Private Tales The Past Returns

[Calliope]

Calliope scowled at him, her head shaking incredulously. It was difficult to feel sorry for him when she was so fucking angry. "You knew I'd do it? Kill him? How?! He almost killed me, you lousy, inconsiderate bastard!" she yelled and reached for the cup he'd poured her before launching it at him.

"It matters now because I almost died and you have yet to apologise for putting me in that situation. It matters now because my hands are forever stained with the blood of a man I did not know and whether he was a good man or a terrible man it was not my right to take his life! I will never forgive you for this."

Xander's grip was on her shoulders, his words whispered close to her ear, urging her to calm, reminding her that they needed him to keep to his word.

 

[Tal]

Tal flicked his wrist and the cup, dark amber whisky still within, found its place perfectly within his fingers. Held just off to his now empty glass. "You're a Princess of Tyr for Urathash's sake!"

The former Underboss said, invoking the name of the ancient god of fire-giants that had once been worshiped by their people. His eyes rolling as he brought Calliope's glass to his lips and took another healthy sip.

"Are you naive enough to think you'd walk through this life bloodless?" There was venom to his words now. "Our people thrive, survive on the blood of others."

The gift that all of them bore. The sight of truth they were offered into other beings by a single drop of their blood. "I shouldn't need to tell you that."

For Calliope's gift was greater than any other. She saw not only the truth of a person. She could take it.

"Maybe if you weren't such a fucking child about a few dead men you wouldn't have even needed to come here." Tal rebuked. "You have a right to take whatever fucking life you want!"

Tal hissed, turning on his heel and tossing both cups onto the ground where they shattered. "We both do."

He finished as he walked towards the door.

 

[Calliope]

His voice silenced her, the smashing cups caused her to flinch, violence wasn't a common occurrence back home, and she frowned in confusion at his words. Calli had always tried to see the value in lives, something that the two clearly differed on. She had taken blood without killing for this long, and it still should have been her choice, a choice that he had taken from her.

Tears pooled in her eyes, but she drew in a painful breath and lifted her chin, determined not to allow a single one to fall. "A few dead men?.. Have you forgotten where you came from, Talmanese? We are not murderers. Blood is too precious to spill all over the fucking floor. I am not the one acting like a child." she scowled at him.

"Perhaps thinking you'd be the one to put your father in line was foolish of me. From here, it seems you might be just as bad." she huffed.

 

[Tal]

Tal's steps came to a stop, hand lingering on the handle of the door. He listened to everything Calliope said, the words slipping from her tongue.

For a few seconds he didn't respond. He simply stared at the blank door in front of them. Then as she finished he slowly turned around. Silence hung in the room as he shifted to face her, the sound of his falling boots almost seeming to echo. "Do you know how many people I've watched die in this city?"

His words held none of the anger as before, none of the rage.

"How many throats were slit? How many hands were cut off? How many freely spilled it to see themselves step higher?" Tal's voice remained a seething stillness. "Blood is no more sacred than water."

Talmanese rebuked as he turned on her. "That's the lesson this place has taught. What I've taken from the exile my father forced on me."

The bitterness in his voice was clear, the truth was laid bare. For the first time Calliope would be able to put it together. The sudden disappearance of Talmanese from Tyr, the way he had acted when seeing her, the bandages wrapped around his arms. It would be obvious to her.

Tal's father had sealed his magic and thrown him away.

"I'll put my father in line. Along with the rest of my family." Tal said, wrenching the door open and stepping through it. Slamming it shut behind him.

 

[Calliope]

Her crimson eyes narrowed as he spoke of the things he'd seen here, and the way he spoke of it caused her blood to chill. Xander seemed about to rise, but her hand moved quickly to rest on his forearm to stop him. She didn't need this getting any worse than it already was.

She had been about to speak again when he mentioned his exile, and her mouth remained open, but her words turned to stone. Her gaze wandered over the bandages, and there was a sudden click within her mind, a scattered puzzle finally snapping into place.

The slamming of the door sent a jolt through her and brought several paintings and ornaments smashing to the floor around the room.

"Calli?" Xander's voice was a gentle rasp as she seemed to be on the verge of tears.

"I'm fine. Time to go home." she said firmly and lifted her chin.

 

[Tal]

It was only the next day that Calliope and Xander would find themselves lead towards one of the docks within the Shallows. At the end of it sat a ship, small enough that it was clearly not meant for war, but large enough to carry more than a dozen passengers.

The hull was made of a sleek red oak, it's sails decorated with flags of black slashed with red. Men and women of all sorts scampered around the vessel. Humans, Tieflings, Orcs, and perhaps most shockingly of all a single Ogre.

One that Calliope would recognize.

