The rest of Enyah’s walk was uneventful. She quickly arrived at dock eighty-four, where the only lit house stood. Enyah frowned at the less than welcoming appearance. The building looked like it would collapse with a gentle push, its old wood worn and creaking from the downpour.

“What sort of noble would hole up here willingly?” She pondered, a hint of curiosity sparking in her gaze. A faint scent of stale blood invaded her senses, causing her to grimace. “Unwillingly. I was wrong.”

She recalled Gurlin's description of the knight, but couldn’t tell from here whether the blood belonged to him or his charge.

Only one way to find out.

Enyah rapped the door with the back of her gloved hand. The strikes made it subtly swing on its hinges.

“I know you're there.” she called, one hand on her hip as she tapped her foot impatiently. “Not very stealthy, leaving a candle lit upstairs.”

A soft “Gods damned it” drifted from within followed by the shuffling of steps. A muffled back and forth led to the light vanishing in a puff, plunging the house in darkness. The voices ceased, the house now looking as abandoned as it had been previously.

“Really? Pretending I'm not here?” Enyah voiced, tone full of disbelief. Her already low opinion of nobles sank even further. “I’m here for your commission.”

“What's your name, Monguck?” A gruff voice wheezed from within, dripping with disdain.

Enyah snorted. “Nobles and their superiority complexes, cussing at me before we’ve even met.”

“Enyah Kirnis. Now are you going to leave your escort standing in the rain?” She snapped, frustration bubbling up. “This man better not be travelling with me.”

The man muttered something she couldn't catch and the door creaked open, revealing an older man clad in battered armor. His wild hair framed a beard soaked in blood and his chestplate bore the crest of Orlent, its pristine white insignia wiped clean of gore.

“The patriotic sort.” Enyah mused, her eyes scanning the guarded knight. “Probably didn't approve of the Port's occupation.”

“Get in already before I reconsider.” The man grunted, irritation pouring from his voice.. His expression was darker than the storm, as if it pained him to even hold the door for her.

“Thank you, sir knight.” She drawled, stepping inside. He didn't reply, shutting the door behind her.

The interior of the house wasn't any less wrecked than the exterior. The air was damp and the roof leaked. The furniture looked like it’d collapse if sat on. Still, it was liveable.

Enyah whistled as she took in the shoddy surroundings, a smirk curling towards the man, “Nice accommodations. Very noble-like.”

“Spare me your small talk, Monguck.” He growled, lowering himself onto the staircase with a groan. His hand pressed against his bloodied side.

“Fine, fine.” She shrugged and found a dry spot on the floor, sitting down, hands on her knees. Her leisurely expression hardened, her gaze piercing at the knight like daggers. “So, did I pass your little test?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” He said brusquely, his glare meeting hers without flinching.

“Don't take me for an idiot, sir knight.” Enyah scoffed, leaning forward. “The only ones who knew about this were you, Gurlin, and me. So how exactly would anyone else know to come for me?”

“Hmph. I needed to ensure you were skilled enough to protect noble blood.” He retorted, his voice firm and unyielding, full of self-importance. His tone irked Enyah.

Enyah grimaced, her anger surging by the second. She closed her eyes for a moment, pushing down her fury. “Be calm, Enyah. Remember why you're here.”

“And,” he continued, his eyes wandering over her unkempt state.. Her cloak was drenched by rain and her boots splattered in mud. To finish it off, her whole body was crusted with dried blood in places. “I’m not too impressed, but you’ll suffice. For now”

“Really now? And who do I have the pleasure of ‘having to do’ for?” Enyah enquired with raised brows, her tone full of sarcasm. Orlent, while not being a knight oriented kingdom, did have many skilled knights of renown.

“You are in the presence of one ser Liam Kesslam, heir to the magnanimous Kesslam marquee.” Liam proclaimed proudly, as if he wasn’t on the ground bleeding in an abandoned house.

“Wow!” Enyah clapped enthusiastically, awe appearing on her face as her eyebrows lifted in shock. “You’re the Liam Kesslam?”

