Between the Light and the Darkness - Chapter 9

It was another few monotonous days of field work for Tim. The routine left much to be desired. Every morning was the same, every day was the same, the late lunch was sometimes different food, but the company was always the same. Jondak would occasionally pester Ileeya during lunch, but she was always demure and handled the situation like a lady.

The only thing Tim looked forward to was the end of the long hot day and an evening alone with the most intoxicating female he had ever met. She loved to hear stories of his world. He told her all about Gertie and Bones, and his work and hobbies. She shared stories of her home world with him, as well.

She, before coming here, had lived in a small village with her family. She had been out alone on a walk, enjoying the light summer breezes when she stepped through the invisible portal. She, too, had seen the bizarre landscape with its black stagnant pools when she first arrived. And the demon. She was taken directly to this cell, where she had been for the last ten years.


When Tim recounted his story about what happened after his arrival, in the king's throne room, she seemed perplexed. She never went to the throne room upon her arrival. When Tim asked her if she had ever shared the cell with anyone else in all those years, she answered a little too quickly that she had not.


Tim learned some other things about his new home. The practice sessions for the slave tournaments were held once a week. The last week of each month was spent mostly in the practice yard. And as the time for the Grand Tournament drew nearer, the slaves spent the entire month before it practicing. Tim was almost looking forward to these sessions. It had to be better than gardening.


Ileeya was animated when she talked about it. She had a gleam in her eye when she told him how often she was asked to train newcomers. Many of the senior slaves were trainers.

After a quick trip to a 'weapons room', where various weapons lined the walls and Tim was expected to pick one, he was ushered to a bench in the practice yard and told to wait. Tim didn't know anything about weapons, so he chose a sturdy sword and a wooden shield. Then he sat.

A few moments later, Aark returned with another of the slaves and gestured for Tim to get up. Then Aark stood back and gave a bellow. The creature immediately closed the distance with his sword raised high above his head. He let out an excited yell and attacked.

Tim was unprepared for the ferocity of the attack. The blow caught him on the side of the head. He stumbled under the force of the blow, but managed to keep himself on his feet. The creature was quick and was already bringing his sword back around for another hit by the time Tim stabilized himself. He had an extra second before the sword made contact and he attempted to block it with his shield. He had never used one before, and was unfamiliar with how to properly employ it.

The second hit grazed Tim's shield and hit him in the stomach. It was a light blow, luckily, and merely winded him a bit. The creature leered at him. Tim raised his sword to strike, but the thing countered the attack easily. This is much harder than all the movies make it look.

Tim's opponent swung again, and this time Tim was able to move his shield into the line of fire. A loud wooden thud shook Tim's body, numbing his arm. The battle continued. Tim scored a couple of minor hits, but received many more.

After getting his butt kicked by a few more competitors, Tim was allowed to sit and rest. His eyes scanned the sparring pairs and came across Jondak.

He seemed, as usual, totally at ease. He chose to fight with a short weapon in each hand. Although he didn't like the guy, he had to admit Jondak definitely knew what he was doing.

He was a blur of motion, striking first with his right blade and easily dodging his opponent's retaliation by turning his body full circle and attacking with his left in one fluid movement. Tim hoped he would never have to tangle with him.



The sparring pair next to Jondak happened to be Ileeya. When he saw her his heart skipped a beat. What is wrong with me? The sword she used was enormous, almost as big as she was. He wondered how she managed to even swing the thing, let alone move with the natural grace of a feline while she fought. She was an absolute vision to watch. It looked as if she had been fighting all her life.

A few moments later, the battle ended, and Ileeya and her opponent bowed to one another. Time seemed to slow down and Tim was aware of nothing else but this very moment. The sounds of fighting all but disappered as Tim's focus narrowed on Ileeya. She wiped the light sheen of sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. A few platinum strands of hair had escaped the leather band that tied the remainder back. They framed her face and clung to her neck in damp curls.

