“Aye, well I know a few other things I can think of to call you.” Percy said glaring at the fay.
“Now don’t go getting your panties in an uproar, as you can see I haven’t had any better day than you have.” The Fay raised his wrists referring to his own shackles.
In all his life, Percy had never been subjected to any experiences such as this. Aye he was Fay, but that had always been a well-kept secret. As far as he knew, he had been the only Fay in the mortal world for centuries, until now.
Now sitting in the same room with him was another. At the moment, he couldn’t help but wonder if that was why he was here. Was this place where Fay were being kept as prisoners? If so, what types of torture was in store for them? What possible reason would these people have for keeping them here?
That knowledge hit him like a battering ram. The woman from his dreams, she was why he was here! She had bewitched him and used his dreams to lure him here. He tried to remember his journey to this place; he had no recollection of it. The only thing he could remember was the strong pull she had over his soul that had left him with no will of his own. Then…the hit over the back of his head, then waking up in this place shackled like a prisoner. Percy wanted answers. “How did you come to be here?” asked Percy hesitantly
“Probably the same way as you, the witch.”
“The witch? Is that what she is?” That would certainly explain a lot, especially her bewitching him.
“Aye, I wouldn’t think she was anything else but a witch. We are not the only ones here.” said the fay
“Nay, there is more Fay in the mortal world besides us?” Percy asked astonished by the other fay’s answer.
“Aye, there are plenty of them. At last count, at least twenty more, twenty two counting you and me.”
“But I only see the two of us here.” said Percy
“This is only one room,” the Fay gestured around the room with his hand. “They moved me here in hopes of keeping you calmer when you awoke. And don’t try calling for help, we are so far out in nomads land that no one would ever hear you.”
Percy gazed around the room, for the first time he realized that the room must be some kind of room in the basement of a house. “Do you know what they want with us?”
“Nay, I have no idea at the moment. Most of the time the only one that comes down here is the witch, but she never speaks a word. She only tends to our feeding and leaves.”
Percy bunched his brows together. “Are all of the other captives like us?”
The Fay across from Percy laughed. “Like us? By like us I would assume you mean Fay…Aye that they are.”
A bang at a door in the far side of the room brought Percy and the other Fay to full attention. Percy watched as the door opened and in stepped a man the size of a house. Behind him was a short odd man holding what looked to be a cattle prodder. Once inside, both men stopped in the middle of the room. Checking out the room, they let their eyes fall upon Percy.
The odd little man stepped closer, eyeing Percy as if examining a pig at the market. Stepping back the man folded his arms across his chest, a grim little smile on his lips. “You will do nicely, nicely indeed.”
Percy had about enough of this treatment. “Nice for what? You have no right to keep me here. Do you know who I am? I would advise you little man to let me go now or pay the consequences!”
The odd little man just laughed while the large one just stood there with a dumbfounded look on his face. “Consequences? Oh I think not, and if I don’t let you go you will what? Scream, yell, make a bunch of noise, and call in an army of Fay to rescue you? Go ahead, yell your head off, call in your armies, no one will hear you. You belong to me now, no one is coming for you, nor will they ever find you. So if you would like your stay to be comfortable, I would advise you to get use to your new home Fay. Because if you give me any problems, I assure you, I can make your surroundings much more…uncomfortable.”
Fighting against his restraints, Percy pulled and yanked at the chains binding him. There was no use; he could never break out of these, not with his strength depleted. In defeat, Percy stopped struggling and just sat limp on the floor with his head hung low.
“Smart boy, my big friend here couldn’t break out of those chains himself if he wanted to. All you would accomplish is to wear yourself down. As you may have noticed already, those shackles you wear around your wrists and ankles are made from iron. With the plans I have for you, having you reduced to exhaustion would only defeat the purpose.”
Percy looked up bearing his teeth. “And what would those plans be?”
“In due time my boy, in due time. All things will be revealed in due time.”
“Nay, you expect me to just sit here chained to this wall the whole time I am here?”
“Oh no, on the contrary, that happens to be the very reason I am here now.”
Percy looked up at the odd little man with a quizzical look.
“You see, my big friend here will be taking you to another room where you will be enchained. If for any reason you get it in your little feyan head to try anything stupid, I will introduce you to this object.” Holding the cattle prod, the odd little man squeezed the handle producing an electric current that ran between the metal prongs with a hissing sound. Seeing the look on Percy’s face, the little man smiled with satisfaction. The large man bent down undoing the chains from the wall. Yanking Percy up from the stone cold floor, he forced him to stand on his feet.
Percy’s head throbbed with pain caused by the earlier blow to his skull. The pain was so excruciating that it made Percy nauseous. Looking at the large man holding his chains, Percy pondered whether he could take him. Percy decided against it, the man was huge and looked like he could crush Percy with his bare hands. Percy went willingly.
Chapter Four
The huge man led Percy to a room on the opposite side of the basement. Upon entering, Percy could see rows of cells on each wall, and in each of those cells was a Fay, all men. Thick iron bars barred the door of every cell. At least ten cells sat to one side of the large room, on the other wall sat ten more cells. Another ten cells sat on the back wall, no Fay were in those.
