“You want me to believe you don’t know the rules about weapons within the Nér-vrogan Realms?” Kyrah planted her hands firmly on her hips as she scoffed at me. “Everyone knows that. You’d have to come from across the bloody sea for that to be true.”
I felt my brows rise as I stared back in response to her all too accurate statement. Somehow, she’d hit the nail right on the head, and I didn’t feel that any additional words were necessary to convey my confirmation of her supposedly outlandish suggestion.
“That’s impossible,” Kyrah’s voice lowered to a bare whisper as she practically fell into the seat beside me. “No one’s crossed those waters in… forever.”
“Until now,” I replied, finally giving voice to what I’d left unsaid.
“How many have come with you?” She leaned closer, and her eyes went wide as she peppered me with questions. “Where are the rest of them? When will you set us free?”
Though I certainly didn’t have the entire picture, I knew enough about how the Nér-vrogan ‘nobles’ treated their people to understand why she might harbor some hope of being rescued from them. Encouraging her misconceptions might have helped me pry a bit more information from her, but those sorts of twisted manipulations belonged to the Goddess, not me.
“I’m alone, Kyrah, there’s no one else.” I hated to snuff out her hopes so completely, but I refused to lie to her. “My arrival was something of an… accident. There’s no way for me to return home—I’m just trying to learn how to survive here.”
Although she tried to hide it, Kyrah’s disappointment was clear in the way she quickly glanced away. Yet she recovered after only a moment, regaining her composure as she turned back to face me and replied.
“How can I help you?”
Her willingness to aid me even after I’d just crushed her dreams of freedom was startling. Unlike anyone else I’d encountered, Kyrah seemed quite genuine in her offer, and I simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity.
“I probably need information more than anything else right now,” I replied unsurprisingly, especially considering how badly I’d been fucking up ever since I’d arrived in Runía. “Carrying my weapons around like this isn’t the first mistake I’ve made.”
Kyrah nodded back to me in understanding, pausing for only a moment before filling me in of everything she’d thought I might need to know.
She told me that the Nér-vrogan were an ancient people, resembling humans more than any other race, yet with abilities unlike the other sentient species—including near-immortality. Seeking power for themselves, they’d sided against the Gods in their conflict with the dark races and been driven almost to extinction before the Pantheon retreated from the world. Without the deities to restrain their power, the Nér-vrogan came to dominate the lands, practically becoming Gods themselves when no one was able to oppose them. Although their lands were generally free from the hazards of the wilds, the people who enjoyed that relative safety lived in constant fear of a different sort of threat. The incredible lifespan of the Nér-vrogan did not come without a cost, but the price was one they didn’t have to pay for themselves. It was more like a toll that had to be… extracted. Although the Lords and Ladies did indeed kidnap their subjects for the vile purposes that I’d inferred, the main reason they did so was to satisfy an even more carnal desire than what I’d first suspected.
“What exactly do you mean when you say that they ‘feed upon’ their captives?” I couldn’t believe the words Kyrah had just told me. “Are you telling me that the Nér-vrogan are cannibals?”
She seemed appalled by my suggestion and hastened to clarify her meaning.
“No, not like that!” Kyrah objected to my characterization in an almost defensive manner. “They don’t actually eat them. All they need to sustain themselves is to drink some of their blood.”
“So, they’re vampires?” I replied, realizing only after I’d spoken the words that I didn’t actually know what those creatures were. There was just some odd image in my mind of a bloodsucking monster that drained its victims dry—one with a distinct preference for young women. Kyrah didn’t seem to understand the reference any better than I did, and she let out a frustrated sigh before trying to explain once more.
“I’m not saying it doesn’t happen, but the Nér-vrogan don’t often kill those they feed upon.” Her hands wrung the washcloth she held as Kyrah fidgeted. “They typically only take what they require and then release them, although they have been known to hold on to any who they might find particularly… satisfying.”
“Oh. So, all I have to worry about is being raped and losing a little blood before they cast me aside,” I felt my eyes roll as the sarcasm flowed freely. “What I relief—for a minute there, you actually had me worried.”
