Private Tales Read between the lines

[Zana]

Two, if their suspicions about who Nassau was working with was correct. Zana shuddered. Adelaide had been the stuff of nightmares when she was an initiate, she didn't want to think about that lunatic being loose in the world. She sat down on the couch and curled into Talus, glass resting on the curve of her thigh.

"For us maybe, but for those kids? I don't know... I think they might take it into their head this training will make them enough to take him on on their own," and whilst she saw potential in all of them there was no way a child would be able to take down an Archon. Sloan had died doing it and Zana had barely lived. She shook her head and combed a hand through her hair.

"I think in six months they'll be ready. It just depends if Nassau blesses us with that amount of time. Have the dragons reported anything whilst I've been gone?"

 

[Talus]

Talus sighed. "Not sure if it's better to take on an Archon, or a whole nation."

He said softly, tapping gently against the table besides them as he considered.

When he'd first defied the way of Vel Anir, when he'd sworn to the Guard...things had changed. He'd been eighteen then, he'd made his choice and had known what it would cause. What right did he have to deny these kids that same chance?

They had suffered as much as he had. They had grown as much as he had. They were young, they were angry, and they had every right to do as they wanted.

Even if it would get most of them killed.

"Nothing of note." Talus said, breaking away from the grim thought. "There was something near Molthal, but it wasn't our concern."

He frowned for a brief moment, then continued. "Least that was what they said."

Talus hadn't pressed, Zana had a better relationship with the upstart lizards.

 

[Zana]

Zana frowned.

"I'll ask Azhrak the next time he comes - hello my angels," and just like that thoughts of war and politics was gone as the twins rushed over to their parents apparently bored with whatever game they had been playing. She reached down and pulled her son into her lap, covering his face in kisses whilst Lyra clambered into her fathers lap. She let out a deep sigh and with it let go of the stress and worry. Her children were safe and at the end of the day that was all that mattered.

"I think it might be time for cookies, don't you?" Both children nodded eagerly. "Would you like to help me bake them?" An even more excited set of nodding. Zana laughed and stood, balancing one child on her hip.

"Let's bake cookies then."

 

[Talus]

Cookies were baked, fun was had, and two days later Talus was still rebuilding the porch.

"I just would like to know where the damned thing went." Talus lamented, his fingers pinching at the bridge of his nose.

He remembered the design of the porch well enough, having built the first one, but it was proving somewhat difficult...getting it back the right way. The wood which had not been...removed had bent and shifted over time, now anything he tried to do looked off and uneven.

Something he despised. "If I could just use the old wood..."

Talus made a strangled noise.

"Ach." He waved his hand at Zana. "What if I just put on an entirely new porch?"

At this rate it'd be easier.

 

[Zana]

Zana was sprawled on the porch swing with one of her romance books open on her lap. Dressed in a white summer dress with a straw hat on and nothing on her feet she was a far cry from the Dreadlord who had returned home a few days prior. She glanced up from beneath the rim of her hat with a finger on the page she had just been reading. The twins had fallen asleep an hour ago curled up with Grey after spending the morning pretending to be direwolves.

"You know... my grandmother said she remembered her grandfather being able to make things vanish. She said it was a magic trick, but now I wonder if it was real..." she glanced at the missing porch thoughtfully then back to Talus.

"I can make the rest of it go, if you wish it love."

 

[Talus]

"Magic has to come from some where." Talus said with a nod, reaching up to mop some of the sweat from his brow.

They still weren't entirely sure where the twins got every piece of magic that they used. Though things were slowly starting to narrow down. After a few months of actual study, some patterns began to emerge, and that was rather helpful.

"But no." Talus said with a sigh. "Then I'd just be doing twice the work."

Perhaps with half the aggravation, but still. "I just have to figure out how to put it all together is all."

Which meant sitting down and finally doing the math of it. It would have been easier in a way just to get rid of it all and start over, but that meant carrying, cutting, and moving all the lumber and it was...bah. Talus tossed down the hammer and shook his head. "Fuck it."

He swore, it being okay with the twins sleeping. "I'll do it tomorrow."

It was too hot to work today anyway.

