KILLING HER SOFTLY

Even though her aching muscles begged her to take a break, Nyx refused to stop. She marched on dauntlessly, pushing herself to the limit, shoving through tangles of bushes and slicing aside anything which got in her way. She wished she could hack into the man who walked in front of her the same way she removed stubborn roots or branches from her path and complete the mission on her own, but she knew better. So she let him drone on, his voice a constant noise in the background. Thank Avizandum that the scenery was beautiful, or she wasn't entirely sure if she could tolerate his incessant chatter.

While she was doing her best to keep a reasonable distance away— both physically and emotionally— Nyx couldn't help but be charmed by him. It was simply the effect he had on people; from a young age, it seemed like Ruith always knew how to get on the good side of anyone he talked to. While he was certainly grating every last nerve she had with his ramblings, she still had to admit his storytelling prowess and cheer were endearing. Sure, he was… different. But in some ways, he still appeared to be the same old Ruith. But then she recalled how he'd looked at her last night. Was he a threat, or was she merely overthinking things? There was really no way to tell.

She swore that she wouldn't let her guard down, no matter what.

"Say, Nyx, I think we're rather close to that first landmark that the letter pointed out to us. See those rocks? They seem to look like claws. What say you?"

The Skywing elf looked up, panting quietly from the exertion, and beheld the coastline with childlike awe. Cerulean waves crashed against the cliff side they stood atop, sending flecks of foam spraying into the air. A crab peered at them with tiny black eyes from a crack in the stone before scuttling away. Overhead, gulls shadowed the brilliant golden sun, screeching and diving into the water. It was a gorgeous view. Further out to sea, she noted a group of three water-beaten crags with rugged, sharp peaks. As Ruith had suggested, they vaguely resembled a clawed hand emerging from the depths. Something about it made her uncomfortable.

The bird— an unassuming goshawk with a nasty attitude— had come early in the morning, when the sun was still far from cresting the distant mountains. Nyx was nipped multiple times by its sharp beak before Ruith was able to ambush it with a backpack and wrestle the letter from its claws. He'd cracked a few jokes about Ionas' temper after that (and admittedly made her laugh), and even offered to help bandage her bleeding fingers. She'd vehemently refused, of course, insisting that she could do it herself. But they were too swollen and bloody to cooperate. So, despite many complaints, her fellow Skywing had carefully bound them in clean cotton.

Then they read the letter: and it was no small feat to accomplish what it demanded. They were to travel to the heart of the Tidebound kingdom, Cyneas, using landmarks to stay on course. After following some very specific directions, they would proceed to meet up with a certain friend of Ionas'. The friend in question would then provide them with a parcel to be delivered back to him. Ruith offered to finish off the night watch after they'd put the letter away, and she had been too tired to refuse. Yet… sleep did not come for a long while. Nyx had wondered plenty as she tried to fall back asleep what could be inside of it. Some super weapon? A doomsday device? Maybe a rare magical ingredient? What could possibly compare to the prince of dragons in power?

They'd set off early in the morning, and had been hiking for hours since then through the jungle with the sun beating down on them. Flight was too dangerous this deep into the borders, meaning they had to sacrifice speed for stealth. Now, the tree line they had become used to was broken by beaches and cliffs.

"Yeah, I suppose so. Are we close, then?" The wind whistled in the elf's ears as she stepped closer to the edge. She wanted to dive off of it, spread her wings, and feel the cold ocean on her pinions. But there was no time to dawdle. Ionas didn't like dawdling, and somehow, he always seemed to know when someone had done so. It was rather uncanny.

Ruith nodded and peered sideways at her. "If Ionas writes true, then we should be there around sunset. It's… not ideal, of course. I'd rather not be tip-toeing through a big city in the dead of night. But we'll take what we can get, no?"

"Why are we planning on sneaking around at all? Can't we just tell them we're here on a business trip or something? This doesn't have to be something out of a fantasy novel," Nyx replied with a scoff. Her elf companion rubbed the back of his head and laughed. Was he... embarrassed? That was a new one.

"Well, it's sadly not that simple. I'm not... appreciated... in Cyneas. They know my face a little bit too well."

"Don't tell me you have a bounty on your head, Ruith," the Skywing bandit groaned. "What did you do? That makes things a thousand times harder!"

"What, and you don't? I can name eight cities off of the top of my head that would give up anything to have you locked in a dungeon. The background details are unimportant," Ruith shot back with venom. The sudden change in his normally eloquent speech startled Nyx, but she didn't let it show on her face.

"Alright, alright, fair enough! No need to be so sensitive, jeez. We'll sneak in, then." She put her hands up dramatically and turned away as if she were thinking of other options. But, in reality, she was trying to decipher why he'd suddenly become so defensive.

What had Ruith done to get him so riled up over a bounty?

"Okay, how about we disguise ourselves? You can put your hair back or something— a lot of peasant clothes have hoods. I can probably snatch some stuff off of clotheslines really quick. If anyone questions us, we'll say we're... uh... on our way back from a late market run. That's not suspicious, right?" Nyx finally said.

