- Maddox -

The deep dark of the caves coupled with an ancient demon had been enough to thoroughly disturb Maddox. Yet watching Varia display a level of power he had never witnessed perhaps shocked him the most. He felt useless then, knelt on the ground, whispering to his sword, trying to will the damned thing to light and chase away the abyss.

As the demon, this Dor’Goth fought with the Demon of Arcturus, his fear gradually reached a manageable level as his body acknowledged being out in the open and in the sun. As Dor’Goth feigned defeat and jumped down Varia’s throat he was less disturbed than Brom and Sabre. Maddox could see Brom struggling with himself, his knuckles white as he grasped his daggers. He was considering killing Varia, unsure if Varia was still himself. Sabre stood back from the others, prepared to take off into the trees and leave the rest behind.

Maddox felt a hell of a lot better once Dor’Goth took residence inside of Varia. In a physical body, in Varia’s body, he could kill it. In Varia’s body the demon was just another over-powered human that he could label dangerous and eliminate; that he chose Varia’s body especially made it an old hat at this point. It may complicate the idea of having an extended alliance, but that had always been in flux. The point was that the monster that Maddox had no recourse to fight, was now contained in a form that enabled him to fight back.

That helped his legs to move, slowly rising to his full height. His elven blade was in hand as he advanced on Varia. He moved to stand behind Varia as he spat into the bushes, the tip of his sword pressing against the side of Varia’s neck.

“Are you in control?” Maddox’s voice sounded much steadier than he actually felt. The blade had finally begun to glow, and it’s light was steady. It indicated that the demon was likely not active. If he was, the glow would be brighter, aggressive. The sword would hum loudly, frantic and aggravated. “Can you feel him? I need to know that you are in control, Varia. That you can keep control, or at least give warning if you can’t.”

“Oh, fuck off!” Varia spat back at him, with no small amount of annoyance and malice. “Even if I wasn’t in control, what would you do? Curl into a ball and cry?” Maddox allowed his sword to drop from Varia’s neck when he spoke like that.

If the brat didn’t have his shadow powers, would he have been so brave in the face of that demon?

He was annoyed. The others had seen him break down. They didn’t understand. They hadn’t been there. None of them deserved an explanation. Varia wouldn’t likely care for one either. Maddox wouldn’t have been much use to Varia if he had attempted to help anyway.

That Varia responded in such a predictable fashion seemed to relieve everyone. Sabre relaxed and Brom’s tense grip on his daggers eased.

Far be it for the little prick to notice I’m the only one out of the group not convinced he needs to die right now.

Maddox lowered his sword and allowed Varia to storm away. Varia was behaving much like himself, and that told Maddox that the demon was sleeping. He wasn’t sure how long Dor’Goth may need to recover, but the sun was rising higher. A creature of the dark like that was certainly weakest in the light. They had an entire day to get someplace safe

“The tunnels are no longer an option. We need a new plan.” Sabre spoke, the three of them beginning to follow the carnage Varia left through the thick brush.

They followed at a distance, past low hanging branches, trudging through the mud. They walked for hours, the forest slowing their procession before Varia finally stopped. He slid down a tree to sit, indicating that exhaustion had finally caught up to him. Varia only offered the others a brooding scowl. Maddox watched as he slowly pulled his shirt up, revealing a blackened bruise across his ribs. It was painful looking enough that Maddox nearly cringed, but Varia did not speak, did not ask for help. Maddox sat near Sabre, Brom moving towards Varia to attempt to tend to him.

“While we have the light on our side we should rest. Until we have other safeguards, it’d be ill-advised for us to travel at night. Even if the demon is weakened, it may use him to recover under the cloak of darkness. Run off with Varia’s body.” Maddox thought out loud. Brom was waved away by Varia, his brother joining him and Sabre on the ground.

“Suddenly the expert on demons, are you?” Brom asked, throwing him a skeptical glance. He was clearly not thrilled with Maddox, nor the situation they all had found themselves in.

