Private Tales The Links That Bind Us

[Talus]

As Talus finished his own meal he looked up with a smile. "Tha-"

Suddenly he something struck him.

He could not have described the feeling, though it hit him as hard as a ton of bricks. It was like a wash of sudden tiredness. A sleeping spell washed over the young apprentice, striking like a ton of bricks as his eyes became heavy.

"Wha-" He cut himself off. "I'm so..."

Talus' head spun.

"Sorry lad, but can't have you know where you're going."​

They were the last words Talus heard as he collapsed from his chair and fell onto the floor.

 

[Daria]

Daria had been slower to start her food, a full 30 seconds spent watching and and observing the faces around them. She had been so deep in considering which ones might cause them problems, it took her a moment too long to understand what happened to her partner.

Her reaction was instantaneous, her plate thrown backwards, the dregs going wide. A knife was pulled out of the side of her waist band, hidden there ... thrown... way off any mark as the heavy weight of the potion slammed into her body.


“No,” she croaked, knowing she was done for. Dead. That was it, the singular mistake that would cost her her life. She had had so many close calls throughout the years, she knew one day she’d slip up.

Just not to soup.

She fell back into her chair, then over backwards as she passed out.

 

[Talus]

His head was spinning. He couldn't remember what had happened, where he was or...lips thinned as his eyes suddenly snapped open.

Talus found himself on a small bed inside what looked to be a wooden cabin. There was an open window on the left wall, another bed with Daria in it against the right, and a door to far ahead of him. His lips thinned and he half stood up.

As soon as his boots hit the floor he felt woozy again, his hand coming up to catch the night stand by his bed.

His fingers wrapped around it's edge, gently brushing up against the dagger that had been left on top of it. Lips thinned, and he took a deep breath. "Augh."

He groaned, kicking the bed that Daria was sleeping on.

"Daria." It wasn't the nicest wakeup call, but his head was throbbing and he wasn't exactly happy about being kidnapped.

 

[Daria]

Daria snapped up with a gasp, no comprehension to her thick thoughts as she found herself swaying and flopping back over.

It took a moment for understanding to click, but when it did he got a groan of acknowledgement. She clutched at her head, her vision blurry as she pulled herself back up. "You," came the one worded accusation. You got us drugged. You could have gotten us killed.

The glint of her dagger caught her attention and she went fumbling for it. Not to go after him, though it might have certainly looked that way.

 

[Talus]

His hand slammed on the dagger before Daria could touch it. His grip was tight, hard enough that she would not be able to budge it. "Don't."

Talus's voice was firm.

"They left us our things." He hissed. His voice was barely a whisper, only loud enough that Daria would be able to hear. Anyone listening in would only be able to sound out hushed whispers and muted tones. "We're not prisoners."

It was an important mark.

If they went wild now and started attacking they could very well play their cards and end up dead. Even Dreadlords had their weaknesses.

 

[Daria]

Daria glowered, her nostrils flaring as she was forced to consider his words.

The academy taught them how to fight. How to preform magic. How to kill. It taught them how to survive pain and outlast circumstances, but no where in there did it teach tact. Or critical thinking. Maybe that was the line that thinned out competition. Staring down the face of an already graduated apprentice, Daria held that thought for the first time.


Slowly... unwillingly... she released the dagger.

Though every fiber of her screamed not to. A weapon was life. Fight until they're all dead!

But he was experienced and she was not. He would find she was remarkably good at taking orders when survival was at stake. She pulled away and sat back on her haunches, resisting the urge to vomit up the dregs of their meal.

"We are in a dangerous position," she hissed back at him.

 

[Talus]

"Welcome to the job." He replied, his voice cutting off just as the latch of the door rattled open.

Wood scraped against wood, and the man that had been sitting opposite the table stepped inside. He looked somewhat surprised to see both of them already awake, though a smile touched his features and he offered a polite wave.

"Stronger than most eh? Well You lot were made tough."​

The words sounded almost sad. "We don't really appreciate being drugged."

The words came out somewhat slurred, Talus still finding it difficult to concentrate. His head was spinning, but he did not remove his hands from the dagger. Though he didn't draw it either.

