Below the Peak (Sola)

by Juliet Lili

  “I just killed…” Nara didn’t get to finish, she abruptly bent over and vomited until there wasn’t anything left to puke other than the bitter taste left on her tongue. It was Captain Barra who walked toward her, stood over her trembling body and clipped. “Get it together. Congratulation on becoming an Elite.”

  Chapter Six.

  Kalil Kingdom

  The carved word Midnight on the flat wood blared at him, burning to the back of his skull. The dim lantern hanging above shone down on him as if in warning, once he stepped inside the building he would never be pure again. Nikolas stared at the door that hasn’t stopped swinging and creaking from welcoming men inside the famous brothel.

  “This is not wise, my lord,” warned the disguised bodyguard beside him. “If they find out who you are and your father hears…”

  “That is why you are here. Keep me safe and don’t let a word slip” Nikolas cut him off, fixing his hat once more to hide. He walked in. The first time he entered a brothel and this because he owed his curiosity to this one girl. No. A woman. A woman he couldn’t stop thinking of, or stop her invading his dreams. The brothel turned out to be what he had imagined would be. The room is dark except for the dimly lit candles to hide the immoralities of the people it housed. Raucous men drinking at the bar served by a busty old woman, with breasts threatening to spill from the confines of a dress that barely held together by its sewn threads. Scarcely clothed girls barely of age moving around to entertain the men sitting in the corners of the room. From what Gittan had told him, Nikolas expected to find that many of the men would be Muri. He could tell not just from their accent but from the lighter shade of their skin different from the golden skin tone of his people and arrogance they carried themselves in. The real surprise came from noticing the young women were all Kali. A man slapped one girl on the arse and laughed as she moved past him. Nikolas stared, not knowing what to feel. He felt angry. He felt shame. He looked down to the floor. I shouldn’t have come here. He should go back home.

  He lifted his head, ready to order the man pretending to drink to follow him out when she walked in the room. Nikolas could hardly breathe. His eyes remained glued to her as she walked in front of him, moving graciously in a black lace silk dress that made the small part of her exposed back, arms and neck tantalising. She stopped at the bar and sat at the far end alone.

  Voices dulled. The lady felt the lusty gazes thrown her way as she propped on the counter. “Water please Margi” leaning back after giving her order.

  “You are not to come in until tomorrow?” Margi rose a brow and placed a filled cup in front of her. “Thank you” she took the cup, lifting it to her lips.

  “I missed you, so I came” she smiled, placing the cup back down.

  Margi snorted and laughed once at the joke then went to a shelf of drinks.

  The lady sat back, straightening her shoulders in a way her body gave the message she wanted no company from the men she could sense acutely were debating and calculating in their heads on when and how to approach her. She pursed her lips when she heard a chair screeching as it was being pulled next to hers. She ignored the nuisance. What had she thought that she would find quietness in a place where people visited for one sole purpose. One would say she’s foolish to find silence in a dirty place like this? But here is where her body found stillness and control. Not her home with her mother but here. After so long she was used to here. Familiar. I guess she had deluded herself today by thinking she would be left to her own if she sat alone far from everyone. She fumed. Some men apparently thought her seclusion was an invitation. People who wanted her time all knew the days she worked, better than they were familiar with the wives’ body. She sneered.

  She should have been happy he didn’t bother her, yet she gritted her teeth when the stranger didn’t talk for a long moment. His hovering silence was grating, so she cocked her head his way. “I don’t work tonight.”

  Her directness made him blink. Her eyes boldly drifted over him, drinking him in under his hat, a youthful face and slender frame. Still a boy, a little younger than her. She almost rolled her eyes and sigh tiredly at the task at hand. Another one to break his little heart and any fantasy he conjured while coming here.

  Nikolas shifted uncomfortably. To say he was very nervous and uncomfortable would be an understatement. The words he had planned to say when he had been walking over to her, had deserted him.

