Blood Moon Chronicles Book 3 A New Moon RisesChapter 7
- 4 years ago
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The sheepish look that was on Violet’s face quickly turned into one of blinding rage. She tried to force her way inside, and looked to want to attack Lillian, until I grabbed her. She kicked and hit my arms and shoulders violently, but I was really surprised when she sank her teeth into my arm. I cried out in pain, but I did not let her out of my grasp, afraid she might hurt Lillian.
“Let me go, Davik! The bitch needs to pay for taking what is mine! If you do not let me go, I will scream!”
“First, she is not a bitch,” I stated matter-of-factly, “she has not taken anything of yours. Second, you can go ahead and scream. If the guards come, they will be told you came in uninvited and attempted to attack the person who lives here.”
“How long have you been fucking the little whore? Since you left me here? Was she worth it?”
“Davik and I have not done anything intimate of any kind. He said that nothing could happen between us other than friendship, unless you said it was okay. He did not want to risk hurting and losing you.”
Violet continued to struggle but did not attempt to bite me again, which was good. I did not think I would be able to keep holding her if she did that again.
“Are you ready to calm down?” I asked my prisoner. “I want you to promise that you will not attempt to hurt your friend again.”
She nodded silently, and I carefully released my grip, ready to grab her again if she tried to attack Lillian. Instead, she ran into Lillian’s bedroom and I once again heard the opening and closing of drawers.
“If you two are not having sex, “she yelled from the room, “why are your clothes in her drawers, you lying bastard?!”
“The pack I carried back had our clothes and some other items of his. The one he carried was far heavier, as it contained some books, he believed would be of use to Celka,” Lillian told her.
She walked out of the room with a look of pure disgust and hatred in her eyes. Not just for Lillian, but also for me. My heart ached in my chest from the pain of the unspoken words in her eyes.
“You can have him,” she said with a dull, emotionless tone. “I am done with him, you and your lies.”
She then brushed past me and walked away, I longed to go after her, but that would only make things worse.
“I am going to tell Ilane of what happened as well, Davik,” Lillian told me. “You should go home. Talk to the girls there, maybe they may know of a way to get through to her.”
I nodded and left Lillian’s to head to my final stop, my thoughts drifting to Violet, as I weaved my way through the town to the carpentry shop. About ten minutes later, I arrived at my destination. It looked to be just as busy as any time I had visited when Ruben had run it, so I was happy to see that there had not been much change from that. In fact, based on the foot traffic, as well as a new waiting room, business was up. The sign had said “Cartha Carpentry” since Ruben took over all those years ago and he never changed it. I made my way inside and round a young woman seated behind a counter in the waiting room who had not been there before. She had a pleasant smile and looked to be close to my age. I could not tell how tall she was, nor her build, though that was not important now. There looked to be a few people waiting, possibly to pick up, check the status of, or place an order.
“Hello there, ma’am,” I said with a friendly smile. “My name is Davik, I need to speak with Brandon immediately, please.”
Her eyes widened with recognition, and she gave me a quick glance before getting up and opening a door leading to the shop.
“Please go ahead, sir. Ruben had instructed me you were to be able to go where you liked back when he was running the shop. He told me that if anything happened, the shop would go to you, unless Kafe was of age. Brandon told me that I was to give you open access to the shop. So please, no need to ask in the future, sir. And my name is Genevieve, it is a pleasure to meet you, sir.”
“Why, thank you, Genevieve, and do not worry, your job is not in jeopardy if you were wondering. Besides, your response just now showed me that you are the perfect person for the job.”
She blushed at that, and I made my way into the back shop. Everything was as I had remembered, though the people working it in had changed. Kafe was working on a lathe, shaping the leg of a table or chair. He had an air of confidence and experience as he worked the machine. I could see the ghostly shape of Ruben standing beside him, explaining how to shape the wood, the pressure to use, the tool to use next. I closed my eyes and swallowed the lump that formed in my throat. When they opened, Kafe was once again alone at the lathe, the spectral form gone.
Brandon was at a table along the northern wall, making measurements on a long, flat board. He glanced over and saw me, placed his tools on the table and came over to greet me.
