"You're terrible, Kai," Nadia said with a chuckle.
"I am not. I send him regular shipments of new drinks to try out - recipes for some, too. You have to keep things fresh in such a business."
"I suppose so."
"I have also formed a habit of collecting various metals in the form of bars."
"Yes, I saw. I can't name some of them."
"The name of each is on a slip of parchment under each pile of bars."
"When I have the chance, I'll look."
“Good to hear. You should never pass up a chance to educate yourself.”
“Yes, yes... I just wish there were a less cumbersome way to carry money.”
“There is.”
“How?”
“Teleportation magic. I can summon the coins from this room to my hand from anywhere in the world.”
“Can you teach me?”
“I can, but we don't have the time right now.”
“Okay, but if you can do that, why are we filling coin purses?”
“They're for you, in case you find yourself without me and need to buy something.”
“Oh, well, that makes sense.”
“I thought so.”
The two women fell silent as they finished filling the leather pouches with coins. When they were done, the siblings left the treasury. The pair paused long enough for Kai to close the doors to both the treasury and armory. Each closed with a cacophony of whirring and clicking noises as they automatically locked. A shimmer passed over both sets of doors, sealing them with magic at a gentle touch from Kaidia. She motioned for her sister to follow, then walked off, deeper into the depths of the tomb turned home.
After a few twists, turns, and a set of stairs, Kai came to a halt in front of a pair of black double doors. The torches mounted on either side of the doorway burst to life at Kaidia's presence. As with the armory and treasury doors, a touch of Kai's hand produced a blue shimmer over the doors, along with a symphony of clicks from the locks coming undone. The doors opened inward and the room was lighted by torches and candles that flickered to life.
The room was revealed to be the warrior's bedroom. A bed large enough for two people was pushed up against the far wall and centered in the room, covered in dark blue sheets and covers. A chest sat at the foot of the bed. Dressers stood off to one side of the room, and the stone floor was covered entirely with lush carpets and soft furs of varying colors. Off to the opposite side of the room from the dressers, was a female mannequin made of wood. The mannequin wore a suit of black armor that was near identical to Ashlin's armor back in the armory. This armor was newer, made of a different metal, and had a helm. Nadia remembered that Ash had never liked wearing a helm. The armor looked sinister. The eye and mouth slits in the helm, the overlapping plates of black metal, and the overall feel it gave off all combined to make Nadia shiver. She couldn't imagine the terror it struck when her sister was actually wearing it on the battlefield. Kaidia walked into the room and smirked lightly.
"Like it?" she asked with a gesture toward the armor.
"Yes. It's imposing. I imagine you frighten some people with that," Nadia answered.
"I've sent people running without drawing my sword," Kai replied with a grin.
"I don't know if this will make sense but... it looks like you," the younger sister said.
"It was molded to fit me, specifically," the elder sibling explained.
"What is it made out of?" Nadia asked as she walked over to examine the armor.
"Blithsite. Lighter and stronger than steel. But very expensive," Kaidia responded.
Nadia made a general noise of acknowledgment as she walked over to the armor and ran her fingers over one of the bracers.
"The craftsmanship is exquisite," she said in awe.
"That was half the cost. The materials being the other half," Kai said with a faint smile. Nadia spent a few moments looking the armor over before she glanced up and was startled to find herself nose to nose with Sae-Mirra. Kaidia snickered.
"Damn, you're quiet," Nadia muttered.
"Most of my kind tend to be, Miss Nadia," Sae-Mirra said with an amused smile. She then stepped away and turned to Kaidia.
"Bodies are taken care of, Miss Kaidia."
"Burned?"
"To ash."
"Thank you, dear."
"My pleasure."
Sae then turned back to Nadia and held out her hand. The younger sibling arched a brow and then put her hand in the kyrian's. Sae took a firm hold on Nadia's hand and smiled.
