Private Tales Read between the lines

[Talus]

His lips brushed over hers. "It must be."

The hum stopped in his throat for just a brief second as he spoke, but it returned just a few seconds later as he gently grasped her and continued their dance.

It was slower than it had been in the Feasting Hall, though not an ounce of passion was missing. They slowly moved around the room, shifting their steps and slowly falling into one another as the song came to a close.

"I should've asked for it's name." Talus said as he leaned his forehead against hers, taking in a deep breath.

Talus clung to her, wrapping his arms around Zana in a desperate embrace. He didn't want the moment to end.

 

[Zana]

Every dip, every turn, every press of their bodies together... It felt to Zana as if they were trying to say all of the things their words and even the bond couldn't. The goodbye that they knew was coming tomorrow and the pain they both felt at its imminent arrival. When they came to a stop she watched his face as he leaned against her. The emotions that rippled there. Zana tightened her arms around him for a moment and then she slid one of his hands onto her waist, the other in her hand. Her spare hand came to rest upon his shoulder.

"I don't know that one but this one is called The Lovers Moon," it was the song she could remember her mother and father singing to one another. There was a bittersweet pain in her chest as she began to sing it for him now whilst guiding him through the steps. It was more of a folk song than anything classical like in Vel'Anir, or fast like in the dwarvish kingdom. The dance was almost like the both combined; less restricting than the classical waltz but not as fast as the tango.

 

[Talus]

As they flowed through the steps Talus found it hard not to shatter into a thousand pieces.

He knew what this was. Knew it just as well as she. From the outside he realized how ludicrous it must have seemed, how only a month ago they hadn't even known one another. Yet here they were, the world threatening to fall down around them because they would have to spend eight days apart.

If the man he was from A year ago he saw him now he wouldn't have known what to make of himself.

As Zana's song came to an end and their body slowed once again in the middle of the room Talus took a deep breath. His fingers slowly laced over her skin, drawing up over her skin and eventually catching her chin with his knuckle. He tipped her head up, eyes meeting.

"I love you, Zana." Talus said quietly, almost a whisper.

He didn't know what else to say. No other words seemed to fit the moment, nothing else would show what sat at the core of his heart. He didn't want her to go, didn't want her to leave, but to say so again would only be a cruelty.

 

[Zana]

"I know."

Not just that he loved her, not just how much he loved her, but she knew too the pain and sadness that was the merest of breaths away for them both. She knew he wanted to ask her to stay forever, knew that her answer would hurt him when she denied him. It was at moments like this she realised how young he was, how little time he had out of the academy. Zana envied him for the adventures and the world he had seen during his training but she had been given a different road and that, right now, was necessary to keep either of them for making a mistake.

"I'm going to head to bed," she raised her hand to his one on her chin and squeezed it before making a move to the bedroom. Grey was already sprawled across the end of the bed and he opened one sleepy eye as she entered.

 

[Talus]

For a time Talus lingered in the living room, a frown touching his face as he watched Zana disappear into the bedroom.

Every ounce of him wanted to shut the door, close and lock it before she could make a move to leave. It would have been a useless gesture, she could tear down the whole cabin if she wanted, but that didn't take any of the urge away.

Slowly Talus walked over towards one of the shelves on the wall, picking up a small token that he had carved weeks ago. It was a little thing, the symbol that stood for Karak. Talus stared at it for a moment, then walked over to Zana's bag and slipped it into a side pocket.

He stood slowly, then followed Zana into the bedroom.

Within minutes his arms gently wrapped around her, head buried in the back of her neck trailing soft loving kisses.

 

[Zana]

For another hour or so they spoke in the hushed tones of two people tired and fighting sleep. There was nothing much serious in their conversation; stories from their lives, little memories, the types of hopes one could only utter in the thick comforting blankets of night. Finally at some point or other they drifted off to sleep and all to soon after the sun was rising.

Zana woke as soon as the light shifted but for a long moment she didn't move. Talus was still sound asleep behind her and very slowly she rolled over to watch his content and peaceful face. Strands of blonde hair had fallen across his face where he lay on the pillow, one arm still loosely draped about her waist. Carefully, she moved those strands, her fingers trailing down his cheek, before she eased herself out of the bed to get ready. There was no sense in waking him until she was ready to go.

Replacing herself with a pillow for his arm to rest on she got dressed on silent feet and then went outside to saddle up Zandor.

 

[Talus]

Talus woke up with a sudden start, panic hitting his heart as he realized Zana wasn't laying in bed besides him.

