Book 2 Season's Change Spring's Revenge

Part 3 Fear Of Anger*

A/N
The following part contains graphic and mature content. It is recommended for mature audiences ONLY.

This chapter may contain triggers. If you are triggered by sexual assault/rape please do not read this chapter. Just skip over it.

Please read with care. Seek Help if you need it.

Sexual assault is a crime. This chapter, and anything I have ever written or will ever write, is NOT intended to make light of that.

Shelly Keller

As Avriel looked over at Katana his own anger and hate flared and threatened to overwhelm him, but he was blinded by fear. It was a fear that ran so deep he did not know what to do about it. He was a warrior built and trained for combat, yet he was a prince trained and taught to always choose diplomacy first. He fought a small internal battle. Irrational as it was, his heart would lead him into battle. As logical as it was, his mind would choose survival. They would have very little chance of surviving if they initiated a battle. He felt anger, wild and white-hot, flowing through his veins. That was a very dangerous thing and could get them both killed. His knuckles turned white. He gripped the large stone he knelt on so tightly that the jagged edges of it cut into his skin in several places.

He fought to control his breathing. It could get too loud if it got out of control and away from him and they would be discovered. What would happen if they were captured? Would that nasty brute recognize Katana? Of course, he would. There could not be many if any other, Dark Faye females roaming around on the surface. What then would befall them? Would they kill him without mercy on the spot and take Katana captive again? Would that monster brutalize her, rape her, and torture her? If he did it would likely kill her. Most likely, she would kill him before he could. Under her fear Avriel felt a burning rage. Was that brute truly evil? Would he assume that they were lovers and make him watch to torture and humiliate them both? The vilest and most debase thoughts ran through Avriel's mind in the span of an instant. He felt the bile rise in his throat as he fought to keep his breakfast in his stomach and a primal scream from escaping his lips.

The moment he rested his hand on the hilts of his weapons, his dagger in one hand, his blade in the other, all emotion fled him. He was left with nothing but logic and reason. He was soothed and suddenly able to focus on the issues he needed to overcome to survive the encounter. He said a silent prayer to the Goddess. The fact was, he did not know what to expect from Katana or how she would react to seeing the man that had perpetrated such violence on her and the fear was controlling him. Would she freeze, would she attack prematurely, as he was prepared to do only moments ago before they had the opportunity to plan the battle? Would her anger and frustration win out over her intelligence and skill? He knew instinctively that Katana would not, could not, any more than he could. He felt the Goddess' presence in the air about him, helping him and guiding him gently yet firmly. He felt her calming power wash over and roll through him. He wanted to be angry as the hells. Her will contained his wild emotions. Without the Goddess' guidance, he didn't know how he would control himself.

He would be lost. It was one more thing to thank her for.

He could still feel that hatred fueling his rage but the burn was controlled. He had never felt so much hatred in his heart. How could he have so much malice and contempt for one being? Avriel hated the brigand so much he could not bring himself to think of that monster as being human. He had to be more than half of something else and less than human. Avriel did not understand his own mind. Was that his mind or was it his heart again? What was that brigand? He looked human. The brigand was the beast that had committed the ultimate personal crime against the woman Avriel had fallen in love with. Avriel wondered, was his hatred for that creature based in his heart or in his head. He could not know.

All he knew was the desire to end the creature's life, to just walk up to him, spit in his face, speak Katana's name and tell that piece of yak gut how vile, ugly and disgusting he was. He wanted to tell him that he was the lowest of the low and a coward, then right when the man's big moon of a face turned red, he wanted to run him through and watch as he came to the understanding that his life was at an end. He wanted to watch as the life drained out of his cold, already dead, blue eyes. Furthermore, Avriel wanted to twist his blade as it pierced the creature's body to inflict the maximum amount of pain, but then not push the blade in quite far enough to pierce his heart so the creature would suffer long and hard as death came for him.

Avriel didn't want to just kill the man. No. He wanted the fatherless son of a demon to know the pain he had caused Katana. Avriel wanted him to suffer. Maybe rather than killing him he would castrate him as they did the excess bulls back home to tame them, maybe then the brigand would not ever be able to rape anyone ever again. Although, he would not be able to if he were dead either.

Avriel closed his green eyes that had turned so brown they were nearly red, maybe that was his bloodlust rising to the surface. He growled a low quiet growl and once more found his way back to the light. He shook his head to clear it and released his grip on the hilts of his weapons. He felt like he was a horrible excuse for a human. He had never known or felt the need for vengeance. Never wanted retribution for anything. He watched that brigand, that big yellow-haired brute of a man and wished with all of his heart that he could just kill him right then and there.