Heroes can fall in more ways than one.
Demigod Xaray is sent on a quest to kill after he massacred a whole town. Weakened by the strain, he falls prey to a haughty vampire and is cared for by a fellow prisoner, the nagi Vasa. Torn between his orders...
Xaray and Vasa go to her tribe. Once there, Xaray realizes there happen to be around 10,000 nagas living in the area.
The ground sucked at Xaray's boots with every step he took, as if reluctant to let him go. A grimace crossed his features when the swampy ground made a particularly loud noise. He glanced at the nagi next to him. Unlike him, she was almost dancing as she slithered across the ground, not even attempting to be quiet.
"Home. Home. I'm finally going home," she chanted under her breath. She looked up and gave Xaray a bright smile. For a moment, he wondered if Racra, the Goddess of Joy, smiled that way too. Then, his eyes hardened.
"Do your people know a safe passage through the mountains? I need to get back as soon as possible." The enchanted sword on his back weighed heavier, reminding him of his quest. He had to move quick, before he ran out of time, and gods had their own erratic version of it. A day might be a year to them, or a year a day. There was no way to tell which was which.
"We know all there is to know of our home." Her chin lifted as a proud light shone in her eyes. "The best hunting spots, the purest wells, the home of the rarest and most powerful beasts, the safe paths in treacherous bogs. Ask and we'll answer."
The boasting didn't faze him any. As he looked at the mountains in the distance, the blade on his back seemed to turn to lead. "Is there a way to get to the other side within a week?"
"There might be. I don't know the routes as well as our elders and our hunters do. Besides, there's no need to rush. You have been through a lot lately, and it's only right to repay my debt a little by offering hospitality. You need food and rest." The pride vanished, replaced by a worried frown. "You look like a strong gust of wind could knock you down."
"I have more than enough strength," he said, tone hardening. "I am a warrior and part god. No wind can knock me down. Rest can come later."
"At least let me introduce you to my family. My brother is a hunter. He would know the way across the mountains, even if he's never crossed it himself."
Not bothering to give a full answer, he grunted. Vasa wasn't going to change her mind, but neither was he. In his mind, he ran through how he even got here. Slaying that magical boar led him to the execution, the execution led to the massacre, and the massacre lead to Mafrel and everything that happened after.
His reverie was broken by a loud hiss from Vasa. He jerked up, sword half-drawn, but the nagi was hugging another naga instead of attacking it. She curled her blue tail around his darker one, holding the man close as her body shook. It took Xaray a few moments to realize she was sobbing.
"Rikho, you have no idea how much I've missed you," she managed to say, voice strained with emotion.
His silver eyes were wide in shock as he rubbed her back. "Vasa... We all thought you were dead when we woke up and you were gone. What happened?"
