Chapter one
I stood there in shock, not quite believing what my own eyes were telling me. These people were slaughtered like lambs. They probably didn’t even know what was happening. It happened, so quickly that it was like being caught off guard. I had no words and neither did Nicholas and Braden. Nicholas was looking at me and I could tell from his expression that he wasn’t expecting any of this.
“This couldn’t be the Dragos. They’ve never shown this kind of animosity toward us. What would change their behavior, so drastically that they would come at us with vengeance in their hearts?” I didn’t know how to answer Braden. It was obvious that the Dragos had become a force on to themselves. If what I had seen in the sky and the shadow above me was true, then their mother had decided to show them that they could be stronger than just pets. They could dominate with the fire that spewed from their mouth and nose.
“They’ve always been docile, but I’ve heard from my own father that there was a time that they were a terrifying menace. I don’t know about that two of you, but I really don’t wanna stick around for an encore performance.” With those words, Nicholas took off in a rush with his prize following behind him. Since there were no guardsmen to greet us, it appeared that the race was still on to get to Lord Vadam with what he had sent us in there to get in the first place.
“I think that Nicholas might have the right idea, Shana. We need to get to Lord Vadam and hope to god that we are at least number five and six.” I was still shocked, completely frozen in place and looking at the carnage all around me. Their faces showed surprise and there came a moment that I couldn’t even look at them anymore. It disgusted me and almost made me want to be sick to my stomach. “We’re just going to have to tell Lord Vadam everything that has happened here. I can’t see any reason why he wouldn’t believe us. If he wants proof, then he can come here and see all of this for himself.” I didn’t want anybody to see this and it looked like a fire of Biblical proportions had gone through here. It could only be the Dragos, but without seeing it first hand, it was still just an assumption on our part.
I was exhausted and I was hoping that this would be the end, but apparently we still had a journey back to the Black castle. We would come across the Red castle and I’m sure that those that were rooting for us would be out and watching, as we paraded our prize by their front door. It was even possible that the Red castle lord would come out to greet us in person.
“This is just a little bit too much to take, Braden. We know that the Dragos have been acting funny, but would they really resort to these kinds of methods? Can we seriously say with a degree of certainty that these incidences are the work of them? I know that we saw them attack us, but maybe they were being forced to to make them look like they were responsible for this.” I was only trying to be devil’s advocate, but the evidence was pretty damning. The earth was scorched and everything that was burned in a mile radius had turned to black earth. The trees had begun to crumble underneath the charred remains of what was left behind.
“I know that you don’t want to believe it. I don’t want to believe it myself. To think that Rankin could do something like this seems almost impossible.” We were walking at a steady pace, but it was still going to be some time before we finally came to our final destination. “I’ve never seen anything like that. It’s an image that burns into your brain and stays there, whether you want it to or not.” I had no idea how Lord Vadam was going to react to this kind of news. He didn’t seem like the type that would stand idly by and allow something like this to happen in his command.
“What do you think Lord Vadam is going to do?”
“I think that Lord Vadam will do what he thinks is right. Most often than not, he’ll bring the three castle leaders into a secret meeting. They will decide what has to be done. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say that they will put the responsibility on the shoulders of the guardsmen. After all, it’s their brethren that fell and it’s their right for vengeance that will be dripping from their tongues. They’ll want to destroy each and every one of them, including those Dragos that have been keeping silent all this time. I fear for Rankin and for any others that have not perpetrated any violence against our kind.” Walking across the bodies was like walking on eggshells. I had to be careful where I was putting my steps.
There were times there that I heard the crunch of bone and I didn’t even dare to look down to see what I’d done. It was a moot point and all the damage had already been done. There was nothing more that I could do. It just felt a little sacrilege that I would step on the remains of a body. It felt like I was betraying their memory and making what they went through seem trivial.
“I know that you can’t get that image out of your head, but you’re going to have to, Shana. We need to keep our heads and do what we need to do to complete this cycle of the tournament. We still have three cycles, but that’s only if we make it, as the final six.” This pulled me out of what I was thinking and I made a concentrated effort to push us both beyond our endurance. It was amazing what you could do given the right incentive.
“I feel like this is my fault. You say that this has never happened all the time that you’ve been alive. I come here and soon a reign of terror comes down from the sky like never before. It can’t be a coincidence. Me standing up to become part of this tournament is like a domino effect. I didn’t want any of this, but apparently somebody is using my need for equality to exact some sort of revenge. It can’t be a coincidence that the Dragos have started to react like their life is in danger.” I felt the tightness in my chest and I had a glance to see that the armor was now rippling. It seemed to be trying to encode its DNA into my own.
I wasn’t sure if I could tell Braden’s any of this, but if it didn’t stop soon, I was sure that it was going to crush me, until I couldn’t even breathe anymore. I would struggle for that last breath, knowing that I was suffocating and there would be not a damn thing that I could do about it.
“Shana, you can’t take on that responsibility alone. If you didn’t do it, somebody would eventually. You may have given people food for thought, but I think that it’s all part of evolution. We need to see women as equals and you have made a giant leap in that direction. If somebody is truly doing this in your name, then you can’t be held responsible for something like that. You have to forgive yourself, or it will eat you up and spit you out.” I knew that he was right, but it was still hard to wrap my mind around that coming here had started all of this.
I started to wonder if maybe coming here was my destiny. If that were true, then all that was happening was supposed to be happening. It did give me a moment of contemplation. I felt a sort of calm come over me. It wasn’t like I could control other people’s actions, so why should I have to hold that responsibility on my shoulders.
“Guilt is never going to do anybody any good. All I can do is my best to try to make things better.”
“We may believe that you’re not the cause, but there might be others that will try to put the puzzle pieces together. They’ll realize that everything started to happen when you arrived. They’ll try and throw blame at you and I’m sure that Lord Vadam will do everything he can to make it seem like you are some kind of curse. The next cycle of the competition doesn’t start for a couple of days. In that time, I think it might be a good idea for us to do our own investigation.”
“I know that you can hear me, Shana.” The voice had come back and had a message that I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear.
Chapter two
“You don’t have to say anything and all you have to do is listen. I would rather that Braden is left out of this for now. My name is Falla and I have this desire to give women the voice that they deserve. They need to be able to stand up and fight for themselves and not always be under the thumb of the man. I will tell you that I’m not responsible for the Dragos. I couldn’t be happier that they’ve finally decided to pull away from their leashes and become the true force that they were meant to be. I couldn’t be with you during the hunt of the Offus. The material of the wood in the forest prevents me from interfering. Now that you are out, I can tell you that my grand plan revolves around you.”
“Shana, are you listening to me?” I had two people talking to me at the same time. Braden had no idea that Falla had decided to make her presence known. “We’re almost to the Red castle. We’re going to have to talk to Lord Russum. He won’t like hearing any of this, but he won’t be able to dispute our eye witness account. He’ll send somebody to check things out, but even he will not be able to turn a blind eye.” I got this feeling like Lord Russum was not exactly somebody that would want to stand up and be noticed.
“Lord Russum sounds like a man that is happy with the status quo.”
“Shana, I think that we should meet. I want to see you face to face and make you understand just how important that the freedom of women are to me. I think you know that, but I think it comes from your past and not from this world. I don’t want to be your enemy, but if you decide to go against us, then you can expect a backlash.” The voice went silent and I was left with hearing only Braden talk about the Red castle lord.
