13th Glade, 4622
It was an eventful night, the night before; although it seemed that the two days he had spent with Tiberius had gone by so quickly. Salen didn’t want it to end, but he knew he had to get to the bottom of the mess he was in. The mess with Dahlia. The mess she created all them years ago with Degare, only to be given the dagger to his heart. Salen didn’t particularly like following Dahlia’s will, nor did he agree with any of Daravin’s politics and socio economics. He was just the pawn in the situation; a pawn to be played like any low class citizen within Daravin. Not anymore; he decided.
He knew the Entente were so scared of the Candor, that it could forfeit one’s life. It came down to three very important things.
Popularity, bias and control.
To like someone was to gain prosperity, to win favors and to earn the right to become a ruthless player in Daravinic politics. It was a vile thrill and yet played by only the ruthless and careful hands as everyone knew there were predators waiting to strike from the shadows; to cull and grab a chance at prosperity themselves. It wasn’t just Ulen’s gift that brought everyone their way into society. It had to be earned through the factors of merit. Whether it was through magical or political strength or by simply culling those around them to balance the power.
Either way, the cutthroat society didn’t leave marks that were pretty. For Salen, betraying a woman he was associated with had proven the most dangerous. A challenge that he was now going to have to face; the only resource he had to protect him was the fact that Degare was a Veir and that no harm could come to him as long as there were no dark secrets within Degare’s mind.
“What’s on your mind, darlin’...” Tiberius would speak as he laid against the bed once again; it’s been two days they have spent together and yet there was something bothering Salen, for a moment he referred to the strange man that came to visit him, the one that tried to cannibalize his soul. He seemed familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on it “I need to tell you something, I just wondered if you know any connections with the badlanders around here…”
“Did someone hurt you?” Tiberius asked with genuine concern, as if he was protective of Salen at that moment.
“Not quite…”
“What's wrong?”
“Well, a few weeks prior; I met with Degare again…”
“The guy who choked you with his…”
“Fuck off.” He glared back at him. “It’s only funny once…” The Half Sil’Norai would seem grouchy at the other man for mentioning it, before Tiberius rolled his eyes at the way he seemed to be behaving, but who could blame him? The male wasn’t in the mood for jokes and other sources of humor, even though Tiberius tried to lighten the mood, it seemed to make his mood of unease worse.
“You already told me.”
“Well, there was another thing.” He paused as he looked at the other male “I… Well, you know what happened to me. We talked about it…” Tiberius frowned at the moment he mentioned that particular incident, before he shook his head “Did someone trigger it again? I remember when I did it to you for the first time, you scratched me… It hurt me, yeah physically it might have left a mark but mentally, I could just see the fear in your eyes. That’s why I'm worried.”
“Yeah, someone did… He was concerned about Degare, I may have accidentally revealed too much and he… Threatened me. What made it worse was the way he grabbed me” Salen would pause as he could recollect the events of the abuse he faced under the hands of Everic Salvatore, during his younger years as a slave, from which he escaped by the sheer luck of passing an initiation in a magic that was known to nullify all marks if the initiation had failed. Nightfall, a mark that was feared to be taken for fear that most Veir would lose their magical status in society and become converted into nothing but a slave to society once more. The chains that kept people shackled to a strange and cruel society. “It was exactly how the Veir I served when he used to serve his banes on top of me like I was nothing, if I did the slightest thing wrong he would…” Salen stopped for a moment, his voice was full of anguish when he recited the exact events that transpired on the day he got his mark.
It was no wonder that Salen feared a grasp of a Ferrier but yet was not so fearful of Degare for some reason...
“Let's not… Go there.”
“You’re right, we’d better get ready.”
One more time, he looked back at Tiberius, smirking at him as if he had a thought of carnal intent as he watched for a moment as Tiberius looked back and smiled “I love you…”
“I love you too…”
With that, Salen continued packing his things, ready for the journey to Amoren. The thought of leaving Tiberius would scare him as the residual fear would wrack at his mind, leaving him shaking slightly as he placed a set of noble clothes in his bag and nodded towards Tiberius.
“Are you ready?”
“Yeah…”
“Then let’s go…” Salen asserted.
Tiberius grabs Salen by the waist once again and pulls him closer to his body, embracing him softly as he kisses him once again, before pulling him away. The shudder that came from Salen as he was taken back by that moment, as if he had been emotionally reminded of something so precious, now wading away.
Not forever he hoped.
He gulped as the taller Sil’Norai looked downward at him, smiling “You need to do what you’ve got to do, I’ll be here… If you ever need me, I’ll be here.” He handed him a map of the Badlands, with an X-mark on where he was supposed to be as well as a lighter and a few cigarettes. Salen laughed as he shook his head “I don’t know the badlands that well, Tiberius…”
“I’ve been here a year… I’ll find you, don’t worry, you know where Rustbucket is atleast…”
The half Sil’Norai smiled at his gesture of comfort, simply telling him that he wasn’t alone. But yet, it was easier said than done. “That’s true…”
Salen slinging his bag over his shoulder and heading down stairs into the bar area. The patrons made the place look crowded as the smell of heavy cigar smoke was rife in the air. Salen was about to leave the bar until someone shouted at him.
