The Past [Past]

Being the youngest son of the king and queen meant he could take certain liberties. He was well liked among the people, and people usually referred to him by his middle name as it wasn't nearly as formal. It also meant he didn't have to worry too much in getting recognized by outsiders. This was also far before he had gotten the scars of battle, and even before he had gotten married. Although he was expected to find a wife, it wasn't what he wanted right now. He was still young and carefree, and that was basically it.
He was sitting at a tavern that had placed long tables and benches outside, sharing a round of mead as he chuckled, talking to one of the sailors that had come to port this evening. He was deep in conversation as he talked with the traveler in his native tongue to make it easier to communicate. The sailor was talking about far away lands, lands that few in this kingdom had seen or ever would see. The seas were a dangerous thing to be on and yet he thought he might become a traveler once he grew a bit older. He leaned back, getting up to go fetch them another round, standing in line at the small bar up by the window.

He was next in line as he heard the yell, frowning as he excused himself, running off. This settlement was peaceful, and when guards yelled like that it usually meant trouble. Reaching the place he could see the guards move around in bewilderment above as he himself spotted the strange girl giggling in the grass. Smiling to himself he moved a little closer, not wanting to be seen just yet. If she didn't notice he would sit down in the grass a little bit away, smiling to himself. "I don't think the guards like getting scared like that," he said with a slight shrug. He was a little buzzed, but it wasn't too bad, although she could probably smell the honey mead on him.

He chuckled at her reasoning, she was a funny one, wasn't she? But then she looked at him an seemed to recognize him, making him frown a little at the words she used. Children? Did he look like a kid to her? He was considered a man, although he was the youngest, so he bet it was just how it was always going to be. "No-one ever ruins my evening without my consent," he chuckled, looking up at the sky, two moons visible from where they sat. "Although I did leave some fun company, but that was my own choice," he said, turning his head to look at her. His smile was charming, but not in the schmoozing way. He was just naturally like that, easy to smile and laugh, a light soul. "You're one of the emissaries, aren't you?" he asked, if not her looks giving it away, then her clothing.

"Not all of us have them," he said, pulling his arms up, showing he had no marks of any kind. The rest of his family had them, but he didn't and he had given up thinking about why a long time ago. "Valerian is fine," he smiled friendly, nodding as he eyed her feet, chuckling a bit as he laid down in the grass with her, mimicking her. Not to make fun of her, but rather wanting to understand why. "Nice to meet you Jade," he said politely. He knew he should probably say something princely, but that wasn't really his gig. No, his siblings were way better at that, and he could just live his life. "What are you doing out here scaring guards?"

That was a fair point, but he didn't think about it too much. Her words were a bit offensive. "Do I not seem like I think it is nice to meet you?" He returned, wondering if everyone was as strange as she was where she came from. Her words didn't make a lot of sense. Didn't fall? No grass and not anything alive and now nothing. "I heard that your people lost their home," he said, though he wasn't sure if it was a question or a statement. "If you don't fall, do you have wings?"

"So you're light as a feather I take it," he smiled, not really bothered by her strangeness. She was sweet, although a little confusing, but no weirder than any other traveler he had met. Her question made him smile, shaking his head with a small chuckle as she asked if he minded. "I wouldn't be a good host if I didn't take the time to make you feel welcome," he said, getting up on his feet, reaching his hand down to help her up. He had been raised with good manners and parents that were always there for him. His mother had taught him about art and women, his father about politics and men. Although he had a feeling she wasn't quite either. Like a beautiful nymph you'd only hear about in a poem. "My lady," he said with a warm smile, "what would you like to see first? The high tower of bells? The stables? Perhaps the harbour?" He suggested some places, just to get her inspiration flowing.

Valerian hummed at her question. He had a fair few good places, nome of them his favorite, but he knew a place that he held rather dear to his heart. "Alright, but you have to promise me not to show anyone else," he said rather seriously. His lips soon enough pulled up in a warm smile before leading her the way, letting her take his arm if she wished it so. While they walked he spoke about what they were passing. He knew it all by heart, not because he had great interest, but he sometimes helped his cousin read up on certain historic events. He was starting to sober up, the sky above them mysterious as ever as he led her in to town and down towards the harbour. He stopped at a small Inn where he ran in to a few people he knew. Or rather he thought he knew, because they spoke to him as if they were old friends and he felt rather embarrassed at the fact he couldn't place them.
Soon enough he had taken her down to the beaches a small bit away from the still lively harbour. The rock formations down here was unique, the water calming as it hit the beach, but on stormy nights the waves would throw themselves at the rocks. He stopped at a cave, turning around to look at her, "I hope you trust me," he said holding out his hand for her to guide her through the dark cavern.