"I shall show you to your bed chamber for the evening. It is getting late and you two must be up and moving early," the feline said with a flick of her ears and that faint smile that seemed to almost always be on her lips. Nadia glanced to Kai, who was sitting on the edge of her bed, working her boots off of her feet. The elder sibling gave the younger a slight nod and Nadia looked back to Sae.
"Well, alright, I suppose," she said with a little smile. She found Sae-Mirra to be quite beautiful and thus, she was a bit shy around the woman.
Sae grinned and dragged Nadia from the room, leaving Kaidia to herself.
After being pulled out of her sister's chambers, Nadia found herself pulled down the hall, around a corner, and to the end of the next hall. There were three iron banded, wooden doors here; one on each side of the hall and one between them.
"This is my room, that's a storage room, and that is your room," the kyrian rattled off, gesturing to the door on the left side of the hall, the door in the middle, then the door on the right side of the hall.
"Thanks. I suppose I'll see you in the morning then," Nadia said with a smile. Sae simply nodded, then turned around and slipped into her room. The young mercenary turned and pushed open the door to her own room and stepped inside. She closed the door behind her and blinked as the torches on the walls flared to life, revealing a fully furnished guest room.
A bed for a single person was set against the far corner, diagonally opposite from the door, draped in fine sheets of deep blue and a blanket of the darkest green. A chest was set at the foot of the bed, a dresser was against the far wall and a lush carpet covered much of the floor.
Nadia walked across the room, taking her cloak off as she went. She dropped the cloak on top of the chest and proceeded to undo the straps of her leather armor. It, too, was tossed onto the top of the chest to rest with her cloak. She sat on the edge of the bed and kicked off her boots, her mind drifting as she settled down for the night. She had expected to see her sister, spend a few nights, and maybe bring up the idea of working together or even forming their own mercenary company. What she had not expected was the assassination attempt and the sudden trip off to parts unknown in the hunt of this temple dedicated to Adathir. It was a whirlwind and only now did Nadia have a moment to catch her breath.
The tired young woman laid back on the bed, pleased at how comfortable it was. She let her mind wander further, pondering what the coming days would bring. She sensed a storm on the horizon and wondered faintly if she was prepared to weather it. She figured that she would find out soon enough whether she liked it or not. She noticed that the torches in her room dimmed as she slowly drifted off to sleep and her last thought before sinking into that warm darkness was that she would have to ask Kaidia just how she had ensorcelled them to do that.
* * *
Nadia awoke the next morning to a gentle prodding. She grumbled and swatted at whatever it was that was prodding her. She heard a giggle and was then prodded again. She opened an eye, then sat upright rather abruptly. The torches in her room were blazing fully and she was staring at a smirking Sae-Mirra. The kyrian's ears were perked, her tail was flicking back and forth, and she wore a rather playful smile.
"Morning, sleepyhead," the feline woman said cheerfully.
"Eh, yeah, morning," Nadia replied sleepily, capping it off with a yawn. It didn't feel like morning but, then again, there weren't any windows around because she was underground. The young woman swung her
feet off the bed and stretched her arms.
"Your sister is already up and breakfast is almost ready," Sae announced then turned around and padded out the door as silent as a shadow. Nadia yawned again, tugged her boots on, stood up, and grabbed up her armor and cloak. She realized that somehow, she had slept with her sword belt still on the entire night.
After a glance around the room to make sure she hadn't forgotten anything, Nadia made her way out of the room and managed to find her way back to the sitting room where wine and meat had been served the night before. She found breakfast being served as she arrived. Kaidia looked up and smiled to her.
"Sleep well, sister?" she asked.
"Like the dead," Nadia replied with a chuckle.
"Cute," Kaidia responded in a playfully sarcastic tone. The younger sibling smiled and dropped her armor and cloak onto the floor in a bundle before sitting down and eyeing the food on the table. Eggs, ham, and cold milk. Simple but good. One could hardly complain about it. As soon as Sae-Mirra sat down, all three women set to eating. It didn't take long for them to finish. Kaidia ate quickly out of a mild sense of urgency. She wanted to get going on the quickly planned journey ahead. Nadia ate quickly just to match her sibling's pace and Sae ate quickly simply because her people naturally tended to devour their food. Once she was done, Kaidia sighed, stood up, and stretched her arms above her head.
