# Broken World: Desire (Part 3)

Author: dorintf
Tags: Fantasy, Transformation, Violence (Not In Yiff), Werewolf

Ongoing werewolf fantasy series (transformation themes).
Lura's new life is interrupted by her old one as her former home is under assault by the man she swore to kill.
Warning, there is quite a bit of violence and adult themes in this one. Not so much sex, but allusions to rape (though no depictions of it).

Part III"I like fighting," said the Wart. "It is knightly."
"Because you're a baby."--T.H. White,The Once and Future King
Graadig sat eating cottage pie with his fingers as he watched the third
man's body being tossed into the nearest fire. Now approaching his
seventies, Graadig didn't have the patience for this sort of thing. The
third man had been defiant. Stupid. Perhaps the fourth would be more
likely to see reason.
His men shoved the newest farmer---they were all farmers, he assumed---to
his knees and held him there by his shoulders. He was younger than the
last one, perhaps he would be more rational as well.
Graadig spoke kindly. In truth, he always spoke kindly. Men had
insinuated he had a very grandfatherly tone. He was approaching that age
after all. The lines on his face had gone from present to noticeable to
prominent. His hair had turned gray, white around the temples, and had
receded a good bit. His joints ached in the morning, especially after a
long day's ride. 
In truth, he couldn't remember the last time he hadn't had a long day's
ride. Even when the men needed a day's rest, he had pressed them on over
land and sea. The prize was worth a few aches in the morning. And
certainly worth more than the young man in front of him.
 
"Hello there, friend." Graadig wiped his fingers on his shirt before
extending his hand in greeting. The man stared at the gesture as if he
were being handed a viper. Glancing up at the two men holding him he
slowly took Graadig's hand in his own, trembling as he held his arm
aloft. "I'm sure you overheard me talking to the others, but I'll repeat
myself." He chucked apologetically. "It's hard to be heard over the
commotion." Here he nodded towards the crying women and children
standing near a burning hovel.
"We're looking for something. Once we find it, we'll be on our way. It's
not even a necessity really, but it's important to be thorough wherever
possible. After that, we'll be on our way and you can put this whole
little inconvenience behind you.
"There is a man who once lived here. His name was Darden Veloren. He and
I were good friends once before he became a bit too chummy with our
previous employer and I had to murder him. All we need to know is where
he lived, who here may have been related to him, that sort of thing. Now
is that some information you would be willing to impart?"
 
He nodded quickly. "The-The-The shack ... outside of town. He lived there.
He had a wife and daughter. The wife died a few months back. The
daughter ran off after she cursed our cattle."
Graadig leaned back in his chair, smiling and glancing in sarcastic
wonder towards his men. "Cursed your cattle? She was a witch then? Nasty
sort, but this little exchange may work in your favor after all. I've
killed witches before, you know. Nasty women, just the worst. We ran
into one in Sarrinthia, and let me tell you, that was quite an
afternoon." He chuckled again. "I apologize, let's stay on topic so I
don't have to waste any more of your time. Where is she now then, hmm?
Or did you burn her at the stake perhaps?" He grinned like a jackal at
his men. "Lot of that going around, isn't there boys?"
His men laughed. They always laughed at his jokes, even if they weren't
very funny. Graadig didn't mind. It showed his men were loyal to him and
afraid of him. Two qualities he demanded in his employees.
The man shook his head. "She left. After she cursed our animals. Ran off, we don't know where."
 
Graadig sighed. "Now we come to the part I hate the most out of any of
these little exchanges. You see, I don't know if you're telling the
truth or if you're lying in order to protect her."
The man shook his head more urgently now. "No lie, I speak the truth. Ask any of the others."
"Yes, let's ask the others." He looked up at one of the men. "Our friend
here, did he have a family? Was he standing near to any dear bride or
lovely offspring?"
The nearest man pointed toward a rather gaunt looking woman with a young
girl clutching at her legs. Both were crying just a bit louder than the
others as they watched the man on his knees intently.
"Ah, there we go. Could you bring them here please? These old bones don't like to stand once they've found a comfy chair."
His men ushered the woman and daughter forward. Graadig's conversational
partner suddenly became annoyingly brave. "Leave them alone! It's me
you're talking to, leave them out of this, you bastard!"
Graadig looked overtly appalled. "Now now, friend. That's not nice
language, especially not in front of the children. What kind of a world
would this be if everyone spoke like that? I shudder to think what kind
of environment you may be raising the young lass in. Also, to speak ill
of my parentage? I'm offended! My mother was a lady fair and loved my
father very much, in holy matrimony of course." Here he looked towards
the girl. She was ten, eleven? He could never tell. "What's your name,
dearie?"
 
She spoke so softly he could barely understand. "Lamyra."
"Lamyra! That's a very pretty name. Emeerish in origin, I believe. Tell me, does daddy speak that way in front of you?"
She made no motion at all.
"Now look what you've done. The poor girl is aghast at this sort of
behavior. Most unbecoming of a father, most unfortunate." He sighed as
he casually drew his dagger, tested its edge with his greasy thumb, and
slit the man's throat, leaning back quickly in order to keep the blood
from spraying on his clothes. The woman screamed, the girl cried. He
hoped his point had been made.
He gave the women a few moments to get it all out of their system before
he slowly rose to his feet, groaning at the pain in his knees. He
walked toward them and leaned over the girl.
"Now Lamyra, I'm very sorry you had to see that, but daddy was being naughty. Are you naughty?"
Again, no movement.
"I don't think you are, I think you're a very good girl, and you just
want this all to be over with so you and your family ..." He looked over
his shoulder at the man's body, even now being carried towards the
pyre. "What's left of your family can get back to your wonderful little
lives. Darden's daughter, then. Do you know where she is? Where her
house is?"
 
Lamyra stared. Still no response.
Graadig sighed again, then leaned closer. "Do you know what the word
'rape' means, little one? It's not a very nice word, is it?"
Finally the girl cried. Some show of emotion was a good sign. He wasn't
sure if she actually knew what the word meant or was just reacting to
the harsh sound of it, but it didn't really matter at this point.
"You need to tell me where she lives. Otherwise, my lads are going to
rape mummy. You don't want that, do you? Raping mummy? Where does she
live, eh?"
The girl pointed towards a path leading out of the village proper.
"A recluse then! Doesn't surprise me. Let's go see!" He spoke to her
like a grandfather bringing his favorite grandchild to see something new
and wonderful. He took her hand gently, and slowly walked with her in
the direction she had indicated.
He had a good feeling about this one. Children had an honesty that
gradually left them as they became older. His men dragged the mother
along with them while the rest of his entourage began to encircle what
was left of the villagers---probably to engage in the activity that
Lamyra had found so disagreeable.
 
When they arrived at the place he knew that his young friend had spoken
true. Ornate but simple wind chimes hung from the trees, a little piece
of blue glass was nailed to the exterior. Darden had always been a bit
of a spiritualist, something that had always annoyed Graadig. The
Traitor had valued his opinions more than Graadig's own, and that had
never led anything worthwhile.
Other than these adornments, the place was exactly how the last man had
described. It was a shack in every sense of the word. More of a box or a
horse stall if truth be told. Graadig motioned for one of the men to
kick in the door. Once he had done so he stepped inside, making sure
there was no one hiding inside, waiting to spring in ambush. It took
only a moment to confirm the small structure was empty. The man stepped
back outside, nodding to indicate the place seemed safe. He had a sour
expression on his face.
"Smells like a brothel mixed crossed with a barn, sir."
Graadig did detect a rather musky scent as he stepped inside. The shack
was even less impressive in its interior. Two beds, a small table near
the larger one, a few clay pots on another table in the corner. Darden
had never been a man for extravagant effects, but this level of sparsity
was beyond what Graadig would have expected.
 