 

[Zana]

Zana gave a quiet chuckle and stood up, careful not to disturb the children sleeping on the floor by her feet. Stepping over to him she leaned up on the tips of her toes and pressed a kiss to his lips.

"Why don't we go for a swim? Do you remember the lake we hiked to when i was pregnant with the twins?" She glanced in their direction but they showed no signs of hearing them sound asleep in Greys fur.

"It's not too far."

 

[Talus]

"Practically right around the corner." Talus said, offering the porch one more weary eye for good measure.

Briefly he once again wished that his magic had a more practical application. There were men out there who could simply grow a goddamns porch. Walking through it as a ghost wasn't exactly going to get the damned thing built now was it?

He sighed, and then nodded.

"Let's go for a swim." Talus agreed. "Maybe we can even go by ourselves."

The former Dreadlord said, taking a peek over towards Grey.

 

[Zana]

Zana turned too to look at Grey who was watching the pair with pricked ears. Sensing what it was they were asking, the direwolf let out a great sigh and put his head on those giant paws in resignation. In two steps Zana was crouched before him pressing a thankful kiss to that great head of his. If there were any troubles that the wards did not alert them to first, then Grey was more than enough to defend the twins.

Or maybe the twins would defend the wolf...

"Let's go," she grinned to her husband and grabbed his hand.

 

[Talus]

There was little doubt in his mind that the twins would be just fine on their own.

Having built their own home, Zana and Talus had suffused their farm with so many defensive wards that it was practically a fortress. Neither of them were particularly skilled in the use of such magics, but they'd had more than a few hands helping them.

Even without Gray the twins would have been more than safe. "Oh yes."

Talus said with a wide grin, breaking off in a sprint.

His arms came up quickly around his beloved wife. Sweeping beneath her legs and scooping her up and off the ground. Within the span of a breath both of them seemed to snap into the odd ghostly form Talus took on with his magics, their wightly forms lingering for only a second before the two Dreadlords took off in a sprint.

Around them the world seemed to drag, but what would have been a small hike turned into nothing more than quick leaping strides.

Sand kicking up only a few moments later as Zana and Talus came crashing back into reality upon the lakeside beach.

 

[Zana]

Zana waited for the typical nausea to come - perhaps even to be actually sick given she was with child - when they snapped back into existence but... it didn't come. Instead she felt giddy, almost joyful. A feeling she did not believe was really her own. Her hand grazed the curve of her stomach once he set her down on the ground before angling her head up towards him.

"I think... the babe enjoys phase walking," she mused and glanced once more down to her stomach. Even with the twins she had felt sick when phase-walking. In fact, it had been even worse when she had been pregnant with them. She took his hand and pressed it to the swell of her stomach where the baby kicked frantically.

 

[Talus]

Talus smirked wide. "Maybe this one will have a magic we won't have to guess at."

What a blessing that would be.

He still wasn't entirely sure that their decision to have another child so soon after just starting to understand the twins magic was a good idea. His thumb slowly stroked over his beloved wife's skin, head shaking ever so slightly.

"Well." Talus said, looking up at Zana. "Not that it matters."

The most powerful sorcerers in the history of Arethil, or the simplest of ordinary folk. Talus didn't particularly care which his children would turn out to be, as long as they were happy. "But it would be nice not to have to rebuild the porch every few months..."

Talus said, trailing off as he leaned down and softly pressed his lips against Zana's.

 

[Zana]

"I'm not sure I could cope with a toddler who can phasewalk," Zana murmured against his lips after they pulled apart. In fact, the idea made her feel positively sick. No more than the thought of her Twins and the magic they possessed did though. Perhaps this was just what it was to be a parent, that constant fear. She let out a breath and turned to look at the lake.

"Come on, I'm sweltering," she complained and tugged her summer dress up and over her head, glancing over her shoulder to see his reaction when he realised she had been wearing nothing beneath all morning. Then, with a wicked smile, she jumped into the lake.

 

[Talus]

He smiled as she murmured. "At least it's more predictable."

Was any magic?

Even their own powers had surprised them. It was a lie for anyone to say they truly understood the Arcane.

