Greggan

They entered the hall greeted by a servant dressed in brown modest clothing of wool and canvas but clean none the less, he wore a fez that was brown as well, the hat was worn and frayed along the bottom matched his old face which was wrinkled all the way to his long pointy nose. He bowed deeply in front of the group as the entered the door the living side of the castle, which was green with the oakleaf of the house carved into the wood beautifully and it looked as if it had been well-maintained.

Inside the entrance was bright, there were orbs glowing not by fire, Greggan had never seen such a thing, there were no hearths with fires in them to heat it yet it was warm unlike the air outside which had a certain chill to it coming off the cold waters of the east. The walls were a beige color with green tapestry hung on the walls all holding the sigil of the house. There were guards moing about as well as servants all dressed as the man in the fez did, minus the fez which seemed to be unique only to him.

"Lord Jessep, your father awaits you and your guests." the skinny fez wearing man led the way with Jessep just acting as if the man wasn't there. He continued his japes and laughed big and loudly while resting his arm around Ertimus's shoulders. Greggan looked at the artwork that hung on the walls, portraits with gold plaques that held the name of the person in the portrait. He saw large white vases holding assorted plants and flowers, but what really impressed him was the ceiling which sparkled as if it had diamonds embedding in it pearly surface. It held a chandelier that was more like a large hanging potted plant, Greggan focused on the chandelier that hung from the ceiling which was at least twenty feet above them, there were small lights that floated around it.

"Pixies, amazing little things." Eos spoke into Greggans ear, he had remained on his shoulder while Ertimus and the men ahead laughed and reveled in light horseplay, Greggan had forgotten he was even there. "Pixies!" Greggan almost shouted he had never seen a pixie but had always wanted to. They were wildly rare things to see int he south ,seeing as only Autumveil and Oakwood were the only two places in the realm with living Fire oak trees, the way to grow more lost with the elves to the secrets of the Ire. " The whole city is powered by pixie dust my boy, though i wouldn't ask what the dust is and how pixies make it" he let out a little laugh, "It's pixie shit, they drink the sap of the fire oak tree and then shit out the most valuable magical substance in the realm." Greggan smiled as he watched the pixies dance around the air dropping their dust below, it covered Greggan's clothes as he watched.

Greggan was made to start walking again to catch up with the rest of the group through the tall doors of the main dinner hall where they found an older man with silver hair and a clean face wearing green robes and the usual brown doublet, his was a bit grander with baby pearls inlayed throughout and the oakleaf sigil had been embroidered embroidered with gold wire threading's. He was older, at least forty, he had gold rings on almost all of his fingers on hands and he was sitting at the head of the dining table.

food had already been prepared and large cups of spiced red wine were sitting along the table awaiting Ertimus and his presumed crew. The table had roasted ducks glazed in honey, cream soup with onions and mushroom, there was pork roast cooked in redwine and chives and there were wild pheasant stuffed with peppers. Greggan had never seen so many fine dishes, he ate well with his mother but never on such extravagant dishes. There were piles of grapes, dates and cherries, a luxury he had only tasted once or twice when his mother could whisk one or two away from the men she was entertaining.

"Lord, here is Ertimus Windsal and his crew," Jessep smiled as he bowed to the Lord, who had taken to a bowl of grapes, he put a couple of the plump fruits into his mouth before swallowing a large sip of the wine in his cup. " Young Ertimus, I do hope my boy treated you well, now please pardon me but I must know how you came on that ship and on my shores." He smiled, much like his son showing his perfect white teeth, " but first i do think a meal is in order as well as a change in beverage, you lads don't look old enough to partake."

Ertimus tried to object stating he was "thirteen and almost a man" but the Lord insisted, "I too am a father and understands a fathers wishes. Honey water and melon juice for you two." Which Greggan was more than happy with, they had drank nothing but wine and beer, strong drinks that made up for their taste with the feeling they left behind but Greggan didn't enjoy drinking them.

Greggan sat at the end of the table furthest away from everyone else, Ertimus had say closest to the lord who pretended not to smell the dirty clothes he was wearing. "After we eat and you get put into something befitting a mage-lordling we will talk about your adventure, I'm sure there's quite the tale to be spun." The lord was very calm, speaking softly which commanded silence around his table so everyone could hear, he also spoke kindly having a certain air of joy in his quiet voice.

