Private Tales Read between the lines

[Zana]

Zana was enjoying the little back and forth though his recital of one of the great playwrights the Proctors pushed her over the edge into fits of laughter. She was distracted enough with the issue of staying afloat whilst her sides hurt from laughing so much that he was able to reach her with no fight at all. The water was her enemy as it parted for her to glide seamlessly to rest against his body. Her arms looped loosely about his shoulders and his neck as she played her fingers through his wet hair.

"I love you," the words felt so right to say in that moment as she gazed into eyes as blue as the crystal waters they swam in. She turned her face ever so slightly at an angle before her lips found his for a deep and slow kiss.

 

[Talus]

Lips pressed against hers, arms wrapped tightly around her as he used his feet to stay afloat. "I love you too."

He said softly as their lips parted.

As she spoke the words he didn't just hear them, he felt them. Talus still didn't know how. Still didn't really understand, but he knew in that moment the words she said ran to her very core. The depth of it was unimaginable, and he couldn't help but grin wider and wider.

Talus had never doubted the words when she'd spoken them, never even thought of such a thing. Yet feeling it was something utterly and completely different.

His thumb slowly stroked over her skin, and he tried to return every ounce of that same emotion.

 

[Zana]

Zana was still wholly oblivious to what had happened to them both last night. The change. The connection made on a level she couldn't even see without his aid. The extra emotions she was feeling that felt so other she was chalking up to the odd wave of new powers that she had discovered in the throws of passion last night. It hadn't escaped her attention that it was not just the energy manipulation that had developed but her telekinesis too. She had pinned him down controlling his own body, had managed to push him off of her in a similar manner too. The Proctors had always said they thought that was where her powers were heading but she hadn't thought to discover them whilst fighting to ride her partner into oblivion.

"It is nice to see you so happy," she gave him another kiss - a fleeting one this time - before she rested her forehead against his. "I like making you happy."

 

[Talus]

Talus smiled, his eyes closing as for a few seconds they simply floated there in one another's embrace.

Was this what life could have been like? Was this how they could have spent every day? It seemed like a dream, something conjured up by an illusionist to show him just what a perfect world could have been. Fingers touched her skin, as if he had to test that she was actually real.

"Only you can." He said softly.

The words were a shattering truth. Nothing else had ever brought him to such heights. Nothing before had ever brought him such exhilaration and sheer joy.

Just her smile was enough to light up his entire world. "I never want to be without you. I never want to have to think about where you might me."

His fingers caressed her skin, Talus not knowing that he'd already received that gift the very night before.

 

[Zana]

"I know," she closed her eyes and gently ran her nose up the side of his before placing a kiss on his cheek. He didn't have to explain why she felt the same, or perhaps she was simply feeling what he was and interpreting it as her own. Her mind drifted to the fact that tomorrow they would be over half way through the week they had together and her mood dipped a little. She didn't want it to sour her mood though so she pushed them to the side.

"One day," her fingers roved further up into his hair. "I'm going to be able to wake up every morning next to you, make sure you never have to eat that gruel again," her lips lifted in a half smile then gave his other cheek another quick kiss. "And I'm going to curl in in that window seat and read to you," she kissed his nose. "As you make things to sell," another kiss. "And we can live in peace and quiet."

 

[Talus]

"One day." Talus said in a quiet promise to them both. He did not know how long it would take, how long he would have to fight, but he wanted it. From the very depths of his soul he wanted it more than anything else.

His fingers drifted over her skin, his lips met hers, and for a few minutes he simply reveled in her. The sound of her voice was like music, a soft dulcet tone that could have calmed even the most violent storm.

"Lets..." He took a soft breath. "Make our way back up that cliff."

The words were a little more than just a suggestion.

 

[Zana]

"Are you going to attempt to do a better dive this time?" Zana teased and stole one more kiss from his lips before she slipped out of his arms to begin swimming for the edge of the cliff. Of course she could use magic to lift them out but she was enjoying the prospect of working other muscles to get back to the top. It had been drilled in to her from a young age that it was important to keep the body as well as the mind in peak condition and Zana tool quite a bit of pride in doing just that.

