Anna's Adventures

[Amphitrite]

Escaping The Savages


Anna moved slightly from her hiding position in the workshop, she must have dozed off while waiting for a moment to flee the castle. She pushed her freshly cut hair out of her face, grimacing at the rugged edges. Anna quickly tucked it back in under the helmet she was wearing, she hated seeing the bland light brown instead of her usual red-brown but it was a necessary sacrifice.

Anna paused as she heard Mary’s voice outside the door briefly. It seemed as though the Tallis man that August was so fond of had captured Mary. The brute. Anna moved closer to the open doorway when she heard the orders to bring the captives inside the keep. She heard that they were missing a sister and she could only assume that they were talking about her and that Amelia had been taken inside as well.

She peered outside to see where they were at before quietly moving throughout the workshop grabbing anything of value. Anna nearly jumped when she saw Amelia enter the workshop but they both moved about gathering what they could, both knowing that this was not the time to communicate. Not with an enemy so close. But Anna was so happy that they had not found Amelia, she was the best of the three of them at this.

Once both of them had gathered nearly anything of value Anna followed Amelia out of the castle walls through the hole the invaders had made in it. Anna regretted the battle today, it wouldn’t change anything and would just give these savages false hope. They may have won the battle but they would not win the war. Amelia led Anna through the woods until they came to a clearing. Anna was shocked to see the quetz and her kitty there. She didn't think that they would make it out of the battle alive. Anna nearly jumped out of her skin when Justus’ mircoraptor nuzzled his head against her leg.

Anna asked Amelia how they were going to save the rest of the captives and Amelia told her to stay with the animals and she would see what she could do. Anna protested wanting to come and help save her sister. Anna made Amelia promise that she would leave her radio on so that she would know what was happening.

After Amelia left, there was almost no sound coming over the radio for a long while. Anna sat on top of the quetz, her fingers turning white from the stress of holding the radio so tightly. Anna assumed that as long as everything was quiet that Amelia was safe. Soon enough Anna could hear the sound of Amelia running and then Amelia was in front of the quetz. She had Mary’s stupid monkey from Atticus on her back. Amelia tossed the monkey up to Anna before running back towards the castle.

This time Anna heard a large door shutting and she could only assume that it was the large door in front of the keep. She giggled a little bit to herself that Amelia had locked the savages inside the capital they had taken over. Then more running and some indistinctive shouting. Not long after that Anna heard John’s voice come over Amelia’s radio. He had managed to escape during the ruckus that Amelia caused when she locked them in the keep.

Anna was happy when she heard that, it meant that these robbers were not nearly as good as they thought they were. They couldn’t even keep a couple of prisoners.

Then the news came that they were carting Mary around forcing her to open the doors. Anna nearly died inside knowing that while they were with Mary their chances of rescuing her were slim to none.

Anna listen on as John helped Amelia. Anna watched as John used a poison wyvern to distract the guards on Mary, which allowed Amelia to swoop in and rescue Mary.

Anna sighed as Amelia and Mary were arguing, normally she would take Amelia’s side just for the principal of it but this time Mary was right. They had to return to the Capital and rescue the king. And Father would already be disappointed enough with them without leaving the King and his Hand captive with Riggard. It would make their plan that much harder to execute.

Anna jumped down and jumped in the fight, “We have to go back and get them. We’ve gotten 2 captives, you found me and we got what we needed out of the workshop. They are jumpy as hell, all we need to do is create a distraction and then we can get them.”

Mary quickly agreed and Amelia still wanted to wait for Father but Mary took the decision out of her hands when she started running back towards the capital.

Amelia and Anna quickly jumped on the quetz and picked Mary up. If one of them were going they all were. Amelia landed the bird in one of the Obsidian Sun animal pens, and they all got off and snuck into the river.

As the sisters approached the wall, Mary suggested that she be the distraction, after all she had escaped them surely they would chase after her. Both Amelia and Anna shot her down. They would create a distraction not use one of them as a distraction. The only thing worse than losing the King was losing one of them.

As they got closer to the wall the girls drew silent. Anna and Mary jumped into the wall but as Amelia went to jump they heard footsteps approaching. Amelia quickly ran back towards the river and back to the other side. Anna and Mary looked at each other and scrambled after her.

On the other side of the river, they hide in some large bushes. Just in time as a bird flew out of the capital, looked around and went back inside. That was a close call. Mary started to run back towards the river, Amelia got up to run after her but Anna stayed where she was. She didn't believe that it was safe yet. Just as she thought that, another bird came barrelling out of the capital using the belladonna to get wherever it was going. Amelia quickly hit the ground, hiding herself in the bushes again and Mary ran back to hide as well.

