THE PAST
...
He knew nothing of the world, nothing but flashes of memories that didn't make sense. Glimpses, flashes of light mixed with voices. Gravely, sweet, kind and harsh, a myriad of voices uttered together as a singular form, crying together all at once as unlearning ears tried to strain to hear.
Ears unheard since the days before the world broke, belonging to a man floating in the void, an Ink like water flowing ceaselessly from a horizon unseen, limitless... bottomless and beyond.
Men waging war against titanous beings, towering golems skewered upon flames of white and black. Crusades, pillages, death and decay brought by order all flashed within his minds eye as he floated through the great absence, the great blackness.
Life or several lifetimes flowed together as one continuous paining or illusion, voices carried and the sensation of touch prickled upon skin.
As the last of the memories flashed, as a golden radiance seemed to reach from beyond the veil to grasp upon his soul. Something rumbled from within the black inked ocean, the sound of slithering, a hiss from beyond even the limits of this boundless ocean. And just as gold made to remove him from the void, an eye opened behind the void. Serpentine and as large as the sky, comprised of stars, galaxies and shrouded universes, it bore down upon the occurance as if waiting .. compelling ... and watched as Arvernus was plucked from the void he floated within by the grace of gold.
As it watched, it didn't so much as change its perspective or go looking, rather it's eye simply saw. Observing the microcosm that was all, creation, death, the void and everything that ever was and all that will be, and watched as the man returned to life on a silent field.
...
Silence greeted his resurrection, the golden light fading away as he sat up, grey eyes snapping open as a gasp escaped his lips.
Black hair cascaded down his strongly framed chin, as his eyes slowly studied the strange place he was in. A land of fog, a land of corpses strewn about, an ancient battlefield long since abandoned by the living.
Corpses lay decayed, lost time time and forgotten by grace, perpetually stuck in terror and or acceptance of their coming death.
Rising, hands Clasping at the edge of the stone table to which he had been leant against in his untimely death long before grace returned to bless his soul.
' Where... am I ' He knew nothing of how he got here, nothing but hazed images within his head, blurring together in a shifting mirage of images that refused to gift him anything other than a name, a name repeated over and over by the myriad of voices cursing in his head.
' Arvernus ... live ... Arvernus' It seemed to fit, whether bequeathed to him by parenthood or something else, he wasn't even sure it was truly his name ... yet it fit, and so he applied, taking the name as his own whether it had been so before or not.
Heavy armor shifted as he rose, rusted plate grinding against itself, echoing through the wasteless fog, as he rose unto his feet, steadying himself upon the destroyed table.
' Urgh ... how ... useless ' He reached beneath the armoured plating and began to unbuckle the plates, shedding himself of the heavy suffocation it forced upon him. He knew nothing but that he had died ... the last memory he had within his minds eye being the longsword that had pierced his chest, pinning him to the table he had ... woken up on.
' Where ... is it ' Greyed eyes turned to the longsword, the very same one that had dispelled his life, now laying cradled by rust, clattered to the grounds as if beckoning to be wielded once more.
' Verywell then ' As the shifting plates of armor that had failed him cluttered to the ground, his shaking hands wrapped around the rusted hilt of his killer, and used it to compelled his weakened body to rise once more.
Shakily, he finally stood upon his own two feet, for the first time In several millennia since the days of shattering, since the days the armies had been sent beyond the lands between.
' Ugh ... ' He stumbled away from the broken stone table, feet sinking into mudded waters pooled up for whoever knows how long, the unpleasant coolness between his toes churning as mud spread between his digits.
Cold now that he was devoid of armor, he approached the nearest corpse bearing anything even close to resembling clothing. A fine cloak long since greyed, patchy with several holes, wrapped around a fallen man whose hands lay wrapped around a staff and a longsword.
' Forgive me brother ... ' He knelt down, gently prying the cloak from the corpse in the gentlest way he could, not at all disturbed the uneasy silence that seemed to cradle this forgotten field of death.
Wrapping the cloak snugly around his body, Arvernus rose, staring down upon the now naked corpsewith something akin to apologetic regret cascading over his rather youthful features.
' What now ... 'He didn't know or understand how he had come back from... whatever had been. He couldn't recall anything between being felled and rising from the cold slab.
