Arkuth Speaks

Oh, hi there. No, I don't really need any help with this, thanks. Since it's summer, I just need enough to make cooking fires for dinner. Oh, but you're a guest! Very well, you can stack some of this wood while I cut it.

Me and Ivellios? Yes, we're lovers if that's what you're trying to say. More than that, we're lifebonded. Didn't your elf friend tell you what that was? Oh, well, elves do tend to be mysterious about these things. A lifebond is a psychic link between lovers. Oh, I'm not aware of every thought in Iv's head. I'd probably go crazy if I did. I can just tap into it when I make an effort and he can do the same. We can communicate without words; we're in touch with each others' feelings. It's more than a marriage where oaths are made and broken. It's like, well, it's like our souls are knitted together.

It comes in handy quite often. Not just for mundane things like "Pick up some bread on your way home." About thirteen years ago, we had a run in with a red dragon where our lifebond came in handy. The dragon had been torching crops, demanding tributes, the usual. So, me, Iv and our friend Tip went to see what we could do. Tip's a gnome thief, good at picking locks and disarming traps. Usually, our gal pal Ravina would join us, but she had a run in with a black dragon the week before who had magic to counter hers. Threw herself off a cliff rather than become dragon chow. Ravina broke her leg and collarbone. Lucky she didn't break her neck.

When we got close to the dragon's cave, we saw this girl chained up to an altar, struggling desperately to escape. Yeah, you guessed it. Local villagers thought a virgin sacrifice would appease the dragon. Like dragons care about that sort of thing. Tip picked the locks on the chains and set the girl free. He offered to help find a place for the girl to hide while we went on ahead. Tip's clever, but none too brave.

Oh, that's a common misconception about dragon slaying. Sword swinging knights in shining armor on charging stallions? Forget it! If you know what you're doing, a long sword can take out a dragon, but a spear or lance is better. If you want to survive the battle yourself, it's best to keep a healthy distance from the dragon. All armor does is roast you alive in the heat of the dragon's fire. Even mithril won't stop you from being sliced by claws or crushed between teeth. It's best to wear something you can move quickly in. And the charging stallion? Don't make me laugh! A horse will turn and run the moment it gets a whiff of dragon breath. They're not completely stupid.

Well, back to our story. As soon as we entered the cave, there was an avalanche. Looked like the dragon knew a few earth control spells. Iv and I were separated, causing me to panic a bit at first. Then, I remembered to use my lifebond to reach out to him. I was so relieved to find he was alive and unharmed, just as worried about me as I was about him. He lit a torch and told me he saw a tunnel. He was going to take it. I told him I'd meet him halfway. Our bond meant I knew where exactly he'd be. I had to throw a few rocks aside and at one point made a doorway with a thunderstone, but we found each other. At precisely the same moment the dragon found us!

Well, the fight didn't last too long. If you find you're still battling a dragon after 30 minutes, you're pretty much toast. It announced its presence by blowing a plume of fire at Ivellios. Well, Iv nimbly leapt out of the way and fired two arrows right into the monster's eyes, in less time than it took for me to tell you! Ever hear a dragon scream? It's bloodcurdling! That monster was stomping and screaming and throwing fire blindly while I was trying to get its vitals with my spear. I stabbed it under the foreleg, where the scales are pretty thin, but I didn't quite get deep enough. Got a plume of fire thrown at me that nearly took my arm off. It's only because my sister, Cunella, is such a good healing mage that I don't have a big, bubbly scar to show you. I managed to duck away and stab it in the gut. I felt scalding hot blood spurt over me as the dragon gave a final scream. I just managed to tuck and roll out of the way before it fell on me. Many a warrior has slain a dragon, only to be killed themselves when the beast toppled over on them.

Well, the dragon was dead. I was hot, tired, covered in blood and my arm was burning, but I felt wonderful! Surviving something like that is just such a rush, you know. I wanted to hug Ivellios just to share my joy. Then I noticed tears in his eyes. When I asked him what was wrong, he said he could feel the pain in my arm and it really hurt. Pain is a warrior's companion. It wasn't until all the adrenaline ran down that I even started to really notice. I told Iv that if the lifebond let him know my pain, it must also let him know my joy at succeeded against the dragon, and how glad I was to have him at my side. He hugged me, ignoring the sweat and sticky dragon's blood.

