Private Tales Let's Drink all the Diemut Wine

[Lumen]

Leander Urahil

Lumen had just gotten back from a mission all the way across the oceans. She was so tired and ready for her own bed and room that she nearly missed the hushed whispers from the other students as she passed. Nearly missed the looks of grief or sympathy her way. It wasn't until she'd unshackled her armor and dropped her stuff in her room that she heard a timid knock on the door.

"Lumen?" It was Gale. Another girl in their class. Quite an up and coming earth bender.

"Yeah?"

"I-uh-just wanted to let you know. Because I know you two were close. Like Zinnia."

"Tell me what?" Lumen yanked open the door and looked down at the shorter girl.

"You haven't heard about Caeso?" Gale looked up at Lumen with the same sad eyes she'd recognized from the other students she'd passed in the halls. Heard about him? She could feel her heart begin to slow in her chest while at the same time tighten. Head shook silently, fearing what words were about to come out of Gale's lips.

"They found his body strung up in the elven quarter. He was murdered. Mutilated," she whispered. Lumen stared. There must be some mistake. Surely.

Lumen was up the rest of the night and she finally convinced Proctor Gamble to let her see Caeso's body. And even then, she felt as if she was in some twisted dream. A nightmare. Silently, she went back to her room and slammed the door closed. One thing was for sure. She was going to find out who did this. But first, she had to get used to the fact that one of her closest classmates wasn't here anymore. She'd never hear his noble accent in the halls again. Hear him leave her and Ysobel wine and cookies. To have her back on missions. Feel how it felt to be in his arms for one more dance.

TWO WEEKS LATER

Yeah, Lumen was still pissed. On her best nights she managed to get a few hours of sleep before grief, anger, and the what-ifs plagued her mind. On her worst nights she left her room for the training grounds and took things out on one of the many hanging sandbags. And tonight was one of those nights. Blonde hair wasn't even bound back. She wore loose fitting pants that dipped low around her waist. Boots and a tanktop. Her knuckles were beginning to redden and bruise but she kept hitting the bag anyway.

BANG

BANG. BANG.

The sounds echoed out into the empty room, most other students sleeping in their beds.

 

[Leander Urahil]

Leander was not one of the many students sleeping in their beds. He had been in another’s bed, although nothing excited had happened (he’d embellish things tastefully if anyone asked how he was back in Willow’s good graces), and had considered going back to his room but decided against it. There was a part of him that felt restless, especially after the carriage ride with Amell. His cousin had all but laughed when he told Leander that he was engaged.

To whom? Leander still had no idea and was waiting on Felix’s summons to finally know the truth. The issue with that it had been weeks. Every day Leander had gone to the small office after the couriers would usually arrive, often this was around his own free period, and each day he’d be met with no mail whatsoever. Each day that passed made the foreboding monster deep in his gut grow and grow.

The blonde moved across the Academy grounds, definitely slinking along the shadows. In the darkness there were eyes that stared back at him, or at least he thought they were. When he looked back into the looming shadows there was nothing there but a pitch black.

The Academy was a frightening place. Night made it worse. Even if he could see lanterns here and there, or windows that emanated a soft golden glow from the housing used for the proctors and their offices.

He was going to the stables in the back, crossing across quads and paths, taking very little time to step over the ground. He cared little for the sight of his surroundings. Yet, that wariness that took over whenever one walked around at night in the open couldn’t quite be dismissed. And upon hearing a rhythmic sound from close by, Leander paused because of that wariness.

Leander listened, tilting his head in that direction. Was someone getting beat up? No, it was too consistent, and there were no other sounds. Curiosity consumed him then. Who would be breaking curfew to get some practicing in? No, something else had to be going on. And so Leander decided to go and discover what exactly was the cause of all the noise, surprised to see no one else but Miss-Goodie-Two-Shoes.

“Breaking curfew, Lumen?” He called out to her just loud enough for her to hear.

Lumen

 

[Lumen]

She tensed at his voice and may have hit the bag extra hard after hearing it,

WHACK.

Arms dropped to her sides but her fingers remained curled into fists. A flat look offered to the Urahil.

"Go. Away."

She turned back to the bag and began hammering it again. Beads of sweat dripping down her neck.

 

[Leander Urahil]

“Go AwAy.” Leander mocked and not listening to Lumen as he took a few more paces towards her. He crossed his arms over his chest. “So what are you practicing for? We have some martial test coming up?” Leander wasn’t aware of one if there was, but he had been away on missions lately. Perhaps he hadn’t been informed of it just yet. “Your stance is looking sloppy.” Whether it was or not didn’t concern Leander, he just had to get a bit of negging in now. Nothing like poking the bear to make a boring night interesting.

Lumen

 

[Lumen]

“LEANDER,” she nearly yelled in warning and spun around. “Why do you have to do that? Pick and poke? It’s as if,” angry strides took her right in front of the other initiate. She stopped just out of his grasp.

