Pain...

An encounter between Meran and Shadow.

A year passed slowly, along with my fourth birthday, and I continued to learn all I could. I always looked forwards to my magic lessons to learnt to use my magic. I meditated a lot, which allowed me to feel some emotions, but I still had to be careful. Arella and Arias continued to visit me while I slept, but they never woke me, even though I knew exactly what they had been talking about when I woke up. I used to love living in the Senate towers, until Meran put a proposition to the Senate to get ‘rid’ of me. It took months before the case came to a close, and his proposition was turned down. That’s when he started to sneak into my room at night. Being no longer allowed to teach me, he found other ways. I gained more new scars, even though my older ones were only just starting to fade. I stopped sleeping, afraid of not being alert. I didn’t say anything, until one night...

Meran had always had a deep loathing for me, and it was only recently that I began to understand it. He had loved my mother, but I was the only thing in his way to marrying Arella, as there was a law forbidding it. If I died, Arella would be free for him. I remember the night he tried to kill me, the first time.

I had been using my magic secretly, even though it was forbidden, to set an alarm in my mind if someone was approaching my room. It was my only warning that he was coming that night, and I had the chance to brace myself for more pain, but I could never have imagined it...

The alarm in my mind sounded late that night, and I was quickly on my feet, watching the door. My face remained emotionless, the hood on my black cloak pulled low over my face. The door opened silently, and he walked in, locking the door magically. I watched him with my eyes narrowed, not noticing the bag he was carrying at first.
“Why do you come?” I asked.
“You know well, demoness.”
“Why not leave me alone?”
“Because you do not deserve to live.” He reached into his bag, pulling out two metal vambraces, both of which glowed blue.

I backed away, unsure of what they were. Summoning my magic, I shot one warning bolt at Meran. He dodged it easily, and moved towards me. Lunging suddenly, he clamped the vambraces around my forearms. An alien current surged from them into me, like a continuous stream of magic intended to harm. Falling to the ground, I bit my lip to stop myself screaming. The magic stopped, leaving me trembling and breathing heavily on the ground.
“And that’s just the beginning...” He said with a sneer. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a rope after slipping a vial of clear liquid onto his belt. He walked over to me and reached out to take my arms. I kicked out at him, warning him to keep his distance, but he merely smiled and clicked his fingers. The current surged again, stronger than last time. I hissed with the pain, eyes squeezed shut with the effort of not screaming. Now, I can compare it to having electricity coursing through you, but it leaves you living at the end of it.

Meran used the time that I was distracted to bind my arms securely behind my back. I didn’t realise until the magic faded away again. I looked at him through fear filled eyes, knowing that I was now powerless to stop him if I needed to. He also knew, as the sneer on his face grew, distorting his face into an image of hatred. He slid the vial out again and took the cork out, advancing towards me. I tried to shuffle away, but he grabbed my hair, yanking it back, and my head followed, exposing my throat.

He forced the liquid into my mouth, and held my head there until I swallowed. It burned all the time it was there, never stopping, increasing, like a flame that just keeps on growing. He sat down, watching me as if I was a well performed play. I closed my eyes tightly again, trying not to think of the pain, but it grasped my mind and kept a viper’s grip upon it. I felt tears streaking down my face as the pain spread from my throat to my arm, legs and lungs. Every breath was agony as the fire continued to grow. The pain reached up to my head, to my mind and there, the fire peaked, like a hand of fire ripping it into shreds. I couldn’t hold back any longer as I screamed, writhing on the floor, begging Meran to stop the pain, but he leant down, tying a strip of cloth over my mouth to silence the pleas before he sat back and continued to watch.
“There is no one coming to your aid. Only Arias can break through that door, and she will not be bothered with a demoness like you.” He leant down again to whisper in my ear.
“Because no one ever loved a demon...” I closed my eyes again, silent tears streaming...