Hello to everyone who reads this and thank you so much for reading it! This is a short series I have been working on and even though this is a shorted chapter it develops conflict, I bet you will want to know what happens next. Anyway enjoy guys/gals! *Note* If you hit download you will get the full story. This is just chapter 4. Also it is important to note that the download is not spell checked. My computer is old and sort of dumb so I used FA to spell check. Thanks!


Chapter four: Perils from the past

Voice drew me out of my slumbering state and soon I was awake and thrashing. Waves of pain washed over me and I clutched the various wounds on my body. My entire body was being subjected to light jarring that I quickly understood as the motions of a wagon. Trying to sit up again I was hit with more sharp pain and I cried out scrunching my whole body up in agony. As I clung to my own body a second time I felt bandages of a large portion of my torso. Rolling fully onto my back I opened my eyes to see the sky moving by at a fairly rapid pace. Every other sense seem to come to life at once and I began hearing, tasting, smelling, and feeling instantly. I heard the soft chirping of birds behind the gruff guffawing of two laughing men. My mouth tasted of an earthy flavor and the bitter tang of dried blood. Taking a deep breath I could smell the stink of two men nearby tainting the sweet air, which flowed into the cage I was currently locked. My paws scratched at the ground below me as I struggled to get free from the simple binding they had placed me in. I was in far two much pain and I could hardly even manage to loosen the shackles. The cage I helplessly was trapped in was made out of a series of weaved iron bands to form each wall.

"He's awake now! Should I stun him again?" A voice hissed out as I suddenly tuned my hearing to the voices.

"No reason. We just crossed the border to Nohilgine province" Another voice responded sending me into a frenzy.

The pain didn't matter to me once I heard Nohilgine. Kicking and lashing my arms I tried to claw the chains that bound me. This did not work and soon I was howling in pain as I shook uncontrollably. I can't go back! Gods no I have to go home. I have to get back to the mountain and find Eugene... I want to tell him everything now. Another session of thrashing put me in another coma of pain and as I lay paralyzed with pain I heard my capture laughing.

"Gods damn you both! I hope you both rot in the beyond!" I cried overwhelmed with anger and terror.

They both laughed harder at this though and one replied. "With all the gold I am getting from your bounty I will have enough to last into the beyond!" The hissing voice snickered deviously as the other voice joined.

"Please if all you want is gold I can pay you three times my bounty!" I called out unable to see my captors but certain that conversing with them would be the only way out of this.

Sadly they only laughed again, harder this time. "If you had that kind of coin then you would have had a private army or something!" The other more accented voice said laughing harder than his helper who was trying to speak over him.

"He wouldn't have been in some backward part of nowhere either!" The hissing voice laughed out causing them both to cackle at me hysterically.

"Please! You don't know what he will do to me!" My pitiful cries fell on deaf ears yet again.

"Oh I know exactly what he will do! Put you to death!" The accented male replied viciously.

"Maybe hang him up like an ornament for everyone to see!" The hissing voice said wickedly as I flailed against my restraints in the back of the wagon.

"Oh god this can't be happening..." I mumbled to myself hopelessly. "Please..." I began to beg but found no words to barter with.

This is it. I have dreaded this since I first ran away about a year and a half ago. My life would be over shortly and I will more than likely suffer greatly until the end. All the money I stole and all the guards I killed meant nothing... he cared about my promise. Fighting my restraints again I wailed in pain feeling a sharp slash of agony run along my torso. This isn't possible! Gods this is no way die! I want to die like a warrior, fighting my enemy! Not tortured to death or left to rot in a cell somewhere. Please gods send someone to save me! Send something to protect me! Send some force to change my fate! My body entered a frenzy as I saw felt the wagon move onto paved roads. I knew we were dangerously close now.

"Oh keep quiet back there!" The accented man shouted, obviously annoyed. "You aren't escaping so stop trying!" He returned to his horrible jovial attitude as he laughed out his next statement.

"You sealed your own fate! Your a fool to steal from the king!" The hissing voice shouted with harsh emphasis on the "s" sounds in his sentence.

"Please you have to let me go! You have to do the right thing!" I cried out now trying to reason with them morally instead of through pity.

"The right thing?" They both seemed to blurt out at once before bursting into laughter.

"Your pathetic." The accented voice said arrogantly.

"Sad little thief." Again the hissing voice heavily emphasized the "s" sounds.

"NO!" Carnal fear made me cry out as I thrashed against the bindings that slowly brought me toward my doom. "I want... I- I want-.... I want to b-be..." My voice cut apart as tears welled up in my eyes and soon I was sobbing as I shook with penetrating terror.

Hearing the environment around me brought a heavily somber feeling over me. It was depressing to know that this world will go on without me. Not a single thing will change aside from my posters coming down... The birds I was currently hearing were possibly going to live longer than I. This wagon would be used long after I have been imprisoned or executed. All my hard work to learn the arts of combat... I should not die rotting in a cell or at the hand of clumsy headsman. No I want to go to the mountain! I want to die protecting the mountain like I promised! Thats the promise I care about! Why can't he understand? Oh god... what is he going to do to me? He always was a vindictive bastard! Shivers ran up and down my spine like fingers on a keyboard. I twitched and shook unable to control the relentless fear I was feeling. Staring down monsters and foes alike I was fearless but now the knowledge that I will have to face my past is petrifying.

I began to hear the soft chime of wagon bells. The familiar sound was rather soothing and I sighed a little wishing I could enjoy it more. These particular bells are made only for the carriages of Nohilgine city. Gods I wish I could have at least gotten to see the city! I have missed this place ever since I left! The tall buildings and crowded streets are nothing like the small mountain village I remember as a pup. This place had it's own energy, it was alive. My tiny mountain village was not dead mind you, just... sleeping. Thinking back I felt a single tear well up and I blinked it away as I felt the wagon rolling to a stop. There is no reason to cry over my home now... I was never going back there.

"Oi! What's all this then?" A thick burly voice barked out as the wagon fully stopped.

"Open up the gate! We have the kings bounty!" The accented male replied much to the astonishment of the guard.

"Head on in! But be warned if you try to fool him... you won't be leaving the castle." The gruff voice of the guard said and I heard the loud clattering roar of a gate being opened with chains.

The wagon pushed on and my body shook greater and greater as we rolled through the city. The open sky was now bordered with the even shingled rooftops and well maintained towers this city was so well known for. Thoughts flowed through my head as I rolled closer and close to my demise. What if he doesn't kill me? Will I be enslaved to repay the gold? Is he going to take his rage out on my village? Is he going to... use me? I had to steady my breathing to keep from crying again but as the buildings ceased to border the sky I did cry. This means we were on the main path toward the caste in the center of town. We would pass under a small stone archway and then a few gates before arriving at my doom. Not much time now. I began to pray. I prayed to each god evenly for help, guidance, and vengeance. My stomach turned inside out as we passed under the archway and I would have thrown up had I eaten more recently. Experiencing another burst of unfathomable oblivion I kicked and punched trying to break the chains or free my paws from them. Each gate passed one by one, seemingly slower than the rest until I felt the wagon beginning to turn. Oh gods why have you forsaken me in life? Please... avenge me in death...