Young Magic (The hobbit love story)

Chapter 24: Drained

Salacia POV

I walked slowly behind Gandalf and Radagast, my feet felt like bricks, my head felt lightly and my soul felt disturbed. "G-Gandalf..." I whispered...however he didn't hear me. I felt my voice fall away as my knees buckled to the ground. "Salacia!" Radagast, in my luck had looked back at me. I reached out to him...however before his hand could meet mine something grabbed ahold of my ankle...yanking me back into the cavern. I screamed with no sound and clawed at the ground in an attempt to save myself. I watched as the Wizards disappeared from my sight and I was swung around and thrown. I felt my back hit the stone wall. My survival instincts strained and i conjured a ball of fire in my hand before throwing it, allowing it to fan out, glowing the room....my heart stopped...there where orcs...everywhere. "W-what do you want?!?!" I yelled defensively. They all smiled at me with sadistic expressions. I backed myself up against the wall and pushed myself to my feet. My body felt drained...what was wrong with me?! I cringed as I tried to move...I however felt an intense pain in my leg. I shrieked and grabbed my leg. 'Kili??' I thought. Ever since the incident in Rivendell I can occasionally feel what he feels. Suddenly the orcs jumped at me, I held up my arms trying to defend myself but failed miserably. They're harsh hands covered mouth and restrained my body. I noticed one of them pull out what looked like a needle, attached to a bottle of liquid. I struggled ant thrashed, all of this commotion was too much for my mind, I couldn't control my powers. He jumped over onE of them who was holding my body against the wall before slamming the needle into my neck. I felt all my muscles begin to spaz and thrash. Suddenly I felt my head smack the wall hard before my vision went spotty. The last thing I felt was my body being dropped, dragged on the ground.

Thorin PoV

I huffed as we caught our breath in soaked barrels that Bilbo had had us get into before we had an entire ordeal in the river. I looked on my company, exhausted and cold. "Salacia would have probably been useful in the situation..." Dwalin said ringing out his shirt. I felt my blood boil at the witches name. "No doubt, she could have killed all of them...or just snuck us out." Ori said. "Yeah! I would have loved to see how Salacia would have handled tha-" "WELL SHES NOT HERE IS SHE?!?!?" I yelled furiously, cutting off Bofur. "Thorin..." Balin said. "Cease the speak of her, she is not here. She left us. On other word, Anything behind us?" I asked. Balin shook his head, "not that I can see." He said. "I think we've outrun the orcs." Bofur said. I nodded, "Not for long; we've lost the current." I said.
"Bofur is half drown." Dwalin said. I frowned. "Make for the shore! Come on, let's go!" I said as we all swam our barrels to land. I looked at Kili who sat himself down on a rock, he looked spent, his brother beside him looking at him. "I'm fine, it's nothing." He said shaking his head as he looked at Fili. I frowned. "On your feet." I said. turning away. "Kili's wounded. His leg needs binding." Fili said. I shook my head. "There's an orc pack on our tail, we keep moving." I said. "To where?" Balin asked me. "To the mountain; we're so close!" Bilbo said looking at me. Balin shook his head, "A lake lies between us and that mountain. We have no way to cross it." He said. Bilbo shrugged, "So then we go around." He said, earning a disapproving frown from Dwalin.
"The orcs will run us down, as sure as daylight. We have no weapons to defend ourselves." He said. I looked back to my nephews, Kili defiantly looked to be in pain, now Oin was looking at him. "Bind his leg, quickly. You have two minutes." I said. Suddenly I heard a ruckus behind me. I turned and my eyes widened as I saw Dwalin standing infront of Ori with a large log...with an arrow lodged in it. Suddenly I saw Kili raise a rock and the man, who was standing, aiming an arrow, shoot it out of his hand. "Do it again and your dead." He said. I said nothing, only looked at the man. I watched Balin slowly go towards him. "Excuse me, but, uh, you're from Laketown, if I'm not mistaken? That barge over there, it wouldn't be available for hire, by any chance" he asked. "What makes you think I will help you?" The man asked. Balin grinned slightly, "those boots have seen better days." Balin started, "As has that coat. No doubt you have some hungry mouths to feed. How many bairns?" He asked. "Two girls and a boy." He said. "And your wife? I imagine she's a beauty." Balin said. "Aye...she was." He said. Balins smiled faded, "Im sorry I didn't me-" "enough with the niceties!!!" Dwalin snapped. "What's your hurry?" The man asked. "What's it to you?" Dwalin asked. "I would like to know who you are and what you are doing in these lands." The man asked.
"We are simple merchants from the Blue Mountains journeying to see our kin in the Iron Hills." Balin said. The man looked at us doubtfully, "Simple merchants, you say?" He asked. I stepped up, wanting answers to my question. "We'll need food, supplies, weapons. Can you help us?" I asked. He looked from us to the barrels with a skeptical look. "I know where these barrels came from." He said. "What of it?" I asked. "I don't know what business you had with the elves, but I don't think it ended well. No one enters Laketown but by leave of the Master. All his wealth comes from trade with the Woodland Realm. He will see you in irons before risking the wrath of King Thranduil." He said. I frowned and looked at Balin. "Offer him more." I mouthed silently. Balin sighed and looked again to the man. "I'll wager there are ways to enter that town unseen." He said. The man nodded, "Aye. But for that, you will need a smuggler." He said. "For which we will pay double." Balin said. The man looked at him shocked, and suspicious.

Salacia POV

I felt what felt like needles poking into my skin, and knives cutting my feet. "Salacia...welcome." I heard a deep voice. I forced open my eye and used what energy I had to look up. Squinted my eyes looking through to see who had spoken. My eyes widened seeing the large pale orc walking towards me. Through my blurry vision I looked to see my arms where tied up, they where pulled out from my side, as was my stomach was tied to a rock pillar. My feet where a good two feet off the ground and I couldn't keep my head up. I looked down again to now noticed there where buckets of liquid, with tubes leading up to needles that where puncturing my thighs, allowing whatever vile juice it was into my body. I suddenly felt a rough strong finger under my chin, lifting it. "Someone looks tired...what's the matter? Feeling a bit drained?" He asked. "W-what did you do to me?" I breathed. "You are a strong, powerful wizard Salacia Astraea. Which is a problem." He said. "As long as your still on the dwarf filths side, we would have no chance of getting to the dwarves...especially Oakenshield." He said "you better not touch him...I'll disintegrate your bones!!" I growled. "Never mind that, you don't have the strength." He said. "What do you mean?!" I yelled. I tried to feel my energy in my body, enough to shoot fire at him...or anything at this point...but I felt nothing. Absolutely nothing. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO ME?!?!" I screamed, only feeling the back of his hand to my face. "Do not speak to me in that tone!" He yelled. I looked at him for a moment...then a realization hit me. I knew what was going into me. It was an elemental drainer...called Ezragarth. It was made from very dark magic...to turn wizards, or anyone with any sort of magic, mortal and powerless. "You filthy bastard! There's no was your smart enough to make this on your own!! Who gave you this?!" I asked. My hair falling in front of my face from me trying to reach for him, and free myself. "Why would that matter? All that matters is that I am carrying out my job...very well as a matter of fact." He said as he pulled what looked like the needle the orc had before. He calmly walked to me and grabbed my face harshly, holding me still. He injected my neck, instantly my eyes went dark. "In a matter of hours...your powers...will be no issue." I heard him say as my eyes shut themselves. I felt my eyes begin to water as my head hung. I felt tears drip from my eyelashes, I could feel the pain and sadness coursing through my body...I could feel my magic...beginning to drain.