The Path of Good Intentions
Copyright © 2011 by Gleyn Shields
All Rights Reserved
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Gleyn Shields
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917 569-4681
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During the first Age of Man, when the World was new and filled with power, magic, and wealth, a dark prophecy was foretold:
A bastard king would be born to an unfair destiny, once blessed and twice damned.
Chapter 1: The Raid
The rays of the sun beat down on the shackled girl like a master’s whip. Her ankles were sore from her chains, Their rattle mocked her with every step she took, she was tired and her throat was parched from the oppressive noon sun`s heat. Princess Yodi could barely remember how far she has traveled since she was taken from the kingdom of Gimirra a beautiful land, now burned to ashes, its people and culture decimated by the Great army of the Emperor of Koolon. She could still hear the battle cries and the clashing weapons of the Gimirran solders as Emperor Tamret`s army of countless warriors laid siege to the royal palace. First came the flaming arrow storm that turned dawn into day, raining death down upon any too foolish not to run for shelter. The Kingdom of Gimirra had depended on its fortifications for far too long. Since the days of old, the massive walls of Gimirra protected its people and its lands. But its army had become far too comfortable in the shadow of those mighty walls.
The armies of Gimirra were more prepared for a parade than a battle, It had been far too long since any conflict had come to Yodi`s peaceful kingdom. While the solders of Koolon had been battle hardened by the recent wars to unify all the kingdoms under tamret`s rule. But the men of Gimirra were brave nonetheless. They just lacked the advanced tactics and aggressive fighting style of Tamret`s solders. Yodi was well aware that the armies of Koolon could not have breached the walls of Gimirra without help from inside the city. The invading army swarmed through the city gates like a marauding column of Jaglovy ants, cutting down any one brave enough to stand their ground. The narrow streets of Gimirra had become a battlefield. The roads flowed red with the blood of the brave fighters that battled to protect their kingdom. But the battle was hopeless. The armies of Gimirra were defeated even before the siege had begun. Hubris had caused the downfall of Gimirra.
Never in all the histories of the five kingdoms had a battle plan been executed with such speed and precision. The entire decimation of Gimirra took no more than eight hours, a stunning tribute to the tactical and leadership skills of Koolon`s Ashenifi.
Before the sun had even begun to set Gimirra had been turned into a smoldering graveyard occupied by the armies of koolon. Its people now forced to capitulate to their new king.
Princess Yodi had lived a sheltered life inside the palace walls as daughter to the Sultan; she was afforded anything her heart desired, but she was not oblivious to the discontent of many of her own people. Princess Yodi had heard much of the rebel King Tamret. Although not of royal Birth, he was able to lead a rebel army against the previous King of Koolon, Demissie the mad monarch. So foul was his reign that he almost plunged all of the kingdoms into darkness. Many had hoped the death of Demissie would bring an end to the war of the crowns and would finally bring peace to all the lands.
But Tamret would not stop until all the thrones that followed the old ways of casts were broken like rubble at his feet. It was not a secret that many in the kingdom of Gimirra respected Tamret’s new style of leadership. A rift had begun to grow within the different social classes of Gimirra. The peasant and the worker classes began to speak out against the rule of the nobles.
Tamret`s rise to power threatened the divine right of all the current rulers. Corruption, greed and apathy had blinded the current kings to the unhappiness of their populous. The Sultan of Gimirra had begun to close ranks as he became more paranoid of his own peoples dissention. The measure he instituted to secure the borders of his kingdom seemed more and more draconian to his subjects and only exacerbated the unhappiness of his people. The age of nobles had past and Tamret would be the architect of a new royal landscape. There would be only one king now and Tamret was determined to see his plan for unity of all the kingdoms come to fruition.
Princess Yodi`s heart was heavy at the destruction of her kingdom. But Yodi had seen the end coming. Many times she would hear the end of a conversation being held by her servants and personal guards. In hushed whispers they spoke. The people had lost their faith in the leadership of Gimirra. The infighting and the bickering of the nobles had kept them too busy to see the real threat. The golden age of divine birthrights has come to an end.
