Ogres and Ogresses Ch. 22

The roar the ogre made raised the hairs on the back of Hanto's neck. It was terrifying, and yet, exactly what he wanted. He would show them all, that he was right. Kail was a monster, and now, they would have the proof. As Kail rushed him he prepared his spear.

He needed him close.

Closer...

Closer.

There.

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A loud guttural sound jolted Ginger right out of her sleep. Beside her, Rair, Enui, and Gharla stirred up beside her. She found them all to be in her tent, quite naked, and knew that Gharla was suffering from the day sickness.

"What was that?" Ginger asked. The others groaned their confusion.

She handed Gharla a drink as she tossed on her

clothing. Rair did the same beside her, refusing to meet their stunned gazes.

"That's funny," Ginger remarked saucily. "I don't remember having you last night."

"You didn't," Rair stated. She slipped on her shoes and grabbed her spear. "I had you."

Ginger blushed when Rair gave her a surprisingly content look and smiled wickedly to herself as Rair walked outside.

Taking a swig of the drink herself, she followed swiftly after her. The others followed suit as best as they could. Rair was already gone. Looking around she saw the sound had woken several of the villagers. Kyzu appeared in the crowd in a tossed on gown, looking disheveled and irritated. A handsome young man followed after her.

"What has happened?" Kyzu demanded. "Where is Zyra?"

"Zyra is gone," Enui said, looking into her tent. She was nowhere to be found.

"But that sound? What could have caused it? We have no animals that would—"

"The ogre," Gharla breathed. When the realization of what they had heard came to them, they dashed into the forest.

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Blood leaked from the tip of Hanto's knife. He stared out disbelievingly at the spot where his blade had taken purchase. He was pleased, mortified, and most of all, confused.

"How?" he asked with genuine curiosity.

He pulled back and watched her wince as the stunned ogre stood behind her.

"You're very conspicuous," Zyra said, gripping her aching hand.

She had arrived just in time to stop the tip of Hanto's knife from sliding into the flesh of Kail's ribs. Kail had charged him blindly, not considering that it was to draw him in for a hidden attack. Zyra knew Hanto cared less about Kail dodging his spear. His form had been too poor. That should have been a good give away that the deadlier weapon lay hidden. Zyra had slipped between them and gripped the knife, the sharpened blade slicing her deep.

"This is between the ogre and me," Hanto said with an eerie calm.

"It's over Hanto," Zyra said as Kail took her hand and examined it. She could feel him becoming angrier and angrier behind her. She patted his thigh with her good hand in comfort.

"I will kill him," Hanto promised. "It may not be today, it may not be tomorrow, but your cur will die by my hand."

"I will never be yours Hanto," Zyra snapped harshly. "Even if you were the last man alive. I would rather let the human race die out, than lie with a murderous wretch like you."

Hanto's face turned red and he charged at her without restraint.

In seconds, Kail stepped in front of her and grabbed Hanto by his fists. He raised them above his head and pressed Hanto towards the ground. Hanto's muscles strained and he shook from the effort to keep his knees from buckling.

"Let me promise you this," Kail rasped, his face menacing. "If you ever, lay a finger on her, I will personally see you strung up by your toes and carved up, piece by piece, until you die from the loss of blood..." He forced Hanto down on his knees with a growl. "Or the shock."

He gave him a dangerous smile, and Hanto struggled against his might, but could not manage to lift himself back up. Feeling himself under the ogre's control, Hanto was ashamed to feel fear.

"Zyra!"

Turning they saw villagers rushing over. Kail released Hanto and he bowed over with a groan.

"He attacked me!" Hanto shouted. "The ogre attacked me!"

"Zyra you're bleeding!" Kyzu yelped. She stared at the ogre's smoldering home with shock and immediately grabbed her villagers.

"Go! Fetch water! NOW!"

They obeyed, rushing towards the village to retrieve their buckets.

"You as well!" Kyzu snapped at the Ursie bystanders. "Make yourself useful!"

They obeyed fearfully, Hanto standing dejected on the side of the action. Hastily Kyzu pushed past the dispersing crowd to cradle Zyra's hand.

"What happened to you? What did they do?"

"I'm fine," Zyra huffed. "It wasn't..." She cursed herself as her vision became scattered with spots. Surely she wasn't going to pass out from such a minor wound. As her head began to swing, she realized that she was.

