Chapter 13: The Cat's Outta The Bag

The Ogusi Fusans had witnessed the preparation of Jenaya and her departure. Obviously disapproving of what had happened they were frowning at Roban and the remaining women.

“So the mystical might of the Norgar Chieftains lies in his blood and you use it to task a woman with the job of a warrior. The legends of the Norgar never spoke of such cowardice,” Fusan Djargis said.

All the women spun around, their furious glares colliding with the Ogusi’s condemnation.

“You are lucky that I know your opinion has no meaning to my brother, otherwise I would make you wet your pants before I kill you,” Athea told Djargis, fixing him in the gaze of her blazing eyes.

Djargis’ expression rapidly changed from disgust to confusion and when he sank down to his knees, his face was distorted by terror. Watching him, his comrades drew their scimitars and now Roban also turned from looking out through the exit of the tent to face the Ogusi Fusans. Athea released the crouching figure from her gaze, before the Ogusi could escalate the situation with their next probable action. Djargis broke down, falling forward to his hands, trembling, and Athea spoke to the Fusans.

“Is that an example of the bravery you pride yourself with, attacking an unarmed little girl?” Athea asked, throwing her own contempt for them in the faces of the men. “We came here to discuss an alliance, but now I very much doubt that such an alliance would strengthen our forces. I always thought the Norgar to be the stupidest kind of men, but because of you the Ogusi top that list now. Go home hunting buffaloes, we don’t need stupid allies, no one does.”

Athea turned and marched out of the tent. After they had cast their own disgusted glares at the men, her friends followed her.

“If your groveling techniques are not better than mine you should do what Athea told you,” Roban stated grinning, but every trace of kindness left his face as he continued, “If you ever again draw your weapons against my sister I’ll kill you; ALL of you!”

On their way back to Notabir Gillyn was riding at Athea’s side.

“I would be happy now, if I weren’t so pained by my sister’s death and worried about Ynerca and a war between the Ghallan clans. How you handled the Ogusi was brilliant and removed the last doubt I had that you are the right leader for my family and the clans. You give me hope that we have a chance to survive this war,” Gillyn told Athea, a sad smile on her face.

“Are you sure the Ogusi won’t just take your advice and go home?” Leandris, riding at Athea’s other side, asked.

“They can’t go home. They believe without them we have no chance of winning the war against the Manthakin. The Great Fusan Rhogunata is their reason for being here and after we lost, they would be alone to face him and his victorious allies,” Athea calmly replied.

“I see. Now they have to come to you and ask for the alliance we both want and need. After today’s happenings they are in a bad position to ask for an alliance and demand a payment,” Leandris concluded smiling.

“Yes and that would please me if I cared about it, but I don’t. At the moment Roban doesn’t show any interest in this war and that’s what I have to worry about,” Athea huffed, receiving confused and questioning looks in return. “If my brother, the master of destruction, no longer shows any interest in a huge war at his doorstep, I’ve a major reason to assume that something even more dangerous is distracting him!”

More than her words, Athea’s tense bearing as she explained her reasoning caused her audience to believe that they should be worried as well.

It was getting dark, but not dark enough for Jenaya to sneak unseen through all the guards surrounding the Macathry camp. Once inside their compound, she would have to search to find the tent where they were holding Ynerca captive, and then find a way to get out of the camp, without alarming too many people. Jenaya had never done anything like this. Never fought or killed anyone either, but nervousness or indecision wasn’t her problem. She was hiding behind a bush and group of trees cast shadows upon her and watching two guards about twenty yards away from her. To human eyes she was invisible. Every fiber of her being was brimming with energy. The desire to charge and kill those men was almost overwhelming. She wanted to rip out their throats and let their blood shower her body. See the life leaving their eyes and stomp their corpses into the ground. That was her problem.