"Hmm. Perhaps she did leave town, after all." He patted Lamyra's hand
affectionately. "Very sorry about that, my love. Daddy was being honest,
but still naughty all the same. Anything?"
Here his men turned over the tables and the bed, seeming rather
disappointed there wasn't more furniture to abuse. One lifted a small
box that had sat underneath the larger bed, rummaging through it and
pulling letters from it. Graadig examined them over his shoulder.
"Darden's handwriting, for certain." He leafed through a few letters.
"'To my love', blah blah blah, 'Dear heart,' blah blah blah." He sighed
at the tedious addresses before noticing another letter already laying
on the floor separate from the others. The smell was strongest here,
lingering over the parchment like perfume from a maiden's love letter.
Graadig lifted it and scanned it, his smile growing gradually as he
read. 
"We come to it at last. 'Soil from every corner of the world. Lay the
soil in a circle. Blood of an old woman. A knife to open a tear in the
world.' Always so poetic, our Darden. 'Bring forth part of the Blind
Ones in the form of a shadow. Use this shade to close the tear.' Yes,
Darden dear, we already knew all of this." Graadig sighed. "This rather
tedious venture ends anticlimactically after all. It seems we needn't
have bothered with our little visit. Still, he might have known
something the Traitor didn't share with me, and it's best to be thorough
wherever possible." He noticed the Traitor's name was covered in black
ink, rendering it illegible. He had always thought it curious indeed
that he never could remember his old master's name. Apparently the world
had forgotten it as well. It wouldn't matter in the end. Soon enough,
Graadig's own name would be spoken of in worship by every man, woman,
and child left on this dead world.
 
Still, the absence of the daughter was a loose thread that could prove
annoying further down the road. What had she done here? Did she try to
call it? Did she summon the shadow? Surely she couldn't have done
something that insane. Darden wouldn't raise his daughter to be a fool.
But perhaps she did. Was the smell a leftover of the ritual? He didn't
remember it from the last time the ceremony was held. No, it smelled
like a mare in heat. Like ...
"Ah." His expression lacked any enthusiasm. This had the potential to complicate matters. "The bitch, it seems, is a bitch."
"Sir?"
"Werewolf. Darden's darling daughter is a dog." A dog who summoned the
thing with the glowing white eyes. Some sort of arrangement between the
two? None of this boded well.
Graadig suddenly became aware he was still holding his young friend's
hand. He slowly sat down on the bed, taking both of her hands in his.
"I had hoped to begin my little ascension to godhood tonight, but if
your friend is one of those drooling little doggies it may complicate
matters if she were to return home and find us here. It might be better
to put a little distance between us and them, hm? There's always more
than one of them, they're like mice in a cellar. My dear, I think that
maybe you were friends with the Veloren family, yes? Perhaps you'd like
to come with us for a while, maybe take in the sights? With all these
burning buildings and smoldering bodies, it's not a proper environment
for a young lady."
 
Lamyra finally spoke. "L-Lura's ... a werewolf?"
Graadig smiled, strangely happy to learn the bitch's name.
* * *
Lura knew with absolute certainty that there was never a moment in her
life where she felt happier than she did at this very moment. So when
Eloren returned with news from outside their little paradise it came as
even more of a shock. Her old life, her old purpose, had crept upon her
like a thief in the night.
"How bad do you think it is?" asked Enadyse, slowly sinking to the
bench. There were times when Lura felt Enadyse acted her age. She seemed
less vibrant now, more like a tired old woman.
"Bad," said Eloren. "I don't expect there's any survivors. It was a
small war party, all heading in the direction of the village." Here he
turned and bowed his head towards Lura. "I'm sorry, little sister. This
man is a monster. If I had known this was going to happen so close to
our doorstep I would've advocated finishing him off long ago."
"We cannot become involved in their lives." Enadyse was addressing the
group but was looking straight at Lura. "We're not their protectors, and
they'd visit the same harm on us if they had the opportunity."
 
Lura felt her anger rise before realizing her alpha was probably right.
She felt Kyrun's hand on her bare shoulder. Since that night, she had
joined her friends in wearing no clothing except when it was cold at
night. She had joked with Kyrun, saying she was finally prepared to
"wear the uniform." She reached up and gave his hand a squeeze.
"I don't like this." Tam had a strange look on her face. Lura realized
this was the first time she had ever seen her friend not smiling. "Why
show up here? Now? The village poses no threat to someone like him. It
has no militia, no resources to speak of. Lura said it doesn't even have
a name."
"Lura." Eloren cleared his throat and spoke with the same sternness he
had shown on that first day. "I'm sorry to even have to ask, but ... does
this have anything to do with you? Or the demon you spoke of?"
Lura shook her head. "I don't see how. My father knew just as much about the ceremony that summoned it as the Butcher did."
"That's even more of a reason this can't have been a coincidence. He has
no reason to take your home. Your village." It was good to hear Eloren
correct himself in this way. This was her home now. "But he did. Why?"
 
Was that a slight, or a mistake? This was her home, and her family---her
true family---had come to accept that. And it was true. Lura had no ties
to the place of her birth and no desire to return. Her only desire was
to work with her family, perhaps to lead them to others like them as
Enadyse had suggested.
"I don't know," she finally answered. "I just don't know. It doesn't
make any sense. Why attack now? But if he's back here it must mean he's
finished with his travels." Lura felt the blood leave her face at the
same time the rest of the pack realized what she was saying. "It means
he's going to try it again. He's going to repeat what the Traitor tried
to do."
Kyrun turned away. "It means there could be another Tear."
Enadyse placed her head in her hands. "Mother help us." She suddenly
rose to her feet. "We ... We will survive this the way we did the other.
We stay out of the affairs of madmen."
"You were here when it happened. I wasn't." It was rare that Kyrun
became upset, and rarer still that his anger was directed at his alpha.
"I remember what it was like out there. Some of us died on the spot.
Some of us went mad. And not right away. Days went by before we realized
something was wrong with them. A pup not twelve years old tried to tear
my throat out, and he wasn't even transformed. You want that happening
again?"
 
"That happened here as well, Kyrun." Eloren took his mate's hand as Tam
turned to look at a certain spot near the campfire. The look on her face
made Lura wonder what had happened there.
"And it will happen again. What if it's you this time? What if you try
to hurt one of us? What if you try to hurt Tam? Or she tries to hurt
you?"
Fury appeared in Eloren's eyes.
"What if we can do something to stop it from happening? Last time we
didn't know, we couldn't have known. But now we know exactly what
happened, to us and to the world. Do you think the Mother will survive
if it happens again?"
"We are the Mother's children." Enadyse spoke slowly, seeking to calm
Kyrun or perhaps to reassure herself of what she was saying. "She will
protect us. Keep us safe from whatever horrors the Butcher thinks he can
visit upon her. She was torn once, she won't allow herself to be torn
again.
Lura couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"I think she's right, Lura." Tam took a step towards her. "Getting involved in this would be a mistake."
 
