"Catspaw"
By Amanda Swiftgold
Chapter Two - The Duck Flies at Midnight
In which there are a great number of very nasty people
*****
<Nautilus? Is everything working?> Katara sent to her familiar.
Her thought-voice sounded apprehensive to the cat.
<Everything's fine, Lady,> she thought soothingly. <The
man, Setzer Gabbiani, has agreed to help us. We will be on our way to the
island shortly.>
The mage sighed in relief. <Thank the gods! Take care of him, Naut.
I feel that he will succeed, and I shall see my daughter again. Setzer
Gabbiani...> Katara repeated to herself, as if committing the name
to memory. But there was a strange, breathless tone in her thought-voice
as well. Nautilus shook her head at the recurring silliness. <He will
be greatly rewarded for this. Remind him if he begins to
falter.>
<It shall be done, my lady,> the cat replied, and then the link
was broken.
*****
Vege stood in the middle of his camp, looking very pleased with himself.
Only a few more, and they'd be ready to take this last load of slaves over
to the island. He smiled. It was so easy to find reasons to arrest these
people. Some of them even got turned in by their neighbors for stealing bread
to feed their families. Well, there'd be one less mouth for them to feed
now, and they'd be doing something useful instead.
He looked at the dirty, ragged people chained together under the torn awning
and swung his whip. It cracked down very close to a skinny young woman crouched
on the ground. She jumped back slightly, surprised, and her head jerked up.
He could see the tear marks on her face. Pretty little thing. Perhaps
the general will let me have her as a reward for good behavior, he
thought.
"Bitch!" he shouted, cracking the whip again. "You should be grateful. You
have food. You have clothes. You have a roof over your head." He waved the
whip in the direction of the awning. "And when we get to the island you'll
have work to do. We're actually doing you poor pitiful people a favor!"
She glared at him. "We're slaves! You want to do us a favor, let us go!"
Vege grabbed handfuls of her dark hair and hauled her up, raising the whip
as the others shied away. "Yes, you're slaves. You deserve nothing. Nothing!"
He flicked the whip forward as the woman cringed. But it never hit her.
He looked in surprise at his weapon. Half of it was missing, lying on the
ground at his feet, sliced off cleanly. He looked toward the post holding
up the awning, and there he saw a playing card stuck by a corner into the
wood. Dropping the woman, he turned around. A white-haired man in a long
black coat stood at the edge of the camp, two guards lying on the ground
behind him.
Setzer grinned and waggled his fingers at the slavedriver. "Why, hello, you
big lug," he crooned. "Why don't you come over here and play with someone
more your own size?"
Vege recovered quickly, glancing around. "Who? I don't see anyone."
"Ah! Touché!" Setzer laughed, drawing out another card. "Well, are
you just going to stand there?" Vege roared and lunged over towards
him, drawing his sword. Setzer dodged out of the way and spun around as he
lumbered past. "Just a little fast. Try again."
"Gladly!" He came back and swung the sword, aiming for Setzer's neck. He
stepped away, barely getting nicked, and sliced forward with the card, taking
off a bit of Vege's earlobe.
<Remember, you have to lose!> Nautilus called from her hiding
place by the guard station.
<I know, I know!> He darted back and picked up a sword from
one of the fallen guards. Against this opponent, he'd probably lose
in simple physical combat. The slavedriver just had the advantage. But Setzer
intended to lose. He didn't intend to die.
The impact of Vege's sword hitting against his own jarred through his arms,
and he had to adjust his grip. His own thrust was easily pushed away, and
after a few more hits the sword was knocked from his tingling fingers. Setzer
held his hands up in front of him. "I surrender," he said hastily, before
Vege could drive the blade right through him.
He laughed triumphantly. "I don't know what you think you were doing, little
man, but you've lost!"
I see that.
"I charge you with attacking the person of an Imperial slaver and killing
two Imperial soldiers."
"They aren't dead," Setzer put in.
"Severely wounding two Imperial soldiers to the point of near-death," he
amended smoothly. "I find you guilty. As punishment you belong to the Empire."
With a smirk Vege grabbed the collar of his coat and hauled him none too
gently over to the rest of the slaves, dumping him on the ground.
