Fandom The Dragon Prince: Deep Trouble [Closed]

[Lucyfer]

‘Who wouldn’t ask you to dance?’ Lethe wondered, a bit marveled by the fact that opportunity didn’t arise for Aaravos. Of course, her own thought was answered. She didn’t ask Aaravos to dance. It was somehow improper, given…well, her own situation. One he didn’t fully know, so it wasn’t improper on his side. It would be entirely friendly.

And he’d like dance, damnit!

He was right, though. Food first, and she hummed as he asked about her thoughts on it. “It’s pleasant. A bit spicier than I like, but,” she shook her head, “the rice offsets it, so it’s fine,” that might have been the purpose of the rice.

She’d try to eat a bit faster, though.

Before she could think to speak again, however, there was an interruption. “Aaravos!” one of the humans, though by regalia, probably an important human. She didn’t know it was High Mage Kamal, “I was hoping you’d be here, I—oh,” he paused quickly at the sight of Lethe, who at the moment wished she could actually hide under her hood by the look he gave her.

It wasn’t a glare, but the strange…assessment in it made her skin crawl. “Sorry, I’m interrupting, aren’t I?” Definitely a question more than a statement, since Kamal didn’t necessarily want to go away.

~***~

Finnegrin was a bit put out to be pulled away from these new strangers, but he groaned and rolled his eyes, following Willow as he was asked away, “I’m sure you could have said whatever it was there,” Finnegrin noted.

Of course, his momentarily fouled mood was just that – momentary.

Everything was fleeting to his general happiness in the moment. Domina was dead, the alcohol was flowing, and apparently bees danced by shaking their asses! Wonders never ceased, and he chuckled a little to himself as he heard the sounds of another bawdy shanty being plucked up by someone on the crew.

They were a good distance away and near his quarters when he asked, “What is it ya need, pebble?” She didn’t seem drunk. Or celebratory. Why wasn’t she drunk and celebrating like everyone else? Had to be something serious. He didn’t want to deal with serious right now, damn it!

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos wasn’t completely satisfied with Lethe’s answer regarding the food. That was no fault of her own, though. He would just simply have to find something she would absolutely enjoy. There were plenty of sweets to be had for the festival! She was sure to like some of the sugar-coated goodness.

And before he could recommend a sweet treat, either before or after their dancing, they were interrupted by a human familiar to Aaravos, but undoubtedly a perfect stranger to Lethe. And, judging by the way he looked at the elf, strangers they were.

“High Mage Kamal,” Aaravos greeted, standing up to face the man in formality. “This is Lethe, she is my apprentice,” he gestured to her. “I was just showing her Evenere’s most spectacular festival. The lights and the food are always a treat.”

The mage was interrupting, but Aaravos would entertain him for a few minutes, curious to know why he hoped the elf would be there. “Is there something I can do for you?”

~~~

Willow would have been a bit embarrassed to say in front of the others that she needed to get inside Finnegrin’s quarters. They didn’t know that’s where she was staying temporarily, as they had her quarters, and it just sounded…wrong out loud. The implications were heavy.

But it seemed that the momentary griping was wiped away, undoubtedly thanks to the alcohol in his system. Already he seemed chirpier, happier.

“I actually…just wanted you to let me in your quarters, so I could relax. I guess I’m just a little tired from all the celebrations,” she masked the easy lie with a chuckle, nevermind the fact that not a single drop of liquor touched her lips, and that she spent most of her time beneath the deck with the kegs.

“So…yeah! You can just let me in, and you can continue your drinking and…merriment.” If he didn’t decide she would be his next victim, something Terry and Viren fell prey to earlier.

 

[Lucyfer]

It wasn't a surprise that Aaravos knew the man. Aaravos knew a lot of people, especially those interested in magic. Lethe knew what magic humans used, though. She wondered if she looked like anything more than an ingredient to Kamal, until he smiled at the introduction, as if she was a peer. "Lethe, a pleasure," he greeted.

Lethe returned the smile, "It's good to meet you, High Mage."

Kamal let his attention return to Aaravos. "Ah, it's just a small thing," he said, though a bit hesitant. Apprentice didn't mean practicing dark mage. Lethe could simply be practicing sky magic and improving that, after all. So, Kamal would be…delicate. "I'm having a supply issue with Neolandia, and I know you have more contacts there than I."

The High Mage was being a jerk and hoarding all their whales.

"I was hoping to ask a favor of you and see if you might find some ways to resolve it? The rains look like they might cause problems this year." The tongues would be immensely useful in preventing catastrophes.

Lethe wanted to ask about the supplies, but had enough of an idea she didn't want to know. Whatever it was, it was for dark magic, so instead she offered, "Is it a storm issue or more of a flooding issue?"

"Flooding, I'm afraid," Kamal sighed, "nothing you could help with."

"No, probably not yet," she agreed, "but maybe one day when I learn the arcanum."

Kamal lifted his brows and tried not to laugh, just barely succeeding. All he'd learned from Aaravos suggested it wasn't possible, so why was Aaravos dragging along this poor apprentice? Perhaps for more…well, primal reasons. Kamal might ask him later. "I wish you luck with that," he would offer, amusement seeping into his tone despite himself. "I can only access it with the Primal stone myself."

Now Lethe moved around the table, "You have the ocean one?" She definitely looked interested now. If she noticed or was upset by his amusement, it didn't show.

"Ah - yes," he nodded, "it's been passed down through this position for years." Perhaps he actually should have thought to use it, but he didn't know a spell for this…it was difficult to get scrolls or tomes of magic. The elves kept all that.

~***~

They arrived near the door to his quarters, and Willow asked to be let in. At first he was confused. Sure, he would love to take the party there, but it was early. Thankfully, she kept talking and he was reminded she was sharing his quarters.

And she wanted to rest?

Already?

Finnegrin laughed. "You can't be serious love! It's early! How many times in your life are you going to see an Archdragon die?" He shook his head, "besides I haven't seen you celebrate nearly enough," at all, really, "so join me for a bit! Then perhaps we can have a more private celebration. Or public," he snickered, "the look on that kid's face would be priceless."

Worth it entirely.

He reached for her arm, "C'mon love, let's get you something to drink, your hand's empty. What do you like?" Not that he had a great variety with him. This was a boat after all.

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos gave Kamal a look that said for him to tread carefully. He was protective over Lethe, and he knew how the humans generally thought about elves, with himself being the rare exception. But the mage never outwardly spoke against Lethe, or insulted her in any way, only showed amusement in her hopes of learning the ocean arcanum one day.

And one day, he’ll prove that his apprentice was more powerful than she appeared.

But Aaravos thought about the issue Kamal brought forward, and after a second, he nodded. “I do believe I have something that will be of great use, but I’ll need to look over some notes of mine. I intend to stay for a few days for the festival, so if you find me tomorrow, I will have an answer for you.”

He would rather not think about anything right now. He wanted to enjoy his time with Lethe.

“Maybe tomorrow, we’ll just have to give Lethe a demonstration of that ocean primal stone, if you don’t mind.” And he could teach Kamal how to use it to help prevent too much flooding of their towns and crops.