“Oi! You… Dumb slut! Whaddya think you’re going, I havent finished charming you yet.”
Salen snickered, “You haven’t even started…”
Tiberius would intervene, knowing how Salen was, he was quick to make impulsive and unpredictable decisions. At times, Tiberius couldn’t reign in his behaviour; he would simply have to let the animal within him out in most cases “Don’t…”
“What? He’s just talking…”
“I mean don’t do anything…”
“Relax!” Salen interrupted him.
The male who looked rather rugged in appearance appeared to be looking for a lap dance of some sort. Salen’s smirk widened as he crossed his arms, walking up to the other man seductively as he tilts his head.
“Sit the fuck down…” The male spoke aggressively as he put his legs on the table. He had a shit eating grin on his face, although the amount of disrespect he was showing was common amongst Badlanders who raided the territories of the desert.
“Ok…”
The Half Sil’Norai would take a step back for a moment as he stepped on the table for a moment, sharing a moment of entertainment, before jumping and aiming his body weight towards his legs.
Snap!
“AHHH! MY FUCKING LEGS!” The male screamed, a forceful kick on the knees ended up snapping the man's legs; it was proof that the mischievious Corvo had jumped and used his heavy force to break his legs. Yet, he did not show any remorse for his actions; he simply laughed in a sadistic and maniacal manner, holding the other male’s face as he grabbed the man’s head, tilting his head with laughter, forcing him to make eye contact “Yeah, is that the lap dance you wanted! Ehh?” His expression became more serious as he gripped him by the hair and tugged it, gritting his teeth, expressing aggression and revealing his Shaper, pointing a finger tip towards the Adam’s Apple of his neck.
“Have some fucking respect next time… Motherfucker…” The bar patrons would watch in shock as the event sprawled out. The bartender eventually spoke up for a moment, laughing it off as Salen removed himself from the male’s embrace, leaving the man to scream in pain and anguish. He walked up to Tiberius and looked at him "What? He fucking deserved it; asshole should learn some manners and respect..."
“You promised me you wouldn’t do anything crazy.”
"That wasn't crazy, that was defending my pride... How would you feel if I called you a slut?"
"Takes one to know one." Tiberius answered with a snicker, before Salen glared back at him.
"Lets just get the fuck out of here, before I decide to punch you in the face in front of this lovely audience." He said with sarcasm as he proceeded out the door; The blonde would follow him out afterwards, heading towards his chariot, which the two mounted and continued their journey onwards in the desert on their way to Amoren.
It was an eventful night, the night before; although it seemed that the two days he had spent with Tiberius had gone by so quickly. Salen didn’t want it to end, but he knew he had to get to the bottom of the mess he was in. The mess with Dahlia. The mess she created all them years ago with Degare, only to be given the dagger to his heart. Salen didn’t particularly like following Dahlia’s will, nor did he agree with any of Daravin’s politics and socio economics. He was just the pawn in the situation; a pawn to be played like any low class citizen within Daravin. Not anymore; he decided.
He knew the Entente were so scared of the Candor, that it could forfeit one’s life. It came down to three very important things.
Popularity, bias and control.
To like someone was to gain prosperity, to win favors and to earn the right to become a ruthless player in Daravinic politics. It was a vile thrill and yet played by only the ruthless and careful hands as everyone knew there were predators waiting to strike from the shadows; to cull and grab a chance at prosperity themselves. It wasn’t just Ulen’s gift that brought everyone their way into society. It had to be earned through the factors of merit. Whether it was through magical or political strength or by simply culling those around them to balance the power.
Either way, the cutthroat society didn’t leave marks that were pretty. For Salen, betraying a woman he was associated with had proven the most dangerous. A challenge that he was now going to have to face; the only resource he had to protect him was the fact that Degare was a Veir and that no harm could come to him as long as there were no dark secrets within Degare’s mind.
“What’s on your mind, darlin’...” Tiberius would speak as he laid against the bed once again; it’s been two days they have spent together and yet there was something bothering Salen, for a moment he referred to the strange man that came to visit him, the one that tried to cannibalize his soul. He seemed familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on it “I need to tell you something, I just wondered if you know any connections with the badlanders around here…”
“Did someone hurt you?” Tiberius asked with genuine concern, as if he was protective of Salen at that moment.
“Not quite…”
“What's wrong?”
“Well, a few weeks prior; I met with Degare again…”
“The guy who choked you with his…”
“Fuck off.” He glared back at him. “It’s only funny once…” The Half Sil’Norai would seem grouchy at the other man for mentioning it, before Tiberius rolled his eyes at the way he seemed to be behaving, but who could blame him? The male wasn’t in the mood for jokes and other sources of humor, even though Tiberius tried to lighten the mood, it seemed to make his mood of unease worse.
“You already told me.”
“Well, there was another thing.” He paused as he looked at the other male “I… Well, you know what happened to me. We talked about it…” Tiberius frowned at the moment he mentioned that particular incident, before he shook his head “Did someone trigger it again? I remember when I did it to you for the first time, you scratched me… It hurt me, yeah physically it might have left a mark but mentally, I could just see the fear in your eyes. That’s why I'm worried.”
