《To Be King》 Prologue Perhaps it was her punishment. ¡°If you leave now, you may never be able to come back.¡± Her mother had warned her. ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± She had replied. And now she crouched in an abandoned building with a half caved-in roof, labor pains wracking her sweaty, shaking body; no mother and no husband to hold her hand. ¡°Hiryana, for your sake and the sake of our child, leave now.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not leaving you behind.¡± ¡°They are after me. Let me lead them away, I promise I¡¯ll come get you when it¡¯s safe.¡± The last promise he ever made to her. The first promise he ever broke. A pained, breathless scream tore out of her lungs; at least soon the baby would be out and she wouldn¡¯t be alone anymore... ...Except when, hours later, the baby finally came he didn¡¯t cry... he didn¡¯t breathe. It had to be her punishment for getting on that boat and leaving her home behind. She sat on a dusty floor in an almost roofless building as fat water droplets began to fall. Blood soaked the dirt underneath her and in her arms was a blue-faced baby that refused to take a breath no matter how much she rubbed his chest and back. Her vision began to blur and the adrenaline drained out of her. Her arms became shaky and weak until, finally, she gave up and closed her eyes. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. She remembered the last time she was this weak and feverish. A cool hand slid under her neck and raised her head to help her drink medicine. She frowned when lukewarm, bitter liquid hit her tongue. ¡°Please swallow, it¡¯ll make you feel better.¡± A gentle voice told her. She forced her eyes open to see a handsome Takkorik man smiling down at her, his eyes gold like glittering treasure and warm like the late morning sun. She loved those eyes instantly, unaware of how others cursed and despised them. ¡°You are strong enough to overcome this, I know you are.¡± She opened her eyes and pressed a hand against the stone wall beside her, clawing herself up to her feet. She refused to give up on his child. Soon she was running through the streets, pushing past her exhaustion and screaming out for anyone who would listen, ¡°Please help me! Save my son, I¡¯ll do anything!¡± She knocked on the door of every clinic she came across but none would open up for her. As time marched forward and the rain fell heavier and heavier she gave up on counting on human compassion and decided to turn to the gods. She knew very little about the gods of Takkorik- her husband never seemed to worship them- but the Sea was so far away and the Sky was hidden by rain clouds so she had no choice but to go to the temples of gods she couldn¡¯t name. She swore to pledge herself completely to whatever god would save her son. Save her from being alone. Finally she found a small shrine, abandoned and broken down. She fell to her knees, unable to take another step. She spoke her plea hoarsely, one last time, ¡°I have been abandoned by humanity and the gods. I know not your name or domain but if you help my son, his son, to live then I will dedicate my life to your service. I-¡± her voice cracked painfully, ¡°may not look like one of your people but my son¡¯s father was of Takkam, please do not abandon him because of my foreign blood.¡± She lowered her head to the floor, too tired to think of any more pleas or promises. Too tired to do anything but let the tears in her eyes fall to the floor. But then she heard her baby¡¯s cry. Chapter 1 ¡°Hey, how come you have two pieces of meat and I only have one?¡± Orfen pouted, looking over Racqein¡¯s shoulder at the little bundle of food in his lap. ¡°Cause I¡¯m the brother and you¡¯re just the freeloader,¡± Racqein replied, but still picked up the extra piece and set it down in the bundle on Orfen¡¯s lap. Orfen purred, rubbing his head full of fluffy blonde hair against Racqein¡¯s arm. Racqein leaned away from him, ¡°stop it. It¡¯s way too hot for that...¡± he said, sparing only the most minimal effort to get Orfen to stop. The two teen boys, one a lanky Islander with dark skin, shaggy black hair, and the pupiless golden eyes of a MorningSun, the other a werecat with light brown eyes and his cat like ears almost hidden in a voluminous mop of blonde hair, sat shoulder to shoulder under a thin, sparse tree that barely provided any protection from the harsh, high noon sun. Ten or so feet away were the other farm hands, scattered around a much larger, shadier tree, being served a meal by the boss''s wife. Racqein and Orfen weren¡¯t allowed to join them, but they felt lucky enough that the boss even hired them; a MorningSun and a werecat, so they didn¡¯t mind creating their own little space together where they at the lunches packed by Racqein¡¯s little sister, Marisol. Since they were away from others, Racqein had taken off his threadbare eyepatch and was wringing out the sweat collected in it. His right eye, normally covered by the eyepatch, glowed purple as Cruxion spoke in his mind, ¡°you should go home early today. I have a bad feeling.¡± ¡°What¡¯s Cruxion saying?¡± Orfen asked, peering into Racqein¡¯s face as if staring hard enough would allow him to hear the ghostly knight. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Nothing important.¡± Racqein said, covering his eye back up with the eyepatch. ¡°So rude. I¡¯m just concerned about you.¡± ¡°Then be concerned about my purse.¡± Racqein thought bitterly in response. Sixteen years ago, to the day, Racqein was born without any breath in his lungs. The cursed, unlucky child of a lonely MorningSun man and an Islander girl that was too far from home with no way back. His mother, desperate to not be alone, begged and prayed for his life to anything that would listen. Cruxion is what responded. He wasn¡¯t a god, just the spirit of an enshrined knight that couldn¡¯t quite remember when he lived or what he died for. Still, he was powerful enough to keep Racqein breathing, speak with him, and even possess his body occasionally. So for sixteen years, Racqein lived with this companion in his mind, surviving due to his help. Even when his mother, who begged and prayed to not be left alone, left him alone with a newborn baby sister when he was less than five years old, he survived. Racqein and Orfen got back to work as usual, ignoring Cruxion¡¯s warning, and soon the sun was sinking on the horizon. They began their long walk ¡®home¡¯ to Cruxion¡¯s tomb. Orfen walked a few steps ahead, his shoes tied to his belt, his fingers laced behind his head, and his tail swishing behind him. ¡°Something has happened. I can feel it.¡± Cruxion declared. ¡°Well when you figure out what it is, let me know.¡± Racqein punctuated his thoughts with a yawn as he dragged his feet one step at a time down the road... ... The next morning, Racqein would learn what happened... The second princess, Eleisiya, had disappeared. Chapter 2 For the past 3 years Marisol had been the one to wake up first. Before Racqein and Orfen got up in the mornings she would make them breakfast and lunch. After they left for work, she would clean Cruxion¡¯s shrine and their living space in the back, she¡¯d count the measly offerings at the shrine altar, she¡¯d make little trinkets made of scraps and polished junk to sell as amulets of the shrine¡¯s ¡®god¡¯, and when the sun started to set she would prepare dinner so that it would be ready when her brothers came home. It was routine, the same thing everyday. The only differences were what she cooked and the people who came to the shrine; or walked by without a second glance. Marisol liked this routine. It was safe and comfortable and she understood her purpose. And Racqein wanted to ruin that. Marisol stared at her older brother, unmoving, as he continued to calmly eat the porridge she got up 2 hours ago to make him. ¡°Cruxion wants to rescue the princess,¡± he said, ¡°so I¡¯m going away for a while.¡± Just like that he shattered her safe routine. Because without him it¡¯d be pointless, worthless. ¡°Why would you do something so dangerous just because Cruxion asked you too?¡± Marisol finally gathered her thoughts enough to ask. Racqein slowly lowered his spoon and looked up at her. At home he didn¡¯t wear his eyepatch and Cruxion seemed to be keeping quiet so he was able to fix her with both of his warm, gold eyes, ¡°don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be fine.¡± Marisol snorted, ¡°yeah, right. I think you¡¯ve already hit your head cause I can¡¯t see why else you¡¯d agree to that. How are you supposed to find and rescue the second princess?¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Racqein¡¯s left eye glowed purple for a second and then he answered, ¡°Cruxion said he¡¯ll take care of that.¡± ¡°With your body!¡± ¡°To be fair...¡± Orfen interrupted, pushing his empty bowl away, ¡° everyone knows where Princess Eleisiya is... that third prince of Chasorik kidnapped her for rejecting him, they¡¯re just not saying it because they¡¯re scared of starting a war. And we¡¯ve seen what Cruxion can do with Racqein¡¯s body, he¡¯ll be fine.¡± Marisol slammed her hands down on the table, wincing when it hurt a little, ¡°a few drunk thugs is different than... than armed guards!¡± Racqein sighed and pushed his half eaten bowl to Orfen. ¡°I¡¯m not doing this because I want to. I¡¯m doing this because Cruxion won¡¯t shut up if I don¡¯t.¡± Marisol slumped a little in her seat and pouted, ¡°Why does Cruxion care so much anyways. He didn¡¯t care when the eldest princess disappeared.¡± Racqein¡¯s eye flashed purple once more, ¡°he said she ran away so that¡¯s different.¡± ¡°And how does he know that?¡± Marisol shot back. Racqein shrugged. The clatter of a spoon being dropped into an empty bowl interrupted them as Orfen finished Racqein¡¯s bowl. Orfen rubbed his stomach and burped. Then said, ¡°I think we should go... If we bring back the princess, then they¡¯ll probably give us a reward!¡± ¡°We?¡± Racqein raised an eyebrow. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m going with you!¡± Orfen leaned across the table towards Racqein, ¡°I¡¯m not going to miss Cruxion kicking ass. Besides, cats make great scouts!¡± he waggled his eyebrows and the cat ears atop his head twitched. Racqein hesitated for a while then sighed, ¡°fine.¡± Marisol jumped to her feet, her chair falling to the ground behind her. ¡°I¡¯m going to! You¡¯re not going to leave me behind!¡± ¡°Marisol... It¡¯ll be too dangerous-¡± ¡°No! Either we all go or none of us will!¡± Racqein stared at her for what felt like 10 minutes. His eye flashed and glowed as he debated with Cruxion. Finally, he sighed, ¡°fine.¡± Chapter 3 On the other side of the city a group of men from the Kreishan Islands laughed and talked and sang in their native tongue. They were sailors and hired men who didn¡¯t usually travel this far inland into Takkam and were glad their lord and employer was done politicking and that they could start the journey back home. They planned to drink all day, sleep all night, and start the long march back to the coastal city where their boat was docked. The innkeeper glared at them but since they were the only guests at the time, he didn¡¯t say a word. Some of the men drunkenly crooned love songs for the beautiful girls back home, others boasted loudly with exaggerated stories of the exploits at sea and on land. ¡°I hate to interrupt the revelry, but we are not going home just yet, my friends.