Take Me Away

Summary: Shandaar hits rock bottom, as truths are revealed and tragedies add to older ones.

Author’s Notes: More character deaths in this chapter, I’m so sorry. I cried while writing it… they’re like my babies. As much as it saddens me, I felt necessary to do it so the plot continues to develop in the way it was intended.


Take me Away
Chapter 21 – Berserk

Dark and cold. He felt it all again. The hands on his chest, on his crotch. Those hands that grabbed everything, those fingers that penetrated every hole in his body; they were all over him. The worse was that they didn’t want to go away. The silver-haired man lied on the bed, shaking and crying. The pain was overwhelming. He didn’t want to deal with this anymore. But even though he tried to fight back, he couldn’t hurt his rapists. There were more than one. The redhead grinned all the time. The awkwardly quiet blue-haired man. The perverted small green-haired male couldn’t keep his hands off him.

A redhead who grinned all the time, a quiet blue-haired man and a smaller, green-haired one that couldn’t stop touching him.

He wanted to wake up. The more he opened his eyes, the more he saw what was happening. The redheaded male, Kordell, was thrusting inside him, while Xylon was busy on his member. Radwan, the taller of the three, kept trying to get his dick inside their prisoner’s warm mouth. Tears ran down his cheeks. He refused to do it.

A fist connected with his jaw, and Shandaar finally opened his mouth, allowing the length to make its way in.

And in the background, he saw Kieran leave the room. The door closed behind him. He didn’t even turn his back, or pushed the opponents away. The one the prince needed the most was the first one to turn his back on him. So painful. He wasn’t able to bear this anymore.

A scream escape his pale lips. Shandaar tossed and turned on the makeshift bed, trying to reach for invisible attackers. He bit in the air, punched, kicked, but to no avail. The men didn’t go away. Had they become invincible? If only Kieran hadn’t left… if only… but it was too late. Kieran was gone, and wouldn’t come back.

He opened his eyes for what he guessed was the third time. It was still dark and cold. He could feel it through the clothes he wore. It was an awful feeling. He wasn’t alone, but he wasn’t reassured for that matter… who knew who was there? What if it was Kordell? He surely would get raped again. He wouldn’t let those hands touch him ever again. He fought back as they grabbed him. They wanted him once more. He wouldn’t allow it, however. He’d fight back until the end.

“Leave me alone!” the youth shouted as he tried to push those arms away from him. But they were so insistent. They kept coming back, wrapping around his forearms as if to neutralize him.

“Hey, calm down…”

The voice was distant, familiar. He didn’t remember who it belonged to, yet he knew it. He had heard it many times before.

“Don’t worry, it’s alright now. You’re not there anymore.”

The man was reassuring, at least. What if it was a trick to hurt him more?

“It’s alright…” the voice repeated. It was strangely comforting, soothing. It wasn’t evil.

Shandaar carefully opened his eyes. Time seemed to slow down as he eyed the man hovering above him. Through the darkness, he could make a few features out; short hair, obviously dark. He stared at the older man for a few seconds before figuring out who he was. Slowly, he stopped moving.

“Shhh… you’re with me now. No one’s going to hurt you anymore. I swear.” It was Kieran.

Upon hearing the words, the silver-haired youth’s breath picked up again. He was shaking slightly, and the shakes amplified as the seconds passed. The hyperventilation caused him to be dizzy. A wave of nausea ran through his body, making him

Through his eyes, he gave the impression of a scared child lost in a dark forest, chased by monsters. Tears formed in his eyes, and soon they were falling on his cheeks. It had been so hard for him… so hard and painful. All the stress, pain and fear he had gone through was about to be released.

Kieran carefully moved behind Shandaar, opening his arms to welcome the smaller frame. He was surprised to see his lover cling to him as if there was no tomorrow, as if his life depended on him. His knuckles were white from the pressure, and the nails dug in the skin. Once more, it broke the older man’s heart to see the other in such pain. He held the body close to his, gently running his hand on the back, feeling the sobs and whimpers that shook his beloved. It was hard to take. He knew, however, it was harder on Shandaar. The poor man’s wounds would probably never heal.

The tears turned into torrents and the whimpers to screams. The prince still clung to his lover, his wails muffled only by the fact his head was buried in Kieran’s neck. Each and every scream was desperate and sent a shiver down his spine. The sight was horribly painful to the older man, but he couldn’t let Shandaar see this as well. For him, he’d be strong and if he could, would chase those demons away. Or he’d die trying. Every scream acted as a stab to the adventurer, being reminded he hadn’t been there for his lover when he needed it the most.

