The Blood King - Chapter Five (Patreon)

Nymira

“Get up!” I cry out as sharp pain stabs in me in my stomach, and I am forced awake. My eyes fly open, nausea hitting me instantly from the harsh attack. I can’t move as everything comes rushing past my lips. I barely manage to roll over, my stomach cramping in pain as I vomit, earning grunts of disgust from my assailant.

As consciousness slowly settles over me, I note the poor state of my body. My head feels like someone took a hammer to it, and my eyes burn from how dry they are. Each intake of breath releases sharp pain from the bruising of my ribs, and I am sure my stomach is going to be quick to follow. I flinch as I shift to my knees, my wrists chafing even more against the ropes that have me bound. Blood has begun to stain the dirty bonds, and I am partially grateful for the numbness that has slowly started to settle over my wrists.

Unfortunately, that numbness has yet to travel to my chest.

I choke on a sob as I am once again reminded of the loss that plagues me. The image of Peyra’s lifeless body in the center of those flames has been burned into my mind. The scent of her body burning haunts me, and won’t go away. She spent every moment of her life for the past twenty years protecting me, which she continued all the way to her last moments.

I am grateful the tattered cloak she wrapped around me wasn’t lost in the fight. It still clings to my shoulders, dragging in the dirt with holes in it. But it was hers, and it is all I have left of her. They burned her body along with our wagon. My entire life was in that wagon from the moment I began to acknowledge it as my home. And now it’s gone.

“Let’s go!” Their leader shouts. I bite my bottom lip as my ropes are cut deeper into my skin. The ends of my ropes are tied to his horse, and I am much too tired to resist. My legs scream at me to stop moving, my body threatening to shut down. The ropes pull hard against my wrists, and I bite my bottom lip so hard that blood draws from the pain. The necklace my brother left me is still wrapped around my arm, the charm digging into my skin from how tightly the bonds are.

It’s been like this for days, or maybe weeks, I’m not sure. Time has blurred together, with little to no breaks, and no offering of food in the time they’ve kept me as their captive. I have no sense of time and no idea where I am. Not that it matters—escape is impossible. I am clinging to life, barely able to remain upright.

I try to keep my head down as I look around at the men who surround me. They’ve made it clear that any sign of resistance is not tolerated. I managed to take a few of their lives during our fight, while injuring others, leaving them four able-bodied men to keep an eye on me, while two are gravely wounded. They surround me in a tight formation, making me curious about their endgame.

The man in charge briefly mentioned them getting paid for bringing me in. For men to risk their lives in doing so, it must be a real offer. Who could they possibly be taking me to? Who would want anything to do with an Ikniri when they are supposed to be extinct?

I fight back tears as I am once again drawn to think of Peyra. She warned me this would happen. All of this could have been avoided if I had just listened. I never should have saved that woman and her son. I never imagined humans could be so cruel. But Peyra knew. She lived a life that she was forced to keep hidden from me because of some oath, but she knew how humans were. She spent her life hiding me from them as a result. As angry as I was at her for keeping things from me, I would push that anger away in seconds if I could have just one more moment with her. If I could at least apologize for my words to her.

I didn’t mean them…she has to know that.

I stumble as I step into a pothole, the ropes digging tighter into my wrist.

“Agh!” I cry out as I crash to the dirt, my body pulling the horse slightly. The horse whinnies, startled, but the men surrounding me quickly jump down from their horses, yanking me up by the hair.

I look into the eyes of the one who holds me, refusing to give him the satisfaction of seeing me fear.

“I will kill every single one of you for this,” I hiss.

I try to call on my power using all of my rage and pain. It’s my last desperate attempt to help myself. But once again, nothing forms. And all I’ve managed to do is anger my captors. I brace myself for the pain I know I’m about to feel when I see his fist coming toward my face.

* * * * *

Eight Days Later

The grass has shifted from dirt to cobblestone as we enter a city. The quiet of the forest has been replaced with the sound of life as people mingle about their day. It takes all of my strength to lift my head, looking ahead of us at the kingdom sprawled before me. I’ve never seen one in my life. It stretches for what seems like miles, the buildings taller than I’ve ever seen.

Peyra and I always avoided heavily crowded places. The only time we had human contact was when we went into villages to restock supplies. My eyes widen as I take in the looming castle in the distance. It sits at the top of the city, glinting in the sunlight as it looks out over it. But as I look at the banners, I note that they are not the banners associated with any of the human monarchies I’ve heard of during our travels.

I narrow my gaze as an unsettling feeling washes over me the longer I stare. It feels eerily familiar, the banner. My skin prickles in discomfort, and my chest feels heavy as I look on. I don’t understand this reaction. Am I actually feeling fear for whatever awaits me in this kingdom?

I’m pulled from my thoughts as loud gasps replace the sound of activity. I look away from the castle to the people. For the most part, they look to be in good health, other than the dirt and grime covering their bodies.

