This topic contains 7 replies, has 2 voices, and was last updated by 
Arielle morrison 1 week ago.
-
Posts
-
Elspeth sat in her little corner of a rented room, writing more notes in her book. Quill scratching furiously, she waited for Drax to show up. She was worried about him, something she would never live down if he found out. She sighed, glancing at the door every few moments, every time she heard a sound.
Add that to the list of things she would never reveal to him. She knew he hated her. And that stung her more than she let on. She was an obligation. No, worse, a burden. A burden he had no say in picking up. He resented her for what their fathers had done. Not that she helped her situation. She was cold, cruel, arrogant, and she’d be willing to admit, sometimes a petulant child. But, that was still better than the alternative. She’d rather him hate her. She needed his anger, it was useful. Anything less would complicate everything. And once he was free, he would be gone. One less complication.
She remembered life before this mission. Before she entered the convent and Drax served in the military. Before she took on the robes of the priesthood, and Drax began to understand exactly what the cost of his powers, and his contract to her family cost them both. They were both outcasts, the scorned child and the monster. Sometimes, you couldn’t tell which one was which.
She looked out at the moon, remembering back to when she was growing up. Even in her home she was an outcast. She was too much like her mother for her father’s taste. Once he realized she didn’t hang onto his every word when he spoke like her pathetic pawn of a brother, didn’t fawn over him and his position of power. When she was too busy with her swords and her spells. When she, quite aggressively, turned down every suitor who came her way. She was the spare whom he had nothing but contempt for. But she had sway and conviction to their cause. And she was willing to get her hands dirty.
“I hate nights like this,” she said to the empty room, rubbing her temples as if to massage the ghosts of the past into complacency.
Drax strolled amicably down the pathway, spinning flame from finger to finger distracted. The power he had gathered in such a short time was majestic. Hellfire and Baelfrost, once he gathered the components. How much further would he go in this nightmare city?
And more importantly, how little would Elspeth care? Mind boggling really. Such increase in power, such useful information, by the chapter, and still. Once there was a brilliant young girl who cared, and showed every glow of genius and compassion. Now there is nothing but fury and disdain. Eight years in service to the king, and all it cost him was his closest friend.
Shaking his head he refocused. His mind tended to wander with the Graft going. The power though! So immense, so flowing and beautiful. Again, he refocused. The world was slowly forming up in straight lines as secrets were revealed and considered. Elspeth would have made more headway on the power play being pulled. His brief recruitment to service in the keeper camp was potentially a door to deeper secrets. Elspeth would be pleased, hopefully.
The desk was strewn with books and papers, writings and scribbled notes waiting to be transcribed. Battle tactics. Secrets. She sighed again and started tidying up, her eyes aching from the weak light.
A sound on the stairs. A boisterous voice. Drax had finally returned, alive and as well as he could be in their predicament. She felt her heart beating in her ears. She took a deep breath, remembering what she had learned in the convent. She exhaled, fighting the urge to walk up and embrace him. He would probably be confused and repulsed.
“Focus.”
“Oh fine.” The flames snuffed to a wisp of smoke. “Smiling flowers tapped me to serve as her diabolical agent for the last battle, with future work being an option. It’s a start, and one that I did not see happening for some time. ” His trademark smirk appeared briefly, “and as to my off-seeming, I have achieved the first of two grafts. The power is…. staggering”
Leaning forward and crossing his hands on the back of the chair, he smiled. “The power is significant. And it predilects me towards staring at fire. It’s distracting”
A small smirk appeared on her lips. “If the need arises, they shall have you as an extension of their arm. Within reason, of course.”
This was getting them closer to their goal. “We need allies, and this seems to be the best place for garnering support. I am very impressed.” She stood and turned to look outside.
“And the grafts. It feels like we barely got to this part of Midworld, and all of these little pieces are falling into place.”
*At what cost?* she thought. She knew better than to ask questions she didn’t want to know the answer to. Or worse, that she knew the answer, all to well. She kept an eye on their reflections in the glass. She let out a small sigh, and hoped he didn’t notice. Her mind thought of all those little moments as a child, when he would light all of her bullies on fire, or send them dead rats. The spot where her father’s face is slightly burned on the left side of his mouth, where her father had made the mistake of trying to strike her in Drax’s presence. She ran her fingers through her hair. *Is it worth it? We could just go. Leave. We’d be refugees, but we would be free. We could go back…*
She stopped that train of though. Her father would hunt them down. They were both bound by chains. *Stop it. This will not help either of you. And to add, you made him hate you.*
She touched the glass. “I need a drink.”
She grabbed the bottle of wine that she kept in one of the bags, as well as two small goblet. She poured some in both glasses and offered him one.
“It’s not poisoned,” she added, preemptively.“The result of poison would be a active and irritable hellfire demon bursting from my carcass, so best not to consider that route in the future.” He calmly sipped the wine, his eyes intense. “We have openings or allies in all but the luccari camp as of yet, it’s a short span until we have some position of control in all camps. The plan is working, Elspeth. Do not allow your focus to waver. You are strong enough.”
The diabolic power in his chest was almost throbbing, but he brought his mind into line. “Everything is going according to the plan, we are achieving a information flow that is unparalleled in the church.”
“As to the Grafts, well. They are the height of a diabolists skill set, the proof, as it were, that they are the lords of their craft. Two is almost unheard of, much less control of two. That’s the next step”.
“No, that would be less than pleasing. Plus we would absolutely lose the security deposit on this little shoebox,” Elspeth said, taking a small sip. “As for focus, right now I currently have an attention span larger than a gnat…” She gestured to the large collection of writings on her desk. “Focus is not something I am lacking in….” She gave him a small smile. Which dissolved into that neutral smirk. *Careful.*
“But. For what little my opinion of you is worth, I’m impressed. You’re doing well, Drax. Cheers,” She said, taking another small sip, before asking, “and what of the rest of the town? What monsters are currently roaming? And what of any newcomers?”
“My mood or lack there of is no cause for concern. These nights just make me on edge. I’m fine, there is no need to worry. There are no newcomers I would be concerned about, but it is always wise to keep an eye out. One never knows…”
She took another precarious sip and shut that line of conversation down.Elspeth almost spat out her drink.”Arcturus was in freehold?” Her eyes widened.
She growled. “That would have been quite useful to bring up first,” she said through gritted teeth. She chewed on her nail. “Why would the king himself come to this po-dunk little town? And a demon as well… Interesting.” She grabbed her book and started scribbling furiously.
“Seething monster? What does it call itself? What powers did you witness from it? What weaknesses? What did it look like?”
She took a breath to steady herself again. Her mind raced. This was interesting. And possibly beneficial for their position.
“Is there a way to harness this creature’s power to our benefit without you dying or losing anymore of your soul?”
She sighed and rubbed her eyes again. She was exhausted. She hasn’t stopped plotting and planning since they had been on the road.
“Blue would be a good person who could be of a lot of use supply-wise. We should pool together funds and restock as soon as possible. Does he barter? Or does he only take gold?”
His comment about valuing her opinion stung, so she chose to ignore them.
“Drax,” she said, firmly, “I won’t die, nor will I stand to see you die. Not by some creature, and not by some demon, and certainly not by some puppet of my father’s design. That is an order.” She downed the rest of the glass, “Whatever game comes up, well, we’ll face it, just like all the rest.”
You must be logged in to reply to this topic.