“If only I’d have been there” he thought out loud as he gently caressed the prince’s soft, silky hair. “If only. I’d have killed them for you. I would have done whatever was necessary in order to stop them from hurting you even if it meant to die. And you’d be happy. You’d be smiling, telling me that you couldn’t wait to get back at the castle because of the food. That deep inside, you’d be missing your mother and your daily life. I bet, however, that this is the last thing on your mind at the moment. You’re tired, you’re down and scared…. But I’m there, and I won’t go away unless you tell me to.”

Instead of pushing him away, the silver-haired swordsman clung to his boyfriend, sobbing heavily. It took more than a few minutes to calm him down. Each and every of those minutes was spent reassuring the youth, but it was far from being easy. The screams, the tears, the shaking – and sometimes hitting – were taking their toll, even on Kieran, who grew physically and mentally tired. He couldn’t even imagine the pain Shandaar felt; compared to his, he couldn’t complain.

“You’re going to be fine, Shan… you’re going to be-“

Kieran didn’t have the time to finish his sentence when the caravan jerked to a sudden stop.

“What’s going on?” Shandaar asked, the sobs shaking his body caused him to trip over his words. “Dagmar, why did we stop?” He waited a few more seconds before becoming more insistent about it. “Why?!”

When he didn’t get any answer, Shandaar got up and staggered a few feet forward, then found his balance. Now if he could only find his sword; he wouldn’t go out there without any weapon. If Dagmar had stopped without warning, there was something wrong.

Before Kieran could grab his sword, it was Shadnaar that reached for it, then rushed into the night without any second thought. It wasn’t bravery, but fear that drove him to this point. Fear that he’d be hurt again, fear that his friends would be hurt. He wouldn’t allow it. He’d fight them off if he had to. If there was something he was confident in, it was his sword fighting skills.

“Surprise, surprise”.

That voice… he knew it. He had heard it many times in the cabin, and it wasn’t good. Kordell was back, and had brought some more of his friends. Under the moonlight, he could see the man smirking widely. Beside him stood his twin – the only differences between them were the genders and their respective features. Other than that, they were a mirror of each other. Long curly red hair, height, eyes, noses… even their silver armor bore the same designs.

“Today we’re gonna know what you’re made of, Princey.” The man held a book in his hand as if he was reading from it, but closed it with a dry sound. He didn’t even need it for himself. “Maybe you’re not even aware of your own power. But you feel it. You’re scared. You’re scared to death. You can’t let people hurt you and the ones you love anymore, so what are you gonna do?” he asked on an accusing tone. “You’ve come outside, not caring for anything. For all you knew, there could have been someone by the door to cut your throat. Ever thought about this? So what if the people couldn’t rely on you anymore? What would they think of their next king that simply rushes out, intending to kill his opponents? You need a strategy; else you’re going to be your own victim, and you’re going to drag more people in your fall.”

Shandaar knew he was right, but he would never admit it. In fact, he didn’t even care about anything anymore. He just wanted it to end. The worse is that it validated Kordell’s train of thought.

Another voice called for him. Kieran. Something about coming back, but he barely heard. He wanted to know what Kordell had to say.

The redhead continued his speech, obviously trying to provoke his opponent. “You’re an egoist, that’s what’s wrong. You think only about yourself, about your well-being. And you think you’re going to make a good king? Yeah, right. We want someone that can think about others. Not someone that runs away from his duties. I wonder what your people would think of what you’ve done. You’ve probably made everyone worry about you. Armies were sent after you because they thought you were kidnapped. And you didn’t even bother sending a letter to your poor mother. She must be dying because her poor baby boy’s away, all alone… what wouldn’t a mother do for her child?” He shook his head in disappointment. “There’s a reason why you were sheltered like this, Princey, unlike other princes who can do whatever they want.”

For a moment, the youth stared at the other male, wondering why he had that. Of course he was a prince, and therefore needed to be at the castle… but that much? There was another reason for it, something he had never been told before? “Tell me more” he ordered, trying to maintain his voice at a normal level. How could he cope with the fact that things were hidden to him?

“You’ll figure this out quite soon, all by yourself. You don’t even need to be told. It’s so obvious and normal to you that you never paid attention to it. Tell me, have you ever noticed things about you that aren’t… normal? When you’re attacked, how do your wounds heal? Ever felt such anger and pain that you couldn’t control yourself anymore? Unexplained behaviour?” Shandaar nodded to every comment. How did the man know that? Maybe all he went through was a test… maybe he wasn’t sane, after all. Maybe there was another being inside him. He never heard voices, never felt like anyone but himself… except now. So what was it?