His answer didn't come verbally, rather than a shift in the formless fog that swallowed and hid the entirety of the battlefield from view. A radiance, light as could be and faint beyond but a slight shimmer, seemed to spring from his chest for but a moment point through the fog in a random direction. ' What the ... fuck '
Startled by the strange substance of shifting light, his offhand flew to his chest where the light seemed to rise from, petting the cloak softly in order to make sure there was nothing untoward going on with his being. ' Okay .. I'm... well '
' Then... what is this ' His hand rose and flittered between the shifting light, streams of light flowing like liquid gold between his fingers, suspended in the air as it continued to flow away from him as if to point in the direction it wanted him to go.
Try as he might to think of anything else to do but follow, he simply couldn't rack his brain for a better solution. Standing almost naked save for his undergarments and the robe he pilfered, he let out a sigh as the soft golden glow refused to abate.
He wandered, picking up several discarded pieces of clothing, like a relatively usable pair of boots and a pair of gloves, a discarded dagger or a half buried shield wedged into the dirt.
But the time he had looted everything he thought he might need, having wandered aimlessly through the silent fog and the dead battlefield. He didn't recognise anything, not the sigils long since having started to fade, not his allies or his enemies.
' Such a sad fate ' He knelt down, seeing two such warriors to have seemingly skewered themselves, one wearing strange segmented armor stabbed by a longsword while another wearing plate similar to his own was driven throigh with a katana. ' I'll be taking that '
Trying to remove the katana from the long dead corpse was easier than he expected, as the emaciated corpse fell away as he studied the remarkably unaged weapon. ' Hm ... not bad '
Wrapping all he found in leather straps, he made a makeshift bag and strapped it over his shoulder, the two swords he had pilfered tied to his waist by a sash. ' What now. .. '
He stood, head turning from left to right, squinting as he might to try and see through the impenetrable fog. Yet, like a persistent annoyance like some kind of bug ... thr gold radiance never failed to ve just on the sides of his peripheral vision, like a silent reminder. Calling to him, and when he looked in its direction, it acted like a silent guiding path that never wavered from pointing into the fog. He walked around, right, left even the exact opposite direction... and yet it remained to point.
' Fine ... I get it ... ' Clearly whatever had .. resurrected him, had a hand in this golden light, most likely a guiding path for him to follow. And he felt, somewhere in the back of his head, that it wasn't particularly a suggestion that he should follow it, but more a command written on his very being.
It felt like a strong urge, like something clicking into place within his mind, a slight resonance growing slightly more and more pronounced as he chose to take a step in the direction the golden light led. Like it was verification that he was doing what he should be... and that was horrifying, for it meant whatever had brought him back didn't do it freely, it wanted something from him. Amd he dreaded what that could possibly be.
' I swear to the powers that be that if I die again ... I'm haunting whatever it was ' And so, with his shoulders weighed down with supplies, items amd objects he had acquired, he chose to follow the guiding path into the fog, vanishing ...
Amd in his absence, as he left the battlefield for a thicket of skeletal trees, he didn't notice or think that perhaps he wasn't the only one revived on that battlefield, spurned forward by the guidance of grace. For another rose, a man in greyed knight's armor, rising from beneath a pile of corpses, the slits in his helm blowing out with dust as the man struggled to breath. ' What ... is this '
... THE PRESENT ..
Whatever Calanthe expected when she met the man certainly wasn't this. She had expected some brute of a man, rustic and rugged in demeanour to belittle everyone around him, force his squire to squabble and just be all round unbearable, what she was met with however was anything but.
As she and Eist walked into the citadel, specifically the dining hall where a small commotion occurred at one of the tables .' Is that ... Hjalmar and Cerys '
He spotted the two redheads, hand in hand as they combined their strength to try and bring down a hand that dwarfed their own. ' What is going on here ... '
Out of sheer curiosity, Eist approached as shouts surrounded the hall. A portly man of Skelliege descent yet wearing the colours of a Drommund soldier stood on the sibling side, helping them as he clasped the large hand and pulled along side them, the strain on his face clear as Calanthe could clearly see the strain he was under.
' And who is this young one ' Beside Hjalmar, Cerys and the portly man was a brown haired child standing on the other side of the table, the cheers of the men echoing as the surrounding Craite guards stood around the table, placing bets and cheering the group of four verging the long man.
