Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Essek hurts. 

His body aches and grumbles moment by moment, day by day. It protests and screams at him with each movement he had ever made. IIts not as if Essek had done particularly much to warrant such insolence from his traitorous limbs and joints. And yet, the protesting and aches persist regardless. The deep creaking pain that crackle within the confines of each loose, slipping joint, of each overworked tendon and muscle holding them together. Each ache and shock of pain reminds Essek that he is not healthy, not put together properly.

Not 'normal' in the eyes of others within his Den. 

Not that Essek Thelyss allowed others to see him struggle in such a way. 

Sitting in his dimly lit office, Shadowhand Essek Thelyss lets out a soft sigh, his fingers slowly flexing and retracting to try and ease the ache that had begun to steadily build within each of the joints within them. Typing quickly on his keyboard, the drow lets out another quiet and soft sight, already knowing that someone stood outside the door to his office, yet not already taking the measure to announce themself. Most everyone avoided his office, if they could absolutely help it, especially with his position within the Dynasty royal court. He was the Shadowhand to the Bright Queen. Her Lights most trusted right hand. The man who held all the information of the Dynasty, and allowed or blocked certain information being passed in and out of its boarders

In summary, Essek Thelyss was the main barrier to arcane and political knowledge between the Empire and the Dynasty. Between the Bright Queen and the Dwendalian King. And people in both sides, rightfully so, were very much afraid of him. Not that anyone had much reason not to be afraid of the elusive drow. Essek had taken his time to learn a frightening amount of information about a lot of people on both sides of the continent, both of high importance, and those of little consequence to the safety of his Queen. Very powerful people who should know better often ended up under the Shadowhands crossfire, their queries being ridiculed and laid bare in a humiliating display, many with career and reputation ruining fashion. And it was Esseks job to do so, all in service of the Bright Queen. In service of the Dynasty, to keep it safe and running properly.

And because he very much did enjoy bringing cocky diplomats down a peg or two.

Sighing for the third time in as may minutes, Esseks typing slows down minutely, his head lifting to glance towards the door. It remained closed however, but the lingering shadow of a person along the edge remained, the two feet casting the shadow at the base of his office door obvious and unsubtle. Pressing send to the email that finally had been composed, one of harsh rejection to the Cerberus Assembly for yet another perry demand at inconsequential information that he had main access too. How boring. Essek slowly slid his chair over to the left corner of his desk to look over the side of his laptop, as opposed to just closing the device outright. 

It became yet another small yet subtle imposing movement Essek had learned to how his utter disinterest in other people. And he truly did find near enough everyone dull and unimportant. Rolling his right wrist in a slow circle a handful of times, the popping and crackling a familiar and unpleasant sound against his ears, as the joint throbbed in quiet dull protest to being moved. The Shadowhand flicked his hand out with irritation, a mix of pain and impatience, arcane magic crackling in the air like ozone as the office door clicked open softly. 

"There better be a good reason for lingering outside my room for at least 7 minutes!" Essek droned out loudly, irritation obvious and clipped in his icy tone. He had gotten the sound of his irritated voice spot on after decades of practice to be cold and harsh towards others. Just enough ice and walled barriers around himself to keep others away from prying too much. And to keep himself away from prying eyes. No one could find fault with the Shadowhand, especially when he was the one to find fault with others so readily and easily. Receiving no immediate reply to his demand, he glanced his eyes back towards the door again, brows furrowing just slightly in mild confusion. He had been expecting a drow from one of the other departments at his door. Someone trembling or cowering with bad news that was to be brought his way. 

Not a human. 

Mild confusion flickered across Esseks features for a bare fraction of a moment before smoothing back to its usual uninterested sneer, still not sure why he did not get a reply from the visitor that lingered insistently at his door. The sudden realisation hit Essek like a slap, that the human probably did not understand spoken Undercommon. Or if they did, then the human probably couldnt speak the language back to any degree that mattered to him. Letting out a long slow breath of fresh irritation and annoyance, Essek had to consciously release the tension from his slipping shoulders, eyes looking up at the human once again. "What do you want?" he snapped loud in Common, hoping his accented Common wouldnt sound too disastrous to the humans ear, as it has been a while since it was last used in conversation with someone outside of the Dynasty itself. As Shadowhand to the Bright Queen, Essek had to know multiple various languages, both written and spoken, to allow for proper information acquisition to be carried out. That didnt meant that Essek actually enjoyed the clunky feel that Common always had against his tongue as he blundered through consonants and triped over vowels.