Yodi had always felt a sense of shame about her pampered life while so many of her people lived in squalor. Never again would she look outside the windows of her bed chamber and marvel at the spires of Erowqui as they shined in the morning sunlight. Never would she stroll through the palace gardens as the sun set in the west. Her soul sang a song of sadness that reverberated deep within her chest.
The invading solders of Koolon rounded up the surviving nobles, binding their hands in chains, and then taken to Koolan to face enslavement. Their fates sealed by their high status in life.
Chapter 2: Conspiracy
Prince Sobek descended down a flight of stairs in the castle of Koolon, his white cloak billowed behind him like a cloud. Following closely behind him was his sycophantic attendant Nerew. Prince Sobek was a tall man, his finally tailored clothing fit perfect on his toned frame. Sobek questioned Nerew about the slaves in the mining camps. My Lord, your father has ordered that the slaves be allowed two days rest said Nerew.
My father grows soft in his old age, replied Sobek. I tire of living in his shadow. ‘Even you would not defy your father’s orders, my prince, said Nerew in a cunning voice, His eyes darted back and forth shiftily trying to gage the future kings mood.
My father will not always be king, said Sobek with a venomous tone. Do as my father ordered, said Sobek, his time as king is almost past.’’
The discussion continued as Prince Sobek and Nerew approached a balcony in the west wing of the castle. Sobek scanned the beautiful view of the kingdom from this vantage point, the whole of Koolon spread out before him. Nerew did everything he could to please the prince, while his lord planned the assassination of his own father, King Tamret. Have you acquired the item from the witches birthed by hyenas I asked for Nerew?’’
Yes my lord, it is a special item that will affect only the life force of its victim. Those foul witches have outdone themselves. No one will suspect that you had a hand in your father`s death, it will look as though he passed away in his sleep said Nerew cunningly.
‘‘Good said Sobek, with a wide grin on his face, I have provided those hags with more female slaves than they deserves for that item. It better work as promised or none of their dark magic will be able to protect them. Meanwhile, at the front gates of the kingdom, the slaves that had been captured in Gimirra were being brought into the lower bowels of the castle.
Ah, Once again master Seyhon has achieved another victory from the looks of it said Narew, He`s truly a mighty warrior.
Prince Sobek turned his glance to stair daggers at Narew. A mighty fool you mean said Sobek. He wastes his life fighting for my father`s cause only to see his authority parceled out before his death. Sobek looked down at his thumb less right hand with envy. A trophy from his childhood that forever kept him from learning how to use a kotabi staff.
Let Seyhon brawl amongst the peasants. He will serve me as he served my father.
The prince turned his gaze once again outside and noticed a beautiful girl in the caravan of slaves, and found himself instantly captivated by her beauty. Sobek smiled a wicked grin Eager to possess her, he ordered a nearby palace guard to bring her to his chambers. Nerew jokingly reminded the prince of the prophecy that the Yee hang witches foretold a millennia ago. That a child would be born from the union of a king and a slave, and that child would be the ruin of all mankind.
The prince reassured Nerew that the prophecy would never come to pass, because he would kill the slave girl before she has the chance to conceive a bastard.
“And what of you, Nerew? The prince asked with a sly smile. What of those who grace your sheets?”
“Worry not, my liege. I’ve never heard of a pregnant man before said Nerew. They laughed wildly, drunk on their own egos as they walked away.
Chapter 3: Regrets of a King
Eleni entered the throne room through the main entrance. Her footsteps were light and made no sound on the polished throne room floors. Although she was not as graceful as she had been in her younger days as a fighter in Tamret’s rebel army, she still had a magical air that seemed to radiate from her. And as time had passed her gift of foresight had become even sharper with age. Indeed, without her special gift, Tamret would not have been able to wrest control of the fractured kingdoms from the warlords who had brought so much misery to the people.
Eleni stood before the man she had helped to make king. He was not the same man he used to be, the burden of kingship had weighed heavily on his brow.
“My lord, you have achieved another victory over those who would stand in the way of progress.”
King Tamret looked up with eyes as cold as ice and hard as stone. His brow wrinkled with age and worry.
“Yes, but at what price was that victory? How many must die so that I may bring about a better life for all people? The lines of cast and royalty must be erased if we are ever to be free of all the poxes on our lands. How much different am I now than those bickering warlords who tore the kingdoms apart so many years ago? How much different am I then Demissie?” who would have set the world aflame to achieve his goal of eternal demonic life asked Tamret.
