The Menagerie Part 1

First in a series of stories in which a 17 year old witch is enslaved to a king and learns tries desperately to stay alive in his court.

Amaranth Episode 1

It was a beautiful dress Amaranth decided. Any other day she would have run to the nearest mirror and spent an hour gazing at the way the lovely black silk flowed around her gently curving figure like a waterfall of ebony curtains. She might have run about the temple seeking a circlet of silver to weave into her long black hair, for what good was a magnificent dress if her hair lay untamed obscuring her face with stands of stubborn bangs. But there were no mirrors in the black hall she stood in now, and she would have to trust that the simple ribbon tied at the end of her braid would hold her thick mane in place. She looked down at her hands in sorrow. The coal colored paint that had been so smooth a week ago was chipping off her nails revealing white nail beds even paler than her already paper-like skin. At least the new silver shackles weren't too tight. On the long trip to this ungodly place the thief had kept her in rusty bracelets that scraped her skin with every small movement. But now, with five guards including the thief surrounding her, the new shackles where more for show than insurance. 

The great wooden door before her swung open and the thief dragged her inside. The throne room was enormous. Only the main temple of the Great Spirit was grander. The walls were carved obsidian and even the torches were made of gold. Fourteen golden columns lined the path to the throne separating Amaranth from the crowd of onlookers. Men, women, goblins, serpents, and even dog sized dragons watched her as she was paraded past. No one spoke. They all simply stared at her with either pity or hunger. The only sound she could hear was the footfalls of her guards and her own heartbeat. 

Unable to focus on the crowd of hollow faces any longer she looked ahead. Two horse sized wolves stood chained on either side of a gold and black throne. They seemed to be more decoration than pet as they gazed down at her with glazed over amber eyes. They might have been truly magnificent if they were free. But any fire that might have once burned inside the great beasts had long since been extinguished.  

Soon the thief reached the throne and bowed. A guard shoved Amaranth to her knees in front of the throne. With her stomach in knots she looked up at the man sitting before her. Imposing was an understatement. Though he looked only twenty, barely old enough to call a man, he emanated an air of power. He was the king of this castle and everyone in the room knew it. He might have been handsome had she not been so afraid. But just kneeling before him terrified her.

“My most noble lord!” The thief rose with a flourish. “I have brought for you a true treasure. In the distant land of Laylock the people say there are certain women born with the blessing of the spirits they worship. They take these girls when they are ten years old, and train them to be holy women, Nyxes, bridges between the spirit world and the land of the living. They study art, magics, and leadership. My lord a tell you they are truly the crown jewels of Laylock’s famous temples. They sing like birds, they create great works of art, and they can form epic stories at will. The people of Laylock say that they are so captivating, that men are forbidden from touching them. Clearly it is only right that your magnificent collection should contain such a gem. And so my lord, I present this young Nyx to you and hope you find her pleasing.” 

The young king looked down at Amaranth as the thief gave his speech. She could see the hunger in his eyes and suddenly she couldn't breathe. The more the thief spoke, the more he wanted her. Whether it was to be able to say that he owned a holy sorceress, or to be the first man to touch her, she couldn't see. All she knew was that no matter the price the thief named, she would soon have a new master. 

“Is it true what he says.” The king’s voice boomed throughout the hall. “Are you a Nyx of Laylock.” All she could do was nod. “Sing for me.” She did. She closed her eyes and sang the first tune that came to mind, and old lullaby she known since birth.

As her voice echoing gently through the throne room the king closed his eyes and listened. She did her best to sing as sweetly as she knew how, painting pictures of sleeping birds and flowers closing for the night. When she finished the king looked up and the slightest hint of a smile graced his lips.

“How much do you want for her?” He asked without looking at the thief. 

“I believe somewhere in the range of a thousand is fair.”

“Done.” The king nodded to an attendant. “Give him his money and take the girl to the dormitory.” As a page boy ran to the thief and began counting golden coins into his purse the attendant took Amaranth’s chain and the thief's key, then bowed to the king before taking her away. 

Silence followed Amaranth down the narrow hallway as she trailed after the servant holding the silver chain. He didn't say a word to her. Nor did she expect him too. So she kept quiet as he led her down the long hallway behind the throne room into a wing of the palace with numbered doors lining the sandstone walls. He stopped in front of a door with  the numbers 107 carved into the wood and knocked. With a nervous creek the door opened releasing a teenage girl looked timidly between Amaranth and her guide. 

“The master bought a new pet.” The servant motioned to Amaranth. “You have room for her?” The girl nodded. Then without a word the servant dropped the key and silver chain into her hand and left. Amaranth watched him go then turned back to the girl and did her best to smile. 

