The Bond Ch 02

Dear Readers,

Thank you for your warm response so far. I'd love to receive more feedback and pointers from you on my writing and any ideas you may have about the story.

Sorry there isn't any sex in this chapter but I needed to give you some background to the characters.

Love,

Subdued_Passion

***

The beast hobbled into his lair. He was weak from his long confinement. He was weak from chasing the maa'nzhor. He was just weak. And he was mad. Mad at the Sageveru that had trapped him. Mad that it had taken so long for him to be finally free again. Mad that he was not strong enough to hunt. And he would need to hunt to regain his strength. Luckily for the beast the Shiveri forest was filled with mystical creatures blessed with the life force of Vallah. Some of the smaller creatures would succumb to him even in his weakened state. But he needed to stay close to his lair.

The beast had chosen this spot for his lair for one very special reason. The cavern he had chosen for his lair was carved into the side of the Prafulya Mountain. The stones and charms surrounding the cavern made it obvious that it was a haven of sorts build for the protection of magical creatures. When he had first escaped from his confinement and stumbled upon this cavern he had noted the markings. While he couldn't understand all that was written he did manage to figure out that the energy of the place seemed to mask his own scent and energy so that his presence was no longer felt by any of other beings.

The creature knew he had to be careful else the kowaekai bitches would sense his presence. And in his weakened state he was in no condition to fight them. He would not risk exposure and capture. He would be careful and bide his time to accomplish his goal. The kowaekai would know about him, eventually, when he was ready. He had dealt with many of their sort. But he had to be cautious. The Sageveru had captured him because he had grown overconfident and careless.

The creature was also aware of the army of humans that had camped on the other side of his mountain. But, he was not worried about them. They could not harm one as him. He was an abomination and could not be hurt by any mortal in any way. The humans were useless to him as sustenance being prone to death and disease and lacking in any powers. However they were easier to manipulate and could be used as vessels to execute his tasks while he recovered some of his lost strength and power.

***

The kowaekai had sensed a great imbalance in their realm but were unable to pinpoint the source. They trusted that Vallah would as usual guide them and their people through the troubling times their people would soon face. The kowaekai knew that if it was destined then nothing could alter the course of history hence all they could do was trust that Vallah would only do what was best for his beloved creations.

The sisters had divined that Neytri had a critical role to play and that somehow she was the key to the future survival of their people. They didn't know yet if Neytri was to be their saviour or merely a sacrificial lamb in the grand scheme of things, only that she was truly one of Vallah's blessed creatures.

In order to protect her from the paranoid and fearful members of their village the kowaekai had bound Neytri's powers while she was yet a babe. The naturally stoic sisters had been shocked when they had seen Neytri display some of her power during an infant tantrum. They rightly feared that the rest of their kind, who were already wary of Neytri would see her as a clear threat if any of them were ever of to become aware of her abilities. So, they had chosen to bind her powers till the right time presented itself and to keep the matter a secret from even Neytri herself.

The kowaekai existed to merely guide their people and ensure their future survival. They were all merely vessels to execute the will of Vallah.

***

Maxalae had received troubling news from his informant. While he had been busy gathering his troops and readying them for an attack on the neighbouring kingdom of Phalinia it turned out that the Phalinial army were approaching his kingdom through the Shiveri forest and would be at the gates of his capital city any day now.

Manuwayne was an old kingdom, vast and glorious, made such by a long line of Paramputr kings- Maxalae's ancestors. However, the kingdom was ridden with strife during Maxalae's father's reign and many of the cities that were further away from the king's seat had broken off and formed their own kingdoms.

Maxalae knew that in the past the kingdom had been held together by the ruthless force of his forefathers. And while his father had been just as ruthless and cruel as any of the other Paramputr kings, he had been a poor strategist and a negligent ruler. The king had spent more time in the castle dungeons devising perverse ways of extracting pleasure from the stable hands than he had on the governing of his kingdom.

King Onoebus, Maxalae's father had a penchant for young untried virgins and used his authority as king in procuring fresh playmates on a regular basis. Everyone who had spent time at the castle had been aware that the dungeon in the castle of Manu no longer held prisoners but slaves used to satiate Onoebus's cruel whims.

Manuwayne had been a kingdom of warriors and wealth had once flown into the kingdom's coffers from the neighbouring lands that were raided or conquered. However under Onoebus's reign the people suffered heavy taxes as their king was too busy buggering some untried teens rather than leading their army in battle.

On his father's deathbed Maxalae had promised that he would see to it that Manuwayne would grow in strength and number. He didn't do this from any sense of filial duty. This was a promise Maxalae had made to himself. He had always been disgusted with his weak father who had been unable to stop the fracturing of their great kingdom. Maxalae believed that he was a great ruler who deserved a great kingdom. He was determined to leave a mark upon the pages history that would not soon be forgotten.

No sooner had Maxalae taken the title of monarch of Manuwayne that he had marched upon the kingdom of Abory, the smallest of the dissident fractions. The Manu army had burned everything along its path to the castle of the king of Abory. The king of Abory had quickly surrendered but Maxalae had refused to take any prisoners. The royal family was executed and their limbs strewn about for scavengers to pick. Even the soldiers of the Manu army were shocked at the unnecessary display of cruelty by their leader. The former fertile land of Abory was left a desolate wasteland under Maxalae's instructions.

