“Guilt is never going to do anybody any good. All I can do is my best to try to make things better.”
“We may believe that you’re not the cause, but there might be others that will try to put the puzzle pieces together. They’ll realize that everything started to happen when you arrived. They’ll try and throw blame at you and I’m sure that Lord Vadam will do everything he can to make it seem like you are some kind of curse. The next cycle of the competition doesn’t start for a couple of days. In that time, I think it might be a good idea for us to do our own investigation.”
“I know that you can hear me, Shana.” The voice had come back and had a message that I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear.
Chapter two
“You don’t have to say anything and all you have to do is listen. I would rather that Braden is left out of this for now. My name is Falla and I have this desire to give women the voice that they deserve. They need to be able to stand up and fight for themselves and not always be under the thumb of the man. I will tell you that I’m not responsible for the Dragos. I couldn’t be happier that they’ve finally decided to pull away from their leashes and become the true force that they were meant to be. I couldn’t be with you during the hunt of the Offus. The material of the wood in the forest prevents me from interfering. Now that you are out, I can tell you that my grand plan revolves around you.”
“Shana, are you listening to me?” I had two people talking to me at the same time. Braden had no idea that Falla had decided to make her presence known. “We’re almost to the Red castle. We’re going to have to talk to Lord Russum. He won’t like hearing any of this, but he won’t be able to dispute our eye witness account. He’ll send somebody to check things out, but even he will not be able to turn a blind eye.” I got this feeling like Lord Russum was not exactly somebody that would want to stand up and be noticed.
“Lord Russum sounds like a man that is happy with the status quo.”
“Shana, I think that we should meet. I want to see you face to face and make you understand just how important that the freedom of women are to me. I think you know that, but I think it comes from your past and not from this world. I don’t want to be your enemy, but if you decide to go against us, then you can expect a backlash.” The voice went silent and I was left with hearing only Braden talk about the Red castle lord.
“He’s not exactly a fighter. He would rather use words than actions. It was the reason why he was given the Red castle in the first place. Lord Vadam wanted to keep him tethered. He wanted him to be just a figurehead. For the most part, Lord Vadam controls the Red castle, because he pulls his strings. Lord Wallace in the white castle is a bit of an instigator. He likes to push the buttons of Lord Vadam, even though he has very little power. It is widely known that Lord Vadam controls both the Black castle and the Red one. Nobody wants to say it out loud, but it’s not a big secret.”
“I don’t know about you, Braden, but I’m getting a little sick and tired of others trying to dictate my life. I only want what’s best for everybody concerned. Women should not be subjugated and used as slaves to the whims of the man. That kind of thinking went away a long time ago in my world.” I saw the Black castle in the distance and then coming around the corner, we came into viewing of the White castle. The stones leading up to the door were pure white and reminded me of the yellow brick road in the wizard of oz.
A man in a white robe and headdress came out to greet us. “It’s highly unusual to see combatants coming from behind with their prize in tow. The guardsmen are supposed to meet you coming out of the forest and take your prize back to Lord Vadam. This can only mean that something has happened.” Lord Wallace was a man with a snow white beard and long white hair that made him look like the coming of Moses. Had he been able to part the red sea, he would’ve been the living embodiment of Moses himself.
“You’re going to have to send a scout back to where the hunt began and ended. There’s no easy way to say this, but everybody that was there, including your people has been burned to death.” There was a collective gasp from those that had surrounded us. Lord Wallace was stroking his beard, probably thinking of what the best course of action would be.
“I really don’t know what to say. You’re going to have to come in and tell me everything from the very beginning.”
“I’m afraid, I can’t do that. We are still on the clock and we need to make it back to Lord Vadam, as the final six. If you need to discuss this further, then I suggest that you send a scout and follow us.” It was the only thing that Braden could say.
“You know that I don’t like to see Lord Vadam. I would rather that we never laid eyes on each other ever again. We stay out of each other’s way and we like it that way.” The only way that they had been able to stay neutral was to divide the areas, so that each one of them held a certain portion of power. “I don’t have time to follow you. Besides, you’re not from my rule. It’s too bad, because I could use somebody like you. If you ever want to defect and come over to this side of the White castle, then we would gladly accept the both of you with open arms” It was something to think about.
“My allegiance is with the Red castle and will always be that way. My father was a big Red castle follower. Had he not died, he would’ve taken succession over Lord Russum. I know that there are rumors that say that Lord Russum had a part in killing my father. There has never been any proof, but I think we both can agree that he’s a sniveling coward. Unlike you, he bends to the will of Lord Vadam.”
“I won’t keep you any longer and I have already sent a scout to look into your claims. If what you say is true, then there will be very profound evidence to find. I get this feeling like I’m going to know the truth from the moment that I see the scout come back into the fold. Be well and may your arrows fly true.” It was something that was said and was not relegated to just the flying of the arrows. It was a way to say good travels and to make sure that you were prepared for just about anything.