" CMON YOU CAN DO IIIIT " A craite soldier cried as he shook his brother whom wore an exact copy of the same armor.
" SHUT THE FUCK UP THAT WAS RIGHT IN MY EAR" His brother pushed him off before he too let out a loud squeal in support of the four, all the while Calanthe, Eist and Crach approached the commotion.
The group of four groaned, red faced with spittle flying everywhere, as their feet skid against the ground as they tried futilely to atleast make the arm they were trying to beat in an arm wrestle bend even slightly, yet it remained firm.
" It was a valiant effort ... alas " A deep voice spoke with good natured mirth, a rumbling that made the air quake and lungs quiver as they were forced to constrict. " Effort wasted none the less "
The groups chortles grew more incessant, as the group of four redoubled their efforts, yet they began to move backwards, the each cried out, wrapping themselves around the arm even as it easily reversed their efforts, and with the ease of closing a book, gently slapped the four sets of hands against the table, winning with the utmost ease as the group of four let go, a chorus of disappointment echoing as the men threw up their arms and cursed profanities.
" Alriiiight alright clear out now you've had your fun" Noticing the presence of their Jarl and father, the groups began to disperse, whilst Hjalmar and Cerys nursed their screaming muscles, all the while the man Calanthe and Eist still hadn't been able to lay eyes upon let out a low rumbling chuckle.
" Ah there your are Crach, I wanted to talk to you " Before Calanthe could prepare herself, a daunting man slowly rose from the chair with its back to them, Silver and blue rising like a mountain before her and her husband as she took a full step back on instinct.
'What in the name of ' She wasn't superstitious as much as Crach or Eist was, but seeing a man whom she only came up to the top of his stomach was humbling, and the sheer weight of his voice and presence made her very bones shake. ' What matter of man is this '
" Ahh ... " A gentle complexion turned to the queen, black curtains of hair stained with a millennia of life shifted as crescent cerulean blue lit up, as he gave the Queen and her husband a studying eye before a small smile made its way to his face. " You must be Queen Calanthe of Cintra... the Lioness "
" Greetings ... I am Arvernus, Consort of the princess to be of Caria ...princess Ranni " He didn't kneel to the Queen rather simply inclined his head slightly, Closing his eyes before doing the same in greeting to Eist.
" Will you not bow to the Queen " Eist asked honestly, he wasn't truly offended, rather probing the man's demeanour even if he was sure a single sweep of the man's arm would turn him into a cripple with next to no effort.
" I have only bowed twice in my life, to my current Queen.... and to mine dear wife. To bow to another is to stain their honor ... I recognise your status and felty over these lands ... but i will not bow to a foreign queen... one who in my eyes ... has not earnt my loyalty or my friendship " He replied, standing tall deplore the unease passing through the Craite soldiers still within the room and the Cintran soldiers themselves, each startled and unsettled by the sheer stature of the giant standing before their Queen, but if she needed them fight, then they would go down swinging... luckily it would not come to that.
" Your Queen truly holds your loyalty... even if I were to make you lord in my lands " Calanthe studied the fine silver armor, with blue cloth wrapped around with several embroidered glyphs sewn in gold with an artisans hand, obviously a most exquisite and expensive suit of armor.
" Even if all the riches in your kingdom, with yours and every maidens hands and a dynasty to last a thousand years ... my loyalty would still lay with my queen " His answer was as honest as it was somewhat easing for Calanthe.
" A truly loyal man ... there are quite few of them these days " Calanthe smiled somewhat, though her eyes remained shrewd, studying the man before her gaze slowly drifted to the young man bearing the same colours as the man before her. " And who is this young man ... and his .. "
Eyvind came up behind Tyr whom had joined Arvernus's side. Both of whom regarded the grand Lioness garbed in fine yellows with open curiosity.
" This .. Milady... Is Tyr. . My chosen squire " He gently guided thr young man forward with his left hand, placing his palms gently on the child's shoulders ad he presented him to the queen. " He's quite gifted I should say"
" More like a cunt " Calanthe blinked at Hjalmar's words, catching his uttered words from Crach's eldest boy.
