Blood Moon Chronicles Book 3 A New Moon RisesChapter 7
- 4 years ago
- 23
- 0
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 her.
“Well it is time to wake up Violet, you spoiled little bitch! You have a lot to answer for and I plan to make sure you pay for every last thing you did!”
“Fuck you Lillian,” she snarled, “I am not sorry for anything that I have done and Davik deserved it for abandoning me!”
I punched Violet in the face as hard as I could, knocking her to the ground. I grabbed her by the hair and pulled her head up, placing my mouth next to her ear.
“Davik never once abandoned you, even when he left after his fight with your father, he never once stopped thinking about you!”
“Yeah right, I am sure he was thinking about how ignorant I was while he fucked you and that other slut I cut yesterday.”
“Davik as not done a single thing of a sexual nature with anyone The last time anything happened was in Dru’Tirk and you told him it was okay, I was there remember. You also teased him that you were going to do the same with me, which you a hypocrite for saying anything. He has run himself ragged, searching everywhere for you, hoping that you were okay and still alive. Do I have feelings for him yes I do. He is the kind of man where you do not even realize it has happened. I am not the only one that feels that way and like me she started by loathing him, but we knew not to push. He was not over you, he knew that you were out there, probably dealing with everything that had happened. He was confident that you would come back, giving you two the chance to talk and figure out what you wanted to do.”
She scoffed at that and spit at me, a bit of blood and spit hitting my face and shirt.
“By the way Violet, I was there that night. I watched as snuck up behind Davik and Trent, shoving his sword through Trent’s back, piercing his heart. I watched as Davik tried to diffuse the situation and try to understand what was happening. He did not want to fight the man he saw not only as a friend, but a surrogate father. Ruben did not give him a choice, despite Davik trying to injure him in a way that would not kill him, but might get him to stop. I had to intervene when it looked like Davik was going to die and though he did not know that it was me, he still would not let Ruben kill me. Even at the end, as Davik’s strength was failing him, he tried to save your father. Your father was the one to let go and for Davik’s grip to falter.”
“So it does not change what he did,” she replied, an arrogant tone replacing her hate filled one. “He still left!”
“Violet, you saw the sheer speed and power at his command last night as he fought Brenson. He has the power and strength of an old one, without the need for a blood moon. He was able to drive a knife through the skull of a Tora, as well as bend a poker for the fireplace as if it was child’s play. He was afraid to be around us to be around you. Put yourself in his shoes, what if he hugged you and ended up breaking your arm What if he broke bones while you made love, because he had no way to control the vast strength at his disposal. He knew he could not live with himself if that happened so he left I went to keep an eye on him for you, so that he would come home. I did not expect to be hurt, nor did I expect to reveal myself to him, but it happened. You need to get over it and yourself, else you are headed for a rude awakening.”
“You are the one that needs to get over yourself. Soon will come to get me and you will all be nothing more than food for him to enjoy when the next blood moon rises.”
“By the gods you are dumb,” I exclaimed with a laugh. “He has Davik now, you have served your purpose and he is done with you. You were meant to distract Davik and give Brenson an opening to kill. After Davik’s display of strength, he took him alive instead, no doubt to figure out how he became that way.”
She shook her head, refusing to listen to what I had to say, but I could care less after all she had done.
“I am leaving now, but let me leave you with this little morsel, Celka was Brenson’s sister by blood and my last living relative, other than Brenson. If we ever cross paths again, I will kill you for what you have stolen from me!”
I turned to find Ruben standing there, a pained expression on his face as he looked down on his daughter.
“How could you do this Violet? How could you hurt your friends and your family?”
“Davik left me time and time again, always with a stupid excuse and he took you from me. What else was I supposed to do? Sit at home while he went off, without me again?”
“Violet, I nearly died because Brenson threatened to kill your brother, rape and kill your mother, then rape and possibly kill you. All of this I would be forced to watch, after he had eaten my arms and legs, making me unable to save any of you. He nearly killed me and Davik’s father when we were twelve we were lucky to get away with our lives. He killed Stevan in cold blood, eight years after we had escaped, simply because he could. He then helped Brant kill his father and turned him into a. Brant and his flunkies raped and murdered dozens of people over the six years before Davik’s return, including the family of Liza and Trina, along with Lillian’s mother.”
“So what” she spat, “ it does not change anything Besides I do not believe any of it! Now let me go daddy, you know that I do not belong down here!”
“I always wanted to make sure you were given the love and support I never had as a child, but I never thought that I had spoiled you so badly. I am truly ashamed of the woman you have become Violet, but perhaps you can get some perspective from this. This was the journal you found with Davik, it covers everything that happened with Stevan and me, as well as entries from Davik that he made before coming here. everything that had happened since his return and hopefully you will be able to realize the grave error you have made.”
Ruben turned to leave and I followed him as we the cellar. Not a word was exchanged between us as we continued to the front desk.
“Please make sure she gets water and bread with each meal,” Ruben, a look of sadness on his face. “However, she is to receive nothing more than that.”
The man nodded and we continued upstairs We arrived at Celka’s room just as they had finished wrapping her in a pyre cloth.
“She is ready,” Revar stated, pain in his voice. “I talked to Sebastian and we are allowed to take her to the church in the north end of town to conduct her funerary pyre.”
“If you do not mind, I plan to stay here and try to counteract what Violet did to her, but I have little to go on.”
