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...
Having decided they want to kill Xaray, another naga tribe ambushes the trial and fights over Xaray's custody.
Xaray stared at the ceiling. Smoke from the incense drifted by, forming random shapes before breaking them again. Every now and then, a pair of eyes seemed to appear in the smoke, watching him, only to disappear again moments later. Being alone and unable to move was already driving him mad.
A soft hum rumbled in his throat. It followed an age-old melody, a musical tale about the fighting on the north side of the Afreiton river that the goddess Ablait has caused. The lyrics appeared in his mind as the hum dipped up and down in tone.
Once, the north was a prosperous land
Full of wealth and warriors
Until the Lady of Blood cast a spell
And the mighty men of the north fell
Great fortresses rose of stone
Arms were raised and soldiers called
The next day, after the rising of the sun
The Terrible War had begun
Oh, the north was a prosperous land
Full of wealth and warriors
Until the Lady of Blood-
The door opened. Xaray's hum died in his throat as his eyes adjusted to the light. Several highly armed and armoured nagas stepped into the room. One of them stepped forwards as the four others fanned out, his ash gray scales gleaming in the sunlight coming from behind him.
"Xaray Mafrelin," the naga began, "we have come to escort you to your trial. Please do not resist or try to move as we unbind you."
Xaray calculated his options, gritting his teeth as he came to a conclusion. Biting through the humiliation, he said, "I will cooperate."
"Thank you."
With a flick of his snakelike tail, the four other nagas set to work, unbinding him. After his legs, arms and torso, they freed his wings. Before he could summon as much as a spark of magic, the chains were moved, restraining him again.
He gave the gray-coloured naga a venomous glare, jangling the chains. "What is that for?"
"For your protection as well as ours," he replied, not elaborating any further.
"Denying a magic user their abilities is to deny their very existence."
The naga's eyes narrowed. "You have denied many good fighters their existence last night." His voice was sharp as a whip. Xaray huffed but kept his silence. Considering the man's reaction, he most likely killed a close friend of his or something similar.
