Hessins Daughter
Chapter Seven

Blood and fire. That was all this place reeked of. This dark dungeon was deep under the monastery where students were punished for their misbehavior or for what was called... conditioning. The Ravenholt Masters taught the embracing of pain. The sweet burn of the steel tipped cat of nine, the sharp sting of the Masters whip or the blissful surrender of the blade... Hands had long given up trying to escape the leather straps that bound them, and toes had given out attempting to hold her support off the bindings that held her erect, arms above head and numb from the session.... Instead she simply hung there, head bowed between shoulders as her consciousness drifted between the real world and the exhilarating sway of the surrendering mind.

“Mm...” a lazy voice hummed from some unknown place in the room “Thats enough for today.” boots made a dull thud against stone which made the battered girl flinch expectantly but no lash fell. Hinges screeched painfully in ears as the chamber door opened and a red glow of torchlight flooded into the dark chambers. “Clean her up and take her to her chambers, Acolyte Cyrus.”

“Y-yes Master.” A young, scrawny looking boy nodded and bowed nervously, his eyes darting about the hall as if expecting something terrible to jump out at him.

The Master shifted to look back into the room, the long handle of the whip barred against the back of his neck so that his hands could lazily drape over each end, a snake like glint in sickly green eyes smiled “Return to your studies by morning. Jade.” he said with a yawn and exited the room, leaving the two acolytes alone to their duties.

Cyrus entered anxiously, his eyes averted as the tortured girl was without clothing. Carefully he placed a small bucket down by her feet and reached in to retrieve the rag and pressed it gently against her back. Instinctively she whimpered and flinched from the sudden hot sting. The water was laced with salt and her wounds were fresh, salt water and blood trailed down her back as he muttered a weak apology “My names Cyrus..by the way...” he said in a soft voice as he continued to clean the blood from her skin. He didn’t know why he was talking to her....it would be his turn one day, likely she didn’t want to talk.

“...Jade..” the girl whispered dreamily.

Cyrus moved around to her front and placed a hand under her chin to gently raise her head up, his other hand pressing the rag to a cut on her cheek, their eyes met and for a moment he felt himself frozen. She was beautiful...He didn’t know what had swept over him, or what this feeling was when he gazed into her tired eyes, they were like the dark sky, flecked with brilliant silver stars...”...hi...” he whispered moments before his lips touched hers in an untrained kiss.

A shattering, earsplitting scream pierced the dreams of those within the Grand hall, Cyrus was on his feet and struggling into pants as he rushed to the window to see what had caused the distress. A fighting had broken out upon the snow out front, it seems that Cyrus and Jae’lyn had slept in for all of the night and most the next day. Blood had stained the sand and Rohir was in a blind rage, his ivory dagger free of it’s sheath as he beat and tore into one of the skull faced Durahburah tribesmen. Kisa was knelt there watching with wide eyes, her hand clamped on her shoulder as she shuddered from what had just happened.

“Cyrus! Stop Rohir!” Jae’lyn called out, already having her pants and boots tugged on, before rushing for her bow and fox fur robe and darting out the door. Cyrus didn’t bother with the door however, growling he jumped up onto the window frame and plunged down the two story fall, rolled in the snow, still shirtless and leaped onto the rage filled Ruce.

Slams of doors followed as others in the Grand Hall started to respond to the scream, Jae’lyn was the first out as she shouted “What. Happened!?”

Rohir spat in Ruce, fighting off Cyrus who attempted to hold him back from the bloodied tribesman he was intent on killing “Let me go!! He bit Kisa!!”

Jae’lyn rose a brow and looked down at the rosalind girl, her hand was bloody from the wound and her eyes still wide with shock. Slowly, Jae’lyn knelt down in front of her friend and asked again, much more gently than before “Kisa....What happened?”

“I-I...I...” She stammered, still in shock as her green eyes blinked to look at Jae’lyn “I don’t know...I was asking him where...where Rikka was. He...He got real close...started...” she frowned deeply “He was smelling me, sniffing about like some dog and then...Next thing I know...” she looked down at her shoulder where the Tribesman had bit her.