¡± One Kreishan man said as he entered through the front door of the inn, somehow speaking above the din without shouting. He looked quite a bit different from the others. While he wasn¡¯t scrawny he was still the most slender and lithe of the men there. His clothes were neat and clean and the calluses on his hands were those of a young master who played around with swords and scimitars for fun and exercise rather than those of a man used to hard labor. His long, black hair was tied into a low ponytail off to the right with two braids hanging by the right side of his head. The left side of his head was shaved, with two braids braided along the border between his long hair and the shaved part. On the shaved part of his head was a large, colorful tattoo of a pink and orange flower. He crossed his arms and leaned against the doorway, a light and easy expression on his face. ¡°The fuck are you talking about, Paen?¡± One of the men slammed his pint down, squinting at Paen as he slurred, ¡°we¡¯ve watched your back as you frolicked with these Takkam nobles for long enough. I got a pretty, young wife at home to satisfy!¡± Paen smiled, a dimple appearing on his left cheek but not his right, ¡°but wouldn¡¯t your wife be more satisfied if you came back a very wealthy man, my friend?¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Some of the men sobered up and showed earnest interest in Paen¡¯s words, while others rolled their eyes and focused back on their drinks. ¡°Now if you¡¯ve been paying any attention you might¡¯ve noticed that the atmosphere of the capital was pretty tense today. That¡¯s because the princess Eleisiya was kidnapped.¡± ¡°What did you do, you snake!¡± one of the men jeered good-naturedly and the others laughed a little too uproariously. Paen widened his eyes and pressed a hand to his chest looking insulted, ¡°do I look like the kind of man who would do something like that?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Many of the men called out, leading to another chorus of laughter. Paen laughed along with the men, ¡°well, I didn¡¯t do it. But...¡± Paen¡¯s voice grew darker and quieter and he put his hands down on a table, leaning forward. His men all grew quiet, waiting for his next words, ¡°I am going to rescue her and you all are going to help me.¡± ¡°And why would we do that?!¡± the first man who spoke stood up, towering over Paen, ¡°could the reward really be worth staying in this filthy country any longer?¡± Paen¡¯s smile grew larger, his eyes squinted a bit and his other dimple finally appeared, ¡°oh, it is. The reward for rescuing the princess is her hand in marriage.¡± Paen straightened up and started pacing around amongst his men, ¡°if I marry the princess of Takkam then my family¡¯s position on the council becomes stronger. Whatever reward Takkam gives you for your contributions my father will double upon our return home. And when I become King of Takkam, well, you all know me well. I never forget loyalty.¡± Chapter 4 Marisol bustled around the shrine all morning, packing anything she could and hiding away the shrine goods. ¡°Orfen! Move! I need to get into the altar!¡± Orfen laid on top of the altar, basking in a sunbeam... as he had been since breakfast an hour ago. Marisol put her hands on his side and tried to push him off, her feet sliding on the ground. Orfen shifted and for a moment Marisol lit up. But Orfen merely stretched and rolled over, his lion-like tail wrapping around his body. ¡°Ugh!¡± Marisol cried out in frustration and stamped her foot. ¡°Racqein!¡± She whirled around to find her older brother and cry to him... but he wasn¡¯t there. ¡°Racqein...?¡± * After breakfast Racqein disappeared, heading immediately for underneath the shrine. For Cruxion¡¯s tomb... Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t lie. Lies and secrets disrupt bonds.¡± Cruxion lectured as Racqein silently descended the stone steps. ¡°If I didn¡¯t concede to them, they would never let me out of their sight,¡± Racqein muttered. He reached the bottom of the stairs, swatting away cobwebs. Without a torch he couldn¡¯t see a thing, but once he removed the eyepatch and looked through the eye Cruxion controlled, he could clearly see the coffin in the center of the room. It had been many years since the coffin had been touched and so Racqein had to use all his strength to lift the lid, breaking one of the rusted hinges in the process. With Racqein¡¯s eyes, Cruxion looked down at his mostly decomposed remains and said with a tone of unease, ¡°It is estranged to look upon a corpse and know it is yours.¡± Racqein ignored him as he took the blade in Cruxion¡¯s hands. It was ornate, encrusted with blue jewels, sharp, and gleaming silver. It looked entirely untouched by time. ¡°Of course it does. It¡¯s enchanted.¡± Cruxion¡¯s voice answered Racqein¡¯s observations. A little annoyed at receiving an answer to a question he didn¡¯t ask, Racqein shoved the sword into the soldier¡¯s sheath he had stolen months ago and left through the crypt¡¯s other entrance that only he knew about. Chapter 5 It didn¡¯t take Marisol long to search through every nook and cranny of their little shrine. The only sign of Racqein she found was a little note that she desperately didn¡¯t want to read. But she was only able to put it off for a few more minutes as she checked the last area of the shrine; the underground crypt. The dust on Cruxion¡¯s coffin was freshly disturbed even though it had been a few weeks since she had cleaned down there. And Racqein was nowhere to be seen. Marisol returned upstairs and opened the note under the light of an open window to read it. Racqein was taught to read and write by Cruxion and so his handwriting was neat and elegant like a young lord¡¯s. Marisol loved to look at it. He didn¡¯t write very often so she usually preserved anything he did write. But this insincerely apologetic goodbye, she crumpled up in her hands, ¡°Orfen!¡± Orfen was still laying on the altar in a sunbeam. At Marisol¡¯s loud, high shout he covered the cat ears on top of his head and rolled over to point his back to her. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. She grabbed his shoulder and turned him over. ¡°Racqein left!¡± she said, throwing the note at Orfen before he could gripe at her. ¡°What?¡± He sat up and uncrumpled the note and squinted at it with a frown, he never really took to reading and writing like Racqein did. Marisol grabbed Orfen¡¯s wrist and started to tug him off the altar, ¡°come on. We can probably still catch up to him.¡± With an uncomfortable look on his face, Orfen lowered the note and asked, ¡°are you sure you want to go against his wishes? He might get mad.¡± ¡°And if he doesn¡¯t have anyone watching his back he might get dead.¡± She tugged on his arm again and this time he willingly slid off the altar. She grabbed a small bag she had packed and slung it over her shoulder, ¡°come on, let¡¯s go.¡± Chapter 6 Crossing the land border between Takkam and Chasorik likely wouldn¡¯t be possible for him alone and so he took the Eastern road out of the capital towards the coastal city of Comea. ¡°How do you plan to get us passage on a ship?¡± he asked Cruxion in his mind. ¡°We will find a way to clear that hurdle when we come to it.¡± Racqein sighed out loud, ¡°this whole thing was your idea, you better figure it out.¡± ¡°Of course I will! When have I ever failed?¡± Merely picturing all the times he got in trouble for Cruxion¡¯s actions (or inactions) in his body was enough for Cruxion to concede, ¡°alright, alright. I won¡¯t fail you this time though!¡± ¡°Racqein!¡± Racqein¡¯s eyes widened as he heard his little sister¡¯s voice calling his name. He stopped in his tracks and turned around, the breeze throwing his hair into his eye. He pushed his hair back from his face and saw Marisol riding after him on a lion, her hands gripping his golden mane, her braid trailing behind her. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Racqein could barely remember the last time he saw Orfen¡¯s lion form. He certainly wasn¡¯t as... majestic back then as he looked now, with face fierce, muscles rippling, and golden mane glowing in the sunlight like a crown. Orfen stopped a few feet away and Marisol hopped off his back. ¡°They caught you,¡± Cruxion said smugly. ¡°Racqein! We agreed that you weren¡¯t going alone!¡± Marisol shouted, her cheeks puffed out as she angrily stomped over to him. Racqein glanced over her shoulder at Orfen as he shifted back into his human form. ¡°I don¡¯T want to put the two of you in danger because of Cruxion¡¯s obsession.¡± ¡°Obsession is a strong word. I merely suggested... repeatedly.¡± Orfen came up behind Marisol, slinging his arms around her shoulder, and leaning forward. He craned his head to look up into Racqein¡¯s face. Racqein took a step back in surprise when Orfen¡¯s face came so close. ¡°We aren¡¯t putting ourselves in danger because of Cruxion¡¯s obsession, we¡¯re going with you cause we love you,¡± Orfen said, ¡°so please don¡¯t be mad and don¡¯t push us away.¡± Racqein sighed, ¡°why would I be angry?¡± ¡°We won¡¯t stop following you... And it¡¯ll definitely be safer for us with you.¡± Marisol argued. Racqein closed his eyes and let out one last sigh, before turning around to continue down the road, ¡°fine.¡± Orfen and Marisol ran up, each of them hooking an arm with his, ¡°gotta make sure you don¡¯t run off!¡± Marisol explained with a smile when he raised an eyebrow at her. ¡°You have to admit you don¡¯t inspire a lot of trust.¡± Racqein felt as if he¡¯d be sighing a lot on this trip. Chapter 7 Horses weren¡¯t common on the Kreishan Islands and so Paen¡¯s sailors appeared to be in various states of nervousness and distress as they sat astride their new beasts, waiting to depart the city. Some of the sailors refused to even ride the horses they were given at all, just using them as pack mules and holding onto their reins. Only Paen, at the front, appeared to be comfortable riding. His horse was turned to the side and he looked out over his men. Once his men had gathered at the front gates of the city, all looking up at him and waiting for his words. He smiled with bright white teeth and sat up a bit straighter, sucking in a deep breath, and speaking over them loudly in the Kreishan language, ¡°I know you are all unhappy on land! But follow me, and you will be rewarded when I am King of Takkam!¡± People coming and going from the entrance of the city gave the Islanders side eyes and glares that ranged from guarded to open, from curious to suspicious to hateful. Paen met eyes with a young woman whose gaze was more open and curious and winked at her. She blushed and hurried her steps. Paen raised an empty fist and waved it as if he was holding a sword as he turned his horse around. With a light squeeze of his horse''s sides, Paen started his journey. * A few days later... Marisol fell behind her brothers, dragging her feet as she trudged a few feet behind them. Her shoulders were hunched and eyelids drooped halfway down. She took a deep breath and whined out, ¡°can we take a break please? My feet hurt!¡± Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. Racqein stopped and glanced back while Orfen continued on with his fingers laced behind his head, marching along with a goofy gait, his barefoot picking up dirt. ¡°We can¡¯t keep pausing, we won''t get to the next city!¡± Racqein called back to her. Marisol threw her head back and groaned. Racqein waited until she had almost caught up to him before starting to turn back to the road, his eye widened. Without looking he yelled out, ¡°Orfen! Hide your ears and tail!