Chapter 5

A Chapter by RedMistress

The door to the main hall flew open leaving a clear path for an average looking man, which obviously thought he was much more powerful than reality would have approved, to enter. Everything about him, from his short height, chestnut brown hair that fell almost lifeless around his face, to the dull green eyes that looked like stale water, and his weasel looking stare, said that you barely notice him in a crowd of ten. His chest was puffed, his chin held high and his step was full of an unjustified arrogance as he moved further into the room.

- Lord Dolany, Manicket said from the other side of the room but made no effort to rise from the table he was currently occupying. Instead he thoroughly assessed his guest, the smile on his face so tormented it looked closer to a grimace.

A few people were scattered around the large room, most of them men. No one said a word after the door flew open, but it was clear that they had been talking before and most likely about this particular meeting. Now every set of eyes was set on Dolany, some displaying disgust, superiority, curiosity or even boredom. Lord Dolany stepped right in front of the table and looked around trying his best to assert his superiority, only managing to look like a buffoon instead.

- Good evening, he greeted only Manicket with a slight bow.

- I trust you brought with you the payment we agreed upon, his host asked without ceremony.

- Of course, the lord answered obviously bothered by his host’s lack of courtesy.

There was a rattling sound that filled the hall as the short man pulled on a chain that Manicket had not noticed around his wrist. A moment later something that might have once looked human was hurled forward and fell at the lord’s feet. It was alive that was obvious, for it was raggedly breathing but the shape of it was so malformed any evidence of what it had once been long forgotten. Manicket lost his almost smile and barely suppressed a growl as he grimaced.

- What is this? He demanded angrily.

- It is what you asked for. This is my slave Ophina, Dolany replied with a smirk.

Manicket starred completely at a loss for words for the first time decades. He couldn’t decide whether he felt disgust at the sight before him, angry at the deception of his guest or annoyed with himself for having trusted the rumors about the “exquisite beauty”, as they called it of this vile looking creature named Ophina.

He opened his mouth to finally seal the fate of lord Dolany when the creature cut him off releasing a horrid cough followed by a disgusting gurgle as the floor in front of it was filled with blood. Manicket stared at the small crimson puddle with a suspicious air. He felt a twinge in his chest. It took him a moment to recognize it as pity and another moment to recover from the shock of actually feeling it. He raised an eyebrow eyeing Ophina intently before making his decision and hoping he wouldn’t come to regret it.

- Take IT away! He addressed two of the men to the side. Put it in the north tower and have the doctor look at it.

The men stared at him as if he’d lost his mind and he could already see what they were thinking so he let out a low menacing growl that seemed to snap them right out of their daze. His focus switched to Lord Dolany next.

- Take his grace to the east dungeons, he ordered a mocking smile playing on his face.

- But you said I will be granted sanctuary! The short man protested.

- Yes, I did. However, I did not mention under what circumstance you will be granted such a privilege.

Manicket turned to walk away then looked at Dolany over his shoulder with an evil smile now plastered on his rough features.

- If my payment dies, you will soon follow and I can assure you your journey there will not be smooth, rushed or pleasant.

Without another word he left, knowing full well that his orders would be carried out immediately. As proof he heard his guest’s protests as the two men dragged him out of the hall, but he frowned when he thought he heard a muffled cry of agony as the two other men picked up Ophina off the floor. His urge to turn around and check if she was alright nearly overwhelmed him and made his brow furrow even further, however with no little effort he suppressed it and walked on. He was a shifter, part of a race that held some of the most brutal and vile creatures in existence. To keep such a race in check they needed to be led by someone they would fear, someone that was crueler and more brutal then they could ever be, someone who would demand their loyalty through sheer intimidation, not ask for it or earn it. Someone like him. A monster! And monsters did not care about the pain of others. They only knew how to inflict more pain, not take it away or heal it. They knew how to manipulate, how to take without caring of the suffering they left behind. They were cold, calculated and ruthless. He would be damned if he let a pathetic little creature ruin all he had built so far, just for the sake of pity.