" thank you my lord, I'm afraid all we've been eating is onions and sea gulls and a few silver fish when we could." Ertimus took a chair as close to the lord as he could, Jessep had made sure to sit in the chair closest to the lords left hand while a guard wearing a long brown hat with golden thread embroidering the sigil of the house on it sat to his right. Mage commander Trentt, commander of the oakleaf guard. Greggan thought it strange to not see a single sword on the hip of these guards, really steel sat more ceremoniously on the hip if the mage, most not even having working edges, blunted like practice swords.

Greggan suddenly felt more out of place as he realized they were still filthy in their sea clothes that were frayed to threads in a lot of areas, especially under the arm, shabby looking orphans is what they would be taken as on the roads, and maybe they felt the same now humoring them only because they were malnourished and possibly feverish from the voyage. Greggan's stomach made him set those thoughts aside as serving maids began to place food on his empty silver plate. one brought them bowls of creamy mushroom soup with chunks of carrot and potatoes floating along. Greggan sucked down the soup before his plate had been filled, large slurping sounds and the inevitable belch had the eyes of the room on him.

" I almost forgot you had a small boy in your care, I take it you were on the ship together?" the lord enquired, Ertimus had a bit of shame in his eyes as he too had forgotten about the small boy along the way. "aye my lord, he and I were sold to the same ship, he's a good boy and brave, common as could be though with a bastards last name." The lord kpt kind eyes as he watched the bastard eat freely at his table, trying to decide if he should take it as a slight to his house or a folly of a small boy and his friend, children don't think of these sorts of things when they choose their friends.

" A bastard you say, what city claims you boy." Greggan looked up from his leg of lamb that he had been tearing into ravenously forgoing the beets and potatoes that sat getting cold on his plate. "A la'Velle milord." He furred his brow, his smile was gone and the hall that had conversations and laughter echoing through it had gone quiet. "my dear good lad, I promise us of the north did not wishthat travesty and after it had been committed the man who called the attack has been fighting for his right to remain head of our magestrate. You are lucky though, I can see that." Lucky, Greggan had his city destroyed and everyone he knew killed, his first protector murdered by mages who then set upon him, he had his nose broken and then sold into slavery and sailed across monster baring sea and the sea where specters possess weak hearted sailors. "excuse me m'lord if I don't share your sentiment."

"Lad, your one of the only survivors i have heard of as most were killed as they fled the city. Gruesome to be honest, you made away with your life and on the opposite side of the country whole. Lucky again because you met this young mage who was able to get you to me. Now let's feast so you can go and get cleaned up and good clothes on i'm afraid the sea has left you with an unpleasant scent about you and I want to hear of your adventures."

Ertimus resumed talk with the lord of the house about alliances and how much he would love a glass or two of wine and each time the lord refused it politely. Greggan filled his stomach and listened to the other men in the hall eating, most of which were the higher stationed guards and ladies that Greggan wasn't sure of their purpose, though all were comely and wearing flowing dresses that hung off one shoulder and wore belts around their wastes to accent their hips.

He noticed some of the men making eyes at a couple who would look in their direction then look away quickly to giggle with the other girls and blush. Greggan ate at least two full plates of food, a whole game hen and a large leg of lamb, two bowls of soup and a whole bowl of grapes. His stomach was tight and full and his exhaustion had begun to lay stones on his eye lids. He looked around the room to find the older men quiet from their wine and Ertimus looking to have less energy as well. He still spoke with a smile to the Lord of the house and Jessep but the jests were more few and the laughs less hardy.

"My friends our guests look to be weary, it is late in the day and i dare not think abou thow longs its been since they've had any comfort. Let's give them leave and return to them after they've managed to feel better rested." The lord orders some servants to take the boys to their rooms, give them good hot baths and new small clothes. Ertimus thanked the Lord for both of them and followed the two teenage girls wearing green robes over the brown doublet that those who worked in the house seemed to wear.