¡± Orfen¡¯s shoulders slumped as he pulled a cloak out of the bag around his shoulders. He put it on and flipped up the hood, his cat-like features disappearing as under the dark clothes. Racqein took Marisol¡¯s hand and pulled her forward to make it to Orfen¡¯s side. The trio continued on, huddled together until eventually the sound of horses began to overtake them. Racqein kept his head down, eyes turned away from the road as he pulled Orfen and Marisol out of the way of the galloping soldiers on horses. One passed them, two, three, four. Racqein¡¯s shoulders untensed as the king¡¯s guard just ran by. Then the last horse stopped and turned. The armored man atop the horse tilted his chin up and glared haughtily down at the children, ¡°that sword... seems a bit expensive for you. Who¡¯d you steal it from?¡± Still bowing his head down, ¡°no one.¡± The man laughed boisterously and the other soldiers stopped, ¡°I don¡¯t believe you.¡± Marisol found herself shrinking behind her older brother as he held out his arm to block in front of her, ¡°I am not lying. It was a gift.¡± The sharp grinding sound of a sword being unsheathed made Orfen¡¯s ears twitch under the hood of the cloak and the man pointed his blade at Racqein¡¯s chest, ¡°try a better lie, Islander.¡± Chapter 8 Marisol¡¯s blood froze in her veins as she watched the tip of the blade rip a hole in Racqein¡¯s shirt. The pressure of his arm against her chest was grounding and she clung to it, staring blankly at the sharpened blade. Racqein looked up, finally meeting the soldier''s eyes. The soldier¡¯s hand jerked back, slicing Racqein¡¯s dirty shirt open. Marisol swallowed a scream, her hand flying to her mouth. ¡°This little shit is Sun Clan!¡± he yelled to his companions, raising his sword above his head to strike down Racqein. Racqein tilted his head to the side and said, ¡°what are you talking about?¡± His voice was lighter and more mature than before. His back straightened, his stance widened, and he casually rested his wrist on the hilt of his sword... Cruxion had taken over and Marisol¡¯s blood tentatively began to flow again. The soldier paused just as he was about to bring his sword down, ¡°what they fuck- your eye-?¡± With Cruxion in charge of the body, his visible eye turned a glowing violet. In the bright sunlight the flow was not as clear. ¡°Harrison! Why are you dawdling?¡± One of the King¡¯s guards that had simply rode past came back, his sun-weathered face pinched with annoyance. All the soldiers had back-tracked at this point, enclosing the three kids in a tight half-circle. Orfen pressed closer to Marisol behind Racqein and she could feel the vibration of a trapped growl where his side pressed against hers. ¡°That blade is too fine for these little shits. They are thieves and likely murderers. That boy,¡± he pointed his slightly shaking sword at Racqein¡¯s chest once more, ¡°used some foul Sun Clan magic to hide his vile yellow eyes.¡± Racqein, no, Cruxion laughed, ¡°that is not a talent that any branch of the Sun Clan possesses. The yellow eyes are their curse, the exchange for their progenitor¡¯s immortality.¡± The soldier¡¯s, Harrison¡¯s, face twitched in rage, ¡°like I¡¯d listen to what you say.¡± Marisol fought her fear long enough to raise her head and glance around at the group of soldiers. Most of them had their eyes trained on Cruxion, many with the hands on the hilts of their swords. But the one who seemed to be the leader was squinting at Orfen while scratching his dark, scruffy beard, ¡°take off your hood, boy.¡± Orfen stopped all motion beside Marisol, becoming impossibly still as if that might hide him. The leader looked at one of the soldiers and jerked his head towards Orfen. The soldier urged his horse forward and reached for Orfen¡¯s hood. And diplomacy was thrown away. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Cruxion grabbed the hilt of his sword and Orfen began to transform, cloak and hood torn to pieces as he took the form of a ferocious lion. ¡°A were!¡± ¡°Fuck!¡± ¡°Kill the beast and capture the thieves!¡± The leader shouted, drawing his sword. Cruxion dashed forward and met him blade for blade in a loud clang. ¡°Marisol! Get down! Close your eyes!¡± Marisol scrambled to obey, stumbling off the road, crouching down, and screwing her eyes shut. Orfen roared, horses whinnied, men shouted, more swords were unsheathed, and the world descended into the cacophony of battle. Marisol covered her ears at a man¡¯s scream and tried to melt further into the tall grasses at the side of the road. Suddenly, her arm was grabbed and she was yanked to her feet. Her feet tangled in tall grass, she tripped and fell against cold, unfeeling armor. Her hands were forced away from her ears and the sounds of fighting and pain poured into her. She opened her eyes and found she was staring up into the harsh, rage-filled, dark brown eyes of the first soldier who stopped. She tried to pull away but her thin wrist felt close to snapping in his gauntleted hand as he held her tight against him. Her head whipped around as she searched for rescue. Her eyes widened in horror. Two of the half-dozen soldiers were on the ground, unmoving. Cruxion was matching swords with the leader.. And clutching his side with his left hand, blood seeping through his fingers. One soldier stood back, holding a wound on his stomach while the last one sunk his sword into Orfen¡¯s side. ¡°No!¡± Marisol screamed out. There was a cold kiss of sharp metal against her throat and the soldier holding her shouted out, ¡°drop your sword or I slit her throat!¡± Cruxion looked over and met Marisol¡¯s eyes. His purple eye flickered back to MorningSun gold and Racqein threw the sword down. ¡°She¡¯s just a kid,¡± Racqein said, as if it wasn¡¯t also true of himself. As Racqein faced Marisol and the man threatening her, his back was now to the leader. The leader took a step forwards and struck Racqein hard in the back of the head with the pommel of his sword. Racqein crumpled to the ground. Orfen roared. Marisol stifled a scream, the blade at her neck, nicking her as she shook. The leader crouched over Racqein¡¯s prone form, binding his hands behind his back, ¡°hurry up and kill the beast!¡± Before the soldier facing off with Orfen could fulfill his orders, Orfen suddenly shrunk. His large lion form becoming a blonde, long-furred domestic cat. Still bleeding from his wounds, his small cat form darted into the tall grass and disappeared. The soldier started to pursue but the leader shouted out, ¡°leave it. You¡¯ll never catch it on your own. We¡¯ll put out a warning notice when we get to the city.¡± On the ground, Racqein started to stir, wriggling ineffectually with his hands tied behind his back. The leader hauled him to his feet by his arms, picked up Cruxion¡¯s sword, and said, ¡°you¡¯ll go on trial when we find who this blade really belongs to.¡± Chapter 9 Orfen ran a confusing, winding path through the tall grass. Those who believed in his intelligence would think he was doing it on purpose so that his blood trail could not be followed. Those who thought of him as nothing more than a rabid animal would say he was just a panicked, cornered beast. In truth, he was delirious, conflicted, and lost. It would¡¯ve been hard enough for him to find his way to safety in the unfamiliar terrain under normal circumstances but he was losing too much blood and his instincts were torn between survival and loyalty. But in the end, survival won. A drizzle started. Then the rain started falling harder, slowly leeching what warmth wasn¡¯t already stolen away by his spilling blood. When he finally reached a town he didn¡¯t have the wherewithal to think of safe places to hide and merely slipped through the first open door into a dry place he found. He slinked beneath a chair and curled his tiny, weary body up before quickly slipping into unconsciousness. * Paen was riding at a slow, calm pace when he felt a fat drop of water hit the top of his head. He tilted his chin up and squinted at the overcast skies. A second raindrop landed in his left eye. He flinched, throwing his head forward and rubbing his eye. A few of his men behind him snickered and he graciously chuckled alongside them. He turned back to address his men and when he opened his mouth all conversation and snickering ceased, ¡°Let us ride faster and reach town before the Sky decides he must soak us to our hearts!¡± With a kick of his heels and a snap of the reins, Paen spurred his horse into a gallop... ... Paen and his merry band did not reach the next town before the drizzle turned into a downpour. As his clothes and hair clung to his skin, he clicked his tongue and leaned forward, urging his horse to go faster. In the distance, Paen spotted another group of horses and riders ahead of them, moving at a much slower pace. Even as Paen and his men quickly gained on them they didn¡¯t move aside, forcing Paen to slow down and move to the side off the road. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. They were soldiers from the capital. Paen watched and let his men go first, turning his signet ring on his finger. He couldn¡¯t stop his gaze from traveling to the two Kreishan prisoners. The young man was beaten and tied up, being forced to stumble after the horses on foot. The young woman was tied up and thrown over the back of one horse, her braid coming undone. She raised her head and met his eyes. She¡¯s just a kid. He looked closer into the boy¡¯s face and saw he wasn¡¯t much older than her. Paen sat up straighter on the back of his horse, cleared his throat to get the attention of the soldiers, and said, ¡°there you are, boy!¡± while looking the young man in the face. The young man looked at him emotionlessly but not blankly. He turned to the man of highest rank and opened his mouth to continue speaking only for the bearded old man to sneer, ¡°keep moving or we¡¯ll have to arrest you too.¡± Paen smirked and held out his ring, raindrops pinged off the gold, ¡°you need a stronger reason than that to arrest a diplomatic guest of the king. Now tell me why you¡¯ve detained my servants?¡± All horses stopped moving and for a moment there was no sound but the falling rain bouncing off armor. Then the old soldier grumbled and stirred his horse to approach Paen so he could inspect the ring. After taking far too long to look at it, the soldier looked up at Paen, ¡°your servants are thieves.¡± Paen lowered his hand with the ring and cocked his head to the side, ¡°oh? And what did they steal?¡± The soldier took a bundle off his back and unwrapped it, revealing a gorgeous blade of gleaming silver and encrusted with sapphires. Paen quickly schooled his expression of shock and awe and laughed, ¡°this is one of my swords! I lent it to him for protection.¡± ¡°He is Sun Clan... sir...¡± the soldier whose horse the boy was tied to muttered. Paen glanced over and sure enough the boy¡¯s one eye not covered by an eyepatch was yellow. Paen turned to the one who spoke and raised his eyebrows, ¡°And? Is it a crime to be the child of one¡¯s parents? He cannot control his blood.¡± ¡°They were traveling with a were!¡± the old soldier protested. ¡°And is it a crime for civilians to be in the vicinity of a were?¡± ¡°They were clearly friends with it!¡± ¡°Oh, what is your proof?¡± Paen pointedly looked around the soldiers, ¡°I see no were.¡± ¡°It... fled.¡± ¡°Convenient...