@Vividreader Just for you, i'm uploading tonight.... ENJOY!!!! =D
i forgot, i said 200 votes, and i would upload. that # is long gone, and i feel really bad that i didnt remember that
i'm so so sorry, (insert term of endearment here)! lol =D
please comment and please please please vote
i would really, optimally, want 350 votes before i upload again. i would really appreciate it if, those who haven't voted, would do so in the near future.
i really hope you guys enjoy this chapter, i made it nice and lengthy, just for everyones' entertainment!!! and enjoy what is to come later on... =D
but i also REEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAALLLLLLLLLYYYYY want some comments and for people to start letting my know if they find grammatical, spelling, puctionation, and/or just general errors in.
i also wanna know what you all are thinking RIGHT AWAY when you finish it. So, please... let me know and i'll do my best to respond to each person individually, but i cant guarantee anything
yet again i love you all
God bless.
~JDB
(Drum roll!!!!!) bzzzzzzz..... "Without Further or do!!!!!! I give you the next chapter!!" (clap now!!!! ;D )
* * * *
Nayeli stirred. The wagon was trudging on over the potholed and rocky road. She lay on a simple pad, which allowed her to be relatively comfortable as the wagon dropped sharply into ruts and other bumps. She was still in a trance from the events that had come about.
She turned her head. She lay in shock and honest confusion. I looked at her face, and she was dead. She was gone. There was no breath. Even the warmth had been starting to seep from her body.
Nayeli’s thoughts were going crazy behind her eyes as she laid her eyes upon Neorah’s heavenly and… stricken face. Avel was sitting next to her, holding Neorah’s hand, looking at her with a brotherly protection that drew tears to Nayeli’s eyes. He looked as though he had not slept in days. There was something wrong with Neorah.
Then, Nayeli decided to wait to tackle that issue later, she did not think she would enjoy hearing the story right now. She turned her face to the opposite, and, to her pleasant surprise, she saw Warick lying on a thin sleeping pad himself, his eyes closed, sleeping peacefully.
Nayeli felt well rested and tried to stretch. She made a muffled groaning sound in her throat as soon as she did as the immediate opposition to her freedom’s search was felt. Her inside hurt. It was so strong a feeling of pain that Nayeli was almost driven to tears, immediately. If it were not for the fact that she was already well used to the feeling, she would have let tears slide.
When she turned her head again, she saw Avel staring her in the eyes. His gaze was vacant. Something had happened. She was about to ask Avel what had transpired when the wagon stopped. Men’s gruff voices sounded outside the wagon along with the rush of water.
Nayeli rose to her knees to look out the wooden-barred window. As soon as she was up, her body and head both protested violently, almost forcing her to sink under their overpowering potency. Her legs shook but she straightened her back regally as she watched out the window.
There were men, presumably Roman, who were wearing their signature polished metal armor with the large leather tassels hanging to their knees, red robes underneath the armor with short sleeves sticking out past their armor, bright and colorful against the men’s dark, toned skin. Most of them had dark hair accompanied by broad frames and dark eyes. They were, as of Nayeli’s opinion, relatively good looking. There were a couple of men, however, who had medium-auburn colored hair. They were the ones who were whiter, in skin color, compared to the other dark-haired men.
There was a relatively wide river flowing a few meters from the roadside. The lush green scenery gave the whole scene an ethereal feel; it just couldn’t be real. The beauty was shocking. Nayeli thought that she had seen beauty in her small town north of Sarni. The green grass there was lush and beautiful, yes, but… not like this. The early morning fog was still in the air, making it thick and muggy. There was an alien feel to the beauty that Nayeli beheld, something, or someone, it seemed, had literally formed the colossal mountains that were now before her. They had juts of rock sticking out of the dusky, but vivacious, green that was dimmed by the mid-morning shadows and mist.
As she looked about, Nayeli’s breath caught in her throat as she saw the luscious and vibrant greens of the grasses, trees, and shrubbery surrounding the brown, dusty road on which she traveled. Nayeli was awe-struck and, only after a few lengthy minutes, did she realize that her jaw was hanging open.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” A voice said, interrupting her amazement.
Nayeli closed her mouth and said, “Yes, yes, it is. Actually, it’s incredible… I mean,” Nayeli cleared her throat and made her voice noble, “It’s beautiful.”
