“There it is the valley floor, and this path will take you to a road in the valley that is frequented by the merchant caravans.”  Sardura said while pointing at the trail before us.

We’re currently standing at a nexus of several trails merging together, of course none of them were marked.  Sardura was showing me the correct trail to take for when I make my escape tomorrow. 

“Is there anything else I should be aware of or is this it?”

“Eventually the trail parallels a stream that deposits into the river in the valley, it’s an assurance you’re going in the right direction, other than that.  Don’t take the other paths, they’ll have you meandering the hills then to the forests I found you in.”  Was her response.

“I’m so glad I have you, otherwise I would end up right where I started.”  I said in a joking tone.

“Yeah.”  She replied while scanning the horizon.  A silence hung between us for a moment before Sardura broke it with a question.

“Are you sure you want to risk going out there?”

“I have to.”  I said decisively.

“I know your devotion demands it, but the world can be very dangerous; wild, chaotic and lawless.  If it wasn’t for the differences in faith between you and my clan then you wouldn’t have any problems in staying.”  She continued in her effort to persuade me.

“Sardura, I know your trying to help me, but I can’t stray from my patron.  I have no home, no family, service to my Goddess is the only thing I’ve known in my short life.”

“What if you stay here with me and Sarduna.  I know I’m asking you to give up your faith but if you stayed this would be your home and we would become your family.”  She pleaded.

I cocked my head in thought.  It certainly was tempting, to remain in this cozy little mountain village with them but I would betray the Dragon-Goddess in the process.  She has watched hundreds of champions betray her expectations plus there’s a certain burning defiance within me when I think of her dull, apathy glazed expression, as if she’s given up on everything and is just monotonously moving because there nothing else to do.  a competitive drive to prove to her that I’m worthy of her attention.  On the other hand Sardura and Sarduna saved me, took me in and are now offering to build a life with me.  I want to be with them, to make them happy and to repay them for their kindness.

“I…I’ll think about it.”  Is all I can muster in response.

Sardura bit her lip for a moment before reaching to her belt.  From it she pulled up her dagger and presented it to me.

“Take this with you, whether you decide to stay or leave I want you to be safe and protected.”  She said with a resolute expression on her face.

Holding the dagger in my hands I inspected it, pulling the dagger out of its leather sheath revealing a rich pinkish-brownish color, the color of a copper dagger.  The blade was only the length of my hand with a slight curve halfway down, giving it a compact but versatile quality.

“Thank you Sardura, I’ll cherish this always no matter wherever I go.” 

---

 

Sarduna wandered through the villages small market picking out ingredients for dinner.  This would be her last dinner with Yuri so she wanted it to be special, hearty meal, especially for what they had planned after they ate. 

She was still torn between what to prepare, they always ate lamb, but pork didn’t feel like it was enough.  So Sarduna meandered at every stall hoping to find something unique for the occasion.  Finally at the stall of a travelling merchant she found something she only saw rarely, poultry. 

Her clan didn’t keep chickens, so she only encountered the strange animal on the few occasions that a merchant brought them from over the mountains.  Immediately she decided on what they were going to have, before having each other.  Now she just needed to decide on how she was going to prepare it.

Everything must be perfect.  Tonight, was going to be the night she offered herself to the girl she’d fallen for.  That first night when Yuri shared a bed with her, even while asleep she pulled Sarduna in close and claimed her lips with a kiss.  It was at that moment as her mouth was being violated that she found the one who was to be her partner in marriage.  She didn’t even mind sharing Yuri with Sardura, after all they were sisters and sisters should share with each other.

While haggling with the merchant Sarduna sensed someone approaching her from behind.  Turning around she found that it was Makuri who snuck up on her, wearing the same sneering grin she always had. 

“Why are you here?  I’m in a hurry so I don’t need you to be bothering me right now.”

Sarduna always found her half-sister to be a creepy pest.  And since she rarely comes out to the market like this meant that this wasn’t a coincidence meeting here.

“Oh, I just heard some good news and came to share it with my beloved little sister.  With the elders ordering you to be violated by Yuri, I was worried that you would be consigned to such an unhappy fate.  So, you could imagine my relief when I received word of something so joyous.”  Makuri got closer to whisper.  “Both you and Yuri are still virgins.”

Sarduna gulped in reaction to Makuri’s twisted grin as she spoke.  Makuri was always weird and obsessive like this and even though she was the chieftain she was kept in line by the elders so there was little to be concerned about.  But now something seemed different, as if there’s a hint of urgency to Makuri’s actions.

“Because of this small window of time I must work quickly to exploit such an opportunity.  I’ll have to work quickly to secure you and Yuri before the elders can stop me, then we can finally be together.  Once everything is said and done, I’ll have both of you in my harem, and the elders will be prevented from interfering in my affairs.”  Makuri ranted with an increasingly maniacal bent.

Sarduna’s eyes were wide with horrified realization at what Makuri was talking about.  She was now openly defying the elders and even spoke of usurping them.  Frankly this was insane, not just because the elders were the traditional leaders but also because Makuri was an ineffectual leader, she did nothing other than copulate with her slave girls, so such an act was bound to doom their clan in the long-term. 

“Now Sarduna follow me, I’ll take you to the shrine where you’ll be safe till my warriors can deal with the elders and find Yuri.”

Several warriors popped into Sarduna’s line of sight, they surrounded her keeping her from bolting.  They were all well-armed, while she only had the clothes on her back.  Makuri and the warriors started moving away, forcing her walk with them being trapped in their crude formation.

“Yuri, Sardura I hope you two are okay.  And I hope someone will stop Makuri’s stupidity.”  Sarduna whispered under her breadth while being ‘escorted’ to the shrine.