Everyone nodded and Jerreth picked up Celka’s body, as everyone filed out of the room. Kayla stayed back and came up to me as the others headed down the hallway to the stairs.
“I volunteered to stay back, both to watch over Janet, but to help you as well. You and Celka had taken the time to talk with me and help me in learning about herbology and how to heal. I hope that with my help, we might be able to bring her out of it.”
I nodded and said, “Thank you, Kayla. I know that both Janet and Celka would both be proud of you stepping up like this. I just wish they were here to help us rescue Davik, because there is no telling what Brenson is doing to him.”
Davik
I felt groggy as I began to wake, unsure of where I was, but I could tell that I was on a bed. I opened my eyes and found that I was in darkness Closing my eyes again I let my sight come to me and looked about the room. It was a room of stone, the only things in the room were the mattress, a pillow and a bucket. I looked up and saw stone, meaning I was in a room inside Brenson’s lair. I out but could not hear much, meaning the walls were too thick and that meant my room must be in the center of the building. I guess he learned his lesson from when my father and Ruben had escaped all those years ago. I noticed the door across from me and approached it, though it was hard to tell what it was made of, even with my abilities. I ran my hand along the surface and felt the cold sensation of metal against my finger tips. I called on my strength, hoping to be able to possibly damage or dislodge it, but it failed to yield to my assault.I began to stomp my foot against it, with all my strength, but it would not budge.
“Bang all you like boy,” a raspy voice called out from the other side of the door. “You will not leave that room unless I will it to be so!”
“So you must be Brenson, the poor bastard that has nothing better to do than hurt and kill people to fulfill your dark desires.”
“I am Blackheart,” he spat, anger filled his voice. “Brenson is dead and will never return, I saw to that!”
“I see, you also saw to it that your daughter was killed and Violet of course killed your sister yesterday.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I have no daughter and the sister of that fool Brenson is in Vishant and has probably died by now.”
“You do not recall being in a relationship with a woman from Antiv, one of the northern villages She was from Vishant and it looked like you two were destined to marry, until she found out that you were a. She cast you out and demanded you never return, turned the whole village against you.”
“How do you know that, I never told anyone about Ishala. I had not hurt any one, but she demanded I leave, saying I was tainted and she could not trust me. I was cast out of the village with nothing! All because of that weak bitch!”
“Well that weak bitch became the town healer and gave birth to a little girl. That girl moved to and was raped and then killed by Brant in one of his attacks.”
There was no retort, only silence and I figured he was dwelling on what I had just revealed.
“It is no matter, she was a part of Brenson’s life and I have no need of anything that is tied to that weakling.”
“Is that why you left your sister, who adored you, to wonder where you had gone? Who believed that you had not been cursed, but that you left the province to escape persecution. She followed you here, became a traveling healer and used that to try and find out what happened to you. Celka helped me when the curse threatened to take me over, but now is no more. Violet slit her throat right in front of me, while I was forced to watch the light leave her eyes.”
“You are wrong Davik. Though I did have a sister named Celka, she was too timid and weak to do such a thing.”
“She told me how you developed your own unique style of writing and that you taught it to her. That is how she was able to read the diaries you left in your old shop in Fardun which we found by the way!”
.”Well you are just full of surprises, but if she was my sister, she was on the wrong side. She gave her life to a greater purpose, but I will make sure she is remembered when the dust settles.”
“Ah, yes, your plan to conquer Vishant. While it is plan, you have one fatal flaw. You cannot turn enough to do so, at least not before Vishant comes and massacres you.”
“What! What in the seven hells are you speaking about boy Vishant has no idea what I have planned.”
“It does actually, Celka had the Patron of Cartha get in touch with the of Vishant. They are well aware of who you are and what you are doing The last he told me before I left, they were sending an army.”
“You are bluffing, boy. There is no army, there was no message and Vishant will be ill prepared when I finally strike!”
I laughed, “When will that be I was able to damage or destroy your plans that were decades in the making, in a year or two. At this rate you will be dead before your plan comes to pass, even with the longevity that the curse grants you. I am sure I will have shaved a few more years off, once you heal all the damage I did, if it all heals.”
“Laugh all you want boy, it will not change your fate. You will tell me everything and die quickly, or refuse and be tortured to the brink of death. I wonder, will you be as easy to break and mold as that little whore was She was so easy to convince to be turned the seed was already there, a bite is all it took. She really is dense, especially when I told her she needed my seed to turn. She may not have much brains, but her body more than makes up for it and the sounds she made as I claimed her were exquisite.”
I felt bile rise up in my throat as I pictured her copulating with that sick bastard, in either form. I roared in anger and punched the door as hard as I could, nearly breaking my hand in the process, yet leaving a deep impression of my fist in the metal. All I heard after that was the sound of his laughter echoing through the halls as he left.
Lillian
I have spent two hours trying to find a way to help Janet, but I do not know what to do. The curare should have killed her, whether it was regular curare or the unique one that Brenson used to try and kill Davik. It merely weakened her and forced her into a deep sleep, which it has been known to do in the most minute of doses. So either the dose was low enough not to kill, or it was a high dose that she had a partial immunity to. Then it was like a spark went in my mind and I began collecting all the things I needed There was one ingredient necessary that I lacked Wolf’s Bane. If I was right and I could get my hands on some, I would be able to bring her out of it.
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...
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...
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...
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....