Private Tales The Mountains Ahead

[Aviana Sabel]

Kasim didn't say a word to her as he turned back to the door.

Flashes of memories burst in Aviana's mind, seared into her brain like a brand, as the events unfolded in front of her. Trauma has a different effect on everyone it touches, and the half-elf had tried to bury hers deep when she'd landed on the shore of the mainland, half dead and alone.

Her mother pressing the pendant into her palm. Her father giving her satchel, and then turning back to his spellbook. She had never seen him use the spellbook to actually prepare a spell before. Kieran throwing her up into the saddle, several arrows already buried deep in his back, and drawing his sword as the elk bolted down the path, carrying her away from the mayhem.

That look of grim determination was the same as her father's when he'd been preparing the barrier spell, the same as Kieran's when he turned to face down the naga.

Magic always had a cost.

"Kasim, wai--" She started to protest, to take a step towards him, when his eyes suddenly took on a strange glow. The veins in his neck strained against his flesh with the effort of his concentration. Then the door and barrier alike exploded.

The burst had been so unexpected and sudden, that Aviana screamed and flinched away from the doorway.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Another overly large wolf darted into the hallway, but it took met with the same fate at it's kin. Massive splinters of wood rushed from the broken barricade and stabbed through the creature, pinning it to the wall and ending it's life before it even had a chance to move.

Then another came, and then another.

Kasim killed them just as quickly, but every time he moved, every time he did anything at all, the veins beneath his skin seemed to rise a little more. Red filled his eyes, vision blurring as blood vessels popped. The magic pulled through him like a torrent, straining his body.

Yet underneath that strain he knew he couldn't stop, so as another wolf rounded the corner of the hallway Kasim lashed out once more. This time his palm opened, fingers twitching as the wolf suddenly yelped and then simply...exploded. It's form a mashed and gnarled mess.

Blood splattered on the ground, and then a howl echoed out. A trample of claws could be heard below, a crash of glass and furniture, and then silence.

The wolves had run away, terrified of the fate that awaited them up the stairs of the inn. Completely unaware that Kasim had already collapsed into unconsciousness.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Within seconds, Kasim had obliterated the werewolves that only moments before had seemed a very real threat.

Aviana was fairly familiar with magic. While she couldn't weave a spell herself, she had seen enough people do it that she knew what it looked like. Or at least, what it should look like.

But this... was something else.

It wasn't rune magic. She knew that much.

Outside their room, the hallway was littered with gore. Bits of flesh and fur clung to the walls, blood was splattered across the floor, the ceiling, and coated every surface that she could see. The two impaled beasts filled most of the doorway, providing an improvised barrier between them and the corridor.

And then Kasim collapsed to the floor.

"No, no, no. Kasim!" The half-elf exclaimed, rushing to catch his limp form as he fell. She just barely managed to wrap her arms around his torso before he cracked his skull on the floor -- but the weight of him pulled her down into a kneeling position to support him.

"Shit... please. Please don't be dead. Please, please, please. Be okay. You're okay..." She pleaded with him, her voice cracking as she settled onto the floor with much of his weight resting on her lap and his back resting against her chest. One of her hands wiped the tears from her eyes so that she could see more clearly, inspecting the runes that covered his torso.

None of them looked as though they'd been activated.

She went still as she realized that he'd pulled on something else entirely, all in order to save her. The runes would have protected him, but only him.

Silence had fallen over the abandoned inn once more, leaving Aviana alone with the unresponsive Kasim in her arms and the dead werewolves outside their room. Trembling, she leaned forward so that her ear hovered less than an inch from his nose. She was absolutely terrified that the man had just killed himself in his efforts to protect her.

The whisper of his breath against her flesh sent a surge of relief through her, and she gasped out a choked sob. She had to stay quiet. If the wolves thought that the threat had been subdued, they might return... and kill them both.

A shiver wracked her body, but she didn't dare move. Her alchemy bag was in the saddle, along with her weapon and shield. Not that the weapon would have done her any good against the werewolves. All she could do was pull a blanket over Kasim's form and herself to ward off the chill in the air, and pray that the jester woke soon.

As gently as she could, she laid Kasim down in a more comfortable position, with his head resting on a pillow. Once she had him situated, she pressed her forehead to his and closed her eyes. "Please. Just be okay."

He had done everything he could to protect her, and now it was her turn.

