Goddard takes the crown off his head thoughtfully for the second time.
"This will be extremely helpful," he whispers to himself. He winds up the nauglir and makes sure it's closed tight before he puts the crown on his belt and heads for the door.
"No one is allowed in here while I'm away," he says to specters he cannot see but knows are there. "Except le...Aara."
A breathy whisper answers back, "Yes my lord."
Goddard heads out onto the deck and sighs. He's not looking forward to going back to Naggaroth. Especially not so soon.
Aara stands at the bow of the ship, bundled in layers of wool. She isn't looking forward to Naggarond and what it may hold in store.
ReplyDeleteI suppose it can't be helped. He is the lord of Hard Ganeth. I just hoped it wouldn't be so soon. What day is it? Goddard may know.
Goddard looks up at the sails as he slowly walks across the deck and smirks. The wind isn't even blowing into the sails properly and yet the ship moves onward at a steady pace.
ReplyDeleteThis was a good idea. This ship...better than a normal ship. Better than having a living crew...
"Oi! Poppet!" Aara looks up, seeing Zorgrat standing halfway across the deck. "Yeah, you!"
ReplyDeleteAara stands still as he makes his thundering way to her, his rolling stride matching perfectly with the pitch and roll of the ship. "Can I help you, Zorgrat?"
"Yea', yu- yu- Poppet. Oirving 'as indicatived to me 'hat I ain't got all th' rig'tful information 'bout this 'ere mission."
Aara raises an eyebrow and lifts a shoulder. "Has he? What would you like to know?"
"These books. Wha' are 'hey?"
"Books of great, evil magic. Orginally, we were hired to transport one of them to a man, but it was stolen. After that, the same man hired us to find and return the book to him- along with eight others."
"An...an' wha' kinds o' magic are 'hey?"
Aara pauses, biting her lip and considering her answer. "Necromancy, I believe."
"An' will I be gettin' paid?"
"Zorgrat, I will see to it that you are paid."
"...'Ow much?"
"Enough to compensate doing battle with a champion of chaos and whatever mess we find ourselves in. I know a vampire is involved."
Confusion crosses Zorgrat's face, and he seems to consider this. "Well...I 'uppose 'hat'll do for now, Poppet."
Aara nods. "If you should come up with any more questions, I will be more than willing to answer them."
"A'ight. 'Ave ye seen me Gol'en 'Air? I ain't seen 'er on deck."
Aara grins. "Katarina will probably be below deck. She does not sail well."
He grins, the image grotesque on his ugly face. "I 'new you 'as a good'un, Poppet. A good 'ittle one." With a nod, he turns and walks off, leaving Aara chuckling to herself.
Goddard closes his eyes and whispers a few words before opening his eyes again. He can now see the usually invisible specters, walking around the boat and going about their business. Some seem perhaps bored. Maybe because they have no sails to tend to. Some notice Goddard watching them and they stare back. He averts his gaze and looks out at the ocean instead for a moment before watching them again.
ReplyDeleteLooking up, she scowls at the sky. No sun, no warmth. Just snow and ice and cloudy dark days. When this is over, I want sunshine and heat and cool days by a pool.
ReplyDeleteFor a while.
Goddard moves around the specters as if it were possible for him to bump into them and disturb them. He instead bumps into Aara.
ReplyDelete"Oh! I'm sorry lecai...it's just all the...um well...I guess you can't see them," he chuckles.
Aara shrugs a shoulder. "The crew? No, I can't see them, but when I meditate, it's like...like being in a room someone is hiding in. I can't quite put my finger on it, but I can feel something is there."
ReplyDelete"I had the brilliant idea of making it so I could see them and...it's crowded." He looks around a bit more then his eyes open wide. "Those two," he whispers. "I remember those two..."
ReplyDeleteShe grins. "I'd imagine you'd remember most of them. It doesn't seem like something a boy would forget."
ReplyDelete"Only those two," he looks at the ocean then at her. "The one found me and dragged me up on deck to the other. If the Empire didn't attack, I wouldn't have lived...as crazy as that sounds."
ReplyDeleteShe nods. "I still hide when I see the guards that were involved in my whipping, and I doubt they'd even remember that day."
ReplyDelete"What do you think they would think of you now? What you've become?"
ReplyDeleteShe thinks a moment, remembering the captain who had spoken her on the way to the square. "The captain would ask me if I'd learned my lesson about tears."