He was a familiar face in a place that he should not have been. His gait the practiced steps of a warrior and soldier. Volstus Hurrin of Tyr, formerly a Captain within the famed Death Watch Guard. A man who had disappeared years ago around the same time as Talmanese.

The Ogre walked across the deck, carrying a massive box that would have taken three men to haul. He seemed to stop in place as he saw Calliope, a wide toothy grin parting his face.

"I didn't think he was tellin' tha truth!"​

He bellowed, dropping the crate onto the deck with a heavy thud.

 

[Calliope]

Calli had slept for a further twelve hours and had it not been for Xander's gentle shake, she might've slept another day. She was sore, and weak, and in no mood to deal with Talmanese and so she'd do her best to avoid him. She wanted to go home, return to her life and her family whom she hoped would be safe until they returned.

She took Xander's arm and let him lead her out onto the docks, her lips curling slightly at the sight of the ship before a familiar voice caused her head to snap toward the speaker. "Volstus?" she said with a breathy laugh in disbelief as she looked over him.

"On this rare occasion it seemed he was.." she smirked, stepping away from Xander to walk to him, her dark skirts trailing at her feet. He was almost twice her height and her head tilted back to smiled up at him. "I've often wondered where you'd gone. A goodbye would have been nice." her brow quirked..

"Have you been with him all this time?"

 

[Tal]

Volstus seemed to frown for a moment, looking down at Calliope as he reached up and scratched the back of his head. It was not often that one saw an Ogre turn crimson, but the mountain had always been one to wear his emotion on his sleeve.

"No, not quite." He admitted. "When Tal left...well, when he was exiled there were many questions."

That was an understatement. "He's only a third son, but it was curious enough despite that. So, I was sent to bring Talmanese back to face questioning."

As he spoke it was clear that Volstus was only building up his actual answer. The crux of why he was currently feeling a flicker of shame. He looked down at Calliope, and then shook his head.

"I found him in Mallian. Took me near three months, but when I caught him.." The great Ogre shrugged his shoulders. "He's always been a convincing bastard."[/color]

 

[Calliope]

Calli cast a look toward Talmanese as Volstus explained, her head shaking in slow contemplation. Mallian? Gods, how much of Arethil had he seen?

"Hm. He has, yes.." she sighed in agreement and looked back up at the ogre with a soft smile. "I won't hold it against you. I'm just glad to know you're well.. Are you accompanying us back to Tyr?" she asked with a twist of her lips.

 

[Tal]

The Ogre nodded his head, though there was a slight trepidation to it. As though he weren’t entirely sure of his answer.

“Aye, I’ll be coming with. Though I’m sure that’ll cause a heap of it’s own trouble.”​

Just as the ogre finished speaking Tal slowly stepped out from his massive shadow. He looked far more sober than he had the night before, though his eyes were ringed with dark edges and there was a weariness in his features. Dark glasses covered his eyes, a fact he hardly seemed to acknowledge. ”Don’t worry old friend.”

Tal said, his voice hoarse as though he had been yelling half the night.

”Your crimes will far be overshadowed by mine.” He reached up and patted the great Ogre on his upper arm, which was as far as he could reach. ”We ready.”

Volstus nodded his head.

“Aye, we’re ready. Just waiting for our passengers to settle.”​

Talmanese slowly turned his head, glancing towards Calli and Xander.

 

[Calliope]

"Yes they will." Calli added in reassurance to Volstus with a sharp glance cast in Tal's direction. She gave a warm, but tired smile and reached to press her hand to the Ogre's arm. "I'm glad to have you with us."

Calli stepped and turned on her heels with a nod to Xander who accompanied her onboard, drawing his eyes over Talmanese from the gangplank. "I'm not so sure this is a good idea." he murmured to her, and Calli sighed.

"No. It's a terrible idea.." she answered quickly. Being confined to a ship with Tal for the next few weeks was a daunting thought if yesterday had been anything to go on. "But we must endure, and try to stay civilised.."

Her cabin was surprisingly nice despite being small. The bed was clean and soft, and she had a small window, and there was room to spare for a small desk and chair.. She could make do. Xander's hammock in the hold, however, was less comfortable.

 

[Tal]

It was not long after Calliope was brought to her room that the ship set sail.

Tal remained on the deck, standing besides one of the odd crewmembers as they observed the dozens of ships in the Allirian port. A quiet musing flickered over the former Underlord's face, his lips thinning as he turned his gaze to the city. "Strange."

He said quietly, clearly not expecting an answer from the Tiefling.

"I worked so hard to make my home here." The Prince mused. "Seems almost a shame to abandon it."

Slowly he turned away from Alliria. "Almost."