He locked chains onto Setzer's wrists and ankles, making sure they were too
tight to be comfortable. He protested as Vege emptied his pockets, watching
vainly as his cards and dice were dropped in a small bag and put in a larger
sack. His money the slavedriver tucked into his own pocket. He delivered
a few kicks to his side, grinning as Setzer fumed and visibly suppressed
his anger. "Enjoy your stay," he laughed, leaving to bandage his earlobe.
<You did it! Very good! Now manage to stay alive and we'll be in and
out in no time. Be a good slave and don't draw attention to
yourself.> The cat was chuckling in his mind.
<I suppose you think this is all too hilarious.>
<Well, it is! I'll be hiding on the boat. It's docked a few miles from
here. It won't be long now.>
Setzer sighed, struggling up to his knees, futilely trying to adjust his
chains. <I had better be well rewarded for this!>
Nautilus only laughed again and left his mind. With a silent groan, he looked
around at the faces of his fellow slaves and spotted the woman that the
slavedriver had been bothering near him. "Are you all right?" he asked her.
"I've been better," she said slowly. "What were you trying to do? Rescue
us?" The other slaves were listening intently to their conversation, but
he just tried to ignore them.
"Well, kind of," he said. How was he supposed to explain it to them? Say
that he wasn't trying to help them at all, but just a girl on the
island because he was being paid to?
A man snorted. "Kind of? How can you 'kind of' rescue someone?"
"I need to rescue someone on the island," he sighed. Invariably, the rest
of them looked hurt. Well, I don't know you! he thought at them, feeling
a little... ashamed? No, that couldn't be it. "I'm not some great liberator,"
he said, feeling his face flush. "I... oh, hell." He looked pointedly at
the ground, and gradually they all turned around and ignored him. All except
the dark-haired woman.
"Thank you for... distracting him," she said. "I'm Thury."
"Setzer," he replied, bowing slightly. "No problem. Why are you here, if
I may ask?"
"Wrong place at the wrong time," she sighed. "Man stole some kind of strange
potion from an Imperial guard. He escaped, but I was nearby, so they arrested
me instead. And now... I'm here."
That better not have been Locke. "I wish there was something I could
do."
"Me too." She suddenly raised her voice and called out to one of the guards.
"Please, kind sir, may I have that jar behind you?" She bowed low as if she
was begging for her life.
He paused for a moment but was swayed by her prostration. "Here." He tossed
the jar deliberately off, though, and snickered as she had to scramble for
it. When she'd retrieved it, Thury opened the lid and scooped out a gob of
pale blue goop.
"Hold still," she commanded, smearing the stuff on his cuts. He had more
of them than he realized.
There was one of those awkward silences where no one can think of anything
interesting or useful to say, and it was in that time Setzer felt someone
staring at him. He lifted his head and turned his gray-green eyes directly
to the source. A pasty-faced, balding man was looking at him from the other
side of the enclosure. The man looked away quickly.
Thury followed Setzer's gaze to the man and suddenly edged a bit closer to
whisper in his ear. "That's Kurstil. Don't say anything around him that you
wouldn't want repeated to Vege."
"Vege?" he whispered back.
"The slaver, the one you were fighting. Kurstil's planted in here to find
out secrets." Finished with his wounds, she dabbed a little on her own healing
welts, put the lid back on the jar and passed the salve on to another
person.
He paused as a guard walked by. "How do you know all this?"
She looked a little embarrassed. "I've been a slave before, been taken to
the island. Before it was an island, though. I escaped."
"How?" he asked furtively.
She glanced around at the rest of them, especially noting where Kurstil was,
before turning back to him. "I'll show you when we get there."
He smiled at her. "I promise I'll repay you for this."
She didn't get the chance to reply. There was a small commotion outside as
Vege and his assistant returned to the camp at the same time. The assistant
was dragging behind him three children chained together. They looked distinctly
unhappy.
Vege rubbed his hands together. He had a new whip, and swung it through the
air so they could all hear it whistle. "Get up!" he bellowed. "Move out!"
The guards sprung into action, prodding people into place here and there
and chaining them together two by two. Setzer remained near Thury and was
pleased when they were chained together. The column of slaves started marching
slowly, the silence broken by the shouts of the guards and the weeping of
many of the slaves.
Thury made them hang back until most of the column had passed, stepping in
behind the three children, who had been kept together. Vege noticed and flicked
his whip at them, cackling as Setzer moved forward to take most of the blow.
"Ooh, so gallant," he whined, smacking the whip against Thury's legs.
