Title: "My Immortal"
Author: SilverInk
Writing: Songfiction, romance. [Link] Word Count: 4092
I'm so tired of being here
Suppressed by all my childish fears
An unfamiliar trickle of light lit up the small room. It was strange, particularly since the room was not unlike a box of cement, with smooth, charmed walls on all sides. The only furnishings were a wooden plank, clothed by rags, suspended against the wall; and a wooden crate tossed in a corner. The strange light stemmed from this crate and scanned the room once before dying again.
The figure on the wooden bed rolled over painfully, shifting the rags that served as blankets. Tiredly, he pushed himself to a sitting position and leaned against the wall, careful with his torn clothes. Light colored hair coated in a mixture of sweat and blood hung over his gaunt face and concealed partially open gray eyes.
“Elijah, dear me,” a voice said silkily from the crate. “You look as if you were being tortured yourself!”
Elias looked up as the voice continued, “Heartless. You can stand the sight of your own sister being branded, but can’t stand the sight of this other…creature…” the voice faded. Through his mind flickered images of his sister, the usually hyper and talkative flautist, tortured and subdued to the point that being allowed to breathe was a blessing in itself. The memory faded quickly as he grasped the shell-shaped crystal hung around his neck.
“…Ellasyn was a lot prettier too,” the voice was muttering. It was closer now, and not coming from the crate. A hole opened temporarily in the wall, admitting a regal looking man dressed lavishly in armor and jewels. At his feet, four chained prostitutes followed their master quietly,
The newcomer brushed a finger underneath Elias’s chin, examining the sunken eyes of his captive. “You know why you’re here. You could just give me the heart.” He stared pointedly at the shell-shaped charm on the captive’s neck. “And you could save her—what’s her name?”
“Auras-ssine” one of the chained figures hissed, slithering closer to her master.
“Her,” the man said, smirking at Elias. “So easy… for a mere necklace you could save the love of your life…”
He snapped his hand back and moved towards a wall and formed another portal, as if he were going to leave. “Or,” he said slyly, glancing over his shoulder at the captive. “You could just leave, knowing what I would do to her.”
You’d kill her, a distraught answer formed in Elias’s mind, pressing painfully into his already- muddled thoughts.
“Oh, I wouldn’t do that,” came an audible reply. The oppressor smiled as he read the thought. He was slightly relieved—the fact that he could now hear thoughts meant that the mental defenses were crippling, which meant the oppressed was close to making his move. “I wouldn’t do that,” he repeated for emphasis. “I’d treat her like my pets.”
He smiled at his four prisoners, who were groveling at his feet. “Humanely,” he added, and vanished out of the cell.
I wish that you would just leave
'Cause your presence still lingers here
And it won't leave me alone
Aura flinched as cool lotion hit one of the many open gashes on her body. So numb she was, she could hardly feel where the healer was working now. All she knew was she was suspended in midair, with her captor’s healers treating her wounds so that the next day she might be tortured and battered again.
“Finished hon,” one of the healers said. The others had already left; this final healer cut the invisible ropes that kept her afloat and set her gently on a comfortable bed. “I did fine, didn’t I? Nothing sore?”
She couldn’t complain—her body was no longer sore from the beatings and whippings she’d suffered that day. The poison in her bloodstream was gone. She felt fine. Physically, that is. Mentally, though, she was tired of the whole ordeal. She managed a nod, fluttering her aquamarine eyes open for a brief moment to thank the man.
“Don’t I get a reward for all this? It’s not exactly easy work you know?” He waited, packing up his few pieces of equipment. “No kiss? No passionate love?”
She shook her head. He’d been asking this for as long as she’d been held captive here. “He’s gone you know,” the perverted healer said after a moment of silence. “He left this evening. He abandoned you.”
Aura was silent again. She curled up slightly, leaning against the headboard for support. After another long moment, the healer left.
