Chapter 87
Heidi
“He only told you very little for you to sit in the same car as him.” Said Ron.
“You don’t have to talk about it.” I said, seeing him look at the fire.
“I do. I don’t Want to, but it would be a disservice Not to. Boiling people alive, flaying them, using the young, sick and old as conduits for demon summoning, leaving them covered in blight and boils…. And unable to move. It was more a mercy to kill the ones we found than to watch them suffer, since those wounds don’t heal.” He said hesitating.
“… I assume it gets worse.” Said john.
“Much more so. HE is why I am likely the only Earthen One form my original pack. He is why Wisp is the only Breathless One from his. Our peoples were unshifted, and I believe it is because of him that we of ancient blood were made as we are.”
“If he was so destructive, why didn’t you all imprison him?” I asked, and he sighed.
“We had bigger fish to fry once we all met up, and started pursuing the Horned Lion.” He said honestly. “But stalling will get me nowhere… and what’s worse is that we took him in while he was injured, but that was my fault.” He grumbled.
We allowed him to talk by staying silent. The War did more to these ancient wolves mentally than any blade, but only the closest of family knew that. They fought for centuries, lived in fear for centuries more, because once they did trick the Tyrant King, they still had to fight the church, hunters, and lived in isolated packs at the edge of the world.
“Years ago, back when I was only about 20 or so… before I knew I was Earthen. I was unshifted, and I don’t remember much of that time… but I was basically a teenager. At least I think I was in my 20’s? Time then moved… differently. I was the one who found him flayed of his flesh, bleeding black blood but somehow alive… even though all the land and small animals around him where his blood touched had become dry husks…still breathing.” He was quiet a while.
Ron set his food on the ground without touching it and took a deep breath. “My family had no human form, but they were sort of the area’s protectors. We lived in peace with the local tribes, though we couldn’t speak their languages. We even had our own cave, so we thought nothing of it to Help such a decrepit man. He was also badly burned, held gashes that no mortal could sustain and live, but he held an aura you could feel…. I didn’t trust him. Though all I say next is My fault because maybe if I left him out there… it wouldn’t have happened.”
Rahrraam got up, and left us for a moment, but Ron continued.
“My father didn’t trust something so unnatural when I brought that Creature to his attention, but he told us it was wrong not to help a stranger. We thought he was unarmed… We gave him precious desert water, food, and he rested during the day… Again, we thought nothing of it since he was so terribly injured…. But we should have seen those signs and burned his body, burning him far away in the dunes. He woke while we were sleeping. He drew that very staff he struck to the ground and sucked the life out of my father in front of me in our little cave as soon as he awoke. My father became a husk of skin and bone, while Gulteer turned into my father’s visage, and destroyed everyone, even the local tribes.
“I tried stopping him, but I was only a boy. He knocked me out by smacking me with that staff before he shifted into my father’s form…. It was the most painful thing I’d ever experienced. To lose your vitality, strength, and meat for it to reform on your bones 3 days in the hot sun…. To See your pack turn to dust or burned to ash from the fires he purposefully started … To watch what’s left of your family gorged on by scavengers to the point to where they laid there, too lazy to kill me…. To hear his cackling as he did it. To be the last of your people… If there are any left, they are long scattered and would not welcome me.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.” I said quietly, and Rahrraam spoke up, appearing with a rabbit. He quietly placed it in Ron’s hands, and sat down to speak his peace. I was actually surprised he would share a fresh kill with him….
“The master of my father feeds off pain and fear as much as he did the vitality of your people…. He probably does not even remember what he has done to you, and if he does, he will not Care. He is an agent of the Lord of Night. At this very moment if I were commanded such a thing, I would not hesitate, not that I am capable…. But I too have seen what he does to my siblings born unwilling to obey…. Or those who defy the Master.” He said silently.
“Why didn’t you say anything?” I asked and he looked me in the eyes.
“Because you carry the Master’s mark. He would not do this to his own unless you did something to deserve it.” He said taking the plate that Ron couldn’t eat and he did with his hands. I understood now that he probably wanted to trade meals.
“You were commanded not to.” Said Ron, and Rahrraam said nothing. The runes that made his collar around his neck glowed red twice when he opened his mouth, meaning that he was right. He was commanded not to respond to that by the Horned One himself… as he was my demon.
“I …. didn’t know that you experienced something so terrible.” Said the Warrior who sat with us.
