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[Trillin]

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Kai

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Chapter 5

Trillin sat alone in the stronghold. The chill night air wafted over his skin from the drafty corners of the keep. The only light filtering through the darkness was from braziers along the walls. Trillin brought his flagon to his lips, filling his mouth with the taste of the bitter mead as he watched the light dance over the blade of the replica of Nox Bane. It silently lay across the room from him, and though the blade made no actual sound, it called to him. Trillin longed to feel the cold metal in his grasp. The muscles in his empty hand twitched and closed his hand into a hard fist. Mead splashed onto the stone tabletop as Trillin slammed the flagon against the slab. He thrust himself upright and stalked toward the dungeons.

The girl who attacked him had revealed, quite willingly, the name of her Master and his purpose to take out the Spearhead of the Atalan with her special skills. It turned out she was highly skilled in keeping tabs on difficult targets. This skill could be useful to him...If he had any information on the possible location of Nox Bane.

Trillin walked in on Xianna and the girl talking. Calmly, quietly. The girl seemed to be happily devouring an apple. She sat in the cell, perched on the end of the bed, gripping the apple in a way that reminded him of the little furry creatures he saw darting through the foliage during the warmer months. It disgusted him.

“What has she told you? Anything useful? Why does she seem so...Happy?” Trillin sneered over the last word, glaring at the girl in the cell as he spoke to the Valkyrie. The girl shot him a grin in return.

“Nothing more than what has already been revealed. Kai has been more than co-operative.” Xianna seemed almost remorseful over the lack of torture required.

The cheery attitude of the girl in the cell angered Trillin. He lost all interest in using her to find Nox Bane. He didn’t need the hassle of dealing with the waif; he would find the sword by himself. “Kill her, then. She’s useless.” Trillin turned to walk away, but once again was stopped by the eerie little giggle drifting from the figure at the end of the bed.

“I’ll execute the prisoner only if I receive such orders from the Bloodroot. You would do well to heed his orders.” Xianna kept an even tone with Trillin. She did not wish to defend this girl from her own kind, but her allegiance remained with the Bloodroot, where it belonged.

Trillin started toward the cell, bringing a hand up, preparing to call on the flames he so favored. Kai sat still, smiling that creepy smile, only making his decision to end her more sound.

“If Master kills me, he’ll never find the shiny!”

The ball of fire gathered in his palm, brightening the room. The sound of Xianna cautioning him to stop was drowned out by the quickening beat of his heart in his ears.

“What are you tittering about, insect? Tell me quickly and I’ll make your death just as quick.”

Kai leapt the short distance from the edge of the bed to the bars that separated them.

“Master stares. At the shiny! Kai watched him. Master didn’t know I was there.” Kai gazed up at Trillin, and the realization dawned on him. This girl, for one reason or another, had adopted him as her new Master. He was unsure what kind of insanity this girl was plagued with, but his interest was piqued. The ball of flame evaporated and Trillin struck, filling his hand with the material of the girl’s tunic and lifting her up to meet his gaze.

“Kai saw it! The bad man sent her to kill the monk! Kai saw the sword!”

Trillin let the girl hit the floor and stepped back. He had been so close to severing any possibility he had of finding it...So close to losing everything and never knowing it.

“Nox Bane. You’ve seen it?!” The Atalan rushed back to the iron bars, grabbing for the girl. Kai, however, was beginning to learn and easily danced out of the way. She cocked her head to one side and gave him a look of pure confusion.

“What’s a Nox Bane?”