"Alright, little sister, we need to head out. Sae, thank you for breakfast," she said before leaving the room. Nadia hurriedly ate the rest of her breakfast before pushing her plate back and taking a moment to relax.
"That was good."
"Thank you, Miss Nadia."
"You're welcome."
"You had better get your armor on. That's what your sister went to do."
Nadia sighed, then stood up, picked her armor up, and slid it on. Before she could start buckling it, she found Sae-Mirra buckling her armor for her. The cat girl slid her hands under Nadia's armor, over the girl's stomach, testing how tight she'd made it before pulling her hands out and readjusting the buckles.
"Comfortable? Uhm, why are you blushing?" Sae asked with a mildly confused look.
"I uh... I'm comfortable... and not blushing," Nadia said, glancing away and forcing the blush from her face. Sae just snickered softly and poked the younger Valengaard in the chest.
"Yes you are. I think you're shy around the pretty cat girl," Sae said teasingly. Nadia's cheeks blazed brightly. About that time, Kaidia came back into the room, clad in her black armor, carrying a leather pack that was slung over one shoulder.
"Quit tormenting my sister," she said with a chuckle upon spying Nadia's blushing face. Her hand came up and she scratched behind the kyrian's left ear, causing the feline woman to purr and tilt her head into the scratching fingers. Kai maintained the scratching for a few moments, then let her hand drop, and stepped away.
"Aw, I was enjoying that," Sae-Mirra said with a pout.
"I could do that all day and you'd still pout when I stopped," Kaidia returned.
"This is true," the feline woman responded. The mercenary just chuckled and beckoned to her sister.
"Come along. We have to buy horses and supplies yet," she said as she walked from the room. Nadia wrapped her grey cloak around herself and followed. Sae-Mirra fell into stride behind the two other women. Together, all three walked up the curving, ascending hallway to the door of the tomb. Kai pushed the double doors open and stepped into the foggy, mild morning. Nadia and Sae followed her out.
"You two come back in one piece," Sae said with a pointed look at both sisters.
"We will do what we can. You keep my home in one piece," Kai responded.
"Of course. It's my home too, after all," the kyrian said with a smile.
"Yes yes," the warrior said with a dismissive, but playful gesture.
"Oh yes, for good luck," the cat girl said before she nuzzled Kai's shoulder in a show of affection that was common amongst kyrian folk. She turned to Nadia and kissed the younger woman on the cheek, then winked. Nadia's cheeks blazed pink again and she fought to find her words.
"Tha... thanks," she managed to stammer out. Sae-Mirra snickered lightly and Kaidia shook her head with a smile.
"Alright, you two. We need to go," Kai said. With a few waves, the sisters set off toward town and Sae went back into the tomb.
After a quick stop to buy horses and another stop at the local general store for supplies, the Valengaard siblings were riding out of town as the fog was burned away by the morning sun.
"Does Sae always treat guests like that?" Nadia asked as she rode alongside her sister.
"No. She likes you," Kaidia answered with a smirk.
"Likes me? You don't mean..." the brunette trailed off.
"I do," the elder sibling confirmed. Nadia could only blush and fall silent. As the two rode on, the younger woman turned her eyes to the horizon. She could, once again, sense a storm... and rain wasn't what she was worried about.
Chapter Two: Lord of Scorpions
The mountain city of Mehroth was and wasn't just what it sounded like, depending on how one's mind worked. It was a city built around and up the sides of one of the largest mountains in the country. The mountain was a lone peak, not a part of any mountain range. It stood alone and massive among vast fields with a forest near its eastern side. The city reached only so far up the sides of the mountain, but it was still impressive and built on multiple levels. The fact that Mehroth ringed the entire mountain was more impressive still. The city spread out into the lands around the mountain, mostly using the land beyond the foothills as farmland. Once one got past the farms, there was a massive wall that separated the farms from the city proper.
