Venom detected the smell of burned wood and flesh. She rode her black Nagla--a fierce bipedal war-bird normally only used by the savage orcs of the Plains of Mazaroc--in the direction of the thick gray smoke which curled up into the sky. . The tall dark woman remembered the stench all too well from her days as a bloody thirsty pirate roaming the seas.

Those days had gone. Having repented of her past deeds, the echoes of her victims still echoed through her mind. Entering what remained of the devastated town, her ice-blue eyes seemed to burn with an inner fire as she observed the carnage before her. . The charred shells of the buildings crumbled into a black ash. The raiders had been thorough in their devastation. Not one building remained unscathed nor a soul living in the small town.

Venom silently dismounted, leading her steed with a modified tether Ellie had created for her. It had been nearly three days since her companion had left to ride on ahead to the Great Kingdoms, while Venom remained, concluding some matters in Sidanthra. She had hoped to catch up with her beloved companion in another day or so.

The voluminous crimson cloak danced about her muscled form as she somberly proceeded down the silent street. Her ever observant gaze continued to scan the wreckage, looking for any sign of movement that might indicate a survivor or perhaps a straggler from the band that had been responsible for this massacre.

She spotted the remains of one young man nearly hacked to pieces, lying partially out in the street with the back of his skull caved in. Venom observed an object with a leather thong upon it in his left hand.

The tall dark woman made her way to where the body lay, prying open the stiff hand to find a small metal medallion. Venom lifted the medallion by its leather strap.

The medallion had a crude stamped image of a wolf's head on it. Venom recognized it as the type of necklace worn by the more successful bands of raider and bandits. It would display the symbol of the leader. Her own had been a coiled serpent ready to strike. It was used to give the gangs a feeling of belonging and to indicate that they were not to be trifled with.

Venom stood to her full six foot two inch height, slipping the necklace into the bright sash wrapped around her waist, and continued her trek.

Near the end of the ruined town, she espied a white figure tied between two posts stuck in the ground. Approaching, Venom could discern that it was a naked middle-aged woman with mousy-brown hair. Venom judged the woman would never have been a beauty. Her flabby figure spoke of the ravages of time and child-bearing.

The raiders had rightly determined she would not fetch any sort of decent price in the slaver markets to the south. As such, the brigands seemed to have determined to entertain themselves with the woman. Venom could see several arrows had punctured her body. The raiders had probably taken turns shooting at her to see who could come closest to a vital organ without killing her outright. It was a game the tall dark woman knew well, causing her to shiver.

Drawing closer, she noted with surprise the chest of the woman rose and fell very slowly. Dropping the reins of her mount and drawing her sword, 'Havoc's Tears,' Venom ran towards the woman. With two quick slashes, she severed the leather straps holding the woman up.

The woman's limp form collapsed into Venom's strong arms. The woman opened her glassy brown eyes and stared up into Venom's lovely oval face, framed by raven black tresses.

"Loup Noir, Loup Noir," she gasped in the Sidanthrian tongue. 'Black Wolf, Black Wolf.'

Venom gently pressed her finger against the woman's dry cracked lips, indicating for her to save her strength, though in her heart she knew woman was dying. It had been a miracle she had lived so long. Perhaps she hung onto each scrap of life greedily, wishing to live long enough to name her executioner.

Having completed that one task, the woman's eyelids slowly closed. Her ravaged body gave way to death.

Venom's eyes began to blaze with a cold inner fire as her lovely face briefly twisted in silent rage then returned to an inexpressive mask.

"Someone will die for this."

Before setting out, and in stoic silence, Venom took on the grisly task of seeing the bodies of the slain were taken care of as best she could. The tall dark woman would remember every ruined face of the victims she interred or burned.

She determined the raiders had ridden south towards the Black Mountains. Not a very good tracker, she still could discern the band had taken several wagons with them and a few people seemed to stagger behind. It would be an easy task to follow them. Venom started on her way.

After about a day or so, Venom came upon a roadside tavern tucked away in the heavy coniferous forest, a fair distance from the trail. She noted a few mounts tied to the posts outside. She decided to take a brief rest and inquire of her quarry within the confines of the unnamed business.

