I can't let him know I'm here for him.
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Already the few men upstairs had stopped what they were doing to watch him as he began to sew up the first wound made from those idiot wolves.
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Here he is... the first abandoned king I've ever met.
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I heard the rumors about Silios Vasseril.
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How the man had once been a great ruler who had gone to war many times for Eshea during the 200 years he'd been placed on the throne. His people had flourished, the poor each given opportunities to turn their lives around. Or maybe a chance to do more in another country with personal recommendations from Silios himself.
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The perfect king any kingdom could ask for... until the kingmaker at the time, Cyhena Xedarae, came back to make use of Silios's army. After he refused, she was quick to put her son on the throne.
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A selfish move but it had also opened up the eyes of some people around the world.
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We kingmakers are not perfect.
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Every single one of us has made a mistake and suffered from it.
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Some shadows haunt us, keeping us awake when all that's requested is sleep.
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A moment of peace.
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But sometimes... we fall into the darkness and power.
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Many believe that Cyhena was correct in her decision as they have it in their minds that kingmakers cannot be wrong. I've done my best to erase everything Cyhena had done before me, which includes clearing the names of the people she wronged.
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Though Cyhena tricked a lot of people, Silios was the only one to ever sit on a throne and change the lives of many. Making his place in history despite the short time he'd been given.
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"If you survived a werewolf attack, you must be skilled," Silios commented in that deep yet almost quiet voice.
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"Not quite... they weren't trying to kill me, just kidnap," I replied, taking in every detail of that handsome face.
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With a strong jaw lined with dark stubble, every other second those hazel-blue eyes flicker to molten gold. Well... technically only one eye. Silios Vasseril had lost his right eye in one of his wars against rogue packs. So he wore a black eyepatch with the stitching threaded with gold. After that came the nicely shaped nose that had a long scar coming from his left ear and ending at the bridge of his nose.
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The man who a simple black T-shirt in a pair of jeans and a black jacket, his healthy locks lay loose down his shoulders. When Silios had been standing, it had been at a good 6"8. At least, it is if I was good at measuring someone's height without a professional doctor to tell me. Since that's literally the only time I've ever had to check my own height.
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"Wait, in Keocaea? Isn't that breaching laws and truces?" Alavara gasped, taking my attention off of the alpha wolf calmly sewing me up.
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"It isn't if they aren't caught or there isn't proof of it. Thanks to the magic you put in the suture kit, by the time I get back to my body these pretty little things will be gone. Do you understand astral projection?" I answered her question while asking one of my own.
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Alavara nodded her head, those eyes flitting from what Silios was doing and my face. Clearly, the girl wanted to see how getting a needle through the flesh makes me feel. Unfortunately for her, the pain had numbed itself before I entered the bar. Right now I know that there's the tone of blood on the bed my body is laying on because of getting hurt.
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"So you're a witch?" Silios raised an eyebrow and I know I have to tread carefully right now, there's no need for him to know that I'm the kingmaker.
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No reason to make him hate me so early on.
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It seems it would be best to have him get to know me before he finds out.
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"Not quite but I'm versed well in their... magic," Really just because the magic and spells that came from witches are just gifts given from the gods.
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I'm only a demi-god but because my mother is a full goddess, the magic within me is far more potent than that of a witch. Unfortunately, there aren't too many times I can visit my mom to learn more as I'm only able to see her once every 5 years. During the times Tiscarres isles are safest for demi-gods to enter.
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The air on that island is toxic to those not born fully immortal. A human will die within seconds of stepping foot on Tiscarres isles while a demi-god's life will end within a week or two.
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"What is your name?" I asked him, wanting to break the silence so that he isn't the only one making conversation. Sometimes I do tend to forget social queues, like Silios trying to appease that curiosity biting at him with small questions.
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Though the one I had asked caused him to hesitate before looking up into my eyes.
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"Silios Vasseril, what do I call you?" A question for a question... I like it.
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"He's the famous werewolf from-" Alavara was silenced with one hard look from Silios before she gave me a sheepish look.
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"I gotta get back to work..." Her cheeks were red with embarrassment from having almost spilled one of Silios's secrets.
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What an adorable girl.
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"Nyota Nightwind, my friends call me Nyt," Not a complete lie. No one has called me Nyt since the day I took the title of kingmaker. It's like shining a light on the fact that the friends I had once had, had not been true to our friendship. Some grew envious while others spoke to me as I had ascended into a full-blooded god.
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Nyota Nightwind, a name that has been tossed to the side only to be used when the world no longer needs me to be kingmaker.
