FT-Chapter One:Travellers|FT-Chapter Two:Secrets|FT-chapter Three:The Seer|FT-Chapter Four:Chambers of Light & Dark|FT-Chapter Five:Into the Darkness|FT-Chapter Six:Embrace of Fire|FT-Chapter Seven:Return to Hell|FT-Chapter Eight:Rays of Light|FT-Chapter Nine:Path of Despair|FT-Chapter Ten:Safety|FT-Chapter Eleven:Captured

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Chapter Eleven:Captured

Hize woke some time later, standing and stretching. It was not quite dawn, but he couldn't sleep any longer. His gaze drifted down to Angela, who still slept. He smiled softly down at her, but Rosiel's loud snoring broke him out of his trance. He looked over at Angela's twin as he rolled over and continued snoring. "He snores very loudly..." he thought with a smile.

"Hize.." a soft voice called. Hize turned towards the voice, and out of the mist came the barest silhouette of a figure. Hize's eyes widened. "M..Mother...??" he asked.

The figure nodded to him with a small smile. "Hize...my little boy...My poor little boy.." she whispered.

"Mother..you're here...Why? Why did you kill yourself? Please...tell me.." he said, his questions quickly leaving his lips. His mother's spirit lifted a finger to her lips to silence him.

"Oh Hize...I'm sorry...I'm so sorry..Please, be careful.." she said. Slowly, she began to vanish.

"Mother, no, don't go!!" he shouted, reaching for her. But it did no good - his mother was dead. He could not touch her. He fought to keep back his long dormant tears as he sighed. He could never have her back now.

A noise suddenly alerted him. His gaze quickly turned to the entrance of the cave. Slowly, cautiously, he walked over to the opening to the cave and peeked his head out. Something came down hard and swift onto the back of his head and he fell to the ground, unconscious.

Yoko walked up to the cave as four guards rushed inside. Angela and Rosiel quickly stood up. "Hize!" Angela yelled, seeing him on the ground. She ran towards him, but a guard quickly smacked the back of her head with the hilt of his sword and knocked her out.

Another guard quickly grabbed Rosiel by the arm and restrained him. "Hey - ow! Let me go! LET GO!! Angela!!" Rosiel yelled, struggling with his captor.

Yoko stepped into the cave. "No more running, little ones," she said.

Rosiel angrily glared at her. "You WITCH!! You leave my sister alone, or I swear, I'll make YOU the sacrifice!!" he yelled. He kicked the guard who was restraining him in the shin.

Yoko looked over at Rosiel. "Takamin...shut him up NOW," she said.

Takamin, the guard holding Rosiel, grinned sadistically. "With pleasure," he said. He grabbed a large sack that one of his comrades handed him and stuffed Rosiel into it quickly.

"Lazin, Burm, Takamin, grab your loads and let's go," Yoko commanded, starting to walk back with the fourth guard at her side.

Two of the other guards took Angela and Hize's limp bodies and put them in two other sacks. The three guards took up the captives and began to take them back to the main village house.

*****

Angela groaned, her cheek pressed into solid rock. She slowly lifted herself up and looked around with a groan. Her head was spinning and she couldn't focus for a minute, but when she could, her eyes widened. "No...no, no, no!" she cried. In front of her were iron bars - she was back in a cell, with neither Hize nor Rosiel in sight.

A guard stood in front of Angela's cell facing out. He heard her groan and slowly turned to face her. "Can't you ever stay out of trouble?" He asked slowly. "It's Mizeru, I helped you out before." He looked down at Angela and sighed. "We have got to stop meeting like this little lady."

Angela looked at Mizeru. "You're still here with Yoko? I thought you would have tried to run..." she said. She came to the bars and looked up at him tiredly. "My brother...Hize...Yoko has both of them."

"Yea, getting away from Lady Yoko is not as easy as you thing it is." Mizeru laughed. "I guess you would know that though wouldn't you?" He looked down at her again. "Your brother and the other guy are being taken care of in actual rooms right now, they think you're a danger to them so they locked you up in here. Not to mention the other two are behaving because Yoko had them drugged."

"Drugged?" Angela asked, slowly standing, despite the ringing in her head. "Why are they drugged? Why do I get stuck in cages all the time?" she asked, annoyed.

"They drugged your brother halfway here. If they hadn't Takamin would have broken his neck. The other guy well, Yoko says no one is allowed to see his face. So he got drugged through the sack he was stuffed in so he doesn't talk." Mizeru said as he watched her get to her feet. "Are you alright?" he asked her with concern filled eyes.

