Sheridan and Finley had made it into the castle, continuing with the act of being drugged and one of them. They were moving through the castle, searching for a sign of Aryanna. They were passing by one of many doors when the heard the sound of someone being struck and a scuffle. They could only hear the rise and fall of two voices. They went over to the door and cracked it open. They watched as Aryanna spoke with a man, while being restrained by one of the soldiers. They couldn’t hear all the was being said, they only heard James’ name spoken.
Their eyes widened as Aryanna was dragged to a chair and chained it. The blank faced soldier turned about and, after a brief conversation with the older man, started coming towards them.
They hastily shut the door with out a sound and moved away, starting to march as if patrolling through the castle.
“You two, go and see our lord Adonis,” came a flat voice.
Sheridan and Finley made their faces blank and turned around. They nodded and passed the soldier. They took deep breaths, hoping they could fool the man in charge. They exchanged glances then opened the door. Aryanna was staring straight ahead into the fire, and Adonis sat at his desk, waiting for James to arrive. When Sheridan and Finley entered the room Aryanna glanced at them but didn’t not appear to know them. Adonis looked fleetingly at them but didn’t say anything. Sheridan and Finley glanced at each other, not sure what to do. They decided not to say anything, just waited.
“You two, stand near the girl in the chair,” Adonis said after a moment. Sheridan and Finley obeyed. “Actually, bring her closer to the fire, so the light falls on her better,” Adonis ordered.
Sheridan and Finley each bent down and picked up Aryanna and the chair completely off the ground and carried her closer.
“There is good,” Adonis said and returned to his writing.
They all waited in silence, only the sound of the popping fire and scratching of Adonis’ quill pen.
“Soldier 10789!” came a voice behind him.
10789 turned around to face the person calling his name. 10789, formerly James, saw a soldier around his own age.
“Yes?” he asked. His voice sounded strange to his ears, but he didn’t know why. Couldn’t remember why.
“You are to come with me, Adonis needs you,” came the reply.
There was not even a spark of curiosity in his mind. 10789 just obeyed and followed the man. 10789 viewed the world with no thoughts of imagination. His life was to eat, sleep, train and wait for his orders for the day. He couldn’t remember life any other way. He kept getting little memories towards the end of the eight hour dosage, the memories bothered him, but as every day went by the doses kept what ever it was at bay. He looked forward to each dose, it made him feel powerful, strong, and emotionless. The one day that he did not get his dose on time his whole body hurt, his head most of all. He got a splitting headache and couldn’t function. The purpose of the late dose was to show him that he needed it to function, he understood that, he accepted that. He walked along beside the other soldier in complete silence. Neither of them saw the need to speak, there were no orders to transfer, other than that, conversation wasn’t necessary. They made it to the door and the other soldier opened it. He and 10789 walked in together. 10789 didn’t look around, he just kept his eyes on his master, his lord.
After waiting in silence for many long moments the door opened and two soldiers walked in. One of the soldiers was the same from earlier, the other Finley and Sheridan didn’t recognize.
Aryanna gasped. Neither of the two soldiers glanced at her.
“You, soldier 10789, James was it? Step forward,” Adonis said.
The other uniformed young man stepped forward obediently. “Yes, sire?” he questioned.
Adonis gestured to Aryanna. “Do you recognize her?” he asked, watching Aryanna’s face closely. James turned a blank face towards her. Aryanna saw that he was completely not there. There was no acting involved in his blank face.
“No sir, but she is not one of us is she?” he asked in a dull voice.
“No she is not,” Adonis said.
Aryanna’s face fell. She had been hoping that James would have held out, or when seeing her he would have had at least a flicker of memory. There was nothing of the sort in his gaze. Just a cool look down as he took her in.
“James?” she whispered, her voice catching. He just looked at her blankly, then back to Adonis.
“What are your orders, sir? Concerning this girl? Is she to be given her first dose and numbered among the thousands?” 10789 asked.
“No, she is not joining our great cause,” Adonis said firmly. 10789 said nothing, no emotion flickered over his face. He just waited.
“You are you execute her,” Adonis said.
10789 bowed and moved towards Aryanna. “Here, sire?” 10789 asked.
“Yes, any way you prefer,” Adonis said mildly.
10789 drew his sword and stepped close to Aryanna. He stopped only two feet away from her.
“James, don’t do this,” Aryanna said softly.
10789 hesitated a moment. Something was flickering in his mind, something that was drawn up from her words.
“Now 10789!” Adonis snapped.
10789 drew back his sword, but a frown creased his forehead. It wasn’t time for a dose, he didn’t know why he was having these memories, little pieces of memories. He continued moving his sword up.
“Don’t take her last relative from Kalya,” Aryanna said.
10789 hesitated at that name.
“10789, execute her,” Adonis said, standing at his desk.
10789 ignored him, just stood there, sword up raised, staring at Aryanna.
“You remember her don’t you?” Aryanna said softly.
10789 shook his head and brought his sword to it’s height, he swung down. Aryanna tensed herself, readying herself for the blow.
Finley lunged and blocked the sword cut with one of his own. 10789 recovered from his surprise and backed up a step.
“Now would be good,” he said, glancing over at Sheridan.
“What is going on? Soldiers, stand down!” Adonis shouted. Sheridan attacked the soldier with the keys to the chains on Aryanna. He fought with the man for a while before knocking him to the ground and hitting him across the head. Finley was still battling with James.
