4 Chapter III: Sinister Six and Vaslof

The cold of the north lessened in the morning as the rarely seen sun rose and its rays broke through the cloud bank. This slight change of temperature was felt by Oberon causing him to shift under the furs, then his eyes opened.

Oberon stared at the tent wall for a moment, then he heard the chattering of the crew outside the tent. They were laughing and conversing happily. This brought a smile to Oberon's face. He knew all too well what it was like to live as a slave. The smile and laughter were once thought luxuries. Now they all expressed such things as often as breathing.

Oberon exhaled. Though he never voiced it, he was happy to free these people from the chains of servitude. Oberon pushed himself up and walked outside to find his crew had quickly adapted as they began to cut down trees and build.

Oberon then found Puck orchestrating everything. Oberon wasn't emotional about this as an odd feeling of trust came from Puck.

"Ahh, Captain." Puck spoke once he noticed Oberon.

"Captian? Everyone agreed to this?" Oberon asked.

"On the condition that we stay for a while. We're too deep in the woods. Only slavers travel this far. As long as we stay vigilant, we should be fine."

"Mmm, it takes a while to get accustomed to freedom. I'll trust you with this," said Oberon.

Oberon took in the environment and once again felt the deep nagging feeling reaching out from deep into the Forest. Oberon became absorbed in the sensation and as the world around him was drowned out he could ever so slighter hear what lay beyond.

"Captain…." Puck called out once again, this time placing a hand on Oberon's shoulder to wrestle his attention

Oberon exhaled heavily and his eyes fluttered. Once he gathered himself, he looked at Puck and asked what he needed.

"Nothing, I was just making sure you were okay." Puck replied, " We still need to speak as well."

"Yes, we do. How about we take a walk." Said Oberon.

Puck nodded then informed Craig that he was leaving before the duo vanished into the woods.

"It should be year 100 of the 3rd Cycle. What can you tell me about the world?" Oberon asked.

Puck chuckled, "What can I tell you? You're the free man who purchased the slave."

Oberon smirked realizing how ironic the question was. "I've been rather isolated lately. Just humor me, Puck."

"Well, Captain, I can only inform you on Grisha matters. Everything else we must discover together, As you probably already know, Novyi Zem is actively taking in Grisha refugees from all over. The Little Palace of Ravka didn't like this much and a small economic war broke out but it was recently put to bed after a treaty was signed. But everyone knows the dark Dark General has a team of hunters more fierce than the Druskell. He thinks himself king of Grisha." Puck was disgusted and had to pause.

He then exhaled and continued. " Met a Grisha sometime back all the way from Shu Han. Says that the government is starting some kind of Grisha experiments. But it's nowhere near as nasty as Fjerda's program."

"You know about that?" Oberon asked.

"Any Grisha with survival instincts knows about the Fjerdan program. How else can technology be so advanced and resist Grisha's Small Science." Puck replied, "The real problem is Ravaka. And it all depends on what side you're on."

"You're talking about the fold," said Oberon.

"You bet. That damn thing is an infernal monstrosity with no chance of moving on. The world knows it. The Ravkans damn sure do." said Puck, "There's even talking about separation and assassination. You know what that means."

"Civil War," said Oberon.

"No, Captain. It means another fucking enemy. And it's sitting on the coast. The Little Palace is loyal to the crown. This means West Ravka can only partner with Fjerda or Shu Han if they wish to survive."

"Puck." Oberon was pleasantly surprised, "You have the mind of a strategist. I might have to make you my first mate."

Puck chuckled. "I'm only stating the obvious. Now, for that cutthroat destination of ours. It's wild and uncouth. A Grisha can survive but they'll have to do some seriously nasty things."

"Well, the plan is simple." said Oberon, "From north to south. We sail and pirate our way to wealth and salvation. Only docking and trading in Novyi Zem. Our cover, Fishermen."

"Fisherman. Wouldn't it be obvious if we… Shit, you actually want us to fish." said Puck, " You never planned to sell on the market."

"Nope. That's how you get caught. Darkworld market only. That aside, our only problem is combat ability"

"Isenulf isn't much good on the water." Puck sighed.

Sometime later, the duo returned to camp and everyone began to get to know one another and displayed the limits of their abilities.

The one who caught attention was obviously Puck, who was a squaller and seemed to have some traditional training.

Next was the red-haired, burly man, Craig, and his elder sister, Ceinwen. They were both Tidemakers and a wonderful duo. A year ago, Ceinwen had gotten into trouble and her brother took the fall. He was in a bad way when he was saved by Puck. Now the red-haired Tidemakers followed Puck's every step.

Then came the unfortunate Eunuch, Mattix. He was a Heartriender of exceptional talent. The story is that he became a Heart Demon after his mistress conned his heart into loving her as they had an affair. When they were to be caught, she castrated him. When his master returned from the voyage, he suppressed the rumors as a eunuch was, after all, a eunuch.

Now, the quiet and cold Mattix, is a deadly man that could play people as puppets and kill a herd of deer with three gestures. Oberon loved this.

