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There Are No Zombies in Atharen
Posted: Sat May 27, 2023 10:30 am
by Andros
The volume of Hakon’s snoring was a badge of honor for Ajax. He’d done so well that he’d put his man into a deep sleep. To be fair, Hakon was still recovering from his injury but Ajax took the credit.
After a few minutes blissed out and catching his breath, Ajax found he wasn’t tired. It was still only morning, after all. For a time he occupied himself in the bed. He mentally reviewed the day's events, critiquing his performance and making notes for the next time. He gave himself a middling grade, though he expected his inexperienced partner would rate him higher. Ajax was a clear-eyed critic. Hakon wasn’t the only man devoted to relentless self-improvement in his chosen discipline.
After a time he got bored, even if it was nice lying close to Hakon and playing with his single chest hair. Ajax got up and put on some underwear and a light tunic. He considered going out for some fresh air, perhaps to run an errand or just to explore. He even briefly considered popping down to the tavern to see if there were any cute boys around to chat with. But he thought better of all of it.
The last time they had spent the night together as lovers, Ajax had fled before the sun rose and left Hakon abandoned, dejected, enraged. For cause, but still. Hakon nursed the anger and pain for years and extracted a promise that Ajax would never do it again. Ajax didn’t want to leave Hakon to worry even for a moment that he’d violated his oath, so he would stay close. There would be other times to demonstrate his independence. This was a time to demonstrate loyalty.
Ajax wanted to be right there in the bed when Hakon woke up. He rummaged through their luggage to find something to keep himself busy. Hakon had brought a tedious religious text and a military manual from Grisc with details about their imaginative new weapons. Hakon was enthralled, but no thank you. Ajax had a trashy novel he’d long since finished and a copy of a forgotten epic poem from his homeland, recorded in some remote mainland village by a traveling scholar.
Ajax was slowly memorizing it and setting it to music to make it part of his repertoire. It was a good way to feel connected to his old life in Teos, and the story was entertaining. It would be a hit when it was done. He decided to put some work into that and brought it over to the bed.
First he recited a ten-stanza section slowly just to get the meter, then replaced outdated vocabulary and made. Next he decided which of the three melodies he was working with was most appropriate for the text. Finally he sang it three times to memorize it - under his breath in deference to his sleeping companion.
It kept Ajax occupied for a while. Hakon had heard all the work he’d done so far and Ajax looked forward to singing this latest section for him when he woke up. But he kept getting distracted by the folded paper he was using as a bookmark and eventually picked it up to examine it instead.
He shouldn’t have swiped it. The letter was addressed to his mother, after all. It was rude to open people’s mail. Now she wouldn’t see it for six weeks and it might have been important. And unfortunately Ajax had no idea what the contents were despite weeks of effort, because he couldn’t understand a word of what was written. The letters were clear as day but made no sense. The words weren’t even pronounceable. It had to be a code, not another language. No language looked like this.
The envelope had been addressed in a blocky print style that felt somehow familiar. Ajax couldn’t place it, but it was enough that he’d opened it out of a niggling curiosity. The letter itself was in a hand he couldn’t possibly mistake. Elegant and decorative but still crisp. A beautiful hand that he’d spent his childhood learning to copy before developing a style of his own.
The letter had been written by Fell Oxenfrey, now several years dead. When was it written? Who sent it to his mother? What else was she keeping from him? These questions ran through his head as he puzzled fruitlessly over the letters and listened to Hakon’s contented drone.
Re: There Are No Zombies in Atharen
Posted: Sat May 27, 2023 2:40 pm
by Hakon
Part of him expected Ajax to be gone when he woke up. Maybe with his stuff.
Hakon knew it was irrational. He knew Ajax had changed, and that if the boy did that, he'd have some explaining to do to his family. But really, would he? if he said that Hakon had done something that scared him, that he feared for his life, would Andros take his word that nothing had happened? Andros had seen Hakon in action; he knew he could be quite formidable.
