Aliyah trembled when Zag approached her. Before she could do or say anything, he was standing next to her and making her face the post. He wrapped a piece of rope around her waist to keep her still and stepped away from her.
The next thing she felt was the whiplash hitting her back. Though she had never been whipped before, she guessed he had some sort of cat o’ nine tails, because it hit her back in several points at the same time.
The pain was excruciating, and she wasn’t able to hold back the loud cry that came out her lips.
A second and a third blow hit her before she was able to recover from the first one and she held on to the post, sure she was going to pass out.
“Stop this immediately,” Vrak roared, furious with the other man’s actions.
“You have no say in this,” Zag mocked him, stopping for a second to look at the other man. “She’s my mate, and I’m allowed to punish her if I want to.”
Vrak roared once more, finally releasing the beast he had inside. He had been struggling ever since the Sumirions had caught them to keep the beast at bay, sure it would be a slaughter if he lost control over it, but Zag had finally taken him over the edge. He could feel the beast coming out, and there was no stopping it now, nor did he wanted to.
His body started to cover itself with the brownish scales that formed his armor, his claws grew to the size of small, sharp daggers and only seconds later, he was snapping the cuffs that held him prisoner.
“Zag… he’s an Asloran…” the terrified cry of one of Zag’s men, caught Zag’s attention, just before he hit Aliyah again.
“What…?” he turned around just in time to see how Vrak jumped forward and grabbed him by the neck, pulling his feet a few inches off the ground.
Vrak could feel his rage clouding his mind and steeling his heart but right there and then, he couldn’t care less. These men had been using him as a punching bag and hurting Aliyah, so now it was time for payback.
Caught by surprise, Zag tried to hit Vrak using his legs and the whip he was still holding in his hand, but it only took a harder squeeze to his neck to let him know he was fighting for his life and for him to concentrate all his efforts in loosening Vrak’s grip.
“I told you to stop this while you could,” Vrak snarled at the man struggling to breathe, as he squeezed his throat tighter, taking the whip out of his hands and throwing it to the other side of the cave.
The other men didn’t even dare to move. They were frozen by sheer fear, and their inaction caught Aliyah’s attention, making her turn her head to see what was going on.
The scene taking place behind her was too astounding for her to absorb at first sight. With shaky legs, her back still on fire from the whiplashes, she had to hold herself tighter to the post and blink a few times before she could discern what was going on.
For a moment there, she couldn’t recognize Vrak. His whole body was covered in some sort of armor, and he looked lethal. The fear written on the men’s faces spoke loudly of the power and ruthlessness oozing from her lover’s body.
She had no doubt he was a killing machine, and clearly all the people in the room knew it too.
“I gave you all the chances possible to prevent this situation, but in your haughtiness, you decided to dismiss them again and again until you gave me no other choice than to fight back and show you no one messes with me,” Vrak ranted, shaking the other man, ignoring Zag’s attempts to free himself from his powerful claws.
Sure Vrak was set in a killing mode, Aliyah decided to interfere, praying he would listen to her. “Vrak, please, stop,” Aliyah called him. She hated Zag as much as he did, she just didn’t want him to lower himself to the other man’s level.
Vrak turned his dark chocolate eyes to look at her, his expression sterner than ever. “He hurt you, he deserves to die,” he replied grimly. The beast was rapidly taking over him, and he knew he would lose control anytime now.
“Let others be the judge of that,” she asked him. “Please,”
Puzzled, he realized her voice, and her pleas seemed to keep the beast at bay. Breathing hard, he turned to look at the other man, still not convinced. It was then when one of the men took his weapon out of its sheath. That should have been enough to fully unleash the beast, and yet, it didn’t.
“Let him go!” he cried out, with more guts than brains, making Vrak turned to look at him like a giant would look at an ant.
“Zain, have you lost your mind? He’s an Asloran, you won’t even scratch him,” one of his friends warned the tremulous man, taking a step closer to his friend, trying to take the weapon out of his shaky hands.
