To end all strife

[Poganin]

Kharg

“First of all, you should speak quietly,” he sighed and shook his head, the small tufts of hair on the tips of his ears twitching. “Water can carry your voice far, especially in the fog, and if those who are chasing us knew how to track they’d know your family tree by now,” Kharg explained but knew full well it was impossible to teach Auryn all she needed to know in the few moments they had. Instead he reapplied the dirt-moss camouflage to his body where the water had washed it away. “Take your cloak off and rub some grass in your uniform, something green, so it doesn’t stand out so much,” he said as he was working on his own skin. “That thing goes too,” he pointed to the blue sash crossing her chest. “Put it under your tunic if you can’t part with it. There is no blue in the forest.” Surprisingly, Auryn listened to him and after folding her cloak neatly and putting it on a dry piece of ground she untied the knot holding the scarf in place and wrapped it around her palm, making a small bundle and then put it under her uniform on her breast. Then she ripped a patch of grass and started rubbing it into her left sleeve. “Harder,” he muttered, taking some moss in his hand and approaching her from behind. “You want it to be really green.”

“What are you doing?” Auryn peeked over her shoulder, eyeing him with mistrust.

“Doing the same to your back because you won’t reach to do it well. Relax, I’m not going to stab you,” Kharg reassured her but with his growling voice it probably sounded more like a threat. Putting his left hand on her shoulder he steadied her and started applying green to her uniform. He felt her stiffen a little under his touch. “Spread your wings.”

“You aren’t making my wings dirty no matter what,” Auryn protested.

“Be quiet, damn you!” Kharg hissed. “With your wings folded I can’t do it properly.” His hands unceremoniously roamed all over her back and sides, making green splotches on the greys of the uniform.

“I can take care of that area myself, thank you,” Auryn took a step away from him when his hands started getting close to her hips.

“Don’t flatter yourself, angelwings,” Kharg growled and got up, looking around. There were a few traces of their stop here but they could have been made by animals coming to drink so he didn’t bother with covering their tracks. “You ready?”

“Yes, I am,” the aasimar replied and he looked up at her. It wasn’t the best camouflage but it would have to do. They would have to be extra careful. She even tied her hair in a bun at the back of her head. Good thinking, he praised her in his thoughts.

“Let’s go then, and carry that bundle close to your body,” he pointed at the folded cloak she was holding in her hands.

There was an awkward moment when they were looking at each other, each waiting for the other to make the first step to grasp hands again so he could see in the fog once more. It wasn’t unpleasant to hold her hand but where her skin was touching his he felt strange tingling. Not strong enough to cause discomfort, but intense enough to be a little irritating. Concentrating on that feeling was distracting his attention from their surroundings and besides he felt self-conscious walking with Auryn like this, holding hands. He tried to ignore the moments when their shoulders bumped or the scabbard of her swords hit his leg. He didn’t need this sort of distraction.

After an hour of walking in silence and carefully observing their surroundings they finally reached the edge of the circle of fog. They had decided to walk along the stream so as not to lose their way in case they would be separated. Kharg stopped before they left the haze. “Now we have to be very careful if we don’t want to fight them,” he whispered. “That we haven’t seen them for the past hour doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Make no sudden moves and keep your wings as close to your body as possible,” Kharg continued, watching Auryn rearrange her white wings against her back gracefully. They were standing out anyway, not as much in shape as in colour but there was no helping it. “And watch your every step.”

Auryn merely nodded in agreement and she let go of his hand. He couldn’t stop himself from rubbing his palm against the fabric of his kilt to get rid of the strange sensation. Crouching a bit and hunching his back he motioned for her to follow and left the protective fog. Kharg looked over his shoulder to make sure Auryn was following and before his eyes the thick, milky wall of fog dissolved first into long, immaterial tendrils of white smoke and then slowly disappeared. Their walking speed decreased significantly since they had to be more careful and avoid brighter space, keeping to the thick bushes and shadows. It was easy for Kharg, he was used to such situations, but for Auryn it was much more taxing and from time to time they had to seek another route to avoid terrain that could betray their presence. He wasn’t feeling very well himself, the withdrawals weren’t strong but they were enough to dull his usual dexterity and senses. In the end they were discovered…

“I see them!” someone shouted to the left and Kharg and Auryn simultaneously looked to see who it was. Among the trees loomed a figure of a lone alliance soldier, looking at them and shouting to call his comrades.

“Spast,” Kharg swore and started running clumsily. “Come on!” he called over his shoulder and heard Auryn break into a trot right behind him. They were unable to run faster because of the thickets surrounding them and finding the right way was troublesome enough. Somewhere to the left people shouted and hollered.

“What was it?” Auryn panted beside him. “Skilled in evasion?”

“Save your breath,” was Kharg’s only reply. “There, hurry, we still have a chance!” he pointed to a huge, old oak standing to the right.

“What? You want to climb it?”

“No, trust me,” he said, breathing hard and coaxed all his remaining strength to his legs to carry him faster. On the other side of the humongous trunk he stopped and pressed his back to the bark, feeling the power of this place surrounding him. He guessed good and blessed his luck.

“We can’t stop here! They’ll be here any moment! Kharg, we need to run!” Auryn looked at him in disbelief. Was he about to stop here and fight?

“Come here, trust me. Quickly! ” he hissed at her and pulled her closer to him, despite her struggles to keep away. With his left arm around her waist, holding her close and his right over her mouth to keep her silent, Kharg relaxed and sunk back against the tree. He could hear their pursuers approaching and forced his body and will to one last effort. He heard and felt Auryn gasp when his eyes rolled back in their sockets, her breath tickling his fingers. And then the tree, or rather its shadow, submitted to his will, raising from the ground and sneaking up their legs to cover and envelop them in its darkness. Somewhere far he felt Auryn struggle against his hold but he held her all the stronger, pressing her hard against his body, making it impossible for her to run away. He saw nothing but he could feel the shadow creep higher and higher, its numbing, dead coldness annoying and unnatural even to him. Kharg understood why Auryn wanted to escape, her being essentially a creature of the light. But it was the only way.

“Where are they?”

“I saw them turn here!”

“That way!” some people shouted beside them and ran on, passing them without noticing the strange shadow hugging the trunk of the huge oak.

 

[nova4u]

Auryn

A few days ago, Auryn would have killed any tiefling that got in her way, just as her superiors told her to…and now here she was, somewhat trusting, very nearly befriending one as they walked together hand in hand; though she refused admit it. Depending on his experience in the art of subterfuge had proven worthwhile; covering oneself with dirt and moss was not exactly the first thing to leap into an aasimar’s mind, even in dire situations such as theirs. Holding hands was awkward too; Auryn continually felt an odd sense of heat radiating from his touch, and felt its absence even more when they let go.

The fog drifted away and vanished as they reached the perimeter. She continued to follow, the difficultly increasing with the loss of their protective cover and large patches of brightness to avoid as the suns rose higher in the sky. Just one night on the run and she was beginning to appreciate what the darkness had to offer. She could see Kharg dragging more and more, trying to be quiet but stumbling here and there across the forest floor.

I see them! Shouts broke out, and Auryn instinctively followed Kharg’s lead, hustling after him through the underbrush as the shouts grew closer. He all but collapsed against a large oak tree; Auryn thought he was too exhausted to continue and was just about to hoist him over her shoulder and run for the both of them when he grabbed her hand, pulling her towards him.

“Come here, trust me. Quickly!”

In an instant, Auryn felt his powerful, scaled arm wrap tightly around her waist; the other hand clamped hard over her mouth to squelch her protests. She desperately squirmed against him, trying to free herself, even beat her wings against him but his grip on her only tightened, forcing their bodies together. Auryn gasped as Kharg’s eyes rolled back, and she panicked even more when an eerie, ice-cold sensation rose from the ground, covering her feet and moving up her legs. As it reached her torso her struggle slowed, and when the cold and darkness completely encompassed them she no longer resisted, but pressed closer to Kharg, burying her face in his neck and clinging to him in fear.

In the unnatural darkness she could barely hear the sounds of shouting as people rushed past. For a long time, they stayed there holding each other, lost in the shadows, until Auryn felt the numbing cold drift slowly down her body, returning to the forest floor. She opened her eyes cautiously to see quiet sunlight dancing in patches of brightness on the ground again and a few birds flitting about.

It was only then that she became very aware of Kharg’s breath, deep and ragged in her ear. Her cheek was pressed to his, as was the rest of her body; she felt him still holding her; one arm tight about her waist, the other softly but firmly wrapped in her hair. Her own arms were drawn close up to her chest, her hands clutching his vest. Strangely Auryn felt safe so close to him, warm, comfortable, almost…too comfortable. A shudder went through Kharg’s body, and Auryn turned just in time to see his red eyes ease back to their usual placement.

“They’re gone now,” Auryn whispered, watching him manage a weak smile. “Sit here, you need to rest…but we can’t stay long.” Somewhat reluctantly, they released their holds on one another, and he slumped down to the ground without a word, still working to control his breathing. She spread her cloak over him, and remembering his words, covered it with leaves and dirt to conceal the blue. By the looks of him, Kharg needed nourishment, and fast. Auryn lifted a large rock nearby and cringed as she grabbed a fistful of fat, wriggling grubs. She knelt on the ground next to Kharg and held one out to his lips, watching it squirm and tickle before he raised his head and opened his mouth to munch the plump morsel. Tiny squirts of grayish goo landed on her hand as he chewed, forcing Auryn to turn her head as the pit of her stomach began to churn.

The faint glow in his eyes began to return as he finished off the small, improvised meal. “We must continue; it’s not safe here,” he spoke quietly.

“Shhh…don’t talk,” she whispered as she stooped down to help him up, supporting him under his flesh-covered arm. “Let’s go.”

They pushed on, changing direction occasionally in a frail attempt to hide their trail, but always keeping the suns to their backs. There was no sign of their pursuers, just the wildlife of the forest scampering here and there as they trudged past. Just when it became obvious that Kharg would not be able to continue much longer, Auryn spotted something strange nearby. She helped Kharg to sit down, and went to investigate the odd mound of dirt, rock, branches and leaves. On one side she found a knee-high, dark entrance of sorts, and brushed away the cobwebs to peer inside. It appeared to be the abandoned burrow of some large animal. Though dark, she was able to see remnants of small bones scattered on the sunken floor. There would be room for both of them to hide inside, and the entrance could easily be covered with a minimal amount of brush.

Kharg’s mind and body were so spent he was barely aware of being lifted, then dragged through the hole into their new underground hideaway, and once settled he quickly fell into a deep sleep.

 

[Poganin]

Kharg

The dream was so vivid he was sure that what he was seeing was completely real. The Battle of Tiefling Aeries was taking place once again and once again Kharg was trying to mount a desperate assault against the overwhelming forces of the enemy who came from the air and on the ground to push them away once more. To his left and right he could see about a dozen of other flyers, drakyrians and others, each of them armed with what was available: swords, knives, chair legs, and simple poles. With the help of Windmaster Krell, Kharg was trying to erect a wall of wind to give them some more time to regroup and prepare for the fight but their desperate struggle to bend the element of air to their combined wills was failing miserably. From the west hundreds of aasimar flyers were approaching, holding their spears and flameswords that blazed orange and yellow against the night sky. More and more tieflings joined, leaving their relatives behind in the tall spires of rock that had been their homes for several generations in hope of repelling the approaching enemy but they were vastly outnumbered.

When the fighting began in the air and on the ground it became clear very fast that tieflings had no chance of winning. They were unprepared, poorly armed and disorganised – torn between fighting and escaping to save their loved ones from the terrible death under mountains of stone. Most of all they were unprepared for the horror that the allied infantry decided to unleash, their sorcerers casting fireballs at the base of each heaven-scraping aerie, toppling those glorious spires to the ground in a horrific rumble of protesting stone. Kharg and Krell were fighting back as hard as they could, their conjured windblades slicing through the throng of their enemies, dissecting them, and at the same time they were trying to retreat to save their families. More and more aeries were being felled, killing those inside and below and finally the two Windmasters were also forced to retreat. Kharg mustered all his remaining strength to return home and hoped he would be strong enough to escape and hide afterwards. From the distance he could see his mother and father standing on a balcony and watching the mayhem unveiling all around. They were both too old and too weak, and, frankly speaking, too heavy to escape effectively. He saw them unsteadily mounting the railing and then falling down, embraced, plunging to their death hundreds of yards below.

He was too far away to chase after them and save them and would never be fast enough. The cry of denial that Kharg uttered sent a powerful gust of wind in all directions, knocking down friend and foe alike. Fury and apprehension were mixing inside him, twisting his stomach into a tight know and making his flight erratic. He landed on the same balcony his parents had jumped from and called inside and realised that something was wrong. In reality he had never been able to enter his aerie during the battle because it was destroyed behind his back and his family killed. Before he could utter another word a black figure filled the archway leading inside. It carried a sword in one hand and a small bundle in the other.

“They are dead,” the figure spoke, stepping forward, and its voice was that of Kharg. It threw the bundle to the balcony floor and the objects rolled towards Kharg’s feet and he recognised the heads of his wife and daughter, hacked off their bodies. With a maniacal scream he lifted his own sword and attacked the creature, plunging the blade in its chest, reaching its heart and at the same time feeling terrible pain in his own. Looking down he saw that the enemy had mirrored his attack and stabbed him too. “They are dead and you killed them,” the darkness spoke again, its rancid breath nauseating. “And now I kill you too so you may join them.” The blackness enveloping the creature peeled from its face. Kharg was looking into his own sneering face.

“NO!” he woke up with a scream and looked around in confusion, panting, unsure if he was still on that balcony or somewhere else. It was dark around with only a little light peeking in through small holes to his left. The place looked like a cave but it smelled of earth and animal.

“Bad dream?” Came a voice from the right and he turned his head to see Auryn. When he didn’t reply she continued, “I hope you’re feeling better now.”

He squinted at her for a moment and then shrugged. His chest hurt and he was feeling cold and the dream had disturbed him. He crawled towards the exit from the burrow and listened to the sounds coming from the outside.

“I haven’t heard anyone in the area while you were asleep,” Auryn said softly and he heard her move towards him. He felt annoyed to have had that nightmare with her present. He was probably talking in his sleep, reliving the nightmare of that battle. When he started to remove the bushes covering the entrance she spoke again, “Don’t you think you need to rest some more?”

