Private Tales The Edge of Cortosi

[Kasim Areth]

Was she trying to argue about the sentience of horses while they were on the run from a Dreadlord and more than a dozen soldiers? Who the fuck was this girl?

An elf? "I know some very interesting men from Cerak At'Thul who would love to hold this discussion with you."

If she thought horses deserved to be free he couldn't even imagine how she would respond to actual slaves. Sure he didn't like mistreatment of any creature but comparing them to slaves? Little much in his opinion. Not that they had time for this particular conversation right now.

"Guards and the Dreadlord." He told her, pointing down the alleyway. "We'll have to go out the back way, head into the wilds."

It was the only way to avoid them without a fight.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

"Interesting men? You mean barbarians." she scoffed, clearly displeased with the notion of both them and their viewpoints. "That place is just another blight on this world. The gods ought to sink it into the bay." She spoke as she walked, a step or two behind Kasim, eyes leering out from left to right, ears ever vigilant to the sound of approaching feet. The edge of town wasn't terribly far, but when people were out looking for you, the world became a smaller place.

"So much for get me in and I'll get you a room and food, hmm?" Sure, Eirika had turned away the food out of fear it may have been tainted by a woman she didn't know and, based on the circumstances, did not trust, but that wasn't the point. Point was she was still hungry and now had also lost the comfort of that overly lavish room.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim didn't disagree with the sentiment. His time in Cerak At'Thul had been brief, but he'd seen enough to know that the place would have been better off as a blazing inferno. The amount of misery and blood that was spilled in that harbor was enough to make even him sick.

Just why no one had attempted to wipe it off the map Kasim didn't know. His father had once told him that there was value to be found even in the Black Bay, but he'd never seen the truth of that. "You turned away the meal."

He pointed out as they reached the end of the alleyway, Kasim poking his head around to ensure the next street didn't have more guards on it. When he found nothing the Jester ushered Eirika forward, not wanting to waste any time. Behind him he could hear some commission, likely the soldiers trying to get past her spell.

Kasim frowned slightly, but didn't ask what she had done.

He still had no idea what those soldiers were looking for. There was no way they knew about him, and he doubted they were hunting her. Though then again...he knew next to nothing about her.

"Why are you going north?" He asked as he quickened his pace, wanting to reach the edge of the city before the soldiers found their way through whatever ward she had put in place.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

"How was I to know she hadn't tainted it in some way, intent on bringing the soldiers in immediately after? I wasn't taking that risk, certainly not after hearing your conversation anyway."

She continued forward as she was bid, careful to step within the shadows against the buildings to avoid the glow of the moonlight in case of prying eyes. "Just because you trust someone doesn't mean they can't be used against you. I'm sure the sight of twelve guards and a dreadlord could convince her to betray your trust." Eirika just counted themselves lucky she hadn't done that.

"Anyway, I'm going to Elbion, to the mage college. I intend to find someone capable of healing my father. He's sick, and I don't know what with. My magic isn't enough to cure what ails him, so I will find someone who can, and that is my best chance."

There were certainly no shortage of mages around Arethil, but the college had the most readily accessible scholars of ancient magic around, the only ones who could rival that of the Elves anyway. And if her people couldn't determine the cause, this was her only option. So to Elbion she would go.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

The story seemed to make sense at least, there were hundreds of mages all over Arethil but those at Elbion were often considered to be the most learned among them all. Kasim had never made his way to the city, but his father had told him often enough about the college that was located there.

A few times he knew the students of Elbion would come to Vel Anir to study with some of the Dreadlord's, but such events were rare. Scholars were rarely interested in killing magics, and that was all the Anirians really cared about. "Ah."

He said quietly as they reached the edge of another building.

Anaset wasn't the largest town, and Kasim could already see the fields that lay just beyond it's inner reaches. Like most villages the little port was surrounded by dozens of farms, each with their own crops and specialties. Among the fields he could see a few cows resting quietly.

Kasim stopped suddenly as they reached the first fence, his lips thinning. A thought formed in his head. They couldn't have been after him, not really. He'd left no trace and Rune Magic didn't have his aura. Someone on the ship could have reported his presence but that didn't make much sense.

