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Little did I know how horrible the supposed "Cleansing Ceremony" was. As I was escorted to my cell, the screams of fellow captives assaulted my ears; I flattened my ears against my hair in an attempt to nullify the sounds. The furred paws that reached through the bars to me were burned, bloodied, or blistered. I closed my eyes, being blindly led by my guards."In here," one of them said, in a surprisingly gentle tone. I reopened my eyes and looked at my guards. There was no malice or hatred in their eyes. They knew what I was, but there was none of that haughty prejudice within them.
"Rest a while," the guard said, "The Majesty has said that your Cleansing will not begin until later."
"Why?" I blurted, wanting to know why these guards were different. Why I was being treated with such leniency.
"Her Eminence remembers you and your bravery of eight years ago. She is doing Her best for you, despite Commander Ohlamvae's wishes."
"Who are you?"
"We are the Highness' Personal Guard. Our orders come directly from her through the falcon-messenger, Starflight."
"I see..."
"But, rest now, Katja Armitanis. The day ahead will be no easy thing."
I nodded, curling up on the soft bedmat on the floor. I laid there staring at the dark ceiling, blinking in the darkness and wondering what my fate would be in the following hours. The cries of the tortured echoed eerily down the hall, resounding in my cell.
With a shudder, I was suddenly forced to fight off the tears that threatened to spill. I thought about dying and realized that I didn't want to die. I wanted to go back to the Green Dragon Inn; back to my friends.
What would they think if I didn't return? Would they even miss me at all? Of course they would, my conscience said. Some more than others, came the afterthought.
I laid there with tears showly coursing down my cheeks, and said a silent prayer, Bast, Bright One, if you have not turned your Shining Eyes from me, please let me be strong enough to survive the trials ahead.
With that last thought on my mind, I curled up on my side and slowly fell to sleep.
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© 1999 E. Angeli Mansfield