Ascendant

CHAPTER FOURTEEN: LOKI'S LABYRINTH

[GEM]

Sunlight shone through the cathedral window of Muiredach's chamber, resting on the sleeping face of Runa Jarlsteim as slumber slowly left her. As she finally sat up, still feeling groggy, she familiarized herself with her surroundings as her memories of last night came back to her.

A sweeping feeling of disgust and fear came over her when that happened and she took a breath, putting her hand to her ribs as she felt tenderness beneath Muiredach's tunic she was wearing. Standing up, she winced more when the muscle on her thigh strained painfully. She lifted the tunic to see the dark purple and green bruise above her belly button.

She was just glad none of the injuries were on her face or hands. The last thing she needed was to let others know she was weak or could be bested.

She also was afraid for another reason. Afraid of what Valmaor would do if he had the chance again or if he would mistreat her for refusing him. Maybe even make up some lie to tell the Conqueror that gets her in trouble in some way or even banished or executed.

As anxiety came back, she took a deep breath and told herself to relax. She would have to be on her guard and be more careful but it would be alright. Especially given Muiredach's promise. With him around, she would be safe even if it was against someone she couldn't best.

That being said, she still needed to make it back to her own chamber and change into her own clothes before anyone saw her.

So she got up and stepped carefully over to the door, the stone floor cold on her feet. Carefully pulling up the plank of wood and tugging the iron handle, she peeked into the hallway and listened carefully. The coast was clear.

So she made her way from his room and back to her own without being seen, wondering where Muiredach had vanished to. He was probably trying to cover in case people were suspicious. In fact, people might even think the two of them were up to no good instead. After all, these people clearly had no age boundary...

After she had changed and looked relatively normal, she took a deep breath and turned her expression back into the mask of indifference it was at all times before leaving.

Outside, her dragon found its way to her as it perked up its head, perched atop the roof over the entrance to the Brotherhood's shared quarters. (Muiredach and Valmaor were the only ones with their own grand chambers as most of their members had small rooms in the Brotherhood halls).

"Morning boy," she said with a slight smile as Mortifer climbed down to her, a low chittering coming from his throat almost like purring. She pet the side of his head with her hand, fingers tracing the rough black scales on his long narrow head.

Moving through the city, Runa's eyes scanned her surroundings watching the morning activity as workers were getting up to begin their day of labor, most of them already started as she had slept in late.

But as she continued to try and behave normally, she found herself incredibly uncomfortable, as if she had been seeing her world with rose colored lenses before and now she was seeing it for what it actually was... or at least partly. And she didn't know why.

But as the faces of those she knew as her Brothers and Sisters passed her by, eye contact with them gave her chills and she felt this sweeping uneasy feeling fill her; once friends now strangers...