The Pit

1.

I'm being hunted. They've been chasing me for weeks. I must struggle on. The need to survive consumes me. My thoughts are sporadic and scattered; my instincts, honed and sharp. My body is getting weak, however, as I need to eat but I cannot stop. The vegetation looks foreboding now as the darkness closes in. Yet another night in a jungle that I should fear, but I am not afraid. I know I have faced death every second for the last year, save for a few nights in safety with my love, but the past is long gone now. My end is near. I can feel it.

It is necessary I get back to the Haven. I know where it is, but I cannot reveal its location to my pursuers. I must be careful, lest they find me. Silent, I press on, sliding through the thick leaves and branches. My feet tread softly on the twigs, rocks, and moss. With keen ears I notice the sound of a stream flowing slowly not far away. Then I hear but a choice, swift breath and a distinct whistle.

Pain. Darkness consumes me instantly. I know what it is. The blow dart of the Katari in the square of my back. There was no time to move; they were too close this time. I stagger to my knees and ruffle through the bag at my side, producing the only antidote to the poison. It's too late. My arms have no strength. I cannot even lift the herb to my mouth, so I collapse as the world twists and fluctuates. Everything falls away from me. All is lost.

2.

A woman sits on a bed, veiled by translucent curtains, pink in the dim light. A man stands at the doorway, his head hung low.

"Where is Jaxen?" the woman cries. "He has been gone for a month, and for what?"

"He should be here by now," the man hisses. "His quest was successful. The Katari Emperor is slain."

The woman stands up, revealing herself to the main, clothed only in an elegant nightgown. Her breasts are barely hidden by the thin fabric, much like the curtains over the bed. She says sternly, "The Katari's numbers are endless, and their Emperor easily replaceable. Venom sinks deeper than swords, and darkness converts the ignorant faster than light. Without Jaxen, we cannot hold the Haven. Their truth elixirs are created with the most evil magics, and Jaxen's tongue will surely be loosened if he is captured. We will be faced with an all-out war that we cannot win. You will be slain; I will be imprisoned and raped. The Katari will win."

"Jaxen will save us, Silessa," the man spits back. "He will return soon."

Silessa smiles, having predicted the response. "Perhaps," she says slowly, approaching her prey, "but for now we must hold onto each other. I called you to my quarters for a reason, Blythe."

"But, Silessa, Jaxen is your one love," Blythe squirms. "We cannot do this!"

"You want me as much as I need you," the beautiful woman whispers seductively, putting her hand against the tall figure's chest in the dim light.

"So be it," Blythe says reluctantly. "I must heed my lady's command, though it seems wrong."

"I'm pleased," Silessa smiles, dropping her nightgown to the floor, revealing her perfect breasts and body.

Not another word is said as the lady returns to her bed, beckoning her soldier over. He removes his leather armor and meets her in a vain attempt at love and closeness, though their minds are elsewhere. Their lust drives them on until the deed is done, and, after some rest, Blythe nervously leaves the bed. He puts on his armor, his thoughts racing. "My lady," he says. "We must find Jaxen. We must use the crystal."

"Talk to the Magister," she replies, relaxed and refreshed. "Seek his knowledge and his truth, and have him find Jaxen with his crystal. But, you mustn't speak of our betrayal."

"I will speak not of it," Blythe says with courage. "I love you as my queen and as I have loved any woman. Your beauty is unrivaled, Silessa."

"Go, my soldier," she sighs. "Leave me be."

And with that he departs.

3.

I awake. How long have I been under the influence of the Katari's poison, and where have they brought me? Thoughts of Silessa bring me only pain, as I know I will never set eyes on her endless beauty until the afterlife, if then. Where am I? Everything is still dark, but I know I can see; my eyes are open. No... It cannot be... Not... The Pit...

All eyes are on me now. I feel the presence of the crystal's light, its sight upon me. My brethren have discovered my location, but they know they cannot save me. The light is dim this deep within the earth. I am a mile beneath the surface of the world now, in a place only the darkest torturers of the Katari call home. Soon, they will inject me with their truth elixir and torture me until I reveal the location of the Haven. The only chance of my Silessa's survival, and that of my people, is to somehow escape; to fight my way, alone, through the tunnels to the surface, and past hordes of Katari soldiers. If I can break free from them, I can sprint across the plains to the mountain pass, and perhaps their riders won't catch me. But these chains, these shackles, are impossible to slip free of in my weakness. I need the assistance of my ancestors.

