The air held an unspoken tension after that attack. It felt like everyone was waiting for the chute to drop. However, the longer it went on, the more it became clear that the creature was alone in this room. The mystery of where it came from was solved as well. The drape from where it burst out from hid a tunnel. It was a crude passageway, dug straight through the earth and supported by wooden beams. There was no end to it, at least none that was able to be seen from their position. Leoric denied any idea of exploring it at this point as such a narrow passage that was possibly filled with unknown enemies was a recipe for disaster.
Speaking of, Daegal looked at the creature that had pounced on him. The body lay slumped on the floor, a pool of blood forming around the stump of its neck. Its appearance was in complete contrast with its strength. The fact that something that skinny and sickly looking was able to not only tackle him off his feet but hit with enough force that it was starting to cause him a headache, was concerning. Daegal was glad that he had stopped Leoric from entering first, as the damage that this thing would have done to the man might have been fatal; a fact that the captain himself realized after the situation had calmed down.
Leoric was no stranger to brushes with death, but that didn’t mean that they were easy. It did rattle him, and it was of his opinion that anyone who wasn’t rattled was a severely disturbed individual. The thought that if he had stepped through that door he would have been beset upon with the ferocity that Daegal endured disturbed him. With a tremoring exhale, he did his best to expel that feeling and move one. It didn’t happen, and he would learn from it so it wouldn’t happen again.
The danger was over, for now, and so Leoric turned to Daegal, this being who was so strange yet intriguing. His opinion of Daegal had shifted many times over the last week, and now a new feeling had taken root, that of gratitude.
“Daegal,” he called out to gain the giant’s attention. “I just wished to express my gratitude toward you for taking the lead earlier. You most likely saved my life by doing that, and I owe you a great deal now.”
“Oh, uhm, n-no, you don’t owe me anything. I just... well, I didn’t want anyone to get hurt.”
“It is exactly that desire and attitude that deserves commendation. Anyone who does such things should be rewarded for their compassion and bravery; you are no exception from that.”
“I... well, thank you, but I don’t need or want any reward from you.”
“Perhaps, but I will still be looking for ways to express my gratitude, starting with a magnificent report of your actions to his majesty. My voice will now lend itself unerringly to your acceptance.”
Daegal felt a little flustered by the dramatic declaration. “T-Thanks. I appreciate that.”
With the danger well and truly over, and the last room now searched, the soldiers collected whatever evidence they could. The remains of the creature were wrapped in one of the drapes tightly so it would be easier to transport. Other than the body, there was a book that was found, and while the contents were indecipherable to those present, the images and diagrams were disturbing enough that they took it as well.
The room was swiftly exited and locked. Their job was nearly done, and most of the soldiers began the ascent up the stairs with some being left behind to guard the area and ensure nobody comes to disturb it. There would be an investigation on the tunnel later, but right now they had all they needed to finish the job they were given.
All the victims had been led outside, and many were basking in the light that they hadn’t seen in weeks, sometimes months. While still weakened from the ordeal, they were hopeful again. Whatever food that could be shared with them was, but many needed specialized help and meals if they were going to recover fully from this. Daegal could not help everyone, and in all likelihood, his presence would be nothing but a stressor to them. He did remember the child he sent ahead, though, and was eager to check in on them and see how they were doing. If it wasn’t for his obligation to report back to Reynard, he would have already been moving that way.
Daegal rode in the back of the armored carriage he had arrived in once again, though this time he had the regrettable company of the creature’s corpse with him as they could not carry it through the city. The lord of the house, Ricard, was also dragged along quite roughly. Any respect they may have once had for his rank was now smoke in a storm after the truth came out, and his punishment for that was already starting as they marched him through the streets with rough shoves if he failed to keep pace.
The moment they reached the castle; Ricard was taken to the dungeon to await his judgment while all the evidence was brought inside. Leoric needed to report to his king, and Daegal was right there beside him. Upon hearing that the investigation party had returned, Reynard deigned to meet with them in the hall where Daegal was first questioned.
Reynard was not sitting in his seat like the last time; instead, he was pacing the middle of the room by the time they arrived, arms folded neatly behind his back and posture straight and regal. It seemed even he could feel the weight of what was coming and acted accordingly to it. The king turned as the procession of soldiers and Daegal entered.
