Chapter 4: Mysterious Pair

  Corin was in Bothia. It had been over a decade since he had stepped foot in it. He stood on the edge of the beach, watching waves crash on each other.

  How can it be? This was all destroyed when the Titans clashed?

  “What do you think is out there?” Cyril asked Corin. Corin turned to look at him. Cyril stood at the edge of the shore staring out at the horizon. A calm blue sea was all that was visible.

  Corin remembered this moment. A distant memory from one of the many times he and Cyril watched the waves of the sea crash.

  “I don’t know. Only danger, I guess,” Corin replied. “What about you?”

  The siblings had enjoyed sitting in the shade and watching the waves crash. They would sit there for hours without any words exchanged between the two.

  Cyril turned to look at him. His good-natured, boyish smile was on display. Corin and Cyril were always told they were alike, but Cyril was charismatic and always eager to talk to anyone, while Corin was dour and quiet. He was often remarked to be Cyril’s shadow, both in appearance and in mood.

  They were both average height and not very muscular. Despite this, Cyril could make himself feel physically imposing, even when facing someone larger than him. Corin, not so much. But in other manners of appearance, Corin differed. While his brother had close-cut cropped hair, Corin appreciated having long hair. While Corin liked having a beard, his brother was clean-shaved.

  Corin could see the pendant around Cyril’s neck. The gift from their friend and mentor, Simeon.

  “We know there are other people out there, and I’m not talking sirens or anything of that sort. I’m talking about other humans and other furtives. We’re not the only ones,” Cyril started. “And yes, I know there are other dangers out there, the land titans of Khorsor, the great continent. The giants, as Simeon called them. But I like to think there must be something else. When I think of what’s beyond the White sea, I think of opportunity.”

  “Opportunity? You just said there are more titans!” Corin began. “It’s bad enough we have to deal with leviathans and dragons. They also have land titans? Are you serious? You call that an opportunity? That sounds like a worse death trap than this island!”

  Cyril started to laugh. “Ah, you see, but that’s exactly why. We’d never even heard of these land titans. Yes, they are probably as dangerous as dragons and leviathans. But if we had never heard about them, what other things do you think we don’t know about? There could be so many amazing secrets out there waiting to be discovered!”

  “Really? Like what?”

  “That’s the thing, Corin! Who knows what it could be? That’s what makes it so exciting! It could be something that nobody even knows. Something so secret, so hidden, that nobody knows about! Maybe there’s an opportunity out there, something we can use to our advantage. A secret weapon against the titans!” Cyril said as he faded away.

  “A secret weapon…” Corin pondered.

  I don’t recall this conversation being like this.

  ***

  “Corin! Come on! Corin! Can you hear me?” Livia begged, shaking him.

  His eyes started to open. He saw a domed ceiling. His wife’s face came into his field of view.

  Corin found himself tucked underneath a blanket with a candle lit next to him. He was still in the same room where the confrontation had occurred earlier.

  As he looked at Livia, he saw another figure kneel next to him. He instantly recognized the face.

  Nanaua!

  “Livia, be careful!” Corin started to get up but stopped quickly. The pain it caused him brought Corin to the brink of losing consciousness once again.

  “Please, my love, rest,” Livia said, trying to calm him down.

  Livia had to put her hands on his shoulders to hold him down. He could not stop staring at the red draconic face. She did not look back at Corin.

  Nanaua was a being unlike any Corin had ever seen. Her skin was covered in red scales, and her features were sharp. She had no hair, but had a small pair of slightly curved horns that heightened her intimidating appearance. She had a pair of slits where her nose ought to be, and her eyes were bright blue, but with slit irises, and her mouth had no lips. She no longer wore her metal armor and instead wore a leather outfit. The rest of her body was similar to a human, with the exception of a long red tail. Without her armor Corin could see that Nanaua’s body was covered in scars and that she was extremely muscular.

  No wonder she’s so strong.

  “Nanaua told me everything that happened. I understand she attacked you, but when I came into the room, she was tending to your wounds,” Livia said.

  Corin stopped trying to move. He looked over at Nanaua. She looked remorseful.

