Chapter 5 - Band of the Broken
My name is Isaiah Riverrun, a lutra of fifteen summers and loyal servant to my queen. The world I live in is not one for the weak of heart. It was nine years ago when my life changes forever, when I lost everyone that I loved, yet gained a world I never dreamed possible. That was when I first meet my queen, though I did not know who she was when we first meet. It was early autumn when Noroscureil brought her to the village; she was the first person to not show pity for me. She no reason to, not knowing that my father had died that summer. He gave his life in service to the King of Lamenthra, or so I thought, but that is another story. The day she came was the first day I did not think about the lose of my father.That was also the day my life changed forever...---The evening had ended as none had before or since. Sarai insisted that Assilsasta stay the night, without her beast. Before the sun had ducked fully below the tree line, she went out to where you was to meet Noroscureil with some of the leftover fish meat. "It is not much, but they still don't want you to come into town." She looked at him, once again laying on the ground like a giant feral wolf. "What have you been doing, Noros?""Waiting for you as you commanded.""We can't go back to Lamenthra, can we?""It would be inadvisable. We do not know who has set these events in motion."Looking at the ground, she asked "Where will we go?""The Ruins of Rockdrool, in the northern mountains. There you will be out of reach.""It will be a long time before we see civilization again, won't it?""I do not know this world. Things will have changed in five hundred years. It could be days or it could be month. We will need to avoid places where they might recognize you.""Sarai has asked that I stay the night with her and Isaiah." Standing to leave, "You will have to wait here again."Noroscureil bowed his head to the ground, "As you wish, Though I do not like you being so far away from me.""I will be back at sunrise. I will call for you if I need you." She turned and began her walk back to the small village.---When she left just before the sun set, I was sure she would not come back, no one ever did.I was overjoyed when she did come back, it was the first time in a year that anyone ever paid any attention to me other than my mother. We played games of cards and dice into the dark hours. I had to teach her so many things, I did not understand how she did not know them at them time. When the candles got low, mother pulled out the goose-down feather mattresses; she had not brought those out since father died. Mother gave her a sleep gown to wear, it looked so beautiful on her, and she looked like an angel to me. Her flowing white main and feathered fur cascading from her elbows and knees to her hands and feet made her look like a she was not of this world.
I have seen no one like before or since. it was then that I swore before the Makers to server her and stay by her side to the end of my days. Back then I did not know what that truly meant, and to this day I would not falter on my allegiance to her.that night, after we had all gone to sleep, I heard her crying. I left my straw mattress to see what was wrong. When I got to her I saw that she was dreaming. Not knowing is was wrong, I did what my mother has always done for me when I had bad dreams. I laid down in the down mattress with her, wrapping my arm over her. I don't know if what I did helped, but she seamed to stop crying and began to purr in my arms. That was the very moment my fate was forever locked with hers.----The vision haunted her in dreams, forever playing over and over. The Soldiers storming her father's room, the orders barked by the captain of the royal guard, the sword dropping on her father's deathbed, the Night her world had forever changed. her own screams echoed in her mind, her world lost, she sat watching the scene replay, shivering in the cold. Then something changed a sudden warm embrace. the heat radiated through her body driving out the cold visions. For the first time, the torment of her lost was not in sight. All she felt was the warmth surging through her body from the unknown source.Assilsasta was ripped from the bliss of the warm embrace by a scream and sudden chill running across her fur. "Look what I found, Rngorobe, a kitzen among the lutra." The black furred vilk slaver looked down at her, holding Isaiah by the arm as he squirmed helplessly.Looking over form Sarai, who was now bound in ropes, another Black furred vilk said, "Lurcaro's orders were to take everyone in the village, she will fetch a good price on the market, if he does not keep her for himself." "Take this one with you, I want to have a little fun with her first." a crooked grin