BEAST'S SLAVE - CHAPTER 3
Emeriel woke to the bumping ride of the carriage. The rhythmic clatter of hooves on the cobblestone road echoed through the carriage, matching the pounding in his temples.
His head woozy and his senses disoriented, he blinked several times to adjust his vision. With a groan, he rose, walked to the carriage wooden window and pushed it open.
A gasp left him as he took in his surrounding.
They have obviously crossed the great mountains. So many Urekais were moving about their way, going about their various activities on the road, but that wasn’t what had Emeriel’s jaw on the floor.
There was plenty of humans in sight, with numerous females nearly matching the number of males on the road. Emeriel had never witnessed such a large gathering of females before.
It was a well-known fact that the Urekais had acquired and held numerous humans captive after the Retaliation War, but the sheer number of humans he could see surpassed his expectations.
And they were all slaves.
Some were working in the fields, their weary bodies bent under the weight of their labor. Some slaves were hauling heavy loads, their muscles straining with each step, under the watchful eyes of Urekai’s. Some Urekais held whips, while some held swords. The sight turned Emeriel’s stomach, making him sick.
Was this to be his and Aekeira’s life now?
Suddenly, Aekeira’s groan of wakefulness echoed behind him. Emeriel quickly turned to his sister, concern etched on his face. “Are you alright, Kiera?” he asked, his voice hushed.
Aekeira nodded, rubbing her eyes. “Where are we?” Her eyes scanned their surroundings.
“I believe we have arrived at Urai, the main land of the Urekais,” Emeriel whispered, keeping his voice down so that the carriage master would not overhear.
Together, they took in the commanding fortess in front of them. That’s where the carriage was heading to. It stood tall and intimidating, thick stone walls surrounded it. It’s towers reached towards the sky littered with vigilant soldiers armed to the teeth.
“This place looks highly luxurious.” Aakeira commented.
Emeriel acknowledged that. As royalty, they were well-acquainted with luxury, but this was on an entirely different scale. The Urekais who had purchased them were lords, that meant they were of noble birth.
And they appeared sophisticated and aristocratic. Who exactly were they?
They watched as the gates opened and their carriage proceeded into the fortress. Another carriage followed behind, carrying the Urekais who had bought them.
Though they had been unconscious during the journey, Emeriel knew it must have taken days. He was grateful that the two Urekais had travelled separately.
Much time passed as they were escorted through the vast fortress, passing numerous chambers and passages. Emeriel began to feel overwhelmed, struggling to keep track of their route.
The interior of the fortress surpassed even its magnificent exterior. Finally, one of the Urekai soldiers leading them ushered them into an empty room and pointed, “This shall be your quarters for now.”
With a resounding click, the soldiers closed the door, their footsteps fading away as they departed.
The room was surprisingly spacious and tastefully decorated. Would this be their permanent residence? Emeriel highly doubted that. Just then, the sound of approaching footsteps reached their ears, growing closer with each passing moment.
The door swung open. A human older woman matched in, accompanied by a human younger woman and three Urekai males.
The older woman’s gaze landed on Emeriel, and she did a double take. “You are one remarkably handsome male. I have seen a lot of pretty males on my time, but even I can hardly think of one who is half as pretty as you are.”
Her words made Emeriel feel uneasy. He instinctively took a step back, finding solace behind Aekeira, who spread her arms protectively to shield him from prying eyes.
“Well, it’s a shame you’re not the one we came for,” the woman said dismissively, turning away. “Prepare her, boys. Amie, get the bath ready.”
The three males closed in on Aekeira, beginning to undress her. Their hands removed her clothes, while another tended to her hair, undoing the knots.
“What are you doing?” Emeriel asked, his voice tinged with concern.
“Getting her ready.” The older woman didn’t bother to look at him, “You can either stay or leave. I care not. But if you disturb me, I will have you reported to the head guard and thrown into the dungeon.”
Though Emeriel had numerous questions swirling in his mind, a shake of Aekeira’s head silenced him. He watched helplessly as they undressed Aekeira, with the younger girl, Amie, preparing a large tub filled with water.
Eventually, he decided to step out and explore. Emeriel wandered the halls aimlessly. In the distance, he could hear voices. He moved closer towards it.
“What shall we do with the boy? He was not part of the plan,” one voice said.
“I do not care, Lord Ottai. Perhaps we will think of something later. For now, let us focus on the girl. The bad weather delayed our journey, and I had expected us to return yesterday. Time is running short; she must be in the forbidden chambers tonight,” responded another voice, chilling and authoritative.
