Domingo Family/Yerli/Yerli Reborn

The fighting was fierce. Yerli’s ears rang with the sound of steel on steel, the cries of the wounded and dying. Help had been expected, yet little had arrived. Even so, the men of Yssaria had reached the battlements of Domus yet again.

Atop the wall, he and his few men fought hard to hold the small patch of stone and mortar that they had gained. The battle was a blur to him, and Yerli felt as though Tom himself guided his sword; every time he flashed his blade, another Caligan was brought down.

After cutting down another of the enemy, Yerli glanced around. A small respite had been gained and the fighting had swept past him and his men. The break was short lived, however.

“Arrows!” the shout went up, near his right ear. Though the voice was familiar, he could not identify the man’s name. There was no time to worry about that, only time to seek cover.

Yerli chose not to fight with a shield, instead preferring to use an oversized long sword which could be wielded with either one or two hands. This flexibility made the warrior formidable in hand-to-hand combat, but it did come at a price. Though he tried to find what protection he could, it was not enough; Yerli felt a sting as an arrow penetrated his shoulder. Letting out a cry of anguish, he fought the wave of weakness that passed over him, threatening to deprive him of his consciousness.

Gritting his teeth, he managed to regain his wits. Though the pain was intense, the missile had pierced his left shoulder, sparing his sword arm. Giving silent prayer to Tom, thanking the God for this small blessing, he prepared for the next Caligan charge.

He did not need wait long. As the enemy warriors came on his position, he re-entered the fray, fighting with renewed determination. These next battles did not end so quickly as the previous ones had – Yerli found himself pressed hard by each new assailant. Even so, he managed to hold his ground, besting his opponents slowly, but surely.

Then came a moment he would never forget. As he twirled, passing his sword beneath an axemen’s shield, slicing open the man’s stomach, he finished his spin facing a new opponent. Shock went through his system as he registered what was before him. A girl – perhaps 14 - stood facing him, pitchfork in hand. Was Caligus so desperate as to recruit children to fight for them? Or had this youngster experienced something that had drove her to sneak into the battle, weapon in hand?

Yerli would never know, but two things we clear: The first was the look of determination in the girl’s eyes. The second was the realization that Yerli could not bring himself to strike her down. She had no such reservations, which was made plain when she plunged the tines of her weapon into his stomach, even as he hesitated.

This time, there was no pain. Grinning slightly, he pushed out some words: “Fight well, noble warrior of Caligus.” His sword clattered to the ground as his strength faded.

…

“Wake up my son”

Obediently, Yerli did as ordered. Try as he might, he could not bring his surroundings into focus. All he could see clearly was the owner of the voice, a young woman who kneeled above him.

”Mo..Mother? Yerli stammered out. She had died during his labour, yet somehow he knew it was her.

”I wanted to see you, before you left”

His deepest yearning seemingly achieved, a confused Yerli questioned his mother. “Leave? But I have only just arrived.”

His mother stroked his forehead. ”I know Yerli, I wish you could stay. Your time is not upon you though, yet. Perhaps tomorrow, you will return to me. For now, Tom has other plans for you.”

With those words, Yerli began drifting off again. His mother’s final words echoed in his head.

”Remember, I love you Yerli. I will still be here when you are ready to return.”

…

Yerli’s senses were assaulted as he floated back from nothingness. Pain gripped his body and the sound of voices felt as if they were booming in his ears.

“..poor girl had him brought him to us; strange considering it was her that inflicted the wound.

“What in the God’s was she doing there anyway?”

“Who knows? Anyway, it seems he will recover – though I cannot fathom how.”

“Very well, I will have him transferred to the dungeons.”

“Aye, but be gentle! We have not saved him only to have him die on the way to prison.”

As gentle hands gripped him, Yerli drifted back into unconsciousness.

...

Some days after his capture, in which Yerli had began to slowly recover, he was at last visited by the Arch-Priest of Caligus, Medium. The man opened the door to Yerli’s cell, in order to let him pass. ”Thank Is Est, he negotiated about your release, you're a free man, have fun!”

Yerli expressed his gratitude to his former captor, for both his freedom and life.

Making his way out of the dungeon he was guided towards a carriage, which was to take him back home, to Yssaria. As he was stepping into the waiting coach, a female voice sounded behind him. “You’re forgetting something.”

Turning to address the voice, he saw that it was the young girl that had all but killed him and then saw to it that his wounds were treated. In her hands, she held Yerli’s sword, pointing at him. Though it must have taken all her strength, he couldn’t help but be impressed that she held it steady before her. Laughing as much as his wounds would let him, he addressed her. “You must make up your mind – do you want me dead, or not?”.

Ignoring him, she returned the blade to Yerli. Even as she passed the weapon back, he could see the hatred in her eyes. The whole thing seemed paradoxical, yet having once been where she was now, Yerli thought he understood. “The first is always the hardest. Some hate themselves after and cannot bring arms against another again. Others become addicted to the feeling and live for the pleasure of the kill. Not many have the chance to undo what they have done after learning the consequences; in that you are perhaps lucky.”

Her face contorted in reaction to his words, and he knew he had guessed right. Her voice was full of scorn as she replied. ”And what of you? Do you feel pleasure as you kill Caligan’s mothers and sons, fathers and daughters?”

Gazing around him, at the smoking battlements in the distance, with the stench of death in the air, he could find no words to answer her. Instead, he offered his sword to the young Caligan. ”By Tom’s light, I hope you will have no use for this. But, I think you have a warrior’s heart. If so, you will find this a better weapon then the one you had, should you take the time to learn its use.”

With that, Yerli finished boarding and began his journey back to Yssaria.