The Ambition of the Dreadlord Raveres
By the Viscount Vampyre
For a very special Druchii, you know who you are.
…
I hope that there will be a little something in my story for everyone, and that you enjoy the tales that I have weaved. Inside there are going to be knights and sell swords, Dreadlords, nobles and peasants, humans, dwarves, and elves, demons, magic and more…
Please feel free at any time to leave a review or comment to let me know what you think, if I have made a contradiction or if I have egregiously disrespected the lore, please let me know! And if you spot an issue with syntax or grammar, don't hesitate to point it out. It helps to craft a better story.
Additionally, in accordance with the FF guidelines on content, sexually explicit scenes have been censored or removed. If you would like to read this work in its' uncensored form please check out the story, and my profile, at Archive of Our Own.
Before dropping you into this tale, I would like to thank you very much for taking the time to check my work out, and if you are one of the Boils and Ghouls who are already familiar with my content thank you for coming back.
As always, lots of love
VV
…
At its core this story is about the adventures of a young Dark Elf.
Having been born into a minor noble family and without any chance to inherit her fortune, she decides that she must make her own way. Whatever that may mean, and whatever that might cost.
Along the way she will meet and make strange allies, she will stumble, she will err, and she will learn. There is a whole wide world for her to explore with threats and danger around each corner.
This tale will have swords and sorcery, death and destruction, sex, and blood.
…
The Ambition of the Dreadlord Raveres
Part I: The Hakseer Voyage
Episode One
The modest port north of Blacklight Tower saw ships coming and going from the Sea of Malice to the Sea of Chill and then into the great waters beyond.
While not as important a trading port as that of Karond Kar, Slaver's Point, or nearby Har Ganeth, the traffic of Blacklight Tower's port was therefore typically limited to small raiding vessels, local fishing boats, or independent traders and their comparatively small loads of cargo.
It was summer; the waters flowed freely, and sunlight shone through bleak and thinning clouds over the relatively sleepy Druchii town. Far from the Black Court and far from the scheming powerful estates of the noble families, Blacklight Tower and its citizens enjoyed a unique quiet which was often lacking in the more populated centres of Naggaroth.
That is not to say that the city didn't also have its share of blood sacrifice, wailing slaves, and plots, just that it was far less numerous. Those 'in power' in the town sought to remain under the notice of nearby Karond Kar and so ostentatious displays of the citizens' wealth were limited only to the appropriate holy days of the calendar.
A young Druchii family was currently seeing its prospects and its fortunes begin to climb, but despite the success of this family, and the activities of some of its members, there was one who sought to someday out do them all.
…
"So, you mean to go through with your plan?"
The stern and commanding voice of a masculine Druchii sounded amidst the general hum of the tavern. While a young, long haired, female Druchii sat opposite him and nodded confidently. The male sighed, yet it wasn't a sigh of resignation; he was more surprised in his progeny than anything.
He awkwardly looked towards the wide windows of the establishment and tapped his fingers rhythmically along the smooth wooden surface of the table between the two Druchii. Out of the corner of his grey eyes he looked at his child and maintained a level tone as he asked his next question,
"How long are you intending to be away from Naggaroth?"
The young woman cleared her throat and did her best to remain confident. She had rehearsed her words with one of the house slaves several times, and the questions she had her slave repeat back to her were eerily similar to the ones that her father had already asked so far.
"A few years at most. But no longer than that…"
She nodded happily, but she knew the most important part of her interaction with her father was to come. If she were to receive his blessing here and now it meant that the 'hard' part of her journey at home was over. The rest of her cruise would be actually holding up her word.
"And after my company…"
She paused and averted her eyes downwards to the well-presented and sparsely touched food on her plate.
"That is; the company I will be journeying with, secures enough spoils and slaves to make good on your investment I shall return and present myself to you, father."
The young Druchii looked back up at her father to see that he had raised his chin, and was looking down at her over his nose. Typically, this was an expression he reserved for his children when they were unruly, or for clumsy slaves around the family's home. But it always had a way of making her feel displeasure; no. Actually, it made her feel wrathful.
'Why couldn't he ever look at me like he does the first born?' she'd often think petulantly. 'Both my first-born brother and first-born sister enjoy fathers' favour! Gods, is that really all I want sometimes?'
She wanted to scoff. Then her thoughts turned. Many a time she had thought about killing him while he slept. But her brothers would probably scourge her to death in retaliation. And that's not even addressing the fact that father was never alone; at least one of his bodyguards and two slaves were with him at all times.
He'd acquired a pair of Norscan brothers many years ago and the two former raiders had acclimatised to their new roles as his most brutal defenders quite well, at least as well as bearded and uncivilised humans could be expected to.
And as much as any Druchii Raveres enjoyed plotting a murder, or planning out her revenge. But the longer she'd brood about it the more she realised that it wasn't ever in her interest to actually try and kill her father; the great, Lord Titos Naguii…
Taken back out of her thoughts, the young Druchii watched as her father furrowed his brow, pursed his lips, and as he raised an eyebrow turned his attention back to his plate.
The establishment that father and daughter were in was no tawdry ale-house, instead it was a well-respected noble's club. The hall itself was part of a larger magistrate's building and safe conduct had been assured by Blacklight Tower's nobility. Afterall, how could business and diplomacy among Druchii transpire without at least one neutral space.
Picking his fork back up Lord Titos pierced a bloody, lightly seared, piece of meat. He inhaled sharply through his nose and clucked his tongue,
"I am most curious Raveres, about the level of profit one could expect from this place that you've mentioned. Along the Araby coast you said?"
He eyed his daughter predatorily and chewed his lunch quietly. While Raveres felt a sudden rush of excitement,
'He finally said my name! A-and he actually asked a question! In his business voice too?!' Her heart beat a little harder as she hid her glee. 'He's seriously considering my proposal! Alright, gods… calm down, calm down. Now answer him, just like you practised.'
