The Albino

Benjamin stepped slowly into the secret passage, placing the girls between himself and Jukha as he brought up the rear. Vilora seemed completely unafraid of the Queen Mother. She followed the Vin monarch into the narrow chasm without hesitation, leading the group as they walked the long damp roughly carved passage.

Soon enough, the passage flared into a simple, yet well-furnished cavern. The Farie queen turned to them as they followed her in…. And pounced on Vilora in a tight, full embrace, “Sister, oh I’ve missed you...” she half whispered to Vilora as the rest looked on in shock, “I see your life has been as interesting as you hoped.” She released Jukha’s wife and turned to the Orc, “You’ve proven me wrong. My sister lives, and I thank you for it.”

Benjamin looked to Vilora and Jukha in not so mild surprise, and Vilora spoke up first, “This is Victoria. Queen of the Vin, and my twin sister. We shared a womb, even though we do not share a face. I have not seen her since I saved Jukha.”

Vi and Val instantly fell to one knee, as Benjamin crossed his arms as he regarded her, “So why call your sister home now, other than...”

“Other than you.” Victoria answered, “please, sit. I must ask questions that I cannot have heard in open court.”

The group sat, with the queen in a singular chair facing the rest as they settled into surprisingly comfortable couches. Victoria raised an eyebrow as the Aereesin girls gravitated closely to Benjamin who seemed to both be comforting them; and coiled tightly, ready to protect them instantly. “My sister and I have not spoken face to face in generations, but she shared bits of her experiences with you. She made it clear that she knew more, but was oath bound to keep your secrets, ‘not my story to tell’ I believe was her words.” The Queen began, “You bleed red, do you not?”

Benjamin shifted slightly, “I do, I hear that is a rather unpleasant fact among some.”

The Queen nodded somberly, “It is… there is only one race that carries iron in the blood as you do, yet you claim to not be H’mure. My sister appears to believe you whole heartedly.”

“She’s gotten a more… intimate view of me from the lance wound. I’m assuming she told you that?” Benjamin asked carefully.

Victoria smiled in understanding, “Ah, her needing to study your anatomy to heal you. Yes, that is a strong mark in your favor.” The queen then sighed raising a placating hand, “unfortunately, in this existence we live in, that is not enough. The H’mure were addicted to modifying themselves, either to hide, or for pleasure, to improve their chosen skill, or in search of perfection. My deepest apologies, Benjamin; but I must see for myself. Why does my dearest sister trust you so.”

Benjamin did not say anything for a full minute as his eyes seemed to lose focus. Victoria watched as the older of the two Aereesen girls sat up taller, reaching for Benjamin’s hand, rubbing it gently between hers. Benjamin seemed to return as she whispers something in his ear, too softly for anyone else to understand.

“I… I will show you, on two conditions.” Benjamin said slowly. He paused; eyes locked on the Queen Mother until she nodded almost imperceptibly. “You cannot share anything you see with anyone; eternity is not long enough for this oath and only I can release you from it.” Benjamin spoke with slow, deadly precision. Victoria recognized the iron in his eyes, unyielding in its challenge, “I accept this and so swear it” she found herself stating, almost as if the response was demanded from her soul. “And the second?”

“Vilora will accompany us, She has seen what I must show you, and she will be able to keep me grounded. What I am about to show you is… traumatic…” Benjamin finished.

Victoria leaned back, “An interesting second condition. Very well, I accept it as well”

—————————————

Forty minutes later, Vilora released both Victoria’s and Benjamin’s hands. The link broken; Victory opened her eyes slowly as Benjamin leaned back into his seat. The oldest Aereesen girl seemed to comfort him, but his expression straining against an unseen force. Victoria had seen the horrors of war, but she now understood the brutally personal nature of Benjamin’s story. She also no longer wondered why he was so protective of the two sitting next to him. ‘Then there are….’

