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Hejira: Sanguine Wave

By Mantrid Brizon

Episode 36: All In The Past

Wandering through the wilderness, a tired Faye marches alone, heading south. Cold and hungry, she does her best to carry on and preserve the meager supplies that she has with her. Walking for days, she sleeps beneath trees to shield herself from the rain and wind. She scavenges what wild edibles she can find and eats only when she can no longer stand the discomfort, and when a water source is not nearby. Doing this allows her to stretch her few days of rations for over a week.

She finds a small group, trading what few coins she had stolen from the Blue Feet for more supplies. Repeating this process, her already slender and athletic body began to deteriorate, as did her state of mind. She would often ramble nonsensically, or speak to the sky as if talking to God himself, begging for him to guide her, to show her the way. Running low on supplies for a second time, and with dwindling strength, Faye stumbles across a second group.

The men emerge from a camp of roughly two dozen people who live in semi-permanent wickiups and thick tents. Wearing tattered and rotting clothes, her hourglass frame and broad hips are evident, as are her full, D-cup breasts, the underside of which protrude from her torn top. Gazing lustfully at the woman, the men offered her sanctuary. Before she could be led into the camp, however, they pounced. Pushed down into the ground, she was held by several men as the women simply watched, shooing young children into their homes.

Lying there, weak and helpless, they tore at her clothes, debating who would rape her first. Faye was somehow unafraid or even phased. Suddenly, she saw the look of a little girl who watched on. A rage grew within her as the men succumbed to their animalistic, carnal desires. With her chest to the ground and buttocks in the air, she finally came too, now fully lucid. Before the first man could insert his endowment into her exposed loins, he was violently thrown back.

With what little strength she had, she used an aura shockwave, blasting everyone away from her. Standing up, she looked down to see her pubic hairs and bare legs. Her pants were torn in half and peeled away like a candy bar wrapper.

“The fuck?! I liked these pants!" She growled.

The men looked shocked. An angry assailant takes the nearest weapon into his hands.

“Lie down and take it like a woman, bitch!" He snarls.

Turning to him, she attempts to use her flamethrower, her favorite talent. However, instinctively, her body uses another instead. An orange mist flows from her palm, quickly shrouding the man. Screaming at the top of his lungs, she can feel her body and aura growing stronger as she drains the lifeforce from the man. Dropping him to the ground, shriveled and lifeless, she turns to the others. They all make a wild and unorganized charge. Using the vampiric mist, she paralyzes and absorbs all of them.

“Please don't hurt us! They were not bad men, they were just..." A woman pleads.

“Shut up!" Faye growls, entering a tent.

Other women cry outside, mourning their rapist husbands who lie virtually mummified in the grass. Faye casually steals some clothing, stripping naked before a terrified woman and her young daughter before dressing in the mother's clothes. Turning, she looks at them. She felt something when she killed those men, and she liked it. Their deaths gave her strength and saved her life, but more than that, she fed off of their fear. Their deaths themselves gave her joy, a rush unlike any other.

Her lips curling into a sinister grin, Faye raises her hand to them. Why stop now? There are still so many more lives for her to feed upon, and it's so much fun to do. As she kills the helpless villagers, children included, she remembers her religious upbringing, and feels a tinge of guilt. She is not confused into believing that this is a dream, or a game; she is well aware that lives are ending. However, rationalizing her behavior, she comes to one conclusion: God has granted her this power, so why not use it? She simply needs to find the proper outlet, to kill the right people.

After draining the life from each and every villager, she gathers all of the food and currency that she could carry. It would last her for some time. Wandering through the wilderness and away from the roads, she spent nearly a month by herself. Soon, however, she was back to a starved state, unsure of which direction she was even heading. Walking out of the forest and stumbling upon a road, she collapses onto the ground. Lying there in a state so grievous, most would have assumed her already dead, she waited for the end to come.