Clearing her throat, Raveres nodded appreciatively,
"After the initial costs for provisions and crew, the place that I've chartered sees bountiful spice- crops, rich tradelines, as well as a primitive and supplicant population."
Raveres' father cut more of his meal and 'hmm-ed' along as she spoke.
"Do you remember Master Jaylish, that boy I knew from the Kalinside family? He's set up a similar operation and if conservative figures are correct,"
She hushed herself in case of eavesdropping patrons before continuing,
"He's now seeing an annual return of goods and slaves, worth hundreds of thousands of talents!"
Swallowing, Lord Titos blinked slowly before reaching for his goblet of wine. Taking a sip, he nodded, wordlessly indicating that Raveres was to continue.
"We could see as many as fifty or so healthy and strong slaves after our first expedition, and from there any foodstuffs or exotic goods would be able to be preserved before bringing them back home."
Clearing his throat, Lord Titos laid down his fork and leaned back in his chair, "And then?"
Raveres looked down before readying herself.
"Then, as I said, I would present myself and all that I had brought to you; in the hopes that it should please you, father."
Titos nodded and sighed, "You've been planning this for a while…"
Raveres nodded.
"And the late-night sessions with your mother's coiffure slave Elianna, that's been what?"
Raveres held her breath before answering, "Well, I've been using her to practise…"
Then her voice dropped in youthful embarrassment, "I've been practising this moment."
Titos slowly entwined his fingers as he eyed his daughter. Then he smirked,
"You know, I had half a mind to suspect that you were up to something, but it never would have occurred to me that this was it."
He chuckled dryly.
"Each of your siblings have invariable set upon their own ways, each in direct service of our family…"
His voice began to take on its grand, pontificating, tone and Raveres felt his typical familial speech coming, but she held fast and remained stoic. She wasn't about to give him any excuse to say no to her request.
"You've grown up hearing that my father came to this remote patch of Naggarond with only the Witch King's blessing. Making his name on his own black-steeled wits."
He scoffed, and Raveres raised a brow.
"That is by no means the truth…"
He leant forwards and his voice shifted,
"My father did not enjoy favour in the Black Court, and he wasn't even known by any of the older noble families. His greatest accomplishment was to have married well, and taken a blemish-less name. Everything else he received came by sheer fortune."
Raising his hand and pointing towards his daughter Titos continued,
"He was a lucky man. And he was lucky right up until he was gutted by some low born sell-sword."
Shaking his head, he laughed, and his tone changed again,
"All that we have right now, the legacy which has been built off of the name of a man who was murdered like a pig in an abattoir, is because of what I, and my brother have done."
Raveres had heard this many times before, and she nodded as he declared;
"For our family."
He nodded curtly before growling lowly,
"I nearly froze all my fingers off in the northern wastes fighting hordes of chaos-tainted savages. I never thought I'd live to sire any more children."
Raveres nodded slowly, she knew he wanted to have said sons but he had held his tongue. Then her father's voice quieted as he waved a hand dismissively,
"Regardless… It remains that each of my children has been able to fix the family's duty firmly in their minds."
Raveres cringed, 'Oh gods, here it comes…'
"Take your eldest brother for instance. He's not only a Dreadlord, but a general; an esteemed member of the Black Court!"
Her father's chest swelled with pride,
"In his last letter he told of how he now commanded over three thousand troops. And what of your eldest sister? She's married well! Far better than any expected; her husband is a Dreadlord Corsair, among one the few Druchii bearing royal assent to ply the south seas alongside the Fellhearts. He effectively bears a license to strike money!"
Raveres hated the constant comparison to her siblings. She was the second youngest of eight and felt woefully out of her league when compared to her elder siblings. Each of them had more years and more experience than her, and enjoyed what seemed to be far more fortune than her.
Being so low in the birth order meant that Raveres was also not looking at a legitimate level of influence in the family's affairs, or allotment from the family's estates. Something she had known from a young age.
No, if she was ever going to be able to exert her own will, this expedition would be her only, real, shot. So, she continued to hide her nervousness and merely watched her father attentively. Yet in a strange break of character her father stopped himself, apparently, she wasn't masking her thoughts as well as she had hoped.
"You disapprove?" he asked in surprise.
Raveres' eyes shot widely open, and quickly she jumped to verbally defend herself,
"No, no! I merely-"
Her father raised a hand and cut her off. But his expression appeared knowing, almost, understanding.
"Say no more of it."
He waited a long while before raising a brow and asking, "What of your companions?"
Raveres tensely nodded, afraid that his consent was about to be raised out of her reach.
"They know well enough to stay away from you?"
He raised an eyebrow and wordlessly indicated with a gesture what he was referring to, and Raveres nervously smiled and nodded,
"I'd kill any of them were they to so much as think of me in that way. Of that I have no fear."
Titos nodded approvingly.
"Good. Afterall, that's what the slaves aboard are for, surely."
Raveres' father had lived his entire life without ever having set foot aboard a ship. Not once in his military past had he ever been near a troop transport, and each campaign he had ever been on he had gotten to by marching atop a horse.
And now, having spent almost two hundred years in the comfort and warmth of his home, tended to by slaves, there were a few things Titos began to take for granted and erroneously assume about the world outside of his affairs. Much to Raveres' perverse entertainment.
'I doubt we'll be able to have too many slaves for our own uses outside of sailing the ship father. Gods, the ship isn't even going to be big enough for many comforts.'
Though she wanted to smile nervously, she wasn't about to indulge her thoughts, and instead Raveres focused on the serious work still at hand.
"So, father,"
Raveres' heart was beginning to thump loudly as she anxiously approached the golden question head on,
"Do I have your support?"
He reached for his goblet and took a long sip of his wine. Each second Raveres itched and sweated as anticipation infected her from her forehead to her toes. Eventually he cleared his throat and nodded,
"I would like to meet your captain first, this Lord Dorath."
Raveres sharply exhaled, 'H-he… he agreed! Wait, did he agree? Well, it wasn't a 'no'!'