Now the focus of everyone's attention, Hjalmar coughed, cleared his throat and shifted awkwardly. " What I meant was he is indeed quite skilled with the blade... I have lost my fair share of duels with him .. of which his skill is of no doubt "
' Oh ... someone seems alittle bitter ' Eist smirked at hisbwife side as Calanthe gave her Nephew a rather unimpressed brow raise before giving Tyr a smile.
" My Queen " Tyr bowed in greeting, almost prostrating himself before the woman as she gave a light hearted chuckle.
" Certainly a well mannered young man, I look forward to hearing of your exploits on the battlefield one day " She allowed the boy to stand, rather pleased with his defference if she said so herself, as she turned her gaze to the last of their group.
Finally she turned to the portly man with a haggard beard, bells tied throughout his beard as a black cap sat atop the rather rotund man's head, his eyes twonlimg as he came up to her, grabbing her hands and shaking them eagerly.
" Your majesty, I have heard stories of your beauty from lands afar, I am Eyvind ... in your terms I would be a bard " The queen gave a half smile sneer as his greasy hands shook her own, turning to Crach whom gave her a shrug of the shoulders.
" Yes ... ah ... thank you " Calanthe slowly slid her hands out of the portly man's grip, subtly wiping her palms on her dress before turning back to the towering man behind them. " My nephew has explained that you seek passage to Cintra ... "
" That was lord Crach's recommended action... if it is not too much trouble, I would seek your guidance and companionship to the mainland " Arvernus bowed his head slightly, smiling all the way, well aware he was being studied quite closely by the Queen the whole time.
" I suppose I might be able to find myself agreeable, though through happenstance or chance, should anything happen, I would have your assistance should anything untoward happen " Calanthe believed herself a good judge of character, and if her instincts which had seldom failed her until now were anything to go by, this man should, on the very least on the surface level , be somewhat trustworthy.
" Of course your majesty ... " Arvernus smiled slightly, the two refusing to break eye contact for several seconds.
" Splendid ... "
....
Mousesack thought himself and prided himself on being a druid, a man finely attuned to nature since the very first druids guided the early species since the conjunction of the spheres. He prided himself on his loyalty, his honour and his care for the innocent. He was a man of principle. Such was why he stood here with Ciri right now, the child of surprise, taking care of her even when he grand mother refused to see reason and let destiny take hold. ' I just hope we invite not ruin unto us '
The girl he had raised alongside the generous Queen looked up to him as an uncle, a confidant amd a close friend, standing with him on the bow of the ship as she looked up at him with her wife Emerald impressionable eyes.
" I do hope grand mother agrees to let my friends come along " He smiled down upon her innocence, hand landing on her shoulder as he gently squeezed her shoulded to comfort her.
" Let us hope " He smiled, looking to the horses that were being loaded upon the ship via the handlers, moving them throigh to the shelter onboard. ' It seems dear Ciri will have her wishes '
Crates were slowly loaded aboard alongside Ciri's property which she had taken for her holiday with her Uncle Crach.
" Hey ... thats my lute " Ciri cried as one of the servants dropped the strange musical instrument, running over amd lifting it into her grip like it was some sacred treasure, earning a quickly murmured apology from the servant as the young girl ran back over to Mousesack, sulking somewhat.
" It's broken ... look " The child raised the lute and presented it, revealing a slight crack in the wood of the instrument.
" Ah here here " He gently took the lute, allowing his hands to gently caress the chip, as he urged the wood within, compelled it with his magics to breath life into it so it may heal itself. And when his hands slid off of the lute, he presented it back to the small girl at his side, whole and healed.
" THANK YOU ... YOURE THE BEST " Ciri strummed the lute a single time, breaking into a wide smile as her childishly plump cheeks juggled, lifting the lute into the air before turning and sprinting away so she could put it into her quarters to ensure its safety.
Mousesack watched her go with a soft chuckle, hanging his head and shaking it, raising his hand and fingering eith his greying beard slightly as to comfort himself. And as his eyes grey yet warm eyes opened, he was met with the sight of a rather rotund and large wild cat standing before him, staring up at him with wide yet somehow strangely Intelligent eyes.