“Cannibals.” An unfamiliar voice spoke, his voice was young and calm as he approached them from up the road “Instinctually they hunger for flesh and blood.” turning his gaze to the two guards that were with him, he nodded and like wolves those two guards set upon the tribesmen and with very little struggle they had the tribeman on his knees and hand held out, a glint of steel and a sudden scream of pain had a finger falling to the white snow “Send him to the cellar for the day.” he told the guards before moving to kneel next to Jae’lyn “Art thou ok?” he asked Kisa who gave a numb nod of her head “Forgive us. We don’t normally have tribesmen randomly biting people, but the storms seems to have awakened their primal hungers....we have corporal punishment in place for such events, you will not see him again whilst you are here. Come...Let me help thee. I am Dagon Eresku, Steward of Runewald.”

Kisa was still numb with shock, first the strange behavior of the man, the bite, then watching as two guards cut off the mans finger. Carefully, she put her non bloody hand in his and he guided her up onto her feet, smiling “Rikka has told me all about thou. Forgive me for not being here when thou arrived. I was helping to secure the south wall that is crumbling from the snow.”

Behind him, Rohir shrugged away from Cyrus who instantly held up his hands to give the Ruce boy room. With an angry glare Rohir plunged his dagger back to his scabbard and rushed to Kisa’s side, showering her with affection and worry as the Steward led them back inside. Jae’lyn had remained silent as the steward handled the situation quite efficiently before turning her gaze to the lonely finger laying in the blood soaked snow. “So...” Cyrus said after a moment, others of the traveling party stood around, shuffling on feet unsure how they were to react to such a gruesome scene “Shall we replace lunch?”

Finding lunch however wasn’t as enjoyable as Cyrus had hoped. By the time they had returned to the Grand Hall they found Rikka cleaning and binding Kisa’s injury, Rohir knelt at her feet and comforting her while Dagon Eresku talked with the Chieftain they had met before, his large Carabu mask tilting slightly as he observed the new party entering and taking seats around the table to partake in the food brought out to them. “Nay, unacceptable.”

“Spider Lord. Great clouds of blinding white and cold bring times of despair and famine unto our people. Brother boar is skinned and left to frost as his kin bury their heads beneath rock and sisters caribou leave for better skies. Our hunters sit idle by campfires and cannot feast on giants, their flesh grey and rotted to the fire. Unfit for food.... We will starve unless we do what is necessary to survive the wind’s tests of snow, and hunt all that we can.”

“Nay!” Dagon repeated, his eyes narrowing sternly “I will not have such practices here in this city. We will trade for food ported from the Ra’vain, the fisheries are still strong so long as we keep the water flowing and properly covered. There are other ways. Other, means are not acceptable.”

“You know...”Cyrus whispered in Jae’lyns ear near the doorway, they both could guess by what they were speaking of “When we were young acolytes I thought the drinking of blood was disgusting until I met you...I think I’ve found a new level of disgusting however.”

Jae’lyn frowned “I once read a scripture, I forget exactly where...it spoke of such practices, eating flesh, blood and bone...It was dark magic, some said it made you immortal able to live forever...others said it drove the mind mad and the craving could overtake one’s own actions, feeding upon your own people, your wife, your child, even your very own flesh if desperate enough.” carefully fingers spun her staff in a slow, contemplative twisting “I wonder if these new urges aren’t also connected with the other strange events. If so...we might have other problems on our hands.”

“What do you mean?” Cyrus rose a brow, not entirely sure what his Captain, Lover and best friend was saying

“I mean...” she started “If we don’t replace this source soon and heal it as requested, Runewald will become over run by the native Durahburah clan. And if they become desperate enough....they know how to get past the giants...and the bridge...”

Both of Cyrus’s eyes widened in understanding “You don’t think they would start attacking Ra’vain do you?”

Tapping her staff against the floor Jae’lyn sighed “Lets not linger much longer to replace out. We need to prepare the team, we leave first thing on the morrow.” As an after thought she gave Cyrus a sideling “And get a shirt on before you catch your death, aye?” she grinned critically at her bare chested second in command, his skin marred with scared patterns and ink.