¡± Paen smiled wryly. ¡°Please return my servants and I will forget this ever happened because I do not see any proof of wrongdoing.¡± The soldier hesitated long enough that Paen worried this would not end peacefully, before he finally said, ¡°cut them loose.¡± Chapter 10 The two siblings warily approached their unfamiliar savior. The Islander with the colorful, expensive looking clothes, heavy accent, and orange flower tattoo on his head offered a hand to Marisol. After a barely perceptible nod from Racqein that she saw out of the corner of her eye, Marisol put her hand in his and let him hoist her onto his horse. She sat side saddle in front of him, leaning forward as much as possible, not wanting to dirty his fine clothes with her dusty and grass stained dress. ¡°Issa!¡± the rich Islander called to one of his men, ¡°let the boy on your horse until we reach Engroch!¡± The man named Issa threw his head back and groaned, spurring his horse to take a few steps towards Racqein. He was a burly man and definitely one of the oldest amongst them. He had dark, weathered skin, a bald head, a long curly beard streaked with gray, and wrinkles around his eyes and mouth that hinted at a jovial nature. Racqein retrieved his sword from the soldier and tried to casually swing onto the back of the man¡¯s horse, but his foot got caught underneath him and he almost tumbled over the side. Issa¡¯s thick arm caught him around his scrawny waist and, laughing heartily, righted him, ¡°your legs getting too long for you, boy? Can¡¯t even move right!¡± Many of the other men joined him in laughing as Racqein¡¯s cheeks burned. The fancy Islander bowed to the soldiers with a smile from atop his horse, ¡°a pleasure meeting you gentlemen, thank you for returning my servants. Perhaps we will meet again in Engroch!¡± With that he snapped the reins and began galloping away, his entourage close behind. In his mind, Racqein asked Cruxion, ¡°I thought the city was called Engleroch...?¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°Well it used to be,¡± Cruxion answered with a pout in his voice. * The Priestess of the Temple of Vasara sat in her office in the back of the temple making notes on her sermon for the next day by candlelight. She was already wearing her dressing gown, her hair loose, falling in graying waves around her face. Suddenly a frantic knock came at her door, ¡°Priestess! Please open up! It¡¯s an emergency!¡± The voice on the other side of the door belonged to Elle, a young acolyte of the temple not even 8 years old. As an acolyte, she was one of the few people who could see the Priestess with her hair down and uncovered. And she sounded panicked, on the verge of tears. The Priestess, Marsa, left her pen on the table and made her way to the door. On the other side of the door stood Elle, in her arms was a bleeding mass of fur. ¡°This cat was hiding under one of the pews. I think he¡¯ll die if we don¡¯t do anything,¡± she spoke hurriedly, eyes filling with tears. Marsa gently took the poor thing from Elle. Once it was out of Elle¡¯s hands, Marsa could see the blood soaking the entire front of her dress. The poor creature now in Marsa¡¯s arms was so dirty and bloody that she couldn¡¯t tell what its original fur color was. Under her hands its heart beat so weakly she could hardly feel it. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Elle. There¡¯s nothing I can do.¡± Elle let out a wail. Bursting into tears. Marsa reached out and pat the young girl on the head, wincing when she realized she smeared some of the cat¡¯s blood in her pale blonde hair. ¡°The best I can do for it is give it something to help it pass quickly and painlessly. How about that?¡± Elle¡¯s tears slowed down and she sniffed loudly, ¡°ok.¡± Marsa laid the cat down on the floor and went to retrieve some herbs from her cabinet. When she turned around and stepped away, Elle screamed. Marsa whipped back around and saw in place of the dying housecat, a hissing werecat. Chapter 11 Paen stared down at the inch of space between him and the young girl sitting side saddle in front of him. A distance the girl was clearly struggling to maintain. Once they were far enough away from the soldiers, Paen chuckled, ¡°you know you can relax.¡± Automatically, the girl exhaled and slouched but when the natural curve of her spine gently touched his chest, she leaned forward again. Paen¡¯s ensuing laughter was cut off by the boy sullenly sitting on the back of Issa¡¯s horse suddenly speaking up, ¡°why¡¯d you help us? Who are you?¡± ¡°My name is Paen. And I couldn¡¯t leave a couple of kids in the hands of those power-tripping assholes. And who are you?¡± From his horse, Paen bowed to the boy. The boy regarded him with a narrow, suspicious eye. ¡°I¡¯m Racqein, my sister is Marisol.¡± Racqein answered with gritted teeth. Paen pressed his lips into a thin smile and raised his eyebrows, ¡°and how did a kid like you get a sword like that?¡± Paen could¡¯ve sworn the boy¡¯s eye changed colors for a second as he snapped, ¡°it¡¯s mine.¡± Loosely holding the reins still, Paen raised his hands defensively, ¡°don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not going to take it from you. I just wanna know if helping you and saying the sword is mine is going to bite my ass.¡± Racqein¡¯s hunched shoulders relaxed a few centimeters but his scowl didn¡¯t budge, ¡°it won¡¯t... it is as much mine as my skill to wield it is.¡± Paen raised an eyebrow and shrugged, ¡°alright, I¡¯ll believe you.¡± He turned his attention to Marisol again and, nudging her, he asked, ¡°where are you from?¡± ¡°Um...¡± the nervous young girl locked eyes with her older brother before answering, ¡°we¡¯re from Tak.¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Paen whistled, ¡°capitol kids, huh? I don¡¯t know many of our people who can live so far from o¡¯n Mayr Shiina.¡± ¡°From what?¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Issa slapped his thigh, startling his horse into shaking her head and whinnying loudly, ¡°did your parents not teach you Kreishan? Did they not sing you songs of Our Lady Mother, the Sea?¡± ¡°Oh... Our mother only ever worshipped Cruxion when we were kids cause he saved Racqein¡¯s life.¡± ¡°Pah!¡± Issa spat angrily onto the dirt road, ¡°does your mother not fear the Sky refusing to embrace her because she turned her back on his wife?!¡± Racqein glared at the back of Issa¡¯s head, ¡°our mother doesn¡¯t fear anything anymore. She¡¯s dead.¡± When Issa could do nothing in response but work his jaw noiselessly, Paen laughed, ¡°have you swallowed your tongue again, Issa?¡± Issa bowed his head a bit and Paen shook his head, chuckling, before asking Marisol, ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of this Cruxion... what is he a god of?¡± ¡°He was a knight so now he is a god of protection and honor... Oh!¡± Marisol began to root around in her pockets until she found and pulled out a rudimentary carved wooden knight. She twisted around to face Paen and grabbed one of his hands, pressing the wooden knight into his palm, ¡°I carve these as protection talismans... please take one as a thank you.¡± Paen smiled warmly at her as he curled his hand around the token, ¡°gladly.¡± * Orfen had passed out under a bench and woken up in a tiny candlelit room that smelled like old paper, herbs, and his own blood. And there were people blocking the door. On instinct he had made himself bigger but it was assuredly a mistake to reveal himself as a were, some people might actually help a defenseless cat. Orfen had been aiming to transform into a lion but he lacked the energy. So instead he put his hands on the ground, raised his tail, and hissed as loud as he could. The little girl shook and slowly started to back out of the room into a dark hallway. The older woman didn¡¯t move at all. Instead, she raised her empty hands, palms out, and said, slowly and gently, ¡°you¡¯re very hurt. I can help you.¡± She took a step forward, then another, giving Orfen just enough space to bolt around her and out the door. He put a hand on the little girls chest, pushing off her and running down the hall, but soon his steps stuttered, his legs gave out, and he fell into unconsciousness once more. Chapter 12 The rich Islander, Paen, was charming but in Racqein¡¯s experience charm was a trait for scammers and thieves. Especially those scammers and thieves that called themselves noblemen. ¡°Why do you think they are riding the road from Tak to Engroch? Going all the way to Tak is not what normal merchants do.¡± Racqein spoke to Cruxion in his mind. ¡°Perhaps they are not merchants.¡± ¡°That¡¯s what I¡¯m afraid of.¡± Racqein¡¯s hands tightened on Cruxion¡¯s sword in his lap and he watched Paen carefully as one of the man¡¯s hands hovered just barely above Marisol¡¯s lap as he loosely held the reins. Cruxion¡¯s sword was beautiful and priceless, but if he was after it he could have taken it without also taking Racqein and Marisol as well. Could he want them? Racqein shuddered at the possibility. ¡°Some people can just be nice.¡± Racqein snorted out loud, causing the broad-shouldered man in front of him to glance back. ¡°Not rich people.¡± ¡°Well you aren¡¯t going to figure him out if you don¡¯t get him talking. We can learn things even from lies.¡± Racqein ignored the slight itchiness in his eye behind the eyepatch when Cruxion went silent, leaving him ¡®alone¡¯ to question Paen. ¡°Paen!¡± Racqein raised his voice slightly to call out to the young rich Islander. Paen lazily turned his head back to look at Racqein, ¡°oh, initiating a conversation now? I¡¯m flattered.¡± ¡°You said yourself that it¡¯s odd for... Kreishans to be so far inland, so what are you doing on the road from Tak?¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Ah, not a conversation then. An interrogation.¡± Racqein was too far away to be sure but Paen seemed to roll his eyes as he looked forward again. ¡°I had business in Tak, now my business is done.¡± ¡°You a merchant?¡± ¡°Diplomat.¡± Paen glanced back at Racqein again, eyebrow raised. ¡°I¡¯m from one of the ruling families of Kreisha. I came to Takkam this time to find a wife amongst the noble women of Takkam to strengthen our countries¡¯ relationship. But all the capital girls get seasick too easily so I must look elsewhere for a bride. Is that a satisfactory answer?¡± Racqein chewed on his bottom lip, somewhat annoyed that he believed most of it. It would explain the interaction with the soldiers, but Paen had a voice that always sounded like it was holding back the full truth. Still Racqein replied, ¡°...yes.¡± The corner of Paen¡¯s mouth twitched up in a grin, ¡°what about you two? Why are you on the road?¡± ¡°We¡¯re-!¡± Marisol started to answer but one look from Racqein and she shut her mouth, facing forward once more and slouching. Paen twisted his back to fully look at Racqein, ¡°come now. I answered, so should you.¡± Fixing his eyes on the orange flower tattoo on the side of Paen¡¯s head, Racqein lied, ¡°thought I might find someone willing to hire an Islander closer to the sea.¡± ¡°Very reasonable answer. Odd that it¡¯s a lie.¡± * Marsa laid the young were in her bed and as gently as she could she began to stitch the wound on his abdomen closed. His brow furrowed and little animal-like whines escaped his throat but he blessedly didn¡¯t wake. She put a poultice and bandages over the stitched wound, praying to Vasara the whole time that he wouldn¡¯t immediately jump up and tear his stitches. She turned away to wash her hands in the basin Elle brought. Elle stood by Marsa¡¯s side shaking slightly, her face pale and lips pressed tight into a thin line. Her hands were twisted into her skirt, nearly tearing the already threadbare fabric. Then her eyes widened and without moving she harshly whispered, ¡°Priestess, look!