  “I saw her standing over you and almost shot her, but she was prepared to defend you. Not knowing what I was here for, and thinking I came here to hunt her down, she told me you had nothing to do with their escape and not to hurt you. She didn’t know who I was, and yet she was ready to defend you with her life,” Livia explained.

  Corin looked at Nanaua, who still did not make eye contact with him.

  “I mistook you for someone else and was prepared to strike you down. When the real assassin presented himself and was about to strike me down, you saved my life, despite my previous attempt to kill you. I owe you a blood debt, adventurer,” Nanaua said to Corin.

  When not in the middle of a battle, her tone was far more pleasing and personable. It made her seem less intimidating, if only a little.

  Corin was so confused that his head hurt. He had so many questions that he didn’t even know where to begin.

  “Livia, how did you get here?” Corin asked as he still eyed Nanaua.

  “When I heard the first shot, I knew something was amiss. I started heading in the direction of the sound when I heard the second one. I hurried as fast as I could. You were not very far from the great hall,” Livia replied.

  “Ah, I thought I was being followed, so I kept taking the most asinine routes I could. I guess I never went too far, but I never saw anyone following me,” Corin replied.

  “You must be a very keen observer, adventurer.” Nanaua interjected. “Kishtro’s are expert trackers and can spend days tracking their prey without ever being noticed. I didn’t even know Totua was here until he presented himself.”

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  “Oh, him.” Corin remembered now. “I have seen many strange things inside dragon temples but have never met an armored furtive being hunted by an assassin. Why was he after you?”

  “Because she was trying to protect me.” A new voice joined the conversation.

  Corin looked toward the door. A person unlike any Corin had ever seen walked in. She was human like Corin and Livia, but her skin was pale, her hair was straight and jet-black, her eyes were narrow, and she had thin lips. Her features seemed delicate, as if made of glass. She was dressed in a long green robe the likes of which Corin had never even seen. Corin looked at Livia, who did not seem surprised at the new addition.

  “It seems you have met,” Corin said to Livia.

  “Yes, and you will want to listen to what she has to say,” Livia replied.

  “First, let me try to mend your arm.” The strange woman approached Corin. Closer now Corin saw more about her. She seemed young, younger than Corin and Livia. He thought she must be at least in her mid-twenties. She was not very tall, around Livia’s height, and quite slim. But her unique clothing made her look larger than she was. She moved with an air of elegance to it, and despite her young age, her demeanor seemed akin to someone more mature.

  Corin looked at Livia, who nodded. He did not understand what was occurring.

  The woman approached Corin and placed her hands on his broken arm. She chanted something quietly and moved her fingers over his arm in a repeating motion. It seemed as if warmth exuded from her fingertips.

  “What in the…” Corin could not believe what he felt.

  After several seconds, the woman ceased her chanting and sat back. Nanaua came and held her. The pale woman looked as if she were on the verge of losing consciousness.

  “Does it feel better?” Livia asked Corin.

  Corin moved his arm. It still hurt, but the fact that he was able to move it was beyond anything he could believe.

  “But how?” Corin asked as he looked at everyone in the room.

  “This structure did not fall here by accident. She brought it down,” Livia said and gestured to the strange woman.

  Corin saw the woman struggling to stay conscious.

  “Is she going to be fine?” Corin asked, alarmed at her state.

  “I’ve used too much magic in the past couple of days and haven’t rested properly in a while,” the woman explained as she started to regain her senses.

  “You can use magic? That can’t be possible!” Corin replied almost bewildered.

  “Corin you just saw her heal your arm.” Livia told him. “How else can you explain that?”

  Corin turned from Livia to the strange woman.

  “I-, I’m sorry this just seems so wild to me.” He replied trying to grasp the situation.

  Corin took a deep breath.

  “So you can use magic. What else do I need to know?” Corin asked. At this point he was ready to believe anything.

  “I am Zhi, and you already met Nanaua. She is a dragoor, a furtive descended from dragons but unable to use their magic. She is, or maybe it’s more accurate to say was, a member of the Lord’s Protectorate. They are bound by oath to protect the Dragon Lord. I understand you met under unfortunate circumstances.”

  “Do not worry, a lot of people who meet me want to kill me,” Corin replied nonchalantly.

  “Why is that, Corin? I must know this if I am to honor my blood oath,” Nanaua asked, concerned.