  “Well, would you like a drink?” her voice was husky and soft. A voice that could coax a snake from its cave.

  “Nothing, thank you” Nikolas found his voice. The seductress half twisted her body his direction and kept one hand on the table. Her movement drawing his attention to her body. “What would you like then?” her voice soft, it almost sounded like a whisper, insinuating whatever he said would be kept a secret.

  “You” he blurted and quickly flushed with embarrassment.

  She smiled and leant in provocatively. “Come tomorrow, and I’ll be yours.”

  Heat rushed through his body, his face inflamed. Nikolas jerked slightly back and cleared his throat. “What is your name?”

  “I go by many names.”

  “I want to know it, please ma’am” he requested gently.

  “You can name me; wouldn’t you like that huh?” her hazel eyes bore into his, her voice turning husky. “I would like that.”

  Nikolas swallowed, feeling too hot suddenly. He knew what she was doing, dodging his questions to irritate and get rid of him quickly. Unlucky for her, he could be a determined man when he wanted to be, and he really did want to know her name.

  “Tell me your real name” Nikolas relaxed his body, cluing her he wasn’t going to be rid of quickly. Her bottom lip tightened, seeing he was going to be pushy. She held onto little patience she had. There were two kinds of men she most despised, the arrogant ones and his kind. She preferred those who got down to business. Less time in their company the better.

  She sighed. “If I tell you my name, will you let me be?”

  His brows quirked slightly, Nikolas didn’t expect her to give in so easily. She seemed to be a woman who wouldn’t give in so easily. Still, when looking at her wholly, he could see the tiredness slipping through the façade she hid behind in. Something was saddening about her.

  “Yes, I will” Nikolas agreed.

  She swallowed once then said. “My name is Nadine.”

  ******

  Her name should have been enough to satisfy his curiosity and any interest he had. Why was he then standing outside the door of one of the rooms of the brothel, hoping once opened he would see her? Nikolas cursed at his weakness. The door soon opened with one knock. He controlled his expression when their eyes met. Playing it calmly, he stepped inside. The calmness left his body when he saw what little of the room. Just a bed and a lit lantern on the table in the corner. Nikolas fidgeted, not knowing whether he should sit on the bed or not.

  “Take a sit on the bed” Nadine threw over her shoulder as she closed the door. She remembered him. They had seen each other last night, yet here he was again. She perfected her features and turned with a practised smile.

  “You are a stubborn one, aren’t you?” she teased. Nikolas licked his lips, the back of his neck prickled with sweat when she took a sit next to him. She sat closer, invading his personal space.

  “I wanted to see you,” he said. He bit his lip hard, scolding himself. What was wrong with him, sounding like a stricken obsessed fool?

  “Mmmh, I was hoping you would come” her delicate fingers crawled to his knee and rested there. Nikolas jerked his knee back at the warmth her fingers caused, travelling through his thigh to the pit of his stomach. He closed his legs together and rubbed at his neck awkwardly.

  “Don’t be shy” Nadine coaxed. She wanted to get rid of him. She would do this quick and send him on his merry way. She wasn’t going to spend more time with him to earn more. She could smell trouble from him. She didn’t want a clingy customer on her back.


  “How are you?” Nikolas asked abruptly. Nadine stilled for a second, the genuine concern in his voice unnerving her. Many people have asked her the same question but never really desired to know how she felt. Not that Nadine did want to share how she actually felt. She kept her walls up, safe not be deceived by all the lies men proclaimed in the throes of sex. These were men who avoided her in the street during the day and hid under the skirts of their wives, denying they have never met her but never failed to proclaim their adulation of her when they fucked her.