Eleni stood silent for a moment to ponder the question asked of her by her king and closest friend. The winds of fate are strong, but they blow slowly against the stone of time. My king, have you ever lost faith in me? Have you ever doubted my gift of sight?”
“Never, my old friend. Not for even a moment. Even in our darkest hour, I knew that you would always be there for me. Replied Tamret.
“Then, why do you lie to me this day asked Eleni? The unification of the kingdoms is not what troubles you.”
The king did not look directly at Eleni, but he addressed her with all the respect he would give a male warrior.
“Your gift of sight, Eleni, has not dulled with age, I see.”
They both smiled, for this was a private joke that they had shared since they had first met as children.
“You are correct about my worries, Tamret continued. It is my son who troubles me. I worry that Sobek is not ready for the responsibilities of being a king. Even with all the changes I have for the future of all the kingdoms. I fear that the burden will drive him mad with power.”
“Your majesty, worry not about Sobek. He will not destroy what you have built here. Although the remnants of the old traditions are being swept away, know that the world can only be left better for what you do here now. And although my gift of sight is not all-knowing, your kingdom will grow far and wide, and the evils that have plagued our lands for so long will be held at bay long after you are gone.”
Tamret laughed loudly.
“My kingdom, this kingdom is as much yours as it is mine, dear Eleni.”
Her face went blank, and Eleni`s eye`s glazed over as though she were seeing thing far beyond normal human sight.
“My king, the leader of your army is waiting to speak with you. Announced Elani. And is this your gift speaking, or is it just a mother’s intuition? A little of both, my king. Smiled Eleni.
Seyhon entered though the main doors of the throne room with his Kotabi staff in hand. A worrier more than six and a half feet tall, muscles broad from years of practice with a Kotabi staff. His hair dreaded down past his shoulders. His eyes were strong but caring like his mother Eleni`s, but he did not possess her gift of foresight.
He stood before the king, and bowed his head in respect. He then acknowledged his mother, who was still standing next to King Tamret.
“Tell me, my Tawagi, said the king, how are things proceeding with the campaign to unify the people.”
“This day your armies are victorious, my king. The lands of Gimirra have been pacified.” said Seyhon.
You are as great a warrior as your father when he stood by my side in our rebel days. My king, you do me an honor that I don`t deserve.”
I see by the look of your weapon that many men have perished by your hands.”
Seyhon`s staff was an elegant weapon, It had a gold metal core between two pieces of polished wood from the Kotabi tree, topped with a golden eagles head at the tip of the staff that pointed up to the sky.
“Yes, my king, it was unavoidable. The warriors of Gimirra fought bravely. I will go to temple to give offerings for their souls.”
King Tamret`s eyes sparkle, as he looked upon Seyhon with admiration and respect.
“To honor your fallen opponent is the sign of a great warrior. Your father would be proud of you, said Tamret.
“My king, it is you that I wish to make proud, so that I may be worthy of the responsibilities you have rested upon my shoulders.”
As he said this, Seyhon tapped the enchanted medallion around his neck.
Ah yes, the ootat, said King Tamret. It grants you the strength of all who follow you. Without your mother`s help, I could not have won that prize. I could not have used it to usurp the warlords who soiled our lands.”
“It is a gift that I will always protect and cherish until I am no longer worthy to own it, my king. Said Seyhon.
It is a gift that was rightfully yours the day you won it in fair combat, Replied Tamret.
Thank you, my king. Too this day I strive to remain worthy of its care. Go, my Tawagi, and know that your king is proud of you.”
Thank you, my lord. Seyhon again bowed to his king and to his mother, and then left the throne room to attend to his business.
I envy you, my old friend, Tamret said to Eleni. Your son has grown to be quite a man and an excellent warrior. I would have been proud to have him fight by my side in the days of our rebellion.”
Eleni gazed into the eyes of the man she held in such high respect. You still know how to make a woman smile, my king.”
