"Nyssara"
Nyssara lifted her silken skirts and hurried down the winding corridors of the palace, barely suppressing her giggles as she escaped her mother. She escaped her lessons once again, and even though she knew she would be punished for it later, it was worth it to her.
Not that the punishments were ever really bad - mostly it was just extra chores or grounding, anything she would heartily put up with to escape her lessons.
With a cheerful smile, she ran around the next corner, only to bump abruptly into a pair of legs. She bounced against muscular legs and almost staggered back before someone quickly grabbed her by the shoulders and kept her from falling.
She looked up and realized it was her two older brothers, Kaelon and Sylas she ran into.
"Who do we have here. Look Sylas, it looks like we caught a very naughty girl running away from mom again" Kaelon said, nudging Sylas with his elbow.
Before he could reply she squealed and hugged Sylas's waist.
"Then I guess we'll have to do our duty as good sons and put her back where she belongs," Sylas said as he stroked her hair.
She cried out briefly when she heard that, "Please, anything but that," she begged, giving them her best puppy eyes.
As expected, Kaelon and Sylas collapsed under the full weight of her watery eyes.
"All right." Sylas relented, "but why did you run away this time anyway?" He asked.
"I know my letters and my history, but every time we come back to the same thing. It's sooooo boring" she whined.
"Please hide me from her," she pleaded as she heard footsteps approaching.
Kaelon and Sylas looked at each other before coming to a compromise.
"Okay, come on" and showed her a secret hiding place that the two had found themselves years ago. They weren't sure if it was wanted, but it was there anyway and they used it whenever it was of help.
Shortly after she hid herself, her mother came around the corner.
Her eyes scanned the corridor before stopping at her two sons. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and raised an eyebrow.
"Have you seen your little sister?" she asked with a hint of suspicion in her voice.
Kaelon and Sylas exchanged a quick glance before Kaelon, the older of the two, raised his voice. "Nyssara? No, Mother, we haven't seen her. Perhaps she is with father or with the dragons"
Seraphine ran her eyes over her two sons, looking for signs that they were hiding something from her. But their faces remained innocent and calm. She sighed slightly and shook her head.
"I know she's here somewhere," she murmured, more to herself than to either of them. "Her lessons are important, and she can't run away from them forever."
Sylas nodded seriously, while Kaelon did his best to keep his expression neutral. "We'll let her know when we see her, Mother," he promised.
Seraphine shook her head once more, but then turned and continued down the hallway in search of her daughter.
Kaelon and Sylas waited until their mother's footsteps faded before turning to the hiding place. "You can come out, Nyssara. She's gone," Sylas whispered.
"Thank you!" she whispered, hugging her brothers quickly. "You guys are the best!"
"No problem," Kaelon said with a wry smile as he lightly tapped his little sister's head. "But we should leave now if we still want to go to Verdralys and Lūmorax. Otherwise, it will be dark and too late to ride them out." Sylas, who was always more the taciturn of the two, nodded in agreement and shoved his hands in his pockets.
"See you later, Nys. And good luck with Mother," Sylas chuckled, a cheeky grin flitting across his face.
Verdralys and Lūmorax were their dragons.
Verdralys, Kaelon's dragon, had emerald green scales and was a beautiful dragon in her eyes. He completely matched Azorath and his surroundings with his green color.
Lūmorax, Sylas' dragon, was a pale, almost golden yellow that looked especially beautiful at sunrise. The she-dragon was very much in line with Sylas' temperament, and was also very gentle with other people who were not her rider.
"You're going to the dragons, can I come with you?"
Sylas glanced quickly at Kaelon before looking back at his little sister. "Mother will have our hide if she finds out you're going with us."
"So I can come with you?"
They both shrugged their shoulders with a grin. "Sure".
"Where is Father by the way?" she asked as she strained to keep up with her older brothers. Her short legs made it a far more difficult task than it should have been.
Her father was a busy man who often had little time for them, even when he wished he did. He made an effort to delegate his work to others to make time for them whenever possible, but it was never easy.
