Fantasy Farewell to Kings: Temple of Hyxia

[alwaystheOptimist]

"The pit?" she gave up on playing with his hair, simply hugging his neck.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec recalled the event and told her how it went. Aida was following Lautrec through the castle. Her party had been wiped out and he was leading her to those he was traveling with. They had to cross a pit that was separating them from the rest of the castle. Lautrec jumped over fine, but Aida’s grip slipped and she fell down at least a hundred feet. He shrugged, figured she was dead or too much of a burden to be worth saving, so he left her to her fate.
“I was different back then. I was worried about coming home to Amelia when it was all over. That girl Aida meant so little to me. She was just so... irritating and needy. I felt I was better off.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

"Like Rheitz?"

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec thought for a moment. He wasn’t sure if they were comparable.
“Perhaps... but I’ve gotten more patient by the time we met. Plus, I have incentive to protect Rhietz. The church didn't tell me to look after Aida.” He wondered if it had been Rhietz who fell into that pit if he would’ve made more of an attempt to rescue her.
“It’s my fault things have gone this way. I can’t talk to Aida. She only wants to kill me now. I need someone to reason with her.” He looked up at Delilah while hugging her legs.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

"You're asking me to talk to your sister?"

 

[Jodyguru]

“Well, you’re kind of the expert on healing broken Dhampir. You have a better chance than anyone of reaching her.” He forced a chuckle.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Delilah let out a small laugh, "I didn't heal you. Rheitz did."

 

[Jodyguru]

“Rhietz...” he thought on that for a bit. “Well, I thought fondly of you ever since that night I drank your whiskey. Ever since I knew there was something inside you that could heal my broken heart. Rhietz must have played a major role in that. That’s what you mean, yes?”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

She let out a surprised breath and blinked. "You've been thinking about....us since I gave you whiskey?" She grinned, shaking her head. "Gosh, you're just as stubborn as your sister. You just don't realize it. Lautrec, if it weren't for Rheitz, I don't think your heart would have ever opened. I'm just lucky I was there to get the benefits."

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec stood up and cupped her face in his hands. He remembered that night Rhietz had a knife in her hand, screaming at Lautrec for being a jerk to her with the rain washing the tears from her face.
“Yes... I understand better. Thank you.” He gave Delilah a kiss on the lips. He wanted to go find Rhietz, but the feast was starting soon.
“We should find the others. We should not be late.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

"You mean you should find the others. Rheitz and I are going to go dance." She bent to pick up her scimitar and looked back over her shoulder before leaving the tent. "Remember what I said, okay? Don't try to provoke anything with Aida," and with that she left.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec looked a little confused. He didn’t know what this dancing was all about. He decided to let her go. “I’ll do my best.” He said, then left the tent to find the others. Tobias and Einus were on the other side of the tent sharing a pitcher of wine. Winston was returning with his bag of healing remedies. The group came around and walked up to the feast chamber where Ivsal was waiting.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

The night air was thick with cooking fire and laughter filled the air. The chief had welcomed the group grandly, toasting them many times and especially cheering for Aida. Fauns were guzzling wine and food as they lounged around a large circular table. A faun maid ran up to the chief and whispered something into his ear. He nodded, his face brightening. "Ah, of course! Please settle down. Xoxan and Rhietz will be performing the scimitar dance with two of our warriors."

The two girls entered the circle and struck the first pose, scimitars held up in the air, and bodies curved towards the sky. The warriors stood a few feet from them, their own scimitars held up to the air. The music started with the pound of a deep drum and a flute played dark music as the pairs danced with the other. The girls fell into the arms of the warriors, their scimitars crossing and the men gripped their waists as if in love with them. They battled through dance though the dancers were constantly pressed together, hands running over open patches of skin. The scimitar dance was one of dark passion and it mimicked the lives of two lovers fighting in an eternal war. The dance climaxed and the two girls were held low, the warriors scimitars out of their hands and gripping their wastes as the girls' scimitars pressed against their throats.

The chief grinned, letting out a roar of "Fantastic, wonderful!"
Some of the warriors let out wolf whistles, commenting on how good the women looked.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec applauded as well, though he wore a face of dissatisfaction for seeing his love being handled by another man. He knew better than to think that way, but he had opened his heart for once in a decade. He was bound to get jealous. More, he couldn’t stand Aida across the room being showered in loving words. He’d worked long and hard just for a shred of freedom and some good company.
Tobias was next to him stuffing his face with the tasty treats provided by the party. Lautrec saw that Winston wasn’t eating.
“No appetite?” Einus asked him.
“No... just something doesn’t feel right to me.” Winston said. “I got that tingling on my neck hairs. It never fails me.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz smiled at her father and bowed, rushing over to Lautrec. "Was our dance very good?" she grabbed a pastry off of Lautrec's plate and bit into it, chewing quickly. Delilah thanked the two warriors, bowing to them and followed after Rhi, leaning on the younger girl's shoulder. "Having a good time, are we?"