Kasim's sword still lay discarded on the ground and she stooped down to pick it up. She positioned herself directly in between the jester's unconscious form and the door, settling down onto her knees with her weight resting on the backs of her heels. The sword was laid horizontally across her lap.

If the wolves returned, she would damned well defend him until her last breath.

 

[Kasim Areth]

The wolves did not return.

Whether it was the fear that kept them away or the stench of their own dead was impossible to tell, but there was no more tapping of claws against wood. No more claws puncturing through wood. The only echo of those nightmares were the howls that could be heard within the distance.

Kasim himself looked worst for wear. All along his veins bruises had begun to appear, his eyes were still bleeding and it was more than obvious that whatever magic he'd used had wreaked havoc on his body.

An hour passed.

Then two.

There were howls occasionally a few times that the floor creaked, but they never returned. The moon slowly lowered within the sky, and hours after the wolves had first come Kasim finally managed to drag himself from the Abyss. A loud groan escaped him as he woke.

Everything hurt.

His skin, his eyes, his veins. All of it screamed in pain.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

The sound of Kasim's groan pulled Aviana out of her focused state and she shifted her weight slightly to look over her shoulder. She had not moved a muscle in hours, the simple movement was almost painful and she realized that she had a splitting tension headache.

Still, that was all of little concern.

She couldn't help but smile at the sound. It meant that the jester had not died while she kept watch throughout the night. Quietly, she stood up from her position and she padded over to kneel next to him. His sword was set off to the side, still well within arm's reach.

Asking him how he felt seemed like a frivolous and stupid question. It was obvious that he was in pain, and that the magic had left him drained. But she felt as though she should say something.

"Welcome back." She whispered softly, wiping her fingers across his cheek to gently brush some of the blood from his face.

 

[Kasim Areth]

He tried to take a deep breath, his his lungs refused. Instead he struggled, his chest rising and falling in shallow swaths as he tried to bring himself back into reality.

Aviana wiped the blood from his face, causing him to twitch slightly. Bruises had formed down his cheeks as well in thin blue lines, a mark of just how much strain his body had been under. Kasim flexed his fingers, and then slowly opened his eyes. The normally pristine white around yellow had turned almost completely red, a sun swimming just on the horizon.

"Ow." The Jester said quietly.

Though he was bruised, and his body in pain, it wasn't as bad as it looked. He could still move and feel everything, there was even some sensation in his toes.

The magic had been rough on him, there was no doubt. "The Wolves?"

He asked weakly, only half remembering.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Her hand came to rest in her lap, not wanting to hurt the man further.

"You uh... killed quite a few of them. The rest panicked and fled. I've heard them outside but none ventured back in." She answered quietly.

It was difficult to hold his gaze with his eyes painted red, but she managed. "We're safe." She added a moment later, a strained smile on her lips. "For now, at least."

She wasn't sure what to say to him. It was clear to her that he had made some great sacrifice to protect her... but she didn't have the faintest of understandings as to what it was. She'd never seen magic take such a physical toll on a person before, but she had heard the screams once.

"Tell me what you need." That felt better than asking if he was okay, or how he felt. She could plainly see that he was hurting and that he felt awful, there was no need to ask those questions, but she didn't know how to help him.

 

[Kasim Areth]

He frowned a moment, lifted a hand, and then inspected it. His veins were bruised, skin discolored, but there was not an external mark on him. His frown turned into a scowl, and then he shrugged. "It's about right."

Kasim had known this would happen when he'd called upon his magic. It had been nearly five years since he'd last used it, and his body was neither used to the strain nor volatility. Had he not passed out when he did it likely would have done even more damage. Perhaps some permanent.

"I'll be alright." He told her as he propped himself up. "My tunic and boots though."

A grimace flashed across his face. "We'll need to get out of here."

The moon was setting in the distance, he could see that, and that meant the wolves would be turning again. He had no idea what the people of the village had intended or what they were...but it would be best not to be around to find out.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

"I figured as much, but I couldn't risk moving you with them still running around." She nodded, then went to fetch the man the rest of his clothes.

His tunic and boots were handed to him a few moments later.

"Can you ride like that? If needed, Erodin can carry us both... if he's still alive." She mumbled the last part, glancing towards the window.

