Chapter 5

“Please, can someone let me out!” Aries screamed. “I can’t take it anymore! Please.” she slid to the floor crying.

          She knew it now. Aries  was losing her grip. She’d do anything, now, to not be alone, cold, wet and scared in the dark.

          But at least she wasn’t the only prisoner now. She had heard the torture through the walls.

          The door opened and she was grabbed, roughly by the arm and dragged into the warm, light corridor.

          She did not need her sight to know she was surrounded by masked and muscled Gemini guards.

          “Move!” a strong, female voice ordered, sticking a gun into the small of Aries’ back. She tripped forward, and kept moving after righting herself.

          What are they doing? Aries thought. Is this a prisoner transfer? If so where are they taking me? No. It was not a prisoner transfer. The escort stopped in a grand anteroom.

          “Where are you taking me?” she finally asked.

          “The boss demanded to see you,” the guard who stuck the gun in her back replied.

          “Why?”

          “You’ll find out.” The doors at the end of the anteroom opened.

          “Aries, do come right in.” Zardac said from between the doors. “Hurry now I don’t like to be...”

 

          “...kept waiting.” Faith said with a menacing smile on her lips. Darmacus was staring at her, thanking the gods the auto-pilot was on.

          “Faith, stop it!” he yelled. “This is no longer funny! Actually it never was!”

          “I’ve decided your ready, Aries.” Faith continued her eyes glassy, looking at someone or something that was not there. “The time has come Aries, for you to join our most notable cause.”

          “Who the hell are you addressing Faith?” Darmacus demanded. “Who is Aries? What is Aries ready for? Faith? Faith?” his attempts to get Faith out of her trance was fruitless, especially since he had been forced to assume command of the flight controls to navigate through an asteroid belt.

 

          “What do you mean I’m ready?” Aries asked. Zardac grinned at her.

                   “You are ready to release that which you fear.” he explained. “Trust me, it does get easier once you give in.”

          “You mean Gemini is an empire of crazies.” Aries stated in shock.

          “No!” Zardac yelled re electricity flowing over the surface of his hands. “No! Gemini is an empire of the fearless. The insanity is what Libra has.”

          “No!” Aries yelled. “They are freedom fighters! We are freedom fighters! Fighting for liberty and justice for everyone in the galaxy.”

          “That is where you are incorrect.” Zardac argued. “Freedom and justice are already being served.”

          “No!” Aries yelled. “You are oppressing your own people. They deserve the choice that you are depriving them of!”

          “They all...”

 

          “...made the choice to join us, to serve us of their own free will!” Faith said, her voice becoming a harsh, echoing whisper. Darmacus was still unable to do anything, even though the asteroid belt was safely behind them he was still the helm, and could only talk to her, and watch. It pained him to see his new friend in such a situation. Would she remember it? Darmacus didn’t know because he had never witnessed anything like this.

 

          “Please just release me.” Aries begged tears rolling down her face.

          “If I did,” Zardac said smiling in triumph, “you would have to do something for me.”

          “What?”

          “Aries, for your freedom, I want you to join Gemini. It is a better life, than spending the rest of your days in that rock cell you now know so well.”

          “Please, I’d do anything, the loneliness is driving me insane.” Aries said, really not paying full attention.

          “Great.” Zardac said laughing insanely.

 

          “That’s it!” Darmacus exclaimed having finally had enough. Faith was now laughing. But her laugh sounded familiar. In a bad way. He reached out one arm and slapped Faith. It had no effect. But it should have knocked her out. He’d touched her twice with no ill effects like there should have been. Is she immune to my dark gifts? Darmacus wondered. He put the auto-pilot back on and stood up and stared at Faith in awe. What are you?

          “Begin the bonding process.” Faith said as if ordering someone else who was not there. This could not get any stranger. Could it?

 

          The roof of the chamber that Zardac, Aries and her escort were in opened. In the gap a bright light appeared, and shone down in the centre of the chamber.

          “Place her in the beam.” Zardac ordered. Finally, something is going my way, he thought.

          Two of the guards stepped forward, took Aries by her arms and got ready to force her into the light, when Zardac raised his hand. They froze. Zardac stepped around the beam of light and bent down, close to Aries’ ear.

          “When it is done,” he whispered to only her. “I’ll need some proof of your loyalty. That proof is to take out your escort. Don’t ever ask why, jus do it.” He stepped back to his original position, them waved to proceed. The guards threw her in.

          At first it was silent. But only at first. Then there was a high pitched, agonised scream. It should have chilled Zardac’s blood, the way it did for the six guards in the room. It would have chilled Zardac if had been the first time he had seen and started this process. Now he was cold to it, enjoyed, smiled with glee through it. He laughed maliciously, in triumph. The scream then began to change. First it lowered in pitch. Zardac’s laugh stopped. Something had gone wrong. Next it turned into a deranged cackle, that did chill Zardac’s soul. What’s going on? Zardac wondered, this has never happened before.

          Zardac composed his face into an indifferent mask, to hide his concern, his fear that something had gone wrong. But all he could do was wait.

           “Faith will stop you,” Aries screamed from inside the light. “I fall today in the hope that Faith will ultimately succeed.” Everything went silent. The beam of light turned red. The process was almost complete. The light disappeared to leave Aries knelt in the very centre of the room. What happened next was all a blur.

          Aries did attack her escort as ordered, killing one and moving swiftly and bloodily on to the next. She left the female until the very last. Aries moved behind her and took a sword from the scabbard of  her opponent and slit her throat before running her through with the blade. The chamber bathed in blood and bodies.

          Aries then walked slowly, menacingly toward Zardac. For the first time since he was a small boy, he was scared. He was relieved however, when Aries dropped on to one knee in front of him, head bent down, the bloody sword held up toward Zardac laid across both her hands.

          “Have I pleased you, my lord?” she said.

          Zardac smiled with relief. “Yes. Yes you have pleased me.”