Song of Shattered Blades

[Arcturion]

1.2 Hommes Optare

The vision from Amurisil troubled Eltera immensely. The ancient blade had always been a source of comfort and friendship for the normally isolated and lonely Svari. Now, even the blade seemed to haunt her, even if the vision might be a warning to her.

And, even of that she could not be certain.

Backlash.

The word contained a range of meanings, many of which the Svari did not believe intoned well for her. Perhaps the witches had incurred some type of curse upon the blade? Maybe the blade had not responded well to attempting to heal her while the greensight had possessed her? Eltera hoped that the vision had been nothing more than a foresight of something she might never see. Her greatest fear was that the witches had somehow changed the very nature of the blade and she had facilitated that through the greensight.

With a timid and near trembling hand, she set the sheathed blade back upon the table with a gentle hand. She had sought comfort and solace in the blade to find a vision wholly unexpected and unwelcome. However she might feel about it though, she would need answers. The blade, while her greatest friend, had proved enigmatic in terms of its history, purpose, and even persona. She felt intricately linked to it, however somewhat lost with it, as if she was uncertain of what the weapon wanted.

Eltera would need answers and her sources within Drace were lacking.

Turning back to the cabin, she admired the thought that Rentiki had shown through his structuring of the cabin. It was fairly large and well-rounded with possessions to a point of not being cramped. It was nautical and primal with a hint of the exotic in the masks. Eltera admired them, even approaching one and running a dark finger along it's smooth exterior. A dark mask with white stripes had caught her attention for obvious reasons.

Checking the rest of the room and the books, she found herself somehow not disappointed that she could not read the strange languages. She did not know where this 'gift' had arisen from or how it might otherwise affect her. There was a bereft of available information concerning everything that was troubling Eltera lately. Information concerning what had happened to her in Ilvern and with The Eye was equally as unavailable as information concerning Ayaleska.

Her life, as usual, seemed troubled by more questions then she had answers. It was something she would have to attempt to rectify through some means.

Turning from the desk, the rattling caught her attention. She turned back, expecting to see the desk perhaps rocking from a lull in the ship or from some other movement. Instead, she was met by a cascade of pieces of bone that whirled with unnatural life. Turning back to retrieve Amurisil, she was instead greeted by a snake that had reformed and was now facing her with an open, silent, and vicious looking mouth that was highlight by its sharp fangs.

Holding her breath, the unsteady feeling in her stomach knotted more heavily. Eltera did not move, instead watching the undead beast with all her attention. Her options seemed limited at best. The beast was between herself and her only obvious weapons. The blanket, a possible defense, was a step behind her and on the floor. Her only protection was the thin cotten shirt she wore, which gave her no confidence, but her speed and agility was her usual means to help herself. The beast bore no eyes and any magical darkness she could shroud them within would likely be useless.

With a low voice, she attempted to call out, "Rentiki . . .” With the word, she watched the undead snake with all her attention, keeping an eye on the door by the edge of her vision.

 

[Arcturion]

1.2 Hommes Optare

Edging slowly backwards, Eltera’s gaze never left the skeletal creature before her. She felt the fabric of the fallen blanket at her feet and set her body lower in a half standing crouch, every muscle poised to spring into action. Calling out Rentiki’s name louder each time she spoke, the dark aelf could not be even sure if her voice would carry past the double wooden doors and the chorus of voices beyond them. She expected her words were Svarined out by the raucous sailors’ bawdy singing.

There was no other option left. When Eltera shouted the Daoshan Captain’s name a third time, the fleshless serpent chose that moment to lunge forth, baring its fangs. Quick as lightning, the dark aelf kicked back one bare foot and swept the blanket forward and up into her waiting hand, twisting her body to one side to easily avoid the skeletal snake’s midair strike. She reached forth with her other hand to grab at the opposite end of the blanket but was not fast enough to trap the creature within its folds. She felt rather than saw the serpent go limp as its body once again broke apart into a hundred little pieces of flying bone that escaped her makeshift net in all directions.

Whirling the sheet around her shoulders like a shroud, Eltera danced back a few steps toward the table and used the fabric to shield herself from the tiny myriad missiles from hitting any bare skin. Unharmed, the dark aelf snapped one corner of the blanket away from her just as the snake’s skeleton began to reform again, its ivory-white parts rattling softly. Whole once more, the creature spun lazily through the air, its ribs and spine arcing with an undulating motion.

Steeling herself, Eltera made sure that her fingers had grasped the blanket securely this time, recognizing the feint masked within her strange adversary’s deceptively slow movements. Without warning, the undead serpent dove at her again from the left side but the dark aelf was ready for it. She threw her arm up and over her head, twisting the sheet as well as her body just in time to snag the creature within the folds as it lunged past. Wasting no time in gathering up the opposite ends of the blanket, Eltera closed the improvised net around her opponent, snaring it completely.

Before the dark aelf could even allow herself a shout of triumph, the skeletal serpent hissed silently and strained against the fabric with a strength that took her by surprise. Eltera was nearly pulled off balance by the struggling creature but somehow managed to keep herself upright. Shuffling bare feet across the smooth wooden floorboards, she was helpless as the snake dragged her toward the center of the cabin. Not to be outdone, the dark aelf leapt up into the air and landed gracefully upon the surface of the table lest her stomach be driven into its rounded, well-carved edge.

The sound of heavy footsteps greeted her ears just before the double doors were thrown wide open, accompanied by a bewildered Rentiki as he strode into the room. “Cat, where are you? What’s going on in here?” the man bellowed, gaping momentarily at the chaotic scene before him.

From the corner of her eye, the Daoshan Captain looked exactly as Eltera last saw him, minus his bone necklace. Still struggling atop the table with the creature trapped with her blanket, she could spare the man no more than a quick glance. “Rentiki!” the dark aelf cried. “Do something!”

Thunderstruck, Rentiki blinked up at Eltera for what seemed like an eternity before throwing up a meaty hand and uttering strange words under his breath. The double doors groaned and abruptly slammed shut behind him, seemingly without any intervention on his part. “Orpheus!” the Captain’s voice rumbled. “Enough! Go back to sleep, you rascal!”

