For the Whored: the Future:

Lydia sat on the platform and sighed. She felt kind of silly, just sitting here all day staring at her husband. What she needed was a hobby. Well, she had a hobby, but she liked sharing it with Darguni. This time of day, both Darguni and Bradly were in the yard. Knowing what she'd seen firsthand, while the sons were technically trainees, they were next under their dads. If Grogek were to fall ill, Darguni would step up and train the men. If Jordan were to be injured, Bradly would take over. No one had been promoted yet, but she knew it just was a matter of time.

Susan was off being a mother to the baby and would probably show up to the platform later. Elunara had clients all day, so the house was off limits. Lulu and Tina were off doing whatever teenagers did these days. Tina had become a whole lot nicer since her bad night. Lydia debated checking on Zelinnia, but she'd just be in the way or roped into an endless stream of paper work. Renwa had earned his place as second in command to Varian.

Maybe Chrissy or Jenny would be interested in some girly time. Tulani also had clients, and she was just afraid to knock on Gingy's door. It wasn't like she had many female friends. Most of them were actually Elunara's friends. Some of the men she had hung out with as boys, now saw her as an annoyance and their wives weren't much happier about it. Bryan was a friend, but he'd locked himself in his house to work on some project. Bradly and Darguni had been her permanent friends, and that was that.

With a sigh, she flagged down Darguni.

"Hey, babe, what's up?"

"I'm going to go sing."

"You look sad."

"Just feeling a little lonely is all."

He brushed her hair back. "I'm sorry. My dad would kill me if I take a day off so close to our vacation."

"I'm not asking you to." She brushed her lips over his. "I'm going to go sing. It cheers me up."

"Alright, you know how to find me."

She awoke in darkness. Jolting, she struggled; only to find herself bound to a wall.

"Hello, little girl." He grabbed her chin. "Well, you're not so little any more, are you?"

She tried to talk, but her mouth was stuffed.

"Do you remember me?" He rubbed his knuckles on her cheek. "You're older than I like em, but I have unfinished business with you. I like breaking the strong ones, so tasty."

Trying to scramble back, she shrieked into the fabric.

"I think you remember me!" He licked his lips. "This will be even better!" He clapped his hands together. "But, I'm not ready yet. I'll be baaack!" He called out merrily as he left.

She struggled against her bonds, only to discover she couldn't move at all. Yanking her arms, she pulled against the fabric. Her feet were somehow bound to her hands, because she couldn't shift them without tightening the wrists. With a shiver, she realized that she was naked, and began to scream.

Darguni jogged down to the amphitheater. With a frown, he poked behind the curtain. Shrugging, he left for the hill. His concern grew as he searched the entire city. Ignoring the sign on the door, he knocked.

After a moment, Elunara yanked the door open. "What?"

He put a hand over his eyes. "Momma, has Lydia been by here?"

"No."

"I can't find her, and I've looked everywhere."

She sighed. "Did you try the amphitheater?"

"Twice. I've been everywhere and I just can't find her."

"What was her mental state?"

"Lonely. She was going to sing to cheer herself."

"Try everyone we know."

"Alright."

She closed the door in his face.

"Jerry, have you seen Lydia?"

He shook his head. "Try Bryan?"

"Bryan said no. He hasn't come out of his house."

"Alright, I'll help you look."

"Aw, you made a mess."

Lydia jerked as she was doused with cold water.

"Scream all you want, little girl. No one will find you down here." He dropped the bucket and sat on the bottom of it. "I'm very angry with you. I don't like being angry." He threaded his fingers together. "You took me away from the thing I like the most for twelve years." He giggled. "Such a perfect age, twelve..." He shook himself. "After I'm done with you..." He giggled again. "Maybe I can make you twelve again." He licked his lips. "Then I'll go get the snotty one and bring her down here too."

Lydia tried desperately to fight the bonds.

"How ironic... how much you like to sing. I'm going to make you sing for me. Right here in your favorite place to do it."