There were smooth foot and hand holds all the way up the side of the cliff where others before had scaled the surface of the quarry to get out of it. She wondered if they had even purposefully been built before it had become a pool.

It didn't take them long to get back to the top. Grey was sprawled out in a patch of sun and barely moved when Zana flopped down on the provided towels. The sun was warm enough she could simply stretch out to dry off.

 

[Talus]

Talus climbed the rock with the same swiftness Zana had, grasping onto what handholds he could find and lurching upward quickly. Muscles flexed, and he pulled himself up and onto the cliff face just as Zana laid herself down on the towel.

He watched her for a brief moment, eyes ogling her from his position before he began to take slow steps to where she was laying. There was no hesitation this time, no, they were so far beyond such things that it might as well have been years ago.

Without a single question or wait, Talus slowly knelt down in front of her.

His hands softly pressed against her thighs, floating higher as he leaned down. His lips pressed softly against her thighs, and then began to climb.

 

[Zana]

Zana might have complained about how hot the Empire was but she was built for the more tropical climates and she gloried in the feel of the sun on her skin. The beads of water that still clung to her were drying quickly as was her hair which began to curl in loose ringlets about her face. She felt him approach but she didn't open her eyes and instead propped her head on her arm and wriggled her body further into the towel. She knew he was watching her. The way her skin glistened in the sun coated as it was in droplets that sparkled like diamonds in the light. She would never not want him to look at her.

She felt him kneel beside her but instead of the kiss on her lips she had been expecting he pressed a kiss to her thigh. A sigh escaped Zana's lips and lazily she bent her leg at the knee and rested the sole of her foot against the hard ground.

Images of the last time he had done this floated through her mind and she wanted it all the more.

"Talus," his name a tender sigh as she cupped his cheek and drew him up to her for one final sweet kiss before she released him and let her head fall back against the towel.

 

[Talus]

Talus let his hand slowly roam over her body, flittering with gentle touches as he closed his eyes and simply enjoyed being there with her. The water was cool, the sun was warm, and Zana pressed against brought as much delight as he could fathom.

"I thought it just liked me." He said with a smile, though in truth he had absolutely no idea how any of this world now work.

Up until five minutes ago Talus had not considered that his magic could form any sort of bond, much less one like he and Zana now apparently had. Would there be other side-effects? Could they do more than feel each others emotions?

How far would it extend?

There were so many things he wondered, so many things that could happen. Yet he found that all of them could easily be ignored. He had her, and in the moment that was all that mattered.

 

[Zana]

Laughter bubbled up inside of her as she splayed her hand out across his chest and watched the last few dying sparks of purple energy arc between her fingers then slide across his skin harmlessly.

"My wolf and now my magic you steal," she nipped his earlobe once again and then sat up astride him and stretched lazily. The sun was pleasant but it was the humidity that was beginning to feel oppressive against even her bare skin. "I'm going to go for another swim, I feel like I need a wash," there was a feral glow to her eyes and then she stood up gracefully, one foot planted either side of his hips, before she pushed off and dove over his head and into the waves of the quarry pool. The discus of purple energy wobbled a little as if it truly were floating on the water and had been disturbed by her leaving and creating a series of waves, but it stayed solid underneath him.

 

[Talus]

With the mischievous look in her eyes Talus half expected for Zana to make the discuss beneath him disappear the moment she leaped off. When it didn't he let out a small sigh of relief, though he didn't stay long.

As he finished marveling at the love of his life, Talus decided he too should probably wash himself.

With all the grace of a fish on land, Talus slowly rolled himself over on the invisible platform and let himself fall into the water.

That was how the rest of their afternoon went. He and Zana swam, chased one another, teased and touched. It was exhilarating, normal. Another piece that he had craved within his life. Throughout it all he enjoyed the feeling of her joy, the sense of mirth that flowed through their mind.

