Chapter 5

Disclaimer: mentions of past rape

An all encompassing emptiness settled within my chest as my consciousness returned. My eyelids felt weighted in their heaviness making it nigh impossible to open my eyes. I felt cool bedding beneath me and the light weight of a sheet covering me. 

My eyes may have been closed but my ears were perfectly attuned to every noise surrounding me. I heard murmurs and conversations being had around me. It took but a moment for me to recognize and focus in on a familiar voice.

"Tell me what you learned."  It was Lucifer and he sounded defeated.

"The injuries are numerous, my lord." An unknown voice replied. "There is evidence of mauling, many broken bones, bruises and internal injuries. From what I have found its kidney and spleen have both ruptured, causing excessive internal bleeding."

"Do not call MY child an it." Lucifer spat, taking a deep breath to calm himself. "What can be expected in the coming days?

"Your child has physiology unknown to me, my lord. The best we can do is wait and see if the remedies will do their job."

"And should they not?"

"These injuries would have killed any creature multiple times." There was a sigh. "If the remedies do not help…death is the only outcome."

I remember thanking a God I did not believe in at those words. My longing for death had not left me and this news brought peace to my broken heart.

"Call Lycher, you are useless to me." Lucifer said desperation tingeing his words.

"Yes my lord." 

I heard a door slam shut moments later before a weight settled beside me. A hand was placed gently on my head and I instinctively turned my head, whimpering miserably as I tried to distance myself from him.

"It's okay, Verin." Lucifer tried to soothe, removing his hand with a heart broken sigh. 

I could breathe easier now that his hand had gone, and I let out an unintended sigh of relief. 

"Lycher will be here shortly." Lucifer explained quietly. "Try and sleep."

Nausea rolled in my stomach at those words. How many creatures had touched me while I was asleep and how many more would I have to endure touching me?

I gagged as my throat convulsed. Having no control over my decrepit body, I could hardly swallow as bile rose. Strong arms grabbed and turned me to my side as vomit shot through my mouth and nose, leaving a burning pain in its wake.

I continued to vomit for some time, gagging and coughing as I did, gasping for air in between bouts of pain. 

A cool cloth dabbed at my mouth as I finally wretched my eyes open. I looked into the worried face of Lucifer, my eyes widening as fear gripped me. I shoved at Lucifer forcefully, knocking him back and off the bed before scurrying to distance myself. I breathed heavily, panting and gasping in my fear until my mind began to shut down.

My breathing was so erratic I almost did not hear the door opening, admitting a new creature to this closed off room.

I could sense him entering the room and my panic increased. There were too many creatures, too much unknown, and my entire body reacted viscerally. My stomach clenched and I vomited once more, gagging violently as I did so. 

Suddenly my racing thoughts quelled and my body began to go lax as a faint humming sound broke into my mind, the melody calm and soothing. 

I felt my breathing steady as the panic that had built began to slowly ease its grip on me and I was left boneless, my mind blank.

"Breathe for me." A melodic voice whispered and I found myself complying, taking a deep ragged breath and easing the dizziness surrounding me. "Good job. You're doing so well. Keep breathing slowly. In and out."

I followed along to the melody still playing in my mind, breathing slow and steady. I chanced a glance at the creature before me and my heart stopped. Before me were a vivid pair of green eyes shining in their splendor, looking as though they could see past my panic into the true suffering of my soul. 

I felt tears slide down my face as I continued to stare at the creature before me, his eyes having captivated me and slowly breaking what was left of my heart.

"Ada…" I whispered brokenly as I closed my eyes. I felt a hand gently push at my shoulder, bidding me to lie down, and I let it guide me as I fell heavily to my side. 

My eyes remained closed as the humming began again, taking away the last tendrils of stress and panic. My heartbeat slowed, my breathing evened and before I could understand what had happened, I was asleep.

I must have slept for hours as the room was considerably darker when I awoke next. I opened my eyes for but a moment before clenching them shut once more. The green eyed creature was close by. 

I took a shaky breath and slowly opened my eyes, looking at the creature beside me

  A chair had been placed close to my bed and there he sat. Beside him was a table laden with supplies and I watched as he moved an item or two, clearly looking for something.