Her eyes had adjusted to the light and she could see the stored props. Footsteps above them made her start to scream again. The man watched the path of the footsteps until they left. "See? No one can help you here."

Darguni was absolutely frantic. "No one?"

They all shook their heads.

"FIND HER, GODDAMN IT!"

Lydia was lightheaded and desperately thirsty. She rolled her head and stared, with some desperation, at the footsteps above her head. They seemed to be pacing. She tried to scream but her throat had been clogged with the fibers. Closing her eyes, she tried with desperation to wish.

"Lydia?"

It was a whisper, but she knew that voice well. She tried to remember what Elunara had taught her. She gasped as another bucket of water was tossed on her. How much she wished for just a drop of it to be in her sore throat.

"I think we can start again now." He whispered with a mad glee. "How fitting to break you in this place you love, with the beast you love above our heads." He grabbed her knee, and she screamed with her mind.

"Anything?" Darguni paced back and forth. "Anything at all?" He whispered.

"I'm sorry, we can't find her." Mark sighed.

Bradly scrubbed his hands over his face. "It's been three days, WHY can't ANYONE find her?"

Darguni paced and clawed at his own face. "I feel her. I can FEEL her, but not WHERE!" He flopped down on the stage and held his face in his hands.

"What do you mean, you feel her?" Elunara narrowed her eyes.

"When I stand here..." He wrapped his arms around himself. "I can feel her presence. I don't know... I think because she's spent so much time here."

Elunara climbed up on stage and moved around. "I feel her too... she's screaming." Elunara murmured. "Darguni MOVE!"

"What?" He scrambled out of the way.

"It's around here somewhere." She mumbled, her fingers trailing over the floor. "Gah, that's the last time I let someone modify my design without adding it to my books." Her fingers dug into the wood. "There!" She yanked the panel up.

"LYDIA!" Darguni dove into the hole and landed on top of the man, crushing his head into the floor.

Lydia struggled, as she began to cry.

Darguni wrapped his arms around her. "Oh, my sweet wife."

Elunara summoned her dagger and cut the bonds around Lydia's wrists, before getting the ones at her ankles. Once she cut the gag from Lydia's mouth, she shoved Darguni off of the man. "Looks like we're going to have a lovely conversation when he wakes up."

Lydia curled up in Darguni's lap. "That's... that's the man I saved Gingy from." She shook. "He..."

"Come on, love, let's get you home." Darguni cradled Lydia in his arms.

Elunara grabbed some spare fabric and tossed it over Lydia's body. "I'll deal with the bastard."

"Leave some for me." He growled.

"Gladly."

"Here, send her up." Bradly held out his arms.

Darguni passed Lydia up, before climbing out of the hole. He took her back into his arms.

"Darguni?"

"Yeah, mom?"

"Put her in the tub."

"Alright."

He slid Lydia into the heated tub, before sliding in beside her. "There we go, nice and toasty." She curled up in his lap and began to weep. "Oh, baby, I'm so sorry. I tried so hard to find you, but I didn't know about the basement."

She sniffled. "I'd forgotten about it. I knew it was there, but I hadn't gone to sing in so long..."

"I hope this doesn't stop you from singing." He wiped her tears. "I would do anything to take it all back."

"It's... it's not your fault."

"I felt you. I KNOW I felt you. I tried to figure out why. I thought... I just thought it was how much time you spent there."

"I screamed for you." She whimpered. "I'm desperate for something to drink."

"Of course." He jumped out and wrapped a towel around his waist before he ran for the kitchen. He came back and sat a pitcher of water down before pulling her into his lap. He let her drink until the pitcher was gone. "Need more?"

She shook her head and curled up on him. "I just want to be comfortable."

"Then I'll give it to you." When she fell asleep, he frowned.

Elunara walked in and stooped down. "How is she?"

"Like a broken doll." He whimpered.

"We'll help her put the pieces back together, but she'll always have some cracks." She sighed. "Come, get her to bed, I'll deal with the tub."