“It is something I will readily Change the subject about. Even now the urge to shift and engage that Thing is strong, but it will make it worse on our people. It would also leave you all ignorant of his charm…. He will smile in your face as he places a dagger in your heart if it moves his plans forward…. I’ve defeated him before…even beheaded him with a sword forged by the Church, but he comes back, and those around him suffer, as he regains his energy by sucking the life out of those around him if he’s injured...” he said angrily.
We were all silent then. If beheading didn’t kill him, if he did try something … I doubted we could do anything other than fight and fail.
“If you’ll excuse me Alpha.” Said the Warrior standing. Ron waved his hand, and he left. He was on duty it seemed.
“I’m going to bed.” Said Ron.
“You just don’t want to talk anymore.” Said John. “I understand that.”
“You don’t. I hope you never do… but If you do, it will be when you live as long as I have… when you live the Great Horrors known only to you as a story. I hope it stays that way, because if he enters the war should it restart, I will have no choice but to give what I know to the Church…. That we allowed them to breed was a mistake. That we did not imprison him too was a folly…That you are Mated to His line pains me, because I know Heidi as sweet a girl as she is will have no choice but to choose her master… and a wolf follows his mate….” He said leaving into his tent.
There was another explosion in the distance and more laughing, though now I could hear a scream. It sounded human. Some poor people had been found by Gulteer and his death squad. There was also a single gunshot that rang in the air, then it was silent.
“Warrior Humboldt linked. He said that they found two poachers out there, but the witches dealt with it.” Said John.
“Witches? Doesn’t he mean Witch?” I asked. John linked the warrior back.
“Apparently there’s a female with him; his wife. He said they didn’t even eat the meat, they forced them to stay alive while they drank them like vampires, then they caught the men on fire while they still screamed. That’s just ….” Ron said, trailing off.
“Exactly what Ron was talking about.” I said finishing what he started.
“Pain and fear are as much of meat to them as any flesh….” Said Rahrraam. “Order your people to leave them to whatever they will do to the mortals.”
“I already linked that. They won’t be able to stop two. If I had even two other council seats with me, I might try, but they cannot be engaged alone, and you’re too young to be magic resistant enough to help.” Said Ron. “I’ll go to keep the peace; you three stay here. So much for going in my tent and being on my phone…” He said pulling a sun rosery out his pocket, and put it on the point of our tent door.
“I assume the beads are for protection?” Asked John.
“They shouldn’t be able to place magic on you.” He said walking off.
“I will stay outside.” Said Rahrraam, still sitting at the fire, but John got up, taking my hand.
“Will the charm hurt you?” Asked Garnet, and I gingerly held my hand near it.
“It doesn’t hurt or anything. Just a small tingle.” I said going inside.
“It’s because you’re a good person.” Said Rahrraam. “Many people think that religious artifacts repel us because we are from the Dark, and to an extent that is true, but the Majority of it is that the better a person you are, the less it impacts your body. You also have no ill intentions.”
“Alright then. You can do first watch, and I’ll do second.” Said John, coming in with me.
“I got second, you do third Alpha.” Said Garnet. He still seemed pretty upset that he couldn’t be with his mate tonight, but we would respect Ron’s wishes.
“Alright.” He said holding me close, breathing in my scent. It was just us, and it’d been a while since we had a chance to honestly relax. Before I could ponder anything, gentle lips caressed me.
“My lovely mate.” He said trailing a hand down my back. He was gentle, smelling of arousal. It excited my wolf, who hadn’t said anything in a while. Up until this point, she only listened, but it was all he would do. “Get some rest. You’re so tense.” He mumbled.
“I’ll try… but so much has been going on.” I said hugging him.
“Don’t try, Do.” He chuckled, running his fingers through my curls. “My father’s words hold true weight… but I will not become a slave to fear. You shouldn’t either. Sleep. If there was danger, honestly in this case there would be nothing we could do anyway.” He said as encouragement, but I knew through my bond if he really felt like he had to protect me, he would be out there with his father.
We cuddled together, and it was all we would do tonight. I understood where my wolf didn’t. She wanted to continue, but it just wasn’t the right place or time. I got little sleep, but in my dreams I saw what he’d done. They tortured the humans before taking the life and health out of them. They then boiled the living husks alive, making themselves a large stew. Ron commanded them off his land, but they said they were not done.
I awoke to the smell of pancakes and the sizzle of bacon.
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