A Dream of Empire Ch. 008

She could start with a simple greeting, she reasoned. A casual 'how do you do?' would work just fine, rather than the anxious, stammering mess she had been the first time she'd met the man. She could ask the man what he had been doing since returning from Isbrygga, then enjoy his deep voice while nodding appropriately, but remaining silent all the same. Talos would likely want a submissive sorceress in his life, after all, to act as a sort of counterbalance to that howling gale known as Cass.

Tatiana could be submissive. She could be anything he wanted her to be.

Aha! Tatiana made a mental note to ensure she did not bring up their last meeting whatsoever, remembering the fallen of that fateful excursion in Isbrygga. Talos had watched his best friend die there just a season ago, after all, and he surely would not want to be reminded of the loss. Or, perhaps she was overthinking things...

Tatiana found that the winding river eventually led her to a small, tranquil lake, nestled deep within the valley itself. The clear water before her shimmered with the wild serenity of a waning sun, and its backdrop of tall granite cliffs only added to its splendor. Tatiana stopped herself abruptly, spying movement.

In the middle of that beautiful lake was but a single, naked man, swimming vigorously yet aimlessly through those pristine waters. Tatiana smiled and quickly stepped that way once again, her heart thumping in her chest as she neared.

She was certain it was Talos. Tatiana would never forget that long, wavy hair of his. She wouldn't forget those athletic muscles of his, either, even if she'd never seen them without a layer or two of protection. They gleamed alluringly in the summer sunlight as they dipped and rose from the water, and Tatiana found herself transfixed on his form as she stepped towards him. Talos hadn't yet noticed her. What should she do? She couldn't go in after him. Should she shout?

Or perhaps she could sit for a while and enjoy the simple pleasure of watching him, as that admirable man enjoyed his own simple pleasure. Yeah. Tatiana found a suitable rock by the lake and rested atop it, placing her hands on her lap patiently with a smile.

It took another two minutes or ten for Talos to notice the sorceress. It couldn't have been too difficult to spot a girl shrouded from neck-to-toe in black clothing in an otherwise idyllic, green valley; he really must have been enjoying himself to take so long to locate her, and Tatiana felt just a little guilty for interrupting him. Just a bit. Talos swam towards her, an evident smirk on his face as he neared.

"Tatiana," he greeted warmly, now treading in the water before her. Tatiana felt his gleaming green eyes pierce her soul, and she felt her own face warm without her consent. "Been a while. About a season?"

And what a long season it's been, Tatiana thought dreamily. Talos' muscles were all the more alluring this close, and scars of varying lengths and shape were evident all over his body. All but his face. How many stories those scars must tell.

"Yes," she replied with a half-smile, her words soft as rain. "How are you, Talos?"

Talos outstreched an arm as if displaying the valley around him, still treading water but otherwise stationary. "Couldn't be better here, surrounded by such beauty," he replied with a smile, causing Tatiana to blush instantly. "It's funny that you're here, though. Of all the times. Of all the places."

I shouldn't have bothered him, this was a mistake...

"How so?" Tatiana asked with a nervous twitch. Talos swam closer to the shore, but stopped himself from rising from the depths. Tatiana kept her eyes fixed to him, something she told herself she needed to work on.

"Well, I figured this place was my greatest secret," Talos explained with a smirk. "I've told no one of it's existence, and I only come here when I need absolute solitude."

I really shouldn't have come here...

"Oh. Well, the amulet I had you hold on to. From Dusk. It allows me to port to wherever you are," Tatiana replied hurriedly, blushing further from just how creepy her statement sounded now that it was out in the open.

Regardless of how unsettling the statement must have been, Talos wasn't angry at her. He only grinned at first. Then, he laughed heartily, so heartily that Tatiana even found herself sharing it for a second, albeit nervously.

She was at least glad that he had kept the amulet with him, as lightly loaded as he must be otherwise. Redstone teleporters were only capable of constructing one teleportation sigil, after all, and she hadn't come here to collect it.

"I'm really sorry for bothering you," Tatiana added with a tilt of her head and raised brows, after she had drank enough of the man's joy. "I can leave."

Talos shook his head. "Nonsense," he reassured her, first and foremost. "But... do you mind closing your eyes for a second? So I can get some clothes on?"

