The Anari

by Adrianna J Tetnowski

  Kadira was seething. He heaved his sword over his head and brought it down against the assassin; only catching the smallest end of her hair as Ariadna found her feet once more and charged him like the attack had been nothing.

  From a distance, Vinn had been caught in a frenzy of Kanra’s soldiers and it diverted his attention from his precious assassin. He had only just got her back. He would not lose Ariadna again so soon.

  Ariadna moved like the very wind carried her. She ducked as Kadira brought his sword down against her for the last time and then she waited. When the brute’s sword met the stone pavement beneath them instead of flesh, Ariadna switched one of her swords for a dagger, lightning swift, and ran it across Kadira’s face. She watched him fall to one knee. And wasted no time in burying her slim sword into his neck, from the side, until the blade had gone through his flesh and came out the other way.

  Kanra let out a mighty bellow, and he rained curses down on the assassin, as he watched from his horse as his precious pet finally gave in and let loose his last breath. Kadira fell forward on his face, right before Kanra’s very eyes. The dictator felt a new level of rage build up inside him. His blood was boiling and his skin burning. He ripped his black cape off, revealing his own set of scaled armour, and swung himself off his horse.

  “Ariadna!” Troian screamed in unison with around five other men, in time for Kanra Mortier – the Demon Dictator of Vhorgo – to descend on her himself.

  45 –

  Kanra

  The assassin regained herself in time to raise her sword against Kanra as he himself brought his own blade down to meet her. She was shocked by his strength. His blade came crashing down towards her and Ariadna twisted her body to the side in time to avoid being sliced in half as the sheer strength of Kanra’s weapon struck her hard.

  Kanra stumbled as the assassin slipped under his arm, her dagger out again and already dragging against his side. He felt the blade tear the leather beneath his arms and pierce his skin. He was too furious to even let out a bark of pain.

  Ariadna continue to dance around him. Despite how well she was doing against him for now, she had never gone up against a brute as large or strong as him. She turned to face him again, knees bent and the dagger in her hand twirling.

  “You’re far uglier than I’d expected.” she mocked him.

  Kanra turned to face her.

  “Of all the things your gods blessed you with, good looks certainly wasn’t one.” Ariadna continued. This time she led the charge. She slammed her sword against his, back and forth as they continued to spar each other. She felt the shadow of Kanra’s blade lick her chin as she leant back, when the Dictator swung his sword at her. As she straightened herself up once more, Ariadna’s blade caught onto one of the leather gloves Kanra wore but, it was sharp enough to cut right through and it sent him howling as blood spat out of the newly inflicted wound on his thumb. It was small but, deep, nonetheless.

  Kanra thrust the pommel of his sword against Ariadna’s face, sending her sprawling to the ground upon impact.

  Ariadna let out a curse and blinked hard as she fell, her sword slipping out of her hand. Kanra moved with such speed, Ariadna had never come across a creature like this before. She felt the cobblestones of the ground beneath her bite into her hands as she caught herself, stopping herself from landing on her face. When she rolled onto her back; her hand already reaching for her sword, she was cast into the darkness of Kanra’s shadow.

  “You wretch!” He spat at her. “Filthy whore!” he raised his sword against her again and when he sent it down upon her, Ariadna blocked his blow with her own weapon.

  The assassin felt her sword tremble in her hand but, she fought hard to keep it up to protect herself from any harm.

  Kanra’s forced his boot against Ariadna’s chest and slowly applied a great deal of pressure. Only when his gaze lingered a moment too long on Ariadna’s wrist, his eyes widened at what he saw. Peeking through the sleeve of her fighting gear, Kanra spied the moon and sun tattoo on her skin. The dictator let out a triumphant whoop. Kicking Ariadna’s blade out of her hand, he hauled the assassin to her feet by her hair and moved his sword to her throat.

  That gesture had Vinn stopping, Troian and Artus; everyone stopping to watch in horror as the demon Dictator held the young woman at sword point.

  “Fall back.” Kanra commanded his men. “Fall back – we have the girl! We have the priestess.”