So his arms found their way around Ajax and he bestowed a sleepy kiss to the nape of the boy's neck by way of greeting.
"You're here," was all he said, trying not to sound as relieved as he was and completely failing.
He didn't even realize he was reading over Ajax's shoulder until he was midway through the letter. It was fairly mundane stuff. I've missed you, please say hello to the kids for me, how are they getting on, that sort of thing. Then it went into rather graphic sexual detail about what the writer wanted to do to the addressee for about a paragraph. Then it resumed as it had been before, culminating in a request to meet at a predetermined time and place: a border town in Daravin a few weeks from today's date, though judging from the date at the top of letter, it had been about eight weeks from the time it was sent.
"This letter wasn't addressed to you," Hakon said, confusedly. Then he blinked and looked at it again.
He'd still been half-asleep and hadn't even noticed it was employing a cipher. He knew this one by heart; it was an old and simpler substitution cipher favored by the North Radican Scarlet Watch. Lady Byqvist had taught it to him when he'd taken his vows as an example of a cipher not to use because it was too easy to break. Hakon could read and write in it reflexively, though he was given to understand this was rather odd. Most people required a piece of paper to transcribe it, at least.
"Why are you reading a letter addressed to your mother by someone using a Scarlet Watch cipher?" He asked. He was too confused to be upset at the instance of theft.
Re: There Are No Zombies in Atharen
Posted: Sat May 27, 2023 6:04 pm
by Andros
Ajax promptly forgot about the letter when Hakon woke up. He was looking at it but his mind was elsewhere. Or rather, it was precisely present in the moment, enjoying the way Hakon looked at him and held him and kissed him.
“Of course I’m here. I took an oath, didn’t I.” He laughed. “And I haven’t had my second round yet, let alone third or fourth, or tomorrow’s or the next day. You’re not off the hook, big boy, not remotely close. You better stay well hydrated.”
He was teasing and flirting. That was his way and always would be, but Hakon was very literal and could be more sensitive than you’d expect from an assassin. So he clarified, leaning down to kiss his partner on the top of his head.
“And I like you a lot. I’m not going anywhere. I almost went out for some fresh air but I knew you’d want me here when you woke up.”
The words on the letter started to jumble together and go out of focus as Ajax realized what a ridiculous thing he just said. He’d taken care to spare the (rather controlling) feelings of some man. That’s now how Ajax Chrysostephanos does things. He goes from conquest to conquest, interested only in pleasure and money. He uses his lovers. He doesn’t let them get to him. And yet Hakon had gotten to him. It felt good to reassure him, and it felt really good when that reassurance was paid back with affection. In over his head, that’s what he was.
He was musing about it and didn’t pay attention when Hakon commented on the letter’s address and responded absent-mindedly
“Yeah. It’s my moms. I was curious so I nabbed it. She’s a huge bitch to me, you know. Don’t expect me to feel bad about it..”
If he’d been listening closely, he’d have been shocked because there was no envelope. The greeting at the top of the letter was in the same impenetrable code as the rest of it, and that must have been what Hakon had read. But that didn’t register until Hakon followed it up by explaining just what the mysterious writing was.
That’s when Ajax’s heart did a little somersault. Hakon could read the code! Ajax stood up off the bed in excitement and thrust the letter rather aggressively into Hakon’s hand, then immediately started pacing around the room, too agitated to sit down.
“You know what it is? Can you read it? I think the letter is in my dad’s handwriting. It was addressed to my mom and just came in before we left. Someone must have his old letters and is sending them to her, but I can’t imagine who or why. You know he was in the Guild once, so his using one of your cyphers makes sense. Maybe it's from when he lived in Radenor? Tell me what it says, please.
He made his way around to Hakon’s side of the bed so he could read over the mage’s shoulder, not that his reading was doing any good.
“Quickly if you can. I’ve been trying to puzzle it out for weeks and it’s driving me crazy. It’s like he’s present and just out of reach. I’d give anything to hear his voice again, even if it’s just in writing.”
