Greetings and salutations!

I know it has been a moment, but I wanted to take this time and say that I have not left you, nor shall I ever. Time is fluid and speeds up and slows down at whim. 

With that, please be aware of the following story.

Many of my stories have moments that are happy or some kind of positive resolution. This chapter does end positively, but not before delving into evil. This is one of the darker stories I have constructed and is part of a much larger book I intend to continue writing in the future. Darkness only exists when we have a light to compare it to, and this must show darkness to accentuate the light. 

With that in mind, please be advised with the following content warnings: mentions of death, mentions of homicide, mentions of suicide, mentions of cannibalism/consuming sentient life, mentions of torture.

Please critique and enjoy with these content warnings in mind. 

Cheers and, as always, stay awesome!

~Narrans

PROMPT

81). "I thought I could trust you!" though combined with 79). "If you weren't a good person, I wouldn't have trusted you." , that might make a interesting tale too. up to you of course which one you prefer.

The world is not a kind place. It can’t be. Rather, it can’t afford to be. Given the chance, each entity will try and take advantage of another to fulfill one goal or another, whether it’s for pleasure, entertainment, or pure survival.

O’Kairyn knew the ways of their world. There was a cycle to life. There was a natural progression to this cycle. Something is created, it exists, and at some point it ends. O’Kairyn knew this and never resented it.

From the Essevi in his bones to the celestial bodies above, O’Kairyn knew these things to be true. He knew that creatures needed to die for some to survive.

He also knew the treachery of the Ordin.

As an Imitari, O’Kairyn feared the Ordin. There were stories of times when the two races once lived in peace, but that was centuries ago, if it even happened at all. The Ordin were everything the Imitari were not. Ordin were immense, humanoid entities who insisted on building towns and roads, cutting through the forests and trees to further their empires. They waged war to gain the objects of their fallen enemies and knew no compromise.

True, they were arguably more suited to the world around them, physically larger in stature to the point where they could practically eclipse the suns if they stood over an Imitari.

Imitari, on the other hand, dwelt in and among the elements of nature where they felt more connected to the earth. They lived quiet lives and possessed a love for the beauty of nature surrounding them. They could conceal themselves among the roots and underbrush with ease, and often this was where they made their homes. Their civilizations and cities existed in unison with what was around them.

Yes, one race appeared physically similar to the other. One head. Two arms and legs and hands. If perspective were altered, a person could not distinguish the two.

In all reality, there was one, significant different that truly separated the two races – Essevi. For Imitari, like O’Kairyn, it was what gave them their abilities. It was lifeblood. It was the source of the extraordinary. It connected the celestial bodies and gifted many Imitari with this innate gift. Spells and runes, sigils and sages all possessed Essevi.  

It was this precious thing that the Ordin were now fixated on, and they were stopping at nothing.

To O’Kairyn, it was a disgrace. It was unacceptable. It was wretched what they were doing to their people – those Imitari with Essevi.

Like common pests, Ordin were trapping any and all Imitari in the hopes of finding those with Essevi. The Ordin flushed out entire cities to shove its occupants into inescapable cages that could negate Essevi. The wretched creatures, you see, had found a way to do so. O’Kairyn had his suspicions on how the Ordin designed such sigils, specifically believing a few Imitari had volunteered their assistance so their own families would be spared. Sadly, it was just a working theory.

It would have been a mercy to simply kill the Imitari and go about their day. These monsters, however, had gone a step further.

The Ordin often kept Imitari and tortured them for information. They would ask where the other villages were. How Imitari hide themselves. More importantly, where were the Imitari finding sanctuary. The Imitari were running somewhere to avoid Ordin capture. Where was it?

Worst of all, after capture and questioning, was what all Imitari believed to be the fuel of nightmares.

The Ordin called it The Caerimonia. In short, they would consume the Imitari in full, body and Essevi in all, while alive.

The wretched event was something no one wanted to endure.

The Imitari, O’Kairyn’s people, called it the Braheginh – the soul’s death cry.

All of this, which was the most despicable to O’Kairyn and all Imitari, was to steel the Essevi for themselves. The Caerimonia, a process devised by some of the twisted Ordin, had discovered a way to take and obtain Essavi from an Imitari.

