The Eternal War: The Dragon's Valkyrie

The Hooded Man

Saidy quickened her pace to catch up to her Dolletus. She craned her neck to look at the path ahead, but instead of seeing her Dolletus' back, she saw only black.

As she bounced off the figure, she immediately dropped to her knees, bowing her head as she had moments ago for her Dolletus.

"I am sorry, sir," she said humbly, groveling at the heels of the person she just bumped into.

A small thought in the back of her head forced its way to the forefront of her mind. What if my death would be granted? She pushed the thought away. If she were to die at the hands of her masters, then she would do so after taking as many with her as she could.

She never really understood what kept her from death. Slave law was written in such a way that simply looking at her Dolletus wrong would be grounds for beheading; nevertheless, some unknown force drove her to fight in a manner that kept her life unclaimable from a world that thrived on death—even through her transgressions.

Perhaps it was the one mercy her Dolletus granted her for bringing him so much coin, if she could even call that mercy.

"Hmm?" a man's voice mused, registering the impact from Saidy.

He turned to see what had interrupted his thoughts but saw only the bustle of demons and their slaves milling about their daily tasks.

"Please, sir, I beg your forgiveness," Saidy reaffirmed, crawling to the man's boots and kissing them.

The man kicked her off his scaled leather boots as an explosion of blood erupted from Saidy's nose. She fell onto her back into the muddy slush that covered the street. She tossed and turned, grasping her nose as tears welled in her eyes, blurring her image of the man.

From what she could see, the man wore a deep purple cloak with a hood that blacked out his face. His skin looked normal enough, save for his right hand that had become exposed—a result from the force of his kick. The hand was black and necrotic. It looked more monstrous than human as black spines protruded from it.

"Watch where you walk, slave," the man hissed. "Where's your Dolletus?"

"I am here, sir. Allow me to apologize for my pet's impudence," Talik said, walking up from behind the man. "Slave! Show your remorse or your punishment will be more severe than your transgression!"

"Dolletus, I-" Saidy began to say, returning to her knees.

"Damnit, slave, I gave you an order, not asked for your worthless thoughts!" Talik screamed, drawing onlookers from the gathering crowd.

He shoved his boot into Saidy's head, knocking her back onto her back once more. Saidy coughed, grabbing her head this time as her nose bled all over her face. The force of Talik's kick caused her vision to bruise as she felt her stomach turn inside out. She rolled over, spewing vomit all over the ground.

Saidy dared not pass out, though she feared she had little control over that as her vision pulsed in and out of reality. After what felt like minutes passed, she managed to wrestle back control of her body, gasping and coughing as she spat the remains of her stomach onto the snow.

"You're wasting my precious time, slave!" Talik jeered.

Saidy finally regained her breath enough to do as she was ordered and crawled back to the man's boots to again try and kiss them as was the customary apology for when a slave transgressed their demon masters.

"Sir, if I may," the man spoke, halting Saidy before she completed her task. "These boots are new, and I'd much rather not have her ilk stain them so soon," he mused. "Perhaps, I could... borrow her services for a moment? I have a new bit of magic I would like to try, and what better than to try it on a slave?" he suggested.

"I agree, I as well would not want a pristine pair of boots to be stained too early in their life by these cretins as well," Talik said. He turned and waived his hand as he called back to Saidy and the man, "I'll collect her before the hour is through. Do with her as you please."

A yellow smile graced the man's face as he knelt before Saidy, lifting her chin to stare into her eyes. Saidy repulsed at the slimy touch of his black hand grasping her jaw, but she held a straight face so as not to further offend the man and incur more wrath from her Dolletus.

"A curious specimen, aren't you?" the man mused. "I can see the blood of a dwarf runs thick within your veins by your short demeanor. How old are you? Fifteen, Sixteen?"

Saidy began to open her mouth in response before the man interjected.

"Don't answer. It matters not to me," the man said. "It is not just dwarven blood, but human as well. However, I can see more."

Near black eyes surrounded by luminescent white sclerae swirled behind the black veil that shrouded the man's face. Saidy felt a fog seep into her mind as her the world surrounded the man's eyes faded away. His voice then echoed, seeming to originate from multiple sources around her yet not at all in the same instance. The man spoke to her, and she could not parse if what he said was repeated or said singularly.

"You, lass, have an old magic within you. Your skill with a blade does not manifest like that of a savant, but a result of your ancestry." The man's voice bombarded her mind as she held her hands over her ears fruitlessly. "Your elders once served the Great Dragons of this world, Parius and Xercsies, as their vanguard.

"These warriors were heralded as Valkyrie, a being who not only absorbed the powers of the dragon but learned their legendary blade magic as well. You will make a fine ally—a tool that will serve my needs well indeed. But what really intrigues me, is the role you'll play in the coming travesty that is to befall Tallenhiem. Mmm, yes, what role indeed," the man said, releasing Saidy from his grasp.

Saidy returned to reality inhaling sharply as if she'd just resurfaced from nearly drowning in water. As she gulped air into her lungs, the man spoke once more.

"Leave your Dolletus, and I will emancipate you from this nightmare, girl."

"Slave! I have returned, and I hope your debt has been satisfied!" Talik's voice demanded as he again walks up from behind the man.

Saidy bowed her head to her Dolletus as the man rose from his crouch.

"She's served her purpose. You have conditioned her well, sir," the man said.

Saidy furrowed her brow in confusion. In all her years of captivity, she'd never been paid a compliment—even one so slight.

"Good, I'll see her punishment is just then," Talik said, patting the man on the shoulder and giving him a hearty smile. "Come slave, and this time focus on what's in front of you instead of whatever distraction you allowed yourself before!"

"Yes, Dolletus," Saidy said bowing lower before rising and closely following Talik back to his estate and her captivity.

However, her mind couldn't shake the man's offer as her Dolletus led her back to the dungeon. She enjoyed entertaining the thought of watching her Dolletus' blood wash over her as she paid him back for all the years of torment, but she wondered how the man would free her if she were to even accomplish the task.

Unfortunately, she had little time to linger on the fantasy of freedom she'd so long abandoned as a spiked whip tore at her backside.