Ghost -- Chapters 1-4 (6)
S K V Ghost

 

Z studied Taylor for a moment, to Taylor it felt like he was staring right past her flesh into her very soul, his eyes seemed to strip away her barriers that she held about herself, all with just his eyes.
“You may go back to your room Taylor,” he said turning away.
“How will I find my way back?” Taylor questioned looking at Z’s back
“You just go up, to find this place you go down as many stairs as possible, to get out you go up. Whenever you feel like you need to train, just head down, I will always be here…waiting, if you need me then just call.”
Taylor turned to go thinking about what Z had said…
“O and Taylor?” Taylor turned to the sound of Z’s voice “not all students here are the same, they completely different”
“What’s that suppose to mean?”
“Whatever you wish it to” Z smiled, and seemed to disappear into the shadows, turning the words over in her head Taylor walked up many, many stairs thinking over many things, it seemed like an eternity when she finally emerged to a place that looked remotely familiar, silently she went back to her room just sitting down calmly on her bed.
Taylor opened her eyes to the darkness, she lay still listening intently, and she thought she had heard her name spoken, in a whispering voice…
“Taylor disappears through the day William, how do you know what she does? Wolf no longer watches her, and she goes about this place as she pleases!”
“Do not worry about Taylor; I have every faith in her” came Williams cool calm voice.
“But her story William it just doesn’t make sense, one year, at least three hours a day made up of being tortured, otherwise being hung like a rag on a wall, and no crying or screaming for that whole entire time!” Taylor recognized the voice of Roger, even though she had only ever heard it spoken once before.
“I shall repeat Roger; I have ever faith in her. She is not like…anyone I ever met, sometimes colder than ice, yet other times as warm as a summer day.”
“Is that you mind speaking or your dick?” Roger scoffed
“You know me better than that Roger” replied William coldly.
As suddenly as she had heard it, the conversation faded out leaving Taylor staring up at her roof her eyes narrowed
“Did you hear that Ghost?”
“Hear it! Of course I fucken well heard it!” With a small smile Taylor soundlessly got out of her bed walking silently, pulling on her darkest clothes. She opened her door only enough for her to squeeze through the crack then wound her way through any corridors, which were surprisingly dark and empty; eventually she heard the sound of Williams voice…
“Roger we have been friends for a very long time, you know me more than most”
“I don’t know if I do know you anymore William, the girl told you not to leave, and you didn’t! You are the lord of thieves; you are the one that should be giving orders, not her!”
“She is different, do you notice the way she carries herself, imagine, what she would be like when she has truly recovered from the torture…any other whom had been put through what she has been through would still be in a room, sitting in a corner, yet she is up and about getting fit again…showing no sign of fear”
“She is dangerous, how do we know that she wasn’t faking being unwell? How do we know the so called bruises were just stains? They sure lasted longer than any bruises I have ever had!”
“Why are you so determined for me to kill or banish her Roger?” said William’s cold voice.
“Why are you so sure that she isn’t a spy?”
“Alright Roger I will put her through a test, I will put her through the maze! Will that make you happy?” exclaimed William
“Yes” replied Roger after a few seconds “that would satisfy my curiosity…”
Taylor calmly walked away, back to her room leaving a trail of ice in her wake.
 
