Wraithvine {who may or may not have a companion} has found Hirself contractually obligated with escorting a truly wretched individual to safety. A Lordling who pisses on the common folk, believes himself superior, and is guilty of a few actual crimes no one dares arrest him for.
No locals, anyway, and while Wraithvine needs to bring the Lordling to a certain location…there’s nothing that says the journey must end there. Why not continue on to a jurisdiction where the Lordling can face arrest? Jail is quite safe, after all. -- Anon Guest
Sometimes, species of Alfarell have an easy time making enemies, whilst openly wondering if it was something they said. For most of recorded time, that species was the Elves. They entered the mortal plane and immediately took umbrage with Dragonkind. As other species evolved, either the Dragons or the Elves attempted to dominate them. Thus creating more umbrage all around.
You'd think that species that long-lived would learn more lessons in their lifetimes, but no. They kept repeating the mistakes they refused to learn from history.
Case in point, the Lordling Liacaryn, a mere septuagenarian[1] who had a checkered past since his Tormentious Twenties[2]. They were entitled, arrogant, openly disrespectful, and hornier than a Geep[3]. He'd already caused a lot of lawsuits and nearly triggered a few wars as a result of his neglected by-blows.
So his father, High Duke Omahaus, had put the lad into Wraithvine's care. All so the Lordling Liacaryn could go to his destined bride's house and be forced to marry early. That, the High Duke Omahaus presumed, would make certain the lad would stay out of trouble.
Wraithvine doubted it. Ze had further proof as they commenced their long journey as Liacaryn began complaining about the transit options.
"Just one Wizard?" he complained. "I should have a coach. A coterie. Scouts sent ahead to build a shelter for the evening. Why do I have to ride a horse?"
"Humility," said Wraithvine, leading the creature since Liacaryn had never bothered learning how to handle a horse. "You're undergoing a pennance, your grace. That means that suffering is supposed to teach you a lesson." One you refused to learn your entire short life, so I doubt it'll work, Wraithvine kept hir disrespectful thoughts to hirself. For now.
"What if beasts attack? How am I meant to feast? How do you plan on combatting my father's enemies? What if some strumpet decides to follow us? Why didn't father send at least a squadron with you? You're just a Wizard..."
Wraithvine snapped hir fingers, summoning a horde of Dire Scorpions from the Plane of Toxins. The fact that they lined up like soldiers and saluted with their claws unnerved his disgrace more than the sight of the giant insects. "Just a Wizard who's had all the time of this world to learn some interesting tricks."
"...very well..." his disgrace squeaked. "You may dismiss them."
"Say 'please'," said Wraithvine. "In fact, say, 'please, honoured elder'." Ze usually didn't insist on such formality, but this brat needed a solid kick in the complacency.
The journey got even rockier from there.
His disgrace complained about everything. Having to 'camp' in a freshly-woven survival cote. Whining about campfire-cooked food. Going on and on and on about having to hunt and forage for his supper. About drinking river water rather than wine.
He even demanded to be assisted into his meditations. Like a forty-year-old.
Wraithvine had had enough. Ze was charged with taking his disgrace safely to his allied household for marriage. There wasn't anything at all about how long ze had to take to do so. So ze changed course, heading for a polity that had an outstanding arrest warrant for Liacaryn. One that had a decent enough peace treaty, so his disgrace would survive the punishment.
The boy was too busy whining to realise what was going on until the Majestrix's soldiers took the reins from Wraithvine's hands.
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded his disgrace.
"Humility," said Wraithvine. "You are sentenced to years of hard labor to pay for your sins. In this case, childcare for your by-blows in this realm. Twenty years, if you're capable of good behaviour." The smile would not leave hir face as the soldiers put the young pain-in-the-ass in shackles.
"What? How dare you! My father will hear of this! You were meant to see me safe in the Grand Duchy of Tuneca!"
"And I will," said Wraithvine. "After you've had some well-deserved consequences for your ill-thought actions. I'll check back in twenty years to see if you've learned anything." Ze paused to gloat. "Including the definition of 'good behaviour'."
His disgrace's screams of outrage were music to Wraithvine's ears.
[1] Elves are generally not considered adults until they're a century old.
[2] The Elven version of the Terrible Twos. Except Elves get two phases of emotional turmoil and misbehaviour. You may want to pity the Elven parents.
[3] Goats crossed with sheep render Geep. An animal with two sets of horns and look properly diabolical.
[Photo by rob ritchey on Unsplash]
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