Aleris

"...Yer hate will eat yew alive. Please don't let it, please. Let it go, think of yer son... and yew must know how I feel fer yew..."



The leader of Oneiro was one of the Emissaries of the Outer Gates that was difficult to get a hold of. Unfortunately, finding Verial Akilara these days was no easy task and in reality, he was becoming more like his free spirited ex-wife than he had realized. Here one minute, gone the next. There had been letters sent out, official requests of an audience from King Alerion himself, and yet the letters kept missing Verial, floating right through him as if he were some sort of ghost. The first blood son of Sorvynia Dreamer was both lost and otherwise incapable of telling anyone where he was going. However, this time... he was not even sure how he had come to Aleris himself.

It was by some ironic fate that King Alerion had been sending him numerous letters that he never got and Verial still managed to find his way to Aleris. Verial had awoken in a small cabin that was curiously cramped, finding himself nearly unable to move his dark feathered wings or stretch out his legs. The door to the compartment was not locked and so he halfway stumbled out of his mysterious sleeping conditions. As soon as his feet hit the ground, he noticed the floor had been rocking and braced two hands on the wall in response. Verial looked down, raven hair framing his pale face and tried to discern why the floor was... moving. The floor tilted dangerously low for a moment and Verial felt himself attempting to steady his footing once more; it was only until his elvish hearing kicked in that he recognized the sound of the ocean crashing against wood. Well, somehow, he must have made it onto a ship bound for foreign land.

Verial made his way up onto the deck of the ship and no one seemed to pay him any mind, like they were aware of his presence as they were aware of every other traveler on the ship. He was just another person heading away. He leaned over the side of the ship and looked down into the water for a moment before he saw the shadow of a sea gull flying overhead. Verial rose away from the dancing waves and found that he was close to shore. It appeared they would be docking at a busy port.

When the boat came ashore, Verial drifted around the city for a while, not really having any explaination why he had come here or by what means he had gotten himself on the ship. He found that the name of this vibrant and rich place was called Grand City and belonged to the realm of Aleris. He had some gold to live off of for purchases, though he used it sparingly for not knowing how long he would actually be here in Aleris. He did have half a mind to send a letter home, though he was not sure if the carrier raven would be able to locate the Villa from Grand City.

"I am okay. I'll be home soon.

Love,

Verial"

He did not write where he was, for the minor fear that his family would come looking for him. The last thing his needed was his mother, who was swelling with child, to come aboard a ship on a search for him. The thought of a new baby sibling made him shake his head for a moment; he had left with so many things unanswered once again, only this time he was unsure how he made it onto the ship in the first place. Absently, he hoped that Kyrian was okay; Verial had wandered off in the midst of a plague that was looming over the Villa and was unsure of how everyone was faring or if the death ridden disease was even over.

A few days had passed and the location which Verial had "stumbled" upon sparked no interest in him until about three days later. It is amazing the things one can hear when blessed (or cursed) with elvish blood. Verial had been lingering around a pub called the Oak Barrel Tavern when he overheard a conversation between two travelers. Parts of their talk faded in and out and he found himself mostly uninterested about the Outer Gates they spoke of until...

"Neeeee---ro?" one of them slurred drunkenly.

"No, you idiot. It's called Oneiro," the other man said slamming his frosted mug down on the table. Drink splashed up around the edges. "It's called One-ear-o... and the King has been damn well trying to get a hold of that Emissary of the gate for a few months now. Wish they'd open up the blasted thing."

"Much treasure to be found, eh? Maybe someone can force the Gate open."

Oneiro.

Verial took the first train out of Grand City. Finding the gate the two drunkards spoke of was not difficult; the King of Aleris had seen fit to build train stations - five of them - that circled the land and stopped at these Outer Gates. How foolish, Verial thought looking outside the window as the train chugged along on the tracks. The train whistle sounded signaling its upcoming stop at the Oneiro station and grinded to a slow halt until at last it paused. Exhaust could be heard flowing from the train as it waited patiently for its passengers to depart.

He was the only one to step foot from the train and he was thankful for it. For a moment, Verial was taken aback by the scenery ahead of him. When the train moved away from Grand City's station, Verial watched the tracks travel through a lush forest. But once he got closer to the Oneiro station, the terrain had changed around the perimeter of the Gate, as if it were no longer a part of Aleris. Instead, the trees ahead look twisted like they were being morphed into some void. The air flickered with flashes of lightening and felt too thick to breathe. Verial trudged onward until he was stopped by a voice.

