assassin

Some of you may've seen this before as I've been working on it for years. But I think, after one rewrite and three edits, I've finally worked out all the kinks.

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Koral looked up through the glass panel in the roof. The combined light of the four moons made it difficult to see the stars, but not impossible. He wondered which of the bright points out of the hundreds he saw belonged to the alien creatures that were raising him. They came from another world, somewhere beyond the moons and the twin suns. At least, that’s what he’d been told. From a planet they called Earth.

“Excuse me.” He spun at the voice, sighing with the knowledge that he’d been found out. “Get your tail back to bed, mister.” The owner of the voice stood in the doorway. She was a short woman, and he was already as tall as her.

“Tell me another story,” he said, giving her a smile that, usually, let him get his way.

“Very well.” The woman sighed, a glimmer of humour in her green eyes. “I suppose, seeing that it is your birthday, I can be lenient.” The battle won again, he dove under his bedcovers and waited while she tucked him in. “What one shall it be?”

“I want to hear about the space ship.”

“Koral,” she laughed. Loose pieces of red hair bobbed about a pale face as she shook her head. “I’ve told that tale to death and you know it by heart.”

“I want to hear you tell it.”

The woman sighed fondly and sat on the edge of the bed. “A hundred years from now, fifty in Thardrandian time, there will be a ship in space as big as any city. Its sole purpose to discover if time-travel is possible.” Koral had never seen a city in his short life, only images on screens. But then, most of what he’d seen was from images. They never allowed him to venture outside for any reason. Out there was too dangerous. “Koral. If you want me to tell the story, you could at least listen.”

“Sorry,” he replied, the claws on his three-digit hands scraping slightly against the sheets. He attempted to look as attentive as he could in the hope she would continue.

“Of course.” One red eyebrow rose as parental indulgence replaced annoyance. “The experiment will be a huge success. The device they build will enable an entire ship to bounce about time as well as space.” She stopped, jaw line twitching as pain flickered across her face.

“They’ll get cocky,” he said, gently nudging her to finish.

“Yes, the device had limits.” Her eyes were distant, focused on something beyond the room’s metal walls. “They travelled too far back, took too big a leap into space. It exploded. The ship was built to withstand an attack, but not like that. So many people died.” She blinked back tears and looked around her before giving him a sad smile. “Only this survived.” His gaze followed her hand as she waved it about. His bedroom had been an isolation chamber, all the bedrooms were, but this one was too small for a growing boy. The room was bare save for a chest of clothes at the foot of the bed and a mirror.

He frequently tried to ignore the image the silvered glass reflected. It wasn’t that he hated what he saw, he just didn’t wish to be reminded he wasn’t human like the woman whom had borne and raised him. He wanted to believe the image of a biped lizard wasn’t his reflection, that maybe the long snout full of dagger-sharp teeth and vampirish fangs was a mask. But he knew it was foolish, he was a creature of this planet.

“Amelia,” one of the other humans called. They seemed to prefer keeping their distance with him and he could never keep the names straight without seeing a face.

“Coming,” the woman answered. Leaning over him, she gave his blunt snout a small kiss.

“Sleep well, my little prince,” she said before leaving, snuffing candles on her way out. The metal doors had long-since been sacrificed to repair the hull and he could hear the voices from the other side of the curtain.

“I have warned you countless times to not spout the future,” the man growled.

“And what is Koral going to do with it?” Amelia asked. “This planet hardly has the technology for him to build a time machine.”

“Maybe you’re right,” the man said, his voice getting fainter. “Regardless, Kyle wants a word with you and I don’t think you’re going to like what he has to say.” Koral frowned into the darkness, wishing he was capable of sneaking after them to find out what the man wanted.

He lay there for a short while, staring at the stars outside the panel before curiosity got the best of him and he decided to try. Slipping out of the bed and crossing the room, he opened the curtain as quietly as he could. Peeking through, he found the corridor as dark as his room. He didn’t bother trying to be quiet as he walked down the corridor, his talons would click on the polished floor no matter what he did.

There wasn’t much left of the human ship. Most of it was dominated by the laboratory and was easy to make his way around, even with the darkness stealing away most of his keen sight.

“I can’t believe you’d even think of doing such a thing!” Amelia said, the outrage in her voice echoing down the corridor and pinpointing where he needed to go. “He’s only a child!” Like his room, there were only curtains screening the entrance to Kyle’s chambers and he was capable of seeing the pair without them seeing him.

“He’s a monster,” Kyle replied, not bothering to placate his companion. “We can’t let him live. They’d kill us if they knew he wasn’t pure.”

“A monster,” she echoed. “And how shall you do it? Smash his head open with a rock? Strangle him?” Her cheeks glistened in the dull candlelight, eyes shining with more unshed tears. “You certainly can’t drown him.”

“We already have the materials we bartered for, why should we adhere to any agreement we’ve made with these primitives?” Koral frowned at the brown-haired man. He’d never heard of any agreements before now.

“We’re supposed to be better than that,” Amelia snapped back. “How can you think of killing him after you helped raise him?”

“Unlike you, woman, I don’t get emotionally attached to lower life-forms.”

“How could I not ‘get attached’ when it was I that created and bore him?” she asked, her body trembling as much as her words.

“Yes.” The man was nodding, his brown eyes showing no warmth. “And you know the best way to kill him.”

“There is no best way,” she replied. “I made him tough, a survivor.”

“Then I’ll have to see just how tough he is.”

Koral slowly let the curtain fall and leant against the wall, his gaze drifting to where the external door lay at the other end of the corridor, only a short sprint away. He shivered, convincing himself it was only because the coolness of metal had soaked through his clothes.

There was no doubt that Kyle meant what he said. The man truly desired his death, even if it came to slaying him like an animal. No, he thought, brushing away tears. Not an animal. A monster.

Not wanting to risk his life to the chance that Amelia’s wishes would prevail, he tore down the corridor towards the door.

Outside is dangerous. The warning rang in his head as the heavy door banged hollowly against its frame. The sand was cool against his feet and the desert’s wind stung his face, but he ignored it all. Whatever it was that waited out here, it had to be better than death.

It wasn’t dark, not with four moons lighting his path; the combined light twisting the desert shadows into a turbulent sea. He stumbled along the sand, trudging up dunes. The normally stifling heat was gone and he flinched with every icy step. When the wind died, his breath misted to hang about his head in a flimsy halo.

Weaponless, he was afraid to go forward. Only a few hours had past and he already missed what security his only home had to offer. Tears ran down his cheeks, some gliding along the sharp lines of his snout. No longer could he call the human wreckage home. The knowledge made him wish he could go back.

A sibilant sound crept along with the wind, sighing upon the air. Koral turned towards the noise, frowning when he saw nothing. The sound continued, slowly getting louder and bringing with it the dull groan of large animals on the move.

He skittered back down the dune as a dozen or so giant mounds of hair and flesh appeared over its ridge. Only two bore riders, one carrying a torch that flared and threatened to die in the sandy breeze.