ReplyDelete"Lesson about tears?" Goddard asks. "I don't know what these would say. Maybe I'll ask them later," he chuckles.
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ReplyDelete"He told me that no one cared for my tears, so to cry was useless." She looks around at the "empty" air around her. "You should. You're an impressive wizard already, I can only imagine what a change it is since you were a child."
ReplyDelete"What a jerk," Goddard mumbles, watching her look around.
ReplyDelete"Do you want to see them? They can show themselves but I thought it might be better if no one could see them."
She shrugs. "He was right. It kept me from ever crying until...well, for years." When he asks if age wants to see them, she pauses. "Maybe? What would I see?"
ReplyDelete"I care," he kisses her cheek softly. "So he was wrong."
ReplyDelete"And what would you see," Goddard pauses. "Druchii," he chuckles. "Some in armor and some in cloaks. Like what you had seen on the other ship we were on. Except they look the way I do when I cast the spell that allows me to walk through doors."
She returns his kiss. "You're the first. I'm not sure if it would be a good idea for the crew to be seen. I imagine it would be...unsettling to some of our companions."
ReplyDeleteGoddard smirks. "Exactly. Especially a certain someone who faints or stands still at the sight of such things. They'll remain hidden until I tell them otherwise."
ReplyDeleteAara laughs. "She's good at fainting and nightmares, isn't she?"
ReplyDeleteGoddard chuckles. "Yeah. And I'm good at causing both of those."
ReplyDeleteHe walks over to the side of the boat and looks out over the water. Sorry if all that mess with the Inquisition scared you."
"I was more worried when they didn't let you go. There was talk of breaking you out, but I knew that couldn't happen," she tells him. "Even if it worked, you wouldn't be able to go home."
ReplyDelete"You would have all needed to drag me out if you wanted me to budge. It wouldn't have done any good to run. And prove to them that I was 'wrong'? They didn't need another reason to hate me."
ReplyDelete"I'm glad father did that ritual. He's completely in the clear now."
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ReplyDelete"Me too." She leans against his shoulder and sighs. "But at least it will all be ok." She looks up at him, frowning. "It is going to be alright, isn't it?"
ReplyDelete"The high elves save me again," he chuckles. "And I'll save them right back when we get the books. I hope the situation in the forest isnt too bad." He sighs. "Eglanor went there and I hope he's ok."
ReplyDelete"He is. If he's half as determined to live as you are, he's just fine."
ReplyDelete"I wouldn't say he's determined to live, so much as he's determined to defend his home. That will keep him going. And maybe he'll want to use the ritual too. Then he can go back home."
ReplyDeleteGoddard chuckles. "As long as I can help save his home so he can get back to it."
Aara smiles. "You've become quite the hero. Saving a couple thousand people and returning them home, risking yourself to help your father, saving me from myself, and now saving a forest for elves you don't even know. And all at your own risk." She laughs and tugs his ear. "If I didn't know better, I'd say you were a knight errant yourself," she laughs.
ReplyDelete"Herr Soulshatter," Goddard says thoughtfully. "I don't know how I feel about that," he says with a chuckle. "Plus all that armor...I like my robes much better."
ReplyDelete"I don't like the armor either, you're much easier to cuddle up to this way," she says, demonstrating with a grin.
ReplyDeleteGoddard wraps his arm around Aara and holds her tight with a sigh.
ReplyDelete"Lecai..." his face turns a bright pink despite the icy wind biting at their faces. "This is going to sound stupid...but...look at all the water out there in the ocean. Now imagine it's all in drops and all those drops are people...that's a lot of drops," he chuckles. "And out of all those drops, two are the most important to me. You're one of them. I...I just thought you should know..."
She takes a moment to process what he's telling her. So many words to say something so simple...and he's blushing again.
ReplyDeleteShe chews her knuckle through her glove. "So you aren't getting bored with me?" she asks, trying to sound as if she's joking.
"No of course not. You're the most fun human I know," he laughs.
ReplyDeleteIt's her turn to blush and look away. "Um. That isn't what I mean..."
ReplyDelete"What do you mean then?" He asks confused, trying to look at her face.
ReplyDeleteAara can feel her face gettirhotter and redder. Uzzaya save me... "Um. Well- my inexperience in- nuur'eni, you know what I mean!"
