Fandom The Dragon Prince: Deep Trouble [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

Children.

They were children.

Finnegrin was almost amused at Claudia’s anger at these kids, but he supposed if his own dear dad was dying, a bunch of kids wouldn’t stop him, either. And he did owe the woman for killing Domina, so he supposed he had to help in the effort to get answers. He intended to take the older knight though – Soren, apparently – but he was family to the High Lord Viren.

It wasn’t Claudia who denied him, although he remembered her scoff, “My brother doesn’t know anything,” as her passive-aggressive way of letting Soren be simply tossed into the brig with the moonshadow elf and the pirate captain.

The winged Skywing elf was lost to them, thanks to her flight – but that didn’t seem to matter to Claudia. “We need to find out where the prison is, or where Ezran is.”

So that left Finnegrin face to face with the mage known as Callum. Prince Callum. “Listen, mage,” Finnegrin leaned against his desk, looking down at the despondent boy, “I don’t want to draw this out any longer than you. You and the others haven’t done anything to me,” he said, “but that girl’s done me quite the favor, so I owe her the life of her father. Just tell me where this Aaravos’s prison is, or where Ezran is, and I’ll be able to let all of you go.”

But Callum denied Ezran being with them at all. He insisted his brother was back at home in Katolis. He insisted he knew nothing about the prison, insisted they hadn’t found it, either – so, of course, Finnegrin had to resort to torture.

Well, he didn’t.

Deadwood did all of that for him, on his instruction, but Callum was rather difficult to break. ‘Not for yourself, eh, boy?’ Another, then.

Soren?

‘No…the elf girl.’

Not the Skywing. The Moonshadow. He saw the way they looked at each other before they were separated. ‘If I torture her, ye’ll break, won’t ye?’

So he left Callum with that threat, “Think about what you’re doing, boy. Think if keeping this secret is really worth the life of that elf girl.” He winked, “oh I’m sure she’s brave enough to face death for all this – but are you brave enough to blame for her death?” his grin was cheeky, as if this all amused him.

The boy with the blackened eyes, and bloody nose. Bruised body, and shocked glare.

No, he wouldn’t last under that threat – especially not when Finnegrin moved him to the brig with the others, so he could see his elf girl again and worry about whether or not to tell her of the threat. Worry, about never seeing her again. He chained Callum up in an empty cell – he wouldn’t let them group together – and left to shouts and curses from the Elf Girl.

Oh yes – she might suffer it all – but Callum wouldn’t let her suffer.

‘If it’s needed.’ Claudia might break her own prisoner.

The Skywing elf hadn’t been reunited with the others yet, as Finnegrin made his way towards his own quarters, checking in briefly with the crew to see if any magical prison had been spotted as they continued to circle the Sea of the Castaway.

~***~

Claudia had indeed taken the Skywing Elf to break, rather than Rayla or Soren. Soren knew nothing. Rayla? She might – but Claudia had already promised the Skywing they weren’t done yet, and she intended to see what she could learn.

Not that Terry was happy when she brought the Skywing elf into their quarters, nor did Sir Sparklepuff seem all that happy.

“If that thing keeps screaming, I’m not going to be able to focus!” Claudia complained, unaware that Sparklepuff was screaming about Aaravos.

“I’ll—uh, I’ll see him out, but, Clauds—” Terry looked nervously at the unknown woman who Claudia had brought into their room in chains, “I’m not sure what’s going on here.”

“It’s simple, Ter-Bear! This elf knows about Aaravos, and she knows about his prison, and she’s going to tell me everything she knows! I may have to be a little rough, though,” she said, as if ‘a little rough’ didn’t mean torture.

Terry frowned.

“I’m not going to kill her!” Terry did seem against that, so Claudia threw it in.

Terry still shifted uncomfortably, “No, I know, but….”

“You want to save Viren, don’t you?”

“I do! I like him,” Terry agreed, “but, Claudia, Viren’s—”

“He’s sick. He’s delusional. He’ll be all better once we get him restored. Haven’t you ever been so sick you wanted to die?”

“I, uh—kind of,” Terry sighed, reluctantly accepting it, “I’ll…well…let me know when it’s…when it’s okay.”

“Of course!” Claudia smiled at him, almost beatific, as she went over and hugged him, “You’re the best, Terry!” And of course, she kissed him, before sending him and Sir Sparklepuff on their way. Viren, blessedly, hadn’t followed. He seemed torn with the arrival of Soren, and Claudia suspected he went to be near the brig.

She would be only a little wrong. He was near, but nowhere in sight, or earshot. He’d sunk to his knees besides some barrels to bemoan his own fate and his own struggle with figuring out what he even could do about it now that he had sworn off dark magic.

It left her with Lethe.

“All right,” Claudia turned back to the elf, clapping her hands together, “You can make this a lot easier on yourself.”

Lethe, shackles now around a pole on the ship, just sighed.

Claudia matched it, “No, I didn’t think you would.”

The taste of dark magic in the air was noxious as Claudia did try to pry the information from Lethe in a myriad of ways, including a spell that should have brought the truth from her lips – but every time Claudia asked where Aaravos was, it was always the wrong answer, a lie! And Ezran? How could she not know where Ezran was? Or even the prison?

“I don’t know,” became a maddening statement to the already half-mad woman. Especially as it grew more tired. As it grew softer. As eye contact became less, Lethe succumbing to the exhaustion of the questions, discomfort, and outright pain in the extraction attempts. She wasn’t anywhere near as bloody or bruised as Callum, Claudia’s methods…different with regards to pain, but nonetheless, she was terribly done.

Just not done enough.

And an idea hit Claudia as her frustration mounted. “Oh!” And as always, when an idea struck, she couldn’t help but touch her nose, before digging in her seemingly endless bag of trinkets for magic and pulling out a banther’s paw, a terribly large thing, but that didn’t matter to her as she approached Lethe, and took one horn in hand again.

Lethe still reacted to that, even if everything else seemed to gain little reaction anymore.

Yes, that’s what Claudia thought.

“Do you know what a banther paw can do?” Claudia asked.

“No….” Lethe answered, even if she felt her pulse hard against her throat with ideas.

“It can give you the strength of a banther,” Claudia calmly explained, “How long do you think your horns would last against that kind of strength?”

