Legends of Belariath
Salina Kyle
The Kiss of the Nightflyer - Part Three
In the darkness of my cell I wept bitter tears. My friends were in the greatest of danger and it was entirely my fault. If I hadn’t gone with the girl none of this would’ve happen. I put my ‘duties’ before the lives of those who’d stood by me when my life was in danger. They’d protected me from the centaurs at risk to themselves. Xenex had risked himself to fight with me when my ‘duties’ called me to defend a man who’d wanted to buy me as a freak to show for gold. Basal had faced the rage of the centaurs to bring me to my parents’ home where I could’ve become human saving my friends from the torture that awaited them.
“But I’m a Lady’s child,” I whispered to the dark voices tormenting me. “I have to help any who come to me… It’s my duty as a child of the Lady of Light… and I won’t go back on my vows…” Dark laughter surrounded me, hands stroking my wet cheek. I leapt to my feet calling up a circle of protection.
“You’re very strong, Lady’s child,” a sinister female voice hissed at me from all around.
“Nightflyer,” I growled, reaching for my blessed staff which was gone. The hands came forward to try to touch my breasts but were forced back by the Lady’s protection.
“Very strong… for all the good it’ll do you,” the she-demon hissed. “I can see why the fool human wants you… Your piety and innocence are delectable… if I were an incubus… Anyway, I came to see what was giving him so much amusement.”
“He… Richard doesn’t know the truth about why you’re helping him,” I growled, trying to sense the creature’s exact location so I could attack. “He doesn’t know you’re preparing to reproduce…”
“So you know…” Her voice caressed my face in the darkness.
“Yes, I know what you’re really doing,” I said, moving around cautiously. “Richard doesn’t know if you bring another Nightflyer into being the two of you will gut this city and every male in it…” Her laughter rang out nearly drowning me in its evil cackle.
“Do you think he’ll believe you if you tell him, Lady’s child?” she hissed, the darkness looking just a bit deeper to my left. Trying not to let her know I could see her, I made as though to go the other way.
“I’ll find a way to convince him,” I growled, my hands coming up in front of me. I sent out a bolt of holy light striking the creature. Crying out in pain, she writhed for a moment before disappearing complete.
“I will take one of those dear to you,” the creature hissed from the blackness. “Will it be the one you love or one of the others? I’ll make all three of them suffer greatly before granting them death…” Her laughter echoed through the cell. I sank back down to my knees in prayer for my dearest friends.
The door opened, Richard striding into the dank chamber, his eyes ablaze with a dark lust. My stomach twisted as I got to my feet to face him.
“You’re going to come with me, wolf-bitch,” he hissed, guards stepping in. “If you try anything the half satyr will suffer greatly. Do you understand me, slave?” Swallowing hard, I nodded my head. My eyes searched his face looking for some sign of humanity but saw nothing other than his inner darkness. In my heart, I doubted I could reach him, but I had to try.
“You must hear me,” I said, as I moved forward. “The she-demon is using you… She plans to reproduce using the energy you’re letting her take… If this happens no male in this city will survive… Even you…” His hand caught my breast in a tight grip to yank me forward.
“I’m so sure,” he mocked, eyes burning into mine. I was forced from the cell taken not far to another cell. He opened the small window in the thick oaken door. I saw Xenex, and Basal. Tag lay on the one low bench, his head tossing back and forth in delirium. The pattern of dark energy surrounding him was strong. She was taking his spirit much faster then her other victims making him suffer. Xenex looked up to see my face.
“Shalla!” he cried, jumping to his feet. “No matter what is threatened you must fight…” Richard dragged me back by my hair, the window snapping shut. I struggled against his hold in my hair until his other hand backhanded me hard enough to send me to my knees.
“Now, wolf-bitch,” he snarled, his eyes black holes of hate. “I’m going to take you as my personal slave… If you try to escape or defy me I’ll take the life of the half satyr in severe torture. Do you understand?” He was going to take me from the dungeon. If he would not listen to me perhaps the Lady of the city might be more willing.
“Yes, I understand,” I said. He slapped my face again making my head spin a little.
“Answer me properly, slave,” he growled. It made my spirit cry out in rage but I had no other choice.
“I understand… Master.” Dragging me to my unsteady feet, Richard shoved me forward to leave the dark halls of the dungeon.
I was taken to a bathing chamber and allowed to clean myself. Richard kept a close watch on me as I washed, his eyes taken by my breasts. My facial fur rippled with a blush as I started to turn away from him.
“I don’t suggest you ever turn your back to me, wolf-bitch,” he hissed. Taking a deep breath, I continued to face him, my hands rubbing the sand soap into my fur. As I came out of the water, a shiver played over my spine, my sharp eyes darted around to see the servant from the Lord’s bedchambers. Her long raven black hair was braided down her slender back. Her face was beautiful in its delicate structure, her eyes somewhat large, dark brown. Points on her ears stuck up from her silky tresses. Her body was slim but with large breasts and shapely thighs. In all, she could turn a man’s head. Our eyes met, her lips twisting into a knowing smile. It was tempting to shake myself off and soak the man but I resisted the urge. I couldn’t risk angering Richard at the moment. A desperate plan came to mind. If I could kill the she-demon I would be able to save Tag and the others. The man stepped forward, his hands reaching out to stroke the under curve of my breasts for a moment. My eyes were over his shoulder looking at the servant girl. She blew me a kiss before disappearing down the hall. Richard’s hand came out to grab a handful of my hair twisting my head, his other hand grabbing my braid of rank.
