Chapter 71 - Illias - (Act III)

The last crescent of the sun sunk below the horizon, casting a fiery blaze across the sea that lit low laying clouds from within as the Talkenerren coast settled into dusk. Throughout the day the Lychen’s Fiddle had slowly advanced up the coast, an angry silence hanging over the crew as they got to task. It was not just the Captain who had made the connection, many had seen the pattern of attacks over the past two months as they had made business shifting cargo up and down the coast while they waited on Selera. The increasing number of occasions they had been accosted in the open water and the severity of the attacks had been wearing slowly at the crew.

During the day, the Captain had been meeting with groups of the crew, hearing their concerns and of their observations about dock and in the waters. In the end, it was Illias who had the most to tell. An observation he had thought nothing of at the time. The exchanging of money between three captains and a dark-robed individual. It had taken place a week before, in a booth at one of the dock’s more prominent brothels that he frequented. He knew one of them to be a captain of a sloop similar to those that attacked.

As the Captain discussed their path of action with the crew, garnering their support, the anger grew. They were ready to enter port, repair the ship and fight their way back out again if the tides turned against them and Selera. In preparation they had already removed the remains of the main mast and had prepared the spars, sails and rigging in advance to allow a speedy fitting of the spares they kept in dock.

Selera spent much of the day with the engineers that had helped her that morning. With the knowledge of there being potentially more of the devices, they had got to work. By late afternoon they had argued, deciphered and cross-checked to the point of giving a clearer picture of the design and function. Though it still did not point them in a direction of exactly where it took them. It did confirm that all devices made to this design would send the one to activate it to the same place, even to the exact location her siblings had been delivered to.

Selera sighed quietly, looking out at the last colours of the sunset as the Fiddle sat poised, her sails rolled and lashed, anchored off shore and awaiting the turn of midnight. It was so quiet, she could even hear the lap of the water against the hull. Most of the crew had opted for an early night considering the run into the port early in the morning. Selera agreed with the general belief aboard, when they approach without lanterns and make dock as false dawn begins they will find out the truth. The mood will tell them all they need.

She stood, leaning against the railing of the helm, watching as the stars appeared, dusk transforming to night. The last clouds had disappeared over the horizon and the moon had not yet risen. The universe stretched above her, the stars shining brightly. She looked up, frowning as she followed the various constellations. She focused, a ghostly blue haze built over her eyes as she used her sight. Threads of light passed overhead, the shimmering mists off the sea rose in silvers and blues. The stars became brighter as they dominated her sight, the small sparks coming alive with colour.

“Where are you?” she said quietly.

She almost jumped when she heard a voice in the dark, “You won’t find them with that sight of yours, Selera. They are well beyond it.”

Selera blinked and turned, he was sitting in the shadows with his back against the wall below the railing.

“Illias? How long have you been here?”

He chuckled to himself, “I am almost insulted, Selera. I have been seated since before you walked up here.” he said simply, slowly standing and leaning against the railing, looking up, “I may not have what you call the ‘Demon’s Thread’, but I do understand.” he said.

He looked at her, genuine concern on his face, “I am worried, Selera.”

“What would you be worried of, Illias?” she said, incredulity in her eyes.

“Do you think you can survive another loss of control like that?” he asked.

She frowned, “Is this the way you show your concern?”

He held his hands out wide, “Selera, I am speaking as one caster to another. Professionally. I was not placed on this vessel because I could cast spells. I am this vessel’s official firepower. With the likes of yourself and Sialin aboard, I am superfluous.”

Illias turned and looked out over the water, “I agree, I may be a recalcitrant prick most of the time, but…I do care for the people aboard. Before you and sleeping beauty became a part of the crew I was the celebrated spell-runner and battle-mage of the Northern Wolf, this vessel.”

The silence stretched, he raised an eyebrow, “Tomorrow morn you are going to meet with that bastard Chancellor. You are going to have to rely on me to protect and secure our escape if needed. Strangely, I hope I get to prove my worth to you that despite everything I can be relied upon.”

