The Chronicles of Thett Ch. 01

"I am the warrior Syanay," she yelled up to them. "And I have come for the head of Lord Dennacor."

The guards looked to each other and laughed. "A woman warrior," the guard on the left and the larger of the two said laughing. They looked back to her.

"I'm surprised you can even lift that blade," the other laughed.

With her free hand, she drew a throwing dagger from the wrist sheath of her right arm. With a quick flick of the wrist, she let the dagger fly upward. The dagger stuck in the throat of the smaller guard.

His eyes widened in momentary surprise before he fell backwards off the gate. The other guard watched him fall, then turned back to Syanay.

"That was a mistake girl."

Syanay was about to reply, but pain exploded in her head and the world went black.

Her attention had been turned to the two on the gate, and she hadn't known the other guard was behind her until it was too late.

Thett sat straight up on the cot, his body glittering in the fire light from the sweat that covered him. It took a moment, but he caught his breath and he calmed. He couldn't remember the dream that had awaken him so suddenly, but it had to have been a bad one. He never woke from dreams this way.

Then he noticed there was something strange about the hut. It wasn't that something was missing, because nothing was. It was the fire. He hadn't lit a fire, so where did it come from?

"Bad dream?" a voice he recognized all to well asked from the shadows.

"What do you want Cree?" he asked turning as Cree stepped out of the shadows beside the bed.

"I have something important to tell you."

Cree sat on the cot facing Thett. She gently placed a hand on his chest and looked into his eyes. "I will tell you, but only after you love me."

She leaned forward to kiss him. Thett reached out and grabbed Cree's shoulders, holding her inches from him. "And if I don't?"

"Then I leave knowing what you don't."

Thett took his left hand off her and reached for the dagger hidden under the blanket, but Cree was quicker. Before Thett's hand reached the blanket, Cree had her own blade under his chin.

"Don't make me kill you Thett," she said leaning closer, her mouth nearly on his ear. "You are too important to me, but you can be replaced."

"Then replace me," Thett growled. "I don't want to be your puppet any more."

Cree laughed. "As if you ever had the choice. Now love me."

Cree planted light kisses on his neck. Thett tried to resist, but she was intoxicating, his drug. She may have him, but it would always be his way. That was his one piece of control over her. He would always be violent with her. But what he didn't know was the fact that she wanted him that way. She would always let him have that.

That's just what he did. He loved her in the most violent way he could. Thrusting with all his strength, squeezing where ever his hands laid, biting her neck and shoulders. She moaned and screamed as he pushed himself deeper into her, and she dug her nails into his back as she reached the magical moment of orgasm.

She held his shivering body close and tightly until his shivers subsided. She smiled as he breathed heavily into her ears.

"You have pleased me Thett," she whispered. "Now I will tell you what I came here for."

Thett pulled away from her and hovered over her. "And what did you come here for?"

"I came to tell you that Syanay's blood has been spilt at the gates of Dennacor's fortress."

Thett quickly climbed off the cot and began to dress.

"Where are you going?" Cree asked with a smile.

"To Dennacor," Thett said. He grabbed his shirt and his sword and left Cree on his cot. Cree watched him through the open door from her spot on the cot and smiled. All the pieces were falling into place just as she had planned. Soon Thett's path would be over, and she would be safe from harm.

Pain filled her head as she tried to open her eyes. The pain started in the back of her neck and blossomed through her head. She had never felt pain like this before in her life and hoped to never feel it again. She slowly tried to open her eyes but could only get them to open slightly before the pain forced her to close them again.

Through the momentary slit of her eyes, her mind registered the bright light of the sun and the comfortable cushion below her. She could hear voices, but they were too quiet to understand what was being said.

The confusion in her mind suddenly cleared and her last memory flooded her mind. She knew where she was now. Dennacor's fortress.

Ignoring the pain, she opened her eyes and sat up. The pain crept down her back. She saw she was in a long room with three other men. The ceiling of the room was made from glass frames, letting in the sun light. The room was bare, yet some how beautiful in its structure.

