Castle [https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/pw/AP1GczO7Njm-2iTfutlGVZz1fWf6olh9_NgorZgQfDT2-9wD8q7g6lhuThjjwdi13FoFZWbm4qiPgngWsCPIjf2ZsiYXslLVcnc5jSKNTFuYZmGnT1JJ6SiOHkMqBFJPzY9ixDM7vtQSxawca1F0e22MKp4Y=w639-h958-s-no-gm?authuser=0]
Dazien sat in one of the plush chairs encircling Paul as the slumbering Paladin floated in the air behind his protective magic. His body was tense as he leaned forward to prop his elbows on his knees and rubbed a hand over his face as if trying to wipe the memories of what he had just done from his eyes.
He had used that Voice again. Had seen the look of terror on that noble prick’s face. Had reveled in his own strength and the performance he had managed to put on.
Only now, he was questioning how far he would have continued if Uriel hadn’t pulled him back. He knew that Kanthis boy had been drunk and likely a pawn of some other House trying to test him. He wasn’t entirely sure he had passed that test with his violent and domineering reaction.
“Rule of Caste,” he muttered to the air, “Those with the power make the rules.”
“Little King seems agitated. Where is Little Storm?” Orebela whispered in his mind as she hovered nearby, slowly approaching as she spoke in that feminine monotone.
“He went to bake something, I think,” he replied with a shrug, “He seemed to want some space. I don’t think he enjoyed how I reacted tonight either.”
“What happened?”
“Politics that I’m not entirely sure I’m ready for now. I may have shown more cards than I intended, and I may have shown less composure than I had wished to,” he said and began roughly undoing the series of braids Patricia had helped weave together for him. They weren’t the tight microbraids she had done for the memorial, but they were smaller than the singular large one that Phoenix would have done.
“So why is Little King here?”
Dazien gave a frustrated sigh as he looked back up at the man he considered his mentor, “Because I didn’t know who else to go to for advice.”
He looked back down at his hands, remembering the blood that had stained them two weeks ago when he last used his Royal Voice against an enemy —when he overpowered someone with both physical might and spiritual willpower.
“What if Phoenix was right, and I’m becoming like the monsters I hunt? I could have easily killed Noble Kanthis tonight. If he had been drunker or I had been less forgiving. What if next time, I leap at the chance to punish someone who slights me?”
“Little King is sounding like Little Storm,” Orebela replied. “Wayland knew that dealing karmic vengeance was not the same as rejoicing in cruelty. While Wayland wouldn’t want that path for Little King, there is no shame in standing your ground and defending your honor.”
“What if I don’t just defend but end up striking instead? What if I go too far and end up letting my power control me? If I can both charm and terrify people with my words now, what about when I’m Emerald? Will Paul bow to my words when I’m Ruby like him? How do I keep myself from taking advantage of others without even realizing I’m doing it?”
“Well, that’s easy,” a familiar voice said from behind him, and he turned to see a rainbow voxen with a garnet gemite entering the room as Everin continued speaking, “You just keep your friends beside you who will tell you what an arse you’re being.”
“Avatar Starlark. Knight Thevaris,” he greeted in surprise, “I didn’t realize you were here in the Sacred City.”
“I asked Emissary Mint to be kind enough to provide us a portal via the portalist he was using when we saw you run off after that little confrontation,” Veldrix explained as the smaller gemite sat in a chair beside him, “I’ve seen that kind of scene play out at court hundreds of times, and it rarely changes. I’ll admit that the amount of dominance on display was a bit unusual, though. What kind of ability causes that modulation to your voice?”
Dazien flushed in embarrassment before admitting quietly, “My Familiar. He makes the intent behind my words known.”
“It’s a powerful effect,” the garnet gemite responded, “Made even more potent by your Talent, I believe.”
“I don’t have much control over it yet. It’s hard for me to train, too, since I dislike the idea of using it on my friends to try and command them to do things. I already messed up once with that, and I don’t want to remind anyone about that.”
“You said it gives intent, right?” Everin asked as he sat on the other side of him, “Like a taunt ability? Where they can ignore it, but it feels like a really bad idea to do so?”
“Basically,” Dazien confirmed, then glanced back toward Veldrix to ask, “I’ve mostly come to terms with what my Shiny Talent naturally does to people. It wasn’t very strong, especially when I was a Mundane, and I’ve put basic rules in place for myself to follow when it comes to forming new relationships. I’ve learned not to second-guess every action someone else does, but now I’m starting to doubt again. Do I have to fear every word I speak being the wrong one once I reach your level?”
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Veldrix seemed to contemplate that for a bit as they observed the other Ruby Caster floating in the room before saying slowly, “You can learn to control it. At least when it comes to the impact of your words and actions, but that’s usually not in your favor. You shouldn’t need to fear your words more than any other person, though. At the end of the day, no matter what you say or do, other people are responsible for their own actions.
“That boy tonight was the main one responsible for what happened to him. Nobody forced him to have too much to drink. Nobody blackmailed him into having disdain for you and your companion. Nobody threatened him to confront you. Nobody tricked him to drown his aura in Monster Seeds to get crushed by your own. While it may seem apathetic, he is responsible for those choices that led to his disgrace.”
