Status: On-Going
Lady of Nyv
Reclamation
The men all stood, mouths agape. Dom remained on top of Kol. The dagger remained pressed to Kol’s throat, which had started dripping tiny droplets of blood onto the collar of his shirt. Dom stared at Qua, awaiting permission to execute Kol.
Qua slid onto his knees, his face in his hands. He dragged his palms over his cheeks roughly, allowing them to rest behind his neck. He sighed, looking to the sky, as if it would have all of the answers.
“We cannot lose another man. We’ve already lost so many.” He mumbled to the sky.
“What?” Dom asked, his tone was thick with disbelief. “He murdered our own.”
“Ona is not dead, Dom.”
“She may as well be!” He screamed, sobbing once again.
“She will recover.”
“And the man he killed? What of him?”
“Who is the man he killed? What is his name?”
“It was Nix.” Kol breathed, feeling the dagger with every syllable.
“Nix.” Qua sighed. “Fuck.” He breathed.
“Dom, get off of Kol.”
Reluctantly, Dom released Kol, returning the dagger to his hip. As they stood before the silent band of men, he glared at Kol. He would never forgive him, and he knew Ona wouldn’t either. Ona. She needed to survive, Dom thought. For his sake.
“Kol, why did you kill Nix?”
Kol took a deep breath and told his story. Dom listened, resisting the urge to laugh as he told the story. As Kol finished, Dom burst into laughter.
“Do you find the death of your brethren amusing, Dom?” Qua asked coldly.
“I find this story amusing.”
“Why?”
“Kol is a cold-blooded killer. He made up that story and you are all stupid enough to believe it.”
“Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t.”
“So why not kill him? He is a liar and a killer.”
“You know as well as I that we cannot do anything without Ona.”
“She may never recover. What will happen to us then?”
“She will.”
“You do not know that!” Dom screamed as he fell to the ground, crying once again.
Qua knelt beside Dom, placing a steady hand on his shoulder.
“Dom, you’re grieving. You are not in any position to make decisions.”
“I am not the psychotic one. He is.” Dom muttered, pointing at Kol.
“Your sister will decide when she awakens.”
“He is not allowed near her. Not now or ever.”
“That will be Ona’s decision to make. For now, he will be kept away.”
Kol looked to the ground, feeling isolated. Dom was now standing next to Qua, with a satisfied grin on his face. As Kol looked to Dom and Qua, he made no move to hide it.
“Now that that is settled, we need to discuss moving forward.” Qua mentioned hesitantly.
“We can’t leave Ona behind.” Kol said harshly.
“Don’t pretend you care about her.” Dom hissed.
“Be quiet!” Qua barked. “We are too behind to stay in one place. We need to get further into the Southern Kingdom, whether Ona is awake or not.”
The men fought amongst themselves, trying to decide what to do. Some argued that a small group of men could stay and watch Ona while the others moved South. Others argued that they should just carry Ona with them. A select few opted to stay just as they were until she woke. None, however, wanted to abandon their leader.
“We can’t carry her. The stitches in her leg could rip and she could bleed out.” Kol stated.
“We can’t just leave her here. It’s all or nothing.” Lug added confidently.
“We can’t stay here. We need to move forward.” Qua insisted.
“He’s right. What are we waiting for?”
The men, shocked by the addition of another voice, turned toward the direction from where it had come. She stood on the hilltop as if nothing had ever happened. She was confident and strong as ever, if you ignored the slight limp.
“Ona?” Dom breathed.
Qua slid onto his knees, his face in his hands. He dragged his palms over his cheeks roughly, allowing them to rest behind his neck. He sighed, looking to the sky, as if it would have all of the answers.
“We cannot lose another man. We’ve already lost so many.” He mumbled to the sky.
“What?” Dom asked, his tone was thick with disbelief. “He murdered our own.”
“Ona is not dead, Dom.”
“She may as well be!” He screamed, sobbing once again.
“She will recover.”
“And the man he killed? What of him?”
“Who is the man he killed? What is his name?”
“It was Nix.” Kol breathed, feeling the dagger with every syllable.
“Nix.” Qua sighed. “Fuck.” He breathed.
“Dom, get off of Kol.”
Reluctantly, Dom released Kol, returning the dagger to his hip. As they stood before the silent band of men, he glared at Kol. He would never forgive him, and he knew Ona wouldn’t either. Ona. She needed to survive, Dom thought. For his sake.
“Kol, why did you kill Nix?”
Kol took a deep breath and told his story. Dom listened, resisting the urge to laugh as he told the story. As Kol finished, Dom burst into laughter.
“Do you find the death of your brethren amusing, Dom?” Qua asked coldly.
“I find this story amusing.”
“Why?”
“Kol is a cold-blooded killer. He made up that story and you are all stupid enough to believe it.”
“Maybe he did, maybe he didn’t.”
“So why not kill him? He is a liar and a killer.”
“You know as well as I that we cannot do anything without Ona.”
“She may never recover. What will happen to us then?”
“She will.”
“You do not know that!” Dom screamed as he fell to the ground, crying once again.
Qua knelt beside Dom, placing a steady hand on his shoulder.
“Dom, you’re grieving. You are not in any position to make decisions.”
“I am not the psychotic one. He is.” Dom muttered, pointing at Kol.
“Your sister will decide when she awakens.”
“He is not allowed near her. Not now or ever.”
“That will be Ona’s decision to make. For now, he will be kept away.”
Kol looked to the ground, feeling isolated. Dom was now standing next to Qua, with a satisfied grin on his face. As Kol looked to Dom and Qua, he made no move to hide it.
“Now that that is settled, we need to discuss moving forward.” Qua mentioned hesitantly.
“We can’t leave Ona behind.” Kol said harshly.
“Don’t pretend you care about her.” Dom hissed.
“Be quiet!” Qua barked. “We are too behind to stay in one place. We need to get further into the Southern Kingdom, whether Ona is awake or not.”
The men fought amongst themselves, trying to decide what to do. Some argued that a small group of men could stay and watch Ona while the others moved South. Others argued that they should just carry Ona with them. A select few opted to stay just as they were until she woke. None, however, wanted to abandon their leader.
“We can’t carry her. The stitches in her leg could rip and she could bleed out.” Kol stated.
“We can’t just leave her here. It’s all or nothing.” Lug added confidently.
“We can’t stay here. We need to move forward.” Qua insisted.
“He’s right. What are we waiting for?”
The men, shocked by the addition of another voice, turned toward the direction from where it had come. She stood on the hilltop as if nothing had ever happened. She was confident and strong as ever, if you ignored the slight limp.
“Ona?” Dom breathed.