The Goddess's Hero

Survivors

Skye's POV

The massive lake below made it difficult to get down. I climbed around from tree to tree until I found the shore. I climbed down and looked into the sky. The sun was setting to my left. That means I was facing north and Old Post is northeast of here. I shook my head at the lake in front of me. What a waste of time. I was going to have to stop and build myself a boat or go all the way around. Rubbing my temples I suddenly remembered that I didn't have my broadsword, daggers, or bow and quiver of arrows. I did still have the whip I created, though. I was going to have to find my other weapons or at least a sword to defend myself with. I was told to be at Old Post when the job was finished. Oh well, whichever deity that sent me on this mission was just going to have to wait. 

I turned from the embankment and started scouring the woods for any fallen Draconi that kept their weapon. A lot of the bodies were still floating in the lake and their weapons had sunk to the bottom. With my near death experience still fresh in my mind I was not ecstatic to jump in. Are there any Draconi left?  Just then I felt a rush of wind, like a breeze, but it was not a breeze. I turned around and followed the presence. It stopped at the lake and it's focus lessened.  

A young Draconi wrapped in leather and cloth stared at the bodies of his kin. He fell to his knees in utter horror. I remembered my feelings when I saw my childhood village burned to ash. The grief and anger when I realized my entire family had been killed. Had it not been for Master Eyring, I would have been lost. Instead he challenged me to let it fuel my training. He challenged me to remember those I had lost and live my life honoring their memory. This young Draconi may not have anyone. I let my feet carry me to the edge of the lake and sat beside him. 

With his eyes wide open, tears streamed down his face. His dark pallor was a pale gray and his hands were bunched into fists at his side. I sat beside him for several minutes before he spoke. 

"Wha-" his voice broke and he took a couple of deep breaths before speaking again. "What happened here?" 

"The truth?" I didn't look at him which forced him to speak again.

"Yes." 

"I came to kill the Blood Chief and in his attempt to thwart me he summoned a tsunami drowning nearly his entire tribe." I didn't stop there. "I didn't help when I summoned a Leviathan to take him out. The monster raised the deep river into this massive lake." The boy didn't say a word. He sat there, taking it all in, trying to be numb to the news. 

"What's your name, kid?" I glanced at him and saw him staring at me. 

"You are a human." He noticed. I didn't say anything to that. "A human man came to kill the Blood-Chief?" His laugh was humorless. "And you fought him to the point where he wanted to kill his slaves all at once?" I didn't say anything while the kid laughed without mirth. "My family died because he was trying to kill you, so isn't it your fault they are dead?" 

"Yes." I responded easily and took the boy by surprise. He wasn't expecting me to answer. 

"Don't you feel any remorse?" He asked, to shocked to be angry. 

"No. This is why I came here. To finish him and end his bloodthirsty ways. He decided to kill his own people long before I came here. However, his reign has ended. I am sorry that so many lives were taken in the process, but now he won't take any more lives. Your people are no longer slaves."

"My people are all dead!"

"But you're still alive." I countered his angry outburst. "You are no longer a slave." 

"My freedom cost my family their lives." His shoulders slumped.

"Your family had no life. So live for them." I stood up and offered him my hand. He stared at it without taking it. I shrugged it off. "Find a new purpose. Learn a new trade. Do something with the opportunity you have."