To See With Clouded Eyes
by Thayer in Dark Ages
Authors’ Note : Prior to reading this
piece, I strongly recommend reading the Biography
of Rookerin, as his biography preludes the events of this tale.
Realize that all events in this story are true, and not fiction.
Slowly he unfolded the parchment, smoothing out the creases. The
parchment was
rough and torn with premature age. His hand shaked slightly as he
brought it before his
eyes, reading it silently, as he had done so many times before.
I implore your help. Forgive me now, I put you in danger for
asking this of you. I am
being hunted. I dare not write more of this, for if this letter
is stopped before it reaches
your hands - or if they know you’re my brother, then you are
as good as dead.
The most I can safely say is - I went on a campaign of great
danger, and I knew death, or
the result of me not returning were very much a reality. If
you’re receiving this letter, I
Return it to Kadath.
It is where it belongs, where it was born. This is my obsession,
please! For Chadul’s
sake, do this one request for me, so I can live, where I am, in
peace.
With my soul, I do write.
Kraven, Son of Keefe.
My brother, Rookerin,
no longer have the freedom to complete the campaign I began.
Enclosed with this letter
is a parcel, a dark stone. It is a conix fragment. I gained it
from the Isle Of Man, but no
more will I speak of that. The stone holds great abilities and
powers, which you will see
when you complete my request :
He folded the parchment up, slipping it into the folds of his
robes as he stood, tears
filling his eyes. With eyes downcast, he ran, as if trying to
escape the words that he read.
As he ran, his hand fell into the pockets of his robes, absently
caressing the dark conix
stone.
Thayer shook his head, dark-blue locks falling before his
forehead. He smiled a
bit, nodding, “Yes, of course I’m listening” - he
lied. His mind was in other places,
Thayer’s eyes glanced about the table of Demagogues, noting
all those present :
Etienne, Dartanian, Aerston, Ayshilin, Quipper, and Maerista.
Silence held the room for the longest of time before Aerston
again spoke up.
“Well, if you were listening, then you’d know it was
your turn, Thayer, to speak your
mind of new laws and regulations -- didn’t you have a few
requests?”
“Yes I do.” He said gently, his hands gripping the side
of the table. He was timid
naturally in the presence of the most powerful people in Mileth,
but his convictions and
reasoning pushed him to continue. “As many of you know,
trade between the mundanes
of the cities of our land is very sparse.” he said with a
slightly mumbled voice. He
coughed, clearing his throat, trying to speak with a stronger
tone. “The main reason for
this, is there are no adequate trade routes.” Thayer
continued...
Thayer was prepared for them. He had practiced this moment for
many moons,
All seemed well - the quill was handed to the first Demagogue to
sign their
agreement to the law. It was then the question Thayer did not
prepare for was asked,
Thayer froze completely at the question. “Damnit, they
found me out!” he
thought. He trembled a bit, sitting down, fighting back the
expression of terror that he
knew must be evident. Composing himself, he quickly retorted,
“I wouldn’t worry too
much about that, Aerston, its been many Aeons since we’ve
had any problems with
Kadath, plus its my understanding the minerals near Kadath would
be great for trade, and
thats why we’re making this law, eh!?” Thayer gulped,
smiling as he spoke thinking to himself, “Will they
see through me?”
A smile crossed Aerston's face as he nodded, “Good point...I
suppose its about
time we allow citizens to have free access to travel wherever
they please. Quick with the
quill, before I find another possible problem.” The room
filled with laughter, as they
signed the agreement. It was done, Kadath was again open for
travel.
The women released her grip, dropping her hands at her hips.
Thayer faltered
over, falling back on his rump as he rubbed his neck, looking up
at the women. She was a
slim figure, her eyes were the deepest mauve, which stared into
ones soul. Her hair was a
dark purple, lightly curled and fell across her shoulders down
her back, her bangs crossed
about her cheeks, giving her a slightly seductive look. A symbol
of beautification she was.
Her name was Ayshilin.
