"No, but why don't you keep the drinks coming when our mugs get low. At least for a few more rounds," she winked at Ean. "We'll probably slow down a bit after the fourth. Or maybe the third. My brother has trouble handling his drink sometimes."
"As you wish," the serving girl said curtly, then turned and stalked off. Azalea watched her go again, giving Ean the opportunity to try and continue his line of questioning.
"You didn't answer me. What did you mean when you said I wouldn't have to always hide my tattoos?"
Appearing to ignore his question, Azalea let out a short laugh as she kept her attention focused on the serving girl.
"Azalea, I want--"
"Want to know why the girl is so snobby? Or at least what I think is the reason?"
"That's not exactly something I'm going to lose sleep--"
"She has waves of jealousy mixed with lust wafting off of her. I can feel it from all the way across the room. The jealousy picks up whenever she passes that one woman leaning near the entrance to the kitchen, and the lust increases whenever she passes that man that's been moving about talking to all of the tables. I would bet two imps and a Hound that the man is the owner, the woman his wife, and the serving girl is sleeping with the owner."
"You got all of that just by tasting the emotions coming off of them and watching them for a few moments?"
"It's just a guess, but an educated guess. I could charm the serving girl and have her tell us if I'm right."
"No. No need for that."
"You sure? I like knowing whether I'm right or wrong. Think of it as a way to make sure I understand humans, because if I have to pass as one, I should be able to figure things like that out."
"Not necessary," he said quickly. "Let's just assume you're right".
"Fine, fine. I'm more interested in this pompous man walking towards us anyway. The pride radiating off him could feed a family of Yulari for a week, and my kind have VERY large families."
Cringing slightly, Ean had an idea who she was talking about even before a hand clasped down on his shoulder and a familiar voice boomed over the crowd noise and music.
"Ean, my boy!" Iacane's voice had the slight slur of a man that was already a few drinks down. Moving around Ean, he sat down in between Ean and Azalea and let his eyes scan over the Yulari. "If this is your sister, I feel slighted that you have been hiding away such a beautiful creature. And if it's not, then good job to you, my boy. I didn't think you were this much of a ladies man."
"Azalea, this is Iacane" Ean grumbled. "Iacane, this is my sister, Azalea."
"Sister! Excellent! Pleasure to meet you, of course." Iacane slid his chair slightly closer to the Yulari. "Let me properly introduce myself. My name is Iacane Brill, the greatest Saniteal in Ven Khilada."
"Pleasure, I'm sure," Azalea said dryly.
"Ean hasn't told me or my companions much about you. You would think the boy was ashamed to have such a stunning girl for a sister."
"That is not true, I just--"
"It's quite alright, brother," Azalea said, cutting Ean off. "I understand. My brother and I don't always agree on things, and it's caused problems in the past. I'm trying to fix things now though."
"Disagree with you?" the Saniteal scoffed. "Must simply be sibling rivalry making him speak against you."
"No, no, it's true. I'm quite difficult to live with. I always seem to be getting in trouble." Leaning forward, the Yulari batted her eyes towards the man and her voice dropped to a low purr. "Most other people don't seem to mind the trouble I get in, though. I'm sure the two of us could--"
"Enough Azalea." Ean had to cut in. "I thought we were going to relax and enjoy ourselves."
"Of course, you're right, brother." Leaning back, Azalea's entire demeanor changed. The smokiness left her voice and she relaxed back into her chair. She snatched her mug off the table and downed the rest of her drink in one big gulp before she slammed it back down. "To relaxing!"
The men stared at her for a moment, both equally caught off guard by her sudden change in personality.
"Erm, yes..." Iacane replied. "To relaxing and having a bit of fun. The gods know we need it now, before we enter the Deadlands." Taking his own mug, he tilted it back for a moment before carefully placing it back down.
"So tell me," Iacane continued. "Why is a beauty like yourself making such a risky trip into the Deadlands? Your brother here has been tight-lipped on his reasons, but surely your own must not be that secretive."
