Holding up his hand to knock, the door opens and a man stands there looking at him. �The lady is expecting you.� He says in a deep monotone. Waving him in, Crow steps through he door and walks down the entrance hall; jumping when the door closes behind him; he feels trapped. �This way.� The man says walking in front of him. Taking many twists and turns through the halls; they eventually come to a set of double doors. Knocking gingerly, the man opens the doors and waves him inside. Puffing up his chest Crow walks through the doors, but jumps again when the doors close behind him. �Well, nice to see you again boy.� Comes a familiar voice from a big armchair sitting in front of the fireplace.
Watching the chair turn around it�s the same face that he saw in his dreams. Standing, she practically towers over him: her black hair falling almost to the floor: her dark red dress showing off her tanned skin. �Servant!� she calls and a dark woman in a plain wool dress opens the doors and walks into the room. �Yes ma�am.� �Take this boy and makes sure he knows what to do.� �Yes, ma�am.� And she turns, but Crow doesn�t follow. �What do you want me for?� he says defiantly. Looking down at him maliciously, �You now belong to me. You do what I tell you and don�t ask questions.� �Like hell.� He says flat out. �Oh. Yes you will or you will pay for it dearly; your trapped here now, and no ones going to care what I do with you. So I wouldn�t try me if I were you.� �And if I don�t?�
Bending down with a cool smile on her lips; she takes his chin in her hand, looking into her eyes; lightning seems to flash there. Suddenly he�s finding himself thrown against a wall, pain coursing through his body. The servant steps back as the sorceress walks toward him, �You will learn quickly what it means to defy ME,� she says taking his chin in her hand again, and the pain intensifies. Not screaming out of pure spite he looks at her with pure anger in his face. �You can hate me all you want, but you will obey me.� She says and the pain gets even worse.
Taking her hand from his face she turns to the servant, �Take him and get him cleaned up.� �Yes ma�am.� Walking over to the boy and grabbing him by the arm she lifts him up off the floor and takes him in her arms. She doesn�t even flinch when blood starts to soak through his cloths from the movement. Not having realized that he had actually been physically injured during the contest, he passes out when he sees his front covered in blood and feels the stabbing pain that comes whenever the servant moves.
Later, in another section of the house he wakes up at the feeling of a cold rag on his forehead. �Huu.� �So decided to wake up did you.� He hears someone say. Trying to sit up he finds it�s painful to move. �What do you think your doing?� and he feels pillows being put behind his back propping him up.
Opening his eyes he sees the servant women wearing a different cotton outfit, this time a pair of pants and a shirt, her short black hair tied in braids against her head, her skin the darkest he had ever seen on a human. �Who are you?� �My names Naree. I�m the personal servant to the mistress. And right now the one that�s keeping you from bleeding to death. You right pissed her off when you started talking back. I haven�t figured out yet if your brave, or just plain stupid.�
Looking down at himself he sees his torso covered in bandages. �What happened?� �You got yourself a beating. That�s what happened.� �That pain.� �Yeah, frankly I�m impressed. I�ve seen others start screaming at only half the abuse you took. Of course it could also mean you have no basic common sense.� �Why should I have to listen to her?� �Oh, your going to be that way is it. Well, for starters she could kill you, in quite a few nasty painful ways. She could go after everyone you care about, making sure you see her kill them in the nastiest ways you could imagine. Need I go on?� �No that�s enough.� He says honestly remembering her threat from his dream. �Good, shows you have some sense.�
Thinking about his question earlier. �What does she want with me?� �I�m can�t answer that. She does what she wants and she doesn�t explain herself to anyone. Least of all me.� �I have to get out of here.� �If I were you. I�d let my wounds heal, do what I was told, and not cause any trouble.� �Well, your not me,� he says trying to sit up, and winching, falls back, �Or I can sit here and let my wounds heal.� �Smart boy.� Naree says laughing, dipping the rag back in the bowl. �Now stay still, I need to finish cleaning you off.�
* * *
A few days later, �How long am I going to have to stay in bed?� He asks for what must be the thousandth time. �As long as those cuts keep bleeding, and your stomach stays purple.� Naree answers for what must be the
Thousandth time. �Look I�m all better.� �That has yet to be seen.� �Come on I can�t stay in here much longer. I�m going crazy.� �Trust me I�ve seen crazy and you aren�t crazy yet.� �Yeah, yet.� �Fine then, if your good I�ll take you outside, but only if your good.� �Yes ma�am.� And he quiets down, but like all young boys not for long.
