The leaves that covered the mud on the ground crunched with each step of Ignis's boots, who was carrying Vanessa on his back, while Enoch followed closely just a few steps away as if he were watching around him.
The path that led to the riverbank had leafy trees that dropped small caterpillar-like insects from their tops, causing the girl to pull Ignis's hair out of fear more than once.
– " Young lady, I am not a horse. If you keep pulling my hair, I'll go bald."
- " I'm sorry sir Ignis"
-" I'm not angry, don't worry. And just call me Ignis."
-" But Mama Carlota will be angry if she finds out that I was rude to an adult"- Clinging closer to Ignis's back, the girl gave a small sigh as if she longed to be with her nanny again.
-" Your mother must be very wise"
-" I don't know that. She died to give birth to me" – At that moment the man realized that he had made a mistake, apologizing to Vanesa. Who only limited himself to answering that he was not to blame.
"You know, I also lost my mother when I was born. I think I can understand you a little in your pain." – Being a newborn orphan, the village leader and his wife took him under their care. Receiving the surname Salvaterra from the couple, Ignis grew up in that home filling the heart of Micaela, who had been trying to give birth to her own child for years, but unfortunately all of them ended in abortions.
When he turned four years old, Ignis stopped being the only child in the family, welcoming a little baby named Karina. For the little boy, having a younger sister was something that filled him with joy to the point of committing himself to taking care of her as the most valuable treasure in the world for him.
The day the troops of the kingdom of Antioca attacked the village, Ignis remembered that childhood promise and ran with his sister to the edge of the forest. Hiding it in the brush while he served as bait to attract the attention of the soldiers.
Bound hand and foot, the young hurie was brought into the presence of the monarch, thrown to the ground while one of the guards lifted his head pulling his hair. While placing a dagger dangerously close to his neck.
Under torture and threats, Ignis led the king's men to the source of the precious gems used by the houris to channel their magic.
With their eyes shining for the abundant loot, from which they took entire chests almost as if it had no end, the soldiers threw the valuable load to the horses dragging the young captive again to where the king was. And to one side of it, Eduardo remained motionless as if he were being threatened.
-" Edward! Do you know these people?
-" Insolent, how dare you so casually address His Majesty's eldest son!" – The guard who was escorting the prisoner lashed out furiously at Ignis's knees, who fell to the ground hitting his face.
"Father spare his life! He is not much older than me" – Breaking the silence getting rid of that lump in his throat due to guilt, the prince begged his father for mercy for Ignis. Who looked up in the direction of the prince, with the frown of his eyes visibly marked.
"Certainly that boy is good looking. I think it will be a good present for King Archimedes" – Throwing him into a wagon, Ignis was transported to the capital of the Tigris kingdom as a slave and presented before the ruler of the desert. Who barely saw the boy's delicate appearance, ordered his servants to take him to the preparation room, where an inquisitor was already waiting for him.
Tying him at arms length, a maid placed a gag on the young man's lips, while the red-hot iron imprinted the mark of the royal family on the delicate skin of his chest.
Nobody felt sorry for him, his moans of pain continued like the sobs of a baby choking behind the gag. When he thought that the worst was over, two eunuchs took him by the arms and legs with force and whipped him on a surgical table, tying him with his legs apart.
With malicious smiles on their faces, the eunuchs murmured in a language that was foreign to the young man's understanding, who quickly understood what it was about as soon as he saw the doctor approaching with the surgical instruments.
That immense pain he felt when the cold metal began to cut his skin, was nothing compared to the agony he experienced when he was granted the mark of slavery.
Without painkillers or anesthesia, the maid held Ignis's skull preventing the young man from hitting his head against the table for that torture.
Several days passed before Ignis regained consciousness; When he opened his eyes again, he saw himself prostrated in a bed wearing clothes that he never imagined in his life.
"I see you have finally woken up. Don't be scared, you are in one of His Majesty's chambers. You are very lucky, since you are beautiful you have been chosen to serve the king's wife. We may both be slaves, but your status is greater than mine" – A young woman with pearly skin and amber eyes, with wavy hair and her body already defined by age; Sabina had lived her entire life within the palace as a slave, serving until recently as the king's night companion.