“Not so sudden.” Maddox murmured, his eyes on Varia, taking in his wounds, watching the other close his eyes and rest his head back against the trunk of the tree.

“I don’t carry an elven sword because they are nifty. I’m not terrified of demons because I know too little about them, just the opposite. Varia is by far the least of the demons Arcturus holds.” Sabre and Brom both cast curious looks to Maddox then. Maddox was alluding, and he wouldn’t divulge, not yet.

Brom stared at him for a long moment, before he rose to his feet. “I’m going to gather supplies.” He said, disappearing into the trees.

Maddox watched him go, a soft sigh leaving his lips. Sabre was still watching him, eyebrows raised as he waited for an explanation that would not come. Maddox shook his head a bit, clearing his throat. “We should find the elves. The dark elves would likely know most about whatever that thing is, but they are just as likely to want to harness it. The wood elves… may not allow us passage.” Maddox spoke, mostly to Sabre.

Sabre sniffed, swiping a hand under his nose. “Elves? Fairly elusive creatures. How do you intend on finding them?” Sabre asked, before he gestured to Maddox’s sword. “It has been a long while since you've been there. I’ve never met any clans, only those who live as man.” Sabre asked.

“The elves? They live in the Graves, E’letaesi, do they not?” Varia suddenly spoke from where he sat. Maddox had thought he asleep for a moment, but he had been listening. He was surprised Varia knew of the Graves, or at least their true name. Before Maddox could express his surprise and to confirm what Varia knew, Sabre spoke.

“Allegedly. What do you know about elves? There are no elves in Arcturus anymore.” Sabre taunted, his tone not short of venom.

Varia didn’t turn his eyes to Sabre, instead watching Maddox. “I’ve read of them.” He replied.

“Read? Arcturus doesn’t allow breeders to read.” Sabre shot back, his eyes rolling. Maddox was also surprised Varia claimed to be able to read. Maddox had learned late in life and still had trouble with more complex texts. When and where Varia had come to acquire the skill was beyond Maddox, though it was not an unwelcome revelation.

“The Graves shouldn’t be far, it spans most of Er Rai, doesn’t it? If they elves can help us, we need to go there.” Varia stated, his words directed at Maddox once again. Another surprise. It seemed as if Varia not only acknowledged that he may need help, but he wanted it. Besides that, Maddox detected an out of place glee and earnestness in Varia’s insistence.

It was true that the elves they sought were likely close by, getting to the Graves would be the easiest of their tasks. E’letaesi, the Graves, was a massive forest. It cut Er Rai down the center, only three breaks in the trees to allow passage of man. The trees were taller than average, closer together. There were tales of them moving, breathing. Most wrote those off as rumor, but Maddox knew. For every tree in the Graves was an elf, or had once been. Heart trees, sisters and brothers to the wood elves. They were alive, more so than normal plants. Once a body was placed into the ground, a sapling would grow in it’s stead, reaching heights it never had, surrounded by brethren once more.

“I’ve had… dealings. Not all positive.” Maddox finally spoke, though he did not speak in full truths. He lived with the elves many years when he was a boy, after he fled Arcturus.

His gaze had shifted from Varia’s eyes back to his sword. He felt the bitter edge of sadness pull at his chest, but willed it away. “Even if we can navigate the trees and reach the elves, there is no guarantee that they will help, nor will we know what they will want in return. Elves are still Fae, after all. If they sense our need, they could take advantage of us.”

It had been many years since Maddox had gone to the Graves. He was not sure who the ruling clan may be. “If we find them, we may only be able to gain healing services. Have you razed any elven villages recently?” Maddox turned his question to Varia. The elves tended to stay out of human politics and war, but there were enough factions allied with the various empires to have had run-ins with Varia. Arcturians weren’t known for having a kind nature towards those who weren’t from the ice.

“None that I can recall.” Varia replied, dead pan. Maddox had to resist the urge to roll his eyes.

Hardly encouraging. Recently could be anything, and for Elves, recently still encompassed the last fifty years. Perhaps that wasn’t the wisest question. Maddox thought bitterly.

