Blackfridayrule

Of Blood and Bastards

Rohaan was becoming increasingly irritated with this man. He really was a piece of work. He'd known a lot of noblemen who liked to turn up their noses at regular folk, and do worse things to him, and they were particular about how they did their business, whatever it was. But he'd rarely seen someone who liked to hear himself talk as much as Valdemar. He couldn't help but compare him to the best leader he'd ever known, Berlin, and he seemed to understand, as if for the first time, why a man like Karl Valdemar had to use fear and manipulation to keep his hold on people.

Captain Berlin was what people called a free magic being. Some people, like elves and vokurians and other races, were inherently magical creatures, but occasionally magic appeared in non-magical races like humans at random, and could be passed on from parent to child. The appearance of free magic in humans was a subject of much study, though as far as Rohaan and even Berlin knew, no one had any solid answers. Berlin's particular manifestation came in the form of an ability to control other people or animals via touch. Most often, it was as subtle as influence, but Rohaan had seen Berlin use outright control a few times in his life, and it was terrifying to behold. Berlin could literally command the people around him to do as he pleased, but instead of taking advantage of that, he earned respect and loyalty through his own actions, not his magic. Rohaan couldn't imagine what Karl Valdemar would do with a power like that. Nothing good, he thought.

Rohaan did not hide his disdain; he rolled his eyes and wore a bored look on his face. "You think you've got everything neatly planned out, don't you? Did you ever consider informing me of this plan for a return journey? Or what was happening in there? I could have come better prepared. When you tell people what they're in for, they do better work, Valdemar. Not to mention, I'm a dangerous rogue to try and manipulate. We had a deal, Valdemar. I'll hold up my end, but don't forget the other half of the deal..." For a second, he shifted his form to reflect that of Valdemar's, and he held up one gloved hand and wiggled the fingers. He returned to his natural form. "Do not toy with me." His tone was hard and dangerous, and he meant every word. If Valdemar thought it was fun to try and keep him in the dark and push him around, Rohaan would show him just how much of a mistake that truly was. Rohaan had been kicked and mistreated before, but he wouldn't stand for it again.

Privately, Rohaan was keen to see this elf die, and he would find his own joy in taking him down. But he was irritated at being ordered around like some kind of servant. "Malachor...mighta heard the name at some point, but the only deities I've ever observed are the nautical ones, mainly Tevira and Jaikideh." That last one was not part of the usual list of deities most people knew, and when he spoke the name, his usually subtle accent suddenly burst forth like a flower in full bloom. She was, according to vokurian legend, the spirit of the moon, and the stars were her many subjects and acolytes. It was not known that vokurians had their own mythology and deities, and in fact, it was barely known that they had their own language. Most shifters humans encountered these days had been bred in captivity and thus had no connection to their heritage, or were captured and brought in to slavery at a young age. "But I'm going to assume with a name like 'the Betrayer', he's not exactly the benevolent sort."

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ridahne smiled and nodded. "We'll do that. Yes, it's...vast. Bigger than anything I've ever seen as far as records and libraries and archives go. Azurei has one, but it's small in comparison, and holds much more specific knowledge. The Eluri Archives are unique among Astran houses-of-record. Not only does it contain pieces of the past, but it contains fragments of the future. Among the Children of Astra, elves are the only ones who receive visions, and even then, it's only Eluri and sometimes the Azurei. The Orosi do not, unless they happen to have mixed blood."

Ridahne looked down at Darin's shoes, which had seen better days. "Oh, you should have said something! I'd have had them repaired when we were at market today. Don't worry about affording them. I...I don't talk about it much, because it's still a very foreign thing to me. But I am in no way lacking money. You have to remember I was a part of the Court of Sols, and having lived such a simple life for so long, there was nothing I could really spend my money on besides horses and blades. I always sent a portion to Hadian, back when I was still actively earning money." She looked uncomfortable, like she didn't like discussing her own wealth. It always felt wrong to her, dirty somehow, like she hadn't earned it or had more than she ought to. "I'm not saying buy everyone in the tavern a round of drinks--traveling has its expenses. But when we do have need of something, I wouldn't worry about how much it costs. And it would please me to put it to good use."

