Completed Blackstone Deep

[Syvis]

"Likely enchanted. Do your worst although, off chance he might not have." Syvis informed him with a wan smile. "I haven't a clue what he's doing. He may run us into a lava pit he may run us into a manor full of whores from the nearest brothel. He's off his head. Absolutely mental."

 

[Conrad]

"I gathered that much." He chuckled.

So he approached the carriage door and kicked, hard. Any normal wood would have been splintered upon impact. It was time to see exactly how well prepared his newest enemy was.

 

[Syvis]

The door didn't budge it stood firm. The door it seemed was mad and tossed Conrad back like a rag doll causing a tipping motion in the carriage.

Syvis sat up bemused. "Well."

 

[Conrad]

He thought, "It seems we'll need to be more creative, perhaps if we could force the carriage to roll on it's side we could buy time, or mayhaps the roof or floor will be more agreeable."

 

[Syvis]

Syvis looked tired, truth be told she was. All she wanted was a nice house and to have five minutes without someone kidnapping her. Her brain was overloading with questions of what did Fhaornik want? Why was her father capturing them and moving them? Should she trust him? She looked at Conrad with her gray eyes clouded like a stormy day.

Wearily a huff escaped her lips. "Do as you see fit, I will follow and support in suite." Her slender manicured hand rubbed her temples.

 

[Conrad]

He smiled, “your loyalty is most flattering and appreciated. I’ll let you rest first. And if we get there before you wake up, I’ll be sure to keep anyone who comes in away from you.”

 

[Syvis]

She glanced at his smile. It was infectious to her. In kind she gave a grin back, she was utterly blessed to have someone who put up with her.

"Of course I am loyal, you've done nothing but protect and care for me." Syvis said crawling over to him to caress his cheek. She grinned again and gave him a sweet peck.

 

[Conrad]

She glanced at his smile. It was infectious to her. In kind she gave a grin back, she was utterly blessed to have someone who put up with her.

"Of course I am loyal, you've done nothing but protect and care for me." Syvis said crawling over to him to caress his cheek. She grinned again and gave him a sweet peck.

He wrapped an arm around her. “Of course. You’re my Kitten.”

He pulled her onto his lap and into a cuddle.

 

[Syvis]

Syvis fell asleep nearly instantly as she hit his lap. She had no intentions of waking up until they got wherever they were being taken too.

It was about nine hours until their carriage slowed to a stop. There driver hadn't taken them into the heart of Falwood rather along the coast of the Akiva sea. Their exact location would be impossible to tell from within their transport, the only way one would be able to tell where they might be near is the sea air smell.

There was a scrape of wood as the carriage handler in charge of their care opened the carriage door, beckoning with a lamp for Conrad to come out. Syvis had yet to stir.

 

[Conrad]

Conrad gave Syvis a gentle shake to wake her up, “we’re here.”

He stood up and stepped out first, ready to kill in an instant.

 

[Syvis]

Syvis made a little grunting noise as he woke her up, but then shot up like a bolt of lightning.

The cloaked man lead them into the forests. The sea breeze could still be smelt faintly yet there was no sea to be found. They were on the edges of the Falwood forests as the trees were not so grandois. He lead them up a rather old crumbly path for roughly 40 minutes, around trees and stumps. Finally a squat ramshackle hut with windows lit from a fire within appeared before their eyes.



Syvis made a face and tried to rack her brain as to what estate this was as none that was purchased recently would be so crumbly and small. Finally she came to a conclusion. This was the first Quimaer estate, she hadn't a clue why they'd been taken here. With no goons only a carriage driver.

 

[Conrad]

He stepped out into the dark cobblestone trail, ready to draw his sword at any moment. He walked ahead of her to put himself between her and anyone who might show up to cause them harm. He didn’t trust the carriage driver, and he didn’t trust the small house.

He glanced at Syvis. “Any idea of what the game is?”

 

[Syvis]

She glanced back nervously at him. "No, haven't a clue."

