Huh? Did…did Cerila just attack me?

I had no idea what was going on. I didn’t know why Cerila was suddenly acting so aggressively. That spell was not a playful spell by any means. It had enough power behind it to hurt me if it connected.

Even as adrenaline pumped into my body, it only conflicted with whatever was wrong with me in the first place. I tried to stand, but my elbow buckled. My heart was beating so fast that I truly believed I was moments away from a heart attack.

Despite that, my body moved on its own. Even if I didn’t want to hurt Cerila, something was wrong with her. I just know this wasn’t her.

Cerila, figuring that a spell wasn’t going to work, rushed me. I tried to form an earth wall to separate us, but my mind was too foggy. The spell core vanished into nothingness, taking my mana with it.

I managed to get to my knees and prepared myself to block Cerila’s attack once more. I watched as she planted her foot into the ground with extreme precision and speed. For someone reacting so erratically, she seemed more than capable of fighting me.

I blocked high, only for Cerila to drop her kicking foot instead, putting all her weight onto it. The kick that I thought was going high toward my head was actually a diversion the whole time. Cerila’s opposite leg reared back and aimed at my now-exposed stomach.

A move that I taught her. And I was far too sluggish to react in time.

It felt like a metal beam had been dropped on me. The air left my lungs on impact, and a loud crack emanated from my body as my ribs broke. Cerila’s kick was not friendly or even at the level of a sparring match. That was a full-blown attack. If anything, it might have been the strongest attack I’ve ever witnessed from Cerila.

Had she gotten stronger from her training with the king? Or was I just in a weakened state? Well…whatever.

Those were my last thoughts as my body rocked back, and I immediately went flying. I bounced off the wood floor, breaking the panels along the way. Cerila’s kick was powerful enough that I went straight through the door once I hopped off the floor.

The door cracked and creaked with an explosion as I shot out and into the hallway. The only plus was that I didn't feel any pain, but that probably wasn’t a good thing because I could tell my internals were messed up.

I started coughing up and gasping for air as I felt a spell core get launched near me. I was prepared for another gravity spell, but it wasn’t needed. The spell wasn’t aimed at me.

The door to Cerila’s room froze off and was completely blocked off by ice. For some reason, she had locked herself away, and I took a few more deep breaths of clean air. I felt the jabbing pain from the ribs, and every breath was short, but I was alive for the most part.

I heard a deep sigh and managed to crank my head to the side. I didn’t have to look up much to find a tired-looking Padraic staring down at me with dark circles around his eyes.

“Ah…I thought I had time to warn you because I heard you were off visiting a friend. Guess not,” he muttered as he shifted his weight to one leg.

Despite looking like he hadn’t slept at all, Padaric was holding a tray of food as well as a giant wooden gourd. “What—gah—why is she—”

Padraic scratched his beard with his elbow and looked over at the door. “Guess you got lucky that she decided to attack you this way. That’s good, considering what could have happened. Injuries can be healed, and all that, but the scars of the mind are harder. Something like that,” he grumbled.

“You—you’re not making sense,” I said through gritted teeth.

“Yeah, I guess not,” Padraic answered lazily again.

I sent a resentful glare at him, and Padraic stepped back from me. His flippant attitude was not helping the situation. Even if he was tired, I needed answers. “Hey, man, you don’t have to glare at me like that.”

“Then answer…the questions, damn it. Do you think I’m down here for fun?” I growled as I pushed myself off the floor.

Padraic sighed again and leaned against the wall. “Ok, I’m sorry…and the reason Cerila is acting like this is that she is in heat,” Padraic said seriously.

In heat? Like an animal? I had heard that Beastmen go into heat from time to time, but I never looked into it. I thought it was just a lingering effect of their animal-like instincts and biology. Besides, everyone had the urge to mate with others. It wasn’t unique to Beastmen. Does that mean…

“Is this…normal for Cerila?” I asked, concerned.

