Chapter 353: Bones & Relics

Stryg stood over the corpse of the lamia. Agee’s lifeless eyes stared up at him, her expression frozen in a mix of anger and surprise. Blood seeped from the gaping hole where her throat had once been.

“What was that!?” Plum yelled frantically at the display of savagery.

Stryg calmly chewed the warm lamia flesh, blood dripping from his blue lips before he swallowed. He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand and glanced at his companions, “That was for Bril.”

“Bril…? Who’s Bril?!” Plum asked.

“She was my tribemate. We grew up together…”

Tauri didn’t hear the rest of his story. His words fell on deaf ears. She stared in numb shock at Stryg’s blood-stained shirt and Agee’s body lying next to him.

Was this always Stryg? Was he always like this? Had she just forgotten who he was?

Yes… Tauri thought. A cold shiver ran down her spine as she began to grasp the full implications of that grim answer. This was the man who was the heir to Ebon Lord legacy, the next in a long line of powerful tyrants, who Tauri now realized would be no different than his predecessors.

“Ah, dammit, Stryg!” Plum yelled frustratedly. “I know the lamias killed your friends, but there were better ways to handle that! At the very least we could have asked her more questions before you butchered her!”

That’s what she was angry about? Tauri frowned.

Stryg glanced dispassionately at the dead lamia, “I needed nothing more from her.”

“We could have asked her about the sword stuck in the dragon’s bones at the very least!” Plum placed her hands on her hips. “You’re always like this! You always act with your emotions first!”

Tauri frowned in confusion. Why wasn’t Plum horrified about the sheer barbaric event she had just witnessed? Why wasn’t she terrified of the youth standing in front of them, whose fae-like beauty belied his brutal nature?

And then it hit Tauri like a bolt of lightning striking a tree. Plum knew who Stryg was, who he really was, a monster. He had even inadvertently caused her mother’s death by shade devouring. Yet she was still here, by Stryg’s side. Why?

Ah… Tauri narrowed her eyes in understanding. You’re not as naive as you seem, Plum. You know how cruel this world can be, you know what Stryg is like, and yet you choose to believe in him anyway. You choose to believe in a better future.

“You’re stronger than I gave you credit for, Plumela,” Tauri muttered with a small smile.

“Huh? What was that?” Plum looked at her curiously.

“Nothing,” Tauri shook her head. “We got what we came for and more…” she glanced at the old battered sword lying on the ground. “There’s nothing more left for us here. We should go.”

Stryg nodded, “This place reeks of blood and death. It may attract predators. It’s best if we make camp somewhere else.”

“What about the dragon bones?” Plum asked worriedly.

“They’re not going anywhere,” Stryg said.

“Once we’re back in Hollow Shade we can commission a proper guard and party of archaeologists and mages to examine the giant skeleton,” Tauri said.

“But who will benefit from the knowledge of these bones? Everyone? Or just the Ruling Families? Perhaps only House Katag?” Plum raised her eyebrow in suspicion.

“We can figure that out once we’re back home,” Tauri said testily.

“I suppose that’s fine,” Plum crossed her arms. “Besides, Stryg is the only one who knows how to get here. He can make the decision. I’m ‘sure’ he’ll take into account the well-being of the Great Houses.”

“Right…” Tauri said dryly.

“It’s settled then,” Stryg said, unmindful of the underlying meaning of their words. “We'll camp near the cave and at first light we’ll travel to Vulture Woods’ border.”

“Sounds good to me,” Tauri nodded.

Plum stared at Stryg in silence. She narrowed her eyes in suspicion. “And then we’ll head back to Hollow Shade, right? Right, Stryg?

“…Once you’re back in Dusk Valley it’ll be easy to make your way towards Hollow Shade,” he said quietly.

“You’re not coming with us, are you?” Plum guessed.

“I need to find out what happened to the survivors the lamia spoke of,” Stryg clenched his fists. “I need to go back to the Blood Fang’s village.”

“I’m sorry, what? You want to go back to the tribe that in your own words ‘hated’ you?” Plum asked ludicrously.

Tauri furrowed her brow, “Didn’t your former tribe exile you?”

“Even still, I need to tell them I avenged our fallen. And…” Stryg bit his lip, “I need to know…”

“Know who survived?” Tauri asked.

“Or know if they’ll finally accept you…?” Plum whispered.

Stryg stared at the ground and shrugged uncomfortably.

“I see,” Plum sighed. She took a deep breath and nodded, “Alright. I’m coming with you.”

Stryg looked up at her in surprise, “Wait, you don’t have to—”

“Save it, I’ve already made up my mind. You’re my friend, I’m coming with you,” Plum said adamantly.

“Ugh, dammit!” Tauri groaned, “Fine, fuck it, I’m coming too.”

“Huh, seriously?” Plum asked, mildly surprised.

“What kind of teacher would I be if I let my former students go to a deadly Sylvan tribe all alone?”

“A bad one?” Stryg voiced his thoughts out loud.

“Just shut up, both of you,” Tauri clicked her tongue.

Plum glanced at the battered blade on the ground, “What are we gonna do about the relic of a sword?”

“There’s no way I’m going to leave it in this cave,” Tauri said.

“And how do you purpose to carry it out of here? With your hands?” Plum raised her eyebrow.

Tauri grimaced and stared at her bloodied hands. Just holding the sword had given her two deep gashes, one in each palm. “Stryg, why don’t you carry it?”

“I already have a sword, thanks,” Stryg patted Nameless’ hilt. “I don’t need a chipped dull blade.”

“The relic is not for you, idiot,” Tauri glared.

“And last I checked, Nameless is more of a dagger at this point than a sword,” Plum added.

“I have Nameless’ shards carefully tucked away in my backpack,” Stryg said defensively. “I’ll have my sword reforged once we’re back in Hollow Shade.”

“Good for you. I hope you and Nameless have a long and happy life together,” Tauri rolled her eyes. “Anyways, for reasons I don’t know, you’re the only one the relic sword hasn’t cut, yet.”

“Probably because I have tougher skin than either of you,” Stryg smiled proudly.

“Which is why you’re going to carry the sword for us. We came all the way here for you, the least you can do is carry a damn sword,” Tauri crossed her arms.

“Fine,” Stryg sighed. He walked over to the fallen sword and picked it up with ease, “Happy now?”

Tauri intently stared at the relic’s white hilt, “…The hilt really isn't cutting you?”

Stryg ran his finger across the blade’s dull edge to no effect, “I don’t think this sword can cut anything.”

He casually swung the blade down on the lamia’s corpse. The battered blade sliced through Agee’s neck and the rock underneath like a searing knife on warm butter. Stryg jumped back a step and almost dropped the sword.

“Holy shit…!” Plum gasped. She cupped her hands over her mouth and looked away from the gruesome sight, “I think I’m going to be sick.”

Stryg stared warily at the sword in his hand. Scarlet blood dripped down the dull grey blade and pooled around the base of the blade before it mysteriously seeped into its black crossguard.

Tauri glanced in disgust at the decapitated head and back at the sword, “Can’t cut anything, huh?”

“I-I didn’t…” Stryg held the blade at arm’s length, “What the fuck is this?”

“A very sharp weapon. Careful where you swing that thing. Trust me, you don’t want to accidentally lose a limb,” Tauri warned.

“Right…” he muttered slowly.

“Is there a sheath around here? Maybe?” Plum asked and looked around.

“Hopefully,” he said.

The trio walked around the cavern room and scoured the ground for any signs of a sheath.

“I don’t see any,” Tauri said after a few minutes of searching.

“Perfect…” Stryg grumbled.

“Just don’t sleep next to it,” Tauri grinned.