  “Very fine” Nadine converted the innocent words into something more. At the spoken words, Nikolas' eyes drifted over her body. He couldn’t hide the lust dilating his pupils. The satin nightgown covering her body did nothing to hide her perky nipples, the soft skin of her bared legs. It drove him mad with desire. The corner of her lips curled cynically, and something glinted within her intense gaze before it retreated within the fathomless eyes. Nikolas felt like he has just been judged and the ruling wasn’t in his favour. In fact, he felt in his bones that she had just condemned him with the worst of sinners. He blinked, the lust fogging his mind dissipating as the feeling of wrongness accused him.

  “How is your mother?” he asked eagerly, wanting to show her he was genuinely concerned about her and save the terrible impression he had just given her. He wasn’t a dirty man who would just ask her how she felt so he would just get something from her. He wasn’t the type. No matter how hard it was to concentrate on her with all the vulgar images drawing themselves in his mind whenever his gaze latched to any part of her body.

  Nadine inhaled hard, hands fisting. She pulled back from him, her shoulders going rigid. “How do you know of her?” her voice was hard, gone was the softness in it that he liked.

  Nikolas looked at her in confusion.

  “How do you know her?” Nadine repeated.

  “Ummm… I overheard someone talking about you living with your mother” Nikolas lied. What’s so wrong with asking for her mother? He remembered Gittan telling him of that bit of information. Seeing the way, she turned cold, he wasn’t going to blurt to her that another man who had come for her service had told him. She would be humiliated to hear that other people share stories of what she did to them, even for a prostitute, Nikolas didn’t think it would be pleasing. He would be disgusted if it were him. He would be disgusted not only by the men but toward himself more. He watched her wry when she remained silent. Slowly she wrapped her hands around herself, like fragile glass falling and shatter, the coldness slipped from her features. The woman that stared back at him was a vulnerable little girl. A tear fell from the green well of her eye. She whispered. “My mother is dead.”

  Air left his lungs.

  “She is dead. She died two days ago,” she said a little louder with another tear falling. Pain, sadness, and anger collided inside her hunched body. He watched in horror when she began to sob.

  Gods, what have I done? Nikolas wanted to smash his head on the wall.

  “I’m so sorry…very sorry” he apologised, hands going up but posing midway not knowing whether to hold her not. He closed his fingers. “I’m so sorry I didn’t know…please forgive me” he kept apologising. “I’ll just leave…” he began to say. It was best if he disappeared. He had just caused her terrible pain by inconsiderably bringing her mother up.

  “No, sit down” she croaked, holding one finger up. Nikolas would do anything she wanted. Nikolas sat back hurriedly and kept his mouth shut. He kicked himself over and over in his head as the room remained silent except for Nadine’s sobs. He held his breath when the sobbing quieted, and she lifted her fingers to her face and wiped the tears there. When she looked at him, it was if she hadn’t been crying nor had she just confessed that her mother passed away. There, the enchanting woman reached across to him, drawing near that they were just inches apart.

  He startled, taken aback from the sudden twist of behaviour. Nadine leant forward purposefully, sharing the warm breath with him. She hardened everything inside, locked tight with all her might. Nadine refused to mourn for her. She was going to keep the promise her mother made her vow. “That wasn’t very good of me. Let me make it up to you” she dropped her voice to a breathless whisper. Biting and sucking her bottom lip purposeful, and placed a hand on his thigh. Nikolas sucked in hard, bees swarmed in his stomach, heat seared him, rushing and pumping in his veins to his groin. His eyes glazed from watching her tease the succulent bottom lip. He wanted to do it for her…Bite it. Every instinct propelled him to take up on what she was offering. He tilted his head down, his nose skimming hers. He grunted when he felt her fingers climbing up his thigh slowly. Arm rising, he cupped her jaw tilting it up. He peered into her eyes. Her hands now which were at his waist clasped the tunic he wore and trembled. Nikolas dropped the hand holding her cheek.

  He swallowed. “I cannot do this.” Her lovely eyes grew widened slightly.

  “Yes, you can” she murmured seductively, still holding him.

  He shook his head. “No, it isn’t right. You are grieving, and I won’t take advantage of you.”