"Faster!"
She winced but said nothing, murmuring to the children, urging them forward
gently. Setzer glared at Vege as he moved down the line. Fire Two, or
even just one Fire spell, and he'd be gone for good... He clenched his
fists. He couldn't risk it. But oh, how he'd like to see that man burn...
They marched under the hot afternoon sun, pushed forward by whips and swords,
and it was nearing dusk when they finally reached the ship. One of the children
had fainted from the heat, and Thury had insisted on carrying him in her
arms for almost half of the trip. Setzer frowned at the sight of the boat.
It did not look very safe, or big, for that matter.
They were all marched on board and crammed into a belowdecks hold. The air
was musty and wet, but it was cool and they all sank to the deck gratefully.
There was only enough room for everyone to sit, but no one could turn around.
The hatch slammed closed, and they were plunged into darkness. The ship shuddered
as the anchor was raised, and they moved off.
One of the children next to him began to scream, along with some of the other
people. He could identify Thury's voice among the rush of noise, comforting
them, and between her and the people nearest to them they soon had the children
quieted down. Setzer felt for Nautilus's presence but could find no hint
of the cat. I hope she made it on board, he thought worriedly.
As soon as all was silent, a woman screamed, "We need air! There's no air!
I can't see!" Immediately everyone else began to yell and howl for air. Something
needed to be done, and soon. He had to admit, the darkness and bad air were
grating on his nerves as well, but there was no need for all the screaming!
Setzer got to his feet as quickly as he could with his wrist still chained
to Thury's. "Shut up!" he bellowed, but few heard him, and those who had
didn't listen.
Smacking his forehead in frustration, he turned to the boards of the boat's
side. If he was careful, and lucky, perhaps he could burn a hole in its side
to give them air. But it would take a lot of concentration to get it right.
He began to call on the magic of the Espers, preparing the Fire spell, holding
the Ice one ready right after it.
When his power levels had risen enough, he said "Fire!" softly and touched
the side of the boat. There was more screaming as it flared up, spreading
an orange glow throughout the hold, and Setzer hovered anxiously near it,
waiting for his magic to return. As soon as it did he murmured "Ice!" and
sent it out towards the blaze. It died quickly, returning the slaves to darkness
again.
There were many cries of "What was that?", but he didn't answer. He didn't
want that Kurstil character to report anything about him, hoping that no
one had identified him in the commotion. He sank back to the ground again,
satisfied. He'd always had a lot of luck.
Thury had noticed, she had to have, but she kept silent. He could see her
face, highlighted with the faint light that came through the opening. She
looked scared, but also angry. She wouldn't talk to him, simply staring off
into nowhere, and he was at a loss to explain it.
None of the guards came down to the hold on the trip, and fresh air and
eventually daylight streamed in through the hole. They arrived on the island
sometime a little after dawn.
*****
"Move it! Come on, let's go!" someone bellowed, banging open the hatch. No
one moved for a moment from fear and exhaustion, but mainly from cramped
muscles. Soon, one by one, they stood and were ushered up onto the deck and
off the ship, unprotesting. Right now, even slavery was better than one more
minute on that ship.
Setzer and Thury walked docilely onto dry land. She was holding the hands
of two of the children and the other was clinging to Setzer's coat. Thury
didn't look at him, not saying a word as they were lined up again and given
a cursory inspection to make sure they were still alive. Then with whips
and shouts they were marched down yet another road.
Large trees lined the paths on the island, and he looked around carefully.
He'd have to remember this once he'd found Elya. The little boy next to him
stumbled, and Setzer quickly swept him up and carried him so they wouldn't
stop and attract the attention of the guards. The movement jarred Thury's
arm, but still she said nothing.
"Thury," he said, turning to her as they walked, "what's wrong?"
She didn't meet his eyes. "Nothing."
"Bullshit. Tell me what's wrong. It's obvious that something is."
She rounded on him angrily, eyes flashing. "You used magic!" she hissed
in a low tone. "Magic killed my mother! How... how could you-- do
that?"
He was stunned, confused. "Thury, I'm sorry," he said immediately. "But I
wasn't the one who killed her. Not everyone who uses magic would do that.
We aren't all like that, you know."
She looked at the ground, ruffling the hair of the little girl she held by
the hand. Tears ran down her cheeks unchecked. He moved his free hand and
patted hers comfortingly. "I know," she said softly. "But that doesn't make
it any better."
