Fan Fiction ❯ Demon in Disguise: On Tamaran ❯ Chapter 11

D/c: I lay no claim to the various reincarnations of Teen Titans and its characters, which are the property of DC Comics, Cartoon Network, and Warner Bros. I do, however, lay claim to any original characters that I may create, so please ask before using them. Please read and review.

Chapter 11

Kathrand'r lay, tossing and turning in bed. For the third night in a row she had been unable to make contact with the elusive entity known as sleep. Sitting up and placing her feet on the stone floor of her bedroom, the raven-haired woman stood and walked over to an easel in one corner of the room. Sitting down in front of the easel, she began to think of what to paint. Suddenly she was assaulted by the image of a red-haired green-eyed girl from her past; her sister, K'liah. She picked up a brush and began to paint.

The swordswoman could remember both the first and the last time she had seen that remarkable child alive.



Kathrand'r had been twelve, and K'liah had been six when they had first met. They had both been sold into slavery, and were in the captivity of the Gordanians, a lizard-like people whose only purpose was to spread chaos and fear throughout the galaxy.

Twelve-year-old Kathrand'r stared in annoyance at the child with skin as orange as her own, a heart-shaped face, long red hair, and bright emerald eyes, who kept tugging on her sleeve trying to catch the older girl's attention. "Is there something with which I can help you?" she asked, sounding annoyed.

The little girl smiled at the raven-haired girl and asked: "Who are you? Why are we here? What's your favorite color? Do you wish to be my friend?"

"Only two of your questions have even the slightest bit of relevance." Kathrand'r said. "But I shall humor you. You and I have been sold into slavery. I am Kathrand'r. My favorite colors are black, silver, and blood red. And to answer your final inquiry, yes."

The six-year-old tackled the twelve-year-old in a bone-crushing embrace. "This is wonderful!"

"Wonderful?" Kathrand'r echoed. "What part of being sold into slavery do you believe is wonderful?"

"You're nice, that's what's wonderful." K'liah looked into Kathrand'r's stern face with its high forehead and cheekbones, and easily noticed that not even the ghost of a smile played on her thin lips. "You'd be even nicer if you smiled though."

Kathrand'r glared. "I do not smile. Nor do I hug. Now release me, little one."

The redhead did as she was told, and stepped away from the clearly annoyed Kathrand'r. "I'm K'liah. My favorite color's pink. And I would be honored if you would consider me as one of your friends."

The raven-haired girl sighed. "Very well."

"So, we're friends?" K'liah asked.

Kathrand'r nodded in confirmation, only to receive another hug from the jubilant alien.

"Enough!" a Gordanian voice hissed, pulling the two children apart, and lifting them up high into the air.

The children stared in terror at the man holding them in his vice-like grip. He was green-skinned, with a lizard-like face, had four arms, and stood at about twelve feet tall.

"I am Zarg, you shall address me as such." the Gordanian sneered. "Come with me."

Zarg didn't give the two any chance to protest as he carried them out of their holding cell, through several rooms, and set them down in front of a trophy case filled with the heads of those who had disobeyed the Gordanian and had paid with their lives.

"The two of you belong to me." Zarg hissed. "Whatever I tell you to do, you do. If either of you disobey me you'll end up like them." He gestured to the case of heads with one clawed hand.

K'liah glared at her captor. "You're a very bad man!" she declared.

"Why yes, yes I am." Zarg grinned toothily at her.

K'liah shivered and slowly managed to inch her way closer to Kathrand'r, and was slightly soothed when the raven-haired girl smiled, though the smile didn't reach her sapphire eyes, which remained hard and cold.

"Are you frightened of me, little ones?" Zarg asked.

The redhead nodded instantly while Kathrand'r merely glared.

"There is nothing to fear from scum." Kathrand'r growled.

"Such a pretty girl, with such a foul mouth." Zarg said, before slapping Kathrand'r hard across the face, sending her sprawling.