“Davik, I did not know that you were back. I am happy to see that you are doing well, and I hope that your time away helped as you had hoped. Tell me, to what do I owe your visit today?”
“I am glad to see you, too, my friend, as well as happy to see things are going well here. I just got back last night. I spoke with Carl and the others at the workshop and was meaning to pop in and talk to you.”
He gestured to a small table with two chairs and we sat down, he brought a pitcher of water that was on the table and poured us each a cup of water. After I had finished drinking, I got down to business.
“First, I want to let you know that I have sent papers to the capitol, for you and the others to be made journeymen. You will continue to run this shop for me, Kafe will then officially become your apprentice. Though a difference will be that you will be paying him a wage, equal to what I paid you. Remaining money will be divided except general fees to maintain the shop and such, account for wood being sourced by me, and therefore remove that as an expense. Of the money left, a third will go into an emergency fund for the business, the rest will go to Ilane. This is still her husband’s business and she will reap the benefits of our work, just as if Ruben had continued working here. Start with the current funds that you have accrued and go through it all. If you need help, Ilane or Liza may be able to help.
“Now for the other business we have to discuss. I made two deals to generate cash flow for the town. The first was when I was in Dru’Tirk, looking for help with my shoulder. You, in conjunction with the others at the workshop, will make fishing boats out of Teaka wood. We will also be making wagons that can successfully transport the boat there, while still being able to ship fish back to Cartha for sale. I am thinking something watertight. That way, the fish will be able to survive the travel between there and here. I am sure you four will come up with an adequate design that will work for us. For now, we will be making three boats, and we will be paid for them from the profits of the fish. I expect to use no more than twenty shipments of fish to pay off both the wagons and the boats, given that I expect them to ask for ten of each.
“The other deal that will help facilitate our work will be wood shipments from Fardun. While we do get the occasional order from them, they will provide our wood, and perhaps even for Dru’Tirk, if I can manage it. They will arrange the transport of the wood in this case, and our first shipment will be near the end of the month. Both deals run through me, which means we pay the necessary taxes, then split the profit between us and the corresponding village. Given the popularity of your work, I believe that the deals will cause growth for those villages as well as Cartha.
Given the increase of work, I will expect you to hire more help, as will the others. To make sure the cash flow to Ilane is not affected, I will pay the new hires out of my pocket until the profits are no longer at risk of being affected.”
Brandon had a look of utter shock and even Kafe had stopped his work on the lathe to look at me with awe.
“Wow, that is quite the deal,” Brandon said softly, the shock still evident in his voice. “I am going to need at least two more apprentices, but Kafe will be head apprentice. The others will need at least three or four, but I would suggest you talk to the Patron.”
I gave him a quizzical look, as I believed I had covered all our basics with my plans. Of course, I had hoped to get their input, as they seemed to be able to think outside the box.
“About your smithy,” he said with a laugh at my expression. “Brant had all metal work sourced out of town when he could not get his hands on your father’s shop. I am not sure if there are still any restrictions made on metal working in the town. To prevent problems with the Patron, I would suggest that you ensure that there would be no issues should you start it back up. Once that is cleared up, I would immediately search for a smith, as it will make our work go much faster.”
I nodded and paid him and Kafe a good day, before I left. I also made sure to say goodbye to Genevieve before I headed out. I immediately had a thought and rushed over to Ilane’s clinic at a normal speed. I was hoping to catch Lillian before she left on her trip and I luckily caught her as she was leaving the building.
“I am glad I caught you before you left,” I said quickly. “Could we go inside so I could write another letter?”
She nodded and we entered the clinic, making our way to the counter she would sit at when she was not helping in the back. I got a piece of paper, as well as a quill and quickly wrote a letter asking if they had a soon-to-be journeyman smith looking for his own shop. I handed the completed letter to Lillian and asked her to give that to the Patron, as well. She nodded and quickly made her way out of the clinic. Noticing that there was no one in the waiting area, I knocked on the door to the back. After hearing confirmation from Ilane, I opened the door and found her tidying things up around the room.
“Hey, Ilane, sorry to bother you. I was surprised to see no one in the waiting area, is everything ok?”