Lies. It was a wedding or a contract...perhaps both. She didn't wish to alarm him so she lied. Maybe it was wrong, no, not maybe, it WAS wrong. Conrad would just have to deal, besides she was a damn near perfect liar.

 

[Conrad]

She glanced back nervously at him. "No, haven't a clue."

He nodded, he trusted her. "Well we're about to find out now aren't we."

He stepped forward and pushed the door open cautiously, his right hand pulling his sword partway from its sheath. He was not taking any chances here.

 

[Syvis]

She nodded in return praying the guilt inside her wasn't portrayed on her face in the slightest.

Syvis followed close behind Conrad as he advanced.

Inside he'd find a round wooden table full of intricate carvings and three throne like chairs. There was a small hearth to the left of the ancient room, and two staircases on either side of the room the left going up and the right down. Along every wall was shelves filled with elven tomes about the long standing line of her family and their rise to power. Sat in one of the chairs was Fhaornik dressed like a regular man rather than his extravagant self.

Soon after taking in their surroundings Conrad and Syvis would feel a push on their backs and a slam of the heavy oak door behind them. As soon as Conrad was officially in the building his sword shot back into his shealth and stayed glued there as if it was cemented.

They'd hear Fhaornik's madman cackle as he called out "No use boy, no blood shed in the Quimaer family house, no no no." He'd finish with a tsk of his tongue alike to Syvis when she disapproved. "Sit sit sit, yes." He'd stand quick as lightning opening his arms. "We have much to discuss." He sounded like a man without his wits. Truthfully he had been losing them since Syvis was about seven years old, for reasons he'd yet to explain. Perhaps killing him would be a mercy.

 

[Conrad]

They'd hear Fhaornik's madman cackle as he called out "No use boy, no blood shed in the Quimaer family house, no no no." He'd finish with a tsk of his tongue alike to Syvis when she disapproved. "Sit sit sit, yes." He'd stand quick as lightning opening his arms. "We have much to discuss." He sounded like a man without his wits. Truthfully he had been losing them since Syvis was about seven years old, for reasons he'd yet to explain. Perhaps killing him would be a mercy.

He looked to Syvis, the unspoken question of what exactly they should do? Should they sit down? Should he rip the guy’s throat out? He would defer to her decision in this situation, she knew her father better than he did.

 

[Syvis]

Syvis nodded and scooched her heavy chair across the century old grooves in the floor. There were papers all over the table, a decorated knife of silver and a quill amongst the paper piles.

She looked weary, she knew what this was now and she had no chance to warn Conrad whatsoever.

 

[Conrad]

He followed her example and sat, but he was ready to pounce at any moment to kill him. It would be visible, his body almost coiled like a spring, like a cat ready to kill something. The silver knife caught his attention, he didn't like silver very much, and he certainly didn't trust a man like Fhaornik with a knife made of one. But he trusted Syvis, and he had a feeling that she knew more about what was going on than she wanted to say, or could say for that matter.

 

[Syvis]

Fhaornik smiled at the two. "Such a dream couple, something I never got with your mama." He reached across the table and pinched Syvis' cheek. Syvis looked sick at the gesture.

He gestured to the documents. "These my dear friends are blood documents, you will sign them in your blood and you will adhere to what you sign away. Yes? I urge you to read over them we may make certain adjustments if I see fit." He had a grin on his face like a cat trapping a mouse. "It is of utmost importance that you not stray from these contracts or the ancestors shant be so kind." He said with a twinkle in his eye shuffling the papers toward them.

Syvis grabbed one of Conrad's hands within her own squeezing so hard her pale knuckles were a shade of white reminiscent to that of snow. She was uncomfortable here, like the eyes of hundreds of ancestors were watching down upon her making her skin crawl like bugs. She looked levelly into her father's eyes his gaze matching her own as she breathed calmy. Syvis hoped only Conrad felt her nervousness and truthfully she just wished to crawl into a little ball on his lap. Weakness wasn't an option. She heaved and straightened her shoulders somehow making her ramrod straight posture even more perfect. Her hand had yet to leave Conrad's.

