Chapter 31 – Fas's Past
"Do you have anything to drink?" Fas asked.
"What would you like?" SJ said.
"Something strong."
"Oh, come on, I want to know," Dave complained as SJ left her room and went down to the living room, where there was a drinks cabinet. She found what she was looking for, took two glasses, and returned upstairs.
She placed the bottle of dwarven brandy on her dresser and poured two glasses. It had been a gift from Zej, and she had only ever had a single glass from it.
Fas knocked his back, grimacing from the burning liquid, and SJ poured him another as she nestled her glass in her hands, swirling the amber liquid as she stared at Fas.
"This goes back to when I first arrived in Asterfal. It was a time when the city was different compared to how it is now. You need to understand that before I start," Fas looked at SJ, his eyes almost pleading.
SJ felt nervous and uncomfortable as he spoke, just nodding in understanding.
"Almost two centuries have passed since what I am about to tell you happened. I mentioned the chancellor's chamber because the being who resides there was the catalyst."
"You mean Gallen..."
Fas cut SJ off. "The being," Fas reiterated, stopping her from saying his name. "Back then, Asterfal wasn't as fancy as it is now. It was the largest city in the southern areas, and the tower stood as it had for centuries, but the power was not held there. It was owned on the streets. It has only been in the last few decades that the shift to the tower being the authority over everything has really come to stay. As I mentioned previously, when I arrived in Asterfal, I ended up working alongside this being. He was my mentor, and before you ask, yes, he is a vampire. The founding father, if you wish for a description of their kind in Asterfal."
SJ gulped at the thought.
"I must add that at this stage, I was still young, well, I still am, and I allowed myself to be influenced in a manner that I'm not proud of."
Considering Fas was over 900, and he was stating he was still young, didn't just pass SJ by as she raised an eyebrow at his comment. She was transfixed as he spoke.
“He was, for lack of a word, the ruler of the streets, everything and anything that happened here knew about and controlled. I wasn't the only being who worked for him; the streets were full of his followers, and it took me several years to build his trust, where he allowed me into his inner sanctum, which we visited this evening.”
“During those times, anarchy ruled more than order. If a being were to die, then a simple quest was set, and one of us would take them and perform the act. We didn't eliminate them as you would expect; victims were returned to the building we visited tonight. It wasn't known as a blood bank then.”
Fas didn't need to explain further, as SJ had images of beings being dragged unwillingly into the depths of the building, and dreaded to think what had become of them. Fas's gaze fell to the floorboards, not meeting SJ's eyes; his voice dropped as he spoke.
"The chief was the only other being who held as much influence as he did. Between them, the streets fell under their orders. The western city belonged to her, and the eastern side to him. The tower at this time was so focused on the inner city and its political dealings, they paid no attention to what happened outside their fortified walls."
Fas took another swig of the brandy.
"It was during this time that I started my dealings with the chief. It was a business between two parties. The power dynamic was balanced. My mentor had a vision and wished me to communicate the purpose to the chief. At the time, I had taken the request as I did with any from him, enthusiastically and wishing to please." Fas looked up at SJ. "You must remember that he was exceedingly influential." His statement was almost a plea for forgiveness before he dropped his gaze again.
"The city streets were feral, violent and uncivilised, much worse than what you have witnessed today. Beings vanished off the streets regularly." Fas let out a deep sigh. "Many at my hand, sadly. That is how I rose to the position I held."
Fas paused again as he gathered his thoughts.
SJ was sitting with bated breath, waiting impatiently. He had already revealed so much about what had happened in the past, but the comment about it having the potential to have as much impact as the Scrug Wars had burned like an oil lamp in her mind.
"The proposition was simple," Fas continued. "He wished to bring the control of Asterfal and the territories under his oversight. To do this, he began creating a clan. Beings thought to be missing suddenly reappeared as they were turned. The problem was a lack of control over the newborn. Their voracious appetite when first born is uncontrollable, and he soon realised that he may have been hasty in the speed at which he started to bring change. At one point, no being, not even myself, dared leave the safety of our homes at night; the streets were rampant with bloodthirsty vampires, seeking their next meal. You have to understand that for a vampire, blood is their life essence; the rarer it is, the more power they can attain when consumed, and if they consume enough of a being's blood, they can even take on racial traits. The power they can hold is insurmountable, even compared to some of the greatest beasts that have ever lived, and maybe even a match for some of the great dragons."