“Oh, it is fine Davik,” she said with a soft smile. “Days like this come and go, and I use them to clean up. I double check my inventory, so I know what I am running low on. It will take longer today, since you have Lillian leaving on an errand and Violet has refused to come into work since the night you came back.”
“I am sorry about that,” I replied, “I never intended to cause any issues, though I never expected to see Violet acting that way.”
“She acted much like this after you left the first time all those years ago. I had thought she had gotten over it, but it seems recent events have brought those feelings back. So, what is it I can do for you?”
“Ah, yes,” I said distractedly, my mind lost on the events of the past two days. “As you know, Ruben put his shop into my care. Until Kafe becomes of age, I will maintain the business, and of course, take a share of the profits during that time.
“I have instructed Brandon to do the following things. First, he will be paying Kafe a wage, fitting for his apprentice status. He will become Brandon’s apprentice officially, as I have sent the paperwork needed to make Brandon and the other apprentices journeymen. Then what is left over after his, Kafe’s and Genevieve’s wages, he then will deduct what is necessary to maintain the shop, minus wood costs, as I will be the source of that moving forward. The money remaining would be split into three, one third for an emergency for the shop and two thirds to you for loss of Ruben’s share of the income. He will be getting two more apprentices, which I will pay out of pocket until the profits increase enough that it will no longer impact your income.”
Ilane looked at me in shock, until tears welled up in her eyes and she rushed into my arms. I just held her until the tears that she shed were spent, which took a little while.
“I had worried what would happen,” she said with a sniff. “I knew you would not keep everything for yourself, but I still had to wonder. What would happen to Kafe, how would you deal with the expenses and growth, what would happen to the loss of income. You have put a lot of my fears to rest, though would not paying out of pocket be expensive? I do not want you to put yourself in a bad position to help us.”
I shook my head and replied, “No, I have made enough profit from the wood we have sold as well as the girls’ market stall. Besides, with the income from my deals with Dru’Tirk and Fardun, I will have no problems paying the wages. I expect within a year we could nearly double the sales from the shop. Anyway, I will leave you to your work and hopefully, we will see you over at the house soon. I know you need to focus on your family right now.”
She nodded and I made my way out of the clinic, I stopped to look around and noticed Violet across the road. She had a blank look on her face, then turned to walk away from the clinic. While my heart told me to chase after her, my instincts told me it would only make things worse at this point. Resigned to waiting, I made my way over to the market.
My last business of the day was to set up the necessary fees to cover the increased business and other possible ones that might crop up in the future. It took me roughly fifteen minutes to get from Ilane’s, through the market, to the building housing the merchant’s guild. I made my way in and found a young man behind a counter reading, with a few chairs lining the walls of the room. I approached the counter but found that the young man did not acknowledge my presence, nor did he ask my purpose for being there.
I woke up with a start, my hand darting to my chest, to look for the hole where the sword had pierced me. Content that there was nothing there, I tried to get up and only then did I realize that I was not alone in bed. Janet had laid down next to me and, I guess, fell asleep on my shoulder, though my jerking up in bed had roused her from her nap. “Davik?” she asked, a note of concern in her voice. “Are you okay? Was it another of those dreams again?” “Yes it was, Janet, but your suggestion...
“I have not heard that name in a very long time,” she said as the color drained from her face. “Brenson was the name of my older brother.” “Is that name common where you came from? I mean, it could have been a different Brenson that had come from your country.” “Names are a bit different back home,” she said shaking her head. “They are regional and very few are repeated outside of a family. Besides, the age fits and I will know from the books you collected, as he wrote one or more of...
I panicked again when I woke up from the dream, as both my arms had gone numb. When I looked at both, I saw tuffs of red hair on either shoulder or it dawned on me what had happened. The only thing I wondered was ... why? While I had been shocked at the surprise of Lillian and Janet sleeping on me, I had not realized how much I had missed the sensation. It had been nearly a year since someone was sharing my bed to fight off the tremors and, during my time away, as well as during the trip...
I was told when I finally woke up that I had been out for nearly five hours. Everyone wanted to be there with me when I woke up, but they knew the importance of the burning of the skulls. Lillian had stayed by me and told the others when I finally came to. I explained to them the meeting I had with Phaltina and that the curse had been released from the skulls when they broke apart. Kayla was a bit disappointed that she would not be using her mortar and pestle, but she was happier that I was...
