Damianos of Akielos (
princekiller) wrote2016-05-18 08:47 pm
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
it was going to be a beautiful day
Afterward, Damen found his way back to the tent, weaving and swaying with his pants held up with one hand. Laurent stirred from beneath his furs, laughing as the ground beneath Damen swayed and lurched. 'Stop,' he warned, walking on unsteady legs toward his own pile of furs. 'If you laugh, I'll follow over.'
And he did just that, collapsing into the pile with a grin and closing his eyes. His muscles were still thrumming pleasantly, mind fuzzy from the drink and activity. 'Halvik had a lot of girls,' he said, exhausted and utterly sated.
'Stop laughing,' he said when he heard another snicker, glancing over to see Laurent with his head propped one on hand.
'This is instructive. I've seen you put half a dozen men in the dirt without breaking a sweat.'
'Not right now, I couldn't,' Damen said. The low ceiling of the tent began to swim and Damen closed his eyes again.
'I can see that,' said Laurent. 'You're relieved of your regular duties in the morning.'
'That's nice of you. I can't get up. I'll just lie here. Or did you need something?'
'Oh, how did you know? Take me to bed.'
Despite himself, Damen laughed, a low thing halfway stuck behind a groan. Rolling onto his side, he pulled the furs up over his head and sleep swiftly dragged under.
If he dreamt, he did not remember it. He woke slowly. Peacefully. The furs beneath him were unbelievably comfortable and the drink he had been given the night before, he was pleased to note, had not left him with an throbbing head.
Taking a deep breath, Damen rolled to his side and stretched his legs as the morning sun peeked through the front fold of the tent.
Damen blinked his eyes open, but his mind could not making any sense of what he was seeing.
The body was not Laurent's. Nor was it Kashel's, nor any of the other women he could remember exhausting him. And there were no furs.
Fear gripped him and held tight and Damen scrambled from the bed, his feet landing on the soft fabric of a rug. Only when Damen looked down, he noted that the rug extended to every corner of the room and that these corners connected walls the likes of which he had ever seen before.
The body in the bed was a man, as broad and tall as Damen but blond like Laurent. He looked like a warrior. Like a soldier.
'Where have you taken him?' he demanded in Veretian, shoulders hunched, unlaced pants barely clinging to his hips. He had no weapon but his own brute strength, but he was prepared to fight.
And he did just that, collapsing into the pile with a grin and closing his eyes. His muscles were still thrumming pleasantly, mind fuzzy from the drink and activity. 'Halvik had a lot of girls,' he said, exhausted and utterly sated.
'Stop laughing,' he said when he heard another snicker, glancing over to see Laurent with his head propped one on hand.
'This is instructive. I've seen you put half a dozen men in the dirt without breaking a sweat.'
'Not right now, I couldn't,' Damen said. The low ceiling of the tent began to swim and Damen closed his eyes again.
'I can see that,' said Laurent. 'You're relieved of your regular duties in the morning.'
'That's nice of you. I can't get up. I'll just lie here. Or did you need something?'
'Oh, how did you know? Take me to bed.'
Despite himself, Damen laughed, a low thing halfway stuck behind a groan. Rolling onto his side, he pulled the furs up over his head and sleep swiftly dragged under.
If he dreamt, he did not remember it. He woke slowly. Peacefully. The furs beneath him were unbelievably comfortable and the drink he had been given the night before, he was pleased to note, had not left him with an throbbing head.
Taking a deep breath, Damen rolled to his side and stretched his legs as the morning sun peeked through the front fold of the tent.
Damen blinked his eyes open, but his mind could not making any sense of what he was seeing.
The body was not Laurent's. Nor was it Kashel's, nor any of the other women he could remember exhausting him. And there were no furs.
Fear gripped him and held tight and Damen scrambled from the bed, his feet landing on the soft fabric of a rug. Only when Damen looked down, he noted that the rug extended to every corner of the room and that these corners connected walls the likes of which he had ever seen before.
The body in the bed was a man, as broad and tall as Damen but blond like Laurent. He looked like a warrior. Like a soldier.
'Where have you taken him?' he demanded in Veretian, shoulders hunched, unlaced pants barely clinging to his hips. He had no weapon but his own brute strength, but he was prepared to fight.
no subject
But now he's awoken suddenly for a second time, not from a nightmare, but from a stranger. A year in Hellgate had made him a light sleeper, and it had taught him to be alert, not bleary-eyed or sleep-muddled, and so he sat up, jaw clenched and body tense, ready to fight.
The man in Dutch's bedroom is as much a giant as he is, looming and muscled. He's half-dressed like he's spent the night here with the two of them, but that's impossible. Matthias is confused, but despite the man's stature, he is unafraid.
