Chapter 3

A Reason for Battle…

"It's been a while…why don't you open your eyes now…" Ryekie passed the thought to the sleeping novice before her, and she smiled when she saw a reaction.

Her eyes blinked…slowly at first as she tried to get accustomed to the light bathing the inside of her room, and once she did, her hazed focus rested on the sohee who hovered at the side of her bed.

"Who are you? What are you doing here?" Hayrinn questioned, and watched the seemingly amused smile that traced the sohee's lips.

"I see you've forgotten…" the sohee answered mentally, "Then let me refresh you…"

All at once, the girl felt as if a strong blow was dealt within her head as a flood of scenes invaded her thoughts…her father…the gift…the sohee…the battle.

Everything seemed a haze at first, but she was forced to remember—images of a stiletto rushing at her made her catch her breath as though it were real...

"I have a proposition for you…" Ryekie's words somehow emerged from Hayrinn's chaotic reverie, and soon she remembered the rest of the sohee's so-called proposition…

the sohee's mental voice spoke soothingly, and Hayrinn soon found herself almost captured in the hypnotic sound of her voice, "I have no business with you…you've done me no wrong, young one…" Ryekie's voice was almost kind, "Your father, Senkain Abyschel…it was he who took me from my sisters and forcedly bound me by silver knives of chastity the entire trip to Prontera…his men harassed me and threatened me with unsavory and lascivious acts, had I not broken the taming items and attacked them to save myself, I would have been subject to horrors unfit even for "creatures" like myself,"

Hayrinn could not believe the sohee's accusations, but she was spellbound to the sound of her voice.

"Your father has no care for you, save to treat you as a potential weapon, that much I was able to procure when I tried to intrude in his thoughts," the sohee continued, "Hayrinn, I have no business with you…you are innocent in all this, and "monster" as you may think I am, I know honor, and I know justice…as justice demands, I must take revenge on your father, let me kill him for subjecting me to all this, and on my honor, I spare your life, you do not deserve to die, as you have done me no wrong…"

"I will not allow you to kill my father!" she had answered mentally, and braced herself for the sohee's attack as soon as the silver knife of chastity shattered to pieces…she would have to be strong…she had someone to protect…her father expected her to…

They all came at once, and her head throbbed achingly when the sohee ceased feeding memories into her.

"Do you remember now?" Ryekie asked, ignoring the look of pain that still marred Hayrinn's face even as she nodded in answer. "It would soon subside Hayrinn…don't let it bother you,"

Hayrinn gazed at what she now knew was her newly acquired sohee slave, but the creature did not even bow to her or call her mistress. "Were those your memories or mine?" she asked,

The sohee smiled, and spoke…her voice was soft and effeminate, a voice that seemed unsuited to a warrior, but it carried with it an air of authority and confident arrogance, "They were yours…memories you yourself wanted to forget, ones that I wont let you forget…"

"But you're my pet!" she answered in anger, "I should be the one to tell you what to do and what not to do…you had no right reminding me of our battle!"

"Do not call me your pet!" Ryekie snapped, her voice low and derisive, "Humans like your self tend to believe that monsters like me have no sentience other than to serve when they're tamed,"

Hayrinn silenced at sohee's sharp words, and chose her words carefully the next time she spoke, "Did I really tame you?" she asked, and received an all knowing smile from the sohee. She watched Ryekie descend from floating and perch herself at her bed. She lifted herself to a sitting position in order to face the sohee eye to eye,

"I conceded your mastery over me, but that does not mean I'm your slave…" Ryekie answered, her eyes sparkling clear like ruby gems.

"Then why are you with me?"

"Because I find you interesting…" the sohee answered lightly, revealing nothing else in her eyes, "…your father treats you as a potential weapon, and since our battle…I could see why…"

Ryekie's words haunted her. "He treats me as a potential weapon…" she thought, as she stared at her wounded and bandaged body, "Was it worth protecting him?"

"Do not bother yourself with thoughts of that man…" Ryekie chided, as her eyes flashed in hate for the girl's father,

"But why? Why call me a weapon?" Hayrinn began,

"Because you have talent and potential, and I know I will enjoy having you as a student…I want to have one who's meant to become a great warrior…," Ryekie smiled mysteriously,

"But I am not a sohee!" Hayrinn said in indignation,

"Is that a problem? You will learn from a true warrior…unlike that Tavos, I will not purposely hinder your training…" she added wryly.

"Surely you must be joking…" Hayrinn answered in disbelief, ignoring her mention of Tavos and his mock training.

Ryekie laughed at the novice's reaction, "I led my sisters in the Payon caves, and though they had more strength and the advantage of finely honed senses, they have no spirit…they only wish to train to protect themselves, they do not try to improve what they learn, to find any other reason for battle other than self-preservation…"

"But isn't that why men battle? To protect themselves…" Hayrinn asked.

"But it is also why sohees will always be fated to end up in slavery or death…" Ryekie answered with contempt, "Humans have reasons that give them greater strength—be it to protect someone, to fight for righteousness, or to simply kill for amusement…these reasons are a source of an unknown power that fuels them…enough power to have even monsters of greater skill and ability, fall to them…"

"Is that why you wish to train a human?"

"Could you not tell?" Ryekie smiled as though the answer were obvious.

"But I'll kill your kind…sohees and other monsters—by training a human, you'll be betraying them all…" Hayrinn insisted,

"Is that all you worry about Hayrinn?" Ryekie asked, unperturbed by the novice's words, "Or are you simply afraid?"

Hayrinn gulped apprehensively as she stared at the sohee's scarlet eyes…they seemed to bore into her being, to see past all she was and know more of her than she herself would care to know or admit.

Ryekie laughed mockingly, "Yes, I see…you are afraid!", her eyes flashed with disappointment…but slowly they flickered away, and were replaced by glinting hints of amusement, "Believe it or not Hayrinn, but you have something in you…one you will not admit to having, but do not worry…I'll help you see it and make use of it…"

Slowly, the sohee's hand reached out to her and clamped her on her skull, she felt a searing heat emanate from the sohee, and she felt herself recede into a dazed state…

"A reason…a reason…" a voice so like her own seemed to whisper, and she strained to hear it not knowing where the source was,

"You had a reason…and it was not to protect,..", it was her voice, she could tell it was…yet it was strangely low, and lined with scorn, "…admit it!"

A/N: as always, please leave a review…thanks!