“We must wait for now to observe The Mother’s reaction to this, we need to know if the existence of the portal has fallen to her knowledge.”
“Yes, Thanatou,” The Thanis soldier replied.
“You have brought me great news, for this you shall be rewarded.” Just as Kestra had feared, the Thanatou handed over her chain to the Thanis soldier. “You may play with her for the whole night. A broken spirit is the most obedient.”
“I am honoured, Thanatou.” The Thanis accepted the chain.
Cracks developed in Kestra's renewed hope. She could already feel her spirit breaking once again.
______
______
The Thanis had taken her to a corner of the cave.
It was a good distance away from where the rest of the Thanis soldiers or even the Thanatou were.
Kestra started taking off her rags but the Thanis warrior had stopped.
“I have another,” he said. “Rest, tomorrow you shall face your fate.”
However, Kestra decided not to rest. She was stunned that any Thanis warrior would turn down an opportunity to “play” with her.
This was the first time it was happening.
She was grateful for it though. She was saved from yet again, another defilement. It was also an action that reminded her of Eli. That remembrance gave her purpose that she had lost and strengthened her spirit.
She needed to get out of here, and go to that portal not as the Thanatou’s servant but as her own person.
This place disgusted her!
She must acquire her freedom and escape from this disgusting, rotten place.
Even the Thanis soldier sitting down a distance away made her almost gag.
She would never get used to this!
Kestra pulled her rags back on, as different plans went through her mind.
In what way could she manipulate this soldier to acquire her freedom?
“Is she with the Mother?” She dared to ask.
He seemed different from the rest, maybe this would be it.
He didn't look at her and he refused to answer.
“I had someone too, in my Realm - the Mortal Realm. I am sure he would be devastated without me right now. The thoughts of never seeing him again—” she wiped the tears off her cheeks. “Or him seeing me like this, breaks me. I miss him so much.”
It must be the sincerity of the pain in her voice that made him speak.
“She is dead, The Thanatou killed her.” He clicked.
These clickings!
She would never get used to that too.
“I understand your pain. It must hurt terribly–”
“She was his sister,” he finally ended, and now more than ever, Kestra felt like she had once again, in her hands, a pawn.
Perfect.
It made blood rush in her veins in a way that reminded her of when she had power.
She had always preferred making people do her bidding by saying manipulative words that twisted their minds. It was always so much greater and more fun to watch them destroy themselves on the basis of false beliefs than to place an alterer on them.
This Thanis was making her relive her glorious days.
But nothing had been done yet.
“Do you want revenge?” She asked carefully.
His silence screamed what he dared not to say.
He wanted it.
“I can help you kill him if you help set me free.” When he looked at her, she quickly tried to appeal to his sense of sympathy. The good over his face couldn't allow her to know what he was thinking. “This chain in my heart hurts and every defilement kills me.”
His silence was agony.
“Only his death can set you free.” Well, it seemed they would be killing two birds with one stone. That was convenient. “But no one can kill the Thanatou.”
Now, that wasn't good.
“No one?”
“No one and nothing can kill the Thanatou. This is his Realm.”
Kestra frowned. That was impossible. There was no one that couldn't be killed, the only thing that could exist was the difficulty in doing it.
“But The Mother took his Realm from him. She sits on his throne.”
“He still wears the crown, he remains the Thanatou. This is his Realm.”
“His Realm, you say, but he hides in a cave against the wrath of his Mother who confronted Death without a second thought. If he was so powerful, his realm would never be taken away from him. If he was as mighty as you think he is, he wouldn't be hiding in this cave.” She paused, allowing him to take her words in. She was playing against a big risk here, but freedom was never cheap. “The crown is nothing when there is no real power behind it. It is a mere object with no relevance and the one who wears it signifies nothing but its powerlessness. The Thanatou is nothing now, but what you make him. Do you seek to make the Killer of your lover so powerful that he pays not for killing her?”
This time when Kestra kept quiet, she could feel him swaying.
“He hides from the Mother. The Mother can kill him. Your intention aligns with hers, she will not harm you if you fall at her feet, tell her of your grief and—”
The Thanis’ hand went swiftly across her cheek and she slammed her face against the cave wall from the force.
Before she could recover from that, he pulled her up and dragged her across the cave with her chain.
Her screams of agony filled the air.
Soon enough, they were before the Thanatou and the Thanis warrior was telling him about her “treason”.
Kestra’s heart hammered in her chest.
This would not end well.
She was right. It did not.
For every disobedience comes defilement.
A broken spirit was the most obedient.
“Break her, she is not broken enough.” The Thanatou declared in rage to the Thanis warriors.
The Thanis' that had reported her stepped aside, not taking part in it but the other Thanis warriors were far too happy for this opportunity.
By the time they were done, there was nothing left to break.