Making Shadowed Promises

Quick Glossary:

Prometre: City of Promise

Myere: City of Making

Shridao: City of Shadow

Carriers: A pregnant woman

Youth: Children

Fyrath: Hell

As I take in the sight of my fallen kin, I clutch the bold blue flag in my hands. The golden symbol is stained with blood, and through the gore I can recognize its origin. Rage pulls itself from the deepest corners of my soul. It pours from me in a howl to the gods. In the raw shaking tenor of my voice is a promise of vengeance. A promise to look down on the Myerian King and watch him choke on his own blood after killing his entire army. Locus will not escape my wrath, and neither will all those he calls kin. I, Helikika Prometre, King of the Prometrians, will avenge this travesty.

---

It has been 56 days since the slaughter of my people, and I have finally reached the border of Myere. I have changed my hair and covered my visage with dirt. I have changed into the rags of a vagabond and left my shoes on the battlefield. Nights have been cold, and I have been hungry, but I learned to hunt with my bare hands when I was a youth. No one will question me here. People journey to Myere to make something of their lives, to be bigger than they were. The border patrol doesn't glance at me any longer than it takes to sneer at my dirtied appearance. Not a single one of the Myeriens suspects any of us survived. They would never guess that the last survivor of the Prometrians was directly beneath their noses, nor that she was the king. Their naivety will be my security.

---

It has been 59 days since the Slaughter. I have procured a space to live and will leave to hunt soon so I have skins and food to trade. I will also collect deadly herbs. I will blend with the people and in a few days the killings will start. The Myeriens are unaware the Prometrians had an alliance with the Shridans. I have been trained in the arts of deception and invisibility. There are no better assassins than the people of Shridao, and I have been trained by them. I will wipe out the entirety of Myere before they even know I exist.

---

It has been 64 days since the Slaughter. I approach my first target. A youth. No one heard me enter. I am silent on my feet and my presence is undetectable. Looking at the girl before me, I think of the youth taken from Prometre, sent to see the other side before their time. I think of the families ruthlessly massacred, and it's easy to dump the herbs down the youth's throat. I whisper almost silently into her ear before I leave.

"May your journey to the other side be peaceful, and may the gods welcome you with joy."

---

The first time I saw him, something hitched in my chest. Something that whispered softly into my ear that he would be the death of me. I ignored it.

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It has been 109 days since the Slaughter. The Myeriens are convinced a plague has overtaken them. Most of the youth are either dead or sick, and the adults are starting to fall as well. It brings me great joy to see them look to their King for guidance in these difficult times. I would like to use a bloodier method, but I can't risk giving myself away. I am the only person who can seek vengeance, everyone else is dead. I turn my thoughts back to the present when I hear footsteps.

A man is approaching. His clothes are that of a commoner, but it is blatantly obvious from the way he holds himself, that he comes from status. His chin is held high, his back is straight, and he walks with a confidence that tells anyone with eyes he feels entitled to the ground he walks on.