House Ravenin - The Folded Path Pt. 02

Authors Note: This is a direct continuation to Part 1: Mettakesh of the House Ravenin series. All sexual activity is performed by those of 18+ age. Please do not copy any of the text for public usage without my permission.

I welcome constructive feedback and comments.

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Day 6

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I awoke late and slow, dawn's light having already broke well before my eyes opened. I was sluggish and groggy, feelings only sleep caused by tears could cause. I took all the time I needed, ploddingly remembering my tender loss before leadenly acting.

Everything was slowly done, for such was the weight of my profound sadness with the absence of Atarah. It was not a gentle thing to carry, nor was it unbearable. It was simply a part of me now, a burden that was mine to struggle beneath.

I rose from my bed, warm feet rolling out onto cold tiles. The rooms were quiet, peaceful, and empty. I drew a bath and washed in silence, urging warmth into my bones in an attempt to stave off the worse of the oncoming bout of depression. I had only mild success. Its heat was both adequate and only temporary, giving me a subtle reminder of how the balance inside me was settling.

The answer: not well at all.

The Folded Path, faith-based and kind, disruptive and unseeable in turns and wheels, would decide my fate. It was greater than one man or woman could hope to make peace with or understand, for you either walked it or you didn't. I served in completion, choosing every step as my own. It called, and I answered. It saw all, and I honorably served.

Once when I was a young child I had been granted a glimpse into the greatness of the Folded Path, witnessing the peaceful majesty of my father's estate and what could be done by those with the will to walk it. For long generations my family served unbroken upon the Folded Path, for it was the only true way to live. I believed, endlessly and justly, that the Path was true and righteous.

At its roots the Folded Path was a philosophy of living and treating people, honoring commitments and of seeing the great depths and widths of the soul. The Folded Path served the people, for those who served the Path served the people first and foremost. To sacrifice for the Path was to sacrifice for the people, to give until there was nothing left to give.

The Folded Path has claimed many, their names etched into ivory so sacrifices could be honored and remembered. Kings and Queens all, the Hidden Door and names of those who have watched over it. The Path was filled with servants who served and Masters who honored, but none were slaves who obeyed. It had no place for slaves, and they've never taken one step upon the Folded Path.

It didn't make all the steps easy or pleasant, for some claimed more than blood, bone, and bedrock. Yet all steps were undoubtedly necessary, keenly fierce in their dependence on those who walked them. The Path needed to be walked, its purpose and prison bound and sealed. The walkers of the Path were the ones who set it free to be as it should.

You saw the path and walked it, or you did not see and you did not walk. Black and white, clear and perfect. Endless and honorable, sad and hopeful. Turns upon turns the Folded Path spirals, the infinite wheel of lives spinning outward or in.

This, today, was a hard step upon the Folded Path, something that would irrevocably shatter or fortify what I and my family had built over generations. I had done all I could in years past that led up to this one day, and now decisions outside my control manned the helm of House Ravenin.

If the Path called for House Ravenin to fall then I would walk it, for better or worse. Such was my belief and would be my sacrifice at a moments notice of asking. It was time.

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Miris and Xia found me in the atrium around midmorning. I was dressed, bathed, and visibly pressed beneath the weight of recovering.

The Widdowveils were contentedly burbling in the sunny window sill just outside arms reach. They were curious and wanted to come closer, but they could not because it was not bright where I was. It wasn't their nature to be concerned, but they still cared, wondered, and sought.

A plate of fresh fruit was placed on the table just before Xia dropped to her knees on my left, strong arms pulling me down into her caring embrace. I firmly wrapped around her and cried hard, my loss keenly felt between the beating hearts lovingly bound to mine. Her shaking fingers groomed through my hair, Xia's tears real and large like it was her own pain she was feeling.

I slowly rose still wrapped within Xia's arms, Miris taking his opportunity and curling warmly around us both. With his head on our shoulders, he wept as well. Miris and Xia were my family. In truth, everyone who called House Ravenin home was. Brothers and sisters all, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters.

