Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Priestess of the Moon: Return of the Lunar Dragon ❯ Capture and the Truth ( Chapter 4 )

“You're under arrest, werewolf,” one of the guards surrounding Reiku said.

 

“You're safe now, m'lady,” another guard told her.

 

Kiya wasn't listening to the guard. She was watching in horror as Reiku struggled with the guards with no success. There were too many of them and every blow he rained on them was absorbed into their armor. Before Kiya knew it, Reiku's hands and feet were shackled and a leather collar was fitted around his neck with a length of chain attached, serving as a leash.

 

The guards led them through the city without stopping and headed quickly towards Riverside. When they stopped for the night, Reiku was guarded outside the camp and was beaten every hour or so throughout the night. He wasn't allowed to sleep and if he drifted off, he was beaten even more. Kiya knew that all of it was under the order of her father. Ever night was the same, and Kiya had to suffer listening to his screams as she lay down at night to sleep. She hardly slept, if not at all. Instead, she cried softly until she did manage to drift off.

 

Three days after the guards found them, they walked through the gates of Riverside. The return was horrible. The people of the city cheered at the sight of Kiya's safe return, but when they saw Reiku, they threw rotten fruit, animal dung and anything else they could find at him. Kiya stared straight ahead, not looking at anyone and Mitt grumbled beside her.

 

They were lead to the Palace and stable-hands led the horses away. Then they waited at the steps of the Palace. Kiya watched as her father, Lord Aubrey, stepped out on the ledge in front of the grand entrance. Kiya curtsied to her father, as did Mitt. All the guards bowed and one guard forced Reiku to his knees.

 

“Come to me, my daughter,” Aubrey said.

 

Kiya walked up the steps to stand beside her father. Mitt came up and stood beside her. Aubrey raised a hand to silence the crowd.

 

“The penalty of crossing the border, for any werewolf, is death. But this one,” Aubrey glared at Reiku, “decided to not only cross the border, but to kidnap my daughter and her companion.”

 

“I did not!” Reiku cried, “I saved her life from the orc raid!” Then a guard cuffed him upside the head to silence him

 

“Silence!” Aubrey roared. He stared down at Reiku with hatred. “What did you want for doing this? What did you expect? A reward?”

 

“I would never expect anything from you,” Reiku snarled.

 

“That's right,” Aubrey screamed, “Nothing! Except now your sentence is slow torture and painful death. In front of the entire city. At town square, two days from now at dawn.”

 

Kiya locked eyes with Reiku as the crowd went into an uproar. The guards stared to tow him away towards the dungeons and Kiya ran up into the Palace. She didn't stop until she got to her chambers. Once there, she threw herself onto her bed and sobbed. Her lover was going to die. That had been her biggest fear. And her father was going to make her watch it all. She was going to have to watch as they tortured Reiku to death. Kiya cried the harder as she thought of how he had been to her. She thought of that night they had laid in each other's arms. She thought about his touch, his kisses. She was never going to have that from him ever again.

 

Mitt came in a while later. The anthro kitten started to sob as soon as she closed the door. “Oh Kiya,” she cried and she ran over to her. The two women held each other and cried.

 

“What do I do?” Kiya cried, “oh, my poor Reiku. He deserves none of this.”

 

“I know,” Mitt said. She wiped her face and looked at Kiya. “Could you talk to your father?”

 

Kiya laughed at this. “He would kill me, if he found out. Or he will make Reiku's death even more worse that it is now.”

 

Mitt looked at Kiya. “Go see Reiku tonight,” she said, “talk to him and see what he says.”

 

Kiya sighed and stood. “Alright,” she said, “plus, it'll give me a chance to see him before…” She took a deep breath and gave a slight smile. “Guess I have to clean up then.”

 

~*~

 

Kiya walked down the dungeon hall to where Reiku was being kept. She faced the guards at the door and straightened herself up royally. “I wish to speak to the werewolf, and my father is not to know of this.”

 

The guards nodded and one opened the door. The other handed Kiya a lantern and she walked in. The door closed behind her and Kiya walked swiftly over to where Reiku was huddled against the wall.

 

Chains snaked from his wrists and ankles to the wall. Kiya crouched in front of Reiku, set the lantern on the floor and looked him over. Bruises and welts covered his body. His clothing was torn in places and streaked with blood. Kiya bit her lip to stop herself from crying.

 

Reiku lifted his head and looked at her. “Kiya,” he whispered hoarsely.

 

“I'm here,” Kiya said. She held her face close to his, her hair fanning his face. “I'm going to get you out of here.”

 

Reiku shook his head. “There's no way. I'm done for.”

 

“No you're not,” Kiya said, “I can talk to my father…”

 

Reiku snorted and said angrily, “Load of shit that would do. You'll just get yourself into trouble.”

 

Kiya found herself jumping to her father's defense. “You're wrong. He'll understand my feelings. I`m his daughter and…”

 

“He has had a problem with my kind since the beginning,” Reiku cried angrily, “that's why he started this war! That's why he killed a whole village of my people!”

 

Kiya wavered slightly. “What do you mean?” she asked softly.

 

Reiku stared at her. “You really don't know, do you?”

 

“Know what?”

