Private Tales Sunset

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Zael Castomir I

Zael Castomir I

The One-Armed Man
Elbion College
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THE PROMISE​


Together they walked, hand in hand.

Zael Castomir and Yuna Fairweather had come from the south of Liadain, each injured, each maimed, but now at last they upon cresting a small hill gained first sight of Elbion in the far distance to the west. For much of the morning heavy rolling clouds and a fog thick as a veil had obscured much of the land and much of the light, but as the hour approached noontide there came a lifting of the fog and a single shaft of sunlight pierced through from the east; so had sight of Elbion been gained, so now did they stop to rest in an island of gentle light among shade and shadow.

Both Zael and Yuna were exhausted, and as they sat they leaned into one another, shoulders and heads each rested against the other. And like this they simply sat for a good while. And like this they merely set their eyes on the far sight of Elbion. On the far sight of home.

At length Zael said, "I ain't ever goin south again."

Yuna looked to him with wonder.

"I stabbed a lot of people in the back to get here. I'm not proud of it, but I'm here now. I'm here now and I finally know what I want. And it's somethin better than a dream." He looked over to her too now, and he brought up his single arm, holding her. "It's somethin right here, right now."

"Zael..." she said, smiling and blushing. And they kissed, and as they parted she spoke with playfulness, despite all they had gone through, as was her usual self. "I told ya so, Firebutt."

"You did. And you were right. There ain't nothin for me down south—nothin but lost dreams and what coulda been."

"And if those Rogue friends of yours come here? What if they start winning in Vel Anir?"

"Then good for them. And if they free the Dreadlords, even better. But...hell, the soul of a nation ain't in one man alone. I might want the Dreadlords freed, but if my fellow Anirians don't? Or Gilram's Rogues don't? Then the more things change, the more they stay the same."

Now a small pale of fright came over Yuna, and she spoke in quieter tones, "And...if those Anirians who aren't your friends come here? What...what are we gonna do?"

"I'll kill them," Zael said. "Anyone comes up here threatenin you, or me, I'll kill 'em. One arm or two arms, don't matter, I'll put 'em in the ground all the same."

"Good. I don't wanna lose any more fingers," Yuna said jokingly. Much like Zael himself, she made light of dark times.

"But as far as anyone knows, I'm dead; heh, some folks probably think I died twice, if both stories reach 'em."

"Hopefully no one wants to find you."

"Doubt it. Only Kimble did, because me and him...we had some keen animosity between us. So I think Vel Anir is gonna forget about me, and quick; just like it does with every other dead soldier."

"And that's why I'm glad you're not fighting for them anymore."

"Never again," Zael said. "Never again—I'm gonna stay. And that's a promise, Yuna."

She turned to him and draped her arms over his shoulders and beamed with joy. "I'll hold you to it...Firebutt."

They kissed again, and they rose from the ground.

And then together they walked, hand in hand.
 
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LIVING​


Back home! Oh, she had never before been so happy to walk through those gates!

When Yuna was taken by that Anirian man Kimble and his accomplice Jenna, and as she hung from the wall in Kimble's hideout, encased in ice that kept her cold yet didn't kill her, she thought she was going to die. Constantly she swung back and forth between hope and despair. Would Zael come? Would he be killed trying to save her? Worry burned hot against the frigid ice confining her. But then came Zael and his friend Sable, and they fought Kimble and Jenna, and after a hard battle they killed them.

It made for a great story to tell! And Yuna had the missing little finger to prove it, in case any naysayers thought she had just been skipping classes all this time.

First, of course, Zael and Yuna went to the Fairweather estate. Her family had been worried sick about what happened, why Yuna had suddenly gone missing, and now they were overjoyed to see her come again through the front doors. Mother and Father and everyone else paled as they heard the story of her kidnapping, of her maiming, of Zael and Sable's rescue, and Zael had to calm Father down before he swore a Blood Vengeance on Kimble (he assured him that Kimble was dead, deader than dead). But her family hailed Zael as a hero, called him an honorary Fairweather, and insisted that if ever his friend Sable Pembroke were to visit Elbion then they would honor him as well. Zael in his turn thanked them for all of their hospitality, and—since it was by then very evident that he and Yuna were courting—said that he would do right by Yuna, and keep her close no matter what.

Swords and sails, she had never blushed so red in front of her family before!

