Chapter 97: Aarondel

Book 2, Chapter 59 - Aarondel

Eildred Aegis' snores made dozing off a strenuous task. How that man slept so soundly after everything he'd been through, Agrienne couldn't guess. The way his head hung down and arms were still pinned against the wall… Waking from that position could only bring a world of pain. Eildred's neck was bound to be stiff, yet that was how he slept day in and out.

Agrienne hit the back of his head against the far wall of his cell, hoping he'd knock himself unconscious to finally catch some sleep. Only, he was too much a coward to hit hard enough. His thickened hair absorbed most of the impact too. He scratched at his chin, flinching as his cracked and jagged nails made it through the black jungle that was his mane and cut at his skin.

Agrienne ground his teeth and curled his fists, letting those nails now wound his palms. Better to feel pain than despair. Better to live in the moment than to reminisce. Once upon a time, he'd given utmost attention to his appearance. Now, his chin was riddled with more scars than a shriveling veteran soldier. His clothes had worn and grown many shades darker with dirt. They too made his skin itch. But he had dignity enough to not become a naked prisoner. He curled into a ball as babes did when in their mother's wombs and lay down, gathering his hair and using it as a pillow.

The stone wasn't as cold as it used to be a long time ago. Was it getting warmer outside? Doesn't matter. It was cold enough to be a bother. The warmth of another would be a welcome gift right now. But no. Better to live in the present. Once upon a time, Agrienne had prided himself in his beauty. Not a night was spent without a woman. And every night saw a new piece of candy to taste. Now, he didn't care much. His thoughts were only ever on Lera. On the past. On reminiscing.

How long since he'd shared his bed free of emotion? Since Lera entered his life, she was all he ever cared about. And then she left, and she was still all he ever cared about. Nothing aroused him any longer. Nothing satiated his lust. Not even those sharing appearance features to Lera. He wanted her, and her only.

Agrienne rolled over on his back and sprawled out. Cold stone pressed against his heels and bruised knuckles. Love was the shackle that inevitably dragged him back here. Everything he'd done was for Lera. He attained power for her. Aimed to attain more. Had given his all, his own freedom, just to find her again.

And then he learned of her death. And then he tried destroying a foe too great for him. And then he got stuck in a dark, smelly cell, rotting, dying, and reminiscing. What had he done to deserve such cruelty?

Oh, right. I lied, stole, cheated, killed and raped. I beat the only woman I ever loved, fearing she'd run. She ran anyway.

Sleep didn't come. Only memories returned. Memories of things Agrienne no longer had. He sat up again, yawning. His eyes stung, though whether from exhaustion or emotion, he wasn't certain.

The sound of voices echoed from down the dimly lit dungeon corridor. The sound of footsteps followed. A pair of blue uniformed guards stopped before his cell, one of them holding a torch. Behind them was Odain. He had a strange object in his hands. A mirror with a silver frame and a small cup like formation at its bottom.

Click!

The cell door creaked open, low hanging grates dragging against stone. The two guards stepped inside, one hand at their hip. One of them kicked Agrienne in the gut. He grunted, falling over.

“Silent today, Agrienne?” Odain asked.

“…ord…”

“Hmm?”

“Lord Caranel,” Agrienne croaked, sitting up, one hand clutching the spot where he was kicked.

“Still holding on to your pride I see,” Odain sighed. “You really won't consider it then? I could get you anything. All you would have to do is govern the Caranel territory while following our commands. It seems centuries of loyalty to a House is something not so easily forgotten among the Xenarian people. You've done a disservice, spreading falsities about the Trillian faith. Not everyone in your territory has believed your messengers, but a fair good portion has. And Lord Galadin's indiscriminate robbery has made a small group distrustful of soldiers. Not even my holy militia have been getting through to them.”

Agrienne tried laughing but it came out like a sickly gurgle. He spat out blood. Odain had offered this once before about a half month ago. “I thought you didn't like repetition. Guess you're getting a little senile.”

“Senile?” Odain hissed. “I? I am beyond the frivolous diseases of humans.”

