Greetings all
I am finally done with that massive book and looking forward to some time off. I have scheduled a week between the end of this book and the start of the next one. Looking forward to having some time to work on Fledgling.
Anyway, enjoy today's update. Today you get to understand the mental torture that the Fell Dragon goes through to be what she is today, as well as Saasha's own pain at the situation that she is in. Enjoy!
There was no control, only pain that inched along her extremities. The blood had long since stopped pumping from her mouth. She hadn’t heard a heartbeat since she had been placed on this table. Was she dead?
She couldn’t be. She could see the wolf creature laying on the floor at her feet and she was breathing though it was laboured most of the time. She tried to move but what movement she was capable of was halted by the restraints.
The movement made the creature’s head shoot up to look at her. She had seen this one often accompanying the Fell Dragon as he picked people of power off one by one. He was one of several wolf-like creatures that followed the Fell Dragon. This particular one was vicious. She had seen him take the face off one of the First and tear through humans as if they were nothing.
They are nothing.
The voice came out of nowhere and she bucked against the table. Within seconds, the beast stood over her and placed a hand flat on her chest.
Send the mutt to repair.
This was a new voice. Where were they coming from? The pain had reached the ends of her fingers and toes, and it felt as if someone was trying to light them on fire.
Send it for repairs.
Another voice. Clear, as if speaking directly into her mind. She whimpered again and tried to pull her extremities to her chest and hide.
My God, she’s so fresh she has no idea.
Order it to cut you loose.
Can she hear us?
A female? It’s been a while since a female was a Champion. What lifeform is she?
“Shut up!” she screamed as she lifted her head and tried to slam it down against the hard table.
Now the blood started flying again. The wolf creature’s massive hand covered her face and pressed her down hard enough to stop her movements.
They hope the less they tell us every cycle, the less of a threat we’d become.
Our intent is inherited through the binding.
Tell the wolf to release you.
Showcase your skills.
More voices, more orders. It was too much.
“Let go of me!” she screamed at the wolf.
It snatched its hand away and backpedalled from her.
The intent is there already. She was very accepting. Did they change the system?
Some kind of controller module.
Was destroyed.
Not effective anymore? Good.
“Go away.” She groaned.
The wolf dropped to all fours and ran from the room. It was then that she realised the beast couldn’t hear the voices she did. Being left alone in the room with only the voices in her head terrified her.
“No! Wait.” She shouted.
The receding of claws halted, and then slowly made their way back into the room. The wolf creature looked confused but eventually came to stand beside her.
“Don’t leave my side.” She begged.
Oh my God.
The wolf creature nodded his head and sat down cross-legged next to her. The blood that had littered its face was black and there was a district smell of rot wafting toward her. How long had she been trapped here? She was terrified of asking the question out loud, in case the voices decided to respond.
It should have been long enough. She must be able to hear us. Where is the last dragon?
She took his head. Doubtful that his intent remained.
Girl, order the wolf to release you. There isn’t much freedom strapped down here.
She didn’t know what to do and now there were so many voices screaming at her, she couldn’t figure out what they were saying. She turned to face the wolf and begged.
“Get me out of here.”
The beast rose to its hind legs and effortlessly cut her bonds. The pain seared through her body as she sat and reached for the back of her neck. Something was wrapped around there, and she yanked it off. She had hoped that it would cut the voices off but all it did was make blood flow down her back as she howled in agony as she fell from the table.
She lay in a crumpled heap while clutching at her neck while fresh tears came to her face. The wolf creature curled around her and licked at the wound on her face and the new one at the back of her neck.
She can hear us!
The wolf can take you to what can heal you. Tell him to do so.
You all assume she can understand you.
The pain was fading but the voices weren’t. She let go of her neck and looked at her bloodied hands. The wolf took to immediately licking the back of her neck until the blood ceased to flow. It then padded to the front of her before picking her up under the arms and throwing her over his shoulder.
Healer. Now.
“Healer.” She muttered.
While the pain was gone, her body felt heavy, and she didn’t have any strength. As the wolf trudged along, her eyes grew heavy until she fell into a fitful sleep.
Saasha had been receiving regular communication with the humans and was pleased that the human King had finally retired, and Saita was ruling. She knew the burdens of ruling and had sent letter after letter to tell the girl that she would always be willing to discuss anything she needed in a private capacity. The human had taken her up on it. Saasha got to hear far more about what was privately happening on the human world than anyone else did.
Saita had warned the queen that she was allowing Brucel to return to the planet, as long as he sought treatment for what he had gone through. It had irked Saasha that she had gone against her directive, and it personally felt that this was some form of revenge for what the Saith had done to her to allow her to train.
However, not once had she noted the hulking Saith, though Larden often warned her when he was in the old manor house. It would seem that the old Captain of the Guard was trying to deal with what he had gone through. The queen didn’t know how to feel about that. The disgust and horror she had felt when she had first seen him was still present, but there were other nagging emotions that were surfacing that made her regret sending him away in the first place.
Yet, she didn’t have the heart to tell him that she wanted him to return. It had been months since he had left and instead of his absence calming her heart, it only made her long for him more.
She would often visit her husband’s grave to glean some sort of advice. She hated feeling this way. It reminded her of the time she was healing after her torture. She had been indecisive, not sure what to do, and absolutely terrified.
Having Brucel back in her life, even if he was just on the edges, made it difficult to keep her thoughts in line with what she needed to do. It had been decades since she last saw him, and it physically hurt to have him this close without there being anything between the two of them.
