Chapter 78 - Unexpected Revelations

[133 Days Remaining]

At the insistence of my soldiers, I took up residence inside one of the town's three inns. It was, you could say, a privilege of being the commander in charge. Normally, I would have slept outside on the ground with the soldiers and other knights, but I had the Devourer woman to think off. So this time, I took up my soldiers' offer and elected not to sleep outside, though it would have promoted a sense of camaraderie and respect from the soldiers who were commoners—not noble born.

In the army I commanded, including the three hundred and eighty survivors, there were some nobles mixed among the soldiers, most of them being knights or in positions higher than that. That said, a few of the nobles were displeased by my promotion into a Gold Knight Commander. It went against what their whole upbringing and environment taught; it was almost inconceivable for some of the nobles since they had been brought up thinking that they were better and more privileged than commoners. Like everything else, there were exceptions. Some of the nobles I had met in my past human life and in my time here in Shail Kingdom were amiable.

Having taken up an empty room inside the inn, I told the Devourer woman to follow me inside. None of the my soldiers—and the townspeople—thought it strange for me to have a woman following me along. Most of them knew that I entertained visitors at the ungodly hours (the three assassins, for example).

As such, I had even gotten some ribbing and pokes from my soldiers for that. Not directly to my face, of course—they would not dare that, since I had an infamous reputation and most of them had seen me in battles.

Thus, their conclusion in seeing me bring a woman with straw-colored hair inside the inn room where I was staying at after the battle?

It was probably a harlot keeping me company for my infamous “libido,” though I think they seem to have the wrong idea. Some of the gossips I had heard among my soldiers made me think that they even entertained thoughts of me being fond of the other sex, since I had been assigning some nightly tasks for Kal, the male assassin.

Once inside the inn and after finishing the necessary tasks, I spoke with the innkeeper for a bath.

“Does this place offer a bath or at least water to clean myself?” I asked. There was just the tiniest bit of hesitation in my question, because most people, usually commoners who did not work with the earth, did not take daily baths. They figured such things to be a waste of their time and money and only took it when they became too dirty or smelly.

“For two silver coins, I can tell my helping lads to draw you a bath, sir.” The innkeeper smiled widely at me, and I could almost imagine him rubbing his hands in glee; it had been a profitable day for him with some of my soldiers and most of the knights lodging up in the free rooms of the inn.

I gave the innkeeper the two silver coins from the small purse I kept in the folds of my armor (emergency money). This money came from my own fund instead of the coins Baroness Calina had given me for our small quest.

The innkeeper quickly took the coin, not even bothering to check its authenticity, before it disappeared into his pockets. He knew that I was a genuine customer.

The slightly pudgy innkeeper leaned closer toward me after eying the female Devourer beside me. “Would you like one of my inn maid to help you with your bath, sir?” he said, raising both his eyebrows as if to say “two was better than one.”

A threesome...I believed, was what the innkeeper was hinting at. I smiled a little—it was a polite smile—and declined his offer.

The innkeeper barely batted his eyes before my words registered with him. It made me think that the slightly pudguy man was very experienced with such offers. “Very well, sir, if you will just follow me...”

I also asked the innkeeper for a change of clothes, which led me into paying the man a few more coins. It was good to keep in mind that money moves men. It was a saying I had been quite fond of back when I was a merchant. But now? Money was almost useless to me.

The innkeeper led me into the backroom of the inn after bellowing at five lads to draw the water. They brought in a large tin tub and it took only a few minutes before it was filled with water, and the necessary items were set on a table beside it. I was slightly relieved to find that the water was not used water—you never could tell with these inns.

The backroom of the inn was fairly spacious. I observed a fireplace which warmed the room a little, while the innkeeper assured me that no one would interrupt “my bath” in this room.

I frowned a little inside my mind. Just what was the innkeeper assuming I was going to do with the female Devourer, who, by the way, looked entirely similar to a human woman. The Devourer was just prettier than most women and had an angular beauty to her.

“Shall I help you with that, Araach'draakzur?” the female Devourer asked. I could not place her tone, though it seemed to be casual enough.

I thought for a moment before deciding to let the Devourer help me out of my armor. She, after all, had been given many opportunities to attack me. The armor would have been awkward to put or take off by myself, but with the female Devourer helping me, the process became quicker.

I was wary of her draining touch, of course. The instant her movement varied, I would kill the Devourer, curiosity be damned. My life was more important.

She set aside my slim breastplate, vambraces, greaves, and the other parts in a neat pile on the floor. They were, for the most parts, white colored and on my breastplate was the Serle family's wolf crest. I was wearing a quilted undergarment and a plain tunic. This, I removed myself, being cautious of the Devourer.

“What is your name?” I asked, since I had not received a chance to ask the Devourer on our way to the inn. I had been busy directing my soldiers and letting the Devourer join me casually. I set my sword aside, waiting for her reply.

“You may call me Efari. It's a shortened form of my real name and the closest I can find in this human tongue,” the female Devourer said.

