Private Tales The Edge of Cortosi

[Kasim Areth]

As Kasim walked by the farm he scooped up his sword, not wanting to leave the rune-marked blade behind. He had used the last of his Dragon Blood to etch the blade, and leaving it behind would be like throwing a bag of gold into the nearest well.

Something only an idiot would do.

As he walked he glanced behind him, noting that Eirika was moving slower than usual. The Jester let out a sigh, and then slowed his pace just before entering the Wheat field so that the Elf would be able to catch up with him. As soon as she did he pointed them west, towards the other end of the field.

The child buried itself within Eirika's neck, clearly traumatized about what had just happened.

Kasim glanced at him every now and again, noting his reddish brown hair as well as his golden eyes. Those brought a frown to his face, though he said nothing as they continued to walk for some time.

After twenty minutes they left the field and entered a small forest, beyond which they would find a quarry now filled with water. On it's edge were dozens of caverns and caves, some natural, some dug out over the years.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Eirika's face felt sore the longer they walked, the man's thrusting of his elbow into her earlier had caused some swelling over the last thirty minutes that now at the very least felt noticeable. Once they arrived at the quarry the elf pointed towards a nearby opening in the large stone.

The sobbing had subsided as they walked, though she was now carrying the child's dead weight on her hip and arm, having fallen asleep while holding onto her as they walked. All the better though, it gave her the opportunity to speak with Kasim without the boy hearing them. She was confident when he awoke he would not leave her side again.

Inside the priestess set down her pack first, then dropped the bow to the side. Carefully she knelt down, laying the child on the floor of the cave, resting his head atop the pack like a pillow, similar to how she had used it the previous nights to sleep.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim observed the child quietly, watching as Eirika gently put him down onto the pack.

The poor boy had no idea what he'd been involved in, likely never would if things came to pass as they usually did. A frown pulled at Kasim's lips, though he remained quiet as he turned away and headed towards the entrance of the cave.

There was no doubt in his mind that Eirika would want to talk about all of this, discuss what had just happened. Explaining would be...difficult, but Kasim thought he had it figured out. The boys eyes were clue enough, his hair being another bread crumb that one could follow if they knew enough.

"They were there for the boy." The Jester said plainly as Eirika joined him at the mouth of the cave.

He paused a second. "Maybe the mother too."

Kasim doubted the father knew.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

"Why would they be after a child? Is he an heir to something that someone else didn't want him ascending to?" That was really the only reasoning Eirika could conceive of as to why someone would willfully try to outright kill an innocent child. There was no crime they could commit worthy of death.

But for what reason would they want the mother too? And if their goal wasn't to kill them, why risk doing so by burning the entire home to the ground? Was this more of their 'sending a message' Kasim had described to her earlier, when the inn was burned to the ground?

Humans...So quick to act and so little to think.

"Take your shirt off." She said, shifting the conversation for a moment. "We need to stop those wounds from bleeding."

 

[Kasim Areth]

He frowned for a moment, perking an eyebrow as she commanded him to strip. After a moment more he simply shook his head and did as commanded, deciding it would be easier to just comply with her demands. With one hand he reached down and pulled off his tunic, revealing the myriad of carved and tattooed runes as well as the wounds he had suffered.

"He's almost certainly the bastard of some noble." Kasim explained to Eirika. "If I had to guess I would say one of the Luana's. Their hair looks similar, plus the eyes are big tell."

The reddish brown was a big clue, but the eyes are what gave it away. Few in Vel Anir had them, and those that did were almost always of the nobility. "I found a note on one of the guards, It told the soldiers to burn the house and plant the signet ring."

He paused for a second in his explanation, briefly lost in thought.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Eirika listened to the explanation. She understood the concept of a bastard child, and that in the upper echelons of human society they were frowned upon, though most of the time the father of said child held no accountability. It was simply 'the way of things.' More nauseating human traditions.