The pair halted on the ridge, torch waving as they spoke to each other. Koral saw the glint of metal and realised they thought him a threat. The desert-bred beasts kicked up sand as they slid down the slope after him. Not wishing to find out if the pair were dangerous or merely curious, he ran from them, slipping as he tried to scramble up the dune he’d just descended. The animals were fast and snorted excitedly as they halted in his path. One tossed its head, and he ducked the yellowed tusks that barely missed hitting him.

“Ko xen!” one said, the shift in language making Koral’s mind fumble over what he knew as much as his body stumbled on the sand. But, like his balance, the words slowly came to him. Just two words. A boy. “What are you doing in the middle of nowhere, boy?” the man asked. His white robe shone in the torchlight, reflecting more light on the long muzzle of his grey-furred face. Golden eyes stared back at Koral, patiently waiting for an answer. “Can you not talk?”

Koral silently nodded, not sure what else to do.

“He doesn’t look like a Rogue,” the other said. Hooded in darker fabric, the torchlight wasn’t strong enough for Koral to see anything other than the occasional glint of teeth as the man spoke.

“He’s too young, even for them.”

Wolenas. Koral thought, lessons flooding back to him. As a species, they weren’t usually as quick to anger as others, but this one wore a sword. He stepped closer, flinching when the man’s mount snorted.

“What’s the matter, boy? Never seen a walfre?”

Koral shook his head while eyeing the lizardish beast. Its head was massive and the way the tusks curved down reminded him of his own fangs.

“What are you?” The words captured his attention and Koral found the man was leaning down in order to see him better. The smoke from the torch floated in his face and made his eyes water.

“He’s raptereon, you fool,” the other said. “An idiot could see that.”

“No, his eyes are amber.”

Koral took a step back, unsure why he was suddenly being so thoroughly scrutinized.

“You’re scaring the boy,” the other laughed. “He’s quite likely a mix, not that it matters out here. If you plan on bringing him with us, then do so.” The hood shifted as he looked at the sky and Koral saw a glimpse of a leathery snout before the man turned back to his companion. The fleeting image took away his presumption. This was no patient wolena, but a man from a far more dangerous species. A raptereon. “Shirain will not be pleased if we are late again with bringing the herd in.”

The first held his hand out for Koral to grab. His fangs gleamed in the light as he smiled, giving a malevolent glow to his grin. “Come, little one. You won’t wish to be out here alone come morning.” As much as he didn’t want to trust the man, Koral knew he couldn’t survive without help.

The walfre snorted under the extra weight as Koral leapt aboard. He balanced on the beast’s neck, tightly gripping the fine fur as the pair of herders forced the other animals to continue the march towards their unseen destination.



The red and yellow suns, Rhoadus and Tangus respectively, had risen as an encampment by the sea came into view. The undulating blue water held Koral’s attention as they rode down into the camp and past the mismatched tents. The site was bustling with activity as the occupants went about their normal lives, none of the people caring that the trailing walfres shuffled through. Nor did anybody seem to notice the pair had picked up a third while on their travels.

They eventually halted outside a large tent. Most of the sea breeze was blocked by other tents, but there was still enough wind to make the ropes thrum.

“Mistress!” the wolena called out. “As you have commanded, we’ve brought all the young females from north-eastern herd.”

“You are late,” a husky voice answered from inside the violet pavilion. The flap moved and a long-necked woman stepped out. Unlike the other people, the raptereon wore large amounts of silver jewellery. At first glance, he thought the woman wore nothing at all. Her only concession to modesty was a few pieces of green silk, the same shade as her scaled skin. “Am I to punish -” She stopped as her eyes of green-flecked gold marked his presence. “What is this?” she snarled.

“We found him roaming the sands last night, Shirain,” the other man replied.

“You know how I feel about foundlings.” Her gaze didn’t waver from Koral and he shifted under the cool stare. “Come here, boy.” Koral paused in dismounting, not sure if he could trust the woman. “I haven’t got all day,” Shirain snapped and he quickly moved to stand before her, resisting the urge to fidget as she circled him, examining him like he was a puzzle or a piece of meat. “Can you hunt?” she asked and he silently shook his head. “How about fish or herd?” Again, he shook his head. “Worthless,” she sneered. Green lips peeled back in disgust, revealing teeth capable of ripping out his throat. “Well, boy, if you can learn to do these things, then I may be able to find a special place for you.”

“By the Stars,” the wolena said. “I did not rescue him from the fate of the desert so you may hand him over to the Rogues.”

“Are you questioning my decision, Weinain, or are you volunteering?”

The man went slack-jawed, golden eyes becoming black and triangle ears folding against his head. “No, mistress.”

“Very well, I shall forgive you this time.” Koral flinched as her clawed hand fell on his shoulder, claw-tips gently pricking his skin. “But for your impertinence, you will teach him.”

“Yes, mistress,” he replied. “As always, your command shall be obeyed.”





“It’s all about patience and timing, Koral,” Weinain said as he tossed out the small net. Fish splashed in their attempts to flee the rope trap. Koral had been at the sea-side encampment for a total of seven weeks, just shy of a Thardrandian month. In that time he had adapted quite well, but fishing just didn’t seem to be his strong point. He blamed his incompetence on the water. The waves distorted his vision and fish weren’t where they first appeared to be. “Try again.”

Koral watched the small fish swimming by, the finned animals uncaring to the pair’s presence, and threw the net. He frowned as the fish easily slipped away, the net coming back empty. He wasn’t partial to fish anyway. They were a nuisance to clean and the tiny bones always got caught in his teeth.

“Maybe tomorrow,” Weinain said. “We best get back before the patrol decides we’re trying to escape.” Koral looked up and stared out to sea, noting the scout ship was sailing closer than usual. As much as he could make out from what he’d been told, the desert was walled on both sides to protect the two kingdoms from men known as Rogues. The massive brick structures supposedly cut a straight line across the continent, from one shore to the other. The scout ship’s sole purpose was in keeping anyone, be they Rogue or not, from trying to swim round the edge of the walls.

“You’ve never told me what danger the Rogues present,” he said, gathering up the net and following the wolena as they splashed through the water towards the beach.

“Koral,” the man warned. “You ask too many questions.”

“I would think someone should tell me, seeing I am to be given over to them.”

He sighed. “You know I can’t. The things Shirain would do …” His light grey hair was gathered at the neck and flipped fitfully as he shook his head. “I have a wife and child to think about, Koral.” Weinain reached the beach first and shook himself, water flying off his soaked tail. In the midday light, the man had a faint blue tinge to him.

“I see you boys have had fun.”

Weinain froze, his head lifting to look at Shirain. “Mistress,” he said, giving her a small bow that Koral copied. “Is something wrong?”

“So suspicious,” Shirain purred. “Can I not have an interest in the boy’s progress?” She looked past the wolena at Koral and he felt a familiar chill run down his back.

