Men who play games of war and soldiers born from circumstance...
MAIN
PROFILES
ALBUMS
STORIES
EXTRAS
LINKS
 |
Scroll 05 : 07
|
Clawed hands quickly strap both his weapon and the sack he’d packed down to the sides of the leather saddle draped over his mount’s body before reaching swiftly up to grasp onto the reigns, swinging himself completely up soon after. Quickly calming the steed as he walks them a few paces back, mismatched eyes rise up to look over the looming fortress above as he pulls the hood of his cloak up to cover all but long winding horns as the fabric settles with ease. He doesn’t like the idea of leaving before the Harbinger, but he trusts Gran’hein to keep true to his word and bring the other man safely to the contact point he’ll be rendezvousing with in one day’s time. It will be agony until they are together again, the apprehension of something going wrong taking precedence above all else and he’ll have to be careful in his travels through his Mistress’s lands. He knows he can trust Vir’nas to keep his lips together as far as his involvement with Kso’ppghiel goes because he could see the younger soldier’s shame in his denial and has worked with the kid long enough to know what he’ll speak of and what he’ll create. He hopes though, that when their Queen returns in three day’s time, Vir’nas will see fit to deliver his parting regrets to her as it may delay the price she’ll send out on him soon enough, especially if she remains under the assumption that he’d left only out of shame for his ‘failure’ to her. He also hopes that his thirty years of near flawless service will end up meaning something to her in the end and that his men will understand why he’s left them as he has, just as he hopes the Mastersmith will deliver the message he’s left for Sav’real, who was the only one in that place he could consider a close friend. “May the stars guide us.” He whispers to nobody before pulling his eyes away as he slips the reigns back, turning his horse towards the desert that lies before him. With a kick of leather boots against the sides of his horse’s body and a whipping of the reigns he holds, the tall Captain is soon speeding away, the lone figure un noticed by all that remain within except one.
Kso’ppghiel smiles at the familiar weight of his swords on his back. He missed them far too much and is hoping Gran’hein will be willing to talk as promised. “How did you meet my father?” Gran’hein smirks. “Mithghiiel was found much like you, someone who caught her eye with the skill they possessed. She asked him if he’d like to join her armies and he agreed. I suppose he wasn't too attached to the one he was fighting with. They hit it off pretty instantly and it didn’t take too long before she wanted him as her Harbinger. Back then, he was her head General leading her biggest army, I was the smith that she assigned to travel with him. I’ve known Io’fayl for longer than she’d like to admit. She even served under me for a while until she ran off on her own to claim a territory. Asked me later if I wanted to run her forges and I agreed since I have no desire to run a territory or command men anymore. I enjoyed my time with Mithghiiel, we became close. He was a good, trusted friend. A very fair man, his men loved him. We probably spent a good thirty or so years working with each other. Like I said before, I made him that sword you carry.” “Were you two ever… together?” “Not in the sense you and Thial are.” The large man laughs. “I was recently married and he was having too much fun with Offy. I don’t think that’s something that would have crossed either of our minds, we both happened to like the female persuasion. He was one of the few men I would trust with my life, however.” “What was his relationship with that woman, beyond being her General and Harbinger?” “A delicate balance, that’s what it was.” Gran’hein shakes his head. “One that she tipped too far. She loved him, he didn’t love her. She tried to control and possess him, he thought it was pretty fun to watch her try. He was obedient to her command, don’t get me wrong, and they definitely couldn’t keep their hands off each other, but they both knew it wasn’t the traditional master and subordinate deal. She enjoyed his stubborn streak and his defiance, until he flat out refused to follow a command.” “The one where he was told to destroy that village?” “Pretty much. She brought him out there personally, it was her new master plan on disabling the other territories. And she’s right, it would have worked, but it was wrong. He defied her in every sense of the word and refused to follow any command she would give until she retracted that one. Offy doesn’t take to challenging her authority too well. After several hours of this, she had her usual fit of rage and ordered him executed, assuming it would take care of the problem and he’d relent. He didn’t and she had to follow through to keep her absolute command and not give anyone else a reason to challenge her. If she’ll kill her own General, who knows what she’d do to someone she doesn’t care about… that sort of thing. Maintains the image and all of warlord. It devastated her, she didn’t honestly think he’d continue with his defiance after that so she left before the execution, couldn’t stand to see it. Mithghiiel would have done it too, had me and a few others not dragged him away and forced him to suck up his stubborn pride and go live his life.” Gran’hein laughs. “So we executed another in his place who actually deserved it and he went off. Offy hasn’t been the same