"And thus a child is sentenced to death for merely existing. And a mother for the sins of a father." She turned her head back to the child. It wasn't even an elf, she had no reason to ultimately be concerned for its well being, at least in comparison to anyone else.

The woman pressed her hand against Kasim's bare chest, deciding to start with the more severe of the injuries. She spoke a slew of elven words aloud, eyes focused intently on the wound. As she did a warm glow radiated from her palm, mending the flesh and closing the cut with each passing second until finally it was as insignificant as a cat's scratch on the surface of his skin. She again repeated this process on the man's arm, and then stepped back away.

"And who decided that the boy needed to die? His father I presume?"

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Kiva fuck!" Kasim swore quietly, trying his best not to wake up the child in the cave as Eirika pressed her hand against his chest. "Your hands are colder than the Blighted Sea."

That wasn't even to add the odd tingling sensation he felt as the wounds on his body began to mend themselves. He cringed slightly as he glanced down, looking as his skin began to knit itself back together. Kasim couldn't help but feel a trail of goosebumps run down the center of his spine.

His breath was short, but finally he managed to answer Eirika. "I don't actually think so."

The Jester would have thought the same as Eirika and assumed it had been the father, but things didn't exactly add up.

"If his father wanted him dead he would have been dead ages ago." Most of the nobility kept track of their bastards, if only because of the chance of producing another mage that could be used for the good of the family. He doubted this boy had the ability, but not every man within the Great Houses were entirely heartless. He presumed this boy had been allowed to live, provided he not learn of his heritage. "There are four Great Houses that currently 'rule' Vel Anir. Luana is one of them."

He wasn't sure if Eirika knew that. "Pirian, the one those soldiers belonged to, isn't."

For a second Kasim chewed the inside of his cheek.

"If I had to guess, this was some sort of warning shot." His head shook. "But it doesn't make any sense. Pirian doesn't have the strength to go against Luana...or any of the others."

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Eirika looked up at Kasim when she finished, speaking with emphasis on her words in a long, drawn out, sarcastic manner. "Goheno nin, Hir vuin." She smiled, knowing he didn't understand the mockery. "Better my hands cold on your chest than your blood warming the dirt, yes?" The elf considered what he told her of the struggle between the noble houses. "It's not safe to take him to Vel Anir, then. Not unless his true father will recognize him as his own." She doubted that would happen. Bastards were bastards for a reason.

She looked once more to the boy. "Tiro ven Ateyr."

Avoiding Vel Anir also wasn't exactly an option for them, either. They needed new clothing, more supplies to travel with, and a place to rest. This put them in a rather tight spot. Not only was it dangerous for Kasim to go walking through the city but now they had to worry about who might see Eirika with this boy. The priestess wouldn't just leave him, nor would she let someone murder a child for any reason.

"It wont take long for them to realize the plan failed, nor for the father to hear about this."

 

[Kasim Areth]

He nodded absent minded, still trying to puzzle his way through this odd move. Pirian wouldn't go against Luana, or any of the ruling Houses, without good reason. This was a direct move, a slap in the face.

A bastard wasn't a true son of course, but it was still sending a more than obvious message. "If the boy is alive they failed."

Kasim told Eirika.

"We didn't clean up those soldiers, so they'll know it was Pirian." Which would cause a mess in it of itself. "And if anyone heard me they'll think we were some Urahil retainers."

If Kasim had to guess he would say that a small bout of Chaos was about to erupt within the Great Halls of Vel Aerelos. Luana would not just let this go, especially if the Bastard belonged to one of the first sons or the head of the house himself. Quietly he considered their rather limited options, a hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. "We have to get to the city."

It was the only way now. They wouldn't be able to cross the Savannah with the boy in tow, and dropping him in the surrounding village would be a death sentence.

No, they would have to take another measure.

"His father may not recognize him but..." He glanced towards the cavern. "There might be a place for him still."

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

He wants to walk into the lion's den with this boy without knowing what might happen?