You left, Elias. She mused. You left?...Well, I suppose it’s all for the best. Go run off now, and leave me in the land of perverts and pain. It’s really fine. I don’t know why you were here in the first place. You never were very nice to me. Elisa said so herself, and she was the closest person you ever had.
The thoughts quieted and Aura covered herself with blankets. Something prodded her, something that told her Elias had not left. But she had seen his tall, unmistakable figure darting out of camp just before she was ushered into the healing rooms. And for the strangest reason, she wasn’t mad he was abandoning her in this place—he had his own life to live, his own love to follow.
The dumb fool. Elisa was right again—it figures he'd fall for his governess' daughter Ack, what am I thinking? Is this jealousy?
Aura almost laughed—here she was, alone, in a camp of perverts and cruel hearted people and she was jealous of some idiot that had captured the heart of her object of affection.
It’s the routine. I thought I was used to it, but apparently not. All this weariness is making me not myself, she insisted firmly. She was not usually jealous. She had actually been elated when she thought she saw the sparks fly between them—at least he was happy with someone. The prodding feeling returned. This cycle is wearing on my senses as well. The feeling hung around, but was ignored.
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
A trickle of blood ran down her arm and she pulled it away quickly. She glanced up at the elaborate mirror in front of her. A strand of her light blonde hair was stained crimson. She glared at the hand and pressed her free hand to it to stop the blood flow.
It had been nearly two weeks since the healer had said Elias left, but only a week since the prodding feeling agreed. There had not been any torturing for nearly the entire of these two weeks, but no healing after the last one. And then there was "Master Okin Nashamura" himself, as his prostitutes called him. He'd personally scathed her skin so harshly that it felt as if he had tattooed her skin with lightning.
Aura climbed on her bed and let the headache and heartache consume her.
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
Elias shuddered at how easy it had been to escape. He simply pushed though the concrete walls with a bit of his magic, and stole away from the camp.
And now he was on his way back, back to where friends were.
"Eekkk!!" the ring of her voice echoed in his ears and Elias turned around. His friends stopped. "Elias, what're you doing? Leave her."
"But..." Aura was only twelve at the time, and Elias thirteen. He stopped and watched her pick herself out the puddle he'd tripped her into. She glared at his friends retreating backs and clenched her fist when they joked they were going to hang out with Elisa and flirt.
Then she whirled around and burst into tears before running away. Elias knew she would take the shortcut to the mansion and burst into a run after her, ignoring the calls of his friends behind him.
She heard him running after her and sped up, but Elias was always the faster runner and soon caught up to her. He ran a step ahead of her before stopping and grabbing her arms so she would stop. "Stop, don't cry," he said when she flinched away, hiding tears and struggling to get away. He pulled off the silk gloves with "Gilfax" embroidered on them and brushed her tears away with clean hands. "Aura, don't cry...I'm sorry. Aura?"
A fresh wave of tears escaped Aura but she turned away, trying to hide them. Elias held her hand in one hand fiercely and yelled back. "She's my sister's best friend! And we're not allowed to treat her badly!"
"She doesn't matter! You're like royalty here, Elias! Are you with us? Or do you cast away your rank for a...the daughter of your servants?"
"..." Elias didn't answer, only standing with a cold expression on his face. Then Aura broke from his grasp and ran. "Aurasine!"
But she fled without a backward glance and Elias felt some part of his heart leave him and chase after her.
"Elijah! You've returned! Your sister and Rebecca have been worried sick!"
"Thank you Master Gaenor...I--I have the Heart."
"Good. Hold onto it. You will present it to Queen Geneva of the elves in a few days....You have done well... Your grandfather would be proud."
Elias smiled tiredly before the General dismissed him to the hospital building. Elias staggered into the doorway like a drunk man and an attendant helped him to a bed before asking who he was. "Who I am..." Elias murmured dazedly. He didn't remember. He'd left himself back at Okin Nashamura's camp.
Now I'm bound by the life you left behind
"He's not nice to you." Ellasyn Gilfax pointed out. "He pushes you around, makes you do all his chores, blames everything on you, and nearly drowned you one time."