Aphronia slowly regained consciousness and felt agony in every muscle and fiber of her body. The bastard had spent who knows how long torturing her. Not for information or her acquiescence, but for the simple and perverse joy it brought him. He had been cutting her skin, with slow and precise slices. Generating the most pain for the least amount of damage. Her abilities helped her heal quickly, but the psychological impact was hard on her. She still had not eaten, and her hunger, coupled...
While I had seen Lillian change more than a few times now, the change happening to Violet seemed far more violent and painful. The transformation Lillian underwent happened in a matter of moments, one minute she was a human, the next she was a wolf. I had to wonder if this was what occurred during a Voguel’s first transformation as their body shifts and morphs under the manipulation of the curse. It sounded like her bones were breaking with every shift of her body, as her body repurposed...
We woke early and decided against having a morning meal, instead hoping to get on our way sooner. I collected my goods and made my way out of the inn with the others. I took Janet’s equipment as she was going to head to the carrier bird aviary to send out a message to her contacts. She would meet us at the stablemaster’s when she was done. Lillian padded alongside me and we were warmly greeted as we approached. “Hello, my friends,” he said warmly. “You are ahead of schedule, but I was able...
Lillian I left everyone in the room and made my way to the cellar of the, opening the door to find Violet, on the floor. The chains of the shackles were looped around a metal bracket on the floor, even Davik’s unique strength would not be able to pull it up. I looked down at her, memories of her sleeping after our love making filling my head and alerting me to her ruse. I walked up and planted a hard kick to her abdomen, causing her to scream in pain, as well as curse me for hitting...
Davik I could not tell how long I had been here, but my stomach was beginning to demand that I accept the food that the young girl had been bringing. True to her word, Brenson had stopped using blunt objects and began using a whip. I had to be careful as the pain of the strikes could have made me bite my tongue off, which would have been very painful, and I doubt I would have been able to grow it back. The whole time, he was asking how I was able to do the things I could, where I got my...
“So, Davik, this is where you have been hiding? I must say it is a quaint little camp that you have here.” The voice jarred me, given that I had not seen anyone here during my quick search of the rooms. I turned to see who had said that, as the voice was familiar, but my shocked mind was having trouble figuring out who it was. I soon looked into the deep brown eyes of my love’s mother, Ilane. “I assume you are having trouble understanding my presence here,” she said, with a smile. “You are...
Janet and Lillian had been listening in on my comments through our link, so when I said I was not alone, Janet came crashing through the window that investigated the atrium. Lillian would make herself known when the time was right. We needed to keep him off guard if we were going to succeed. Seeing Janet nearby brought me a sense of relief, though I was worried about leaving Ingrid up on the second floor alone. ((Do not worry, Davik, I sent the two with me up to make sure she got to us okay...
We made our way through the town and arrived at the bank just as the girls and Jerreth, were leaving. Lillian had a satchel on her shoulder, which I assumed had the money they were supposed to take out. Based on their happy expressions, things must have gone well, and it looked like Jerreth had taken the opportunity to start talking to Liza. I was glad that Janet’s choice was to be in my wagon, as it helped them spend some time together on the trip other than at meals. “Jerreth, you and Liza...
I did not get back to sleep right away, my mind reeling with the idea that there could be another like Brenson out there and worry of what that person could do. Lillian kept me company for as long as she could, but after an hour, she fell back into a deep sleep, her rhythmic breathing lulling me to join her. Thankfully, there were no other dreams that plagued me, not that I could remember, so I was thankful for that. When I next woke up, sunlight was creeping through the window and the...
The trip, over the next few weeks, was strained at the beginning, as the tensions were still high after what had happened with Gwen and Ethal. The other soldiers were giving me a wide berth, but they were cordial when we were around one another. They worked with Liza and Celka to see what their skill level was, what they might have an aptitude for and where they would need to improve. Given the unique nature of the beast we might face, Janet took it upon herself to train with me, though I...
