Family Ties
#9 of Shades of Grey
Family Ties
This story features the character Brian, who belongs to Huskyfan5. Go to [www.furaffinity.net/user/huskyfan5](%5C) for more information.
This story is set one year prior to Shayde's Story
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Xani was all alone, and walking down a dark road. On her back was a large basket, full of fresh-baked bread, ready to be delivered to the waiting customers of the village she lived in. Normally, she hated getting up so early, but today, her brother was a bit unwell, and had roped her into making the early-morning run.
Xani peered through the pre-dawn gloom, rubbing her eyes tiredly. This was no way for a girl to live, she thought. Early mornings, all the heat from the bakery, flour flying everywhere from careless bakers...it would take a long, luxurious shower to make her feel better again...and if her brother happened to be left with only cold water, so what? He's a husky, she thought, he won't feel the cold.
The basket on her back was heavy, but Xani barely felt the load. She was strong for her 20 years, forced to keep up with a very competitive brother in every way. Brian felt a little sore that instead of a brother, he had wound up with a little sister, but he still roughhoused with her nonetheless. It was only when Xani had dumped him on his tail after a particularly boisterous play-fight, had Brian seen the potential in his little sister, and had started teaching her some fighting moves. In the village they lived, it helped that a girl could protect themselves, as there was no shortage in sleezeballs who would take any advantage they could.
It didn't help that Xani was absolutely drop-dead gorgeous. Her thick shiny pelt of rusty and cream fur rippled in the sunlight, and her snapping amber eyes drew attention from everywhere. Never mind that under that thick coat, steely muscles bunched up, ready to KO anyone who messed with her. She moved with the grace of a ballroom dancer, light on her feet and with careful movements, barely making a sound.
It was this silent movement that helped her that morning. She was padding down the road, when she heard a slight rustle to the side. She stopped and swivelled her large ears, trying to locate the sound. Two, maybe three different sets of feet, she pondered. She decided to play it safe for now. Dropping the basket carefully, she pulled out a folded black cloth, shaking it out to reveal a long hooded cloak. The velvety material seemed to swim in and out of focus, so she swung it over her shoulders and slid her arms into the sleeves, the cloak making a harsh metallic clanking sound as it knocked against her leg. She was so busy doing up the buttons on the front, that she was caught completely unawares by what happened next.
She was tackled from behind, flying to the ground with an ungraceful thud. Before she could pick herself up, a foot was planted solidly on her back, pinning her to the ground.
'Well well well...what have we here boys?' came a voice from above. 'A rather juicy lookin' bit of meat...' Twin guffaws of laughter met this statement, and Xani's head was wrenched up, one of them yanking her up by her ears. A voice sounded close into one of them.
'You should know not to go wanderin' around at night, beautiful...bad things happen out here...'
Xani didn't say a thing. She just hit back and head-butted the offender. A howl of pain sounded, and one of the hands gripping her let go. She quickly wrenched out of the grip of the other, rolling to her feet.
There was a group of three wolves before her. One was bleeding from his nose, the others were closing in.
'Hey Slate,' said one, a muddy brown creature. Or that could just be actual mud, mused Xani. 'This one's got spunk.'
The grey one, Slate, nodded and slowly licked his lips. 'Mmm...I like a little fire...makes this interestin'.' He reached behind his back and withdrew two daggers. The brown one slid brass knuckle-dusters over his paws, clacking them ominously.
Xani was in trouble now, but she didn't show it. These guys looked a bit too strong for her. She wished Brian was here...he'd paste these losers in a heartbeat. Glancing to the side, she saw the basket was overturned, several steaming loaves lying in the sand. Great, she thought, that's gonna come out of my pay. She returned to the problem at hand; how to evade her attackers. She slowly reached beneath the folds of her cloak.
Slate saw this. 'Nuh, uh...you're not doing a thing.' He hurled one of the daggers at her. It whistled right past her ear, taking a few hairs with it, and sunk, with an ominous thunk, into a tree just behind her. Xani turned for a second to see the passing dagger, and looked back just in time to see Slate's fist connect with her face.
Pain exploded from her jaw. She cried out and dropped to one knee, feeling her jaw-bone grate a bit. A blow thudded into her side, the force sending her rolling a few feet. She lay there in the sand for a few seconds, trying to stop the spinning in her head, and two pairs of hands grabbed her arms and hauled her upright. Slate stood before her, a horrid grin on his face.