While many Imitari fled, an equal number were captured and were suffering at the hands of the Ordin. O’Kairyn was one of a few who dared to attempt to stay and free their kind out of their homelands into a freedom they once knew in a time that felt like centuries ago.

O’Kairyn helped run a smuggling operation along with a few other brave Imitari to help bring Imitari to freedom. There was an entire network working together on saving others, each individual knowing only a piece or two of information to keep safe havens a secret.

O’Kairyn had made it his personal mission to free as many souls as he could before meeting his demise. He knew it would be his end, but he recognized it. Each time he left the safety of his home for the trail, he knew it could be the last time. Still, he refused to roll over easily if he could help it, but such an enemy which could cancel the Essevi was a powerful one.

All the more reason to save his people.

So, as O’Kairyn prepared himself, he set his mind to the possibility he would not return. He felt nervous of all things, but it was more than the usual unease.

This night was unlike others. O’Kairyn had received a tip from other Imitari who were close to nearby villages and the capital, Yleigh, that someone knew when the next “harvest,” as the Ordin called it, would be shipping the collected Imitari to Yleigh.

It was supposed to be a good tip, and mainly it was vouched for by one of O’Kairyn’s fellow runners. It might not be much, but it was all the runners had to go on sometimes; and wasn’t it worth the risk if at least one Imitari life could be saved from the Ordin’s greedy maws?

The night was still and aglow with the cold moons’ light. The three moons were aligned in the sky in an odd way, two of them full face and one a fading crescent. It made it look like the three moons tracing the heavens above look like an odd, menacing smile. The sight sent chills up O’Kairyn’s spine, but he kept low through the underbrush out of view. The ferns arched above his head and cast the perfect type of dappled shadow against the root infested terrain.

The trek was a longer one, and several hours passed while O’Kairyn darted from cover to cover until he finally made it to the predetermined meeting point. O’Kairyn tapped his fingers nervously on a root just above his head which was helping him stay concealed. Even though he was hours behind, O’Kairyn elected to wait and observe the clearing; for all he knew, there could be a passive trap waiting to ensnare unsuspecting Imitari.

Time passed in what the forest called silence, filling the trees with the chirp of crickets and the occasional screech of birds of the night, before O’Kairyn was satisfied there was no one in the immediate vicinity.

Taking a breath, O’Kairyn concentrated and summoned a small, green light by the base of an immense, old tree halfway across the clearing. It was one of his signatures and a signal for his source to come forward.

He waited for a short time.

And he waited a short time longer.

O’Kairyn’s hands began shaking slightly. His concentration on the verdant light faded. He needed to preserve what energy he had in case of emergencies. Perhaps he had the time wrong? Perhaps he was too late? Maybe the informant had been captured?

The thought alone was enough to make O’Kairyn weak in the knees. He was about to abandon his post and begin the long trek back when he saw someone, an Imitari, step out from under the cover of the roots by the base of the tree.

Relief swelled in O’Kairyn’s chest, and he let out a sigh he didn’t realize he was holding.

Time to meet.

O’Kairyn summoned the same, verdant energy in the subtle light at the base of the tree and made his way over to the individual. The Imitari crouched by the roots of the tree was a young man, early in his twenties, and had tired brown eyes. When O’Kairyn approached, the other Imitari looked around nervously before greeting him briskly.

“I thought you wouldn’t come,” he said quietly. O’Kairyn heard a tremor in his voice.

“I had to make sure the area was safe. I’m O’Kairyn,” O’Kairyn replied quietly as he gestured for them to hide further in the roots of the large tree. O’Kairyn summoned a verdant light in his hand which cast odd shadows among the roots as he sat down on the ground across from the other Imitari, who looked concerned and wrung his hands.

“I’m Haryk. Do… you… think they’re out there?” he asked nervously. O’Kairyn nodded.

“They’re everywhere, but that’s nothing new. Now, let’s get right to it, you said you ha…”

“If… if you think they’re out there, do you think it’s safe? For both of us? I mean… how do I know I can trust you?” interrupted Haryk. O’Kairyn sighed and rubbed his eyes.

“You’re right. Times have certainly turned against us, yes. Still, we have to be able to trust one another. That is what separates us from the Ordin. I mean, if you weren’t a good person, I wouldn’t have trusted you and I wouldn’t be here,” replied O’Kairyn.