"I don't speak that. Who are you?" he growls, standing at full height, hands curled into fists.
no subject
When he spoke, it was neither Veretian nor Akielon. Not even Patran. Yet it was a langauge Damen found himself understanding nonetheless though did not know how or why. He frowned, growing further unsettled with each passing breath.
'You are not Veretian,' he said this time in the strange new language, letting the words fall from his tongue. Despite Damen's tone, it was less statement than question.
no subject
"Have you done something to Dutch?" he asks in a hard voice, stepping forward. They are alike in height and build, so for once Matthias can't use his size to intimidate and must instead use his cold eyes and the rough bite of his guttural, learned Kerch.
no subject
However, there was something deeply sincere in the question that followed, the man stepping forward, his tone sharp.
Damen stepped back, though his body remained poised, ready for the attack. 'Is a Dutch a person?' he asked, a shot in the dark. Then posed one of his own, the first in an ever-growing list. 'How have you not heard of Vere?'
no subject
"Dutch is a woman. She was in this bed with me, and now she's gone. What did you do with her?" he asks, the question more a demand than anything else. Dutch is strong, a warrior in her own right, but she would have been vulnerable if she was sleeping. How could he have slept through an abduction? He's getting too soft in this place.
no subject
He raised a single hand then, palm out, placation and surrender both.
'I'm sorry, I do not know this Dutch,' he explained. 'I was in a Vaskian village last night. I went to sleep in a tent with--' Here he cut himself off, not wishing to reveal too much. 'I will not ask you to believe me as I'm having some difficulty believing any of this myself. Can you tell me where I am?'
no subject
He rubs the short hair of his skull to keep from punching the man, knowing it isn't his fault.
"You really didn't see a woman?"
no subject
She has to see what's going on. With a smirk on her face (because it's so easy to hide any fear behind that), she pads into the bedroom and stops short at seeing Matthias and another man standing around her bed. This would be the things dream would be made of if it wasn't so strange.
"Well, this is...unexpected," she says, looking from Matthias to the stranger. "Matthias, did you get tired of me already?"
no subject
He was unaware of the woman's presence until she spoke, her voice coming from beyond his shoulder. He turned to look, though he kept this Matthias in his periphery, muscles alert.
'You're Dutch,' he said, taking in the sight of her quickly. This then, was the woman this man was so worried for though she did seem remarkably at ease with Damen's presence. They both wore clothing unlike anything Damen had ever seen before. 'And you're Matthias. Will either of you please tell me where I am.'
no subject
"He is-- he was in your bed, I think," Matthias explains, motioning to the mountain of a man in front of him. He is not only unfairly larger than Matthias, but also better looking. And in far less clothes. Matthias' eyes narrow a little and he moves to stand by Dutch, and also a little bit in front of her.
no subject
She slants Matthias a look at his protectiveness but doesn't try to shove him aside. He can be protective even if Dutch thinks she's figured out what's happened already.
"You're in Darrow," she fills in since Matthias hadn't answered that particular question. "It's a city that's probably not on any maps and you can't leave. It's the world most luxurious prison. I didn't take you. Matthias didn't take you. We got here just like you."
no subject
A city not found on any maps, a city with some apparent fortified wall that Damen was sure he would need to see for himself. He couldn't begin to guess whether this strange city was being protected or, if it was as she claimed, simply a very large prison.
But why had Damen found himself here? Why did he know this language he was sure he'd never heard before? What was this clothing they wore, these trinkets that decorated the room? What was any of this?
He shook his head. There was no sense to any of it.
'If this is as you claim, if I am to believe you,' he said, glancing from the woman to the man and back again, 'how are you so calm?'
Perhaps, he thought, they had grown accustomed to their bonds in a way Damen had not with his own. Though he hardly registered their physical weight on him any longer, the gold collar and cuffs were a mark on him he could not shake. Temporary, yes, but unavoidable. Was this similar?
no subject
He tries to remember that now that whoever this man is he is probably scared. The question is, how dangerous is he? Just because he is new and out of his element doesn't mean he can be trusted.
"I have been here almost three months, and Dutch even longer. Do you have magic in your world? That's what this place is," he tries to explain.
no subject
"But yes, I've been here awhile and I've tried just about anything to leave." She shrugs. "I'm still here. Neither of us are here to hurt you."
She smacks Matthias in the arm just to make sure he knows that that's not allowed, not right now. "I'm sure you're confused. I wish I could say that goes away quickly but it doesn't."
no subject
No, that was well beyond Damen's ability. He was more likely to believe a lie from Laurent's tongue than in any sort of magic. But he found he couldn't otherwise explain his circumstances other than to assume he must be dreaming. But he'd never had a dream like this one, full of strange faces and words, items and clothing.
'If you are not from here, then where?' he asked. 'And what is this language we're speaking?'
no subject
Matthias crosses his arms from the smack, petulant that she would allow him to look weak in any way in front of this stranger.