“He’s not exactly a fighter. He would rather use words than actions. It was the reason why he was given the Red castle in the first place. Lord Vadam wanted to keep him tethered. He wanted him to be just a figurehead. For the most part, Lord Vadam controls the Red castle, because he pulls his strings. Lord Wallace in the white castle is a bit of an instigator. He likes to push the buttons of Lord Vadam, even though he has very little power. It is widely known that Lord Vadam controls both the Black castle and the Red one. Nobody wants to say it out loud, but it’s not a big secret.”
“I don’t know about you, Braden, but I’m getting a little sick and tired of others trying to dictate my life. I only want what’s best for everybody concerned. Women should not be subjugated and used as slaves to the whims of the man. That kind of thinking went away a long time ago in my world.” I saw the Black castle in the distance and then coming around the corner, we came into viewing of the White castle. The stones leading up to the door were pure white and reminded me of the yellow brick road in the wizard of oz.
A man in a white robe and headdress came out to greet us. “It’s highly unusual to see combatants coming from behind with their prize in tow. The guardsmen are supposed to meet you coming out of the forest and take your prize back to Lord Vadam. This can only mean that something has happened.” Lord Wallace was a man with a snow white beard and long white hair that made him look like the coming of Moses. Had he been able to part the red sea, he would’ve been the living embodiment of Moses himself.
“You’re going to have to send a scout back to where the hunt began and ended. There’s no easy way to say this, but everybody that was there, including your people has been burned to death.” There was a collective gasp from those that had surrounded us. Lord Wallace was stroking his beard, probably thinking of what the best course of action would be.
“I really don’t know what to say. You’re going to have to come in and tell me everything from the very beginning.”
“I’m afraid, I can’t do that. We are still on the clock and we need to make it back to Lord Vadam, as the final six. If you need to discuss this further, then I suggest that you send a scout and follow us.” It was the only thing that Braden could say.
“You know that I don’t like to see Lord Vadam. I would rather that we never laid eyes on each other ever again. We stay out of each other’s way and we like it that way.” The only way that they had been able to stay neutral was to divide the areas, so that each one of them held a certain portion of power. “I don’t have time to follow you. Besides, you’re not from my rule. It’s too bad, because I could use somebody like you. If you ever want to defect and come over to this side of the White castle, then we would gladly accept the both of you with open arms” It was something to think about.
“My allegiance is with the Red castle and will always be that way. My father was a big Red castle follower. Had he not died, he would’ve taken succession over Lord Russum. I know that there are rumors that say that Lord Russum had a part in killing my father. There has never been any proof, but I think we both can agree that he’s a sniveling coward. Unlike you, he bends to the will of Lord Vadam.”
“I won’t keep you any longer and I have already sent a scout to look into your claims. If what you say is true, then there will be very profound evidence to find. I get this feeling like I’m going to know the truth from the moment that I see the scout come back into the fold. Be well and may your arrows fly true.” It was something that was said and was not relegated to just the flying of the arrows. It was a way to say good travels and to make sure that you were prepared for just about anything.
“You know that if I could, I would find a way to be in your camp, Lord Wallace. It would be a damn honor to serve with the one man that stood victorious in a battle that decimated thousands. You showed remarkable courage and I’ve tried to emulate the kind of man that you are.”
“I know that you have and if I were your father, I would be very proud of you. I don’t know much about your companion, but I know that she has been making considerable inroads into making Lord Vadam’s life miserable. For that, she is considered my friend and ally. If there is anything that I can do for either one of you, then you have, but to ask. I do sense that there’s something different about you Shana. I don’t know exactly what it is. I usually follow my instincts and for the most part I believe that you have the best interest of our people in mind.” He went back into the white door leading into the White castle.
We took our leave and the people around us had questions that we just couldn’t answer. They wanted to know if their loved ones were a part of the carnage and destruction that we had seen with our own eyes. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that anybody that was there to see us was probably already dead. They would know soon enough and giving them that kind of news was not something that I wanted to do. I knew that I was being a coward, but I didn’t want to be the cause of their pain and misery.
We feigned that we didn’t know anything and then we walked out of there with them still clamoring for some kind of information. “I could see in their eyes, Shana that they’re worried about people that they care for. I do wonder if any of those that were found inside that 1 mile radius was a competitor in the hunt.” That had never entered into my mind, but now that he broached the topic, it certainly was something to think about.
“We can’t worry about that, Braden. We still have a couple of miles to go and I’m already feeling like my arms are being pulled out of their socket. Don’t worry; you don’t have to hold my hand. I can reach down deep and find what I need.” Suddenly, I was hit with such an energy burst that it was like I was reignited from the inside out. I was newly transformed into somebody that could go the distance with just about anybody.
I knew that Falla had something to do with that, even though I had no proof, she was always sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. I guess if her intentions were pure, then I could get on board with her using me in such a way. It’s just that I didn’t know what her true intentions were. How far would she go to make others see what they didn’t want to see?
I pretended to be tired, but my lungs were no longer on fire and the muscles in my legs did not feel like I was going to drop at any second. My mind was alive and I saw my purpose like a light from a lighthouse leading travelers in from the water.
I could see that Braden was getting to the end of his rope. I was keeping up with him and I could see his suspicion, as he looked back and saw me. I pretended to be winded, but I don’t think he was buying it. I know I wouldn’t, but I was pretty good at masking who I really was. I’d always thought that I would make a good actress. In high school, I performed in Westside story. Critics said that the best thing about the whole play was my portrayal. It made me feel good and I even contemplated taking it to the next level.
“I don’t know how you do it, Shana. You looked like you were going to collapse, but somehow you continued to push forward. I admire your tenacity, Shana, but I think that you might not be telling me something.” I shrugged my shoulders, but he was leering at me with that look that made me feel like I was being exposed for the fraud that I was.
“I’m just trying to follow your lead.” I watched him and I knew that eventually I was going to have to show him all of my cards. “I just think that we should fight and claw every step of the way. We can’t allow them to hold us down. We have to show them that we can go further than anybody else.” This was the kind of pep talk that I was giving him in hopes that it would boost his energy level.
“You speak a good game, but let’s see if you can back it up.” We moved in unison and the town from the Black castle was getting closer. We still had to go by the Red castle and it was adorned with red brick instead of white brick. Lord Russum had long flaming red hair and a red beard that made him look like a sorcerer from Harry potter. He was wearing a red cloak and he was watching us with intent, as we came closer and closer to his door.
“I don’t like this and I just heard from Lord Wallace. I’m not going to keep you, but I’ve sent my own scout out to make sure that your claims are true.” He wanted us to be the victor and there was no doubt in my mind that he wanted to supersede Lord Vadam. Even though Lord Vadam had him by the balls, didn’t mean that he couldn’t become the power. If one of his competitors were to come in first place, then his rule would be all that mattered. “I hope you know that I didn’t pick Shana. You did that without my blessing or going through proper channels, Braden. We only gave you that flicker of leadership, because we saw something in you and in this young lady that made us give you our support.” The only thing that he was concerned with was power and how fast he could bring it to bear on his enemies.
I could tell that he was tired of Lord Vadam’s rule and he was trying to stack the deck to make sure that he and the Red castle would be the one to rule.
