Chapter 25. The Other Yuliah

"Yuliah?" Ryas called, but she walked straight into the forest without saying a word. Could she still be under the influence of the Ethereal Spirit? He increased his pace. "Yuliah. Stop. It's too dark out here." This time his words were louder. "You won't be able to see." Her long black hair swayed back and forth and continued ahead. When night fell, Yuliah clung to him like a leech. He found it strange that she suddenly became so bold. Ryas grabbed her shoulder. "What are you doing out here?"

She kept her head down. "Oh Ryas. I didn't hear you. I had to pee and got lost."

Her hair's unusually long, longer than he last remembered. "Did you now? You had to pee?" His brows creased together.

"Yes, you know... I have a small bladder it gets full easily." She kept her body turned away.

He studied her carefully. "Let's go," Ryas ordered.

"You lead the way," she answered. "I'll hold on to the back of your cloak and I won't get lost again." She avoided eye contact with him.

Ryas shoved the corner of his cloak into her hand. "Here. Take this." His fingers brushed over her cold palm. He paused, turned around, and strode forward.

"Husband. I mean Ryas are you angry with me?" Yuliah questioned.

Ryas scuffled. "Husband, huh?"

"Yes, you're my husband. Aren't you?" Yuliah asked.

"You could say so." Ryas abruptly stopped, and Yuliah ran into him.

"What's wrong Ryas?"

"Why would I be angry with you?"

"I thought because I didn't hear you the first time you called my name. You were angry with me." She shyly looked away.

"Your breathing, it's raspy. Are you not feeling well, Yuliah?" His hand lifted to her forehead

"That's right I am feeling sick." She leaned away to avoid his touch. "We should rest in the morning and stay out of the sun," she suggested. "All that heat burning down on my skin. It's getting to me."

Ryas spun quickly around. His hand seized her by the throat. She croaked. "What are you, creature?" he roared. Her feet dangled in midair.

"Ryaaas. It's... It's me. Yuliah." She choked and clawed at his hands.

He squeezed even harder, his fingers tightened around her neck. "You can't fool me. I will snap your neck right here." His jaw and hands clenched. The creature had Yuliah's features, but with a closer inspection, he could tell its face formed differently.

Yuliah cried, her voice coarse now, and her eyes grew dark. Her body shrank until all that remained were two tiny legs which dangled in the air, and a pale face, with gigantic eyes, that glared back at Ryas.

Ryas dragged the creature by its long hair back to the cliff wall where he left the real Yuliah. When he found that she disappeared Ryas launched the little beast into the trunk of the tree. It made a crunching noise when it hit, then bounced off the tree. With a rope in hand, Ryas bounded it to the tree trunk.

"Pleeease," it cried. "Leeet me go."

Ryas slammed his foot into the creature's side and heard a snap. "Shut up!" He strolled over towards the sleeping horse, reached inside his bag, pulled out a book, and skimmed through the pages.

The creature whimpered as its head tipped from side to side. "Faaather. Help meeee," it cried again.

"Didn't I tell you to shut up?" He strolled back over and kicked it once more. Ryas took out his sword and pushed it into the middle of the monster's forehead until black blood covered the tip.

"It hurts." The creature wept, and its legs quivered.

"Where is my woman." Ryas pressed the sword deeper into its head. He hated these creatures from the Ethereal Forest. Vile creatures that tricked and ate flesh.

It gasped loudly. "I can't tell you, or they'll hurt me," it bellowed. "Your Woman - she's our mother, she's safe," it answered.

Ryas pulled back his sword from the creature's forehead and kneeled next to its tiny frame. "I will hurt you more than they could ever do to you. If you don't tell me now," his voice cold and harsh. He shoved his sword straight into the joint connecting the creature's arm to its shoulder, creating a squelching sound. Blood squirted out onto the monster's face as it shrieked.

"Ahhhhhhh..." The creature's eyes rolled back and banged its head against the tree trunk.

"I can do this until the sun rises." Ryas twisted his sword. It cried again but still refused to speak. "Then we'll see what the sun will do to you..." He pulled out his sword and shoved it between the creature's knee cap. It bellowed, then gurgled up sticky blood. "Should I keep going?" Ryas tilted his head sideways to see the creature's face.

"I'll tell you." Its chest puffed up and down.

"Good. I'm glad you have finally come to your senses." Ryas cocked a smile at the creature. But before you do, he pulled out a knife. Made a slight cut in his hand and pried the creature's mouth open.

"No. Please. Nooo." It begged. "Father will kill me now." It sobbed.

With his usual smirk, Ryas squeezed one droplet of blood from his cut into the creature's mouth. "I have sired you to me Shifter." Ryas clamped its hideous mouth closed. "When I call for you, you will come to me." He looked on as the Shifter's body lurched forward, then back and convulsed. "If you tell your father he'll kill you but if you obey me. I'll let you live here quietly." He stood up and pressed his foot down on the Shifter's body and pinned it to the tree to stop the convulsions. "Do you understand me?"

It wailed and thrashed against the trunk. "Yes...Yes..."

"Yes, Master." Ryas pressed his black boot down harder.

"Yes... yes... Master." The Shifter let out an anguished cry.

"Now tell me what you did with my woman?" He pushed down on the Shifter again.

"We... We took her to our home." It continued to shake. The pale white skin where Ryas had cut the Shifters shoulder and knee stitched together.

"Home? Where is your home?"

"We live in a cave passed this cliff. Where man can't find us."

"There's more of you?" Ryas nudged the Shifter's head with his boot.

"Yes, lots more," it answered. "Father said our mother lived here and he let us come."

"Who's your father?"

"I can't say his name." The Shifter shook his head. "We drank from him. I know he is father only."

"How did you get here from the Ethereal Forest?" Ryas asked. The soldiers of Murai would have killed them on sight. These creatures had no power.

"We came through the Nomen's tunnel," it wheezed.

"The Nomens built a tunnel?"

"It's been there for years. Man doesn't know about it. Only the Nomens and father."

He should have known it would involve the Nomens. Ryas cut the rope that bounded the Shifter to the tree and lifted it to its feet. "Show me where your home is." He shoved it forward.