“I’ll rest when I’m safe and we aren’t safe yet. Or perhaps you want to lay with me?” he asked, turning back to her and flashing her a wide grin. The darkness of the burrow was not enough to hide from his eyes the blush that crept into her cheeks. He had no idea whether it was a blush of embarrassment or anger. It became clear quickly though.

“How dare you insinuate…” she started but he interrupted her quickly by covering her mouth with his hand and lifting one scaled finger to his lips. Someone’s out there, he mouthed even as she protested and pushed his hand away. She didn’t continue though when a pair of legs covered with soft fur appeared at the entrance.

“Is bes heard somethings here,” a strange, hissing voice spoke above them. “Bes wondering what its bes was.”

“Yous bes heard nothings, yous gits. Your ears bes are as deafsie as thems stones,” another voice close by replied.

“Stones bes having ears, the shamans bes says. We bes look moresie. Bes finding them noisemakers maybe?” The first voice spoke once more and Kharg lifted two fingers before his face.

As the legs in front of the entrance turned, Kharg’s arms darted out and grabbed the hairy ankles, pulling them inside and making the owner of the first voice fall to the ground and disappear in the burrow with a muffled cry of surprise. Pushing the creature deeper, he jumped outside, looking for the second one and found it crouching on top of the burrow, preparing to pierce the roof with its spear. It was a small humanoid dressed in sloppily sewed skins, oddly enough it had a tail and had only three fingers at each of its four hands. Noticing Kharg draw his sword it dropped its spear and covered its small, child-like face with two hands using the other two to make a pleading gesture.

“Kkk-kkk… No bes kill, no bes kill! We bes no meaning yous harms. Bes thinking it bes was a bears that bes snatched stupidsie Kirul, yes?” the creature spoke, peeking at Kharg between its fingers.

“No bes touching Kirul! It bes is hurting!” came a frightened cry from within the burrow.

“Auryn, let him go!” Kharg called. “They seem harmless.”

Immediately the first creature darted from the hiding in the ground and quickly hid behind the other one on top of the burrow. Moments later Auryn crawled into the light, stretching her wings and smoothing the feathers, carefully brushing dirt away. “What are they?” she asked Kharg, as confused as he was.

“Wes bes are tieflings like the hornsie ones here. This cowardsie ones bes is Kirun and Is bes am Perkun. Wes bes looking for yous. Bes findings!”

“You were looking for us? But why?” Auryn asked, meeting Khargs gaze. He seemed as confused as she was.

“The shamans bes saying: bes go and bes find the winds that bes bring lights. Yous twos bes are harmlessie, no bes scaring those wes bes awaiting. So wes bes goes and wes bes looks for yous and bes finds. Now, yous twos bes must come with us to the villages!” Perkun explained in his strange dialect.

“How do we know we can trust you and your shaman and your village?” Kharg asked, suspicion sounding in his voice.

“The shamans bes said yous bes would not trust us but we bes offering yous nicesie places to sleep and foods and shelters and protections and informations.”

“And just what information would this shaman of yours have that we might need?” it was Auryn’s turn to question the small tieflings.

“Bes are informations about bigsie blacksie circles.”

 

[nova4u]

Auryn

After some consideration, Kharg and Auryn decided to go with them, following Kirun and Perkun deep into the forest, noticing as they did that their surroundings changed the further they went. What before had been mostly large, leafy trees became intermixed with various tall trees full of green and silvery needles on long, swaying branches. Gradually, the lofty trees overtook their shorter cousins; enormous trunks soaring high into the air, thick with boughs to provide a dense canopy overhead. Every now and then Auryn swore the forest was changing, no…moving, bending before her eyes, but upon looking again nothing was out of place. I must just be tired, she thought. Nevertheless, when she looked over at Kharg, his face told her he had seen the same things.

“Bes come, bes come! We bes are almostsie theres!” said Perkun, quickening his pace to a steady trot and motioning for them to keep up. Darkness was beginning to settle upon the forest.

Auryn and Kharg followed, though their caution grew as Perkun and Kirun scampered up ahead like two excited boys coming back from their first hunt, ready to show off their trophy. Just as the young tieflings disappeared farther into the forest, Kharg stopped short, leading Auryn to do the same. She followed his gaze to the area the tieflings had gone, seeing nothing at first, but knowing full well that Kharg had a visual advantage over her in the dark and shadows. Still, as she peered into the growing darkness, light began to appear. Torches were lit and carried from place to place, even high in the trees themselves, and occasionally a bonfire was set ablaze. Some torches were carried inside what on the ground appeared to be different shapes and sizes of thatched huts, adding light to the interiors, casting a soft glow at the entrance. From above, the torches and bonfires revealed modest dwellings within the trunks of the trees themselves. The light shed from the various sources throughout the village did not overpower the darkness; it served only to soften the otherwise black night of the forest.

As her eyes adjusted to the soft flickers in the darkness, the rest of the village became apparent. Throughout the trees she could make out the shadows of bridges, stairs, even platforms with railings outside the dwellings, all made of what looked to be planks and branches lashed together with ropes, some held even more by support beams extending from the robust tree trunks.

Kharg spoke quietly as he laid a cool, scale-covered hand on Auryn’s shoulder. “Something tells me I am supposed to be here. Just be on your guard…your presence may not be as welcome as my own.”

Through impulse, she recoiled slightly from his hand, feeling a bit of shame in doing so. Had that been a look of hurt or anger in his eyes as she pulled back? It was gone in an instant and Kharg turned looking back towards the village, leaving Auryn to question her behavior.

Side by side, they cautiously approached the tiefling village. Her ears picked up voices, some hushed, some not, most speaking in the same strange dialect as Kirun and Perkun. The nocturnal villagers were beginning to go about their nightly affairs; some doing business with the shopkeepers, a few children laughing and playing, others gathered in small groups whispering and glancing their way. All were tieflings with a multitude of variations; skin colored from ashen-flesh to grayish-black, and textured from skin to hard leather, with or without scales, horns, wings, tails or fur. Some had two arms, others had more, like Perkun. Some could possibly even pass off as humans should they want to, and others looked more like monsters, but most fell somewhere in between. By the time Auryn and Kharg entered, all activity had stopped, and all eyes were on her as they slowly kept walking.

Suddenly Perkun rounded a corner excitedly, “Thisie ways! We bes make a places for…” he trailed off and stopped short in his tracks. “The lights bes is heres…” he whispered in astonishment.

“Kharg, what is it? What does he mean?” It was then Auryn noticed Kharg staring at her too.

“Auryn, the light…” he replied quietly, motioning to her.

She looked down, realizing the cause of their fixation. The inner radiance of her heritage, usually only mildly apparent if at all, now shone brightly, a luminescent glow surrounding her body, unmistakably marking her as an aasimar had there been any doubt before. “I have only seen this a few times in my life,” she whispered. “This place must be highly magical.”

 

[Poganin]

Kharg

Kharg could only nod in agreement, because ever since they had stepped into settlement he could feel a vibrant force rise from all directions to envelop him. It radiated from everywhere: the soil, the trees, the air, all sounds and scents were also filled by it, and he also sensed it permeating through the denizens of this place who were now staring in astonishment as Auryn glowed, surrounded by a bright aureole that contrasted with the surrounding darkness. A hushed ripple of whispered commotion passed among the gathered tieflings and confusion spread. Kharg was afraid that her presence could lead some of the inhabitants to violent actions but apart from conversations, arms pointing at them and curious glances everyone remained calm; he was grateful for that, he had questions to ask and wanted to get the answers promised. One thing was unnerving him, though, he had a peculiar feeling that this place had been waiting for him to arrive, as if he appeared here in the right, most convenient of moments.

“If you’re done putting on this flashy show, perhaps we could go and have a bite to eat, hmm?” Kharg rumbled and patted Auryn’s bottom with his hand. Immediately she stiffened, breaking off from her reverie, and swatted his arm away.

“Just what do you think…?!” she started but he was already walking and laughing loudly. Only she had no way of knowing that by laughing so hard Kharg was also trying to cover his own surprise with the action. It was as if his hand moved all by itself.

“Yes, bes come these ways. Wes bes having cottages prepared,” Perkun chirped and led the way, occasionally glancing back at Auryn and immediately averting his gaze when he beheld her radiance.

Kharg balled the hand that was still feeling the firmness of Auryn’s buttock into a fist and picked up his pace to keep up with the small tiefling who was already scaling one of the trees, nimbly climbing using all six limbs. There was a rope ladder nearby so after testing it Kharg started his ascent too. Behind him he hears the unmistakable flutter of wings being spread and even more light spread around as Auryn took off, taking the aerial way up. Going up, Kharg clenched his teeth, overcome with sudden loathing for his enemies who had deprived him of his own wings, effectively chaining him to the ground. But as soon as that hatred appeared, it was swept away from his head, leaving only peaceful serenity. He tried to hold on to those negative feelings but they slipped and when he finally emerged on the walkway he felt only calm. Auryn was already there and Perkun was standing a little to the side, waiting for him or unsure how to proceed. Earlier he had had no problems addressing Auryn but now, as she was displaying her heritage for all to see, it seemed he was overcome with shyness.

Standing up, Kharg looked down to take in the settlement below. It was lit with numerous fires and torches and tieflings were moving around trying not to look up at the visitors. It wasn’t uncommon for tieflings of diverse tribes to be living together but here every denizen looked differently. And it seemed that there were no two males or females belonging to the same tribe. He noticed a winged fuhol with feathers instead of hair on her head, a hulking, hairy urs whose face was completely covered in fur, an aspin, with his scales instead of skin. There were many others and some of them Kharg was seeing for the first time. It was as if the village was the origin of all tieflings on Ragnos.

“Bes come, yous twos!” Perkun scolded. “Not farsie! Bes can do all the lookings there, bes is warmsie and cozie and foods bes is waiting.” He trotted down the walkway not waiting for them to join this time.

“Let’s go before he gets lost,” Kharg said and glance to his left where Auryn was standing. “Come on, I don’t want you to get lost in here.”

She looked at him strangely but nodded and followed his lead, walking in the direction that Perkun had disappeared to. Both were still looking around, noticing how complex the village was with its walkways and suspended bridges, ladders and lifts connecting the many layers disappearing high up the trunks. They passed several houses built from living branches, shaped and twisted to form walls and ceiling, or furnished tree hollows, entrance blocked with a hanging flap of cloth only. As they walked Kharg suddenly heard Auryn gasp and when he turned he saw her kneeling down in front of the door opening of one of the huts, facing two small children who were playing on the floor of a house rolling a wooden ball between each other.

“Oh, tiefling children…” he heard her mutter in surprise and chuckled.

“What? You thought we grow on trees?” Kharg asked, grinning in amusement.

“Of course not!” Auryn replied, raising her voice, which made the kids look up at them with interest. “But…”

“But what, Auryn? We’re the same as you,” he said somberly and looked away, feeling his eyes sting.

 

[nova4u]

Auryn

Kharg…” Auryn said, faltering as she tried to find the right words, knowing she had struck a cord deep within him. “Please, forgive me; that’s not what I meant.”

One of the children came over to Auryn, looking at her with quiet wonder in his eyes. He reached out cautiously, touching the light surrounding Auryn, then proceeded to pet her white-gold hair, running his 3-fingered hand through it. Auryn giggled, making both the children laugh as the girl joined them.

“Yous bes don’t look like a tieflings,” the young boy spoke with innocence. “What bes are yous?”

Auryn again looked over to Kharg, his back still to her. “A friend,” she said, directing her answer more to him than the children.

She smiled and gave them a quick embrace, then stood and motioned for them to return to their game. As Auryn turned to be on her way, she felt a tug at the leg of her pants and glanced down to find the girl. She knelt down once more, and to her surprise the little girl boldly gave her a quick kiss on the cheek, then shyly ran back to hide, peeking around her brother to wiggle her fingers goodbye.

Auryn smiled and waved goodbye, then jogged after Kharg who had already began walking. She caught up and followed a few feet behind him. He glanced back at her and paused as if to say something, but remained silent and continued to follow Perkun, who had come into sight again at the entrance to a tree hollow not far ahead. Perkun held the flap open for them, waiting for them to enter their ad hoc living quarters.

The interior was nothing like Auryn had ever seen before. It was as if the tree itself had opened of its own accord, creating the hollow; there were no marks of tools or cutting on any of the smooth walls within. Along the walls, a few places were covered by a luminescent moss providing soft, glowing light for the dwelling; beside the moss, flaps of cloth were tied back, ready to cover the luster should darkness be desired. To one side of the circular room was a heap of skins for bedding, and to another a small pile of clothing. In the center stood a modest table with four chairs, though the table was set for two, and covered with all sorts of food. Auryn’s stomach let out a barely audible gurgle, a faint reminder of her meal the previous night…with Taruk. How things had changed since then.

Perkun pushed past Kharg to get inside, taking care not to go near Auryn as he did. “Here, you bes have warmsie skins for sleepings and goodsie foods for eatings. The clothes bes are yours for the takings. Shamans bes says wes bes must take goodsie cares of yous while yous bes are heres, because yours journeys bes has just begun. Bes eat, bes rest, and bes be well.” Almost as quickly as he entered, he was out and on his way again.

“I’m getting more and more curious about this Shaman of theirs, and how he seems to know all about us before we’ve even met,” Auryn said, eyeing the food on the table.

Kharg followed her gaze and sat down in one of the chairs. “I am too, but lets not worry about that right now. We need to take advantage of the amenities we’ve been given while we’re here. I don’t know about you, but I’m starting with the food,” he said, piling his wooden bowl full of the many provisions on the table.

 

[Poganin]

Kharg

Only when he beheld the fully laid table for the first time did Kharg acknowledge how famished he really was. It had been four days since his last real meal, not counting several handfuls of worms that did nothing more than stuff his stomach somewhat. He hadn’t wanted to eat before the battle in case he was wounded and of course he couldn’t have foreseen the events that took place afterwards. He started salivating even before he sat down and started helping himself to everything that was at arm’s reach: roasted capons and pheasants, freshly baked bread, pickled vegetables and stohl, a strong mushroom alcohol only tieflings knew how to make. Kharg didn’t bother with tact and ate rapidly, tearing the meat from bones with his teeth, chasing the food down generously with liquor. Grunting like an animal he was acknowledging the mastery of whomever had prepared this meal. It was delicious indeed, seasoned and prepared just right to satisfy his palate.