Chapter three
It was a short talk with Lord Russum. Unlike Lord Wallace, he had a vested interest in getting us back on the road, as soon as possible. He didn’t want anybody to take the place of us, as one of the top six. He wanted his best to be front and center for the final three legs of this competition. The tournament was in full swing and you could tell that everybody was having the time of their life or so they wanted Lord Vadam to think. Even the competitors were getting into it and I could tell from the look on Nicholas’s face that he had seen what I had done with Braden with my mouth.
I could see that he was interested in finding out more, but he wasn’t sure how to voice his curiosity. It might be a good idea to sit down with him and go over the finer points of oral sex. He would have a lot of questions and I’m sure that I could answer just about every one of them in some regard.
“If Lord Vadam doesn’t know about what happened by now, then he’s definitely in for a rude awakening. I hope that he doesn’t know, because I want to see the look on his face when he realizes that this happened underneath his watch.” I was thinking the same thing, but I didn’t want to be disrespectful to the leaders of his world. Apparently, he had no love lost for Lord Vadam and not many people really respected the fact that he was in charge.
“Braden, I’m a bit surprised that they don’t have a time limit on how long you can be in power. In my world, the president of the United States has only two terms of four years apiece and then he has to vacate the position. There are those that believe that that rule should be changed, but for the most part it hasn’t been since the signing of the constitution. I told him of the way that my government worked and he was shaking his head in disbelief that there were so many loopholes that people could get away with murder under the right circumstances.
“No wonder your world is tearing itself apart one piece at a time, Shana. The United States seems to be a little lax in legal proceedings.” I told him of how other countries dealt with certain crime and he smiled knowingly. “I can see how China could become the next power in your world. They’re already taking over slowly with technology and weapons of mass destruction. You probably don’t even know half of what they hold in their arsenal. I’m afraid for your world and it’s just a matter of time before something happens that makes somebody act without thinking.”
“I know that my world is a tinderbox and it’s just going to take the right person to like the match to make it all burn down to the ground. I think for the most part we have been doing our very best to make things. as comfortable as possible. I know that you probably don’t think so, but there are those that believe that our rules are too strict.” He laughed at that comment.
“Too strict. They should come here and see what happens when they commit those kinds of crimes. It is not tolerated and action is followed by punishment in the worst degree possible. I would never presume to tell anybody what to do, but your world is vastly lacking. I would be afraid to live in your world. People take too much for granted, when they should be just happy and grateful for what they have.” The Black castle was looming ahead and I could tell from the moment that we entered onto the premises that Lord Vadam was very much aware of what had transpired.
He was pacing back and forth, but it was what I noticed that made me breathe a little easier. Four others, including Nicholas and Gemini had made it back, as the final six. There were two others, one in white armor and the other one in black. We were the final two. We had made it back in time to take those final two spots for ourselves.
“You can put your bounty over there where it belongs. He motioned to a spit in a huge hole in the earth that spewed fire from below. He was obviously going to cook the Offus up and have them for many meals to come “I don’t like what I heard and correct me if I’m wrong. Those that were there, including guardsmen and people alike were burned beyond recognition. Nicholas has told me all about it and we have even had confirmation from the other two castles. I don’t normally take the word of Lord Wallace, but Lord Russum is another matter altogether.” The next part of the tournament will not begin for another two days. I am asking for the services of all those that would want to hunt down every Dragos.” This was a knee jerk reaction, but not something that was unexpected.
Nobody was stepping forward, until Gemini herself gave in to her desire to please Lord Vadam. “I will be your eyes and your ears. I request that Shana and Braden accompany me.” This was very unusual and I’ve heard from Braden himself that the castles do not interact in any way. For them to team up with the Black castle would mean that there was something serious going on here. “I think that that they have a unique outlook. I could use more than one set of eyes. If you’re worried that I have feelings for Braden, then you needn’t be. I’ve never hated a man more in my life. His new lady love Shana is not exactly somebody that is going to find themselves in my good graces.”
“I believe that you will only need Shana. In a concentrated effort from all castles, I am going to a sign Landon from the White castle to be a part of this three prong attack. You are all to report to me and nobody else. It doesn’t matter what castle you come from. This is a matter of great urgency and I will not tolerate having others telling me what to do. I will inform the Lord’s of this Decree and they will either get on board or find themselves sitting in the cold.” There was no reason for him to show his power, but he wanted to, just so that he could puff out his chest for everybody else to see. It was the same way with my world. Those that were in dictatorship would rule with an iron fist, coming down on their lowly subjects and making them do their bidding.
“I still think that I should go along. I don’t trust that Shana is safe with Gemini. You and I both know that she can’t be trusted. Perhaps this is your master plan to get rid of Shana once and for all.”
“I am disappointed that Gemini didn’t fulfill her duties. She has been punished for her betrayal and the mark that I put on her is a reminder that nobody is allowed to say no to me. As for your request, it is denied. Tomorrow, all three will begin at the source.” Both Landon and Gemini were nodding their head knowingly, but I was just doing it to play along. I had no idea what this source was, but I had a feeling that I was going to find out one way or the other.
Chapter four
“Shana, the source is a cleric. It is said that he sees things that others don’t. He guides all the castles, but he will only give an audience once a year. It’s the reason why each Lord doesn’t want to use him, unless absolutely necessary. His visions are very taxing on the cleric and he needs several weeks to recuperate after such an ordeal.” He was helping me off with my clothes and we had tonight to enjoy each other’s company, before I had to embark on a New Mission. I had no interest in helping Lord Vadam, but I was curious enough that I was willing to at least work with the devil to find out what was going on.
“In a world that really doesn’t believe in magic, you take a lot of stock in a man that claims to have visions.” I was helping him with his armor and I found that touching him was releasing him from the bond. It took several touches on my armor to make it release its hold. When it finally did, I noticed three spots where there seemed to be puncture marks in my skin. Thankfully, they were in very discreet spots. Two were on the inside of each of my thighs, one was on my left shoulder and the other one was on the baby toe of the right leg. I could feel them, but they were more numbing than anything else.
We were naked and standing in front of each other and I still couldn’t believe that I was here with him. “Shana, every time that we are together, I find another thing about you that I enjoy more than I can say. You’re already shown me what you can do with your fingers, your mouth and that body of yours. You’ve also introduced me into what you call bondage and a blindfold. I just don’t know what else you could possibly have up your sleeve.” He was about to find out.
I took a section of rope and I began to twist and turn it around my own hands, while he was watching intently and wondering what the hell I was up to. At one point, I was using my mouth to tighten it and then I was literally at his mercy. He smiled, but there was no way that he could understand the true implications of what I was doing.
“Braden, I introduced you to bondage, but only on one side. I think that you’ll find that having me in the same position you were in will be something that you’ll greatly desire from this moment on.” He pushed me back onto the mat on the floor and I went flying down onto the softness, before finding him attacking me. I felt his hands manhandling along the side of my body, igniting goose bumps that were running up and down my arms and legs.
“I need you tonight and I’m not going to be sleeping. There’s something about you, girl that makes me sweat. I’ve been lonely all of my life, but you changed all that for me. I hope that is something that you can live with. Your moves are so raw and I’ve got to let you know that you have definitely made me see things from a different perspective. I still can’t get over what you can do with your mouth. I know what I can do, so I’m going to show you that and there’s nothing that you can do about it.” He took it to the extreme, winding that fabric that I had used on him around the ropes that were around my wrist, until he was pulling them taut behind me and stretching me like I had never been stretched before.
