Private Tales The Legend's Heir

[Serafina]

It was like being in a dream. Sera would never be able to explain her first brush with the magic of her ancestor for years to come. There had been raw emotion first; she had wanted to hurt them, she had wanted to scream and rage against the situation, she had wanted an out. Then the unthinkable had happened and something answered her. The power shot through her like a turbulent storm and it had been all Sera could do just to hold on and not lose herself in it as it buffeted her.

Everything that had happened in the clearing she viewed from within the odd storm of her mind. She could dimly hear shouts and she thought she heard Violet saying her name. The colour had gone from the world and it seemed to move in slow motion apart from the magic she was dimly aware was coming from her. Then the boot came up to her chest. Colour, movement and sound sped up and rushed in to hit her as Sera went sprawling to the forest floor. She could feel the magic being pulled away from her even though it was her.

Sera retched as whatever had seized her suddenly vanished altogether. As she hadn't eaten for two days nothing came up but her body couldn't stop heaving over and over as the shock of energy drain wracked through her. Eventually Sera simply slumped in the dirt, shaking as though she were being ravaged by a fever, as she paid the price for her magic.

She didn't care about the rain, nor Sol, nor even Violet in that moment. Sera had never felt so weak in her life and all she could think as darkness tugged her under was how much she hoped she would never wake up as Sol's words rung in her ears.

 

[Solgrin]

Slowly the bandits around the camp began to collect themselves.

A few stumbled over towards the Wargs in order to quiet the beasts, some picked themselves up and simply stared at their leaders, others seemed to be cursing quietly about magic and muttering that it was all true. Everyone moved, save for Ari.

He was still on top of Violet, and as the rain began to tumble down he leaned down and whispers in her ear. His hand floated over her side and below the fur cloak that sat atop her body, fingers roaming for just a moment until the silence of the rain was once again broken by Solgrin.

"Build a small fire." The words echoed out loud enough that the scarred man seemed somewhat startled.

It was a contradiction, not something that happened often.

The Bandit Chief still loomed over Serafina. "Get them both something warm to eat, make sure they survive the night."

He looked over towards where Ari was.

"If not, you won't either." His fingers curled slightly, the hand with the gem embedded in the gauntlet moving slightly slower than it should have.

Ari grimaced, whispered in Violet's ears once more, his fingers curling over the curve of her chest before he pulled himself up and her along with him. One of the women bandits wandered over to Serafina, her grasp no less gentle as the girl was dragged up from the ground and carried over towards a large oak tree that provided some shield from the rain.

 

[Serafina]

Violet struggled beneath Ari, her breathing harsh as panic filled her. His intentions were more than clear and had been from the moment the two had interacted. She wasn't blind nor dumb and as the whole of him pressed into her form there was very little way to avoid what it was he wanted. She was almost thankful for Sol when he drew Ari's attention though his whispers made it clear this was not over. She put it from her mind though as she was dragged to her feet and she saw Sera.

She was as limp as a doll in the other Bandits arms as she was carried to the tree, her head lolling back and eyes closed. Vi wrenched herself from Ari's grip and quickly moved her way over to her friend just as she was placed down.

"Sera! Sera please," her bound hands cupped the other girls face. She was burning up something fierce. Violet ran her fingers through her hair and shifted herself to sit beneath her, Sera's limp head in her lap. She glanced up as she heard footsteps approach.

"She needs water."

 

[Solgrin]

"Then turn her head towards the sky."​

The female bandit said with a small bark of a laugh, shaking her head as she looked down towards Serafina and Violet as if it were all some great joke. Ari seemed to grin for a second, but glanced back towards Sol who was staring at them.

His gaze was a hard one, looking at the other man as though he was practically burning through him. After a few seconds Ari seemed to falter, and then grabbed the wineskin that sat on his hip. With a twirl he tossed it over to Violet. "Take care of her."

Ari hissed, then reached down and cut through Violet's bond.