~~~

Of course Finnegrin wasn’t going to let her go so easily. That would just be too good to be true! Even if he was sober, Finnegrin wouldn’t be so nice.

But drunk Finnegrin, aside from a few remarks, actually seemed…kind of fun. So Willow gave in with a sigh. “Alright, I’ll join you, if,” she raised a finger and gently poked him in the chest, “you leave poor Terry alone. The kid’s been traumatized enough.”

She wouldn’t even make a comment on a private or public celebration later on. She simultaneously wanted to ignore it and think more about the implications. Or maybe Finnegrin would pass out from all the alcohol.

Willow allowed him to take her arm, and she would follow wherever he led her without complaint. “You pick something for me.” She already regretted those words. He may just pick the strongest liquor they had, and Willow knew what she was like drunk.

She did not need that side to come out and play. “But just one drink.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Kamal nodded, not opposed to the idea of learning to use the primal stone. That would be cheaper, after all. The tongues he wanted were exactly cheap; far from it. He was lucky his liege was willing to pay for them due to the severities they were reserved for. “Thank you, Aaravos,” he said, “I don’t mind having observers,” he added, “if Lethe wants to watch.”
Lethe nodded, enthusiastically, very interested in seeing the primal stone in action. And maybe getting to use it. That would help her feel another arcanum, wouldn’t it? Well, either way! She was quite interested in it.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then, Aaravos, Lethe,” he bid his farewell to both before heading off, and Lethe stepped up to Aaravos’s side.

“You didn’t tell me you knew anyone with primal stones!” the accusative was still playful, but indicative of her thoughts that this could have helped her. “I thought the humans lost them all, or destroyed them,” that was, of course, the story spun in Xadia. The humans hadn’t been satisfied with them, or they’d been neglectful.

Either way, the stones were thought lost entirely, the grand gifts, squandered.

~***~

Finnegrin scoffed as they walked back to the kegs set up, “Bah! If he’s that easily traumatized, I think I should mess with him some more. Give him thicker skin,” though Finnegrin wouldn’t, only because the daughter of Viren was entirely too protective, and he didn’t care to deal with that problem.

He would pick though.

“Deadwood! Give me your cup!” Finnegrin shouted as they got closer, “Willow’s said just one drink, so we’re gonna give her the biggest.”

Deadwood handed the cup over without protest, as it was, indeed, the largest cup of them all. He’d get another, as Finnegrin went to the keg of rum and just poured until the cup was full. No doubt, she couldn’t drink all of it. Finnegrin couldn’t drink all of it.

But she’d drink enough to be drunk, that was certain, as he pushed the cup towards her, liquid already sloshing out from how full it was. “Here, this ought to get ya well and drunk,” he chuckled, “Oh, what a sight that was! Did you see Domina at the end?” Finnegrin didn’t know if she was actually present or not.

It was an image he’d never forget.

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos smiled with the ease which everyone agreed to his idea. He bid Kamal farewell as he left, secretly glad the high mage was gone. Not that he didn’t enjoy his chats with certain humans, but…well.

He had far more enjoyable company he would rather spend time with.

Aaravos looked down at Lethe with an amused glance. “I didn’t know you wanted to know if I knew anyone with primal stones,” he teased, going back to what little of his food was left. “But no, not all of them are lost. Admittedly, only a few do remain, and so now only certain humans have them in their possession.”

The primal stones being used in battle, in some great adventure to save their kingdoms, or other heroic journeys were the main reason the primal stones became increasingly harder to find. Aaravos wouldn’t have called it carelessness, but rather a simple natural progression of living in harsh lands without natural-born magic.

“I know for certain a sky and sun primal stone remain within their human kingdoms, but I’m not sure about the others. Perhaps I shall go find out for myself if they are indeed still around,” he mused. “But maybe if we can show you the ocean primal stone tomorrow, then maybe that will help you understand the arcanum better.”

~~~

Willow made a noise of dissatisfaction with Finnegrin’s answer. Just leave her out of it if he was set on traumatizing the poor Earthblood boy!

She should’ve known she was doomed when Finnegrin demanded for the biggest cup they had. Deadwood was a large fellow, and she somehow doubted that he could even get drunk, with his lack of blood. She saw the cup, and her eyes widened at its ridiculous size.

Oh fuck, I’m screwed.

With a normal cup, she could monitor how much she was actually drinking. With that monstrosity?

Well, Finnegrin may just see her drunk after all.

She made a noise in her throat of slight protest as he handed her the full cup. “Like I’ll allow myself to drink that much,” she mumbled, taking a sip of the rum. Oh, how she loved the taste. How it reminded her of dulled senses and forgotten pain.

At Finnegrin’s question, she nodded. “Yeah, I saw the whole thing. I was there when…Viren woke up, and all that weirdness.” Only waking up when he saw his daughter in peril. “But the way Sea Legs held her corpse with her pincers? That was pretty amazing.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe scowled that mock scowl as Aaravos noted he didn’t know. Of course, she’d never asked, so he hadn’t known – but it should have been obvious it would be an interest of hers! Still, she didn’t fault him. Introducing her to High Mages was probably a bit of a task. She only knew one Archmage besides Aaravos, though with the way she was developing, she probably could have claimed Archmage of the Sky.

She just didn’t want it.

She did nod, “Let’s just see how this works,” she said, “I guess there isn’t one for the Stars lying around anywhere, is there?” she sighed a little at that. She had to pick the most difficult one, the rarest one, too!

But it would be worth it.

And she wasn’t going to eat anymore. Sure, there was a little left in Aaravos’s bowl, but she still reached for one of his hands. “You need to save room for a dessert, right?” he probably still had plenty of room for dessert, but that wasn’t the point, obviously.

~***~

“I’d be surprised if ye could,” Finnegrin said it as a challenge, figuring it might be one way to get Willow to at least drink plenty of it, “but ye said one drink, so I couldn’t have ya gettin’ thirsty with a stupid rule like that put on yourself.”

But he’d play by rules.

Rules were fun, in some situations.

Apparently, Willow had seen the end, and a boyish grin came upon Finnegrin’s face at such a morbid reminder, “Yeah. Finally got that bitch for Shelly,” Finnegrin mused. Sea Legs knew it, too. She’d soon be pieces, her head intact, to return to Scumport. “Still wonderin’ how much Archdragon meat sells for. Or it’s scales. Haven’t seen such things on the market. I can probably set my own price,” he chuckled.

How much would he gouge it?

How much was it worth?

“Gonna have to talk to those mages to find out what it’s worth,” and of course, forgetting the harm Willow had done, he reached out and grabbed her around a shoulder to pull her against his side in a bit of an embrace, “and all thanks to you! You found them, and they pulled through so we aren’t all dyin’ on the seabed! Carl! A song! Something for the lady here!”

Carl with the lute looked at Willow for a suggestion.

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos simply smiled at Lethe’s little mock scowl that did nothing to perturb him. It was all in good jest, he knew.

But at her question, he shook his head. “No, there had never been a star primal stone before, and even if I wanted to create one, it’s a near impossibility even for me.” Even for Leola. And the lack of stars primal stone wasn’t going to change any time soon, even if he now wished for her to see one, to maybe better grasp the star arcanum.

But that was too dangerous.

Aaravos paused his eating, looked down at her hand on his, then up at her face. “Of course, and Evenere’s desserts are a must try.” He stood and grabbed both of their plates to throw them away. “There are many different sweet treats here, but my favorite are these squared-shaped airy pastry covered in powdered sugar.”

