Cigarathe

Chapter 2

Arendyl removed herself from the dragon only a mere second before the crash. Once she hit the ground she began to tumble forward while hoping that the dragon also crashed somewhere nearby yet away from any civilizations.

Arendyl slowly began to regain focus after the landing and began to bring herself back onto her feet again. Once she was stable and steady again, she started trekking in the direction that the dragon was moving in before the crash.

"There's no way that it could've gone far. It was a rough landing, even for me."
Arendyl muttered to herself as she searched for the dragon and found nothing. Instead of finding a massive dragon, she found a large hole. She went to the edge and looked into it but found nothing but dirt and sand at the bottom. When she turned away from the hole she was faced with a tall blonde man holding Umoni captive with his dagger to her neck. Thanks to the man's magic, their daughter remained unharmed yet was held frozen in place a few inches above the ground.

"Who are you and why do you have my family?" Arendyl asked in a stern voice as she readied her bow and arrow, aiming it at the man.

"The name's Michael Vulpine, and I don't think you're in the position to question me. I'll ignore your idiocy and you'll answer my questions instead. Got it?" responded Michael with a honeyed tone. He didn't wait for Arendyl's response before speaking again "Good. First, where is Narcissa?"

Arendyl stared at him blankly for a moment before realizing that he was genuinely concerned for whoever that person was. "I have no idea who that even is. Describe them."
The blonde being exhaled, "A woman so pale that her skin appears white. She has horns as black as the night sky and hair just as dark that falls about halfway down her back. She has a bit of anger issues and an attitude problem. Ring a bell of any sort?"

"Nope. No bells are ringing."
Michael pressed his dagger deeper into Umoni's skin. "Bullshit."

"It's the truth! I swear!" yelled Arendyl and she took a few steps toward her wife and child. Michael took a few steps back in response.

"Not another movement from you, elvish brat. And please, put your weapons down. They're useless against me. Now stop lying and tell me where Narcissa is. I know you've taken her. I watched you do it."

"I didn't! I was busy trying to save a village! Even if I wanted to, I was too busy to take her! Now let my family go!" repeated Arendyl loudly while lowering her bow.

"She didn't take this woman that you seek." Umoni explains while trying to remain calm since the dagger was still pressed to her neck.

"You don't know that, you weren't there. Now please, do be quiet before I silence you permanently." Michael both snapped and cooed at the same time.

"This is true, but I do know my wife. She doesn't take captives. She hunts beasts, not people. The people are more my thing." responded Umoni softly.

Michael didn't believe the words coming from either elf's mouth. He didn't know them well enough to figure out if they were telling the truth, so he muttered a few words in a foreign language and gained the ability to dig through Arendyl and Umoni's mind. He left their child's mind alone since he knew the side effects of his actions would include living one's nightmares and worst fears. Despite his cruel nature he wouldn't make an innocent child, whose only crime was being oblivious, experience something as emotionally painful as that. Instead he made the young girl watch him pick through the memories and thoughts of her parents. Michael dug through their minds in search of Narcissa while they were forced to remain still and watch their fears and nightmares become reality to them. Their fears weren't something physical in the real world, but a personal illusion casted by Michael to match both elves and their lives. Instead of seeing the pale woman, he found evidence of other things. In Umoni's mind he saw a past filled with hatred, heartbreak and betrayal. He knew he shouldn't feel any remorse for her, but his black heart of hearts ached for the stranger and what someone like her had to endure. He watched every memory that she had. Some of them were good, but most of them were bad. Once every memory had flashed before Michael in the matter of a minute, he moved onto Arendyl's mind. She wasn't much better. He saw blood, death, destruction, and himself. The second he saw himself in her memories he released both her and Umoni's minds from his grasp. Both Cigarathe women returned to the sanctuary of reality with tears in their eyes and pure horror visible on their faces. Michael watched Arendyl as she fought to keep herself from having a breakdown right in the middle of the valley in front of him. He was too astounded by the blonde elvish woman to continue with his forced interrogation. He placed the young Aleratha back onto the lush grass as gently as he could. The child then ran into her mother Umoni's arms. Umoni was still unstable from what she saw as well, but put her own emotions on hold in order to comfort her scared daughter. Arendyl took a moment to collect herself before standing up and facing Michael. She wanted to rip every strand of golden hair out of his hair and then slit his throat like he threatened to do with Umoni, but she had questions of her own to ask.

"Now it's my turn for questioning. You're gonna answer my questions or you'll never get to this Narcissa because you'll be dead. Sounds peachy?" demands Arendyl as she drew her bow again and pointed it at one of Michael's eyes. His astonishment wore off in that moment and simply laughed at her.
"Again, your puny arrows won't even leave a scratch. Stop trying to threaten me with them. As for questioning, you could've just said please. I would have agreed to it." Michael whispered after pulling Arendyl close so nobody else would hear. He then pushed Arendyl away from him. "Ask away blondie."

"First, don't ever call me blondie. It's Arendyl or nothing. Second, what the hell are you?" Arendyl asked, refusing to even look away from Michael's ash grey eyes.

"Whatever you say blondie. And what am I? Well the short answer is Satan's favorite son and first ever demonic being to walk the earth, but I just say I'm a warlock to avoid persecution from the crazy christians.Why does it matter?" responded Michael.

"It matters because I sort of have a grudge against demons, but you had your chance to question me. Now who is Narcissa so important to you?" asked Arendyl

Michael smirked the slightest bit at the question and then spoke, "I had a feeling you would ask that. She's family, and someone who protected me when I was too dumb to protect myself. She's been by my side since the beginning. Is that the answer you were looking for Arendyl?"

"Not really" Arendyl began, "But I guess it works. I'm glad we can speak to one another with honesty. We'll help you look for Narcissa but if you try to threaten me or my family again then I'll make sure you don't reunite before death. Got it?"

"Uh huh. I doubt your wife and child would be assisting me." comments Michael.

"And why is that?" questions Arendyl.

"Because they aren't here."