by Jade Royal
“How? How will you find him again?” Ashbel asked. Firya sighed.
“I don’t know Ashbel. But I won’t stop until I find him. And I will find a way to communicate with you and tell you any new information. Trust me. I will get him back,” she vowed. Ashbel had to believe her words.
“Go. Get out of here Firya. And find my soulmate. Please,” Ashbel whispered. Firya hugged her clan mate tightly before they were once again separated. Firya truly had no idea how she would find Kapono again, but she was going to commit herself to that very task just as Ashbel had committed herself to helping her get free from Bourbon’s grasp. Firya would find Kapono. No matter how long it took.
Two years later
The scent of intruders broke through the serenity surrounding the dwelling that traveled deep into the canyon. There were rumors that someone had carved through the hardened clay of the side of a canyon, opening up the cliffside to reveal a cave deep enough to live in. With the treacherous surroundings, it would have been hard for anyone to live in such a place, but alas the rumors were true. Against the shadows of the night, a thick oak door could be seen placed perfectly where the side of the canyon had been carved through.
“Someone does live here!” the whisper was harsh with disbelief.
“What do we do now? Just knock? We could be walking straight into danger!”
“Hush up now. We’re facing far more danger at home. We need to take action! I refuse to go back without something to show for it!” the two voices argued back and forth, unaware of the shadow stalking them. Leaning under a piece of the canyon rock that had jutted outwards, no one sensed his presence. He was hidden well, but his scent should be been noteworthy. Even surrounded by the dry sands and dirt at the edge of Fireland, his scent stood out. Still, the voices who’d come to his home failed to notice him.
They deserve to be sliced and diced for entering our territory. Do it.
“Speak your reason for intruding on my land or die.” The two intruders gasped sharply, their bodies going numb with fear. He could smell their fear and it drive part of himself crazy while the other part settled in distain for fear.
“Ar—are you Wrath?” The shaky voice posed the question with caution.
“We were told that if we went to the edge of Fireland and found the canyons, we would find a man named Wrath.”
They’re afraid! They’re afraid! The voice in his head was laughing with glee, loving the feeling of fear posed onto others.
Stepping from the shadows, he revealed himself. Wearing all black, he was covered from head to toe, leaving his identity a mystery. The only thing visible were his dark violet eyes.
“What do you want with Wrath?” he questioned.
“We live in Hellfire, just west of here in Fireland and we’re part of a small dragon clan. Our blood doesn’t run thick enough to have as much fire power as other dragon clans but we’ve been able to get by on what we can do. For the past month, a pack of hyena shifters have been attacking our clan and the other dragon clans that live with us. They beat and terrorize us and our young men don’t have the skill to overpower them. Hyenas are nasty beasts. Scavengers that won’t stop until there’s nothing else and then they move on to the next clan. We used to deal with their attacks but this time they’ve kidnapped a few of our young, claiming that because they can, they’re going to use them as slaves. The mothers are hysterical and we don’t know what else to do. We need help to rescue the children that were taken.”
“What is your name?”
“Holden.” There was silence between them. It was Holden who bowed his head slightly.
“Will you please help us?” Holden reached under his cloak. He pulled out a small satchel that was filled with gold and silver pieces.
“We are able to pay.” He tossed the satchel towards the man known as Wrath. He caught the satchel. He didn’t bother to check the contents.
“Holden. Go home. The children of your clan will be returned. The hyenas will not cause trouble any longer.” Without another word, he turned and ducked back into the shadows under the canyon. Holden hesitated for a moment but then he took off with his comrade in tow, trusting Wrath’s words.
GET THEMM!!!!!!!
“Not now! Just wait! We will fight and destroy later.” The voice in his head immediately silenced, content with the notion that he would get his fill for aggression later.
You should have still sliced them at least once. Drawn just a teeny bit of blood.
“If you wanted to see blood so bad then why don’t you jump out of my body and do it yourself?” The voice inside his head laughed.
Very funny Kapono. You know as well as I do, we’re stuck together for life. Sinking down into a squat, Kapono Thorn sighed hard. For life. Living with a demon.
“We’ll if we’re stuck together for life, then ease up a little bit on your damn bloodlust. It’s killing me,” Kapono groaned. Wrath was silent in his head. Kapono figured the demon was just taking a break from torturing Kapono.
After being bound to the demon, Kapono had crawled, walked, and ran as far as he could from Emberdom. When he stumbled upon the canyons, he realized that he was on the border of Fireland. It was the furthest he could run without leaving his homeland completely. For days, he would literally lay in the sand, letting the sun bake his skin. His head had pounded with the consistent voice of the demon sin of wrath, egging him to cause violence. Kapono assumed his biggest challenge would be to just ignore the voice. He was deadly wrong.
The demon that lived within him was a powerful force that demanded and needed violence, and hatred. That was what the demon was consumed with and now part of that consumed Kapono too. Many a people sinned because they just couldn’t resist the forbidden fruit. Now, Kapono was forced to sin. Whatever the demon wanted, Kapono found that he simply had to do it. His very life counted on it.