She closed her eyes and lifted her face as a light breeze fanned her. As if she sensed it, she turned toward him, catching him staring. Heat rushed to his face, but he did not look away. She smiled and he thought he would die. He never felt this way about anyone before. Time sped up to normal again as she approached. Tim did his best to act normal in her presence.

She sat down next to him and smiled again.

"Very impressive," Tim said to her.

"You really think so?"

"Yes," he said sincerely.

For and endless second he was lost in her eyes. Damn it. He knew he should be more concerned about his present situation, but she was his present situation. He couldn't concentrate. He tried, but he couldn't help himself. It was so easy to let reality just slip away into nothingness. He now knew, without a doubt, and with no further denying, that he was hopelessly in love with her.



Reality slammed back into him at full force as his daydreaming was interrupted by Aark. His face wore the usual scowl as he glared down at them. He said something in an angry tone, and Ileeya gave a sharp retort right back. Aark responded with a few words, and then left to attend to other business.



Ileeya turned to Tim. "Aark said since we enjoyed spending so much time together, then perhaps I should train you to fight...better."

Tim couldn't help but smile at the fabrication. "What did he really say, Ileeya?"

"Um..."

"Come on. I can handle it."

Her words came out in a rush. "He said since you probably couldn't hit a wima if your life depended on it, then perhaps I should train you."

Amused, Tim smiled. "A wima?"

"It's a very large mountain beast. Very large. And very slow."

Tim noticed the surprised look on her face as he threw his head back and roared laughter. "Is that so? Well, then, let's get to work."




Hours later, Tim sighed deeply as he stared at the ceiling of the cell. He missed his dog. He missed everything about his world. Just being in a place with other human beings seemed like an impossible luxury. He realized with growing horror that he was doomed to spend the rest of his days in this strange world with its strange people and its strange language, working as a slave with creatures who felt as alone and out of place as he did. And what of Ileeya?



Despite how he tried, Tim couldn't keep his feelings for her hidden from his eyes. He didn't want her to get the wrong idea. But what was the wrong idea? She fascinated him. Her every graceful move, every word spoken in that melodic voice and formed with those luscious lips. How he longed to kiss them! He could sometimes see in her face that some of his feelings were recipricated, but he also fear, caution.

After all, she isn't even the same race as him. He was in love with an alien! What would his buddies say about that? But if they saw her...the unearthly beauty she possessed, that could only exist on another world. Damn! He chastised himself for getting so hung up over a woman. A woman! He hated himself for being so vulnerable and weak. Everyday he would strive not to let her see his feelings for her. He looked over at Ileeya's still form sleeping soundly. What was he to do? He pondered this question until his mind was as tired as his body. He fell asleep trying to find the answer.

For once he had a happy dream. He was back home jogging in the park with Bones. The big dog barked happily when they stopped for a snack. The air was crisp and clear, and smelled of hotdogs from a nearby concession stand. Squealing children chased each other around the playground. Colorful kites decorated the air. And the promise of Gertie's homemade peach cobbler was at the forefront of his mind. Tim smiled in his sleep.

~*~*~*~*

Meanwhile, several cells away...

"Jondak...Jondak...," the soft voice floated into the room and swirled around Jondak's thoughts. "Jondak, wake up," the voice said firmly. Jondak's eyes flew open when he realized he wasn't dreaming.

"Ileeya...how...?"

"Sssshhh. Don't talk. Just relax."

Before his mind had time to process the command his body immediately relaxed, all his muscles going limp. An odd sensation swept over him as he stared at the figure in his locked cell.

"My name is Shirra. I have a request for you, Jondak."

Between the Light and the Darkness - Chapter 8

"So, how do you spend your day?" Tim was hoping to find out more about this place, and Ileeya, as well.

"Just the same menial tasks I perform everyday. The female slaves have to clean and mend the guards' uniforms. We are also responsible for preparing meals for the king and his court and after that, the slaves' lunch."

