The Realm's Mystics [Mystic Women of The Realm Series Book 3] (56 page)

An'ther'on's eyes opened wide, “If I had any kind feelings for the Mungardies, this turn I would feel very sorry for them, Highness."

San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ reached out her hand, “I have need to borrow your knife for a moment only."

An'ther'on removed her lightest and smallest knife, handing it to her Queen, guessing as to her intent, “I would be most honored to do this for you, my Queen."

San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ looked up at An'ther'on, but said nothing. She knew she needed to do this for The Realm. For her warriors. For all the innocents who were slaughtered by the Mungardies. And for herself. It had been long prior since she had done anything like this, but she knew it must be done. She took hold of the knife slowly, as An'ther'on offered it to her.

Sle'nel’ stood by wondering as to why her Queen took the knife. All the camp watched as The High Queen did so, then watched breathlessly as she walked over to the Master.

The Master was mostly unconscious, in much pain from her torture and wound, “Wake her."

Ann'wn threw some water upon the Master.

The Master came to, looking at The High Queen, “So. You come to finally kill me, San'lr'in'thel'ineln'. I am well honored that you do this yourself."

San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ looked upon her with disgust, “You are a loathsome figure and should never have been made a Master. In truth, your skills are pitiful. I fought against some of your trained Mungardies and they knew little of the skills. As I look back upon our training, I now recall that only the traitors made you a Master. In truth, you are not a Master at all."

"Think me not the only traitor, San'lr'in'thel'ineln'. Even those you think of as loyal may have surprises waiting you."

Ignoring the statement, San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ moved forward, ready to do her intent.

"Do I get no last request, High Queen?"

"Tell Me of it first, then I will decide."

"Spare the Mungardies Head Supreme Ruler."

She ignored the request, turning to Ann'wn, “Did I not say to silence her?"

Ann'wn bowed her head, “Her nose is broken. She cannot breathe from it, Highness. And you wanted her alive."

The High Queen said nothing of the statement, “Remove her shirt."

Sam had arrived to the scene, deciding to wait with Sle'nel', coming up beside her, “What is she doing, Jandra?"

Sle'nel’ stared in disbelief as to what she now knew her Queen was to do. She could barely breathe, let alone respond to her prior lover. She watched as her Queen bowed her head and closed her eyes, a pattern Sle'nel’ well knew. The High Queen was preparing herself and displacing her emotions. As she did this, the Master, who was well strapped to the pole, began to show fear, an emotion most Masters would never show.

Sle'nel’ thought,
With the way The High Queen presently appears in this battle armor, I would also be well afraid. I thought these Private Guards most fearsome in their appearance, but The High Queen in this armor is the most terrifying woman I have ever seen.

She knew her lover had been taken to the point of no return, but she couldn't have guessed as to The High Queen's ability to take on that which she demanded from others. She turned to Sam, “Forgive me, but my Queen needs me."

She quietly walked up toward The High Queen, standing slightly to the side. She sent her thoughts to her, hoping she would receive them,
I know not why you must do this, but I am here for you, San'lr'in'.

The High Queen turned her head slightly, seeing her lover out of the side of her eyes. She kept her thoughts to herself, not wishing to share the horror within her mind, but was grateful, and knew that Sle'nel’ had seen much worse during her lifespan.

Never prior had Sle'nel’ seen such burdened-weight upon The High Queen. Her eyes looked as if they had seen more sorrows than all the Sorrows of the Stones, combined. Sle'nel’ could tell that her Queen felt the weight of all The Realm upon her.

Sle'nel’ knew her Queen needed her strength,
If you feel you must do this, then do so without regret. Show the others, my Queen. Help them to have courage to fight against our enemies. They will face worse than this. Stand as a High Queen, my Love. Stand in all your glory.

She saw San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ visibly change her stance slightly, standing more assured, more as a Warrior High Queen. She watched as The High Queen moved up close to the Master.

"Not deserving such, you will not be given a last request."