Tatiana nodded quickly. "Yes! I mean, no. Not at all." Talos laughed again, and she felt just that much sillier as she shut her eyes. She soon heard him rise from the lake, hearing the pitter patter of water droplets fall on the grass and dirt. Could she take a peek? Was he facing her?

She did eventually, taking the risk. She only spied his toned backside for a second before shutting her eyes again, completely embarrassing herself with her own deviancy. Talos spoke to her after a minute, telling her she could open her eyes.

Talos had left his thick, toned chest bared. For her? Did he just not care? He ran a hand through his perfect, long hair as he strode towards her, droplets of water flinging from it as he did.

"How'd you get past the ward?" he asked with a nod towards the lake. Tatiana followed his nod, noticing a white, gleaming obelisk on a small island in the center of those calm waters. She instantly figured that was where the long-standing ward had been cast, from a time long-forgotten. Talos halted five feet from her as she remained perched atop the rock.

Tatiana shrugged, answering softly. "I had to port to the valley's mouth. It was a pleasant walk, though."

"And far. You hungry?" the man asked. Or grunted, perhaps.

Not really. I just ate six hours ago in my own bedroom five-hundred miles away, Tatiana thought.

"Yes," she nodded with a half-smile. Talos met her smile with his own, far warmer version.

"Same," he said, pointing behind himself with his thumb. Tatiana's eyes followed it, spying a small tent and burnt-out campfire. "Come, share some fruit with me."

Tatiana hastily slid off of her rock, walking towards him with nervous, small steps. Her hands remained clasped together at hip-level.

"And it's... really nice to see you, Tatiana," Talos added softly a moment later. The girl beamed at the statement, not at all caring if the man saw her teeth.

-=-=-

Tatiana and Talos sat around a roaring campfire as the sun set behind the small peaks to their west, darkening the valley floor far earlier than it should have on this summer eve. Tatiana found it ironic, for a moment, recalling that today was the first day of Sunfall. She sat with her knees held at her chest as Talos laid on his side, supporting his head with a palm as he held a half-eaten apple with the other.

Tatiana regaled him of her life story since they had last seen each other, almost three months ago now. She hadn't done much. Besides studying magics alone in her library, reading history and nature books alone in her library, or taking short jaunts to extra-spatial dimensions when she was alone, in her library, Tatiana hadn't done anything besides taking a short trip to the whimsical lands of Santaria. Alone.

She hadn't told anyone any of this before him. Yet, in those soul-ripping, exquisite green eyes of his, Tatiana found the courage to tell Talos everything. Well, mostly everything, anyway.

Talos lifted himself to his feet, then sauntered over to the saddlebags on his horse to retrieve a large waterskin. He'd left his chest bare for the entire conversation thus far, and Tatiana would never remind him of the fact. She would never tell him how his scars heated her, nor explain how his gaze forced her heart to thump in her chest. Tatiana's eyes kept fixed on him as he walked back towards the fire. Just as she thought of her next subject of conversation, Talos opened his lips to speak. She remained silent.

"Y'know, if I knew you were coming I would have brought a bottle of wine," Talos said with a smirk, sitting on the ground once more with a sigh. Tatiana shook her head.

"It's no matter. I don't partake in narcotics," she quickly replied with a subtle frown.

"Alcohol?" Talos asked, likely unfamiliar with the word.

"Yes."

Talos lifted his waterskin. "Do you mind if I do?" he smirked.

"Not at all," Tatiana answered with another shake of her head, smiling in response to the man's chivalry. She decided to bring up her own topic during the next silence.

"So," she exhaled, "I've told you everything. What's new with Talos of Evora?"

Talos didn't answer immediately, only smirking at first and then taking a swig of his drink. He inhaled through his teeth before replying. "Well... I have a kid."

Tatiana's brows rose as far as they could as her heart dropped in her chest. "Oh!" she exclaimed at first, before stammering like a schoolgirl. "That's... that's..."

Wonderful? Awesome? Terrible?

Talos nodded, speaking for her. "Yeah. It's... life-changing." Tatiana noticed his eyes flickering over the mountain peaks behind her, and wondered what he was thinking.

"Congratulations," Tatiana squeaked, then cleared her throat gently. "With Cass?" she asked under her breath.

Elves and men cannot have children togther, idiot, she berated herself with a wince.

