Quan Jaeger's Story

Time is running out, Athru...



Quan awoke from his sleep, finding himself in chains. His wrists were cuffed together and his ankles were secured on the ships floor. He tried to summon his gift, a mild shock emitting from the shackles. Taking a closer look at what bound him, he saw the engravings, written in a long dead language. A language whose words were made for the sole purpose of stopping one such as him. Taking a heavy sigh, he looked around the ship, knowing the only way out was to try and get his bearings first. He looked around the ship, seeing a few others chained like himself, no more than a dozen or so. He could tell they were like him. It was in their scent. Very rarely did he run across someone else like himself, but now there were twelve here. Not the best of circumstance, but it did give him a sense of companionship, no matter how brief. There was little light entering the hold they had been placed in. He could see the rays from the Sun in the holes of the ship. It was setting. A troubling sign for him since, last he remembered, it was just rising.

The job was simple enough, and so was the pay. Take a package across the border and don't get stopped for any reason. Maybe it should of hit him like a brick when he was able to enter Azreal so easily. He had heard the stories, but thought he could fly under the radar. Sure enough, that was not the case. He was set up, anyone could see it. In the hull of that ship, while others wallowed at their own misfortune, Quan grinned widely. For the thought of dying had left his mind and been replaced by the thought of making his previous employer pay once he got out of there. He fell backwards, his head hitting the wall of the ship and making a large thud as it did so. It caught the attention of the nearby guard, who up until this point was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed and a bored expression plastered all over his face.

"Oi, quit making that racket!" said the guard, walking toward Quan with his hand placed firmly on the hilt of his sword. Depending on where they were, Athru would cause different emotions to rise in people. Here, in the land with the Athru King, a common soldier would not show fear when confronted by an Athru, especially not one bound in chains. Quan looked up at the guard, still smirking. "What day is it?" said Quan, genuinely interested in the guards answer. The soldier raised an eyebrow, having to think on the question for a minute. "Its the Fourth Day of First Seed. Why?" The soldier loosened his posture, the question catching him off guard. "I've been out for two days? Well, that's a cause for concern. Do you know, octopus do not survive for longer than a few years?" The soldier scratched his chin and took a long sigh. "What does this have to do with anything?" Quan let out a small chuckle. "Everything. For you see, death does not concern me. I have no intention of dying. That's why I chose the Octopus." The soldier nudged the chains wrapped around Quan's leg. "You may not have any intention. But, the Executioner's axe does." The soldier walked away, leaving Quan alone with his thoughts once again. Well, now that I went and boasted like that, I better think of something or else all I've done is been made to look the fool, Quan thought to himself, his eyes dashing around the room trying to find a way out.

Ephraim was struggling to keep the contents of his stomach, or whatever he got left, inside. He felt nauseous and disoriented, clearly suffering from seasickness. He never felt like this before, since he had never bothered to get out on the open sea. The largest boat he had ever been on was the dinghy of his uncle. That had been fun. This was not.

He groaned, tucking on his chains to gently shift his positioning and keep his blood circulating. He looked at the cuffs that bound his feet for the hundredth time. He had recognized them instantly, having made similar objects himself. As an Athru, he had not liked doing it, but it had been necessary. Even Athru could be criminals and needed to be restrained. Ephraim was not a criminal though. One moment he was working in his smithy, just putting the final touches on the scabbard for a sword, the next a group of men had rushed in and put him in chains. He did not understand why he was taken prisoner. As far as he could remember, he had done nothing that would warrant this. Hell, he had even... no, he did not want to think about that now. Instead, he tried pulling himself loose. He gave everything he had, but the chains were not budging. Ephraim was strong, but not that strong. If only he could summon the strength of the Rhino. Then again, that was the point of these types of shackles to begin with.

Another wave of nausea came over him and he quickly rolled to his side in case something decided to come up. At that moment, another prisoner opposite him had attracted the attention of one of the guard. The prisoner had long white hair and an eye patch. He had the look of a person who could kill you in a matter of seconds if he wanted to. If he had not been chained to the hull, that is. The prisoner and the guardsmen briefly exchanged words, neither of them showing any signs of fear. Ephraim listened intently, hungry for any information that could explain what was going on. Then the guard said, "You may not have any intention. But, the Executioner's axe does." Execution? Ephraim’s head was spinning. Why was this man send for execution? Were they all send for execution? Why? It did not make any sense. “Stay calm Eph,” he muttered to himself, “Stay calm. Keep your head together and you can work this out.”

After the guard had walked away, Ephraim slowly got up, putting himself back into a sitting position. He composed himself, closing his eyes for a while to regulate his breath. Once that was under control, he tried to get the attention of Eye Patch. “Do you know what is going on?” He whispered. Then, looking around at the other prisoners, he said louder, “Does any of you know what is going on?” Ephraim quickly glanced at the guard. The man had apparently not heard Ephraim. Finally speaking out loud gave Ephraim a rush of adrenaline, temporarily subduing his seasickness. He flashed a broad honest grin, "And what are we going to do about it?"