However, as if a sign from the Almighty himself, a nomadic tribe approached. Seeing her fall from a distance, they hustled to see who it was. Turning Faye over and onto her back, clawed hands brush her face. Opening her eyes, Faye can see the upside-down face of a Sahvorai woman. Relatively young looking, with all black fur, a short but blocky snout and large black nose, short and rounded ears, jade green eyes and flowing, snow-white hair, the woman smiles warmly at her.

“Well, what do you know! She's still with us!" She calls to unseen people.

“Alright then!" A man says as he kneels beside the bear woman. “We'll camp here for the night. If she lives, we'll take her with us in one of the carts."

Grinning at the him, her eyes narrow and the bear gives the tanned, black haired and bearded human a loving kiss upon his lips. Faye subsequently passes out, too exhausted and weak to even open her eyes. She awakens in a tent some time later, surprised to find a young healer girl taking care of her.

“Where am I?" Faye weakly asks.

“You're alive, and in a camp led by chief Adelram." The human girl replies.

“Who?"

“Adelram. He's the chief of the Silver Teeth, a tribe from the west. That's where we're headed, back home to the west. When you're strong enough to walk, they'd like to see you. Until then, I'll be caring for you, and you'll travel with us by cart." She explains.

Several days pass and the young girl nurses Faye back to health. Men carefully carry her, placing her into the back of a cart each day that they move. They treat her very carefully and with considerable respect. When they stop, they remove her from the cart and place her into the tent where the healer girl would care for her. Throughout the following days, she briefly glimpses two people who look important. The first is a six-foot-tall human who appears to be a tanned Caucasian with strong German or possibly Russian features.

The second seems to always stay beside him; a Sahvorai woman with black fur and white hair. It's the bear woman who she first saw when she was found. It's obvious from their behavior that they're a couple. A few inches shorter than him, at roughly five feet and ten-inches-tall, she has a large bust even more impressive than Faye's, at least DD-cup. Her figure is curvy and voluptuous, with strong arms and legs. Her long white hair is wavy and reaches to her mid-chest.

Unlike the three, somewhat grotesque Sahvorai sisters that wished to devour her and Kelly months earlier, this woman is pleasant and genuinely attractive, even to Faye. After a week of travel, Faye regains the strength to move about on her own, now able to walk short distances from her tent. It is then that she is summoned by the tribe's chieftain. As she expected, the human and black bear woman are the ones residing over the tribe. He introduces himself as Adelram, and the Sahvorai as Padina, his wife.

Seeing at least two, young, bear-like Sahvorai boys who greet them both as their parents, it's clear that they have been together for some time. They ask her point-blank who she is and what happened to her. Faye doesn't hold back. She admits to being the witch, the same one with a bounty on her head and who slaughtered a few towns months earlier. She further reveals visiting the Crystalline Hall, only to learn the truth about the world from Sahvath himself.

Already hearing the stories from the traveling merchants, everyone now knows that Savath is a fallen angel; no one guides their world.

“I see... I've heard of this witch and her powerful aura, the color of flames. If you are who you say, what's to stop us from killing you right now?" Adelram poses.

“Your entire tribe doesn't have the strength, even as weak as I am." Faye replies with a cocky grin.

“Are you so sure about that?" He raises a brow.

“There wasn't much left of you when we found you on that road a week ago." Padina adds.

Faye holds out a hand to her side, choosing the side with nothing beyond their tent. She demonstrates her power by burning a hole through his tent with a 20-foot aura flamethrower, then immediately using a push to blow out the flames and preserve the tent as a whole. With wide eyes, the chieftain and his wife now believe her.

“What are you after? Where are you going?" Adelram asks.

“I don't know... I suppose I'm looking for a purpose." She replies.

“Well, if you'd like, you can stay here with us until you find it." Padina offers.

“Perhaps..." Faye says hesitantly.

“Who knows... Maybe you'll find your purpose here?" Adelram adds.

Shrugging her shoulders, Faye returns to her tent. That night, Adelram lay with his wife in their tent, hastily repaired by his tribe. Lying beneath a hide blanket and holding the nude form of his wife, they cuddle and kiss.

