Reilyn shifted as his eyes slowly opened. He felt something small and warm on his head. Pain shot through his injured arm as he groggily sat up. He winced and grabbed the injury, feeling something tumble off his head in the process. 

Confused, he blinked and looked down to see the small brown squirrel roll on the ground. The squirrel stood and shook the dirt off itself. It tilted its head to the side and awkwardly walked back towards Reilyn. 

Reilyn reached out to the squirrel, softly petting it, noticing the visible injury the two, now dead, men had inflicted upon its tail. “Mao’tem…gwem elopae?” |It…actually worked?| He raised an eyebrow. The squirrel stood on its hind legs and blinked up at him. A small smile crossed his lips. 

The Eyll pulled his hand back from the small rodent and stood. He gripped his injury, grimacing. Quietly grunting, he walked away from the forest clearing, back through the trees, the direction he was originally headed. The squirrel hopped after him. 

Reilyn stopped and looked behind himself at the brown ball of fur as it caught up to him. He sighed. “Ku cly’don dihi nocessit re keu talui, unu’bo.” |You don’t need to follow me, little one.| 

The squirrel refused to move. It sat, ears twitching, looking up at the necromancer. 

Kneeling down, still clutching his arm, Reilyn reached out to pet the rodent once more. 

“Kymen.” |Fine.| He smiled, “I’ll call you Felix.” 

Reilyn opened his palm towards Felix. Felix happily hopped into the Eylles hand, climbing up his arm and perching on his shoulder. Reilyn grunted and stood once more. He continued walking out of the forest. 

—

It was midnight in Ag’Bhedon, or as the Eyll referred to the city, Tey’Umbra. The oldest, largest, and most influential city in the Otherworld, it was home primarily to the Eyll’Una, or Dark Elves, as the Humans called them. Reilyn Lu Telnur, his mistress Llyma Li Chalos, and a few of her guards were browsing through one of the city’s many marketplaces. This particular one was in one of the poorer districts. Llyma wouldn’t come here regularly herself, but occasionally she liked to see some of the handmade goods sold by the lower classes. 

Reilyn glanced around the area, taking in the people as he listened to Llyma complain about some of the prices in the background. A little ways off, across the market, Reilyn noticed a Dyll’Anum man, as Eyll referred to Humans. Humans rarely came into the Otherworld, let alone the lower class areas of Tey’Umbra. 

The man was talking jovially with an Eyll’Una family. He handed them a small package, waving his hand dismissively at the yni’tta, Eyll currency, they tried to give him in return. The mother wiped a couple tears from her eyes and leaped at the man, giving him a hearty hug. He chuckled in response, hugging her back, then pulling away gently. 

He was tall, about six foot, perhaps an inch more. His thick, dark wavy hair hung down his shoulders, loosely tied back. His eyes were soft, as dark as his hair, and kind. Eyes that brought Reilyn’s heart to his throat. Around his shoulders and down his back hung a cloak made of raven feathers, it went down to his ankles and clasped around his chest. He wore brown and beige clothes, dark boots, and had a worn looking satchel on his rear. The soft light of the moon glinted off his steel earrings, and danced across his face, his lips, and the soft smile resting on them. 

For a moment, Reilyn forgot how to breathe. 

Llyma piped up behind him, having also noticed the Human. “Ute Dyll’Anum? Caic?” |A Human? Here?| She frowned, disapprovingly. “Cly’kyu unu re kea mwomi re llastod uod caulu bin brillel.” |Get one of my men to keep an eye on him.| Llyma ordered, directing it to one of the guards she brought with her. 

Tuning her out, Reilyn kept his eyes on the man. The man noticed he was being watched and turned towards Reilyn.

Their eyes locked.

In that moment, nothing else mattered. 

—

Llyma’s henchmen dragged the dark haired man through the room, his face bruised, blood dribbling from his nose. His clothes and hair were a mess. Despite his situation, he wasn’t fighting back. He lifted his gaze across the room towards where Llyma and Reilyn stood.

The Eyll restraining the Human stopped in front of Llyma. The man faced Llyma as she approached him. She sneered at him and pointed towards the floor. Her henchmen roughly shoved the Human to his knees. 

“I cannot fathom what you think you’re doing.” Llyma put her hands on her hips, “But this is my city, I’m the Ystoppi, to you that means nothing. What is the word you use? Burgomaster?” She laughed. “I’m that, but with more power than you realise.” 