After more than an hour of their joyful dance, Talus and Zana found themselves sitting on a small platform at the edge of the Quarry, half submerged.

"I think." Talus said as he held Zana gently in the water, his stomach growling in the middle of his words. "I might be hungry."

 

[Zana]

Zana imagined that this was the part of the story where the woman said she had not felt so carefree since she were a child. The Dreadlord believed how she felt was similar but it was definitely not how she had felt as a child.

She had never felt so carefree in all her life. Full stop.

As he pulled her close to him and she stole the warmth of his skin even though they sat in the baking sun, Zana thought that should she suddenly die that she would at least die the happiest she believed a person could ever feel. When he mentioned food however she smiled.

"Come on then, let'sget you home," she pushed off from the small ledge to swim back towards the way out of the Quarry.

It didn't take them long to make their way back through the forest; Zana's hair was still damp as she pottered around the kitchen. There were potatoes and other vegetables on the go and, as she had stopped on her way back to check the traps she had set earlier that day, the pheasant was roasting nicely.

"Let's see if this beats pasta," she smiled. Whilst everything was going she was busy whisking up a cake a smidge of flour smeared across her forehead.

 

[Talus]

He smiled at her, leaning against the back wall of the Kitchen once more as he simply watched her.

There was something exciting about seeing her enjoy her passions. It wasn't just that Zana was doing it for him, but the fact that she enjoyed it so much endeared her to him all the more. He loved seeing her like this. The joy was almost palpable.

"I don't think anything will beat pasta." He said with a smile, his gaze flickering towards the window as he thought he saw something move within the dark.

The thought was quickly dismissed though, and he pushed himself from the wall. "Except for you of course."

He smirked a she slowly sashayed over to her.

 

[Zana]

Zana shot him a playful look over her shoulder at his words before shaking her head and chuckling to herself. She brushed a strand of hair that had escaped from the messy bun she had piled her hair into out of her face and then turned the batter over in the bowl one last time. Content with the mixture she then poured the lemon cake into the tin and popped it in the oven with a satisfied hum then turned to face him.

"It's nearly ready I promise," she had been saying this for nearly an hour now but when it came to food Zana was a perfectionist. She wanted to get this right. She wanted to discover what foods really brought him delight and which ones were merely serviceable. Tomorrows dish was from the East. Her eyes slid to the table. The wooden top was still on the floor where it had crumpled after their first night together here.

"I did bring the pasta though, that's for the last night," so they could spend it like they had their first.

 

[Talus]

He smiled wide, practically beaming. "Excellent."

What more could a man ask for save a beautiful woman and some pasta?

"I'll wait however long you need me to for fo-" Talus suddenly cut himself off as a glint of night flashed out of the corner of his eyes. He wouldn't have noticed it ordinarily, it was too dark and the light too dim, but the movement just a second ago had set him off.

As soon as Talus noticed it his entire figure suddenly shifted into the pale blue ghost. A crossbow bolt, or that's what it appeared, slammed into the wood behind where Talus had been standing, it's tip rippling with an odd green liquid.

"Zana get down!" He hissed as a sudden wave of similar bolts flew forward through the kitchen.

 

[Zana]

Zana gave a yelp of surprise as another arrow thudded into the kitchen counter and she dropped out of easy firing range and into a crouch. Another smashed into a glass jar and sent the contents spiralling out over the counter and onto the floor. The assault was so strong she couldn't actually get a clear view of where the arrows were coming from other than simply the window and the inky darkness beyond. She cursed her own stupidity. She should have put a barrier up. She should have-

"Enough!" the surprise had given over to anger within the space of a breath and when she stood this time the air crackled with a violent energy and formed a shield. The arrows kept coming though, thundering into the solid wall of power over and over like a relentless tide.

"Are you ok?!" her eyes flicked briefly towards him and the arrows all around them. "Don't touch them," she grimaced as her shield shuddered under the increased attack.

 

[Talus]

This had to be magic.

Had to be.