“I’m yours, Braden and whatever you decide to do is entirely up to you. One thing I ask is that you don’t leave any permanent marks.” He slapped my tips and the stinging sensation made me gasp out loud. I looked at him with surprise and shock on my face. “Damn, I didn’t think you had in you.” It wasn’t like I was all that experienced in this form of sex, but I was willing to impart whenever I knew on a novice.
“I don’t know even why I did that, but it seemed like the right thing to do under the circumstances. I’m not sure what I’m supposed to do next, but I think that I’ll figure it out.” I had him looking at me. He was slowly moving down, while I was squirming in place and wondering where his tongue was going to land next. I didn’t have to wait very long, before he was spreading my legs and moving my knees to the side, so that he could see that bright pink interior.
“I know that you’ll figure it out, because I’ve been a good teacher.” His tongue touched me for a moment and then he backed away to let me know that he was setting the pace. “Jesus, I think I might have created a monster of some sort.” If I did, I was happy to do so, because this guy was now doing things that he probably never even thought of in his life.
“I just want to take it all in, Shana. You’re nothing like Gemini. I don’t mean to bring her name up in conversation, but it’s kind of hard not to make comparisons.” He moved his tongue around my clit and once again he stopped cold and waited for me to look at him with my eyes begging him to continue. “This is so much fun and I do believe that I will want to do this again. I just don’t think that it’s necessary to do it all the time and we need to leave some mystery.” I couldn’t have agreed more.
“Braden, you are getting the hang of… thisssssss” He was giving me feather light touches along the inside of my thighs, touching on the sensitive part of those puncture wounds. He didn’t even notice. It was a good thing that it was dark, or he would have had some interesting questions and I’m not sure that I could answer them. “That is absolutely amazing. You bring me to the brink and then you shut it down before I can find my release. My pussy is begging you. You can tell that it wants more than just your tongue.” He fucked me with his fingers, stirring up my libido and making it, so that I wasn’t even able to stay still.
“I’m not going to allow you to cum, Shana. I will decide when you are allowed to or not. I might even just leave you like this and walk away and come back several hours later” I had to admit that he was starting to understand the little nuances of this type of lifestyle. It was never one for me, but I could certainly see how others could find it addictive. That feeling of wanting and not able to reach the apex of your pleasure was something that would make a lot of people go crazy with desire.
“I told you, I’m yours, Braden. Just remember, the best revenge is the one that is best served cold. I will want to get back at you for this or maybe I will reward you. I haven’t decided yet.” He left me with my legs spread and then he crawled up my body with his cock now leading the way. He pushed it between my breasts and then he used his hands to fold it around him. He was using the spit from his own mouth to make it slippery. Every time that he came out from between my tits, I would whitewash his knob with my tongue.
Each time that he did that, he would go in just a little bit deeper, making me wonder when he was going to use his hips in the right way. It came in the form of him holding onto the pad underneath us. He was on his knees and his cock was now pushing into my mouth and back out again. I wanted him to cum and I was doing everything I could to try to seduce the cream from his body. That sticky stuff was drooling something fierce and I was right there to capture every little bit of it. He purposely pulled free and moved across my lips, keeping it a hair’s breath from being taken into my mouth all over again.
I had a feeling like he was trying to make this the best that it could possibly be and also the most frustrating thing that I had ever gone through. That orgasm that he was stirring to a surface was waiting, but I don’t think that it was patient by any means. I needed that extra touch and the feel of his spongy tip scraping across the top of my palate, as he was making his way into my throat was not making that necessary connection.
“I just love looking down at your face and seeing your mouth at work. I don’t think that I will ever get used to that. I don’t want to, because once I do, then I won’t want it as much. I don’t see that happening anytime soon or ever for that matter.” He was having a lot of fun and I could see in his eyes that he had no interest in stopping this any time soon. “I just can’t stop looking at you and wondering when all of this is going to come to an end. I know that neither one of us wants it to, but I also know that you have this desire to go home.” We hadn’t talked about it in some time, but in the back my mind, I was always wondering when I was going to find another piece of the puzzle. According to him, the looking glass was a myth, but I had this funny feeling that the one person that could tell me was crazy and had no semblance of what he was saying from one moment to the next. I wanted to meet him, but I still had to deal with this Dragos festival. Not only that, but I was gonna have to deal with the possibility that they were responsible for the heinous act of murder in the first degree.
That was something that was premeditated. I could only hope that someone was pulling their strings. If it was the Dragos, then they had to know that a reaction was in order. They had to know that they were going to become hunted all over again. Why would they put themselves through that?” He slapped me across the face with his cock and it got my attention. He left behind a streak of his juices across my cheek, before putting it to my lips and making me suck it all over again.
He wasn’t making me suck anything and I knew that if I wanted to get out of this, I could do it at any time. He might have thought that these knots were impenetrable, but I had an easy way to loosen them. It was my way of keeping a bit of the power, without him knowing about it.
He finally pulled away, breathing heavy and looking down at me with his face a crimson red. “I have to fuck you.” I’d never heard anybody say that to me before “I need you and I want you. Your body is amazing and I think that you seduced me with your mind, before you did anything with your body.” I couldn’t exactly say the same thing and it was the exact opposite for me. Seeing his body completely naked when I woke in the field had only fueled me to see if there was something more here than just an initial attraction.
“Take me, Braden. Take me and make me cum all over your cock. I want to squeeze you and pull your hot load out along your shaft. I want you to feel my hole grabbing you and never letting go. My lips splayed over top of you, driving you insane and making you look at me like I’m a wanton little whore.” He had moved down, looking at me with his tongue playing across his mouth, until finally he was situated between my legs.
I tried to clamp my legs shut, but his desire for me had made it almost impossible for me to deny him anything. He didn’t even give me a chance, before he planted his flag and let all the air out of my lungs at the same time.
“Yes god damn it.” He was deep within me and there was no way that there could possibly be anything left behind. He had forced me open with one stroke, slipping into my creamy folds, until he was now on top of me with my knees pressed up against his chest.
“You’re not going to keep me from what is mine, Shana.” I had no intention of doing that and I was only playing, but I think he knew that. He worked against me, while doing these very erotic two handed pushups that had me closing my eyes and letting that pleasure wash over me. “That’s fucking good.” I think he felt those internal muscles massaging him and squeezing hard. That was not even my climax. It was the expertise that I had learned a long time ago. Those muscles could be controlled and I was able to do that on a whim.
It was making it harder and harder for him to stroke into me, but he was persistent. He had to put a lot of effort behind his hip shots. The way that he was fucking me was just too delicious to stop him. In fact, I was joining him with my hips coming up to meet him on each stroke. This wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. I wanted him to do all the work, but I couldn’t stop myself even if I wanted to.
“I’m cumming.” I was in the throes of that moment, when all of a sudden he joined me with a grunt of approval, while his teeth were digging into my shoulder blade. His ass was flexing back and forth on top of me and then he was done. He was soon lying there with his breathing hot on my neck.
I lie there for some time, but then I finally found myself drifting into that dreamlike sleep. I saw something and then I awoke to find that I was sitting straight up with my knees pressed up against my chest. What I’d seen was a symbol of what looked like a snake wrapped around some kind of sword with blood dripping down the sides. I don’t know why that was the only thing that I remembered about the dream, but it was like it was emblazoned into my mind for all time.