At that, the struggling within the folds of Eltera’s sheet stopped as the creature within suddenly went limp. Letting out a breath, the dark aelf lowered her aching arms and stared down from the table as a lifeless bone necklace tumbled out from the folds of her trap to land on the floor with a dull clatter. She still gripped the empty blanket in both hands when she turned around to face her would-be savior.

“I am truly sorry, Cat,” Rentiki began, sounding sheepish. “Orpheus tends to be rather forceful when he feels like playing.” The Captain shrugged his broad shoulders and balled his fists against the sides of his equally ample midsection. “I told him to merely keep watch over you as you slept but sometimes familiars have a mind of their own, you see.”

Catching her breath, Eltera could feel the man’s dark eyes playing over the lines of her body. She was suddenly aware that he was staring at the bare skin of her legs with open admiration and something else in his expression she couldn’t quite place, the woolen fabric of her shift leaving relatively little to the imagination.

“Well, it seems you’ve found me out, dear Cataya, if that truly is your real name,” the large Daoshan continued gently. “I must admit that the reason for keeping your secret hidden is just as good as mine, if not better. After all, one does what one must to survive. Still, a dark aelf who walks the surface world by day, that is truly something to behold! I scarcely believe it myself! Even so, I can understand and forgive your deception. I only hope you can find it within your heart to do the same for mine.”

With that, Rentiki’s left hand drifted toward the gold-plated grip of his flintlock pistol, the weapon stuffed into the sash around his barrel-shaped waist. Appearing all too calm, he drew the firearm and aimed its barrel straight at Eltera’s chest as he cocked the hammer back with a resounding click.

 

[Arcturion]

1.2 Hommes Optare

As the blanket went limp, Eltera let out an audible sigh of relief. The undead snake had been two handfuls of trouble that the Svari was glad to see gone. Rentiki's command of the creature was a welcome ease, though it also prompted additional questions concerning the captain of the Argus. He had been generally happy and welcoming, a very different twist from the few necromancers Eltera had known.

Turning back to face her savior. the question concerning his obvious necromantic tendencies fell from her lips. Instead, she noticed his wandering eyes over her bare legs. She made no attempt to cover them from his view, but noticed his eyes that seemed some lacking of their normal mirth. They seemed strange on Rentiki's features. Likewise, his mouth was far from its usual smile and general good will.

As the pistol was drawn, the Svari found herself crouching along the table as the weapon was aimed blatantly at her chest. Eltera actually found herself surprised at the strange turn of events. After the previous experience and finding herself awoken safely, she had certainly not expected Rentiki to betray her. She thought back to that feeling of Fate and mentally kicked herself for such foolishness.

Crouching towards the table, Eltera slowly moved her hand towards Amurisil as she hoped to stay Rentiki's bullet for at least a few moments, "As I said, I find myself trying to save one life a day . . . usually my own. I must say that I am surprised to see one trained in the dark arts of necromancy to be as open and jovial as yourself."

It shocked her beyond belief to understand that he was sorry, but was still aiming a weapon at her. Nonetheless, he had saved her life in the crowd while she fell under the eyes of the witches. She owed him the truth. There was no amount of sorrow in her heart at the notion of having to fight the necromancer. She found she did like him.

Still slowly reaching for her blade, she kept her tone low and even gentle, "You asked me a question and, for saving my life, I do at least owe you the truth. My name is Eltera Trellust, a dark aelf by birth. You do have my apologies, but one must do what one must do, as you have said. And if you feel these secrets are worth a fight, then so be it. That said, I am willing to part ways here with no bloodshed and our secrets kept to hushed lips on our oaths . . .”

 

[Arcturion]

1.2 Hommes Optare

Seemingly unmoved by her words, Rentiki said nothing as he leveled the pistol’s sight, ready to fire.

Wasting no time, Eltera crouched low while her bare heel kicked the sheathed sword scant inches over the table’s surface so that the silver wire-wrapped hilt slid past and hovered over the edge. She stepped lightly on the leather-bound wooden scabbard to brace it with her weight and with her right hand the dark aelf made a grab for Amurisil and pulled the eog-forged blade free from its home. The metal rang in her ears as it slid out, glinting in the pale moonlight that spilled forth from the cabin’s windows.

As quick as she was on the draw, though, the Daoshan Captain was quicker. He adjusted his aim with the barrel trained unerringly upon Eltera despite her sudden movement and squeezed the ornately wrought trigger.

An empty click as the hammer fell was all that greeted them both, echoing hollowly across the room. There was no flash from the muzzle, no thunderous boom, nor burst of acrid smoke, only a dull spark from the flint as it struck.

The hilt of Amurisil gripped tightly in her hand, Eltera narrowed her eyes and merely stared at Rentiki when he withdrew the pistol’s barrel up to rest it upon his broad shoulder.

“Black powder,” the large man said with a mischievous grin. “Have I told you it’s extremely difficult to come by outside of the Empire these days?” The Daoshan spun the pistol lazily in his hand, letting the barrel dangle downward as he balanced it with one finger still in the trigger guard. With practiced ease, he flipped the ornate weapon in the air and grabbed it by the barrel. Eltera watched as the Captain studied it for a moment before he gave a shrug and casually tossed the flintlock pistol toward her with an overhand palm.

Catching it easily in her free hand, the dark aelf found the firearm heavy and somewhat unwieldy, the long barrel and grip gilded with golden filigree in the shape of graceful vines and roses.

“It’s more of a display piece than a field weapon,” Rentiki observed genially. “A work of art, really. Took it off some highborn B’astyian officer some years back who thought to board my Argus on suspicion of smuggling, imagine that. I tell you, if the man’s aim was as good as his ship I wouldn’t be standing here today speaking with you. It only had enough black powder for three shots in all that time since then, anyway. Keep it. I’ve no use for it any longer.

