The Sky Demons Part Two: Quest

Chapter Seventeen- Measured breaths and the words between

Tenmar- Measured breaths and the words between

The cell was cold and damp. They kept the area beyond continually lit for the purpose of making sleep difficult, and every so often wax would drip from the candles and onto the floor; the intervals between the sound of each drop was the only measurement of time available. I shivered and curled in tighter on myself, ignoring the protestations of my many cuts and deep bruises in my search for warmth and desire to place myself as far away from the silver glimmer of the metal table that I shared my prison with. Huddled against the wall, I focused all my energy on trying not to think; on not feeling for another two wax-drips length of time.

When the door swung open with an offensive amount of noise I found myself pressing harder against the wall, although I was already so close against it getting any nearer was not a possibility.

It was him again, that man and his helpers. He stopped on the other side of the bars and stared at me intently. Another small ache started up in my head, right against the skull, and then faded back into dullness. Grey cursed and looked away, then back.

"How is it that I can't access your memories? What protection have you placed on yourself?"

I gazed at the wall to the side of him. I didn't know.

His hands gripped the bars, his fingers wrapping round them so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Then perhaps you'd like to tell me some more about these 'Sky Demon' friends of yours. I've already got the location; just tell me how many of you there are. What are your capabilities? What research have you got on their condition?" When I didn't answer his voice took on a harsher tone, his face set with irritation. "We can do this the hard way again if you want, we can do it as many times as you like. I wonder how many more sessions you think you can last."

I tensed as he stood, trying to take deep breaths as my body decided to slip from under my control, shaking and hyperventilating in deep, gasping breaths that rattled painfully out of my desert-dry throat. Grey reached for the keys on the hook by the door and his gaze slid across the wall, over the other hooks and the... tools dangling from them.

"We're not making progress as quickly as I'd like, perhaps we should take things up another step," he said to one of the helpers standing dutifully by him.

I watched as he strode down the line of hooks, gripping the keys in one hand. He halted by one near the exit door, from which hung something I couldn't see clearly. He took it down and turned to face me, a slight grimace on his face as he handed the object to one of his helpers.

"I'll leave this job to you, let me know when he's ready to talk."

The helper stepped forward, swinging the object in his hands, bringing it into view: a saw.

Oh no.

Oh deities no.

"Tenmar..."

I couldn't do this, they were going to break me and I was going to shatter and spill in response.

"Tenmar."

I had no energy, but somehow I still managed to start kicking and screaming as they opened the cell door. Hands were gripping, and metal was shining in the candlelight and I punched out blindly and thrashed as they tried to get ahold of me.

"Tenmar!"

I found myself lying on my back, staring straight up into the forest canopy; my clenched fists resting against the red hide of my familiar, looking slightly bruised from contact with her hard scales. Firah's head was looming over me, watching with concern.