"Hurts doesn't it?" the Gordanian was indifferent as his black-haired slave got to her feet, wincing and rubbing her face.

The raven-haired girl nodded wordlessly.

"Let that be a lesson to you." the Gordanian said, before lifting K'liah and leaving the room with her.

"Where are you taking her?" Kathrand'r demanded.

"That's no concern of yours." Zarg replied. "Stay here."

Kathrand'r did as she was told leaning against the trophy case, and staring around her. She saw several racks of things which frightened her. Things which she could only assume were meant for one thing and one thing alone, torture.

Just then Kathrand'r heard something which both frightened and angered her beyond words, it was the sound of K'liah's pain-filled sobs. The black-haired alien charged the steel door in an attempt to escape her prison, and was astonished when she actually succeeded. Skidding to a stop outside of the trophy room, Kathrand'r listened for her friend's cries, and followed them down a hallway and into a much smaller room.

"Release her!" Kathrand'r commanded.

Zarg stared at the snarling alien standing in the doorway. "Here, take her."

Kathrand'r caught the redheaded child as Zarg tossed her.

"Back to your cell." Zarg ordered. "And don't even think of escaping, because if you do I'll know about it."

"How?" K'liah's voice was slightly muffled as she asked this.

"I have my ways." the Gordanian replied smugly. "Now off with the two of you."

The two children did as they were told, and returned to their cell, glad to be free of their master.

As the door shut and locked automatically behind them, K'liah lifted her tear-stained face from Kathrand'r's chest and looked into the twelve-year-old's face. "Kathrand'r, my arm hurts."

Kathrand'r knew exactly why that would be, and sat the redhead down on one of the two cots in the cell, and sat down beside her. The raven-haired girl gently rolled up K'liah's sleeve to examine the swirling circular black tattoo on the child's left bicep.

"Why did he hurt me?" K'liah asked while her newly found friend cleaned and bandaged the wound with a strip of the reasonably clean bed sheet.

Kathrand'r glared. "Zarg branded you because he considers you to be his property."

"Oh." K'liah suddenly yawned. "Kathrand'r, will you tell me a bedtime story?"

Kathrand'r nodded as K'liah lay back on the cot and was covered by the very thin blanket and sheet. "What kind of story?"

"If you don't mind, will you tell me how you came to be here?"

Kathrand'r nodded and began to speak, "I was born and raised on the planet Tamaran, as I am almost certain you were," After K'liah's nod of confirmation Kathrand'r continued. "My father forged swords for a living, but after I reached the age of twelve the Tamaranean people lost interest in the way of the sword and my father lost his only source of income. He was later given an offer by the Gordanians; if he would give me over to them he would be paid generously for his sacrifice. It is needless to say that he did not refuse their offer."

"I'm sorry." K'liah said softly.

"For what? You were not the one who-" Kathrand'r stopped speaking.

"No, I'm sorry that you're not happy anymore."

"It is in my nature to be this way. You have nothing to apologize for." Kathrand'r said.

"What do you mean that it's in your nature to be this way?" the redhead asked.

"Never you mind." the elder Tamaranean snapped harshly. "Now sleep."

"Kathrand'r, will you teach me how to fight with a sword?" K'liah asked, her eyes beginning to droop.

"If I say yes will you please go to sleep?" Kathrand'r inquired.

"Yes." K'liah replied.

Kathrand'r responded with a nod of her head as K'liah drifted off into sleep.

Kathrand'r soon followed suit, walking over to her cot and laying down upon it. But unlike K'liah, sleep did not come easy to the elder Tamaranean, who lay awake long into the night, trying to block out the intermittent shrieks and screams which filled the air.

"Get up!" Zarg's voice knifed through Kathrand'r's light sleep.

The elder Tamaranean rose from her cot, shook her long black hair out of her face, and glared at Zarg. "Yes?"

"Come." the Gordanian ordered, gesturing for Kathrand'r to follow him.

Kathrand'r did so, but before leaving she glanced over at K'liah to assure herself that the child was still fast asleep.

