The Blood Witch (The Blood Reign Chronicles Book 1)

by Nielsen, D. S.

  “North? There isn’t much north of here but a few villages. I would not have taken you for a village folk. You have the look and manner of a city dweller. Perhaps even a rich merchant’s daughter.” The seamstress said with a tight lipped smile.

  “Ah yes,” Allysix replied with satisfaction. This woman was more clever than Allysix supposed. It was good not to be mistaken for one of the country fools. “I am actually from the west, and I just wanted to travel a bit. I meant, I had traveled most recently from the north. You are right, it was disappointing, there isn’t anything worth seeing there.”

  The other woman gave her a disbelieving smile; after all, Allysix did look quite young to be out traveling about on her own. However, some of her was beginning to surface, and now Allysix did look slightly older than the girl Brigette whose body she inhabited. She appeared to be at least in her late teens.

  “Has there been news of any……trouble….in the city as of late?” Allysix asked after a moment.

  The seamstress stopped what she was doing and looked at Allysix, with pursed lips and narrowed eyes. “What do you mean by that?” she asked sternly, “you aren’t trying to stir up trouble are you?”

  “Oh no, no… I would never,” Allysix said, batting her eyelids and wearing a look of feigned innocence.

  Allysix supposed this woman was not the one she wanted to be asking these types of questions. She was finally going to get proper attire after all this time. The last thing she wanted was to anger the seamstress to the point that she intentionally did shoddy work, or even worse, send her away with nothing. If that happened, Allysix would have to find some other seamstress, and she did not want the hassle of that right now. She decided to remain silent for the rest of the fitting, except for an occasional compliment for the woman. After all, everyone liked to be praised for their work.

  Finally, the pinning and fitting was finished and Allysix paid the woman the deposit for her to get started on the dresses. Mistress Issanya told her it would be a week or two before the first ones would be ready, and asked where she could send the finished product.

  “I will just check back in a couple of weeks to pick them up myself,” Allysix told the seamstress. The scandalized look on the woman’s face, told Allysix that she had obviously done something wrong again. It most likely had something to do with these blasted guilds and their rules.

  “I’m staying at the Lady of the Sea Inn currently, but I may be changing to a different inn, you see. So it might be better if I just come by when the dresses are finished.” Allysix said as demurely as she could manage.

  The woman’s eyes glared with suspicion, and still tinged with scandal. “Well……yes, then, you check back and let me know where you will be staying, and I will have the delivery boys bring the dresses to you there,” her tone left no room for negotiation.

  After agreeing to notify the seamstress of her accommodations, Allysix left the shop irritated and short tempered. What a bother, Allysix thought, now she would have to get a room at an Inn just to be able to get her dresses from the seamstress. She didn’t think the woman would like it one bit if she told her that she had taken up residence in Maggas’ former accommodations. In any case, Allysix was sure these delivery boys would not bring the dresses to her in the Carp District.

  Allysix stalked down the street in the direction of the river, still perturbed at the inconvenience. It was evening, and many of the shops were preparing to close, or had already closed, with the owners having gone home for the night. The streets were fairly quiet, with only a few other people who seemed intent on just getting to where they were going without dawdling.

  Another thing that irked Allysix was the lack of carts or wagons in the city, not that they would enter the Carp District if there had been. But they could have at least taken her to the river. It seemed the street sweeper’s guild had petitioned the Magistrate to ban carts and wagons from the streets. Apparently, the street sweepers didn’t like cleaning up the mess the horses made. Who had ever heard of that? There were only a few streets in the whole city where horses and wagons were allowed. Of course, they all ran to and from the docks, and not in the direction she needed to go.

  As Allysix continued down the street past many shops, with her anger rising with each street she passed, suddenly she felt hands grab her from behind, pulling her through a doorway and inside a building. At the same instant, a black hood was pulled over her head obscuring her vision. Allysix was angry enough that she was about to strike out and teach these street thugs a lesson, when she heard a woman’s voice, “Keep quite and do as we say and you might not get hurt.” That alone was enough to pique Allysix’s interest and stay her hand.

