Blood Bonds

[Zhaless]

"Tell me again, why am I not allowed to enter my own home? Why do I have to wait in the audience hall like some stranger or lowly servant?"
Zhaless' voice was calm but her eyes displayed anger.

The house sentry looked back at her directly with a not entiredly friendly look on his face, himself.
"A direct order from the Matriarch. She did expect you hours ago, but you're late. She have other important matters to attend. Lady Val'umbra is busy attending a meeting with the Vassal Houses. Politics and buisness.You will wait here until you're summoned."

"Summoned?" Zhaless could no longer hold her anger back. "What? Are you daft soldier? You seem to forget that I'm a Val'Umbra by bloodline, just like my mother. Who do you think you're giving orders commoner? I could have you removed and punished for this."

The sentry's facial expression was icy calm, not giving in to her threat.
"My orders are clear. You are not allowed to venture futher into Val'Umbra Mansion, without permission from the Matriarch."

Zhaless let out a frustrated growl, but gave up arguing with the guardsman. There was no other way than waiting it seemed. She threw herself down in one of the many couches lined up in each side of the hall.

The trial of Dachande was still fresh in her mind. The trial was actually the reason for her being late to her meeting with her mother.
Even though Zhaless had nothing against Dachande, part of her couldn't help feeling dissapointed that he was taken away and his punishment wasn't displayed to the clan, to set an example, showing what any traitor to the clan could expect ...at best.

240 lashes was still a harsh punishment though. If the flogging were to be executed by Drakkos, it would take someone of enormous constitution and stamina to survive this kind of flaggelation. Zhaless made herself a mental note, not to get on the wrong side of neither the Celebrant or Drakkos.

Being the youngest of seven children and one of her mother favorites. As a child she had always managed to charm her way out of trouble, when she had defied her mothers will. This usually resulted in her mother punishing one of her elder siblings in her place. Something which over the years had led Zhaless' siblings growing a deep grudge and hatred towards her.

Zhaless snapped out of her thoughts glancing around in the hall. How long had she been waiting and how long did she still have to wait?
"This is getting boring." she thought.
As she ran out of patience she stood up and left the house through the main gate in the hall.
The sentry at the other end seemed like he couldn't care less.

As she stepped on to the yard outside she looked up at the mansion facade. Two storeys up a window was open. This was near her old room.
Zhaless quickly looked around making sure noone was watching then she started climbing the wall using the many ornaments and ledges on the surface to get up quick and smoothly. Moments later she squeezed herself inside the open window.

Zhaless glanced around in the room. This was aproximately the size of her old room.
She turned to a desk beside the window. "Ah, this is Vylnara's room."
she thought, as she reconized her sisters personal seal on some documents stashed on the desk.
Vylnara was the 6th child of Athatis Val'Umbra. Only a decade older than Zhaless.
A silver plate with luxurious candy from the Giran market, caught Zhaless attention.
She stuffed her mouth with a handful leaving only a few pieces on the plate. "I'm sure Vyl won't mind me tasting a sample" She smirked to herself.

She turned her eyes to Vylnara's bed. A beautiful and expesive looking corsage was laying on top together with a handwritten note.
"Desires and Passion ~ Quarlath" It said.

Zhaless couldn't resist the temptation. She removed her jacket and top, grapped the corsage on the bed and moved to the rooms wall mirror to test it on. It didn't fit well.
It was surely made for someone more nimble than herself.

As she struggled with the laces on the back, a sudden noise came from the door. A slim silver haired dark elf walked in, with an expression of disbelief and rage carved in her face.

"Zhaless!?"

Zhaless had to think fast. Vylnara had a violent temper. As a child Zhaless had occationally experienced this temper and knew that Vylnara wouldn't go out of her way in using magic to torture anyone that she felt had wronged her.
Should she appologize? Growel before her sister and hope for a swift beating?
No. Zhaless was no longer a small helpless child. She had grown slightly taller and stronger than her elder sister who had spend most of here life sitting indoors, studying dark arts. This would be a good time to tip the scales of power.

