Dake worked his tongue against the iron chain jammed into his mouth. He could feel it stretching the sides of his mouth and the pressure of a manacle at the back of his head that kept in place. The taste of metal and grime gagged him, but he couldn’t work the heavy gag from his lips. He grimaced and stared up at the ceiling, feeling exposed as the cool air swirled around him.
He was naked. Uncomfortably naked on some table. He could see rough-cut stone walls leading to the ceiling and cracks that spread across the entire surface above him. Scorch marks and scratches coated every surface he could see and he wondered what beast could do so much damage.
His ears perked at the sound of boots in the distance, then sighed with annoyance. He twisted his wrists, but the heavy iron manacles, no doubt for some creature, rattled in the confines of the room. He felt more chains across his chest and legs, pinning him down the table. Even his ankles were bound, leaving him helpless.
Taking another deep breath, he tugged on his chains, but they only shifted slightly. He growled and returned his focus to the ceiling.
It was the only thing he could focus on.
The boots grew louder and his interest increased with every passing moment. After a few seconds, he could hear that it was a single person coming closer. He tensed up and felt his heart beating faster with anticipation.
It also help push away the red haze of pain he felt from his injuries. The healing potion stopped the more fatal wounds, but he doubt he could pick up his ax, much less fight his way free.
“Oh my, you are a big one,” came a sudden voice of a woman. She had a strange accent and he caught the scent of flowers before she stood close enough for him to see her.
She was pretty, but strange at the same time. Eyes the color of the deepest grass would have startled him if it wasn’t for the flower growing in her hair and the green haze to her skin. She seemed serious as she looked at him, her eyes probing as she watched for every response. Dake ignored her gaze and looked down at the neat jacket that clung to her breasts and hooked right at the point of her nipples. The bottom of the coat followed the curve of her hips and accented the bare skin between the jacket and a long flowing skirt. Under the jacket, she wore a simple shift top that strained against her breasts.
Even with a massive jade bow strapped to her back, she was probably the most beautiful woman he saw in a long time.
Her eyes narrowed and he felt her gaze move down her body. For a moment, he followed her gaze, then realized his cock had twitched to life while looking at her. Mostly limp, it was still larger than the typical male. She rolled her eyes and made a face of complete and utter disgust.
“Creatures as yourself should stick to your own kind, beastman.”
Dake looked away and stared at the ceiling, trying not to look into those accusing green eyes. She said nothing for a moment, then he felt her warm hands against one of his wounds. He hissed in pain, then gasped as he felt energy flowing into him, like the healers from his world. Groaning, he felt the cuts stitching up and bones knitting together quickly. After only a few moments, he felt almost ready to take on an army.
“There, you won’t die on my table.”
Her face swam in front of him and he blinked. Looking up, he realized she was kneeling on the table, the arch of her bow right above his head as she looked into his eyes.
“I’m going to remove your gag, beast. If you try one spell, one charm, I’ll cut your throat before you can beg for help.”
Her words came out steady and murderous. He blinked and looked up at her. She held out an arrow, with a green jade tip, and pressed it against his throat.
“If you are intelligent, I recommend nodding.”
He nodded.
She hesitated for a moment, her green eyes piercing, then she nodded. With a flip of her finger, she released the iron gag from his mouth and he pushed it out with his tongue. Gasping, he started to say something, then halted as the arrow tip pressed against his throat.
“I’m not interested in hearing anything from you, beastman, I just want answers. I am Curious Scalpel Mistress, also known as V’neef Sitalia. You can call me Mistress.”
She paused for a moment and Dake felt a prickling of annoyance as he realized what she wanted. He ground his teeth together for a moment.
“Mistress.”
She gave him a perfunctory nod, then pulled the arrow away from his throat. Standing up, she hopped down on the table and spun around.
“What is your name, beastman?”
“Dake.”
“Cleaver of Two Worlds?”
He shrugged and listened to the chains rattling against the table.
“Sure, why not?”
Her eyes glittered.
“What name do you normally use.”
“Just Dake.”
She hummed, “Curious.”
Reaching over, she ran her fingertips against his arm. He felt a hot tickling under his skin as the flowers in her air began to twitch and unfurl, the smell of flowery perfume flooding his senses. She could almost feel a shimmering of energy around her as she traded the muscles of his arm and chest.