“Hello…”

“Hello…” The two girls stood for a moment analyzing each other. The first thing Amaranth noticed was her new companion’s pointed ears and slanted facial features. She guessed she must be at least half elf for while she was slender and possessed a fairy-like pose she was short and seemed a bit too rugged to be fully elven. 

“My name is Amaranth.” Amaranth finally broke the silence.

“Bell.” The girl nodded then as if deciding that Amaranth wasn't a threat after all took, the tiny key broke the shackles hold on the older girl’s wrists. 

“Thank you.” Amaranth smiled as the shackles fell to the floor. Bell simply nodded and moaned for Amaranth to follow her into the room. 

It was a cozy room to say the least. There were two simple beds, a single large chest and a table with two badly broken chairs. A single window let in light through a small simple square hole in the sandstone and on the floor a rug made from old wash rags made it possible to walk on the cold stone with bare feet.

“Do you want to keep these?” Bell asked scooping up the shackles.

“No thank you.” Amaranth said more quickly then she would have liked. 

“I’ll give them to a blacksmith then.” Bell sighed shutting the door behind her and placing the silver bracelets on the small table. “That bed can be yours if you like.” She nodded to the bed closest to the window.

“Thank you.” Amaranth took and deep breath and sat down on the simple straw mattress.

“You comfortable in that dress?” Bell asked coming to sit across from her on her own bed. 

“So long as I look fine.” Amaranth tried to smile.

“Well…” Bell tilted her head, again inspecting her new roommate. “Seeing as you're a pet we should probably get you into a bath and give that dress a wash. But it looks fine on you.”

“Thank you.” Amaranth nodded. “Is there a bath to be had?”

“All the girls in the collection share a bathroom.” Bell got up and motioned for Amaranth to follow. So again Amaranth was lead down the hall of doors.

“Bell.. Could I ask you a few questions?” She asked once it was clear the elven girl had no intention of starting a conversation.  

“If you’d like.” 

“Well… what is this place?”

“The ‘dormitory wing’ of the Palace.” Bell rolled her eyes in disgust. “It’s where the master keeps everyone his collection. So for all practical purposes it’s a prison.”

“What do you mean by ‘collection?’”

“The master collects people.” Bell explained. “People, creatures, things, there all the same to him. Anyone he finds interesting gets locked away in the palace. Depending on why he brought you in the first place you may have a job, but most girls just stand around and look pretty.”

“What about you?” Amaranth asked hoping she wasn't pestering the only friend she seemed to have at the moment.

“I’m a beast tamer.” Bell explained shrugging. “I can talk to any living creature, so when the master buys a new beast and wants it to behave they bring me in to give it a talking to.”

“Sounds like an interesting talent.” Amaranth offered.

“It is.” Bell said suddenly turning to face her. “But enough about me. What is it about you that the master likes so much.”

“I’m not particularly sure to be honest.” Amaranth sighed. “I sang for him before he bought me… but I think it was the fact that I’m a Nyx that drew him in.”

“A what?”

“It’s like a priestess.” Amaranth tried to explain. “I was being taught to lead the temples of Laylock when the thief…”

“You’re a witch?” Bell interrupted taking a step back.

“Well… yes and no…” She suddenly became very nervous. She’d never been called a witch before. But then, at home to be a ‘witch’ was not uncommon. In this new world things might be different and judging by Bell’s tone, they were.

“What do you mean ‘yes and no’?” Bell demanded suddenly on guard.

“Well, my mother was a witch and I can do everything she can but I don’t practice witchcraft very often.”

“What kind of witchcraft do you do then?” Perhaps she should lie, say that she only healed the sick or made butterflies from flowers. That certainly would be less likely to scare off the only person who seemed willing to help her. But if they were to live in the same room, Bell would know everything eventually.

“I speak to the dead mostly.”

Bell’s eyes grew wide as she took an alarmed step back. 

“You do what?” Bell squeaked.

“That was my job at the temple.” Amaranth tried desperately to explain. “People would come wanting to know if a dead ancestor had advice and I’d ask Kilo to find the person and then we’d ask and...”

“Who’s Kilo?” Bell blurted panic and fear flooding her face.

“Oh...” How did she explain her relationship with a dead spirit to a girl who clearly thought of witchcraft in general as the stuff of nightmares. “He’s my brother... He was killed when he was eighteen...”

“And he helps you find other dead people?”

“Well I can’t talk to other dead spirits directly so he acts as sort of a translator... We don’t have to talk about this if you don’t want to.”

Bell gave Amaranth a calculating look. Then after a moment she posed another question.

“You don’t sacrifice people do you?”

“Not people!”

“Then animals?”

“... Cats and rabbits...” Amaranth had never been so uncomfortable in her life. The girl who stood staring at her in shock had known she was a witch for all of two minutes and already she could feel the fear radiating off of her. Then she remembered Bell’s talent, and truly panicked. “Not very often!” She said quickly. “And I promise not to do it so long as I’m with you!”