“You know that if I could, I would find a way to be in your camp, Lord Wallace. It would be a damn honor to serve with the one man that stood victorious in a battle that decimated thousands. You showed remarkable courage and I’ve tried to emulate the kind of man that you are.”
“I know that you have and if I were your father, I would be very proud of you. I don’t know much about your companion, but I know that she has been making considerable inroads into making Lord Vadam’s life miserable. For that, she is considered my friend and ally. If there is anything that I can do for either one of you, then you have, but to ask. I do sense that there’s something different about you Shana. I don’t know exactly what it is. I usually follow my instincts and for the most part I believe that you have the best interest of our people in mind.” He went back into the white door leading into the White castle.
We took our leave and the people around us had questions that we just couldn’t answer. They wanted to know if their loved ones were a part of the carnage and destruction that we had seen with our own eyes. I didn’t have the heart to tell them that anybody that was there to see us was probably already dead. They would know soon enough and giving them that kind of news was not something that I wanted to do. I knew that I was being a coward, but I didn’t want to be the cause of their pain and misery.
We feigned that we didn’t know anything and then we walked out of there with them still clamoring for some kind of information. “I could see in their eyes, Shana that they’re worried about people that they care for. I do wonder if any of those that were found inside that 1 mile radius was a competitor in the hunt.” That had never entered into my mind, but now that he broached the topic, it certainly was something to think about.
“We can’t worry about that, Braden. We still have a couple of miles to go and I’m already feeling like my arms are being pulled out of their socket. Don’t worry; you don’t have to hold my hand. I can reach down deep and find what I need.” Suddenly, I was hit with such an
energy burst that it was like I was reignited from the inside out. I was newly transformed into somebody that could go the distance with just about anybody.
I knew that Falla had something to do with that, even though I had no proof, she was always sticking her nose where it didn’t belong. I guess if her intentions were pure, then I could get on board with her using me in such a way. It’s just that I didn’t know what her true intentions were. How far would she go to make others see what they didn’t want to see?
I pretended to be tired, but my lungs were no longer on fire and the muscles in my legs did not feel like I was going to drop at any second. My mind was alive and I saw my purpose like a light from a lighthouse leading travelers in from the water.
I could see that Braden was getting to the end of his rope. I was keeping up with him and I could see his suspicion, as he looked back and saw me. I pretended to be winded, but I don’t think he was buying it. I know I wouldn’t, but I was pretty good at masking who I really was. I’d always thought that I would make a good actress. In high school, I performed in Westside story. Critics said that the best thing about the whole play was my portrayal. It made me feel good and I even contemplated taking it to the next level.
“I don’t know how you do it, Shana. You looked like you were going to collapse, but somehow you continued to push forward. I admire your tenacity, Shana, but I think that you might not be telling me something.” I shrugged my shoulders, but he was leering at me with that look that made me feel like I was being exposed for the fraud that I was.
“I’m just trying to follow your lead.” I watched him and I knew that eventually I was going to have to show him all of my cards. “I just think that we should fight and claw every step of the way. We can’t allow them to hold us down. We have to show them that we can go further than anybody else.” This was the kind of pep talk that I was giving him in hopes that it would boost his energy level.
“You speak a good game, but let’s see if you can back it up.” We moved in unison and the town from the Black castle was getting closer. We still had to go by the Red castle and it was adorned with red brick instead of white brick. Lord Russum had long flaming red hair and a red beard that made him look like a sorcerer from Harry potter. He was wearing a red cloak and he was watching us with intent, as we came closer and closer to his door.
“I don’t like this and I just heard from Lord Wallace. I’m not going to keep you, but I’ve sent my own scout out to make sure that your claims are true.” He wanted us to be the victor and there was no doubt in my mind that he wanted to supersede Lord Vadam. Even though Lord Vadam had him by the balls, didn’t mean that he couldn’t become the power. If one of his competitors were to come in first place, then his rule would be all that mattered. “I hope you know that I didn’t pick Shana. You did that without my blessing or going through proper channels, Braden. We only gave you that flicker of leadership, because we saw something in you and in this young lady that made us give you our support.” The only thing that he was concerned with was power and how fast he could bring it to bear on his enemies.
I could tell that he was tired of Lord Vadam’s rule and he was trying to stack the deck to make sure that he and the Red castle would be the one to rule.
Chapter three
It was a short talk with Lord Russum. Unlike Lord Wallace, he had a vested interest in getting us back on the road, as soon as possible. He didn’t want anybody to take the place of us, as one of the top six. He wanted his best to be front and center for the final three legs of this competition. The tournament was in full swing and you could tell that everybody was having the time of their life or so they wanted Lord Vadam to think. Even the competitors were getting into it and I could tell from the look on Nicholas’s face that he had seen what I had done with Braden with my mouth.
I could see that he was interested in finding out more, but he wasn’t sure how to voice his curiosity. It might be a good idea to sit down with him and go over the finer points of oral sex. He would have a lot of questions and I’m sure that I could answer just about every one of them in some regard.