The three men hadn't noticed that she was awake. One she recognized as the large guard from the gate. The other was a muscular man with a fur cloak and a patch over his left eye. His bald head reflected the sunlight shining down on him. The other man was older, his black curly hair was speckled with white hair, his muscular stomach had long given way to the belly of old age, and he was regally dressed. She knew that he had to be Dennacor, the man she came to kill.

Syanay looked around for some sort of weapon, but they had stripped her of all as she slept, and there was nothing close at hand. The only weapons in the room were strapped to the sides of the three men. Syanay knew she was quick enough and quiet enough to cross the room, take one of their swords and strike the three down before they could place their hands on their swords. And she would do just that.

Slowly, she pushed aside the blanket covering her and sat up. Still no one looked her way. She planted her bare feet on the stone floor and stood. Dizziness grabbed her and took her legs from beneath her. Syanay fell face first to the floor.

The men turned their attention to her. Dennacor was the first to move. He walked across the room and helped her to the couch she was just resting on.

"There, now," he said soothingly. "You took a hard blow to the back of the head, you need to rest."

The guard and the man with the patch now stood behind Dennacor.

"Why are you being so nice to her my Lord, she did come to kill you." The man with the patch said.

Dennacor stood and turned to the man. "I choose my actions General. This is not war, so I do not need your input."

"As you wish my lord," the General said bowing. "But there is still the fact that she did come to kill you my lord."

Dennacor turned to Syanay. "Don't you think I'm aware of that."

He sat facing Syanay. She felt the disgust and anger rise, but there was nothing she could do now. The guard and General would kill her before Dennacor's body hit the floor.

"Now," Dennacor said softly. "The General wants me to ask who sent you to kill me?"

"No one sent me," Syanay answered. "I came of my own accord."

"Liar," The General said before the words were out of her mouth.

Syanay and Dennacor turned to him. Dennacor opened his mouth to scold The General for his outburst, but before he could utter the first syllable, the door to the room was thrown open. The four quickly turned to the door to see a woman dressed in a long grey cloak walking in. The General knew who this woman was as soon as he set eyes on her.

"Cree you evil hag," he spat.

Cree pushed the hood of the cloak from her face and smiled at The General. "I'll consider that a compliment coming from you General."

Dennacor stood and stepped in front of The General and the guard. "What are you doing here Cree?"

"I have come to offer my services to you Lord Dennacor," she said as she closed the space between them.

"At what cost?" The General asked from behind Dennacor.

"That can be discussed at a later date," she answered smiling. She reach Dennacor and stopped. "But as for now, you seem to be have come to a difficult decision," she whispered so only Dennacor could hear.

"What decision?" Dennacor whispered back.

"If I could have but a moment of your time, Dennacor," she said louder. "I will help you through this little dilemma."

"Very well," Dennacor said and turned away from Cree. He started for the opposite side of the room where they could talk privately and Cree followed. She paused a moment as she passed The General.

"If you so much as lay a hand on the woman, you will feel my wrath to the harshest extent," she whispered to him and walked away.

The General glared after Cree as she and Dennacor crossed to the far end of the room.

When the two were out of ear shot of the three, Dennacor stopped. "What is the meaning of this Cree?"

Cree's smile never faltered. "You must decide what is to become of this young woman, and soon."

Dennacor looked past Cree to Syanay.

"She has come to kill you, but there are two things you must consider."

Dennacor turned his attention to Cree. "Which are?"

"Number one," Cree started. "You are fascinated by her."

Dennacor's heart raced. Yes he was fascinated by her, and he had tried so hard not to let it show. "And the second?"

"A king needs a queen."

Dennacor stared at her in disbelief. "She came here to kill me. There is no way she will become my queen."

"Then you must persuade her. Give her no choice."

"I'll not trick her into this," Dennacor growled.

"Then persuade her with the truth," Cree said urgently. "This must be done."

"Why are you so anxious about that woman becoming my queen?" Dennacor asked. This was strange, even for Cree. She had to have something up her sleeve, but what. "What do you have to gain from this?"

"The only gain I receive from your union with this woman is the loss of something very dear to myself," Cree said.

This only confused Dennacor more. There was more to this then Cree was making evident, but he was also intrigued with the woman. She was beautiful and he yearned for her like he had never done before.

"Very well," Dennacor said. "I will do as you say, but you shall owe me."