Though, all such thoughts almost immediately dropped away as Zana gently pushed him away, tugging her sundress over her head. His eyebrows rose in slow appreciation, the view of his beloved like that of the dawn even after the years they had spent together.

As she turned and ran towards the lake, Talus smiled wide.

"Well." He said to himself as he began to strip off his clothes. "Don't have to tell me twice."

The former Dreadlord said as he followed after his wife.

 

[Zana]

Zana laughed as her husband clambered in and she struck out for the middle of the lake. The cool water was refreshing after the almost oppressive heat; she had expected living near the mountains to be cooler year round but it seemed they would be blessed with hot summers as much as harsh winters. At least their lands came with pools and lakes like this one where - when the kids were old enough - they could spend whole days as a family.

Family. The word still filled her with joy.

Reaching the middle of the lake she hauled herself up onto the jutting rock now warm from the sun. It was pleasant on her skin after the cooler waters and she gave a soft sigh as she stretched out.

"Have your dwarven kin told you when they're next planning to visit? I might need to buy the whole market."

 

[Talus]

Talus swam out behind Zana, the steady beat of his arms sending gentle rippling waves through the expanse of the lake.

Unlike his beloved, the former Dreadlord did not pull himself onto the rock. Instead he remained within the coolness of the waves, allowing his body to enjoy the quiet calm of the lake water. Resting some of the tension that had formed from being half-hunched over all morning.

"I'm not sure." He mused. "The last I heard was another letter, suggesting that perhaps we might be more comfortable in the Manor..."

Talus chuckled.

Their Dwarven relations had often hinted, asked, and more than once begged for Talus and Zana to move themselves and the family to the Hold. Often pointing out that they could have babysitters any time they pleased!

An offer, that Zana and Talus had so far rejected. Knowing just how overbearing Vorak and the others would probably be.

"So we may have to watch for kidnappings. Our own included." He said with a chuckle.

 

[Zana]

Zana laughed too.

"I wouldn't mind it," she admitted, keeping her eyes closed to enjoy the rays of sun on every inch of skin. It was a conversation they had had several times often when the dwarves visited or after they had left. How easy it would be to slip into their society and become a part of it. In the months leading up to the revolution when they had found out she was pregnant, Talus had practically threatened to lock her in the mines himself.

"But I would miss the warmth of the sun living beneath the mountains."

 

[Talus]

Talus smiled. "Me too"

He admitted.

As much as he enjoyed the depths of the mountains, the luxury of his adopted families home...there was something freeing about being here. About living within their own house, a house they had built together. One where their children were growing and experiencing...well, life.

The life that neither of them got to have.

A frown touched his lips for a brief moment, his hand reaching out to gently graze over Zana's skin. Softly he drew his fingers over her.

"But." Talus started slowly. "Maybe for a little while...until all of this trouble is over."

He looked at her, the concern in his eyes and the bond clear. "What do you think?"

Talus asked softly, either searching for reassurance, or a yes.

 

[Zana]

Zana let one eye crack open just a slit.

"You always ask me this when I'm pregnant," of course, the last time she had been pregnant they had been trying to hide it from a system that would have locked her in some unmarked tower until she had given birth then taken the children as their own prizes. Her heart still clenched at the idea. This time, she wanted to enjoy the journey safe in the knowledge there was no danger. Beyond, of course, her own adventuring.

With a sigh she rolled onto her side and pressed a hand to his cheek, letting her thumb brush a droplet of water away.

"If an Nassau could find us here, he could find us under the mountain too. If we go there, we could get them all killed. At least this way the children have somewhere safe to run to."

 

[Talus]

Talus was about to open his mouth and argue that a mountain full of dwarfs and dragons could put up one hell of a fight, and then decided against it.

He could see from the spark in Zana's eye that there was no winning this particular argument. As much as he might have wanted the extra safety and security...and babysitting nights, there wasn't any continuing down this road.

Not right now anyway. "Okay, my love."

Talus said, knowing that in the end his wife wasn't exactly wrong. His children were safe here. The wards they had woven around this mountain rivaled those of some of the great Anirian fortresses. His extended family had seen to that.

They had taken months to erect the runestones which sat in place upon their little mountain.