However special and meaningful the residents of House Ravenin were, Miris and Xia were my Pillars. I trusted them beyond all measure, loved them like no others, and would instantly die for them were it ever asked. Such was their bond with me, a precious connection that I would respect with my life and honor with my death.

My Pillars meant everything to me. House Ravenin and I would be nothing without them.

Miris and Xia gave me the time I needed to grieve, seeing that I was stable and calm before slowly releasing me. It was going to be a busy day with Lenu's father set to arrive soon, however there was time enough for the easing of the great sadness that had overwhelmed me.

First things first: no more tears, and standing up. These two steps on the Folded Path were kinder and gentler than the ones before it, filling me with balance and peace. I leaned into my Pillars of Earth and Wind and they leaned back, sharing their undoubtable strength and honesty. I couldn't express in words how much I needed them last night nor this morning yet still they were here now, unhesitantly and faithfully.

The Folded Path took care of its own, step by step.

So wonderful, so kind, my thankful thoughts ran, taking a deep breath and filling myself with their beautiful presence in my life. Safe.

"Thank you, both of you," I graciously offered, drawing back and placing my hands on Miris' and Xia's shoulders. "I am honored beyond measure by your commitments."

"It is our honor and privilege, Master," they said in tandem, sitting down at the table with me.

I slowly picked up a slice of strawberry and ate it as they watched, swallowing and nodding to them in kind understanding before eating another. The day could start in earnest now, and it needed to. So many things hinged upon the events of today, House Ravenin most of all.

"When does Lenu's father arrive?" I asked, looking toward Xia.

"A few hours, Master. Just before midday," Xia said, her eyes dry and sharp. "The estate walking yesterday did Lenu well. She asked many questions and talked with every servant we passed. I believe she's made a decision, or at very least knows where to look for it. She said she would be prepared when her father arrived."

I nodded and turned toward Miris, who handed me a rolled parchment.

"A detailed report of what I found at the abandoned mine in Crissone," Miris said. "You were right. There are signs that there has been recent activity."

I unrolled the parchment and read it, for anything Miris wrote down meant it was something that shouldn't be said aloud. He was always wary of prying ears, and after finishing it I understood why. I looked up at him and he nodded, affirming everything was as it was written word for word.

"This came by courier today as well, Master," Xia said, handing me a long ornate box made of dark wood.

The case was etched with intricate gold scrollwork and bound in a red metal clasp with a small combination lock, the old kind with switches and levers. The box was both heavy and purposeful as I ran my fingers over the scrollwork, finding the tiny language embedded in it. Taken as a whole, it was a message sent in the old ways of entreating and threatening.

It all fell sharply together in my mind as three things became one, the mine, the package, and the visit now linked effortlessly together. I instantly knew who sent the box, cementing a firmly educated guess of what was inside.

Now I knew for sure what was going to happen. I'd had my assumptions early on, however seen as a whole it made everything so clear. Today was more than a decision and a sacrifice. Today was a gentlemen's surrender, or an extermination.

It all fit perfectly, too perfectly. Too much planning had gone into this and too many people had been hurt. No more. I served the Path, and the Path served the people. I knew exactly where I stood, and the next step was one I was made to take. House Ravenin had been called to serve and we would answer. The Path was clear.

I turned toward Xia and handed her the parchment that Miris had shared with me. She took and read it, eyes astutely pacing the report, and half-way down her eyes went wide and fearful. She finished reading and grimly looked up at me, rolled the document without breaking eye contact, then handed it back as her hands started slightly shaking.

I took Xia's hands in mine along with Miris', and as they reached inward for my strength and stability they found me strong and firm. Safe.

"We have to slightly change what we had planned for today, here and now," I firmly declared. "There's too much at stake and I will not sacrifice more than necessary. None, if I have my way about it."

I swallowed hard, blue eyes soft as I looked at Miris and Xia. "I will be drawing hard today upon you both. I do not do it lightly, nor unjustly. I apologize for any pain or discomfort you will feel. I do it for House Ravenin, for you, and our way of life. I would be honored if you would stand with me."