Re: There Are No Zombies in Atharen
Posted: Sat May 27, 2023 8:17 pm
by Hakon
Hakon frowned at Ajax's characterization of his mother. He'd met the woman exactly once and she hadn't exactly provided a warm welcome, but shortly before they'd been introduced he had been contemplating murdering her offspring, so it made a certain amount of sense. She'd also had reservations about Andros' plan, and privately Hakon had agreed with many of them. Andros had turned out to be correct -- it had been possible for Ajax and Hakon to bury the hatchet, and then some -- but her doubt about that entire situation had been warranted. She seemed sensible enough, in other words, and Ajax should show respect for her, in his opinion.
This did not seem like the proper time for that conversation, though, not with Ajax so visibly agitated. Hakon decided to set it aside.
"Sure, it's simple enough. It's just a substitution cipher," Hakon explained. That did not seem to provide sufficient clarity, so he added: "all the letters on the paper are just standing in for other letters. This one is really easy -- it's just straightforwardly a substitution by individual letters of the alphabet. There are no special combinations that are done differently, for instance, where 'st' are two letters that would not normally correspond to 's' and 't,' and it's not a double cipher where you need an intervening piece of paper to translate it, either. It's actually a rather old one -- the Watch in Northradica used it for a really long time, and didn't know that rogues had broken it and were using the correspondence to evade capture. I don't think it's used any more; it's probably been at least fifteen years since they moved to stronger codes that require things like a volvelle to solve."
Hakon would normally have rambled on about cryptography for a while -- as it happened, he rather loved all the codes and riddles involved in it -- but Ajax had asked him to read from the letter, so he managed to rein himself in.
"So the first paragraph is just greetings. It references some stuff I don't really understand -- various accounts, I think? And shipments? -- Something about barrels breaking, too. I think this section is them talking about the wine business."
"Then there are sections here about 'the kids' -- Ah, a section about you, I think. You're Jaxy, right? He's asking after, uh, if you and your boyfriend will be married. Then a bit more about each kid, from there, but there's more about you than the rest of them."
Hakon colored. "I don't want to translate this next part. It's vulgar. It's about how the writer wishes they were performing oral sex on the speaker."
Then he continued, "The latter half of the letter, the longest bit, is about a meeting that's scheduled for 77th Glade. It's in, ah -- Iberique, I believe. I think that's a border town between Daravin and Radenor."
"So that's all of it. I can, you know, read it all aloud to you, if you wish, instead of summarizing. Or I could transcribe it, I suppose, so you could read it to yourself, if you prefer?"
It was only then that he looked over at Ajax's face. Hakon wasn't sure what to make of his expression. He didn't look pleased, and he seemed... surprised? Disbelieving? Did he doubt Hakon's ability to break the cipher?
"That's really what it says," Hakon repeated. "I know most people need to write stuff down to break ciphers, but I don't. Not for the simple ones like this one, anyway. All the letters are still there, they're just written funny."
Re: There Are No Zombies in Atharen
Posted: Sat May 27, 2023 8:57 pm
by Andros
The truth was blindingly obvious. So obvious that there could be no denying it, but so shocking that Ajax denied it anyway. He told himself it was a letter his father had written to his mother years before (when they were living in the same house, naturally); or that it wasn’t his father but some Northradican relative of his with the same handwriting (who was also sleeping with his mother, naturally); or perhaps that it was some kind of elaborate fraud, a trick someone was playing on him (to gain precisely nothing, naturally).
Where it all fell apart was the combination of the nickname and the date. Ajax stopped going by Jaxy outside the family when he was a little boy. His close relatives still called him that of course, but who else would know about it? Fell wrote that letter. It wasn’t a fraud or some other Oxenfrey. And the date. That was in a few weeks, and at the closest border town to Oxentide.