The thoughts and emotions running through her mind were nothing she had ever felt before. Blood, violence, death and ... Destruction; finally she understood her new reality. She had read many stories about the Vampires of Gol-Gunthay. Many of them reported that the blood of the sire enslaved the child, but no report or story ever explained how it happened. Jenaya knew now. Athea had laughingly said that she was set on an emotional diet. Jenaya had listened, but neither comprehended the truth of Athea’s statement nor its range. Since Menja was feeding her Roban’s blood she hadn’t felt much of anything. There was a vague craving detached from the hunger for Roban’s blood. It made her increasingly irritated and moody, but mostly she was feeling nothing. Now she was feeling again and it was his emotions she was feeling. She should be furious and devastated about the completeness of her enslavement, but her own emotions were no more than a light breeze compared to the storm fed to her. In the revelation of her new reality, she found a new truth as well. Jenaya wasn’t furious and devastated, she was happy. The power of her sire’s emotions made her feel more alive than she could have ever felt without him. She was an addict, but a happy addict as long as she received the blood that elated her existence.

That was what Jenaya was musing about while she waited for the darkness she would need. She was startled out of her thoughts by the sound of a low purring voice.

“The girl you are searching is held in a tent close to the center of their camp. Two men are guarding the entrance. She is unharmed and until they gagged her she was loudly expressing her opinion of her hosts. The tent is the only guarded tent aside from the big one in the center and that’s the tent of Marny Macathry.”

Jenaya looked at the naked woman at her side, wondering how she could have snuck up on her. She was frowning but received a smile in return.

“I know who sent you and I mean you no harm. I can smell his scent on you and know that his blood is running through your veins. You are a Vampire, but your sire was not!” Her last sentence was said with wonderment in her voice. “My name is Sureyssa and your sire knows me. The first time we met I was his enemy. Today we met again and he scared me away. I’m not his enemy anymore but I guess I have to prove it somehow. I’m offering to help you as a token to win his trust.”

“I don’t know you, but since you’re offering help, a diversion while I try to get Ynerca out of the camp would be nice. Do you know if Marny is in her tent?” Jenaya replied whispering.

“She spent some time taunting Ynerca, but left after they gagged her. She is in her tent now, with some of her family. Marny is clueless, without any comprehension of the forces she is messing with. I’ve never heard of a human who enraged Chaos and survived. Maybe it will be different now. Athea does a lot to sooth Chaos’ infamous temper, although I doubt she will use her influence to help Marny Macathry,” Sureyssa answered grinning.

Jenaya watched the smiling woman thoughtfully.

“You are like them, an immortal, am I right?” She asked.

“Yes, because like Athea, Iane and Roban, I am an immortal soul bound to a mortal being. No, because unlike Chaos and Destruction, my immortal existence is only a possibility but not a necessity.” Sureyssa’s grin became even wider as she answered the question.

“Your immortal’s name has to be Mystery,” Jenaya groaned in response.

“I’m sorry, I am a cat and love to play and tease. It doesn’t matter to you Jenaya. In a way I am also like you. My existence is bound to Calmyra and it will end with Calmyra. The end of this world is close and that’s why I am here. I don’t want it to end. I’ll help you and that’s all you should care about, at least for now.”

Jenaya watched in amazement as the figure of the woman became blurry, morphed and when it cleared again there was a big cat crouching in her place, a black panther. The cat purred as her transformation was finished, then strolling, left her side. Jenaya watched her melt into the increasing darkness until the panther disappeared.

She had to ask more people than she felt comfortable with, but finally one of Notabir’s town guards told her that the Norgar Chieftain, his sister and their entourage were provided with an estate in the south of the town. Once she had reached that part, it didn’t take her long to find the right house. The main entrance was visible from the street and on the steps, leading to the wide double doors, sat the little girl she had seen before. The girl was leaning with her back against a huge dog. The dog she hadn’t seen or known of and her worry about being discovered increased. She decided that getting exposed now would be better than in front of her target. Now she could hope to escape if discovered, something she didn’t expect her target would allow.