“He’s unarmed, and he’s not immortal,” the man grumbled, still pointing the weapon at Vrak.
“Yes, he is, you fool. You’ll get us all killed,” his friend grumbled, finally reaching him and making him put down the weapon.
The others did the same. Despite living almost secluded in Sumitera, they all knew the Aslorans’ reputation.
“Wise choice,” Vrak said before he turned his attention to Zag.
The other man’s struggle was becoming weaker.
“Vrak, please,” Aliyah tried once more, a bit confused with what she had just heard from the Sumirion. Vrak was immortal? What the hell was going on? “He’s not worth the price, believe me,” she assured him.
He looked at her as if struggling to listen to her words, probably fighting against some inner demon. But before she could say anything else, a small army of men entered the cave, led by Kahm.
The Arghearian rapidly assessed the situation and walked towards his friend. “It’s over, Vrak. Let us take over from here,” he asked, with a firm tone.
“He deserves to die,” he snarled, still grasping Zag’s neck, still craving for revenge.
“I’m sure he does, but don’t turn into the judge and executioner. He will get what he deserves,” his friend assured him, staying a few feet away from him. He knew too well his friend’s powers.
“Please, Vrak, let him go. I need you” Aliyah mumbled.
Those seemed to be the magic words. In a split second, he had thrown Zag towards Kahm and the group of Sumirions accompanying him to stride towards her, quickly releasing her from her restraints.
The men rapidly imprisoned Zag and the men that still remained in the cave.
Vrak wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. “I’m sorry I didn’t protect you the way I should have,” he whispered to her ears only.
“Of course, you did,” she assured him, hiding her face against his wide chest, in so much pain, she could hardly speak.
He picked her in his arms and turned to look at the newcomers, his expression telling them he was willing to do anything to protect the woman he had in his arms.
An old man stepped forward. “We need to get to the bottom of this. Are you willing to submit this whole incident to our justice?” he asked, with a stern tone.
“Will it be fair and unbiased?” he retorted instead.
“It certainly will,” the man assured him.
“Then, yes. I never meant to cause any trouble,” Vrak assured, slowly changing back to his usual self. “But I will defend my female to the last minute,” he assured the elder.
“Fair enough. We’ll take this to the tribe’s council.”
“As soon as I make sure Aliyah is alright. He used an energy whip on her.” The rage in his tone was obvious.
“Our healer will take good care of her as soon as we get to the campsite,” the older man assured him.
Vrak opened his mouth to protest, but Kahm’s silent request made him change his mind. “Very well.”
They used Zag’s vessel to get to the tribe’s campsite and soon, Vrak was leaving her in the caring hands of the tribe’s healer.
“I should be there with you,” she protested, scowling when a sudden move sent blasts of pain across her back.
“Sumirions are patriarchal. They pay very little attention to a woman’s opinion. It’s better if you stay away,” he assured her, kissing her lips, in a very gentle caress.
“What do you think will happen?” she asked, worried.
He shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. The only reason I’m here is that I don’t want to cause unnecessary problems between Terrion and Sumitera,” he explained. “Whatever happens won’t change the final result – we are leaving this place together.”
She rubbed her forehead, overwhelmed with the ordeal they had been through ever since Zag had arrived at the cabin. “I hope you’re right,” she mumbled, closing her eyes, suddenly too tired.
“Worry not. I’ll be back as soon as possible,” he assured her before he left to go meet the others at the main tent.
Chapter Seventeen
Aliyah let out a deep sigh before she turned to look at the woman standing next to her. Unlike the males of her species, the woman was fully clothed and was completely bald.
“It’s a pleasure knowing you, Víf Aliyah. My name is Glynoy, and I’ll take care of your wounds,” the woman introduced herself, with a kind smile.
“Thank you, my back hurts a lot.”
The woman shook her head, showing her displeasure. “This shouldn’t have happened. Unfortunately, Zag has gone astray and refuses to obey the tribe’s laws and premises,” she informed. “It’s not the first time he has had problems with the elders, but this is certainly the worst time.”
