Ogres and Ogresses Ch. 33

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Drown me.
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Part 33 of the 34 part series

Updated 06/07/2023
Created 03/02/2012
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Chapter 33: House of Mirrors

"Did you miss me?"

Gharla's face went white with rage.

"How dare you show your face here again!" Before he could react, she punched him across the face. He stumbled back, rubbing his cheek.

"I suppose I deserved that."

"You deserve to be dead!" Gharla snarled, spit spewing from her mouth. "The way you treated Zyra! The way you ran away with your tail between your legs like a coward! The..." she made a horrendous sound and spat at his feet. "The truth of what you really are. You are not worthy to be here, let alone come with bags as though you have any place here, anymore!"

Kail did not resist as she forced him down, put her foot in his back, and bound his arms behind him. The blonde was angrier than she had ever been. If Gharla was a dragon she would have been blowing fire. Enui, who had been coming and going put a hand on her shoulder.

"I have sent a village runner to bring Rair back from her hunt. She will arrive within the hour."

She pointed her spear towards Kail. "The Chieftess wants to speak with him."

Gharla nodded, notching her arrow. "Yes, I'm certain that she does."

"As you wish."

Kail allowed the huntresses to parade him through the village like a prisoner, eyes wide and pots dropping everywhere he walked, just like the first time.

Slower than he liked, they arrived to Kyzu's tent. He could see through the curtain that she was currently mediating between two women who were upset about farming space. She glanced up, her face registering shock before her eyes grew hard.

"Ladies, we will have to reconvene. In the meantime, do as we discussed."

"Yes, my Chieftess."

The two women walked off, one tripping on her way out from staring at him. His guards ushered him in and Kyzu sat back arranging herself on her pillows.

Enui hit Kail hard with the back of her spear.

"Kneel."

He did as he was told. He was rebound with a cord from Gharla's belt, his hands in front, while Enui bound his legs together. When they finished he tested the knots. Ah, constrictor knots. They would tighten if he struggled and no doubt cause rope burn. Clever women those Rovians.

"Leave us," Kyzu said solemnly. The huntresses hesitantly nodded, "We will be outside if you need us, my Chieftess." Then they left the tent.

All was quiet. She watched him with no words, and he felt instinctively that she wasn't waiting for him to talk. She was thinking, likely, thinking of what to do to him. Kyzu smiled, an expression he'd seen directed towards Zyra when she was at her worst.

Great.

The Chieftess curled a long-fingered hand under her chin, her eyes pinning him in place. "Kail. I never expected to see you again. You're looking well."

He shrugged, the gesture lost because his massive shoulders were yanked in front of him. "Thank you. You're looking well yourself."

"Pity isn't it," Kyzu said, her smile widening. "That I would give you permission to love my sister, and you would throw it in my face."

"I thought ending things I couldn't start was what you wanted."

"What I wanted, was for you to be the person she thought you were."

Kyzu stood, her bare feet sliding on the floor towards him like a dance. "What I wanted, was for Zyra to know she was loved, and that should her back end up against the wall, the people beside her would be only of the highest conviction, character, and loyalty. But you are none of those things Kail. You, are a murderer."

Kail shook his head chuckling. Gosh, why did he return?

"And you think, of all people, you have the right to judge me?"

She recoiled, her smile dropping. "No matter how dark of a place I have been in, I have always held Zyra in my heart. Where did you hold her hm? In your groin?"

The ogre's eyes narrowed. "I didn't come here for this Kyzu."

"Oh? Forgive my poor manners. Pray tell, what did you come here for? To grovel at Zyra's feet for forgiveness? We have not seen her for as long as we have not seen you. She's been gone for months."

That's what he was afraid of. Kail straightened, looking her in the eye. "I sensed her a few days ago. She drew upon my energy using the mark I gave her when we were together. I think she's in trouble."

Kyzu's face froze over, then became sharp and angry. "And you know this for certain?"

"Zyra would only be able to draw upon my energy if she were in grave danger."

"And has she done so since then?"

"No."

"...could she be—"

"No."

She grimaced. "And you expect me to just what? Trust you?"

Kyzu sighed heavily, and went to the side of the tent. She opened a chest and pulled out an ornate, deadly looking dagger. She turned it over, examining it in front of Kail's face.

"Do you know what the Akeerans did to traitors?"

Kail glared at her, his patience running out. "No. I don't know what the Akeerans did to traitors."