The Dreadlord shot up almost immediately, whirling around before he remembered to reach out through the bond. There he found Zana, still close by, still not gone. A small amount of relief shot through him, though he couldn't help but feel...empty.

Even if she was still here, it was time to go.

A breath filled his lungs, and he pulled himself out of bed. A pair of cloth breeches was thrown on, and he quickly padded his way out to the front door.

He stepped out onto the porch as Zana finished saddling Zandor, watching as she tightened the strap. "Hey there, Gorgeous. Come here often?"

Talus asked with a smile.

 

[Zana]

The sudden panic that rushed through the bond choked the life out of her, her hand was already going to her sword and her magic was but a thought away... when she realised why. Carefully she brought herself back down from the height of his emotions and put her palm flat against Zandors neck to steady herself, another coming through her thick wavy hair. The crushing sense of emptiness followed suit and nearly brought her to tears. She placed a kiss on Zandor's neck.

"You're doing it for him," she whispered under her breath. The horse made a soft noise of confusion and tried to nudge his mistress from her sadness with an impatient foot stomp. Zana nodded as if she understood and went back to finishing what she was doing. She had just done the girth one last time when she heard his words and her lips twitched slightly.

"Whenever I can," the Dreadlord stepped back and nodded to herself. All the bags were set, everything packed and ready. Without another word she mounted in one fluid movement because if she stepped into his arms she wouldn't step out again. "No longer than eight days doesn't mean it has to be eight days," she reminded him and then whistled for Grey.

 

[Talus]

"I know." Talus said as he slowly stepped off the porch. His bare feet felt good in the grass, the odd sensation striking him for some reason as he slowly walked over towards her.

His his caught hers, and before she could ride away Talus placed a gentle hand on the horses neck.

Zandor seemed to move for a second, and then paused as Talus looked up at Zana. He tried to smile, tried to force the expression on his lips, but it was the greatest lie he'd ever told her. A breath filled his lungs, his eyes closing for just a moment.

When he opened them he had to force himself not to spill any tears. "I love you, Zana."

He said the words softly.

"Be safe." Fingers curled against Zandor's neck. "If you need me. I'll be there."

Talus knew he was blubbering, stalling, but he couldn't help it.

The Moment hurt too much.

 

[Zana]

Zana tried to ride the tide of his sadness through the bond and not let it drown her.

"I love you too," she dropped the reins around the pommel - Zandor wouldn't move without a command - and then leaned down to take his face in her hands and pull him into a deep kiss. There was passion but no lust in it. Nothing but pure love, affection and tenderness. She wanted him to have those emotions linger with him as she rode off. The kiss dragged on until her lungs told her she really needed more air in them and even when she pulled back it was reluctantly.

"If you need me I'll be there too," Zana's thumb ran across his cheek slowly and her eyes searched his for a moment longer. "Try to stay alive until I can get to you, ok?" her lips lifted weakly at the corner. Once more she stole a kiss and then before he could utter another word she turned Zandor and kicked her heels into his flank. Grey jumped up, putting his paws on Talus' shoulders to give him one great lick, then he went trotting after his mistress into the forest.

* * *
​

Ashur-Kan Luana had been busy whilst she had been gone. Three days after she had returned to the city Zana found herself making her way to the Guardhouse. Apparently letters had been sent back and forth throughout the week discussing the use of another Dreadlord in their ranks both in terms of a trainer and as another powerhouse should they have need of it. Zana was actually surprised at the extent to which Ashur had given her to them - she was to prioritise their missions unless otherwise told not to by Ashur or his father. It seemed he was very keen for this idea to go well.

Zana couldn't help feel an odd sense of nervous pressure.

Arriving at the location Ashur had given her to meet the Generals the Luana Dreadlord simply sat and watched for a few minutes. Her lips turned down ever so slightly as she watched one of the lads currently training make a crucial error then in bewilderment when his trainer didn't take the obvious attack and beat him, but simply tapped him and pointed out his mistake.

This was a whole new world. Is this what her life could have been like if she had wanted to fight but had had no magic?

Even though she had chosen to forgo her armour for now and stick to her official Luana uniform, she was still getting more than a few stares from the Guards as they milled about the place. Eventually, she dismounted from Zandor and tied him beside a few other horses, before following her instructions towards the meeting room. People scrambled out of her way and she strove to keep her steps easy and her face blank but there was a hammering in her chest as she climbed the stairs and knocked on the door she had been pointed to.