“Eltera,” the large man continued smoothly, as if testing the name on his tongue as he said it. “I rather preferred Cataya, to be perfectly honest. It brings to mind the sleek, powerful hunting cats of my homeland Daosha, stalking its prey like a black shadow. Still, Eltera is a good, strong name. But this being the first time I’ve ever met a dark aelf, I can’t really be sure of that, I suppose. I’ve precious little knowledge when it comes to the ways of your people, I must admit. But what I can be certain of is my pride in being a good judge of character. I like you, my dear Cat, liked you when I first laid eyes upon you back on the quays. Come, come. Please do step down from the table, if you will. Had I wanted to kill you or worse, I would have done it already while you slept, is that not so?

“So, you may be wondering, why the deception? I had to be sure,” Rentiki replied with a knowing smile. “You did not hesitate, that is good. In this bleak world of ours, hesitation will only cost you your life, yes? Besides, if there’s one thing I’ve learned during my time as Captain is that appearances can be deceiving.”

Tugging at the hem of his colorful vest with both hands, Rentiki stepped around toward the masks and furs displayed on the cabin’s wall, being somewhat careful about approaching too closely to Eltera. “Orpheus, here to me, you rascal,” he beckoned with one outstretched arm. The bone necklace that lay upon the floor rattled momentarily and then broke apart, its individual pieces swirling up into the air in a tiny macabre cyclone before assuming its skeletal serpentine shape. Like an obedient dog that was eager to please its master, the snake flew toward the Daoshan Captain and spun circles around him before settling upon its bony head upon one wide shoulder. The length of the creature’s vertebrae coiled around Rentiki’s arm, its ribs writhing like so many dozens of crawling legs while the Daoshan Captain scratched alongside its fleshless jaw rather affectionately.

“Necromancer,” the large man repeated with a touch of amusement in his broad features. “Now that’s something new. I’ve been called many things, my dear Cat, but never before have I been accused of necromancy.” Rentiki allowed himself a rumbling chuckle. “Truth be told, Orpheus wasn’t always as he is now. I raised him from the time he hatched from his egg and we’ve been inseparable ever since. Boa constrictors, fascinating creatures they are. Why, not even death stood between us! I won’t bore you with the details, but I struck up a bargain with a Shakali priestess I had been, uh, wooing at the time. And so Orpheus returned to me from the dead, though not quite in the way I had been expecting, as you can see. Needless to say, my romance with the lady shaman proved rather short lived. When one is threatened with a curse that makes his manhood shrivel and fall off like an old withered prune, tis best to cut the lines and cast off while the casting’s good, I say!” At this, Rentiki let out a booming laugh that shook his ample belly.

“But I assure you, dear Cat, a necromancer I am not,” Rentiki said confidently, flashing Eltera his white teeth. “Besides, my crew would never abide to follow a man who would dabble in the black arts so openly. Orpheus be a rare exception to the rule, of course, and is more of a good luck charm than anything else. All told, we sailors are a superstitious lot. Why, if my men knew that a dark aelf was aboard, they’d probably mutiny this very minute. Rest assured, the only other who knows your secret is my ship’s surgeon, and he can keep a secret as no other can, believe you me. You have Terwase to thank for saving your life, not I. In his time, the old medicine man’s delivered his fair share of babes kicking and screaming into this world, so he’s seen nothing he hasn’t already a hundred times before. Terwase cleaned and bandaged the wounds when I brought you aboard the Argus earlier in the day. If you must know, you’ve been asleep for many a candle-mark, muttering something about eyes always watching. We both feared you would never wake from your fevered dreams.”

The large man held up a meaty hand and waved it in front of him. As he did so, a beautiful segmented folding screen woven from reeds upon a light wooden frame slid out seemingly all by itself from behind some fur hides where it had been concealed. Accompanied by another quick snap of his wrist, the bookcase behind Eltera slid to one side to reveal a small wardrobe behind it. To the left of the mariner’s garb were a few women’s dresses cut from rich fabrics and styled in exotic patterns, each obviously much too small for a man of Rentiki’s considerable size. A small oak trunk lay at the floor of the hidden closet.

That was strange, Eltera thought. Her aelfin senses should have helped her detect any concealed doors or secret compartments within the room.

“Please,” the Captain motioned. “Sheathe your sword. Its blade is much too bright for this seadog’s eyes. Truly, I mean you no harm, so does Rentiki swear upon the ancient gods of hallowed Daosha. You are free to change as well, dear Cat, though I hope you choose one of the many fine dresses I have stored therein. Mail ill suits you, to my thinking. Silk is a much better match for your sable skin. As the evening is still young, it is also my ardent wish that you dine with me tonight. It will give us a chance to talk more at length, yes?”

Rentiki gave Eltera an amiable smile. At the mention of food, the dark aelf’s stomach growled. It had been too long since she last ate.

 

[Arcturion]

1.2 Hommes Optare

As Rentiki's hand tightened, Eltera darted to the side like a snake. Her movements may have well been too late, but still they served no purpose. Where there should have been the pungent smell and stinging bite of metal upon her flesh, there was silence and surprise. The Svari's face was written in a language of confusion and bewilderment. She had lost all concern for being clad in naught but a scant shift standing atop a table before a man she barely knew.

Even after his explanation and she found herself holding his pistol in her left hand, the Svari was still largely at a loss of words. She had hardly expected such a reaction. Part of Eltera was happy that her initial judgment of Rentiki appeared to still be deserved and part of her still wanted to finish the fight of his dramatic display. She still found the words caught in her mouth as he prompted her from the table. Unable to speak, she set the large and unwieldy pistol upon the wood before lithely hopping from the table.

Taking Amurisil's leather sheath in hand, she regarded the blade for a moment and noticed its ethereal splendor. It was no longer a blade, as white and near transparent as it usually appeared. Now it was wispy with dream-stuff and looked like it might be lost and forgotten if she blinked. Eltera had not even realized that the blade had shifted state. With a mental thought, Amurisil shifted back to its familiar form before she slid the weapon away.

