Eulia And The Butterfly Dragon

Chapter 30 The Long Wait

Jacob, David and Jeremy had been been flown in from from Dexter. They all sat at the long table in the annex. Agnes, Becky and Mandy sat with group. Several of the butterfly dragons were perched on the windows and counters. Theodora, Jolene Tiger, Adrianna and Elodia were also present. Other dragon rider had been in and out to offer support to the grieving family.

"Pip told me Mari is still unconscious," Teddie said, "she will recover and has come around briefly, just long enough to complain of a headache."

"She was shot in the head," Phoebe said, "but the bullet failed to penetrate her head. I found Euly's pendant along with her pistols and boot derringer. They were under her flight jacket."

"That is why we can't see her," Elodia whispered. "Why didn't she have on her pendant?"

"She thought she was safe at home with her dragon," Phoebe said. "Pinkey is missing too. I'm hoping Pinkey is with her."

"Once Mari is up and about she will know where Euly is," Jo said.

"It's been almost five days," Jacob said. "We all know who is behind this."

"But we have no idea where she has been taken," David said, "all of you are in great danger too so keep you guard up."

"What can I do?" Jacob said despairingly. Phoebe got up to stand behind him and put her arms around his neck and her head next to his.

"For now big brother we wait," she whispered. "Then we'll rein total destruction on those bastards."

Eulia was roughly pulled from the wagon once they reached Somerset Village. Her feet were untied but her gag and wrist bindings were left in place. A coarse blanket was thrown over her and she was walked to a waiting ship in Somersetport. Once aboard she was locked in the hold and within hours they were away. Pinkey remained perched high in the riggings cloaked. Eulia's head still hurt but left alone she managed to remove the gag and began working on her bindings with her teeth but found them to tight to make any headway. She was shocked to see Pinkey suddenly appear in the hold with her. Pinkey chirruped and pressed her face against her. "I'm scarred to baby," Eulia whispered. "Do the others know where we are?"

The little dragon indicated "no," then added "I'll get them once we know where they are taking you."

They had left the heavy blanket with her so Eulia wrapped herself and tried to sleep. Pinkey curled up at her side. The ship entered the island harbor about three days later. A rope was tied to Eulia's neck after her wrist bindings were loosed and she was lead like a captive animal off the boat. Above the harbor she saw a large walled city. The city walls were whitewashed as were the homes and buildings of the little city. Many of the homes had brightly painted doors and window boxes with colorful flowers. Eulia steeled herself for the ordeal she knew would come. John saluted his compatriots each of then openly displaying the identifying tattoo on their palms. A crowd of curious towns folk began to gather as word of the ship's arrival and its cargo, a dragon rider, spread threw the city. Eulia stood with her back ramrod straight, her chin up and a haughty expression on her face as uniformed guards made ready to march her through the city and citadel.

"The little hellcat doesn't appear at all humbled," one of the guards remarked.

"I'll fix that," John said. He then took a large knife from his belt and he and Hugh cut her clothes from her then laughed at her discomfort. The drum beat started and the slow walk through the city began. Blushing a deep red Eulia did her best to retain her dignity as she was paraded through the city. She had her right arm and left hand strategically positioned to achieve a semblance of modesty. The sky over the city darkened as a heavy rain storm approached. The streets were narrow and covered with rough cobblestones. A narrow cessditch ran down the center of the street draining the city's sewage to the harbor. The city was filled with excited crowds that jeered and taunted her. The noise was deafening, but the mixture of smells worse. The harbor smelled of accumulated sewage as did the cessditch which she avoided in spite of her captors efforts to pull her in into the narrow ditch. They passed a slaughter house. The street was stained with dried blood and animal fat and Eulia did her best to avoid this too. The smells of the slaughter house and the heavy scent of the sweating unwashed crowds and the mix of heavy perfumes assaulted her senses. Then a new scent became stronger as they approached the city square, a charnal smell that sickened and terrified Eulia. Arranged in the city square were several large wheels. Nailed to the wheels were several condemned prisoners all of them dead or near dead or in various stages of decay. Some were simply nailed to the wheel, others had limbs broke and weaved through the spokes of the wheel. All of them, male and female were naked. Their horrendous death and humiliation a spectacle of amusement. Eulia's body shuttered visibly as they paused near the upright wheels, then drawing her ever closer to a wheel lying flat on the street. She completely lost her composure as she struggled against the rope tied to her neck seizing it with both hands in attempt to halt her progress. Abandoning any pretext or attempt at modesty.

Her teeth were chattering in mortal terror as tears flowed from tightly closed eyes. The storm broke sending a cascade of cold rain causing the cessditches to swell. Four men seized her by her wrists and ankles lifting her carrying to a large wheel on the ground as she shrieked. "Please, please ... NO-O-O-O! NO-O-O-O-O!" she sobbed trying to wrestle her hand and feet from the brutes who held her. A large man with long iron spikes in his large meaty hand and a heavy mallet stood menacing and laughing at her. She was dropped hard to cobble stones. In her terror she realize she had lost the contents of her bladder and felt mortified. Her captors laughed and pulled her rope until she regained her feet as the procession continued toward the citadel.

"Not today slut. That was just practice. Your day will come sooner than you realize," Hugh taunted, "you can spread your legs for us and we will be there to enjoy the festivities. We all expect to get a turn with you." Eulia was no longer aware of the scattering crowd, the pelting of the cold rain drops that totally drenched her. No longer trying to avoid the now racing brown sludge in the ditch, she simply trudged forward unaware. The tears had stopped but the heaving tremors continued. In her mind she had retreated to her farm, Jacob held her and friends stood buy. She could feel the wind in her hair as she sored high among the clouds on her dragon. In despair she realized no one would come in time to save her. Pinkey flew overhead watching and waiting. Then as she entered the tower room the butterfly dragon departed.