She took a breath hesitantly, 'But it wasn't a 'yes' either…"
Meekly Raveres grunted before re-mustering some of her earlier confidence,
"Is, is that a yes father?"
Lord Titos moved his head forwards in a nod.
"Unless your captain is an excessive fool, you have my blessing."
Raveres hid her smile just a little longer, she'd now have to play up to and listen extra attentively to her father until she actually left. But for now, she'd won. But her glee was sobered as her father raised a scarred and dissuasive finger,
"But Raveres, mark my words, if you bear a bastard child, or if you fail or shame our house and name in anyway and still return? I will cast you out and have you paraded through the streets."
Raveres had seen her father serious before, and she knew he wasn't making an idle boast or an exaggerated threat. Only one of her siblings had ever truly shamed the family. And though she was too young to remember what her brother had done; she did remember with vividly clarity how her father meted out the punishment in front of all her immediate family and the household slaves and servants.
As such the sight of her father wielding a barbed scourge had never fully exited her mind, and since then she had lived in a pragmatic and respectful fear of her father's wrath.
"I will not fail you, or the family, father."
He nodded again curtly, "Good. Now I consider this business closed, and I release you from my sight."
Raveres stood from her seat and bowed her head as she took a step back from the table.
"Take Riccard and make your way back home."
Upon hearing his name, the large and muscular Human stepped from behind Raveres' father's chair and walked beside her. With a nod Titos encouraged her to leave the establishment,
"Fear not, I'll explain this scheme of yours to your mother. Now go."
Raveres bowed again and then turned towards the exit of the warm hall. Stepping outside she allowed herself to finally smile and breathe easily.
'I did it!' she thought, 'And, he said yes!'
Beside her Riccard grunted brutishly, "Congratulations Lady Raveres."
The Norscan slave spoke the Druchii tongue, but like many he retained an accent and limited vocabulary, though in Raveres' opinion it helped Riccard retain an intimidating charm on any who might wish her, her father, or her family harm. Looking towards the armoured man, she tilted her chin and gloated haughtily for a moment before beginning to walk down the lightly populated cobblestone street.
"I suppose it is a form of great accomplishment isn't it?"
Riccard held his left hand on the hilt of his sheathed sword and nodded,
"Aye, milady. Your father has become much more despondent as of late. I'm surprised he agreed."
Raveres looked at the bodyguard and furrowed her thin eye brows,
"What? He's not seemed all that different to me…"
Riccard nodded and risked an answer which bordered on excessive familiarity,
"You don't spend all your day with him, do you?"
The Druchii held her tongue, he was right of course. And though another master may have hit their slave for such perceived insolence, Riccard was her father's property. And though Raveres had grown up attended to by her family's slaves she was reminded often that they were not hers to discipline.
Neither were they exactly hers to do with as she pleased. So rather than mope or impotently brood, Raveres grew instead to try and enjoy the company of those in her family's employ. While it may have been poor form, and against convention, she enjoyed her quiet moments with Riccard, he and just a few other slaves were the only ones she was so familiar or comfortable with.
While many Druchii believed that allowing house slaves to retain a 'personality' caused them to develop more unseemly behaviours, Raveres' father and mother felt that beating your slave past the point of servitude and into a catatonic state was far unseemlier when entertaining guests then having a slave which might display 'cheek' or even, Khaine forbid, 'wit'.
Though she wasn't about to admit Riccard was correct Raveres nonetheless pursued the point,
"How has he been regarding my eldest brother?"
Riccard knew well enough not to bite and divulge sensitive information about his master; so instead he relayed some Norscan wisdom,
"Wars throw many dice into the air. Only the gods know the outcomes."
Raveres smirked, "Still have your sayings don't you Human?"
"As long as your father permits."
Then Raveres groaned as she looked at a spot of uneven road ahead, water and garbage pooled in the space between some missing cobblestones, and a few Druchii urchins were loudly cheering while throwing stones at a Skaven slave.
The matted fur and dishevelled appearance of the Skaven made it clear that he was a labourer of some kind; perhaps on his way to or from some a task, but hunger and desperation had driven the creature to currently rifle through the refuse.
Raveres turned her nose and a small scowl of disgust formed across her lips.
"I detest the Skaven, but I revile orphan urchins even more."
Riccard chuckled, "Shall I make them wet their pants milady?"
Raveres smirked sadistically, "That'd be good fun! Go on Riccard, show me what you Norscans do."
The man gruffly laughed and stomped his feet while he growled and roared at the children and charged them. The small dirty Druchii began screaming and running down a nearby alley while the Skaven slave shrieked and scurried along the edge of the street on all fours, his potential meal abandoned for fear of real punishment at the hands of Riccard.
Raveres laughed loudly, accompanied by a few nearby adult Druchii, and as Riccard returned to his mistress' side a smile erupted across his bearded and scarred face before he asked,
"Now, to the house?"
Raveres nodded, "Mhmm."
The two walked closely together down the main street before turning out of the market quarter and towards the wealthier heights of the tiered town. Raveres' family manse was nestled towards the centre of the noble quarter and near the walls of the citadel around which the town had been built.
Of course, it wasn't called Blacklight Tower for nothing, and on the crest of the rocky hill which overlooked the small port stood a walled keep and tall central tower. The rest of the town was protected by a curtain wall which encircled the Druchii castle and kept the inhabitants safe from raiders or any of those who would endeavour to put the town to siege.
…
At sight Raveres' family's mansion was very much in keeping with the style of the Druchii nobles. And had continued to grow over the years. At first it was merely a small villa, but as her family's fortunes improved, her father made additions to the original centre hall; building two wings and a larger entrance around an inner courtyard with an open-air pool and small fountain. Now it stood impressively alongside the other stout houses of Blacklight's noble families.
When Raveres and Riccard approached the mansions' front steps the armoured guardsman nodded and hit the end of his halberdier against the thick wooden door. The hit was rhythmic and was actually part of a coded language. Each member of the family had a signal, and there were also hits for if it was a guest calling or official business.