“So just because I can’t hear them scream you think that makes it alright?” She glared at her. “Cat’s are very intelligent creatures! My best friend is a cat! And rabbits are so innocent and sweet! You might as well be cutting up children!”

“I’m sorry.” Amaranth frowned. Again, how did she explain the the intelligence of cats and the innocence of rabbits was exactly why they used for such purposes in the first place. “I’ll stop then. I don’t have any need to call Kilo anyway... not here.”

Bell glared at Amaranth. Then, still uneasy she nodded and turned to open the door. Following Bell inside Amaranth saw that the shared bathroom was rather luxurious.There was a basket of clean rags and an empty basket presumably for clothing. A large tub was dug into the stone in the floor next to a  changing screen with all of one wall covered in a near flawless glass mirror. 

“I can wash the dress while you bathe.” Bell offered. 

“Thank you.” Amaranth smiled. Bell simply noded. She was clearly still put off by their conversation. None the less, Amaranth went behind the screen and began disentangling herself from the yards of fabric that clung to her body. “Who else lives here?” She called to Bell hoping to take her mind off the idea of witches.

“About twenty other girls.” Bell called back. “You’ll meet all eventually.”

“Any men?”

“They are kept in another wing... and in the dungeon.”

“Oh...” Amaranth searched her mind desperately for a less grim, yet still relevant question. “What does it mean to be a pet?”

“It means the master sees you as a belonging that does nothing more then make him happy.” Bell sighed. “He’s got dancers and musicians mostly.”

“So what is it I’m supposed to do?” Amaranth asked passing Bell the folded dress. 

“Sing I suppose.” Bell shrugged. “I’ll wash this then come back for you.” 

“One more question!” Amaranth said quickly as she hear Bell open the door.

“Yes?”

“What is his name? The master I mean.”

“Borja. Borja Herceg King of Charna.” With that the sound of the closing door rang through the bathroom and Bell was gone. 

Amaranth bathed as quickly and thoroughly as she could finishing just as Bell knocked on the door. 

“Come in.” She yelled hiding herself behind the screen. She heard Bell’s foot steps come into the room and a new green dress flew over the screen and landed in her arms. 

“Your old dress is drying.” Bell called as Amaranth slipped the dress on. “I have to go. The master got a new dragon in and it hasn’t been doing well.”

“Can I come?” Amaranth asked stepping out from behind the screen. Bell gave her yet another prolonged calculating look. 

“If you stay out of the way.” She finally sighed and shrugged.

“Thank you.”

Bell didn’t say anything else while she walked. Amaranth trailed behind pulling on the tiny satin slippers Bell had brought her. Then, she tried to braid her wet hair only to realize the only thing she had to tie it off with was a ribbon hanging loosely off the dress. Careful to be sure Bell wasn’t looking, she ripped of the strip and quickly wrapped it around the end of the braid. By the time she looked presentable they were in the courtyard. Trapped on two sides by identical dormitory wings and on one by a huge black wall, the triangular yard was filled with lush grass and beautiful stone furniture. It would have been a nice place to sit and read with plenty of shaded areas and small groups of people scattered about talking quietly. But Bell headed straight for the black wall. 

As they got closer it was evident that the wall hid a menagerie of beasts. Iron bars lined the black stone and the sound of inhuman squeaks and howls filled the air. The smell hit her suddenly. The unavoidable musk of dirt on fur flooded into her lungs and she was forced to cough. Soon Bell reached an iron gate and lifted the imposing latch and stepped inside. Amaranth followed. 

Inside a rotunda shot ten stories up, every inch if the circular wall lined with prison cell like cages. As she looked around about the open main floor she saw countless exotic creatures being stubbornly pulled by chains from cell to cell and in and out of dark hall ways. Some beaten and broken souls went quietly, needing only the gentle nudge of a single handler to guide them about. Others fought for their lives, splitting fire and lashing out with bloody claws as scores of men threw chains over them and forced them to the ground where the lay howling in pain. 

“What is this place?” Amaranth gasped as a huge serpent was drug past hissing at a handler with a spear. 

“The master is most proud of his creatures.” Bell shrugged.

“This is where he keeps his collection. 

“It seems so horrible.”

“It is.”

Bell continued to skirt the edge of the room in silence. As they reached one of the dark hallways she made to go down it, but was stopped by a group of handlers parading into the room carrying golden chains. Amaranth's heart sank as she saw the two enormous wolves from the throne room walk past. She stood and watched as the handlers removed the golden collars and the magnificent beasts rolled their necks in vain attempts to revive the pain in their stiff joints. Then, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, one of the wolves stood on its hind legs and began to shrink. Fur condensed into a shirt of worn dark wool as paws gave way to hands, and in a moment a shaggy young man stood where the wolf had been. Amaranth stared in shock and amazement as the other wolf followed suit and after a quick exchange of words the handlers left the two men standing alone next to a cell.