Zhaless turned around facing her sister "Meh, this corsage is abit snug up front!" she said beaming a wicket grin at her sister.

Vylnara clenshed her fists, her knuckles turning pale "That is my corsage, you thieving little harlot."

Zhaless smirked scornfully "Tell me dear sister, is this lover of yours who gave you this, mole eyed? Or have you just failed to inherit your share of the fabled Val'Umbra bust supply?"

Vylnara lost her head, just as Zhaless had hoped. Enraged by the insults she forgot all about spellcasting, charging blindly at her younger sister.
The attack was weak, just as it was to be expected from someone with almost no training in hand to hand combat.

Vylnara's attack was reduced to feeble scratching, clawing and hair-pulling. Zhaless gave her sister a knee to the stomach, then a hard punch on the jaw. Vylnara stumbled backwards reaching for the door frame to regain balance.
Not waisting a moment, Zhaless jumped at Vylnara and the two rolled out in the hallway outside Vylnara's room.

Being stronger than her sister, Zhaless quickly got on top, delievering a vicious blow to her sisters nose. Vylnara shrieked as blood sprang from her nostrils. She was now reduced to a cowering and whimpering ball in fetus position on the floor trying to cover her face and abdomen from more of Zhaless' strikes.

Just as Zhaless planed on how she should get even with her sister, paying back years of torment and pain, she was interupted by an authoritative voice echoing through the hall.

"Enough!"

Both siblings turned to look in the direction of the voice. Athatis Val'Umbra was standing only a few yards from the sisters. She was accompanied by a tail of lovers and leaders from vassal houses.

"How can my autorithy and leadership be respected by our allies, if I can't keep my own bloodline at peace within the walls of my home?"

The tone in the Matriachs voice was hard as steel and Zhaless reconized the calm, but fierce look that Athatis gave her and her sister. It was this look her mother would give anyone that she planed punishing.

Her mother usually never looked this way at Zhaless. It made a chill run down her spine.

(to be continued)

[Sadori]

((Lovely, Zhaless... I look forward to more))

[Zhaless]

Even though the guests kept quiet in the background, most of them were smirking, clearly amused by the sudden drama and the Matriach's humilliation, eyeing each other knowingly.

A detail that didn't pass unnoticed to Athatis. "What?... Anything you wish to say?" She turned around snarling at her companions. "You dare to mock me behind my back and challenge my authority?"

The guests lowered their eyes onto the floor, instantly wiping the grins of their faces.

The Matriarch quickly managed to a grip on her anger, calming her voice. "Dear guests. I need to be excused for a moment please continue to the feast hall... We will proceed there."

As the guests left the hall Athatis looked back at her daughters. The look in her eyes made the two young dark elves on the floor cower.

"Vylnara! Return to your duties. I will deal with you later and I swear that your bloody nose will be the least of your concerns."
Vylnara pulled herself free from underneath Zhaless, and fled back into her room slamming the door behind her.
A sudden muffled sobbing and whimpering could be heard from behind the door. Zhaless figured that her sister had noticed how bad the broken nose looked in the mirror, by now.

Athatis pulled Zhaless up by her arm. "Why do you have to be this way Zhaless? When will you grow up?"
The Matriarch no longer looked angry. Athatis' face was like marble, but her eyes displayed dissapointment and sadness.

Having no answer, Zhaless just squirmed uncomfortably in her mothers firm grip "Mother, please.."

Athatis didn't let go. "Child... you have dissapointed me so many times. I had such great expectations for you."

Zhaless was pouting her lips, her eyes shifting trying to avoid her mothers gaze.