Licking fat from his fingers he glanced up to look at Auryn who was sitting opposite him, eating slowly, using the cutlery provided to cut small sized pieces she was carefully putting in her mouth and munching slowly.

“Hey, don’t hold back on my account,” he chuckled and belched in his fist. “You must be hungry too. There’s no poison in the food or I would have smelled it. Ah, feels good to have the stomach full once in a while,” he growled contentedly and leaned back in his chair.

Auryn hesitated for a moment but seeing as Kharg half closed his eyes and folded his hands on his, now rounded, stomach, she took the chicken leg she was eating in hand and started ripping the meat off it slowly yet with a sense of urgency conveyed by her movements and her shining eyes.

“Careful,” Kharg muttered sleepily when she reached towards a bowl that contained stacked strawberry-sized fruits. She was about to eat a moonshine berry. It was sweet to the taste but eating more than two or three was bound to intoxicate even the most experienced drinker.

“What?” Auryn asked, suddenly cautious.

“No, nothing, enjoy yourself,” he replied, smiling to himself and eager to see her reaction. He watched as she slowly picked one berry up and sniffed it carefully before taking a small bite and rolling it on her tongue and then popping the rest whole into her mouth and smiling when the sweetness spread.

“It’s delicious!” Auryn sighed and took another one. Then she met Kharg’s eyes looking at her directly. He didn’t seem asleep anymore but a flush on his cheeks indicated that he must have drunk his measure. “What are you looking at?”

“You, beautiful,” he replied with a grin and his eyes widened for a split second after the words left his mouth.

“B… beautiful?!” she choked and stammered, eyeing him with doubled caution.

“What? Would you rather prefer drop-dead gorgeous?” he continued teasing her, lowering his voice even more.

“Kharg, I think we should explain something here…” Auryn started seriously but he quickly interrupted her.

“Ahhh, what I wouldn’t give for a pipe right now,” he said, stretching his body backwards.

“Thats wes bes can arrange, Windmaster” a female voice called from the entrance and Kharg tilted the chair back to look who spoke. On the other side of the table Auryn quickly stood up and reached for her sword. “Thats bes isn’t necessarie, ladies aasimars,” the woman spoke once more and stepped into the hut, forcing Kharg to sit normally and turn around.

The guest was darkness incarnate, her skin and hair the colour of the deepest, charcoal black so she was barely discernible from the shadows of the dimly lit hut and what light was there, made shiny reflexes on her bare arms. Her eyes and mouth almost seemed disembodied. She was slim and lithe but also muscular and moved with dangerous grace of a panther. Behind her a furry, black tail moved left and right but when she noticed Kharg look at it, it stopped moving. She wore a close-fitting leather bodice with long triangular gashes on the front that did little to hide her ample breasts that were on the verge of spilling from her garment.

“My names bes is Kitla the Talemistress,” the tiefling introduced herself and knelt next to Kharg, offering him a lit pipe that was slowly filling the air in the hut with a sweet, incense-like scent of stinkweed. She smiled when he accepted it without a word, a slash of white and red dividing the blackness of her face, and a wave of orange colour passed over her skin and hair. “Is bes thank yous for being kindsie to my childers, ladies aasimars,” Kitla added with a little bow in Auryn’s direction.

Absentmindedly Kharg pulled on the mouthpiece of the pipe and sighed in appreciation. His own pipe was lost in the tiefling army camp along with all of his other private items. Now, sitting in this hut in the middle of a peaceful tiefling village he felt like he had just found a home away from home.

“Is bes was sent heres by our shamans. Shes bes told mes to bes serve yous and help yous in anie manners yous likes.”

“She?!” Auryn and Kharg spoke at the same time.

“Yes, ours shamas bes is a shes,” Kitla answered with an amused smile on her lips. “Peaces, ladies aasimars, no harms bes will come to yous heres,” she added pointing to the half drawn sword in Auryn’s hand.

Reluctantly and uneasily Auryn slipped her weapon back into the scabbard and she sat back in her chair, her eyes drifting from Kharg, who seemed to be enjoying himself, to Kitla to study her exotic features. Auryn seemed a little on edge, surrounded by all those strangely speaking tieflings in a village in the middle of a forest but Kharg hoped she wouldn’t do anything stupid that would put her, or his, life in danger. Frankly speaking, he had no idea what to expect from the inhabitants of this village even though he felt like he belonged in here.

“Bes is theres anythings Is bes can help yous with? Anythings at allsie? Bes please, bes don’t hesitate to ask.”

“I don’t know, Kitla,” Kharg muttered, letting his eyes roam over her skin, resting on the critical spots for a while longer before drifting further. “What can you help us with?”

“Anythings, Windmaster,” she whispered back at him and her hand slowly slid up his right calf, fingernails lightly scratching his skin.

“It’s the second time you called him that, Kitla. What does it mean? Windmaster…” Auryn asked trying not to notice the looks the tieflings were giving each other.

“This…” Kharg turned his head towards her and pointed the mouthpiece of his pipe at her face. In the same moment a small breeze blew behind Auryn, causing the bun at the back of her head to untangle and her hair to blow freely in the magical streams of air. Suddenly he felt another need to tease her and bit his lip in order not to laugh out loud. “Don’t move a muscle, Auryn,” he warned when she tried to hold her hair in one place.

“Kharg, stop it at once!” she demanded but he wouldn’t listen. Biting his lip harder in concentration now he started making more complicated weaves of the air currents, dividing Auryn’s hair into a multitude of thin strands and quickly and meticulously arranging them in hundreds of small, white-golden braids. Once he was done he exhaled and winced as a hot trickle of his blood streamed from his lip and down his chin.

“Oh, Auryn, you should see yourself now,” he laughed loudly and Kitla joined him with a discrete giggle as she stood up and leaned over him to lick the trail his blood left on his chin, planting a kiss in the corner of his mouth.

“Trulies, ladies aasimars, yous bes look adorablies,” the black tiefling wiggled out from Kharg’s arms trying to embrace her and she reached out and picked a mirror from the shelf behind him. Then she circled the table and handed the mirror to Auryn who looked like she would either explode or start crying any moment now.

 

[nova4u]

Auryn

Between Kharg’s odd and sometimes lewd behavior over the past day and this blatant display of mockery, it took all her will to resist lashing out at him in return. Auryn snatched the mirror from Kitla’s hand and looked into the mirror, eyeing the countless tiny braids in her hair. She glared at Kharg, then glanced back to the mirror and saw her face. With her narrowed eyes and clenched jaw, her face was a mixture of aggravation, anger and frustration. She was aghast at what she saw. What was it about Kharg that made her react this way? Who was he to think he could be so bold as to trifle with her, especially in public? she thought as she remembered the firm pat he had given her bottom earlier.

Auryn forced herself to calm down, relaxing her face to composure. “Thank-you, Kitla. I don’t believe we’ll be needing your services any more this evening. Kharg and I have important matters to discuss.” Auryn set the mirror down and walked past the still chuckling Kharg to hold open the cloth doorway for their guest.

Kitla moved behind Kharg and trailed the curve of one of his horns with her finger, tilting his head back as she pulled on the tip. “Yous bes know where to find mes, Windmaster,” she breathed into his neck, darting her tongue into his ear as she stood to leave.

“Wait…” Kharg said, suddenly aware his fun was coming to an end.

Auryn cut him off sharply. “Thank-you, Kitla,” she said again with a tone that demanded no arguments, her hand on her hip, fingers tapping absentmindedly on the hilt of her sword.

“Is bes remain at yours services, should yous bes desire anythings. Goodsie evenings bes to yous both,” said Kitla, bowing low. With a flick of her tail and one last suggestive glance towards Kharg, she left, and Auryn quickly dropped the cloth doorway.

“Just what do you think you are doing?” Kharg growled at her, his eyes glowing a fiery red in the faint light cast from the moss.

“Getting even,” she replied nonchalantly, plucking another moonshine berry from the bowl on the table. She grabbed a chair and set it right in front of his. It was facing him, but Auryn turned and straddled the chair with her back toward him, tossing her hair in his direction. “You did this, now you’re going to fix it. And no tricks this time.”

Kharg let his anger dissolve and grinned behind her back as she placed the deceptive fruit in her mouth. Without a word, he concentrated his thoughts once again, gritting his teeth and focusing the air currents more precisely than before, unwinding and parting every single braid. It took longer to reverse his styling than it did to create it, and when he was done Auryn’s hair was a complete mess, tousled every which way imaginable.

He let out a deep breath and watched Auryn fidgeted slightly on the chair. “Something wrong?” he asked, blinking, as it seemed the glow surrounding her had brightened to some extent.

“No, it’s just really warm in here,” she said as she opened the top few buttons of her shirt. “Don’t you think?”

“Mmmm, a bit,” Kharg mumbled, knowing she was feeling the fruit's influence now. “Hold still.” He reached for her and began running his fingers through her wild mane of hair, smoothing the strands with slow, deliberate motions. Why did she have to be an aasimar? he questioned in his mind. A few days ago he had been disgusted by her appearance, and now, here he was, appreciating her beauty as if… Kharg, you’ve had too much to drink tonight he reminded himself.

Auryn relaxed and enjoyed the warmth spreading through her body and the feeling of Kharg’s hands in her hair. She scooted closer and leaned her head back towards him. His hands drifted down, massaging her back lightly. “Hey, that tickles!” Auryn giggled and squirmed, half-heartedly attempting to get away. Kharg seized the opportunity and tickled her more, delighting in making her twist and writhe. Finally, Auryn managed to escape his torture and scrambled away from him, stumbling clumsily across the floor, giggling all the way.

“Whoa…steady there,” Kharg stood and grabbed her arm as she nearly fell mid-stumble. Her pale skin turned a rosy flush as she caught her balance with his help.

She took a deep breath and smiled coyly at him. “Hmmm… You know Kharg, aside from the disgusting scales and horns you really are quite handsome, for a tiefling. Why are you being so nice to me all of the sudden?” She didn’t wait for his answer, but moved close to him, placing her hands on his chest. “Is there something you want from me?” she said thickly, eyes glazed over. Her lips were just inches from his. “Tell me what it is.”

 

[Poganin]

Kharg

Auryn’s breath tickled his lips and for a second he entertained a thought to actually kiss her. After all, how bad could that be? She was a woman, though an aasimar, which had dismayed him plenty initially but after having practically spent two days on the road with her she seemed less repulsive… but she was still an aasimar. Her lips were so close, however, red and shiny with the moonshine berry juice, just begging to be kissed and licked and perhaps even bitten if she could enjoy it. And her pose and voice so seductive, her warmth so close, her fingers pressed against his chest and lightly playing with the fabric of the vest he had stolen from the dead soldier. She was looking at him with those big eyes of hers, it was almost as if Auryn was trying to seduce him on the spot. Two could play that game.

“What could a tiefling like me want from an aasimar chit? Let me think. Well, for starters you could jump out of this dirty uniform and slip into something more... feminine,” he grinned and sliced the thread holding one of the buttons of her shirt with his claw which gave him a better view down her cleavage. “Yesss.”

“My, aren’t you a brave little tiefling, Kharg. But you needn’t be shy with me,” Auryn cooed and moved a little closer which took her breasts from his field of vision but if he just turned his head a little he could kiss her.

Instead he blindly reached towards the table and plucked another moonshine berry from the plate. “You like those?” he asked and when she nodded he popped it into his mouth, stopping himself from crushing the sweet fruit and swallowing it. Coupled with all the stohl he had drunk earlier it would have given him a nasty hangover. Kharg flashed her a wide smile when she also tried reaching for one fruit but overturned a cup instead.

“Oh, wher…” she started but it was just what he was waiting for. Without a warning Kharg pulled Auryn very close and kissed her hard on the lips, holding her hard in case she started struggling. She felt strong in his arms, but her soldier’s body kept all the right womanly curves. Auryn only whimpered, finishing what she wanted to say into his mouth and stiffened just like when he had touched her bottom. As her eyes widened in surprise he pushed the berry from his mouth with his tongue and into hers, biting through the fruit and giving Auryn only half of it. She mumbled something but accepted it and only then started trying to push him away.

Just like before, the touch of her skin made his lips tingle, only this time he also felt strange warmth pouring into him through the spots where their bodies met. The kiss made his lips ticklish and he had to pull away, reluctantly because surprisingly the feel of Auryn’s lips was quite pleasant. He felt odd, waves of heat passing through his body in strange patterns that were making his head spin and he thought he was going to be sick.

“Let go, Kharg,” Auryn whispered weakly and tried to push away harder. With satisfaction he noticed that she swallowed the piece of the berry but her eyes were starting to lose focus.

“Sure,” he answered with a grin and let his hands slide to his sides. She tried to step away from him but her legs gave out and she ended up clutching his vest to stand straight. “Auryn, you should be ashamed of yourself. One kiss from this horrible, horned tiefling and your legs are going weak,” he chided and chuckled.

“N-no, it’s something else,” she whispered, narrowing her eyes and looking from side to side as he wound his arms around her again to support her, with no ulterior motives this time. “My body feels so limp,” she mumbled weakly. “What did you do to me?” she asked with suspicion.

“Nothing, Auryn. You’re just drunk,” he said with a mischievous smile.

“But I hardly drank anything. I can’t be that tired… can I?”

“It’s those berries. They’re intoxicating.” Like your lips, he added in his head and quickly chased the thought away but the urge to kiss her again remained.

“Bastard! You did this on purpose!” Auryn mumbled and balled one hand into a fist and hammered on his chest weakly as she had not enough space for a harder swing. Her body felt so warm in his embrace that despite his will he was starting to feel aroused. “I should have known better than to trust a backstabbing tiefling… even a handsome one” her head nodded and bumped into his shoulder.

“You’ll be fine as long as… you don’t pass out on me,” Kharg finished with resignation feeling Auryn’s regular breath on his neck. He couldn’t help smiling, even though she was a tough, skilled warrior she seemed a bit naïve about the world. Mindful of her wings he lifted her and carried her to where the bedding skins lay and laid her down on her back. Kneeling beside her he unbuckled her belts and put her sword next to the hut wall in close reach. Finally he covered her legs with a furry skin and got up. From the table he picked a chicken leg and the pipe Kitla had brought him and he left the hut to the wooden walkway outside.