Setzer nodded. "I understand." They walked in silence the rest of the way.
*****
The base was located under the ground, and Setzer shivered just looking at
it. The large guarded cave was the entrance to a network of stone tunnels
and rooms, and the river that bisected the island came out of the ground
at the other end of the base and ran south to the edge of the land, where
there was a small yet thriving town.
They were taken underground, and yet it was not dark. Torches and alarm lights
speckled the walls at regular intervals, flickering as they passed. All the
slaves were brought into a large cave, and on a raised dais at one end stood
a large, muscular woman with a shock of frizzy red hair pushed back by a
headband.
The woman came toward Vege, leading the group in. "General Ethar," he greeted
her, "we have an especially good crop for you this time. Not one died on
the trip over."
"Excellent," the general replied, turning to the slaves. Her hard black eyes
raked over them, and the boy in Setzer's arms shuddered as her gaze hit him.
"Hear me now, slaves. I am General Risa Ethar, and I am your master. Until
you are sold or die, you will obey me at all times, and obey my servants
as if I were giving the orders. Understood?"
They all nodded, unable to do anything else, and Risa, accompanied by Vege,
began to walk forward among the slaves. She separated them into groups, pointing
her sword this way and that to direct them where to go. Vege unlocked their
chains and sent them to their groups.
Thury tensed as they approached them, her face pale. Risa motioned for the
children to go into a group of their own, and reluctantly Thury let them
go. Setzer could sense she was worried, but was unable to do anything to
comfort her, instead pretending he didn't know her. He figured the odds were
better that they would stay together if he acted like he didn't care.
General Ethar looked at him closely, and he felt like an animal being sold.
He half expected her to look at his teeth to see how old he was. She reached
out and took hold of his chin, turning his head from side to side as he forced
himself to stand still and be a good slave.
Vege chuckled. "That one's a handful, General. He came rushing into camp,
threatening me with a pack of cards. He's a bit looney, if you ask me."
She grunted and looked thoughtful. "That's all right, Vege. Send him over
with the others. It'll make it interesting." Risa laughed shortly and turned
to Thury.
"Uh, General?" Vege cut in, pausing in unlocking the chains. "I was wondering..."
Setzer saw the look in the slaver's eyes as he gazed at Thury, and barely
stopped himself from attacking him. Thury saw it too, but stayed calm. But
her lip was trembling very slightly as she held herself back.
"I don't think so." Risa said shortly, peering at Thury. "I get first choice,
and this one looks fit enough to replace my maid. She's getting too lazy."
Vege looked disappointed, and Thury was sent over to stand with one other
woman, glancing despairingly at Setzer on the way. He joined a gathering
of three other young men in the corner, looking at her across the room.
Where are they going to put me? And where in the seven hells is
Nautilus?
<You'd have to comb through a lot of hell, Setzer, and you'd still never
find me there. I'm right here in this cave.>
<Damn it, don't scare me like that! Now what am I supposed to do?>
<Be a slave,> she laughed. <I'm going to find where Elya
is and find a way out. It'll help that the woman Thury's staying with you.
She knows a way out.>
<You did that?>
<Sure. It was a breeze, flyboy. Just plant a thought here, and there you
go! It's not too hard when they're distracted like that.>
<If you say so,> Setzer thought dubiously, focusing on an intriguing
wall across the room.
<And I do! Stay in one piece, and I'll see you tonight.>
<Ha. Don't expect me to wait up for you.>
The cat's quiet laugh ran through his head as it faded, and he returned his
attention to the scene around him. The slaves had been separated into groups
and were being taken to wherever they were going to go, which was most likely
the mines or Maintenance or something. General Ethar led Thury and a few
other people over to where Setzer and his party was standing.
"Follow," she ordered preemptorily, and they did. Thury fell into step next
to him as they continued down the halls. He wished he could talk to her mind
like Nautilus could. She knew the way out. At least, he hoped she did.
Risa opened a door set in the wall of the passage, revealing another, smaller
cave interlinking with a few more. "These are my personal quarters," she
announced, "and you all are my personal staff. You will obey my every command
whenever I choose to give it to you, and when I am not present you will follow
the orders of Prytra here."
An older, ragged-looking woman came forward and bowed to the general. "This
way," she said, gesturing down a short corridor as Risa went into another
room.
