Whispers of Pain - Chapter 3 - New Pain
#3 of Whispers of Pain
Misdirected, I'm awakened,
Manifests in, into my head,
I feel new pain, becoming part,
Of my every, every moment now.
-Static-X ~ "New pain"
Aiden's breathing was harsh and painful as he lay upon the table. He blinked and winced as a small trickle of blood found it's way into one of his eyes. Aiden didn't remember receiving the wound, but that didn't matter. He didn't remember much of the past five days. Somewhere around the third day, things hadn't mattered as much as they once had. He lost count of the hours Mistress Thura had spent, slowly cutting designs into his skin, only to cut lines through them as if she were crossing out mistakes. Aiden winced as he heard Mistress Thura's voice from the hall, berating some unlucky slave for a minor matter. Suddenly, the pain found it's way back three fold. He hissed as a wave of agony washed over him. Blood dripped from various wounds on his back, arms, and chest, a crimson rain upon the floor. It's... Just... Pain... He thought before merciful darkness enclosed him.
***
"Come now Aiden, do wake up, I've not had my fun today." Mistress Thura's voice was sickly sweet.
His eyes were slits as his body became increasingly awake.
"What shall we do today? Ah... Here we are." She said, pulling a cat 'o nine from the wall, the small steel thorns on each of the thongs glittered menacingly in the low light. "Perhaps we can get a scream out of you yet."
He closed his eyes, waiting for the initial blow upon his body. When it came, his body tensed, his back arching off of the table, mouth open in a silent scream. The tips of the cat 'o nine seemed to cut into his very being. Mistress Thura swung the tool at Aiden's legs, leaving deep bloody cuts. His mind, despite the pain, was clear.
'It hurt's doesn't it?' A voice said in his mind.
Aiden tried to answer but failed as another blow fell between his shoulders, fire shooting into his arms.
'Just think what you want to say. I am you after all.' The whisper said mockingly. 'I can make the pain stop, all you have to do is say yes. It's either that or...' The voice let the sentence hang. 'What will it be?'
Aiden gasped as another series of blows rained down. His fur now fully soaked with blood. The voice in his mind couldn't be real. He had to be imagining it. Yet... The offer seemed so real, the voice so persistent. He agreed and darkness consumed him.
'Shhhh... Sleep now. I will take your pain... Forget the present...' The voice whispered soothingly.
Aiden fell deeper and deeper into the darkness until at last, all was black.
"At last..." He whispered in the endless night.
***
Aiden came to, his eyes opening suddenly to find three heads leaning over him. They were speaking quietly, looking his wounds over.
"She shouldn't have done this to him. Look how young he is. It's not as if he has much blood anyway." The pine marten on his left said.
"I know. We've done what we could for him. Ah, he's awake." Another said. "Rest now young one. She can't hurt you here."
Aiden closed his eyes and fell to sleep quickly.
The healers moved to a small table and sat about it, discussing what had happened.
"I'm serious Donal, that Siamese witch has gone too far. Using him like she has been, has done something else besides nearly kill him. She's split his mind. I can't heal it. Only time can do that. If only he had more of it." The squirrel shook his head and sipped his drink. "It's lucky she cared enough for her sport to call us to heal him."
"Aye... I agree. There's nae t' much tha' we canna heal, yet tha' witch 'as done a job on th' poor lad." Said equine quietly. "T'would be best tae let the lad die an' have done wi' him. Then at least 'e would'na have to go through such pain."
The pine marten sat quietly listening to his companions. His eyes rested on Aiden's scarred form. To let him die would be the best thing. Refusing to release him back to his mistress would result in their own deaths. But if he were to simply die... Kinth let the thought go and sighed. Such things could not be helped he told himself.
A servant entered and said that Mistress Thura awaited her slave at the front gates of the Hospital. Giving another sigh, Kinth dismissed the servant and looked at the other two.
"It's not like we have a choice." He shrugged.
"Still does'na mean I like th' outcome." Donal said, getting up.
"Me either my friend, me either."
***
'Aiden... Wake up... You need to wake up...' The voice whispered.
'Wha? Who are you? Why are you helping me?' Aiden asked the voice.
'I will answer the second question first. I am helping you because your survival is my own. Now as for the first, the easiest for you to understand is that I am you. You may call me Chade.'
'Chade? Like a ghost?' Aiden thought weakly, his body reminding him that it existed.
'Precisely. Oh, looks like we have company. I will return later.' Chade whispered, his
voice like winter.
Mistress Thura came in and sat next to Aiden, silently looking him over, appraising his physical situation. Aiden struggled to sit up and bow but managed only to prop himself up before falling back to the table.
"Now now, none of that. We can't have you getting hurt." She said wickedly. "Are you ready to have more fun? I am." She pulled out a scalpel from a small pocket hidden away on her dress and moved forward. "We're going to have a lot of fun you and I. And maybe, just maybe, I'll go easy if you scream this time. Will you do that for me? A nice long scream?"