There hadn't been any screams that sounded like an elk's in the night. She was all too familiar with what one of the majestic beasts sounded like when they were dying. Her nose wrinkled at the thought, biting at the inside of her cheek.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"It's doable." Kasim said quietly, slipping on his tunic first and then pulling on his boots. The actions were more painful than he thought they would be, and even crooking his finger seemed to send a dull ache throughout his entire body.

The coming weeks would not be pleasant, but there was no real way of changing things now. He had used the Magic, and he had paid the price.

Both prices.

His family now knew he was alive, knew where was. Kasim chewed over the thought as he dragged himself to his feet and grabbed his sword, fingers wrapping around the hilt. There was little House Virak could do about it now, he was thousands of miles away, but...it was bad enough that they knew.

His actions tonight would have consequences. "I doubt they went for the stables. There were horses in there before ours."

It was why he thought the Village was in on it, all of this was...well a little too strange.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She nodded in response to him, then pulled the satchel over her shoulder to let the bag hang diagonally across her chest.

"We should leave then. Before..." She paused, not exactly sure what she had intended to say. Eventually, she settled on something that seemed fitting. "Before something else happens." She sighed, sounding utterly exhausted.

Both of them were drained, but for different reasons. She doubted that they would be fit for venturing into the deep roads in this condition, but they certainly couldn't stay anywhere near this village. She wasn't even sure she believed Kasim when he claimed that he could ride a horse. The man looked as though he could barely stand. He made tying his boots look difficult.

Out of pure spite, she turned and snatched up several of the pillows off the ground and a few of the blankets. If these vile people were going to try to eat her and Kasim in their sleep, she didn't take much issue with robbing them of their linens.

She wanted one good night's sleep with an actual pillow. It was ridiculous, but there it was.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim perked an eyebrow as Aviana proceeded to steal several blankets and pillows off the beds, but decided it was best not to comment on that fact. Instead he focused on grabbing his own things.

He strapped the blade to his back once more, and then quickly pulled his pack onto his shoulders. There was no small amount of discomfort in the act, but a small shift of weight and he found walking easy enough. The bruises all over his body throbbed, but it was workable at least.

"Let's go." Kasim said as he took a step forward and turned, immediately being confronted by the sight of a very large wolf pinned to the wall.

The Jester stared for a second, noting the pike like wood shoved through the creatures body. A grimace flashed across his features and he stepped out of the doorway, ignoring the werewolf and not even bothering to collect a sample of it's blood.

For some reason he didn't want it.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Having spent the entire night staring at the corpses, Aviana was careful to avert her eyes as she follow Kasim out into the hall. She didn't want to have to look at the mangled beasts any more than she had to. It was a grim, grotesque scene to be sure.

The tavern downstairs was utter chaos, as well. A window was shattered with tufts of fur clinging to the broken glass. Furniture was toppled over or shoved out of place.

But there were no bodies strewn about.

Which as far as Aviana was concerned, only confirmed that the villagers had either known what was going to happen or they were the monsters themselves. She wasn't sure which was worse.

As they made their way to the stable, the half-elf kept close to Kasim's side, ready to catch him again if he stumbled at all. When they reached the stable itself, she felt a bubble of relief form in her chest at the sight of the door locked securely in place. There weren't even any claw marks dug into the wood.

"C'mon. I'll get the animals saddled. You drink some water and try to eat something if you can." She said quietly, lifting the bolt on the door and stepping inside.

 

[Kasim Areth]

"This magic isn't that sort." He had explained how Rune Magic could be draining on the body, how it made him hungry, thirsty, all of that. It was good of her to think that and be concerned about it, but eating wouldn't do much for him at the moment.

"It doesn't drain me like the Runes would." As the door opened he and Aviana were greeted by the sight of a nearly full stable, something he was exceptionally thankful for. Riding would be hard, but walking? That would be nearly impossible for any amount of time. "It's more...punishing."

He shrugged, though grimaced as he did so. "I haven't touched it in five years, so my body just isn't used to it."

Explaining more would have taken all night, so without a word Kasim crossed the room and headed towards his horse.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Aviana sighed softly at the stubbornness of the jester. She was trying to keep him from hurting himself further, and he was insistent on doing just that. If he set his mind to something, there wasn't anything she could do to change it. That was something she was just going to have to accept.

Not that she could entirely blame him. She was much the same way.