~~~

No, Willow wouldn’t stoop to accepting Finnegrin’s bait. In other situations, sure, she may. But when it came to attempting to drink enough rum for three men? Oh no. She was a slim woman. She knew what that meant for her.

So her plan was to simply stop drinking altogether when she began to feel the effects of the rum on her inhibitions.

“You could become the richest elf in Xadia if you wanted,” she mused as he pondered over prices for the body. No doubt, riches that would equate to far more than the debt he imposed on her. That left a bitter taste in her mouth, so she hoped a gulp of the rum would help wash it out.

It did not.

Willow raised her brows in mild surprise as Finnegrin brought her in closer. She of course noted how he didn’t mention her other little debt with him, his good spirits only focused on what she brought him. “Oh, um…Wellerman!” she called out to Carl when prompted. He nodded and began to play the familiar sea shanty.

And Willow turned her head back to Finnegrin, as a potentially stupid idea popped in her head. She leaned in a little closer, “And of course, since all this is thanks to me, we’re looking at cleared debts now, right?”

 

[Lucyfer]

Aaravos didn't protest at all.

Lethe wasn't bothered by the possibility of no Star Stone, although she was curious about the possibility of Aaravos making a stone. It sounded like he could.

That thought left her with the thoughts of dance, though. And dessert. "Those do sound good," she admitted as she let Aaravos put away the plates, staying near and taking his hand once they were free to pull him towards the space cleared for dancing, feet well off the ground, though she grounded herself soon enough.

The melody wasn't familiar, but songs had patterns, and Lethe was good with it. Some internal thing those of the Ocean and Sky shared, an ability to feel currents and vibrations and follow them. It didn't mean every one of them was a good dancer…but it definitely helped make it more likely.

The song was upbeat and jaunty, and Lethe could already feel the flow of it. She squeezed his hands, "I'll keep the steps slow and simple until you've got it," she promised, "just follow my lead until you get the feel for it," and sure, slow wasn't what this song called for, but he'd get there! Odds were the songs might stay fast for bit, until they got enough couples nearby to give them one slow and close song.

But this one would be fun! Still dancing together, but with a bit more swinging and twirling to it. And hopefully not much stepping on toes.

~***~

Finnegrin could indeed become the richest elf in all of Xadia. He could become whatever he wanted. Retire! Not that he wanted to. The world was open to him in a way it never had been before, and he wanted to explore it. He wanted more power.

Would those dark mages teach him?

A consideration for when he was sober.

Wellerman was a good enough song and Finnegrin began to hum along before he took another swig from his mead, the hum becoming a chortle at Willow's inquiry. He wasn't drunk enough not to understand what she was asking.

But his mood was good.

Shelly was avenged. At peace.

And he'd indeed be rich. And whatever else he wanted after that. If these two wouldn't teach him, he could hire a dark mage to work for him, or teach him. Either way! Why keep a mopey halfling along?

"Ach, fine, fine," he laughed, waving it off, "I hardly need another petulant mouth to feed, no matter how good it is at sucking my cock." A few nearby startled at the comment, but kept it to themselves and looked awkwardly away. "You're free to go your own way, little stone, as soon as we return to Scumport."

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos allowed himself to be pulled by his apprentice with such childlike curiosity. Her mind was always so open to learning something new and pushing aside preconceived opinions, like the subject matter of dark magic.

Music always served as a shared trait between everyone, humans and elves alike. He wasn’t quite used to translating that rhythm into dance moves like Lethe was, but he followed her, and allowed her to be his teacher for the evening.

He didn’t step on any toes, much to his satisfaction. There was always the stereotype of taller people being less coordinated with their limbs when it came to such precise movement like dancing, but with Lethe starting slow and showing him how to move properly, Aaravos caught on quickly.

