That Which is Lost (Star Boy and Drammor)

Sir Aidan,

I have heard of your great skill of the sword and ask you for your services. You shall be rewarded after completing the request quite handsomely. Perhaps more than you dare think possible. Though, to be honest, it is not my request but the request of a business partner. I shall pay for your traveling expenses to come to the capital of Delusuu, Delu, my home and empire. The price and task will be explained to you once you arrive if you should choose to accept this offer. The messenger that has given you this letter will also be your guide. His name is Tokishi. Do not doubt him. He knows the way and will ensure your safe arrival. I will be waiting.

~ The Drow Emperor,
Sheinron Beonzeluxae

Tokishi had found him easily enough. Men who live by the sword are never too difficult to find. He saw, though it would not appear so to the mercenary, that Aidan was not quite as sure about the last part of the note. He was not at all offended by it. It’s only natural for others to be fooled by his appearance. Nothing but an eighteen or nineteen-year-old boy with long blonde hair, like white gold, fair skin, a black blind fold across his eyes, and what looked like a handsomely carved staff or walking stick in hand.

To Aidan it would seem like a blind man was his new guide. Soon he would see though, as they walked and traveled together, that he could see despite the cloth tied over his eyes. Tokishi moved with an unnatural grace that mortals never seemed to be blessed with. The young man moved better than Aidan and better than the elves, which his pointed ears seemed to suggest. His feet were too sure, and he moved around as if he saw everything. To others, it was a little eerie, the grace that which he moved with at all times and with every gesture. Tokishi could hold so very still that he seemed as a statue. This was also disturbing to mortals that he could be like stone.

He did not use this staff like the walking canes the blind men were said to use. Though once, on one of his rare and less depressed days, he thought to entertain himself by pretending to be nothing but a bumbling blind boy. But of course, his good mood never lasted very long for him to gain the humor to try it.

He wasn’t very chatty and only spoke to Aidan when he had to. His expression was often solemn, blank, but still alert. Yet, Tokishi was much more intrigued by this human than he appeared to be.

This man was chosen for a job that he thought could really be done by anyone. His Lady Lilith required the elimination of a captain to a rebellious group. She also wished the capture of as many members of the captain’s guard as possible. Her Grace could surely have Tokishi himself or Sheinron fulfill this necessity for her. Yet, Her Majesty, Lilith, told him that only this man would do for her. She would not tell him why and everyone else seemed to know this truth other than him. So Tokishi studied him now, trying to piece together the reason for himself.

Aidan was tall, strong, and had long straight hair that followed down his back and was as white as a drow’s. He seemed to have a bored and coldly guarded expression most times. The mercenary was covered in well used and experienced silver armor. It seemed to Tokishi that he had once been a knight of a kind. For whatever reason, he was now a man who solid the services of his sword to anyone who could handle the price instead of swearing them to a kingdom, lord, lady, king, or emperor. Yet none of this about him was really unique. Tokishi thought it an easy task to find others just like him.

He grew so unbearably curious, the longer he could not figure it out, that he decided to risk looking upon him.

Tokishi doesn’t like looking upon things more than he truly must. For when he lifts his blindfold he sees much deeper than the mortals or even other immortals do. His Lady Lilith said that he was blessed, gifted with his unique eyes. When he looked upon things, he saw very many things at the same time. He saw future movements, the flow of energy and power unseen all around them, spirits, the auras and magic of others, under magic veils and illusions of all kinds, the air moving, the skin cells of mortals slowly dying, and even, at times, visions of the future.

Needless to say, it was all very overwhelming to take in for too long even for an immortal mind like his; thus, the need for his blindfold.

Most of all, when he looked upon a person he saw what they truly are. Everything that he sees when he looks at another will stay in his memory forever. Never fading or growing vague or dream-like. It will always stay just as fresh as the very moment he first looked upon them.

It was not in his desires to keep unpleasant sights in his memory like that. So, Tokishi was very cautious about using it.

His blindfold was not ordinary cloth. It was a blessed gift from Her Grace, Lady Lilith. It screens his magic sight, like staring through a very lightly tinted lens. It kept his vision normal for their kind.

Finally, Tokishi decided to look upon Aidan. It was during a resting period for the human—Tokishi did not need to rest like humans do. The mercenary was drinking from a river and too focused on quenching his thirst and splashing cool water on his face to notice Tokishi staring at him, seated on a rock by their horses. He took just a peek, not lifting all of his black cloth to look upon him.

Aidan’s armor, in normal vision, was clean though well worn and used. When Tokishi saw him, there was blood splattered all over it. Some dried, dark and coagulated, some fresh, wet and gleaming bright red. The dents and scratches were black and burned, the silver tarnished. Under the armor, he could see that this man was bleeding too. There was a never healing wound that poured blood, which seeped through the cracks and spaces between the metal plates all around his torso.

