Kaidia stepped close again, her hand sliding to the unfortunate man's belt. She plucked his coin purse from there and jingled it.
"Hm... it has some weight. But, as I said, you weren't paid nearly enough," she said with a smirk before turning and walking a few steps away. "Nadia, I'm sure these Scorpions can take it from here."
Kaidia had just gotten the last word out of her mouth when she felt a blast of deathly chill air from behind. She glanced over her shoulder to see the would-be assassin frozen solid where he stood, Nadia stepping around in front of him. The younger sibling took a step back, then kicked the man in the chest. The frozen assassin fell over backward and shattered on the stone street, eliciting gasps from the gathered crowd.
Nadia then plucked up the man's short sword and looked it over as she walked to her sister. She held it up to Kaida.
"I think it'll fetch a silver coin or two," the younger sibling said. Kaidia eyed Nadia for a moment, then took the sword from her littler sister's grasp, and hugged Nadia around the neck with one arm.
"Yes... you're my sister," she stated with a proud grin. Nadia flushed, pleased by the praise and mildly embarrassed by the kiss to the forehead she was given a moment later.
* * *
Kaidia and Nadia made their way back to Rykar's manor in the uppermost tier of the city's Third District. They had enjoyed a fine noon meal after their encounter with the assassin, but as the shadows grew longer, the day turned to twilight, and the air cooled pleasantly, Kai felt the urge to return to Rykar's home and relax.
The two women stepped inside, and after a quick search, located Rykar in what amounted to his Lordly office. The room was like the man's study in that the walls were covered in bookshelves that were, of course, filled with books. Many of these likely pertained to Rykar's station as a Lord of Mehroth. The rest were just like the books from his study. They didn't have any place in the library due to said library being full.
"Did you two enjoy yourselves?" Rykar asked without looking up from a piece of parchment upon which he was currently writing from his seated position behind the desk that dominated a good portion of one half of the room.
"Kaidia went to a brothel," Nadia stated.
"Did she now?" Rykar looked up, smirking at Kaidia.
"Yes. Not that it's anyone's business," Kai replied whilst giving her sister a bit of a shove. Nadia snickered. A knock came at the door of the office and every set of eyes in the room turned to see Farren standing in the doorway.
"Dinner is just about ready, my Lord, Ladies," the blonde woman said with a warm smile.
"We will be in momentarily, my dear," Rykar responded casually. Farren nodded and disappeared from the doorway. Kaidia turned her attention back to Rykar.
"Are you ready to leave in the morning?" she inquired.
"Yes, General," the man said with a smirk.
"You make arrangements fast," Nadia remarked with a bit of surprise.
"Yes, well, when you have my position, you learn to do so. But much of the command structure under which I run the Third District is set up to make such arrangements simple. Malcade will run everything while I'm gone because, quite simply, he's my second in command. Also, he didn't die at the hands of his easily infuriated wife last evening," Rykar expounded with a cheerful smile. Kai raised a brow slightly.
"Supplies and other necessities?" she asked.
"Already taken care of. Supplies, my horse, weapons, armor, and everything else," the man confirmed.
"Alright then," Nadia said before she turned and walked out, intent on dinner. Rykar stood up and stepped out from behind his desk before gesturing to the door, silently requesting the Kaidia leave the room before him. The mercenary did so with Rykar following behind her and shutting the door to his office once they'd both gotten clear of the doorway.
"We shall leave first thing in the morning," he stated.
"I would hope so," the dark-haired woman replied. Together, the Lord and the mercenary made their way to the dining room where it would forever be remembered, much to Nadia's chagrin, that Rykar told a joke just as Nadia was taking a drink, causing the younger Valengaard sister to spit red wine all over her elder sibling.
* * *
The next morning Rykar, Kaidia, and Nadia rode past the city gates of Mehroth, the sun just rising above the horizon. Rykar wore plate armor made of lightweight elven steel. The armor had a dull finish because the man didn't fancy light glinting off his armor like a lighthouse beacon. In his experience, that just invited arrows and various spells of ill intent. The spaulders of the armor bore the Scorpion Company insignia. Another insignia was worked into the metal of the breastplate. A shield with a single sword pointed downward over top of it. It signified Rykar's position as the leader of the Scorpion Company.
