CHAPTER 12 PART 2 OF 3
DOOMED TO DIE
Korah moved slowly and calmly to draw a dagger out of her boot, acting as if Lucas might run off into the darkness if she moved too suddenly. Lucas figured Korah could have easily cut off his head if she had wanted to hurt him, so he tried to calm his nerves. He unbuckled his Enchanted Armor and folded the chest piece to the side, then almost snorted in surprise when he saw his own chest. It rippled with tight muscles, definitely not how he looked last time he checked. Suddenly feeling a lot better about being bare chested in front of a beautiful woman, he waited as she washed her hands, then held the dagger over the fire to sterilise it.
“Now, face the fire so I can see what I am doing,” she said, adjusting her own position to be closer.
Her fingers traced over the scar tissue on his chest.
“You tried to take it out yourself. Having it in the bone near your heart makes it impossible. Caleb is a clever devil.”
Once again her Aura took on a dangerous quality as she said his name. Lucas knew it wasn't directed at him but it still made his back stiffen. She seemed to pick up on that and her Aura cleared as she focused on her task. The dagger was, thankfully, very sharp. Lucas barely felt it until it made contact with his rib, she looked up at him.
“Here?” She asked. Lucas nodded.
She made a sideways cut that exposed a few centimetres of the bone.
“This part is going to hurt,” she said.
Mana coursed through her body, creating a faint blue glow around her form. She put two fingers into the cut and, before he could react, her fingers snapped through his rib like it was chalk. She yanked back out, and Lucas stumbled backwards screaming. The pain was so intense that all he could do was wail, clutching his chest and screaming until his voice went hoarse. Very slowly the pain subsided. He laid on his back, tears running down his face. Korah approached slowly, holding a glowing blue orb in one hand. She laid the other hand on his shoulder, he flinched but immediately felt a soothing energy enter his body.
The pain died down quickly and he began to relax, slowing his laboured breathing. Realising he was being healed, he took a closer look at the blue orb. It was obviously a Nexus. Her eyes were unfocused, as if seeing something at a great distance. The healing was much faster than his Regeneration Bracer. That was nice but entering a Nexus trance, like she was now, was totally impractical in a combat scenario. The Bracer he could leave on to heal while fighting.
Despite an incredible urge to itch the wound as the bone and flesh knit together, Lucas managed to stay still until it was over. When Korah stood she held out a tiny piece of metal. It glittered in the firelight, not much bigger than a grain of rice.
“You are free now,” She said, moving to throw the bit of metal into the woods.
“Wait!” Lucas yelled. “I need that.”
“You need it? Do you realise Caleb can track this thing across great distances?”
“That's why I need it.”
She waited as if expecting Lucas to elaborate. He still didn't know if sharing his plans with her was a good idea, despite the fact she had helped him.
“Can I ask you a question?” Lucas offered.
When she nodded, he continued.
“Why did you attack Caleb’s caravan?”
Korah handed him the Steel Seed and sat back down on her rock with a sigh. Her Aura took on a forlorn quality as she began talking, gazing into the fire.
“I have been trying to kill him and his men for months now. I have killed maybe one or two but they have a skilled healer. The ones I wound are back in the fight a few days later. They are camped around an old Relic. Some sorcery of the Ancients saps my strength if I get close, leaving me helpless as a newborn. I have been ambushing them as they come in and out. Every time I get near Caleb, I end up full of nails. He can not control them very well if you are not still, so I have been able to get away and heal myself.” She said, pushing a few leaves into the fire-pit with her foot.
This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.
“I am starting to feel that my life will be traded for no more than a few of his warriors. Reaching Caleb begins to feel impossible.”
Her Aura had become thoroughly depressed by this point, a frustrated expression on her face being reflected in the firelight.
“But… that doesn't explain why you’re doing it,” Lucas said.
She looked at him blankly for a moment.
“I am a Nyx warrior.”
Lucas’s translation ability stumbled over the word ‘Nyx’, as if it had no translation to English. He got the impression of female Spirits living in lakes and rivers. When Lucas returned an even blanker stare Korah laughed, dispelling some of her misery.
“From another world you said? Well, in this world anyone would recognise a Nyx by Aura alone.” She furrowed her brow for a moment, as if in thought, before continuing.
“There are women in the water, or ancient ghosts of them, something like that. Any woman can hear them if they listen carefully. When I was young, I was in desperate need of strength, so I made an oath to give my life in trade for power. I am one of them now, but I will not join them until my death. By my oath I must die in service to a cause I consider worthy. I am free to find my own cause, but I cannot walk away once called. I am honour bound to die in service to it if I can not succeed. If I do succeed, I wander in search of another cause. My death is certain in any case. It is obvious to me that the blood of Caleb and all slavers should soak the earth. And so, I am bound by my oath to fight them, unto my death.”
“Right, doomed to die, ok.” Lucas interjected.
“Yes, but it remains to be seen if I can accomplish anything with my death.”
Lucas watched her quietly for a while as she investigated the boar roasting in the fire pit. Her Aura had taken on a thoughtful melancholy. That all seemed a bit dramatic to Lucas. She was clearly serious however, and her open Aura left no room for misunderstanding or deception. Lucas figured the oath might be magical in some way, or maybe it was just some cultural thing he didn’t understand. Either way it appeared she was going to hound the Slavers like a wraith until either she died or managed to wipe them out completely.
“Well, I can help,” Lucas said impulsively, surprising himself and causing her to look up at him sharply.
“There is a lot I don't understand, but the Slavers are a pretty clear-cut case of evil in my opinion too. I was going to try to take them on myself anyway, so let's work together.”
Lucas realised that wasn't the entire story for him. He could feel the influence of the promise of vengeance he had made in his darkest moment, like a pressure just under the surface of his thoughts. However, what weighed on him even more heavily was how sick he was of being alone. No doubt some of that was showing in his Aura.
“You… are the first reason I've found to hope.” Lucas said, deciding to open up further. “To hope that there is something more to this world than murder and hate. Look, I’m new here and I don't have a lot to go on. If you are planning on smiting some evil then… that’s something I can get behind. Count me in.”
She looked at him seriously for a long moment, fire light flickering on her face as she sat in silence.
“It is good that you want to fight, and I can see from your Aura that your Spirit is powerful. But, are you a warrior? What power do you have to harm your enemies?” she asked finally.
“Umm, well. Promise not to freak out and I'll show you. Just stay on your rock no matter how bad this looks ok?”
She raised an eyebrow at that, but nodded her agreement. Lucas stepped out of the firelight towards where Combat Spider was waiting for him. As he did, he attempted to send a summons through his Map. That resulted in his arrow icon flashing blue and his Scouts hurrying towards him. Relief washed over Combat Spider’s Aura, realising it could follow him again. Together they made their way back towards the fire. When Lucas and his spiders began to emerge into the light, Korah immediately jumped up from her rock and grabbed her axe, her Aura glowing with ferocity.
“You promised, remember?!” Lucas called out.
She froze, slowly sitting back down. Lucas stayed on the other side of the fire pit, well out of axe range.
“This is Combat Spider, he's a very good boy.” Combat Spider shifted nervously, flickering fire light reflecting off its eye lenses.
“And these…” he said as the two Scouts climbed up onto his shoulders. “are my Scouts. We already have some plans for how to take on Caleb and the Slavers, but with your help we might actually have a chance.”