“Yes, take a good look! We have brought an Ikniri as an offering! You thought they were all extinct, but this is living proof that they are not, and we will not know peace until every last one of them has been destroyed!” The man ahead of me bolsters as the crowd looks on.

Some look at me in shock, while others look at me in anger. And very few have pity in their eyes. One emotion is clear, however. Uncertainty. It lingers in the air with the silence of the crowd. Nothing rises above a murmur, and the sounds of life have suddenly stopped as they slowly gather to watch.

It makes me think of the woman’s words in the forest. The woman who turned us in after I saved her life.

“You will burn for this… this is a transgression against him!”

I shift my attention to the castle, my shoulder aching. Peyra took the woman’s words seriously. She even mentioned the blood king before we were attacked, and the fear in her eyes. My presence in this kingdom, being offered as a sacrifice is either a good thing or a bad thing. And no one quite knows.

Our trek to the castle takes hours. The entire way, people have come out of their homes and businesses to look. The men who have brought me in stop for nothing, practically drooling at the reward that awaits them for what they have brought. In my heart, I feel such bitter resentment for not knowing the history of my people, or of the war. Humans obviously have their own stories that have led them to see this moment as good. I have nothing. I am as Peyra said.

A lone Ikniri in the world.

The heat from the sun disappears as we make our way to the gates of the castle. I try to hold my chin high, and I note that the human presence has disappeared completely as we approach. These people fear whoever resides in this castle. I hear the bustle of armor as we come a few feet from the gate.

“Stop there if you want to keep your head.” I shiver from the sharp voice that cuts through the air. His words are accompanied by multiple swords surrounding us. I can’t see the men who now threaten us, seeing as my captors have me surrounded.

“We’ve brought a gift to the king. An offering,” the leader says.

He slowly reaches behind him, undoing my bonds from his horse. He jumps down, pulling me forward with him. I cry out, stumbling over my feet before crashing to the ground in front of everyone. I grit my teeth in pain, trying to maintain what little dignity I have, but he won’t let me have it as his foot presses into my back, kicking me to the ground. I have no energy to fight back, so I let him press me into the stone, my breath uneven.

I hear the guards moving, and the same one who spoke originally says something in a language I’ve never heard before, but it is quickly followed by the rushing of feet and the gate opening.

I then hear the approach of the guard who spoke. I assume he is the one in charge.

“Take your foot off of her,” he says.

I gasp, taking in as much air as I can as he lifts his foot from my back. The tension in the air is heavy, but I don’t know the reason for it. These men don’t seem excited to see an Ikniri, or have it brought in.

“I have sent one of my men to alert the king. In the meantime, you will wait in the throne room,” he says, kneeling to where I am on the ground. “I will take the Ikniri from here.”

I feel his hands around my shoulders as he gently helps me to my knees. His voice is calm, yet firm. He seems hostile to the humans who brought him an Ikniri, further increasing my confusion with his gentle touch. I expected him to pull me by my hair or take charge of my bonds, but instead, he pulls out a small blade, cutting them off.

I whimper in relief as the ropes fall to the ground, stained with my blood.

“Can you stand?” he asks.

His tone is different as he speaks to me, and I slowly nod, keeping my eyes down as he helps me to my feet. My gaze travels to my wrists. My skin is torn to ribbons, and my hands are slightly discolored from the lack of circulation. I focus on my brothers necklace, my heart sinking when I see my blood has stained it.

“Come.” I look into the eyes of the guard. His eyes are warm amber, like flames at night as he watches me with an unreadable expression. But he keeps his arms around me as we walk behind my captors and into the castle.

* * * * *

Cassian

I hear the panicked footsteps long before they enter the room. The heavy smog of my hedon covers every inch, making the room dark, and the women who rub their hands and cheeks along my chest free from the world's bonds. They rub their fingers intricately along my flesh, tracing the symbols that have formed on my skin over the years, a sign of my maturation as a Dragonborn.

A sign of who and what I am.

My eyes flit to the doors seconds before they are thrown open, one of my men from Ulric’s guard entering with a panicked expression. Caius enters behind him, his face flush with uncertainty as well. Caius is the strongest among my men and my closest friend.

So, I swallow my irritation at the interruption, allowing them to speak. The guard kneels with his eyes down. “I apologize for the interruption, Your Majesty. Some foreigners have arrived at the gates with…an Ikniri,” he says.

My muscles tense as unbridled rage courses through me. I narrow my gaze slightly.

“Kill it,” I say, but Caius steps forward.

“Your Majesty… she is unmarked,” he says.

I pull in a deep breath. This is news. Finally, I smile, my mood affecting the women as their excitement grows.

I lean my head back, pulling in a deep breath before blowing the heavy smog between my teeth. It lifts to the ceiling, joining in the rest.

“Then I will greet them,” I say, as one of the women forms kisses along my throat. It intensifies my excitement, and I find myself smiling.

“Blindfold the Ikniri. Make her captors feel welcome.”