“I have to admit he was provoked,” Aliyah said as she allowed the woman to take her shirt off. Though she hadn’t realized it her back was covered in dried blood. Glynoy had to use warm water to separate the fabric from her wounded skin.
“What did he use on you?” she asked, in shock.
“One of the men mentioned it was an energy whip,” she informed her, biting her lips to muffle the painful grunts coming out of her lips.
“Dear gods of the universe,” she muttered, with disapproval.
It took her a while to clean up her back and put some bandages on the deepest cuts. By the time she was done, Aliyah was barely able to keep her eyes opened.
She didn’t want to fall asleep, at least, not until she knew what had happened in the main tent, but she was so tired, she wasn’t able to resist the powerful call of sleep.
“Get some rest. The trial will be long and boring,” Glynoy assured her. “You won’t miss a thing.”
She nodded. “Please, wake me up when it’s all over,” she asked, closing her eyes and curling up on the narrow bed she was in.
“I will don’t worry,” the woman promised, covering her sore body with a soft blanket.
Vrak met Kahm outside the healer’s tent. “Thank you for coming. But you should have stayed away from this mess. I would hate seeing this affecting you and your family,” he said, in a harsh tone.
“You won’t. Goln asked for my help, and there was no way I would say no. You’re my friend, and I wanted to be here for you,” he explained before he let out a deep sigh. “I have to admit I was sure I would find bloodshed in that cave,” he confessed.
“You would have if it weren’t for Aliyah. She’s my anchor, the one that stops the beast from acting without control,” he explained, with a faint grin. “I knew she was special, but today I learned just how special she is.”
Kahm nodded. He had heard about the Aslorans' anchors. They were supposed to be the warriors’ soul keepers, the person that made them see right from wrong, and when it came to a creature as powerful as an Asloran, that was vital.
“I’m glad to hear that. And I’m happy you didn’t ignore your instincts.”
Vrak nodded. “I would have lost her, and I would never find peace.”
Kahm nodded again, and they headed to the main tent. Though they weren’t sure what would come out from the trial, they really hoped it would be good news for all involved.
The place was crowded with men of all ages. Vrak was only able to see a few women, but he knew their only purpose in the tent was to serve the men assembled.
Everybody was sitting on the carpeted floor, and they were invited to do the same.
The elder that had been in the cave started the session. “We have been gathered here to hear both parties in this conflict. Though we usually hear our people first, due to Zag’s disruptive behavior, we’ll grant such privilege to our guests.”
Zag snorted at the old man’s words. Vrak was sure he was still convinced he would get out of this predicament victorious.
“Citizen Kahm, I would like to hear how all this started,” the elder requested, surprising Kahm.
He hadn’t expected that, but he quickly summarized his intervention in the situation. He reminded them of his wife and the ransom requested by the tribe to let her go, that included bringing Zag a human female.
The elder sighed. “We usually don’t admit other species into Sumitera,” he pointed out. “When Zag found your wife and claimed her, we weren’t very pleased with the idea, but since he hadn’t been able to settle down with a Sumirion female, we thought that might be his fate.”
The man let out a deep sigh before he continued. “We all know that didn’t go well. What we weren’t aware of was Zag’s decision to request as part of the woman’s ransom, another human female,” the man’s tone was now ice-cold. “We wouldn’t have approved that, especially after meeting one. Human females are very different from us and clearly have been raised in a very different culture. Bringing one into our community would be asking for trouble,” the man stated.
“I don’t give a damn to your decision. I was the injured party, and it was my right to ask for the rightful compensation,” Zag ranted.
“You’ll have your time to speak, Zag,” the elder warned him.
“No, I’m sick of all this shit. The woman is mine, and if that means I have to abandon the tribe, I’ll be more than happy to do so,” Zag continued, dismissing the old man’s words.
The elder shook his head with disapproval before he turned to look at Vrak. “I would like to hear your part on this story.”
