(I reread through chapter 18, there are some small changes)

 

The Army was already split up everywhere on the outskirts of the city of Bracken, ready to go in search or Mahnu.

All they had to worry about, was to not hurt any of the strange looking people, that seemed almost lifeless.

It nearly looked like the dead had come back to life!

Most of the soldiers were new to war, and seeing these people freaked them out somewhat...Even some of the ones that had endured through a fight or two in the previous King’s reign, or the skirmishes that had happened recently, they tried extra hard to not look at anything other than to find out if they knew the person was or wasn't Mahnu.

Having seen a painting of her, they all had a fair idea on what they were looking for...What was disturbing though, was having to have to look at all these strange people, to try and find the person that they were looking for! Especially if they laying still...And even worse, having no pulse...Or...Some being naked or a couple who were walking with a limp, dragging one of their legs. It was an horrific sight, something they did not ever think that they had to live to see. War was two armies against each other and swinging swords, blood and death...This was...Well, it was confusing, worrisome and scary.

Confusing because most of the people were alive, even though they looked lifeless. Worrisome because none of the members of the army wanted to become like this, and scary because...Perhaps what they had been told about the God's...Had been real...

 

Mahnu felt Marcus's suffering over the King becoming bait and felt a rush go through her. She needed to keep him safe. What is he thinking? How can my capture be worth him risking his life like this?

…At first, she had thought it was a joke!

Who would risk their life like this for her!?

It looks like I completely underestimated or missed something!

It just didn't make much sense to her, why someone who do something like this for her...She was immortal! She was...Alone!

But whether she thought these things or not, didn't change the fact that the King was in fact doing exactly what she never thought anyone would ever do!

Anger whelmed up inside her, as she slowly accepted the truth and understanding the danger that could arise from the King's actions.

No! No one can die! No one! Especially...Especially that idiot!

The urge to hit Richard was so strong that she felt herself become lose from the ropes that was holding onto one of her arms.

She pulled at the arm, her anger fueling her entirely, and felt pain go through her again, as the arm and fingers started to heal when they got loose.

This…Had never happened to her before.

Anger, it seemed, has given her more strength…

With the idea of Richard being in trouble seemed to make her pull so hard that she had not thought in the slightest of her pain…Or was it…That I want to protect him?

Whatever it was…She felt that she could get out of such a contraption!

Pulling at her other arm, it fell limp to her side and Mahnu closed her eyes and clenched her teeth. The pain was almost unbearable!

Earlier, her screams that she had let go of when they pulled and pulled the rope, Eliza had seemed satisfied with her response. Her smirk, sigh and raised head had ended the torment and then Eliza wanted to leave and find ‘something better to do’.

Now, she was angry and trying very hard to not let anyone know that she had started to get free, but it was almost impossible!

The urge to utter her pain out through voice was almost involuntary and she bit her lips to help prevent herself from doing it.

The throbbing agony in her arms and fingers started to disappear, as both attached properly and became normal once again. Finally, she was looking more and more human again…Instead of some creepy, misplaced…Thing.

But it wasn’t the end yet, only half of her body was no longer being pulled and broken…There was still the bottom half of her body that looked terrible when she briefly looked down upon the situation.

 

Letting out the first normal breath in so long, Mahnu cringed as she knew her legs were next. Her legs weren't fully attached to her, but it was enough for her to feel the pain of it every second passing.

Mahnu tried to reach for what was pulling at them but it was out of reach. Her toes were being pulled, her feet snapped at the ankle and her knees were being pulled along with them. Her higher legs were out of the hip joints, making her hips feel bigger and flimsier then what they should be, but she had not been able to heal because of the pull…

Mahnu grabbed her higher leg and pulled, trying to forget the pain.

Her first attempt, she stopped and looked away, letting out tears. It was going to so painful!

All she could do was to remember that afterwards, she would be free and wouldn’t have to worry about the pain. Taking a few deep breaths, she psyched herself up and this time, no matter how painful it was, she wasn’t going to let go until she had broken away from what was pulling at one of her legs.

 

Letting out a piercing cry and tears, Mahnu wanted to let go again but she knew that she had to hurry to save the King. Pulling harder, she could finally feel her leg escape the bound, making her let out yet another shout of extreme pain.

Mahnu kept her eyes shut and clenched her teeth as the agony started to subside.

All those other times that she had tried to kill herself might not have been as bad as this. This was…

Remembering how she had hung herself and jumped off a high mountain, she would end up blacking out and finding herself back to normal again afterwards. Chopping of her hands had only been ever done once because it had hurt too much…Drowning and even cutting her neck opened or her wrist. Those times had not been like this at all. What Eliza had achieved, was torturing without having the person not faint. Continuous pain that never really stopped, and…It was like she somehow knew that Mahnu was somewhat afraid of pain.

