Zhang, Zor Empire. As/A: 3084.

Milen Geyr

Milen was flat broke.

The only gold Musc he had on him were a few he managed to plunder before going into hiding from the man whose very hand could cast a shadow on the world and steal the sun as well...

"Such a cruel existence."
Geoff lamented softly as he turned from the ocean to face the swarm of men pacing about, fully rigged in torrents of ignorance he wanted to combat, and as usual, they paid him no heed.

Behind, the fiery waves bashed herself against the rocks of the shore, forcing her hands upon the sands of the beach and leaving the golden beads of earth clothed in salt, as zephyr commanded her tides, and drove about the swirls of her cold breeze.

Geoff looked at the inattentive crowd before him, grounded his already scurrying courage, and began to speak at the top of his voice.

"A song, a cry, a plea, no one knows. Nobody has ever lived long enough to tell the tales of the maiden's graceful chords: the irresistible heightened pitch and sonorous chimes which are best avoided and left unheard-"
A long braided maroon beards dangled from Geoff's chin, patting his bare chest and frolicking in tune to his nodding head. Some of his toe gnawed through his boot, escaping to the surface and across the edges of the flipped over iron bucket his short plumped feet settled on.

The wind brushed his face as he spoke, ushering into his nose the smell of the salted waters and its chill that soothed his nostrils as he sucked every bit he could in. With the ocean on rampage behind him, and the shouts of sailors and their bells beckoning they raise the anchors, had his mind troubled that greed would have them thirsting for vain glory, leading to their immediate death.

"Cmon man!" A man spoke from behind, halting Geoff's lips and forcing his face to the man's way. "Ladies that splendid are only found in palaces, not within the salty seas."

"Just ignore the bloated fool," Another cautioned, walking closer to the man heaved by a bucket, whose height was barely by his chest even with the bucket under his feet. "The dwarf babbles on and on about this same shit whenever anyone is about to set sail." He added, and spat on the dwarf's boot.

Having sneered as the midget did nothing to reciprocate, he growled, folded his fist and struck the midget clean in the jaw. He spat on him again as he watched Geoff drop on his back, and begin to flinch from the kick he had arched his leg to deliver.

"Pfft!" The man cussed and walked away.

Not too soon, there was an influx of audience swooning in to offer a piece of their disgust to Geoff, as well as lashes of cold sneers, one the dwarf never batted a lash in acknowledgment.

Although Geoff hated their ignorance, but determination and the heroic sense of a martyr fueled his words, with hopes that it would be a saving grace to even a soul from the damnation of the deep blue, he was willing to gamble-not his gold though. Picking himself up, he patted off the dust, brushed off the blood that lined from the cut on his lips, and mounted the bucket and continued.

"I pray thee my good merry men, even the winds and the starry sky points to the horrors beneath the Colchian waters."
His pants hung loosely on his waist above his ankles, as he grabbed the waist line to keep it in place, and projected his short limbs, leaping off the bucket and landing on the ground.

The men heaped around him only grew with the disenchanting array of cacophony that lined into Geoff's ears, as they shoved elbows at each other, struggling for a chance to accurately hit the him with the faded soda cans they dug from the beach's sands, broken bottles, their boots, and any other item at their disposal. But their requited attempts to end his squabbles only propelled more of the short man's preachings.

Geoff Hustenut, the crazy drunken dwarf known to be a descent of the caverns in Cidar, never failed to deliver his prompted tales by the harbour. Though talentless in swordsmanship, he skillfully mans the ropes of navigation with sincere dexterity, as well as his amassed experience. But today, his fables and tales still remain a mystery to many, as truly, no one has ever lived long enough to prove them.

"Well there mate-" a kinder tone that birthed an unpleasant silence with a sour déjà vu for Geoff, and a rigid palm clamped Geoff's right shoulder. "How would you like to go on a trip above these same waters you speak of?"