Without another word Tal quickly made his way below deck. The crew knew their destination, knew where they were heading and why. This ship had been built for a purpose, to get Tal back home as fast as one possibly could. Even the Portal Stone would have been slower, at least in their homeland.

The sea was more forgiving than the Isles of Sheketh.

Thus it was that when the odd ship broke out into sea it's triangular sails dropped down. It's hull shifting and raising within the waters, pulled along the winds as it took up speed beyond what any vessel had ever seen before.

 

[Calliope]

The sun had long since dipped below the horizon by the time Calli left her cabin with the need to stretch her legs and breathe some fresh air. Sailors milled around here and there, and wind whipped the crimson hair back from her face as she stared out at the vast waters ahead. It was cold at sea, most especially aboard a ship that sailed so swiftly that the winds felt like lashings of ice.

The men were growing merrier by the minute by the sounds of things below deck, and Calli's ruby eyes rolled as she tugged her fur shawl a little tighter around her shoulders and turned on her heels to wander back to the warmth of her cabin before anyone could bother her.

 

[Tal]

As Calliope's footsteps echoed down the creaking halls of the strange ship, the bare flickers of lamplight guided her path.

The sound of those of the crew not watching the sails echoed throughout the entire vessel. Their well earned time off spent drinking and losing coin to one another. Echoes of their laughter was loud enough to block out the slight creak of iron hooks holding the lamps in place as the ship continued to roll through the waves.

When the Princess of Tyr turned the final step she would find the hallway before her darkened.

The lamplight, which had so helpfully been hanged by her door was now unlit. Throwing the way to her cabin door into darkness.

Through the shadows she would just barely make out a figure as the ship shifted within the waves. The lamplight at her corner dipping just enough to expose the silhoutte of someone standing beyond it's grasp. Gone as the ship shifted once more.

 

[Calliope]

Calli paused, her brow dipping as she peered into the darkness and shifting shadows. She wasn't entirely sure that she'd seen anything at all, or whether it was simply her mind toying with her. Either way, she approached her cabin cautiously, a long pin with a decorative onyx orb drawn from the knot of her hair, letting it fall about her face. She grasped the makeshift weapon in her fist at her side as she moved forward.

"Xan?" she called casually before reaching out a hand to push the door open with a few creaks. At her back, something bolted across her path and she turned with a startled gasp at Cusco, the ship's cat chasing a mouse and skidding into a barrel.

"Fucking cat.." she breathed and gave a quiet, husky laugh at herself.

 

[Tal]

No sooner had the words left Calliope's mouth that the shadows themselves seemed to move.

They peeled from the wall like flowing tar, dragging free from the darkness and stepping into the light as a shadowy figure slipping from it's bonds. Like a viper striking out from deep beneath the sand a hand lashed out.

Fingers curled in an instant, grasping Calliope around the throat and forcefully slamming her back against the wall.

Pale yellow eyes stared down through a mess or wet red hair. A cold and distant expression lay painted across Tal's face as he emerged from the shadow, the now clean bandages around his arm an hand feeling shockingly soft in contrast to his vice like grip.

"I think it's time we came to an understanding." Tal's voice was cold as he spoke.

Gone was the incessant cockiness, the smug amusement, that tinge of fun that had always been present before. All that remained was a cold assurance.

 

[Calliope]

The scream that she attempted was nothing more than a strangled sound as she felt her back slam into the wall, promising fresh bruising. She had barely recovered from the last altercation she'd had, and so the fresh assault was amplified atop her present pain and weakness. She resisted the urge to grimace, however, and her eyes remained wide and fixed upon Tal's cold features.

Her fingers curled against the hand that held her there, attempting to tear it from her throat as she failed to draw air into her lungs. Yes, she was afraid - he was unpredictable, but the temper that'd frightened her thus far had only been yelling and smashing things. Had she really expected that he'd harm her, though?.. Kill her?

Crimson eyes filled with tears as they shifted, hoping to see Xander, as though the man could somehow sense that she needed him. Of course, he couldn't, and so all she could do was nod in the hope that Tal would relinquish his grip.

 

[Tal]

Tal stared down at Calliope, eyes never leaving hers. Watching as slowly the color drained from her face, the terror slipped into her eyes. He stood there, his fingers never easing even as her nails clawed into his skin. For a second, no, more than that, it seemed that she would die here.

Then, slowly the Tyrian leaned forward.

Calliope would feel the brush of his skin against hers. The stubble on his cheek scraping ever so softly against the contrast of her supple flesh. "Your dog can't come right now."

He whispered softly in her ear.

"So." His voice remained cold steel. "I'm going to let you go, and you're going to be good and listen."

The words were a bare threat. "Yes?"