"I get that...but people like us can't take risks. You could be followed, watched, tracked magically. We had to be sure."​

For a moment Talus said nothing, then he only nodded.

"You'll feel woozy for a bit. The herb doesn't pass quick."​

 

[Daria]

As if on cue, Daria was left turning to the side, hurling up the small remains of the meal. It was vile and debilitating and she glared all the more at the man as she wiped at her face.

She recognized the sensation inside of her. She had been trained with it before.

"Our magic," she accused, finding herself unable to access it. She tried to stand but the drug brought her back down. It kept her subdued, as it were. No wonder the man stood before them without any fear for his life. Even if a run away did turn on him, they were considerably at a disadvantage with the herb In their system. Of course it would fade, but by then the man expected them to have seen a reason to trust him.

This was suppose to be them trying to find protection after all.

Daria was more concern of being found out.

She gritted her teeth, forcing down her concern. They had a part to play.

"Would it have stopped theirs? Will they find us?"

 

[Talus]

"Not here."​

The man said cryptically as he shook his head and stared at the two Apprentices.

"I promise you're safe here. There's somebody who wants to meet you, if you're ready. I know the herb can be...rough for some."​

Talus managed to push himself to his feet, finding the strength of will to stand without immediately falling back down. His stomach churned, but a deep breath quashed that feeling down. He looked at Daria. "We'll be fine."

He said the words as he steadied himself.

"I'll help her." The man stared at Talus, but then gave a simple nod and turned to head out the door.

"When you're ready we'll be out here."​

 

[Daria]

Daria did not want nor accept any help, though it was simple science that her smaller form took the herbs harder than his.

She pulled herself back to the bed, forcing choppy breaths as she willed her body into bucking the fuck up. In the end that only got her so far, one couldn’t function off willpower alone. Still, Talus got a more collected glance, the girl using the bed table to keep her on her feet.

“They have magic,” she accused softly, under her breath. “I think this will be a test. How good are you at controlling your thoughts?”

 

[Talus]

"Won't be a problem." Talus had spent his entire life in the Academy working alongside Sierra.

Though his friend could not read minds or the like, she'd been an incredible empath. The slightest hint of emotion had been enough for her to use and manipulate her magics with. Talus had quickly learned to keep himself in check.

He offered her a hand. "Just keep going."

The apprentice told her.

"We can do more than catch a few runaways here." This was an opportunity to bring down an entire section of the Underground.

 

[Daria]

The reminder of what they could accomplish was a motivator, and a massive one at that.

She took a deep breath, bracing herself. Her vision went soft, distant almost as she let herself relax... Her thoughts became loose... her concerns and doubts became inconsequential ... A sense of lightness drifted upon her mind, the girl feeling as if she was floating as she came to dissociate from her body.

The mental shell was a familiar one— developed from the years of abuse she had endured at the hand of her father. Pain makes you stronger.

But what he actually taught her was being present made you weak.


The light slowly flickered Back out of Daria’s gaze, the apprentice checking out again. She placed her hand into his, her expressed relaxing into a blank facade. Even Sierra would hard pressed to sense anything in her now. The girl that had emerged over the mission retreated. Back into a proper dread lord she was, her body forced to take a step towards Talus as if there was no drug in it.


“Let’s go then.”

 

[Talus]

Talus nodded, sliding the dagger behind the small of his back and pulling her up to her feet. Before moving he made sure that Daria could stand on her own, ensuring she did not collapse onto the ground.

He saw the dead look in her eye of course, but he chose to ignore it.

Perhaps it was a part of his own condition, perhaps it was just not the time, or perhaps he thought that it would be for the best. They had been raised all their lives to be tough and strong, to persevere. Dreadlords were not people after all.

They were weapons.

Talus took a breath and turned, pulling open the door to be greeted by the smell of cooking stew and flickering flames in a fire place.

The man that had drugged them sat at a table, besides him was a woman that...seemed familiar, but he did not recognize. Her hair was a stark black, her eyes a deep green, and she peered at the two Apprentices as they stepped into the room.

