Private Tales Muscle

[Riley]

“Must be getting blind in his old age,” the words were said with a huff at Kaius’ back even as there was nothing but endearment in her eyes. That wine skin was empty.

“Off babysitting duty by royal decree I see?” Eyes sparkled in Thorn’s direction. “Have fun tonight,” Riley has the balls to wink at Arywl. Then again, when hadn’t she had the balls to do that?

Deciding it wise to give the two elves one private time. And Kaius some space, she limped back to her and Kaius’ shared tent.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

It was home now. At least Arwyl knew that was what he was supposed to feel. Shelters had been made out of woven branches, whilst a handful of buildings had been assembled on the ground and in the trees.

The tight-knit group had been easy to manage, or at least mismanage. They had slept close to the road and kept on moving. Moving, fighting and drinking.

Arwyl had no idea how to run a settlement. People needed food and they needed supplies to keep building. Supplies they would have stripped from the town they had planned to take.

The mood was somber on the way in. They had closed the mines and freed more slaves, but failed to secure a real victory.

It wasn't just those returning that were acting differently. Arwyl picked up on it almost as soon as the convoy moved through the outer watch posts. There was a group already assembled ahead of them.



"We've got a problem."

Arwyl tried his best to look as if he was ready to face up to whatever this was. It was Jarron that addressed them, one of the older elves who had stayed with the group over the years. A safe set of hands for watching the base.

"What's going on?"

"The Eastern woods aren't safe. Its a spirit or something worse..."

Arwyl lifted his chin. After what had happened he was spoiling for a fight.

"I'll deal with it."

 

[Kaius]

Kaius didn't know how to rest. He thrived on this, since Arwyl's kingdom had fallen, their group had never been larger. He'd divided them into groups, setting tasks to each and rotating them to create a chain of production. He chopped wood, hauled logs, thatched roofs, made weapons - others hunted and foraged, butchered and cooked. Everyone had something to do..

He joined Arwyl to the outer post, his shoulders rolling at the very mention of a problem. Dark brows furrowed at Jarron's report and he looked to Arwyl.

"You don't even know what the bloody fuck it is." he snorted, his spine shuddering slightly. Humans, Orcs, Trolls...any physical beings that could be cut down and bled, Kaius could deal with, but unnatural things? Those gave him the creeps.

"What've you seen?" he asked Jarron, his verdant eyes scanning the surrounding forest and canopy uneasily.

 

[Riley]

She had a slight limp but no longer needed the crutch. The burns on her back left nasty scars but the pain was mostly gone. All thanks to the old witch that she and Arwyl had found on their frantic search to save Kaius’ life.

She loved the elf but he was a goddmaned hypocrite.

She gets hurt ONE time and he gets in a tizzy. She’d already watched him get shot THREE times. She, of course, didn’t mention this. Savoring the nights they could share a tent together instead of hiding. A lot less ‘hunting’ trips needed.

She shot Arwyl a look, joining the males and letting a basketful of apples she’d gather drop gently to the ground. “If anyone is handling it, it’ll be both of us. Sounds like something we’ve encountered already.”

Kaius probably didn’t know about it since he’d been focused on trying to survive. And then heal. Nearly half a year ago.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"But didn't she say that thing was looking after its territory?" Arwyl asked Riley.

When they had met their healer she had told them both that the creature in the mists had lived in those woods for centuries. Woods some distance from their new town.

Meanwhile Jarron addressed Kaius.

"Seen? Nothing. We heard Tiella scream and she was gone. Same thing last week with Ba'otti. That's two gone. No one wants to work out that way."

 

[Kaius]

His mossy hues shifted between Arwyl and Riley in confusion, a dark brow arching in question.. "What thing?"

He looked back to Jarron and nodded. "Aye, call the others back in and steer clear for the time being.." he huffed and turned back to the others.

"Well. What are we dealing with?..."

 

[Riley]

“Well. Not sure if it’s the SAME thing. It was a misty, malevolent cloud…thing. Um.” She rubbed at the neck of her neck awkwardly as she tried to describe her and Arwyl’s encounter.

“Part illusion. Probably magic. But it could cause physical harm.” She frowned we, remembering Arwyl getting cut. Even with his spirit glass.

“His spirit stick didn’t do anything against it,” she huffed, gaze flicking to the prince. “Whatever it is. We should scout it out. Set a trap. Maybe let it take one of us as bait.”

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"Don't say 'use one of us as bait' as the old man will immediately offer himself up as a monster snack," Arwyl replied.

"Shit, Tiella had been with us for a long time."

His tone almost immediately shifted to become somber. People died all the time. Arethil was a dangerous place. Just now he was taking some responsibility for their safety.

It didn't make him feel the shock of the loss more keenly. It just meant that he had to face up to the problem instead of just sending them off with a bottle of wine.