* * * * *​

Going back to the College was something! For a week or so Yuna was the shining star of her class, and several others, her story of danger and adventure circulating around her peers. A lot of her fellow students came up to her, and either with a careful and cagey tone asked to see her hand with the missing pinky, or tried to sneak a look at it. Yeah. Yeah, that's right! See, Yuna Fairweather's not telling any tall tales this time! This time it was all truth!

On that note, though (you know, the whole "missing a finger, missing an arm" thing), Yuna did ask Zael one night what he intended to do about his arm. There were some rare, exotic solutions for it! Zael just nodded, said he knew someone, a girl named Kristen Pirian, who had her whole hand blown off and replaced with an artificial one. But, despite this, Zael declined any notion of getting such an artificial replacement himself for his arm. Yuna didn't push him on it; even she, knowing that she could somewhat easily get a replacement finger herself, thought that she ought not to. Both of them, then, chose to make do without.

But Yuna did help Zael pick out some sleek half-cloaks! Ones that would drape over his right side and conceal his missing arm. Ah, well, "conceal" was kind of an icky word to use, implying this or that, buuuuuut that was really beside the point; the cloaks just became a part of his style, and Yuna thought them to be very becoming.

Things returned to "normal" before long. Yuna kept on in the College, and Zael, much like those months after he came back to Elbion from the Battle of Vel Kastula and before Yuna's kidnapping, set about to make a new living and a new life for himself. He stayed in the Fairweather estate, but he insisted on earning his keep, and did so via all sorts of jobs from the people he already knew—Malia Corinth, Captain Grinko, some people in the Department of Acquisitions. He made strides to expand his list of contacts too, reaching out through said acquaintances already made to others, gaining new friends in the Chamber of Law, the Chamber of Preservation, some regular traders and merchants, and more. He even started to make a particular name for himself, becoming known as "the One-Armed Man" among many of the Elbion Guard and its associated mercenaries.

Then at last came that night.

* * * * *​

One thing led to another, and Zael and Yuna made love.

And after, as they each lay together, looking into one another's eyes, Yuna with a big smirk and playful tone said, "I finally got you."

Yuna giggled, and Zael laughed, and after she said with a more serious and heartfelt air, "You know, all I really wanted before was just to not be a 'stupid' virgin. All of my friends—"

"Like Heidi?"

"Especially Heidi—they had all done it. All of my girlfriends had done it before. And it seemed like they could get any man they wanted! They weren't like me, right? They weren't skinny, and they had big breasts—stop grinning! I know you guys like big breasts! Anyway, Firebutt, point is, I really wanted to be like them. Everybody seemed to like them. They were popular, you know? This is probably going to sound stupid, but I thought the sex had something to do with it. You have sex and now you're a girl who knows what's what, you're confident because you're not a dumb virgin anymore and it's not a mystery, everybody likes you, and you can do anything. Do this sound stupid? I swear to Astra this sounds stupid, I'm sorry, you can tell me to shut up."

"It's not stupid."

"Really?"

"You didn't know what you really wanted. Neither did I."

It came back to Yuna, the story he once told about: "The brothels?"

"Yeah. I looked forward to it, back in the old days of the Academy. The sex...hell, it was fun, and nice, especially then, but...it was missin somethin. I didn't know what, and didn't much think about it. But payin money to have someone for a night is hollow. Even if there isn't money involved, just havin someone for a night, or two, or however much, and then goin your separate ways, maybe bein friends at best, that ain't it either."

He laid his hand on her cheek. "I wanted somethin special, Yuna. And I think you did too."

She covered his hand with her own and said, "Just you and me."

He smiled and kissed her. "Yeah. You got me, and I got you."

"I like that."

"So do I." And then he drew himself in a bit closer and his hand went elsewhere and he said, grinning, "And so you know, your breasts are just what I need."

Yuna giggled and snuggled in a touch closer herself, teasing, "What're you gonna do with that one hand, huh?"

"I got more than just this hand."

And so the night went on.
 
ZAEL'S PROPOSAL​


One day, near to the College walls, Zael met with Gier and Herrim—mutual friends of his and Yuna's, and invaluable for certain kinds of advice about Elbion and living in an environment that wasn't crushingly Anirian. He sought them out now for this:

"I'm gonna marry Yuna."

Now, yeah, hell of a way to start off a conversation. Passersby went about their business on the wallside street, and Gier and Herrim had to contain themselves.

"So you are finally going to do it, eh?" said Gier.

"Well, congratulations!" said Herrim.