---

 

Me and Sardura were approaching the mountain top village when we saw several girls running towards us.  As they got closer it became apparent that they were comrades of Sardura, some of the village's warrior-girls.

Confused I turn towards Sardura to see obvious confusion on her expression. 

“Sardura, Makuri has gone crazy, she all of a sudden started making absurd demands.”  One of the girls yelled as they drew close.

“She’s demanding us to swear an oath of loyalty to her.”

“And to prepare for battle, but the village isn’t being threatened.”

“She’s ordered us to hunt down and capture your guest.  She’s already taken Sarduna to the shrine of Haous and seems to be coordinating some armed insurrection from within.  It’s total chaos right now, nobody knows what to do or how to react.”  The first girl said retaking control of the conversation.

Sardura stopped and pondered on what she heard for several moments before turning to me.

“Yuri, I’m going find some of the elders so we can organize a response to Makuri’s idiocy.  I want you to stay out hear in the woods for now, Makuri’s looking for you, so it’ll be safer to stay out of the village for now.  Once this is over, I’ll come back here to get you.”  She stated quickly then immediately ran to the village with the other girls before I could respond.

I stood there a little dumbstruck at how sudden a development this was.  Makuri was staging some sort of revolt?  But wasn’t she already the chieftain?  Unless the elders were the real power within this clan.  Even more relevant to me, Sarduna was taken hostage and Makuri was after me as well.

What would happen to Sarduna?  She could be harmed in the chaos that was ensuing.  Didn’t Sardura say that Makuri had an interest in Sarduna.  What if Sarduna gets raped? 

There’s no way I’m going to just let that happen.  And I hadn’t exactly agreed to sit around like some lost maiden while a battle raged all around me.

Checking the copper dagger that Sardura gave me, I test the sharpness of it then headed for the village.  I didn’t blindly run into the village; I took cover behind a small rock outcropping a small distance from several houses.  Making sure I wasn’t seen I snuck up to the houses, then weaving through them to keep myself from being seen.  It actually wasn’t hard to avoid anybody, most of the residents were holed up in their houses with only a hand full of what seemed to be the warriors running around.  Bobbing and weaving through the streets I made my way to where that weird priestess accosted me.

Once I get within sight of the shrine, I can see that there are almost no guards protecting the place.  I wonder if that means all of Makuri’s warriors are dispersed throughout the village or that are no warriors loyal to Makuri.  Anyway, I cautiously edge myself closer to the building while remaining unseen, since I don’t know if someone will just waltz into view.  After what felt like an excruciating amount of time of sneaking, I reached the shrine entrance.

Entering the shrine, I found the main room to be occupied by only three women, Makuri, Sarduna and the priestess.  Sarduna was sitting on a bench with the priestess next to her, obviously keeping her from escaping.  Makuri was pacing the room, mumbling about something, I didn’t bother paying attention.

Oh, thank the Dragon-Goddess!  Sarduna looks to be safe and sound.

“So, my loyal warriors finally found you Yuri.”  Was the first thing Makuri stated when I walked in.

What the hell is this girl going on about?  I’ve barely encountered anyone on the way here, much less any of these ‘loyal warriors.’ 

“Hehehe, here under the protection of Haous sacred shrine no one will interfere with us as we bond.

Now with you and the clan elders put in their place no one can threaten me or my household.  Now come here I’ll take both you and Sarduna at the same time.”  With her words the priestess takes hold of Sarduna to bring her closer to Makuri.

I calmly and methodically march towards Makuri, while trying to keep myself under control for what I’m about to do.  Makuri stepped closer to me stretching out her arms as if she was about to embrace me.

“Now who wants to be fir…”  Her words cut off as I slice her throat with the dagger. 

Makuri gurgled as she stammered back a few steps, clutching her throat desperately.  There was a gasp from the priestess as watched on in horror, Sarduna stared wide-eyed at both me and the writhing Makuri.  Every beating pulse of her heart caused more fluids to gush out of her throbbing neck.  Her clothes were drenched in her blood by the time she crashed into the shrines alter, stopping her fumbling about.  She then flipped around grasping at the alter as if trying to pull herself up all the while her throat continued to spray blood.  Finally she slowed then stopped, all noise ceasing, all signs of life fading as Makuri drew her last breadth.

I stood rooted in place as I watched Makuri’s death throes in a mixture of morbid fascination and grim resolve at the knowledge that this was my work.  All of this took less than a minute though it felt painfully long.  I didn’t regret killing her, but it is shocking to come to terms with doing so.

“*GASP* What have you done.”  A voice shouted from behind my back.

I jolted at the unexpected words, turning around I found Sardura, her comrades and several older looking women at the doorway to the shrine looking in at the scene I created.

‘Excellent.’ 

I heard a strange, distorted voiced echoing in my head.  It didn’t seem like anybody else heard it.

“You’ve…defiled the shrine to Haous, tainting it with the blood of our own.”

“Murdering our chieftain at our most holy place.  Are you mad, you ungrateful cretin?”

“Are you trying to get us cursed?”

“Sacrilege!  How dare you, we invite you into our village, to fraternize with our young girls and this how you repay us?!” 

The older women continue to heap their insults at me.  Biting my lip nervously under the withering assault of words hoping to find some way to diffuse the situation.  I look towards Sardura and Sarduna, both of them are dazed at what’s going on and not responding.  Both of them are clearly shocked at me killing their half-sister, I wonder if they even want to see me ever again.

Maybe it would be best if I just left already.

The women’s rantings quickly escalate to threats against me.  I can’t take any more of this abuse I ended the coup against them and all I get are threats and insults. 

There doesn’t seem to be anything else I can do, so I turn and bolt for the door.  They didn’t seem to expect this, so I quickly made it through the door.  Once in the street I immediately made a dash for the edge of the village.  I didn’t stop once, and just continued running.