Ayshilin slowly narrowed her eyes, whispering to Thayer,
“Rookerin, what has
happened to you? Why do you pretend to be something you’re
not?” she whispered as she
touched his hair, rubbing it with her fingers. The blue was dye,
and rubbed off with the
slightest of contact. She pushed his hair back, noting the black
color of his roots.
Thayer was Rookerin. He had been the guise of Rookerin for over a
Deoch,
The Guard stood before Rookerin, his eyes glowing red with
anger. “Kraven’s
brother, at last we meet! Pray that Sgrios is more merciful then
I.” He whispered in a
deep tone before freeing his blade, lunging at Rookerin with
inhuman speed.
With the nimble reflexes of a rogue, Rookerin bolted back, moving
far enough
away to avoid the blunt of the attack, his shoulder only slightly
cut by the Guard’s blade.
Fear held Rookerin’s face as he ran, ran with terror. He ran
and never returned,
...Since that meeting, Rookerin had stopped his work for Kraven.
The work could
not be completed by him - not with people hunting for his life.
Rookerin gave the work to
Thayer, his other persona, his shadow. Reaching Kadath was no
longer a goal being
followed at his brother's request; it had become the obsession of
his shadow.
Thayer pulled back, annoyance in his eyes. “Ayshilin, love,
you wouldn’t
understand. Look, I have things I need to do,” Thayer
exclaimed, a sigh touching his lips
as he forced himself to stand.
Ayshilin looked at him in utter disbelief. “Who are you? Do
I even know you
anymore?” her fist were white with anger, pressing hard into
her hips. Her slim form
shook with rage building up inside her breasts.
Thayer shrugged a bit, not answering her question, “I have
things I need to do..
“B.. but, you are my husband..” Her voice trails off.
How he had changed! He had
lost his soul, and she couldn’t see Rookerin anymore.
“Rookerin, was my husband
Thayer.”
Thayer shooked his head, slightly confused. Slowly, he slipped
the band of
marriage from his finger, looking it over, the soft Ivory and
Jade forming its delicate
figure. He handed it to Ayshilin, setting it in her shaking palm.
He whispered softly, “I’m
sorry, I can’t anymore, I’m sorry -- I have things I
need to do..” Thayer dropped his hand
and turned about, walking away from Ayshilin, leaving her eyes in
tears.
“I have things I need to do.”
She toppled over, whimpering “I’m sorry sir..” she
forced herself to stand, fighting
back the dizziness in an attempt to hold herself as a lady.
After a few moments she finally regained herself and beheld the
man before her.
He was a stout man, adorn in a dark-blue guard tabard, with the
symbol of the Isle Of Man
on his arm, a non-recognized government of the castle Dubhaim. He
wore a steel helmet,
Ayshilin blinked a few times, her mauve orbs noticing a figure
beside the guard -
“Oh my god! Lucien, what has hap..” Her words trailed
off as she finally realized
the situation. The guard gripped the neck of Lucien, pulling him
slowly up off the ground.
“Seems you are no longer of any use to me, Lucien. Thank you
for bringing me to
Ayshilin.” a slight grin touched the guard’s lips,
unseen through his helm. He slowly
squeezed Lucien’s neck, crushing it with his inhuman grip.
The guard released his hand, Lucien’s body tumbled to the
ground before Ayshilin.
She stood before the guard, her eyes wide, complete terror
working through her body.
The guard was not human, his aura destroyed all her defenses; she
felt helpless.
With a bellowing laugh the guard swooped Ayshilin under his arm,
falling into the
shadows.
“You’ll lead me to where Rookerin has been
hiding.”
The moon had already peeked the horizon, and the sun had begun
its journey into
the ocean when Thayer stepped out of the inn of Mileth to begin
his campaign. He licked
his lips, letting them taste the night air as he began down the
path, head slightly downcast.
The night grew darker as he walked. His booted feet trudged
against the ground
as he looked north, as those of Asoda did so long before.