Fas nervously took another drink, emptying the glass and reaching to pour another. His hands were shaking physically as he continued.
"It was in this moment of crisis that I gave in; I allowed him to consume some of my blood. It was a desperate time; you have to remember that control had been lost, and there was no end to the killing. It wasn't until much later that I realised the mistake I had made. At first, things worked well; he began cleansing the streets, his knowledge and power far greater than the newborn he had created, but as time passed, he began to weaken. One morning, after he returned from a night of hunting, I remember him walking into the building, his skin ashen, no longer alabaster, and he looked like a ghoul."
"During this period, I continued to meet regularly with the chief. I knew everything about her. Her movements, her known associates; nothing was a secret. I also discovered her weakness, the one thing she craved above everything else, even wealth and power," again Fas paused.
"What?" Dave shouted, hanging on the thread of anticipation.
"Immortality. Even dark elves age and eventually die, and she sought the absolute means to live forever. A deal was struck, and in return for her siding with him, he would grant her one true wish."
SJ gulped. The chief was an imposing threat as it was, never mind if she ever became an immortal.
"I brokered a deal. I suggested it, and eventually the deal was set, and the timing confirmed for it to happen. She would be turned, granted eternal life. Not that born vampires are truly immortal, they can all be killed, but not all die from beheading; some can still survive and regrow if they are given enough blood. It depends on their masters; all their lives are linked."
"Unbeknownst to us all, the tower had started to take notice. We were all consumed with our paths. The problem was that the newborns didn't follow the rules of the streets, and their terror had breached the inner walls. As soon as the noble families became affected by the changes, they reacted. At the time, the chancellor, I can't remember his name now, did what no one expected. He didn't try to deal with it himself. Instead, he went straight to Luxoria, and the capital intervened."
"They didn't send troops or forces; they sent one being. The Master, the vampire you met this evening. He is ancient beyond years and is equivalent to royalty within their kind. It's not that he controls through fear; although I know few that could ever face him, it is the influence he holds. He was dispatched from the capital at the behest of the emperor. Carrying his missive with him, he presented it to the chancellor here in Asterfal. The request was simple: Asterfal would become the home for his clan, and on agreement, he would deal with the problem at hand."
"The night of the chief's transformation came about, and we were all celebrating the joining of our forces when he arrived. The building was impenetrable. Nothing would dare enter it without permission for fear of death. And that evening, he walked in the front door. The reports reached us upstairs, and I was sent down to deal with him. I will remember every second until the day I eventually pass into the requiem. I asked him about his business, and his response was simple. 'I'm here to take my rightful place and home.' That's all he said as he walked towards me. I couldn't move; I couldn't stop him; I was frozen to the spot. I expected he would kill me; I could feel the power that he exuded, but he didn't. He stopped looking into my eyes, smiled and said, 'You poor fool,' then placed his hand on my forehead."
Fas winced at the memory, rubbing his brow as the memory returned.
"Whatever he did to me that night, I don't know, but it felt as though a fog had been lifted from within. The clarity of my actions took me, and the guilt of what I had done was all-consuming, feeding his desires. I didn't even know these emotions existed, and it wasn't until much later that I discovered I had been under his charm. I still am. It can never be truly broken, but that evening I saw what I had become. I had always been an assassin, but never a bloodthirsty killer. My actions always had meaning and purpose, never on a whim, and I had lost that sense of self-worth under his influence."
"I don't know exactly what happened when the Master confronted him. I wasn't present; I had walked from the building in a state of confusion. Whatever did happen left him almost dead, not the Master, him. I remember him being removed from the building in a casket by some of the Masters clan and taken to the tower, where he remains today. A withered husk, unable to speak or even see, trapped in his own hellscape of his mind. You may wonder why he was never killed. That would be a sensible question, and the answer is simple. The Master said that he would always remain as a reminder of what chaos almost befell the city and the region if he had been allowed to continue."
Fas fell silent.