And once he got the hang of it, and the tempo increased to something more upbeat, he twirled Lethe and bounced to the beat. “You’re not so bad a teacher yourself,” he teased before giving her a twirl.

~~~

The jaunty tune was enjoyable, and even a few others who were way ahead on the drinking game joined in singing along and dancing. But not even the lively atmosphere distracted her from the answer Finnegrin gave her regarding her debt.

She swiftly looked back at him, eyes wide in disbelief. He had been so angry about her throwing the shell, and now he was willing to let her go like that?

Well, she certainly wouldn’t complain one bit! Not even his perverted comment stirred any annoyance.

“I…um, thank you.” She hardly knew what to say besides her gratitude. Maybe it was the good news, maybe it was the alcohol slowly catching up to her, or maybe it was something else, but Willow leaned in a little closer to whisper in his ear, “But if you ever want a repeat performance, you know where I live.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Aaravos was having fun!

The thought was enough to blast away troubled considerations of Lark, and how this would be with her. How she may be holding up.

Aaravos kept her full attention, and she was able to guide his steps, and of course, reach out to touch him in order to better guide, so he wasn't just seeing the movements. It was all in innocent fun, even if Lethe's mind to wonder into 'what if' territories.

They were thoughts she ignored.

They were coming up because of the break up. Because Aaravos and she were doing something that had nothing to do with magic. That didn't change their relationship. Loneliness would be abated at another time.

But she imagined, all the same, that his radiant smile and happiness could be hers forever, even as she twirled away with her own mirthful grin and giggles. "Thank you," she gave a mock bow. "I can be, when I know what I'm doing." Obviously.

She could have easily danced all night, but when the music did inevitably slow, she paused to catch her breath. Other couples drew closer, but she wouldn't. "I think that's enough for now," she said, ignoring her own thoughts of teaching him a slow dance.

"A sugar rush is most definitely needed."

Dessert paired well with lonely pining anyways.

~***~

Finnegrin was highly amused with Willow's reaction, even if he suspected that stunned surprise. He always enjoyed creating it. I'm controlling the ways others felt, and manipulating it at a whim. Of course, his own moods were just as fickle, just as quick to change, so he had some practice.

He chuckled at her offer for more.

Maybe she really was just that fucked in the head, or maybe he was that good. He certainly wasn't turning it away now that he'd freed her, though. Gratitude had a way of paying off. Just as captivity and fear did. Both could be quite enjoyable…when fear wasn't pushed to it's limits.

"And you know my ship. I'm sure I'll find you now and then when I'm around. I don't plan to be much anymore." No, he was stuck there out of necessity. Now, he'd go wherever he pleased. "I hope you won't miss me too much, little pebble," he teased, "but there's always tonight if you're impatient, although," he stepped away, "I'm going to enjoy myself in other ways for a bit."

And he couldn't help but burst into the song and grab Deadwood to force the poor lout into a dance, mostly because the uncoordinated nature of the hulk amused him immensely.

 

[cleopat]

Lethe was still very much distracted, Aaravos could surmise, but their dancing together helped alleviate some of the emotional pain she had been feeling. And it certainly distracted him for a few moments of everything going on in his life.

One day though, he’ll see his grand plan take flight, and everything would have been worth it.

The music slowed down, and even Aaravos felt some awkwardness at the obviousness of what kind of dancing came next. The humans dancing grew closer. Some for the first time in the early days of their relationship, and others that had been together for years.

He wouldn’t argue for a change. His mind constantly waged a war between taking things further with Lethe, and reminding himself that she’s his apprentice. That relationship would be inappropriate. And she was a Skywing elf. If she never attuned herself to the Star arcanum, then he would inevitably watch her die one day, in a mere blink in the eye of his lifespan.

It was such an important reason why Aaravos never sought love anymore. Life was lonely for someone who was destined to watch everyone die eventually.

“I agree that dessert is needed after all that.” He led them over to the food vendor selling the pillowy pastry and ordered them both one. The vendor handed them over, giving Lethe a quick look, and Aaraovs handed him a couple of coins. “Careful, now,” he said, “the powdered sugar will get everywhere.” That he could vow.

~~~

Willow wasn’t at all surprised to hear that Finnegrin didn’t plan on staying on land much anymore. Domina Profundis was really his one reason for not being out at sea more, and now that she was gone, he was free to sail where he pleased.

She almost wanted to tease him that she may reopen her business venture, but that poor decision thankfully didn’t pan out, as Finnegrin left to drag Deadwood into an atrocious dance. She almost wondered if she would try the business again with Drake, long enough to earn back some coins to actually get out of Scumport. She survived five years without Finnegrin knowing, what’s a few weeks?

But that thought was eventually lost as she continued to drink more of her rum, not even a quarter of the way through it though already feeling the effects, thanks to the massive size of the cup.

And because the crew around her broke into singing and dancing, Willow decided to join in on the fun, with the combined efforts of alcohol and knowing she was free helping her get into a more carefree mood. The evening was going well, how could she not join them in their raucous celebrations?

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe could still remember the taste of those desserts well as she sighed and shut the book to end the memory. ‘If I had….’ It was for the best that she did not act on those silly feelings she held for Aaravos, then, or ever. It all would have led to the same place; and that book was always too obvious on the shelf.

It was a split book.

The moments before the Star Arcanum, and the moments after. She could never keep them on the same shelf, though she’d tried. It was the one way her mental library continued to rebel against her, and she put the happy memories back, and reached for the other.

‘Remember why you did this. Remember why it must be this way.’

~

The Storm Spire was a place familiar to Lethe. She’d practically been raised in it, with her parents always around Avizandum and Zubeia. Despite that, she was all nerves as she hovered a little above the ground, floating backwards, with Aaravos following her up the long path. Sure, she could have taken Arinna – but Aaravos couldn’t.

Arinna apparently decided she hated Aaravos, which, smart.

Aaravos used creatures like her for ingredients.

But Lethe didn’t look unhappy at all as she led. There was a giddy smile on her lips, anxiety touching every crease it made, “I can’t believe they’re really going to listen to me!” a trill of excitement, because who would listen to her?

“I – I didn’t tell them you were coming,” another reason to be nervous, even if that was a complete lie. “I don’t think they’ll be upset – well, maybe Avizandum, but not for too long! If they’re going to listen to me, they’re also going to have to listen to you. Which, I know, Zubeia does. Mostly.”

Zubeia.

How her heart ached over all of this, and the way dark magic had permeated into human society, all thanks to Aaravos. There would be no reconciliation with humanity at large. Just this small moment, to deal with a bigger threat. Then, humanity had to figure its problems out, before that could ever be considered.

Well after Lethe’s lifespan, no doubt.

She wondered, though, how Kamal would feel. If he would hate her for this. She tried not to think of it, but of course, her mind did go back to all the human mages she’d met.

At least being nervous was completely in-character for this terrible role she had to play.

~***~

The mood easily took hold of the ship, even if Viren never did join in, nor did Claudia return to it. Not that Terry was truly upset by things, and he remained in good spirits, but the mages were feeling the impact of it in another way – and they wanted to get on with things.

They couldn’t force it, though.

Not that night.

Even Claudia had to admit something amazing had happened that was worth celebrating, even with her father’s life on the line. At least, with Sea Legs, they would travel to the Sea of the Castout quickly.

It was sometime after the mages had left the deck – well, except Sir Sparklepuff who had somehow ended up crowned with a makeshift wreathe of seaweed – that Finnegrin took note that Willow had, indeed, finally let herself go to the celebrations as well.

And as he’d done with Deadwood, he went and made to grasp her arm, to sweep her away from her current spot, and into a dance with him. The music remained happy and upbeat – there’d be no slow melodies or sad shanties that night – so it would be one of plenty of twirling, and probably bruised toes, given the intoxication, but Finnegrin would forgive these slights.

After all – his greatest desire had finally been achieved!

 

[cleopat]

If Lethe asked Aaravos to do something for her, he would happily obliged, even if it meant accompanying her to a place where he knew he would be surrounded by those who would rather see him dead.

And, if he was honest, he wanted the same of them.

He chuckled at her obvious excitement. “You should be very proud that they agreed to listen to you. Normally they would be too stubborn and stuck in their ways to entertain such a conversation.” Their hatred for the humans and what they did long ago forever weighed on their mind, even if circumstances were capable of changing.

Of course, he had no idea of what awaited him inside Storm Spire.

“Oh, I’m sure they will be upset, but I’m also certain it is something they will quickly get over.” And he wouldn’t let the dragons threaten Lethe in any capacity for daring to bring Aaravos along in support.

Over the years, he found himself growing close to Lethe, beyond what their normal teacher and apprentice relationship should have been. In fact, after the meeting, he had even been contemplating on asking Lethe a very important question.