The timing was impeccable. Aidan straightened and twisted around at the waist, turning his head to look right at Tokishi so that he could spy his face.

It was his face that was the most unbearable sight to see. He would have never guessed such misery writhed underneath this man’s blank, perhaps, even grim and cold expression. It’s impossible to describe the agony he saw there. So much despair, regret, and guilt was swarming his man’s face underneath his translucent mask that was his normal face—the expression he wore now as he looked at Tokishi. Underneath, blood red tears overwhelmed his eyes.

Tokishi looked away quickly, not because Aidan had seen him looking but because he couldn’t stand to see more. He bowed his face into one hand immediately; his other hand gripped his thigh, nails digging into the cloth of his leggings. He felt his face contort with the cringe he could not hide.

Even when he closed his eyes, he continued to see more about this man. Flashes of blood, screaming faces, battles, and a beautiful woman dying in his arms, staring up at him, telling him to love her always …

“What’s the matter with you …?” He heard the deep voice of Aidan inquire. His tone was rude and cold, but confused.

Tokishi did not look up even though he heard him. He was the statue now, perfectly still, like stone. He just sat there for a moment, trying to remember how to think, and then trying not to think about what he just saw. He then stood up quickly, probably making Aidan flinch at the speed and grace at which he did this. Normally, Tokishi was more careful about making such sudden movements around skilled men such as Aidan. These types of men tend to be jumpy and quick to draw steel and blood. At the moment, he did not have the mind to care or try to control his swiftness.

“Excuse me,” he muttered, his voice tight despite how hard he tried to loosen his throat.

He walked off to regain his composure.

It had been as he feared. Something ugly to remember forever.

Of course, he had known that risk when he chose to look upon Aidan. What frustrated him was that he had endured the horrid sight of this man for nothing. Everything that he saw didn’t tell him anything about why he had been picked for this task. It said nothing about why his Lady Lilith would spend time and money on a mercenary that had no particularly special abilities.

He later found the time to worry that perhaps Aidan got a glimpse of his completely black eye ball when he caught him peeking under his cloth. What did this man think now? He could move around perfectly with a blindfold on and was caught peeking out of it. It must make no sense to him.

Not only that, but he couldn’t help but pity this man now. It was easy enough to act normal. Tokishi could do that. Yet, it didn’t change how each time he looked at Aidan now, through the blindfold, that he remembered what he saw.

There had been a woman.

She was dead.

And now this man, once knight, was a mercenary.


They carried onto the dry and hot desert of Suu and then to the dark elf city, Delu. It was night when they came upon the city. Of course, in this land and in this city, the night was alive with its people. The Drow were a nocturnal race of elves. Their heat vision made the night comfortable for them, which they preferred to avoid the heat of the sun.

At the skirts of the great city, they met with their welcoming guard. Females in black and gold imperial uniforms. Their skin was a faded black and very dark in the night. Their white hair glowed in the moonlight from above. These women eyed Aidan with beautiful and charming smirks, despite the paleness of his skin. They knew Tokishi, and any who travel with him ought to be a person of skill and power.

They probably hoped to claim him, as the females do the males, impressed for a time. Yet they would grow bored of him. It was never good to bed with a human or white elf for too long, no matter how skilled and powerful. It would reflect badly upon them if they kept him for too long. So they would kill him in the end, as the black widow does after she mates.

The Gold soldiers escorted them the rest of the way to the castle, through the city. The city itself was composed of many levels and layers. Streets did not only go horizontal, left and right. These streets were path ways that arched up to higher levels, attached to pillars and buildings, weaving in and around each other, up and down, and many many stories high. The stone twisted and swirled around almost organically.

Once in the castle, they were taken to Sheinron’s throne room, passing through great double doors. The ceiling was about fifty feet above their heads and the wall on the other side of the room was triple that length from them. The width of the room was about the same as the height of the walls. All the walls, ceiling, and floors were made of a black and gray marble. It was very clean and well polished. On each side of the room was a huge balcony. In the middle of the room were a few black leather couches and armchairs. On the very end of the lengthy room was a large black throne. It appeared to be made out of some type of stone that was a shiny black, almost crystal looking. On each side of the throne was a pair of double doors smaller than the first that they passed through. The room was very dimly lit with few candles lining the walls.

Sitting on his throne was Sheinron. Tall, broad of shoulders, muscular—all around, a large man yet different than the overly bulky kind. He had sharp and angular features, but attractive, as most elves were, even the Drow with their black skin and white hair. His hair was long and straight, past his shoulders.

His clothing was most often maroon and black in color. His great sword was leaned against the side of his throne in its sheath. Sheinron sat in a relaxed position, his face blank, expressionless, and stone-like. His gray eyes stared out at Aidan as he entered the room.