'Is that all ya got?' he sounded a touch disappointed, as if he wanted a fight. 'Ya not even bleedin' yet...' He reached out and dragged his remaining dagger down from her ear to her neck, leaving a line of red, oozing blood, which matted her fur a bit. She cried out in pain as the cold metal bit her, biting her lip to stop herself.
'Oh, but I like it when they scream...' said Slate. It was clear what Slate was here for, and Xani was terrified. The grey wolf stepped forward and reached for the front of her cloak.
She couldn't even defend herself...these two goons had her tight, their eyes fixed on her face, drinking in her terror. She saw this out of the corner of her eyes, and an idea formed in her mind. All she needed was one hand, and two, maybe three seconds. These goons had forgotten one thing; they hadn't restrained her feet.
Xani lifted one foot and brought it crashing down on the bleeding wolf's foot. The poor creature howled in pain again and released her, grabbing his abused appendage and hopping around comically. His companion chuckled, then stopped when Xani thrust her fingers into his eyes, and he too dropped her, clutching his face in agony. Before Slate could make a move, Xani reached behind her and pulled the hood of her cloak up over her ears.
Instantly, everything around her became sharper. Shadows faded, and she could see clearer, a perk of this particular cloak. Slate was looking right at her, and he suddenly stumbled backwards, gripping his head and shaking it. Xani knew exactly why. Her cloak was treated with a special chemical that made it incredibly hard to look at. Looking at it for a few seconds would throw your balance off, continued gazing would induce nausea. The trade-off for this power was that the hood needed to be up for the chemicals to work properly. Without the hood, all it looked like was oily patterns on black fabric. Now that she was virtually hidden in the gloom, she could do something about these thugs.
Xani reached beneath her cloak, and withdrew two long poles of gold-covered metal. One of them was capped with a long blade, similar to a sword-blade, the other with a heavy red metal cap. She swung out with the blunt pole, cracking the brown wolf over the shoulder with the heavy metal. She heard something break...not the metal. He dropped like a stone, clutching his broken arm. Swinging around, Xani sliced a deep line into the chest of the bleeding wolf, the tip of her blade scraping against bone. She felt mildly bad for inflicting so much pain on the wolf, but hey, he had pulled her ears. She liked her ears. The wolf clutched his chest and fell back, more yelps of pain coming from him.
'Where are you?!' shouted Slate to the air, swinging his dagger wildly. He had seen his pack brothers drop before him, taken out by an invisible something. He would think a ghost was up to no good, but he kept seeing glimpses of the girl. Or at least, he thought he did. 'Come out an' fight like a man!'
A sudden pain blasted from his hip, and Slate dropped to one knee. 'I'm not a man!' said a voice from nowhere. Another blow, this time to his head. Slate's head spun with the blow, but he saw a slight shape before him. He quickly stabbed up with his dagger, and the blade stabbed into a hidden arm.
Xani cried out in pain as the dagger lodged itself into her arm. Her blood flowed out and onto the cloak-sleeve, marking her place. Now Slate knew where she was. She quickly pulled back and turned around, trying to hide the blood. And, there before her, was the bleeding wolf. This guy just doesn't give up, though Xani. She quickly pulled the dagger from her arm and dropped it, hoping her wound wasn't too bad. Putting the two open ends of her poles together, she gave them a deft twist, locking them together. Now she had a long staff, one end capped with a heavy base, the other with a long, and very sharp, blade. She wasted no time, and swung out with the staff. With its increased range, the blade cut another deep line into the wolf's belly. Before he could make another sound, Xani thrust forward, sinking the blade deep into his belly. The wolf gave a gargled howl as he was impaled, the blade exiting out his back, covered in blood. She pulled the blade out, and looked at it sadly. Now Slate would know exactly where she was.
'There ya are.' Slate's voice dripped with want and anger. She turned and was gripped in Slate's iron paws, one on her neck, one on her arm, disabling her staff. He twisted her wrist, forcing her to drop the staff, while hoisting her up off her feet.
'Oh yes...I think I'll enjoy this...' Slate gave another horrid grin and reached forward.
Suddenly, he lurched forward with a yelp of pain, dropping his prey as he did. Looking around, he saw nothing. Then his night-vision took in a black shape, standing on the road.