Forbidden chambers?
Emeriel does not like the sound of that at all. He recognized the second voice as that of Lord Vladya.
“Calm yourself, Vladya. That young girl cannot handle the beast,” the first voice interjected.
“I do not care. They have made their beds, and they shall lie in them,” Vladya responded defiantly.
A heavy sigh followed. “It would be heartless to send that girl in to service the beast without any inkling of what to expect. I know you have no love for humans, and frankly, so do I, but we can surely do better than that.” Lord Ottai reasoned.
“Do as you wish, Ottai. Tell them everything or tell them nothing. I care not. Whether she lives or dies, I care not either. I shall throw in the pretty little prince next, and if he perishes too, I shall be on the next carriage to the next human kingdom to select another princess for him. That is the only aspect of this that concerns me,” Vladya concluded.
A silence fell after their exchange, leaving Emeriel’s mind racing with fear and disbelief. Service the beast? Die?
Emeriel was horrified. I must rescue Aekeira! We need to escape!
“I know you are there, pretty prince. I can smell you,” Lord Vladya’s voice rang out suddenly.
Emeriel gasped, frozen in place. Lord Vladya’s imposing figure emerged from the door, his cold, lifeless grey and yellow eyes fixing upon him.
Emeriel instinctively took a step back. Then another.
Lord Vladya smirked, “I would advise against wh@??ver thoughts are brewing in that little head of yours. You have no inkling of where you are, do you?”
Emeriel could only discern that they were in the tallest, most fortified fortress he had ever seen. He shook his head, his fear palpable.
“You are in Ravenshadow,” Lord Ottai responded, coming up behind the scarred Lord.
Ravenshadow? The Ravenshadow!? No, by the Light, this cannot be happening.
“R-Ravenshadow Citadel? The home of the f-four grand lords of the Urekais. Also known as the Whispering Abyss of great power?” Emeriel blurted out, unable to contain his terror any longer.
Lord Ottai snorted, “That is what humans call it. We do not. And yes, you are correct. You are in the Ravenshadow Citadel, Prince Emeriel.”
“You do not need me to inform you that this is the most secure place in Urai, with vast lands in which you could get lost in if you attempt to escape. A vortex that would swallow you never to be seen again. There is no escape from the Ravenshadow.”
Emeriel heard their words, but his mind was consumed by a far greater realization. The Urekai had four rulers, four leaders, and they all resided within the Ravenshadow Citadel fortress, according to legend.
“The four grand rulers of the Urekais reside here.”
“They do.” Lord Ottai sounded mildly amused. drawing Emeriel’s attention. He had no idea he’d even said that out loud.
Emeriel inched closer to Lord Ottai. He seems less intimidating and a preferable choice in that moment. “I have heard rumors about the Urekai.”
“What exactly did you hear?” Lord Ottai asked.
“They are said to be deadly and harbor a strong hatred for humans. They can be unpredictable and almost feral in their actions,” he listed off on his fingers as he rambled.
“Their mating habits are said to be as brutal as their ki||ings, and while they have bloodhosts, they have a preference for draining humans of their blood. And, after the king ran wild, the Urekai feed on humans until they are drained and dead. They—”
“Terrific. Just what I needed to hear,” Lord Vladya added in a dry tone.
Lord Ottai, still somewhat amused, spoke up, “I will leave the briefing to Lord Vladya. I need to attend to the council.”
What!? Please do not live me with him! Emeriel almost shouted. But he bit his lips hard, restraining himself.
Lord Vladgya, however, did not hold back. “Think again, Lord Ottai. There is no way I will—”
“Would you prefer Lord Zaiper to handle the briefing then?” Lord Ottai asked quietly.
A muscle twitched on Lord Vladya’s jaw. He gave Emeriel a hard look, as if actually considering the option.
Lord Ottai must have picked up on that because he quickly added, “You know you don’t want that to happen. Besides, let us not forget the favor you owe me. Remember that?”
Lord Vladya glared at him, and Lord Ottai offered a wolfish smile. “I believe it’s time to collect. You do the briefing. Off I go.” With that, Lord Ottai strode away, exuding an air of sophistication with every step.
Finally, Emeriel and Lord Vladya stood facing each other.
Ultimately, Lord Vladya commanded, “Come.” He began walking, and Emeriel fell into step behind him. They walked in silence for a while.
“Forget wh@??ver rumors may have spread in the human realm. Some may hold a grain of truth, but most are truly bizarre. However, I will not delve into the vast knowledge of our kind, for it is too extensive to cover. Instead, I will share the parts that pertain to your sister’s presence here.”