The more he thought about all of this, the more he was scared. Others knew more about him than he did. Why hasn’t anyone explained this to him before? “Tell me!”

Kordell shook his head again. “For a prince, your knowledge of your own beliefs is quite pathetic. According to this book here, you’re far from being a normal man. Your birth has been foretold for 500 years… at least. But that’s when we got our first written reference. They probably thought it was your father, but they were wrong. He died from an illness after all, no? Ever thought that this could have been planned? That it was all a murder? And yet, they didn’t say anything about it to you… right?”

Shandaar growled, readying his sword. This man was driving him mad and if it didn’t stop yet, he’d have no choice but hurt him. “How dare you!? You’re trying to rally me to your cause, that’s what you’re doing!”

“You’ve got this all wrong. I’m not trying to rally you to my cause. I’m trying to stop you. Kill you, in fact.”

“You and your friends” whispered another man, coming from the back. That whisper was all it took for Shandaar to face the green-haired man, raising his sword.

Dagmar didn’t have the time to do anything before Xylon started to run. The only thing he felt was someone on his back, and then a cold blade pressed against his throat. When he tried to reach for the male, the sword was pushed deeper, until blood flew from the wound. He fell to the ground, still trying to get the male off his back. But he couldn’t even feel him anymore. His hands moved to his throat in order to stop the bleeding, but it was too late already. The body fell in the tainted snow, lifeless.

“One down, three left” Xylon stated, going back to his previous position. A cold-blooded killer, that’s what he was. He displayed a wide grin, holding his sword proudly and admiring the red liquid on it as if it was a brand new toy. “Who’s next? The girl, or the hot dude?”

No, that was it. Enough. The prince could feel his blood boil. No, he didn’t feel like himself anymore. It was an urge to kill, an intense adrenalin rush going in his veins. That man was wrong, so wrong about everything. He was normal as normal could be – for someone of royal blood, that is.

And yet he stopped dead in his tracks. Something was preventing him from attacking the man. Pain. An agonizing pain wave shook his body, choking him, making him cry out loud. The sword fell to the ground, and Shandaar soon followed. It was awful. Never in his life had he felt such pain, not as he felt down from his room balcony at fourteen or the many times he had been hurt by a sword, and not even remotely close to when Kordell had raped him. It was excruciating. For a moment, he was sure he’d die from it.

In front of him, Kordell was in awe, fearing what was going to happen. This wasn’t the way it was supposed to happen.

Shandaar felt as his limbs were being stretched, as if they were extended to no end or ripped apart from his body. It reminded him of the images he saw in books that described executions – a man on a table, his arms and legs stretched by chains pulled by large wheels until they were literally torn off. Was the same going to happen to him? He didn’t have to wait for an answer, as everything went black.

The transformation was a terrible process. Some of Kordell’s henchmen were trying to run away, while others just stood, immobilized by fear. Because Shandaar wasn’t himself anymore. Even the blue eyes had been replaced by yellow, golden eyes – a part of the masterpiece, as one would say.

But the “masterpiece” was a twelve-foot dragon entirely made of pale golden light. It didn’t even look solid anymore. A majestic, beautiful light dragon, whose wings had the appearances of the auroras often seen through the north. It squinted as if in pain then lowered its head to inspect the area it was in. Who to trust? He didn’t even know any of them… except one that seemed strangely familiar. A tall man with short black hair. He would spare him.

Kordell’s green eyes fixed the dragon as he raised his sword in the air, ready to strike the beast. But when it raised his neck and opened its mouth wide, the man was the first one to dash out of its path. A powerful light beam hit the area where he stood only a few seconds ago, sending snow and rocks in the air.

And as he ran, the attack continued.

Some men and women were still around the caravan, unable to move. He was thankful Karali had run as well and was quickly gaining on him. “Why aren’t they coming with us?!” he inquired. He was scared for his little community and their friends. “Come on! Get your asses moving! He’s gonna kill you all!”

Panicked by the warning, a few of them began to run. But it was already too late. More light beams hit them, making them vanish in an instant. No body, no bones were left on the ground – they were simply absorbed by light. The beast hit everything that moved in his sight… everything. The few deer that had stopped to look at the scene, the men running and screaming, he didn’t make any distinction between them. They would simply disappear into a beam, just like the girl reaching out for her female lover’s arm and dragging her around.

Radwan, who was staring at the dragon, barely seen the light beam catch him and dissolve him on his spot. He didn’t feel pain, or wasn’t even surprised, as if he saw everything coming. His last thought was about Xylon. He would miss him so much…

Raya, the pink-haired thief, had tried to run away. Witnessing Dagmar’s death was enough, but she wanted to live so badly. Go back to her family and hug them tight. But as she ran in the other direction, she disappeared in a bright flash.

