The carriage disappeared into the crowd, leaving me alone in the midst of the bustle of Druunor. The air smelled of exotic spices and roasted meat, mixed with the rancid aroma of people's sweat. The streets were lined with stalls of merchants shouting their goods, children running between the legs of adults, and guards in gleaming armor watching the poorest.
I decided to go into the city, avoiding the curious glances of passers-by. My clothes, although simple, gave away that I was not from there. I passed a group of street performers playing strange instruments, their hypnotic melodies drawing a small audience. Beyond, an old man was selling amulets that he shouted "drove away demons." Demons like the ones Dorian mentioned?I thought, remembering his hatred of the Oni Tribe.
The sun was beginning to set when I found what I was looking for: a tavern called "The Splintered Horn." The entrance was half-hidden in an alleyway, and the sign, painted with wear, showed a beer horn split in half. I pushed open the wooden door and was greeted by a breath of warm air laden with the smell of alcohol and burning wood.
The interior was chaotic. Sailors were playing cards in one corner, a dwarf was arguing heatedly with a bluish-skinned man, and in the darkest corner, a hooded figure stood in front of a drunken man who staggered to the rhythm of his own clumsy words.
"Get out before you regret it!" shouted the figure, a female voice, but with a tone that chilled the blood even of me, who was yards away. The drunk, a burly guy with a broken nose, laughed and reached out a hand to his hood.
"Come on, honey, I just want to see what's hiding in that one"
The mysterious girl, with a movement so fast that everything seemed to be going in slow motion, took her hand out of the long sleeve that covered her. My eyes were fixed on the detail of her skin. This was a deep red color, something I hadn't seen before.
"Nyx'tharis vael'shar!" He exclaimed at the top of his lungs. A blinding glow began to come out of both of his hands and with them, seconds later, a sound that could easily break glass. I felt a slight dizziness, I even suddenly felt like sleeping. Moments later a small shock wave caused him to take several steps back.
The man staggered for a few seconds, then collapsed to the ground. Was he dead? What spell was that?
Shortly after a sulfur smell made me start coughing non-stop, it was an unpleasant smell for me.
When I tried to get up I noticed a small detail. I couldn't move.
Sure, it made sense. The man wasn't dead, it would simply be a spell that left people without the strength to stand.
I didn't feel any pain, just a tingling sensation everywhere. Was that enough of a sign to know that my body was just asleep?
I looked up without moving my head, just my eyes. I could see the hooded figure, but now blurred to my view. He was approaching me with a menacing step. Alright Zaydir, you've gotten into trouble with a red-skinned woman, great.
I felt his footsteps stop in front of me with a loud stomp
"Hey!" The figure exclaimed. I didn't hear it very well as my ear followed its rust a little, but little by little, it was normalized, yes, it took too long.
"Are you okay?" That figure asked repeatedly until I finally reacted.
"Do you see that it is?" I asked in a hesitant tone.
The figure bent down and grabbed my hair, using it to lift my head.
"I see you're still breathing, so I'll assume you do," she said in a calm tone, but noticeably annoyed by the way I spoke.
"Yes, thank God I breathe," I answered.
I couldn't see her face well, the little sun that reached the place made it hit me directly in the face, making it impossible for me to recognize her face. He kept a silence that was uncomfortable.
"God?" He asked curiously in his voice "What's that?"
Sure, it's true, their god was Kiros, not Jesus.
"I mean... Kiros. Thanks to Kiros I still breathe — I said.
The figure let go of my hair suddenly, causing my face to slam into the ground.
"Do you belong to the religion of Kiros?" How disgusting you are..." He said in a disgusted tone added with a heavy sigh.
It was incredible, the more he talked the more he screwed up. He had to think better before speaking, but... Were there more religions besides Kiros's? Well, it was an obvious answer, but I needed to know about it, so I wouldn't get into bigger trouble. I bet my soul that there are a lot of fights because of religions.
"No, I don't really belong to any religion," I said, trying to get up. I couldn't.
My sight and hearing were already used to it, but I still didn't recognize his face. I just saw how he continued to look at me, as if he were the most interesting.
"Sinner?" — He asked.
Why so many questions? It looked like an interrogation carried out by a priest.