The entire time she talked, she looked distracted. There was something odd about this woman. Certainly a lot more depth than he'd ever encountered before.

She got up abruptly and reclined on her bed. Tim didn't want to intrude on her thoughts, despite all the questions in his head, so he just sat and watched her. She was so preoccupied she didn't even notice. He couldn't help but notice how the light accentuated the curves of her delicate face. Her hair gleamed in the dim light of the room. Such beauty. Such mystery.

"Ileeya...I,"

He was interrupted by keys jangling in the cell door lock. The door abruptly swung open, and Aark grunted at him unintelligibly.

"He wants you to go with him," Ileeya said softly.

Tim sighed in frustration and walked over to the scowling guard.

Aark grunted again and grabbed Tim's arm in his usual manner and pushed him down several corridors to the throne room.

The room was empty, but this was not their destination. There was a door in the back of the room, the door the king had entered yesterday when Tim had arrived here. Had that been just yesterday? It seemed like ages ago.

He was pushed into a smaller room with a few chairs lined up against one of the walls. A throne sat in the center of the room, empty. By the looks of it, Tim guessed it was some sort of private conference room.

Inside were two of the other strange people/creatures he saw from the day before. To his right, behind the throne, was another door, with another guard standing in front of it. It was the same guard who had grabbed Tim out of the lavatory and pinned his arms behind his back so Aark could pummel him. He glared at Tim maliciously.

Aark shoved Tim into the room, then stepped in front of the door, blocking any potential exit.

Tim's heart leapt into his throat and his adrenaline kicked in one hundred percent. This had to be some sort of revenge for the tiff between Aark and himself the other night.

The greenish guy, who reminded Tim of a reptile, spoke to him. Actually spoke Tim's language, although very crudely. If snakes could talk, this is what Tim would imagine them sounding like. The greenish guy seemed to hiss his words, dragging out the syllables.

"Remoooove your clothhhhinnnggg."

"What!?" Visions of bizarre torture and alien probing suddenly flooded his brain as he fought the wave of terror threatening to wash over him. He accidentally bit his lip, causing it to start bleeding again.

"Remoooove your clothhhhinnnggg," the creature hissed.

"I will not!"

The reptile man motioned to the guard that was waiting in the room when Tim arrived. The guard approached, while Tim choked down the bile that was creeping into his throat. When the guard touched his arm, Tim swung, hitting the guard square in the jaw. The guard whirled from the force of the hit and fell to the floor on his face.

Immediately, Aark had Tim's arms pinned behind his back again. The guard picked himself up off the floor and approached Tim, hand raised as if to strike.

The reptile man gave a sharp command and the guard reluctantly lowered his hand, growling angrily.

Reptile man looked into Tim's eyes.

"It is ussselesss to ssstruggle. Do assss I ssssay."

His eyes glittered, and Tim felt an odd feeling sweep through him. All of a sudden, he had an uncontrollable urge to comply. The tiny part of his brain that was still rational screamed at him to resist, but it was outnumbered.

After he undressed, reptile man visually inspected him from head to toe. He made a slow circle around Tim, taking in everything. Tim stood there, helplessly, his mind battling itself for sanity. A couple of seconds later, his thoughts began to become his own once again, and his mind returned to its normal state. His brain felt fuzzy. He hated the feeling of being controlled. It was a humiliating experience standing on display for these creatures, unable to defend himself.

Reptile stopped at Tim's left side and stared at the watch on Tim's wrist. The creature slipped it off and examined it, turning it over in his clawed hands.

"What isss thisss?"

"It's a watch."

The creature's eyes glittered in suspicion.

"A, um, timepiece," Tim clarified.Reptile said nothing. He looked at it a moment longer and then pocketed it. Tim didn't protest, he had expected that to happen as soon as the creature took an interest in it.

Then reptile picked up a bundle off of one of the chairs and handed it to Tim.

"Put thissss on," he hissed.

Tim thought it was moronic to take his clothes away and then give him different ones, but he had to wear something. He shrugged mentally and dressed, under the scrutiny of the guards.

