Vedek

Sráid was a mining colony formerly. The Twinned Hills of Athshin were rich in silver. The ore was valuable for many reasons, the most well known was as material for coins and jewelry, but it was also toxic to beings not of Domhanda. In the time of the First Era, creatures of the other planes were eager to initiate conquest. Argentus, the divine carbuncle, blessed the silver ore of Domhanda with the power to burn the beings of Muspilli and The Thirteen Hells. Argentus’ brother Orom blessed gold to retain magical blessings. When blended, the two ores made electrum, which was instrumental to Fae culture. That is why Sráid was originally settled by the Fae in the Fourth Era.

Sráid no longer belonged to Fae’Riam, though it was ruled by a fae.

Vedek felt empty when he, Azeroth, and Odile reached the small stone houses that formed the outskirts of Sráid. He was rain-soaked, prepared to collapse, and kept stealing looks at Frost on the travois behind them. He could hear the wecher wheezing under the hammering sound of rain.

As it was dark and storming, there were few Sráid citizens walking the streets. The Keep of Sráid was one of the largest in Athshin. Having the largest silver mine in the Confederacy made it a prime target for pillaging and conquest. The keep guards noticed them early in their approach, which is why Vedek removed his hat to show his golden hair and long ears. Odile was correct: it would’ve been a disaster if Azeroth and Frost came here alone.

The castle portcullis was closed. Two elden stood guard on the turrets flanking it. They cast suspicious eyes to the four transients. Vedek could see one raise his bow. Not as a threat, but a sign that he was prepared to use it.

“Hail! We mean no harm. We must meet with the king of this keep!” Vedek shouted to the guards.

“What’s that dying on your stretcher? Is he a man or a beast?” The second guard called down. She had a wide-brimmed helmet to keep the rain from her face. Her hair was short and black. Had to be dye, elden only had hair in light colors. She also had a mole under her left eye that drew attention.

“He is a hero,” Odile shouted, “and I am the Princess of Sráid! If you value your honor then you will reunite me with my father.”

“You speak like the Princess, but there have been many who have tried to claim her identity this last month. What can you give as proof?” This came from the other archer. He was young with a crown of straw-colored hair made flat by the rain.

“I can give your names, Watchers Ross and Brosh. Has it been so long that you do not recognize Odile Ruaidrí when she speaks to you?”

The two archers looked to each other in shock. The portcullis was raised immediately.

As it was late, the Keep was only lit by slow melting candles. Silver-thread rugs directed their path to the king’s quarters. Odile demanded that Frost be placed in the infirmary the moment they crossed the Keep’s gate. Watcher Brosh had that duty, enlisting two stray servants to help him carry Frost. Vedek wrang the rainwater from his hair and nervously tightened his mask. This lacking disguise had worked on people who didn’t know him, but Fellior was not one of those.

They ascended higher into the keep. In one narrow hall Ross had to grab a candelabra to keep their path lit. Rain lapped the windows to their left. Vedek could hear people in the rooms they passed. Courtiers sleeping in their beds and servants cleaning the castle while it wasn’t in use. Odile kept herself close to Azeroth, something about this floor made her nervous. Azeroth seemed uneasy too. His grey eyes shifted to every door they passed, as if a monster would suddenly burst from them.

“Rain without end…It’s just like the day of your birth, Princess Odile.” Ross said to calm the atmosphere.

Odile responded with a tense nod. Walking towards them from the other end of the hall was a coatlmade with white scales and a blue uniform. He had a stiff back and a set of eyes permanently squinted. He slowed his walk when he saw the contents of the group approaching him. Odile tissked at the sight of the man. It was not concern in her eyes, but barely concealed contempt.

“Watcher Ross, who are you with, and where are you going?” The coatlmade spoke with a dry, controlled tone.

Ross stopped firm and addressed him like a superior. “Ambassador Kelmin. These two and have returned Princess Odile. I am taking them to the King.”

The coatlmade brushed his uniform. Vedek saw a medal pinned to his right breast bearing a hand with a cut across the palm. He belonged to the Order of Suffering. Kelmin did not believe the Watcher until Odile revealed herself from behind Azeroth.

“Then this is a fortuned night indeed. Return to your post Ross. I shall escort them the rest of the way.”

Ross obeyed. Kelmin took command of leading Vedek’s group through the halls of the Keep. He walked with his hands behind his back and reminded Vedek of a stuffy attendant he had when he was young. Kelmin kept his eyes on Odile.