'Don't you dare touch my little sister!' shouted the black husky. It was Brian. He was dressed in his black body-armour, which was treated with a stealth chemical so powerful, he could do a tap-dance and no one would hear it. He was glaring at the grey wolf with undisguised hatred, and his broadsword was unsheathed and ready to slice into Slate. Slate took in this new opponent, and his resolve slipped a bit. This new husky looked strong, the broadsword held as lightly as any dagger. Add in the fact that Xani was practically invisible, and he knew he couldn't win this fight.
Slate gave a nasty grin. 'So, this is your sister?' He gave a small laugh. 'Personally, I don't see the resemblance.'
Brian continued to glare at the wolf, but he didn't realise the brown wolf was still around. The brown wolf snuck up behind him and punched out, landing a heavy blow on Brian's head. The black husky gave a cry of pain, falling to the ground as blood oozed, testament of the brown wolf's strength, and his knuckle-dusters. Xani rose to her feet, ready to help her brother out, but Slate gave a vicious kick to her belly, sending her to the ground again.
'Oh no you don't sweetheart,' he leered. 'Once your bro's out the way, I'll finish up with you...' He sneered down at her, then stepped on her hands as he passed her. Xani could do nothing until her lungs re-inflated. She could only watch as Slate approached her brother, flipping his dagger nonchalantly in his paw.
Brian was prone on the ground, the brown wolf's foot on his back. Xani could see that he was still alive, though. One of his paws was fiddling with something beneath his armour, searching for something. Slate came up and squatted down before him, grabbing his muzzle and lifting it to face him.
'Now then,' he said, with a scarily calm voice. 'You're gonna just sit here and enjoy th' show, 'k?' He waved his dagger in front of Brian's face. Brian didn't move an inch; he simply swung out with his paw, the one holding his hidden blade. It was slightly longer then a dagger; and assassins blade. Brain plunged the blade into Slate's side, his eyes never leaving the wolf's face. Slate gave a howl of pain, dropping Brian's nose and pulled the blade from his side. Annoyingly, it seemed the blade had missed any vital organs, so all Slate suffered from was blood-loss and excruciating pain.
Brian twisted and punched up at the brown wolf, landing a vicious uppercut on the lupine's jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. Brian silently jumped to his feet, took up his broadsword, and cleanly beheaded the brown wolf before he could recover. Xani felt a little sick as she watched her brother attack in utter silence, for not even his sword made a sound, thanks to the treated gloves that wielded it.
Slate watched as the black husky approached him, fear in his eyes now.
'Get up!' Brian hissed. 'Get up, and get far away from here! I don't want to see a hair of you left behind!' He raised his sword and swung it down, lopping off two fingers from Slate's paw. Slate howled again in pain, cradling the injured paw to his chest. He gave one last look at Brian, then took off into the forest.
Brian sighed and lowered his sword, rubbing his eyes with one paw, as if tired. Xani stood up slowly and lowered her hood, wavering into vision.
'Xani, how many times have I told you...wear that cloak all the time when you're alone.' Brian sounded a bit resigned, having told his sister this a few times.
Xani looked at the dirt. 'Sorry Brian. I...I thought I could take them...' She looked up to see Brian was smiling a bit at her.
'You almost did,' he said. 'If you had got that hood up a bit earlier, you'd have finished them off. All I did was...help.'
Xani looked down at the basket of bread, now strewn all over the track. 'I'm sorry about the bread, Brian...I'll pay for that...'
She bent down and began collecting the fouled bread. Brian knelt down and helped her, scooping up a few loaves and buns.
'Oh, don't worry about that,' he said cheerfully. 'They're not as important as my little sister!' He reached over and ruffled her head, giving a chuckle. 'You know what Xani? You're really good at this. You've gotten so much stronger.'
Xani laughed. 'I'm not as strong as you, brother.' She put the last loaf in the basket and swung it on her back. 'Come on, Brian...let's get back to the bakery.'
They walked on for about half an hour, just chatting. Xani didn't get to see much of her brother these days. He was too busy at the bakery, and she missed the times she spent around him, whether training, or just simply hanging out. Sure, she also worked at the bakery, but there, she was an apprentice, and he was the head, so she had to treat him differently.
'Hey, Brian?' Xani looked at her brother, a small frown on her face. 'I thought you were sick this morning.'
'Nah,' he said. 'I was just faking it. I needed a break. Plus, I wanted to see how well you did by yourself on the run this morning.'
