Chapter Text
When Lain came to he immediately collapsed in exhaustion. He could barely comprehend his own thoughts, focusing only on his breathing.
Taking in his surroundings, the elf took note that he wasn't anywhere he recognized. It didn’t appear to be the Storm Spire or Silvergrove, or anywhere in Xadia for that matter. The architecture was far too blocky and, dare he think, human.
"I know you're probably disoriented, but you're safe."
The voice was distinctly male, but didn’t hold the authority one would expect. It was clear there was a strain in the voice too, considering the slight rasp it held. When Lain's eyes finally focused he saw the man standing before him. He was definitely human by looking at his apparel and lack of horns. His arms curiously held ancient mage runes, which made Lain double-take at the man’s rounded ears to confirm his heritage. A breath caught in his throat when he spotted a glint of silver.
Before he could get a better look at him, the human was flung backwards onto the floor, causing the object in his hands to clatter to the floor. The elf flinched at the silver staff as the pink gem seemed to stare into his very soul.
"Filthy human! Where are we!? And where is the egg!? The sound of his wife jolted Lain into further coherency. Tiadrin was straddling the one who spoke to them, brandishing her sword up against his neck. The human seemed to have been shocked initially, but quickly gained his bearings.
"I'm friendly! I swear!" He attempted to hold his hands out in surrender, but when both elves flinched away, he drew them back. "We're in my study, in Xadia. The egg was- is safe." He swallowed when neither of them relaxed. "And he's with Queen Zubeia. His name's Azymondias." The name of their queen had them raising their brows in surprise. "You guys have been... trapped for a long time."
Tiadrin growled and hovered her blade closer. "No mind games, human." She hissed. "Who are you?"
"C-Callum! I-I'm a mage!"
Lain shakily moved into a crouch, watching his wife continue her interrogation.
"You dare call yourself a mage when you use dark magic ?" This statement had him flinching as though it were a physical blow.
"No! I promise you, I'm the good guy! I have every reason to hate dark magic as much you do, if not more , but I had no choice ! It was the only way to extract your souls from the coins." His head fell back with a sigh when the strength in his neck gave out. “Oh man, she’s gonna murder me when she finds out."
“Or I could save the trouble and kill you now , you filthy, lying human !”
He scrambled to make her see reason, forcing his upper body up with a jolt, earning a nick on his chin from the sword pressed there. “Uh, um, N-No! Nope! I would very much prefer having my head attached to my body, thank you!”
“Tia.” Lain rasped, going into a coughing fit.
She seemed split between wanted to check on her partner and keeping the human secure.
“He got us out .”
“Or maybe we broke out on our own.”
“ Tia .”
“We. Can’t. Trust. Him.”
“Maybe not but,” Lain steadied his breathing before going to stand. “Without his staff he’s powerless. Even you you know humans can’t use magic without a power source.”
Callum, realizing their fear, tried assuring them, “You can destroy it for all I care. It was the only way to get you out.”
The moonshadow elf above him gave him a wary glare, a silent warning that should he try anything, she would strike, before bouncing away from him and kicking the staff across the room.
“I know you have no reason to trust me, but thank you.” Callum made sure to keep his arms spread and in view as he shifted into a sitting position, through some labored breathing. “It’s true I used dark magic to free you, but it’s not something I did lightly. I am not your enemy.”
“Every word from your mouth could very well be a lie . Why should we even listen to you?” Tiadrin hissed.
“I-!…” The man’s shoulders slumped. “You have every reason to hate humans, but please , let me explain! I’m-”
“We have no need to hear more of your words.” She twitched the ear closer to her husband. “Lain, find some rope. We’ll take him with us.”
“Please! Just listen!” Callum’s body started jerking as he coughed roughly into his hand.
Tiadrin tensed, ready for any tricks he might’ve had in store with the motion. She was surprised when she spotted blood patterned across his gloved palm when he pulled it away from his face.
“Tia.” Lain placed a hand around her shoulder. “ Look at him.”
“What is there to look at?”
“He’s unarmed. Wounded , and alone. With all your yelling, we’d have been swarmed if there were others.”
His wife ground out, “He could be faking it-”
“Tia. He has marriage cuffs on his ears.” Both the woman and mage jumped in place. “That’s not something to be faked. No elf in their right mind would make those against their will or for some elaborate lie .”
Without so much as a warning, Tiadrin stormed over to the human and brandished her sword. “Show me then. Let’s see if that’s true.”
Callum averted his eyes and submissively turned his head and pulled his hair out of the way. The glinting silver reflected the natural light of the room. It was decorated with a few stray turquoise-colored stones, and engraved with not only Elven words, but Katolian, and Ancient Draconic as well.
Lain had been right. Those were impossible to fake. And that single fact put major doubts in Tiadrin’s initial thoughts towards the mage.
“Where were these crafted?” Her voice had lost its confidence. She already knew the answer, if the color of the stones were accurate.
“S-Silvergrove. Ethari made them.” Callum held his hands up in defense when their eyes narrowed.
“ Ethari !?”
Realizing his mistake, the prince tried to backtrack, “B-but I enchanted them and put the engravings! I didn’t break tradition! I made sure they were done right. Ethari was only there to correct me every time I did something wrong.” He continued to ramble about how he crafted them with their Elven friend, but the two elves were lost in their own minds since Ethari’s name was mentioned.
“How long…” Lain murmured.
Callum abruptly stopped. “Huh?”
“How long have we been trapped?” Tiadrin finished, with a defeated, sorrowful croak. “Ethari never would’ve helped you so soon after losing his friends to your kind. And you mentioned something about it earlier. So how long ?”
Again, the man turned his head away, lowering his arms. “It’s… uh, probably a little over a hundred lunar cycles.”
“ No .” Lain breathed. “Oh, please, no .”
“The war between Xadia and humans was ended about ten lunar cycles after you were… imprisoned. There’s been a truce ever since.”
It was clear they believed him, even if they adamantly wanted it to be false. They held onto each other’s arms, seeking for comfort in their partner.
Tiadrin’s ears suddenly turned down. “A whole ten revolutions, lost to us…”
“I can’t imagine how you’re feeling right now, but trust me when I say everything will be okay.” Callum tried to give a reassuring smile, but it ended up twisting up in pain. By now, his breathing was beginning to speed up and hitch uncontrollably. “ Shit .” He cursed, bringing a hand up to his chest. “I used too much.”
Seeing the mage hunch over in pain, neither elf knew what to do.
Callum gasped when his fingertips started to numb. Before he completely lost control of his limbs, he brought up his hands to hover in the air in front of them. Tiadrin couldn’t help but tense and grip her weapon, knowing he was about to cast a spell.
What she didn’t expect, however, was how he etched a moon rune in the air, without any clear aid of a primal stone or artifact.
“ Nuntius subitus , uxor mea .” The moment the rune was finished, his arm dropped limply to his side, and the symbol vanished in a shimmer of light. “As much as I’d like to catch you up, I think I’m going to faint.”
And then he fell face first into the stone beneath them.