Explaining her duties to Ignis very diligently, Sabina kept a smiling face that contrasted with the dull gleam in her eyes. Even if it was a golden cage, a cage was still just that.
For her, who had not known freedom since she was born, seeing other young people walk freely through the streets from the windows of the palace plunged her into deep sadness, wishing at times for a similar life. Even if that meant going through hardships.
With the passing of the seasons, the years came to Ignis's body. Who day after day showed a more pleasant appearance in the eyes of whoever saw him, regardless of whether they were men or women.
On the day he came of age while serving at one of the royal family's banquets, the lustful gaze of a high-ranking army officer fell on him. With his delicate face and shiny black hair, that man stupefied by alcohol dared in his drunkenness to request a favor from the king.
-" My lord, I have already thought well about the dowry I wish to receive for my services at the front"
-" I see, then tell me what you are looking for from me"
-" I want that slave as a reward" – Raising his arm pointing in the direction of Ignis, the officer could not hide the desire on his face driven by alcohol intoxication.
Hesitating for a few seconds, the king scratched his beard looking at the young slave, who for a moment felt the impulse to deny the soldier. Being the request supported by the queen, who saw in Ignis an important threat within the palace due to her beauty.
That bitter night when he entered adulthood, the young hurie wept bitterly as his chastity was taken away by that man in the room of his house.
Serving by day as a servant in the stables and spending his nights in the officer's quarters, Ignis understood the pain he saw in Sabina's eyes that day they first met.
Entering into a territorial war with the kingdom of Antioch, the armed forces of Tigris were brought to the front lines. With no chance to refuse, Ignis was drawn into the horrors of war, serving in his lord's tent as a mistress by night.
As the battle raged near the riverbank, the troops of Antioch came by surprise to the camp where the officers of the Tigris kingdom were, wounding them one by one, leaving no head unsevered.
Staring into space, leaning against the center pole of the tent, Ignis spotted a soldier approaching menacingly with his sword drawn.
Sensing that death could release him from his suffering, the young hurie shed a few tears closing his eyes for a moment. Smiling at his executioner waiting for the end.
"It would be a waste to kill you at once. I think I'll have a little fun with you" – Startled by those words, the young Ignis begged for death while that man removed the shackle from his neck and lowered his pants.
Throwing him on the bunk tearing at his clothes, the feel of those rough hands made him sicken as they ran over his body. When the soldier put his mouth on Ignis's delicate lips, the young man reacted violently giving him a bite that made the barbarian furious.
Who, taking his dagger, wounded him in the mouth, cutting his lips, making Ignis scream in pain while covering the blood that did not stop flowing with his hands.
"You even scream like a woman, it shows that you were mutilated when you were very young" - Laughing while squeezing Ignis's head, the soldier satiated his low passions with the slave until he stopped offering any resistance.
When the commander of the Antioca army gave the order to withdraw, the soldier left Ignis abandoned in that tent, completely badly wounded on the verge of death.
Feeling his heartbeat begin to slow down, Ignis stared at the tent door, his gaze almost lost in space. Spotting a black silhouette walking on all fours to him.
"Child of Gaia, you are dying. Do you wish to make a contract with me? I can help you take revenge on your enemies if you wish" – Feeling in his heart how the rage accumulated over the years was taking over him, the young Ignis silently nodded at the beast, remaining unconscious.
When he opened his eyes, his sense of smell had sharpened and the pain in his body had disappeared. Incredulous at what his eyes saw, the young man had transformed into a great wolf with red fur with an uncontrollable thirst for blood.
Smelling the bunk where the soldier's sweat remained, Ignis ran in the direction of where the soldier was stationed with his companions.
Leaving instinct to rule his flesh, the young hurie sank his fangs into the soldier's neck, tearing his throat apart, before lashing out at the rest of the soldiers who tried to attack him with spears and the edge of their swords.
When the frenzy of the carnage ended, the young man regained consciousness and saw in horror the fruit of his deeds. Fleeing towards the woods near the river delta.