She led them back to the inn they were staying at. Upon entering, several of the river workers were still there, and they cheered and lifted their mugs at her. They tried to convince her to stay up with the company for a while, but Ridahne declined. "I have business to attend to early tomorrow. Unlike you slackers," she teased with a ghost of a smile. Ridahne went upstairs to their little room and collapsed into the bed with relish like she'd never had one before in her life. "It doesn't smell like road dust..." she said with a contented sigh. "And doesn't have roots and rocks sticking into your back..."

Of Blood and Bastards

Rohaan scoffed, waving a hand as if shooing away some unseen fly. "Usually employers like to tell their mercenaries all that they can, so that information can help them in their efforts...what else haven't you told me, Valdemar? A good deal more, I'm sure..." he grumbled. Information was cheap, though the lives of people like him seemed cheaper in the eyes of Valdemar. Rohaan had to remind himself that, to the Emperor, Rohaan was a disposable resource to be used and burned when expended. Typical royal bastard. And speaking of royal bastards, he could see now that Ash was not what he'd pictured her to be. Sure, Valdemar had mentioned she was no debutante, but she seemed of better moral fiber than her father, and Rohaan had a chance now to perhaps influence the future Empress. If he could show her that shifters were not all that the nursemaid's fireside tales made them out to be, then perhaps his people might enjoy better lives in the future.

The shifter gave a slow, knowing smile, as if he knew something obvious that Valdemar was not seeing. "You might call yourself 'Dragon of the North'," He spat to the side at that. "But you likely know very little of dragons. Cyradan, for example, can fly very fast and very high. Far faster than the swiftest horseman. I'm sorry to say the return journey will not be so quick. I am not a mule, nor could I carry someone else that far if I wanted to. We'll have to find horses." That would be an endeavor. Rohaan was an excellent thief, but he could not steal horses. They reared and screamed and bit when he came near, no matter what shape he was in. Finding one that would bear him at all would be more than difficult. He had a plan for that, but it would take a bit of time and some traveling, so he'd need to make sure Ash had a horse, and he'd just find a way to follow along on his own for now.

Rohaan rummaged a little through the girl's pack and found a water skin, which he helped himself to. He tried not to just drink it all, but it was hard. He hadn't realized just how thirsty he was. For some time now, he'd been meaning to get himself a water skin, though he had yet to find one he could fit on his person comfortably, for he carried no pack. Everything in the world that Rohaan Ja'aisen owned was on his person at all times. He was opportunistic about the rest, obtaining what he could when he needed it and could find it. He was pondering the water skin still when Karl instructed them to get into Durgan. Rohaan actually choked on the piece of cheese he was eating.

"Hey now!" He wagged a finger accusingly at the Emperor. "That ain't what you paid me for, and I'm not a servant to be ordered around! You want me to go getting my hands in weird culty shit, that'll cost you! Sorry Ash--can I call you Ash?--I know I said I'd help you out there, and I did mean it, but there's a difference between precision meddling and just painting the whole fortress in fire. Believe me, there's no one who'd rather see that filth up in flames than me, but I also prefer not to be shot out of the sky, and especially not ensnared in whatever magical garbage they've got brewing up in there. There's a lot of magic in the air, even from here I can taste it. Smells like a metal foundry. No, Valdy, if you want me to go in there and get involved, you've got to pay up."

Rohaan considered. "I'll do it if you free every elvish slave you own, or that your court owns. Give them the option of leaving, but give them also the option of a paid position instead. And pay them well. Enough to live by." Rohaan knew he couldn't ask for too much, and he'd already secured the future freedom of his own people. He couldn't viably demand the liberation of all elvish slaves, but the ones within Valdemar's court seemed a reasonable enough price. Though the elves in general had never exactly welcomed him and his people with open arms, they also had not been historically unkind to them either. At the very least, they recognized on the whole that vokurians were a culture, a semi-unified people with a semi-unified language that had traditions of their own. A culture and people they didn't really love, but it was better than the humans. If Rohaan could throw them a bone, and hopefully improve the elf-vokurian relations, then he would.