" Oh ... where did you come from " He lowered himself to its level, reaching out a hand gently towards it, feeling the way nature clung to it, yet it didn't connect to it in the same way it would a wildcat. Where as a wildcat was a byproduct of nature, an animal through and through it didn't have control of it per se. Yet this cat seemed to be somewhat influencing the current of the natural world around it.
' Strange ' Mousesack stared down into the eyes of the rather docile Wildcat, try as he might to reach out to it with his druid powers, trying in some way to commune with it. The wildcat simply sniffed at him, giving him its best impression of stink eye before turning away, it's tail raised and bushy before sprinting down the deck toward the group approaching the boarding ramp.
' Ah Queen Calanthe ' He assumed the strange cat belonged to one of those boarding, watching it rushed into the group, and when his eyes raised to study the larger than average boarding party, he froze.
' Huh ... ' He stared across the deck of the ship, paused mid stride as the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. An instinct ingrained upon his very being that told him something was ... not as nature intended.
He saw Queen Calanthe, in all her beauty, black hair tied back with a golden brace and her yellowed gown fluttering behind her, arm in arm with her husband, Eist.. one time Jarl of of Trolde. But it wasn't them that made him pause, as his forehead throbbed suddenly as the very air seemed to churn against its will, compelled away from the being dwarfing the royal capital.
' No... ' Nature recoiled violently, compelling him to take half a step back on instinct, his eyes widening in shock as he tried to sense the disturbance for what it was. ' What is this '
He knew, even before his senses reached out to the towering man, he was a being that didn't belong. Chaos itself refused to so much as touch this shadow of a man whom blocked out the sun from Mousesacks view. Recoiling, screaming away as if he wasn't permitted touch upon it. And yet surrounding the man seemed to be another energy, smothering, suffocating ... not unlike the magic that radiated the air yet far denser.
And as his senses washed over the man, he stumbled his first step towards Calanthe on confusion. For he felt nothing, nothing but a void, a tear in the natural world. There was no feedback, as if the being didn't exist to the world's senses...' Or I'm not being allowed to sense him '
It was when he got within five metres of the group and thus the man that made chaos recoil, that he felt it. The very magic that fueled him seemed to be thinning the closer he got. ' Impossible '
Whatever this man was, wherever he was from, the natural presence of the world shirked being near him so much as to weaken Mousesack considerably the closer he got, akin to slowly severing itself from him in an effort to stay away.
" Ah here he is ... This is Mousesack ... Druid of Cintra... one of my most trusted advisors... " Calanthe, her tear troughs contorting slightly as she gestured to the Druid.
Said druid, forcing himself to pull himself together despite the abbaration to the natural order, sucked in a deep breath and confidently strode over to Calanthe. At the very least, to ascertain as to whether this thing in human skin was human... or if it posed any sort of threat.
" My Queen... my king ... " Mousesack bowed deeply, before his cold grey eyes finally locked onto the towering man no longer obscured byt the sun's light.
' The ether ... ' He almost cried out right then and there at making eye contact with the man, for surrounding the man's pupils was a mass of blue so eerily similar to the Aerher and its otherworldly likeness he swore he could see the ether itself through the man's eyes. ' No ... it's not ... but it's so ...oh so similar '
" Greetings mousesack " Arvernus inclined his head in a polite show, giving the man his due respect even though he could see and feel the sheer terror the man was currently experiencing. ' Ah ... it appears there are others who can sense something is amiss my presence... I must smooth this over with him in private as soon as possible '
" I am Arvernus ... I ... am in your care " He didn't press the shaken man, rather instead he allowed for the man to maintain a semblance of order and control. Allowing for Mousesack to calm his breathing, steal his features and reply in turn.
" ... Greetings, Lord Arvernus ... it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance ... " The questioning looks he subtly sent Calanthe were anything but subtle to everyone present, his distress not something missed by the party.
" Ah it appears Mousesack has something to discuss with me ... perhaps about our storage, we had a couple of mishaps before arrival ... Eist dear would you mind showing our guest to his room " Calanthe didn't turn to look at Arvernus, instead she studied the thins sheet of sweat that ran down Mousesacks brow, her worry deepening as she made an educated guess as to the reason for the man's distress. ' This is going to be ... enlightening '
" Ah ... yes that would be right " He turned and made himself scarce before the group, with Eist giving Calanthe a questioning gaze, to which she shrugged and simply followed.
