Once she had finished her daily chore of bringing his breakfast and summoning and swallowing his seed, the most difficult task Kiella still had before her was overseeing the procurement of a cage suitable for transporting the beautiful Typhorian captive on a wagon. Being a captain’s aid was a fantastic position, one of the best a member of her class could hope for, and, overall, the captain was actually much kinder to her than many of her previous masters. A blacksmith she had apprenticed under had beaten her and raped her regularly, often implementing tools from his trade in the process. Yet, though he treated her much better by comparison, serving the captain was still very hard work. By the time the soldiers were all gathered and ready, and the preparations had been completed, Kiella was exhausted, and yet the day was only just about to begin.
As the soldiers marched forward towards the Raganean Forest, Kiella marched in the rear, alongside the cage, and occasionally stole glances at Raveena. She wanted to revel in her incredible beauty again, but her fear of what lay before them was too great for her to really enjoy it. Throughout the entire march, the warrior maiden sat at the bottom of the cage facing behind them, and seemed dead set against making eye contact with anyone. Clearly, she was not in the mood for conversation. The thought occurred to Kiella that perhaps she should watch her carefully. Perhaps, if this were a trap, Raveena was watching for her own people, looking for the right moment to signal them. Of course, it would make perfect sense: lead the soldiers into a situation where her people had them surrounded and then, when the time came, signal them to cut off their escape route . . . Raveena’s attempt at scaring Kiella had been quite compelling the night before, however, so even as she found herself fearful of a Typhorian ambush, Kiella was still conflicted as to whether that was a better or worse scenario than if they were really to come face to face with the Gekken.
The army paused for a short break by a stream, ostensibly for the soldiers and horses to hydrate themselves, but also as it was a good time, felt Captain Vol, to check with the beautiful captive to ensure that their course was correct, and to get more specific directions now that they were nearing the destination she had described the night before. He also wanted to speak to the warrior to try and feel her out, because it still seemed more likely than not that there were no Gekken, and that this was indeed all a carefully laid out plot. The captain had debriefed his men thoroughly; they were ready for anything, so he was confident, regardless of whom they may face, that they would fight well and be victorious, but he still disliked uncertainty heading into battle. If he could pick up any information from Raveena, it could be most helpful. He approached her cage from the rear. He gave Kiella a pat on the back and asked her quietly for a report on the captive. Then, he faced the beauty and stood resolute, waiting for her to acknowledge his presence. Again, as with the night before, when no formalities were forthcoming, he cleared his throat to get her attention and got straight to business.
“We are near the area you described. Will you please direct us towards our destination?”
She finally looked up and, with a skeptical air, surveyed the woods around them.
“We are close.” She finally muttered. “Yes, very close. Turn just slightly more north and we will be there within the hour.”
Captain Vol considered himself to be a very astute reader of people. He was the greatest gambler and gamesman in the kingdom, and his ability to tell whether a man was bluffing was one of his greatest skills, but he could get no read off of Raveena. Her countenance was considerably different today than it had been the night before. She looked uneasy. Not consumed by hatred or outrage like the night before, and not like someone who anticipated a rescue or who was closing in on the consummation of a carefully laid out plan. He scanned carefully over her beautiful features. No, if this was indeed a trap, she was not giving it away at all. As he realized that, indeed, the look in her eyes was fear, he found his stomach becoming unsettled. But, of course, regardless of what lay ahead, fear for her was warranted. After all, he thought to himself, if there are Gekken it makes sense for her to be afraid, since she is unarmed and in the cage, and given her woeful underestimation of his mighty soldiers. If it were a trap that lay ahead, on the other hand, maybe she was beginning to sense that the Typhorians might be overmatched by his men, and that her plan might fail. And, if they were to find nothing, and Gekken had been present but had moved on, she might be fearful that they would execute her because they would call her a liar . . .
“If there were Gekken, my lady, even if they have left, I assure you, I really do have the greatest trackers in the realm. We will know.”
Raveena gave him a scornful look, as if the captain’s guess at what might be worrying her was so far off as to be insulting.
“You’re worried I’m afraid you’ll think I’m a liar?”
The captain paused to choose his words carefully.
“A liar? No. Well, I have no idea. I want to believe you Raveena. I’m just letting you know, regardless of what awaits us in that clearing, we are quite competent and will deal with it accordingly. If it is the Gekken, as you say, we will defeat them and the threat will be alleviated. If it is a trap set by your people, it will fail, and you will return back to the palace with us after we are victorious and be given a proper execution as decreed by the king. If there are no Gekken and no trap, then my men will be able to ascertain the whereabouts of the Gekken, or whomever it was that you saw, and will get to the bottom of this. Regardless, this matter and your fate will all be determined this day.” The captain then caught himself. He reminded himself that there was still a chance that Raveena was noble. That she might be telling the truth, and that, being the revered warrior that she was, if that were the case she was due better treatment than she had received. He changed his tone. “My lady, if I may say so: I don’t know what awaits us. I don’t know whether you really came in peace as you say, or if this is just a sinister trick. If it is, I can hardly blame you, considering the war between our kingdoms, and I admire your courage. If, on the other hand, your intentions have truly been honorable, I apologize for the treatment you have received, though I think if you look at it from our perspective you will see that it is truly necessary. My personal wish is that you will be proven true. It may be the first step towards peace between our kingdoms, and if so, you are truly to be commended.”
