Private Tales The Mountains Ahead

[Aviana Sabel]

Carrying the Jester all the way back to the mainland was simply not an option. Kiovec had only learned to fly within the past few weeks. He would need more time for the muscles to properly develop for him to fly such long distances, especially while carrying a rider.

A small, uninhabited island was the perfect refuge for the pair.

It'd taken the dragon several hours just to find a safe place to land. By the time his scaled paws hit the sand, he was exhausted. He came to a stuttering halt, lowering himself down into the warm sands of the beach to catch his breath.

No doubt the Mate, as the dragon called him, would be furious to have been taken away from Aviana. But her instructions had been clear. Her need to protect her mate had been so profound, Kiovec could not bear to ignore her.



Something was happening outside. Aviana could hear the shouts of confusion and fear coming from the other ship, but that was all she had to go off of. She paced through the room, trying to find some means of escape in the small, wooden box. With her hands tied behind her back she didn't have much freedom of movement; and with Kiovec gone, she couldn't draw on their bonded magic.

She took comfort in knowing that Kasim had gotten away. It was all she had to give her strength.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim cursed, cried, and rent the sands in anger.

Power flowed from him, a darkness radiated from his form as he vented his rage. He kept Kiovec opposite him as he scoured the island and razed half it's forests. His body ached and his mind burst at the seams. Yet there was nothing he could do.

Nothing except scream.


Upon the Blackfort things had already been decided. The great ship had loosed itself from the other vessel as soon as it had begun to sink, it's black sails cast with wind. The Commotion that Aviana heard was the desperate screams of the sailors as they attempted to board the Anirian ship and save themselves.

None were successful.

As the Dragon disappeared on the horizon the Blackfort sailed away, turned it's great prow and lumbering it'sway through the see to return to where it had come from.

The clouds above it slowly blistered away, the sun driving them apart and casting upon the sea as though it had been a sunny day all along.

Kasim's Uncle, the source of his rage and fear, returned beneath the decks of the Blackfort, stalking towards the empty room Aviana had been tossed into.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana braced herself against the bulkhead and closed her eyes, taking several deep breaths to calm her panicky nerves. She forced herself to focus on the moment at hand. Dwelling on the horrid events that unfolded on the merchant vessel would not help her now.

Still, the guilt weighed heavily on her soul.

Those men had all been likely died because of her and Kasim. No, She thought bitterly. It hadn't been their fault.

The man was responsible was the lord of this ship.

The only warning she had of Kasim's Uncle's approach was the groaning creak of the door hinges as the door swung open. She stood up off the wall, immediately squaring her shoulders, and braced for whatever was to come.



Kiovec understood the Mate's blind rage. He left the man to his destruction for the time being. For now, he needed to rest and gather his strength. The dragon found a large stony cliff that jutted out over the beach and faced westerly.

Sprawling out on the dark stone, he gazed out over the horizon, in the direction that the Blackfort had taken his Bond. His scaly tail thumped in irritation against the ground, much like a cat.

A growl rumbled deep in the dragon's chest, the scales along his throat glittering like glowing embers as the flames churned within him. He would incinerate that boat, he decided, along with any who would stand in his way.

 

[Kasim Areth]

G
The door of the room opened. It did not slam against the wall, it was not suddenly yanked, but rather it slowly fell to reveal the man standing tall within the doorway.

Within the dark light in the hall Kasim's Uncle did not look any more colorful. His skin was still pale, his eyes still held that same off glint. The darkness and the shadow seemed to cling to him even now. In his hands he carried a tray, two cups, a teapot upon it.

He stepped into the room, and then slowly placed the tray upon a small table in the corner of the room."This ship was built when I was a boy."

His voice was still that odd harsh rasp.

"It was the last one they christened." A smile touched his lips. A sigh escaped him. "Right before the third war elven war."

Aviana likely wouldn't know, but the Conflict had occurred well over three centuries before.

He shook his head as he began to pour the tea, the smell of berries wafting through the room

 

[Aviana Sabel]

The blatant, contrasting dichotomy between what she'd seen before being dragged onto the ship... And the man currently pouring her a glass of tea was unsettling. It put her on guard, but she didn't know what to expect.