“So, I hear you have brought me the evidence that I requested?” Reynard began, prompting a bow from Leoric and his fellow men.
“Yes, my lord. Not only did we find the missing civilians, but evidence of something far darker taking place as well. We, or rather, Daegal was attacked by this creature.”
At Leoric’s prompt, a few soldiers dragged the bundled-up corpse of the creature and unrolled it. The limp body flopped out onto the ground with the loose head rolling slightly away. Reynard showed surprise, as one might expect, but his reaction was tempered with poise and inquisitiveness.
“Good God, and here I was thinking I had seen everything when Daegal walked into my castle. It looks... nearly human. This thing attacked you?”
“Yes, my lord,” Leoric replied. “There was a tunnel beneath Lord Ricard’s estate, and this creature burst forth from it mere moments after we entered. It managed to knock Daegal to the ground before attacking him in a manner that I can only call feral. I credit Daegal fully with saving both my life and the lives of my men as he insisted on entering the room first.”
Reynard nodded before turning to Daegal. “And what did you think of this thing’s attack? I imagine knocking you off your feet is quite the accomplishment.”
“Y-Yes, it surprised me. Whatever it is, it was significantly stronger than a human, and its blows hurt me.”
“Hurt you? I’m afraid I have no reference as to how tough you are. Do you have an example of something you have endured to put it in perspective for me?”
“Well, uhm, swords can’t cut me, spears barely are able to get the tip past my scales, and I’ve fought bears who couldn’t so much as scratch me.”
“That is an impressive list of capabilities. The fact that this thing was able to hurt you despite your impressive durability is cause for concern indeed. Are there more of them?”
“We are unsure, your majesty,” Leoric answered. “We left without conducting a search of the cave. Considering the possible dangers that lurked within, we were in no way equipped enough to venture into that darkness. I have men watching the tunnels to ensure that nothing comes out, and that nobody disturbs the location until we can organize a search.”
“Very good, captain. And you, Daegal, have done well. You could have been content with simply finding my citizens as you were asked to do and leaving the rest to the soldiers, but you went beyond that and assisted them where it wasn’t strictly needed. Because of this you have saved lives today, and you have my thanks. I believe you have more than proved your worth and fulfilled your end of our bargain. I will put in motion the necessary steps to have you recognized as a resident of my kingdom, with all the protections that entails.”
Even hearing it now felt like a dream. Being able to live without the fear of attack by humans, at least ones that served Reynard’s kingdom, would be amazing. He could make a home for himself, one where he didn’t have to be alone. Reynard continued as he glanced down at the slain creature again, speaking in a lower voice.
“Ricard will answer for this, and once I’m satisfied with his response, then he will answer to God.” The intent behind his words was foreboding indeed, and Daegal felt a little uneasy knowing that such intensity could possibly have been directed at him if he hadn’t tried to be cooperative.
The king took a deep breath and his mood changed back to a more upbeat one. “Well, at the very least having such damning evidence will nullify much of the pushback I would have gotten from those in his political faction. Even so, trouble is abound as I will be investigating all his business partners and close relations. The work never ends,” he said with sigh. “Do either of you have anything else to mention?”
Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.
There was one thing Daegal thought he might need to bring up to him. “Uhm, I asked L-Leoric to help me save a young child who was near death. He had the boy brought h-here, and I.... Is that okay?”
Reynard considered for a moment, rubbing his chin as he did so. “A child you say? If the situation is as dire as you make it sound, I wouldn’t be too hopeful about their chances for survival. However, it would leave me with a restless soul to deny any aid to this young one. The child may continue to receive treatment until whatever fate is laid out for him is reached. May God guard his soul.”
With that, Reynard bid them farewell and returned to his work. Daegal wanted to check in on the kid and asked Leoric where the soldiers had taken him. Leoric led Daegal to the apothecary’s room, and before the captain left to write up his reports and sort through the aftermath of this mess, Daegal also asked if he could let Fiora know that he was back, and where he was. Leoric agreed that he could make a small detour to inform her, and Daegal was grateful for it.
After Leoric left, Daegal gently knocked on the door and listened for a reply from inside.
“Enter,” a man’s voice replied from inside.