"Oh, but my reason is a terrible secret. The truth would actually scramble your mind, it's so dark and terrifying. You see, I'm not even human, I'm actually--"
"Ok, that's enough fun," Ean cut in quickly. "Enough jokes, Azalea. Tomorrow is going to be stressful enough as it is without making up stories. I'm sure all three of us would benefit from talking about happier subjects."
"Hush, Ean," Iacane leaned closer to Azalea, a small smile touching his lips. "I'm a grown man, and I think I can handle whatever little story your sister wants to tell."
"Exactly," Azalea said, sticking out her tongue briefly at Ean before leaning closer to Iacane. "Now, before my brother rudely interrupted, I was about to tell you my dark secret. You see, I'm actually a soul-sucking creature from the Abyss, and Ean is my Master."
"Oh, really? How intriguing! And what evil plot have you both come up with that involves going into the Deadlands?"
"Simple. We plan to enter the old lair of the creator of the Plague, take any remaining items or knowledge that we can find, and raise Ean up to conquer the world."
"Brilliant!" Iacane exclaimed, clapping his hands together. "For a moment there I almost believed you. You seemed so serious. And talking about such taboo subjects like the Abyss and the Plague. If I had let you keep going, you would have mentioned Ze'an himself, I think."
"No, I've never met the Lord of the Abyss myself. I don't like to drop names of people I've never even seen. I'm not that prideful of a creature."
"Ean my boy, you have the most interesting sister I have ever met," Iacane said, clapping Ean roughly on the back. "Most people, especially women, would shy away from talking about such things. Why, I've heard of people flat out disappearing in Lurthalan for speaking too much about the Abyss and Ze'an."
"Yes," Ean grumbled, "my sister certainly does not have much tact when it comes to certain topics and a vivid imagination to boot." Turning to Azalea, he tried giving her his most intense stare. "I'm just a simple Healer after all. I haven't the slightest interest in fame or glory. And taking over the world sounds like more trouble than it's worth."
"That's my brother for you, can't even pretend to be ambitious. If Ean even got the smallest amount of power, he would have no idea what to do with it. Thankfully, what he lacks in ambition he more than makes up for with his ability to keep me entertained. Why just the other night he had a bit too much to drink and I had to practically carry him up to his bed."
Iacane leaned back and let out a deep, bellowing laugh. Ean had never seen the man this jovial before. The sudden change must surely have originated from the bottom of his mug.
"Ean, my poor boy," the Saniteal said in-between bouts of laughter. "You certainly don't get a break from your sister, do you?"
"No, not even a little one," Ean growled.
Azalea moved quickly around the table and wrapped her arms around Ean's shoulder in a tight hug.
"Oh, you know I'm only teasing." Moving her hands up to cover Ean's ears, she pretended to whisper to Iacane, "Don't tell my brother, but I'm quite fond of him. Flaws and all. What he really needs is a little guidance every now and then, which is why it's a good thing he has me around."
"Yes, I'm quite lucky, because you've spent so much time with me this trip."
Azalea placed a hand over her heart. "Ean! Does that mean you've missed me?" Reaching down she gave him another hug. "Well, don't you worry. Like I've said, I'll be around you much, much more from this point on."
"And I will make sure to look out for you
both," Iacane cut in quickly. His attention, however, was entirely on Azalea. "To make sure nothing bad happens to you while we are in the Deadlands."
Azalea shot the Saniteal a smile and slowly returned to her seat. On the way she paused long enough to pat Iacane on the head. "That is most generous of you, and greatly appreciated."
"And unnecessary," Ean grumbled, but seemed to be ignored by the other two.
Falling back into her chair, Azalea grabbed her empty mug and used it to pound the table a few times. "Now, I don't know about you gentlemen, but I came here to drink and have some fun. All I need at the moment is for that surly waitress to get back here and fill my mug."
Iacane grabbed his own mug and drained the contents before slamming it down as well.
