#vasa

The beautíful swedish warship Vasa, which sank 1628

“I see you’ve a sharp tongue with an even sharper blade, Mr. Dekarios.”

Vasa never expected to find both a lover & a sparing partner when she pulled a certain bladesinging wizard out of a stone.

It inspired this art by @naarisz

Askos, 200–1 BCE, Greece, Ptolemaic Dynasty,

This miniature vessel was carved from a single piece of banded agate, polished to a shine, and embellished with a gold lid and gold details on the base. Inside the ring of gold at the base is a trio of gold papyrus stalks, a likely reference to Egypt.

In shape, it resembles an ancient wineskin, or askos, though its small size suggests use for luxury perfumes or oils. A tiny crab, likely once inlaid with a precious material, has been carved behind the handle.

Agate and gold, 6.5 cm.

“Sometimes your sacrifice for your family, sometimes they are the sacrifice. I will make sure you do not have to support your youngest child any longer. I am glad you came to me with this, Qeshzin. You are a disgrace already. I will take care of her. Now go back to your meager life.”

The words came from Vasa’s great-great-uncle and head of House Sallah, and they were the last she heard before she awoke outside the protective shield of Suramar.

Covering her eyes from a bright light above her, the pain lanced through her head and she tried to pull away, but found herself shackled to a tree.The air was warm, but she could not stop shivering. She sat up locking her arms around her waist, her body trembling so badly that the bark scratched and caught on the thin robe she wore. Sweat dampened the dark strands of hair stuck to her forehead despite the chill that seemed buried deep inside her bones.

The next few days were not much better. She laid in the dry, yellowed grass near the shield of the city, peering through to the life she once had. Vasa’s muscles ached constantly. Some moments it felt as though she had marched laps through Suramar in full armor; others, as though invisible hands were twisting knots beneath her skin. Sleep came only in fragments. When she managed to drift off, she woke minutes later with her heart pounding and her breath caught in her throat.

The worst part was the restlessness. Even though she was weak, she could not sit still. She paced as far as her chains would allow until her legs threatened to give out, then collapsed wherever she was, only to rise again moments later. Every thought returned to the same place, her hunger.

Looking down at her hands, she saw that the skin that had once been soft now looked as though all the moisture had been pulled from it. When she touched her face, she could feel the hollows there. She did not know what was happening to her, but she needed to find a way to survive.Vasa no longer walked; she shuffled, her legs too weak to properly support her, her arms hanging loosely at her sides. Taking a few more steps, she toppled to the ground and closed her eyes.

“What a tasty little piece you are. No wonder he paid so well for you to be prepared.” Vasa heard a voice and felt the click before her shackles fell away. Her eyes would not open, could not open. A sound came from her chest, a guttural rumble, but nothing that sounded like her voice.

There was a softness beneath her when she woke. She tried to lift her head, but it was heavy, as though sand filled her skull. Bringing a hand to her forehead, she slowly opened her eyes. A maroon-and-gold canopy hung above her. Looking to the side, she found a tray of fruit and water on a nightstand. Confused, Vasa shook her head, and she felt a surge through her, a rush of pain unlike anything she had ever experienced. Screaming and placing her hand on her head and the darkness claimed her once more.

The next time she woke, she tensed just waiting for the agony to returned, when it didn’t she rolled over, opening her eyes and saw a handsome, well-dressed middle-aged man in the room with her. He sat in a chair, almost preternaturally still.

“Welcome back to yourself, Vasandereu.” He looked familiar, one of the lords that was always in the same circle as her Great-Great-Uncle. “You poor thing. They just left you out to dry, quite literally, didn’t they?”

“I am sorry, but why am I here? Who are you?” Vasa asked, her voice was soft, her throat hurt as she spoke.

He stared at her until she averted her gaze.“Hmmm. I thought with as smart as you are, your observation skills would be better. You will need to work on that.” There was a pause, and then he snapped. “Look at me!”

Lifting her gaze to him again, she found she had no choice, even though she wanted to shrink away. He nodded. “Ah yes, perfect. Just as it should be. This arrangement between us is sealed well.” He leaned back in his chair. “Your family sold you expecting that you would be drained for research because your father could not afford the arcwine for all of you any longer.”

She wanted to deny it. She knew they were struggling financially. Her father’s jewelry business was failing as he floundered, unable to create new designs after so long. They could not be that desperate, though. Her father would not do that. Then she remembered what she had heard before waking outside the shield, that she would be sacrificed.

“There is that quick mind. It makes too much sense to deny it, doesn’t it? You were their sacrifice.” His voice was in her head. The smile on his face shifted into something predatory. “I have paid a price for you,” he said aloud once more. “A considerable price. But you are exactly what I need.”

He rose, his form shifting until a fel lord stood before her. “I have cured your addiction, Vasandereu. You will no longer need arcane magic to survive. You have ingested my blood and are now bound to me, addicted to my blood. There is a rebellion at hand, and my demons have been unable to get me the information I need. I do not trust the information from those I might pay, so you will get me what I need.”

He walked to her and grabbed her jaw. “But I am in your head now. What you see, I see.” His grip tightened. “Now get dressed. We have a dinner to attend.” He turned away from her, and by the time he reached the door, he was once again in the form and dress of a Shal’dorei lord.

“Do as I say and you will be well taken care of. Try to fight and…”

Agony tore through Vasa’s body. She fell from the bed onto her knees, vomiting fel-green fluid onto the floor.

“…torment will be a constant companion. Do not make this difficult, Vasa dear.”