And Claudia finally saw something like fear enter Lethe’s gaze. “Tell me where Aaravos is, or we’ll find out together.”

“Don’t….”

“Then tell me.” Claudia demanded.

 

[cleopat]

Willow didn’t follow Finnegrin inside his office with the boy and Deadwood, but she did linger outside the door, ear pressed against the wood as she listened to the interrogation. She had to know what Finnegrin would do to the boy. She needed to know if there was something more she could do to help prevent any more violence on children.

They didn’t deserve it. She may not know the full story of what was going on, but she knew that much.

And she felt sick to her stomach as the torture began. The urge to beat down the door and demand him to stop everything was strong, but she withheld. It could make the situation worse.

But there had to be something she could do!

The interrogation ended for now, and when Willow heard footsteps nearing the door, she quickly moved away before Finnegrin could know she eavesdropped on the entire thing. And when Callum was dragged behind him, she had to hold herself back from confronting him there.

When he came back from the brig to head to his quarters, Willow followed after him, her pace brisk. “Finnegrin!” She entered his quarters right behind him and closed the door. “What the fuck.” A tempest of emotions swirled in her as she faced the captain. “Are you really not above to torturing fucking children? And for what? What is all this even about? Surely not something worth all of this.”

~~~

Aaravos had followed Claudia the entire time, following her into the room to see how this interrogation would go. After what he saw earlier, he couldn’t stomach just…leaving. And if Claudia went too far, there were options for what he could do next.

So he stood there in the room, off to the side, with arms crossed as Claudia went about her interrogation. She asked her questions, and he knew that Lethe was actually telling the truth, but of course the girl wouldn’t see that. She wouldn’t know that he was actually in there with them, and she wouldn’t know that Lethe truly didn’t know where Ezran and the prison went. The kids saw her signal and acted accordingly.

He felt that twinge of annoyance knowing his prison was off to some unknown location.

But then Claudia took things a step further. She pulled out the banther’s paw, grabbed Lethe’s horn, and Aaravos knew what could happen.

No, no one else was allowed to harm Lethe. Especially not like that.

He acted swiftly. It didn’t take long to find Viren, the pathetic man, and possessing his body was simple. He hardly fought against the invasion, and Aaravos, once inside the man’s body, set back off to the quarters Claudia had Lethe in. A few crew members did a double take when they saw him, the eyes a strange glow characteristic of startouch elves, but he paid them no attention.

A locked door wouldn’t stop him. It took a simple wave of his hand to unlock it, and when he was inside, he locked it back up. “I have been watching you for some time now, and while I am impressed with your tenacity and determination, I’m afraid I will have to put a pause on your interrogation.”

No immediate explanation for who he was. Or what was going on. She was a smart girl. She would figure it out, or Lethe would help her.

 

[Lucyfer]

There was no peace to be found in his quarters. Finnegrin was tailed by Willow, who apparently was none too pleased with his decisions. He didn't turn to face her immediately, calmly walking to his desk to pick up his water and take a swig of it while she vented and raged over his decisions.

"Now, love, I would have tortured the handsome knight of Claudia would have let me, but she didn't," as if that made it any better. He did scoff at what it was about.

"You know as well as I do the deal we entered into with her. They kill Domina, we help them keep Viren alive. Now, Viren might be against it, I'll grant, but my deal was with Claudia, and I honor my debts."

He had a strange way of doing it sometimes, but he intended to honor it. "If that means torturing some kids who withhold information in order to save a man's life, that means torturing some kids," no remorse.

It really didn't bother him. "Come now, love, you know who I am. You were terrified to cross my path. This can't be a surprise to ya. And what better reason than to save a man's life?" He didn't care much about this Aaravos, or why everyone was against his return.

~***~

Aaravos vanished.

Lethe didn't consider it any salvation. Perhaps he just didn't want to watch this. The pain was only too easy to imagine, but still, Lethe answered, "I won't tell you."

Which, of course, enraged Claudia. The banther paw took on a glow as Claudia spoke the spell, "Htgnerts ruoy em evig." And that strength flowed into her.

Lethe heard her horn crack before she felt the searing pain as those cracks ran up and down her horn from where Claudia squeezed. She bit down on the inside of her cheek as stars appeared in her vision, white hot like the pain.

Before another star arrived.

Claudia let go in surprise and got to her feet. "Aaravos?" Confusion, before anger, "what are you doing with my dad?"

Lethe shut her eyes to focus on breathing and not crying. Stars, it hurt! She couldn't see the damage, and the horn's weight was still there, but it felt like a raw nerve.

 

[cleopat]

No, torturing the other guy would not have been any better, and given the weird interaction between him and Claudia, she wondered if that was Soren.

Everything felt…wrong. Wrong and complicated.

She frowned at Finnegrin, not liking his reasoning. Crossing her arms over her chest, she continued, “And Claudia!” Oh, what did she want to say about Claudia? “I know you also felt a certain way when she handled the horn of that elf.” She still shuddered at the thought of the pain the elf must have experienced.

“It seems that she will do anything to get to this Aaravos person, and I don’t feel comfortable leaving behind a trail of bodies if that is what she is willing to do. And a trail of kids’ bodies at that!” She reached one hand out to poke him in the chest. “I know you have very few principles, but I figured one of them would have been to avoid harming children.”

~~~

Aaravos took in Lethe’s form before he bothered to answer Claudia’s question. One of her horns was badly cracked, and it was obvious the pain she was in, even if she did her best to hide it. The pain still twisted in her features, which he could read well.

He always could, until he couldn’t.

He looked to Claudia, eyes narrowed as his anger became apparent. “Stopping you before you make a mistake you’ll live to regret.” Was he above killing Claudia? Maybe he wouldn’t do that, not until he was freed from the prison, but after?

Well, anything was fair game.

“You should’ve known with that dark magic spell you used on her, that she was telling the truth. Focus your attention on the others, they’re the ones with the answers.” That mage boy had to have the answers. And, by proxy, that failed elf assassin. “But you will not harm this one again.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Finnegrin did, but it wasn't as if he hadn't used sensitivities against people before. Horns were a great threat. Just as what laid between the thighs of most men. It made no difference if it worked and Claudia was ruthless.

He could admire that.

"You don't have to be comfortable with it," Finnegrin stated, lifting his hand to grasp hers as she poked him in the chest. He idly twisted her hand around, not in a way to cause pain, bit simply to move it.

