A Different Darkness PT 4
“Good... follow it then, my knight, and I will see you where the sun shines and the wind smell sweet.” With a bob of her head and the edges that had been flickering in the image collapsed around her. Cutting the gifted vision off. Placing her back into the Source. Back in Dravania.
Anna took a deep breath and turned her face upward. Happy to feel the warmth of the day on her face. Even in vision, the Void was cold and unwelcoming. A place she prayed she never had to go again. And why should she now? She had what she wanted. A familiar unlike any the coven here had ever seen. He was hers and with the bond they created with magic and blood... she was his.
Which would put a mark on their backs should a certain person find out. If they discovered what she had done, what could be done, what was stopping them from killing her and taking him? Anger flared in her chest at the thought. At the events of the last month in her ‘home’. That place.. .Was anything but home now. The people within anything but family.
It was time.
The surge of power followed by the flicker of pain down the bond brought her from her fuming thoughts. He was here. Her knight. Good. He had followed the tether between them. But at a cost? Turning on her booted feet she followed that link until she discovered him by the waters. Seemingly enjoying himself now. And why should he? Freedom was his. Though his back...
Something had not wanted him to go.
Anna arched a single brow up as he went to a knee before her. The corners of her lips tugged upward in a grin as he addressed her in such a formal manner. “Are you proposing to me? I know I just saved you from that hell but marriage? I will have to think on that one.” A soft chuckle ran out afterwards. Her left-hand gesturing for him to rise. “I am no highborn lady either. So, such gestures are wasted on the common birthed bastards.”
Her eyes roamed over him carefully. Looking for signs of the void – be it a beast that latched on or a trace of something else. The last thing this star needed was more unwanted guests destroying it. “Call me Annable, or Anna for short if you so wish. Now then, let me tend those wounds on your back.” A step was taken towards them, then another, and another. Until she was standing nearly breast to breast. Or more aerate, her head to his chest. Gods she was short. “Remove your armor and let me tend to it. We have time, but my shield will only mask you so long from unwanted eyes.”
His purple hued eyes remained, the only sign of something within him that was different from those who had not seen such a world. His ears twitched for a moment, his shoulders tense as if he was assessing the situation…Assessing for threats, yet her soft chuckle the sound of her voice. It brought him back to that moment. It brought him back to the reality of the situation around them, his breath shook for several seconds as the adrenaline soared through his veins. He merely stood there, enjoying the sight of her and the world he had so easily left once before.
“While a proposal may be something to look forward to, I merely wished to ensure that you knew that your… ‘protector’…” It was the best word he could seem to come up with that wasn’t familiar. “Not that you seem to have much need of one… But that I have come.” His hands moved to remove the gauntlet. Here it was as if his body naturally returned to a state of belonging, warmth mostly returned to his body as those calloused fingers pulled something from around his neck. “Your place of origin matters little…Annable. What matters is what is in your heart. From this day for though…”
He paused as he slipped the dark amethyst necklace from around his neck, the elaborate design and coloration gleaming brightly in the light. Upon the necklace she would see nature imbued upon it, acorns, and branches all guiding toward the center pendant, on the outliers would sit a dragon on either side pointed toward the middle protecting the branches with their bright sapphire eyes. His hand would extend it would extend it out towards her.
Should she accept it before he removed any armor he would slip it upon her neck, besides the cool steel she would feel the power surge into the forging. As she moved to stand near his chest the tall elezen looked down at her, his eyes closed as her scent filled his nostrils…It was different in this world…different in the way that it caressed his every scent, was that the bond between them…Did it heighten everything. It was then her words brought him back, a small grin crossed those paled lips.
“Mi’lady Annable…Let them come… They will see something unlike anything before.” He grinned at that as he moved to undo each piece of armor at her command. One by one, piece by piece, each bit fell to the ground until he stood before her in just a white loose fit tunic. He gently moved to pull it off, blood soaked white now as he did not make a sound as the fabric ripped away. “He…comes.” The roar in the sky… the whoosh…. The air slipped all around as that power could be felt in the air. Lysander went back to focus upon Annable, his body was littered with deep scars across that alabaster skin.
He turned slowly upon his back she would see the rendered flesh, the deep marks from whatever wished to keep him there… whatever sought to destroy that bond. There was residual void left over in the wound… Though that was to be expected in truth. Should her eyes slip over his body, she would see the imperial branding upon his left shoulder. Should she remember the rumors she would have heard about House D’woulfe…It was said he had forsaken Ishgard to serve the Garleans, even becoming a Legate. This was all but confirmed upon seeing the branding.
That mixture of servitude with the marking of empire showing that he was initially a conscripted soldier who had earned the rank of an officer…Rare… “Do not be scared for what is to come next…” It was all that could be said before the shadow passed over them, the sight blocking out the sun as that whoosh could be felt once more…Abraxas had come. The ground shook, the trees quaked, and the winds parted as the large dragon landed… Its snaked neck staring at its partner, before the slitted eyes stared Annable down, judging the worth of the woman.
“Ease….Ease…She is my partner you will not harm her or her own… This is our deal, and my deal with you…” Abraxas snorted a small puff of smoke coming from his nostrils as if he wanted to kick Lysander’s ass. “I..know..I know, I wasn’t expecting to be gone so long..” He cut his words off as the dragon in that instant took off from the ground, the air pushed away sending Lysander to brace and protect Anna from the sudden surge, Lysander’s eyes scanned once more. “He…Senses something is coming.”