The next day Taylor stayed in her room, doing various exercises to prepare herself against the unknown, she continued doing this until she heard a hesitant knocking at her door.
“Its open” said Taylor calmly moving on to another stretch.
Wolf entered looking at Taylor on the floor balancing on her left hand and with her body curled up in a little ball suspended in the air above it.
“William wishes to see you Taylor” he said.
Without any question, or hesitation Taylor (flipping herself off of the floor) walked over to Wolf.
“Well let’s go then” Wolf shivered turning with Ghost calmly walking behind him, her coldness filling the halls as they walked by, with a coldness, colder than winter. As they got closer to where Taylor had previously been taken, Ghosts coldness grew, so that Wolf’s breath came out in huffs of steam. As he opened the door though Taylor took control over Ghost letting her warmth fill the large room.
There were quite a few people lining a large table in the centre of the huge room, nine to be precise, and one empty chair, which Wolf walked over to, and sited in.
Taylor looked around at the un-familiar faces, drawing in every detail, no matter how small in seconds. Among the faces she only saw five that she recognized.
Wolf now sitting to his left was the healer that had help her back to health, to Wolf’s right was William sitting at the head of the table, next to William sat Roger whom was looking anywhere but at Taylor, next to Roger was a man called Lightning whom taught level 70 of the sword and any other weapon for that matter. The others whom sat at the table, Taylor had never met but she quickly judged them.
One man had wild hair and an odd look in his eye, he wanted to be away from inside even if he wasn’t aware of it which would mean a pirate…Another man was studying Taylor carefully, his hands in his lap, she could tell he didn’t miss a detail on her and even though his hands weren’t moving though she could tell he was a master of the thieves secret language…A woman was gazing out a window her mind a million miles away, the nails on her hands were sharp and pointed, which would lead to a master lock-piker…Another man had various scars around him, and an air that would suggest a pick-pocket…The last man was nibbling on quill, and the way he held himself would suggest a forger…Taylor took this all in within seconds.
She calmly shut the door that Wolf had left open for her, then walked to where everyone could see her. She noticed that everyone seemed to study her with there eyes, more obviously than she had done to them. To show that she noticed this she raised an eyebrow lifted her arms and turned in a slow circle.
“Now, I am here for?…cause I guess it ain’t for my personality, I mean you guys seem to have enough different personalities in this room…A weapons master, a spy master, a master of healing, a master sailor, a master of languages, a master lock picker, a master pick-pocket who has been caught one to many times, and a master forger. Oh and how can I forget the lord of the thieves and his companion, Roger?” Taylor sighed looking directly at William, her eyes questioning him.
“You are here Taylor because someone here has questioned your loyalty to the land of thieves…” William sighed putting his head in his hands.
“Yeah, right someone…hmm let me see…oh yes my vote lies on the shoulders of Roger” Taylor didn’t let a single emotion pass through her face, or her voice, she stood to attention her back straight her eyes staring straight ahead.
“Yes as a matter of fact it was Roger whom accused you, and because of his accusation we now have to put you through a test, known as the maze…” William said this pulling his face from his hands looking at Taylor straight in the eyes.
“Because you think I will betray ‘the land of the thieves’? Trust me if I wanted this place as my own it already would be” she said this with no emotion.
“Really and how would you achieve this?” said Roger sneering.
“Like this…” Taylor was as faster than lightning throwing daggers everywhere, each one meeting its mark, right beside the heads of those seated at the table, and various daggers spun hitting walls.
“Now see, every dagger I have thrown could have easily killed you but because I am too nice for my own good, I didn’t let them, the daggers around the room are pinpoint locations were others are watching” Taylor’s tone was bored with a hint of iciness.
Wolf was the first to move calmly getting out of his chair, and using both of his strong arms he pulled the dagger from his chair walking calmly over to Taylor and handing it back to her.
“You know I trust you Taylor” he said before returning to his seat, after his example the weapons master followed pulling his dagger out of his chair and calmly handing it to Taylor.
“Very good throw, you will have to show me how you threw it with such speed, accuracy and strength” the weapons master smiled returning to his seat.
Next came the old healer he tried to pull out the dagger but without success…
“I would return it but it appears to be considerably stuck…” with a smile Taylor walked over and pulling out her dagger with ease, she went around to where each dagger was and retrieved it when she had all 24 daggers in her hands, she moved quickly re-hiding each dagger where it had been.
“Now normally I would be out of here and you wouldn’t see me again…but you have caught my curiosity, so I will go through this ‘maze’ of yours, and pass your tests, if I pass I stay and possibly teach students how to really steal. If I do not pass I go calmly, unless you wish to kill me, which would lead you to your immanent death.” It was with Ghosts coldness that Taylor finished speaking.
“Now, Taylor, aka Ghost do you know what the maze is?” asked the forging master looking Taylor in the eyes.
“The maze, the maze can be many things; it is a test for anything and everything. If you wish to become a true master at something then you need to be able to complete an aspect of the maze. The maze can be a test of both the mind, and the body, if you wish to be a master of the blade then you must complete the maze as with anything else.
“The maze is a source of magic that always seems to know what you need to be tested on. Somehow the maze lets everyone around it experience what the person in the maze experiences with less pain” the pickpocket master said in a bored mono-tone.
“Well, let us experience this so called test” Taylor said yawning “lead the way”







