Ascending Light

Waking

Crysen woke slowly to the sizzling power that he knew was his light. Something he'd only ever been able to harness once. His eyes blinked open and he realized he was lying face down in a huge bed, naked. He moved to get a better look at his surrounding when he felt a sharp pain in his lower back. It felt as if someone had stuck a knife in places it didn't belong. He winced as he continued to push himself up, feeling a strange pull on the back of his legs. Upon looking, he was positive that what he saw was dried blood.

So something had been shoved up there, but it wasn't a knife. There wasn't enough blood for it to have been a knife. He knew that he wasn't bonded, either, because he would certainly know the difference between freedom and slavery. Bonding was an exchange in power and an uneven exchange gave one fae power over the other which wasn't reciprocated. The easiest way to accomplish this was to force a fairy's first time. A fairy without experience has none to pull from in order to prevent a forced bonding. He wasn't bonded yet, but he was definitely in danger. He needed to get out of this place and back home as soon as possible.

He looked around the room for the object which was used, but found nothing. If he really thought about it, the tool didn't matter but the thought process behind it was the important aspect. He tried to remember what had been done to him, but his thoughts were too fuzzy. He remembered being brought to the dreadful castle and taken into this room. Then he was forced to drink something, but he remembered very little after that. Just mere glimpses of horror and degradation.

He was being prepared for bonding. He shuddered at the idea. It was clear that Zacesi wanted to control him and his power, which could have devastating consequences. Light was essential and for a fae like Zacesi to control it–he couldn't allow that to happen.

He had to get out of here. He didn't want to experience whatever had happened again. And he certainly didn't want to end up bonded. He took stock of himself, finding he could barely feel his legs. They didn't have a lot of strength in them. He could still feel the sizzling of power deep inside himself, but it was beyond reach. He'd apparently gained a bit of his buried power while being assaulted.

He scooted to the edge of the bed and sat up, holding his breath so as not to cry out. He looked around and spotted a large black shirt lying on the floor. The sleeves were bunched at the ends as was the bottom of the shirt. It was the shirt the dark fae, Zacesi he'd said his name was, had been wearing. He slipped off of the bed, attempting to stand, and spilled onto the cold stone floor. He pushed himself up and crawled the few feet to the shirt, sitting up to put it on. He didn't like the man and would rather not been wearing his shirt, but he needed clothes. When it was finally on, it looked like a huge dress on him. It emphasized how damnably small he was.

He sat a minute to gather his strength before trying to stand again, only to fail. He cursed his weak body as he tried to think of an alternative. He looked around and noticed that he wasn't too far from the door. Though the bed was huge, the room was not. He crawled slowly to it, reaching for the knob. When he was finally close enough, he used the knob to pull himself up. He had to lean on the door to keep from falling. His legs were shaky and weak but they would do with a wall to lean on.

He leaned against the wall where it jutted out next to the door for the closet. The door was, thankfully, unlocked. He was probably not supposed to have woken up yet and he guessed he had his light to thank for that. He looked out into the hallway as he leaned against the door jam, deciding which direction to go in. Something in his gut told him to go right so he made his way along the long and winding passageways. He seemed to be in the middle of some sort of labyrinth of hallways and doors. He continued following his gut until he eventually saw a room with a light.

He neared the room slowly, trying to decide if it was a good idea to go in or not. He heard loud voices inside which seemed to be in the middle of a meeting.