Not only had he built an entire city out of nothing when he was the age Kaelon and Sylas were now, but he also ran a world-spanning business that delivered as far away as Asshai. Although in Asshai there didn't seem to be much demand for the drinks her father produced.
she couldn't understand the reason for that, of course.
For one thing, she had no idea about such businesses, and for another, she had never tasted the whisky herself. She didn't know what was so special about this drink, but everyone said she was too young to understand it.
A stupid statement, she thought. Why should she be too young to drink anything?
Kaelon, the oldest of the three, cast a quick glance over his shoulder and replied, "With Grandfather, as far as I know."
Nyssara furrowed her brow and paused for a moment. "With Grandpa? But he's in the capital, isn't he?" asked Sylas, who was now curious as well.
Kaelon nodded. "Right," he confirmed.
Nyssara thought for a moment. "Then dad is in the capital too?" she asked.
"Yes," Kaelon replied calmly. "It seems to be something important. But if you want to know more, you should ask Mom or Lysandra, I'm sure they'll know more."
Lysandra was not only like a second mother to Nyssara, she was actually technically her second mother. Her parents and Lysandra were united in marriage, an unusual constellation, but one that she accepted without giving it a second thought.
At the moment, however, she was much more interested in what her father was doing in the capital. He usually spent most of his time in Azorath and only left when it was really necessary, mostly for political matters that were of little interest to her.
As these thoughts swirled around in her head, she realized that they had already arrived at the large door that separated them from the dragons.
Two Warborn stood motionless at the door, serving as guards for uninvited guests.
They were there less to protect the dragons than to make sure that no one accidentally walked up to them, because who could hurt a dragon?
As Nyssara and her brothers approached, they opened the doors without saying a word.
The Warborn were creatures that always frightened her. Their appearance and their motionlessness creeped her out. She could never really explain it, but it was just the case.
When the three siblings stepped outside, they saw several dragons lying in the sun, lost in a peaceful slumber.
But they soon realized that they were not alone.
Their half-brother Lorion was sitting near their half-sister Calaena and their aunt Adema with a book in his hand.
Typical, she thought to herself. Lorion was, in her opinion, the dullest of her siblings. He had only one love and that was books.
It happened several times that he didn't show up for dinner because he was so lost in his books that he lost track of time.
Her half-sister Calaena and her aunt Adema, on the other hand, stood together by Aerthion, Adema's mighty dragon, whose shimmering scales glowed a deep blue. The two women gently stroked the dragon's rough skin as they were involved in a conversation.
Lorion finally looked up from his book as the three siblings approached.
"Look at that, someone actually made it out into the sun for once. I was worried that your skin would soon be as pale as your hair," Kaelon mocked lightly and gave Lorion a roguish grin.
Lorion looked up briefly from his book, raised an eyebrow and replied with a sharp undertone, "Some of us prefer the company of words to standing around pointlessly in the sun. But I suppose it takes a certain amount of intelligence and patience to read a book from cover to cover - two things not all of us have in abundance."
Kaelon's smile faded briefly," You think reading books makes you intelligent, huh? A book won't exactly help you much in life, but I'd be happy to let you find out for yourself"
Lorion was about to answer when Adema interrupted her, "Stop this nonsense! You are siblings and should not be fighting."
Kaelon was about to talk back to her when she raised her hand. "Don't you dare talk back to me, otherwise you can be sure that I'll tell Seraphine and Lysandra and you both don't want that."
Kaelon and Lorion immediately seemed to drop any remarks. They knew that would only cause problems.
Instead, Kaelon said nothing and headed for his dragon while Lorion resumed reading.
Adema heaved a slight sigh and said to herself, "You two, really. Why can't you just get along?"
Kaelon and Lorion had never really gotten along, and it seemed like that was something no one could easily change. Their personalities were simply too different to get along with each other in harmony.
Nyssara hoped that the two would eventually get along. Even if she did find Lorion rather boring, he was still her brother and she did not want Lorion or Kaelon to end up hurting each other.