He realized immediately that it was a typical slave's uniform, the same as what all the other males were wearing. It was actually quite comfortable, despite it's woolen appearance. The pants were snug and form fitting, the tunic was loose and comfortable, and not quite as warm as his sweater had been.

He suddenly realized that every last trace of his home had just been taken away from him. As long as he wore his native clothes, he still felt like he was somehow connected. But now that his clothes and watch were gone, Tim felt hopelessly alone.

Tim decided he had a choice. He could either get bogged down and mourn for his lost home and friends, which in turn would cause panic, depression and inability to cope with his situation, or, he could try to make the best of what was here and now. The choice was quite obvious. The only way he was going to make it was to try to push his past aside a little bit and try to cope.

When he returned to his cell, he saw that dinner had been 'served'. Ileeya was busy gnawing on a piece of the dry meat. When she smiled up at him, he couldn't help but throw his arms out to the side and ask, "How do I look?"

She giggled at his foolishness. "You look very handsome."

"So, what made you decide to tell me so much about your ring?"

"I'm an excellent judge of character and I knew you could be trusted. My first impressions are always right."

"Are you sure," Tim asked mischeivously.

"Yes," she answered matter-of-factly, not getting Tim's teasing.

He longed to plunge his hands into her hair. To smell its light fragrance. To curl it around his fingers. To bury his face in it. To...

"Is something wrong?"

He was so wrapped up in his musing that he jumped at the sound of her voice. "Hmmm?"

"I asked if something was wrong - you were staring."

"Oh, was I? Sorry." He turned quickly away to hide his embarrassment.

After a moment, Ileeya sat down on the floor, and Tim did the same. She seemed to be receptive to conversation, though hesitant to start it.

"So, what do you do for fun around here?" He was joking, of course, but once again Ileeya took him seriously.

"Well, most everything is drab and boring. Practice is the only thing that holds any interest."

"Practice?"

"Yes. For the games."

"What games?"

"Once a month we have a fighting tournament between the slaves, and once a year the Grand Tournament is held. Contestants come from all the lands and compete against each other. It's actually quite interesting and lasts for several days. Last year I was second in my division."

"Really? I'm impressed." And he was. Ileeya seemed so delicate, like a flower. The idea that this seemingly frail woman could not only hold her own in a fight, but excel at it was fascinating...and exciting.

"Practice is in four days, by the way, and the next slave tournament is in three weeks. The Grand Tournament is a little over five months away."

"Well," she said after a pause, in which Tim tried to digest this new information, "we should get some rest. It's been a long day."

She got up and stretched, then got into her bed. He had to agree with her, it had definitely been a long day. Getting comfortable wasn't as difficult tonight, as his muscles had loosened somewhat. Actually, he discovered he was quite tired, and fell almost immediately into a deep sleep.

Between the Light and the Darkness - Chapter 7

After a torturous and unrestful few hours, the cell door creaked open and a fresh pitcher was set inside. A bread like food was in a bowl beside it. This must be breakfast.

"Good morning," Ileeya mumbled sleepily as she sat up.

"Not really," he muttered.

"Don't worry. When you get more accustomed to your surroundings you'll start sleeping better."

He sincerely doubted that, but said nothing. They ate their breakfast in silence for several minutes. The pitcher contained a thick, steaming liquid which was surprisingly good. It coated the throat going down, and left a slightly fruity after taste.The bread wasn't bad, either. It was rich and filling, flakey and dense. It sure beat the heck out of the dried scraps of crap that served as dinner the night before.

Tim thought about asking Ileeya what they were eating, and what the liquid was. But instead, another question bubbled in his brain, and he found himself blurting it out before he had a chance to think about it. "So, who is Shirra?"

At the mention of the name, Ileeya's head snapped up and she looked at him with huge 'deer in the headlight' eyes. She choked on a piece of the bread then managed to swallow it with difficulty. "What?" she croaked.