“Hey, I thought you liked me without my shirt?” he asked cheekily.

Jae’lyn laughed and took an apple off a nearby table to toss it at him “Go on you!” Catching the apple Cyrus took a large bite out of the crimson fruit, gave her a playful wink and sauntered off up the stairs to their chambers to get properly dressed for the day.

The rest of the day was spent preparing. Horses were groomed, fed and properly shoed for the cold winter weather. Fur blankets were created to keep the horses warm and packs were re organized with food and clothing better suited for the wintery environment. Jae’lyn, Bao’vein and Cyrus went to meet with their guides. Phe’drah and her Vixens. A small team of northern hunters all wearing fox skulls and white fox furred armor. They were also all female, According to Rikka the Vixens were a small team of the Durahburah tribe and were of little repute as far as the tribe went. It seemed it didn’t matter that she was the only child of the Chieftian and High Shamen...she had to earn her respect like anyone else and like anyone else she had to start from the ground up. Her team of vixens were good trackers, brave and tricky. They also apparently knew the way to Mount Moorah and were one of the few hunter teams that dared go there... The Mountain of Death. It certainly was a new way of looking at the Dragon Hessin, those of South Port and Ra’vain had learned of his ‘jolly’ side and never considered him to be linked to death itself...but then, those of the north saw most things as death and death wasn’t always such a dark and gloomy thing to them.

“I wish you could stay longer...” Rikka said to her cousin Kisa the next morning “There is so much I want to show you and its so cold and dangerous out there...Can’t you wait until spring?”

Kisa shook her head “We need to go cousin. I wish I could stay too, Id love to see Runwald when it’s not covered in snow.”

“Well...maybe you will when you return.” Rikka hugged her cousin tightly “Stay safe out there, I don’t want to have to tell your mother bad news.”

“I will.” Kisa smiled and hugged her cousin back “Promise.”

After more farewells, and a signal from the cities scouts that the way was clear of predators and most of all giants, the party grabbed reins and started their journey once again. This time, following the white furred, durahburah hunters that seemed effortlessly slink through the snow. Phe’dra casually walking ahead of them with her spear lazily propped on her shoulder. She wore a heavy backpack and on her back was an even heavier sword though...the weight of her supplies didn’t seem to bother her any.

With an annoyed snort, Jae’lyn dragged her horse up to join the tribal princess “How long will it take? To get to Mount Moorah?” She asked as feet crunched the pristine white blanket beneath them.

“Twelves moons...if you can keep up.” The girl answered, giving the Ruce Mystic a doubtful smirk before pressing forward without further word.

“Bit stuck up...isn’t she?” Cyrus hummed in observation as he joined Jae’lyns side.

“The Northern Wilds is known for its hardships.” Bao’veins voice joined them “Its reasonable that it’s people are just as...hard.”

Jae’lyn smirked “Either way. We will show them that Ra’vain champions can more then keep up.”

“A challenge then?” Cyrus grinned “I like the sounds of that. Whats my prize?”

“A facefull of snow!” Jae’lyn laughed. Her laughter was quickly cut off by a sudden series of shouts and calls from the Durahburah hunting tribe ahead of them. Spears were raised and battle formations were quickly formed around the group as the Vixens lowered themselves onto their bellies so that their white, fur armor would blend in with their surroundings. A howl split the air and eyes narrowed. A black smudge was leaping towards them, large, wide paws batting at snow as it barreled right towards Phe’drah, the tribe girls spear rose and ready to fly. A clack of wood hitting the end of the girls spear had her pause and glare at Jae’lyn. Jae’lyn however shook her head and smiled, stepping past her to meet the large cat leaping the last few feet of the distance between them “Jaer!” She grinned at the panther that tried to stop only to slip right past her before replaceing his paws and padding back to her side. “I wondered where you went!”

When the party had first docked the ship both Jaer and the three wolves had leaped out and ran ahead to hunt and survey the lands. When they didn’t show up in the village Jae’lyn had gotten a little worried but seeing the reaction of the Durahburah Vixens she was reminded of the guards and hunters that protected the village. Likely the animals did not feel it safe enough to approach and had waited for Jae’lyn to come to them. Raising her hand she smiled “Its ok. Lower your weapons. Jaer is my friend. The wolves too, they are here to help us. Don’t hurt them.”

