Elan Pt. 09 - Enchantress

Author's Note: Drama warning.

Enchantress

----

Silvia Durazzo held a hand to her mouth, her eyes cast towards the floor as Talos knelt beside the sorceress on the bench.

"... Silvia?" the man asked, his words sounding utterly dejected. Silvia shook her head.

"Talos, she's..." Silvia thought for a moment how best to cheer the man up. She had never seen him like this, and knew he must have been close with the sorceress. With her being pregnant on top of that, Silvia had to choose her words carefully. Silvia decided to remain silent for the time, and merely stepped towards Talos to take one of his hands in hers.

She guided his hand to the sorceress's neck, allowing Talos to feel her pulse. She noticed an immediate release of tension from Talos' shoulders, and even breathed a sigh of relief herself.

"What happened, Sil?" he asked softly. Talos didn't bother to look in Silvia's direction, his gaze solely fixed on Alanna.

"Rayya did this, Talos. She attacked Cass and her in the street, somehow. It's-"

"What?!" Talos interjected. He certainly turned towards Silvia, now. "Where's Casiama?" he asked hurriedly. Silvia put a hand on his shoulder and casted an imperceptable calming spell to steady the man.

"She's fine, Talos, just a little shaken up. The sorceress here saved her. We're keeping Cass at Vex's loft, down by the Eternal Font. You know of it?"

Talos nodded, but his gaze had already fallen back to Alanna's resting form. He placed one hand on the bench beside her. "Yeah. Good to hear, Silvia. Thanks."

"You're welcome. Sorry, I would have brought her here if I could. But..."

Talos shrugged. "I know, Sil. Can't admit an elf to the Imperial Hospital." He exhaled quite deeply just then, the wave of relief still washing over him fully. He had been so shortsighted to leave the city.

"I'm going to request she get her own room. Should be easy, what with her... condition," Silvia explained nervously. "I'll take good care of her and hers, Talos. I promise."

"You always do, Silvia," he said. "I'm glad you're here." Talos clasped one of Alanna's soft hands, giving it a quick peck as he held it tight. Why ever are you here, Alanna?

"I need to check on Cass. I'll be back," Talos said, gazing at Alanna's still lips for another moment before turning to leave.

--

Talos found Casiama to be in good spirits that day. Good, but restless. She demanded Rayya's blood for what she had done, and equally, desperately wanted to thank Alanna for saving her. Talos knew the act of saving one's life meant much to an elf than to a human.

The following day, Talos remained at Alanna's side while Casiama stalked the streets of the capital once more to hunt. The remainder of the party weren't given any orders to do so, and little effort was put into searching for Rayya.

Alanna did not stir that day, but she breathed. The next day was appearing to be just more of the same. Until she coughed.

Talos shook himself from a nap, leaning over the enchanting woman with a worried frown. Alanna's hand immediately flew to her tummy, accompanied by a grimace of worry a second later.

A sigh of relief soon came on its heels, and Alanna was content with what her hand found. She shifted atop her bed, blinking quickly to get herself used to the light once more. She spotted a man once loved beside her, staring back with a similar look of relief in his eyes.

"Hey," she said weakly, with a smile.

"Hey."

"What a surprise to see you here," Alanna croaked, then hoarsely cleared her throat. Talos hadn't been completely sure she would have wanted him here until he saw her eyes. In them laid a comforting gaze of warmth, as if one was accompanied by a majestic ballad next to a roaring fire.

Talos would keep his voice to a whisper for the remainder of the conversation, a skill he'd picked up when speaking to injured warriors in hospital a decade and a half ago. Alanna's voice was incredibly weak, and a constant pang of sympathy washed through him each time she spoke.

"Mmm," he mumbled in reply. Alanna's smile waivered for but a moment.

"I suppose you're here to interrogate me?" she asked softly.

He shook his head truthfully. He'd gathered the story from a flustered Casiama already. "No. I'm just glad to see you're awake, and whole. Get your rest, Alanna."

"I feel like I've already rested for half a lifetime. What day is it, Talos?"

"The eleventh," he answered succinctly.

"... of?" she asked hesitantly with furrowed brow. Talos chuckled.

"Dawn's Light," he answered; the same month it had been, of course.

Another sigh of relief spilled from the sorceress's lips, followed by a fluttering of eyelashes. Alanna did not have the willpower to handle the gentle sunlight streaming through the room's few windows at the moment. The enchantress spoke again, softly, with eyes shut.

