The Blood King - Chapter Fourteen (Patreon)

Nymira

From the moment I was brought into the castle, I’ve wanted nothing more than to flee—to run into the forests and continue to hide from the world. It never crossed my mind to see the kingdom. I may not hate humans as much as the king does, but I have no desire to spend time among them. The two times I’ve been exposed to them, I was shown their true colors. I want to avoid them as much as possible.

But for the first time since I was brought into the castle, I am being allowed to leave. Even if it is only to the streets, I am content to be outside of the castle with all of those eyes on me, constantly waiting for them to subdue and report me to their king.

It feels strange to walk among humans without a disguise. When I was with Peyra, I always wore a cloak. Sometimes, I would put ink in my hair, but it did little for my brows and lashes. And my eye color against my skin was just too suspicious at the end of the day. I was rarely allowed to venture into the markets with her. And anytime we would cross humans on the road, I was forced to hide in the carriage.

Now, however, I walk along with men who serve a king I have never seen, in a gown I never would have worn if not for the bargain we seem to have struck. I walk without a cloak or ink in my hair to hide me from the world. I walk as a somewhat free Ikniri, my captivity by the king offering me this small bit of peace as I take in a world I’ve never been permitted to see—a world my kind was banished from.

And it is all thanks to the king I’ve never seen.

“What do you think?” Caius says, breaking into my thoughts. He walks up next to me, his dark hair pushed away from his face. He wears a curious expression, making him seem boyish as he looks up at me. I note that while the men surrounding us are wearing light armor, Caius is dressed in regular clothes, the only sign of his status being the two weapons strapped to his back.

I look away from him, studying the buildings as I think of my answer. They look old, the wear and tear of the years showing among the brick, signifying this place has been standing a while. And while the people stop and stare, pausing their daily lives to watch an Ikniri pass by, the scent of fresh bread and cooked meats wafts through the air, combined with the sounds of life.

“It looks no more interesting up close,” I say in disappointment.

I think back to my conversation that early morning with the king. I was feeling bitter at seeing their lives from afar. They had something that was taken from me, that I never had a chance to fight for. And now, seeing their lives up close, seeing the way they live—the way they thrive, my bitterness slowly brews into something else. But I won’t acknowledge the feeling. It would disappoint Peyra. It was always important to her to guide me down the path of being an Ancient, even if I didn’t know exactly what that entailed.

“You cannot let your anger consume you, Nymira. You must be above that, or else you’ll end up like the blood king,”

I can no longer argue with her about her advice. I am forced to live by it.

“Does the blood king know about this place?” I ask.

Caius doesn’t react to the mention of the name. But one of the guards tense, his scent shifting slightly.

“Where’d you hear that name?” Caius asks, not missing a beat.

“Peyra used him as an example a lot. She told me to rise above my emotions so that I would not become like him,” I say.

Caius is quiet for a moment, thinking. “And this place makes you angry?” he asks.

I am aware that he is changing the subject, but I play along.

“Yes. It upsets me to see these people living, while I spent my life in hiding,” I say, looking around.

Caius laughs, shaking his head. “You know the grass isn’t always greener, Nymira. You are an Ancient, gifted with the honor of ruling over this world and these people. Your emotions should never be anger towards them. They are doing the best they can with what they’ve been given. Peyra sounds like a wise woman,” he says.

I stop walking, turning to give him my full attention.

“You sound just like her,” I say, my body trembling as his words line up with hers. Caius notices my distress and smiles as he changes the subject.

“Well, I’m sure this place is nothing like the village you grew up in—”

“I never saw my village. I told you that. I grew up in the forests, always on the run,” I say in irritation, continuing my trek.

“R-right, sorry,” Caius says, catching up with me.

“Even still, the villages we saw on our travels never looked like this one. This is quite an accomplishment,” I say.

I slowly turn to look at the castle looming overhead as Caius’s words to me earlier ring in my mind. The people down here look up every day at that castle that once signified stability, praying that the king who now occupies it doesn’t turn his wrath on them.

And yet, they live their lives as if nothing happened to their king.

“Why did you kill the previous king? Was he a tyrant? Does your king see himself as a liberator of man?” I ask.

Caius pulls in a deep breath. “I already told you this place isn’t for you to figure out,” he says as if chastising a child.

I look around at the people who pause to stare. “You know, I can just ask the people,” I say.

“You and I both know you can’t. They won’t speak to you after what he did to the men who brought you in,” he says.

“What did he…” I trail off as I recall the warning he spoke to the last surviving man.

“Take this with you. Spread this through every street, every village, every crevice of this infested wasteland. Humans are not to touch Ancients in any way, shape, or form. You are beneath us. Regardless of my imposition, humans have no stake in this fight. Go.”

And as I slowly look back at the people who surround us, I see their fear. They won’t approach me not out of curiosity or ignorance, but because of the king’s warning. It was probably the first official word that came out of that castle since he arrived, judging from my captor's lack of knowledge of how he would react to them bringing me.

They are terrified because of him.

A bitter laugh escapes me. “He didn’t let me leave out of the kindness of his heart, did he?” I ask, looking at Caius.

Caius is something I haven’t been able to figure out. His motives are warped, sometimes driven by what feels like guilt or pity, and sometimes by orders he is following. But I am beginning to understand his king more. He is laying the foundation for something, and my arrival has sparked it.

“Word of the first Ikniri in over twenty years will spread. And I will not have released her by the time the trouble you will bring reaches.”

He is keeping me because he has something to gain from it. My arrival isn’t something random. It is an anomaly within twenty years of this war among the Ancients. Caius doesn’t respond, but he doesn’t have to. His silence gives me my answer. I feel guilt eating away at me as I watch the people around me. Their uncertainty about what my arrival will mean for their lives is clear on their faces.

I’ve been sent outside of the castle not for my sake, but for the people to understand I am alive, and I am property of the king. He is testing them.

“I want to go back,” I say.

“Nymira—”

“I wasn’t asking,” I snap, glaring at him.

I don’t wait for him to respond as I shove past him. And as I look up, I notice the crowd forming behind us. They move, stumbling back in fear as I approach, and I hesitate as a feeling blooms in my chest. I look at all the frightened faces, taking a deep breath.

“I…I am not your enemy,” I say.

I note that some faces shift, while others remain petrified. But before I can speak again, I hear the draw of a sword, and Caius moves forward.

“If you know what is good for you, you will step back,” he says. I look at him in shock; his expression is deadly.

“What are you doing?” I snap.

“It isn’t your place to decide what you are to them,” he says.

I narrow my gaze, stepping forward when suddenly, a chill settles over me. My chest squeezes, and my body feels uncontrollable as my legs give out, and I clutch my chest. I tense as I hear a loud sound. It sounds like a roar as a heavy rhythm strikes through the air.

The gasps of the people mingle as they all point at the sky out of terror, and Caius is next to me.

“Nymira?” he sounds panicked, the complete opposite of how he was seconds ago.

The world blurs, and my heart feels like it is pounding in my ears. I tense as the chill becomes unbearable, and my fingertips slowly release ice against my control.

“Mngh…Agh!” I cry out until my body finally gives out under the strain.