There was a lone man who called out to him and Verial took him for appearance as a train station guard. He looked rather bored, but happy to see someone he could finally question. By the looks of it, not many had probably stepped this way, except the occasional daring adventure who would try to test their luck and see if they could open the stubborn Oneiro gate.

"What business brings you here, sir?" the station guard said. "Did you get off on the wrong stop?"

"Oh, not at all," Verial answered, "just visiting."

"Right, well then... be careful out there. The atmosphere just isn't right," the guard nodded. "If something happens, doubt anyone will come after you."

"Thanks for the warning," Verial replied and turned on his feet following a path that weaved its way into a thick entanglement of trees.

Verial had to push his way along and his wings got stuck quite a few times trying to get through the protective enclosure of greenery. He found himself stopping to suck what air he could, feeling as if he was swallowing more than breathing. Verial was not sure how far away this Gate was or what it even looked like, but his optimistic side tried to reassure him that, "Well, they wouldn't have built a train station so far away."

Barely even a few more feet travelled forward and Verial was leaning against the mutated trunk of a tree, one that was covered with layers upon layers of bark and curled down towards the ground instead of rising to the sky. The tree formed a sort of arch, big enough for a person to walk underneath. As he let his weight be supported by the tree, Verial tried to convince himself that the pressure of the atmosphere was too much; he needed to come back some other time and prepare better, less he wanted to stop breathing all together. However, there was a sudden pull from beneath the palm of his hand that made him raise his head and look around cautiously for a moment.

Verial had not turned to glance back at his hand, scouting the area for anyone who might be causing this sudden force, until there was a burning sensation coming from underneath his fingers. His odd colored eyes dropped to the bark which started to glow fiercely radiant. Verial recoiled his hand away from the heat and there on the tree was a rune, pulsating with crimson light in the shape of a crescent moon. Pulling his hand away made the rune stop glowing as brightly, though it acted as if it wanted to reach out to Verial still, as if calling him home. So this was the gate, Verial thought.

Taking a step back, Verial rubbed his hand and though he had received a burn from the rune, he felt himself renewed with a strong desire. He had made it to the Gate and though his presence in Aleris seemed at first pointless, there was meaning to it in the end. To destroy the Oneiro gate. No one must ever know about the realm or enter into it. The place would stay buried within the hearts of the Children of Dreams as it currently was, and he sought to be the one to sever the tie between Aleris and Oneiro.

Briefly, before stepping back to the tree, Verial wondered what fate had brought him back to Oneiro again, to destroy his relation to it once more...

Reaching a hand out, Verial grasped onto the spot where the rune was and it instantly started glowing again, flickering beneath his grip. Verial was no expert with magic; he has lost that part of him somewhere in his childhood. He was not able to seal the Gate with incantations or spells, but there was one other way he was sure he could get rid of this Outer Gate. And that was to crush the tree with as much force as he could muster into his being.

Pushing forward, Verial heard the tree starting to groan in protest. Yet, the tree remained in place, refusing to budge from the ground its roots were buried deep into. There, in this strange place, Verial felt himself conjuring up an inner power he did not know he had; a dark aura had formed about him as he closed his eyes concentrating on getting rid of the Gate. His wings stretched out and he became unaware of a transformation happening to him. Raven feathers fell from his wings, floating lifelessly to the ground, and they were replaced leathery, dragon wings. His arms became spotted with obsidian scales, becoming much stronger in response and talons morphed from where fingernails once were. The son of Sorvynia heard the tree crack; the power of his dragon's soul merged with his own being creating a force to be reckoned with, once that not even the Gate could withstand. Verial Akilara was not alone after all and the corners of his lips turned upwards into a small, defiant smile.

For Verial, lately getting an "easy" task done never seemed simple. Even in all his current strength and desire to destroy the gate of Oneiro, it was not enough. While he allowed his dragon's soul to take hold of him, the man at the train station had pointed a group of four Royal Guards in Verial's direction. They went along the path Verial had travelled only a few minutes ago, but with much caution, the atmosphere of the gate around Oneiro being a uneasy and turbulent one.

When they finally came to the stranger that was Verial Akilara, they found him with a hold over a twisted and misshapen tree trunk. However, their defenses became alert when they took notice of the ancient energy which radiated from Verial's palm. It did not make matters any better when Verial did not respond the first time they called out to him to stop. Between the unresponsiveness and the destruction of the tree, the royal guards began to take action.

