Shadows of Voryn

Chapter Twenty

T'ara

   T'ara pulled her sword out from the skull of the man she killed, in time to turn and block an attack from the second fighter. He hissed as he came down hard. Both hands were gripped on the hem of his greatsword. Taria deflected his attack the vibration from his power rattling her but she did not slow, closing in the space between them while her sword slid down across his.

She elbowed him across the face, rotated her sword and slid it into his throat. Blood spilled out like grain from a ripped sack. The man she fought heaved out a sharp breath, hand grabbing her shoulder while the other reached for his neck.

   The fighter tried speaking, mouth moving but nothing could come out. The crowd screamed in bliss at both men's death, their mood changing of her. In a span of one day, the spectators had gone from hating to cheering for her. She scowled, disgusted of the people and lack of morals.

   Walking back to the tunnel, Forqo greeted her first. "That was good a fight."

   She looked for no praise. "I will go clean myself off."

   He nodded, seeing something new in her eyes and he nearly reached in but stopped himself.

   Three guards escorted T'ara to the changing quarters. She hadn't gained more than a scratch today but her injuries from previous day still ached. It was better but not fully recovered.

   "You were amazing out there."

   Taria turned to the soft bliss of Saerena's voice. She was standing in the corner of changing quarters and removed her hood. Saerena walked up and embraced T'ara, giving her a kiss over the crook of her neck.

   "I have missed you." Saerena brought lips to T'ara's, pouring a bit of her magic onto T'ara to give her new energy.

"I should not have wasted the other day mad at you. Our time seems to get shorter." T'ara ran her hand down Saerena's long hair and tugged at the edges. "It has been interesting few moons."

Saerena kissed T'ara again. "You had a right to feel and state it. I am happy to see that you are not mad today." Saerena looked to the archway where the guards stood. "My father has guards in search of me, I am sure but I needed to see you. To remind you, I am still yours."

T'ara cupped her cheek. "I am surprised I was not punished on the spot for my outburst." T'ara did expect punishment at some point. "Have you gained new knowledge of this Kruagus?"

Livei had told T'ara that he'd wanted to meet her. She did not want to risk meeting only to be set up for something far more heinous. "Livei says that he wants to meet me," she explained.

There was hesitation. Saerena wanted to give T'ara some news to her findings. She hadn't realized T'ara heard of him. "He does not give detail to his reasons here. But...he does present as a potential ally."

T'ara pursed her lips. "But why would he want to meet me?"

"He was curious about you." Saerena admitted. "But I thought it was out of curiosity to my own love for you." T'ara's brows raised. "He knows."

T'ara nodded head. "What questions did he ask?"

"Not so much questions, merely figuring out what you are. He seemed curious of that as if it mattered to him." Saerena sighed and could see now, that Kruagus was more focused on T'ara than herself. "Are you sure you should meet?"

"I sense that the Goddess brought hi here for a reason. I have to play my part to gain answers." T'ara thought harder on how the past few days had been. How she was told to wear clothes differently from the hyenas. She was offered slightly better food though she took it to offer to her fellow hyenas. "Have you not noticed how I am shifted about? People here are working to keep this Kruagus from my path."