"Lady Maya! Don't run off like that! Come back, Lady Maya!"
The girl ran through a field of daffodils, her worries few, her trials irrelevant.
"Lady Maya."
The girl lay crying with her doll, alone. Her family gone, her home burning.
Burning.
Burning.
The blood burning.
"Lady Knife."
Maya awoke with a start. Piercing cold chains at her wrists, ankles, and torso. So cold. A dark place, dingy, little light and littler succor. Wizened faces watched from the corners - robed and tall and angry, they watched.
Except for the one. "Are you finally with us, Lady Knife?" He sat in front of her, richly dressed, finely combed. He wore a gold earring on his nose, ear, and lip. It could only be one man, the man she was sent to kill.
"The Big Pig himself..." Maya croaked, coughed.
"Lady Demon." The look in his eyes was one of anger, not fear. "You have any idea what you've done?"
And she didn't. The effects of the Fog were disorienting at best. Her recollection was disjointed - fragmented. The events made no sense in her mind but they didn't have to. She had failed again. Except... it was the Fog that failed her. It lied to her! And now... and now it was gone...
Big Pig brought her present with a punch to the face. "Still trying to piece it all together, monster?" He was on top of her, punching her, spewing spit. "Demon! What say you, now? Demon!" He sat back down, ran a hand through his black hair. "What say you?"
"I... killed a lot of pigs..."
"Aye... but tonight those pigs will! -"
"Neat...trick..." She coughed. "How did you do it?"
Big Pig's expression froze in mock severity, his eyebrow raised. "You really don't know?" He looked around the room. "These people are savages... you were right, Trisha." One of the figures nodded. "Has your cult not told you?"
"Your... people..."
"My people are farmers and craftsmen! They work hard to feed their families, protect their children! That is, when they are not being killed by some psychopathic... psychopathic... animal!"
Nononono. Maya struggled in her chains to no avail. Her mind was clear and crisp and haunting - soon, the memories started flooding in. "Y-y-you are the animal!" Maya growled, her vision red and her nostrils burned. "It was you..." Mother refusing to get up, her sight aimless. "You..." A nightmare that happened, and a hole created by loss, but filled to the brim with blood.
"Us?" Big Pig asked, incredulous. "The only animal here, girl, is wrapped in chains. The only animal here girl, is the -"
"Lady Maya, your classes are to start in an hour, be prepared to -"
Maya screamed, she screamed so much it hurt. Hurt. The robed figures took a step back, apparently still not convinced of her "powers". Even Big Pig seemed unnerved by the display. Maya saw none of it.
"Always grip the reigns tight, dear. Be careful. We don't want our little princess getting hurt, do we?"
"Papa..." She wailed, her face transformed to water. It had been so long, so long since she lived those days. Now, when faced with it all, her mind created its own fog to try and combat it. Would that it was as effective as the blood.
"The merchant has a family as well, my sweet. Always think of the individual behind the cause."
The wails stopped. Her chains started to dig into her skin from the constant shaking, chafing, pulling. It was too much... too much...
"Another trick, my lord?" Trisha, one of the robed figures, was crouching now, they all were. "She seems..."
"Human? Yes, Trisha. It seems our wildest hopes have come true." The lord's eyes held a sinister glint. "Her punishment shall be all the sweeter."
"My lord, I- "
"Her torture." Big Pig towered over Maya, his fists clenched. "Will be unimaginable. Her punishment...
"Made public for all to see."
https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/grocko/23vhoQ5n5oGkgckPLhtZcYdLmp6rL8qzcSjkLMSLm762tuKwC81dmCamQmsRm6Uc6npZF.png
Last part of this bloody journey drops tomorrow. Or the day after, w/e, ๐
I'll also talk about the process of writing this serialized content, and whether I think it's worth it on HIVE.
Shout-out to the ๐PIZZA๐ gang, ๐ค gang. ๐ค
๐ Follow me on my HIVE blog ๐
Have a great bloody day! ๐
Return from ๐ด Blood Oath | Part 4 of 5 ๐ด to ะะพัะบะพ's Web3 Blog