 

[Talus]

The meeting room was surprisingly homely.

It was a small thing, barely enough to fit ten people with a large table in the middle of it. Large tapestries depicting the symbols of each of the five armies hung on the wall opposite the double doors of the entryway. Five chair lined one side of the table, though only two were currently occupied.

Once she entered Zana would see two of the five Generals. Harkon Yarl, the man who had made a reputation for himself as a hard-liner against the power of the Houses and besides him Brin Aldwaith. Behind the men, leaning against the wall between two of the banners was Talus Morrid.

As soon as Zana stepped through the doorway she would see Talus' face light up for a brief second. Eyes grew, a smile flashed on his face, and joy wound it's way through the bond in unspeakably quick leaps and bounds.

"Dreadlord."​

It was Yarl that spoke, his voice gruff and his eyes hard.

"Please, take a seat."​

The General motioned towards the only chair on the opposite side of the table.

 

[Zana]

Zana barely gave Talus more than a glance as though he were completely beneath her.

Instead her attention settled on the two Generals who were the main reason why she was there in the first place. She still wasn't entirely sure how much the pair knew about her. Talus had said that all he had said was that there was a Luana Dreadlord keen on helping them, but she hadn't seen Ashur's letters nor the response. All aside from the one she carried with her now. The chair scraped backwards without Zana even touching it and when she sat she slid the envelope into the middle of the table before holding her hands neatly in front of her.

"My Liege wished for me to give you the completed terms of your agreement to you in person," her voice was blank, devoid of emotion but thrumming with the power that ran through her veins. Her pool green eyes flicked slowly between the figures opposite her. "I trust that everything is to your satisfaction and I look forward to helping your men in anyway I can."

 

[Talus]

A spike of pain fell through him, but he understood why she did what she did. A part of him wished that he could shove the table aside and simply embrace her, but he stayed himself and kept himself against the wall. Arms crossed over his chest, face kept smooth.

The two Generals looked at one another for a moment, Yarl reaching out to grasp them as he slowly began to flip through them. It was clear that there was a certain amount of...discomfort to this, though not because of the papers, nor Zanna herself.

Both of these men had seen Dreadlords before, they had even bested some in single combat. Albeit only while the Dreadlords had been denied the use of their magic.

Aldwaith especially was a famed duelist, and was one of the four others who competed with Talus to claim the title of best swordsmen in Vel Anir.

"It is in Order."​

Yarl said, his voice stern as he motioned for the two guardsmen at the door to close the heavy gates. There was a pause, and then they both slammed shut.

"I will be honest with you. I do not like this. I do not trust the Houses as far as I could throw them, and Luana least of all."​

A scowl pulled at Yarl's lips.

"It's only because this fool believes that fool that I'm even at this table."​

Yarl pointed at Aldwaith, and then jerked a thumb towards Talus.

"I'm almost entirely sure this is some fucked up plot by your Lord to make sure the Guard loses a piece of itself. The only reason I'm letting any of this happen is because this idiot." Another jerked thumb at Talus. "Somehow convinced three of my Colleagues that we could trust you."​

 

[Zana]

There was the barest of flickers in those cold eyes at the distrust towards Luana but nothing else and even the flicker could have just as easily been the sunlight coming through the tiny window and catching her just so. Zana waited with calm serenity until he had finished speaking and then let a silence settle as she worked through her thoughts carefully. This was it. The start of her descent. What she did here would officially mark her as a traitor to Luana. Very, very slowly she pressed her palms flat to the table.

"It most definitely is," her words were jarringly blunt. She had no doubt that the reasons why Ashur had agreed to her joining the Guard at her suggestion were for some sort of grab towards power. "Personally, I believe it is mainly to try and break Virak's hold over you all but it could run deeper. If I were you both I would not be surprised when letters from other Houses soon start showing up on your table," she gave a smooth one shouldered shrug as if she were brushing off a question about the weather, her eyes slowly flicking between the two men.

"I won't sit here and pretend to understand my Lords motivations as to agreeing to send me to you, all I can speak of are my own, and I am not here to play politics. I'm here to help."

 

[Talus]

Silence sat in the room. Aldwaith glanced at his companion, looking towards Yarl who was staring swords into Zana's heart. It was clear which one of the two was on Talus' side, and after a few moments he turned towards the other Dreadlord in the room.

"Talus?"​

A breath filled the young man's heart, his fingers flexing on his biceps as he pushed himself off the wall and slowly walked around the edges of the table. Every step was heavy, every fall of his boot seemed to thunder in his ears.

