Rahm hunched down, the pressure made his fur bristle even though it wasn't directed at him. The eagle had also disappeared just as they arrived… traitor! Hadn't even given a warning…
The jubilant mood was gone like a whisp of smoke, Zane watched as Young Song walked over stone faced. Even Caius had his ears back as he curled up, tails wrapping around his body as he looked over confused.
Rommel flinched as the much smaller youth passed by him without a word. The air was so charged with power that his hair was starting to rise as if electrified. Rommel didn't mean to move, but as if Young Song were a whirlpool and he a leaf, his gaze followed without control. The wagons were about to leave but the guards were suddenly stiff as statues.
Ashton passed by the most injured women to the only one who looked healthy. Her tanned skin had cuts and bruises, but she had all her limbs, both hazel green eyes, most of her teeth, her tongue, and was only just starting to show her pregnancy. Before he'd even said anything she started to tremble looking around as if someone would swoop in and carry her away.
"There you are, betrayer of trust." Ashton greeted as he stood over her, then he raised his left foot over her right ankle. Slowly, ever so slowly started to crush her bone. When his foot had crushed the ankle into meaty pulp, he lifted it to wipe off the blood on the blanket.
"GHAAAA!! AAH! AAA!! GHAA!" Alia screamed as she clawed at the ground. The pain. Mercy of the sea she had never known such pain was possible. Tears were streaming down her face. She tried everything in her power to free herself from the blanket that kept her bound. "Ahhh! Aaa!!!" She managed to free one arm , clawing at the wagon in an effort to crawl away. "Ugg! Uggh!"
Ashton tilted his head, "Where is her feather?" Ashton kept his voice calm, pleasantly polite even. When she continued to scream and writhe he titled his head the other way, "If you aren't answering me, there's no reason for you to make noise."
Alia trembled as she lifted her gaze to the impassive youth, desperately trying to stifle her screams. It hurt, it hurt, gods above it hurt so much! Nothing should hurt! "Sniff, uggh, she, she promised…" suddenly another blinding pain destroyed her ability to think.
Ashton stomped on the same leg, but instead of the ankle crushed the toes and half the foot until a bloody paste started to soak the blanket. "She bartered, she made no promise. Where is her feather?" Ashton asked in the same calm, polite voice as if he had not just crushed half the bones in her right foot.
Rommel jumped at the blood curdling scream that seemed to fill the entire forest. Waters of the Sea… blood was actually trickling down her mouth from the power of that sound. The banket was quickly turning red, but not as much as one would think… perhaps the crushed foot had cut off the blood flow as well.
"Aieeeee!!! Ahhhh!!! Uwah!" The moment she could draw breath into her lungs Alia screamed until she felt her throat rip. Oh god, why, why! It wasn't her fault! "I, I! I!" oh god, it hurt. It hurt so much! "Sob sob, ugh!"
"I'm done asking, give me her feather." Ashton stated as he rested his left foot on her right ankle. When she continued to scream and writhe, he slowly started crushing the ankle. "Your voice is starting to grate on the ears."
Noelle has placed herself between Young Song and her cousins… this had not been a side she expected him to have. He wasn't angry, or even disgusted. Young Song was so, matter of fact. As if this was the only possible conclusion of finding women who had been captured by goblins… Noelle felt goosebump raise all over her body at the thought of him so arbitrarily condemning women who had suffered such abuse.
Ashton turned his head to raise a brow at Noelle, "You believe I am unduly harsh princess?" Her disappointment was more than skin deep, it shook her very soul. Ashton didn't stop crushing Alia's ankle as everyone watched.
Noelle shuddered as she lowered her eyes, his voice had been clear and calm, how she could hear anything over the continued screams was not a question she wanted answered. Noelle took a deep breath before she exhaled her answer. "Yes Young Song… I don't believe any woman is to blame when… when they are the victims of such violence…" She might not be willing to challenge Young Song… but she wouldn't be cowed into lying.
Ashton glanced back down at Alia, "Tell them Alia, tell them how you forsook our protection and ended getting more than you bargained for." It would seem… that none of the humans present had enough faith to believe in him. How… well now was hardly the time.
Noelle shivered as the woman, Alia, continued to scream and writhe. Her broken fingernails were leaving bloody handprints as she clawed at the ground and blanket. Noelle's heart chilled at the sight as Young Song moved his foot up to her knee.
"I tire of this." Ashton stated as he crushed the knee and injected Alia with enough of his mana to force her to focus. "Stop screaming."
Alia froze mid scream… its not that she wasn't in pain anymore… but she physically could not scream.
"Breathe, then answer my question." Ashton could focus her attention, but he couldn't force her to do his will. She drew in a ragged breath with her whole chest.
