The Blood King - Chapter Twenty-Five (Patreon)

Cassian

The Thrae have always been a nuisance in my eyes. They are a self-righteous group, believing that their way of life is superior. But it has consistently wrought discord among them, long before the war of the Ancients. Their personalities are too bold to remain so hidden from the world.

This boy is a prime example. He’s not old enough to have fought in the war. I assume his parents did, however. Giving him knowledge of what happened and his own misguided sense of justice.

The thrae do a marvelous job of masking their scent. They mingle it with the nature surrounding us. But I am a Dragonborn who has lived for years. I know that they remain hidden while they watch their young companion face a Dragonborn alone. In all honesty, they probably hope I will end his life. If not for Nymira’s presence, I would have burned down the forest to prove a point, giving life to the reasoning behind their laws.

The boy groans in front of me, slowly opening his eyes as he finally awakens. I watch him quietly as he blinks, pulls against his bonds, and realizes someone sits in front of him. His eyes quickly adjust to the dark as he takes me in, anger appearing on his features.

“Traitor!” he hisses, pulling at his bonds.

He truly is naive. Even now, his skin has grown sweaty from the fever threatening his body. Had it not been for Nymira, I certainly would have killed him with a punch alone. He’s extremely lucky to be alive. It is clear, however, that he thinks I am a random Dragonborn.

He does not know he is in the presence of a king.

I straighten my spine, releasing heat from my pores until I know he can feel the warmth settling in the air. I slowly hold my hand out in front of me, a low growl vibrating from my chest as flames appear.

The bravery on the boy’s face disappears instantly, his eyes widening as he takes in my markings, my features, and my flames.

I smile.

“Now that you’ve realized your mistake, let me explain what will happen if you go against me, boy.”

Nymira

Exhaustion swallows me as I try to remain awake. Most of Cassian’s men have already gone to sleep, all but two who stand guard around the edges of the camp. But Cassian has yet to emerge from the trees with Caderyn, making me more anxious by the second.

“You should get some sleep. Once we get moving again, we won’t be stopping until we reach Silas’s fortress,” Caius says, sitting next to me. Even in my sleepiness, I pick up that he’s given me a name and a place—more than Cassian did when he told me I was accompanying them on this trip.

“Silas? Is he another Dragonborn?” I ask, shifting my attention away from the flames. They are hypnotizing in their own right, but I focus on the discomfort the heat brings me to help keep me awake.

Caius is silent for a moment, realizing his mistake.

“Yes,” he says, after a moment. But I don’t ask him to elaborate. Not when he’s just now back to speaking to me.

“Are you waiting to see the Thrae boy?” Caius asks, pulling me from my musings.

“Caderyn, is his name,” I say softly.

Caius turns to look at me. “He spoke to you? But I thought you—”

“I couldn’t understand him. But he was able to communicate his name before Cassian…” I trail off, shivering as I recall Cassian and that evil smile on his face as he almost took his life.

“Hm,” Caius murmurs, leaning back.

“Cassian said the Thrae abandon those who break their laws,” I say.

Caius nods. “The Thrae have been known to stick to their strict laws. They believe it is what keeps them connected to their true goal: preserving nature. Anything else is just a distraction. Maybe they’re right,” he says.

“Why would you say that?” I ask in disbelief. “Their laws literally say they can abandon a young boy who can barely fend for himself.”

“As cruel as it sounds, he may be better off outside of his people. He cannot collectively adhere to their laws, thereby throwing them into chaos. He could have cost his people their lives for attacking a Dragonborn king. It is clear he is young and reckless,” Caius says.

“But to just…abandon him, without offering a chance?” I ask.

Caius takes a deep breath. “Your optimism is refreshing. But the Ancients are nature’s leaders for a reason. Sentiments like that can and have caused wars. Rules must be finite, or we all fall into chaos,” he says.

I study him as he speaks. His gaze is distant, as if he is reliving something in this moment.

“What was the war like?” I ask, pulling his attention. His eyes are wide as he looks at me, realizing that once again, he has opened a door he is more than likely not permitted to.

“You know I can’t speak about that,” he says, looking away. But I don’t miss his troubled expression. I quietly look around the camp to ensure everyone near us is asleep.

“Can you tell me what my people were like? I’m not asking you for what happened during the war. I’m asking to give me a glimpse into who they were…other than unruly,” I say.

Caius laughs, shaking his head. “They were unruly, Nymira. Untameable, if you want to get precise. To be in the presence of a Dragonborn is to be in the presence of greatness--of so much power, you cannot breathe. But to be in the presence of an Ikniri is to mirror the freedom we all secretly crave. To live without bonds and live life on a whim. It takes your breath away,” he says.

My heart stills as he speaks. My fingers tremble, and my mind pokes at me, trying to get me to see the people that he speaks of. I slowly look down at my arm. The markings I gained are all that remains of my culture, and yet they are so small.

I smile, closing my eyes, but nothing comes to mind. I am completely cut off from my people. Caius knows more about them than I do, and even still, he is not allowed to reveal certain things.

“Will they be lost in history, do you think?” I ask, opening my eyes.

Caius’s smile slowly disappears, and the haunted expression he held slowly crawls onto his face.

“No,” he says.

He moves to get up, and I think the conversation has ended, but he slowly turns to me with confusion on his face.

“Do you really not know what a Xindrite is?” he asks.

I slowly shake my head. Up until he mentioned it earlier, I had never heard of it.