Eirika's expression changed to one of concern. There simply weren't any good options, she couldn't take him back to Fal'Addas. Not just because it was completely in the opposite direction from where they were going, but traveling back through the towns south of where they were would be just as dangerous as traveling passed Vel Anir.

There was also the trouble of protecting the boy while they walked the remainder of the way to Vel Anir. She couldn't exactly parry, dodge, and wield a sword, or shoot her bow while carrying him. She couldn't run nearly as fast either. If they were stopped, it would be rather difficult to describe why a pureblooded elf was carrying a human child that was clearly not a half-breed, meaning it couldn't possibly pass for her own child.

"It's going to be twice as dangerous now." It was stating the obvious, but she said it regardless. "I can't fight with him in my arms. And I fear he's not going to let go when he wakes up again."

 

[Kasim Areth]

"This Kid is in the middle of the Game of Houses." Kasim said plainly, trying to explain it as best as he could. To a commoner it would be almost impossible to explain, and he could only imagine that it would be even more difficult with an Elf.

He doubted Fal'Addas had politics half as complicated.

"Every single thing is calculated with these people. Everything is another piece moved on the Chess Board." Kasim jerked his thumb towards the cave. "For whatever reason House Pirian wants that kid dead. I have no idea why, but if they want him dead then House Luana will want him alive."

It was a bit of an oversimplification, but it made sense. "I guarantee his father knows about him, he's probably been protecting him...at least making sure no one knew about him."

"That means he cares about him...at least a little bit." As much as any Noble in Vel Anir could care about their child. "He can't come with us, he won't be safe anywhere around here, and taking him back to the Falwood is impossible."

Something he assumed she knew already. "Crazy as it is this kid might be safest with House Luana."

Just how they would get him there Kasim had no idea, but the first step was to get to Vel Anir.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Game of houses? Eirika looked at Kasim with furrowed brows. That is the most ridiculous sounding game.

"So much of your culture makes little sense to me. You are strange folk."

And people thought the elves were odd? They weren't going around murdering children for personal gain as if it were as meager a task as husking a corn from its cob. "If you think this child will be safe with his father we'll have very little time to get the boy to him before those bodies are discovered along with the burning building. The city will be twice as dangerous."

Perhaps once this business was concluded the Savannah would be a mite easier for their travels.

"Let's not waste any more time then."

Eirika turned from Kasim and kneeled beside the boy, gently lifting him from the ground and settling him into place before picking up both bow and pack with her free hand once more. He stirred for a moment, but seemed as though he had been exhausted enough not to wake.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Oh they'll know." Kasim was sure of that. The building that had been burnt hadn't been alone. The village was a bit stretched out, but there was no mind that others had witnessed the events within the little town. It was why he had yelled that battle cry.

It would at the very least serve was a bit of misdirection, something that pointed away from two random outsiders and towards another one of the Great Houses. Of course House Pirian would have the most explaining to do, and Urahil would gain some favor but...there was nothing to be done about that.

Slipping his tunic back on Kasim grimaced slightly, running his fingers over the now sealed wounds.

The healing had been odd, but everything seemed to be back in place. "We'll go through the dog gate to get into the city."

The Jester said as Eirika returned carrying the child.

"It's small, usually used by Merchants from the north." They would have to circle around the city a bit, but that wouldn't be much of a problem. "They won't be watching it."

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Eirika nodded, stepping out once more into the midday sun. They had lost some time, and traveling with the boy would be another complication on top of getting him to his birth father. Even longer to explain everything, but even still, Eirika felt it would have been wrong to have simply ignored the situation. Human or not, what was happening was not the child's fault to suffer from any more than he had already.

"Let's hope not."

Reaching Vel Anir wouldn't take long, but navigating the city would be even more complicated. Eirika had no idea the numbers each of these large noble houses commanded, nor how many more swore loyalty to. All it took was for one wrong pair of eyes to catch a glimpse of what shouldn't be for them to find themselves in serious trouble.

 

[Kasim Areth]

As they began their journey yet again Kasim couldn't help but think about the fact that they were quite literally walking into the lion's den, or better but Dragon's maw.

