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...
Darkness had fallen outside. Stars twinkled outside the windows, surrounding the ever-distant moon. He almost seemed closer than usual today, as if he were watching. For all Xaray knew, he might. Gods loved a spectacle now and then.
He turned away from the window and went back to preening his feathers. After so long without getting the chance to properly clean them, his wings resembled a dirty gray more than the inky black colour they were supposed to be. Vasa watched him with a curious gaze, tracking his movements.
"Feathers must be a lot harder to take care of than scales. Do you need help? I can get a washing cloth for you." Without waiting for an answer, she rose up and moved away. Xaray shook his head and continued preening. It wasn't as if it's exactly a two-man job, even if his wings were big enough-
A bowl with water and a cloth in it appeared next to him. A surprisingly nice smell came from the water. Vasa smiled at him and said, "We add certain herbs and flowers to it to give it its scent. Here, let me help."
Xaray opened his mouth to protest, but the look in Vasa's silver eyes silenced him. Letting out a quiet hmph to make his dissatisfaction known, he allowed Vasa to touch his wings. He kept a cautious eye on her movements, ensuring there was no weapon anywhere in sight. It wouldn't be the first time he'd let someone too close.
Gently but methodically, Vasa started buffing his feathers with the damp cloth. After she cleaned the part of his wing close to his shoulder, he took a small sniff. It really did smell good. Spicy and warm at the same time. The cleaning had also returned the shine to his feathers, which gleamed in the torchlight.
"Thank you," he said after a few moments, turning around to look at her.
Vasa met his gaze and smiled. "It's only a small thing compared to what you did for me. For us."
A bell sounded outside, its frantic sound breaking through the thrum of insects. Vasa jerked away from Xaray with a startled gasp. As she moved away towards the weapon rack, she cried, "We're under attack! They must've seen everyone partying in the tribehome and spotted our weakness."
Xaray rose to his feet and unsheathed his sword. Its runes glowed in the dim light as he felt its familiar weight. "Where?"
"I don't know. We must join the others." She rushed towards the door before looking back, eyes wide and face pale. The two wavy daggers trembled in her hands. "You will help us, right? You might be the greatest warrior among us."
"Of course I will help you. Protecting people is what I do." He moved to Vasa's side, who dashed outside. The first screams of battle and cries of pain already tore through the night. Adrenaline pumped through his veins at the familiar sound. He wouldn't have to go out to find his kills after all.