“You must have quite a story, Lady Odile. I had the Order canvassing the territory for you. Your father couldn’t send many of his own soldiers. The rumor of your disappearance spread fast and many tried to take advantage of your father’s vulnerability. There have been attacks here by phyrn and other such raiders. Even the city Cactus Cascada attacked us. It was a brief skirmish that ended with your father negotiating a truce. It is remarkable that he was able to keep his head high this last month.”

They were ascending a wide twisting staircase. The rain was audible through the stained glass windows. Kelmin stopped them again. He wanted to examine Azeroth and Vedek.

“You are heroes and you should be justly rewarded.” His small eyes lingered too long on Azeroth. “Forgive me. I never would have guessed the princess to be saved by…”

Azeroth was unphased and still shirtless. “There’s also a wecher in the infirmary.”

“I see. Both of you are exceptional members of your race, I’m sure.”

“Thank you for your escort Ser Kelmin,” Odile made her voice into a knife and pointed it at Kelmin, “but I believe my father’s Keeper can handle the delivery from here.”

Kelmin caught his blue tongue between his teeth. They were at the top of the stairs looking into a room with a small library. There were several cushioned seats studded with silver set before an active fireplace. The walls were painted green with fae runes carved in a circle on the ceiling. Vedek left the others to gape in wonder at the room. Stepping in this room made him feel like he had crossed a portal into home. The only thing that jogged him from his nostalgia was the person standing by the fireplace. They were taller than any Fae, and covered in hair fit for a broom. They wore no boots, because they had hooves. Their head tilted to one side because they were missing their right horn. Had they not worn armor set with Sráid’s colors Vedek would’ve believed some beast had taken residence in the king’s quarters.

“Lady Odile, you’ve returned.” It was only when they spoke that Vedek realized they were female. The woman snapped shut the book she had been reading and addressed Kelmin. “The Princess is correct, her father’s Keeper can take her from you.”

Kelmin did not speak, perhaps because he would regret what he’d say. He bowed to both women and left down the stairs, hands behind his back the entire time. The horned woman’s eyes followed him until he was out of sight. She spared a moment to look softly at Odile, then turned her attention to Vedek, who was the closest of the new arrivals.

“You’re…” Vedek began.

“Onakie Karnataka, Keeper of King Fellior Ruaidrí of Sráid. And yes, I am a minotaur.”

Vedek realized he had caused insult the same way Kelmin had to Azeroth. When he looked to Azeroth the half-orc shrugged to show he didn’t expect this either.

“Is my father asleep?” Odile asked. She walked to Onakie completely unafraid.

“He is. You should have a bath, small one.” Onakie dropped to one knee so she could address Odile closer to eye-level. She licked her black thumb and used it to wipe the grime from Odile’s face. It must have been a fairly regular occurrence as Odile didn’t flinch.

“I want a bath, and I want to see my father, but first…” Odile dropped her voice. She looked back to the staircase where Azeroth was standing. Azeroth thought she was looking to him, but she was looking past him.

“...I must speak to you before anything else.” Odile returned her blue eyes to Onakie. The minotauress didn’t question the girl’s seriousness, though she did point to Vedek and Azeroth.

“They can hear this, they have earned my trust.” Odile said.

“Good. I pray they keep it.” Onakie threatened. Vedek had no misconceptions that she could kill him, and likely Azeroth, with ease. A lord’s Keeper is an important role in Fae society. They are bodyguard and confidant in one. Keeping the lord’s safety, and their council. Non-Fae Keepers were exceptionally rare.

Odile looked to the stairs a last time. Azeroth followed her gaze and confirmed there was no one there. Vedek and Onakie canvassed the room as well. Whatever the princess was about to say, she wanted to be certain they were the only ones to hear it.

“Kelmin was behind my kidnapping.” Odile breathed.

Vedek and Azeroth exchanged confused glances. Onakie believed the girl instantly. “That leech...what proof do you have?”

Odile clenched her teeth and looked to the floor. “Little but my own intuition. Before I was captured I followed Kelmin into the city. I never trusted him. He met with a pale man who hid himself under a cloak, and an armed woman with a distant stare. I confronted Kelmin about this meeting and he feigned ignorance. The exact following day I was taken in the night.”

Onakie puffed air out of her flat nose. She ran one of her thick hands through the rust-colored fur on her head. “My lady, that is enough cause for me to be suspicious, but I would trust you if you had said the fat chef had orchestrated your capture. Kelmin and his Order live model lives. This won’t convince the right people.”