Illias turned and met her eyes as she stared hard at him, “Though I should not have to. All I ask is that you do not draw too deeply from that thread of yours. You had no right to threaten with cutting me loose. You were not there when Alletair…I had to…”

“That is enough, Illias.” said the Captain as he ascended the stairs to the helm.

Illias raised his brows and nodded with acceptance, “Captain.”

“Illias is here, because he is loyal to me, I pay well and overlook his indiscretions.” he said.

Illias looked at him, “I am not here for the money, though it does help, friend.”

Selera looked back and forth between them, she frowned, “Alletair?”

The Captain shared a look with Illias, glaring slightly.

“It is not my fault you do not furnish your wife with simple facts. At the very least, tell her why you tolerate my temperament. You don’t need to uncover that dark past you are always brooding over.” Illias said, matching the Captain’s glare, “Tell her the tale of why the Bloodborn of Aldaliss follows Alletair, Captain of the Lychen’s Fiddle. Tell her why we have the same mark on our right shoulder-blades.”

The Captain looked at him hard, “We agreed to not use our titles.”

Illias made a sharp clicking sound with his tongue, “I am tired of being spoken down to and being treated with disdain, friend. Once I was held aloft by our brethren, now I am just a…”

Selera looked at her husband, interrupting Illias, “Bloodborn of Aldaliss? I know of this name, why…” she stared at Illias, “But that…The Academy, I have read of…”

Illias smirked slightly, “Yes, you might know of it. My title has become shadowed by others of greater feats, and the histories have been obscured somewhat. Our order was buried after its last disastrous outing.”

“Illias. Enough.”

“Then speak, Alletair. I know the memory torments you. I only ask that you tell her who I am to you.” he said.

The Captain nodded, turning to Selera, “Illias was once known as the Bloodborn of Aldaliss, you know of the mark on my shoulder, it is the crest of Aldaliss. We were both of the order. We have been friends for a very long time, since we were children.”

Illias watched Selera’s face as she listened, “Gods, Alletair you have not even told her how old you are? If she faintly recognises my title, then she knows the basic history of the order.”

Selera glanced to Illias, “Age is of no concern to carriers of the Thread.” she said quietly.

“Of course, of course, I know how it works, but have you never wondered?” Illias said.

“Selera,” the Captain spoke softly, “I have lived through eleven centuries.”

Illias chuckled, watching for a flicker of shock that never came to Selera’s face, “You really found yourself a keeper, Alletair. She did not even blink.”

Selera looked at her husband’s face, his eyes on hers, “I know the histories, I have listened to your words in the night, the screams that sometimes wake you. If you are not ready to tell me, then do not.”

The Captain nodded, “We handle our inner demons in different ways, Illias was not always like this. Drowning himself in liquor and seeking the pleasures of the bordellos. He was a proud and…”

Illias chuckled half-heartedly, “Gods, Alletair! Liquor and the pleasures of the bordellos? Let me continue before you paint a more disdainful picture of me. I shall try my best to bring forth my old self. Selera, we may have known each other for more than five years, and we have treated each other with derision and outright scorn at times. But something is amiss, something is not quite right. I admit that I have been less than hospitable to my closest friend’s wife and family. It is time I put aside my petty grievances.”

He stood before Selera, straightening his posture and pulled his long hair back and out of his face, tying it off efficiently. Almost instantly, he appeared to be another person, his features lightening as he smiled, the self deprecating scowl that perpetuated his features lifting.

“I am Illias of the family Heldisfaline, Bloodborn of Aldaliss. Battlemage and knight of the Order. Duelist of the Spires of Solacie.”

Selera looked at him, taken aback by his sudden change in demeanor, “Knight?”

Illias smiled, “I know it may be hard to believe now, but yes. Unlike Alletair, I have no issues with talking of what was.” he glanced quickly to the Captain, “I will not speak of what haunts you. Don’t fret.”

He met Selera’s gaze, “I shall be blunt, I am sure you know the order was destroyed in one evening. The two of us are all that remains. I survived because of your husband, my friend.” he glanced at the Captain, “And he prevailed because of my persistent attempts to get myself killed.”

