Ogres and Ogresses Ch. 33

Nima slid off, hugging him. "Come with us! We won't let them hurt you!"

"Don't leave here, he cannot enter the village yet. He is too weak and you have seen his face."

"When will I see you again?"

"Never."

"No."

She clung to him then, her sobs hurting his ears, as her friend stared with fear into the forest and called to her.

"Listen little fool, get your butt inside the village. You broke Creedon's hold on me. You can talk to people in their minds. You have great power, and I must tell your aunt."

"Auntie Zyra! You know where she is?"

"I have to get her damn you! Go inside or I really will never come back. Now scram!"

Nima kissed his wet snout. "Thank you."

She darted, bare-legged and beautiful into the village. She reminded him of Gwain's little sister. She reminded him of his own sister.

Snarling he waited until they were both in the village safely and ran back into the forest. The Nightlock threw himself to the side to avoid running into Creedon himself. Gritting his teeth, he closed his heart around the image of the young girl, and ran as fast as he could towards the border.

--

"I'll never let them take you!"

Firetoucher ran as fast as she could, Nightlocks on her tail. With a wailing baby at her breast she could not fight let alone defend herself. She prayed to the Maker to bless her with swiftness, that she might not be overcome by the demons nipping at her heels. As though he had heeded her, the beasts froze and darted in another direction. But what place was safe? The hut that was meant to be Glory's salvation was now gone, and the village was empty. She had a bad feeling that whatever her dear heiress had seen in Henna would pursue her throughout the Rovian lands. Could she seek refuge with the Wakai? She knew the accepted couples, but what of a mother and child, refusing tradition? They were too peaceful to ever engage with the Ursie's if they tried to take him. They could do nothing.

"You are my child!"

She recalled the green person she had seen when she'd neared that forbidden place. He had spoken to her, didn't he? Was he not a creature of language and reason? Did not huntress Zyra dwell in those lands?

Running with renewed purpose she surged towards the border. She would seek refuge with her sister.

Jumping into that mysterious place, her heart dropped when she saw all the grass ripple at once and birds fly from the east.

"Green person," she cried out. "Are you here? Are you—AH!"

The green youth stared at her with a critical eye, glancing between her and her bundle. He was a head and a half taller than her, and had the agile body of a fishing girl. Well, boy.

"Are you crazy?"

She jerked at the sound of his low inquiring voice.

Glancing back at the forest she pinned him with her gaze. "Hide us."

River frowned. He had imagined seeing her again, and gone to seek he out, but he hadn't expected things to escalate so quickly.

"Hide us," she said again. It was a command not a request.

He could see she had been running, and had so many questions, but he supposed he should do as Mourabet would if she were here.

"A true gentle man must honor the requests of a woman in need. Only heathens eat their own."

But she was not one of his "own."

River took her hand. "Follow me."

--

"If you were to die right now, at thisss moment...what would you regret mossst?"

Zyra frowned. What a question. And she had so many answers.

"I suppose I would regret not seeing my family again. Or my sisters. I would regret never getting to see Nima as Chieftess, of...ever..."

She paused, surprised at the thought that had popped into her mind. Motherhood. She was by no means ready for it, and yet to have the option taken away...was that not something she'd regret?

"What of you?"

Scallen smiled. "I'd regret never getting to ravisssh you..."

Zyra rolled her eyes. "I was being serious Scallen."

"Ssso was I..."

"Then I pity you."

Scallen chuckled, a strange awkward sound. "I sssuppose you ssshould..."

There was a sadness in the air that gave Zyra paused. As they walked through the barren landscape, she wondered why Scallen knew of this place so well, and why he was so reluctant to return.

"Scallen?"

"Yess?"

"Is there anything I should know before we enter the House of Mirrors?"

"One thing only."

"What?"

His eyes slitted. "Trussst nothing. Not even me."

"I know you to be trustworthy Scallen. I will not turn my back on you."

"It iss better for you to turn your back on me, then die."

"No."

"ssZyra—"

"I know I can trust you."

He stopped. "How?" His eyes swam with emotion, his fangs peeking out threateningly.

"You've proven it to me. You've never betrayed me. You—"

"You don't even know me ssZyra."

Zyra was taken aback. It was true that she trusted Scallen, but she knew very little about him. It had just never occurred to her very much. She didn't know anything about him more than any other creature might, save the secret of his...genitalia.

And here she was, ready to stake her life on the fact that he would never, ever, betray her. And she knew herself to be right in this. Why?

"Why do you think I trust you them?"

Scallen scoffed."How am I sssuppossed to know the motivationssss of a naïve, petulant, human?"

"Well you don't know anything about this human either!"

Scallen began walking again, glancing behind them, and smirking.

"I know you have two living relativesss, both of which are female. I know you hate to be confined or ressstrained. You're favorite Rovian food is roasted Fatfat bird. You cry when you think no one is looking. And I know..." his grin split his face, "about the birthmark on the inside of your thigh."