“You’re never interested unless it has to do with Lorric,” Weinain said. “The lad is too young for what he wants.”

“Nonsense. Exactly how old are you, my boy?”

“Six.” Seven weeks living among those of this planet and his tongue still wanted to say he was twelve. Would he always be haunted by his years with the humans?

“Six,” she echoed, giving the wolena a toothy smirk. “You were chasing girls at that age.”

“I still say he’s too young.” Thick hackles on the man’s bare back rose and Shirain’s serpentine neck stretched to its fullest height.

“Disobedience again?” she said. “Need I remind you it is I that chooses who goes and who does not. You should be especially careful, you have a daughter, do you not?”

“You keep her out of your maniacal game!” Weinain growled. Koral winced, waiting for the woman to lash out in typical raptereon fashion, but the outrage was met with a simple backhanded slap across the wolena’s face. It was a strangely calm action considering the anger on her face. He thought that the woman would’ve at least used her claws or maybe spewed fire like some raptereons could. It wasn’t a common trait and Shirain didn’t have wings despite her draconian looks, but sometimes one attribute would remain while another left.

“It is either him or your daughter and I know what you’ll choose.” Her voice was at odds with the fury in her snake-like eyes. The pupils had narrowed to slits, a sure sign of focused anger, and Koral was still sure she was going to attack the man. “Much more of your defiance and it shall be her I use for the ritual. Untainted blood can be so very hard to find.” She walked away, her manner one that said she fully believed she’d be obeyed.

Weinain sunk to his knees as if he no longer had the strength to stand, bushy tail swishing in the dregs of reaching waves and wet sand. “She’ll do it,” he said, his gaze unwavering from Shirain’s departing form. “So many have believed she’s not that cruel, but she’ll do anything for her god.” His head lowered briefly as if he mourned. “I won’t apologise or ask for your forgiveness. But I want you to remember one thing: even with all the horrible things he’ll make you do, you’ll have saved my daughter from an equally terrible fate.” Weinain stood and walked away without so much as looking at the boy he was planning to hand over. Koral watched him go and wondered just what sort of god Lorric had to be to want anything to do with a man as young as him.

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Continued

assassin

continued from above

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Only the faint outline of the dark moon, Joh, was visible in the late night sky. Koral’s flesh crawled as the trio crossed the dunes, their destination marked by four torches. Lorric’s temple was a ruin. The wind-blasted walls had crumbled many years ago, leaving just an immense statue. The figure’s arms were crossed and the eyes in the blunt-nosed snake’s head were frowning as if the god was already judging those that stood before him. Having endured decades of being battered by the elements, the carving was still finely detailed, right down to the rattle-tip on the end of his scaled coils.

The ground before the statue had sunk at some point and now bore a small pool that, as they entered the ruins, carried the sick scent of death. The torchlight hit the pond’s surface and reflected off the dark red liquid. Koral wondered what sort of person would have a pool of blood in the middle of the desert.

“In,” Shirain commanded, a long finger indicating the pool. He stepped back from the woman and bumped into Weinain.

“Do as she says,” he said, the wolena’s voice neither ordering nor pleading him. The man’s previous words stuck in his mind and Koral slipped into the cool pond.

“Bathe.” He stared at the woman. She wanted him to bathe in blood? Her crest of white hair caught the light of the torch as she stepped closer, making it appear to be made of fire. “Now!”

Terrified, Koral did as she commanded and when she was satisfied that he was sufficiently covered with blood, Weinain handed him a large bowl. The golden bowl was warm under his hands and the same smell came off the dark liquid within.

“Drink it.”

He didn’t dare hesitate swallowing the fresh blood, his mind flinching from the thought of what animal they’d taken it from.

The sound of Shirain’s bracelets clacking against each other echoed across the ruins as she lifted her arms out towards the giant statue. “Behold my offering, Mighty One! Take him! Guide him in your ways!”

The bowl fell from his hands to splash into the pond as the statue’s eyes began to glow a deep red. Koral felt his blood grow hot, desire filling his body and fogging his mind. What had she done to him?

“Your gift pleases me, Shirain.” The words tumbled out of a mouth Koral no longer had control over. “This body is the youngest you’ve brought me.” Something flexed his muscles, lips twisting into a cruel grin as his tongue ran over sharp teeth. “He will need much training.”

“I deeply thank you, my Lord Lorric,” Shirain purred, giving him a low bow. “I had hoped he would meet your approval.”

Koral felt an odd calmness fall over him with the knowledge he was possessed by a god. A rough laugh escaped his throat as he unwillingly turned from the statue and waded through the blood to dry land. “He’s trying to fight me.”

“I thought he might be a fighter,” she said, sounding strangely proud. “I had thought he might prove more interesting to break than the others.”

“Indeed. By the time I’ve finished with him, everyone shall fear Vengeance.”

Don’t call me that! he screamed at the god in his head. Get out of my head!

The one thing you must know now, Vengeance, is that the puppet does not command the puppeteer, Lorric hissed. You will be silent.

I don’t take orders from you, he snarled, disgusted that the words made him sound like a sulky child.

I am Gol Lorric, most powerful of the Serpent Gods and your master. The god gave a hiss that echoed in Koral’s mind. You will learn to obey me. Oh yes, Vengeance, you will indeed. I will teach you things like no one else can.

I don’t think I want to learn anything from someone whose name means lust, he snapped back. And I doubt you can teach me anything I’d be interested in.

Lorric gave a sinister chuckle. The young are so naïve. You will be taught, Vengeance, and whether you want to or not, you will learn.

Stop calling me that! My name is Koral, not Vengeance!

True, Lorric conceded. And you may come across those that will still call you by that name. But the name I give you now is what the people will remember when you become my most fearsome Rogue. And I know you will.

Rogue? Koral had tried so many times to find out what was so dangerous about this group everyone called Rogues, but no one had explained it to him.

Yes. I can see it. You’ve only heard of the name. An innocent. The memory of your corruption shall be forever sweet.

Koral growled.

Do you still think that you can defeat me, my little Roguelet?

I don’t think I’d care to be a Rogue, not if means answering to you.

Oh, I think you will, Lorric chuckled. I’ll find out what you lust for whether it be power, blood or flesh. Now awake, Vengeance. Your first lesson begins with the rising of the suns.

The god opened Koral’s eyes and he found himself lying in a cave with morning shining outside. He had no recollection of how he got here or where here was. “What shall be first?” Lorric asked as he sat up, chuckling when Koral was silent. “I do like this voice,” he purred, accentuating the normal smoothness of the tone. “You would’ve left women pining after you using no more effort than talking took.” The god rummaged through a pack lying next to him, pulled out a full waterskin and took a long drink.

There’s not much hope in that happening now. He’d only begun to think of girls in the romantic sense. Now it seemed he’d never get the chance to do all the things adults did, like wooing and marrying. And, eventually, children.

“You misjudge me, Vengeance. I’m not intending to let you die.”