“Finally,” Thayer whispered,
He smiled, gripping the conix fragment held tightly in the
confines of his pocket.
He reached the edge of Mileth, smiling all the while. -- It was
then that it happened.
Everything froze, like in a dream, where you awaken in a cold
sweat.
A shadow formed on the bend of the road. It was not human. It was
twisting,
The shadow moved with unmatched speed, lashing out at Thayer with
the cloak of
night about its form. A cool steel blade burrowed a home deep in
Thayer’s chest.
Thayer’s body slumped to the ground, blood flooding down his
sides, creating a
small pool of red liquid about his form. He gasped for air, over
and over, none coming to
his lips. He hardly felt the strong hand dig into his robes,
taking the conix fragment from
him. With the last of his breath, Thayer whispered...
“Please, I..I cannot die! I have things I need to
do.”
“Thayer! Are you listening?”
Yelped Aerston, as he smacked the table.
thinking of lost memories, and tall mountains in the north. A
non-existent attention span
was that of Thayer, but he had his reasons for being here, for
being a Demagogue. He
didn’t care what any others wished, his one goal consumed
him, and all others be damned
in his presence.
deciding exactly what to say, and how to convince the officials
of his law. For hours he
debated with the Demagogues, requesting an open trade market,
with routes opened to
the whole of Temuair. He begged the roads be open to all aislings
and mundanes, and
with a tongue of gold he finally convinced the majority of the
Demagogues of his ideals.
“Oh, shouldn’t there be a clause against the routes to
Kadath being opened? It has been
against the law for quite some time to travel to Kadath. We
wouldn’t want aislings and
mundanes parading around there!” said Aerston with a smile.
Thayer stepped into the crisp air of the afternoon, a smile
crossed his lips with the
heaviest of glee. His law had passed, and everything was falling
into place. With a deep
breath he slipped his hands into the folds of his robes - just as
the grip of delicate fingers
touched his neck. “Rookerin...” a gentle female voice,
touched by anger whispered.
Thayer cringed, being pulled behind the Town Hall.
ever since he first met one of the guards of the Isle Of Man...
leaving only a shadow, a shadow he named Thayer.
Kadath...an..” He hushed himself, trying to hold down his
thoughts. How could she do this
to him? Why must people always try to get in his way? Thayer
found his own form filling
with anger. All that mattered to Thayer was his obsession - his
date with Kadath and a
dark stone. “Will you just leave me alone?” He
whispered, his expression was perplexed
and confused as to why she would bother him.
Ayshilin ran. She didn’t know where to go, why had this
happened? The only
option was to run. Through the streets of Mileth, her eyes lost
and confused. “Rookerin
has to be here somewhere, please!” She refused to believe he
was gone, that Thayer stood
in his place. Her eyes were blurred with tears - so much so that
the large man standing in
the middle of the road, blocking her aimless dash wasn’t
seen till she hit him head on.
letting only his eyes peer out at Ayshilin - his dark, red eyes.
or rather , kneeling beside him. He was obviously hurt, and
breathing heavily with blood
running down his forehead. It did not take her long to realize
the man beside the guard
was Rookerin's elder brother, Lucien
Thayer tossed the last bit of supplies into his backpack. His
purpose as a
Demagogue had come to an end. The law was made, and now for the
next phase in
ascertaining the completion of his obsession - The journey to
Kadath.
“My quest is coming to an end! It has seemed like a dream,
so unreal. Finally the cycle
comes to a close, my dream-quest is coming to an end.” A
gentle laugh parted his lips as
he whispered his nonsense. It had seemed like he lived for this
exact moment.
moving alive with darkness. It came at Thayer, and he recognized
its eyes. It was the
guard from the Isle Of Man. No one else had orbs of such pure red
rage that could glow
against the dark night sky.
Thayer’s eyes opened wide in pain - he saw everything at
that moment. Green and purple
tendrils of hair bellowing about as steel mixed with flesh. He
flailed his arms, begging any
god to save him, to preserve his life, to allow him to journey to
Kadath..