Hollow Repentance

- - - - - Torren's POV - - - - -

I had no trouble entering her mind when I hypnotised her, so it must have had something to do with her deeper levels of subconscious or actual conscious being. Koerta was an interesting child; very interesting indeed. I diverted my attention to stare out of the window, relaxing slightly, until I sensed Aldin entering my mind once again.

"Hey, you were right. There is something freaky about her, I had trouble entering her mind, too. But I'm not too sure that it was necessary to hypnotise her, just for that. Oh yeah, and just so you know. She knows that something is going to happen when we get into town, so it might be advisable to take her in a few human shops before taking her to the actual shop for the appointment. Don't worry, Dimi and I will let the shop owner know of the delay and the problems we encountered on the way."

Oh dear. I had figured that it was only a matter of time until she wised up to my plan. It was only because my 'team' had advanced powers that we were able to remain one step ahead of her until now. I couldn't possibly imagine how difficult it would be without them.

"I know, Aldin. But I didn't just hypnotise her to have a look at her cheek. While she was under, I entered her mind again, and had no problem in doing so. I was able to read her mind and even rearrange her actions while they were still in the processing stage. It was just like a normal human being. So, that means we're dealing with something a lot more complex than simply emotions. I think that might be the trigger, but there's something else going on here."

My eyes jolted back to Koerta as she leapt from her seat and dashed to the window on the opposite side of the car. Aldin and Dimi both swiped for her and I jumped up close behind her, stopping dead in my tracks as she knelt down by the window. She wasn't trying to escape? Pressing her hands against the glass, she stared in awe as the forest opened out onto the town, the scene bursting with life.

Kneeling down beside her, I rested my hand on her shoulder and started pointing out all of the attractions as they passed.

"There's Cragnle Ridge and Eternity Rock; Jullin Tower over there houses the Julee' Bell. It's the tallest building around; you can see for miles from the very top. How about we go up there sometime, and I'll show you the other sights of the town?"

I smiled warmly as she beamed up at me, but I sensed something unsettling about her expression. Entering her mind quickly, I listened into her thoughts.

'That would be absolutely amazing to do, but I don't think I'll be here that long and besides, he wouldn't be able to keep track of me. Perhaps saying that is just a trick to make me drop my guard to whatever's going to happen here; I'll be lucky to make it out alive.'

I felt betrayed. Aldin had warned me about her complex understanding of what was to happen here, but she was completely off-track. I was only doing this so it would be safe to take her out of the mansion at my, and sometimes her, leisure, without the risk of being attacked. Oh well, she would see soon enough. We were just arriving in Topaza Square, anyway. I stood up carefully.

"Here we are, finally. Come on then, Koerta. You're going to have to hold my hand going around here, there are a lot of bandits in these parts who'd just love to kidnap you."

The girl merely stared at me as though I was insane and retorted,
"Why do I have to hold your hand? I'm not a child; I'm about the same age as you. And I think that I could handle any bandits if they attacked me."

Aldin and Dimi left the car laughing and poked their heads around the corner to watch. They knew I wasn't a patient person and couldn't wait for the entertainment to begin. I took a deep breath and bit down on my tongue to stop myself shouting. Dropping down onto one knee, I took hold of both of her shoulders and pulled her back against me, whispering menacingly in her ear,
"You may be quite similar to me in physical age, but I have a much more mature mental age. And if I remember rightly, you couldn't even handle me when you realised that I was after you, so how do you expect to protect yourself if you are taken by surprise by a group of people? Now, this is not a request anymore. You either take my hand or I'll hold onto your wrist and drag you along; kicking and screaming, if you like."

I stood back up and winked at Dimi and Aldin as they burst out laughing and disappeared from the car door. Turning back to Koerta, I watched her carefully as she lifted herself to her feet. I held out my hand and waited for her to turn and accept it, but she quickly darted for the door without so much as glancing behind. Smart child, but not smart enough.