Chapter Four
The maze

Wolf led Taylor along the corridors to the out-side world, the various masters followed including William.
He led her past stadiums where she had practice, past a forest, past so many things until they reached an old man whom sat on a large boulder, he slowly turned himself around and focused his pale blue eyes on William.
“You wish to use the maze, my lord?” he said with a voice as cool as water in springtime.
“Yes” William replied
“What test shall it be, my lord?” the old man said his blue eyes bearing into Williams soul “and who shall stand the test?”
“We wish to witness memories, this girl here Taylor shall be the one who shall stand the test.”
“A memory is truly a powerful thing, my lord, are you sure you wish to proceed?”
“Yes” said William
“Come here girl” the old man said turning his pale blue eyes away from William, to Taylor, who met his gaze without flinching, after a moment everything around her went totally and completely blank…

She was spinning in a circle, dancing in Craig’s Tavern, eyes followed her, and others danced with her, she was laughing, she was happy, twirling around in circles, dancing to the tune of the fiddle…

The scene swerved and changed to a morning of training, the swerving of steel blade as Craig and her danced a different kind of dance, a violent dance, where everything else didn’t matter, other than the movement of feet, and the clang of steel striking steel…

Another scene…but unlike he other two, it wasn’t a joyous scene…she was fighting for her survival, unknowingly she was fighting for the next year of her life, Taylor witnessed the fight all over again, witnessed her capture all over again.
She saw again those cold Grey eyes that condemning her to torture, again she felt the pain from that torture, again the pain…the caress…more pain…yet never shouting out never shedding a tear.
She again felt every thing of those sessions of torture, never screaming, even when they put drugs to enhance the pain, even when she was told Craig was dead, never. Never crying, never screaming, never…oh how cold it was, and how those grey eyes haunted her…

…There were voices screaming, begging, pleading, Taylor opened her eyes, vanishing the images to the very back of her mind, and she saw all of the master thieves of the various fields down on the ground sobbing, clutching and wounds that they never had, had. Only she and the old man weren’t lying on the ground, or sobbing.
“A memory is a powerful thing; the maze enhances it causing all those around it to re-live it…” The old man sighed turning his head away.
“You speak wisely Z” Taylor replied, turning away and making her way back to her room, not even bothering to look at the masters who still wept upon the ground.
You are in pain Taylor, the memory hurt you physically Ghost’s cold voice echoed through Taylor’s mind.
Perhaps…instead…of…criticizing…you…could…help…me even in her mind Taylor was exhausted, looking at her hands, she could see the cold bruises (painful bruises) winding their way up to her sleeve, where, covered by itchy cloth, the pain of the bruises tripled.
Fine cold endless strength flowed through her bones, banishing the pain, and seemed to seep out of her skin freezing the air around her.
With a cold sigh she had become a completely different person.