Eloren didn't even nod. It was obvious what his opinion was.
"Not getting involved could be a mistake. One that could cost us all our
lives and the death of our world." Kyrun's grip on her shoulder become
stronger. "We are going to stand by and watch it happen all over again."
Enadyse finally looked up. "Lura?"
Lura waited several moments before answering. "I don't know if he even
can recreate the Tear. The Shade said he could, but it's hard to believe
anything it said."
"Lura, you can't--"
She interrupted him. "But I know that I want to help the village. It's
not my home. It never was. But there are good people there, even if they
weren't good to me. I had a friend, the only real one I knew before I
met you all. Her name is Lamyra. She's nine, probably closer to ten now.
I don't want to imagine what the Butcher's men would do to her. The
Butcher could die like his master if he tries the ritual. I certainly
hope he does. But Lamyra needs help now. I want to go."
Enadyse looked at Kyrun. He gave only a single nod.
 
The alpha sighed. She looked defeated. "Then we go."
Lura didn't even have time to react before Eloren spoke up. "We have
plenty of food for the journey. Getting there quickly will be the
problem."
"What about if we go on all fours? We can cover a lot more ground that way."
"Risky, love. Even then it would be nearly a week before we would
arrive. That much time as Gahreer ... Sometimes it's hard to come back
from."
"We have no other option," countered the alpha. "It may in fact work to
our advantage. When we catch up to them there is going to be fighting. A
more feral frame of mind could give us an advantage they can't
anticipate."
"That is true." Eloren grinned. "The bastards won't know what hit them."
Tam punched him on the shoulder. "This isn't something we're supposed to
look forward to, we're going to help Lamyra." Tam spoke the girl's name
as if she had known her for years.
"What ... is happening?" Lura whispered. She couldn't believe what she was
hearing. A moment ago they were willing to let the world die to keep
from getting involved. Now they were planning on a journey they might
not come back from. For a moment, she felt Shade might be influencing
them.
 
Kyrun whispered in her ear. "You want to go. So we go."
Lura looked at her friend as if he had gone mad. "But, they didn't--"
"They still don't. But you do. That's enough."
"I ... I don't understand."
"If your sister needs help, would you help her? Your mother? Your father?"
"Yes, but--"
"You're family now. Your problems are our problems. We could no more
refuse to help you than you could refuse to pull your hand from a fire."
Lura hugged her friend, more to give herself something to hold onto than
out of gratitude. He returned the embrace for a moment, then turned to
go. "I should help them get ready. We should--"
"Get going." Lura said the words along with him. "There's the mantra you live by."
He smiled and turned to help Eloren and Tam gather supplies. Lura was left alone with Enadyse.
"He is right. Your family will always help you in whatever you need, even a task as grave as this."
"I don't know what to say. Thank you. And I promise I meant what I said.
This isn't about revenge, I just want to help my friend."
 
"I know. And if she's your friend, she's ours as well."
"I'm ... I'm so lucky. To be here, to have met you all."
"Luckier still in having the love of a wise and caring man."
Lura felt herself blushing. Kyrun and she had not mated since the night
she was adopted into the pack. They hadn't even really spoken about it.
She knew there was affection between them, but was this what love was
supposed to feel like?
"I guess so." Lura answered her own question aloud. "I don't know."
"I do. Come. The sooner we're off, the better. Lamyra is waiting."
* * *
They gathered at the edge of the wood. Without a word, Enadyse broke
into a light job, Eloren a few steps behind her. Tam gave a grin of
encouragement to Lura before she followed her mate. Kyrun lingered just
behind Lura, hesitating to put his hand on her shoulder. He's still so
unsure of himself after all this time, she thought.
"Just like we've always done. Nothing new. One foot in front of the
other, and just let the change happen. Don't concentrate on it, it will
figure out what it needs to do."
 
Lura sighed. It was just the same, and it wasn't. "You mentioned before
that staying in wolf form for so long isn't such a smart thing to do."
"It's not dangerous," he sighed. "Just that sometimes the wolf doesn't
want to let go. It's harder to change back. But we're already a week
behind and this is the fastest way to get to where we need to go."
Lura didn't like this. She didn't like the thought of losing control
again like she had the first night. But that was the exception, not the
rule. The only other time she had come close was the night she had lain
with Kyrun, and that was altogether different. Primal, bestial, but
focused on one goal. She smirked as she glanced at her onetime lover.
Focused on a very specific goal.
It wouldn't happen again. She wouldn't let it. She could come back when she needed to. She had to, for Lamyra.
Picturing her friend's face, she took her first step back into the
wastes as her toenails scratched into the hellish red sand. Lura broke
into a sprint, feeling the hot air blow through her tangled mess of
hair. She swayed her arms, using her natural momentum to carry her
forward. Soon she felt the wind blowing through the hair growing on her
arms as well.
 
"That's it. Just let go."
Lura glanced behind at Kyrun. He was only half as step behind her.
Mischievously she glanced between his legs, watching as his sheathe
enveloped him. She supposed running with one of those between your legs
would be uncomfortable, and the Mother must have agreed as it was the
first part of him to change.
Lura glanced down at her chest, watching as dark brown hairs started
poking through her upper chest, sprouting in a circle around her
nipples, trailing down to connect to the hair climbing in an upward line
from her mound. Her legs were already changing shape, stretching and
snapping backwards into the hind legs of a wolf even as her back hunched
over. Soon she would be able to run on all fours. It will figure out what it needs to do. Her body understood the need for haste and adjusted itself accordingly.
She savored a grin. She couldn't allow herself to forget about the
direness of her situation, the horror Lamyra must be going through even
now. But even still, it felt wonderful to run. It always had, but now
she was doing it in defiance of the hellscape that had almost taken her
life. When last she had come this way she was on the verge of death,
savoring every drop of water she could scavenge, praying that if the end
came it would come quickly. Now she was grinning, almost laughing,
unafraid to show the world that it hadn't beaten her. It hadn't won. She
was here, she was happier than she had ever been in her life, and she
was completely without fear.
 
A string of drool fell from her mouth as she took a few experimental
lunges forward, letting the palms of her hands touch the hot dirt.
Understanding what she needed, her hands stretched along with her
forearm, her fingers moving further away from her thumb. Now satisfied
she was able to run on all fours safely she increased her speed,
stifling a short laugh.
"Easy," Kyrun called from behind her. "Don't start off too fast. It'll happen when it happens, don't push it."
Lura looked over her hairy shoulder and flashed Kyrun a feral smile.
"You're just afraid I'll leave you behind and you'll miss the view." She
tried to give a playful little sway of her rear in Kyrun's direction,
and almost toppled over in the process.
"Just take it easy."
Lura looked forward, concentrating on cresting the small hill she was
sprinting towards. The muscles in her legs and back were stinging at the
exertion, but were even now swelling larger, her heart pumping blood
faster. As she reached the crest she felt a small nub growing from her
tailbone.
 