"There is no real explanation," he says, and glances to Dutch for clarification. So far he's never met anyone who's had a clear logical explanation.
no subject
Elijah had been interesting and amusing but Dutch wasn't dumb. She knew when she wasn't wanted because the other person just didn't go for her gender. Too bad. He'd been pretty cute.
"And don't pout," she adds after a moment. She glances back at the new arrival. "There's new real explanation, he's right. We're speaking English right now but I know other languages are spoken here. This is just what the majority of people speak. What's your name? Have we gotten that far in introductions yet?"
no subject
He hesitated at the question, weeks spent among Veretians giving him pause to consider every motive even in something so simple as introductions. This didn't seem like any plot even a Veretian could conceive however and he found himself lowering his arms, though his muscles remained tense and wary.
'My name is Damen,' he said, electing to keep his full identity quiet. If this truly was a secluded city, separate from all others, his name and place would make little difference, but Damen was unsure yet what to believe. 'I am Akielon. And you two? Is every person in this city from elsewhere?'
no subject
"Hmph," he says quietly.
And so bossy.
"I'm Matthias Helvar," he says to Damen, eyes still narrowed a touch in suspicion. "I'm from a country called Fjerda, and I speak that language as well. Not everyone in this world is from elsewhere, some have lived here their whole lives."
no subject
Dutch grins over at Matthias and pats his shoulder. "That's something you and Matthias can bond over."
It's just so easy to tease him but she keeps her hand on his shoulder and strokes idly. "I've never heard of where you come from, Damen, but I'm not surprised. Are you injured at all? Hurt? Need some water? Booze?"
no subject
'I am not injured,' he said, rubbing a hand against his temple as he, once again, recalled the events of the night before. If he had any further wounds, they were only the delighted scratches of Halvik's women. 'What is this booze?'
no subject
He groans. "She has all kinds." He's speaking of the booze, of course. It isn't his expertise, so he leaves that to Dutch. Her generosity rubs off on him, though, because in the next moment he adds, "Would you like a shirt? I can run downstairs and get you one of mine." They are nearly the same size. The same height at least, though Damen is bulkier. He should have something large and loose enough.
no subject
She crosses her arms and gives Damen a look before glancing over at Matthias. "Maybe one of us should take him to get the creepy packet of information. I doubt he wants to spend much longer sitting in my apartment while you glare at him."
no subject
He lifted the fabric, tugging at the laces enough to keep the garment in place.
'We have alcohol,' he said at Dutch's explanation. 'Various types, but none called booze. And why would I want a creepy packet? What is a creepy packet?
no subject
"A creepy packet is what Darrow gives you so you won't show up here homeless," he tries to explain to tall, dark and handsome. "It has money and keys to your apartment."
He looks back to Dutch. "We could both go? I can take Damen with me to get a shirt, and...shoes, looks like. And get changed myself, and we can meet you downstairs?" he suggests. He knows he could simply take Damen himself, but he isn't sure he's ready to leave Dutch after he stayed over. He imagined they'd at least share breakfast together.
no subject
"That sounds like a good enough plan," Dutch says, nodding. "Behave when you're alone with him. He's new and there's nothing between us no matter if he woke up in my bed or not."
It's a joke and she laughs, patting his shoulder again. "This okay with you?" Dutch asks, directing the question to Damen.
no subject
He wasn't certain how he felt going anywhere alone with Matthias but, though he was clearly well-muscled and possibly trained as a fighter himself, Damen had no doubt he could take Matthias should he need to. And the promise of both more clothing and, more importantly, shoes was compelling.
'I'm not sure what else I would do,' Damen admitted with a frown. 'Will you show me this wall? The one keeping us here.'
no subject
He motions for Damen to follow him. "I'll explain on our way. The keys to your apartment," he repeats, bringing Damen through the bedroom, into the living room, and out of Dutch's apartment and into the hallway. "It'll be like the one we were just in. That's Dutch's. It's like a lot of small houses in one large building."
He pauses, but decides on taking Damen down the stairs instead of the elevator. One less thing to explain.
"And there is no wall. We're kept here by magic."
no subject
Instead, she gathers up her things and pulls on a jacket before heading downstairs. She waits for them just outside, hands in her pockets and an easy smile on her lips.
no subject
'You continue to insist on this magic,' Damen said with a deepening frown. 'Have you tried to leave at all?'
It seemed a stupid question immediately after he asked it and Damen shook his head. 'No, of course you have. You must have. But there is no means at all. Not even by boat?'
no subject
"It's like some kind of invisible barrier. You can walk, take a ship, even an automobile. But if you go too far you get turned around. It's maddening," he admits.
no subject
Had he ever been in a fortress of this size? It lacked the artistry of a palace, even of his home in Ios, but the size...
