Private Tales Read between the lines

[Zana]

Zana begun to laugh as he spoke but she said no word to the contrary; this was the best holiday she had ever had. Karak had been different, like she had been taken home to see Talus' family. Here... Here was for them. Nobody knew them. Nobody cared who or what they were as long as they had coins. She was slightly more prepared this time for the yank onto his lap and she settled with her knees either side of his hip on the smooth rocky ledge he was sitting on.

Their kiss was sweet joy and Zana was soon drunk on it. Her eyes shut, her heart hammered against her chest and her pulse quickened as his hands roamed over her. When it came to her own hands they started against his chest then slid up to his shoulders. Her arms wrapped about his neck and she pushed herself flush against his whole body.

"Best vacation, so far," Zana added when they broke for air.

 

[Talus]

"So far." Talus said with a broad smile, fingers slowly dancing over her skin as she pressed herself against him.

He felt her arms loop around his neck, and through the bond he could feel the excitement growing in her core. A smile touched his lips, and for a brief moment Talus simply allowed himself to experience the lingering joy of that moment.

There had been many such with her already.

Their time together at the cabin. The trip to Karak. Some of the nights spent in her townhouse just sitting at the kitchen table. All of them had been like this. Small serene moments that a decade ago he could never even have hoped for.

"I love you." He said softly. "With every fiber of my being."

 

[Zana]

"I know," her lips traced a smile across her face and she littered his face in kisses. Zana would always know, and for that she would be forever thankful for what Talus had created between them. It gave her the security no matter where she was or what was happening to her. She would never be alone again. She took his hand in hers and then pressed it to her chest over her heart.

"I love you too," always would, until her dying breath. "You are my whole heart, Talus," Zana smiled and with her free hand she trailed her fingers over his cheek. For a moment all she could do was stare with wonderment and love in her eyes as she tried to wrap her head around the fact he was hers.

"I don't think I'll ever get over this feeling," her lips curved up into a smile.

 

[Talus]

A breath filled him as he opened his eyes and listened to the sweet sound of her words. He could feel his heart thunder in his chest, his fingers tightening on her skin slightly as he looked up at her and watched the smile curve on her lips.

He knew that everything she said was true. He could feel it through the bond, the honesty, the rightness of her words. It made him want to jump up for joy and dance like a fool. "I'll make sure that you never do."

In that moment he wished he'd thought to bring his satchel, wished that he'd thought to take the ring.

Teeth pulled over his lower lip for one brief moment, and he quickly banished the thought to make sure she would not get any flashes of his plan.

Instead his hands tightened on her body and he pulled her tight against himself, his lips meeting hers in a deep and passionate kiss.

 

[Zana]

It felt like a dream.

Steam rose from the pool and hid the world from them and they from the world. In their little bubble of solitude, Zana lost herself in him. She lost herself in the dreams of their future together, she lost herself in the thoughts of a world where she wouldn't constantly be looking over her shoulder for murderers and assassins. Their children would be able to grow up and decide their own paths, she and Talus would be able to pick new paths.

His lips were the key to that stream of thoughts and Zana gave up the willpower to resist. Her lean body pressed flush to his even as he urged her closer and she took her time with every little taste of him. Every little touch...

It could have been hours or it could have been minutes that they stayed like that. Their kisses soft and gentle, their touches reverent against one another's flesh.

 

[Talus]

He had no idea how long they stayed in the spring with their bodies flush against one another and their lips locked in place. It seemed a dream in it of itself, the heat surrounding them, the fog shrouding and tucking them away on the side of the mountain.

Talus knew it was real this time.

He could feel the bond wrap tightly around him, could feel Zana's heat even as they swam within the stream. There was something calming about it all, something that made him want to close his eyes and just drift away into a new life.

It would have been so easy to leave everything behind, to just never go back home. He was tempted, oh so very tempted. His hands slowly drew over Zana, and then finally they pulled away from each other.

Talus wasn't entirely sure how he got there, but he found himself sitting on the edge of the spring with his legs still dangling in the waters below. A smile touched his face, the cool winds not even touching his body. "You know what they say about this place?"

He asked softly.

