The Lands of Ralosia & Ranuulo (Books 1-3)

Khalm Chapter 3- Nega

~Chapter 3- Nega~

Aero and Gweneva made their way through the Khalm, keeping their distance from any of the other prisoners. Without a view of the sky, they lost sense of how much time passed. Aero's stomach began to growl, and he felt parched.

Thin vents in the ceiling opened, and water seeped through it into several reservoirs. The two hurried and drank as much as they could before they heard others approaching. They fled and could hear fighting where the water fell.

Hatches dotting the ceiling opened up, dropping in the carcasses of slain creatures. They fell into communities that rested beneath each of the hatches. It was a food drop. It looked like gangs within the Khalm formed up beneath the hatches so they'd get the first pick of whatever food came through.

Aero and Gweneva found a decrepit and overturned building within the Khalm, one that they figured they'd be able to rest in; they'd been going nonstop since the attack on the woods. They'd find some form of food later.

"I hope everyone from the woods is doing okay," Gweneva remarked sadly, "I just can't stop thinking about them."

Aero said, "All the more reason to get out of here as soon as we can!"

"I'm not sure we'll be able to..."

Aero stepped into the overturned building, "We'll figure something-"

Suddenly, a burst of yellow light came from the building and collided with Aero, sending him flying back through the dirt.

Another burst of light rocketed from the building, and Aero rolled out of its path. He looked at the building and saw a floating figure with luminescent yellow eyes.

It was a Ranuulan, but he didn't look quite right. It had a spotted body, pale face, and ebon black arms and legs like any other Ranuulan. But its proportions were strange, its arms and legs were short, and its head was large for its body, with blonde hair matting its head. It had an imp-like appearance and youthful features.

"Go away!" The yellow-eyed Ranuulan flourished his hand, and several bursts of yellow light rocketed from him. He was using Focus, quite proficiently too.

Aero darted around the Focus Bursts and punched the air, propelling his own red Focus bursts back at the Ranuulan, who levitated through the air to avoid them.

He can fly just like Valr.

Gweneva climbed the building and shot webbing down at the Ranuulan, and Aero closed in. They both struck him at the same moment, sending him careening down.

Gweneva covered him in webbing while he was down, effectively adhering him to the ground. The Ranuulan screamed and wriggled to try and break from his bonds.

Aero knelt near the odd-looking Ranuulan, "Calm down, calm down! We're not going to hurt you. We can get you out of that, you just have to promise not to attack us again!"

The Ranuulan boy stared incredulously, "Are you serious?"

Gweneva said, "Yeah, as long as you don't attack us again..."

The boy looked between Aero and Gweneva. He hesitantly nodded.

"Okay, let me get you out of there," Aero reached for the threads of webbings that restrained the boy, but he shook his head.

"I can get out myself, just step back."

The boy flexed, and yellow light emanated from his body. The threads that restrained him burst apart, and he stood from the ground, dusting the dirt and webs off him.

Aero was impressed; he hadn't seen anyone use Focus so effortlessly. His breathing wasn't strained at all either. Aero asked, "What's your name?"

The boy paused before answering, "I'm Nega. What about you two?"

"I'm Aero."

"I'm Gweneva."

Nega nodded his head and gestured to the overturned building, "Would you like to come inside?"

The three headed inside the makeshift home. There was a mound of dirt which acted as a bed. He saw a series of scaly tails set inside the building, and his stomach began to growl.

"Are you hungry?" Nega asked.

Aero nodded emphatically, and Gweneva shrugged. Nega grabbed two of the tails and tossed them to them. Nega bit into one of the tails himself and swallowed.

Aero didn't hesitate to bite into the tail and swallow it down. The meat was gamey, but with the situation they were in, he couldn't be picky.

Gweneva more carefully bit at the tail. After tasting it, she asked, "What is this the tail of?"

Nega chewed what he had in his mouth and swallowed before answering, "A Regenek."

Aero stopped chewing, and Gweneva vehemently spit out what she had, "You eat Regenek!?"

"What? They grow their tails back anyways," Nega argued, "It's the only way to survive in a place like this."

Gweneva set the tail she was given on the ground, "I'm not hungry anymore."

Aero paused, unsure of whether to spit the food from his mouth... The Regenek tail. A tail like Iggy's. It felt... gross to eat the tail of a person. But he was hungry. He slowly munched down on what was still in his mouth, swallowed it, then set the remainder of the tail to the side.

"You two are new here?" Nega asked.

"Yes. Been in here for... maybe a day."

"That explains why you look so well fed. What got you thrown in here?" Nega levitated in the air, crossing his stubby legs in the air, and placing his hands on his knees.

"We tried to kill King Zantii." Gweneva answered.

Nega's eyes widened, "You fought Zantii, and he didn't kill you?"

"Yeah. Someone protected us. We were no match for him on our own," Aero answered, thinking back to their fight. If not for that Lunahreim guy, they might've been killed.

"What about you? How did you end up in the Khalm?"

"My master had me thrown in here after I rebelled," Nega said through gritted teeth and hate-filled eyes.

"Master?" Gweneva asked.

"I've been a slave most of my life."

Nega elaborated that due to his impish appearance, his parents sold him off to a slave master, and he spent most of his life living under them.

"My master named me Nega. As in negative. Worth less than nothing," Nega explained, "They were cruel. But as I grew, I discovered my own latent power. I decided to fight back, but I still wasn't strong enough. If I ever get out of here, I'm taking my revenge on that slavemaster."

"We'll get out," Aero said without a trace of doubt in his voice, "My cousin Jirro is on the outside, and he'll figure out a way to rescue us. He's smart."

Gweneva eyed Nega, "This plan you have for getting revenge on your master... what do you have in mind?"

Nega smirked, "I have something hidden away outside of the Khalm. Something that should make me even more powerful. The slave master and his cronies won't be able to stop me then."

Aero and Gweneva looked at one another. Both of them had one person in mind, "Any chance we could use that against King Zantii?"

Nega raised his brow, "If your cousin actually manages to break us free, I'll be happy to help you out."