Jayna woke up on the ground, she had passed out again. After what had just happened, she didn't have the will to pull herself to her feet. As Jayna lay there, she reflected on a time not long ago when she had called herself Alecto. Alecto was the name of one of the furies of ancient Greek mythology, the Goddesses of Vengeance. Alecto was part of a scouting party, trying to locate the army of porkas, that was being led by two giants. That force was coming to attack the North village while the Knights of Morpheus were occupied in Meldopolis. They had found some of the invaders or rather, the invaders had found them. A giant had knocked her senseless and she would have been killed if not for Garrett, a young man she had taken pity on and tried to protect. Garrett had kept the giant off of her long enough for her to recover her wits, but he had given his own life to save hers. After the invaders had killed Garrett, Alecto had gone mad with rage and rode off to fight the invaders alone, foolish perhaps, but tell that to her score of victims. She relived that day again in her thoughts.
Alecto had hidden behind a tree until they passed, when number three of the group of porkas went by, she grabbed him from behind and slit his throat, while Flappy the wolf/dog ripped out the throat of another. The third ran toward her instead of away, just like they always did, the pigs were fearless, but predictable. He raised his club and one of Alecto's throwing knives struck his forehead and he fell backward. This one's skull must have been thicker than the others, because he struggled to get back up, Alecto put her foot on his chest and held the point of her sword at his throat. He stopped fighting and looked at her with almost human eyes and waited for death to come. He was brave, he didn't struggle, nor did not ask for quarter, he just waited patiently for the killing thrust.
Alecto's eyes had welled with tears and a voice in her head asked, How many is enough? Will vengeance never be satisfied? She couldn't apply the pressure needed to finish the pig, her arm refused to obey. She moved the sword away and sat wearily down on a nearby rock and dropped the sword on the ground. Her adversary managed to get to his feet and he stood in front of her, the knife was stuck firmly in his forehead, surprisingly, only a couple of trickles of blood ran down his face
The porka asked, “How many have you killed?”
“Just today's or all of them?”
“Both.”
“Today I've killed twenty-two, the other number is too many to remember.”
“Who are you?”
“I'm Alecto, the goddess of vengeance, but I don't have enough rage left to do my job.”
“Perhaps vengeance has been satisfied and you should find another job.”
“Shut up pig, take your people and go home, I'm tired of strife and killing.”
Jayna had forsworn the name of Alecto and the goddess of vengeance act that very day and started on the path to a new life. She was happy now, at least some of the time, Jayna thought the violence and the killing was all behind her. But things were happening on Morpheus, things that threatened to force her back into the role she now detests. Everyone wants her to find the Witch of Morpheus, the mysterious woman that everyone seemed to believe exists, but that no one had actually seen. One of those who asked her to find the Witch, has also asked her to become Alecto again and kill her before she destroys all of Morpheus. Events are forcing the Goddess of Vengeance to rise again. Now she must decide, will she become the ally of the Witch of Morpheus or her executioner?
Alecto had hidden behind a tree until they passed, when number three of the group of porkas went by, she grabbed him from behind and slit his throat, while Flappy the wolf/dog ripped out the throat of another. The third ran toward her instead of away, just like they always did, the pigs were fearless, but predictable. He raised his club and one of Alecto's throwing knives struck his forehead and he fell backward. This one's skull must have been thicker than the others, because he struggled to get back up, Alecto put her foot on his chest and held the point of her sword at his throat. He stopped fighting and looked at her with almost human eyes and waited for death to come. He was brave, he didn't struggle, nor did not ask for quarter, he just waited patiently for the killing thrust.
Alecto's eyes had welled with tears and a voice in her head asked, How many is enough? Will vengeance never be satisfied? She couldn't apply the pressure needed to finish the pig, her arm refused to obey. She moved the sword away and sat wearily down on a nearby rock and dropped the sword on the ground. Her adversary managed to get to his feet and he stood in front of her, the knife was stuck firmly in his forehead, surprisingly, only a couple of trickles of blood ran down his face
The porka asked, “How many have you killed?”
“Just today's or all of them?”
“Both.”
“Today I've killed twenty-two, the other number is too many to remember.”
“Who are you?”
“I'm Alecto, the goddess of vengeance, but I don't have enough rage left to do my job.”
“Perhaps vengeance has been satisfied and you should find another job.”
“Shut up pig, take your people and go home, I'm tired of strife and killing.”
Jayna had forsworn the name of Alecto and the goddess of vengeance act that very day and started on the path to a new life. She was happy now, at least some of the time, Jayna thought the violence and the killing was all behind her. But things were happening on Morpheus, things that threatened to force her back into the role she now detests. Everyone wants her to find the Witch of Morpheus, the mysterious woman that everyone seemed to believe exists, but that no one had actually seen. One of those who asked her to find the Witch, has also asked her to become Alecto again and kill her before she destroys all of Morpheus. Events are forcing the Goddess of Vengeance to rise again. Now she must decide, will she become the ally of the Witch of Morpheus or her executioner?