“Ah,” Liam said, his tone brightening, “So you’ve heard of me, yes?”

“Not at all.” She responded sharply, her face flattening and her eyes blazing with anger. Liam’s face blackened, angered at her disdain. “Nor do I care. I don’t owe you anything, so don’t treat me like I do. Let’s get this business done so we never have to see each other again.”

“I concur.” Liam agreed, turning away from her and scrunching his face. Yet, despite his anger, duty compelled him to start explaining. He began explaining, cold and slow, “There are several religious groups aiming for the noble child. You will have to protect him and escort him to Ollenia. Once you reach the Pearl towers, you’ll receive your reward.”

Enyah absorbed the information before looking at Liam, asking curiously. “Why is the child being hunted by all of these groups?”

The knight kept quiet, hesitating. He looked at her, searching. With a sigh he started speaking, “He’s a vessel.”

“A vessel?” Enyah echoed, searching her memory for any answers. She frowned, drawing a blank.

“There’s no surprise you wouldn’t know.” Liam scoffed, his tone full of condescension.

“Yet random religious zealots know about it.” Enyah muttered under her breath, intentionally letting Liam hear it.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Ahem.” Liam coughed, garnering her attention. His pride deflated, but he kept focus on the topic. “Continuing on, a vessel is a human with no resistance to the Mist.”

Enyah frowned, her mind searching, “So low resistance disables evolution, but why is no resistance so desired?” She couldn’t help but lean forward, interested.

“It means,” Liam began, his tone unconsciously softening.

“He must really enjoy lecturing,” Enyah thought with a tilt of her head before focusing on his words.

“Beings formed from the Mist can inhabit the bodies of vessels.” He said grimly, his voice serious and hanging in the damp air.

“Like the Gods!” Enyah blurted out, her eyes widening in shock.

“Exactly.” Liam affirmed, his calm demeanor contrasted with Enyah’s alarm. “There are even a few god-filled vessels roaming the world today. Thankfully none of them are too destructive.”

“The gods are walking among us?” Enyah muttered, her mind racing with the implications before turning to Liam. “So, everybody wants their god revived, and the noble child is the key.”

“Correct.” Liam nodded while turning to look at Enyah, his eyes piercing into her. “I'll resume the mission myself when my injuries heal. Until then, it's up to you to protect the child.”

His stare blazed with intensity and his voice dropped to a grave command. “Can you do this, mercenary?”

“Yes.” Enyah replied evenly, her gaze fearless as it met his. “The child will be safe with me.”

“Good.” Liam said with a nod, relaxing his posture. “Be grateful, monguck, that you’ve been entrusted with a job as important as this. It’s not every day someone of your… stature gets to serve nobility.”

“Honored.” Enyah muttered, her voice even.

“I'll let you meet the child and leave with haste.” Liam continued, his voice hurried, “The longer this takes–”

“No.” Enyah shook her head, ignoring his earlier statement and interrupting Liam mid-sentence. “The jungle’s crawling with beasts at night. ‘Specially prowlers and lixsises. I can deal with ‘em, sure, but constant combat isn’t good for my mount nor me.”

“But…” His mouth opened, ready to argue, but stopped and shook his head. After exhaling for a moment, he spoke again. “Alright. You know this place better than I do.”

Enyah blinked, stunned by his concession. Her impression of Liam improved. She raised herself up, stretching her back with a groan. “Now let’s meet this special child of yours.”

“Hmph, now don’t look too long.” Liam snorted, his voice returning to its smug tone and a prideful grin on his face. “Can’t have your monguck eyes staining the blood of nobility. In fact, you ought to be grateful to even dare to gaze upon his visage.”

“Right, right.” Enyah drawled, rolled her eyes. Right when she thought better of him.

“Come down, my liege.” Liam called out, rapping the stairs gently with his fist.

“Yes, ser Liam!” A youthful voice chirped from upstairs. Enyah could hear the soft thumping of small footsteps coming down the stairs.

