20. Compromise
"Pleasure to meet you," Lorelai said with a bright smile. She gave the haughty elf in front of her a shallow bow with her hands clasped together. "My name is Lorelai."
"Ah, yes, the Undead," the woman mused with a pair of fingers tapping against her bottom lip partially covered by the mask she wore over the left half of her face. "I am Malady, here to save the day. Lovely mask you have there."
"Likewise," Lorelai echoed amicably. "Look at the two of us; so much in common already!"
"You're sweet," Malady replied dryly. She placed her hands on her hips and surveyed the carnage behind Lorelai and the others. "Shall we leave?"
"Not yet," Lorelai said. She turned to her other companions. "This is Sebille, Ifan, and Fane," she said.
Malady studied them with a dispassionate expression. "Why are we waiting?" Malady asked with a sigh as she turned back to Lorelai. "You have more business here?"
"Oh, I simply wished to introduce you to my other companions," Lorelai replied cheerfully. "We may leave now." She glanced at her friends. "Unless any of you have more business here?"
Ifan grinned with sharp teeth and patted his crossbow. "I'm done, I think."
"I was done ever since I spoke to Zaleskar many days ago," Sebille said lazily.
"I have nothing in particular to do in this place," Fane replied with one eyebrow raised at Lorelai, "but, really, we should start researching your Hall of Echoes sometime soon."
"Brilliant plan," Lorelai agreed with him. "Gracious, being a Godwoken is quite the troublesome existence."
"Yes, about that," Malady interjected with sudden interest. "Do you have a way to prove you're Godwoken?" Lorelai blinked at her, then smiled. She flicked a hand, casting Bless, the spell Amadia had given her, on Malady. Malady jumped backwards, surprise on her face, then grinned an utterly toothless smile. "Perfect," Malady said with what sounded like sincere happiness. "The Meistr is waiting for you in Driftwood. She will be able to help you further your abilities."
Lorelai grinned right back and spun to face Fane again. "I believe we have a place to begin our research," she said. She gave Sebille a pat on the head next and felt a warm glow when, once again, Sebille did not flinch back. "You must have changed my fate, dear one, when you rolled for it in the ship last week. For that, I thank you deeply."
Sebille inclined her head with a tiny smile, and Lorelai paused to give Ifan a quick caress on the cheek—she ignored his sharp inhale on surprise—before returning her attention to an impatient Malady.
Let us depart, then," Lorelai said.
Malady grinned again and led them to the small boat nearby, much to Lorelai's unhappiness. Malady seemed quite content rowing the boat by herself to the large ship drifting in the gentle waves just offshore. Once they arrived, Malady hooked the boat to ropes, and a pair of Seekers hoisted them upwards. At the sight of Lorelai, the Seekers' expressions soured, but they did nothing but shoot her distasteful glares and step away. Once on the Lady Vengeance, Malady strode towards the ship's wheel without another word, leaving Lorelai and the others to survey the corpses of magisters, Seekers, and sorcerers that littered the deck. It had clearly been a difficult battle to gain control of the ship.
"There's Gareth," Ifan said softly, pointing across the ship.
Lorelai headed towards Gareth, though Fane and Sebille did not follow. Fane already had his notebook out and was scribbling down in it as he frowned at the carnage, while Sebille was crouching down and poking at the corpses thoughtfully. Lorelai decided not to interrupt their respective research.
"Hello, Gareth!" Lorelai called out when she was in earshot. Gareth did not react, however, until Lorelai actually tapped him gently on the shoulder.
Gareth gasped and turned to her with a dazed expression on his face. "O-oh," he said when recognition flashed through his blank eyes. "Lorelai, Ifan," he murmured, his voice subdued and gaze mournful. "So many dead…" he sighed, staring at the fallen Seeker at his feet. "I knew these men and women for years on end. They died nobly, but it still…"
Lorelai ventured to place a hand on Gareth's shoulder and squeeze it lightly. "Death is not as bad as mortals make it out to be," she said in what she hoped was a comforting tone. "Though your friends are no longer in this realm, they have not disappeared. Their souls linger in the Hall of Echoes. It is a peaceful, beautiful place."
Gareth relaxed and gave Lorelai a grateful smile. "Thank you for your kind words," he replied. "It… puts my heart at ease. I shall tend to the dead, give them proper funerals. In the meantime, you ought to speak with Malady. We are having some difficulty getting the ship moving."