¡± ¡°Hmm?¡± Marsa raised her eyebrows then turned back to see the were¡¯s amber eyes staring at her blankly, ¡°oh!¡± She stood in her surprise and when the poor creature flinched, she cursed herself internally. She crouched, trying to make herself smaller, then spoke in a soft, quiet voice, ¡°I know you probably can¡¯t understand me, but I mean you no harm. I just want to help you.¡± The were¡¯s golden-blonde eyebrows pinched together as if confused or thinking but then in perfect, unaccented Takkorik, he said, ¡°I can understand you just fine.¡± Chapter 13 After calling him a liar, Paen looked back at the boy. The boy¡¯s single golden Sun Clan eye was boring a hole in Paen¡¯s skull, the boy¡¯s full lips were pressed into a thin line, and he had a white-knuckled grip on the handle of the sword in his hands. Paen raised his arms, boxing Marisol in as a vague, unspoken threat. The girl shifted uncomfortably, her breathing getting faster. She had sensed the threat that was supposed to be just for her brother to see. Her brother, who was slowly unsheathing his sword and shifting on the back of Issa¡¯s horse, readying to leap off. Paen made brief eye contact with his first mate. Issa nodded and then before Racqein could leap off, he reached behind him to pluck the sword right out of Racqein¡¯s hands. He grabbed it by the blade, paying no mind to it slicing into his palm. Racqein let out a small, strangled cry as his sword was wrested from his hands. And then, for a moment, his eye flashed purple. Paen sat up straighter on his horse, his arms caging Marisol in lowering slightly as he narrowed his eyes at him, ¡°what was that? Why did your eye change?¡± Racqein looked back at Paen again, away from his stolen sword. His eye was once more the slightly unnerving gold of a Sun. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about,¡± he answered, holding his gaze steady. Paen sighed and rolled his eyes, ¡°Issa.¡± Hearing just his name, Issa understood his orders. He pressed the tip of Racqein¡¯s sword to the boy¡¯s throat. Racqein started to raise his arms, as if to fight back, then his eye flashed violet again and he froze. Paen pulled on the reins and his horse slowed to a stop. The horse''s feet danced anxiously in place as Paen waited for Racqein to meet his gaze again. When Racqein finally looked him in the eye once more, Paen smiled. ¡°I want to help you and your sister, I really do. But I need to trust you and know your goals. But you¡¯ve been too strange and have lied so,¡± he glanced at Issa. With that signal, Issa pressed the the blade in until blood trickled down Racqein¡¯s neck. Racqein flinched and closed his eye, at once a scared child and the sight sent a pang to Paen¡¯s heart. Then Marisol grabbed his shirt with her rather tiny fists. He looked down and met her big, brown eyes, overflowing with tears, ¡°please, Paen, sir, I¡¯ll explain the eyes and everything just don¡¯t-¡± she choked, unable to finish. He let go of the reins with one hand, waving at Issa to tell him to ease up. Then he combed his hand through Marisol¡¯s hair, humming a song of prayer in hopes that it would calm her trembling. Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°It¡¯s Cruxion,¡± Racqein said, ¡°the eye, I mean.¡± Paen looked up at the boy, not stopping his attempts to soothe the young girl in front of him. Racqein had a hand over the small wound on his throat. ¡°Your little god?¡± If Racqein took offense at the word ¡®little¡¯ he didn¡¯t show it, nodding impassively. ¡°He lives inside of me. He has since I was a baby born without breath and my mother prayed to any man or god that would listen to save my life.¡±Racqein¡¯s eye flicked to the sword then back to Paen, ¡°the sword is his.¡± Despite the ridiculousness of the tale, Paen could tell it was the truth, or at least it was what the boy believed to be true... ¡°And why are you traveling on this road?¡± ¡°Cruxion wishes to rescue the Princess Eleisiya.¡± * The Priestess¡¯ eyes widened and for a few moments it seemed all she could say was ¡®oh¡¯. Orfen sighed. He put a hand over his bandaged wound and could almost feel the neat, careful stitches underneath. ¡°My name is Orfen and I¡¯ve lived in Takkam my whole life.¡± ¡°That¡¯s- I mean, I never heard of one of your kind doing more than just passing through on their way to the Inteba Peninsula.¡± Orfen gave her a wry smile, ¡°yes, well. That¡¯s probably where my family was headed when they got killed and I was left behind.¡± Her soft blue eyes filled with pity and she placed her rather icy fingers on his face. Orfen flinched and she hurriedly pulled her hands away, ¡°oh, I¡¯m sorry, I should have asked.¡± Orfen rolled his eyes, ¡°it¡¯s not... your fingers are just fucking freezing is all.¡± Finally, the Priestess¡¯ little apprentice girl found her courage and her tongue, ¡°if you could understand us the whole time, why did you attack me and run away?¡± When Orfen looked at her she flinched and shuffled to hide behind her master. Orfen sighed, ¡°I didn¡¯t attack you. I just pushed you out of the way. I didn¡¯t trust you. I still don¡¯t trust you to not report me to the city guard.¡± The girl stuck her head out from behind the Priestess, bristling with misplaced righteousness, ¡°have you done something wrong to fear the city guards.¡± ¡°Weres can get executed on the street cause something thought they looked a little shifty. I don¡¯t need to do anything wrong. Staining your dress with my blood would be enough for them.¡± The girl bit her lip and looked down and away, as if looking for a response. The Priestess looked back at the girl hiding behind her, then at Orfen, ¡°I promise you. You are free to revolver here in peace. Only the two of us will know you¡¯re here and we will report your whereabouts to no one.¡± ¡°Well... maybe not no one.¡± Orfen chewed worriedly on his bottom lip, ¡°if you see a tall, lanky Islander MorningSun with one eye traveling with a young Islander girl... you can tell them where to find me.¡± Chapter 14 Racqein always had pride in his ability to keep his emotions off his face but Paen put him to shame. Paen¡¯s smile was ever easy, friendly, and in-control as Racqein told him about Cruxion and his goals. As far as Racqein could tell Paen not only believed him but took it all in stride. At least Racqein was no longer being interrogated. The conversation moved on to lighter topics as Paen and Issa began telling Marisol various Kreishan stories and jokes. Every once in a while Issa or Paen would slip into their native tongue and say something that sent Paen¡¯s entourage into fits of laughter. No one spoke to Racqein which was just fine with him. It let him focus on scanning the tall grasses for any sign of Orfen. He kept ¡°adjusting¡± his eye patch, a clear signal. If Orfen could see him he would know it''s safe to approach cautiously. After about an hour of this, Paen looked back and said, ¡°why do you keep doing that? It can¡¯t be that uncomfortable.¡± Racqein¡¯s hands immediately dropped to his sides as if chastised. He hadn¡¯t even been aware of Paen noticing him. The interrogation begins again. ¡°You should tell him about Orfen... he might be able to help.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a lot to entrust him with.¡± ¡°Orfen could be dying...¡± Those words in his mind were like a punch to the gut. He jerked forward, almost doubling over. ¡°It¡¯s worth the risk.¡± Racqein¡¯s jaw tightened and his hands clenched into fists. Paen started to speak again, asking, ¡°are you-?¡± If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Racqein interrupted, ¡°it¡¯s a signal.¡± The warmth of Cruxion¡¯s approval filled his chest and emboldened him to keep talking even if his instincts screamed not to trust. ¡°Our friend was hurt by the soldiers and ran off. I¡¯m trying to tell him it¡¯s safe... If he can see me.¡± Paen raised an eyebrow, ¡°how badly hurt?¡± ¡°Not sure... it looked bad but...¡± ¡°What does your friend look like? Perhaps my men can search the grass fields for him.¡± This, Racqein hesitated to answer. Marisol¡¯s big brown doe eyes flicked between the two of them. When Paen looked about to say something else, she interjected, ¡°he¡¯s a werelion. He also has a cute, fluffy little golden-brown housecat form and in his human form he¡¯s a bit taller than me and a bit shorter than Racqein. His skin is pale, he has amber eyes, and his hair is blond and poofy.¡± She moved her hands around her head to mimic Orfen¡¯s hair. She dropped her hands into her lap and tacked onto the end of her rambling, ¡°his name is Orfen.¡± Paen stared down at her for a few moments as if processing. Then he raised his head and said some things in Kreishan. A few of his men peeled off, riding slowly into the tall grasses. He looked back at Marisol and then at Racqein, ¡°I¡¯ll let you know if we find any sign of your friend.¡± * Once the werecat had fallen back asleep, Marsa quietly departed her room, finding her apprentice waiting outside, nervously wringing her hands, ¡°Priestess, are you sure about this? Leaving him alone? What if he-¡± ¡°What?¡± Marsa shook her head at the girl, ¡°steals some ink and disappears into the night? There¡¯s not much damage he can do.¡± When Elle only chewed on her bottom lip in response, Marsa sighed. With a slightly exasperated smile, she reached out and smoothed down the flyaway hairs on the top of Elle¡¯s head. ¡°I¡¯ve kept you up too late. Go to sleep.¡± Marsa¡¯s hand heavy on her head, Elle looked up through her lashes, ¡°where are you going to sleep?¡± Marsa finished smoothing down Elle¡¯s hair and folded her hands in front of her stomach. ¡°A night long vigil in the shrine sounds quite nice.¡± Chapter 15 Racqein¡¯s trust in Paen was measured on ever shifting scales. And Paen dropped a heavy weight on the ¡®untrustworthy¡¯ side when they reached Engroch. ¡°This is too much. We can¡¯t accept.¡± Racqein kept his voice even and emotionless, an arm around Marisol to press her close to his side. Paen smiled like a charlatan, ¡°nonsense! A room is the least I can do.¡± Behind Racqein and Marisol¡¯s backs was an open door leading into a clean hotel room with two beds that were far nicer than anything the siblings had slept in before. ¡°The ¡®least you could do¡¯ was ignore us completely, you¡¯ve done more than enough. We should really focus on looking for Orfen...¡± Paen waved his hand dismissively, ¡°I could never ignore a couple of Kreishan children in distress. Now just rest for the night. You can look for your kitty cat in the morning.¡± ¡°He might be dead by morning.¡± Racqein took a small step forward and glanced around, Issa and another one of Paen¡¯s men were at the end of the hallway chatting in a way that almost seemed casual.... But not quite. You¡¯re being paranoid, Cruxion¡¯s voice said. ¡°I have some of my men still looking for him. If he can be found, they¡¯ll find him,¡± said Paen. ¡°And children need their rest.¡± The protest that he was not a child died on his lips as Paen slung an arm around him and gently pushed the two siblings into the room, ¡°just let the grown-ups deal with it.