since, really. It changed something in her and not for the better. As you can probably guess, she attempted to rekindle her lost love with Mithghiiel with you.” “Did she seek me out because I was his son?” “I don’t think she knew you were his son until after she took notice in the first place. Sav’real discovered it while looking into your past, traced you back to Mithghiiel. I think she would have taken you regardless but she didn’t kill you after all the things you pulled because of that fact. Lucky. She would have killed any other long ago. Your father’s stubborn defiance in you paid off.” “You had said she served under you… and the magic you demonstrated was far more powerful than hers. Why do you not just take her place?” “Because I don’t want to run a kingdom. Ability doesn’t mean it’s a good idea. I can take Offy down anytime, but I choose not to. I would have retired when Mithghiiel went off had my sons not have been young at the time. I stayed while a few of them served and died under her command, now… I’ll probably retire soon enough. I’m getting too old to keep up with her. I’ve been kind of keeping an eye on Offy, making sure she doesn’t push herself too hard or do anything stupid. It’s not as if she ever listens anyway. She is a close friend, but I’m not blind to her impulsivity. Once her rule ends my wife and I will probably go to where our last remaining son and his family are and live a very peaceful life doing nothing until we die.”
 He’d always wondered, hoped, dreamed of being in this room, laying on this bed, feeling the bedding the older man slept in beneath his hands but he never expected it to happen like this. Why didn’t he plead more with the white haired man, beg him to stay, throw himself at the Captain’s feet? Why did he just stand there with his eyes plastered on the marbled floors as his commanding officer just walked away? He knows Bal’thial was upset, but how could he just leave them all? His men, their Queen, him? He’s been in this fortress under Io’fayl’s rule for the better part of seven years and every moment of it has been amazing because of the white haired man. He was the best Captain he’s ever had, the best any of them have ever had. He was strong, and a hardass at times but always fair, always pushing them to be better, always making them want to be better and now he’s gone. What is he supposed to do now? What happens when their Queen returns and finds the Captain gone? That stupid Harbinger of hers deserved to die, he’d been nothing but trouble since she had him brought in, and there’s a million others out there that could fill that role better… but Bal’thial, their commanding officer, their Captain… his Captain… there’s never going to be another like him again. Hard yellow eyes reopen to stare down against violet sheets and he slowly pushes himself up, using the back of his arm to wipe at the wetness that covers his face. He wishes he could have made the older man see just once how much better he’d have been for him than that stupid dog. He wishes just once he could have done what he’s already told everyone he’s done, that his Captain would have bed him at least once because if he had, he’d never have left, never have left this place. With a sniff he works to stifle, the young soldier twists his body to the side, reaching down to slip the cover free of the bed before quickly rolling it up into a tight ball. Setting it down, he moves over to the wardrobe at the side to begin sifting through all of the white haired man’s remaining clothing. He’s going to take that blanket and a few of the Captain’s things… for safe keeping just in case he comes back and because he knows that if there’d been time, the taller man would have trusted him with it all anyway. He’ll tell the others Bal’thial left it for him to remember him by, because it’s basically the truth in the end…
 “This is where I take my leave, boy. There should be enough in there to last you a few days if needed. Thial will be joining you some point soon.” He hands the blonde one last sack. “My son’s village isn’t too far from yours, I had asked Thial if he’d stop by and hand him some things from his mother. In there is a map of the area. I hope it’s not too much to ask.” Kso’ppghiel shakes his head as he’s handed the sack. “Of course not, for all your help it is the least we can do. But you are not staying?” Gran’hein snorts. “I know what you two will be doing as soon as you meet up again. I don’t need to bear witness to that… You take care, Kso’ppghiel. I’m glad to see Mithghiiel was able to live a good life and raise a strong son. He’d certainly be proud of you. And take care of his sword and Thial.” Kso’ppghiel smiles as he extends a hand and the larger man shakes it. “I will give my father’s grave your regards, as well as your son. Thank you again, your kindness will never be forgotten. I hope we can meet again some day.” Caramel colored eyes glitter as he remounts his horse. “I’m sure you’ll be back to take Offy’s head. It would be a fitting end for her. Maybe then I can retire…” He laughs loudly as he starts his horse back towards Io’fayl’s fortress. The blonde watches for a few moments as the larger man slowly rides off before picking up his items and wedging the door open enough to go inside. After several moments and much clanking around, he locates the matches and lights the candles, illuminating the small room enough to see. A firepit was already set up and he quickly lights the fire, setting about to prepare some for of meal for himself before attempting to sleep.
