Shadow 6: Shadow Shock

Ryikaria closed her eyes. Nine bodies laid at her feet. Her thoughts raced back to everything she had learned about the Ryiza two weeks ago. She had spent her days in the library reading up on every book about the primordial Shadow Takers and the aeons of battles with the Ryiza that had taken place through the eras – even learning about where draining had originated. Yet, the more knowledge she gained, the worse her mind spiralled into a state of depression. The information contained in the books was vast but she had managed to memorise all the books and understand magic on a much deeper level then she had previously had.

Even with all the knowledge she had gained, she felt empty. Pulling out the hidden dagger strapped to her thigh, she looked over all the bodies dead around her. So, that’s nine times, Ryikaria thought as she etched nine deep wounds into her arm. Looking down at her arms and legs, she counted the cuts one by one. Since she had gained all the knowledge she could, the only thing left for her to do was wander the lands of Enfieria. Within that time, her body had bore eight-one cuts. I wonder if they have a name for this mental illness that I’m feeling. If not, maybe I should call it Shadow Shock, she thought as she stopped to rest under a tree.

Slipping off her shoes and closing her eyes, the world of dreams failed to come due to a sudden aura she was picking up. Grabbing her shoes and jumping up into one of the trees with haste, Ryikaria waited for two auras she was sensing in the distance to come within range. The two figures that emerged from the woods were small in comparison to the average Ryiza. Both of them were akin to human children and seemed sentient to Ryikaria’s knowledge. The two Ryiza appeared similar in their appearance like that of a pair of siblings. While she remained silent, she could overhear the conversation the two of them were having.

“There are these cool ruins I want you to see,” the older sister said with excitement in her voice.

As the girl turned in the direction of where the ruins were, she noticed the bodies of dead Ryiza and froze in place. The girl was shocked by what she was seeing while she gripped her little sister’s hand tightly.

“Sister? Is this—”

“Quiet!”

In that moment, Ryikaria could feel the presence of another Ryiza closing in on the two children with haste. This aura, that is a new Ryiza I’ve never felt before, she thought. The creature rushed from out the forest with intent to kill the two children before it. Without thinking, Ryikaria jumped down from the tree and hit the ground as she sliced off the horn of the creature, forcing it off it’s bloodlust towards the children and provoking all of it onto her. While the beast was stunned for a moment from the agonising pain, a blunt kick from Ryikaria’s foot sent it flying backwards into a nearby tree.

“Stay where you are,” Ryikaria said as she looked back at the two siblings.

The two siblings held each other close while Ryikaria stared at the creature before her. It was unlike many of the other Ryiza that she had seen. Two large curled horns protruded from its bovine-shaped head with red eyes that stared out from the skull bone structure. Standing on on fours, the beast raked its front foot against the dirt. Ryikaria studied the creature closely as she tried to recall anything in the books she had read resembling the strange creature. This is a Nautaa which attacks its opponent like a ram. It has a weakness under its belly. I’ll end this in two hits, Ryikaria thought as she readied herself for battle.

Ryikaria watched as the creature raked its front foot three times against the ground before charging straight at her. Twirling on the ball of her foot, she used the rotational force to nail the raging beast in the chin with her violin forcing the creature up into the air for a brief moment. In that instant, she unsheathed the dagger strapped to her thigh and threw it with penpoint accuracy at the vital weak spot on the creature. Falling to the ground and failing to move even a single muscle, the beast remained motionless. Kicking the giant creature that resembled a cross between a cow, goat and ram in her own world, Ryikaria kicked the beast over onto its back and retrieved her dagger. Wiping the blood off her dagger, she turned to the two kids.

“Are you two all right?”

The two girls didn’t speak for a moment as they tried to process what they had witnessed. Both of them were still shaking from the aftermath of the encounter. Ryikaria sheathed her dagger and bent down in a non-threatening manner.

“I’m not here to harm you.”

“What are you? You appear like us but at the same time you seem different.”

“That’s a question you two are better off learning from your parents.”

“Would you like to join us back at our village?”

Ryikaria thought about the offer for a moment. It would be nice to have some real food for a change that isn’t raw, she thought as she looked to the dead creature on the ground next to her.

“Sure. Let me just grab my shoes.”

During the walk back to the village neither of the girls spoke. Ryikaria could tell they were still afraid of her but in a way that they were not sure how to approach her.