crosses the vilks muzzle as he looked down at her.Chuckling, Rngorobe took Isaiah from him, "Don't take too long, be must be back at the caravan by dawn." then walked out of the hut, leaving them alone."We are done here." shouted a voice from outside, followed by another "Kobain Assilsasta scooted back away from him, the look in his eyes that of a feral wolf looking at its prey. "I have never had a kitzen." dropping swiftly, he pinned her arm to the matt, his other hand slapped over her mouth to stifle the scream. "you be quiet little one, I want to enjoy this." in one swift movement he released her mouth and ripped the front of the gown away from her body. With her mouth free of his grip she let loose a roar that send the Slaver's horses running. Slapping her across the muzzle, I told you to be quite.---As the horses took off from our home, I heard the one sound the still to this day jars my very soul. She roared his name into the night air. As the sound reverberated through the
forest, the horses sprang to life, almost out of the control of the carriage driver, pulling me farther from my promise. The last sight of my village was blue flames bursting to life from my home.---His eyes snapped open as the sound of the roar reached his ears. From within he felt her screams reverberate through his bones. The scent of vilk carried on the wind to him.his stone eye rolled in its socket as the heartbeat of energy flowed into him. He move, called forth to action by her cries and pain. He felt the pounding energy drawn into him as he was summoned to her side.His ears were filled with the frantic screaming, as the scene before him came into focus. on the floor was a black furred vilk hovering over the small trashing body of Assilsasta. Fear from outside his being flooded into his body, filling him with rage. for the second time in hundreds of years he felt the immense power well up from within, that which was bound to him master. His vision faded, no longer in control of his own actions. He felt the tare of flesh in his claws as he teeth sank into the throat of his victim. a howl of agony dies out to a gurgling through the now torn esophagus. Blood gushes over his tongue with slowly dying spurts and the vilk in him grasp give up his ghost.---The horrifying form of the vilk assaulting her was ripped away from her body. A howl of pain and fear brought her back to reality. She slowly opened her eyes as the screaming wolf beast grow silent. before her stood what could only be Noroscureil, but not as she had ever seen him. Hid firm muscles filled out the body opd a man of war, looking as if scupled from stone, beneath his lush thick fur. his head and neck were engulfed in a main of blue flames, as were the tufts of fur along the back of his arms and legs. the stone eye shimmered in his socket, as he looked blindly forward. the cuffs and collar fit snugly around his neck and wrist, as the were originally designed to do. In his mouth was the neck of her assailant, blood pouring from the wound in his side were Noroscureil riped him away from her. Scrambling to her feet she clutched him around the waist, his soft fur radiating warmth into her. The fiery heat from him began to die down, the lush fur began to ting and become course with age. As hse hear the limp body drop to the floor, she looked up to see her familiar feeble beast companion reach down and pick her up. holding her to his chest, their eyes lock on one another. "They took them all." she said with tears rolling down her cheeks."What do you wish, Assil. ""We will bring them back." she said while pushing her way out of his arms. Looking down at the body before her, its blood soaking into the dirt floor around his wounds. She started kicking him and roaring with anger and frustration, then dropping to her knees and beating him with her fists. her assault of the corpse slowed, her roar ding into sobbing, tears rolling
down her face. She was overwhelmed by the sense of utter helplessness she had against him. "Never will you leave my side again."throwing off the shredded sleeping gown, she moved to the water bucked and washed what blood she could out of her fur, before dressing herself in the outfit made for her by Sarai. She pulled the bodice laces as tight as she could pulling herself into a feminine hourglass shape, not natural to her breed. Turning to Noroscureil, "Can you follow them?"Lifting her head and drawing in the scents in the air, "Their camp cannot be far to the south. The wind is carrying their sent to me, and I can hear the screams of their prisoner.""Take me to them." she demanded walking through the door to the hut.Taking a feral stance, he kneeled low for her to mount him like a horse. She chucked the fur around his neck and leaned close