Chapter 558: The Ward & Shadow Part 1
The morning in House Gale’s manor passed by without any incident. Stryg played with Kamilo, refusing to put the toddler down even as he walked through the gardens with Nora and Feli. Gale stood at a respectful distance, along with one of her cousins, the two of them keeping sight of their lord and his family at all times.
Nora tried to drag Gale into the conversation, but she politely declined. Usually, she’d be happy to spend time with Cly’s lover and her nephew, but right now she needed time to reconcile her dreams with the blue goblin-vampire hybrid walking ahead of her. Goblin-vampire-drow hybrid, she corrected herself.
Stryg was Lady Stryga Veres’ heir. The blood of the three Ebon chromatic races ran through his blood. Such a union of bloodlines hadn’t been seen since the Sapphire of the East still stood. But Lunis had fallen long ago now and its power had faded away for the last three hundred years, until her ward and lord had brought them out of the shadows of Vulture Woods.
Even now the city’s nobility was abuzz with how to deal with the Sylvan army lying behind their walls. Hollow Shade’s forces had been depleted. They were exhausted and still licking their wounds. Whereas the Sylvan army seemed as strong as ever, or at least those were the best estimates from their scouts’ reports. No one had managed to get close enough to actually see their full numbers.
It was times like these that Gale wished they had a powerful True Red on their side. Such a mage could search through their numbers with ease. But Synchrony magic was rare and a True Red with enough power to achieve such a feat hadn’t been seen in a long time in Hollow Shade.
She wondered if she could ask Stryg for more details about the Sylvan army. Would he tell the truth or would he make up some paltry lie? Her ward was a poor liar. Then again, knowing Stryg, he may not even know the true numbers of the army he led to battle.
Stryg was one of the strangest individuals she had ever met. In many ways he seemed like a fool, a country bumpkin who was more interested in a flower on the side of the road than the jewelry wrapped around a lord’s neck. He could be entranced by a simple pastry and forget whatever important sword lesson she had been teaching. Some would call him a fool, but she had seen the way he acted around magic. He took in the lessons like a fish to water. His control over the arcana language alone was daunting, no matter how complex the sigil patterns in a book were, Stryg could replicate it with ease.
The new Lord Veres would rise to great heights among the mageborn, perhaps his magical prowess would one day rival even Elzri Noir. Even if he didn’t, Stryg’s swordsmanship would cover any limitations.
If one only considered martial and magical prowess, then Stryg was an ideal candidate for the Veres throne. Though ever since this morning, Gale couldn’t help but feel as if something was off. Lunae’s words echoed in her mind even now.
It couldn’t be true, of course. The goddess of the moon could not be Stryg’s mother. His mother was Aurelia Veres. Gale had met her. The goblin hybrid was resting in bed at the manor right at this very moment. If Gale disregarded her skin complexion, then Aurelia looked more like the portraits of Lady Stryga than Stryg did.
Gale had no doubt in her mind that Aurelia was indeed the granddaughter of the infamous Blue Rose.
So why…? Why did she feel this way?
Gale shook her head. There were more important matters at hand. The city was still reeling from the recent siege. Half the council had been replaced. The power balance had shifted and every political move they made now would decide which families would end up on top.
She knew that House Veres needed allies now more than ever. The Katag family would serve to shore up their defenses. The Goldelms had always shared close ties with the Veres families and judging by the way Lady Freya had reacted to Stryg’s appearance at the council meeting, Gale was confident that their relationship would continue. Still, it was odd that the young Freya was the one sitting on the Goldelm throne. To Gale’s knowledge, her older brothers still lived. It was something she needed to look into.
In the meantime, garnering the support of the House Glaz would be imperative. The drow family had stood proudly as the most powerful of the Seven Ruling Houses, but now with the loss of their matriarch and heir, along with half their forces, they were exposed. Forging some sort of alliance with the Glaz would serve well for House Veres. Lord Vayu Glaz had trained Stryg, so perhaps such an alliance wouldn’t be too far-fetched.
House Helene was in ruin, their entire family completely wiped out, save for a child who was too traumatized to even grasp the weight of his newfound position. House Ashe had always preferred to keep the powers of the council at bay, shifting their support to whichever would keep one House from rising above another. Lady Calantha Ashe would be an obstacle, Gale was certain of it.
Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
As for the Noirs…
Gale could practically taste the bile in her mouth at the thought of Loh Noir. She had abandoned her post at Widow’s Crag and in doing so had abandoned Clypeus and Stryg. And then Elzir Noir had covered up the truth and blamed her new ward. Stryg had suffered greatly and even now Gale felt guilty over how she had treated him the days following Cly’s death.
Gale had sworn revenge on House Noir and she had secured her uncle’s support in the matter. But now Stryg was her lord, and his relationship with Loh was murky at best. She needed to act carefully and ascertain Stryg’s feelings before she made any moves on that traitorous bitch. There would be a reckoning for House Noir, Gale swore it.