"But I get an extra blowjob out of this." He said, before laughing and splashing Zana with water.

 

[Zana]

Zana's laugh came out as more of a snort and with the barest lick of her power she brought up a wave to come crashing down over Talus' head, earning her a few seconds to scramble to her feet to escape his retaliation. The game lasted almost an hour before the two Dreadlords admitted a stalemate and clambered back out of the lake panting before making their way back home.

When they arrived the twins were wide awake again... and playing with the tail of the black and gold dragon who had slumbered beneath the mountains. His ancient eyes swung to Talus and Zana as they reappeared and a sense of amusement rolled over them both at their sodden state.

YOUR CHILDREN ARE VERY LUCKY THEY ARE TOO SMALL TO WARRANT EATING.

He huffed even as the toddlers clambered up the spines.

 

[Talus]

Talus couldn't help the tension that flickered through him.

Dragons were creatures that could not, and should not be underestimated. They were not monsters, did not function on whims. Not from his experience anyway, but that didn't make them any less dangerous. He watched wearily as they descended, the Dragon greeting them with that rumble in it's throat.

The Rogue Dreadlord's eyes flickered almost immediately towards the twins, watching them with no small amount of paranoia. "Ah, I have a feeling they'd be more trouble than they're worth digesting."

Talus said with a chuckle.

With magic like theirs, he wouldn't want them in his stomach.

"When last we spoke, I thought there was no news." He called, the great Dragon's presence here clearly indicating something had changed.

 

[Zana]

"Azhrak," Zana inclined her head politely to the dragon who dipped his head slightly in return; an honour in and of itself. She smiled then glanced to her children, oblivious as to whom and what they climbed upon. Sensing her husbands rising panic she squeezed his hand between hers in reassurance.

WE HAVE FOUND THE DRAGON CURSER.

Zana stiffened. Dragon curser was the name the dragon kin had taken to calling Nassau after the last few bodies of their brethren they had found. According to Azhrak it was as though a disease had killed them from the inside out, leaving them a vessel for something darker to fester in. A parasite that could control a dragon and all its mite. She still struggled not to shudder now.

HE HAS ONE OF OUR SISTERS IN HIS SNARE. WE MUST FREE HER.

 

[Talus]

Talus stiffened even further somehow almost as soon as the Dragon spoke.

He had known the moment the Dragon came into sight that it would be something like this. The guess had come at the back of his mind, but he'd known. There was really no other reason for the great beast to be here, and though he'd dreaded the words...a part of him felt relief.

There had always been a chance that they would never even find Nassau. The man was a damned genius, and he'd cloaked himself well. The Fact that the Dragons had managed to find him was a wonder, and Talus knew they had to capitalize on it.

"We have to go..." His gaze flickered to Zana. "There's no telling how long he'll be the-."

Lips pressed to a line. His head spinning as a realization struck him.

They weren't ready.

The Initiate's weren't, the Guard contingent had barely been put together much less had any training, and Nassau could...shit. No. Nassau was already powerful, he'd treated him and Zana like children. Talus wasn't scared of the man, but he knew his own capabilities, his wives.

This wouldn't happen. Not until they were ready. "It's suicide."

Fuck.

Fuck fuck fuck.

"We can't." He said, countermanding himself. Shaking his head and looking at Zana.

"We can't." Eyes darted up to the Great Dragon. "We're not ready."

 

[Zana]

The dragons lips peeled back from his teeth showing row upon row of razor sharp canines.

"We have to be," Zana said softly before the dragon spoke or unleashed whatever wrath had been heading Talus way. She turned to step in front of her husband, cupping his cheeks and forcing him to focus on her. Their twins still played, laughing and delighting in their game. She held onto that sound. Let it ground her and strength her. "We might not have to face him directly; the last dragon he left unattended, remember? It might be easy for us to get her out - especially with their help," she glanced over her shoulder to the dragon who had stopped baring his teeth.

Lyra had made it up to the dragons wings, Saint give her strength.

"Let's scout. Perhaps even just observing may give us some clues, some upper hand, for the task ahead." If they could determine if Nassau was indeed not working alone... That information alone was worth the risk.