The large man ushered Percy over to these set of cells. Removing himself to the side before giving Percy a shove inside, he tossed Percy’s chains after him before slamming the cell door shut and locking it with a key.
Percy stared in confusion as the odd little man tossed another key inside of his cell landing with a clang at his feet on the stone floor. Percy gazed down at the key that lay at his feet and then at the little man that had tossed it in his cell. Percy wondered if they were playing some kind of sick game with him. The little man stepped forward noticing the puzzled look on Percy’s face.
“You may unlock yourself from your restraints, but the chains and key stay with you inside the cell. When I need to remove you from the cell, you will replace the chains again, the key will go to me anytime you are outside of your cell, which mind you will not be often. This will assure me that you cannot break free from your restraints during that time.” Gesturing to the inside of Percy’s cell, the odd little man continued. “You have a cot with adequate sleeping comfort, a commode and a jug of water for bathing and drinking. Food will be brought to you three times a day. So you see, as I told you, the comforts are an upgrade from your former confinements. But as I also stated before, give me any trouble and you will find your next accommodations much less adequate than the ones you just left.
Percy did not speak a word; he only glared upon the two men with anger. Who were these two men that thought they could imprison a Fay?
“Good, I see there won’t be any trouble then.” said the odd little man
The little man signaled the large man over by calling him by name this time, Bruno. “Go bring the other Fay back to his cell. Leaving the celled room, the little man turned once he reached the door. “Enjoy your rest my pets.” Then he left the room with Bruno following not far after him.
&
nbsp; Pets, is that what the little man thought they were? “I am no one’s pet!” thought Percy. Looking around him at the other Fay in their cells, Percy yelled, “There are so many of you and so few of them, why do you let them treat you like this? We are Fay, and they are nothing but mere mortals, our strength alone outnumbers them.”
One Fay from the far right side of the cells spoke up. “Aye, but what can one of us do that the other has not already tried?”
“Hush Batel, do you wish to bring more pain upon us? Do not speak to this Fay; his outspokenness will bring much torment upon us all.” said another fay
“Not one Fay, nay. But many Fay can accomplish much together!” said Percy
The Fay that had hushed Batel now spoke. “The only thing that would be accomplished would be torture, or the loss of a Fay life. You are new here Prince; we have been kept as prisoners in this place for many years. Your anger stays, but your will is replaced by submissiveness in due time. It is best that you heed the little man’s warning.”
“You know who I am?” Percy peered through the bars clenching his fists around them.
“Aye, I know who you are, but it does not matter. Your title bares no power in this place.” Then he turned and looked to the door. “Hush now, they come.”
The door opened and in came Bruno leading a Fay by chains. It was the same one that Percy had met earlier upon waking in this place. Percy noticed blood on the Fay that had not been there before. He was bleeding and had been beat, no less at the hands of Bruno.
Shoving the Fay into his cell that was located next to his, Bruno shut and locked the cell throwing in a key like they had to him. Bruno locked eyes with Percy. There was something evil and sinister in Bruno’s stare, something not mortal. He kept staring at Percy as if he hoped he would give him cause to challenge. The room was quiet, but Percy never backed down. He matched the large man’s stare. With a growl, Bruno was the one to back down, leaving the room.
The Fay that had hushed Batel spoke again to the first fay Percy had met in the holding room. “I see you have still not learned.”
“Am I to submit like scared little kittens such as your selves Magnus?”
“We only do what we have to in order to survive Theron.”
“Is this what you call surviving Magnus? Nay, this is not surviving, this is not even considered existing! You may have given up, but as long as there is breath in me and fight left in these bones, I will not stop trying to regain my freedom!”
“Then you are a fool Theron.”
“And you Magnus, are a coward!”
Magnus dropped his head down. “Aye, maybe a coward, but a live one at least.” That was all Magnus had left to say as he retreated to his cot to lie down facing the wall of his cell. The other Fay to the left and right walls, who had been standing at their cell doors watching the exchange of words, retreated to their cots as well and silence fell over the room once more.
Percy could hear Theron in the next cell retrieving water from his jug, no doubt tending to his wounds. Percy lay back on his cot wondering what devilish plans were in store for them the following morning. The thought of being prisoners in these people’s hands only spelled danger. As darkness came, Percy could no longer hear the movement of Theron in his cell next to his. As sleep finally took him, Percy succumbed once more to his dreams.
He was back again in the woman’s room, she was there with him. A small smile lifted the corners of her mouth. This time it was not as before, the gloom and dread was gone from the dream. It was as if the clouds had opened up and let the sun shine down on them both.
She was aware of his presence and it brought her happiness. She came to stand in front of him; she was like the brightest of gem stones. Her innocence was so bright; anyone would have thought she was the sun itself. His heart pounded in his chest and his blood heated with a lustful urge. He reached out to hold her; he just wanted to touch her, to hold her close to him in his arms. She reached for him, but something was not right. She started to step away. “You must help me, please!”
Percy reached out to her not wanting to lose the connection between them. “Tell me how, how do I help you? Please tell me, who are you?”