“That so?” Agrienne croaked. He managed a grin, lips cracking. “Well, I'll say it again for you, since your ears must be the damaged part then. I. Won't. Be. Your. Dog. Well, maybe if you bend over and bark with your tongue out, I'll consider responding in kind.”

“What is it—”

“Woof woof little puppy.”

“—you want?” Odain asked. “You want power but you won't take it. Is your pride so great that you'd rot in a cell and die with less than a beggar on the street?”

“You can't give me what I want,” Agrienne said, sitting up, glaring. *You've already killed her. *A guard's boot pinned him to the wall. The uniformed man pressed hard, squeezing out the air from Agrienne's lungs.

“Very well. Then I have no use for you any longer. I'll just have one of your b4stards take up the position. Your people might not take it well at first, but so long as they carry the Caranel name, I'm sure they'll come around.” Odain pulled out a dagger from within the grey coat he wore.

Agrienne breathed through his mouth, the guard's boot still holding his weak body in place. The Vicegerent approached him and knelt. He placed the silver framed mirror against his knee and slit open Agrienne's finger. Agrienne flinched as Odain squeezed blood out of the finger and let it drop into the cup formation of the mirror's frame. “What are you doing?” Agrienne rasped.

“This, this is the Lineage Mirror. An Artifact. Drop blood here, and it shows a person's descendants, their names, and locations. I'm sure a man like you has many b4stards. I'll just choose from the oldest one and make him the same offer as I made you. I'm sure they'd be more than willing to leave whatever miserable life they're leading and live a life of plenty, abusing their authority but keeping it so long as they obey us.”

Tendrils of fog appeared at edges of the mirror glass. They spun around, slowly coalescing in the center like a whirlpool. The fog whitened, shimmering before dispersing. Revealed within the mirror was a young smiling face with short dark hair. Agrienne reached out touching the glass with his fingers, lips parted. The boy had the same black hair and greyish eyes. But his cheeks were a bit more rounded like Lera's. Not killer handsome like Agrienne himself, but still a beautiful child. He'd inherited Lera's smile and face while taking on Agrienne's hair and eye color.

Odain frowned. “One? You have a single b4stard? Color me surprised.” He turned the mirror to himself, stealing the image from Agrienne. Odain inspected the mirror with narrowed eyes. “Aarondel Caranel. Currently in Kovar. Isn't that convenient. If he's in Kovar now, he must have some affiliation with pirates. Either he is one, or is the captive of one. Either way, doubtful that he'll refuse my offer.”

Aarondel. The name rolled off the tongue. Three syllables and starts with the letter A. A common trait of names belonging to males of House Caranel. Lera had run away, but she'd still chosen a Caranel name. Agrienne smiled. You chose a fine name.

“Well, not quite as handsome,” Odain was saying. “Disappointed?”

Agrienne closed his eyes. He was far from disappointed. You have no idea what's coming, you weasel. Letting one of High House Zz'tai into a position of power. He wanted to laugh, but he feared giving the Vicegerent any hints regarding his son's real identity.

“I'll send him plenty of women to keep him satisfied. The Caranel territory might suffer for it, but that's hardly my concern. I just need the Trillian faith to have a good standing there so no one questions Xenaria's eventual demise and rebirth as a part of the Astral Union.” Odain sighed again. He stood and smiled. “Not that even that matters, in the grand scheme of things. At long last, I'll have erased their disdainful and tainted legacy. And I'll have done it properly with not a chance remaining of it ever resurfacing.”

It is ever the victor's arrogance that leads to their downfall. Where had Agrienne heard that? He scoured his brain until he heard Lera's voice. Right. She had said that. Had that been her own words, or words of ancient memory that she'd spoken? Agrienne didn't know what the Vicegerent was speaking of, but it was plain that he believed he'd already won whatever game it was he'd been playing.

He hadn't won. And he never would.

Odain glanced Agrienne's way before leaving the cell. “Kill him,” he ordered the guards. “And dispose of the corpse.”

From across his cell and through shadow, Agrienne thought he saw Eildred's open eyes. He mouthed the word 'hope' towards the old knight before the traitorous Queen's Guard blocked his vision. A thick arm wrapped around Agrienne's neck. He was too weak to struggle.

Torchlight slowly faded. The dark of the dungeon closed in.