Was this a dream? What were they about to do?

Talus felt himself coming to stand besides Zana, his hands dropping to his side. He had to struggle not to touch her, not to run his fingers through her hair. "I trust Zana with my life."

Aldwaith leaned back in his chair, Yarl leaned forward.

"Do you trust her with the life of your Guardsmen? With Vel Anir? With every fucking man woman and child we're sworn to protect."​

Talus stared hard back at the man. "I do."

"Why? WHY IN THE FUCK WOULD YOU TRUST HER! SHE'S A LUANA! THEY'RE TRAITORS! MANIPULATORS! THEY WOULD TAKE THE WEALTH OF OUR PEOPLE A-"​

Aldwaith shot up a hand, grasping Yarl's arm and pulling him back into his chair.

"I trust her." Talus repeated. "It's been a year since I swore to the Guard. A year of working, building, training. I've accomplished more for the Guard in a year than you've managed in two hundred."

Not strictly true, but close enough and they knew it. Having a Dreadlord had been a massive change for them. "I trust Zana, and I am asking you to trust me."

There was a pause, Aldwaiths hand tightened on Yarl, and slowly the other General sank back into his chair.

"If you think this is the right thing to do...then we'll back you, Talus."​

 

[Zana]

Agony came first.

His hand so close he could have brushed against her. There was a painful need to feel his hand on her cheek but the necklace she wore about her throat was the closest to the kiss of his skin she would get for now.

Pure love came next.

As he spoke the words, felt them resonate down the bond. His trust, complete, full, so pure. Yet for three days amongst her business she had been working to close off her end of this bond to protect him. She didn't deserve it and that crushed her.

Anger was the last.

It was the first time her mask slipped. The chair went scraping back as she stood up when the General began to yell at Talus and a slight crackle of purple energy ran across her fingers. Perhaps a human emotion would make them see, make them understand that she was different.

"Do you think this is easy for me?" Zana's anger was a different beast the heat and fanfare of Yarl. It was cold, it got beneath the skin. "What I am doing here if I am caught will be my death - worse than death," there was still a part of her that wondered whether Luana would kill her or just lock her deep beneath the city and keep her drugged and complacent enough to still have visions. Death would be bliss in comparison.

"I will risk it, I will risk it all because things need to change here," her fingers pressed down into the table to emphasis her point. "I don't need you to like me, and you won't like me if you ever speak to Talus that way again, but I need you to be able to work with me to achieve a future where none of us - your people or mine - are slaves any longer."

 

[Talus]

Yarl stared daggers at Zana, though it was clear that her outburst had at least earned some of his respect. His eyes were fierce, strong, not an ounce of fear running through him as he caught her eyes. The man could have been head to head with a charging Lioness and not blinked a single time.

It was Aldwaith though that mattered in the moment.

The old General wasn't looking at Zana, didn't even offer his companion a glance. Considering gray eyes stared directly at Talus. They were fixed on him, considering him as though something had just occurred to him.

Talus glanced back at him for a moment, his eyes catching.

The two of them were caught for a second, and Talus thought he was about to burst into flames simply from the look the other man offered him.

"It's enough Harkon."​

Aldwaith said the words with a strange sort of calm, and Talus let a small amount of relief wash through the bond. It was a struggle not to reach out to Zana, not to touch her, not to run his hand through her hair and sooth every emotion she felt.

"We Understand the danger to you Zana, and to you Talus. We're not so ignorant of The Houses to think that any of this is...or will be easy. If Talus trusts you, then you have my trust as well."​

He glanced Yarl.

"The Guard welcomes you, and I promise you. As long as you show us respect, we will show the same to you."​

 

[Zana]

Zana had stared down the King of the Dragons who lived beneath the Mountain with nothing more than a song, if this mere man thought he was going to make her back down from this then he was in for a nasty shock. Her green eyes burned with a cold fire as she stared back, held his gaze, challenged it. She wanted him to try and even reach for the blade. The anger crashed through her like a storm. How Talus had spoken of these men and for him to return that loyalty like that?

She stood for a moment longer, her eyes never leaving Yarl even as Aldwaith spoke, even when she felt the relief runt through her from Talus. Then slowly the sting of magic left the air and she sat back down a little heavier than she had before, a little more human like. Finally she tore her eyes from one man to his mirror.

Respect?

Zana couldn't care less.

But Talus did.

She took a breath and then nodded her head in agreement and focused hard on dispelling the anger.