And he could only hope she would say yes.

Sensing her nerves, thinking they were only about the upcoming meeting, Aaravos offered her a smile. “Relax, it’ll go great. You have grown so much with me, and I no doubt you are more than capable of offering them an argument they can’t overlook.”

~~~

Eventually Willow was pulled into another dance by Finnegrin himself, and she was too carefree and intoxicated at the moment to even care about her new dance partner. In fact, she even enjoyed it when he swept her away to have a dance with him.

Despite the alcohol consumption, more than she intended, there was very little of stepping on toes during their dance. Just once, when she was slightly disoriented from being suddenly swept away without a word of warning, but otherwise, she kept up with the energy and twirling.

But after some time, exhaustion did set in, and it was obvious the others were feeling it as well when the dancing and celebrations slowly decreased in volume. Willow giggled as the current song ended, and she leaned against Finnegrin for support.

“Okay, okay I think I should probably call it a night now.” But what a night it turned out to be! “Will you now let me into your quarters so I can lay down?” she asked as one hand fiddled with the lapels of his coat.

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe knew exactly what Aaravos meant about Zubeia and Avizandum, although Zubeia was less stringent. If anything, she was just…exhausted. Lethe couldn’t really fault her for that. Mediating as much as Zubeia tried to do was exhausting. “I think they will, too,” Lethe agreed, unwilling to consider long that they’d be upset with Aaravos’s presence.

After all, despite their differences, they still talked. Zubeia had been one of the last defenders of Aaravos, before it all came crumbling down. The High Mage of Katolis had been the other, but even she saw the truth and dedicated herself to correcting things.

“But you’re right. And if I fail, well…we figure it out from there. Somehow. At least the High Mage and the Queen of Katolis will be there, too, so it’s not just me entirely defending humanity,” she chuckled. She didn’t know if Aaravos already knew of the change in the High Mage or not, let alone the Queen.

“Still….”

Still she wanted to stop this.

She wanted to tell him what was going on, but she remembered all she learned.

If she stopped it now, others like Luna and Aditi would suffer, and for what reason? None Lethe could fathom. None any of them could make sense of, other than Aaravos trying to incite violence. If they hadn’t figured out what became of Aditi, the elves and the dragons would already be at war.

They still played like they were; tension remained high. This was a meeting to remove distractions of humanity while they figured things out in Xadia. “I guess we still might not escape all the troubles with this, since Aditi’s daughter refused to show, but at least we can focus better…I feel so bad for her. She wouldn’t even let me into the Great Bookery when I came with Avizandum’s request.”

She let her feet touch the ground as the opening into the Storm Spire came into sight.

She took a deep breath, but it did little to calm her nerves.

Nothing would.

If she made it out of this alive, she’d consider it a small miracle. No one…really knew what Aaravos was capable of. “Ready?” more for herself, than him.

~***~

Willow certainly had enough to drink by the way she danced, and the way she leaned into Finnegrin as the song came to an end, only to be followed by a lull, before someone yelled a suggestion. The party was indeed winding down, even if Finnegrin wanted it to last much longer than it did.

Weaklings.

Still, he supposed he could put his energy elsewhere, considering the way Willow was playing with the lapels on his coat.

“To rest, love, or to bed?” He asked cheekily, grin matching the clear suggestive nature of the question. Obviously, if it was to rest, he’d let her take of space on the couch, but he imagined they were both intoxicated enough, and in good enough spirits, to enjoy additional activities if she wasn’t too worn out.

In either case, he did reach up to grasp her hands in his and pull them off his lapels, before stepping back and away, leading her on, towards the quarters they currently shared. And likely would share, until she was released to freedom in Scumport.

Then, life could truly begin again for him.

 

[cleopat]

Despite the nature of the meeting, something still felt off in the back of Aaravos’ mind. It was like his mind was trying to warn him of something, but he couldn’t figure out what. Was something, or someone, going to try and harm him? Or Lethe?

Lethe was the more likely answer, if they didn’t know of his coming.

He hummed as she spoke of the Queen of Katolis and her High Mage being there as well. Such a young queen to rule a kingdom, but she seemed relatively bright for her age. And her talented mage, destined to learn much in her life.

“Don’t worry about Queen Aditi’s daughter. She will eventually come around. She’s just in mourning, and rightfully so,” Aaravos reassured her. “Just give her time.”

Lethe fluttered back to the ground, and before she could step forward, he laid a hand on her upper arm and gave it a quick squeeze of reassurance. “I think it should be me asking you that question,” he chuckled. He gestured her forward with his hand, as she was the one who called for this meeting, after all. He was just there for moral support.

And upon entering the chamber, he would be greeted by the sight of the two archdragons, the two aforementioned humans, and Akiyu, the ocean archmage.

~~~

Willow certainly did consider Finnegrin’s question. She was already in such a great mood, she had honestly enjoyed their previous time together, and alcohol always had a way of…well, making her more into a slut.

And so with his question, she shrugged with a coy smile on her face. She shrugged, “I guess we’ll have to see exactly how tired I am when we get there.” And so she easily followed Finnegrin to his quarters, trying to think of reasons why she shouldn’t sleep with him.

And thanks to the rum, she couldn’t think of a damn reason not to, even if logic dictated something else.

But logic jumped into the ocean earlier when she took that first sip of rum.

So when they returned to his quarters, she suddenly didn't find the couch all too interesting. “You know, I think I find your bed far more fascinating right now.”

 

[Lucyfer]

‘You would know best, wouldn’t you?’ Not that Lethe said such a thing aloud about Aditi’s daughter. It wouldn’t be prudent to remind him, and despite it all, when he set his hand on her arm, she wanted that moment to just…freeze.

But time didn’t freeze for even the stars, no matter how much slower it felt for them. Or faster.

And so she gave a silent nod, before lifting up briefly once again to place that kiss gently at the base of his horn. ‘I’m sorry, Aaravos.’ “I’m ready,” she confirmed with a grin, and fluttered ahead, to the sight of all the gathered.

There was some true joy in the room at seeing her, and as expected, it faded at the sight of Aaravos. Of course, they were all expecting him – but they weren’t supposed to act like it. “What is he doing here?” Avizandum’s voice thundered through the room, and Lethe tried not to wince.

“I brought him,” she said, “he’s just as involved in the affairs of humanity as I am – probably more. He has a right to be here.”

Avizandum glowered, and he might have fought back on it, but Zubeia calmed him, “She is not incorrect, and who better to understand what is going on than another practitioner of magic?” Zubeia reminded gently, before turning her gaze towards Aaravos.

The pain, perhaps, could be associated with Avizandum’s temper, the loss of Aditi, and even in the not so distant past, Luna – all, recent, in the eyes of a dragon, “Aaravos, it is good to see you after so long. You seem to rarely grace Xadia any longer,” she noted, “we have missed you here, too.”