I looked at him carefully and though I knew his eyes to be green, I had not known more. He was sat so I could not discern his height but his features were soft and welcoming. He was a pale color with an almost silver hew to his skin with ivory hair that fell down to his mid back. He was stick thin with scars littering  his face and hands, speaking of a troubled past.

"I'm cleaning your wounds." He explained, voice gentle and reassuring. "I won't tell you not to panic, however, should that happen, I'll have to coax you back to sleep."

I stared at him, confused, unable to understand what he meant. I remember being coaxed to sleep when I was younger and suffered from nightmares but never since I grew. 

The creature looked at me with those eyes and smiled slightly. "I am a type of fae known as a sylph." He explained, grabbing a damp cloth and reaching toward me. "Our songs are known far and wide. We can tempt and seduce as well as calm and soothe." 

I flinched as his hands made contact with the cloth of my shirt, slowly lifting to get at the wounds it hid. 

"Breathe." He commanded and I took in a gasp of air, having forgotten to breathe. "Slowly."

I nodded and took slow steady breaths. I felt him gently run the cloth over my clotted and inflamed wounds, hissing as it tugged at a forming scab.

He cleaned slowly, dipping the bloodied cloth into a bowl of water on the table, before continuing. He did not remove my shirt completely which kept my mind at ease. When he had finished with my stomach and chest he began moving lower and that is when the panic began to set in again. 

"The marks extend towards your legs." He explained, trying to ease my mind. "I need to clean them."

I took in shallow ragged breaths as his hands made to remove my pants. I lashed out, slapping the sylph's hand away from me before kicking him across the room. If he was shocked or angry I did not know. I was not in the room. I was once again on that forest floor with the monstrous creature looming over me. I could feel his teeth as they bit into me and his hands as they moved over every inch of me. I could feel the blood dripping down my legs and I could feel him as he ruined me on that forest floor. 

I began to claw at my chest, unable to breathe, my back arched in an agony that had long ebbed but that I could viscerally feel in every fiber of my being. I let out an earth shattering scream as my mind fought with a beast that was no longer there. 

The humming returned, pulling my mind back to the present and calming my body, allowing me to take in deep shuddering breaths. I had screamed my throat raw, blood making its way down my throat, causing me to swallow bitterly. 

"Sleep." The command came and my eyes closed, sleep finding me immediately. 

When I woke next I was merely semi conscious, unable to move yet hearing everything. I heard footsteps moving about and murmurs of conversation, some inconsequential, some curious.

"Did you hear?" one voice asked.

"What?" Another seemingly curious.

"I heard from Ozro that the Lord's child is an Alter."

I heard a shocked gasp.

"Oh, our poor lord." The voice sounded sorrowful. "What shame he must feel at the revelation."

"Our Lord is far too kind hearted, keeping a thing like that alive." The first voice uttered. 

Their chatter faded as my consciousness faded.

Lucifer's yelling was what brought me back into semi consciousness once more. "CHECK. AGAIN!"

"Lucifer, stop." This voice I knew to be the Sylph with green eyes. "Unless you want to wake up your child."

"You're wrong." Lucifer insisted, almost whispering.

"I've checked three times. I'm not wrong." 

"You can't be right…you just can't." Lucifer's voice cracked with emotion.

"I hate to say it, but I am right and we don't have a lot of options-" The sylph stopped talking and silence filled the air.

"Sleep." The command came again and my consciousness faded once more.

I woke some time later, blinking to focus my eyes. I was facing the ceiling, a dark purple the color of the night sky, and inhaled deeply, feeling oddly refreshed. I slowly sat up and took in my surroundings. The bed I lay in was grand, pushed up against the far corner of the room. A wardrobe and vanity sat at opposite ends of the room and beside the bed sat the table from earlier, devoid of the items it once held. 

Looking down at myself I noticed my clothes had been changed. No longer was I wearing the ragged clothing that clung to my skin, glued by drying blood. In their stead I wore loose trousers and a too big shirt that fell airily around me. 

In my curiosity, I pulled the collar of my shirt and took a look at my chest and stomach, noticing the bandages wrapped tightly around them. I had been treated in my sleep. The only pain left was a dull ache that would soon disappear. 