 

Reiku sighed softly. “I was eight at the time,” he said, “and my village was attacked by Aubrey's army. My mother hid me with a few other children in a hidden underground room. But I had gotten a good glimpse of Aubrey's face, as he watched his army tear through my village. There was nothing but glee on his face. When his army finished killing everyone, except me and the other children underground because they didn't know we were there, they burned the entire village down. A group of men of my people that lived in the village nearby had seen the blaze and came, after the army left. They found us and pulled us out. They took us to their village, but we had no families,” Reiku's voice broke and tears started to fall, but he continued. “My mother and my father, the leader, were hung from a tree. Their eyes were ripped from their heads and skin stripped off of them. They…” Reiku stopped and began to cry softly, but he managed to finish, “they had still been alive when that had happened to them.” Unable to say anymore, Reiku cried, reliving the memories so long ago.

 

Kiya felt tears falling down her own cheeks. She reached out and held Reiku close, allowing him to sob against her shoulder. She tried her best to comfort him, stroking his hair and whispering softly to him. “I'm sorry, I'm so sorry.”

 

After a while, Reiku was able to finish up, although he didn't lift his head from Kiya's shoulder. “That's why my people attacked that village, to get revenge and to let Aubrey know that we were not going to expose our bellies to him. But instead, he drives us out and puts the blame of starting the war on us.”

 

Terror moved through Kiya and she asked softly, “This is the truth?”

 

Reiku lifted his head and looked at her. “Would I ever lie to you Kiya?”

 

Kiya shook her head and let out a sob. Throwing her arms around him again, she held them as they both cried. She believed him. Everything she knew about her father, about her past had been a lie, she realized. “I'm going to get you out of here,” she told Reiku, “I promise.” She kissed him gently and stood up. “I have to go, but we will be leaving tomorrow night. Count on it.”

 

“I believe you,” Reiku said, “and I know you can do it.” He reached up and took her hand. “I love you, Kiya.”

 

“I love you, Reiku,” Kiya whispered, and then she left.

 

Quickly, she went back to the palace and went down the corridors to the library. She got there and immediately went to the books. She pulled out a few old tombs and searched through them. Finally she found what she had been looking for. It was everything Reiku had said. Her father and an army going to a werewolf village and murdering everyone in it, then burning it all down. The village had never been rebuilt and bodies had never been recovered. It was now known as Ghost Wolf.

 

Kiya slammed the book closed, anger filling her. Her own father was the monster, not the werewolves. She swept out of the library and went to Mitt's chambers.

 

“Wake up,” Kiya whispered to the sleeping anthro kitten.

 

Mitt grumbled and asked what it was. She stopped grumbling when Kiya told her everything. Her golden eyes nearly popped out of her head. “We have to get Reiku out of here,” she finally said.

 

“I know that,” Kiya said briskly, pacing back and forth, “but how is the question.”

 

“I believe I can answer that,” someone said from the door.

 

Kiya turned around and gasped when she saw the Futuresighter walk in, closing the door behind her. The oldest elf in the world, yet she seemed almost Kiya's age. “Futuresighter,” Kiya said, “we didn't hear you come in.”

 

The woman smiled and said, “I'm good at doing that. Now,” her face turned serious, “there isn't much time. You need to get out of this city. The both of you and Reiku”

 

“What do you mean?” Mitt asked.

 

“There is a prophecy. The three of you and three others, a half demon, a dwarf and a monk, are to defeat a great evil. A part of that evil is your father Kiya.”

 

“I'm not surprised,” Kiya muttered, then she looked at the Futuresighter, “but how do we get out with Reiku?”

 

“You will have to break him out. Then you are to go down river, but bring no horses. You will go down to Mahorwa Village. From there, you are on your own. Mitt, you can not go with them. You will have to meet them somewhere else. Besides, I need you here for a while longer. You may help Kiya get Reiku out, but if anyone asks, you have no idea.”

 

Mitt nodded and then asked, “But how will Kiya get around? People will know that she is Aubrey's daughter by sight.”

 

“There is someone I know who will help change your appearance,” the Futuresighter said, “so anyone who sees you just thinks you look like Aubrey's daughter. There are a lot of girls that do.”

 

Kiya nodded and said, “When do we do it?”

 

“Tomorrow night,” the Futuresighter said, “I will bring the woman who will help you around sunset tomorrow, so be in your quarters around then. But be warned. Your journey will be long and hard. If you should you fail, the world will cease to exist. It'll be nothing more than darkness.”

 

Kiya sighed and said, “Alright. I'll be in my apartments tomorrow.”

 

Mitt looked at Kiya and said, “I'll head off to Anthrowood as soon as I'm done here. You and Reiku can meet me there.”

 

The Futuresighter nodded. “It is a plan. Now remember. Do not let anyone know that you are leaving. Don't even let anyone get the idea that you are leaving, because it will get to Aubrey.”

 

Kiya sighed and said, “I won't. I'm not going to let father find out. I won't let him stop me.”

 

The Futuresighter smiled. “Good girl. Now I must go. I can't have your father have suspicious thoughts.” The woman turned to go but stopped. “Oh, and one thing, Kiya,” the Futuresighter said. She turned and faced Kiya. “Your mother would be proud.”

 

Kiya smiled and said, “Thank you.”

 

The Futuresighter nodded and then left the room. As soon as she left, Mitt said, “Can you believe all of this?”

 

Kiya frowned and said softly, “Somehow, I do.”