“While I might not have Vel’s centuries of experience,” Everin spoke up, wrapping his tails around himself like a shroud, “I will add that you should never regret being stronger than your opponent. While I feel it my duty to encourage restraint when subjecting others —since I doubt you’re capable of abstinence— I will never tell you not to use that strength to keep others from subjecting you.”
“But how do either of you stop from going too far?” Dazien asked, turning towards Veldrix, “How do you keep from letting your anger not punish them more than they might deserve? While Noble Kanthis might have deserved that strike, I don’t think he would have deserved to die, and I—” he hesitated before looking back at Paul and admitting, “If he had been drunk enough to go up to that roof, I would have followed through with my promise.
“You have so much power as both a Ruby Caster and the Royal Executioner,” he added to Veldrix, “How do you not find yourself using it all the time?”
The knight gave a soft smile, “Who said I don’t?”
Dazien wasn’t sure what to make of that. He had always had this mental picture of the honorable gemite knight loyally serving the crown, and the idea of that not being the case at all was jarring.
Veldrix chuckled, “While I admit I don’t normally go around throwing upstart, insufferable noble scions off roofs, I take advantage of my power and privilege all the time. I walked into this city and demanded answers from its ruler. I executed cultists on the spot without question. The only people I show deference to are my liege, Obsidian Casters, and my lovers, and even then, the former is with the goal of protecting the community in the capital that I care for.”
Everin added his own laughter and said, “It actually gets easier to have restraint the higher Caste you become since fewer and fewer people have the desire to test you. Like Vel pointed out, they still won’t mess with an Obsidian since it would be like trying to punch the sky for raining on us.”
“Everin makes a good point. It’s good that you’re contemplating these questions already,” the knight said, “Refusing temptations can be difficult, and wanting help with that shows a promising desire to be a good person. However, I believe you might be overthinking this particular case, and it may serve you better to focus on gaining strength so people don’t prod you like that again. Nobody is sacrificing young scions to test my own patience. Those with the strength to do so are smarter than what we saw and would have whatever punishment I dealt be well deserved.”
Dazien gave a heavy sigh, “So it all comes back down to gaining more power and making my Voice an even stronger weapon. I feel like I’ve come full circle with my worries.”
“I believe you can use that voice of yours as more than a weapon,” Everin said with a sly grin toward the two gemites, “You said it gives intent. How does that work when it’s for something pleasant rather than the threat of death?”
“Oh, there’s an idea,” Veldrix replied, though they didn’t elaborate as they returned the voxen’s grin.
However, he was surprised by the question and uncertainly murmured, “I’m not sure. I’ve never thought about using it on anyone but an enemy before.”
“It may seem counter-intuitive,” Everin continued, “But maybe you can find a volunteer among your party who would allow you to practice using this particular ability with more pleasant outcomes in mind…”
“Like what?” Dazien asked, having trouble coming up with something.
“Well…” Everin glanced back towards the door, which caused Dazien to follow the gaze and find Uriel leaning against the doorframe, watching them quietly.
Silence fell for a moment as the suggestion clicked into place, and he found himself standing as he adamantly replied, “Absolutely not! I already messed up on that front, and I’m not—”
“It’s not a bad idea,” Uriel’s voice cut through his argument, and he stared at his partner in silent shock.
“I’m sorry, but did you just agree to that?” he asked incredulously.
Uriel chuckled softly, “Well, you and I already do other forms of exposure therapy like that, remember? You helped me get over a lot of my fears by making me feel safe while I confronted them; this seems fairly similar,” then he smirked and added, “Besides, you already order me around in the bedroom.”
Dazien felt his face flush as he practically hissed, “They didn’t need to know that.”
Veldrix and Everin both began laughing, and the Avatar mercilessly informed him, “I’m pretty sure anyone who has met you both and is aware of your relationship assumes that’s what’s happening.”
“Now, now, Everin,” the knight added to further embarrass him, “Some people much prefer to experience the opposite of their everyday positions when in a more private setting. Perhaps the King prefers to bow when only the Seneschal is around.”
“Daze would never bow to another,” Uriel said in his defense, though he wasn’t quite sure if it was a compliment or not when he added, “Even at the cost of his own life, it seems.”
Uriel tilted his head back behind him as he added, “I think we’re due for an update to our rules anyway, right? I think that last Heart Check made some issues more apparent. I’m ready to talk through some more things now,” he glanced at Everin then Veldrix before adding, “In private.”
The two older Casters chuckled then stood as well, and Veldrix said, “Well, that sounded like a dismissal from the Royal Seneschal, which I’ve definitely heard my fair share of. The one in Blomstra is an even more insufferable noble than that young Kanthis boy this evening.”
All of them began leaving Paul’s stasis room, and before they split off in different directions, Veldrix turned to Dazien and said, “When you do manage to claim that kingdom of yours that I’ve been hearing so much about, send me a missive, and I’ll come to visit. I would like to see a monarchy led by a gemite who might offer them a safer haven than the rest of the surface world does.”