  “No, um, I was…” Corin began, but he could see that Nanaua did not understand what he had meant.

  “He was trying to be humorous, Nanaua,” Zhi interjected.

  “Being the target of homicidal intent is not something to laugh at, adventurer,” Nanaua scolded.

  “I have a name. It’s Corin,” he interjected.

  “Nanaua, there is still much for you to learn in dealing with humans. Corin, the assassin you faced earlier, the Kishtro, was sent to punish Nanaua for absconding with me and to bring me back to our lord, the dragon Tonatiuh,” Zhi said with an air of fear.

  “You two belong to a dragon? A titan?” Corin nearly jumped up. “Is he going to come here?”

  “You need to listen to them. There is much that you have yet to hear,” Livia interjected.

  Corin had heard of furtives being held by titans, but he had only met one who had shared that fate before, his friend Simeon. Now here were more, and one that could use magic. He also knew Simeon’s escape was fraught with much danger.

  “There are many humans who are held as property by dragons, but my purpose was unique. I am an Onsiel,” Zhi said.

  Corin had never heard that word. “A what?”

  “A magic-wielding furtive. An Onsiel. She is the only furtive in this world who is able to wield magic,” Nanaua said.

  “So are you a threat to the dragon? Is that it?” Corin asked.

  “Hah. The power she contains is but a mere fraction of Tonatiuh’s,” Nanaua replied. “She was to be sacrificed in a ritual meant to further empower our Lord Tonatiuh. In power, Tonatiuh is second only to the Prime Dragon Lord Takaxluet. It is through ceremonies like these that the titans are able to increase their power and to vie with each other for mastery of their domain,” Nanaua explained.

  Corin was astounded at all he was hearing. He didn’t even know there was such a thing. Simeon had never mentioned anything of the sort.

  “But an Onsiel is a unique person. There is only one born into the world at a time, and even then nobody knows when they will appear. One can be born as soon as a previous Onsiel dies, or it can be more than a hundred years before the next arrives. And the only way to tell is if the furtive demonstrates any type of magical ability,” Nanaua said.

  “I see. So that’s why you’re able to use magic?” Corin asked.

  Zhi nodded.

  “As you can imagine, an Onsiel is a very valuable asset. This opportunity for a titan to increase its power can upset the delicate balance between all titans. If Takaxluet knew that Tonatiuh was hiding an Onsiel, he would have no choice but to strike at him and destroy him,” Nanaua added.

  “So why haven’t you been sacrificed already?” Corin asked while looking at Zhi. He realized shortly how crass he sounded. Zhi’s brow furrowed as she looked back at him.

  “Because I was not ready. While my powers have manifested, they are still not at their strongest. And the sacrifice can only be made at one specific moment. It can only be performed when the sun is at its highest point in the sky on the longest day of the year,” Zhi replied.

  Corin thought about it for a second. The days had started to get longer not too long ago.

  “But it will not be long before that day comes, and once it does, we will be out of time. That is why we decided to escape now,” Nanaua added.

  “And why are you helping her?” Corin asked.

  Both Zhi and Nanaua looked at each other and turned their faces away. Livia hit Corin over the head.

  “Corin, how are you so blind?” Livia whispered to him as she shook her head.

  “What? I’m sorry!” Corin asked, unsure of what he had done wrong.

  “I risked my life to protect Zhi because I love her,” Nanaua proclaimed proudly. For the first time since meeting her, Corin saw what seemed like a tinge of embarrassment in the dragoor’s face.

  Corin looked back and forth quickly, realizing he had erred.

  “Oh!” He looked at Livia, who shook her head.

  Nanaua and Zhi held hands as they stared into each other’s eyes.

  “You ladies make a wonderful pair! Of course! And I mean I would do the same for Livia, who would do the same for me, that I know. So of course, indeed, I understand,” Corin said, trying to think of anything to say that might rectify the situation.

  Livia could only look at the ground as she tried to avoid any secondhand embarrassment she might endure at the hands of her husband.

  “And you brought down this structure yourself?” he asked Zhi, changing the topic.

  “Even though my powers are yet to fully manifest, they are growing by the day. With them, I fractured several points along the temple to bring down this portion. But even with my current strength, it took a long time to create enough fractures, and it left me severely weakened. The effort nearly killed me. I am still recovering and am not yet fully healed,” Zhi said.

