Seclusion Prologue
By Aujang Abadi
Above head, storm clouds were gathering. It always seemed that on nights of importance, the elements would vent their fury on the land, unforgiving in the onslaught. When the first trickles of rain began to appear, lightly cascading around a swiftly moving form, the night truly began.
The trees offered little haven during the downpour, and in fact only added to the atmosphere of terror, as forks of lightning allowed only brief illuminations of the horrors to come. Gasping for breath, Kaeli couldn't help but run blindly, crashing through the brush like a frightened animal. The rain had soaked through her filmy green dress, clinging to her frame like a second skin, outlining her in the darkness. Not far behind, the darkness shifted as it kept pace with her, every now and then gaining a measure or two upon her.
She hadn't noticed its approach, but it would not have mattered if she had. It was so blindingly fast, and so incredibly silent. And it was everywhere, breathing in her ear, ripping at her skirts, tearing open her flesh. Fear was no longer a sensation, but a being, racing alongside her, its musk dampening the air. The rain blinded her, stole her vision and faulted her step; the very night fought against her. She screamed again and again, until her voice was hoarse and her lungs near bursting. Yet no one heard, and the darkness came ever closer.
Not far ahead lay the castle, its torches shining brightly, reflecting off of the sentries' armor, a beacon of warmth in the chill night. Between her ragged breaths, she prayed that she would make it to the gates.
When she burst into the clearing, only minutes away from the castle, the skies roared in defiance, loud explosions of thunder echoing her terrified screams. She whirled, only to see it emerge from the darkness. It panted softly, the black armor shadowing its form glittering with rivulets of water. Slowly, almost reverently, it drew a long, thin blade, as black as the night around it and softly casting a violet glow. Kaeli, terrified, could only watch as it approached.
"What... what are you?" She stammered, her voice betraying her already, by cracking. She stumbled back, as her breath escaped her. "I am a subject of the King himself! I shan't be treated like this!" Her threat echoed hollowly in the moist air, already rendered futile by the fear permeating through it.
As it approached, its breastplate shook slightly, with a chuckle. It stopped, for a moment, to remove its obsidian helm. Crystal blue eyes shone through the darkness, framed by dark brown hair and an exquisitely handsome face. "The King, eh?" Kaeli froze in shock, falling back to the ground, staring up at the face. Smiling sardonically, he sheathed his sword, but only to remove his gauntlets and place them next to his helm. Flexing his fingers casually, he redrew his sword and advanced.
"Kain! No, please, don't do this! Please, I'll pay anything! Anything you want!" She began weeping, tears streaming down her young cheeks. His blue eyes twinkled, as he knelt and gently brushed her tears away.
"So sorry, my young lady... but you seem to have me mistaken with another. But it does not matter. He is who I came for." With his free hand, he wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her against him, inhaling deeply. "Will you promise me something, little one?" He kissed one of her cheeks, making her shiver uncontrollably. The smell of her fear was powerfully erotic, curling through his stomach in a sudden burst of lust.
"Anything, please, whoever you are... please..." She sobbed, straining to free herself. "Oh God, please, please, please..."
"Good girl... don't worry, now, I'll be gentle..." His eyes slowly changed, the pupils contracting into mere slits. "Promise me, Kaeli..." The voice became a hiss as his hand inadvertently ripped her dress open, his nails severing the fabric. "Promise me you'll scream." When his blade ripped into her, she could do nothing but oblige.
* * * *
At the castle, one of the sentries stopped for a moment, turning his head to the west and the forests leading to the mainland. "Hey, you hear something, Dywin?"
Another sentry turned at the mention of his name, scratching his head. "For a second there, sounded like someone was screaming. May just be the wind, though." He peered into the darkness. "You hear it too?"
"Yeah, I heard it... think we should check it out?" Axden shifted his halberd, looking back to Dywin.
"Well, it isn't coming anymore... and it isn't from the castle... we'll wait until morning, alright? Its raining like hell anyhow... and with this gear, scouting isn't going to be fun." Dywin, satisfied, resumed his patrol.
"Yeah... tomorrow, I guess." Axden watched the west a moment longer, wondering if it was just his imagination or if something was actually glowing purple in the night. Faintly, he thought he heard an exclamation, almost a high-pitched scream. He shook his head and rubbed his eyes, and when he looked again, the sound was gone and the glow had disappeared. "Damn. I've been spending way too much time on duty. Ugh." He turned from the plains and resumed his nightly patrol.
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