Kyzu smiled and tapped his head with the tip. "Well, the Akeerans were our brutal sister tribe. The leader took my mother from us. It was this tribe that we decimated with the help of our neighbors the Wakai. They were a war-like clan with a strict code of conduct that make us Rovians seem like an unorganized group of fat fat birds. You see, when an Akeeran child is young, they teach it to obey. Then the test it. They tell them to walk over a bed of hot coals. The children that step on the coals begin their training. The ones that don't get a piece of their ear cut off, so that when all children begin their training, the children know who is most likely to betray them in adulthood." She passed the knife over Kail's pointed ear.

"As an adult, if you betray the tribe you are hunted down and brought before the Chieftess. She then proceeds to hack two pieces off of you, one, every hour, until sundown. Then if you survive the night, she repeats it again. And again. And again, until the person begs for death. She must hear it in their agony. Only then does she release them, and orders that none of the tribe members touch them. By this time? They are eyeless, mouthless, dying creatures, and she grants them no mercy. She does not kill them. She allows them to live in that state until their wounds kill them. It is the most barbaric thing the Akeerans could do, and the most likely to keep traitors out of their ranks."

She pressed the blade against his neck and Kail lifted his neck, defiantly baring it to her.

"I do not believe you capable of such cruelty Kyzu."

"No. Not even," Kyzu stated. "But I am sure there is one among us who could muster up the courage."

"You can't."

"And why not?"

"Because Zyra will feel it."

Kyzu backhanded him. "Liar."

Their bond wasn't fully formed so it was a lie, but he wasn't going to come clean now. "And if you kill me you'll never know whether Zyra is dead or alive, if you ever see her again."

Kyzu hit him again. He could taste blood in his mouth. Funny, he didn't remember the older sister being so strong. She gripped him by his hair and yanked him backward, making him growl.

"Did you intend to kill her as you killed her predecessor?"

"Never."

"Why did you kill him?"

Kail craned his neck to face her, his hair ripping out his skull. "The witches killed him. They killed his soul. He had no spirit and had lost his hope. I only released him from his agony. And I would do it again."

The Chieftess tried to hide it, but a flash of fear ran past her schooled features.

"And you say they did this to the keromedio before Zyra?"

"His name was Valor," he said stiffly. "He was my brother." He shifted forward. "Is there anything you would not do for your kin? I was exiled for sparing him and labeled my brother's killer, forced to live with my actions, a worse fate than his already detestable one. I will not apologize for that. But I will apologize for my cowardice. I didn't want to go through that again. I didn't want to see the person I love turned into a monster for the sake of a war they had no stake in."

Kyzu leveled the dagger at him. "Then why did you return?"

Kail closed his eyes. "To grovel at her feet."

"For her love?"

"No. Just her forgiveness."

"I don't believe you," Kyzu chuckled. "You still love her, that is plain, but the truth of her state, of your connection...if you are lying ogre..." Kyzu released his hair, dropping strands onto his lap. Her voice low and raspy. "If you are lying, I will summon the Akeeran in me, and I will end you. Do you understand."

"Yes."

"You do love my sister."

Kail sighed. "That's not important now. What's important is—"

"Saving Zyra. I know. How do you suppose we do that?"

Kail chuckled. "I have no fucking idea."

"Then you are as useless as ever, you miserable green oaf." The insult was more bark than bite. Much of the anger had come out her voice. Kail hoped that was a good sign.

"Gharla! Enui!"

The huntresses rushed in, fully armed. "Yes Chieftess."

"Check on the status of Rair. I wish her to be present. The ogre has quite a story to tell us."

She pointed the dagger at his chest. "And he is going to start from the beginning."

-

"You have to remember Zyra...Look at it. See what I see. Can you see it?"

...wait. Who are you?

It's on the sword...You have to take it off as soon as you can...

I don't want to lose you!

"You have to..."

No...

"You have to."

HELP! PLEASE! ANYONE HELP ME!

Zyra jerked up in a cold sweat. She turned to her right, looking out the window of her hut. It was still night. She could feel the panic receding to some private place in the back of her mind. Why did she feel like she'd had this dream before? She was dying, and yet...why? Why did it feel so real? The more she had the dream, the less she remembered and the more she wanted to. Maybe everything was just getting to her. Living alone had its downsides too. She was painfully aware of her position and the fact that she'd narrowly escaped Creedon's minion Thorn.

