*The teacup fell from my numbing hands. "W-what? W-what did y-you p-put into that?"
My father snickered. "Something to make you more complacent." He shoved me down on the ground and leaned over me, unbuttoning my shirt and kissing me, tongue invading me. I tried to gain enough consciousness to bite him and I tensed, but I didn't have the strength. His kiss was deep, taking all of me. I could barely breath. Somehow he'd undid my shirt and taken my pants off one leg already. He pinched one nipple and mouthed the other. He snickered again as he flicked the nipple he had been licking, making me suck in my breath and whine. He licked a path down my stomach before taking me into his mouth, tweaking my nipple as he was at it. Tears filled my eyes as I gasped. I didn't want this...I wanted it to stop, for him to just once leave me alone. ~Please. Please make it stop.~ But of course he didn't, he sucked hard and unforgiving, devouring me-*
"Drake!" Aodh's voice broke through the dream, jerking me into the land of the present. I gasped awake, sitting up into Aodh's arms. I didn't know what was going on. Sultan and Gaetano were staring at me with concern by the door. My world was a little unsteady before I realized I had tears in my eyes, but being in Aodh's embrace prevented me from wiping them away. Sultan guided Gaetano out the door and quietly shut the door behind her.
"W-what..."
"You were having a nightmare." He whispered into my shoulder, burying his face against my neck. I was trying hard not to cry at the memory of the nightmare, but my breathing was becoming labored. "Shhh." Aodh crooned, stroking my back. "Baby, you need to calm down, take a deep breath."
I was getting too upset to try. "W-why..." Tears streamed down my cheeks. "do I have to relive that? Why can't he just die?" I was starting to bawl.
Aodh tensed around me, as if tightening his hold on me could ground me somehow. "I don't know Drake. But he is gone now. He can no longer hurt you in the waking world. And as time moves on, so will your nightmares eventually. Are you having them as often now as in the past?"
"N-no."
"See? Have hope Drake." Aodh whispered in a gruff voice. He held me until I calmed down, then dried my tears. "Better?" I nodded, taking a deep breath, my nose stuffy. He attempted to smile, "Good. Come on, let's get you dressed." It was my turn to attempt a smile and stood with him. He held my cloths for me as I changed. I had just finished when screams started from far away. We shared a glance before I grabbed my helm and we dashed for the door. Aodh went to rouse the others and I went to find out what happened. More screams were adding to the original ones. I exited the awakening Inn as the chill morning air hit me, predawn lightening the surroundings. The screams were coming from the outskirts and it sounded like it was spreading to surround the town of Llyne. I took off to my left where I thought the first screams came from...and what I found was...war. Efruigron knights...pillaging. Capturing men, slaying children and the elderly, and raping women. Disgusting, but I'd seen it all before. I drew my bow. There were many opponents, better to use a long range weapon until they closed in. I started firing, aiming for the open areas in the helmet and neck area, taking down as many of the marauders as I could. They weren't able to close in on me, but I still switched to my shortstaff when I ran out of arrows. I unscrewed it, drew the blades, and screwed it back together, twirling it to get the feel and balance so it wouldn't accidentally lop off my own head. A group charged with war cries. I answered and met them. I lost myself in the rythm of battle, in my comfort zone. This...this is what I was good at, where my talent lay. When everyone was dead, I moved on, searching for the screams of the innocent. I fought on, and eventually came upon Aodh fighting his way through a group of Efruigron knights. I sheathed my shortstaff. It was not a weapon to use when fighting alongside others, too easy to hurt them accidentally. I instead drew one of my swords before joining in on the fight. Even with his helm, I could see Aodh's smile when he saw me. I smiled back even though he couldn't see it. Without a word, we finished them off and ran on... but all was quiet. We searched the town only to find scared villagers and dead bodies, mostly clad in armor. We helped ourselves to money purses to replenish our supplies before going back to the inn and meeting up with everyone, cloths and armor bloodied except for Gaetano who was pouting and Beatrix who was currently hugging Perce. "Everyone okay?" There were murmured yeses. "Let's go get cleaned up before setting out. We'll figure out breakfast later." The others agreed and we filed up the stairs. I went back to the family room since my stuff was there and got cleaned up, Sultan joining me. We took turns using the room to change. She came out in a white, shoulderless, knee-length dress with long flowing sleeves, looking embarrassed.339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVgPlLf9NRM
I smiled. "It suits you."
She blushed harder. "Y-you think so?"
"Yes Robin." I laid a comforting hand on her shoulder before going into the room to change into the cloths I was wearing yesterday. We had an uneventful time after that. I was just glad we still had the horses. It was a couple of quiet days before we came to the next town, Norwich. We stayed the night. And woke up to a commotion in the morning. Shouting and running footsteps in the hallways. Aodh and I shared a look before cautiously stepping out of our room to see people dressed in the same cloths of white shirts under orange tunics, tan pants and black boots, all running around, armed, looking for someone, and they did not look happy. "What do you think is going on?" I whispered to Aodh, who shook his head, his brows furrowed. Gradually, the sound of fighting reached our ears, growing louder.
"Let's go find the others and see what's going on." Aodh said grimly. We got Sultan then went for the family's room. What we found was Beatrix facing off against the people dressed alike. She was protecting two men and Gaetano, Perce no where to be seen.
"This is the power of the Forgotten Alliance. You think you are so good with your swords. You'll pay for breaking the arm of one of our own." The Forgotten Alliance was a band of mercenaries fairly well known in these parts. ~Shit, and they're picking a fight with us?~ I drew my sais and moved forward, smashing the hilt of one into the Leader's nose, breaking it. I stood with Aodh and Sultan between the men and Beatrix.339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡbBAHXgFKwv
"I'm the Black Mercenary, and this is the Order Of Beasts, a new mercenary group, one I am a member of. You still want a fight?"
"Shit!" The leader said, holding his bloody nose. He waved to the others and they backed down and left.
Perce was just returning with more supplies. "What was that all about?" We all turned toward Beatrix.
"Meet the drunkards who started that whole fight." Gaetano gestured to the two men.
Beatrix looked down at the ground, looking disappointing and downcast. "They are former students of my father."339Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡYmznS74grq
"Who are leaving now." Gaetano said with a glare on his bruised and still swollen face.
"W-we're sorry."
"See your injuries tended to." Beatrix said softly as they left. Perce laid a comforting hand on her shoulder.
"I'm gonna turn out way better than them." Gaetano tried to cheer his mother up.
She smiled and laid a hand on his head. "You already are." He grinned. We all gathered downstairs for a breakfast of a rill stuffed with sausage, egg, and cheese. It was delicious. We continued on with thankfully peaceful days of camping.
ns 15.158.61.12da2
