Damien couldn't sleep. It was anguish, it was torture. Why was she still there in his head, whispering to his heart? He wasn't exactly sure what would come of drawing Ashlyn close, but now he was too wary to find out. Back there, speaking to her, he knew their separation was inevitable. No way to avoid it.
He told himself it was the right thing, to let her go, let her pursue whatever life she wanted. He didn't wish Ashlyn to be the maiden from her beloved tale: so enraptured by love that it was more like a prison than a path. He didn't want to be that man, so obsessed with her that he would go through any amount of trials.
Damien had already seen enough prisons for one lifetime.
Turning over on his bed, he stared at the candle on his desk and tried to picture his future without her. Rubbed his sore, red eyes. A few moments ago he believed he had the strength to face that empty future, now he wasn't so certain.
Why couldn't he stop these...feelings? Why couldn't he move on?
7 May
In the morning, Damien rose and went downstairs to fill his aching belly with a meal. A knock sounded at the front door, and since he was the one closest to it at that moment, he took it upon himself to answer. The last person he expected to see there was Ashlyn, her clothes and hair beautifully intact. Her eyes reddened and sore like his.
Her very presence chased away his words, made his gut churn with fear. "Ash? What are you—"
"I came to speak with Kallus." She kept her eyes down while saying it. Unable to look at him.
But Damien sighed. "I already tried reasoning with him, it was no good."
"You seem to think I'm asking."
He didn't have the heart to block her off as she pushed her way inside. The girl seemed determined and authoritative with her focusing staff, a storm lying in wait.
Now that Ashlyn had established her presence within the house, Kallus came from the dining room to meet her. He remained civilized and calm while having the girl sit on the leather sofa in the common room. They sat facing each other, neither tipping their hand.
Damien wandered over to them, and almost stepped between them before Kallus raised a stiff finger and said, "Let me take care of this, boy. Go. Eat. Now."
Grunting, Damien did as he was told and sat down in the dining room where Naelen and Lanara were still finishing their meals. He hated being confined there, but it was better than being confined to a different level of the house. He could at least hear bits and pieces of the conversation drifting from the hearth.
"You probably know that I've been summoned to Tauros already," Ashlyn began, but Kallus shook his head in disagreement.
"This is news to me,” Kallus said. “Though, I suspected the time was near. You would take Damien to the human capital with you, is that correct?"
"It is," she nodded. "Despite how you've dissuaded the idea, Damien and I have formed a bond."
This made the elf's eyebrows shoot upward. "A bond you say? Please tell me you haven't already claimed him as your soulmate."
"No, not at all. It's a relational bond, and I get the sense that he wants to come with me, but he's too afraid of you to pursue what he wants. He respects you, Kallus. He fears disappointing you as an heir."
"And I suppose you think I should release him from his promise? Spare your breath, Ashlyn, you will not win this case."
"Do you really intend to have him sit on the Tribunal? If I know Damien, and I believe I do, he doesn't want that."
"It matters not. He's vowed his loyalty to me."
"It's useless." Ashlyn frowned. "No one would allow a human to have a seat."
"One day soon Gumber will be overrun by humans," Kallus argued. "It would be fair and just to ensure they have a human representative. Such is my duty, such is my right."
Ashlyn paused, gathering her words. "All I ask is that you let him choose. If Damien truly wants to be your heir, then I will leave and never speak of it again. But if he's doing this merely out of his fear for you, I will bring this matter before the King of Tauros."
"Your threats do not concern me, child, I have violated no law. You have disrupted my House enough and now I must demand that you leave."
"Disrupted?" She took heavy offense at that. "All my life I've given you the benefit of the doubt. Do you realize how painful it is knowing that every time you look at me you see someone else? You accuse me of being like Ithil, and yet I've done nothing to deserve it."
Kallus folded his hands. "You are more like Ithil every time I see you. You have her stature, her...personality. So lovely and fair on the outside, so conniving and flawed within. Never content, never satiated." Then he stood and picked Ashlyn up by the hood of her robe. "I agree you have done nothing to deserve it. It is simply what you are that I cannot abide. Now leave my House!"