"How can I be of service? What do you know and what do you need to know about me?"

 

[Talus]

Talus stood firmly at Zana's side, never moving, but trying to project a feeling of calm to her.

They had won. Yarl had been the greatest obstacle out of all five of the Guard's leaders. The Admiral had been another to not like the idea, but Ilyena had always held a certain amount of sway with the man. It was Yarl who could have stopped it all.

He had accepted, though whether because of Aldwaith, Talus, or Zana herself he had no idea.

Aldwaith frown for a moment, and then reached down below his chair. He pulled several pieces of parchment and then slowly placed them onto the table. On the first page was a sketch of Zana, and the pieces below would have details of her training, her place in Luana, her connection to Sloan, and a dozen other small details about her.

There was no mention of her futuresight of course.

"This is what we knew of you."​

Talus glanced down at the document, and Zana would be able to feel a sense of surprise through the bond."I didn't think."

"She is a Luana Dreadlord, and a strong one. They all have files."
​

He only frowned.

"We need you to read it and tell us how accurate it is. It will help us gauge how well we have done on the others."​

 

[Zana]

Zana stiffened when she saw the pile of parchment.

The shock through the bond answered her immediate question and for a moment all she could do was stare at the pile with her lips pressed into a thin line. They thought Dreadlords enough of a threat that they had gone to effort to make this. Clearly, they had thought they would at some point need to eliminate one if not all of them. It hurt. She would be lying to say it didn't. Was there anyone in the kingdom that didn't want to use them or kill them? Her discomfort was obvious but slowly she reached forward and pulled the file before her.

The Dreadlord took her time going through it and after a while she asked for a quill and ink and began crossing things out but also adding things in too. She knew Talus was watching over her shoulder. They had a question mark next to who had killed her mother but she scrawled that out and added in Luana. They had her real level wrong. She crossed out Second and replaced with First then filled in the blanks; they were missing her newest abilities and of course her foresight.

The quill hovered as she debated it then finally she wrote it down as her primary power.

There were a few other minor things that she fluffed out like her work with the cavalry, her involvement with Guards beforehand including the sentencing of Lazlo Harkon. It took around ten minutes before she finally pushed it back across the table.

"In fairness, I am one of the harder Dreadlords to figure out."

 

[Talus]

Talus felt his heart skip a beat as she added the foresight.

His lips thinned, and this time his hand actually began to reach for her. It stopped just short of touching, his eyes glancing towards the two Generals for a moment before he continued his palm upward and placed it on the back of Zana's chair.

"Does one of these exist of me?" Talus asked plainly.

"Yes."

The answer came quickly, and Talus felt a spike of pain.

"But it has not been updated since your days at the Academy."​

That did not make him feel any better, nor did the fact that Aldwaith immediately began to read through the papers that Zana had notarized. A frown touched his face, and then utter shock crossed over his features.

"Oh."​

He said quietly, and then Yarl leaned over to read the page he was on. The man's features tightened, and he glanced up at Zana with a look that was a mixture of suspicion and...respect?

"I think we understand a little better now." Aldwaith looked at Talus, then to Zana. A sigh escaped him, a hand coming up to rub his face. "Thank you for your honesty."
​

There was a moment of hesitation, and then Yarl was the one to speak up.

"The people of the Guard are just that, people. We aren't the Houses. We don't have Dreadlords. We don't have Forsaken. We don't lie to the people and have our own Hidden Magics."

Talus frowned at the last comment, not knowing exactly what Yarl meant, but he didn't open his mouth.

"This might seem insidious. Even treasonous, and in truth it is. But to them, we are all Traitors. I will speak candidly, and perhaps that will end with all of us dead, but I am not a man of games. I...we want Vel Anir to be free. Free of the Houses. Free of the King."​

His features hardened.

"Free for the people to choose their own path."​

Zana had expressed that sentiment, and now she would know the Generals shared it.

"If you truly believe in that goal, then...well you'll likely end up in a ditch with the rest of us, but at least you'll know you fought dying for whats right."
​

He paused for a moment, then he finally spoke.

"For now we need you to help Talus. We outmatched, outgunned. We need a way to close that gap. We need the ability to fight back if it comes to that."​

 

[Zana]

Zana shifted in her seat as first Aldwaith read her papers and then Yarl did. The look he gave her she met with a cold stare back. She would probably never like the man but she had just included these two men in a very tiny list of people that didn't even reach ten that knew of her true gifts. It was the biggest thing she could ever do to show her trust and her dedication. It was for that reason her anger began to rise when he poked barbs at her Hidden Magics and the righteousness of the Guards.