Maintain control.

"You're not a part of the crew, love. You have no hand in torturing. Absolve yourself," he said, "but if it bothers you so much, well, I won't stop you from jumping ship," he chuckled, a bit of a dark sound, "but tell me true lass - if some brats were between you and your mother having a full life, would you really not harm them? Would you really hold your hand back?"

Finnegrin doubted it.

Things were always different when it was personal.

~***~

'Why? Why? Why?'

Lethe could have drowned in the answer she knew was also true when Aaravos offered his protection. What other reason but the worst – lingering love? Deep breathing didn't quell the throbbing pain, but it gave her a focus to regroup and rejoin the moment.

One with a baffled Claudia. "She could – you were here – how–?"

"The Star Arcanum," Lethe decided to answer her confusion. "I can see him in the astral plane." He didn't stop haunting her.

Claudia pursed her lips together, only more confused to learn the Skywing was…Startouched? Two arcanum? That was…fascinating! Her curiosity warred with her own urgency.

"Fine. If she's a dead end, I'll check the others," she needed to save Viren. No use protesting it, after all…apparently, Lethe really had been honest about being useless. "Uuuuugh you could have told me sooner, you know. I'm on a timeline." She moved to unlock the shackles from the post so she could return Lethe to the brig.

"One question though," Claudia said over that was done and she held the chains, "who is she to you? I mean, it's hard to imagine you intervening for someone who doesn't want to help you."

 

[cleopat]

Willow instinctively tried to pull her hand away from his grasp, but he didn’t let her go. She faltered a moment with his question. To have a full, normal life with her mother…what would she do for that fantasy life?

“That’s hardly the point,” she tried to argue. “If she was anything like Viren though, who is practically begging to be let alone and to die in peace, who wants nothing more than his children by his side, then I would respect those wishes.” And Claudia wanted to convince him that he was just sick, he was delusional. She knew what was best for him.

Losing a parent was hard, but everyone must be let go at some point.

“She’s been driven insane by this goal of hers to free Aaravos, which, given that everyone else is against it, seems like a bad idea.”

~~~

Aaravos didn’t care about the others. She could do what she wanted with the children for all he cared. As long as they got his prison back and freed him.

Then everything else will fall into place.

He watched Claudia with observant eyes as she moved to unchain Lethe, whom he could see was still in great pain, but she was pushing past that. Her cracked horn…could that be fixed? Mended? It shouldn’t have even happened!

Aaravos didn’t want to cause her physical pain. Just emotional. Hurt her like she hurt him.

And of course, Claudia’s natural curiosity got the better of her, and she asked him what Lethe was to him. But he didn’t answer her. Instead, he closed Viren’s eyes, and when his eyes opened back up, the normal hue of Viren’s eyes were back, and the man dropped to his knees, a hand cradling his head.

 

[Lucyfer]

Finnegrin felt the tug but, indeed, didn’t let go. Willow evaded the question, and spoke of Viren’s state. “Pah. On that, she might be right. Or haven’t you ever seen a demented old person crave the sweet embrace of death?” But health restored much. Health could restore minds. He let go of Willow’s hand, only to reach out and attempt to brush his own by strands of her hair.

“You didn’t answer the question, though. You would put some brats in their place for your mother, wouldn’t you?” he grinned, fairly certain of it. “At least, if she was wanting to live,” oh the atrocities in the name of love.

As for Aaravos, he still didn’t care much either way. The sea was his. If Aaravos wanted to go back to starting wars amongst the others, he could do it. Finnegrin would just stay at sea. “And what do you know of Aaravos? You ever met this dark mage?” They were just getting hearsay, from two different sides.

There was likely truth to it all.

That’s usually how it went.

“Stars give guidance. Not the star’s fault if people listen, eh? Viren, that skywing elf – must have taken bad advice and now they’re bitter.” He chuckled, “Claudia seems to be doing well for herself.”

~***~

Aaravos was there – and then he was gone. “Dad!” Claudia dropped the chains to run to his side and put her hands to his shoulders. “Are you okay?”

Viren remembered it all. Vividly. Anger and fear gripped him, as did a terrible headache. He winced as Claudia reached out for him, but didn’t push her away. He looked up at her concern, and sighed, “Fine, Claudia, fine.”

‘She can see Aaravos because of the star arcanum….’ He saw Aaravos, as well. Was it possible…?

“Okay. Stay here, I’m going to take her to the brig, and then I’ll see if Finnegrin learned anything. We’ll have you fixed up in no time!”

“Wait,” Viren sighed, “Let me take her,” he got to his feet.

He wanted to talk to Soren, anyways, “I…don’t think Aaravos appreciated your…work.” That was definitely painful. Viren didn’t even want to imagine as Lethe remained silently standing.

Claudia frowned, but sighed, “Okay.” She ought to check in with Terry anyways. Get something to eat.

Viren took the chains as Claudia headed out, and while Aaravos was gone from sight, spoke, “I see him, as well.”

Lethe’s eyes went wide, broken from the trance of ignoring pain by the shock. “You…connected to the Star Arcanum?” She was terribly surprised.

“I don’t know.” Viren said, “If I did, it was…unintentional.” He sighed, and pulled on the chains to move.

“…I didn’t quite intend it when it happened, either.” Before, but….

Silence fell. Not uncomfortable, but reflective, at the odd realization they were bound by an arcanum, yet they could say, and do, so little right then, as Viren led her to the brig, where Callum had already been returned.

 

[cleopat]

Willow scoffed at Finnegrin’s rhetorical question. “You’re more demented and older than him, I’m sure.” A light jest, but also probably too true. But Claudia should still respect her father’s wish! She was simply too absorbed in this mission of hers.

She didn’t flinch away from Finnegrin’s hand, allowing him to brush strands of her hair. She still didn’t directly answer his question, but her silence said everything. If she could have her mother back, healthy and emotionally present, Willow may do whatever it took.

“This whole thing just…doesn’t feel right.” Of course it didn’t feel right! Finnegrin had Deadwood beat up a child. Claudia roughly handled that elf and her horn, and the other children were sitting in the brig, awaiting whatever fate faced them.

And yes, stars give guidance, but they can also create black holes. They can mislead.

“Aren’t you curious as to why this Aaravos is imprisoned to begin with?” she asked. “Yes, it could be a false imprisonment, but there could also be a legit reason for it.” And it sounded like his prison was an object, which would require a lot of magic. Great magic to bind a powerful being.