"Irrin, these are the kids I was telling you about."​

Both of them stood from the table, the woman stepping forward with an almost inspecting look.

 

[Daria]

Daria did not react to the woman’s gaze, her posture solid but relaxed as they stood in the door frame. Her dagger had been slipped without tact against the belt loop over her waist, Daria carrying it with confidence. Not even a traitor would feel safe without a weapon on their person. Not when running. Not after being drugged.

“We’re not children,” she answered softly, the world still wobbling enough that she felt herself lean into the door frame.

Irrrin snorted in disagreement. Daria felt the woman’s gaze leave her and travel to Talus. She lifted her hand to her arm, squeezing the gash there ... the handle of the blade a moment’s grab away. If she could actually move properly, that was.

 

[Talus]

"How did you escape?"

The woman's question felt like a knife slipping beneath his skin. He couldn't have really explained it, but it was like the question came straight to the heart of what he was. Lips thinned, and he cleared his throat. "We were on a mission to the Falwood."

He knew the best way to fool someone with a lie was to include a kernel of truth. It wasn't hard here. He knew how other Apprentices had managed to get away, how they'd made a break for it and when.

"Our classmates turned on us." Something that had happened to him years ago. "We killed them, and then just decided...it was better not to go back."

He shrugged. "They thought us dead."

Irrin, the woman, stared at him for a second. Her eyebrow raised and her lips pursed as though she were stuck on a thought.

"Then why are you here?"​

 

[Daria]

Daria felt the woman turn to her, the biting questions slip under her skin. The feeling wasn’t unfamiliar to her, and in a way that was a relief. Defying lying magic was another skill the academy had not prepared her with. Thankfully, life had.

Or rather, her father.

She took a deep breath next, unwilling to part with the words it would take to shake the woman off her.

“Well?” She asked again, the words cutting deeper.

Daria let out the breath, uttering emotionlessly, “The archon’s after my upbringing would suspect a lie. He is very... adept at seeing them.” She swallowed hard. “It’s only a matter of time. I’d need a proper way out.”

She felt the next pressing question and answered almost sharply.

“Returning and explaining offers no reprieve. Failure to complete a mission has heavy consequences. Might as well kill us now if you won’t help,” she stated, her tone falling back to flat.

 

[Talus]

The woman seemed to fall silent after Daria's words, and Talus had to stop himself from reaching for his weapon.

He could feel his strength returning, the herb slowly flushing from his system as time continued to wage on. His fingers balled into a fist, lips thinning as he waited for the woman to speak. Tension seemed to fill the room.

Then finally she opened her mouth.

"There will be no reprieve."

Talus tensed, getting ready for a fight.

"No one can stop them from coming after you, not if they know you're alive. We can help you get away, get to Alliria or the College in Elbion. Both will harbor former Dreadlords and so far the Houses have not dared to ask for their return."

Though his face remained impasse, Talus couldn't help but feel a small amount of shock.

He supposed it made sense that both Alliria and Elbion would harbor former Apprentices. Both had schools of magic, and both were powerful cities in their own right. Vel Anir wouldn't go to war over a lost Apprentice or two.

"But...if you ever return and they realize who you are, you'll have a mark on your life."

 

[Daria]

The news shocked Daria as well. The version of Dreadlords she was told of never left holes for traitors to escape through. The concept of not just a few, but countless runners hiding out in distant cites ...

It made her angry.

She clenched her fist, swallowing back the break in composure. She gave the woman a sharp nod, not trusting herself to speak.

“I understand,” she answered. That wouldn’t matter. Let her father think her a traitor for a small spell, the rewards they’d get for doing what every other member was apparently too weak to secure— She would bring it all down.

The weak would not escape. They would face their due. Like she did.

“When do we leave?”

 

[Talus]

Talus glanced at Daria from the corner of his eyes.

Was she truly thinking about going all the way to Elbion or Alliria? The thought sent a spike of anxiety through him. Those cities were far, and they would likely be traveling for months if they went all the way there.

Would it be worth it just for three little runaways? Wouldn't those who had sent them here be happy with this woman?

