Tried and failed, apparently.
Even thousands of miles away from the Imperial District, the Goddess’ legacy continued to haunt me. Wherever I turned, she was there to remind me of her presence; not only in my own image but now flowing through my veins as well. There was nowhere I could run that would be far enough it seemed, yet all I had was the distance to put between us.
“I told you about myself,” Kyrah’s voice lost its ardor, taking on a note of sympathy that only managed to make me feel even worse. “Maybe it will help if you share your past with me.”
“I can’t.” I stared down at the dirt beneath me, unwilling to meet Kyrah’s gaze. “I just… can’t.”
She offered no reply to my refusal, and we sat in an uncomfortable silence for a long while. After the profound closeness we’d shared only a few moments before, the physical space between us seemed to embody the deep chasm my unknowing manipulations had wrought. Turning her back to me, Kyrah pulled the blankets around her, wrapping herself up in their scant protection almost as a shield of sorts, as if they might ward off any further intrusions from me. I really couldn’t blame her—Kyrah’s obvious sense of violation was fully warranted.
I didn’t sleep well at all that night. Knowing that I carried the Goddess’ evil within me was more than I was prepared to handle. For the first time, I began to wonder if I had any chance at all of escaping my fate, or if I was doomed to follow in her despicable footsteps. I found the thought of maneuvering innocent people into doing whatever I wanted or even forcing them to love me absolutely repugnant, yet it seemed there might be nothing I could do to prevent that from becoming my reality. Despite the small cavern’s warmth, I found no comfort there. My mind was too consumed with thoughts of my future transgressions to allow that.
12
The morning picked up right where the evening had ended; the increasingly awkward silence between us stretching on as Kyrah and I got ready and then continued throughout the day. Knowing she could no longer turn to me for the sustenance she required, I searched for any game or even tracks to follow, hoping to make a kill that would provide Kyrah with what she needed. The red meat wouldn’t hold off her cravings forever, but I hoped it would take care of her for at least a while. Eventually, we’d have to find a more permanent solution, but that was a matter for another time. Right then, I just needed to ensure that she wasn’t forced to rely on my dubious ‘help.’
I managed to take a small deer early in the afternoon, and we stopped while I dressed the carcass and prepared the meat. Despite the danger, I lit a small fire, and we cooked it as quickly as we could before leaving the scene far behind. Not only did the rising pillar of smoke send out a clear marker of our location, but the scent of roasting venison wafting through the air was certain to attract some interest sooner or later. Fortunately, we stamped out the flames and escaped the scene before we were discovered, hopefully with enough food to support Kyrah’s needs.
Our stroke of good fortune buoyed my spirits somewhat, and despite the continued lack of discussion between us, I couldn’t help but feel a bit better about things. Although she’d fed on me the night before, Kyrah took the opportunity to consume a rather large portion of the fresh meat, obviously eager to do whatever she could to stave off her hunger. Even though she didn’t utter a single word to me while we traveled, I couldn’t miss the frequent sideways glances Kyrah flung in my direction.
The path we took had kept us nearby the same low ridge we’d been mirroring for the past few days, and I searched along its edges for another small hollow to shelter in, but there was none to be found. So, we made our camp that evening under the stars instead, finding some security within a dense stand of brush.
We spoke only the few words that were needed to prepare for the night ahead, and while I ate from the rations I had in my pack, Kyrah dined exclusively on meat again. It was clear that I’d need to make many more kills if her appetite continued this way, but that seemed like a small price to pay to preserve her dignity.
Little had been resolved between us, but sleep came much easier for me as darkness fell. Having overcome our most pressing issue, it seemed like we’d at least gained some breathing room. While we hadn’t quite gotten back to normal, I hoped that with time, Kyrah might eventually forgive me. There was a great deal I had to do to get to that point, but she was my only friend in this strange land, and I was determined to do whatever would be required to earn back her trust. I might still fail, but I’d rather lose Kyrah’s friendship than do to her what the Goddess had done to so many others.