"...And now you shame me before our allies. You know very well that I, in my possition cannot be allowed to display any weakness."
Athatis turned Zhaless' chin with her free hand, forcing her daugthers eyecontact.
"I will strike down any challenge or threat to this House without mercy. It is my duty to make sure noone is allowed to stain the family name. I will take any step preserving the honor and respect of the Val'Umbra... even if it means that I would see myself forced to kill my own offspring."

Athatis' last sentence made Zhaless wince.

"You recently joined a respectable clan as I requested. It makes me believe that there is still a shred of hope for you in becomming a respectable Val'Umbra, worthy of your family name. This is the only reason that you're still drawing breath."

Zhaless blinked and swallowed hard, nodding at her mothers words. She had stopped struggling against her mothers grasp.

"Mother, please let me tell you about my time with Echoes of Darkness what I have learned and achived. I swear you won't be dissapo.."

Athatis interupted before Zhaless could finish. "Save that for Jadhya, she will be your warden from now on. You will report to her. Your future and your life will be in her hands."

Zhaless stiffled and started whimpering.
"...But Moooom, Jadhya hates my guts. She would rather see me dead than anything else."

"Consider it a motivation to try even harder. Either way you're no longer my responsebillity" Athatis responded dryly.

The thought of being at Jadhya's mercy made Zhaless tremble inside.
Jadhya was second child and first daugther of Athatis. Zhaless spend most of her childhood fearing Jadhya like a monster that would come and snatch her out of her bed in her sleep.
Jadhya was an accompliced summoner already before the birth of Zhaless. Dealing with the dark arts had corrupted Jadhya's mind and turned her paranoid and unpredictable.
Being first heir to the matriarchy and Val'Umbra Mansion, she was obsessed by the thought of keeping this status at any cost. The mothers obvious fondless of Zhaless made Jadhya grow jealous and seeded a brooding hatred towards her youngest sister.

"Come along. She should be ready for you now."

All objections was ignored by Athatis as she dragged her daughter down the hall by the arm.

"This is not up for discussion, child. I already made this decision before your arrival. I have informed your sister and she accepted the task."

As they arrived at Jadhya's chambers, Athatis let go of Zhaless.
For a moment the Matriarch beamed a sad smile at her daughter.

"Go on in. Don't forfeit this chance, Zhaless."

Zhaless felt dry in her moth as she entered the door to her oldest sisters residence.
From the corner of her eye she could see her mother heading back towards the feast hall to rejoin her guests.

"Look what the cat dragged in."

Jadhya looked up from a stack of scrolls on her large desk. The penetrating gaze from Jadhya's eyes, made Zhaless stiffle. Jadhya was tall even for a dark elf. She kept her jet black hair, tied up in a bun on top on her head.
Her eyes used to be bright green like Zhaless', but decades of dealing with demonology and dark summoning arts had left her tainted to the core. It had given her eyes an omnious red glow and it felt like her presence was threatening to swallow every source of light in the room.

Jadhya glanced down at a young silverhaired girl sitting beside her at the desk. "That concludes your studies for today sweetheart. Off you go."

As the girl made her way to the door she stopped infront of Zhaless looking up at her with an unfriendly expression on her face "My mom says that I will be mistress of this house once I grow older" The girl said in a mocking tone. "She also says that you will be dead before I grow up."

"Xirylae, don't be mean to your aunt. Mean doesn't suit you." Jadhya said with a broad smirk.

"Nyyyah!" The girl stuck out her tounge making a face at Zhaless before leaving the room.

Jadhya's lips curled in a cruel smile as she beckoned Zhaless to come closer.

"Step closer dear sister."

It was like the temperature in the room dropped, as Zhaless slowly moved up to her sisters desk.
She could hear the soft pounding sound of her own rapid heartbeat.

Jadhya's smile faded and her expression turned hostile revealing her true contempt and hatred towards her sister. She stood up placing her hands on the desk leaning forward to inspect Zhaless closely.

"Since Mother have given up on you and you're now my responsebillity, I would like you to give me one good reason, why I shouldn't put an end to your useless existance this instant?"


(To be continued)