"Who is your father?" He asked quietly. "They might be af-"

His words were interrupted as a loud blast rang out in the city behind him. The Jester glanced back, spotting a fire erupting from the Inn they had occupied only a few moments ago.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Eirika shuddered, covering her ears over the fabric of her cloak as the blast echoed through the silent night air across the field they had begun to traverse. "What was--"

She turned, looking at the orange-red glow and plume of smoke coming from the building they'd been at. Clearly they had wanted to get into that room and were tired of trying conventional means. It also meant they didn't know how to dispel her magic, which in a way was a good sign, at least for her. Kasim's innkeeper friend however might not be so friendly next time he arrived...

"I guess they know we're not inside anymore. We should hurry, before they start off looking for us."

Eirika ignored the question of her father, choosing to instead break into a small sprint through the field ahead of them. it wouldn't be long before the area was swarming with soldiers. Just how many mages they had on hand the priestess had no way of knowing, but even just the one was more than enough trouble to have to deal with.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

Typical. Kasim thought to himself as he stood watching the flames.

They couldn't break the barrier, and they didn't want to risk anyone getting away so they simply destroyed the entire inn. A shiver ran up his spine as he felt the wave of magic that had started the inferno, goosebumps running up his skin. A sigh escaped him, and then he quickly rushed after the girl.

There was no point in looking back.

Whether the Dreadlord was after him, Eirika, or whatever else didn't really matter. They would be hunted now, he was sure of it. The barrier and a trace of an unknown magic would be enough to evoke the Dreadlord's suspicions, and they'd need someone to blame the destruction of the Inn on.

That was how they worked. Did whatever they liked and then just found a scapegoat. Kasim let out a curse, rushing behind Eirika with the help of the rune he had activated earlier. He fell into step beside her, keeping step, albeit barely, until they broke through the treeline and into the forest.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Beneath the night sky, even with the moon, the dense forest sheltered the ground from any rays of light that could hope to pierce through the thick foliage. Eirika could see just fine, but she would have to slow down some, knowing that Kasim likely didn't know or understand the forest, coupled with humans and their inferior vision. Besides, if she intended to keep up the ruse of being a human mage, she couldn't exactly go racing through the darkened wood seemingly unphased by the environment.

"Those horses would have come in handy." She jested, carefully but quite easily maintaining pace with Kasim. The idea that they would go to such lengths as to destroy an entire place of business, especially one of such mundane operations like an inn was telling of human decency. The sheer disregard for anything was appalling, sickening even. "I hope everyone made it out before they did what they did..."

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Unlikely." Kasim commented as he forced himself to slow down. The Rune could stay active for hours, keeping him going and fueling his speed but with every minute that passed he could feel it drain him. Eventually he would just drop, his body unable to cope.

Better to slow down now. They already had a head-start, and if they were going to make it any further it would be better to conserve energy.

"Dreadlord's don't particularly care about causalities." He explained. "And they'll blame it all on us anyway."

It was the unfortunate truth of his homeland. Nobody would be scolded for the loss of a few commoners or an Inn, nobody would even bat an eye. When a Dreadlord was given a task they were expected to complete that task no matter the cost. Even when they weren't on a mission, their authority went far enough to do practically whatever they wanted.

As long as they were near Vel Anir anyway.

His run slowed to a walk, still quick, but substantially slower. Unlike her, Kasim couldn't see that well in the dark. If he went too fast he'd very likely end up stumbling over a root and breaking something. "We need to get as far away as possible from Anaset. Avoid Vel Anir at all costs. They'll be looking now."

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

The idea that they would just kill innocent people for the sake of convenience was bone chilling. "How exactly will they blame it on us? I suppose they could blame it on you, if your friend told them who you were, but me? Nobody there got a good look at me, and I assure you that there's not a soul in that town who could give my name away." Perhaps the other benefit she had going for herself was that they'd be looking for a human, not an elf.

Eirika looked ahead, thinking in silence as they moved through the forest. Her own steps were soft, nearly indistinguishable whereas any trained ears listening could easily hear the human beside her crushing brush beneath her with every step. So ungraceful.

"Avoiding Vel Anir will take even longer to reach Elbion, and it's a main hub for trade."

