by Jade Royal
“These are my orders,” he told her, continuing to hold her back. Ashbel could only watch as Mage whipped and assaulted the bodies of the three women, hanging like animals on that damned torture device.
“I don’t give a damn about your orders! Let me go!” Ashbel cried out. In times like this, it frustrated her not to have a position of power. To see people in need of someone powerful on their side to help them fight against the tyrannical reign of the bastard they all called King frustrated her down to her core. She swore, she was going to assassinate that man and rid his poisonous existence from the planet.
“Have you learned your lesson yet?” Mage asked, breathing heavily. He wiped his brow, looking at the three women that were strung up. Blood dripped from their naked bodies, their flesh raw and red. Mage lashed his whip at the female hung up on the center cross. The binds that held her hands against the wooden surface broke free against his whip. She fell to a heap on the platform, crying out as her raw flesh hit hard. Ashbel winced, empathetic to her pain. Around her, there were others who were looking down or away, too queasy to continue watching. And there were the others, the rich types who were smiling with glee, loving the torture playing out in front of them. Ashbel was sick to her stomach.
“From this moment on, I decree you to be my mistress,” Mage announced. He grabbed the fallen female from the platform by her thick auburn colored hair. He dragged her down from the platform and across the stone floor as if she was trash.
“As part of your punishment all three of you females will take turns making sure that you king is physically pleased in all sense of the word. And when I see fit, my royal guards and the members of the royal court and the dukes of royalty in their own clans that I have become quite close with, will be allowed to use your bodies as they see fit. Doesn’t that sound great, gentlemen?” The bastards that called themselves friends of the king rooted for his decree, already foaming at the mouth with the prospect of using the females for their own deranged needs. Mage threw the woman in front of him. She landed in a fetal position; tears drenched on her face.
“The only thing you need to worry about dear is my satisfaction. And I think now, in a court of your peers, your punishment should continue,” Mage growled down at her. He shrugged his cloak from his shoulders then slowly unsnapped the button of his pants.
“I guess we’ll see how much of a man I am right now,” Mage gritted. He turned and looked directly at Ashbel. Eyes large as saucers, Ashbel recalled the threat he’d made to her in his chambers. He’d claimed he detested her and that was why sex with her was never going to be an option. But for questioning his virility, he was going to rape a female in front of damn year the entire town, and the royal court. He wasn’t just torturing the female. He was torturing Ashbel.
“No—do—don’t do it!” Ashbel called out. Mage threw his head back and laughed.
“Who’s going to stop me? I’m the King!” He screamed. He yanked down his pants and grabbed the woman’s legs.
“NO! YOU BASTARD!” Ashbel fought hard in the hold of the guard.
“Please,” Ashbel whispered to him. “If you have any sense of decency. You’d let me go.” Ashbel thought her pleas would fall on deaf ears. Most of the guards only did and said what the king ordered them because they too were afraid of him.
“The king is very skilled when it comes to fights that include his sword and knife. But he lacks defensive skills when it comes to his fire power if his attacker moves quickly and fiercely. Aim for his eyes. He won’t be able to defend against it and he won’t be able to draw his sword after temporarily losing his vision. Don’t hesitate. Be quick. He cannot defend if you do that,” the guard whispered in her ear.
“As you distract him, I will undo the binds on the other two women and try and get them out of here. No doubt there will be some form of chaos.” Ashbel only nodded. Her heart was beating fast, pummeling in her chest cavity. Gulping, she looked off to the side. Bea was clutching at her chest, already looking away from the horrible scene that was about to be in display in front of them.
They couldn’t mind speak, but Ashbel kept glaring at Bea, hoping with all her might that Bea felt Ashbel’s hot glare.
“Look at me Bea,” Ashbel pleaded, needing the woman to see her. Bea slowly looked up. she turned her head to the left and then to the right before her eyes slowly landed on Ashbel. Ashbel perked up. She created a small ‘o’ with her mouth and used her fire power to blow out orange smoke. She sent three orange circles of smoke up into the air. When she looked at Bea, the woman nodded firmly and with a clenched fist confirmed that she’d received Ashbel’s signal.