The man chuckled. He was an oddity, even among Romans. His auburn hair was almost slightly lighter than dirty blonde, with pale highlights and a darker underside. His hair went just past the tips of his ears. He looked to be in his twenties, possibly twenty-five or twenty-six. His jaw was sharp and had small whiskers bristling out, looking as though he hadn’t been able to shave for quite a few days now. His eyes were pale green with hints of brown. They were almost as striking as Warick’s, which were so many shades of blue that, when Nayeli look in them, she almost believed that she was seeing snow, the ocean depths, the Ligurian Sea, and the royal and pale blues of the Adriatic Sea. The darker blues of Warick’s eyes were as trickles of color, running through the, almost white, arctic snow blue of his eyes. If Nayeli were unable to have seen his eyes up close, she would have had a fair bet that he was blind. The aspect that shook Nayeli the most, however, was the fact that when Warick looked Nayeli in the eyes, she felt as though she were laid open like a book for him to read, laying bare all of her pains, joys, sorrows, and most nightmarish and joyous memories, he could see them all.
The man spoke again, breaking Nayeli’s trance, “You look as though you’ve seen a ghost.”
He was right. Not only did she, apparently look like she’d seen one, Nayeli felt like she had just seen one. Before she had the chance to answer, however, Nayeli felt a wave of dizziness come over her. All she remembered after that was waking up to Warick’s tender face. As her eyes fluttered open, Nayeli saw Warick’s concerned face smile with gentleness lingering in his eyes.
“There you are,” he said playfully.
Nayeli smiled softly and giggled once. With her expression of happiness, Warick’s eyes lit up so vibrantly that Nayeli almost cried. Something about his simple expression of adoration tugged at Nayeli’s heart so hard that she almost opened it completely.
It was then that Nayeli noticed the Roman legionnaire standing, looking over Warick’s shoulder with a simple look of awe that almost made Nayeli giggle. Actually, she did giggle. His mouth hung open like a cave on the mountainside, his look of incredulousness making Nayeli’s joy return again, after, how ever long, she didn’t know of feeling nothing but bitter emptiness.
“What are you staring at?” Nayeli said playfully.
With that simple question, the man’s mouth snapped shut, bringing the smile to her eyes.
“I…uhh… no. I mean, well,” the Roman man stuttered on, “I’m Marcus, Marcus Jarlath Aloysius.”
Nayeli was rather shocked, and intimidated. If his name was any indicator, Marcus was a fearsome fighter, maybe even skilled enough to give Warick a fair fight.
She watched protectiveness flake Warick’s eyes as he looked past Nayeli to the soft, dusty ground under her.
“What’s going on here?” A familiar, callous voice asked authoritatively.
It was Apollo… he was back, that monster. She had been opening her heart up and had just been wounded deeply as she had thought that Neorah had been dead for all that time.
Apollo had taken advantage of both her and Warick’s weaknesses that evening and brutalized her within an inch of her survival. Then she remembered!
“NEORAH!” Nayeli said, trying to rise to her feet.
“Oh, it’s just you,” Apollo spit, “You Egyptian whore.”
Nayeli ignored his provocative remark and continued to try and get up.
“You’re not in the condition to be walking right now,” Warick said cautioning.
“Fine,” Nayeli said indignant, “I’ll crawl.”
“No you—“Warick started to say, but before he could say anymore, Nayeli was crawling like a pro toward the wagon that had its entrance latch hanging wide open.
“She’s a determined one, now isn’t she?” Nayeli heard Marcus say after her.
Warick didn’t answer. He simply rose and followed up behind Nayeli, as she could hear his approaching footsteps. He scooped her up in his arms and walked to the wagon, gently setting her on the wooden planked floor of the wagon. She crawled in and heard Warick follow suit.
“Neorah,” Nayeli said apprehensively.
“Just barely,” Avel said in the opposite corner. He was crouched and hunched over, his elbows propped up on his knees, tears still falling from his eyes.
“Avel, pull yourself together,” Warick said gingerly, “You need to stay strong now, for Neorah.”
Avel nodded weakly. He wiped the tears from his eyes and breathed in deeply.
“I’m sorry you have to see me like this, Nayeli,” Avel said trying to regain some evenness to his voice.
“Avel, don’t worry about crying,” Nayeli said, sitting on her knees, she touched one his hands and looked at him in the eyes, “What happened?”