I woke the next morning to find my hands tangled in a thick mane of hair and a comforting warmth pressing against me. At first, I thought Kyrah had come to lay with me during the night, something I found both reassuring and distressing, yet it quickly became obvious that wasn’t the case. As I pried my eyes open, tufts of short, gray fur filled my vision, rising and falling in time with the steady rhythm of breathing coming from the… creature that was fast asleep on top of me.
Not knowing what it was but fearing the worst, I held myself perfectly still and began to carefully feel my way around, trying to determine what the fuck was curled up across my chest. The little beast’s fur was coarse, yet strangely comforting to the touch, and its body radiated a soothing heat. Searching around almost blindly, my fingers found a pair of pointed ears and a long snout with a cool, wet nose at its end. My sense of relief was palpable as I realized that it was simply some stray dog who’d wandered into our camp seeking shelter, and I began gently stroking the poor little thing when I felt the odd bumps beneath its skin.
A series of small nodules began at the base of its neck and continued to appear well past its shoulders. The strange lumps were oval-shaped and occurred in an almost regular pattern, but I had no idea what they might possibly be. I could only imagine that they were scars from an injury of some kind, perhaps a bite the unfortunate little thing had been lucky enough to escape.
Relieved to know that I wasn’t being restrained by some fearsome beast, yet not wanting to wake my unexpected guest, I gently guided my ‘companion’ to the ground beside me as I sat up. When I was finally able to take in its full form, it seemed as if my deductions were completely confirmed. Curled up in a little ball with his nose tucked beneath the fringes of his tail, a little dog slept contentedly atop my blankets.
“Umm, Ash? You know what that is, right?” The stray animal’s presence prompted Kyrah to say more to me than she had the entire previous day.
“A dog?”
“You’ve never seen a wolf before, have you?” She cast a knowing glance at the animal as it continued to snore softly beside me.
Really?
I’d been on a few hunting trips outside the Imperial District but hadn’t encountered any wolves during those carefully curated forays. I knew what a wolf was, of course, but considering the animal’s small size, it hadn’t even occurred to me. Obviously, this wasn’t a full-grown specimen, a thought that suddenly made his presence even more ominous.
“We need to get out of here before the rest of the pack comes looking for him,” Kyrah whispered my concerns aloud.
Fearing to wake the wolf pup, we gathered up our gear and made our escape into the forest as quietly as we could, forgoing breakfast in favor of a hasty retreat. I even left my blanket behind rather than chance waking the pup and risk him crying out. I wondered if perhaps the wolves might have been responsible for the carnage we’d discovered on returning to the sight of our fight with the orcs. If they were, we’d been lucky to avoid an encounter with those savage beasts.
“I understand you’re new to Runía, but just how sheltered were you back home?”
My ignorance had obviously sparked Kyrah’s inquiry. Although it irked me to be referred to that way, I hoped that a conversation might improve things between us, so I shoved my irritation aside as I answered her.
“I’m not sure that ‘sheltered’ is the right word,” I managed to keep from snapping at her, hol
ding back the harsher comment that had been on the tip of my tongue. “But I was… protected from a great many things.”
“Is that common there?” Her curiosity was obviously piqued when she followed up. “Not many are shielded like that here.”
“It’s… complicated,” I replied, recognizing her calculated attempt to probe at my background. “I lived in one of the larger cities. Most people there didn’t spend much time in the wilds.”
“I’ve never even seen a city.” Understanding her need to hide from the Nér-vrogan, that didn’t surprise me. “Did you like living there?”
We talked for hours as we made our way through the forest, the tension melting away with each and every word that passed between us. Although we’d left the little wolf pup behind, I was grateful to him for providing the means by which Kyrah and I had begun to mend our differences. Even so, we’d have to be quite cautious. The evil within me might lay dormant for a time, but the Goddess’ legacy still coursed powerfully through my veins.