Padraic raised an eyebrow at me like he was annoyed but then smiled wryly. “Ah, I guess you wouldn’t know. This only happened after you, uh…left Owlkirk. But no, this isn’t normal in the slightest. From what Cerila and your mom told me, she was normal. Just a few days locked in her room doing her own thing was enough.”

“But…this isn’t it? It seems like you know why she is like this,” I told him pointedly.

Padraic nodded his head and averted his eyes. “Because I do. Where do I even start...” he trailed off.

Padraic put down the gourd and gently rubbed his beard. “This all started once we left Owlkirk to search for you. Cerila was worried about going into heat on the road, which was a valid concern, as I had it too. We went to a herbalist when we landed in Ostella. We found some plants that apparently kept Beastmen's heats at bay.”

“And you found something? Don’t tell me she started taking some weird drug…” I asked.

Padraic shook his head. “Not at all. I even double-checked at a few places, including a place in Sandervile, to ensure she wasn’t getting something weird that could hurt her. Basically, it was just a plant that needed to be steeped in water and was very common amongst Beastmen who wanted to delay their heat for whatever reason. Ah, well, the process doesn’t matter,” Padraic waved dismissively.

“All the people I talked to said the same thing about the plant’s side effects. That taking it once wasn’t a big deal. That it would cause the next heat to come a bit earlier, last slightly longer, and be just a little more intense. But everyone assured me it wouldn’t be a big deal and that it was no worse than normal. However, consecutive use would cause problems.”

“What kind of problems? Because I think this is a bit more than a simple problem,” I argued.

“That’s because she went too far despite the warnings we got. We were told that twice in a row was fine and about what people did before letting one naturally come. That after that, the third time was really pushing it. The heat would be far more aggressive and come way sooner than normal. And we were both warned that she should only take a fourth consecutive dose in a life-or-death situation if she absolutely needed to not be in heat,” Padraic explained.

“Then how many times did she take it? And why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.

Padraic sighed again. “Just try to use your head on that last part some more. Why didn’t we tell you? Well, that was Cerila’s choice. I could tell she was a bit embarrassed about it. I mean, what did you want her to do? Tell you how she was about to get violently horny for you? That sounds a bit awkward even for me to say out loud, and I’m not the one in that room. And she promised me that she would handle it on her own, and I decided to trust her.”

That…I can somewhat understand…but still.

Padraic looked at the door and narrowed his eyes. “I also don’t think she expected it to be this bad. And from what I know, she took it at least four times, but I’m almost certain she took it a fifth. That was the same day Avasta came to us. She was sweating and panting at a campfire, and back then, I thought nothing of it. Just thought that Dragon scared the wits out of her because I was the same way.”

That can’t be the case. Cerila was ready to attack Avasta the moment she saw her just to protect me.

“I see…things are making sense, but this still seems like a bad situation for her to be in. So I think Cerila needs some help,” I said.

Padraic nodded. “At the point she is at, yeah, I agree. I planned to just treat this as normal, slide the food and water into the room, and shut the door quickly. But I woke up to the sound of my walls shaking before the sun even rose. I should have seen that as a problem,” he grumbled. “But the real question is how will we get to her? If she was willing to attack you, of all people, I don’t think anyone is safe.”

If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

“ I don’t—”

“Kaladin!? Kaladin! Why are you on the ground?! I rushed over here as soon as I could. Are you hurt? I smell blood! What happened to you?!” Sylvia yelled as she rushed over to me.

Ah, I did get a cut in my mouth.

Her hair was completely drenched with water, and she looked as if she had just tossed on whatever clothes were the closest to her. “I could do with a bit of help,” I chuckled painfully with a wheeze.

Sylvia didn’t even hesitate as she grabbed my arm and sank her fangs into it. There was no joy on her face as she narrowed her eyes, and I felt her bite down even harder. Not that it hurt. I just felt the pressure difference.

I felt my ribs reconnect and my airways open up. Suddenly breathing was no longer a laborious task, and I could breathe fresh air without pain. It even had a hint of flowers, probably from Sylvia’s freshly washed hair. My head started to clear up as well. I felt infinitely better in a matter of moments.

“Thanks, Sylvia,” I said as she pulled away from my arm and wiped her lips off.