The tavern interior was dark and the furnishings consisting of a few old tables and chairs. The bar on the far right side was little more then a few planks of wood propped up by a crudely carved stanchions. The crowd inside was garbed in patchwork armor. Obviously, this was a hang out for the rogues and thieves spawned by the terrible war between the forces of Velia and the minions of the Great Kingdoms, which had ended a short few plantings ago.

The patrons glanced up at the tall, dark woman entering the tavern, then went back to the business of drinking and plotting.

The bartender continued to polish one of the few crude metal steins. Other, wooden ones were stacked behind the bar, on poorly constructed shelves.

"What will you have?" The bartender asked Venom as she strolled through the crowd towards the bar.

"I'll have an ale."

Putting down the stein, he poured some dark brown liquid into a wooden mug, banging it down in front of her. "That will be four sovereigns." Venom plopped a Trione on the bar, taking a sip of the brew. It was crude with a bitter taste. "I am looking for the band with this symbol." She held out the medallion for the bartender to inspect. "Any idea where I might find them?"

"Sorry." He did not bother to look up. "Never seen it. Can't help you."

Before Venom could continue, some crude, slurred voices from the corner interrupted her.

"You want to ride with the wolf, then hold still pup," one gravelly voice warned a trembling young man with his back against the wall. There were already several daggers imbedded in the wall next to the boy as the man prepared to throw another.

"Why don't you pick on someone more your size?"

At the sound of Venom's commanding voice, the three burly men turned around. Venom stared at them, her red cloak drifting about her well-proportioned form. The man whose turn it had been to throw the next dagger, gave her a slimy smile, displaying his rotted teeth.

"He came to us," the man said. "But seeing as how you're here now, you can take his place. I can think of a lot better games to play with you."

"Besides," another added, "you shouldn't be carrying a sword, I can think of better things for a pretty slip like you."

"You don't get out very much, do you." Venom said in a cold even tone.

"What do you mean? " The standing man asked.

Venom sighed. "Never mind." She noticed the men wore the medallion of Loup Noir. "Get out of here, boy." She motioned towards the door.

The lad, trembling, obeyed.

"Now, " she continued in a pleasant tone. "I'd like you to tell me where your boss is."

The standing raider challenged her. "And if we don't?"

Venom calmly examined her hand. "Then I will take each of you apart piece by piece."

Her response caused the raiders to break out in loud laughter.

"There are three of us, girl," The standing raider said.

Venom offered no reaction to the statement. Her voice remained calm. "True, but I don't think you'll find anymore men to back you up."

"You are a riot." The standing raider chortled as he moved closer to her. He leered with obvious lust. "However we might tell you," he said reaching his filth-encrusted hand towards her, "with the right incentive."

Venom grabbed his outstretched hand. The man screamed in pain as she crushed the bones in his hand.

"You aren't my type." Venom casually tossed the man into the wall. He struck with a loud thud, and then, slid down the wall, unconscious.

The two remaining men jumped to their feet. The closest one struck the tall dark woman with his fist. Venom's head turned slightly from the blow. She glanced at the astonished man, a slight smile on her full lips.

"Ouch." She bored into him with her eyes, seeing the fear in him that would run to his very soul.

The man took another desperate swing. Venom caught his hand in mid-swing. She twisted the man's arm around his back, grabbed him by the neck and slammed his face several times against the table. When she let go, the man fell to the earthen floor, his face a bloody pulp.

The last man had finally drawn his blade with his fumbling frantic fingers. With a sudden shout of bravado he swung. Venom side-stepped the clumsy attack with ease, her own blade leaping into her hand.

Before the man could ready another swing, Venom sliced through his grimy neck, severing his head. She batted the head with flat of her blade sending it flying across the tavern into the stack of steins behind the bar.

"I am not in the habit of repeating myself." She yanked the necklace off the torso as it flopped to the ground.

Striding towards the bar, she heard the scraping of chairs. She sheathed her blade and leveled the bartender-- trembling violently at his post--with a cold gaze. "Don't even think about it."

The customers returned silently to their drinks

Venom took a swig of the vile potion in her mug. "Now, I think maybe you didn't have a very good look at this medallion."

Not waiting for him to answer, Venom tossed down the mug and grabbed the collar of the man's soiled tunic, yanking him across the bar. The man stared fearfully into the eyes of the former pirate as she dropped the symbol between them.

