An Assassins Crown

Chapter 31- Katara

T/W: THIS CHAPTER HIS DEPICTIONS OF TORTURE. READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

My head pangs as I start to return to consciousness. My arms and body feel like they're being pulled apart for a reason I can't yet decipher. The world around me spins and swarms with muffled voices. A foggy face comes in front of me.

"You're awake" he states but it sounds distant. I groan a response.

I realise that I'm hanging by my arms on the ceiling. No wonder my body has insatiable pain. Concern floods my system as I remember what happened.

My eyes feel like they're hardening into sirens as I look at the men in front of me. Two at the door, two behind me and one directly in front of me.

"You're angry" he drawls, "For good reason though." my eyes follow his to a table. "But we only need information, if you give us that no harm will come to you."

I stay silent for a moment, "Information on what?"

"On your kingdom's plans consulting the war" he must have seen my confusion because he says, "You know what they're using you for- don't you?"

At my silence he cackles an insane sort of laugh. A laugh that could have sent shivers down my spine if I wasn't in so much pain. "The war silly girl".

"I have no information on such a thing" the words seemed automatic.

He nodded for a few moments, inching closer to the table that I was trying to avoid. "I don't think you're telling the truth, soldier". He picked up a dagger, flipping it in his hand. "Let's start with something simple, your name".

Every bone in my body was screaming at me not to tell him. His knife trailed down my neck to my stomach, I tried to tell him but I stayed silent.

He dug the knife into my stomach sending unbearable pain into my body. I couldn't fight the pain that coursed through me in those moments. Couldn't even make a sound as I felt the knife twist.

"You're strong," he stated. "Maybe if I tell you my name you'll be more inclined to tell me yours. I'm Yarvis. Now" he pulled the knife out, I could feel my blood dripping down my leg, "your name".

My life seemed to flash before me in those moments, seventeen and close to death. It was only a few years ago that I was known as a "Level 3 Assassin, Cadet Katara" I said. I hadn't meant to say it out loud but I just did.

"A cadet, but an Assassin no less" he sounded unpleasantly enthusiastic about this. I shook my head trying to speak again but failing. Milo's voice floats through my head, 'if you or anyone ever gets taken by the enemy do not tell them anything, that's an order' this must be the enemy. "Not a cadet?" he asked.

I nodded my head because it was the only thing I seemed to be able to do. My body felt like it wasn't my own, my mind foggy with pain and something else that I didn't know. My wound gaped with pain that sent my body into overdrive. He ran the knife again down from my neck to my thigh.

"You look no older than 17 Katara, so young yet you were able to fight off some exceptional soldiers. What do you know of your kingdom's plans?" When I didn't answer he stuck the blade into my thigh. My conscience felt like it was being pushed to the back of my mind, locked away with every dark part of my life that was fighting for entrance.

When I started regaining consciousness I heard a floating female voice. The sound of arguing in front of me was my sight. Yarvis and an unfamiliar girl were arguing. She had ocean blue hair that seemed to float down to see foam at the ends. She was undoubtedly beautiful.

The distant noises of their voices got closer and as they did I felt my body's pain.

Everywhere. It was in my arms, legs, head, torso, and back. Pain accompanied my body in every place it could find.

"She doesn't know what she's doing!" the girl yells. "I told you not to hurt her until I got here with the antidote." What was she talking about? Antidote for what? "No wonder she didn't tell you anything! She physically can't!" her yelling was starting to hurt my ears.

"Your highness but-"

"Get out and keep watch of the other Linury". Yarvis scurries out leaving me with the girl and the guards. She turns to me, her eyes widening when she sees me awake. She grabs something of the table and immediately my body locks up.

"It's alright" she says "This is going to help you". She lifts the vial up to my face and opens my mouth forcing me to swallow. Its sweet taste travels down my sore throat, she only gives me half of it so as not to give me too much too fast. "They were putting something in your food to make you more compliant, this will counteract it so you can go back to being you".

I feel myself floating back in its most ugliest form. My head doesn't feel so foggy as my nerves go into overdrive. Out of instinct I raise my legs to kick her stomach and knock the key ring she has on her belt. I catch it between my feet as she goes bellowing over.

With my feet I toss it up to my hands and catch it in a smooth throw.

I dig the key into the lock of the chain and twist it. The chain unlocks and I drop to the floor more ungracefully than I would have wanted. But considering that I'm injured, its not the worst I could have done.

My feet find their footing and hold me up as I grab one of the bloody daggers and bolt out. I don't spare another glance at the girl that gave me that 'antidote'. My whole body feels like its on fire, my head feels like it's in overdrive and won't stop. Soldiers fling their swords at me left and right. My own blood coats my skin as wounds reopen and pull.

I stab a soldier in their shoulder blade turning away as they cry out and fall to turn my attention to another. Making sure I don't fatally hurt anyone I make my way through the soldiers towards the tree line.

"Non lethal shots, just subdue!" I hear someone shout as I make my way through the soldiers. There are so many of them. I feel around for the panel that I had to turn off the magic cuffs but they must have found it and taken it. Without my magic I won't be able to get through all of them.

Quickly, they form a circle around me closing me in. The blue haired girl appears from behind one of them. She has her hands out so as to not appear as threatening.

"We're not going to hurt you" she says, but as she looks at the blood all over me she adds "anymore". I grip the dagger impossibley tight as spots start to cloud my vision and pain ripples in my bones. Adrenaline starts to wear off and the pain I wasn't missing comes back. The girl steps closer to me,
"Katara" she says softly, as I collapse I hear her scream "Katara!". The pain is unbearable, my arms feel like they're going to fall off. I just want it all to stop. The girl leans in front of me, her ocean hair falling forward. "Stay awake for me Katara" as I'm lifted off the ground she stays in my vision. "My names Lillith," she says in a calm tone like she's trying to distract me from the pain. Was this really the time for names though?

My vision started to get spots and my ears rang loudly, drowning out Lilliths begging for me to stay awake.

I gave into the darkness in the end.