She watched as The High Queen took the knife and made a deep cut into the Master's chest, opening it. She watched in disbelief as The High Queen moved her hand into the Master's heart cavity, ignoring the chilling and tortured screams. She felt around for a moment, calling to her the memories of the Dungaras’ villages that were destroyed, while causing unbelievable pain to the Master. After a moment, she placed her other hand against the Master's chest, bracing herself, then slowly, she pulled out the Master's heart. When she was done, she stood holding it in her now bloodied hand, watching it beat the last of its life.

To Ann'wn she said, “Give Me her shirt."

Ann'wn came up to her, holding the shirt out for her. The High Queen placed the heart in the shirt, then called for An'ther'on, “I return your knife to you. Carry this bundle for Me. We will give this to the last survivor, telling them it is for their leader.

An'ther'on had monumental respect for her High Queen, well knowing that even given her own strength and power, The High Queen could yet beat her in combat, “Yes, my Queen. We will leave at your bidding."

Ann'wn made a move to remove the Master from the stake.

The High Queen looked at her, “Leave her for the birds to feast upon."

Ann'wn bowed her head, moving away from the now dead Master.

"Force Leader. It is your moment to lead your forces into battle. Prepare your warriors."

The High Queen's attendants came to her, helping her to wash the blood from her hands and arms. When she was done, she spoke to Ann'wn once again, “Force Leader. Take all our reserves and go toward the southern boundary. Find and destroy two of its small villages, but leave the children and innocents alive. Have a message sent to the Mungardies leader that we spare them their defeat this turn, but that they are to leave the Dungaras in peace from hereon. Leave no dwelling standing and no warrior living. Your warriors may take as they wish, but no innocents are to be killed."

Ann'wn bowed her head, “To your command, High Queen. With your leave, we now depart."

"You have My leave."

Ann'wn turned to leave. The High Queen spoke once again, “Force Leader."

Ann'wn turned, then knelt and bowed her head, “High Queen?"

For the first moment in over two turns, she spoke somewhat kindly to her force leader, “Return to Me, Force Leader. Return safely from this battle."

"As you command, High Queen. It shall be so."

"And have Meera, Erthrn, and My sister go with you."

"Yes, High Queen."

Ann'wn left with great speed, taking the remaining warriors with her. The High Queen looked upon her lover, placing her hand gently on Sle'nel's cheek, “I leave now, My Desire."

"I go with you."

"You should not. Our mission will be most difficult to see."

"I go with you, openly or hidden. It is your choice."

The High Queen looked at her through saddened eyes, “If I were able to command you, I would order you to remain in camp with the healers. But we will ride very quickly, My Desire."

"With all that armor? I will be arrived well prior to you, given all the weight you now carry."

"To our stars, My Desire."

"To our stars, my Queen."

All The High Queen's main forces had been unleashed for a one-turn's revenge. She and Sle'nel’ now rode with her Private Guard, racing at furious speeds to the designated town. Unlike The High Queen's Black Guard, her Private Guard cared nothing about silence, choosing to thunder in upon the enemy, frightening them with their great explosive noise. For long into the early morn, they ran like an ill-wind blowing ferociously across the lands. When they finally saw the town from a distance, An'ther'on halted them for a moment, pointing to their destination, “Leave no survivors. I will select the one. Leave nothing else. When all are dead, set fire upon the town. Take what you wish from them. We go, and we go loudly. We go letting loose The High Queen's great anger and punishment.” She raised her massive sword, “For The High Queen! For The Realm!"

An'ther'on raised her horse onto its hind legs, then rushed off at the greatest of speeds, with all her warriors following closely behind. The High Queen rode next to An'ther'on, while Sle'nel’ followed at a short distance behind the entire group. She readied her bow and arrow as she pushed her own horse forward to that which she now knew would be total slaughter.

She had one quiet wish,
If we must kill them, then let us do so quickly, without torture or pain.

The battle scene was nothing Sle'nel’ wished to see, hoping she would never have to see such again. The Mungardies were not taken by surprise, hearing the thundering of the Private Guard well prior to their arrival, but were hardly prepared for anything like The High Queen's Private Guards. The Private Guard were quick in their executions, moving quickly onto the next enemy. They wasted no moments on reflection, no moments on useless movements, and gratefully, no moments on torture. Sle'nel’ knew that if The Private Guard reflected for even a mere moment, they wouldn't be able to do as they did this turn. Every Mungardies in the town was to be killed, except one. And by the end of the late morn, all were dead, except the one. To a one, The Private Guard were awash in blood, looking weary from their loathsome task. When they had searched out all the living from every dwelling and killed them, they then set fire to every dwelling, leaving nothing.

