Itinerant Chronicler

Ties of Blood

I really don't to talk about how I learned this. Throughout all my journeys i rarely felt like I was ever in danger from any of the many different people i ever met and believe me I met some people whose very presence generated fear. Until this time. This time I could not leave fast enough. Once I did the very image of these people haunted me for a long time afterwards. The idea that such evil people could even exist made my soul shrivel.

"Release me at once!"

"You will be released soon."

"Do you have any idea who I am?"

"Yes."

"Then you know that my father will not stand for this. If you let me go now, I promise to plead a case of clemency for you. You will not be put to death for this crime."

"Death is just the next step in existence nothing more."

The reply was cryptic and confusing enough to silence the sixteen year old boy, who had been bound to a stone slap by chains around his wrists, ankles, waist and neck.

He had spent most of his time struggling and bargaining with his abductors. He made offers that anyone would think of as generous. Unfortunately for him his captors were not tempted in the least.

Bragen was the son of a prominent general, one of the greatest who had ever lived. The victories he won were legendary. The hopes for his first born son were equally as high. Bragen dreamed of the day when he would be able to lead his own troops to glory. However there were many that served with and commanded Bragen that worried what he would actually do with those soldiers. The young squire had been expressing ideas that gave those who instructed him reason for great concern. His father was counted among them.

Bragen had been out on a training exercise when he was taken. It was in the middle of the night, and Bragen had been placed sentry duty. His captain thought he needed to find out what it was like to be a common soldier for a night. Bragen jumped at the chance to stretch his legs even though it was likely to be a long and boring night. He could not have been more wrong.

Now, all of that was out of his mind, he had other, far more serious things, to worry about. Bragen never could see his tormentors, but he did hear a heavy sounding door open and then close after this latest short exchange. Bragen assumed he was alone now. He took the opportunity to attempt to break his chains once again. The metal links rattled against his struggles, but held firm. The young man was strong, in fact he was quite proud of his strength, but even his finely toned muscles could not hope to break the strong metal.

Bragen finally surrendered to the fact that he would not be able to break his restraints so he turned his attention to the chamber he was in. It was dimly lit by candles that were mounted on the walls throughout the chamber. The ceiling above was hidden in darkness. The dampness in the air was oppressive and the room stank of death. By all appearances it was a dungeon, but it was much larger than any dungeon cell Bragen had ever seen before. He could see no windows, nor any other doors. In fact there was nothing that he could see but barren walls. Bragen could not even see the door he had heard open just a moment earlier. It sounded like it came from around the foot of his slab, but try as he might he could not move his head enough to see it.

Anger began to grow in Bragen, both at his captors for doing this to him and also himself for getting captured in the first place. The young soldier still had no idea why someone would do this to him. He had no enemies, at least none that were capable of this. Then a thought occurred to him. His father had a lot of enemies that would like nothing better than to see him suffer and fall. Maybe this was all a plot to get to him. If it was, it was doomed to failure. Bragen actually smiled when thought of would happen to these poor fools once his father caught up to him, especially if they killed him.

The boy's dark thoughts were interrupted when he heard the door open. At first he could not see or hear anyone. Then, his ears detected a faint rustling. He wondered what was going on, and then Bragen caught movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head, as far as he was able, to see black robed figures standing in a row next to his slab. Bragen turned his head the other way and saw more figures robed in black standing in a row on the other side as well. All of the newcomers wore hoods that were pulled low, hiding their faces. They were all as silent as darkness itself.

A sliver of fear pierced Bragen's bravado, but his anger was also growing. He nearly went into a tirade against the silent men when another figure appeared right next to him. It was as though the darkness itself coalesced to form this new person. Like the others, this figure was robed in black, but unlike the others he could see this man's face. Bragen focused on him. The figure had a cleanly shaven, face and head, even his eyebrows and eyelashes were missing. His skin was ashen white and was stretched tight over a small frame of bones. His eyes were ice blue and piercing. He said nothing; he only looked Bragen in the eye. Bragen felt his soul shrivel at the intense gaze.

"Release me," Bragen commanded, but his voice shook. "I swear my father will not rest until he has found me."

In response the ice blue eyes went to Bragen's feet.

Bragen looked down and saw yet another new attendee to Bragen's torment. This one also had his hood pulled low. He was dressed in robes the color of dried blood. Despite the fact Bragen could not see his face he seemed familiar somehow. He held a dagger with a long curved blade in his hand, but never made a sound. The blade was stained with blood.

"We will silence your malcontent and speed you to Hilip," the pale man said in a hollow voice that seemed to come from the grave.

Finally Bragen felt true fear set in. The name Hilip was the name given to a heathen god of old. Rumor had it the ancient deity still had a cult of fanatic followers that were said to operate in the very forest where Bragen's exercise had been. It was said they dispensed their own form of perverse justice on the innocent victims they took by sending their souls to be forever tormented by Hilip.

The god's name was so intertwined with anguish and suffering that the vilest form of execution ever devised had been named for him. Bragen had always scoffed at those stories. He thought of them as nothing more than stories to frighten gullible children.

"I'll give you whatever you want, if you let me go."

"We are already getting what we want my son," a familiar voice said. The voice came from the figure robed in red.

The figure removed his hood and Bragen was horrified to see his own father looking back at him with an expression devoid of any compassion or mercy. He walked to the other side of Bragen's slab to stand opposite the man robed in black.

"You are not the son I raised. You have come to espouse ideas of virtue and justice. We did not get where we are today by embracing such weak notions. I had hoped that you might come to realize the error of your ways." He then shook his head, "Pity."

"Father, I only wished to serve and bring us honor," Bragen pleaded.

"You cannot," his father replied, "Now you must pay the price for your arrogance and for turning your back on everything we believe in. Everything we fought for and died for."

"No father, please give me one more chance."

"You chances are spent. I will not have my own blood spreading such perverse ideas among our honored soldiers. It would bring disgrace upon our entire family"

"I only wanted to make you proud!" Bragen argued.

"You failed. Thankfully, your little brother has seen how foolish and weak you are. His mind is not as corrupted as yours. He actually has quite the sadistic streak. I predict great things for him."

"Father!" Bragen cried.

His father held the blood stained dagger over his son's heart then raised it. "May this blade speed you to the next step of existence. Hilip will now care for you; he is now your master. Perhaps he will even teach you that real strength does not lie in mercy but with mercilessness."

"Father!"

"Good-bye, my son. I shall not miss you."

The blade fell, and Bragen's eyes swiftly ceased to see the world around him.

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