Angela nodded slowly. "Yeah...I'm fine. I just got whacked over the head with something. My head hurts so much..." She looked at him. "You risked a lot to help me, and I thank you. I'm just sorry that your efforts were in vain - I'm practically back where I started." She paused. "And you're still helping me. That's brave of you."

"Trust me helping you is nothing to what I've been doing for the past few years." Mizeru told her. He turned his head a second later when a groan came from a few cells down from Angela. "Please excuse me a moment. Mizeru hurried over to the cell where a young girl was waking up from her sleep. Her hair fell softly around her and curled on the floor as she slowly rose to a kneeling position. "Lady Isha!" Mizeru said as he kneeled down in front of the cell. "Please be careful Lady Isha, your injury is most likely not fully healed from yesterday."

"I'm fine Mizeru." The voice was young and gentle as the girl spoke to him. She lifted her head to look at his face with pale blue eyes. "My sister, please tell me what she has done since yesterday."

"Nothing Lady Isha, actually she hasn't even come down to see her prisoner that she placed in the cell last night." He said calmly. "Lady Isha, please be careful. We do not want to alert that witch that you are awake."

"Mizeru please do not call Yoko a witch, after all she is my older sister." She slowly rose to her feet and turned to look at Angela. "Are you feeling alright?"

Angela nodded, coming to the bars and looking at Isha. "I'm alright on the outside, but on the inside...I can't really say I'm fine." She sat down at the bottom of the cell, but in a position so she could see Mizeru and the other cell. "Who are you....Lady Isha? How are you related to Yoko?"

"I am Lady Isha Matta, the actual High Priestess of this place. Yoko is my older half-sister." Isha looked at Angela who seemed confused. "Yoko had a different father then I, my brother was raised by her father. Yoko and I were raised by my father... the last High Priest of this island. Because Yoko is not the offspring of a High Priest and High Priestess as I am, therefore she is not the actual High Priestess. If she had the same father as I do then my brother and her would not be of the same face. But because no one has ever seen my brother no one believes that Yoko is not the High Priestess. Why should they, she is the older." Isha stated plainly, her voice was calm as she spoke. "But there are those that remain loyal to me, even though I have never asked them to do so." Isha turned and smiled at Mizeru who bowed politely.

"I shall forever serve you Lady Isha, I will put my life on the line to save yours." He said as he looked at her. He the turned to Angela. "Lady Isha asked me to get you out of here last time you were here."

"I have seen you and your brother, you share the same face. And because of the ways of this island that means death for one of you." Isha said concern now rising in her voice. "I will not permit any to die in a foolish ritual. It will do nothing but bring more despair. My mother died trying to stop it, and unfortunatly her hands were covered with the blood of those who tried to stop her." Isha's eyes looked to the ground for a moment then back to Angela. "But... even if my life should end in the fight with my sister, your brother's and yours shall not, I will not allow it."

Angela nodded. "You're very kind, Lady Isha, and I'm very glad that you went out of your way to ask Mizeru to help me escape. Unfortunately, it seems we'll be stuck in here for quite a long time. At least, until Yoko conducts her ritual. Then, I'll be back in here." She sighed.

"No, you and your brother will be out of danger before she is able to make the two of you go through the ritual." Isha told her sternly. "One moment." Isha turned so her back was facing Angela and raised her hand in front of her and began chanting a few words with her eyes closed. When her chanting finished she paused for a moment. Her eyes snapped open and glowed for a brief moment. "Damien, I call thee forth!"

A spirit appeared outside of Lady Isha's cell, its silhouette dark. Within moments, the spirit's form appeared fully, and a young man in a black kimono with dark hair appeared. "Lady Isha...I have come as you have asked. What is your will?"

Angela looked out at the spirit and her eyes widened. She could have sworn she had seen him somewhere before, but his looks were also uncanny. "Hize?" she asked.

The spirit looked at Angela briefly. "Damien," he said, then turned back to the imprisoned priestess.

"Damien, it is good to see you friend. I have a favor to ask of you." Isha hesitated for a moment. "I only ask this of you, you do not have to do anything against your own will." She took a breath and continued. "My sister wishes to perform the ritual once more. This girl," Isha motioned to Angela,"and her brother shall be its victims should she succeed. I ask of you to find her brother and the other that is being held captive here and keep watch over them. Let me know if my sister has any plans for them and when they shall take place. We must avoid the ritual at all cost, it will only fail if my sister is in control."

At the mention of Isha's sister, Yoko, Damien's eyes turned cold. "I would only do such a task for you, Lady Isha. Anything to stop this accursed ritual from happening." He nodded. "I will keep watch over the brother and other man here."