Davik //Are you sure? \\ I asked Lillian, worry in my thoughts. // Maybe you need to find the inner fire that I did to trigger my abilities and I believe that Janet was able to pull from the same source.\\
Davik He used the whip again, demanding to know how I had gotten my abilities and what had been used. I tuned him out, thinking of other things, when a strange tickle occurred in the back of my head. Not on the skin, but deep inside, not unlike when I found the fire that triggered my abilities that first time. The tickle appeared just after a strike of the whip and after two more, it became much stronger. Instead of a tickle, I began to feel emotion, but it seemed off as if it were not my...
Even though there had been eighteen years since he had left, the smell of what lay inside had remained. The smell of decaying flesh filled the building, and I tried to control myself. Lillian had to leave, as the sight and smell were too much for her. I heard her asking for the Patron and whoever took care of the village’s dead to come to the shop immediately. The door muffled what she said next and I tried to focus. I needed to see what had happened in that room. There were two beds on the...
We both stood there in shock, waiting for what Violet would do next. Her face was a mixture of emotions that, for the first time since I had known her, could not read. After a few minutes of silence, she walked up and slapped her mother in the face. The force of the blow made a loud smack and her mother’s head rocked back at the force. As soon as she smacked her mother, she turned to smack me, but my reflexes caught her arm mid-swing. She looked at me with unabashed hatred and as I searched...
I awoke slowly. A light throbbing of my head caused a bit of discomfort. I looked around to find myself alone in bed, daylight shining through the window. I could hear the faint sounds of birds through the glass. It was very auspicious, given the nature of events that had transpired last night. As memories filled my mind of everything that had happened, tears began to fall freely down my face. My friends, my love and her family all gone. Taken by that black monstrosity in a binge of carnage...
It has been nearly three weeks since we found out about Jethro and everyone has done what they could to try and help locate Violet. Edgar sent men to each town, village and inn that was along the way. I scoured the area between them, looking for signs and even using my abilities in the hopes of locating a trail. I even visited Cartha and Dru’Tirk, but no sign there. Lillian even joined me to look, but even her skills and abilities in her wolf form did not help. After two weeks, I was...
When I awoke, I was sometime in the evening, the sounds of the insects out on their nighttime hunts filled the air. The gentle breeze from the open window carried their sounds into my room. Hopefully, I hadn’t slept past evening meal. As I moved to get up, I realized there was a soft arm draped across my chest and a leg resting on my thighs. I looked down to see dark locks of hair draped across my chest and felt the soft rise and fall of my companion’s chest. The scent that filled my senses...
I put the cover over the pot, preserving the food for later, and left it to the side of the fire. I put a log on the fire and adjusted the currently burning ones to surround the new log, ensuring that it would catch and keep going while I was gone. I grabbed my satchel from off the pack, my water flask and the rabbit hide. It would prove useful if I was lucky, I might not even need to make any drying racks. Confident I had everything I needed for my quick trip, I made my way out of the cave...
Jethro, You are a man of great promise, but I can give you an even greater one. The power over those around you, fed by fear and control. Why settle for being a lone soldier, when you could be greater? All you need is the vision to see a great future for you and the will to do what it takes to bring it to fruition. Understand that despite this power, you will serve me and will do so for all time. If you fail to understand that, I will not hesitate to rip your throat out, after I kill every...
Violet looked at me for a few moments, her expression never changing and said, “Davik, we need to talk.” “What would you like to talk about?” I asked, gesturing for her to come inside. “You will need to be a bit more specific.” “No, not here,” she replied with a shake of her head. “Let’s talk somewhere more private. This needs to be a talk between you and me, with no one else interfering or trying to give their own input.” I shrugged my shoulders, though I took note of her lack of reply. I...
I awoke sometime later with Lillian and Janet still in my arms. I looked down to see that their hands were still intertwined. I wished we were done with all this, allowing me to bask in the love and tenderness of the women in my life. I was growing tired of all the darkness and death that seemed to permeate my life, despite my attempts to prevent it. Still, they are the light that has come out of that darkness and I do not think I would do anything that would have kept that from...
I entered the smithy and looked around at the interior of the entranceway, trying to appear passive as I looked about the environment I just entered. Since this was a blacksmith shop with no living quarters attached, there was a main entrance where people could place and pick up their orders and the work area itself which was kept separate. There were two young men manning the counter at the far side of the room, which looked no bigger than the waiting room at Ilane’s clinic, as well as one...