Kharg took a deep breath of clean forest air, registering multitudes of various scents belonging to plants and various inhabitants of the village. Some of those smells seemed familiar, some were new and some were outright disquieting. Letting his nightly hearing roam the forest and the village he was able to spy and eavesdrop on every denizen that dwelled here. Smoking the pipe Kharg spent some time trying to count how many tieflings lived in the settlement but stopped after hitting two hundred. Quite a number for such a hidden spot. It couldn’t have been a refugee camp nor a prison but it seemed like there was something wrong with this place. But this wrongness was hidden somewhere under the surface. He felt safe here though.

“Is bes heard someones newsie bes has arrived in the villages,” a deep, low voice rumbled beside Kharg, making him jump in surprise which almost caused the pipe to fall from his mouth. Whoever it was, he was capable of moving completely noiselessly. With Kharg’s ears it was hard to sneak up on him. He turned his head to see who greeted him and saw a tiefling at least a foot taller than Kharg himself and twice as wide, with arms thick as some men’s thighs. He was huge and hairy and his mouth was a cavern of feral canines and two tusks grew up almost to his yellow eyes. “My names bes is Dolron the Steelmaster and Is bes am the smiths in this villages. Bes do not be alarmed.” The huge tiefling spread his lips in a gruesome parody of a friendly smile. If Kharg didn’t knew any better he would have thought Dolron wants to eat him.

“I’m Kharg, and yes, I just arrived.”

“Kharg the…?” the blacksmith inquired.

“Just Kharg.”

“Oh, nay, laddies. Everyones in the villages be is some master or mistress. No ones here be is just a simplies names. Otherwise yous bes wouldn’t have come heres. Yous bes sees, this villages bes draws powerfulsie tiefling heres times and times again. And no ones bes knows why this bes is happening. So, laddies, what bes are yous a masters of?”

“Winds, I’m a Windmaster.”

“Ah, this bes is woodsie well,” Dolron grinned. “No more nastie smells in the villages!” The blacksmith laughed loudly and slapped Kharg’s back almost knocking him over the railing. This time, however, the pipe fell from his mouth and landed squarely in the middle of a fire. Several tieflings raised their heads to look what happened. “Ah, by the ways, laddies, no weapons bes are allowed in the villages. Yous bes mustn’t use violences here or bes act out of malices.” Dolron indicated the sword still strapped to Kharg’s back. He had been so hungry he forgot to take it off. “Bes show this to mes.” Without asking, the big smith lightly pulled the sword from its scabbard and weighed it in his huge hand. “Pieces of junk yous bes are carrying with yous, Kharg. Bes allow mes to tamper with this for yous and by tomorrow evenings Is bes will have made for yous a swords to cut airs.”

“Sure, knock yourself out,” Kharg replied, not really knowing what to say other than agree. It looked like the blacksmith had already made up his mind. “Hey, do you happen to have a lake nearby? Or a stream at least? I’ve been on the road for several days and I need to wash the dirt away.”

“Is bes know, after a nights in the smithies Is bes also like to soak in. Bes go to the groundsie levels and bes go beyondsie that fires over yonders. Severalsie yards farthersie bes is a hotsie springs. Bes enjoy yourself, Kharg,” Dolron spoke and mauled Kharg’s hand is his huge palm. Then they went their separate ways and after a short stroll through the village Kharg arrived at the aforementioned hot spring. It was empty and as far as he could hear there was no one in the area so he quickly stripped the vest and the kilt, undid the straps of his sandals and with a content sigh he slid into the warm, steaming water.

Kharg sat on the bottom of the shallow pond and rested his head against the grassy bank behind his back. The warm water reached to his chest and it was slowly draining all the stress and tiredness away from his body leaving only the pleasant sleepy dizziness and the noise of stohl under his skull and in his blood.

“Don’t try to sneak in there, Kitla. I can hear you all too well from here,” he called, recognising Kitla’s footsteps and her breathing somewhere behind him. Indeed she was trying to creep up on him and surprise him and he spoiled her fun completely.

“Is bes see your poinsie ears bes aren’t just for shows, Windmaster,” she spoke, sitting on the bank next to his head and slipping her black feet into the water, splashing it a little. A wave of blue ran up her body. “Bes would yous like mes to wash your backs?” she asked as she started stripping.

Kharg looked up, admiring her toned body. “Well, why not…”

 

[nova4u]

Auryn

Auryn awoke with a start, and immediately put her hands to her temples, wincing from the blood pounding in her head. She lay back down and groaned, struggling to clear her mind from the fog clouding it. Blinking her eyes open, she looked around the small hut and realized that Kharg was nowhere to be found. The table had been cleared, and in place of the food was a washbasin and pitcher, with drying cloths draped over a chair. From the small amount of light peeking through the edges of the entry covering, Auryn guessed it to be very early morning.

Slowly she sat up, letting her head adjust to the change in position before opening her eyes again. She stared down and gasped as she caught sight of her ample cleavage nearly spilling from her shirt. At once, her hands went to her chest, fumbling to fasten her buttons, and to her horror found one to be completely missing; the threads had been cut. Auryn stood and stumbled a bit, quickly noticing that her belts and sword had been removed. She spun around looking for them and was relieved to find they had been left lying just next to her as she slept. Her head throbbed in retaliation to the sudden movement and she steadied herself against the wall.

What exactly had happened last night? She very clearly remembered meeting a tiefling named Kitla who seemed to know Kharg very well. Auryn wasn’t sure exactly why, but for some reason she remembered not caring very much for the woman. There were some vague recollections of Kharg’s more than inappropriate behavior, and odd thoughts towards him about something she couldn’t quite remember. Was it anger? Jealousy? What was it that caused her to feel that way?

She walked over to sort through the clothes that had been provided. She certainly couldn’t parade around with her shirt gaping open at her bosom, offering a fleshy show to everyone in the village. There seemed little to choose from, each piece more revealing than the next, save one that looked little more than a long section of heavy broadcloth with a thick belt to gather the waist. Her own uniform was still covered in filth from their journey; even if the button had not been missing, she still could not stand the grime covering her. Eventually she settled on what appeared to be one of the more conservative outfits, if it could be even called that, and set it aside.

She hesitated to undress, eyeing the doorway and listening for any sign of Kharg or one of the local villagers, but finally sighed and shed her clothes; she would just get it over with and keep her ears open for footsteps or voices. The water in the washbasin was cool by now, and Auryn shivered as she hastily scrubbed the washcloth over her body. She dipped her hair into the washbasin and generously cleansed her hair with the soap provided, rinsing as best she could to bring back it’s vibrant white-gold luster. She just had time to wrap a drying cloth around her body and froze, hearing footsteps approaching. She didn’t even realize she had been holding her breath, and let out a sigh of relief when the heavy boots passed by the entry and continued on their way. Auryn dried herself as quickly as possible. Rubbing the wetness from her hair formed a mane that closely resembled that of a wild animal, and she ran her fingers through repeatedly in a vain attempt to tame it.

She then donned her chosen outfit; a white, gauzy top with long sleeves covered her arms, but stopped just below the line of cleavage at her chest, though still too transparent for Auryn’s comfort. What concealment it did offer was provided by a brown leather bodice covering the center her back between her wings, going over her shoulders and wide open at the collarbone, the two front sections barely covering her bust to fasten at the midriff. The bottoms were a similar combination, not leaving much to the imagination at all, but still sufficient to move in should the need to cross swords with someone present itself. She fastened her belts, and paused for a moment before deciding to remove her sword and scabbard and place them where they had been, this time covered amongst the pile of skins.

She moved outside, admiring the early sunlight dimly filtering through the trees. It felt good to be clean, even to wear these new and somewhat striking clothes. Bathing had also served to clear the pounding headache away, and Auryn began a walk, retracing her steps the way Perkun had led them last night. Last night… She still could not remember all she wanted to, and by the way she felt this morning it was almost as if she had had a hangover, though she knew she was always careful when she drank.

Just ahead she saw the hut where she had encountered the two small children…Yes, that’s right, Kitla’s children. She was about to walk by when suddenly the cloth entrance was shoved aside and Kharg stepped out, nearly running into her in the process.

“Sorry, didn’t see you coming,” Kharg said nonchalantly. “Where are you off to so early this morning?”

Auryn’s eyes widened as she looked at Kharg. He was covered from head to toe in bruises and scratches, even a few bite marks showed on his neck and ears. His kilt had a tear along the side, and he appeared very flushed. “Where am I off to?! I think I should ask WHAT you’ve been up to!” In that very instant the entire events of last night came flooding back to her, and Auryn’s face turned a mixture of disgust and anger. “Why are you here? And just what do you think you were trying to pull last night?!”

 

[Poganin]

Kharg

The night had developed contrary to Kharg's expectations. He had hoped for a quiet evening: a meal, a pipe and a lot of peaceful sleep to regain his lost strength and stamina. As it turned out, the night ended with him even more tired and abused and he had the scars to prove it. Kitla's service to him hadn't ended with her washing his back and after furious kisses and hurried, desperate caresses he found himself buried in her hot, eager pussy. Making her accept him whole took some work but in the end his whole impressive length disappeared inside her to both their delight. However, Kharg embarrassed himself by coming rather quickly despite all the stohl he had consumed, disappointing Kitla who expected more from a man as well endowed as he was. She showed a lot of understanding and consideration, though, having listened to his story of the battle, captivity and subsequent escape. More kissing ensued, more sensual this time, and soon his manhood started swelling inside Kitla once more. She rode him slower this time, cradling his head to her chest and enjoying whatever his lips and teeth were doing to her breasts. Thankfully Kharg was able to last longer this time and his black lover was also more than thankful, she had to bury her teeth in his shoulder, marking him quite effectively, to stop herself from squealing when she came.

Afterwards they joined some tieflings gathered by one of the fires and he was forced to listen to several boastful stories that were concentrated either on deeds of arms or cot wrestling, the latter enjoyed immensely by both males and females. When it was Kharg's turn to tell a story he decided to tell them of the Battle of Tiefling Aeries as he had experienced it. He knew that the choice had partially been made for him by that terrible dream he had experienced while resting inside the burrow earlier that evening. No one made any comments or interrupted him and all participants were silent until he finished but even then hardly anyone spoke, silently mourning those who had died. The grave atmosphere remained until a short, stocky tiefling with very long and stiff pointed ears and green hair offered them to join their games. Urged by his new friends Kharg agreed to participate as well but weak and tired as he was he failed in most disciplines involving strength or dexterity and ended up completely battered.

When he tried to excuse himself from the company Kitla pulled him away and invited him to her place. Reluctantly, Kharg conceded and walking arm in arm they soon reached her hut and she let him in first as her guest. Her children, Belaya and Veger, having overcome their initial shyness, infinitely pestered him with questions, wearing him down even more but the greatest horror started when the kids decided to play with him. The two small tieflings turned into a pair of little monsters, crawling all over him, giggling and shouting and urging him to run around the table faster, trying to poke his eyes out, struggling to find out whether his horns would come off if twisted hard enough and tormenting him even more. When Kitla finally managed to put them to their naps all Kharg wanted to do was find a bed and cover himself whole and sleep a week or two away. Hospitably she offered to share her bed with him and, surprising himself, he agreed immediately. Of course she immediately tried to coax him into another round of hot lovemaking but after several minutes of kissing and petting he fell asleep in Kitla's warm embrace.

Once again she was feeling a little disappointed but when he started crying in his sleep she hugged him closer and stroked his hair, soothing him and calming him down. Two hours later he woke up when Kitla was getting up to separate her fighting kids.

“Is bes am sorrie, Kharg. Theys bes woke yous up…” Kitla apologized, seeing him emerge from her bedroom, still warm and fuzzy after his nap.

“No, it’s alright. I should be going anyway, I’ve imposed on you enough.”

“Its bes was no impositions, Windmaster,” the black tiefling replied with a smile and embraced him, kissing his cheek. “Is bes can make yous somethings to eat if yous bes want,” she offered.

“Thank you, you’re very kind, but I’m afraid my companion may get herself into trouble if I let her roam here unattended. She doesn’t know much about us and our customs,” Kharg explained but for some reason he was feeling guilty too.

“Strangesie companions you bes are traveling with.”

“I know, I’m still wondering what’s going on myself. Thank you for your hospitality, Kitla.”

“It bes was my pleasures, Windmaster,” she smiled at him and kissed his lips.

The last person Kharg expected to run into upon leaving Kitla’s hut was Auryn herself and she looked none too pleased to see him either. The surprise that flashed in her eyes as when she saw the state he was in did not escape his notice and he realised what he must have looked like to her and what it could have implied. He was still too tired to explain everything and her hostile attitude immediately rubbed him the wrong way. Auryn’s new attire did not escape his notice either, it was showing off a lot more of nice, womanly flesh now and was way more pleasing to the eye than her military uniform. He let his eyes roam over her body for a moment and then met her gaze with a wicked grin.

“I see you took my advice to your heart, angelwings,” he purred at her.

“I asked you a question, tiefling!” she said icily. “I demand you explain yourself!”

“Auryn, don’t make a scene. Most of the inhabitants have already gone to sleep, let them rest. You are probably the first aasimar most of them have ever seen. Do you want them to think of your kind as spoiled, tantrum-throwing prudes?” he asked and took her upper arm in his left hand, pulling her towards the hut they had been given.

“Unhand me, Kharg, curse you!” she struggled but kept her voice down this time. “Take that scaly… limb off me! It hurts!”

“What, by Valmar’s wrath, is your problem?” he hissed at her when they found themselves inside their dwelling.

“I’ll tell you what my problem is! I want to know just what were you trying to pull off last night? You… you k-kissed me! And you started undressing me…”

“I wasn’t doing anything you didn’t want me to. I assume you don’t remember trying to seduce me, do you? Remind me never to give you any wine anymore.”

“Seduce you? Why would I want to seduce a scaly, horned tiefling? And I hardly drank anything. It was that black one, wasn’t it? She put some kind of spell on me, yes?”

“You forgot to add handsome,” Kharg interrupted her with an amused smile.

“What are you talking about?”

“I distinctly remember you calling me handsome when you pressed your body to mine.”

“Don’t lie to me, Kharg! I’d never…”

“Auryn, stop being stubborn for a moment and think. Why would I want to do something like that to you? Raping drunk aasimars is not what I call fun.”

“Once again, tiefling, I wasn’t drunk!”

“You were,” Kharg sighed. “You ate several intoxicating berries. They made you behave the way you did and you passed out because of them. All malice on my part that there was was not telling you about their properties. Why would I take something from you by force that Kitla was offering willingly, hmmm?”

“I see you took her up on that offer judging by state you are in?”

