Just under two weeks had passed since the Princess of Ishgria seized control of the Red Reavers. Zia was utterly dumbfounded. Only one aspirant had perished out of the ten who embarked on the path of blood. Nine survived.
"I knew they would succeed," Rhea proclaimed.
“Still, this is unexpected.” Zia said, eyeing her newly inducted kindred.
She was speechless, scanning the faces of her newly initiated kin with a mix of shock and awe. Princess Rhea had personally supervised the latest aspirants' initiation, and against all odds, they had survived. Most should have met their demise, but instead, they had emerged triumphant.
"You should have had more faith in me," Rhea remarked, a smug grin plastered across her face.
Since assimilating into the Red Reavers, Princess Rhea had donned the same red hooded cloaks as her fellow reavers. She wielded a wraithbone weapon of her own - a two-handed sword made from the same material as the weapons crafted by the reavers. The material was scavenged from underworld beasts, stronger than steel, and impossibly resilient. In every sense, the princess was now a fully-fledged Red Reaver. Yet, whenever Zia laid eyes on her, an unexplainable fear gripped her insides, making her stomach churn with unease. Still, she concealed it well, not daring to show any signs of weakness in front of the princess.
Zia gave Rhea a bitter glare, her voice heavy with suspicion, "Who are you, really, princess? Or have you become someone else entirely?"
Rhea dismissed Zia's suspicions with a wave of her hand, "You and your baseless accusations, I have no idea what you are talking about"
Zia remained unconvinced, "Is that so?" she challenged. "Then, if you'll excuse me, princess, I believe my brother is waiting for me."
The princess gave Zia a curt nod, but as she walked away, she couldn't shake off the feeling that something wasn't quite right with the Princess. Fear was not an emotion that was natural to the Red Reaver. A true reaver did not know fear, only bravery and bloodlust. And yet, Zia felt it. Whenever she was close to the princess: the smallest hints of fear clawed its way into her mind.
***
“Brother,” Zia called out as she approached Sedris. The two siblings were outside of the Red Reaver camp, hunting in the dry dunes of the underworld. Skeletal birds of prey glided throughout the starless underworld sky, providing guidance towards where their prey might lie. “Sister,” Sedris greeted her with a warm smile, his eyes scanning the surrounding terrain.
Zia grunted in response, trying her best to act aloof despite the warmth she felt in her chest at the sight of her brother's smile. She had always been protective of Sedris, even more so after they both joined the Red Reavers. She couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her brother, though she would never show that to him outwardly.
“What do you think of the princess?” Zia asked abruptly, her boots treading over the pale sands.
Sedris looked at her with a quizzical expression, “What brought this up, sister? You seemed more eager to accept the princess's rule over us after all.”
“I do not know why, but the princess becomes more unnerving by the day,” Zia admitted, her voice laced with concern.
“You can sense it too? I’m glad it isn’t just me at the least,” Sedris said, heaving his wraithbone glaive on his back. “She is certainly different now, changed from the pathetic state we found her in.”
“She did something, brother, when the Night Terror disappeared. Perhaps she sold her soul?”
“Possibly, though I’m not familiar with the implications of such an act.”
“Isn’t it obvious? Whatever she is now, she is dangerous,” Zia said, her eyes darting around the desolate landscape.
“How so, sister?” Sedris asked, his gaze turning to hers.
“You've noticed it too, haven't you, brother? How suddenly, so many aspirants could succeed in the path of blood,” Zia said, her voice strained.
“I have, our numbers have grown significantly as a result, we’re already nearing 100 souls again,” Sedris said, trying to calm Zia down.
“And that does not disturb you?” Zia exclaimed, her emotions getting the better of her.
“Sister, you need to calm down,” Sedris said, gently squeezing her shoulder. “I know how you feel, but I also know why you are actually distressed. You feel it, don’t you? That presence emanating from the princess, a presence that compels you to want to obey her.”
Zia clenched her fists, trying to push down the emotions that threatened to overwhelm her. Sedris knew her too well.
“I hate it, brother, I hate feeling so powerless,” Zia said through gritted teeth.
“And yet there is nothing we can do,” Sedris replied with a sigh.
“I suppose you are right.”
“Forget about it, sister, I see our prey in the distance.” Sedris knew that it was pointless to argue with Zia even at the best of times. At the very least, he knew that a good hunt was an easy way to take her mind off of things.
Zia squinted her eyes, trying to focus on the distant shape Sedris was pointing at. Like every denizen of the underworld, her eyes could see under the darkened skies which surrounded her. Yet, Zia had always prided herself on her eyesight, more so than even her other kindred, and certainly more than her brother. She saw clearly what was to be her prey: Kharkars, large tusked beasts with tough gray hides and a vicious temperament.
Zia and Sedris approached the Kharkar with caution, their footsteps soft and measured against the shifting sand. The beast was massive, with hides that seemed impervious to the underworld's harsh environment. It was distracted, bent down to drink from the dark river that flowed nearby, its massive head almost touching the inky surface. Zia could see the black water dripping from the Kharkar's maw as she and her brother drew closer.
As they approached, Zia drew her twin wraithbone axes, feeling the familiar weight and balance in her hands. Sedris followed suit, his glaive already drawn and ready for the kill. Adrenaline surged through Zia's veins, a familiar thrill that made her heart race and her senses sharpen. This was the moment she lived for - the hunt, the chase, the kill. Nothing else mattered. Nobody else mattered.
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Without a word, Zia launched herself towards the Kharkar, her axes raised high. Sedris followed close behind, matching her every move with grace and precision. The siblings moved with blistering speed, closing in on the beast before it even realized it was under attack.