Ertimus was drunk and had begun flirting with one of the servant girl, gripping his swords pommel as he made her blush whispering something in her ear. She was with golden hair and a sweet face, her eyese were almond shaped and blue as the sky, they sparkled when she smiled. His own girl was around the same age as her companion, ten and five with brown hair that flowed over her shoulders and down past her breasts. Greggan thought she was pretty but girls were scary and awkward, they weren't great at swords and never wanted to go hunt the rats in the Garbage alleys.

"He wouldn't know what to do with her if he got her." Eos laughed into his ear, Greggan had forgotten the Daemon had stayed on his shoulder, his focus on sleep had gotten in the way, "to be fair neither would I." "and I wouldn't expect you to you're just a boy, and barely even one at that. Ertimus is asking for a marriage pact from a northern mage but attempting to slight a northern mage by putting a bastard in her belly. Wine makes all men idiots it would seem."

The halls of the castle looked to be the same wood that the castle mimicked but the walls changed in color as they went along the many hallways that seemed to spiral and cross over each other with staircases that acted like bridges in some areas. Brown walls thick and rugged like tree bark and then green as bright as new grass and then some hallways had a ceiling as red as the fire maple that grew seemingly out of the side of the castle. There were also places where the pixies hung thick in the hair, the pixie dust covering their clothing, Ertimus asked permission to collect some and was given permission to only take what fell on his clothes, that was still two or three vials worth a small fortune if he were to sell it.

Greggan didn't have any vials so he just let the dust fall on him, the room seemed to glows a bit brighter to him as he became more saturated with the silver sparkling powder. " pixie shit, to think we covet pixie shit." Greggan sighed to himself as his own guide showed him to a door that was to be the porthole to his room.

Greggan followed the young girl into his room, it wasn't a large room but it wasn't small either. It was far more comfortable than anywhere he had lodged before, no potato sacks or puddles of pee on the floor, instead there was a roaring fire going in the hearth and a four poster bed with green drapings and a sea of goose feather pillows. There was a large claw foot tub made of a beautiful marbel that had large plumes of steam rolling out of it as there was a hot bath waiting on him. there were also some clothes, a long sleeping gown with the oakleaf sigil on it, there were also brown leather breeches a light cotton shirt, a green hemp spun cloak with a hood lined with rabbit fur and some new leather brown leather boots.

He wasn't certain how they got his measurements right until the servant girl who had snapped at Greggan to call her by her name and not "serving girl", "I would call you by your name if i knew it, but you have yet to tell me it."

"They call me Irene, i'm an Oakwood." A bastard girl of the oakleafs own city, Greggan was a La'velle, though he never felt like a bastard, though everyone is a bastard in the bowels of the rats den.

She helped him remove his filthy rags and get into the giant tub. Greggan was not quite tall enough to be able to see inside the tub properly so Irene had to pick him up a bit to help him out. Nude and blushing Gregan began to scrub the dirt of his travels away, the water had been blanketed with flowery smelling bubbles but by the time Greggan had finished the water was like the stream of filth that would roll down the streets passed the Brothel because those who lived in the nicer areas of the city would empty their chamber pots into the gutters of the streets.

Greggan wasn't sure he could crawl out of the tub so he called Ilene back in, she had stepped outside the door so Greggan could wash in private, though she had seen all of him already and even blushed at his manhood as he stood there waiting for her help. Ilene came back in with a robe and handed it to him and made him cover himself before she helped him down from the tub. It was green and thick and soft, it held no sigil but was finely made fit Greggan well.

"Thank you, you can leave, I can dress myself." Ilene smiled meekly and did as she was bid. It was a new feeling for Greggan though, he had never given anyone an order before, he found he liked giving orders much more than taking them, he felt as if it would suit him to be a lord if only his blood was made of finer stock.

After putting on his sleeping gown he explored the room a bit further, he found a tall mirror he used to see himself in, he hadn't seen himself in a mirror since he was in his dirt floored room under the brothel months earlier. His hair had grown passed his ears and his nose had healed but here was a dent in it now from where his nose had been broken. He did look a bit older too, though his name day was still a bit off. He could even have sworn he was bigger in both height and size. His adventure had left his body thin but toned, coming over his left should was the tail of a burn scar the bald brothers had given him in Ahrid town before he woke up in the slavers cell. "I wonder how many more scars i'll get before i get to my next nameday?" he thought as a sudden

"Eos are you still hiding around here, are you a bedbug?" The Daemon didn't answer, it had slipped away unnoticed, most likely with its master. Greggan was along for the first time since he left la'velle, the room was quiet except for the crackling of the wood in the Hearth.

