"The City of Darkness" by Chelsea Castonguay

                                                      Homecoming

            The city had been deserted for many years after its destruction, and he walked through it slowly, his footfalls quiet and respectful. The female behind him apparently did not have the same feelings, for she was not quiet in her disdain of the ruined place.

            “What are doing here?” she asked, trailing behind him, peering around at the destroyed buildings. The contempt in her voice was plain; it was obvious she felt that she was above this place. Nal’Ashar turned and glared at her, disbelief showing on his face at her extreme unawareness of the monumental place they had entered.

            “This is the City of Darkness, you ignorant oaf!” he paused for a second, surveying the landscape with his heavily lidded eyes. “This city was once the greatest in all the UnderDark, and now it has been reduced to rubble. Someday soon, however, we shall rebuild and honor Lolth in this city. Males will rule, like they haven’t in thousands of years.”

            Kiaora sneered, wrapping her arms around herself as if afraid of contamination.
            “Males will never rule, for what female would listen to them? Males are good for breeding, and little else.” With a movement so quick she could barely react, Nal’Ashar had drawn his weapons, twin scimitars, and knocked her to the ground. He towered above her, holding the weapons threateningly.

            “Never speak to me with such insolence again, Girl,” he scowled at her, using his foot to keep her on the ground, pressing in the center of her chest when she tried to struggle to her feet. “Never question me, for in this City you are the slave and I the master. We shall see how you like it.” He reached down and jerked her to her feet again, bidding her to follow him. She rubbed her sore chest angrily, but there was nothing she could do. She was weaponless, and powerless against his strength. They had reached a pair of ancient, black wrought iron gates, rusted with time and scarred with countless battles. Nal’Ashar mumbled some incantation, and the demons created by the spirals of metal sprung to life, their emerald eyes glowing as they swung the gate open, admitting their master back to his home.

            “This house was once the greatest in this City, before your family destroyed it,” he threw to her over his shoulder, finally beginning to shed some light on why he had annihilated her entire family seven days before. He had taken Kiaora as a captive, and she still had not been informed of his plans for her.

            He led her through the imposing front doors, which opened slowly, the hinges complaining loudly at having to be used again after so long of lying idle. The interior of the house was dingy, but she could tell under the dirt and decay, this had been a house of extreme wealth and luxury, surpassing even her own, which had been one of the finest in her city.

            “We will begin reparations immediately. It will not be long before we have the House back to its former grandeur.” Nal’Ashar brushed his hand across a table top, the dust clinging and turning his black skin almost the same white shade as his hair.

            Kiaora looked around and snorted loudly. In an instant, Nal’Ashar had turned on her, his nostrils flaring with anger.

            “Do you have something to say, Girl?” he snarled. Kiaora looked back at him, one eyebrow raised defiantly.

            “No, I’m afraid I don’t, scum,” she sneered, standing her ground. In a second, Nal’Ashar was close to her, reaching his hand behind her neck, pinching it tightly as he pulled her foreward. She arched her neck backwards, exposing her throat to him as she tries to relieve some of the pain.

            “What do you want by trying my patience, Kiaora?” he asked. His face was dangerously close to hers, and she could see in his eyes how angry he was. She closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to see his dirt-streaked face. “What, do you think I’ll kill you if you annoy me enough? I’m going to tell you this once, and only once, so listen carefully. I allowed you to live because I wished for a companion. You will be a helper and companion for me while I bring this City back to life.”

            “I’d rather die!” Nal’Ashar pulled tighter, eliciting a slight whimper from her.

            “You are very strong willed, my dear girl. I will have to change that.” Still holding her tightly, Nal’Ashar turned her back towards the front door of the House, kicking the backs of her legs roughly to get her to move. Pushing and bumping her over piles of rubble and stones, Nal’Ashar hauled his captive to a pillar set in a stone courtyard nearby.

            He threw her to the ground, and quickly using an incantation before she could escape, bound her to the pillar, her face against the stone. Blood seeped from a gash on her cheek, but she remained standing upright and didn’t yield.

            “Do what you want to me, you heartless brute, for I shall never cave to you!” she declared, shifting slightly against her bonds.
            Nal’Ashar sighed, almost in remorse. “It pains me to do this, Kiaora. But if I have to, I will break you.” He walked over to her, and felt the cords binding her wrists, pulling them tighter so that they cut into her tender, dark flesh. “I don’t think you’ve ever felt the sting of the Sun, have you? It burns hotter than all the fires of the Abyss…or so I’ve been told.” Waving his hand, he spoke a command phrase and quickly averted his eyes, stepping into a cool shadow as the searing light from the illuminated pillar, the Sun of the UnderDark, cut across the City.

            Kiaora flinched as she felt the light run across her shoulders, setting her skin on fire. After a few more moments of this, she screamed out loud, hugging the pillar with all her might, even though that too burned. Nal’Ashar watched, squinting his eyes against the glare. Finally, the light dropped, and Kiaora slid to the ground, panting slightly.

            “You have an amazingly strong spirit, but I cannot have someone around me who has so much hatred inside of them for me.” Nal’Ashar said aloud, then dropped his voice to a whisper, “I am truly sorry for your pain…I hope one day you’ll forgive me.” Kiaora screamed again as the Sun roared back to life, clutching the pillar tightly.

            “I…will never stop hating you!” she yelled through clenched teeth, as Nal’Ashar cut the light once more, leaving her trembling, as unwarranted tears poured from her burned eyes. He strode over and released her from her bonds, carefully rising her to her feet.

            “Why do you hate me so?” he asked in a kinder tone, handing her a spider-silk handkerchief to wipe her face with.

            Kiaora took the handkerchief gingerly between two fingers, dropped it to the ground and grinding it between the heel of her boot and the cobblestones.

            “You kidnap me from my City, the only home I have ever known, murder my entire family, my Matron mother, all my sisters and brothers, bring me to this desolate place and expect me to love you for it! How could I not feel hatred towards you?” she demanded, swiping tears from her aching eyes.

            “I never asked for you to love me, you idiot! I saved you from death. I thought that a second chance at life would be favorable to a life cut short, and I murdered your family out of sheer necessity. As you well know, your family was a critical part of that foul city, and the destruction of your House will bring great distress to the City!” Nal’Ashar raged, pushing her back and picking up the crumpled handkerchief, which he dusted off and replaced it in his pocket.

            “Then why did you not kill me as well? I simply do not understand your reasonings! Men like you do not work out of sympathy, so don’t try to pass that off on me!”

            “I have no desire to kill you. I desire a companion, through my journey. Not a lover,” he clarified in annoyance, seeing her frightened face, “A companion. And I will not kill you.”