He'd taken her for a reason, but that wasn't entirely clear why yet. Supposedly, he sought Kasim, but he left empty handed -- aside from taking a woman he'd never met before. What was the ploy?

Her lips thinned and she stood her ground on the far side of the small room. It wasn't much space between them, but at least it was something.

She was still trying to decide what would be the best angle to approach this situation with... But she didn't have enough information. Kasim had always been reluctant to talk about his family with her.

And he'd certainly never mentioned and Uncle.

Aviana was indeed unfamiliar with the third elven war, but she was instinctively wary of the man. It would be impossible for someone from the mainland to mistake Aviana's elven features, even if they weren't as pronounced as her continental kin.

"I was unaware that Vel Anir was laying claim to waters so far from their own shores." She said in a wary voice.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim's Uncle placed the teacup he had been pouring into on Aviana's side of the small table, motioning towards it as he took up his own.

"Madam." He said with a chuckle. "I assure you with this ship I could lay claim to entire nations."

There was a hint of truth to what he said, at least that was what it sounded like. He spoke with such confidence and self assurance that one might almost have thought it was a spell of some sort. A chair was pulled from across the room, positioned directly opposite Aviana.

Slowly the elder man sat himself down, picking up his tea shortly after. "In that same Third War this very ship was used to massacre your cousins."

He glanced at the girls ears for a brief moment.

"As I recall the Harrowing razed Fal'Itheria on it's own." The man mused as he blew on his tea, taking a small sip when he seemed to notice something. "Oh please, sit."

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana neither moved to take the cup of tea that he'd poured for her, nor moved to take a seat as he'd instructed her to do. He was intentionally trying to frighten her with all this talk of massacring elves and conquering nations. It was a non-too-subtle demonstration of his power and likely intended to deprive Aviana of her own confidence, to make her feel powerless.

"I'll stand." She said simply, standing on the far side of the room with her hands still bound behind her back.

If he was toting about razing an elven city that Aviana was largely unfamiliar with, then it stood to reason that he may not realize who she was, or where she was from. Which meant he wasn't omniscient or omnipotent -- no matter how much he was pretending to be.

"You did not kidnap me off a civilian transport vessel just to have someone to brag to about the past exploits of your ship." She added, narrowing her eyes ever so slightly.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Well, no." Kasim's Uncle said as he took another sip of his tea.

There was an odd edge to his tone now, not cruel, not angry, but amused. He seemed to find the situation funny. There was knowledge there within him, knowledge that was utterly denied to her, or at the very least seemed to be.

Slowly he leaned back in his chair. "I took you because you're carrying my nephews child."

The words hung in the air for a moment, though he did not allow her a chance to respond.

"And because I know my little Erich and his deficiency of morals." An odd way to put it. "He will come for you."

There was something else, though he did not give any inclination of it.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Her fingers tightened into fists behind her back, straining against the restraints that bound her. She pressed her tongue against the inside of her cheek as she stared back at Kasim's Uncle, stubbornly refusing to react to his claim that she was, in fact, pregnant.

She knew that it was entirely possible, but even she didn't know for sure. How did he?

"So you're trying to use me to lure him back to Vel Anir then. Why? It's a gamble. What makes you so certain he'll come?" She countered.

She knew that Kasim likely would try to come for her. There was little doubt in her mind that he'd do something rash to get her away from his family.

 

[Kasim Areth]

The other man smiled slightly, letting out a scoff at Aviana's words. His head shook, as if he couldn't believe what she had just said to him. "Such little faith."

He sounded disappointed in her.

"Perhaps he chose the wrong woman." Another sigh escaped him, and then he took a slow sip of his tea. As his lips moved she would once again see the odd elongated canines, their sharp points flashing slightly in the torchlight.

"Tell me." He motioned once again to the chair, urging her to sit. "Did he ever share the story of his brother?"

The uncle stopped briefly before quickly clarifying. "His twin."

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Her fingers tightened all the more behind her back, nails digging into her palms. It didn't matter what this... This monster thought of her. He was no man, but a vile monstrosity putting on airs. He was just trying to get under her skin, to upset her. She knew Kasim would come for her... But she desperately wished he wouldn't. It was not worth the risk of him being caught by these people.