“What's troubling you, my love? Normally we'd be much further than this." Padina asks.

“Just pondering that new girl. Wondering what to do with her. She is worth quite a bit, but we'd probably never succeed in capturing her. She doesn't seem ready to settle down either. I can see it in her eyes." He answers.

“Maybe you should change that?" Padina suggests.

“How, and to what purpose?"

“I don't know, but she would be very useful to us." Padina replies.

“Would she? She's clearly dangerous." Adelram says.

“Exactly. Think for a moment, my love, what we could achieve with her. This 'Faye' is exactly what we need to carry out your vision. We've always believed that Sahvath watched over and cared for us, especially the Sahvorai, whom he gifted. When we learned from the many coming down from the Crystalline Hall, you were devastated."

“Yes, I remember." He sighs sorrowfully.

“You said that it wasn't fair for some to prosper at the expense of others, and how no one ever helped each other. You wished for a grand kingdom that would enforce equality and allow everyone to live happily, hoping that Sahvath would grant this wish. He will not, and we know it. It's not just your dream, my love; why not create our perfect world?" Padina poses.

“With Faye?"

“Yes. With her as our greatest weapon, perhaps we stand a chance?" She says, softly kissing his face.

“Hm... You're right."

“I always am." She grins, her eyes narrowed lustfully.

“How will I get her to join if she doesn't already wish it?" He thinks aloud.

“You could appeal to her, but if you have too, do whatever it takes." His wife says, kissing him and stroking his member beneath the covers.

“Whatever it takes?" He reiterates.

“To a point." She grins.

“That's what I thought."

“Don't ever forget who you really belong to." She coos, sliding atop and straddling him.

“I thought that was the other way around?" He says, taking hold of her ample breasts.

“All wives own their husbands, whether the husband knows it or not." She quips.

The next day, Adelram wanders his camp, watching as the villagers construct semi-permanent wickiups. Having returned to their old homeland in the west, near the coast, they have no plans to travel for some time. Finding Faye sitting alone and looking towards the distant sea, he takes a seat beside her. Sitting silently, they listen to the ambient crashes of the waves against the rocky coast.

“Are you recovering well?" He finally asks.

“Yes."

“Do you plan on staying?"

“Should I?" Faye retorts.

She looks to the chieftain, feeling somewhat guilty for her behavior.

“I'm glad to see that you're doing well." He says.

“I'm sorry. I uh... I never thanked you for helping me. The group I found before you... They weren't so nice." She apologizes.

“It's a sad state that the world is in. I hope they didn't violate you."

“They didn't, but they tried." She admits.

“The world is a very cruel and evil place these days. Perhaps it always was, and we simply chose not to notice? I'm just glad that you're alright, and if you want to stay, you'll be welcomed; you're safe here." He assures her.

As he speaks, something about him reminds her of Gareth. He's warm and gentle, with genuine empathy. She finds it quite endearing, and she feels herself more inclined to live with this Adelram and his people, the Silver Teeth.

“I'm sure I will be." She nods.

“Hopefully it stays that way. So many out there would rape, steal and murder. People cheat and prosper while the weak are abused and the uncaring sit idly by." He begins.

“That's the way of the world." She shrugs.

“It shouldn't be. I used to pray to Sahvath, before we knew that he was not a god, begging him to relent and create a peaceful existence. A place where all could live happily and without fear. Human, Sahvorai. Male, female. Young, old. All deserve a home, a safe haven. If I had the power, I'd create my own safe haven, a place for all."

“And what would you do with this Utopia?" She asks.

“Live."

“It's a nice idea." She murmurs.

“It doesn't have to be just an idea. One day it can be real, if the right people try to make it real." He remarks.

“The problem with your utopia is some people would rather have freedom, living with risk and fear so that they can control their own destiny."

