Arjun's Heir Part Four: Chiyo & Sanguis

    "The bruises will heal, but for now it looks like you're wearing a mask," Mairia giggles as she places the salve around my bruises.

    "I still can't believe you fought the Drow queen barehanded and came out alive," Arjun sighs as he sets a tea tray down.

    "Speaking from experience," Mythri speaks up with s sly smile. "Raising twins prepares you for such a thing."

    I hold my arms around my ribs as I laugh. "Don't make me laugh, Mythri! It hurts!" I scold her. 

    "A woman your age shouldn't be bare-knuckle brawling with a woman who might as well be a demigod," Mythri fusses. 

    "A woman my age?" I snap at her. "Look who's talking!"

    Mythri scoffs and lays her hand on her chest. "I'm not fighting anyone!"

    I chuckle and hold my arm over my rubs again. "Please! I beg of you, stop making me laugh."

    Mairia pours my tea and hands it to me. "The herbs in this should help with the pain."

    "Will it get me drunk?" I take the cup and sip, only to find it tastes quite horrible. "Oh. Not worth it." I set the cup aside.

    Mairia scoffs. "Drink it! It helps!"

    "Do as she says or she'll find ways to trick you into doing it," Arjun warns. "Trust me. She's been sneaking all sorts of things into my food as of late. I was enjoying a nice stew the other day and she had somehow gotten kale into it."

    "I used to do that to the children," Mythri giggles.

    Arjun gives Mairia a look that she returns in spades. "See, my love, I told you. It makes me feel like a child!"

    "You're not immortal anyone, but I want you around as long as possible. You'll eat what I have prepared for you and you will enjoy it." Mairia turns and glares at me. "Same goes for you. Now drink the tea."

    I sigh and ease back into my seat. "If you're going to be staying in Rakshasa Country for a while, I suppose I won't be able to escape it."

    Since the battle for Ophirin ended Arjun stepped down from his throne and passed it on to Alexander. So for the time being, he decided it was best if and he and Mairia were out of Ophirin while Alexander, Aahna, Tiye, and the children got settled.

    Arlan had offered to give me some of his new found wealth. He had suggested I take the holdings of the House of Swaene which was mainly orchards and farming lands. He said as family, we should look out for another now that we know who we were. After all, our father was a Brachuss, and since Arlan had no heirs, Mythri and I were his heirs. 

Arlan said I could bring the survivors of Bastat there to recuperate as it would make a better place to grow and recover our numbers that the oasis. I told him it was something worth considering, but I knew ultimately I might have to turn his gracious offer down. I knew his words were true, but, I couldn't imagine leaving Bastat.

    "What do you plan on doing anyway?" I ask Arjun. 

    "Resting," he sighs. "I feel as if upheaval is all we have known for so long now. First Demir, then Sanguis. Granted, Demir was a much more gentle sort of chaos." Arjun looks up at Mairia and smiles. "We've yet to really spend time with Darius and Dinihari. Afan will be our next destination. Dinihari has been wanting to study me for a long time," he laughs.

    "Because of the immortality?" I ask with a smile. 

    "She's curious, what can I say? She knows why Darius and Alexander age so well, they're half nymph. But she's not quite sure of what to make of immortality in man."

    "Speaking of immortality," Mairia says. "What about these Liches?" She looks to Mythri. "I've only heard stories of them, Theodred was the first one I had ever seen with my own eyes."

    "Dhaval has brought them together to help against Sanguis," Mythri answer cooly. "Albion and Theodred were around in the days when Balafelamona was amassing her power, so they know what we are dealing with. They've seen blood magic and they have ways to counteract it."

    "And Amit the First?" Arjun asks. "I've heard speak of him but have yet to see the great ancestor."

    "Right now he's focusing and meditating," Mythri answers. "He's helping Dhaval with a very serious matter at the moment. Emmeline, the empress of Culuweth, and Czarina Mila have both been kidnapped by Sanguis. Mila and Dhaval have always been very close and he's already on the brink as it is." Mythri sighs and shakes her head. "Amit the First offered to help find them, but it apparently takes time as well as most of his power. He says that once he is able to do it, it will take him a long time to recover."

    "What is he doing?" I sit up and try to make myself comfortable in the cushy chair. "Is he going to call down thunder or something?"