The man smirked. "Nah, with a sorceress in Catriona. You'd really like her. Everyone does." Tatiana's flat brows remained just where they were, raised high on her forehead.

"With a sorceress?" she asked hoarsely. Talos groaned, rolling his head about before taking another quick swig of his drink. His gaze rejoined hers after he swallowed.

"Yeah. A child of the spark, he's called. And that sorceress and I are living together now."

"Oh," Tatiana pouted, her heart sinking further at that horrible news. She wondered what happened to that beautiful elf from Villjord. Surely Talos wouldn't have left her. "And Cass?"

"And Cass," he repeated immediately. Tatiana tilted her head in confusion, not quite sure what he had meant. She figured it out after a moment of thought.

"And Cass?" she repeated once more, her words dripping with disappointment.

"And Cass," Talos chuckled, shrugging. The pair shared a half-minute of crackling silence before Talos broke it with a smirk. "Tatiana, whatever you say next, please tell me it isn't 'and Cass'."

"I-I'm sorry, Talos," the girl stammered, bringing a hand to her chest. "It's just such a... surprise. When I met you in Villjord you seemed so..."

Talos raised a brow, but remained silent so Tatiana was forced to finish her thought. She felt her cheeks heat up under the pressure.

"So... adventurous," she whispered disappointingly.

Talos shrugged, then set his waterskin on the ground so he could lay on his back. He placed his hands on his chest, his eyes fixed on the heavens.

"Well, why do you think I'm out here?" he asked softly. Tatiana shook her head, out of the man's view, and rose to her feet to walk over to him. "It's confining there, Tatiana. There in the city. In a house. In... two relationships. Only recently did it hit me like a sack of grain, just a couple days ago. I guess I just needed some time away from it."

Her heart thumped in her chest as she walked around the fire, fearing the man she had dreamt of for months was now simply out of her grasp. The man had a child, and by all accounts a good life in Catriona. Tatiana was never one to appreciate having children of course, but what could she even offer over that? Over two other sorceresses?

But we're so alike! she thought optimistically.

Tatiana placed a hand on the ground next to the shirtless man, lowering herself to her the dirt to lay beside him. Cloudgazing at sunset was one of the girl's favorite activities, and Talos had accidentally reminded her of that fact. A convenient excuse, if he were to ask her why she was laying next to him.

"I understand," Tatiana whispered once she was settled in beside him, staring at the pink and purple clouds in wonder. "I'm the same way. People drain me."

"Oh?"

"Sure," she smiled as her gaze passed over one particularly whispy cloud. "Although, I wouldn't have lasted a season. A week. A month, maybe."

"Naww," he grinned. "You? I would've never guessed it."

"It's true," she replied happily, missing his sarcasm entirely. "Doing... this, or activites like this, are what give me my strength."

But only when I'm alone. Or...

"Especially when it's with someone I care for," she whispered with all the courage she could muster.

Her heart dropped once more when Talos didn't immediately respond. How could she be so stupid? Of course he wouldn't give up a perfect life to run off with-

"Tatiana," Talos sighed anxiously, cutting off her train of thought. "Back in Villjord, I think Cass told you something she shouldn't have. That I... wanted to be with you."

Her heart might as well have exploded at the candid admission. She had dreamt of this man for months because of that very conversation, knowing that they felt the same way about one another. Now... now she was instantly set adrift. Adrift in her woe, in her lonely misery.

"And I'm not saying it isn't true, or anything," Talos added after the most dreadful moment of Tatiana's life, "because you're honestly a beautiful girl. Likely the fairest in all the world, if there were a competition for the honor. And you could have any man you wanted to if you just reached out to him, but... but I can't be that man. And Casiama was just trying to tease you, back then. Being a... well, she was being a bitch," he exhaled bluntly. "And I think you might have gotten the wrong idea about me."

Neither soul moved away from one another, even if every bone in Tatiana's body told her to do so.

Just kill me now, cruel fates!

"You're mistaken," Tatiana replied breathlessly. "I find you interesting, sure. But being your woman? No. No way, Talos. I could never. Would never. It's completely unthinkable."

Talos let out an exaggerated breath beside her, clearly feeling a deep relief wash over him. Tatiana felt him bump against her shoulder playfully, and a genuine smile formed on her face from the contact.