"Here is where the women will sleep." She pointed at a small alcove. "I will
acquaint you with your duties shortly," she told them. "They include mainly
keeping things clean. The men stay here. The room at the end of the hall
is for the general's favorite only. Don't go in there."
All six of them nodded as Prytra looked them over. "Your duties are only
to attend to the general's every need," she announced, a small smile playing
across her lined face. Setzer frowned and bit his lip, watching as the other
men glanced at eachother nervously. He had a feeling that meant what he thought
it did.
She repressed the smile. "The bathing caves are to the south. I suggest you
get yourself cleaned up." Prytra then turned and left them without further
ado.
"How disgusting," Thury murmured. Setzer looked down at her with a wry
smile.
"I am not looking forward to this."
*****
Setzer was the last to be called in to 'attend' the general. He didn't know
what that meant, but he was rather glad it had happened that way. He'd listened
with a kind of horrible fascination to the others' stories and planned
desperately for a way out. But Nautilus said that it wasn't time yet, and
so he'd had to wait. And now it had caught up to him.
The cat had been strangely concerned when he'd explained his situation to
her. She started working harder in finding Elya, in finding the way out,
and in finding a way of keeping Risa uninterested in him. But now all Nautilus's
efforts had failed.
Thury, who was sweeping the corridors, gave him a 'be brave' look as he passed,
escorted by Prytra. She locked the door behind him after he was through it,
and he was left to face his fate. The fate being General Ethar in a nightgown.
He swallowed and took a step forward. Best to get it over with quickly and
get the hell out of there.
"So it is your turn now, Setzer," she breathed, batting her eyes and leaning
back against her pillows. It was a rather comical scene, and if he had been
watching instead of stuck in the middle of it he might have laughed.
"Nice place you got here," he said, glancing around. The room was lavishly
decorated with tapestries and silk, and the belongings of all the slaves
were piled in one corner. He noted the sack containing his cards, dice and
other possessions and remembered where it was for future reference. He wanted
to cast a spell on her, Sleep maybe, but she'd remember, and he had no way
out. Too bad I just can't kill her.
She sat up a bit, leaning forward, and her eyes gleamed. "I am one of Kefka's
most important generals," she told him, her voice fluttering worshipfully
as she spoke of Kefka. "All of this comes through his will."
"Oh, yes," he agreed, "Kefka's great. Had the pleasure of meeting him
myself."
"Truly?" Risa asked. "Then you know how it is." She patted the bed. "Come
here." Reluctantly he came and sat down. "Tell me what you thought of him."
What I think of him? He's crazy, homicidal, and he has an annoying laugh!
"Oh, well, he's very interesting," Setzer said weakly, trying very hard
to ignore the fact that the general had slid around behind him and was rubbing
his shoulders, starting to ease his coat off. Maybe if I get her into
a political discussion... he thought unhappily. "But I don't know if
I agree with everything he says."
She leaned her chin on his shoulder. "Why not? Destruction is a wonderful
thing. And besides, he has the most adorable laugh!" She giggled and sighed,
looking a lot like an overgrown schoolgirl. The illusion vanished quickly.
"Turn around," she commanded abruptly, and taking a deep breath, he did.
Risa fell asleep. She toppled over heavily onto the large bed, almost rolling
off it, and lay there, snoring.
Setzer blinked in confusion and then let out a long sigh of relief. A slender
white cat leapt up beside him on the bed, and he beamed at her in gratitude.
"You did that, didn't you?" he sighed, patting her briefly. "Thank you,
Nautilus."
"No, Nautilus did not," the cat said, and he looked at her. As the feline-shape
turned her head up to meet his gaze, he gasped in shock. The eyes that locked
on his were human eyes, colored a deep brown. The voice that issued from
her throat was different as well, a rich young woman's voice.
"Ka-katara?" he said in a strangled voice.
"Yes," she replied softly. "You are helping me, so I shall help you avoid
this disgrace. She will remember only vaguely that you pleased her, but nothing
more. I have also planted a thought in her mind... you will not be called
back for a while."
He bowed his head slightly. "I don't know how to thank you for doing this,
Katara."
The cat-form bowed its head as well. "Return my daughter to me, and that
shall be payment enough, dear one." Katara jumped up onto his shoulder and
wound herself around his neck a moment. "You make me proud," she whispered
in his ear. "I trust you."
