The Red Glaive

Aeria was exhausted. She had ended falling asleep in that narrow passage way and had only woken up when a beggar tried to steal her shoes. She had missed the ending of the melee, but found out later that Videl had come in fifth with Cecil Belmont finishing first after eliminating the last two knights who had come up the tower behind Novak and then finding the last Howell House knight hiding in the one of the lifts.

Now, late at night in the pageant, Aeria felt exhausted thanks in part to Caius’ subtle overuse of her magic and her feat in getting Caius eliminated. Now she stood idly by with jug of ale struggling to stay awake. There were fewer pageant girls now, only fifteen or so. Despite it all, Aeria had somehow made it this far.

One of the judges snapped his fingers rousing Aeria from her almost slumber. She rushed over and filled his goblet. They were judging their hosting skills. Currently, it was Nalia’s turn to entertain the table of judges and guest judges. She told stories, told jokes, recited poetry much to the delight of the whole table while the rest of the pageant girls acted as cupbearers.

Normally, Aeria would be terrified of her upcoming turn, but she was just to exhausted to care. She should have listened to Fides and just forfeited the night and left her fate to the judges but it didn’t feel right to tap out. Her stubbornness to not give up beat out her exhaustion. The whole moment felt like a lucid dream. Before she knew it she was sitting on the chair beside the designated head of the table.

There were quite a few guest judges this night to fill out the table, The Enchantress of Aestus, Reading Whittal, heir to the Duowell seat, and Elia Talbain were the highest status of the eight guests. The table resumed their conversations and Aeria felt her eyes droop. . .slowly. . .shut. . .

“Oi! Looks like our hostess is falling asleep!” Reading’s voice shouted over the chatter rousing Aeria to a rumble of laughter.

“Are you unwell?” the Enchantress said from her seat a few ways down the table.

“I, I’m just a little tired.” Aeria said her face getting hot.

“How sweet! She’s blushing!” Nalia said as she filled a judge’s cup and another round of laughter started. Aeria stared at her bewildered, but Nalia smiled slyly before stepping back.

“Perhaps she should retire for the night!” one of the other pageant girls chimed. What was happening?

“So early! Didn’t know the lady had a bedtime!” Reading said. The judges just looked at Aeria disapprovingly.

“Someone needs to tuck her in tonight!” someone else said.

Aeria shut her eyes. More laughter. Without thinking, Aeria slammed her fists into the wood around her plate. The table went silent. Stupid, but she was so tired. . .

When she opened her eyes the whole table looked at her in shock.

“Maybe someone should fetch my wet-nurse and have her fix me up a bottle.” Aeria said eyeing Reading Whittal who seemed to cackle the loudest. His shocked expression faded and a devilish smile formed on his lips.

“Bottle? I’m sure you go straight for the teat.” he said and the table laughed again motioning for one of the pageant girls to bring him a drink. He then proceeded to to slide it down the table to Aeria.

“Hmm,” Aeria said after taking a swing of the slightly bitter ale. “Perhaps I should’ve hidden my wet-nurse hidden under all these pleats!” Aeria said motioning to the large layered skirt she wore.

Reading laughed, slamming his mug on the table, then leaned forward and said, “I wouldn’t checking under your skirts, just to make sure.”

Aeria smiled, despite knowing a line had been crossed. She hid her discomfort behind another drink of her ale. “I think I need a moment to gather my senses a bit.” she said and left the table despite her time not being over yet. She walked over from the wine table where all the pageant girls were filling their cups.

On the table, jugs and glasses containing all manner of fine wines and beers littered the tables. They were supposed to memorize which guest wanted what, but Aeria just asked what they wanted each time her guest was changed.

Aeria still felt exhausted, but thankfully the interaction had woken her up a bit. She looked at the bottles in front of her and found the strongest drink there. She filled a small cup with the clear liquid and downed it all. It was the most unpleasant sensation going down and she nearly coughed it up, but she resisted and managed to keep it down. She sure was awake now.

“Here drink this.” The Enchantress stood holding a bubbly pink drink. “Aestian cider, it’ll help the burn going down.”

Aeria drank it. The soft bubbles soothed the burning in her throat and the sweet taste blurred away the liquor in her mouth. “Thank you,” Aeria said and the Enchantress nodded.

“Do eyes like your run in your family?” the Enchantress asked and Aeria quickly looked away. They had alway been bad omen in Durus. “Cherish them.” Aeria looked back, the enchantress with a thick veil covering her hair and mouth tonight. Aeria could only focus on her eyes; a bright blue green in color. They almost seemed to glow.

“Your eyes are rather unique as well.” Aeria said.

“My eyes are mine and mine alone.” She said. “Yours come with a history.”