The older Skywing grinned. "I admire your thinking, but, with all due respect, love, your little desert skirmishes and village escapades you claim to be experienced in aren't quite the same as what we're going to do here. That might work on people from the lower classes, but any self-respecting soldier or noble would recognize me instantly. I've left a lasting impression there. They'll be on higher alert, too, the closer we get to the castle. Anything out of the ordinary will likely be questioned."

"Village escapades? Do you think I'm some kind of idiot?" she asked, eyebrows furrowing.

His smile was once again as winsome as ever. "Maybe."

It took immense self-control for Nyx to not immediately break his nose. "Okay, fine, maybe you do. But do you have any better ideas? If you just want to waltz in, be my guest. Don't come crying to me when you get beheaded."

"Mmm, not really. But regardless of whether I like it or not, your idea is the best we've got. I'll just find something to cover my face." He looked up at the sun and shielded his eyes. "It seems we'll be keeping the moon company once more tonight. Now, let's not keep it waiting!"

He was practically skipping off again before she could smack him over the head with her staff. What an asshole. Fuming, she trailed after him, inhaling the breeze deeply in an attempt to calm down. Strangely enough, though, it didn't smell like the sea. Her insides twisted with horror. Now she knew why the clawed rocks had disturbed her so much.

Everything smelled like blood.

Ezran hadn't felt this tired in what seemed like years. His head drooped towards the dinner table as he massaged his temples, eyes slowly opening and shutting as tried to block out the raucous noise that surrounded him. Crowds and loud sounds didn't usually bother him, and yet here he was. He'd hardly touched his food, and rather occupied himself at the royal dinner by chasing it around with a fork. Elbows on the table were bad manners, but he feared that he'd fall off of his chair if he didn't.

"My king? Are you alright? If you'd like to leave, I can bring you to your bedroom," Corvus spoke gently into his ear. Bless his heart, the young king thought fondly to himself. He couldn't think of a better advisor to have at his side than the expert tracker, even if he could get a little bit pushy or nervous at times. But he only sat up and shook his head, groaning faintly.

"I can't leave now, Corvus. Everyone's so worried about my brother. What if I'm asleep when he gets here? I don't want to seem like I don't care that he's coming. Ibis is hurt, too. He'll need medical attention. A-and then I'll need to make sure that nobody tries to hurt Rayla… I have to do this, as king."

Everything swirled around in his mind, feeling far too complex for him to get a firm grip on. Was he sick? No, now was the worst time to get sick! Not when Callum needed him the most. He had to be a strong ruler. Not so much for his own sake, as for the sake of the people. However, Corvus only frowned at his bold statement.

"Don't be like your father, Ezran. Katolis needs a strong king, yes, but it certainly won't be thriving if its king is bedridden because he was too stubborn to tend to his health." He paused, pursing his lips. "Well, either that, or if you're dead. I hope that wouldn't be the case."

Ezran laughed a little. "Well, I definitely don't think I'm going to die. But I'm not going to bed, either. Not until I know that my brother is here safely. I'm probably just… stressed! This is, uh, a pretty stressful situation, heh. I'm sure I'll be fine after everything is taken care of." His laughter was not very convincing.

Corvus looked down and sighed. "If you insist, my king. But may I suggest that we end this dinner? All of this gossiping is giving me a headache, and you don't seem to be faring much better."

The boy nodded appreciatively and moved to stand up. But his advisor beat him to it, shushing the noisy nobles and raising a hand. "The king speaks." As a hush passed over everybody in attendance, Ezran took note of their faces. They all looked so… uneasy. The news he had brought them was grave, after all. He saw a frown creasing Opeli's brow out of the corner of his eye. She seemed to be able to tell how sick he felt.

"I don't know if Callum will be back tonight. Maybe… maybe he never will. But I know that I will be among the first to hear of it if— no, when he does. I'm not feeling well, so I'm calling off the remainder of this dinner. I'll be sure to let you all know what happens tomorrow. A-and stay safe!"

While a few seemed disappointed, a vast majority could sympathize with his predicament— especially those who had served King Harrow in the past. The dining hall slowly began to clear out, reminding the young royal of when he had received his brother's letter. Finally, Ezran, Corvus, and one other individual were left alone.

Opeli.

"My king, do you want me to send for a doctor? You're terribly pale," the High Council member said with worry as she approached him.

"No, thank you. I'll be okay, Opeli," Ezran assured her with a kind smile. "Today's just been kinda crazy. Besides, Corvus is too stubborn to let anything kill me." The scoff he heard over his shoulder seemed to prove this statement.

She returned the smile and bowed politely to him. "For such a terrible cloud to have come over the castle, you are bearing this load well. I'm proud of you. You're welcome to call for me if you need anything."

"I will," he promised quietly as the councilwoman departed. As the great doors shut behind her, the young king suddenly experienced a pang of loneliness washing over him. He felt so small and alone there, with only Corvus at his side. He missed Callum and Rayla... he missed his father. Harrow would have known what to do. His dad always did.

"I'm going to be in my study," he said abruptly. "I think some reading will clear my head a bit."

