Run.
Run away.
I jerk awake the next morning from a rough sleep, an hour before the dawn, with an invasive feeling striking through me. Not a man. Not a gaze. Not a threat. Something worse, though. I sit up and gaze out to a night sky, dimly lit with the Sun slowly rising.
The Tribe is dead quiet, as everyone sleeps soundly.
However the sounds from the forest are muted, and all I hear is the very light rustle of leaves from the wind.
When I stand up and gaze around the forest, I see nothing, and not too long after, I hear the morning bugs and even a bird chirping, breaking any perceived silence from before.
I look around the Tribe next. No one is up early.
My skin itches all over with the need to go. I turn around toward a well-used path, and I walk toward it, picking up the spear I'd been working on. It was ready, it just hadn't been used yet.
I walk away from Sovrex in my wolf hide and rabbit fur slip, deciding I need to spend an entire day away from here... where no one can find nor speak to me.
The warm sky is turning a dim orange from the blue, slowly turning over, but it'll allow me enough time to make a great distance from here.
I would make a temporary solitary camp. I could rest on grass, I didn't need further supplies. I could not smell any fore-coming rain, only dry weather would stay.
I walk off to a lighter path, more obscure, and leading uphill. A height advantage would help me remain away.
After an hour of trekking away, the sun is now just grazing the horizon and I'm sitting with my legs dangling over a cliff, staring out over the lush tree tops of Dampwater far below.
I hum to myself, feeling much better now that I'm away. I had felt trapped before. Like a vice upon me. It just didn't feel right being in that camp. It was a lot of responsibility. Vying for Callista's attention, stealing his heart, seeing his death, being charmed by Offu, and tricked by his illusion to see Orsunr aswell...
I tried to play it tough until now, and I won't let my guard down – but while alone I can stop thinking about it all so heavily. I don't want to talk to anyone.
My new found peace is welcome, but it's soon dead.
An angry, hot, huff from large nostrils blows behind me; Bear.
I whip around to see the huge brown bear standing right behind me, after stalking me silently.
My eyes widen. Two choices. If it was being eaten by a bear or jumping off this cliff, either choice was just as terrible.
I glance back to see how far down the ground is from here.
An aggressive noise from the bear disturbs me and I turn back to it immediately, but it's not lunging for my face, it's now sitting down on its butt while it looks at me. It's then that I notice it's shadow isn't right.
I watch it for a moment longer, then I feel the need to look away again, as I'm overwhelmed.
I turn toward the horizon, but can only last not looking at the bear for a small moment. Because it's shadow had been the shape of a giant human man.
When I look behind me, the bear is gone.
Callista's shadow has gone too, instead now he stands, legs parted, hands at his sides, neck high and his feet moving across the hard ground as he comes toward me, totally naked so I can see every inch of him tattooed in the morning light.
I turn toward the sky, and Callista talks to me, "Sunrise, Yehseeka. It's my favourite time of the day," I say nothing, and I don't look at him, but I hear him picking up my spear, "This will throw quite far... nice work..." his footsteps approach, and Callista sits next to me, "...why did you run away...?" he asks it quietly, but not threateningly.
"I didn't know you could change into a bear," I murmur back.
The Magus lets it slide, "It was the bear I killed, it attached to my soul as vengeance. It's not my friend..."
"Does it possess you and take over then?"
"I still control him," Callista answers quickly, "He lusts for human blood so that can be useful if a rival tribe tries to take from Sovrex... or if they dare wage war, it's there funeral. Speaking of the end; I want to know what you saw."
"You mean your death?"
"Yes."
Fine, but he'd regret hearing it.
"You were being gutted alive by all the other Tribe leaders, a disgraced fall, as your ex-Tribal women watched you. The other men of Sovrex were dead too. I watched all this away from you all. On a rock. I saw ferns around... the women were taken as slaves... men's heads were displayed on pikes... and it was a brutal end for you."
"Do you betray me, Yehseeka?" Callista asks.
"I don't know," I answer honestly, "...although... I didn't feel attacked in that vision... instead I felt worshipped."
"The Morgan," Callista swipes up my hand unexpectantly, gentle with his touch, as he weaves his larger fingers through mine, which are callused from all the work I'd been doing to survive on my own. He holds my hand on the ground, and he stares at his fingers over mine, "I saw you rise. You are trouble," I yank my hand out from under his and put it back on my thigh, kicking my legs off the overhang again while I stare at the changing clouds.
"You're the one in trouble," I respond, cold, "I came out here for solitude. I didn't ask for your company."
"Women fear me. Yet you do not."
"That's right."
"...but you are scared of me dying..." Callista whispers it closer to my ear. I gulp. No. Maybe. Yes, not that I'd tell him! "What you saw, won't happen. I'm changing that destiny."
"Oh yeah?" I pull away from him to glare, and he answers the challenging question in my gaze.