  Corin sat in silence as he struggled to understand. To think that she had been able to heal him even when she was weakened.

  “But what are you to do now? Won’t your lord come back looking for you? And if not him, won’t other titans want to claim your power?” Corin asked, looking at both of them.

  “That’s why you have to listen to all they have to say,” Livia added.

  “We are not going to go running and hiding for the rest of our lives. We are going to fight the titans. And we are going to kill them,” Zhi said, staring into his eyes.

  Corin had been prepared to hear anything and accept it. But this last revelation was even too much for him to wrap his head around. Was he dreaming?

  “Wait, you are going to fight the titans and kill them? I mean, bringing down this structure is impressive, but you must know it doesn’t compare to the strength of the titans, right?” Corin looked around, confused.

  Livia held something in her hand, the hollowed stone pyramid that he had grabbed from this room earlier.

  “This is part of a weapon that will give us enough power to kill them,” Livia said.

  In the short time since he had woken up, he had seen many things he did not even know were possible. Draconic furtives? Humans capable of using magic? Sacrifices to empower titans? But a weapon that could kill titans?

  “Wait, I’m sorry. You said a weapon that could kill titans?” Corin asked and looked around. Nanaua, Zhi, and Livia all looked at him.

  They are serious.

  He thought of what that actually meant. A weapon to end titans. To end the terror that plagued all furtive beings in the world. No longer would they have to live in fear of a titan coming in on any given day and destroying everything they held dear. They could change the course of history for furtives forever.

  Silence pervaded the room. Nothing was said, but everything was understood.

  “Your goal. A world without titans. Do you think it’s possible?” Corin asked.

  “We know in theory that a weapon that could match the titans should be possible. And we know we already have one component, and we know we are missing two pieces, a hollow cube and a solid sphere. But finding these other pieces will not be easy. Zhi and I have only lived our lives in the sky dragon temples. We do not know much about the sea or the land. We need help to navigate the surface world,” Nanaua responded as she looked right at him.

  “Help? Are you asking us?” Corin sounded surprised.

  His mind raced with all sorts of doubts. Nanaua’s lack of an answer let him know the answer.

  “But what could we offer you? You are stronger than any person I have ever come across, and Zhi is quite literally the only furtive alive that can perform magic. I know only our island Trinixo and the surrounding White sea. I wouldn’t know the first thing about navigating the surrounding isles or how to reach the Khorsor continent!”

  “Your wife told us about your encounter with the drake, when you earned the blade,” Nanaua began. “The trial you faced is one that many of my own people have attempted before and paid with their lives, yet you faced it and lived. Not to mention you were able to hold your own against me, a trained Lord's Protectorate. But that was not all. You also saved my life. You had no reason to intervene, yet you did. An ally like yourself is worth more than the strongest warrior or a legendary wizard.”

  “I was able to survive thanks to Livia’s weapon. Without her intervention against that beast, and without that weapon when facing you or the assassin, I wouldn’t have survived,” Corin replied.

  “But you did, Corin. We need someone like you, someone who knows how to survive. And we need your wife. You mentioned her inventions, and you are correct,” Zhi said as she looked at Livia.

  “Her creations are able to match the power of magic. It was able to puncture the scales of the drake, and had you been more accurate with your weapon, Nanaua would not have survived,” Zhi added.

  “We would need some help to navigate the sea and the land, not to mention how to survive on either. Zhi and I have never had to forage and look for our own provisions,” Nanaua said.

  Corin looked at Livia. It did not take long for him to realize she had come to a conclusion already. This entire time that Corin had spent asking Zhi and Nanaua what had brought them here, she had spent studying his reactions, seeing if he would come to the same conclusion that she had already arrived at prior to his regaining consciousness.

  If she had already made up her mind, there was no use in arguing against it.

  “I don’t know what aid I might provide, but you can count on Livia and me to assist you,” Corin said.

  Nanaua and Zhi smiled.

  “But before we can move on in earnest, there is someone else we need to recruit.”

  Nanaua raised a scaly eyebrow. “Who is this that you have in mind?”

  Corin and Livia looked at each other. They replied in unison, “Simeon.”