She was about to go to her dragon when she heard a very familiar voice from behind her.
"Nyssara Baelaeron! If you don't come here at once, you can forget about ever getting close to Vertana in your lifetime".
She winced slightly when she heard her mother's voice. It seemed as if she had finally driven her mother's anger to a breaking point.
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Time Skip, yeah.
Yours,
Jasonenrick!
He groaned softly as he slowly woke from his sleep, only to find himself in a sea of silver hair. He blew the strands aside and was rewarded with a sight he had become so accustomed to over the last twelve years that he could no longer imagine anything else.
Lysandra lay snuggled up close to him, her leg bent and wrapped over him, while her head rested gently on his chest. Her face was covered by her long, silky hair, which shimmered in the soft morning light and protected her from the world.
On the other side of the bed, Seraphine lay sprawled across the bed, in a position that would have robbed anyone else of their sleep. He was surprised that she still had a blanket over her at all, lying there as chaotically as she did.
It had hardly taken any persuasion to get all three of them to sleep in the same bed.
Over time, it just felt right and each of the three agreed to it.
The soft chirping of the birds outside was the only sound that disturbed the peaceful silence, as he was content to stay in bed and wait for his beautiful wives to wake up.
He felt Lysandra stir slightly, her eyes still closed, but her hand was already searching for him and clinging to the back of his neck.
He gently stroked Lysandra's back, his fingers sliding through the soft strands of her hair.
"good morning, my love" he whispered into her ear.
Lysandra's eyes opened slowly before focusing on him. A soft smile graced her lips. "Good morning, husband," she murmured before closing her eyes again. "Still in bed at this hour? Should I be worried?" she joked.
Kaelarys returned her smile with that familiar grin she could never resist. "I'm sure Azorath will survive without me for a few hours. And they will have little choice but to let me do what I want. What are they going to do? Kick me out?"
Lysandra let out a soft laugh. "Hardly."
Kaelarys laughed lightly as well. "Well, I don't exactly have a lot planned today."
"Oh really? A day just for you? When was the last time you had so much free time?" Lysandra asked teasingly.
"I wouldn't call it that. I'll still go to Section 0 and check on my projects, but the rest of the day? I'm sure the kids would enjoy spending a little more time with their old man."
Section 0 was hidden deep in the mountain and the only access was cleverly hidden in the palace. He only called it that so that no one but the insiders had any idea what he was talking about.
It was his own personal laboratory and housed everything he studied and researched. From magical experiments to modern developments that he didn't want to entrust to anyone else. Simple things like compasses to weapons that were the equivalent of bombs.
It was his own little Gogossos, if you will. Only he had access to it, and not even Seraphine or Lysandra could enter without him. More to protect them than to hide anything from them.
However, the two of them had often accompanied him to Section 0 and therefore knew what was going on there.
"And you, Lys? What are you up to today?" he asked.
Lysandra raised herself slightly so that she was resting her head on her hands, which were resting on his chest. A naughty grin played around her lips, but Kaelarys noticed immediately that it was different than before, something he recognized instantly after twelve years of marriage. "Me? Well, I was planning on going for a ride."
"On Ruby?" he asked curiously.
Her hand traveled slowly down his stomach. "I was thinking of something else," she replied with a mischievous gleam in her eye that immediately made it clear to him where her thoughts were going before she abruptly sat on his lap.
---
Kaelarys felt the wall tremble briefly as he placed his hand against the surface and let his magic flow through the runes that were carved into it. Slowly, the wall parted in the middle and opened to allow him access to a hidden passageway beyond.
Contrary to what one might expect, the corridor beyond was not gloomy, damp or dark. Instead, it had the same luxury as the corridor he had come from. A pleasant breeze flowed through the hallway as he passed through, and the wall behind him closed silently again to make sure no one could follow him.
He had only recently been at breakfast with his family, where he had promised his eldest son Kaelon that he would train with him later on, but that he needed to do something before that.
It was always fascinating for Kaelarys to see how certain facets of his personality were reflected in each of his children.
Kaelon was brave and determined.