"No..."she moaned, low in her chest. Her body felt light and when her knees buckled, Kail caught her, lowering her to the ground. When she touched it, she was unconscious.

"Zyra," Ginger cried. She tore the wraps from Zyra's tattoo and began to bandage up her wound.

"She'll heal, don't worry," Kail whispered to her.

"Don't believe it. He's a monster," Hanto cried, pretending to struggle to his feet. "He sliced her with his fangs."

"Liar!" Kail snapped.

As the villagers came back with water, Kail's dwelling was doused amply and deep gray smoke began to spout from his roof. The villagers worked together as the huntresses and few more men arrived.

A fellow Ursie assisted Hanto to his feet. As his story circulated, they glared at the ogre with murderous intent.

"We heard the growl," Imjah said, striding forward. When Zyra was not "present," she became the lead huntress.

She looked at Kail suspiciously. Kail could have rolled his eyes. Some of the Rovians truly had no loyalty. When the fire was successfully put out, the villagers began to gossip as they took in the scene.

"Did you hear it?"

"It woke us up!"

"Look at her hand!"

"You weren't here when the real fire was

here. You should have seen—"

"Did he bite her?"

"Enough," Kyzu ordered.

The village quieted around her and she looked about. "Where is the Chief?"

"He is a remarkably heavy sleeper," one of the Ursie boys professed.

"I am aware," Kyzu grumbled. "Fetch him. Now."

Two Ursies and one huntress went off to obey her. She turned back to the two parties. Looking back at them, she knew the issue could not be resolved by her. Kyzu was aware that the ogre was innocent. Unfortunately, it was not her place to punish the son of a Chief.

"Lift her," Kyzu instructed. The ogre obeyed, and she ushered for her to be taken towards the village. Ginger followed, frowning and fretting with each step.

"I thought you said she would heal ogre," Ginger sighed, her voice riddled with apprehension.

"The wound is still bleeding. Doesn't she clot faster than this?"

"She's fine," Kail assured her.

When they arrived at Kyzu's tent, he laid her gently among the pillows and furs. Kyzu went to pour some fresh water into the bowl that lay from her storage and offered Ginger a cloth. As Kail looked through Kyzu's herbs, she made herself useful by cleaning Zyra's wound.

"Apply pressure," Kail instructed. "Hold it until you believe the bleeding has stopped."

He turned to look for the ingredients of what would be a pain reliever. Ginger was right. Zyra should have healed already. To be honest, Hanto's weak strike shouldn't have inflicted so much damage to her. That could mean but one thing, the witches were somehow sapping her power until she returned to them. While their reach was limited, their power of Zyra was not. He wondered what they hoped to gain by making her more vulnerable, more human. He supposed that Caligula might believe the power to be an alluring factor for her to return to the valley. He might believe she would be unable to stand normal human limitations now that she had felt the true grasp of power.

No matter, Zyra was unconscious and thus had no part in this moral dilemma. Instead, the dilemma was Kail's. Without the power of the keromedio, would he and Zyra's dynamic change? Zyra might have been a strong warrior before her change, but Kail was an ogre. Without her keromedio durability, would she be able to handle the onslaught of passion he could hurl at her at any moment. He didn't want to hurt her and he never had. If Hanto's blade could dig deep enough for her to lose that much blood, what could one of his fang's do?

"She's waking up," Kyzu breathed.

Kail looked down at his hands. He had gathered one ingredient. Hurrying to procure the rest, he combined it in time to see her eyes flutter open. She looked beside her at her sister, and then Ginger, and finally her eyes rested on Kail.

"Tell me I didn't," she moaned irritated.

"It's alright to pass out once in a while," Kail chuckled as he knelt beside her.

"I wake up somewhere I wasn't before at least once a week," Zyra snapped. "It is the most annoying truth of my existence."

"Oh shush," Kyzu chided. "There are worse things." She placed a kiss on her sister's head and headed for the tent flap when a sudden thought occurred to her. She paused, looking at the ogre.

"Kail."

"Yes, my Chieftess?"

"We need to have a chat."

Kail raised an eyebrow, but nodded in agreement.

"Very well."

Kyzu turned, her carelessly adorned gown whipping in a flourish behind her. Zyra groaned.

"What? What's wrong?" Ginger asked worriedly.

"Everything," Zyra muttered. Sighing, she laid back as Kail gingerly applied the pain reliever to her wound.

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"Tell them what you saw brother," Hanto shouted.