“They’re wolf-men.” Bell explained seeing the dumbfounded look on her companion's face. “The taller one is Flynn and the one with darker hair is Varg.” Amaranth could only nod. She’d known the myths of wolf-men like any other child of the Nyx. But she never thought they could be real. The idea had seemed to fantastic. Yet here they were. Flynn was indeed much taller then his friend. He must have stood over six feet tall towering over the rest of the crowd. Varg was shorter then the other wolf-man, but he still loomed over the other men his unkempt dark brown hair hiding half his face as he leaned against the wall listening to Flynn. He must have felt her staring, for he glanced over at her. The glow of his eyes gave away his inhumanity, and for the second time that day Amaranth’s heart broke as she gazed in the extinguished fire of his amber eyes.

“That’s the dragon.” Bell nudged Amaranth as she pointed out the bear sized dragon a group of handlers had just brought down the hall. It was a beautiful creature with scales of blue and gold. But it seemed so panicked. Its eyes darted around the room as it shrugged to break free of its chains. 

“What are you going to do?” Amaranth asked Bell.

“Just talk to him.” She shrugged and walked over to the dragon. Amaranth watched as Bell clapped to get the dragons attention and began speaking in a strange growling tone that seemed to make no comprehensible sense. But the dragon stared at her and began to relax as she continued in what Amaranth assumed was a comforting tone. Then, just a suddenly as he had been calmed, the beast began to howl in protest. His eyes filled with rage as Bell tried in vain to reason with him. He started thrusting and tearing at his chains sending handlers flying. Amaranth pressed herself against the wall in fear. Was there anything she could do? What ever Bell was telling it didn’t seem to have much effect. 

An idea came to her, but she knew the chances of it helping where slim. It couldn’t do any harm, she decide. Quickly she grabbed a sharp rock off the floor and cut the palm of her hand. She made a fist and squeeze until red sap began to drip onto the floor. Then she opened her hand and began writing on the wall. She rated her mind for the correct ruins. A circle surrounded by a triangle and assorted hex marks in the corners... She stood as she finished. Then taking a deep breath she punched the middle of the design.

The room around her melted away. She felt the raw energy of her soul leave through her fist and fly around the rotunda. The dragon! She thought desperately trying to picture the blue and golden form. Go to the dragon! Her soul flew straight toward the beast and as she drew closer she could hear the panic of the handler’s souls. Focusing as hard as she could she managed to isolate the thrashing dragon and it’s screaming flooded her being.

“NO! I REFUSE! THIS CAN NOT HAPPEN!” 

“Friend!” Amaranth felt the energy of the word leave her like a gust of wind. 

“Who are... who dares?” The dumbfounded soul of the beast surrounded her with a million questions. It felt like standing in the middle of a hurricane. Blasts of thought came rushing toward her slapping against the walls of her own mind.

“Stop!” She managed to throw her own storm back into the deafening wind.

“Why?” The word echoed and swirled around her.

“You’re... Hurting... Them...” Three busts of energy leave her and she began to loss control. She silently cursed herself as she tried desperately to regain control. She knew she wasn’t strong enough for this spell, why had she done such a ridiculous thing? But the dragon's soul grabbed onto her and shouted with the power of a thousand voices. 

“I SHALL HARM WHOMEVER STANDS IN MY WAY!” With that she felt her soul begin thrown back into her body. She hit with enough force to knock the wind out of her and safely back in her flesh she sank to the floor in front of the bloody ruin. But the engraved dragon was not finished with her. It turned and with a great have dislodged itself from the handlers. Then it came running toward her, fire blazing in its eyes. She felt panic swell inside her as it came charging toward her. Her eyes grew wider and wider. 

Then a mass of dark brown fur collided with the side of the oncoming dragon. It was Varg. Teeth bared her threw the beast against the wall and came to stand between it and Amaranth. Growling in frustration the dragon stood and charged again. This time the two enormous creatures locked fangs and began spitting and biting, clawing desperately at any flesh they could find. Then with an assisting howl the dragon fell to the floor and the great wolf stood with is jaws clamped around its neck like a dog with a dead snake. Handlers rushed up to Varg barking orders and wielding swords. Silently the wolf-man dropped the dead dragon and transformed into a blood covered young man placing his hands on his head in surrender.

“Amaranth!” Bell rushed over to her friend still gasping for breath on the floor. She tried to help her stand as Varg was taken away, but the girl was too winded to move. “Amaranth what the hell did you do?”

To be continued...

Author's Note

First in a series so I'm concerned about grabbing attention. Not sure how clear the use of magic is. Also suggestions for titles would be nice.