“What’s your name?” the older looking girl asked as she looked back to Ryikaria.

“I’m known as Ryikaria the Hollow.”

“My name is Cyarieal and this is my little sister, Fyarieal.”

“You mentioned a ruins that you two were going to.”

“Yeah. I found them just past the large tree. Mother tells me not to go but it’s just so interesting that I can’t help myself.”

“You should listen to your mother. Those Ryiza I killed would have instead killed you. They are mindless and will kill you without dissemination.”

“I know but…”

Ryikaria sighed as she placed her hand on Cyarieal’s head.

“Best to listen to your mother. That said, if you are interested in learning to defend yourself, I can teach you to fight.”

“Really, you will!? Thank you.”

Cyarieal smiled as Ryikaria felt something tug on the hem of her skirt.

“You’ll teach me too, right? Ryikarie?” Fyarieal asked.

“Of course. However, what I teach you two should only ever be used to defend yourselves. Never use it to hurt others.”

“Okay!” both siblings said in unison with smiles on their faces.

With the village in sight, Ryikaria could see it was small. Unlike many others she had seen, this village appeared to hold about fifty Ryiza at most. Like the small villages in her own world, the Ryiza grew their own food, mined caves for resources and skinned beast for what amounted as hides in their world. Farmlands were abundant over the vast grasslands that stretched out just beyond the rolling hills to the north. As Ryikaria followed the children into the village, she took note of the stares she was getting from the locals.

“Seems I’m not welcome here,” Ryikaria said as they stopped in front of a small house.

“Don’t worry, just give them time to get to know you,” Cyarieal said with a smile.

The house that Cyarieal and Fyarieal was small in size but still looked strong and reliable. Stepping outside of the house, Ryikaria noticed a young Ryiza that resembled a Vaihdokas – which she had only read about in the library. They were creatures that could take the form of anyone they saw and could mimic the patterns of the person based on what they knew about them.

“Mother, we’re back,” the two siblings said in unison.

“And just where did you two run off too?”

“I’m sorry for going off to the ruins after you told me not to. If Ryikaria here hadn’t been there, both of us would have been dead.”

Seeing the girl’s eyes look to her, Ryikaria could feel the hate radiating from her aura. It was as clear as day that she did not want her to be there.

“It’s nice to meet you. My name is Ryikaria.”

“Kfyarieal. You get one meal and a place to sleep tonight, after that, be off.”

Ryikaria nodded. She knew that not everyone in the lands of Enfieria trusted or even wanted Shadow Takers there. To some of the Ryiza, the interference was unneeded.

“But mother, Ryikarie was suppose to teach us to fight so we can defend ourselves,” Fyarieal said looking up to her mother with sadness in her eyes.

Kfyarieal glared up at Ryikaria.

“I will not have that, not in my home.”

“But—”

Before Cyarieal could speak, Ryikaria cut her off.

“Cyarieal, it is always best to listen to your mother.”

The air was silent until Ryikaria heard the sound of a loud thunderous boom in the distance.

“Well, you best come in before it rains,” Kfyarieal said as she motioned for Ryikaria to follow her into the house.

Entering into the house, the main room was simple in both its arrangement and furniture. The walls were made of the black wood of the nearby forest while the floors were cut with different coloured wood from the various mix of trees. While the furniture was similar to a bygone era in Ryikaria’s own world, there was a fair mix of combining the wood and iron as a base frame. It’s always interesting to see all the different layouts the Ryiza can come up with, Ryikaria thought as she took note of the different picture frames scattered throughout the home that showed Kfyarieal with another woman alongside Cyarieal and Fyarieal.

“You have a beautiful home.”

“Don’t get used to it. Tomorrow you’re out of here.”

“Of course.”

Kfyarieal looked to her two children.

“You two go wash up.”

Cyarieal and Fyarieal nodded and headed off into the bathroom. Kfyarieal entered into the nearby kitchen that was open to the living area. Ryikaria slipped off her shoes off at the entrance and headed into the kitchen.

“Would you like any help?” Ryikaria asked.

“From you? No.”

“You don’t like Shadow Takers, do you?”

“Whatever gave you that idea?” Kfyarieal asked in a sarcastic tone.

Kfyarieal continued to take care of the cooking and setting the table while Ryikaria continued to stand there.

“You ever been married?”