Then the door unlocked and a silk clad Asur slave stood to the side of the thick, riveted, double barred wood. She bowed her head and her mid-length blonde hair fell onto her front as Raveres entered.
The female Asur had been acquired as a youth by Raveres' mother and served as the mansion's hostess. She was beautiful and had a sharp mind, able to woo and soothe the mercantile Druchii guests that the family often had to entertain, but it was the fact that she was obviously a pure-blooded Asur which helped to impress and interest guests and business relations.
"Welcome home Lady Raveres."
Her voice was quiet and meek. She knew of Raveres' plan, and was currently waiting to see the Druchii's expression. Hopefully Lord Titos had acquiesced and Raveres was going to be in a good mood. Slowly Elianna looked up and felt pleasant relief; Raveres was beaming a smile.
Closing the door behind Riccard, the Asur immediately moved to assist Raveres in undressing her outerwear,
"So, my lady, he said yes?"
Raveres let out a laugh and nodded as the slave removed the dark grey cloak from her shoulders.
"He did Elianna. I can't believe it, but I'm actually going to be leaving Naggaroth on my own for once!"
The slave smiled happily and couldn't help but feel success herself, any of the family's gains were in a way, her gains too. And so, the individual victories of the members she'd grown up serving also felt, in an odd way, as if they were her victories too.
Looking over her shoulder at Elianna Raveres took a long breath and sighed.
Of the household's female slaves, Elianna was the only Asur, and the one allowed to wear silks. The dress which she currently wore was of a quality just below that of family members, clearly indicating her unique status and station within the Naguii household.
And at the moment, standing within the foyer an observer would be forgiven for thinking that the Asur was the master and Druchii the servant. Unlike her older sisters, Raveres seldom wore much finery, instead she opted for plainer coloured clothes and unadorned purposeful kheitan. Raveres also infrequently wore very few pieces of jewellery; and never anything that eye-catching.
Elianna however, always wore a golden gilt collar around her neck which could have easily been mistaken for an elaborate choker rather than a decorative slave's shackle. The goldwork brightly complemented her pale pink flesh, and she was always perfumed and painted. Under the bottom of her thin silken dress, she also wore two pairs of gold anklets above finely crafted heeled shoes.
The metal rings made it so that when she moved quickly, they jangled together and alerted of her approach, and in addition to her anklets and choker, Elianna's long elvish ears were pierced in several places and jingled with an intricate series of silver and gold rings, giving her a resplendent asymmetrical appearance.
Compared to Raveres at the moment, it looked as if an Asur noblewoman was waiting on a low-born sell-sword!
Watching Elianna with a growing smile Raveres eventually laughed and relaxed. The Asur slave risked a giggle as she hung the cloak in an alcove by the doorway. Turning towards Riccard Raveres exclaimed,
"Oh! Riccard, see to my armour, would you? And make ready weapons for my departure. I think plate armour will fare better on a Hakseer than a leather kheitan."
The Norscan grunted in reply, "I'll sharpen your blade myself, milady."
With a curt bow of his head, Riccard turned and disappeared down one of the servant's passages.
In addition to the underground servant's halls, a small armoury had been dug out in the foundation of the mansion. Raveres' father had ensured that it contained enough arms and armaments to equip every member of the household and staff in the event of a riot, siege, or any other occasion that would necessitate the defence of the house.
Now with Riccard gone, Raveres looked back to watch Elianna descend to unclip and pull off her mud and filth coated boots. Smirking, Raveres sighed as the Asur slowly knelt. Looking her blonde hair over Raveres resisted the urge to run her fingers through the locks.
"Leave cleaning my boots for later; in fact, have one of the boys do it."
Elianna nodded, "Of course Lady Raveres."
Once her legs were free of the slave's hands Raveres began walking barefooted across the warmed tile of the entrance hall and towards the mansions' staircase. Then she raised her voice as she began mounting the steps,
"After you've delegated that, bring one of the strong eunuchs with you and assist me in packing!"
Elianna bowed deeply as Raveres ascended out of view and repeated, "Of course my lady."
…
Darting through the servant's passage with her ankle rings clanging loudly, Elianna began calling impatiently,
"Boy! I need one of the boys!"
Getting closer to the mansions' busy kitchen, Elianna could hear the sniggering and shrill laughter of the slave children. The four little wretches were until recently collateral in lieu of payment for a debt owed to Raveres' father. Yet the debtor had defaulted and so, rather unexpectedly, the household had added four youths, each around ten years of age, to the rolls of the mansion's staff.
Two of the young boys were hitting each other as a third looked on loudly cheering as Elianna entered the hot kitchen. One was Druchii, and the other two were Human. The Druchii and the smaller of the human boys were both smacking and punching at each other while the largest of the three watched and yelled encouragement. Where the fourth was, Elianna didn't know, nor did she care.
Despite the noise of the children's fighting, the kitchen staff continued working, occasionally turning from the evening's meal to watch the children's bout.
Elianna rolled her eyes, 'These brutish country peasants…'
Though Elianna was a slave, she was one of the house's senior staff, and she was still an Asur. Besides her race, she had also been raised alongside Raveres and the other Naguii daughters, treated by her masters almost like family.
Due to her privileges, she had cultivated a haughty and elite attitude towards her 'fellow' slaves. Ergo, Elianna was never comfortable among the other slaves and they often felt just as uneasy around her, treating her with a similar degree of respect and fear to what they showed Lady Raveres.
"Boys cease your foolishness this instant!" she sternly roared.
The children stopped mid action and each looked at her wide eyed.
"One of you shall clean Lady Raveres' boots, I don't care who, just see that it's done or I'll have you whipped skinless by Riccard and fed to Crag!"
The children scurried past her towards the foyer, squealing and shrieking as children do, trying to fight each other over who would be first to the assigned task. Then Elianna looked towards the kitchen staff and they each hurriedly returned to their work.