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ridahne gave a dry chuckle. "That's a nice way of putting what happened. I killed many people before I ever started saving them. I'll never know how many deserved it and how many didn't. But...I understand. There's a lot of weight on your young shoulders, and that's a lot to handle for anyone. If it makes you feel any more...normal, I'd be pretty overwhelmed too, if I were in your position. I spent most of my life learning how to defend myself and others, how to fight, how to survive in harsh environments, how to navigate the courts of royalty...and even I'm scared, doing this. I'd probably be more concerned if you weren't scared, to some degree. I think that just sort of comes with the position, really..." She offered a wry smile that was full of both sympathy and understanding.

"It's a right mess we're in, but somehow I've got this feeling that you'd know if things weren't going well. You have...senses. An instinct or something that guides you to do things, like you did today to meet that councilman and his aide. And it tells you when things are wrong, like when Mark," she spat to the side, her face wrinkling in hatred and disgust, "first showed up. You might not know ahead of time how things will play out, but I think when the important moments come, you'll know what to do. It will guide you as it already has. If you were running out of time and failing miserably, I think you'd know."

An uloia drifted onto Ridahne's forehead and she blew it away with an awkwardly aimed puff of air. As if mildly offended, the creature took flight again and floated just above her head instead. "Tomorrow we can go the the Archives if you like, and you might be able to find something useful. Either history of past Gardners, or potentially, if we dig deep enough, there may be more recent records of visions people have had concerning you. They are very good about recording them here, we almost never do in Azurei unless it's something obviously significant." Ridahne wondered then, for the first time, if her own vision had been recorded. Certainly it counted as significant, but there was also a chance that it was sort of swept under the rug a bit in case she'd been lying to cheat death. She doubted they'd do that, but...she couldn't put it past them, either. "Anyway, maybe you can find some piece of useful information, or maybe just get to know some things about your newly adopted ancestors."

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ridahne frowned. "Okay, two things. First of all, how many farmers do you personally know that are also scholars? Cultural ambassadors? Master of multiple languages? How many farmers do you know that have blade training? Any kind of real weapon training, or even grappling training beyond scaring off wolves and foxes? Do you think the Gardener was some mystical being who never got lost, or failed miserably at trying to make something, or never accidentally committed some cultural sin in an unfamiliar land? Do you think he descended from the skies, or sprouted from the earth, and came forth as an all-knowing, wise, powerful being? I understand the feeling that people of legend are somehow inherently better than us regular folk, that they are who they are because of some otherworldly virtue that we could never hope to achieve. I used to think that all the time. I used to be a dirt poor street rat who was convinced that the only option left to me in the world was to risk my life to go hunting in the Dust Sea so that we could all have enough to eat. I wanted to be something more, but I was told that I was nobody, I was told my parents did a poor job of keeping me in line and that no man would want me, and that I would amount to nothing more than a burden on society. And for a while, I believed them. But at some point I realized that all those people who I admired, they had to come from somewhere. They did not descend from the stars to take their posts, they rose up from the dust and earned their positions. And if they could, so could I. I went from being a poor fisherman's daughter to being in the Court of Sols--two steps from royalty--and for better or worse, I am the most infamous person in all of Azurei." Ridahne gave a wild laugh. "If you'd have asked me months ago if I was suited for the job of Guardian, I would have laughed! You remember that night you made me Seed Chained, I could have sworn up and down that I was not worthy, and that you were right to cast me away. But look at me, I'm here! And learning how to do this alongside you. But I had to start somewhere, Darin. Everyone does."