“I'll admit that some sacrifices would need to be made. Not everyone is deserving of utopia, like those who tried to hurt you. Some people don't know what's best for them and need to be told. Some others might not like being told, but it's for a greater good. People need to be willing to do whatever it takes. If they don't, my wife and sons might grow up fearing raiders or slavers. I might die in combat to save my home. You might be attacked again, and the next time they might succeed." He replies.

Faye finds herself somewhat admiring Adelram's boldness and honesty. He speaks from the heart, and it's clear he believes what he's saying.

“Sahvath isn't a god or a great deity. He abdicated and left us to suffer through our lives alone. Someone should act to try and make this world a better place, and if it isn't going to be him, then it might as well be me." He continues.

“And if it's not you?" She asks.

“Then it'll be someone else. Have a good day, Faye, and thank you for listening."

With that, he takes his leave. That night, Faye wrestles with his words. Adelram was so passionate and sincere, yet he leads only a small group. As she lay on her bedroll, listening to the distant waves, she holds up her hand and looks at her palm. Perhaps the Silver Teeth was the answer to her month's long prayer? Perhaps she was sent there to help Adelram? Perhaps it's her destiny to build a utopia? With her power, she could easily wipe out his entire tribe. Why no use her aura properly?

Faye formulates a plan. Not only would she be doing good, she'd also be enjoying herself; she cannot help but enjoy killing, and the power she wields. At least this way it wouldn't be wholly destructive; it would serve a purpose. The next morning, she seeks an audience with Adelram. Standing before him and his wife, Padina, Faye begins to speak.

“I'd like to join the Silver Teeth."

“Of course!" Adelram exclaims.

“May I also make a request?" She asks.

“You may." He nods.

“I'd like your permission to aid the Silver Teeth. I volunteer my skills as a warrior."

“Accepted." Adelram replies.

He is silently amazed by how quickly she turned around.

“Thank you." Faye bows her head. “I both admire and share your vision, and I'd like to see it through. I hope that, as your warrior, you would form scout parties to send to the nearby tribes. If you do, I'd like to join the first one."

Padina glances to her husband, and he glances back. Neither can believe how readily Faye is offering to fight for Adelram's utopia. Though unexpected, it's welcomed.

“I will, and you'll lead them." He assures her.

“Thank you, sir! I won't fail you!" Faye chirps.

Taking her leave, they wait for a moment, sitting in a shocked daze. Padina leans over, resting her chin on her husband's shoulder.

“And all you did was speak to her?" She asks.

“Yes." He looks to her. “... I swear, that's all I did."

“Huh... Well that's good." She says, resting a hand on his face. “Because I don't like sharing."

Only two days later, Faye leads a scout party on their first mission. Approaching a small but wealthy tribe, they meet the group. Outnumbered but unafraid, they are more curious than anything. Standing before their leader in the center of their village, she makes a very blunt and simple statement.

“I'm Faye of the Silver Teeth. You have two choices. Join us and serve king Adelram, or die."

They laugh at the offer, amused by her boldness. Without hesitation, Faye aims an empty hand toward their chieftain, using a concentrated push. Throwing him twenty feet away, he slams into a tree and breaks most of his bones. With her other hand engulfed in her trademark flames, the warriors drop their weapons and the women and children quake with fear. Even her own men are shocked and appalled. As powerful as she is, however, they cannot oppose her.

Raiding the village for valuables and then burning it down herself, Faye set the stage for Adelram's campaign. Returning to her king, he was initially torn by her actions, but seeing the results erased all doubt, and empathy. So long as his dream is carried out and his family can prosper, all others be damned. Village after village Faye conquers them, preventing any from sending word to others and assimilating them whole. For well over a year this continued until the entire western half of the continent was Silver Teeth territory.

Having proved herself, general Faye, Adelram's right-hand and most loyal servant, led a platoon of scouts toward the north. It was her suggestion, having spent much time there and knowing how sparsely populated and easily conquered it would be. With any lucky at all, she'll be able to convert her friends to the cause, and if she can't, she'll simply kill them. It's all for the greater good.