"Thank you my friend, I am in debt for this." Isha smiled at Damien. "And I promise you when we have won over my sister I will find a way to reunite you with yours."

Damien nodded slowly, looking sad. "Shall I leave now, Lady Isha?"

"You make take your leave if you so wish my friend. Best of luck to you." Isha smiled at Damien. "Should the situation grow much worse let me know as quickley as you can. Thank you my friend." Isha bowed her head to Damien in thanks as he vanished.

Angela turned to Isha. "Lady Isha...I know that in this ritual, the dark seer must die. But...what exactly happens to the dark seer? What goes on in this ritual?"

Mizeru looked at Lady Isha. "Lady Isha..." Isha held her hand up to silence him.

"She has a right to know Mizeru, if she should go through with it... it will spell out her fate as well." Isha didn't take her eyes off of Angela. "The ritual is better known as the ritual of the damned. As I am sure you have learned the dark seer is the one who in the end will die. Their life is not taken by someone else's hand though. They take their own life with a dagger that has been adorned with jewels from the gods. They plundge the dagger into their heart so they are unable to feel anything even in death." Isha paused for a moment to catch her breath. "Because of this the spirits, if a spirit remains on this plane, is usually extremely angry or extremely passive."

"Or a mixture of both, in Damien's case..." Mizeru said when Isha took a breath. Isha looked over to him to silence his words. "My apologies Lady Isha, please continue."

Isha's eyes shifted back to Angela. "That is not the end of the ritual though." Isha said as she noticed Angela's eyes were wide with fear. "Your part in the ritual is near the end. The dagger is removed from the wound and the blood that pours into the wound is caught in a golden chalice and brought over to the Light Seer," Isha paused again afraid to go on, "the Light Seer must drink the blood of the Dark Seer. The reason for this is that many believe that the soul is carried in the blood; so to reunite the two souls into one the Light Seer must drink the blood. There are very few Light Seers live through this though. Many people believe that this is because the Light Seer was not pure enough or that the two souls fought with one another when they were melding back into one. But usually within a few days of the ritual the Light Seer will follow the Dark Seer into death." Isha stopped there and took a deep breath. "That is why I must not allow you and your brother to go through with the ritual. If the ritual had to take place then my elder sister and brother should be in the place of you and your brother. My mother placed encantations over both of them, to ensure that at least the Light Seer would live through the ritual; that is if they took part in it."

Angela nodded in silence, looking down. "I can only hope that this doesn't happen...that we can leave before any of this happens." She fought with her tears - she didn't want to lose her brother this way.

"Do not be sad. I make this promise to you - you will not take part in the ritual. I stake my own life on this." Isha smiled at her. "I give you my word; you will live to a ripe old age." Isha turned her head quickley as she heard a someone descending the steps. "Quickley, pretend to be asleep." She said hushly to Angela. "Mizeru, take your proper place as a guard." Mizeru nodded to Isha as Angela layed back down on the ground. A few moments later Yoko emerged from the stairway with two guards following her.

"Hello sister." Yoko's voice was harsh as she spoke to Isha. "You haven't been telling my guest any lies now have you?" Isha kept a straight face as she looked at her siser, her eyes were suddenly cold.

"You treat your guest so kindly sister; locking her in a cell in the cold like some street rat." Isha said as she continued o stare at her sister. "And I am not the one who lies to those around me. Or do you forget elder sister, that your place is on the ground begging forgiveness from the gods."

"You should be the one asking forgiveness, I do the will of the gods. You are the one who dare say you are the High Priestess. Such lies should not be tolerated; I have had mercy on you sister by letting you live." Yoko smiled as she leaned in close to the bars of Isha's cell. She opened her mouth keeping her voice low so that only Isha could hear her. "No one will ever believe that you are the true Priestess, I will see you dead before you defeat me."

Isha smiled. "How is our brother, sister?" Her voice was confidant as she spoke. "Or have you killed him already as not to allow his face to be seen? Are you afraid sister? Do you think the gods will not have mercy on you?" Isha's lips twisted into a smile. "Oh and before I forget, how are you doing with the Icomi? Does it still burn you?" Yoko's arm snapped out through the bars and grabbed harshly at Isha's hair.

"Shut your mouth little witch." Yoko's eyes burned with anger. "The ritual does not conern you. You will rot in this cell before you complete your goal!" Yoko's voice rose steadily untill she was screaming in her sister's face. "Release my sister, I wish to deal without these bars in my way!" She screamed. One of the guards hurried forward with the keys to the cell and unlocked the door while the other hurried in and grabbed the young girl to keep her under control.

