Aire Eird Pt. 03

"I met Phan in Casslaua. She were…unconscious. She looked like a child lying in da street. I thought she was an urchin." Alex lapsed into silence. She seemed absorbed in her nails. She continued after a lengthy pause, as if she were contemplating on how to continue. "It was only when I was passing her I realized that she had a sword on her. A fancy sword. When I bent down, I saw her ears and knew." She looked hard at Cadeyrn. "I though she was one of yer warriors. Only later I realized that if ye had found her back then, she would have had a better fate." Silence stretched after this as they all contemplated what she had said.

"Please continue Alexandra."

"She was covered in blood. Some hers, but mostly of another's. Her wrists and ankles were badly torn, as if she had been manacled to a bench. Some of her ribs were broken, slices that a sword fight would make…" Alex cleared her throat. "Anyway, I could ne leave her there!" Her eyes pleaded with Cadeyrn.

"Later I found out what had happened. She had tried to take down Casslaua's Magician." Both men started. Alex grinned. "She does have more balls than both of ye!" She said fondness.

"Anyway, he came off the worse in the end apparently."

"So you think she is there now?" Jool asked.

Alex gave him a dumb look. "She is 'der now. If he has her, he'll kill her slowly and for his pleasure only!"

Cadeyrn's stomach suddenly knotted. A knock-out rush of emotion raked his body. Fierce possessiveness overcame him. Nobody would touch her and live…

Chapter 11

"Well fucking done!"

"I know!"

Phan ignored the glare Manaka gave her.

'Whoopsie daisy,' didn't come near to what had happened.

So they had devised a plan. A rather brilliant plan…

Manaka was to set up an illusion. A trader carrying jewels and gold from one of the Eastern cities was entering Casslaua in the early morning. He was loaded down with valuables and had a major mercenary escort. They were to be set upon by 'rogues' that Manaka created, causing an unholy riot in the streets of Casslaua. They had to wait until the timing was exact. It had to happen as the Inner Gates opened and the 'rogues' could access the Inner City, spreading destruction, rape and whatever. It was a distraction only. No one would be hurt really, just a diversion…

This meant that the Palace would have 'less' guards than usual as they had to fight the 'rogues'. That made their job easier, due to the fact they couldn't weave as the Kings Head Magician could feel it.

Bastard!

So then all had to be done was search the Palace for the portal. However, the place was built on catacombs that ranged far into the dessert beyond. Apparently they were not fully mapped as it was so extensive. Phan had narrowed their search to a section in the North-East quadrant. That unfortunately was where the Kings Bitch (as they liked to refer to the Kings Magician as) had is 'rooms'. Where he experimented.

Bastard had a tendency for the young, untouched virgins of the region. Male or female. Reports were that more than a few were found swimming in the swamps outside the city walls. Face down. Nobody could touch him – he was the law here.

That made their job tricky as they had to find the portal, close it (not difficult really for Phan) and get the fuck out before the Kings Bitch realized.

Easy!

Yeah right!

Phan did get the portal closed, but…it took longer than necessary. It was a living portal, draining power from people. Thousands of people. A network so big, it reached the Eastern Cities, one week ride away.

So she had to release each and every person from the tie before she could close it. It worked on the principle of draining a little life force from a person to power the gate. They were in essence tied to it. If it was just shut, the resulting backlash would kill them. So each and every person had to be released. It was a massive portal, used to bring in technology from parallel worlds. Closing it took time. Time they did not have. The longer they stayed, the more open they were to discovery…

Body swaying, Phan had just released the end power of the portal through the worlds magnetics. She was weak and tired. Manaka stood guard at the door, becoming more and more tetchy.

"You ok?"

"Yup. A minute." Phan was sitting with her head between her knees, trying to drive off the dry heaves when they were set upon…literally.

Manaka tried his best, he really did. He took down seven before they took him. Phan got twelve with her guardian's added strength which was lacking due to the portal. The room was covered in blood. Phan's body literally gave out and she was kicked and punched to the ground. Felt something break and crush under the impact.