Her eyes glanced to the door, brow furrowed slightly.

Making a run for it now was too dangerous. She'd seen how fast the Uncle was and he'd catch her before she even got the door open. But maybe later, if she bid her time and waited for the right moment. Jumping overboard with her hands bound behind her back, in the middle of the ocean, was suicidal. She would need a means to free her arms first.

"Does it matter? I am quite sure you're going to regale me with another tale. You seem to enjoy talking." She countered, not answering the question. Instinctively, she didn't want to tell this man anything about her relationship with Kasim, or what they'd discussed.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Erich has always had issues with responsibility." The man clicked his teeth for a moment, placing the cup of tea down onto the the table.

His head shook.

"Believe it or not I understand the impulse. Before I was turned I never much enjoyed the obligations of family either." Cryptic words, but they were not explained. "Always trying to run away..."

A chuckle, then more fell from his lips. "You'll soon learn that our family puts great importance on it's children. At least the first ones born, anyway. Those of a new generation."

"Always twins." He smiled at her, as if imparting some knowledge. "And always one has to die."

"It's how it works you see. The Well." Aviana would remember the words he had shared with her about his families powers.

"Blood demands blood." A shrug rolled over his shoulders. "My little nephew tried to deny that. Tried to stop the cycle, but he has always had a weakness, maybe a strength to some."

The Uncle almost seem forlorn now. "He cares."

"When it was clear he had run, his father set a trap for him. Staged the ritual to make it appear as though his brother would die instead of him." A click of the tongue. "The little fool didn't understand."

He spoke as though he were recounting a tragedy. "He came back, because he cared, because he wanted to save his brother."

A pause hung in the air for a while this time as the story went unfinished.

"It's the same reason he'll come back for you. Even if you doesn't know of your...condition." It seemed Kasim's Uncle knew him well.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana felt a chill race down the length of her spine and settle in her belly. It wasn't the talk of Kasim that upset her, but another piece of information the Uncle briefly touched on. The firstborn were always twins, and one had to die.

If she was indeed pregnant, this man had not taken her just as a means to lure Kasim back to his family, but to gain access to the children he thought she was carrying. Her throat tightened and she found it impossible to swallow.

"If his brother already died then why the hell do you need him?" She asked, avoiding any mention of her own condition.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Potential." His Uncle answered.

He looked around for a moment, as if listening for something, then turned his attention back towards Aviana. His gaze flickered over her entire form, his lips parting in another small smile.

"Elise, little darling Elise." He mused. "She's strong. Surprisingly so for the third born."

It seemed that the man had no true cohesion. His mind jumped from topic to topic. All making sense, but no straight line to any one thing to say. "But Erich is the one who spilled the blood. The one who fed the Well. So his connection is the strongest of this generation."

A shrug rolled over his shoulders.

"In the game of Houses, you do not want to lose your strongest piece." That was what it all came down to; politics.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana was familiar with the political aspect of noble birth, but nothing so brutal as what happened in Kasim's family. Her mother had taken every step she could to shield Aviana from being a pawn used in politics and power plays... But Kasim's family sought to use him themselves.

It was cruel and her heart ached for the man she loved.

"He was right to leave." Aviana said in a low voice, looking away from Kasim's Uncle.

She did not like the way the man swept his gaze over her form and grinned. It felt as if he was gazing at something more than just her body. "Why are you here then? If you just intend to use me as bait? Why talk to me at all..."

 

[Kasim Areth]

He chuckled slightly, as if she was once again speaking from ignorance. Aviana couldn't help it of course. Vel Anir, House Virak, most of it was an enigma to her. Kasim had kept it that way on purpose, hoping that none of this would ever be exposed to her.

"Well." The man leaned forward. "You're family, are you not?"

That made him laugh, as if it was some grand joke.

Perhaps to him it was. Clearly he was an odd sort of creature, one that perhaps did not sit correct in the dynamic of what most would think of as Vel Anir. He was by all right not even human, something made clear by his unnatural pallor.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

The sound of his laughter was even more unsettling than his smile. She found herself wishing Kasim had shared more with her. As it stood now, she was woefully unprepared, and didn't know what to expect or what information she needed.