The human straightened his spine up to full at the snapped demand, a hand tightening on the leather satchel that crossed over his chest "Sorry! I was told to come and report to Shadowhand Thelyss? To hand in my transfer paperwork, and thesis reports". The accent seemed slightly stronger than most humans that Essek had the displeasure of having to interact with in his time outside of the Dynasty. Holding back the urge to roll his eyes at the visitor, seeing the curious look in the humans pale face, the Shadowhand raised a brow slowly. Obviously it was the correct office, so Essek didnt fully understand why the statement had even been put forward as a question towards him. Tilting his chin up a fraction, face still impassive and uninterested, Essek rolled his chair back to sit behind the laptop once more, hands simply hovering over the keys. 

Seeing the barely there sign of notice to enter from the stern drow inside, the human stepped inside the large office quickly, hand still firmly gripping over the leather strap of the bag like it was the only thing tethering him to the ground. "Danke. My name is Caleb Widogast. I am the new Professor of Transmutation that has been transferred here to oversee and advise on Empire learnings here on behalf of Soltryce Academy.". His introduction sounded mechanical enough, well rehearsed by the sounds of it, and polite to a fault. It made Essek want to scoff in the humans face at how utterly ridiculous he sounded. Like a child introducing themselves to betters for the first time. Essek held his left hand out with a palm up, eyes not looking away from the laptop screen, eyes dancing over the litany of requests and information that lay within the confines of his screen. The multitude of professors, nobles, political bodies, all vying for his attention and permission for information. All parading themselves like desperate suitors vying for him to grant their requests.

After a long minute of receiving nothing into his hand, Essek grit his teeth together minutely more, arm already tired and threatening to shake in its outheld position. "Your paperwork, Widogast! Do not leave me waiting!" he snapped icily and brisk, voice travelling quickly down the hallway beyond the confines of his office. The strain and discomfort within the arm had started to increase, hand trembling but only just. Only enough for those looking for the imperfection in the drow would notice. So therefore, Essek noticed it. The human, Caleb, stammered slightly in flustered panic, hands quickly pushing inside the worn leather satchel he continued to wear and cling to, the age of the item obvious and glaring. Worn leather faded around the strap from wear, with some newer threads stitched through to hold it together. Pulling out a neat file, Caleb quickly placed the paperwork into Esseks awaiting hand, the Shadowhand snatching it towards him the moment his fingers gain purchase on the file. Moreso so that he didnt have to have his arm elevated much longer, the muscles screaming in discomfort already. 

"Unless you have more to say to me, then you can leave!" Essek didint bother to look up from the file in his hands, thumbing the file open to glance at the papers inside. Nothing in particular stood out at the first quick glance over the documents. Basic information on the human. Where he studied, his preferred school of magic, papers he assisted or wrote himself. Boring. Stuff he would have a proper sift through later, though. "You said you were Soltryce, correct? So your one of Ikithons lot."

It wasnt a question. And it wasnt a pleasant name to say either. The human archmage made Esseks skin crawl just being near the man.

Calebs whole body tensed just slightly at the statement, hand closing the flap of his satchel carefully in a measured motion, the other grasping the strap once again. He looked away from the drow sitting down, eyes refusing to meet the others any more. "I have no more questions to present to you, Shadowhand Thelyss. Ill be on my way then.". Bowing his head just enough to be considered polite, Caleb turn on his heel and exited the office without another word, footfall much quicker than Essek would have expected for someone of the humans height and demeanor.

How curious. 