" Come ... Lord Arvernus, allow me to show you and your party to your rooms" Eist soon charge, stepping up as he gestured for the group to follow, but before so, Tyr whom had watched the interaction, swooped down and scooped up the rather fat Wildcat that had planted itself at their feet, before following the former Jarl of Trolde.
...
" Now ... " The wooden door to mousesacks cabin closed with a creak and thud, leaving the hard pressed woman to cross her arms and pin the nervous man with a harsh glare that seemed entirely in place for her beautiful features. " Mind telling me what that was about "
" I... My queen... I explore you to urge that creature from the ship. I know not its identity, or species but I am sure it is not a being of natural world. The magic in the air retreats from it, nature weeps at its presence... please my queen, I beg of you, do not be fooled by its earthly skin " Mousesack begged, hoping to break through ti the queen about some grand revelation he thought he was having. " It's not of these sphere your majesty ... I swear of it "
" I already suspected as of much ... " Mousesacl felt his brow loosen and face go slack, shocked at the ease at which she accepted his hypothesis.
" Then my queen you must understand we need... " He was silenced by a raise of her hand, silencing him with the simple movement.
" No ... i understand your unease Mousesack... but just because he ... and he is a he, seems abit strange and as I am sure ... odd to you. I am doing this as a favour, and thus as a queen of my word, will fulfil my promises " Calanthe had already faced the consequences of breaking promises in the past, even if they weren't her own, she dared not press someone physical who could obviously retaliate.
" You made a deal with the creature " A pit of helplessness opened up within his stomach, his knees growing weak and stuttering. His face went pale as he felt the need to throw up from the sudden influx of stress.
" Nothing more than a verbal agreement I assure you. Do not worry I am not fool enough to make a wager with a creature whom is dubious in origin... " Calanthe chortled, her moxy showing as she scoffed and turned away.
" Have more faith in your Queen mousesack, I trust my intuition as much as I do you, I would not have invited it onto our ship if it sought us harm ... unless you question my judgement " She reached for the handle for the door, and sent a half glare over her shoulder towards Mousesack.
" Of course not your majesty ... I just sought to inform you... it appears my worry was unfounded " He whispered, watching in further silence as she stepped out of the room, leaving him to stew in his thoughts and worry.
....
" Hick ... you cheat " Eyvind cursed as he pointed an accusing finger at Arvernus, both sitting at a bench within the mess hall as tankards of Ale lay empty around them. Enough Ale to put Amy man to sleep in a coma lay about, drink by the two men.
Yet the giant infront of himself seemed entirely unperturbed by the sheer amount of alcohol he had consumed, simply interlacing his fingers and listening to the barely conscious Eist prattle on about one time glory from wars he had participated in.
" Hick ... there's no way " Eyvind's vision swam as it began to blacken, as Arvernus gave him a small sympathetic smile.
" I just hold my alcohol better than most " Eyvind would have cursed at that easy response had he had the faculties to, instead as he rose, he tripped, fell forward and knocked himself unconscious on the tables he drank at, immediately snoring in the world of blissful unconsciousness.
" Huh.." Arvernus blinked and turned to face Eist. " You' dont think ... oh "
On his other side, Eist had also fallen unconscious. Leaving Arvernus to sit with thin lips amd a rather glum look. ' well ... it was a nice distraction I suppose... '
With that thought he stepped out from the bench, straightened his fine blouse and trousers which he had out on in favour of his regular armor, and proceeded to the top deck to stand on its surface, to stare at the skies, his mana flowing similar to how it had done for the last week's... staring at the moon ... atleast until he was disturbed by a presence uneasy, terrified as it was, came to confront him on the ships deck in the middle of the night, in the hopes they could save everyone in the silence of the night.
" Can I help you ser Mousesack " The mana about his form struck the druid like a tidal wave, almost throwing him back as his magic fled amd threatened to abandon him entirely.