“Efari,” I repeated, taking off my last piece of clothing; a black underwear called braies that reached close to half of my thighs. Then I heated the cold bath water with a bit of fire magic, and got in. I remained standing, however, since the tin tub was not wide enough for me to sit in comfortably. It only covered a little over half of my height. Truly, on second thought, it was more like a large barrel than a tub.

“You may call me Verath.”

I didn't feel vulnerable being naked in front of the female Devourer. You would not too if circumstances had forced you to fight naked multiple times in your life. Repeat and rinse, they say, is the best way to learn, though I do not recommend it. Fighting naked, that is. You do not have my characteristics, after all.

“Araach'draakzur,” she answered, closing the distance between us until we were only an arm's length apart. She leaned closer toward me, her piercing, dark eyes boring into my own eyes. “The meaning of that word, in this human tongue, would come close as being the black dragon of death—my master and my destined mate, as the soothsayer has foretold. He will be the Deathwalker, champion of our Goddess, one who traverses death, and brings ruin to those who stands in his way.”

I remained silent, waiting for Efari to continue. She wrapped her arms around my neck, until we were in a lover's embrace, our lips almost touching. She stood on the tips of her toes so that we remained level with each other.

My sense of danger, as faulty as it was, stayed silent. I did not felt threatened by her manner, and the Devourer seemed to be sincere. I was also sure that I could resist her life essence draining for a while, so I would have plenty of time to kill her if I felt threatened. My hands were readied and I could instantly transform them into natural weapons, which were much stronger than steel.

Her breath was a tingle on my lips as she whispered in a voice sweeter than blood, “I have searched many long years for you, my love. I have scoured the human lands patiently waiting for you to appear. Many Devourers, as the human hunters call us, have died and few remain. I am the sole Matriarch left.”

I fell silent, thinking hard upon her revelations. Her words did not make any sense. “Why go through such lengths for me?”

There was an almost insane glint in her eyes. It was something akin to that of excessive devotion, crossing the borders of fanaticism. She moved backward a little, her arms unwrapping themselves from my neck. “You bear the mark of our Goddess, my love. I can sense her fire and touch in you. Too long it has been since our Goddess has shown signs of her favor. Centuries, more than a millennium, in fact.”

There was a sinking feeling inside me as I thought upon her words. I realized what she was referring to, but I had to make sure. “By mark, do you mean the mark on my back?”

“Yes, it represents the cycle of death and fire, of the devouring flames.”

I felt alarmed by her words, though I did not show it. Was Efari referring to the flames of Interitum—the fire magic my counterpart had used?

And the time period she had referred to, which was more than a thousand years ago, was similar to what the eldest, Navra Bloodseeker, had hinted about; a period when the ancient beings still deigned to walk this world.

By ancient beings, had the eldest meant the gods and goddesses? Through tales from traveling bards, minstrels, and books I had read in my past life, I had heard of such an age. The texts referred to it as the Warring Ages. There was not much information on it and I had never been too curious to look such a thing up, figuring it was only myths and legends, the stuff of human imagination.

A connection was made in my mind then. Was that what the four horned woman had meant by saying that I was already marked by another? That I was marked by a Goddess? It was likely that the four horned woman was an ancient being, her power an obvious testament to it.

My thoughts were in a swirl, my mind furiously working. I remained calm though, my exterior a mask of indifference still. “Thank you for informing me of that, Efari.”

She almost purred at that. “You are welcome, my love.”

I got to washing myself with the soap set aside then, feeling a little uncomfortable due to her staring.

“Would you like some help,” Efari asked in a soft voice.

I thought at what she was proposing to do for a moment, before I realized that I had no real objection. The female Devourer had already proclaimed me her master, love, and whatever other roles she knew of. The only thing I remained unsure of was whether or not she would drain my life essence. The intense look in her eyes told me otherwise though. In the end, I only nodded, letting her move over to the tub to help me bathe.

The water turned more soapy as Efari poured a bucket of water over my head, her hands trailing along my back. I could feel her fingers tracing over the mark on my back. Lingering touches. Then her fingers went toward my head. She smoothed my long hair, softly stroking its length. I didn't stop Efari in touching me in a more intimate manner; I just let her.

When the bath was done, Efari, without me even asking her, dried my hair and body with the towel on the table. She then brushed my unnatural white-colored hair, firmly running a comb along its length, which reached toward my waist. The range of items the innkeeper had thought to put on the table for my bath was impressive; he had most likely went all out so as to not offend me. Flattering, I suppose.

This bears repeating, so I shall say it again.

Except for the hair on my head, I was entirely hairless everywhere else. My hair, by the way, was somewhat unlike my skin. It could easily be cut, but at the same time, was also somewhat resistant to fire. Its length was also getting to be a pain to take care of, and since the innkeeper had seen fit to put a pair of shears on the table, I asked Efari to cut my hair.

“Such a shame,” Efari muttered softly. “You hair is so beautiful too.”

I watched as strands and clusters of my white hair fall toward the wooden floor. Efari slowly cut the length off until my hair barely reached toward my shoulders.

I said, “Thank you, Efari.”

Then I dressed myself in the change of clothes the innkeeper had set aside. It was comfortable enough as it had cost some silvers.

“May I stay with you, my love?"