Lovely little white stars was all she could see for a while.

~~~

A stinging sensation brought Phan back to awareness. The slapping that accompanied the stinging sensation in her cheeks brought her back to conscious admirably. Opening bright hazel eyes she pinned every one of the people in the room with a look so hateful even the guards stepped back.

"Ah, Phanerio. I was wondering when we would meet again." Turning her head, she saw the Kings Magician emerge from the darkness of the dungeon. The darkness hung around him like death. She hated him. For what he did and what he had done years past. Steel scraped as Phan flung herself at him, only to slammed to a halt by the wall chains a bare inch from his smiling face.

He chuckled, "Well, well! It's nice to see you are still as feisty as usual. It will make it all the more interesting when you break." He said the last word on a hiss and slammed his fist into her gut.

Phan doubled over, gagging for air, letting the pain of the punch roll through her body, she swore she would exact revenge on him, even as he laughed and spat on her. She reached in that one moment to the one person that may hear her…

~~~

Her throat was raw and she was coughing up blood. Her body was covered in so many bruises she looked like a banana that was decaying. Her long hair had been shorn off as well as her pubic fuzz. They were preparing her. The cold water they threw at her was like slamming red hot needles into her body. It was only another slight ache considering...

It could be said that pain was now Phan's best friend. This next bit was going to be…yeah well…he was going to do what he did best… Manaka's screaming didn't even register anymore…

Not having the energy to lift her head, Phan opened her eyes and looked to where Manaka lay on the instrument table. Where they left her with frayed and bruised skin, they had completely removed his from around his genitals, and were in the process of slicing parts of his fingers off. This had been going on for some time…How many days? She could not say. All Phan knew was that time was running out and she would not survive the next round. He was going to rape her as he pulled the spirit from her body…

Darkness closed in around her…

~~~

Time was running out. Alex was drawn and pensive. Captain Jool hid it well enough, as did he, but - he worried. They was a truce between them, fragile like an egg shell. Anything could provoke a break. They were currently discussing the city layout of Casslaua. To say the city was a maze was a joke. The only real option to getting into the city was a magnetic jump done by the Efliluer warriors. The problem was: where to jump to? Alex came up with the solution.

"Phan has a friend in Casslaua."

One pair of stabbing blue eyes and one dark and pensive glared at her. That was nothing to the Efliluer warriors lounging around the room, like they were in their forests. Alex cringed, "Mistress Allure." For some reason that name registered in Cadeyrn's mind and had him automatically reaching for his sword. Alex noticed.

A fine brown brow rose, "Do ye know her then?"

He stayed quiet. He knew better than to let anything slip to one like her.

"Possibly in passing."

"Humph!" Clear gray eyes told him she knew he was lying.

"So where so we jump to Alex?" Captain Jool enquired.

She regarded him coldly over the rim of a fine crystal goblet she was holding. She took a long swallow of fine golden wine, seeming absorbed at the way the light caught multicoloured fragments in the crystal.

When she looked up again Cadeyrn was startled to see tears shimmering in her eyes. Jool half sat out of his seat, hand reaching for her arm.

"Don't!" she hissed at him. He rapidly withdrew, with a somewhat shocked look on his bearded face. She took a deep breath. "We jump to her Brothel...."

Chapter 12

Mistress Allure patiently rolled the last section of hair into place. He dark locks were a mass of waves, like a stormy beach surrounding her pensive face. Her outward appearance may well look like the cool creature she was, but underneath she was a wreck. She still hadn't heard from Phan. Raising her gaze to the castle, she feared the worse. She really hoped they had gotten out. A woman, who relied on her gut reaction to everything, was in turmoil. It was telling her they hadn't. Sighing, she got up from the stool at her vanity unit. All the potions and perfumes to make one irresistible to men we all arranged neatly and orderly by her maid.

The sound of exploding glass wrenched the quiet as she swept them to the ground. Smiling slightly at the noise and destruction, she was unprepared for the body wrenching, falling sensation that assaulted her. Eyes streaming, hand to boned corseted ribs, trying to such air into burning lungs she eventually regained control of her wayward body. When she looked up she prayed it was a dream.

"Hello. Mother."

Mistress Allure promptly passed out.