Pushing the file aside on the desk a moment, Essek pulled open one of the drawers to his right of the desk. Sitting inside was a small array of bottles, boxes, and potions, filed neatly and with meticulous organisation into their expiry dates and use, as well as strength. Reaching inside and fetching two long gloves and a small red bottle, Essek shunted the drawer closed once more before slipping the gloves on. Compression gloves often helped for when his wrist and finger joints began to slip and ache, as they did  currently. He purposely had the gloves altered and styled to look like his court gloves, as to conceal their additional use from other prying eyes. 

With the gentle hold and compression against his uncomfortable joints, the Shadowhand finally could down the small healing potion to ebb the lingering discomfort away. At least for a little while. Nothing made the pain and ache go away forever. But to dull it down was all Essek required to get himself through the rest of the day without as much incident. Without as much trembling and creaking of joints and limbs. Barely making a face at the strong herbal taste of the potion, Essek sighed softly as the immediate discomfort of his wrists died down, melting out of his limbs. Dropping the empty bottle into a small bin under his desk, the drow flexed his hands several times to get the circulation going through them, and to feel the comfort of the gloves on. They made typing that little bit more difficult, but it was a small price to pay to not let others know he was flawed. 

Hours ticked by in eerie silence, just how Essek preferred things to be. Less distractions from others. Less irritations to get on his nerves. His typing gently echoed within the large and clinical looking office, with the sporadic shuffle of papers against the desk surface, or scratch of pen bringing a pleasant change of pace. He had no meetings for the rest of the day, thank the Light. But he was expected to attend a dinner with the Umavi of his Den later that evening, which he was utterly dreading. He had the utmost respect for his Umavi, and in turn, for his mother, but he just could not stand the stuffy nature of perfect smiles and practiced statements for so long. The performance of it all was utterly exhausting.

Glancing towards the laptops internal clock, Essek let out a small sigh of relief, seeing that he could finally leave for the day. His body ached and whined in protest as he stood himself up, knees and hips popping and clicking as legs straighten up to full standing. Waving a hand softly by his side, and a small glimmer or arcana against his fingers, Esseks feet raise just enough off the floor to take most of the weight off his aching joints. Just enough to stop the worst of the throbbing and discomfort from being perceivable on his features.

Pushing several papers into his wristpocket, including the new humans files, the drow made his way out of the office with a fluid grace only his cantrip would allow for. Gliding silently down the hallways, seeing other officials and members of the court starting to pack up for the day, Essek held his head up slightly higher at each passing door and hallway. The air of indifference towards those around him always present against his face. Keeping his hands clasped at the wrist behind his back, he made his way down towards the transportation circles that lay for use to members of the court, and some staff with worked within the building. He had one made for himself decades ago for his personal use to his home, where even the Bright Queen herself did not have access to turn on. 

Gliding gently into the transportation circle room always made Essek shiver just a touch. It was the coldest room by far, being so far down below the rest of the offices, corridors, and meeting rooms. And yet, the shiver was one of anticipation. To get out of the work environment for even a short while was something to look forward to. To relax. To let his betrayal of a body just lay and hurt in relative peace and comfort without eyes being on him. Essek let out a soft sigh to himself, making his way over towards the far back of the room, where his private sigils marked the floor, precise and perfectly drawn. Just as things should be. Just as he made sure things always were. 

Exactly as his body was not.

Caleb Widogast standing at the edge of Esseks private circle certainly was not part of how things were though. The drow stopped in his approach, brow furrowed slightly at the intense curiosity showing in the humans features. Caleb was kneeling down low to the floor, eyes skimming over the perfectly drawn glyphs and lines, lips trying to form the verbal components that would usually be used for such a thing if Transmutation had been the core of the spell. Essek didnt specialise in Transmutation at all, so never implemented that type of magic into his spellwork. He used Dunamancy, and was a damn sight good at it also. 

"I dont recall requesting someone to stand guard at my circle" Essek called out across the room, mild annoyance lacing his tone. He hurt, body demanding that he sit down properly to let the tension and pain for the day take over away from prying eyes. He has no time for polite conversation, nor monitoring the tone of his voice. Most people kept out his way by the end of the day due to how short tempered and pained he often became.

The human would learn quick enough. 

"Apologies, Herr Thelyss. I was just admiring the neatness and skill put into the circle. Its Dunamancy, yes?" 