Chapter five
“I’m really worried about you, Shana. Gemini is obviously playing some sort of game and Lord Vadam knows all about it. I just think that you should have your head on a swivel and always know what she is up to.” I was leery about putting on that armor, but I had no choice. It was the only protection that I was going to get from whatever was going to come my way during this investigation.
“Braden, I know that I can’t trust her, but I have to at least work with her and Landon.”
“I would even be careful with Landon. His allegiance is with the White castle. He may have his own agenda and I’m sure that Lord Wallace had a few choice words for him. I know that the leaders of all the castles have come to a consensus. They want to know what’s going on. The only way that they’re going to get any answers is through the cleric. He is a bit of a mystery and nobody really knows how long he has been alive. We just know that any time that we want an answer, we could go to him and find it.”
I didn’t want to tell Braden, but I was secretly hoping that I could ask the cleric a question about the looking glass. I was going to have to gauge him and see if there was a right time to do so. I didn’t want Landon and Gemini to know what I was up to. If they did, they would start to point fingers and wonder if maybe I was the problem all along.
“If he has anything good to say, then it would be best that all three of us heard it. No one person can be an island on to himself. With the way that you have sliced up the power in Markham, it’s a wonder that you haven’t come to blows already. From your own admission, Lord Vadam holds the strings of Lord Russum. That being said, Lord Wallace is somebody with his own mind and opinions. He just doesn’t have any interest in talking with Lord Vadam. They obviously have a checkered past together. If we could get to the heart of the matter, we might be able to get them to work together for a change.”
The armor was squeezing tighter and I grimaced behind Braden’s back. I was really worried that this armor was taking over. I felt like there was something there and there were even times that I started to feel like something was trying to pull me into this black abyss.
I thought for sure that I was caught up in a dream, but that’s fine by me. I just hoped that somebody was going to wake me up when it was over. I did like the idea that I could start over and be wiser and more attuned to the things that were around me. I could be anyone I wanted to in this new place.
I felt something pinching me and I could say that it was not a pleasant sensation by any means. I opened the door, gritting my teeth and found myself face to face with Landon and his long blond hair cascading down from the helmet of his white armor. Gemini was standing there in her black armor and she looked a little upset.
“I don’t like coming to find you, Shana. I know that we didn’t make firm plans, but I thought it was understood that we would meet at the Black castle.” If she didn’t say anything, then how was I supposed to know what she was thinking? “Never mind, it really doesn’t matter. We have a lot to do and the trek to the source is not an easy one.” I’d no idea what she was talking about and I didn’t get enough time with Braden to get him to give me the lowdown.
Braden was standing at the door and I could see him glaring at Gemini and she was doing the exact same thing back to him. There was definitely no love lost and if things escalated any further, I’m sure that they would’ve gone after each other with everything they had. Unfortunately, I also knew that there was a fine line between love and hate. She may have felt like she hated him, but somewhere underneath all of that animosity was the same girl that he had fallen in love with. He was wrong to think that she wasn’t there, because there would always be something of her that remained and survived the transformation into this vindictive bitch.
As we were walking, I noticed that there was very little talk. I would say that everyone was trying to keep their true intentions to themselves. It was obvious that the Black castle wanted this victory and I saw now that the Dragos were only being tolerated, just as long as they remained docile and in control. If that were to change for any reason, then they would have no problem turning their backs and destroying them for the purpose of peace and tranquility.
It had been 3 hours and I could feel that something was happening to me. I saw images in my head. I saw Landon as a little boy and even Gemini as a little girl. It was like I was given the gift of past sight. I didn’t want it and I certainly didn’t like some of the acts that both of these two people had committed in their lives. Their secrets were being revealed to me, peeled away from the layers of their mind. I didn’t want anything to do with it, but there wasn’t a whole lot that I could do to stop it.
I instinctively knew that this had nothing to do with Falla, unless of course she was the one that was controlling the armor. I found my arm outstretched and this tendril of energy snapping forward from the fingers. I thought for sure that I was going to kill Landon, until I finally used a form of concentration to draw myself back. I breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that I was this close to cutting down Landon and starting an all out war with the White castle.
“Shana. I don’t want you to talk when we get there. You can listen, but I will be the one that makes the first approach.” I’m sure that is what lord Vadam had told her to do, but that didn’t necessarily make it so.
“I was just about to say the same thing to you, Gemini. As the senior warrior, I feel it is my responsibility to take the lead on this.” Having a representative from all castles might have sounded like a good idea in theory. In reality, it was unnerving and you could feel the tension in the air and that something was going to break eventually between the three of us.
Seeing that I didn’t want to be left out, I decided to stick up for myself. “I don’t need either one of you telling me what to do. We’re here for the same reasons and if we can’t work together now, then what happens when our survival depends on it. You can bet that whoever is responsible for the Dragos attacking that it’s not going to stop with just one isolated incident. I have my own questions for the cleric.”
“I don’t care what questions you have for the cleric, Shana. Keep them to yourself. We only have one question that we can ask, before he will turn his back and walk away. I’ve heard that others have tried to stop him, but they came back feeling no sensation in their fingers. Whoever this cleric is has been around, as long as I can remember” This was definitely a guy that I wanted to meet.
We finally came to a clearing and there were three waterfalls one on each side of him and one behind him. He was sitting in a Lotus position. He was bald and his eyes came open like he knew we were there all along.
He was completely naked, except for some kind of loincloth. He motioned us with his fingers, making it appear like we were being led into a web of our own trap. “I know why you came. Speak your mind and then leave.” He was a man of few words and I could respect that. Before either Landon or I could speak on our own behalf, she stepped forward and knelt down on one knee, as a sign of respect. This was the one thing that Braden had told me and I followed suit with my armor now squeezing me in a bear hug.
“I want to know what’s happening…” She didn’t have a chance to say anything more. The cleric put up his hand up for silence. He pointed towards me.
“Silence! I don’t want to hear anything more from you, Gemini. I want to hear from that woman. If you cannot live with that, then I suggest you get up on your feet and go back the same way you came.” I had to admit that this guy did not mince words. Anything he said was with no wasted motion. I could tell that Gemini was beside herself and she wanted to say something, but something was preventing her.” I don’t want to hear anything from you, Gemini. Don’t make me do something that is against my basic beliefs.” She backed off, but I could see that she was seething.
I moved forward and I knelt down in front of him, until he took his hands and put them on my face. He whispered “I know where you come from, Shana. I know that you’re looking for the looking glass. I can tell you what you want to know, but there’s also another question that lingers in your mind. You must decide which one is more important.” I was tempted to just get the answers to the looking glass, but I also knew that it was more important to find out what was happening in the land of Markham. “I can see that you’ve made up your mind. Not a lot of people would have accepted their fate like you have. You are to be admired, but instead you are hunted and ridiculed for being different. Wait…no…that hasn’t happened yet, but it will in time.”
I didn’t like the sound of that, but it was all that I was going to get on the subject. “What’s happening with the Dragos?” His eyes rolled up into the back of his head and then his head snapped up to the sky with his hands holding onto my face. I felt this shooting pain up my arms. It went into my brain and I saw a flash of several images at the same time.
He let go of my face and then he opened his eyes “I’ve told you everything that I can. It’s time for you all to leave. Please do not return for one year.” He didn’t say anything, unless of course the images in my head were his way of telling me without saying a word. “You have a long road ahead of you, little one. Trust in your instincts and you might just survive long enough to find your way back.” He closed his eyes and he slumped forward with his chin touching his chest.