Larden must have realised how his mother was feeling, as one day, after a particularly harrowing meeting that involved the discussion of the new traps designed for the capture of a Wolven, he pulled her aside.
“He wants to ask something of you.”
Saasha was aware that Larden continued to call Brucel his father, but when around her, he had always continued to call the man “he.” She would always know who he was referring to. Generally, she would wave her son off, but this time, she invited him to her room.
She seated herself at her desk while her son sat on the bed rubbing his hands together. The whole situation had been difficult for Larden. He now understood his mother’s pain, but he was trying to soothe his own after losing his father so young. His mother had respected that, and never indicated that she didn’t want to prevent son and father from another universe from bonding.
Saasha took a deep breath and asked, “What does he want?”
Larden looked up and rubbed at his forearms, “He wants his shackles removed.”
That surprised Saasha, as she was sure that he still wore those things because he wanted to retain some memory of what happened all those decades ago. She knows that the chains had been removed early on, but the shackles themselves hadn’t budged in decades.
“And I need to give permission for it?” She was confused as to why she needed to be involved in this.
Larden looked uncomfortable and muttered something.
“Excuse me?” said Saasha a little sharper than she had meant to.
“It’s not my place to explain why, but he wants you there.”
She frowned and Larden immediately continued.
“He’s been working hard on himself, Mom. I know he isn’t Dad, or at least not the man you fell in love with, but would it really hurt for you to listen to a single request he has.”
Saasha wondered how much of this was about her son and less about her. She didn’t know if he was hoping that there would be some sort of reunion between them. She had always known how he had struggled with no father and Bahn had tried to be there for him, but it had never been enough. Yet, it wasn’t just him that seemed stuck. Saasha had never remarried, though there had been opportunities. She just could never get over losing her husband. She still loved him dearly, and with this Brucel now in their world, she didn’t know if she had the strength to withstand everything she had bottled up for years.
“Larden, I can’t.” she whispered softly.
“But why? All you need to do is…”
“I love him.” She admitted as she clenched her jaw.
Larden fell silent, unsure of what he had heard. His mother, thinking that she now needed to explain herself, stumbled over her words.
“I know he isn’t your father, trust me, I am reminded of it whenever I look at his arms. If he loses those shackles, then I don’t know what I’ll do because then he would resemble your father in every way if he had survived. I never got to see your father grow old and as I look at this one; it’s everything I envisioned when I married your father and thought of our future. I can’t have him replace…”
“Is that why you never remarried?” interrupted Larden. “You were worried that you would rewrite a future you can no longer have? How hard are you holding onto Dad?”
“Love came easy to you and Danna; it wasn’t that easy for me to learn how to trust.” Saasha got to her feet and turned from her son.
“This isn’t about Danna and me, Mom. Don’t deflect.” Larden fell silent before he asked, “Are you worried that you would act on the future you wanted with the man you both love and despise?”
“Silens trained you too well.”
“No Mom, Dad taught me to see beyond the walls you hide your emotions behind. I knew you were hurting but I had no idea you were intentionally keeping yourself in this state.” Larden then paused and seemed to realise something. “You aren’t worried that you might act on your feelings, but have actively considered it, haven’t you.”
“The man caused two genocides.” Stated Saasha as she turned back to her eldest. “You’d think I would be repulsed. I should be repulsed, but he is the what-if I have thought about constantly since the day I lost your father.”
Saasha’s emotions were palpable, so much so, that Larden couldn’t help but feel the pain she was. His request had been a selfish one. He was so desperate to have a father once more, that he hadn’t noticed what it was doing to his mother having the man from another time so close. He considered his next words carefully, not knowing how she would react.
“I think Dad would forgive you for trying to be happy once more.”
Those words brought tears to the old queen’s eye and she refused to turn to look at her son. Larden didn’t give up. He got to his feet.
“The only other person who truly understands what you went through, lost a treasured spouse, and was tortured is this man. Dad would understand.”
“I made a promise.” Saasha choked out.
“Till death do we part.” Said Larden gently, “You avenged Dad as much as you were able after promising Jethron not to kill Malekai. You upheld your oaths of marriage and as a blood brother. You are allowed to be happy.”
Words failed the queen and all she could do was to look at her son with a sad smile, “When did you get so wise?”
“Plenty of teachers. So, I will ask one more time. Will you come?”
“When?” she wiped at her eye.
“Not until you agree to it. He sees it as a punishment and you’re the only one who can forgive him for what he did.”
“Sentimental fool. Idiot.” Muttered Saasha as she shook her head.
“He needs this and you two need to talk. You can’t avoid each other forever.”
“I’ve left this to fester too long, haven’t I?”
Larden grinned his father’s grin and nodded his head, “Time to rip off the bandage.”
I'll just leave this right here, and let you all stew in that emotion.
For those of you who have never heard of Fell Dragon you can find Book 1 here, Book 2 here, Book 3 here, and Book 4 here, Book 5 here, Book 6 here, and Book 7 here
If you have any questions, feel free to ask me. I love discussing my books!
As the series continues, it will combine with another book series I wrote. To avoid confusion about what is happening, introductory chapters will be introduced separately so that you don't have to be lost. However, these chapters will contain spoilers. You can find these chapters here:
Races Explained
Banishment
Royal Guard
Saasha’s Direct Family
Saith Characters Recap
Human Characters Recap
Alternate Timeline Brucel
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Part 2>>You are Here>>Part 4
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