I recite a prayer in my head:

"Let my blood be my strength.
Let my spirit be my guide.
Let my mind be my savior.
Let my prayer be my Haven."

Suddenly I feel the light, the power of the Haven, fill me up. Skeletons are revealed throughout the pit as I glow with incredible power. The chains around my wrists and ankles shatter, and the light fades. I am Jaxen, son of Grolan, and I must escape from The Pit. I must be the first.

I look up, and another idea enters my consciousness. Is to climb the walls of The Pit pure insanity, or can it be done? The dirt is too soft, there are no rocks to hold on. I would have to be weightless to do it; I would have to be as fast as the earliest of my ancestors. But, perhaps, I am.

I look up again, a speck of light a mile of darkness away. I know my time is running out, so I leap instinctively to the wall to my left. The ground crumbles away from my hands and feet as I rapidly ascend, becoming one with the air itself. I race to the surface, my body steadily weakening as I disturb the balance of magic and the elements. For some time, I climb, the light slowly growing stronger above me. I cannot keep up the pace, but, alas, I leap to a dried-blood-covered ledge at the edge of The Pit's walls. I clutch onto it and pull myself up, resting for a moment. I must be quick, as if night falls, I am doomed.

I rest only a few minutes, and then continue my swift ascent up the loose dirt on the walls of The Pit. A man falls behind me, screaming, to his death at the bottom. I am glad that fate was not the one chosen for me, but, I must not have remorse. My return to the Haven must be flawless. I know there will only a few guards at the top of the pit, and my combat skills will allow me to deal with them. That is the easy part.

Suddenly, I rise above the surface, fire in my eyes. Several Katari soldiers look in awe, their black iron armor gleaming in the sun. Their skin grey and dead like the souls inside. I land on the dirt and roll to one soldier, delivering him his fate with a sweeping kick to the throat. I then pounce to the next, drawing his sword before he can and stabbing him through his midriff. Armed now, the other soldiers are subsequently butchered as I leap from one to the next. I spit on the ground and make a run towards the walls of the city. The buildings are black and tan, wide at the base then morphing into tall black towers. Spikes protrude seemingly randomly; I don't understand their architecture.

Wielding the black iron shortsword I am unstoppable, slaying every Katari guard that crosses my path as quickly and silently as possible. I pass through an empty courtyard and into a misty alleyway. Cautiously, I walk on, knowing the wall -- and my potential freedom -- is near. I detect a presence behind me, moving quickly, and spin to deflect the dagger with my stolen shortsword. Kur'jin; the deadliest assassin of the Katari, faces me, her face hidden with black cloth.

Knowing she is my match in battle at best, Kur'jin seeks to reason, "Jaxen, the riders will catch you. Night is falling soon. Stay with me. I have compassion for your people. I will hide you for the night. Light will come again."

I know her lies, and simply smile, too drained for words, thrusting at her chest with my sword. She vanishes, appearing behind me, and knocks me down with a swift kick directly where I was wounded with the blow dart poison. I grimace in pain, the effects of the venom more present again, but I rise to my feet. The assassin is nowhere to be seen. Another swift kick from the mist, and my weapon is knocked from my hands. Seeing victory, she reveals herself, her daggers desiring to descend into my heart. I leap at her, my hands gripping her wrists as the tips of her blades nick the skin on my chest and slice a piece off of my cheek. I tackle Kur'jin to the ground, holding her arms against the stones of the alleyway. I then proceed to bash in her face with my forehead repeatedly, feeling remorse and pride as I end the life of my combatant.

My face is bleeding profusely, and I don't have much time left. I don't have enough time, not in this weakened state, but I cannot hide, not now. Retrieving the blackened shortsword, I remove the cloth from the female Katari's face to wipe the blood from my own. Then, I begin to jog stealthily, leaving the misty alleyway and returning to the street. It is nearly twilight. My heart cries out for Silessa; I long for her touch and her love, her sweet kiss. I sneak silently through the street and break free from the houses. Between me and the wall now is only a quarter-mile length of meddled dirt and grass, a Katari platoon practicing slashing their blades, and the archers atop the wall.

I swiftly accelerate to a sprint and leap over the Katari platoon onto the edge of the wall. I hear shouting as the platoon gathers themselves and begins to ascend the stairs behind me. One of the archers tackles me, his burning eyes glare into mine, set upon his grey, dead face, as he holds me down, knowing his comrades will soon be upon me. I wrestle him off of me and stamp his face in with my foot. A cauldron of burning Katari war-oil rests, chained on the external part of the wall. My ancestors' strength fills me, and I glow with the light again as rip the massive cauldron from its metal bolts, turning it against the platoon ascending the stairs.