“So what if I did?” he asked defiantly. He could tell her the origin of those bruises and scratches but there was some pleasure in teasing her so much. “Look, I just kissed you, alright? I was a little drunk too.”

“Do you make a habit of kissing girls when you’re drunk?”

“Only the pretty ones. Please, Auryn, believe me, I wasn’t trying to pull off anything.”

 

[nova4u]

Auryn

She didn’t want to believe him, but the more Kharg said, the clearer last night became in her mind. The berries, the kiss….that KISS! Despite her qualms she felt the redness flush to her cheeks in remembrance of the tingling warmth of their lips pressed hard together, how the heat of his body somehow seemed to pool into hers…did he just call her pretty? Surely not.

Auryn looked away to hide her discomfiture. “I don’t know what to believe or who to trust anymore Kharg. Gods only know why I’m here with you. A few days ago in battle I would have killed you on the spot, but so much has changed in such a short time. I’m hoping the Shaman will have at least some explanations for us. Do you think we’ll be summoned when she is ready for us or…” Auryn trailed off in shock as she turned to look at Kharg and saw him standing there stark naked, yawning and stretching with his back towards her. All she could do was stare open-mouthed at his strong muscles rippling under the toned flesh and hard scales, and those scales were getting easier to look at with each passing second. He knelt to move her sword out from the pile of skins and laid down to cover himself.

“K-K-Kharg!” Auryn sputtered, struggling to keep her voice down and forcing herself to avert her eyes. Her shock, more so for her own behavior than for his, quickly turned into disgust. “Have you no decency? Have you even been listening to a word I’ve said?”

Kharg flashed her a toothy grin through another sleepy yawn, and propped himself up on his elbow. “Of course I’ve been listening. I’m sure at least some of our questions will be answered in due time. Why Auryn, were you peeping?” he said, feigning surprise. “I didn’t think you were into that sort of thing, but I suppose after last night, anything’s possible…see anything you like?”

Auryn was so flustered she was unable to speak coherently, but her face was an odd mixture of disgust, offence and timid embarrassment.

“Listen, I’m tired; I’ve been up all night. We can talk more after I get some sleep, alright? Why don’t you go do some exploring in the village? Just try not to get into any trouble.”

“AARRGH!!” Auryn grumbled and stomped off in a huff. She threw the cloth doorway back in frustration as she left, walked to the nearest landing, and flitted down to the ground looking for something other than Kharg to occupy her mind.

 

[Poganin]

Kharg

As Auryn left, Kharg moved around on the pallet a bit, trying to find a comfortable position to sleep. The short nap in Kitla’s house had done little to bring him the much needed rest and he could still feel sand under his eyelids and he had problems concentrating on one thought for longer than a few heartbeats. After a moment he found the texture of the skin he was lying upon irritating and got up and rolled it into a bundle to use as a pillow. Then he lay back and covered himself. From the outside he hears an unmistakable flutter of wings being spread for flight. Kharg bit his lip in frustration, he was never again to fly, his body brutally bereft of his own wings. He was trying hard not to notices the phantom feelings he had been experiencing for the past days, discomfort and itching where none should be felt for his wings remained in the forest of Baddon, nailed to trees. He understood now why he was feeling so clumsy, the balance of his body had shifted to the front. Groaning to clear his head from distractions, Kharg turned on his side and tucked the furry skin around his body.

As he was drifting off to sleep something attacked his sense of smell, another annoying distraction standing in the way of his respite. He sniffed for a moment, trying to guess what the scent was and guess its origins. He smelled his hands and the skin over him and then his makeshift pillow. Realisation struck him when he was almost asleep and he cursed loudly, snatching the bundle that lay under his head and throwing it outside through the entrance to the hut with a growl rumbling in his chest. It was Auryn’s scent, what else, even absent she was getting under his skin. He wondered what was more unnerving to him – her haughty attitude or her radiant, aasimar looks. And as if her wings weren’t enough now she had to don those clothes that hardly covered anything to flaunt her smooth skin and feminine curves! Kharg growled again, clawing at the skins.

“Why must she be so damn annoying?!” he rumbled. “ Just what do you think you were trying to pull last night?” making faces he mimicked Auryn’s angry tone. “What in the hells am I? A kid to be scolded for misbehaving?! She’s an adult so she can look out for herself. But no, something goes agley and she’s blaming me!” Kharg stopped rambling for a second and blinked several times. “Ach! Why am I talking to myself!?”

Growling as much from annoyance as from embarrassment, Kharg covered himself whole and fought to keep his head clear from distractions. Slowly he managed to calm down, forcing Auryn out of his head, deciding to find a way to deal with her later. Pictures of events from the last few days flashed before his eyes as he was dozing off but there was nothing to draw his attention to and soon his breathing evened out and he was softly snoring, finally getting the much deserved and much awaited rest.

 

[nova4u]

Auryn

Auryn was determined to find a way to relax. Kharg and his outrageous behavior had ruined what otherwise could have been a halfway decent morning. “Try not to get into trouble”? What was that supposed to mean? She was a grown woman and could take care of herself.

The village was quiet this time of day as most of the nocturnal residents were sleeping, but there was still some light activity here and there. Auryn began walking, and studied the tiefling people as they moved about. A woman ran...or was it slithered?... past Auryn quickly chasing after her giggling child, shouting as best she could in a hushed voice that it was past his bedtime. A pair of horn-locked lovers could be seen holding hands and flirting with one another, while not far off a few odd companions quietly talked while sharing the remnants of campfires. At first glance, the tiefling people seemed to carry one bizarre trait after another, be it in their speech or appearance. There were even a good number tieflings here who could nearly pass for human. Nevertheless, the more she watched them, the more Auryn began to realize they were a people not unlike her own. Aasimars could vary greatly in appearance from one to another as well, and though a common tongue was spoken, there were different dialects covering all of Ragnos.

Some shopkeepers could still be found working away on their projects. One shop in particular caught her eye; it was larger than some of the others, and built from stacked stones and mortar. Through the entrance to his shop she could see the huge, looming frame of the blacksmith, and his appearance made her shudder. Covered in hair and sporting tusks to compliment his gruesome appearance, he sat on a large bench, polishing a masterful sword that gleamed with newness. Just the sight of it caught her breath, and her eyes roamed to see the walls and shelves covered in things of beauty from every type of metal imaginable, be they weapons, tools, or children’s play toys. Even though she wanted to get a closer look at the smith’s wares, she thought better of approaching his monstrous figure, and decided to move on.

As she continued her explorations, she saw many people and things that were commonplace to her in any town she had been in; a tailor sewing decorative detail on a cloak, a jeweler setting polished stones into a necklace, even a carpenter could be heard humming a tune as he fashioned a sturdy table in his workshop. It seemed as if the entire village could support itself apart from the outside world with the myriad of talents gathered in this one small place. Everyone worked together; there seemed to be no malice or contempt amongst these people. Except my own… Auryn thought to herself. It was really unlike her to harbor feelings like this, but these days they hovered over her like a dark cloud. Taruk, Crone, Kharg, Kitla…who would be next? She had to find a way to let go of all of this, and soon.

She made her way to the center of the village, and there her stomach growled loudly as she took in the sights and smells of all sorts of foods. Small fruit stands, bakeries, and even a butcher still had a few patrons moving about. Auryn stopped by a bakery, eyeing the fresh baked sweet rolls stuffed with sausage and cheese. The baker, a short, rotund, wrinkly tiefling woman with grey hair and leathery skin, was busy chatting with a customer, and appeared not to notice Auryn standing off to the side. Auryn heaved a quiet sigh, and turned to leave.

“Aren’t you hungry?” a strange, female voice chirruped.

Auryn turned, expecting to find the baker, but instead her jaw dropped in shock. The woman before her was tall and slender, with long feathers covering her whole body in a mantle of brilliant white. Even longer feathers graced her head in place of hair. Her sharp facial features looked almost human, and her wide eyes were a piercing blue, just like Auryn’s. She had the feet of a bird and her hands had only three fingers ending in sharp talons. Surrounding her was a radiant glow, seemingly pouring from within.

“Um…yes, I mean…no, I mean…you’re an aasimar!” Auryn stammered, astonished to see one of her own kind in this place.

“Am I that obvious?” The woman smiled. “Please, take one,” she said, motioning to the sweet rolls. Her voice was indeed strange, filled with occasional bird-like chirps and clicks.

“But, I…”

The woman raised a hand, stopping Auryn from finishing her statement. “We have no need for money here. We give what we have and share what is needed with each other.” With that, she smiled and handed Auryn a sweet roll, tossing a small sack back to land in front of the baker.

The baker stopped her prattle to examine the contents of the bag, pouring out a handful of tiny metal balls. “Piesie weights…Yous bes are toosie generousie Mistress, there bes must be somethings moresie that yous bes need!”

The aasimar swiveled her head around effortlessly like an owl and laughed with a twitter. “Think nothing of it Swenti. You may repay me with a fresh slice of your next quarrenberry pie!”

Auryn still could not believe what was happening. “But…what are you doing here? Why are you here? Who are you?”

The woman turned back to Auryn and cocked her head. “I am a part of this place, and was called here just like all who enter this village. As were you and Kharg.”

“No one told us to come here. We just ran into these two young tieflings who told us the shaman wanted to see us and… Wait a minute…who calls everyone here? Your shaman? I still don’t understand what she could want with us,” said Auryn, shaking her head and tearing into the sweet roll.

“Please, walk with me,” the aasimar said. In spite of her bird-like appearance and sometimes jerking head movements, her stride was delicate and graceful. “All will be made clear in time, but you must be patient; some of your answers do lie here, yet still more lie beyond the boundaries of this small village. All who come must learn that, and move on. For some they will move on in a day, and some will take a lifetime. The challenge is knowing when the time is right to make that move.”

“I don’t think I understand,” Auryn said.

“Then it is not yet your time, is it Auryn?” the woman smiled knowingly at her and winked an eye, tilting her head to one side.

Auryn returned the smile. Despite this woman’s strange voice and mannerisms, somehow Auryn felt safe and reassured around her. She was kin, and that gave Auryn a most welcome feeling in the midst of her discomfort in this place.

“Tell me, what it is about Kharg that disturbs you so?

Auryn was startled by the sudden change in topic. “Kharg? What is there about him that doesn’t disturb me?” She said, rolling her eyes. “Besides, what does that have to do with anything? It’s not like we’ll be traveling together forever. This is just temporary, until we get a few things figured out.”

“You sound very certain of yourself.”

“Well, why shouldn’t I be?”

The woman seemed to ignore Auryn’s questions and looked intently into her eyes. “You need rest, Auryn. Perhaps a nap will refresh you.”

“A nap? I only just got up and I…” Auryn trailed off as she looked around and realized that indeed time had passed. She had finished her sweet roll hours ago…didn’t she?…and the shadows and sunlight filtering through the trees spoke of mid-afternoon, not morning. Auryn felt strangely tired all of the sudden. “I guess maybe I do need a nap…thank you…What was your name again?”

She was gone. Auryn spun around, but the strange woman had disappeared. Confused, Auryn lept into the air and spread her wings, gliding the short distance back to their hut. She found a bed skin outside and inspected it curiously before picking it up and bringing it back inside. Kharg was still sound asleep, but next to him was plenty of room on the pallet for her to lay down without having to touch him. She made herself comfortable and closed her eyes, falling very quickly into a deep, troubling sleep.

Auryn felt rough hands caressing her body everywhere. They seemed to know her every need, every desire. A warm mouth placed burning, tingling kisses in a circle around her neck. She could sense a strong, muscular body nearby but when she reached, there was no one to be found; his touches were gone. She relaxed, easing herself into sleep again and the soft, exploring touch returned. She could hear but not understand whispers of love and affection in a low, growling voice. His lips tenderly brushed against hers, stirring the growing fire within her… He was gone again. Auryn opened her eyes to look for her unknown lover, but found no one, just a hazy, empty space surrounding, almost covering her. The intense silence was broken by a high-pitched, deafening, wail of pain, and an urgent, whispering voice chirruped in her ear: “You must go now Auryn, Kharg needs you.”

 

[Poganin]

Kharg

Kharg slept completely oblivious to Auryn’s presence next to him. He slept and dreamed dreams better left undreamed for in those visions pictures from his past were re-lived as if they were real. The only difference was the ominous presence of his shadow self, dripping with hate and malice and radiating the primal urge to kill him and take his place in the world. When Kharg was once experiencing the times when he was learning to fly, that black shape was there to steal the wind from his wings, causing him to fall screaming and crash on the ground below. “You’re a failure!” the shadowy figure roared and laughed at his mutilated, shattered corpse. “You’ll never make a flyer, Kharg!” When he lay in bed stricken with pox and shivering from growing fever with boils and pustules all over his body exploding with pus that dried and turned into scales the dreaded shade was there, standing in the corner of the room, snickering at him. “You’re such a weakling!” he whispered and his voice was icy daggers. “Look at yourself, on the verge of death from a simple illness. You deem yourself descended from Draic? Pitiful!” When Kharg tried to conjure up air elementals the demonic twin was there to warp his incantations and turn the summoned beings against their master to attack him and pummel him with icy winds, shredding his skin and freezing his eyes. “You call yourself a Wind Apprentice?!” the shadow giggled manically. “Why, a newborn babe breaking wind has more power than you ever will, fool!”

The dark being was everywhere, chasing Kharg from one memory to another, warping it into a humiliating horror that never was but easily could have been. When Kharg was defending the aeries form the aasimar onslaught it was there to butcher his family. “Husband? Father? Laughable!” And at the battle of Baddon Hill it stood behind those who caught him, whispering to them how they should torment him. And it wailed, parodying Kharg’s frantic screams of pain as his wings were being nailed to the trees. It stood above him as he lay bleeding to death on the mossy ground, looking at him with curiosity. “See? All it took was deprive you of wings and you’re nothing. Why not kill yourself and spare yourself further pain? You will gain nothing, fool!” In Taruk’s camp it was there to lock Kharg in one of the magic-binding cages and to instruct Den on how to break fingers to inflict much pain. “See? Deprive you of your magic and you’re like those pathetic humans depending on everyone around them for help.”