Koral, he said, not planning on letting the god call him whatever the serpent wished. If you’re not going to kill me, then what do you want with me?

“Want? Just your obedience and faith.”

Koral laughed. And you get that by possessing me?

“No,” the god said “By possessing you, I get the satisfaction of personally breaking you in for your new life.”

The life of a Rogue. How could I forget?

“Sarcasm, Vengeance?” Lorric asked as he stood. “You still haven’t told me which you’d prefer, blood or flesh?”

What does it matter? He answered, the reality of just how much control the god had over him finally sinking in. You’ll do as you please. It’s not as if you’ll find many people out here.

“Actually,” Lorric grinned. “There are two men and a woman coming this way as I speak. I’m sure this body will be able to handle a brief skirmish.” He stood in the cave’s entrance and stretched in the shade, the action making Koral aware that his tunic and leggings had been replaced with a simple loincloth. He wondered at the change to more barbaric clothing, but only briefly as the trio Lorric spoke of appeared over a dune ridge.

All three were raptereon, the red of their scaled hides shone dully in the sunlight and marked them as possible fire-breathers. They stopped as soon as Lorric walked out of the cave and the god laughed as the men drew their swords. Koral didn’t see the humour in facing armed men when he carried no weapon of his own. Was the god completely insane? Or did he get some weird pleasure at sending men to their deaths?

The men attacked, charging at him and swinging the blades in unison. Koral could do no more than mentally flinch, praying that his death was swift and painless. Lorric ducked their swipes and Koral discovered that he did have a weapon as his long claws sunk into the pale soft hide of their throats. Thick, red blood slid down the crimson scales. Together, the men let out gurgling gasps, tendrils of smoke escaping the nostrils of one.

The bodies slid free of his claws as they collapsed, blood flowing to stain the sand. Lorric ignored the damage he’d done and focused on the now unprotected woman. She appeared to know what would happen even if Koral didn’t and was already running, crimson tail swishing wildly in the effort to keep her balance on the shifting sand.

Lorric made him run faster than Koral thought his body was capable of, leaving him to wonder if the god was using his power to enhance his strength. A bloody hand grabbed her tail. His grasp slipped, but it was enough to unbalance the woman and send her muzzle-first onto ground.

Whoever she was, she was quick to flip onto her back and scurry backwards up the dune. The fear in her emerald green eyes twisted Koral’s stomach. Tiny jets of flame escaped her mouth, but he knew she’d have no luck deterring the god. You needed to concentrate to decently breathe fire and Koral had a feeling that even that wouldn’t have been enough to stop Lorric.

“No, please,” she cried, but the words fell on deaf ears as Lorric hunted her down, unaffected by her pleas as Koral was. He felt a vile stirring in his body and he slipped away from the forefront of his mind, burrowing deep into his subconscious and fleeing the new horror before him as the god forced himself on the woman.



Koral blinked at the noon light, the first real action he’d done all day. He didn’t know how long he’d been hiding from his own body, but it appeared that, for now, Lorric had left. He stood in the middle of nowhere, blood still covering his hands and a strange metallic tang coating his tongue.

The body of the woman lay crumpled at his feet, he barely noticed that her fine clothes were shredded. All he could see clearly was the hole in her throat. A large, bite-size piece of flesh just gone. Koral ran his tongue over sharp teeth, tasting the saltiness of blood.

Shaking, he stumbled a few steps before falling to his knees. He wanted to throw up, but his stomach was empty. Wanted to cry, but tears never came.

“Is this what a powerful god does, rape and murder?” he asked the sand beneath him.

The universe runs on death and sex, Vengeance, Lorric hissed in his mind. The emotions are just intensified when such things are forced. It sickened Koral to know he was being used by a god who was nothing more than a rapist and a murderer. It wasn’t my body that did those horrible things.

“You used me!” he screamed into the desert. “An innocent, you said it yourself.”

Innocent? Lorric laughed. Not anymore.

Bile rose in his throat. “Get out of my head! Leave me alone!”

It’s not that simple, Vengeance. You’ve been given to me. A gift, a gesture, a peace offering … call it what you will, but you’re still mine.

“Is this what you want from me?” Koral asked. “This total lack of respect for life?”

What I want from you, Vengeance, is passion. Many Rogues get it from raping and killing. But whatever stirs you the most will do, for now. Lorric paused as if to let the information sink in. You’re already both rapist and murderer, so don’t think stopping now will save your soul. As the angels will tell you, Rogues are the worst of the damned. Koral thought the god’s words would anger him, but he felt … nothing. Numb. Not even looking at claws sticky with blood could stir a single feeling.

“Vengeance.” The word felt soothing as it hissed through his teeth. “I am Vengeance!” he laughed, the noise sounding hysterical to his ears. He was Vengeance and he would live up to that name by making them pay. Shirain, Weinain, even Lorric. They would all suffer for what they’d done to him, for what they’d turned him into.

You’re welcome to try, Lorric hissed. Nothing can kill a god.

The god’s challenge only made Koral laugh harder. No. He wasn’t Koral anymore. Koral was an innocent young man, not a monster.

He was Vengeance.

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Your friendly, forum lurker.

Candrah

Wow Assassin this is a long post! I'm too tired to read it now so will leave feedback another time. I promise

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I leave feedback as a reader - feel free to take anything I say with a bucketful of salt.

stale911

Wow, that was ver good assassin. This is my first time reading yuor work so I don't know if you do this often but each time you go into diagloue/speech, you start a new line.
Other than that simple mistake-which bothered me very little-it was great. I can't wait for the next chapter to be posted.

Keep up the good work assassin, as I hope to see more of the Rogue King!

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"I'm here to kick ass and chew gum, and I'm out of gum!"- They Live.

assassin

Candrah: Lol, it's the whole of chapter one, all 5500 words of it. I consider the number a medium for my chapter sizes. Although chapter eighteen scares me, it's about 7100 words

Stale911: Thank you. After the length of time I've spent on it, I hope it was enjoyable. But I am confused, I always thought you were supposed to start a new line when you enter dialogue of someone who hasn't spoken before.

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Walkio

Yes, you are supposed to start dialogue on a new line, though some of the 'rules' are often blurry. If there's one person speaking, though his speech is interrupted by a thought or an action, I usually keep the whole thing in one paragraph where as some authors would separate it into three (the dialogue; the action; the dialogue). It's just to try and make it as easy to follow as possible so you don't have to put so-and-so said after everything.

However, for me you should probably start a new paragraph to divide up different characters. For instance - I don't like this quote:

Koral is speaking (we assume), though you've then got the woman's action after the dialogue, which may confuse some into thinking that it is the woman who was speaking. I'd have written it thus:

"I want to her you tell it."
The woman sighed fondly and sat on the edge of the bed.

All-in-all however, it was an interesting story assassin, well done.

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Make sure the steps you tread are left as footprints when you die.

zshadowfire

Assassin, I really liked what I read. Koral and his adventures were well defined. The time lapses were smooth, and this story has an interesting basis.