Shrill cries echo through the Katari capital as they burn alive, the oil disintegrating not only them, but their armor. The empty cauldron hits the floor of the wall's ramparts with a clang, but I did not foresee the clever archers arrow descending into the side of my thigh. I rip it out and leap over the wall; I need not stay longer. Perhaps, my desire for so many Katari lives was too much. I must forget the pain for now. It is many miles across the plains to the mountain pass, and I have only an hour.

I begin my sprint as fast as I can, knowing time is my only enemy now. The riders are surely upon me, and can easily see me. I move as the wind, taking long strides, doing my best to ignore the wound in my thigh. My pace slows as the results of ripping the barbed arrow loose take hold. My breath quickens and becomes heavier, having not eaten in a week. I think of my love and she gives me strength, but I hear the cries of the riders' nightmare steeds far behind me. I keep running, an unfamiliar feeling in my heart. Fear.

Time passes by slowly. I grow weary, and the pain slows me. The sounds of my pursuers come ever-closer. The mountains are not far, easily within my sight, though I know the Katari cavalry behind me can see me as well.

The last of the light fades, and night takes hold. Pure dread fills me. I can find the mountain pass by feel and instinct, but that is not the problem. The nightmare steeds scream in delight, reaching full speed in the pitch darkness. I hear laughter, devlish laughter, far too close behind me. It's less than a mile to the mountain pass, and my safety, but the riders are much closer and going faster than me. The dark and light battle within me; pushing me on and pulling me back, hiding my fatigue and emphasizing my pain. I stumble on a rock and fall to the ground. The Katari sense it.

The laughter is much louder now, cackles of glee knowing my grim fate. "Jaxen..." I hear one of them say as they surround me. I kneel on the ground, accepting my death. One spear after another are thrust into my chest and back, and as they are pulled out I fade away, dropping to the ground. With one last breath I whisper her name, "Silessa..."

4.

Silessa hears a frantic, loud knock on her door and awakens from her slumber. Blythe bursts in, begging her, "Silessa, the Katari forces have entered the valley with incredible numbers. Jaxen has not returned. We assume he was slain in The Pit after the truth elixir revealed our location. We are preparing a last stand against darkness!"

The lady sits on the edge of her bed, her voice monotone, "No, Blythe, I told them our location shortly after Jaxen left. I told them his ways, his nature, and his paths. It was easy for them to hunt him down, both times. Alas, power corrupts, and the desire for more power can be all-consuming."

She rises from the bed, again approaching her servant, saying coldly, "I was offered a position as a courtesan and advisor to the new Emperor. The neck turns the head, and I shall decide the fate of the world now. It was inevitable they would achieve victory, and I just made sure of it. I never loved Jaxen. I only loved the power he gave me, but I knew more power could be mine. I told them... Everything."

"No, Silessa!" Blythe protests.

"Yes," the lady says, and with three swift movements, drives a dagger into Blythe's stomach, pulls it out, and then slits his throat. He crumples onto his side, dying and unable to make a sound. After a couple seconds of grasping, he twitches, and goes limp, a pool of blood appearing underneath him.

Pleased, Silessa smiles, and returns to her bed, deep in thought. An image of Jaxen crosses her mind, but she shakes it away; fickle love. Power is the only thing tangible in this life and in this world. Though this is the end of her people, it is only the beginning of her new life. The Haven's people will be made to be slaves, but she will have power. Power over all. Finally.

5.

Silessa looks at the gaping black hole in the dirt the is The Pit, her arms chained behind her back. She struggles, pleading with her captors, crying, hoping it will make some difference. Everyone she loved has fallen into The Pit before her. One after the other, screaming as they fell. Only the Magister didn't scream. The Katari slavers push her forward, snickering, feeling the curves of her body. She is at the edge of the pit now, and she asks in desperation, "Take my body! Take my love! You can have all of me! Just let me live!" But no, cackling loudly as they did with Jaxen, they push her over the edge.

The traitor whore screams as she plummets, her life instantly ended as her head hits a rocky edge. Her body falls to the bottom of The Pit with the others. The Haven has been extinguished. The last of the resistance in the world, beaten. The Katari, the avatars of darkness and evil, are victorious.