Dreiki chewed his lip. If they were powerful enough to cripple a Venator Knight and rip the wings from an angel, then what they were dealing with was no ordinary poacher or crime lord. The Jackal was someone who wielded power in every sense of the term. Enough to make Dreiki worry about his mother. Would she be alright if she came to save him and The Jackal retaliated?

Still, imagining what Luna had been put through made his blood boil. It was clear to him now why his mother told him to keep his brand hidden. Dreiki had no doubt The Jackal was not the only noble taking part in this cruel trafficking.

The guards were in on it, powerful mercenaries, loyal servants, noble families. They were all working together to make sure Venator Knights never achieved nobility.

“They won’t get away with it. I promise you, they won’t,” Dreiki said through grit teeth.

“They already have.” Luna said dejectedly, “I’m the last one. I don’t even know why I bothered trying to survive in the first place. What was I going to do when I escaped? The only reason they’d keep me alive now is to torture my father more than they already have.”

Luna was clawing at her tail, plucking feathers from it.

Dreiki didn’t know what to say. For as much as he had struggled in his own life it paled in comparison to Luna. Everyone he knew and loved was still alive. He didn’t even know his father before he died, so he felt no grief for his death. Only grief when he saw his mother remember him.

The look in Luna’s eyes was the same as his mother’s.

He leaned over and bit her hand.

“Ouch! What are you, a rabid animal? What’s wrong with you?”

“Sorry! I would’ve held your hand to stop you from hurting yourself, but mine are tied so…” Dreiki didn’t know how to explain that this was something his mom had always done to him when he was sad. He thought it was normal but her shock and disgust told him otherwise.

Luna relaxed a bit.

“You kept fighting because you didn’t want your father to suffer more, right?” Dreiki said, “If you’re still alive, he can hold onto hope, wherever he is. You said they broke his body, but they didn’t break him completely did they? That’s why you escaped before, and that’s why I’ll help you do it again. You can live with me and my grandpa too! He can keep us hidden until we’re older and we can get revenge.”

Luna began to weep. Dreiki felt immeasurable guilt. Had he been wrong?

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said-”

“No.” She sniffled, “No you’re right. I just- I think I needed to hear that, thank you.” She wiped her tears, another long silence between them.

“What about you?” She finally asked.

“How do you mean?”

“You’ve asked so much about me, but you’re a Venator’s child too right? Why is The Jackal after you?”

“As far as I know they weren’t. I was hidden pretty well ever since my father was killed when I was still in a crib.”

“And your mother?”

“She’s the strongest person I know. And she’s nearby. I was on my way to meet her today, actually. That’s why I know she’ll come.” But Dreiki had a tremor in his voice. Even if there was hope in his heart, there was doubt in his eyes.

“But if she saves us, then The Jackal will just turn his wrath on her next.”

“Like I said, she’s the strongest person I know. And The Jackal won’t get away with everything he’s done. I promise it.”

This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

The iron door swung open. It was the Whitnik, “Ah, Lunaiel my dirty little dove, it is good to see you again.”

Luna shrank back and curled her feathered tail between her legs.

“Ah, you’re so cute when you’re bashful. But you’re a lucky birdie. Fate has not only stopped you from flying away, but the one who stopped you is a rather valuable sort too.”

His pitch black eyes flicked over to Dreiki, a sickly yellow glow radiating from his pupils.

He looked like a demon.

“The brand of Wulkuniira. The Wolf of the Ivory Flame. Your mother is quite highly sought after, and her only child has been hidden for more than a decade- until now that is.”

He crouched down, flipping a needle between his knuckles, “Your mommy has pissed off quite a few powerful nobles in her time. There’s entire houses that want a piece of her, and in more ways than one,” He hummed in a taunting tone, “Oh how they’d pay a small fortune just for a chance to leave a mark on your little head. Let alone kill you and be marked as a challenge your mother cannot refuse so they can turn The Wolf into their bitch.”

A wicked grin cut across his slender face, “But I don’t think just killing you would be enough. No, I think they’d like to see you suffer for how she insulted them. They’d like to have her see you suffer for what she’s done. I wonder how she’ll react seeing her prized Noxa child broken to pieces just like his father.”

Dreiki knew he was trying to provoke him, but it burned him just the same. He kept himself composed and returned a cold, disinterested glare to him, “Your breath is stronger than your poison.”

Whitnik clicked his tongue, “Trying to act tough in front of my dear little dove? She sings just like her mother, you know. I think I’ll let you hear it later tonight.”

“If that crow guy hadn’t shown up, I think I would’ve kicked your balls high enough to make you sing louder. Bet I could still do that to a skinny loser like you.”

Whitnik’s smirk turned sour, “You shut your mouth about him.”

Dreiki caught that. There was some tension in their ranks. Time to dig deeper.

“That crow guy does everything for you two right? Probably has to wipe your brainless asses too huh? You’re just nobodies, he’s the real strong one right? I bet The Jackal likes him the most.”

“You really don’t know a thing, do you? Bastard’s only master is money. He doesn’t know a thing about loyalty-”

“And I bet he could snap you like a twig right? His master might be money, but your master is a dickless scavenger isn’t he? Kids like us are the only things you can overpower huh?”

“I’ll have you know I’ve-”

“I’ll have you know I don’t care, stick bug!”

Whitnik grinded his teeth, snatching the keys on his belt and unlocking the door, “I’m going to enjoy this.”

He yanked Dreiki to his feet, holding a needle right up to his eye, “See this needle? I poke it through your eye, and it rots it from the inside. It wouldn't matter if you can heal like one of us, you’ll never see from that eye again.”

“Whitnik! What the hell are you doing?” Cowak yelled behind him.

“This little shit is running his mouth, so I figured-”

“Crow says we ain't laying a finger on them until he’s off the clock.”

“I don’t give a damn what Crow fucking said! He’s not one of us anyways.”

“But the boss put him in charge just the same. An order from Crow is an order from The Jackal, and you damn well know it.”

“Fine.” He dropped Dreiki onto the ground, “But he won’t know as long as the damage isn’t permanent.” He took out a different needle, tossing it into Dreiki’s leg.

Pain tore through his blood in an instant. It felt like glass was being circulated through his veins. Whitnik grabbed him by the hair and kneed him in the face.

Dreiki felt his nose crunch, but even worse was the pain of it. Far worse than anything he’d ever felt before.

He had never screamed so loud in his life.

“Does it hurt, Noxa? You look like you’re gonna throw up. Adrenaline is pumping in you right now isn’t it? But my poison’s stronger.”

He kneed him again, Dreiki spat up blood.

“Speak up more, you filthy bastard, you were so cocky a second ago!”

“Whitnik, stop before Crow gets back. Heal him up now.”

He let Dreiki drop onto his side as the boy foamed at the mouth and writhed in incomprehensible pain.

“Fine, but I’m not giving him the antidote to the poison.”

He hovered his hand over Dreiki’s head, a sickly green glow mending his nose back to its unbroken shape. Even regrowing a tooth or two.

But the pain still lingered. Every motion of his body ached. Even breathing was painful. He gasped and wheezed, trying to weather every pulse of his heart. Tears streamed down his face.

They left the room, locking the door behind them.

“Was that your plan? Provoking him? You damn fool!” Luna hissed.

It was taking every ounce of Dreiki’s willpower not to pass out from the pain, he hardly heard Luna. In his desperation, he unleashed the only spell he knew that might be able to break his collar.

Phoenix Plume