Rise of the Eromancer

"I… I killed someone! I killed someone!"

Clio was practically crawling backward; her eyes staring at the ground that was slowly being drenched by the blood of the soldier she just killed — of course, she did not really mean to since the soldier just fell down after Rhys threw the sword straight through his back and out his chest, but the sound of her sword just tearing through the soft flesh repeating over and over in her mind.

And as if that wasn't enough, she also felt the resistance when the tip of the sword hit the skull — that was what made her let go of the sword and just start crawling away.

"Your Highness," Rhys very carefully approached Clio as her terrified expression painting her face slightly reminded him of his sister — but of course, Clio was not his sister at all, "It would be best for us to go."

"I… Rhys…" Clio's head just trembled as she looked at Rhys before once again staring at the soldier, "...I killed someone."

"You killed someone that was about to kill you," Rhys let out a small sigh while shaking his head, "And he would have already died even without you accidentally stabbing him through the back of the chin — he was already dead, you just didn't know it yet."

"N…no, no…" Clio's breaths turned incredibly heavy as she looked at her hands which also had blood on them, "What… what have I—I killed someone! That… his blood is on my hands! I killed someone!"

"Well, okay then," Rhys shrugged; shaking his head as he crouched down in front of the trembling princess, "If you killed him, then that would mean his death is not the only blood that's in your hands — and all the soldiers here… and your soldiers back there…

…you killed them all."

"W… what?" Clio looked Rhys in the eyes, only to see his silver eyes glaring at her.

"Those are good, loyal soldiers," Rhys said in a very cold tone, "And the only reason why they are dead is because they are searching for you — because you ran away for some stupid prophecy. They are dead, and you are not even sure the prophecy is real."

"The prophecy is real!" Clio raised her voice.

"And what exactly does the prophecy have in store for you?" Rhys's eyes did not stray away at all, "Before we actually continue this – I told you why I am coming with you, I am searching for my father and perhaps this oracle can help me do that. But what about you? What do you hope to achieve? You told me it's freedom, but what about after that?

Because right now, you're already free – just leave, go to a different city. I don't think anyone would be able to find you, not with this world's technology…

…what is in it for you, that you would allow your soldiers to die for it?"

"That's…" Clio did not really answer and just looked away from Rhys; her eyes, on the verge of bursting out with tears. Still, she persisted; biting her lip before just forcing herself to stand up, "...We should go, Rhys of Wilder. I will be sure to reward you handsomely after all of this is done."

"...Well, okay," Rhys really only shrugged even though Clio completely ignored his question. Rhys wanted to ride on a horse of his own, but he did not really know how to — and so, he just opted to let go of the horses of the soldiers before he and Clio continued to travel on a single horse.

Clio did not really speak at all after that — even when they needed to rest the horse from time to time after several miles, Clio did not speak at all and kept to herself. This continued for several days, even when they make camp, Clio just turns around and refuses to speak at all.

The only words she would utter were words of gratitude whenever Rhys hunted for food and cooked it. But after 4 nights of silence, Clio just suddenly spoke while they were eating.

"I had a dream again, finally…" Clio let out a very long and deep breath of relief as she glanced at Rhys, "...We are not on a fool's errand, Rhys – this is not just some adventure of a spoiled princess that wants to be free. I will never risk my people's lives for something as petty as that. The truth is… a week before you came to Calydon, I started having these dreams, these visions."

"Go on," Rhys whispered as he stopped eating.

"These visions, they were… terrible," Clio shook her head as her eyes started to tremble, "Thousands of people, dead from a great darkness that emerged from beneath us. I didn't know what it meant – they were just dreams, after all. But the dreams continued on and on, each worse than the last… but more vivid and clear too.

And there, I saw the oracle – it was a woman surrounded by all these rocks and pillars, she told me to come and find her…

…and then I saw you."

"...You saw me in your dreams?"

"No," Clio shook her head again, "I saw a man without a face – and I just knew that he was meant to guide me to this oracle. And then I met you, Rhys… and on that night I had another dream of seeing the outsider, the very same dream… but he had your face. So no, Rhys of Wilder…

…this is not just some adventure to seek freedom, I want answers for my visions… if they will truly come to pass, and how to stop it."

"...And you said you had a vision again?"

"Yes…" Clio nodded, "I don't really know what it means… but I believe we are very near to where we are supposed to be — perhaps even by tomorrow, we will be in front of the oracle."

"Hm," Rhys squinted his eyes, "Then I suppose we better rest now, Your Highness – we have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."

"...And then once you ask the oracle your question," Clio closed her eyes as she once again took in a deep breath, "We will go on our separate ways – that is what you want, right? I am just a burden to you."

"Yes," Rhys answered without any hesitation, causing Clio to just look away and bite her lip – that was not really the answer she was expecting. Well, she was expecting that Rhys would leave sooner or later, but she did not really think he was that excited.

"T…then, good night!" Clio just quickly finished her food before going to bed. She fell asleep quite easily – an entire's day worth of riding just does something to the body, but she can't really complain since the horse does all the work.

And very soon, the warmth of the sun started to shine down on her cheek; not enough, however, to cancel out the cold still lingering from the night.

"H… hm…" Clio sniffled slightly as she woke up slightly cold. She rubbed her arms a couple of times while looking around the camp… only to see Rhys gone. She looked through the sea of trees, but there was no sign of him at all.

"R… Rhys!?" If Clio wasn't completely awake moments ago, she was now. Her eyes then quickly turned toward the horse, letting out a deep sigh of relief as she saw it was still attached to the trees, "Did he… leave? But–"

And before Clio could finish her words, she heard a splash whisper from the distance.

"We… were near water?" Clio could not help but just blink a couple of times as she rushed toward the noise. She did not really notice or even hear water when they made camp – but since it was getting dark then, perhaps she just failed to notice; the sound of the leaves rustling above her must have covered it too, "Is Rhys gathering water…?"

Clio continued to go deeper into the sea of trees as she finally saw the fractal reflections of the water dancing on the branches and leaves – and with excitement, she just quickly rushed out toward the light…

…only to see Rhys completely naked.

"Wh…" Clio could not even say anything at all – this was the first time she was really ever seeing a real live man completely naked. She had seen the men of her city without their tops on, and she had seen a lot of statues of them, sure, and she thought that it was an exaggeration that men could have such bodies that exude so much strength.

But right now, as she stood frozen with her eyes completely reflecting Rhys, she thought that the statues did not do them justice at all – or perhaps it was truly only Rhys that was like this, the men of her city could not even compare at all.

And very soon, Rhys started to come out of the water…

…and Clio's eyes just grew wide as she saw the thing dangling between Rhys's legs.

…That is not like the statues at all.