ReplyDelete"Oh!" he says with a start and a chuckle. "Not boring there either. It isn't just khyrkan with you. It's something else," he smiles and softly touches her face.
ReplyDelete"And I could never ever have that with anyone else. Not only because you are my special drop of water," he laughs, "But because you're the only human I've ever met who can look past everything that's wrong with me physically."
Aara buries her face in his shoulder. "Well that's good," she laughs, embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteGoddard kisses the top of her head and then quickly back away when he feels a tug at his belt.
ReplyDelete"What in the..."
One of the skulls from his belt floats away and around the deck.
"They're bored," he chuckles.
Aara laughs. "I can relate. Days on a ship can be long and tiresome."
ReplyDelete"You have no idea," whispers a voice rather close to Aara.
ReplyDelete"Hey not so close," Goddard growls. "Or warn her." The floating skull goes flying toward Goddard and he catches it. He groans and tosses it back.
Aara yelps and ducks under Goddard's arm.
ReplyDeleteAara can hear ghostly laughter echo around her.
ReplyDelete"We've played nice ssssso far..."
"Let ussssss play with the human..."
"Yesssss..."
"No." Goddard says simply. "And you'll quit scaring her."
"Fine..." Aara feels an icy breeze slowly move past her. It isn't the wind from the ocean.
"Why does everyone want to play with me? Why not Katarina?" Aara mutters, shivering.
ReplyDelete"You don't faint assssss easssssily," one of them chuckles. "It'ssssss more fun when you're ssssstill awake and able to sssssscream..."
ReplyDelete"Didn't I say to shut it?"
"Ssssshe asssssked...."
Aara raises an eyebrow. "I told you I'd be a commodity," she tells him. "Exotic flower and all."
ReplyDelete"I'm greedy," he mumbles pulling her close. "I'm not sharing."
ReplyDeleteAara giggles and bites his chest. "You are greedy. I like it."
ReplyDelete"That's it?" he smirks. "I've had pigeons do worse."
ReplyDelete"By the way...now that you can constantly see what you're dealing with..." he grins. "You aren't afraid the next bite might be the last?"
He narrows his eyes at the seemingly empty air. "Go away!"
"But...you sssssaid the next bite might be the lassssst? Blood?"
"No, but it does explain all the bruises," she laughs. She bites him harder. "Better? Because I can always use this..." She pulls out a dagger and pokes him in the side with it.
ReplyDelete"Wait...what will happen to usssssss if you kill him?" The voice sounds a bit panicked.
ReplyDelete"She's not going to kill me," Goddard mumbles. "And now...knowing all of them are around...maybe watching..." he thinks for a moment. "As long as none of you talk, I think I'll be ok."
Aara steps away quickly, sheathing her dagger. "Kill you? Why would anyone think that?" Her hands tangle into several mudras at once. "I'd never even consider killing him! Well, maybe consider it, but I'd never do it!"
ReplyDelete"They're druchii...of course they are going to think you're going to kill me if you pull a dagger out," he chuckles and then in an instant, he's silent and looks at Aara.
ReplyDelete"You...you've considered killing me? What for? I've been nothing but wonderful."
"Not with any seriousness," she explains shamefully. "Just when that druchii stopped me at the tower..."
ReplyDeleteGoddard laughs. "Don't feel...badly about it. A lot of people want me dead and I guess I sort of deserved your wrath that day."
ReplyDelete"Sssssso where'ssssss the blood?"
"Yeah! We're waiting for blood!"
"Sigmar's sausage! There isn't going to be any blood! Don't you have a ship to tend to?"
"Not really..."
Aara wraps her arms around his waist. "I don't," she chuckles. "But I got to take my anger out on her, and that made it better." After a moment, she looks up at him. "Are they going to tail you all the time?"
ReplyDelete"They can't leave this ship. They are bound to it," he whispers. All the specters on deck groan and hiss. "But while we are on the ship, they may be extremely annoying. And this is a fairly long trip."
ReplyDeleteAara grins. "Maybe we can band together and give Katarina a trip to remember," she says, a wicked gleam in her eyes.
ReplyDelete"As entertaining as that sounds, I don't want to deal with what may come afterward. Especially after the run in with the Inquisition. I'm not sure if that was part of some plan or not," he chuckles.