Reaching the top of the hill, Lura paused in her tracks and gasped. It
was not for lack of air, rather it was due to the sight that awaited her
below. She had never seen her entire pack transformed. The more
experienced members had shifted fully and seemed to be intentionally
slowing down to give her a chance to catch up.
Tam was the closest to her. She seemed almost as carefree as Lura felt
as she gave playful little snaps at her mate. Her tongue hung from her
jowls, and for a moment Lura was reminded of the few times she had seen a
dog playing in her village. Her fur was the color of spun gold,
glimmering in the darkness. It moved across her flanks in waves,
shimmering as it flowed above the sea of sand and dust. Her breasts had
grown larger, if that was possible, and the ones trailing down her chest
were certainly bigger than the ones that adorned Lura's own frame. Tam
didn't seem to be made for fighting.
Next to her strode a behemoth. Eloren covered nearly half the length of
his mate's body with every stride. He was the largest creature Lura had
ever seen, making her father's large horse seem like a squirrel in
comparison. His feet were the size of a tree stump, his tail a trailing
banneret, his fur a great black cloak, his footfalls thundering even
against the sand. He glanced impatiently in Lura's direction. Lura's
heart skipped a beat when she saw the look in his eyes. It was like
staring into the heart of a fire. His jaws snapped in annoyance, and
Lura felt like he could probably swallow a man in two quick bites.
 
Enadyse stood facing towards Lura at her place in the front of the pack.
Lura had never before realized what being an alpha meant until this
moment. She stood still in contrast to Tam's prancing and Eloren's
lumbering. Even the wind seemed afraid to blow against her stark white
fur. There was a great distance separating Lura from her alpha, but
Enadyse's predatory gaze was focused entirely on her newest charge.
Looking into those eyes felt like Lura was staring into a flash of
lightning. There was something ancient there. Not just primal like the
other members of her pack. Something old when the world was young.
Something to be feared, but respected. Less of a beast and more of a
work of nature. Staring into those eyes was like willingly walking into
the heart of a tornado.
Kyrun, now nearly fully transformed, stepped next to her. "The eyes. Remember? Don't look her in the eyes."
Lura felt like a mouse before a wildcat. "It's ... hard not to."
"I know. Just keep going. You're doing fine."
Lura tore her eyes from her alpha's and turned to face Kyrun. The same
look was present in his eyes as well, a spark that could even now be on
the verge of spreading into a wildfire. "You would make a good one,
too."
 
"What?"
Lura shook her head. "Nothing. I'm ready. Let's go."
* * *
For a week they ran. Seven days. Seven nights. Eight, Lura realized as
the faint moon could be seen behind the miasma that filled the heavens.
No water. No food. No stopping. No rest. Only running. Hunting. Tracking
prey. Eager to feel the blood between their teeth. Lura needed to kill
something. She needed to kill something even more than she needed cold
water or a night's sleep.
Kind, ditzy little Tam had the same look in her eyes. Eloren was gone.
Lura doubted he could understand a single word spoken to him. Even Kyrun
seemed on the verge of crossing over from his reserved demeanor into
full blown savagery. Enadyse herself seemed less of a creature of flesh
and blood and more like a blur of light streaking across the sands,
reminding Lura for one terrifying moment of the glow of Shade's eyes.
Finally they reached the tree line marking the border of the village. A
week after the attack, and columns of smoke still drifted into the sky
like a drowning man reaching for the hand of a friend. From this
distance, Lura could smell the dead and the dying. Each individual death
had its own smell. "Fire" said one body. "Sword" said another. "Tight
hands around my neck." "A rope around mine." When Lura was last here she
was afraid the residents of this once peaceful hamlet would surely
starve after their cattle had mysteriously died.
 
They died because of me, she thought. Whether they starved or were
slaughtered at the Butcher's hands, they all died because of me.
Lura was losing it. There wasn't much left to lose, but the last string
connecting her human mind and the bestial body she now inhabited was
coming undone. Soon it would snap, and Lura would snap with it.
"We need to handle this carefully." Lura wasn't sure if Kyrun was
addressing her or their alpha. "There are still a lot of people in
there, people we don't want getting hurt. If we rush in and blood starts
flying, his men are going to panic and they aren't going to be too
particular about in which direction they swing their swords."
How was he still coherent at this point? Everyone, even Tam, was a hair's breadth from charging forward towards fire and death.
"No." Enadyse's tone scared Lura more than the shadow in the corner ever
could. "We can't help that. We attack fast before they know what's
happening. Answer blood with blood. Death with death. If any of the
Butcher's men are left alive come morning, you will all answer to me."
 
"Alpha ..."
Enadyse lashed out at Kyrun so fast Lura didn't even see her move. One
moment her friend was standing next to her, the next he was laying prone
with his belly facing towards the white wolf. Enadyse lunged forward
much slower, her maw open, her fangs dripping as she leaned towards
Kyrun. For one dark instant, Lura was afraid she was going to tear out
his throat. Then the moment passed and some of the fury left Enadyse's
eyes for a moment, although it returned in force as she looked back
towards the burnt homes.
She spoke but a single word. It was all that was needed. "Eloren."
The monstrous black wolf took one step forward, extending his arms towards something nearby.
* * *
Vark sat laughing as his friend pushed a filthy peasant to her knees. He
never got tired of this. He and his brother Jarl had signed up with
Graadig nearly a year ago. Both young men felt it was a great chance to
see the world, experience life to the fullest, and take whatever gold
and women they wanted. When his brother had started a fight in a bar in
Ronae, Vark had been far too drunk on wine and women to prevent a
whore's son from driving a knife into Jarl's throat. But he wasn't too
drunk to kill the bastard, or to make sure the bitch watched as he did
it.
 
He was afraid this little altercation would get him in trouble with the
boss, but Graadig had laughed and said it was fitting for one whore's
son to kill another. Vark wasn't sure if this was intended to be a joke
or not, but he laughed louder than anyone in the room to assure his boss
no offense was taken. Vark was not a smart man, but he was smart enough
to laugh at the boss's jokes, especially when his boss was the Butcher.
Vark loved nothing better than being drunk. Wine, beer, even this
horse's piss they called ale in this shitty little town. He loved it
better than fucking, he loved it better than gambling, and he loved it
better than showing how much better he was than these plow-pushers.
Still, perhaps the year he had spent with the boss and the experience of
losing Jarl had made him a bit wiser, a bit more aware of his
surroundings. So it was that he was the first to notice the large shape
falling from the sky. However, his first reaction was to laugh at the
absurdity of it. It looked like a cart, but he was reasonably certain
carts didn't come from the sky. Like there was a cart dealer from a
floating city peddling his fabulous wares. The strange thought only made
Vark laugh harder in his drunken stupor.
 
Vark didn't have time to point out the heavenly object or the funny idea
he had just had before it crashed on top of him and two of his friends.
Vark died instantly. The last thing that passed through his head wasn't
Jarl, or his poor mother, or the red headed bitch he had been eyeing
him in disgust for the past hour. The last thing that passed through his
was a wooden wheel.
* * *
Immediately after the cart had crashed into the ground, Enadyse was
among the bastards. Three died in the time it took Lura to take her
first step forward. One moment they were whole, the next they were
hurtling backwards like a leaf pushed by a wave, the blood and body
parts of one man mixing with that of another as they were lifted from
the ground to trail in the air behind the white wolf's wake. 
Tam was on her heels, slower but no less deadly. She took little swipes
left and right to the throats of the invaders, as precise as a surgeon's
scalpel. Lura remembered thinking Tam wasn't made for fighting, and she
knew it was still true. Fighting belittled what Tam was capable of. A
little snip of the neck here, a tug on a shoulder there, and there were
two rapists laying dead on the ground, one with no neck, one short an
arm. This couldn't be called fighting. It was precise, targeted
assassination.
 
