The Key of Aeacus and Auryn

“Aeacus was born not of a man of flesh, but a being of power, an immortal who ruled a world as old at time. When he was but a babe, he was whisked away to the island of Aegina, and so that his son would not be alone, his father made men of meat and bone from the ants which Aeacus ruled over.

The boy grew into manhood and was renowned for his justice and piety, frequently called upon to settle not only the disputes of his peers, but of the gods as well, fast becoming a man most favored by the latter. Upon this great peacemaker’s death he was given the duty of being one of the three judges in the City of Dust, a man who would eternally hold the keys for death.

But the story does not end there.

Within his new found realm of eternity, a woman stood before the men of justice, begging to be allowed to return to the land of the living so that she might care for her young children, for they had no one else to tend to them. Aeacus fell in love with Auryn at first sight, and though the other two judges denied her, Aeacus’ heart wept for her and he secretly swore to help her. He created an amulet, a key, one that would melt the worlds of life and death, forcing the walls of reality to crumble, which would make it possible for her to return to her children…”

I have found the passage which I have sought, a clipping of text stowed away in the back of one of the fabled tales of an ancient book. I now have a name, something more to seek. This text also promises a complete volume of written information, which of course means another book to search for, not much, but more than I had a day ago.

I am still be plagued by dreams, though they seem to be changing. Not only am I seeing and hearing my mother, but my youngest sister as well. Only glimpses, small snippets of visual pulses that go as quickly as they come. What could she possibly have to do with all of this? There must be a reason, but what can it be? I have decided to write her, to invite her to join me, to see if she has any information that can help me.

Whispers

“You shall bear the child that will break the curse. Already this son takes root in your womb. He is the gift that we have awaited for a thousand years, a male heir that will change the course of bloodlines. No longer will your daughter be plagued with the future of slavery, but such gifts will come at great cost. Once the babe has been safely delivered from your body, a life will be in forfeit, a life freely offered in trade. Your life, my daughter…”

I awoke in the middle of the night in a cold sweat, despite the humid breeze coming in from the open window. In spite of the furs pulled up over my body I could not seem to get warm and I could not shake the feeling of trepidation.

Something isn’t right. Something is.. missing.

But I don’t know what that ‘something’ is.

Memories come in bits and pieces, fragile disjointed sentences that I have to strain to hear. Chaotic whispers that continue to confuse me, as if.. something else seeks my council. Tomorrow is my last day at the library, Lucian having gained me access to the non public books. I want to promise myself that if I find nothing, I will return to Ar, to my family, and make due with what time I have left.

But I know that is a promise that I cannot make.

I have one more thing to do before giving up.

I need to go home.

Seeds of Time

If you can look into the seeds of time, and say which grain will grow and which will not, Speak.
William Shakespeare

I haven’t slept well since coming to Port Cos and I believe the lack of it is starting to catch up with me. My body is strained and my mind is stressed, but at least I have alleviated one worry, the letter to Castor that I have been putting off for days. Finally it is written and sent, I only hope he does not hate me for it.

Charm is still talking to Aiden, though she refuses to share with me what transpires between them. I swear there are times she looks at me through his eyes, his love, his anger and his hurt. I fear for her and I can see his hold on her growing stronger. I now believe I should have left her in Ar with her father, who can better protect her. My selfishness in wanting her near me could prove to be the worst decision I have ever made. But what terrifies me even more, is I’m sure he knows where we are, and being as he raped me, I know what he is capable of.

Port Cos seems to currently be a volatile city with its fires and unruly rest. Lucian has suggested I do not leave the house with less than three guards. I am of the opinion he is correct. Charm and I journey out only to the Library, where I have been given another stack of books to study. These are the last of the volumes that would contain the information I need. If I do not find what I seek within their dusty pages, I am at a loss at where to turn next. If only I could find a name, a drawing, something more to go on.

I should rest. It will be dawn soon.

A Letter from Port Cos

Dear Castor,

It’s been well over a hand since last I saw you, touched you and smelled the leather on your skin. I miss you so badly I can sometimes feel your breath on my neck and hear your voice whispering into my ear. It makes me wish we didn’t argue so, too much time wasted between us.