Zyra felt blood rush into her face both in embarrassment and shame. So it was she who was neglectful in learning of Scallen's background.

She looked up at him. "If I asked you why you don't want to be here, would you tell me?"

His smile drew back and she put a hand up. "If you wish to remain mysterious, I will not pry. But you are right. I know nothing about you."

Her companion tilted his head back and looked up into the sky.

"I was a King. A ruler."

"What?"

"Now I am an earthworm crawling on my ssstomach...this placssee remindsss me of thisss...that is why I do not wisssh to be here."

Her lips itched to ask why he had come, but she already knew the answer.

"Tell me more."

"You promisssed not to pry."

She put a hand on his shoulder, and made him look at her. Her eyes fixed him in place.

"I want to know more."

He looked behind him again and laughed. She looked behind and saw nothing.

"What are you looking at?"

"I am going to tell you a story. A story I've never told, to anyone. Are you certain you wish you know?"

Zyra nodded. "You can confide in me."

Scallen gave her a small smile and they resumed their pace.

"You must understand ssZyra...that I am not a youth. Basssilisksss live for thousssandsss of yearsss much like witchesss, though our aging processss is much more natural. Basilisks mature to adulthood within the first 50 years. Youth occurs within the first three hundred years, and only after is a basssilisk isss considered a full-fledged adult. So when I tell you that I joined four nondessscript military...hunting, forcesss, ssstole their secretsss, amasssed an army...large hunting party, of my own, and built an empire by the age of 238, I want you to be impressed. Very impressed."

Zyra waited for the witty disclaimer, the sarcastic eye roll, the "just kidding," but it didn't come. Scallen waited, eyeing her intently.

"How much would that be in human years?"

He shrugged. "I could not tell you but if I had to make a guessss...11."

"Alright. I'm impressed...an army? This large hunting party, how many were you?"

"Thousands."

"What? What did you hunt?"

He smirked. "Other hunting parties."

"Why? Had they stolen from you?"

"No. I hunted them for land, power, spite. Whatever I desired. If they had it, I took it."

Zyra frowned. "That doesn't sound good."

"I never said I was."

The Rovian huntress sighed, nodding with a neutral expression. If she reacted badly he might no longer wish to share. She would be delicate.

"Did you hunt the witches?"

"The Dark Witch Council was unaffected by my rule. I wasn't foolish enough to touch their land. This land. Or the land above it. I remained in the middle region between the Valley and the Darklands. The witches were kept quiet by my lavish gifts and they turned a blind eye to my brutality. I ruled that kingdom for 100 years with all the selfishness of a child. If I saw something that I wanted, I took it. There were no checks, no balances, just me. With me so far Green Eyes?"

"Yes. You were a monster."

Shizu. What the hell did we just agree on Zyra?

Scallen snorted. "Haha, tactlessss...Yesss, a true monster."

"So what happened?"

"What always happenss..." he said yawning. "A woman."

"A woman?"

"My entire empire crumbled because of one insignificant elven woman."

"What did she do?"

He smirked wistfully. "ssShe fell in love with me."

Zyra heard the bitterness in his tone. She herself could still taste her own. "And you loved her?"

Scallen strode forward, an insincere smile on his face. "I wanted her. So I took her."

"But you loved her, didn't you?"

Scallen flicked her on the forehead. " No more questions."

TheY trudged silently until the giant structure stood before them. It was unlike anything Zyra had ever seen. So clear. So...familiar looking.

"Scallen what do you..."

She turned and saw all the color had gone from his face. Scallen's fists gripped hard enough to drip blood.

"Dear Maker, what's wrong?' Zyra asked, peeling back his fingers.

"It'sss worsse than I thought..." He took a step forward. "I was worried thisss might happen, the whole ssstructure issss, made of glasss...sss."

"What are you talking about?"

"Now I know why the witch sssent me...the bitch...not even when I agree can ssshe give a full truth. I'm going to make her pay dearly for thisss..."

"Basilisk, you better talk to me!"

Scallen glanced at her, and laughed bitterly.

"The House of Mirrorsss... it hasss been tainted by the foul magic. And now, my kingdom isss a living breathing remembral of memoriesss...and if I know the witch, I bet they are all, my memoriesss..."

Zyra's eyes widened. "What happens if we walk into a memory?"

"I've never ssseen a remembral big enough to consssider the possibility...but I can make an educated guessss..."

He wrapped a hand around her wrist and tugged her close. "If you get lossst in a remembral...if we, get lost in a remembral, we'll die there."

-

*NOTES*:

Woo! Back on track! Be sure to check another exciting episode on the 1st! (/2nd, lmao).

I HAVE to know, what are your thoughts? Are you stunned by the developments? Cursing my name for my delays? Writhing in excitement?

Me too. My poor overworked wrists. (From typing your PERVS.)

Be sure to check my LITEROTICA profile for updates. Yay this site.

Take care my dears,

Love always,

Stubborn "Tired-Wrists" Dreamer.