  Vinn’s eyes widened at the sight of Kanra sheathing his sword and pulling up Ariadna’s sleeve, revealing the tattoo on her skin for all to see. He was running before he even knew it. “No!” he screamed. Such a desperate sound had never left him before. “No, not her!”

  Ariadna put up a decent fight. With no weapons to defend herself, she resorted to sending her elbow into Kanra’s groin, or throwing her head back against his nose.

  Kanra’s remaining men, still too many for the others to take on, swarmed their master as he dragged Ariadna towards his horse. He seemed unfazed by the assassin’s attempts to break free and he clamped a hand over her mouth as soon as she started cursing at him. Kanra dropped her to the floor and sent the sole of his boot against the woman’s face, knocking her out cold so she could not struggle anymore.

  And all Vinn and the others could do was watch, from behind the barricade of men, as Ariadna was slung over the dictator’s horse like a rag doll and he and his army departed with haste. Leaving a cloud of dirt in their wake.

  46 –

  Troian

  Vinn found Preeya in the same room she had been hidden in, sitting on the edge of the bed with Artus before her on one knee. He did not give a damn if the girl was afraid and in need of comforting. When Preeya rose to meet him; unaware of his anger, he struck her hard across the face. “Priestess bitch!” he screamed at her.

  Artus was on his feet and shoving the assassin away before he could even think about laying another hand on Preeya.

  The priestess held her stinging cheek but, she refused to cry in front of Vinn; especially without knowing what she had done wrong.

  “Back off.” Artus warned. His hand was already resting against the hilt of his sword and with his free hand, he extended it in front of him in warning for Vinn not to dare come any closer.

  “This is her fault!” Vinn spat the words out like they were poison.

  Preeya looked behind him, at a few of the remaining men from the Anari who had dared to venture after their superior, all just to watch the expected showdown. The others had been smart enough to stay put downstairs. As Preeya looked from one man to another, she frowned.

  “Where’s Ari?” she asked.

  Vinn lunged at her at that question. He would have struck her again, had Oberon and Nhorano not held their superior back long enough for the priestess to run and hide behind Artus.

  “Where’s Ari?” Preeya tried again, this time screaming the question at him. If he was not going to behave in a civilised manner then why should she?

  Troian approached the priestess slowly; as though giving himself time to decide how he could break the news to her gently. Ariadna being taken was as bad as her being dead, either way the others were without out her and she was potentially going to be sacrificed by the demon dictator.

  “She’s been taken.” he told her.

  Preeya covered her mouth with both hands and let out a single, sudden sob. “Oh, gods! It’s all my fault.” she replied.

  Troian shushed her gently. Moving her hands away from her mouth, he gave them a reassuring squeeze. It felt strange, after all these years of murdering for money, to actually be comforting a victim rather than ending their life. But the only other victim to Kanra’s pursuit had not been so lucky. There was no nicer way of putting it – Ariadna had been kidnapped.

  “We’ll get her back.” he reassured Preeya.

  “Yes we will.” Vinn snapped. Turning to his men, he gave orders without rest. “Secure the area, the inn is now under our control for the time being. Keep the g
irl in here.”

  “Would you just stop fucking talking for one minute?” Troian yelled at him.

  Vinn turned on the mercenary and he took hold of him by the tunic. A knife was already out in his hand and he had it pressed against Troian’s throat before he decided he had anything else to say.

  “I’ve lost an assassin to this damned priestess of yours. I will not allow Ariadna to be sacrificed in place of her.” he jerked his chin towards Preeya as he spoke. Vinn shoved Troian back and headed for the door. “Keep the girl here, lock the mercenaries up. As far away from her as possible.”

  Oberon waited until Vinn was out of the room and then stopped him, with a simple raise of his arm in front of him. He looked to Preeya and then back at Vinn. “What are you planning on doing?” he asked. Already he could feel the nerves building up inside him. He knew his superior too well; both sides of him – undoubtedly serious Vinn and reckless Vinn. Right now it was the latter Oberon was talking to. With his heart bent on rescuing Ariadna. Oberon knew that it would take more than a few whispers in his ear to get Vinn to think through what he was willing to do to get Ariadna back.