Selera’s eyes widened, “How can you speak like this?”

“It is the truth. I will not run from it. The night the order fell, my life fell with it. My betrothed was a knight, a caster, she had hair like the sun, and her eyes...” he breathed deeply, “I died that night on the battlefield, I blamed myself for something that was out of my power. She chose to die, she had to die. And I could not be without her.” he said, his eyes on Selera’s, “I have only one regret in life. I survived.”

“Gods, so this is why you…?”

Illias nodded slowly, “Yes. Since Alletair insisted I live, I gave up. He makes a compelling argument when he wants to. So I pledged my life to him, until I find one that can erase that golden hair and those sky blue eyes or until I am killed in combat. In exchange, I have a life, money and purpose.”

He frowned slightly, his demeanor shifting, “I do not ask you to understand. I do not care if you do or don’t. I just need you to realise that I can be trusted when it matters most. If I tell you that I can defend the Fiddle against anything the Enclave can throw at it, I need you to trust that I will do so.”

Illias looked back out to the dark sea, “I may not be one for children, but your brother and sister... Maybe Sialin knocked some decency into me, I am sure I deserved it. In all truth, I cannot even remember what I said, just that I woke the next morning unable to recognise myself.”

He turned and looked at her, “Selera, bearer of the Demon’s Thread; allow me to be of service. Do not ask Alletair to be your back up in the possibility that it comes to a fight.”

“Illias.” said the Captain, shaking his head.

“Do not ask it of him, Selera.”

Selera watched Illias’s change; there was a measure of fear behind his eyes. She nodded, surprised in his look of relief. He looked at Selera, then the Captain.

“If it is your intent to track the children, we have to go back. We have to meet with him.” he said.

“I realise that Illias, he is our best chance.” murmured the Captain.

“Please, tell me who you are speaking of.” Selera said.

Illias met her eyes, “I know this is all new to you, Selera. You know this ship is a private vessel. A certain individual is paying all of the crew, and allowing us free reign. Unless he calls upon us.”

“Your financier, who it is?” she asked.

“He goes by the name of Septye.” the Captain said quietly.

Selera looked between the two, “Martyn Septye? The… oh gods. The Lychen’s Fiddle is his? But he, how?”

Illias turned away, once again leaning on the railing, “Tell her.”

She looked at the Captain, expectantly.

“He caught up with us, dragged Illias out of a bottle and told us that he had a proposition for us. This ship, a crew, he told us that he did not want talent to go to waste.”

“Alletair, tell her.” Illias almost snarled.

“Illias’s betrothed, was Septye’s daughter.”

Selera took a deep breath, her eyes darting from the Captain to Illias.

“It is time I come back to the world of the living, Alletair. I will not stand for our people to be targeted by an unseen assailant.” he turned and spoke to Selera, “Sialin, when she beat me senseless, I saw. Among your kind, the seal.” he touched his chest, “here, it was glowing.” he looked between them, “Who is it?”

The Captain put a hand out, calming Selera, “One known to us, she described his mark to me, the same as ours.”

Illias’s eyes widened, “By the old gods, she resurrected the order. Something is coming, something big. His name?”

The Captain looked at him, “I only know his title, the Crimson Demon of Aldaliss.”

Illias went quiet, “Formidable.” he said, nodding, “I have to commend our sleeping beauty, she has taste.” he let out a breath, shaking his head and speaking to himself, “Gods, the Crimson Demon.”

His eyes narrowed, “Captain, when we dock tomorrow morn, if all is quiet, I will visit the usual spots. See if I can loosen some tongues with coin or blade.”

Selera looked at him, “What are you planning?”

“Selera, everything goes in and out of that city through the docks. I want to know who that bastard was who paid off those fools that attacked us and if any know the whereabouts of the Demon, in the case Sialin does not wake.”

The Captain smiled, “Welcome back, old friend.”

Shadow of the Eclipse: Chapter Timeline

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