🏆 THE AMBY AWARDS 2023 TOP PICK - DIVERSE LIT 🏆
It's Rin and Hye-jin against the world. Or so it should have been.
Nagara Rin and Joon Hye-jin, college sweethearts and passionate gamers, have lived a fairytale marriage. Not even a decade after did...
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I blinked. And blinked again. Pinched myself on the arm to make sure I wasn't dreaming. "Rin?" I squeaked. It was unlike me, but give me a break. Didn't this man die already?
He wiped the tip of his sword against the coat of his recent kill and grunted, hefting a weight I didn't notice from his side. A loud thump echoed on my feet as Arzo's body rolled to a stop at the tip of my boots. His eyes were open but he was conscious. Alive. But his arms were pinned to his sides even though there was nothing binding him up. Rin must have locked his skills. Otherwise, he would already be scheming his way out of this predicament.
A shadow whished over us, getting wider as its owner finished torching the nether beasts and descended by us. Rin's face paled as he craned his neck up to see Haalor touch down. "Is this the one who plays around with forbidden spells?" he turned his head towards Rin who started backing away. "And is this your offering to appease me?"
"No!" I answered before regretting it. My hand scratched the back of my neck, one still slick with nether blood. "I mean, this guy," I gave Arzo's stiff body a prod with my boot. "Is the perpetrator. That guy," I pointed to Rin whose ankle bumped against Haalor's tail and who had never flinched so hard when he realized it. "Is not food. He's..."
"A friend," Rin supplied, giving the Guardian of Darkness a small wave. "Seline, here, didn't feel the need to tell me about you. Still, thank you for answering the summon and for helping us."
"The help is truly appreciated, my lord," Cavya's nearing voice made us all turn towards the langkoor, picking his way over mountains of bleeding carcasses. His boots crunched against severed heads, chipped horns, and fallen flanks. "Rest assured I will tell the Princess to rebuild your Temple in Gabyle myself."
Haalor huffed before lowering his head towards Arzo. Fear flickered in the valdyrsi's eyes, but with his body paralyzed, even his face couldn't betray his emotions. What did Rin do to him? "So you are called...Arzo," he said. "A beautiful name unfit for a tainted soul."
He turned to me. "Let me be the one to pass judgment," he said. "I'll start by devouring this darkness. I admit this kind of intrigues me."
Why was he even asking me? "What are you going to do?" I asked.
"I will start by devouring his soul," the Guardian replied. "Then, I will feast on his body, tearing the flesh from the bones and grinding what's left into ash," he flicked a side glance at me. "I've always wanted to try that with you mortals."
The admittance alone told me he hasn't eaten that many of us. Well, he did come close to doing it to me, so thank heavens he hasn't been able to. I glanced at Arzo, then to Rin. He nodded at me, a grim look twisting his features. I looked at Cavya who merely closed his eyes and fingered his pommel thoughtfully. Around our little circle, adventurers continued yelling. Metal continued clashing against nether beasts' bodies. Magic spells continued flashing in the sky, painting it in temporary sparks.