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec smiled, because he knew she’d eat his pastry. He didn’t do sweets, and knew she absolutely loved them.
“It was very interesting. I may want to adapt those sword moves into my fighting style.” He chuckled, then when Delilah approached he got a little more serious.
“It’s going alright. Aida hasn’t escaped yet.” He looked over his shoulder to see the blinded girl struggling in her chains while a servant was trying to feed her.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz frowned. "I feel kinda bad for her." She took another bite of pastry, "I mean, I wouldn't want to be chained and blinded at a feast."

Delilah shrugged. "She's proven to be difficult and is honestly trying to get every opportunity to kill him." She pointed to Lautrec, picking up his wine goblet. "May I? You don't seem like you're drinking it."

Rheitz opened her mouth to laugh but her breath caught short and her hand flew to her throat. She let out a strangled breath, gasping for air.

"Rheitz?!" Delilah's eyes widened, letting out a shout. The goat girl collapsed into her arms, letting out a gurgled cry.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec quickly stood up. “Is she choking?” He asked. Her breath was shallow. Winston got up and put an ear to her mouth.
“Shallow breath sounds, but airway is clear. Lay her down.” He said. Lautrec’s heart was pounding. They laid her down while Winston used his magic to detect the source of her ailment.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz gasped, eyes fluttering shut. Ivsal let out a shout. "The chieftain's daughter has fallen!" A chorus of shouts and gasps filled the air. People shot from their seats, moving about quickly. Lautrec was ripped from the scene by a guard. The rest of the group, except Delilah, was shoved aside and the tribal healer crouched down, hands feeling her arms. He said something in the native tongue to one of the guards who picked Rheitz up and quickly whisked her away to her quarters.

Ivsal glared at Lautrec. "You are coming with me domorra." He motioned to the guards who dragged the dhampir to the dungeon.

 

[Jodyguru]

While he was being escorted away, he caught a glimpse of Aida being carried away by men in robes.
“Unhand me this instant, my friend could be dying!” He said, but they kept pushing him towards the dungeon.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

It was said that the Red Desert meant death but to land into the dungeons of the Daharan was a place where you wished you were dead. Broken prisoners bled profusely, moaning wounds begotten from the arena and from the torture they received from the prison masters. Some clawed at the bars of their cells, screaming incoherent phrases and reaching out to grasp the guards. They stared hungrily at Lautrec, untouched by the wounds they bore and wished for this prisoner to feel the pain they felt themselves.

The prison was constructed in such a fashion as that it had a circular pit in the middle lined with cells. In the middle of this expanse of sand was a single post, marked by the blood of many who rotted or had rotted away in the dungeon cells. Lautrec's shirt was ripped from his body and he was thrown against the post, his hands tied to it as if he were a dog.

"Let this domorra know his place." Ivsal spat, turning from the man, "you must not kill him, but teach him a good lesson."

The faun he had spoken too nodded, his expression grim. In his hand was a horsewhip, the ends of each leather strap tied to a small barbed hook. When it met flesh, the barbs would sink into the skin, tearing it away from the body. The guard raised his whip and flayed the dhampir, the barbs ripping at his flesh.

 

[Jodyguru]

Lautrec stared at the whip with horror. “Ivsal please! I didn’t do anything wrong! My-my party mates were with me the whole time! I’m innoce-“ his talk was interrupted by the cracking of the whip, and the flesh ripping made him scream his bloody head off. The whip hit him again and again until he was close to passing out. He had taken torture better than this before. It had been a long time since he’d been whipped so viciously. He could feel his heart closing off from the world as everything was starting to grow dark around him again.

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

Rheitz groaned, opening her eyes. Light filtered in through a small window in her room, illuminating the purple blankets that had been placed on top of her.

"She's awake!"

Tobias rushed into the room, sitting down on the stool next to her and pulled her into a hug. Her eyes widened and a blush made its way to her face.

"T-Tobias? What's wrong?" She closed her eyes as he pressed her into the soft cloth of his shirt, breathing in his smell. "You smell like cinnamon." He let out a grunt, hugging her tighter.
"You were almost gone," he muttered into her hair, "I almost lost you."

 

[Jodyguru]

Winston smiled, seeing that she was finally feeling better. The poison she ingested had finally flushed out of her system. Quick thinking and a strong remedy saved her, that’s for sure.

“You’ve been in bed for days. The people outside were starting to lose hope. They’ll be so relieved.”

 

[alwaystheOptimist]

"U-um Tobias? You can let go now."

The young man blushed, letting her go quickly. "I-I'll just go and get some water....or something." He stood up and left the room quickly.

Rheitz sighed. "What happened? Why am I in bed and why on earth are people losing hope?"