“Ready?” the guard asked her.
“Ready,” Ashbel grunted fiercely.
“Good luck.” Just as Mage dropped to his knees to mount the poor woman on the floor, the guard holding Ashbel dropped his arms. She lunged forward, her hands swelling with orange flames.
“BASTARD!” Ashbel screamed, as she rushed at him. In her eyes, the next event appeared in slow motion. Mage’s heard turned, his eyes widening as he saw her charging towards him. Ashbel swung her arm forward, letting him feel the heat of her raging fire. Screaming, she slashed across his disgusting face, pressing her hands directly onto his eyes. When fire met skin, there was a sickening sizzle.
In agonizing pain, Mage screamed and clutched at his eyes. He fell over, his pants falling. Ashbel stood over him, using his own trick and making her fire turn into a whip.
“RUN!” Ashbel urged the woman who was crawling backwards, her chest rising and falling rapidly. The woman didn’t hesitate. She scrambled to her feet and began to take flight. Out of the corner of her eye, Ashbel saw the guard untying the women bound to the cross.
Their entire audience was frozen in their spots, facial expressions agape with both terror and surprise.
“I’ve had enough!” Ashbel screamed. “You’re a piece of shit king and I refuse to stand in fear from someone like you!” Ashbel reeled her fire whip around and brought it full force against Mage’s bare ass. He yelped in pain, the fire stinging his behind.
“Now look at the mighty king! Getting his ass WHOOPED! And who’s there to save you?!” Ashbel shouted. She repeatedly whipped at his ass; the rage she’d felt for the past two years that she’d finally bottled up beginning to seep out viciously.
“This is for my baby! This is for my husband! My family! My WHOLE LIFE!” She screamed. Mage squirmed and shouted out; his entire lower half being consumed by her flames.
“You want to know who was behind the massacre of the Red Dragon clan?! This bastard! He killed the king, the queen and he’s the one that drove Prince Kapono away!” The gasp from the onlookers was followed up by the whispers and hushed conversation. Only the ones who followed Mage’s rule in the beginning knew of his plot to overthrow the royal family.
“SEIZE HER AT ONCE!” Mage shouted. Ashbel froze. If she allowed herself to get caught, she would no doubt be thrown in the dungeon. After this much embarrassment, Mage would probably execute her in front of the entire town too. That was why she’d sent Bea the signal. This was a day where her ultimate plan would be executed. She’d planned it in hopes that there would ever be a time she could truly use it. At first, Ashbel garnered little support. Even her own clan mates were unsettled because they assumed Kapono had truly gone nuts and murdered the entire kingdom. After Ashbel revealed who the king truly was, she began to get support. Things only became better after Firya gave her the news that she’d seen Kapono. They hadn’t yet found him again, or even knew what his mental state was, but knowing Kapono was alive meant that they could potentially have the real heir to the throne on their sides. Without Kapono at their sides yet, their plan could never come to fruition. After what Ashbel had just done however, there was no turning back. There was no hope that she would be in the castle and allowed to roam about, even with Mage watching her intensely. If she was captured, he would shackle her, or kill her point blank. She’d come too far for any of those outcomes
.
“Drakaina! ROAR!” Ashbel bellowed. The castle began to rumble, halting the king’s men from rushing Ashbel.
“What in the hell are you doing?” Mage sneered, covering his eyes where she’d burned him. Soon, his healing would take in affect. They needed to move.
The rumble grew louder until every single Drakaina or female dragon in the castle appeared in the great hall. They pushed their way through, standing together like an army. In her quest to rid herself of Mage, Ashbel not only earned the trust of her own clanmates, but every female in the castle that Mage used and abused; including Bea who had been his faithful servant for a long while. They all were ready to finally break free. With a deep inhale, every single female leaned back, mustering all of their strength. When they jutted forward, an inferno of fire power came roaring out of them. The great hall was suddenly spilling with flames, all different kinds of colors; representing the dragon blood of different clans. Ashbel was in such awe, seeing the wave of flames. It warmed her heart to see that she’d been able to conjure up herself a little army of women who weren’t afraid to fight.