ReplyDeleteAara grimaces. "I'd like to know what she's really writing in her journal. Somehow I don't think it paints you in a good light."
ReplyDelete"She's writing about me in her journal? Are you going to stand for that lecai?" Goddard laughs.
ReplyDeleteAara shrugs. "It's when she stops writing and starts acting that there will be a problem. Besides, I don't think the two of you share the same...appetites. I don't see any reason to worry," she laughs.
ReplyDelete"I don't know...she's come after me with a blade before and you know how I feel about that," he grins.
ReplyDelete"Oooooh! Sssssso the blonde one will sssssspill blood?"
Goddard growls. "Could you stop with that already?!"
"There's a difference between rage and pleasu- well...for you, maybe not..."
ReplyDeleteGoddard chuckles along with many of the specters.
ReplyDelete"It'sssss all the ssssssame mossssst of the time..."
Aara laughs. In all the creatures in existence, I find the one who's aroused by my particular set of skills.
ReplyDeleteAm I lucky, or what?
"What is this...existence like for you all?" she asks the unseen specters. "Is there anything enjoyable, or is it all tedium?"
"It'ssssss horrible and we'd like to ressssssst..."
ReplyDelete"Or rip your facesssssss off but we can't do that..."
"Or I'll damn all your souls," Goddard adds, crossing his arms.
"Exactly...sssssso we'll just wait until we are free..."
Aara edges closer to Goddard. "I'm very glad you don't rip off our faces," she laughs nervously. "I'm partial to mine and Goddards."
ReplyDelete"Your face would make a beautiful massssssssk." Aara feels something cold brush against her cheek.
ReplyDelete"Not sssssso much hisssssss face though..."
Aara stiffens and steps back. "I said I'm partial to it," she snaps. "You can't have it till I'm done."
ReplyDelete"Well hurry up and be done with it!" A voice snaps back.
ReplyDeleteGoddard shakes his head. "Sadly, druchii do wear faces as masks," he says, with a sigh.
"Yesssssss hurry and be done sssssso we can have a massssssk..."
"Give usssssss the high elvesssss..."
"You have a long wait ahead of you, I don't give up easily." She squeezes Goddards hand and back away from him. "I'm going below deck to see to Ibben and the horses."
ReplyDelete"But...her face..."
ReplyDelete"Shut up!" Goddard tugs on his ears. "You're so...needy! Needy for faces which is probably the most complicated thing you could ask for!"
Aara laughs as she walks away. Once below deck, she gives Ibben a treat and starts brushing down her horse.
ReplyDelete"I'm ssssssure we could make sssssssomething from the horsssssesssss. Maybe even your ssssssmall furry creature...it'll be fun..." Aara can see the faint image of a face floating in front of her.
ReplyDeleteGoddard walks over to the two druchii he remembers from so long ago.
"What do you want..." neither of the specters seems amused by Goddard picking them out of the bunch.
"You're in charge right...well you were in charge. And you were second in command? You don't remember me huh?"
"Yesssss..."
"And of courssssse not."
"Do you remember the day the imperials attacked this ship and sunk it?"
"Like it was yesssssterday."
"Wait...how doesssssss he know about that?"
Aara makes a vulgar gesture at the specters but continues brushing Kasida.
ReplyDelete"That wasssss rude," the rest of the body is visible and Aara can faintly see a male druchii in armor. It's similar to the armor Goddard has, just not as ornate. He has long dark hair and dark eyes.
ReplyDelete"You remember it as if it were yesterday...do you remember a child?"
"Yesssss! That ssssstowaway runt! We didn't have time to properly deal with him. He'ssssss probably dead...but how do you know about that?"
"He'ssssss a wizard...he probably hassssss sssssome ssssspell he can cassssst and sssssee into our mindsssss."
"I tend to be rude," she says. She puts down the brush and crosses her arms over her chest. "Your memory must be failing."
ReplyDelete"I have never sssssspoken to you. I sssssstay down here with the nauglir. Well...when we had ssssssome. Inssssstead you have thessssse inferior horssssssesssss. What can their feet do? Nothing! Now a nauglir...they have clawssss and can leap."
ReplyDelete"Really? You think I'm that great of a wizard?" Goddard smiles. "That I can peer into your minds? Thank you."
The specters give each other a look of confusion and stare at Goddard.