What do you hate the most, Kapono? Wrath returned back in Kapono’s mind. Every day, the sin asked Kapono some form of question that seem to power him up. It was as if the sin needed to hear the things Kapono despised like a human needed food to survive.
“People. I hate people,” Kapono grunted. Even if he knew those kind of feelings amped up his sin, Kapono didn’t care. He hated what people could do to others. Especially murder. Senseless killings. He would never forget what a senseless killing gave him. It changed his life forever and it gave him just reason to hate everything and everyone.
And they must feel our wrath. Kapono stood. He stretched out his body, shaking loose any kinks in his joints.
Wrath. Let them feel our wrath. The power of the sin flowed through Kapono’s body, spreading its darkness that sparked Kapono’s fire. Possession was swift and carnal. His body became flooded with rage, bloodlust making him growl. The violet in his eyes began to glow tiny purple flames. The fire in his body was bubbling to the surface, trying to burst through his body. Even through his possession, Kapono kept a tight clutch on the power of his dragon fire. Using his fire made the demon too eager, it made the demon even more lustful for blood. It was a sense of power that the demon thrived on. In order to maintain control, Kapono just couldn’t use his dragon fire. That, plus anyone would recognize his fire and he didn’t want that. Rumors of what happened to him always caught his ears. No one knew for sure what he had become but all they knew was that he was living somewhere, withering away for the crimes he had committed. With what he had left, Kapono was making the best of his life. And it all concluded this way thanks to the woman who belonged to Ashbel’s clan. Killing her attacker proved there was a way to combat the pain he felt from not giving into his sin.
Closing his eyes, Kapono took in the heated air of his homeland. It made his lungs pulse with energy. The land of fire was life to any fire being. The dragon blood inside of him because to stir, awakening. Wrath laughed lowly, knowing that Kapono was ready to give in. He was ready to sin.
The resounding cackle alerted the small clan that the hyenas were back. The hoard of hyenas strutt
ed into their little village as if they owned the place. Wearing nothing but leather pants, they were all sporting ugly grins. Dark brown flesh blended in with the night and spiky hair made them look even the more crazed. In their hands, they were holding ropes that attached around the neck of the children they’d stolen. They were treating those children like puppies on a leash.
“We’ve come back for more.” The leader of the hyena pack announced. He stepped forward; his leather pants slung so low it left little to the imagination about what lurked behind his clothes.
“We want the young women. These children are good for catering to our every need except one. I think you can guess as to which. Now. If you’re a young cute little female, please step forward. You can come easily, or if not, we will be forced to become violent.” He snatched the rope tight, bringing a small child close to him. Flicking out his claws, he pierced the child’s neck, a warning that he would slice through it.
“Holden! What do we do?! I thought you got help?!” Holden’s wife was clinging onto him, terror making her body shake.
“I—I don’t know dear. He said he would help us.”
“I SAID STEP FORWARD!” The screech caused everyone to huddle in fear, clamping their hands over their ears.
“If I count to three and a young female isn’t in my arms, I’m will slice this kids head clean off!” He looked around at the shaking bodies.
“ONE! TWO! THR—”
“Let the kid go. Or you’ll be the one with the sliced neck.” Appearing out of the shadows, Kapono walked calmly towards the center of chaos. The pack of hyenas were wild and brimming with excitement to torture and terrorize the small clan.
“And who the fuck are you?”
“They call me Wrath,” Kapono stated. “Might I ask who you are?” Kapono unsheathed his knife and began twirling it in his hand as if he was having a casual conversation with someone.
“I am Bosto. The alpha of this here hyena pack!”
“Funny. Didn’t know such a thing as an alpha existed in terms of hyenas. Heard you were all frightened little bitches that only prey on the weak,” Kapono shrugged. Bosto dug his claws deeper into the child’s neck. The child began to cry, clinging onto the rope that was tied around his little neck.
“Let him go Bosto,” Kapono demanded. Bosto showed off his sharp canines and began to snarl. Kapono only grinned at him.
Oh, slice this muthafucker to pieces. Wrath spoke into his mind. The order was said carelessly, knowing that Kapono’s strength far outmatched the shifter in front of him.
“You dare tell me what to do?! I’ll kill this entire clan and there’s nothing you can do to st—” Kapono grabbed the hilt of his knife and threw it across the clearing. It sliced through the humid air and landed directly in the center of Bosto’s forehead. Wrath whooped and cheered in Kapono’s mind. The feeling of giving into the sin made Kapono’s chest blossom with pleasure. Killing shouldn’t ever have to feel good. But when you were the carrier of the deadly sin of Wrath, such feelings would always exist. Two years of seeking out the worst kind of people, and ridding the land of them was his excuse to give into his sins. Bosto was just like the rest. Just another criminal preying on the weak.
His body fell backwards with a solid thud. Kapono didn’t know much about hyenas but he knew they loved to hunt at night and when danger came along, they often fled before they went on the attack. In this case, they were predictable. The members of the pack began to back away slightly.
“Bosto! Get up! Let’s go!” His packmate called out to Bosto, but the male was unmoving on the ground. Kapono wasn’t sure how well hyenas healed but he didn’t think a knife to the head was something to come back from.