The Gordanian led his black-haired slave through corridors which twisted and turned and finally stopped in front of some double doors and flung them open before ushering Kathrand'r outside.

As she stepped through the doors Kathrand'r shielded her eyes from the scorching sunlight and looked around at her surroundings. At first sand was all that she saw, with some small trees and low-lying plants dotting the landscape. She then looked behind her and saw the huge fortress which they had just exited, with its four impenetrable metal walls surrounding it.

"Chop." Zarg pointed to a huge woodpile in one corner of the yard.

Kathrand'r quickly walked over to the woodpile, lifted the ax with ease, and began to stoically chop the wood. She chopped for hours, only stopping when she felt Zarg's lizard-like hand on her shoulder. Kathrand'r whirled around to face the Gordanian, with half a mind to cleave his head from his neck, but knew that would be unwise.

"That's enough." Zarg said. He then began to walk back into the compound, gesturing for his slave to follow.

The Tamaranean did so, following her master back into the compound, through corridors, and finally stopping in front of the trophy room. As Zarg opened the door Kathrand'r followed him in.

"Take this." Zarg threw a heavy cloth sack at Kathrand'r, who caught it. "It belongs to you."

Kathrand'r was astonished, for she knew full well what the bag contained, two swords crafted by Kathrand'r herself. Why Zarg had given these back to her she was uncertain.

"I'll make you a deal." the Gordanian began. "If I in any way harm the little one that you seem to be so protective of I'll let you kill me."

Kathrand'r was interested, to say the least. "And if you do not?"

"And if I don't harm her, then you will do whatever I say without question until the day you either die or I get tired of having you around; whichever comes first. Do we have a deal?"

Kathrand'r nodded wordlessly, condemning herself to a life of pain and torment.

Zarg grinned in satisfaction, "Good. Now back to your cell."

As Kathrand'r entered their cell, K'liah was instantly fascinated by the sack slung over her friend's shoulder. "Kathrand'r, what's in that sack?"

Kathrand'r sank down on to her cot before she replied. "Swords,"

"Really? How did you manage to get them? Are they yours? Did you forge them yourself? Is Zarg dead yet?" K'liah asked.

"Yes I forged them myself. And as to your other questions all you need to know is that I made a deal with our master." Kathrand'r replied.

"Will you teach me how to fight with a sword now?" K'liah asked.

"Later, little one." Kathrand'r said.

"Well how much later?" the redhead asked.

"Tomorrow." the elder Tamaranean yawned. "I will start to teach you tomorrow."

K'liah smiled happily, and watched as Kathrand'r fell into a deep sleep.

Five years had passed since that day, and Kathrand'r and K'liah were now the property of their sixth and final master, Shlarn. Shlarn was a Gordanian who must have missed several growth spurts during his youth, for he stood approximately six feet tall in height. Although Shlarn was the shortest of their six masters, he was also the cruelest.

"Kathrand'r, we're gonna get out of here today, right?" the twelve-year-old K'liah asked of the eighteen-year-old Kathrand'r.

"Yes, K'liah, we are." Kathrand'r confirmed from her perch atop a tree branch.

"Do you see them yet?" K'liah asked, referring to the Gordanians who were paid by Shlarn to prevent his slaves from escaping.

Kathrand'r responded by leaping from the tree and skewering an approaching guard with her sword. K'liah followed Kathrand'r in annihilating all the Gordanians who got in her way.

"Kath, I'll take these ten, you take the others!" K'liah called out, as she lopped off the head of an onrushing Gordanian. "Sound fair?!"

"Fair enough!" Kathrand'r replied, as another of her adversaries tasted the cold steel of her blade.

Inside Shlarn's compound, a guard stared out a window at the carnage and death in the courtyard. As another Gordanian lost his life to Kathrand'r's sword, the guard quickly ran to tell Shlarn of his slaves attempt at escape.

"Shlarn Sir, the Tamaraneans are trying to escape!"