At that point, Avel went from a wreck to an enraged bull. His eyes flared dangerously with anger as he set his jaw hard and looked out over Nayeli’s head. As Avel looked at Neorah, however, all his anger withered into pure concern and fear.
“Brenden,” Avel ground out, “Brenden is responsible for this. He has… he…”
Nayeli knew what Avel was trying to say. Her eyes widened in disbelieving fear and then fell in sadness.
“I never wanted her to go through even a fraction of what I have been experienced, now I see the only thing my avoidance of her questions has done is to cause… this,” Nayeli said weakly. She remembered clear as day the questions Neorah had pried her with, “How do I know when to run away?” “What are the signs?” “What should I do if a man attempts to… well, you know?”
Had Nayeli answered Neorah’s questions and not avoided them so much, this very well may not have happened.
“Nayeli, you cant think that you, in any way, were responsible for Br… his actions. He is a monster and it could not have been changed,” Avel said, placing a brotherly hand on each of Nayeli’s shoulders.
“No, I don’t blame myself, I blame Apollo. Had he not forced himself on me, Neorah could have avoided this mess. It should have been me, not her. In what world did Neorah ever deserve this?” Nayeli said desperately.
This statement caught both Warick and Avel off guard. When Nayeli looked at Warick, he just returned her gaze with shock, disbelief, and desperation that she had not just offered herself in the place of Neorah to spare her from pain.
“Nein. Nein!” Warick said sternly in German, “Ich würde nicht ließ Sie haben.” I wouldn’t have let you.
Nayeli put her hand on Warick’s cheek, tenderly looking at him in the eyes. He placed his hand over hers and looked at her longingly.
Nayeli had seen that look in men’s eyes before, though, when they had looked at her, she was a prize, a piece of meat; a trophy for their mantel. Although, as she looked back into Warick’s eyes, Nayeli saw a deep passion, one of caring: a healthy love. She looked back in to his eyes and mustered a look, which expressed deep understanding. How had he gone from her captor and despised tormentor to her protector and confidant? Had he always been her protector? Nayeli thought back on the many times she had been in near danger and remembered how many times he had always been the first person at her side after a traumatic, or near-traumatic, event.
Chapter 8
* * * *
Warick watched Nayeli with an intensity, as she seemed to contemplate something deeply. He would wait; he would always wait for her, whether it was days or years. There was something about her that was precious, mysterious, and untouchable.
Without even thinking, Warick just blurted, “Nayeli, do you believe in love?”
She looked taken aback and almost stunned at the question. Oh, good going, Warick, you’re back to square one, Warick thought to himself.
Nayeli cocked her head and looked at him slightly confused. She was almost shocked by the question, from Warick’s viewpoint. Finally, she took a deep breath and replied, “I know that there is love in the world, but whether or not I believe it exists for me in my lifetime; no, I suppose I don’t believe in it.”
Warick was taken aback he would have to resign himself to loving her from a distance now and lowered his gaze, abashed. Out of the corner of his eye, Warick saw Nayeli stir. She was shuffling toward him on her knees.
Warick sit on his knees, his feet tucked under him, his hands resting limply on his thighs. When he raised his head, he saw Nayeli’s face in front of him.
“I didn’t get to finish my statement. I cannot say why, but these events, ever since my… extraction from Sarni, it has felt like a lifetime. The laughs, the cries, and just the cherished moments; however, I can tell you one thing and one thing alone: my vow to you in that cave remains the same to this day. With one change: Warick Sigmund Betelgeuse—“
“What’s going on in here!” Apollo yelled coarsely, “Nayeli, my dear, you are promised to someone upon our return to Rome. The prince of the realm is to be your husband and you are to be the empress of Rome herself.”
Warick looked at Nayeli and saw that her face was ghost white. His light-hearted hope was replaced with a dark, deep pit of a feeling that could not have any hoping light shed on it. All his hopes and dreams of any future with Nayeli as more than her guard was disbanded and ruined. There was nothing left but despair.
But because I will be protecting her, I will do so to the best of my abilities. This is my vow, and this is my plea, that all gods, known and unknown, will give me the strength to carry the weight of my vow with honor and charity, and if I am to love a woman, let me love her with all of me as to keep my vows pure and unsoiled. This was Warick’s silent plea and this was the building block upon which the rest of his life was built.
