24 Chapter 24. The Other Yuliah

"Yuliah?" Ryas called but she had her back turned to him and continued forward deeper into the dark forest without saying a word to him. "Could she still be under the influence of the Ethereal Spirit?" He increased his pace towards her. "Yuliah. Stop. It's too dark out here," this time his words were much louder. "You won't be able to see anything," Ryas could see her long hair sway back and forth, but she continued ahead. She usually clung to him when night fell it's strange that she suddenly became so bold. Ryas grabbed her shoulder, "What are you doing out here?"

She kept her head down and turned to the right, "I had to pee and got lost."

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

"Yes, you know how humans... I mean you know how I have a small bladder it gets full easily," her body still turned away from him.

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

"You go first and lead the way," she answered. "I'll hold onto the back of your cloak so I won't get lost again," she still had her back to him.

Ryas shoved the corner of his cloak into her hand, "Here. Hold onto 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 are my Husband. Aren't you?" Yuliah asked.

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

"What's wrong Ryas?"

"Your breathing it's heavy. Are you not feeling well Yuliah?"

"Oh yes! I am feeling a bit sick maybe we should rest in the morning and stay out of the sun," she suggested.

Ryas spun quickly around his hand seized tightly to her throat. She croaked.

"What are you, creature?" Ryas roared. Her feet dangled as he lifted her off the ground.

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

His hand squeezed firmly around her neck, "Don't mistake me for a fool. I will snap your neck right here." His jaw and hands tightened. It had Yuliah's features, but with a closer inspection, he could tell it's face had formed differently.

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

Ryas dragged the creature by its long hair back to the cliff wall where he had left the real Yuliah. When he found that she had 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 kicked it, "Shut up!" He sauntered over towards the sleeping horse, reached inside his bag, pulled out a book, and skimmed through the pages.

The creature whimpered as it's 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 sticky black blood covered the sharp tip.

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

"Where is my Woman," Ryas pressed the sword harder into its head. He hated these creatures from the Ethereal Forest.

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 knelt next to its tiny frame, "I'm going to 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. Black blood squirted out onto the monsters face as it shrieked.

"Ahhhhh," its 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. "So you're a tough little bastard aren't you? He pulled out his sword and shoved it between the creatures knee cap. It bellowed then gurgled up thick blood. "Should I keep going?" Ryas tilted his head sideways to see the creatures face.

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

"Good. I'm glad you have finally come to your senses now." Ryas cocked a smile at the creature, but before you do, he pulled out a knife. Made a small 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, "You have been sired to me Shifter," Ryas clamped its hideous mouth closed. "When I call for you, you will come to me and give me any information that I need." He looked on as the Shifters body lurched forward then back and shook violently. "If you tell your Father he will kill you but if you obey me I will not," he stood up and pressed his foot down on the Shifters body and pinned it to the tree to stop the convulsions. "Do you understand me?"

It wailed painfully, "Yes...Yes..."

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

"Yes, Master," the Shifter cried out.

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

"We... We took her to our cave," it continued to shake. The pale white skin where Ryas had cut the Shifters shoulder and knee began to stitch together.

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

"Yes, lots more" It answered. "We only came for Mother. Father said she lived in the mountains."

"How did you get here from the Ethereal Forest?" Ryas asked.

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

Ryas cut the rope that bounded the Shifter to the tree and dragged it to its feet, "Show me where your cave is," he shoved it forward.