She walked aimlessly through the corridors, seeming to fade in and out of existence.
Silence beckoned her, the endless soundlessness echoed through her, and she wished that somehow it would end, when suddenly…it did.
A woman’s voice was shrieking for silence, so Taylor, (without thinking) followed the source of the voice, and found herself staring at a door, where the shrieking greeted her. Tilting her head slightly sideways, she listened, then turned around and begun to walk away.
“They need you Taylor” said Z’s voice, Taylor turned sharply once again, but their was no source to the voice, looking again at the door, Taylor calmly opened it and walked in…and immediately went cold.
A woman’s hand was poised to strike at a boy whose face was red, and bleeding, other children were scattered about the room staring at the scene, to frightened to move, Taylor watched as the woman’s hand seemed to slowly come down, ready to strike at the boy again, everything seemed to go slowly, the coldness of Ghost enveloped her, and she walked through the slowness, and gripped the slowly moving hand.
In reality only seconds had past though it had felt like longer…
The woman screamed as Taylor’s hand tightened its vice like grip, so tempting it was to grip harder and harder, so tempting to break every bone in the arrogant woman’s body, but instead Ghost calmly held the woman’s arm.
“Ever, raise your hand against these children to inflict as much pain as you have poured upon this boys face, and I, will break…every single bone in your body, then let wolves slowly feed upon your flesh. I do not make idle threats, what I say, I do, do you understand?” Every word that was forced from Ghosts cold lips made the temperature drop another degree.
“I asked you a question, and I expect and an answer” Ghost tightened her grip and felt a bone snap, whimpering the woman nodded her head, tears of agony flowing down her cheek’s.
“Good, now get out of my sight” Ghost released her grip upon the woman, who, clutching her reddened arm, fled the room, Ghosts cold eyes followed her, then turning towards the boy, she vanished her coldness, letting warmth once again fill the room.
“Are you ok?” Taylor asked gently, squatting next to the boy, whose raven black hair covered his face. Gently and slowly Taylor put his black locks behind his ears, revealing the boys defiant grey eyes…
Banish the coldness; this boy is not the man that hurt us so badly Taylor said to Ghost whom acknowledged her.
“My name is Taylor, aka Ghost, I will not hurt you, and I will not mother you.”
“I-I-I am S-S-Seth” the boys voice held back the tears, that longed to flow down his scarlet red cheeks.
Standing up Taylor took a couple of deep breaths, looking around the room, surveying her surroundings. There were twenty children in total, including the boy, they all silent, fear written plainly in there eyes, looking around she judged that the boy at her feet was (in a way) their leader, and that he had taken the beating that the woman had dealt him, from another.
“Someone report what has happened here today” Taylor looked around at the children who all cowered away from her sharp gaze apart from one who met her eyes for a second or two then looked down at the boy whom had been beaten, Taylor noticed a sharp blade in the girls hand, and guessed that she had been about to step in.
The boy at her feet pulled himself up, blocking Taylor’s view from the girl and from the rest of the children who all looked around twelve to fifteen himself and the girl the eldest at fifteen.
“Chris answered a question correctly, but our teacher said he got it wrong, and told him he was an idiot, Chris argued his point, and the teacher was going to hurt, I stepped in, and coped a beating, then you came out of nowhere and made her stop.” Seth was shaking as he stood; looking at him Taylor guessed that the boy had not just been hit in the face.
“Good report Raven.” Taylor said turning around, and begun walking to the door.
“My name is-”
“Your name is Seth, your thief name, and the name I shall always call you, shall be Raven. The raven is a fearsome bird, a protector and a fighter, it also is a good thief, and therefore the name suits you Raven. Now gather your classmates, from now on, I will be teaching you, and this classroom really does not suit me.” Without waiting for a reply or to see if they were following her, Taylor calmly walked out of the classroom, and started to go in the direction she had been heading before…the cavern were Z taught her.
If she had of turned around, she would have seen Raven shrug off helping hands, limping after her, biting his lip to keep from crying. After a few moments of hesitation the other nineteen children followed their leader.
Down, down the corridor, and down a few steps, Taylor kept heading down, not stopping or waiting for those whom followed her, though she no longer faded in and out of shadows, instead she walked in plain sight.
Down. Down. Down they went to corridors, where plenty of dust had gathered, down unused places. Taylor was just wondering if she was heading in the right direction when she turned one final corner that revealed the cavern, in all its glory. Taylor noted that it seemed brighter, and it seemed more inviting than usual, and she notice that there was a nice comfortable rug stretching out where the swords were kept that had most certainly had not be in sight when Z and herself had been battling.
Guessing that Z didn’t want the children to be terrified of the place, she kept walking, till she got to the centre of the cave, only then did she turn around to look at those whom had followed her.

