Syrilth; A Dei Realm Tale

Chapter Six

My head whipped to the other side of the tree I hid behind. "Why are you doing this to us?" a young girl with wings of the night sky, sobbed. Those wings that had captured the stars above drooped, her tears falling faster. I started when I recognized those wings, memorable because they belonged only to those of the royal family of the First Kingdom.

"Shut up before those monsters hear you," a man snarled out of sight, yanking rope that trailed along the ground in front of her. She stumbled to her knees without her cries ceasing, her torso bowing forward as she mourned. I watched as a booted foot kicked her until she collapsed, trembling hands covering my mouth to keep myself silent.

"Enough," someone else ordered, the abuse immediately halting as the command rang out. Snow crunched underneath footsteps that approached where the girl lay prone. I couldn't make out any distinct features due to the distance between us, whoever now stood before her little more than a blur. They crouched, grabbing the girl's chin in a ruthless grip that lifted her upper body from the ground. "One of you will be the recipient of the guardian's powers tonight," the man spoke in a cruel, taunting tone. "But it seems it won't be her."

She let out a choked scream, struggling against the rope that bound her. He laughed as she fought in vain, carelessly dropping her as he straightened. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you all for what you've done to her!" she screamed, the light that twinkled from the stars in her wings eclipsing the night. I turned away to protect my eyes, nausea churning my stomach as the man's vile laughter coated my skin.

If I'd had any doubt about her identity before, the magic that shined like the sun from her confirmed which family she belonged to. It was infamous throughout the realm, how the family who ruled the First Kingdom all possessed magic that was like the sun itself. My chest ached as I gazed at the tiny, broken figure the girl promised retribution for. Their soul no longer whispered in my ear, and I wondered if she had finally moved on to the afterlife. I prayed she had.

I couldn't leave the princess in their clutches, especially if what they had said earlier was true. But would they still be here if I left to get help? Was there anyone alive who could help if I went back to the village? Killian was unreachable, the impenetrable silence from him boding ill. I rubbed the ache in my chest as my thoughts sprinted to and fro, a solution nowhere to be found. As quickly as it had appeared, the princess' light vanished. Multi-colored dots flashed in my vision as the darkness rushed back in. What happened? I panicked as I waited impatiently for my eyes to adjust.

She was upright, chest heaving as if she had run a great distance. Eerie silence rang loudly in my ears. Carefully, when only her labored breaths could be heard for several long minutes, I peeked around the tree. Two figures were sprawled, unconscious from the way they laid. My heart thundered as I realized the opportunity in front of me. Clumsily, I scrambled to the larger of the two, pausing to take in the features of our enemy. A hooked nose, broken numerous times from the way it pointed to the left. Harsh features, a heavy brow bone protruding and casting a shadow over closed eyes.

Cruelty spoke in his face, even while unconscious. My hands shook as I grappled with releasing the sword at his side from his belt. Terror that this giant of a man would wake up while we were still so close made my actions jerky. Curses left me in an anxious spew as I stood and stumbled with the weight of his great sword. Neither of the unconscious figures moved, yet my panic worsened. A clock ticked menacingly in my head while I adjusted my grip. It was only a matter of time before they awoke, and we needed to be far away when they did.

I cast a glance over to the other as I shuffled to the princess, freezing in place after I had done so. Grimlocks, much like the demons, hadn't been seen in the realm for centuries. Creatures that kept to the World Below mainly due to their vulnerability to light, partially due to their deep suspicion of anything that existed outside their society. The chance of meeting one that willingly followed someone outside of their own kind was simply unheard of. Yet here one was, mere feet away. The gray, scaly skin that sagged within its trousers and tunic made it look like it was playing dress up of what it had once been. Human. It didn't have a weapon, so I maintained my distance, glancing over occasionally as I laid a gentle hand on the princess' shoulder.