Rell looked at his brother. He had no idea what had turned him this way, nor if there was anything he could do to make it undone. Maybe he had never noticed his brother, never understood the truth of his villainy until now. His brother would sacrifice anything to avoid placing the fault on himself.

"Tell them!" Hanto insisted.

Rell watched the Ursies anticipation with a heavy heart. His father was nearing, irritation and drowsiness etched in his face. Rell looked at Hanto one more time and hoped that his foolish brother could see how sorry he was, and how much he pitied him.

"What is the meaning of this?" the Chief boomed. "Again! Again I am accosted from sleep? For what purpose? And why does the air smell of ash?" He took in the burned roof of the wooden home in front of him with outrage.

"Rell." Hanto glared at Rell with a cold, deadly intensity. "Tell him."

Once upon a time that would have been enough for Rell to act. Now, things were not so simple. Rell had a mind of his own. He was not his brother's shadow. His dimwitted brother was the only one who had failed to notice that their relationship had changed. Rell took a deep breath into his lungs, and released it slowly. He could feel the tension roll off of him in his exhale, the freeing feeling that choice gave. Shaking his head dismissively, Rell walked past Hanto and back toward the village.

"Hey..." Hanto began, "...what are you...?"

Rell walked to his father and nodded in greeting.

His father returned it, puzzled.

"My son, are you..."

Rell walked on, past all of their problems, back to the camp so that he could pack the remainder of his things.

"Rell!" Hanto shrieked in fury. "Don't you walk away from me!"

"That is exactly what I'm doing," Rell stated. "I am walking away from this issue brother." He gave his brother a knowing, pleading look. "I suggest you do the same, brother."

The Chief looked at his older son's back and noticed the resolute strength in his shoulders. It made him proud to see that, even though he was still confused. Why was his son walking away? Looking to Hanto, he tried to understand the flurried words and accusations he threw. It was rhythm less nonsense that indicated a non-truth, but he had never known Hanto to be the type of man to lie. And yet, he had never know Rell to be the type of man to condone fools.

He surveyed the damage done to the ogre's home, and considered how his son might be involved. He might be led to believe that the beast had in fact attacked his son, but the fire? Why would the creature destroy his own home? That could only mean one thing, Hanto had come to initiate struggle. He looked back at the disappearing tuff of blonde threading through the trees. While he had doubted the behavior of Rell, his son had continually proved that he wasn't changing. He was wise. Hanto had only proven...what he was proving now. He was impulsive, and he was becoming a liar. That was not good for a man, let alone a Chief.

"Enough," the Chief spoke.

Hanto's tirade ceased and he looked at his father expectantly. The Chief let out a long heavy sigh.

"We have overstayed our welcome. I want every Ursie to gather up their things and prepare for the journey home. We will bid our sister's goodbye."

"Father."

"Now."

He turned from his child, hoping that he understood the great gift he was being given. If he was to take this matter at heart, if the Rovians wanted justice for their property, Hanto would have to pay the price. Walking away was cowardly, but it was the best he could do for him.

The wild look in Hanto's eyes was missed by his father as he and the remaining Ursies headed towards the camp. The rage inside Hanto threatened to eat him alive. He was sure that...if he had only just... Too much, his pride had been injured too much. Rell had done this. Rell had abandoned him, his own brother.

Stiffly, he moved away from the ogre's dwelling, aware the Chieftess was still inside. Fine then, he would wait. Hanto would not forget what injustices had been done to him. Everyone had a moment of weakness, everyone had vulnerability, and when Zyra and the ogre slipped, he would be waiting. He turned away from the wretched Rovian forest with its twisted lies. Hanto would change his strategy. If upfront tactics didn't work, he would plot in secret.

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"My sisters and brothers, family and friends. It has been many days and nights that we have shared a homeland. Like any family, there were a few squabbles, but they were resolved quickly and with great wisdom and patience. Our bonds have grown fruit. I must give thanks to the Maker for my grandson, who at the next celebration will be strong enough to be received into the Ursie tribe. The love of..."

Zyra wasn't paying attention. The thin scar on her right hand itched uncomfortably and it was very hard to avoid scratching and reopening it.

At the Chief's request, she was standing beside Rell as he gave the Ursie goodbye speech. She was dressed relatively well, donning a white dress with blue embroidery. It was actually Ginger's, and she tried very hard to avoid picking out the lines of sewing from sheer boredom. As her will power against the scratching began to wane, her fingers curled towards her palm. Rell's hand found its way inside of hers. She stared at the pale long thin fingers and exhaled. Zyra squeezed the hand tighter.