"Don't congratulate nobody just yet, I still gotta propose." Zael tipped his head, eyeing them more intently. "Which is why I'm askin you two. Help me out here. How do...well, how's it done in Elbion?"

Gier and Herrim looked to each other. Natural-born Elbioners, both of them, but each had a slightly different answer, what with Gier being an elf. But Herrim gave a wave of his hand as Zael's eye went back and forth between them as they each made their suggestions, and he said:

"Honestly Zael, I know Yuna enough to know that the Fairweather family isn't exactly traditional. And if the stories Yuna's elders tell are right, they came from elsewhere: Teth, as it so happens. I'd say...don't worry too much about making a tradition Elbion proposal. Just go with your gut, man."

Gier nodded, and said, "I concur. Your own intuition will serve you best."

Zael rubbed his chin with his hand. "Yeah...yeah, you're right. I might be overthinkin this a bit. I just need to get out there and do it."

Then the thought came to him.

"And I think I know where it oughta be done."
 
Yuna lay with her arms behind her head, gazing up at the stars of the night sky, and Zael lay next to her.

They had gone to the Floating Tower, now the highest point in the College, and gotten onto the roof as they had a few times before. Oh yes! It was just a little something, a little tradition of sorts, that Yuna herself started; she and Zael had a nice night together the day before the big Pinnacle mission many months ago, and it was here, atop the Floating Tower, that they went last. At the time she was sooooo worried that Zael might betray Elbion for his fellow Rogue Dreadlords, and so she kissed him, right here, and said, "If you betray us, I'm taking that back."

Now? She could almost laugh at that old worry.

In all the time since she and Zael would on occasion come up here, to stargaze and to talk and maybe a few things more. Sometimes there would be other students up here and other times there wouldn't be. Tonight, they had the roof of the Tower all to themselves.

And like those other times before they talked and they teased one another and they laughed and altogether they had a great time. But then Zael rolled over with and he looked at her with his eye and he held both of her hands in his own lone hand and he said to her now:

"Yuna, I wanna make you my wife. I wanna marry you."

Words escaped her, and her heart began to race, and color filled her cheeks, and for a good moment it was all she could do to look at him and stumble over a response.

"I...I...do you mean it, Zael, do you mean it!?"

"Yeah. I wanna be your husband. I wanna spend the rest of my life with you."

Her excitement almost brought her to a panic. "What am I gonna do!? What am I gonna—!"

She broke off in a near uncontrollable fit of giggling.

"You could say 'yes' for star—"

"YES!"

Yuna threw herself on top of Zael and smothered him with kisses. "Yes! Yes! Of course! We can do it! Let's get married! Married! We—"

Then Yuna gasped as a bright idea came to her, a big smile crossing her expression, and she peered down at Zael with grey eyes glistening.

"And I know...oh yes, I know how we can do it! I know just how we can do it or my last name isn't Fairweather!"
 
THE VOYAGE​


Zael had a hunch what Yuna meant, and he was right.

The very next day they went to Yuna's father, intent on telling him right then and there. Now, this to Zael seemed a pretty big thing to surprise someone with—and he'd be a liar if he said he wasn't just a little nervous about it. But it seemed like Yuna's father, Telrind, had himself a keen intuition, likely suspecting to hear this for a long time, because when Yuna told him, all giddy and bouncing on her heels as she did, Telrind just cocked his head and grinned and let out a hearty laugh ("Aaaaaaaaaha-ha-HA!") and spread his arms wide and scooped his daughter up in a big, celebratory hug. And when he set her down and faced Zael, the two of them looked at each other, man-to-man, and while not one of them spoke a word, a lot was nonetheless said between them in that long look, a lot of unspoken understandings. They clasped hands—damn if he didn't have one hell of a grip on him. And then Telrind said, "We're going to do this like the Fairweathers of old."

Which meant: being wedded aboard a ship, far at sea, by a Captain.

So came a few weeks of preparation, but then the whole caravan of Fairweathers (Kress, Yuna had a lot more relatives than Zael thought) set out north from Elbion. While Elbion housed its Port District, and the Cairou River made for easy travel going east and south, the Fairweathers intended to go north into the Gulf of Liad. Along the coast were towns well within Elbion's sphere of influence, and it was here that the Fairweathers had assets too: a mighty ship being one of them.

North they sailed—this until all sight of land dropped away, and all became the sea.