'So...I didn't need to be up at this ungodly hour?' Xani stopped and glared at her brother. He grinned sheepishly. 'Not really...I would have done it-'
He didn't finish. Xani launched herself at him and tackled him to the ground. Brian hit the ground and rolled, fending off Xani's playful blows and laughing out loud as he did. Oh, how he missed this. His sister was a wild-cat, that was for sure. She was certainly strong, and several of her blows actually hurt, but for the most of it, it was all play. They exchanged blows slowly getting off the track and winding up in the woods to one side of the road. Xani had pulled her hood up, and was using the shifting cloak to make it harder for Brian to hit her. But Brian was still able to land a few blows.
Eventually, they stopped by a small pond, gasping for breath and worn out with laughter. Brian pulled off the top of his armour, revealing snow-white fur on his chest and belly, the only colour on his black body, save for the white streak on his tail. Xani also removed her cloak, hot and worn out from the play. Brian ran up and jumped into the pond, sending a wave of water over his sister, who squealed as the water hit.
'Brian! You oaf! These clothes are too good to get wet with pond-water!' She plucked at the soggy material. 'These are gonna shrink!'
Brian surfaced, grinning at his irate sister. 'You know, I have no idea what to think of you, Xani. You're too much of a tomboy to be called a girl, but you still care about girly things like clothes and hair. I thought I'd beaten that out of you.' He swept an arm through the water, sending another spray at her. Xani dodged the wave, and hefted a large rock at her soggy brother. He laughed and dodged the missile easily. 'Oh, come on sis! You can do better than that!' he teased. 'Or are you afraid to get cold?'
Xani paused. It was the middle of summer, and they were both huskies. Why would Brian say, 'cold'?
'What do you mean?' she asked. 'Is the water cold?'
Brian stopped moving, realising that, yes, the water was cold. Usually, he didn't feel the cold, so the water must be very cold. He swam to the shore and hauled himself out, shaking the water out of his coat.
'Weird,' he muttered. 'This stuff shouldn't be cold...' He looked up and saw a small stream that ran from the pond. It wound around a bit, before disappearing into a cave.
'Check that out, Xani!' he said, pointing at the stream. She walked over and dipped her paw into it, wincing as the icy water bit her pads. She rose and turned, and saw Brian had put his armour back on.
'What are you doing?' she asked. Brian frowned a bit. 'Not sure, but that stream is freaking me out a bit. I want to know why it's so cold.' He drew his broadsword, checking the edge on a rock. Satisfied, he passed Xani and walked into the cave. 'Coming?' he called back. Xani quickly retrieved her cloak, and followed her brother into the darkened cave.
They walked on for a while, and they both noticed that, the further they walked, the colder it got, until both their breaths were fogging out before them. Xani formed her staff and used it to check the ground before them, as it was getting a bit slippery. Her footsteps echoed way too loud for her liking, as did the slight clunk of her staff on the ground. She wished she had boots like Brian's. Though, at least she was slightly warmer then he was; his wet pants had formed a thin crust of ice, and he shivered a bit in the cold air.
Eventually, they rounded a corner, and found themselves in a large, empty chamber. On all the walls, ice glittered like diamonds. The air inside the chamber was maybe slightly above glacial, and thin clouds of frost swirled around the corners of the chamber.
'Wow...' breathed Brian. 'This place is amazing.'
Xani rubbed her paws together and nodded. 'Yeah, amazing, but freezing!' He paws were starting to ache where they gripped her staff, the metal retaining the cold so much, she was sure she'd be unable to separate the pieces.
Brian nimbly jumped down from the ledges, down to the ground-level. He sheathed his blade and turned around, surveying the chamber in slight amazement.
'Just look at all this room!' he said. His voice, of course, did not echo. 'What could possibly live here? And why is it so cold!?'
Xani slid down and approached her brother. The ground level was even more treacherous then the ledges, and a layer of ice coated everything around them. She didn't know why, but she had a bad feeling about this place.
'Brian?' she said, a note of uncertainty in her voice. 'I don't like this place...can we please go? Before whatever lives here comes back?'
'Ah, don't worry, Xani,' came the reply. 'We'll get out in time.'
And that was when things turned from bad, to worse.
There was a loud shuffling noise from the tunnel, and the two huskies turned quickly. A huge shadow was moving through the tunnel. Brian stared at it, then pulled himself together.