No, there was only one explanation and Ajax couldn’t handle it. He gripped Hakon’s shoulder tight, hard enough that another man might have winced but Hakon just looked confused. Poor, dense Hakon, who could not be less equipped to deal with the emotional roller coaster Ajax was riding. Hakon seemed more interested in the cryptography than in the earth-shattering news he was delivering. It was infuriating, but this was the man Ajax had tied himself too for the time being. He’d have to do.
“He’s alive, Hakon. Baba’s alive. He was dead. We had a funeral. I cried for weeks But he wasn’t really dead at all. He’s alive, and he’s in Daravin.”
Ajax was too lost to be happy. Or angry or betrayed or much of anything else. His mind was reeling. There was a lot to figure out. How had his father gotten all the way to Daravin? Was his death faked on purpose, or had he been washed out to sea or kidnapped? How long had his mother been in touch with him? Why hadn’t he been told? Did his siblings and Pappa know?
He felt rather like a little boy who’d had an overwhelming experience and didn’t know what to do with it. He needed comfort before he descended into panic. Fell wasn’t there to do it and neither was Andros. Ajax looked Hakon in the eyes and spoke clearly to him. If he was going to get what was necessary, he was going to have to ask for it very directly.
“Hakon, I’m starting to panic. This is life-changing news for me, and the last thing I expected.. Can you sit up so I can sit on your lap? I need you to hold me for a while to help me calm down, and I need you to read the letter out loud to me. Every word, except the vulgar part. This is really important.”
Re: There Are No Zombies in Atharen
Posted: Sat May 27, 2023 9:17 pm
by Hakon
Slowly, realization dawned on Hakon that he wasn't just relaying the contents of just some letter. Most letters, even ones written in code, were rather boring. They were done this way as much to occupy the time of the writer and the reader as they were for any semblance of privacy. Based on Ajax's reaction, this was not one of those.
Then, as the words poured out of Ajax, Hakon struggled to make sense of them. He didn't know Ajax's father, but both Andros and Ajax had talked about him. Ajax did so more often -- he was full of stories of what a good father Fell had been, how he had taught him many things, and how he was great at singing and at making art. Andros had painted a darker picture -- a greedy, selfish drunkard who constantly sought to undermine Andros in the internecine dealings of life on Micronisi. That last part, Hakon could relate to quite keenly. The Tower was, in a way, a remote island. People got into fights about things that otherwise would not matter because of decades of proximity. It seemed to be like that on Andros and Ajax's home island, as well.
His eyes welled up when Ajax instructed him on what to do and he nodded. He didn't want to make this moment about himself, but it was such a relief to be told what to do in situations like these. Otherwise, he would have made a mess of trying to comfort the boy who meant so much to him who was clearly gearing up to some kind of fit himself. Instead, he did as he was told. He sat down and opened his arms to Ajax, enclosing him in a tight embrace.
"I don't know the answer to all of those questions, but we can figure them out together. I will read you the letter when you are ready, and I will do what you wish to do with this man when you are ready to decide."
Re: There Are No Zombies in Atharen
Posted: Sun May 28, 2023 9:21 am
by Andros
Hakon’s lap was a better spot to panic than the floor. The mage did well, though he’d certainly never trained for this job. He wrapped his arms around Ajax, stroked his hair, and made him feel safe. Ajax started to cry, buried his face in Hakon’s chest, and then the tears passed. He felt calmer and his head clearer. He’d missed the vaguely threatening implications of Hakon’s offer to do what you wish to do with this man, which was for the best.
“Thanks. You take good care of me, Hakon,” Ajax said when he’d gotten his emotions under control. That made the big man smile in a very sincere way, sincere like everything Hakon did or said. Ajax was glad to have him here. “Why don’t you read it now, I’m ready to listen.”
Raptly, Ajax listened as the words removed any possible doubt as to the authorship. It was Fell’s voice in that letter, without a doubt. It was full of long strings of alliteration and little rhymes that Fell would use to make himself laugh. And he made recourse to half a dozen little sayings that featured heavily in the children’s impressions of their father. Ajax laughed at “don’t let the fire go out before the porridge is hot,” and “lightning is crooked but it still burns.” You could almost hear Fell groan as he got up from his chair and yell for Dorothea to help him find his book.
