Draxz stormed out of the castle.

How could he? In front of everyone? Not a single one noticing his poisonous words?

His blood boiled as he walked down the steps towards the stables.

“My Lord?” The stable hand asked, snapping to attention.

“Prepare my mount.” Draxz said pacing back and forth, his fists clenched.

Your best for the task. Your unique skills surpass all others.

Draxz replayed Goren and Rurak’s words over in his head, stoking the angry fire burning inside him while the stable hand brought forth his machikero fully saddled. With ease Draxz mounted the large beast and headed off into the city towards the colosseum.

The waxing moon was bright in the sky as he rode down the nearly empty streets. Drunks and others out to make mischief watched him going by, avoiding the fast-moving mount. The closer Draxz was to the arena the more populated the streets became, the arena entertaining late into the evening.

He reached the entrance and was met by ten pure blood guards.

“Lord Draxz, how may I be of service?” The captain asked, his fist still to his chest.

“Show me the gladiators.” Draxz leapt from his mount and handed his reins to a guard.

“This way my Lord.” He turned with two guards on either side entering the bowels of the arena.

“The games for tomorrow will be thrilling, as promised by Vesson. He has acquired a few unique creatures that will really get the crowd roaring. With the help of your legion a lycan was captured for the main event.” He paused seeing Draxz’s scowl. “Vesson wanted to put on a ‘Grand’ performance to celebrate the birth of the King Rurak’s heir. It was consented by Lord Goren of course. No disrespect Lord Draxz.” His eyes narrowed at the captain and his fist tightened.

“None of your soldiers were hurt. It was a simple trap and a small skirmish from the tale.” The captain looked away his pace quickening with the sight of Draxz’s gritting teeth. The guards on either side stared forward, faces a mask, trying to go un noticed. The captain coughed and cleared his throat.

“These cells hold our executions, nothing out of the ordinary here. Thieves, murderers, the usual. One Noble…if you consider the Black Pine clan as noble… caught with the daughter of a Mystic …” Draxz held up his hand, cutting the captain short.

“I care nothing of politics.”

“Yes, my lord.” Sounds of whimpering filled the silence and they came to another aisle of cells.

“These are human, half-bloods and a few half-bulls. Some bought as slaves for the games, others here for crimes. and the last row here is beasts of all sort. Even a few from a land recently discovered far from here…” The captain looked up to meet Draxz’s gaze with a smile. His one yellow eye looked from a large bear back to the captain. Seeing no spark of curiosity in Draxz he dropped his smile.

“Well, I assume you already know about that discovery then. But did you hear what they brought back? Capt’ Naza Stormroar said she lost four crew members to this fierce beauty.” The cell was dark, but Draxz could see two thin white eyes.

“Torch.” The captain said and the guard stepped forward filling the dark space with light. Draxz watched the creature’s eyes flash from white to green as the light hit them. Its skin flowed from green to brown and looked like the texture of bark and plant. Its face had feminine features that resembled long jagged leaves that started as yellow and ended green. It moved like wind was gently brushing past its body, but no wind was present. It walked up to the bars with an erotic, hypnotic walk. Its hips teasing from side to side. It stopped, not touching the bars and raised its hand high, in line with Draxz’s face and its mouth moved slightly. He felt a soft hand by his scarred white eye and a gentle caress as a slight whisper passed by his ears. It soothed him, but the words were gone from his head before they could register. It was a sound of leaves flowing gently in the wind and the trickle of a small stream down a rock. Draxz stepped forward his head going closer. The words could just be heard, if only he could just get closer to hear them. His mind flashed of a calm forest with butterflies dancing above a stony creek, filled with trout darting from rock to rock. Pink flower petals fell from a nearby tree and landed on his nose, breathing deep he could smell the sweet nectar of the flower. He blinked and he realized he could see with both eyes, not just one. He smiled and watched a doe and its faun take and apple from a low tree.

Surenti

The whisper from the leaves circled him. She appeared from a thick old tree to his left, her brown bark skin separating, revealing green, tender skin. Her body shifted as she stepped clear of the bark while her chest began to form a chest plate. Twisted, dark brown wood accentuated breasts and flowed down her sides to a thin waist and wide hips. Her bare feet walked over sticks and dry leaves but made no sound. Green vines sprouted and hid what Draxz suddenly wanted to see. She stepped closer and small flowers sprouted from her vines filling his nostrils with intoxicating beauty.

Surenti

The wind whispered again and her green eyes fed on his body, pouring out the feeling of lust for him. He began to raise his hand, he needed to feel her skin, to hold her close and feel warmth against his chest. He gazed into her eyes knowing he could stare into them until he died, a proud and happy bull. She reached out her hand, their fingers so close to touching. His breath quickened, his heart racing, he needed to feel her hands with his. He wanted to worship her and her beauty till he could draw breath no more. He felt the sharp thorns from a vine snake its way from his ankle to his thigh, but the pain didn’t matter, only her smile and green eyes mattered. Their fingers were split by a dancing butterfly which landed on a flower on her middle finger, slowly flapping its wings. The sharp thorns he felt became a dull pain in the back of his mind as they wrapped around his waist and chest. His breath became labored but he ignored the sharp collar forming around his neck.