'Xani! Put your hood up. Now!' he snapped. Xani obeyed, sliding out of focus as her brother hid behind a rock. She also hid herself, as an added precaution. From where she stood, she saw Brian unsheathe his sword, spinning it in one paw to get ready. His eyes never left the tunnel.
From the tunnel, a dragon emerged. It was a large pale blue creature, its scales shimmering like ice. Its orange eyes glared from its head, and frost leaked from its snout as it grumbled and huffed its way into the cave.
'Oh, how I hate this cursed weather!' it growled. 'It is far too hot! Why did I ever think to settle down here?!'
It approached the ledge and seemed to float down, landing with barely a sound, on the icy ground. Close to, the creature was about 14 feet from snout to tail-tip, and it extruded an aura of such cold and malice, Xani couldn't help but shiver uncontrollably. Its claws clacked on the ice, drawing her attention to the long, sharp-looking talons. Xani was so focused on the dragon, she almost didn't see her brother.
He was making signs at her, signalling for her to run for the tunnel when he made the signal. She nodded, but remembered he couldn't see her, so she tapped her staff on the ground, her way of saying 'okay'. He nodded, then dragged his attention back on the dragon.
The dragon was grumbling to itself still, flicking its tail like an irate cat. It settled down and continued to growl obscenities at the climate. Brian took this moment to flick Xani the signal, so she stole out of her nook and ghosted towards the tunnel, Brian following close behind her. They had almost made it. Almost. Xani slipped a few feet from the ledges, hitting the ground with a loud, echoing thud, her hood slipping off her ears.
The dragon whirled and, spying the two huskies, gave a roar of rage that shook icicles from the roof.
'INTRUDERS!!' it thundered. Brian looked back, then grabbed his sister and hauled her to her feet, shouting 'RUN!' Xani didn't need to be told twice. Digging her staff into the ice before her, she propelled herself forward.
The dragon roared again, then leapt forward. Its hindquarters suddenly collapsed into a cloud of frost, which propelled it through the air. Xani looked back to see the two front legs, talons outstretched, flying towards her, and those evil orange eyes set above gaping jaws. She gave an involuntary shriek of terror and ran on. But it was no use. The dragon pounced on them, pinning them both to the ice. Xani's staff skittered out of her grip, spinning away and hitting a far wall. Brian's sword was still in his grip, but his arm was pinned.
The dragon huffed above them, sending clouds of putrid frosty breath onto their backs. Xani actually felt a few hairs freeze stiff, and she was once again thankful of her thick pelt.
'What is the MEANING of this?!' roared the dragon. 'How DARE you intrude in my lair!' It squeezed its talons around them, drawing a whimper of pain from Xani. 'Do you think you can capture the great Glayce?!'
Glayce? Xani wracked her brains, trying to think if she'd heard of this creature. She thought she remembered a little snippet of information. Apparently, Glayce was a dangerous individual, not for his power, but for his ability to defeat even the strongest foes without expending much energy.
Glayce tightened his grip and pulled the two huskies up to face him. His blazing orange eyes surveyed them. Xani had the odd feeling she was being scanned.
So,' hissed Glayce, sending another wave of frost over them. Xani only just repressed a shiver. 'What brings two dogs here?'
Brian swallowed and tried to speak. Xani glanced at him. Seeing how scared he was, scared her even more. Nothing scared her big brother...
'We...we didn't mean anything by it...' he said. 'We just...just lost our way.'
Glayce snorted. 'I do not believe so,' he growled. 'You two are here to try and capture me!' He squeezed harder, bring a moan of pain from Xani. Brian was protected by his armour, but not for very much longer.
'I tell you what,' said Glayce, an evil grin on his face. 'You both seem very strong. I can use that... I will give you a choice.'
He put them both on the ground, but somehow, neither of them could move. Clouds of frost wound around them, pinning them to the ground. Glayce swept his tail forward, revealing a thin metal band on the tip. It was a silvery ring, about the width of either husky's neck, and was marked with several runes.
'One of you,' Glayce hissed, spinning the ring around, 'will be my prisoner. The other, my slave. The choice is yours. There is no way you are escaping. You cannot move at all.' Xani tugged her feet, finding the dragon was right.
Brian looked at the collar. 'What's the catch?' he asked. 'It can't be that easy.'