“You have to look inside of yourself to find the answers for which you seek.”
“Look inside myself?” The room became dark and dreary again all too soon. Percy glanced to where the woman had been standing, but she was no longer there. The room lost all warmth and there was just nothingness. Percy could feel the darkness pressing down on him from every direction. He couldn’t breathe; it was if the very breath was being stolen from his lungs.
Something slowly came into view as the pressure in his lungs grew worse. Percy squint his eyes and tried to make it out. All too soon the view opened up to a gruesome sight. The little odd man was standing over the body of a Fay. Fangs protruded from the man’s mouth as they dripped the blood of the Fay whose life he had taken. Realization finally hit Percy, Vampire. The little man began to laugh hysterically as everything began to spin out of control again.
As the world stopped spinning around him, air was returned to Percy’s lungs. The scene became brighter, and the land of the Fay came into view, his land, and his home. Percy was home!
Elation filled him as Percy ran across fields of blooming flowers. Towards the castle of his family he ran, faster and faster. Searching every room and corridor he called out for an answer, but there was only silence. Where was everyone? This was not right; the castle should be overflowing with Fay.
He ran to the throne room now and flung open the doors. There in front of him lay thousands of Fay, all slaughtered.
Sitting on his father’s throne was the little man with an evil smile on his face. “Nice of you to join us Percy, someone has been waiting to see you.” Glancing to the other side of the throne room, the man reached out his hand and pointed. Percy let his eyes travel in the direction of the man’s gesture. The sight that met his eyes brought Percy to his knees. Holding his mother’s severed head in one hand and his fathers in the other was Bruno, with blood dripping down the side of his face. Percy screamed in sheer horror shutting his eyes tight against the scene in front of him. “Make it stop, oh Lord in Heaven, make it go away!” Over and over he screamed in a nightmare he could not escape.
Chapter Five
Victoria sat up in her room. It was the same sunless room she had sat in time after time for the last six years. She sat and thought of Mama and her little sister Madeline who she had not seen or heard from in the last five years. The memories of her family were the only peace she had. They had always brought peace and calmness to her in her last years here. Those years had only become worse, her aunt and uncle had only become much crueler in their ways, more cruel than she could have ever imagined. Torture was something they relished in now towards her, especially her aunt. It was not always by hand, which they had no problem with, still beating her from time to time. No, this new torture was with fear.
Her aunt and uncle had a hole that they would place her in, a dark deep hole that they would make her sit all night in. Inside the hole, objects had been placed, what those objects were, she did not know. She could not see them, but still, she knew they were there. They would keep her there until the last amount of calmness and peace had left her, replaced by only an unspeakable fear that would follow her into her dreams. The worst part was she could not rid herself of the vile creatures of her nightmares, even when she awoke.
Her aunt and uncle had been using her for unspeakable acts. They had found that by producing the vile creatures that plagued her, they could cause her to wield a magic that would cause others to come to her, Fay, who were now kept as prisoners by her evil relatives. She had tried not to will the fay to her, but when she would become so overwhelmed with fear, she would use the amulet around her neck to ward away the bile creatures. It was only then that it was too late.
She knew the Fay would come, they always did. Yes, she knew they were there, in her fear she c
ould sense them, but even ignoring them did not help. They still came. She felt so responsible for all of them. She was allowed to feed them and tend to them, but never allowed to speak to them. That would have only brought more pain on her and them at the hands of her uncle.
She had stupidly tried once without thinking to ask one of the Fay’s to help her when she had sensed him in her dream. But he could not help her or do anything as he was just as helpless as the others to her will. But hadn’t she seen him in her dream again, just last night? Was it possible then that he could be free and not one of her uncles captives? She had been so mindless to ask him for help. Last night had been too close of a call; she had forced herself to wake up before he could fall under her will. She could not take the chance of another Fay becoming enslaved because of her.
At least tonight, her aunt and uncle would not be subjecting her to the terrors of the well. There would be no need to until the next Hunters Moon. That was the only time the magic would work on the Fay. Now, for the time being, she could take some comfort in that thought. Other Fay that were still free of her aunt and uncle’s twisted minds would stay free, that is until she would be forced to call upon them again.
Sitting on her bed, Victoria thought again about her mother and sister. The tears came as they always had; Victoria laid down on the bed clutching her pillow close crying her tears into it. At last, with her body exhausted from her continuous weeping, sleep overtook her, and she dreamed of her mother, father, Madeline, and the home she yearned to return to.
They were all outside, the fresh air and sun bringing strength to her body. It was as if she had never left, and her father had never died. Mama sat on the front porch of the little cottage in her rocking chair snapping beans for supper. Her father chased her and Madeline around the yard, all of them laughing, and so very happy. The garden was in full bloom with little fairies darting among the petals of the flowers. Up in the treetops, little pixies sat among the branches. Just below them was the majestic unicorn. The unicorn didn’t even try to look like a mere horse; he was seen for all his glory as a unicorn.
Hunters Moon, The Fae Medallion (Seer's Of The Moon) Page 3