He pulled the focusing staff out of her grip while yanking her toward the door. Once Ashlyn was outside, he tossed her staff onto the grass and shut her out.
The elf turned to see Damien standing a fair distance behind him, his shoulders squared, his posture stoic and planted.
"What in the hells?" His dark brown eyes filled with hatred, his fists clenched.
Kallus employed his words calmly. "I understand your attachment to her, but—" His words were cut off when Damien came and shoved him backward against the banister of the staircase. A harsh finger now sat between Kallus' eyes.
"The Tribunal!?" Damien shouted. "That's why you brought me here? When you talked about your 'burden' I thought you wanted me to inherit your forge or something like that. You lied to me, Kallus!"
"What else could my burden be?" Kallus straightened, pinching the bridge of his nose. "I told you my intentions from the beginning, boy."
"No, not once did you mention the Tribunal! I am not worthy nor am I willing to do that!" A growl fed from the boy's throat, low and impossibly animal-like. "Here I thought it was a great honor to be your heir. You preyed on the ignorance of a child! Made me feel like I was special! Wanted, even!"
Kallus had to duck in order to miss the oncoming punch. Damien hit the oak banister, causing a loud crunch against the wood.
Kallus blinked at the boy, muttering, "It can't be possible..." Then he found himself cowering as Damien sauntered closer, this time reaching for Kallus' throat. "Wait!" He staved Damien back, placing his hands at the shoulders to keep him still. "Do not give in to it. This anger makes you dangerous.”
Damien growled again while prying Kallus' hands off. He wanted to do more than just break the elf's grip.
"Good."
The elf cried in pain as Damien twisted Kallus’ arm into a lock and shoved him again, this time making him crash into the wood railing, knocking his head against it. Kallus fell over, dizzied. Damien was satisfied by the sounds it made, by the grunt that left Kallus' lips. A solid punch to the back of his head and a rough fist between the shoulder blades made him wimper more in pain. Damien was about to bring both fists down before the back of his legs were kicked in and knocked him off-balance. He spun around to see Naelen grabbing at him, yanking him into a hold.
“Get off me!” Damien tore out of his brother’s grip, rammed a fist into his jaw.
Naelen wiped the saliva off, glaring. “Get out of our House, you freak. You don’t belong!”
Damien looked down at Kallus on the floor, winded and put-out. He glanced at a frightened Lanara moving into his view from the side. Glanced at Naelen who kept his guard up.
“To hell with this!” Damien cursed. “To hell with it all! I know what I want, and it’s certainly not here.”
With that, he broke into a run and dashed out of the house.
***
When Kallus rose from the ground, he embraced Lanara as she came into him. She checked the welts on his face and body, felt the small bump on his skull.
“You’ll be alright,” she determined, like a doctor dismissing a patient.
He felt well enough, albeit a bit shaken. Such strong hits from such a skinny young man. It hardly made sense, but then again, Kallus had been aware that the human boy was...abnormal. He immediately went toward the door, grabbed a sword and his deerskin coat.
“What are you doing?” His wife protested. “Best let Damien be. At least until he calms down.”
“You don’t understand, Lanara. We need him to come back. Before it’s too late.”
“Psh.” His son folded his arms, leaned against the damaged banister. “We don’t need him back, Dad. You do.”
Kallus looked softly at his son. “Níhilan…why did you cast him out? I would have handled it.”
“Yeah, you were handling it so well.” Naelen rolled his eyes. “I say just let him go. He’s too dangerous for a place like this.”
“He’s only dangerous when he’s angry.” Kallus tightened his jaw. “You made it worse! Now I must track him down.”
“Whatever.” Naelen excused himself. “I won’t apologize for stopping him.”
Kallus let the boy walk off and turned his attention back to his wife. “I’ve grown too attached to Damien to give up on him,” he confessed. “Even if he does not see it, I believe his home is here. His family is here.”
Lanara understood with a nod. "We've done a lot for him haven't we? He is better, but Kal...I don't think even you can make him stay."
"I can, and I shall. He made an oath to me, and I shall hold him to it. Even if by force."
Lanara came up and kissed his forehead. “Then be careful, love. Come back with your heir.”