Charm misses her father and she asks about you every night, but not to worry, I’m sure to always give her a special kiss just from you.

Port Cos is a noisy place and there always seems to be something going on. Charm and I have been spending most of our time since coming here in the Library, where she has found a friend in the librarian’s four year old son, while I study.

There is something I want, no, need to tell you, but I’m not quite sure how to broach the subject. I know you’re going to be angry with me, and I now realize you have every right to be. I only hope that you can understand.. why I have done the things I have done. Why I have made the decisions that may unravel the thread of our relationship.

I’m going to begin by telling you things you already know, even though I know how maddening that is for you. For as far back as my family can remember, only females have been born to our line. It’s a curse we have endured for generations, with no knowledge of how to break it, with never a male heir to carry on the family name. Though they may love their daughters, fathers want sons, sons we of my lineage can never give them.. until now.

The night of the storm, we conceived a child, a child that will be the first male to be born into my family. So you see, I was barely pregnant when you took me into that room and past the black curtain. But something happened in there, within the walls of calming blue, something both wonderful.. and terrifying. I heard my mother’s voice, so sweet and soft and soothing, and she predicted the coming of our son. But all I told you was that I was pregnant. I didn’t tell you everything.

She also told me that for the curse to be broken and for our son to live, there would have to be another life in forfeit. She prophesied that only a few ehns after having giving birth, that life in forfeit will be mine, a small price to pay for the future of our children.

But she also gave me a ray of hope, a fable; the legend of an amulet that would trap my consciousness from fleeing my body after our son is born. It is the myth of this amulet that I have come to Port Cos in search of, trying to gather every morsel of information on it I can find. I know I should have told you but I did not wish to give you false hope.

I hold within me the decision to keep searching, or come home and spend what days I have left with you.

I am afraid, for either decision I make, I lose.

Forgive me.

Lover of mine,

Astraea

The Assassin

The face was familiar, but I had not, until I saw the dagger displayed on his forehead, realized what he was. He was still polite, as he had been upon past chance meetings, offering to buy me supper, if I could direct him to an inn. My own establishment in the city has not yet been developed, but we did find an inn, one crowded upon first entrance and then quickly clearing out so that we were the only two remaining, save slaves.

Many times the cards do not make sense to me, for I am not wise to the background of those I read for. But the card of his future made perfect sense, The Physician, a card of balance, a path between opposites, but as it was reversed, the cards whispered of imbalance, and being why he was in Port Cos, marked, I was afraid of what the future held for him. There would be recklessness, confusion and weakening, which can be a fatal flaw in an assassin. But he did not seem unnerved.

I have found the library and for the last three days I have studied what it has to offer. Only one book has made note of the amulet, but the passage is vague, the reference obscure. So far as I understand it, the amulet is a vessel that holds the consciousness. How it works, or even if it still exists I have not been able to ascertain. But I still have a few more volumes to look through.

If I were a praying woman, I should start now.

Port Cos

The Ubar of Cups, the Ubara of Cups. Close to never does this emotional couple appear in the same reading. I didn’t understand the meaning, only able to relay what the cards wish, but all was made clear when Lucian began to explain. He’s going to be a father, Bonnie, the woman who as I understand it, is not really his sister, the mother of his child. This is the first time that I have read for him where the cards aligned themselves in his favor. I’m thinking he should probably quit while he’s ahead.

He’s happy, or at least he seems happy, sometimes it’s hard to tell with Lucian, always reserved with his feelings, but this I can understand. I do it all too often myself.

I told him if he comes across a book of baby names, to let me know. Of course he didn’t make the connection, and why should he? I am a woman whose contract ran out from the man she loved long ago. A man I can never truly companion, except in my heart. But that makes me no less his. It makes our children no less loved.

Tomorrow I have promised myself that I will explore the city, find the library and hopefully add another piece to my overwhelming puzzle. What I have found out so far is vague, more myth than fact. But what I appear to be searching for is some type of amulet, probably no larger then the inside circumference of my palm. I’ve yet to find a description of what it looks like, or the last place in which it rests. Tick tock, tick tock..