Again placing the sacred blade upon the table, the Svari reached down and pulled the white linen back around herself. Adjusting the thin sheet tightly over her shoulders again, she finally managed to find some words. Her voice was as pale as the moonlight outside, seemingly lost in what was a suddenly quiet room, "You will not be the first person I have fought, or nearly fought, and later befriended, so it ought not to be such a surprise. I suppose I had tested you when I awoke here in safety and with my blade and other possessions. Pardon me if I am still shocked, but I truly believed we were to exchange more than merely words."

As the snake reformed at Rentiki's commands, she regarded it more calmly then before but made certain to watch all of its movements. The snake was large – far larger than any she had ever seen in the wild. Even without scales or flesh, it possessed a menacing size. It would certainly take her some time to feel more comfortable around the seemingly ill-tempered snake.

The captain continued to speak and Eltera found her breath again. She was surprised to realize that the lack of gunshot had still managed to take her breath away. His words were still calming and as she again realized she was safe here. Any ill intentions would have happened to her while she lay in the bed, if not before then. Indeed, those very notions had given her an impression of sanctuary within the Argus.

But his words of the "eyes" she had muttered again caught her off guard. There was no doubting why those words had crossed her unconscious lips. Those memories still brought an uncomfortable chill down her back as the word 'backlash' again haunted her thoughts. They would prove, she was certain, to be more nightmares to haunt her dreams.

Rentiki did not allow her thoughts to linger too long. A hushed grinding behind her swung her attention towards the bookcase that had moved and presented an abundance of stylish dresses and clothes to the Svari. Again, she kicked herself for not seeing the secret compartment before, but she was not a god and was prone to miss some things.

Eltera managed a smile. "Somehow, I am not surprised that I am not the first woman to grace your cabin. Did you greet all of them as you did me or did you put a little special thought into my warm welcome?" Eltera meant no offense or harshness in her words, instead finding light laughter crossing her tone.

"I think I would like dinner, please. And, if I might, a few words with Terwase, that is how you say it, correct? I might like to thank the man who saved my life."

And ask him some questions as well.

 

[Arcturion]

1.2 Hommes Optare

As Eltera watched Rentiki stroke the undead serpent’s fleshless skull, she noted that its bones would often fluctuate in size. The creature seemed to be thin as the breadth of two fingers and the length of the man’s arm one moment, and then longer than he was tall and thick around as his bicep the next while it floated lazily through the air. “Please do forgive my theatrics, dear Cat. It was merely a jest, you see. I’ve often been told I should have become a thespian instead of a sailor,” the Captain answered with a touch of pride in his deep baritone voice. “Although I’ve always felt that my place is aboard the Argus with the sea rolling beneath my feet and the wind in my face rather than bandying about with a troupe of mummers. Still, one usually can’t tell the difference between them and my crew at first glance. As for the dresses, well, I do have a reputation to maintain, after all!” Rentiki chuckled at his own words before sobering a bit at the mention of Terwase.

“Ah yes,” the large Daoshan replied with some uncertainty. “I’ll have him tend to us tonight if that is your wish, though I’m afraid any conversation will be rather one-sided, for his part.” Before Eltera could question the meaning of Rentiki’s words, the Captain clapped his hands together. “Splendid! Well, dear Cat, I’ll leave you alone for a bit so you may change. Dinner shall be ready shortly,” he said before turning on his booted heels as if he meant to go. Reaching for the cabin doors, Rentiki paused abruptly and cleared his throat with a sidelong glance at the dark aelf over his broad shoulder. “You really do look a vision of loveliness in the pale moonlight.” Accompanied by Orpheus, the Daoshan Captain grinned and then exited the room, the intricately carved oaken doors closing softly behind him.

Alone once more, Eltera wasted no time changing into something more substantial than the simple woolen shift she had awoke in, using the beautiful folding screen in one of her rare moments of modesty. She found an elegant ivory brush among some gaudy jewelry in a drawer of the trunk that lay within the hidden wardrobe, and worked the tangles out of her silvery-white hair before tying it back into a simple but efficient knot. It had gotten much longer since she last cut it many moons ago.

The table was cleared by the time that a knock came at the door shortly thereafter, tentatively prompting the dark aelf to bid this new guest to enter. A short, wizened old man shuffled into the cabin, carrying a tray with two crystal glasses and a bottle of what she guessed was wine chilled in a bucket of ice. The ice itself was a surprise since it was rare to see it outside of cold regions or snow-capped mountains, and was more the province of aristocracy or mages with a taste for chilled food and drink. The man himself had long, frizzled gray hair tied back into a simple knot at his neck and a thin beard to match, while his complexion was the tanned color of sandy olive. Strange tattoos in crimson and yellow slashed harsh patterns over his temple and cheeks. He wore simple gray woolen robes and leather sandals. The weathered lines of his aged face spoke of a lifetime of plying the seas and undue hardship, though the expression in his cloudy, milk-white eyes appeared calm and almost blissfully serene. With hands whose skin was stretched tight like parchment over fingers still deft of movement despite his advanced years, he gave Eltera a short bow of acknowledgement and set the tray down upon the table.

“Terwase?” the dark aelf ventured, the name sounding awkward upon her lips as she said it.

The old man cracked a toothless smile and nodded again, saying nothing in reply. Before Eltera could get another word in edgewise, he held up a bony hand and gestured toward the door before motioning with his arms as if eating an imaginary bowl of soup. When the dark aelf nodded, Terwase grinned and shuffled back out of the room to retrieve the first course.

It wasn’t long before Rentiki returned and, complimenting the dark aelf yet again on her supposed beauty, held a chair out for Eltera in a gentlemanly display of etiquette. Orpheus chose to lounge about in the corner over the squat mantle of the cabin’s fireplace, content to absorb the warmth from the magical flames. Though undead, the creature apparently still thought it was a living snake, and cold-blooded reptiles were wont to sunbathe or bask in any source of heat close at hand. Rentiki took his own seat directly opposite Eltera across the table just as Terwase returned with the evening’s first course, a rich cream soup with chunks of potato served with generous heels of black rye bread. The sight of the steaming broth made the dark aelf’s stomach twist in hunger.