As Nadia was taking a drink from her waterskin, Rykar leaned over toward Kai.
"Want to hear a joke about a bearded lady and a midget?" he asked with a smirk.
"No!" Kaidia responded with a severe look.
"Oh, alright," the man responded with a huff. There was a long moment of silence.
"Wait until she's done drinking."
Chapter Three: Temple of Bloodshed and Astonishment
After two days of riding from Mehroth, the trio arrived at Sarkos. The city of Sarkos was like Mehroth in the fact that it was a major hub of trade. The city was built in a circular pattern and divided into three rings by major stone-paved roads that circled back on themselves with Temple of the Gods as a central hub. Four smaller roads emerged from the innermost of the three circular roads and intersected the middle and outer roads before cutting through the outer ring and ending at four separate city gates. The innermost ring of the city was reserved for mansions of the wealthy and the important. The middle ring contained the businesses, the inns, and the marketplace. The outermost ring was all residential with the poorest living closest to the wall and the slightly more well-off living closer to the second ring. A spider web of small streets and alleys made traveling within each ring of the city a little easier. All of it was surrounded by a massive wall that had taken years to build.
The Temple of the Gods in Sarkos was one of two main temples in the world. It held a shrine to every known deity and demi-god known to the races of the world. As such, the temple was a city all its own, towering high above the tallest buildings of Sarkos. The temple's ground level was the size of some small cities, making the tower truly a sight to behold.
After passing through the farms that dominated the land outside of the city wall, Kaidia and her two companions entered one of the city gates and started up the long, straight road toward the temple. Along the way, Kaidia noticed more than one person openly gawking at her or pointing at her while whispering conspiratorially to a fellow. Rykar leaned toward Kai and stared at her face intently. The mercenary looked back at him for a long moment.
"What the hell are you staring at?!" she asked sharply, a bit irritated with all the pointing and whispering.
"Just seeing if you have something on your face. Everyone keeps pointing at you," the man answered casually with a bit of a smirk.
"I noticed that too, Kai," Nadia spoke up.
"Yes, I have too," Kaidia responded with a soft sigh.
"I wonder what the problem is?" Rykar wondered aloud.
"I don't know. Let's just get to the temple," Kaidia grumbled.
The three companions kept riding until they reached the main gates of the temple, Kaidia doing her best to ignore the looks and pointing fingers the entire way. Though she was growing ever more annoyed. The trio dismounted and three young men who worked for the temple's stable were immediately there to usher the horses away. All three bowed deeply to Kai and nodded curtly to Nadia and Rykar before walking off with the horses following.
"What in the hell was that?" Kaidia asked aloud in a rather irritated tone.
"I think I feel slighted," Rykar commented with a smirk.
"That was rather odd," Nadia added, a thoughtful look o
n her face.
Before the group could ponder the oddity of their visit to Sarkos any further, an acolyte hurried to greet them.
"Such an honor, most exalted Mistress Kaidia. How may I help you and your... friends?" the man said with a bow. He was a young man with closely cropped hair and handsome features. He was swathed in soft, grey robes, and wore sandals on his feet. Kai would've made mental notes about his typical appearance if not for his words, which had added to her growing need to know what the hell was going on.
"My friends are Lord Rykar Vaikos of the Third District of the City of Mehroth and Lady Nadia Valengaard of the City of Vortha," Kaidia introduced them both, gesturing to them in turn.
"Greetings, my Lord, my Lady. Of course, you would keep such noble company, Mistress Kaidia," the man said with a smile.
"Well, I am a noble as well, acolyte," Kai returned with a tilt of her head. The man gave her a strange look.
"Right. Well, again, how may I serve you, Mistress Kaidia?" the man asked politely.