— No — I shook my head coldly and dryly
"Sinners do not believe in any religion for fear of not being forgiven by their gods," he said.
"Useful information, but... Would it be too much to ask you to help me get up?"
The figure tilted his head to the left, as if he didn't understand what I was asking of him.
"Did the spell affect you?" He asked in a funny tone. He was about to fall apart.
- No, what's up, I'm on the floor because I love lying on a floor full of shit. It's my favorite hobby. I said in a sarcastic tone. I think it was obvious that he wasn't drawn by the love of art.
"Oh, okay, then there you stay," he said as he began to leave.
I didn't expect that answer. Had he believed it? Come on, don't with me, it was clearer than water that it was sarcasm.
"Do you know what sarcasm is?" I asked angrily.
"Sar... What?" He stopped in his tracks, turning to look at me.
I get it, I didn't understand it.
I sighed deeply to answer it:
"Your spell affected me. - I tried to move my body. I could already feel how some parts were felt and moved again. "Could you help me?" I asked, "Please..."
There was no response from him. He stretched out his hand, again, revealing the vivid red color of his skin. The palm of his hand was pointing at me.
" Liora'vaelis shaar'tharis ," he recited in a calm tone.
A green light began to come out of his palm, with it, particles that seemed to come quickly towards my body. The particles stuck to all parts of my body. Little by little, I noticed how they embedded themselves in my skin, to the point that it was even painful. My body began to stop emitting that uncomfortable tingling sensation and to feel normal. When I tried to get up, I noticed that I was already fully recovered. I rejoined slowly and quite agonizingly, the effect of the healing particles still hurting until moments after I got up.
"Thanks, I guess..." I cleaned my clothes to remove all the dust that had stuck to them during my stay on the wonderful city floor.
Now that I remembered, Dorian told me about the distinctive smell of dark spells. It was the smell of sulfur, just like the one used by the mysterious woman.
"Hey..." I muttered hesitantly and nervously, I didn't know if asking that was a good idea. "Was that dark magic?" I asked full of curiosity.
The situation seemed very uncomfortable to me, the woman kept staring at me, it's as if she was studying me deeply. Was he reading my mind?
"You have a good sense of smell," he said. "Normally people don't usually differentiate normal spells from dark ones," he said.
"The only way is by smell?"
"You're smart," he said with satisfaction, as if he'd been wanting him to guess it all along.
Dark magic could only be differentiated by smell and not by the type of spells, which means that they are nothing more than normal spells, but with a much greater danger.
Despite having made this fuss inside the tavern, it seemed that this was a daily occurrence for places like this.
"So you're a Demon?" The atmosphere calmed down for a moment. It was as if everyone had agreed to shut up right then and there.
The woman quickly approached me and cornered me against the wall. She was goat.
"Don't say that here, you idiot!" He exclaimed with a stifled cry.
My nerves soared as I felt like I was cornered against a being who controlled dark magic. One move the fake one and he was dead.
— B-sorry! I screamed in regret for my act.
"STOP FIGHTING!" A man shouted in the deepest voice he had ever heard.
The man approached and with a tug on the girl's clothes he pushed her away from me a few meters behind, leaving me free.
"I think you've already made too much fuss for today," he told the girl.
"It's just that he..."
"He swims. Leave him alone"
This seemed like a father-daughter argument. By the tone in which they spoke to each other, they knew each other well.
"I'm sorry I bothered you like that," said that man, now next to me.
His close voice brought me out of my thoughts. I jumped slightly from the little fright it gave me.
"Oh... It's okay — I said.
"Let me invite you to something because of the inconvenience," he said cheerfully.
"Don't worry, it doesn't happen." I really did crave a good beer right now, but it seemed rude to me.
"Would I have a beer?" I asked. In the end, I gave in and let my desire to drink get the better of me.
"A beer?" The man asked surprised and then began to laugh. His laugh was nailed to that of a sailor in a movie, an absolute cliché to say the least.
"But you're not even 14 years old!" — he exclaimed.
I was confused. Of course I was that age, in fact, I was 17 years old, that, even though at that age you could not technically drink, I had already done it since I was 13.
- Of course I'm over 14! I'm 17! I exclaimed, furious and helpless when I saw that they did not believe it.