The ceremony had been planned for sunset, and on the early morning of the appointed day, Zael and Yuna stood at the bow of the vessel, looking out over the ocean, speaking of things near and far.

"Yeah, I'm gonna finish College," said Yuna. "I don't know what I'm gonna do after, though. It's not like I asked to have magic. I'm not really cut out for all that Department of Acquisitions stuff. OooOOOooOOoo! The Department of Acquisitions, all big and shiny and everybody and their mother wants in there, wants to be going on those adventures and delving into ruins and getting into gross, nasty messes. Pfft. Sorry. I think had enough of that in Rostok and in the Pinnacle mission, thanks."

Zael, after a little consideration, said, "Well...there's always the One-Legged Flamingo."

Yuna looked up to him. "Ooooooh? What about the Flamingo?"

"Keep this hush-hush—"

"You know I'm terrible with secrets."

"Well try anyway. But, and I heard this from Malia Corinth so it's gotta be good information, the Flamingo's owner is thinkin of steppin down. Sellin. Goin off to live the quiet life in his old age sooner rather than later."

Yuna started to grin, and it grew bigger and bigger the more it dawned on her. "I do like talking and drinking...and, you know, maybe a little under-the-table stuff too. But keep that hush-hush, Firebutt."

"You know I'm terrible with secrets."

And they had a laugh, joking some more, and then their talk came round to Zael.

"I don't mind gettin in good with the Elbion mercs and the Department and all them. I don't mind drawin my sword when I need to—heh, even if I have to do it with my left hand now—but I'm not lookin to live by it."

"Really? I never thought I'd hear you say that."

"Me neither." Zael looked out over the sea. "Kimble really thought that was the thing I loved most: my swordarm. He thought takin it would ruin me. Ruin my whole life."

And he looked back to her. Smiling.

"All he did was give me a new one."

Yuna smiled as well, and he held her with his sole arm, and together they watched the morning sun rise over the eastern clouds.
 
MARRIAGE​


Sunset came, and all the sky flowed aflame in tides of orange and red.

All the Fairweathers had gathered upon the deck of the vessel, and smiles and pride abounded among them; a great anticipatory silence, reverent for the tradition, kept otherwise wild and free spirits at bay...though just behind the gathering, oh yes, barrels of ale and rum and other drinks awaited.

Yuna stood facing Zael, and he facing her, before the gathered family. And near to the bow of the ship was the Captain, Yuna's grandfather, Erwick Fairweather, his hat and his finery made in the Teth fashion, and his face was alight with joy to be wearing them again. In Yuna's chest, her heart raced, and her arms quivered, and her hands shook, and she knew her lips too gave proof to her trembling excitement. But she looked in Zael's eye and focused solely on him—so much as she could anyway—and this helped steady her.

Captain Erwick commenced the wedding with opening words, speaking a bit on the history of the Fairweathers, and on Teth, and on the freedom of the sea, but this he kept brief, and his roguish humor colored it, and a few laughs from the gathered Fairweathers made his smile all the mightier.

"Now then," said Captain Erwick, "hold one another's hands, and down on yer knees."

They made do, even though Zael had but the one hand now. Yuna placed her right hand over her left, palms skyward, and Zael with his one hand clasped both of hers. They slowly sank down to their knees upon the ceremonial pillows, and here held gazes and hands, as now Captain Erwick began to recite the vows.
 
And the vows came, most out of tradition, some from Yuna, and some from Zael himself. With steady breath and fixed mind did Zael listen, though it seemed to him that Captain Erwick was farther away than he truly was. All that seemed close to him was Yuna. He looked deeply into her eyes, and he felt that her hands had stopped shaking—but he had a feeling her heart was still pounding in her chest. So was his, truth be told, like the rhythm of a drumbeat, powerful pulses whose hurt was eclipsed only by joy.

"Let it now be known!" said Captain Erwick. "To the gods as well to Man. Do you, Yuna Fairweather, take this man to be yer husband, and to be bound to him as one?"

"Till the end of my days," Yuna said.

"And do you, Zael Castomir, take this woman to be your wife, and to be bound to her as one?"

At last, he found what Vel Anir could never give him: a happy, meaningful life.

And Zael spoke with the warmest smile, "Till the end of my days."

"Rise, then, anew. Rise, Zael and Yuna Castomir, as man and wife!"

They rose, and they kissed, and that great anticipatory silence finally was broken as the Fairweathers all erupted into raucous celebration, and no soul was unmerry that night aboard the Fairweather vessel.
 
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