Some things I would like to bring up are:
The description of the characters needs more to them. I can't picture all the scenes clearly enough in my head. For instance, what does Koral/Vengence really look like? I know you gave us a brief idea. A biped lizard with teeth/fangs, amber eyes, and three fingers on his hands (thumbs?). Not completely sure what Weinain's overall form is. Lizard? Other? You described Shihain and the three he slew well enough that I could picture them.
My last observation: I'm curious how the fleeing woman flipped onto her back and scurried backwards up a dune (the picture in my mind is comical despite the seriousness of the sitaution).

I hope to see more of this story. It was enjoyable, and if you ever get it published, I for one would get a copy to see how the story develops.

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The wise sage states calmly: "In the end, all things work themselves out as this too shall pass."

Candrah

I like this. It caught my interest and kept me reading right to the end. Apart from a couple of missing words here and there which will show up during final editing, this is solidly written.

I do agree with zshadowfire about the character descriptions though. As Koral/Vengeance is the main character, I'd like to be able to picture him better. Right now I see him as a standard green lizard...

I like how your raptereons sound a bit like dragons And I'm curious to know what happens next. I would also consider buying this if you got it published. Good luck with it.

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I leave feedback as a reader - feel free to take anything I say with a bucketful of salt.

assassin

Walkio: Ah, yes. I must fix those. It's something I'm trying to get out of. Looks like I must go over a fourth time and fix the ones I've missed in the early chapters, eh?



Zshadowfire: Thanks , although the time starts to get further apart in the second chapter. No one wants to see
The next chapter also has a rather thorough description for Veng as well as a bit more towards Weinain. I'm trying my best to give an impression without saying 'by the way, he/she looks like a two-legged blahblahblah'
As a kid we used to play a game called spiderwalking which involved racing while crawling on your back. I don't know any other name for it, so I tried to describe that action as best I could.



Candrah: Believe me, after you read chapter two, you'll see he's not green, nor are all my raptereons draconic.
I do hope to get this published (if I could just finish the last chapter and al the edits).
There are words missing? Where?

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Your friendly, forum lurker.

assassin

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Your friendly, forum lurker.

assassin

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He circled the desert around the sea-side encampment for seven days, just one day short of a week. He killed any herders he came across, allowing only the terrified walfres to flee ahead of him to the rope-fenced pens beside the camp.

Vengeance.

He prowled closer to the tents at night. The coloured canvases were gaily lit, squares and triangles forming a patternless mosaic. Stands blending into the night, torches floated in the air, rimming the camp with their brilliance.

Something stirred out on the slope before him. The dark shape creeping along the sand was far too small to be an adult walfre. Even a newborn calf stood as high as Veng’s shoulders and this shape, be it animal or monster, would only reach his waist.

Vengeance … Veng? Yes, Veng. He watched the shape near, smiling as the name came to mind and found he liked it. Unsullied by Lorric’s serpent tongue, it felt more intimate.

“Koral?” Close up, the dark shape reformed into a shifted wolena, making the man look even more like the image of a wolf. Shifting was inherent in most of the planet’s sentient creatures with hybrids like himself being the exception. It was still a primitive magic that only let the user to transform into the base creature of their species, allowing heightened senses to be accessed.

“I’m Vengeance now, Weinain,” he growled. “And you’re as much to blame as Shirain by letting her do what she did to me.” The wolena’s shape blurred. Legs became thicker, more capable of holding the man upright. Torso widened as shoulders slid forward. The thick ruff that protected his neck lessened as grey hair sprouted. As always, the magic allowed for things that touched the skin, like clothes or jewellery, so Veng wasn’t faced with a naked man.

Weinain sighed, clouds forming round the black-tipped muzzle. Veng had noticed earlier that, while his breath misted in the cool of the night and he wore very little, he didn’t feel cold. “I wasn’t counting on her offering you so soon. If I’d had more time …”

“I don’t want to hear your excuses!” He lifted hands still covered in blood and grimaced when the wolena backed away, nose wrinkled. “If I could lay this blood on your soul, I would.”

“You’ve only been gone a week, what damage could he have inflicted?”

“Murder.” Veng’s eyes closed. He shuddered at the image of the broken woman. “Rape.”

“You can still redeem yourself.”

“I shouldn’t have to,” he snarled. Glaring at the shorter man, Veng saw pity in the golden eyes. His stomach twisted in on itself and he sunk to his knees. “I only wanted to be normal. But how can I? Reared by humans, controlled by a manic god … how am I supposed to escape him?”

“Only blood and flesh satisfies him,” Weinain said as he knelt. “Once offered, the only escape is death.” The wolena looked back towards the camp. “And I’ve heard even that is not enough.”

“What if I left the desert?”

“You can’t leave. No man can unless he has the correct papers.” He idly scratched the back of his furred neck, gaze unwavering from the camp. “From what I’ve heard, they have meticulous descriptions and pictures on them. They’re hard to use if you’re not the original owner and even harder to forge.”

Veng sighed. If he couldn’t leave, then what was the point in living? How could he do what the serpent god commanded for the rest of his life?

“There is one thing I can suggest,” Weinain offered. “Go north.”

“North? What’s north besides more desert?”

“Rogue Rise,” he replied. “It’s a sort of fortress full of those Lorric has twisted and used. Among that many men and their concentrated actions, he’s bound to lose track of the daily doings of one. It would be the closest you’ll get to a normal life.”

He frowned at the torches below for a long time. He didn’t really wish to live out amongst Rogues anymore than he wished to be one. But if it was the only way to be free of Lorric’s scrutiny, then so be it. “North it is.”




Veng had only been travelling north for twelve days when he came across a winged raptereon. He almost didn’t notice the man lying in the sand, the tan-coloured hide blending well with the surrounding desert. Massive, ribbed wings spread out either side of him as he stood. Eyes like tarnished gold glared at him, seemingly calculating his worth and seeing no threat.

“It seems that no one is immune to Lorric’s power,” the man grunted, amused at something. Acrid, green smoke trickled out his nostrils, more erupting from his mouth when he coughed. It hung in the stagnant air, only moving when the man waved it away. He smiled, seemingly unperturbed by the cloying fumes. “Sometimes, I wonder why the great god, Dek, gave us the ability to breathe fire.” Veng thought it strange that what was obviously a Rogue would speak of another god. Or maybe not, all the serpent gods were supposed to be related. Cousins and brothers. “Where are you headed?” he asked. “I’ll warn you now that this is my territory.”

“I’m for Rogue Rise,” Veng replied. Eyeing the wings, he wondered if he could ask one question. The man seemed tolerant enough. “If you have wings, why stay here? Why not fly over the wall? Surely, it’s more habitable.”