"Aldin! Heads up, she's coming your way."

I followed at a casual pace as she disappeared out of the car and stepped out into the silvery moonlight, glancing to my left. Aldin was stood menacingly over Koerta as she cowered in Dimi's arms, hiding her face in fear. I chuckled quietly and watched as Dimi whispered something in the girl's ear. Suddenly, her head spun around to face me and she pulled away from Dimi's grip, dodging Aldin's wild swings to catch her as she ran.

Holding my arms out to block her escape, I was taken completely by surprise as she leapt into my outstretched arms and latched onto me. Taken aback by the force, I toppled backwards and wrapped my arms around her head and back to protect her from the fall. Quickly, I scrambled up and pulled her back to her feet, laughing uncontrollably.

Reaching my hand towards her, I knew she still wouldn't accept my hand and thought it unnecessary to ask, wrapping my fingers firmly around her thin wrist. Dimi and Aldin set off in front of us, pacing slowly through the streets and glancing at several interesting shops as we passed.

"So then, child. Do you see any shops you'd like to have a look in? Hey, how about the sweet shop? They have so much variety and the best strawberry laces in town."

She nodded enthusiastically, I called ahead to Dimi and Aldin and we regrouped, entering the shop. The shop owner, Peter Murphy, greeted us warmly, glancing nervously at Koerta as she followed Dimi to browse the softer sweets. I leant over the counter to have a hushed conversation with Pete as Aldin stood watch for the girl coming within earshot.

"Torren, what are you doing with a human child?! She doesn't even have a mark, it isn't safe for her here. You need to take her back to her home now, I hear the Sparus are in town."

"It's fine, Pete. Chill. I'm taking her for the mark tonight, that's why Aldin, Dimi and I are here. She's just a little suspicious right now, so I need to calm her down first. This girl's very feisty, you see. Have you seen the state of her hand? She pu--"

I was cut off as Aldin tugged on my jacket, signalling that the child was coming over. Dimi silently paid for his sweets and I paid for Koerta's and Dimi joined Aldin in the doorway leading back onto the street. I turned to the girl and called,
"Koerta, this is Peter Murphy. He runs most of the confectionary shops around here. Pete, this is Koerta."

Seemingly more relaxed, she extended her right hand and shook his firmly. I smirked slightly as Pete noticed the stitches protruding on her slashed skin. His eyes widened and he looked back up at me in horror as she hurried away to join Dimi and Aldin. Quickly leaning over the counter, once again, I whispered,
"Punched through my balcony door."

Following the others back out of the shop, I glanced back at Pete's astonished expression and smiled, raising my eyebrows happily.

"Come on then, you two. It's now or never. Head towards the shop and I'll think of a way to suggest going in."

Silently, we followed the winding streets as I pulled Koerta along gently, until we reached the right street. I took a deep breath as we approached and paused, practically on the doorstep.

"Hey, Dimi. What time is it?"

"10:47, why? Have you got some business here?"

"Well, it's not really business. I made a hairdressers appointment for five to eleven, so I've gotta head in now. You can go handle your business if you want and Koerta and I will meet you in the tavern later. Don't go getting drunk though, Dimi. I know what you're like!"

Aldin, Dimi and I laughed in unison as Koerta eyed the hairdressing shop wearily. Winking at them both and crossing my fingers, I lead the child towards the door and ushered her through. Somehow figuring that something wasn't quite right, she gripped tightly onto the door frame and hung on with all of her might, creating quite a scene for the people inside.

"Oh, come on, Koerta. What's the matter? I'm only getting a haircut. Do you really like my hair that much as it is?"

She snarled at me viciously and I growled back, pushing her roughly so that she lost her grip and fell through the door, stumbling forwards and allowing me enough time to hurry in and close the door. Everyone in the room laughed as I grabbed the back of her jacket and lifted her effortlessly to her feet. As Carey approached I snarled quietly at the child and glanced down at her hands to see them clenching into tight fists. In a flash, I wrapped my arms around her and crushed her body against mine.

