�Now for you.� She says walking toward him again. �If it weren�t for the fact I need you. I would kill you where you stand.� She says bending down and grabbing him by the throat again. Blood spurts out of his mouth staining her hands. �But I will have to settle with causing you as much pain as possible.� She snarls thrusting him against the wall again. He screams as one of his ribs brake and punctures his lung. Spitting up more blood he seems to be trying to say something but he can�t get the words passed his throat. �Your life is mine child.� she whispers, �I can hold it in the palm of my hand.� At this, her hand starts to glow and she thrusts it inside the boy�s chest. He tries to scream, but his throat is to full of his own blood. Slowly pulling her hand out, she holds his very heart in her hand. The veins and arteries still connected from inside his body. �I could kill you right now. All it would take would be a little squeeze.� And she starts pressing down on the small organ in her hand, as he looks on horrified. �But like I said I need you.� She states again letting off. �So I will settle with this warning. If you ever disobey me again I will keep it as a trophy.� thrusting his heart back in his chest. She lets go and watches him fall to the ground. Turning away, she leaves him there, knowing that Naree is on her way to get him, and disappears into the shadows.
* * *
Moments later Naree runs into the garden to find Crow lying on the ground. �Holy gods!� She swears running toward him. She almost throws up when she sees the amount off blood that has been spat up and flowed out of the wound in his chest. �This is all my fault.� she starts blaming herself. Keeping him on his side her hand starts to glow; placing it on him his skin seems to become transparent and she can see the damage done. Upon seeing it she has to keep herself from throwing up again. �What has she done?� she keeps saying to herself, while at the same time not knowing why she�s surprised. After all she had seen the sorceress do worse things before. �Please, let me be strong enough.� she prays to whatever higher power may be listening.
Soon both her hands have become transparent, with a single tear rolling down her cheek; she slowly slips her hands through his skin. Grabbling hold of the rib lodged in his lung she pulls it back into place; touching where it�s broken the bone seals itself back in place. Next, placing her hand over the hole in his lung it starts to sew itself together as the blood that has built up in it flows out. When the hole is repaired he suddenly takes a deep breath, �Careful.� she says quickly, �I�m not done fixing you yet.� At this time the girl comes back into the courtyard, haven been the one to go get Naree when the sorceress told her to leave. She watches transfixed as Naree continues to try to heal him. Placing her hand on his heart she loosens the tension that formed when it was pulled out of his chest, she runs her hands up his windpipe forcing out the blood that had built up, and last she takes her hands out of his body and places them on his chest closing up the wound.
Exhausted from her efforts she collapses next to him. Propping himself up he examines himself. �I didn�t know you could do nothing like that.� He says amazed. �Yeah, and something I�ll never do again if I can help It.� she says furious pushing herself off the ground. �Come on.� she snaps at him leading him back into the house, the girl following after. He was almost tempted to try to pacify her but the look on her face kept him from trying. After a few minuets of walking down halls he realized they where heading to Naree�s rooms. At this realization, he let loose the breath he hadn�t even known was holding, he had never seen Naree this mad before. When they got to her door, Naree ushered him in, and not seeing the girl coming up behind them locked her out. Taking a seat on one of the stools that Naree kept in her room, he watched her scramble around the room muttering to herself. Taking a seat at a desk in one corner, she pulls out a piece of paper and lead and starts writing. �What are you doing?� �Quiet.� She gently snaps at him.
After a few more minuets of quick writing, she put the paper in an envelope, stands up, and waves for him to follow. Opening the door to find the girl standing there, �What are you doing here child?� she asks. She just shrugs her shoulders in response; looking over at Crow she asks out of nowhere, �He�s leaving now isn�t he?� �What?� �He�s leaving now.� �What are you talking about?� Crow jumps in, �I�m not going anywhere.� �Yes, you are. Your going to the sea but you�ll be back.� She says sure of herself. �I�m not going anywhere. Am I?� he says looking up at Naree. �You�d better come with us.� Naree says to her not answering Crows question. �What is she�?� �Not right now.� She says quickly. �Now lets go to the kitchen.� She says pushing them in that direction.
Not saying anything for a long time, no one opens their mouth until they reach the kitchen. Walking over to one of the cabinets lining the back wall she fumbles around the edge looking for something. They hear a click and she waves them over. Getting up he sees the cabinet swing on the wall revealing a small room behind it. �Come quickly.� Naree says waving them in. Closing the door quickly behind them, the room is drenched in complete blackness. �There�s a set of stairs in front of you. Start going down them and be careful.� They slowly make there way down with Crow in the front. It�s not to long before he hits a flat surface. Moving as far out of the way as he can he can feel someone passing him. �Wait a second and don�t move.� He hears Naree command them.
