Divided (70 page)

“Prince, peasant or princess—the Hero could not discern
the future.”

-A Hero’s Peace v.i

The few moments Taeru had of calm were over.  The calm
hadn’t been very comfortable, as he was dangling from the ceiling by his
wrists—but at least he hadn’t been being ferociously beaten for a few precious
moments.  Unfortunately, the footsteps sounding in the distance alerted him to
the fact that it was all about to start again.  His arms being stretched,
especially after the way his elbows and knees had been hit, and the fact that
the venom from the Prisoner’s Bane in his system still caused him random bouts
of pain when it was irritated, was agonizing.

The other bruises and cuts were easier to ignore, but they
were still there.  The footsteps lasted a little longer, and then he heard the
laughter.  Not Lavus’s, Tareth’s—as Lavus very rarely laughed.  “Hi there,
guess who I just talked to?”  The smugness in his voice caused Taeru’s heart to
leap into his throat.  He didn’t guess.  Then, a knife cut into his abdomen,
almost deep enough to be called a stab, before it was trailed up to his chest. 
His teeth bit together painfully, but he kept his whimpering quiet.  “My
brother.”

Taeru flinched.  Thus far, anything Calis had told them had
either been insignificant, or they had been lying.  He’d hoped, but from the
force of Tareth’s knife, Taeru doubted that his hope had been justified. 
“Guess what he told me?” Tareth asked as his body twisted away from Taeru.  He
seemed so angry.  While Taeru had come to the conclusion that Lavus would not
listen to his reason, Lavus did at least understand that he had reason—Tareth
did not.  The crack of the whip was all Taeru had to warn him against the
agonizing pain that sliced across chest.  “Not going to guess?” Tareth asked
with another crack of the whip.

Taeru let out a whimper, and his lips quivered. 
Please,
no.  No, Calis… why would you tell him?  Why would you tell him that?  That…
wasn’t… you didn’t have to do that.  No, no, no…
Another crack of the whip
made him cringe, but then Tareth’s breath was tickling his lips.

“I really should have seen it.  The tiny, little form…” 
Tareth’s fingers moved hatefully across Taeru’s bruised and gashed side.  Then,
he moved them down Taeru’s abdomen.  “My mother was right—it isn’t any wonder
my brother was fond of you.”  Tareth’s hand struck Taeru hard across the face,
and pain lanced through him.  “Coming into a hostile territory, and then
masquerading about as a troublemaker for nobles—not wise.”  Another blow struck
across Taeru’s face, and this time he moaned weakly. 

“I don’t…”

With a quick step back, Tareth brought the whip across
Taeru’s face ruthlessly.  “Don’t even bother, rat.  I know exactly who you
are.  The Phantom Blade and Taeru Lassau.  How
fun
.  My father has
allowed me to spend the entire sun making you understand the repercussions of
your actions.  And before the sun sets, you will be willing to give us the
information we require, and you will acknowledge me as your better, and
effectively your master.”

Taeru shook his head.  If he had ever been introduced to a
disgusting concept, that was it.  He would not, under any circumstance, admit
anything to Tareth.  The whip hit him a couple more times, with hard, rapid
succession.  “My brother has betrayed you.  You are in the dungeon of a castle
filled with those that want to see you suffer and die, Phantom Blade.  You
ought to reconsider your defiance.”

The thought was sobering, but Taeru couldn’t afford to worry
about it.  That was typically the case when one was being tortured—rarely were
people tortured by others who actually liked them.  “I only attacked you
because you were hurting innocent people, Tareth,” he whimpered.  “I wasn’t
trying to hurt you.”

“Oh, stop talking!” Tareth snarled, and the whip slashed
across Taeru’s face again, and then again, and just to switch it up—it him
across the chest.  “I don’t care why you did it.  You are going to pay for it. 
I have somewhere I’d like to take you, Prince.”  Undoing Taeru’s wrist, Tareth
shoved him to the floor violently.  The moment they hit the floor, Taeru’s legs
screamed in agony and buckled.