"My friends and I are here to seek an audience with High Priestess Xerith," Kai explained in a rather formal tone. Both Rykar and Nadia recognized this as a sign of Kaidia's patience growing rather thin. The acolyte, however, did not.
"Of course. Someone of your eminence wouldn't be here otherwise, I dare say. Please, follow me," the acolyte said with a chuckle before turning and walking off, clearly expecting to be followed. The companions looked at one another, and then started after the acolyte.
* * *
"What have you got that Nadia and I don't?" Rykar asked aloud. The three nobles had been left in a room littered with comfortable chairs with pillows strewn about the floor. Nadia guessed that people probably sat on them to meditate, but they were currently the only people in the room. The acolyte had left as soon as he'd told them to wait here.
"I don't know," Kai answered a bit tersely.
"You can't think of anything, Kai?" Nadia questioned.
"I said that I don't know, Nadia," the elder sibling replied with a growl and a bit of a glare.
"Truly? You do not know?" a voice asked from a little distance away. All three companions whipped around, hands on their swords. In a nearby chair sat Xerith, calm and smiling. The woman had golden blonde hair shot through with streaks of dark brown, blue eyes, and was quite pleasant to behold. She was shorter than any of the three companions but, then again, almost everyone was shorter than Kaidia. Xerith wore pure white robes that seemed untouched by dust, dirt, or age. Kaidia relaxed, Rykar and Nadia followed suit.
"No. I don't know. Otherwise, I wouldn't be saying that I don't bloody well know!" Kaidia responded, growling.
"Alright, calm down, Kaidia," Xerith said, raising a hand as if to stave off the warrior's anger.
"She is calm. The temple isn't in burning ruins, yet," Rykar remarked. Xerith regarded the man with a studious gaze for a long moment.
"I am well aware of Kaidia's temper. I have known her since she was younger than Nadia is now, Rykar. I would just prefer she be less hostile when talking to me," the priestess stated with a faint smile.
"You and everyone else that's been on the wrong side of her ire," Nadia quipped, drawing a glare from her sister. Nadia responded with a cheeky smile which resulted in Kai clenching her fists and Nadia taking a bit of a defensive stance.
"Now now, I won't have a sibling battle in my temple. Between you two, the whole city would be nothing but a smoking crater," Xerith shook a finger at the two sisters. Rykar chuckled as the two siblings relaxed and looked to Xerith again.
"Yes yes. Now why is everyone pointing at me and acting like I'm the Queen of the lands?" Kai asked while crossing her arms over her chest.
"You truly don't know then," the blonde woman stated with mild shock.
"I truly do not know," Kai replied curtly.
"Well then, I have something to show you. Come along," the priestess said as she stood up and began walking toward the door, passing between the sisters as she did. Xerith led the trio through grand halls made of white marble and furnished with obviously expensive furniture. Tables and comfortable chairs stood at intervals. Tapestries dedicated to various gods and goddesses hung from the walls. Paintings depicting various scenes from the many holy mythologies occupied space between various tapestries. After a long walk that took the small group through many halls and a shimmering portal placed in an alcove in one of the many hallways, they found themselves high up in the tower. Kaidia glanced out windows as they passed, seeing the city from this high up was a great view. Xerith stopped, prompting Rykar, Nadia, and Kaidia to do so as well.
"Here we are," the priestess said with a gesture to the broad, high wall that made up the inner wall of this particular hallway. The companions looked up at the wall and Kai's jaw dropped.
There, on the wall, was an absolutely massive painting of Kaidia. The painting depicted Kaidia, in astonishingly accurate detail, standing in a cyclone of magical energy, staring down a painted version of Adathir from across a grassy field dotted with rock outcroppings. Oddest of all, a massive, ethereal dragon flew in the sky above Kaidia's painted self. The title of the painting, "War of the Gods", was etched in a small, metal plaque just below the frame. Kaidia took a long moment to take it all in before gesturing to the painting and rounding on Xerith.
"What in the blue fuck is this?!" she demanded in an angered shout that echoed down the hall and beyond. Xerith regarded Kaidia calmly for a long moment before taking a breath.