The High Queen had ridden into the town center, dismounting quickly, choosing to fight in hand-to-hand combat against those who had taken up weapons. Throughout all the morn, The High Queen released her rage against the Mungardies’ warriors, drawing forth her memories of what the Mungardies warriors had done to the innocents of The Realm. Sle'nel’ stood on the sidelines, using her bow and arrow only as she felt necessary. At one moment, she saw an injured Mungardies who was suffering from the deep wound. She sent an arrow quickly into her, ending her pain. She turned her back to the killing of the innocents, not understanding why The Realm needed to also do as such. Fortunately, the town was comprised mostly of warriors who were far easier to wage war against than the senseless slaughter of the innocents. She could see no children about the town this turn.

When all was complete, An'ther'on began to take the one left alive to The High Queen. One of the Private Guards heard a noise, “Listen. It is the sound of crying young ones."

The one guard listened, walking to a patch of bushes upon the ground. She knelt down, yet hearing the noise. She brushed some dirt away from the area, then saw a wooden door hidden in the ground. She cleared the trapdoor, and then opened it. Five small Mungardies children were inside. She pulled each of them out, seeing that all of them were well under four cycles. The Mungardies children were crying and scared, holding each other's hands. An'ther'on turned her captive over to another of her own warriors, then went to kill the children, pulling out her sword as she went.

Sle'nel’ cried out, “Halt!"

An'ther'on looked at her, “The High Queen has commanded it be so, Elfin Princess."

Sle'nel’ went and gathered the children to her, quickly trying to create an idea that would be acceptable to these Private Guard and her Queen, “I have a better idea for vengeance against the Mungardies than simply killing their children."

San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ raised an eyebrow only, “I am listening, My Elf."

"We will give them to Yyeoiraa and A'lon'lden to raise."

The High Queen thought on it for a moment, then laughed, thinking it an excellent thought, “Five young Mungardies raised by a Dungaras and a Mystic. We will send this as part of the message. Most excellent, My Desire. A most brilliant idea. The Mungardies would rather have their children dead than raised by such."

An'ther'on couldn't guess as to why there were only five children in this large town, “My Queen. Why do we see only these five children, and no other?"

"The Mungardies send their children of four cycles or more for training. It is their way."

The one Mungardies who An'ther'on had left alive was a young warrior, full of hate and loathing toward the women of The Realm. She resisted every movement, until finally The High Queen placed her sword into one of the fires for a moment. When she removed it, it was glowing with red-hot intensity.

"Hold out her sword arm."

An'ther'on and two others held the Mungardies warrior in place, holding her arm straight out. San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ raised her heated sword, bringing it down swiftly, cutting off the arm quickly and cleanly just below the elbow, then held the sword to the open wound for a quick moment. The sword seared the arm closed, preventing the warrior from dying of blood loss, but the pain was immense. The Mungardies screamed and shrieked from the pain, unable to refrain from doing so. An'ther'on kept the Mungardies warrior in a standing position, but the young warrior was screaming and crying so desperately that all could see that she would be useless as a messenger.

The High Queen placed a hand upon the Mungardies’ head for a very brief moment. Suddenly, the Mungardies warrior halted her screaming. San'lr'in'thel'ineln’ had removed a little of her pain, but only out of her need of this one.

"Stand like a warrior, Mungardies."

The young warrior tried, but felt as a child next to The High Queen's Private Guards. Yet, she stood, and that was enough.

An'ther'on stood close to The High Queen with the prepared bundle. The High Queen took it from her, now standing close to the Mungardies warrior, “You have been spared for a reason."

"To kill you the next moment I see you, Realm Scum."

An'ther'on raised her hand to the Mungardies, backhanding a great blow to her face, “Speak with respect, or on the next moment I remove your tongue."