“We don’t have much to barter with, and not all of us are as charming as we could be.” Sabre spoke, shooting a scowl to Varia, before he turned back to Maddox. Maddox watched golden eyes move from his own and down to his sword. “In any case, if we intend to disguise ourselves and search for a clan in the Graves, we will need to resupply. We lost much in the explosion, and more still when we had to leave the caves in such a hurry.” Sabre let out an exhausted sigh, kneeding the flesh between his eyebrows. “We can’t parade you two about Er Rai without a disguise. Everyone knows the Hero of Er Rai, and even here Varia is recognizable.”

Sabre was right. Varia’s reach was far, stretching beyond the seas of Arcturus and Nihal. Maddox’s gaze met Varia’s face again. He was striking, clearly Arcturian. The dark hair, those piercing eyes. Couple that with his dwarfish stature, and he would surely be recognized. Many had suffered loss at his hands, and all it would take is one well-placed arrow. And they desperately needed supplies. They had nothing more than the clothes on their backs and the weapons they carried with them. They could forage for food and water, but they would need new clothes, medical supplies.

“You’re right. You and Brom will need to sneak into a town, grab what you can, perhaps gather information if anyone remains. There are plenty of towns in these woods. It’s a good day out. If everyone hasn’t been run off because of the attack on the capital, we may be able to hope for laundry, get some change of clothes.” Maddox spoke, his eyes shifting as Brom returned, arms full of herbs and berries.

Brom sat onto the grass, gathering two large rocks to grind the herbs into a paste. “So we are raiding villages, and then heading….?”

“To the elves.”

Brom stopped grinding and looked to his brother, down to the sword, then back to him again. “The elves? I thought you were not permitted.” Brom spoke, glowering at Maddox as if he had lied or set him off course.

“We don’t have a choice. I’d rather talk to the elves than go underground again.” Maddox responded, receiving a glare in return. Brom shifted from where he had mashed the herbs, silent as he smeared the pasted onto his own wound before sliding to where Varia sat to tend to his own.

The rest the group took had been short. Within the hour the group began to move once more. The sound of water drew them to a small stream, and following it west led them to a lake. A fishing village sat on the waters edge. Small canoes were tethered to wooden piers, tin buckets lined the shores. The closer they drew, Maddox realized the village was quiet. Perhaps they had fled due to the bombing. Perhaps soldiers had come through, emptying the population. It was hard to determine the cause from where they stood, hidden by the trees.

“Sabre and Brom should check the houses. If there’s anyone left, they could be looking for you and I. We’ll search the outskirts, take whatever is outdoors.” Maddox spoke to Varia as they spied the edge of the town and the first of the cabins.

Brom and Sabre moved through the houses, footsteps muffled by years of training. Maddox watched them from the brush, Varia watched the two disappear between the wooden homes, before he glanced towards Maddox. “Why do the elves no longer permit you to go to them?”

That bitter sadness gripped Maddox once more. His eyes lowered to his sword briefly as Varia spoke, before returning to the desolate town. “Because I am tainted and I bring them misfortune, or so they believe. I killed one of them once. The circumstances surrounding the death, that elf’s rank among the clans, and the aftermath earned me their spiritual aversion. They don’t hate me, so don’t hold out hope that they will band together with you to kill me.” Maddox spoke with a sideways smirk at Varia. “They just cannot get to close or speak with me without precaution, and for me to walk into someplace like E’letaesi is tempting their gods to strike me down.”

Maddox gave a heavily edited version of the story to Varia, glossing over all the painful details. Even if it hadn’t been Varia asking, he may have done so regardless. They still haunted him, after all. That was evident in his continued fear of the deep dark. After the run in with the demon in the caves, Maddox was even more aware of his past and felt it hovering just beneath the surface. He dreaded the next time he had to sleep, for he was sure nightmares akin to terrors would grip him. If nothing else, he wanted to see the elves for their sleeping tinctures. He hadn’t needed them in a while, but he would spend his entire fortune on a month’s worth just to be able to sleep soundly again.