A chattering started between the girls, all of them shifting back and forth with nervousness as they stared at the large cat. None of them had never seen a feline of black fur before and once again the word ‘death’ was tossed about as if it were some omen that caused a chill to run up Jae’lyns spine. She was more and more disliking the term, it was as if this tribe was obsessed with it. Phe’drah, however was the one to finely cause spears to lower, her hand signaling her Vixens into submission as she placed her spear back on her shoulder and draped her wrist over the shaft. Sniffing irritably she rose her chin at Jae’lyn and started towards the three Wolves that stood watching in the distance, her vixen following with nervous glances back at the panther and it’s handler. “Come on Jaer...” Jae’lyn chuckled when the panther placed his head under her hand for attention, purring and bumping up against her leg, she could smell the coppery scent of blood clinging to his fur “Just finished hunting eh? Well no resting until tonight, we got to make some headway if were to reach Mount Moorah.”

The cat purred in understanding and staying by her side the pair continued after the Duraburah vixen hunters. Both Bao’vein and Cyrus rose brows and looked at eachother in question. “I don’t think I will ever get used to seeing her talk to animals.” Bao’vein frowned, it was odd after all. It was as if she held complete conversations with them.

Cyrus shrugged “I’ve been with her for six years. Her talents are one of many things I admire about her.”

Bao’vein turned his raised brow onto the man “And what can you offer her?” he asked honestly. “I can give her wealth, a home, love, affection....what legacy do you have?”

Cyrus smirked and rose a hand to his chin, flashing a coy smile “My charms.” he answered with complete seriousness. “Wit too...but you let me know if that wealth and home works for you.” offering a wink he rose his hand and called out “Oy! Jade!” before quickening his feet to join the girl he loved since he looked into her eyes.

“Get up!” The Master hissed followed by the sharp kick of a boot to ribs. Jade gasped in pain as she scrambled onto her hands and knees in search of her weapon. Jade yelped out suddenly as a rod slammed against her back and she felt herself slip in the mud and catch her face in the sticky goo “You worthless, pathetic, worm!” The Master howled as he rose his rod to beat into the girl a second time. The rod never fell however as Jade rolled onto her back and pulling from the mud her own rod to block the offending strike. Roaring angrily she kicked her foot out at the Masters knee, causing the larger man to stumble forward and collapse into the mud as his knee temprorarily gave out.

It was enough. Jade rolled away and stood, now she was the one above him, she was the one with the rod and the upper hand. Her anger was strong and her purpose was stronger as she beat down on the masters, shoulder, back, neck.

She continued to beat on the master until she was tired. And even then she was merciless. It took two strong arms wrapping around her from behind and pulling her away from her victim “Jade! Jade Jade! Thats enough, yea!?” the boy Cyrus yelped with panic “Jade stop! Please! You know the rules! Don’t kill the Masters”

“I don’t bloody well care what the rules say!!” Jade howled and struggled “I wont be the victim anymore!! I wont!!”

“Jade! Please stop!! They will hurt you if you don’t stop!” Cyrus pleaded.

“Let them!! Hurt me, beat me! I will kill him!” Jade continued to rage. “I am Necto’thor’reander’s Mate! I do as I please! No one can stop me! No one!”

Cyrus however continued to hold her, his arms were strong and unrelenting as he held her tightly and whispered in her ear “Please Jade. Please stop...for me...Please... I can’t bare to see them hurt you again.”

Jade seethed and panted, but her emotions were dwindling and her body was aching more and more from the abuse. They had been sparring and fighting in this mud pit all day...she was tired, so exhausted and weary...Perhaps it was the failure of her own strength that had brought the fight out of her. Or perhaps it was the strong arms that held her, the soft voice in her ear and kiss against her neck...he continued to whisper sweetly, his voice quivering from the adrenaline of what had happened as he assured her “Its alright....Everything will be alright...You are better then them Jade. You are better then all of them...Shhhh....its ok...”