Carmine (Completed)

Chapter 18

Corona laid her instruments out. She focused on laying out her tools on the stone arrays the Templar brought to the right of my body and Corona navigated her body between the two. 

She laid out an assortment of slim knives and odd cylinders made of clear glass with needles attached to the end. Two copper vases that must have held some liquid sat on either side of them.

I asked, “What are those things for?” 

She froze then she started moving. Twisting, she moved up from my waist to my chest. Her hand swerved and slapped me hard in my face. The wretched pain made me choke. I coughed as no air came to me.

Gasping as blood gurgled at the back of my throat, I spat to the left side as I tried to breathe through my mouth. My nose seared in pain and my eyes squinted amid the agony. 

It was annoyingly stifled and I could not breathe through it. 

“I do not know how you woke up from that sedative I gave you, but I am not wasting any more time on a worm such as yourself. You will not interrupt me. Be quiet, so I can get this done,” Corona said.

She grabbed the cylinder object and knocked the side of the glass as she leveled it in between her fingers. I needed to figure out how to get out of here. There were the Templar soldiers, but they would never help me.

She grabbed my forehead. 

The point of that needle was aimed at my head. My eyes widened. I tried to wiggle, but her grasp was so soft and yet so strong. My eyes wavered up her arm holding me down, veins pulsed big and blue. 

The pain roared in my head as the needle pierced inside me. She withdrew it smoothly and let me go. I exhaled heavily as she went back to her table of tools. 

My head pounded. I wanted to ask, but she was not the talking type. My attempt to pull my hands free was a mere fidget with the cuffs.

I was stuck. What else did I have up my sleeve? I looked at the champion. His body moved. Was he alive?

Not even the Templars watched him. Ok, that was a little bit of hope, but I was still on my own. I needed to deal with this on my own for now. 

Gods, Overseers, what was real? 

I closed my eyes. 

Mumbling to myself, "...Ashuor I know I have been reluctant to pray to you for so long. It is not that I have been sinful. I just feel that I was never worthy to ask for your help. I don't know if you can hear me. But I swear I have done a lot of horrible things, I have screwed up. I-" 

I winced as this woman rubbed my stomach with some burning balm. It felt gummy and thick. But the pain was all that was on my mind. She seemed unfazed by the balm on her hands. 

I continued, "Ashuor I don't ask for much. I won't even ask for me to live. Just if I am to die end the pain quickly, but if I am to live give me something, anything to get out of this. I swear I will never forsake you. Please show me a sign father Ashuor." 

A loud gnawing sound woke me up from my prayer. I turned to look up. The chains turned and crackled as they slid from the ground to the roof. The upper floor was lowering. 

Corona turned and her face lost all its color. A drop of the balm hit the right cuff. Steam raised as I heard the sizzle. A symbol stopped glowing. The tight tug dispersed as the twisting light disappeared from my wrist. 

“Who in damnation is coming down here?” Corona glared at the men. They looked clueless. Her back was turned, so I slid my hand out of the cuff. I smiled, but put it back in pretense.