Daegal did as instructed, pushing the door open and ducking through. The room he entered was best described as organized chaos. There were shelves upon shelves of ingredients that spanned the length of two full walls. Bottled, dried, crushed, or even fresh and hanging in bundles. There was a desk that had many tools for preparing medicine as well as papers or scrolls that recorded data from experiment that Daegal could not understand. The whole room smelled a lot like Fiora and Emil’s house, though stronger. There were a handful of beds along the wall nearest the door, and one of them was occupied with the child who looked cleaner, but had still not opened their eyes. It was difficult to tell if the boy was sleeping or not.
The only other soul in this room was the apothecary himself. The man was getting up there in age by the looks of things. His head was bald, his face wrinkled, and he had a neatly trimmed beard that contained spots of grey amidst the brown. Once Daegal entered the room, the older man reacted with a short jolt of surprise, not prepared to see Daegal enter his workspace. The man recovered quickly from it as news about Daegal had traveled throughout the castle, with clear instruction that it would go no further than these walls until the king said so.
The apothecary sighed and did his best to relax before speaking. “I had heard that you might be coming here to check on the child, I just didn’t expect to see you so soon. Uhg, I’m getting too old for all this excitement.”
“S-Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle.”
“Hmm, well, at least you’re as polite as they claimed you were.”
The old man didn’t seem so bad, and he was hardly intimidating. “How’s the kid doing?”
The expression on the man’s face turned sour as he glanced at the occupied bed. “To be honest, he’s in a bad way. Malnutrition and dehydration have taken serious tolls on his body. With the current state that he is in, it would take carefully watching him at all hours, day and night, with regular infusions of water, medicine, and easy to digest food. Despite being my only patient, such a task is impossible for me alone to accomplish. The lad will likely die in a few days' time.”
Daegal felt his heart sink at the news, but he did catch that sliver of hope that was in there as well. “What if I helped watch him? I-I can stay up at night to take care of him.”
“Do you understand what that entails? You would have to watch and feed the boy small amounts of water and food while making sure he doesn’t choke or imbibe too much lest his body reject the treatment, which could very easily be fatal given the circumstances.”
That sounded delicate, and Daegal wondered if he was capable of such a thing. Even so, he saw that the child wanted to keep living, and he would do everything he could to help the boy.
“It’s still a chance. Can you teach me what to do? P-Please?”
The old man took a deep breath and let it out as a sigh. “Never thought I’d be working with a... whatever you are. If you truly wish to do this, then you will have to listen every word I say and follow them to the letter. That is the only chance this child has of survival. Is that understood?”
“Y-Yes sir.”
“Good, and my name is Mathew.”
“M-Mine is Daegal.”
“Yes, I’ve heard your name echoing through these halls quite frequently. Now, let us begin.”
Mathew began to instruct Daegal on exactly what he needed to do to save the kid. It involved a lot of measurements, mostly to ensure that they did not overfeed the child whose stomach is weak after disuse. They didn’t get very far before the door opened again, and Fiora entered.
“Daegal, there you are!”
“Hello, Fiora.”
Mathew sighed. “Busiest day I’ve had in years,” he mumbled.
Fiora did not hear or did not care for what Mathew said as she continued. “Leoric said you were coming here; something about saving a kid?”
“Yes, him, specifically.”
Fiora looked over and saw the skinny boy laying despondent on the bed and let out a soft gasp. “God, I expected something bad, but this is horrible! How could someone even do this to a child?”
“I don’t know, but they will pay according to Reynard. I’m glad that they won’t be around much longer.”
“I’m not so sure about being glad about death, but I can understand why you feel that way. I hope that justice is dealt, and God will judge them in the end.”
Daegal did not know much about their god, but it didn’t matter at this moment, especially when Mathew seemed to be getting a little impatient.
“If you two are done catching up, there is still much I need to teach you.”
“S-Sorry,” Daegal said sheepishly.
“I can help you learn, Daegal,” Fiora offered. “My dad is an apothecary as well, so I can help him learn.” She mentioned that part to Mathews who gave her a questioning look.
“We’ll see if your father is any good then.”
Fiora’s face scrunched up in mild insult. She seemed determined to prove to the man just how good an apothecary her father was as she tackled the job of tutoring Daegal with enthusiasm. Many of the technical terms flew over his head, but the instruments that they used to measure servings for the kid were simple enough to understand. He had never thought that watching how much water was drunk would be a problem he would have to deal with.