Verial did not turn to face them right away, even when a number of hands were on him pulling him away from the trunk of the tree. Instead, his hold on the tree tightened and where fingers once were, claws on Verial's hands dug into the groaning and protesting trunk. A deep growl rumbled from within Verial's throat, threatening, and his dragon wavered on the edge of being released. It took the force of all four men to wrench Verial's grip away and pull him from the tree. After he was forced from it, Verial gritted his teeth and attempted one last go at the gate which was futile. The distraction had made him aware to his surroundings again - to the air's unusual pressure.

To the men who tried to restrain Verial, he looked nothing more like a man possessed by some sort of demon. Growling and furious from being parted with the gate, Verial was quickly detained and pinned to the ground by the Royal Guards as they placed braces on his wrists to bind him. Lying on his stomach, a guttural roar spilt from Verial's lips and in response, the whole forest momentarily shook. The gate hummed for a moment in resonance as if trying to reach out to Verial in matching hymn.

Realizing they were running out of time, the guards half drug a shaking Verial back to the train station. It was becoming apparent to the guards that Verial was going to be no easy prisoner to take in as he was now trying to beat them away with his wings. Upon reaching the train station, the guards yelled to the man attending the station for a rope. When the rope was delivered, Verial's wings were tied down and he had no choice but to wait as he was taken back on the next available train to Grand City.

Verial was not conscious that he was being led through the city with surprised eyes watching his still fighting being. And he certainly was not aware that he was now in front of King Alerion himself, being held up by the guards. All Verial could fathom was that he was trying to maintain some level of humanity, but behind rapidly fluttering lashes, his mind was plagued with an unrecognizable feeling; a hate surged throughout his body, wishing nothing more than to go back to the Oneiro gate and destroy it.

King Alerion met his royal guards in the Grand Hall; bringing the struggling prisoner any further might have been dangerous to those lingering within the castle. King Alerion cast a wary eye over the bound man that was being held upright by the Royal Guards now. The man seemed to be unresponsive, his head rolling from side to side, as the guards shifted him trying to keep his weight up. When the man did not respond, Alerion rose his head to the guards for some sort of answer.

"We found him, Sire," one of the Royal Guards began, "in the Oneiro gate area. We don't know what he was trying to accomplish, but there was an ancient magic about him and he wanted to destroy an already dying tree. He tried to fight us off well enough when we pulled him away from it."

"He appears to be possessed by something," Alerion started looking over Verial. The King stared Verial in the eyes, trying to gain some contact behind those closed eyelids. "What were you doing at the Oneiro gate? We have a thief around who has been suspected of stealing a religious artifact and you can understand how you might be a suspect because of this."

Verial did not respond.

"Take him down to the dungeon for holding," Alerion said. "When he comes to, we can question him about his presence in the Oneiro gate, and if he chooses not to respond... we'll have him moved to Ironhold Prison. Who knows how long we have been trying to get a hold of King Verial Akilara. Ages it seems. This man may be able to tell us something."

The small prison below Aleris castle was a dismal and damp in comparison to the rest of the lavish building. Verial was barely aware of his new neighbors, a few prisoners shouting to be let loose and demanding their freedom as the Royal Guards pulled Verial towards his cell. Upon being shoved into his new quarters, his wings were unbound, but the braces binding his arms behind his back were left on.

It was only then when Verial heard the definite slam of the iron bars shutting into place did he start to come back to his normal self. His mind was confused at first, disoriented and clouded with thoughts. The guards were long gone by now so Verial did not bother calling out for them or making excuses why he did not belong in such a place. He assumed he had done something to get him thrown in here, though he could not recall what it was right now.

With a slow pace about the call, Verial surveyed the area wondering if there was any chance of escape, but there seemed to be no hope of sneaking out. Leaning against the wall, he felt as best as he could with his hands for any loose bricks or cracks in the wall, but all he got was the feeling of slick and moist cement against his fingertips. Not far off, Verial could hear the steady dripping of water somewhere and wondered if this place was somehow connected to the Aleris sewer system. That would certainly explain the smell.

Verial sat down and leaned against the wall, letting his wings prop him up some. The ground was cold against his legs, but he did not notice the temperature so much at the moment. His thoughts were starting to come to and his memories were gathering in a swirling pool inside his mind. It was only then that he remembered his decision to try and destroy the Oneiro gate and the strange desire that followed afterwards. What had come over him? He had never acted so... possessed about getting something done before, but in any case, the mission still remained. The gate must perish, but how to get out of here first...