“I… I believe you,” the Queen spoke finally, equal parts intrigued and irritated by the quaver they danced around the edges of her voice. “I… understand your requests now, and you are wise to require them, even if a Queen.” Victoria stood, walking to a set of shelves, hoping to give Benjamin time to recover. “You are of this orb, yet not of the 4 realms.”

“No,” Benjamin said, “I am human, and we are the the only ‘race’, as you know them, on my home…. Existence. We have no Majik, no H’mure, and we’ve…” Benjamin paused, but the Queen nodded, “far surpassed us in the art of killing.” She stated solemnly. “You’re the first being to have met a celestial in over a millennia, and you have confirmed much of what we believe we know about this orb.”

Victoria returned with a rolled piece of parchment almost twice as tall as her 4ft 8in height.

She handed one end of the scroll to Vilora, and rolled it out upon the floor between them. “This is our orb as we know it. The vast majority of the peoples living here believe it to be flat, but we Farie know it to be round, like a ball.” She began, conjuring a long thin shaft of wood. She pointed to the large land mass in sections, “the four realms; the Orc Principality to the south, the Meridian Combine and the Barristine Oligarchy reign either side of Centristan Demarcation, and the Hirakan Ascendency reigns the far north. The four realms were founded upon the end of the H’mure wars. Morag, and his head generals, split up the land as spoils of the conflict. Morag The Hammer, Merida the Just, Barris the stoic, and Hirak the cunning began building west from their portion of the coast. They created the realms upon their own image, and they persist to this day.”

Benjamin studied the map. It reminded him a great deal of the theorized Pangea from his natural history classes, but something was off, “where are we, exactly” he asked absently.

“The FeralWood.” Victoria replied, “Or rather, deeper into the FeralWood. All of this,” she waved the wooden pointer across a vast stretch of continent west of the outlines of the four realms, “Is the Feral wood. You travelled to us from here” she pointed at the edge of principality territory. “Each realm had claimed a portion of the feral wood for its own, but the loss of life during the conflict stunts their attempts at reclamation, even to this day.”

Benjamin let out a long low whistle, “So many people died that this is all just forgotten and lost today,” he paused, the nagging feeling like something was off returning to him. “I… “ he began, leaning forward to the map as it hit him, “where is Eurasia?”

Everyone immediately looked at him, and the Queen cocked her head quizzically, “Eurasia?”

Benjamin sighed looking around until he found something he could use, “forgive me,” he spoke as he reached out, obliterating the jewel encrusted silver plated iron lampstand next to the wall. The floating almost liquid glob of iron and silver filings was punctuated by four floating jewels.

Everyone in the room flinched at his actions, but the swirling sphere quickly coalesced as Benjamin spoke, “over 50 years ago, Humanity left this planet in exploration. We travelled above the earth, what you call the orb, and even visited the moon.” The swirling mass swirled wildly, depicting the Apollo flights, the shuttle missions, space X, and others before changing to a floating map of Pangea. “This is a land mass made up of every continent we know today. Many believe that it existed long before the continent split into what I know them to be today,” Benjamin split the land mass apart before recombining it. “If I remove the Eurasian landmass… this happens”. The room gasped as Benjamin made the Eurasian chunk of Pangea disappear, and the remaining landmass quickly appeared almost identical to the map on the floor. “My people have a scientific theory, more a thought problem than anything else, that our world exists in infinite versions, all occupying the same space at the same time, Yet very different.” Benjamin slowly shifted the image around showing the map on the floor in the swirling storm of iron and silver. “If we take this theory as truth, you are missing a land mass. If I remember correctly, Morag and the other generals chased the H’mure into the sea, but never followed them.” Benjamin spun the swirling globe to reveal Eurasia, on the other side of the planet, and the Queen gasped in understanding.

She reached out, almost touching the swirling globe, “they could be…” she stopped unable to put to words what she now feared to be true. Benjamin slowly closed his fist, reconstructing the lamp as he replaced it in its original resting place, as a heavy silence hung over the room.