    "He says he can open a passage," Mythri murmurs. "He can travel through it and find Mila and Emmeline. The only clause is that he has to track Sanguis to do it."

    "How?" Arjun frowns.

    I gasp softly. "The finger that Addor bit off."

    Mythri nods. "That's right. Dhaval has kept it all this time just in case. Thank the gods he did, because it was exactly what Amit the First needed in order to find Emmeline and Mila."

    "Whose Addor?" Arjun looks at me. 

    "My dragon," I say with a smile. "Right now he's back in Bastat with my husband."

    Arjun's eyes go wide. "You own a dragon?"

    "He's a baby," Mythri chuckles. "Although, not to long ago, Mythri was connected to Addor's father. They were very close."

    "My daughter, Maeve, she was basically raised by Addor before she married my son." I taste something bitter in my mouth far worse than Mairia's tea. I cup my hands over my eyes as the tears start to come. The pain is excruciating as I start to cry. Every bruise and wound I suffered from Viovrouh hurts as I begin to sob. But they pale in comparison to the aching loss I have suffered.

    "Sanguis did something to them," I whimper. "Not only did he take my beautiful grandson, he took something from both Maeve and Chi!"

    Arjun moves closer to me and puts his arms around me.

    "I don't know what he has done but both of them feel a hollowness inside them, as if he has cut off a part of them from within." I cling to Arjun. "They're afraid for their son. Because Sanguis knows the power that baby has."

    Arjun lays my head to his chest and I cry to him. I feel a warmth and comfort I used to feel with Chi when I was little.

    "Maeve is a dragon mage," Mythri whispers. "And Chi, much like his father's line, has a shamanic ability to put their will onto others."

    "If that poor baby possesses both-" Mairia whispers.

    "It won't be an issue," Arjun whispers. "We'll get Amon back before he even gets his first tooth. If Amit the First can do this to save Mila and Emmeline, perhaps he can do it again to save Amon."

    "I would prefer storming Sanguis' keep myself," Mythri whispers. "And doing what Chiyo did, take Sanguis' life with my own bare hands." She looks down at her palms and flexes her fingers. "After all he has done, what he has targeted against my family and my son, I would gladly be the one to end it all."

    "That is not you Mythri," Arjun whispers as he rubs my back. 

    "I would make it me," she looks up at him. "I would do it and be proud of it."

    Arjun runs his fingers through my hair. "I have felt that rage inside me many times since I met Mairia. When my boys were born and when the lords started questioning their legitimacy from the beginning. It does no good to carry hatred with you. It turns you into the same thing that Reginald has become. Hollow and empty, without the slightest joy in your life." He takes in a deep breath and his shoulders stiffen. "I finally have that again. I have my children, my wife, I have my granddaughters back. I have pride in my family, I have joy. I have had my breath stolen countless times out of it as I have watched you."

    Arjun wipes his eyes. "You two are symbols of power and love over the entire empire! You both somehow beat the odds, survived what should have been certain death, grew from nothing and now-" he beams. "Look at you! Queens and goddesses. My own sons are on their way as well, happily married, gorgeous children, ruling strong and loving in their kingdoms. Your children too-" He shakes his head. "Hate didn't bring those things to you. And while your anger is justified against Sanguis and his men, do not let it take you down. That is what Sanguis wants most of all. Your greatest revenge will come when Sanguis realizes he has had no influence over you at all. His defeat will not come that way, it will come because people still have love in their hearts."

    "You sentimental old fool," I sniffle as I hug him.

    Arjun chuckles. "Our bloodline is like the phoenix, we will always rise from the ashes." He holds me lovingly. "That is why I have faith in Dhaval. Not just because he is one of my own, but because I have witnessed the marvel of the people he has been surrounded with. Even through the trauma he suffered in youth, he has seen strength, true strength, as his example all his life."

    Arjun sighs and rests his cheek on my head. "I believe if anyone could see us through this new threat, it is the king we have. Demir was close, Amit closer, but Dhaval...I fully believe he is the one."

    "Is it bad I don't want him to be?" Mythri whispers. 

    "What? Why?" Arjun whispers.

    "Because I'm his mother and I don't want that horrible weight on him," she sniffles and trembles. "He's grown and he's so strong but-" she breaks down and hangs her head, sobbing into her palms. "He's my baby! And all I want for him is to-"

    Mairia sits down beside Mythri and wraps her up in her arms. "I know how you feel. I know exactly."