"Thank you, momma."

She woke up screaming.

"No, no, shh, it's me, Baby. It's only me."

She clung to him and wept.

The next day, he tucked her on to the couch. "I'll be right back, OK? Bradly's going to stay with you while I'm busy."

She just nodded and curled up against Bradly.

Darguni closed the door and sighed.

"He's at the Keep. I've already had at him and we've gotten all we can out of the bastard. None of it is worth repeating." Elunara shook her head. "I pumped him with enough energy to keep him alive for about two hours."

Darguni cracked his knuckles. "Not enough, but I'll take what I'm given."

He made his way into the keep. Varian nodded at him and led the way. He closed the door. Darguni growled. The man in the seat was covered in blood, but had enough wherewithal to panic. Darguni smiled at that.

Darguni wiped the blood off of his own cheek. "No need for an execution."

Varian merely nodded and closed the door again.

He cleaned himself up before heading back home. Trading places with Bradly, he sighed. "Oh, my beauty. What has he done to you?"

Elunara paced the bedroom.

"Love, you've done all you can."

"No. There's always more to do." She sighed and frantically paced.

"You'll help her." Tulani said; her voice quite and contemplative. "You've helped so many... you'll figure out how to help your daughter."

Jordan sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "You've been through what she has. Remember what helped you, and move from there."

Susan sighed. "But it's so much harder to fix a darkened heart."

Elunara pointed at Susan. "What did you say?"

"A darkened heart?"

"That's it!" Elunara bolted out of the room.

Everyone followed her and looked over the banister.

She came out with a book. "When Zelinnia had that miscarriage... I "fixed" her. She said that I removed the darkness from her heart." She jogged up the stairs. "Maybe I can recreate it somehow."

The next day, she found Darguni downstairs, pacing.

"How is she?"

"She's just so broken." He whimpered. "Momma, I'm trying, I really am, but I just don't know what to DO." He sighed. "She wakes up screaming. She lays there and shivers and shakes, never speaking. When I feed her, she eats without looking, just puts it in her mouth. All she wants to do is drink and drink. I'm slightly terrified of how much water she drinks."

Elunara closed her eyes and sighed. With a shake of her head, she hardened herself. "Son, he kept her tied up for three days with a cloth gag in her mouth so tight, she couldn't even move her lips. He gave her nothing, letting her starve and mess herself. She suffered from dehydration, and her throat filled with particles from the fabric. He tortured her in every conceivable way."

"Why are you telling me this?" He whispered in horror.

"You remember when I was taken the same way?"

"Yes." He whimpered. "I don't like that book."

"That's what she lived through. Unlike me, Lydia was already in a weakened mental state, and this? This just snapped her."

Darguni collapsed to the couch and wrapped his arms around himself. "This is just too cruel. My poor, beautiful wife." He buried his face in his hands.

"I'm telling you this, because you need to be prepared for what I'm about to do."

Shaking, he looked up. "What?"

"I've only done this once, and it was by accident and I never tried to figure out how or why, but I need you to trust me."

"Of course I trust you."

"With Lydia?"

"Of course."

"Please go get her, the couch is the best place to do this."

Darguni bolted.

"Can I help, momma?"

She shook her head. "I'm sorry, Bradly. You're not close enough. Too many people try and it could make her worse. You can see about helping her after."

He nodded and closed the front door.

Darguni came down, Lydia in his arms.

"Sit on the couch with her. I want you to hold on to her, because I have no idea how this is going to work."

Darguni got into place. "What are you going to do?" Elunara put her hands on both Darguni and Lydia and closed her eyes. He jolted and looked around. "Where are we?"

"My theory... is the space where the spirits reside. I've connected the three of us so that we may be able to retrieve our Lydia."

He looked around in the blackness. "This is creepy."

"I can't count how many times Elune has pulled me into this damned place." She looked around. "There's our little point of light."

