FOREVER KNIGHTS: #3 Forsaking the Vanquished

Stone Peak, Black Mountains, Battling Border

CHAVIAS

It’d been a sennight since the Targue had managed to drag the two near-corpses into Radix’s Throne Room.

Chavias now new who the female was. Radix called her Libby.

She’d been in that room cold and hungry. Her shrieking turning into something deep and even more ugly. Like a demonic roar.

Too deep for someone so small.

She’s changing. His dread and some dark curiosity drove him passed the Throne Room to catch another glimpse of her.

As he walked by her head whipped like a striking snake. She squealed in his direction. Sounding very much like Noni as she opened her gaping mouth. Revealing tiny pointed white teeth. Black veins spiraled from her eyes so dense that they made her sockets look empty. With lines spider webbing over her cheeks. Her lips were purple from her blood thickening in her veins.

Her body is dying.

Her skin had turned nearly gray with blotches looking like cracked marble. She closed her mouth with a smacking sound and her eyes burned so orange they were nearly red as she blinked. Triggering the eyes of the others lurking along the wall to do the same.

Other Firoque. Half-humans. They were drawn here by her changing. Hearing her screams, they knew what was happening to her even if she didn’t yet understand. Her agony was so alive that she lost a red tear which trailed over her skin burning like a trail of lava.

She sobbed in pain. And her body jerked into more spasms and she flung herself back. Cracking her head on a rock.

Other Firoque dropped to all fours. Their feet slapping along the stone floor as they crept closer to her to stick their faces down and lap up the fresh blood like dogs in a stream.

It wrenched Chavias’ gut.

Libby was young. He’d seen her a few times before she’d changed so much. She’d been barely grown when Radix began feeding her greed. Luring her to his Cimmerii with minimal effort. With no parents she’d been easy bait.

Chavias pitied her. When she wakes again, she’ll be blindly obedient to Radix. Hungry, greedy and nearly mindless.

Unable to see what Radix’s evil magic had done to her.

Had done to them all…