Darak 1 - Smoke and Flame: Part 1

CHAPTER 11

After a long slumber, Darak had silently removed his friend from the battlefield and carried the corpse over his shoulder from the mountains to the woods where he was born.

With a lantern by his side, he sat under a tree and pondered the past.

Alone again. He wished his parents could've met Kiev. He wished Kiev could have shared a life with him. Someone who was neither afraid of him nor wanted his strength for coin. Those were the moments he'd remember and cherish. Not the bloody war fought in the mountains, not the amazing sex, but the brief moments. Kiev cooking and just talking about anything.

He hated Queen Adina. Hated how she treated her brother, hated how she ruled.

Did he want to kill the queen? Did he want her to suffer and beg for her life? Perhaps slightly, however, as Darak investigated the dark trees and to the black sky dotted with beautiful stars and thought of peace, the more he really didn't want to go back there. The more he felt that moving on would be best.

To get his mind off his troubles, Darak spent the rest of the evening lifting rocks and placing them at Kiev's burial spot. As a sort of grave. He worked and worked and sweat poured down his arms-the less horrible he felt. The less angry and vengeful he was.

Within his sadness, he knew he wanted to move on.

He didn't want to be in Sitka anymore. He wanted new experiences, new meaning.

As the sun rose, Darak took another look at the lake where his cabin used to stand.

He bathed for a few hours, getting the thick mud and blood off completely.

After hours of cleaning in the beautiful water, standing on the shore, the humanoid bull looked to one side and found an abandoned rowboat. How long had it been there? Not long, by the looks of it. Only a few days old. As he walked to the boat, he found no holes, and he found a single large paddle.

With a grunt, he pulled the rowboat into the shallow water. His bulky arms ached, but it was worth it.

He sat in the middle of the dinghy, and with the paddle, began leaving Sitka.

The waters were calm today, the air was soft, little splashes and from fish nearby kept the minotaur company as he pushed further and further into the lake.

No destination.

No quest.

Justhim alone. Longing for a new companion.