~~~

“Callum!” Soren cried when he was brought into the brig by the pirate captain, obviously having gone through a rough time during his questioning. He glared at the pirate, thinking of everything he wanted to do to him for hurting Callum.

And judging by the angry shouts of Rayla, she was thinking likewise.

He was placed in a separate cell and chained, similar to them. It was clear something weighed heavily on his mind, but he refused to say anything about his interrogation, except that he didn’t regret making sure Ezran escaped when he did.

While they were all in separate cells, they still talked amongst themselves, some of the conversation discussing how they would get out of this mess, and some was just simply them trying to forget where they are and cheer themselves up.

The lingering pain all over Callum’s body wouldn’t let him forget for one minute though about the decision he had to make.

After some time, footsteps came down the stairs, and they all tensed when they saw it was Viren pulling along Lethe. And the state of her horn didn’t escape anyone’s notice either. Soren was at first shocked to see his father, unsure of what to say. Or if he should say anything.

Or maybe Viren would just ignore him and pretend he didn’t have a son.

 

[Lucyfer]

Finnegrin scoffed at the idea this needed to feel right. "Pebble, even right things don't feel right at times. I'll admit, torturing teenagers isn't exactly what even I'd call good by any stretch of the imagination, but we need the information and they're not gonna give it over for some candy." But hurting them and their loved ones? Yes. "Besides, I think they're the caring sort. Tomorrow, Callum will break. He won't dare see what happened to him and that other elf with the horns, happen to his elf girl."

Finnegrin was pretty damn confident of that.

"Based on what they've said so far, sounds like he was imprisoned for starting some wars and creating dark magic. Guess the Star Arcanum wasn't enough for him." Hard to believe, but also not. Finnegrin was never satisfied with what he had. "How much of that is true and how much is propaganda, eh," he shrugged, "but it does make me curious to meet him. If he's working with Claudia, the dark magic part must have some truth, so he can't be a fan of dragons."

Based on what Claudia said, he'd remove their tyranny. Perhaps to be a new tyrant but that was yet to be seen. *Aren't you curious to see the man dragons may even fear? That they couldn't kill?"

Or to find out if it was all bullshit.

~***~

Viren recognized the pattern of one person to a cell. The fact Finnegrin had so many spoke to his character quite a bit, but Viren decided to ignore the pattern. Whether or not Aaravos would care was irrelevant, but comfort was often easier to find close to others.

That, and he needed an excuse to even get his legs to move towards Soren.

If anyone asked he could always remind them Soren and Lethe were off limits. Why not group them together? So, he used the key Claudia had given him and unlocked the door. He moved Lethe to the other chain in the cell and bound her shackles to them, unable to bring his eyes up to Soren.

He cursed his own cowardice once she was secured without fuss in the silence. This was difficult than dark magic.

Likely because of the audience.

Still he pressed the key to the shackles into Lethe's hands before he wordlessly straightened up. He wanted to pass it directly to Soren but he knew that wouldn't happen. Getting that close would be unfair.

This would have to suffice.

"Soren," he spoke the name and fell silent on the anticipation that came on the heels of it. "I'm not speaking for your forgiveness. I don't deserve it for tearing our family apart and manipulating you, almost sacrificing you, in my fruitless pursuit of…I don't even know what anymore." He turned his head to look at his son.

His golden boy.

"I'm here to say I recognize, too late, what I have done. You always knew what was right, and I should have heeded you much, much earlier. I've instead allowed myself to blame circumstances and never took ownership for the things I did within them. And I am sorry, for all of it. You won't believe me," he chuckled, a sad little sound, "but you're the reason I've stopped using dark magic, here at the end." It was still that.

He didn't consider a new arcanum would change that.

He'd not deny Soren a moment to speak, or even just glare in silence. He deserved that.

 

[cleopat]

Willow frowned, and her casual discontent morphed into anger once more when Finnegrin revealed he had plans to continue the torture on the children. “So you’re going to continue to torture them? And all for what? To satisfy your curiosity to meet this Aaravos, who may potentially be so dangerous that even the dragons feared him?”

She hated the dragons, but if they feared something, she knew there was reason to fear it.

“And what if they actually don’t know anything? Then what will you do to them?” She stepped closer to him. The voice of reason in her brain told her to back down, yet she didn’t. Willow instead lifted her hand to jab into his chest again, albeit a little harder than last time. “Would you actually kill them? Feed them to Sea Legs?”

She heard of some of his more unfortunate prisoners meeting a similar fate.