Eloren was not so finessed. A small woodhouse stood between him and
several of the Butcher's men grouped together. He simply crashed through
it as though it were a spiderweb. The men had one instant before they
were trampled. Lura suffused a grin as the bitter smell of urine
surrounded more than a few of them just before they died. A young girl
scrambled out of the way of the carnage and for half a heartbeat Lura
feared it was Lamyra before she realized she was one of her neighbor's
daughters, one that always relished in tormenting Lura as she was
growing up. Even though she was always so horrible to Lura, she still
didn't deserve to be crushed under Eloren's paws. But just before she
was crushed, Eloren calmly scooped her up and sat her on top of the roof
of a nearby home. He had gone out of his way to make sure she wasn't
going to be injured. I catch him all the time flipping beetles back over when he finds them lying on their backs. He's a puppy.
Kyrun's role was a bit more specific. He seemed to be everywhere at
once. If a soldier had enough time to knock an arrow, Kyrun would hurl
him through a window or dash his brains against a fencepost. A flash of a
blade from its sheathe would bring Kyrun out of the shadows as he
slammed the blade into its own wielder's chest. Kyrun's role was ever
the outsider, and the way he fought reflected on that. He was more
preoccupied with ending any sudden threats to his friends than his own
safety; Lura was made aware of this when her dear friend took an arrow
through his shoulder. Kyrun reacted as if he were swatting at an gnat,
his body pushing the arrow free from the wound and healing before he had
taken a few steps.
 
For her part, Lura was able to hold her own, although she felt ashamed
she was not nearly as fast or proficient as the others. The first man
she cornered gave her pause. She had never killed anyone before. The
man---boy, really---held his sword trembling at arm's length with a look
of pale white terror on his face. Lura was reminded of the rabbits she
had hesitated to kill weeks ago. For several seconds she considered
letting him go. Then she smelled the dried semen on his pants and saw
the dead girl laying in the corner, something to be discarded when he
had no further use for her. She lashed out, tearing the man's armor
apart and taking several ribs and squishy bits along with it. She knew
he would be dead in another few moments, but she lashed out again and
again, wanting him gone from her sight, wanting him removed from a
wounded world that didn't deserve to be infected with men like this.
She spun on her paws and caught another rapist as he struggled to mount
his horse and escape. She tore him from the saddle, slammed him into the
ground, and before she realized what she was doing her teeth had sunk
into his neck and she was swallowing his hot blood and bits of his
throat. He screamed for a moment until the blood erupting from his
throat started to fill his lungs, and then he could only make wet
gasping noises as he struggle to breathe. Lura swallowed more of his
life's blood as the light left his eyes.
 
Lura finally realized what she was doing. She was eating a human being.
She got back to her feet and stared at the blood dripping from her
forepaws. Was this what she was now? Was this what she had become?
Nearby a woman screamed as she cradled the cold still body of a newborn.
She was terrified of the beast before her, of the werewolf, of the
monster. Lura took a few steps backwards, shaking her head.
She felt the hatchet sailing through the air towards the back of her
head. She knew it was about to connect, but wasn't worried for a moment.
Without knowing why, she was absolutely certain it would not hit its
mark. As if on cue, the flash of white against the darkness marked
Enadyse's arrival. She didn't slow down for an instant, only reached
forward and tipped the handle of the axe so that its momentum changed
and it would fall harmlessly to the ground. As she passed by her newest
charge, Enadyse cast a quick glance in her direction and spoke only the
word "Later" before disappearing once again into the darkness.
 
Enadyse had known Lura was in trouble and how to react. Lura had known
Enadyse had known, and didn't worry for an instant. Was this the Call?
She reached out and could feel Tam springing off of Eloren's shoulders
towards another soldier that Kyrun had just now pushed into her path.
They were linked together so elegantly that they were fighting almost
like a single entity. If one needed help, another knew and could respond
in the most efficient way to end the threat. What's more, Lura could
sense how many innocents her packmates had slain. None. As savage as
they were, as much as the humans may fear them, there was never a moment
where any of them were in any danger whatsoever. Lura realized there
was only a single one of the intruders left standing. She knew this
because her pack knew this.
Lura glanced to her left and saw the last man left standing. She gave a
short prayer to the gods of her father that it would be Graadig. Instead
it was another nameless murderer, another man who was not happy unless
he was deconstructing something beautiful that he didn't have the
capacity to build. He made no move to flee or to attack. His eyes were
blank and uncaring. He knew his time was at an end and apparently saw no
reason to delay the inevitable.
 
Enadyse appeared in a flash, but slowed just before tearing the man
apart. She looked at Lura and nodded in encouragement. She had the look
on her face of a loving parent encouraging their child to take its first
step, or a hen teaching her chicks how to paw at the ground for food.
With a swipe of Lura's claws, the man's head sailed through the air and
landed in a tub of spoiled milk, turning it from yellow-white to a
sickening pink. All around her a chorus of howls rose up into the sky as
the earth drank deep of their sanguine tribute.
Lura couldn't help but think to herself that she now belonged to a very strange family.
* * *
It had taken longer to search what remained of the village than it had
to reclaim it. Lamyra was nowhere to be found; neither was Graadig. The
former discovery was a mercy, the latter one a catalyst for Lura's rage.
He was gone, and he had taken her friend with her.
"This is a trap. Of course this is a trap." Kyrun looked at his brother
and sisters expectantly, hoping somebody besides him would admit to
possessing a shred of reason. "This is a trap and we're not going to
rush headlong into it, because it's a trap and you don't rush headlong
into traps. That's commonly agreed upon as being a bad idea. Right?"
 
For the first time in a week, Enadyse seemed herself again. "Lura ... He's
right. He wants us to follow him. The Mother only knows why but it
can't be good for us, and the second he sees us about to attack he's
going to kill your friend. She'd be dead on the spot. She may even be
dead now."
Lura's flashed momentarily flashed defiant hatred as she looked into her
alpha's eyes before she realized what a mistake she was about to make.
"I'm going. I don't care what he plans to do, I'm not leaving her
behind. Not in the hands of the Butcher."
Lura felt Tam's paw touch her shoulder, slowly and with more than a
little trepidation. "If you're going, we're going. But Kyrun's right, we
need to take this more carefully. We tore through these bastards
easily, but they weren't expecting us. The Butcher is, and he has your
friend as a hostage."
"So how do we do this?" Eloren's voice actually startled Lura. His voice
had always been booming. Now it seemed like it was as if an avalanche
were speaking.
Enadyse sighed. "It will need to be clever, but it will need to be
quick. We can't delay any more than necessary. Kyrun? Suggestions?"
 
Kyrun pointed towards the side of a barn. "Well, we should probably factor that into any strategy."
"Oh gods, no." Tam fell to her knees and began to sob. Eloren went over
to her, a mountain seeking to comfort a mouse. Enadyse said something in
a language Lura did not understand. She had the feeling that in this
particular case she didn't want to.
Lura finally turned to look. The word "Hello!" was written on the side
of a barn in yellow paint. Underneath it was a note, which Kyrun gently
extracted from where it hung from a single nail. Underneath that was the
sight that had Tam sobbing.
There were six of them. All children, all girls, all around Lamyra's
age. That must have been deliberate. Message sent, message received.
Lura supposed the number itself wasn't significant. If there had been
any other children that matched these criteria, they would be laying
here too. All of them had dark rings round their neck. For a brief
moment Lura wondered if the tree from which they had been hanged was one
she had climbed when she was their age. Streaks of black earth covered
their mouths, and their cheeks were bulging. Lura prayed that part had
come after they were already gone.
 