The girl, along with the burly man, began to laugh disproportionately.
It's true that my height decreased when I came here, but... My age too?
"Do you have a mirror?" I asked out of nowhere, urgently.
"A... What?" The man asked uncertainly, he had no idea what a mirror was.
"Nothing, it doesn't matter," I said resignedly.
The man patted me on the back and responded.
- I'll give you what you ask for because I see it's not your first time, but try not to get used to this, yes? The man said, laughing again as he walked to the bar.
I began to look at the body that was still on the ground, the man the woman had knocked down. I took advantage of the fact that the woman was behind me to ask:
"What do you plan to do with that body?" I asked.
She shrugged.
"Nothing," he replied.
"Do you plan to leave it there and risk someone who shouldn't see it?"
"He's not dead, just unconscious. Even though maybe it did leave some cancerous mark on her." Her voice sounded muddy, it seemed like she was crazy.
"Have you put a disease in his body?"
— Exactly. He has asked for it.
It's true that I didn't see the origin of the fight, but I don't think it was necessary to do that.
The large man appeared with two huge jugs of beer and left them on the table with great force, that caused them to make a very big scandal, but with the hubbub of the bar, no one had noticed.
"Here you go," he said, "To the next round yes, I don't invite you," he said, leaving again to continue attending.
"And on top of that, they bring me two jugs!" I freak out — I said fervently. I longed to give it a good drink and drink it in one go.
The girl grabbed the handle of one of the wooden jars and dragged it towards her. He looked at me with an envious face.
"You keep your alcohol, I'll keep this," he said.
I looked slightly over the mug, seeing how it was contained in it was not beer.
"What do you drink?" I asked as I sipped beer.
The taste of this one was curious. It was strong and very bitter, but it had a strange taste that I had never experienced. It's as if the ingredients to make it are different.
"How good it is," I thought.
"Seräl," the woman replied
I looked up, which was fixed on the liquid in my jug. I had been amazed by that taste.
"I had no idea what you just told me. As soon as I arrived in this city, I realized that I still didn't know how to speak the language completely well.
"Can I ask you a question?" I asked, nervous that he would answer me something he didn't want.
The girl took a sip of her drink and sighed heavily, as if she was tired of hearing my voice.
"Go ahead," he replied.
I began to wobble the jug slightly. I stared at the movement of the liquid fixedly, immersed in my thoughts. I wasn't sure if I should ask, maybe it would hurt me or worse, dead.
Without looking her in the eye, I asked:
"That man..." I looked back, seeing the man's body still on the ground. "Did he want to take advantage of you?" I asked.
The voices of the tavern patrons made the silence not so awkward.
The woman let out a small laugh.
"What?" "No," he replied.
My eyes widened at his answer.
"No?" And why was it? I swallowed some more beer while waiting for his answer.
"That man had a good sense of smell," he answered. - I think he had an idea of what I am... - His voice died off as he finished the sentence, but if there was one thing I was proud of myself it was the refined ear I had. I raised an eyebrow. She looked at me and tilted her head.
— What's going on? — He asked.
"What exactly are you?" "I knew this was my time to see if I could get him to reveal his identity, but as expected, it wasn't that easy.
"If I told you..." I'm sure you'd give me away," she replied in a serious tone.
I shook my head and took another sip of the beer, leaving my claw almost empty.
"Come on, tell me." I promise not to say anything.
With my index finger and thumb pressed against each other, I brought them to my lips and made a gesture of a zipper sealing my lips.
"I can't trust someone like you..." he murmured.
"Of course you can," said the innkeeper, appearing as if nothing had happened next to us.
"He's a good boy, it's okay.
How did he know he was? We had never exchanged words. I looked the innkeeper up and down, analyzing him completely.
"Vireth, I don't think I should..." said the woman, putting aside her drink and resting her head on her arms.
Vireth shrugged
"I think sometimes you have a wrong thought of people," Vireth said.
The woman made small circles on the table with her index finger while sighing.
"What's your name?" The woman asked me without looking at me.
— Zaydir — Respondí.
- Wow... It's not a name from around here," he said.