Standing on both sides of him were two other men. One was Nelu, human looking, but certainly not so. He was Her Grace’s pet demon. Dark Lord of Pain. He stood at about six feet, give or take an inch. The demon was very pale looking in an almost sickly way. His body looked frail, thin, and fragile, but Tokishi knew very well that this was not the case either. His lean body was draped in solid black shirt, leggings, and a loose bellowing robe secured at the waist by a belt. His hair was coal-black, straight, and cut evenly at chin length.

Nelu turned his head to let his gray eyes, a darker shade than Sheinron’s, leer at their new guests. His lips curled up into an arrogant smirk. His eyes had a hungry quality about them at all times, as if always looking for an opportunity.

Tokishi despised and feared Nelu.

He understood that darkness and taint can be made to work for the forces of good and justice, but it still never changed the way he felt about the demon his Lady Lilith kept. She had him well tamed and under her command, his abilities and powers to made to work for her goals and not to be taken out of control.

Nelu always looked upon Tokishi with mocking disdain. As many others did, especially his fellow vampires.

This was because of his resistance to their instinct, the one that overcomes them with bloodlust and the overwhelming need to feed. Tokishi could go much longer than other vampires as young as he without feeding and without the instinct forcing him to go into a frenzy. It was completely unheard of.

This is what helped keep him from killing Aidan after seeing so many images of blood around him. It was really the smell that was worse than the sight to refuse. It kept the sound of his heart beat from seeming so tempting. Not that it wasn’t. But even if Aidan weren’t important to Her Grace’s plans, Tokishi would have not wanted to kill him anyway.

Tokishi didn’t much like feeding … because he was young, whenever he would start hunting a mortal the instinct would always release during it. He just … didn’t like how it made him feel. This was what the others mocked him for. Normally, it was supposed to be very enjoyable. In a way, it was, and yet at the same time it disturbed him. He didn’t like not having any control over himself, and whenever the instinct triggered it was impossible to stop.

He never wanted to admit it, because his Lady Lilith always told him that it was only natural for them to hunt the mortals, but he did not like taking their lives. Sometimes he would try to drink animal blood. Thank goodness no one knew about that. The mockery would be even worse, and, oh, the shame if Her Grace knew!

She told him that his resistance was just a phase that some go through but that it would pass. Truthfully … Tokishi didn’t want it to. Of course, he never told anyone this.

On the other side of Sheinron was Nelu’s student. An abnormally short drow, just a couple of inches over five feet. Fully grown and a Scarlet ranked soldier. Kushin wore the red and black imperial uniform. Though he was an adult, his elf features made his age hard to pin down. He was a beautiful man and had elegant and angular features. Well … only on the left side of his skull. The right was completely covered a bone white mask of smooth and emotionless features. His eye on the left was composed of stunning shades of blue, going from dark to shockingly light. His eye on the right was like Tokishi’s, a completely ink black eye ball that peered out of the eye hole of his mask. He was told that it gave Kushin a special sight as well.

Tokishi had never heard the small drow say a single word for the two years he’s been with the Lady. Kushin was a mute, something he wasn’t surprised to hear. The elf hardly made a sound at all. He expected nothing less of any pupil of Nelu’s. Right now the drow’s eyes wondered vacantly around, not seeming to notice that a large number of people have just entered the room.

Tokishi led the way up to Sheinron’s throne and the Gold soldiers were dismissed. Both he and Aidan stood about a yard from the emperor now. He knew that Sheinron never cared to have anyone bow before him or show him any formalities or actions of respect. Tokishi also had the feeling that Aidan wasn’t the kind of man who liked to bow to others, emperor or not.

They would get along well.

Proving just this, Sheinron stood to greet Aidan, as any normal employer would. When standing, he was near six and a half feet tall. Nelu eyed the mercenary with hungry curiosity as usual. Tokishi briefly wondered if the demon could sense the man’s internal agony. It would probably excite him.

“Ah! Here they are! The men of the hour,” exclaimed Nelu and gestured much too enthusiastically.

Tokishi furrowed his eyebrows with distaste.

The demon then swirled in an arch around Aidan, studying him with that still hungry look. His eyes gleamed with a manic delight. Tokishi knew it. Nelu could practically smell it on him. He felt himself tense automatically.

“My, my …” Nelu supposedly muttered but it was much too loud, meant to be heard by them. He paced back around Aidan, whom Tokishi felt was getting annoyed as well. He saw his eyes narrow and his lips start to curl.

“Nelu, you are not to tamper with this one. Behave yourself,” commanded the emperor, his voice deep and bland.

Tokishi watched Nelu stiffen, turning to narrow his gray eyes resentfully at the drow. He knew that the demon never liked taking orders from anyone else besides Her Majesty, Lilith. And of course, it would only be because of the Lady that he would behave himself.

“My apologies,” Sheinron nodded slowly to Aidan, taking his eyes from Nelu and ignoring the sharp glare that was thrown at him. “You have been traveling for sometime now and must be tired. I surmise you wish to rest, in which case I have a room prepared for you, and you can wait for tomorrow to discuss business with us.”