Finally, Kyrun passed her the note.Hello!
I'm sure this has been a merry little adventure for the lot of you, but
I'd like to ask for a moment of your consideration. Yes, I knew you'd
be here. Yes, I knew you'd see this. Yes, it is a bit grandiose, but we
all have our little indulgences. And yes, I knew this would provoke a
certain reaction from you. I've done this all so many times over the
years that I'm rather tired of the cat and mouse play, so let's just cut
to the quick, shall we? You are all angry little beasties and I have no
chance of evading you, not at my age. Now then! We're all on the same
page here---and this little marvel notwithstanding I'm so tired of
theatrics. It's all rather dull and I have a hard time coming up a
reason to try anything new these days, but I have a feeling this
panorama did its job. You will do me the honor of hosting your company
at the ruined fort due west from this tranquil hamlet. Upon reaching it,
I will exchange the company of my dear Lamyra---such a pretty name!--for
Lura, the only daughter of my old friend Darden. This exchange of
guests complete, we will bid each other a fond farewell and retire for
the night. I do so hope you will accept this invitation, and I do know
that Lamyra wishes that as well.
 
Gratefully yours,
G
P.S. - Again, I apologize for this display, but I feel that I have a harder time getting my point across these days.
P.P.S. - That may be due to how much harder people are to impress now, what with the world ending and all.
P.P.P.S. - Or maybe I'm just getting worse at these things in my old age. It was certainly easier when I was a young man.
Lura let the letter fall to the ground. She turned to look at Enadyse.
"I'm going," she said, no hint of emotion in her words. "I'm going now."
Enadyse nodded, and turned with a sad look in her eyes to lead the way
into the west, pushing through a hedge of brambles as she went.
* * *
Lura had never expected to find a ruin like this so close to her own
village. She briefly wondered if this had been an outpost of an ancient
kingdom, or a garrison that had been around as recently as the Tear.
Either way, it was an decrepit old structure, eroded by the winds and
rising from the dirt like a headstone of the once-living world.
There were guards posted on the side of the road approaching the ruined
keep. Graadig had no fear---or no regard---for his men. Lura got the
impression that Graadig wanted them to feel that they were being
welcomed as guests to an evening soiree.
 
Still, their valets did not seem entirely welcoming of the part they
were asked to play. They took several steps back, giving the four
Gahreer a wide berth as they approached. Hands tightened around pikes or
went instinctively to the pommels of swords. Lura wanted to kill every
one of them, and knew that Tam's hand on his shoulder was the only thing
preventing Eloren from doing just that.
As they came nearer to the front entrance several men---surely the
bravest among them---stepped forward to bar the way. Both parties
realized it was a purely symbolic gesture and would serve about as much
of a deterrent as trying to keep the ocean waves from assault the shore.
From above them, a man cleared his throat and shuffled forward onto a
balcony above them, pulling with him a young girl bound at the wrists.
It took Lura a moment to realize this was the man she had spent her
entire life hating. She had always pictured someone standing seven feet
tall, with long flowing black hair clad all in some mail forged in the
darkest depths of some unknown hell. Instead, Graadig was of average
height, skinny, with gray balding hair and the kindest eyes she had ever
seen. Lura had never known either of her grandfathers, but had the
feeling they would have probably looked very much like the man before
her.
 
Lamyra appeared just as she had the last time Lura had seen her fleeing
from her doorstep. Her eyes were red from what must have been over a
week of crying, or perhaps they were just tired and ready to get the
next stage of this nightmare over with. She had a few bruises,
particularly around her wrists from where she must have tried to slip
them from the ropes that bound them together. Perhaps the worst change
to have come over the young girl was the frightened look in her eyes as
she watched the five monsters approach, realizing as she must that one
of them was her "big sister." She looked from beast to beast until Lura
finally spoke up.
"It's okay, pup."
Upon hearing the nickname, Lamyra began to weep and buried her face
against Graadig's leg, seeking comfort from the man they called the
Butcher rather than face what her best friend had become.
Graadig smiled at this exchange, but continued on with the farce he must
have practiced countless times since leaving the village. "Yes, that's
quite a sight, isn't it, little one? Darden's dearest has certainly
taken up a rather unusual ... occupation? My condolences to your mother,
Lura love. No child should be without her loving mother, right Lamyra?"
Here he chuckled. "Although I suppose it wouldn't have made much of a
difference when she passed on, what with the ghastly little business at
the village."
 
"The village that you destroyed?" answered Enadyse. "The village that you murdered?"
"That is the one I was referring to, yes."
Lura stepped forward in front of her alpha. "I'm here. Let her go. Now."
Graadig frowned. "Making demands on a host? Rather bad manners I must
say, though I'm not too surprised. Darden was always off on adventures
with Traitors and Butchers instead of at home instructing his daughter
in the ways of good manners." Here he sighed. "Okay, enough of this. I
had this whole bit planned. 'I'm the humble host, you're the slavering
beasts I'm gracious enough to have over for dinner.' It was good, don't
get me wrong, I'm just a bit tired of going through something so ...
droll. I was even going to have a ..." He paused, chuckling. "Anyott,
remember the tablecloth? How we were going to-- We were going to have a
tablecloth spread out, like this was a picnic or something. But the only
thing we had was a tent, and it's yellow and dirty and I didn't think
you'd get the impression I was hoping for. So, yes, that's what we were
going for anyway. But I guess I'm the only one who would've be amused
and I'm just not feeling it today. I'm too tired and too old."
 
Enadyse's voice cut through the old man's ramblings. "If you're prepared
to speak plainly, kindly do so. We have no more wish to prolong this
than you do. Kindly deliver the girl so we can make the exchange, before
I grow tired of this and tear more of your men apart."
"Ah, a lady alpha?" Graadig seemed genuinely surprised. "How very
progressive in these dark times! I do hope the boys back at the village
weren't too much of a bother."
"Not at all. We disposed of them easily."
"Ah, well then! They did their jobs perfectly after all! Were you the
alpha Darden spoke of? He never mentioned you were a woman."
"I was not alpha when he visited us, but I now have that honor."
"A promotion due to recently vacant management. You'd do well in the
army, m'lady, that you would. Ah me, getting off on a tangent again.
Sorry. I had planned on speaking with Lura alone, but perhaps you'd like
to accompany us as well. What do you think, Lamyra honey?"
Enadyse glanced in Lura's direction. Through the Call she could feel her
alpha realizing Graadig may now be giving them the opportunity they
were looking for. "I will come 'picnic' with you, Butcher. But first
release the child."
 
"No, I'm afraid I'm not so stupid as that, m'lady. The two of you first,
then I'll entrust Lamyra's care into the hands---paws?---of your strange
little family. And perhaps you'd like to slip into something more
comfortable for our repast? Say, a form not covered in hair and pointy
extremities?"
Enadyse nodded towards Lura and together they walked into the keep,
changing as they went. They bodies shrunk, their fur retreated. By the
time they reached to top of the stairs leading to the balcony, Enadyse
had shifted fully into her human form. Lura, unable to completely
abandon her fear and anger, could only shift partway. She was still
covered in hair, her muscles more pronounced, her fangs and claws
tapering to deadly points.
"We're here, Butcher."
"I meant what I said about slipping into something more comfortable."
Graadig motioned towards two simple garments held aloft by two of his
men. My men have not seen women as lovely as the pair of you in a very
long time, and I'd imagine you'd like to be offered some modicum of
modesty."
 
