"My parents...you can't obliterate them, or we'll be destroyed too!" Kiah thought frantically what she could do. Too many innocents had lost their lives in her struggle to gain control over her emotions. "Oinid saorsa, mind freedom...maybe I can do the reverse and bind them down..." Trying to clear her mind and call upon the words, Kiah found herself too weak. She would have to wait and save her energy for the right moment.
"I don't plan on obliterating them, that would put a bit of a damper on my party, wouldn't it? No, there are more...effective ways of ridding oneself of bothersome parents." The Hate sneered as they neared the hold Kiah was born in. It landed in a field before stealing into the darkened village. Streaks of silver light upon the horizon warned of sunrise, and Hate picked up its pace. First, it snuck into a closed shop, full of robes and clothing. "We need the appropriate attire, yes? Something a little more intimidating than hospital clothes."
Courir, quite unwillingly along for the ride, stifled a whimper as he was set down onto a counter. He tried to move, but found himself rooted to the spot, whether it was from fear or magic, he did not know. The Hate browsed racks and shelves before deciding on a pair of tight black riding breeches, a dark purple, long-sleeved shirt with a low cut neck under a leather corset with metal accents. Next, a pair of black leather thigh boots and an over sized black cloak with hood and a beautiful silver clasp with a ruby set into it.
"Now..." said Hate, admiring the stolen goods it wore in the full-length mirror, "Don't we look marvelous? Our parents will tremble at the site of us!" Picking up the rukel again and stepping out the door, Hate disappeared into the shadows and followed a path behind the cots to Kiah's parent's house. "I didn't know Hate could be so vain..." Kiah grumbled, trying and failing again to clear her mind and remember the binding spell. Outside of her parent's house, Hate smiled evilly, watching the first stirrings of life. "Let's make this and explosive entry, shall we? AMAIL!" A powerful jolt of black energy ripped off the entire front of the cottage, revealing her parents making breakfast in the kitchen. Her mother screamed at the site of her, and her father leapt for his sword.
"Now now, daddy...don't you know weapons are dangerous...Faigh!" The sword flew point-first at her father and pierced his shoulder, pinning him to the wall. "Kiah! Why are you doing this? We love you!" her mother cried piteously, watching her husband writhe and bleed. "Love? You? You don't know the meaning of love! A woman who loves her daughter does not send her off to a prison where they beat and torture and rape her!! She does not discard her into the hands of unfeeling men who only see a piece of meat for their pleasure!!" Hate screamed, power crackling in its eyes and its clenched fists.
Inwardly, Kiah winced, remembering all of the pain and fear she'd endured. The memories flooded back, fueling Hatred. "You were never there! Never there to make them stop, to make them GO AWAY!!!" Panting, Hate advanced upon Kiah's parents, fists clenched so hard blood leaked between it's fingers. In a soft and deadly whisper, Hate said, "You'll know what it was like when I'm through with you...CUARADH!!" They both screamed simultaneously in torment as black energy from Hate's hand enveloped them. "No...Hate will kill them, I have to try..." Pulling on her reserves, Kiah cleared her mind, thinking only of what she wanted to do and the words came. "....cur fo chosh...." She thought them over and over, winding her magic around the words and mentally projecting them at the six emotions running amok with her body and mind. Outside, The Hate faltered...
"What are you doing?"
"Cur fo chosh...cur fo chosh...cur fo chosh..."
Hate felt it's strength waining, as did the other five still inside. They cried out as they lost their hold on awareness within, almost drowning out Kiah's chant. As they grew weaker, her voice grew stronger...
"Stop! No, you cannot do this! You need us, you need ME!" Falling to it's knees, Hate groaned. All of its power was gone, and it felt itself being sucked back down into Kiah, plugged into the back of her mind and buried. "Cur fo chosh...CUR FO CHOSH!" The shout was in her own voice, and it startled Kiah into opening her eyes. Her parents were laying limply on the floor, her father having managed to pull the sword from his shoulder. for an instant Kiah thought she'd been too late to stop The Hate from destroying them, then she noticed they were just asleep. "The suppression spell must have dulled their consciousnesses too..." Her voice was deadpan, impassive and blank, but she was blissfully free from her emotions. Deep within she felt them struggle, Hate among the strongest and up filtered it's voice..."You can't keep us locked up forever... we'll find a way out..." It went silent as Kiah asserted her will upon it and snuffed it out.
A soft moan from the ground reminded Kiah of Courir, the little rukel who had endured her torture for the past two days. He was injured and burnt from Xero's attack. "Courir, oh Courir...I'm sorry." Kneeling next to the purple creature, Kiah lifted him up and stroked his face. "Kiah? You're you now?" He lifted his singed head and looked up at her. Smiling out of pure habit, Kiah nodded. "Yes, they've been suppressed." The little rukel stood and stretched each limb, testing for major injuries. "I'm none the worse for wear, nothing a bath, some food and a good months rest can't fix." Courir seemed more friendly to Kiah now that her emotions were under control, and he leapt up to her shoulder. "So, what'er we gonna do now?" Levitating into the sky, Kiah said, "Liberation..."
They arrived at the Black Fortress to find it gutted and empty. It appeared that the guardsmen, once out from under the leadership of Telann, had abandoned the Fortress and set it ablaze to destroy the evidence of their monstrosity. Kiah felt Despair try to break free, but quickly, and far more easily than before, quashed it. She surveyed the burned out hulk impassively, stepping over charred bodies and melted bars. "They murdered them...all of them..." Courir breathed, pricked with sadness at all the pain and misery these people endured before being burned alive. "I wish I could have saved them...Telann was a fool to think that anyone else would let this place remain once he left. They'd rather murder all of these innocent victims than have to answer for his folly."
The sky began to cloud over as Kiah stepped outside of the Fortress, and a drizzle began to fall.
Above, a white dragon flew lower to skim the tops of the trees. She was just finished with Searching the near-by village, and had been drawn to the forest by the smoke and a niggling sensation she'd find something interesting there.