Ezran dashed off before he could hear his advisor's reply, fighting back tears.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't cave in your skull right now, punk."

"I'll give you five!"

The sickening crack of a fist connecting with Nyx's jaw echoed through the night, the sky obscured by storm clouds. This particular soldier was proving to be quite the challenge for her to subdue, and as she tried to gather her scattered thoughts, the horrid idea that they would be caught due to all of the noise crossed her mind. Something had to be done about him, and fast.

"Good fuck! You nearly took out one of my teeth, asshole! You're lucky that I don't want you dead," she hissed as she ducked under the swing of his sword and smashed her staff against the side of his head. The soldier crumpled like straw, and she immediately held a hand to her mouth. The moon illuminated the back alley she hid in like a stray cat, and she raised her fingers to the its rays to examine them. They were dripping with dark blood. Shit. Was her jaw messed up? She tried to open it and was met with splitting pain... but no broken bones. Thank Avizandum.

The sound of soft footsteps behind her made the Skywing spin around. She was met with the grinning face of Ruith. He was holding a knife in his hands, stained with blood. "Don't smile like that at me, creep. Did you kill the other one? I thought we agreed we wouldn't do that unless we had to!" she snapped.

"Don't worry, love; I did no such thing. He's alive. Well... for now, I guess. He could bleed out, but that's on him," the older elf said pleasantly. She would have been pleased to hear that at any other time— frankly, it seemed as if he'd showed self control— but alarm bells began to ring in her head. Something in his voice felt... off. Once again, Nyx felt primal fear rising up in her. Why was he looking at her like that? He took a step forward, and she backed away in time.

"Okay, seriously, let's go. We're almost there," she tried to demand. But her mouth felt inexplicably dry, and the words came out as though she were spitting dust.

"Why can't we stop for a little while? That little bastard wouldn't stop wiggling. Do you know how hard it is to hold down a man with only your own body weight? I'm used to having chains," he said with a dramatic sigh. Nyx's heart skipped a beat as she looked back down at the knife, then up at him.

"What in the name of the archdragons do you mean? A-actually, don't answer that. Hypothetical question. Really, Ruith. This is no time to stop! This wasn't part of the plan. You're freaking me the fuck out." Fighting every instinct that told her to run, she reached to grab him.

In seconds, she was laying flat on her back, the rain landing in her eyes. The moon peered from between two clouds for a brief moment, shining down on the Skywing pressing down on her arm and grinning maniacally.

"You know, this is almost my favorite part. They always try so hard to get away." The heel of his shoe dug deep into her skin, and Nyx yelped in pain as she thrashed and swung her staff at him. He caught it with his free hand and removed it from her grasp with ease, studying it casually. "Hm... what a curious weapon. I've never used something so large before. The blades are curved... perhaps it would work better than a knife?"

"What the hell are you going to do to me?!" she screamed in terror. Forget Ionas' warnings. Forget the contract. Forget the fear of being too loud. Anyone could arrest her right now. She'd happily be locked in the darkest dungeon in Xadia and left to rot. Anything was better than being here. Everything that her subconscious had told her was right.

"Relax, my dear... I'm not interested in your body. Just your eyes. If you stop fucking wailing, maybe I won't break your wings before I take them out."

A clap of thunder shook the earth moments after a lightning bolt streaked overhead. How couldn't she tell? She could always tell a dangerous person from a harmful one! Suddenly, she remembered something which turned her blood to ice.

"You told me you could count cities which I had bounties in. How the hell did you know that? How? You said you thought I died! How the hell did you know?"

"Oh, I've known your whereabouts for quite awhile now. Ionas isn't exactly the most poised when he drinks, you know. Even an eel can be caught if you know what bait to use. I nearly thought I'd given myself away when I said that— I don't usually let things slip like the prince. But you forgot about it so quickly... I think you were more concerned about my own bounty, hmm? Would you really like to know why this city hates me so much?" He knelt down, still holding her against the cobblestone road, and whispered in her ear. Her eyes went wide.

"You're a monster! You can't do that, you sick fuck!" she cried out in horror.

"Oh, I know I can, darling. I have the collection to prove it. And, for what it's worth, Cyneas isn't the only city that wants me dead. There are dozens more... hell, maybe a hundred. Even the human kingdoms know me all too well. And your eyes... well, they're certainly out of a fairytale. Few others compare. They'll make a lovely centerpiece," he purred with malice.

Nyx's legs moved before her head did. Maybe it was instinct, or some last-ditch survival attempt, or perhaps she had just been in too much shock to move quickly before. She hooked them around the other elf's ankles, twisting them until he went crashing to the ground, and immediately made a run for it. She tried to get into the air, but her wings were too soaked with water. So she kept running, crying and dodging into back pathways, desperate to get away from the monster she'd once called a friend. But that was years ago, wasn't it? Friends always seemed to turn against you in the end. She should have known... she should have known.

The forest called to her, and she went streaking towards it. The wilderness was no traitor. It didn't leave her behind. It was still patient, bearing the torrents of rain... waiting for her return. Callum and Rayla— she had to find them! They could potentially be her only hope of survival.

Or would they betray her too?