Shortly Venom was riding in the direction the bartender had said the raiders had headed. Apparently they had some sort of slavers camp close by. Venom wasn't much for subterfuge. As Ellie had stated long ago, she was more of the keep hitting till they fall down type, though it had held her in good stead up to now. She planned to do a great deal of hitting soon.

The bartender's directions led her deeper into the Black Mountains, a region known for its boxed canyons and very popular with raiders. As Venom rode through one of the many canyons, keeping a wary eye open for a possible ambush, she espied the familiar figure of the young boy from the tavern lying upon the narrow trail, apparently injured.

Venom halted her Nagla, Redeemer. "What are you doing here?"

The boy looked up at her, his face smeared with blood, and gasped. "I tried to join Loup. I was ambushed before I even got close."

Venom glanced about the high wall surrounding them, looking for any sign of a trap.

The boy looked at her with tear filled eyes "Please, you got to help. I don't want to die."

"You should have thought of that before you tried to join a bunch of killers." Venom dismounted from her Nagla. She quickly scanned the area, ignoring the desperate cries of the youth. She sensed a trap. Still, she could hardly refuse the lad.

She knelt down to examine the injured boy. As he scurried away, she noticed the blood on his face and clothes was not his. It was a trap after all. Before Venom could react, a large net dropped over, then a second. Venom struggled in the woven mesh. A sharp blow to the back of her head made her drop to her knees.

"That blow was enough to drop a horse," she heard someone remark as she struggled to remain conscious, forcing herself back to her feet. She could hear the heavy feet of Redeemer running off. He would be safe least.

"Dragperg," one shouted, "she's trying to get back up. Smack her again."

After two hard blows, Venom finally dropped to the ground, unconscious and entangled in the nets.

Upon regaining consciousness, she painfully forced her eyes open. A group of men, clothed in piecemeal armor, stood around her. Venom was suspended in the air, her arms chained between two posts.

Dragperg. A simple trap and I fell for it like an amateur. She had allowed her emotions to overrule her head; never a good idea.

"So you are the mighty Venom," a silky smooth male voice said. The crowd around her were slowly coming into focus. "Somehow I thought you would be much harder to capture."

"Sorry to disappoint you," Venom rasped.

"No need to be." A man she assumed was Loup Noir stepped forward. He was dark skinned, like her, with a stylish mustache. He wore black leather armor with brightly polished silver studs. Strapped to his waist was Venom's own sword, her crimson cloak adorning his shoulders. "I've often found the legend rarely lives up to the reputation." He casually strolled forward.

"And you must be Loup Noir, the black wolf," Venom said. "You look more like a rabid dog to me."

"Really." The Loup Noir calmly slid on a heavy metal gauntlet. Grinning, he punched the helpless woman in the stomach with his gauntleted hand. "I take great pride in my appearance. The cloak of yours is a nice addition by the way."

Venom sneered. "You are still no more then a mangy jackal, darting in and out of your little hole to maim and rob."

"Much like yourself at one time," Loup Noir countered.

"Not anymore," Venom answered coldly.

"True. So tell me what put the great sea-bitch on my heels?"

"You destroyed a town awhile back." Venom's eyes burned accusingly into the raider. "You left a woman tied up there for dead. She lived long enough to tell me who did that to her."

The Loup Noir yawned. "I see. So you came all this way to give the dead satisfaction. What a noble and pathetic idea. The town brought the destruction upon themselves. During the war, I used to offer protection to small towns. Now that the war is done, they no longer need my protection and they actually seemed reluctant to pay."

"So you destroyed them."

"Actually, I gave them a final chance. I was willing to take a few of their younger people for the slave market, and they had the nerve to reject my generous offer. Can you imagine that? So you see, they left me no choice."

"I see that you are insane," Venom said. "I see that you are little more then a rodent, scrambling for crumbs, trying to prove he's king rat."

"Really," The Loup Noir sounded mildly surprised. "I may be a rodent, but I've captured the great Venom, something no one else has ever done. All thanks to one young boy." He pointed at the boy, who stood in the crowd. "Getting a conscience has made you weak, Venom."

"You're not the first to say that. The others are dead now."

"You got her, and I warned you she was coming," the young boy shouted out. "Now I get to be a member of the Pack, right?"

"Indeed." Loup Noir turned, staring at the boy with a toothy evil grin, "I haven't forgotten you. True you did me a big favor, helping to capture Venom, that's why I am going to ensure that you are purchased by a good master."

