Private Tales Skin of Stone and Blood

[Elise Virak]

Virak Winter Castle

Things had gone well lately.

House Virak was growing in prestige, mostly due to her own efforts. The capture of the Shipbuilder, the capitulation of Coraliv, the silencing of Vel Stratholm. Each one had brought her acclaim, each one had brought more of the Guard to her side. Things were moving swiftly now, more swiftly than even her father had guessed they would.

She was delighted, but soon it would be time to make an even more unexpected move.

Elise had heard rumor that her brother was still alive, a fact that had shaken her father to his core. It had distracted the old man, pulled his eye away from business at hand and towards the far east.

It was the opportunity she needed.

First though she needed a stepping stone. One was already in place, and now it was time to acquire a second. The third and fourth would come easily after that, much more so. "Send him in."

Elise said with a gesture towards one of the servants standing outside of the small throne room.

 

[Ademar Acero]

He was summoned by the Baroness of House Virak and any activities he had or planned to pick up with immediately thrown to the side as he wanted to be on punctual with Elise. She was the only noble of House Virak he was familiar with and was always at her side, favoring her more than the others as gave him more praise of his accomplishments and paid more attention to him. Naturally his oath was to serve and push forward the future for House Virak, but he ultimately favored Elise more than the others and had more faith in her than the rest.

The hulking Dreadlord did admire she always put herself in the dangers of a mission, not being a coward and taking command in the rear. Ademar, even before being taken to the Academy to become a Dreadlord, was a warrior through and through. He respected strength and was drawn towards it. He cared less for the stupid propaganda of House Luana to appease the people; he cared less for the business and commerce of House Weiroon and Bannick; he cared less for the other attributes of the other great Houses. War and power he admired.

Arriving at the estate of the Viraks he was escorted and then approached by a servant to have him enter the throne room that belonged to Elise. Upon entering it his eyes caught sight of Elise and immediately fell to one knee. Others simply bowed, but he took formality way too serious it seems.

“My Lady, how may I be of service to you.”

 

[Elise Virak]

The throne room was an oddly humble thing. Not much larger than a study with only a single well carved chair placed upon a humble dais.

This palace had first been constructed when House Virak was but a family of warriors, before the rise of Vel Anir and the games of politics. It had been in her families possession for millenia and was now all but abandoned by them.

Only she used it now, her own little Kingdom.

"Ademar." She began by addressing him, shifting comfortably upon the throne. "You have been a loyal servant to House Virak and me."

Anyone could see that. "I appreciate your gallantry, but now I must ask for more."

Her lips thinned. "For something that may betray your instinct."

 

[Ademar Acero]

He felt a sense of accomplishment when hearing Elise’s words, being recognized he was loyal without a fault to her and her House and his dedication in completing tasks that destroyed obstructions for House Virak and furthering their operations.

Though her last words perked his ears. His instincts betraying him? He couldn’t exactly think of an adequate answer or guess to her words.

This path he chosen with his own will was something he would not gamble and put at risk.

“Ask anything of me and I shall serve, my Lady. I will not disappoint you.”

Anything meant anything...so long as it was within his powers and resources he could afford.

 

[Elise Virak]

Bless this boy.

Elise wasn't entirely sure if he was a simpleton or just knew where his truth lay. She sought it was more the latter than the former. Ademar had more than once displayed how clever he could be, though his brutish exterior often betrayed it.

"My father has proven himself incapable of leading this House." Over the last few months it had become evident to her.

The patriarch of House Virak was more focused on his own goals than that of the betterment of his House. He had all but ignored the outside world and focused almost entirely on more trivial matters.

"I cannot watch everything my Ancestors built fall to ruin." This was the first time she had openly declared as such. "But I am not yet strong enough to take his place."

She frowned. "He has the loyalty of many soldiers, and Dreadlords."

Her hand squeezed the armchair of her throne.

"I must match him, and thus I must ask you to choose a side." It was either her or her father, and if he chose wrong...he would not be leaving.

 

[Ademar Acero]

Treason it was, then.

