Once It Gets Dark Ch. 04

Earlier during that day the politician had visited the large Bundeswehr division in Hamburg, that had been stationed at the river Elbe, in front of the portal -- the only entrance to the Veril lands, known to us at that time.

The Minister had wanted to boost morale before we launched our next attack against the Veril's forest cities -- they had not expected to be faced with General Tsul's Army of the Fallen Sun, the Kirtim Shenk, at dusk. Germany's ambitions of expanding it's territory, that had been fueled by Chancellor Alexander Höcke's party for years and had won him the last elections, ended that night.

The video proceeded to show General Tsul. His face unmoved, he pulled back our Minister's head and cut his throat, beheading him with one forceful stroke from his scimitar.

He then gave the politician's headless torso a kick so that it tumbled down the pile of corpses while he held the severed head up in the air like a trophy, fresh blood splattering his face. He threw the head away, and as soon as it hit the ground, each and every corpse burst into bright blue flames, as if Hamburg had turned into literal hell.

With that the recording ended, Germany surrendered right away and Chancellor Höcke signed the Treaty the following night -- on January 13th.

General Tsul Vo'ren! I had to lean against the wall behind me to keep myself from falling down. I looked at the blade in his strong hand. The hand that had cut the Minister's throat, it was the same hand that had also caressed my skin. I felt sick as I looked at his face, the scar running down from his left eyebrow to his jaw was all that remained of the open gash that had disfigured his features in the recording. His eyes were golden now, not black like they had been in the video -- or when they had clouded with desire for me. I shivered, still not able to grasp, that I had spent the night with him, fallen asleep next to him. How was I even still alive?

Speculations about him had been all over the media. The object of fear, hate, and morbid fascination. They had given him many names: the Butcher of Hamburg, the Demon from the Shadow Woods or simply the General. He was the monster that kept haunting our nightmares since that night over five months ago. How was it possible, that I had not recognized him?

My stomach churned and I pressed a hand to my belly. And that was when it hit me like lightening -- I was going to be pregnant! If somehow it became known who's child I was carrying, there would be many, many people wishing to take out their revenge on me, who would not allow this child to be born. That was what Tim had been talking about.

"You told me your name was Ren," I said, my voice was shaky and my knees were weak.

The General gave one last warning glance to my roommate, who had sunken to the ground against the wall opposite to me, rubbing the small cut, the blade had left on his throat.

When the Veril turned towards me it was like I saw him for the very first time. Like ice cold hands, fear gripped my heart

"I said that Ren is enough. It is what my brothers call me," he responded, his face was unmoved. "It is also, as you have understood by now, short for my full name, Vo'ren. For I am Tsul Vo'ren, General of the Kirtim Shenk." He looked down at me, his solid stance a stark contrast to my shivering form pressed against the wall.

"I didn't know," I breathed, my head still trying to connect the Veril warrior with whom I had spend the night and the monster from the video.

"I have noticed that," he answered flatly.

"You should have told me!" I retorted, my voice breaking as tears were welling up in my eyes.

"Why?" A simple question that I had no answer to. "Not that I have to explain myself to you, human, but I did not lie to you nor did I pretend to be somebody else. Your roommate," he gave a dismissive nod to Tim, who was watching us intently. "Recognized me at once."

My thoughts were racing. What nonsense were we even talking about? As if it mattered to me if he had lied or not -- none of this mattered. He knew that he had sentenced me to death, the moment, he grabbed me in front of my door. If I wasn't going to die by his own hands then, it would be by one of my fellow citizen's. All of his senseless games, pretending to give me a choice, if he stayed or not!

My desperation burst out of me, "This is my life you are playing with! How could you do this to me? I'm not your toy!"

The General stepped close to me, trapping me between his massive body and the wall. I thought that I might faint right then -- was he going to kill me now? He grabbed my forearm and pulled me against his chest. His scent making my panicked heart skip a beat.

His eyes burned, as he snarled at me, "That is exactly what you are, keltz'in, my toy."

I shoved against him with all my strength, trying to escape. But I might as well have pushed the wall because he did not move the slightest little bit.

Instead he pulled me even closer, his strong fingers biting into my skin, and whispered in my ear, "I will tell you why I am doing this. It is because I can not get you out of my head, and fucking you has only made it worse. So now I must take you with me."

My eyes widened as my fear of being killed was replaced by this new horror.

"You can't do that!" I gasped. "Let me go!"

"No, my toy," he replied, his voice was dangerously low. "I will not let you go. Not now, not in two hours when the cursed sun comes up, not ever. I will take you with me and I will keep you. And you will obey me, you will warm my bed and bear my children."

I felt panic closing up my throat as I whispered, "The Treaty forbids that. What about the rules of your Counsel?"

He laughed a cruel laugh, but there was also something akin to resignation in his eyes, "Mishtz'in, have you again forgotten, who I am? I am Shenik Tsul Vo'ren, who won the war.

To your country I may be a monster but to my people I am a hero. They have peace because of me. The Treaty exists because of me. The Counsel itself is in my debt. I command the most powerful army of the Veril nation. The rules do not apply to me."

My head was spinning -- was this really happening? The General had pulled back a little, not letting go of my arm. He was still so close that I could feel his breath in my skin. I looked into those beautiful eyes, that had never failed to make my knees go weak. But this time I was not trembling from desire but from fear of the war criminal in front of me. The father of my child. I flinched. He must have noticed, because his his mouth tightened.

After giving me a long unreadable look he announced, "We leave now while it is still dark."

And with that dragged me to the door. It was then, while he was pulling me around like his personal doll, that my spirit finally reawoke.

"I can walk by myself!" I hissed yanking my arm back.

The General let go of me and lowered his head in a mocking bow, gesturing to the door. I walked past him with my back straight and my head held high, and in what was probably my only smart decision of the whole night, grabbed my tote bag, that still held all my important things, including my wallet and phone.

As I left my apartment, escorted by the Butcher of Hamburg, the last thing I saw, were my roommate's wide blue eyes, before the door fell shut behind me.