Tareth laughed, and a solid kick found its way into Taeru’s
ribcage.  He screamed in pain, writhing on the floor.  “Get up,” Tareth
instructed flatly.  That wasn’t going to happen, and Taeru wished he could
inform Tareth of this fact.  His body had never been so worthless, so entirely
riddled with bruises and agonizing injuries.  His legs felt the worst of
it—they would not walk.  Even Juliet probably couldn’t have helped Taeru now,
he thought. 
Juliet… oh, please be okay.  Please…

Another kick forced him from his thoughts, and he cried
out.  “I said get up.”  Another kick, and then another, and another, but this
time, Taeru had the option.  He pulled his body inwards, desperate to make
himself a small target.  Seeing what he was doing, though, Tareth yanked him
onto his back and straddled him.  Tareth’s hands stroked across Taeru’s cheek,
agitating the bruises.  Then, drawing a fist back, Tareth hit him—with the same
spiked knuckles that he’d used to torture Taeru when he’d first arrived.

After a few more punches, and a few more prompts to make
Taeru get up, Taeru spat out words and blood.  “I can’t, Tareth—I can’t walk. 
Please…”  Why was he begging?  Was he completely out of his mind?  Tareth hit
him again, as if to reaffirm this thought.

“Oh, you are going to walk,”  Tareth instructed flatly. 
“That is, unless you want me to go personally track down those very nice people
you were imposing upon, and murder them in front of you.”  Taeru’s mouth
opened.  That was not a threat that had befallen him yet, and he was glad that
it hadn’t been accompanied by a request for information.  “Think you can walk?”

Taeru nodded vigorously, and he swallowed pain the welled in
his throat.  He wasn’t sure how he was going to even manage this.  He’d have to
hope that his legs were not broken, and only badly bruised.  “Good boy,” Tareth
said lightly.  His hand stroked along Taeru’s abdomen again, and Taeru was
alerted to a rather horrifying revelation.  There was a hardness near the
bottom of his abdomen.  Tareth had an erection.  Horror exploded through his
body like none before it. 
Oh, please no.  I can’t… please…

He tried to wipe the idea from his mind.  Surely, a nobleman
wasn’t going to risk his stature by raping a male.  Taeru let out a breath as
Tareth hoisted himself off of him.  “Now stand up.”  Letting out a very, very
unsteady breath, Taeru forced his arms to obey him.  He pushed them against the
floor, but the pain accompanied with even that forced him back to the ground. 
This caused another kick to cut into his ribs, breath stolen from his lungs. 
If he didn’t get up soon, then he wasn’t going to be able to get up.  “You must
not care much.”

Grinding his teeth, Taeru forced his arm against the ground
again.  Pain exploded through his body, but he pushed himself upwards anyway. 
His legs caused the same problem, only they were forced to support his weight
for much longer.  He staggered to and fro for a moment, struggling to maintain
his footing.  Agony stole his breath, tearing at every fiber of his being. 
Making it all worse was his inability to see anything at all.  “Oh, you look
like you’re in a lot of pain.”  Tareth grabbed Taeru by his hair and twisted
his body, worsening the pain in his legs, and then shoved him forward.  “Walk.”

Taeru had no way of knowing where he was walking, and the
pain was making all of his other senses melt into the background.  He felt as
though his legs were imploding and exploding at the same time.  His entire body
shook, and his mind refused to focus on anything but the mind-numbing, body-shattering
pain. 
Walk, walk, walk…
He forced one of his feet forward, and another
shot of pain raced through his system. 
It’s just pain.  Think about…
happy.  Think… comfort. 
Calis’s hands, arms, lips, splashed into his head,
and Taeru reeled from the mental backlash. 
No—okay, not comfort. 

After a few more steps, using his hands as much as he could,
his hands were pulled behind him cruelly and bound there.  “No hands,” Tareth
whispered against his ear and shoved him forward. 

Tareth was all Taeru had for guidance, as he forced his feet
to keep moving.  His entire body felt as though it was ripping itself apart, as
though he wouldn’t be able to ever function properly again after this. 
Just
walk—it’s just walking. 
Taeru couldn’t focus on anything, and he had no
idea where he was going.  All he knew was that Tareth twisted his body
occasionally into another direction, and that his legs were quavering with
unbridled ache. 