Varia had listened to him curiously, but hadn’t pressed for more. The gleam in his eye told Maddox he was not through with questions, though he thankfully refrained, at least for now. “You cause me misfortune, so that seems fair.” Maddox snorted out a chuckle at that, unable to disagree. Varia had also been direct cause for much misfortune in Maddox’s life.

“Quickly. Just because we see no one, does not mean they are not out there.”

Maddox crept to the edge of a house closer to the woods. The town was quiet. A shroud of death hung over it more than just one of mourning. Maddox quickly swiped some hanging laundry without much care for what he was grabbing. He paused briefly to take a sheet from the line, intending to cut it into strips to wrap his sword with. Without its scabbard, the makeshift bindings would have to do until they reached the Graves.

Varia was with him, a woven basket in hand as he filled it with clothing from the lines. “Demons, spies, genocide… Er Rai is beginning to feel like Arcturus.”

Was that a joke?

Varia was certainly full of surprises. Maddox wasn’t sure if that had meant to cause him to chuckle again, but it had. Varia hadn’t glared at him or told him to shut up, so perhaps it had meant to be a jest.

Maddox’s response had stalled though. Varia’s eyes had been drawn towards a small church, and Maddox’s followed. Their companions were near it as well, likely feeling the same dark magics that Maddox and Varia sensed. Maddox could practically see the malevolence seeping through the steeples. There was death there.

Sabre turned back to Maddox, his eyes wide. Maddox lifted a hand to Varia, instructing him silently to stay where he was. Maddox moved closer to Brom as his brother peered through the window of the church.

Maddox was no stranger to gruesome deaths, but the piles of bodies and stains of red were still tragic. Seeing the bodies made him feel better in a way. The things they were taking would not be missed. However, the entire village was likely there in the church. A heavy miasma of magic hung in the building, cloying and choking off his air.

Blood magic.

There were many such magics, and Maddox was called to know what had been wrought. Was something being summoned or created? Perhaps it was just a dark sorcerer fueling his power. That would be the most benign. But the bodies were neatly piled, as if the townsfolk had grouped themselves together and then stayed in their circles as they were slaughtered. Opened at the chest and down, innards were visible. The stench was nauseating. Flies had already begun to gather in the church, so many it nearly obscured his sight. What concerned him the most was the way the guts moved and bubbled. There was a tome drawn in blood in the center of the circle of bodies.

“Blood beasts.” Brom confirmed what Maddox was seeing. Maddox turned his eyes down to the sword at his hip, the soft hum it emanated reaching his ears. “When it rains it pours.” He grumbled. “We need to go. We need to get as far as we can before nightfall. We can’t risk having Varia exposed to blood magic.”

It was especially concerning that they had stumbled upon these creatures now. Their scent would remain and soon the beasts would be fully formed and on the hunt. The symbol was one that would set the beasts to those with Arcturian blood. Brom and Maddox returned to where Sabre and Varia waited, before they began moving once more.

If those beasts were created so soon after the bombing of Emeriss, it was likely they were made for the sake of quickly hitting back at Arcturus. Those beasts were going to be set to hunt Arcturians. That posed quite a problem, as their party had three. Blood magic was frowned upon, and outright banned in most places across Er Rai, but it was largely ignored. The war had raged for so long that most efforts were concentrated in supporting Nihal, not in quelling the rather small population of blood mages.

The group moved quickly through the forest. There were trails carved into the dirt for carriages and horses to pass through. Maddox was thankful for the easy walk. His own exhaustion and pain was easier to ignore now that they weren’t climbing through thick brush. The sun was sinking lower and lower as they walked, and Maddox finally decided to camp for the night.

He set about getting wood for a fire. They would need to keep it stoked through the night. Brom set to work covering their trail and tossing clothes from the village on the flames to cover their scent. Maddox unwrapped the cloth bindings from his sword and dipped them into spring water that they had collected. He murmured soft spells as he re-wrapped the blade, before he lifted his head to eye Varia as the Arcturian settled away from the others, prodding and jabbing at the bruise on his side.