Approaching the girl she kept an eye on the dog, but he didn’t seem alarmed and kept on dozing with his giant head resting on his paws. Only his twitching ears gave away that he had noticed her arrival. The girl looked like she was deep in thought and judging by the frown on her face, they probably weren’t happy thoughts. Producing a friendly smile she addressed the girl as she was only a few steps away from her.

“Hello Menja, you look upset, has something happened?” She gently asked.

“I’m angry. There is a fat mean priest at the orphan house that Denyssa and I visited today. He and the other priests keep all the food for themselves and the children have to watch them getting even fatter. But tomorrow morning I’ll return and will bring food and won’t give anything to the priests and Bosko will bite them if they are mean again,” Menja finished huffing. Watching her, Menja wrinkled her nose and asked, “You look strange, what happened to you?”

“I’m tired and a bit annoyed because I had some trouble finding this house. Now I just want to find a place where I can rest. Maybe later I’ll get something to eat. Do you know who’s here or is everyone else still out?” She evenly questioned in return.

“Denyssa, Meyra, Chalissa and the priestesses are inside, but Daddy and the others are still not here,” Menja answered, seemingly no longer concerned about her appearance.

“Well, I’ll go and search for a place to take a little nap until they arrive,” she said and walked up the steps to the door.

The nameless being felt relief as she was passing the girl and her dog. That feeling vanished abruptly when she heard a voice before she reached the door.

“I know who sent you.”

It was the voice of the little girl, but somehow it sounded different. She spun around to look at her. Menja hadn’t moved. She was still leaning with her back against the side of her dog and seemingly had returned to her angry musings. Menja still wasn’t looking at her when she heard the voice again.

“They are stupid, but I don’t care anymore. I’m done with all this.”

The voice was angry, but she could see enough of Menja’s profile to know that it wasn’t her who was talking.

“You killed his friend and you are here to kill more of his friends, but you can’t kill my Atady. No one can!” The voice was yelling at the end.

She saw Menja turning around. Her brows puckered, her eyes staring but unfocused, confusion all over her face, until she looked at her. Menja jumped up and furiously screamed.

“I CARE! THEY ARE MY FRIENDS AND SISTERS. YOU WILL NOT HURT THEM!”

For a moment Menja stood unsteady on her trembling legs, but then broke down. Her furious glare vanished and her gaze lost its focus, confusion returned. In panic, the nameless being grabbed the handle of one of the daggers attached to her belt. Now the dog jumped up and spun around. Baring his murderous fangs he stood protectively over the girl, who was lying quivering under him. There was no choice, the nameless being jumped to the side and ran. She could still hear the snarling of the huge dog as she ran through the gate and into the town. Soon she couldn’t hear it anymore, but she didn’t stop running.

It was time, the shadows in which Jenaya had hidden, were now just part of the all surrounding darkness. Longingly she cast a last look at the two guards as she passed them, but there was no reason to kill them. A few torches lit a road that led from Notabir through the Macathry camp and to the big tent in its center. Of course Jenaya stayed away from it and made her way through alleys formed by the ordinary small tents. Warrior groups carrying torches were patrolling the camp, but she could hear them long before they came too close. Without light it was impossible for the eyes of humans to discern her from the shadows. A Vampire moving through the night was nothing more than a shadow itself.

Jenaya was aware of every beating heart inside the tents she passed. Coming close to the center of the camp, she focused on the big tent of Marny Macathry. Still more than twenty yards away from it, she could hear the people inside talking and Jenaya listened for a while. After she left, it only took a little time to reach the only other tent with warriors guarding its entrance. Standing at the back of it, she smiled and looked at the wickedly sharp dagger in her hand. It was the same dagger she had taken when she intended to kill her sire. Tonight she would use it to rescue one of his lovers and she knew that soon she would be one of his lovers again as well. Jenaya cut the canvas of the tent and slipped inside.