“Ashíel,” her voice took on a resigned, almost desperate tone. “I think you should—”
Kyrah’s strange inflection had me hanging on every word, but the sound of the inn’s front door crashing open interrupted her thoughts.
“There you are, sweetling.” A tall, statuesque brunette woman stood among the portal’s splintered remains. “I’ve been looking all over for you.”
As if her regal bearing and sneering grin weren’t enough indication, the pair of heavily armed guards flanking the woman gave away the fact that I’d just encountered my first Nér-vrogan ‘Lady.’ I’d seen enough pompous nobles over the years to easily recognize her arrogant air of superiority; even if I’d known nothing else about the woman, that alone would have been enough to make me instantly loathe her. My first thought was that it was me she was after, but that fear was quickly put to rest.
“Now, will you come quietly, Kyrah, or shall we make an even bigger mess of things?”
Obviously, my new and only friend had attracted some very unwanted attention. This so-called Lady’s mocking tone and the obvious score she seemed intent on settling made it clear that this was no ordinary ‘culling.’ Kyrah had somehow made an enemy of this powerful woman, and her fate hung in the balance of what might—or might not—happen next.
It would have been far wiser for me to simply back away and let events unfold however they would. I’d only just met Kyrah, and we barely knew each other; discretion was clearly the more prudent course. But I already felt a certain affinity for her, as if we were kindred spirits of a sort, and I just couldn’t abandon Kyrah quite so easily. Even more important than how helpful she’d been to me were the absolutely disgusting acts that likely awaited her, vile indignities that I simply couldn’t allow Kyrah to suffer. I felt a familiar anger rising up inside me as Kyrah and I stood up from our seats almost in unison, but while she backed away slowly, I held the ground between her and the rapidly advancing pair of guards.
“Get out of the way, or you’ll share her fate,” the closest of the two growled as they drew close.
I knew better than to bother replying; nothing I said could possibly deter them from following their Mistress’ orders. So instead of answering with words, I let my blades speak for me.
Although it wasn’t a specific skill, I’d spent a great deal of time practicing drawing my swords, focusing on turning the ordinarily mundane act into an unexpected attack. Reaching over my shoulders, I grabbed hold of both hilts, whipping the blades around in a blurred flash of razor-sharp steel. Only those whom I regularly sparred against had ever learned to anticipate those deadly arcs—and neither of my foes were one of those few individuals.
I managed to make a perfect strike with the blade in my left hand, and it struck the Sentinel’s throat flush, decapitating him cleanly. His body fell to the floor while his severed head rolled to a stop beneath the bar, leaving behind a bloody trail in its wake. My second blow was slightly off, however. Only the tip of my sword made contact, yet that was more than enough. Crimson fluid sprayed in a wide arc as my blade tore through the front of the second Sentinel’s neck, and in a matter of seconds, I’d taken out both of the Nér-vrogan’s guards. Turning towards the ‘Lady,’ I smiled
at her as she stood at the inn’s threshold, anticipating that she would flee now that she’d lost her muscle. Her response was not what I expected.
“You will pay for that, elfling.”
Despite what I’d just done to her guards, the Nér-vrogan’s voice didn’t hold the frightened tone I’d expected from a pampered noble. Her words echoed with both a supreme sense of confidence and a distinct note of menace. Even though she was unarmed, as she glared back at me, I found myself taking up a defensive stance against her.
“Please, I—,” Kyrah’s plea was cut off when the Nér-vrogan charged forward.
I could hardly believe that the woman would attack me empty-handed, yet despite the fact that I was clearly well-armed, that’s exactly what she did. Her hands flashed as she closed in on me, and I caught a quick glimpse of what appeared to be talons extending from her fingertips—finely honed claws obviously capable of tearing me to shreds.