The beautiful warrior maiden leaned on the bars, and finally made true eye contact with the captain.
“Give me a blade. Let me out. When they come, you will need me.”
The captain quickly regretted his turn of compassion. So quickly she had taken it as a sign of weakness, and believed him a fool.
“Ha. My good lady, the only way you will be armed again is if my king chooses so. It will not happen on my watch. I have my orders. I will conclude what business awaits us in the clearing and then, regardless of what manner it turns out to be, we will return to the palace, inform the king of what has transpired, and he will determine whether or not your sword is to be returned to you, and if you are to be unshackled and released.”
“Then I will die just like the rest of you” said the beauty.
Captain Vol stared her in the eyes. They still revealed nothing, nothing but fear. She is good, this one, he thought to himself. He gave up trying to figure her game out.
“So, turn a touch to the north and continue onward then?” asked the captain.
“Yes.”
“Very well, my lady.”
As the troops regained their formation and marched onward, Kiella noticed that Raveena’s behavior had changed considerably. Now, her head was on a swivel, sweeping around them in the forest at all times. Kiella’s focus was back on the captain and the men before her when she suddenly realized she was being summoned from the cage.
“You! Girl! Kiella! Was that your name? Kiella?”
Kiella turned and saw Raveena staring right at her, her beautiful dark eyes now big as saucers. Her voice was frantic as she urgently whispered.
“Please! You’ve got to release me! You’ve got to give me a weapon! I will protect you!”
The guard in front of Kiella heard the whispering and turned back to give a dirty look. Kiella kept her gaze straight forward, and once the guard had turned back away from her, whispered back.
“There’s no way I can go against the orders of the captain or my king!”
“Then you will die! All of us will die!”
Kiella grew outraged.
“Why? Are you admitting it? A trap? You’ve set a trap? You’re offering to spare me if I sell out my own people and arm you and release you? What kind of person do you take me for?”
“Damn it!!!” The gorgeous warrior maiden finally gave up her attempt. She sat back down and stared out the back of the cage. Kiella watched her carefully, searching for any sign that Raveena might be signaling any cohorts hidden in the woods, but she saw nothing. Nothing but contempt and apprehension in the fearsome warrior’s eyes.
As the party reached the edge of the forest, Captain Vol motioned for them to stop. Feeling more and more certain that a trap was the most likely scenario, he sent his three best scouts ahead to try and get a view into the clearing, and to check the perimeter. He knew that his men were up to any challenge, but it made no sense to purposefully march them right into an open ambush. He valued every one of his men; had fought and won many battles with each of them. He knew they were the best and the brightest his kingdom had to offer, and just as each were loyal to him, he would be loyal to them, ensuring that no man’s life was spent foolishly because of poor strategy or bravado on his part. The rest of the party waited patiently for the scouts, with several men stationed around them, swords drawn and at the ready, just in case an attack were to come early. The captain approached Raveena once more to see if she would give him any clues as to what truly lay ahead.
“If this is a trap, this is your last chance to save your people. I can assure you, I am taking all precautions. We will not be taken unaware. Your people will not be victorious. They will be slaughtered.”
The gorgeous warrior did not change her tone. Her eyes held so much menace that the captain felt his spirit waver in their gape.
“No, captain. This is your last chance” spoke the warrior maiden coldly. “Your last chance to save us all. You’re a fool. We are lambs to the slaughter, all of us, due to your recklessness. Due to your foolish king’s plan. I came to warn you to guard the gate, not to have you lead us all right to the enemy. We need more men. We don’t stand a chance. Please, for the last time, unshackle me. Let me out, let me fight. At least unshackle me and give me a weapon here, in the cage, so that I can defend myself when they come.”
The captain gave up trying to reason with her. The Gekken being here made no sense. She was like a child telling ghost stories. The only thing that made sense was a trap. He knew that his scouts were the best. They would discover the treacherous plans of the Typhorians, and would come back undetected. Then, the captain and his men could plan a perfect attack to defeat them. It would be a great day for the Raganeans. He and his men would drink of the finest mead with the fairest maids at the king’s behest when they returned triumphant. He could hardly wait. He went to Kiella and checked in with his assistant.
“How are you holding up?” he asked her.
“I’m fine, captain” she responded. He smiled at her and patted her on the back.
His scouts were slower in returning than Captain Vol had expected, but when they did, it was with surprising news. They had found nothing. Nothing at all. No Typhorian trap. No Gekken. No sign of either. The captain was puzzled. Assured by his men that there was no threat ahead, he pushed his men forward and into the clearing. It spanned a good hundred meters from edge to edge, and there was no sign that anything had camped there anywhere within, human or otherwise. His men examined the whole area carefully, but found absolutely nothing. Finally, the captain took rest on an old fallen limb that served as a perfect bench in the center. He breathed easily and let out a hearty laugh, aimed squarely at the caged Typhorian warrior.