If you promise to continue this torture, then maybe I’ll just have to set them free. She sleeps in his quarters. He had to have his keys somewhere in here while he slept. She could grab them and sneak out while he was dead asleep.

~~~

Soren’s breath hitched in his throat as his father approached his own cell to put Lethe in, chaining her up like he was. But as he looked at Lethe, a surge of anger rushed through him at the state of her appearance, and the obvious cracks in her horn. Who did that?

Did his own father do it? Or Claudia?

He had learned the hard way of what Claudia could be capable of. His baby sister.

Much to Soren’s surprise, Viren spoke his name. He looked up in bewilderment, and maybe even a little hope dared to flicker through. Tears threatened to well up as he became overwhelmed with emotions, and a large lump became lodged in his throat when his father looked at him.

For a moment, he had to look away in his spiraling emotions, but he heard every word his father spoke. How was he supposed to feel? What was he supposed to say? He had long ago accepted that he lost the rest of his family, his father dying Storm Spire and Claudia disappearing for two years.

But when his father finished, and paused, Soren looked back at him. Was he lying? He realized far too late that he absorbed anything his father said without question, and later he realized all the manipulation and lying that had been there. But as Soren looked at Viren, he didn’t see the stern, self-assured man he remembered.

There was a man defeated, but begging to fix his wrongs.

“You’re right, I don’t know if I can forgive you, or if I do believe you,” he paused, and sighed. “But thank you, for all of that. It…really does mean a lot.” And he wished for a more private conversation right then. “But why now? What do you mean, here at the end?” Did the pirate have plans to kill them? Did Viren expect Aaravos to get free and destroy everything?

 

[Lucyfer]

Finnegrin was surprised by the surge of anger. Was it not obvious this had to continue? They didn’t have answers. As she poked him again, he caught her wrist once more, and this time, held a bit firmer, given her pokes were more pointed. “Obviously this is continuing, we don’t have the answers. And this is for the debt that is owed to Claudia, need I remind you. She may not have done the slaying of Domina, but she brought the power and set the terms, pebble. I honor my debts. The lives of a few children are an easy price to pay for a dragon’s head.”

He'd pay it.

If Claudia wanted them dead, they’d be dead. He didn’t really care either way. “If you want to go beggin’ for lives, I suggest you get on your knees before that dark mage. This is her mission, I’m here to finish up my end of our bargain. Or maybe you’d have better luck beggin’ her earthblood boyfriend.”

He didn’t seem to have any problems with this. At least one earthblood had their head on straight.

“It’s not my call what happens if they know, or don’t know, anything.” So he wasn’t going to stop it, either. He really didn’t care that they were just children.

~***~

Viren didn’t expect forgiveness, or belief. It didn’t hurt him, strangely enough, to get neither. There was no disappointment. He said what he needed to say, and now, Soren had more questions, “Ah, right,” there had been a lot going on when they were all captured, not everything got explained.

“The reason your sister is…so gung-ho right now about finding where Aaravos is, is because the spell keeping me alive ends 30 days from when I was brought back,” soon, very soon, “I’ve told her I don’t want it. I’ve told her I’d rather die. She’s…not listening to me anymore.” And it helped him to see where he stopped listening to others. Where relationships broke down. Where he lost it all.

It was a hard lesson.

And one he couldn’t step away from with Claudia.

“You won’t have to worry about me for long, Soren.” Death would take him again. Perhaps this time, it would be permanent, and he’d know what was on the other side, rather than that stagnant, endless, nothing.

He didn’t want that to be all there was, but if it was? Well, it was…it was nothing.

He wouldn’t feel or know anything.

Despite the audience, the others seemed willing to be quiet. To let them have this, without interject, for the moment.

 

[cleopat]

This time when Finnegrin grabbed her wrist, she didn’t try to pull it away. Her other hand did itch to slap him across his face though, with the comment that the children’s lives were worth a dragon’s head. It may be admirable that he had some convictions in upholding a deal, but surely some deals could be broken!

An intrusive thought deep in her mind told her to slide the ring of keys hanging from Finnegrin’s clothes right then and there. Willow even paused as she thought it through for a brief second. No, she wouldn’t do it then. It would be easier to free them at night and sneak them into a dinghy so they could escape.

But she wouldn’t beg to anyone.

Willow took a few deep breaths, calming herself back down as she blinked back the tears of frustration that started to well up in her eyes. She nodded. “Alright.” With their close proximity, her free hand lifted and smoothed out the lapel of Finnegrin’s jacket before returning to her side. “I won’t promise that I’ll just stand idly aside while all of this happens, but I won’t bother you about it again.”

~~~

Numb was all Soren could feel at the news of his father’s inevitable death. He had already thought he was dead for two years until seeing him again in Xadia, and to have him die all over again felt…numbing.

And he wanted it, but Claudia didn’t. That didn’t surprise him in the least. Claudia was never good about letting loved ones go. Their mother, Biscuit, choosing between him and their father…

And now, it seemed that her obsession with keeping loved ones when she needed to let go was slowly turning her insane.

Soren briefly glanced at his friends, those he could immediately see, and the emotions on their faces varied, but all showed sympathy for Soren. “She needs to be stopped,” he said softly. The words caused a dull pain in his chest. His baby sister.

When his father is gone, Soren would have officially lost his entire family. Claudia, just like his mother, would never come back.

“Thank you for telling me all of this.” He looked back up at Viren. “If there was more time, I think I would have liked to fix things.” Yes, he was angry, and it would take time for his anger to dissipate, and he wanted Viren to know that, but also, it felt unnecessary and almost ridiculous right then.

 

[Lucyfer]

"Ah, love," Finnegrin sighed as Willow all but told him she was going to interrupt what was done in the future. "And here I thought you wanted to go free?" He shook his head as he held the wrist he'd grabbed tighter. "I suppose I'll have to keep you from making any serious decisions."

Since she wouldn't stand idly by, he'd just have to make sure she couldn't interfere at all, "Come on then, pebble, there's still room in the brig for you. You can acquaint yourself with the prisoners, perhaps get through to them that being uncooperative may get them killed, eh?"

The tidebound elf would take hold of Willow to pull her towards the door and out of the room with him. The path to the brig was likely too terribly familiar to her, but at least this time there wasn't anger behind the action. Disappointment, certainly, but no anger.

He was just saving her from herself.

She'd thank him when she didn't end up on the chopping block or further put into his debt and servitude. And then she could say without a doubt, she had nothing to do with what happened to the kids.

~***~

Soren deserved to have things fixed. Viren didn't. "Just…try to help your sister. If you can," Viren sighed, knowing it might be an impossible task. There was no time for him and Soren, but he had to believe his two kids still had time. No matter hopeless it seemed. Claudia was still led by good intentions. Misguided, but good.

"I know you'll make the right decision regardless. You always do," Viren said before calmly backing out towards the exit. He still had to lock the cell, but he knew he'd give them a fighting chance.

They just had to pick their shot, when the doors opened again.

Once Viren left, Rayla spoke up, hesitantly, "Soren, I'm…sorry," what else was there really to say? "I know this has to be difficult," especially not knowing if he was being sincere. Rayla doubted it. Her history with Viren didn't exactly let her be unbiased with regards to it.

She didn't like him.

And she didn't forgive him.

But for Soren, she could show some empathy and not mention that.

Lethe would hold her tongue on what she learned. And on what was given although she wouldn't hide it from Soren. The key was a gift meant for him, and so she did step closer to him and move her bound hands until her fingers touched his, to slide the metal key to him.

It'd be his choice when and how to act, as Viren believed he'd make the right one.

 

[cleopat]

Willow knew she should have kept her mouth shut, but her lack of impulse control won yet again, and now she would pay for her actions that have yet to even happen.

Unlike last time, she didn’t fight back or beg him for forgiveness, or anything that would have saved her the trip to the brig. She had honestly expected him to laugh off her threat, and warn her she may create a new debt if she tried to stop him and help the kids. But no, he decided to be proactive.