It would have been a thoroughly enjoyable experience - indeed the news was joyful - but Ajax’s mood was brought down by one little detail. Fell had asked after Ajax and his siblings, yes, but specifically he had asked have you told the children yet? You said you would. I expect letters from at least the older boys soon. Dorothea knew and had known for some time. This wasn’t a recent discovery for her. She was keeping Fell from his children against his wishes.
That was unforgivable. Dorothea was dead to him. There was a little coldness in Ajax as he decided that with finality. But he didn’t let it spoil the satisfaction he felt at his father’s miraculous return from the dead.
“We have to go, Hakon. To Iberique, to see him. I need you to take me there.” Hakon surely had to see why this was essential. Maybe? Maybe not? Best to make things clear.
“I need to see him as soon as possible and if I don’t go now, I’ll need to ask my mother for help and she’s been lying about this for who knows how long.”
Then he got practice. “I’ll still be working for you on that date, and besides, Daravin can be dangerous and I want you there to protect me.” He emphasized that point with a tap on Hakon’s strong arm. It was a little manipulative but true enough. Everyone said Daravin was a violent place.
“And I want you to meet Baba,” he added. “He’s a lot like me. I think you’ll like one another.”
That was a lie, and a rather bold one. No, the iconoclast and the Guild Mage might not see eye to eye and Ajax knew it, but he wasn’t intending to be dishonest. Rather, he was indulging in a little fantasy. He pictured how good it would be to have Fell’s blessing on the new man in his life, Hakon’s acknowledgment that Fell was exactly as wonderful as Ajax had promised, and everyone’s agreement that Ajax had grown into a fine young man.
Re: There Are No Zombies in Atharen
Posted: Sun May 28, 2023 11:33 am
by Hakon
A few things clicked into place for Hakon while he was comforting Ajax and then reciting the contents of the letter to him.
The first was that it felt fantastic to hold Ajax and to comfort him. Hakon had not expected that. His general feeling when someone was emotional was one of intense discomfort. He didn't know why people behaved this way and he mostly wanted them to be quiet until it was over. With Ajax, though, it was different. Holding him and feeling him become calmer felt good. He felt powerful, in a weird way, that he could do this for Ajax. He wanted to talk to someone about it, but the only person he talked to feelings about was Ajax and they were kind of in the middle of something, so it would have to wait.
The second was that Hakon remembered Fell Oxenfrey. He remembered the page with the man's face staring out of it from the Northradican logbook of iconoclasts: he had a soft, almost pretty face, with an angular jaw and full lips. He could see the resemblance between the sketch and that was emblazoned in his memory and the face that was in front of him right now. Fell was an iconoclast, which meant Hakon was honor bound to quell him, but in case's like this, it would be a pleasure. Fell had killed one of the servants in the Tower in cold blood, then fled. The notes had said the girl had been in love with him.
This man may have sired Ajax, but he was a danger to society. He had to die. The Fell that had featured in Ajax's frequent stories of his childhoods did not square with the Fell on the wanted poster in the log book, but it did not matter. A man could be no threat to his own children but a threat to society at large. He would accompany Ajax to reunite with his father, then, he would make sure this was the last time they met again.
Hakon said none of this aloud.
"I am happy to keep you safe in Daravin, Ajax," he said instead. "There are many, many rogues and iconoclast emigres there for me to quell, and I can keep you safe from their barbarism. I'm happy for you, I think, that your father is unexpectedly alive, even though it was a shock. This is good news, is it not? You wish for him to be alive?"
This was about as tactful as Hakon was able to be. If Ajax was angry at Fell and wanted him dead, this was a two birds with one stone situation for Hakon, but he was fairly certain that offering to murder Ajax's father was impolite even though there was no explicit rule about it in any of the etiquette books he'd ever read.