"Family?" She repeated the word, clearly perturbed by the concept and she shook her head.

The visceral image of the first mate being so casually decapitated right in front of her flashed through her mind.

It was entirely plausible the man was being cordial with her, strictly because of his belief that she was pregnant with Kasim's child. There would not be much effort required on his part, if he wanted to hurt her.

"If that's the case ... What happens next?"

 

[Kasim Areth]

"We return to Vel Anir." Not exactly of course. Returning to the actual city would be far too dangerous, but it was easier to say that than to explain to Aviana they would be heading to an estate in the countryside owned by House Virak.

Still, the effect would be the same.

"The journey will take a few weeks, at least." He seemed exasperated by that. "Even the Dreadlords cannot be pushed indefinitely, and finding you both has taken quite a bit of strength from them."

A shrug rolled over his shoulders. "If you behave, I see no reason to to hurt you."

He frowned.

"Though I doubt Sellon will be very pleased with what you are." He let out a 'tsk' with his tongue. "At times he's worse than my own father was."

Again, the thought seemed to come from seemingly nowhere.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

"Who... Is Sellon?" She asked him with narrowed eyes.

As for "what" she was, Aviana wasn't entirely sure what he was referring to. A woman? An elf? A Minrasin?

Her lips pursed slightly.

She didn't know what to expect if she was taken to Vel Anir. But she would at least have a few weeks to prepare and try to escape.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Ah." Kasim's Uncle said, waving his hand almost dismissively. "Erich's father."

He said almost as if it were obvious. "My...Great great great Grandnephew."

Another small chuckle, as if that fact was somehow amusing.

"They share a name technically. Erich and Erich. My family has always been rather vaingloriously in that way." He smiled sadly. "Sons named after their fathers, uncles and the like. Sellon was my brothers name too, I suppose that's why I call him that."

He shook his head. "Funny that they gave your love my name. Perhaps a sign of what he was to become."

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She mentally ran through the name Kasim once told her, and the name the Uncle had given back on the merchant ship. Her eyes lowered, moving slightly back and forth in thought.

"Sarkus." She murmured quietly, finally having a name to call the unsettling man across the room from her.

If Sarkus was so keen to talk, she might as well learn what she could from him.

"Why would Sellon take issue?" She asked, finally easing her fingers so that they were no longer digging into her palms.

 

[Kasim Areth]

He scoffed. "You're an elf, dear."

At least the distinction of her half blood didn't seem to make any difference to him.

"My family has never been the progressive sort." Sarkus stated plainly, apparently not shying away from topics that Kasim had never really brought up before. Or wanted to linger on for that matter.

He was an oddly open man.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Sarkus was more right than he knew.

She sighed quietly shaking her head as she looked to the side, tonguing the inside of her cheek. "Of course not. From what I've seen of the Mainland, not many of you are. And my name is Aviana."

Her shoulders were starting to ache from being bound behind her back.

"Am I to remain bound for the entire trip back to Vel Anir?"

 

[Kasim Areth]

There was a pause that seemed to hang in the air. ”I suppose not.”

It would be months after all.

”They would expect me to, but contrary to what you might believe I’m no savage.” He clicked his tongue again, as if the thought were somewhat annoying to him. ”I would however suggest not trying to escape.”

Oddly enough he did not seem all that concerned with her abilities. Whether or not he assumed she simply had none or was so self assured that he did not care was impossible to tell, but he slowly rose from his chair. ”There are worse things on this ship than I.”

He mused as he motioned for her to turn around.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

"Of course." She replied in a low voice, then she reluctantly turned around. Giving Sarkus her back went against every instinct she had. It was all she could do to stop herself from trembling.

Escape was not an option yet. She would need to know the layout of the ship, what else lurked on board, where to find the supplies she would need. Getting off the Blackfort was going to require a considerable amount of planning, but from the sound of it, she had time.

She didn't say anything else to Sarkus, lowering her head slightly, one tail of her scarf slipping over her shoulder from the posture.