Sylvia glared at me, then at Padraic. “What happened to him? Why was he so hurt? And what did you give him to—”

Padraic put his hands up defensively. “Woah there. Listen, I get that I’m handsome, but please tone down the glaring, you two. I didn’t do anything to deserve this. I mean, do you think I was even capable of hurting Kaladin?”

Sylvia grumbled some random things to herself, then shrugged her shoulders. “You have a point.”

Her cold glare turned to me, and despite the gaze, I had a good idea. “Sylvia, I need your help with something.”

—

“So how do we know it worked?” Padraic asked.

“It worked. I knocked her out after she ate the food with my blood,” Sylvia explained.

“But you…mixed it with Kal’s blood. Doesn’t that like…change something? It should change how it works,” Padraic mused to himself.

“Nope, doesn’t change a thing,” Sylvia said as she sliced the wall of ice apart in a single strike with her silver and red Estoc.

“You know you never let me see that precious weapon of yours,” Padraic muttered with too much fervor.

Sylvia looked over her shoulder at him with a disgusted look. “Don’t say it like that. You sound like a creep. And now is not the time to be looking at my sword.”

We all held our breath and rushed toward the room's window and tossed it open. It was a plan we agreed upon to avoid what happened to me. Padraic fanned the air out with a shirt while Sylvia and I checked on Cerila.

She was sprawled out on her bed with a half-eaten piece of bread in her mouth, and soup spilled on her. It wasn’t exactly the most graceful pose to be in, but she seemed oddly at peace as her chest raised and fell at a steady rate.

“Thank you for not hurting her,” I told Sylvia.

“Don’t thank me yet,” Sylvia grumbled as she moved to grab Cerila’s arm.

She sank her fangs into her arm, and Sylvia’s eyes went wide in surprise. She closed them tightly and concentrated for a few moments until eventually letting go and wiping her face again.

From the outside, it looked as if nothing had changed. Cerila was still sleeping soundly. “Did you heal her? And once again, thank you for helping. I know you don’t really like doing this kind of stuff, so it means a lot.”

Sylvia looked conflicted for a moment but blushed slightly and shrugged. “It’s fine. Anything for you, Kal. But yeah, I did fix some of it. There was something wrong with her for sure, more than I expected, but I’m not exactly certain how to explain it to someone else.”

“So does that mean she is out of her heat?” Padraic asked from across the room.

“No, I don’t think so. I felt that if I did that, it might just cause more problems down the road. I’ve never drunk the blood of anyone in this condition, so this is all new to me,” Sylvia explained.

“Then what was the point?” Padraic asked.

Sylvia sent a glare his way. “I did what I thought was necessary. If you explained everything to me correctly, then stopping her heat seemed like a bad idea. I just…I don’t know..reset her? I guess? I felt like there was some nasty stuff inside of her, and I just got rid of it. She should be more or less normal now…not that I know what that means, but I don’t think she will attack anyone again. And if she does, I can knock her out later but let her sleep for the time being.”

Slyiva crossed her arms and looked at both of us. “And you will call me later if that happens. Do you both understand me?”

“Of course,” I said with a nod.

“Yes, Mom, I under—agh.”

Sylvia chucked the piece of half-eaten bread at Padraic before he could even finish his sentence. I let out a sigh of relief. Everything seemed to be in order now. It was a shame this happened to Cerila, but I’m thankful to know that she didn’t attack me outright for no reason.

And as Padraic said, Cerila attacking me physically was probably the best-case scenario. If she had gone a different route, things would have turned out very differently. Which would have been…

“Hey, and why are your ears flushed? Are you embarrassed, huh? Are you thinking of something weird?” Sylvia hissed.

Oh, I suppose I am. Just imagining that scenario is a bit…uh, yeah. Nothing to be ashamed about. I’m a growing boy, that’s right…these urges tend to creep up from time to time no matter how much I handle them on my own.