Oh, she could take him if she had to. But she wasn’t stupid. And unlike him, she wasn’t always looking for a fight.

“You have to prove to yourself that you’re better than everyone moreso than anyone else. Well guess what? I. Don’t. Care. Because you’ll never be better than him!”

Chest heaved.

Then she realized her mistake.

 

[Leander Urahil]

Pale eyes narrowed. Sometimes he hated how fair she looked with her blonde hair. There were features that they both shared, though not through any relation that he knew of, and yet they couldn’t have been possibly further apart.

Didn’t mean his ego didn’t take a small blow when he was told that there was someone better than him.

“Better than who?” Leander’s lips were pressed into a thin, bitter line as he loomed over her.

Lumen

 

[Lumen]

Him.

The boy who was gone. The one she hadn't been there for. The one she counted on the most during her time here. The one that made the trio between herself and Zinnia.

The boy who'd gone to Amol Kalit and back with her,

But as she opened her mouth, as she said his name, something inside her broke.

"Caeso," and just like that all her anger vanished. And she looked very, very tired. "Listen, I know you don't care but I really miss him. And I wish...for one second, I could just turn it off."

 

[Leander Urahil]

Oh, yes, that was right. Caeso’s death was no longer fresh in his mind but Leander had never been close to the young Diemut. This, of course, didn't mean that the young urahil had no respect for Caeso, for force and all that it implied was quite impressive. Caeso was one of the few formidable foes that Leander had felt that conflicting emotions of admiration and also a certain nervousness in facing him as a opponent.

He wasn't particularly sad when news of his death had reached him when Amell came to get him from the academy. He did find it to be entirely unfortunate that one of his rivals Wouldn’t get the honor of being bested by him.

“Huh.” that was all that came to his mind as he considered why lumen would feel how she did and he summed it up to her sharing a bed with him. “so you’re punching this bag to feel better and it’s not working?”

Lumen

 

[Lumen]

Hands shook out as she eyes her bruised and scabbed knuckles. Tawny-gaze finally lifted and lifted up, up, up to Leander's face. Honestly, she'd expected him to dismiss Caeso, make fun of the boy who was gone. Tout how he was so much better than him.

She hadn't expected him to...ask a question like he cared. Was pretending to care?

"It's not working as much as I wished it would," she finally admitted. "Have you ever lost anyone that you cared about?"

What was she even thinking asking him that?

Head shook at herself as she picked up her hand towel from the floor and began wiping the sweat away from her face and hands.

 

[Leander Urahil]

“Yes.” Leander said simply and without pause. “Not in the way you have.” He didn’t much care if the people he slept with died. They were expendable. Sex was just a physical desire that made him feel good. At the end of the day, it was more of a transaction for him, a mutual understanding of carnal needs.

Had there been more between Lumen and Caeso? He had come with a date but… oh, Lumen had been out on a mission, hadn’t she? It made sense then that he would even need to bring an outsider, and one too timid to try anything.

Caeso and Lumen had been lovers. It made sense now. Leander could offer no advice on it, never having experienced being in love with someone. He had loved his mother though.

“It’s the grief.” He said. “It makes you angry some days, sad the others, sometimes you feel nothing at all.” He went over to the punching bag, thumbing the rough, coarse fabric that had seen better days. “I don’t think you’re angry right now.” If Lumen was, she wouldn’t even be looking at him. If she was, she wouldn’t look defeated.

Lumen

 

[Lumen]

“Not anymore,” she admitted, slinging the towel over her shoulder. “And feel nothing at all? Easy for you to say. I’ve never been able to turn off my feelings a day in my life.”

A part of her had always been jealous when Ysobel has gotten all giggly at their girl’s night. Not a care in the world with those rosy cheeks. Lumen had been the only one sober that debacle of a night the rest of them had woken up with hangovers.

“If that’s all Leander. Then I guess thanks for listening.”

Lumen turned to leave. Leander was a wild card and she was already pushing her luck being alone with him this long.

 

[Leander Urahil]

Women like Lumen could be so… irritating. Leander didn’t looked back at her as she first insulted him to then “thank” him, but even that felt sarcastic. He knew she was being upset, but there was a part of him that felt foolish to opening up to her.

Grief. Dreadlords didn’t feel grief. Would she use it against him? Embarrass him with it? Make him less of a optimal dreadlord because of it?

“You’re more obnoxious than usual.” Leander said, moving away from the punching bag, staring hard at the back of her head. “I guess it’s because Caeso isn’t fucking it out of you.”

Lumen

 

[Lumen]

She thought about ignoring him. For both their good. But as soon as he said Caeso’s name like that all reason left the initiate’s head. Lumen froze and slowly turned around. Hands balled up into fists at her side.

“Excuse me.” Dangerous, slow words. “Don’t speak about things you don’t know anything about. Leander. What in the nine levels of hell is YOUR problem!”