While he tended to his horse, Aviana set about saddling Erodin, which was taken care of in a matter of minutes. She secured the pillows and blankets in one of the saddle bags, after reorganizing a few things so that they would fit. The bag bulged cartoonishly from the peculiar cargo it now carried. When they stopped later in the day she would need to actually roll the sheets and pillows more tightly, but there wasn't time for that now.

She opened her mouth to ask if Kasim needed help getting into the saddle, but then she stopped. If he wouldn't let her saddle the horse for him, there was no way in hell he'd let her help him get in the damned thing. Instead, she hauled herself onto Erodin's tall back and trotted him out of the barn, waiting for Kasim outside.

It was similar to the first morning when they'd set off on their journey together, but an eerie dread hung in the air.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim managed to pull himself into the saddle of his horse with more than a small amount of effort. His strength did not fail him, but the bruises along his veins sang with pain as he yanked himself onto the great beast.

A loud sigh escaped him as he seated himself, eyes closing and head tipping back for just a moment. "Fuck."

The word was so quiet that Aviana would struggle to hear it, but he needed to audible satisfaction of the effort he had just made. A second passed, and then he tipped his head forward and opened his eyes once more. The blood was still present, making him appear as more of a demon than a man.

Not that he could see.

On the horizon the Moon was nearly at the horizon, the sun streaming on it's opposite. The sight made Kasim breath a sigh of relief, but none of the urgency left him.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

The world was lit with a soft, blueish grey light in the early morning haze. A thin layer of mist crept along the ground and the air was oddly still. Once, Aviana might have found it peaceful. Now, it just frightened her.

She took a deep breath as Kasim sauntered out of the barn and joined her outside. Her gaze met his for a moment, worriedly taking in his features and the blood in his eyes. That was her fault. Last night was the second time he'd had to save her, and both of which had cost him dearly. It was difficult to not blame herself, but it was harder not to hate herself for letting it happen. So far, it was a struggle that she was losing.

Her blue eyes turned away from his golden gaze, drawing the mask down over her features to hide the thoughts.

When she closed her eyes to take a deep breath screams bellowed in her ears, the scent of blood filled her nostrils, monsters lurked in the darkness. Silence fell over the world as she opened them once more.

Was it possible to be haunted by memories? She wondered bitterly.

She glanced down at her hands. Her fingers had curled so tightly around the reins that she was holding the leather straps improperly; yanking the elk's held up and back slightly, which caused him to skitter sideways with a frustrated grunt. It ached when she released her hold on them.

"Ready?" She finally asked, turning the elk towards the road.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim simply nodded, something that hurt quite a bit with the bruises forming along his neck.

His horse turned without much sound, the beast somehow keeping it's fears of the distant howls turned inside. Kasim paid it no mind, his thoughts consumed more with what he had just done.

The damage to his body was nothing too concerning, he knew that it would heal. The Consequence that worried him was his family, and more specifically his father. The last time the man had known he was alive he had turned Kasim's own brother against him, had forced The Jester to kill his closest sibling.

What would he do now?

He'd heard rumor that his sister was the heir to House Varik now, but she had never had the talent at the strength he did. Access to the families magic came by genetic lineage, but the strength at which one could use it was always random. His brother had barely been able to move a pebble, but Kasim? Kasim could drain the whole well dry if he wanted.

It would kill him, but he could do it.

The Jester pondered quietly as they trotted out the village, the surrounding buildings reflecting little more than a ghost town.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

Both of them were lost in their own thoughts for some time as they rode alongside one another down the gently curving road. Neither of their animals required much input from them to plod along a clear path. Silence stretched between the half-elf and jester.

Aviana's thoughts took an abrupt turn to assuming the worst. Kasim would likely leave soon. She was too dangerous to travel with, and he'd nearly killed himself because of her. He'd made it fairly clear that he didn't consider himself the heroic sort, and that he'd rather avoid trouble if possible.

Well, she was walking trouble.

A quiet sigh slipped through her lips and she shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. She glanced over at Kasim, eventually, after the sun had risen.

He looked worse in the daylight. Bruises covered his handsome features, disappearing beneath the collar of his tunic. There was a tightness around his eyes, she could see the pain that he was in; even if he was trying to hide it.

She should say something to him, anything to show that she appreciated what he'd done for her. But how should she address him? Mr. Areth seemed so clinical and rigid, but the more familiar name seemed almost inappropriate outside.