Serenity

Draxz felt the lips as it whispered in his ear, its soothing voice covering him with a warm blanket. His vision began to fade and the forest began to melt away from the seductive female. He knew he was about to take his last breath and the green eyes he stared deep into wordlessly encouraged him.

A sharp pain in his side made the creature shatter into a thousand green, yellow and brown butterflies, they tried to reform but another sharp pain in the same place made them fall to the ground as dead autumn leaves.

“LORD!” Draxz blinked his eyes rapidly coming out of his dream state. The creature in front of him stepped back and made a sound that resembled a laughter. Its hands went from a gentle looking hand to a sharp tipped wooded point. Crouching low its flowing hair pinned tight to its body and the silky green body shimmered and twisted growing dark and looking like bark. Vines wrapped around its limps and large sharp thorns grew from flower buds. A small dagger looking object formed in its hand and its tip formed white as bone. The creature stepped into the shadow and its eyes went from green to solid black, vanishing into the dark corner. Whispers bounced off the walls and fell silent. Draxz looked and saw one of the guards on the ground holding a stick in his gut. Vines quickly flowed from the stick and into the wound, the other guard tried removing the weapon, but as he pulled it sunk in deeper. Draxz looked down to his side, a cut from the guard’s horns bled slightly.

“Lord Draxz, my apologies, I didn’t know…” Draxz held his hand up, silencing the captain. The guard was dying slowly, but his eyes were distant.

“How did this happen?” Draxz said, still studying the dying guard.

“You were standing there for a few seconds staring at the creature, then he stepped forward and the creature stabbed him with that hidden weapon. He fell to the ground dying.”

“How did the others die?” Draxz said looking back into the shadows.

“They all stopped breathing, reaching for the cage it was kept in.”

“How was this creature captured?” Draxz asked stepping back from the bars. The captain shrugged and looked back down to his now dead guard.

“I could ask Capt’ Naza. From the stories, she was the one who put it in a cage.”

Draxz’s mind buzzed with the dream and the memory was still fresh, aching for him to return. He looked from the dead guard back to the shadows and saw green eyes flash from the darkness.

Surenti

The whisper brushed against his ear and the shuffling of leaves flowed from the darkness, but Draxz knew it to be laughter. He grinned back; his anger intertwined with curiosity.

“When does this thing enter the arena?”

“It’s the grand finale, with the wolf.” Draxz nodded, he came here to spill blood to sooth his nerves, but the creature shattered the bulk of his anger. His feelings were confused and mixed up making him uncertain of how he should be feeling. His anger, drifting away, he looked back to the captain.

“Take me to the Lycan.”

~

They walked through the dimly lit cells and he noticed a few things that lived under the mountain chained to the walls.

“It has been some time since I last saw a goblin.” Draxz said passing a few cells filled with gray skinned creatures.

“They have been coming closer to the mines these days. Their hordes are growing in number, but their numbers mean nothing in the narrow tunnels that lead to them. Mostly Half-breeds are stationed there to keep them back, but since the knowledge of an heir, they have been captured to entertain.” The captain shrugged to one.

“No match for a half-breed but plenty for a human, so why not get the crowd going with some light blood spilling. Not as entertaining, but still fun to bet on from time to time.”

At last, they reached the Lycan, chained to a contraption of wood.

“Lykos wolf.” Draxz said looking at its dark brown, almost black matted fur. “Has it spoken?”

“They speak?”

“Some, but rarely, and only a little.” Draxz said. “Well, do you?” Draxz stared at the creature. It growled back in response, but with no words.

“Leave us.” Draxz said to the captain. He nodded and left the room, closing the door behind him. After making sure he was alone he walked closer to the beast, not fearing its sharp teeth.

“Did you know Aύok has left Lykos to starve in the wasteland by himself? He has found greener fields to hunt. Lykos will continue to eat dirt and worms while Aύok and his wolves will gorge on human blood, and his horde will swell in size to finally destroy you.” Draxz’s yellow eye watched the creature closely, but if it understood, it didn’t react.

“I just thought you would like to know before you died tomorrow, that you will be the first of a wave of death that will come crashing through your clan. I have seen Aύok’s wolves feasting on humans, filling their empty stomachs, growing fat on all the meat. I saw it just two nights ago.” Draxz watched again and this time the mindless beast seemed to recognize his words.

“I wonder if Lykos has been keeping this knowledge from you? Perhaps he doesn’t care about his horde after all. He lets you starve while he feasts with his brother.” The lycan let out a low growl, but words would not form.

“Ah, I guess it’s too late for you to tell me if you knew about this. Die tomorrow knowing, you were forsaken.” Draxz stepped back from the mindless beast and shook his head.

There is more of Goren in me then I would like to admit.

Draxz opened the door and looked back, his words may not have registered but the verbal attack made him feel better. He still wanted to spill blood, only that would satisfy his rage.