They held their breath, waiting for the bird to come swooping down on them, but it never came. The bird simply flew away from them towards Riggard. The three sisters let out a breath and slowly worked their way towards the capital. Once back inside the walls the girls split up, using their radios to keep track of each other. Anna ran around on the second floor of the wall, closing the doors behind her to ensure that no one could follow who didn’t have the key.

Suddenly her radio rung out, Mary and Amelia had heard shots and were moving closer to see what was happening. Anna quickly moved towards where her sisters were, worried that the king had been shot. While rushing out to where her sisters were Anna saw Justus making his way over towards them, she quickly rushed over towards him and took off the handcuffs. Amelia and Anna quickly rushed him outside the wall and Anna brought him to where they had hidden their stuff on the tapa John lent them.

All of the sudden a man’s voice grumbled through on the radio, Anna froze in shock. None of their men had radios anymore. She barely heard Mary’s voice telling them to switch to their alternate channel. Anna quickly tried to remember if they had discussed locations of things other than where they were inside the castle walls. She didn’t think so but kept a close eye out just in case.

Anna kept an ear on her radio while asking Justus if he knew what had happened to the king. He didn’t know much but he seemed like his usual self. Anna groaned when she heard that a traitor had taken the king away from the capital. Amelia and Mary ran over to where Justus and Anna were as fast as they could.

The girls figured that the trader would have brought King Brix to Riggard since he had seemed friendly with them while Mary was captive. They grabbed everything that they had managed to get from the capital and flew towards Riggard. While they scouted the outside of the town, Justus found a boat with a pachyrhino that had gone missing from the capital when the spy was still living there. Justus rigged the boat so that they would be able to sail it away when they left. The girls celebrated that they had a place to sleep before getting back to the task at hand.

They quietly flew into the base and landed on a roof. The first time Anna and Mary were here, August had been jumping between the rooftops and no one had come to investigate. The girls and Justus ensured that they stuck up on top of the roofs.

After searching everywhere they could in the town, they realized that the King was not there or if he was they had hidden him so well that they wouldn’t be able to find him. They decided to load the birds on the boat and leave the town. Justus brought them to an undisclosed location not too far away so that they could keep an eye on their enemy.

Since none of them knew where a trader could possibly live on this broken island, they decided to fly around and see what they could find. The three of them split up. After Anna had just about hit the point where she was ready to give up for the night, Amelia found a place with huge signs saying Aeternia Merchants Guild. Mary and Anna wheeled their birds around and went in the direction that Amelia had flown in.

Soon enough they reached her and the three of them decided to approach the building. Before they got too close to it a man stopped them, he introduced himself as Trader Vox. They asked him about the King and he wanted protection from Riggard in return. Anna resisted rolling her eyes, they were trying to give the people of Aeternia that for free, they just didn’t seem to want to help themselves.

The sisters agreed but he wanted a token from to ensure that they would come back. Anna didn’t have anything on her. But she saw the damn monkey sitting on Mary’s shoulder, perhaps this was how she could get rid of him once and for all. She whispered the suggestion to Mary and Mary was firmly against it. She wanted to keep her monkey. Anna was going to argue back but Amelia ran in front of them and offered some of her diamonds.

Trader Vox took the diamonds and then showed them around to prove that the King was not there. Finally, there was only one small room left in the back corner, Trader Vox warned them that there was a man inside but he was not the king.

The man certainly was not the king but once they were inside the room Trader took out his gun and shot the man who was sleeping. Amelia and Anna gasped in shock. Anna had seen men shot before, hell she had just been in a war but not very often when a person was down and out. Mary never even flinched at the shot. Perhaps it showed how worried she was about Brix but Anna just thought it showed how cold her heart was. Brix had been good for Mary, he and Atticus had gotten Mary to show her softer side. Or at least show it while Anna was around.

The Trader then told them what had happened to Brix, that he had given a weapon, some armour, and a bird. He shown him how to use them and then told him to hide and not reveal himself to anyone. He told the sisters what they had to say to Brix so that he would know they were friends and that Brix was not what he used to be. With that, he sent them off in the direction that Brix had gone.

After hours upon hours of searching for the King, they finally found him. The bird that Trader Vox had described outside a house and the King inside. They had to convince the king that they knew Trader Vox and he had sent them but telling him the colour of armour that he was wearing and the message from Trader.

Finally, they heard the door unlocked and then nothing. The inside was extremely dark and Anna couldn’t see the King anywhere. She scanned the room for him until she finally saw him in the far corner, pointing a spear at them.