It made her wonder why.

The path to the brig was indeed familiar to her, but there wasn’t as much fear in her this time as he pulled her across the deck and through the doorway that would lead down to the brig. “Just don’t forget that I’m down here.” She didn’t even know how long he anticipated on keeping her there.

Until the kids were no longer needed? Until they freed Aaravos?

~~~

Soren didn’t say another word to his father before he locked the cell behind him and left them alone in the brig.

There was too much to think about, but far too much to do that wouldn't allow him that luxury.

The silence in the brig didn’t last, with Rayla speaking up first. He looked over at her, and gave her a sad smile. “Yeah…I'm not going to lie, it is. I know I have the right to never forgive him, but there’s this voice in me that is telling me I should. I-,” he sighed, “-I don’t know what to do.”

“You know we will help you through this,” Callum piped up, voice soft as his entire body still laced with pain. “No matter which voice inside you you choose.”

Soren chuckled lightly. “Thank you.” Movement from Lethe distracted him, and he looked over at her to see what she was doing. She moved up to his side, and before he asked what she was doing, she slid something into his hand.

A key.

He gripped it and looked up at her in slight bewilderment. How did you get this? Was it Viren?

Before he could ask, footsteps descended the staircase once more, and he quickly placed the key in his pocket.

 

[Lucyfer]

"You don't have to figure it out yet, either," Rayla reminded Soren. He could think this through. Maybe it'd be nice to figure it out before Viren died, but if it took longer, it took longer. Viren knew he'd waited too long. Soren didn't need to feel rushed to find closure with this situation.

Saying anything else was cut off by new steps. Rayla suspected someone was going to be taken out to be tortured more and she steeled herself for it. With Soren protected, she was the next one if they didn't try Callum again.

She hoped they wouldn't.

Instead, someone new was brought into a cell and Rayla frowned at this. "Having an uprising in your crew?" She taunted Finnegrin. "People realizing this isn't right?"

Finnegrin laughed as he took Willow into a cell to bind her up in shackles. No one escaped that. "No, just in a soft hearted guest," Finnegrin answered, "my crew is more than prepared to carry on – and it looks like I need to speak with Claudia," everyone was back. He needed to learn if Claudia found anything useful.

But first he closed the shackles on Willow's wrists. "You all can get to know each other until then," he said, offering, "Willow, idiots, idiots, Willow."

 

[cleopat]

Immediately upon entering the brig, she heard the accent of a moonshadow elf taunt Finnegrin, and Willow smiled, biting her lips to hold back a laugh. That must be the other elf girl he had mentioned he would torture tomorrow, if the boy didn’t cave first.

She didn’t get a good chance to catch a glimpse of everyone before she was pulled into a cell and her wrists clamped in shackles, yet again. An unfortunately way too familiar process. Her eyes caught sight of his keys, and the thought of quietly grabbing them before he left flickered across her mind, but he would need the keys before they could formulate an escape plan.

None of them needed harsher punishments.

Callum glared at the pirate, but didn’t say anything to him. He silently took in their new cellmate, vaguely remembering her being on the deck when they were brought onto the ship.

“Hi!” Soren was the first one to directly talk to Willow, giving her a little wave with the rattle of his chains.

Willow didn’t focus on Soren right at the moment, but instead her focus was still on Finnegrin. “If there’s one thing I’ve said today that you’ll consider, let it be this: Be prepared for the worst.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Finnegrin would indeed make sure to prepare his crew, but he'd only give Willow a disappointed little smile. "If anything happens, love, you're not going to be leaving this ship. Use your time here wisely." Did she really want eternal servitude? She had just been freed, it would be such a shame to lose it all right at the end.

He wouldn't linger on that.

They all had plenty to consider, most of all Callum, and he'd leave her on that note.

"I'd say it's good to have you here, but it's not, really," Rayla noted. This woman wasn't in a position to help them. "Not that we're unappreciative, but this isn't exactly a good place to be in. And unless you know some way out…."

Maybe she did? Rayla allowed a twinge of hope to touch her tone. Someone had to be, with Lethe and Callum in their current, quiet, states. The hopelessness lingered too near otherwise.

Though, at least they did get Ezran away. And Aaravos.

Even if they all died, maybe they still saved the world.

 

[cleopat]

Willow didn’t say another word to Finnegrin, only gave him a look akin to sorrow. Sorrow for the situation that they’re facing, and that obviously hard decisions are at play. She watched him leave without another word.

The elf girl spoke first. Willow snorted in slight amusement. No, it wasn’t a good place to be in. They were stuck there, waiting for whatever horror awaited them next. Moreso the children. She was just stuck there until the whole ordeal was over.

Willow shook her head. “Out of these chains and cells? No, I don’t. I never really mastered how to pick locks, unfortunately.” A skill that would’ve come in handy right then. “Off the ship? Well, you would first have to deal with Finnegrin, Deadwood, and Claudia.” All three of them terrifying in their own way.

“What about the rest of the crew?” asked Soren.

She chuckled. “Most of them have been forced into his servitude to pay off a debt. They’re not exactly loyal to Finnegrin. They’re just terrified of him and that damn freezing spell of his.”

 

[Lucyfer]

So, there was no escape. No escape without Ezran, at any rate. Lethe knew it may be a while before he could return with aid, but it seemed that may be their only hope. Unless she wanted to coax someone into upsetting Aaravos, and have him take over Viren, but that was too cruel a fate.

There were also no guarantees he wouldn't help their tormentors. Aaravos only spared her, after all.

Claudia's need to find and free him wasn't likely to fade after Viren passed, either.

With the key passed on, she went to find a corner to lean into, tilting so the horn that touched the wall was her uninjured one as she shut her eyes to try and shut everything out. She focused on her breathing, and let the others talk.

"He can't freeze everyone at once, right? If we could just convince them…we have the numbers!" Rayla insisted, again attempting to have hope. She knew there was still Claudia, and she'd figured out who Deadwood was pretty quick. "Is there no way we could convince them? We have two mages with us! And Soren and myself are handy with some blades."

It likely wasn't enough if the others weren't soft hearted. Otherwise, they'd be here in the brig, too.

Rayla sighed, "How did you get all mixed up in this as a guest anyways?"

 

[cleopat]

Willow shrugged. “I don’t actually know if he can freeze everyone at once. But the threat of you being the one person he freezes is enough to make anyone submit. It’s…an extremely painful experience.” One she didn’t wish to ever experience again.

She sighed and leaned against the wall before slowly lowering her body to sit on the floor. “I used to be one of those in servitude working off a debt as part of his crew. Yesterday, he deemed the debt paid off, and I guess I’m now a guest until we get back to Scumport.”

It didn’t escape her notice that a lot of this was her fault. If she hadn’t brought Terry and Claudio on the ship…but then she would still be in servitude. What was worse?

Willow furrowed her brows as she realized something. The way the elf girl phrased that they had two mages with them indicated that she wasn’t one of them, but there wasn’t another elf with them. “Wait, I know you’re a mage,” she motioned towards the skywing elf, who looked worse for wear at the moment.

Her poor horn.

“Do one of you use dark magic?” she asked the two humans.

“Once, out of desperation.” Callum finally spoke up, but his voice was soft.

“But now he’s a sky mage!” Soren said excitedly with pride in his friend.

Willow looked surprised. “But you’re human…right? I’ve never heard of a human being able to connect with the arcanum.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe did glance up a moment as she was spoken of, and as Callum explained, she added softly, "Anyone can learn another Arcanum," she said, "I know the Star, as well," not in a way that helped them. With her hands bound she couldn't even use her cantrips. She sighed, and leaned back into the wall, shut her eyes. "It just takes understanding…."

That was the hard part. She'd keep Viren's secret though and not mention another human who learned in their ranks. It likely was no happy story for him.

Still, she wanted to talk more to him, before he ran out of time. It was a…lonely Arcanum.

But as she thought of that, the pain and exhaustion wore away at her. Darkness overcame the rest of the conversation for her.



"I don't really know how it's done, but I promise he does know the Sky. And she knows the Star," Rayla confirmed, "I just understand the Moon, can't really do much with it," she confessed, certain if she put her mind to it she could – but her calling wasn't there. "Do you practice the Earth arcanum? Maybe we could figure something out – this boat is wood, right?"

Rayla, despite it all, remained hopeful.

 

[cleopat]

Naturally Aaravos would be in Lethe’s dreams the next time she fell asleep. He had been keeping an eye on her in the cell, chained up with the others, and the stray half-elf. But the exhaustion of her interrogation seemed to have taken a toll on her body, and it wasn’t long before she drifted unconscious.

Aaravos was there in the observatory, waiting for her. He sat in a plush chair, one leg crossed over the other, as he regarded the space. Fascinating, really, how Lethe was able to learn the star arcanum without his teachings, and there would have been no other teacher for her to learn from.

She truly was a gifted little elf.

“I don’t appreciate anyone laying a hand on you,” he said, once she was fully in her little observatory with him. “Only I am allowed to inflict pain upon you.” There was his thinly veiled promise of retaliation for his imprisonment. He won’t allow anyone else to harm her.

He was possessive.

“I must admit, I didn't think Claudia had it in her to nearly crush your horn like that. She is truly desperate for those answers.”