Odile pouted. Onakie wasn’t telling her anything she hadn’t told herself. “The right people like—”

The double doors on the eastern wall creaked open. An elden stood there in an evening gown. His hair was dark red and cut past his ears. His eyes were tired and his mouth was framed by a thick goatee. His eyes were the brightest blue, which contrasted with his tanned, freckle dotted skin. Fellior looked much how Vedek remembered him, though his hair had been previously long enough to braid.

“It is hard for one with sensitive ears to sleep when the people outside don’t bother to whisper.”

Fellior passed his electric eyes over the people in his library, but he stopped dead when he saw Odile. He dropped to his knees, mouth slack, and eyes watering with unabashed joy. Odile ran to her father and embraced him while he was stunned. As if he thought she might shatter at his touch, Fellior cautiously embraced his daughter.

After he had processed the initial wonder Fellior stood tall, as if it was morning and he was alert as ever. When he stopped looking at his daughter, he looked to Vedek and Azeroth in unison. “I take it you are the ones who rescued her? There will never be enough ways to express my gratitude.”

He looked to Azeroth still standing on the stairs one step away from the top. “I must admit, when I first opened the door I was perplexed. After all you’re…”

“An orc?” Azeroth huffed.

“I was going to say ‘shirtless.’” Fellior laughed. “I thought I was interrupting something very different. What maker you belong to matters not to me. If it did, I would not have made Onakie my Keeper.”

Onakie gave a self-satisfied grunt. Slowly, Azeroth took the final step into the room. Fellior now fixed his attention to Vedek. “You...you are an elden. At first I believed you a wood elf.”

Dread coursed down Vedek’s spine and seeded his flesh. He still had his face covered —which was suspicious on its own— but his eyes were exposed. His eyes of royal purple.

“I am an elden, but I’m nobody of importance.” Vedek said. He hoped Fellior would understand his message.

“Yes…” Fellior nodded methodically. Many questions and thoughts sparked behind his eyes. “It’s just unusual to see an elden fae dressed like an Athshinian peasant.”

“Life’s been hard on me.” Vedek stated. He felt he was coming to an unsaid understanding with the king.

“So it seems, perhaps you can tell me about it at a later date.”

The way Fellior looked at Vedek, it was as if he hadn’t been reunited with his lost daughter only seconds ago. The change in atmosphere was not lost on the other three in the room. Azeroth’s bushy eyebrows raised while Onakie’s dropped. Vedek knew they had questions and suspicions they would not say. The only one who hid her thoughts was Odile, but Vedek assumed she had guessed his identity the moment they saw each other in the light. He had that much faith in her intuition.

Odile pulled Fellior’s sleeve. “Father, there was another who brought me home. He was injured and I gave my word he would be healed.”

Fellior broke his connection with Vedek and looked softly upon his daughter. “Of course. I will make the order myself if I must. For the rest of you, you are clearly holding on with nothing but a strand of willpower. You two and your ally shall stay in my Keep until you are recovered. For you, Odile, your room is untouched.”

Odile hugged her father a second time. When they broke she glared at him. “And you should take your own advice, Kelmin told me you had been keeping strong in my absence but it's plain that you haven’t slept since I was taken.”

Fellior laughed. “Look at you, you find your way back to me after a month in captivity and already you act the part of a ruler. Your mother would tell you you’re growing into someone worthy of her name.”

The two Ruaidrí smiled sadly. Odile looked like she didn’t want to leave her father. Fellior insisted that Onakie keep watch over his daughter that night. He also instructed her to escort Azeroth to his room, as the guards would likely not believe that a shirtless orc was a guest of the king.

Vedek was the last standing in the king’s chambers. He clenched his fist tight. When Fellior returned, he was surprised to see Vedek planted there like a pillar. With extreme trepidation, Vedek presented his signet ring.

“Fellior, I…” Vedek started, but the words turned to vapor in his mouth. After a week as Bréag he hadn’t thought of how to present himself to others.

Fellior took the ring like it was a worthless bauble. All he wanted was to confirm the symbol it bore. “As I said, your highness, we shall talk in the morning.”

Vedek clenched the ring tight in his palm. The replacement guards to Onakie were ascending the stairs. Vedek didn’t need an escort to his own room. It was the same room he had slept in the last time he was in Sráid. It was a level of quality many thousands of steps above sleeping on the dirt outside Ramuff, and though the bed was soft enough to drain his exhaustion the moment he reclined on it, Vedek tossed and turned all night. He had found a Fae ally in Athshin, and he had no idea what he was to say to him.