"The person you dreamt about last night."

She looked uncomfortable and stared at the floor while she spoke. "She, um, was a -- an old friend of mine. She died a very tragic death."

"Oh. I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to dredge up painful memories."

"I know. I just haven't gotten over it yet."

Just then, the door opened abruptly. Tim was glad he hadn't been standing in front of it. Aark waited patiently in the doorway. Or at least as patient as he could be, which wasn't saying much.

Ileeya walked toward the door and Tim followed. His aching muscles threatened to disobey him, but he forced himself to move. The guard grabbed Ileeya's arm harshly, but judging by the expression on her face she was either used to it or didn't even feel it. He gave her a slight shove down the corridor before turning to Tim.

If Tim thought his own sores and bruises were bad, the guard looked immensely worse. Large red and purple splotches decorated Aark's face and it was obvious by the stiff way he moved that he was struggling with sore muscles, too.

Tim tried to hide his own discomfort. Aark glared at him, a cold, piercing gaze under which Tim was tempted to shiver. But instead, he managed to return the look with a grin. Aark grabbed Tim's wrist roughly, intentionally digging his sharp claws into Tim's flesh.

The were herded down yet another narrow corridor. Tim began to wonder if all the halls were this narrow. A door at the end led into a large courtyard. The bright sunlight of the outside was startingly bright compared to the dim interior of the cells. The sun of this world was smaller then the one on his own, but the heat it gave off was intense. Combined with the muggy atmosphere and no breeze to speak of, it was quite miserable outdoors.

Tim was escorted to a large garden just outside the door. Ileeya and a few other female slaves continued on across the courtyard and through another door that led back into the building.

Several male slaves were already gardening. Aark led Tim over to an empty spot, shoved a hoe in his hand and started talking. The words were useless, as Tim couldn't understand them, but it was clear that the guard was indicating that he dig holes in the dirt. The dirt was hard and unyielding, and Tim quickly worked up a sweat.

The ache in Tim's muscles was phenomenal. Being in construction, he was used to hard work. It was his arrival here and the brawl he participated in the night before that did him in. He had to take frequent stretch breaks to keep his back from tightening up.

He noticed the others doing that, as well, and seemed to be able to do so freely. But, as Tim found out soon enough, when they seemed to take too long of a stretch, the guards were quick to reprimand them, usually in the form of a quick blow to the back of the head with a stick they carried. Not hard enough to hurt, really, but certainly hard enough to remind them where there attention should be.

It was on one of these stretch breaks, right as Tim was in the middle of wiping the dripping sweat off his face with his sleeve, that he noticed he was being stared at. From the distance Tim was at, he thought maybe the man was human. He was a decent looking guy, with long blonde hair tied behind his head. Even from where he was standing, Tim could see intense dark eyes, with thin arched eybrows atop them. Then he noticed the pointed ears. So much for being human. Tim wondered if the man was an elf, like Ileeya.

He simply stood there, calmly staring at Tim with his steely eyes. There was a hint of malice behind those eyes. Tim thought about nodding in acknowledgement, but the man had a strange expression on his face, almost like he wanted to wrap the hoe around Tim's head. The man stared another minute longer before getting back to work.

With each passing minute, Tim longed more and more for a cool shower. Followed by a long soak in a hot tub. With a couple of beers. And maybe a steak. Well, maybe the steak before the soak. Too bad he couldn't eat the steak in the hot tub, now that would be something.

After several long hours of hard work, the guard called them to a stop. The entire group was herded, like cattle, back through the door they had come out of. Another guard was waiting just inside the door, and led them around the corridors to another door. Inside was a bathing room, with several wash basins lining the walls.

So much for that cool shower, but Tim was still grateful for the opportunity to scrub the dirt and sweat off his body. Afterward, he almost felt as good as new.

Then, it was more herding down more narrow hallways. Tim was tempted to moo loudly, but the joke would be lost on these people. Surely they wouldn't know what a cow was.