His body had begun to get heavy and his eyes burned like salt had been blown into them, he was battling sleep and losing so he decided to yield to it. The room had begun to blur as he found his way to his giant bed, he didn't even have time to slide under the covers before sleep won.

Greggan awoke sometime later to the sounds of a fight in the halls, "Ertimus!" he threw back the heavy blankets and lept from his bed in the darkness to the floor missing his step and landing hard on his ass. He moved quickly to his feet and ran to the door knocking over small table that sat along the wall by the bed. He opened the heavy door to the sight of the guards surrounding Ertimus on both sides,

Eos had taken the shape of a Bramble beast and snarled as Ertimus had his sword posed to attack, the metal looked as if to taunt the glowing fists of the six men trapping the boy in. "Give up boy, we have our own autumn witches coming, we out number you by five. You're going to die tonight eitehr way, why not make it quick" One of the gaurds spoke, his arcane energy crackled as it swirled in his palm, growing in size and intensity as time progressed.

"I should have known your lord would betray me, even wth guest rights in place and the promises of an alliance. My father...." "will have no heir and the north will have one less family to deal with." The charming low voice of Lord Oakleaf cut him off. The guards moved aside keping their arcane bolts at the ready. "The Lordship would go back to my uncle." "who also has no heirs, my boy by killing you I end one of the most powerful southern magical houses, of course the magestrate would be grateful or such a hostage, may even be the key to getting the southern mages into the fold."

"Bugger off, your little guards are not going to be enough, you better have not been lying about those autumn witches, you're going to need every thing you've got!" Greggan saw one of the gaurds begin to aim his arcane bolt at Ertimus from behind, the deep blue of the arcane energy caught his eye. He couldn't keep his eyes off of it and before he realized it he had walked out of he doorway and into the frey. Something about the arcane energy felt irresistable to him, lie he hungered for it. He reached his hand for the guarded back and placed his palm there. The mage never noticed, at least not at first, but as his hand sat it began toglow, white at first then the blue of arcane began to wash over him.

Unaware at first. but the energy began to dim from where it came and the mage began to whimper then scream as his flesh became wrinkled like sun dried dates. Greggans body glowed blue as did his eyes, the other guards holding their arcane bolts began to scream as the energy was sucked from them and into Greggan.

Lord Oakleaf watched in horror as his most trusted guards fell like empty sacks of bones onto his floor."what is this madness, what kindof spell has you're little welp cast!" Greggan was not a mage to Ertimus's knowledge, and this was no spell he had ever seen before himself, Greggan's body was bright blue like the beginning of a hot flame, he set his now elevtric blue eyes towards the Manwho was supposed to have been a great magelord, there was urine dribbling down his legs as Greggan started towards him hands stretched to grab him and leach away his magic. "Please! I'm sorry, i'm sorry, spare me please! i'll bend the knee to your father, I declare loyalty to the house windsal I swear it! just call him off" The man fell too his knees tears flowing down is cheeks, body trembling as Greggan stood over him.

" Lord Oakleaf you have no honor, and apparently not the brain the creator gave even a boy like me. That was no spell, thats blood magic weaved into his very blood, a power like this belongs to only one known family in the realm, The royal house arcana." Every southern mage knew why the arcanas had won the throne of Thre'a, their family had elvish blood in their lineage (or thas the legend) which granted them some blood magic, the most prominent was their ability to syphone arcane energy.

There hadn't been an arcana who held the old gift in a few generations and now it resided in Ivan the bloody's bastard. " You should probably bend the knee to the only surviving Arcana and heir to the throne of Thre'a, King Greggan Arcana, first of his name."

" He's just a bastard, no one will support his claim even if you can prove he is from the kings seed."

Oakleaf had crawled backwards until his back was against the mossy wall, "you better let him know that he's just a bastard, maybe he won't kill you, or maybe we kill you and burn your city to the ground and end this vile house."