to him as she felt the jolt of speed. he ran through the forest, ignoring the fresh tracks on the road, with each breath he tasted the vilk slavers scent grew stronger. He burst from the forest into a large clearing where several cage karts lined the side of the road. Beyond them was a crude camp light by many small fires. Further into the woods was a large tent from which screaming and crying could be heard.Quietly them moved to the cages, seeing they were empty some stained with blood. the continued into the camp, finding it void of guards or slavers, anger and fear burned in Assilsasta. She ran to the tent from which echoed the cries of so many. Stepping past the flap, followed closely by Noroscureil, the scene horrified her. Too obsessed with their activities, none saw them enter, Lura men, women, and children were chained to stacks around the tent. many of the men being wiped and torched, and the women and young girls being rape and ravaged. From the far side of the tent a vilk, perched on a makeshift throne of crates, "Who the hell are you?" with his words silence fell over the congregation.He could feel the rage radiating from her as the snare crossed her muzzle. Locking her eyes on the obvious leader of the pack she commanded, "Kill them... all!" just loud enough to be heard by all, then turned to leave him to his task.A wicked smile curled across his muzzle as he felt the power well up within him again, this time if his full control. In the confusion, the Alfa ordered his pack to attack the intruder. Time slowed in his vision as they bolted toward him. Raising his hand palms facing out to the charging beast, he muttered words of the lost language of the makers. He felt the muscles swell beneath his skin as he drew in the flowing heartbeat of the living world around him. the heat of his burning main rose and her moved into the onslaught. Their swords, spears and claws ripped into his flesh, his pain dulled by the simple spell. with his word and gaze some vilk fell motionless, while others were torn open by his enormous clawed hands
and feet. Blood sprayed through the air coating his thick fur, and burring is the flaming main. Standing in the center of the tent, surrounded by the lifeless bodies of twenty-five vilk slavers and many horrified lutra villagers, He looked at the now standing pack leader. The scent of fear rolled off him as Noroscureil stepped forward, "In times past they called me war, and death, I was once seen as the savior and feared as the weapon of Taomerle. I am the last of the true wolfmen blood that spawned the vilk." taking him by the throat and lifting the Alfa from the ground, "Do your legends still tell of me?" struggling to pry loose the Vilk shook his head in acknowledgment. "You pack of slavers are vile beasts, taking what you swish form those too weak to defend themselves. You disgrace the vilk blood that flows in your veins." Locking his gaze on the vilks eyes, "You were no better than feral dogs." Lossening his grip enough to alow the vilk to breath, "Say my name."Struggling to free himself, unable to break free of the gaze that bored its way into his soul, he spoke with what breath he could, "Noroscureil... "gasping in a second breath, ".. Ther... "Dragging in a third and final breath, " ... Destroyer." With the final words he clamped his fist tight crushing the vilk's spine and throat. With that he felt his power drain from him, her command fulfilled. Dropping to his knees, the cuffs and collar glowed brightly causing him to cough, spraying the ground before him with blood. Looking up at the terrified lura people and gasping for air, he said "You are free." Then collapsed on the ground drained.---Outside in the crisp night air, Assilsasta dropped to her knees and buried her face in her hands. The raw nature of what she had seen turned her stomach and tore a hole in her soul. How many were dead? How many savagly beaten or rape? What kind of monsters would allow this? TIme seemed to stand still, until a heavy warm weight crashed into her body. Opening her eyes she saw, clutching her and crying, the little lutra boy Isaiah. Looking up at her, tears rolling from his eyes, "They killed her. they made me watch as they hurt and killed her. I have no one left. They killed my father, now they take her."Wrapping her arms around him, "You forget my little knight, you have me and you will need to be strong like Noros." wiping the tears from her eyes with one hand and his with the other, "You are my knight are you not?" Shaking his head yes, he buried it in her chest crying. Holding him tightly with both arms as, lutra people ran to freedom from the carnage around them. She looked down and thought, what am I becoming?---From that day I wished to never leave her side.