The next apple of the eye was Anise. She was young and freshly eighteen but her skill in healing was above average with a wealth of knowledge of herbs and root cutting. Oberon noticed that Puck had an eye for her and made a note to shape the girl a present if Puck became a great help to him.

Finally, the barbarian beauty, Zhura. A busty woman with long dark night hair, hazel eyes, and full pink, bow-shaped lips. She is a Duraist and Alkemi. The only one in the group, making her talents more salivating than her physique.

Aside from Oberon's sinister six, all the others were average at best. After the abilities test. The crew rested well and lived leisurely. When night came, Puck and Oberon spoke of the day. Handing Puck, six names, Oberon informed him that resources in the future would be centered on them.

Oberon then picked up the Isenulf pup and informed Puck that he would be gone for a day or two.

In the dark of night, Oberon walked with the Isenulf pup. The small thing worked hard to walk through the snowy terrain and keep up with his master.

Eventually, they picked up the trail of a bear. And it was the start of blooding the Isenulf, turning him from dog to wolf. An animal of the hunt, a war partner.

Together they tracked the big prize while killing the smaller ones along the way. Oberon feed the pup raw and watched as it grew and changed. Oberon taught him commands and drilled his orders into the Isenulf.

Quickly two days passed and Oberon felt he need more time. So he continued. With a wild diet and endless physical training, the Isenulf and Oberon burnt through a week in a blink before finding the big prize.

The big prize happened to be an Anchorage Bear. It was a massive thing weighing one thousand pounds standing eight feet tall on four legs. The biggest bear in the north with antlers like an elder elk upon its head and eyes a vibrant icy blue.

"Look what you did, boy. You found it." said Oberon, "We kill the beast today and take it back to camp. I'll call you, Vaslof, from this day forth. And you'll be my brother from till the end of days."

Vaslof, once a white pup with a tuft of black fur on its brow, knees, and elbows, is now an adolescent. After hunting and being blooded, Vaslof was a force of nature. As big a dire wolf, thick and strong. Pearl white fangs, sharp and long. Blood-red eyes and thickened fur. He crouched low and growled like a low-rolling war horn.

His call rolled across the forest and the animals turned deeper into their dens. Packs and herds fled, and the Anchorage Bear roared to the heavens.

"Hasa!" Oberon barked and Vaslof took off.

Oberon then moved to the flank with great speed. His hand twisted and the snowy earth melted and rose. His hand clenched and the water formed an ice spike.

As Vaslof encroached the Anchorage Bear, Oberon created a torrent of wind and launched the ice spike. It blew through the air and decimate the Anchorage Bear's back right knee.

As it topples over, Vaslof pounces, and the bloody battle began.

Vaslof and the anchorage Bear tore at each other. Vasoly tumbled expertly, snapping and clawing where he could find a weak spot.

In a matter of a few breaths, the white world turned red and the atmosphere, suffocating. When ever Oberon saw an opportunity or the battle leaning in favor of the Anchorage Bear, he perform a gesture or two to restrain the large beast or deliver a blow of his own.

Vasolf was quick to see these chances and fought bitterly to not waste them. This was the greatness of Isenulf. They're smart and aware.

In the midst of the ferocious battle, a group approached from the distance. Slowly creeping with caution. And even entangled in a situation of life and death, Vasolf rolled over and quickly up the bear's back and bit down on the back of its neck, drawing blood, before he reared his head, growling and snapping at the dark woods.

Oberon received the message but didn't move. He only closed his eyes and listened to the wind, smelling the wind, and it told him everything.

As it appeared that he was preoccupied with watching the gruesome battle, the group approached. But suddenly their eyes widened and they were blinding and a burst of fire filled the dark woods.

It appeared as if a drum of oil had exploded. And in that brief moment, their bodies were paralyzed, and Oberon descended. Crippling and incapacitating six people wrapped in heavy furs with makeshift bone weapons crafted by...a durast.

Pulling off the hoods of the six and removing their face masks, Oberon chuckled.

"Well, I'll be damned," he said.

leaving the six unconscious, he returned to the battle and sent two wind cuts, hitting the underbelly of the Anchorage Bear. Vaslof continued to fight hard until he finally clenched the throat of the massive bear and bit down until his jaws shut and a chunk of flesh was being swallowed.

Oberon watched as the Anchorage Beast collapsed bleeding from its many wounds with its throat missing. Vasolf heaved in exhaustion as he struggled to stand. His fur was blood red and it was hard to tell exactly how injured he was.

Walking to Vasolf, Oberon embraced him. Praising him for his triumph. All the while, Vasolf was also grateful for Oberon's help. But soon, Oberon felt a mysterious tug. A pull that he could vaguely recall.

He looked at the corpse of the Anchrogae Bear, then his power to grasp the antlers and ripped them from the bear's head.

"So it's like this. " Oberon spoke to himself and then had a crazy thought.

"Vaslof, I have the Eternal Flame Sea Urchine and the Dragon of Storm and Sea. My mother was experimented on and I took the power of her and my father as a result. You helped me kill this thing, so you should take the reward." Oberon spoke as the antlers wrapped around Vaslof's neck.