"Thanks," she said. Her hands rose to her belly, and Talos' gaze followed them there. "If you didn't know-"

"I know, Alanna. I'm happy for you."

Talos and Alanna remained silent for a good three minutes. He could hear her exaggerated breaths, and assumed she was drifting off to sleep once again. With Alanna in good form, Talos could rejoin Casiama on the hunt for the other enchantress. He'd remained by Alanna's side for almost the entirety of two days as she recovered, just as she'd once done for him in the Badlands. He was of course worried for Casiama as well, having heard of Rayya's prior enchantment of the elf. Talos had told her to show no hesitation if she found Rayya again, and had complete faith in her ability to handle the situation herself if she somehow stumbled across the girl.

"It'll be a boy. A diviner in Catriona told me," Alanna sighed dreamily.

"Congratulations," he said with a half-smile.

"You know what I'll name him?"

Talos shook his head, but Alanna's eyes were still shut so she did not see him. He hoped she was merely bluffing in her delirious state.

"There's a thousand thousand better names, Alanna," Talos joked softly. He saw a smile pass her lips briefly before she fell into silence for another minute.

"Merge with me, Talos."

He raised an eyebrow, having never heard the term. Soon after, he realized he still had his mental defenses up in case Rayya were nearby. He immediately let Alanna pass through -- every empath, technically -- to view his current thoughts. Talos couldn't identify specific telepathic signatures.

"Show me a happy story," the beautiful enchantress sighed.

He did, eventually. He had to reach for it, way back to his childhood. Talos had found a puppy in the forests of Evora. He raised the pup, cherished him, and it even lived for three whole years before it fell to sickness. Talos skipped that part.

"I've already seen this one," Alanna whispered with a smile. Talos thought again to conjure another story for the girl. He drew a blank when he realized there weren't many that hadn't involved a certain woman that Alanna hated. He dreamt instead of the Four-Leaf Inn in Rinoc, where he and Alanna stayed for a night last year. Alanna smiled, and enjoyed the memory for a minute until her eyes reopened once more.

"How's Casiama doing?"

Talos shut his mind again.

"She's well, thanks to you. Cass is prowling around for Rayya at the moment. She wanted me to thank you for saving her."

"Is she alone?"

Talos nodded. "Yeah... you know how impetuous she can get. Just imagine that, but ten times worse. I couldn't convince her to relax." Alanna let out a light giggle, then coughed hoarsely into a palm. She turned her body towards Talos, drilling into his eyes with a squint.

"You should probably go save her, Talos," Alanna said softly, remembering Rayya's extreme ability.

Talos tilted his head to the side, giving her a sort of half-nod. He could do for a walk, get out of this room finally. He hadn't left for the greater part of two days now. "In a bit. After... after I'm done with you," Alanna added breathlessly.

Or, the walk could wait.

"Hey. Open up again," she commanded hoarsely.

Talos shrugged. "Why?"

"Does it matter?"

He let her in. Alanna shut her eyes, feeling his hesitation, his fear.

"Fully," she demanded weakly.

"... Why?" he asked again.

Does it matter? Alanna thought to him.

It's a strange thing, empathy. Most learned folk would assume it ends with the reading of thoughts and the writing of actions to one's target. Yet, when an empath has a very close bond with another, and that someone actually consents to the full invasion, it becomes something more; a 'merge', Talos mused, having just heard the term.

It's a personal, intrinsic feeling. It allows an enchantress to not just read the stream, but also enables them to drill further; to dive entirely into every possible memory that one could conjure. And, Talos figured, likely allowed writing of any memory as well.

Or destroy you entirely, if they wanted to. If Rayya were within distance, she could theoretically eviscerate Talos in an instant if he did as Alanna asked. Not that he thought she would.

He trusted Alanna enough to let her in, but did not know why exactly. And just as he'd done for her in Autumn Hill last year, he consented. He remained quiet for a minute while Alanna kept her eyes shut, the enchantress humming playfully the entire time.

But only a minute.

"Why, Alanna?" he asked again. She had already learned a quarter of his life story since she had left his side months ago, although Talos didn't know this.

Fetch me some water, Talos?

Talos rolled his eyes as he rose from his chair. He fetched the water. But not because he had to.

--

Talos returned to Alanna's room with several filled waterskins, handing her one and leaving the others on the table beside her. She rose from her back weakly, slowly, to drink from the skin. Talos held her by the shoulder as support.

