章節 68: Chapter 68: Day 1
Yuliah pivoted around, and one of the Nomen's grabbed her waist. With both fists bounded, she slammed them onto his shoulder, but it seemed to tickle his flesh, for he laughed.
Thick armor covered his broad chest, and Yuliah's kicks and hits were like a child's up against his massive body. "A female... Beautiful too," he sniffed her neck. "Bred. Must have been recent. I can smell him still."
"The ones who ran away?" A brawny Nomen asked.
"No, he's not a man or Nomen."
"Another male from the Ethereal Forest?"
"Could be. Smells different," he took another sniff. "They should be here soon. Secure the area and wait for our Liege; he can tell what scent she carries."
The more she struggled, the Nomens hand tightened. Yuliah worried about her baby and released the mark.
Shocked the Nomen's grip loosened, and she dropped to the ground.
"She carries the mark!"
"Kneel!" Yuliah commanded, and all four Nomens dropped to a knee. "You," she pointed to the closest one. "Cut me loose. none of you can hurt me."
Even on his knee, the Nomen stood taller and doubled in size. He towered over Yuliah and sliced the rope with his sword. "We came for the mark, and the Gods have favored us. They brought you directly to us. A sign that our Liege will be victorious to march on Murai."
"What does the Kreato want with my mark? Answer truthfully." She lifted a hand. Seeing the blood vines coil up her arm all four Nomens watched curiously.
"Drek and his father serve the Royals. Your clan. He wants that mark to control them and all eighteen clan - those who won't support the Kreato."
Great more power-hungry males who wanted to use her. "Who is Drek?" She asked. He must be a high born male, self entitled like Liang and King Taher.
"The one who leads the Kreato, our Liege. We're scouts under his direct command. It's been over an hour and we haven't reported back to him." He smiled at Yuliah. "Drek will come for us, and you won't escape."
"We'll see about that. Now hush!" Yuliah commanded and his mouth snapped shut. Finally, silence to think. How would she get out of this now.
"Where's that traitor father of yours?"
"Dead."
"Must be. If she has the mark."
"I hope he died a painful death for his betrayal."
Yuliah glared over. She remembered how her father died. Their insults. "If you talk about my father in that way again." She released the mark again. "Why do you call my father a traitor?"
The Nomens were well aware the mark was in Murai and that it could control them. It meant they brought someone who the mark could not control. In the Ethereal Forest lived plenty of these creatures.
Yuliah's eyes widen. No, she needed to leave right away. "Stay. Don't follow me." She ordered them. Before leaving Yuliah cut each one scout and blooded them to the mark for extra protection. "If you try to harm me after this. You'll die. You're bound to me forever. One blood. One life. I am your owner now." With the right arm still burning, she took one of the Nomens swords but could barely lift it. They laughed amusingly.
"Our Liege Drek, he'll want you. He searches for a strong female."
"My male, the one who breeds me, he's also strong. Let's see how powerful your Liege is," Yuliah taunted before leaving.
The words she spoke were a direct challenge to the Kreato Liege.
"I will let our Liege know your male challenges him."
"No, I challenge your Liege," Yuliah gave them a disgusted look before dragging the sword off.
Fifteen minutes later, the mark's hold wore off, and all four Nomens stood up. The scout in charge laughed. "Drek will want to hear about this."
"Do you think he will ask us to hunt for the girl, or will he do it alone?" One of the other Nomens asked.
"No, he'll go alone. A male always goes alone for the first hunt."
"Should we tell him what the woman did to us?"
"Yes, we can't go after her anymore not after she used the mark on us. She won't get far, though. That sword weights just as much as her." They all laughed.
Behind them inside the tunnel came the sounds of feet pounding onto the dirt. The four Nomen scouts turned towards the tunnel and waited.
A low snarl followed by two amber eyes emerged from the dark, and a wolf-like beast stalked up the steps and into the clearing. On the fenrir's back sat a male Nomen with the same color eyes - dressed in red clothes and black armor. He wore a pelt wrapped around his broad shoulders that attached to an obsidian cape. It fluttered in the wind along with long dark locks of hair. His sharp facial features would have made any women bound herself to him voluntarily.
The four Nomens took a knee. "My Liege."
Drek looked down from the Fenrir he rode, "Dead men? We're you attacked?" His voice and face proud but calmed.
"No, My Liege. The Gods blessed you for when these doors opened we found what you've been searching for," the scout answered.
"Who carries it?" Drek asked. His eyes glimmered eagerly.
"A woman... A beautiful one, but she used it on us and escaped."