He then channeled his power and performed a chain of gestures as the Antlers became docile soft material before melded into the shoulder of Vaslof. The poor beast howled and whimpered in agony.

Vasolf then collapsed into a coma as the antlers formed shoulder and chest armor on the Insenulf.

Oberon then stood there alone. He looked at the Isenwolf and the six Grisha that he had freed over a week ago. He took a deep breath and accepted how things had worked out. But greedily, he hoped the rest of the crew was at the camp.

But, he knew that was wishful thinking. If his six chosen were there, Puck must have convinced them and forgotten of the others, leaving them behind when Oberon didn't return after three days.

The only reason they managed to catch up was that Oberon and Vaslof were tracing the Anchorage Bear and training in the process.

Morning came shortly and Zhura was the first to wake. When she saw that she was in a warm tent and her white-haired, tall, well-built, and handsome lord was turning the fire, she smiled.

"Lord...Captain." she corrected herself.

Oberon looked up with a smile. Zhura had always had a liking for women. But she had masochist love for her master. Her master was a superior man that owned other men. All her life, the master had trambled others and she created beliefs that help her survive. As a result, she preyed on women and despised men for being slaves while paying homage to their owners.

"Captain, everyone thought you were dead," she said.

"And you didn't?" Oberon asked.

"Of course not." she walked over and knelled beside him, suppressing the pain of her beating.

"You're the strongest master I have ever seen. A Grisha who dared to own Grisha. And the power you displayed..." Zhura nearly moaned in pleasure at the memories. "I knew you were alive. Testing our loyalty."

Oberon wanted to laugh. He had met women like Zhura before. And he had no plans to change her. He merely reached out and caressed her face as she leaned into his touch.

"Mmm, so you found me. Tell me how you got here." said Oberon.

He was truly curious. When he decided to continue to train Vasolf, he was aware of the possible consequences. The worse situation was that he would purchase a new lot of slaves and leave when he returned.

The best situation was that he would return to camp and find a few people who had moved on. The six of them coming to search for him were outside of his expectations. But seeing Zhura's personality, Oberon realized that he has only gotten to know Puck a bit.

Puck was intelligent and somewhat ambitious. Oberon never thought that maybe, pucked didn't convince the six to search for him but that each of them had their own reasons.

"Oh, it's not that long of a story." said Zhura, "After you left that night, Puck told us that you were leaving to do something with the pup. when you didn't return, people began to worry. But by that time, Puck had already told us how much you valued us and the future you hoped to have with us. So the camp made a choice."

Zhura readjusted herself, then continued, "All of them were too scared to venture deeper into the woods. You know, slavery is better than certain death. But not for me. After meeting you, how could I hope to find a better master? I mean Captain. So I sided with Puck. And he's a pretty smart guy for a slaveboy. So I was sure we would find you."

Oberon chuckled this time. "What about the others?"

"Well..." Zhura bit her bottom lip as she looked at the sleeping crew, "Puck thinks you're going to be some great man. I believe him. That's why he's my guy friend. He sees you the same way I do. Anise is a healer and says her teacher is Ketterdam. Something about being left behind during an escape. The brutish Yarwood siblings, follow Puck. But Puck cleared their debt, So I really don't know why they're here. But Mattix, the Eunuch, he's out for blood and believes you can give it to him."

"Do you know we can all die?" Oberon asked.

"Yes," Zhura replied.

"I'm being hunted by the Druskelle and plan to make enemies of the entire world," Oberon added.

Zhura looked down and to the left. She then rubbed her finger as she asked, "Can you do one thing for me?"

"What?"

"Show me. The water, the fire from last night, the power that stops my heart, I want to see it all," said Zhura.

"You're obsessed." he finally told her, "I'm not a god. And I'm telling you that you can die with me."

Zhura smiled, "You can be a god if you want to. I bet you can kill all five of them right now. You can kill every master I ever had since the moment I was conceived. A king amongst men."

Zhura licked her lips seductively as she moved closer. "I have to serve you. I was born to. If not your slave, I should kill myself and become food for the wild. Please, show me. I need this, my lord."

Oberon was a hundred percent certain that Zhura suffered from Acolyte Complex. And he rejoiced internally. In a world of lost love and betrayal. It was hard to trust.

Oberon then held out his left hand and wind spiral in his palm. Water then from his cup and met the wind creating a hurricane. With the water-wind, twisted sparks of lightning surged. He then held out his right and a flame was conjured.

When he cut the elements, his cup levitated and then turned into a ball of iron. He then moved his finger and it twisted into a beautiful neckpiece that found a home on Zhura before h placed a hand on her chest and she jolted with a mix of sensations.

Her blood became hot and then cooled, her heart under his every impulse. Her body twisted to his will. When she was finally released, she collapsed in euphoria. Moaning thanks of gratitude and praises for Oberon.

When Oberon shifted his attention, he found the remaining five of his crew had been watching slack-jawed. He smiled at them.

"Congratulations," he said, "You found me."