'What is the purpose then?' he asked, dread a coil in his belly. 'Are we meant to serve someone? Is there a war to be fought?'
no subject
He's glad for once than Annika isn't here. He lets her stay in the forest outside of Candlewood overnight sometimes. She likes to be surrounded by nature, and she knows to behave herself.
"It just brings us here to live. It's...mostly peaceful. But I think that depends on what your idea of peaceful is," he says, and moves to the bedroom to find Damen a shirt and shoes, if they'll fit him.
no subject
A moment later, Matthias handed him a shirt made of simple, white fabric. There were blessedly few lacings -- none, in fact -- and Damen turned it this way and that before fitting it over his head like armor. It fit snugly, stretching across his shoulders and digging into his upper arms, but it would do. The sandals provided were a better fit and, though there were no lacings to keep them affixed, he found little difficulty keeping them on.
Glancing up then, he gave Matthias a thoughtful look and a nod. 'And thank you,' he said, his voice a touch softer as he plucked at the shirt. 'These are very strange garments.'
no subject
"You're welcome," he says. "You can keep them until we get you things in your size. The city gives you money for that. Hang on a moment."
Matthias slips into his bedroom to change from his pajama pants into his jeans. He puts on a pair of socks and his running sneakers and returns to the main room.
"It's the clothing of this city. It's strange to me, too, a little. These shoes especially," he says looking to his sneakers.
no subject
He followed Matthias into the room, only stopping short when he realized exactly why Matthias had gone in there at all. Though nudity was no issue to Damen, he knew that wasn't so in every culture. He turned away to inspect the bare, white walls and the furnishings of this room, shaking his head.
'I can't make sense of any of this,' he confessed a moment later, turning when Matthias speaks again and glancing down at his feet with a new expression of bewilderment. They were most certainly not boots, though they at least bore laces. 'They are comfortable?'
no subject
"I know it doesn't make much sense now. I felt that way too. I still feel that way about a lot of it, but...you'll get used to being here eventually. And you might even find someone you know," he adds with a small shrug. After all, Kaz, Inej, and now Jesper are here. Though none of Dutch's companions have shown up.
He looks down at the sneakers and smiles up at Damen. "These are very comfortable, and not as hot as boots. You'll want to get a pair." He nods toward the door. "Let's go," he says, and opens the door back up, letting Damen go ahead first.
no subject
Frowning, Damen stared at the shoes adorning Matthias's feet with unfocused eyes.
When he glanced up again, Matthias was ushering him back out of the room and, dumbly, Damen followed. 'You know the person who makes them?' he asked, testing the feel of the borrowed shoes on his own feet with every step. 'And how do I find this money? This bank?'
no subject
He brings them downstairs and meets back up with Dutch.
"The money will be in your packet, and you can keep it in the bank, or get more out of the bank." He gives Dutch a helpless look. This must be how he had been with her all the times she had helped him.
no subject
"Everything all right?" she asks them both. "Have fun?"
no subject
Dutch was waiting for them in another, larger room. She smirked at them, an expression Damen might have thought to comment upon if not for his continued, general unease.
Instead, he only said, 'Fun is not a word I'd use to describe anything about this morning.' His words trailed off however as his eyes caught on the vast windows that took up almost one entire wall. He moved toward it slowly, mouth agape at the sight that awaited him beyond the glass. For it was not a fort he saw, or at least no fort he'd ever seen before. The structures were massive, the designs neither Akielon nor Veretian. Not even Vaskian.
All Damen could do was stare.
no subject
At least Damen seems nice enough. Matthias had been through most of this himself, largely with Dutch's help, he just forgot how much there is to explain.
"There will be moving machines out there, they're called cars," Matthias supplies in advance, and takes Dutch's hand for the walk to the train station.
no subject
"Cars are pretty helpful but you might want to save learning how to drive for at least your second week here," she advises. "It'll be a little easier to focus then. Possibly."
no subject
'Do you not have horses?' he asked, staring at their joined hands for a moment before walking out with them. The air, he was relieved to find, felt just as it had at home. He had not considered it might feel differently until seconds before they'd left the confines of the building, but he was still relieved.
There was nothing he had seen, so far, that reminded him of Akielos, or even Vere.
no subject
"There are horses to ride for leisure, but no one uses them as transportation," Matthias says. "You can ride on the bus, which is like a very large car that you don't have to drive yourself. Or a taxi, which is a car someone else drives for you."
There is also, supposedly, the subway, but Matthias hasn't tried that yet.
no subject
"The city's not that big either so walking everywhere isn't necessarily out of the question either," Dutch advises with a shrug. "I've run around the island a few times and it's big but not that big. It's doable as long as it's not snowing or raining acid."