“You were… certainly a difficult one to get in contact with. Really, I… I never thought I’d have the pleasure of meeting you,” muttered Haryk. O’Kairyn couldn’t help but grin at this thought.

“Thanks, and you’re not wrong. There are a lot of Ordin who would like to see the end of me. I’ve made their lives a bit difficult lately, but back to the point,” said O’Kairyn, trying to rein in the conversation. The hair on the back of his neck was standing on end and there was something that felt charged in the air around Haryk. Though O’Kairyn felt uneasy, he wanted to get the information from his fellow Imitari. “You told a friend of mine that you have information about the so-called ‘harvest’ and the transport back to Yleigh. So, talk.”

“I just… how will you make sure you keep everyone safe? Do you have others?” pressed Haryk. The runner sighed and shook his head.

“I can’t tell you. Please understand I don’t have anything against you, but we keep this information quiet on purpose. Now, please, we don’t have a lot of time,” urged O’Kairyn. Obviously disappointed, Haryk nodded and cleared his throat.

“Right. Of course. Apologies. Yes, the Imitari were taken seven suns sets ago. The raid was… terrible. The Ordin had them all in cages. They were stacking cages in a carriage with these massive horses. Flames were everywhere. I… I don’t think anyone got away,” said Haryk.

Haryk proceeded to give details about the different Ordin, describing different features of their faces and even was able to describe what clothes they were wearing. He said they would be traveling by the river all the way to the capital and that they would be leaving later that night.

O’Kairyn listened patiently and paid attention to every detail. As he listened, something just didn’t seem completely right to O’Kairyn.

“So, you don’t think anyone got away?” he asked. Haryk shook his head, eyes glossy with the burning images of the memories in his mind.

Why do I have this nagging feeling? What about this is setting me so on edge? Wondered O’Kairyn.

“So, where were you hiding? Or did you hear this from someone else?” asked the runner, watching Haryk’s reactions carefully. O’Kairyn watched Haryk shift uncomfortably before he responded.

“Yes… well… I mean… I was nearby… I was out hunting some small ground stalkers and hid in one of the trees nearby to watch after I heard the screams,” stated Haryk.

O’Kairyn’s eyes narrowed. Haryk’s voice had an almost imperceptible tremor. What was worse was that despite the relative chill of the evening air, there was a nervous bead of sweat gathering at Haryk’s hairline. Was he that scared of being discovered? Did he think he was followed?

“And, just to clarify, you do not have Essevi?” probed O’Kairyn.

“No, but my family does,” replied Haryk.

“And you’re from the town?” O’Kairyn asked.

“Yes.”

O’Kairyn’s senses were electrified. Something felt wrong. Something felt really wrong about this conversation.

How could Haryk have seen such great detail if he were hiding in a distant tree?

Haryk didn’t have Essevi, but his family did.

A sinking feeling settled in O’Kairyn’s gut, and everything in him screamed to be on edge.

It suddenly made sense and, if it were true, O’Kairyn was in trouble.

It seemed like an impossible circumstance, but O’Kairyn had heard twice that other runners encountered an abettor, someone who was working for the Ordin, for the protection of their own family. How an Imitari could do such a thing was beyond him, but O’Kairyn didn’t want to find out.

He needed to stay calm, but he also needed to conclude their meeting sooner rather than later. Trying to give off no warning signs, O’Kairyn stood and forced a smile.

“Well, I think I have everything I need,” he stated. “If they are leaving tonight, I’ll need to move quickly. It would be safer if you stayed here for the next few days.” Panic in his eyes, Haryk stood and grabbed onto O’Kairyn’s arm.

“Wait, don’t leave just yet!” he begged. “Take me with you. I… I want to help.”

“You’ve done what you can by telling me. I promise I’ll do what I can…”

“No… you… you don’t understand…” There was a wildness to Haryk’s eyes that felt like a punch to the gut. Before O’Kairyn could summon a force to push Haryk away, he felt a sharp jab in his side accompanied by a burning sensation. “You… they need you….”

O’Kairyn shoved Haryk away and turned to run, but the burning was quickly spreading through his body. O’Kairyn knew what this was. What he was stabbed with was a toxin. Imitari had learned to harvest and brew a special toxin that stunned and immobilized its prey. It was difficult to brew, but it was highly effective. They tried using it on the Ordin, but it required a significant dose to render one unconscious, though O’Kairyn couldn’t see why.