Finally, she swallowed her doubts and gathered her courage to speak.

"Kasim, I just wanted to..." She faltered, glancing down at the reins in front of her. "I don't know exactly what you did... But I can see that it weighs on you. That it cost you a great deal. I'm grateful. If I could... I don't know, ease your pain, I would."

 

[Kasim Areth]

He frowned for a moment, considering how to answer Aviana's words. There was really no easy way to go about it, or say it, but it required some thought.

The Jester did not necessarily want to tell her all of the details about his life, why he'd run away, who he'd run away from or even how he'd done it. Everyone needed secrets, and this one was large enough that telling it would lead only to bad things. He knew that better than anyone else.

"The pain isn't a problem." It was uncomfortable, and there was no doubt that in the coming days he would bitch quite a bit, but really it was the least of his concerns.

He drummed his fingers for a moment, then continued on.

"That magic was..." Would she care about Blood Magic? He could only assume that she would, most cultures did. "Connected to the people I ran from."

Best to leave out what the magic was. "They thought I was dead, but now that I've used it...they'll know the truth. It's why I use Rune Magic."

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She risked a quick glance up to him, and she nodded slightly in understanding. It had cost him a great deal then. She hoped that she was worth it.

"That... Explains quite a bit." She murmured lowly, shifting her weight slightly in the saddle. Then she glanced down at her chest, frowning a little.

The pendant her mother had given her was a runestone, and a powerful one at that. It blocked the user from scrying, or tracking magic. If someone tried to reach out to find you, their grasp would simply slip around you. It would be like trying to catch smoke with your hand. The entire reason she had it was to keep anyone from sensing the egg she carried.

"If... They know you're alive, will they come looking for you?"

 

[Kasim Areth]

"Yes." There was no hesitation to his answer, mostly because at this point he wasn't going to lie to her. Kasim knew what he had done, he had made the decision consciously. Oddly enough he didn't regret it either, though he fear what was to come.

"They won't be able to track me with magic." He said simply, not explaining to Aviana that one of the Runes carved into his flesh prevented that sort of thing. "But they'll come looking."

A shrug rolled over his shoulder. "I knew the price."

The Jester knew that Aviana would be feeling bad, but there was no point in it. Kasim knew what he'd been doing, knew the sacrifice he'd made. House Virak was more than two thousand leagues from where they stood, it would be many weeks before his father could even come close.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

"I'm sorry you had to make that choice." She said quietly, pressing her lips together.

There was nothing she could have done to have stopped it. The beasts that attacked them had not been sent there at her whim. Even if she had had her sword and shield, a pack of werewolves would have quickly overwhelmed her. Kasim had been forced to make a decision between keeping himself hidden and saving her.

"But..." She continued, turning her gaze back to meet his. "It means a great deal to me that you made it. Thank you."

A soft smile fluttered across her features. She was still shaken, but she was trying to put on a brave face.

 

[Kasim Areth]

Kasim wasn't sure how to respond to that. What he had done had saved her, but in truth he wasn't entirely sure he had done it for the right reasons.

That was not to say he wanted Aviana dead, nor to say that he expected anything at all of her. Rather, it had been his own selfish concern. He hadn't wanted to watch her die. For whatever reason, whatever that meant, Kasim simply hadn't wanted to see her get torn apart.

The Jester had no idea what that meant. Perhaps he was a coward. Perhaps he was squeamish, or perhaps there were a dozen other reasons he hadn't thought of. Either way it wasn't something that he would share with Aviana. Explaining it would simply make him seem worse. "Well."

Kasim began slowly.

"Let's not make a habit of it." He let out a chuckle, cutting himself of as a surge of pain rushed through him from the bruises.

 

[Aviana Sabel]

She noticed the strange expression that passed over his features, but she couldn't quite place what it meant. There were too many variables for what it could have been, and she lacked the energy to delve into it for now.

The sun was now high enough in the sky that the early morning mist was starting to dissipate. Birds were singing off in the distance. Puffy white clouds drifted across a strikingly blue sky, that matched the color of Aviana's eyes. Her nose wrinkled as she looked up. It should have been beautiful... but she found all of it unsettling. Like the world was trying to cover up the horrors of what had happened the night before.

"Next time, I'll be sure to be the one doing the saving." She remarked, shaking her head.