“I could,” the man agreed, his wings twitching as if they wanted to seek the sky. “If it wasn’t for the sentries and the fact that they’d kill me if I was discovered.” He shook his head, sunlight toying with jewels suspended from silver rings on his horns. “Pickings may be slimmer here, but it’s safer.” The man waved a scaled hand at him. “If you’re for Rogue Rise, then be gone. I may be old, but I can still hold my own in a fight.”

Veng frowned as he left, watching the winged raptereon take to the skies with a few flaps of his enormous wings. There was no doubt in his mind that, if he had wings, he’d try his best to leave this desolate place. He’d give anything for a chance to escape the desert.

“Who dares to summon the Great Lord?” a female voice boomed across the sand. Veng snapped his head round to find he faced another raptereon. Scaled and with a crest of black hair, she was definitely of the fire-breathing variety. Her hide was the bright red of fresh blood with a paler patch running under her neck, spreading down her chest and into the blue of her ragged top. Her eyes were dying coals of black shrinking to red. She glared at him and those eyes bore into his soul. “I know you possess a tongue,” she hissed. “Speak!”

“I am V-Koral,” he replied, only remembering at the last second to use his true name. It was not wise to trick the higher powers, and Veng was pretty sure he faced the devil Latesha.

“Why do you call me?” she snarled, pointed snout inching closer as if her teeth sought to snap his head off.

He knelt, the red-scaled woman just topping his head and only then because of her long neck. He hadn’t meant to summon anyone and wasn’t sure how he’d managed to call upon the Devil herself, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t use such a chance. “I - I desire wings, mistress,” he replied, trying to lower himself as he lifted his head. “If it pleases you.”

The Devil regarded him, eyes still drilling into his being. “Just wings?” she purred. “Nothing else? No pleas for immortality or a longer life?” Veng wished he’d asked for her to hide him from Lorric, but felt the price would be too high. “Well then, I guess I would have to ask for your shadow in return.”

“My shadow?” he echoed. It seemed a strange thing to ask for. But then, if he didn’t have a shadow, maybe he could fly over the wall without being detected. “Agreed.”

Latesha smiled, giving a brief nod before disappearing in a blaze of black fire and smoke.

Veng fell face-down onto the sand, pain searing through his veins and seeping into his bones. His shadow shimmered haze-like in the heat, briefly showing that wings were sprouting from his back. Then, like someone had brushed the sand clean, his detectable silhouette disappeared.

He lay there, panting and sweating in the desert heat. Twisting his head as the wind picked up, he stared at the black wings that hovered over him. Surprised to find he could feel the breeze that stirred the soft membrane between the finger-like bones.

Knowledge hit him and he laughed despite the agony in his skull. Not only could he fly away as he wished. As surely as if he’d been born with wings, Veng knew how to fly.




Up. Up. Up. Clouds were all around him and Veng flew higher still. He didn’t know the height of the walls that hemmed in the desert or that of any towers it may’ve had. All he knew was that he had to fly as high as he could so he wouldn’t be seen. If he was lucky, he’d be able to enter the kingdom of Predonia.

The clouds below him cleared and he saw the faint line of the wall below, but even more amazing than the granite boundary was the lake on the other side. Lake Mystic, the biggest body of fresh water on the mighty Zan continent. Its shape that of an over-simplified wing. Far east, Veng could just make out the darker green of the small forest that grew between the lake and the sea. A man could get lost in there, and maybe his poor fishing skills would be enough for him to live on.

His wings suddenly locked on their own, enabling him to do no more than glide. Terrified he would plummet to the ground, Veng barely felt the coldness that passed through his body.

Shadow wings? a voice hissed into his mind.

Get out of my head! he cried. I’m free of you!

“You will never be free of me, Vengeance,” Lorric growled. Veng winced as the serpent god’s words scratched his throat. “I own you and I think it’s time, my young Rogue, that you gained a proper reputation.”

What are you going to do? he asked. The god was strangely silent and his question went unanswered.

Down they went, spiralling closer and closer to the sentry tower below. Lorric roared and people came rushing out to stare. The wall glittered with their ruddy armour, interspersed with the brightness of steel from freshly-drawn weapons. He couldn’t be sure of the species from so high up, but was sure they’d be more raptereons. Predonia was their homeland, after all.

Someone below shouted. An order, although the words were no longer discernable by the time it had reached Veng’s ears. His heart pounded as he saw that arrows were whizzing through the sky towards him. Faced with the onslaught, Lorric paused in his descent. He hovered, the black wings making no sound nor disturbing the air they cut through.

The arrows halted their ascent as if they’d hit an unseen wall. Veng knew he wasn’t one of the many that were in tune with the world’s infinite magical wonders. It had to be the gods own power that Lorric used. As one, the wooden shafts gradually spun until they were aimed at those that had originally shot them.

Please, don’t, Veng begged.

Lorric laughed at the plea and, with an extravagant wave of his hand, let the arrows fly. They descended quickly and cries of pain invaded his ears.

Veng felt sick as they landed, only Lorric’s control over his body stopped him from emptying the contents of his stomach onto the brick floor to mingle with the blood already there. He’d never seen how much damage an arrow could do to a person. He’d seen the vicious barbs on the arrowtips when Lorric had halted their flight. Those barbs could’ve easily pierced armour or shield, but the men couldn’t have predicted that their own arrows would come back on them and so many arrows had buried themselves into the guards’ faces. The god hadn’t merely killed them, he’d slaughtered them.

“You’re weak, Vengeance,” Lorric sneered.

Veng’s flesh crawled as the god bent over to examine the bodies. None of the guards on the wall had been spared this horrible death but, worm-like, some still twitched. It wasn’t much, just the tip of a tail or a finger. The movement reminded Veng of fish out of water, struggling to survive even after their fate had been declared.

To feel remorse is not a weakness.

As in answer, his lips twisted into a smirk. The expression quickly fell away at the faint sound of footsteps. Lorric spun and flinched as an arrow lodged into his leg.

Veng screamed, for once glad the god had control. The pain was incredible, it seared his mind and dominated his thoughts until it was everything.

Lorric bent down and hauled the arrow out, the tip tearing a large hole in his leg. Through the pain, Veng was amazed when the wound began healing once the tip was clear.

The god didn’t wait for his healing to finish. He looked up to search for his attacker and found he was faced with a katess. It wasn’t the shorter muzzle or rounds ears that told him that. The man couldn’t be confused with any other species for one simple reason, only a katess could have striped fur in such vibrant orange and black.

The serpent god breathed so deep that his lungs ached with the strain and roared like Veng had never known he could. Starting low and rolling like thunder, it ended with the cutting note of something that wasn’t quite a hiss or a shriek, but a mingling of both. It impressed him and he wasn’t the target.

“You dare to attack Vengeance, the mightiest Rogue to ever live?” Lorric hissed as he advanced, limping on a leg that hadn’t quite healed.

The katess’ big ears fell back against his head as he aimed another arrow. Veng wished he could shout a warning, something that would tell the katess that he faced a god.