¡± This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. Paen let Racqein wriggle out from under his arm, ¡°tell me what you want. Now.¡± Marisol slid behind him, knowing his thoughts. Paen¡¯s eyes widened and he raised his hands, taking a few steps back towards the door. ¡°No need to look at me like that. All I want is for you...¡± Paen reached the door and started to swing it closed. ¡°... to stay out of my way.¡± Racqein bolted for the door, too late as the lock clicked into place. * A few hours into the night, Orfen woke up. His injury still ached but he felt like he regained some energy. He slid out of the bed and crept across the darkened room. Surprisingly the door opened easily, unlocked. With one hand on the wall he slowly made his way through the hallways. He was unconscious when he was brought in so he wasn¡¯t exactly sure where he was going. Between that woman¡¯s outfit and the walls around him he could tell he ended up in a temple to an Ascendant much more popular than Cruxion. After a few minutes that felt like hours, Orfen stumbled upon an open door, moonlight pouring out into the hall. As he approached he saw shadows moving. He slowed down, softened his steps. He wanted to take on his small cat form, it was far easier to move unnoticed or at least unhindered as a cat. He pressed a hand to the bandages around his torso. Shifting would definitely reopen his wound... if it was even actually closed. ¡°Please don¡¯t undo all my hard work by changing forms.¡± Orfen jumped, his tail going rigid, the end puffing up. The woman, the priestess, stood in the doorway, backlit by moonlight, her face in shadow, ¡°just walking around like that is bound to undo my work. Why don¡¯t you come in and rest for a little bit?¡± She held out a hand. Orfen¡¯s tail slowly relaxed and exhaustion flooded in, his wound throbbed. He sighed and took her hand. She gently led him into a room that was not unlike Cruxion¡¯s shrines. It was bigger; the room, the altar, the statue of a softly smiling woman. The priestess knelt down on one of the prayer mats closest to the altar and Orfen laid down on one behind her, quickly falling asleep. Chapter 16 Paen backed away from the door, ignoring the pounding of fists and the calling of his name from the other side of the wood. He walked down the hall to where Issa and Lineche waited. ¡°Keep looking for their werecat friend,¡± he ordered in a hushed tone and his mother tongue, ¡°let them out in a week or so and don¡¯t hinder them further from there but continue to watch their movements.¡± Lineche bowed, striding down the hall to stand guard at the hotel room door. ¡°My lord...¡± Issa began, pulling Paen¡¯s gaze to the older man, ¡°is this necessary? They are only a couple of children.¡± Paen leaned a hip against the wall and crossed his arms over his chest, ¡°kids who claim to have a god on their side...¡± Issa¡¯s frown lines and wrinkles looked deeper as he gave Paen a tired, withered look. Paen tilted his head to the side, averting his gaze, ¡°look... there¡¯s two possibilities. These are just two slightly strange children with a missing cat who might die if they continue on this path which would shatter my heart or...¡± Paen held out the word as he looked back at Issa again. ¡°The boy has an actual Ascendent in his head and they could rescue the princess before me and ruin my plans, ¡° he pushed away from the wall, ¡°either way, it¡¯s better to hinder their progress.¡± * ¡°Priestess... Priestess!¡± Marsa jolted awake, a warm hand on her shoulder. Her knees ached as she slowly came to in the prayer room. She raised her head, wincing at the crick in her neck and slowly tried to stand on tingling legs. She gave a gentle smile to the man, a frequent guest of the temple, that had awoken her, ¡°I can¡¯t believe I fell asleep like that. Truly embarrassing.¡± This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. The elderly man, Cerve, returned her smile, ¡°all I see is devotion so great that you prayed until you could not anymore. Nothing to be ashamed of... who¡¯s this?¡± Marsa¡¯s heart stopped as she all of a sudden remembered why she had fallen asleep outside of her quarters. She looked down at the curled up, still sleeping form of Orfen. His tail was wrapped around his body and tucked between his legs and when he laid on his side his hair fanned out enough that his ears blended in. Thankfully, Cerve¡¯s eyesight was poor and the incidental hiding of his cat features was enough for the old man to not notice he wasn¡¯t looking at a human. ¡°A poor, sick child that wandered in last night in search of shelter... Cerve, could you please relight the candles for me. I must get this child into a proper bed and freshen up a bit for the day.¡± ¡°It would be my honor, Priestess.¡± Once he turned his back to them and left to get the supplies, she scooped Orfen up in her arms, her back protesting the weight of the gangly teenager. She had only just straightened out when Orfen jerked awake, panic in his amber eyes. ¡°Shh...¡± Marsa hushed him, holding him tighter, ¡°pretend to be asleep and keep your tail tucked.¡± Orfen listened without question, his tail coming up between his legs, the fluffy part resting on his chest. Marsa¡¯s heart panged as she realized how often the poor boy likely had to hide himself. For the sake of both the boy and her back, Marsa beat a hasty retreat back to her quarters. She only got a few steps down the hall before a voice called out to her, ¡°Priestess, would you mind showing me what you have in those arms of yours?¡± Chapter 17 ¡°Priestess, would you mind showing me what you have in those arms of yours?¡± The Priestess¡¯ smooth steps slowed to a halt and her grip on Orfen tightened. Trying not to shake like a newborn kitten on a cold winter night, Orfen hugged his tail to his chest and flattened his ears as much as he could. The Priestess bounced him slightly to readjust her grip, turning his head into her chest and smashin his tail between their bodies. She also moved one of her hands to cover the base of his ears. It was an awkward way to be held and Orfen¡¯s abs burned with the effort of keeping himself still and ¡®relaxed.¡¯ The Priestess turned to face the man who called after her. Orfen wanted to look, wanted to see if the man was a soldier or civilian. But even if he was stupid enough to turn his head, he couldn¡¯t with the way she was holding him. In a tone that was soft and gentle, like a mother who had just finished rocking her baby to sleep, she said, ¡° a poor child who wandered into the temple, seeking shelter. He prayed with me all night. I want to bring him back to my quarters to rest.¡± Her voice was so incredibly fond and Orfen couldn¡¯t help but curl up and try to press himself in closer to her, hoping the man wouldn¡¯t notice. ¡°Ah... you truly are a kind soul, Priestess.¡± Why did he sound disdainful when he said that? Orfen dug his claws into his own arm to keep himself from shaking. ¡°I am merely a shadow of Vasara¡¯s goodness.¡± ¡°Hmm... Well, I¡¯m here to inform you that the trail of a fugitive was lost around the temple. We are searching for a young, blonde werelion... Not unlike the one ¡®sleeping¡¯ in your arms.¡± The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. * Marisol slowly sunk down onto the foot of the bed, her hands automatically coming up to tug at her braids. She winced as Racqein threw his body against the door. Onceand then again. She tucked her knees up under her chin and tilted her head to press her eyes into her kneecaps. That was a mistake. The image of Orfen bleeding and fleeing into the tall grasses flashed in her mind. She hugged her legs tighter to herself, unable to stop herself from imagining Orfen bleeding out in the grass, soldiers hunting him down. Racqein didn¡¯t tend to yell or curse too much so it startled Marisol into standing up when he shouted, ¡°fuck!¡± He was standing with his back to her, clutching one of his shoulders. ¡°What happened?¡± Marisol asked, walking around Racqein so she could face him. His eye flashed purple and Cruxion¡¯s smooth exasperated voice answered, ¡°the idiot dislocated his shoulder.¡± Racqein¡¯s eye settled back into gold and his whole face tensed, ¡°aren¡¯t you a god... get us out of here.¡± Cruxion¡¯s response was only for Racqein to hear but it made his face unpleasantly screw up even more. Marisol watched and waited for a few moments as Racqein¡¯s expression continually shifted, clearly having an argument with Cruxion. Eventually he seemed to forget about the pain and let go of his shoulder. ¡°At least fix your arm.¡± ¡°Right,¡± Racqein¡¯s eye flashed purple again and Cruxion took over in order to force Racqein¡¯s arm back in its socket but the hiss of pain that came out was Racqein¡¯s. Panting slightly, Racqein rolled his shoulder a few times then stood up straighter. He jerked his head to the side, ¡°get out of the way, Marisol.¡± Marisol stood up straighter as well, unable to match her brother¡¯s height at all. She balled up her skirt in her fists, ¡°what? No! I¡¯m not going to just step aside so you can keep hurting yourself!¡± ¡°We have to get out of here!¡± Marisol flinched as her brother raised his voice at her for the first time. ¡°There has to be another way!¡± she lowered her voice to make sure anyone guarding the door couldn¡¯t hear her, ¡°they¡¯ll have to open the door to give us food at some point. We¡¯ll escape then.¡± Once more, Marisol watched the subtle shifts in Racqein¡¯s face as he argued with Cruxion. Finally, Racqein sighed, shoulders slowly going down, ¡°fine.¡± Chapter 18 Orfen wrenched himself from Marsa¡¯s warm and protective embrace. He immediately dropped into a crouch upon hitting the ground, the fur on his tail poofing out, and a hiss pushing through his teeth. The man was a soldier. His armor was a bit different than the armor Orfen was used to seeing, likely the local armor of Engroch. Which meant he wasn¡¯t one of the ones that almost killed him... Not that it mattered. The soldier put his hand on his sword hilt. Orfen¡¯s teeth grew sharper in his mouth. Then Marsa stepped between the two of them, blocking Orfen¡¯s view of the soldier. ¡°I will not have violence in the Temple of Vasara. This boy has sanctuary.¡± ¡°A beast cannot have sanctuary.¡± ¡°And how do you define a beast?¡± Orfen started backing away slowly. ¡°You think he¡¯s not a beast cause he walks on two legs?¡± ¡°If he talks like a man and cries like a child then how am I supposed to see him as anything but a boy?¡± ¡°And yet he growls like a beast.¡± Though Orfen¡¯s view was blocked he distinctly heard the sound of a blade being drawn. He stood up, peeking around Marsa, ¡°are you seriously drawing your sword on a Priestess? And I¡¯m the beast?¡± The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. The soldier jerked back, dropping his sword, ¡°it.... It can speak?¡± * Racqein woke with a start, his eyes snapping open. ¡°Fuck.¡± ¡°You fell asleep,¡± Cruxion¡¯s voice so helpfully supplied. ¡°Putting all the blame on me? ¡°Fine, we fell asleep.¡± Racqein sat up, pushing dark brown locks out of his face. In front of the door sat two trays, with covered plates and bowls and a large carafe of water between them. With a groan Racqein patted Marisol¡¯s cheek and she curled up tighter, forehead pressed against his hip. He grabbed her shoulder and shook. She jolted awake, freezing immediately. After a few seconds of stillness she realized there was no danger and rolled onto her back with a yawn and a stretch. ¡°We missed our opportunity.