"It was an accident!" Aura protested, trying a smile but her friend was not amused. "I'm sure he didn't mean it...I mean, he was the one that jumped in to rescue me later."
"Still. He wouldn't hesitate to kill you if he had to. And that's not something he can rescue you from."
Aura curled up painfully on the bed. Each movement felt like she was tearing a bit of herself apart. Elisa had been right. He didn't care. Aura threw the covers away from her body then winced.
But there had always been something unbelievably good about Elijah Gilfax. Some bright aura that played around his grin, some light that had emanated from him, some warmth that made Aura feel safe when she was near him.
"Aw, Aurasine. What is this?"
A rough hand wrapped itself around her neck and lifted her head so she was eye-level with him "I don't understand him," Okin said. He dropped Aura back on her bed. "But he is of no matter. As he has left, you are now my slave. He clasped heavy shackles on her ankles, musing about what to do with her.
Slave? Aura almost laughed. So she wasn't to be his "pet"; what good luck!
"Yes. I have decided. You know where Elijah is, I am sure. Go there. Haunt him. Yes. The Lord has no need to bring down the meddling idiots. This is for my own amusement. You will die soon anyways. Go now, slave. Haunt him. And bring me the Heart."
Aura stared at him ruefully before picking her frail body up and dragging it out the room. The anklets did not hold her back, but only propelled her forward to complete Okin's bidding.
Your voice it chased away
Sunlight flittered through the open window, lighting up the crimson stains on the white sheets. The scent of morning dew blew in with a breeze and it seemed the ruins nearby were echoing some ancient song to usher in the morning.
"Elias?" A voice asked nonchalantly. "Where are you? And why is there blood all over your sheets? I just washed these, you idiot."
"Here," a hoarse voice croaked. Elisa glanced in the corner, took one look at her brother and set the tray of food down.
"You haven't ben quite right since you left the infirmary," Elisa said softly, reaching for his hands. "Who'd you kill?"
"No one. No one. No one. No one...." he repeated.
Elisa took the long dagger in his hands and set it on the already blood-stained bed.
"No one. I didn't kill anyone," he murmured again, as if protesting. "I didn't."
Sighing, Elisa pulled a cloth from her hand and began to clean off his arms. She left him from a moment to fill a tub with water before dragging him to it. He seemed incapable of thinking on his own. "Now stop with this nonsense. What's wrong?"
"I didn't kill anyone," he repeated.
"Is it the Heart? Do you want me to hold it for you?"
"Take it!" he screeched, pulling the shell off his neck and falling to the ground. Catching the necklace, Elisa dumped water on him, making his skin shiver and a pool of faint red form around him. Elias fell on the ground, breath thin and shivering slightly. "Take it. I don't want to see her! I don't want to! She's here!"
Elias didn't answer, and closed his eyes. "I can still see her. She was here last night. She must have started a few days after I left. She was here. She's like a ghost. Grey skin. Cold to the touch. She wanted to kill me!"
"And then you stabbed her?"
"Not yet." Elias started moving himself to a sitting position, adjusting his drenched clothes so he wouldn't slip. "I didn't move. And she was reaching for the Heart.
"She had shackles on her feet. He lied. But it doesn't matter. She was grey. Cold. And her breath smelt sickly sweet. Her fingers were around my neck, like this. And then she just went away. Just jumped out the window...
"I'll show you to her once you get cleaned up," Elisa said with a bitter taste in her mouth. Elias crawled up and began looking for the shampoo as if everything was normal. Elisa returned the Heart to him before leaving, seeing it was pointless to ask where the blood had come from. When she looked back, he was stringing the shell back on his neck, the glazed look back in his eyes.
These wounds won't seem to heal
This pain is just too real
There's just too much that time cannot erase
Another chunk of energy with the consistency of jello passed over his arm. The energy had a mixed color to it, something green yet brown yet clear. But whatever it really was, a glowing yellow light covered it. This light shot from the floating energy jello and into the the scar on him arm. Again and again the light sunk into his injuries but it never seemed to make a difference.