Thanks.

The man smiled, his eyes fixed on the busy street outside the room as Alanna drank greedily from the skin. She tapped his arm with a raised finger, requesting another once the one in her hand was consumed. He handed it to her calmly.

Alanna read him as she sipped, dancing through a joyous daydream of a rugged man beside his lovely auburn-haired wife, standing atop a castle on the coast of some unknown shore. She dropped the waterskin, then laid on her back once more, shutting her eyes with a smile. Her words to him were directly placed into his thought stream.

I could enthrall you, you know? I could force you to stay by my side for eternity and make that dream a reality.

"I know," Talos answered aloud. But she wouldn't, he knew.

Command you to care for nothing but your son and me.

"Mmm," he mumbled. Talos returned to his chair beside the bed and rested his chin on his knuckles. She wouldn't do any such thing, he knew.

"Do you know why I wouldn't, Talos?" Alanna asked quietly, reading his confidence. Talos shrugged, physically and mentally. She coughed a hoarse cough as he did, then rested her hands on her belly once more. She then spoke as if they had left each other only yesterday, and Talos returned the favor unknowingly.

"Because that isn't you," she explained thinly after giving him a moment to think on it, "You're a wanderer... a stupid wanderer who thinks of himself before all else. And I was stupid enough to fall for you as you are. You ruined me, Talos, and yet, I cannot see myself falling to Rayya's level of greed."

"Because you're better than her. And you're damned better than me," Talos said softly. "You deserve someone just as great as you are."

Alanna smiled sweetly through a heart broken once more. She absentmindedly rubbed her tummy as she spoke tearfully of a greater fear which had consumed her for weeks.

"My friend divined that my son will lead armies, Talos. Armies of a thousand and hundred men and elves... What am I supposed to think of that? Knowing that he will slaughter countless others, just as you did? How am I going to raise him knowing that is his fate? Am I already doomed to fail him?"

Talos hated divination mages for this very reason. The ones he had personally visited -- including the Oracle of Selphyse in Tardia -- had always been accurate in their predictions of him. Yet, Talos believed them to be mostly self-fulfilled. Prophetic words were just vague enough, just outlandish enough to inspire a man to walk the aforementioned path of fate, assuming he'd heard of it. Alanna's child was likely doomed to follow that path, now, even if they wouldn't have before.

"If he's anything like me, he will do that regardless of how you raise him. I left my family to do the very same, unbidden," he said, hoping to calm her. Alanna was left silent for a minute.

"But you hated your family, Talos. Will he hate me?" Alanna asked sadly, choking out her last words. "How could I live with myself? What use is family if they cannot agree?"

Talos shook his head and brought a gentle hand to her cheek. "I'd be the wrong person to ask, Alanna. But no one who knows you could possibly hate you, I promise. He will be the same."

"Cass does," Alanna replied immediately. Coldly.

"Now I know that's false," Talos chuckled.

"She does."

Talos shook his head. "She never did. Besides, you saved her. To an elf that's... sacred. Have you read my memories of my latest visit to Tor Valliya? Speaking in the elven court?"

Alanna treaded silently through the memory. She saw a richly-decorated hall of silver, saw a princess weeping alone in the center of a hundred and three elves. Alanna saw Talos defend her brilliantly, and saw Casiama get banished anyway.

"I have. What's your point?" Alanna asked a half-minute later.

"The fact that I was allowed to speak at all was only true because I saved the King from a usurper's blade a decade before," Talos explained quickly, but calmly. "Humans aren't normally permitted to speak in an elven court. They see it as a great dishonor if we do, a shame against their ancestors and all their customs. Elves also have long memories, and so they allowed me to speak for a long, long time, because they had remembered what I'd done there like it was only a couple days ago. Casiama feels similarly of you. Only it really was only a couple days ago."

Alanna was silent for a moment, mulling it over. She forced his hand from her face with a charm, and Talos retreated from her in turn. The enchantress furrowed her brow.

"I don't care. I hate her. And I hate Rayya. In fact, I hate all that you love, Talos. Soon I will despise myself, I'm sure."

Talos frowned, shaken by her sullen demeanor. His life was a blight on her perfection, he knew; yet, he still found the audacity to sate his curiosity selfishly, rather than pull Alanna free of her dread spiral.

