Forgotten Conqueror B2

Chapter 51-Detour

"Haaaa... haHehe- Hahahaha!" Breathing heavily, Narissa began laughing as they came to a stop near the western skirts of Garnikul. They had put quite some distance between their group and Shiar's residence, and the lack of pursuers was a welcoming sign. With a bittersweet smile on her face, she quickly wiped away the few tears that were escaping and turned to address the four woman behind her. "Here." Extending her hand, she revealed a small idol barely the size of her palm. Intricately carved out of clear crystal, two small rubies were embedded in its eyes.

Still trying to catch their breaths, the four women looked at the object and then to each other in confusion.

"Narissa you..." Kaidus remarked with astonishment from the side, seemingly fine after their less than elegant escape.

"I snatched it on our way out." She swiftly answered with a grin. Using the excuse of taking his toys away, she had knocked two guards unconscious and broken the women out of their confines after the confrontation with Shiar. "Although this will never be sufficient for what that bastard did, it'll do for now." Stepping toward the four women, she handed it to them.

"That- that belongs to Master Shiar. We have to return it." One of the women reasoned with an almost fearful tone. "He's going to be angry. He-"

"He locked you all in his cellar."

"That was because-"

"Stop it." Narissa rebuked. "Shiar's not going to do anything as long as he's still like that. Trust me." She held out the finely crafted idol again. "You should be able to sell this for a sizable sum of money. Divide it amongst the four of you and leave Garnikul." Seeing none of them accepting it, she forcefully placed the idol into the hand of one of the women. "Or bring it back and live the rest of your lives as slaves."

"But... where are we supposed to go then?"

"Do you have families?" She questioned, and they all shook their heads with uncertainty. "Relatives?"

"M-my cousin lived in Imvera-..." One of them answered sullenly after a short moment of silence. "Maybe they're still alive. Maybe I can find them..."

"I'm sorry." Narissa replied with a disheartened look. After her team left the cove, they had found the ruins of Imvera. Suffice to say, something tragic had occurred and judging from the expressions of the four, it was old news. Her line of sight turned to the young man who should have also seen the ruins.

"What is it?" Kaidus questioned, catching her eyes.

"S-sorry. Where were you going anyways? Why are you here?" She quickly replied, inquiring about what had been on the tip of her mind.

"My destination was the Plemara Mountains, but from the look of things, I might have to make a detour."

"Detour?" She echoed.

"Vick should be in Esperen gathering information. I've already accomplished most of what I had set out to do, so I'm thinking it is time we regrouped."

"Esperen? But you heard what-" Staring at Kaidus, she had almost forgotten the events that took place only a short while ago. The unsettling memory of the boy's arm ripping through a man's body, those cold yet critical eyes that halted her steps, and the unrestrained display of force against Shiar's stubbornness. None of that vicious brutality was present anymore, but she could not stop the fear from crawling up her back. In her panic and frustration to answer her own troubles, she had failed to consider why the boy was alone or why he was in Garnikul. Only now after breaking through her worries, did Vick's warning from all those days ago truly solidify in her head. Make no mistake. He is very dangerous. The words reminded her.