Velho
Approved Character
- Messages
- 200
- Race
- Æld'Norai
- Profession
- Ferrier
- Location
- AElheim
- Arcana
- Character Sheet
༺༉❁ december 13 year 122 of the third age ❁༉༻
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After Æhti's initiation into Terra, Velho himself had retired to his chambers out of a confused sort of shame. The ælf had never tasted blood quite as ambrosian as Æhti's, and the fact that it belonged to a Fælnir vexed him deeply.
It was divine.
It made his skin crawl.
Upon laying down, he found solace from his anxieties only briefly, waking some precious few hours later. And to his own embarrassment, he found that the first subject onto which his thoughts wandered was Æhti– how was he doing…? Had he awoken yet? Some took days to recover from Galdr initiations even after receiving the best of medical care. Some did not wake up at all after falling asleep in the aftermath.
Velho rose, made himself presentable, and sought out the first sveinn he came across to ask what became of his test subject.
Apparently, the young man was still unconscious. Not terribly unusual.
Velho then requested the sveinn find a way to acquire black star diopside.
He didn't say why, and the sveinn was not in the habit of questioning his master.
After that brief interaction, Velho anxiously resumed his normal day-to-day duties. He was annoyed with himself for caring so much about somebody who was, realistically, naught more than chattel, but he, for whatever reason, couldn't shake the feeling. It was rare for him to be at the mercy of his emotions like this, usually able to swallow them down. It had to have something to do with Æhti's blood, too, hadn't it? For all the boons it brought, Devorare made one's relationship with blood so much more complicated.
•════════════════════• december 14 year 123 of the third age
A day later, Velho was handed off the mineral sample he'd requested. Small and pure, it was a lovely specimen; black star diopside's coruscant gleam was particularly charming in moonlight. He understood why it might be a favorite of Æhti's. The young man had good taste, at least.
After a few clients, a few hours, he found himself able to take a brief respite. And during this short little solemnity, he was informed that Æhti had woken up. The sveinn that approached him said that the man appeared fine, though it might still be worth checking up on him if for no other reason than records purposes.
The Ferrier was relieved that at that moment, he wasn't otherwise busy. It would've looked weird for him to have dropped any other, more pressing, task to go check after the well being of a Fælnir boy. But, since he was both free and the one charged with Æhti's medical care, he had his excuse to do so– and so he did.
Hobbled as he was, Velho was not quite capable of rushing whether he wanted to do so or not. But when he did arrive in the guest bedroom– more of a private patient room for Velho's Malediction clients, really– he was greeted by a fairly groggy Æhti. He was without shirt, and from that, Velho could see that his wounds had, indeed, been healed seamlessly, and that there were no remnants of the emerald growths left behind. At least, superficially. It'd be hard to tell internally unless he were cut open or felt some sort of disturbance once he began to move 'round more. Velho could also see how well built he was; broad shoulders, fine physique, taut musculature beneath supple skin–
stop.
Velho blinked, attempting to clear his mind of lust.
"You look well. How are you feeling…?" The Ferrier asked, managing to maintain a cold, clinical tone despite the warm rush of his blood.
That iciness was unnerving to Æhti, but he had to admit, he felt a lot better than he had expected. Some folks remained bedridden for weeks due to injuries incurred during Galdr initiations…he had been the first time, when he'd acquired Abation. Granted, the medical care he'd received for that was far less advanced. No Æcturnis had healed him, only a journeyman Maltrician. He was a bit shocked at the difference, really.
"I…physically, at least, I feel right as rain," he said with a wan, awkward smile. "Aetherically…? Dizzy, drained…" he trailed off, his gaze drifting to the side.
"Good, that's good. A bit better than what I expected. Some can't even manage to find words, the Other having drained them so," Velho spoke, his tone lacking any discernible emotion.
Æhti's wan smile shifted to something of a weak grin. "Well, suppose then that I'm glad to have been in your care," he said.
Velho nodded, as if in thanks. "No small part of that is because of your constitution…and that is more of an interest to me than the expected effects of my own magic."
"My constitution?" Æhti blinked. Was there something about him that was different from the average Galdr initiate? The thought occurred to him, in that moment, that perhaps finding individuals with such traits was the real reason for why he was there.
"Yes– I intend to examine that more as you learn Terra beneath Eyrie," his words were blunt.
And that statement all but confirmed his initial proposition was something of a ruse, but how harmful would such a ruse really be?
The Fælnir seemed curious, unsure. "Oh? O–...okay." He wasn't quite sure how to respond.
It wasn't as if he could say no to an Æld'Norai.
…especially not one of the fyn'Seiðr clan…
"Don't worry. I won't put you in any unnecessary risk," Velho added, his voice trying to be reassuring, yet somehow coming out insidious.
Unnecessary.
The word rang in Æhti's ears. It was not hard to read into that sentence, that choice of word. And so he wondered– how much risk was necessary? But he dared not ask. He knew he wouldn't receive an answer, and he almost didn't want to know.
"...but if you are well, I'll leave you to rest for another day or so before Eyrie will return to start your studies proper," Velho began to turn, then paused.
"Oh, one last thing; I almost forgot."
"Hm…?" Æhti canted his head curiously, unable to hide his interest.
Velho approached him, pausing within arm's reach. He dipped a pale hand into one of his pocket, leaning with his other on his cane. And from that pocket he withdrew the black star diopside; a small, but beautiful, little gemstone.
Æhti blinked in surprise, at first not sure what to say at all.
"Wait, you remembered that?" He exhaled a breath that almost sounded like a laugh; he was attempting, somewhat in vain, to contain the fact that this flattered him greatly.
"Yes."
Velho would say no more, he merely waited the additional moment it took for the newly minted Terrari to reach out and take the stone. And when he did, the Galsterei held it in front of his face for a moment, turning the stone 'round and 'round in the dim light of the room, watching the way it gleamed. Then, as if by reflex, he put it in his mouth and swallowed it. It was a strange sensation; not what he imagined, at least. Æhti felt the stone rapidly dissolve into aether before it ever reached his stomach, the brief process of Terrassimiliation completed almost in an instant.
Velho's features softened if only for a second, but he resisted the urge to smile.
"...I…thank you, I'm…just a bit surprised, but I really do appreciate it," his words came out in a mumbled jumble.
"Oh, don't worry about it. 'Tis no burden on me," Velho replied with an exhale.
"Rest well, then," he'd say before turning to leave.
"I, er…I wish you well, too," the young man replied, his string of words somewhat awkward.
When Velho crossed the threshold and let the door to the room fall and click closed behind him, he exhaled something of a sigh. It bothered him that the taste of somebody's blood managed to endear him to them in an instant like this. He felt as if he had been manipulated, but there was no way Æhti had done so intentionally. He just…was how he was, and however he was, was so, so delicious. The Ferrier shook his head, trying to banish the wandering of his thoughts.
Parts of him wanted to drain the young man dry and move on, but much stronger parts wanted to covet him, hoard him, feed on him periodically and let him recover between. He could get away with that, he supposed, given that he could Sopor Æhti into a deep enough slumber and seal the wounds. The only question, then, was whether or not Velho would possess the self control not to kill him, and how much of a detriment the lethargy and general exhaustion caused by blood loss would end up being. Although, he supposed he could just reinvigorate Æhti if ever he did take a bit more than intended.
He bit his lip, annoyed. Velho adored Devorare; it'd improved his life immeasurably– but he didn't like how genuinely he felt as a slave to his sanguine hunger.
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