"Good evening, Torren. And you too, young lady. So, are you all prepared?"

I made sure the child wasn't watching me and winked quickly at Carey. She flashed me a puzzled expression.

"I'm a little early for my hairdressers appointment, but we were passing anyway. Oh, and is there somewhere that Koerta can sit near me so I can keep an eye on her? I don't want her running off again or causing a fuss like just then."

I motioned towards the door to the back room. Carey nodded in understanding and turned to her assistants. Clapping her hands sharply, the assistants hurried into the back room and returned with an elongated chair that mildly resembled my office chair back at home. I gulped silently and released Koerta, shoving her gently towards the chair they brought to us. Glancing back at me, I stared at her angrily and chuckled slightly as I felt her heart rate shoot up.

Cautiously, she edged over to the chair and sat down patiently, relaxing into the back and resting on the arms of the chair. Poor child; she had no idea what a horrible mistake she had just made. Pulling a remote out of her pocket and holding it firmly in the palm of her hand, Carey slammed her fist down onto the large central button and I watched in awe as strong leather straps shot out from the arms and back of the chair, entwining themselves around Koerta. One around her neck, two on each arm and even one around her waist. The child screamed and struggled with all of her might, kicking her feet wildly in an attempt to hit one of us standing around her. Carey stared at her in horror and I laughed spitefully. Turning back to Carey, I ignored Koerta's frantic yells and smiled.

"Yeah, she's a little strong spirited, this one. That's why I need this doing so early. So, I see you've upgraded the chair since last time I came to check on your business. Nice. Shall we get started, then? We have to go meet up with Dimi and Aldin in the tavern as soon as we're finished, and I'm guessing that this might take a little while."

Carey nodded solemnly and snapped her fingers, her assistants dragging the chair back into the dark room, now with Koerta kicking and screaming in the centre of it. Flashing a nervous glance at a woman busy having her hair cut, I followed them into the darkened room and shut the door firmly behind me. I turned into the room and moved to Koerta's side, resting my hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her slightly.

Carey tried to talk to me, but I couldn't hear her clearly through the deafening screams and cries of the child. Rolling my eyes, I moved round to position myself directly behind Koerta and glanced up at the hairdresser, awaiting approval. She nodded enthusiastically, relieved not to have to use up her own powers for such a mediocre task.

Placing both of my hands firmly on the back of the child's head, I gazed down at her sympathetically as her screams slowly faded away and her head lulled to one side. Satisfied, I returned to her side and sat down, watching Carey ready her equipment.

"Right, Torren. This will take about ten minutes to map out then an extra fifteen minutes to insert and charm. I will need about 20ml of your blood to bind you into the mark as her guardian, and the powers of this particular type of mark will come into full effect two sunsets after it is activated. I'll begin to sketch the design now, while you draw your blood into the beaker over there, and it should be ready to activate once you're finished."

I nodded and shrugged off my jacket, tossing it onto the chair behind me as I made my way over to the small beaker on the table against the other side of the room. I opened my mouth slightly and bared my teeth, allowing them to protrude from my lips. Pressing my lips lightly against my wrist, I bit down hard, latching on as my teeth pierced the skin, crimson blood seeping from the holes.

Withdrawing my teeth once again, I hung my wrist over the beaker and watched my blood drip into the previously clear glass. Within no time, the blood level reached 20ml and I drew my hand away, latching my mouth around the wound and cleaning the excess away from the holes. I winced at the disgusting taste of my blood and spat hastily into the bin beside me.

Snatching a bandage from the cabinet in the very corner of the room, I returned back to my seat and quickly bandaged my wrist, tying the ends firmly in a knot at the bottom. I knew it wasn't very well done, but it wouldn't take me long to heal anyway so there was no need for elaborate aid. I pulled my jacket back on and, just as I turned to watch Carey at work, she dropped the needle down onto the tray and wiped her hands together in satisfaction.