Chapter 4: Tea Party with the Devils
It was not unusual to see such things in such a place. Here in the Ariba Kuntoo, humanity had learned long ago to fear the things in this dark forest. It was here one thousand years ago that the first kings of man battled against a great force of evil, and it was here that thousands of warriors lost their lives. It was said that the souls of those dead warriors still roamed these woods in misery, thus making this a perfect place for such a meeting. The sight of such a gathering of evil would have damned human eyes.
The six demons were motionless at first, positioned in a circle around a fire that glowed with an unnatural light, as if the fire were burning in reverse, spitting out embers of gold and purple and black. The flames seemed to mock the very laws of reality itself.
Sutok-jo was the first to stir, stomping his hoofed feet and swinging his massive bear like head with horns to rival even those of Lucifer. His glowing red eyes pierced the night. Looking to his left, he locked his gaze on the exquisite form of a woman. But she was no mere human female. She was Naamah-sessi, one time concubine of Lucifer himself, and everyone present was aware of the power she wielded.
“My time may be infinite, bellowed Sutok-jo, but my patience is not. Why have you summoned us to this place? The sight of your form disgusts me.”
Please be patient, my brother. This meeting will begin soon. We are simply waiting for our final guest to arrive.”
“I, too, grow impatient, said Surma Kath, buzzing with the countless wings and legs of the insects that formed his body. “I, too, am offended by the form you wear.”
Please, please, my brothers and sisters! Neema-sessi said with the voice of an angel and the tone of a spider. Let us not bicker amongst ourselves over such trivial topics. My form is an amusing fetish for now. Let us speak of more important matters. I have summand you all here this night to discuss the conflict that we are still fighting. We have yet to see any positive results thus far.”
The fetid blob known as Gargrul spoke with a voice equally angelic. But she was a slimy decaying mass of flesh with no clear form, just bubbling pustules gushing a stinking ooze.
Who are you to criticize the tactics of Lucifer?” bubbled and burped Gargrul.
“You who would sit by his side, neither contributing nor sacrificing anything for our cause. You who would summon us here to stand before us in the very flesh of our boons and ills.”
A chorus of grunts and roars and hisses rose from the host of demons present.
Then a voice laughed out from the darkness that surrounded the gathering of evil.
Sutok-jo was the first to respond to the disembodied voice, rising up from his haunches, bellowing a horrid cry that would shatter bone and rend human flesh, snorting out the acrid smoke that he had only moments ago inhaled from the hellfire.
Reveal yourself, Jukoya ner Yung Yung!” said the demon Giganfan, whose form was that of a six-legged animal with ravenous jaws and multiple eyes, twisted and decrepit with disease. Show your form to those who would be your judges and executioners.”
There was not a sound or movement for what appeared to be an eternal moment. Then a smile appeared from thin air, a smile like that of a child who has just done something wrong and was enjoying it. Slowly the form of Jukoya materialized around his smile.
Onas-bow hissed madly, his spectral form shimmering in the hell light. Onas-bow had recent dealings with Jukoya, but things had not turned out well.
The snapping jaws of Giganfan also protested the appearance of Jukoya with its hellish scream.
Jukoya ner Yung Yung was known for causing much trouble for humans, angels, and his fellow demons. Thus his reputation was well known to all gathered here this night. Jukoya ner Yung Yung was a demon of small stature compared to his brethren, but his cunning, intelligence and power made him a force to be reckoned with. Jukoya ner Yung Yung did not seem as dangerous as the rest of his brethren present at the gathering; He looked down on his brethren as thou they were beneath him, thus earning the scorn of most of those in attendance.
Jukoya floated in place momentarily, the light of the hellfire shimmered off his polished onyx skin, his form much like that of a small child, but without any curves or rounded edges, just angles and slanted lines, a trait left over from his days of serving the creator as a being of light. He acknowledged everyone at the gathering before turning to Naamah-sessi. Floating toward her, he gestured a hand signal that had not been seen in a millennium.
Naamah-sessi acknowledged Jukoya with a nod of her head. Her left eye released a radiant green burst of light that bathed Jukoya’s form. Jukoya then took his place among his demonic brethren.
“I have summoned you all here, began Naamah-sessi, so that we may figure out a way to bring an end to this eternal conflict. As we all know, the outcome of this war is never assured. Only the creator in her way knows the end results.”
“It is the souls of the humans that we must harvest, burped Gargrul, if we are to win this war.”