Elias leaned back against the chair and shook his head.
"Oh dear. Let me try," a cloying sound said, followed by the rustle of a dress. A girl with a deep reddish-brown, shoulder length hair nicely groomed leaned over him and moved her fingers over his arm. At first it seemed the spell had done its purpose and the scar erased itself, but then it reappeared, spreading down his arm like blood through varicose veins after being momentarily plugged. "Oh dear," she said cloyingly.
"I tell, you, it's a soul-injury. Our magic isn't going to heal it.," Elisa said impatiently. She was leaning against the corner of the wall, staring at them with narrowed eyes.
"Don't worry, dear. It'll go away with time."
Elisa snorted, earning a glare from the well-dressed girl. "Ellasyn, why don't you go get something nicer on. We're seeing the Queen of the elves, not some peasant girl."
"A peasant girl is like Aura, right?"
A flash of pain raced through the arm and Elias cringed a tiny bit, trying to hide the emotion. "Ellasyn! You know that hurts him! Now go change!"
Elisa, who had a foot on the stairs, turned around to sneer. "Aurasine Windrose was my only sister."
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
I didn't know I wouldn't bleed. Well, more like I'd never run out of blood. I didn't know I was dead. Aura looked at her limbs in amazement, taking in the now blemish-free skin. "Thank you, Iyn. I can confidently say that I would be really dead if it weren't for you and Ms. Winski.
"It was my pleasure," The green dragon resting on a plush cushion said in return, it's voice coming out as a reptilian purr, somewhat like a soft, comforting hiss. "Emma would be glad to know you're fine as well now."
"Emma! Our guest awoke!" The green dragon leapt off of the cushion, morphing into the form of a slender and dignified lady with white hair and striking green eyes.
"I thought I'd find you here," Emma laughed, a sound deeper as Iyn's chime but with the same underlying ring. "General Gaenor's looking for you. And we have to get ready. The heart-keeper is due to meet with her Majesty in about an hour."
"An hour only!" Iyn rushed to the mirror near Aura and hurried to change her dress. "What does Ezhno need?"
Emma shrugged and threw a bow on her back. "Aurasine, you will be fine on your own for a while then?"
"Yes. Thank you for all your help."
"There's food on the table if you're hungry. Take it easy for a few days, ok? Ghosts might not die, but it'll be plenty painful if you get yourself stabbed to shreds by that boy again." Another laugh. "But I'm sure you know what I mean."
Iyn finished and flicked eyed the open window before flicking her tongue out tentatively. "Clouds. I taste a coming rain. Stay well, friend Aurasine."
Aura nodded and waved as Iyn and Emma walked out. Cousins... Karida, Emma and Iyn; I like them.
But the uplifted spirit left Aura the moment the cousins left the room. A few minutes later a dark feeling pervaded through the room and when Aura reached out with her magic she could not feel anything but her own internal misery pulling all the sadness into her. She tested her ghost-reinforced body and stood. Easy. The only drawback of this temporary addition, Aura reasoned, was that she would have to relearn some of her magic.
She pressed her fingers against the wall to create an entry way out but was prohibited. Iyn was right then. This place is decently secured.
Outside, she stood in sunlight, where no-one would be able to see her clearly. Currently the ghost-part of her that Emma had added to her blood was still working and her abilities would be mostly limited until she had healed and the ghost-part gone away. Aura traveled to Queen Geneva's tent: Emma was standing stonily outside. An elven guard with green hair stood on the other side of the door, although the black and gold armor indicated she was of draconic alliance.
Finally Elisa and Elias came out of the tent, accompanied by Iyn and Ezhno. With the exception of the guards, the group exchanged a few words before they parted company; Ezhno with Iyn and Elias with Elisa and Rebecca, who had been standing awkwardly before Emma.