“Varia. You should rest before it gets too dark. Unless that thing is in complete hibernation, you’ll find sleeping difficult the later it gets. Until we reach the elves, I would rather not risk it.” Maddox called to him.

Varia didn’t respond, instead turning his back to the group as he lay on the ground, tugging his cloak around himself. Maddox watched him from over the fire, the other’s quiet as they busied themselves in setting up the small camp. Soon, Varia’s breathing deepened as he slipped into a sleep.

“We’d be better off killing him.” Sabre spoke, his voice low. Varia was asleep. He didn’t need to be so quiet. “What does your cell want with him? Not to kill him, I assume.”

Maddox understood Sabre’s weariness, even agreed with it to an extent. Maddox didn’t need to respond to Sabre, Brom did it for him.

“When we last convened, the intention was to ultimately put him on ice. Bring him out only in the event that Maddox and various other compatriots failed to bring Arcturus to heel. In the event he was to be activated the plan was to use his influence in the military and provinces to start a rebellion, destabilize the government, and use his power to assist in night work operations.”

To be a distraction while those like Brom killed key enemies behind the scenes. To be as much a weapon then as he was for Arcturus.

Maddox stared into the fire, his hands draped casually over his sword. The had been was to seal Varia’s power so it wouldn’t be a threat and to ship him off to the far continents to live out his days away from Er Rai and Nihal. But there were so many obstacles before they could even get that far.

“I’m sure the rest of the cell intended to kill him afterwards if he could not be re-pacified, shoved back into the box for next time. I made it clear that was not to be the result.” Brom spoke, his gaze lifting from where he sat to lock onto Maddox. It was not something Maddox wanted to argue about now. He was far too tired for that.

It barely mattered anymore. Brom had not been around the past several years, and Maddox's ties to the cell were all but severed. His quest did not line with their goals any longer, and he parted ways. Brom did not know. Sabre perhaps knew, he always knew more than he should, but if he did, he never mentioned it.

“Blood beasts usually have a particular quarry set by blood. If they come for us, it will be because we are Arcturians. You will be safe. Brom has taken care of our scent on the wind and in the forest. Unless we have left a blood trail we should be okay. Even if I agree to killing Varia, there is no way to do so now that would make things easier for us. Even supposing you and I could subdue Brom, any blood spilled by Varia could attract the beasts in droves. Not to mention that I’m not sure the demon in him would allow his death by average means. It’s more trouble than it’s worth, I assure you.” Maddox murmured, his voice far off, his gaze on the fire.

Maddox suddenly grinned and draped his arm around Sabre, pulling the other close to him. “Just this of this as payback for all those times I told you not to cross me, and for that debacle in Kesir. Don’t worry, my friend. A few weeks, maybe a month of adventures to make you hate me, then I’ll have you back in the desert with sweet wine and whores galore.”

Sabre groaned at that, shaking his head as he wiggled in Maddox’s grip. “You’re a fool. You aren’t worth all of this, and you know it.” He grumbled, before he sighed. Sabre was not ready to let go of the seriousness of their situation. “Has anyone in your cell considered the fact that Varia does have massive influence with the Legion? Those men are fiercely loyal to him. Using him to start a civil war and create strife is great in concept, but it will be much more difficult to deal with Varia if he has an entire army at his back.”

“Varia doesn’t want to rule or fight. Even if you give him an army, he’d only use it to set himself free.” Brom chimed in, reminding Maddox and Sabre that he knew the little demon far better than they did. Maddox bought it, but he could see Sabre didn’t.

Sabre sighed at that, before he glanced to Maddox, lips curled in a devious smirk. His golden eyes seemed to glean with a knowing look. What he thought he knew, Maddox did not know. Perhaps he was thinking of the wrestling match he and Brom had interrupted in the caves.

“I doubt we’ll have much time during this little adventure to actually have any sort of fun. You’ll owe me once this is over. We’ll take an extended stay in Joren. Drink until we pass out. Fuck until we can’t move. That is what you’ll do to make this up to me.” Sabre declared. Brom rolled his eyes before he moved to curl near where Varia was, no longer wanting to listen to the debauchery Maddox and Sabre spoke of.