"Why don't we take a large group during daylight and comb the place together?"

 

[Riley]

“Good point and he’ll get pissy if one of us offers ourself instead.” Riley gave her lover a very pointed look.

 

[Kaius]

Kaius shot a reprimanding look between the pair of them, his arms folding across his chest. "You done?...." he asked and dragged a hand down his face.

"I vote large group. We don't know what it is or what it's capable of so no bait." he huffed, giving Riley a pointed look straight back. He reached a hand to grasp Arwyl's shoulder with a firm squeeze, leaving the rest unsaid..

 

[Riley]

Gods that look of his. Still made her heart twist and stutter in her chest. Even if the focus was reprimanding. His focus was still...there. Goosebumps spread along her skin and she looked away before she could let her mind drift toward their solo 'hunting' trips.

She swallowed.

"I'll get Thorn, Jax, and Mikhail." The latter two were new human recruits that they'd saved along the way. They'd been itching for some action for awhile. Had it tough in the mines but had never seen battle. Young like Thorn with energy to burn.

A soft touch at Kaius' wrist as she passed him to walk toward the makeshift fields they'd started when they'd first settled here. A place that had so much potential to become something more of a home than Vel Anir ever was for her. Fingers pressed against the small bracelet around her wrist. The one her brother had given her in case she was ever in trouble. A way for him or Zana or Grey to find her. And she had to wonder how they were doing right now. Had they been found out? Had Zana had the babies?

Were they okay? A quick glance over her shoulder at the prince.

Would he let her go and see them?

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"Well this isn't exciting," Arwyl called out.

Several hours after the meeting they had reached the area of the woods with a group. It was filled with ferns that grew as high as an elf. So far they'd found several deer and a rabbit.

"Maybe we should have used Kaius as bait."

Even as they were, advancing in a spread out line keeping line of site anything smaller than a troll could have gone to ground and avoided detection.

"How far do you think the nearest mage with a detection spell is?"

 

[Kaius]

Kaius snorted and gave Arwyl a shove.. "More meat on my bones than your scrawny arse anyway.." he muttered.

He paused after a few more steps and turned, stepping through the fern toward the thicker wood. "This way, I think." he rumbled. It seemed quieter, and the energy of the land was different somehow. He gripped his axe readily in his palm, and paused when everything around them fell completely silent.

 

[Riley]

Thorn snorted at Arwyl’s comment. He stuck close to the prince’s other side. Riley just rolled her eyes. She could barely see over those damned tall grasses. She was next to Thorn. Mikhael next to her. Then Jax. Jax had bright blond hair looped back into a bun atop his head. She almost lost sight of him in the spots where the grasses were dying, more like the color of wheat or straw.

She saw the tree line ahead. The land was slowly sloping upward. A small incline allowed her to see Kaius more clearly as he entered the tree line. There was a sudden whooshing sound beside her. Then a resounding, “Fuck it!”

It was Mikhail.

“What is it?” She found her voice come out in a whisper at the sudden quiet.

“I think I got stung by a fuking bee.”

“Seriously?” Riley snapped. Her head turned to Mikhail. He seemed okay. Just angry. Then her eyes searched for the blond bun.

“Wait. Where’s Jax?” Worried gaze snapped to Kaius, as she shoved through the tall grass to try and get out of it. But the dry rustle? That sound that had been with them for the past hour while waking across that field was suddenly gone.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

This was turning out to be a waste of time. The woods were too extensive, there were too many places where anything dangerous could hide. The thick grass and ferns, there were probably caves and then the trees. They'd hidden an entire village in these woods for the same reason.

He turned sharply at the commotion. Seemingly nothing at first, but then it became apparent one of the group was missing.

"Where was he last?" Arwyl called out. He drew a blade of spirit glass to hack through the ferns towards them. The line had broken up to look for Jax.

He couldn't lost another one like this. Not with all of them together taking such care.

"He was right there!" Mikhail replied, still cradling his hand. One of his fingers was quickly swelling up.

"Jax!"

 

[Kaius]

Kaius turned as he heard the commotion and calls for Jax, his mossy gaze quickly scanning through the grasses and his fingers tightening on his weapons. Something was moving through the tall grasses, and quickly.

"On your left!" Kaius barked as he pushed his way through, the blades slicing at his arms as he rushed toward the movement.

"FUCK!"

Silence...

He landed with a hard thud in dirt and rock, the dried grasses that had been layered over the hole in the ground falling in on top of him, a shaft of light from well above cast down on his face. He groaned as he sat himself up, wincing at the pain in his back..

"That's gonna fucking bruise.." he hissed, and blinked the stars away to try and make sense of his surroundings..

 

[Riley]

“Kaius!” She was to the hole first, head peeking over the spot he disappeared into. Dark hair dripping past her olive-skinned face. Relief flooded through her as he stirred.

