Chapter Text

Buck paused in his step, noticing an elven woman nearby struggling with her load of fruit from the vineyard. He rushed from his path to her and moved to ease her burden and take the basket in his hands. As he lifted the basket, the woman bowed in gratitude.

Buck smiled and lifted the basket on his shoulder as she walked off with her shoulder basket underarm, guiding him to the baskets’ destination.

“Do you usually do this by yourself? This is a lot to carry.” Buck noted. The woman shook her head, “Usually my son helps me, but he’s run off somewhere and I haven’t an idea where.”

The two came to the storeroom and began to pack the fruit away into the designated barrels.

“Oh, I can look for him if you’d like.” Buck offered, “What does he look like?”

The woman smiled and replied, “Oh, that would be ever so helpful. His name is Ken, he has ginger hair and his face is all freckles. Oh, and he’s human, like his father. I don’t know why he’s run, he usually loves helping me with the chores and he’s getting a stern lecture when he gets back!”

Buck chuckled, “I’ll give Ken the head’s up.” With this, the massive man moved away, his eyes keen for the boy in question.

He traced the woman’s path from the storeroom to the place he had met her. There was no sign of the child near here. Next, he walked down the stone path to the vineyard, assuming the boy had lost interest in his chores somewhere around here. He walked into the vineyard, which was currently empty of monks.

He moved down the pathways between the vines until curly ginger hair met his view. The boy was turned away from him. Before Buck could call out to the boy, he took a look at what had sparked Ken’s interest: a violet crystal implanted in the ground by the vines, it’s surface flicking between its own shining colour and a deep black. Buck moved forward quickly and scooped up the child, putting himself between Ken and the crystal.

Buck then noticed a trail of minuscule versions of these crystals lining the grass off in a direction.

Buck placed the child back on the ground and spoke quickly and quietly, “Your mother is in the storeroom, go back there right now.”

Ken nodded and sped off the direction Buck had come. Buck turned and followed the trail of crystals through the vineyard until he noticed a sound of hushed whispers.

He rounded the corner of vines to find two people speaking quietly to one another. One was The Ascended, Jenos, but the other Buck had never seen before: a pale-skinned woman in a simple hooded cloak with the hood lowered to her shoulders revealing a bare and hairless head. Her irises were a gentle mauve and her pupils were pale and sightless, showing an expression of upset and alarm. She stood with her legs crooked gently as if she wasn’t used to the gravity, and she kept her hands raised and close to her chest. In one fist she held a balled-up blindfold.

Jenos turned to Buck and raised a hand in greeting, “Buck, there you are. Come, aid me in welcoming my dear friend Seris here to the monastery.”

Seris’ face turned to Buck, her but unseeing eyes did not focus. She quickly lifted her hood over her head and moved to cover her eyes with the blindfold. Jenos murmured a quick protest to her that Buck could not hear well, but Seris turned away from both men to complete the process.

Jenos turned back to Buck and spoke quietly, “Do be mindful, she is a bit shy.”

Buck approached the two and held a hand out to Seris as he happily chirped, “Hey, welcome to Tau Kor!”

Seris kept her hands close to her chest as her face turned to Buck. Her chin moved up and down slowly as she seemed to be scanning him, before she turned away from him and back to Jenos.

Jenos whispered something to her and she frowned and moved away, her feet lifting from the ground as she floated away into the vineyard.

Jenos turned back to Buck, shaking his head slowly, “Seris is a very dear friend of mine, an Abyss Walker of the immortal realm. She is sensitive and you’ll have to be careful with her.”

“Why is she here?” Buck asked, before stuttering and quickly adding, “Not that your friends aren’t welcome, but… you know… Abyss?”

“She is no threat, I can assure you.” Jenos replied, “But she warns of a future that may unfold, the Siege of Ascension Peak. Of this I know not, nor is this future defined. But the decisions that could lead to it are being written as we speak.”