“Does my protector have a name?” The corner of her lip turned up in a playful grin. Oh, she knew the names of the great houses of Ishgard. For the most part, at least. The noble sons and daughters who played the games at court. They were more vicious than she and the coven she belonged to currently. And that was saying something. Though a few from time to time would venture this far to... find creative means for their blood thirsty conquest.
They condemn those who practice the arts but seek those same ones out for their own gains. Oh, how she loved their double standards.
This day was curious as she watched him still as he removed the necklace and extended it out towards her. “Curious your house has been to many who have wrote about it. Dragons long feared by the Ishgard people... With the whole war they raged against each other. Yet your house saw them differently. Some have written your house was a part of the cult that worshipped the dragon kin.” A single nod was given, giving him that allowance to put the necklace around her neck. The connection was brief, as the metal settled against her flesh, but it was enough. That bond shared tightening. Weaving ever tighter together. “I think a new tome of your house should be in order. One where slander is not on every page. Unless, of course, you enjoy such things?” Teasing, she began her work.
What connection did he have with his dragon, she wondered as she went to work tending to those claw marks on his back. She paid close attention to the branding on his shoulder. Her nose wrinkled up in disguise at the sight of it. So those nasty rumors were true of his house. They had served the empire clearly and faithfully. What was done was done... Easing her features, she refocused back on the task at hand. Summoning that aether from within her; willing it cleanse those claw marks from the taint within. Willing the flesh to mend itself back together as well.
Aether was a tricky thing to use in healing. When one was used to chaos the... Softer route was sometimes harder. And many a healer would not use unless necessary. Everything had its price to pay. Magic was never free.
His words caught her off guard. She began to ask who was coming but that question died on her lips as she saw, closer that she ever dreamed of being to, the dragon he spoke about. This must be his partner. The one being that held his heart in a certain way. Eyes trailed over the great beast. Taking in its massive body and snake like neck. Then those eyes... As he stared at her she returned the stare.
Certainly, she feared the massive beast. It could easily eat or worse... burn her. Yet Anna was not one to back down. Even if it seemed the better course of action. Only the words from him seemed to break the spell. Turning her own eyes to him and chuckling softly at the exchange. “He seems pissed at you.” She commented, before Abraxas took to the sky.
“What’s coming?” Anna asked as she stared up at her protector now. That brow arched up in question. “The wards are not tripped... unless they have blinded me to it...” Would they do that? Anna prayed they had not but... She barely knew the people she worked with anymore.
Lysander took a slow steadying breath; he had forgotten they had not exchanged names... Yet worse he felt disdain through their bond as she looked at what he could only presume to be his branding. “I am known here as Lysander…As for the marking, I wish I could say that my time served was…against my own will. Yet it was not. I joined the empire out of spite, out of anger against my father and his abuse.” He spoke these words in a simple matter of fact tone. He had no need to hide anything from her, he had no desire to give her false words.
“I served them…I made a name for myself… I became Legate of the Auxiliaries …The men and women of the conquered worlds…who needed protecting. I used all that I had learned growing up, all my time under the best and brightest of Ishgard...against them... Yet more to protect those men and women who had no choice but to be there…Who had no choice in fighting. It was die upon the field of battle or die at the hand of an Imperial slaver…Either option was not ideal. Yet in truth, at least if you go out with a weapon in your hand, you go out in a way of your choosing.”
He took a breath as he watched Abraxas turn away, he watched as his companion left… and for the first time he felt the pain from her magics. His eyes blinked back any pain for several moments before taking a deep breath in. “I am uncertain… I felt the power change…Perhaps I am just getting used to this world once more...” He scratched his chin, before moving to slip his shirt back on as he turned back toward her.
“Abraxas likes you…You did not wilt at his attention, not many can say the same… As for my families’ histories…I intend on creating something more, as to having a new tome written, I would not know how to go about such these days, to find a writer so willing I would imagine it not easy...” He paused for a moment as he thought about everything that had transpired, about their bond, and about that strange feeling he got. “My family’s coffers… They are now shared with you Annable.” He looked around for a moment, his eyes narrowing up toward the Library.
He chewed on his cheek for a moment, his eyes narrowed before looking toward her. “Tell me… What should I expect from those you choose to associate with. Will they attempt harm upon myself, abraxas, or you?” His words held no malice in them, no darkness. He merely wanted to know what he should expect from those she held close…Those trespassers…
“They... lesser witches on these lands will not give you any trouble. They know not to mess with things that are marked by me. They may stare but... they are mindless drowns being fed off by the,” She huffed softly, waving her left hand in annoyance in the air. “Head of this area. Another witch who has marked himself above all others. A leader who at times fail to lead and would rather let their familiar rot to death in the middle of the floor then help them.”
Anna felt that rage again. Not for what was done to the familiar. No, by this time she was well used to the coming and goings of familiars. Left to clean the mess up more than not. This rage was the actions taken against her. The rage she felt was towards someone she thought was a friend....
“I have you masked from him. Though for how long I can keep it up is undetermined. I have never had to do such a thing for another... But that is a bridge crossed when it comes. The leader is known for... wanting the next shiny plaything. The more power he wields the better. He would no doubt view you as a prize. Though, given his current hard on he may be blinded to what you offer. Or merely assume it is my power that is leaking into you.” Index finger tapped lightly on her chin as she thought. That could be an advantage here. At least until she left. Until they left.
“I have been making plans to leave. Unlike the other drones here they do not control me. I can come and go as I wish. As well, my powers are mine and mine alone. A thing he seemed to have forgotten not that long ago.... That is a different topic altogether. For now, the best course of action is to leave as quickly as possible. Not from fear from the mindless or the head. From the unwanted feeling I have received in as many days. My time here is over... Our time is just beginning.”