And Lethe never let her feet touch the ground as she hovered ahead to get closer to the center.

The trap was a simple one in that way, covered by a rug.

All Aaravos had to do was step on it as they approached the center.

They couldn’t get far into the conversation before it became obvious there was nothing to talk about.

~***~

Of course, Finnegrin frowned at the statement and rolled his eyes a bit, figuring he’d just be letting Willow in and returning to the embers of the party as it died out. He didn’t have much hope for that statement, but even so, she needed in to sleep, so he went to the room and unlocked it, fumbling a bit with the keys in his own drunken state.

He was about to dismiss himself as she stepped in, until she mentioned the bed looking far more interesting. ‘Oh?’ Well, the drunk mind was always a bit fickle. Perhaps not his, which seemed singularly interested in whatever made him feel good – but other people.

“Oh really now?” Finnegrin went towards his own bed, careful not to stumble. Between the slight motion of the waves and his own drunken imbalance, it was more of a task than he was used to. How long had it been since he was drunk? Quite a while – he preferred just being tipsy, he had more control of himself that way.

This was almost uncomfortable.

Not uncomfortable enough to distract himself from Willow, as he took a seat on the edge of the bed, “Dunno, looks pretty normal to me. It’d look more interestin’ with you in it, though.” He pointed out the obvious.

It’d look significantly more interesting that way.

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos gave Lethe another soft smile as she lifted up to give him a gentle kiss at the base of his horn, a little gesture that he had always appreciated. She may have even been the only person he would allow to perform such an intimate gesture.

That feeling in the back of his mind only grew when he entered the room, and saw everyone there. Of course, as they weren’t expecting him, there was some anger expressed, especially by Avizanum to no surprise. And naturally, Zubeia tried to remain the diplomatic one. He almost liked her.

“If you missed me so much, then maybe I should make a point of visiting Xadia more often.” He easily followed Lethe further into the chambers, though his gaze hovered between everybody.

It was not lost on him how they looked upon him. Lethe was his one true friend in there, though Zubeia was always kind unless provoked. She may even be deemed an ally.

A few more steps and Aaravos eventually stepped onto the rug, unaware of the trap it set out. In a flash, he was surrounded by bright, white beams of light that served to immediately immobilize him. “What is this?” he demanded in a shout of rage.

He was vaguely aware of some shouting and the two mages in the room, the High Mage of Katolis and the Archmage Akiyu, growing closer to him. He tried to fire off every spell he knew to dispel the white beams, but nothing seemed to work to free him.

~~~

Finnegrin seemed to perk up at her comment, which almost made Willow giggle. Men were always such simple creatures. Well, she better not leave him now after such a slight tease?

Making sure the door behind them was closed, she then made her way over to Finnegrin’s bed, one she wasn’t a complete stranger to. “Well, then I guess we better test that theory.” While Finnegrin sat on the edge of the bed, Willow completely laid down on the bed on her back, stretching and arching her back slightly as she relished the comfort of the plush mattress. Much better than the floor of the brig or the cushions of the sofa. Hell, even better than the bed in her actual quarters.

“How’s it looking now?” she asked with a coy grin. Of course she knew what he might say next, and she knew what he might be thinking. That the bed would look even better if she weren’t wearing any clothes on it.

Well he would have to work for that! Unless she started to get impatient, exacerbated by the alcohol. “I think the bed feels awfully lonely.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Lethe didn’t know how the trap worked. She didn’t know what sort of magic it even was, and later in life, she would start to wonder if the High Mage, forever after known as the Jailer, had figured out Deep magic in an effort to thwart Aaravos, with the one magic no one else knew. Lethe would never ask.

Lethe’s feet touched the ground, and would remain there for centuries to come, lest she had a bird to lift her from them. She turned just before the shout, as all the white beams appeared and seemed to pin Aaravos. She’d been told he wouldn’t be harmed – but she wondered, all the same, by the way the beams seemed to go through him at various places. There was no blood or sign of injury, of course.

Still.

His voice boomed louder than Avizandum’s as he shouted, and she felt an urge to disrupt everything. It was only quelled by the Queen’s hand on her shoulder, and the soft whisper, “This is necessary,” with a gentle squeeze of her shoulder.

She bit her bottom lip, and though the Queen tried to urge her back, or even urge her to turn away, she wouldn’t let her gaze break from Aaravos as he struggled, as the High Mage and Akiyu spoke incantations. Lethe couldn’t save him. And she couldn’t leave him entirely alone, either. She couldn’t go with him, but…she’d be a witness. Even if it would kill her. Already, she felt her heart twisting in agony, and a searing pain like she might break as she watched him break.

Like she might explode.

Tidebound Tina, of course, could only use the Ocean – but again, Lethe found herself unsure what the High Mage used.

She did see Avizandum turn away and shut his eyes. Pragmatism, more than a want to – he and Zubeia weren’t meant to know more than this. He still looked quite smug, though.

“We are sorry, Aaravos. After all you have done, you left us no choice,” Zubeia spoke before she, too, did the same.

The Queen would shut her own eyes, leaving only three witnesses to the nature of the pearl prison when the High Mage took it into sight from beneath her robes and tossed it up into the air above Aaravos.

~***~

The bed did look far more interesting with Willow in it as she laid down and arched her back, posing on it to draw more of his attention. As if his attention was going anywhere else. The crabs, even Seamore, were far less interesting.

He kicked his boots off as she made her display and crawled up onto the bed as she asked how it was looking, intent to pin her down by her wrists and loom over her if she didn’t evade such capture.

He would still respond in either case, “Far better – but I think it still needs some work. It’ll take a bit of activity from both of us, though, to get her in a properly disheveled state of affairs, though,” he didn’t think Willow was going to deny him that now, of course. “And a bit less fabric on it, of course.”

From both of them.

Not the sheets and blankets, though odds were plenty of those would end up tossed aside for a bit. Until the activity settled them both, and Finnegrin actually went to bed. He would regret the hangover in the morning, but right now? That was the furthest thought from his mind. The closest being how close he wanted to draw Willow into him and drink in her scent and her sweat.

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos fought against the temporary imprisonment of the trap. Much to his surprise, he didn’t know what Akiyu and the High Mage were using, and everything he tried to counteract it didn’t work.

And in his glimpse at the others in his anger, the two archdragons turned away from the scene, and the young queen closed her eyes. Lethe…just stood there, watching with obvious pain. In that moment, he realized her betrayal. He realized it was because of her that he let down his guard enough to allow this entrapment to happen.

The heart in his chest twisted in agony and he let out a roar in his anger. His Lethe…his little star…

Betrayed by someone he allowed himself to grow close to and fall in love with.

“You should wish that your prison will keep me forever, lest you will come to know true terror.” He addressed everyone in the room, but his gaze remained focused on Lethe, intending on her to be the last person he saw before the spell was complete.

The pearl was tossed into the air, and with an incantation from both the High Mage and Akiyu, a great flash of light blinded the room for a second. When it cleared, the pearl sat on the floor in the spot Aaravos used to stand.

But now he was forever encased inside the pearl, left to stew in his thoughts for eternity.