Groaning, she stood up, deciding to take a walk. The sun was still down, and the moon ruled the sky. She needed to get her mind right if she was going to do this. Scallen was nowhere to be found yesterday, so Etaceh said she would personally speak to him and get him onboard. She then told Zyra to rest up, and gave her several droughts to heal her.

"By tomorrow it'll be as if it never happened."

Etaceh was right. All that ripped skin was back in place. It almost unnerved her how unmarred her skin was. It conflicted with her desire to see the proof of her will to live, and that her will had been stronger than Creedon's. Still, it didn't matter now. She laced up her boots, looking back at her furs. Only a day ago Medean had tumbled with her among those furs like an Ursie youth. He'd changed.

She also remembered when she returned to her hut she saw a magical platter filled with supper, and now it was filled with breakfast.

"But not that much," she grumbled.

Zyra walked outside and admired her garden. Nothing she knew really grew in here but those tiny grape like fruits. She picked off a bunch and munched as she walked. The first task was retrieving the hilt of the GanMo. She wondered how long it would take her to get to where it was hidden. She also wondered how big was the valley? She'd seen so much already, and now she was told there was even more?

Zyra walked on, heading towards the Marble Tree. She liked the way it looked under the moon. She was about to come out to the clearing when she heard hushed voices. Crouching she zeroed in on them. It was Scallen and Etaceh.

"Are you out of your mind?"

"I wish that I were. But the attack on Zyra shows that we're running out of time Scallen."

"And you intend to sssend me with her? Jussst like that?" Scallen let out an angry rattling hiss. "I knew you were corrupt Etassceh...but I never knew you to be cruel."

Zyra inched forward. Cruel?

"You know that I do not have a choice!" Etaceh cried. "Medean has gone back home due to some scare concerning his integrity! Caligula was sent away! And I cannot leave here, and Zyra cannot go by herself! What would you have me do?"

Scallen said nothing.

"Scallen...you know that even if I did not ask you, you would take Zyra to the House of Mirrors. You know firsthand how dangerous it is."

"Ssso you alwaysss intended for me to bring her?"

"Yes."

"...you usssed to be my friend Etassceh. Do you remember?"

Etaceh frowned, averting her dark gaze. "How dare you refer to me as a friend..."

There was something in her tone, something less and offended and more...mournful. Zyra raised an eyebrow. Was Etaceh's hate of Scallen...more than hate?

The dark witch sucked in a breath. "We don't have time to relive the past Scallen. Things changed after that war, they had to. You know that...I didn't know that Zatannya—"

"Enough."

Zyra leaned in to see their faces and was startled that Scallen was looking straight at her. His face held an expression she had never seen before. It looked...defeated.

"Make the preparationsss...we'll leave at dawn."

"Thank you."

"Do not thank me. I am not doing it for you."

Etaceh's face grew hard and twisted with false amusement.

"You have never done anything for me, snake. "

Etaceh withdrew leaving him in the clearing. His eyes never left Zyra's. He took a step or two and disappeared down one of his holes, leaving Zyra with a heavy feeling of guilt. She was tempted to go without him, under the dark of night, but she knew it would be futile. She had no idea how to get there, and no idea what it looked like. Besides, her battle with the Creedon's creature left her feeling uneasy in her ability to fight.

Sighing, she decided to go see how the Nightlock was doing. She walked to where it was last seen, a rocky alcove by one of Scallen's holes. Scallen had been tending to him. She felt a bit bad for not going to see him, but it was hard to multitask so many different duties. Besides, Scallen had assured her he wanted to care to him. She wondered why.

In truth, she wasn't sure why Scallen was so...kind wasn't the word she was looking for, but he was definitely not a malevolent force in her life. In the beginning he'd been, but now she regarded him as a trustworthy friend. She made her way to the creature, knowing he preferred to be alone.

As she expected he was awake, pacing back and forth. It spotted her and its hackles raised, eyeing her annoyed.

"Ah, to what do I owe this visit?"

"I just wanted to see how you've been doing." She sat on a rock and attempted to look pleasant.

"Ah. Then get your eyeful and leave."

Zyra gritted back an angry response and rubbed at her temples. "Why are you so mad at me all the time?"

"You think I'm mad?" The Nightlock laughed. "You must not be used to people not kissing your ass. I assure you I'm being quite cordial."

"For a beast I guess so."