~~~

Willow frowned and looked at the sleeping elf. “She knows the Star arcanum as well?” Who were these people? She hadn’t heard of anyone knowing the star arcanum in a long time. They were just stories told to children now.

But there wouldn’t be much more discussion of that while she was sleeping. “Yeah, I know the Earth arcanum. I hadn’t tried doing anything with the wood of the ship before…” Willow looked around at the wood, wondering what she could do with it that may be helpful.

Before she could focus her magic on the wood, a scurrying sound echoed in the brig, and Pucca ran up to the cell Willow was in, squeaking at her. “Pucca!” She smiled. “Oh Pucca, am I glad to see you.” And the little creature was happy to have finally found her.

An idea crossed her head. “Hey Pucca, do you think you can do me a favor?” It tilted its head, as if wanting to know what the favor was. “You remember what Finnegrin’s keys looked like, right?” An affirmative noise. “Do you think you can get those for me, without him noticing?” Pucca squeaked at her before it crawled back up the stairs to set out on its task.

“That…was unexpected,” Soren said plainly.

~~~

There was no way of knowing how much time had passed, but Callum and Rayla were eventually dragged upstairs. He didn’t like that Rayla was joining him, not after the earlier threats of Finnegrin and what he would do to her.

And Callum wouldn’t even be able to keep her in his sights, as he was dragged off to another room, separated from her and from knowing if they were hurting her.

Oh, he was now definitely happy Ezran didn’t stick around long enough to be captured.

But now he was playing the waiting game of what happened next, while simultaneously trying to figure out an escape plan before they laid a hand on Rayla.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe wasn’t surprised to see Aaravos. A dull pain remained even in sleep, a constant ache in her head, as he threatened more pain – but only at his hands. ‘You should have just let her kill me then.’ It was a vain hope to want comfort and peace, and yet a part of her had hoped to find an escape in the dream anyways.

No.

“Her father’s life is on the line,” Lethe said, “you could tell me how to save him. It would end her madness.” She wanted to curl up in her chair and find respite, but with Aaravos in it, she didn’t dare approach. She simply slumped back against the nearest bookshelf, and slid down to sit.

“But if not, just get on with the harming,” she sighed, “I’m too tired for games,” and in far too much pain to think clearly enough to argue with him, or much else. If he wanted to cause her harm, he could just start.

Though, she supposed, he already was. Being present here was a harm on its own. Depriving her of any semblance of peace was certainly going to be a harm. She rather wished he’d just end it, but she’d inflicted 300 years of hell upon him. That was wishful thinking at this point.

~***~

‘Not much longer now, eh?’ Finnegrin had learned that Claudia didn’t get anything from the skywing elf. Well – not anything she was willing to say, at any rate. She seemed to insist that the skywing elf no longer be harmed, but wouldn’t quite explain why. Some big mystery. So, it came down to him, getting the information out of Callum, which meant dealing with Rayla.

Rayla, who could get out of every chain, it seemed.

She’d slipped her shackles and tried to jab an eye out.

So, now, Finnegrin had her in at least eight different bindings, before he had Deadwood drag Callum out. Deadwood paused by Claudia, who stood by to oversee the situation, bag of weird dark magic ingredients over a shoulder.

“All right, boy,” Finnegrin addressed him, showing the situation of Bait and Rayla hanging over the side of the boat. He was prepared to lower Bait to serve as, well, Bait for leviathans and other creatures. He was prepared to let them actually eat Rayla if the boy didn’t start giving answers, with a hook on her line. “I’m sure I don’t need to explain what’s going to happen here, but just in case you ain’t too familiar with fishing – Rayla here is going to be fish food to hook me a leviathan, if you don’t tell us just where, exactly, this prison of Aaravos is.”

They’d looked all over the Sea of the Castout by now, to no avail. They’d even looked beneath it, but nothing stuck out.

~***~

Elsewhere, a hermit crab with a knife was trying to chase down Pucca – only to be caught up in its chase by Terry. “Woah there! I know this knife doesn’t belong to you,” Terry said as he took hold of the crab, “or it shouldn’t, at any rate.”

Seamore waved its claws in anguish, as the knife was taken. He tried to snip Terry, but Terry avoided it with a chuckle, “That’s not nice,” he noticed Pucca then, “Oh, Pucca. Where’s Willow? I haven’t seen her in a while.”

He was pretty sure this knife was hers, based on what he’d been hearing around the ship. He ought to return it to her, if it was.

If it wasn’t, well, he could return it to the crab with his most heartfelt apologies.

 

[cleopat]

“No, what would end her madness is to accept that her father wants to die.” Viren didn’t want to continue living. He wanted his daughter to end the madness and have his last few days peaceful. But she wouldn’t let him, hoping that he would see that he wants to live after he was cured.

Aaravos doubted the human’s decision would change.

He regarded her when she sat, and he gracefully stood up to walk over where she was. He crouched down in front of her, so he was now at face-level with Lethe. “Maybe the anticipation is all a part of the game.”

But he wasn’t entirely into his words, as his focus was diverted by the cracks in her one horn. A surge of rage rolled through him as he looked at the injury. And if he hadn’t stopped Claudia when he did…

“Give her my prison, and then I’ll tell you how to save Viren from his fate,” he finally answered. “To tell before…well, it’s just not beneficial for me.”