~~~

Willow didn’t evade Finnegrin’s grab, and even if she wanted to, the alcohol would have slowed her movements down too much. Warmth spread rapidly through her at the position, as she quickly found herself enjoying the new position.

“I think I’m up for that task,” she grinned. She lifted one leg to wrap around Finnegrin in an attempt to pull him in closer. “Though I may need some assistance with my clothes,” since he had her pinned to the bed. Not that she complained about that.

But if they wanted things to progress further, then those pesky clothes had to be removed.

“Do you think you could help me with that, Captain?” In her alcohol-fueled state, it was much easier to tease him with his title. Also in her drunken state, it was much easier to admit to herself how much she enjoyed his presence, the press of his body, and his scent that filled her senses.

 

[Lucyfer]

Aaravos roared his pain, an explosion against her skull, but Lethe continued to force herself to look – to watch what she had done. If this was justified, if this was right, then she had to quite literally see it through. Even as he made his final threat, she did not look away but allowed the words to hit their mark. ‘I won’t be alive if it breaks.’ Something she was certain of. It was a threat Zubeia and Avizandum may need to be concerned with, perhaps even Akiyu.

Not her, or the humans.

She didn’t even notice the tears that had streaked her cheeks long before he vanished. Barely noticed as the High Mage moved to retrieve the pearl and hide it away, or the way Akiyu shuffled awkwardly, nervous over something Lethe knew nothing about. All she knew was that her body suddenly felt too small, as she tried to comprehend what happened. The way Aaravos was shrunk into a pearl.

The way he had exploded, all for naught.

The way it didn’t matter. The world kept moving. Everyone in this room would disperse. ‘It has to matter, it has to….’

But there were truths she had learned from Aaravos that surfaced. How nothing mattered in the grand scheme of most stars. Most, of course – but it all mattered to him. He had cared. And, of course, another thing: even the smallest stars could explode into a supernova, if triggered. Most large ones collapsed into it, at the end, but the small ones….

Lethe’s sudden, keening shriek when the pearl was hidden was enough to startle the room, and break the memory within that book.

The moment of awakening to the star arcanum started a new book entirely, one where Lethe fled the room and was hunted down by the Queen, who found Lethe writing down every name Aaravos ever had into her journal, before erasing them under the guidance of the stars, as if it could erase her shame.

As if it could erase her pain.

It couldn’t.

~

But Lethe woke in a panic before she could try to find comfort in old memories of the Queen, or in the purging of Dark Magic by Aditi’s daughter.

“Callum!” Rayla’s voice was full of terror and anger at once, and Lethe did not like the sound of it. She bypassed getting properly ready for the day as she slipped out of her bed and stumbled against the rocking of the boat to the deck to find out what could cause that terrible tone in Rayla’s voice.

“Callum, I know you’re still in there – you—you let him go!” Rayla snapped as Lethe came on deck to see plenty of the others in the dawning light, including Callum.

Callum, who’s eyes were not his own.

~***~

Finnegrin allowed Willow’s leg to draw him in closer, and upwards a bit as he placed one leg between hers, and grinned as she seemed quite willing to oblige. “Oh, I don’t think that should be an issue at all, love,” he said, moving one hand to pull at the sleeve of her blouse, “Not a problem at all.”

And of course, he would set to the task, enjoying the flesh that was gradually revealed, and spending the night continuing to remove fabric from flesh and bed, until there was really just the sheets they rested upon – sweaty, but sated, falling to sleep entangled in each other until the morning light filtered into the room through its many windows.

It pounded against Finnegrin’s skull like the hangover.

Or maybe it was just the hangover.

Either way, Finnegrin woke with a pained groan and let go of Willow to roll off to the other side and try to hide his face from the light as morning bit into him. He didn’t want to get up, but even the hangover couldn’t quite upset the lingering embers of the night’s victory.

Domina was dead.

And he had to make it up to those mages now.

Still he groaned again as realization that he had to get things moving also hit him. Why did he have to be the responsible adult here? “Fuuuck,” he cursed aloud, grabbing a pillow to bury his head under.

No one said he couldn’t take five minutes more to be a responsible adult.

 

[cleopat]

The early dawn was always a peaceful time. Nature was always quieter, but with the promise that the sounds of animals will soon grace the lands. It was a bit different on the ocean, but the sunrise was decidedly more magnificent, so much so, that most of them were on deck early that morning, watching the sunrise in quiet conversation, save the occasional comment here and there.

The peace wasn’t meant to last long.

Callum started to gasp as his air was cut off. “Callum, what’s wrong?” Soren asked with great concern, hurrying over to him.

Callum couldn’t answer in any form. An invisible force gripped his throat, and his hands, wrapping around his neck, instinctively reached for the invisible force, but it was a futile effort. As he fell to his knees, he could hear the concerned voices of his friends around him slowly fade into nothingness.

There was a moment of quiet as Callum’s form knelt on the deck, head turned toward the floor, but in an instant, his head sharply turned up to face Rayla, eyes pitch black. There were gasps in the group, as they each vividly recalled the last time that had happened.

“Aaravos!” Ezran was the one to say his name, with great anger, as he watched his brother’s mind essentially get taken away from him so Aaravos could manipulate him like a puppet.

‘Callum’ straightened up, and the pitch black in his eyes transformed to a rainbow shimmer that glowed. His lips curled into the faintest smirk, and he clasped his hands behind his back as Aaravos took over his body.

Naturally, none of the children were pleased to see him again, and even the elf girl expressed her disgust and her foolish hope that she could somehow snap Callum back into his mind with words alone. “I hope that you didn’t miss me too much,” Aaravos taunted, relishing in their anger, but knowing they couldn’t risk doing anything lest they harm Callum as well.