“Who are your parents, Dake?”
He gave him the name of his parents.
“Where were you born?”
“No idea. We moved around the plains so much we didn’t really have a home.”
“Closer to Sian or Great Forks?”
“Neither.”
She paused, her eyes snapping up to him. He shrugged.
“I can’t explain it, I’m not from here.”
Humming, Curious Scalpel just tapped her finger for a moment, then ran her fingers down his leg. He felt warm growing up his body and pooling in his groin. It felt good and wrong at the same time as she seemed to be doing something to him. She spoke in her serious tone as she walked around the table.
“From the Wyld, then. What brought you with the Anathema?”
“Sunshine?”
She snorted, “Sunshine, another short name?”
“Sure.”
“Fine, Sunshine. Why were you traveling with her?”
He started to answer, then she made a strange noise. He felt her hand on his cock, holding the massive length with both hands.
“You really are disgusting, beastman. No mortal could ever take that. And no doubt the Anathema enjoyed you more than once.”
His cock twitched with the memory. Scalpel hummed as she felt it from end to end.
“More proof they are not human. Disgusting.”
Dake snarled, then froze as she grabbed his balls.
“Be careful, or I will…”
Her voice trailed off as she hefted one ball in her hand. Then, he felt her run her thumb against a tiny scar at his base.
“I would almost say someone beat me to this. You were sterilized?”
Memories slammed into Dake and he shuddered from the intensity. The look of paladin burning with anger, the hatred in his eyes, even the rage he felt. He closed his eyes and looked away. Curious Scalpel hefted his other ball and found a matching scar right at the base.
“Very professional. Who did this?”
Dake refused to answer, to her or himself. He bit his lip and remained silent. She dropped his cock heavily on his stomach and stepped over to him.
“Look, Dake, I could finish the job and just cut them off entirely. So, either you answer and hope I’m feeling generous, or you risk my wrath. You already killed an innocent girl.”
Dake’s eyes snapped open, then he roared at her.
“I killed no one!”
She didn’t even seem surprised at his reaction. Shrugging, she lifted her hand. Tiny motes of energy rose up in her palm and formed into the shape of the stable girl from before. Dake stared at it for a moment, then realized something terrible happened.
“I-I didn’t kill her.”
“I don’t believe you,” came the dead-panned response.
“You’re an idiot.”
“No,” said Scalpel, “No, I don’t believe you as in I can’t tell if you are telling the truth. You have this… cloud in your thoughts that I can’t break through, it is very frustrating. You have Essence in you, but it is different, twisted, mutated. You have all the signs of being a user of charms, but I don’t see you could ever be able to do anything. And yet, yet you resist me without realizing it.”
She ran a finger along his broken horn, right at the ridge of the golden plate, and he jerked away.
“Stop.”
“What’s under there?”
“Nothing, its a promise.”
“Promise to what?” she pressed.
He said nothing for a moment, then he felt her working a fingertip under the edge. He jerked away.
“Righteousness, damn it!”
She smirked but released his horn.
“Now we are getting somewhere. What is this Righteousness’ full name? There are four in the area and at least twelve in the Direction.”
“That’s it, just Righteousness. Where I come from, we don’t have fancy, long-winded names that take too long to spell.”
Her lips pursed together.
“Crudely said.”
He glared at her, “Am I wrong?”
“Maybe,” she simply said. Then, she walked back down to his hips and pushed his length aside.
“Did Righteousness do this?”
Dake worked his mouth for a moment.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Penance.”
Her voice seemed to grow more curious, “Penance for what? Did he actually neuter you?”
“Yes and no. He made sure I could never have a child, if that is what you mean.”
“That doesn’t answer much, Dake.”
“It was part of joining the Alliance. I-I,” he struggled with the words, “I got an offer to join to perform penance, but I had to pay for my crimes.”
“What crimes?”
“Rape.”
It hurt more than he thought to say it.
“You were a rapist?”
“Yes.”
“Little children?”
Dake shook his head, tears starting to form as he remembered the memories.