"If you run, I'll make you beg for death." The man said as he abdicated his responsibility for care onto the other girl.

He turned and walked off, Solgrin still looking at him for a moment before switching his gaze towards the female bandit. She seemed to shirk away under his eyes almost immediately, setting to work in building a small fire in front of the two girls.

 

[Serafina]

Violet watched Ari leave for a few seconds and then ignored everything and everyone else, her whole attention on her friend who lay shivering in her lap muttering in a fever state.

It took a few good hours for Sera to stop shaking and in between her unconscious state Violet managed to keep coaxing the sweet wine into her mouth and once it was cooked some stew too. Every now and then the girl would whimper and protest, speaking in a language that had been dead for an Age, before falling back into a deep sleep. It was only when Seras breathing was deep and peaceful that Violet breathed out a sigh of relief and settled down to sleep herself.

Sera woke up in the early dawn when most of the camp was still asleep. She sat up slowly and ran a hand through her hair shakily before looking down at Violet fast asleep. She smiled and then shuffled closer to the dying flames and added a few sticks to build it back up for warmth.

 

[Solgrin]

Most of the bandits, it seemed, were asleep. Three of the dozen that were within this smaller band were positioned all around the trees to watch the wood. There was a tension in them, though whether that was due to the night before or another reason was hard to tell.

As Sera shuffled closer to the fire and added more sticks to the dying flame she would suddenly feel a presence behind her.

It loomed over her, like a monster standing above it's prey. Fingers gently stroked through her hair, softly caressing as one might do with a precious piece of porcelain. Solgrin squatted down behind Serafina, seeming to have come from nowhere.

His breath seemed cold somehow, cascading over her neck with how close he was to her. "We need to talk about those lessons."

This time he did not allow the gem to come near her, instead his hand came down through her hair and firmly grasped the nape of her neck.

 

[Serafina]

The hairs on the nape of her neck stood up and she was about to turn to scan the forest behind her when she suddenly felt fingers through her hair. Sera froze with a scream trapped in her throat that she couldn't release. All that came from her lips was a tiny squeak followed by a whimper as she felt his hand grasp the nape of her neck. Her whole body went rigid beneath his grip, her back straight like an iron rod.

Her mind raced like a panicked mouse caught in the talons of a bird of prey. She ran through the different ideas of how she could escape, who she could call on for help. Violets hands had been unbound but she had put her friend in enough danger she didn't want to cause her more.

"Is it about magic...?" An involuntary shudder ran through her. That power had felt awesome as it had filled her but now she was empty she felt hollow and weak. It was not something she wanted to experience again.

 

[Solgrin]

Solgrin let out a chuckle, but there was no mirth in it. No joy.

Nothing.

The sound was monstrous, a bare rasp that echoed out and seemed to grate the ears. It was almost as though he were forcing the sound, not truly expressing it. Something inhuman trying it's best to blend in with those creatures around it.

"No." The word was bitten off as the fingers on the nape of her neck slipped around and grasped her throat like a viper.

His thumb squeezed and fingers squeezed against her skin as he suddenly and violently dragged her back in place and held her against his chest. The Gem was still kept to the side of him, never moving towards her, never touching. "It's about obedience."

Sol whispered in her ear.

 

[Serafina]

Sera squirmed in his tight grip as he crushed her windpipe. Panic seized her and she tried to drag in great big gulps of air to her slowly starving lungs. Unlike Violet her hands were still bound and all she could do was desperately paw at the mans strong atm. Tears pricked the back of her eyes as her head tilted back to rest against his shoulder.

"I d-didn't mean to... I c-can't control... it..." she croaked. Sera had been no match for him before in terms of strength but still drained of energy she was no better than a mewling kitten. "P-please I'm sorry..."

 

[Solgrin]

"No no no." Solgrin said with a shake of his head, fingers still tight at her throat.

This close, Serafina would almost be able to sense the violence which seemed to hang around the man. It wasn't like with Ari, where there was a constant feeling of danger. Solgrin was something all together different. He was calm, collected.