“Yes, I’ve heard it before.” she said remembering all the times she had terrified visitors growing up. “Bad omen, bad eyes. The eyes of a devil.”

“Crownland blasphemy!” the Enchantress said loudly. Everyone’s focus was on the table except for a few of the pageant girls who hovered by the table. The Enchantress leaned in close and she whispered in Aeria’s ear; “Those eyes of yours are holy. You have the eyes of a queen.”

Aeria felt a chill. It wasn’t because of the smile in the Enchantress’ eyes, or they way she said it. It was the realization, that if she and Valor ended up together, together for good. She would be queen. Queen of Lux Aeterna. It wasn’t that she didn’t know it was a possibility. It was the first time someone had said it to her face. She wasn’t sure if she wanted to be queen. . .

“Oi! Little babe!” Reading called from the table, but for Aeria the room was spinning. “Come and entertain us!” Her whole body felt hot, scalding even, and her head felt heavy.

Something was wrong. “Actually, I am suddenly felling very unwell right now.” Aeria said restraining the urge to gasp for breath. “I think I must to retire for the night after all.” she started to leave the hall and her vision blurred.

“Excellent.” Reading said a massive smile on his face as he stood from his seat. “I’ll escort you home then.”

“No!” Aeria said turning quickly. “I, uh. . .” she needed to get rid of him without sounding rude in front of the judges. “I promised my footman I wouldn’t bring home more work.” Surely, she had felt tired before, now she struggled to stay awake.

“Bah! What nonsense, servants are happy working.” said the son of Durus’ largest slave owner.

It took everything in her body to keep herself from falling over. “Perhaps another time my lord.” Aeria said as politely as she could manage and dashed out of the room. Fides was already waiting.

“My lady?”

Aeria fell into him, “I don’t feel well Fides.” she said her words slurred, her eyes drooping, vision fading. “Not. . . at all. . .”



Furiae, Enchantress of Aestus, walked in the darkness of the night, outside the city walls, alone. It wasn’t that she could see them exactly, more like she could feel them all around her. The night devils surrounded her, she could feel their eyes yearning for her flesh. Occasionally, a thought pierced through the void, “rip and tear. . . rip and. . . hungry. . . must eat. . .eat. . . ” They could not harm her, they would not dare.

She emerged out of the darkness into the Legion camp catching a half asleep Nowe by surprise. “My lady!” he said straightening up and saluting by placing his fist over his heart. “I did not know you had left. You should’ve asked for an escort, there’s devils at-“

Her hand silenced him. Soren had picked up Nowe from the battle pits of Oriril. Nowe had been born in slavery, raised to fight in the pits for entertainment. He had never seen Aestus. “You could barely call these things devils. You’ll see them truly when we go back Home.”

Nowe smiled, he pined for her and she knew it. Most of them did. “Then I’ll welcome the challenge my lady when that finally day comes.” he said before he walked her back to Soren’s tent.

Outside they found Liram comforting the young Tej who was crying. “Come on boy.” Liram was saying awkwardly. “Legionnaires don’t cry.” Tej nodded but the tears still came. He was only twelve.

“What’s happened?” Furiae said as she approached.

“He’s gotten worse.” Liram said with a pained expression on his face. Worse indeed. The boy was just inconsolable. He was too young to have lost his family to bandits. It must seam to him he was losing it all over again.

“Our captain will recover. I’ll see to it myself.” Furiae said reassuring the boy by placing a hand on his shoulder. “You should go help prepare the captain’s favorite stew. He will want it when he’s better in the morning.”

Little Tej believed her. He nodded nodded and dragged away a doubtful Liram to prepare the Captain’s favorite stew.

“Why are you lying to the boy.” Nowe said from behind her.

“I pride myself in my honesty Nowe.” she said stepping into the tent.

Inside Soren lay in his bed of pillows, his eyes wide but staring at nothing. He was so drenched in sweat, it looked as if he had just finished a bath and his breathing was light and shallow. At his bedside, Einon stood watching the life ebb away from the Infernal Captain.

When Einon turned to face her he made a movement as if to strike her. Nowe’s sudden entrance into the tent, spear in hand, stopped him this time. Even though she had been given to Einon to do with what he pleased with, she had always lingered by Soren’s side. She was been by his side when he freed the fighting pits, spending all of their reserve coin to do so. Each and every man that joined them afterwards, including Nowe, were loyal to Soren, then to the woman who stood by him as he did it before they’d ever declare anything to Einon Sarkain.

Einon wasn’t a fool, he kept Soren close filled his head with thoughts of change without the shedding of blood. Soren so much wanted to believe in it for the sake of his men. But Furiae was slowly changing his mind.

“You were supposed to be caring for him.” Einon said his teeth clenched and his hands balled into fists as if still debating if he still wanted to strike her.