"Has anyone seen Crag by the way?" she asked.
One of the Druchii cooks looked away from the hot oven in front of her and pointed towards the slaves' dormitory corridor.
"I believe he was in his cell, Elianna."
The Asur 'hmmed' and turned to begin towards the 'male' dormitory. The few male slaves that Raveres' home had, were all gelded. The only exceptions to this policy were Riccard and his brother. Yet the Norscans had made it plain they'd make no risk to their balls by their poor conduct.
So, with those two, 'functional', males aside, there wasn't about to be any unnecessary breeding amongst the slaves in this home. And with so many daughters, Raveres' father was wisely, albeit excessively, looking out for the purity of his house and bloodline as well.
Elianna shuddered to herself thinking about the subject as she stepped along the corridor. The slave she was seeking, Crag, was therefore a bald, oddly-voiced, eunuch, but unlike his fellow neutered slaves he remained quite physically strong.
He was purchased from a slaver who'd apparently acquired him from the far-off continent of Ind. But Elianna doubted such tales. Though she'd never left nor known anything but Naggarond her whole adult life.
Opening the lockless door to Crag's dorm cell, Elianna saw that he was sitting on the floor of the bunkroom with his legs crossed and head bowed low. Crag was darkly skinned and completely devoid of hair, and while his features made him altogether disquieting to look at, his arms and shoulders were broad and he could move practically anything.
Clearing her throat, Elianna asked quizzically, "Praying to your gods?"
Crag sighed and exhaled satisfactorily.
"I am."
He clapped his hands together before standing and turning to face the Asur.
"What must I move?"
Elianna stepped backwards uneasily, "Raveres requires a chest. She'll be leaving on a journey and you will carry whichever one you select to her chambers for her. So, pick something large, it's for a sea voyage."
Crag nodded and smiled, "It shall be done."
Elianna turned to leave but a queer sensation shivered across her bare shoulder.
"Crag?"
He looked at her with his intense and dark eyes, "Yes Elianna?"
"What was it you were praying for?"
He softened and his shoulders relaxed, "That my strength may yet endure. Without it I shall die. And if I die, who then will carry Raveres' chest?"
Elianna laughed caustically, "Does it work?"
He raised a non-existent eyebrow, "Praying?"
She nodded.
He flexed his arm and watched the muscle move, "So far."
Elianna furrowed her brow and wordlessly left the room, then Crag sniggered and wiped off his plain clothes before following.
…
After Raveres packed it was only a few short days later until Captain Dorath said that they had the tide and wind.
Then the young Druchii departed, and just like in her dreams Raveres was sent off by both her mother and father. The pair watching on approvingly as their youngest daughter left the port of Blacklight Tower for the wide expanse of the sea.
Standing along one of the quays, Raveres' parents were accompanied her younger brother, many of their slaves, and much of their household guard. It was a quiet affair. But it spoke volumes to Raveres' spirit. And the sight made her feel a surge of glory she'd never felt before.
The day she'd left, Raveres' mother bestowed an amulet of Khaine and implored her:
"Wear it until you are returned to us. And bathe it in the blood of your first killing. Such an offering will surely lend you the favour of the dark lord."
Looking at her mother, standing like an elegant queen at the quay's edge, Raveres pressed a hand to her chest, feeling for the powerful talisman under her thick clothes. Then she waved once to her family before turning towards the bow of the ship.
Loudly the sailors unfurled the black sheets of the ships' rigging and the mates yelled orders as they went about their work.
The captain, Dorath Yhav'ren was a recently made Dreadlord from Karond Kar. His tact, charisma, and skills had also earned him a letter of marque, one sealed with the insignia of the Drachau of Karond Kar. Looking over at him, Raveres smiled. She could not have found a better sponsor to attach herself to.
Then she looked ahead at the cold and smooth waves and felt encouragement as the wind whipped around them. Strands of her hair flew in the breeze and she took in the salty scent of the air before stepping closer to the captain.
While the Dreadlord held command over the crew and the mission, Raveres as the financier was essentially the second in command. Her status as a relatively unknown Druchii inspired suspicion in the crewmen, but with the captain's endorsement she felt confident that any doubts in her abilities would swiftly be quashed.
All in all, Raveres was optimistic about what was to come, and she couldn't help but feel the call of destiny from across the waves.
…
The first week of sailing was calm and uneventful, and Raveres found in the ships' Lieutenant a competent sparring partner and the two would train with each other using wooden swords on the main deck of the ship. The training helped keep her skills sharp and provided some welcomed entertainment for the crew.
But at the end of the first day Raveres noticed that she was the sole female Druchii aboard the ship; and what was more disconcerting was there were not nearly as many slaves as she had thought there was going to be, and among them, there was but one woman! A brunette Human, was purchased for the ship by the captain to act as courtesan and companion should any of the men wish to pay for it. But, out on the seas… What if one didn't want to pay?
Such worries led Raveres to be very grateful for her cabin having a lock and bolt for the door. Though she'd announced to the crew that if any of them so much as looked at her in a licentious manner she would gouge out his offending eye and hurl it into the sea. The door's lock meant that she could at least sleep soundly.
The vessel was called 'Witches Wail' by her crew and it was a multi-decked human ship, captured and repurposed for the Druchii. It bore large holds and several cabins; and being a former merchant frigate Raveres was quite happy that the holds would be able to accommodate more than enough cargo to make good on her father's investment.
The ship also bore four mainmasts and to Raveres' relief the ship could make fifteen knots due to the streamlined keel and design of her hull. There was around one hundred and fifty crewmen aboard and Raveres had been assured by the captain that it was more than adequate for the mission they'd planned.
Now leaning against the quarter deck's railing Raveres looked across the clear horizon with a mischievous smile. This was the first time that she'd been to sea for days on end and Raveres was happy with herself that she had acclimatised to the rolling waves so well.