————————————————

The Queen questioned Benjamin for over an hour on his world, the similarities, and differences, before leaning back in her chair.

“You have shown me much, Benjamin. Thank you...” the Queen took a deep breath, “we will meet again in the morning, but I have one final question for you.”

Benjamin nodded, “Of course.” And the Queen leaned forward, “What you said in the throne room, Is it true. If your…. Servants…” she winced as Benjamin’s face flashed angrily but continued, “we’re no longer on principality soil, they would be free?”

Benjamin met her gaze levelly, “yes,” he said simply, “I own them as a means to get them out of the principality. They are free to do as they wish, even now.”

Victoria nodded, turning to the two surprisingly somber girls, and smiled as their eyes widened when she spoke in their native tongue.

Tell me truthfully, what is your wish the queen asked

We wish to stay with Benjamin. We care not that we are his property Viola responded instantly before pausing, but, it causes him great pain to own us, but the thought of leaving hurts us.

The queens eyes narrowed , Us?

Us Viola stated firmly.

Victoria’s eyes widened in understanding, Does he know? the queen asked

He does not know, but he is kind. He believed us children until a short while ago, yet he still protects us. He took us to his bed, using his own body to keep us warm, and we slept next to him while he was injured to keep him alive through the blood shakes. He has asked for nothing more. He even refuses to watch us dress Viola explained, blushing slightly.

I see Victoria smiled warmly, Then I shall give you aid, young ones. she stated, closing her eyes for a moment as her wings glowed slightly, “I’ve arranged accommodations for all of you.” She stated in Orcish as a second Farie, wearing the colors of the royal court, appeared from a door on the other side of the room, “rest and recover; We will talk again in a few days.”

The group followed the courtier out the hidden door and into a more ornate part of the carved palace built into the heart of the tree, “The tree we are in. How is it not sick or dying.” Benjamin offered in slight wonder. The aid waved at the walls, “We did not carve these passages into the mother tree. Her name is Veeranil, and she provides us with the passages and homes. We carve the finishing touches into the passages and rooms, but we do not cut them from her flesh. Ah, here we are. The Queens sister and her bound are to reside here for their stay.” She pointed to a door molded into the wall.

“Thank you, dear. I’m honored to stay in the mother tree.” Vilora stated formally, bowing before she and Jukha stepped into their room, closing the heavy doors. The aid turned without saying a word and began walking further down a hall before making a corner and stopping at the door at the end. “And this shall be where you three shall be residing for your stay.” The door opened and Benjamin surpassed the urge to sigh as he entered their quarters, but the complaint died in his throat as stunned silence took him. The room was breathtaking. A single massive ornately carved bed stood as the center piece with handmade matching furniture against the walls. One was obviously a woman’s vanity with a tall flawless mirror attached to it. Benjamin set the large backpack he had carried during their escape, noticing that his musket had been leaned carefully up against a dresser with his pistol sword, stiletto, and Viola’s flintlock pistol laid carefully on top of the piece of furniture.

He walked toward the massive half dome window to see a completely unencumbered view of the stars, and the cloudless night shone in all its glory. Fresh air wafted in through the open terrace door, and Benjamin turned back to take in the room as a whole. He found Vilora and Valtrya sitting on the bed watching him, and he felt his cheek heat in memory of the kiss given to him just before they were forced to flee. “Benjamin, please. Sit.” Viola said quietly, but something in her tone caught Ben’s attention. He slowly walked over, sitting next to them, “I’m here, what is it?” he asked as Viola reached out her hand for his.

Viola paused, steeling herself, “Benjamin, you wish us free. You are kind to do so. You wish us to be able to make any choice we wish for ourselves?”