Nor was it a common name in my world. My parents, when they were still together, decided that the best thing to do was to give me a name that would stand out from the others so that I could be someone special, in the end, I was nothing more than a failure for them.
"And you?" I asked back, with a genuine smile on my face.
The woman looked at me with her eyes, barely visible because of the hood, and answered:
"Nimue," he said. "Nimue Darkflare," he added, this time in a whisper.
"Your parents chose your name well," I said in an attempt to look good. I really liked it, it was nice, but in this kind of situation I don't know how to react.
There was an awkward silence after my answer, which made me rethink that what I had said was not right.
Vireth was still by our side, watching us and listening to the conversation as if he had nothing better to do.
"I'm glad to see that you already know your names," Vireth said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go and serve again." He went to the bar once more and began to serve, leaving Nimue and me alone again.
"Is Vireth your father?" I asked as I watched him attend. I was trying to find a similarity between Vireth and Nimue.
"No," he shook his head dryly. "He's just one person who cares about me, the only one who understands me..." he murmured.
The murmur of the tavern was suddenly extinguished when the door slammed against the wall. Three guards in white and gold armor came in like a gale, their spears shining with that unnatural light that made the eyes sting. The one in the blue cape—the captain—raised a hand, and the silence became oppressive.
"Attention! he roared. We have detected dark magic in this place.
Zaydir felt Nimue tense beside him, her red fingers—still warm from the spell—pulling the hood down tightly. The guard walked past the tables, his boots clattering against the floorboards, until he stopped in front of the unconscious drunk. With a snap, another guard knelt down and muttered the same healing spell that Nimue had used before, but the man didn't move.
"Grim poison," the guard spat. Only demons use it."
The captain slowly turned to his table. Zaydir felt the weight of that gaze, as if it were dissecting him.
"You," he pointed to Nimue. What are you hiding under that hood?
She didn't answer. The guard stepped forward, and before Zaydir could react, he yanked the cloth off.
Nimue's mint hair fell over her shoulders like a cascade of ice, her horns—curved and sharp—catching the reflection of the torches. But it was his eyes that paralyzed Zaydir: green as poisoned forests, dilated by a panic that reminded him of cornered stray cats.
"Devil!" someone shouted.
"Let them burn it!" roared another.
Zaydir's heart pounded. She was beautiful. And that made it more terrifying.
The captain drew a dagger with runes that glowed with a sinister aura.
"I knew this was the work of a demon," the guard said, brushing the tip of the dagger against Nimue's neck.
Her arrogant attitude had completely disappeared, as if her strength had completely disappeared.
Its characteristic red color was beginning to fade. That dagger shone brightly the closer it was to Nimue, that gave me an idea. I didn't want to play the hero for someone I had just met and I almost left myself lying on the ground because of his spell on someone else, but it would be a good way to gain their trust and, who knows, be able to go far in something.
"Excuse me," I burst in. The guard looked at me without taking the knife away from Nimue's neck. — I think they have the wrong person. I said. I tried to hide my nerves as much as possible, but it was impossible. That's what gave a believable look to my performance.
"I was the one who used that dark spell," I said. — She has nothing to do with it.
The guard looked on in disbelief, he couldn't believe a single word that came out of my mouth.
— How could a child like you use these kinds of spells? It's impossible," he said. "Don't go around playing the hero to save this one's life..." The guard grabbed her hair with his other hand and with a tug made her head roll back. Nimue let out a small groan of pain from the sudden pull. — ... This disgusting bitch," the guard continued.
"She deserves to be executed!" A citizen shouted.
"Yes! That's it! It must be killed as soon as possible! - Shouted another
Everyone was against Nimue for the simple fact of being a demon.
I looked down at the ground, a little terrified of Nimue's treatment and the situation we were in.
- If you have been the cause of everything... Recite an Eldar'kyn spell to me right now. He said, sure that I had not been the cause.
"I shouldn't do that, I would hurt innocent people," I said.
"And the man on the ground is not innocent?"
"I was trying to abuse Ni," I thought better of the words. She shouldn't have said her name to people who want to execute her. the girl — I added.
The guard squeezed the tip of the dagger, penetrating Nimue's skin slightly. She released a small drop of blood the same color as her skin. The red fluid, when it came into contact with the dagger, shone with extreme intensity.