" I ... Ugh " He recoiled as the thinnest of threats linked to nature remained tethered to the world. " Please ... stop "
" Oh ... " Noting Mousesacls complexion and rather ill disposition, Arvernus's lips thinned as he recalled his mana back into his body. Turning around and rubbing his head in apology. " My apologies, I didn't realise my magic was affecting you so, is there anything I could do to ease your pain "
" No... " Moisesack raised a hand, now that the all consuming mana had dissipated, he felt the magics of nature slowly baked back into his body, his palid complexion lessening and returning to normal within moments. " What kind of spell was that... it felt like ... I was being swallowed by the ether itself "
' Oh ... it appears I've been rather brash in my actions ' Perhaps it was the seclusion of the village and Trolde itself that made it more difficult to identify his mana, or the proximity, he hadn't thought his mana would have such potent affects on the people around. 'Unless it's been affecting them all along and I simply didn't bother to notice '
A feeling of apology swelled as he approached, called forward some cured meats he readily handed to Mousesack in apology, which the man turned over in his grip in confusion.
" My apologies ser, I hadn't realised my mana affected your kind so much, I'll endeavour to reign it in from now on... you have my word " Mousesack could see it, as he made the promise, a kind of sorrow seemed to become like an almost physical phenomenon about the man, as if stopping his actions was a great burden unto himself.
" What were you doing out here ser " The atmosphere seemed to settle, the magic returning to the world as the anomaly further smothered his presence like a blanket.
" I was hoping to be spirited away ... I suppose... " He stared up at the moon, and when mousesack did the same, felt his knees weaken at the sight.
For the moon was not what he remembered. Utterly and completely alien, it swirled with alien magics, beyond that of the ether, beyond the netherworld and even the spheres themselves. It was completely and utterly alien, and he could feel it watching .... gruaging him, evaluating him.
It's presence bore down upon the chaos of the world, like a smothering cold that wanted to embrace and be embraced by all... and he could its will, clashing with chaos ... and with him.
" Am I in the presence of a god ... " This time he really did collapse to the wooden floor of the vessels deck, staring up at the eye of the moon, and it stared back.
" In a way ... I suppose ... it's not you it's focussing on " Mousesack would have questioned what Arvernus was saying, had he not been able to see the exact eye that made up the moon, reflected in Arvernus's own.
" It's here for you ... you called it " Terror gripped him, what influence and power must man have to be able to call upon an unknown deity ... on his own without any assistance.
" No ... it's not really here ... well ... it is and it isn't... it's expressing itself, acknowledging me ...projecting itself upon the world that is this microcosm... but it itself is elsewhere ..." Arvernus reached, opening his palm towards the looming moon as the stars seemed to shift at his movement.
' This is nothing but a mere projection ... not its real presence ' He began to shake, watching the pupil of the moon persist for several moments before it slowly, painstakingly began to fade.
A pained expression etched its way upon Arvernus's face, as the shrouded moon finally completely faded, where he stood on the deck, palm still reaching ... yet utterly alone.
It was in this silence, as Mousesack slowly calmed his terrified nerves, that Arvernus clarified.
" I'm not supposed to be here Mousesack, not with you and your squishy kind... I'm supposed to be up there ... with her. .. liberating my people in a battle amongst the stars... so that none may fear the oppression of the outer gods ... and yet I'm here ... am I simply to wait for her to come and collect me ... am I truly so powerless without her " Resignation bled from his deepened voice, sorry and self reproach radiated from him completely, as if he were on the cusp of giving up.
" Who ... who must you wait for ... to collect you so you may leave " It came out as a whisper, the aging druid raising his gaze to stare at the black curtain of hair that framed Arvernus's hair.
Slowly, with his shoulders squared and mana fluctuating in agitation, Arvernus turned his gave to Mousesack's own, staring down upon the druid with a face utterly devoid of joy.
" My wife... "
CHAPTER COMPLETE ...
JUST A QUICK CHAPTER FOR THE WEEKEND. I HOPE EVERYONE IS ENJOYING THIS STORY SO FAR.
IF ANYONE HAS ANY COMMENTS, SUGGESTIONS OR FEEDBACK PLEASE FEEL FREE TO LEAVE A COMMENT, I LOVE HEARING FROM MY READERS.
AS SUCH IM TRYING TO MAKE THIS STORY AS AUTHENTIC AS I CAN, WITH HOW THE TARNISHED WOULD BE PERCIEVED BY THE WORLD AND SORCERERS AND DENIZENS.
UNTIL NEXT CHAPTER FRIENDS