For the time being, things were smooth enough between us, and after failing to find another cavern to shelter in at the end of the day, we made our camp under the stars just as we had the night before. Although she’d set up her bed as far away from me as possible then, I tried to hide the smile that creased my lips when I noticed Kyrah making no such efforts that evening. Despite the difficult path ahead of us, I felt much better now that our friendship had been at least somewhat restored. Laying down myself, I longed for the blanket I’d been forced to leave behind, knowing that I’d miss its warmth before the night was over. Resigned to waking with a chill in my bones, I cast Detect Life and closed my eyes, finding a great deal of comfort in knowing that Kyrah and I had patched things up.
Contrary to my fears, I was quite warm the next morning. Too warm. As my mind cleared, I felt a familiar weight in the center of my chest, and I opened my eyes to find a pair of bright amber orbs staring back at me. There was simply no mistaking the accusatory glare in those eyes.
“How did you get here?” I spoke my astonishment aloud.
The young wolf’s head cocked to the side, and I could almost read the sarcasm in his face as he continued to pin me in place with his reproachful gaze.
I ran, idiot.
Resting his head between his paws, the pup refused to budge, clearly determined not to be left behind again. Just like the day before, his presence brought me a strange sense of comfort, however, and I soon found myself running my fingers through his dense fur as he lay on top of me. Despite my previous concerns, as we lay together, I somehow knew there would be no pack of bloodthirsty wolves coming to hunt us down. He was completely alone in this world, just like I was.
It was clear that the wolf was far too young to have been able to hunt down anything on his own. Hunger had likely driven him into our camp the night before and had probably been the reason he’d tracked us down again.
“You must be starving.” The little wolf’s ears swiveled towards me, and his eyes sparkled with interest when I whispered to him.
Easing him gently to the side, I rummaged through my pack for a few strips of venison. He began drooling almost the second I withdrew the first slice, yet took it from my hand gingerly before swallowing it whole in a single gulp.
“Looks like he’s yours now.” Kyrah paused for a second before continuing with a distinctly mischievous note to her voice. “Or maybe you’re his.”
I think I’d already understood that, but as the puppy took another hunk of deer meat from my hand, I suddenly realized that I’d be hunting for three from then on. Unfortunately, the wolf’s carnivorous diet combined with Kyrah’s… unique needs could prove difficult to accommodate. Despite the danger, if I failed to make enough kills, we might be forced to venture into some town for supplies. Having accepted the wolf into our little group, I couldn’t even consider abandoning him. His plight was far too similar to my own, and even in the short span of time since I’d found him curled up with me, I’d already become much too attached to him.
“Have you picked out a name yet?” The pup glanced up from the strip of venison he was gnawing on to stare at me when Kyrah spoke.
I guess I needed to do that sooner or later, so I tried to come up with something as I absently rubbed at the soft patches of fur behind his ears. Nothing came to mind until my hand traced further down his neck, and I felt the rough bumps beneath his skin once more. The old wounds reminded me just how tough the little wolf was, and I knew exactly what to call him.
The name felt so right that I couldn’t help but smile as I looked down at him. “Scar.”
“Scar?” Although Kyrah was obviously quite perplexed by my choice, the pup seemed to grin back at me.
“That’s right. His name is Scar,” I replied, still gazing into his bright, amber eyes.
He looked back at me so intently that I couldn’t tear myself away, and I realized that it wasn’t really my eyes that he was staring into—his gaze went far deeper than that. I hadn’t quite understood it before, but it became all too clear to me then that I’d missed something very important about him. Just like Kyrah and me, there was obviously much more to Scar than what I could see.
I pondered that thought while we shared a quick breakfast. Once again, Kyrah only ate from our rapidly dwindling supply of meat. Although she tried to hide it, I couldn’t miss the guilty expression on her face as she did—she’d obviously recognized the increasing burden her appetites had placed on me. Despite the challenges I faced, I resolved to do my best to provide for both my companions’ needs; they were all I had, and I needed to take care of them.