"I'm sorry..." Nimue murmured.
Everyone looked at Nimue. The guard pulled her hair again.
- Saying I'm sorry is useless. You're scum, I should kill you right now," he said.
"I'm sorry..." he muttered again. " Zhal'vael mor'shaar ," Nimue uttered.
She clenched her fist and her eyes glowed a deep green while her hair also began to glow brightly.
Suddenly, an explosion that released black smoke came out of Nimue's body. The whole place was dyed black. I began to hear screams of panic as well as screams of pain.
People were getting intoxicated.
Luckily I didn't breathe at that moment. I held my breath as long as I could, trying to get out of the tavern as soon as possible, but I didn't know if I would make it.
I walked disoriented, I didn't know where the exit was, the smoke was too dense to guide me through the light outside the place.
Unintentionally, I stepped on a person, fainting on the ground. He was motionless, his eyes wide open. I didn't want to think I was dead, no.
Someone grabbed my arm and dragged me around the premises. I tried to get out of his grip, but it was impossible.
Oxygen was starting to run out inside me, causing me to start seeing blurry. The man who grabbed me threw me into a room, and he went in with me. He slammed the door shut and put a heavy cabinet in front of it to block the door.
"Are you okay?" The figure asked.
— Y-yes. I haven't breathed the smoke," I said.
"I'm glad you didn't," said a female voice. It was Nimue's.
I looked up. He was lying on the ground. Apparently, the one who had brought me here was Vireth.
"Thank you..." I murmured.
"Don't thank me, it was Vireth's idea to save you," Nimue said with a worried tone.
"I told you not to use those spells, Nimue," Vireth said in an angry tone. "We'll have gotten rid of a good one if you haven't killed the whole tavern."
"I had to..." he murmured.
"There are thousands of spells, and you used the Zhal'vael mor'shaar. You must think about the consequences of what can happen.
He watched the discussion with concern. Yes, we were safe, but the argument was making me nervous.
"You've been lucky that the royal guards decided to burst into this scene without masks of denial.
I looked at Vireth curiously and asked.
— Masks of denial?
"Yes, that's right. They are macaras that annual any magical effect that affects by air.
They were like the gas masks of my world.
The room was dark, you couldn't see anything, you could only see the silhouettes of the people.
"ignis'vaelor," I murmured. — ignis'vaelor — I repeated. I was trying to generate that little flame of fire that Dorian made that day to light the candle, but it wouldn't come out.
"Are you trying to use a fire spell?" Vireth asked. "If so, you're doing it wrong," he added.
— What is the right way to do it? I asked.
— There is no "Right Way" to generate a spell, that depends on your abilities to do it, and also on your vital energies, of course.
"Haven't your parents explained anything to you about the use of magic?" Nimue asked.
"Not that I paid attention to those things—" I murmured.
Since I came into the world I only investigated the possible causes of why I am here and how I managed to get there. I always saw Dorian and Lyana use magic for everyday things like harvesting or eating, but I've never wondered how they did it.
"It's never that I've been interested in magic," I said, leaning against the wall behind me.
— Have you not tried to generate vital energy either? Vireth asked, and he sat down next to us.
"I don't even know what that is," I replied reluctantly.
- Leave him Vireth, he has never practiced it, most likely he does not have magical life energy.
Vireth sighed and looked at Nimue, putting a hand on her shoulder.
"Stop being so Zaydir. Remember that the guy is trying to help you.
Nimue put her hand to her neck, right at the point where the guard stuck the knife into her.
"The only thing he has achieved is that they almost killed me," he said.
It seems that it was all my fault when in truth I was just trying to help.
"I'm sorry to try to save your ass," I blurted out. "Next time I'll let them stick the knife up to your windpipe," I added.
"Yes?" Do you want me to kill you right now? Nimue asked, sticking to me and looking at me with a hateful face.
Vireth took Nimue as if she were a little girl and sat her down separately from me.
— What do we plan to do now? Are we going to stay here forever? I stood up, still stunned by what had just happened.
"In this room there is a door to get out. Vireth pointed to a place in the room. We couldn't see anything, but it seemed Vireth knew where he stood.