Furiae turned away from him and picked up the large flail they had ripped out of his shoulder earlier. “It’s been enchanted to kill. There’s not much I could’ve done regardless.”

“Who do you know would want him dead?”

“Any Durian baron would love the opportunity.” Furiae said running her hand over the spike that had pierced Soren. His blood on her hand had turned green and clotted. Strange magic indeed. Without Soren’s will to fight it off his blood on the flail had gone bad much faster. “But I don’t think this was meant for him.” She said dropping the flail.

“Then who-" Einon shook his head. When wasn't there a lordling trying to kill another. "Just fix him.” he ordered.

“I can do no such thing,” Furiae said and Nowe visibly tensed.

Einon caught a glance at Nowe. “Leave.” He said but Nowe looked to Furiae who nodded before he left.

The second Nowe left Einon fell to his knees beside Soren. “Everything I’ve worked so hard to build, will crumble without him.” He said defeated. The Legion would not follow him if Soren died. “I could take him to the Shrine, perhaps they could help.”

“It’s too late for that.” Furiae said a smile slowly creeping on her lips. She loved seeing him so defeated. If only that didn’t mean that it was Soren who was suffering. At least she could relish in Einon’s.

“The Glaive Medics. . .”

“Maybe they could help, if they have a glaive with magic strong enough,” she said dismissively. “But what would that say about you if at the first sign of trouble you ran to the King’s glaives to fix your problems. It’s no wonder the Legion refuses to follow you.”

Einon stood abruptly anger in his eyes. Blue like the eyes of the wretched king of Lux Aeterna. Even though Sarkain blood flowed through his veins, it was tainted by his Donumdei mother. “What would you have me do then?!” He said right in her face. Furiae stood her ground probably infuriating him more. But then, he put a hand over her throat as if he could feel the magical brand he had placed there. She could see it in his eyes. The pleasure of exerting his own will over her if he chose to.

“My magic cannot fix him,” she said looking down at Soren. The wound had started going green with black right at the puncture. “but I can use my magic to facilitate it.” She pulled the small piece of bloodied cloth she had ripped from the girl’s patch.

“Blood magic,” Einon said disgusted.

“It binds people together.” She said sitting down by her pewter cauldron she had prepared before she left, “it’s an Aestian magic Einon it would do you well to understand it better if you plan to seat yourself as King of Aestus.”

Einon scowled then said, “Do whatever it takes,” and left. Nowe entered shortly afterwards.

Furiae got to work. All her things were already in Soren’s tent, the prepared cauldron was already boiling with the connection she had left there. Just a few more steps. She ground together some sage, lilies, cypress roots and some mixtures of other herbs. She focused her magic as she ground the herbs together. Pouring it into them with the motion of the grinding. “I though you said you couldn’t help him.” Nowe’s voice came from behind her.

“I’m not.” She said as she dropped the herbs into the small cauldron. It sizzled when the herbs touched the water and a fragrant smoke wafted up. Almost ready, Furiae dug in one of her many pouches for the rarest of all her ingredients. She pulled out a translucent stone; a Tear of Somnus. The very last one she had.

She dropped into the silver liquid and the boiling water stilled, then rose, drifting slowly upwards until it hovered above the cauldron that had concocted it. Furiae removed the cauldron below the floating liquid. It couldn’t not return to the same vessel. “A glass, get me a glass.” Furiae commanded and Nowe jumped into action. Clamoring over to Furiae’s apothecary, he returned with a glass vial large enough to hold the liquid.

One final step. Furiae hovered the bloodied cloth over the liquid. The nearer the cloth came to the metallic liquid the more the liquid reacted as if it were alive reaching for the blood. It swirled and bubbled until Furiae finally gave it the bloodied cloth. Her blood.

The second the cloth touched the liquid it disintegrated and the silver liquid hardened before it slowly cracked open. A rosy bubbly liquid poured out of the hardened silver. Furiae caught it in her cup.

“Help me with him.” Furiae said motioning to Soren’s shivering body. Nowe helped her sit up Soren as Furiae approached with the bubbly drink.

Soren had forbidden her from using her magic from meddling with the girl’s emotions. He had said nothing about meddling with his. It was his emotions she was to influence.

“I always thought blood magic would be messier.” Nowe said as Furiae neared the cup to Soren’s lips.

“You’d be surprised to find how clean it can be.” Furiae said pouring the liquid down Soren’s mumbling lips. Despite his stupor, Soren instinctively swallowed the liquid. Furiae smiled.

It would be subtle at first. The infatuation. It had to be subtle or else he’d suspect Furiae of working her magic on him. It would grow, and grow, until he’d be completely at its mercy. Eventually, he’d take Aeria Finch, as he was meant to and return her to Aestus. Where she belonged.