Each time a new setting appeared, Kharg was helpless and at the mercy of the taunting shadow, each subsequent scene robbing him of a portion of his strength or abilities. He was aware of one detail the shade seemed to have missed. In that tent he had been thrown into he had his knife with him and as the evil apparition neared the cage to mock him, Kharg produced the weapon and grabbing his enemy by the throat made to thrust the knife in its grinning face. “Kharg, stop!” it cried in Auryn’s voice and when he blinked the tent changed into the hut in the forest village and instead of his twin he was trying to kill Auryn, his knife already halfway to her, the arm acting against his will seemingly. She struggled to get free from his grasp, trying to wedge her fingers between his hand and her neck and use her weight to avoid the blow but the terror coursing in his veins added to his strength. In the last moment he jerked her to the left and his weapon hand to the right so that only several golden hairs slowly floated to the ground.

Auryn hit the pallet with an ‘oof’ and immediately Kharg was upon her, straddling her abdomen and leaning over her, snarling, “What’s the big idea, aasimar? Tried to kill me in my sleep, did you?”

“Get off me!” Auryn squirmed to push him away.

“Or perhaps you wanted seconds, hmmm? You’re a wee bit flushed,” he purred.

“You’re crazy!” Auryn turned her body and threw him off her, quickly getting up and grabbing her sword. “You were having a nightmare, screaming in your sleep so I tried to wake you. What is wrong with you?” she frowned at him, rubbing her neck but calming down when he made no attempts to continue his attack. She had to force herself not to look at his nakedness.

Still dizzy from the sudden awakening and the fears evaporating from his mind Kharg stared at Auryn in silence for a lingering moment, weighing her words. They rang true, he had had a terrible nightmare but its contents were now just opaque wisps but he remembered the feeling of terror and persecution. Suddenly he felt embarrassed with his lack of self control. “Right, I’m sorry,” he said avoiding looking into Auryn’s eyes. Wrapping a skin around his hips he got up, feeling awkward under her inspecting gaze. “Still checking me out, are you?” he tried joking, eliciting a snort but she put her sword down and sat at the table. Bowls of simple food had been brought while they were both asleep and Auryn picked a small apple and took a hearty bite to calm her nerves and body down. She watched Kharg rummage through the pile of clothes and pick a simple sleeveless grey tunic. He slid it over his head and, standing up, smoothed it out and gathered with a belt at his waist.

Finally dressed he joined Auryn at the table and picked a piece of smoked fish. They were eating in silence until Kharg finally spoke, “Look, I said I’m sorry about what happened. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”

“It’s alright, apology accepted,” Auryn replied dryly and Kharg shook his head.

He sniffed the openings of the two bottles standing on the table and poured himself some water. He didn’t want any more alcohol just yet. When he opened his mouth to say something the entrance flap was lifted and Perkun walked in, glancing at them bashfully. “The shamans bes bids yous come,” he said and shuffled his bare feel on the floor, waiting for them to follow. Kharg shrugged and got up as did Auryn and the little tiefling bolted outside as if he couldn’t stand being with them.

It was already evening and the night life of the village was starting but on the walkway near to their hut a dozen tieflings were standing, watching them in silence as they followed Perkun. Their eyes carried some strange, unspoken accusation. Kharg said, “What’s their problem? Are they attending a wake or something?”

After a moment Perkun answered, “Theys bes are afraidsie.”

“Afraid? Afraid of what?” Kharg inquired, casting a glance at Auryn who seemed lost in thought, biting her lip apprehensively.

“Of the hatreds yous bes have brought with yous. It bes is forbiddensie to act maliciouslie here,” the small tiefling gestured with one of his arms, indicating the village.

“I said I’m sorry!” Kharg suddenly stopped, turned and shouted at the gathering. “What else do you want me to do, dammit!”

“Kharg, stop it!” Auryn scolded him. “You’re being weird.”

“And since when are you a specialist on tieflings, angelwings?” he snapped back in anger. “Lead on, little fellow, I have questions to ask your shaman,” Kharg said to Perkun who hurried off briskly, eager to leave them behind.

A short walk and several climbs brought them to what seemed a centre of the village, with a large platform made from living branches grown together. On it stood a hut, bigger than most they had seen before, with benches to the sides of the wide entrance and patches of glowing moss growing around the edge of the roof. It was well tended for and neat and radiated hospitality. “Bes go inside. The shamans bes awaits,” Perkun gestured towards the entrance and ran away, quickly disappearing in the gloom.

Kharg shrugged and looked at Auryn. “After you?” he said and fell into step behind her. The interior was just as pleasant, clean and tidy, with colourful, hairy carpets lying on the floor. It was cosy and somehow calming to be there but Kharg noticed a disquieting scent lingering in the air. He couldn’t associate it with anything in particular but for some reason it seemed unnatural to him. As they stood at the entrance, looking uncertainly around the empty room the shadows at the back were slowly dispersed by moss being uncovered and a radiant figure of an aasimar woman covered from head to toe with white feathers stepped slowly and gracefully forward.

“It-it’s you!” Auryn exclaimed.

“Yes, Auryn, it is I. I am the shaman and keeper of this village. I’m sorry for misleading you earlier. My name is Tanaela and I welcome you,” the woman twittered and stopped in the middle of the room smoothing the feathers on her shoulders, her head twitching left as she did so.

“You know this chick?” Kharg said with a sneer, realising where the feeling of wrongness was coming from. The hut smelled of aasimar. Suddenly he felt the urgent need to keep wary.

“Kharg, don’t be rude!” Auryn scolded.

“He cannot help it, Auryn. The Windmaster has been infested with Shadow and it is slowly eating at him, robbing him of his mind. Please, sit down, my children.”

They did as instructed but Kharg remained close to the door, ready to run if those two aasimars tried anything funny with him.

“A shadow… but aren’t tieflings of shadow anyway? It’s nothing new to him, is it?”

“Yes and no, Auryn. Tieflings are essentially the children of Valmar, Father of the Night, who created all things dark and nocturnal. And yet shadows are there even during the day, which is the domain of Granas. Neither of them created the shadows and yet they do exist. And the darkness in the souls of tieflings can resonate with shadows but sometimes, when the need arises, they can delve into the Shadow and draw on its power. But it comes at a terrible price. At the same time tieflings cling to shadows and fear them as the most terrible enemy. Isn’t that right, Kharg?” Tanaela chirruped and pinned him with her blue gaze. “He must be purged of it before we can continue lest it warp everything.”

“Oh no you don’t!” Kharg protested and made to get up but found himself unable to move. “What have you done to me, witch?! Release me!”

“I fear you not, creature! Auryn, I will need your help in this.”

 

[nova4u]

Auryn

Kharg spat on the floor at Tanaela’s feet and scowled at her.

“Me?” Auryn exclaimed. “What would you need my help for?”

“The shadow has taken root deep inside of Kharg,” Tanaela said. “Though my powers are great, if I fail, the darkness will become one with his soul and condemn him to madness…and eventually death.”

“But you still haven’t explained…”

“Auryn, a gift has been given to you, but you have yet to unlock it’s true power. The full potential of your amulet is entirely dependent on your readiness and determination to be the medium through which it draws it’s strength.”

“My amulet…” Auryn’s hand reached up to clutch the amulet protectively. It was something she always wore, and without her cloak this evening she had placed it on a specially made silver chain; though appearing delicate the simple chain was amazingly strong and served well to safeguard the talisman. “What do you know of it? It is something only certain women in my family know how to use, and even then only if they are taught to use the spells precisely.”

Kharg broke their conversation sharply. “Before I’m done with you, that pretty little amulet will be wrapped tight around your throat!” His eyes glowed a deep red as he growled through a malicious grin. “I always had a thing for a sexy chit in a choker…all I need for you now is a leash.”

“Silence, beast!” Tanaela commanded him. Kharg clamped his mouth shut and shrank slightly away from her in loathing, turning from the two women.

Tanaela turned back to Auryn. “Your amulet is not merely a gift passed on in your family. It has a specific purpose for it’s existence, but that is something you must discover on your own; even I cannot see past it’s mystery. It’s strength lies within you, the bearer. Look deep inside yourself Auryn, and concentrate; focus your energies, and you will find a way to help Kharg.”

Auryn was reluctant to assist; she didn’t quite understand all that Tanaela was saying, and was afraid she would hurt him in some way. But one thing she did understand: the shadow would continue to plague Kharg’s mind. She may not have known him long, but the past couple of days had shown a different side to him, something dark, angry and increasingly out of control.

Auryn took the amulet in her hands and closed her eyes, breathing deeply. Slowly she freed her mind of all that was around her. She could hear the Shaman’s voice whispering at the edge of her thoughts: focus…concentrate… Time seemed to stand still, but she had no way of really knowing, nor did she care, whether minutes or hours passed as she sat there on the floor of the hut. Something was there, within her, just out of reach. Suddenly she felt it: an intensity from the core of her being growing rapidly, something she had never felt before…not limited, not unlimited, but somewhere in between. When she opened her eyes she found herself standing, both Tanaela and Kharg staring at her in silence.

“I understand now,” Auryn breathed. It was as if her mind had been opened to a whole new level. She still did not know exactly what she had to do… but she was overwhelmed with an instinctual awareness that when the moment came she would know.

“Then let us wait no more,” Tanaela said. She lifted her arms over her head, and began faintly chanting a long series of warbles and trills repeatedly.

Kharg’s eyes became glowing red slits, and he hissed at them through clenched teeth, seething in anger. As the chanting increased in fervor and pitch, Kharg’s eyes began to widen, and something moved…almost like a face within his face; an image of his own likeness. He let out an agonizing howl and began to convulse, his body struggling with the battle for his mind between the Shadow and Tanaela. The evil reflection indeed looked like a shadow of Kharg himself; as it twisted and pulled free from his body it’s face was wretched in the torment of a silent scream. Kharg looked at the apparition before him in horror, then collapsed to the floor.

Now was the time. Auryn quickly took action, gripping her amulet tightly. There were no words this time; she released herself to the charm itself, feeling it draw strength from within her. This was a reverse of all she knew; she had been taught to cast spells through it, but now it seemed to be working of it’s own volition, using her as the catalyst.

The shadow felt her presence and turned, taking a step towards Auryn, but a flash of light burst forth from the amulet and stopped it in it’s tracks. Kharg’s image began to fade and dissolve into a crouching, shapeless shadowy monster. The only distinguishable features were it’s eyes of glowing red embers, long fingers with sharp claws, a contorted mouth full of razor-like fangs, and a black, sinuous tail several feet long. Auryn was fearful but stood her ground. It made one last lunge for her, and at that same instant the amulet erupted into a brief, fiery blaze and the shadow vaporized into trails of smoke whisping past her face.

All was silent for a moment; the shadow was gone, but still a sense of trepidation hung over them. Kharg! Auryn saw his muscular body crumpled in a motionless heap on the floor and rushed over to him. She gently cradled him in her arms and bit her lip hard, fighting back the tears. She couldn’t lose him now, not after all that they had gone through to free him. She tasted blood on her lips, and before she gave it a moment of thought Auryn leaned down and pressed her lips to his, kissing him, feeding him the life-force of her precious healing blood.

 

[Poganin]

Kharg

The moment Kharg realised they were going to do something to him, his sight was veiled with a red-black film that distorted his perceptions. He knew that the feathery one had cast some sort of binding spell on him and he was unable to move because of that but there was something more. He became aware of an alien presence inside him that took control of his body, leaving him only his senses so he could witness all that was happening. Kharg felt his mouth move and spew obscenities and his upper body writhed in the abhorrent glow and presence of two aasimars who decided to torture him. He was fighting both against the spell and the overwhelming presence coming from within. Then at the same time the darkness disappeared with a shriek, striking at Kharg mentally and stunning him with all its hatred and malice. He fell to the floor and passed out, momentarily blinded by white flash and then welcomed by a gentle, soothing darkness of unconsciousness that brought him respite and oblivion. He was willing to get lost in that darkness. He was tired.

“Kharg, you’re angry and tired. Don’t tell me you argued with Krell again,” Nadya spoke beside him. Her warming presence was calming and reassuring, as always. “Here, drink this and don’t think about it anymore,” she said, handing him a goblet of mead. He accepted it and brought the cup to his lips, taking a small sip and rolling it on his tongue. It tickled his mouth so he swallowed and then quickly emptied the vessel. There was a sudden explosion of warmth from his stomach, radiating in every direction; it made him tingle all over, the feeling was somewhat familiar but strange at the same time. “I know just the thing to make you smile, husband,” she purred and pulled him down for a wet, long kiss that made his ears twitch. Nadya’s lips were warm and eager and their caresses made his own lips tingle.

When he couldn’t stand the sensation anymore he tapped her temple, making her open her eyes and break the kiss. “I knew it would work,” she said dreamily, seeing his grin.

“Did you dye your hair?” Kharg said, running his fingers through her white-golden locks.

“Dye my hair? What are you talking about, Kharg?” Nadya countered, disentangling his hand from her thick mane and holding it. “Your daughter has a surprise for you. You should have seen how excited she was when…”

“When what? Come on, tell me!” He urged.

“Papa!” came a cry from the entrance to the room and a small tiefling girl burst in, stumbling on the threshold and falling to the floor. She quickly got up, laughed and ran up to her father who gathered her in his arms.

“So… what mischief has my little Neyla been up to? Hmrrr?” he rumbled, making the small girl giggle.

“Neyla? Kharg, it’s Tanaela,” his wife corrected him.

“What are you talking about? Nadya, you’re the one who named our daughter.”

“Wook, papa, I’m gwowing howns!” the little girl pointed to her forehead with chubby fingers and beat her small wings in excitement.

“That’s my girl! You’re the prettiest little tiefling of all aeries, isn’t she, Nadya?” Kharg glanced at his wife but she said nothing, only giving him strange looks.

“I want skays too!” Neyla cried and ran her fingers over the hard scales on his left shoulder.

“It’s scales. Say scales, Neyla.”

“Skays!” the girl giggled.

“What is he talking about, Tanaela?” Nadya suddenly asked their daughter.

“I believe he’s hallucinating, Auryn. The shadow had fused with him deeply and it must have been terrible for Kharg to suddenly experience parting with it. It probably had mingled with his being quite strongly for him to react so violently. Now he’s returning to the times when he was safe and happy, he’s instincts are trying to protect him from further harm. There are also tieflings who drink human blood to alter their perceptions of the world. I doubt any of them had ever thought of trying aasimar blood. It’s possible that by feeding him your blood you have made him hallucinate.”

“But he’ll be alright, won’t he?”

