Monday, June 29, 2015

City of Curses: Iron Justice 4 (Short Story)

Alright then.  Part 4 of this short story in #Crux, City of Curses.  Three friends run into trouble, especially when it involves an angry giant and more.  However, things are not what they seem...

If you are enjoying this story, let me know!  Always glad to hear any feedback! :D


Part 1 (Lily) | Part 2 (Odward) | Part 3 (Nalli) | Part 5 (Qorg)

Zhames
"Pet.  She'll pay for all of that.  They all kept calling me... Ugh."  I tried not to trip over a chimney.
 The weight of the q'ak didn't slow me down like she'd intended.

Pet.  Even her servants called me that.  It was infuriating.  Worse, having to thank those from outside the family.  Embarassing.  Having to thank some of those Scarless, who didn't understand.

I needed to go back to find her.  Qorg wouldn't finish me off.  I would find the Spice Khan and make her pay for how horribly she embarrassed me.  A chain.  A CHAIN.

"That Sand Giant refused me, chained me and then dared to call me Pet."  I spat in disgust at that.  "How dare she judge...  How?"

I kept going back toward the docks.  I struggled to keep the wolf in me.  It wanted to come out, to rage.  Memories haunted my mind, fueling the rage.

"Damn you.  Damn you and all you tempt me with."

I remembered the embarrassments.  My town, my life before the Spice Khan entered into it.  I ruled it, my strength guiding them.  Sometimes I had been forced to do things, horrible things to protect my people.  All that blood and pain had been worth it.  Necessary.

Raria.  I loved her.  She betrayed me.  I would find her.  She thought she could turn to the Spice Khan.  Raria, the beauty.  The jewel of the desert I love above all others.  I gave her a pedestal.

I made her a home.  I paid for her safety and security.  I sacrificed for it.

"Raria."  I growled.  "You betrayed me to the Khan.  Once I deal with her, I will show you the price of my love."

The Spice Khan's janissaries came to my town.  My town.  They came at night, and they used trickery to subdue me.  They bound me to the q'ak and hexcollar.

My rage flared as I remembered the Spice Khan's condescending glare.  Of how she and Raria collared me.  The Hexcollar put the Wolf in charge.  My wolf side emerged, trapping me in a animal form.  My mind held aside while the wolf remained on the outside.

The wolf couldn't think.  It didn't understand how the q'ak held it back.  Heavy, most couldn't carry it along.  But the Spice Khan had bounded it with prison energy.  Without hands, without my mind in charge, the Wolf couldn't move the q'ak at all.

I couldn't risk letting it in charge.  If I even shifted a little into my wolf form, it wouldn't matter how scarred I was.  I would lose focus.  The q'ak would trap me where I stood.

"Raria.  The Khan."  I repeated the words.  I didn't let the rage control me.  I kept it cold.

Soon I would find my way back to the Spice Khan  Revenge.  I would have my revenge.  I would make Raria and the sand giant pay.  "Pet.  Trap me as a animal and call me pet."

I winced at the memories of the months chained.  The scraps thrown I'd chase after.  The laughter.  They laughed at me.  Talked down to me, while I was trapped in that form.  Everyday.

"I will teach you a lesson for that.  Cruelty sometimes is necessary, Raria.  Even cruelty to those you love."

*X*X*X*

I dropped down from a rooftop.  The salty air of the port greeted me.  I gazed out to the docks.  Between the smoke of Crux and the busy streets I could make out the large shape of the Spice Khan's barge.

"The key.  I need to find the keys for this q'ak first." I told myself.  I steeled myself.

Then things grew complicated.

"What's a q'ak?"  I froze.  It was that tiefling's voice.  My head spun around.  The tiefling stood there, in her lilac dress.  It still was stained with blood.

"What?"

"I asked you, what's a q'ak?"  She repeated.  The tiefling moved with grace.  Beauty.  Clearly she was used to others listening to her.

Somehow she'd caught up me.  How?

"You-"  I paused.  "Leave me be.  This doesn't concern someone scarless like you."

She cocked an eyebrow.  "I helped you escape Qorg.  Don't you owe me something?"

Her tone made me pause.  Tender.  Sweet.  I paused for a moment, listening to her.

The q'ak hit the ground with a loud clang.  Its spell reignited.  My mind had lost focus.  Trapping me to that spot.  I growled and slashed at the tiefling woman.  She'd cast a spell on my mind.  She tried to charm me.  I lost control over my rage.  I let it go.

I had been kind allowing her to help me earlier.  Clearly this woman needed to learn her place.  I had the wolf.  I had strength.  She would learn to respect my power.

"How dare- do you know who I am?"  My arm lengthened into claws.  I would taste this woman's flesh.  This scarless pretty woman would learn her place.

She sidestepped me.  Then the white-haired dhampir appeared.  His fist struck me hard in the face.  I remembered the cage tattoo on his forehead.  He held me to the ground.  I tried to shift, to let the wolf out.

But the tiefling, her spell still haunted in my mind.  I tried to unleash the wolf.  But my mind felt more like wet putty.

"Sleep."  The beautiful tiefling in the lilac dress whispered.  My mind succumbed.

My vision blurred.  Everything went to black.

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