"Endlessly, Master," they unhesitantly said. "Reach, and we will be there."

"Thank you, both of you," I said, squeezing their hands. "Here is what will happen."

They intently listened, every word understood even though teeth were clenched behind firm lips at what was expected. The next step was one we took together. I stood up and embraced them once more, taking up the box and making my way to the den, as House Ravenin went to work.

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When I entered the den Alasia was sitting at the scribe desk. Many books were open atop its surface as amethyst eyes skimmed them with purpose, nimble fingers writing down and tracking something of profound importance. Dressed in a chocolate colored suit and matching pants with a loose white shirt beneath it, she smiled when I entered but didn't look up.

"Good morning, Master," Alasia said as I made my way across the room to my desk. "I found something here that you will be interested in."

"Oh?" I said, laying the box on the desk before turning around to face her. "Please, share it."

"In years past House Ravenin has done exclusive business with House Alazi for seeds, since their stock does well in the soil of the surrounding land," Alasia said, patiently transcribing and turning pages. "The yields, though adequate, could be better."

She opened one of the books detailing the layout of the fields. "If you shift the planting of these seeds to the western fields, exchanging the hardy coffee beans into the low slopes and the apple and peach trees into the sun valley, you could-"

Alasia looked up and stopped cold, the beaming smile on her face turning instantly into stunned apprehension. I was leaned against the front of the desk, the dark wood box in plain view on the edge next to me. A low, horrible sound, like the moaning call of a grieving mother, escaped her lips at the sight of it. Fingers shook as they rose trembling to her mouth, amethyst eyes wide and scared.

She didn't move or say anything, however her bright, terror-filled gaze said it all. The scratch pen fell from Alasia's fingers to bounce off the desk to the floor. She instinctively reached inward for me and found a lightless island with no sun, moon, or fire. There was only darkness, earth and wind. The water was there, the beach was kind, but it shifted beneath her feet; cold but still present.

I was hard like a stone, dead-gazed like nightfall. Alasia saw it all and felt it true in her heart, her eyes glazing with tears. She didn't reach to brush them away.

"Alasia, please open this," I said, motioning to the box.

It took a few moments for Alasia to register what I'd said. She'd heard the words, just didn't want to act upon them. She knew if she did everything changed, but she knew if she didn't everything was lost. Such was the way of this choice painfully laid before her, even though in truth there was no choice, not anymore. The situation was no longer in her control, if it ever truly had been.

Alasia gradually stood up from the desk, legs and hands shaking horribly as she slowly came to where I was standing. Her eyes never left mine as she reached for and slightly turned the box, dexterous fingers running across the lock on the red latch. Unblinking amethyst stared into hardened blue as she continued, fingering the combination from memory. It was easy for her, like it was breathing and been doing it all her life. A soft pull, a clink, and the lock was open, Alasia taking the lock off the latch and folding it back.

"Your message, Master," Alasia sadly whispered, a slight glittering twitch in her beautiful eyes. "Sonnaju sends their regards."

I knowingly nodded, painfully taking my eyes off of Alasia and turning toward the now unlocked box. Upon opening the lid I was not surprised to see what was inside.

A long dagger with an ornate silver guard shaped like spreading wings was laid into a bed of soft white hide, the blade resting peacefully upon it. The dagger had a red leather hilt with a black diamond for a pommel, finger holes mounted across the bottom spread of the guard spaced perfectly to make it a punch or a parrying blade. The shoulder of the blade was a third as wide as the guard, black edges narrowing sharply to a ruby colored cap that spread down from the tip of the blade like jelly.

"Alasia, please read this message to me," I requested, not taking my eyes off of the blade. I knew what it said, just like she did, but I wanted to hear her say it fully and honestly. Easy, like breathing.

"At your request, Master," she recited, deeply swallowing and taking a slow breath afterwards. She drew the blade from the case and held it bridged in her hands as we turned toward each other, the dagger tentatively suspended between us.