“You look exquisite as usual, dear Cat,” Rentiki was saying, though she barely heard him as she ate. The large Daoshan poured glasses of deep red wine for each of them. “And I’m sure you’ve met my ship’s surgeon, Terwase. He has other unique talents I’ve come to appreciate over the years as well. I suppose you may thank him for saving your life, but he won’t be able to return your gratitude, sadly. When he was but a boy, slavers cut out his tongue when he talked out of turn one too many times. If there’s one thing I’ve learned as a merchant is that it’s a foolish thing to damage the goods before they are delivered. I chanced a meeting with Terwase a few years back and he’s sailed with me ever since. So you see, dear Cat, your secret is safe with him, have no worry. Most of my men are released on shore leave enjoying all that Drace has to offer and what few that have remained aboard are just a skeleton crew while repairs to the ship’s mast are being completed. In the meantime, Hashad is out scouting for new recruits and securing supplies for our next voyage. We should be well underway within a fortnight at most.”

The Captain wolfed down his stew and made light conversation when Terwase brought in the next course, roasted capons browned to a light crisp and served with peas and mushrooms. Standing calm and silent as a statue, the old medicine man merely watched them eat with his skinny hands clasped in the folds of his wide sleeves. “No doubt you have many questions,” Rentiki observed shrewdly as he downed his wine with unabashed enthusiasm, and made to refill his glass. “Please, ask away and I shall do my best to deliver an answer. Of course, you realize I have my own questions to ask of you. This is my first time treating a dark aelf to supper and I mean to make the most of it, gods willing!” He laughed aloud and flashed a smile made all the warmer and brighter by the wine.

 

[Arcturion]

1.2 Hommes Optare

Eltera had strongly debated about changing back into her normal garb. Dresses and finery felt wholly unnatural, impeding her movement and seeming to cling to her figure in every way that clothing shouldn't. She even felt inept while brushing out her hair. Despite her reservations, she succumbed. Perhaps it was some inner feeling of guilt or wanting to please Rentiki, but something forced her into taking time to force the knots and tangles from her snowy hair and finger through the myriad of dresses in the hidden closet. She even found herself debating over which one she might wear.

In the end, she had chosen an emerald dress laced up the front in silver embroidery. The front of the dark green material was embellished with some curious bird, though most bird types were unknown to the Svari. The bodice did not fall too low, ending midway along her chest. A chain of silver accented her hips, clasped at her right thigh with a loose stand of chain metal falling to her knee. The dress extended to her ankles. Eltera had chosen a pair of black slippers from one of the drawers beneath the dresses. The only jewelry she chose was her own rings and beads that she usually accented her hair.

The outfit had even come with gloves, though she discarded those in favor of her bandaged hands. Dressing herself, Eltera regarded the wrapped bandages over her palms. They still tingled, which was better than the dull pain that sometimes accompanied the wounds. She took care to try to tuck any frayed or uneven edges of the wrappings away from sight.

The Captain's enigmatic words only served to tighten the knot in her stomach at the prospect of meeting the healer. Before Terwase had even entered, she had a sinking feeling that Rentiki's words carried the fact that he would be unable to properly convey information. Through every fault of her own, she had experience with another mute and understood the hardship it might bring.

The last words of the Daoshan captain similarly pushed Eltera back into a slightly defense mode. He had cast eyes upon her figure when she had been clad in nothing but a simple shift. Her time on the surface world had taught her that such was to be expected. Rentiki had still plied her beauty upon her even upon his exit and she felt awkward under the lavish compliments. Or perhaps she had in fact enjoyed them and that was why she had chosen Rentiki's dresses over her own leather and mail.

Whatever the reason, she had dressed for the Captain and now sat with a stiff back in the chair at his dinner table. She pushed those thoughts out of her mind as she dined with the Captain. It was too late to analyze her own motives, given her current position and the food she was readily supplying her growling stomach. Hunger, as usual, proved the best spice, though the food itself tasted readily edible.

There was no time wasted from Eltera as she devoured soup, bread, and capon alike. Usually hesitant of wine, something her other self had once indulged in, she took the drink with gentle sips.

Swallowing a bite of the roasted meat, she let her soft-soled slipper slide across Amurisil. As Terwase had brought in the first items and again left, she had brought the sheathed blade to what she had correctly assumed was her side of the table and laid it on the floor and along her chair. The rest of her possessions had been secreted in a half-empty drawer within the cabin.

Eltera rested her fork along the table, smiling at her zealous appetite and blushing at Rentiki's flow of compliments, "Thank you for the words. You have been very generous to me in every way and I must thank you for that as well." She smiled at him as well as Terwase for the cooking and serving he had offered them.

The dark aelf was careful to note how much wine the larger man was drinking. Men had a tendency to hold a much larger amount, but she rarely liked what too much drink did to anyone – man or woman, including herself.

"I must admit, I am uncertain where I ought to start. The day has certainly not turned the way I had foreseen, though that is hardly a rarity in itself. When you put to wind again, where will you head?"



OOC: Certainly not her regular atmosphere, but she'll make the most of it. Eltera will ask about the following:

– She'll ask about Rentiki's homeland. She'll need to know something about it if she wants to try to play herself off as a Daoshan.
– She'll ask about Rentiki, how long he's been at sea and when he came across the ship.
– She'll ask what he knows about the witches – everything he knows about them.
– She'll ask what he knows about Drace and the current happenings with the Empire, since she might be spending some time in a war-besieged city.
– She'll ask Terwase about her hands, especially if he had ever seen anything similar and what she might be able to do to properly heal them.

 

[Arcturion]

1.2 Hommes Optare

“I was thinking of heading west, actually, past the Maw and into the Ambossmeer. I oft hear of many a great opportunity to make one’s fortune in the Free Holds of Inmerron. A lovely people, the Inmerish, though they drive a hard bargain as any of the Obsidian Islanders,” Rentiki answered blithely, waving the blade of his knife in the air before him as he spoke.