Geoff, heights barely at the man's waist, turned and heaved his head to meet a meekless smile directed at him from the man who ditched him years ago. His brow caved as he asked,
"What are you doing here Kramper?"
His loathe did not elude his dry tone.

"Kramper? You have got to quit the nick names, little Daisy," his faux smile slowly became a wide jawed grin. "Do I need to spell out Milen for you?"

"I would love you to, but knowing a muscle brained idiot like you, I'm certain that you do not even know what alphabets are."

He teased, causing Milen to chuckle and respond,
"Try me!"

Geoff stared at his face, trying to make out the reason for the expression and weirdly twisted aura Milen is having on. But before long, Milen's playful delight slowly ate away and a more serious one grew on him, sending Geoff into an alert mode.

"Where ever thee goest Kra-Milen, you drag along the dreadful claws of trouble by thy side." Geoff contemptuously said.

"Right there...that," Milen pointed in jest at Geoff's face. "That stupid manner of speech!"

Geoff stood, riddled with confusion. He turned around, and the men who'd earlier encamped him had dispersed, and he was left to face the most troublesome of them all.

"Speak like a normal man, for fucks sake dammit. That's why I almost killed you last time: your obnoxiously feigned taking." Milen growled, causing Geoff to scoff.
"It's puts you on a pedestal to condescend doesn't it?"

"This is my original accent, as my ancestors -"

"Those greedy stunted sons of bitches died years ago, and you shouldn't be tied to their nonsense!"
Milen advised, halfway pulling his hair out in frustration.

"We descendent of those sons of whores," He air quoted. "are but a handful left, including most races which are but a shimmer available, and I, trying hard to reserve what I can of my tradition, isn't stupid."

"Pfft," Milen scorned. "Y'all are too much trouble. Just speak normally when you're around me, if not," A cocking sound blasted in a silence, "I'll blow your brains out." He threatened Geoff with his pistol pointed at the midget's head. He immediately shifted into laughter. Geoff, having his galloped heart settle, stared at him disdainfully.

"Oh how I hate thee!" Geoff's teeth gritted with the longing to drive a knife through Milen's neck and watch him bleed to death.

"So, the sail?" Milen asked, snapping him out of his daydream. "I've got money." He added.

"What ever it is, I am not interested." Geoff pouted.

"Even if you're paid in gold?" Milen gave his pocket a few taps, while looking into Hustenut's bulging dark gray eyes.

"How much gold are we talking about?"
The dwarfs ears caught on a rare sound, the slithering song of tiny pieces of heavy metal clasping together. It made him greedy.

"Five hundred gold pieces." Milen replied.

Geoff stood in shock, one he knew uncapped his composure, and unveiled his state to Milen. But the young dwarf, being driven overwhelmingly by his innate greed, chose to play for more.

"I will take seven hundred." Geoff debated.

"Three hundred!" Milen attacked.

"Four-fifty!"

"Three hundred and fifty! Deal?" Milen's foxiness paid off. He knew the midget would get greedy, and his plan was to reduce the initial price.

Noticing Milen's grin, Geoff scoffed and said. "You slimy snake!" His face wrinkled in displeasure.

"A deal is a deal. Here's half --" Milen brought out a bulbous leathery purse, poured out some of its contents, counted out a few, and handed him the tiny black sack of pointy surfaces. "you'll get the rest once we reach our destination."

"And where would that be?"

"The wonderful-" Pausing to arrange a dramatic pose and tone, Milen dazzled his reply. "...peaceful, beautiful and magical Colchis." He knew his reply was the direct opposite, except the fact that Colchis indeed is a haven for especially dark sorcery.

Geoff's Jaw dropped, as he wondered if Milen was trying to provoke him or simply being stupid.

"Impossible!" Geoff attacked, trying to dissuade him. "No mere person can find the island of sorcery," But changing the sly fox's mind will require more than just facial expressions. "an ancient magic shields it from the eyes of the ordinary. Normal folks like you and I, cannot even cross the dangerous Colchian streams, talk of finding its exact location."