Veng gasped as the arrow hit him in the chest. Fire burrowed into his lung and flared each time he inhaled. He could feel the wooden shaft grating against bone as keenly as he sensed the god’s control over his body slipping away. Not knowing if Lorric would return or let him die, he used the moment to warn the man.

“Run,” Veng grunted, trying to keep his breathing shallow in an attempt to ease the pain. “He won’t be gone for long.” He groaned when the man didn’t move. “Go!” Veng’s chest screamed as he spoke, white lights flashing across his vision. He crumpled over, an arm extending to stop the arrow from driving even further in as he hit the stone. The fire poured from his lung to his shoulder, causing his arm to spasm.

The grey and white marbled bricks were the last thing Veng saw as he fell face-first and lost consciousness.

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Continued below

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assassin

Continued

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Veng lay on the mangy pelts that were his bed and stared blindly at the cavern ceiling. Lorric had found this place. At the back of the cave water flowed from somewhere underground, his own expertise in building allowing the life-giving liquid to trickle into a small pool. He hadn’t felt the need to leave here while there was still water; he’d already learnt how unmerciful the desert was and didn’t want to risk his life to the uncertainty of finding more. So he’d stayed here for three years.

Only a year of Lorric possessing his mind, but he’d learnt. Whether he wanted to know or not, he discovered just how vicious he could be. Another two years of solitude had gone by before Klara had entered his life. At first, the moss-green raptereon had just been another target to steal supplies from, but it turned out she was something different. A Roguess, a woman who wanted to be with Rogues and knew how to handle them. Now, three months later, she was still here.

“Is something wrong?” she asked, the pleasantly husky voice warming him. Klara could easily promise the world with a single word. “You’re not your usual attentive self.”

Along with ways to kill, Lorric had taught him how to rape. After the god had gone, Veng swore he’d never take a woman unless she wished it. Klara was the only woman he’d been with since, but the relationship they had just didn’t feel right. It seemed hollow, like they were only together for the sex.

“Well, aren’t we?”

He twitched at her voice, not realising he’d spoken. “I’m sorry.” The words were devoid of any regret that he may’ve hurt her feelings.

“Doesn’t matter.” She shrugged, a bare shoulder lifting free of the pelt that shielded them from the gnawing chill of the night. “All men eventually tire of the same woman.”

“You’re not mad?” he asked, surprised she’d take such knowledge so well.

“No.” A finger ran up his arm to draw invisible pictures on his shoulder. “One thing I must ask before I go.” She waited for him to nod before continuing. “What are you?”

“Excuse me?”

“Your blood is not pure,” she pointed out. “The gods declared no raptereon shall be taller than five and a half feet. I don’t know how tall you are, but you’re beyond that.” The hand that had been on his shoulder reached up to touch his jaw. “You have elongated canines while the other teeth are all the same size.” Fingers danced up to his cheek. “Amber eyes.” She leant back into the pelts. “You’re completely hairless with dusty-brown skin, three digits where there should be four.” Her hand waved towards his feet. “And two talons where there are usually three or four.”

The description chilled him more than the air ever could. It sounded as if she’d just described a trexen. With the humans tinkering and adding walfre, it could’ve been possible, but he doubted it. Trexens had been extinct for over a millennia. “You know humans made me. They put walfre blood in.”

“Walfre?” An eyebrow rose when he nodded and he could see the disbelief in her green-gold eyes. “If they can add walfre, what’s to say they can’t add trexen?”

“Because there still are walfres and trexens are dead?” He smiled. “You know our history better than I do.”

“Maybe not living trexens, but what of bones? Surely they could’ve taken this DNA you speak of from that.”

Veng was silent, he didn’t know if what she proposed was possible. He doubted it. What would be the point of bringing back one man out of a long-dead species and mixing it with walfre genetics? Even if he had dozens of children, the blood would be thinned by the mother. “No,” he said, shaking his head.

“If you say so.” Klara let the topic fall with a shrug and rolled towards their clothes. Amongst the material was a small pouch filled with dried ahoka flowers. It was that pouch which she grabbed and rolled back. “Here.” She removed one of the tan petals and placed it in his mouth as he tried to speak.

A haze slipped over his mind, cloaking the question he was going to ask. He was Vengeance, the mighty and invincible Rogue. No one was greater than him. Annoyance flooded him as he looked around the cave, seeing it for the hovel it was. He deserved far better than this. His might required a palace. A fortress.

“A place like Rogue Rise?” Klara purred.

He smiled. Yes, a place like Rogue Rise.




It rose out of the sand like a wart on the smooth surface of the desert’s skin. Outside, the red stone still retained its natural shape, with windows and a few balconies being the only exception. Rogue Rise was certainly no palace, but it was an excellent fortress. Centuries before Veng had been born, this mountain had kept the combined armies of two kingdoms at bay. Access had been more restricted back then than it was now, with the only way in and out being a small cave-like entrance that had since been widened. Water flowed deep in the stone monster’s belly, in pools of both hot and cold. All that was needed for those that lived here was food, an easy commodity to come by as caravans were frequent and never more than a week away.

The ease of life here made Veng wonder why he’d been avoiding the place. His mind free of doubts and emotions, what Klara planned for him to do didn’t seem all that difficult. March up to the entrance, declare his intentions to become their leader and fight any who objected. As the woman had pointed out, he was taller than everyone else and Lorric’s fighting techniques had always served him well.

Veng considered the entrance as he moved closer. The expanded width of the tunnel was capable of letting three average men to exit at once, possibly four men at a pinch. If anyone did object to him taking control, then he wasn’t going to have the luxury of fighting one-on-one skirmishes. His stomach fluttered at the idea and he found himself looking forward to a fight.

“People of Rogue Rise,” he began, loving how his voice carried so beautifully on the still air. Spots of colour appeared at windows and balconies as curiosity got the best of those inside. “I am Vengeance and I come before you to declare my status as your king.” More heads appeared in the windows. “If anyone objects, I’ll be more than happy to discuss my reasons.”

It didn’t take long for protesters to answer his challenge. Veng nearly laughed as the men appeared from the gloom of the tunnel before him. Out of all the dozens of inhabitants Rogue Rise supported, only five dared to defy him. Of those five, three were raptereon and one had the wings of a fire-breather. It was that man that spoke.

“In all the years Rogues have walked this great desert, no one has claimed the title of king and we are not about to fawn over the first man who thinks he can demand such a status.” Veng admired the copper-scaled man’s arrogance, but he couldn’t let the winged raptereon rant on. Apart from the fact it wouldn’t set a very ferocious image, the man was already starting to bore him and he was impatient for the brawling to begin.

Seeing that he’d have to start this fight himself, Veng drew his beltknife and casually threw it at the only wolena in the group. The blade struck its target, driving itself into the fawn chest right up to the bone handle. Fur darkened to the colour of mud as the wolena collapsed onto ground almost as golden as himself.