"A death vision is also a quest – name any men in that vision against my will, and I will start to slaughter them one by one, until the vision is burned to ashes," Callista doesn't smile as he says this, but he's clearly thinking about it deeply, "It is time to return to Sovrex."
"Goodbye," I say it dismissively.
Callista jumps to his feet and turns around to start walking.
I turn to see what he's doing – and the bastard has picked up my spear!
"Hey!" I jump to my feet, and Callista grins and starts to sprint into the foliage. I run after him, as he laughs and moves like lightning itself. I bolt for him still, determined to catch up. I swing through damn vines to cover more distance, but still he out paces me, holding my spear over his shoulder like a carrot, "Thief!" I call out to him, losing my breath – when I hear his feet stop, he tries to hide behind a tree. Idiot.
"Come take it back from me, Morgan," Callista taunts me as he calls out, but I notice immediately that his title for me is finally in place, Morgan, and I find myself smiling, until he adds, "If my brother doesn't catch you first..."
I've been leaning on a branch to gather my breath, but now when I turn right around, I see Orsunr right there, after running from behind me, he now reaches out a hand and holds my lips shut before I scream or complain.
"Already have her!" Orsunr calls out to Callista, and he drops his hand off my mouth, to ask me, "You saw me and my brother as Desire?" Orsunr asks me with a blank face, and a judgemental look, while I hear Callista walking over.
I blush deeply as Callista rounds the tree and keeps my spear in his hand, while I glance between the two of them awkwardly, back and forth.
"I don't know why I saw what I saw," I admit.
"The Morgan takes all leaders on, to judge their strength individually," Callista reasons, "And my brother is a leader as well.
Orsunr sneers over me, "Get that smug look off your face. I will not fuck you for your desire."
"I never asked you to," I gasp, "Get off your fat horse, Orsunr."
"She likes you if she insults you," Callista teases me.
"Why are you so happy anyway?" I growl at him and as I ask that, now Orsunr smiles too, and I look at him suspiciously.
"Morgan Rites are tonight, Biankar or another will kill you," Orsunr smiles wider over my face, "This is the last daylight for you."
"Isn't Biankar the one that rides your dick?" I ask quickly now, "When she's dead, I'll have to do it for her. I've thought about it, Orsunr. I'll take Callista's cock at the same time, and you'll both be fawning over my tits."
Callista snorts, trying to hide another laugh, while Orsunr loses his momentary glee.
"She has a sharp wit," Callista tries to sooth Orsunr.
"Whoever wears the ankle chain at the end will have my respect," Orsunr chooses detachment.
Both brothers shrug and almost start to move off, but I hold up my hand.
"Wait," I catch their attention once more, and their eyes turn back to me, "Callista, Orsunr, tell Biankar not to fight. I do not wish to kill her. In fact, tell them all to subside... please..."
"They have a right to challenge my choice," Callista adds, while looking me up and down.
It takes me a second to realise he means me.
"Are you scared of dying, Yehseeka?" Orsunr uses the same mocking tone I used on him last night, when I challenged him to dance.
I stand right up to Orsunr, staring up at his arrogant glare, "I do not want to see another vision," I explain, forthright, "I hate them," Confirming I am a Shadow Witch, I watch Orsunr blink in surprise of my admission.
I hold out my hand for my spear from Callista, who passes it to me now.
I lower it so it's pointed at his cock, and I smile, as I now turn and lead the way.
"Why did you chase me this morning?" I ask, as we all return.
"In Sovrex," Orsunr calls out, eager to explain, "We cannot risk a member leaving to join an enemy – lest they were to reveal our weaknesses. So we chased to kill you."
I almost stop walking, but I'm leading the way for now and I rather they not see the look in my eye.
"...were you going to?" I ask, as sternly as I can.
"If you failed to come back," Callista answers me, "There would have been a consequence for abandoning Sovrex. Speak to me... before you leave again, Yehseeka."
"For permission?" I scoff.
"Just speak to me," Callista's voice lowers now, amusement soon fading.
"Respect my brother," Orsunr snaps, "He provides everything for you and the whole Tribe. Without us you'd be dead."
"Are you hard looking at my ass, Orsunr? I know despite everything, you admire my unforgiving nature," I look over my shoulder quickly to catch Orsunr's eye, "You and Callista both want to fuck the unfuckable witch who sees death."
"Unless you climb trees like a sloth to escape," Callista adds, smirking, making me blush immediately.
"He's fucked you once like a pig in the mud, I do not respect you for that," Orsunr rubs it in, stone cold, and he had indeed seen that all transpire – that's how I lost my virginity.
I hate him for reminding me.
I grit my teeth and choose not to say anything.
It was times like these... action is all that mattered.
I would show them.
What they said was wrong, and maybe it was just obvious provocation anyway... however... did it matter? No, because the Morgan Rites would be mine, officially all mine, tonight. From that point on they'd no longer treat me as a Sleetr – almost killing me for running away would never cross their minds again. Soon, I'd be treated as Morgan. The Queen.