"That is why I have as a partner, a Magus, one whose blood flows with the very essence of the dark city." He smouldered confidently.

"Who?" Geoff skeptically asked, thinking that it is one of Milens ploy to force his hands.

"Hello, I'm Amelia."

Geoff's leapt away startled from the petit goldie lock waitress. He was astonished by the sight of her. He took a second glance at her, studying her features before he walked to her, took her right hand and placed his sun baked dry lips against the back of her hand.
"It is always a pleasure to meet a lovely lady."
He said, while looking into her beaded walnut eyes.

"Don't let the pig fool you," Milen scoffed. "He's not charming in any way."

"Wait," Geoff raised a brow. "How do I know that she's the real deal -"

"Fuego!" Amelia chanted a spell, causing a tongue of flame to sit on her palms which she immediately extinguished. She was quick enough that no other person had noticed.

Astonished, Geoff's eyes glimmered and he began to grin as he studied her face.

"When do we set sail Mr Dwarf?" Amelia eyes still fixed on Geoff's retinas and his thick furry brows, she shot a question and broke away from his crispy-dry-hard palm.

"Right now M'lady, if thou please." Geoff responded causing Milen to growl. Still enchanted by her presence, he inhaled deeply, basking his nose in the tinges of lemon and rose fragrance the air around her wore.
"Follow me," He said, still wallowing in her perfume. "Its time I introduce you to the Cinder Barrel. Follow me!"
He looked hypnotised as hr dragged his feet away.

"Cinder who?" Amelia asked as she walked behind him.

"That's what the crazy midget calls his ship." Milen whispered into Amelia ears, which made her chuckle.

•••

"All aboard?"

A dirty slender scalawag screamed and slid down a thick brown braided twine. The wind that followed him as he swung past, reeked of beer and rat piss. He repeated the same swinging, until he jumped from the rope and landed in front of Milen and Amelia.

His yellow scattered molars glistened as he smiled in acknowledgement to the lady beside Milen, as he stood watching her, completely dazed.

"Get back up that mast!" Geoff's growled, snapping off the hobo's examining eyes which Amelia felt it had began to travel to forbidden places. "We raise those rusty anchors in five minutes."
He ordered.

"Aye!"
The thin tattered man scurried back up to his office.

"We depart in five minutes dirty pigs, man those..." Geoff completely ghosted Milen and his little miss extra, barking orders while waving his tiny hands and short arms in the air.

"At least he doesn't have hooks for hands right?"
Milen faced the blonde bartender, letting forth an outburst laugh.

"Are they... Pirates?" Amelia's frowning brows accompanied her scanning eyes all through the ship.

"These filthy skinny drunken horde?" He paused midway, and cried forth another laughing round. "Geoff is just a really small man with a bad attitude, genetically predisposed to be greedy-"

"He does not have a bad attitude." Amelia interjected to correct.

Milen ignoring her, went on with his talk.
"And no one with this raft for a boat, would dare claim the word pirate. All it takes is a heavy breeze, and this boat is mowed down."
He giggled as he awaited Amelia's positive reply.

"You are a very strange man."
Amelia said and walked away from him.

"And I'm also dashingly handsome..." He screamed at her. "You know that's a very rare combo right?" He paused and ran after her.

"So, would you mind telling me what made the all sexy enchantress leave her home, and choose to settle in a kingdom as lowly as Zhang?"
His flattened face from laughter, became rigid and serious.

"It was a decision, -" Amelia turned her face to the scream which stroke her already awkward conversation, and then to the chains scraping one side of the ship they were yet to ride. "nothing more." She added, turning back to the meet the unsatisfied Milen.

"Alright! I'll have your word for it."
He shrugged and continued walking as she did.

By the wooden railing that ran around the ship, she stopped and relaxed her elbows on it.

Sighing, she knew clearly that he only relented because there would be plenty of time to ask on their voyage, and to ease his doubt, she decided to give him a chip, hoping it would be enough to ease his prying ears.

"A banishment spell."