He laughed. "A Woman... King Baasa passed the mark to a daughter... Fun. The Royals owe me for my servitude and can pay with their Princess." His lips curled.
"My Liege, she bounded us to her and challenged you. She breeds with a strong male, and when I picked up the scent, it was neither man nor Nomen."
"Interesting," a budding smile formed, and his pulse increased. All the Males talked about the excitement of bounding a female and the very first hunt for one. Now that he lived to be thirty. Nomen law allowed him to bound a mate finally. A beautiful Princess who carried the mark - was exactly what he wanted. Already she intrigued him. "Which way did this female go?"
"That way," the scout pointed. "Do you want us with?"
"No. The female's bounded you all; you'll be useless out there. Wait for the others and then head to Murai." Drex smirked before taking off in the same direction as Yuliah.
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Her heart raced and nearly exploded as she sprinted into the forest. Without the Ethereal Spirit, she couldn't fight but had no time to find the Ethereal Flow and beg for forgiveness.
Keep running; that's the only option she had left. Through the dark, she dragged the heavy sword across the dirt and grass but suddenly realized it. She'd been leaving a trail for the Nomens. Yuliah stopped and with both hands hurled the sword as far away to the side as possible. The sword flew about two feet and dropped to the ground.
Her side knotted and sent jolts of pain down the left side, and Yuliah knew she couldn't run any longer. Looking around the trees blocked out most of the moonlight and the surroundings were nothing but dark shadows. Yuliah slowed down. Her hands running over the ground looking for somewhere to hide.
Bushes, thick bushes - she kneeled and crawled inside gasping for air. She would hide here until morning. A few minutes later, she grew drowsy. Both eyes were heavy, and Yuliah slipped into a deep sleep.
She didn't know how much time passed, but the smells of a hot, rancid breath jolted her up.
"There you are," a males voice said. "I was afraid you were dead."
Dark amber eyes floated in the air and a large black shadow followed by a low growl sent Yuliah scrambling back. She released the mark. "Stop!" Then sprung up and ran away. Good Gods! It had to be a Nomen Male. She didn't see him running after her so he must be a Nomen, and the growling could only be those beasts they ride.
It's impossible to outrun the Fenrir. Soon they would find her. Yuliah needed to come up with a plan and quickly. The last time the Fenrir had chased her, they hid in a tree and eventually escaped.
Yuliah bolted towards a group of trees and ran both hands around the trunks - good there were groves and branches that she could use to climb up. After several minutes she finally made it up into the tree and crouched down on a limb. One high enough where he wouldn't be able to see or reach her.
Perched on the branch Yuliah waited patiently. With no sign of dawn yet, if he came this way, he wouldn't be able to see her at all. She broke off a branch and gripped it tightly just in case he found her. She could use it as a weapon.
Ten minutes later, heavy steps could come from the other side of the forest. Great... She felt both arms and legs shaking and exhaled. Calm down... calm down... breath... Yuliah repeated. She then squinted at the large black shadow that emerged from between a group of trees.
He didn't rush over but made his way slowly and leisurely towards Yuliah, in a teasing manner, until he stood right underneath the branched she perched on.
She wasn't so sure anymore if this were a good idea, and slowly breathed. Please don't look up... please don't... Yuliah's eyes closed briefly.
He took a deep breath and exhaled. "I know you're here," he said in a grave tone. "I... I can smell YOU," his head tilted up.
Yuliah's heart jumped right out then one foot slid across the branch, and she plummeted forward. "SHIT," she cursed on the way down and landed directly onto his lap.
"Got you!" He laughed loud and deep. Before his head craned down and a sharp nose nuzzled against her neck and sniffed. "I have your scent now. Running away is useless."
Yuliah sat there momentarily shocked before she snapped out of the daze. "No, you don't!" She swung the branch that all five fingers still clutched onto and struck him in the head. He toppled over, and Yuliah broke from his lap. Quickly she slid down the side of the Fenrir grabbing hand fulls of its fur to slow herself down. The beast yelped and bucked back and forth, while the Nomen tried to calm it down. Yuliah dropped onto both feet. "Sit!" she shouted at him and the mark released.
The Fenrir snarled ready to pounce on her, "NO," he ordered, and it stopped.
When the mark released, it lit up part of Yuliah's face, and he glimpsed the female he'd been chasing for a few hours. The scouts might be right - she could be beautiful - he smiled to himself. He would make this hunt last until morning to get a better look.
Yuliah didn't bother to look and sprinted off into the forest again. Let's see how funny he finds that - she smirked.
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