A child, no older than ten, bounced down the stairs. His long, silver hair shimmered in the dark, giving him an androgynous look. His face was youthful and unblemished and his silk pajama set was pristine, not a speck of rain nor mud marred his body. He looked more like he was on a leisurely trip than on the run.

The boy stifled a yawn, wiping an eye with a sleeve of his pajamas before he stepped up to Enyah.

“Hello!” The boy said, his voice bright and cheerful, though it couldn’t hide his drowsiness. “Nice to meet you, miss Enyah!”

He smiled up at her, but then let out a soft ‘oh!’, as if recalling a memory, and bowed down to her, his movements precise and practiced.

“Thank you for taking the time to escort me!”

Enyah stared down at the child, an amused smile on her face. “Liam could really use lessons from this kid.”

“Aren't you a polite one?” Enyah said gently, crouching down and placing a hand on his head, ruffling his hair. He giggled, closing his eyes at the touch. She turned to Liam, who had a palm to his face.

“He sure didn't learn from you.” She teased.

“He… always moved at his own pace.” Liam groaned, his embarrassment showing on his face.

“It's not a bad trait.” An amused Enyah moved her gaze back to the boy, her eyes softening as she looked into his curious eyes. “What's your name, kid?”

“My name’s Rinne!” declared, putting his hands on his hips and jutting his chest in pride. “My turn to ask a question!”

“And what question is that?” Enyah responded, her lips curling into an soft smile. His blue eyes were clear, reminding her of the oceans of the port. It brought a sense of calm, reminding her of happier days.

He hesitated, moving his head down. Enyah could notice his cheeks flushed with red. “Would you like to…” he started, his voice shy and nervous.

Before he could finish, he slapped his cheeks, the sound ringing through the room.

“My liege! You musn't–” Liam started complaining, his voice grave with disapproval.

However, Rinne cut him off with renewed confidence as he shouted, “Please be my friend!”

The room fell silent. Enyah widened her eyes in shock, caught off guard by his request. She noticed his eyes were closed and his fists clenched. Out of fear? Or was it just nerves.

After recollecting herself, Enyah straightened up and smiled. “Sure, kid.”

Rinne’s fists released and his eyes snapped open, sparkling at her. Rinne's entire posture relaxed and a radiant smile appeared on his face.

“Really? Really really?” he squealed, bouncing up and down in excitement. He turned to Liam, waving his arms up and down. “Ser Liam! I made a friend!”

Liam sighed, rubbing his nose. “Very Impressive, my liege. However, I must remind you that she is a mong–”

“Liam!” Rinne whirled around, his silver hair swishing in the air behind him. His tone was melodic, almost commanding. “She’s my friend, I don’t care about anything else.”

His words hung in the silence. Enyah couldn’t see Rinne’s expression, but however he looked caused Liam to stare in disbelief.

“...It's good to have close relations with your guard, I presume.” Liam said slowly, clearly focusing on trying to find light in the situation.

Rinne turned back to look at her, beaming in his victory.

“Alright.” Enyah began, noticing from the corner of her eye a glimpse of Rinne’s small hands inching towards hers. She pretended not to see, continuing her words. “It’s late. I'll be heading home for the night. I'll pick you up tomorrow, okay, kid?”

“Aww.” Rinne deflated, his body collapsing like an abandoned pet. Yet he still managed to grab hold of her hand. “Can't you stay here? Please?”

Noticing Liam's clear disdain at the thought, Enyah felt inclined to agree with him.

“Sorry, kid.” Enyah said, gently prying his fingers away. “I have to get ready for the trip.” She ruffled his hair affectionately and adjusted her cloak.

“And” she added with a pointed glare at Liam, “I'm not about to be sleeping too close to unknown men.”

Liam snorted, folding his arms. “I agree.”

Enyah winked at him, before turning towards the rickety door. “I’ll see you two in the morning.”

As she stepped outside, she was greeted by the rain. Her cloak got soaked in an instant.