"Ssssssso...you aren't a great wizard?"
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ReplyDeleteAara raises a brow. "I suppose if one human is just like all the others the same can be said for dead druchii." She smiles coldly. "You could say you're all blurring together."
ReplyDeleteHis image sort of flickers as he snarls at her and for a split second, Aara is terrified. "It'sssss becausssse your pitiful human mind can only handle so much. You're lucky we can't do anything to any of you..." He slowly fades from her view but she can feel that he is still around.
ReplyDelete-----
"Well...sort of," Goddard chuckles.
"Get to your point! Haven't you disssssturbed ussss enough?"
"Yesssss...you raisssssed ussss and thisssss accurssssssed ssssship..."
"Fine. That runt you thought was dead...was me. I almost didn't make it but here I am. And a great wizard even." he grins.
The specter in charge walks toward Goddard and actually, physically grabs him by the face and stares at him. Goddard growls as a chill runs down his spine and stares back.
Aara bites the inside of her cheek when he snarls at her. "Or maybe I realize that I'm as insignificant as you are," she mutters. "You'll probably still be suffering as a specter long after I'm dead."
ReplyDeleteWhich, if I take this as seriously as I should, may not be long. Rafiq was never who were thought he was, and he knows everything about me. But maybe I can be a big enough target for the vampire that I can distract him while... She sighs and picks up a curry comb. Maybe I can weaken him enough so the others can live.
Zhane stomps at the ground, irritated as the air around Aara seems to vibrate and get cold and then she feels alone again.
ReplyDeleteHe's right...you're lucky...
-----
"Thosssssse eyessssss...you brat..."
Goddard chuckles as the specter backs away.
"Impresssssive...we all died and you lived. A whimpering child."
Aara ignores Arha and starts humming to herself. To hell with the bat. And the ghosts.
ReplyDeleteThey would rather be in 'hell' than here...
ReplyDelete------
"We were all whimpering children at some point," Goddard says. "I was just lucky. Or I have a purpose or something. Doesn't matter."
"Thisssss issss true." They both bow. "Khadath...even asssss a child, you were sssssomehow ssssstronger than ussss...and are sssstill now sssstronger."
"I didn't think I was worth your precious, endless time, Arha. Why don't you go find your master and leave me to ve blissfully ignored?" First wished with Kasida, Aara turns to Zhane. "Zhane? Care for a grooming?"
ReplyDeleteAara doesn't hear, feel or see anything else related to ghosts or ghost bats. Zhane goes back to his very relaxed, lazy self and turns his head toward Aara.
ReplyDelete----
"So...when it comes to commanding and rallying all the specters, if I need to, I can trust you two to help me with that?"
"Yesssss my lord." The druchii in the heavier armor bows once again. "Ssssssarith."
The other in the knight's armor also bows. "Keelosssss."
That's more like it. Be fine, creepy ones. Feeling like she just won an argument, Aara cheerily starts combing out all of Zhanes long silky hair. A few minutes later she's even humming one of Goddard's drugir songs.
ReplyDelete"Sarith and Kaelos," Goddard bows back. "My lord works fine...or Khadath," he grins.
ReplyDeleteThe specters grit their teeth but remain quiet and force a smile.
"Well...I'm off to do...I don't know...mope around?"
"Jusssssst like usssss," they snicker.
Goddard heads down below deck where the horses are kept and throws himself onto a bale of hay. "Spoiling Zhane I see?"
"I've nothing else to do, and if I brush Kasida again her hide might go bald." Aara pays special attention to his mane, deftly braiding it after she's brushed it to a high shine. "And the repetition soothes me."
ReplyDeleteGoddard watches her braid Zhane's hair and frowns. "Stupid horse. He never lets me do that. He shakes his head or just knocks me over."
ReplyDeleteAara grins over her shoulder at him. "Maybe he just knows I need something to do with my hands."
ReplyDeleteGoddard raises a brow and grins at her. "I know where you can put your hands..."
ReplyDeleteAara turns to fact him, holding her hands palm up in offering. "My idle hands are yours," she says saucily. Straddling him, she gives him an innocent look. "Your wish is my command."
ReplyDelete"I'm tired of commanding things," he closes his eyes and sighs. "Can you be in charge of this? I need a vacation," he laughs.