“Who knows? There’s no saying what he might see in those waking dreams. He might decide to stay there, in the times when tieflings enjoyed a period of relative peace and quiet. Or his sense of duty could prevail and bring him back. It all depends on his reasons for joining the war. We have no way of knowing what he’s seeing or hearing right now.”

“I trust in your wisdom, Tanaela,” Auryn said uneasily and looked at Kharg who was now sitting up cross-legged and laughing. The violent red fire had died in his eyes and in the dim light of glowing moss they looked violet.

“But it makes things easier for me,” Tanaela’s head jerked suddenly. “I called you here because I wanted to show you something. I believe Kharg wouldn’t be very trusting with all his senses about him.”

“Show us what? Your messengers promised us answers,” Auryn protested.

“Hush, my child, patience. You and Kharg have been marked. You two are the only survivors of something terrible. But to understand that you must first understand the past and the events that lead to the war. There is knowledge that has been carefully hidden and obscured. You must witness the events first hand before I can answer your questions. It may be that after you see what you are to see, your questions will change. Trust me. Close your eyes.”

 

[nova4u]

Auryn

“Trust me. Close your eyes.”

Auryn listened to her words carefully. There was no longer an issue of not trusting Tanaela, but things were happening so fast Auryn was apprehensive of what would happen next. Nevertheless, she closed her eyes.

In an instant, her mind was blank. Everything around her seemed to disappear; sounds were replaced by silence, even the sensation of the cold hard floor beneath her was gone. For several moments, she felt as if she was floating in complete and utter darkness. Faint flickers of light began to form, and soon the darkness in her mind took the form of night. Stars lit the sky but were fading out of sight as daybreak approached. A handful of dim lanterns cast a lambent glint on the steel armor of fifty human and aasimar warriors hiding silently in the edges of a forest. After a full night of waiting, they were anxious for their prey: a small band of tiefling families in a grassy glade not 500 feet away, just drifting off to sleep for the day.

A mighty cry was sounded, and the warriors charged from the forest. “Every one of them ALIVE!” someone shouted as the ambush began. Tents were slashed and ripped from their stakes revealing scared tiefling men, women and children. Some had been sleeping, others rocking their babies to sleep or even making love, and all were caught with no place to hide and no chance to run.

Within the hour, the tieflings were stripped of their clothing and strung tight to long stakes. Adults, and any child that could stand, were tied standing up. Females were braced at the ankle with their legs spread apart. Infants were tied to small stakes in the ground. The stakes spanned a large circle, so the victims all could look upon each other, and families were grouped together. In the center, the warriors took up camp; preparing to live off provisions the families had gathered for themselves.

Once more their leader spoke loudly, “Well men, let’s have at it! Take what you’ve earned!”

And so it began. A round of raucous cheers and whoops let out as the men raced off to partake in the bounty of their wickedness. The tieflings’ cries of humiliation, pain and horror fell on deaf ears as chaos broke loose. Women, even some of the children, were the first to suffer…violently groped and raped repeatedly as their men-folk looked on and howled in anguish and protest. Then came the spirits; and, when they drank their fill infants were defecated upon. The mercenaries beat the tiefling men into silence as women and children cried out in fear, begging for mercy on their loved ones.

For days it continued. The tieflings were kept to the stakes, suffering beatings and rapes, taunted with sarcastic offers of food and water, humiliated time and time again with waste and refuse tossed and rubbed all over their bodies. Anguished parents watched helplessly as their children died before their eyes, begging for water. When the last tiefling died, the merciless warriors abandoned the bodies as they were for birds of prey and other animals to pick off the remains.

Once again all grew dark. Tanaela’s voice spoke softly into the silence, “Behold. Testify to these events…”

The darkness was suddenly broken by the piercing blaze of a bonfire. Several tiefling men stood upon stools and crates, barking their arguments to the small crowd gathered before them.

“We must fight back! They’ll torture and kill every one of us if we give them the chance!” shouted one man.

A tribal elder called out from the front of the crowd. “This is not our way. We are a people of peace.”

“The time for peace is gone old man! Have you not seen the bodies of our dead? How many loved ones have you lost? Even one drop is too much blood shed.”

Murmurs flew through the crowd at every statement made by those both for and against retaliation. Another tiefling called out from his platform, “Other tribes have suffered similar tragedies. We must band together to defend our people. Who’s with us?” A roar of cheers ran through the crowd as all but a few joined the militant inciters.

“Tieflings, make ready! Let us fight for our survival!”

Auryn looked on as the newly formed militia scattered to their homes. They returned with axes, pitchforks, hunting bows…anything on hand that could be considered a weapon; not one of them realizing just how much harm could befall them in their own inexperienced fighting hands. Off they went, no armor, no training, no plan of attack, no sense of the deadly reality they were marching straight towards. And as the days wore on, not one returned.

“Behold. Testify to these events…”

Light flashed, and Auryn stood in a modest but well-kept hut. Kharg was suddenly before her, his face worn and frustrated.

“Don’t tell me you argued with Krell again,” Auryn said, surprising herself at her words; it was as if someone were controlling her actions and speech. “Here, drink this and don’t think about it anymore,” she said, offering him a goblet of strong drink. She watched as he silently took the cup, savoring the taste at first but then knocking back the entire cup. A strange look came over his face.

“I know just the thing to make my husband smile,” she whispered, and brought him close for a deep, sensual kiss. At once every nerve in her body filled with sensitivity. Warmth poured into her as she engaged his lips, craving more of the tingling arousal.

Auryn felt Kharg tapping her forehead and broke the kiss breathlessly. “Mmmm… I knew it would work.” She sighed contentedly as Kharg ran his fingers through her thick, wild mane.

“Did you dye your hair?” Kharg asked.

“What are you talking about, husband?” Auryn pulled back and smiled at him. “Your daughter has a surprise for you. She was so excited…”

“Papa!” squealed a little tiefling girl, running into Kharg’s arms.

“What has my little Neyla been up to today? Hmrrr?” he growled into her ear playfully.

“Wook, papa, I’m gwowing howns!” giggled the little girl, pointing to her head and beating her wings excitedly.

“That’s my girl! You’re the prettiest little tiefling of all aeries, isn’t she Auryn?” Kharg glanced at Auryn. Auryn looked on at her family, beaming with pride.

“I want skays too!” Neyla cried, feeling the hard scales on his shoulder.

“It’s scales. Say scales, Neyla.”

“Skays!” the girl giggled.

“Come Kharg, she’s learning,” Auryn smiled. She wrapped her arms around both of them and hugged them close. “There’s one more surprise… for both of you.”

“Oh? What could be more exciting than our little girl growing up?”

“Tell us, mama, tell us!”

Auryn only grinned and placed Kharg’s hand low over her stomach, watching his eyes grow wide.

“I wanna know mama!” Neyla said as she jumped excitedly.

Kharg laughed, taking Auryn in his arms and swinging her around the room.

The room darkened, and Auryn was alone once more.

“Behold. Testify to these events…”

Auryn felt the substance of reality returning. She opened her eyes to the warm mossy glow of Tanaela’s hut, and saw Kharg sleeping peacefully on the floor, smiling. Suddenly she recalled her visions. “How long has it been?”

“Not long really. What did you see?” Tanaela cooed, cocking her head to one side.

“Don’t you know? I thought it was you who was giving me what I needed to see.”

“I can only guide your thoughts toward the right path. What you choose to see on that path comes from within you, what your heart and mind needs to see. I can tell you this: you have witnessed the truth.”

Auryn raised her eyebrows as she thought of Kharg and Neyla. “One of my visions was something I know has never happened. It actually reminded me of Kharg’s hallucinations. What could that mean?”

“If it were not associated with his hallucinations I would say it was a glimpse of things yet to come. But if it truly has come from him…” Tanaela moved to look at Kharg’s face. “Look here,” she said, pointing to his mouth.

Auryn peered closely and saw his lip had been split deeply; perhaps a bite from the struggle with the shadow. But even as she watched she could see the skin reforming; evidence of contact with her healing blood.

Tanaela eyed Auryn carefully. “It appears you may have gotten more from Kharg than you were expecting…”

 

[Poganin]

Kharg

Kharg was sitting in a big, wicker armchair that creaked with each movement he made, his legs stretched far in the direction of the fireplace, dancing flames warming his feet, thick, woollen winter clothes warming his body and a generous amount of stohl warming him from within. On the other side of the small table laden with food and liquor in an identical armchair Krell was making himself at home. They were both slightly drunk and best friends once again despite having argued just the day before. They parted their ways in anger, as usual when they were discussing the source and uses of the power granted to them by their bloodlines. Their viewpoints on the manipulation of the element of air varied drastically, the main reason being Kharg’s designation as Windmaster at the very early age of seventeen. Krell was given the title at thirty but strangely it was Kharg who had a much more and reasonable approach to the possibilities such power allowed. The older Windmaster, on the other hand, was hot-headed and impatient which belied his being more experienced and, moreover, he was terribly jealous of the younger tiefling’s intuitive magical abilities.

“You must think of the consequences, Krell,” Kharg started once again, knowing full well that his friend was too stubborn to understand. “You really cannot conjure a tornado without realising the shifts in the air masses it produces. You can do a lot of harm not only in the focal point but elsewhere as well. The power we have mustn’t be abused…”

As those final words passed Kharg’s lips the hearth-room of his aerie underwent a sudden but fluid change. Krell vanished and his place was taken by a thin, gaunt tiefling with leaves in various shades of green growing from his bark-like skin. His body creaked and rustled and he smelled of forest. The table separating him from Kharg started changing its shape, widening and elongating into a roughly circular shape and various tiefling elders sitting in high chairs started materialising around it. The room itself was no longer a chamber in Kharg’s aerie but an impressive mead-hall. Torchlight revealed rich, hand-woven kilims depicting the creation of Ragnos hanging on the walls.

“The drakyrian speaks true. We mustn’t attack!” The tree-like tiefling’s voice was like a rustle of leaves on the wind.

“I have a name, Krrrsh!” Kharg snapped and his voice sounded strange and alien to him. And most importantly it was a female voice that came from his mouth.

“Peace, Rathena! This is not the time for petty squabbles. We all know there is no liking between you drakyrians and treowlings but for the moment we have to put that aside and decide what to do with this sudden threat,” another tiefling woman spoke. It was Grieda, the elder of one of the strangest breeds of tieflings. They called themselves the frythons and their skin was a living thing, coexisting with the host and reflecting his or her state of mind with a complex pattern of constantly shifting lines and tattoos. Right now Grieda’s skin was a maze of sharp, angular figures.

“Deal with it, I say!” another tiefling cried and slammed his hand on the table, overturning several cups. “Skin one or two of those raiding parties, deliver them back home in pieces, raze a town or two. Send those pathetic weaklings a warning that we are not animals to be hunted. Show them that we chose to stay away for a reason. We weren’t given this power for nothing!” He clenched his fist and the flames of all torches exploded, sending sparks in all directions. The irises of his eyes turned orange and swirled like fire, his whole body started glowing softly. Krrrsh got up from his chair and moved away.

“Contain your anger, Argamar,” said a tiefling, his voice a soothing tenor. There was something liquid in the way he moved and talked. His face was an expression of eternal patience and peace. He blinked his eyes which made fire cast colourful reflexes off the scales covering his skin in irregular patches. “I agree that we cannot simply let them do as they please and I am all for teaching them a lesson they won’t forget for a few centuries. I’d like nothing more than to gorge myself on the intestines of a human child or two and ravish their mothers but we really must think of the consequences.”

“You are out of your mind, Blish!” a small, monkey-like tiefling woman screeched, jumping on the table and waving her four arms in agitation. “Do you think those humans think of consequences of their actions? They see us passive, docile, so they think they can do to us anything they please without the fear of retribution. Should we retaliate, as Argamar suggests in his wisdom, they would think twice before storming another settlement.”

“You are of course aware, Ch’krita, that violence only breeds more violence. So far we’ve only lost a few and found a few wounded but if we decide to fight back they will come in greater numbers and leave no man or child alive. Our villages will be burned to the ground, our loved ones killed,” Krrrsh creaked, pacing the hall slowly.

“Then let us take action before they come to pester us again! We are more powerful, we will mop the streets of their stinking towns with their newborn!” Blish stood up.

“Do you ever think or do you love the sound of your voice so much that it never occurs to you to consider your actions?” Rathena stood up as well and spread her wings aggressively almost smacking Ch’krita off the table in the process. “Yes, we are more powerful, we have our magic and the nature itself at our side. Why, Krrrsh himself could make a forest grow in one of their towns overnight. But if we decide to use this power against them the consequences can be terrible. We are capable of wiping the humans from the face of Ragnos completely and that is unacceptable!”

“Do explain why, drakyrian,” another tiefling cut in with a scornful half-smile, pointing at Rathena with a chicken leg he was eating.

“Ragnos was created for them, not for us.”

“Well tough luck, we’re here too now, so we have the same right to exist in peace.”

“You are all forgetting about something,” a low, vibrating rumble passed through the hall and all gathered trembled hearing this voice. All eyes turned to the one who spoke and silence engulfed the Council. He shifted his weight in the chair and it creaked dangerously under his massive frame. He was a dahaka tiefling, a gigantic mix of muscle and hard carapace; slimy, snake-like tentacles writhed all over his body. His eyes were like two embers burning in a stony face that never changed its expression no matter the circumstances. Several twisted horns protruded from his head, adorning it like a crown. “One, very important factor.”

It was said that the dahaka were not tieflings at all, that they were in reality a line of sartan that remained on Ragnos after the departure of their kin. In truth they were tieflings but the seed of their forefather smothered all human traits in his progeny. One look at them was enough to realise what terrible creatures the sartan were. The dahaka were dangerous and rightly feared even by the fiercest tieflings for their anger was great and their power was immense. But they were a reclusive people and rarely seen even by the most worldly of tiefling explorers.

“The aasimar,” Krrrsh dared break the silence.

The dahaka only blinked once and said nothing and the rest of the gathered slowly understood his point.

“Should we take any offensive action they will be forced to react as well,” Krrrsh explained.

“But why? It’s none of their business, is it?” Ch’krita asked.

“No, but humans will make it their business, little one,” Grieda explained, her skin filling with sad ovals. “They are hybrids like us but they are capable of coexisting with humans. The moment we attack they will be faced with a choice: join the humans against us or join us against them. Initially they will decide to take the path of neutrality but they will be able to remain neutral only for so long before humans turn on them as well because of their inaction. In the end we will face the humans and our aasimar brethren and there will be war.”