The savages of Riggard had done something to the King that was worse than death as far as Anna was concerned. They took away the very essence of who he was. Anna often heard people say that they would rather die on their feet than live on their knees. Anna had never really understood it until this point. But Anna believed that this fate was worse than killing a person.

They explained to Brix about the war and why Riggard had attacked them. That Riggard did not like the idea of the Kingdom going to Crasite to kill the savages so that the innocent Aeterians could be safe. Brix seemed to know what they were talking about more than before when they brought up the need to kill the savages. Then he started asking about the trader and wondering where he went and if the girls were traders as well. They had to explain to him that they were friends not traders but that they would do everything they could to help the Trader.

As they talked to King Brix, Anna realized that not all was lost, even if they couldn’t heal him, they could coach him through being the King he once was. All they had to do was teach him how to write, it shouldn’t be that hard. Riggard would soon realize that leaving the King alive was a mistake.

And then the King showed them his chairs, he wanted them to sit in them. It turned out that whatever Riggard had done to him had given him a love for not only making chairs but also having people to sit in them. Anna internally sighed; at least they had a lot of wood.

[Valkerie21]

Loved the read and loved RPING with you guys, clearly the war is not the end of this and I'm excited to see what you guys will do next, I've got a few bullets with your names on it

[Veldiir]

Well written, Amphi! August will very much like to know all of this information when he returns from his trip

[Amphitrite]

@Valkerie21 i enjoyed rping with you as well! And no this is not the end, just the end of the first battle   and @"Stormborn" thanks   and August should definitely seek out the sisters, I know of at least one that wants to see him again  

[Amphitrite]

Mary's Death (Aeternia Wipe Event)

Anna paced uncomfortably, she hated waiting. She glanced nervously over at Mary, Anna didn’t think that this was a good idea but someone had to look out for Mary. Sometimes Anna thought that Mary would follow King Brix into a volcano if he wanted to go. Amelia had refused to come, which left the job up to Anna. She didn’t know how Brix and Mary were planning on taking out the traders when they weren’t even able to stop Riggard from taking the capital. 

Anna watched as the shot was taken to take out one of the traders. The trader collapsed and then all hell broke loose. Everyone was running around and shooting, animals were attacking. Anna tightening her grip on the gun before following Mary, staying only close enough that she would be able to keep an eye on her. Before long, Anna had lost her in all of the confusion. Anna quickly hid beside the building as two slightly familiar T-rexes ran by her and cringed. August was not going to be happy if those were his. Anna turned to go look for him, she had to make sure he was safe.

Suddenly Anna heard her sister cry out from behind her. She turned and saw Mary fall to the ground, Anna screamed for her sister. She didn’t think and just ran towards Mary. Ignoring the masked man who had injured Mary, Anna threw herself onto her sister, trying to find where Mary was injured, Anna barely felt it when her own side was struck by the man. Then the entire world went black.

The next thing Anna felt was pain, throbbing pain. Starting from her side and radiating to the rest of her body. She groaned before she remembered what had happened. Mary! Her eyes shot open. She had to help Mary.

“Mary?” Anna asked, “Mary are you okay?” 

“M-mary?! Anna??!!” August’s voice asked through the haze. Anna turned to look for him, he would be able to help.

“Fuck, Anna? It’s...I’m...in bad shape.” Anna turned back to Mary, searching her for injuries. She noted Mary’s pale face and the way that she was clutching her stomach. Anna knew then that without medical attention, her sister was going to die. She hid her own injuries as quickly as she could from her sister and August, knowing that both would insist she got treatment first. 

“What’s going on here?” Anna didn’t need to look away from her sister to know that August was glaring at them.

“August...I...we” Mary would struggle to talk and cough up some blood, “the traders had...had to be stopped.” Anna smoothed Mary’s hair back from her face, she didn’t know what else to do. She certainly didn’t want to deal with August’s anger right now.

“the traders have done nothing wrong here, they are merely traders.” Anna risked taking a glance at him, just in time to see him glare over at her and add “and you all seem to be traitors.” That hurt more than Anna wanted to admit. The dodo prophet then offered to heal Mary, Anna internally groaned, Mary needed a real doctor, not some nut job. Dodos couldn’t heal anyone.

Mary attempted to respond to August even though Anna tried stopped her. Mary had to save her energy until they could get a doctor to tend to her. Mary and August went back and forth about what had happened and why, while Anna tried to put pressure on Mary’s wound. She quickly began panicking as nothing she tried to do helped.

Anna let her tears fall, as it seemed to be too late for Mary. She started praying that Mary would be alright. She needed her big sisters, they should never have split up with Amelia.