ReplyDeleteAara laughs softly, pulling him into a sitting position before sliding her hands under his shirt. With just her fingertips grazing his skin, she lifts his shirt over his head.
ReplyDelete"Oh, I think I can," she whispers close to his ear and pressing one of her daggers against his chest.
Goddard bites his lip. "Sigmar's sausage," he whispers as he passes the back of his hand over his mouth. "Damnable lips...bleeding..."
ReplyDeleteAara giggles, pressing just enough on the dagger for the blade to cut him as she draws it down to his navel. "You should take more care," she chides softly, pushing him back to lie down. "I would hate for you to scar those lovely lips. They're still new..."
ReplyDelete"They'll be ruined soon enough," he sighs. He looks thoughtfully at her neck and brushes her hair away from her shoulder, uncovering her collar bone. He places a single long claw below her ear and slowly and softly drags it down. For some reason, he's unsatisfied with the amount of blood coming from the scratch, and he puts more pressure once he's past her neck along with the rest of his claws, stopping right below her collar bone.
ReplyDeleteAara gasps and goes still, knowing how sharp his claws are. What she didn't anticipate was the rush of ecstasy, and she lets her head fall back. "Mmmmm."
ReplyDelete"May...maybe that was a bad idea," Goddard whispers, staring at his bloodied hand. "You'll end up looking like me if...if you let me..." he slowly does the same thing to the other side of her neck, watching the drops of blood form.
ReplyDelete"I don't scar easily," she murmurs, moving her knife. Looking down at him, a smile curls across her mouth. "It's a- ahhh- g-gift."
ReplyDeleteGoddard shuts his eyes tight and pulls his hand away from her.
ReplyDeleteI'll rip her to shreds...I can't...
The removal of his hand was like a shock of cold water. Blinking rapidly, she pulls her knife off him. "Did I do something wrong?" she asks softly, touching her collarbone and frowning at the blood on her fingers.
ReplyDelete"No," he grumbles. "I'm wrong...part...part of me wants to...to..." he grits his teeth. "To put it plainly...rip you apart..."
ReplyDelete"Oh." She swallows past the sudden lump in her throat. "Um, please don't?" She looks down at him and realizes how it must look. His chest is cut and bleeding, and she bleeds from her ear to her collarbone. She shudders and stands, fixing her tunic as best she can and grabbing her cloak.
ReplyDeleteShe all but runs from him to get back on deck. Leaning against the rail, she keeps her eyes on the horizon and takes deep breaths to cool her blood.
Goddard puts a hand on his chest and sighs. "Happy?" he whispers. "You got your damn blood...and I'm no better than you..."
ReplyDelete"And what made you think you were any better than ussssss..."
Still gasping for breath, Aara wraps up in her cloak, hugging herself with it. "What was that?" she says to herself, her voice barely a whisper.
ReplyDeleteThat's never happened before...he's never cut me before...don't be stupid, Aara. He wouldn't ever do anything to truly hurt you.
Right?
You heard all the other druchii...how they wanted blood to be spilled. Do you forget what my Master is?
ReplyDeleteAara frowns. You're doubting him? Now you are being an idiot. Stop it. You're important to him and Goddard would sooner go swimming right now than hurt you.
ReplyDeleteCold, she turns back towards the hold. Stop being so skittish. With that thought, she quietly slips back to where the horses are lodged.
Goddard is still sitting on the bale of hay, cross legged and hunched over, rubbing his hands together slowly in an effort to get rid of the dried blood.
ReplyDeleteHe stops for a second when Aara enters and then continues. He never looks away from his hands.
"Are you alright?" Seeing what he's doing, she takes a dipper out of the horse barrel and pours it over his hands.
ReplyDeleteGoddard watches the water turn red. He shakes his head and then quickly finishes cleaning off his hands. "I'm fine," he finally says. "Physically any way."
ReplyDelete"And otherwise?" she asks, sitting next to him. Absently, she's glad her hands stopped shaking.
ReplyDeleteHe quickly puts his hands in his lap. "Aara...I said I wanted to rip you apart...how insane does that sound?" he chuckles and makes a tight fist, angry at himself for even thinking such a thing.
ReplyDelete"Pretty insane," she agrees, knotting her fingers together. "But I'm not sure I would have tried to stop you. How insane does that make me?"
ReplyDelete"You would have stopped me...or...or tried to..." he quickly stands up and bundles himself back in his hood, cloak and cowl.