A smile formed on Chantal's face when the guard left. She moved her chained arms, attempting something. However, her attention was taken away once Ephraim asked about the current circumstances.

"As much as I know, the big meanies are going to slay us, sweety!" She replied to him in a cheerful manner, more suitable for telling fairy tales to children. "I'm not really sure what we're going to do. Plans are hard if you think of them by yourself. Maybe someone here has useful goodies in their smart brainies, so we can not be chopped to death? Is there anyone who wants to share?"

After this question, her expression became serious, as she turned her face to Quan.

"And you! Yes, you with the white hair and eyepatch! Don't you ever slam your head like that again! You'll get injured and you could get murdered sooner than the schedule requires!"

Not feeling guilty for the time she wasted for a lecture, while a good plan could be made and shared, she stopped talking for a moment and concentrated on her attempt again. The woman let out a short squeal, as her arms felt the shock.

Jace let out a small groan as he woke up to the unwelcome movement of a ship. When he tried to move, he noticed that he was chained down. inspecting the chains he noticed the writing. "Well I'll be, they noticed what time I disarmed my protective runes and taken me while I was taking a nap." he muttered to himself. Looking around, he noticed the other Athru. Never thought the king would go after me, I do many good things for the kingdom of Azreal, but it's good to see others, that increases my chance to escape. he thought to himself. His attention turned to Quan as he conversed with the guard. Quan seemed like a dangerous person, and looked like he would be willing to commit crimes. When the guard mentioned an executioner's axe, Jace smiled softly to himself. "So that's what they plan to do, well know I really need to get out of here." he once again muttered. He then turned his attention to the large man and soon after that, to the woman who talked as if she was talking to a child. "Well, I guess I got stuck with some interesting people didn't I." He said to the others. then towards the big man he said "Well, what's happening is the government of Azreal is trying to kill us, I know this from the type of ship we appear to be in and hints shown by the guards' appearance and accent. As for why, it's probably some sort of power thing."
Jace then took a second to think. "Well, for how we get out, there are a couple of options. Someone needs to snag a key, use magic to bust the cuffs, or someone needs to be strong enough to break their cuffs. Hopefully these cuffs don't stop magic." As he said the he began to try and charge magical energy.

The other Athru began to make noise, following the lead of their fellow prisoners. Some tried to charge magic, but it did little good. While these chains were designed to stop an Athru's gift, they offered in equal part a silence on magic. It was becoming more and more clear all precautions had been taken, a most troubling sign for anyone looking to escape. The sound of someone coming down the steps brought the attention of most to the doorway. The soldier straightened his posture and looked forward, showing the one coming down was of a higher rank. From around the corner of the exit emerged a large man, attention catching in size. Darkness shrouded his face as he said, "Who is making all this noise aboard my ship?" His voice was deep, but something was off about it. There was a lisp, but not something born from childhood. There was wound upon this man, though none could see it yet. The soldier pointed at Ephraim and said, "My apologies for the ruckus, Captain. It was that one." The man grunted, spitting on an Athru sitting close to the door. He began walking toward Ephraim, the ship seemingly rocking with each step he took. The sun had set, and the moon had risen. Light was sparse, but there was just enough moonlight shining within the ship to reveal the man's face as he approached. The right side of his face was badly burned, causing his skin to look boiled and the side of his mouth to droop, giving him his unique way of speaking. He stopped in front of Ephraim, towering over a man most would call large. "I know you. So, the Smithy wants to play hero to the freaks?" The Captain reached for his right hip, removing a small blade from his person. He held the blade up to Ephraim's neck, knowing the Athru would be unable to defend himself. "The King wants you to face execution. But, letting one or two die on the way wouldn't cause too much trouble in the way of paperwork." The Captain smiled. "Funny, I know you as well." The Captain turned around to the voice, lowering his weapon. Quan sat with his head up, grinning maniacally and staring at the Captain.

"Oh, do ya?" The Captain stood up, looking down at Quan. "That I do. You're Carver, The Dragon Scorched. Ten years ago you rebelled against the King. He accepted your surrender, but not without giving you a reminder of your treachery. Does it still burn? I heard dragon's fire leaves such a scorch that whatever it touches never truly stops burning." The Captain, now known as Carver, gripped his blade so firmly blood started to seep from his hand. He lifted Quan up, only able to get him up to his knees before the chains tightened and began digging into Quan's skin. "What would you know of a Dragon's fire?!" yelled Carver, gripping Quan tightly around the neck with his left hand. "We all have our scars." Carver raised his blade and said, "Well, now you have another." Before he could bring it down, the sound of yelling and rushing feet began to ring throughout the hull. It came from the top, as if everyone was suddenly called to sail. A soldier came rushing down the stairs, almost tripping over his own feet. "Captain!" said the soldier, out of breath and panting heavily. Carver released Quan, sheathing his knife. "What is it, soldier?" The man pointed up and his eyes grew even wider, unable to truly grasp what he was about to say. "There's a Dragon... Its heading straight for us." Carver grew wide eyed and grabbed the soldier by his collar. "That's impos-" At that moment, a loud screech could be heard for miles. Carver gripped the right side of his face, crying out loudly in pain. "What do you know, I guess it true," Quan spoke at an almost whisper, the words unable to reach the panicking Captain. Carver released his face and turned to the Athru guard. "Stay here. Do not listen to them, understand?" The soldier simply nodded as Carver and the other one went back to the deck.