Inmerish. Eltera knew that they were a hardy and fiercely independent folk in the western lands. Though she had a rather incomplete picture, she did learn that the Dracians had once tried to subjugate the people there long ago to some varying degrees of success, but their hold on the realms beyond the Vale was always tentative at best. This fact continued to be a sore point between the two human cultures even to this day, though trade and the mutual language of coin are often enough to overcome such barriers. Tanius was half-Inmerish himself. His other half, she had come to find out however, was something else quite different.

The Captain stabbed at a piece of roasted flesh with the dagger’s steel tip and brought it to his mouth. Chewing thoughtfully before swallowing, Rentiki continued on with his usual enthusiasm. “Perhaps we’ll sail down south of the Corindas toward Wystara. I’ve never been there myself and it’s high time I changed that. Once I’ve had my fill there, who knows?” He shrugged at this last part. “Before I leave this world I want to at least say that Rentiki of Daosha, Captain of the Argus, successfully circumnavigated the entire continent of Paylen!

“Ah, Daosha,” the large man sighed with the memory. “It’s been too long since I last walked upon her shores and warmed my toes in the sand. A beautiful place, it is as vast and varied as all of Paylen, if not bigger. Imagine,if you will, a landscape of every climate and environ you can dream of, my dear Cat. Blistering desert, savannahs that rival the seas in their expanse, lush tropical jungles, and snowy mountains as tall as any the world has to offer. They call it the Shadow Continent, since it remains largely unexplored and unmapped. But in my own language, Daosha means, land come full circle. We are born there, and we eventually die there as well, no matter where the four winds may take us in life.

“And the people come in so many shapes and sizes you’d swear you were transported into another world. From giants that tower over any of Drace’s famed spires, to diminutive tribal pygmies that make the smallfolk here seem as giants themselves! There is war and strife in Daosha, yes, for what land can claim to be untouched by such ravages? But there is also great beauty to be had; ah, diamonds and gemstones that put the Thorazuin’s baubles to shame by comparison, and such spices and plants and all manner of exotic beasts too!” Rentiki began to rattle off each animal in turn, starting with the luxurious pelts he had displayed upon the cabin walls. He asked Eltera of her own homeland, and sat enraptured at every word that passed from her lips.

“I actually won the Argus in a game of bones, if you can believe it!” the Captain guffawed after stripping the last bit of flesh from his capon near the end of their meal. He waved the scraps away and absently thanked Terwase as the wizened old man took the plates, shuffling out of the room silent as ever. “The previous owner, an Akunduin spice trader – which is just a polite label for drug lord, by the by – was none too happy with the outcome, needless to say. Sent his entire army of eunuch warriors after me, he did! Barely escaped by the skin of my teeth! I’d say that was close to twenty years ago, give or take a year or two. My, how does the time fly!

“As to the Nornir,” Rentiki began after a long pause, his voice uncharacteristically hushed and almost reverent in its awe as he leaned forward in his chair. “There are whispers that they are immortal witches, sisters blessed with eternal youth and favored by all the gods, great and small. Others say they sprang full grown from the ice and fires of Haeslund, the land spawning the progeny of Titans when their blood rained down and soaked the earth during the Harrowing. Whichever tale is to be believed, you’d best remember one thing about the Sisters Norn. They are canny, unnatural creatures of the old ways, demanding their due tribute through bloody sacrifice and slaughter. Mortal men tremble in fear at the mere mention of their name and yet seek them out nonetheless, each willing to sell his very soul in exchange for the promise of conquest and the supposed throne that comes with it.

“An uneven trade, I’d wager. King of All the North; bah, as if such a thing exists! A man cannot eat titles, after all, however lofty they may be. In any case, the Nornir use and discard men as pawns in a game of thrones, their lives all but forfeit to pay the price for a chance at eternal glory. Madness, it is. All the more foolish the Hrundir be to trust in such devilry, but how does one rationalize anything barbarians are want to do? Every few generations the Nornir appear to champion the cause of this Jarl chieftain or that, sowing the seeds of war. I know little else about them aside from the names they choose to go by. The fair one with the honeyed locks is called Skuld, I believe. The bright silver sister dubs herself Verdandi. The raven-haired witch is their elder, methinks. Urd, mortal men have so named her. Tis best to watch out for that one in particular. She dines on the souls of the damned, or so I hear.”

It was then that Terwase returned, the ancient medicine man carrying with him a brass tray laden with ceramic bowls of colorful fruit, sweet breads, and fragrant cheeses.

“I’m afraid I don’t know too much about the capital’s goings-on at the moment seeing how we just made port within the last day,” Rentiki said as he bit into a green apple, wiping the juice from one corner of his mouth with the back of a meaty hand. “Any current news of the B’astyians’ movements is beyond my ken, as I try my best to steer clear of any Imperial entanglements. Though I oft heard whispers of a massive fleet gathering at the mouth of the Auridar, but this was weeks ago. Such an armada bodes ill for us all, if the rumors be true. And I must admit, the arrival of the northmen upon these very shores without so much as a drop of blood being spilt came as a shock even to me. Not once in my many years did I ever expect to see the Hrundir welcomed as emissaries rather than driven back as marauders. I do have contacts of, shall we say, questionable moral fiber within the city whose shoulders I could tap, though such information oft comes at a steep price. Tis just good business, you see.” The Captain grinned at Eltera meaningfully as his eyes drank in every curve of her form.

Shifting uncomfortably in her seat under the man’s gaze, Eltera swiftly changed the subject. At the question concerning her hands, Terwase produced both of his from the voluminous sleeves of his rough homespun clothing and gesticulated with several complex motions. The dark aelf watched each silent movement of his thin fingers carefully and thought it wasn’t so different from the sign language that her own people used in the lightless depths beneath the surface world. Still, even her mysterious gift at understanding the speech of other races proved to be of little help in deciphering the code that passed between the ship’s surgeon and Captain Rentiki, the latter whom seemed to comprehend the unspoken words perfectly.