"You said I could ride with you if I helped." The boy screamed desperately as two of the raiders began to drag him away.

The Loup Noir shrugged. "I lied. Nothing personal. We didn't get many for the block from the town." He turned back to Venom. "Now where were we?"

"You were just about to keep telling me how great you are," Venom said. "Do you plan on boring me to death with your endless talking?"

The remark earned her a left cross across the jaw with the metal gauntlet. Glaring at the dapper raider, Venom spit the blood in her mouth onto his clean face.

The Loup Noir growled. "I'll kill you, sea-bitch. People will pay for your carcass, but first I'm going to make you scream in agony. I'm going to make you beg me for mercy."

"Don't hold your breath," Venom said.

"We'll see." The Loup Noir smiled coldly. He held out his hand. "My whip."

She felt the harsh barbed leather whip rip into her flesh again and again. Venom gritted her teeth as the abuse tore into her body, determined not to cry out. Finally, the pain became so blinding, she could no longer endure it. She passed out from the torture.

Venom felt the damp cloth applied to her brow. She moaned slightly as she regained her senses. She glanced up to see the young lad who had betrayed her attempting to care for her wounds.

The lad noticed Venom was conscious. "I am sorry. I only wanted to ride with the Pack, get away from the farm."

"There are worse things then being a farmer, boy." Venom grimaced slightly as the boy attempted to clean her wounds. "The likes of Noir and such are hardly bold adventurers."

"I see that now. I guess I ruined everything."

"It's not over yet." Venom looked about the room. Apparently, it was some sort of crude holding pen. She glanced at the frightened, unwashed faces of the young men and women in the pen. These obviously were the people from the town, captured by Loup Noir and his men.

"Do you have a plan then?" the boy asked hopefully.

Venom offered him a weak smile. "I'm making it up as I go along."

One young woman moved cautiously forward. "I heard the guards say some of the slavers from Camora have arrived."

"How long have I been out?" Venom asked.

"Nearly an entire cycle," the boy said. "I thought certain you were going to die."

"Not yet," Venom said, grimly.

A strong-looking young man stepped forward. "Do you really think you can help? You are a prisoner too."

"A prisoner but not dead yet." Without giving the strong-looking young man a chance to reply, Venom closed her eyes to rest once more. She was unsure of what to do next, but she knew she would need to regain as much of her strength as possible to deal with whatever would happen

A hard kick to her side jolted her awake. She was about to react when she noticed four raiders, weapons leveled at the captives. She couldn't risk a confrontation.

The raider nearest to her, the one who had probably kicked her, sneered. "Loup Noir wants you outside. He has a surprise for you."

"I can hardly wait." Venom slowly rose to her feet. The raider stepped away from her as she glared menacingly at him.

The raiders led Venom out of the pen into a huge arena surrounded by a poorly constructed wooden fence. A few wooden bleachers, filled with raiders and various thugs, ringed the outside of the arena. On a large chair sat Loup Noir, attempting to appear regal as he looked down at Venom. "Welcome back, Venom. I was afraid you might not survive our last encounter. Then my guests," he gestured to the Camoran merchants seated next to him, "might miss out in the entertainment I've planned."

"And what might that be?" Venom retorted. "Watching you bore me to death with your idiotic ramblings?"

"What a clever wit." Loup Noir gripped the arm of his chair. "No, I have managed to capture a few wild wolves. I should mention they haven't been fed for some time, so I imagine they should be ravenous. I had planned to use one of the more virile young men, but seeing as how you were so kind as to fall into my hands. . ."

"You might as well let those slavers watch me get ripped to shreds instead."

"They will appreciate it more, seeing as you and your companion have caused them so much distress over the past few plantings."

A cold smile grew on Venom's lips. "Always good to hear."

"Defiant to the end." Loup noir laughed wickedly. "Still, I might be willing to provide you with a weapon." He held up a rusted and pitted sword. "All you need to do is ask me, please, for this weapon. A little begging might even get you a better one."

Venom sighed. "Would you please just shut up and get on with it. I am really getting bored."

Loup Noir smirked. "In such a hurry to die. Very well." He gestured to the men holding the rope attached to the cage's gate. "Open the gate."

The raiders lifted the gate, and three wolves bounded into the arena, rushing towards Venom.

"This could be a problem," Venom remarked to herself.