Angry as he could be he kept walking without the slightest clue as to where he was going, but when he lifted his head to look around, he discovered that he was standing right at the edge of the waterfall at the back of the fortress. Maialy, the one that had built the place could not have chosen a better location for it. They were far enough into the forest of Gaeran to be safe from most unwanted visitors and since the back of the building was at the edge of a cliff that happened to have a wide waterfall lined up, an attack from the back was nearly impossible. It was what made the fortress one of the safest places to live in.

He looked around the cavern and took a deep breath, inhaling the scent of damp rock that filled the air. It had been so long since he had come down to this place. In fact, the last time he had visited this small haven was when Shai had been born. At the time he had been very reluctant in showing any joy in his son’s birth for fear that others would see it as a weakness and try to use Shai against him. No one really went down to the cavern because there was really nothing to see, but to Manicket it was like his own personal peace of heaven. He loved the sound of water running between the small rocks and around the large pillars that sustained part of the building, the air was thick most of the times but it carried one of his favorite scents, and if you got up early enough the view of the sunrise from here was magnificent.

Manicket leaned forward and looked over the edge to study the water that was foaming over the rocks at the bottom, running further down into a long river that snaked its way between the trees. He wondered briefly what had brought him to this place and why now, but the answer was rather clear. He walked to the other side of the cavern where the water came from deep underground and knelt on the bay, touching the cool liquid with his fingertips. He was here because he felt restless. He had been for a while now, but today was special. Even with the knowledge that something was changing, that somewhere in the world an event regardless of amplitude was affecting the future of them all, there was something else here tonight that felt more out of place and urgent.

With a last glace into the cold depths of the water he stood up and slowly walked away. Again Manicket roamed through the hallways almost like a ghost, but at least this time he knew where he was going. He took his time, noticing the subtle changes that had been made to the place ever since his second in command got mated and his wife decided to take it upon herself to redecorate the interior. He stopped in front of one of the new items and raised an eyebrow, trying to figure out who on earth would paint such a horrible thing but then he shrugged deciding that maybe he just wasn’t into art. Manicket walked away shaking his head, trying to get rid of the image of the painting, with little success. When he got to one of the intersection, some shifters past him and bowed their heads in respect. As usual he barely acknowledged them and just kept going

Soon enough he was pushing past one of the doors that lead to the inner courtyard. He stopped once more to rejoice in the fresh air that filled his lunges and smiled faintly at the pleasant silence of the night disrupted only by the delicate sound of water coming from the large fountain in the middle of the courtyard. He stared at it for several minutes, before he noticed there was someone sitting on the edge of it on the other side and leaning slightly to his right, he found Shai dipping his fingers in the liquid mirror reflecting the dark cloud covering the moon. Manicket considered talking to him for just a fraction of a second before he decided against it. He and his son didn’t have much of a relationship and they hadn’t had a conversation in the true sense of the word in years. He would never admit that it bothered him because it was far less important than keeping Shai alive. Regardless of what his son thought of him, Manicket would do anything to keep the young man alive. He straightened his back and just started for the main gate.

As soon as Shai noticed him the young man stood up with an unusual expression adorning his face. He looked so much like his mother that sometimes he was painful to look at. Shai had inherited her beautiful ocean blue eyes and her long lashes, her small straight nose, her full lips which fit perfectly on his rosy complexion, which he’d also taken from his mother, but the light brown locks that were now gathered up in a loose ponytail were one of the few things he had taken from Manicket. He wasn’t very tall or bulky. Compared to some of the inhabitants of the fortress, his lean muscled figure seemed frail. His looks had caused trouble in the past because he was pretty enough and looked so delicate that he had been mistaken for a girl on several occasions.

At first it hadn’t been a problem, since everyone believed he would grow out of it, but the older Shai got the more Manicket realized that it was never going to happen. Obviously, being small was not a good thing when you were the son of the leader of shifters however, secretly Manicket really liked that about his son. The young man had learned to use all the abilities he possessed to his advantage, and everything he lacked in size, he made up for in speed, hard work and brains.

As his son just stared at him, Manicket walked past the young man choosing to ignore him and went to open a smaller door to the side of the gate. To his utter surprise when he stepped out, Shai followed, stopping to his left and pulling the hood of his long cloak over his head, hiding his face.

