Chapter 15: Volume 1 Chapter 15
The sun now went down.
Rhesus and Jove decided to move along while the harpy and her clutch of hatchlings were distracted by eating Jove's horse. They knew if they stayed put, the harpy would soon return.
When they exited the south side of the tunnel, the road was too narrow to mount the horse, so they both walked, Rhesus leading Jove, and Jove leading Rhesus's horse. Rhesus was able to see very clearly in the dark, so he led them along the path. Rhesus knew that if Jove misstepped, he would fall. Rhesus carefully guided them down the decline on the other side. They headed south out of the mountains and luckily did not run into the beast again.
Rhesus was happy to have the pull on his body gone. He realizing the cover of darkness was a good thing. Whatever force that was pulling on him was powerless during the night.
They stopped at the first village they came to after exiting the mountains. People were talking about a witch who was being held in the Consul of the next village to the south. It was a witch who brought a demon dragon to the village. They were planning on executing her in the morning.
Hearing this, Rhesus and Jove headed south to rescue her before it was too late. They decided to purchase another horse for Jove with some of the coins Rhesus took from his master's villa to make haste, then began to ride south.
"First you, then harpies, and now dragons? What is happening?" Jove asked rhetorically, knowing Rhesus didn't have the answer.
"Yes, something strange is happening," Rhesus admitted. "I just wish I knew what," he added.
It took two hours to reach the next village. There seemed to be some commotion happening when they arrived. There were many guards and some villagers in the street. It was late for so many people to be awake.
Rhesus hesitantly approached one of the villagers, "What is all the ruckus?" afraid the answer would be that they already dispatched the witch.
"A witch came to our village. She brought a winged demon with her. Many of us saw her change in her appearance. We captured her and we were planning to behead her and burn her body at first light, but she has escaped." the villager informed him.
"Not to worry though, she was injured in the side with a spear, so she won't get very far. We are looking to recover her now, and when we do, we will execute her without haste," he added.
"Do you know what direction she took to?" Rhesus asked.
"We believe she may have proceeded south. That is the direction she went when she attempted to escape us the first time," he said.
"She has a dragon?" Rhesus asked the man.
"Yes, it descended upon us from the sky to be by her side, burning our livestock and attacking one of the villagers," the man dramatized.
"And you want to go after this woman? A witch who commands a dragon? To what end?" trying to plant a thought seed, he added, "I would think having her gone from the village would be the best thing that could happen. Imagine if the dragon returns and finds she has been executed. That would be most unwise, would you not agree?"
"Hmmm, I had not thought of it, uh, please excuse me," the man said, turning away from them and walking over to a group of men to blazon the idea.
"Aren't you clever?" Jove chortled.
"I was hoping it would work," Rhesus said.
"Let's head south and hope we can find her, " as he commanded the horse to move.
They headed south on the main road out of the village, and into the darkness.
It was a moonless, starless night. It would have been difficult for most men to see anything, but Rhesus could see everything, clearly, and for a long distance.
They rode on and Rhesus was losing hope at finding the witch when he spotted something along the side of the road in the distance.
"Jove, I see something. A horse, but no rider." He said.
The men hurried their horses in the hope it was the witch.
"Is there a dragon with her?" Jove asked quizzically, only half-joking.
"No, no dragon," Rhesus responded.
When they got close, Rhesus jumped off his horse. There was a woman with a wound on her side lying in a ditch on the side of the road.
"This must be her! But, she is injured severely." Rhesus informed.
He could smell her blood. In honesty, it's sweet redolence was driving him mad. "What is happening to me?" he whispered to himself, not loud enough for Jove to hear. He wanted to taste it, but he resisted it. How could he want to taste someone's blood? "The only blood I want to spill is the blood of Manius." He thought to himself.
Supporting her head, he tenderly turned her from her side to her back and brushed her dark tresses that blended with the night away from her soft face gently with his hand. When he saw her face, he was instantly mesmerized by her beauty, so much that he completely forgot the reason he sought her out in the first place. Seeing her in that instant, for the first time since he was ripped from his family, made him feel that this world was a place worth living in.
His heart began beating rapidly as the realization hit him that she was in grave danger, her injury was bad.
Her wound looked severe. Oh, gods, the sweet smell of her blood was torturous to him. He could feel his teeth elongating and saliva pooled in his mouth. He resisted the urge. How could he be around her? He was afraid he wouldn't be able to resist this urge forever, but he could, for now.
He picked her up carefully in his arms and she let out a low groan. Then she said in a soft, hoarse voice, "Rhesus …."
He almost dropped her at the shock of it as he stumbled backward a few steps. How did she know his name? No matter, he could ask her later, hopefully. All he cared about now was making sure this beautiful creature survived. Hearing her his name come from her soft lips made his blood blaze.
Rhesus gingerly handed the woman to Jove while he mounted his horse and then Jove gently passed the woman to back him. He rested her head full of soft black curls against his chest and wrapped one arm around her to support her, careful not to brush against her injury. Jove mounted his horse and tied her horse to his saddle and they headed south towards Jove's house.
They continued on until they came to a stream. They stopped to make camp for the night, knowing that they were far enough from the village to be discovered now. Jove started a fire so he could see the woman's wounds better.
"It is a fatal injury if she does not get some medicine," Jove said.
Hearing this sent a stab of pain through Rhesus.
"What does she need?" Rhesus impatiently asked.
The woman opened her eyes and barely whispered "My bag. I have ingredients. I need water, and a pot to meld a potion."
Rhesus got the water and a clay pot and put it on the fire. He added the ingredients in the order she gave and she then chanted a couple of words.
"When it cools, please put it on my wound," she hoarsely whispered before she passed out.
Rhesus did exactly as the woman instructed. He was so impatient to put the cure on her wounds, he got angry at the potion for not cooling off faster.
How could this woman affect him so strongly? He knew he needed her to help him break whatever curse Manius cast on him, but this reached beyond that. He felt like if he lost her, he would lose a portion of himself that he could never recover. He stayed vigilantly watching over her the entire night, tortured between his wild attraction towards her and the aromatic bouquet of her blood. He imagined it would taste like the sweetest wine.
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