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

"My friend is very likely dead." Kasim's voice was a mixture of bitterness and barely veiled despair. He kept his eyes forward, but it was clear that her continued accusations towards Mistress Al'Thier were getting on his nerves.

The woman had helped him escape, had helped dozens of others escape over the years. The training to become a Dreadlord was not easy, many died during it's trials and those who made it through were all but brainwashed. It was a fate that some described as worse than death. The Innkeeper had been a loyal, good woman.

Had being the operative word.

"Don't need a name." He told her. "You used your magic."

Kasim had already gone into this once. "He can track you now."

At least he thought so. The Jester still wasn't entirely sure what sort of magic Eirika even used. They'd clearly been unable to break her ward, but tracking her would in theory still be possible. If not exactly, then a vague sense. He could try of course, but then he'd begin his own trail. One that the Dreadlord could follow with no problem at all.

"Vel Anir is also home to House Urahil." As well as the other six, including his own. "Meaning you'd be walking right into their waiting arms."

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

"Waiting arms? For what? I've done nothing. They can't conscript me into their little mage brigade. I'm not one of you. These are children playing with magic they can scarcely control, wielding it for power instead of understanding. Why the gods permit those who commit such atrocities to wield magic is a question I cannot yet answer."

Eirika relaxed her tongue for a moment, "I'm sorry that it cost her life. I don't know you, I didn't know her, this place is foreign to me, so I take caution in everything I must do." Rounding Vel Anir to avoid the city would be problematic though. The surrounding towns would likely be looking for Kasim as well, meaning they had to extend their distance even further for the time being.

It was time she didn't have to waste. She needed faster transport if she had to avoid the city.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

Her words were amusing to him for some reason, though maybe because he'd heard it before.

Every sect, every school of magic thought that they had it all figured out. Didn't matter if it was druids, dwarves, or the scholars of Elbion. All of them thought they had the answers and everyone else was just doing things without knowing what it really was. He supposed it might have been true in some ways, but when it came to the task of killing there was no one he'd rather have by his side than a Dreadlord.

It was a rather dark thought of course, and he wasn't going to point it out to her either. She might have been able to create a ward to protect a room, but a Dreadlord could just obliterate the entire room. Or the Inn it was located inside of.

The thought brought a frown to his face, his head shaking slowly. "Don't worry about it."

He said quietly, continuing their trek as he took a breath and began to explain what he meant.

"At this point it isn't really about you or me. I have no idea what they wanted from us in the first place, if they even wanted us..." That was still a mystery. "But like I said it's not really about that anymore. Kiril, the Dreadlord needs to justify his actions, we're that justification."

Kasim wondered why this was so foreign to her. Just where had she come from? "You'll likely be executed in the public square as a Rogue Mage and me..."

He trailed off with a shrug.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Eirika scoffed at the notion. Executed. Savages. It only reinforced her belief that humans had much to learn about the world they inhabited, that they occupied. They had so much to learn about the laws of nature, the magic they wielded, and the consequences of their actions.

"Your dreadlords are nothing more than warmongers and tyrants. Even the title, Dreadlord, is nothing more than a moniker for terrorizing." Her hand gestured dismissively towards Kasim, "If they were so adept at tracking, or even knew what it was they were looking for, they would have known that method was hopeless, and that I'd quite easily escape. I'm not some unlearned whelp. He destroyed that inn because he wanted to, no other reason."

She continued forward, though at the pace they were going now it would be morning before they reached the clearing. "We need to go faster." Eirika urged, looking back from where they came, the smoke of the inn still billowing into the air, touching the clouds high above the ground.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Again I don't disagree with you." Kasim said plainly. ."There is a reason I ran."

He would not have been a Dreadlord of course, that had just been the lie he'd told her. His true fate would have been similar enough though, more freedom, but at a higher cost. One that he had not been willing to pay. One that he would still not pay in fact. Not that he would share that truth.

Vel Anir claimed to be a peaceful place now, but it's history was so mired in war and blood that to say there was any truth to the idea was little more than wild deception.

"It's dark." He said as though it weren't obvious. "The faster we go the more likely we are to break something."

Kasim wasn't eager to continue the journey with a broken leg. "The best we can do is get a small head start, then get our bearings once the sun rises. Especially if you insist on going to Vel Anir."