Lorelai nodded and moved away. Once she and Ifan were out of earshot, Ifan halted her with a hand on her wrist. "I thought you didn't remember being completely dead," he commented with puzzled eyes.
"You remembered that?" Lorelai asked quizzically, but her delight was marred by Ifan's solemn expression.
Lorelai puffed out a breath and nodded. "I have not the faintest idea if what I told Gareth is true," she stated casually, "but it is better than drowning in guilt and pity. Gareth is… not as resilient as I had first suspected."
"You think he couldn't handle it?" Ifan asked with a furrowed brow. "He is the leader of the Seekers. He seems strong enough."
"From what I have noticed," Lorelai replied, "Gareth is a sensitive soul. Perhaps more so than he ought to be. He clings to the words of this Lucian of his and seems to have little confidence in anything else. I worry what shall become of him if he has no certainty of the fate of his comrades."
"Shouldn't you let him decide that for himself?"
Lorelai bit her lip thoughtfully while she inspected his carefully guarded expression. "Perhaps," she admitted. "Do you think I ought to tell him the truth? If you believe so, then I trust your judgment implicitly."
Surprise flickered across Ifan's face and remained there. "I… er…" He cleared his throat and scratched the back of his neck as though uncomfortable. "It would be… a little late for that," he finally said. "Might be cruel to get his hopes up only to tear them down a few minutes later."
"I see," Lorelai mused. "Thank you for the suggestion, Ifan," she told him with a sincere smile. She bowed her head lightly and clasped her hands in front of her heart. "I asked you tell me if you believed I was departing from my own morals or conducting myself in an insensitive manner. You are already fulfilling that promise. Thank you."
"You… are welcome," Ifan replied, a smile twitching on his face. "Also, why did you tell me the truth?"
"Ifan," Lorelai said gravely, "I do not know the details of your life, but you have clearly suffered a… betrayal or a…" Lorelai waved her hand vaguely. "A jaded experience. Such a thing gives one a different, more cynical and understanding outlook on loss and death. Perhaps I am incorrect," she added hastily when Ifan's surprise only grew. "I apologize for any assumptions made."
"No, no," Ifan murmured. He looked away so that Lorelai could not see his face. "It's… fine."
"I know, however, that you are still compassionate." Lorelai continued before the mood could deteriorate. "Even if such a revelation may cause you internal distress, you can understand that it is more reason to care for those around you rather than a reason to lose hope."
Ifan had turned his face to her midway through her explanation and was studying her intently. He looked sad now, so Lorelai's smile widened in an attempt to make him feel better while she resisted the urge to caress his cheek again. She loved the feel of his beard on her hands but guessed she had already been too affectionate today.
"But enough of this serious talk," Lorelai dismissed when Ifan remained silent. "I suppose we ought to speak with Malady now and learn how to restore the ship's mobility—as much as I wish we could ignore ship travel entirely."
Ifan barked out a laugh and nodded. "One problem might be that it doesn't have any sails," he pointed out with his humor restored. "I'll ask around below. This deck is starting to smell as bad as it looks."
"Of course," Lorelai said. "We shall rendezvous later."
Ifan offered her a friendly salute and walked away, perhaps a little more quickly than was strictly necessary.
xXxXxXx
A Livewood ship.
According to Malady, the Lady Vengeance had been crafted from a Livewood tree, a tree that housed the soul of a departed elf. Dallis had ordered this atrocity for convenience's sake, to create a ship that she could control—the slave mark on the ship's figurehead was proof enough of that. Not only was this Divine Order emulating Braccus Rex, it was also integrating brand new forms of torture against sorcerers and nonhuman races. It made Lorelai ill.
Lorelai had accepted the task of learning how to reanimate the ship and was searching the decks for a hint of how to do so. So far, she had discovered a journal that outlined the method of infiltrating Dallis's personal chambers by saying the password to the magical gold doors guarding the room. Hopeful that she had found a lead at last, Lorelai made her way to the door.
"Fortitude," Lorelai informed the door when it asked for the password.
The door swung open without another word, and Lorelai cautiously stepped inside. The interior was gaudy, all the furniture gilded or sparkling with polish, but it was filled with books and jars holding what were likely intriguing experiments. From that cursory look, Lorelai could tell that it was lavish, comfortable… and occupied.
