Cruel Empathy ✓

Chapter 1.2

This part used to be part of the first chapter. After some revisions that chapter needed to be split😊

Sharp stabbing pains penetrated Anna's chest with every breath that she took. Slowly, she scanned her eyes upward and she saw a grotesque-looking man dressed like a barbarian leering at her in a way that made her feel like lunch.

"Well, this is a sure surprise! I came down to fetch a bucket of water and will return with the fairest maiden I have ever seen. The fates most surely have blessed me this day." He spoke with a gruff accent. He knelt down, and while Anna was still coughing violently, she still instinctively pulled away from him. Undeterred, he brushed his fingers to her neck and examined her wrists. "Very blessed indeed."

He gave no concern to her distressed state. He made no move to help her as she was obviously reeling from her brush with death. And as her wits slowly recovered she was pummeled with instant feelings of lust and anticipation. Bile began to form in her throat as the result of his wicked emotions. She dug her nails deep into her wrists and tried to settle herself down.

"I have to go home now," she managed to croak out. She looked around wildly for her backpack but it was no longer there.

"Oh, I don't think so," he answered her. And an ugly feeling of thrill manifested from him.

Anna's eyes filled with panic but she was too weak to move. He grabbed her wrist in a painful grip and tugged her toward him. Anna focused on the pain to keep herself in check from the vile emotions of the stranger.

"Don't worry little fish. I mean you no harm." She felt through his lies. He most definitely was going to hurt her. He smelled horrific like rotten cheese, beer, and stale body odor. She pulled away from him, but his grip was strong and she went nowhere. He hugged her close to his nasty body and pulled her up the shore while she weakly fought him.

She tried to scream but the sound came out too hoarse. She threw a few pleading remarks at him, but he was completely unaffected.

"Ho! Alstowick! What do you have there?" a voice called from behind them.

"Nothing, Sashiel! Turn away now and I may share later!"

Sashiel did no such thing as he approached them and Anna felt a hot violent rage boil from her captor. "Help!" she managed to call out.

Her captor gave her a blow to the stomach and the force propelled her backward. His grip on her wrist was the only thing that kept her from the ground. A gasp of surprise was heard beside her and then--

"Alstowick! You rutting fool! It is like you are plucking the feathers from a golden swan! You cannot treat such a beauty like that!"

"Move away! I found her first and I will do with her as I may! Gah! I will not hurt her too much, and she will still be worth a fine coin when I am through!"

Sashiel drew out a sword. "I don't think I will let you. She is unclaimed it seems and I will challenge you if I need to. If you have your way with her you could damage her too much. I know your way with women. We need to take her to camp."

"She will not remain untouched in camp! You know this! What does it matter?" Alstowick spat.

Anna stared at the two men in baffled wonder as they continued to argue over what to do with her person. Dread filled her along with confusion. They were both dressed strangely like they just came from Comic-Con or a Viking-themed costume party. They wore burn marks and scars in patterns like tattoos around their bodies and bands of metal around their wrist. They both wore inch length chain links around their necks. She understood the words they said but their cadence was different than anything she ever heard before. The sword looked so real and the feelings of these men could not be faked. Despite his coming to her aid, Sashiel, she knew, was certainly no white knight. They both had a feeling of black deviousness that permeated from deep within their souls.