Glayce chuckled a bit. Somehow, the sound was even worse than his roars of rage. 'Very true...the prisoner cannot leave. The slave can...until I need them, that is. You serve me for a year, you both go free...simple as that.'
Brian looked again at the collar, then at Xani. Xani saw the look in his eyes. Before she could say anything, Brian spoke up again.
'I will be the prisoner!' he said loudly. Xani made to say something, but Brian cut her off. 'No, sis, I know what I am doing!' He turned to look at her, tears in his eyes. 'Trust me, okay?'
'So, the female is the slave?' asked Glayce. Brian nodded once. Glayce grinned his horrible grin. 'How lovely...' He then swept his tail forward, smacking it into Xani's neck. She gave a yelp of pain, and felt a band of heat burn through her fur around her neck, lancing deep into her muscle. She gasped and fell to the ground, clutching her throat, and felt the band of metal, tight on her neck. It was cold, like metal left in a freezer for way too long, and she could feel thin threads of cold twist through her skull. She whimpered and clutched her head, not sure how to process the feeling.
Brian crawled towards her, seemingly able to move now.
'Xani? Are you...okay?' he asked softly. Xani turned and looked at him. He swam in her vision, through her tears, and the look on his face was almost too painful to bare. He approached her and pulled her into a fierce hug.
'I am...so sorry, sis...' he sobbed. His body shook as he hugged her. 'I should...never have taken you into the cave.'
Tears fell from Xani's eyes, rolling off her nose and onto her brother's shoulder. 'Why?' she sobbed. 'Why did you choose to be the prisoner?'
Brian looked at her. 'Because it is my job to protect you. You heard him...the slave can go, until he needs them.'
Xani looked into her brother's eyes. She saw a level of love there that made her feel horrible. He had given up his freedom for her...she sobbed harder, and hugged him again, not wanting to let go.
A wall of cold appeared behind Brian, and Xani looked up just in time to see Glayce raise a paw. He flexed his long talons, then plunged them into Brian's back. Brian yelped in pain, his body arching forward against the blow. Glayce dug in harder, grinning in malice, and from the talons embedded in the husky's back, a film of ice crept out, crawling slowly over Brian's body.
'NO!' screamed Xani. She looked up at Glayce, tears in her eyes again. 'You said he was a prisoner!'
'He is,' hissed the dragon, extracting his talons from Brian's back. They left five deep marks in his back, which swiftly filled with ice. 'This way, he cannot leave.'
Xani looked back at Brian, seeing the ice creep along his back, down his legs and over his belly. She pulled him into another hug.
'Brian, no!' she cried, holding him tight. 'Please, not like this!' She felt Brian shake as he tried to push her away.
'Xani...let go...'he gasped. 'Let go...or the ice...will get you too...' Just before the ice claimed his arms, Brian pushed hard, sending Xani sliding a few feet away. The ice finally swept up his arms and onto his face. A single tear was frozen on his cheek, and his mouth was locked open, in the middle of saying one last 'sorry'.
Xani was speechless with grief. She just stared at her brother's frozen form, and then she heard Glayce chuckle.
'Now slave...I have something for you to do.'
Xani snapped. She launched herself forward and attacked the dragon. Her punches didn't do anything, and Glayce entertained himself for a few seconds, before prodding his tail at the collar. Xani suddenly lost all feeling in her legs, and dropped to the ground.
'He's not dead.' Glayce said dismissively. 'Merely frozen in stasis, inside and out. I will release him in a year, but only if you follow my will to the letter. If not...' he tipped the frozen husky with a paw. Xani knew exactly what he meant. She swallowed, cast one look at her brother, then said a phrase that she would say for many months to come.
'What are your instructions, master?'
So Xani was Glayce's slave. For the most part, he left her alone, content to have her at his beck and call. She started a small bakery in a village not far from Glayce's lair, where she could go on with her life, and still attend to Glayce should he call. Every time she went to the lair, she looked to Brian. Glayce had set him on a ledge to one side, where Xani could see him and remember. Each time she saw him, Xani felt the pain again, then reminded herself...one year...just one year.
For that year, Xani became a thief for Glayce. He didn't see the need to leave his cave anymore, and so sent Xani to do whatever he wanted. He got her to steal little baubles, with which he entertained himself. Occasionally, he got her to lure feral cows and sheep to the lair, for a snack or two. Xani shivered as he ate, preferring to freeze the hapless creatures solid, then cracking them like nuts. She glanced at Brian. Only a month to go...