I was going to try and wiggle my way out of it when all of sudden a loud rumbling erupted in the room. All of us simultaneously looked at the bed in confusion. That was a rumbling of a stomach. Even as a starving slave, my stomach never made such a noise. I didn’t think it was possible for it to get that loud.

“By the gods, what have you done?” Padraic muttered.

Cerila proceeded to projectile vomit a tower of wretched sludge. It was a horrifying scene to witness, and I got flashbacks to my coming-of-age ceremony. I had this exact picture in my mind, but seeing it in person made it all the more disgusting.

Even so, I had to ignore the smell.

I pushed through the awful feeling that transmitted to my hands and knees as I laid Cerila on her side. If Cerila were to die in her sleep because of us, I would never forgive myself. Besides, despite this awful scenario, it was just vomit at the end of the day.

I have been through far worse.

“I think we found all that nasty stuff you were talking about,” Padraic murmured as he pinched his nose shut. “I’m going to go get Mrs. Shadowheart…we need help.”

—

Sylvia Talgan’s POV

I opened my eyes and stared into the darkness. I tried closing them again so I could go back to sleep, but the awful stench from this morning felt like it was still lingering despite taking another bath.

And to make matters worse, I was thirsty. Not the kind of thirst I got when I was peckish but the odd thirst I felt whenever I wanted water. I didn’t need water or food to survive. Most of the time, I just ate and drank for comfort and the taste.

But every once in a while I got the urge to eat something sweet or just drink a glass of water. It was always worse when my mouth was dry. I tried to ignore the smacking of my dry mouth and just went back to sleep. I didn’t want to venture out at night if I didn’t have to.

…

…

“Damn,” I muttered quietly in frustration.

I made sure to be gentle getting out of bed so as not to wake Mila or Kaladin. Mila rarely woke up for anything, but Kaladin could still be sensitive in his sleep. It’s not nearly as bad as it was.

I remember the days that just getting near him in his sleep was enough to trigger him to attack. All it took was a single arm to get within reach of him and he would lunge from his sleep. Back then, it felt as if he wasn’t really sleeping but hovering in a weird place between being asleep and awake.

But now…

I smiled softly as Kaladin slept peacefully in his bed. These days it felt like he slept better than before. He stopped talking in his sleep, and it seemed that the nightmares that plagued his mind had finally gone away. It was a relief to see him being…him.

I rubbed my eyes and covered Mila back up with the blankets. I let out a sigh as I looked into the darkness. My night sight was better than most, but the lingering fear of the darkness crept up on my heart. I went over to the dresser on the other side of the room and cried internally as the water pitcher was empty.

I just closed my eyes and left the room, walking through the house with practiced steps. This wasn’t the first time I had done this, and I’ve lived here long enough to know my way around with even my eyes closed. I really should have just lit a candle, but I didn’t want to bother Kaladin or Mila.

I hate the dark. I hate the dark. I hate the dark.

I found the stairs, entered the dining room, and grabbed the first water pitcher on the table. Thankfully I was rewarded with the sloshing sound of water, and I immediately took a swig of the refreshingly cold liquid.

“Ah…this was worth it,” I said to myself.

I decided to bring the pitcher along with me and started my journey back to my room. For some reason going back to my room always felt faster. Maybe it was because I was moving faster but I—oof.

Huh? Did I make a mistake? Did I run into a wall? But why was it so soft?

I clenched my fists and dared myself to peek. My eyes opened slightly. I let out a shocked gasp as I looked up at a person. Her amber eyes stared down at me, and before I could even make a noise, I was picked up like a child from underneath my arms.

I suppressed a yelp of surprise with nothing more than sheer willpower as Cerila took one long sniff of me. It was a deep sniff that filled her entire lungs and it felt like it lasted for a minute. I could feel her slightly moist nose on my neck, and I wanted to scream, but I just was so surprised I didn’t know what to do or to say.

Then she set me down gently, looked at the water pitcher I was death-gripping, then looked back at me, grabbed the water pitcher from my hand, and walked away in silence. She never once turned around or even attempted to communicate with me.

Wh—wha—what was that? Was I just violated? Why did she sniff me so intensely? I—I don’t understand…