The Keepers of Chaos: A Vault of Hell

Alekzandr Ikorov: XXI

Another one: XXI

"Poskol thamar bezhim ath... beskenochnosti thamar sarzhat." Alekzandr read to himself. It was a quiet day, the outside morning air was damp and cut with a cold clarity he hadn't felt in months. Summer was rough, Alekzandr thought, the hot sweltering sky always threatened his comfort. He preferred the winter, he preferred anything other than hot sunny days. Though he couldn't be sure he hated the heat that much, afterall.. she always wished for warmer days, and more sun.. He reminded himself. He wondered if she would enjoy Waterdeep.

"How is it?" Alekzandr was snapped from his daze with Rishall's words who stood behind him happily, Rishall's draconic eyes blinked with their two lids

"I've made progress," Alekzandr stated. "I have gone through over five chapters now, you will not believe the things recorded in this book. Masha Lobodovshki's chapter on moving water without the use of a pump! Now that is something that has been truly lost to time." Alekzandr let out a pained laugh. "Though the mixture of old and ancient technology is... jarring for me. It is like this book was not written all at once, or if it was, someone had a strange taste of what order to place my people's advancements in.." He said bitterly, hating to be reminded of the war. Alekzandr thought of his people, he had chosen to remember them fondly for the people they were before the war. Yet it was impossible to shake the dread he felt in his heart.

"Alekz.. Is.. something wrong?" Rishall pulled out a chair and brought it to Alekzandr's side sitting down on it next to him. "Tell me. What troubles you?" He swallowed, staring into Rishall's golden dragon born eyes. "This book, I can see you enjoy it.. Yet, you are uneasy." He looked down as he took a swig of his flask. Was this a tale he could tell? Was this a thing he could share with another? His pain and misery. Rishall was a trustworthy soul, and someone who had offered Alekzandr work on something so private to his culture.

"I was reminded of the war." He replied softly. "This passage.. Poskol thamar bezhim ath beskenochnosti thamar sarzhat." Alekzandr said in his mother tongue of Rushik. "It means; For we run from a terror. We shall fight. It was a common saying during the war, a justification for our actions against the Ercelan people." Alekzandr looked up at Rishall with a veteran's stare, he was overcome with grief and sorrow.

"I.. will admit, I have not heard much of the war my friend. Yet I am sorry.. I can see it in your eyes. Trust me, neither of us are proud of our pasts." Rishall concluded. Rishall looked at him with an inquisitive expression, Alekzandr could sense he wished to ask a question.

"The terror." Alekzandr could hear his own voice croak. "You are wondering what Terror could drive us to fight, drive us to a point where even I regret the actions? It is a terror unlike anything you have seen.." Alekzandr winced as its image reformed within his mind its.. Its long claws... No! he bit back, he would not think of this creature's form. He would not torment himself. "It was horrible enough, for our war." Alekzandr said solemnly. "Trust me on that." Alekzandr's mouth tasted bitter.. Justified, he nearly cackled at that idea.

"I thought it was the Ercelans who attacked?" Rishall replied. "Was it the Rushiki instead? Who.. declared this war?" Alekzandr shook his head. The truth was both in plain sight to all yet tucked away.

"The Ercelan's declared war." Alekzandr confirmed, "They were angry with us.. We were.. Expanding on their land they said, but we needed to. We were running, Rishall." He met the book keeper's eyes. "We were running, and they were too prideful to listen, and we were too arrogant to explain.. Or perhaps too foolish." Sometimes he wondered which.

"Elves.. Attacking.. Elves are not normally aggressive. Well except for ofcourse.." Rishall murmured. Alekzandr only started laughing.

"HA!" Alekzandr said. "Another day, in another time, I could explain to you how these.. Were aggressive, what they were. But that is for another day, comrade."