TFW - The Fallen World

From: The Calling of an Impish man


'Peace and quiet' would reign in Axidus's home for about three hours, besides the cleaning and Deyinarah working in a list of needed items for the ball that Axidus wished to have to announce his return. She was thorough, double checking the list every ten minutes as she pulled from memory the ingredients of the dishes he requested there, or those that he preferred. She had also taken inventory of those things that had been destroyed in the battle, such as tapestries and furniture, idols and shelves/casings that had been either shattered, just broken or completely removed. The lists were extensive that she was making and it would be a complete overhaul because of what transpired, but this was not something that she could attempt to fail at.

"Dey?" Mitch's voice was whispered, though not out of breath as he called out to her from the entryway.

Deyinarah turned and smiled. Mitch nodded and entered. "Are the servants quarters able to be lived in?"

"Of course... but how..." Dey began to ask in the same whispered voice.

"Your mum moved within a few miles of here when we left. Your aunts are still a day out on either side... Aunt Breesiea is pretty close to the Airivian border." Mitch explained as he looped his arm into Deyinarah's and showed her to the door where she would see 4 wagons. She would nod to her mother who dismounted. Darneesha was a hardened woman though quiet beautiful. Her long raven locks even braided in about 10 braids, ended just below the round of her bottom. Leather studded her form and every curve was accentuated by it. But Darneesha was only known to use such curves to procreate and nothing more. According to others, including her estranged brother, this younger sister of three, was the most evil and cold of the Akaros children, taking on the attitudes of both their dead parents. She was in fact, Mordaunt's polar opposite.

"Good day mother." Deyinarah would speak as she walked up to her.

"We shall see. How is Delilah?" The cold dark eyes turned to the eldest of the two standing before her. She motioned toward the wagons, "See that the servants are taken in and settled Mitch. I want the wagons back to camp before the morning, as dark as it is."

"Yes Aunt Darneesha." Mitch would comply and move quickly. There were 40 servants that were being returned. While the imbicile had been an idiot in trying to keep them, he did have good taste in workers, minus three spies sent. Mitch would speak quietly to each group of ten as he took them into the castle in repair and down to the servants quarters. "He is much different from the grotesque one. You cannot fail him, I have already seen a good portion of his temper. Deyinarah should have lists of things you must begin doing. Make sure you are ready to be received by him, as well as receive your chores and duties. Delilah will be down for a while and Deyinarah is filling in for her until she has healed."

Deyinarah would watch for a moment, as the first group of ten would go within, "Delilah was struck for her betrayal to Maroth, by Maroth, but he was ended by the Lord Axidus for attempting to kill her. I have already put the healing herbs upon the wound, though a healer would help a bit." Her eyes would turn back to her mothers.


"Did he...." She began and Deyinarah nodded knowing what she would ask. "And I had her drink the tea, and she will do so for the next few days."

"Was the damage inside as bad as she reported? I do not see a gaping hole where the throne room is...." She would ask as she looked over the details of the castle.

"It was as bad as she reported, but apparently he has an earth warlock fixing it. But he is quiet old and I swear I have seen his face before..." Dey shrugged as she looked at the Castle, "He was finishing up that wall as we arrived. He went to rest somewhere in the Castle. Large, Dark-haired, darker than the night sky, piercing green eyes. Anyway, the inside is much worse. There is much to do to make this right."

"Does he know yet that the reason for the attack was not to dethrone him, but to go after another?" Darneesha would ask as her eyes came back to her daughter.

"I did not feel it would be best that I state such Mother. I was not at the meeting after all. Do the Aunts still have his mortal servants protected?" She would ask curiously.

Darneesha's eyes hardened and Deyinarah was near slapped off her feet, though ducked her mother's swing. "Do not question such again, especially in the open. Their servants are everywhere."

"Yes mother." She would right herself and look back to the Castle, "Should I see if he wishes to meet one of the Warlordesses that keep both chaos and order within the lands he rules?"

"If he is in a foul mood, I would not advise it... But I do wish to check on Delilah." She would state moving toward the castle entrance, and Deyinarah following her, only to catch up and walk beside her.

"Mother, is something else bothering you?" She would ask as her mother seemed tense, though she was a rigid person, the tension within her could cut through the air like a well sharpened dagger through several layers of skin.

"Yes. But it is not your concern just yet." Was the answer Darneesha would give as Deyanirah would open one of the doors for her mother and Mitch would be exiting to gather the second group of 10 and have the first wagon move off and wait for the second before departing with 5 riders to head back to camp.

Mitch would continue to gather the servants and get them acclimated to quarters while Dey took Darneesha into the room that she and Del were using. Darnessha moved over to Del and looked her over thoroughly. There was not a single speck of emotion showing as she looked at her grandaughter. She was only one of the Akaros family and one that hadn't the ability of any of Warlordesses when it came to warmongering. Del had turned out just like her mother. Darneesha shook her head  slightly. This was the reason that they had been given into servitude to the not so obvious ruler of Mithoul. Darneesha refused to allow that portion of her lineage anywhere near her outcast brother, or he would have tainted them, corrupted them so very easily to his ways and beliefs.


"I shall send for the healer. Lord Axidus will not want the only available servant from before the attack to be like this for long. She will need to train the others the scum 'hired' to replace the Lord's. A shame the scum could not control them or keep them long enough to get this place of esteem to some measure of its former beauty."