“Five hundred years ago, and even before that, my people and humans coexisted peacefully. Alvin, the son of the grand king Daemonikai, forged a strong friendship with Prince Roland of the humans, against his father’s wishes. Grand King Daemonikai had a deep mistrust of the human king, as did many others.”
Grand King Daemonikai. The mere mention of the name sent a shiver down Emeriel’s spine.
His reputation was known throughout the world, even to a child born in present times. One of the oldest Urekai to have ever existed. One of the four rulers, but the ultimate ruler. His power and strength were legendary.
Some rumors even suggested he couldn’t be ki||ed. He was the fearsome Urekai that struck fear into the hearts of all his kind.”
“It turned out that Daemonikai had valid reasons to be wary of humans. During a conversation over a glass of champagne, Alvin, in a drunken state, revealed the deep secrets of our people to Prince Roland. He gave the human prince information about the Eclipse Moon Night.”
Emeriel quickly recalled what he knew about the Eclipse Moon Night. It was a night when the Urekai were naturally stripped of their power and strength by the moon. It occurred once every three hundred to five hundred years, rendering them incredibly weak. Weaker than a newborn baby. Vulnerable to attack.
“Roland’s father, King Memphis, used his son to gather information about us. He had his eyes set on our land. To make a long story short, the humans breached our defenses and attacked us on the Eclipse Moon Night, inflicting significant damage upon our kingdom. Many of our people were ki||ed.”
“The survival of the Urekai was largely due to the efforts of the four rulers, particularly Daemonikai.” A shadow crossed Lord Vladya’s eyes, and he seemed distant, as if he could see that night playing out before him. “He exerted every ounce of his strength to save his people. Sacrificed everything he had…knowing the consequences it would bring.”
What consequences was that? Emeriel’s heart felt heavy as he listened to an Urekai speak about the Cleansing War.
The humans regarded that night as a victory. They talked about it like it was a great achievement. But hearing it now, it was nothing short of barbaric.
“After that fateful night, everything changed. We lost so many of our people. Urekai lost their contracted bondmates and their children. Those who remained were hardened by the loss. Even the Retaliation War did nothing to ease the pain in our hearts.”
During the Retaliation War, which occurred two days after the Cleansing War, the Urekai sought revenge against the humans, almost decimating the human population and forcing many into hiding.
They took numerous slaves and nearly depleted the human lands of their precious females.
As those chilling eyes once again fixated upon him, Emeriel pondered what this male had suffered to become so…cruel?
“Then, Grand King Daemonikai succumbed to the beast within and descended into madness. His mind was completely lost, and it has remained so for the past five hundred years. The very people he sacrificed everything to protect are now in danger from him, as the beast breaks free periodically, embarking on ruthless, brutal ki||ing sprees.”
“To prevent further devastation, the beast is confined here in Ravenshadow. However, imprisonment alone is insufficient—our beasts require sustenance,” Lord Vladya conveyed with a piercing gaze. “And that is where your sister comes into play.”
Emeriel felt a growing unease. He do not like where this was going. He does not like where it was going at all.
“Princess Aekeira will fulfill the beast’s segzual needs. That is why she was acquired. As for you, since I have no use for you, both of you belong to the beast,” Lord Vladya asserted firmly.
“What?” Emeriel’s voice trembled, a disbelieving whisper escaping his lips. “Surely, you can’t mean that.”
“Tell princess Aekeira to present to the beast. If she presents well, who knows? She might survive another day. As I mentioned earlier, I care little for the outcome
Emeriel collapsed to his knees, tears blurring his vision. “Please, Lord Vladya, don’t subject her to this. To be a segzual slave to a beast!? My sister will die!!” He screamed, his words tainted with anger.
If indifference had a form, it would manifest in Lord Vladya. He did not bat an eyelash as he continued, “Good luck trying to run away from Ravenshadow. For every attempt, you will be met with fifty lashes of the whip.” With that, he turned on his heel and began stridingaway.
Anger surpassed terror. Emeriel surged after him but the Urekai soldiers were suddenly there blocking her path.
She began screaming at him, “Who do you think you are!? Do you consider yourself so all-powerful that you can dictate the fate of living beings!? You are nothing more than beasts! You’re a monster, Lord Vladya!”
Lord Vladya halted at the doorway, casting a glance over his shoulder. “That is a compliment, human prince. And to you, it is Grand Lord Vladya.”
Emeriel froze.
Grand Lord?
As in, one of the four rulers of the Urekai, that GRAND LORD!?
Holy light-gods, they are doomed.
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