When she didn't receive an answer she shrugged and began carving on his back, peeling back folds of skin and cutting them off. Aiden's body was wracked with pain. He could hardly breathe as the pain seemed to grow.
'Time for sleep Aiden...' Chade's whisper said. Aiden slid into the darkness and was vaguely aware of a wave of pain as Mistress Thura growled to her self that he should be screaming by now.
Chade waited until Aiden was fully asleep and opened his eyes. Ah, pain... Such an easy thing to master... A shame that my young friend hasn't found out how yet, perhaps in the future. He thought, a small smile on his lips as Mistress Thura became more frantic, slashing at his back and legs. She rolled him over and looked at him. Aiden and Chade's blood splattered her once pristine white dress, dripped off of her hands and the scalpel. Chade stared back, his eyes meeting hers.
"You have no power over him now. You should cease these foolish games. Remember, if you play too hard, you might kill your pet." He said mockingly. His voice was cold and sent a shiver up Mistress Thura's spine.
"Who... What are you?" She asked, holding the small but razor sharp blade ready.
Chade sat up and rolled his head around his neck. Blood covered his blue fur, giving it a purple hue. Mistress Thura took a step back, fear entering her eyes. He shouldn't be able to move... Much less speak. How? She thought as she looked on at this bloody grinning demon. What is he?
Chade hopped from the table nimbly and stepped toward her. "Peel me from the skin, tear me from the right... Does it make you happy now? Tear me from the bone, tear me from myself, are you feeling happy now?" Chade said softly, almost sing song. He moved closer, blood pouring from the wounds that she had inflicted. His eyes now completely black, he stared at her, his head lowered, a small smile playing on his lips. Chade tilted his head to the side and opened his arms. "Not even a hug for your devoted slave?"
Mistress Thura fled from the room, followed by Chade's maniacal laughter.
Back in the room, Chade stopped laughing and strode over to a wall and in his own blood, wrote 'beware'.
Chade moved back to the table and lay down, closing his eyes. He smiled smugly as he went to sleep.
***
"I won't have it!" Mistress Thura screamed at the healers. "He is my property!" She hurled a vase at Donal's head. He side stepped it and shook his head.
"Ye hae no claim on th' lad now. Let him go."
"We have a document signed by the Prince of the city. You have no choice but to allow us to take the slave. He is now property of the Prince himself. Donal, fetch him now." He turned back to Mistress Thura. "If you try to stop us, we will be forced to kill you, which, as you know, is completely legal." He grinned at her.
"Very well... Take the hell spawn far from here. But know this, he is not what he seems." She said before stalking off.
Donal returned, Aiden wrapped in a bloody blanket.
"Are we too late?" Kinth asked, concern entering his voice.
"Nae, this lad is made of stronger stuff than we first thought." He answered. "We need tae get 'im back tae th' 'ospital though." He answered, walking to the door. "Quickly."
The other two followed him out to the carriage and soon they were off.
***
Long months of healing and therapy followed at the Prince's palace. Aiden's body had sustained much damage and some of it could never be healed. His claws were removed after he tried to kill himself twice.
Aiden now sat before a mirror, studying the scars on his body. Pearl lines and designs looked back at him, reminders of the past. He traced one that ran through his eye and down his cheek on the left side of his face. The door opened and a servant entered, bearing a message that the Prince wished to see him. Aiden nodded and dressed. Long white gloves covered his arms, ending just below his shoulder. A tight black leather vest covered with straps hooked to his large baggy pants. He pulled his mask over his scarred face and went to see the Prince.
***
The Prince was irritated. The neighboring country had cut the negotiations off suddenly and killed his best ambassador. There were some things you just didn't do. This was one of them. He looked up as a servant announced Aiden's arrival. Ah, possibly the answer to the problem. He smiled as Aiden sat before him.
"Yes?" Aiden said, his voice but a whisper. The Prince ignored Aiden's not saying 'your majesty'. It was rare when he spoke, that simple word was the most he had said in the past three months alone.
"Kieran has been training you, has he not?" He asked. A nod. "Good. Are you capable of completing a contract? Or do you need more time?" The Prince knew that Aiden would be one of the best, if he continued training. The Prince trusted Aiden more than anyone else, and because of that, expected a bit more from him. Aiden didn't mind. The relationship worked out well.
Aiden nodded again and held out his hand for the contract as well as the first part of the payment. What his majesty doesn't know is that Kieran has already given me three contracts. What he doesn't know won't hurt him. He thought as he glanced at the documents, memorizing the information, letting Chade go over it.
"Good. You leave tonight. Are all of your affairs in order?" Another nod. "Very well, you are dismissed."
Aiden rose and bowed, backing away until he was at the doors before turning and leaving. He had to inform Kieran and then gather some items before leaving.
His mind turned to the target and he smiled inside the mask. Things would be very interesting indeed...