Sheridan found the keys and unlocked the manacles around Aryanna’s wrists and ankles. She jumped out of the chair.
“Finley! Don’t kill him!” She shouted as Finley was swinging it down at him. Finley adjusted his stroke and hit James in the temple with his hilt.
Sheridan stopped Adonis as he was trying to leave through a different door.
“Let’s go!” Finley shouted.
“What do I do with this one?” Sheridan asked, his eyes not leaving Adonis.
“Kill him,” Finley said flatly as Aryanna helped him hoist James over his shoulder. Sheridan glanced back at Finley. Adonis took it as an opportunity to duck out the door.
“Sheridan!” Finley shouted. Sheridan whirled back around only to see the door slamming shut. Seconds later the main door opened again and two soldiers came in. Seeing the intruders and their comrades on the floor one rushed at Finley, his sword upraised. Finley dodged the blow barely, hindered by James’ unconscious weight. His sudden movement made James fall to the ground heavily.
“Sheridan! Get James, and get him and Aryanna away from here!” Finley said drawing both his swords and intercepting both of the new soldiers.
“What! No!” Aryanna said.
“Now!” Finley responded, drawing the soldiers away from where James and Aryanna where.
Sheridan ran and slid to a stop, landing on one knee.
“Get the shackles from the chair,” he said quietly, as he gathered up James and threw him over his shoulder.
“What? Why?” Aryanna asked.
“No time! Do it,” Sheridan said firmly. Aryanna scooped up the chains and the key. She and Sheridan ran out the door. She looked over her shoulder and saw Finley still fighting against the two soldiers.
They closed the door and heading at a run towards the the hill. More time had passed than Aryanna had originally thought, it was almost dusk.
Aryanna helped Sheridan up the hill.
“Why did you have me grab these?” Aryanna asked holding up the shackles.
“He,” Sheridan jostled James slightly. “Is going to be waking up soon, and considering he is on the opium like drug and doesn’t remember you, we are going to need something to restrain him,” Sheridan said. They moved along the pass hurriedly, not wanting to run into any more soldiers.
When they reached the end of the pass Kalya and Rayne were playing around. They fell silent when Sheridan and Aryanna came into view.
“James!” Kalya shouted, her face brightening running at Sheridan. Aryanna dropped the shackles and caught her.
“No, Kalya he doesn’t remember us, and he is unconscious,” She said softly.
Kalya’s face fell. “What do you mean he doesn’t remember us?” she asked.
“He just doesn’t, Adonis gave him an drug. Apparently it made him forget everything,” she said.
Kalya swallowed hard.
“Come on, they aren’t going to wait long before sending soldiers after us,” Sheridan said adjusting James’ weight.
“Do you think he will wake up soon?” Aryanna asked looking at James.
“I don’t know, come on,” Sheridan said.
“What about Finley?” Rayne asked looking back at the pass.
“He told us to go and get everyone away. If he comes he will find us,” Sheridan said. “We need to go, now,” Sheridan said watching the pass.
The four of them set off at a quick pace. They headed off the road. They traveled diagonally, leaving the mountains behind and staying away from the road. After a couple miles Sheridan stopped.
“I think we may be far enough, at least far enough to see anyone coming after us, he is getting heavy, and will be waking soon,” Sheridan said.
Aryanna nodded and looked around.
“Let’s stop in that large group of trees,” she said pointing to the small forest up ahead.
Sheridan looked then nodded. “Good idea,” he said.
They hurried over and he dropped James gently to the ground right next to a young tree. Aryanna stood away from him, just staring at James’ face.
“Hey, I need those,” Sheridan said gesturing at the shackles that were swung over her shoulder, he was crouched next to James. He stood and waved a hand in front of her gaze. Coming to stand next to her. She and he were standing a bit apart from Rayen and Kalya.
“Are you alright? Adonis didn’t hurt you?” He asked, looking at her intently.
Aryanna cleared her throat and looked away from James’ face and to Sheridan. “I’m fine, Adonis didn’t me aside from a backhand across the face,” she said.
“Are you going to be able to handle him?” Sheridan asked softly, gesturing at James.
Rayne and Kalya glanced at them but didn’t interrupt.
“What do you mean?” Aryanna asked.
“He is going to go through a detox, we don’t have any of the optian, and even if we did, we don’t have time, we need to warn the others,” Sheridan said.
“I-He- I’ll be fine, I’ll deal with it,” Aryanna said.
“I have seen people close to me go through a detox, it is not a pretty sight,” he said.
Aryanna frowned at him, wondering what he meant.
“Kalya?” Sheridan added.
Aryanna nodded in understanding.
“She shouldn’t be around for it, but what can I do? I’m not leaving,” Aryanna said.
“Do you think that Rayne would go ahead with Kalya? Only a few miles, we can muffle him as much as possible but I don’t think Kalya should have to be around for it,” Sheridan said.
Aryanna crossed her arms, thinking. “I’ll talk to Rayne,” she said. Sheridan nodded and took the manacles off of her shoulders. He turned around and saw Kalya kneeling next to James’ head, she was smoothing back the hair from his forehead and looking at him sadly. Sheridan jumped forward when he saw James stir and his eyelids flutter.
“Kalya, come here, hon,” Aryanna called sharply. Kalya came over to her looking over her shoulder as she came.
Sheridan quickly rolled James over and clamped the shackles on one wrist, he sat him up, he moved behind the tree and drew James’ other wrist back. He made sure it was not to awkward and sat back on his heels, not looking forward for James waking.