ReplyDeleteAara lays a hand on his arm. "Sometimes I forget what each of us are. I think of you as asur only. And how fragile I am in comparison."
ReplyDelete"I forget, because I trust you not to hurt me." She stands and takes his hands in hers, staring at his claws. "If you can make death so pleasurable...perhaps being mortal wouldn't seem so disastrous."
Goddard quickly moves away from Aara, not wanting her to touch him.
ReplyDelete"All asur are like this...maybe not like this...but," he starts softly. "Druchii...we are just more...open about it? Teclis, the High Loremaster of the Tower of Hoeth...read those books. You'll see how similar we all can be."
"And that...pain is pleasurable because it lets you know you are alive. It doesn't have anything to do with death."
Aara nods, trying not to look hurt when he steps away. "Calm down, and come find me when you feel better, hayati." She kisses his cheek and disappears from the cargo hold.
ReplyDeleteMaster...maybe you should stop...with her...
ReplyDeleteGoddard waits a few minutes before he heads out onto the deck.
"You don't think I've thought about that...multiple times?" he says annoyed. "She deserves better. I know this."
Maybe this incident will scare her off Master?
"I don't want to scare her you idiot. I want her to be safe and happy."
After bandaging her cuts, Aara changes into a high-necked silk tunic. Glancing around their shared cabin, she considers moving her things into her own cabin.
ReplyDeleteNo, that will only make him feel worse. He'll need to know I'm not upset.
Pulling on a heavy wool sweater, she wraps a scarf around her neck and puts her gloves on. Before leaving the cabin, she drapes a thick, warm veil around her face and head. Sufficiently warm, Aara braves the cold and wind and stands at the bow of the ship.
I don't suppose it should surprise me. He's druchii, and I've seen how they treat humans. It's a wonder it's taken this long for his...stronger...desires to surface.
What does surprise me is my own reaction to it.
"You're a ssssstrange one," Sarith whispers, appearing next to Goddard. "I guessssss life in the Empire hasssss made you ssssoft?"
ReplyDelete"No. It gave me a different perspective on things. And I'm glad for it. But it has made life difficult, that's for sure."
Kaelos appears on the other side of Goddard and whispers, "Jusssst get a sssssslave to entertain yoursssself with."
"Yesssss...and ssssshare with us," Sarith smirks. "It'ssss in your blod to want blood."
"No! How do the high elves and the wood elves not do any of that but you feel like you must?" Goddard snaps.
"You think too much Khadath..."
"I am a wizard...I'm supposed to think..."
"Four, love is not easy for someone who takes life as you do. You're reckless, always over reaching, getting too close to an opponent. Always hoping death will come for you while you're young. Stop. Protect yourself for once." Aara sighs, fingers digging into the wood rail as her ustadh's words come back to her.
ReplyDelete"What do I do, Ustadh?" she whispers to the waves and wind. "Walk away and let Rayya and Ali have their wish?"
Chewing on her knuckle, Aara shakes her head. "No. I knew what he was, and I'm not willing to give up yet. Ghosts, bats, and blood be damned."
Goddard looks around the 'empty' ship and sighs when he spots Aara. He's toward the stern but he still has a clear view of her.
ReplyDeleteSarith leans close to Goddard "Jussssst cut her...a little bit."
Goddard snorts and turns away. "You know very well what 'a little bit' can turn into."
The specters chuckle to themselves.
Aara sits, back against the rail, and closes her eyes. Folding herself into a meditative position, she starts breathing deeply.
ReplyDelete"Go away," Goddard mumbles to his ghostly retainers as he walks toward Aara. He stands a few feet in front of her. "I never asked you if you were ok," he says, sounding a bit embarrassed.
ReplyDeleteShe opens her eyes and studies him a moment. "I always am, nuur'eni," she answers softly.
ReplyDeleteHe looks down and to the side. She can only see his eyes. "No one is always ok...and you sort of...ran off...you can talk to me."
ReplyDelete"I have big ears...I'm good at listening to anything you may have to say," he chuckles.
"I am." She pats the space next to her. "I ran away because..." She takes a deep breath and bites her lip a moment. "My reaction scared me. I didn't expect it, and needed a moment to catch my breath. And then you said you wanted to rip me apart," she laughs.