“The end is inevitable, buzzed Surma Kath. We have plagued the fleshlings for more than a thousand generations. This reality has been steeped in our corruption for far too long to ever be redeemed. It is unknown to me how the fleshlings could ever hope for salvation. We will reclaim this reality.”
The sound of demonic laughter was something that cannot be described by any human language. It was a chorus of disenchanting sounds wrapped in despair. All but two of those present laughed, Naamah-sessi being one of them.
That is certain proof of your stupidity and arrogance, said Jukoya. “
Hope is the humans greatest flaw and their greatest strength. Or has it been so long since your fall from grace that your faculties have become so diminished?”
Surma Kath`s form roiled with indignation at the words of Jukoya ner Yung Yung. A pillar of stinging, biting insects shot out from Surma Kath`s thorax, Enveloping Jukoya`s form. The insects were merciless as their mass heaved and shifted around Jukoya ner Yung Yung, biting and stinging anywhere they could.
Jukoya could no longer be seen in the hell light. The insect mass changed color and fell into the hellfire, leaving nothing in its place. Surma Kath hissed and buzzed with delight at Jukoya`s supposed demise.
A fate befitting traitors of our kind, hissed a delighted Onas-bow as he floated in place.”
I guess being incompetent, said Jukoya, is a fate befitting only you, dear Surma.”
Jukoya floated up from the center of the hellfire, still with that same damned evil smile he had arrived with. But this time there was a shimmering glow building in his mouth.
Did you really think, he continued, that such a one-pronged attack could finish the likes of me?”
The ground vibrated harder and harder and the top soil seemed to dance with every word Jukoya spoke.
“While you were scheming for power, I controlled forty-two legions of hell. Now I will show you true power.”
The light coming from Jukoya`s mouth was now as bright as the day star itself.
Surma braced for Jukoya`s attack. Then there was a sound not unlike the cracking of the heavens themselves. Naamah-sessi clapped her hands and a geyser of hellfire rose up to separate the two combatants.
“Hear me now, yelled Naamah-sessi. If this is the manner in which we are to achieve victory, then we are lost, and not even hell will be our reward. The air trembled with every word that left her mouth. Lucifer is no longer focused on our goal. Even now he merges his essence with the fabric of hell, ensuring his dominance for all time in that decadent prison he would have us call sanctuary.
But what of us, those who supported his uprising? What is our reward but the hollow victory of staying in hell?
No said Naamah-sessi, I say we take it all. Heaven is assured to no one. We can finally be free from the creator.”
“And you think that aligning ourselves with the likes of Jukoya, we will fare any better in our conflict?” hissed Onas-bow.
“I have watched the fleshlings for nigh an eon, said Naamah-sessi. I have feasted on the good and the wicked, and I have learned many things that even Lucifer is not privy to. This war will end, and when it does, I plan to be on the winning side.”
There was silence, the first since the gathering had started. Even the winds themselves bowed before the words of Naamah-sessi. Mental chatter between demons had long ago been shunned by their kind. It left their secrets to widely open for others of their kind. But on this day, alliances were being formed and broken without a word being said.
The host of demons disbanded in silence, each one departing in its own enigmatic way. Surma Kath disbanded his insects to the four winds, while Onas-bow simply faded away. Gargrul dripped and oozed into the cracks of the earth beneath her. While Sutok-jo stepped into the hellfire, leaving nothing behind but a burst of ash and smoke.
Now only three of the demons were still present, each one assessing the strengths and weaknesses of the other two. The first to break the silence was Giganfan.
The wretched creature spoke with slobbering jaws. This is an unprecedented moment for our kind. To plot against Lucifer is a very dangerous act. Even Michi-el has learned to be weary of Lucifer`s power.”
Giganfan`s voice was a chorus of pain and suffering.
“I prefer not to think of it as plotting against, replied Naamah-sessi, but ensuring victory for our kind, we will march our battle standard to the very gates of the shining kingdom.”
“You play a dangerous gambit, Naamah-sessi, said Giganfan. But I have never known you to make a foolish move.”
So, then, what do you say?” asked Naamah-sessi.
“I say that you have made both allies and enemies on this day, but only time will tell which one I have become.”