The man didn’t struggle. He smiled up at the Eyll woman, “Migo gwum naertet, migo dihi carpio don roxcusabil kur cawcorsen. Migo gwum mwydo unu melator boms yana quontis kiwsonis.” |I’m sorry, I don’t mean to dismiss your authority. I’m simply a traveller who helps people.|

Llyma frowned, disdain lacing her features. “Kyr mwsen’ku taud kea kynnurbs?” |Why are you in my city?|

“Migo’beo melae pebois glarris ruia hwaliq lynnis, uet dondo clybae kyvae caic, migo’beo kyinvae llulti re kiwsonis boms clybae nocessit re kyamentem uet re yansen, kyaut boms collenae re’yni ruia dryisen quontis Let’Sanis re kur kynnurbs.” |I’ve travelled these lands for some years, and after coming here I found many who needed medicine and healing, but lacked the money to afford your city’s apothecaries.|

Llyma’s face reddened with fury, “Migo dihi’beo don re kyaeri Dyll caum quont ruiter boms migo faci kea elopu. Kea kiwsonis botae eminire kyut quont yansen, ku dihi’wsen unu’on lledum. Quontis kyamentis pebei ku raerae dihi’beo don mwoae cawcorae kyr ros. Uet migo dihi ku carpio don bin kea kymvis.” |I will not have an outsider question how I do my job. My people have access to healing, you are merely a swindler. The medicines you’re spreading have not been authorised by us. And I don’t want you on my streets.| She turned to her henchmen, “Llawsa’illel.” |Lock him away.|

Reilyn met the man’s eyes as he was pulled away, down to Llyma’s dungeon. 

Llyma sighed, shaking her head, throwing her hands into the air. “Caillil raersen re kyamentis…yansen cailles gwelis…ruia coullo kyut dihi re kyusam. Mao bot’don dihi tarnsu!” |Giving them medicines…healing their ailments…for little to no charge. It makes no sense!| 

The look on the Human’s face stuck in Reilyn’s mind. He was refusing to fight back, but he wasn’t defeated. 

—

Reilyn limped down the stairway to the dungeon, his thigh stinging as blood poured from the open slice with every step. He let out a strained yelp as he hopped off the last stair and pushed the door open. He walked slowly and quietly into the room, finding a dark corner to be alone in.

This time, Llyma had caught him flipping through her books. More magic she didn’t want him to learn. Reilyn winced, remembering her scowl and her sharp blade.  

He sat down with a grimace. Once he caught his breath, he pulled the transparent fabric of his loincloth off his thigh to get a glance at the wound. It was about four inches long and at least an inch deep. He fumbled with the bandage he carried down with him, attempting to wrap it around his thigh and stop the bleeding. 

“Gous, mao’wod gecuit?” |Hey, are you alright?| A tired voice called out. 

Reilyn shrunk into the wall, dropping the bandage he was struggling with. He’d forgotten the Human was being held here. Not too far off from him, the dark haired man watched Reilyn patiently from the cell he was locked in. 

For a moment, Reilyn’s heart stopped as he met those dark eyes.

The Human gently lifted his hands. “Inynt migo…migo llotes ku couxilli. Tis ku carpio.” |Look I…I can help you. If you want.| The dark haired man sighed. 

Reilyn gulped and slowly crawled towards the man’s cell. The man looked on silently, noticing Reilyn’s limp. Reilyn whimpered, “Caum llot’igo ku couxilli?” |How can you help?| He looked down at the man, barely holding back tears, unsure what to think. 

“Kyven caic’ku uet migo ku haessum pebi migo botem faci re kea emitum.” |Come closer and I promise I’ll do my best.| The Human put his hands through the bars, looking up, his kind eyes meeting Reilyn’s nervous gaze. 

Reilyn’s hands shook, but he nodded slowly and stepped closer to the man, close enough for the man to reach him. The stranger’s rough fingers softly coiled around Reilyn’s thigh, his dusty tanned skin touching Reilyn’s. He gently slid his hands to where the wound was, pushing the fabric of the loincloth out of the way, and tugging the thigh high legging down slightly. 

“Be well.” He nearly whispered in Morgaan. Pale white magic emitted from the man’s palm, over Reilyn’s injury. The pain ebbed away, and the wound closed. 

The Human’s hands lingered on Reilyn’s thigh. Reilyn flinched and looked down at the man. “Kyr ke’botae couxilli’ku?” |Why would you help me?| Reilyn asked, his voice quiet. 

“Ku inyae qu’ven re’ud kyut clybeo nocessit.” |You looked like you needed it.| The man shrugged, gazing up at Reilyn with a smile that met his eyes. 

That was how Reilyn met Ignatus Lu Flint.