The move was a stupid one, especially because of what had happened in that village. Yet there was no other way. They couldn't…wouldn't kill the boy or simply leave him somewhere, and their journey took them into Vel Anir anyway. Still, the idea of what they were about to do, even if it was his own, practically made the Jester sick to his stomach. This was dangerous, stupid, but it was also the right thing to do.

As much as he hated it.

The three traveled in relative silence for most of the day, Eirika hefting the child and Kasik making sure that no one looked at any of them too closely. It took them longer than he had expected, the path he chose having lead them north of the city.

Eventually though they crested a small hilltop, and then the great wall of Vel Anir came into view.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

As they stood atop the hill Eirika felt her nerves creep up a bit. The city was imposing, especially for one such as herself that had lived in the relative seclusion of the Falwood for so long. She felt the confines of such dense populations rather smothering each time she'd ventured into the human settlements such as these. The walls seemed more to her like they were built to keep the people in, rather than out. To them it felt like security, but to Eirika they seemed more like cattle to their lords.

The boy shifted in her arms as he slowly awakened from his long nap. Eyes groggy and a slew of yawns. He looked at the elf with curiosity, then, turning his head he looked upon the city of Vel Anir. "What is that place?" His tiny voice chirped. It was apparent he had never been brought to the city, likely by intent.

"That is Vel Anir." Eirika replied, looking down at the boy. "It's like a really large village, with lots of humans in small places. But combined they make that really large village called a city." She wasn't the best at explaining human subjects to human children. She wasn't exactly versed in the pace of learning in developing human offspring.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim couldn't help but smirk at Eirika's explanation of what a city was.

”Vel Anir is one if the great cities.” Kasim told the boy with a smile. There were a few of them around the world, places that had been built over the course of centuries and sometimes even millennia. ”There's also Alliria, Minarith, Belgrath.”

He smiled. ”All of them have their own people and life.”

They all had their flaws too, but there was no need to bring that up when talking to a child. Despite all of Kasim's contempt for his father, family, and the other Great Houses he did love his city. Vel Anir was home, would always be home for him. He held a fondness for this place, much in the same way he imagined Eirika did the for the Falwood.

As they began to walk down the hill Kasim's voice changed slightly, becoming more mystified in nature. ”There's even stories about a flying city.”

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

"Why are we going there?" Came the next question.

Rather than answer the inquiry Eirika decided to divert his attention to another subject. She and Kasim could have told him that they were going to meet someone important, that they needed to find someone in the city, but that would just inspire more questions that would eventually lead to explaining where he was being taken.

"Say, what's your name? I'm Eirika," She said, pointing to herself, "And that's Kasim." Shifting her pointer finger to the man beside her. "And yours is?" The boy smiled somewhat, though it was a sullen smile, clearly wishing the person holding him, and the one beside her were instead his parents, but he answered her all the same.

"Vaeren."

 

[Kasim Areth]

”Thats a nice name, an old name.” The Jester said, continuing to try and distract the boy from their current situation. ”It comes from a Knight that once fought for The Anirian Guard.”

It was no lie. The name was exactly the same, and if he had to guess the boys father had been the one to give it to him.

He smiled a moment and continued on. ”He lead armies into the Savannah. Fighting the bandits and nomads.”

The story was of course far more in depth than that, but he was going to launch into the whole tale while they walked down the road. As they continued their way to the city people began to join them on the roads. Mostly it was a few farmers, though a merchant or two passed them while sitting on a cart. Kasim watched them all carefully.

The closer they got the more danger they were in.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

That seemed to spark a bit of amusement out of the boy. Perhaps he hadn't heard that before. It was likely Eirika presumed that most of the folks living outside the city as farmers, more precisely, the poor, were by large illiterate and ignorant of most of the history of Arethil. Even the present ongoings seemed to elude them until it came to their doorstep, or so it seemed.