Kordell threw one last look behind him. He could see that Xylon had stopped running and stood immobile, looking at the place where his boyfriend was no more than a second ago. He wanted to get back at the small man and drag him away of that carnage… so he spun on his feet, running has fast as possible to the man and roughly grabbing his arm. Such a thing tore him apart, but he had lost enough friends.

When everyone was gone, the dragon stopped. Only his yellow reptile eyes were moving, as if to make sure everything around him was dead. And now, he felt tired. So tired. It sent one last in the skies before literally exploding into the night.

If it hadn’t been for the prince’s body to float into the light, Kieran was sure it meant his lover’s end. The body fell on the ground, landing in the soft white snow before the older man could catch him.

Shandaar’s naked body was cold, but he could feel him breathe normally. What a relief. The swordsman quickly picked him up and hurried to the caravan, making sure the blankets were still there. He quickly undressed and took the warmest he could find, covering his shoulders with it before moving the prince close to him, then wrapping the blanket around their bodies.

As long as the silver-haired man would be unconscious, he wouldn’t sleep – even if it was for a week. He wanted to be there when he’d wake up.

The caravan felt so empty without its usual occupants. Dagmar had been killed by Xylon, and only the gods knew why Shandaar attacked Raya. But that wasn’t a reason to hate his lover. His arms wrapped around the muscular body, he kissed the top of his head before whispering. “Everything’s going to be alright now...” He hoped so. He wanted everything to be back to normal, but he knew better than to simply wish for things.

-

Not too far from the caravan, Kordell, Karali, Xylon and the very few survivors of the attack had gathered in an abandoned cabin. The redhead held his sister close to him. She was in a state of shock, but not as much as Xylon was. The poor man was sitting at a table, seemingly numb. The loss of his lover must have been really painful, as Xylon was one of the most energetic guys around. It wasn’t much better than when he had snapped a short while ago – he had almost killed another in the process. Whoever came close to him was chased away.

The leader unwrapped his arm from his twin’s waist and moved to the smaller man, frowning sadly. Even his own voice was tired. “Come on… we’re moving out of here.” The request was obeyed without a sound.

“Let’s fall back and see what happens… we’ll need a way to get our revenge.”

For the first time in hours, Xylon accepted someone’s arm around his shoulders – Kordell’s. “You and me… we’re fucking gonna kill him” the green-haired man said in a low, tired voice.

-

How in heaven could Kieran tell Shandaar everything had happened without triggering another heart-breaking episode? The younger man was now awake, highly confused about the lack of people around. He was like a lost little boy. His attempts at getting up having failed, he stayed in his lover’s arms, trying to get warm again. He figured out his body temperature must have dropped by a good ten degrees, but he wondered why he hadn’t died. If his life was a miracle… he would have appreciated this miracle coming earlier.

“I’ve got some food, but not much. I hope they’re not going to come and get us in another three months, or all they’ll get will be bodies-“ The raven-haired young man stopped in mid-sentence. That was a bad thing to think about and to say.

“We’ll get out of here…” Shandaar said, turning around and wrapping his arms around Kieran’s neck.

‘If you knew everything that happened, you wouldn’t sound so hopeful, my love… I’m willing to keep this to myself for the rest of our lives so you don’t end up killing yourself.’ A terrible secret to keep. Even though he was willing to do it didn’t mean he would indeed do it. He hated to hide things from his lover, especially important things like that. He deserved to know the truth, but it would be way too painful in his state. “You’re right.” Over everything that had happened, he had forgotten how Shandaar was – a fighter. “But you’re not ready to know everything, trust me… let’s just say that I’m glad we’re both alive.” ‘Because if I had died, you would be dead by now, unless your powers include being immune to the cold.”

The knights and soldiers that were behind him had suffered the same as their rebel counterparts. A few had run away, and were now coming back. Despite it was Shandaar who killed his own men, they had to be loyal to him, for he was the prince. Of course a few had started to plan his assassination, but they were thwarted before they could move to the other caravan.

“Anyone in there?” shouted a voice not too far from their spot. “We’ve got horses! We can go back to Kadessa!”

The older man helped the heir getting up and wrapped up in more blankets, then reached for his own clothes. “We’re almost ready.”

“I’m worrying for Dagmar and Raya… I wonder where they are” Shandaar spoke on a sad tone, obviously bothered by the missing friends.

Kieran replied with a similar tone, supporting his boyfriend as they made the few necessary steps to reach the exit. “Where they are, they aren’t worrying anymore…”

~ TBC ~