Home. What a disaster that could be.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

"Ugh." The elf groaned, looking back towards Kasim with a mixture of annoyance and pity. Humans, she shook her head. The woman stopped walking to kneel down for a moment, picking up a small stick that had broken free from a nearby tree. Quietly she chanted a small phrase in her own language. Then, she pressed her fingers against the wood, and a small illuminating light lit the tip of the twig, and subsequently the nearby area.

Eirika passed the makeshift torch to Kasim, "There, now you can see better, and we can carry on our way?"

If it wasn't clear that the woman didn't intend on stopping before, her increased pace after handing Kasim the makeshift torch would be that signal. "I know where I'm going. I don't need to wait for morning to get my bearings."

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Oh good. I didn't realize you were a map." Kasim said as he passed the odd glow-stick from one hand to the other. He inspected it for a moment, standing still in the forest as he studied the magic that illuminated his surroundings. After a minute he broke into a short sprint, catching up with Eirika and falling into step behind her.

The increased pace forced him to draw upon the rune, but only slightly. At this pace he would last a few hours yet, though if she decided to speed up that fact would probably change.

Things were beginning to fall into place in his mind. The Dreadlord was still a question, who he was hunting or why more so, but at least some of the mysteries surrounding this woman were coming to light. He had never met an elf, but his studies had been focused upon them more than once.

Vel Anir had gone to war with Fal'Addas more than once over the centuries, and certain Elven tribes still held quite a grudge against his home city. They were once an enemy, and his father had always said one had to study the enemy.

Small nuances about this girl, the way she spoke, the hood she wore so tightly, the way she moved and kept moving were clues. Her magic was another, and while Kasim might have played the fool he wasn't a complete idiot.

Slowly he was getting the picture.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

"I'm not a map you imbecile." She retorted with indignity. "I appreciate and understand nature, like I told you hours ago. Perhaps if you spent a few years studying it you would too."

Then again, a few years when considering elven versus human years could be more than a third of a lifetime. Such short lived species, one would assume they might try to prolong their existence, rather than destroy everything in sight.

"Just keep up." She said, looking back at him. "Perhaps beyond the wood we'll find a welcoming farm that will afford us a place to rest."

And if not? Maybe they had horses.

Kaemon knew where Eirika would go seeking help, it was obvious, Elbion. He also knew she would take the road through Vel Anir. Perhaps that was why he was so against this journey. She had long ago learned of the conflict between man and elves, of the wars between Fal'Addas and Vel Anir. However the humans had never succeeded in their sieges against Fal'Addareth. For all their magic, all their steel and numbers, not once had they conquered Fal'Addareth. For that reason Eirika held little fear of traveling the land of men.

Her people were better. She knew it.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Yes and then Kiril can burn that farm to the ground." Kasim said with about as little emotion as one could possibly muster.

He was not fairly confident in his guess at who this woman was, or rather what she was. The Jester had thought at first a Druid or something close to it, but the more she spoke and the more she revealed her ignorance in the normal way of things made him absolutely sure.

Few Elves ever made their way into Human society, fewer still into anything that was touched by Anirians. There was enough bad blood there to last even an Elvish lifetime. There was no doubt in his mind now. "So is this your first time out of the Falwood?"

Kasim asked the question as though he already knew the answer.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

Eirika stopped, though not out of fear, but rather amusement. She didn't look back at him, or even offer up a denial. Her pause was only brief, a moment's step. "No." Was her answer. The woman then continued her quiet march forward. Perhaps Kiril would burn down the farm, but not even she could walk forever. The man couldn't possibly get away with simply laying waste to the entire countryside, could he? What purpose would that even serve? To what end would that gain him?

It was inevitable that Kasim would eventually figure out what she was. It wasn't quite like she could disguise that indefinitely, but what she was in fact was mildly less important than who she was. It was one thing to be an elf, but it was something different to be the daughter and heir of a figurehead to her people. Fortunately it was highly unlikely that anyone outside of Fal'Addas would know who exactly she was, even by name.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

Well that at least confirmed that. He wasn't really sure what good the information did him, if it did anything at all. He was still fairly confident that she was not the reason Kiril was chasing them.

