Chapter 2 Blood Deserves Blood

Even over the blaze I hear a stampede of horse approaching from the road, my mind is numb and all I can feel is pain. The pain of loss, for whoever this man was Bianca was surely in the blaze. Tear swell in my eyes and a soft sobs escape my lips and I realize I am on my knees my hands in my face. My eyes see her smile in my hands, and my ears hear her screaming as she is burned alive. This sadness is suddenly replaced by rage and the dead man at my side calls my hatred. My fists lash out at the dead body hitting the body again and again until my knuckles are bloody and raw. The stampede of horse draws nearer, and as it does I curse all the gods. My simple life here has been taken from me, and my soul screams for revenge. The blaze is creeping up around me, and I think to let it take me, take me with her, take me to her. Yet in my head I hear the word vengeance. I know in this moment I cannot die until justice, no not justice but revenge, murder, and death follow this moment. This woman Mariana must die.

There he is walking straight out of a burning inferno. Blood on his hand, hatred on his lips, and madness in his eyes, I swear he looks like a man that is born from flames itself. My best friend Ray must be the only survivor. I and fifteen others have come to help put out the flame, yet as the inferno burns there is no way to put it out. We can only work to prevent it from reaching the town.

“Ray” I call, “where is Bianca?”

Nothing, not a word as he walks towards us his eyes themselves look to be on fire.

“Ray you son of b***h where is Bianca?”

I dismount from my horse right in front of him, and one word escapes his lips.

“DEAD”

“What! Was she inside?”

The other riders make their way to the well outside the burning house to start hauling water. My friend, this man before me, has no intention of fighting the flames. I can tell that this is not the man I knew just yesterday when he spoke of his plans to marry Bianca.

“Ray, say something, was she inside?”

“Dead, dead, she is dead.” Rays mumbles the words as if they are nothing, empty, hollow.

I move to place my hand on his shoulder. I seek to comfort my friend, yet as my hand reaches for him he strikes quick and clear with a bloody fist that connects with my jaw. I taste blood thick in my mouth, and I am knocked to the ground.

“Did you do this!?” Ray screams violently. “”Did you kill her!? Burn her!? Who is this Mariana?” Ray throws himself at me pulling a long knife from his belt. He has me pinned helpless as I am caught off-guard.

“Ray it’s me Davin.” I look him straight in the eyes and all I can see is fire. When I say my name the blade is lowered. He dismounts me and rises to his feet. I myself start to rise as he continues to walk away.

“Come on Ray we have get you out of here.” This time I did not make the mistake of trying to touch him.

“I’ll take you to the town you can rest at my place.” I say pleadingly.

“There is no time to rest my friend for I must talk to Gavin.” Ray mumbles again. Gavin is the town’s leader easily approaching ninety. Gavin is aware of many things outside the town, but why my Ray would seek his counsel is beyond me. There must be something in the name, that name, Mariana.

“Come on Ray we will make it there faster if we ride.”

I can tell he agrees with my words for he stops in his tracks and turns for my horse. I know I cannot let him carry on like this so as he turns his back to me I wrap my elbow around his neck until his goes limp. I throw his body over the side of my horse and ride as fast I can home.

We approach the house and I hear his sobs over the sound of the wind in my ears, followed by screams of pain. I quickly carry my friend into my house where Ashta waits at the door.

“So it was Ray farm. Holy what happened to him.” Ashta exclaims.

“I have no idea” I say as Ashta moves to get dressing for his wounds. Still soft sobs echo from Ray’s dream like state. Even in his sleep he delirious. I move for the table so we can tend his wounds which appear to be on no more than on his hands.

It does not take us long to clean and wrap his hand in silence.