"As you wish," Cree said bowing to Dennacor.

Dennacor pushed past Cree and crossed back to the three. When they reached the couch, Dennacor sat facing Syanay once again. "General, take this guard and Cree and leave us alone."

"But my Lord, what if she..."

Dennacor turned quickly to The General. "Don't disobey me General."

"Yes my Lord," The General said bowing.

"She is unarmed, I shall be perfectly safe," Dennacor said turning back to Syanay.

The General turned and led the guard and Cree out of the room. With them gone, Dennacor gently took Syanay's hand. Syanay fought hard to suppress a shiver of discuss.

"My lady," he began. "I know you have come to kill me, but you are at a stale mate now. There is only one way out."

"And that is?" Syanay asked. She knew she was in a bad spot now. Even if she killed Dennacor now, The General would not let her escape. And who was that woman, and what did she and Dennacor have to say to each other. This was not going her way at all.

"You must become my queen."

"What?" Syanay asked, nearly laughing. Now she had heard enough. Here she was with one purpose, to kill this fattening old man, and he was proposing marriage.

"If you become my queen, The General can not touch you, if you don't, The General will kill you in the slowest most painful manner he can devise."

"And why are you trying to save me?" she asked even more puzzled then before.

"Because I would hate for The General to rid the world of such beauty."

Syanay was having a hard time with this. This man had been nothing but sweet and nice to her, even though she had come to put an end to his life. How could this man have destroyed her village and killed her family?

"Must I choose now?" she asked.

"Yes my lady," Dennacor answered, urgency filled his voice. "I'm afraid that The General will have you killed within the hour if you choose not to take what I offer."

"Which is?"

"A kingdom to rule at my side."

Syanay was quiet a moment. Then a thought entered her head. If she did in fact take what Dennacor offered her now, another chance to kill this man may just present itself.

"Okay," she answered forcing a smile. "I will become your queen."

Dennacor smiled wide. "Then we shall be wed tonight, once the sun has set."

Syanay gave Dennacor the best fake smile she could, hiding her disgust of him under this manufactured look of gratitude.

The General and Cree remained in the hall outside the room, awaiting Dennacor. Shortly after they had been sent from the room, The door opened and Dennacor stepped out smiling.

"General," he said beaming. "Call for the holy man and the villagers, for there is soon to be a queen to the throne."

The General looked to Cree in disbelief. Cree smiled widely back.

As the moon cleared the peaks and lit the mountain village, the room that Syanay had been resting in was a completely different room. Barbarian men and women stood elbow to elbow, filling the room with their mummers and whispers as Dennacor, the holy man, and Syanay stood before them all. The walls were lined with torches and the light of the full moon poured in through the glass ceiling giving the room an eerie orange and silver glow.

The entire village had gathered to witness the union of Dennacor and his would be assassin. All but one.

The General stood at the edge of the glass and stared down as Dennacor and Syanay got to their knees before the holy man. A sneer distorted his face.

"Why can you not be happy for your king," Cree said from behind him.

"The king has become a fool," The General said not looking to her.

"Why do say that?" Cree asked stepping next to him and looking down at the wedding. "Because this is not what you want?"

"No," The General said defensively. "What I want has nothing to with this. He's wedding a woman who came to kill him," The General looked to Cree. "Something tells me you had a hand in this."

"Perhaps I did," Cree said with a smile.

"What insanity is this Cree? You may have endangered Dennacor, and you smile about it."

"Tell me General," she said looking to him. "What is it you want?"

"That has no bearing now."

"Doesn't it?" Cree said. "You have been in the service to Dennacor all your life, and when has he once given you what you want?" She leaned forward and whispered into his ear. "I know what you want."

The General pulled away from her. "You know nothing."

"War and glory are your hearts deepest desires," Cree said sternly to The General.

He could say nothing. Cree seemed to know the desires of his heart as much as he. How was that possible? Cree was an Oracle, her job was not to know a man's heart, just his path. "What kind of witchery is this?"

"This is not witchery General," she said, the smile leaving her face. "I can see it in your eyes. Any one could see it if they only looked deep enough."

The General looked back to Dennacor as he kissed Syanay, then turned back to Cree.