Even before finishing her sentences, he knew what she was after and what he’d ask from him. This ambition of Elise’s would prove to be a deadly gamble, but it would pay off if she continued her discreet methods and not act so obvious in the open.

Maybe a year or two she would have the resources and the numbers to match her father’s own if she remained zealously persistent.

And then it came to Ademar. He did swear fealty to all of House Virak, and that meant his loyalty was with Elise, her father, and the rest of the Virak family. But now he must dedicate his loyalty to one side of the family or the other. He didn’t exactly knew the patriarch of House Virak, only seeing him once when he graduated from the Academy and swore an oath to House Virak.

But Elise? He grew fond of her and knew her better than the others.

“My Lady, I have a disdain for weakness; I follow those who are strong and willed, qualities you’ve proven more than anyone in your household,” again, he had seen her dirtying her hands in actions and didn’t see another Virak doing what she could do. A politician she was, but she was also a warrior and didn’t let her status to just sit and relax with vintage wine to sate her.

And so he made a choice from what he had seen and knew.

“If your father is weak and at risk of compromising your house, then you have my service and loyalty.”

 

[Elise Virak]

A smile grew on her face.

The answer was never really in question. Ademar was a loyal one, but above all he valued strength. Elise could see that in the way he moved, the way he acted. That was why she had approached him in the first place, why she'd asked.

"Good." Elise said as she leaned back in her chair, her hand coming up loosely in a motion towards the knife that hung at Ademar's blade.

"Now, allow me to offer a gift." She continued. "For your loyalty."

Whether it was a gift or curse was hard to tell, but Elise would do it either way. "Cut your hand."

 

[Ademar Acero]

Her words were cryptic, but he wouldn’t dare to ask any questions. He was to serve diligently, besides it was improper and bad manners to refuse the gift a prestigious woman like Elise would give him. Let alone question it.

The dagger on his waist was unsheathed and immediately pressed the blade against his skin, a swift cut which the blood began to emerge.

He waited for further instructions, looking at Elise to fully hear what she had to say.

 

[Elise Virak]

Elise raised her hand, and then suddenly her fingers twirled back into a small fist. The cut across the palm of Ademar's hand would burn, and then suddenly the blood would pull itself free from his hand.

Like a river it ebbed from his hand, slowly flowing through the air and forming into a sphere just above Elise's open palm.

For a second the young woman stared down at the blood, and then slowly her eyes closed. When she opened them once more black had consumed white, and the sphere of blood slowly began to twist and turn in upon itself.

Hollow faces and screaming eyes appeared within the orb, a mournful collection of souls that gathered within.

Then Elise flicked her hand forward.

Like a parasite the blood jumped back towards Ademar, grasping and burrowing at the wound on his hand as it tried to return to him.

 

[Ademar Acero]

He has been burned before, but never in a manner like this. This wasn’t any kind of burn and he screamed in anguish, brought down to his two knees and his free hand grasping his other in hopes the pain would stop. The burning would stop when blood began to come out from his hand, his face in shock and confusion.

He felt dizzy and numb as his body began to compensate for the loss of blood, everything he could see was in short moments of blur. Breathing was inconsistent and his body still shook from the pain of his hand. He could make out that a crimson sphere suspended itself from Elise’s hand, though he couldn’t see her eyes.

Suddenly his blood violently rushed towards the gap of his wound, every ounce of it wanting to return back to its vessel. Even if he were to resist it, it’d be futile. Every last bit of it was returned and flew through his veins. Ademar’s breathing was still shaky and his body began to calm itself. He felt strange, a different aura resided in him in terms of superficial.

“My Lady,” his voice raspy from the breathing, “what was...that?”

 

[Elise Virak]

"A gift, Ademar." Elise said plainly.

Her father had always thought their power should be horded. That only those within the family should be allowed it's use, but Elise knew better.

Over the past few years she had developed their magic, changed and shifted it to better fit her own purposes. The Well could now be used as a link, as a way to ensure loyalty above everything else. The initial connection had to be voluntary, always, but now?

Now she had him. "A small piece of my own abilities."

Just a small piece, but enough to grant him strength.

What form it would take with his own abilities she did not know, it was always different.