Chaos erupted. As they’d planned, the females spewed fire from their mouths, effectively creating their own escape path. Mage was down. He wasn’t getting back up. Ashbel wanted to slice his throat right then and there but there would be no point. the kingdom would completely collapse and there was no rightful heir to the throne to take Mage’s place. That was why their plan hinged on Kapono being on their side, but she would figure out those details soon enough. Right now, it was time to escape. Ashbel lashed Mage one last time. He tried to lunge and grab her, but without his sight he was uncoordinated and useless.
“You will burn in the fiery pits of hell Mage Bourbon. Just you watch,” Ashbel threatened him. For good measure, she kicked him in his exposed privates.
When the force of fire from the women came forth, Ashbel began spewing her own orange fire, leading the way out of the castle. The guards were unable to see or get through their blockade of heat and fire power to grab onto any of them. The moment they broke the threshold of the castle, they charged through the townspeople.
“TRAITORS! I’m issuing a bounty for their seizure and capture! If you can bring me Ashbel Crimson, the bounty will be tripled!” Ashbel could hear Mage barking out orders. She knew that the moment she ran with all the females, Mage would do anything to hunt them back down if he cared enough.
“Split up! You know where to meet! If you’re in trouble, send up sparks of fire! Be sure to keep watch of the skies Drakaina’s! We will protect each other!” Ashbel announced. All women nodded at her before splitting in different directions. Even the women who’s been tied up took off, running together. Ashbel took Bea’s hand. She was the oldest of the women, and Ashbel had promised to keep look after her since her dragon power was on a decline.
“Let’s go Bea. I have your back. I won’t let him catch you,” Ashbel whispered. Bea nodded at her, holding her hand tight.
They ran through the streets of Emberdom, lucky that anyone who wasn’t at the castle knew nothing of their bounty. If that was the case, every person that ran by would be aiming to capture them. That was if they agreed with the king to begin with.
Running for twenty minutes straight, Bea began to tire out. Ashbel knew they couldn’t stop, but also knew that Bea was too old to run continuously. Slowly coming to a halt, Ashbel looked at Bea.
“I’m sorry to hold you up. I guess in the plan it didn’t seem like such a long run,” she huffed.
“I told you, I’ve got your back. Come on.” Ashbel turned around and motioned for the older woman to climb onto her back. Bea was hesitant but she knew they couldn’t just stand around. Their destination wasn’t too far away. In the distance, Bea could see the outskirts of Emberdom and beyond where the land turned from cobblestone to dry red clay and dirt. She slowly climbed onto Ashbel’s back. The much more young and agile female held Bea up with no problem, showing Bea that Ashbel wasn’t just strong minded. She carried a physical strength that could surpass many women.
With Bea on her back, Ashbel continued running. Even if she couldn’t see it right in front of her, Ashbel knew she had a safe place waiting. The very place that Firya had built for them after Ashbel had helped her escape two years ago.
Her soul yearns for you. Kapono sat on his cot, in the home he’d made with his own hands inside the side of the canyon. The moment he’d entered the solace of his new home, he stripped off the clothing that seemed to weigh him down.
In front of him, Kapono had a wide slab of glass leaning against the wall. As payment for catching a band of thieves, the elders of a clan provided Kapono with bags of goods including food, clothing, fabric that he used for his cot, medicine and this slab of glass that he used as his mirror. Kapono was grateful for the goodies. Especially because he tended to forget about certain things, he needed to care of himself. Those gifts had made his little cave dwelling comfortable, even though Kapono was alone.
Looking at himself in the mirror, Kapono hardly recognized the man he was. His skin seemed paler, lacking the glow that came from having his melanin be graced by the sun. Being covered from head to toe had no other perks but to help hide his identity. As he looked at himself, Kapono’s mind was still boggled by the words Neva had spoken to him. It just wasn’t her words however. It was what he had known was beneath all the clothing he wore. What she had known was on his chest, exactly where she had placed her palm. Kapono touched that exact spot. Ashbel’s firebrand rested on his chest, large and circular. It was wild and carefree just as she was, expanding over his entire pectoral. The orange firebrand didn’t have any set design, yet the spikes that jutted out in every which direction looked as if it was designed.