Finally, Anna heard August tell someone to stop them from bleeding out. Anna frowned, she was fine, mostly. Mary was the one who needed help.

Then Mary asked for Brix, and Anna saw red. She told Mary that he didn’t matter and wasn’t worth killing herself over. Mary argued back and Anna lost focus of everything but Mary, barely noticing the dodo being shoved between Mary and her. 

Finally, August snapped her out of it and told her that the dodo man was the healer. Anna quickly grabbed Mary’s hands and placed them on the dodo. Not noticing that her own hands were touching it as well.

Anna watched in amazement as the man began to heal them through the dodo, she had never seen such a thing before. She saw Mary’s wound, heal and then felt for her own. It had been healed as well.

“Thank you dodo man,” She said quietly, the moment too magical to be broken. She focused back on Mary and making sure that she was comfortable. Although she appeared to be fine, Anna was still afraid that something would happen to her. She had been so close to death, it seemed impossible that she was healed just like that. 

Mary weakly asked for King Brix before refusing to respond anymore, so Anna looked around for him. Hoping that Brix could make Mary respond again. She saw him propped up against a pillar slightly over from them. Her eyes widen slightly seeing August arguing with him. That would not go well...Anna muttered to Mary that she would go get him for her. She went over there as quickly as she could, calling for Brix. The mute lady would try to prevent from getting to him but Anna didn’t let that stop her. Mary wanted Brix and so Anna would get him for her. 

She pleaded with them to let Brix come to Mary, using Mary’s near-death to try and convince them. August was surprised that she was still dying.

Anna looked at him as tears started falling again, “I don’t know, but she isn’t responding and -and” She couldn’t bear to finish the sentence, she couldn’t lose her sister, she just couldn’t. Brix started arguing to see her as well. Anna relaxed knowing that August and Brix would get Brix over to Mary. She heard Brix accuse August of participating in hurting her, Anna nearly slapped him. August would never do such a thing, and Anna made sure to tell him so. But August simply dragged Brix over to Mary, pointing his pistol at him the entire time. Brix argued with Anna about August helping to hurt her though, calling her foolish and blaming him for Mary’s impending death. Anna disagreed, he didn’t know even know that she had been part of the battle. Then Brix blamed him for even fighting, Anna was going to argue back but he had already turned to Mary. 

But August was not deterred, he pointed his gun at Brix once again and asked what was stopping August from shooting Brix. Anna begged August to extend Brix’s life, not wanting Mary to have to see his dead body when she woke up. Anna feared that might send her over the edge. She grabbed onto one of Mary’s hands, hoping that she would wake up soon. She frowned as she heard Brix still arguing with August, it didn’t matter, none of it mattered if Mary died. He should be paying attention to her and not August. 

Brix finally started giving Mary his full attention, asking about the healing and trying to figure out why she had passed out. Blaming the dodo man for it all, which caused August to threaten him again. Not that Anna blamed him, she just wished that they both would stop arguing.

Mary started screaming in pain. Brix winced, recoiling from the sound, asking what was wrong with her. Anna reached out to do something to help before falling short because she had no idea what to do. 

Mary smiled slightly at Brix, still clearly dazed and bloody. Anna looked at Brix, panicking slightly when she saw the look of concern on his face. She asked if she could hear him. Mary was more concerned with ensuring that Brix was alright than with answering his questions. Anna watched as Brix lied to Mary about his wound, telling her that he would be fine. But from the look of it, he would be anything but. 

Brix started asking about the healing again, Anna thought it was slightly weird...what did it matter how she was healed so long as she was going to live? Anna frowned as she heard fireworks going off, someone was dying and they were celebrating. And they wondered why Brix and the sisters thought that this land was full of savages. How could they not understand how terrible this was, Mary could die. 

When Brix reminded Mary about the army, Anna promised Mary that the healers from their Father’s army would be there soon. She just had to hold on for a little bit longer, not that Anna could see anything wrong with Mary.

Anna heard August promising to kill Brix and that no one would touch her. Perhaps she hadn’t made him completely hate her, at least not yet. Though he still sounded cold and not like her August.

But still, she told August that he couldn’t shoot Brix in front of Mary, she knew that if anyone shot August in front of her he would go crazy. She wouldn’t let August cause Mary that type of pain.

Anna listened as Mary declared her love for Brix, heard August asking if he could shoot Brix yet and she responded with not yet. She didn’t particularly care if he lived or not but she didn’t want him killed in front of Mary. She pleaded with her eyes for August not to shoot him, she couldn’t bear to see her sister in that type of pain. She turned back to Mary, she was the important one right now.  She stopped paying attention to what everyone was saying, stopped listening to August defend her from the mute woman. She focused on being happy that Mary seemed to be doing fine, now that Brix was here. She knew that August would keep Mary and her safe, she didn’t have anything to worry about anymore.