Not having much happen in many years, Mahnu’s pain threshold may be different to what it used to be but it still did not help much to Mahnu not wanting to feel anything…And now that she thought about it and most of the suicide attempts that she had in the past…Most of them were suppose to be quick and painless, nothing too drastic…

 

"Ahh!" Her cry made her hit herself and she tried to change the pain to her hands, but it was still there. Opening her eyes and wiping away her tears…She saw that the foot from her ankle had fallen off, making blood go everywhere.

Breathing in sharply, through her clenched teeth, she reached her leg down to the abandoned foot and waited for it to reattach itself to her. She could feel herself start to faint, as her mind was in so much pain.

Richard, Richard…Richard…

It was so sore, so bad, so agonizingly painful!

Richard! Just think Richard…You must help him!

It felt like hours were slipping by her, that her thinking of anything else was the hardest step that she’s ever had to make! She wanted to be able to open her eyes and start doing her next leg and get out of there, but those thoughts had halted for some time. Banging her head against the wooden plank, to try and help herself endure slightly better, Mahnu could only wait for her foot to fully reconnect…

…She waited the tormenting seconds go by as the ache in her leg finally started to subside.

 

Breathing in and out to calm herself, Mahnu started to look towards her other leg and figured that this time she should be able to get the straps free. Bending and stretching, as far as she could, Mahnu finally found herself free and she fell to the floor in a big thump.

There was just no way that she was able to stop her knees from hurting and her hands had not been able to support herself, as her head also hit the floor. With being in so much pain and feeling weak, Mahnu just had no strength left at all…

Leaving her head to the ground, she closed her eyes tight, clenched her hands, bit her lips and waited for the tremendous pain in her newly freed leg to subside. After some time, she held her head with one of her hands and ended up biting into her other hand, tasting blood but unable to loosen her bite…But this time, she was able to hold back from letting out a scream…

As her breathing started to become normal again, she rolled over and laid there for moment, finally realizing that she had done it…She was free!

Mahnu started to stand up, feeling more and more strength coming back to her. Feeling the worry for the King once again, all her past worries and anger welled up once more and she started to search in which direction the King would be in.

Bursting the locked door opened, with her angered strength, she skilfully put the two guards outside to sleep and rushed out, after quickly getting dressed in one of the guard’s undergarments. There simple wasn’t enough time to put on the other gear that they had, but she didn’t need it…And there was no way that she was going out there naked!

She knew that many humans were here looking for her and that she already had a lot of attention…She didn’t need any more attention by having them see her naked!

She could barely keep up with the attention that she got just from the King!

That stupid King…She thought as she could feel herself getting closer and closer to him…And closer to the other two God's!

 

 

"What an honor, for the King of Kralaide to pleasure us with his company...All by himself. What should we do with you?" Eliza smirked.

"I've come to negotiate peace." King Richard said. He tried to look like a leader and in control…But he felt like the opposite!

Making the plan was one thing…Now that he was here and knowing that they were immortal and made slaves, King Richard started to worry if his plan was going to completely fail!

There was one thing that reminded him though, that he shouldn’t let on about his insecurities…And that was getting Mahnu back!

"How daring of you, so you know we are God's and you still stand before us, demanding something like you are equal to us?" Eliza breathed out a laugh. How obstinate!

Then she looked over at Thelmos, to see he wasn't laughing with her. "Thelmos?"

He slowly turned his head to look at her, with the same droopy eyes as always, and said, "The slaves outside the Betrayer's room are unconscious."

Eliza widened her eyes, what is going on here?

She turned back to the King of Kralaide, who was standing quite a few steps away from her, and saw him sigh in relief.

Of course, he was relieved! The idea that Mahnu would be safely taken out of the city now was the best news he’s heard in a long time! She’s safe, and I’ll see her soon!

 

"You!...You deceived us!"

The woman’s loud voice interrupted the King’s thoughts and he rapidly started to realize that this wasn’t the time, nor place, to get lost in his thoughts…Since Mahnu was safe, it was time to go!

The King started to back away, while shrugging back at the God’s in front of him, "Yes, well, if you did want some kind of peace, I was sure that I would have heard about it by now. Considering you've been here a long time, I thought that it obviously wasn't going to happen."

He didn’t know what it was…But he felt powerful right now, even though the two in front of him were immortal…A small part of himself did shriek to what he had just said to them, but having grown up as a King, how could he shrivel up? No, he could back off and still state what he wanted to say, and no one was going to stop him!

"You are just a lowly human! We would never want peace with the likes of you!" Eliza spat out in disgust.

