The Realm of Austur Episode 2: New Consequences

A forest along the northeastern edge of the Jorkun mountains, bordering the Alibab Republic and the Cleatian Empire...

They stopped to rest at midday, when the Sun had reached its zenith. The morning had turned hot and temperate, and while the heat wasn't overly oppressive, the forest air was thick and humid. Vincent secured a nice spot of shade beneath a particularly large tree and sat down, while his new student went to cool herself off in a nearby stream.

She was an interesting young woman, that much was certain. He could understand why the Vampire was interested in her so, and it didn't have anything to do with the fact she kicked his ass only a couple weeks prior. Vincent smiled slightly, leaning back against the tree trunk. Well, maybe it did... That bastard was definitely sick enough to get a kick out of that. Still... She intrigued him perhaps even more than she did the Vampire.

Even at my full power, she was able to contain me long enough for me to regain control. That's an impressive feat by itself. But the untapped potential that girl harbors... It's downright mind boggling. She could very well prove even stronger than I. No... I'm not even in her league. She just doesn't know that yet. Old Master Morgath would have warned me to kill her now, while I still can, and yet here I am training her myself...

Vincent winced at the thought. It was ironic, really. He was finally resigned to live, and only now did he find the one person who could kill him... It was almost maddening, how badly the universe had screwed him. He sighed, allowing himself a few brief moments of relaxation. He closed his eyes, though his other senses remained alert.

To think, it was her I sensed back then... She was the one who ushered in this new era. Although, I'm probably one of the only ones who realizes the era has changed at all... Except possibly Nivian and the Vampire.

He thought about changing out of his long black coat, considering the heat, but he decided against it. He didn't want to linger here for too long. They were still on the Alibabian side of the mountains, and it made him a bit uneasy, being away from Gorgath for so long. The temperature didn't really bother him anyway. Instead, he merely leaned back against the tree and waited for his reluctant student to return. Maybe, if he was feeling kind, he might actually tell her where they were going.

He grinned at the thought. Yeah... Probably not.

Vincent opened his eyes and gave a cryptic, knowing smile. "That depends. Are you ready to learn what I have to teach? Knowledge is a very dangerous thing."

He rose to his feet, and brushed the leaves off his coat. "I guess we'll find out, hmm? The mountain pass isn't that far from here. We should reach Gorgath by tomorrow evening. But before that... Is there anything around here you'd like to see? It's a beautiful day. You should lighten up and live a little. You only get one life, you know."

He was testing the waters, true. And it might be a bit early to do so... But if she was going to learn, she first had to learn to let go... One cannot hope to embrace the future, when they are clinging to the past. He knows that better than anyone. But something tells him she wasn't going to take the bait... She was too proud. And in too much pain.

Yes... Perhaps this is too soon. Perhaps all of it is. But I promised I would help her, and I won't go back on my word. She will simply have to be ready. After all, life moves on, even when one doesn't want it to.

Well, will you look at that... That's a nice surprise. Maybe there's hope for her after all.

Still... She does have a point. While it would still take a considerable power to harm him in any way- Even weakened he's far stronger than any mortal- he isn't foolish enough to think himself invincible, especially not now. "Fair point. We won't linger too long then."

He followed after her, content to allow her to walk ahead, at least for now. The minutes pass in silence as the forest opens up into a wide open plain. The humidity gradually lessened under the partially cloudy sky, and the temperature dropped as well. The great peaks of the Jorkun Mountains loomed off to their left, snaking up the countryside like the spine of a massive serpent. Long swaths of dark green forest were splayed across the serpent's hide, and the tips of its rocky spine disappeared without a trace into the milky clouds above. Between the grandest of these mighty peaks lay a barely visible road; a path of dark gray splitting the forest green in two.

Vincent stopped, placed a gentle hand on his student's shoulder, and pointed. "That's what we want. It's an old road, built by the dwarves in ages past. No one uses it, not even merchants; few know how to navigate it safely anymore. There's an old dwarven shelter built into a cave in the mountainside, near the summit of the pass. We can rest in relative comfort and safety there, for the night. We will set out again at first light tomorrow. If you wish to do something else first, say it now Elia. It is not safe to wander around these parts after the Sun falls."

"No matter how many things we look through, we simply can't find a trace of her." Ceridwen said, looking through Odessa's things once more. For the past days or two this was the routine for hours on end.. Look through things, wait, look through things, wait.

She closed the box, placing it neatly on the shelf where she had gotten it from. "Perhaps we're overlooking something then. Maybe we should help around with menial task around here." Shalla suggested, opening the door. Searching would do them no good here, but perhaps they could find clues outside the room.

Ceridwen nodded, tapping her chin. "Well, that is certainly a good voice of reason I'm hearing. I think we should. Maybe organize the food for today.• Ceridwen shrugged. The duo closed the door, silence befalling the room once more. Hopefully their luck would be better next time around.

"I know that it gets a little chilly at night in these mountains at this elevation. Normally that would be no problem, given that I brought my old coat with me, but we are underground at the moment. Regardless, I'll leave it up to you. I probably won't be awake long enough to protest whatever decision you make, anyway," she said, and then she laughed and smiled to indicate that the last part was a joke. Mostly, anyway. After that, she pulled her coat out of her bag and wrapped it around herself, and began absentmindedly tracing its seams with her finger.