“Ah, don’t be so pessimistic. Once we leave the Graves, washed and patched, assuming they don’t kill us, there’s plenty of chance we’ll find something worthwhile. Maybe find you a nice local barn wench.” Maddox added, throwing another log onto the flames. “If only you had enough money to tempt me under you, for once.” he added with a wink. “I’ll empty my modest coffers for your entertainment in Joren. Now take a rest so you have a chance of making it that far.”

Sabre lay close to the fire, folding his arms behind his head, a chuckle leaving his lips. “I prefer tavern wenches. They’re readily available and eager to please the nephew of the Queen.”

Maddox chuckled in return, before allowing their camp to fall into a deep silence. He relished in it. In the quiet, he could safely think about the turning of events without worrying that the others may see or pick up on things he’d rather they not.

Outside of the deep dark, Maddox put on a brave show. Not many things scared him the way the underground did, but that was not to say he was without worry. But being a captain and carrying the weight of a country on his shoulders prevented him from appearing weary, afraid, worried. Maddox, more often than not, showed a jovial face outside of war. He drank, laughed, fucked and all of the things a successful and carefree man of the military was expected to do. Beneath all of that were his worries. His fears. Secrets. What he did not voice, but which each of his party likely gathered to varying extents, was that his agreement to the conversion and salvation of Varia had much to do with how much he saw himself in the other.

His brothers’ attachment aside, Maddox was not as convinced as he made it sound that he would have killed Varia before now. While Varia may hold a pent up need to explore while Maddox did nothing but, they both harbored a deep need for quiet, safety. Peace. It was something neither of them really understood or knew, but each fought desperately to gain. Maddox’s fear was that they would not know it when they had it. That their lives of fighting and violence had conditioned them too well to expect and anticipate conflict to the point of starting it. Maddox’s desire to rehabilitate Varia, to free the human in him was also a desire to do so in himself. To be rid of his nightmares, to lay down his sword, to adventure without a sense of purpose but with the anticipation of discovery and fun.

Maddox sat in silence, listening to the other’s sleep. His eyes traced the stars, naming the constellations in his head and recounting the legends about them. They were the only constant witness to his struggles and thoughts. The only friends he counted on having once this was all done. For among his company he knew their secrets numbered the stars and that it was unlikely that they would all survive their discovery.

His ear honed in on Varia as he slept. Small whimpers came from the bundle of fur that had distanced himself from the others. He was having nightmares. It was as if Varia’s crimes caught up to him while he slept. Maddox felt a deep sadness at the realization. He understood.

Maddox heard a change in Varia’s breathing only because he was listening for it. He didn’t look to him as he woke, but as he felt him rise and sit closer to him he was surprised. He turned his head to Varia briefly as the other spoke, his voice heavy with sleep still. “We should move soon. The next time we stop, you need to rest. I can keep watch then.”

The glow of the fire threw attractive shadows over Varia’s face, giving him depth and youth all at once. Maddox was amused at the mundane things Varia spoke of. He wasn’t sure why it made him smile a bit. The other was usually so guarded with his words.

“I’d feel better if you kept day watch for a bit. At least until we consult the elves. You are less likely to hear whispers, to see things when it’s light out.” Maddox replied. Varia snorted in response.

Maddox understood the snort too well. How could he not? Varia might be vilified for it, but Maddox had ended just as many lives as the other. Of people who believed they were doing the right thing for the right cause. There would be no end to the whispers for a long time, if ever. That did not mean the voices had to get louder, nor the images to escape from the confines of one’s dreams. They understood each other, yes, much too well. It was that innate understanding, perhaps, that had them opening up to one another. Small things. Significant things. Things that meant little to anyone else, but they were small nuggets of sanity to them.

