Through Smoke and Ashes

Thirteen||Knowledge

"Go on then," I said. This is a bad idea. And did I ever know it. I can't believe I was associating with a Rin.

He stood watching me. I refrained from shrinking away from his milky eyes. I wondered if his eyes really held the souls of his past victims. "First, what have you been taught about our kind."

I grimaced, "Your kind is said to be spawns of the abyss sent here to spread plagues on the human race." I said with a matter-of-fact tone of voice.

The Rin scoffed with dry humour. "People come up with the darnedest things." The Rin shook his head. "We came from the same gods as everything else; we worship the same gods as everyone else." He walked over a tree root. The leaves crunched softly under his feet. "At one point in time, not too long ago, our people were a part of your people on what you now call The Council of Pontheugh. It used to be called The Council of Balance."

I squinted my eyes towards the Rin, not sure whether to believe his words or not.

"The council used to contain one of every creature, but now what? There are just dragon riders?" The Rin shook his head, looking almost disappointed. "Once the Council has doubts in their mind about a species, they kick them off and drive them to extinction." The Rin's voice became dark. "The others never enjoyed our presence, especially when there was a woman of our kind on the council." The Rin growled lowly. "She - Mavka was murdered. Someone made her death look like an accident." He wiped a hand over his face and shook his head. "After, our kind was driven out of Pontheugh's lands. How convenient for The Council."

Not once have I heard of this information before. To believe it would be to change my entire way of thinking about the world I live in. It was hard to take in.

The Rin waved his hands towards me, "Go on, what else have you been taught."

I held my breath, worried I would say something he wouldn't like. So, I decided to say something obvious. "You have poison that can kill a human."

The Rin smiled, showing his fangs. "Yes, our bite contains that poison. It can also paralyze a dragon."

I furrowed my eyebrows together. "Is the poison a clear liquid?"

"Yes." He replied.

I widened my eyes, "The dragon hunters are using your poison to paralyze the dragons they capture."

"Yes. They have stolen our people and are using them only for the venom they produce." He glanced over at me. "So you have seen our poison before?"

I nodded my head. "Yes. When I first came to this island, I was close to a hunter's camp and found dragons in cages covered in venom. I'm confused, though, I touched the venom, and it burned through me. How am I not dead?"

The Rin smiled. "This is because you are half Rin. After your first reaction to the venom, your human side is immune to it."

I tilted my head. It makes sense, but if I'm part Rin, that means he is telling the truth. All I felt now was curiosity about the subject. "Tell me more about your people," I said.

"I can show you." The Rin said, and then the world around me developed new scenery. People bustled around me, chattering amongst themselves. It reminded me of my village.

Some sat in groups, weaving baskets or fishing nets. Others sorted through baskets containing different types of plants and berries. A hunting party emerged through the woods behind me. They carried a large buck and a boar. They all had smiles on their faces.

"We are the same as everyone else; we eat, hunt, and gather. Same as every other village in these parts. The only difference between everyone is the way they look and the certain abilities they may possess." The Rin spoke, watching the scene before us.