LITMIR.BIZ

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when he realized they were Dyhaeri. Two males and one female. Something was wrong.

      They looked terrified and defiant at the same time. Why weren’t they wielding? Then he saw the odd golden bracelets on their bruised arms. Malie heard one of them gasp. He turned his head slightly to see the female Dyhaeri staring at him, shock on her face.

      “We have here three Dyhaeri scouts who wandered too close to our waters.” The queen smiled coldly as she approached the prisoners. The Dyhaeri cringed at her closeness but stayed silent. Malie noticed the single female Dyhaeri looked livid.

      “As is commonly known, all Dyhaeri are wielders. So, who better to use in this important ceremony?” Her Specialists nodded, keeping their hungry eyes on the unfortunate three Dyhaeri. Queen Kallesa used her fire runes to open the altar compartment and withdrew two armlets this time. Malie felt his heart sink; he knew what was going to happen next.

      The queen beckoned to the two Specialists holding one of the male Dyhaeri. They dragged him forward. He struggled in silence, but he was no match for the two guards. However, they were unable to lift him onto the altar.

      “Hold him in place.” Queen Kallesa stepped forward with the two armlets.

      “Betrayer of blood!” The female Dyhaeri shocked everyone in the chamber, including Malie, with her shout. “We didn’t enter your borders! You snatched us from our own territory!”

      Like she did to my siblings and me , thought Malie as he watched the words stop Queen Kallesa in her tracks. The queen stared at the indignant female Dyhaeri for a moment, then she slowly strode over to her.

      “You have no honor! You are a liar and kinslayer! May the Dark Sister take you!”

      Queen Kallesa cruelly gripped her face. “What is your name?”

      “I will not share my name with a traitor!”

      A dangerous glint appeared in the queen’s eyes. Her fingers glowed brighter and brighter as she slowly began to burn the Dyhaeri’s skin, yet the captive refused to cry out, though her tears flowed freely.

      Not a sound escaped from the Dyhaeri’s lips. Malie noticed some of the Specialists looked a bit squeamish. Long moments passed before Queen Kallesa stopped. The Dyhaeri almost passed out from pain.

      “She goes first.” The queen’s voice was dark and cold. “Let’s not waste her abilities, shall we?”

      Queen Kallesa began to attach the armlet to the badly burnt Dyhaeri, and though weakened, the female Dyhaeri began to speak in her language. Malie pressed his head against the side of his glass tank to better hear the words.

      “…how is a god born? In silence or in fire? Or as the waters of life rise up or as the earth is rent asunder? Surely, the rest of the world shall not survive the labor pains. A thousand years shall pass before one lost child of the seas shall go mad and attempt to ascend. This will mark the end of all that is and all that is to be. Unless the mad child is stopped by the One and the Three.

      Ah, we see you, listener. Your eyes ask, whom we do speak of?

      These four individuals come from different worlds. One is the lost heir, another is the teacher, the third will be the catalyst, and the fourth will be the sacrifice.”

      Queen Kallesa shot her an unreadable look and activated the armlet. The Dyhaeri cursed the queen as the device began to glow blue. The prisoner held eye contact with the queen even as her body began to jerk from the growing pain. The Specialists let go as her body flopped to the hard concrete floor, yet the dying Dyhaeri never once broke eye contact with the Immortal Queen.

      “May…your name…fade…into obscurity.” Those were the Dyhaeri’s last words as life left her body. The cold hatred in the queen’s eyes was unnerving. Silence fell as she stared at the dead body for what seemed an eternity. Malie glanced at the two surviving Dyhaeri; a combination of sadness and pride shone in their faces as they looked at their dead comrade.

      Queen Kallesa finally growled a name, and one of the kneeling Specialists stood and ran forward. Malie could see he was terrified of his monarch even as he tried to ignore the dead Dyhaeri.

      “Paren, are you ready for my gift?” The Specialist flinched as if she was offering him poison. Malie’s eyes narrowed at his expression; some part of the human must still realize the queen was a maniacal, terrifying leader. So, why did he still serve her?

      “Y…yes, my queen.”

      The queen snapped her fingers, and two other Specialists took hold of his arms. One exposed Paren’s right arm, and he began to breathe heavily. The queen tore the blue glowing armlet from the dead Dyhaeri and attached it to herself. She closed her eyes in a long moment of bliss as she fed on the power of the dead captive.

      Queen Kallesa finally opened her eyes and attached the second armlet to a perspiring Paren. She drew a fire rune into the second armlet and then the transfer of power began. The Specialist grimaced as the power flowed into him, then his expression was replaced by one of ecstasy.

      Malie saw the looks of disgust and horror on the faces of the remaining two Dyhaeri. He didn’t blame them. Each time he witnessed this ceremony, he felt like throwing up, especially when he knew what followed. His attention was abruptly returned to the ceremony when Queen Kallesa suddenly stopped the transfer. Paren cried out in despair. His hunger for more shone in his eyes.

      “Shh.” The queen placed a well-manicured finger on his lips. “Soon, we will have all the power we need. This gift will get you there.” She glanced at the others. “We will all get there.”

      She called forth another name, and a second eager Specialist ran to take Paren’s place. The queen repeated the process until the power in the armlet was depleted. Then the next Dyhaeri was dragged forward, and Queen Kallesa waited for the captive to say something. He just glared at her.

      “No final words like your stupid comrade?”

      “May your name fade into obscurity.” The two remaining Dyhaeri said it at the same time, repeating it like a chant. Malie thought it was interesting how the queen’s face turned a funny shade of red. She had definitely walked into that one.

      He could see she itched to burn both Dyhaeri to the ground, but she needed to complete the ceremony. She attached the armlet even as the Dyhaeri kept chanting. Queen Kallesa punched one of the Dyhaeri hard in the gut, but he continued chanting the moment he recovered. Even, when the queen triggered the armlet and the pain started, he didn’t stop.

      A furious Queen Kallesa shared the power she collected with more of her acolytes, then repeated the procedure with the last Dyhaeri. He was unfortunate to receive a few hard slaps across the face from the angry queen, but that didn’t stop him from chanting the infuriating words.

      She appeared slightly mollified when the third Dyhaeri was dead. “Store the Solarian bracelets.” Malie’s internal ears quivered at those words. He noticed how reluctant the acolytes were to handle the strange jewelry. He suspected those had been what the queen had used to inhibit the Dyhaeri’s wielding abilities.

      “And now, my children, it’s time to practice.” She turned her cold green eyes on Malie. The sea serpent’s heart rate rose in terror. Part of him hoped he died this time, but the rest of him knew she would keep him alive for more pain and torment.

      It didn’t take long before Malie’s screams rent the air.

       #

      “And what is this used for?” Lanead pointed at a small spoon in the carefully arranged cutlery set.

      “For stirring tea, but not sipping,” promptly replied Kahl. Behind Lanead, Mat rolled his eyes. The cousins were in the captain’s cabin. Their topic today was court etiquette.

      “Mat, please pay attention,” continued the captain without turning.

      Kahl fought to suppress a smile. Mat thought learning about how humans interacted at the dinner table was a waste

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