Kas's "Prayer"

"Aowu~"

When Kas returned, Seneya stopped teasing the sparrows, wagged her tail, and bounded over to him. Her nose twitched several times as she searched for any sign of meat.

But this time, Kas hadn't brought back any meat. Instead, a fresh wound stretched from his shoulder to his chest.

The smell of blood flooded her nostrils. She anxiously clawed at Kas, her eyes once again tinged with a blood-red glow as she let out agitated whines.

"Wuu~ Wuuu~"

Kas gave Seneya a clear-eyed smack, making the girl—who'd thought he'd failed to hunt—stand still and behave.

"I ran into a little trouble. We'll have roasted meat next time. The meat here all tastes of iron slag. It's unhealthy."

"Aow~"

He pulled up the cloak draped over Seneya's shoulders and covered her big head.

She didn't like the cloak at all and kept pulling down the hood like a little girl who didn't know any better.

"Time to set out, Miss Seneya. We've stayed here long enough. Remember not to take off your cloak along the way. And where's Ancestor?"

Morse Ironbone, the old relic who hadn't shown himself in ages, drifted unsteadily out of the house. Seeing his descendant sharing a tender moment with his wife, he remarked sarcastically, "Some people, at first, opposed someone's decision and thought he'd been saddled with a huge problem... But now, after Ancestor's been missing for several days, they've only just thought to ask about him. How touching."

"..." Kas was silent for a moment. "Blackheart's daughter Tina challenged me to an honorable murder. She left this wound."

"I know... Her courage impresses me. Not everyone has the resolve to follow the gods' will and willingly embrace eternal torment."

"But perhaps we can do something. They shouldn't have to suffer such a fate."

Iron Bone gave an ambiguous chuckle. This time, he didn't mock his descendant or lecture him on what to do.

"Then take an offering and pray to Lady of Death. If she's willing to show mercy for Tina's courage, Blackheart's punishment will be lifted too.

"What about Keck Bloodfire? Is he still dreaming of conquering the world?"

Kas took the battle-axe Luna from behind him and struggled to swing it one-handed a few times.

"He wasn't happy that Luna was forged in an ordinary way. He wanted me to stay so the wizard-smith could rework it and cover it in powerful runes.

"But I refused. With you here, he wouldn't dare risk offending Her Tribe by doing anything underhanded."

"Only fools from Black Ash would take pride in inscribing spells with the blood of slaves, thinking that made them powerful."

Ancestor drifted over to Kas and carefully examined the masterpiece that had taken the shamans so much effort. He nodded in admiration.

"Dragon blood quenched, vows forged. Only the shamans of Iron Peak Mountain know how to use meteoric iron and adamantine to perfection... Wait, you named her Luna?"

"Yeah. Baize suggested carving your name onto the counterweight. I'd rather you stayed properly dead. This axe should be wielded by someone who needs it more."

Kas glanced at Werewolf Lady. She was still standing there like a fool, her eyes full of worry and curiosity.

One moment, she was touching the wound on his body; the next, she was tracing the Golden-Branch Giant Antlered Deer pattern on the battle-axe with her finger; then she crouched down and gazed at her pink eyes through the light refracted by the moonstone.

Ancestor could tell at a glance that Kas's state of mind had changed during the few days he'd been away. He was beginning to try to accept Seneya.

"Mm, I like that idea. If you have a daughter, you should name her that..."

Kas clamped a big hand over Ancestor's mouth to stop his chatter, fastened the battle-axe to the harness slung across his shoulder, and called to Isidore, who was still pretending to work inside the house.

"Isidore, I'll give you two choices.

"First, serve Baize Shaman and stay with the Black Ember Tribe.

"Second, come to Ferode Canyon, though I can't guarantee you'll make it there alive."

As clever as Isidore was, he made his decision after only a few seconds of thought.

He still had some value to Kas. This Barbarian was intensely curious about the southern world, and as long as Isidore could prove himself useful to Her Tribe, he could survive.

"I'll go with you to Ferode Canyon."

Kas nodded. With Luna, he felt much more confident about returning to the tribe. As long as they didn't run into anything "bad," bringing a burden along to Ferode Canyon shouldn't be too difficult.

"Pack your things. I'll go buy..." Kas furrowed his brow and thought for a moment. He was as sturdy as an ox. Though autumn's wind was bitterly cold, he could manage with a campfire.

Seneya needed no special consideration, of course. Werewolves had thick fur.

But Isidore—looking at his frail little frame, Kas figured he'd freeze to death on his first night sleeping in the wilderness.

A tent? Too much trouble. I'm not Isidore's nanny. I don't have the energy to carry a heavy tent and find a flat spot to camp every night.

If he couldn't even withstand the autumn frost, he'd never survive the long, biting winter in the Sorrow Mountains. Winter would be the real ordeal...

"Prepare plenty of warm clothes, and blankets too. The Sorrow Mountains have no shortage of southern skeletons. You'll have to learn to adapt to this harsh environment."

"Understood, understood. I'll get everything ready now." Isidore paused, then lowered his head. "Sir, should I prepare luggage for you and Lady Seneya?"

"I have only one requirement: don't die on the way."

After sending off Isidore, who had plenty on his mind, Kas knew the man wanted badly to survive. The Black Ember Tribe's indifference to life would make anyone who might be thrown into the Blood-Ash Furnace uneasy.

Even inside the White House prepared for guests, the furnace's wails could pierce the thick warding barrier and reach the soul.

Carrying thirteen pairs of animal eyes, Kas headed once more toward Ferode Canyon, returning to the canyon where he'd first encountered the Black Ember Tribe's warriors.

Blackheart's head had been pinned to the cliff face with two spears. Despite the wind and sun, it still wore the same savage expression it had in life. No crows or vultures would peck at his body, leaving him to wander the mortal world forever.

It was twilight, just before nightfall. The sun had disappeared, and the moon had yet to rise.

A dim, ashen haze settled over the world. Several ravens perched on rocks jutting from the mountainside, their cold, brilliant eyes watching the mortal praying below.

Kas raised the sacrificial prayer beads, strung with eyes like a bunch of grapes, and loudly "prayed" to Lady of Death's messenger:

"I am Kas of the Zagwell Clan. I've come on behalf of Xipei Blackheart's two daughters—Tina and Delin.

"I don't know where their courage came from, but I know it has something to do with you, Lady of Death.

"It's absurd, isn't it? I always thought talking about death while alive was as ridiculous and boring as discussing the world after death.

"But this time, I have to face this ridiculous, boring question head-on. Did they act out of a sense of honor? Did they witness nightmares of their blood kin suffering? Or were they trying to obey your vague, elusive oracle?!

"Tina and Delin killed themselves, but that dagger plunged into my throat.

"Whatever fresh horrors you had in store for them, bring them all down on me! If I make a sound, I'm no son of Reshman!"