To me, it looked like he had gone into some sort of trance, leaving me to ascertain what those images in my head were all about. I could slow them down like a movie or speed them up whenever I so desired.
Chapter six
Landon and Gemini were waiting for me when I stood up. “You weren’t even with him for more than a few seconds. What could he possibly say that would make you understand what’s going on with the Dragos?” On hearing their name, a flash of them flying in unison over the area that had been decimated came into my mind. When they flew over the area, the earth had already been scorched. They had nothing to do with it, although I sensed that they couldn’t have cared less.
“I don’t think that the Dragos had any part in what happened. They don’t feel any remorse for any of it, but they were not responsible. They arrived on the scene shortly after it happened, like they were led there in hopes that they would be seen by somebody and the fault would land on their shoulders.” Once again, another flash came into my mind. It was a vision of a faceless man and he was holding the tendrils of these energy whips that were now moving back and forth in front of him like they were alive.
Slowing it down, I was able to clear up the image. This man was blind, but I think he saw more than people realized. “If they’re not responsible, then who is?” I knew that she was going to ask that, but that wasn’t an easy thing to answer.
“As you know, he only gives us one question. He did tell me through my mind that the Dragos didn’t have anything to do with it. He did however single out a man. He’s blind, but I can sense that everybody is scared of him. They want nothing to do with him, yet he has used this opportunity to bring this land to the brink of war. I think his true purpose is to pit each of the castle Lords against each other. He wants everybody’s attention to be on the Dragos.” He reminded me of a magician and if you didn’t watch what the other hand was doing, you would never know the trick and how it was performed.
“Shari.” Apparently they knew his name and I could see that their faces had gone this ghastly white.” I’ve been telling Lord Wallace that one day he’s going to want power. He told me that I was only trying to cause problems where there wasn’t any. Shari has been a recluse for as long as I can remember. He never interacts with anybody. I think he feels that people are useless. He has always wanted the power and not just with one castle.”
“Landon, I don’t know much about Shari. I’ve heard his name in passing, but mostly it’s under hushed tones. I know how he is supposed to be this huge presence. Lord Vadam talks about him like he is evil. My father told me that one day Shari would forget the pleasantries and just attack for no good reason. He’ll never take responsibility for his actions and there would be no proof to determine his guilt. We need to find him and put a stop to his machinations before they go too far.” I fell on my knees, my head splitting from a headache that was now pounding relentlessly inside my skull. I felt overwhelmed and the squeezing sensation of the armor was now getting tighter.
When Landon and Gemini tried to reach for me, they came face to face with my armor. It was acting independently and now it struck with such a force that both of them were thrown backwards 5 feet before landing heavily.
“What the hell are you doing, Shana?” Gemini was trying to struggle to her feet, but I found myself standing on her chest and looking down at her. “You…can’t do this and Lord Vadam will have your head.” What they didn’t know was that I had no control and that I was basically a passenger on whatever ride this was. I couldn’t even say anything in my own defense. It was making it look like I was the danger.
“I’m going to have to report you…” Landon didn’t get a chance to say much more, when I struck with the armor side of my boot. His head snapped to the side and a couple of his teeth actually came flying out of his mouth. The helmet rolled away and he was now exposed with his face not more than a few feet from being crushed underneath my heel.
“Stop this right now, or you will pay with your life, Shana.” My armor reached down and grabbed her by the throat, lifting her into the air and then using the other hand to pummel repeatedly into her ribs. I was unaware of the fact that I was holding this entity within me. The armor was now breaking apart pieces of Gemini’s armor, so that it could get to the underbelly of something that was a lot more sensitive. “You can’t do this. I’m Lord Vadam’s representative. You’ll put me down….ahhhh….or face the consequences of your actions.” I looked towards Landon and he was bleeding and unconscious.
I tried to say something, but nothing came out. The only thing that she was seeing was that determination within my eyes through the helmet. She was hanging there in midair with her breath being slowly suffocated from her lungs. She couldn’t do anything and even as she flailed about, there was no discernible way for her to get away from whatever this was.
The armor dropped her and she was left with two distinct pieces missing from her armor. I struck out and punched her on sides, making her double over and wheeze like a little old man. Blood came out of her mouth and I had obviously caused some kind of internal injuries. “Why would you do this, Shana? I was the one…that told Lord Vadam that you should come along.” I suddenly found myself inundated with another flash of memory.
She was standing there with Lord Vadam and he was saying “When you get a chance to get rid of her, don’t hesitate like you did last time.” It was then that she was branded with a black V on her shoulder that burned into her very skin for all time. She screamed and I could see that Lord Vadam really didn’t care about her discomfort. “This will teach you not to go against my wishes. This is your first punishment and if you don’t kill her before the end of the third sun, then you’ll find out that my anger can be a bit overwhelming. “For her part, she was screaming, but there was no semblance of any kind of fight. She was letting it happen, when she could’ve easily turned and bit the hand that fed her.
“You were going to kill me.” This was something that the armor was allowing me to say. “When lord Vadam branded you with that V, you became obsessed with getting your hands on me.” She couldn’t stand and those broken ribs must’ve been very debilitating.
“I was only doing…what I was told to do.” I knew that it was true, but I also knew that she wanted to please him. It was like the armor was trying to take revenge for me. It must have sensed what I was feeling towards her and had decided to act on my behalf. “I think you already knew that Lord Vadam was going to do everything he could to make sure that you didn’t win.” Of course, I knew that, but I didn’t really believe that he would kill me out of spite. He had used this emergency to his advantage and had given his blessing for my assassination…again.
“I don’t care what Lord Vadam wants. I think that somebody should teach him a lesson. Then again, maybe a message is better and this will hopefully tell him in no uncertain terms that I’m not somebody that should be messed with.” I couldn’t stop the armor and it was now pummeling her. She knelt there on the ground defenseless and unable to do anything in return. By the time that the armor was done, Gemini’s armor was now ripped asunder. There was nothing left, but small pieces lying on the ground. She was bleeding profusely, but I knew instinctively that she wasn’t going to die.
“This is not like you…this is not like you at all.” She didn’t know the half of it. “I think that we should be looking at you and not at the Dragos.” I had a feeling that was going to happen. I did feel infinitely better about everything that was happening. There was this sense of elation, even though I wasn’t the one that had done the deed or was I?
I certainly felt like it was my responsibility and these were feelings that I did have that I hadn’t acted on. I couldn’t say for sure, but I believed in my heart that this armor was now acting on my own emotions. I always thought that it was alive, but I had no idea how it could possibly be.
“You’re going to pay for this, Shana.” I turned abruptly and my foot came out and contacted with her face. She reeled back on her knees. I knew that I had killed her. I should have felt some kind of remorse, or even wanted to do something to render aid, but I didn’t. It felt good and god help me; I wished that I had more time to make her suffer a little bit longer. I was planning to just send a message back to Lord Vadam, but she would’ve told him everything that happened and he would’ve sent everything against me that he could find. It was better that he didn’t know. I could probably spin something for Landon. He was already unconscious, so he didn’t witness very much of what happened.
I could only take solace with the fact that I wasn’t responsible. I guess in my head, I was justifying the actions of the armor. My main concern was if I was going to be able to get this thing off of me. It had showed a couple of times it was trying to become one and not in the way that it had done with other warriors in the past. I had to believe that this had something do with my alien DNA. It was causing an undue side effect and it was literally delving into the deepest darkest part of my mind to exact revenge on what I was thinking about.