We went down to the lake together to clean off. He put a field dressing on my arm and we planned to go visit Cunella. I asked Iv if he really felt the pain as bad as I did. He did admit to maybe being a little more sensitive to pain than I was. Elves, they feel things deeply. Good feelings and bad feelings. He also said that even though the bond would connect us even if we were far apart, being close made the sensations stronger. Because of my lifebond with Ivellios, I've become more intuned to my own feelings over the years. Sometimes, I wish I could feel and see things like an elf. Sometimes.

Swag? Oh yes, there was plenty of that in the dragon's lair. We used quite a bit to reimburse the families devastated by the dragon. We gave a share to Tip, even though all he did was help hide Margret- that was the virgin's name. Tip married her later. Had a very nice wedding, though I bet anything Margret probably carried Tip over the threshold. There was still a nice bit left over for me and Iv. We stowed it away and decided a nice, relaxing vacation was in order. Well, it was while we were on that vacation that we found Donny by a brook while we were fishing. Nice, certainly, but hardly relaxing.

Confusing? Why should it be confusing? I'm Daddy and Iv is Tata. Well, Donny doesn't call us that so much anymore. Doesn't like baby words. So, he calls me Dad and Iv is Atto.* Oh yes, he speaks Elvish. All three of them do. Even the baby. Alright, so five isn't much of a baby anymore. But, frankly, when Kalos is seven feet tall with biceps like cantaloupes, I'll still think of him as my baby. I know, it's hard to believe since he doesn't talk that much, but Kal speaks better Elvish than I do!

That reminds me of the time Iv introduced me to his parents. Nioniel and Manveru Elensar are a classy couple, but slightly snobbish for people who aren't members of nobility. Long line of rangers, the Elensar family. Iv tells me they're very cordial to other elves and they don't hate humans, but they think elves are better. They didn't have any issue at all with their son liking men, but they weren't thrilled when he brought a human home to meet them. They kept giving me these odd looks all through dinner. I had complete confidence in my etiquette skills, but they still made me uncomfortable. I thought I could impress them with some of the Elvish I learned from Iv. I thought I asked Manveru to pass the salt. Turned out I asked him to do something inappropriate with a goose!

My family? Well, that was even more difficult. I hadn't told them about my preferences you see, plus, well, I guess I can tell you now. I don't think you'll freak out so much. My family is, well, the royal family of Riverfen. Close your mouth; flies are getting in. Yes, yes, I'm a prince. Big deal. Aetos is my half brother. Well, when your father practices polygamy and some of his sons practice it, that makes a long line for the throne. I don't care if I never get the crown. I don't want the headaches it comes with. Oh, Nioniel and Manveru wouldn't be impressed by something like that. Elves don't even find Elvish royalty overimpressive. I never was fond of palace life. Too stuffy.

Well, I sort of discovered my preferences when I was 15. Oh, I had fantasies before then, but I had passed them off as hormonal urges. It was on my fifteenth birthday that I really learned what- who I was. See, my father, King Leonis, didn't get to spend much time with his children so he made up for it with expensive gifts. For my fifteenth birthday, dear old Dad gave me a courtesan. Oh, that's like a whore, only she'll discuss philosophy with you first.

Aglia was very understanding. She talked with me, and I admitted that I found men attractive. My favorite fantasy at the time was rolling in the hay with one of the stable boys. Aglia told me it was normal, that a lot of men were attracted to other men. She told me that I should be myself first and foremost. That I should find what I wanted in life and went after it. I asked Aglia if she ever followed her own advice. She said "You betcher cute ass I do!" She told me she knew a male courtesan that could help me out. She told me about the bordello she lived in. It was actually a very nice place and not far from the castle. All I had to do was knock on the door and tell them "Aglia sent me."

He told me his name was Dusty. He was very handsome, built like a dancer. He was very skilled with his hands. And me, well, I was only 15. I hadn't really learned how to control myself yet. It was over after Dusty only touched me a few times. He told me that I had a lot to learn, but he'd love to be my teacher. Unfortunately, I never saw Dusty again after that night. I had been caught sneaking out, was grounded for a week and called on the carpet before the king. Leonis told me royalty didn't stoop to visiting bawdy houses. Royalty had theirs delivered.

It was a long time before I felt like I could come out to my family. While it's true that there are many people ahead of me for the throne, I was still of royal blood and had duties to perform. I thank Heironious every day that I wasn't required to marry some princess. Since I developed the sturdy build that most men of the House of Zoikos inherit and I excelled at sword fighting classes, I would be the palace warrior. Whenever there's a quest to fulfill, a dragon to slay or an evil wizard to vanquish, that's where I come in.