“Never. I’m too big, and I prefer older women. Experience and the space to fit it properly in there. Children are… they would have been too easy and wouldn’t have lasted.”
She hummed again, “Hrm, I hear the truth in that. Have you ever killed a child?”
He closed his eyes but couldn’t stop the words from coming.
“Yes, once.”
“In a raid against a village. It was… it was the night Righteousness defeated me. I killed his daughter in a standoff with him.”
Scalpel seemed interested as she stopped.
“And he didn’t kill you?”
“Paladin’s are idiots.”
“What’s a paladin?”
“What’s a Lunar?” he countered.
She said nothing but resumed her investigation, running her hand along his fur and muscles and leaving a hot, tingling trail across his senses. Neither said anything as she circled around.
“You aren’t anathema, Dake, that much I’m sure. But, you are dangerous. Intelligent and dangerous, and I’m not sure what part of the Wyld you came from, but you definitely represent a threat.”
He snorted, “Thanks.”
She continued, ignoring him, “And every hour you are here, you threaten my city. Every day you are here, you threaten my lord and husband, Scion of the White Mountain. It is just a matter of time before you escape, and I can’t have that.”
“So?”
She looked at him, her eyes almost glowing.
“I’m going to have you executed in three hours. A simple little escape attempt and I’ll make sure you won’t make it four steps out the front gate. But, I need to set things up.”
“Why?”
She looked at him with hard eyes, “Because you are a beast that needs to be put down. Like a rabid animal. But I cannot have you just killed like one, so I’m going to make sure that me and Scion have to do it, for the good of everyone.”
There was a moment of surprise as he stared at her. Then, he lunged for her as he roared. She stepped back, the bow appearing her hand and a glowing arrow forming in the string. He surged against the chains, straining his body as he bellowed at her.
“I’ll see you dead first!”
The table shook, but his bounds held him fast. She lowered her bow. Stepping back, she flipped it to her back, then smoothed off her skirt.
“Make your peace with your gods, Dake.”
Then, spinning on her heels, she marched out of the room. Dake roared at her, straining and jerking at his bounds, but he couldn’t break himself free. The table shuddered with every moment but it was his rib that cracked before he could free himself.
Panting, he slumped against the table and growled.
“This sucks.”
Only the dull ache of his self-inflicted injury kept him company. He heard someone in the distance crying out, then horns blaring out through the walls. He could imagine something being set up for him and, to his surprise, his only regret was not being there for Sunshine.
Lost in his thoughts, he didn’t hear the guard until he felt the shadow on his face. His eyes snapped open as an older man, well into his fifties, looked down at him.
“Ya’ the beastman?” came a thick accent.
Dake growled and snapped forward, his mouth coming inches away from the guard who lunged back. The guard chuckled as he wiped spit from his cheek.
“Mean bugger, huh? Well, I’m here to take ya out.”
The tauren didn’t say anything as the man began to work his chain loose. Instead, he concentrated on his senses, feeling the bindings as they came lose. After a few seconds, Dake felt hope rising up. The guard unlocked one wrist to remove the chain, but Dake flexed his wrist to keep it from latching back into place. Instead, the joint of the manacle pinched his skin, but a few moments discomfort was nothing to the hope of finding freedom. A moment later, he felt his other hand being released to slide the chain out and Dake took his chance.
With terrible speed, he roared as he snapped up. His broken rib burned in his chest and he could feel his shoulder almost dislocating, but one hand grabbed the throat of the guard as the other caught his wrist. The manacle key dropped to the table with a loud rattle noise.
Dake growled deep in his chest, rumbling as he stared at the pale guard. Releasing the hand, he grabbed the key and fumbled for a moment to free his legs from the bindings. Freedom came as a gasp of relief as Dake swung his legs off the table and held the guard away from him. Staggering to his feet, he towered over the suddenly frail-looking man.
“Thanks.”
Only a gurgling, gasping noise came out from the man’s mouth. Dake pulled back with is other hand, forming into a tight fist. The guard’s eyes widened in fear and Dake drank a feeling of power that coursed over him.
Then froze as his eyes focused on the right ear of the guard. To his surprise, he saw a tiny triangle cut, a chop mark, in the man’s ear. Memories of the teenage girl in the prior town, and the mark on his horse swam across his memories and for the briefest of moments, he had the impression they were the same. Then it passed and he shook his head to clear it.