"Dear, why do you look so dismal? It's over. The Queen has the Heart now; it's none of your responsibility," Rebecca was saying.
Elias murmured something and Elisa pointed away but Rebecca shook her head petulantly and put her hands around Elias's neck. The girls began arguing in hushed toens and Aura crept closer to listen.
"Sister, enough of this nonsense. He's troubled by something obviously. I'm going to take him back to his room and put him to sleep. He needs the rest."
"If he needed rest the Queen wouldn't have kept him so long. Or do you presume your abilities are stronger than Hers?"
"I just know him better. Anyways the Queen has other things on her mind."
"She wouldn't keep him if she didn't think he could handle it."
"Then what do you propose, sister?"
"I propose you go away and let him go talk to Ezhno like he said he wanted to."
"Ezhno is busy with his lady though. And my dear needs his res--Elijah!"
Elias had suddenly broken from Rebecca's grasp and after a moment Aura realized he was running for her. She hadn't noticed that she had crept into the shadows and was now visible as monotone-colored figure. She turned and fled.
Before long though, Aura could hear Elias's feet racing alongside hers. He reached out and grabbed her arm, sending both of them skidding to a stop in the shadow of the ruins.
Aura turned to rush away again but stopped herself and held Elias's hands in concern. "Why are you crying?"
I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone
But though you're still with me
I've been alone all along
"I killed you. I'm sorry. I--"
"How? There was so much blood, and..."
"Iyn Tamari Winski. And her cousin, Emma. They managed to use ghost-magic to repair my body and soul. Ghost blood never runs out, and it was that that you were slashing. But Okin still had the slave shackles on me and I had to find you."
"You tried to take the Heart. And kill me."
"Yes...and no." Aura stood away, pulling herself awat and stepping deeper into the shadows. The cloud had been hanging around loosely was now directly overhead and a light drizzle began, one drop at a time. Elias looked up as one droplet landed in his hair and shattered his internal serenity. He was quiet for a while, watching the water droplets. One touched his hand and plowed its way through across the skin, sometimes haltingly but altogether like darkness gliding across the edge of a blade; it hovered at his fingertip before dropping to join its companions on the ground. Then the other droplets of water joined in, creating a plain rainstorm.
Elias screamed and leapt backwards fervently. "You're dead!" he yelled at Aura.
The now grey-colored girl turned around and faced him coldly. "Haven't I always been?" She said dully.
"No! You're dead! You're--" he fell to the ground at this moment, his skin paling and his eyes sinking into a kind of ghostly stupor. In an instant Aura was kneeling beside him, keeping him from hurting himself in his fall and trying to elicit a reaction from the boy. "You're dead. You're dead," he kept muttering. "I--I killed you. Again. Again. Again..."
When you cried I'd wipe away all of your tears
When you'd scream I'd fight away all of your fears
And I held your hand through all of these years
Aura looked up at the rain, and back down at Elias. She pressed cold fingers against his neck and stared into his eyes with a kind of sad determination.
There was a slow flash of something between light and dark and then there was only a pale-haired boy with a skin of healthy hue dozing on the stone. Two figures, one in dress pants running ahead and another with a red dress and matching parasol rushed down the hill to tend to him. The rain parted slowly, and as quickly as it had appeared it faded, leaving only a crisp scent in the air.
Artist's Note: Yes! Behold my first completed songfiction! :D Random: It's about 500 words shorter than the U.S. Constitution apparently :P
The song is "My Immortal" from Evanescence. According to itunes I've listened to it 78 times. :P
Elias, Elisa, Aura and Rebecca are from Death and Dining, a roleplay (though Rebecca probably doesn't really count). And obviously this is all just randomness that I thought of because Aura likes Elias, though in the roleplay it hasn't been determined (and I hope this story won't impact the course of events) whether or not her sentiments are reciprocated.
Yea, this is why last week's post was less than 500 words. And I don't know if this counts as next week's post yet :P PLEASE read and review though! CRITIQUE appreciated! <3
~SilverInk