She missed hearing Brix’s apology to Mary, his declaration of love. Only noticed him leaning into to kiss Mary because he blocked her view of Mary. She certainly didn’t see the gun that he pulled out and shot Mary with. At the sound of the gunshot she jumped, said something to Brix that she couldn’t remember later and started to cry over Mary’s body.

Everything was pain and cold. So cold that it made everything hurt even more. She barely registered the second gunshot that was August killing Brix. She was too far gone, lost in her own world of pain. Nothing else mattering except the fact that Mary was gone and Anna would never see her again. All Anna could think about was how Mary was gone, over and over, a never ending circle. Mary gone, pain, cold. Over and over. 

She didn’t notice that she was sobbing until she saw August beside her “She’s gone...she’s d-dead.” Anna said. Saying it, made it more real causing the pain of Mary being gone to intensify. 

She didn’t resist him picking her up and surrounding her with his warmth. His warmth pushing the cold away, allowing her sobs to turn to silent tears. Not until he suggested that they leave. They couldn’t just leave her there to rot beside Brix. August held her to his chest tightly, she rested her head against his shoulder. The dodo man offered to bury Mary, Anna thanked him, not wanting to think about Mary being stuck in the ground never to see sunlight again. Anna closed her eyes hoping that the whole world except for August and her would just go away. Just stop and give her give time or better yet go back just ten minutes and let her save Mary. 

Oh god Mary, Mary was gone. Anna’s mind started to spiral back into the cold and painful place it had been before August had saved her. Suddenly she jostled, not much but slightly.  Her eyes opened in shock, surprised to see the mute lady trying to fight August. 

Anna knew what she wanted, she had to punish Anna for what had happened today. “August, just leave me. It’s not worth you getting hurt.” Not that Anna thought the mute could hurt August but if August hurt the mute then Riggard would come after him. That was the last thing that Anna wanted. Anna wanted to groan when August put her down and leant against one of the pillars, unable to keep herself up.  She watched as August drew his bow and threaten the mute, knowing that nothing would stop him so long as the mute was trying to take Anna from him. 

She heard the traders freaking out about the warships coming, but she kept her eyes on August. The ships posed no threat to them, and they were too late anyways. Mary was dead and there was nothing they could do about it. The might of her Father’s army couldn’t bring back Mary. Anna shivered wishing she could have August’s warmth back.

Apparently, the mute did care about the ships because she turned and fled. August turned back to Anna, putting away his bow and picking her up. Telling her that they were leaving with the ships. Anna agreed, not wanting to be around when her Father found out about Mary’s death. She snuggled into August, not wanting to think of anything but him. 

The traders rushed them onto the ship, worried about the impending army coming to Aeternia. Once on the ship, August put her down, telling her to rest while he went to find out where they were going. While he was doing that, the same masked man that injured Mary and Anna tried to take over the ship. Anna wouldn’t have even noticed but she had heard August shouting. She watched as the people tossed the man overboard. She frowned and muttered to herself “No wonder Father believed you were all savages.”

She stared out towards the sea, knowing that she would not only never see Mary again but probably not Amelia or Father or even Mother again. It was her fault that Mary was dead and she didn’t see how they could even begin to forgive her. She didn’t even think that she could forgive herself.

After a while August came back, checking up on her. Anna knew that he must be beyond angry at her, not only had her stupidity possibly gotten him injured but she hadn’t even managed to save her sister which was the whole point. 

Anna told him that she’d be okay, physically at the very least that was true. 

“Everything will be fine… I’ll see to that, love...Trust me,” he reassured her, she looked into his eyes when he called her love for the first time and upon seeing his gaze soften she reached out for his hand. Needing to hold onto him, to know that he was still there. Wanting to be close to him in some way.

She tried to apologize for everything and explained that she couldn’t let Mary fight alone. But August just told her to rest and that they would speak later.

Anna shook her head “I don’t think I can. Every time I close my eyes I see it over and over again. I should never have let Brix near her.” She felt the cold creeping back and held onto August’s hand not wanting to go back to the pain and darkness. 

August told her that he regretted not killing even when she had pleaded with him not to. But Anna disagreed, telling him how she couldn’t go back home, not now. Not with Mary’s blood still on her hands.

So August invited her to live with them, whoever that was. Probably him and Aradia and maybe Tallis if he came back. He told her that he would keep her safe. Anna was sure that she would be the last person that Aradia would want living with them. No one would want their partner’s ex living near them. Perhaps what she deserved was to be alone, she couldn’t keep anyone safe. August assured her that Aradia would come to accept it so Anna agreed. 