  Nadine couldn’t stop the desperation her voice. “Please don’t go…” she broke. Who would have imagined she would be begging for a man who had come to use her for his pleasure to stay? But she did because she couldn’t stop thinking of her mother no matter how hard she tried to suppress the memories. A woman who had been beautiful and healthy had succumbed to sickness and a broken heart that which had indeed ended her when the man who she had once loved abandoned her and their daughter with nothing and never once to be seen again. Nadine had taken care and watched a happy soul wither slowly and die until nothing was left except for sickly shell of a body. Tears brimmed in her eyes. Oh, how she ached with pain and anger toward the wretched man of a father. Oh, how she hurt so badly for losing the only family she had.

  “Please…please if you even care just a little. Stay” Nadine begged, holding tight, fingers digging into his sides. She pleaded with a choke. “Take this pain away. I beg you please.”

  Nikolas’s heart broke. His eyes searched inside hers intently before grabbing her neck and crashing his lips to hers. Nadine opened, needing to pass the tormenting emotions into the kiss desperately. She crawled onto his lap, hands in his hair as she returned his feverous kisses with her own. His hands roamed over her body uncoordinatedly, grabbing at every part of her he could hold. She welcomed his jerky and eager movements into her body. If using the job, she abhorred and forever left her feeling soiled would quiet her mind and numb heart and everything just for a while, so be it.

  Chapter Seven

  Murisa Kingdom

  Latrell Town

  Her chest rose and fell with each inhale of smoke that loomed in the air. The stench of burning flesh and wood filled her nose while the constant clash of sword against sword assaulted her ears. Nara moved her right foot in front of the other, fingers gripping tightly the two short swords in her hands each directed towards the two-armed enemies. They circled her like hungry wolves. Her eyes narrowed deadly on the foes, mirroring the rage inside of her.

  Why the sudden attack from Kalil soldiers? Nara tried to understand.

  The utter shock that had paralysed her for a moment when she’d witnessed a Kalil warrior thrust his sword into a horrified Murisa woman still cut through the varied emotions she was feeling. The day had taken a turn that hadn’t been expecting. Nara had woken with the sun in the morning as it cast downlight and brighten the sky. Thoughts of going home were the only thing that had been on her mind and heart the whole night before. She missed her family after being gone for over four months carrying out the king’s orders. The king had instructed small towns in the south near the borders of Lake Azum which separated them from the Kalil Kingdom should have a conventional garrison with trained warriors of their own after dragged out demands and persistence of the towns folks. The towns had voiced that the nearest military post was almost a day’s journey depending on the seasons. The long dist
ance stood as a problem when folks couldn’t call out for help when their properties, farms got pillaged and livestock stolen by rustlers. These aggressive acts commonly occurred during the end of the year when people drunk from endless celebrations and offerings to gods they no longer believed but still followed the traditions.

  Now all that filled her was anger, it pounded her blood and hungered for retribution.

  “I shall have your head!” the man growled in Nyr, the standard language commonly used by most humans as he drew a step near to her. He was heavy in size, armed in solid black armour from head to foot except for the poor greaves which exposed his calves. He held a shield with an axe and a grim expression on his sweat-dirt face.

  Nara took a discretely step backwards keeping the two within eyesight. Overhead them, the overshadowed blazing sun slithered through thick dark clouds of smoke and scorched her bare face. Her eyes strained as they fought the dizziness threatening to plunge her into darkness.

  I should end this quickly before I end up dead instead. The cause of death would not be slaughtered by the two foes circling her like a wounded rabbit but the bloody sun and constricting pain in her belly! It must be the bread I ate this morning. Gosh! The food had looked a bit and tasted funny too, but she had been too hungry to care.

  She wasn’t going to let them have her. We couldn’t have that now, can we? It would not be so honourable if she were to die today in such state. A famous warrior like her shouldn’t meet the end of a sword like this. It would be a disgrace to the army.