Vuroth's Tear: Even the Gods Cry

Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Donovan headed downstairs to check on Analda, he hadn't heard a peep from her since Aven and Verik left. Usually, when they were gone, she would come sit and talk to Donovan until they returned. He was curious what may have stopped her from wanting to talk. He was worried that seeing him as drunk as he had been the night before might have been the cause. He decided that if it were the reason, he would open up to her, tell her why this time of year was always so hard for him and why he drank so much when it came around.

He reached the bottom of the stairs and as he turned the corner, a massive fist hit him on the cheek and knocked him to the floor, dazed. He looked up, holding his jaw and saw Kudro standing over him with a twisted grin. Donovan looked behind the giant of a man and saw his brother holding Analda with a knife to her throat, a thin line of blood colored the flesh of her neck.

He tried to get up but Kudro hit him again, knocking him back down. The follow through of his punch made Donovan's head slam into the floor and daze him again. He felt the pressure of a large knee crushing his chest as Kudro leaned close to his face and grabbed Donovan by the hair.

"Where's your friend?" His tone was calm, followed swiftly by knuckles connecting with Donovan's face. Kudro slammed his head against the floor, "I'll ask you again, where is he?"

Donovan laughed, "I see your brother's finally back on his feet, huh? How about another taste of Burning blood, big boy?" Another fist against his cheek stopped the laughter but the grin quickly returned.

"I'm only asking you one more time, you really should answer me," Kudro looked over at his brother and Analda, "She's a beautiful woman, isn't she? I'm sure my brother thinks so."

"You touch her and you both die very slowly," Donovan struggled with his words, his jaw was broken, and he could feel his eye already beginning to swell shut, "I promise you, when this is done, you will both be dead." He spit bloody saliva, hitting Kudro on the neck.

Kudro wiped the spit with his fingers and smeared it on Donovan's broken face, "If you won't tell me, I'll just have to give my brother permission to have his way with your little friend, and I assure you," He squeezed Donovan's broken jaw, "he isn't as gentle as I am."

"I don't know where they went!" He shouted and coughed from the pressure of the knee crushing his chest.

Rosen's arm tightened around Analda's chest, she struggled and winced when the knife cut her again, "Brother, I think he needs a little more motivation, what do you think?"

Kudro looked down at Donovan, heard the wheeze of each breath under his weight. He sighed, "I think you may be right. Okay, have your fun."

Rosen threw Analda to the floor behind the desk and laughed when she began screaming, "I knew you were a fighter. This is gonna be fun!"

Donovan fought and shouted for him to stop but another strike to his head silenced him. All Donovan could see was her face. The desk blocked his view of anything else and her screams stopped when she made eye contact with him. His heart broke when he noticed tears rolling from her eyes, but she wouldn't look away from him. The look wasn't of anger towards him, she didn't blame him for what was about to happen.

Donovan struggled again to push Kudro off his chest, he felt the agony of Kudro's dagger as it was slammed into his shoulder and twisted, "this can all end if you tell me what I want to know."

Donovan thought of Aven, he tried to fight through the pain, push it aside like Aven always could, just ignore it until it could be treated. He silently cursed to himself, if he had worn his daggers like Aven always told him to do, maybe they could help him right now. How many times had Aven told him to always be armed? He had been warned of a situation like this, why didn't he listen?