Demiourgos (27 page)

Figuring it was servants arguing or something of the like she thought nothing of it and stepped out of her room into the main corridor of the large home they all shared. Her surprise was genuine when a pair of guards followed by her sister strode by her room carrying a naarabi girl limp between them. Behind the three of them came a short procession of kurenai being led along by the elite patrol that had left the city to hunt.

“Enarah is that a naarabian?” She called while trying to catch up with her older sister taking no time to carry herself as a lady of the court would she strode up next to her sibling and fixed her gaze on the limp woman strung between the two elves. “I’ve never seen one before.”

“Neither have I.” Enarah said in reply as she eyed the unconscious captive and spoke in short angered tones. “She was deceptively skilled with magic; mother will be pleased with this prize. Guards make sure you bind her in the spell-chains. We don’t want her working any errant arcana.”

“By your word mistress.” They replied in unison as they broke off from the two nobles and headed down a long spiral staircase.

“I’d like to study her.” Avreel said suddenly a she fought to keep up with the taller woman. Her sister had obviously taken quite a beating during the exchange. Her eyebrows arched as she studied the wounds and the dirt on her sister’s prized armor. When her sibling didn’t answer she fell back a little and moved to the side watching the guards usher the kurenai past her. One of her older brothers was at the rear. His prized sword was belted at his hip as usual. “Revis what happened?”

“That little bitch bested ‘Nara.” He replied as quietly as he could so his older sister did not hear him use his ‘pet name’ for her. “She quaffed three of our healing draughts after the battle. The naarabi witch evaded me as well. It was just by chance that Varse hit her square in the face with a stone and knocked her cold. Otherwise I’m sure she would have taken us all down once she had recovered.”

“Amazing.” Avreel said reverently as she turned to look back at the staircase that the rest of the prisoners were being led down. “Can I study her?”

“You’re not to go anywhere near her.” He replied quickly as he swept a hand out from his chest to extend almost full at his side. He knew his little sister was curious beyond what was safe; he didn’t want her getting too close to the prisoner. “We don’t know anything about this creature and I’d rather not see you make some sort of mistake and set her free accidentally.”

“Why does everyone insist on treating me like a child?” She countered angrily as she stopped her stride and stood in the middle of the hallway regarding him with angry eyes. “I’ve proven myself capable time and time again and yet still you all act as if I have no common sense.”

“When you stop acting like a whipped child we will stop treating you as such. I’ll hear no more arguments fifth; do not forget your place!” He yelled loudly and put his hand down to rest on the hilt of his sword. “Do you understand me?”

“I understand.” She looked off down a side corridor for a moment then turned around to head back to her chambers. She’d rather face her mother’s anger at not arriving than show up in the main hall after being berated by her brother. She was seething as she strode so the guards bringing up the rear of the returning party stood out of her way as quickly as they could scramble.

Just as she was about to reach her room her other sister walked around the corner and took her by the arm, forcing her to walk back the other way. “If you don’t show up again mother will flay the skin from your pretty little face.”

“I don’t care, I’m sick and tired of you all treating me like a house slave.” Avreel said sternly but allowed herself to be led back down the hallway. Hannan had always been the kindest to her even though saying that was a stretch. Still, compared to the berating and beatings she had received during her upbringing she had received the least abuse from Hannan. “I tire of the games between our family members, I just want to study and be left alone.”

“There’s more to life than books and magic dear.” Hannan replied and laughed as she yanked her sister down the hallway almost forcibly.

Avreel looked around as they walked as she tried to stem her anger before reaching the antechamber where her mother was waiting for them. The stone pillars that held up the intricately carved roof didn’t impress her anymore. Every carving, statue and decoration was devoted to Shoon their patron. She was less than impressed with the vile fiend but she had no choice but to follow the lead of her siblings. In secret she worshipped another god. They could never know or she would be executed on the spot. The time was coming for her to study among the priests within the academy and she was petrified; among the faithful there was a better chance they would detect her heresy than anyone else.

“A lot on your mind sister?” Hannan said to her before they reached the doors.

“Too much but now is not the time for such talk.” She knew what her sister wanted to hear and she was right when the fourth of the house smiled at her.  Avreel thought it looked more like a killer smiling at its prey than anything else. When her sister’s eyes turned away she rolled her own and let out a breath tinged with frustration.

The doors to her mother’s audience chamber were as intricately carved as the ceilings and pillars. The demonic symbols and runes engraved there along with their house symbol was the envy of every other house in the cavern. Avreel knew that beyond those stone double doors the rest of the family would be gathered to honor her sister and brother for their exploits outside of the bounds of the city.

Avreel didn’t see what was so important about killing parties of miners and random beasts that roamed the wilds. She wanted to sigh again but Avreel just followed Hannan beyond the magically opened portal and into the center of the hall. The inside would impress her if it weren’t an affront to her senses. The carved reliefs all depicted the bat-winged four legged beast that ruled their destiny. His torso and head a man his body a dragon. Even though the scales that adorned his dragon half were stone and its body was similarly lifeless it made her shiver every time she met the eyes of the vile idol.

The entire hall was decorated with more statues of the great heroes of her family’s past and the vile servants of their dark master. Though she suffered from the vanity that came with her heritage she couldn’t believe that they were so self-centered that each matron and patron that had ruled the house had a statue of themselves carved and placed into the great hall. In the center of the great hall stood a raised platform with her mother and father both sitting on a pair of thrones. They were short for their race but that did nothing to quell their legendary tempers. Her father had brown hair and blue eyes and her mother had dark red hair and brown eyes. Both of them had the family creamy white skin that almost every child had inherited. They were also decked out in finery of red and gold with enchanted weapons on their hips that dripped with jewels and could fell even the mightiest warrior or purchase a small kingdom. The decadence of her house was also the stuff of legends also.