At last, Tareth shoved him forward and just before Taeru
collapsed, Tareth removed the blindfold.  They were in a dimly lit room with a
cage near the back, and as his eyes adjusted he could see that there were
people in there.  They were all quivering, huddled back against the far wall. 
“Wh-what?” he whispered.

Tareth grabbed Taeru’s hair once more, moving the prince’s
head so that his lips were at Taeru’s ear.  “Seems the Phantom Blade missed a
few, no?”  With a laugh, Tareth shoved him again.  Taeru stared blankly at the
people.  They weren’t even looking at him, they were just hiding in the darkest
corner of the prison—shivering.  “Walk!” Tareth instructed again.

Forcing his eyes away from the frightened people in the
cells, Taeru looked around the rest of the room.  A few dimly lit tortures
revealed the true horror that was this room.  It was made entirely of stone,
with whips held in stands.  Some were shorter, and some were longer, and in
other stands Taeru could make out leather outfits—clearly meant to sexually
entice.  Ropes and chains decorated the walls, some hanging from the ceiling,
and others were attached to the walls.  Lastly, there were two sets of
surfaces, a set of beds, and a set of tables. 

Tareth had shoved him towards one of the tables, but he
could scarcely worry about it.  These people had been trapped here—for how
long?  If he had known there were others like Leliana, or Merril.  He would
never have let this continue.  He had known that Tareth had done this in the
past, but he hadn’t suspected that he had prisoners that he kept in here
permanently.  This was barbaric.  Not even Lavus should approve of this, and
Taeru felt nauseous.  He was horrified at the man standing behind him.

Tareth was not paying any mind to the people in the room,
not anymore, anyway.  He shoved Taeru again.  Taeru had never felt so incredibly
small, and his body shook as he realized the danger he was in for the first
time. 
Calis didn’t know.  He couldn’t know about this—this is… he’s going
to… Calis didn’t know—he wouldn’t… he wouldn’t let this happen.  Please… don’t
make me do this.

“Strip and get on the table, little phantom,” Tareth purred.

Taeru staggered backwards, and he was reminded how much pain
that moving his legs was causing him.  “N-no.  No, Tareth, don’t do this.  This
is wrong!  Tareth…”

“My threat still stands, Lassau,” Tareth hissed.

“Please, no…”  Tears sprang into Taeru’s eyes.  Torture was
one thing, but this was nothing for which he had prepared himself—not mentally,
not physically—not ever.  For some reason, Taeru choked, and blood spilled from
his mouth unannounced. 

Tareth’s head tilted, and he observed Taeru with suspicious
eyes.  “Absolutely.  If you’d rather not, I can always go get… what is that blond
girl’s name again?  I’m sure she’d make a fine replacement.”

Taeru’s lips quivered once more as he glared away from
Tareth, and with a single motion, he forced his pants—the only bit of
protection he had left, down to his feet.  He glanced once more to the people
in the room.  “You can’t—you can’t do this to people!  Is this the only way
anyone pays you any attention?  You pathetic excuse for a person.  YOU
MONSTER!”  Tareth rolled his eyes, and then he moved forward and shoved Taeru
back against the table.  Taeru squirmed and fought, as Tareth tightened the
chains around his wrists, and fastened his ankles into some strange device.  He
was immobile, but when Tareth moved towards him, Taeru spat, which splattered
blood and saliva all across Tareth’s face.  “You are pathetic—you’re worse than
pathetic.  No wonder your father treats you like garbage!”

Tareth smacked him hard across the face, and then he pulled
the blindfold up to Taeru’s mouth.  “I have a better use for this, you noisy
rat.”  With diligence, Tareth tied the former blindfold around Taeru’s mouth,
creating a very effective gag.  “Now, let’s get started, shall we?”

“Perhaps, he thought, a hero would rise to stop the evil
that he had allowed, just as he had risen.”

-A Hero’s Peace v.i

A voice called to Aela from somewhere very far away, she
tried to get away from it—to enjoy her peace for a few more moments.  The voice
was persistent, though, insisting on her attention.  Finally, Aela yanked her
eyes open to find Katt glaring at her.  “I have been trying to get you awake
forever!  There is something going on outside.  Your brother is the Phantom
Blade—and now, I think all of Telandus knows it.”