ReplyDeleteGoddard sits down by Aara but not as close as she suggested. "Yeah...I'm sorry about that. I guess I could have worded it differently."
ReplyDelete"Why? You said it exactly as you felt it. I'm not afraid of you, or what you could do to me." She pulls her veil off, shivering at the wind sliding across her face. "If I were so easily scared away, would I still be here?"
ReplyDelete"Way to boost my self esteem," he laughs. "But I guess I'm pretty non-threatening. It's the perfect cover," and he gives his best evil laugh which is actually pretty scary.
ReplyDeleteShe smiles. "Don't misunderstand me, you're a scary individual. But I trust you, Goddard, and I know you would never really put me in danger."
ReplyDelete"I'd never put you in danger. Which is why I'll say...don't feel bad about leaving me high and dry for someone more...normal."
ReplyDeleteAara stares at him for a long time before bursting into laughter. When she gets herself back under control, she scoots to face him completely.
ReplyDelete"If I wanted normal, I'd have made a million choices differently. The first being to go home instead of picking Koroush's pocket." Reaching for his hand, she passes her fingertips over the silver ring he wears. "How many times do I have to tell you that I choose you over everything else?"
Goddard stares at her with confusion when she laughs. She's gone insane...
ReplyDelete"Well...you could always choose normal now? Just because you didn't start with it doesn't mean you can't pick it now? And you're going to have to tell me more times than what you have now...a lot more," he chuckles.
She laughs again. "I will tell you every morning and every night from now till forever. Normal is fat babies and a boring life. I don't want it now or ever."
ReplyDeleteHe smiles and scoots close to Aara. "You don't have to do that. Maybe I'll just get used to it." He slides down until he's resting on his elbows and rests his head on the ship, looking up at the sky.
ReplyDeleteAara strokes his hair and laughs. "Then I'll tell you until you are used to it. Just...warn me before we're both bleeding," she tells him.
ReplyDelete"I think I'm going to try and not do that to you ever again," he mumbles.
ReplyDelete"Because of you or me?" She asks. "I liked it. I think."
ReplyDelete"Because of me. I don't know if I can control myself," he scratches at the wood of the deck. "I never told you about when I was whisked away on Lokhir's ship to deal out punishment did I?"
ReplyDelete"No. You just said he had you whip them for missing shots."
ReplyDelete"I...I stopped whipping them when I got tired," he says softly. "I don't even think they were conscious by the end. I...I don't think they were honestly."
ReplyDeleteAara processes this for a moment. "And you think you'd hurt me..." She runs her fingers through his hair. "If you're afraid to cut me, then we won't let it happen again. Simple as that."
ReplyDeleteGoddard nods and sighs, scratching at the deck more. "I hate that I liked that...that I still want that..."
ReplyDelete"Me too," she says. "I never even thought I'd like it...and then it scares me when I did." She pauses, thinking. "Do you think that maybe away from other druchii you might feel more in control? Perhaps their calling for blood influenced you?"
ReplyDelete"Could be. I don't know. I'm not sure I even want to find out. I do find I feel more comfortable but that's when I'm around any asur...but it seems more so when it's druchii."
ReplyDelete"Our kind calls to us. You saw me in Araby. I was different, slower to react."
ReplyDelete"Slow to react? I don't know. You saved me pretty quickly," he chuckles. "And I was so enjoying the camels."
ReplyDeleteShe grins. "Perhaps I should say slower to act in anger. In other places...well, you know my temper," she laughs. She at least has the sense to look a little embarrassed.
ReplyDelete"Again...slow to react? You got angry at me rather quickly," he laughs. "If anything, it weakened you to my charms."
ReplyDelete"If you mean when we were at the harem watching the dancer, you deserved it."
ReplyDelete"I'm not denying that I deserved every bit of your anger," he chuckles. He leans away from her as best he can, still resting on his elbows. "And I think there was more than just that once."
ReplyDelete"In Araby?" She thinks a moment, tapping her bottom lip with her finger. "I think that was the only time I was actually angry with you."
ReplyDelete"Really? Only once? Well I was well behaved there wasn't I?" He leans back toward her. "You've never made me angry. Frustrated in every meaning of the word but never angry," he smiles.
ReplyDeleteAara blushes a little. ""I don't even know if you've made me actually angry or if it's just intensely jealous. Either way, I tend to overreact."
ReplyDelete