  Allysix felt ropes being wound around her wrists to bind them behind her back. “Make sure you tie them good and tight,” a different woman’s voice said.

  This was interesting, Allysix thought to herself. She had never heard of women thugs, but she realized she was still in the city proper, and the City Watch would not stand for that type of activity here. So what did these women want with her? It fed her curiosity and she decided to go along with them to find out.

  From the smell that wafted through the black hood that had placed over her head, it was evident that Allysix had to be in a baker’s shop. The aroma of baked bread and pastries was strong in the air. The women led Allysix to the back of the shop where she heard the creek of a door opening. She supposed they were taking her out to a back alley, possibly to a different building.

  “Watch your step,” the first woman said impatiently, “there are stairs ahead.”

  Stairs? Apparently the women were not leading her out back to an ally after all. Instead, they led her down a flight of stairs, presumably to a basement underneath the Baker’s shop. The basement smelled dank and musty, and reminded Allysix of the cave where she had been imprisoned. Whatever it was these women planned, they needed to get to it. Allysix didn’t like it here, and was quickly loosing her patience.

  After they reached the bottom of the stairs, they continued a short ways forwards before Allysix heard another door open and was forced roughly through it. A few more paces through the door, and she was forced to stop. The first woman said, “Wait here.”

  Wait here? Allysix thought. Wait for what? Her patience was wearing thin now, and she was just about to end this whole charade.

  “Go get the others,” the woman who spoke this time sounded familiar, and Allysix racked her brain to put a face to the voice. It finally occurred to her, could it be?

  Allysix heard two sets of footsteps climbing back up the stairs. Both of the women that had brought her here had left. The hood was suddenly removed roughly from Allysix’s head to reveal the source of the familiar voice.

  This was getting more interesting by the minute. Mistress Issanya, the seamstress, stood before Allysix, hands on her hips, wearing that same pinched face disapproving look as before. Allysix was more than a little curious now, but wanted to let it play out on their terms, at least for the time being.

  They waited several moments in silence, with the seamstress studying Allysix carefully through stern eyes and pursed lips. The single candle that Mistress Issanya was holding was the only source of light in the room, and it was casting dancing shadows on the walls.

  After a time, Allysix could hear the footsteps of several people coming down the stairs, then the door swung open and twelve women filed through. Each of them was holding a single candle, walking ceremoniously as they entered, and took up positions in a circle around the room, with Allysix in the center. Allysix noticed for the first time that there actually was a circle scribed on the floor, with a thirteen pointed star inside. She stood at the center of the star, with each woman standing at a point. Other runes and symbols decorated various parts of the star and circle.

  Allysix had to laugh to herself. What was this? Did these women think they were witches? Did they actually believe that these symbols and runes had some special meaning or power? Allysix had known of o
thers who had believed in such things, although she had never seen this particular design. Besides, Allysix knew that it wasn’t pictures and symbols that gave power. In any case, that wasn’t important now. What was important was that Allysix had found her women, and was almost excited at the prospect. They were more organized than the men of the Black Brotherhood. Not to mention that they obviously had been able to keep their existence secret and maintained positions in the city proper, instead of being exiled to the Carp District. Things were definitely looking up.

  Allysix could even sense that a few of these women actually had abilities in the dark magic. Mistress Issanya in particular was the strongest, and fairly strong at that. But a few others had the ability as well, although to a lesser degree.

  Evidently, the assembled women knew for themselves that not all their numbers were practiced in the dark arts. The four that could actually do something had been placed opposite on the circle from each other. Mistress Issanya was directly in front, with another directly behind Allysix, one to her left and the other to her right. They appeared to be weaving some sort of binding spell. Allysix supposed that its intention was to hold whatever was inside the circle from being able to escape. The spell might actually work, just not on Allysix.