Gathered among the rest of them were her brothers and her other sister. Taking her place as the fifth child of the house she stood to the far right and just behind the child next in line in front of her. Their parents liked to make them wait before they spoke; it was a game they had played since Avreel was a child. Every child of the house had made the mistake of speaking out of turn though. The punishment was severe enough that they never made that mistake a second time. After making them wait for a sufficient amount of time her mother and father stood and walked down the stairs toward them.

“Enarah my beloved jewel, I hear you bring a few wondrous treasures for the house on your return. I would love to hear your report.” Their mother Sorisha said in her best silky-smooth and venomous voice. It was amazing how she could portray both at the same time. Avreel knew that displeasing her mother by bringing back no victories or spoils would result in harsh castigation.

“My patron and matron I have a much unexpected surprise for the both of you.” Enarah said as she bowed her head down to the two of them. “We captured five kurenai males.”

Her mother looked disappointed and she arched an eyebrow, coming to face her daughter directly at the foot of the raised thrones. Their father, Il’bariis, spoke next trying to curb his wife’s coming wrath before it could escape. “That hardly sounds like an unexpected surprise my dear.”

“That is not the best of the details.” Enarah replied through a wolfish grin. “The kurenai dogs had a very odd-placed personage with them. They seemed to be escorting her somewhere. She is a naarabian sorceress.”

Seeing the surprise on their faces made Avreel flinch, she knew that the two of them would break this poor slave of her will or worse in a short order. Naarabians were a rarity in the world. It would be a shame to see the woman destroyed before she had time to question it.

“A rare treasure indeed, I am surprised to see either of you standing before me in the face of such an opponent.” She said to her two oldest children much to their chagrin. “You have never faced an enemy as fierce or as powerful as a naarabian witch. I do not question your skill children I am just surprised to see such a creature vanquished.”

“Make no mistake she was well versed in magic. If it weren’t for our coordinated efforts she would have laid us low.” Enarah countered hotly while facing her mother down without fear. “Our skills combined were no match for her and the enchanted blades you provided our patrol rendered us effective against the rock-brained lummoxes escorting her.”

“Calm yourself first.” Her mother said with an outstretched hand. “Remember to whom you’re talking.”

“My apologies mother you must understand it has been a long time out and I grow weary.” She replied quickly before dipping into a low bow. “I wish to retire to my quarters to rest.”

“You are all dismissed.” She said with a wave of her hand as she turned back to Il’bariis and began speaking to him privately without a second thought to the rest of them.

Avreel stood when her siblings were leaving drawing a few looks from them but they had been dismissed so they continued on without fail. She waited for her mother to acknowledge with a wave of her hand before speaking. “I wish to study the naarabi female, she could provide valuable insight to my research.”

“I had figured as much my curious fifth.” Her mother replied with a nod. “I am not sure that is wise.”

“You know as well as I that no one else in the city is as versed in the ways of magic than myself save maybe you mother.” She corrected quickly before her mother could lash out at her. “I only wish to study her from afar to see if she may be of some use.”

“Your curiosity aside my daughter you must tell me what draws you to this?” She questioned while inspecting her nails nonchalantly.

“I wish to prove to you that I am a worthy daughter.” She said after thinking of the best thing to butter her mother up and build her case. “There are many things we don’t know about magic and if this lone naarabi woman could take out our entire patrol with her magical abilities why did one stone knock her cold? How exactly does her magic work? What types of magic can she manipulate? All of these questions I can get the answer to.”

For a moment her mother deliberated and tapped her chin thoughtfully. After a moment of staring her daughter in the eyes she nodded her head and dismissed Avreel with an imperious wave of her deceptively dainty hand. “Very well then my daughter. You may study her, but under supervision. I want spellstealers down there with you.”

“Thank you mother.” Avreel bowed deeply before turning around to retreat. Her victory had been small and with compromise but it had been a victory none the less. Once she was out of the audience hall she noticed that Revis was waiting for her in the entranceway with his arms crossed over his chest. “Our mother’s word supersedes your own Revis.”

“Oh I’m aware of that little sister; just don’t screw this up or she’ll have your head just like she had Keenav’s head when he incited a rebellion. This naarabian witch should be killed right here right now but your sister insisted that we keep the little wench.” Revis wagged one of his long gloved fingers in her face and got close to her so only she could hear his quiet words. “You’ve been nothing but trouble since birth; I was of the same mind when she first squirted you out.”

“Glad to know that the bonds of family run strong.” She whispered back to him and ran her index finger down the outer edge of his ear and wearing a smile when it caused him to involuntarily shiver. “I’ll make sure to keep that in mind while attending to my prayers.”

Avreel was disgusted by him mostly because he had tried to force himself on her when she was younger and a little more naïve. He had subsequently received a stern lashing from their mother and father both. Since then he had only wanted to do one thing, kill her. She had made a mental note not to give him reason to be angry but in this particular case she couldn’t afford to pass up the opportunity to study such a curiosity. Her first thoughts were to head down to the dungeon where the prisoner was being kept and start immediately but her mother’s decree that a spellstealer should be present wasn’t to be ignored. There was only one among them that she could even partially trust.

Taking a short trip away from her room toward the barracks she entered the main hall and had a look around. The furnishings here were not as good as hers but they were better than most accommodations in the city where guards and foot soldiers were concerned. The cots were a little more comfortable and the tables they had been provided for meals and gambling and whatever else they attended to were of fine craftsmanship. She spied her quarry sitting at a table shaking his hand in the air. The soft clattering that came with that motion told her they were playing some sort of dice game. As she approached she heard some of the guards chiding him about being her pet and more to his credit he grinned at them. “Better to be a noble’s pet than a noble’s pincushion.”