Prologue

It had been a month they had chased her. They had found out her deepest secret and now she was paying dearly for it. She was but a toy in the games played by gods, demons and devils, but relenting was not an option. She had to protect her child from the clutches of hunters.
Her skirt was torn, her knees were bleeding, but she didn't care. She only hoped that she could escape the cruelty of her kin. 'Betrayal would be a better word for it, my dear sparrow,' mused a voice inside her head.
They were bonded so tightly it was irreversible. At birth her mother gave up her for the sake of their village, and she still lamented her mother's decision. In the last cycle of Senbol many things had happened. Her friends had turned against her, her husband had become one of them. She shuddered visibly at the thought of him killing her kindred.
'And yet you still run, knowing that eventually they will catch up and you will be no more.' It was mocking her now trying to make her surrender. It was always like this though, it taunted and she just ignored it. This time was different though. Things were starting to change, and not in a good way either.
Her lover – ex-lover – had suggested that they kill their only child, who was no more than a babe, so the world would be rid of her kind. She would never forget those cruel words.
“He is a thing! The last thing this world needs is another one of those wrecking havoc on the world! Even if he didn't pick fights or eat helpless women he would still be rejected because of his nature! It would eventually show through and when it does I'm not going to be there trying to reassure people that he isn't dangerous!' Cycon shouted, trying to convince his wife to let him end his firstborn's life.
'Even so, I know for a fact that it is impossible to show people all your good qualities and all your lesser bad qualities and get them to accept  you and I shall not have you kill any children ours or otherwise!' She shouted, then covered her mouth realizing what she had just said and its consequence.
For her decision she was harshly backhanded. “You selfish b***h! I married you thinking I was bedding a beautiful young maiden, when it was really a demon temptress!” he roared in his anger never once relenting his blows.
She shook her head as if trying to make the painful memories stop. Tears ran freely down her face, but she didn't care she had a mission to complete. 'Cheer up sparrow, there are more pressing matters that need attending to,' she heard it say, 'everything will be lost if they catch you now.'
Wrong was something her subconscious never was. She kept running, on and on, further and further from the life that she knew would inevitably be her undoing. Tears ran down her face, and with them some dirt from the many sunrises she had spent running.
A village loomed up a little to the East, gritting her teeth she turned a little to the West. Shaking her head to block out the image of children playing happily in the streets. More tears streaked her already lined face. 'She must have a chance to live happily also' was a thought that filled her head before flitting away into a comforting blank. She placed one foot in front of the other and took her difficult road one step at a time.
After the ninth tenday she was sure they couldn't possibly be anywhere near her....until she heard the horses. After taking a quick survey of the area she realized that there was nowhere to run anymore and that this was her end. “Don't worry my dear sparrow,” Cycon drawled, “it'll only hurt for a second.”
She took a second to wonder how she had ever found this demonic man even slightly handsome. In that moment it took her to begin pondering she had a sword pressed against her exposed throat and a maniacal sadist at the other end. “I'm dead no matter what so I think I'll at least take a hunter with me.” she growled.
He hardly had time to feel her hand slip through both sides of his tunic and everything in between. Cycon managed to let out an unearthly cry before falling to the ground. The archers he had brought with him were too shocked beyond belief but one managed to pull his bow up and get his arrow in line with his target. It's flight was true and deathly fatal. 'Told ya love,' it called out fuzzily and in her place there lay a small – and quite dead - sparrow.
Nearby laid the babe, crying as if it understood what had happened. In the distance a wolf howled and nearby birds chirped a sadder song than usual.

Reviews

[jess]

wow it was good work