Then Apollo spoke again, “Marcus, she’s under your watch now, don’t let her leave your eyes, she’s an incredible escape artist.”
* * * *
Nayeli sat, wide-eyed and apprehensive. Marcus nodded his head dutifully and hopped in the still opened wagon door.
As he approached Warick put an arm out to cross his way and said, “I’m not fighting. I’m just saying to be careful with her. She is in serious pain and can barely walk.”
Marcus gave a questioning look to Warick, but all he did was nod toward Apollo grimly.
Nayeli was terrified. How could Warick not even fight for her honor? Marcus was taking her from him and all he had to say was ‘be careful’! Nayeli was borderline furious when Marcus simply slipped his hands under her and cradled her with his head ducked low.
As they rounded the corner, Apollo approached with a defiant air, followed by, “You know what, dear, I am actually the one responsible for Neorah’s loss of innocence,” Apollo was prouder than ever as he continued, “I knew how much of a flare in spirit she has—well, I suppose we should say ‘had’, to be more accurate—and knew she was a threat to my breaking you. She would give you back your vivacity for life, and you would be as strong headed as ever: no change.”
Nayeli looked at him long and boldly, in the eye, allowing her whole body to emanate the anger, which was boiling up inside her. It came from the loss of her family, from the abuse at the hands of Thanos and countless others at Thanos’ commencement, at the death of her town, from being torn from her family, from watching Neorah’s family be butchered, from Hermun’s savagery, from the near death of Neorah, from the cruelty of Apollo himself, then Neorah’s brutalization, to now, Apollo’s confession, and his own curse on himself. With his own words, he had set a price on his own head.
“Marcus, put me down,” Nayeli said, leaving no room for arguing.
When she was down on her feet, Nayeli stood tall and regal, “Apollo, and yes, I will call you as I please. If I am who you say I am, your brutalization of my own person and that of my aid and confidant, whether by your own hand or your order, is treading on thin ice. If I am who you say I am, your invasion of my body would be rather what you might call,” Nayeli faked pensiveness, then she stepped forward, ignoring the painful twinges her body sent her and placed a firm finger in the center of Apollo’s chest, “illegal. And, Apollo, if I am who you say I am, your life is in my hands to do with as I please, and right now, what I please to do most is to see you thrown in the gladiatorial games to fight your way back to freedom so you may better appreciate what you have now and will treat all people, no matter their status, with more respect and dignity.”
At the end of her speech, Apollo had no trace on his face but the same smirk which he had held the whole time, but his eyes told a different story, one in which his fear was rampant.
Nayeli just shoved past him and continued to walk for another few yards. Apollo didn’t even steal a glance.
* * * *
He stared in wonder at the woman he would someday soon call his empress. She may have a small stature, but her presence was bigger than any other’s, including that of his uncle, Vespasian.
Her hair was dark and shone in the sunlight like sun shining on a, iced over lake, her skin, a deep olive, wore mystery and sensations he could only imagine on it. Then, there were her eyes. Nayeli’s eyes held more fascination to him than any other facet of her body. They held mysteries and secrets, knowledge he would love to, some day, be trusted to know, and memories, so many memories; for all the depth, Nayeli’s eyes were sad, despite her vigor for life: she was empty, bitter, and despondent.
Then he saw her face down Apollo and show him that he really is the puny ant that Vespasian had been telling him about. Apollo took too many liberties, and, for Zeus’ sake, he had forced himself upon the empress to be. There had to be something done, but first he would see to Nayeli. He wanted to find out more about his bride to be.
* * * *
Nayeli could feel her knees giving way more and more with every step she took away from he face off with Apollo. He had looked utterly dejected when she had left. Were she in a healthy state, Nayeli would have smiled at her triumph, but as it was, she was slowly shriveling, she could feel it, her legs were giving way and she was falling down a deep chasm, never to escape it’s darkening grasp: Nayeli had given up.
She felt strong arms go around her waist and she was gently hoisted up. Nayeli was utterly relieved to not have to hold herself up any longer.
Someone spoke to her, but she only vaguely heard him, “Nayeli, you really are determined, aren’t you?”
She didn’t know how to answer his question, but could hear the light humor on his voice. Nayeli didn’t have the motivation right now to answer his jest. Her vision faded black as she fell deep in to sleep.
*
+D
=D
woot!