042. Pinned

Her stomach growled with hunger, a cruel reminder of the days spent without proper sustenance. Liriénka had watched the niylath prepare elaborate meals, but now, isolated from her people, she was left to fend for herself. She had tried to catch fish, but the sight of the raw flesh turned her stomach, and she released the catch back into the lake. Desperation drove her to nibble on the water lilies, but their taste was foul, and after only a few chews, she found herself retching, the vomit mixing with the muddy water around her.
The lake’s bottom was a soft, treacherous mire, vastly different from the solid, enduring ground of Léit-Nalamn. The slightest movement disturbed the sediment, sending plumes of muck swirling around her. Each shift made her feel more unsettled, the muddy water clinging to her like a cold, wet shroud. The swirling sediment obscured her view and muddied the air, adding to her growing discomfort.
As the sun climbed higher, Liriénka remained vigilant, clinging to a fragile hope that the gateway would soon reappear. Her surroundings were an endless test of patience and resilience, the oppressive heat and the encroaching hunger gnawing at her sanity. Each glance at the horizon, each moment of expectation, was a painful reminder of her isolation and the uncertain fate of her family.
As Liriénka lurked among the thick tangle of water lilies, a tantalizing aroma wafted through the air—a scent so rich and inviting that it sliced through the fog of hunger clouding her mind. Her stomach, now aching with the relentless emptiness of days without sustenance, twisted painfully, urging her to act. Evening's shadows had begun creeping across the landscape, and with it came a surprising sight—the tents that once dotted the campsite had vanished, leaving no trace of the creatures she had feared.
Her eyes swept across the now-deserted grounds of Situ Cukul, searching for any sign of danger. Finding none, she cautiously emerged from the lake, her body breaking the water’s surface in silence. Her hunger, a beast of its own, took control. Driven by instinct, Liriénka darted through the underbrush, her movements as quiet and fluid as a shadow slipping between the trees. Each step was calculated, but the gnawing ache in her belly made her swift, desperate.
Though a niylath's sense of smell was no sharper than a human’s while on land, Liriénka’s training under her father had honed her instincts to a razor edge. She could track prey—human or otherwise—by the faintest of traces, and now, she followed the trail of that intoxicating scent with precision. The savory aroma led her straight to the front of a luxurious villa, occupied by Anton Legowo and his four guards while awaiting a foreign businessman interested in acquiring Situ Cukul for an extravagant resort.
Her hunger drowned out any rational thought or fear of discovery. The open gate seemed too obvious, too risky. Instead, Liriénka scaled a nearby tree, her lithe body moving with the practiced ease of years spent in combat training. She leapt from the tree’s branches, landing with barely a sound on the far side of the villa’s high walls.
Her eyes darted around, scanning the quiet sideyard before her gaze fell on the source of her torment—a grill, still warm from recent use. The faint heat rising from it only intensified the gnawing hunger within her. She crouched low, every sense on edge, yet drawn inexorably to the remnants of food left behind. The savory scent of charred meat clung to the air, teasing her with each shallow breath.
Liriénka’s heart pounded with each cautious step, her body tense as she crept toward the grill. The scent of the roasted meat filled her nostrils, overpowering every sense of caution she clung to. Hunger gnawed at her insides, twisting in painful knots, urging her forward despite the danger. She knew the risk—knew that discovery could mean capture or worse—but desperation silenced the voice of reason.
Her fingers brushed the edge of the grill, still warm from the fading embers. Liriénka’s mouth watered as she reached for the remnants of meat left behind, her movements quick but deliberate. Every slight sound—the rustle of leaves, the distant murmur of voices—sent her pulse racing. She froze, listening intently, her body rigid with tension.
The girl's heart pounded in her chest as the strong hands yanked her from the villa’s entrance, her spear snatched away before she could react. She thrashed, but it was no use—the men were stronger, their grip iron-tight. Her mind raced, instinctively scanning for an escape, but in moments, she was thrown roughly onto the floor of the villa. The dim light inside contrasted with the brightness of the day outside, disorienting her for a moment.
Four men towered above her, and her gaze immediately locked onto the one holding her spear. A strange familiarity struck her—their broad shoulders and sharp features bore a resemblance to the niylath of Léit-Nalamn. Yet, something was profoundly off. Their mannerisms, their aura—it all felt wrong.
Desperately, she tried to explain herself, her words spilling out in the Eldest Tongue, hoping these men might recognize the ancient language. But all she received were blank stares. Their conversation flowed in a guttural, unfamiliar tongue, quick and harsh to her ears, as if she were no more than a captured animal being discussed.
It wasn't the words that terrified her, though. It was their eyes—those predatory, leering gazes that traced every inch of her body without shame. Liriénka could feel their stares burning through her, stripping her of any dignity. It was a gaze she had never known in Léit-Nalamn, where respect and honor were instilled in even the most barbaric castes. Here, she was nothing but prey.
Her skin crawled with revulsion as the men exchanged glances. One, seated in the center, nodded with a cold smile. Before she could react, two of them lunged forward, grabbing her arms and forcing her down, their rough hands pinning her to the floor. Panic surged through her veins, and her mind flashed back to the incident she had once witnessed—two male niylaths from the Karrénth caste overpowering a female from the Olthgu caste. The horror that had unfolded then was about to be her reality.