  Apparently, Allysix had not kept the look of pleasure at finding the women from her face, since she was smiling satisfactorily.

  “Do you find this amusing, girl?” Mistress Issanya said in a stern angry tone. “You obviously do not know who you are facing.”

  Allysix decided at that moment that she liked these women. She did not want to kill any of them, since they were much too valuable to waste. Besides, the death of one of these prominent women would not go unnoticed and it would bring unwanted attention. Allysix did not want to force them as she had with Maggas. She wanted the women to voluntarily and wholeheartedly accept her of their own accord as the Blood Witch, without any coercion from her. The women were already on the brink, whether they knew it yet or not, and were ripe for the picking. They just needed a little……encouragement, a slight nudge in the right direction.

  “And who is it that I am facing?” Allysix asked calmly. Her tone and demeanor caused anger to rise in many of the assembled faces, since she did not show any fear or subjugation.

  “We are the Circle of One,” the women intoned in practiced unison.

  The Circle of One? Allysix was very pleased by that, considering she was the One. The circle didn’t see it that way……at least not yet…but they would very soon.

  “Who are you and what are you doing in Yilavo City?” Mistress Issanya demanded. But without allowing Allysix to answer, she continued, “We have been watching you since shortly after you entered the city. We know you have been…associating with Maggas and his cronies. Fools, all of them, and Maggas a particularly dangerous fool, what do you want with them? Why are you asking dangerous questions around the city?” The barrage from the seamstress continued.

  So they had been watching her all this time? They obviously knew about Maggas, but did they also know that Allysix was in charge now? They apparently thought she was at least somewhat dangerous, otherwise they would not have gone through this elaborate production just for her. Perhaps they thought she was simply in collusion with Maggas, and posed a threat to their circle.

  Abruptly, Allysix realized that Issanya had stopped talking and was now glaring at her impatiently, expecting answers. Allysix stood there silent a moment longer, then announced in a commanding voice, “You ask who I am, I will tell you plainly. I am Allysix, I am the One they call the Blood Witch. I have lived for centuries on end, and I am free once again, and now call you into my service.”

  There was a sharp intake of breath and scandalized looks exchanged between the women in the circle. “Blasphemer,” Issanya screeched. “To blaspheme the name of the Great Mistress is death.” Allysix felt the seamstress strike out as she spoke. Allysix couldn’t really tell what the seamstress intended, but the woman seemed to be lashing out with all her might. Perhaps Issanya was attempting to carry out the death sentence right then and there, however the black magic just rolled over Allysix and was absorbed by her.

  The disbelief and shocked on Mistress Issanya’s face was shared by the other three women in the circle with the talent. Evidently, they knew what Issanya had just attempted, or perhaps had participated in it. They exchanged troubled looks with one another, but the other women in the circle seemed unaware of what had just taken place. They still wore looks of anger, awaiting the certain doom of this blasphemous woman standing before them in the binding circle.

  Allysix was finished with this charade, so she freed her bound hands with ease before strolling forward to stand in front of Mistress Issanya. This time, the confounded, stunned looks were shared by all the women in the circle. After all, the circle was supposed to protect them from whatever they held bound inside.

  Many of the women began to back away in fear, before a stern look from Mistress Issanya made them return to their posts, but they returned hesitantly. Many stood trembling, and some were even on the verge of tears, but they at least held their ground. Thoughts had to be racing in their heads. Who was this woman who defied their power and broke the binding circle? Could it actually be the Blood Witch? Allysix could see the questions clearly in their eyes.

  Allysix smiled warmly at the seamstress before continuing. “As I was saying, I am Allysix. All of you have nothing to fear, my faithful followers,” she said, spreading her hands wide to encompass everyone in a gracious gesture. “I can see that you have done well in keeping the faith, and I will reward you greatly for you devotion and service.”