"Dear sister, you allow your temper to have the best of you." Isha smiled gently at her sister. A change overcame her quickley as her expression changed to anger. "Now you feel the wrath of the gods!" Isha kicked backwards with her one leg hitting the man holding her in the groin. She dashed out of the cell slamming the door behind her, locking both guards within it.

"Mizeru! Contain her!" Yoko screamed. Mizeru came up behind her and stood there. Yoko turned her head to look at him. "What do you think you're doing? Do as I say!" She screamed at him.

"I am sorry but I only take orders from Lady Isha." Mizeru said with a smirk. "I take no orders from a fake priestess."

Yoko's eyes widened in fear as she looked to her sister. "Now Isha, this is just a misunderstanding. You know that don't you. You're... you're my sister... I... I would never mistreat you." Yoko was slowly backing away from her younger sister.

"Mizeru unlock the young ladies cell." Isha said as she began to approach Yoko slowly. Mizeru hurried over to Angela's cell and unlocked her cell. He rushed in and helped her to her feet and ushered her out. "Now my dear sister... I shall allow you only the finest of comforts." Isha struck out with her right hand and wrapped her fingers firmly around Yoko's arm. She began to drag her towards the cell Angela had been occupying. She shoved Yoko inside and shut the door firmly. "Be glad that I show mercy - even though you deserve none." Isha then turned to look at Mizeru and Angela. "We must take our leave immediatly."

Angela nodded. "We have to find my brother...and Hize. They must be somewhere. Mizeru, do you know?" she asked.

Mizeru shook his head. "Nope, sorry. I am always stationed down here, but there is someone down here who might know." Mizeru motioned down the row of cells to another one of the occupied cells. A girl that looked exactly like Yoko stood in the cell watching them - Mina.

Angela flinched. "Yeah...her name is Mina. She's from the Village of Rays, and she turned into Yoko once we came back to this side of the island." She walked over to Mina's cell. "Mina, where are my brother and Hize?"

Mina's eyes followed Angela as she walked over to where she was. "Why should I tell the likes of you?" Mina's voice was cold as she spoke to Angela. "You have nothing I want; so why should I give you what you want?"

Angela sighed. "Name your price, then, and I'll try to get it to you. What do you want?"

Mina smiled as her eyes shifted to Isha. "The death of Isha Matta."

Angela glared at Mina. "N-O. Not a chance." She suddenly got an idea and turned to Isha. "You know....you look like your sister..."

Isha blinked in confusion. "I suppose I do... but that isn't uncommon. We are related," she paused, "what are you implying?"

"Simple. Pretend you're Yoko. Mizeru is keeping me restrained and we go around the house, unhindered, looking for my brother and Hize," Angela said with a small smile.

Mizeru's eyes grew wide at this suggestion. "Are you insane?" His voice grew louder with each word he spoke. "You dare ask Lady Isha to act like that witch? How dare you ask such a thing, Lady Isha should not have to defile herself by having the exact same appearance as her wicked sister!"

Angela's eyes also grew wide as Mizeru practically screamed at her. "But....Mizeru...how else can we find them without anyone hindering us? Don't you want to protect Lady Isha? If we go as we are now, we would be attacked and restrained. Would you want someone else touching the Lady Isha with their hands tainted in Yoko's evil?"

Miseru glared at her, his hands clenched into fist. "The decision is up to Lady Isha I suppose. But I am totally against this happening. In my opinion we should just leave."

Angela looked over at Isha. "Lady Isha...it is up to you. If you leave here, I will understand, but if you do leave, I won't follow. I won't stop looking until I have both my brother and Hize at my side once more. We will leave this island together or die here together."

Isha smiled. "I will not allow you to die, and will not allow you to remain on this island. I will aid you to the best of my abilities." Isha placed a hand on Angela's shoulder. "Do not be fearful, all shall be well in due time." Isha turned to Mizeru. "Keep watch Mizeru."

"Yes, m'lady. I shall do as you command." Mizeru told her as he took a place by the stairwell.

"Please stand back." Isha said to Angela. "I do not want this to effect you as well." Isha watched as Angela stepped back a few paces and then raised her hands in front of her and closed her eyes slowly as she began chanting. "Appa de deum, tre os kel lan nes. Tep rah han ke tel pa. Illusis Kapas!" Her eyes snapped open and glowed softly as her hair lashed out in all directions. From the top of her scalp black color inched its way down to the tips of her long blond hair. Isha lowered her hands slowly as her eyes faded from the glow in a crimson red color instead of her calm pale blue eyes. She turned and faced Angela and then turned to look at Mizeru. "Let us go."

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