 

[Conrad]

He gestured to the documents. "These my dear friends are blood documents, you will sign them in your blood and you will adhere to what you sign away. Yes? I urge you to read over them we may make certain adjustments if I see fit." He had a grin on his face like a cat trapping a mouse. "It is of utmost importance that you not stray from these contracts or the ancestors shant be so kind." He said with a twinkle in his eye shuffling the papers toward them.

Conrad took the papers and placed them between himself and Syvis, he wasn't about to make any blood-contracts with a man like this without knowing every last detail of the agreement. Any hint of them signing their freedom away, and he wouldn't sign. Any hint that he'd owe fealty or favor of any kind to this madman, he'd likely refuse. He'd work out every possible loophole first, aside from the one already built into him regarding blood contracts.

He'd read the contracts very meticulously, and leave nothing unaccounted for. He was not going to walk them into a trap. Even if there was a way he could wiggle out of blood contracts.

 

[Syvis]

Syvis glanced down at the documents. There were a few total surrounded by a bunch of different empty papers. It was a mess really. Yet there were only two that caught Syvis' eye, ones about her not about weddings or funds, or vampirism.

The first read:
I, Conrad __________ (insert surname please), waive any and all rights to force Syvis Quimaer to change her surname. I further agree the first born son of the match don the Quimaer surname, in the result I do not sire a male heir the first female born child may don the surname keeping it alike to Syvis keeping the Quimaer bloodline alive and thriving. I, Syvis Quimaer, waive all rights to changing my surname and will follow the listed out instructions of the aforementioned.

The second:
I, Conrad _________ (insert surname please), relinquish the rights to sell, give, gift, etc. my possession Syvis Quimaer into any form of slavery, servitude, etc. except to myself be it non grueling and or damaging. In result of a lack of want or need of Syvis Quimaer I will send her on her own free despite my own personal needs/ desires.


Fhaornik and Conrad looked as if they would kill each other sooner rather then later so she figured she'd cut in. "Your madness is getting worse. Tell me father, what the fuck is wrong with you? You gift me off, abduct me, now you act as if I hadn't spent eighteen years of my life being told I'd never wed anyone but a strong elven man. You are getting worse and you are doing nothing, absolutely nothing. You disgrace me. You disgrace our whole family, you promised them all a strong leader and you are weak, mad, disgusting, a spineless rat." Syvis spat at him her venomous tongue masking the fear in her heart.

In response to her outburst Fhaornik laughed a solemn chuckle. "Stupid girl, everything has a price when will you learn? Everything that surrounds us I sold my soul to get." he seethed. "You're lucky to have me. You took me for granted, yet I should have left you outside my door to freeze that night, you're a baseborn whore just like that dirty jezebel that brought you into this earth. Yet you always come back, something she never did. I might be mad, but at least my ears are full." as he finished his hateful tirad he walked over and grabbed Syvis by her hair dragging her out the chair to the stairs before slapping her hard and shoving her down.

"It's all your damned fault. I promised in one those fucking contracts you'd be someone to bring pride upon my name and you've done nothing." Fhaornik bellowed before running down the stairs to grab her by her hair again and continue his physical assault. "I've done nothing but take well care of you Syvis. Nothing but that, I even made contracts to protect you and you still continue to push and nag and beg. Well no more." He bashed her face off the stairs.

 

[Conrad]

In response to her outburst Fhaornik laughed a solemn chuckle. "Stupid girl, everything has a price when will you learn? Everything that surrounds us I sold my soul to get." he seethed. "You're lucky to have me. You took me for granted, yet I should have left you outside my door to freeze that night, you're a baseborn whore just like that dirty jezebel that brought you into this earth. Yet you always come back, something she never did. I might be mad, but at least my ears are full." as he finished his hateful tirad he walked over and grabbed Syvis by her hair dragging her out the chair to the stairs before slapping her hard and shoving her down.

"It's all your damned fault. I promised in one those fucking contracts you'd be someone to bring pride upon my name and you've done nothing." Fhaornik bellowed before running down the stairs to grab her by her hair again and continue his physical assault. "I've done nothing but take well care of you Syvis. Nothing but that, I even made contracts to protect you and you still continue to push and nag and beg. Well no more." He bashed her face off the stairs.