Benjamin nodded, “I do.” He watched as Viola turned to lock eyes with her sister before returning to look up at Benjamin, “Then we wish for you to understand.” She took Valtrya’s hand in her other one before continuing, “There are only three peoples on this orb that do not die of old age. Farie’s, The Mountain Folk…. And Aereesen. Sickness can claim my people, as can starvation, torture, and injury; but after our 17th year we become adults, and by our 23rd year, we cease to grow old. It is one of the reasons we are hated, not just in the Principality. Even in Meridia, we would be free; but we would be refused work anywhere but the Brothel or the mines.”

Benjamin took a long deep breath, feeling a heaviness settle into the room, “So even if I got you to a free state… all because your ancestors chose the wrong side in a war a dozen generations ago.”

Viola shook her head violently, “My people did not choose a side, we were… addicts… Our grandmother survived the war, making herself… useful… over the ages until she chose to stay at the breeding camps when she had our mother.” Viola said softly, “You’ve been told of the H’mure, how they torture their victims before killing them?”

Benjamin shifted uncomfortably, “They, um… bit them, injected some kind of Venom.” He answered. and Viola nodded, “They did. A small dose would cause a Warrior Orc’s heart to race, and his vision to narrow, often burning his energy out in a few moments before rendering him unconscious… Larger doses would cause the victim's heart to explode from its rapid beating, or burst the vessels that carry life throughout the body, but…” She paused, shaking slightly before Benjamin squeezed her hand, then continued. “For an Aereesen, It’s a drug. A euphoria of both mind and body. My grandmother would tell us that she would have anything at all, even kill her own child, for a single bite from her master. The hold was so complete on my people, that when the H’mure were driven from the realms, thousands died from withdrawl. Thousands more killed themselves rather than suffer any longer. My people were decimated, yet we do not die.”

“Jesus…” Benjamin breathed, taking in the implications of an entire race addicted to another race that was the embodiment of evil. Viola squeezed his hand once and continued, “It was decided in those days, that we needed to know the fear of death. So, my people were made to suffer unspeakable fates for generations. My sister caught the eye of my mother’s master on her 17th birthday. He took her from us during her small life party… a week later she returned broken, hollow, and barely alive. She would have died, save for Gramamma…” Viola paused. “I’m… I..” Benjamin began, but Viola stopped him, “It was not you, and it was a long time ago. Gramamma saved Valtrya, but it came at a price. My sister and I… we are a paired soul. My Gramamma was a master in the majik of the soul, and I begged her to save my sister. I told her I would do anything. So Gramamma agreed. She blended our souls together, using pieces of me to heal the damage to Valtrya’s essence and spirit.”

Viola squeezed her sisters hand as Valtrya leaned against her, tears flowing. “My sister lost her voice on her birthday, but I know what she needs as if she were part of my own body. She knows the same of me. We are two minds, two bodies but one soul. If we are separated from each other for too long, it can kill us… Several Master’s have done so for fun, bringing us to the brink of death before reuniting us for even the smallest infraction. We have, by a miracle of the gods, been able to survive until now, but Korgan had promised to kill us the night we met you. We could no longer…” She stopped as Ben touched her lips with his finger. “Don’t.” he said, “You do not need to relive that for me. I understand…. His son did not know about your soul, did he.” And Viola shook her head, “He would have split us up, giving one of us to his champion, and we would have died within a fortnight. As I said, Val lost her voice on her 17th birthday, until you took the Orc lance to the chest.”

Benjamin’s eyes widened and Viola continued, “You gave my sister back her voice. You’ve saved us and returned us to health with kindness and modesty, demanding neither our servitude, nor our bodies as payment. We want to be yours Benjamin, if not in servitude, then as…” Valtrya stood as Viola paused. She stepped slowly up to Benjamin, cupping his face with her hands before taking his lips with hers for the first time. “Something more.” Viola finished.

Benjamin stiffened slightly, before pulling Valtrya into a gentle embrace. She broke away from him after a moment and Viola smiled softly at Benjamins conflicted expression, “Benjamin, come to bed; It need not be for warmth or for pleasure. The rest can wait for the morning. Please, just be with us tonight because we, as free’d, wish you next to us.”