Her long arms were a blur of motion as she launched her first attack at a near-impossible speed, and I was barely able to raise my sword in time to parry the blow. The keen edge of my blade easily cut through her wrist when the two met mid-air, and she pulled back the stump of her arm to stare at it in disbelief. I wasn’t sure what she was expecting to happen when her bare flesh met my steel, but I took full advantage of her momentary distraction to ram the full length of my weapon into her chest.
We stood face-to-face for a moment, and I held the hilt of my sword steady, simply staring her in her eyes. As I did, the Nér-vrogan looked back at me, utterly shocked by the unexpected turn of events. She’d come here in pursuit of some vendetta against Kyrah, expecting to receive no opposition whatsoever. Yet, in a matter of moments, I’d not only slain both her guards, but her own life was slowly dwindling away as my blade sat firmly lodged in her rib cage.
“…not possible,” her words came to me absent the strident tone she’d used before, only as a bare whisper of confusion.
I wasn’t really sure what the stupid bitch thought would happen when she attacked me with only her naked claws, but her lifeless body slid off my blade and crumpled to the floor, flanked by the corpses of her Sentinels. The whispers I’d overhead seemed to elevate these Nér-vrogan to near-invincible status, but if my encounter with this… twit was any indication of their power, it had been severely exaggerated.
“How did you do that?” Kyrah’s incredulous voice came from just over my shoulder.
“Well, first, I cut off her hand, and then I slammed my sword through her heart.” I couldn’t help the sarcasm from escaping. She’d seen the whole thing happen—what more could I possibly say?
“We have to get out of here,” Kyrah’s disbelief melted into a tone of desperation and fear as she latched on to my arm. “When the others find out what you’ve done, they’ll come looking for both of us.”
While I was no longer concerned about facing one of the ‘Nobles,’ dealing with an entire regiment of their Sentinels was another matter entirely. Obviously, the Nér-vrogan had created an image of themselves as invulnerable overlords, one they’d used to tighten their grip over the people under their control. That fear might have left their subjects cowed, but my victory had just shattered that illusion quite emphatically. Kyrah was undoubtedly correct; the Lords would be coming for me in force—allowing me to live after I’d killed one of their own was not an option. I was sure they’d invent some explanation for how I’d managed to kill this… ‘Lady,’ one that would also serve to restore their image, but doing so would first require that they make an example of me, most likely with a very public and drawn-out execution. That was not an event I planned on attending.
As I let Kyrah drag me towards the kitchen, the ashen faces of the inn’s patrons stared back at me, each bearing an expression that reflected the same incredulous tone I’d heard in her voice a moment before. I suddenly realized that we weren’t the only ones who needed to flee; having the misfortune of witnessing how easily I’d slain the Nér-vrogan might also place their lives in jeopardy. Leaving any witnesses alive who could dispute whatever fiction they concocted to explain away the Lady’s defeat would be unwise.
The people seemed to realize this as well, and before I made it to the back room, most had already fled outside. As natives to these lands, it would likely be easy for them to blend in at some other town, something I was unable to do. Hopefully, I’d be able to help Kyrah find some safe place to call home as well before resuming my journey north towards the Free Lands.
After leading me to her room at the back of the inn, I watched as Kyrah frantically snatched up her belongings and shoved them inside a small pack. I understood just how difficult the task ahead of me was when I noticed that she had nothing even approaching adventuring gear among her meager possessions. I’d obviously be leading a complete novice through the wilderness.
“Do you have any weapons?” I couldn’t help asking as I began calculating the odds against us. “Can you fight, Kyrah?”
“No!” She whirled on me, her wide eyes betraying a state of near panic. “I’m not a cold-blooded killer like… them.”
I wasn’t sure whether Kyrah hesitated because she’d first intended to say ‘you,’ or if it was only the strain of the circumstances that had caused her voice to falter. Regardless of the reason, I understood her resentment. Hopefully, I could find Kyrah some safe refuge before too long; otherwise, the responsibility of shepherding her through the wilderness might prove a bit more burdensome than I was prepared to handle.
“It doesn’t matter.” I let out a deep breath, setting aside my concerns in favor of hastening our exit. “Let’s just get out of here. There’ll be plenty of time to figure things out on the road.”