  “I will propose a trade. Ariadna for Preeya.”

  Oberon was not quite sure how to respond to that. The way Vinn had said it - so casually. He really was an assassin at heart. “You’re really going to send some innocent young girl to her death? This isn’t a case of her being stabbed in the back or poisoned, it’s human sacrifice. I’ve been an assassin for as long as I can remember, so much so that killing has become second nature to me and some blood on my hands doesn’t bother me. But this? This isn’t right, Vinn. Is there really no other way of getting Ariadna back?” he replied.

  Vinn slid his gaze towards Oberon. It was cold, distant.

  “Don’t forget where your loyalties lie, Obe. Ariadna is one of the Anari. That priestess is not.” his voice was low, borderline threatening.

  Oberon retreated a step, not because he was afraid but, because being too close to Vinn physically repulsed him.

  “I know she is, she always has been. But you’ve made her your whore, and that’s what this is really about.” he whispered. Oberon went downstairs without another word, nor even a final glance back at his superior.

  Vinn only watched him go. With a shake of his head, he called for the others to follow him and together they went downstairs to meet with the members of the Anari who were present. To discuss Vinn’s planned proposal and to decide Preeya’s fate.

  47 –

  Kanra

  Ariadna woke to blurred vision and the taste of a leather gag in her mouth. As her gaze wandered aimlessly around the dark room she was in, it was only until her eyes started adjusting to the dim lighting that she realised it was not a room at all. She heard a chorus of people moaning; some weeping. A dull ache thumped in her head.

  Somewhere around her, a deep voice could be heard talking quietly. To whom? Or to what?

  Ariadna felt the sting of leather rubbing her wrists and ankles raw. Where were her boots? Her leather fighting gear too? She let out a soft moan as a fresh wave of pain took over, settling just behind her eyes.

  “The priestess finally awakes.” Kanra Mortier’s voice rung out in the semi-darkness. Heavy footsteps followed.

  Ariadna watched with wide eyes as the demon dictator approached the slab on which she had been tied to; strapped on by the ankles and wrists. She tried to wriggle them around, a weak attempt to loosen them and slip out.

  “Save your struggling, Priestess. I’ve made sure you won’t be going anywhere until it is time for the sacrifice. Distretia has not yet demanded your blood but, I’m sure I can tempt her with the blood of your sisters.” Kanra said. He slipped off the dark cloak he wore, revealing strong, pale greyish arms and a sleeveless black tunic beneath. He looked ready to get to work. Whatever he considered that to be.

  Ariadna did not try to move away as Kanra reached over and pulled the gag out her mouth. She felt the dreadful leather press against her throat as Kanra left the gag to hang around her neck. She watched in silence as the demon Dictator pulled one of the straps around her wrist down far enough to see the marking of the moon and sun on Ariadna’s skin. He ran his thumb over the ink peeking out.

  “I’m sure you will be horrified to hear that most of your sisters have already been offered to my goddess. Distretia was mightily pleased with me. I believe that’s why I was so lucky in finding you, because my goddess allowed it.”

  Ariadna let out a laugh, taking Kanra by surprise. She shook her head and repeatedly called him a fool, without explaining why.

  Kanra was offended by the notion.

  “I really hate to break the news to you but, I’m not a priestess. To make matters even worse on your part, I’m not a virgin either.” Ariadna purred.

  As expected, the Dictator did not believe her. But a part of him began to worry that it might in fact be true.

  “Think about it,” Ariadna began. She shifted her body enough to ease the pressure on her back a little. It made her wonder how long she had been kept here for. “I’m too old to be a recent runaway priestess; at this point in my life I would have either just stayed or had killed myself years back. Did it not occur to you to question my leather fighting gear and my ability to use a sword; I don’t intend to sound vain anyway but, no priestess would be able to fight like that without years of training.”