I awoke to the sound of a crackling fire, the smell of something cooking and the softness of a bed beneath me. I felt completely drained of energy and gingerly opened my eyes to see where I was, hoping that I had not been captured by an unseen enemy. I saw old grey stone above me and turning to look to my left, saw a form sitting in front of the fire. The person was humming a tune that I did not recognize, but it put me in a sense of ease and contentment, as it almost seemed familiar. I tried...
As I opened the door to a house that I had not been in for nearly nine years, various emotions filled me. The most prominent was the sense of loss that it brought in me; the loss of both my parents and my best friend. Violet should be here with me, helping me through this as she had always done in the past, but she was missing. Having Liza and Lillian was a small comfort and one that I greatly appreciated. I took a deep breath and took a step through the doorway, into the entrance to my...
My heart skipped a beat and I felt a lump from in my throat as I heard Fergus utter the name of the one, I was dreading would come to Fardun, in search of me. “Fergus, are you sure that it was him? Like, absolutely sure that Brenson was the one who was asking around for me?” “Aye, lad, it was him,” he said with a nod. “He was, of course, much older, with some drastic changes, but I never forget a face.” I took a few deep, calming breaths before I asked, “You said that he had drastic...
“All this time,” I yelled at the top of my lungs. “All these years and it had been you all along. Janet considered you a friend! Her worst enemy and her ultimate target was hiding in plain sight the whole time.” He laughed, “Hiding in plain sight is the best way to do it, boy. I made sure after I killed my cousin to ensure I was in the shadows. Then I appointed that fool to act in my stead, using a link to send messages through. I would be able to relay information and orders for Feror to...
I woke for the last time in my camp, knowing that it will be some time before I can come back. I was not sure if I would be able to, as the stakes of what is to come have never been higher. I could walk away from this or I could end up dying - there were too many factors to predict what the possible outcome would be. Lillian was still sleeping on the other side of the fire and I figured I would let her sleep just a little longer. The past few days had been trying for both of us and we had...
“Excuse me gentlemen, is there a problem here?” We all turned to look at the source of the question, to find Jerreth standing behind the two men, arms crossed along his chest. His gaze was cool and passive as he looked from person to person. I then looked at each of the men more closely, they were holding pieces of wood, no doubt scraps laying around they felt would work as clubs. “It is none of your business darkie,” yelled one of the men, “our business is with this murderous piece of...
We arrived at the western encampment a few minutes later. I had been surprised to find the people of the capital forced to live outside the fortified area of the city. What genuinely surprised me was the number of soldiers that were camped outside the core of the city. Based on the Dran’s vanity, I would have assumed he would keep as many soldiers he could between him and any Voguel. My gut told me that these were ones he could not confirm as totally loyal to him. So, under the guise of...
I felt odd in a way I could not place and tangled in a darkness I could not fully perceive. As I opened my eyes, I found myself once again within a dreamscape that was not my own. The one I shared with my ladies felt different than the one I currently found myself in. I stretched out with my senses, hoping that they would work here and what I found was peculiar. The environment was strange, with no form other than the dense forest and storm clouds above. It only seemed to stretch out for a...
We woke a few hours later at the same time, which was not surprising. We had slipped into our dreamscape and we had noticed that we would all come out of it at the same time. This occurred every time, and we emerged rested, despite what had occurred. While they had acquiesced to my request for resting, they decided to try and pull us all into their dreamscape. They had succeeded and we were pulled into an accurate facsimile of my bedroom back in Cartha. There were some differences, since the...
I awoke with a start, and found I needed to retch as well, the imagery had made me sick to my stomach, and I swore that my genitals felt a little tender. It was as if they felt a miniscule fraction of what had happened, and it only made me curse Brant even more. Once I had finished throwing up, I got some water, and went about cleaning up after myself. Once I had that done, I went about my morning business, after putting some more wood on the fire. When I returned to the cavern, I went to...
Lillian “You have been asking around about something you shouldn’t be, little lady. I am afraid you are going to have to come with us, or you might get hurt.” I looked around, hoping to find something that I would be able to use, but there was nothing. I closed my eyes, focusing on the training I did with Janet and the others on the way here and everything that I learned. I opened my eyes to see the ringleader stepping towards me, reaching his arm out to grab me. One of the things they...
