The Thrill of Darkness

Part 93: Revalations Part Two

Atticus' POV:

After a brief shock of cold that made me cringe and shut my eyes, I opened them to find myself standing beside Fell in an unfamiliar setting. The room we were standing in was musty and cramped and looked as if it hadn't  been touched by any human presence in at least a decade. A thick layer of dust covered the tools that lined the walls, most of which would normally be used for mundane wood or metal work. I knew better, though.

An unconcious woman with long silver hair and a haunting resemblance to Jericho was strapped tightly to an old, splintered wood table in the center of the room. It was clear she had quite recently been through hell, with fresh blood leaking from bruises and cuts on her face and body. 

Just then realizing how close I was standing to Fell, I quickly took a couple of steps away from him and towards the broken down door.

"Where did you take us?" I asked flatly, letting no fear show through my voice or face. I was a stone, and would remain so as long as it took to keep him from having the satisfaction.

"That's only half the question," Fell smiled.
"It's not just where I've taken us, but when. I'm assuming I don't need to explain who that is?" He asked, indicating the unconcious woman with a casual jerk of his head.

"...No," I answered after a moment. I knew exactly who the woman was: Anjali Apeshka herself, Human champion and Druid traitor.

Fell nodded in satisfaction. "Good. Ah, The show is starting!" He said brightly. His gaze was fixated on something in the doorway, just over my shoulder.

I doubled over in a vicious cringe, gagging on the bile rising in my throat as I was assaulted by a feeling of extreme nausea, so intense that I actually saw stars. I looked up to see that Fell was walking away from me and towards the table. Had he just walked through me?

No. Wait.

I straightened quickly and looked over at where Fell- the one that had transported us there- was lounging against the wall, looking greatly amused. I remembered what he'd said moments before about the question of when as well as where... and it hit me.

"Figured it out yet?" Fell inquired smugly. I nodded, refusing to say anything more; I was having a hard enough time keeping my jaw off the floor as it was. Time travel...

"Mmm no, It's not what you're probably thinking," he supplied without my asking, "Just a little recording from the genius mind of yours truly."
He tapped his head with a smirk, "You're witnessing my memories, live and uncut... and unrated. pay close attention now; this is about to get good."

Still saying nothing, I forced myself to turn back to the scene I was here to witness despite the pit that formed in my stomach as I did so. Past Fell was leaning over the table, looking down at Anjali's sleeping face with an unsettling, dispassionate air. I watched tensely as he lifted his hand and brought it to her forehead, his fingers spread wide. He moved his fingertips downward and passed them over her face, just a breath away from her skin.

I almost flinched as Anjali's eyes flew open with a loud gasp and immediately began struggling against her bonds. They must have been enchanted somehow, because she was getting nowhere. She belatedly noticed Fell through her hysteria and stilled, though her body still shivered with Adrenaline and an animal fear that I recognized from my own run-ins with my father. My heart clenched; I wanted to help, to save her despite all she'd done... yet I knew that this had likely happened weeks ago, directly after Anti came back from the battle I'd waited out in the hotel room in Tomatain.

"Where am I? What have you done, you monster?!" Anjali demanded hoarsely. She cringed away as Fell reached out to brush her hair away from her face. He completely disregarded her question, proceeding as if she hadn't spoken.

"You've caused me more trouble over the years than you're worth, dear Anjali. You're a difficult woman to find."

"Answer me!!"

"Come now, does it really matter?" Fell asked with an almost pitying quirk of his lips.

He turned and moved away unhurriedly to pick something up off the floor and set it down next to her head. It was an ornate wooden box, inscribed with sharp, runic designs that I instantly disliked.

"The outcome will be the same whether you get your answer or not," he said as he slowly flicked open the clasps and reached in. "We'll finally attain what's rightfully ours, and you..."

He drew out a long, pale blue dagger.

"...You will die."

"Oh no..." I whispered, horrified by the knowledge of what was about to unfold.

"Oh yes," the Fell observing with me hissed.
"Don't look away now, Atticus; this is the best part."

I ignored him and turned away anyway, shutting my eyes tightly and clapping my hands over my ears like a small child during  a thunderstorm. I ground my teeth together, grimacing as my ears were assaulted by Anjali's panicked screams of agony. I felt those hated tears gather in my eyes when her screams turned into groans, and eventually into gags as she began to struggle for breath. Whatever horrors were happening behind me went on for at least two unbearably long minutes.

And then at last, after an eternity... it stopped. Relief washed over me as silence pervaded the room, and I finally dropped my hands from my ears with a small sigh. I felt Fell's eyes burning into me from off to the side and turned my eyes on him in a murderous glare.

"Damn you to the fires of hell, Demon..." I hissed, injecting every ounce of venom I had in me into the curse. Fell didn't react but to cock his head and smile.

"Where do you think I came from?" He asked lightly.