"Haaa, ahh, haa, it hurts… why…?" Alia asked as tears continued to pour down her face, she didn't dare look down. Oh God, she'd promised, promised to give her enough money to liv like a queen… protect her for the rest of her life, why…
Ashton tilted his head, then twisted his foot into her knee. "The longer I wait, the more I break." While he didn't need to justify his actions, lack of understanding would no doubt cause more hurdles for him reaching his goals. Not to mention… if the princess dared break the spirit of her promises… there was little doubt her followers would do the same.
"Heeeee!!! I, I brought it! I have it! Stop, please stop!" Alia whimpered helplessly. She couldn't give it yet, oh god, if she gave it now, he would kill her! He would really kill her! "I, I brought it! You have to protect me!"
Ashton slowly moved his foot just above the twisted, crushed knee. "You're in no position to barter with me. Not only did I have to barter for someone to fetch you, you've delayed my reunion more than long enough." He started to slowly press down.
"NNggh! Hunnnn, ah, prom-promised!" Alia persisted as she writhed, he couldn't take it! She had to give it, she had to get his promise! It hurt, it hurt so much!
Ashton lifted his foot, "Don't worry, you won't die. Not after tainting my pride." Ashton promised, he snapped his fingers so two tiny red flames appeared, then drifted down. The flames passed through the blanket, then when they made contact with skin there was an audible sizzle.
"Hee! Heeee!!!" Oh god, oh god, it burns! Burning her alive!!! Why! Why was he punishing her! It had been an honest mistake! He lied to her! Promised that if she healed his guard he'd marry her! Heee!!!
"Tell them and the burning will cease." Ashton informed as he watched her.
Noelle's gut clenched, the smell… how was her flesh burning but the blanket wasn't? Beast Gods above… she knew not to pull a tiger's tail… but of all the beasts she'd ever seen punish someone. This was the first one to be tortured. Even Alaina would just quickly slice off a head or drown someone, Lord Caius would eat them, maybe piece by piece, but eat them within a single sitting. If this Alia wasn't going to die…
Alia thought she'd be able to endure, be able to ensure she'd still be wealthy and even demand the beast help her get revenge. But no one could endure this. Beast gods above, "I, I brought it! I'll tell them! Heee, stop it!"
Ashton didn't stop, they had given this betrayer everything she needed, more than she'd wanted. She had asked for the inch, received the mile. All she had to do, was deliver the feather. Then she'd be free to liv her life with enough riches to rival a queen, with the blessings of three.
"I, I promised to bring it, I, I promised her to, to bring the feather to Nix. I have it, please, please stop!" Alia finally broke down, anything, she'd do anything to make it stop. She was merciful, she'd be disappointed if Nix killed her.
Sebastian jolted… that name… that was the word on his letter from Lord Reece. He had debated looking into the ancient script. Maybe seeing if there was a meaning behind the word… but if it was his name.
"Give me the feather and tell them what you did to it." Ashton wasn't in any hurry… the feather could no longer be used to open a rift to her. How to punish her willful arrogance. The tainting of the feather. That was all he was deciding.
Alia tried to let a sob out but something suppressed it, please make it stop! "Hee, I, I, it, he tricked me, he drugged me, gave me to the goblins, I, I had to!" Alia tried to explain, but it hurt so much, it was so hot!
"You cast aside your protection and opened your legs of your own free will," Ashton reminded without an ounce of pity.
"I was drugged!" Alia denied as she arched her back, it hurt so much, please, it wasn't her fault.
"My feather."
"I didn't, didn't have a choice! I had to! Please, mercy please!" She couldn't, she couldn't give the feather like this, it wasn't her fault! The goblins! "You sent them! They saved us!" Alia turned her head as he writhed, begging for someone to help her. They had seen what happened to her!
Noelle stared down at the woman, several of the other women were starting to tremble, a few even trying to crawl away… that wasn't the reaction a victim would have… beast gods above what had these women done?
Alia tried to hold out, but it was too hot, she felt like her legs from the knees down were being boiled from the inside. She clutched her chest with a ragged sob, he just wanted the feather… he wouldn't kill her. She would still heal! Even from this she could heal as long as she survived.
Ashton watched as she broke the final protection over the feather, it appeared as if from thin air over her chest. Ashton slowly bent down to collect what should have been a hand sized feather of the purest white. The downy barbs and afterfeather were gone, the vanes were dry and brittle almost looking as if they'd been singed.
Ashton held the feather up to the light of the sun. The corruption added the slightest ting of pink, not even noticeable to the human eye along the rachis. The hearts blood of the sacrificed… to corrupt two blessings, how many did she murder?