Mehroth was ancient, founded so long ago that any written record of its construction was lost to the ages in centuries past. The city was busy, heavily populated, and a hub of trade. It was originally a mining town that simply never stopped growing. The iron mines still produced with no signs of being anywhere near depleted and since the discovery of the sinthite ore in the mountain, the city has been more prosperous than ever. Within the walls, Mehroth was divided into four districts of equal size. Each district had a ruling Lord or Lady who oversaw business and government functions. It was like any city except that it was so massive that it required four ruling nobles instead of one.
Kaidia found herself in a small but clean tavern, Nadia sitting by her side at a corner table. Their horses had been stabled and the two were having a drink as evening settled over the city. It had been a three day ride and both women were happy to have a roof over their heads again. Not that either minded sleeping under the stars, but a touch of civilization was good now and again. When Kai spotted a man walking in with long, red hair and a full beard sporting armor with a scorpion crest on each spaulder, she beckoned him over with a finger and an impish smile. A male soldier usually didn't mind a summons from a pretty woman, let alone two of them. Such occurrences usually brought to mind a soft bed with warm company. He walked over, took a seat, and gave a charming smile.
"How can I be of service, ladies?" he asked with that same smile.
"What's your name?" the elder sister asked with an equally charming smile.
"First Commander, Malcade Cullins," the man answered with a sense of pride.
"You're a mercenary of the Scorpion Company, yes?" Kai asked.
"Yes, I am," he replied.
"Good. I was wondering where I could find Rykar Vaikos," Kaidia stated.
"Rykar? What do you want with the boss?" Malcade asked with a quirked brow.
"He is an old friend. I want to catch up," the mercenary said with a smile.
"And what might your name be, miss?" the man questioned.
"My name is Kaidia Valengaard," Kai stated plainly. Malcade's eyes widened considerably and his jaw went slack for a moment. Nadia had to bite back a bit of laughter.
"You are thee Kaidia Valengaard? The Mercenary General of the King's Army? The Dragon of Vortha? Angel of Wrat
h? The Reaper of Kulvost?!" Malcade asked, the words tumbling out of his mouth, a hint of awe in his tone. Nadia had heard all the names before, pondered a moment about their origins, and then decided to ask her sister about them later.
"Yes. That's me," Kaidia said with a roll of her eyes, but a hint of a smile on her lips.
"Rykar has told some crazy stories about you," the red-haired man stated.
"I have done some crazy things," the mercenary responded.
"He always speaks of you fondly. He'll be happy to see you. I can escort you if you wish," Malcade offered with another flash of that charming smile.
"That'd be lovely of you," Kai commented before downing her drink. Nadia followed suit, having let her sister do the talking. With their mugs drained, the two sisters stood and picked up their packs. Their charming new friend rose with them and together, they made their way out of the tavern.
* * *
Rykar Vaikos was a handsome man with long, light brown hair, a solid build, piercing blue eyes, and short beard with a mustache. The man apparently enjoyed the color black. His pants, his tunic, and his boots, all made of the finest cloth and leather, were all a rich black. Silver rings glinted on the forefinger of both hands. The man was seated in a luxurious chair in a large room that was well lighted by a chandelier that held no burning candles. Instead, it held spheres of soft light that illuminated the room from floor to ceiling much like candles would. Where he sat was lined nearly floor to ceiling with books. The shelves only went down to about knee height. Rykar didn't see much point in crawling on the floor in an effort to find something to read.
He held an open book in his hands and had just turned the page when a thumping at his front door interrupted the calm quiet of his evening. He sighed softly, placed a strip of cloth in the book to mark his page, closed the volume, set it on the arm of the chair, then stood up, and walked to the door to see what all the noise was about. Being the Lord of the Third District was a rather tiresome task sometimes, and he expected the worst from an unexpected evening visit. However, the benefits of Lordship were well worth the somewhat regular headaches.
Realms of Valen - Dragon in the Dark (War of the Gods Book 1) Page 3