Ridahne took a breath, but she was unrelenting in her passion. "And my dear Darin, hearing you say all those things makes me believe even more that you are the best person for this job." The volume of her voice softened a little. "You say you're a small person, and that you never asked for this great honor. It is a great honor, and there is great power in it. More than I think either of us fully understand yet. You in your humility do not see a truth that I have learned the hard way, so painfully. I understand now that people who desire power should never have it, for the benefit of all. Not to say there aren't noble, natural born leaders out there, but think for a moment, what would this be like if you were not the Seed Bearer, but Khaltira had it instead? She was powerful, incredibly smart, highly educated, well-trained, she had many connections and much understanding of the world and the people in it. People admired her, they wanted to follow her and to be like her. People trusted and believed in her. I would know," she said softly. "That would, theoretically, make her a good choice, no? Except you and I both know she has a black heart. She was a wicked, evil, corrupt person that would just as soon have eaten the seed to spite the world as plant it. She, desiring power, would have leveraged it to make herself a Sol of not just Azurei, but of Astra, and Astra would burn for it. Astra would burn, and she would warm her hands in the flames. That is not what Astra needs. Astra needs a wisdom earned through bumps and bruises. Astra needs a justice ruled by compassion and understanding. Astra needs a shepherd, not a Sol."

Ridahne was out of breath by now. She, in her fervor, had spoken quickly. There was no hesitation, not even a moment to consider her words or think them through. No, Ridahne meant what she said and spoke from her soul. After a moment she continued, "Besides, there's more to you than you think. For one thing, you're way better at making friends than I am. You say you're not good at it, but," Ridahne laughed, "You're a whole lot better at it than me. I actively scare people without really trying. You say, too, that you can't defend others, but I know that to be a lie. You just don't do it with a sword like I do. Do you remember the bandits who tried to steal our horses? Think for a moment about how that played out. You wanted to figure out why they were doing it, giving them the benefit of the doubt that maybe they were just trying to feed their families. And even when it came out they were gambling idiots, you did decide to punish them, but you also decided not to hurt them. Do you know what I would have done, Darin? What they do in Azurei to horse thieves? I would have asked no questions and swiftly removed their right hands. Done. Because that's how I know how to deal with those things. But is that really the right way? Because you decided to spare them, those men still have both hands, and maybe someday can get off their asses and get themselves a trade. What about the people of the little village we stayed in when I was injured? You might not have defended their person, but you risked yourself to defend their livelihoods. That's not 'nothing', Darin. That's everything. You might not be ready to be The Gardener right now, and that's okay. You do have much to do and to see and to learn. Nobody expects you to be perfect right away, that's not how life works. But you are not alone. There may be areas where you need help, or skills that you lack, and for those moments, you have me. I am here to guide you, and to serve this quest and by extension, you, for as long as I am needed. That doesn't mean it won't be hard. That doesn't mean we both won't miss home, and the people we love. That doesn't mean we won't fail. But we'll do this together, one day at a time." She held out her hand. "Right?"

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ridahne wrinkled her brow thoughtfully, the ink patterns on her face scrunching and warping with her skin. "Apples huh? Hmm, wouldn't have guessed that. You're children of the stone, I wouldn't translate that to apples necessarily. Though if you'd said peaches..." she chuckled at her own joke. "Those at least have a "stone" in them. I wonder what the sirens say about Astra and its beginnings. Honestly, I'm ashamed to say I haven't met many of them. I've seen a lot of siren sailors pass through of course, but never really sat down and chatted with them much. They were always busy and so was I."

Somewhere, distantly, an owl hooted softly, and another answered it. The sounds of people and voices and hurried feet were dwindling, and the sounds of the night prevailed. A soft, ever present rustling hummed from the leaves as the winds filtered through them, and a chorus of crickets accompanied it. There was even the faint sound of music coming from one place or another, always cheerful and soft. Ridahne had never really considered how big Astra was. Sure, she'd seen maps and had traveled much, but that didn't mean she had any idea how big it was. How could she really know if she could not see it all at once? Ridahne was about to answer when Darin stopped, her breathing suddenly spiking into short, choppy breaths.