“I have not.”

“Well, when you have a husband or wife that goes off to help a group of Shadow Takers only to kill alongside them, please, let me know.”

Ryikaria didn’t speak. She knew that no amount of words could heal the pain and sadness that had built up in the young girl’s heart. The moment of silence soon came to an end as Cyarieal and Fyarieal entered the room.

“You two help set the table and serve up the meal.”

“What are we having today, mother?” Fyarieal asked.

“The same thing we have every night, bovine meat stew.”

After the table had been set, Ryikaria sat down with the others and ate the plain stew on the plate before her. She quietly ate the food until Fyarieal spoke, breaking the silence.

“Why do you have all those cuts on your arms?”

“Combat,” Ryikaria calmly lied.

Ryikaria finished her meal with haste before looking over to Kfyarieal.

“Thank you for the meal, I’ll clean my plate.”

“No need. You should go clean yourself in the wash-room.”

“Very well.”

Making her way into the wash-room, Ryikaria could feel the cold iron flooring against her feet. The wash-room was of an average size with a section of the iron floor raised up by a bit and the inner part a hole that could either hold water or allow it to drain out. Closing the door behind her, she began to strip until every part of her skin was exposed. Looking over her body, she had many cuts – none of which were from combat but from herself. She had killed many Ryiza which only made her question if killing them was truly the only thing she could do.

If Ryiza have souls, just where do they go when they die? The books don’t touch on this anywhere, Ryikaria thought as she grabbed a bucket of water and placed it on a rack that was mounted over a fireplace. Lighting the logs at the bottom of the fireplace, she waited for the bucket of water to reach the point of boiling before pouring the water into the tub. After getting the water where she could bathe, she sat down and closed her eyes. The hot water relaxed her tense muscles and felt nice against her skin. Relaxing her feet and toes, the pain she felt throughout them subsided quickly. Yet, there was one thing that she couldn’t stop.

Her mind continued to work itself into overtime. It didn’t stop thinking even in her sleep. Her brain simply refused to shut off, no matter how hard she tried to calm her thoughts. It was impossible for her to not think about things into an unending state that led to her overthinking into depression. She looked at the cuts on her arms and legs, every Ryiza that she had killed haunted her thoughts. Were they crying out because they were in pain or did they become so mindless that they wanted their suffering to end? All types of questions raced through her mind without answers. This is what annoyed her more than anything.

After washing away the dirt and grime that had built up on her body over the countless days without a quality bath, she drained the water from the tub and put on her clothes. As she stepped out into the main room, she was greeted by Kfyarieal. She had a spare change of clothes that were causal in appearance. A simple orange tank-top with a pair of shorts that were made of a durable but soft shadow fabric.

“Put these on.”

“I can just wear—”

“If you think I’m going to let you sleep in my home sleeping like death then you can leave.”

“As you wish. Thank you.”

Ryikaria took the clothes into the wash-room and changed out of her dress. After putting on the outfit, she noticed the top was short and exposed her bellybutton. Stepping out into the main room again, she handed over her dress and stockings to Kfyarieal.

“I’ll wash these at the morning’s dawn and then you can leave.”

Ryikaria didn’t speak as she watched Kfyarieal place her clothes in a small hamper that housed dirty clothes to be set aside for washing. Afterwards, Kfyarieal entered her bedroom without saying another word. In the corner of the main room, she noticed a pile of blankets were set out with a pillow. This will be the first time I slept somewhere at least more cosy then the outside or up a tree, she thought as she laid her head down on the pillow. The sound of the rain drummed against the rooftop in a calming way that could sing a lullaby to put a small child to sleep.

Before Ryikaria could drift off into a state of sleep that was still alert, she could hear the footsteps of Cyarieal exiting her room. Tiptoeing with as light a step as possible, she made her way over to where Ryikaria was sleeping.

“Ryikaria, are you asleep?” Cyarieal asked in a hushed whisper.

“You should be asleep yourself.”

“I want to learn more about you and why my mother hates Shadow Takers.”

“Not much to say about myself. What does your mother say of us Shadow Takers?”

Cyarieal sat down on the floor and leaned against the wall as she hugged her knees to her chest. For a moment, she was silent as she gathered her thoughts.

“She hasn’t said much. The way she was acting was the first time I’ve ever seen her be hateful towards anyone.”

“I see.”