�Do you think she�ll let me go outside when I�m better? I mean it�s not like I can run; she said so herself.� �Good luck trying to convince her.� �So in other words no.� �What�s so important about you going outside anyway? You�re always asking about going outside.� �My friends.� �Your friends.� �Yeah, they�re probably worried by now. I just wish there was some way I could tell them that I�m all right, or at least moderately so.� looking at his bandaged chest. �My advice to you is to forget about them. If you care for them she may kill them just for being a distraction.� �She hasn�t even seen me sense I first got here. What are my chances that she�s forgotten about me?� �Not likely. More like she doesn�t want to use you until your healthy and until then you�re not of any interest to her.�
Falling silent for a few moments �Can I ask you something?� �Can I stop you?� she says exasperated. �Who goes outside? Like to go to the market and stuff like that.� �I do.� She says honestly knowing that she�s going to regret it. �Could you take a message to them?� �And how am I supposed to do that?� she scolds. �From what you�ve told me I�m not someone they�re just going to walk up to and say hi.� Put a note in your pocket inside a piece of leather to make it look like a wallet, it�ll be gone by the time you get back.� �The misses isn�t going to like that.� �Please, you have to.� He pleads. �Oh, alright. But I�ll only try once.� �That�s all I ask.� He says hoping this works. Getting him a piece of paper she lets him write his note.
In the market she walks along, not being able to help looking at every boy that passes by her. Thinking �Does he know him� does he� But in the end the purpose was served; before leaving she checked to find the note had indeed been taken.
* * *
Back at the safe house Buck gives the note to Wolf. �What�s this?� he asks looking at it. �I don�t know. I picked some ladies pocket. Amazing really� considering how jumpy she seemed. Was going to toss it but it had are mark on it so I brought it to you. And now I�m done.� He says leaving it to him. �Brat.� Wolf complains with a smile before frowning at the note. �Now.� Unfolding it he looks at the bottom. �Where�s Dar?� he yells. �I�m right here.� Dar says getting out of one of the beds. �You�ll want to look at this.� Wolf states, waving him over. �What?� sitting down next to him. �Look at this.� Holding up the piece of paper. �It�s from Crow.� Dar exclaims seeing the name and snatching the paper from Wolfs hands he quickly reads through it. �WHAT! Like hell we�re going to forget about him.� �Keep it down you nugget.� Wolf scolds. �But he�s telling us�� �I know. But unless you have some idea as to where to look we don�t have much chose.� �Yeah, that doesn�t mean I have to like it.� Dar says stubbornly.
* * *
It�s a week later before the sorceress comes to see him. �You,� pointing at him, �come with me.� �What for?� he challenges. �Shall I repeat the lesson we had before?� She threatens. �No.� Getting up he follows her. When they walk up to a set of double doors the butler opens them for her. Inside the walls are covered in candles, bookshelves line the walls where there is room, and two chairs sit in the middle of the floor surrounded by even more candles. �What�?� �Sit.� She says pointing at the chair. Sitting down he looks at her confused. Raising her hand up to his face she blows a powder into his face. �Hay, what the�?� he starts to protest. �Hush.� She snaps taking the other seat. �Now�� as a smooth circular white crystal slides out of nowhere and positions itself between them. �Look into the crystal.� Looking at it he doesn�t see anything special. �Your not concentrating hard enough.� �Concentrate on what?� �On the crystal.� �What is there to concentrate on? It�s just a crystal.� �Do you know nothing boy?� �Obviously.� �Don�t get smart. Now concentrate on the crystal. See how the white swirls. Watch that.�
Giving a nod of his head he stares into the crystal again this time he starts to glow. �What the�?� and when he turns his attention away from the crystal the glowing stops. �Concentrate.� �But�� �Concentrate!� �NO! Not until you tell me what this is.� �Brat!� flinging her hand up he flies out of the seat and against one of the bookcases. Getting up she walks over to another and plucks a bottle off a shelf. Walking over to Crow, who is prone on the floor from the force used, she puts the bottle underneath his face them opens it. A black mist floats out of the bottle and flows into his mouth and nose.
When his head jerks up his eyes are a clouded black and when he speaks there�s a rasp to his voice. �What can I do for you?� �I need you to control the boys powers.� He seems to look at himself. �May I keep this body?� �Perhaps.� She says even though she would never really allow it. The creature she put in the boy was too dangerous to let free for long. �Now back to what I was doing.� She says motioning to the chair. He gets up and sits down. �You know what to do.� �Yes Lady.� �That wasn�t a question.� �Sorry Lady.� �Good now get started.� Not bothering to reply he focuses on the crystal. As he does so images start to form places, faces, objects. What they mean only the sorceress knows.