"Good. You were making me nervous," Talos admitted warmly, "'cause fighting you off would be one uphill battle."

Tatiana, too, felt an incredible relief that she had somehow escaped from her idiocy. Or that he didn't think of her as some silly schoolgirl for porting all this way to try and win his heart. Or...

He thinks I'm the fairest girl in the world.

He admitted he couldn't resist me.

Tatiana rose to her feet as quickly as she could, feeling an immediate need for self-gratification. "I need to step away for a moment!" she exclaimed hoarsely. "Be back soon!"

Talos tilted his head towards her, but didn't reply with more than a warning. "All... right. Don't venture off too far into the woods."

"Okay!" a sorceress exclaimed as she skipped away.

-=-=-

The stars were twinkling into existence as a pleased Tatiana returned to Talos' campfire almost an hour later, and a calming darkness soon drifted over the valley. She stepped towards Talos to settle in just beside him near the fire as he laid contentedly in the grass, gazing at the stars.

She found the man fully clothed now, much to her chagrin. But perhaps that was for the better, though, to ensure she didn't heat further this night. The pair spoke little as they laid next to one another appreciating the endless sea of twinkling lights, yet Tatiana's mind raced as she tried to conjure a proper topic of conversation. Fortunately, Talos spoke for her.

"So... you still study quite a bit on your own?" Talos asked gruffly, clearly fishing for appropriate topics as well. "Even after graduating from the College?"

"Yes. That and travel keep me busy," she replied softly, succinctly, and hopefully somewhat mysteriously. She decided to expand on the thought further when Talos didn't immediately reply, to ensure she didn't sound like some bizzare hermit. "My cat keeps me company, though."

Talos chuckled. "Good for you, Tatiana. I've met so many sorceresses that just... give up on it after school. A waste of talent, really." The sorceress nodded.

"It makes sense, though. After College there's nothing pushing a sorceress to learn further, to explore more than what they already know. And it's... terrifying, at first, Talos. It's truly terrifying to know so much, yet to not understand your own place in the wide world." Until you meet him atop a black pyramid at the edge of the world...

"Sure," Talos shrugged, keeping his gaze fixed on the sky. "Still a waste of talent. What kept you going?"

"I like it," the sorceress answered reticently.

"Mmm. And yet, you do not speak proudly of some invisible strings or the shifting aether winds. There aren't many sorceresses as modest as you, Tatiana."

Tatiana hummed happily as she gazed at the stars, smiling sweetly as the man professed his ignorance of the world.

"Do you not know of the world strings, Talos?" she asked softly.

Talos grunted. "I've heard 'em mentioned. Never had them explained to me, though... not sure I've ever asked, to be true with you."

Tatiana grinned brightly, showing her teeth to the heavens. "Do you just not care?"

"I just... never found much interest in mage stuff. It's hard to care when you're not allowed to do any of it 'cause of your gender, you know?"

"Makes sense," she sighed breathlessly. "But I could be your instructor, just for the night. If there's still a semblance of curiosity in those stubborn bones of yours," she giggled, causing Talos to chuckle as well. Tatiana felt quite proud of herself then, appreciating his deep joy.

"Go ahead, Tatiana. Instruct me," he replied warmly. Tatiana shivered with excitement, finding her place in the world for one glorious night. She didn't pick up on her instant shift in confidence, now that she was speaking of something so familiar.

"Well... the world strings are essentially binds between all living things. The elves call them aether roots, being the poetic souls they are. And, if you could see them, you would see a thousand thousand spinning off from you or me in every direction," Tatiana explained softly, glancing towards the half-foot of empty space between her and Talos. "There's even one connecting us. It glows purple, and pulsates towards you."

Talos' eyebrows perked up at the thought. "Oh?"

Tatiana nodded. "Yes. It shows that we share a strong connection, otherwise it would be blue, or white like most are. A-anyway, there's strings connecting you to every tree around us, every flower, and there's a thousand thousand more extending beyond the ward."

"Why's ours pulsing towards me?" he asked curiously. Tatiana shifted her gaze skyward once more, and blushed.

"Um," she squeaked, "it isn't important. What does matter is the color."

Talos laughed playfully. "Instructors shouldn't withhold information. I'm demanding a refund," he declared. Tatiana nervously pondered an appropriate answer for the man, creating a moment of silence.