“I’ve decided,” he said, with a cold grin. “I don’t like this braid… Undo it at once…” My heart froze in horror at the thought of removing my braid of rank. It was a symbol of my love for my Lady.
“Pl-Please, M-Master,” I stammered, my eyes wide in shock. “D-Don’t ask me to…” His eyes were hard glaring into mine. He made a gesture and two guards moved forward to take firm holds on my arms and wrists. He reached up with a dagger and cut the strip of silver dyed leather that was holding my braid. A shudder played over my body as his hands loosened my braid. He caught the beads and feathers I’d used to denote the Lady of Light. With a grin, he tossed these to the floor. Tears ran down my cheeks as I was forced from the room.
I knelt to the side of Richard’s chair as the court ate a meal of scrumptious delicacies. He would occasionally hand me a scrap of food from his plate. At first I’d considered refusing it but logically I needed to keep my strength. My hand came up to touch where my braid of rank should’ve been touching my cheek. It made my heart shiver to feel it gone. My eyes went around the room to see more ladies than lords. I knew my time was growing very short. If the Lord of the city died it’d lead to more suffering on the parts of my dear friends.
“Uncle Richard, where did you find such an unusual beast?” asked a young woman sitting to the left of the city’s Lady.
“I found her traveling with a circus, Crysta,” he said, smiling down at me. “I thought she might be entertaining to have around the court.” My eyes caught Crysta’s for a brief moment. She was probably not more than fourteen or fifteen years old but there was no mistaking the resemblance to the Lady of the city. As our eyes met, I saw a look of sympathy come over a face that showed none of her mother’s cold, haughty nature. It was almost hard to imagine, the young woman could be child to one such a hard woman.
“She’s beautiful… in a strange way,” Crysta said, her hand reaching out to touch my furry cheek. “Can she speak?”
“I can speak,” I said in a soft voice. His hand bit into the back of my neck forcing my head down.
“You will address her as Mistress, slave,” Richard hissed. My eyes glanced up to see compassion in her dark blue eyes.
“She is aware as well,” said Crysta, looking a bit amazed. “It’s all right, uncle…”
“Forgive me, Mistress,” I said, more to appease him. He let go of my neck but I kept my head bent forward. “I can sing as well, Mistress.” Crysta’s eyes went from me to Richard for a moment.
“Is it true?” she asked, her eyes widening a little. “Can she sing, Uncle Richard?” The man glared down at me for several moments before nodding his head.
“I’ve been told the creature sings, Crysta love,” he said, with a glare at me. “I don’t know…”
“I want to hear her sing,” Crysta said, looking at her mother. “Please, mother, I want to hear the wolf creature sing…”
“All right, my dear,” said her mother. The woman looked at Richard a moment. With a reluctant nod, the man ordered me to move to the center of the room to sing. My breath coming in little pants, I closed my eyes a moment in prayer. I chose a ballad about the strength of goodness to overpower evil. My voice echoed through the chamber as all stopped eating and talking to turn to me. My eyes went around the room to see the servant girl glaring at me from the shadows. I looked at Crysta to see a wistful look on her face. My voice rose in strength as the song filled my heart with hope once more. At the end of the song, I lower my head. After a moment of silence, Crysta started clapping joined quickly by others. My eyes went to the Lady of the city but her eyes were cold as ever. My song couldn’t reach the depth of her rage.
“That was incredible,” Crysta sighed, coming over to where I knelt. “I’ve never heard anything like it before…” Richard hurried forward to grab my shoulder in a tight grip.
“Crysta, this creature is devious,” he said, as his hand bit into my shoulder. “She said she could cure your father but couldn’t…”
“I could save him if I found the demoness,” I said in a soft voice, only to be struck by Richard.
“Lying wolf bitch,” he snarled, Crysta’s eyes widened in shock at her uncle’s rage. The man summoned two guards to have me taken from the chamber to his private quarters. Bound and frightened, I struggled against the ropes holding me but to no avail. It wouldn’t be long before the Lord of the city perished. If that happen, there was no telling what would happen to Xenex and the others.
“Not to mention to this city,” I growled, softly. I had to escape these ropes to find the Nightflyer before she gave birth. The door to the chamber opened to allow Richard to enter. My eyes widened at the five-strap whip in his hand.
“Its time you learned your place, slave,” he hissed, as he came toward me. I fought the ropes binding me for several moments.
“Its true,” I said, my eyes going to his. “I could save your brother and this city if you’d let me…”
“Silence,” he hissed, the whip striking out to land across my wolf’s back. “You are nothing now but a slave to my whim. Never will you speak of saving my brother or killing the demoness…” He laid into me with the whip striking my wolf’s back for a while then moving up to strike my other back. My screams echoed through the room and down the hall. At the end of the beating, he tossed the whip aside and dropped his pants. I felt him enter me taking my body hard. It was with some relief that I felt his member throbbing deep in my body. His sigh of contentment turned my stomach. He withdrew from me then walked around to face me.
“I think I shall pay a visit to the half satyr tomorrow,” he said, his hand digging into my hair. “I’ll bring you back a piece of him to prove myself to you…”
“No, Master, Please,” I begged, fearing from my love. “Please, I beg you… don’t hurt him, Master…” Richard laughed as he walked away from me.
“Maybe I shall bring his ear or perhaps his manhood,” said the man as he paused at curtains that led to his sleeping chambers. “Think on it, wolf bitch…” He disappeared into the other room leaving me to weep alone.