Consolation

I listened as Kira told her tale. She told me of how my mother was beaten by Motten’s men, how they killed Canis, how Elsie became their slave. I felt sick as I heard about the ogre attacks on the village and all of the people that died in the slaughter. We sat on my sofa, and I watched tears streaming from her eyes as she relived those terrible moments.

She stopped when she reached the part about leaving with Clen, Elsie and Zarin to come to the capital. I put my hand on her arm to comfort her, “He’s awful, Aucus” she almost sobbed as she said the words. “Zarin, he… he’s some kind of monster”

I didn’t know what to say, I just held her arm and tried to comfort her. “It’s okay” I muttered, it felt like something I should have said.

She shook her head, “No. it isn’t” a tear streaked down her cheek. “He raped me Aucus, on the journey here. He had me drinking until I was unconscious, he was still inside of me when I woke up.” I was sickened at what she told me. I already hated him, but now… now I wanted him dead.

“Why are you still following him, Kira? I saw you hanging around him at the speech, and at the feast. Why don’t you just leave, there are other adventurers here” I said. I put my arm around her and felt her slink into my embrace.

“I can’t” she said, burying her face into my shirt as she cried. “He’s too powerful, he has the lion spirit” a large spider scampered across her shoulder, staying close to her, it must have been her spirit. “If I did anything that he thought was a betrayal… he… I don’t know what he would do, but he made it clear that it wasn’t an option”

“Kira… you can’t stay around him. He won’t stop, you don’t know what he did to me. He’s evil” I said as I just held her, letting her cry against me.

“I know, I know. I can’t leave now though, not in the Citadel. When we get out, I’ll try and get away from him” she said, lifting her head up and looking at me.

I nod my head, understanding her hesitation. “Just be safe, he’s not normal” I say to her

She nods her head, “You be safe too Aucus, he’s made it clear that he hates you and he will do anything to hurt you” she pauses for a moment, “I think he wants to kill you”

“Yeah, I think he’s already tried” I say bitterly, remembering the blood from the night before.

“Things were good in Blue-Rock, I mean there were ups and downs, but it was a good life. Why did it have to end?” she sobbed as I brushed her hair.

“Because of him. He came, and he ruined lives” I said, determined in my hatred of Zarin now. Kira was always a bit mean in the village, that came from hanging out with Clen. She had never been that emotional though, nothing like this.

She nodded her head slowly, “Yeah” she whispered. She looked around the room, the crystals glowing strongly in the walls. “I should go, he’ll ask questions if I’m gone for too long. I just thought that you deserved to know what happened”

I sigh, “Thanks Kira” I say as she stands up and wipes her eyes, walking towards the door. Her body blurs for a moment and a fat man in Citadel livery appears where she was stood. I jump back in surprise at the change. “What…?” I ask, unsure what just happened

The man smiles at me, “It’s okay” he says in Kira’s voice. “It’s one of my abilities, I’m just trying to be safe. If he finds out I visited you…” the face falls for a moment but quickly recovers. He, or she I supposed, opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.

I closed the door behind her and sighed, thinking about everything I had just learned. Korin’s door opened and the dwarf stepped out into the living chamber

“Who was that? Take it they didn’t try and kill ya?” he said, scratching at the tangles in his beard

I shook my head at him , “No, it was someone from my village. She had some news for me” I say with a sigh, wanting to retreat to my bed and bury my face into my pillow.

He nods his head to me, “Ah. You wanna drink about it?” he asked, glancing at the bottles of liquor on one of the shelves

I smile and can’t help but laugh a little. “No, no I don’t think I want to die for a second night in a row” I said to him, getting a chuckle from the dwarf. I pick up the purple book that Anoir had given to me with the words A Collection of the Adventurer’s Abilities written across it in gold lettering. “I think I’m just going to go to bed and read a book” I say, waving it in front of him.

He nods his head, “Aye, well I’m here for ya, lad” he says before returning to his room.

I smile and make my way for my door. Maybe I’d have people to help me kill Zarin.