They arrived at a large and beautiful dining hall. Large oak tables filled the room, and at each of the place settings sat a plate generously heaped with food. Tim's mouth watered at the sight of it.

The other slaves picked a seat and sat down; Tim did the same.

Tim had no idea what he was eating, and at that very moment he didn't care. There was some sort of meat, a vegetable, and a bread like object, and it all tasted spectacular. He hadn't realized how hungry he was.

About three quarters of the way through his meal, after his appetite had been somewhat satisfied, he was able to finally lift his head and take a look around.

Several slaves sat at the various tables. The females were seated and eating now, and Tim noticed Ileeya a few tables away.

She seemed to be trying to eat. But the man sitting next to her was preventing her from doing that. Tim noticed it was the same man that had been staring at him in the field. His mouth moved incessantly, and Ileeya's head would occasionally nod yes or shake no. Once in awhile she would turn toward the man and say something.

As Tim watched, the man picked up Ileeya's hand and pressed it to his mouth, kissing it. Ileeya turned toward the guy, gave him a disarming smile, and gracefully removed her hand from his so she could continue eating.

He turned toward Tim, then, as if he knew he was being observed. A smirk crept across his thin lips, and his eyes were cold and penetrating.

Immediately, Tim decided he didn't like the man, even though he didn't know him. He didn't like his smug personality, the way he seemed at ease. He seemed overconfident, like he belonged here and was comfortable. Tim got the feeling that no matter where this guy was or how bad the situation, he would always have that expression on his face and act like he was in his element.

The man turned back to Ileeya. Very gracefully, he moved her hair back from her face and blew in her ear. Ileeya's head jerked away from him and she scowled at him, saying something to him. The man just sat there and smiled. Once again he turned back toward Tim, shrugging and smiling innocently. What an ass.

Their staring contest was interrupted by one of the guards yelling at the group. All the slaves stood up, and Tim followed suit. They all formed a line and were led back to their cells.

Ileeya was already in the cell by the time he got back.

"So how did it go?"

"Oh, not so bad, considering. I've never been a big fan of gardening."

She chuckled a little but said nothing.

"Who was that guy you were talking to in the dining hall," he blurted out.

She blinked innocent doe eyes at him and said, "What guy?"

"The one with blonde hair who blew in your ear." Realizing he sounded like a jealous boyfriend when he had no right to, he quickly added, "I'm only asking because I saw him in the field today and he just gave me the weirdest look."

"Oh," she rolled her eyes. "That's Jondak. He's an Irnaxxian. A race that lives on the same plane as I do. Irnaxxians are an arrogant race, headstrong and selfish. They possess some minor telepathic abilities which they always try to use to their advantage. They rarely take anything seriously. Most obstacles present a challenge for them. And they love a challenge."

"Are you two, um...,"

She visibly cringed. "Absolutely not."

"He certainly likes you well enough," Tim teased.

"You're awfully forward, Timothy Mitchell. We need to change the subject. I dislike talking about arrogant fools."

At the mention of his full name, Tim stood in stunned silence. After several minutes, he finally managed to whisper, "How did you know my name?"

"Why, you told me, of course."

"No. I didn't. I told you my name was Tim. I never said Timothy. Or Mitchell."

"Forward and nosey. The girls must love you back home," she replied acidly.

"Have I offended you in some way?"

She stood silently for a moment. "I'm sorry, Tim. I was being rude. Jondak brings out the worst in me, and when you implied he and I might have more going on than a few words, it must have hit a nerve. Jondak wants anything he can't have. Since I resist his advances, he feels encouraged to try harder. I've learned the best way to deal with him is to gently resist."

"Why don't you just tell him to leave you alone?"

"Ha! Apparently you've never tangled with an Irnaxxian before. Don't ruffle his feathers, Tim, or you'll regret it."

This piqued Tim's curiosity, and he wanted to know more, but decided a change in conversation would be best. He completely forgot that she never answered his question about how she knew his name.