Oh, Ridahne knew that look. She'd dealt with it before, though the issue had been something entirely different. She'd seen Takhun unravel like this before. Twice. Ridahne had done it a few times herself. It was a spiraling panic that, regardless of the source, would only get worse if left unmanaged. Ridahne turned, putting her hands on Darin's shoulders with a firm grip as she made deep and direct eye contact. Ridahne was a force, and usually the heat of her fire was bent towards anger, towards a fight. Not now. She was still a force, a strong, steady, inexorable force that all the winds of Astra could not move, yet something about her demeanor was softened, gentler. Her amber eyes sought Darin's and would not look away. "Hey." Her voice was so soft, yet she remained an anchor. "Take a deep breath. Take a few. I'll be honest with you, Darin, I don't know how long this will take. I'm only following you, after all. But I do know you won't do it alone, not if I have anything to say about it. I know the prospect is intimidating, and your life has significantly changed with all this. It will some more, I expect. But I'm here. I'm with you, and I could think of no one else that I'd rather trust the Seed with. No one."

Of Blood and Bastards

Rohaan snorted. "Hand slipped eh? Yeah, I'll bet it did." He'd endured worse slights than that, so he let it go. Rohaan learned years ago that no one could give him his dignity, nor could they take it. He made his own dignity, and needed no one to validate it. He'd also known too many horrors more terrible than some mildly insulting behavior to let it eat him. And anyway, she proffered the rest of her wares for him to take, and that was repayment enough. He went for the cheese first, pulling a small knife out to cut a chunk away, but he helped himself to more dried meat, too. Truly, he loved cheese. Goat, sheep, cow...it didn't matter to him, it was all good. And since it wasn't something he could get out in the wilderness, he didn't often have it.

The girl studied the ring, put it on, and then an expression crossed her face that let Rohaan know something was happening. Something magical, he guessed, as the cheese he was currently eating suddenly took on a slightly metallic taste. He made a face like he'd just gotten hair in his mouth. To his surprise, Ash scooted over and put a hand on his shoulder, and a watery image materialized before him. Rohaan smiled, but the expression had an edge to it.

"Well shit! If I'd have known your little trinket would have done all this, I'd have started with it and saved myself the trouble! Well, what did you expect, some second-rate drunken slob who calls himself a thief?" Rohaan snorted. "I figured out why your contacts stopped reporting in. I did a fly-by and there's some culty human sacrifice shit happening in there. I didn't stick around long enough to figure out what they were about, but I know human sacrifice when I see it. It's a good thing I got here when I did. Speaking of, I gave her the rundown, but I doubt she believed me so you might wanna fill her in, or at least validate me." He shrugged. "Would make my job easier. I suspect if I tried hauling her back to Last Vigil, I'd probably get stabbed and I'm not real keen on getting knifed." He said all this through a mouthful of food.

Of Blood and Bastards

He really didn't know what he was expecting her to do, except maybe run while he was mid sentence. But he didn't expect her to offer him food. Honestly he rarely expected anyone to offer him food, but he never turned it down when he was offered it. He opened his mouth, and even got so far as saying, "Yeah, I did a whole lot of flying to get--" but then she just sort of tossed it at his feet like he was a dog, and his tanned brow wrinkled in a deep frown. A little dirt never bothered him, and as a former sailor he was very familiar with dried cured meats, so he picked it up, blew off the excess dirt and ate it anyway. But he had a sour face. "Wow, okay, rude. Is that how you usually offer food to people, or just my lot?" He didn't expect her to answer, really, but he just wanted to jab at her. He was used to being treated poorly, but he would always at least call people out on it.

Rohaan's stomach growled as food touched his mouth; he really was hungry. All the commotion had kept his mind off of it, but he had been flying all day, and the days before that. He kept himself better fed than any other street urchin or vagabond, but still, he didn't exactly have a cellar or pantry he could visit. "Damn. Look what you've done, made me damn hungry." As soon as this was all sorted, he would go hunt and get himself some fresh meat, and if he could help it, maybe some mushrooms or nuts or tubers. He might even find himself an apple tree somewhere around here if he looked hard enough. Rohaan sat down in front of her, though he remained just beyond arm's length away, so that if she tried to suddenly swipe at him, she'd have to really lean. And also she might feel a little safer with him keeping his distance.