"Hello," Lorelai greeted a haggard-looking man fussing with something on the desk at which he was sitting.
"Pass me that copper wire, would you?" was the man's distracted reply. Always happy to help, Lorelai trotted towards him and passed him the necessary copper wire. "…There," the man mumbled after fiddling with his project for a moment longer. With a huff of satisfaction, he turned to Lorelai, then grinned. "An Undead as my savior?" he remarked. "Quaint."
"Why, thank you," Lorelai replied with a smile. "I assume you are a necromancer, then, since you can see past my lovely disguise." She gestured to herself, as she was still wearing her mask.
"I suppose both of us are rather perceptive, then," the man replied, and that was confirmation enough for Lorelai. He certainly looked the part, what with his dark hood, hunched posture, and sallow complexion. It was the eyes, though, that convinced Lorelai. Necromancers always had something dark in their eyes; they were people her meddled in matters that few others dared to.
Lorelai smiled. Necromancers were always as fascinating to her as she was to them. "My name is Lorelai," she said. "How about you?"
"Tarquin," he stated. "Please tell me that Dallis no longer controls the ship."
"Dallis no longer controls the ship," Lorelai affirmed. "The Seekers and my friends liberated it."
Tarquin smirked and leaned back in his chair. "Good riddance," he said. "She was not a pleasure to work with."
"Yes, so I have gathered," Lorelai said with a soft laugh. "Why is it that you are in this cabin?"
"Dallis took a particular interest in me," Tarquin sighed. "I am quite valuable, apparently, though I did not help her of my own will, mind you. She used some sort of… mind domination device to do her bidding." He pushed up one of his sleeves to reveal a mottled, decaying arm. "Resistance was… not encouraged."
Lorelai winced in sympathy. "Do you require medical aid?" she inquired. "Healing?"
"It'll take more than some simple spells to fix this," Tarquin said, pushing down his sleeve. "I'll handle it."
"Well, I am glad to have helped you," Lorelai said graciously. She swept an arm towards the door. "Feel free to leave if you so please."
"Hm, some fresh air might be nice after so long," Tarquin mused, then nodded. He stood from his chair, grabbed a gauntlet—what he had apparently been tinkering with—and gave Lorelai a swift bow. "A pleasure," he stated far more politely than Lorelai would have expected.
"Likewise."
After Tarquin left the cabin, Lorelai scoured the place, eager to find whatever trigger awakened the ship, but it held no obvious clues. Disheartened and frustrated, Lorelai decided to take a break to simply wander the ship. Tarquin could be interesting to speak to, but she felt too unhappy to initiate conversation with an enigmatic stranger.
Lorelai decided to raise her mood by running her hands across the ship's wood. She was enraptured by the rough texture that was intermittently interrupted by a perfectly smooth patch of varnish. She could not get enough of touch, how it tingled against her skin, the skin she barely remembered having, and she wanted more. She always wanted more. She wished, however, that she could explore the textures of the world in peace. It was difficult to concentrate with all the dirty looks.
Now that everyone knew her Undead status, the ship had split into a trio of factions towards her. Much of the crew and passengers avoided her out of fear, disgust, and hatred. That was only to be expected. Unexpectedly, many seemed uncomfortable, but they tried valiantly to hide it and to treat Lorelai normally. Those unaffected by Lorelai were in the minority, but they fiercely defended her presence against those who wanted her dead or gone.
Oddly enough, not a single child seemed to dislike her. They were mostly nervous, but at least three of them had come up to her over the last few hours and asked to feel her bones. Lorelai had cheerfully obliged, and they had poked at her curiously until they were comfortable enough to begin firing rapid questions at her. When they had left, they were grinning and excitedly telling their friends about the experience. That had inspired an entire gaggle of the little humans to surround her, boisterously chatting with her until a horrified mother had shooed them all away from the scary Undead.
Lorelai chuckled at the reminder of the righteous indignation of the children as they were herded away from her, but her smile faded as she suddenly felt morose, lonely. Ifan had rushed away, Sebille was nowhere to be found, and there was little for her to do here. She paused at the bottom of the stairwell she had been descending and realized she had no particular destination in mind. As she surveyed the open space, she spotted Fane sitting alone on the floor, scribbling in his notebook. Otherwise, the place seemed sparsely populated.
