Warrior's Heart

5

It had been a week since the Princess Xandria had been taken and Drakus was beginning to fear for his General's sanity.

Jasmina no longer smiled, she no longer laughed and joked with the men. She was cold and detached to the point that she scared the men. Her gray eyes had once twinkled with hidden smiles but now they were cold and dead. To be honest just looking at Jasmina was enough to give Drakus shivers.

The confrontation between the King and Jasmina had been an epic event. Jasmina had all but castrated him physically when she was done for hiding so large an issue as the stalker of her Consort. Jasmina had been livid and she still was.

The King had, for once, admitted that he had been wrong and was genuinely contrite. But that was not enough to appease Jasmina's temper. She had yelled, screamed, threatened, and seemed completely deranged as she ranted of how had she known of this matter she may have been better prepared.

The entire court had stood amazed alongside most of Jasmina's army that had been recalled with a skeleton crew to maintain the line until the return of the army. The King had sputtered, completely stunned at the General's full force frontal attack and the Queen had fainted as soon as she heard that the princess had been kidnapped by a stalker that had been a traitor in the military. The King had neither noticed nor seemed to care as the Queen's ladies fluttered over her uselessly, twittering about smelling salts and a cot.

After she had stunned the court and royal couple to complete silence the great General Blackblade had then declared open war on anyone who was hiding or had assisted in the kidnapping of her Consort. That she openly admitted to wedding the princess without ceremony was more than enough to start murmurs of dissent but they were silenced yet again by her next words. Even now they sent chills down Drakus's spine just to remember the words.

"Hear me now," Jasmina had stood tall and menacingly proud in her black armor. Icy eyes had born holes into everyone. "I swear to you, should I find that anyone knew of this disgraceful act, this travesty or aided in any way I will rain down fire upon your heads and smile as you burn. My full fury has not been released in years and now it does not smolder quietly.

I am a fiery Dragon wreathed in the flames of hellfire waiting to see who will shed their blood on my claws, whose hearts will stop as I spread my wings wide in fury, who will quake in terror as I open my maw and who will shriek as they fall upon my jagged teeth as sharp as daggers. They will hear me coming, coasting on the wind, and will tremble as I roar. As I land they will shout in fear as the earth shakes with my landing and will have blood run from their ears to hear my scream of vengeance. I will rend them from limb to limb, tossing them up as my playthings, delighting in their screams of agony. Blood will run in a mighty river before I am done and the skies will blacken from the smoke of my fire. The very air will resonate with my roar of fury and my revenge. The carnage will be feasted upon by the scavengers of the wilds and they will thank me for their spoils.

Take refuge, those of you who be innocent. Dig your holes deep and well, for I will raise the ground up, upturn every stone and boulder, uproot every tree until I find my Consort. Be wary and be warned for I will show no quarter and no mercy for only my Dove can tame me.

You have one month to return my Consort, Xandria of the Royal House, to me before I begin my search and my vengeance. You are to bring her to my encampment unmarred and whole, should one single hair be missing from her head I will remove a limb from those who have harmed her. Should she be brought to me bruised and hurt you will forfeit your life. One month, thirty days starting today."

Drakus had been at a loss as to how he should handle the situation and, most of all, try to comfort his prized pupil. Not only that but he was still coping with the fear the General had instilled in him by her speech. That he still drew breath, having been tasked with the princess's safety, was a miracle. In the aftermath of all the bustle and confusion Jasmina had looked at Drakus and had tonelessly thanked him for trying to defend her Consort and that she did not hold him in account as it was clear he had been overwhelmed. Her eyes had been hard and dead. In that moment Drakus had nearly soiled himself, so great was his fear.