 

[Calliope]

Calli's lungs screamed in pain and she felt her legs weaken beneath her as black spots threatened to take over her vision entirely. His voice might have sent a shudder through her had she been able to do much other than cling to life.

Stupidly, she tried to speak, but all she could do was open her mouth and close it again before forcing herself to nod in agreement. Anything for him to let go.

 

[Tal]

Tal smiled.

It was a wicked, cruel sort of smile. The one that told a story all it's own. The tale of a plan, a plot that had formed the very moment Calliope had stepped through his door. There was no doubt in that. No mistaking the satisfaction within him.

"Good girl." As soon as the words passed his lips, Tal's fingers unfurled from around her throat.

Unceremoniously the Tyrian allowed his childhood friend to fall to the floor. The sound somehow muted as she clattered to the wooden floorboards. There he stared at her for a few seconds more, then slowly squatted down just in front of her. "Why don't we go to your room?"

He asked, glancing to the door. "Have that chat."

 

[Calliope]

Air flooded into her lungs too quickly and she coughed and gasped on the floor until she could rasp in a steady breath, her shaking hand on her bruising throat. Calli blinked hard to regain her vision, cowering slightly as she felt him lower toward her.

She avoided looking at him as he spoke, but she looked up at her cabin door with hesitance. The last thing she wanted to do was be alone with him, let alone behind a closed door. He clearly had no qualms with frightening or harming her.

Calli took her time to pull herself to her feet, using the wall to cling to. Her heart was still pounding in her head and her legs felt unstable, but she managed to stay upright against the wall. Nobody was coming, and she couldn't call for Xander if she tried. Her chin lifted, and she pushed herself from the wall to step reluctantly into her cabin.

 

[Tal]

Tal's steps were slow, methodical as he followed her into the cabin.

He did not speak as he stuck to her heels. Did not taunt or jest as he might have. Talmanese was like a wolf, stalking behind an injured lamb.

The both of them already knew that the game was over, that it had already been won. There was no changing that fact. No poking or prodding was needed. As Calliope moved fully into her chamber she would hear the creaking hinges of the door.

When she turned she would see him loom, standing at the edge of the stately room. "It's funny, Calli."

Tal mused.

"You came at just the right time. As he spoke the Prince of Blood took a slow step forward. "I couldn't have planned it better."

His head shook as the words tumbled from his lips, a hand moving towards the bandages on his arms. Thumb slipping beneath their hem as he slowly began to unwind the crimson stained white.

 

[Calliope]

Funny? Nothing about this was funny. He was just as mad as his father, it seemed, though she wouldn't infuriate him further by spitting that at him. Not when she knew him capable of harming her.

Crimson eyes fixed on him and narrowed slightly in confusion as she stood as far from him as she could, her back pressing to the wall by the little window that spilled moonlight into the cabin. Tal stepped into it as he moved forward, and she frowned as he began unwrapping the bandages around his arms.

"What do you mean?.. Planned what?" her head shook and her voice was quiet and much more difficult to use than she'd expected. He'd near crushed her throat under his grip. She had no idea he had hated her quite that much, but he'd forced her into a dangerous situation resulting in her having to murder someone with her bare hands - she'd had a right to be angry and she wasn't about to apologise for it.

 

[Tal]

The last of the bandages fell onto the ground, and for the first time Calliope would see the mangled cuts which now covered his arms.

Between dozens of scabs and fresh scars were dark tattooed lines, and she would recognize them from Tyr's ancient rites. The magics were old, a seal which acted as manacles for ones magics, now clearly broken. Tal continued to slowly step forward, a smile pulling at his lips. "When I left, my father took three things from me."

He mused.

"My freedom." Tal's boot seemed to thunder as he stepped closer. "My magic."

He gestured to his arm. "And my throne."

Slowly Tal reached up towards Calliope. His fingers dancing painfully close to her throat as he continued. "I've taken back the first two, and now."

His fingers passed by her throat, and gently touched her cheek. "I'm going to use you to take the third."

 

[Calliope]

Her expression contorted as she settled her teary eyes on his arms, for a moment she wore a look of horror and concern, but the concern was not long lived as he moved toward her with a smile far more disturbing than friendly. She pressed back into the wall, her chin lifting as his hand came close to her throat once more.

She shuddered at the touch that settled on her cheek instead, her eyes closing for a moment as she tried to contain her heart in her chest. Her brow furrowed in confusion, and she forced a breath into her lungs before she spoke quietly..

"I don't understand.." she swallowed. "If it's the throne you want you can take it back, you don't need me. Neither of us want your father on the throne..It's why I came to find you in the first place. You're powerful enough to take it back without causing a war.." she frowned. Now she wasn't entirely sure that bringing Tal back home was such a great idea. He frightened her as much as his father did..

"I don't know what use I can be."