Bitemarks 2.6

Yeesh, I dunno. It was only Monday yesterday. What happened?! O_O

Bitemarks 2.6

Skarletta was dreaming. Dreaming of that last two days before her death. There were three main tribes she remembered living there in the snows. She'd always tried to be careful but with such small populations it was probably only a matter of time until she slipped up. She'd spawned of course, to divert attention away from herself. But one tribe member came across her feeding one night without her knowledge and had reported it to the tribal chief. They'd hounded her from the settlement forcing her to run and run she had. She ran across the snows all night to the second tribe and there she sought shelter. But her safety there was shortlived and soon a messenger arrived, to pass on the news of the ungodly creature walking among them. Skarletta heard them coming for her and made her way to the last place she knew. The village of the third tribe. That was to be her downfall. All the time she had known herself mentally superior to these Dherroine but the first chief was about to surprise her. He had anticipated her reaction and had already sent a messenger to the third tribe. That alone would have meant little, but so too had he sent all his able warriors to lie in ambush. When Skarletta arrived at the third settlement its warriors awaited her with their crude weapons of stone and bone. The warriors of the first tribe sprang their ambush and closed in from behind. Trapped in between the two tribes Skarletta had no choice but to fight. She was fast of course and stronger than any individual Dherroine but their numbers were great. She killed many that day but the rain of spears and arrows took its toll on her. The running from one tribe to the other had weakened her and when they closed in with daggers and heavy clubs it was only a matter of time until one struck her a lucky blow across the head. Many more were quick to take advantage of her dazed state and standing in the blood drenched snow, surrounded by the dead of both tribes, Skarletta was brutally beaten into unconsciousness.

It was some time until she awoke. What was left of her energy had healed her many wounds. The tribes had seen this as they bound her and spoke of devil magic. The third tribe's chief was the first to suggest it was her who had caused the arrival of the others, members of their own tribe who exhibited this magical healing and thirst for blood. It was he too who suggested the only way to rid themselves of that curse was to sacrifice her to the Great Bird God. And unanimously, Skarletta's fate was decided. At noon she was dragged to the top of the Hill of the Bird God and shackled to the stone altar there, usually used only for animal sacrifice. She is an animal, said the third chief, and thus would they offer her to the Bird God as one.

She could still recall how they slashed at her throat and wrists and neck and ankles, severing veins, arteries and tendons. She remembered the look of disgust on the face of the third chief as he slashed at her throat again when it healed over. For an hour they bled her this way until she was too weak to struggle at her bonds any further. And then the third chief took his polished obsidian dagger and drove it through her ribcage into her heart with all his might. Her screams filled the air and she used one final burst of energy to try and escape her bonds. Her shifting body weight wrenched the dagger from the chief's grip and she felt it shift inside of her. Angrily he reached for its handle and tore it free of her chest. The blade splintered as it withdrew, leaving a small shard within and as the blood flowed freely from the wound Skarletta felt herself drifting away...