Lura took the offered garment with some uncertainty, fearing it may be
laced with poison or perhaps contain some venomous asp. Instead it was a
plain white tunic, only slightly dirtied by the blowing sand. Enadyse
only glanced at the clothing offered to her. "I have no use for modesty
in my old age, and should one of your servants be so inclined to act on
their impulses you will have one fewer at your disposal." She sat at the
table without being asked to.
Graadig smiled. "My lady, meeting you makes me long for the days when I
was young and in my prime. Those happy days before I had a wall covered
in the pelts of your brothers and sisters."
At this, Lura took a step forward bearing her fangs, her claws beginning to grow just a bit longer.
"Now now, you're quite right, Lura. I must remember my manners. Now,
alpha dear, would you be so kind as to instruct the rest of your 'pack'
to return to the village? Anyott here and some of my men will accompany
you, along with my dear friend Lamyra. At a reasonable distance, of
course. Should your two friends wish to engage with Lamyra's escort in
any way, they may find that my men have been ordered to open her throat
at the slightest provocation. Do you understand?"
 
Enadyse nodded. She rose to her feet and walked to the edge of the
balcony, nodding towards Tam and Eloren below. "Go. They will follow.
Once you are at the village and the girl is safe, find us again." She
looked over to Graadig. "As long as that is in keeping with our hosts
wishes?"
"Quite so!"
Tam and Eloren reluctantly turned and went. Lura had the feeling she would never see either of them again.
Enadyse took her seat again, and Graadig walked to Lamyra and the man
Lura assumed was Anyott. Graadig went to crouch, winced at the pain in
his knees, and decided to take a seat instead. He motioned Lamyra
forward, patting at his leg as if he expected the girl to sit in his
lap. Lura gripped her fists so tightly she felt blood run from her
palms. Anyott shoved her towards his master.
"Now my dear, it's time for us to say goodbye. All good things must come
to an end, but perhaps we'll meet again in the new world I will soon be
fashioning. In fact, when I'm a god maybe I'll let you by the queen of
this pitiful little continent. Would you like that? Queen of dead cows
and burned homes, hm? Give us a kiss."
 
Here the old man embraced Lamyra and planted a kiss upon her forehead.
It was a strangely genuine scene. For one sad moment, Lura realized that
in his own way Graadig was showing affecting in the only way his warped
mind knew how. Lamyra, now released from the embrace, was ushered
towards the stairs by her captor. She stopped just before passing Lura.
"It's ... It's really you in there, isn't it?"
Lura could only nod.
"You look weird, and you smell weirder. I hope maybe someday you can
tell me what happened. With the cows, and with this." She motioned
towards Lura's clawed hands.
"I will. One day, we'll talk about all of this, pup. We'll talk about
all of this and I'll take you someplace where you don't have to be
around monsters like him. Or me."
Tears welled in the young girl's eyes. "You're not a monster. You're a
shit." Lamyra hugged her much bigger big sister. Anyott allowed the two
friends a moment before he pulled on the back of Lamyra's collar,
ushering her down the stairs. Lamyra called back to Lura as she was
carried down the stairs. "You promised to come back! You promised!"
 
"I promised, pup!" Lura called out "I will come back."
Enadyse placed her hands on Lura's shoulders. "We'll find her. As soon
as she's safe, the others will come back for us." Lura knew what Enadyse
meant by the word "others." She meant Tam and Eloren, true. But Kyrun
had silently slipped away from the group before they had reached the
fort. He would stay behind, and the instant an opportunity arose, he
would free them. "They have no idea what they're doing. Nothing they do
can keep us restrained for long."
As if on cue, Lura's hands were enveloped in cold flame as two men
stepped forward and slapped sliver shackles on the wrists of both
Gahreer. The pain was bad, but not so intense as to keep Enadyse from
letting out a single word. "Whoops."
* * *
Lura and Enadyse were forced into the back of a wagon. At least, Lura
assumed it was a wagon. Her captors had slipped black sacks over their
faces the moment after the silver manacles were clasped around their
wrists. The shackles were not enough to cause intense pain as long as
they didn't try to transform, only a lingering ache that annoyed more
than it hurt. Enadyse would often try to say something encouraging, only
for one of Graadig's men to hit her on the back of the head with
something. Eventually the two rode in silence, the Call between them
enough to reassure and share whatever opportunity to escape would
eventually arise.
 
After what Lura figured was a day of riding, the hoods were finally
removed and the two were allowed to stumble out of the cart. Lura
realized they were standing in the middle of a forest, though one much
more like the forests of her youth than the paradise that had become her
new home. In another bit of familiar irony, they were ushered towards a
run down shack very much like the one in which Lura had grown up.
Upon crossing the meager threshold, Lura and Enadyse were shoved roughly
onto the floor. The pain in her wrists intensified as she hit the
ground hard. She looked up into the kindly face of the monster Lura had
spent her life wanting to kill.
"Good to have you here, ladies. Harak, Beshu, you can close the door behind you."
Graadig paused as his men shuffled outside, eager to be away from their master.
"I believe you'll be happy to learn that our time together is almost at
an end. I regret not having the opportunity to get to know Darden's
daughter and ... associate." Here he nodded towards Enadyse. "But time is
of the essence, and I'm eager to become a god, so I'll cut right to the
point of our little gathering. It's been a long, long road for me and
I'm eager to get started, but during this most critical sequence I
believe it is all the more important to be a thorough as possible.
 
"Did you know that's why the Master always favored me, above all his
other loyal soldiers? Thoroughness. The job is not done until it is
done. My father used to say that. I doubt he ever thought the saying
would apply to his son achieving divinity, but it's a lesson I have
tried to employ all the days of my long life." He paced behind a small
table in the middle of the shack. "The Traitor---or whatever his name
really was---sent me to lead his armies to every corner of the world, all
for this." Here he lifted four small sacks, allowing each one to slam
heavily back into the tabletop.
"Dirt. Not exactly the most regal of endeavors, but it's what he wanted
and so it's what he got. Soil from every corner of the world."
Oh gods, Lura thought. He's ready to do it. He's ready to do it right now. Tonight. He's going to cause another Tear.
"When I saw dear daddy Darden was getting a bit too close to the master,
I felt it might be a good a time as any to ... divest him from our
benefactor. I crammed the earth's rich bounty down his throat after
beating him half to death with a stovepipe."
 
Lura didn't flinch. The disappointment was plainly visible on Graadig's features.
"Ah. I see you knew about that then. The 'how', but maybe not the 'why'? Why did I kill daddy, Lura?"
"Because you're a sadist who was afraid your master was valuing my father's input over your own."
"That's ... not entirely inaccurate, my dear, on both accounts. Your
father felt that we could reach out to the Blind Ones, take their hands
and usher a part of them into the world. Give a will to those without a
will of their own, use that power to shape the world for the better. The
man was a fool. You really should be thanking me for putting in the
ground, my dear, you're very much better off without him. 'Will' is
something the Blind Ones don't understand. You might as well ask a tiger
what it thinks about economics ... or a werewolf how it feels about
proper dining etiquette."
He sighed, disappointed again at being unable to get the ire of either of them.
"No. The Blind Ones truly know one thing only. Power. They have no will,
they have no thought ... but they do have power. Power to tear the world
apart as easily as you would tear a page from a book. Power to reshape
the world. To mold it into the way things are supposed to be, the only
way it can be. One man, one voice, one
vision. Without order, without thoroughness, you get what we have here
today: a world devoid of meaning or ambition. Even as it takes its last
dying breath, it still doesn't know what it wants, how it wants to live,
who it wants to follow. It's drowning and it doesn't even see the hand
being offered to pull it to salvation."
 