Sliding himself away from the cold sand below, he leans back to reach for the leather sack he’d packed before fishing inside to pull a small water skin free. Rewrapping himself in the heavy cloak as a chill is carried across from the winds; the white haired man takes a quick swig of the liquid before pouring a small amount into clawed hands for his mount to drink. “I suppose you will not allow me any sleep…” he whispers to the horse when he finds himself nudged again, “If I did not need you like I do, I would scold you for interrupting my dreams. I was enjoying the softness of his skin and do not appreciate being torn away. Your kisses are not the same.” the animal slides his head up to lick at his face once again and Bal’thial laughs lightly while pulling away. Gathering the woolen material close to his body, the smile fades from his lips as his mismatched gaze rises up to stare at the stars painting the midnight sky far above. By this time the Harbinger should be at their meeting point, so long as nothing has gone wrong... something of which he’s still finding himself apprehensive over as he won’t know for sure until he gets there himself.
 He is happy to have been able to talk with the Forgemaster about his father and he’s happy to know his father had a good friend who watched out for him and now is in turn watching out for his son. The irony of him ending up walking his father’s footsteps to a point amuses him in the slightest. How could that woman even begin to think he was a substitute for his father? If he supposedly has the same stubborn pride, it would have only been a repeat of past events, only he would have never willingly allowed her access to any part of him and never obeyed any commands. He will kill her one day, that is certain. White eyes stare into the dwindling fire as he sits huddled over, blankets wrapped tightly around. He won’t be able to sleep until Bal’thial is safely here.
He hadn’t been able to sleep at all, and in truth, until he makes it to that meeting point he doesn’t want to. He won’t be able to rest until he’s seen the blonde’s face once more, something of which can’t happen soon enough for him. He still has about a half day’s journey ahead of him, having already circled back with the last remainder of the night. Dawn will approach soon enough and as long as he doesn’t encounter anything along the way, he should get to where the Harbinger is sooner than he’d originally thought.
Kso’ppghiel lays back in a huff, blindly reaching for the leather sack that contained food and water and forcing himself to try and eat. Maybe he’ll exhaust himself with worry if he’s lucky.