  Kanra looked to the tattoo on Ariadna’s wrist and then back at her face. He grabbed hold of her by the chin, squeezing her face tightly. “The tattoo on your wrist,” he began.

  “I kept it all these years, as a reminder of that shit hole I’d left and why I never want to go back. The head of my convent wanted me stoned to death after I broke my oath of celibacy five years back.” Ariadna cut in. She was enjoying this, watching Kanra’s plan fall apart in front of his very eyes. That was what he deserved, for having abducted her in the first place. “In fact, the last time I broke my celibacy was only a few hours ago, with that-“

  Kanra cut her off with a sharp jerk of her chin, then he let go of Ariadna’s face and took a few mighty steps back. He roared and shook his fists in the air, cursing his prisoner and throwing meaningless threats about the things he was going to do to her.

  All while the assassin said nothing and instead stared up at the ceiling of the cave, her gaze bored and detached from that of her captor’s. This might be a long night, Ariadna thought to herself. If it was even night time at all. She would have been scared like any other person; if it were not because she was an assassin and she had escaped encounters like this before. Even though her life was at stake; a potential human sacrifice on the horizon, Ariadna also knew how to play her captors well.

  “I take it Distretia doesn’t accept filthy whores like me?” she asked, smiling at the amusing reminder of Sister Gana’s words. It made Ariadna glad that she had been taken and not Preeya; only the gods knew how she would take being held prisoner like this. Supposing she would have had enough time to even process being here.

  Kanra was horrified. He had no words to express it. After a moment of howling and shrieking every possible curse he knew, he stormed towards Ariadna and sent a slap across her face, hard enough to draw blood from her mouth. When the assassin only took the hit and laughed, hissing in pain just to tease him, Kanra sent his hand against her face again. “Where is the priestess Kadira had spoken of? Where is she, the other woman you were travelling with?” he demanded.

  Ariadna shrugged as best as she could.

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Kanra was not amused by her games. He turned away from his prisoner again and approached a fire blazing in a small pit, in the far corner of the torture chamber Ariadna was being kept in. Around them both, the sound of Kanra’s other prisoners continued to ring off the walls; a chilling chorus.

  Ariadna was certain she could smell blood, mingling with the coal burning beneath the crackling fire. Then there came metal sizzling, as Kanra turne
d to face the assassin with an iron brandishing rod, burning red hot. “If you’re no longer a priestess, you do not deserve to bear the mark of one.” Kanra said. The iron rod sizzled and spat at the intensity of its own heat. Kanra did not gag Ariadna again, he wanted the other prisoners to hear her scream and when she did – the iron rod bearing the strange whorled marking of Kanra’s own sigil pressing against her tattooed skin, Kanra roared in delight.

  Ariadna’s eyes began to water and tears spilled down her cheeks when Kanra finally removed the rod from against her skin. The cool air of the cave stung her skin as it licked the opening in her flesh; her newly inflicted wound. She clenched her fist in a vain attempt to subdue the pain. She choked on air. Her chest rising and falling faster than she could cope with.

  Kanra threw the iron rod to the side, and it clattered loud enough to make Ariadna jump. He raised his hands to his side. “You’ll now be able to bear a reminder of your pleasant stay here, as my ‘guest’.” he laughed. Oh, he was a bastard!

  “What?” Ariadna managed to force out. She was still teary eyed but, at least the pain had now turned dull. Despite that, it still hurt badly.

  “Yes, disgraced priestess.” Kanra replied. “I know where you reside now, who you work for. The Anari.” he enunciated the name of the organisation as though it was hard to believe she was a part of it. As he spoke, Kanra busied himself with washing his hands next; all the way up to his elbows. He really had everything he needed down here, to carry out his sadistic sacrifices and torturing sessions. “To offer up an unclean sacrifice is to offend my gods.” Kanra said slowly. He poured water over his hands from a rickety silver jug, rinsed them thoroughly and then shook them dry once clean. At his mention of a sacrifice, two men painted black, with the same white whorls as those on Kanra’s armour, entered the room and with them they dragged a young girl.