As it had been purely chance that had brought Verial onto Aleris’ shore that day, the same chance placed a familiar face in the same vicinity as the Oneirian King as the guards led him from the throne room towards the dungeons. Alidia’s gaze only swept over the prisoner, but the large bound black wings brought her to the startling realization that she knew those wings. She stopped in her tracks in the hallway as the royal guardsmen manhandled Verial past her with her mouth gaping open. He was being treated as just any other prisoner and she instantly knew that there had to be some sort of misunderstanding here. Kings, even if they have committed great crimes, are not treated as a common prisoner as this.

She and Verial’s association had been brief. They had once crossed the paths of each other in a land other than this one. Her treatment of him had not been any different of any other male that she found physically attractive. The fact that he was a fallen king of his own land had brought a flicker of interest from her. He had a more interesting story to tell than other people and that is probably why she remembered him so well. That and his eyes. Royalty rarely impressed her, she had associated with many and dated a couple. But the sadness in Verial’s eyes had left a lasting impression in her mind.

He was a man who had lost much and struggled with great guilt. And she could not watch him be led away to a cell without trying to help.

After the guards have led Verial out of sight, she turns and heads straight to the throne room. The King of Aleris and she were by no means friendly, but she had been previously introduced to him and he, hopefully, would remember who she was. Alidia was not a politically prominent figure but she had always been well connected socially and she was hoping that would help her be well received as she broke all sorts of royal protocol by approaching Alerion without appointment.

She was not. The King had already moved back to his suit of rooms. Charm had gotten her through the door and into the interior sitting room of the King’s chamber, but that looked like it was as far as she was going to be able to make it.

“You do not have an appointment,” Alerion’s secretary intoned with a nasal voice.

“Yes, I know. But I have something important to speak with His Majesty about!”

The man had merely started to flip through a date book without responding to the urgency in her voice. He looked over his glasses at her and cleared his throat.

“His Majesty has an opening for an audience for five minutes on the 6th of next month. What is your name? I’ll pencil you into the appointment.”

She had to suppress a groan of frustration. “It cannot wait that long,” she replies, her tone reflecting her irritation. The secretary simply shrugs and holds the pencil over the paper as if waiting for her to give in to his decision.

Movement catches her attention through a crack of the door behind him. She only sees a brief flash of a golden chain and recognizes it as one that Alerion wears around his neck. She hesitates only a moment before she does one of the most uncultured things she has ever done in her life.

She raises her voice at the King of Aleris.

“King Alerion!! I must speak with you about the prisoner you just sent to the dungeon!” The secretary is already up and grabbing her arm at this point and trying to propel her backward into the arms of a guard. “I know who he is! HE IS THE KING OF ONEIRO!”

The secretary pauses when she yells the last sentence. Alidia cringes as the guard wraps his burly arms around her and literally lifts her short stature off of the floor to carry her out.

But the door to Alerion’s room opens…

Alidia was carried in the King's chamber by the same burly guard who had restrained her only seconds before. Alerion looked her up and down for a moment, as she flailed wildly still trying to get his attention, unaware that she had even been brought in to see the King. Alerion smiled gently, if anything he was amused at her behavior and the alarming protectiveness she showed towards the prisoner who had been hauled downstairs only moments before. Her words, nevertheless, did reach his ears and gained enough interest that the audience wait time was shortened from five minutes to 30 seconds.

"Miss Desiderio," King Alerion began, "my you are impatient. Could you not give me a few more minutes to prepare myself?"

The guard finally drops her on her feet in the room and takes a step back, though he was hesitant, afraid her desperation would send her at a frenzy towards the King. Alerion moved a step closer and took a look at her disheveled figure; her hair was now swept across her eyes, like a badly drawn curtain.

"So you say my prisoner is the King of Oneiro," Alerion said. "It would be impolite for me to say I don't believe you, but you can understand how a man who seemed very much possessed I might be skeptical of that he is a King. If you can bring me some proof that he is the leader of the Oneiro Gates I have been seeking, Verial Akilara, then I would be forever in your debt."

King Alerion nodded to the guard behind Alidia who in response wrapped his thick arms about her tiny form once more, feet dangling from the air again. At first it seemed like Alerion had become annoyed at her accusations all too quickly and that she too was going to join the prisoner in a nice, cozy cell.

"Alidia, my guard will escort you down to the dungeons and you can have a better look at the prisoner. See if you actually do know him and can gather me some evidence of his royal lineage."

With that, Alidia was strangely carried out by the guard down towards the dungeon. As if she couldn't walk...

When the guard lifted her off of her feet she was infuriated.

…Well first she was slightly turned on, but then she was completely infuriated! Her small fists swung back to pelt him along his side where she could reach and her feet kicked in the air. Once she is sat on the ground, she glances through her hair at the King as he speaks to her. It would be proper to drop into a curtsey at this moment but the guard leaves his hands on her arms to make her stand still. She finally blows the hair out of her face after Alerion has greeted her.