“Yeah, someone did… He was concerned about Degare, I may have accidentally revealed too much and he… Threatened me. What made it worse was the way he grabbed me” Salen would pause as he could recollect the events of the abuse he faced under the hands of Everic Salvatore, during his younger years as a slave, from which he escaped by the sheer luck of passing an initiation in a magic that was known to nullify all marks if the initiation had failed. Nightfall, a mark that was feared to be taken for fear that most Veir would lose their magical status in society and become converted into nothing but a slave to society once more. The chains that kept people shackled to a strange and cruel society. “It was exactly how the Veir I served when he used to serve his banes on top of me like I was nothing, if I did the slightest thing wrong he would…” Salen stopped for a moment, his voice was full of anguish when he recited the exact events that transpired on the day he got his mark.
It was no wonder that Salen feared a grasp of a Ferrier but yet was not so fearful of Degare for some reason...
“Let's not… Go there.”
“You’re right, we’d better get ready.”
One more time, he looked back at Tiberius, smirking at him as if he had a thought of carnal intent as he watched for a moment as Tiberius looked back and smiled “I love you…”
“I love you too…”
With that, Salen continued packing his things, ready for the journey to Amoren. The thought of leaving Tiberius would scare him as the residual fear would wrack at his mind, leaving him shaking slightly as he placed a set of noble clothes in his bag and nodded towards Tiberius.
“Are you ready?”
“Yeah…”
“Then let’s go…” Salen asserted.
Tiberius grabs Salen by the waist once again and pulls him closer to his body, embracing him softly as he kisses him once again, before pulling him away. The shudder that came from Salen as he was taken back by that moment, as if he had been emotionally reminded of something so precious, now wading away.
Not forever he hoped.
He gulped as the taller Sil’Norai looked downward at him, smiling “You need to do what you’ve got to do, I’ll be here… If you ever need me, I’ll be here.” He handed him a map of the Badlands, with an X-mark on where he was supposed to be as well as a lighter and a few cigarettes. Salen laughed as he shook his head “I don’t know the badlands that well, Tiberius…”
“I’ve been here a year… I’ll find you, don’t worry, you know where Rustbucket is atleast…”
The half Sil’Norai smiled at his gesture of comfort, simply telling him that he wasn’t alone. But yet, it was easier said than done. “That’s true…”
Salen slinging his bag over his shoulder and heading down stairs into the bar area. The patrons made the place look crowded as the smell of heavy cigar smoke was rife in the air. Salen was about to leave the bar until someone shouted at him.
“Oi! You… Dumb slut! Whaddya think you’re going, I havent finished charming you yet.”
Salen snickered, “You haven’t even started…”
Tiberius would intervene, knowing how Salen was, he was quick to make impulsive and unpredictable decisions. At times, Tiberius couldn’t reign in his behaviour; he would simply have to let the animal within him out in most cases “Don’t…”
“What? He’s just talking…”
“I mean don’t do anything…”
“Relax!” Salen interrupted him.
The male who looked rather rugged in appearance appeared to be looking for a lap dance of some sort. Salen’s smirk widened as he crossed his arms, walking up to the other man seductively as he tilts his head.
“Sit the fuck down…” The male spoke aggressively as he put his legs on the table. He had a shit eating grin on his face, although the amount of disrespect he was showing was common amongst Badlanders who raided the territories of the desert.
“Ok…”
The Half Sil’Norai would take a step back for a moment as he stepped on the table for a moment, sharing a moment of entertainment, before jumping and aiming his body weight towards his legs.
Snap!
“AHHH! MY FUCKING LEGS!” The male screamed, a forceful kick on the knees ended up snapping the man's legs; it was proof that the mischievious Corvo had jumped and used his heavy force to break his legs. Yet, he did not show any remorse for his actions; he simply laughed in a sadistic and maniacal manner, holding the other male’s face as he grabbed the man’s head, tilting his head with laughter, forcing him to make eye contact “Yeah, is that the lap dance you wanted! Ehh?” His expression became more serious as he gripped him by the hair and tugged it, gritting his teeth, expressing aggression and revealing his Shaper, pointing a finger tip towards the Adam’s Apple of his neck.
“Have some fucking respect next time… Motherfucker…” The bar patrons would watch in shock as the event sprawled out. The bartender eventually spoke up for a moment, laughing it off as Salen removed himself from the male’s embrace, leaving the man to scream in pain and anguish. He walked up to Tiberius and looked at him "What? He fucking deserved it; asshole should learn some manners and respect..."
“You promised me you wouldn’t do anything crazy.”
"That wasn't crazy, that was defending my pride... How would you feel if I called you a slut?"
"Takes one to know one." Tiberius answered with a snicker, before Salen glared back at him.
"Lets just get the fuck out of here, before I decide to punch you in the face in front of this lovely audience." He said with sarcasm as he proceeded out the door; The blonde would follow him out afterwards, heading towards his chariot, which the two mounted and continued their journey onwards in the desert on their way to Amoren.
