Codex Mortem

An oath's call

Jayce

With every beat of my heart the pain felt like a sharp knife, cutting and twisting in my palm. Sitting on the river's bank and bended by the awful stinging, I watched her.
Her head was resting on the thick tree bark, her eyes closed. I dip my hand into the cold water of the Dubh, hoping to calm the burning. Her body jerked. I listened. Still asleep.
Long, knotty tresses of auburn hair  escaped her bun as her head slowly fell on a side, covering the white skin of her neck. Her tied hands behind her back made her lean in a slightly unnatural position, but even in her sleep she kept her body stiff, like she was preparing herself for something.
An eye for an eye, a daughter for a daughter, I repeat to myself. He will suffer like I suffered.
Since I told her how I killed her husband, the look in those big brown eyes changed. They've lost their glimmer, that stupid little hope. They turned dull, empty and boring.
At least she learned there is no escape from me and no one will come for her. Except her father, I hoped. And I was looking forward to see him again.
It's been nearly two fortnights since I took her, set on one thing only.
The thirst for revenge ached, like thorns deep under the skin and into the flesh, burning.
She didn't deserved this, but that didn't stoped me. I didn't care. She was my slave now and that was it.
I removed my arm from the water and rose, taking a few steps to the northeast, towards the Stone of Sin.
It was like something was pulling me in that way, and, walking more, the fierce sting was slowly releasing.
Today was the second harvest, the day of the sacrifices. My warriors will be there. My King will be there. And, by the Moon's grace, my Prince will be there.
A wave of emotions washed over. It's been years since I last saw them. That day, the day of my exile, was one of the hardest in my life. Not because of the punishments I gladly accepted as part of my plan, but because of the looks on my brothers in arms. The disappointments. For the unspoken good bye.
I tightened my fist. Whatever this force was, I couldn't resist it.
.....

With every step, the pull was more powerful. From atop the hill, my view was clear. The damp air was filled with heavy smells. Blood. Fear. Death.
Perking my nose up, I caught the scent of something strange. Something I've encountered recently, but failed to remember. I squeezed my eyes and watched. I was right, the king was there. So did Rhys, the prince. My eyes travelled more, taking in the crowd.
My lips tightened. Liam was now the First Aga. Not the best choice I would say, and not my choice. I spit to the ground at my foot and licked my lower lip. Then I saw her.
My heart skipped a beat as a new flash of pain stabbed into my palm, where the angry knife slash was.
She was the cause of this, the slave is pulling me to her, I was sure of that.
I watched how she slowly touched her hair, nearly in a casual motion. Then, her hand went to her mouth. Dawner, I ached to shout, knowing very well what she was doing. Too late. The prisoner put her arms on the slave's shoulders and their mouths meet.
In that moment, the warriors closed in, cutting them from my view.
My feet broke into a run, descending into the Stone valley. As the King lashed towards the slave, a voice reverberated through my mind loud and clear: SAVE HER!

.....

Caleb, King of Nix

"Are you sure?"
"Yes Lord," the filthy human confirmed. "The blonde, she's the one. Last I saw her, she was dead." He scratched his crotch and pointed his finger towards the slave, all through he couldn't see her from so far. "She's an eye catcher, like I told you, isn't she?"
"Looks pretty much alive to me," I remarked, with my eyes fixed on the outstanding beautiful slave.
"And the other one, my King, she's the mother. Remember I told you about?" Ciaran added.
Interesting, I thought. But she was useless to me. I had something better.
I switched my gaze to the slave. I couldn't take her now, not with all the wolves around.
My cold body was weak during the day, but my vampiric senses were unaltered, actually they felt amplified now. I had to be very cautious, a vampire in the daylight was weak and feeble as a human, exposed to many dangers. But I am not a regular nightwalker, I am the first of them, their King. The light had some effect on my strength, but I thanked the Tarr for the cloudy, darkened sky. Still. I had to wait. To find the best opportunity.
Ciaran, opened his mouth to say something more, only to be dismissed by my palm up in the air.
"Remove him from my presence." Two of my vampires followed my command.

I stood there, watching her for a long time. With each grain of sand that fell, my demonic senses grew more restless. I could see the emotions her eyes held, I could even see her lips moving when she talked to one of the mutts.
Ignoring the fuss of the diraeans, all my attention was on her. When Raiden killed one of his alphas, Rhys, that cocky dog, took her away. It seemed they protected the little slave. Why? The thought of their smell on her made my cold blood boil. Anger begun to stir inside, spreading like a disease.
I wanted her. Even if they spoiled her, I wanted her.
And I will take her.

.....

Jayce

I watched how Raiden, our king, ended the alpha's life in a blink. With every step, with every breath, he demanded respect. I could sense his raw, primal power hitting me in wave after wave, hard to resist to it. My head lowered.
Not after long, a carriage was pulled and the wolves surrounded it.
I couldn't see the face of the prisoner, but her smell was something I would recognise from a thousand lowers.
I was astonished. The women I've been tracking dawn in the last years, the woman Illre wanted to find so badly was kneeled at the Stone.
I spat in disgust. Illre. I will make him suffer in the most unthinkable way. That filthy dawner will beg, like my beloved once begged. And I will show him no mercy, like he has shown her.
My fists clenched and unclenched, my  beast's deadly venom built on the tips of my canines. I spat again. All in its own time.
The blonde slave brought her hand slowly to her hair. Dumbfounded, I watched how she touched her lips with the same hand, then the dawner kissed her, dropping dead.
In that moment, the pain that dragged me here turned into an agony, kicking my feet into a hell of a run.
My vision darkened, my body was on fire. I ran.
All I could see in front of my eyes was Raiden's fangs dripping death towards her neck.
He dashed.
I dashed.

.....