Veng’s impression about the winged raptereon proved to be right. The man spewed fire at him before the wolena had finished falling, the flames burning blue at their source. He hadn’t been expecting such heat and flung his shadow-given wings before him, shielding his body from the blast. Skin crackled as the flames hit, briefly showing the delicate webbing of veins. The smell of burning flesh gagged him, but even though he could see his wings’ bone structure, he strangely felt no pain.

Running out of air, the man stopped his fiery assault. Veng grinned when the others gasped as the wings began reforming, black skin unmarred as if the attack had never happened. Not much could harm a shadow, so why would shadow wings be affected?

Not wanting to let the opportunity to pass, Veng used their shock to rush forward and slam his claws into the fire-breathing raptereon’s throat. The man’s gurgling thrashing broke the stunned looks and, almost as a unit, the last three men attacked him.

The fight was brief and bloody, but it wasn’t only their blood that was spilt. Veng lost the last foot of his tail to one of the remaining raptereons while trying to stop the other from tearing his throat out and a katess from disembowelling him. It was a small sacrifice to make and the man screamed wonderfully once Veng was able to finally dispatch him.

“I knew you could do it,” Klara said as the silence fell over those he’d slain. He faced her, amazed at how alive her gold-green eyes were.

Now the threat to his life was over, his body reminded him of his injures. Scratches and punctures were all over his chest and stomach, but it was his tail that screamed at him. He groaned and wished he could rest where he stood, but showing a weakness now could prove fatal.

“You need healing,” Klara said, digging into her pouch and withdrawing more ahoka flowers. “It’ll take the pain away.” She all but prised open his jaws to force the dried petals into his mouth.

True to her words, the pain was washed away as soon as the petals had dissolved on his tongue. Invincibility returned to replaced awareness. He was Vengeance, he was unstoppable. And he had finally come home.




The chamber was deep in Rogue Rise and was cool even at midday. Veng didn’t want to think of how stifling the room would’ve been otherwise, not when he had to share it with a dozen people.

“The punishment isn’t severe enough,” Yardain said. At fifty-three, the green-skinned raptereon was the oldest among the Roguesses and her opinion carried more weight than any amount of Rogues. “I don’t even know why we’re discussing this, he killed a Roguess and that act demands his death.” In the fifteen years he’d lived in Rogue Rise, he’d normally agree with Yardain. The punishment of death kept the brutal loss of life to a minimum.

Before Veng stood the accused man and, like many of the men and women here, he was raptereon. His grey skin looked almost silver under the glow of the torches, contrary to the dullness of his black horns which captured the light and held it. “As I already said,” the man objected. “She tripped, before I could even touch her, and cracked her head on the wall.”

“Injures occurring during any interaction with Rogues are limited to minor cuts and bruises,” Yardain said, quoting the oldest law these people had. “Anything above that is to be punished.” The man’s violet eyes glowed as he glared at the old woman. Veng thought it just as well that the raptereon wasn’t a fire-breather despite his appearance.

“Accidents can happen, Yardain,” Veng said, the first word he’d spoken since this impromptu trial had started. He really did feel as if he should just give in to the old Roguesses wishes and let the man be killed. The world wouldn’t care if it had one less Rogue. “Every death isn’t the fault of someone else.”

“Then let’s call all the deaths ‘accidents’, shall we?” she snarled, baring yellow teeth at the man. “We’d make this place no better than out there.” Her hand waved towards the desert that lurked beyond the windowless walls.

The door opened, permitting entrance to a young woman Veng knew very well. The spotted katess had only recently joined the growing gang of Roguess and was an excellent thief, but five years ago she’d been passing through the desert with her father’s caravan. The merchant suffered a raid that went horrible wrong, Veng had later found the young girl, Laccindy, at the site and brought her here. She’d thrived under the care of the Roguesses as well as forming a strange bond with Veng. He doubted he’d ever know why she called him uncle, or even when it had begun.

“There’s a Rogue running round saying that he saw a contanihian Flyer sniffing about the human wreck.” Her words got the attention of everyone in the room. Contanihians rarely left their forest city, let alone use the ancient bird-like crafts that Veng was pretty sure were nothing more than spaceships. Their technology was strangely limited, but he wondered how many other artefacts they had been able to acquire after the fall of the empire two millennia ago.

While the news of strange crafts entering the desert was enough for some, Veng wondered what they could possibly want with human technology that no longer worked. It tweaked his curiosity too much and he decided that when this trial was over, he’d fly to the human craft and see what had occurred there.




Knowing for years where the wreckage lay, it still took him a week to fly to the spot. Now here, he looked down at the rusted steel of the human ship – the aerial view gave the craft a tubular look – and wondered why he’d come. He no longer felt like he could relate to the innocent boy that had lived there. Fate seemed to have chosen a different path for him. Veng was sure the humans were long dead, from old age, if nothing else. The idea that divine intervention drove him was sickening, but it seemed odd to have such an urge in his soul.

He landed and entered to discover the place a jumble of computers pieces and broken furniture, even the metal desks had been snapped in two. He pressed deeper into the main laboratory, surprised to discover the broken remains of two humans. The desert heat had already begun the decaying process and the features were no longer distinguishable. Of the other two humans, he found nothing, not even a scent of where they’d gone. He carefully backed away from the bodies, the stench of rotting flesh finally threatening his stomach. Somehow, it seemed fitting that all he remembered of his childhood would be in ruins.

Turning to leave, he spied the sharp flash of light glittering against something small, but his memory couldn’t remember anything overly shiny in that part of the ship.

He picked his way through the depressing rubble and found the flash was a diamond amulet hanging from the shattered remains of a lamp. Despite the common myth, Rogues knew what precious materials looked like; the lower caverns of the fortress overflowed with gemstones of every type imaginable and he’d learnt how to identify them.

The white gem had an inset of ruby carved in the shape of a roaring raptereon, but there was only one place where he’d ever seen such a creature with sabre-like teeth before and that was in a mirror. Inset into the rubies ‘eye’ was a small piece of amber, the same deep colour as his eyes. Already disturbed by the comparison, Veng turned the amulet over and felt a coldness run down his spine as he saw the word ‘Koral’ inscribed in the Thadra text. Someone had known he’d been here once before, someone important. It brought back memories of the humans before he’d fled. Memories of the pale-skinned, red-haired woman that had raised him.

Tying the amulet round his neck, Veng turned back to the pile of ruined computer pieces. He hoped that somewhere amongst the rubble was an explanation of what had happened here and why.

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Candrah

You sure like those loooooong chapters assassin...

I'll post feedback when I get a chance to read them properly. As for missing words. Those pesky critters hiding from you? I noticed one in the third sentence of chapter one. You have "points out the hundreds". Should have an of after points out. I noticed a couple further on and did take notes as I was reading but lost the slip of paper - darn it! If I notice any in the next posts, I'll let you know exactly where they are, I promise!

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Dragons are my first love: www.candragonart.com

I leave feedback as a reader - feel free to take anything I say with a bucketful of salt.

assassin