Why don't I live in the castle anymore? Well, once I was old enough to come and go as I pleased, I was away from home a lot. I tasted freedom and didn't want to lose it. Especially after I met Ivellios. He just opened up a part of my heart that I didn't know was there. He did things I don't think Dusty could've done. I don't mean sexually, I mean spiritually, emotionally. The feelings I had for Iv scared me at first. But, Iv was a patient lover. He made discreet overtures to me, sought me out, serenaded me, complemented me. We were on a mountain bluff watching a sunset before we got truly physical. When he held hands with me, I wasn't sure what to think. I knew that elves could be affectionate with friends, and that maybe it meant nothing to him, but it was sending thrills throughout my body. When he kissed me, I was almost sure it had to be a dream. If it was, I didn't want to wake up.

It was almost a year later that he asked me to lifebond with him. We were alone in a forest clearing as he took my hand and explained to me what a lifebond meant. It was not something lightly done and it was seldom ever broken. It meant we would be spiritually linked for life. I told him that the rest of my life wouldn't be very long for him. He reminded me that elves were long-lived, but not indestructable. He told me he could easily be burned up by a dragon, mauled by owlbears or slip in the river and drown. No one knows what the future may bring, but he said he wanted to spend it with me. I wanted more than anything to spend my life with him, but I worried what my eventual death would do to him. Elves have been known to die of grief, you know. He told me the very memory of my love would keep him happy. I sure hope so. If, Heironious forbid, anything should happen to me, I'd want Iv to keep going. For our kids' sake if nothing else.

I was trembling with joy at the idea of being so intimately linked with someone I loved more than I thought possible. Ivellios warned me, it meant we could keep no secrets from each other. Both joys and sorrows would be shared. I told him I had no secrets to keep from him. I asked him how we would go about being lifebonded. He gave me a feather light kiss on the cheek and said "It starts now." Suddenly, I felt this wave of unbridled joy wash over me. I was suffused with happiness. For a moment I thought I was going to jump for joy, but I also felt this peaceful contentment. It took me a moment to realize that this feeling was coming from Iv. Apparently, all he needed to do the lifebond was my informed consent. What's more, I could feel all the love he had for me. It was like all the love I felt for him was just echoed back infinitely.

Well, for a few years, we lived on the road. Sometimes we'd adventure with Tip or Ravina or both. I did bring Ivellios to the castle for Midwinter one year and came out. My mother and her co-wives were very understanding. My brothers and sisters were split on the issue. Fortunately, Aetos was on my side, as was Cunella. Leonis, I think tried to ignore the issue. My relationship with Iv became an oliphant in the throne room for him. Iv never felt very comfortable in the castle and neither did I. Necessity made us build this house together.

After we killed the red dragon, Iv and I went on vacation to this place called Crystalrock. Nice place that welcomed tourists. The inn and taverns treated us like royalty though I told no one I was a prince. During the day, we'd fish, go mountain climbing or relax in one of the subterranean hot springs. There were souvenir shops, of course. Iv got me a prism that makes rainbows if sun shines on it just right. I got him that woven headband he wears so often. We went on a diamond mine tour where the guide went on some dull lecture about a drow invasion. We got bored and found a cavern to make out in. In the evening, we'd dress up a bit and go out to dinner. Crystalrock is accepting of people like us. We saw men holding hands in public, so we took their cue.

On our last day, we went back to a brook that had these enormous trout. Didn't catch anything, but we found a baby boy half-drow in the rushes. Iv fell in love at first sight. Me, I wasn't sure what to do. My own father hadn't been around much and I was afraid I wouldn't know how to handle it. Any time I had been offered a seat of authority due to my princehood, I had always managed to foist it off on one of my brothers or nephews. The idea of being a father scared me. Iv understood how scared I was, and I understood how much he loved this baby he named Donsian. Another advantage of the lifebond. We knew it wouldn't be easy, but we could work it out.