Fortunately, the wolves seemed half-crazed by hunger. The condition may have made them more ferocious, but it also made them reckless, losing some of the deadly precision of the pack.

The nearest wolf leaped for Venom's throat. She dropped to her back, jutting out her legs, catching the beast in the stomach and hurling it over her. Venom rolled out of the way as the next wolf leaped. Before the creature could recover, Venom landed a viscous kick to its head, sending it reeling across the ground.

Venom managed to lock her strong legs around the midsection of the last wolf. Suddenly the wolf she had tossed back locked its iron teeth upon her arm. Venom screamed in pain, much to the joy the crowd, which roared even louder.

Venom sunk her own teeth into the foreleg of the wolf, causing it to howl in pain and release its own grip. Not stopping, she grabbed the beast by the head and twisted its neck. Next Venom swiveled her hips, snapping the back of the beast between her legs.

Leaping to her feet, she took hold of the lifeless body of the wolf with the broken neck, battering the last one that had just begun to recover from her assault.

Before the stunned silent crowd could react, Venom held the remaining wolf squirming helplessly over her head. With a loud battle cry, she flung the flailing beast into the crowd. The desperate animal began to claw and snap at the people in the bleachers causing a massive panic.

Without hesitation, Venom leaped into the fray, wrenching two swords from two members of the crowd desperately attempting to defend themselves. She slashed out with the twin blades, rending bone and flesh in every direction.

Loup Noir staggered back, and Venom saw the shock in his eyes.. She could taste his fear. This woman who had been his prisoner, and should be helpless, hardly able to launch a sudden attack upon his raiders, stood over their dead and dying forms. Loup Noir drew his sword and cautiously approached the fray. Suddenly the sword ripped free from his grasp. Venom dropped one of her sword and deftly caught the sword. In a sudden arc, with the sword now sounding as if it screamed for joy, she beheaded three of her would-be foes. She glared at the raider leader with a cold, cruel smile gracing her lips. "Your turn."

Sweat streamed down Loup Noir's face as the raider fled from the arena and the insanely dangerous woman. Meanwhile, the remainder of the raiders and the guests had gathered enough wits to mass an attack on Venom.

Just then, a loud squawk rose from the other side of the arena, and Redeemer crashed through the ranks of the raiders followed, closely by a petite young woman, riding a light gray stallion, twin blades flashing as she tore though the mob.

"I thought you would never get here," Venom said to her companion Ellie.

"It was a good thing your bird caught up with me outside of town." Ellie wheeled her horse expertly by applying pressure with her legs as she slashed one raider across the face, taking off his nose. "Me rescuing you; now this is a switch."

"Change is good." Venom made her way to the door of the pen. "Now you know what its like to be on the other side. Besides, I had everything under control."

"Sure you did," Ellie remarked sarcastically, " by the way I saw the guy wearing your cloak run off to the east."

"He's mine." Venom kicked open the door of the pen. She faced the group of stunned captives. "Grab a sword. It's time to go home."

As the survivors of the town rushed past her to join the fray, Venom whistled for Redeemer.

The Black Nagla obeyed without hesitation, rushing towards his mistress. Grasping the thick, corded neck, Venom vaulted onto the war-bird and raced after the fleeing Loup Noir. She managed to catch the raider leader with ease. Loup Noir glanced back at her, his eyes bulging with fear.

Venom leaped from Redeemer upon the fleeing raider. The two tumbled to the ground. Loup Noir brandished a sword he had grabbed during his flight. Venom disarmed the raider leader with ease, sending the sword flying through the air.

Loup Noir begged, cringing before the woman. "Please, don't kill me."

"That's my cloak." Venom said.

Nodding wordlessly, he handed her the crimson cloak with trembling fingers. "I surrender." He smiled pathetically as she threw the cloak about her broad shoulders. "You're one of the good guy, right? You wont kill an unarmed man."

"You're right. I am one of the good guys."

Loup Noir had just lowered his raised arms when Venom drove the point of her sword into his chest. She lifted the kneeling man to her eye-level with her blade as it slowly penetrated his body.

Venom coldly stared into the stunned face of the dying Loup Noir. "But I'm not that good."

Venom lowered her sword allowing the now dead Loup Noir to slide off, his eyes still open, frozen in a mindless terror. Venom turned to join Ellie and the former captives. The debt had been paid.