“Bye! See you tomorrow!” Rinne called after her. Then, much more quietly, she heard him mumble, “My friend.” followed by a small giggle.

Enyah raised her hand in a wave without looking back, the door creaking shut behind her.

The moment it closed her expression dropped, flattening into a look of weariness.

“That kid is going to get into so much trouble.” Enyah muttered under her breath.

She began her trek home, the patter of water mixing with the creaking wood around her. The desolate surroundings used to haunt her. It was a grim reminder of the fragility of life.

Her steps slowed near the square, where the coppery scent of blood still lingered in the rain. Slowly, almost subconsciously, her gaze turned towards the dock. She walked to the edge, peering into the ocean. The water was murky and dark, concealing its contents beneath the tide, but she could still see three lifeless bodies, floating aimlessly within the waves.

The flickering braziers cast a shadowed expression on Enyah’s face, her features looking haunting. A dark thought formed, one she couldn’t hinder. “Could a God revive Drantei?”

Her breath hitched. She shook her head, banishing the thought. Guilt pricked at her, her voice sharp when she uttered, “The fact that I could even think of that…”

She trailed off, letting the rain finish her words.

After a long pause, she forced her thoughts elsewhere.. A bloodthirsty grin appeared on her face. It was hungry, almost feral. Revenge was close. She could taste it. And she was far more addicted to that taste than the bitterness of regret.

Her purpose renewed, Enyah moved on, leaving the scrap district behind. The ruined buildings gave way for intact houses, their large frames towering over her silently as she walked the empty streets.

She stopped in front of a house indistinguishable from the rest. Its wood groaned in the rain and its windows were pitch dark, as if it was abandoned. With practiced precision, she reached into a pouch sewn within her cloak and brought out a key. Its subtly rusted handle stuck out of the door as she twisted the key into the hole.

With a small click that could be heard in the rain, the door was unlocked. She swung the door open, allowing rain to pour in from behind her, drenching the stained floor mat.

A small push and the door closed behind her, swallowing the room in darkness. Her expression didn’t waver, instead lighting a small lamp hanging near the door.

A faint glow illuminated her home and Enyah let out a sigh of exhaustion, taking off her sodden cloak. She hung it onto a rack, the bucket underneath already half full with rainwater. Her boots followed, left next to the door.

A wave of exhaustion settled into her as she sank onto a worn couch, a precious gift from Gurlin. The cushions provided her much needed support as she spread her arms, looking at the wooden ceiling while her mind wandered.

“Veinrild, huh…” she mumbled quietly, less than a whisper. Her earlier resolve waned, replaced by a deep sorrow. An all-encompassing blue that she couldn't escape from, weighing her down.

The constant pounding of the rain was replaced with a screaming voice.

“Enyah! Get out of here!”

Enyah bolted up, her breath stopping.

“Drantei..?” Enyah cried out, her voice trembling as she looked around the room.

“Enyah! Get out of here!” The voice rang again, louder this time. It echoed off the walls, assaulting her from every direction.

“Enyah! Run!”

“Enyah! Get out of here!”

“No…” She whimpered, covering her head to no avail. “Stop it…”

The voices didn't stop. It pierced through her hands, piercing into her core.

“Enyah! Run!”

“Enyah-”

“Enyah-”

“STOP IT!” She cried out, her voice cracking as tears dropped from her eyes.

And then, Silence.

The silence never felt so deafening. She leaned down, trembling, and covered her face with her hands. Constant sobs soon spilt out, accompanied by a deluge of tears.

Minutes felt like hours as she struggled to control herself. Her tears slowed, whether she ran out, or managed to control her emotions, even she couldn’t tell. Taking a moment to collect herself, she wiped her face with a shaking hand. She stared at her tear stained palm and clenched it until her nails drew blood. Her face hardened, a deep, unsettling anger blazing through her eyes.

“I will avenge you all.” Enyah spoke softly, her words carrying the weight of her emotions. Grief and anger poured into her voice. “No matter the cost.”