He smiles at the beast as he recaps the skin, moving to stuff the water back into the sack that remains strapped tight to the saddle. The day has just barely started and despite the dangers involved in traveling across the sands in full heat, he can’t take the time to stop any longer than these short breaks for water or food. But just as clawed hands are reaching for the reigns so that the white haired man can remount, the wind shifts towards him to carry a sound previously obscured straight to his ears. It comes a second too late though and soon there’s hoof beats directly behind. “You!” the one approaching him yells out, and he quickly recognizes the man’s voice, a soldier of his own that had been called to escort their Queen to her negotiations when he’d been told to stay behind and watch her sickly Harbinger. “Do not move, by Queen Io’fayl’s command” A slight measure of panic sides through Bal’thial as he hears the soldier dismounting behind him, the twinges of fear that his Mistress had returned early and had him priced already spiking down to his very core. He remains as he is, with his back turned and body still so close to his own steed as mismatched eyes slide over to his weapon where it lies strapped to the animal’s other side. The second demand for him to turn and state his business within the lands tells him that he hasn’t been recognized, the relief this causes overshadowed by the cold calculations needed to measure the time it will take for him to pull his weapon before it’s too late. The soldier walks up to the figure in front of him cautiously. No one is stupid enough to ride around in this heat by themselves, especially not this far out. They’re either half-crazed or half-dead and this one doesn’t look half dead. He puts his hand on his weapon and slowly circles around to the front so he can get a good look at who he’s dealing with. There was something about the sword on the horse’s saddle that looks familiar but he can’t quite place it. “Turn around slowly. Move away from the horse.” The hood continues to obscure the majority of his face as Bal’thial slowly turns, the chime from the metal capping his horns lost against the dry wind. He doesn’t however pull away from his steed as shadowed mismatched eyes train on the weapon the other soldier’s hand sits over, the taller man already knowing his course of action. He understands this one’s fighting style well enough and while he hadn’t trained under him directly, he knows he’s skilled with his blade. Not enough to get the better of him once his own sword comes in hand, but fast enough on the draw to cause damage if he doesn’t time this exactly right. The fact that this man wasn’t moving was making him very nervous. His grip on the hilt of his sword tightens, ready to draw as any sign of movement. “What is your name; state your business in Queen Io’fayl’s territory.” The silence of the one before him only unnerves him more. “Move away from the horse or I don’t care who you are, you’ll be a corpse left to rot.” A smirk forms on Bal’thial’s lips as he suddenly reaches to his side to wrap a clawed hand around the reigns, yanking back hard while he twists his body around to pull the horse along with him. The soldier has just enough time to draw his weapon before he crashes against the animal’s side, a loud surprised sound spilling into the air when the man flies back onto the rough sands below. Bal’thial moves swiftly towards his serrated edged blade, ripping the straps free and spinning around just in time to catch the recovered soldier’s blade with his own. Surprise shifts through brown eyes when the hood slips back just enough to reveal his mismatched gaze but before a word can be said, the Captain is swinging his heavy sword back to break the hold and he twists around while the other man is stumbling before quickly taking his head. A small spray of blood hits him as the body crumbles to the sands below when his head slips away from the neck, Bal’thial turning away from the corpse to return to his steed as fast as he can. Within moments his weapon is secured to the saddle once again, and he swings himself back up before moving towards the man’s own steed to gather the mare in close. Blue and green eyes trail momentarily over the soldier who’d once been his own, whispering a flat apology before kicking hard onto the horse’s sides to speed off as fast as he can.
A clawed fist hits the wall in frustration. If it were months prior, he would have known exactly what to do, of course he wouldn’t be here waiting for anyone and probably would have made it to the cooler Northern territories by now anyway, or even the coast. Kso’ppghiel sighs before walking back into the sweltering cave, grabbing a knife before returning to the downed beast. Once he’s removed the tact, he begins carving off what he can in order to dry the meat and preserve the skin. It isn’t as if he can move the thing otherwise and having the rotting creature outside his door would only attract predators. Just as the Harbinger is straightening to lift what he’s carved up in order to bring it back towards the refuge behind, a wavering lump appears on the horizon far to his front. The figure is obscured by the heat as it ripples and shifts, but soon enough the clear outline of a rider and two horses comes into view. Dropping the meat in his hands and turning quickly towards the shelter behind him, the blonde moves swiftly to retrieve his swords from inside. He finds his way out just as the figure draws in close, swords readied only to be met with the mismatched gaze he’d been waiting for this entire time. “Are those for me?” Bal’thial