Anna leant her head back, her eyes fluttering shut only to see Mary dying over and over again causing her eyes to fly back open. She stared off over the ocean, every once so often she would slightly drift off. But Mary’s death wouldn’t allow her to get any rest. Eventually, she felt August leave, she pretended to be sleeping, knowing that he was probably leaving to get Aradia and he wouldn't leave if Anna was awake. He wouldn’t leave her behind. He needed to go get his partner because as much as Anna wished it, August wasn’t hers anymore.

Once he left she allowed her tears to fall again and the darkness close in around her. Sure, Mary and she weren’t the closest of sisters but they were always there for each other when it mattered. Anna had failed her. Nothing would ever be the same again.

Anna allowed herself to wallow in the pain and darkness for the entire trip the only brief pauses were when August was around. She didn’t deserve it of course but she could never bring herself to send him away.

//way later than I wanted it to be buttt better late than never <3 Also @Pia I told you that she loved Mary!!

[Veldiir]

August was sooooo wrong on so many occasions D: And poor Mary, I actually liked her

[Pia]

Aww, that was a great read, Amphi!

Mary loved Anna too. Even if she is a spoiled little brat. <3

[Amphitrite]

Kidnapped (Round 1 of Emory's Game)

Anna rushed to the Trader Tower, she had waited until she knew that August was busy so that she could surprise him. She still needed a couple of days for the shipment to arrive but she had to make sure that she had enough coin to pay for it. Anna quickly traded her things and went to rush home. 

Anna didn’t think anything of it when Cole asked for her help. He was always fixing up one islander or another after various incidents. She didn’t think that she would be much help but he insisted. Anna followed him deep into the woods, away from everyone. She trusted him, not only had the man saved August’s life but August trusted him and that was enough for Anna. It wasn’t the first time she had been alone with him, the two had travelled to visit Nina and Ituha and Cole had ensured she made it home safely. 

She didn’t think twice about entering the wooden structure that Cole said the man was in. She didn’t look back to see Cole raise his club and hit her over the head. She trusted him, after all, he was a doctor.

*****

Anna groaned and struggled against the ropes that bound her to the table. Once she realized that it was hopeless to try and get out of the ropes, she looked around for the person who had must have put her here. She quickly found him in the small room that she was being kept captive in. She couldn’t tell anything about him other than he was tall and broad. 

She was confused and asked him to take her home. The man refused. Anna wanted to cry, she didn’t want to deal with things like this anymore, she just wanted to go home to August.  She struggled against the ropes again, hoping that one would come loose and she could get free. 

He turned and grabbed a knife from somewhere that Anna couldn’t see. Once he showed her the knife she began struggling even harder against the ropes. She didn’t know what he was going to do to her but she wanted no part of it. He moved her shirt out of his way to get at her arm. She didn’t stop struggling until he had the blade against her skin, then she froze, trying to remain as still as possible so that he wouldn’t accidentally cut her. She shivered slightly as the man paused, seemingly revelling in the situation. Then he started cutting around her tattoo. Anna did her best not to move while he cut around it, but she couldn’t help her scream. Finally, the man removed the tattooed flesh from her and put it aside. 

She stared up at the man in horror and fear, unsure of what he would do next. 

It seemed as though he took great pleasure in what he was doing to her and that scared her. She had seen people like that before and she knew that it pushed them to do worse and worse things. He pressed a cup with liquid against her mouth, not giving her much of a choice but to drink it. Soon after Anna passed out, drifting off to the safety of the darkness.

******

Once again she woke tied up. She had hoped that it had all be some sick dream. She begged to be let go.

The man leaned over her, his masked face mere inches from hers “You’re going to help me have a little fun, and if you don’t...well it won’t be very fun for you. Do you understand me Anna?” she nodded.

“I need you to say a few things over the radio Princess, do you understand? Now I’m going to be watching you and if you say anything I don’t tell you to...well I’ll make sure your death is excruciating. If you listen you just might get to see August again.” He gently brushed the hair away from her face. Anna cringed away from him before agreeing. She just wanted to go home. He told her to ask for August on the radio, to tell August that the man that had kidnapped her will kill her if August didn’t listen to his instructions. 

Anna’s eyes widened in fear, she didn’t want August brought into this. Why couldn’t this man torture someone else on the island? Why her August? Why did he have to mess with her home? “You aren’t going to kill him are you?” She hesitantly asked. She knew that August would want her to do as the man asked but how could she if he wanted to hurt August. No, she would find out what the man wanted first.