"Legend has it the volcano was formed when the Fire-giants god fell from the heavens." He smiled. "That his corpse still smoulders beneath the earth and that's what makes all this heat."

Talus wasn't sure about all that, but he liked the story.

 

[Zana]

Zana had stayed within the pool itself but her head was resting on his lap with her eyes closed, fingers absentmindedly brushing over his thighs as she did so. The knots in her back had gone and she was enjoying the sense of utter calm the pool was providing. She almost wondered whether the visions would touch her sleep if she were to doze here. When he spoke she raised her head sleepily and gave him a slow smile and a shake of the head. The story was not one she had heard for this place, but it was one she had heard before - Gods being the source of magic in Arethil.

"I've heard it is a belief amongst some people, far from these lands," her fingers continued to trail up and over his thigh before resting on his hip. "Perhaps we will find out more tomorrow on our historical day of exploring?" she pressed a kiss to just below his naval.

 

[Talus]

"Maybe." He considered for a few seconds as he let his hand slowly float through her hair.

A question formed in his mind.

"What do you think of that?" Most Dreadlords, actually he was pretty sure all Dreadlords, were atheists. There was no worship in Vel Anir, at least not openly. He knew that some cults still existed despite the best efforts of the Houses. "Gods, I mean."

He and Zana had never really talked about it before. He imagined that her beliefs were much the same as his, but who could really know. "I've never really thought about it much...but I mean I can see and turn into a ghost so..."

Talus was generally not one for theology or philosophy.

 

[Zana]

"I do not believe," Zana's voice was quite firm on the matter, a remnant of her indoctrination perhaps, though it didn't sound as though she would begrudge another for holding such thoughts. In fact she looked perfectly serene at the topic of conversation and that she was paying much more attention to Talus' hands through her hair which had come undone at some point during their long kisses.

"But," she said suddenly though her eyes were half shut like a cat enjoying a scratch behind the ears. "I believe there are people out there with more magic and abilities that a human can comprehend and they dubbed them Gods," that was far more believable to her than some being actually having an interest in their lives. If any such creature existed she thought they would have much better things to do with their time, and if they did pay attention to the world, they would have a lot more to be getting on with than worrying about what was happening in an unmarried couples bed.

 

[Talus]

The answer was one that made an exceeding amount of sense to Talus, it was also one that he had never once considered. "Huh."

His fingers softly floated over her hair with an absent mind. A smile touched his face for a brief moment.

"You are my Goddess." Talus said quietly. "So I suppose that makes quite a bit of sense."

Between the two of them Zana's magic was far more powerful than his own, at least Talus thought so. An argument could have been made probably, but Talus was not the one to ever make it. She had proven the truth to him beyond any doubt.

Slowly he leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "I wonder if they'll have any abilities."

Talus said, obviously speaking of their kids.

 

[Zana]

"Two Dreadlords for parents? It would statistically be a low chance of them not having them," Zana spoke with her usual practicality on such matters indicating she had clearly given the matter a large amount of thought. She chewed on her bottom lip as she replayed some of the visions she had seen of the future but in none of them had she ever glimpsed their magics. Her snatches of the future in regards to them had always been happy moments, normal moments.

Her hand floated to her stomach subconsciously, her thumb stroking over the lines of muscle.

"Probably a good thing our home is going to be far away from anyone else," a soft laugh escaped her, the slight marring of her brow disappearing like clouds before the sun.

 

[Talus]

Statistically.

Big word. Talus thought to himself with a smile. Slowly letting his fingers drift over her as he thought about what the future might hold for them. Excitement drifted through the bond. "You think they will be strong?"

He supposed that it would make sense. Zana was powerful, and Talus himself was no slouch. Their magics were unique, and though he had no idea if that effected ones children, he couldn't help but somewhat hope that it did.

"I don't..." He frowned. "I don't think I care if I'm honest."

Not that he thought Zana would. "As long as we can make them happy. They don't even need magic."

He would be proud no matter what.

 

[Zana]

Zana's hand left her stomach and came to rest across his lap as she folded her arms and rested her head there, tilted up to gaze up at him. A smile flirted with her lips as he spoke and she found herself nodding in agreement; their happiness was the most important thing to her too.