At the end of his words, a bolt of lightning struck the ground from the sky, leaving only static electricity in the air where Giganfan had stood.
With only two of the demons left in the Ariba Kuntoo, the hellfire seemed to burn less ferociously. Naamah-sessi walked closer to the hellfire, reaching her perfectly sculpted human hands into the flames. Her skin immediately began to blister and char, but if she felt any pain, Naamah-sessi did not show it. Instead, she seemed to gain pleasure from this act of self-mutilation.
Jukoya smiled at the sight of Naamah-sessi’s act of masochism. “I see you have learned the joys of sensation.”
Naamah-sessi’s eyes rolled to the back of her head, almost with orgasmic ecstasy.
“If I had known that sensation was so wonderful, Jukoya continued, I would not have petitioned the creator to halt his making of the fleshlings. It is a shame, with all our power; we are not her greatest creation.”
Careful what you say Jukoya, If Lucifer were to hear your words, he would call it treason against our cause. But, then again, you never really were on our side, were you?”
As Naamah-sessi pulled her hands from the fire, the smell of roasted flesh filled the night air.
Jukoya floated closer to Naamah-sessi, wafting in the smoky stench.
I do so enjoy the smell of burning flesh, said Naamah-sessi.
She reached out her charred hands to touch the angled protrusions on top of Jukoya`s head. As soon as she touched his crystalline skin, her hands began to heal at an amazing rate.
“Oh, my dear ner Yung Yung, said Naamah-sessi, it has been so long. Are there times when you so miss your grace? You are blessed and damned, Jukoya, I envy and pity you all at once. Why did you not stand by Lucifer`s side during the rebellion? What happened between you and Lucifer to cause you to leave our rank-and-file?”
“Ah, my dear Naamah-sessi, would you ever find me so interesting if you knew all of my secrets? I think not said Jukoya. But there is one thing I do know—”
Naamah-sessi was now embracing Jukoya close to herself. Spectral energy was emanating from her body in the form of black tendrils, which held Jukoya in a death grip no mortal man could escape. Bringing her lips close to his ear, she whispered, “And what is it you are privy to, ner Yung Yung?” Her eyes were now black with a darkness he had also known.
Jukoya looked straight into Naamah-sessi's soulless eyes and said, “I know it was not Lucifer’s ideal to convince Adam to pluck the fruit of knowledge from the blessed tree. And I know that you are not fallen like the rest of us.”
And with those words, Jukoya ner Yung Yung was gone, the same way he had come. Fading into nothingness, leaving Naamah-sessi alone in that Godforsaken forest.
Chapter 5: The Killing of a Flower
Yodi tried not to think about what was happening to her body, she had never been intimate with a man before.
She had hoped that her first time with a man would have been a special moment, an experiance that she would always charish, not this violation of her womanhood that was being inflicted on her. She tried to focus on her home as it was before she was taken as a slave. Yodi was the daughter of the sultan of Gimirra, head of the ruling families. She had pleaded with her father to negotiate with King Tamret, but Sultan Muman Kotesh would not negotiate with a ruler who was not of the noblest of bloodlines.
“My sweet Yodi,” her father said, “you are my only child. But you will learn one day that nobles such as we cannot allow this peasant rebel king to make demands of us. Tamret will learn that the armies of Gimirra will stand firm against any threat.”
“But, father,” said princess Yodi, “please, you must try, think of all the lives that will be lost in battle.”
“Enough! bellowed the Sultan to his daughter. You will speak no more of this to me. Now go and attend to your studies, my daughter.”
Yodi ran from the throne room to her bedchamber. She knew that her father was not trying to be mean to her, he was just being his normal stubborn self. But on many occasions, she had asked her father to open diplomatic relations with the Kingdom of Koolon.
Neither she nor the Sultan, nor even the generals of the Gimirran army, foresaw the siege engine that had been closing in on the people of Gimirra. After the arrow storm, the foot soldiers moved to surround the city. Sultan Muman thought his kingdom was safe inside those mighty walls, but he was wrong, for the infinite numbers of Koolon`s soldiers breached those gates, their gray armor and cloaks made them invisible in the smoke filled air Of Gimirra. The Fires they had set were not only for destroying the kingdom of Gimirra but also for shrouding the Forces of Koolon. Their battle staffs had a notch or tassel on the end, which caused them to whistle or hum when swung. The sound was eerie when heard in mass. The legions were disciplined and well-armed. The warriors of Gimirra fought bravely, but they were no match for Tamret’s soldiers.
