The Kept

The Monster

It did not take long for the source of the carnage to find them. A pair of Cereban guards rounded the corner just as Dadien recovered enough to stand on his own. They froze and stared at Nerys, flanked by their captain, a handful of 'priestesses,' and two princes— one shirtless, the other staggering drunk.

Nerys took advantage of their confusion and strode toward them, smiling.

"Just who I wanted to see! Where is my father?"

Her words seemed to spur them from their stupor, and they turned and ran back in the direction they had come.

"That was odd," Nerys said.

"Those were not my people," Enzo said, his craggy face more grim than usual.

"No," Gereon said, stunned. "They are mine."

"Are you sure?" Dadien asked, hiccuping.

Nerys tore after them.

It was a guard in Ithaam that had freed Aimery. Someone who knew about Havenwood, and where to find Nerys after burning it down.  Someone who had known Trygve was Haolaetian and had seen him as an opponent once they realized he was trying to keep Nerys out of Tiarmn— and they had killed him trying to get to her.

The thoughts flew faster than her feet and, by the time she caught up with the two guards, Nerys was not surprised to see Xai leaning against the stone pillar at the entrance of a prayer alcove, looking bored by the chaos around her.

She was, however, taken back by the sight of Maestro Vayk adjusting his coat sleeve as the breathless guards announced their discovery. Nerys didn't slow her charge toward Xai, but the guards had provided just enough of a warning that she looked in Nerys's direction in time to roll to the other side of the pillar before Nerys's sword slammed into the stone where her neck had been.

"Princess," Vayk said, casually. "Still stumbling into danger half-naked, I see."

Nerys caught the flash of movement behind her and spun to block Xai's attack. Xai's blade was a whirling, silver blur as she advanced, forcing  Nerys to retreat into the alcove. Gold-gilded statues of the gods stood in a ring between the pillars of the alcove. Xai walked around the outside, peering between the golden bodies at Nerys— who pivoted to follow her movement.

"You've been practicing more than dance with Trygve. He never took his eyes off of his enemies..." Xai's mouth twisted into a mean little smile. "Until Havenwood. Thank you for keeping him distracted for me," she said, bowing low— exposing her neck.

Nerys gripped the hilt of her sword until her fingertips throbbed. Xai was trying to bait her into giving up her defensive position, and knowing better didn't make it any easier to resist her blinding rage. Xai looked up with a smirk. It was all that was needed to nudge Nerys over the edge of her strained rationality. 

She lunged for the attack and they wove between pillars and statues, Xai disappearing into the shadows and re-emerging just out of reach— taunting Nerys into continuing her pursuit.

"I had no love for the deed I was tasked with. I intended it to be a quick, merciful thing until Trygve double crossed me," Xai said, not showing the slightest fatigue with her game. "But now, because he held you dear and I hold a grudge..."

Xai burst from the darkness separating the gods.  The barrage of her strikes rang against Nerys's defense like hammers to a bell, knocking her back step by step until it felt as though the the sound had grown larger than their shared hatred and shook the very earth beneath them.

The sudden stillness and silence as Nerys's sword went flying from her fingers was almost as nauseating as Xai's victorious grin as she closed in. It landed at the golden feet of Martyr.