We still had enough left over from the dragon's hoard to build this house out here. It's far enough from the castle to let us have privacy, but not so far that I can't be reached easily. It's private, but not isolated. The builders and architect we hired were quite eager to work for a prince. We even had that well over there dug. Easier than going off to the river. While everything was being built, we went to the castle. Well, taking a male lover was hard enough for everyone to handle. Adopting a half-drow was something else. As soon as dear old Dad heard the news he keeled over with a heart attack. The next day, we were holding his funeral. Day after that, Aetos was correnated. Aetos warned me that our son was going to face many challenges in life due to his heritage. Mom and Cunella thought Donny was adorable. My half sister, Forada, wasn't pleased. I thought she would be, considering that she and her husband had recently adopted after trying for years to conceive. Turned out the boy they adopted was Lord Nicodemus of Northwhick. Nicky became Lord Northwhick at age 2 when the former Lord Northwhick was killed in battle- against some drow. The first time Nicky met Donny, he tried to pull his ear off. They've been enemies ever since.

Now, I don't like to speak ill of my kids' birth families. I don't want them to think it reflects badly on them. But, I'm pretty sure Donny's mother was human and his father was a drow. A drow female just wouldn't carry a half-human to term. That's what elves call them, half-humans. I also think Donny's birth mother may have cared for him at least a little. He was wrapped in a blanket and left by a river that was a popular fishing spot. She must've known somebody would be there before long.

After Donny took his first steps, I built that swing for him. After we found Sera, I built that teeter-totter so they could play together. We found Sera one day while we were hunting. Tragic what happened. An entire halfling village had been razed to the ground and this little girl, so small I could carry her in the palm of one hand, was the only survivor. Iv and I took turns burying the dead and keeping an eye on the little one. Heartbreaking. She kept asking for her Mama. We were sure she was among the dead, but no way of telling which one she was. It was sunset by the time we were done. Even fixed their shrine to Yondalla for them. Ivellios sang an Elvish dirge for the dead. Ever hear an Elvish dirge? It's beautiful, but so very sad at the same time. Iv claims to have only a so-so singing voice. I can only imagine what a gifted Elvish singer sounds like. His dirge brought me to tears. I might've died from grief if it hadn't been for our lifebond. I've also heard Iv sing lullabies for our kids. They make me wanna curl up and go to sleep too. He'll tell you his voice isn't great and that's why he prefers the syrinx. He likes to play little tunes to entertain the kids.

Yondalla rewarded us for what we did. She declared that anything we planted would flourish. That's been a big help to us. She told us our new daughter's name was Seraphina Goodhill. We call her Sera for short. Hmm...I don't know. I guess she'll decide which name to use when she's older. She can use Elensar for her family name if she wants or just "of Riverfen" like I do. I'm not sure she'll have any claim to the Zoikos name. We'll tell her that her birth family was the Goodhills if she wants to find out about them when she's older.

Ah, Kalos, he was something of a surprise. I thought either I was dreaming or Ivellios was having a Midspring joke with me when he said he found a baby half-orc on our back porch and what did I want to name him? I sat up in bed and Iv put this swaddled up infant in my arms. For all his green skin, sloping forehead and generally odd appearance, he cooed, gurgled and sucked his fist like any baby. He looked up at me with these bright black eyes and snuggled closer to me. I was just lost then. In the ancient language of my ancestors, the word "kalos" means both "good" and "beautiful". This is what I wanted my son to be. I knew people would see him and think "Just another ugly, mean, stupid orc." That's not what I wanted him to think. I told my new son that his name was Kalos because he was good and beautiful and no one should tell him otherwise. Then he puked on me. Iv forgot to burp him after feeding him.

Oh, I'd like someone to try and start something with me because they don't like my kids. Iv would probably have to pull me back to keep from chopping someone in half for saying something stupid about any of my children. Donny's having a hard time at school because of what he is, but he's a big boy. He's learned to handle it. Sera's problem is some people don't take her seriously. Even Iv, much as he loves her, has trouble with this. Kal, he just might have it the hardest. I'm afraid if he stands up for himself, he'll just prove everyone's point that half-orcs are dumb brutes. We're sending him to school with his big brother and sister next year. I know they'll look out for him.

Well, thanks for helping me stack the wood, and thanks for listening. I'm not usually one for talking, but I needed to get some things off my chest. Thanks again.

• The Quenya word for "father" is "atar". Can be affectionately altered to "tata" or "atto". Ivellios' parents also have Quenya names. This may not be the dialect of Elvish used in D&D. Sorry if this offends any lingual purists.

Also, the ancient language of Arkuth’s ancestors is actually modern Greek.

If you liked this and/or my other D&D story, review and I’ll post something from their kids’ POV!