SJ took a sip of her drink and coughed as the liquid burned her throat. Fas looked up with a weak smile on his lips. Eventually, SJ gathered herself enough to ask. "What about the chief then?"
"She isn't immortal, if that's what you mean."
"I still don't understand how this information will help me deal with her?" SJ frowned. The story had been unbelievable, and her emotions were torn with overriding sympathy for Fas, who had obviously been manipulated or charmed by Gallenshaw, but how could this help her?
"Immortality," Dave said.
What about immortality? SJ thought.
"It's her weakness."
And?
"It's a way into her inner sanctum, her world. If she has always strived for it, we offer it. By doing so, it will reveal her vulnerability and may give you the opening you need to deal with her. "
You want me to fabricate something?
"Perhaps we need to think about it more, but it's a way inside her protective circle."
I'm really not sure. SJ couldn't currently imagine a way to use the information.
Fas looked at SJ, his soul on display, and his eyes looked tired. He had never been so open with her in all their dealings. The physical impact of his revelation was clear, not just the emotional.
"I've got it," Dave said with gusto.
What?
"Gavia, his return. If he truly did return, he would have to be immortal. Maybe you can infiltrate through subversion. Offer her a path; we know that various dark elves are aligned to the god of darkness and that they influence happenings in the fae capital."
But how could we possibly convince her of Gavia's return and immortal status?
"You're sitting with him now."
SJ stared at Fas. The idea sprouted like a newly planted seed. Could she? Could they use his ability to shapeshift to portray a being that many believed had died millennia ago? How would she go about it? Whispers in the inn? A discussion within earshot, perhaps? She needed to think about it more. There was no immediate solution that came to mind.
SJ held her hand out towards Fas. He looked at it blankly, then took it.
She stared into his eyes as she spoke, only just managing to keep control of her own reeling emotions. "I know how hard that was for you. Thank you for sharing."
His shoulders shuddered as he held her hand. A tear formed in his eye as he caught his breath, slowly trickling down his cheek. "Here, you have the bed. You look exhausted. I'll sleep on the sofa downstairs."
It was, after all, the middle of the night now. Fas didn't question SJ as he stood and moved to the bed, collapsing on it. He closed his eyes, another tear falling onto the pillow. SJ sat quietly next to him as his breathing slowed, exhaustion taking him. She stroked his brow like her mother used to do to her as a child, and it didn't take him long before he fell asleep. Quietly, she left the room, her mind rolling at the discovery of Fas's past, the information and whether she could really use it, and the earrings that felt like a burning coal sitting in her inventory. She didn't move to the lounge; instead, she chose Cristy's room, where she stayed when in Asterfal.
The room contained some of Cristy's possessions from when she had first arrived, gifts from Yawnee and Lurtew, and she smiled seeing them again. She didn't come in here often. She sat on the edge of the bed and called the pouch to her hand. It felt like a lead weight as she untied the strings again and looked inside. She didn't want to remove them because of the nervous tension that, if she did, their durability might drop; she instead put her hand inside the small pouch and held the earrings within its confines.
Her notifications didn't trigger, meaning the pouch was preventing her bonuses from interacting with the set pieces she wore. It did allow her to identify them, though. As her display triggered, she nervously watched the text appear.
Earrings of the Earth Stone
Grade: Uncommon
Quality: Flawless
Durability: Very Good
Enchantment slots: 2 (one on each)
Special: Serenity - the Earrings of the Earth Stone provide the wearer with clarity from distraction.
Hidden: Alignment Fae (1 of 5)
She let out a sigh of relief that they hadn't changed again. Releasing them, she slowly withdrew her hand before closing the pouch and returning it to her inventory.
"That seems to be working," Dave said happily.
I hope so. I couldn't possibly have worn them anyway; they would have been easily noticed if I had.
"True," Dave said. "I think you should get some sleep yourself; you do look tired."
SJ looked over at the mirror on Cristy's dresser and saw her reflection. Her eyes did look darker than usual. Her own emotional journey had taken its toll on her.
You're right, she thought. She couldn't sit up all night checking the earrings. Maybe in the morning she would have a clearer idea of what to do next. Sleep didn't come quickly, and it was only as the first light of day crept around the edge of the curtains in Cristy's room that SJ eventually slept.