Damn, she couldn't help herself.

He tilted his head, his sharp teeth revealing themselves.

"Allow me to accommodate you."

He sauntered over and she frowned when he put his sharp front paws on her knees. She could feel the claws through her leg pants. He leaned into her face and smiled, revealing his razor sharp canines smelling like death and stained with bits of meat stuck in his mouth.

"Get a good look human?"

Zyra's eyes widened.

"You eat meat?"

He blinked. "Seriously?"

"No, no it's just I know Nightlocks can eat meat, but everyone here seems so sensitive about it and I wasn't sure cause...well I don't know. Anyways, do you...I mean, are you hungry?"

The Nightlock stepped back rolling his eyes. "You are one weird human you know?"

Zyra shrugged. "I have a mission this morning and I don't think I can get back to sleep. The least I can do is feed you before Scallen and I shove off."

"Scallen is accompanying you?"

"Yes."

"Funny, he didn't tell me."

"He just found out."

The Nightlock rolled his eyes. "Jump and he says how high, huh keromedio?"

Zyra looked down at her feet. "I don't feel like this right now. If you don't want to eat with me that's fine. I'm going."

The Nightlock was surprised by her suddenly somber attitude and how she backed down from his taunting. He could hear Gwain scolding him.

"Ugh. Wait, wait. Let's eat meat. I know where there are a bunch of dumb birds like the ones back home. They're like our birds, but instead of being afraid of water, they float in it all day and if you push them towards land they panic and freeze. Oh and they're blue."

Zyra paused and looked back at him. "Home?"

"Yeah. Back in the forest. The birds with the stupid look in their eyes."

Zyra suddenly realized she was in the presence of a member of the Rovian lands. Her heart swelled.

"Of course they are," she said. "Everything in this place is backwards."

"Well maybe here," he said annoyed. "But where I'm from things make a lot more sense."

"You mean the Rovian lands?"

The Nightlock glared at her. Damn, he'd almost told too much.

"You going to ask me questions or are we going to eat meat, stupid girl?"

It darted off and Zyra rushed behind it. "Coming!"

She ran beside him and could see that despite himself, he was impressed she could keep up.

"You know my name isn't "stupid girl." You can call me Zyra."

"Okay, Zyra. You stupid girl."

"Stupid boy!"

Huh, so she did acknowledge him as more than a beast. Illaria thought about what Gwain would say.

"Lari."

What?"

Illaria caught her eye. "You can call me Lari, rhymes with starry. Try not to get it wrong."

"What is...rhymes?"

"You poor uneducated savage. Cheh, I changed my mind. Go back."

"Wait! I'll say it right! Lari!"

The Nightlock Lari ran off, and she chased, laughing behind him.

--

Ugh.

Kyzu ran a hand through her long luxurious hair. She saw a gray hair the other day. She was pretty sure her daughter was the cause. She softened her voice more and more to resist yelling at her.

"Nima...sweetheart, please talk to me."

"No! I don't understand why you chained Kail up and you won't tell me!"

"Sweetie, it's for a good reason. I promise!"

"If Auntie Zyra was here this wouldn't be happening!"

If your aunt were here, Kail wouldn't have eyes.

Kyzu put her hands on her daughter's shoulders. She'd been very irate since Ginger's departure. She supposed this was in part due to her fear for her family, but Kyzu couldn't help but be jealous, even if her jealousy made her daughter want to be away from her. She was glad however, that Nima had started hanging out with Firetoucher's sister Flameflower, who Nima said was, "Just Flower."

They came back before lunch with dirty hands, and before dinner with flowers in their hair.

"What do you do all day?" she'd asked her.

Nima said, "We have tea parties with mudcakes with our dolls, then we have flower weddings."

Kyzu thought that was rather civilized of her. When she was her age she and Zyra were jumping out of trees.

News of Kail's arrival had traveled like wildfire. After Kail told her everything she wanted to know about his history with the last keromedio she was less suspicious, but unfortunately that left only a potent worry about what Zyra had signed up for. Kyzu hated to do it, but she was going to put a deadline on her sister's return. If she did not send word or return by that date, she would send a full Rovian hunting party to visit these so called, "witches." They'd enchanted her mouth and she had yet to forget that slight, but if they thought they were going to treat her little sister like a sacrificial lamb, their oh so special Valley was about to be turned into salted earth.

"Nima, please."

"I want to talk to him."

"Nima."