“I don’t think he’s going anywhere,” Kapono stated. He took one step forward and the entire pack took one huge step backwards.
“I thought I told you all to let the kids go?” Kapono asked. Without hesitation, the hyena pack dropped the ropes that kept the children in their captivity. All the kids ran without second thought, rushing into the arms of their parents.
“You’re that guy everyone talks about,” one of the hyenas pointed a finger at Kapono.
“Yes, it’s you! You’re the one that that’s been taking people out! People hire you to kill their enemies!” Kapono didn’t answer the question about his identity.
“It doesn’t matter who I am besides the fact that I now protect this village. You come back here, and none of you will leave alive. Take Bosto as an example.” Kapono waved them off, showing his disinterest. With frightened whispered, the hyenas quickly grabbed Bosto’s body. Kapono glared at them and just because he wanted to mess around, he took a few steps forward as if he was going to go on the attack. Yelping and shouting, the hyenas took off, carrying Bosto’s limp body. Blood was trickling from his head steadily and his eyes were open, staring into nothingness. If Kapono was a different kind of man, maybe the sight of the dead man would haunt him. Nowadays, the only thing that haunted him was the image of his dead wife and babe.
“You saved us,” Holden sighed, hugging his wife. Kapono only nodded his head once.
“They won’t come back,” Kapono told them. With that, he turned around to leave. His job was done here.
“Wait!” Kapono clenched his fists. The shrill voice that called out to him was a young female. Even though her voice was soft and airy, Kapono felt the conviction in them. Whatever she had to say, she was going to say it to him no matter how imposing of man he was.
“What?” Kapono asked, turning around.
“You’re of dragon blood. I can sense it,” she stated. Kapono didn’t let himself react, but his mind was reeling. Since his judgement day, the infiltration of the demon sin inside of his body distorted Kapono’s original scent and revealed nothing of his dragon blood. Kapono didn’t figure out why that was the case, but it was just the way it was. He had a scent like anyone did, but it wasn’t the scent he’d always had. Almost as if the sin was promising Kapono that no one from his old life would be able to know him as what he used to be.
“How do you figure that?” Kapono asked.
“Neva is an empath. She detects the power in others and she has frequent dreams that almost always come true,” Holden explained.
“She was the one that dreamed that I would travel to the canyons and meet with a man named Wrath. I was very cautious when I first heard the rumors of what you do but once she had the dream, I knew it was something that was going to come to pass. Look at us all now. You have saved us.” Kapono looked at the beaming faces, looking up at him with such awe. He didn’t deserve their gratitude. He was still a killer.
“I want to talk to you. Alone,” Neva demanded. Kapono just looked at her. He didn’t move an inch nor say a word. She gave nods of certainty to her clan, shooing them away. Kapono wasn’t quite sure what she wanted with him, but he should have turned heel and left. If she could detect his dragon power then she would most likely detect who he was.
“I know why you call yourself Wrath. I can practically hear the demon’s voice in my own head,” she said.
Yeah right, you wish, Wrath grumbled. Kapono ignored him.
“I’ve never seen the Prince of Emberdom in person but I always hear stories of his violet eyes and his violet fire. You carry the dragon power of someone who was the prince of Emberdom.” She raised her hands out in front of her as if she could literally touch and feel his power.
“Sorry Miss. I am not Prince Kapono,” Kapono stated. It wasn’t a lie.
“Identities are very objective. Just because I know you as one person does not mean that someone else won’t know you as someone else. Right here in this moment, I am speaking of your power. Not who you are.”
“Fine then. I am powerful. I helped your clan. What else do you need from me?” Kapono asked.
“Not me. Emberdom.” It took just the sound of his kingdom’s name to make sweat drip down his back. His knees began to shake slightly as the visions of what he’d left of Emberdom fou
ght their way back to the forefront of his mind.
“What about Emberdom?” Kapono forced the words to leave his mouth.
“The King. He’s a piece of work. Torturing commoners, forcing clans that used to be strong to be his slave. The Red Breath clan was the second strongest against The Red Dragon clan and now, the King forced them to cower at his feet and do his dirty work. There’s whippings and beatings and death. Soon, the entire Fireland will go to ruins because of him. We will rise up in war and I’m fearful there’s no one strong enough to combat the king. He’ll kill us all eventually or make us all slaves.”
War! Fighting!
“Shut up,” Kapono gritted at Wrath. Neva gasped and held her chest, looking Kapono up and down, offended.
“No. I’m not talking to you. You said you can feel and hear my demon. I’m talking to him,” Kapono gritted.
“Oh,” Neva replied quietly. She clasped her hands in front of her, twiddling her thumbs.
“Neva, there’s nothing I can do for Emberdom. I’m sorry. The King is the King. I cannot go there and just ravish the kingdom because I feel like the king isn’t doing his job. That’s not the way it works,” Kapono told her.
“If the people know that someone strong will fight for them, they will help to fight,” she insisted.
“But they don’t deserve someone like me fighting for them. That is what I am telling you.”
“As I’ve said. Identity is objective. You see unworthiness of your own character, but they may see a savior,” she said.