“What?” Aela squeaked.  She leapt out of the bed and into
the clothes that Katt had let her borrow.  Tying her hair back again, she ran
to the small door of Katt’s home.  People were about in the streets, though
there was far more unrest than there had been for the past several suns—and
that was saying quite a lot.  “What?  What happened?”

“Someone in the castle found out, and apparently it got
around the guards, and somehow—Dark District.  There have been violent
outbreaks all morning.  People don’t like what’s happened to him.”  Katt was
smiling, and Aela felt a strange, stunned silence easing into her mind.  Not
only was Katt protective of Taeru, but so was everyone in Dark District.  So, she
had been wrong about half of Telandus.  The other half, though—oh, oh, Taeru…. 

Aela shook her head, and she allowed herself the briefest of
smiles.  It had been too long since she had seen her brother, and too long
since she had known that he was being tortured by the nobles of Telandus.  Not
only that, but she had not seen Leif in some time either.  While she hadn’t
heard or seen anything that meant he was captured, her heart was beginning to
get sick with worry.  “What of Juliet and Alyx?  Surely, if there are violent
outbreaks, their family will be in danger.”

Katt looked a little startled.  “I thought Kilik—I, I mean
Taeru—was the only Cathalari that cared about Telandans.”  A wisp of a smile
crossed her lips, and Aela returned it, once again, briefly.

“I care about every Telandan that is worth caring about,”
Aela assured.  Katt nodded her head gratefully.  Katt had been helpful to her. 
She had received a strangely anonymous note to find this woman, and this
woman—the healer’s apprentice—had been invaluable.  She had taken Aela in,
clothed her and fed her, at no cost.  She was the epitome of Telandans worth
caring about.  She and whoever sent Aela that note. 

Katt let out a quick breath, and they stepped out into the
sun.  Nearby, a few guards were trying to handle some unruly peasants.  They
weren’t doing a very good job of it, and despite wanting to help, Aela was
dragged further into town by Katt’s firm hand.  “We ought to get to the Shining
District wall,” Katt offered thoughtfully.  “If there is a true riot, then we
will see the bulk of it there.”

Aela nodded her head.  Not to mention, Juliet and her family
were sure to be in the Shining District, and no nobles knew enough about Dark
District to have property here.  Aela only hoped that family was still alive. 
They began walking towards the Shining District wall.  A few of the stalls that
they passed were destroyed, and others were deserted.  Aela got an odd feeling
as they walked, as less and less people appeared on the streets.  This was the
peak time for people—and there seemed to be next to none.  A strange sense of
dread filled her, despite realizing that they were all probably causing trouble
at the wall.

“I—I haven’t asked you this, Katt, but I want to ask it now…
before anything terrible happens.  Do you blame him?” Aela spoke the question
that had been plaguing her for suns.  Katt had been helpful, though she was
obviously in pain over losing friends as close to her as Juliet and Alyx had
been.

The red-haired girl seemed perplexed by the statement,
though.  Her blue eyes flickered curiously as she regarded Aela for a few long
moments.  “What are you talking about?” she asked after another moment.

“I mean—I know you were very close to Juliet and Alyx.  Do
you blame him—my brother—for what happened to them?”  She paused for a moment. 
“What might happen to them?”  Aela had to remind herself that nothing was lost
yet.

She had read her book, and none of it had eased her mind,
but it did not seem to think there was certain death in the future.  The Magister
was still at work, and Taeru’s death at the hands of the Tsrali’s would not be
according to her plan.  Katt laughed, and then she shook her head.  “Oh,
my—no.  Are you mad, woman?  How could I blame him?  Do you know half the
things he’s done for that family—for me?  For all of Dark District?  No one
here blames him for anything, and we wouldn’t be right to do so.”

The words sent an unexpected relief through Aela, and the
two of them walked the rest of the way in good-natured silence.  Katt really
was a good person, and Aela found herself bordering on trusting her.  Though,
the last Telandan she had nearly trusted had betrayed her brother to his family
like the bloody rat that she’d known he was from the start!