Silence stretched out after his little speech and when she spoke it was quietly. There was emotion there but it was not anger.

"Dreadlords are people too," her gaze had been on the papers but they now flicked up to both men. "It seems even you have forgotten that point," she looked away from them and back to the paper, moving the conversation on before either of them could try and defend themselves.

"I would prefer if you burned those, for obvious reasons," if her foresight confession got into the wrong hands she would become one of the most hunted Dreadlords in existence by all sides. She gave a deep sigh and then ran her hands through her hair. "When Talus and I met I had one of these visions. Luana know," she said before they even got the breath to ask. "But I will share all of my visions with you too. This one was of the city being sieged. I do not think it is that far into the future, perhaps a year, but it was very clear that Vel'Anir were not winning," her lips pressed into a thin line. "I believe there's something in the Keep that will help turn the tide but I also believe it is the time the Houses will be the most weak. If we all survive, it will be the best opportunity for the revolution."

 

[Talus]

Aldwaith and Yarl looked at each other for a moment, almost as if thinking of something. After a few seconds Yarl reached beneath the table and pulled out a small waste basket. He placed it on the table, and then threw the documents inside.

"Talus?"​

Aldwaith was the one who said it, motioning towards the papers inside.

Relief flooded over the young Dreadlord for a moment, and he held out a hand as a spell passed through his lips. Fingers snapped, and then a flame crackled into life directly upon the papers. Within seconds they caught fire, burning to ash.

It was a show of goodfaith, one that they clearly meant for Zana.

"Is this why you sent some of our best to join the Royal Guard?"​

Yarl asked, and Talus nodded. "Zana told me some time ago, and I thought it prudent to act before the bureaucracy got in the way."

For a few moments the two Generals were silent, but eventually they both nodded in agreement with his decision.

"We will prepare for this, but...the plan does not change. We do our best to break into the Keep, meanwhile we need you and Talus to train the Guard as best you can. No matter how weak the Houses, things will be bloody."​

As Aldwaith spoke one could hear the genuine pain in his voice. It was clear he did not want civil war, did not want to fight.

Yet he would to save his people. "I believe Zana and I will be able to effectively train members of the Guard. Her magic is...far more advanced than my own, and I believe it will be of great assistance."

He glanced at her for a moment, sending warmth through the bond before he turned back towards the generals.

 

[Zana]

Zana watched the fire and gave the tiniest of respectful nods towards the two Generals in recognition of what they had done. She could feel Talus' relief, the young Dreadlord clearly had far more faith in the show between the other two, but she kept any expression from her face. In truth she wasn't sure what she felt about it. There was still a part of her reeling from the fact they had these reports on Dreadlords - was Sloan and Flor included in that? The thought she would one day have to face them made her feel physically ill.

A certain amount of wariness crept into her features when they spoke of training.

"My House are going to be watching me very closely in the public eye here... I was told to assimilate but," she took a breath. "My training methods are most likely to be far more brutal than Talus'," she glanced up to Talus and then pressed her lips into a thin line as if considering something before returning her gaze back to the two Generals opposite her.

"I..." How best to explain this? She shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Being human is a new... experience still. I am learning," her eyes rested on her hands in front of her. It was painful admission. "I will offer an apology now that if something I do is not what your people would deem... Acceptable. But if your men are going to fight Dreadlords they need to be used to that. There are very few of us who would not even blink to be given an order to kill the Guard."

It was probably not a truth they wanted aired but it needed to be said.

 

[Talus]

"We know."​

Talus tensed slightly. The topic was a sensitive one, and was one of the primary reasons that all of this was necessary. By and large, most of his fellow Dreadlords did not care for the lives of the regular soldiery. They were canon fodder, faceless meat shields.

He had even heard rumors of Dreadlords killing guardsmen, slaughtering their own soldiers to keep a secret or for whatever other sick purpose. The Generals knew the place they held in many minds of the Mages of Vel Anir.

"The men Talus has been training, that you'll be training, all know what they're getting into. Each one has been vetted and volunteered."​

Talus had taken them far, but he could only do so much.

"Just don't kill any of them, and there won't be a problem."
​

He wondered briefly if the Generals knew what they had just unleashed on their men. Talus was hard, he'd broken bones, snapped fingers, even landed a few in the hospital. But Zana? Zana would be something else entirely.

Still, none of the soldiers had quit so far, and he was hoping that would stay true.