    "That is why I still fight," I whimper. "That is why I used my bare hands against Viovrouh." I wipe my nose on my sleeve and raise my head. "Because I don't want my children to do it. If I can do it, it saves them that pain."

    "At some point, we have to realize they may know better than we do," Arjun sighs. "I have to trust Alexander, I have to respect him. He's a man as well as my son and I know he's earned it. Same with Darius. Same with Dhaval. As much as we want to see them as our children with sticky hands and dirty cheeks, they are now the adults we wanted them to become." Arjun sighs and a smile blossoms on this face. "I have faith in this generation more than any other, but only because the generation before provided such a powerful influence. They did not shadow their growth, they provided the sun."

    Mythri wipes her face and nods as Mairia comforts her. "I know this," she chuckles. "I feel the exact same way."

    I take in a deep breath and hold it in my chest for a moment. "I want to go home," I whisper. "I'm tired."

    "I'll go with you," Arjun clasps my hand. "I want to see my family."

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Sanguis

    I look between the three of them, Viovrouh, Reginald, and Sergios, my three commanders. I take in a long breath and calm myself. They have all come back in far worse shape than I expected. Viovrouh looks fairly beaten and her head is wrapped, covering the back as well as her left eye. Serigios has had arrows removed from him, his back is covered with stitches and healed wounds. And Reginald, for god's sake, he has lost his arm yet again. Only thing is, this one was not ever meant to be lost!

    "What is the report?" I growl at them.

    There is a long moment of silence between them that only adds to my disappointment. I had chosen these three because I thought they would not fail me. Not all three at once anyways, anyone is capable of stumbling. But all three? I am at a loss.

    Losing Edragon was quite the blow to me. I had taken him in and raised him as my own. He was my son, my confidant, and he disappeared. I thought I had been prepared for these things, but I am discovering I am not doing well with them.

    I sit up in my hair and look back at them. "What is the report?" I hiss again.

    "They overwhelmed us," Reginald starts. "On all sides."

    "And they did this how?" I snarl. "Don't be afraid of me, Reginald. I have long suspected we were due for our first defeat. Now I need to know how it happened so it will never, ever, happen to us again. Now tell me."

    Reginald glances to Viovrouh and then looks back at me. "As you know, Lord Brachuss betrayed us. He alerted Dhaval of your plans ahead of time, so they were able to get the drop on our armies and the Houses in Oriphin. Not only that, but they had the Cetus fleets with them as well. And-"

    I slam my fist down on the table. "And?" I bark.

    "A lich, my lord," Viovrouh scoffs. "They had a lich you amassed his army against us." She seems quite smug about this but I don't know why.

    I sink back into my chair and stare across at them. "A lich?"

    "The emerald lich," Sergios answers in his booming voice. "I had heard rumors back home he had been released from his crypt. But in battle was the first time I had ever seen him."

    "The emerald lich?" I snarl and I crook my head to the side. I let out a chuckle and my jaw grows tight. "Theodred," I whisper. I had read much about him from Balafelamona's works. He had been the first to allow himself to be turned into a lich for her purposes, but he was also the first to turn against her, so she sealed him away. If there was anyone who would be the absolute force against me and my works, it would be Theodred.

    "Had Brachuss not turned against us we would have not failed so miserably," Sergios growls. "I say, we find him and kill him for what he has done."

    I scoff and start laughing. I throw my head back and beat my palm against the arm of my chair. My ribs start to hurt and I can barely breathe I am laughing so hard.

    "I think he has lost it," Viovrouh sighs. "Oh well, it was a nice mind while it lasted. We will mourn it the traditional way."

    I slam my hand down on the table and glare at her. "Go and fetch me Mila!" I roar at her.

    Her eyes widen and she stares at me in silence.

    "She is here? Correct?" I bellow at her. "Then go and bring her to me! Go on! Or was your head injury worse than I expected? Can you form a coherent thought that isn't a joke?"

    "My lord," Reginald snarls at me, "After all she has done for you, how dare do you speak to her in such a way?"

    "How dare you ruin my gift to you?" I snarl with a seething quiet. "What happened?" I point to his missing arm. How the fuck did that happen? That arm was supposed to be eternal?"