“A siege? Who would siege a monastery?” Buck asked in incredulity.

“Worry yourself not with it at this time.” Jenos replied, “Perhaps it is true, perhaps it is the inane ramblings of the endless mind. Regardless, I want Seris to feel as welcome as the monks have led me to feel. Seris has been my closest friend in the realm beyond this one, I would like the monks here to love her as I do.”

Buck swallowed, looking into the vineyard in which the pale entity had disappeared. Jenos desired for him to befriend something of the Abyss?







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A red hawk soared back and forth through the clouds overhead, guiding the small troupe of Paladins on their mission. Valera held the leather reins loosely in her hand as her mind raced on the plans ahead: they were making great time and would be at the monastery in a matter of weeks. Valera wondered what the Ascended would look like and sound like, on what he enjoyed speaking, how his time in the Cosmos had been. It was an exciting time for the Paladins, and the more surprising note was how they had been invited at all. Had the monastery of Tau Kor been so impressed by the Paladins rebellion that they had been so delighted to welcome those Paladins to their monastery?

Valera exhaled a deep breath and watched the skies. The sun would be dipping below the horizon soon, it would be important to stop and set up a camp around here.

The Paladins began to slow their entourage and dismount the tenting materials from their horses. Valera lifted her own sleeping materials from her stallion’s pack. She was interrupted from her thoughts by a nearby shrieking, and by instinct, the elven warrior put a hand on her sword’s handle and rushed toward the noise.

An argument had erupted between a member of the Paladins and a member of the Twilight Cutthroats, a crew that had been hired as extra arms. The pink-haired half-Tigron Cutthroat had been blamed for the Paladin’s missing foodstuffs. Before Valera could approach and intervene, Inara moved between the two and dismissed the issue, insisting that the foodstuffs had simply been misplaced. As the Cutthroat wandered away, eyes lowered, Valera couldn’t help but wonder why the girl’s hand had been hidden in her coat.

Valera returned to setting up her own tent. Nearby, she watched as a Badlands Paladins in a bright red bandana aided a tiny elven woman in setting up her own tent.

“I haven’t an idea why you’ve brought the thieves along.” came a voice from behind her. Valera turned to see the tall Stagalla woman Inara, her second in command.

“The Paladins are small yet, and so many of our numbers are women and children hiding from the Magistrate, I thought hiring some Citadel crews might help our small number remain strong while we continue to grow.” Valera replied casually as she eyed a tent peg, wondering if the soft, muddy ground would be sturdy enough to hold it.

Inara crossed her arms, “I know you, Valera, you are above such foolishness.”

“Foolishness?” Valera gasped, “I know you, Inara, and you are above such… impoliteness.”

Inara looked away in an attempt to hide her humoured smile, “Valera, now, now. You know what I mean… how are we to trust these people?”

Valera moved past the Stagalla, motioning with her hand for Inara to follow. The two walked through the small camp as Valera began to point out people around them, “Do you see that man there? His name is Sha Lin, he was in the Thousand Hands, you know. A guard on top of that. But he came to us in search of protection, and we were willing to aid him. And the girl with him, Ying, a prisoner who can hardly read and write and knows nothing but what her masters have taught her, now a valuable ally and healer in the Paladins.” She chimed, motioning to the couple. She pointed at a woman who had tackled another and prevented the other from her tent-building, “And that woman there, the one bothering Cassie, that’s Kinessa, I know her from my time in the Magistrate. Once a soldier to them, now arms for hire, and by that congeniality between those two, I don’t doubt that Kinessa will offer herself as a loyal Paladin any day.”

Inara eyed Valera, before sighing, “And, this has to do with the Cutthroats in what way?”

“The Twilight Cutthroats, do you know how they hire people?” Valera asked, before answering her own question, “They prey upon the weak. You know as well as I that the Tigron girl took that food, yet you defended her.”

“She seemed hungry.” Inara sighed, “And I have already offered my own food to the Paladin without.”