- Good evening, sire, one of the guards at the door greeted.

The sound made Shai flinch for some odd reason, but the guards didn’t seem to notice, or if they did they chose to ignore it. Manicket gave the clearing in front of them a stern look, his instincts still on high alert.

- Keep a sharp eye, something feels wrong tonight, he told the guards instead of a greeting, then turned around and walked right back inside.

Not long after, while he was making his way to his bedroom he heard footsteps approaching him in a hurry, and smelled Shai’s scent.

- Father, wait! The young man called when he was close enough.

Manicket stopped and turned around, raising an eyebrow more out of a habit then actual impatience. His son came to an abrupt stopped in front of him, his back straight as a board, but hesitated before he spoke and looked at his feet, which was very uncharacteristic of him when it came to his own father. More than a little intrigued, Manicket clasped his hands behind his back and smiled slightly, before remembering it would look out of place on his face, and dropped it so he wouldn’t confuse or scare his son into leaving. After another moment of waiting, Manicket cleared his throat in hopes that it would encourage the young man to speak.

- Umm f-father, about w-what you said earlier to the guards, Shai started.

- Yes, what of it?

- W-well, umm, did you…I mean, was there...urgh, he stuttered.

Manicket watched his son carefully. Shai never stuttered, never hesitated, never looked shy or vulnerable or anything close to any of those in front of him so what had changed?

- What do you mean then? He asked as gently as he thought he was allowed.

Shai raised his head and stared at him in surprise. Had he sounded too gentle or was it something else that had prompted that look on his son’s face? Finally, Shai seemed to have gotten some grip on himself and asked cautiously.

- How do you always know when something is wrong or that something bad is about to happen? Is it because of some information that you get or what?

The older man blinked at his son in confusion, and caught off guard by this unusual question he just went with the truth.

- Yes, sometimes it’s information, but there are times when it’s just a gut feeling, an instinct. Almost like tensing when you know you’ll get hit by something.

- I see, Shai whispered as if talking to himself.

- What is this all about? Manicket inquired.

- Oh nothing. It’s nothing really. I was just curious, his son answered way too quickly for it to be true.

Before he could press the matter further, Shai bowed and almost ran away. Manicket just stood there for a long moment too stunned to move. This was turning out to be a day full of surprises. Feeling a headache coming on he decided it was time for some peace and quiet, so he turned around and rushed to his secret room in the library, avoiding every living thing on the way there like they were the plague.

***

Shai rushed away from his father and ducked behind the first corner he could find. He took a few deep breaths to try and calm down, but it didn’t really work. Why had he thought asking Manicket of all people about this matter would be a good idea? Because who else would know, idiot? That little voice at the back of his mind mocked him. He had other options to choose from, but none were as close to the source as his father.

Mala could know, and he should have spoken to her first. But Mala was Korin’s mate and she would never lie to him, so if Korin started asking questions she would tell him. Then Korin, as an elder, would go and tell Manicket and then he’d be in serious trouble. Granted his father had never really punished him. Not like he had done others. He always got extra chores when he was young and a gruesome day in training after he had grown up. It wasn’t fair to the rest of the shifters that never got away so easily, but his father always said his mother would never approve of him being cruel towards his own son. Like he cared!

Shai frowned. He hated Manicket with a vengeance for his cruel nature and the way he had treated his mother. The woman had died alone and miserable in the ruins of their old house, trying to get both herself and him away from her monster of a husband and mate. Of course Manicket had discovered her plans and sent assassins after her to take the baby back to his father and kill her. Shai had heard the story from one of the men that had been dispatched for the mission and he had been generous in giving details of how they abused and wounded her, then left her there to die. Manicket would pay just like that scum had paid. But there were times like these when his father seemed to break from the pattern of violent behavior that made his determination waver.