Relaxing his fist, he punched the guard with less than his full strength. The man’s head snapped back and his eyes rolled into the back of his head. Slumping to the ground, Dake let him down, then checked a pulse on his neck.
Still alive.
Shrugging, the warrior, stood up and then looked down at his naked body. His eyes glanced over to the considerably smaller guard and sighed.
“It never fits.”
Grabbing a short sword that felt like a dagger in his hand and the belt, Dake dressed himself the best he could and turned toward the door. As an idle thought, he grabbed one of the heavy chains from the table and wrapped it in his hand.
Stalking out of the room, he locked it shut with the guard’s key and hurried to his freedom.
He wasn’t aware of the layout, but after years of raiding dungeons, it only took Dake a few minutes to find a window looking out. He was in a fortress of some sort, puny and pathetic compared to some of the massive fortresses of home, but still capable of defending against most attacks. His eyes focused on a bright green spot in the yard, Curious Scalpel Mistress. She stood on top of a platform, directing workers on construction of gallows. Gallows large enough for a tauren. He shook his head with annoyance.
A gasp surprised him and he spun around to see a frail-looking girl, maybe eighteen years old and black hair, staring at him with bright eyes. Her looks were only magnified by the wire-rimmed glasses that balanced on her nose. He noticed her small breasts above the contents in her hands and the cloudy brown eyes that stared at him. The towels in her hand tumbled to the ground and Dake lunged forward, hands reaching for her. She started to scream, but he plastered one hand against her mouth and pinned her against the wall.
He growled deeply, “Quiet!”
Her body trembled violently as they stared at each other, then her eyes moved down and he followed the gaze to his naked manhood. For a moment, he considered reverting to his own ways, but a promise to Righteousness stopped him.
“I’m not going to rape you, girl. But I want my clothes and I want my ax, do you know where they are?”
Terrified, she nodded. Dake gave her his best smile.
“And if you quietly show me where they are, I’ll leave you perfectly unharmed and living. You try to run or scream, I’ll break your neck like a twig.”
The smell of fear flooded over him and she nodded frantically. He leaned forward, watching as his breath tickled her hair and a pretty little tear ran down her cheek.
“Good, show me.”
Twenty minutes later, he stood in a small room near the back of the fortress, pulling on his clothes and cinching his belt. The maid cowered in the corner, sobbing and rubbing her hands on her skirt, as if it would remove the blood that splattered on her. Dake looked over at the corpse, a man looking through his things. The tauren only meant to knock him out, but when strange energies formed around him, he went in for the kill. He sighed unhappily and grabbed his ax.
“Oh, feels better to be armed.”
Slipping the backpack on, he looked down at the maid. Tears ran down her cheeks as she clutched herself, unable to look into his eyes. He knelt down in front of her, watching as she shook like a leaf. With an almost tender hand, he reached out and cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him.
“What’s your name?”
“I-I,” she sobbed, “Iridin.”
“Well, Iridin, I keep my word. I won’t harm you and I won’t be upset if you run for the nearest guard as soon as I leave this room. He reached into his pack and pulled out a few gold coins he didn’t exchange.
“They might not be much, but hopefully you’ll be able to keep them.”
He set the heavy coins in her hand and stood up. Taking a deep breath, he gave her a nod, then yanked the door open. Outside, a lone guard was inspecting another guard Dake knocked out and the tauren launched a powerful kick that threw the man into the ceiling. He hit the ground and groaned before passing out. Dake chuckled and headed toward the back of the fortress, where he spotted the kitchen entrance.
In the glorious city of Yu-Shan, the Loom of Fate wove out the Tapestry, everything that was, is, and will be in all of Creation. At the moment, a large section of the Tapestry hummed with activity as thousands of pattern spiders worked the threads, changing lives and futures as a dozen Sidereals stood in the middle, watching with calculating expressions of fear, surprise, and interest. All of them were from different walks of life from beggar to noble, but they had one thing in common: their eyes.
Each one had no whites in their eyes. Instead, their gaze was a solid color of green, yellow, blue, red, or purple all flecked with stars. Each gaze saw more than the physical world—they saw into the very skeins of Fate as they were woven.