As they neared the wall, the noise that had been a far-off
cry before exploded in their ears.  They saw all the people missing from their
stalls and shops standing near the wall.  A few of them seemed to be banging on
it, while the rest of them were shouting obscenities at the men guarding it. 
“He protected us more than you ever could, you filthy animals!” someone
shouted.

“You have no right to do this!  We will destroy Telandus
before Cathalar can!” another person shouted.  Aela’s eyebrows rose at the
threats.  These people sounded more than angry, they sounded ready to bring
wrath down on anyone who stood in their way.  Taeru really was lovely at making
friends.

Katt smiled sardonically.  “How pathetic,” she muttered. 
“We’re still pushing for war though half our population would fight against
us.”  She shook her head in disdain.  “No wonder everyone knows we will lose.”

That was right—and war they were going to receive.  Lavus
had sent the threat to Veyron, and Veyron had responded in kind—a way only
Veyron would.  He had delivered the Telandan messenger’s head back to the gates
of the city from whence he came—and he had accompanied it with the promise of
war.  She felt a twinge of fondness for her father.  She had always known that
Veyron had never stopped caring about Taeru—despite the way he pretended to
sometimes. 
Oh, Taeru—I bet you have no idea how worried everyone is about
you.  You’re probably finding some terrible way to blame all of this on
yourself. Please, please, just hold on.

When one of the guards stepped forward, trying to get the
people near the gate to back away from it, they swarmed him.  Blood spilled
along the ground, and Aela could see it through the people that still stood
around.  This was no longer a game—these people wanted blood for what had
happened, and they ought to. 

“Ladies and gentlemen,” one of the guards, who sat atop the
wall, and safely out of reach, spoke.  “I think it is imperative that you
understand you are defending a false idea.  We admire your strength and
loyalty, but this boy that you wish to protect is not who you think he is—he is
not as good as you think.”  The words were ominous.  Katt and Aela glanced at
each other warily—where was the man going with this?

A few of the people glanced up to listen, and a few of the
others threw whatever they could get their hands on at him.  Aela smirked.  “Do
you really expect us to believe that?” one of the men spat.

“He saved our lives from the likes of you, time and time
again, and most of the time we didn’t even go to help him.  He was good with and
without the mask on!” someone else shouted, and this one sounded like a woman.

“You don’t understand,” the guard tried again.  This was met
by a roar of unhappy disagreements.  It didn’t appear that the man had any sort
of evidence behind what he was claiming—he was simply claiming it.  Aela shook
her head at the sheer foolishness portrayed by those in charge of Telandus. 

Katt shook her head.  “Do they really think a crowd of angry
Dark Districts are going to listen?” she asked aloud.  Aela mirrored Katt’s
gesture, and then she laughed. 

“Only Taeru could turn an entire land of peasants against
their masters.  I guess he did have a few years to work, though.”  Katt just
laughed, and then she nodded her head fondly.

“Psst,” a sound startled Aela.  She jerked her head from one
side to another, realizing that she may well have just betrayed herself.  She
shouldn’t be speaking so freely about Taeru, and she knew it.  “Psst!”  The
sound came again and this time Katt heard it, jerking around to find out where
it was coming from.

Finally, as both of them were ready to just run from the
sounds, Aela’s eyes moved just enough upwards to see a very good-looking, dark
brown-haired boy.  Leif looked bemused, and he was hanging upside down from one
of the inns, out of the window, by his feet.  Aela tapped Katt on the shoulder
and gestured towards him.  Katt laughed and shook her head as they both moved over
to him.  Aela took an extra step, though.  Leif’s head was just a little above
her own.  “Impressive—what are you, part gecko?” she asked.  He seemed to be
using just his knees to hang onto the window—well, he must have been, since his
arms were crossed over his chest. 

“No, but you looked cuter as a boy,” he teased.

“Oh, really?” She stepped forward and very gently placed her
hands on his face, kissing him.  The oddity of having his lips upside down was
strangely enjoyable.  She was able to bite against his lower lip, teasing it
lightly with her tongue before she released. 