And swore.

“Don’t scare me,” she called unhelpfully down to him. “Arwyl, over here. Kaius found…something.” She twisted and stood, only to feel an invisible force slam her backward.

“Shitting muppets!” For a moment, she teetered onthe edge of the hole and the next she was falling right down toward Kaius’ prone form.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"When you say something...you mean he found a hole in the ground."

"Kaius!" he shouted down. "Well done on finding the hole. What can you see?"

They were supposed to be flushing out the danger and instead were being separated and attacked one at a time. Despite the mocking tone, he was genuinely worried about Kaius.

She twisted and stood, only to feel an invisible force slam her backward.

“Shitting muppets!” For a moment, she teetered onthe edge of the hole and the next she was falling right down toward Kaius’ prone form.

"Everyone together here!" he called out. "Stick tight."

Arwyl approached the edge of the hole, searching for a way down.

 

[Kaius]

"I'm alright." he coughed to Riley as her face appeared above, and he'd just been getting himself to his feet when she started falling too. "Fuu-" he reached up to catch her and was sent crashing back to the rocky floor once again, his arms wrapped tightly around her. He grimaced as he tried to get a breath in.. "Y'alright?" he asked her. "If you wanted some us time, you didn't need to dig a fucking hole and throw yourself at me..." he grinned, his voice weary.

"Oh you're welcome your highness! " he barked up at Arwyl. "Is there anything else I can do for you?!...I'm fine, by the way!...Little prick." his head shook and he groaned as he patted Riley on the thigh and rolled her from him.

"It's dark, but looks like tunnels.. Great." he huffed sharply..

 

[Riley]

"Y'alright?" he asked her. "If you wanted some us time, you didn't need to dig a fucking hole and throw yourself at me...”

A soft groan left her throat. If he hasn’t caught her, she bet her healing leg would’ve broken again. Or perhaps the wound in her back would’ve opened again.

“I’ll file that away for tonight.” A brief grin lit up the darkness as she rolled off him and stood. It reminded her when they’d first met. When she’d crashed through the rubble of the jail and landed on him.

She rubbed at the back of her neck and looked up at the prince and the others. “Something knocked me down here.” She said quietly to Kaius, looking at the tunnels. “Magic maybe.”

She stepped toward the tunnels, her eyes adjusting to the darkness. “Would you look at that?” There. There was a green-blue glow on the rock walls.

“Some sort of bioluminescence. I bet if we keep going we’ll find Jax.”

 

[Arwyl Minras]

"Bio what now?" Arwyl shouted down after them. He planted himself firmly, fearing the magic Riley had called up about. He didn't want to get thrown down. Especially if they were no longer in a pile to cushion his fall.

There was no time throwing insults down to Kaius. Underground tunnels would have given beasts the means to slip around them, even in the daylight.

He couldn't think of many circumstances where a creature would have kept Jax or the others alive but they needed to try. Revenge and extermination might be the best they could manage.

"Don't go far! I'm getting some rope to come down."

 

[Kaius]

Kaius' smirked and let out a huff of a laugh as he rolled the aches from his shoulders and neck. He picked up his weapons and frowned as she mentioned magic. "I'll assume whatever set this fucking trap.." he kicked at a bundle of dried grass that'd fallen down with him.

"Careful up there!" he called up to Arwyl as he went off to get rope, and he wandered to the wall as Riley pointed out the glow.. "Ah. Glowy shit. Fantastic." he rumbled, his fingers drawing over the rock..

"Whatever built these tunnels obviously wanted us down here. Keep your wits about you." he whispered and turned to press a kiss to her brow. "We stick together, right? No separating." his brow rose.

 

[Riley]

“We’ll wait for his royal highness, dont you worry,” Riley called up to Arwyl. Eyes closed for a moment and she leaned into Kaius’ touch. Every day she battled with her fear for feeling so much for him. At least she’s gotten over her fear enough to tell him. Even if he’d been angry enough to skin a bear.

She nodded up to him. A quick squeeze of his hand. “So help whoever-whatever this thing is if they come between you and me.” A ballsy grin lit up her face in the ethereal darkness. Taking a few steps over, she knelt and scooped up a stick. Traipsing back to the wall, she began gathering some of the glowing moss, wrapping it around the end of the stick in a make-shift torch.

She held it out to Kaius. “This should work. I’ll work on a few more.” She didn’t wander far, sticking to her promise.

Together.

 

[Arwyl Minras]

The end of the rope came tumbling down, dislodging loose soil from the wall of the pit. Arwyl scrambled down, losing his footing several times but always keeping his grip on the rope.

"Oh, what's this glowy shit?" he asked, picking up one of the makeshift torches.

"Any sign Jax came falling down here?" he asked. It was a serious tunnel that had been dug out. He had expected something he would need to crawl down.