"I think... I would be able to tell how strong they are when I am pregnant with them," she had not been around many pregnant Dreadlords but it had been something she had been told before. "Sloan once told me that sometimes children who are very gifted can exhibit their gifts from within the womb," it would mean she would have to be careful if that happened - if their child exhibited gifts she couldn't explain as her own the game would be over before it even had a chance to get underway.

 

[Talus]

Talus nodded. "Whatever their gifts."

He mused to himself.

"We'll teach them the best we can." Zana could see the future, but there were things even she missed sometimes. The thought brought him a small amount of mirth. The idea that there was something neither of them could be able to tell.

His hand slowly floated through her hair in a soft touch.

"I can't wait to find out." Talus said as he leaned down and kissed her. "No matter what their gifts."

 

[Zana]

"Me neither," Zana sighed blissfully as their lips parted. Her eyes were getting heavy with the tiredness she was now feeling from their day of travelling and even for her the warmth of the water was beginning to get a little too much. When her stomach began to loudly complain she decided it was probably time they should get going to find somewhere to eat.

"Food?" she said hopefully, though knew full well Talus would never, ever say no to eating. Her eyes cast around for the bikini she had let drift off some time ago.

 

[Talus]

"More S'mores?" Talus asked with a wide smile, knowing that the answer would probably never be no.

His arms wrapped around her, and with a gentle tug he helped pull her from the waters of the spring.

They would have to make it down the mountainside in order to get a proper meal, but on their way Talus had seen dozens of restaurants and the like. The food had all been rather...strange, but that was what they were here for after all.

Sampling the local fair. "Or something proper?"

He asked her, smile turning to smirk.

 

[Zana]

Zana's cheeks heated somewhat but she couldn't help smiling as he teased her over her latest obsession. It was a change from when he was the one drooling over food. She had been just about to reach for her top when Talus had pulled her out of the springs and into his lap, his hands running over her bare skin. The sudden change in temperature was a shock but not unpleasantly so, though she still used it as an excuse to wriggle close to him for warmth.

"I think one of the restaurants on our way back down, then we can go curl up in that big bed. Tomorrow we can go somewhere fancy, I should be able to find something nice for you to wear on our history tour," Zana winked.

 

[Talus]

"That sounds good to me." He smiled at the thought of laying in the massive bed back at the hotel. Before long he and Zana would have such a thing themselves, though he was still not entirely sure that it would actually fit into his cabin. Not unless he built another addition.

The thought sprouted for a moment, and then wisped away. "If I can move tomorrow."

Talus joked quietly.

"Right now I feel like I want to melt into a puddle." He had absolutely no idea how much time they had actually spent in that spring, but his body was so relaxed Talus wasn't entirely sure he would even make it down the mountain.

His lips pressed against her cheek, arms drawing over her with soft touches.

 

[Zana]

"Mm..." was the only response Zana could muster to Talus' comment. Her own limbs felt like they were melted butter and she would have been content to stay there forever if it had meant that she could always feel this relaxed. When was the last time that muscle in her back hadn't hurt? She only noticed due to its sudden absence.

For a while she let herself enjoy just laying against him, the slightly cool breeze against her back and the contrasting heat of his body beneath her. Then her stomach growled again and she admitted defeat. With considerable effort she pushed herself off of his lap and motioned towards her swimwear. The top and bottoms floated out of the springs with as much energy as Zana felt she had, before she tugged them on, dried herself off with a small spell, then donned the simple dress she had worn over the top.

"Come on lazy bones," she nudged him with her foot. "Those smores aren't going to eat themselves."

 

[Talus]

Talus made some small grumbling noises, shifting his weight and eventually peeling himself off the smooth rock that occupied the space all around the spring. A small sigh escaped him, lips pursing for a moment as he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Need to get one of these." He murmured quietly to himself as he pulled his legs free of the spring and climbed up.

His own clothes were donned with a bit less care than Zana showed. He didn't bother drying off, and both his shorts and the shirt he clambered on showed small wet spots where the water had still pooled on his body. Talus didn't seem to mind though, and as he grabbed the rest of her things an arm was slipped around her.