Re: There Are No Zombies in Atharen
Posted: Sun May 28, 2023 1:58 pm
by Andros
“Oh, thank you, Hakon. I knew I could count on you. ” Ajax knew no such thing. He’d been worried Hakon might refuse on the grounds of having a mission to complete or similar nonsense. But he came through, and he did a good job comforting Ajax too. Ajax felt grateful, lucky to have Hakon on his team. He couldn’t think of anyone he’d rather share this moment with aside from his own family.
Hakon’s question was remarkably stupid though, even for him. Ajax didn’t get the implications and didn’t see any danger. The idea that the man he was falling for would harm his father simply didn’t occur to him. It would be ridiculous.
Ajax didn’t know how to respond. What kind of person did Hakon think he was? Who wouldn’t want their father alive rather than dead? It sounded almost insane. Briefly it made him irritated, but he tried to remember that Hakon never knew the right thing to say, really at any time. He was being as nice as he could. He was just an idiot sometimes.
Ajax replied with a sigh. “Yes, Hakon, this is good news. Of course I want my father alive. He’s my dad. I miss him.”
Hakon had lost his father too. Clearly it took a toll on him. There was a risk in making it personal for him but that would make things clear.
“Wouldn’t you be happy if you could see your dad again? Wouldn’t you do anything to make that happen?”
He moved along past this weird topic and starting to speculate and fantasize.
“It didn’t say where he’s living but he must be doing well if he’s sending my mom money every month. Maybe we can go stay with him for a bit? I guarantee it will be comfortable and the food will be good. We could work on my new composition together. You should hear him sing, makes me look like an amateur.”
He leaned against Hakon’s chest, smiling up at him.
“I’m so happy right now. First, everything with you, then this falls into my lap. What an amazing day. I’m a lucky man.”
Re: There Are No Zombies in Atharen
Posted: Sun May 28, 2023 2:15 pm
by Hakon
"Wouldn't you be happy if your father were alive?"
Hakon sat with that question while Ajax continued talking. It was fairly lucky that he was given to silence and that Ajax was given to chatter. It meant that his companion could talk about a half dozen topics while Hakon's mind worked on connecting the dots on one of the topics and then responding to that one.
"I'm glad that you are happy," Hakon said, He was.
"I wouldn't know what to think if my father were alive -- I think it would depend on how it all happened. If he had lied about being dead, I'm not sure I'd be so happy to see him," Hakon said. It did not occur to him that this may sound as though he were goading Ajax. Hakon was, as was customary, thinking through the situation literally.
"Also, because I saw him die, I would have a lot of questions. If he had died in other circumstances, my life may have been quite different, also. I may have been sent, perhaps, to live with my family in Northradica, instead of being marked and then guilded. Maybe the villagers would have taken me in, though they were not overly friendly and me and my father were outsiders, so maybe they would have sent me to an orphanage even though I was just a boy. It's confusing to think about. I think I'd feel confused. That's why, I think, I was surprised by how quickly you resolved this news."
In truth, part of why Hakon were focusing on that part was the rest was making a knot of tension form at the base of his neck. He didn't want to upset Ajax, but the idea of accepting hospitable from an iconoclast was unthinkable. If Lady Byqvist or anyone in his Order found out, well. He wasn't sure what they'd do to him, but he was fairly certain it was unpleasant. Rogues needed to be offered the choice and then quelled if they resisted. Iconoclasts were to be quelled on sight. It was that simple.
Except that this icnoclast was Ajax's father, who Ajax was happy was alive. This was not a situation where the lad was going to ask Hakon to right this wrong. If he were to go about doing this, it would have to seem accidental, and he'd have to hide the extra sunderscrap from Ajax for the duration of their trip. He wasn't certain such a thing was even possible. Or he could do his duty and sacrifice all the goodwill he had built with Ajax. It was a thing Hakon hated more than most things, even more than laces on his upper body or arrows through the leg: a dilemma.