"I can give them to you," Cree said. "You just must do what I say, and nothing more."

"For what price?" The General asked.

"No price," Cree said. "All you must do is stand behind the queens innocence. Nothing more, and you shall have your war."

The General looked back down. "Fine," he whispered.

After the wedding feast, Dennacor and Syanay were finally alone as he led her to her chamber. Neither talked, and Dennacor had tried to take her hand, but she had pulled away from him. They reached her chamber door and Dennacor opened it for her, standing aside to allow her entry.

Syanay looked at him, giving him a small smile before stepping in. The chamber was as large as Thett's hut. Thett, she had only left him four days ago and already she missed him dearly. She quickly crossed the room to the large overstuffed bed. She stood over the bed, and ran a hand over the top blanket. Never in her life had she felt anything so soft. Sleep would not come easy on this bed. She had grown accustom to the stiffness of her cot.

She jumped slightly as Dennacor placed his hand over hers. She turned to see him inches from her. She hadn't even heard him come in. She thought he had stayed by the door.

"My you are beautiful," he said leaning in to kiss her.

Syanay pulled her hand from under his and pushed him back. Dennacor stepped back three steps, nearly falling over backwards.

"I gave you my hand," she spat at him. "As much as I didn't want to, I gave you my hand. You'll not have my body."

"We are wed," Dennacor said hurt filled his voice. "You are my queen."

"But I don't love you," she said. "I have already sworn myself to one man. He will be the only one to have me."

"But..." Dennacor started.

"I am sorry," she said turning away from him. "This man gave up everything for me. He sacrificed everything so I may live. In return I sacrifice my self to him and him only."

Dennacor looked to the floor. He could not find the words to say. He was a large man and could easily take what he wanted by force, but something inside would not allow him to do any harm to something so beautiful.

"Very well," Dennacor said. He was about to turn away from her but a soft hand on his cheek stopped him. He looked up to see her looking at him with pity in her green eyes.

"I am truly sorry," she said. "I know you're a good man, but I have made a vow I cannot break."

Syanay leaned forward and kissed Dennacor softly on the cheek. She gave him a genuine smile before turning from him. Dennacor gave her his own smile of regret before leaving Syanay to her slumber.

Dennacor had gone to his own chamber after he left Syanay, but sleep did not come to him. He yearned for Syanay and his crotch ached from that yearning, stealing his sleep away from him. Before the sun could begin it's rise, he knew what he had to do. He had to have her and forcing himself on her was not an option, but there was a way.

A short time later, Dennacor was walking along the row of iron bars that lined both sides of the dungeon. He knew where he was going, as did the guard. He ignored the moans and rants from the cells he passed, the one cell he wanted was nearly at the end. His eyes and ears were open only to that cell.

He reached the cell door and waited for the guard. His haste had carried him nearly ten feet ahead of the guard. The guard finally caught up and unlocked the cell door. He threw it open and stepped aside.

Inside the cell, an old woman covered in wrinkles and long white hair sat up as Dennacor entered the cell.

"I have need of your services Whyth," Dennacor said stopping in the center of the cell.

"Is that so?" Whyth said in a voice raspy with age as she slowly stood. Her back had hunched with age and she shook. "And why should I help you? You were the one who threw me in here."

"I am offering you freedom for one favor."

Whyth laughed. "The king has come for a favor, I thought the day would never come."

"Enough," Dennacor roared. "If you would rather rot in this cell, then so be it."

Dennacor started to turn, but Wyth grabbed his arm.

"I will help you," she said. "What is your favor?"

"I want you to make my queen desire me," Dennacor said. "I want to love her, I must love her."

"You're a barbarian king," she said quietly. "Take her."

"I can't. She is too beautiful and pure to just take. It must be of her own accord."

"Very well," Wyth sighed. "I must have something of hers."

Dennacor drew one of her daggers from his cloak and handed it to her hilt first. Wyth took the dagger and examined it carefully.

"There are no markings, no insignia," she said looking to him. "Where is this woman from?"

"I know not."

Wyth nodded and smiled. She held the dagger before her, blade up. In one quick motion, she ran her tongue up the side of the blade, a sour look distorting her face. "Her lust for this man is wretched and nauseating."