Gallant rescue

It's taken me some time to be able to write about this, so bear with me. I was captured by... Damien! Yes, I know, I should have run... and I did run! But Jordi came, and we cannot risk Jordi, and the baby, to the undead. So I turned and fought, and he captured me so fast! He took me down into the catacombs, what an awful place! cold and damp, and full of spiderwebs {{shudder} Then he congratulated me on being his 100th kill! I wondered why that was a cause for congratulations. I admit to hoping that meant he would free me. But not so, he took me upstairs, out into the auction area, and asked if I wanted to be sold at auction. There were many slavers standing around, and I begged him not to sell me to them, and he gave me the choice to be sold or to stay with him. Well...I know what my fate would probably be if I fell into the hands of slavers, and death seemed to me to be preferable. Then he took me back in the catacombs, but still he did not kill me. He seemed to be enjoying my fear as he made me follow him deep into the combs. He asked me again if I was sure, and I said yes, and awaited my fate. He seemed to ponder awhile, then took me up, and up, and outside once more, so that I was confused. Then I saw that he meant to kill me there, before everyone...so awful! And suddenly he turned and bit me, and I thought, "this is it" ...only then I was awake! and there was so much commotion, people screaming and my friend Kara crying, and I wondered why, because I was still alive. Only I felt so... so odd! There was a tingling numbness all through my body, and I could hear a strange deep thumping sound coming from all around me, almost like a heartbeat,but not mine! And something weird, too... suddenly I hated all slavers, with this terrible anger and rage. I went charging toward the slaver camp, I don't even know why, because I don't hate all slavers on sight, it was a very sudden, very violent mood from nowhere. But wolfie stopped me and would not let me go on, and I could not fight with dear indigo wolfie. She told me I was undead... undead!!! No!!! I ran back and attacked Damien in anger... useless of course. I suddenly thought, I thought if I flung myself from the cliffs, I would die. Silly of course, I was already dead, but I was so panicked and afraid, I was not thinking right. And there were so many people, and running and shouting, I was confused. Someone caught me as I fell, a bedu, I think, he caught me right out of the air and he tried to get me away from Damien and into the tunnels. There were so many people, all yelling and fighting and shouting at me to run, back into the caves. But Damien came and was fighting, so many people, I don't even remember. KCEE was there, and the strange bedu was fighting Damien, urging me to run, and my friend Kara trying to lead me through the tunnels, but every way I turned Damien was there, no matter which way I ran, until it was useless. Then he bit me again, and I think I fainted. When I awoke I was so cold... so numb and... different. And also, I felt this strange pull toward Damien. I both hated him and feared him... but he was the only one who could help me, who could explain what was happening to me. And even more than that, I wanted to go to him. And yet he was telling me that I would fight the knights... Never! Never! I would never fight the knights nor betray the Sultana. Finally he left, laughing, and I was left in the combs alone, except for Ari lying like asleep on a cold slab.

Later that evening I had wandered into the desert. I was so lost and scared, and didn't know what to do, or where to go. I wanted to stay far from my friends, because I remembered hearing the blood pulsing in their veins, the beat of their heart like a drum. I was afraid for them, and afraid for myself, for what I had become. When I returned to the combs, Prince Paw was waiting near the entrance, and as soon as he saw me, he attacked! I was heartbroken, that the knights whom I love and who have trained me and been so kind with me, must hunt me. I would not fight Paw, never, so I stood, waiting for my fate, and crying because he must hate me now. It was over in a moment, and he had captured me. Then he told me, so kindly! that I was under the undead spell and that I must follow him to KCEE to be healed. Oh! Healed! I almost didn't dare to hope as I followed Paw to the camp where the knights had gathered, and KCEE, and little blue wolfie too. They were so good to me, and KCEE began to cast a spell, the most wonderful thing I have ever seen, and wolfie added her magic to it as well. I remember beautiful stars and glowing lights, and the most incredible energy flowing through me, while the heavy, dark shadow seemed to drop away from me and I was filled with light. It seemed to go on forever and yet only a moment, at the same time. When the lights faded, KCEE was holding me close, and I was well. I could breathe again... deep breaths, feeling my lungs expand, taking in the warm welcome air of the desert, smell the sharp tang of the ocean breeze. I am alive again!

~Lady Elysa~