Sylas embodied his empathy and loyalty.
Nyssara was adventurous and restless, always on the lookout for new experiences and ready to explore the world.
Lorion, on the other hand, had inherited Kaelarys' thirst for knowledge and curiosity. He liked to immerse himself in books and research and had a sharp mind.
And then there was Calaena, who had a gentle temperament.
The only thing that really upset Kaelarys was the arguments between Kaelon and Lorion. Despite their shared parentage they always were at each other throats. But they were children after all - and when two strong personalities, each with a well-developed ego, clashed, it rarely ended peacefully.
Kaelarys knew that it was not uncommon for siblings to vie for attention and recognition at a young age. Children like Kaelon and Lorion, who both had a strong need for affirmation and self-assertion, easily came into conflict, especially when they felt threatened in their role within the family or during shared activities.
But Kaelarys was optimistic that these tensions would ease over time. He hoped that as they grew older and matured, they would learn to appreciate each other's strengths and accept their differences.
He let go of his previous thoughts as he finally entered Section 0. The corridor opened up into a spacious room carved into the solid rock of the mountain.
The floor was made of dark metal that echoed softly with every step Kaelarys took. It was chilly underfoot, but the room was well-lit.
Several massive tables stood in the center of the room, laden with various devices, tools, and alchemical ingredients.
But none of that interested him today, because his gaze was firmly fixed on his masterpiece, which was in the center of the room.
It was a raised pool, surrounded by stone steps leading up to it. The pool was still empty, but Kaelarys had created it in advance, knowing that this would be the place where the magic would happen. Literally and figuratively.
A deep rumbling sounded from the right, and Kaelarys turned around. In a massive, reinforced cage sat the Umbrahaes, fixing him with its creepy, hollow eyes. The creature had become a focus of his studies in recent years. Its ability to drink blood and thereby gain infinite life fascinated him.
But despite countless experiments, he had not succeeded in transferring this ability to himself or his family without devastating side effects.
Most of those who had undergone the experiment turned into grotesque, barely human creatures. Their bodies deformed to such an extent that they no longer resembled a human being. In rare cases, the mutations were less pronounced, but even these results were far from what Kaelarys had imagined.
He had eventually discarded this option and instead sought another way to achieve the goal of extended lifespan. This masterpiece that now stood before him was the result of his tireless work and sheer boundless determination.
The process itself was incredibly complicated, and Kaelarys doubted that anyone else in the world would ever be able to replicate it.
The basic material needed to make the serum was a human - living or dead, although he preferred to use the dead for practical reasons.
The first step is the so-called cell disruption. This involves dissolving the cell membranes to expose the cellular components they contain. This step is crucial in order to obtain the valuable components required for the next process.
DNA, the carrier of genetic information and the essential material for replication and rejuvenation, is then isolated. This isolation makes it possible to target the genetic core and begin the actual work.
Damaged or aged DNA sequences are then repaired and regenerated. The telomeres, the end caps of the chromosomes, are lengthened, effectively reversing the ageing process. In parallel, defective proteins and other biological molecules are edited to restore them to a state that resembles the youthful vitality that Kaelarys was aiming for.
While all these steps are being carried out, superfluous substances and unwanted components are simultaneously removed so that only the regenerative components that are really needed remain at the end.
The result of this complex process is then condensed in a final step and processed into a highly concentrated serum. This serum offers the possibility of reversing the aging process, which could theoretically lead to an infinite life - provided there is a constant supply of human "raw materials".
Of course, this is not immortality in the classic sense; rather, it means being able to turn back time again and again and thus stop the aging process.
However, in order to obtain this serum in sufficient quantities, thousands have to die to send a person's age from almost dead to his/her prime.
At least that was the theory. Whether it will work is a completely different story.
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New Chapter YEY!
Two things:
1. Leave a review if you liked it lol :D
2. Someone pointed out to me that I could make an aux chapter with some important characters. I did it and I might make it a bit more detailed in the future, but I think that's enough for now.
Yours,
Jasonenrick!
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