My left arm was quite a sight; my forearm was placed just below my ribs, and set against my torso with bandages, allowing me no room to move it. I was not keen on moving it though, so this constriction suited me. The throbbing pain a dull thing now. 

"Good morning." It was the green-eyed sylph. "I bring food."

My stomach turned at the words and I shook my head, paling considerably. 

"I understand the reaction, however you have to eat." He placated, placing the tray of food on the table. "I brought something that will be easy to digest."

I looked over at the tray curiously. It looked like a bowl of warm water with how little actual food was within it and that did ease the tension in my stomach.

"It's warm broth." He explained, grabbing the bowl and bringing it close to me. I sniffed at it suspiciously, the aroma awakening my hunger and my stomach growled. 

He chuckled, grabbed the spoon, filling it with broth before presenting it to me, seemingly hoping that I would eat. 

My stomach growled once more so I begrudgingly leaned forward, accepting the spoonful of broth. It was savory and warmed me as I swallowed. It was nice.

"Good job." He said, feeding me another bite.

I ate slowly, relishing the flavors and the warmth spreading through me until the bowl was completely empty. I watched the sylph place the empty bowl on the table before facing me.

"My name is Lycher." He said, pulling a dark green bottle from his pocket. "I'm a healer that specializes in alters."

I looked curiously at the bottle, not fully hearing the words spoken to me. He looked from me to the bottle.

"This is a nutrient potion." He said, reaching for the spoon and filling it with the contents of the bottle. "You must take this potion three times a day for the next month."

He brought the spoon to my mouth and I obediently swallowed the potion. It tasted as lavender smelled, potent and floral with a hint of bitterness. 

"You're surprisingly compliant." He hummed, dropping the spoon into the bowl with a clang that caused me to flinch. 

"You're in a precarious situation. There's an issue we must take care of but we can do nothing until you regain more of your strength." I nodded but said nothing, continuing to listen to his musical voice speaking calmly to me. 

"Do you have any questions?"

I shook my head. I had questions, but I did not want to speak. I was afraid that should I open my mouth I would break down again, begging to die.

"Okay." Lycher nodded, gathering the dishes from my meal and standing to leave. "Beside you is a switch. Flip it if you need anything." 

I watched him leave and close the door. I was now alone for the first time since I had been dragged from my home. 

I removed the sheet from my legs and moved to the edge of the bed, standing as soon as my feet hit the floor. I stumbled momentarily before walking towards the vanity, where a water basin had been placed. With a trembling hand I reached into the basin of water and slowly washed my face.

I used the sleeve of my shirt to dry the excess water before looking at myself in the mirror. My hair was dark brown, almost black, and my ears were pointed gracefully. I was a moderately tall, slim creature able to climb, swim, and run with ease through the forest I had grown in. I was an exceptional hunter, agile and stealthy. I had so many elven traits from my damned mother, and yet these eyes were all anyone could focus on.

My wretched eyes were the only indication of my origins, constantly changing based on my meager emotions, like those idiotic stones humans were so fond of selling. My anxious gray eyes had slowly shifted to a deep blue, reflecting the grief that wracked me.

My eyes rapidly changed to a deep red as anger flooded my mind. I was unable to form a complete thought before I found the water basin, which was just in front of me, had been thrown across the room. I let out a roar and shattered the mirror. My fist was stopped by the wall behind it, as fragments scattered the room. I gripped the top of the vanity and ripped what was left of the mirror's frame from its stand, hurling it toward where the basin had landed.

I grabbed the rest of the stand and threw that as well, exhaling in satisfaction as it hit the wall and split apart, littering the floor. I snatched up a nearby chair and swung at the light above my head, smashing it completely. Glass and debris rained down around me as I launched the chair at the only window the room had. It smashed through the pane and made its way outside. I heard it break against the ground outside. 

The scenery outside caught my eye and, momentarily, my anger abated. The cloudless sky was a deep red from constant fires surrounding the estate, and in the distance, black smoke rose to the sky in giant plumes. Reality hit me as I stared unblinking at the sky so different from my own, tears running down my face.

They had brought me to hell.