Ostensibly it was not against the laws of Vel Anir or it's vassals to be an elf, in fact the pace accords stated that Elves were more than welcome inside the city itself. In practice of course things were different, but there was no lawful reason for any Dreadlord to chase after some random elf.

Particular one who did the bidding of Urahil. That particular family had been one of the key members to call for peace in the first place.

That really only left one option; they were after him.

As much as the thought pained him, it was really the only thing that he could think of. If they weren't chasing the girl then they were chasing him. He doubted it was the man's original mission, far more likely he had simply received some information and made a decision. Had it been Mistress Al'Thier after all?

The thought turned Kasim's stomach, though he didn't offer it for Eirika to hear. "Explains why you blend in so well."

Kasim said as he tried to keep a cool head.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

"One does feel at home when they're at home, no?" It only made sense. "The cloak, and the hair, help everywhere else. I never spend too long in the company of the same people, thus they never typically think twice about who, or what I am. But it does us no good to hinder our progress by pretending to be a human bumbling around in the forest when I can lead us clearly."

It was both the honest truth and a boast.

"Admittedly I know very little about the smaller, less significant settlements your people maintain throughout this land, outside of the roads that connect them, and the direction in which they face. I know even less of where their individual allegiances lie, to what master or lord they carry banners for."

What mattered now though was where they could go. Food was still going to be an issue, and Eirika could feel the temperature beginning to drop, the calm flowing breeze breaching through the forest, a clear sign that a storm was coming. They would need somewhere to take shelter sooner rather than later, lest they be stuck out and exposed beneath the cold, wet forest.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

He supposed that was what made him useful. Though his upbringing had been strictly inside of Vel Anir itself, part of his learning had been about the myriad of villages and towns that lay within the surrounding area. "Every town and village within two hundred leagues serves Vel Anir in one way or another."

Kasim began to explain, drawing on the rune a bit more to ensure he could keep pace with Eirika. It burned his flesh as he used it's strength, and the ink was slowly beginning to fade from his skin as he utilized its strength. Within a few hours the tattoo would be gone.

"Most of them swear allegiance to one of the Seven Houses, some to a few." He thought for a moment. "The closest village to us would be Nassar."

A small farming community just north of Anaset. They supplied the port with much of the grain that flowed from the docks. "Their allegiance is to House Virak."

His own.

 

[Eirika E'sprit]

"Well..." She said, weighing the options. "I don't have a lot of choices at hand. I can't return to Fal'Addas without a cure for my father's illness. I'm not going to ask you to follow me, but travel through these towns that serve Vel Anir is unavoidable. It has to be done sooner or later, and the sooner I get the supplies I need the better off I'll be."

Eirika wasn't quite sure what Kasim planned to do, but throughout the afternoon and evening she realized now that she hadn't even given the human her name. She knew his incidentally through the woman at the inn, but they hadn't exactly shared anything past their immediate situation.

The elf stopped once more, this time turning back to Kasim as he walked behind her. "Eirika." She said, "My name. Well, as close to my name as you can get in the trade tongue." Elvish pronunciation was a bit heavy for humans, and trying to teach one to read or write it was generally not only frowned upon but also impeccably difficult.

Kasim Areth

 

[Kasim Areth]

He committed the name to memory, if only because he thought that it might eventually help him in some way. Just how he couldn't be sure, but that didn't particularly matter at the moment.

Before him was a decision. Anaset was a hundred leagues from Vel Anir, from his father. It had been a safe bet to go there and make his way to Fal'Addas. He'd never even thought about going home or anywhere near it. Now however it seemed he was being pushed there. "I'm a bard."

Kasim said, a small voice in the back of his head beginning to scream at him.

"Bards need stories to tell." It was the profession he had chosen after running away, something that allowed him to showcase while simultaneously hiding his talents. He'd gotten to travel all over the world because of it, seen more without needing to conquer. "What would be a better story than an Elven Maiden rescuing her father?"

Of course, there were a dozen complications ahead of them, but they could be dealt with.

Kiril would have little authority Nassar, though they would have to make sure not to run into any of House Virak's soldiers...or worse. That would be tempting fate a tad too far.