“She is hungry.” Valera sighed, “The Magistrate knew about The Twilight Cutthroats, a massive group that holds Crosswind Hold. They prey upon the young and hopeless and offer them a chance for a better life, for food and safety. But time and time again, those adolescents don’t end up in their promised dream of fortune and power- or at least the massive majority don’t. A few end up in that life and the others?... They end up in a jail cell. Or they end up with a knife to the ribs in an alley, a broken neck from a robbery gone wrong, or at the end of a noose if the jail cell is not enough for their crimes.”

The two had arrived at a small clearing away from the main camp, where the Twilight Cutthroats were setting up their own place. Valera pointed Inara to a tree branch overhead where the pink-haired girl slept, an apple core in her hand.

“The Paladins offered hope to a man who wanted to start over, to a girl who knew nothing but how to please her master, someday to a woman who wants to be accepted, and I wish that girl there, everyone in the cursed Cutthroats finds a chance of hope here as well.”

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It was not until the carriage rolled to a stop that Khan released his breath. He watched the ebony and emerald carriage stand at the edge of the entrance to the Ruby Kingdom. The twin kirin latched to the front pawed at the ground and snarled at nearby guards.

Khan stood in the doorway, prepared to welcome the guests his majesty had invited to her kingdom, but Khan felt anything but welcoming as the rider of the carriage stepped on to familiar grounds and seemed eager to take in the steps of what was once his home, so long ago.

The man had an entourage of samurai, servants, and scantily clad concubines following close behind him.

The man arrived at the great door and looked Khan up and down, dark eyes meeting glowing silver.

The man seemed to be waiting for something. Khan knew what, but was not willing to offer.

“Shall I tell your whore princess of your insolence?” The man smirked.

“Tell her what you will.” Khan snarled as he turned from the man and into the building.

The silver-eyed giant led the entourage through the kingdom, and it was not until they had reached the throne room that Khan realised just how tightly he was gripping his fists.

They arrived at the throne room and Khan moved to stand beside the silver-haired Princess Lian, who sat on the throne with a calm gaze and a gentle posture. How Lian managed to keep this composure in the presence of the creature that had just entered the throne room, was absolutely beyond Khan.

Once the entourage had fully entered the throne room, Khan lifted a hand toward the princess and announced her introductions, “The Ruby Princess Lian Amarasi Marilla ‘Scion of House Aico’, First of her Name, Victor among all Champions.”

A samurai prepared to announce his lord’s entry, but the lord raised a hand to silence him and gave his announcements himself, “Zhin ‘The Tyrant’, Bandit King of the East, Warlord of the Thousand Hands Guild. But then, you know that, Lian. I insult your intelligence by introducing myself, and you insult mine by calling yourself the Ruby Princess.”

“Welcome to my kingdom, Warlord Zhin.” Lian bowed her head slightly. Khan could not believe the warm and gentle expression that continued to ride her lips.

Zhin gave a slight frown, and his eyes remained strict. Khan watched him, hoping, praying, that the Tyrant would attack his princess at that moment so he had the excuse he needed to tear Zhin’s head from his body.

One of Zhin’s concubines, a grey Tigron, made eye contact with Khan. He wondered what thoughts could be running through her head at that moment. There was hate in her eyes, although if it was for her master, the Realm, or the Ruby Kingdom, Khan had no way of knowing.

Zhin took a scroll from his coat and threw it on the floor, “What use is it to you to tease me, princess? Have you already grown weary?”

Lian sat back and crossed one pale, slender leg over the other, “You’ve read the letter, or else you would not be here.” She replied.

“An invitation to your little party.” Zhin scoffed.

“You are bandits, correct?” replied Lian, “I would like to hire your services.”

“Yes, I’ve read the damn letter!” the Tyrant snapped, crossing his arms, “And there’s a trick. You hired my guild to join you in your little raid, why?”