Suddenly they can see a tiny flame burning, and then a torch is lit. At the sudden light, they find them selves surrounded by bones, human bones. Jumping slightly Crow is kind of freaked out to find himself surrounded by corpses, one of which looks as if it still has some skin attached. �Where are we?� he asks. �Some kind of old catacombs.� She answers him. �Don�t worry the spirits of this place left long ago.� �How long ago?� �The second the mistress moved in that�s when. Ghosts aren�t any match for magic.� �Oh.� �Now sit down.� She says waving to some benches.
Taking a seat the girl sits down next to him. �Now,� Naree says taking a seat opposite of them. �I suppose the ladies hopes where true about you being a seer.� She says addressing the girl first. �That would explain how you know what I had planned and why the Misses almost killed him,� pointing at Crow �When she found you two in the garden together.� �Yeah, she said something like that. What�s a seer?� Crow asks. �A person who can read time, they can see what has happened, what�s happening, and the most likely thing that will happen. Of course the futures never certain.� She explains. �Oh.� He says not quiet comprehending. �Don�t worry it�s one of those this you�ll understand better when your older. But that�s not why I brought you here.�
Reaching into her pocket where she put the letter, she pulls it out and holds it in her hands. �I�m afraid she�s right.� She says nodding over to the girl. �You can�t stay here.� She says addressing Crow. �Do you mean�?� he can�t finish asking not daring to hope. �Yes, I�m going to help you get out of here. If only to keep you from getting killed.� She states.� But I�ll warn you now,� she says her scowl wiping the smile from his face. �Where
I�m sending you may not be all that much better, at least there you�ll learn something and won�t have to worry about getting something shoved through your chest.� �Sounds better already.� He says cheering up again. �Well let�s just hope you don�t get sea sick, because you�re going to be living on it for a long time. If he takes you anyway; hopefully his hatred of her will be enough to make him take you just out of spite.� �Who are you taking about?� Crow asks.
Taking a few calming breaths she starts to explain, �His names Aqerious, he�s a water mage who hates the Misses, and also happens to be in port right now refilling up on supplies. He came in a few days ago so we have to be quick. Who knows how much longer he�ll be here. And if his ship goes out with you not on it, you�re as good as dead.� she stats matter of fact. �How am I supposed to get there?� He asks quickly. There�s a tunnel leading out of these catacombs. It�s too small for an adult but you could make it through.�
�And what about her?� he asks looking over at the girl. �She�ll have to stay here.� �What?� �Her powers are too valuable. The sorceresses would more then willingly fight over her. Besides, she�s much more docile then you, she�ll be fine. You�re too hotheaded, too used to doing things your own way. She can�t handle someone like that. She�ll end up killing you and not even mean it, and I think she�s starting to realize that, which means she probably won�t put up any kind of a fight for you, if she even finds out where you are.�
�Now,� she continues, �when you get to the ship ask to talk to him by name make it sound argent. His crew won�t touch you if they think you�re on some kind of errand for him. They may growl a bit and try to have they�re fun with you but they wont hurt you. Now after he takes you you�re on your own, and I suggest you ether learn how to hide, run, lie, or fight. Preferably some combination thereof, because until you do you�ll be far game, unless your doing something personally for the captain at that particular moment.�
Seeing a familiar look on his face, �Now I know you�re probably thinking of your friends at this moment. Don�t try to sneak them on with you. I�m telling you now �don�t�. But if you care for their lives you�ll get them to leave town. Get as far away from here as they can, because as soon as the misses figures out your gone, first thing she�ll do is raise hell here, and then she�ll go after them as soon as she figures out she can�t get to you.� �But what will she do to you?� he asks finding the thought unsettling. �I�ll be as confused as her as to how you got out.� She stats. � What about her?� he says looking over at the girl. �She�s not going to no anything ether. Are you hun?� �Know what?� she says laughing. �See what I mean?� �Okay.� He says satisfied somewhat.
�Well, if there are no more questions it�s time to get you out of here.� she stats, getting up and walking to the back of the tombs. �Right now?� Crow asks. �I certainly wasn�t talking about next week.� She scorns. �How am I supposed to get out?� �Through here.� She says moving a worn tapestry aside to reveal a hole in the wall. �You go down this tunnel and you�ll end up outside the gate in the basement of the bakery down the street. Sneak out of there, do whatever business you need to take care of, get to that ship as fast as you can, and what ever you do don�t lose this.� She instructs handing him the envelope. �And remember to lay low, don�t cause any kind of ruckus while you�re in town so as not to catch her attention. Now go.� She says pushing him into the tunnel. �Wait�will I ever see you again.� �Yes.� The girl answers with certainty. �How do you know?� he asks turning to her. �Trust her she knows.� Naree assures him letting go of the tapestry and heading back up the stairs with the girl. �Good-by for now then.� He whispers before heading down the tunnel.
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