Enadyse spoke up for the first time since entering the shack. "You are completely, irrevocably, unquestionably insane."
"Yes, so they tell me. Darden said the same about me, even as I said the same about him."
"And that's why you killed him? A conflict of interest? Men like you
can't see reason, can't come to amiable terms over disagreements. Men
like you--humans like you---only care
about getting your own way, no matter the costs. The Tear did many
horrible things, but more and more each day I realize that ridding the
Mother of most of your race may have been one of the best things to
happen to this world."
Graadig laughed as he looked at Lura and motioned towards her alpha. "And people say I'm a bad guy?"
"You are," Lura answered. "You are a monster and you killed my father
because he threatened to sway your master in a direction you couldn't
stand. Paradise with the rule of the living gods to direct it? You
wouldn't know what to do in a world without misery. So you killed the
only good man in the Traitor's army at the expense of the entire world."
 
Graadig turned in revulsion and spit on the ground. "Good man? My dear,
Darden was many things in his life. A prick, first and foremost. A
father so devoted to his wife and daughter that he left them to die in
squalor. A know-it-all who didn't know his place, even when it would
cost him his life. But a good man? My love, Darden was not a good man. I
should know! I've killed lots and lots of good men. You get a tingly
feeling at the back of your mind when you do. Conscience? Satisfaction? I
never could tell the difference, really."
"Shut your mouth, bastard!"
Graadig fought off a laughing fit. "I mean, do you think that's how he
got to be the Traitor's own right hand? Handing out daisies to children
and giving up his seat to old women? The things I saw him do, dear girl,
would keep you awake at night. Nine hells, the man gave me the
inspiration for some of my best work. Remember the barn? I've seen your
father kill more men in a day than I have hairs left on my head. Women.
Children. It didn't matter to him in the slightest, just as long as he
could user in this glorious new world. 'Any price is worth paying,' he
said. 'They would thank us if they knew what we were doing for them.'
He'd say the same boring thing over and over, even as he was dragging a
knife through a man's throat. Part of me believes the master sent me on
raids so often because he knew I'd leave more men alive than
dear-old-dad. For the gods' sake, people think I'm a monster? Your
father killed anyone who might stand in the way of creating the master's
paradise. He was the real monster. I just want to rule the world. At
least I'm honest."
 
"Every word you spit out is a lie!" It has to be, Lura thought. It has to be.
Graadig shook his head. He looked at Lura incredulously, as if he had
suddenly discovered he was talking to a deluded child. "For the daughter
of such a smart man, you truly are quite dense. The apple fell a good
bit far from the tree this time, eh?" He walked towards the two women,
pulling something from his belt and concealing it in his cloak.
"So. Time to be thorough. I know about the soil, I know about the blood
of an old woman, I know the silly little words I have to recite. I even
hired a scholar to make sure I had the right vernacular. Have to make
sure to pronounce the word 'power' so that they can understand. They're
blind, not deaf, after all. But just to be extra thorough ..."
He held forward a device Lura felt couldn't have been made on this
world. It resembled a dagger with a pronged blade and a ring of several
other blades encircling the center. He gave an eager little flick at the
handle, and the blades started spinning, the prongs in one direction,
the ring of knives in another.
 
"This obscure little wonder took quite a deal of work to find, but I
always knew I'd find a use for it one day. It was made to torture mean
little doggies such as yourselves. Werewolf hunts aren't a new thing, my
dear, they were around long before the Tear. Quite a novel device, this
one. The ring on the outside keeps spinning as long as you keep feeding
it blood. Werewolf blood. And there is always so much of it. Your lot
always heal so quickly it's hard to chop something off before it grows
back again. And so some bright lad invented this. It spins and cuts. You
bleed and heal. One feeds on the other and around and around we go. I'm
told it can take days for it to kill one of you. Fortunately if pressed
into the heart or skull it speeds the process up a good bit. Hard for a
heart to grow back together when it's being torn to pieces over and
over again.
"And so that's what we're going to have here. I brought the blood of an
old woman, of course, but what would fit the bill more than the blood of
an ancient alpha female. I stab this into her and it'll get the Blind
Ones attention more than anything I could have hoped for."
 
"Lura ..." Enadyse seemed more concerned with making sure her daughter was okay than the threat of her own death.
"Except ... Well, as is usual when dealing with anything relating to
Darden, I have a feeling I'm about to be disappointed. I was all set to
torture your new mommy here until you told me anything I might not know
about the ritual. Anything your father may have left aside from that
little note of his. But speaking with you has made it quite apparent
that there's nothing you know that I don't, correct? I've spent an awful
lot of time torturing the ignorant in hopes that they might be able to
reveal something unexpected. It's boring work, and usually fruitless in
the end. And I've gotten very good at it over the years, good enough to
realize when I'd be wasting my time and yours. So I'll ask plainly, and
I'll know if you're lying. If you are, I'll kill her first, then you
shortly after. If you speak the truth, well ... this doesn't have to be an
entirely one-way exchange, you know. A god needs followers, otherwise
what would be the point? I'm sure I'll still need people to manage
logistics, enforce laws, dispense justice. You two could do very well
for yourselves, my lovelies. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. I
will ask a series of questions. You will answer truthfully."
 
Lura gave no response until Graadig spun the handle of the device and held it above Enadyse.
"Yes! Yes, whatever you want to know."
"There's a good girl. Is there anything you know about the ritual outside of the note daddy left you?"
"No!"
"Good. Do you have any reason to believe your mother knew anything about it?"
"No! She knew nothing about it. I read every one of my father's letters.
The one you saw was the only one that mentioned the ritual at all."
"You are an absolute joy to interrogate. Final question: Do you have any
knowledge of anyone else who may have any further insight into the
ritual. Anyone at all, now. We must remember to be thorough. Anyone?"
"Of course not!"
Graadig pressed his thumb against the handle and the blade stopped
spinning. "Never before have I been so delighted and so disappointed in
equal measure. My dear, I thank you from the deepest reaches of my
heart, both for your knowledge---or lack thereof---and for allowing me the
pleasure of your company. I thank you for your honesty and know that in
the next life your mother will come to appreciate what you've done here
today, though I'm sure she very much doesn't agree just this moment."
 
"My mother is dead, you son of a bitch."
"Well one is, yes. I was talking about this one. But who am I to disagree?"
The Butcher raised the device over his head. He flicked the handle,
causing it to spin violently before plunging it down directly into
Enadyse's heart.
Lura screamed. Enadyse screamed. Graadig continued his relentless
rambling, but no one in the room could hear. Blood sprayed from
Enadyse's chest. It covered the ground, the ceiling, the walls. It
covered Lura and the now-laughing madman. Lura felt her body begin to
change, only to be feel the icy sting of the silver press into her
growing wrists. In her agony, Enadyse looked at her youngest daughter
and tried to speak but her words died in her throat. Lura heard the door
open and felt herself being lifted to her knees by rough hands as the
bag was forced over her head again. The last thing she saw was Enadyse's
face, a smile on her lips despite the agony as the life slowly left her
eyes. Lura felt a sharp pain on the back of her head, and she knew no
more.

Source: https://sofurry.com/view/1186700