Then smirking, Eliza came up with a great idea, "Perhaps the King of Kralaide would make the best of slaves. You’re handsome…Mmm…Yes, why hadn't I thought of it before?"

Thelmos sighed lazily, "You did…About a hundred years ago…But you decided against it." His talking was slow, letting King Richard go further away from them and slowly irritating Eliza because of the situation…

In the truth of Thelmos’s words, it was simply because taking the King of Kralaide as a slave would probably bring them too much trouble! Thelmos might not understand why, but Eliza didn’t want the burden of having people come after her or taking the throne and having more work to do!

"Why you! Shut up!" Eliza hit Thelmos. He didn’t have to state that nonsense!

King Richard had used that moment to turn around and start running. Before Eliza turned back, the King was already quite a distance away already!

"Quick! Thelmos, make him a slave."

"No!"

 

The yelling voice stopped King Richard in his tracks, and he turned to see Mahnu tackle Thelmos and break his neck. "...Wow..." He muttered proudly.

Eliza stammered back and glared at Mahnu.

Remembering that Thelmos had said that the guards had gone unconscious, she thought to herself that she should have known that Mahnu would probably come for them, but it happened so quickly that Eliza was a bit shocked!

Thelmos’s neck had been broken a few times, even by her, so that wasn’t much the surprise, it was that Mahnu hadn’t run away and instead came straight on the offense. She had been so timid before and did not show any type of this behavior!

As Eliza calmed herself down, she thought that she truly never knew much about this Mahnu sister of hers!

Mahnu stood up and glared back at Eliza. "Did you really think I'd let you get away with it?"

Eliza continued to step back as Mahnu walked towards her, then she looked at Thelmos and willed him to heal faster. Admitted that she was a little skeptical to knowing if this type of Mahnu, who acted strong, could stay this way, Eliza still had no other option but to deal with her. Seeing Mahnu look very angry and not showing that defeated look she had given before, Eliza once again quickly looked at Thelmos and found a topic to speak about.

"How did you get free?" Eliza asked, feeling more like herself once again. Putting a hand on her hips, she looked at Mahnu with expectation.

That’s right, she was my play toy and I should lock my toy back up!

 

"When I heard the King coming here all by himself, it made me angry!" Mahnu quickly turned to King Richard. Her glare changed to defeat when she read his thoughts on her being dirty and needing a bath.

She couldn’t blame him for thinking that though, she looked terrible! She had dried blood everywhere!

But Mahnu didn't have enough time to talk, instead, she raced towards Eliza and snapped her neck!

She wasn’t stupid, immortals weren’t something you could play with and talk to for ages. Getting in and getting the job done was better! Especially if you take them off guard, as she had with Thelmos! But, she hadn’t any choice then, because they may have really turned the King into a slave!

With Eliza being a woman that didn’t want to break a nail, she had been relatively easy to break…She might be good at sex and have that Immortal strength, but Mahnu had learnt martial arts and had used her strength to rush right in and not give Eliza a chance to defend herself.

"Run!" Mahnu yelled at the King.

"Then come with me." He said, holding out his hand.

Suddenly, a loud whistle was heard from close by, it was to state that someone had got Mahnu free. Well, perhaps they hadn’t gotten Mahnu free, but at least they had found her and made the decision to let everyone else know where she was. A flare also went up and Mahnu could sense quite a number of people coming their way!

 

Mahnu turned away from Richard, to Thelmos. "I will stay until you and the knights are free of the town."

"They were supposed to be there to free you, but...It looks like they weren't needed."

Mahnu snapped the God's newly healed neck again and turned back to King Richard. "And who's fault is that!"

The King tried not to smile. What a relief, he thought, she's safe and even angry at me! His desire for her just continued to grow…What had been dormant, like that of a dark small room with no windows, was now awake! As soon as Mahnu had arrived, he had watched her and felt safe, even though there was only her against two Immortals. Ah, it was a good sight indeed!

"Your Majesty!" The knights stopped on the other side of Mahnu. There were men in commoner clothes coming from all directions from inside the city.

"Mahnu! Your safe!" Marcus said in relief.

"Yes, now go to the King, I'll stay here till you are out of town."

"But..."

"Do it!" Mahnu snapped back.

"I would do as she says Marcus." The King yelled out towards him, smiling at Mahnu.

"Ah! Yes, of course!"

As the knights ran through, to get to the King, they saw Mahnu snap the neck of the female God, without any reservations. Whispers went through the troops and they were also starring in awe to her strength. Some were scared to seeing such a malicious thing happen, yet some where considering whether or not it was enough to stop the immortals…Considering that they don’t die…

"I'll see you soon." King Richard said.

Mahnu looked up and glared at him.

Turning to leave with the army, the King let out a relaxed laugh, confusing many of the knights shadowing him nearby.