"What?" Understanding the gravity of that statement, Mile couldn't help but ask with a dropping jaw.

"The supreme sorceress, as punishment for certain crimes, chooses to curse, rather than inflict physical damage."
Letting loose a sigh, she continued the rest in her head.
"One part of the story," she thought, "just one should make him shut up." It was futile. Milen was more of a half-empty guy, and if it weren't a full cup, he wouldn't hesitate to burn bridges for the rest.

"Punishments are for offenses. What exactly happened?" Throwing her into a cramped corner, he continued to shove her while breaking off her defenses.

"Have you heard of the Blood moon ritual? A ritual done by the supreme sorceresses of Colchis?" Amelia was hesitant, and Milen had a slim idea of what the ritual was, but he shook his head negatively.

"It is a tradition, that has been passed on through generations of blood witches dwelling in Colchis, a ritual that chooses ten new born babes, who are to be drained of blood, and offered as sacrifices-"

The immediate caving of Milen's eyes, sent rushing down her back cold razor sharp blades, which in turn had her momentarily mute as she couldn't help but be sucked into his churning gaze. Each part of her dreaded the memory of those days, but she couldn't force herself from saying them, and in as much as she could read the disdain in Milen's eyes, she could see that he was interested in what she had to say.

She let a heavy gulp trudge down her throat, and continued her tale.
"...to the sorceress. A spell draws the blood out of each babe, through the tiny pores of their skin, which in turn slowly crushes the tender bones of each child, until all that is left is nothing but their pink rubber skin."

Another gulp stained its way down her throat, right as her voice became hefty as each sound was slowly getting lost to the weakness of her throat.
"I couldn't... I couldn't stand doing such inhuman act to my only child. I had to run away... to save my poor baby, but it wasn't long before I was caught, and my child was pried alive from my fingers and I was charged with treason, and banished from Colchis."
She wiped her eyes, cleared the clogging phlegm and sniffed.

"This ritual, why the blood of babies?"
He asked.

"An elixir..." She jerked forth strength, and responded. "The purer the essence, the more effective."

"A little suckling's blood for an ordinary elixir?"
Milen felt surges of anger cascading all over him. "Whatever reason it might have been, torturing an innocent child just for self satisfaction, is totally unacceptable-"

"Immortality!" She interjected.

"What?!"

"You may be well aware of the unique ability the grace of blood witches, and for centuries our high sorceresses have pushed further beyond mere healing, to actual replenishing ones life essence." She knew she was equally guilty of this act, as she had once promoted it, and if revealing this secret would find her the slightest redemption, she was willing to tattle.
"On a blood moon which appears once every hundred years, the high seated mages, use these babies to create an elixir, one specially meant to extend the length of their life."

"They technically steal the life span of ten children, to last them another hundred years, in time for the ritual?" Milen's displeasure became heightened with questions. "What do they aim to achieve? Nobody extends their life for nothing. I mean, who loves this dirty, bloody world of despair, these unnecessarily powerful men created."

"I never realised that." She clutched her chin while vaguely applauding him for catching on so fast, and Milen on the other hand, simply didn't take notice to it."That is a plausible explanation for their every gruesome act."

Milen simply shrugged, and then took a different route on their conversation.
"So how do you plan on breaking the banishment curse and getting us in?"

"A potion." She eagerly replied. "I cooked up a potion for the occasion. Let's have our fingers crossed that it works."

"What does it do?" Milen inquired.

"Leave the witchery to me! You may have been some legendary figure in time past, not even you can understand how this portion works." She snorted and walked away.

Milen had opened a page of a very dark story of her life, one that made her vengeful, and again, she swore her vengeance.
"Once I return to Colchis, Migera and the blood coven will have to pay for all their atrocities..."

Amelia, away from the smart lecher, her head began to heed to will of the wind living on the salty ocean, as each hasty pull dragged each yellow strand of hair back. She closed her eyes, and inhaled the icy air, while letting the soothing splattering sound of water against the sides of Cinder Barrel to travel through her ears.