Hit with a thought, Lorelai approached Fane and crouched down in front of him. She waited for him to notice her and, when he did, he gasped in surprise.
"Gah, you seem to have the insufferable habit of sneaking up on me," Fane huffed. "Now, what is it that you want?" He looked up at her from under his hood and waited for her to speak.
Lorelai narrowed her eyes at him, inspecting him closely as she considered her options. She gnawed on her lip in thought, and the small burst of sensation made the decision for her.
"Are you still curious about our mating rituals?" Lorelai inquired calmly.
Fane instantly straightened, his entire countenance brightening. "Absolutely!" he effused. "By all means, let us proceed!"
Fane jumped to his feet, and Lorelai snickered at his scholarly enthusiasm. "Put on your mask," she told him as she stood as well.
"Oh?" Fane inquired confusedly. "Why is that? Are you bothered by bone? That seems quite… hypocritical."
"Not in the least," Lorelai laughed. "Unfortunately, bone has no nerves. This will be rather boring without the sense of touch."
"Really? Well, I am still curious of the mechanics of—"
Lorelai interrupted him with a stern snap of her fingers. "Mask. On."
"Er…" Fane shuffled his feet, seeming taken aback by her strict tone, before snatching his mask from his bag and fitting it over his face. His body shimmered in a familiar golden light, then transformed into flesh and blood. He tossed his hood back to reveal a rather handsome young man.
Lorelai nodded in satisfaction and gestured with two fingers that he follow her. She hummed to herself in anticipation and led the impatient Fane to the golden doors of Dallis's chambers. She slipped inside, waited for Fane to join her, and shut the door.
"Fortitude," Lorelai ordered, and the door obediently locked itself.
"Why all this effort?" Fane inquired.
"Privacy and a bed," Lorelai answered.
"Those are important factors?" Fane asked, and Lorelai heard him reach for his notebook.
"Yes, Fane," she replied indulgently.
"And why does it matter if—"
"Fane, do shut up," Lorelai sighed as she reached Dallis's canopy bed. Fane stopped speaking, and Lorelai grinned at the slightly offended expression on his face. "You are not allowed to analyze anything until we are done," she told him firmly.
Fane furrowed his brows. "Why is—"
"Fane," she interrupted in a tone laced with warning. Fane huffed but nodded. "Good," she stated. Lorelai quelled her nervousness as Fane gazed at her expectantly, clearly intending she take the lead. "One last piece of advice," she said as she took him by the hand. "Follow your instincts."
Fane looked like he wanted to ask her a dozen questions on the subject, but he pressed his lips together and only nodded.
"Brilliant," Lorelai said cheerfully. She grinned at him and leaned her head forward until their foreheads were touching. Fane blinked curiously at her. "Let us begin."
xXx
Fane had scrambled for his notebook the moment he caught his breath. He mumbled aloud while he wrote, glancing intermittently at Lorelai, who was watching him with a smirk.
"Why are you staring at me like that?" Fane asked distractedly.
"You seemed to enjoy yourself rather thoroughly," she said with a touch of smugness.
Fane put down his pen and gazed at her thoughtfully. "It was… an intriguing experience that I did objectively enjoy," he said. "I must confess, though, that most of the sources on the subject described it as a transcendental sensation, greater than any other. They may have idealized it."
Lorelai laughed. "I am rather out of practice," she admitted. "Having no touch rather defeats the purpose of sex."
"This may have been your first experience, then?" Fane questioned disbelievingly. "That seems unlikely."
"I did have a daughter," she reminded him with a wry grin, "so I doubt this was my first experience."
Fane stared at her uncomprehendingly, then gasped, instantly straightening. "Divines, this is how you all make children," he remembered. "Does this mean—"
Lorelai burst out laughing at the pure terror in his face. "The Undead," she gasped out, "cannot have children, Fane. Do not drive your poor self into a tizzy."
Fane's entire body relaxed, and he stretched a hand to retrieve his notebook from where it had fallen off the bed. "That would have been a shock," he muttered. He turned to inspect her again. "Would you like to try again," he asked, "now that your memory is refreshed?"
"I would be delighted," Lorelai said, eagerly anticipating the pure sensation again. She sat up and pulled herself onto Fane's lap as he hurriedly placed his notebook on the nightstand. She grinned and lifted a hand, allowing a small line of electricity to spark between two fingers. "This time, I have some more ideas…"