In his head Talus quickly played over any and all dreadlords he knew of that used 'arrow' magic, but none fell into place. A few could manipulate metals, but none of them utilized attacks like this. Fingers tightened, and he motioned to Zana. "Distract them."

He knew she could do it, knew she would well be able to hold off whomever the hell was out there. His fingers tightened and then he quickly slipped out of the back of the Kitchen wall.

Almost instantly his sword was in his hand, and he shifted once again to fade into the other reality. His steps were long, quick, carrying him out of the house and a long way around to the North so he could catch whomever this was from behind.

 

[Zana]

Another few arrows thudded into her shield but she set her jaw and nodded to his request to keep them distracted. Once she saw him slip once more into his other form she took a breath and then shrunk the shield so it no longer covered the kitchen from wall to wall. Arrows began thudding into the wall behind her again but now it meant she could return fire.

Only a handful of people knew about her powers over energy manipulation and none of them knew she could use it offensively. Purple bolts fired back into the darkness in a volley. The arrows faltered briefly as whoever it was sought some form of shelter from the onslaught of her magic. They would have just been expecting Talus on his own most likely not two Dreadlords. Definitely not a pissed off one.

It brought her a few minutes at the very least to drag the arrows that were buried into the wall out. They hovered beside her for the briefest of moments and then flew right back at wherever they had come from.

 

[Talus]

Talus moved like lightning. He poured every little ounce of himself into phase-walking, moving through the forest and underbrush until he suddenly came to a stop.

Through the haze of the Ether he could see them, wisps and souls that stood within the tree line. Three figures, two hiding behind the tree-line while one stood out front. Talus watched as he too stepped behind a tree, the thunk of arrows striking the tree he moved behind ringing out.

Good girl. Talus thought to himself as he saw the man hide.

His fingers tightened, drawing the sword from it's scabbard while letting the latter Drop. Talus felt his muscles tense, and then watched as two of the figures slowy began to creep forward around the front of the Cabin.

Talus fingers twitched, unsure of what to do...and then an idea sprung through him.

Through the bond he tried to send Zana an urgent sense of danger, a warning that two of them were coming towards her. He did not know how strong the impression would be, but he hoped she understood as he crept forward towards the man remaining in the woods.

 

[Zana]

Everything went oddly quiet as both sides stopped to regain their breath. Zana slid to the floor so she was out of arrow fire and rested her back against the cupboard doors. Concern was a strong emotion inside her chest as she thought about Talus outside; they didn't know how many of them there were nor the extend of their powers. The arrows could have been one or all of their gifts. If there were other magics at play then they were dangerous targets - what if one of them-

Her line of thoughts were brought to an abrupt end as the feeling of danger hit her then the vision tore through her.

Two figures crept through the door silently whilst the Dreadlord in the kitchen was distracted still with the man outside. There was a growl and one of them turned sharply and threw a dagger into the throat of the grey wolf who had been rising from the sofa. They carried on on silent feet..

It took physical effort to push the vision aside. The suddenness and the spike of pain told her it was going to be happening in a matter of minutes so with it still flickering across her eyes she got crawled quietly along the length of the kitchen to the door. She rested her back up against the last unit and then carefully turned and looked down the dark corridor.

The door at the other end stood shut and silent. Then, slowly...

Zana didn't hesitate to throw a pulse down the corridor. The door exploded and sent the figure who had made the mistake of trying to go fast soaring backwards with the impact. Purple lightning lit up the sky for a brief moment and the other assailant retreated as she got her feet under her and bolted to the bedroom where her sword was.

 

[Talus]

Talus crept forward, his ghostly form almost entirely unnoticeable within the blackness of the forest. He was almost to the stranger, almost to the man who had thrown the arrows. He noticed a quiver at the mans feet, though there was no weapon to be seen.

His lips thinned, and he moved to strike the man down before something flashed into his vision.

It was there for only a brief second, but he saw it all the same. A dagger thrown into Grey's throat, blood spilling on the floor as silent feet carried the assailants forward. His own eyes snapped back to reality and he let out a sudden gasp, concern flooding into the bond.