They had given each other firebrands as part of the wedding ceremony, placing in places that would be visible by anyone. Because he hardly ever wore shirts, having it on his chest displayed to everyone that he was a married man. His firebrand on her finger and her neck also provided the same display, ensuring that her position as a taken woman was clear. Most couples however gave their partners firebrands in rather intimate places as just a sense of pride between each other. Kapono had planned to do that very thing. However, the first night they made love was the night their baby had been conceived. Pregnant women of dragon blood always battled with fever because of the baby growing within them, developing their own fire. Kapono was nervous to add any more heat to Ashbel’s body fearing it would be too much her to handle.
It was silly, but Kapono wished he did leave her that intimate firebrand. He wished that he could do it in that moment. Kapono clenched his chest. What the fuck did Neva mean about Ashbel’s soul yearning for him?! It was driving him crazy. She insisted on him going to Emberdom like that would make a difference. The only difference it would make was if Ashbel was somehow alive. Kapono slowly unclenched his hand against his chest. He caressed the mark left by his love. Could she be? Was Neva somehow hinting at that? Lost to you forever. Kapono’s eyes widened. Could that mean she wasn’t lost to him at the moment? That there was still a chance for Kapono to save her?
I need to feel destruction. I need to hear screams of agony. Wrath began to claw at Kapono’s brain. Wincing in pain, Kapono clutched his head. It had been too long since Kapono had killed Bosto. Even though only one day had gone by. Wrath was needy and compulsive. Before Kapono could ever relax, the demon was back in his mind reminding Kapono of his enslavement.
“You will. Soon enough. Just please. Wait,” Kapono stated. Wrath grumbled in his mind, but remained quiet. If Kapono didn’t know any better, he could have sworn that the demon was starting to actually listen to him. Thinking about it, Kapono realized that the moment he had finally given into Wrath, the demon seemed to allow Kapono to control certain situations. He wasn’t sure what to make of it, but as long as his body wasn’t riddled with pain, Kapono wouldn’t question it.
“Wrath.” Kapono called the name of the demon that was living inside of him.
Yes? Kapono stood from his cot. He looked at himself in the slab of reflective glass, his hand clutching the firebrand on his chest.
“I’m going back to Emberdom. If anyone steps in my path with an intent to cause me harm; we will cause destruction. Because I’m going to Emberdom to get answers. And I won’t leave until I have them,” Kapono vowed.
That sounds like a plan. Wrath chuckled. Kapono needed to know the truth. Neva’s words would never leave his brain. If he went to Emberdom, there could be something waiting for him. Kapono just had to buck up and take the dive. He didn’t give a damn who said anything about the fact that he was covered completely. If they were going to try and physically stop him; Kapono would simply give in to his deadly sin. Either way; he had to know why Neva was insisting that he go to Emberdom for Ashbel. Kapono was just praying that he wasn’t going back to Emberdom for more heartbreak.
It looked the same. The image of the raging fires and destruction Kapono had caused were burned into the back of his mind. Even with the passage of time, he couldn’t seem to wrap his mind around the place recovering from the damage he had caused.
Kapono kept his head down as he walked the streets of his home town. Even the smell of Emberdom, like burning coal smelled the same. Kapono found himself inhaling deeply. He felt nostalgic. This was his home. A home he never thought he would ever come back to. Hell, he never thought he would be allowed back.
“Must be awfully hot.” Kapono slowed down as he walked by an elder. The man was standing in front of his cottage, hunched over with age. Still, he had a hammer and wood near his feet as if he was about to do some kind of work.
“I have sensitive skin,” Kapono grumbled.
“Sorry to hear that boy,” he said. Kapono wasn’t sure what it was, but he couldn’t get himself to leave the old man just yet. In any town Kapono visited, he barely talked to the villagers. Being back in Emberdom, Kapono felt some sort of obligation. This was where his royalty would have started.