Fatigued from using all his strength, Ignis lost his transformation back to his human form, passing out on the grass as he panted trying to control his breathing.
"Well, how does it feel to be a murderer?" – Standing in front of him, the black-furred wolf stood imposingly on his four legs with a defiant gaze on Ignis. Who shed tears when he was aware of the magnitude of his actions.
Showing compassion for the boy, the wolf lay down beside him waiting for him to recover his strength, protecting him from the wild creatures that roamed within the forest.
Feeling that the energies had returned to his body, Ignis got up and walked straight through the forest accompanied by the wolf, who saw how the young man seemed lost in thought.
"Those men had committed terrible acts against their fellow men, none of them was innocent. Stop worrying son of Gaia"
-" I killed them! That doesn't make me better than them, no matter how much I suffered, I just acted like them."
Lying on his knees, the young man cried at the top of his lungs in the immense thickness of the forest.
"Lord Ignis, Ignis!" – Returning to the present from that sea of bitter memories, Ignis felt the call of little Vanesa. Who had a worried face because the man remained silent for almost the entire trip.
-" Son of Gaia, are you alright?" – Enoch saw the wet forehead of Ignis and that look of consternation. Knowing that the hurie had remembered things that his subconscious was trying to bury.
– " It has been a long time since you told me that Enoch. Do not use strange terms in front of our dear friend" – Ignis's expression changed from the overwhelming weight of the past, to a smiling face with a hint of anger. Making Enoch shiver just looking at him.
-" Don't smile like that, it disturbs me just to see you do it" – Laughing at Enoch's reply, Ignis took a few more steps forward. When he felt the edge of a sword pointing threateningly at his chest.
-" If you value your life, let go of that girl right now"
" Little lady, do you know this woman?" – With his hands raised, turning towards Vanesa looking for an answer, Ignis felt how the tip of the saber sank a little into the skin without going through it.
"I do not know you! Stop hurting Mr. Ignis" – Seeing the girl's face, Elena dropped her sword with an expression of astonishment as she put her hands to her mouth due to the shock of seeing him.
-" Julia!"
-" Do you know my mommy?" – Vanesa, feeling curious about that woman, asked Ignis to put her on the ground. Slowly approaching Elena, who remained on her knees in astonishment, bringing her hands to the girl's face, running over it with her fingertips.
"Well Enoch, it looks like we've found someone who knows the little lady! It's better to go back to our home" – They had barely turned around to leave, Ignis felt a knee hit his back making him fall to the ground.
-" Who are you and what are you doing here?"
-" I would like to answer but I find it hard to breathe"
-" Speak now or I will cut off your head" – Seeing how Elena was lying on her knees on the floor, Sofia quickly thought that the strange man had hurt her and was trying to flee from the place. Without giving time to observe the environment, being surprised by Enoch, who went over her chattering his jaws. Barely supporting the weight of that tremendous animal.
-" Enoch leave her. I'm not hurt, I don't want you to spill blood."
-" As you wish, Ignis. But she didn't trust this human" – Alarmed by the fact that the wolf spoke, Sofia reacted slowly by backing away while the animal did the same in the opposite direction.
-" Are you a shaman? Why can this wolf talk? And why does he call you Ignis?
-" Emmm, maybe he can talk because he is a spirit. And maybe he just calls me Ignis because that's my name?" – Making a mocking face with outstretched hands, Ignis cocked his head in anticipation of what that woman would do.
"The mark on your chest is the slave seal of the Tigris kingdom. Are you with Eleazar's troops?" – Seeing the tattoo through the tear in Ignis's camisole, Sofia raised her sword threateningly against the man. Who soon changed the expression on his face into a more gloomy one, as if he was ready to kill her depending on the actions of the princess.
-" Leave it! Mr. Ignis knows no Eleazar. He lives with Enoch in his cabin in a village deep in the forest."
