Part II, Chapter Twenty-Four: Aurius Bests and Is Bested

Part II: Tasius

"He who cannot conquer himself cannot hope to achieve more." --Shiromori philosopher, c. 240 AE

May 7, 1115 AE
Tasia Castle, Miesios, Tasius

The candles were still lit. How had it taken so long for Aurius to realize it? He hadn't been asleep, he was sure of it--and yet, judging by the decreased height of the sticks, there was a solid hour missing from his memory. Groggy yet restless, he kicked back the blankets and glanced over at Kinea. She was asleep. Odd; she'd always been a lighter sleeper than he himself was. "Kin?"

Nothing. He nudged her with the heel of his foot. She didn't stir. She was practically comatose. "Kinea..."

"You can't wake her."

It was a voice he hadn't heard in years but its chilling familiarity hit him like an arrow to the spine. As the seconds' shock wore off, Aurius sprung from the bed and stared to the foot; sure enough, a tall blond figure stood there, leering his way with a smirk on his lips and a storm in his icy eyes. "You!"

"Me." Oily and sinister as always, his twisted smile widened, his crooked teeth glinting in the candlelight. How had he gotten in? And how had he known Aurius was there? It was almost violating--sickening. Aurius moved to lunge, but he'd scarcely gained an inch when his body went rigid; a couple blinks later and he was suspended a foot off the ground, bound by some burning, rope-like energy for which he had no name. What was this? What the hell was going on?

"Oh, don't be alarmed. That's just your essence. I've merely pulled it from within you; it will retreat when I command it to do so." Aurius scowled. Ustelian looked him up and down, a sick satisfaction welling in his eyes as he observed the warped bonds. "It doesn't look very healthy, does it? Funny to think that you've been carrying that inside you all your life. Maybe you're more damaged than I give you credit for."

"What did you do to Kinea?" The words were only a dry hiss, but it was all he could manage.

Not that Ustelian was one for straight answers. "She's breathing, isn't she? But she's not there. I've sent her soul to another plane; it will return to her body when I call it, but frankly I don't feel the need to do that any time soon. She'll only interfere."

"Interfere with what?" What was he playing at? What did he want? Did it have something to do with--? "Where's Athayos?"

"He won't be harmed."

That wasn't an answer... or was it? "You bastard! Give me back my son!"

He struggled against the energy but it was no use; he'd regained little of his mobility and the bonds might have been made of pure lightning. Ustelian laughed. "Oh, you won't be seeing him again, but I'll tell him you said goodbye. Perhaps I'll tell him how you looked tonight--how his father was too weak to best himself and come at me like a man. Then again, maybe I won't. Maybe it would be best if he didn't remember you at all."

"Let him go!" If only out of sheer rage Aurius managed to move one arm, but the constricting power was quick to retract it. He was nearly as disgusted with himself as he was with Ustelian. If this thing could be beaten, why couldn't he do it--even when his baby was in danger? Oh Iaytia, what was Ustelian going to do to Athayos? "You sick fuck! Let him go!"

"I'm afraid that's out of the question." Ustelian's head nudged slightly to one side. He seemed to have grown tired of Aurius's squirming--not that that meant he was about to release him. "You're a smart boy, Aurius. You know that a rational being has a reason for every action. With that in mind, allow me to remind you of one important detail: it was I who brought him back."

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