    Reginald puts his hand over the covering on his missing arm. "Dhaval knows blood magic and the lich finished it off."

    I grow still and quiet. "How?" I whisper. I then slam both hands onto the table top so hard it shakes and knocks over the cups and candles. "How?" I scream. "How does he know? How does he have that power?"

    Serigios stands up. "I will not be spoken to this way. I will return when you are calm and rational." 

    "I don't care!" I screech after him as he leaves the room. 

    "Dhaval has no clue to his lineage? Who taught him that? Was it Theodred?" I point at Reginald who is now standing with Viovrouh. "And why are you still here? Go get the Czarina and bring her to me."

    Viovrouh steps aside from Reginald, her palm slipping from his hand after lingering. She turns and leaves, following Sergios out the door.

    "I do not know how Dhaval knows blood magic, my lord," Reginald growls at me. "I saw him heal the Tiefling boy and then he used it to weaken my arm. The lich then finished it off once and for all."

    I am breathing heavy and my mind is rattling around a mile a minute. "It must have been Theodred who told him. It must have." I sit back down and pick up my cup, drinking what is left inside. I then go over, pouring myself an overflowing cup from the decanter.

    "I'm sorry," Reginald says.

    I turn and stare him down, curious of his words. "You're sorry?"

    Reginald's expression is dark and serious. "I left because I did not want Viovrouh to die. I let my guard down, and I am sorry."

    "You let your-" I hesitate and gasp. "Oh." I nod gently. "I see." I turn towards him and sip my wine. "You and Viovrouh have grown quite close."

    "Yes," he answers straightforwardly. 

    "Intimately?" I pry.

    Reginald looks away from me and I can see his cheeks ever so slightly redden. I grin to myself and tap my claws against my cup. "I see." I guzzle down the rest of my glass and set it aside. "And here I thought you were too old and horrible to catch a woman. Apparently I have no taste." I take another cup and fill it, passing it to Reginald. "When's the wedding?"

    Reginald looks back at me and huffs. He takes the wine glass and drinks deep of it. 

    "Do you want your arm back?" I ask him.

    He glances up from his cup. "I don't deserve it back, my lord," he whispers.

    "That isn't what I asked." I walk around the table towards him. "Do you want it back? It is a simple yes or no question. Tell me."

    Reginald sets his cup down. "My lord, I do not think I should have it back knowing what we do now about Dhaval and the lich."

    I grab his shoulder. "Yes or no."

Reginald looks me in the eye and takes a breath. "No."

I let go of him and step backwards. "That is all I wanted to know, Reginald." I turn and walk away. "Have this room cleaned up before the Czarina is brought to me."

"I am not certain meeting her now is such a good idea, my lord." Reginald replies.

I stop cold in my tracks and I snap back to look at him. "And why do you say that?" I look him over closely.

"She has a way of getting under people's skin." Reginald shifts ever so slightly. "I think right now, with your emotions high, talking with her would not be the safe road to go."

I grit my teeth and chuckle. "I don't care. If she wants to goad me, then she can goad me. She will simply have to pay the price for it."

Reginald glares at me. "You can't kill her sir, no matter how much I would like to see such a thing. When you meet with her you need to have a clear mind."

"My mind is clear!" I snap. I then stiffen my shoulders and shake my head. "Have this room cleaned," I snarl. "I am going to freshen up and I am going to meet with her."

Reginald frowns at me. "Yes, my lord." 

I stop before I reach the door. "And by the way," I turn back and glare at him. "You will want your arm back for what I have in store for you."

His expressions shifts to one of fear, it stuns me for a moment. Why would he be afraid? I sigh and lift my chin. "Don't you want to finish Habbar once and for all?"

Reginald blinks slowly. "My lord?" He chokes.

"I have my eye on the Golems next," I say with a smile. "Your arm could be quite handy for that."

"Oh, I-" He stumbles over his words and his eyes dart about the room. "I see."

I nod at him. "I will fix you after I deal with the Czarina. But for now, I need to freshen up." I stalk out of the room and go down the hallway.

I have to keep Reginald underfoot. I now have Rathburn here with me, but I do not have the same faith in him as Reginald. If I must set him against Habbar and his kind to teach him a lesson, then I will. But for now, I much focus my mind on the Czarina. The Polar is my goal, I won't lose again.