Chapter 84: The Shaman’s Daughters
Kellar put out the campfire by throwing a handful of snow over the embers as the first flakes of a new snowfall began to drift down from the night sky. Deciding to head back to his hut to rest, he turned around, but before he could take ten steps, two female figures wrapped in thick furs emerged from the shadows of the huts and blocked his path.
"Can we talk to you, Shaman?" said one of them, keeping her head low.
Kellar stopped in his tracks, sizing up the two women with a calm gaze.
"Who are you?" said Kellar.
"I am Elia," said the first, stepping forward and pulling back her hood to reveal fine features and long brown hair.
"And I am Loria," said the second, a slender young woman with dark eyes who looked at him with a mix of caution and timidity.
They were the daughters of the previous shaman. During their father’s rule, both were seldom seen around the village, as his power allowed them to obtain any resource or privilege without ever having to leave their quarters.
"I see... Elia and Loria," said Kellar, crossing his arms. "So what do you want? I haven’t sought trouble for you, so spit it out."
Both women bit their lips, exchanging a frustrated glance before Elia spoke again.
"You say you haven’t sought trouble for us?" said Elia. "Ever since you killed our father and took command we have been pushed aside."
Rumors moved like lightning within the tribe, and everyone knew what had happened to the former shaman and chieftain. Fearing accusations of conspiracy or that the new shaman might misinterpret any interaction with the daughters, the villagers had isolated them. No one spoke to them, no one assigned them tasks, and no one dared to offer them food.
Kellar narrowed his eyes, his expression darkening into a cold glare.
Seeing his brow furrow, Elia gasped and clapped both hands over her mouth, her heart dropping to her stomach as she realized the mistake she had just made. Before approaching him, she and Loria had spent hours talking, rehearsing every word to make sure they did not provoke the man who held power over their lives. Yet, the residual pride of her former status had slipped through her tongue in a single reckless moment.
Loria stepped in front of her sister, bowing her head so low her forehead almost touched the snow.
"Forgive her, Shaman, please!" said Loria, her voice trembling with genuine terror. "She didn’t mean to disrespect you. We are desperate, that is all."
Kellar said nothing for a long moment, letting the suffocating silence hang in the freezing air between them. He watched the two young women shiver, not just from the falling snow, but from the raw fear radiating from their bodies.
"You speak as if I owe you something," said Kellar, stepping closer until his shadow fell over both of them. "Your father tried to have me killed, and he failed. His death was the price of his own ambition. Why should I care if the tribe ignores you?"
"We know, Shaman... we know our father brought his fate upon himself," said Elia, lowering her hands while keeping her eyes fixed on the ground. "We don’t seek revenge. We just want a way to survive. The villagers refuse to give us food, and we have no one to protect us or provide for us anymore."
Kellar looked them up and down, taking in their fine features, soft skin, and slender figures—traits that set them apart from the hardened, weather-worn women of the lower-class huts.
"If you came here expecting pity, you came to the wrong man," said Kellar. "In my tribe, everyone contributes. No one eats for free."
"We are willing to do anything," said Loria quickly, raising her eyes to look at him with desperate eagerness. "We don’t want to freeze or starve. Whatever you command, we will obey."
Elia bit her lower lip, stepping up beside her sister as a subtle flush rose on her cheeks despite the cold. She untied the thick fur cloak wrapped around her shoulders, letting it slip down slightly to expose the delicate curve of her neck and shoulders to the night air.
"Anything, Shaman," said Elia, her voice dropping into a soft, velvety murmur as she met his eyes. "If you take us in and give us a place by your side, our bodies and our loyalty belong entirely to you."
Kellar opened his mouth, ready to dismiss them both and send them away, when a sudden chime rang inside his mind.
[Ding!]
[New Quest Available: Relics of War]
[Objective: Take both sisters to demonstrate your dominance and benevolence over the remnants of the former regime.]
[Rewards: 3 Tech Points]
Kellar stared at the glowing blue text floating before his eyes, his expression shifting from cold indifference to a subtle, knowing smirk.
"Is that so?" said Kellar under his breath, dismissing the notification panel with a brief flicker of his eyes.
He turned his full attention back toward the two sisters standing before him in the falling snow. Elia’s fur cloak remained loosened, her soft skin flushed from the freezing wind, while Loria stood nervously beside her, breath hitching as she waited for his final judgment.
"You said you are willing to do anything to survive, correct?" said Kellar, stepping directly into their personal space.
"Yes, Shaman," said Elia, her voice trembling slightly as his heat radiated against the cold air. "Anything."
"Then don’t just stand out here shivering," said Kellar, reaching out to grasp Elia’s chin and tilting her face upward. "Follow me inside."
Without waiting for their response, Kellar turned and walked into his residence, leaving the wooden door open behind him.
Elia and Loria exchanged a quick look, the fear in their eyes giving way to a surge of heat and anticipation. Wrapping their furs tightly around themselves, they hurried through the threshold, shutting the door behind them to lock out the howling winter wind.
Inside, the warm glow of the stone hearth illuminated the broad chamber. Kellar unclasped his own thick cloak, tossing it onto a nearby wooden bench before turning back to face the shaman’s daughters.
"Strip off those furs," said Kellar, his eyes sweeping over their forms. "Show me if you are truly ready to serve your new master."