Elven Legacy

Chapter 55

Kili

Between the Twin Rivers – two small inlets that forked south from the Drisia River's main course – Kili and Affi lay resting in the shade of a thicket of acacias. The unyielding glare of the zenith sun made it impossible to do much else.

Kili was hoping to make it to the East Coast town of Vustormi in two days, or three at most. Then from there, she would sail to Chyulin.

"Still a long way to go for me," Kili said softly, caressing Affi's neck. "But for you, it will be over soon."

Affi let out a low snort of appreciation for the caress. Kili smiled, and turned her gaze back to the river reeds a few yards away. No birds flitting in them now, no swaying in the wind. All was perfectly still in the baked, scorching air. A few small lizards and insects shared the shade with Kili and Affi, if you knew to properly look up the acacia's bark.

She was idly stroking the tear-shaped amber pendant that dangled from her neck, when the Eonak came and tried to apprehend her.

They rose up from a rust-colored stone ridge to the south, a group of five, wearing thick, protective clothing, scarves over their heads and paints on their faces, so from this distance she couldn't tell whether they were men or women.

Each Eonak held a long spear, with jagged blades that caught the sun in a blinding blaze. They approached, not bothering with stealth. No point, out here. They knew she would have no desire to leave her precious shade.

Most certainly, they praised their own luck; she sat alone, vulnerable, easy to attack and abduct. They would steal her things, her dromedary, probably rape her at some point, before eventually selling her or trading her to a western city, or to another Eonak tribe. Make a good deal of it too, for the rare coloring of her skin and hair.

Kili saw all of that and more in their eager eyes, as they paused perhaps four feet from the shade line. Affi's ears pricked nervously, but Kili soothed her with another caress down her head and neck.

"It's all right," Kili said softly.

One of the Eonak – not quite the tallest of the five but undeniably the most imposing – barked something in his language. He wielded his spear, hefting it horizontally as if to strike her. Though he wasn't at striking distance, so it was only for a show of intimidation.

Kili slowly rose to her feet. Because she was in the shade, she'd discarded the scarf and she'd unstrung the copper-brown tunic at the chest. Her hair tumbled loose, down her shoulders and arms.

The same Eonak who'd spoken before did so again now, on a pleased tone. He must've assumed she was about to willingly surrender herself and her dromedary. The truth was, she'd had enough new languages to learn this past year; Kili knew almost no Eonak words.

If she'd felt somewhat numb and contemplative before, now a flare of irritation woke her fully up. She drew in a deep breath – a mixture of dry, heated air, river water, the dromedary's scent, and the telltale men's sweat of the Eonak facing her.

Her hands lifted ever so slightly by her sides, gauging the natural energy around herself. Ice-cold tendrils clutched at her heart like leeches. Then, her heart leapt, and raced with increasing speed, slamming against her chest.

The five Eonak stared curiously at her, their imposing leader's head cocked to the side.

She drew from the dark, icy tendrils within, embraced their lethal promises, and they seemed to grin at her in response, like myriad tiny skulls. A harsh smirk tugged her lips as she let it all out – like some invisible blood, gushing from a thousand cuts across her body.