~~~

People talking quietly was the first thing she noticed as she regained conscious. Staying still, keeping her breathing normal, she opened her eyes the tiniest fraction so she could see around the room. The sight that she saw nearly broke her composure.

Alexandra was standing next to a man with a beard. See looked stunning, as she always did. The long brown hair was to her waist and her gray eyes looked tenderly at the man. Mistress Allure was in no doubt that this man was Alexandra's beloved. Looking at their auras she noticed that they were not yet mated. Strange, as both, Alexandria's light purple and the man's deeper blue were in constant contact. Risking being caught she moved her head slightly...her poor heart stopped in her chest.

Efliluer.

There were Efliluer warriors in the room. The one at the window had the strongest aural signature she had ever seen. Usually auras are all one colour, but his was multicoloured. It changed and danced and swirled about his immense frame. It was then she noticed the white in it. Nobody's aura was white, as it was the Creators colour. Only one person had some white but there's was mostly a dark blue - almost black with swirls of white. The shock of realising who was ingrained in his aura had her gasping and sitting up promptly.

Immediately ten sets of eyes were on her. Drawing her back straight, mustering as much dignity as she could get, she raised gracefully from her chaise. Snapping out silk skirts and rearranging her perfect hair, she then looked at each one in turn, starting with her daughter. When she got to the warrior by the window, her nerves twitched and she rapidly moved on. Delicately clearing her throat, she asked, "To what to I owe this pleasure daughter mine?"

"Cut da bullshit ma! I know who yer are remember!" Alex's hands immediately landed on her hips.

Mistress Allure gave the gentlemen in the room an apologetic smirk. She knew it would rile her daughter no end. Indeed, she had drawn herself up to her full height.

"Forgive her gentlemen. She has forgotten her manners. Would you like refreshments?" Before any of them could answer, she had moved to a small table and rang a little bell. Immediately a serving boy came in.

"Some refreshments for our guests Giles." As the boy bowed, she went back to her chase and like a dancer arranged herself on it. She wouldn't let them know she was intimidated. Even though her hands had a fine tremor and she was breathing faster than normal.

They all waited until the boy brought the sweet meats and wine. Once the door closed, Alex launched at her.

"Where is SHE?"

Delicately taking a glass of wine, she lifted a fine brow and asked, "Who daughter?"

She could physically see Alexandra take a deep breath. Maybe it was a few. She hid her grin in her wine glass.

"Phanerio," Alex ground out. At the mention of Phan's name, the massive warrior's aura spiked. Indeed! Man troubles! Indeed!

"Why do you want her?"

"She's in danger." It was a statement. It came from the warrior. There was no compromise in the body or eyes. He was going to go through her to find out where Phan had gone. Mistress Allure was not stupid. She liked her organs where they were, thank you very much. Sighing, she dropped the act.

"She felt a draw to the castle," Alex stiffened, the warriors shifted. She looked straight into the burning blue eyes of Phan's mate. "She met with a wizard called Manaka and they were to try and close a portal."

"A Portal."

Mistress Allure nodded, bottom lip caught between her teeth in worry.

"How long ago?"

"Two weeks."

She didn't understand what was next said as it was in Phan's language. But she did recognise some words Phan used all the time.

As the Efliluer talked among themselves she looked at Alexandra. "Who is your companion Alexandra?"

Alex barley covered her sneer. "Captain Jool."

She gave the Captain her best smile, "Please to meet you Captain Jool." She extended her hand as he greeted her likewise.

The Efliluer had stopped talking. "We go now. We can not afford to wait any more."

As they readied to make the 'jump' to the castle, she raised a hand.

"May I ask? Do you know the layout of the Castle. It is very vast."

All eyes glared at her.

"I believe we will survive."

"Hummm, it's just that, well, the Kings Magician has traps everywhere, and new tunnels." Rising of the couch she approached them. "It just so happens I know the Castle very well."

"No! No fucking way Ma!"

Mistress Allure just smiled at her daughter and met the eyes of the Efliluer warrior.

"She comes." He growled out.

"What - "

Alex's next word was cut off as they were hurtled through space by the Efliluer.