A faint thud broke Shai free from his reeling thoughts. He looked up and realized he’d almost wondered into the dungeons of all places. It was dark, the torches hanging on the wall doing very little to lighten up the space around them let alone any shady corners. As soon as he passed through the door he looked to his right and gasped. The guard’s small table held an ugly looking mug on it and the legs of the man in question coming around from the side, clearly indicating he was unconscious. Shai closed his eyes, a shaky breath escaping him. He didn’t need to look to know who the guard was or that he had a piece of paper crumpled in him left hand. That there were charcoal stains on the fingers on his right hand and that he had a muffin lying right next to it, no doubt snatched from the kitchens while the cooks were not paying attention. He slowly reached with a trembling hand for the hilt of his sword.

- I wouldn’t do that if I were you, came a whisper from one of the dark corners.

The voice was mesmerizing and Shai dropped his hand involuntarily as if listening to an order. But things were not supposed to go this way. As stupid as it sounded, he was supposed take his sword out, the creature would attack and the moment his blade pierced it, they would both burst into flames. This was wrong. He needed his sword. Shai reached for it once more, his arms feeling as heavy as stone but this time managed to take it out.

A sigh came from the same corner quickly followed by footsteps. He stared, paralyzed at the man that came out of the shadows. The stranger was about a head taller with long dark hair coming over his left shoulder in a tight braid. Under the weak light his features looked dangerous, but still handsome and the man’s eyes, though Shai couldn’t see their color, he knew they were trained him.

- You should have listened little one, now the man’s voice held a distinct amount of menace as he slowly advanced.

Shai tried to move, he really did, but his body refused to listen. Even worse, his fingers refused to hold the sword anymore as if rebelling against the idea of hurting the stranger and the weapon fell to the ground releasing a high pitched sound at the contact. A small part of him was afraid that he was going to die here, but another was more curious why he couldn’t move. What had this man done to him?

As the stranger advanced a glint blinded Shai for a brief moment when the light from one of the torches reflected on the silver blade of his knife. He flinched at the knowledge of what was to come, but again he did not move, because he couldn’t. Instead he felt his lips curl upwards into an ironic smile before they opened.

- So this time it is you who will be the cause of my untimely demise.

Though his voice was his own he was certain he was not the one that spoke them. However, they seem to have affected the man in front of him greatly because his arrogance and mockery slipped away replaced by surprise, confusion, recognition and at last a mixture of tortured adoration. The last one confused Shai the most. Why would a stranger adore him?

Before he could even form any hope of an upcoming next thought or reaction, the man in front of him tucked his knife away, covered the last few steps between them and grabbing Shai’s face between his large hands brought their lips together into a scorching kiss. To say Shai was surprised would be the mother of all understatements, and he would later blame it on the shock of the situation that he found himself responding to the kiss, which only seemed to grow more intense and hungry. Soon enough Shai had his arms wrapped around the other man’s neck, trying to pull him closer, when a light moan escaped him.

Whether it was the unfamiliar sound or the footsteps he could hear in the distance that were getting closer, he would never know but suddenly reality came crashing down around him and he pulled away pushing the stranger at the same time and panting like he’d just run an entire day. The other man smirked, which only server to irritate Shai and glare at him, taking another step back.

- Oh don’t look at me like that you’re ruining your pretty face.

When Shai only glared more intently he let out a burst of deep hearty laughter.

- Suit yourself little one.

- My name is not “little one”, Shai growled.

- Then what, pray tell, is it?

- None of your freaking business.

- Such an odd name, the stranger went back to mockery.

Shai quickly collected his sword from the ground pointing its sharp tip at the other man’s neck. Whatever magic had been cast on him before now seemed to have been lifted, and this ignorant fool was going to pay for his insolence.

- Shai, the son of the alpha, he spat with arrogance. Do you have any idea how much trouble you’re in?

- Don’t worry I can find my way out of it, was the strangers amused response.

- You are trapped in here, unless you think you can get passed me and the other guards that are about to arrive.

- Oh how cute! I didn’t know you cared so much.

When Shai swiped his sword, the other man ducked and caught his right wrist making his weapon useless once more, then pulled him in for a quick kiss before he started retreating to his corner.

- Name’s Daze, he smiled brightly taking a slight bow.

- Who cares?! Shai screamed at him.

Daze started laughing as he disappeared into the shadows, leaving a very confused and frustrated Shai behind.

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