Without any prompting, Scar padded along behind me as I resumed scouting our path north again. Over the next three days, we made decent progress as we passed through sections of both forest and wide patches of open land, managing to not only avoid encountering anything dangerous, but I also took another deer and two small boars along the way. Kyrah continued to consume the red meat in impressive quantities, but I couldn’t help noticing the dark circles under her eyes again. She looked far more than just tired this time; Kyrah’s hollow cheeks spoke of a need more desperate than sleep.
She said nothing, of course. After what I’d done to her when she’d fed from me before, Kyrah chose to bear her burden in silence rather than risk being exploited by me again. Still, I couldn’t just sit by and do nothing while she wasted away, so I stopped early on the fourth day to search for a more secure campsite. Fortunately, I once again located a safe haven within the rocky outcropping we’d been following, and we were able to take shelter within a small, stony niche.
As I fed Scar, I couldn’t help but watch Kyrah numbly chewing away on a small morsel, the noticeable look of disgust on her face giving away just how unsatisfying it was to her. I steeled myself for the harsh rejection that I knew was coming, yet offered her my help anyway.
“You said that taking from my arm would be less intense.” Scar glanced up from his meal as I began speaking. “Do you think it would be safe for us to try?”
Despite my fears, Kyrah didn’t lash out at me in anger. In fact, her expression seemed oddly filled with… hope? I could only imagine the level of desperation she must have felt to be willing to risk another round of humiliation at my hands, but I guessed that was just how far the threat of starvation had pushed her.
She didn’t even question why I’d made my offer, and I could see Kyrah’s fingers trembling with anticipation when she answered me. “I think so.”
Realizing just how dire her situation had become, I didn’t want to draw things out any further, so I offered Kyrah a reassuring smile as I rolled up my sleeve and extended my arm towards her. Kyrah moved to sit beside me, taking my arm in her shaking hands as she did. I couldn’t help but notice the curious expression on Scar’s face as he looked on, but the moment Kyrah bared her own fangs, his hackles stood on end, and he issued a growl far more menacing than I imagined he was capable of.
He was still only a small pup, well r
elatively small—at about twenty pounds, I didn’t think Scar could cause her any real harm. But his needle-sharp teeth might rip a decent enough hole in Kyrah’s flesh, so I thought it best to try and assuage his fears.
“It’s alright, Scar.” There was obviously something about her Nér-vrogan side that triggered his instinctive response. “Kyrah’s my friend; I’m only trying to help her.”
Despite how perceptive Scar seemed at times, I knew he couldn’t actually understand my words, but I hoped that my tone would offer him some reassurance. It must have worked. Although he still watched us quite closely, Scar calmed down, and I felt it was safe enough for us to proceed.
Kyrah wasn’t quite as sure, and her eyes never drifted away from Scar as her teeth pierced my skin. Just like before, the only sensation was a slight bit of pressure, and within seconds, I could feel Kyrah gently drawing from my veins. At first, it seemed as if everything would go smoothly, but my sense of relief was short-lived. Kyrah had said it would be ‘less intense,’ and it was just that—less intense, barely.
Kyrah gripped my wrist tightly with one hand, holding my arm still as she pulled me closer with the other. I couldn’t help wincing when her fingers dug into my flesh, and I tried to ignore Kyrah’s silent plea for more than what I was already giving her. Just as before, she wasn’t the only one moved by the experience. Looking down at her, I was shocked to see my hand tangled in the long strands of Kyrah’s hair, pressing her mouth firmly against my arm as she continued to feed. I knew that my own unintended manipulations were at play, but it was only then that I understood Kyrah was stirring something within me as well. Despite how… pleasant those images in my mind were, I couldn’t help but feel disturbed by their origins. It was clear that I possessed some traces of the Goddess’ power; even a bare fraction of her ability would have been more than enough to provoke Kyrah’s sudden infatuation with me.
Second Skin: Wayward: A litRPG Adventure (Second Skin Book 7) Page 10
