Prince Of Blood And Shadow

Chapter 16

"Useless," Inias found himself rooted to the spot, amidst a moonlit meadow blanketed with grass, as the sound of a man's angry voice resounded around him. Helpless and pinned down, he had no choice but to endure the relentless assault with his unresponsive legs. He was repeatedly kicked in the stomach by the man yelling. He struggled to make out the features of the assailant, but all he could see was the menacing form of a huge man, launching a leg at him.

"You nearly cost us the fight!" The voice thundered, punctuated by another punishing blow to his stomach. What did they expect? All he could do was run as three wolves closed in on him. He didn't know how, but he seemed to recall the memory. Not one of his own, he'd never seen any wolf tower over him like that. In that memory, he crouched low to the ground, on all fours. The memory, the blows to the stomach, and the strange feeling he experienced as he whimpered all came to him too quickly. He heard footsteps and glanced up to find that man walking away.

He attempted to stand up and give chase, but a chilling order echoed in the air. The voice thundered "Stay!" and a strong gust of wind knocked him down onto the grass. While trying to stand up, he glanced upwards only to see the man disappearing into the darkness. Despite his cries and howls for his fleeing companion, he obeyed the instruction to stay. He felt a deep pit in his stomach, like a part of him had been ripped out. Lying on the grass, he softly whimpered while gazing at the meadow.

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 Inias slowly blinked, trying to clear his vision as he shook off the remnants of sleep. His eyes struggled to focus from the deep sleep he'd woken from. They had to walk for three hours before they could finally get some tonics and rest. They managed to bypass the routes leading to Stonefog and reached a village near Forge Haven. The majority of the mining and forging trades were controlled by the Dwarven Flintaxe clan. The only criminals in Forge Haven were the ridiculous prices they charged for their goods.

The inn was of luxurious quality compared to the one encountered on the route to Stonefog. Against the wall, a blue fire roared in the small fireplace. The beds, as soft as clouds, welcomed the three after their journey. The shower was spacious enough for all three of them, while the room itself could accommodate a whole family. Rays of sunlight streamed in from the large window shining on the yellow white walls and wooden floors.

Watching him was Styx laying by his side. Inias tried to process the dream as their eyes briefly locked. With a gentle smile, he extended his hand to stroke Styx's fur. The howl and whimper in his dream felt strangely familiar. Just as he was about to ask the fox, he noticed Keira stirring in the bed nearby. "Cute bedhead, little blue!" Inias said as she rose from the pillow, her hair a mess of tangles. "Zip it! Yours isn't so pretty either." She answered, running her fingers through to smooth it out, "Do you think Sylvis is okay?"

Memories of the fight returned when Sylvis was mentioned. If it weren't for him, they never would have escaped. He knew that a clash with Caelan would ultimately result in his death. Maybe now that his strength had returned, he could track him down and finish it, but they needed to find her brother and Ashryn first. He had led them straight into danger, falling into the clutches of some syndicate. He couldn't let them suffer for his mistakes.

"Yeah, Sylvis can handle himself." Inias answered pulling himself from the bed to slip his boots on. Despite the shower their clothes still reeked causing him to cringe.

"I hope so," Keira said pulling a cloak around her shoulders. "The innkeeper mentioned a small market village just a mile away. We can pick up some clothes and ask arou-." She was interrupted by a hand emerging from outside the window, pushing it open. Inias positioned himself by the window, prepared to forcefully pull in whoever was outside, while she tightly held onto one of her daggers. The figure was hooded, and Keira saw the deer sewn into the hood.