Daegal watched them as they went through well practiced motions. Mathew fed the child, carefully tilting the boy’s head and funneling some water with finely crushed herbs mixed in with it. After the water came the smallest amount of mushed and nutritious food, easily swallowed with minimal effort. It was clear the boy was conscious, at least somewhat as the young man did accept the food instead of having it forced down. Daegal learned well from watching; he had been doing it for years as he observed humans and copied them.
Night came sooner than he thought after being tutored on all the necessary steps for taking care of the boy. He took his first shift, with Fiora being there with him to make sure he remembered all the steps. All the training he did paid off as he utilized a gentle hand to feed the child. It was... oddly gratifying to work toward saving a life, and watching as the child kept fighting, kept trying to survive, it filled him with hope.
Fiora stayed with Daegal for a little while longer into the night before she eventually found herself too tired to remain engaged in any conversation. She was confident that Daegal could take care of the kid and bade him a good night as she retired to her room with her father. Daegal maintained his vigil, watching the child for any signs that things might be changing for the worse. The short breathes continued in even intervals, still weak, but continuing, nonetheless.
It was a few hours into the night, and things had been peaceful as the minutes ticked by. This steady tranquility was abruptly shattered when the clanging sound of a bell rang out repeatedly outside. It sounded urgent, and that was confirmed when he heard people running around outside. He hesitated, looking between the child and the door. He had fed them recently, so it wasn’t like the boy would succumb to his condition. Deciding he could leave his post for a little while, he moved to the door to investigate.
The ringing of the bell had ceased, but the movement had not as armed guards ran through the halls, seemingly in a specific direction. He moved out to see if he could get some answers, stopping a flustered guard along the way who looked nervous talking to him.
“What’s happening?” Daegal asked.
The soldier gulped nervously before answering. “T-The alarm was sounded from the prison. We’re moving t-to protect his majesty and assemble a team to investigate.”
He let the soldier go as he considered. The prison, if he remembered correctly the direction that Ricard was led to, would be on the north end of the castle. He could get there quickly if he jumped down from a nearby balcony. It was only a ten foot drop down to the ground, so he decided to take the leap and see if there was anything he could help with.
Daegal moved with some haste about him, but it wasn’t like he was in a true rush. That was the case, at least until he got closer to the north end of the castle, and he started smelling blood in the air. That certainly got his attention as he rushed forward with expediency. When he reached the northern face of the castle, he saw the stairwell that led down to the prison area, and at the top of the stairs, there was a guard laying in a pool of blood. Even from a distance it looked bad, with large slashes across the man’s face and neck. It looked more like he had been mauled by a wild animal than anything else.
Concern flared up inside Daegal, but just as he took a step to approach the scene, he froze as something was ascending from the underground holding area. The first thing that emerged were a pair of horns, standing straight and pointing to the sky like a slightly curved bident. Dark scales followed the horns, blending in with the night. Four eyes of dark gold shimmered in the scant light of the castle, attached to a long head with an elongated, and currently bloody, muzzle. It stood well over seven feet tall, though slightly shorter than Daegal and with a bit of a belly that remained tightly compact beneath the natural musculature. Clawed hands and feet were smeared with blood as the being licked its hands clean of the substance, tail gently swishing back and forth with contentment.
Daegal had not moved an inch, staring with mouth agape as he witnessed what almost seemed to be his distorted reflection. This being finally noticed Daegal as well once it emerged fully from the ground. It seemed nearly as surprised as he was as its eyes widened significantly. The two of them stared at each other, equally awestruck at the others' presence, though likely for different reasons.
The sound of metal armor clanking together was heard and managed to snap the golden eyed one out of their stupor. Glancing between where the sound was coming from and Daegal a few times, they let out a low growl before turning heel and dashing toward the wall. With a running start, they leapt up, clawing at the stones for purchase as they quickly climbed up to the battlements and then disappeared into the night.
Daegal could only stare at the spot it disappeared in as the royal guards rushed onto the scene. Naturally, Daegal standing near a corpse that had been mauled was not a good look, and many weapons were pointed at him that he ignored completely, lost in his own mind. The leader of the guard, Edmund, pointed a sword at Daegal’s chest.
“Explain, now!”
Daegal was barely paying attention, and the question floated aimlessly in his head, barely able to be registered amidst the turmoil coursing through him. In that listless state, he only responded honestly, though perhaps not tactfully.
“I can’t...”