It wasn’t as if I thought the Nér-vrogan would be hot on our trail. Although I could see no castle or other fortifications looming over the small town, I didn’t know how far away their nearest stronghold was. I could only assume it would be at least a few days before they learned of what I’d done, but I wasn’t going to squander the lead we had over our pursuers—the consequences for both of us were far too dire for me to fall into that trap.
Kyrah understood our predicament just as well as I did, and as soon as she’d stuffed the last of her belongings into her pack and slung it over her shoulder, she led me back through the kitchen. I thought we’d head straight out the back door, but she stopped to fill a second bag full of provisions for our journey. Despite how flustered she’d seemed to be, Kyrah still had enough of her wits left to plan at least that far ahead, and I adjusted my hasty assessment of her accordingly. As I watched her methodically count out several days’ worth of food, I realized that keeping Kyrah alive might not be quite as difficult as I’d first believed.
Seeking to leave as cold a trail as possible for the Nér-vrogan, we left by the inn’s back door and fled into the thick woods that ringed the village. Although I’d allowed Kyrah to lead the way until then, I took over once the trees closed in around us, drawing my bow and nocking an arrow as I picked my way through the forest. These lands may have been somewhat pacified, but they were hardly free from danger. Despite all she’d been through, Kyrah was oddly silent as we navigated our way through the forest’s dense undergrowth, barely a handful of words passing between us until we’d finally made camp for the night.
Once I set up a few snares, we settled in. Without a fire to warm me, I wrapped myself up in one of my blankets to ward off the chill night air. Kyrah barely glanced at me as she consumed a few pieces of dried beef, and I decided it would be better to allow her the time she needed to absorb the rapid change in her circumstances rather than press her for information. So, although I truly wanted to know why the Nér-vrogan noblewoman had been after the simple barmaid, only the faint sounds of the forest echoed between us as we ate in silence—at least for a while.
“My mother was taken by the local Nér-vrogan Lord when she was very young.” Kyrah’s voice broke the stillness between us. “She had the misfortune of… pleasing him
, and he kept her prisoner for several years.”
Kyrah stared down the entire time, never looking up from the ground between her feet as she spoke. Even though I couldn’t see the expression on her face, I knew that it pained her to tell me the story, so I listened closely when she continued.
“Nér-vrogan only use mortals for their amusement, Ashíel.” Kyrah held my eyes for barely a second before glancing away again. “And for the nourishment they need to prolong their lives. My mother was forced to fill both those roles until the day she discovered she was pregnant.”
“By then, she hadn’t been closely guarded for quite some time. Only the newest captives ever are. Once the initial fear wears off, the threat of retaliation is usually enough to discourage any attempts to escape.” I could hear Kyrah’s voice echo the resolve her mother had likely felt at the time. “But my mother knew that when the Lord discovered her… condition, it would be the end of her—and me. Unions between the Nér-vrogan and their captives are seldom productive, and even on the rare occasions that they are, the half-breed offspring are rarely allowed to survive.”
Holy shit. Kyrah hadn’t even finished her story, and I was already overwhelmed by the tale. She was clearly far more than just some random barmaid, and I was beginning to have some notion about who the Nér-vrogan was that I’d slain—and why she’d been hunting Kyrah.
“My mother fled one evening, leaving Lord Tarvul’s manor behind and escaping into the darkness.” Kyrah’s head bent low as she seemed to tell her story to the earth below her. “She traveled from place to place for years until we finally found refuge in Greenly, far away from my father’s lands.”
“The few half-Nér-vrogan in the world are viewed with disdain by the Lords and Ladies, and the rest are suspicious of our motives.” Kyrah blew out a deep breath before resuming. “Yet the people of Greenly accepted my mother and me; they even helped hide my presence there from any travelers who happened to pass through. After several years went by without the nearest Lord paying us a visit, they began to look at me as a good luck charm, of sorts—as if my mere presence had somehow shielded them from danger.”
Second Skin: Wayward: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 7) Page 6
