Law of Blood- Prologue (Patreon)

Prologue-

Zayn, one of the founding members of the gang One Direction, fell to the ground screaming. His well-groomed, gray hair was matted with sweat as his body convulsed. This had been going on for longer than he could remember. The pain was so all encompassing that it might have been mere moments or it could have been all day. No, that couldn’t be true, surely some of his servants would have found him if it had been that long.

“Very good. It has only been seconds. This is but a taste of the torment you shall know if you screw this up.” The voice inside his head was more forceful than every before.

Zayn knew exactly what was wrong, but he was above begging for mercy. He was the one who made others beg. No, he gritted his teeth and bore the pain he was experiencing. It was eye opening in the sense that he still didn’t know who his mysterious benefactor was. Apparently, they were even stronger than he had suspected.

“We can still capture the human. It would help though if I knew more about what we were dealing with,”Zayn thought. He tried to aim the thoughts at that voice in his head but as ever he had no way of knowing if he was heard. The voice only had spoken to give him commands in the past. It had never responded to anything he said directly.

“All you need to know is that he represents the culmination of an experiment which has been going on for longer than this pathetic world has existed. I will see you, your city, your race, your entire world burn before I lose the progress that he represents. But there have been new developments. Others are taking too much interest, so the stew will have to simmer for a while.”

“So we wait?”

“I wait, while you run and do as I bid. I will impart instructions into your mind for preparing. He will come to you, but preparations must be made. In the meantime shore up your connections with the birds and leave Yonderton to itself. Stress the important of that to the other gangs.”

Zayn shook while holding his hands to his head. Information and science that he didn’t understand was poured into his brain. It would take months, no probably years to make use of this. When it was over, he lay there trembling. This voice was offering him so much, he only had to hang on. He dared a small smile though. He had not been broken. He had not screamed or begged.

Then his blood went cold as he heard the voice again. “All mortals beg in the end, but its too late by then.”

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Ginni was just tucking her baby down for a nap. Life was good. She was happy to have joined Tyson’s family. She was the third wife, but there was plenty to do here. Tyson was a farmer but had made a great deal of himself. Maybe it was the fact that he was wolfkin, maybe it was just the drive that he had. The wheat crops he drew fetched a good price at market and his pigs made for great meat. Yes, this was definitely a good life.

No sooner had she sat down than Linda the first wife came running in. “Help me grab the kids. We need to get to the wagons,” Linda said while looking around the nursery. Between the three wives, Tyson had six kids but only 2 of them were young enough that they needed naps. Beastkin children grew up much faster after all.

“Why? What’s happening?” Ginni looked at Linda more closely and realized she the elf was panting. Normally, she was so very refined. Ginni couldn’t imagine what would have had to happen to cause her to be this worked up.

“The farm is being overrun.”

“Overrun? By what?”

Linda snapped, “Girl, we don’t have time for this. I know you’ve only been here a few months, but monsters are coming. More than ever before. Tyson and the farm hands are fighting and dying now to let us escape with the children. I pray to Sativa that they make it. But if I’m going to lose my husband and home today, I most assuredly will not lose my children or my sister wives, even if they are running their mouths instead of their feet.”

Ginni’s face grew red as she felt her embarrassment rise. Her foxkin heritage and red hair made her look foolish when she blushed, but never let it be said she didn’t do her part. She immediately said, “What can I do?” Then the two women went to work inside while the second wife was outside loading up the older children in the wagons. Tears streamed down her face, but she wasn’t a soft city girl. Ginni would make her family proud. A time for questions would come later.

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Nimeera sat perched atop a building. She was watching his practice. It frustrated her that she was spending so much time watching him. There hadn’t been any threats on him since they had cleared out the slave operation. If One Direction was doing anything in Yonderton, they were very well hidden.

She and her team from Nisync hadn’t been lazy either. Any and all criminal activity in the city was now under their control. Not that there was much of it. Their orders were not to rock the boat here, but it was inevitable that their would be some criminals. So she had been tasked with bringing them all in line. She was really the only one left on their team who was good at doing things in secret. The others had all been recalled and she had been left in charge.

There was no way that order had come from Nisync. She was a tool to them, not a true part of the gang. The Cult of the Raven was clearly exercising more control here. That was fine. It gave her a free hand to operate as she saw fit. She just didn’t have the extent of resources they had before, but she was creative.

She sighed as she watched Rob receive news that his bunnygirl wife was going to deliver their child. He acted oddly, in that he stopped their practice and made to go to his wife. He was a never ending quandary to her. He was strong but often acted overly concerned about his women. For lack of a better understanding, he treated them like equals.

That thought only brought back her regret. It had gone the way it had to go, but she missed the weeks she had spent cleaning his office. It was menial work that didn’t fit her skill set, but she had felt valued and respected despite the simple nature of her chores. He had a way of doing that.

No, the more she thought about it, the more Nimeera wanted him for herself. Her claws made a schichkt sound as she flexed her hands, retracting and extending the claws with her frustration. Perhaps if she performed her task well, she would be allowed to have him when it was over. Nimeera didn’t understand everything that was going on, but it was clear that her god valued this human. Her god was also known for rewarding faithful service, so that was her goal now.

She might have to remove some of the others, as she wasn’t very good at sharing, but she was a catgirl. But if there was one thing she was good at it was playing with her prey. This prey just happened to be extra tasty.