"A painting," she answered earnestly. Kaidia's eye twitched, Nadia had to bite her tongue to keep from laughing, and Rykar had to cover his mouth and look out a window.
"I can see that, Xerith!" Kaidia practically shouted.
"Good. I wasn't sure," the priestess said with a smile.
"What in the hell is this doing here? Why is it here??" the mercenary asked, clearly expecting a straight answer this time. Kai found the existence of the painting a bit disturbing, if flattering. She found the display of it here to be highly perplexing and somewhat alarming.
"I shall explain," Xerith said, holding her hands up in a silent request that Kai calm herself.
"Please do," Kaidia said with a faint growl.
"An elven artist happened to be on his way to Vortha near the end of the massive battle that took place there that Nadia and you fought in. He stopped a distance out because he deemed it too dangerous to approach. He watched the battle until its conclusion and later painted this from memory. Elven eyesight, as you know, is rather amazing. So is their memory," Xerith explained as she gestured toward the painting.
"That's all well and good except for one thing. There was no dragon in that battle," Kai stated firmly. Xerith stared at the warrior for a moment as if she had gone mad.
"You are joking, yes?" the priestess asked.
"No," Kai answered.
"I heard a dragon that day," Nadia piped up.
"You did?" the elder sister asked, turning to face her sibling.
"Yes. It was you," Nadia said, serious as could be.
"It was me?" Kai questioned, incredulous.
"Yes," the younger sister replied.
"What do you mean?" Kaidia demanded with a note of curiosity.
"I mean, you screamed. The most horrible scream I've ever heard. Then it shifted into a roar that shook the ground. All the while, there was this blinding light," Nadia supplied, giving a small shrug.
"Ahem, if I may," Xerith spoke up. The mercenary turned her attention back to the priestess with an arched brow.
"Oh, by all means, Xerith," she said, voice dripping with sarcasm that Xerith ignored.
"During your battle, the dragon manifested itself, I would guess immediately following a moment of intense sorrow or pain," the holy woman explained.
"Go on," Kai responded.
"You are the first of your kind. Likely to be the only," Xerith continued.
"I don't know if that's comforting or not," the warrior sighed.
"There's mo
re," Xerith stated.
"Do tell," Kai requested in an exasperated tone.
"There was a theory about your arrival. Some call it prophecy. I don't really buy into the whole prophecy game myself, but there was a vague prediction. They got lucky," Xerith said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"That's odd to hear from a priestess," Nadia commented.
"Simple truth, dear. That is all," the white robed woman asserted.
"Right, well, that still doesn't explain why this is hanging in the temple," Kai said with a wave of her hand at the painting.
"Or how that artist painted the curve of Kai's backside so well," Rykar spoke up, having been quiet for much of the conversation. Nadia stifled a fit of laughter as her sister rounded on Rykar with hands on her hips and brow raised high.
"The curve... of my backside?" she queried, her tone mildly threatening.
"What? It's nice, I've taken notice. It's a compliment," Rykar said with a charming grin, oblivious of his danger. Or perhaps just used to Kai's temper. As if sensing the imminent risk to the man's health, Xerith cleared her throat.
"The painting is here because, like everyone else depicted in these paintings, you have been declared a god, Kaidia," the priestess explained. Kaidia's expression went blank for a moment before she turned and looked at Xerith.
"What?!"
Everyone was silent for a moment. Then Rykar burst into a fit of uproarious laughter that echoed up and down the marble halls, Nadia took her turn at being slack-jawed, and Kaidia stared at Xerith with wide eyes, silently pondering what she'd been told.
"You are a god," Xerith repeated.
"When the hell was that decision made?!" Kai demanded, still in a state of disbelief.
"About four years ago. That's why I couldn't believe you didn't know about it," Xerith answered with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Why wasn't I notified?!" the warrior shouted.
"We couldn't find you," was Xerith's simple answer.
"Nadia found me!" Kai countered.
Realms of Valen - Dragon in the Dark (War of the Gods Book 1) Page 6