"Right, that's all ready. All you need to do to activate the mark is make a small incision in her neck, preferably in the very centre of your seal, and tip your blood directly onto the incision. The blood will instantly dissolve into the mark and activate. Then, once that is done, you may leave. Oh, and I gave her a very mild sedative because she was stirring a moment ago, so expect her to be waking up in five to ten minutes."

I carefully carried the beaker of my blood over to where Koerta lay motionless and placed it gently on the tray. Picking the scalpel up and turning to the child, I pulled her jacket collar to the side and gazed in awe at the mark on her neck. It looked exactly like a tattoo of my seal, a complex design of swirls and daggers and even dragons etched around my initials in the centre; all implanted on her skin in a shade of stunning ebony. Stretching from the edge of her shoulder to half way up her neck on the right hand side, I knew I had no chance of concealing it, and would have to confess to her eventually.

Taking a deep breath, I made a tiny incision in Koerta's skin and slowly poured my blood onto the wound; averting my eyes in horror as the crimson leaked through her very skin. I gasped and clung at my shirt where my heart suddenly jumped beneath it, and hastily zipped the child's jacket up, pulling her into a siting position as Carey reversed the locking mechanism on the chair.

I thanked her sincerely and lifted Koerta into my arms, holding her close as I carried her out into the bright room. I squinted to accustom my eyes to the sudden brightness and thanked the workers once again as I left into the cold night air. I smiled down at the child's innocent face as she slept so peacefully. I was now officially her guardian; she was mine to protect and provide for, and nobody was going to come between that.

Her body shivered. Oh yeah, I forgot that humans cannot control their body temperatures and somewhat resent the cold. Laying her gently on the ground at the side of the street, I shrugged off my jacket and wrapped it around her, zipping it up completely. I lifted Koerta upright and carefully rested her head on my shoulder, wrapping her arms lightly around my neck and her legs around my waist. Her body was surprisingly relaxed.

As we headed towards the tavern, I held close to her, staring around uneasily into the shadows. This may have been pretty much my town, but I had no control over most of the citizens. Sadly...

Eventually, the tavern wandered into view, it's dull unattractive outer appearance repelling customers, making a safer select group of people the prize customers. Sighing deeply, I watched the swirling mist escape my mouth and evaporate into the bitter air, and pushed through the swinging door onto a cosy atmosphere.

The usuals were all here and tending to their everyday business. Jack Hondrey sipped at his lager while playing a round of pontoon with Misky Jones and Bill the bartender washed his glasses as he and Clayton Beltain engaged in their usual banter. Okay, so it wasn't the ideal setting for the child to wake up in, but at least it was safe and quiet; to some extent.

Spotting Aldin ordering drinks at the bar, I paced over and greeted him, stepping back hastily to pull Koerta away from danger as he swung around in shock. Aldin stared at the girl and raised his eyebrows, collecting the three drinks from the counter and leading the way to our table. As we drew near, Dimi leapt up from his chair and moved beside Aldin on the opposite sofa, allowing me the space to lay Koerta down next to me. I knew that they would want to have a look at her mark, so I sat her sideways on my lap and pulled her into my chest.

"Well, it's done. I really don't like the activation method, though. As expected, she screamed non-stop until I put her to sleep. Carey even needed to give her extra sedatives to keep her under for long enough! Well, do you want a look?"

Nodding enthusiastically, they gathered round and I gasped quietly as everyone in the tavern flocked over, peering over each other's shoulders in order to get a good view. Chuckling slightly, I unzipped the jacket that was covering her and pulled her shirt away, just enough so to uncover the entirety of the mark.

"Wow, that's some mark!"

"It sure is an elaborate design, innit? She's goin' to be peeved when she wakes up!"

I laughed loudly and covered her back up, wrapping my jacket firmly around her again and embraced her tightly; whispering softly in her ear,
"I'm sorry, my child. Please forgive me... someday..."

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