“Do you look at the stars much?” Maddox suddenly asked, not willing to allow them to drag on in silence. “When I was still in Arcturus it was all I ever did. Make up adventures and stories about the stars. My mother was a star-reader. Where we lived, the clouds and storms were fewer, especially in winter. The galaxies would reach over the ice and the hunters would disappear into it. Did you know there is a star called Varia?” Maddox searched the skies and pointed to a small star just left of a cluster of bright ones. “Just left of Way-Pointer and the Traveler’s Maiden.”

Varia was watching him then, for a long moment. He could sense the eyes on him, before Varia’s gaze followed Maddox’s to the sky. He was quiet for a long moment, and Maddox thought Varia perhaps preferred the silence.

“I don’t know where I was born, but I was raised in the tower near Akranes. The first time I realized there was something other than dark in the sky was my first trip to Nihal. I’d never seen anything so incredible in my life. I spent all night sitting just outside of my war camp, sat on a rock just staring up. I certainly suffered for it the next day, but I kept going. Anytime I’d leave Arcturus, I’d spend my nights gazing up at them. I never knew they named them.” A sigh left Varia’s lips as he spoke, a deep sadness in his tone.

“I was permitted to read when I turned 12. Arcturus has no writing on the skies, only ancient gods, Arcturian history and war tactics. The odd fable here and there, mythical histories, but nothing on stars. I never realized what had been stolen from me, not entirely. I didn’t think I would live long enough to begin caring about all that I’ve missed.”

Maddox listened, and understood again. He understood the sadness, the thought of losing a life by fighting for another. He knew the sight in Nihal and had spent many nights doing just as Varia had. He wondered for a moment if they had been out there together.

“You’re right. There are no stories written in Arcturus about the stars. But they do exist. The star-gazers of Arcturus, ones like my mother, believe that to write the stories is to make them fixed, to steal their freedom and obscure their light. The stories are always told, always shared between friends, families, lovers… even enemies. To tell them is to let them live, to write them is to put them in chains.” Maddox said, thinking of the many nights when he was young, pestering his mother for stories. “Nihal has many stories, written and not. I have tried in vain to get Sabre to take more interest in the sky he has been blessed with. Perhaps I will coax him into recounting the tales for you, they are quite amazing.”

Sabre would never tell them if he thought it was because Varia wanted to hear them, and Varia would never ask.

“Your parents, if they knew of the story, must have loved you and wished you long life and many friends. The star Varia is a tale about a wanderer who traveled the star road. She, my mother told it as the tale of a woman, but I have heard it told as a man, she was said to have been born alone in the sky, small and without much glow. She thought herself alone in the galaxy until a comet shot through the sky and asked her why she was by herself. Confused, Varia asked the comet if there were others and from where the comet came. She was told there were many across the skies and she asked the comet if she could join him.” As Maddox told the story, he inched closer to the fire, his eyes focused on Varia the man rather than the wanderer.

“There are many smaller tales, but in most, Varia comes across other stars. Sometimes alone, sometimes in small groups, and talks with them. She tells them of her sky and learns of theirs. Varia, seeing so many stars together and in such happiness, began to make up tales of her own sky, saying it was magnificent, creating in their minds a wondrous place. And they would flock there, eager to see this paradise where she was from. Though it began as a lie, because so many believed her, it became the sky you see now. It became her paradise. For every named star, there is a story of Varia. I don’t know them all.”

As Maddox recounted the tale to Varia, he watched the other. Varia’s eyes were fixed on the star that shared his name, his usual scowl relaxed. He appeared content.

“My parents didn’t name me. I was conceived purely for Arcturus. They were there when I was born, the Vaalar. They came with a wet nurse and inspectors. I wasn’t named until I was nearly six. I only answered to a series of numbers up to that point. Names are a privilege only those who have killed have. Vaalar Thiron named me. I never wondered the reasoning behind my name until now.” Varia murmured, pulling his knees to his chest.