"Agreed!" he said, his voice sounding even more slurred. "To a night of fun!"
Despite himself, Ean slowly began to have some fun as the night wore on. Azalea continued to drink like each mug was her last, but she never showed any signs of the alcohol affecting her. She lessened the jabs she took at Ean as well, instead turning her insults on those around the table. The Yulari still made comments every now and then about Ean having no direction or idea what he was really doing, but each comment was accompanied by a genuine smile or wink.
Iacane on the other hand, who had already been slightly drunk when he sat down, continued to spiral down as he finished off more and more mugs. At first it was entertaining, as the usually serious man was more relaxed and less conceited. But as the afternoon turned to dusk and dusk turned to night, the boastful and arrogant Iacane made a reappearance.
The Saniteal dominated the conversation during the late night hours with stories that Ean had mostly heard already, except embellished even more. Whenever he would start one, Ean would immediately zone out and stare down into his mug. Azalea seemed interested at first, but she too slowly got tired of listening to the man speak about himself. While Ean pretended to listen, Azalea made a show of NOT listening; yawning loudly, turning to talk to the people seated around them, even going so far as to try speaking directly over what Iacane was saying.
But the Saniteal continued, the amount of drinks he had in him either making him not realize what she was doing or not caring. It finally took the man placing his head down on the table and passing out for him to quiet down, but even in his sleep he continued to mumble as if he was continuing his stories. That was the signal that the three of them should call it a night.
Leaving Iacane in the capable and stronger hands of some of the caravan workers to get him back to his tent, Ean and Azalea headed back to the collection of wagons. By this point Ean was a bit wobbly and happy to accept Azalea's help in making their way back. At the beginning of their walk, they kept silent, with Ean's arm draped around the Yulari's shoulder, but some thoughts that had always been swirling around in Ean's mind finally slipped out of his mouth.
"Azalea," Ean said, trying his best not to slur his words. "Why are you sticking around? What did you and Zin agree on?"
"What can I say," the Yulari laughed, keeping her attention straight ahead. "I'm a fan of the corruption and greed that exists in this world. It's an unending supply of nourishment and tastes much sweeter than the creatures I feed off of in the Abyss."
"That's not all of it, and you know it."
She was silent for a time, trudging with him past the flickering light of the few lamps lit on the main street. The tiny flames did little to illuminate much past the building walls they were attached to and sent shadows running around inside of the windows and down the alleys. When Azalea finally answered, her voice was lower and had an inflection that Ean had never heard from her before.
"Do you know what the Abyss is really like, Ean?"
"I pictured it as a place where all of the creatures created by Ze'an are running around together. Zin said it's divided into different levels, and some creatures control those levels. He also said it's a horrible place for his kind."
"Your imp friend is right, but it's much more than that, even if you are a more powerful creature. Unless you are at the top of the food chain, it's a constant battle for survival. It's a fight to control those weaker than you, so that you in turn can use them and not become controlled by those stronger than you. It's a battle to not become someone's possession, used up and tossed aside on a whim. And that's not just by other creatures stronger than you, it's by your own kind as well. I'm considered young for my kind, which means the majority of the older and stronger members of my race could easily snatch me away and use me for whatever they wished. There is no peace in the Abyss, no safety."
Azalea paused for a moment, making Ean stop as well. Turning to him, Ean could actually see pain in her slightly squinted eyes and downturned lips. And although the alcohol might be playing a part in his thoughts, he actually believed it to be a genuine emotion from the Yulari.
"This, Ean," she said, waving a hand that took in the two of them and then the rest of the world, "is peace. This is freedom."
Hoisting Ean into a better position, she turned away and started them moving again. Through the fog of his ale-laden mind, Ean tried to process what the Yulari had said.
"But you're not free," he finally got out. "You're tied to me just as tightly I'm sure as you would have been to some strong creature in the Abyss."
"And a creature in the Abyss would have used my mind, body, and spirit in any way they wanted. Do you plan on using me in the same way?"