The man said that he needed August alive, that it would be a waste of his time to do everything he had to just kill August in the end. He told her that he had much bigger plans. Fresh tears met her cheeks. She agreed to do what he wanted.

Once again the man warned her “If you say anything else, I will make sure that you beg for death, and before I grant it I will go and retrieve your little boyfriend, remove his head, and bring it to you as a gift. Now say what I told you to say.” Anna sobbed and agreed, she called out to August on the radio that the man held to her mouth, in the quietest voice she could manage. Hoping that August wouldn’t be listening. Hoping that he would be asleep and not pulled into this nightmare with her.

But her wish didn’t come true, August responded he had heard her. Anna wanted to cry. She looked at the man waiting for him to tell her what to say next. She wouldn’t be able to stand it if he went and hurt August because she couldn’t listen. She listened to the man carefully before responding to August.

“August?” she called out again, trying to keep the fear out of her voice, “I’m in a box, with a man. He says that if you do not listen to him then..” she looked at the man hoping that he wouldn’t make her finish but he just waited for her to continue, “he’s going to cut off my head and bring it to you.”

Anna glared at the man, hating that he was making her do this. Hating that he seemed to get so much pleasure from it. The man seemed to enjoy her hatred, fear and pain. He gave her the next instructions for August, and so once again she relayed them to August. “He’s going to give you a location but you have to hurry. If you don’t get here fast enough then we will be gone and he will be forced to punish you for your tardiness,” she couldn’t hold in her sob, “by causing pain to me.” 

He waited just long enough to hear them start planning and begin to mobilize before he gave her the location. Anna told them to come to the mountain surrounded by the sea of red. She begged August to hurry. Now that he was pulled into this, she was willing to do anything to get it done and over with.The man told her that she did good and that he would wait to hurt her. Like that was supposed to make her feel better. She told him that August would kill the man if he hurt her. But that didn’t seem to phase him at all. 

He told her what to say next and gave her the pin and she relayed it to August.When the man didn’t start moving her, she knew that she hadn’t sent August to her location yet. So they waited. Finally, he walked over to her, a large knife in his hand. He seemed excited to her which only made her more scared.

She stared at the large knife as the man pressed against her wrist, doing her best not to shiver from the cold and cause it to cut her deeper. She repeated what he told her to say word for word. She told August how he had been too late, and that tardiness needed to be punished. She looked up at the man in fear, knowing that she would be the one paying the price. There was more pressure on her wrist and then everything went white with pain, blinding her. She couldn’t feel anything but the unimaginable pain of her hand being separated from her wrist. She did her best to get away from it but nothing worked.

She didn’t realize that her screams were being broadcasted over the radio. She was stuck in a tiny world filled with pain. She felt the blackness start to pull her under but she fought it, she had to stay awake to ensure the man didn’t hurt August like he was hurting her. It felt as though it would never end. Finally, right as she was going to give into the blackness and let all of the pain go away, it stopped being the only thing she could think of. Her hand was gone, the most painful part was over.Anna was no longer only able to feel pain. If she focused hard enough she could pay attention to what the man was saying. She did her best to focus on the man and tell August where they were but she wasn’t sure if it was enough. 

But it must have been because next thing she knew they were on their way. She passed out on the way there despite her best efforts. She woke up inside a box that smelt of death and shivered. Would this be where the man finally put her out of her misery?

The man prompted her to give the code to August. She didn’t want to, she knew what August would find there. She didn’t want him to see it, she didn’t even want to think of the cold box in the north. But she knew the man would kill both of them if she didn’t so she gathered her remaining strength and forced herself to call out over the radio. She gave him the code and listened to him beg for her to stop being hurt once he had found what was there. Tears pooled once again in her eyes, she hadn’t meant to cause this much trouble. If she had just listened to August and stayed near the town then none of this would have happened. But the island had seemed so safe. She swore from then on she would listen to August, no matter how hard it was. 

Anna watched as the man prepared the last box. Slightly relieved that he seemed to be ignoring her but at the same time scared of what that meant. She wrapped what used to be her hand in the bottom of her shirt, trying to slow the bleeding. She drifted off again while waiting for the man to give her the next instructions for August. Waking the moment that the man started talking again.

He gave her instructions to tell August. She told him the location and about her impending death if he didn’t hurry. That this was the end of the game and the man looked forward to playing again. He then told her something to say to August that was awful, she refused to say it. Which ended in more pain for her but it was worth it. She wouldn’t tell August such a thing, no matter what.