Here I am lying at the edge of tree line looking at a noon summer sky. Yet this time I know something is wrong. I instinctively rise to my feet and beeline for the house hoping and praying the house is still there. As I approach I see it in the distance a whole and intact house no signs of flames or fire. I sign in relief. When I approach the door I can hear the sound of laughter echoing from the house. My run slows to a walk, and I laugh at myself for it was all a dream; a horrible nightmare that was caused by the summer heat. I open the door and there she is, Bianca, talking to an old women.

“There you are silly. We have been waiting for you to eat lunch.” Bianca says with a smile.

I stand in the doorway stunned, my jaw drops, and my eyes widen.

“This cannot be. You told me about this an hour ago.” My quivering voice escapes me.

The old woman speaks. “Well my boy you seem to be dreaming, but not dreaming for you have arrived for lunch right on time.”

“But if I’m dreaming, but not dreaming what does that make this.” My voice still quivers.

The old woman lets out a slight laugh. “That makes it lunch.”

“Please Ray come sit down, and let us talk for there is much that needs to be said.” Bianca says still smiling.

I feel my body weaken and make for the chair at the table. My mind is racing my heart pound, but when I sit near the old women all goes calm in my mind.

“This is my mother.” Bianca’s smile has faded now as she moves around the table. “This is our last goodbye.”

My mind can’t take that I was planning on marring her and here they sit telling me I have to say goodbye.

“No this is not goodbye I refuse to believe it!” I raise my voice unexpectedly.

My thoughts want to fight this, my anger boils and I can see the flames, the inferno, the warrior’s dead body, and flames licking my own body. I will not let this be goodbye no matter what.

“And if this really is goodbye then I will never leave here.”

The old woman lets out a slight laugh again. “You better make use of the time I have given you, but I see why my daughter has chosen you.”

I turn to Bianca “So you are dead?”

“I am”

“Did you feel Pain?”

“Immensely”

My mind screams and my blood boils. I feel rage yet again, but when I look to the old woman calm washes over once more.

“You young man will take my weapon and join the ranks of the Red Bear Legion, you my daughters chosen one will find answers too many question under the ranks of the Bear’s.”

“And if I don’t?” the venom escapes my lips. “And if chose to stay here, then what will you do old woman?”

“You need that fire Ray in the days to come for this is not a request from my mother, it is a request from me.” There is great pain in Bianca’s eyes as tear roll down her cheeks.

My hand quickly goes to the ring in left pocket. I go down to one knee.

“Bianca let me stay here with you. Marry me?” I say as I extend the ring forward.

I realize that my hand are clamming as the room is silent for a moment as both the old woman and Bianca gaze upon the simple gold band.

“I will marry.” Bianca says as her face lights up. “But you cannot stay here. You must go seek the Bear’s.”

I have received a yes and a no. What does that mean? Yet I extend the ring and place it on her finger. In this moment I am both happy and sad for I found the answer to my question to Bianca, but also found the answer that we will never be together in life.

“I will do as you ask, but when whatever it is I am supposed to do is done I am coming for you. I do not care if I have to climb the stair to the heavens themselves. I will be with you.”

“If you want to die Ray this is what it feels like to die. This is what your newly betrothed felt as she left this world.” The old woman says with a frown.

Flames erupt all around the house. The heat explodes like a volcano, and I feel my skin melting from body. I feel every muscle in my body scream with pain until I am nothing more but bone and then ash.

Reviews

[ravencassidy]

Really great start, I would like a little bit in the beginning to explain the time and place like where are they? and when are they ? it's obvious it is in the past, like 1800's or something because people are on horseback, there needs to be a little more detail, like Bianca and what happened to her when Ray found her.. The warrior I am guessing is Native American, maybe put some details talking about a nearby Native tribe or something. Anyway really liked your take on the dream/nightmare sequence it was really intense and def makes the reader want to see what happens... great job keep it up and keep going with this story could turn into something really cool and maybe a series. For titles I would use something like " Blood bear's Shadow Dream" or "Matrimony in the Shadowlands" .. feel free to use them or make your own, I hope my review is helpful, and I def recommend this story for others to read....