With two weeks until the deadline, Glayce called to her again.
'Well slave,' he said, looking down at her with a smile. 'You only have two weeks left. Has the time passed so quickly? My my, how time flies when one is having fun...'
Xani said nothing. She knew Glayce was goading her, but she wasn't going to mess it up.
'I want you to go into the city,' he said. 'For your final job, I want this.' He showed her a picture. In it, a large stone tablet stood. It was covered in runes like the ones on Xani's collar. 'It is a spell tablet,' he continued. 'I wish to learn its secret. Get it for me.'
Xani was used to such abrupt dismissals, and took her leave. One last job, she thought. Surely it couldn't be too hard.
She was wrong. As she tried to steal the tablet, hidden under her cloak, an alarm had been triggered. The room had filled with guards, and all had seen her. She panicked, and had slaughtered the lot of them in a frenzy of staff swipes. As she stood in the bloodbath, dread filled her. Glayce never wanted anyone to know what she was up to. Her collar burned, and Glayce was in her head. He surveyed the room.
'What have you done...?' he hissed. So much venom in his voice...it scared her. He then saw the tablet, shattered on the ground. 'You FOOL!' he hissed. Through the bond of the collar, he gripped her staff and forced her to stab herself in the foot. As the blade sunk down, Xani moaned and tried to pull up, but Glayce was in control.
'Return at ONCE!' he snarled, and her body was her own. She sunk to the ground and started to sob loudly. What would he do to her now?
She limped into the chamber, four days later...just two days from the deadline. She had seen a healer on the way, so she was almost healed from her foot-wound.
Glayce watched her closely as she approached. She noticed that Brian was placed to one side, within reach of Glayce's paw.
'Well, slave...' he hissed. 'What a disappointment you are. I asked you to do one last thing...and such a simple thing it was...' Xani lowered her gaze.
'AND YOU COULDN'T EVEN DO THAT, YOU USELESS CANINE!!!' roared Glayce, pounding the ice and sending icicles plunging to the ground.
'Please master...I didn't know about the guards...' Xani tried to beg, but Glayce wasn't hearing it. He struck out and shoved her to the ice, slashing at her back with his talons. Xani screamed in pain as clumps of fur were ripped from her back. Glayce kept one talon pressed to her bare skin, burning an ugly mark into her back. Frostbite...it would never heal back...that part of her body was dead now. She yelled in pain and sobbed, trying to escape, but Glayce's wrath was mighty. He struck her with a paw, sending her flying to a wall. She crumpled like a rag-doll, then struggled up again.
'The deal is off!!' roared Glayce. 'You will remain my slave forever!' Xani looked up in horror. As she did, she saw Glayce raise his paw, and bring it down with a heartrending shattering of ice, on Brian.
The ice shattered, sending shards everywhere. Xani's shriek of agony was lost in the cracking ice. She dropped to the ground, tears ripping her body, as pieces of her brother skittered over the ice. One piece slid over to her. It was one of Brian's eyes, frozen blue and open. She stared at it, sobbing uncontrollably. She looked up at Glayce, and a red hot wave of fury swept through her brain. Glayce was staring at his paw, as if worried he'd hurt it in shattering the husky.
One thought pounded through Xani's mind. Glayce was going to pay. She couldn't do it herself though...he'd stop her. So, she left the cave. Since Glayce didn't stop her, she didn't stop until she reached the village. Tears still fresh in her eyes, the other villagers tried to ask what was happening, but she ignored them. She was passing the town hall, when she saw something posted there. She approached it, and tore down the paper.
'To be exhibited in the city museum. The greatest find of the century! Come and see the rarest stone ever uncovered. All welcome.'
The most expensive stone ever mined is going to be on display at the city museum. Some ponder the motives of the curators, in light of the recent spate of thefts, but the directors assure us the piece will be protected with the best of the best.
'Yes, we have procured the bounty-hunter Shayde to protect the gemstone,' said the director today. 'I have been assured that Shayde is the best, and he is more than capable of defend the gem from any thief!'
'The gem will be on display at the city museum for the next week. All viewers are welcome'
A slow smile crept onto Xani's face. She had heard of Shayde. He was strong...maybe he could help her. She just...needed to ask the right way...