Where Ashes and Oaths Collide

Chapter 29: Mar Desgarrado

In the right corner seated at a heavy wooden table was a rugged, muscular man, leaning slightly forward with a relaxed but grounded posture, both hands wrapped around a sturdy metal tankard filled with ale. He has broad shoulders and a powerful build, emphasized by the way his worn clothes stretches across his frame. He wears a loose, off-white shirt that is partially unlaced at the chest, revealing a hint of his muscular torso.

Over the shirt, ha has a brown leather jacket that looks aged, creased and damp. His brown trousers match the rugged, practical nature of his outfit. He has a strong jawline, light stubble, and slightly tired by alert features. His grey eyes are look over at the other patrons until he spots Lady Escuridade, and his gaze intensifies. A faint scar runs over his right eye, and his long, light brown hair falls loosely around his face and shoulders, slightly slicked down, catching the warm light in subtle highlights. As Lady Escuridade nears his table, his downs the last of his ale, placing the study metal tankard down on the table with a thud. “Mar,” she said with a soft familiarity and sits down across from him. His eyes search her face suspiciously.

“Escuridade,” he responds after a short silence. “Did not think I would ever see you again.” Lady Escuridade shifts uncomfortable on the wooden chair. “Nor did I,” she said casually. “What do you want?” he asked, growing irritated. “Information about secret tunnels leading to Cidade dos escravos,” she said simple. Mar let out a short unbelievable laugh. “After all this time… after everything that happened. You just pitch up her asking about tunnels? f**k off.” He turned slightly to look toward the wall on his side. “There are hordes of Corrompido under the city,” she said and placed a red leather bag of coins on the table. Mar looks over at her, suspiciously. “And?” he asks as his eye flicker to the red leather bag.

“And, she might be among them,” Lady Escuridade said meaningfully. “And if she it, she will be free to return to you.” Mar’s eyebrow rose slightly, and he turned back to fully face Lady Escuridade. “Might be?” he asked angrily. “Mestre Escuro has spent a lot of time, energy and coin looking for the taken. We attacked Dourado and searched every inch of the place, but she has not been found yet,” she said and pushed the red leather bag toward him. “If we find her in Cidade dos escravos or anywhere else, I will personally make sure she returns to you.” Mar grabs the red leather bag. “Fine, you have a deal. South of the hinterland, by a sunken old boat. The entrance is covered by vines, and the tunnels are marked.” Mar said as he shoves the red leather bag of coins behind his jacket.

“Coordinates,” Lady Escuridade demanded. Mar sighed and scribbled down on a parchment. “Thank you, Mar,” she said satisfied. “Don’t. We are not friends,” he said quickly. Lady Escuridade stood up and walked out of the tavern. Once outside she walked down the empty streets. An image of a girl, young and sweet, smiling as she ran through the forest, enters Lady Escuridade’s mind. For a moment the icy facial expression faulters and she takes a deep breath. then she magically transports back to the watchtower, looking as she did before. As soon as Mestre Escuro saw her, he frowned. “Here,” she said quickly and handed him the parchment with the coordinates. He grabbed her wrists. “Escuridade,” he said softly and pulled her into his embrace. Her body relaxed in his arms, and he soothingly rubbed her back. “Thank you,” he whispered in her ear. “You did well.”

Lady Escuridade shoved against his chest, pushing him back. “How long must we keep doing this?” she asked angrily. “How long must we endure?” her icy façade cracked, revealing a deeply emotional woman underneath. “You saw Mar,” he said softly, more of a statement than a fact. “I–I can’t. I–” Mestre Escuro pulls her into his arms again and kisses her deeply, silencing her protest. She kisses him back, pushing him to the floor so she is on top of him straddling his lap. She starts clawing at his black robes, her nails scratching the skin underneath. The rough fabric of her tattered robes scratched against his palms as his hand moved to grip her hips firmly, anchoring her to him.

A low growl rumbled in her throat as his hands settled firmly on her hips, her body tensed for a moment, a flicker of resistance in her purple eyes before it melted away under the weight of his touch. The rough fabric of his black robes scraped against her palms as she continued to claw at them seeking purchase. “Don’t” she breathed out, the word more command than protest. Her voice was hoarse. “You think you can just… take charge whenever I start asking questions?” her gaze locked onto his, defiance warring with something else– something softer that she rarely allowed herself to show. She leaned down closer to him, their faces inches apart. “This is not how we solve thing,” she whispered harshly against his lips.

“I don’t know how much longer,” Escuro answered. “But I know why we do this. Why we endure. For the right to be who we are and love who we love.” Escuridade’s fingers stilled against his chest, her claws retracting slightly as his words washed over her. The raw emotion in his voice cut through her anger, and for a moment her eyes searched his face, looking for any sign of doubt or hesitation. “Love?” she repeated softly, the word tasting foreign on her tongue. It was a concept she had fought against for so long – an impossible luxury for some like her. “You call this love? This constant battle? This endless struggle to keep the darkness from consuming us both?”

Her grip on his robes loosened, sliding down to rest on his shoulders. The tension in her shoulders ease slightly as she leaned into his embrace, no longer pushing him away. “You speak of rights,” she continued, her voice gaining strength even as her guard lowered. “The right to exist without fear of persecution. To choose out path without being hunter down like animals.” Her free hand came up to cup his jaw, her thumb brushing gently across his cheekbone. The movement was surprisingly tender, a stark contrast to the sharp angles of her face and the dark energy swirling around them.