Resplendent Ray of Brilliance stood in the middle of the chaos, watching intently to the threads as the spiders worked. Hundreds of the mechanical spiders tumbled over each other as they laid down new threads and cut old ones. The Tapestry held the future of Creation and the changes today were being woven into the future months and years. Many of the changes were just coming into being and she could see rents in the Tapestry where creatures not of Creation manipulated the world with their very presence.
Next to her, a purple-eyed Sidereal stood up from the Tapestry. He was an attractive man, as most Exalted were, with long blond hair and dark eyebrows. He had an easy smile, but it was the smile of a mortal, someone who exalted only decades ago instead of centuries.
“This is bad, Resplendent. We are going to need to audit some gods to find out the cause of this. I’m going to suggest we-”
“No, this just is something else, Dancing Rains. I don’t think this is entirely gods playing. Only the Incarna might have that power and we know what they are doing. No, this is something far more reaching than this.”
“Do we call one of the Maidens?”
Resplendent raised an eyebrow, “They’ll come when they come. Until then, its our job to watch over Creation and to ensure that Fate moves its course.”
“If you say so, sifu.”
Resplendent shrugged, then looked over the Tapestry. Then looked around as a silence plunged over the Tapestry. Her eyes met with her peers, then as one, they looked down at the armies of pattern spiders. The mechanical spiders, manipulators of fate, had stopped without warning. For the first time in her life, the Tapestry was silent around her. She felt fear rising up inside her and couldn’t find its source.
As one, the spiders burst in all directions, moving faster than any mortal could move and leaving motes of energy trailing behind them in their haste. Smoke and dust rose up from the air as the area cleared in mere seconds. Resplendent frowned as she turned around, her bare feet caressing the lives of thousands. She felt out with her energies, feeling the future of everything.
Then a quake rippled through the Tapestry. Delicate and subtle as the morning dew, but Resplendent felt it as powerfully as a burning brand across her chest. She didn’t have time to think about it, but she felt the terrible agony of lives being lost close to her being.
“Malfeas!” she swore violently and yanked hard with all her power. Her entire body burst into green light, flowing out of her very soul as her eyes burned with the fury of a green star. Dozens of yards in front of her, the elder sidereal of Journeys did the same. The yellow light blinded her as he teleported hundreds of feet away, but her actions were already mapped into her consciousness. Her hand snatched out, wrapping around Dancing Rain’s hair as she crouched and jumped straight up. He let out a scream from surprise and pain, but it only redoubled as the Tapestry burst open beneath them. The thread of lives, the plans of Fate for every mortal, tore open and flung shredded threads in all directions. Lines of gold, copper, and iron slashed out in all directions. The first caught an elder Sidereal with red eyes. It passed right through him, but to those who manipulated Fate, they could see as it caught on his lower soul and tore it out as easily as paper. Resplendent and everyone else felt sorrow in their heart as his soul was tore apart by the threads of mortals.
For most watching, there was no time to respond. More lives ended prematurely and the loose ends of their Fate lashed out, tearing the souls from the Sidereals as they were torn from the Tapestry itself. Immense tears formed in the Tapestry, ripping open as something destroyed the future for millions of lives.
She reached the peak of her jump and began to fall. Twisting around, she peered down at the Tapestry and felt her heart freeze as more tears ravaged the cloth of fate. Angry chasms gaped open as the torn lives lashed out in all directions. She tensed as she looked into her future, violating edicts and restrictions in desperation. Resplendent found the thread of her life, starmetal to the mundane golds of mortality, and traced it through the very end. As she focused on it, she mapped out the path of her life. Straight down into the killing fields of the tapestry and then a brutal end. And a second life, Dancing Rain, intertwined with hers and joining in her in her fate.
“Resplendent!” screamed the purple Sidereal. She spun around as she felt fear grabbing her heart. He looked confused and terrified and she could see he also knew his own fate.
Seeing the future is a terrible thing.
Without thinking, she grabbed his arm and planted her feet on his chest. He grabbed her, pulling her close. Shaking his head, he gave her a warning cry.
“Don’t do this, sifu!”