Shlarn glared in annoyance at the guard, who had so rudely disturbed him. "Which ones?"

"The two with swords." the guard replied.

"WHAT!!" Shlarn thundered.

"They're causing chaos in the courtyard!"

"Not just in the courtyard." K'liah said, stepping into the room and skewering the guard.

"You!" Shlarn roared.

"Me," K'liah replied icily.

"I knew I shouldn't have let you and your raven-haired friend keep those swords! But no, I had to listen to my brother Zarg, who said that the two of you were harmless!" the Gordanian ranted.

"Sister," K'liah corrected.

Shlarn was cut off in mid-sentence, and glared at the redhead. "What?!"

"Kathrand'r's my sister, as well as my friend." K'liah informed.

"Not by blood, she isn't."

"Doesn't matter." The Tamaranean suddenly charged, prepared to skewer her master.

"I don't think so." Shlarn suddenly produced a dagger, as though out of thin air, and stabbed the onrushing Tamaranean.

As the blade punctured her chest not a sound escaped K'liah's mouth. She simply fell back, blood streaming profusely from the wound in her chest.

"That was fun." the Gordanian smiled wickedly. "Now, let's end your pain, shall we?"

A raven-haired form burst through the door, through a punch at Shlarn, and watched in satisfaction as the Gordanian fell to the floor unconscious.

"K'liah," Kathrand'r ran to the child's side.

Without saying a word, K'liah smiled weakly up at the swordswoman, now kneeling beside her.

Peering at the stab wound on the redhead's chest Kathrand'r informed her: "This wound is mortal."

"It was good," K'liah stopped, then started again. "that you came."

Kathrand'r gently lifted the child, cradling her like an infant. "I killed all mine, and I was-" She stopped, trying to choose the proper word to explain the emotion she felt.

"Concerned?" K'liah suggested.

"I think so." the raven-haired woman replied. "I cannot help but-" Kathrand'r noticed how K'liah's breathing was beginning to slow. "You will be dead within moments."

"I know." K'liah slurred. "Where will I go?"

The swordswoman knew exactly what the child had meant. "I do not know. Would you like me to smile for you now?"

"Yes, thank you. Yes." K'liah answered.

Kathrand'r looked into K'liah's face and smiled warmly, with the smile reaching her eyes.

"That looks nice." the dying child murmured.

The swordswoman responded with a nod of thanks. "The pain will not last much longer, and then you will be happy."

"But I'm happy here, with you." K'liah said.

A single tear rolled down Kathrand'r's cheek. "I shall miss you, my sister." She then lay a soft kiss on the child's brow.

K'liah's eyes then closed and her head lulled to the side. She was undoubtedly dead.

As Kathrand'r watched the life fade from her sister, she tilted her head back and let out a sound which was in-between a shriek and a scream, tears running down her face. The sound went on and on, and ceased only when she heard someone speak.

"How very touching her meaningless death was," Shlarn said, having regained consciousness. "But this fight was never for children. Take your best shot little girl." he challenged.

Kathrand'r stood, snarled, and charged, brandishing her sword, ready to avenge K'liah's death. She jumped up into the air and cleaved the Gordanian's head from his neck with ease. After Shlarn's body hit the floor with a thud, Kathrand'r sheathed her sword, lifted her sister's lifeless form, and left the compound, ready to face whatever her destiny had in store for her.

A/N: Excluding both the disclaimer and the author's note, this chapter is 2760 words long and is ten pages in print. This chapter was originally an English assignment which I later modified to fit the TT universe. I found this chapter to be both extremely difficult, and extremely enjoyable to write. I had been wanting to give Equinox a thorough backstory and I thought that this chapter would be perfect for it.

Thanks for all the reviews so far, and feel free to ask any question relating to this fic and I will try to answer them. Oh, and to PsychoRyko, I would be more than happy to contact you, only your email address didn't show up fully in your review. If you wish to contact me, please do so by using the email address located on my profile page. Converting /tmp/phpDw5RQq to /dev/stdout