“Ha! Well, did you enjoy your little jest?” asked the captain. “Sent us out here on a wild goose chase? Is this fun for you? Worth the risk you’ve taken?”
The Typhorian, however, did not seem to be basking in the delight of any tricks. Her beautiful eyes scanned suspiciously all around the perimeter of the clearing. The captain continued.
“Oh, looking for your people?” The captain seethed. His patience had quickly run out. He was growing angrier and angrier by the moment. “They let you down? Didn’t show up? Perhaps they weren’t expecting such an intimidating force to come? They must have seen us from afar and abandoned your cause. Now, you’re left alone, in our clutches.” Suddenly, the captain’s smug demeanor turned to caution as a chilling thought took hold. “Wait . . . of course . . . This is your plan. This was your plan all along . . . You have led the king’s best men out far from the kingdom . . . You traded yourself to get us away, so we can’t protect it . . . Your people, are they attacking the kingdom right now, as we speak? And we are so far from our post?” Captain Vol raged. He rushed to the cage, grabbed hold of the bars, and shook it with all his might. “Speak, Typhorian murderer! Was this your plan? You have tricked us? Our kingdom lacks our protection so your people can launch their assault? Was this all your evil design?!” His eyes flamed with bloodlust, but the warrior inside the cage still ignored him. She paid him no mind whatsoever. With her body pressed to the far side of the cage, just out of his reach, she still scanned the edge of the clearing, carefully searching as best she could through every tree, every branch. The captain was angered that she wouldn’t respond, but he was aware of the intensity of her gaze, and he turned to look to figure out what it was that she could still be searching for. “What? What is it? You still think they’re coming for you? Your people are coming back? If they do, we will slaughter them. Every one of them.”
The captain’s best scout, Garen, was still carefully scanning the perimeter. It felt odd to him that there was nothing. The clearing was a perfect stop for poachers or hunters to take a break. It didn’t feel right that there were no signs that anyone had been there whatsoever. He continued his search, when finally he found something. Right towards the clearing’s far edge, he noticed the tip of a footprint. Just a tiny mark, but it was clear. It could have passed easily for an imprint from a rock or a hoof to most, but his eye was keen. He was quite sure, yes, it was the remnant of a foot-print, and probably fresh. Someone had gone to great lengths to hide their tracks, but this one piece of evidence remained. He turned to report this information at once.
“Sir!” Garen shouted across the clearing. Captain Vol motioned for all of his other men to be silent. “Sir, there is a track! Great care was taken to disguise it, but they missed one edge! Someone was here.”
“How many? When? Which way did they go” the captain shouted back.
“I can’t say. There is only this one mark, and it is just the edge. But I think it was recent. And, I believe, they must have exited the clearing . . . here . . .”
As he said this, Garen paced out towards the edge. He pointed down towards the forest floor.
It happened so fast, it didn’t seem real. It felt like a dream. Like a hallucination. The captain watched his man motion below a tree, and then the tree began to shake. The leaves, just above Garen, began to shake as if a giant animal were perched in it. Then, something jumped down, and it grabbed Garen up, and with only a quick, short scream, which died as soon as he was ripped back out of view into the forest, Garen was gone. The thing . . . the thing that had grabbed him . . . it had been large. And disgusting. It looked dead. Its arms, and legs, so long. Its flesh looked rotten. Its skin taught, barely covering the sinews and muscles, like it had been starving. And it’s eyes, dark and soulless. Yet, it was powerful, and strong, and so fast. It had grabbed up Garen like he was a pup . . .
The captain quickly got himself together, forced his mind to focus
. He called out to his men, bellowing orders for them to get in formation, to draw their swords and spears, to raise their shields and prepare for an ambush from the side where Garen had disappeared. He ordered his archers to raise their bows and target those trees, and to await his order to fire.
They all peered into the dark trees. There was no more movement. No sign that anything was there. No sign that anything had ever been there. It was still as if it had never happened. Captain Vol, tired of waiting, ordered his men to fire their arrows into the trees where Garen had disappeared.
“Sir!” shouted Feur, the captain’s top lieutenant. “Garen is in there! We cannot fire, we will kill him!”
The captain ignored his man’s advice. He knew that Garen could not be saved. That thing that had grabbed him . . . the way Garen had screamed. It was too late. He reiterated his order, and the arrows flew. They stood and waited for a sign that they might have hit something, but nothing came. Suddenly, arrows and spears came in from all sides. The men were ill-prepared, having been directed towards the one spot on the edge. As a result, several arrows and spears hit their mark, and Captain Vol’s men immediately suffered casualties. He shouted out new orders, adjusting as quickly as he could, forming his men into a circle, with shields up on all sides. But his men were shuddering now. Their confidence had wavered. The captain, sensing this, barked out more orders, both to prepare them to fight off whatever lay out there, and also to give their minds something to focus on other than fear.
The Dawn of the Raven Omnibus 1: Episodes 1-5 Page 3