"As you wish mother." Dey responded as she looked toward the half-open door, hearing the rustling of Axidus's clothing, down the hall. "I should go assist him mother."


Darneesha's eyes moved to Dey in a snapping motion. A near scowl crossed her lips. "This is only temporary Deyinarah. Your skills are needed elsewhere. Thus bringing in one of the few healers within the entirety of Mithoul. As soon as Del is on her feet, you need to report back."

Dey's eyes turned from the door to her mother. She would give her mother a curt nod, "I trust you remember the way out." Dey stated coldly as she turned for the door and made her way to Axidus's chamber.


Dey would enter through the servant's entrance and quietly ask, "Lord Axidus, do you wish me to clothe you? Is there any article of clothing I did not retrieve in my ignorance, that you may deisre?" Dey's hands were folded in front of her and her head and eyes were lowered. She would pause long enough to take in what he commanded, then inform him of occurrences of the three hours during his 'rest and relaxation'. She knew he had to be capable of knowing, but Del had told her to inform hin of anything and everything, no matter how trivial it may seem. She had hinted to Dey that he was already paranoid before the attack, so he would be even more so now. Deyinarah would control her voice to keep the tones in the more pleasant range that had not made Axidus's skin crawl and nerves go out of sorts in the earlier hours of this day. And the report would come during the time she was helping him dress or doing as needed with the dirty bath water, former clothing ...

"Lord Axidus, Delilah has informed me that I am to give you details of anything you might or might not know: activities, events... visitations. In knowing such, I must inform you that Warlordess Darneesha Akaros is present and has brought the forty servants that ... Maroth ... tried to enslave to the keep and himself, unsuccessfully mind you, i hopes to rebuild and refurbish it. From my recent discussio with her, it seems as if all of your previous servants were slain except Del. But I know none of the Warlordessess known how she was spared.

Mitch is getting the servants to quarters. Mother is visiting with Del and should be leaving shortly. She is in a foul mood, much more foul than normal and said she did not wish to taint your serenity."

The report was as brief as she could make it and make sense. Not once did her voice waver or raise.

"When I have completed my takes here, I will set the servants to task on the clean up, food fathering and preparations, if you so wish?"

Dey had seen plenty of servants, head servants, trained to know how to speak to a leader and attempt to anticipate what the leader would wish them to do next, give report (especially with the three warlordesses) and ask if there was anything else required. She cold only hope that this was the same way Axidus would wish her to speak or she knew by reputation, and word of mouth through Del, just how dangerous his anger could be. Admonishment was a nice... lashings.. etc... Torture, she knew was ore of his way, if he thought you remotely trainable to what he wanted for a 'servant'.

But the peace would not last long as within seconds of Deyinarah asking what he wished her to do, there were raised male voices. Dey's eyes widened in surprise at the broken peace aloft in the beginning of the hall to the servants' wing which somehow would filter into Axidus's chambers.

"I do not care what your command is or hers, Akaros. I am not a menial servant. I am guard. Without command of the Itziar Lord himself, I will not pick up a mop, a broom or a cloth to clean."

The male's voice seemed adamant.

"From our findings he has only returned recently and was not too pleased at that. I would lower your voi..." Mitch tried to reason with the former guard.

But only a supernatural would hear the soft shing of the dagger pulled from the sheath hidden in the beltline under the former guard's shirt just before it was placed to Mitch's throat and he was pinned to the wall. The man's voice did lower, but the tone grew much more dangerous.

"You best get your mother here boy. I am certain the Itziar Lord would love to know how Crialla Akaros has been housing his mortal contingent of servants in her camp and how she would be able to block his ability to find them."

The dagger, well placed and the perfect amount of pressure applied ... just enough to draw a drop or two of blood.

"What in the name of the beasts are you talking about?" Mitch's voice lowered to a whisper and surprised slipped into his eyes as he stood pinned against the wall by this now known former soldier, not house hand.

"Where is your mother?" The guard would ask once more.

"A day or so farther into the wastelands... She only has her troops with her, as of... a week ago."

"No boy... The only ones she didn't get was Del and Yoko..." The guard near spat at him.

The loyal guard's voice was well placed so that their words would filter between the walls and seep into places where it needed to be heard.

"I spent these last months in her camp, taking a draught to make her believe I was dead only to be left out in the wastelands. Forgotten or never seen by Darneesha or Maroth so I could get back here. My Lord will have back what is his and more if he wishes. How do I find her? Is she still in the sand trap?"

"Sand trap? The desert? I don't think so. She hasn't traversed that line in a few years.... She should still be in the Marakai."

Crafty and angered this loyal guard was. He was not given the opportunity to be part of the protection of Axidus or his home, and whether or not Axidus would allow him to make it right again, he didn't know, but he damn sure was gonna try. But still, for some reason, Axidus could not feel him, even within his own domicile.

Deyinarah stood there speechless as she was led to believe that the Akaros female Generals were at least moderately loyal to the Itziar Archon she was being servant to for her niece. Her mouth was opened slightly but not to speak for she did not know what to say, but it wasn't gaping in her surprise as her eyes traveled to the doorway leading into the corridor, fear and tension starting to rise within her, especially since it had only been rumor and even her mother would not confirm the fact that perhaps there were more survivors than Del... They had only been rumors and she had never laid eyes upon any one of them... that she knew of... but this man... was one of them? A large knot in her stomach was forming and she dared to venture a guess as to what would come next.