“Terwase says he’s seen such wounds only once before in his considerable lifetime,” the Daoshan mariner declared gravely, translating the mute shaman’s hand talk even as he continued to make them. “Those hurts be a powerful curse, and one not easily broken. The blade that did the deed sang with all the hate and sorrow of the one you had wronged, or so old Terwase claims. Only by laying this revenant’s shade to rest may the curse be lifted. There be no other way short of a miracle or a wishful prayer, a boon granted by a god or one that can approach unequivocally to the powerful magic of a deity.”

Rentiki allowed a moment of silence to pass before he would speak up again, the only sounds being the crackling of the hearth fire and the soft rattle of Orpheus’s skeleton blending with the gentle rush of the waves outside the window. “Cat, speak truthfully. What did you see when you looked upon the Nornir? I saw your own expression clear as day, I did, saw the blood drain from your face as if all the joy of the world were devoured along with you. T’was foolish for trying to catch a glimpse of their true nature for it can only invite ruin.”

 

[Arcturion]

1.2 Hommes Optare

As the conversation continued, Eltera found her stomach settling with the help of the food. The rocking of the ship was still uneasy on her, but the meal had certainly aided in easing that sickness in her stomach. The dinner was certainly a pleasure – far better than the meals she had enjoyed at the various areas around the city during her stay in Drace. Other than being hastily prepared, the environment had been noisy and the company overbearing. The hardwood cabin and flickering firelight was a welcome change.

She listened calmly to his words, watching his eyes. Eltera preferred when he looked at her face rather than her body. Each time his eyes drifted to her figure or neckline, she felt her skin tingle slightly in an unwelcome manner. Her slippered foot idly rested on Amurisil's hilt in reassurance. Her toe rolled between two individual wrappings on the grip, idly touching over the ancient leather.

Taking a delicate sip of her wine, she smiled at Rentiki's fantastic description of his homeland, "I only wish the place of my birth was as marvelous as yours. For all of the amazement and breath-taking beauty of your homeland, mine is grim and miserable. For each smile every single person of your realm as shared, there have been a hundred cries, tears, and shouts of anger, sadness, and despair. There are no dreams in my homeland, only nightmares whether you are awake or asleep. It is a land that is ruled by a cruel goddess that empowers her priestesses to lead their houses however their iron-will and cold-heart’s desire. I was the daughter of such a mother. The only way I did escape that fate was through the very will and love of my father. He had always believed there to be a better way and saved me as from the whips and sins of the rest of my heritage as much as he could."

Eltera found herself attempting to hold back her own tears. She had long ago accepted the pains of her homeland; rather she found at the memory of her father. This was hardly the first time she had thought about him, but she rarely spoke of him. The words seemed to take her back even more then her own memory possibly could. It was both heart-wrenching and truly expansive to remember her father.

Keeping back the tears but under watery eyes, she continued, "Before he died, he had become a warrior of the God of Light from the surface world, having met a paladin of the same god. However, before that, my mother had his eyes removed. He travelled the Underealm blind, but seeing more than most anyone else. That was how I had seen the nature of those witches."

Her words stopped there as she remembered that ugly scene before her. It had been wholly horrendous and a curse, but that had hardly been the first time she had felt her sanity ripped away from her very being, only to be wrestled back by some miracle. Now, though, she found herself hard pressed to explain that feeling.

She was uncertain how to begin speaking of them, but managed to stutter something out, "They were not human. Of that you know, I am certain. But to see their true nature was something wholly horrendous when compared to that I can see how most men would enjoy. What I saw, instead, were figures that were not mere shades of their being but true corruption of the human form. They were the same in shape, but there was no end to their void."

Her eyes were no longer on Rentiki, but rather staring past him and the wall behind the Captain and anything else in this world, "When they noticed me, they truly took note. One massive eye opened on the one you named Urd where her head ought to be. The eyes were dark and deep and rimmed in green. Then one eye opened on each of the others, one lined in gold and the other in silver. Then there opened eyes uncountable over their form. I'd think there were as many eyes on their forms as there were stars in the sky. Each turned to me and I felt myself falling from everything and into your arms."

With mention of Rentiki, her sight turned back to this world, looking to Rentiki, "I did not thank you for saving my life, so I offer my thanks. I am certain that once you realized the truth of me, you had several other options open to you. I am grateful for your trust in me."

Speaking to Rentiki, her mind drifted back to that empty feeling the Nornir had evoked in her. A shattered scene passed her mind's eye that recalled that same feeling. She saw herself from above her body. It was her, but not her. She could see another form that called to her and promised a return to himself, where she belong. It was dark and without end and promised many things.

After a few moments, Eltera also turned to Terwase, a polite smile across her ebon features, "And thank you again Terwase for saving me and for your words. It certain opens up new demands upon me, though I think I already knew what had to be done. My sins are great. I did not wholly escape my home unscathed it would seem."

A revenant. The word held a new meaning to her. Without even prompting, she could see those bleeding eyes before her face again. It had not been Valsentres wielding that sickle, but it had been fueled by his anger.

Even now, at the mere thought, she could feel the wounds start to again open. Calmly and trying to keep it secret, she shifted her hands into her lap, offering an empty smile, "Pardon me. The day has been long, even though I slept most of it away. I think I am only now beginning to understand some things. I may have well invited my own ruin at seeing the truth of the witches. It shall not be the first time and I am certain I cannot elude it forever. So be it."

Her eyes had drifted down to her lap and her hands as she balled them into fists to try to help stem the flow. Again, Eltera looked up to Rentiki. She had debated about not asking the Captain for fear of his own safety. Her past was never kind to her friends, but Rentiki was certainly capable of tending to himself, "In your travels, have you ever heard of the H'jenn-Ra? Perhaps the name Ayaleska?"