  There was confusion and awe clearly visible on Issanya’s face, as well as on the faces of the other women in the Circle when they heard Allysix’s revelation. But these women were not near as hard headed as the men had been. Even if Issanya didn’t believe Allysix was who she said she was, at least the seamstress had the intelligence to realize that she was powerless against the woman who had just broken the binding circle. The seamstress could recognize the power and the potential threat that stood before her, even if she wasn’t completely convinced of her identity.

  Issanya stood there for several moments, thoughts racing behind her eyes. It was clear that she had never experience this kind of thing before. Her magic had never failed her and she was struggling to come to grips with it. Allysix could see the question in the woman’s eyes. “Could it really be? Was this really the Blood Witch that she had given her soul to serve?”

  Allysix moved her face closer to Issanya so the woman could clearly see her blood red eyes. Then she smiled warmly, but in a way as to expose her two sharp fang-like teeth.

  Confusion gradually gave way to understanding, and finally hopes and ambition won out, as Issanya slowly knelt and kissed Allysix feet, while saying, “I am yours Great Mistress. We have remained faithful awaiting your return.” As Issanya turned her face up, Allysix noticed tears streaming down the woman’s face. Perhaps Issanya really did believe now. This was much better than the force and fear she had used on the men, because this devotion was complete.

  Once Allysix commanded the seamstress to stand, Issanya’s place was quickly taken by another of the women in the Circle. Allysix waited patiently as each of the twelve other women in turn followed Issanya’s lead by kissing Allysix’s feet, all the while pronouncing the oaths of devotion and loyalty. When they were finally finished with the formalities, Allysix commanded them all to rise and stand before her. Remaining in this smelly basement was beginning to grate on Allysix’s nerves and she wanted to get out of here.

  “Isn’t there somewhere we can go that is a little more…….comfortable, so we can sit and talk? We do have much to discuss,” Allysix said, addressing Issanya.

  “Yes, certainly,” Issanya replied, her eyes beaming, “we can go…to my home. I can prepare some tea and……and whatever you wish, Great Mistress.”

  “That will be fine,” Allysix intoned with
a warm smile, “however, I’m sure your house would be hard pressed to accommodate everyone here. For the time being, just the four of you come,” she motioned to the four that had held the binding, the ones that could actually wield the black magic. “We will have more than ample time for everyone else later.”

  The ones that had not been chosen wore looks of deep sadness and disappointment on their faces, but they acquiesced to Allysix’s wishes and retired reluctantly to their own homes for the night.

  Allysix remained at Issanya’s home well into the night and discussed many things. As it turned out, Issanya was a great source of knowledge of the city, and what went on here, including the undercurrents in the guilds, and between them and the Magistrate. The other three women were just as insightful in their own ways and had their own talents as well. Gilda, for instance was a baker, and in charge of food service to the council meetings. Kavarina was the head of the innkeeper’s guild, and owned the finest inn in the city. It seemed she would provide accommodations for Allysix, at no charge of course. Elisanor and Larysian were prominent women in the community whose services would be most useful.

  It was a pleasure to Allysix that she had found women to support her cause. As she already knew, they could be much more useful than men. Sure, if you needed to fight a war, or a strong arm for menial tasks, then men could be useful. But these women were prominent and well thought of in the city, and had been able to keep their…….allegiance, a secret all this time. They had much more influence and power than the men she had recruited.

  Allysix told the women of her situation with Maggas and his followers. The women were not happy at all, but as she suspected, they had soon laid plans and strategies to use the men in the most useful of ways. It was a refreshing change for Allysix after dealing with Maggas and his mindless fanatics.

  It was almost morning when Allysix finally left Issanya’s house and made her way back to the Carp District, and to the Black Brotherhood headquarters. Maggas was awake already, even at this early hour, so Allysix told him she wanted to meet with him and Baalnar. It took some time for Maggas to wake Baalnar and get him to the meeting room. After the two were gathered into a private room, Allysix announced, “I have found women in the city that are sympathetic to our cause.”