In a world divided into three races since ancient times, there have been three kingdoms. The first kingdom is the kingdom of the gods and sits in the heavens ruling above the other two. The second is called Amaryllis and filled with the prosperous...
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"His eyes glowed like stars."
Deep in the heart of Muurin a young Mutare walked down the dark halls of a great castle, his path lit only by the occasional flickering torch, struggling to keep burning. He wore a cloak that looked as if it had been woven from shadow and hid his face as he walked down the halls, his pace fast, and his head down.
It wasn't long before the young Mutare came to a dark wooden door, that had been carved from the great pines that once grew where the city now stood, its dark walls keeping it safe from any attacks from Lekki or otherwise. Those who ruled the city had always assumed it was safe.
Perhaps that was the reason the city fell in the first place.
As the young, cloaked Mutare entered the room he found himself face to face with the two who ruled the city. Lord Convel and Lady Tala. Convel was tall, with dark hair and matching eyes that were ever watchful. There was a sword that hung by his side, as if a warning to any that might dare to cross him, that contrasted the dark green suit he wore and his well-groomed hair.
If it hadn't been for the two animalistic ears sprouting from his skull, he might've looked like any other Lekki noble. Yet his ears of a wolf gave him away. That and his matching tail, that was just as well groomed as his hair, never brushing against his legs nor the floor. These features were what made him distinctly Mutare.
Lady Tala looked just as menacing, if not more. She wore a blue velvet dress, that curved around her body, leaving very little to the imagination. She was seemingly innocent at first glance, but the young Mutare knew that there was a sword hidden under the lush fabrics of her dress.
She had light brown hair, that floated down her back in elegant curls. She, too, had the ears and tail of a wolf. Her eyes, however, were as black as night, reflecting the colors of her heart. Tala was the daughter of the past Nobel, but her husband, Convel, was once a Renegade. Their wedding was what had let the Renegades into the city.
The young Mutare dipped his head in respect to both of the nobles, despite himself. He would never see either of them as his lord or lady, yet he still spoke to them with only respect. "Lord Convel, Lady Tala," he said to them.
"So you've returned, Dai," Lady Tala said, speaking the name of the other Mutare, her black eyes just as menacing as ever.
"Yes," the young Mutare mumbled, choking on the word as it left his mouth. Lady Tala narrowed her eyes, at the mumbled word and strode across the room so quickly, if one had blinked they would have missed it. She slapped the face of Dai under the hood of the cloak with such force it sent the young Mutare to the ground. He knew better than to stand back up.
The stinging of his cheek was only a fraction of what Lady Tala, or gods, Lord Convel could do. Instead, he stayed down, keeping his eyes locked on the stone floor until the stinging of his cheek faded, and he let a small sigh escape his lips.
Lady Tala narrowed her eyes at the sound, but this time took no action. "It would serve you well to learn not to mumble when speaking to a noble," she spat, before returning to her place across the room.
"Forgive me, milady," the young Mutare said, not moving from his position on the floor, thankful for his cloak to hide the look of loathing that was so clearly painted within his eyes. He truly did hate the nobles but it wasn't his place to stand up to them.
"Don't worry about her, Dai. Get to your feet." It was Lord Convel who spoke this time, and the young Mutare did as he was told, stumbling to feet. "So tell me what have you seen in the Wild Woods," he said, a thin smile on his lips, as he knew the true value of the Mutare that stood before him.
It was a value that Lord Covel knew his wife overlooked, but she was never the cleverest of Mutare. Just another thing he hated about her. In truth, neither noble loved the other, and their marriage was just something to let the Renegades into the city and to keep the fear of the Mutare.
"There were two Lekki children," Dai said, his voice soft, nervous even. "A patrol of soldiers passed through and saw them. They were inspecting the two children when the world caught fire as a god appeared," he said, wincing as he said the words. "That was when a third Lekki came running into the clearing, and the god began attacking the soldiers," he continued. "Two of the Lekki children escaped and the god killed the other one along with all of the soldiers."
"A god in the Wild Woods?" Lord Convel murmured to himself. "Do you have any idea why Dai?" Dai was silent for a moment, looking down to the stone floor of the room he was in, tracing the patterns carved into it with his eyes. "Dai?" Convel growled once more, and Dai's eyes shot back up once more as the young Mutare jumped.
"I think the god is looking for a familiar," he said, softly. "I saw the God of the Flames perform the spell on one of the soldiers. She did not survive it. So the Flame God will be looking for another one," he reported.
"A familiar?" Lord Convel repeated, wrinkling his nose as if a foul odor had entered the room. "Disgusting." He spat the word as if it was made of poison.
A familiar was a Mutare who was the servant of a god and in the Wild Woods, they were seen as below even Renegades who were murders. All a Mutare had to do to become a familiar, however, was lose a fight with a god, then be strong enough to survive the spell the said god could cast on them.
That was all it took for one to become the slave of a god until said god freed them or they died. Most familiars just killed themselves as soon as the ritual was complete. It was a fate worse than death, in the eyes of most Mutare, which was also the reason many familiars were killed by their own kind.
"Whatever are we going to do about this, Tala?" Lord Convel asked, addressing his wife, who just glanced at him.
"Let him come. Let him bring fear to this city. Let him bring the misery and hopelessness," she said. "It doesn't matter if he kills a few of the lowlifes. No one will miss them," she snapped.
"Whatever you wish, love," Lord Convel said, before turning back to Dai. "You are dismissed," he said, and the young Mutare dipped his head in respect once more, before scurrying out the door. He let out a sigh in relief as he found himself in the dark hall once more, lit only by dim candlelight.
Dai could hardly recall the time when these halls had been bright and full of life, back when the old lord still ruled. That was many years ago, though, and Dai doubted things could ever return to the way they were.
With that final thought, Dai melted into the shadows, his body disappearing entirely, with his bright golden eyes filled with sorrow.
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