She finally took a good look around the tiny box, the place she now knew that she was going to die. She nearly threw up when she saw the other body on the table. She was surprised why would there be another body? She watched in horror as the man put her tattoo on the body, burning the rest of it, ensuring that the recognizable parts looked like her. Who had this man killed to get a body?

She was shocked when the man grabbed her to leave the box once again. She thought that the game was over. That she would die here. The man must have seen the confusion on her face. Because he told her that she had done a good job and she was going home. 

The man brought her home, Anna drifting in and out of consciousness the entire way. He dropped her in front of the tavern, telling her that someone should find her soon. She doubted that, not with everyone thinking she was dead. Anna knew she would probably die on the steps of the tavern. She wanted to move or write a note or something but she couldn’t move. It was taking everything she had just to stay conscious.

She watched blankly as birds flew to just outside the wall before flying to another location in a rush. She knew that they probably wouldn’t make it in time to save her. The blood loss would kill her first. Besides they weren’t looking for her, they thought that she was dead. August didn’t know that she still needed saving. Finally, she passed out against the tavern door. The pain and blood loss too much for her. But even unconsciousness hurt, this time there was no escaping the pain.

******

Slowly the pain started to recede, a warm glowing feeling taking its place. Then she heard August’s voice and turned towards it. Joy shot through her, she didn’t think that she would ever see him again. She had been sure that the evil man would kill her, that she would never see August again.

She wanted to tell him how happy she was to see him. That she had missed him and none of this was his fault but she began to tell him, some of the warmth quickly receded, and the pain started flooding back in. Instead, she told him that it hurt. That wasn’t even close to what she wanted to say. Her entire body hurt everything but her left hand...oh gods her left hand was gone. August reassured her that he was there, to just pay attention to him and she was safe. She watched August as Adak put the needle in her arm, barely noticing it. 

She slowly started drifting off again, when she felt a burning sensation where her hand had been. She screamed in pain and begged for August to make it stop. It rivalled the pain of having the hand cut off in the first place. Fresh tears poured down her face. August tried to tell her that Adak was saving her life but nothing that hurt this much could possibly be good for her. She tried to stop her screams but the pain was too much. She needed to release it somehow. Then Nina started taking some of the pain, knowing what others did not. Not even Anna knew what Nina had felt that pushed her to continue helping Anna.

The rest of the healing process passed in a blur, she briefly remembered Maisy and other people but not much more. When it seemed to be over, she asked August to take her home. She wanted to be back in her bed.

August carried her to their house, laying her gently in bed before rushing off to grab one of her dodos. She smiled as he brought back Galli and cuddled into her. Her smile quickly fell when she saw August’s serious expression as he sat beside her. He explained that it wasn’t safe for her here anymore. That he had failed to keep her safe, that she needed to leave so that she could be safe. Anna forced herself not to argue with him if this was what August thought was best then that was what she would do. After all, if she had just listened to August in the first place then this never would have happened. 

And so August rushed her to the tower, got Trader Sally to agree to let Anna take one of their ships to get off the island. He forced everyone who showed up at the tower to leave them alone. Anna didn’t know how to say goodbye to him, it was hard enough the first time. So instead she told him how much she would miss him and that she would write him as much as she could. He gave her his prized pistol to keep her safe. It immediately became her most cherished possession. 

Watching August walk away was one of the hardest things she had ever done. But she managed it. 

Once everyone had left the Tower, Trader Sally helped to settle Anna in upstairs. Sally helped Anna change out of her bloody clothes and ensuring that everything looked clean. She then turned and started getting stuff ready for Anna departure the next day, she showed Anna where she was putting everything. Ensured that she could get everything she needed with just one hand. Finally, she tucked the coin that August had given Sally into the bag. Sally then added more of her own coin before setting the bag by the door. 

Anna was confused, the traders were nice enough she guessed but this seemed almost too nice for a stranger to be. So Anna asked and then Sally told Anna her biggest secret. Swearing Anna to secrecy, she wasn’t even allowed to tell August. Sally convinced Anna that it would be too dangerous to tell him.

In return, Anna told Sally the complete truth of her past, without the lies that she had told Mr Cole or Maisy before. About Crasite and what had happened there, about kidnapping August, being with him and then leaving because of her Father. How she told him to go be happy and he became partnered with Aradia and how much that had hurt, even though Anna could never tell him because she had been the one to leave. About her sister dying, and coming here. Anna told Sally that she didn’t know how she was going to face the coming months without August. How she wasn’t sure if she would even be welcomed back at home after she left them with no word. Sally reassured her and then two women spent the entire night talking. Both too upset over the day’s events to sleep and both wanting to spend every moment they could together.

[Aliak]

God dammit Amphi.