“Really—here?” Katt squeaked from a few paces back.  “Mildly
romantic, though—I will give you credit.  But
here
?”

When Aela moved backwards, Leif tilted his head.  “You win,
princess,” he whispered.  “Come upstairs.”  He kissed her gently on the cheek
before pulling himself back up into the window.  Katt shook her head, once
again, when Aela glanced back at her.  Aela laughed, unable to stop the slight
grin on her face.

They eased into the now-deserted inn, and when they walked
upstairs, Leif was resting with his back to the wall, and his arms were crossed
again.  He brightened when they appeared, as if he thought they may be abducted
while walking into the inn.  For a moment, Leif observed Aela with a gaze that
made her blush.  Then, he looked serious.  “We have a problem,” he said.  “As you
can see—Dark District has reacted rather violently to the fact that Lavus is
torturing their hero.  I know, shocked me too, but they are—and now, Lavus
wants Alyx and Juliet to tell the people that Taeru only did it to cause social
unrest, that it was all a ploy, and he was being paid by Cathalar.”

Aela frowned, and her fists clenched.  But Katt seemed
horribly distressed.  “And—and if they refuse?” she asked, and her voice rose
in pitch.  Aela glanced at her, she hadn’t considered that Juliet would refuse. 

“They will be hanged,” Leif answered, and despite the
emphatic tone, he regarded Katt with worried eyes.

Aela shook her head.  She took a quick step forward, and
then she shook her head furiously again.  She couldn’t imagine anyone hanging
over this.  This was foolish—all because Taeru had a name.  Yet, he had done
nothing to cause problems within the walls of Telandus—in fact, he had helped
Telandus.  “They wouldn’t refuse.  You said Taeru made Juliet promise to comply
with whatever they asked,” Aela probed, looking at Katt.

“Juliet only promised she would to put Kilik’s mind at
ease.  She isn’t going to settle this.  She will want it to escalate.  She will
consider her life worth it!” Katt cried.  Tears began to well in her eyes. 
Aela internally glared at her desire to correct Katt’s incorrect name.

Leif took a breath.  “Yes, I am afraid that they are going
to refuse.  That is why I have a way to the Shining District.  I have to free
them, but I can’t do it without help.”  He looked mournful, but Aela brightened. 
Leif was admitting that he needed help.  This was progress!

“You know where they are being held?” Katt asked hopefully. 
When Leif nodded, she clenched her fists and nodded vigorously.  “Then let’s
go!  We don’t have much time!”  Leif nodded, and when he looked at Aela, she
just nodded with a brief and determined smirk. “How did you find out where?”
Katt inquired curiously.

With a laugh, Leif just shook his head and headed past the
two of them.  He headed down the stairs without bothering to answer Katt.  When
the red-haired girl glanced at Aela for an answer, Aela just smiled.  “It is
just what he does.” 

After a strange look from Katt, the two of them followed
Leif back down the stairs.  He gestured for them to stay back while he checked
outside the inn.  He brought the hood of his cloak over his head.  Aela thought
that they were going to stick out, in any circumstance, as they weren’t causing
trouble for the guards.  Though—with what the noble class of Telandus was
dealing with—they probably weren’t going to be very interested in the few
people who weren’t causing problems.

They hurried out of the inn, and behind the next group of
buildings.  The further they moved away from the crowd at the front of the
city—the more Aela worried they were going to be noticed.  Leif was keeping
them away from the wall, as even near the gate, there were people lining the
sides of the wall.  Aela thought that if Dark Districters were smarter, they
wouldn’t all cluster so that the guards knew precisely where to stand.  “They
are going to be watching the top of the wall,” Aela finally whispered.  “No
matter how far along it we walk.”

Leif glanced back at her, and his eyes held a sort of dull
amusement.  As per usual, though, he did not grace her with an answer.  She let
out a frustrated breath and stomped after him with renewed agitation.  She was
right—the guards were not going to let anyone climb over the wall right now. 
Not even Telandan men were that foolish!  Katt continued to walk, a little
behind the two of them, with a bemused and distant expression.  She most likely
felt a little less than welcome among two Cathalari.  After all, they had only
been introduced to her recently.