The Kharkar bellowed out an earth-shattering cry, turning towards its attackers with a fury that could only come from a creature that had lived its life in constant danger. It tried to impale them with its massive tusks, thrashing about in a wild frenzy. Zia and Sedris pressed on, their weapons striking true against the Kharkar's tough hide.
For a moment, it seemed as though the beast might never fall. Its vitality was impressive, even in the face of the siblings' relentless attacks. But then, with a well-timed thrust of Sedris's glaive and a linked slice of Zia's twin axes, the Kharkar's futile struggle was over. It fell to the sand with a resounding thud, its massive body still in death. Zia and Sedris stood over it, victorious.
“That was excellent.” Zia gasped, a fierce glint in her eye as she surveyed the carnage around them. The stench of blood and sweat was heavy in the air, and Zia could feel the adrenaline still coursing through her veins. She took a deep breath, savoring the warmth of the blood that now covered her and her red cloak.
“It was quite enjoyable.” Sedris agreed, his voice low and measured as he pulled his glaive out of the Kharkar’s prone form. Blood dripped from the wraithbone weapon, spilling onto the sands below. He watched as Zia closed her eyes, taking in the moment.
“Do you remember, brother, when we first donned our cloaks?”
“I do, those were… interesting times.” Sedris replied, a hint of amusement in his voice. “What brought this on?”
“Nothing, just being nostalgic.” Zia replied, a wistful note in her voice. “But, do you remember our parents?” she pressed, her voice barely above a whisper.
“I must admit, I do not, we were taken away quite young, no?” Sedris said, his voice tinged with regret.
“I suppose we were.” Zia replied with a nod. “What was it, 100 years ago?”
“I believe so, but I really am surprised sister, why do you care about all of this so much. Why now?” Sedris asked, his voice low and measured.
“I’m afraid of the future, Sedris, it’s as simple as that.” Zia replied, her voice serious now.
“Is it because of the princess?” Sedris asked, his voice laced with anger.
“It is. Let’s not forget that she was the one who killed most of our comrades.” Zia said, her voice hardening.
“I could never forget that, Zia. However, such is the way of the Red Reavers no? The strong survive while the weak disappear.” Sedris said, his voice cold and nonchalant.
“Correct, but I sense that great changes will lie ahead.” Zia said, her voice filled with apprehension.
“This really isn’t like you, Zia.”
“It isn’t.” Zia replied, her voice heavy with emotion. “But sometimes, we have to take a stand.”
“What do you mean, sister?”
“When was the last time we took things sitting down, my dear brother?” Zia asked in a sarcastic tone.
“Do you want to confront the princess, Zia?”
“I know I shouldn’t, but part of me believes that I must.” Zia replied, her voice resolute.
“You’ve always been impulsive.” Sedris said with a hearty chuckle.
“And you’ve always followed my lead.” Zia said with a smug grin.
Sedris gracefully lowered himself into a mock bow and asked, "Alright, boss, where shall we venture next?"
“Onward, to the Princess of Ishgria.” Zia replied, a determined look on her face.
***
As the Siblings rushed back to the Red Reaver camp, they pushed past their comrades, barely acknowledging anyone who tried to speak to them. They had urgent business to attend to and nothing else mattered. They made a beeline for the largest tent at the heart of the camp, determined to speak with the Princess of Ishgria directly.
To their surprise, they found the princess standing outside the tent, flanked by four Red Reavers who had only been inducted hours ago. Sedris was stunned into silence, but Zia wasted no time in addressing the princess directly.
“We came to talk, princess,” she said.
The princess remained calm and collected. “That is fine, what do you wish to speak about?”
Zia was about to answer when she was struck by a sudden pain, dropping to her knees in agony. She writhed on the ground, clutching her head as if wanting to tear out her skull.
“What did you do to her!?” Sedris exclaimed, drawing his glaive.
The Red Reavers guarding the princess immediately drew their weapons in response, but the princess waved them off with a flick of her wrist. “Nothing, Sedris.”
Sedris could see dozens of Red Reavers closing in around him and his sister, their glares warning him to tread carefully. He spoke up, addressing his fellow Red Reavers directly.
“Brothers, sisters, it appears you all have sided with the princess,” he said, eyeing them warily.
“We have, and it would be best if you did as well,” one of the Red Reavers replied coldly.
“Maybe Zia was on to something after all,” Sedris muttered, eyeing the princess with suspicion.
The princess shook her head. “I never wanted this, Sedris. I never wanted to meet you or any of your kind.”
Sedris didn't buy it. “What does that have to do with anything?”
“Everything, Sedris, everything,” the princess said. “When I was found, you, your sister, and many among the Red Reavers were content with seeing me dead. I was afraid, I feared that my true death would come at last.”
Sedris didn't reply, but his eyes remained fixed on the princess. Meanwhile, Zia was writhing on the ground in agony, her hands clutched to her head.
“When the Red Reavers forced my hand, I made a choice, Sedris,” the princess continued.
“To lose yourself to the Night Terror?” Sedris spat.
“It was an easy bargain,” the princess said with a smirk. “I get to live and get an army.”
Sedris was tempted to lash out, to say something spiteful or insulting, but he knew better than to provoke the princess any further. If even his sister couldn't resist whatever power the princess wielded, he had no chance.
“I see,” Sedris said evenly.
The princess gave him a choice. “Will you follow me?”
“I will,” Sedris replied without hesitation.
As Sedris made his decision, Zia's pained cries finally subsided. She collapsed onto the ground, exhausted from the extent of her torture.
“Excellent, now take care of your sister,” the princess commanded. “Once you are done, meet me at the central tent. We’re leaving soon.”
Sedris nodded, “Where to, princess?”
“To find the deathbringer's daughter.”