Until then, Gale would focus on her role as the Shield of Veres and the shadow of Stryg, keeping her ward safe and solidifying his position and power amongst the city’s oligarchy.
Before Gale realized it, noon had arrived and Nora was taking her leave. Little Kamilo cried as she pried her son from Stryg’s arms. For a moment there, Stryg seemed as if he wouldn’t let go of the child either, until with a forlorn look he finally did, but not before making Nora promise to visit more often. He even offered to prepare rooms for the two of them in the Gale manor.
“Are you sure you don’t want to stay? We have the space, trust me,” Stryg said with a pleading tone.
“I’ll think about it,” Nora smiled wryly. She stared at the manor looming behind them. “This was Cly’s home. Someday I know Kamilo will come here to learn about his father. Someday he may even choose to live as a Gale, but until that day, I’d rather have him grow as a human, away from the cold nature of this place.” She glanced back at Gale apologetically, “No offense, my lady.”
Gale smiled half-heartedly. “I understand, I do. But I suspect Kamilo will find his way here in time. A vampire’s life is long, even a hybrid’s.”
“And if he studies the Gale Style’s swordsmanship then he’ll live even longer,” Stryg said with an odd fervor.
“Yes, well, that will be his choice,” Nora hefted Kamilo into her arms and patted his back. The one-year-old wasn’t listening and instead had his arms outstretched towards his uncle. “We should be off now. I’ll see you all later this week?”
“We look forward to it, Lady Azol,” Feli said with a bow.
“Bye…” Stryg waved weakly to them as they left.
Kamilo cried and kicked, only stopping for small gasps of air, as Nora left the gardens. Gale couldn’t help but smile wryly.
Feli looked at her husband with a gaze of sympathy then hugged his arm and rested her head on his shoulder. “Cheer up, you’ll see them again soon.”
“I know it’s just… A prolonged life seems lonely,” Stryg muttered.
Feli gave him an odd look. “Where did this come from?”
He shrugged uncomfortably. “I’m not human like you, Feli. I’m not really a goblin either. I will outlive all of you…”
Feli bit her lip in thought. “I know.”
“You do?”
“Lady Noir has mentioned your mutations on many occasions. You heal quicker than others, which would extend your lifespan significantly. And now that you’re training in the Gale Style you will live even longer.”
“That doesn’t bother you?”
Feli shrugged, “I made my peace with it. Humans have never lived particularly long lives compared to other species. I had always assumed you were a drow hybrid, so I guessed you’d live longer than me anyway.”
“And you’re alright with that? Just like that?”
Feli furrowed her brow. “What’s wrong? This never really seemed to bother you before. Are you worried that I’ll be old and grey while you’re still young and grey?” She mocked as she played with his silver-white hair.
“I didn’t really think about that,” he admitted.
Feli rolled her eyes, “Vampires and drows who marry partners with shorter lifespans often times bring in a third member to their marriage, when their first partner grows very old.”
“There is a reason polygamy is more common among our kind,” Gale nodded.
“That isn’t what I’m talking about,” Stryg frowned.
“Then what is it?” Feli asked.
“It’s just—” he sighed in frustration and his shoulders sank. “You’ll be gone and I’ll still be here. …I wanted power so that I could protect my tribe, protect the people I care about. But no matter what I do, someday, you will all be gone.”
“Stryg…”
Gale cleared her throat. “You will not be alone. Your lifespan may be long, but so is mine. I will be your Shield, your shadow, for as long as we live. Whether that is two or three centuries, I shall be by your side.”
Stryg smiled sadly. “Thanks…” He turned to the woman in his arms and kissed her softly, before pulling away. “I have to go train.”
Feli reached for his hand but he had already walked away at a brisk pace. Gale bowed to her, “I’ll look after the lord while he trains. May I suggest you have some lunch in the meantime, Lady Feli?”
“He does this sometimes, you know,” Feli said quietly. “Whenever he struggles with something he always pushes everyone else away, as if he somehow needs to bear the weight of the entire realm over his shoulders.”
That sounds terribly unhealthy. “How do you help him manage?”
“I let him be for a bit, he’s too stubborn to listen to reason at first. Let him work out his frustration and anger with his magic and steel.”
“And then?”
Feli looked her in the eye, “You remind him that he is not alone in our Realm of Monsters. Even if that means smacking him across the head with a mallet.”
“A mallet?” Gale wrinkled her nose at the thought. She’d die before seeing her ward come to serious injury.
Feli shrugged, “Despite his pretty looks and dainty face, his body is quite tough. Anything softer than a mallet and he wouldn’t feel it. Trust me, I’ve tried.”
“Right… Well, I’ll go oversee his training now. Lady Feli,” Gale bowed her head, then walked off.