Maddox knew of Vaalar Thiron. Everyone did. The breeder programs in Arcturus were run by the Vaalar, a group of high ranked officials. Most sat upon the council, running the country from their towers. They were all high ranked war veterans and had served in the war that collapsed the Aesir monarchy. Vaalar Thiron had been a mighty warrior, and remained mighty to this day. Maddox wasn’t sure if he believed Thiron named Varia. The name seemed to intimate, too hopeful for what the Vaalar wanted Varia to become. Whether the name had been picked out prior to Varia’s reception of it, or if there was a reason behind Thiron choosing it, Varia didn’t seem to know and Maddox supposed it didn’t matter. But the positive associations Maddox had with the star name made him think that once someone in Arcturus had harbored a wish for a bright future for Varia. Now that he had begun to know Varia, he was becoming more certain of that. After all, there were no stories in which Varia the Wanderer had gathered companions by violence.

“Where are you from? What village? I’ve always known you were Arcturian, but I’d never cared to ask.” Varia suddenly asked, a relief for Maddox. He wanted to talk to him, to absorb all that was Varia and his past. He wanted to know more. “You look it, you know. You’ve lost your accent, but you have the ice in your eyes and the sharpness of your features. The way you move is even Arcturian. Traits the ice breeds.”

“We are from Stjornu Vatnio. A small village on the frozen sea. Most have never heard of us, nor have they been so far out on the ice.” Maddox could count on his hands the number of times people from mainland Arcturus came to visit his village. Most often a few of the villagers ventured off to trade and would be gone for a month. Maddox had never gone on such a trip. “We speak a different language from the mainland, so my accent is probably unfamiliar. Learning elvish also tends to break one of any hard inflections. You are perhaps the only one that would take me for Arcturian now.” Maddox’s hair had once held darker roots, but years in places like Nihal with too much sun had bleached out most of the brown to a lighter blonde. It was strange to hear that some of his traits were typical of the place.

“I’ve never heard of your village. It’s probably for the best that I haven’t. Whenever we were dispatched to smaller towns, it was to purge remnants of the Aesir blood.” Varia said softly. He had pulled his knees to his chest, his chin resting upon them, gazing at the fire now rather than the sky. “I’ve traveled all over Arcturus, from the frozen forests of Krynskoye to the south, and through the Wall of the Sun mountains to the east. I’m not sure what the frozen sea is, but I’ve traveled along the Sea of Silence often. In the mountains of Miraovo I have my own hold. Mal’Dyr. I suppose it belongs to another now.” Varia trailed off into silence, and Maddox wondered briefly if he was mourning what he had lost when Arcturus turned on him.

Maddox lapsed into silence again, the crackle of the fire and the howl of the wind wrapped around them. It was oddly companionable, comfortable. As if they had always been part of the same war band. “When you are free of this, visit a place called Laksmi. It’s an island in the north. They have the largest glass library in the continents.” Maddox offered softly, tossing another log into the fire.

Varia’s head turned to Maddox as he spoke again, eyebrows raising in a mild and amused surprise. “You believe I will be free after this? If I am not killed in Arcturus or by your men, it won’t matter. I’ll never be free of Arcturus, or of war. And even if I was, I’m a criminal in every place. I’ll never be able to walk freely in places that have suffered because of the Demon of Arcturus.” His voice was calm, quiet, but the thick heaviness that always weighed him down was like a noose. “I don’t expect to live. I’ll do what you need me to do, but I will not make plans for a future I’ll never see.”

Maddox gave a soft chuckle at Varia’s words. “You think too much of Arcturus. The world is vaster than the conflicts we have here. There are places that have only heard a whisper of us and nothing of who you or I am. Laksmi would be a safe place for you. Many go there for knowledge and sometimes redemption if such is to be found among their pages. The keepers there care not who you are, only why you have come. They would welcome someone like you I think.” Maddox assured the other, looking from Varia’s face to the grass beneath his feet. “My brother means to see you freed, or to die trying. I don’t intent to let him die. So whether you expect it to work or not, fight for it as if you do.”

Silence enveloped them again, each in their own thoughts as the night wore on. Maddox found himself enjoying that silence, with Varia sat beside him. He spent the remainder of the night gazing up at the stars, at Varia the Wanderer.