smiles as he slows the pace of his steed just to Kso’ppghiel’s front before reaching over to tie the reigns of the mare together with that of his own, quickly dismounting soon after and pushing his blood stained hood back just a bit to reveal both relieved and amused blue and green eyes. “Not exactly a fair kind of greeting for someone who has thrown thirty years of his life away for you now is it?” An amused, tired and highly relieved laugh leaves Kso’ppghiel’s’ lips. “I think I killed my horse…” He sinks his swords into the sand, rushing forward to grab hold of the cloaked figure walking to meet him. “If you are a mirage, I am going to be very upset with you… I have not slept much at all since we parted.” Clawed fingers sink into white braids and he pulls Bal’thial’s bloodstained face towards him, their lips crashing together for an intense kiss fueled by days of longing and separation. Clawed hands slip quickly around the blonde’s waist as the kiss deepens rapidly and it’s only for need of air that they both reluctantly break away. Pupiless white eyes close, followed soon after by mismatched blue and green as the Captain sets his forehead against the Harbinger’s while the grip in his hair remains tight to keep his face close, the softest of relieved sighs leaving him when whispered words are spoken directly against the other man’s mouth. “You are all I have dreamed about since I left…” Bal’thial opens his eyes and smiles. “The day was far too long.” “I was afraid, for the first time in a long time. Afraid you would not show. I would not know what to do if that happened, you are buried far too deep within me now.” Kso’ppghiel pulls back slightly, looking over the bloodstains on the other man’s clothing and hair. “I hope there was not trouble, though I am relieved to see you brought a second horse.” He smiles as his gaze shifts to the dismembered one below him. “This one will have to serve as food. Help me bring this inside, I do not think I can be away from you any longer.” The taller man laughs softly as he slides his hands away from Kso’ppghiel’s waist and trails one up to trace along the line of white blonde locks. “I will help you as I do not wish to be parted any longer myself, Harbinger, but once inside you will be required to help me clean the blood off my body and clothing as payment in return.” Leaning in and tilting his head in the slightest, the Captain’s mouth meets the blonde’s for a swift and fiery kiss before he pulls away and steps back to move around him in order to begin carrying the meat inside. It takes them very little time to start a new fire, throwing all the meat on it before tying the horses up somewhere safer from the heat. Most of their clothing is off by the time they return to the straw mat, neither man able to get enough contact with the other as their hands and bodies press together. Mismatched eyes never leave white as the elation of their freedom taints every touch and movement they make. Clawed fingers slide into white braids, Kso’ppghiel’s tongue licking across skin to remove the small spots of blood that remain before trailing over to the other man’s ear and around the long curve underneath. Sharp fangs sink lightly into delicate flesh to rip a loud gasping moan from the Captain’s mouth, his grip around the waist he holds tightening suddenly to pull the blonde harder against him. The Harbinger’s fingers grasp desperately around plaited hair as his mouth tears away when the deep thrust of the other man’s body inside and the firm press of his own against the one that holds him nearly sends him flying. Sinking his face down to press his lips over the junction where shoulder meets neck, Kso’ppghiel’s panting breaths are easily match by Bal’thial’s as the pace begins to quicken between them, each new movement that snaps their bodies together carrying them both closer and closer towards the edge. Sweat mingles between them as there is no room for air, skin pressed flush as they move. Their lips seek each other out once more, devouring the other hungrily, bodies wound tighter with each thrust. Claw tips break free from white plaits, trailing down to score deeply along the Captain’s back. The scent of blood fills the air, driving both a little harder as Kso’ppghiel is snapped down harshly, moans leaving them both through barely parted lips. Hands slick with blood travel up, streaks of red left in the Harbinger’s wake as he reaches over to grip down on strong arms in an attempt to ground himself in the slightest as another hard thrust in sends him arching back against the white haired man. The tall Captain’s mouth finds that spot just above the other man’s chest, suddenly finding the need to remark the area he’d bitten once before as he tightens his hold around structured hips to keep Kso’ppghiel’s body firmly in place when they press together again. As sharp teeth sink down, the mix of pain and pleasure finally breaks the thin wall standing between them to send both plummeting quickly over into an intense release. Heated breath washes across sweat slicked skin when the blonde cries out through gritted teeth, the hiss that interrupts his own lost when clawed hands dig deep into built arms as the one in his grip shudders through every hard wave. The two men collapse against each other, the crackling fire the only other noise beyond their rough pants as they both begin to calm. Soft kisses are planted across the other’s face as either refuses to let go despite the stifling heat the surrounds them. “I am glad… you are here…” Kso’ppghiel whispers between breaths. “I was unsure what I would do if you had not come …”
|