"It would be great to leave here," I said. "I don't understand why you didn't tell us that before. — I added.
Vireth shrugged.
- I don't think it would be a good idea to go out the door after making this fuss, imagine that they catch us leaving through the back door, they would assume that we were the ones who caused all this.
"Better that than staying here," Nimue said.
I got up off the ground and tried to keep my balance.
"Vireth, can you see anything?" I asked.
Vireth snapped his fingers and left the palm of his hand open.
— Lumis'azuris'thar — said Vireth.
A small glow began to come out of his hands. It was blinding and blue in color that more than shining and illuminating the room also generated a lot of calm. As soon as I saw that glow I felt safer, as if nothing that was happening outside affected me at all.
"It's... beautiful — I said — and very relaxing — I added.
Vireth landed on the exit door and answered, turning off the light, closing his hand and making a fist.
"That's its effect," he said, "It not only illuminates, but also calms. It is very useful in stressful situations.
I walked over to vireth and stood, waiting for Nimue.
She was on the ground, clutching her neck with her left hand as she stared blankly at the ground. Silence invaded the small room, only Nimue's heavy breathing and my heartbeat could be heard.
"Nimue, we have to go," I said.
He did not react.
"Nimue, get up and go with zaydir," Vireth ordered. - If you go out now, you may not be caught.
— Liora'vaelis shaar — Nimue began to release a green glow, this being very similar to the one she used on me to heal me, but it was not the same. Nimue stood up and approached us with her head down.
"Those stupid people..." Nimue muttered. "They're no longer capable of using conventional weapons. The cocoons have to use weapons of hope.
— Weapons of hope? I asked, not letting the silence dominate the place again.
— They are exclusive weapons that the government recently manufactured. They are harmful to humans, but lethal to demons.
"And why not use normal weapons?" I asked
"Why will it be easier to kill mine with those weapons?" Nimue said, angry. "When our blood approaches those weapons, our bodies begin to weaken, but when our blood touches them, it is purified.
"Look in that room!" A man shouted from inside the tavern.
"I will stay here to see that they do not come out. If you see the oni... Kill her," said another guard.
Vireth put his hands on our shoulders.
"You'd better get out," said Vireth, opening the door and pushing us out.
"What about you?" I asked.
"The old man knows what he's doing, let him," Nimue said.
Vireth nodded and closed the door.
And there we stayed, alone in a narrow alley that smelled of garbage due to rotten food from what appeared to be bins.
Nimue put her hood back on and began to walk forward, saying nothing.
"W-wait!" i said.
I stood next to her, walking at the same pace as her.
Suddenly a doubt arose that I wanted to answer.
— How to hide your horns with just a hood? I asked.
Nimue looked at me and let out a small laugh.
"I loved this tunic so that when I put it on I would hide my horns," he answered.
— Can that be done? What a blast..." I said surprised.
"Yes, it can be done, but only with dark magic.
We left the alley, standing in the middle of what looked like another shopping street.
Nimue started walking to the right, so I followed her.
"Could you explain more about the weapons of hope?" I asked. I tripped over a small tile sticking out of the floor, but luckily, I managed to keep my balance.
Nimue laughed, but didn't look at me, he continued walking.
— What else do you need me to tell you about them? — He asked.
"I don't know... perhaps the reason for its creation.
Nimue sighed.
"Druunor royalty has always been against demons like me. Our tribe has always been the target of this government.
— Why?
"I don't know...
Nimue sounded confused, as if what she had just said wasn't completely true.
"Where are we going?" I asked as I watched the delicious food being served at the stalls. My mouth was watering just by the sight of that food.
- I'm going home, you don't know.
Just as we passed by a jewelry store I stopped. I wanted to observe the jewels that were made or appreciated in this world. I liked to compare life here with that of my world. It wasn't very different at all.
"What are you looking at?" Nimue asked.
The window was filled with rare gemstones and engagement rings.
- I'm looking at a shop window, any problem? I asked, pretending to be mysterious and tough.
Nimue looked at me with a disgusted face and rolled her eyes.
- Don't delay in looking at whatever you're looking at, do you? He said. Crossing her arms and leaning against the glass of the window.
The door of the premises opened, and a woman came out of the room who immediately caught my attention.