The cat licked his ear, tickling it, and then jumped down and disappeared
somehow. He looked at the place she had been silently for a moment and then
back at Risa's prone form, shuddering. Katara had saved him the hard part,
at least, but now he had to make it look as if they'd had a good time.
*****
When he'd been released, Setzer conferred with Nautilus, who had returned
to her old self, and decided that it was time to leave. She had finally located
Elya, although she hadn't been able to get in to see her. He told Thury
everything, and she agreed to help them escape.
"Besides, I'm worried about the children," she told him, untying her bandanna
and uncovering her hair. She sent it flying across the alcove. "They can't
work very well, and there's no other use for them here. I'm afraid they'll
kill them."
"We'll rescue the children too," he promised.
She smiled at him. 'There's a river that flows through this island," she
told him softly. "It comes up right out of these caves. We just need to ride
down that for a while, then get onto land. That's how I managed before."
Setzer grinned back at her, patting the pouch in his pocket that held his
things. Risa had never even noticed it was missing. "We leave tonight," he
replied.
Arranged with Nautilus's help, it would be easy. That afternoon it was time
for inspection, where all of the slaves in the place were lined up in a great
corral of sorts and inspected for excessive wear by Risa. By the time she
was finished it was invariably dark, and then they might be able to slip
away unnoticed. Nautilus would start a fire, and they would run in the
confusion.
As they were herded in, Thury located the children, and they pushed their
way over to them, as close as possible. They waited nervously, and, about
the time the inspection was half over, Nautilus gave the signal. The fire
shot up almost immediately.
Complete panic and confusion reigned. People ran here and there, knocking
down others in their haste to get away. And, in the mess, Setzer and Thury
lost sight of the children.
<Setzer, come on! We don't have a lot of time!> Nautilus said,
almost screaming to be heard over the din.
"Thury!" he cried, grabbing her arm. "we have to get out of here, now!"
She yanked it away, plowing forward through the people. "No! I have to find
the children, Setzer!" He followed as best he could, and finally they found
them huddled together by a wall. One of the boys had nearly been trampled
to death, and Setzer picked him up carefully as Thury took the hands of the
other two.
The fire was almost put out, and so they ran while they still had time, out
into an adjacent corridor. They dashed, ducking through tunnels here and
there, meeting up with Nautilus on the way. The cat led them to a small niche
off a side tunnel.
"Heal him quickly, gambler," she told him, moving out into the hallway to
watch for guards, and he bent forward, preparing. Thury looked at the cat
in amazement, then turned to Setzer and watched breathlessly as the bruises
and cuts on the boy's body faded and disappeared.
His hair had fallen forward as he bowed his head, and he glanced up at the
woman through it, grinning. "You see, not all magic is bad." He helped the
boy sit up.
She beamed, throwing her arms around him and hugging him fiercely. "How can
I thank you for doing this?"
He stared at her through half-closed eyes, placing a finger under her chin
and tilting her head back. "I'm sure I can think of something," he murmured,
leaning down and kissing her. Thury made a wordless noise of assent and held
him tighter, kissing him back.
Someone applauded, and they broke apart quickly, turning to look. The
slavedriver, Vege, stood there, a twisting sack hanging from an arm. "Oh,
bravo," he said. "It's just like a play! General Ethar will be very
pleased to know we have another magic-user in our midst!"
"Let me out of here, you bastard!" Nautilus spat from inside the burlap bag.
Setzer leapt to his feet, Thury rising behind him and standing in front of
the children.
He reached into his pocket, but before he could do anything more guards appeared,
coming forward and shackling them again, twisting his arms up against his
chest. As Vege was overlooking them, however, Nautilus clawed her way free
of the bag and tore off past their feet and down the corridor. Vege cursed
but didn't go after her. <I'll come back for you later, Setzer!>
she mindspoke as she ran. <Don't worry!>
<But I am worrying!> he protested as she ran out of range.
Vege and his guard friends dragged them back they way they'd come, back to
Risa Ethar. She sat on her throne in the main cavern, looking at them darkly.
All five of them were dumped at her feet, the children too scared to cry.
Vege walked up and told her his version of what had happened.
"Running away," Risa said, "is a crime punishable by death." Thury paled,
whispering to the children comfortingly, and Setzer tried to struggle to
his feet, receiving a fist in his stomach for his efforts. When he straightened
again, blinking the tears from his eyes, the children and Thury were being
dragged away.