"Sonnaju comes to claim your land, for they have seen it and want it as their own," Alasia said, her eyes looking at the blade then back up to me. "One of their own has been killed by your hand. As such, recompense will be offered and the will of the owner of the slave will be upheld."

Alasia looked down at the leather in the case, then back up to me. "There need not be bloodshed. It will simply be handed over, no life needing to be lost in the exchange. If there is resistance, then everything you own will burn."

Alasia's hands started shaking harder. "That is the end of the message, Master."

Alasia turned to place the dagger back in the box, but a raised hand from me quickly halted her movement. She stopped cold like stone, arms beginning to tremble worse than her hands. She turned back to me, the dagger still bridged between her palms.

"You missed one, Alasia," I said, pointing at a word that was vertically ingrained between the wings of the guard. "There's another message, and it's important."

A visible tremor shook the blade, a small whimper leaving Alasia's lips as a tear slowly crawled down her face. She nodded truthfully. "You are correct, Master. There is one more message that I did not express."

"Please, share it with me," I requested.

The den filled with the gravity of Alasia's deep hesitance, the kind that broke hearts and shattered bonds. She could not say the last message, didn't want to say it.

"Say it, Alasia," I said, firm and purposeful.

"I-" Alasia started, her voice unsure, untrusted. Unreliable, unwanted. Unsafe.

"Say it," I commanded, causing a heavy shutter to ripple through Alasia's shoulders, arms, and body at my tone. "Say the word, here and now."

"I cann-" Alasia started, then it happened. Something tectonically shifted in her mind and her heart, something that was calling to who she was. Who she was.

"Say it!" I thrummed in demanding authority. "Say it now!"

"No! I will not!" Alasia screamed back, throwing the dagger as hard as she could away from her. It flew across the room and embedded itself in the back of the door, inches deep and as deadly a throw as could ever have been made.

"Alasia," I gently said, my voice instantly changing as her amethyst eyes turned up to me in rage, anger, and sadness. Such horrible, churning sadness.

Alasia was so scared, terrified out of her goddamn mind, but lords above she was ferociously angry. It boiled out of her like the heat of a flash fire, but it wasn't at me even though it churned like lava in her gaze. Not at me but at what her life had become, something out of her control for so very long. There was a deeper message in that dagger now, especially from the one who just threw it.

No longer! Her mind roared. Never again!

"No! I will NEVER say that name again!" Alasia shrieked, hard and loud and true. Her eyes filled with tears as her voice turned to a hiss. "It is POISON! Never again, for as long as I draw life in this world!" She took a deep breath, then howled like a thunder strike. "EVER!"

The ocean inside Alasia boomed and shook, water leaping out in all directions from the devastating conviction in her tone. It was like a flaming meteorite had just screamed from the sky and slammed into her, a fierce hit she took upon her proud chin. It boiled and raged like a volcano, glowing beneath the surface of the churning water.

A low whimper crossed Alasia's lips. Rage flashed inside her eyes, quickly morphing into an unbelievable, deep sadness that brought her crashing to her knees. She cried out and wept, wrapping her arms around her sides as the horrible pain overtook her. She screamed, wordless and profound, as her choice shook the foundations of her existence.

Alasia trembled horribly all over, body and mind reacting to a decision that rang throughout the house. It sang in concourse with her powerful edict, giving what had once growled and scraped for attention a voice now proudly roaring like a triumphant lion.

Her emotional expression was hypnotically intense, blasting me to my core in a moment. I suddenly saw the gnarled path that Alasia walked and the steps she had taken upon it, paved stones made of blood, bone, and bedrock, leading her to what had been solid and true inside her all along.

Linked together I saw her step from the waves onto the island in my mind, a being of glassy blue water that was shining and lovely. She was powerful and strong and deep as she stood there, elemental, clear, and true. My Alasia was finally standing on her own. She smiled in my mind, took my face in her watery hands, then kissed me deeply, passionately, and lovingly. When she drew back, her smile was more beautiful and heartfelt then I'd ever seen it.

Alasia was free, the sensation rippling and swaying across her presence. She was free.