"...year. May we have better fortune for my son Rell next year."

A cheer of oohs and ahhs brought Zyra out of her thoughts. Based on the looks on their faces, they were still talking about babies.

"Let us say our goodbyes," the Chief proclaimed. The two tribes smoshed together one last time to hug and kiss. Gharla grabbed Rell from Zyra and crushed him against her.

"You be good you hear?" she snapped. "I swear to the Maker that if I hear anything has happened to you—"

"I'll be careful," Rell promised, chuckling. Zyra nodded respectfully to the passing Ursies who reached hands out to her. Behind her she saw Ginger smack the ass of a stray Ursie man and throw a wink to another.

"Young lady...a word."

Zyra turned to face the Ursie Chief.

"Yes, my Chief?" she said respectfully bowing her head.

"You must care for yourself in this strange land you go to," he said. He ushered her closer to him and she obliged.

Placing a hand on her shoulder, he gave her a warm smile. "I may not have been the most hospitable man, but I am old and cannot be bothered with pleasantries. Know that all I say is truth, true impulsive truth that means always to bring the best for those around me."

"I understand," Zyra said.

"Good." He pinched her cheek affectionately. "I feel you have grown even more since we first met. I know not of whether it is my Rell who has turned you into a woman, but I dare say it was you who turned him into a man. Take care of him my sweet daughter. Be kind to him, and I know my son. He will follow you to the ends of the earth."

Zyra swallowed the guilt that clotted in her throat. Her eyes watered with emotion as she looked at the Chief's face. Wow, she wasn't sure what was wore, that she knew it was true, or that she was touched.

"Thank you," she said.

She gave the Chief a bright smile and she gasped when he encircled her in a hug. Zyra had never had a father, none of them had. It was weird to feel the arms of a man around her in such a tender nonsexual way. It was nice. She closed her eyes and eased into the Chief's arms. When she pulled away he patted her head.

"Be well."

"Thank you again. May you have a good winter."

The Chief kissed her forehead and walked off to say his other goodbyes.

"Hm, I guess he's not so bad," she mused.

"Who's not so bad?"

She yelped as she was grabbed her by her waist and pulled into her group of friends.

"Did everyone say goodbye?" Zyra chuckled as she watched Ginger cling on Rell.

"We should just keep him," Ginger pouted. "We should make him stay. Let him live in the forest like Kail. We'll give you all the food you'd ever want."

"Oh so we'll just feed him?" Zyra stated dryly.

"Oh we'll fuck him too," Ginger quipped. "All the food and fucking your little blonde heart could desire. I bet Rair might even give you a go, right Rair?"

"Ginger!"

"Right."

"Rair!" Zyra and Rell watched Rair's normally expressionless face turn into a coy smirk. She walked over to Rell whose eyes grew wide. Gently she tucked a strand of hair of hair behind his ear and placed a slow soft kiss on his cheek. Rell grew bright red.

"You take care of yourself Ursie," she chided.

"You too," Rell breathed.

The Rovians watched, mystified as Rair disappeared into the forest.

"I think you're the first man to win us all over," Zyra taunted him playfully.

"Maybe," he said, his face still glowing from Rair's kiss. "Now give me a hug. All of you."

The Rovians crowded around their brother and squeezed him tight. Despite herself Gharla began to shed fat tears and that started Ginger off as well.

"Oh you'll see me soon," Rell teased. He waved them off as men started on the long road home. Then it was just him and Zyra.

"Walk me to the edge?" he asked.

She nodded and felt him hold her hand. They walked beside each other, staring at their feet. Zyra kicked up the dust and watched the first mark of grime appear on the spotless dress. Oh well, she had made it very far as a clean elegant lady. Ha.

"I'm going to miss you."

Zyra peered up at him. His hair lay carelessly in his face.

"Whatever happened to your circlet?"

He shrugged. "Ginger, unicorns, witches. I don't know. I could have been any combination of those things."

She forced a laugh and grimaced at the sound of it. She watched as the point where the Rovian women stopped following their lovers drew closer and closer. She had to say goodbye. The sense of loss was overwhelming. If only her next words could show him how much he meant to her. If she never saw him again, she'd want him to know.

"I don't know what to say," Zyra breathed. "I..."