Okay, it was time for him to die. The conditions, if non-negotiable might have been acceptable, with some serious compensation of course, but attacking her was going much too far. Surname didn’t matter to him all that much, and his children bearing the Quimaer name. Calling Syvis a possession was a bit infuriating but he was able to push it aside for the sake of keeping her father alive.

But he decided to be aggressive, and that was met with equal amounts of hate. His hand would seize the elf’s throat and pick him up. “If you call abuse protection then I’d believe you. But let me give you some advice, enter blood pacts only when you have to. And right now, it doesn’t seem like I need to. Had you simply remained calm I might have been willing to consider those terms so long as Syvis agreed with it too. But now you have two options, let us out and live, or you die and we break out.”

 

[Syvis]

Fhaornik giggled. His hands were down by his leg and he took advantage of that, he stabbed himself in the leg through his trouser pocket with a rod, causing him to disappear in a puff of smoke. Some cowardly method he'd used to avoid conflict all of Syvis' life.

Syvis stood up and look at Conrad starry eyed, he was her hero. Gods above if he didn't wed her she doubted she'd enter another courtship, he'd set the standard far too high. She didn't say anything but instead hugged him. Syvis had never actually said it yet but it slipped out "I love you." She caught herself saying "You don't need to say anything back, I just wanted you to know."

 

[Conrad]

Fhaornik giggled. His hands were down by his leg and he took advantage of that, he stabbed himself in the leg through his trouser pocket with a rod, causing him to disappear in a puff of smoke. Some cowardly method he'd used to avoid conflict all of Syvis' life.

He growled, "Coward. You can run but you can't hide elf. Do you hear me! Your days are numbered!"

Syvis stood up and look at Conrad starry eyed, he was her hero. Gods above if he didn't wed her she doubted she'd enter another courtship, he'd set the standard far too high. She didn't say anything but instead hugged him. Syvis had never actually said it yet but it slipped out "I love you." She caught herself saying "You don't need to say anything back, I just wanted you to know."

In an instant his anger melted away, and he hugged her back gently. "I love you too Syvis."

After several moments of hugging he coughed to catch her attention. "I hate to break up this moment but we probably shouldn't linger here. So lets get out, rescue our ward, maybe beat the snot out of that carriage driver, get us a little house to hold us over until I've worked up the money to buy us a castle, and maybe a few toys to keep you entertained while I'm away."

So, disentangling him from her embrace he approached the door, tested the handle, and if it were locked, he'd see if kicking it open would work this time. If not, he'd start to think.

 

[Syvis]

"You're right. I've been here once or twice as a pre-teen so I likely had an escape out my room somewhere." Syvis said walking up the stairs bedraggled. Her room had been upstairs, Fhaornik only took her here once while he made a deal with her uncle, she'd yet to see her uncle after that and to be honest she wouldn't be surprised if the man was dead.

She thought about Conrad's threat and Syvis from 9 years ago would have been distraught, likely the Syvis from merely 3 years ago would have been too but frankly she didn't give a damn anymore. You don't treat the people you love in the manner in which Fhaornik had treated her, so frankly he deserved death. He is a sadistic cruel man who had nearly three centuries to inflict his hate, plus upon his death they'd receive all the Quimaer estates helping the young couple along financially. The council of elders hated her father anyways so they'd likely turn a blind eye as to his mysterious death. It was a lot to think about and her brain truthfully felt weirdly calm.

Syvis shook her head and the thoughts out as she came to realize she was in one of her childhood bedrooms, the unicorn mural on the wall showed so. She loved that mural until one day on their week long stay she had pissed of Fhaornik so he "killed" it stabbing and elven longsword into the unicorns heart where it still sat embedded into the house's old plaster walls. It was a lovely bedroom but little things in it were off, the unicorn mural, the knocks into her bedpost from where she was locked in her room and attacked her bedframe with a sword, all the way to the recently burnt curtains. The more you looked at it the more you saw wrong with it.