Yodi remembered the last stand in the palace, when the infinites broke down the palace doors and killed anyone holding a weapon. They slowly but steadily crushed any resistance.
When they broke through the doors of Yodi`s chamber, a tall warrior with dread locked hair and clothing splattered with blood yelled out a powerful command: Let those who dare come battle with me''. All others lay down your weapons.”
The princess then threw down her short sword in order to end the bloodshed, she knew that a soldier of Koolon would not dare kill an unarmed person. But her female guards moved in close to her with their swords drawn, and her last two remaining male guards moved forward to slay the tall warrior.
But the palace guards were no match for Seyhon. His staff moved like the wind, shattering their bones and breaking their bodies.
“I say again, commanded the dreadlocked warrior, there has already been too much bloodshed this day. Submit or fall.”
Yodi looked to the female guard to her right and nodded. One by one, her guards dropped their weapons. Now she finds herself a slave, being raped by the son of the very man she had hoped to one day make peace with.
She laughed at the irony, but it was a laugh on the inside. On the outside, she didn`t show any emotion, trying not to give her rapist anything to enjoy. He had punched her in the face twice, hoping to get her to scream out, but she had not given him the satisfaction. So she lay there, trying not to think about the warm sensation she felt inside her as Sobek Prince of Koolon shivered in climax.
She cared not for whatever was going to happen to her next. She felt dirty and wanted nothing more than to wash.
Prince Sobek rose from on top of her and wrapped himself in an extravagant robe. He then summoned his personal bodyguards.
Yodi could feel Sobek’s sperm dripping from her insides just as she was yanked from the bed by the first guard, a hulking beast of a man with a large scar that started on his left cheek and ended somewhere down his tunic.
“What would you have us do with this one? asked the second guard, a much thinner man with some age to his face, but no less battle-scarred.
“What do you think, you fool? snapped the prince. Dispose of her and bring me proof as usual, or lose your heads!”
Yes, my lord, said the two guards in unison, as they rushed the girl out of the chamber.
Princess Yodi had heard of the Ariba Kuntoo, A dark forest that bordered the lands of Koolon. A place of great evil, all parents tell their naughty children about the forest and about what happened there eons ago, It is the place where you will scream for help, but no one will come to help you. It was here that the witches birthed by hyena first foretold the prophecy of the bastard king and the destruction he will bring. Only the most battle-hardened of men would dare to venture into those dark woods.
Brawlk jabbed the princess with the point on his ax, hoping to motivate her to move faster as they walked deeper into the woods.
Move it, Bitch! I don`t have all night to waste on you in this place.”
The hulking guard licked his lips in anticipation; Brawlk enjoyed this part of his job, getting a chance to indulge himself on the leftover victims of the prince`s sexual exploits.
Tharon, however, was much less enthusiastic about what was about to happen to this young slave.
As the years had passed, Tharon had felt a little part of himself slipping away every time he was asked to perform this task. His thoughts always turned to the memories of his mother`s death during the unification wars. He had fought bravely in Tamret’s rebel army, and for that he had been appointed bodyguard to the prince. If he had known that the young prince would become so decadent, he would have killed him in his sleep. But now the time had passed for such things. Still, Tharon looked upon Brawlk with disgust and disdain.
As a large clearing opened up before the three travelers, Brawlk grabbed princess Yodi by the back of her hair and rammed her head to the ground. He didn’t like for his victims to struggle during his debaucherous sexual act, preferring for them to be unconscious or semiconscious.
Brawlk mounted the young woman, saliva drizzling from his lower lip upon the princess’s face, causing her to slip in and out of consciousness.
Tharon felt sicker than he had ever been before, and could not help turning his eye`s away.
Brawlk began to moan in pleasure as he placed his large hands around the princess’s throat. He enjoyed extinguishing life with his bare hands. As he came closer to climax, he squeezed the princess`s throat even harder. Yodi began to gasp for air, and the smile on Brawlk’s face grew even wider.