“Anyway, I still want to learn whatever you can teach me.”

“Well, there is no way to realistically teach you in just a few hours. Plus, your mother already said no.”

“But… I want to learn.”

“Why do you wish to learn so bad?” Ryikaria asked as she yawned for a second.

“I want to be able to defend the village from not only the monsters that attack us but the bandits that attack our village once a month.”

“Bandits?”

“Yeah, they look similar to you. White hair, one red eye.”

“They shouldn’t be attacking Ryiza villages.”

Ryikaria’s mind raced with thoughts and tried to come to a conclusion as to why a group of Shadow Takers would attack a Ryiza village. There isn’t any reason for Shadow Takers to attack a village. Food isn’t much of a reason to attack a village. The mines would be a valid reason if they needed weapons but if they’re Shadow Takers then they already have weapons and armour. Only other place of value would be the ruins, she thought as she looked over to Cyarieal.

“Have you ever been inside the ruins that you talked about, Cyarieal?”

“I’ve only ever seen the outside. I was too scared to actually go in.”

“I see. That means the Shadow Takers are likely looking for the ruins.”

“We could explore the ruins together!” Cyarieal said with a smile.

“Out of the question. Your mother was clear on that and I will not put your life in danger.”

“But… Ryikaria—”

“I don’t want to see any more good people die…”

Cyarieal was confused by the common tongue that Ryikaria spoke.

“What did you say?”

“Nothing. You should get to sleep.”

Standing to her feet, Cyarieal looked over to Ryikaria and smiled.

“Even though we didn’t get to hangout much, I’m glad I met you, Ryikaria.”

Without another word, Cyarieal headed back to the room she shared with her younger sister. Ryikaria laid her head down against the pillow and stared up at the ceiling. Guess I’ll find out tomorrow what’s in those ruins, she thought.

#

Cyarieal awoke to find Ryikaria gone before the dawn’s hour. A sadness fell over her at the sight of blankets all neatly folded in a pile. She made her way into the kitchen to see her mother cooking up a simple breakfast.

“Get your sister up for breakfast.”

Heading back into the bedroom she shared with her younger sister, she shook her gently in order to wake her from her slumber. After a few moments, Fyarieal awoke with messy bedhead and yawned as she rubbed her eyes.

“It’s time to get some breakfast.”

“Is Ryikarie joining us?”

“She was gone before the dawn’s hours,” Cyarieal said with a sadness in her tone.

Silence filled the room along with a deep sadness. Both of them wanted to see Ryikaria off, even if they were unable to learn about the art of combat. Cyarieal made her way over to the dresser that housed six drawers for storing items and other wares. Opening up the bottom drawer, she removed a pair of white panties, followed by opening the next drawer to grab a pair of black knee-high socks with a pair of blue shorts and a simple white top.

Throwing the clothes over to her sister, Cyarieal headed back into the main room. Looking at the pile of folded blankets in the corner, the sadness returned. I should put these back up in mother’s room, she thought as she picked up the blankets. While she stuffed the blankets into the closet of her mother’s bedroom, she felt a sharp object inside the blankets prick her hand slightly. Unwrapping the blankets, she noticed the dagger that Ryikaria had used to kill the creature the other day.

Alongside the dagger, she noticed a small piece of paper that had fallen out of the blanket. Opening it up, she read the note that was written in the language of the Ryiza. Her handwriting is beautiful, Cyarieal thought as she carefully read the letter. The letter had thanked Cyarieal for her kindness as well as for her mother. It continued on to explain why Shadow Takers always carried a dagger strapped to their thigh. She continued to read on until the end before looking over the dagger and its sheath.

It’s a beautifully made dagger, Cyarieal thought while she looked over the dagger. It was simple in its design but made of the most durable of shadow metals that she knew of. Placing the sheath around her left thigh like she had seen with Ryikaria, Cyarieal put the blankets back into the closet and headed for the exit after ensuring the dagger was concealed under her skirt. Heading out into the main room, she noticed her sister had finally managed to get dressed and was entering the kitchen.

Sitting down at the table, she watched as her mother served up the same leftovers from the other night. She didn’t speak a word as she ate her breakfast quietly.

“Mother, where did Ryikarie go?”

“I didn’t ask and she didn’t say. Now, forget her child and eat. When we’re done, we need to tend to the fields.”

“Yes, mother.”