“I was afraid they were going to…” she begins to explain herself then realizes that Alerion is simply taunting her. She bites onto her lip as he inspects her more closely, then remains silent as he continues to talk again.

Then she gives the King a look like he is crazy, “What kind of proof… oof.” Her words are squeezed away when the guard lifts her again. “Wait.. What are you doing?”

The guard was loving this, she was certain of it. He heaved her up higher against his chest and simply walked out of the King’s room. Despite her protests that she is very well capable of walking on her own two feet, the guard refuses to release her and takes her down into the very bowels of the Palace. By this point she had given in to being toted around and simply looked at her surroundings quietly. Until the smell hit her, which she promptly groaned and covered her nose.

The stench of urine and unwashed bodies was overwhelming. Different prisoners groaned and leaned against their cells. One grubby hand came out to try and touch them, even brushed against the guard’s sleeve, but the large guard shrugged the hand off and continued forward.

He finally stopped and set her down, motioning to the end cell in front of them. In the dim light of the cell block she could only see the outline of a man in front of her. The guard seems look at her and thinks about giving her instructions, but obviously changes his mind and shrugs before leaving her there by herself. She hugs her arms around herself and squints into the dim light of the cell.

Verial was sagged down against the wall. She slowly stepped up in front of his cell and realized that Verial was either sleeping or pretending to sleep. He looked much the same as he had on the day she had met him. There was something majestic about the large black wings that framed his outline. It had been the first thing she had noticed about him, but then she always noticed large black wings. It was a physical attribute one of her ex lovers had as well and she couldn’t help but look at the men who were winged.

She remembered being in a great mood the night that their paths crossed. He had responded to her attention politely, even with mild interest. But Ali had been almost positive that his heart belonged to another. That was always alright with her though. She never wanted their heart, just their body.

He looked so sad, slumped against the moldy wall. She ached to jerk open these bars and pull him out. She had no idea what he had done even now, but it could not have been something that horrible or Alerion would not have sent her down here.

“What’s a king like you doing in a place like this?”

Verial kept his head lowered towards the stone floor of the dungeon. He did not notice that Alidia had made her entrance in the dismal prison until she called out to him. Even then, Verial did not raise his head to acknowledge her presence. In contrast to how Alidia may have perceived Verial's calm personality before, now it seemed like he was just being rude.

The silence coming from Verial was nearly overwhelming and almost eerie. The only people who took notice of Alidia's presence in the damp and unsanitary place were the other prisoners. They called out to her obscene names, whistles and cat calls, along with some perverse images of what they'd like to do to her in a dark alley way with no one around. Usually Verial would have responded to the other men, maybe even defended Alidia, but here he just sat and listened to them joke around about her while she stood her ground trying to defend him.

He did owe her some words.

"Who me?" Verial began and slowly his head titled up towards her. "I am no king."

A strange smile crept across Verial's lips and it was not the honorable smile he would have normally worn, but something almost more sinister. Verial bent one of his knees up to his chest and lifted a hand to point past the prison bars. His hand waved to the lurking shadows in his neighboring cells.

"Alidia," Verial began using her name, a sign that he did at least remember her from their short visit in the past, "I think you are torturing these poor men. You may not want to stand too close to the bars, because most individuals would not stop at anything to drag you right into the cell with them."

However, Alidia was close to none of the other cells really and for Verial to say such a thing, it was as if he was warning her even of himself. Had something changed in the fallen King of Oneiro that Alidia had not been subjected to yet? Had he become as vile and vengeful as some of his enemies around him? One thing was for sure. Verial could taste desire in the back of his throat laced with destruction for the Oneiro gate.

It was this thought that made Verial push himself away from the ground. Verial strode towards Alidia, inches away now from where she stood on the other side of the bars. His hands circled about the iron bars and nodded at her, his odd colored eyes looking into her dark, green orbs.

"What are you doing down here, Alidia? Do you want to help?" Verial said his voice very firm. His head nodded in the direction of the guard who had swung her down here like a rag doll. "Then go do something about that guard and get his key. Maybe you can use your 'charm' on him. I do not want to be in here anymore than you do, but I don't feel the need to talk to King Alerion. I don't owe him a damn thing."

Verial's hands dropped from the bars and he turned from her. Slowly, he paced about the cell his head turned upwards looking at the ceiling. In mild amusement, he optioned the idea of shifting into his dragon form. This would have brought the whole dungeon down on him and the other people, but what did he care?