I had to find a way out of this and make sure that my actions did not come to the light of day.
“What the hell… happened?” I lay down beside Gemini and waited patiently for Landon to wake up from his own unscheduled nap. “My nose is bleeding. Did you just attack me and Gemini?” I stayed silent, acting like just another victim. He crawled over towards me and looked into my eyes. He shook me and I pretended to flutter my eyes open in his direction.
“Who was that? A saw this blur of a red armor and then there was nothing but black.” I could’ve told him the truth, but I had this funny feeling that the armor wasn’t going to allow me to do that. It wanted this to stay a secret and if I were to try to say anything, I believed in my own mind that Landon would be dead before he knew it. “It moved with a speed that I didn’t even know was possible. Perhaps Shari found out that we were coming for him and decided to make a preemptive strike.” This sounded better than the alternative. This way, I could turn Landon’s attention towards something that wasn’t me.
He was now kneeling over Gemini “She’s not dead.” This was a bit of a shock. She’s not opening her eyes. I think that we’re going to have to get her some kind of help.” I could feel the armor wanting to act on my behalf again. It took everything I had to stop it from killing Gemini. On one side, I was glad that she wasn’t dead, but on the other, I really wanted to see her pay for her attempts at killing me.
Chapter seven
We brought her back to the Black castle and I could see that Lord Baden was a bit suspicious. He questioned us vigorously, but we both had the same exact story about somebody in a red armor attacking the both of us. I pointed in the direction of Shari. I wasn’t quite sure that he believed me, but he didn’t try to detain me for the attack on Gemini.
Landon and I were on our way out to find Shari and he stopped and looked at me sternly “I really did think that it was you that attacked us. I could swear that I said something to you.” I had to get his mind off of reliving the ordeal. If he had time, he might see something and that would be the last thing that he ever saw in his life.
“I can see the reason why you would think that, but it wasn’t me. I think somebody was making it look like the Red castle was trying to make a play for the power. If I were to guess, I think that Lord Vadam has everything to gain. If the Red castle became something of a threat, then he could easily have them all disqualified from the rest of the tournament. That would mean that myself, Braden and even Nicholas would be out of the competition. Essentially, it would come down to the white and black castle dueling it out to the end. That would mean that it would be you against his prize creation, Gemini.”
“I just can’t believe the condition that we found Gemini in. Her armor was completely destroyed and she was left a broken doll. They found that she had several cracked bones and her cranium had almost been caved in. They don’t even know that she’s going to survive the night. Even if she does, they doubt that she’ll be able to continue in the competition. This will mean that the White castle or the Red castle will finally be able to have a chance at that power. We’ve all known for some time that Gemini was the major stumbling block. With her out of the way, things can become more equal in competition.”
I was secretly happy that he was not trying to question me further on the fact that it was me. I think that deep down he probably knew, but he wasn’t willing to voice his concerns. “I think that we should concentrate our efforts on finding Shari.” Suddenly, an image of a brick building with smoke coming out of the roof came into my mind.
“I saw what you did to Gemini. I actually enjoyed seeing her get her just desserts. I just didn’t think that you were capable of something like that, Shana. You seemed like the kind of person that would turn the other cheek. You not only attacked her, but you left her for dead. You are dangerous and I think that I did the right thing by throwing in with you. I really did think that it was going to take more time for you to get that killer instinct. After all, she was the one that was going to kill you first. You just acted quicker than she did.”
Falla didn’t even know what had happened. She really did believe that it was my doing and had nothing to do with the armor itself. Whatever magic she was, she didn’t have enough of it to fully absorb what had transpired. I was still trying to piece these things together myself. I just knew that the armor was acting on my best interest. It had found a way to take control of my body and use the images and secret fantasies in my mind to make them become reality.
I really didn’t think that I had that much animosity toward Gemini, but apparently it was deeper than I thought. I guess I could feel it seething in the corner of my consciousness, but I never allowed it to get much further than that.
I had no idea how I was going to tell Landon what I knew of Shari’s whereabouts. I soon found out that I didn’t have to. This old man hunched over and walking slowly was now saying something underneath his breath.
“Shari is there… Shari is everywhere… Shari is nowhere. He hides in plain sight…he hides from your eyes…he knows where you are. He works at the bend where no one will find him. He works tirelessly to destroy everything that we hold dear. He feels slighted…he feels power…he feels that he has been overlooked.” Landon grabbed him and shook him, so violently that his head was now bouncing back and forth independently of his own body.
“How the hell do you know this?” He had just the whites of his eyes showing and then they became a liquid blue.
“Unhand me young man. I don’t need this.” His voice was not the same, but he did tell us what we needed to know. I already knew it, but now Landon was finding out that what the old man had said was basically a road map to where Shari was now hiding out. “I don’t know what you want. Take whatever I have.” The old man was feeling victimized. You could tell that he was scared out of his mind. His hand was shaking, so badly that it looked like he was going to have some sort of attack. “I just want to be left alone. Please, just take this and leave me alone.” He had a gold coin, something that he had probably hidden for his golden days.
“I don’t want your money.” Landon was visibly upset. He was holding onto the old man, until I finally wrenched him free and allowed the old man to walk away shaking his head.
“Landon, I would say that somebody is looking out for us. If we can find Shari and shed some light on what’s happening with the Dragos, then we might be able to put all this to bed… I mean behind us.” There was no point and using words from my own world. If I did that, I could easily be found out. I had no interest in fielding questions that would make me look complicit in everything that had been going on.
“That was very strange.” My mind was constantly bombarded by images of what my armor had done to Gemini. I think it was making me relive it over and over again, because I was feeling such joy at her pain that it was actually feeding off of it. If I didn’t know any better, I think that it was having a little bit too much fun. It was almost like a child awakening for the first time and taking its first steps.
“I agree, but I don’t think that we have a choice. We have been looking for him and that old man may have not known that he was doing it, but he gave us a way to find him. I have no idea what he means by the bend, but I have a feeling that maybe you do. I don’t come from around here.”
“I’ve heard the story of where you came from, but it makes no sense. That being said, I really don’t care. My only concern is finding out who killed all those people. If Shari is responsible, then he will feel the wrath of my energy whips. People have said that he can fight, but I don’t think that he can handle somebody like me. There are even rumors that he was a warrior back in the day. That he killed the first Dragos. I’m not sure that I believe it, but I think it’s the main reason why people are trying to stay away from him. They really don’t want to contend with his wrath, but unfortunately we have no choice. We have to confront him one and one.”
“The only way that we can do that is to find him, Landon.”
“I know exactly where the bend is. If he’s hiding there, then there has to be a reason for it. The people of that small village would never condone his actions. He’s probably hiding there under an assumed name, just so that he can keep one step ahead of us. I know what he looks like. It doesn’t matter what disguise he wears, I will be able to see through it.” I knew what he look like to, but only because of the sources invasion of my mind. It was even possible that him doing that had been the final straw that opened up the pathway between the armor and my mind.
“How far is it?”
“It’s not that far, but it’s not the distance that I’m worried about.” He looked hesitant to go in the direction that was needed. “My father went this way one time and was never the same again. He rocks back and forth in the fetal position drooling like an idiot. I have been tempted to put him out of his misery, but his age of majority is upon him. This time next year, he will give the ultimate sacrifice for the good of the many. It has been widely known for some time that death is only one part of the journey. We do not mourn those that pass. As you know, we celebrate their lives and give them the sendoff that they deserve.