"I want to be a knight someday!" He shouted, swinging his arm like it held a sword.

The elf listened to both Kasim and Vaeren, but her eyes fell cautiously to those they passed, searching for any sign that was more than simply glances that could indicate someone had taken interest in either the man or the boy. Thus far it seemed not to be the case, but it was more likely to happen once inside the city walls, than the passing commoners.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim grinned slightly as the boy spoke with enthusiasm for the first time. It was heartwarming in an odd sort of way, though at the same time it did draw the attentions of a few farmers that were traveling the road alongside them. The Jester shot them all smiles, and then turned his attention to Vaeran.

”A Knight eh?” Kasim mused out loud to him, considering for a few seconds before he went on.

”Well you'll have to work hard.” That was true of every Soldier of course, but Knights were supposed go be a cut above the rest. They wore their gleaming armor, they carried their blades, but it was more than that. A Knight, even in Vel Anir was supposed to represent something above everyone else. Something better. ”And you'll need a cause.”

Kasim smiled and continued. ”Every great Knight has a cause. Whether its fighting orcs or hunting dragons.”

As they continued to walk down the road the walls of Vel Anir began to look above them, the dog gate appearing as a small portcullis just ahead.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

"I will hunt the biggest dragons and giants Arethil has ever seen!"

Eirika let the boy chatter, deciding it better not to burst his little ego that he would never slay any dragon. They were not like the myths and fables humans told one another, stories of dragons guarding treasures and being simple minded creatures to be easily slain, as if no better than beasts of burden. He was but a child, ignorant of the truth, yet not old enough to be humbled by it. And for that she permitted him the pleasure of his imagination.

That, and the boy might very well never live to see adulthood, if Kasim was wrong about this plan.

She just hoped he could get them to this boy's father before things got worse.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"I'm sure you will." Kasim said with a smile, well aware of the same things Eirika was.

Dragon's were not stupid, and slaying them took more than being good with a blade. The stories were often filled with half truths and lies, some echoing only the things people others wanted to hear. He'd seen the beast at a distance before, they were rare, but traveling through the spine one would glance them on occasion.

"You'll have to train hard." He told the boy. "Listen to your elders and learn more than just the ways of the sword."

Magic was practically a requirement when it came to fighting dragons, a regular sword wouldn't even pierce their hide.

Not that it mattered. He doubted that the young man would ever actually pursue his goal. Though it might have been his dream now, dreams had a way of dying in Vel Anir. A fact that Kasim knew better than most. Nevertheless, there were was no reason to take the boys hope away now.

So the Jester simply smiled as they drew closer to the Dog Gate. The two guards didn't even seem to look at the crowd, apparently only standing watch for the unusual.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

The trio waited for a small group to gather nearby the gate before passing through, blending in so as to go unnoticed by the posted guards who seemed entirely disinterested in what they saw. Perhaps one needed to have physical abnormalities, a bit of overzealous volume in their voice, or be an outright rioter to be of any note to the guards on duty.

All the better for the three.

The elf sparked a brief smile as she passed into Vel Anir, the towering city before her sprawling out in its entirety in both the horizontal and vertical. The towers stretched high into the sky, looming over them like gods, or kings upon their subjects.

"I always forget how small human cities make you feel once inside."

That was hardly a compliment.

 

[Kasim Areth]

As they passed through the gate Kasim's eyes were immediately drawn to the banners that hung from the different buildings. He was more than used to them of course, and knew what each of them meant. Reading them was an important way of understanding how the city was doing, who was in charge and who held the most favor.

Unsurprisingly most of the banners he saw were those of the Four Great Houses that currently ruled the city council. There were a few belonging to the Royal Family, and even some of the other Houses...including his own, but most were exactly what he had expected. "We do like our grandeur."

Kasim commented as he glanced around, pointing down the street on the left.

"We'll need to head to the center of the city." He adjusted himself slightly, looking around for a moment before he added on. "But first we'll need new clothes."

Otherwise they'd never make it through the secondary gate.