"No, stop!" he yelled, twisting around desperately. More guards beat at him,
pinning him to the ground.
"They die at dawn," Risa announced, rising from her seat.
"Setzer!" Thury screamed as she was pulled away. "No!"
"You, however, shall have a different fate. You know magic... you will put
it to use working for the Empire."
He tried to yank himself up. "No, I won't work for you, you fat bitch!" he
shouted, incredibly angry. He began a spell as her expression grew black.
She knelt down, curling her fingers around his neck and squeezing hard. He
closed his eyes tight, breaking off the spell, unable to breathe. There was
a roaring sound in his ears as his consciousness began to fade.
Suddenly she let go and air returned to his lungs abruptly. He gasped violently,
opening his eyes, vision blurred. "I have many magic-users of my own," she
said, "all ready to do my will. I don't need you, white-hair. But you will
not have the easy out of death." General Ethar turned to look at Vege. "Call
for Kurstil."
Kurstil? Isn't he that snitch from the slave camp? Setzer wondered,
having given up on struggling for the moment. When the man arrived, Setzer
saw that it was, indeed. He was dressed in fine clothes, however, and wore
a sneer on his face.
"You called for me, my general?" he asked, casting a glance down at Setzer
on the floor.
"This man is a magic-user," she told him. "He needs to be punished--
severely."
"Of course," Kurstil said, smiling in a distinctly nasty way. "I know just
how it is to be done. If I may?"
She nodded, and the man came over and crouched next to him. Vege ambled up
and unlocked the chains binding his arms, patting his head patronizingly.
Setzer tried to pull away from the guards holding him down once more, but
to no avail.
"So you're the one who burnt the ship," Kurstil murmured, acquiring a look
of concentration. The mage reached out and grabbed Setzer's wrist, muttering
things.
A sudden, brutal pain rushed through his hand. He tried to pull it away,
writhing on the cave floor. He became aware he was screaming, and still the
pain in his hand did not stop. He felt pieces of his fingers being torn apart,
his hand broken, the agony from the nerves racing through him.
It overwhelmed him, sending him into blackness, and yet even in unconsciousness
the pain still did not subside. He felt Nautilus's presence in his mind,
heard her voice although he could not make out what she was saying. The sound
of his own screams blocked out anything she said, and then finally there
was silence.
When he awoke he was still in the main chamber, Risa on her throne above
him. He was no longer held down, however, and slowly he turned his head and
looked at his hand. At the end of his wrist he could make out a bloody pulp,
the white of bone showing through. He gazed back at Risa, who gestured.
Two guards approached and dragged him upright to his knees and backwards.
He ended up next to the throne, leaving a trail of blood behind, without
even the strength to raise his head. He knelt, slumped, next to the chair,
unable to do or feel anything. Risa grinned at him.
"Sleepy?" she said brightly. "It's dawn, Setzer. Time for an execution."
He raised his good hand to cover his face. "No more," he whispered.
<Setzer! Setzer, please. Listen to me! I can save you but I can't help
them! I know it's a lot to ask, but we have to rescue Elya and get out of
here! You'll have to forget-->
<No!> he interrupted. <I will not, can not, and don't
you dare ask me to!>
<You must forget your pain until we are finished! I'm not asking-->
Her voice left without warning, and a familiar clank of metal chains
from the other end of the cave caused him to slowly drag his head upward.
Thury was marched in, her expression one of defiance although her face was
streaked with tears. She was the only one.
The children are dead, Setzer realized, meeting her eyes. She stared
at him and then looked down, a fall of dark hair covering her face.
"So, tell me, Setzer, how should she die? Should she be burned? Staked out
for the wolves? Drowned?" Risa looked down at him, but he did not answer,
still staring at Thury. "No preference? Hmm..." She thought a moment and
then decided. "Beheading. The woman Thury will be beheaded for attempting
to run away from her rightful place as a slave. Vege, begin."
A block was brought forward and set in front of her as a guard forced her
to her knees. "Pity such a pretty little thing has to die," he sighed. Making
sure Setzer was watching, he bent down and kissed her sloppily. She struggled
away, spitting, and Setzer almost managed to get to his feet before collapsing,
nearly landing on his face.
"Stop it!" he yelled ineffectively. "Don't do this! It was my idea! I made
her come with me!" I have to do something! he thought desperately.