“If Lord Vadam doesn’t know about what happened by now, then he’s definitely in for a rude awakening. I hope that he doesn’t know, because I want to see the look on his face when he realizes that this happened underneath his watch.” I was thinking the same thing, but I didn’t want to be disrespectful to the leaders of his world. Apparently, he had no love lost for Lord Vadam and not many people really respected the fact that he was in charge.
“Braden, I’m a bit surprised that they don’t have a time limit on how long you can be in power. In my world, the president of the United States has only two terms of four years apiece and then he has to vacate the position. There are those that believe that that rule should be changed, but for the most part it hasn’t been since the signing of the constitution. I told him of the way that my government worked and he was shaking his head in disbelief that there were so many loopholes that people could get away with murder under the right circumstances.
“No wonder your world is tearing itself apart one piece at a time, Shana. The United States seems to be a little lax in legal proceedings.” I told him of how other countries dealt with certain crime and he smiled knowingly. “I can see how China could become the next power in your world. They’re already taking over slowly with technology and weapons of mass destruction. You probably don’t even know half of what they hold in their arsenal. I’m afraid for your world and it’s just a matter of time before something happens that makes somebody act without thinking.”
“I know that my world is a tinderbox and it’s just going to take the right person to like the match to make it all burn down to the ground. I think for the most part we have been doing our very best to make things. as comfortable as possible. I know that you probably don’t think so, but there are those that believe that our rules are too strict.” He laughed at that comment.
“Too strict. They should come here and see what happens when they commit those kinds of crimes. It is not tolerated and action is followed by punishment in the worst degree possible. I would never presume to tell anybody what to do, but your world is vastly lacking. I would be afraid to live in your world. People take too much for granted, when they should be just happy and grateful for what they have.” The Black castle was looming ahead and I could tell from the moment that we entered onto the premises that Lord Vadam was very much aware of what had transpired.
He was pacing back and forth, but it was what I noticed that made me breathe a little easier. Four others, including Nicholas and Gemini had made it back, as the final six. There were two others, one in white armor and the other one in black. We were the final two. We had made it back in time to take those final two spots for ourselves.
“You can put your bounty over there where it belongs. He motioned to a spit in a huge hole in the earth that spewed fire from below. He was obviously going to cook the Offus up and have them for many meals to come “I don’t like what I heard and correct me if I’m wrong. Those that were there, including guardsmen and people alike were burned beyond recognition. Nicholas has told me all about it and we have even had confirmation from the other two castles. I don’t normally take the word of Lord Wallace, but Lord Russum is another matter altogether.” The next part of the tournament will not begin for another two days. I am asking for the services of all those that would want to hunt down every Dragos.” This was a knee jerk reaction, but not something that was unexpected.
Nobody was stepping forward, until Gemini herself gave in to her desire to please Lord Vadam. “I will be your eyes and your ears. I request that Shana and Braden accompany me.” This was very unusual and I’ve heard from Braden himself that the castles do not interact in any way. For them to team up with the Black castle would mean that there was something serious going on here. “I think that that they have a unique outlook. I could use more than one set of eyes. If you’re worried that I have feelings fo
r Braden, then you needn’t be. I’ve never hated a man more in my life. His new lady love Shana is not exactly somebody that is going to find themselves in my good graces.”
“I believe that you will only need Shana. In a concentrated effort from all castles, I am going to a sign Landon from the White castle to be a part of this three prong attack. You are all to report to me and nobody else. It doesn’t matter what castle you come from. This is a matter of great urgency and I will not tolerate having others telling me what to do. I will inform the Lord’s of this Decree and they will either get on board or find themselves sitting in the cold.” There was no reason for him to show his power, but he wanted to, just so that he could puff out his chest for everybody else to see. It was the same way with my world. Those that were in dictatorship would rule with an iron fist, coming down on their lowly subjects and making them do their bidding.
“I still think that I should go along. I don’t trust that Shana is safe with Gemini. You and I both know that she can’t be trusted. Perhaps this is your master plan to get rid of Shana once and for all.”
“I am disappointed that Gemini didn’t fulfill her duties. She has been punished for her betrayal and the mark that I put on her is a reminder that nobody is allowed to say no to me. As for your request, it is denied. Tomorrow, all three will begin at the source.” Both Landon and Gemini were nodding their head knowingly, but I was just doing it to play along. I had no idea what this source was, but I had a feeling that I was going to find out one way or the other.
Chapter four
“Shana, the source is a cleric. It is said that he sees things that others don’t. He guides all the castles, but he will only give an audience once a year. It’s the reason why each Lord doesn’t want to use him, unless absolutely necessary. His visions are very taxing on the cleric and he needs several weeks to recuperate after such an ordeal.” He was helping me off with my clothes and we had tonight to enjoy each other’s company, before I had to embark on a New Mission. I had no interest in helping Lord Vadam, but I was curious enough that I was willing to at least work with the devil to find out what was going on.
Alien Romance Box Set: Uoria Mates Complete Series (Books 1 - 10): A Sci-fi Alien Warrior Invasion Abduction Romance Page 58