-" Silly girl, in that forest there is no village. It was a lair of kidnappers that was razed by the troops of Antioca"
-" We didn't do anything wrong!" – With trembling hands and clenched fists, Ignis remembered the scenes of the massacre that day that marked his life forever. Falling to his knees, putting his head in his hands, while Enoch tried to calm him down by bringing his muzzle to his cheek.
"Are you the hurie slave they brought into the kingdom forty years ago?" – Keeping her sword in its sheath, Sofia approached Ignis cautiously while Enoch growled at her, unable to attack her due to the orders he had received.
"Do n't hurt me!" – As vulnerable as a child who has woken up from a nightmare, Ignis felt the gentleness of a caress on his hair. The aroma of jasmine essence that emanated from Sofia's skin reassured the man who felt familiarity with that fragrance that he once smelled in the royal palace.
"Sabina! Are you Savin? – Taking Sofia's hand, Ignis looked anxious to hear the answer from the lips of that woman in front of him.
"Sabina was my mother's name. She was a slave who served in the palace until the queen had her head cut off, when she learned that she had sired me with the king's seed.
I am a princess in name only, just the mere daughter of a slave. I lived with my mother until I was nine years old and she told me stories of a beautiful young man who lived inside the palace and became her most faithful friend." – The words of the princess moved Ignis, who felt his heart break knowing that the only person who treated him like a human being in that cold palace, had died at the hands of the royal family.
-" Do you want to take revenge on the royal family?"
-" Yes, I wish"
-" Then take my hand and follow me" – Sofia extended her arm to Ignis to help him up, when Enoch bit the fabric of his tunic stopping him in the act.
-" Ignis, don't do it! Do you not remember how you suffered to stain your hands with blood that day? – Reacting to that fleeting memory, Ignis withdrew his hand before Sofia 's gaze . Who asked him once again to accompany him trying to convince Enoch in the same way.
"I want to bring justice to this kingdom! So that people like my mother or like you, never have to suffer similar things" - The sincerity in the tone of voice of the young sovereign convinced Ignis, who asked Enoch to also follow him on his journey to the capital real.
"Your mother! Your mother, how is she? Is happy?" – For her part, Elena questioned the girl, given the amazing resemblance to Julia. Without news of the woman I love, the princess had on her face an expression of hope to meet Julia again within the contingent of Duke Voltaire.
The girl's eyes looked like they were about to burst into tears at Elena's insistent questions, who felt an ominous foreboding at Vanesa's silence.
-" Mommy is not here"
-" Isn't it? Did you stay with the duke? With the contingent?
-" Mrs. Julia is no longer in this world, Princess Elena" – Carlota, who had just arrived with the rest of the patrol, felt her heart tremble when she said those words in front of little Vanesa.
Being hugged by the princess, who cried inconsolably holding the daughter of the woman she would never see again.
- Ignis! Did you feel it too?
-" Yes, Enoch, I can feel it. There are traces of arcane magic moving towards us, but…"
– " You don't need to say it, my sense of smell makes it very clear to me. It's reanimation magic" – Without being able to understand Ignis and Enoch's conversation, Princess Sofia questioned them about what the magic they talked about so much was about.
-" Daughter of Sabina, tell your companions to stand behind Enoch and me. Do not waste time, they are already very close to us"
-" They? Who?" – Turning her face in the direction where Ignis was pointing, the princess felt horror overwhelm her soul upon seeing that scene.
Part of the soldiers who had been sent to fight in Arabella's territory, walked with their damaged armor exposing rotting flesh, dragging their swords as they walked slowly grunting.
-" Enoch, is it her work, right?"
-" I fear that if Ignis. This corrupted magic can only come from Eris, the guardian spirit of the void" – Hunching his back while maintaining his threatening posture, Enoch waited for Ignis to give the order to attack.
"There are too many! We won't be able to with all of them" – Being behind Ignis's back hugging Vanessa tightly, Elena felt fear when contemplating those creatures devoid of humanity.
-" Don't worry. This amount will hardly be a minor problem for the two of us. Are you ready Enoch?
-" Give the order son of Gaia" – Throwing himself forward with outstretched hands making symbols in the air with their fingers, Ignis and Enoch went full force to protect the precious lives behind them.