"I, I did it, I gave it to you! Stop it! Stop it!" Alia begged as the burning sensation increased ten fold, aieeeeee!!! Make it stop make it stop make it stop!!! It wasn't fair! He said! He said he would stop his fire!!!
"Tell them how you corrupted my feather." Ashton patiently reminded, even if he removed the taint… the connection to his beloved was broken. Now he would have to adjust his plans to bring them to him… they wouldn't dare move her but they also wouldn't directly harm her.
Ashton was vexed how many times he'd already adjusted his plans, but more than that… the isles used his blessings to their advantage while their sea princess actively sabotaged him. He glanced down at the tears, snot, blood and dirt all mixed together on her face. Haiz, he had been too generous… that would change.
"I had to! I had to! They were dying! I didn't mean it! Please stop!" Alia screamed, unnn, why, if he'd known what she had suffered! He wouldn't punish her like this! "I had to! They were dying anyway! They couldn't be saved! The goblins! Without me the others would have all died!"
Ashton glanced at Alia, how ironic the name was. Clearly Alia had wanted to be praised and worshiped all her life… how she managed to trick his beloved would warrant a discussion on her naivete.
Zane shared a glance with Rommel… Young Song didn't even seem upset… as if this were just a matter of fact punishment. Until she admitted her wrongs the punishment would continue. The whole situation seemed… strange… if he needed the feather why not go himself. If he didn't need the feather why all the fuss? Why had a golden eagle shown up? Was that eagle even related to this?
Tania was watching the women… who had they killed to upset Young Song so thoroughly… and were the women… looking healthier? Tania really stared at one of the women who had been hidden in the secrete breast feeding chamber… the fresh gouges of missing flesh… hadn't just scabbed over… it looked days old. Tania started examining the other women as she pulled on the hem of Rowena's shirt nodding to the women.
Rowena saw where Tania was looking… she didn't notice anything at first, the crying woman was rather distracting. Then… a smaller scab on one of the other women's face fell away… underneath was a clean patch of skin… no scar, no redness… pale fresh skin that didn't match the rest her haggard face.
Noelle had noticed the exchange… she also saw the scab fall away… beast gods above what deal did they make to have healed so quickly… and perfectly. Noelle paled when one of the women who had an eye gouged out, opened the once empty socket and inside a slimy, pulpy orb was growing.
Lucera had noticed the princesses' paled complexions, she drew Zane's and Rommel's attention to examine the women… that wasn't normal healing… regrowing limbs? Eyes? Teeth? Chunks of missing flesh?
"You convinced all the women to willingly offer up their hearts blood, fine. But to taint my blessing, weak as it was, took no less than three innocent sacrifices. To taint her blessing and corrupt the feather… you murdered at least three pure." Ashton stated as if he were just reeding the options of tea available for breakfast. Ashton glanced around the clearing to all the humans present. His Ember had just arrived looking around at the tensed nobles and imperials.
"Of all the humans who have stepped foot in my territory today, there is only one who is both innocent and pure enough to be considered." Ashton informed as he glanced down at Alia, then down the lines of women as he let a sneer curl his lip.
Alia screamed as the fire rapidly traveled past her knees engulfing both legs up to her groin. "Aieeee!!! We had to!!! They were dying! Please!!! Stopppppp!!!"
Ashton brought the feather to his lips as he closed his eyes. There was just enough…
Zane watched as blood started dripping from the spine of the feather… dark, blacks drops hit the soil with audible plops. Zane counted each drop… 1, 2, 3… 9, 10, … 21, 22, 23, … 27. The puddle was insignificant. The entire amount could fit in the palm of a single hand… 27 lives reduced to… a few drops of blood.
The soil absorbed the blood, then started to shift and roll. Noelle watched in horrified awe as 27 golems sprouted from the ground, the drop of blood over the soil where the heart should be. Some were infants… newborn human infants.
"You all wanted to live, at the cost of innocent lives, the cost of pure lives. Some even at the cost of your own children, so liv. You will endure their pain, every day, until their natural lifespans would have ended." Ashton proclaimed as he kissed the cleansed feather. When he opened his eyes they burned with silver fire.
Noelle watched as three rings of fire surrounded all the women except Alia, suddenly all the women just… fell… the rings had opened another door on the ground around the women. The door then teleported the women somewhere… dark, there was also mist flowing up onto the ground.
"Hmm, you will suffer the combined pain of those you sacrificed, those you convinced to use their hearts blood, and that of my beloved every day until my beloved forgives you." Ashton stated, then she too dropped out of view. Ashton rolled the feather between his thumb and middle finger as the rift closed.