Meanwhile inside the boys mind he screams and hollers at the creature that�s possessing him. �Get out of my head.� �Don�t you understand boy. I�m not just in your head. I inhabit your very body. I control every part of your being.� �No! Get out�get out�get out.� The creature laughs at the boys� screams. �I will have this body boy and you will forever be in my keeping until you are too old for me to use. Then I will give it back to you but by that time you would have lost yourself and be nothing but a ghoul. An image of what you once were.� �NOOOO!!� he screams trapped inside his own head. While outside the creature does what the sorceress bids with his body.
* * *
Later when she stands, the crystal moves away and disappears to wherever it was before. Taking the bottle out form inside her robes she walks toward the boy. �Wait� Lady.� He starts to protest but doest get to finish what he was going to say. A stream of lightning leaves her hand and throws him to the floor; walking toward him she puts the bottle underneath his face. �NO!� he screams as he�s slowly pulled out of the boy and sucked back into the bottle. When there is no trace left of the black mist she quarks the bottle, stands, and looks at the boy coldly. Slowly he revives jerking his head he looks up to see the sorceress looking at him. His face clinches in anger, �What the HELL did you do to me!!!� �QUIET BOY! I will do to you as I please. Now get out. I will summon you when I need you again. And if you don�t wish to be possessed again I suggest you get a hold on your power and stop fighting me. You can�t win.� And she sweeps out of the room.
As she sweeps out someone walks in after. �Come on.� A familiar voice says as he feels his arm grabbed and is gently pulled off the floor. �This is no place for a boy.� as he�s picked up and carried out of the room. When they get out he shakes off the hands that are supporting him. �I can keep myself up.� �Fine then� Naree says to him. �What are you doing here anyway?� �I�m here to make sure you�re alright. Despite my better judgment I�ve taken a liking to you and I would hate for something to happen to you.�
Looking up at her, �Do you know what�s going on in there?� He asks looking back to the doors that had closed. �Yeah. I think. She uses that room for searching.� �What?� �Searching, it�s when she�s trying to find something or someone.� �Why would she need me for that?� �Because she�s bad at it. Her magic, when she uses it, tends to be more explosive. She�s never had a talent for subtlety.� �How do you know so much about it?� �I haven�t worked for her this long and not picked up a few tricks.� Looking at her hand it starts to faintly glow.
Looking at her surprised, �Can you �� �Of course boy. Why do you think I �m telling you? Hopefully I can help keep you from getting that thing stuck inside your head again.� �How do you know about that?� �You think you�re the first kid she�s brought here.� �What happened to them?� �Depends, some she threw out when it turned out they weren�t powerful enough. Others went insane from getting the creature put in their heads too many times. Some tried to escape and she ended up killing them.� She finishes coldly. �Oh.� He says not being able to think of a way to respond. �Right, which means you�re going to listen to me and do what I tell you right?� looking at him hard. �Yes ma�am.� He says quickly. �Good now lets go.� She says pulling him down the hall.
* * *
The next time he was summoned by the sorceress he had some idea of what to do. �So.� Pulling the bottle out of her robes. �Wait, please wait let me try again. I swear I�ll try harder.� He begs, his fear not entirely forged. She seems to be considering him for a moment; he tries to make himself seem as beaten as possible. Not an easy feat for him who begging didn�t come naturally. �Very well.� Having found or at least think she found what she was looking for. �But be warned, I won�t hesitate to use the creature again if you should think to cause me any trouble.� �Of course not.� He says trying to sound scared of the thought. She gives him a suspicious glance before turning away from him and taking her seat.
Again the crystal moves out of nowhere and takes its place between them. �You know what to do.� Nodding his head he looks at the crystal. Slowly an image of a shabby ally comes into view, �Where�s�?� �Quiet.� She snaps. Shutting his mouth quickly he examines the image, not much to see. �Why does it keep coming to this?� the sorceress mutters to herself. At this he tries to focus even harder on the image trying to find something to tell him what he was looking at.
He sees something shifting in the image, �What�s�?� he whispers to himself as he bends forward to get a closer look. �What are you doing?� she snarls when she sees him bending closer to the crystal. �There�s something there.� He says still bending closer. �What are you talking about?� �Right there.� he says touching it. Quickly she grads his hand away, �Don�t touch it.� She snarls at him again. Looking where he had touched it she examines the image. �I don�t see anything.� �That pile there.� He says pointing again. �It�s shifting.� �What?� and she looks even closer. �Well what do you know?� She says finally with a pleased look on her face. �So it�s there. Good work boy.� She says so happy that she actually pats him on the shoulder when she straitens. When he looks away from the crystal a jumble of images flash into his mind. Seeing the look on his face she smiles again. �Good you have the directions.� �Hu?� she just smiles at him. �Come with me.� And she sweeps out of the room.
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