a figure in a pitch-black robe wearing a silver mask marked with a spiral motif appeared, surging forth out of the shadows. Raw hatred seethed from his very being, and none of them could resist the pressure squeezing down upon their backs.

  “Spiral!” Scarrot growled furiously, glaring at the World Rebellion Apostle.

  “I leave for a day to tend to other matters on Erafore, and what do I find when I return? A jailbreak and a robbery at the same time!” the cultist snarled, glaring at the group from beyond the barrier.

  A wordless roar of anger escaped his lips and he slammed a fist against the receding dome. It shook violently, and a few cracks appeared on the surface. Gasps ran through the group.

  “You think you can just leave? That you can steal from the World Rebellion?!” Spiral growled, slamming another fist onto the surface of the barrier. The cracks widened, and Dora cried out in pain as the mystical painting she was holding spat out sparks of pure magic that scorched her hands and face.

  “But there is one good thing about this whole mess! You brought me one of the Chosen Ones I’ve been hunting!” Spiral crowed. He raised his fist to strike the dome but paused. Behind him, dozens of demons had been drawn to his presence, and they crowded around him, eager to get a taste of fresh meat after so long!

  �
��How about we make a deal?” Spiral said, his voice suddenly turning smooth and charming. “Little girl, if you hand yourself over to me, I will let everyone else go free!”

  The demons barked and howled in dismay, but the cultist silenced them with a glare. As for the Menagerie’s crewmen they were all confused, looking from Dora to the World Rebellion agent. Could it be? Was Dora a Chosen One?

  “Never!” Scarrot snarled, interposing himself between Spiral and his daughter. “I won’t let you lay a hand on her!”

  “Give yourself to me, child, and everyone you love will be allowed to leave this place,” Spiral said, ignoring everyone but the half-orc. “I’ll even let you use that ring of yours to create a portal for them to exit through. How about it? You won’t get a better deal!”

  Dora bit her lip and looked down at the mesmerizing landscape “Depiction of Utopia” provided, then at everyone around her. Would he really let them go?

  “Dora, don’t you dare listen to him!” Reesh shouted, startling her out of her thoughts. “He’s a monster! Even if he honors his promise today, tomorrow he’ll just do something worse! He doesn’t care about you, us, or anyone! He’s a Void worshipper! Don’t let his lies get to you!”

  “Reesh is right!” Uldo declared. “The Void can give you nothing but despair! Don’t trust him!”

  “We’ll be fine, Dora! We’ll find a way out of this mess one way or another. So don’t you dare give in!” Holt shouted. Cries of support and defiance rippled forth from the rest of the group, as well as jeers and insults aimed at Spiral.

  “I…” Dora began hesitantly but trailed off. She looked up at Scarrot, then Ain and Enrai, and then at the rest of the Menagerie’s workers she’d come to view as family. She tightened her grip around the painting that was the only thing keeping them safe.

  “I won’t!” she shouted. Then, in a smooth motion, she tore Grub’s portal-ring off of her hand and threw it behind her.

  Spiral roared in anger and delivered a third and final blow to the already damaged barrier. It wobbled, distorted, and then shattered into a million glowing pieces.