The Cleansing (Book One: The Folara Chronicles)

078: Jerrika

There was movement on the other side of the rough stone wall and both Foemen tried to sit up, reaching for swords they didn't have. A shadow appeared, and Rion, who could barely see, flailed a hand, as if to ward it off.

"Look what we have here." A derogatory female voice sneered.

Crevan pushed himself up against the wall. "Who are you?"

"You don't recognize me? I sure as hell recognize you!" The tip of a sword was thrust under his chin as the woman advanced. "Quarso."

He didn't recognize her, but stopped moving as the tip of her sword met the skin of his throat. "Yes. We were Quarso. But as you can see, we have been left behind. Our quarrel is with Quildor, not you."

"Perhaps your quarrel is with Quildor, Foeman. But I have a quarrel with you personally." Her eyes were deadly.

Crevan wracked his brain to remember her. "You're the little Princess that escaped. Nimiane freed you and you went back inside the mountain."

A slight smile crept onto the woman's face, and the tip of the sword carved a nick in Crevan's skin. Crevan immediately slathered the remainder of the dust from his fingers onto the cut and then shoved his fingers into his mouth. He forced himself to stand. "Who is your friend?" 

Rion rolled away, but a booted foot stopped his progress, and he couldn't rise, let alone fight. His body felt like it was healing at an accelerated pace, but he didn't have the strength or the ability to transform.

The booted foot rose and stopped any further rolling by stepping on Rion's side and arm. His tormentor pushed him, rocking back and forth against the hard earth and pebbles. Rion bit his lips to keep from yelling. "I am Korlon Valdemar. This is the man who kidnapped Kara."

The Princess left Crevan, and knelt next to Rion, pulling her dagger and digging it just below his ear. "Where is my sister?"

Korlon rushed to change her assumption. "I left Kara here to help Nimiane and that's when I found you, Jerrika." 

"I know." She hissed giving him one meaningful stare. "But if he is here and she is not, he will know where she is. What did you do to her? Did she fight you, Foeman? Did she leave you this way to die?"

Rion choked on blood. "Quildor did this to me, not Kara." 

Crevan inched his way to a better position, finding a larger stone he could use to incapacitate one of the armed people. "Quildor tried to kill me." Crevan said by way of distraction, watching for any sign of weakness in Jerrika's stance.

She sneered. "You were the Captain of his Quarso. You think I believe that he tried to kill you?"

"Quildor is known for his ruthless control over people, including his Quarso." He inched forward ready to throw the rock at one of them.

"Really? I hadn't heard that myself. He didn't seem to be forcing you to knock me out and drag me to Auditorium."

Crevan scoffed at her. "You were never thrown in Auditorium, Princess."

"Let's get this straight, I am not the Princess." Then she twisted the dagger into Rion's already torn ear. "I can keep pushing this right through your brain, Foeman. Tell me what I want to know. Where is Kara?"

"Ask your boyfriend, girl." Rion forced past gritty teeth. "The last time I saw her she was with him." It was a straight lie, but served his purpose. He then forced the image of Korlon taking Kara with her throat slashed clear from ear to ear into both of their open minds. Jerrika immediately pressed her hand into her head to still the forceful projection.