“Landon, I don’t think that we have much of a choice. This is the only way towards the bend. By your own admission, it’s the quicker root. If we try to go around, it would detain us for at least a day. If that were to happen, then we would be out of the competition.
“I can’t allow that to happen. I know that I’m risking becoming what my father became. This is the reason why Shari has taken refuge at the bend. He thinks that he’s safe and that he’ll know when somebody comes looking for him. The villagers of the bend do not take kindly to strangers. They’re very caustic, suspicious and downright mean. If we’re going to do this, then we are going to have to be very careful where we step. There are many pitfalls and we’re really going to have to keep our wits about us.” He took a few steps into the path and then he stopped like he knew that something was wrong. His foot was poised over an area and then he moved it to the other side. He reached down and picked up a rock and placed it on the exact spot where he was about to put his foot.
The rock disappeared like it had been swallowed up by the earth itself. “That was pretty damn close. What made you think to step to the other side?”
“Shana, you can see the discoloration of the ground. It’s very subtle, but if you were to pay attention, you would see exactly what I see.” I concentrated and there was something, but it was very hard to see with the naked eye. Maybe these aliens had a better form of eyesight than I had. I couldn’t admit this to him, or he would turn on me in a second. I was just going to have to do my best and hope that I wasn’t going to fall into any of these holes. I didn’t even know what to call them.
I decided to stay behind Landon. Since he was a man, he thought it was his obligation to keep me safe. I could’ve done that myself, but right now his assistance was much appreciated. I followed him like I was marking my path with his footsteps. I did not deviate and even when I stumbled, I was able to right myself before I fell victim to one of those holes.
“I’ve heard of several people taking this journey and only a few, including my father came out on the other side. I guess his ramblings are paying off. Those that live at the bend know this area like the back of their hand. I’ve seen them walk with confidence and avoid every one of those holes. The speed in which they do it is amazing. I can do it, but it’s at a snail’s pace and not exactly in the lines of somebody that should be patient. That is one thing that I’m not, but in this regard, I have to be. You also have to be, but I see that not very many things shake your confidence. That’s good and maybe I have looked at you the wrong way.” I was glad that he wasn’t trying to pull at that string about what had happened. If he had, he might have uncovered his memory of seeing me hurting him.
If that were to happen, then he would know that I was not to be trusted. It was a tightrope to walk and one wrong step and I would’ve found myself on the receiving end of one of those energy whips.
There were times that I was actually holding my breath and wondering when that final death knell was going to sound in my name. It was not a nice feeling to have the unknown over my head. The truth of what I did was out there and it was just a matter of time before I was found out.
We came to the end of the path and pushed through to the other side. It consisted of a town. The buildings were not as remarkable as the three castles. They were modest with straw covering for roofs and what look like mud made for the exterior surface.
I walked up to one of these houses and placed my hand in the mud. It sunk in and came to something that was very hard. I scraped away the surface and found myself looking at what looked like granite. It was very strong and I think that the mud was there primarily to protect it from the elements.
“I think I see what you mean, Landon. These people are not exactly trusting.” They were all standing there looking at us, their mouths open, as if they were in shock to see warriors in armor. A man with ruffled blond hair, a clean shaven face and an open white shirt with black pants stepped forward.
“We know why you came and we suggest that you turn around and go back the same way you came. We have given our word to give him sanctuary. This is not something that we take lightly. If you try to take him, then we will have to intervene. If you plan to talk to him, then we have no problem you staying in this town for a little while. I would suggest that you don’t overstay your welcome. There are those that are loyal to Shari that will feel that you are a threat. They will want to deal with you personally in his name.”
“We just want to talk.” I had a feeling that Landon was going to say that, but I knew that his true intention was to throttle the man, until he confessed his crimes. At hearing this, the man in the ruffled white shirt turned and allowed us to pass.
We walked amongst the locals and we felt like everybody was staring at us. I wanted to turn and make a stand, but I think that was my armor raising its head once again. I was going to have to get used to having my secret thoughts being seen, as a way for my armor to act without impunity. If I were to control it, the only way to do that would be to keep my desire for killing to myself. I just wasn’t sure if that was possible with the hand to hand combat competition coming up next.
“I think I can see where he’s hiding out at.” I pointed towards the brick building. I’d already seen the image in my head, but these people had made it easy. Those that were loyal to him were now crowded around the entrance waiting for our arrival. They stared at us with an intensity that made me feel like I was going to burst into flames.
We walked up to where they were standing. “Nobody enters. He wants to be left alone and we do not dare cross him. If you try to get past us, then you’ll find out exactly what we mean by loyal to a fault.” These guys were humongous. I flashed on an old adage of the bigger they are the harder they fall. I didn’t know how I was going to make them fall. Then I remembered that both myself and Landon were wearing this armor. It could take a lot of punishment and dish out a lot of damage at the same time.
“Don’t get us wrong, we do admire your loyalty. We just want to talk. However, if you really do want to make this a fight, then I think that you’ll find that our armor is more than up to the task of taking all of you on.” Landon was standing there and listening to everything I said. He did not try to say anything and I think that he was just letting me find enough rope to hang myself. He probably thought that if I really got on their nerves that they might kill me and take me out of the equation permanently.
“I don’t think you understand. We will fight to the death. We’ll do anything to protect him. Our lives mean nothing and his continued existence is the only thing that matters to us. It’s that kind of conviction that can make you do some amazing things. The numbers are against you and even if you were able to get to him, I don’t think that you would like the final result.” The energy whips inside our fingers were now protruding nicely. It looked like we were going to have to deal with this in a more extreme way.
“We really don’t want to do this, but you’re leaving us very little option. Like we said, we understand your loyalty, but this meeting has to happen. It doesn’t matter if you stand in our way, because we will knock you down and even kill you if necessary.” They were taking a stand. It was ill advised and was most likely going to get them killed, but it didn’t look like they cared.
Landon struck first with his energy whips. They traversed the space between him and these men, but never made it any further than that. They hit what would seem like an invisible wall. The energy whip stopped not more than a mere inch from where it was intended to strike. It turned and now was twisting back and forth in the air like something had control of them.
I watched horrified, as they turned on their master. The armor was impenetrable, but it did not hold up to an attack by those whips. It tore into Landon like he was nothing. I tried to move, but my armor wasn’t allowing me to do anything. All I could was watch.
“I’m sorry that it had to come to this, but you had to know that coming here was the worst mistake of your life.” I turned to see this blind man with a white cane standing in the doorway. He honestly couldn’t see with his eyes, but maybe he was seeing more inside his mind than anybody realized. “They will protect me. I don’t want them too, but they feel obligated. I’m not talking about these men.” Something was giving him protection of the magical variety. Those whips killed Landon where he stood. His body was now pieces and his face showed surprise at the way that he had died so quickly.
The gloves of his armor with the whips attached were now turning their attention towards me. I saw Shari smile and I had this feeling that he already knew the outcome. I was going to die at the hands of that armor. I knew what kind of destruction it could cause and I had just watched it decimate Landon.
I tried to run, but my armor would not allow me to take even one step. For something that was protecting me before, it was now letting me stand there like a lamb to the slaughter. I could only stare and wonder how painful this was really going to be. I could only hope that it was quick like Landon.