Carver busted threw the door, the sight of his crew in a frenzy not helping his mood. He looked off into the distance, seeing that which he most hoped he wouldn't. Massive wings flapped in the night sky, causing waves to form in the middle of the ocean. One could hear them, beating like drums. Carver could see their destination just beyond the creature. He knew now what was happening. Him and his men were to die here, though the reason why eluded him. This was not their first transport of Athru, so why now was this happening? He was brought back to reality by the sound of the Dragon's screech, one that paralyzed most of his men in fear. Carver drew his blade, not saying a word. He walked to the front of the ship, standing as far out as he could. The Dragon drew closer, fire visible in its mouth. Carver screamed out as loud as he could as the Dragon's first attack signaled the beginning of the battle, for however brief it was to be.

Quan looked across to Ephraim, a smirk on his face. "Well now, if I knew I was sitting across from someone so interesting... I would have woken up sooner." Quan turned his attention to the soldier, who know had a visible fear on his face. "What's this, the big bad warrior of the King is suddenly afraid for his life? The soldier drew his sword and started walking toward Quan. "That's twice now you have mocked me in some fashion. I will not tolerate a third." His hand was shaking, and thereby, so was the sword. Quan began laughing, looking at the soldier with apathetic eyes. "If there is a Dragon out there, that can only mean one thing. Your King has forsaken you... and us, as well." The soldier put the sword up against Quan's neck. "That's the third time, Athru." In that moment, the Dragon's first attack hit, taking out the front part of the ship in an instant. The blast was so large to caused the soldier to lose his balance and fall to the ground, well within the reach of Quan. In an instant, Quan had the soldier's head caught firmly between his knees. The soldier fought back as well as he could, clawing and striking at Quan. Within a few seconds, his eyes shut and his body fell limp. The Athru neighboring him was able to search the man's pants for a key, passing it down the line to the first Athru who unlocked their shackles, freeing them. Quan rubbed his wrists, the marks from the chains leaving a sizable wound on his skin. Without any sense of order, Athru began running out the doorway, stepping over each other just as they would one different from them.



The sight was incredible. The Dragon had laid waste to the deck of the ship. Those who survived began jumping overboard, trying their best to survive the onslaught. The Dragon circled the ship, as though it was taking joy in crushing those below it. Quan emerged from the hull, one of the last Athru to make it to the deck. He looked up at the Dragon, taking in the sight. He turned to the Athru who still remained on the ship, the ones unsure about leaving others to die, especially ones like themselves. "Only one option as far as I can tell. Jump over and pray for shore." He grinned faintly as he gave a wave as if to say good bye and began running toward the front of the ship. The Dragon's fire was spreading and he had little time. He scanned the area, unable to see much except for the flames engulfing everything around him. He made it to what remained of the front of the ship before he viewed what he needed to see. Carver lied scorched, his hand gripping his sword and the other the rail of his ship. "See you on the other side, Dragon Scorched." Quan grinned widely as he took a running leap out the front of the ship. He dove into the water, his arms and legs transforming into tentacles and gills forming on his neck. He had a long swim ahead of him, but he was confident he could make it no problem. As he began to swim, he started to feel light-headed, the darkness of the sea brightening just as his eyes began to close.



Quan awoke to what felt like a graveyard. Buildings were destroyed and the only light came from a blood red moon and a chapel that sat high up on a hill. He looked around, seeing only crows to greet him at first. Within seconds, three others appeared there, though they were like shells, husks of real people. He recognized them as other Athru who were on the ship. He tried to reach out to one of them, but it was to no avail, his hand passing right through. The bell from the chapel began to ring, but for some reason, the sound of a smaller bell grabbed his attention. A dark figure was walking along the road, covered in a tattered cloak and using a walking stick to support itself. It rang the bell in its right hand, moving in slowly, back and forth. Quan didn't understand what was happening, and neither did the others. For at this moment, all were seeing this vision, all greeted by crows and a mysterious stranger while the others from the ship stood behind them hollow.

Quan opened his eyes to the sun shining brightly down upon him. He felt the sand beneath his hands, the tide gently hitting against his boots. He took a heavy yawn as he sat up, the sight of a calm ocean being something he didn't quite remember the last time he was awake. He stood up and stretched out his arms, realizing that, despite surviving, he was currently without a plan. "Guess I'll start walking. See who or what I run into. After all, this was probably the place I was supposed to die."