His lips thinned, and then a memory of what his mentor had said rang through his head. Doesn't matter what it takes. Doesn't matter what road it leads you down. You do the job, even if you slaughter a village on the way. I'll back you up no matter the case.

Talus took a breath, then nodded.

"Tonight, we'll take you to Vel Jari."​

He ran through the list of names of Anirian cities. Vel Jari was a minor coastal village, known for it's dyes. It had been taken in a small conflict only a hundred years ago, though he couldn't recall what it had been originally called.

"There we have allies, and then a ship will take you."​

 

[Daria]

Daria gave a small nod, her thoughts already moving to the next step.

Vel Jair, she knew where that was. And if they were nearby it, they had been out for longer than she liked to consider. As proved by the pain in her bladder. Still, she needed more information, because whatever path they ended up going down today, it was good to know your environment.

“Is it far?” She inquired, her gaze skipping to the window.

 

[Talus]

"Three days ride."

The woman answered, though there was something to her expression that Talus did not quite like. It held suspicion.

Did she know? "What makes you think they won't find us?"

He decided to redirect the conversation. Daria had been right in asking, three days meant that they weren't all that far from Vel Inra itself. Three days also meant quite a bit of time for their true identities to be discovered.

"They can't check every cart. Nor do they. Plus, if what you say is true then they won't even be looking for you."

Talus gritted his teeth, wishing he'd come up with a different story.

"Alright." He said quietly. "But..."

Shit. What did he say next? His lips thinned, and then a thought just burst from him. "How do we know you arent just gonna turn us over to the Proctors?"

 

[Daria]

Daria gave Talus a fleeting look, her brows pulled in as she tried to will him to stop talking. Challenging authorities was practically asking for it in her rule book, and to push it with the lady she was trying to fool into helping them?

Bad idea.

Her elbow jammed into his side, a warning she thought was appropriate in any case. “What he means to say is, we don’t want to die. How can we know its right to trust you?”

 

[Talus]

"I understand."

It was a surprising response. Students at the Academy weren't exactly understanding when someone actually managed to sympathize with them. Their upbringing was one of blood and death, not kindness. The woman looked between the two of them.

"Trust does not come easy. All I can offer is this fact; if we wanted you dead or turned over, you would already be there."

It was sound logic.

Talus had estimated they'd been out for at least a day, maybe half. Plenty of time to contact the Proctors and turn them over. "I...I'm sorry. We hav-"

He found himself cut off as the man that had drugged them spoke.

"Lad. We've dealt with dozens of apprentices. We know what you go through."

The amount of sympathy that the man carried in his voice almost pulled at Talus' heart. Almost.

 

[Daria]

Daria’s eyes widened subtly in shock. Dozens. Dozen. They were starting at the culprits of dozens of lost apprentices.

It might just be enough to kill them both now. She was certainly starting to feel strong enough. The door frame no longer held her up. Her fingers tingled as a sense of reality was returning to her touch. Her magic was not far behind. She was sure of that.

But it would only create a dead end to what they need to get done. Unground railway destroyed or not, the mission was to come back with the children. Without them, she’d be eating dirt and then some.

“Why are you doing this?” She blurted out, the question coming out of her before she could process it. There was heat and there was passion to it.

A question that absolutely needed an answer.

 

[Talus]

Talus cringed slightly at Daria asked her question, his lips thinning. Now was not exactly the time to ask such a thing.

They had three days on the road with people of this network, but instead of then Daria had simply chosen to blurt things out now. Maybe she didn't understand the danger, or maybe her father had shaped her into a battering ram and nothing else.

He wanted to scream at her, but instead he kept his mouth shut.

"Many of us were like you at one point."

The man was the one to say that, Talus half cocking his head at the answer. Was he an Apprentice? Someone who had escaped? What sort of magic did he know?

A thousand questions rang through his mind, all cut off as the woman spoke.

"While others just know it's wrong. We want to help, and we will always do so until the Dreadlords are no more."

That idea rang in Talus' skull. The thought that Dreadlords could ever not exist was...well, entirely impossible. Vel Anir needed Dreadlords to survive. It had always been like that, and it always would be.