The room began to drop in temperature around the Neanderthal. Very slowly. Nothing dangerous, yet.

And yes, he actually got her to swear. Kind of. Moreso the grief talking.

 

[Leander Urahil]

He felt the chill in the air that hadn’t been there before. Leander always ran hot and gooseflesh appeared on his forearms. He always hated it when others used their magic as the first move for anything, offense, defense, it didn’t matter. His brows lowered over his eyes and faster than one could even blink, his nullifying dome was enacted and this time, it was large, settling over the entire training ground.

She wanted to use magic? Fine, he’d use his as well and show her just how far more superior he was than her.

“You’re excused. Go ahead, you can leave now with your undies in a twist, little miss-goodie-two-shoes.”

Lumen

 

[Lumen]

As the null dome swept the arena, Lumen suddenly felt as if her magic was on the other side of a wall. A wall she couldn't get through. She'd only felt this way once, when she'd had to wear the nullify wrist cuff after the debacle with Proctor Ebersol. As terrifying as it was, it was oddly comforting.

She did not indeed retreat but her fingers loosened at her sides. Curiosity now pinched her brows together.

"How long can you do that for? Nullify another's magic?"

 

[Leander Urahil]

“For as long as I like and then some.” Leander said haughtily. If Lumen thought she could just sit this out, well, she would be sorely mistaken. “It doesn’t even tire me out.” It would give him a headache if he had to focus on other things while employing this dome but he wasn’t going to tell her that.

Lumen

 

[Lumen]

She only hesitated a moment. Could she trust Leander? Most likely not.

Did she care right now?

The Grief said no.

The urge was stronger for an escape.

“I want to get drunk and I know where we can find some wine. Are you in or out?”

 

[Leander Urahil]

Her question came as a surprise, making Leander suspicious. Lumen wanting to get drunk? Something about Lumen and the word drunk didn’t seem to mix, like water and oil. But was Leander going to possibly pass down the chance to getting some wine— even the cheap stuff would be something he would want. What initiate didn’t want to get drunk on a Tuesday night?

“Obviously,” the nullification stopped without Leander even having to blink, “I am in.” He gestured for Lumen to lead the way. “After you.”

Lumen

 

[Lumen]

The corner of Lumen's lip twitched upward. A smirk, perhaps one mixed with relief and anticipation. She'd never been able to get drunk before. And it was only after Leander pushed his dome that she'd had the idea. Again, the logical part of her brain argued it was a VERY BAD IDEA.

But the need to escape grief for even a moment quickly shut it down.

"This way," she motioned for him to follow and set off across the training grounds. Sticking to the shadows and ever watchful for proctors, Lumen lead Leander back to the dorms and stopped outside an Initiate's dorm. Her name was Penelope. She'd gone on a mission awhile ago and never come back. The dorm had yet to be reassigned and so Lumen and Ysobel had taken over the space to use for girls' nights sometimes.

Unlocking the door, she motioned Leander inside. There was a well-made, single bed shoved up against the far wall with a simple night stand. A small closet in the corner and a chair by the window. Walking inside, Lumen, kneeled down next to one of the floorboards just off the chair's legs and began prying it up.

A quick glance over her shoulder at Leander.

"Welcome to girls' night 3.0. I don't even know if I can trust you not to say anything but I'd appreciate if you kept this all a secret." None of this stuff would be here tomorrow anyway so even if he didn't keep a secret, she'd be prepared. With a click and a heave, the floorboard moved aside. Peeking inside, she took out two bottles of Diemut wine, handing one to Leander.

"I hope you can keep up that nullify dome when you're drunk?" She stood back up and faced him. But for a long moment, her attention remained on the name and crest of the wine bottle, fingers brushing over it softly.

 

[Leander Urahil]

He followed her, keeping a good distance between them (at least two steps so she wouldn’t feel like he was trying to rush her but Leander had learned that all Academy girls walked with intention.)

When Leander entered into the room, he looked about it with mild disinterest. It was a empty, boring room? What was so secretive about it? And what could possibly be— oh, they hid the wine underneath the floorboards. Not the first time initiates had to come up with creative ways to hide their paraphanelia. He took one bottle of wine.

“Of course I can. It’s second nature to me at this point. Being drunk won’t change anything.” Or at least he thought so. But that wasn’t what really intrigued Leander from Lumen’s explanation of the room. “Do you even need to trust me to get you drunk? It’s not like we’re going into a fight with the odds against us.” Leander went to sit on the bed not realizing he didn’t have a wine key. “I don’t suppose you don’t have something to uncork these hiding around here?” Maybe he should have learned that useless spell in uncorking wine bottles. It had seemed like a waste of money at the time but… how cool would it have been if he could use it now?

Even Lumen would have been impressed.

“Was Odessa ever invited to these girl nights?” Or had she purposely been excluded because of her superior birthright and magic? Surely if she hadn’t been invited it couldn’t be because of him?

Lumen