I awoke with no memory of what might have appeared in my dreams, and I was thankful for that. The mixture of the journal contents, as well as somehow reliving Brant’s dreams, was starting to weigh on me. I knew I had to find out what each was leading me to, but I worried what I would be like when I reached the end. I stretched my sore muscles - I would need to get more padding for my bed roll. For now, I would go check my snares for any animals they might have caught, and then collect the...
It took me a while to return to the village, the blood moon had finally set, and the sun had already started cresting over the hillside. It had taken me a long time to get back because I had decided to bring the bodies of my kills with me. I did not want to start a panic with the villagers, so I had to make them look like more victims. It was hard to stomach, cutting into them like that, but it had to be done. If I brought them back with the injuries I gave them as wolves, there would be...
I made my way from the inn to the market east of there, where Clive had said they had been ambushed. When I arrived, there was a bustle of activity, normal for a market of this size, as well as a grouping of soldiers on the far side. I suspected that was where the attack had transpired. I weaved my way through the crowd until I arrived at the other side, where three soldiers were investigating the area. “Good afternoon gentlemen, what exactly happened here? Do you have any idea who did...
With the meeting concluded, we said our goodbyes to Vestra and planned our next steps. “Well, I am not sure that went very well, but I guess that we will soon see,” I said with a sigh. Janet nodded, “It is done, the next step is figuring out where the Voguel are hiding and launching their attacks from.” “It was easier in Bardack due to the smaller number of Voguel attacks,” I said as I pondered the problem. “You have centuries of such attacks and they keep coming back. We would need to...
When I opened my eyes the sun had gone down, and the moon had begun its rise. The attacks occurred when the moon was at its highest point in the sky. I had some time; I collected my gear, and headed downstairs. The others were sitting at the table; the tension could be cut with a knife. I could see the worry on their faces; Liza and Trina were in tears. Trent and Carl were trying to calm them down, while the rest sat with hard looks on their faces. I was shocked to hear that, but looking...
The arrow went right through his Adam’s apple, all he managed was a gurgle before falling forward. The sound he made must have reached his comrades, as I heard them increase the speed of their approach. When he had hit the ground, the arrow was pushed even further through his neck, causing a spurt of blood to escape the wound. I could see that the arrow had pierced his spine, near the base of his skull. Within moments, he stopped breathing; a large puddle of blood was oozing out around him....
I woke up the next morning, thankful not to have been plagued by another dream like the one I had had the night before. The idea of reliving Brant’s memories through my dreams was troublesome and left a bad taste in my mouth. While it could answer questions I had, I had felt tainted right down to my soul after that first dream. Though when I recalled it, there was one aspect missing - me. The memory was not one that resulted in his death, and I wondered if it could have been from before I had...
The next week was much of the same routine each day. Wake up and spend roughly twenty-four hours cutting logs into boards, without any sleep. The boys came after the second day and began to work with me to deal with the logs. The tough weather had come through and I did my best to protect the inside of the house. With them working together on one and me working on another, we doubled the work that could be done. Violet would visit for breakfast and lunch, while Ruben would eat dinner and help...
“Davik!” Ilane pleaded - her speech was slightly slurred. “I need your help Violet has gone missing!” “Well,” Edgar said with a sigh. “It seems like you have something more important to deal with. We will talk tomorrow when you have a moment free. Hopefully, we can do the transfer of funds then.” I took Ilane’s arm and helped her to a chair as Edgar and Revar saw their way out and closed the door. “Ilane, tell me what happened. Where is Violet and why are you like this? Is Kafe alright?...
Davik When I awoke, my body seemed to be reacting to the highly erotic dream. The dream felt different than most, like the dreams that had Brenson appear in them, but I was unsure what it meant. Perhaps the lingering feelings for them had manifested in the dream, but it felt so real and it made me yearn to see them again. I closed my eyes, dropping myself into my meditative state, hoping that it would help to alleviate the erection that the dream had caused. If Brenson were to come in and...