His things were still in his pockets but he couldn't reach them, couldn't
do it quickly enough with his head spinning like it was.
The guard looked up at Risa, who nodded for him to get on with it, and then
pushed her down, her head hanging over the block, her hair perhaps fortunately
blocking his view of her face. But not before he met her pain-filled, frightened
eyes. I'm sorry, she mouthed before giving in and falling forward
against the block, resigned to her fate.
He couldn't watch, pressing his face onto the stone of the cave floor. There
was the whistle of the axe through the air, and a sharp thunk, and he squeezed
his good hand into a fist, gritting his teeth against the tears and recurring
pain.
"What, you didn't see it? What a pity... you really should have." He heard
someone approach him, and before they could make him look at what was left
of her he ground his wounded fist against the ground, gasping as the force
of the pain knocked him out cold.
*****
Setzer was dumped in a cell deep under the ground. The white cat had walked
like a ghost on glass through the corridors after the men who had carried
him there, keeping to the shadows. She was angry at what they had done to
him, and Katara was horrified. Nautilus had lost track of them when her mistress
spoke to her, but a trail of blood soon led her back.
I know where we are, the cat thought. This isn't too far from where
Elya is. The cell Setzer was put in was dark, dirty, and windowless.
The door was sturdy, made of iron bars. Nautilus just slipped between them
without any thought at all.
She strolled directly up to the man laying on the floor, sitting behind his
head. The cat gave a small lick to his hair before placing her front paws
on his forehead. What they had done to him and the woman Thury had hurt his
stability, could even have driven him insane. She did not know him well enough
to determine if it was so, but she had to make sure. She could not heal his
body, but she could help to heal his mind.
Katara's presence entered her mind, helping her. Together they lessened the
pain, temporarily dulling the memories. He would remember fully later, but
he should be able to deal with it then. When they had finished Nautilus curled
next to his neck to wait for him to wake up.
<Nautilus, how is he?> Katara asked worriedly.
The cat glanced up. The man's skin was as white as his hair. <Not very
well, Lady. He's lost a lot of blood. What they did to his hand... it has
magic in it.>
<Find bandages, and then get him out of there! It is time to bring
Elya home. Oh, Nautilus, I feel awful about this. He doesn't even know me,
and yet he would give up his life to do this...>
<Don't worry about it, mistress. He will be all right, I'll make sure
of it.>
Katara sighed wearily and left her mind. Nautilus stood and trotted over
to the door again. That stupid guard outside would not only be a great source
for bandages, he'd probably have the key, too.
*****
The room was too dark. Setzer hated being underground, always remembering
the feel of the wind on his face as he flew across the world in his airship.
When he'd opened his eyes he'd seen nothing but dark, a torch flickering
somewhere out of his direct line of vision.
The dim white shape of Nautilus stood on his chest, holding something in
her mouth. She dropped it as she spoke, and it landed on him, hard and metal.
"I brought bandages, Gabbiani. Better wrap up that hand. Oh, and here's the
key to your cell, too."
He reached for it, suddenly noticing the shape of his hand. "By all the gods
and goddesses," he said. "Where are those bandages?" He sat up, head swimming
only a little. And then he remembered, faintly, how and why his hand had
gotten like that. But why don't I remember so well what happened? It's
all a blur to me... I only know that they killed Thury, but I don't know
how...!
He snatched up the pile of cloth. "What did you do? What did you do to me,
cat? I can't remember Thury dying... I need to remember! I don't want to
forget--"
"You'll remember," she said, "in time. You must mourn later, when Elya is
safe. Don't forget your purpose in being here."
"My purpose," he grumbled, awkwardly wrapping his hand. And yet, maybe it
was better this way. He'd done enough mourning over Daryl to know that it
wasn't the most pleasant of pastimes. He decided it was time to forget, and
time to get out of here. Setzer stood, palming the key, and noted with
satisfaction that he wasn't very dizzy, that the pain had subsided
somewhat.
Outside his cell door the guard lay on the ground, unconscious, his uniform
tattered. He glanced at his bandages and shrugged, reaching through the bars
and unlocking the door. It swung open slowly, and he stepped out, followed
by the cat.
"Now what?" he asked in a low tone.
Nautilus's gold eyes glowed iridescent in the darkness as she turned her
head up to look at him. "Now," she said, "we run."