Yet at it felt as though any moment he could snap and kill a dozen men.

It was even worse as he held her. Beneath his fingers she was more than fragile, she was eminently breakable. As if one squeeze would shatter her into a thousand pieces. "I said, obedience."

The magic was what he wanted.

"Or do I need to spell it out for you?" He whispered in her ear.

 

[Serafina]

Sera had never felt so afraid in her entire life. He wanted her alive but the thoughts of what that meant he would do to her were so much worse. She could channel the magic with the skin peeled from her flesh, with broken bones and a broken spirit. He just needed her conscious enough to be his energy source. As his grip tightened more and more her eyes squeezed shut and her breathing turned to a strangled rasp.

"I w-won't do it again until you ask," she promised, pressing herself even closer into him in order to try and ease the pressure on her windpipe, yet by doing so edging herself further into the trap. She was a cornered animal.

 

[Solgrin]

Solgrin shook his head. "You won't do anything until I ask."

There were few things in this world that he cared about. In fact he could have counted them on less than one hand. Fingers tightened around her throat again, dragging the last of the air from her as he tried not to let the anger overwhelm him.

He had worked too long. Too hard to have things slip away.

"Understood?"The Bandit Chief knew that even if she agreed it would guarantee nothing. She would flip on a dime and resist when she saw the first opportunity to do so. Yet that didn't matter.

It was all building.

All a part of the plan.

His fingers squeezed tighter and tighter until he felt a nod of her head.

 

[Serafina]

The lack of oxygen was making the edges of her vision go dark. Her back arched against him as she tried desperately to escape his grip even though in her mind she knew it was pointless. He could break her neck in this grip if he really wanted to. She nodded vigorously, tears streaming down her cheeks and dripping onto his hand. Yes, she would obey. Yes, she would not do anything unless he said so. Yes. Yes. Yes. She couldn't speak the words out loud but it was obvious from her desperate actions it was what she was trying to communicate.

When he loosened his hold enough for her to breathe again she gasped like a dying fish and fell back against his chest. He would be able to feel the fluttering pulse of her heart through the pulse in her neck, feel every little tremble of her body against his as she sucked in airful after greedy airful.

"Why are you doing this?" Sera whispered to the darkness. She wasn't expecting an answer from him but the words came nevertheless. He clearly knew enough about the amulet to have found her and the first shard - neither were easy things, her family had made sure of it over the Ages. He must therefore know the terrible risks such power brought. Perhaps if she could only understand she would be a little less afraid.

 

[Solgrin]

"Because I can." The answer came with such steady assurance that it might have been a preacher at his podium, a King on his throne. The words rang within the air, resounding through the fog and calling out to the skies, begging the gods to defy him.

His hand slowly dragged away from her throat.

Bruises showed on pale skin where he had touched her, his fingers slowly drawing down her clavicle and lower. They slipped over the curve of her chest in a slow trail, dragging down across her ribs and over her abdomen before slowly falling to her hips. "Because I am owed."

The words continued as his hand squeezed one last time.

"Because a man must take what is rightfully his." Fingers slipped from her body, and then Solgrin walked away.

 

[Serafina]

Goosebumps broke out over her skin as his fingers ran down her body tracing every little curve through her thin nightdress. Her breathing hitched in fear and her body tensed in that flight or fight mode that every creature in the animal kingdom possessed. His words spoken so close to her ear resonated loud and clear with her. It sounded like a threaten and a promise all in one, though for what she wasn't sure. That he would let nothing stand in the way of what he wanted? Most likely.

Sera shuddered when he walked away and grabbed at her cloak to pull it tight around herself again. Her throat was a symphony of pain that made it hurt to swallow and only added to the tired feeling her body ached with. She crawled away from the uncomforting fire back to Violet and pulled her legs up tight against her chest.

She didn't think she would be able to sleep given the conversation she had just had and the very real danger she felt she was in but her body must have needed it desperately for the next thing she knew she was being shaken awake.