The next three months were a bit of a blur as my days were full of exercise and training. I would wake up each morning, with one of the sisters in bed with me. Thankfully, my clothing seemed to remain on, but their clothing seemed to lessen. They would notice the effect it had on me and giggle in response. After a light kiss on the lips, they would saunter out of the room to get ready. I would make my way downstairs to a nice hearty breakfast and a table full of friends. The day’s tasks would...
I laid my eyes on her once again, I was lucky that such a beautiful creature loved me as much as she did. I only hoped that I would be worthy of that love. I spent the rest of the night just watching her, as I waited for the sun to begin its journey through the sky. Just after dawn, Violet woke up, stretching her beautiful body, and greeted me with a warm smile. She gave me a soft, passionate kiss, got out of the bed, and left the room. A short time later, she returned with a tray of...
As the shock from the contents of the letter wore off, anger filled me at the audacity of the person sending these people after me. I did not know what I had done to warrant this level of aggression and I was not the only person that was affected by this, as he was toying with the lives of so many people. I had to stop him before any more people fell victim to his malicious intent and Ilane noticed the seething anger I was feeling. “What is the matter, Davik?” Ilane asked, a confused look on...
“How long has it been?” The woman before me asked softly. “You have grown into a fine young man, Davik.” My eyes narrowed, “It has been ten years, but this is not possible. You were not Voguel, nor should this be able to occur like this. I have dreamt of my mother often over the years, but you are nothing like her. So, end your mindless tricks and show me who you really are.“ The woman’s eyes twinkled, a small amount of pride appeared in her eyes and she shook her finger at me. “Ahh, ahh,...
As I entered the back of the wagon, I fought to clear my head of the feelings her appearance was dredging up from the recesses of my mind. She looked so much like my mother had when I was young, and if felt the yearning a child has to be embraced by their mother. I had thought that she had made herself resemble my mother through manipulation, a way of adjusting my dreamscape to benefit her agenda. Now I believed that she merely used it, knowing through the dreamscapes connection that she...
We cut our way through another dozen Voguel before we reached the end of the scent trail. We turned right down a fork corridor and found an open door. My senses told me there was at least one person inside. But there could have been more. Lillian, however, confirmed that there was only one and her demeanor meant that it was our former captive. I slowly walked into the room and saw multiple cells, one of which was open. I approached the open door to find her in chains. There was a dead body on...
I felt drained as I sat on the bed and, though they were only pricks of the skin, the experience was enough to make me lightheaded. However, it was the mixing of the blood that had left me feeling drained. Lillian had said that I would feel better with some rest and left with the others to help Janet. The plan was to complete the rest of the procedure with the ladies in their respective rooms. That way they would be able to rest on their beds as the change occurred. The biggest issue would...
“Ruben! What in the seven hells are you doing? Why did you kill Trent and what do you mean - ‘unless he finds you’?” Ruben wiped the blood off his sword, using the leg of Trent’s pants, as if it were nothing more than an inconvenience. This arrogant display only further angered me, at his disrespectful attitude more so then the heinous act he had just performed. “I am truly sorry, Davik, but he had to die, as do you. I did not want to have to do this, but I do not have any choice in the...
I flashed in and out of consciousness, not sure where I was or what state I was in. I could feel the sensation of being carried, but I was so fatigued I could barely move. I had been fed something to drink and the effects of the poisons seemed to have been lessened by it. The next time I had come back into consciousness, I felt like my body was burning up; I had never felt a fever such as this and I struggled to try and get some help, but my body would not move. I could hear arguing on the...
It had been nearly two months since we had left the port town of Iltha’tal and thankfully we had not run into any trouble. We had maintained the schedule of who would travel the forests and who would travel in the wagon. Of those who did travel in the wagon, the driver on duty rotated between everyone and at least one other sat to keep them company. They also kept their eyes on the forest just in case something slipped by the others. Training their skills and accessing their combat awareness...
Aphronia walked quickly as she made her way through the dark corridors. Her cloak glided through the air as she moved quickly and purposefully through the lair, the swish of her dress caressing her legs as she made long quick strides. Her plan had not gone at all the way she hoped, but she had been able to escape with the knife and had been able to poison those bitches. She had been unsure if their threats had been genuine, but she hoped they enjoyed having their so-called cure fed to them....