"Of course not!" Ean said quickly.
"And that, my boy, is why I consider our relationship as being free." A small smile touched the corner of her lip. "I can handle the rules you put in place because to survive in this world undetected, I would probably have to follow those rules anyway. Plus, I find your own inner conflicts interesting."
"My own inner conflicts? What do--"
"Enough questions, my little human. I feel like we just had a moment, you and I. Let's just enjoy it in silence for a moment, yes?"
Ean complied. Instead of talking, he concentrated on putting one foot in front of the other, which was getting more difficult by the minute. Back in the tent, she helped him ease onto the cot before taking a step towards the exit.
"Azalea, wait."
"Yes?"
"I trust you, Azalea. I just wanted you to know that."
She stood there, facing him, her face barely visible in the low level of light peaking in from the outside. Ean strained to catch her expression, but the combination of moonlight and the alcohol made it impossible. When the Yulari finally responded, her voice was low and serious.
"You probably shouldn't...but thank you."
Without another word she was gone, the tent flaps closing behind her, leaving him in darkness.
IN THE DARKNESS BEFORE dawn, the caravan workers loaded the wagons. By first light, the wagons set off to the north with Ean bobbing along in the back of one with an apple in his hand. An unseasonably cold wind began to howl out over the lake and follow them as they moved past it. It was as if the air itself was trying to warn the caravan about their destination.
When the sun reached its peak, the wagons began to slow down. The animals began to act restless, crying out and digging in their hooves, refusing to move for no apparent reason. Even their owners seemed on edge. Men yelled out orders in crackling voices. The usual chatter that accompanied the squeaking of the wheels had died off. Peeking out the back and around the wagons in front of him at what was ahead, Ean immediately began to get a feeling of dread.
The lead wagon was the first to disappear into a wall of dense fog that stretched from east to west as far as the Ean's eye could see, as if they had come to a point in the world where the gods had run out of material and light. The sight of it sent a chill up Ean's spine, which grew to a frost the closer they got to that wall. As they drew closer, something else mixed in with the dread. Something was reaching for him. Pulling at him. Something familiar...
"Cover up, brother."
Ean jumped as he fe
lt Azalea's hand tugging at his right glove while her other hand pulled his sleeve down. He hadn't felt her coming or heard her climb up into the wagon. She took a seat next to him in the back, her hands still resting on his arm.
"Azalea, you almost gave me a heart attack. Do you not see what we're riding into? Now is not the time for surprises."
"For one, yes, I did see what we're riding into, which is why I came back here to be with you. I told you I was going to stick with you from this point on. And it's a good thing I did. You clearly didn't even notice your arm."
"My arm? What do you mean..." Looking down he saw a small amount of his arm between his glove and sleeve still exposed. The tattoos were glowing as brightly as if he was full of as much energy from the Abyss as he could hold. For a moment Ean thought he had taken in the power, maybe out of reflex at being nervous. But not a single drop of the power flowed through his body. He wanted it, though. Almost like he needed it.
Snatching his arm from Azalea's grip, he covered his skin by tucking its edges into the glove. The move blocked off the light, but it didn't get rid of the dread or the hunger. Part of him desired to fill his body with the energy of the Abyss. Become intoxicated with its power. His rational side, however, feared that desire. Feared what he could become if he so easily gave in to his hunger.
"Oh, calm down," Azalea said, apparently seeing the angst in his expression. "I thought you would have expected something like this. After all, from what I've heard, this whole Plague or whatever it's called, originated from the Abysmal energy released when Zin's previous master died. It's only natural that it should still exist in one form or another."
"Except this feels wrong...or at least off." He took a quick glance towards the front of the caravan. The wall of fog was only three wagons ahead of his now. "I was worried about the Plague making me a Living Dead. But what if the fog interacts with my body differently because of my tattoos?"
A variety of scenarios took form in his head. Two taking prominence:
Descent Into Darkness (Book 2) Page 20