Any sign of weakness could not be allowed in front of the men. And the fact she'd never actually killed another warrior, Druchii, or even slave, was also something that she was not about to divulge.
Everything about her youth and inexperience was going to be a dear secret. All she had to do is maintain the façade, and they'd never know the difference.
Poking out from below deck a young runner yelled to her, "Lady Raveres to the captains' cabin! Officer's meeting!"
She pushed herself off the railing and immediately thumped across the wooden deck towards the portal to the lower deck. As she passed the crewmen saluted her and gave her a wide birth.
Entering into the captain's large cabin she saw the captain pointing at an exquisitely drawn chart. The lieutenant and first mate were shaking their heads as Raveres clicked her heels, announcing her arrival.
"Ah, the golden girl!"
The captain affectionately referred to her with some variation of the pet-name. And at first, she resented it, but by now Raveres had actually come to like the constant reference to her status as the money behind the whole operation.
"What's the matter captain?"
The lieutenant answered before the captain could, "Well Dorath here wants to adjust our course last minute!"
Raveres furrowed her brow and quickly closed the door to the cabin behind her; it was immediately obvious that this was a discussion not for the crew's ears.
"Oh?"
The lieutenant nodded and looked sternly across the table at the captain, "Oh…" he repeated.
The captain crossed his arms; "It'd add a few days at most, not even."
Raveres spoke quizzically, "Where would this detour take us?"
The captain smiled sadistically and leaned towards the map.
"Well," he pointed to a roughly drawn charcoal line.
"From the stars this morning and our speed so far, I've projected that we're right about…" He measured with his hand, "Here."
Indicating a stretch of open ocean Raveres naturally saw that the closest land was that of Ulthuan's Shifting Isles. She clicked her tongue and raised a brow,
"Let me guess."
The captain leaned back and smiled, the lieutenant huffed, and the first mate remained silent.
"You want to raid one of the Asur towns?"
Dorath nodded, "Aye."
Raveres furrowed her brow, it wasn't the mission, and she didn't feel like risking the wrath of a better equipped Asurian battleship, but she couldn't be thought of as a coward either.
"What are your thoughts?" she asked, looking at the first mate.
The grizzled Druchii rubbed his chin and looked up at her.
"I say we take it. We get ourselves some white sails, Asur clothes and it will assure the safety of our return journey."
Raveres nodded. The captain smirked in satisfaction. But the lieutenant held his tongue.
"We're agreed then?"
The captain held up his hand and the grizzled first mate followed, Raveres couldn't help but think the plan sounded strong; but she honestly didn't know one way or another. And her lack of confidence made her also raise her hand in agreement.
'These sea-dogs know raiding better than I.' She cringed, 'I can't risk their confidence now! We've already come so far.'
The lieutenant looked at the captain, mate, and then Raveres before reluctantly raising his hand as well.
Captain Dorath crowed happily, "Splendid! Unanimity!"
Sitting up he made his way to grab a bottle of ruby port he kept beside his hammock and he grabbed four wooden cups. After pouring each officer a healthy portion of the beverage he held his cup aloft and smiled,
"To bleeding our financier Raveres!"
Raveres smiled.
"May Khaine bless her first raid!"
The mate and lieutenant repeated the invocation and they touched cups. The alcohol was a welcome burn across her tongue and Raveres nervously began thinking about the coming attack.
…
After informing the crew of their new heading, the men were all encouraged with the knowledge they'd be blooding their blades much sooner than they had previously thought.
At night the Druchii ship slipped along the dark and rocky coast, very few lanterns were lit and the men all maintained deathly silence. The ships cartographer kept a watchful eye to the heavens and ensured that they were still heading for their target; a trading port north of Mistnar fortress. When the lights of the town finally came into view the crew all held their breath as they began to imagine the spoils to be had.
"Make ready the ballistae." The lieutenant ordered quietly.
"Adjust our glide, bring in the sails!" the captain hushed.
Raveres had shed her thick warmer clothing and was wearing a simple blouse under her cuirass. She followed the first mate's advice and left off the rest of her armour; he had explained that in a raid speed and surprise was everything. Unnecessary armour and weaponry would only serve to slow her down.
Though gunpowder weaponry was not a Druchii specialty the ship was equipped with a few cannons left over from its previous human owners. The rolling weapons were aimed out of their respective portholes and loaded with shot, waiting the captain's order to open up hellfire.
While over the side of the ship two of the frigate's lifeboats were readied and waiting to descend into the water. The captain nodded to the other officers as Raveres and the first mate descended from the quarterdeck.
"We're going to be going for any of the wealthy homes as well as town hall. Take anything you can carry and if you take slaves, make sure they're pretty ones!"
The men gruffly laughed.
"May our slaughtering please Khaine! Let the arrows fly!"
With that invocation the men all roared as one. The cannons below deck fired and the ballistae bolt throwers above deck let loose their oil covered projectiles.
Raveres and the first mate climbed over the side of the ship and were followed by many of the eager and bloodthirsty crew, and as their small boat descended into the water Raveres held her left hand tightly to her chest.
She was thankful for the cover of night that none of the crew could see her nervousness or apprehension. Her heart beat faster than she'd ever felt it beat before and she could feel her fingers shake from the adrenaline.
'Here we go.' she repeated in her head.
'Follow the men, follow the men, don't make a show of it. It's just like sparring.'
She laughed nervously, 'Except; don't get hit.'
Their small boat skipped across the water as the reaper bolts and cannon balls soared overhead. The men still aboard the ship fired their crossbow repeaters or maintained the ships' position as the town echoed with screams and shouts. Tower bells rang out in desperation and the alarm tore through the Asur town.
The first mate yelled to Raveres and his men as they came closer to one of the port's lower docks,
"Keep your spoils to coins, jewels, and that which can be carried! I do not want any of you idiots bringing a goddamn rucksack of candelabras again! Keep in mind the weight of us plus our treasure! We will not, I repeat, we will not be making multiple trips back and forth to the ship."