"I bet we could make those at home you know." Talus told Zana. "I've read a spell that lets you control lava flows."

Granted, it was probably far above his own abilities but...they could try it.

Talus didn't even think that a regular fire might be enough for melting some marshmallows and chocolate.

 

[Zana]

Zana began to laugh as they walked, her head resting against his shoulder.

"Or, we could just put them in an oven," she teased. All it required was melting the ingredients after all, they could even do it over a campfire to get more of the smokey taste. "But it won't be the same," because it was the experience that was what added to the flavour; who she was with, the place, the time of day even. All of it added to the memory she would think of every time she bit into one of them in the future.

They walked back past the other springs, groups and couples coming into hazy focus as they drew near before fading once more, protected by the spring mists. There was such a sense of calm here Zana was loathe to leave it but soon their feet took them back down the steps towards the city. Restaurants and odd shops were dotted along the side of the walkway. Zana stopped when they came to one she had spied on her way up that had their seating out around the rim of a small lava lake.

One of the waiters met them at a small pedestal on which was a large book. He glanced up and smiled warmly at the pair as they approached.

"Table for two?" he picked up two menus and glanced between the two. Zana glanced to Talus with a raised eyebrow as if to ask whether he was happy eating there.

 

[Talus]

"I'll make you a tiny volcano." And probably blow up half their cabin in the attempt of doing it, but at least he would get to see her smile.

That would be worth it.

As they walked Talus peered around them. In the back of his mind, far, far from the bond he was still scouting a location in which to hold his proposal. So far he had picked out the mountainside, though he was not entirely sure what excuse he could have to drag Zana up there.

He wanted it to be a special moment, something shared between just the two of them. These springs were far too crowded, as was the restaurant that they stepped up to. When she looked back at him with a look of raised eyebrow a spike of fear shot through him.

Did she know?

No.

No she was just asking him something else. His shoulders shrugged. "Seems perfect to me."

Talus said with a bit of a rasped tone, quickly following behind the waiter before Zana could ask him any questions.

 

[Zana]

There was a flicker of confusion across her face and through the bond as he strode ahead after the waiter. It was like he was feeling... guilty for something. Hiding something. The confusion transformed her smile into a frown, brows drawing down slightly and lips pursing as she tried to figure out what exactly he could possibly be feeling guilty about. She got nothing through the bond and that frustrated her more; whatever it was he was intentionally hiding it from her.

The waiter took them through another black building and then back out to the lava pool Zana had spotted earlier. It transpired it was actually a platform right over the edge with only a rope between them and the lava below but everyone moved with confidence. That was when she caught the ever so slight shimmer of a spell; like her magic there was a dome over the top of the platform keeping the temperature pleasant inside. It explained why nobody was sweating sitting so close to open fire.

Their table was right at the edge affording them a wonderful view and Zana eagerly picked up the menu when the waiter left to give them a few moments.

"I hear they do something called a ... a BBQ..."

 

[Talus]

Talus raised an eyebrow. "A B....B....Q."

He sounded out the letters and shook his head. Talus was not entirely sure how his wonderful love had so much knowledge about food in her mind, but he was more than thankful for it.

With her at his side he was pretty sure that he would never in his life go hungry or for a want of knowledge of what sort of dish had been put in front of him.

For a brief second the young Dreadlord looked at the Menu, frowning and then shaking his head.

"Let's just have everything." He told her with a wide smirk. "You can roll me back to the hotel."

 

[Zana]

"Why do I have to be the one doing the rolling?" Zana laughed. She was pretty sure she was about to put Talus to shame when it came to eating. Her eyes slowly ran over the menu as she took in everything that was on offer and then tapped something specifically.

"Well, what about the BBQ shared platter, it looks like it has a bit of everything and it says it's enough food to feed a Fire Giant. So that should just about satisfy you," a faint whisper of a smile traced its way over her face and there was a teasing light to her eyes. Underneath the table her leg slowly ran up the outside of his and she held his gaze even as the Waiter came back to take their order. As he looked between the two of them he smiled.

"You two lovebirds enjoying your stay up here?"