 

[Solgrin]

"Get up!"​

There was a quiet hiss as both of the girls were dragged to the side and away from the tree that they had been sleeping under. This time it was not Ari who spoke, but one of the other men who had usually stayed away from the pair.

"Stay quiet."​

The words were a whisper, though the man did not move to gag either of them. Perhaps because there was simply no time.

When Serafina and Violet shook off the daze of sleep they would see that the bandit camp had been all but deserted, none of the men or women being about anywhere. The only thing that was left were the Wargs, still clustered in the middle of the clearing.

Yet it was not that which would draw their attention. Instead it was the sound of galloping horses nearby, the torch-light that could just barely be seen through the dark of the forest.

 

[Serafina]

Violet rubbed sleep from her eyes wearily and blinked twice before she managed to focus on the flames. For a moment she wasn't sure what it meant and then dawning realisation. Seizing her opportunity she bolted to her feet and towards the torches before the man could grab her back.

"WE'RE OVER HERE!" she screamed, arms frantically waving over the top of her head, heedless of what consequences her actions might have.

"Violet-" Sera's eyes widened in shock and then she too realised what the lights and sounds of horses meant.

"OVER HE-!"

 

[Solgrin]

A hand suddenly seized over Violet's mouth, clamping down hard and instantly dragging her off of her feet. Fingers scrunched into her skin, and she would feel a knife suddenly flick against her throat hard enough to draw blood.

"I'm going to make you pay for that you little Bitch." It was Ari that had torn her away and now gripped her so tight, the man holding her firmly as he yanked her back towards the tree and into the darkness.

Yet by the time he pulled himself free of the small clearing the horses were already stampeding in.

Torchlight illuminated everything, casting pale shadows of the militia men as an arrow flew out and struck the bark of the wood right besides Ari's head. The knife pressed against Violet's throat, but a call went out.

"WATCH YOUR AIM SHE RI-"​

The words were suddenly cut off as Bandits fell into the trees and onto the Riders, chaos breaking loose within the clearing.

 

[Serafina]

Flames distorted the shadows of riders and bandits into twisted beings with four and six arms, tall enough to reach the stars above the treetops. Torches fell as the Bandits dropped down and Riders yelled out in surprise, rushing to defend themselves. The rain at least meant the forest floor wasn't bone dry but it still wasn't long before small fires had started all over what had been a camp a few moments before. Violet was suddenly filled with courage with the arrival of her men and despite the bite of the knife she fought against Ari with every bit of strength she had. Unlike Sera her hands were free and she rammed her elbow hard into his groin.

The bandit who had a hold of Sera was dragging her deeper into the shadows. In her weakened state she didn't have the same amount of energy as Violet did to stage her own attack though she did pull against him with everything she had so it didn't make things easy.

Two arrows zipped past her cheek as archers fired blindly into the night.

 

[Solgrin]

Ari let out an oof doubling over in pain and half recoiling as he let go of Violet.

Rage covered the man's face as he pulled himself up, fingers tightening around the hilt of his knife for a brief second before he suddenly threw the blade up into the air. Dextrous hands caught the blade in and instant, and then he quickly flicked it forward.

The knife spun through the dark head over tail, and then it buried itself in the back of Violet's thigh just as she took her fifth step away from him.

Meanwhile the Chaos within the clearly only seemed to be growing, and in the middle of it all was Solgrin. He fought like a man consumed by nothing less than the fury of the gods. His sword flickered one place and caught the leg of a fallen men. Then it shifted and pierced through the throat of another.

He moved fast, quick, and as the chaos continued a whistle suddenly echoed from the Bandit Chief.

It resounded loudly, and echoed out, each of the Warg's raising their heads and suddenly snapping forward. They rushed at the Militiamen, pouncing on man and horse alike.

The bandit clutching Serafina grasped her hair and bashed her head against a tree.