But he never reached his climax. Brawlk didn’t feel the blade enter his back, but he did feel the sting of it exiting his chest. Brawlk rose up from on top of the slave princess, blood dribbling from his mouth, looking into the eyes of the man who had stabbed him from behind. The large hulking guard shambled slowly toward Tharon, his pants still down around his anckles, hoping to take his killer with him. He grabbed Tharon with his large hands trying to impale him on the same blade that was his own death.Tharon resisted, struggling to break Brawlk’s death grip. Brawlk’s strength began to ebb and wane as his blood drained from the wound in his chest. Tharon then pushed against Brawlk, backing him into a tree and pushing the blade deeper into Brawlk`s back.
Blood sprayed from Brawlk`s mouth, covering Tharon`s face in a crimson mist. Brawlk then slumped to the ground, gasping for his final breaths. Tharon stood over his body and grasped the sword that still lay embedded in Brawlk’s back, turning the blade so that the last thing Brawlk felt was the pain of his heart exploding, his blood staining the forest floor.
For the first time in many years, Tharon felt good about what he was doing. But then sadness filled his heart, for he knew what he had to do next. Unsheathing the knife on his hip, he walked over to the princess. He was glad that she was still unconscious.
She would feel less pain from what Tharon would have to do next. He knew that if Prince Sobek had ever learned of what had happened this night, he would have Tharon and his wife killed by the most painful of tortures.
But he could not bring himself to kill this young girl, so he made sure that no one would ever recognize her. He removed the skin from part of her face, peeling it off like over ripe fruit, and then sliced out her tongue. This would be best, for the prince would do far worse to her if he ever laid eyes on her again. No one would ever truly know what had happened here this night, especially the prince.
He placed the young girl’s skin and tongue in a small leather bag to bring as proof to the prince of the deed he had done.
He then retraced his steps back to the Kingdom of Koolon, all the while praying for the young girl, whom he had most likely left to her death. He prayed to whatever God there is to grant mercy on his soul for his actions.
Tharon moved swiftly through the forest, knowing full well the evil things that wandered the night were attracted to the smell of death and fresh blood.
Yodi rose slowly from the forest floor. She could feel the warm blood covering her face, but she didn’t know the full extent of her disfigurement. She did know, however, that the longer she stayed in one place, the more danger she was in. As she wandered through the darkness, she could hear the sound of footfalls and heavy breathing which did not seem quite human. She began to move faster and faster, looking back over her shoulder. She could see the body of the huge guard that had raped her being jerked and ripped at by things that could not be of God`s making. Oh Great Maker please help me Yodi thought to herself. Up ahead Yodi could see the outline of a woman in the distance, and she ran toward her, hoping to get help. Yodi tripped and stumbled to the ground, landing right in front of the woman. Yodi tried to ask the young woman for help, but with no tongue in her mouth the words were nothing more than mumbled noises. The strange woman bent down in front of Yodi and caressed her head.
What`s an unfortunate thing like you doing in such a horrible place as this? she asked. Still more footfalls could be heard in the background, accompanied by guttural sounds. The woman picked Yodi up as if she weighed less than a rag doll.
I can see from your face that you`ve been through hell today, said the woman. What should I do with you?”
Yodi turned her head and could see eyes shimmering in the darkness. She didn’t know if she were safer here in the hands of this strange woman or with the things in the woods that did not quite sound like man or beast.
“You have every right to fear those things, my sweet, said the woman, for they would surely rip you to pieces and feast on your insides. But then, I could do so much worse to you, my sweet. The woman`s eyes flickered with a strange light that sent a chill down Yodi`s spine. Naamah-sessi waved her hand over Yodi`s face, and whispered something in a strange language. Then, like a fickle child, she suddenly dropped Yodi to the ground. You will live, said Naamah-sessi. But your disfigurement will leave you shunned. If I simply killed you, your soul would just go to heaven, and that would not serve my purpose. You will live only because the thought of your future suffering brings me much joy. Now be gone, fleshling, before I unleash the children of the night to gnaw on your bones.” And as the strange woman walked into the darkness of the Ariba Kuntoo, Yodi ran with all her remaining strength into the rising sunlight outside the forest.