“The woman who raised you never spoke of her background?” he asks.

I shake my head again, my confusion mounting as to why he would bring up Peyra. Caius takes a deep breath, furrowing his brow.

“She was—”

“Caius.” We both tense as Cassian’s voice drifts over the camp. I look in his direction, relief washing over me when I see Caderyn right behind him, his arms bound in front of him as he glares at Cassian in anger.

I quickly stand, smiling.

“Caderyn!” I call to him. Cassian’s expression shifts from anger at Caius to confusion as he looks at me, but I ignore his gaze, approaching the boy. As I cross the camp, I am highly aware of Cassian’s intimidating presence. The closer I get, the warmer the air feels, until it is noticeably uncomfortable as I stand before Cassian and Caderyn.

“You should be asleep,” he says in irritation.

I ignore him, however, looking at Caderyn as I speak.

“I wanted to make sure he was okay,” I say, trying to at least communicate with my eyes, but he won’t look at me. His eyes remain focused on the ground, and I notice the slight tremble of his body as he stands behind Cassian.

“You mean that I didn’t kill him?” Cassian says.

I ignore him, speaking to Caderyn.

“Are you okay?” I ask.

He doesn’t respond.

“He cannot understand you,” Cassian says.

“Must you keep those on him?” I ask, gesturing to the bonds.

Cassian ignores me, moving to meet Caius halfway. He hands over Caderyn’s bonds to him, speaking in a different language. I note that Caderyn looks up as he does, acknowledging something he’s said.

Caius nods, taking his bonds as he moves away.

“Wait, can’t you at least tell him—”

Cassian steps between me and Caius, his anger shining through.

“He is not your pet, Nymira. He is a prisoner who attacked a king,” Cassian snaps. I flinch from his tone, looking past him to see Caius pulling Caderyn away.

“Fine,” I snap, looking at Cassian. His expression is stoic as he glares down at me. He is not going to budge.

“You’re the king,” I say before turning away from him to get my sleep for the night.

We have long since left Thrae territory. The terrain has changed, and the forest looks like it is struggling to survive, rather than thrive. Our travel has been swift. Cassian is clearly in a hurry to get where he planned all along. The fortress of someone named Silas. Caius mentioned it briefly the other night.

He mentioned a lot in passing the other night, including something about Peyra. He never elaborated on why he asked about her because of Cassian’s interruption. And ever since, he’s been saddled with Caderyn. It makes me curious about Peyra as a person. Could she have been something more than a woman who gave up her life to raise me? Does Caius know something I don't?

I quietly look ahead of me to see Caderyn riding along with Caius. His head remains down, and his expression looks like he’s lost all hope. I know that feeling all too well. It’s the same look I had when I was brought into Cassian’s graces. But he’s turned out not to be as frightening as I believed.

I look away from them to Cassian. He leads the caravan with his head held high. He isn’t bothered in the least by Caderyn’s fate. He is determined in his goal. We haven’t spoken since that night. I don’t know why I feel the need to be so upset with him. He is right, and I knew he was. Caderyn attacked a king. Sparing his life was the bare minimum of what Cassian had to do for me, especially since I drew a weapon against him.

Cassian has never come off as anything other than a king. But I am suddenly reminded of what Caius said to me that night, about my people.

“The Ikniri were unruly.”

He said it with a smile on his face, not disgust. It’s the first time I’ve heard something good about my people—something that someone admires about them. It also makes me think of my time with Peyra. When I would wander away, caught up in the world around me. It clears a path to the confusion I’ve had with myself over the years, and I see now why freedom is what I crave.

I lightly click my heels against Zephyr’s belly, urging him to move so that we can ride alongside Caius. I ignore the looks of shock I get from Cassian’s men as I move among them. As I come next to Caius, he looks at me in warning, but I ignore him, gently tapping Caderyn.

He furrows his brow, but slowly looks up. I am once again caught up in the beauty of his eyes. They remind me of the forest we just left, even if they are slightly dull from his exhaustion.

“Ask him if he’s okay,” I say to Caius.

“Nymira—”

“Ask him,” I snap.

Caius is quiet for a moment. He then releases a deep breath, shaking his head as he repeats my question in the tongue of the Ancients. Caderyn briefly glances in Cassian’s direction before slowly looking back to me.

He nods.

I give him a smile, repeating his words to me in the meadow.

“I neam somt yera menyr,” I say.

Caderyn stares at me with wide eyes, nodding. I am shocked when I see tears form, his gaze turning glassy. But he doesn’t let them fall.

“Tell him that he is no longer alone… that I know what it’s like to not have a family,” I say.

“Nymira, you know I can’t—”

I look at Caius, letting my anger rise, just as Cassian does. I feel it in my chest, settling in the air as it lowers in temperature. “Can you just tell him?” I say, louder than I intended.

“Shel moyn rema torstsy. Leftha emya lifymr ramena portyundirin,” Caius says.

I offer Caderyn a gentle smile, but he shakes his head, murmuring something in their language.

I note that Caius tenses, snapping back at him.

“What did he say?” I ask.

“Nymira.” Cassian’s voice echoes over the caravan, and I look up to see that he has slowed his horse, coming to walk next to us. Caderyn immediately shuts down, looking away.

He fears Cassian.

And honestly, looking at him in this moment, I fear him too. His eyes light up with controlled anger, and the small chill I was able to create is immediately swallowed by his heat.

He looks between Caderyn and me, narrowing his gaze.

“Why don’t you ride alongside me?”