 

[Serafina]

Violet dropped with a scream as the knife sliced through the back of her thigh. Blood began to gush down her leg and desperately she tried to clamp her hand over the wound to stem the flow whilst still trying to drag herself forward. If she could just get to her men... though from what she could make out they were not faring much better.

Sera was not faring much better. With the way the Bandit was holding her with one arm looped about her waist it was hard to get her feet properly under her and she ended up half carried half dragged. When she saw Violet go down with a knife through her thigh she became incensed and began screaming, kicking and fighting with renewed strength. She could hear the Bandits cursing and then suddenly there was a hand in her hair and then darkness. The girl crumpled like a paper doll in his arms, the screaming and fight gone in a split second. Roughly the bandit threw her over his shoulder as blood gushed from the open wound on her head.

 

[Solgrin]

Ari grabbed the back of Violet's ankle, his grip so tight it that it felt as though he would snap her bones if he twisted even a little bit.

Her hand dug into the ground, fingers scraping the earth, but it did not matter much. Ari dragged her backwards, his full strength grappling her back and pulling her into the darkness of the trees and away from the combat. "No you don't, you little bitch."

The Scarred man swore as he yanked her backwards into the trees once more.

Serafina meanwhile was hoisted and quickly taken completely away from the fighting. The Bandit carrying her all but running away just as he had been commanded to do by Solgrin.

In the end though, it did not matter much.

Theough the Militia put up a brave fight, it was clear that in their rush they had not taken their full number. The bandits falling upon them and the Warg's tearing them down was too much for them to handle, and before long some of the militia began to turn back, shouts of retreat calling out.

 

[Serafina]

Violet sobbed and screamed, kicking desperately out at his hand as she was yanked backward into the shadow by her ankle. It was like something out of a nightmare. Dirt gathered under her nails from how hard she sunk her nails into the wet mud but it did her little good. By the time Ari had her away from the clearing and the fight had gone out of her the white nightgown she had worn was ripped and stained with mud and blood as was her face and hair. The knife still protruded from her thigh and the blood still ran hot and wet down her leg.

"No, no, no," was all she could sob as the man was finally able to lay his hands on her.

Sera groaned softly when she finally came around. It was quiet and she lay discarded on her side in the dirt. Someone had regagged her but they had also thought to put a bandage about her head to stop the furious flow of blood. Some of it had dried on top of her bruise and her vision swam even as she lay there listening to the quiet murmur of conversation. She could barely remember anything the force of the blow had been so strong. She tried to test out the rest of her limbs but everything protested and a quiet whimper passed through the gag.

 

[Solgrin]

Solgrin tore one of the last militamen down from his horse, dragging him to the ground and driving the edge of his blade through the mans throat.

Another was shot down off his horse with an arrow, though more than half a dozen rode quickly and swiftly back through the wood. Cries of retreat echoed, and as Solgrin drew his blade free he knew that eventually more would come.

Though that hardly mattered.

Slowly the Bandit Chief pulled himself up from the ground, fingers tightening around his weapon for a brief moment as he looked around. The battle had been bloody, and the twelve men he had with him were now only seven. "Is the girl alive?"

"Aye, she tried to flee, as did the other one. Ari has her."​

Solgrin stood for a moment, and then he slowly wandered over to where Sera had been tossed.

 

[Serafina]

Sera looked a mess. Her hair was in disarray, her nightdress town and bloodied, but it was her skin that would make most people flinch. Her face was a patchwork of mottled bruises. Blacks and blues dominated but the prominent one on her cheek was also beginning to turning a dark green. There were marks about her throat the perfect imprint of a mans hands and her arms were bruised from rough fingers. The nasty gash along the side of her temple only finished off the look.

As two boots filled her vision she looked up then groaned and closed her eyes. The darkness would be better than whatever it was he was about to say or do to her. She willed herself back into that unconscious state but her mind was a whirl with other questions like where was Violet, how many of her people - her friends - had survived the assault? Would they come back and try again?