Raveres nodded quickly and the men loudly agreed. Then the boat came to the dock and the men jumped onto the wooden platform. With swords drawn and teeth bared the Druchii sprinted up the quay towards the nearest buildings to begin their work.
Raveres followed behind, her chest heaving within her armour. Her neck was slick with sweat and her right hand felt clammy on her swords' handle, the excitement was almost too much for her as she realised;
'This is happening. This is really happening!' Shaking her head and laughing nervously she growled to herself,
"Come on Raveres! For gold and glory, Sa'an'ishar!"
Following the crewmen up the docks Raveres' nearly tripped now that she was on dry land, thankful for the dark she scolded herself.
'Pay attention you dolt! The gods are watching!'
Ahead an armoured Asur guardsman readied his spear and he yelled to his comrades,
"Get the people out! Druchii are here!"
Around him several guards and soldiers in varying states of dress and equipment came into view and made a line across the street before them.
Furrowing her brow in confusion Raveres could barely understand the Asur. Though their language was similar to Druhir, her whole life she'd never actually heard the 'mother tongue' of Asurian and so, to her, it seemed like a comically exaggerated accent.
The crew men ahead of her were readying for the brawl and eagerly leapt towards the unprepared Asur guardsmen. Then Raveres got to watch combat in-person for the first time and the sound was like a symphony: the rough clanging of metal, the piercing of armour and the grunts and wails of men as they injured one another.
Slowly she began to smile and her hand tightened around her blade's handle, 'Now, I can prove myself!'
Raveres tensed and her feet twitched as she came alongside her fighting comrades. The Asur who naturally stood opposite her in the two lines eyed her with surprise. She narrowed her eyes and let her mind clear.
Raveres wasn't about to wonder what he was surprised at, she didn't care, and it didn't matter to the fight. All she had to do was parry that spear and drive her blade through his chainmail.
'Ha, he's not even wearing a breastplate! Bury your steel in his flesh, baptise yourself, become a true Druchii! Here we go!'
Minding her footing and the fighting occurring to her sides Raveres began teasing an advance towards the Asur. At first, he backed up, but quickly began making short lunges towards her with his weapon. Her eyes widened as she parried and dodged his attacks.
'Shit, he's faster than he looks! Damn it Raveres! Riposte the cunt! Riposte!'
She groaned loudly in frustration; she was able to parry and avoid his attacks but she'd yet to see an opening for her to successfully riposte after her feints. Then just as her frustration bubbled Raveres saw it, the Asur misjudged her position and distance and he over-extended his lunge.
'He can't recover in time!' she thought delightfully.
Then she raced forwards and her body moved on its own. Years of training in her family courtyard had finally paid off as Raveres easily avoided his strike and took hold of his spear under her left arm while lunging forwards with her blade.
The force she'd put behind the attack easily drove her sword through his gorget and the mail underneath. She'd punctured his chest and a lung and he quickly fell to his knees; fear and disbelief across his clean and handsome face as he coughed and sputtered.
Bringing her foot up to his chest Raveres pushed the Asur backwards while simultaneously ripping her blade outwards from him. Her heart was beating so fast that she couldn't believe that time was flowing as it was. And she tingled in her limbs a strange fear came over her, her sword was not giving way!
'Come on, come on!'
She kicked the dying Asur again as hard as she could before finally pulling her weapon free, but behind the crumpled spearman, a swordsman wearing a simple tunic and leather cuirass pointed at Raveres and sprinted towards her. The Druchii crew at her sides were each locked in their own melees and she quickly readied her sword as she lowered into a guarded position.
The swordsman yelled loudly and attempted to performed a fleche. Raveres stepped back and raised her blade to counter. She succeeded in narrowly averting death, but the swordsman collided with her and the two fell to the ground.
Now straddling her chest, the swordsman brought his gloved hand down to her face in a punch. His face was filled with rage and he happily prepared to pound Raveres into a pulp. The first hit collided with her cheek and pushed her head against the stone ground loudly. Her ears rang and she struggled to move her left hand to defend herself. The fall had winded her and she struggled to breathe especially now with the weight of the rocking and live Asur on top of her.
Then Raveres realised she had to do something she had drilled herself never to do; she had to let go of her sword. If she didn't, she wouldn't be able to defend her face and make sure the Asur didn't drive his blade through her skull with only one hand.
After forcing herself to let go of her blade Raveres brought her hands up and she became locked in a loud and brutal fist-fight. The male Asur eventually got the upper hand by sitting up slightly and pounding his full weight down onto Raveres' chest, deflating the air from her chest and forcing the front and back plates of her cuirass against her abdomen.
His continued pounding was enough to cause Raveres to cough distractedly and lose her grip on his sword-hand. Now her heart was beating so loud and fast she swore it was about to explode. Watching on the Asur brought his blade above Raveres and was about to drive it down into her horror strewn face.
'G-gods? N-no! I… I'm going to die?!'
Involuntarily Raveres began to let out a raspy cough-laden scream until the swordsman was impaled from behind. Then the first mate pushed the groaning Asur off of Raveres and quickly extended his hand to yank her back to her feet.
Warm blood was splattered across Raveres' face and she could feel her head pulse loudly as her ears continued to ring. Her chest didn't stop hurting and her heart showed absolutely no signs of slowing. In addition to the horror of nearly dying she wanted nothing more than to vomit.
Her whole body was in a state of shock, but she was caught at the moment, forced to maintain some semblance of control as the first mate stared her down. Handing her sword back to her, the older Druchii slapped her face and roared,
"Keep your wits about you Naguii! If you die your father will have us all killed!"
Raveres nodded, though she couldn't quite hear the mate's words.
"Keep fighting men! Push the bastards back!"
Raveres leaned against the corner of the nearby wall and took a moment to regain her breath. The few Asur guardsmen who remained alive were now routing down the street, followed closely by a the more zealous Druchii crewmen.