Of course, it also alerted the man who he'd been standing behind.

"How in the fuck?"​

Talus let out a curse, and then suddenly dashed forward. His sword flickered high, then low. Something struck the blade, bright blue sparks erupting and illuminating the man.

He was...an orc?

Surprise colored his features, but Talus didn't let the surprise stop him. His blade flickered forward again and again, slicing low, high, thrusting.

Each time he was met with the same odd metal, blue sparks flying as the man was forced back.

"HELP! THE BASTARD GOT AR-"​

Talus cut off the man's words as his sword scored a slice through his thigh.

 

[Zana]

We're fine.

The sword flew to her hand the second she entered the bedroom and in the nick of time too for a blast of lightning flew past her a bare second later, singing the hem of her dress which hadn't moved quite as quickly as the rest of her. She swore and patted the small little flame out before counting to three in her head and slowly poking her head back out of the room. As she expected another bolt of lightning streaked towards her head but this time it hit her shield once more.

The lightning crackled and spread along the purple energy until it became almost too hot to keep up and she gave a sharp cry then dropped it, ducking back into her room. Once more that odd silence filled the space between them.

"We're not here for you," came the voice from outside. Zana's eyes flicked to the window which had been a gaping hole only earlier that day. On bare silent feet she crept her way over to it.

"An attack on any Dreadlord is an attack on all of us," came her icy reply. She quietly slid the window open. If she could get behind them...

Zana slid one leg out the window then another before the rest of her dropped quietly onto the porch. It creaked ever so slightly.

"If you are loyal to the Houses then you should not stand in our way," Zana froze.

"Which House?"

 

[Talus]

The man looked entirely startled as Talus drove at him again and again. It was clear that he wasn't used to single combat, not this close up. He was a ranged fighter, which made sense with how he had thrown the arrow.

Talus did not allow for a single second of reprieve.

He pushed the man back with furious swipes of his sword. A careful dance was in tuned, the Dreadlord moving like death itself as the man desperately defended himself with sweeping claws of metal. He tried for a strike at Talus' core, but it was too slow.

In an instant the young Dreadlord shifted, his body becoming the ghostly visage, and then returned to slice his blade across the mans gullet.

Blood spilled forth.

"What the hell are yo-"​

Talus did not allow the man to finish his sentence, not now, not when Zana was in danger. He could still feel it through the bond, he had seen it through the vision. There wasn't any time for mercy, there wasn't any time to wait.

His sword flicked forward, and then he impaled the orc in one fluid motion before wrenching the blade free and continuing on passed him. I'm coming my love.

Talus tried to send the words through the bond, tried to force them into Zana's mind. He would not leave her to stand on her own.

Never.

 

[Zana]

The man - thing - that had been talking to her hadn't been where she had expected him to be. His voice had come from near the door and she was around the other side of the house. Yet when she had stepped out onto the porch he had been behind her within seconds. Unless his powers involved lightning speed or travelling in another realm like Talus was able to he had someone projected his voice.

Illusions?

Either way he used the element of surprise to put her clean on her back in one swift movement. The light from the window gifted her the chance to actually see the face of her attacker and she froze. A Dark Elf? Pressed his blade down and hers came up in a clean arc to block the blow, her jaw clenching.

"What are you doing at his cabin?" he hissed. Zana grimaced and twisted her blade up and then rotated it so he was hitting the flat of the sword instead of the edge forcing it to slide off. She used the slight shift in momentum to bring a knee sharply up into the mans genitals. The colour drained from his dark face and brought her a second more to bring her blade back up and through his chest. There was the usual noise of breaking bones and the squelch of parted flesh. The man slumped and his hands uselessly groped at the blade before he slumped forward. With a groan she pushed him off her and ripped her blade free, jumping to her feet.

Where was the last one?

She peaked cautiously around the corner to the front of the house. The door was a good 20 feet from where it had once stood but the person it had slammed into no longer lay beneath it.