Within seconds, every Ikshari in the vicinity had converged on the scene. Nine in total, draped in shades of beige and brown, their faces marred by old burn scars that only added to their menacing presence.
The first to arrive came to an abrupt halt, his shock evident. The others mirrored his alarm, though they remained still, held back by his raised hand.
'What in the –' one of them muttered, immediately shifting into a defensive stance.
Riniock and Linry stood beside the smouldering corpse, their robes unmistakable – a clear declaration of who they were.
'I've heard tales about you two,' one of the Ikshari sneered, his tone dripping with mockery. 'But I had to see it for myself.'
'I don't appreciate your tone,' Riniock replied, his voice devoid of warmth.
The man chuckled, folding his arms across his chest. 'So, you must be that Gorlean troublemaker everyone's been whining about.'
He squinted dramatically, raising a hand to his brow as if struggling to get a good look. Then, turning to his comrades, he let out a laugh.
'Doesn't seem like much,' he scoffed. 'I suppose the skinnier they are, the more –'
A fireball cut his sentence short.
It struck his face with brutal precision, searing flesh and bone in an instant. His skull disintegrated upon impact, leaving behind nothing but the acrid scent of burnt meat and the stunned silence of his companions.
He wasn't the only one to fall in that instant. Like feeble insects caught in a blaze, two more were incinerated, their bodies reduced to ash by Linry's merciless spellwork.
The remaining six recoiled, panic setting in as they scrambled for cover. Three attempted to retreat down the street, but a razor-sharp gale tore through the buildings on either side, shattering stone and wood alike. Their escape was severed, and one was flattened beneath the collapsing debris.
The other two barely had time to react before a fan of flames engulfed them. Their shrieks pierced the night, only growing louder as Linry strode towards the last survivors, her expression one of pure irritation – like someone roused too early from slumber, her mood soured beyond repair.
Her eyes burned red, her hands ceaseless in their destruction.
One of the fleeing Ikshari bolted, desperation driving his feet. But Riniock's wind spear found him mid-stride, the force of it puncturing his chest clean through. Blood gushed as his body tumbled lifelessly to the dirt.
'Wait!' the last survivor gasped, weaving through the village, leaping over obstacles in a frantic bid for escape. 'We can talk about this!'
'We can talk after I've burned your corpse black and held a conversation with your ashes,' Linry retorted coldly.
Two houses later, another Ikshari collapsed, his limp body crashing into the final man in front of him with such force that it knocked him to the ground.
'Damn it all!' the last one spat, shoving the smouldering corpse off him, struggling to rise. His limbs failed him – panic and dread weighing him down. 'You treacherous bitch…may Murat take you…'
Linry stood a few paces away, unmoved by his curses. She flicked her wrist. At first, nothing seemed to happen.
Then, heat surged beneath him.
A column of fire erupted from the ground, swallowing him whole in a blinding inferno. His screams lasted no more than a second before his body was reduced to nothing – no bones, no remains, only embers and the lingering scent of charred flesh.
'Linry.' Riniock approached from behind, slightly winded. 'Are you alright?'
She gave a stiff nod, her gaze locked onto the scorched ground.
'Are you sure?' he pressed.
'I'm fine,' she replied, though her voice lacked conviction. 'They were just grunts, sent to intimidate – not expecting a real fight.'
'You know that's not what I meant.'
A hand settled on her shoulder – cold, firm, its chill seeping through the fabric of her clothes.
When Riniock turned her to face him, her expression was a battle of emotions, caught between the urge to scowl and the threat of tears. He wasn't someone who held much regard for family, but even he could understand, at least in part, what she felt.
Her fingers still crackled with remnants of fire, even though no enemies remained.
Riniock wrapped his palms around hers, closing her fist and extinguishing the flickering flame.
'I've…' She faltered, the words catching in her throat. 'I've killed before, but this…it was like something moved my hand for me.'
'You did wipe them out in mere minutes…'
'I–I couldn't hold back,' she admitted, shaking her head. 'Not after what they've done. Or what they might do to my father. Those were my thoughts then.'
Riniock didn't hesitate. He reached out, pulling her close, pressing her head against his shoulder.
'This is good,' he murmured. 'Don't fight it.'
'There's still the camp,' Linry spoke, her voice drowned by Riniock's blue robes. 'Some of them are bound to be left behind to guard it.'
'I know,' Riniock murmured, absentmindedly running his fingers through her flowing black hair. 'We'll deal with it – after we catch our breath.'
Neither of them moved right away.
He was cold, like a block of ice – she was heat, like molten lava. But pressed together like this, their extremes seemed to cancel each other out, leaving behind something still, something balanced.
Her tension faded. The fire in her veins cooled.
'That felt nice,' she admitted after a moment, lifting her head from his robe.
'The killing or the hugging?'
Linry giggled. 'Both, I guess.'
Their quiet moment didn't last.
Garant burst through the smoke, eyes wild as he searched for them. As soon as he spotted them, relief washed over his face. He stopped to catch his breath, one hand braced against a wall, the other clutching his chest.
'I saw the smoke and feared the worst…Thank the gods!'
'We're fine, father.' Linry reassured him. 'We took care of them.'
'You must have given them quite the thrashing. A moment ago, you were still inside the inn…'
Riniock let out a quiet chuckle. 'They didn't even get the chance to fight back. She's a monster among maegis.'
Garant exhaled sharply, shaking his head. 'That's my daughter, huh? Well…thank you, Linry.'
'Father,' she huffed. 'We're family. I'm not going to stop taking care of you now.'
Garant sighed, a hint of shame in his voice. 'That should have been my job.'
'It's done,' she said firmly. 'I regret the past, but I don't regret the present. I've found more than I ever hoped to have in life.'
Her gaze flickered towards Riniock. At first, he didn't notice. But when he caught the meaning in her eyes, his lips curled into a small smile.
Garant looked over the aftermath – the blood, the bodies, the embers still smouldering in the sand.
'So,' he asked, 'what happens now?'
'Now,' Riniock explained. 'Now we go to their camp. It is high time Haitenshire has solved its debt collector problem for good.'