Darguni followed her and gasped. Lydia was curled into a ball, rocking back and forth. "Lydia!" He stooped down and put his hand on the side of her head.

She jolted and scrambled back. "NO! Don't touch me!"

"Lydia, please... my beautiful wife. It's me." He reached out and laid a gentle hand on her arm. "It's me, baby. I'd never hurt you."

Elunara stooped down and repeated the gesture. "Sweetie? It's me. It's... it's your momma."

"Momma?" Lydia blinked.

"Yeah, I'm your momma now. Yours has passed and left you in my care. You married my son and are part of my family."

"Momma." Lydia whimpered and clung to her.

"That's right. I've brought your husband."

"Husband?" Lydia blinked at Darguni.

"Yeah, Baby, it's me." He ran his hand down her back. "Remember?" He frowned. "Why doesn't she remember?"

"You've only been married a week, and she seems to have regressed pretty far."

"That's not fair!" He cried. "I finally find my happiness, and some worthless bastard takes her from me."

"We'll get her back. I promise you." Elunara dislodged Lydia from her neck and shoved her over to Darguni. "Take her, talk to her, I have an idea."

"Momma!" Lydia gasped.

"No, sweetie, you stay with Darguni."

"Baby? It's me, baby. Maybe you don't remember your husband... but what about that little orc kid you used to run around with? Maybe you remember our secret spot on the hill?"

Elunara backed away and held out her hands. Channeling her energy outwards, she began to sing.

"Picnics?" He whispered. "Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches?" He kissed her forehead. "Making love under the stars?"

Lydia began to sway back and forth, and soon she picked up the song.

"Concerts?' Darguni picked up the song, an old familiar melody.

Lydia stood up, and continued to sing. Soon, all three of them stood in a circle, holding hands, and singing, as Elunara channeled her energy outwards and into the other two. Slowly, she released their hands, still working her magic.

Blinking, Lydia held Darguni's hands. She stared down at them in wonder. "Darguni?"

"Baby!" He wrapped her in his arms. "You're back!"

"I..." She blinked. "Oh, Gods... OH, GODS IT HURTS!" She crumpled to the floor and began to weep.

"Mother!"

"I'm working on it, I'm working on it." Elunara changed her focus. "It's emotional pain, I think it manifests as physical pain when on this level. I have to directly heal her."

Delicately, he pulled her into his lap. "Don't worry, baby. Momma will make it right."

"Fascinating."

"What?"

"I can see it."

"See what?"

"The emotional anguish. I can... break it I think. Not all of it, or we risk breaking her again, but I think we can isolate it enough to..."

Lydia jolted. "My head hurts." She mumbled.

"I think we're getting somewhere."

"Lydia? Baby?" Darguni reached out.

"Darguni?" Lydia reached out. "Oh, Gods. I need you."

He wrapped her into his embrace. "I need you too, baby."

"Why does everything hurt so badly?"

"Because someone hurt you. I'm so sorry I couldn't find you sooner."

"I... I remember." She whimpered. "I don't want to remember."

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but you have to." Elunara sighed. "The same thing happened to me."

"What?" Lydia looked up.

"I'm sorry, but if you don't learn to deal with the pain, you can never be whole again. Let us help you. Don't go into a hole again."

"I..."

"Promise me." Darguni took her hands. "Promise me you'll let us help you."

"But..."

"I'll give you my strength. I need you like I need the sun, like I need the air. I can't lose you, because it would ruin me. Please, let me help you.

"Oh, Darguni." Lydia wept. "I'm so afraid."

"We'll protect you. We'll all protect you."

"But, what if he comes back?"

"He won't."

"But, how do you know?"

"Because I killed him with my bare hands." Darguni held up his hands. "He's dead, because I did it. He can't take what's mine."

"For me?" She whispered.

"Anything for you."

"Guys... I'm losing it. I don't really have much more to sustain this with."

"Lydia, come back with us. Come home with me."

"I can't be without you." She whispered.

Darguni wrapped his arms around her.

Elunara collapsed.