When I first planned to escape Shaldra, I made all these alterations to it so it would be more like the Cleatian styles. But then I didn't get to see how effective of a disguise it would be, until a few nights ago. Hmm... I wonder if I should add more traditional accents from the different mountain countries to it. Or maybe I'll just make a new one from scratch, and leave this one as it as, a reminder of the steps I took to regain my freedom, the reason I can be here today.

Vincent inclined his head, smiling kindly at her half-joke. He took off his exceptionally long coat, and placed it neatly on the ground. For one of Elia's size, it would serve as both a blanket and a bed. Or at least, the closest thing to one. "This should make the ground less... Uncomfortable. And before you object, I'm used to sleeping on stone. I need to stay awake tonight and try to recover some of my power anyway."

He closed the door with but a word, and strengthened the wards. Without the outside light, the cavern grew darker and the torches reacted immediately, their light intensifying to compensate. With but a glance he dimmed the torches to a dull, gentle light. He then sat down near the steps, crossed his legs, and closed his eyes.

This place... The magic runs deep here. While it's no World Tree, I should be able to recover a good portion of my energy...

Vincent moved to sit beside her. In the dim light, his cobalt blue eyes almost seemed to glow. "I suppose... It's because you remind me of myself," he said quietly, staring at the opposite wall of the cave. He didn't meet her gaze. "But don't mistake me for a hero, Elia. I will not lie to you, nor will I try to deceive you. I am a monster; a demon of the darkest kind. I am far, far worse than that Vampire you fought. The atrocities I have committed are too numerous to count. However... I learned, through trial and error, through decades of blood and pain, that you do not always have to give in to your nature. I learned how to be human, thanks to a dragon and a dwarf ironically enough. I think... That if I help you, then maybe, just maybe... I can redeem a part of myself."

His mouth suddenly twisted into a melancholy smile. "And besides... I had a vision. Standing at the roots of the World Tree, I was given a glimpse of the future. This vision of mine was confirmed when the Vampire tasked me with tracking you down, and training you. He gave me the opportunity to redeem myself, and whatever his true motives may be, I am grateful for that. So I'm not doing it for no reason, little one. I want to see the world you will build with my own two eyes."

His smile faded a bit, as he noticed the extent of her exhaustion. "But look at me rambling on. Don't worry about any of that tonight. For now, just rest. You are safe here. I will let no harm befall you. Rest, and know that everything you have been through wasn't in vain."

It was odd, really. Here he was, telling her to rest, when for the first time in Gods know how long, he was finally at peace. You really don't know how special you are, do you...? It's a shame... You probably won't remember this conversation tomorrow, and I will have to resume the facade of a cryptic mentor... But I have faith. Eventually, we will be able to look up at the sky together, and then we will be able to talk this openly again. I will tell you everything. I will show you all I have seen... The past and the future, and you will finally understand. You will see that this horrible, bloodstained realm of Austur... Is a truly beautiful place to live. I look forward to that day, Elia Arlington.

Vincent awoke early the next morning, around an hour and a half before dawn. Despite how little sleep he got, he had managed to recover the majority of his powers, and he was feeling well rested and, dare he say, chipper. He was careful not to wake his sleeping student as he left the cave, and went to find food. The supplies he had bought from town were beginning to wear thin, and so he resorted to hunting. If he had been in full control of his faculties before, when he had first set out to find Elia, he would have thought to bring more gold. But as it stood, he had only enough for the bare essentials. After all, he didn't need to eat or drink himself, now did he?

Vincent swiftly tracked a small mountain deer, and with the expertise of a trained Ranger, he mercifully killed the animal with a single, painless strike. He cleaned the animal with his canteen and the help of a small mountain stream, carved a few slabs of meat from its hide- only what he would need, nothing more- and started a small fire with two rocks, and just a little bit of magic. He cooked the meat well, took the salt he bought in town from his pack and sprinkled some over the meat. He turned the slabs over the fire for a bit longer, then opened a separate compartment in his travelling pack. He cooled the pack with some water from the stream- after triple checking it was fresh and disease free and turning it over the fire for a few moments- and sprinkled more salt into the compartment. He then placed the meat inside, closed the bag, and slung it back over his shoulder. He then buried the animal, thanked it for its life, and said a quick blessing.

There. That will keep for a while. The cool temperature today will help too. Lena would have been proud.

He felt a brief pang of pain at the memory of the huntress who had taught him how to live off the land, but he pushed the memory aside, at least for now. He had someone waiting for him, after all.

When he returned to the old Dwarven shelter around twenty minutes before dawn, he found his student already awake, up and about. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. From the way you slept, I figured I would have to wake you. Here, I come bearing gifts."

He took out a slab of meat from his pack and used his hunting knife to slice a strip off, offering it to her. "It's probably not what you're used to, and I'm certainly not the best cook, but the meat is clean and fresh. You need to eat something before we head out."

And it didn't even smell that bad, which was another pleasant surprise. Maybe what they say is true after all, that a man cooks better when he has someone to cook for.

Vincent gave a small shrug. "The cold doesn't bother me. It actually felt quite nice. Besides, I prefer to wear light clothing when hunting. That coat is too long and heavy, and it would have been a hindrance more than a help. It's something you too will learn when I teach you how to hunt and track."

He tore off a strip of meat for himself, if only to maintain appearances, and walked over to the old workbenches against the back wall. He picked up a few relics of Dwarven metal, and placed them in his bag. "It would be a waste to leave them here," he explains, noticing his student's expression. "Are you ready to leave? Once we set out, we won't be stopping for several hours."