Lian raised a hand, her palm to the floor. At her motion Khan moved and took her hand, aiding her out of the chair and down the steps. He knew her, she could get herself out of her throne just fine, but this motion was meant to put her physically close to him, so Zhin could see just how untouchable she was.

“The bandit does not ask why.” Lian stated calmly, slightly adjusting the gold train on her dress, “The bandit asks ‘how much’. You have not asked this, but I will tell you anyway.”

If Lian was nervous, Khan could not tell. She looked Zhin up and down as if watching a peasant, raised her chin, and continued, “Three things are your reward for aiding my army. First, three hundred thousand gold pieces, on top of the price of rations for your army-”

“Eight.” Zhin cut her off.

Lian frowned, before continuing, “No, but whatever we conquer is yours. I care nothing for the land in the Northeast. However, our mission is to approach the Monastery of Tau Kor and convince the Ascended Jenos to join me. They are monks, and there will be no needless bloodshed. Take what you will with the exception of lives, food, and other essentials.”

Zhin eyed her sharply, before snarling, “You waste my time.”

Lian smiled, “Fine, leave, but you will miss out on the third part of my offer.”

Zhin chuckled, “If it is your hand, I don’t want it. That Primus of yours has no doubt already ruined you.”

Lian did not respond to the crude remark. She flicked a hand and her servants moved forward carrying two bundles, one several feet in length, one much smaller.

“I was cleaning your family’s filth out of my kingdom and I found something I thought you might want back. Otherwise I was thinking of just throwing it to the hounds, I have no use for it as a decorations- quite the eyesore.”

The servants uncovered the smaller mound, revealing a pale skinned head with sunken cheeks, wide, dark eyes, a twisted smile, and a scalp adorned with thick, raven black hair.

Zhin’s jaw stiffened in horror as his eyes met the unseeing gaze of his mother.

After several long moments of silence, the Tyrant closed his eyes and spoke quietly, “It is a twisted game you play, Lian.”

Lian smirked, “I learned it from the best.” She looked at the head, then back to Zhin, her expression now serious, “In all honesty, my original plan was not meant to taunt you. I had been watching this head and body as they stood over my kingdom for years, and for all of that time your mother’s beheaded corpse was a symbol of hope to me, an inspiration that the Realm can change, that if we work hard we can fight back against the evils, we can purge the darkness, as I have… but recently, I have received a letter of Aico. My mother-”

“Princess Ling of Melan, I have heard.” Zhin interrupted, “I hate you, Lian, I want nothing more than for you to grovel beneath me, my heel at your lips and your father as dead as my family, but Ling?” He cast his eyes to the floor, “The Melan house was related to ours distantly. My mother remembered yours fondly, her childhood friend, until your father was involved. Your father burned that land to the ground, your people called Melan savages and the Ruby Family nobles… even though our blood was the same. My mother hated your father for what he did to her friend- Ling was mad, you know, your mother was. Your mother had gone mad, her family took their own lives to avoid the fate they would face at the hands of your father… I don’t doubt Ling did the same. Her madness kept her alive, and after you moved away and you were no longer there to give a mother something to live for, your mother had no reason to live.”

“My mother was happy.” Lian spoke softly, although the heartbreak filling her eyes showed that even she doubted her words.

“Believe what you will.” Zhin replied. He motioned for his servants to take his mother’s head and body from Lian’s. He looked at her with a side eye and muttered, “You tell me I am a bastard, I tell you your father was a monster… I suppose we are even.”

“Do you believe that you’re a bastard?” Lian asked. She turned and walked back up the steps to her throne and took a seat.

Zhin gave a pained chuckle, “I suppose I didn’t take much after Bao, and Jia’s hair is a bit light to be purely of the East, but I don’t think it matters anymore, does it?”

“Will you join me to Tau Kor?” Lian spoke as she folded her hands in her lap, taking a moment to straighten her skirt.

Zhin gave a long exhale before staring her in the eye. He did not respond.