Seth looked around the cavern in amazement; it was so huge, stretching so far up that he couldn’t see the ceiling, weapons were everywhere just waiting to be used, and the woman that called him Raven was standing in the centre of this huge place, she didn’t seem to notice how extraordinary a place like this was, she just stood their watching, waiting.
“How big is this place? And look over there, there is some stairs going even further down!” exclaimed Seth’s best friend Riki, who was supporting him despite his protests.
Seth ignored Riki and started to limp towards the woman Taylor, as he got closer to Taylor he noticed how young she really was…
“How old are you?” he asked shrugging out of Riki’s grasp
“I am sixteen, soon to be seventeen”
“What! But you almost shattered the old whore’s bones!” Riki said “and that would mean you’re only a year or two older than Seth and I”
“At the age of twelve I could have shattered the ‘old whore’s’ bones, I could have broken her bones at the age of ten, and at five I could have put a dagger between her eyes with enough force to go to the brain” Taylor replied looking Riki in the eyes.
“Taylor! I thought you could have done that at four” said a mans voice

Taylor turned to look at Z a smile slightly touching her lips “perhaps”
“Baa! And what do we have here, twenty children, and one who looks like he has, a broken rib, a hell of a lot of bruises, and a cut or ten” Z walked over to Seth “make that twenty, I will go and get something to clean this boy up!” Z smiled at Seth before turning, and disappearing into the shadows.
“Could you really throw a dagger, with enough force to reach the brain at four?” Unlike the other children who had been staring at Z, Riki had been watching Taylor closely.
“Yes, I could, it doesn’t matter how old you are, you can always defend yourself, my weapon of choice at four was the dagger, so I honed my skills in the area so I could defend myself against threats” Taylor sighed
“What is your current weapon of choice?” Taylor studied Riki unlike what she had before. Riki’s green eyes were currently filled with both awe and defiance, she had long brown hair that was tied in a ponytail, she wasn’t tall or at first glance that muscled but Taylor guessed Riki was extremely fast, and was working on her strength. Taylor was gazing at a very extraordinary girl, with the right training Riki could truly be great…
“My current weapon of choice would be the blade” Taylor replied while looking, and assessing the other children.
Seth’s grey eyes held pain, but not fear, his black hair currently hang limp with dampness, Seth would be a great leader, even now Taylor could see it and the young children (possibly without knowing) depended on him, on his strength of both mind and body, even now, when beaten as badly as he had been, he still showed that strength, he put himself between the unknown and others, willing to be scared for life, so others would not feel that pain. Once again, with the right training, he could be more than great.
As Taylor looked around at the other children she could see that they all could be great…
Given time and the right teaching…
Though Seth and Riki clearly stood out among these children…
So much potential, hadn’t the other teacher seen it…?
“Taylor, give me a hand would you?” Taylor turned towards Z who was setting up various tools beside Seth.
“Of course Z” she replied thinking quickly.
“Now what’s your name lad?” Z said looking at Seth.
“His name is Raven Z, he and these other children need a teacher, the way I see it, either you could teach them, I could, or we both could…” Z looked at Taylor a smile touching his lips.
“You excel so quickly Taylor, your parents would be proud, as would Craig…You and I both shall teach, I shall teach the little ones, you can teach the older, and every month we shall swap, does that meet your liking?”
“Yes, yes it does” Taylor smiled, a smile that wasn’t forced, for the first time since William had gotten her out, she felt truly happy.

 

 

Go to part: 1  2  3  4  5  6 

 

 

Copyright © 2008 S K V Ghost
Published on the World Wide Web by "www.storymania.com"