“Tell the Maidens!” she hissed and kicked out with all her strength. Her entire body exploded with green light as she threw the last of her Essence, her energy, into kicking him away. His fingers snapped as they parted. He streaked high into the air, higher than any mortal could jump and even higher than a bird’s flight. In her eye, she could see their intertwined fates tearing apart, his fluttering free as hers shredded in a burst of green.
She only had a moment to smile, then spasm as hundreds of threads tore into her. She felt her very soul being ravaged apart and cast into Oblivion.
Then there was nothing.
Dake crawled out of the river outside of Goresrot. Panting heavily, he limped to the large rocks as he stared at the burning fortress behind him. A sharp pain burst through his senses and he pulled out a dozen jade-tipped arrows from his side and back. Blood poured out of his wounds as he pulled out dozens more from his arms and shoulders.
“Damn, that healer a good shot,” he groaned before slumping to the rock. His ax dripped with water for a moment and he shook it dry before jamming it into a loop on his belt. Fishing in his pack, he grabbed another healing potion and drank it. It didn’t help much, so he grabbed another, then another. Each one left a burning sensation down his throat, but he felt his injuries finally healing as the fifth one dropped to the ground and shattered.
“Better… get out of here,” he gasped and started the laborious climb up the bank of the river and into the grass. Panting, he forced himself to stand up and orient himself.
“Wait for me-”
He grew silent as he heard a horsing racing toward him. Unsheathing his ax, he crouched down as Sunshine’s white horse burst into the clearing. He felt a prickling of many emotions burning inside him as he regarded the horse. This time, his eyes automatically went to the chop mark on its right ear.
Somehow, he knew that the marks were identical, but he didn’t know how. The horse carefully inched forward, bobbing its head. Dake’s eyes narrowed as he shoved the ax back into his belt. The horse relaxed and came closer. It nuzzled against him and he noticed someone already saddled the pristine creature. Too many questions and Dake felt some terrible intelligence in those warm brown eyes.
Dake punched it.
The meaty fist connected with the side of the horse’s head. The horse reared up, but Dake grabbed its reins and punched it again with his flagging strength. The dull sound of impact disappeared as the horse collapsed to the ground, twitching. Still panting, Dake towered over it.
“I don’t know what you are or who you are, but I don’t trust you. You mean me harm, creature, but I don’t know how.”
He limped away from his mount, wondering if he did the right thing. Everything ached, but that chop mark kept swimming through his memories and he just couldn’t trust it.
An hour later, he still wondered if he did the right thing. Finding a tree, he leaned heavily on the thick wood and took a deep breath.
“Fine, I have my own mount. Might as well use it.”
He hated using mounts, he was always too large for them, but he didn’t have time to walk after Sunshine. In the back of his heart, he felt her need calling to him and he didn’t want to lose her. Digging into his pack, he pulled out a huge set of reins, flickering with icy flames. It took him a moment to find the runes inscribed on the reins. Working with the directions he got from Righteousness, he grinned at the memory of killing the horse’s prior owner. With a flicker of energy, Essence in this world, he let the energy fill the reins. The flames rose higher, licking at his skin, but he kept on fueling energy.
To his surprise, it took more effort than before. The call felt like it echoed instead of being answered in seconds. He just continued to call for it, rubbing his fingers against the activation runes as he felt energy dripping out of him.
An hour passed before he saw the first results of his summoning. The world bulged out, like glass lens melting in front of him. Frowning, he pumped more energy into it as the bulge grew, then cracks formed in reality.
Just as he felt the last of his energy draining out of him, the crack burst open and a skeletal horse his height came stomping through. With hooves burning blue flames, it stamped on the ground as it regarded him with the distaste of the undead and of a slave. Behind it, the tear in reality sealed up with a whistling noise and then a shudder.
The horse let out a terrible noise, a cross between a neigh and a howl. It shook its head, two large horns waving in the air toward him. Groaning, Dake glared at it.
“Get over it, I don’t like you and you don’t like me, but you are mine until the end of time, horse.”
The horse bowed its head and the smell of its burning hooves tainted the air. It took too much time to mount the horse and he leaned into the bone saddle.
“Find my Sunshine,” he commanded and directed it to Tammis.