"Why'd you save her, then?" Talos asked. No sooner had he spoke that the door squeaked, a hooded Casiama quickly entering the room and performing a muted half-twirl through the door as she shut it. Her thin, green eyes were affixed to the sorceress on the bed.

I saved her for you, Alanna notioned selflessly as a single tear fell from her lid. She had felt the elf stride into the room, even though her eyes were still shut; Alanna had felt her presence through Talos' instantly calmed mind. His immediate change of mental demeanor haunted the girl.

I can end her in an instant, she added ominously. Talos knew she wouldn't.

Alanna's eyes fluttered open, as if pretending she'd just woken up. She turned her head towards Casiama and manufactured a smile.

"Hey Casiama," Alanna greeted warmly, just as friendly as the morning after she'd first met the princess. Casiama took it as an invitation and quickly strode towards the enchantress, kneeling beside her on the bed.

"Alanna! You're okay!" Casiama exclaimed, far too loudly for Alanna's recovering state. Alanna smiled brightly for the elf while her own thoughts darkened.

Make her leave, Talos.

Talos rose from his chair with a smirk, folding his arms at his chest.

Make me, he shot back with static lips.

She didn't, yet it would have been the simplest matter to do so even in her weakened state. Talos shrugged after a moment then walked to the side of the room, leaning nonchalantly against the cold stone wall. Alanna kept her smile as the elf looked over her worriedly, Casiama almost bringing a hand to the sorceress's belly before deciding to let it hover an inch above instead.

"Your child. Is it...?" Casiama asked nervously. Alanna nodded, her smile now true.

"He still kicks," the enchantress answered softly. Alanna wordlessly charmed the elf to find the courage to feel for herself, and Casiama's hand fell on her with an unimaginable delicateness.

"A boy? Aw!" Casiama whined at a higher pitch than Talos had ever heard. "Alanna, you're so lucky!" The sorceress nodded with wide eyes at the statement.

"Thanks..." Alanna said, her eyes suddenly lighting up with an unexpected excitement. "The restorers in Catriona said he's a one-in-a-million. Can you believe it?"

Casiama felt what she was waiting for, cooing ridiculously -- to Talos, anyway -- when she felt it.

"Aww! I can't! He's a true blessing of the Lady, Alanna. I mean it."

"Thank you!"

"How long has it been?"

"Almost two seasons!"

"Have you visited the-"

"Wait, wait, hold on," Talos said idiotically, "it can't be that rare. I swear I've seen... four or five mages with children, at least." Both enchantress and elf swiveled their heads towards him with a glare, drilling into the man for his insolence.

He chuckled. Nervously.

"Go get Alanna some food. She must be famished, and, and..." Casiama paused as she glanced towards Alanna with a fleeting frown. After a half-moment of noncommitment from Talos she shouted, "and don't just stand there?!"

He raised a forefinger. Again, idiotically. "Actually, I think they use a spell here that-"

"Go!" Casiama interjected thinly. Talos kicked off from the wall, deciding to swiftly leave the area without another word. Both women were shaking their heads as he left, and Casiama's gaze returned to the girl's on the bed. Fingers were interlaced atop Alanna's belly.

"He's impossible, I swear," Casiama declared with a smile.

"He is," Alanna agreed with a giggle and a rough cough.

"Aw," Casiama cooed at the cough, gripping the enchantress's hand as she glanced down. "Alanna..." she whispered. The elf's sight lifted from Alanna's belly, and widened with glee when they met hers again.

"Tell me everything!" Casiama exclaimed.

--

Talos rushed down the steps in the Imperial Hospital towards the landing, the wood creaking loudly under hurried steps. He paused at the bottom, then took a breath of relief. He straightened his back, and acted natural.

"Talos," Silvia greeted from a bench to his right. Talos shifted towards her, running a hand through his hair.

"Hey Sil. Good news. Alanna's awake, and I want you to go see to her immediately," he said, hoping it'd calm the pair of sorceresses in case things turned violent. Alanna had just mentioned despising Casiama not five minutes ago, after all, even if the pair seemed completely delighted to speak of babes now.

"That's great," Silvia said enthusiastically, "how is she do -- nevermind, I'll find out myself." The mage hopped from the bench and gave Talos' shoulder a gentle squeeze as she skipped past him. The man smiled, then continued walking towards the exit, pocketing his hands as he walked.

He was accosted again, just past the large double-doors of the Hospital's entrance and down the three steps at its fore.