Valerian smiled, nodding as she was quite right about that. Although for some trust was something you had to earn. He held her hand quite delicately, just leading her through the dark until they reached a widening in the cave. Inside there were different carvings in the stone, and he let go of her hand, walking to a specific carving. "Only people in my bloodline can access this place," he explained, "and well, guests if we wish it so." It was really a marvelous ancient cave, that curved around, and in the middle of it stood a small scrying pool. "Has anyone told you how our world works yet?" he asked, clearly interested in hearing what she had gathered from all of this. Surely she must've noticed how everything seemingly depended on one another for survival in a sense.

Reaching the widening she looked around with almost doe eyes of curiousity. The cravings were beautiful and she wished she understood but she couldnt. "Oh so you're really going to show me just something marvelous" she chuckled softly, though she was quite thankful. His question made her fold her lips in thought before she simply shook her head and sighed. "Not like.... fully. I got the basics from the King and Queen." she explained but she wasnt sure she had fully understood the concept. But where she came from had also been so different from this. "I'm already just surprised that you walk around and there's air to fill your lungs. We had these special stones that we kept in our mouths to breathe."

He nodded, seeing as it probably was quite complicated if you hadn't grown up with it. He touched one of the writings, knowing full well what it said, but to her it must've not made a lot of sense. She mentioned her own world once more, making him frown as he looked at her rather surprised. "Your world sounds like it was quite different indeed," he had to agree with her. He walked up to the scrying pool, gesturing for her to come closer.
"I want to show you something that not many people have seen," he said, taking out a small knife. Everyone in this realm carried one, but it wasn't a weapon. It was to use one's own blood. Making a small cut along his wrist, he let some of his blood drip in to the small pool, saying something in an ancient tongue before wrapping up the cut. He always carried a handkerchief for this reason.
"Take my hand," he said, holding out his good one. One of the carvings started glowing, the ancient rock shaking as it reformed in to a doorway that he let her through.
On the other side of the portal it was nearing daylight, a small building up ahead and animalistic screams in the air. "I hope you aren't easily frightened," he chuckled as a giant wyvern flew close over their heads, making them have to duck.

It sounded like a nice compliment, but he shook his head. He was far from special. In fact he was probably the least interesting person of his family. Though that didn't mean he didn't strive to become someone some day.
Walking through the doorway and out in to the open field he couldn't help but chuckle at the wind from the wyvern made his hair go crazy. He kept it relatively short, to around just under his earlobe. Or well, it was short for the standard of hair in the Abyssus anyways. "Wyverns," he said, pulling her with him as he headed towards the hut. Walking inside he let go of her hand, walking over to the wall to pull a leaver that made the middle of the hut dethatch from the floor and slowly begin rising up from the floor. He walked over to her, joining her on the platform as it lifted them up in to the air. Wyverns came flying, soaring around the slow-rising tower they were in now. "They say that once a wyvern turned itself in to a woman and wed the king, and since then an alliance has been in place between our kinds," he told, though it was abbreviating the story somewhat for simplicity.

"I'm afraid they do not wish to speak to me, but I do know a fair bit of them," he smiled. He wasn't one of the chosen ones. Though he had the blood, he could not make the connection. That was reserved for a very limited amount of people. She asked why they were kept here and he sighed, "here they are safe and the union we formed with them can be kept intact," he explained as he saw something in the distance. A large dark red wyvern with black claws flying towards the tower. He knew that wyvern too well. "Perhaps you would like to meet one ... Up close?" he asked, tilting his head to the side as he looked at Jade with a smile on his lips.

"I guess you have to trust me that they wont," he said, taking her hand delicately in his own. He pulled her in closer, holding her to his chest as a mischievous smile spread on his face, "Hold on," he said, stepping hard on the floor before it collapsed in to a hole and they fell through. He hoped that when he was holding her close, she could get to experience what falling really felt like.
Not falling for long, they soon landed at the back of one of the wyverns, a rider sitting on the back with a large helmet on that obscured their face. "Thank you for the ride," he yelled, guiding Jade as to where she could hold on as the wyvern flew them around, guided by the rider. From up here they could really feel the wind in their hair, and see how the ocean went on forever. They were on an island far from the main land it seemed.