The shifter laughed a little, a deep, amused chuckle that melted away almost as soon as it started. He blinked at her, frowning gently. "Oh," he said with realization. "Oh. Well I don't know why, but I guess I just sort of assumed you knew. Erm...alright. You ain't gonna believe me, but that Lord Whatshisface been raising you? He ain't your Da, Asharavasti. Your actual Da is some dick named Karl Valdemar. Valdemar, as in the Emperor of Man." He put up his hands and sort of leaned back. "Before you throw something at me or spit on me or worse, hear me out. There was some war with the Centauri some years ago and so Valdemar was stationed here in Durgan, guess it was something of a frontier. Anyway, he liked your Ma and they screwed in secret. He couldn't take a bastard home with him, so he left you here. But you're his only heir, and it looks to me like it's time you got your inheritance. He's been keeping tabs on you all this time, but suddenly reports stopped coming. I...understand why now. Anyway that's why I'm here. Oh! Ah, hang on..." He patted the bandolier of pockets across his chest until he came to one, stuck his fingers in it, and came out with a polished silver ring. Rohaan flicked it to Ash with a skilled aim for her inspection. "I'll need that back. It's the only shred of credibility I've got..."

Rohaan scratched his short-bearded chin. "You uh, got more of that jerky? Seriously, you don't know how much energy it takes to fly all day."

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

Ohhh no! That's totally ok, take care of yourself and feel better!!

The Tree of Astra (LadyAnnaLee and Blackfridayrule)

When Darin came down, she found a rather jovial looking Ridahne awaiting her below. The elf had abandoned her shoes too, and her eyes were bright, glinting in the dim light of the large insects that flitted slowly and clumsily through the air. Lihaelen never really grew full dark, despite the thick canopy. The uloia always provided some level of soft, gentle glow, ranging from the light of a full moon, to diffused lanterns depending on how many there were in an area. Presently, there were relatively few of them, so it was quite dark compared to the rest of the city.

Ridahne smirked. "How was it? I made the climb once when I was here last, I remember it being worth the effort. I have no regrets about how I spent my time though." Her smirk blossomed to a full smile. "Apparently our inn's tavern is a regular spot for the river workers. You know how you can walk into a rural village and you sort of just...gravitate to the farmers? And you feel like they get you, and you them, even though you're so different? I guess that's sailors for me. Those are my people. These were all Eluri, not Azurei, but a mariner is a mariner. I never felt the call of the sea, not like my brother or our ancestors. I always knew that, even though I loved the sea, my fate lay somewhere on land. I think I understand why now. Anyway, we had a few drinks and I bested one in an arm wrestling contest. I daresay I actually made some friends for once."

The elf grew thoughtful at Darin's question, and absently she wondered what the human had been thinking about and pondering up in the canopy all evening. There were some stories, though nothing Ridahne would consider to be indisputably true. "Mm, I've heard a lot of things, mostly as a child. I was told some ridiculous story by an ancient man when I was little, and he told me that when Astra first came to be, the creator wanted to fill their new land with people. So from the earth, they drew humans: steady, hardy folk. From the seas came forth the sirens, gentle, adaptable, and yet inexorable in their determination. From the sky, the elves were brought forth, and because of their lofty origins, they retained some of their high sight and got visions." Ridahne shrugged. "Seems like nonsense in a way, I mean, it's not like the elves came from thin air, and you aren't made of rock. But I know the Azurei at least have a strong connection to the stars. We believe they are the spirits of our ancestors, and it is said that in the beginning, there were no stars until the first Azurei died."

Ridahne smirked. "On a more practical level? Half the reason Azurei are Children of the Night Sky is because in high summer, we turn nearly nocturnal to avoid the heat of the sun. Midday in summer is brutal. We come out early morning to start the day, and in the afternoon we all hide indoors or somewhere cool if you can help it, then it's business as usual in the evening and well into the night. It's not that way year round, I mean, Azurei is a desert, it's always some level of hot during the day. but for summer, suddenly we all do things a little differently." She laughed. "It will probably be well into autumn by the time we get there, which is good." She paused, then asked, "Do your people have any stories about how you became Children of the Stone?"