~~~

Callum didn’t know how much time had passed, but eventually he was dragged back out, before pausing by Claudia with her bag full of ingredients.

Fortunately, no one noticed his little slip of the fingers that hid his prize in his pocket.

Just in time too, before Finnegrin turned back to him and motioned over to Ralya and Bait. “Rayla! Bait!” he screamed out, full on panicking at their precarious situation. Disbelief turned to horror which turned to anger.

He wanted to punch the damn tidebound elf in the face.

Instead, Callum remained silent with that glare still on his face. Due to his refusal to speak, Callum was dragged back into the room, chained up, waiting for Finnegrin and Deadwood to come back for more torture.

He had to remain calm in the tempest. In that calm, he succumbed once more to dark magic to unbind his chains, and he had to hope he could get the others free before it was too late.

~~~

Pucca carried Finnegrin’s ring of keys in its mouth, which was one of the reasons why the annoying little hermit crab with Willow’s knife was following him. How dare the small creature do such a thing!

Their chase was stopped by another elf that looked like Willow, although their horns were larger. Wait, this was the one Willow was friendly with. Maybe he could understand what he was trying to do!

Pucca dropped the ring of keys onto the floor before it squeaked out an answer for the elf. He tried to explain what was going on, that Willow was down in the brig, and that the knife the elf was holding was indeed Willow’s.

It proceeded to grab the keys in its mouth once more and ran along to the brig, occasionally glancing behind to see if Terry was following.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe didn’t expect to be left alone. She considered pressing her forehead to her knees as she drew them up to her chest when he approached. When he mentioned this all being a game of anticipation, the torture drawn out. No doubt it was true, but it felt false with the rage that touched his gaze as he looked at her horns.

It wouldn’t please him to hear she considered the pain might be eased by removing the horn. He knew how much she valued her horns, that stroke of genetic luck that wouldn’t give her wings.

“Even if I knew where your prison was, I wouldn’t give that information up to her.” Lethe said, “No amount of torture could draw it from my lips,” but as Aaravos knew, she had no idea where it had gone. She could make educated guesses, but she didn’t know anything for certain.

That was how it should be.

That was how it always should be, lest a moment of weakness strike her.

A part of her wanted to mention what Viren had become, to see if it might weaken Aaravos’s stance on it. To see if he might save Viren to avoid his own loneliness, but she didn’t. It wasn’t her secret to tell.

So instead, she reached out a hand to touch his cheek. The sensation was almost as real as reality. She wanted, desperately, to forget who he really was. To forget what he’d done. “Once you’ve learned what you’ve done, Aaravos. I’ll open the prison myself.” Couldn’t he learn to lie about being repentant?

~***~

Callum remained defiantly quiet, much to Finnegrin’s irritation. He didn’t want to kill the elf girl, but Callum forced his hand. “Fine. Keep your silence.” Rayla didn’t even cry out for help, and he’d left her mouth ungagged for just that purpose. “It’s her life you’re losing, means little to me.” Finnegrin said, before he had Callum dragged back off to the storage room.

He could be alone with his thoughts, as Bait was lowered into the water to begin to attracted leviathans.

As Viren watched with no sense of satisfaction that the elf who pushed him over the edge of the mountain was going to die. True, if he delved into dark magic, he could perhaps change everything – but to what end? It would only prove that dark magic was a recourse he should take.

He couldn’t do that anymore.

“Claudia, this is enough,” he tried to say to her.

“No, it isn’t. They have to take us seriously!” Claudia determined, as the leviathans did indeed begin to draw around the ship, drawn in by the glowing of Bait.

~***~

Terry listened, eyebrows drawing close as he listened. He knew Claudia wasn’t…doing anything good. He was surprised to hear that Willow was in the brig, though. What had she done to deserve that? He didn’t understand.

He understood a lot that was going on, though he didn’t…fully support it.

He supported Viren living, but….

It was enough for him to follow Pucca towards the cells, where he saw that indeed, Willow, Soren, and the skywing Claudia had chained up were still in the cells. The skywing was notably injured – enough so that he touched his own horn in sympathy. “Willow? What did you do to end up here?”

He had to ask.

He had to know.

And he didn’t stop Pucca from her mission.