“Kahm asked me to pick up the female at the main docking bay. His wife wasn’t feeling very well, and he didn’t want to leave her alone,” he started, in a calm tone. “I was supposed to take her right to the meeting point, give her to Zag and go back home. The anticipated arrival of the storm prevented me from doing so, and that gave me the time to meet the female and realize she was special to me.”
“She’s still mine, and you won’t take her away from me,” Zag ranted.
“You’re acting like a petulant infant. You had never met her, and any woman would be the same to you,” Vrak pointed out in a scornful tone. “The minute I realized I couldn’t bring the woman here, I contacted you to offer you a very generous deal, but you decided not to accept it.”
“What deal?” the elder asked, intrigued.
Vrak frowned. “Goln contacted your tribe and offered you half my cattle and another woman.”
“We never heard from citizen Goln,” the elder assured him.
“He contacted me directly,” Zag clarified. “I was within my right to refuse the deal. The woman was mine, and I wanted her.”
“You disregarded the tribe’s rules,” the elder pointed out, clearly upset.
“So what? You had no say in this matter,” Zag replied, with scorn.
“This is a matter that affects the whole tribe. Of course, we have a say in it,” the older man ranted.
“Not as far as I’m concerned,” he insisted, jumping to his feet. “This is a total waste of time.”
“Sit down. After everything you pulled in the past days, you’re not going anywhere until we decide your punishment,” the elder warned him.
“I’m no longer a part of this tribe,” he ranted, still standing.
“Then, you shall be treated as a tribe’s enemy,” the threat was quite clear, and after a few seconds of doubt, Zag finally sat down.
The elder turned to look at Vrak. “The easiest way to solve this kind of problem would be a duel, but considering who you are, that option is off the table.”
Vrak nodded, hearing Zag mumbling he could beat him anytime he wished to. “Certainly.”
“Though we weren’t notified of it, you offered us a deal to keep the woman,” the elder continued. “Does your offer still stand?”
“It depends. If you assure me we won’t have more trouble with any of your men and the people in Terrion won’t suffer any consequences from this incident, then, yes, the offer still stands,” he confirmed. “Though, after all, I’ve seen today, I wouldn’t trust any female anywhere near your man.”
“Punishments are usual amongst our people,” the elder stated, with a cold tone.
“They’re not usual amongst my people, and I won’t put anyone through that. I’m willing to give you the cattle, but not the woman. Not anymore.”
“Don’t you think you're a bit too ambitious?” the elder replied, clearly a very good dealer.
“Not really. After all, after all your men put my woman and me through, I could easily wipe out your entire tribe.” The threat in his tone was obvious.
The elder gulped visibly. “When you moved to Terrion, you promised never to use your power against us,” he reminded him.
“True, but that doesn’t mean I’ll stand by and watch you or any of your people hurting my people,” he assured him.
The elder held his stare for a few moments before he nodded.
“Fair enough.”
“I just found out the woman is my anchor. I needed her before because life didn’t feel worth living without her to share it, but now that I know she’s my anchor, no one will ever take her away from me,” he assured the older man, in a stern tone.
“You’re lying, you’re just saying that to keep her,” Zag protested.
The elder turned to look at him. “Tell me your reasons to keep her,” he demanded in a skeptical tone. “They must be pretty good since you’ve been through all this trouble to get her.”
“I don’t have to give you any reason. She’s mine. She was brought here to be my wife, and that’s the only reason I’m giving you,” the man stated, grim.
“She’s a person, not a damn object,” Vrak ranted.
“She agreed to marry me,” he insisted.
“In her contract, there’s a clause stating she’s free to change her mind if she decides to,” Vrak recalled. “And she has. I’ve offered you and you people a very generous compensation for the trouble,” he added.
“I want her,” Zag insisted.
“You couldn’t care less about her. You’ve even whiplashed her back, in the cruelest way. Even if I didn’t love her, I would never allow you to have her,” Vrak assured him. “Or any other woman, at least, not one brought by me.”