“So what!” Argamar shouted. “Let them come! They will burn as well if they oppose us!”

“Now that I think about it I haven’t had an aasimar yet. I hear their bodies are soft and smooth and delicate,” Blish joined in. “I don’t care what they throw at us. I will have revenge for my kidnapped children!”

“The Council forbids it!” Rathena roared.

“You don’t speak for the Council, the matter hasn’t been resolved, Rathena!” Argamar rose from his seat as well.

“Then we shall resolve it now. Let those who are in favour of retaliation stand up or remain standing,” Krrrsh, as the oldest one, spoke and four tieflings stood. “Let those who are against fighting humans stand up now.” Seven council members stood. “The Council has decided. No militant actions will be taken and we will seek a peaceful resolution.”

“Then I remove myself from this Council!” Argamar rose and walked towards the exit. “I will not sit idly while we are pestered and chased like animals!”

“Neither will I!” Blish joined him. “From today I will leave no human I meet alive. If the aasimar stand in my way they will perish as well.”

Ch’krita and a single other tiefling joined them silently and they left the hall. Slowly all remaining Council members turned their eyes to the dahaka once again. He was the only one who hadn’t voted.

“You have another idea?” Grieda asked.

“Trouble will start soon. We should abandon this region and seek new homes farther from the realms of man. This schism we have witnessed today must be carefully hidden from common eyes and ears. If there indeed is a war no one must know that a tiefling hand started it.”

The dahaka’s final words were lost in a sudden roar of fire engulfing the mead-hall and gutting it in an instant, leaving only a charred ruin behind. All around him Kharg could see destroyed buildings and burned bodies. The stench of death and the feeling of loss and injustice hung in the air and suddenly he realised that this wasn’t the tiefling settlement anymore but the ruins of Crell Monferaigne, burned down in a terrible fire attributed to a tiefling raid. But Kharg knew the accusation to be untrue because no tieflings had ever lived near that town to mount a successful attack. In the distance he saw some of his kind leave a forest and put big bundles down on the ground and make their way to the ruined town. They were members of one of the many caravans that heeded the dahaka’s advice to move elsewhere and start their life anew where the hatred of humans could not reach and harm them.

More and more tieflings poured out of the forest and entered the ruined town, sifting through the rubble and charred remains of houses, seeking survivors. They didn’t break their work and didn’t escape when a group of aasimar joined in their search. For the rest of the day tieflings and aasimar alike toiled together and got dirty and tired together to help save anyone and anything from the remains of the burnt town. And when evening came the rescue parties ate and drank together and then parted their ways in peace, the tieflings resuming their pilgrimage in search of a new home.

Once again the scene shifted and Kharg found himself standing on a sunlit hill, looking down on a town inhabited by humans and aasimar, living peacefully and quietly, spending their time on tending to their fertile fields and fishing. It was a remote spot, far from big cities or popular roads. The denizens probably haven’t ever seen a tiefling, much less heard about the troubles brewing elsewhere. In his heart Kharg knew very well what was about to happen in this place.

A band of bloodthirsty tieflings loped over the hill he was standing on and sprang from the river, charging at the stunned peasants who beheld such nightmarish creatures for the first time in their lives. The aasimar instantly recognised their dark brethren and abstained from taking action, choosing to lead as many humans to safety as possible without standing in the tieflings’ way. The defenceless men and women were cut down on the spot or ripped to pieces by the inhuman attackers. Houses were put to flame with people still inside. It was a veritable slaughter, the storming tieflings gobbling themselves on human blood which served to enflame their thirst for destruction even more. Finally one of them spotted the aasimar helping the humans to safety and pointed them out to his companions. Howling and yelling the tieflings approached the aasimars, demanding them to get out of their way and leave the cowering humans to them. Denied, they killed the aasimar as well and threw themselves at the remaining peasants.

The world disappeared in another blur and Kharg was back in his armchair, blood dripping from his palm. Nadya was kneeling at his side and carefully removing shards of broken goblet from his palm. She winced each time his blood burned her skin.

“I don’t believe you, Krell! I don’t believe a single word you said! This can’t be true! This isn’t true!” he shouted. “Nadya, tell him.”

“It is true, husband. We hurt you terribly but some of you hurt us as well and it’s been going on for ages. It will end in even more bloodshed,” his wife answered.

“No! This can’t be true! This is a lie!” Kharg stood up and wobbled to the balcony where he vomited the contents of his stomach over the railing and into the darkness below.

 

[nova4u]

Auryn looked to Tanaela for reassurance, but was met with silence as the bird-like aasimar focused on Kharg’s mind. Kneeling beside Kharg, Auryn stroked his midnight hair and watched his face twist in torment as the visions came to him in his sleep. Occasionally he would mutter a few words or a name, but not enough for her to understand what he was witnessing. She hoped her nearness would somehow soothe him, but in reality he knew nothing of his surroundings, only the images before him and the anguish that came with them.

As she went to lay a hand on his shoulder, a sudden tingling shot through her fingers and she jerked her arm back. After a moment the familiarity of it came back to her, and she reached for him again. For the first time she ran her fingers from the top of his shoulder very slowly down his arm, exploring the texture of his scales, tracing the overlapping ridges as they ran down. The longer she touched him the stronger the tingling became, but curiosity and pleasure as the warmth pooled deep inside made it difficult to want to withdraw her hand.

She moved her hand to his, when suddenly his scaled fist opened and grasped her hand tightly. It didn’t hurt, but caught her by surprise as the intensity of the sensations magnified and raced through her body. The glowing radiance of her heritage flared, encompassing both of them. The muscles in his strong arm rippled under her hands, becoming more and more tense. Auryn’s hand began to burn like fire, and she looked to see that Kharg had dug his sharp claws deep through the tough scales in the palm of his hand; his blood was searing her skin. She tried to pull her hand free but his grip tightened even more.

Kharg abruptly sat straight up and shouted. “I don’t believe you! This can’t be true! This isn’t true!”

“It is true, Kharg. Everything you are seeing is true but you must let go…you’re hurting yourself! You must try to calm down.” Auryn tried her best to soothe him and bit her lip to hide the pain she was feeling in his grasp.

As if reading her thoughts he instantly released her hand. “No! This can’t be true! This is a lie!” Kharg stood up and staggered to the balcony, retching to the ground below.

Auryn tried to go after him but felt Tanaela’s hand on her shoulder. “Let him be, Auryn.”

“He needs help! He’s sick.”

“Kharg can take care of himself.”

“But-”

“I’m fine, Auryn,” said Kharg, still shaky but walking towards them. He coughed the last lump of bile from his throat and spat on the floor. He stopped short and grabbed her arm. “Your hand…”

“Yours too,” she said, pointing to his palm and the open wounds. Auryn reached for her flame-dagger, strapped in it’s sheath along her inner thigh. Before he could protest, she swiftly sliced open the palm of her burned hand.

“Auryn, what are you doing?! Are you crazy?”

“Give me your hand,” she said, wincing in pain as her golden blood flowed freely. She saw him hesitate and repeated sharply, “Give me your hand! Trust me.”

Kharg’s eyes narrowed with suspicion but he reluctantly offered her his wounded hand. Auryn gently opened his fingers, then squeezed her fist, letting the aurulent vital fluid seep into the piercings of his scaly palm. Kharg hissed and his first instinct was to pull away, but instead watched the holes slowly closed up and new scales began to form. Auryn then muttered a few healing words of an ancient tongue and watched as her own slashed and burned flesh repaired with ease. Within moments, all of their lesions were gone without a trace except bloodstains.

The two stared at each other for several moments, when Tanaela finally interrupted. “My children, there is little time. We still have much to discuss.” All three resumed their seats on the floor. “As I mentioned, the two of you have been marked, and have survived terrible things that others surely would not. Now that you have seen what your visions contained you must learn from them. And know that you will not leave this village with all of your questions answered, for I am only able to share with you the knowledge that has been revealed to me.

“One week ago, a vision came to me in my meditations. There was death. Out of a large circle of darkness came light and wind. The light carried the wind, and the wind soared with the light. The elements separated, and with that came death, betrayal, fighting and fear. The wind and light reunited, and as they moved together the very trees they walked along moved, bowing to the elements of great power and guiding their way. But through it all darkness followed. The darkness took hold of the wind, and battled against the light, but the light was stronger, and destroyed the darkness. Again, the two moved on, still to face dangers hitherto unheard of in the history of Ragnos. A man who is not a man will deceive the light and wind, yet the fate of all remains unbeknownst to me.

“You have been selected to follow a divine path. I know not why you were chosen, only that it is the will of the gods that you continue till it’s end.”

Kharg interjected. “How do you know this is a ‘divine path’? Admittedly, some strange things have been happening. But I don’t see anything ‘holy’ about what’s been going on.”

“There are many signs Kharg, but you must look for them in the right places. Have you not noticed that you have been healing faster at night than usual? And the shape of your wings nailed to the tree in the forest – did they not resemble the crest of Valmar as they swayed in the wind? In my vision, the death I saw was from the battle of Baddon Hill. You, Kharg, are the wind, and Auryn is the light. The darkness that took hold of the wind was the Shadow within you, and Auryn was able to destroy the Shadow.

“As I said, I cannot give you all the answers you seek. There is one who can help you, though their identity has been hidden from me. You must leave by daybreak; you are being followed even as we speak, and will bring danger to not only yourselves but the entire village if you stay.”

“But wait…,” Auryn exclaimed. “We were told you had information for us about the black circle at Baddon Hill. What happened there?”

 

[Poganin]

Kharg

“Angelwings speaks true,” said Kharg, rubbing his scaled hand on his knee. The damn palm itched and tingled now either from the healed flesh or Auryn’s blood having seeped into it. He remembered getting a similar sensation while holding her hand in the forest. It was much more annoying now, though, and with the dizziness in his head and his revolting stomach were driving him crazy. He tried recalling the events of the past hours but his memories were jumbled and made no sense whatsoever. The last thing he could remember was taking shelter with Auryn under a huge oak and alliance soldiers hot on their trail; next he was puking from a balcony into a fire below, surprised tieflings skittering back. The events in between were making no sense even as they floated in the miasma that filled his head. One thing he remembered clearly, though, at some point he had been a woman called Rathena and he had to move his legs a bit to make sure that his manhood was still in its place. His ears twitched in embarrassment.

Kharg couldn’t quite remember where he was or who the feathery, bird-like aasimar was either. He only had a faint idea that she was someone wise and she was supposed to tell him and Auryn something important about that huge black circle they had seen scorched into the plain where the battle had taken place. Or had it? It would have taken several dozen Firemasters to create and control a fire of that magnitude, and Firemasters were extremely rare – partially because fire was the most difficult element to handle and those who failed to master it ended up as piles of ash, and partially because most of the time they were busy perfecting their craft. It was surprising how little a Firemaster could do when compared with a Windmaster simply because the flames could go out of control easily. Kharg was capable of calling up a tornado or suffocate someone by making air so thin around him it wouldn’t sustain him. A Firemaster on the other hand could light a candle or a fire and be on the safe side; anything more and the element wielder himself was endangered. Therefore many extremely skilled and experienced could have created an inferno of that size but not without the danger to the tiefling side and to themselves, not to mention the surrounding area.

“I can only give you a very vague idea of what passed during the battle,” the strange aasimar chirped. Tanaela was her name, Kharg recalled. “All I know is that someone stopped the charging armies. As they ran to meet each other in a sea of steel and blood someone stepped into the middle of the battlefield and raising his arms high he began casting a spell of tremendous power. Soldiers from both sides stood stupefied but made no attempt to pass him and start the fight. And then, in a flash, it was all over. A sphere of blinding light exploded from that single sorcerer, immediately engulfing tiefling, aasimar and human alike, their bodies melting and evaporating in the terrible heat. Neither bone nor sword could withstand such power. They were all caught by surprise and slain by a single person,” Tanaela finished her tale.

“Impossible,” Auryn whispered, awed. “No one is capable of magicks so powerful.”

“But why would he kill his own? If he was there to fight on the side of the alliance, why endanger his comrades as well?” Kharg speculated.

“Why do you assume he was one of ours?!” Auryn turned to him.

“Because no tiefling can practice lightcraft, that’s why.”

“Lightcraft? Lightcraft is not used for killing, it’s a soothing, healing force…”

“You are both right, my children,” Tanaela interrupted before an argument could explode. “Light is the giver of life, without the suns there would be no life on Ragnos. But their abundant heat can also destroy life easily. The same goes for darkness. Permanent darkness would kill all life but there are flowers that bloom in the dark only. So just as light can be used for killing, darkness can be used for healing. You are of two different worlds, my children, but those two worlds, when intertwining, create a single world. Ponder on it and draw your own conclusions.”

“I’ve never heard of someone that powerful,” Auryn said, her eyes searching the ground. “I’m sure there was no one like that in General Taruk’s camp.”

“Then it must have been an angry farmer who’s fields we were trampling,” Kharg got up and put a hand to his head when his vision spun. “I’ve heard enough. Time to get some clear answers for a change.”

“Seek the wisdom of others, yes, but never forget what you learned here. Each step is a lesson,” Tanaela chirruped.

“Kharg, wait, where do you think you’re going?” Auryn got up as well.

“Arenberg, where else?” he looked at her in disbelief. Arenberg was the holy city in this region of Ragnos. Also called the White City it was a true marvel of architecture, a place of awe-inspiring beauty raised with the hands of humans, aasimon and sartan. Surrounded by a blindingly white wall three hundred feet high, it was an impenetrable fortress and should the war escalate it would be the keep where the alliance could make its stand. Arenberg was so big, several armies could easily live inside, and so only about a third part of it was inhabited. There were empty houses and palaces awaiting someone to move in and fill them with laughter and happiness. There were rumours that in the distant past tieflings lived there as well but they were later chased out when the persecutions started. It was also the centre of Ragnosian religion and the twin cathedrals representing the two creators of Ragnos scraped the clouds with their black and white spires. “It’s the obvious choice, isn’t it? Who else to ask about the gods but the archdeons themselves?”

“Y-yeah. But they’d never let you inside.” Auryn protested.

“I’ll think of something.” Kharg shrugged, knowing well that he would have no trouble entering Arenberg. “It’s getting there that will be hard. I don’t exactly blend in.”

“I’ll have someone prepare a robe for you, Kharg.” Tanaela joined them. “Get ready to leave, the suns will rise soon.”