 

[Arcturion]

1.2 Hommes Optare

At Eltera’s words of gratitude, Rentiki merely waved them away with a hand as an expression of solemn understanding passed over his broad features, the green apple half eaten and forgotten. Terwase nodded wordlessly in his rather understated manner.

“Worry not, dear Cat,” Rentiki replied evenly. “Words are but a small thing. It is in deeds that men – and women – show their true nature, is it not?” The Captain leaned forward and clasped his hands together before him while propping the weight of his elbows upon the table, the many fanciful rings around his thick fingers clicking together with the casual movement. He appeared thoughtful as he considered the dark aelf’s questions. “H’jenn-Ra? I can’t say I’ve ever heard of that word in all my travels. As to this Ayaleska, a pretty name to be sure, but sadly it holds little import in my limited understanding. What are they to you, my dear Cat? Friends of yours?”

Eltera watched Rentiki's movements at her questions of the H'jenn-Ra and Ayaleska. She fully understood that there was almost no likelihood that Rentiki would have known of them, however she had few other solid leads that might lead to her daughter or former lover. There was no harm in asking and a set of ears with mouths whispering little seeds was always welcome.

She tried to offer a smile of nonchalance, though offering different words, "The matter is of some importance to me. The H'jenn-Ra are old friends of mine, if you might say that, though I must offer that they are extremely dangerous. In fact, they were the source of the grievous wounds on my hands, though their lasting nature is due to my own actions. Nonetheless, should you ever inquire about them or encounter them, please do not under estimate them."

Her words fell silent for a few moments. She wanted another drink of wine to steel her nerves, but settled only for a light lick of her suddenly dry lips. Rentiki had saved her life and she had promised herself to be honest with him. Perhaps she would live to regret such, but she hoped that was not the truth.

Ayaleska, however, was too important to ignore. There were wholly no leads concerning her daughter's location or motives. Despite her young age and assuming innocence, there was no small amount of cunning and intelligence hidden in those icy blue eyes.

After a moment of silence, she continued in a weaker voice, "Ayaleska is my daughter. That is a wholly different matter, yet linked to the H'jenn-Ra. If anything, I would like to know about her and I would see you well compensated for that information." She made no mention of how she might offer as reimbursement, but gave no indications of anything more than the gold he had mentioned.

“I see,” the Captain replied, appearing solemn. “Blood be a harsh thing, I’ve come to discover for meself. Please feel free stay aboard the Argus for as long as you like as my guest until we set sail once more, or until you find what you seek. I do not know these names, tis true, though perhaps I can see if any of my contacts within Drace might have heard whispers to the contrary. Needless to say, however, such information oft does not come cheap. Anything worth knowing rarely does. The language my ‘friends’ speak is of coin and there’s little of that to be had what with the repairs to the Argus and hiring new sailors for my crew. My dealings within the capital may see that we earn a respectable bit of drachmas yet, though it will take a few days to unload the, uh, cargo.”

The . . . cargo . . . ?

The word and tone were not lost on her.

Without warning, Rentiki reached forward across the table to clasp Eltera’s fingers and gave them a gentle squeeze in a surprisingly tender gesture, the size of the man’s hand eclipsing the dark aelf’s so as to make her seem a child and he a giant. “Once our business is concluded here in the city, it is my ardent wish that you might accompany us,” he began earnestly, a hopeful smile upon his lips. “Traveling the Seven Known Seas upon the Argus, seeing all the wonders that this world has to offer and beyond, does that not sound a life worth living? Let me take you away from all this bleak cold and talk of war and I can show you the many splendors of Daosha, land of my birth. Once you have graced your eyes upon her warm shores and feasted upon her bounty you will never be want for anything else, I promise you! All this worry with the Nornir and the bloody shadows of your past, why let them haunt your every step? Leave such troubles behind you, says I. Come sail away with me and we’ll create our own paradise together! What say you, dear Cat?”

Terwase stood as still as a statue not far off with his gaunt hands tucked in the sleeves of his homespun robe, the aged medicine man just as silent as well. Whatever thoughts or emotions he might have on all of this, Eltera couldn’t say for he hid them well. In the corner over the hearth’s mantle, Orpheus raised his serpentine skull lazily and regarded the events taking place with eyeless sockets. The undead constrictor would have nothing meaningful to add to this unexpected madness. Shifting her gaze back upon Rentiki’s face, she saw that the Daoshan’s sudden offer appeared genuinely heartfelt and his words rang with a sincerity and optimism fit more for a wide-eyed youth than an experienced ship’s Captain, though they barely knew one another and met only just this very morn.

It was then that the moment’s silence was broken by the rough sound of men’s laughter just beyond the cabin doors. It turned to leering hoots, the harsh voices drifting through clear enough to hear. “’Ere now, poppet! Give us a kiss, don’t be shy!” was one shout in the Dracian tongue, accompanied by more laughter. It didn’t sound like the catcalls were addressed toward Eltera, though.

Annoyed, Rentiki could only grin apologetically. “Ah, forgive me, dear Cat,” was the Captain’s reply, patting her fingers with his hand. “It seems the men are a bit unruly this night. They know that strangers are not to come aboard without my leave first. But the skeleton crew have sailed for many a week without the pleasure of a woman’s company, so some indiscretions are to be expected. A thousand pardons, I will take care of this matter quickly and return to you.” Rentiki stood up from his chair as if he meant to go.

Laughter abruptly gave way to shouts of dismay and surprised oaths as a man’s anguished scream pierced the night, startling the Daoshan Captain and Terwase. Orpheus gave an angry hiss from the corner just when a body fell shrieking past the cabin’s windows, followed by a loud splash as it hit the water below. “Attack! We’re under attack!” came a sailor’s panicked yell. ”Sound the–!” It was swiftly silenced with a strangled cry.

“What the devil?” Rentiki swore. “Orpheus, to me!” At his command, the skeletal snake flew from its perch and landed upon the Captain’s broad shoulder, curling around his left arm. “Cat, make ready! We may have need of that bright blade of yours!” Without another word, Rentiki turned and strode purposefully toward the double doors, Terwase shuffling right behind him.