¡± Marisol blinked sleepily up at him, ¡°wha...?¡± Racqein gestured at the tray of food. Marisol sat up. Her long brown hair was messy and falling out of her braid. Without thinking, Racqein reached up and started combing through her hair with his fingers, working out the knots. Marisol¡¯s shoulders slowly drooped and she sighed. Then she swung her legs off the side of the bed and stood, ¡°might as well eat!¡± Chapter 19 Sitting cross-legged across from each other on the bed, knees touching, Racqein and Marisol ate in silence. The food was room temperature but still surprisingly good and filling. Every few bites Racqein glanced at the door but nothing ever changed. ¡°What about the window?¡± Marisol said suddenly, her voice so quiet that if they were sitting any farther apart he probably wouldn¡¯t have heard her. ¡°It¡¯s too small.¡± Marisol moved a bit of porridge around with her spoon, ¡°for you. Not for me.¡± Racqein¡¯s brows furrowed, ¡°we¡¯re three stories up.¡± ¡°There are some bushes below. They¡¯ll break my fall.¡± Racqein stared at her silently, ¡°...no.¡± Marisol tugged on one of her braids, accidentally pulling off her ribbon and frowning when the braid began to unravel. ¡°Orfen might be bleeding out in a field, you already dislocated you shoulder... I just wanna do something to help.¡± ¡°What are you planning to do? Even if you land without snapping your ankles, what are you going to do? Are you going to fight the man guarding our room? Find Orfen all by yourself?¡± Even though Racqein kept his tone even and quiet, tears still sprang to Marisol¡¯s eyes and her bottom lip quivered. ¡°You could help me plan instead of just rejecting my idea completely!¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Before Racqein could respond, there was a knock at the door. Both siblings turned their heads to stare at the locked door. After a few seconds of silence, there was another knock. ¡°What?¡± Racqein asked flatly. ¡°Cat. Here.¡± Came the thickly accented voice through the door, the man clearly not as fluent in Takkorik as Paen or Issa. The man¡¯s attempts to communicate were followed up by a more familiar voice, ¡°uh... Racqein, Marisol? Are you in there?¡± * Orfen took the opportunity to run. The minute the soldier¡¯s sword hit the ground, he was off. The man swung his arm wildly at him and Orfen ducked to avoid his arm. He ran as fast as he could, ignoring the ache in his chest. Behind him he could hear the soldier shouting, ¡°let go!¡± Orfen wasn¡¯t sure where he was going but he wasn¡¯t going to waste his headstart. He took each turn decisively, not hesitating once. Perhaps he was aware enough when that girl was carrying him through the halls that he subconsciously memorized the path. All his quick decisions seemed to be the right ones and he soon found himself in the main part of the temple. A wide open room, lined with art and statues of the Ascendent Vasara. Cushions for kneeling and praying wee spread evenly across the floor, a few of them occupied even at this early morning hour. Orfen came out of the hallways behind the podium that the Priestess would lead rituals and ceremonies from. And he directly faced the large double doors that led outside. He only paused to catch his breath for a second before running for them. He ripped the cloak off a temple-goer as he passed by, throwing an apology over his shoulder at their indignant, ¡°hey!¡± He burst out of the doors at full speed, taking a sharp turn and ducking into an alley to throw the cloak over himself once out of sight, only to run directly into a burly, dark-skinned Islander man holding dried fish. He scowled at Orfen but when he saw Orfen¡¯s ears, his eyes widened, ¡°Orfen?¡± Orfen frowned, resisting the urge to take a step back and into the main road. ¡°Yeah...?¡± The man pointed to a building in the distance and said, ¡°Racqein, Marisol.¡± Chapter 20 Orfen was a frequent risk taker. Whether it was eating moldy food, climbing to the rafters of Cruxion¡¯s shrine for a nap, or merely stepping outside when human/were tensions were high. Risks didn¡¯t usually play out in his favor. He got sick, he fell, he got followed by the city guard. And yet when a stranger who he couldn''t properly communicate with told him where Racqein and Marisol were, he had to take the risk and follow. Orfen kept his head down, his hood up, and his tail still as he followed the strange man through side streets and alleys to an inn. He pulled his makeshift cloak around himself tighter as he followed the man up the stairs and to a closed door that another man was guarding. The man knocked on the door. Racqein¡¯s voice came muffled from the other side, ¡°what?¡± ¡°Cat. Here.¡± said the man who led Orfen. Orfen decided to nip any confusion in the bud by speaking up, ¡°uh... Racqein, Marisol? Are you in there?¡± * ¡°Orfen! Are you alright?¡± Marisol practically fell off the bed in her attempt to run for the door. ¡°Yeah, I mean I¡¯m hurt but I¡¯ll live.¡± Marisol pressed against the door. Racqein slowly stood and walked to the door, pulling her back away from the door when he heard the key enter the lock. He put his hand on the hilt of his sword, his eye turning purple as Cruxion took over. The door opened and Cruxion took barely half a second to confirm that it wasn¡¯t Orfen behind the door before he swung his sword. Marisol was still standing close enough tha she could feel the air through her hair as he swung. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The Islander man jerked backwards, the deadly swing still slicing deeply into his arm. His cry of pain was choked off when Cruxion pointed the tip of his sword at his throat. Orfen¡¯s eyes went wide and his hair stood on end, ¡°uh... Cruxion?¡± he asked in a high-pitched squeak. ¡°Run.¡± Cruxion barked in a slightly deeper version of Racqein¡¯s voice. Without hesitation, Orfen reached his hand around behind Cruxion and grabbed a shocked Marisol¡¯s arm, dragging her into a full sprint down the hallway. When the other Kreishan tried to follow them Cruxion pressed his sword harder against his friend¡¯s throat until a little bead of blood formed at the tip. Once he could hear Orfen and Marisol running down the stairs, he made a break for it, shoving the men aside with more strength than the scrawny 16 year old Racqein should have in his body. Orfen could feel his wound reopen, blood seeping through his shirt and pouring down his side. Marisol gradually picked up the pace to keep up with him. He took the stairs two at a time. At the bottom step, Marisol cried out in pain and paused. Orfen didn¡¯t look back and didn¡¯t let go of Marisol¡¯s hand. A rolled ankle would have to wait. Cruxion leapt from the middle stair to the ground, closing some of the distance between himself and the others. Outside the inn, chased by the shouting foreigners, Cruxion overtook Orfen and Marisol, saying, ¡°keep up.¡± as he passed. Cruxion ran a random pattern through the streets, just slow enough that the injured werecat and young girl could stay on his heels as the voices chasing after them grew quieter and quieter. Finally, they stopped in an alley, his eye fading back to Racqein¡¯s gold. With a deep breath, Racqein turned to face the younger two, his calm facade cracking when he saw Orfen slumped against a wall, blood dripping from his side. ¡°Shit, are you alright?¡± Orfen smiled, ¡°just fine,¡± but when he tried to stand up straight, his legs buckled and he fell. ¡°Orfen!¡± Chapter 21 Marsa had held on tight to the soldier¡¯s arm as Orfen ran. ¡°Let go!¡± The man barked at her, but she held on anyway. ¡°I will not abide violence against children in a Temple of Vasara!¡± ¡°It is a beast and a thief!¡± ¡°Some thief! He had not a thing worth stealing on him!¡± The soldier finally managed to wrench himself free, pushing Marsa away. ¡°It has fled. It can not claim sanctuary out there.¡± He turned sharply and marched away. After catching her breath, Marsa followed. Orfen was clearly faster than the two of them, by the time they were outside the temple the werecat was nowhere to be seen. The soldier cursed under his breath, jogging out into the main road, stopping people to ask them questions. Marsa waited until she could no longer see him to start her own search. Please, Vasara, let me find him first. * Marisol breathed slow and steady through her mouth to keep from retching. She could hardly stand just the sight or smell of blood but now she had it seeping through her fingers as she tried to press it back into Orfen¡¯s body. Orfen laid half in her lap, pale and still as death. ¡°Racqein!¡± she whisper-yelled over her shoulder. Racqein stood at the mouth of the alley, his back against a wall as he looked out cautiously into the main road. His hand curled against the wood at his back, his nails digging grooves into it. ¡°They are still looking for us. If we move it has to be deliberate and quick.¡± He slunk along the wall back towards Marisol and crouched down next to her. ¡°Can you carry him?¡± she asked. Racqein grimaced, ¡°not easily. We¡¯d be slow and obvious... Do you have any clean clothes in your bag to wrap his wound with?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know we were running so-¡± ¡°Your bag is back at the inn.¡± Racqein finished for her with a sigh. A little help would be appreciated, Racqein snarked at the man that had gotten them into this mess in the first place but Cruxion was completely silent.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Marisol interrupted his attempts to communicate with Cruxion, ¡°what about your MorningSun blood? Can¡¯t you heal him?¡± Racqein looked up from glaring at the dirt. ¡°Medicinal blood won¡¯t close a wound.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you at least try?¡± Desperation and fear made her voice climb higher and louder. Racqein shushed her, ¡°it won¡¯t help.¡± ¡°Oh!¡± At the sound of a shocked voice above them, Racqein jumped to his feet and brandished Cruxion¡¯s sword at the stranger, hoping they couldn¡¯t tell that he did not know what he was doing. The older woman wearing white and blue priestess robes raised her hands, ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± Her eyes flicked down to Orfen on the ground and Racqein slid to the side to block him from view. She looked back up at Racqein¡¯s face and raised her eyebrows beseechingly, ¡°Orfen is already my patient, I¡¯d rather not watch him bleed out this close to my temple.¡± * After nearly an hour of searching, Marsa took notice of a strange sight in an alley, surprisingly close to the Temple. Two Islanders crouched over a prone and bleeding body. At first sure she was seeing the aftermath of a robbery gone wrong, she almost screamed for help. But then she heard one of the Islanders speak with the unmistakable voice of a little girl, ¡°...you heal him?¡± The other Islander responded in a low tone that Marsa couldn¡¯t quite make out. She took a few steps into the alley. At first glance the quieter Islander looked like a frightening fellow with an eyepatch and a bejeweled and bloody sword in his hands, but as she got closer she could see that he was also barely an adult. ¡°Can¡¯t you at least try?¡± the girl begged. The young man shushed her, ¡°it won¡¯t help.¡± Marsa got closer and switched her gaze to study the bleeding figure... and saw the face she was looking for, ¡°Oh!¡± The young man¡¯s response was quick and defensive. In the blink of an eye he was standing with his sword pointed, shaking, at her chest. She put her hands up and said sincerely, ¡°I won¡¯t hurt you.