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"It's a beautiful name... where do you come from, Nyt?" Silios using my nickname had my heart fluttering in surprise. Even though he wasn't willing to share information about himself, Silios was letting me know that we could be friends.
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And it warmed me up, body and soul.
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"I come from the Oshiyji mountains, in one of the many temples there," There was no point in telling him that I had been born and raised on Halitawa island until the age of five. I had been one of the first demi-gods to have been birthed on the island of gods. Being around my mother constantly is what had kept me alive until we learned a lesson.
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Though what had been five years here in this world, I age slowly and being on Halitawa made it slower. I'm not quite sure but I believe it had been over 50 years or so.
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The look of surprise on Silios's face was refreshing, different from the straight face he's been having since he took a seat at my table.
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"So you're a priestess?" Silios asked and the interest was clear when those intense eyes looked up at me despite the hood hiding my face. I'd be a fool not to see his guard strengthen.
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"A high priestess, actually. On an assignment for the temple... on that note, do you know anywhere I can hire some mercenaries? I've been told they'll do whatever they're told for the right price," It wasn't true but if the recent stories about Silios are true, he isn't the type of man to send a lone woman by themselves to a bunch of wolves.
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Those hazel-blue eyes watched me warily, taking in my appearance and energy as best he could with the little he was given.
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"They'll take advantage of you, steal your money and not even get the job done. The way you look doesn't give anyone the impression you know how to fight," Silios shook his head, not a fan of the fake idea I'd thrown his way.
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I wanted to laugh but instead, I continued to look at him obliviously.
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"And what exactly should a woman wear so others know she isn't the one to fuck with? The sword? A metal helmet? Armor? Chainmail? Or is it the dick that I'm missing?" I asked him with a smirk on my face, knowing that Silios hadn't meant it in that way. Still, in the day and age, we live in today... that's how it felt. As if any judgment coming from a man is them coming at me for being born a woman.
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I'm experienced in dealing with asshole men who belittle women so it was easy to tell that Silios hadn't meant any disrespect by it. It doesn't mean it was easy to stop the defensive reaction that caused my words to make him out as an asshole.
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"I've dug a hole..." Silios looked up at me for a moment before going back to the last few stitches that needed to be put in.
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"Nothing wrong with the hole as long as you learn something from sitting at the bottom of it," I shrugged my shoulders, smiling at him as he nodded at my words.
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I could feel animosity growing nearer, somewhere beyond the bar. They were still lost in the crowd, giving me some more time before they got closer to my location.
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"So, if not mercenaries, how about I pay you for the services I would've asked of them? You seem strong enough for the job,"
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So powerful that he'd been known as an alpha killer because it's exactly what he had done when the alpha of a pack broke laws or dared to challenge the throne. I heard it had been quite often that he had been people opposing his rule.
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And they all met the same hand.
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Death had always and will always be a part of Silios's life, whether he wanted it to be or not.
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It's yet another thing we have in common.
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"Hire me? I'm not a man for hire, priestess, and even if I was you shouldn't be so willing to have anyone tagging along with you," Silios chuckled with a shake of his head, amusement clear in those sharp and observant eyes.
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"Then allow me to play on your morals... would you really allow a woman to go hire someone else? You may not have faith in the gods but is letting a naive priestess walking around being tricked by everyone something you could live with? What if I ended up dea-"
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With a snip from the small scissors, Silios was finished with sewing me up while slamming them down on the table.
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"Fine... fine... what is this assignment you're on?" He grunted with a roll of his eyes but the smile on the man's face was the only sign I was given. Silios was finding me to be amusing.
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"To find the next kingmaker,"
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The smile was gone and now a serious Silios was looking at me with narrowed eyes.
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Ah, yes. I thought that would make him take me seriously. No longer was this man capable of thinking me innocent or naive. There is no priest in the world that would send such a person out in search of the kingmaker. What people don't know is that the original kingmaker is usually the one who picks the next one. Unless they're killed early and the goddess is to speak up.
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A rare occurrence but it has happened a few times.
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It just never ends well for the person who killed the kingmaker. Or their next lineage.
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"No, I want nothing to do with any kingmaker," Silios began to stand with a now irritated look on his face. Probably because he might be feeling a bit tricked right now.
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No longer could I see a way to convince this man.
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"What would change your mind? Me telling you that the lives of werewolves inside and outside of Eshea are at stake? If you haven't noticed, it includes the innocent people who had nothing to do with making you an abandoned king,"
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War is coming.
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And it won't slow down just because Silios refuses to become king.
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If it comes down to it... I'll have to step up in the name of the moon goddess.
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That is... if she'll allow me.
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