Mumbling to herself Raveres furrowed her brow and reached to her chest, "My, a-amulet…"
Raveres turned around and stumbled towards the corpses strewn across the street and uncoordinatedly shot her left hand down the front of her cuirass and in between her breasts. Her mother's amulet of Khaine was slick with sweat and Raveres had trouble bringing it up and out from her armour.
But when it hung against the metal of her cuirass she descended to her knees and rolled the body of the man she'd killed over. Eyeing his mute features hesitantly, Raveres quickly wet her fingers in the blood oozing from the wound she'd made in his chest. Then, she nervously began smearing the still-warm blood against the talisman.
Shutting her eyes, Raveres began to pray under her breath, hoping to invoke the bloody god's favour, she began reciting invocations of the Death Hags. Until mid-prayer she felt a rumble of revulsion in her stomach. She looked down at the blank expression of the cooling corpses and she immediately shivered before turned to her side.
Using her sword to steady herself Raveres began vomiting onto the blood-stained cobblestone. It was painful and she felt her muscles and throat burn, but she pushed herself up into a stand as soon as she finished.
'Just, keep going…'
She took several steps down the street and kept mentally chanting as she spat the taste of bile and blood from her mouth, 'just keep going,'
On either side of the street the doors to houses were being smashed in as the crewmen began their rapine plunder. Stumbling along Raveres avoided the shops and the middle-class homes and continued down the main street towards the large display of torchlight.
Rounding the corner of the street she came to the town's empty market square, and ahead in the centre of the open area she saw the first mate and many of the crew at the doors of what she assumed was the town hall.
They were using a wooden bench to batter the doors and the mate was ordering,
"Heave! Heave! Put your backs into it you sea-dogs and heave!"
Raveres steeled herself and quickly walked up towards the men just as the doors cracked in an awful sound and began to give way. Sheathing her sword, she immediately took hold of a side of the bench and helped smash the improvised battering ram into the door again and again.
…
When the Druchii finally left the Asur port they had been able to pillage the town's coffers. The Asur must have been preparing for something important because the vaults of the white stone hall were filled with chests of coin and bullion.
They couldn't believe their luck, and despite the first mate's warnings Captain Dorath remained in the port until every chest of Asur coin was loaded aboard the Witches Wail. And as they sailed into the night the crew peeled their eyes for any sign of pursuers, each of them giddy at how much plunder they'd absconded with.
The first mate's scheme of stealing white sails and elven clothing fell by the wayside when the avaricious Druchii saw the hoard they had happened upon. Now they could set ahead to their original mission confident that they were blooded and surely blessed by Khaine, and the next day saw the Witches Wail sailing as though nothing had slowed its original course.
Yet, below deck, Raveres was not handling her first battle as well as she had hoped. Sitting in her hammock she'd remained secluded in her cabin since returning to the ship. But sleep hadn't come to her.
Instead, she persisted in a cursed state between sleep and waking. She'd wrapped herself in her fur bedding and shook while sweating; hoping futilely that the rhythmic swaying of the hammock would somehow soothe her nerves.
"I did well… I did well… I did well…"
She would occasionally whisper when her shaking and nervousness reached unbearable levels. After they broke into the hall, Raveres killed at least three more men that she was certain of… But the face which had burned itself most into her mind was that of the swordsman who had gotten the closest to killing her.
Each time she'd close her eyelids his rage filled expression would fill her vision and she'd be forced to open them again. Her cheek had swollen and her face stung with tightness and pain; it was a powerful, constant, and frightening reminder of her very close brush with death.
And still there was no relief. She had stripped herself of her armour and her bloody clothes the moment she was safely in her cabin and its door was locked behind her. She'd washed off the blood from her face and she had reduced herself to completely bare skin.
All her clothes remained where she'd shed them, strewn about the floor of her cabin. But relief continued to elude her. So, she remained in her hammock, tightly wrapped in warm furs.
Her sweat-covered and sore body enjoyed the embrace of the bedding, but she remained oppressed. Though she had taken off all her clothes and she'd even removed the ribbon from her hair she still felt covered in something. And though she was exhausted, the feeling of being coated in something and the face of the Asur swordsman kept her in a tormenting state of formless anxiety.
On the deck above she heard the ship's bell ring, announcing the dawn of the day. She's stayed awake all night…
Blinking and shivering at the noise of the bell she shook her head from side to side and whispered,
"I'm not going out there. I don't have to go out there… Yes… that's right, I don't have to. Not today. I… I don't have to…"
Her thoughts immediately began to trip over one another as she tried to stay focused. Then a knock at her door made her hands shake and her legs twitch involuntarily.
"Lady Raveres? The captain would like to see you on the quarterdeck."
She eyed the door in horror, 'No, no. I'm not going out there…'
Raveres remained silent, 'I can outlast him… I can outlast anyone…'
Eventually the owner of the voice walked away and relief flooded into Raveres' blood. Finally she had a reason to relax. And, like a mercy, the exhaustion and the weight of everything seemed to fall across her at once, and she finally felt the embrace of sleep cover her.
…
Above on the deck the captain and lieutenant used spyglasses to inspect a small shape at the edge of the horizon behind them.
"Could be Asur?" The captain asked.
The lieutenant nodded, "Aye, could be Human too; imperials. We are approaching the trade lanes."
The ship's runner saluted and clicked his heels and the two officers turned to face the young man.
"Lady Raveres is still asleep sir."
The captain laughed, "My, still tired? Gods these noble children. A little bit of work and they immediately need a day off!"
The lieutenant smiled and immediately turned back to watch the ship behind them while the runner saluted and left as the captain waved him off.
Turning back to their discussion the captain announced confidently, "We can outrun them."
The lieutenant nodded again, "Aye, but should they follow us all the way to our destination in Araby?"
The captain pursed his lips and closed his spyglass, then he nodded curtly, "That'll be all lieutenant."
The junior officer held his tongue and saluted, "Aye, sir."
…