¡± She glanced down at Orfen and the young man slid protectively between her and the injured werecat. She looked back up to the young man¡¯s face and into his golden eye. ¡°Orfen is already my patient, I¡¯d rather not watch him bleed out this close to my temple.¡± Orfen¡¯s friend lowered his sword but his face didn¡¯t lose its cloud of suspicion. ¡°You know Orfen?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve met him.¡± ¡°You helped him?¡± Marsa nodded, ¡°will you help him again?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Somewhat reluctantly, the young man turned his back to Marsa and bent down to pick Orfen up. He turned back to her, his expression still dark and cloudy but he said, ¡°lead the way.¡± Chapter 22 The golden-eyes stare of a Sun was intense, but with how on edge the boy was, Marsa didn''t feel like she could really ask the poor boy to leave. So she tried to simply ignore him as she resewed Orfen''s stitches. Out of the corner of her eye, Marsa saw Racqein crouch far too close, his eye fixed on her face, then looking down at her hands, before looking back at her face again. Marisol, on the other hand, held her gaze on Orfen''s face, periodically wiping the sweat from his brow with a hankerchief. Finally, she finished the last stitch, exhaling all her held breath in one go. "He should take it easy. Stitching the same wound three times seems like it''d be bad luck." Before she had even finished speaking, Racqein asked, or rather, demanded, "how long?" Marsa was a tad shocked at the impatience in his tone and took too long to respond. Only when Racqein crossed his arms over his chest, did she remember to respond, "a few days at least, though I would prefer he rest longer." Racqein''s face was largely impassice, but at her words he started chewing on his bottom lip. Feeling a pang of sympathy, Marsa added, "of course, he¡­ all three of you, can stay here while he recovers. There are plenty of places to sleep here in the temple¡­ And plenty of places to hide if it comes to that." Racqein tensed and for a moment, Marsa thought he was about to start running. Then he glanced down at Orfen''s unconcious face, the werecat''s brow furrowed as Marisol pet his hair in an attempt to be soothing. Racqein relaxed as he looked back at Marsa. "Alright." "Racqein." Marisol suddenly spoke up. Her hands were balled into fists, pressing into the pillow under Orfen''s head. "When Orfen is better¡­ maybe we should just go home?" "You two should go home. I never wanted you to come in the first place." Marisol pressed down on the pillow harder, Orfen''s head rolling into the divot she created. She didn''t look up as she responded, "Paen, he¡­" she glanced at Marsa then swallowed, "he''s after the same thing as you and he has a lot more help. And a head start. You should leave it to him." Marsa sat impossibly still as Marisol''s words hung in the air, afraid that if she moved at all something would break. Likely one of the poor children. "I''ll think about it." is what Racqein said after a rather too long pause. Marisol squeezed her eyes shut and pushed herself to her feet. "I''ll be back," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest and shuffling quickly out the door.Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Racqein turned his head o watch her leave but otherwise didn''t move. After a few moments of contemplative silence, Marsa cleared her throat. Racqein''s head snapped to her, as if he had completely forgotten she was there. "I hope it''s not rude to ask but what kind of Sun are you?" Racqein just stared at her for a minute. Marsa waited patiently, hands folded in her lap. Finally, he said, "I''m a MorningSun." Marsa clapped her hands excitedly, loud enough that Racqein flinched, though she didn''t notice, and stood up. "Perfect! Would you consider giving some blood to Orfen?" Racqein shook his head, "my blood won''t close a wound." "No, it won''t," Marsa conceded with a nod, taking a step towards him, "but it will stave off infection and might replenish the blood he''s lost." "I¡­" Racqein''s eyes flicked to Orfen''s pale, unconscious face. He chewed his bottom lip as he hesitated. "I won''t make you if you are uncomfortable." Marsa held her hands up and took a step back again. Racqein closed his eyes and took a deep breath, before striding up to Orfen''s bedside. He raised the sword he had not once let go of and sliced open his wrist. He ignored Marsa''s alarmed, "oh!" and pressed the cut to Orfen''s slightly parted lips. For a second, Orfen didn''t swallow and Marsa worried she''d have to step in or Racqein''s precious blood would be wasted but then Orfen''s throat bobbed and both Marsa and Racqein''s shoulders relaxed. After a few seconds, Racqein''s blood flow slowed down and he pulled his arm into his chest. "I could''ve helped you do that less messily," Marsa scolded, walking around the bed to approach Racqein, "let me see your arm, I''ll bandage it." She stepped up to him, hand outstretched. Racqein backed away, holding his hand tighter to himself. Marsa raised an eyebrow, "you let me help Orfen, let me help you." Racqein''s eye twitched but he held out his arm to her, his jaw tightening at her warm smile. * Racqein sat in a chair blocking the doorway, facing Orfen''s sleeping form, one knee hugged to his chest. He slid his fingers under the edge of his eyepatch and pulled it off, shaking his hair out. He stared down at the eyepatch in his hand and spoke into the silence. "Cruxion¡­ are you back?" I never left. Racqein clnchd his fist around the small chunk of cloth, "then why didn''t you help?" If I control your body too long, I risk being unable to return it. Racqein''s right eye glowed purple as Cruxion spoke, illuminating the barren room and Orfen''s unconscious body on the bed. Racqein bit his bottom lip, no longer speaking out loud, next time, prioritize Orfen and Marisol''s safety. I will not. The prayer I answered was for your life and no one else''s¡­ besides there was little more I could do anyways. Racqein pulled his other leg up onto the chair, hugging his shins and pressing his forehead to his knees. Maybe we should go home¡­ Do you wish to leave the princess in the hands of someone who locked you up? Racqein rubbed the cloth eyepatch between his thumb and forefinger. I really don''t care about some girl I''ve never met. Savin her would change you life. All your lives¡­ There is salvation in glory. Chapter 23 "Ugh!" Orfen threw the book down on the floor and rolled over, turning his back on it. He glared at the opposite wall, bottom lip jutted out, and arms crossed. "Come on, Orfen, that''s no way to treat any book, let alone a sacred text." Behind Orfen there was a rustling as Marsa bent down to pick up the thrown away book. Orfen relaxed marginally when Marsa''s fingers combed through his loose curls to scratch at the base of his ears. Orfen uncrossed his arms, holding himself more loosely but not yet turning over to face her. "Perhaps Vasara''s writings are a tad too dif-boring for you. I''ll find you something else." "Don''t bother." Orfen turned his face down into the pillow, muttering, "I can''t really read well anyways." Marsa''s hand followed Orfen''s head, not relenting on the comforting scratches, "you may only have a few days with me but I can teach-" Orfen interrupted her with a derisive snort, pulling his ears out of her gentle hold with a harsh jerk of his head. "Racqein, Marisol, Cruxion all tried and couldn''t teach me, I doubt you can in less than a week." Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. The bed dipped as Marsa took a seat. "If reading is so hard for you, why did you ask to borrow a book?" Orfen flopped onto his back, now able to look at Marsa, his hip pressed against hers. "Most books in a temple are about its Ascendant. You are the first human besides Racqein and Marisol to be kind to me. I wanted to¡­ " Marsa tilted her head to the side, raising a curious eyebrow but waiting patiently, "anytime anyone owes Marisol a favor she always makes them listen to her talk about Cruxion, buy her talismans, pray to him. Thought it would be a good way to repay a Priestess since I don''t have any money." The last syllable of his statement was drowned out by Marsa''s laughter, "Vasara has plenty of worshipers, sweet boy, and I need no repayments." Orfen frowned, feeling a tad disappointed. Marsa stopped laughing, her eyes still bright, and her smile still wide, "if you are simply curious, I can tell you some stories about her." Orfen smiled, though his smile quickly grew tight at the edges, "aren''t you busy?" Marsa crossed her legs, settling in more comfortably, "I am a Priestess, it is my job to preach. It does not matter to me whether I am speaking before a crowd of Vasara''s worshipers or to one curious werecat." Chapter 24 Racqein could feel his ears burning, glad his shaggy hair concealed any discoloration. His blood helped Orfen heal, even more than Marsa had anticipated. And so when the priestess suggested Racqein give him a little more, he was happy to. Unfortunately, unlike last time, Orfen was fully awake and Marsa insisted that Racqein didn''t need to slice open his wrist, that pricking his finger would be enough. That meant he had to hold his hand out over Orfen''s open mouth. Orfen caught the first drop on his tongue then grimaced against the taste. Racqein couldn''t stop the second drop from falling from his hand onto Orfen\s closed and pursed lips, staining them red. After a brief moment of hesitation, Orfen''s tongue darted out to lick it away and Racqein''s ears really started to burn. Ah¡­ Cruxion''s voice tickled the back of Racqein''s brain. Racqein''s hand twitched, his next drop of blood missing Orfen''s mouth entirely. What do you mean ''ah''? Racqein demaned of the god in his head. Nothing, nothing at all. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Hey! Racqein retreated into his mind to yell at Cruxion only to be dragged back to awareness by something warm and wet wrapping around his throbbing finger. With his senses once more directed outwards, he saw his finger disappearing into Orfen''s mouth. Orfen''s eyebrows were pinched against the unpleasantness, though Racqein struggled to find it truly unpleasant. Teenagers¡­ Cruxion scoffed with mild disgust within Racqein''s mind. Racqein frowned, his other fingers twitching against Orfen''s chin, "what are you doing?" Orfen opened his mouth and Racqein took his hand back, hugging it to his chest. "It was so slow and you kept movoing around and wasting it. Or as Cruxion would say, it was inefficient," Orfen''s Cruxion voice just sounded like Racqein. Racqein wiped Orfen''s saliva off on his shirt, leaving a little red dot of his own blood on the light yellow cloth, "well it was gross and I''m not giving you anymore blood." Orfen stuck out his tongue, the center of it stained bright crimson. "Whatever. I think it''s enough anyway." Orfen unfolded his legs and stood with a bounce in his heels, "I''m going to go listen to Marsa''s sermon." Orfen''s tail brushed Racqein''s thigh as he rushed past, probably a little too fast for the wounds on his side. I seem to be losing one of my followers. Cruxion mused. Racqein stared out the open door until he could no longer hear Orfen''s bare feet on the floor. Now would be a good time to leave. Orfen is clearly feeling better, Marisol is distracted. Racqein shook his head. We''ll go tonight.