News of the Manu army and the cruelty of their new leader quickly spread sparking terror in the hearts of neighbouring kingdoms just like Maxalae had wanted. He then sent his emissaries to the newly formed principalities that were formerly parts of Manuwayne. The messengers bore sealed notes warning the kings that if they did not come to the king's seat in Manu and kneel before Maxalae in surrender he would march upon their lands and execute them in a manner similar to Abory. They were also informed that their holdings would be added to the king's treasury and their family member sold as slaves. However if they chose to surrender they would be allowed to continue living in their castles with the title of Lord of the realm. However they would need to make monthly payments to the King's treasury in Manu as compensation for this generosity on the part of Maxalae.

A few kingdoms that had never bothered with maintaining an army willingly surrendered rather than risk the wrath of the Manu army. There were still a few of the furthermost kingdoms that were holding out. One of the largest and most troublesome was Phalinia. Mateyo, the current ruler of Phalinia had sent his emissaries to Manu trying to broach Maxalae for peace talks.

The first time an ambassador had shown up in the court of Manu from Phalinia, Maxalae had not even bothered to read the note. He merely had the messenger quartered and send his dismembered body back to Phalinia. Unfortunately it appeared that his message had proven to be too subtle for King Mateyo as he sent two of his emissaries to convey his terms for maintaining friendly relations between the kingdoms.

Maxalae had considered it a weakness on the part of Mateyo to talk of peace. A true leader, he believed would just take what was his and would not negotiate on anything he desired. And he wouldn't be afraid to do anything to get what he desired. In open court Maxalae had walked up to the first emissary and used his bare hands to gouge the man's eyes out while the second watched in stunned horror. And continuing his show of brutality Maxalae kicked the man to the floor and ripped off his breeches. He took the sword from one of his soldiers and skewered the man on the floor, entering from his arsehole all the way out of throat. The whole court had been in a state of shock over the violent display they were forced to witness. The second messenger was allowed to return to Phalinia with a warning that their king would experience a far worse end at Maxalae's hands once he had conquered and laid waste the land of Phalinia.

But, as it turned out, thought Maxalae, he had underestimated Mateyo. While he had been busy preparing his troops at the edge of the kingdom a few days march away from the kingdom of Phalinia Mateyo and his men would reach the king's seat at Manu in a couple of days through the Shiveri forest. The capital had no troops there to defend it as there had never been any need for that in the past. Manu lay deep within Manuwayne and the only other point of access was the Shiveri forest. The Shiveri forest was never known to have been breached by any human. The Prafulya Mountain that bounded it on the north cast such long and deep shadows on the forest that you could barely tell the difference between night and day. And legends spoke of strange beings dwelling within its dark and mysterious realm.

The informants had informed Maxalae that Mateyo's troops were sticking to the periphery of the forest; however the Prafulya Mountains would intercept their path at some point forcing them deep into the Shiveri forest. Maxalae knew he couldn't march his troops back to the capital in time. However he could get there with a small band of his men within two days if they rode their horses hard.

Time was not on their side but Maxalae had a few other ideas for how they could beat their foe. And fortunately for him the solution was the Shiveri forest itself.

***

Gods be praised. The moon seemed to have split into a million glittering diamonds on the surface of the river, thought Mateyo.

He disrobed his garments and walked towards the cool and inviting water. The odd feeling hadn't dissipated by even the slightest bit. He sighed deeply and groaned as he slowly began to immerse himself in the chilly water.

Morokai Caurava, Mateyo's father had been one of the Lords of the realm in the kingdom of Manuwayne. Like many around him he had grown tired of the ways of King Onoebus. A group of the Lords had banded together and sworn fealty to Morokai and the Caurava line. They had chosen to form their own kingdom with Morokai as the king.

The king of Manuwayne had been unable to put up a fight to prevent the formation of Phalinia and the newly formed kingdom had thrived quickly as a result of Onoebus's lack of interest in the affairs of his kingdom. There was no council in Manu to counsel the king or aid in the governing of the kingdom. Consequently many other realms followed Phalinia's lead and managed to successfully break away from Manu.

The last 20 years had been spent in an odd sort of calm under Onoebus's benign neglect. But now with Maxalae at the helm of the Manu army Mateyo knew that the storm was ready to ravage his peaceful little land.

Shaking off the beads of water running down his well muscled torso and limbs, Mateyo sighed deeply. Raised as he had been, constantly being prepared for his future and the responsibilities that came with it, Mateyo had never had much time to pursue his own heart's desires. And he had never given it much thought till now.

That feeling of an absence, continued to swell within him as he watched the moonlight dance about his body. His cock swelled to its fullest and made him long for the comfort of something soft and warm to bury himself in.

He shrugged his shoulders and stretched his well muscled body across. He was completely relaxed right now. All that remained was that nagging absence that had been gnawing at him all evening.

***

Neytri could feel the burn in her legs from her fast sprint to the river. The water gurgling past the stones looked cool and inviting. The moon shimmering on her body made her glow and seem unearthly. She stretched her forelimbs and hunched up feeling the bones in her spine crack. She preferred to wander in her feral form when she was by herself. She raised her head and looked at the Moon, her kind had a special bond with the moon, and Neytri felt like she was exactly where she was needed.

Suddenly she raised her head; a familiar scent, something that tugged at her insides. She would never fail to recognise that delicious scent anywhere. It was the male from earlier. She stalked in the direction of the scent.

***