Another figure came up on deck in the midst of the commotion, and Aaravos turned to see who was joining them, and his smirk only grew. “Ah, Lethe, the greatest betrayer of them all. Tell me, how does it feel knowing all that effort to imprison me will be reversed very soon?”

~~~

In a right state of mind, Willow may have returned to her own bed, or rather couch in this case, after a night of pleasure and fun with the pirate captain. But in her intoxicated state, she found his bed much more comfortable and warm, and it was easy for her to convince herself to stay as they fell asleep with limbs entangled in each other.

The way she woke up was nowhere near as nice as how she fell asleep.

Willow first woke up with movement from Finnegrin, as he pulled away from her to roll over, then the pounding in her head became more and more obvious as the world came to life around her. The movement on the mattress, the sunlight filtering in. She could’ve sworn she even heard the hermit crabs scuttering about somewhere in the room.

And then there was the loud curse from Finnegrin, which perfectly captured her mood as well.

She buried her face into her pillow. “My thoughts exactly.” The words came out muffled, but it was still clear what she said. “Next time we celebrate something, you’re not picking out my mug for me.”

 

[Lucyfer]

Callum’s posture was not his own, and when he spoke, it was not with Callum’s voice. Both of Lethe’s fists clenched at her side as Aaravos addressed her through the mouth of a child. Still, she took a deep breath and walked to join the group of Callum’s hurt friends and family.

“Saying it again and again does not make your escape from prison a fact, Aaravos. I remain unconvinced the dark mages you’ve set on the task will succeed,” even if they found the prison. She wouldn’t let herself show doubt on that.

She would keep the anger down, even if everyone else looked like they wanted to explode. There was nothing that anger would do except please Aaravos, even if she was furious. Even if one hand remained clenched to help keep it down. “Let Callum go, Aaravos. He’s a child who has nothing to do with you. This is unusually cruel, even for you,” she had low standards, but by god did he manage to even disappoint them.

Rayla was more frustrated by the calm tone, and of course, blurted a threat, “Let him go or I will make you my first kill!” the would-be assassin threatened, and Ezran gave her a worried look.

“No, Rayla, that means letting him out.” He reminded, patiently. He was still opposed to those plans. The plan was to keep Aaravos imprisoned, not find a way to kill him! Not get the Novablade. Not that Ezran had a way to reason with Aaravos. He was a murdering criminal! He couldn’t give him anything. He wouldn’t!

~***~

Finnegrin definitely heard the hermit crabs scuttling around. It was too loud that morning. Even his own voice was too loud, and Willow’s definitely was. He still snorted at her complaint, “Yer getting’ a bigger cup, love,” it was funny when someone else was hungover. It wasn’t so funny when he was. “Not my fault if ya drink it all.”

Or just too much of it.

He didn’t know how much of the drink Willow actually had, and it didn’t really matter now. The throbbing in his head wasn’t going to get any better, but things still had to be done. He really should have gotten a better doctor on the crew, but he did know that, eventually, the headache went away. Water usually helped, though.

He threw the pillow to the floor and stumbled his way up from the bed to a standing and walking position. “Come on, you gotta get up, too,” he wasn’t keen to have her in the room while he was gone. Maybe when he was drunk he wouldn’t have thought of it, but now he was painfully sober. “We’ll get some water. Get through the damn day.”

Get on to the Sea of the Castout.

Get rid of the mages.

Get rid of Willow. He’d miss both groups, but for very different reasons.

 

[cleopat]

Aaravos kept the smirk on Callum’s face as everyone expressed their anger at him. “You’re unconvinced? But, my little star, the dark mages are so very close by. In fact, it wouldn’t surprise me if you crossed paths with them very soon.”

He ignored Lethe’s demand for the moment, before turning to Rayla. “Ah yes, the assassin who still has yet to kill anyone, and yet, somehow, you think your first kill will be me.” He chuckled and shook his head. “How cute is that.”

Then he turned towards Ezran. “The boy king,” he taunted. “Don’t worry, I’m sure I’ll be out soon enough, and you will each get a chance to kill me.” Even if that happened, they wouldn’t be able to kill him. He was certain of that. “Or maybe it will be the failed son that deals my fatal blow?” he turned to Soren at that one, who immediately looked away in anger and pain.

“And you, my little star, would know unusually cruel, wouldn’t you?” The pain of her betrayal lingered deep within him, and the isolation of the last three hundred years only exacerbated that pain. “I’ll leave dear little dark mage alone, if you do something for me.”

~~~

Willow groaned into her pillow when Finnegrin told her to get up. No, she would rather not move right then, lest she wanted to see her last meal on the floor of his quarters. Why couldn’t they rest just a few minutes longer dammit!

So she didn’t immediately get up when he told her to. Instead, she rolled onto her back and stretched, allowing the blanket to fall from her torso. “Surely a few more minutes won’t hurt anything?”

She didn't move to sit up or get out of bed just yet. She hoped that her laying down in bed, blanket no longer covering her bare chest, would entice him to rest a little bit longer. It was all for the purely selfish reason of her not wanting to move and start the day yet, largely thanks to the pounding in her head.

“The ship is already on course to our destination, and it’s still early.” The position of the sun on the horizon told her so. “Surely we can sacrifice another half hour or so?”

 

[Lucyfer]

‘There’s no way he knows.’ Yet, Lethe knew that Aaravos did. He was able to take control of Callum because of the dark magic. He could likely sense other hosts, as well, but he chose Callum, because he was trying to give those other mages the illusion of control. He was trying to be friendly with them. Not Callum. Not everyone here, who he seemed to know quite well.

Lethe’s nails dug deeper into her palm as he insulted them each in turn. Soren’s pain was too obvious, and Rayla’s anger furious, although Ezran looked calm. ‘Child King’ wasn’t much of an insult, really, just a fact.

She knew what unusually cruel was, though. She wouldn’t deny it. She did her best not to flinch at the comment, but even she let her gaze break from him. Jove swooped down from his perch to shriek at Callum for the sudden upset, but Lethe moved her hand up and wrapped his beak in her hand to silence him. He fluffed and stamped in agitation.

“We’re not doing anything for you,” Rayla stated, “I know Callum can come back and overcome you.”

Lethe…wasn’t so sure. Perhaps she ought to have more faith in him, but she still asked, “What do you want me to do, Aaravos?” because she wanted to save Callum from the agony he was likely in. She didn’t know how aware he was…but there had to be some awareness. And that would be a mess of worry, guilt, anger, helplessness…a terrible swirl of terrible emotions.

She wanted to pull him out of that sooner than later.

They could work on him learning how to repel Aaravos later. Or find a way to purge the dark magic from his system. Somehow. Someway. They would have to move fast if the dark mages were nearby.

~***~

Willow didn’t rise and shine – though he would have also accepted rise and whine, so long as she got up. Instead, she rolled on the bed, stretched, and – well, his mind stumbled on the stretch given the flesh revealed in the action.

A few more minutes probably wouldn’t hurt.

Even if Finnegrin wasn’t positive the ship was heading in the right direction. Did he tell Sea Legs where to go? Did Sea Legs understand? Did he put someone else in charge of it? Possibly Deadwood but he didn’t honestly know. Still, the mages probably weren’t up yet to complain, so a few more minutes…he saw no issue.

“Eh, a few won’t hurt,” he went back to the bed and let himself fall on it. Let his head fall on her as he wrapped his arms around her to draw her in closer. If he was going to waste time, he was going to fully enjoy the comforts of it, as he let out a contented hum for the idea.