Trying to keep his temper down, the telltale signs of an incoming headache sparking like lightening behind tired eyes, Essek pinched the bridge of his nose. "That is correct, Professor Widogast. A specialty that I practice here. If you must ask more about such things, you may make an appointment with me to do so. Until then, good evening". He only half hoped that he had sounded diplomatic enough, even if the Common may have been more clunky than intended. 

Caleb stands himself up quickly, hands softly brushing down his knees to dust himself down. The human give a small nod towards the Shadowhand politely. "Certainly, Herr Thelyss. I would be very much interested to learn such magic from yourself. Have a peaceful evening also". He bowed his head just slightly deeper before departing, a hint of a smile against the corners of pale skin, feet carrying him out the circle room as quickly as he had presumable entered. 

Essek let out a slow pained sigh, jaw tighter than he expected from clenching it so harshly, before making his way into the circle. The glyphs glowed a soft purple as the world shifted from view, and warped to the dark interior of a pristine hallway away from work. Into his home. Just as clinical and precise looking as his office, the drow dropped his cantrip as soon as he got out his circle, feet resting lightly against thick plush carpet.

Finally.

He could relax and be in pain in quiet 

Chapter Text

Groans of discomfort flitted about the large apartment like the commonplace chimes of a clock. Often, and with regular reliance that it would occur. Essek let out another small grumble of discomfort as he rolled himself onto his back, hips protesting at the seemingly simple motions, spine popping and settling into place. He knew that he overdid it with movement over the past handful of weeks, not allowing himself to rest enough, or use his splints and tools as he needed. 

But putting pause to work because of something as benign as a slipped joint, or dislocated finger hardly seemed relevant at the time.

And yet, time, like all things, catches up to everyone in the end.

"By the Light, please just cooperate with me" Essek grumbled to himself in sluggish Undercommon, fatigue still heavy against his tongue. He forced his body to an upright seated position, crackles and strains making their ever present way down his neck and spine, weight placed in his aching hips even further. Lifting his hands up to chest height, he gave a slow experimental roll of both wrists, flexing fingers in and out at the same time. 

Both gave a series of loud clicks, pops, and jolts of pain at the motions, their protests evident and forthcoming. Essek let out another small huff of annoyance, feet making purchase on the floor as he slid himself off the bed entirely. He had long forgone trancing every night, the positions required hurting his already lax joints too much to do so with regularity. Instead, around half the time during less painful nights, the drow simply chose to sleep to help his body try and recover and relax in some way.

At least sleeping allowed him to use the various body pillows he owned to prop and hold his body up in the least uncomfortable position. 

Getting himself ready for work always required the same motions, regardless of pain. Hot shower to loosen seized or tense muscles with mechanical and practiced motions. Massages along the worst affected joints, knuckles kneading in firmly. Which for today were his wrists, hips, hands and ankles. Dress himself for work, which for today also included his high boots to support the ankle joints from falling or rolling, as well as wrist supports sewn within long elbow length court gloves. 

Taking a quick look in his vanity mirror, Essek slipped one glove off to adjust the jewelry that adorned his pointed ears, eyes moving critically over himself in the reflection. He knew very well that he was at least objectively handsome in the eyes of the courts, not that he cared much about such trivial matters. How he appeared to others eyes bore very little interest to him. And yet, at times, his appearance had allowed Essek to obtain some much needed information due to a small smile being granted, or a light brush of gloved fingers across an arm. 

Seeing everything sitting as it should amongst his person, the Shadowhand donned the supportive and discreetly adjusted glove once more, before swiping a small velvet pouch from the vanity, tucking it into a pocket in the inner lining of the mantle worn. 

Taking slower and more cautious steps over towards his transport circle, Essek groaned quietly in continuing pain. He only allowed himself to verbalise the discomfort within the relative privacy of his own home. Relative, because he knew that nothing could ever be truly private when working closely in espionage and secrecy for the Bright Queen. And any vocal complaints about his bodies imperfection would be more than frowned upon within the culture. Booted heels click softly against cold flooring, the drow stepping into the circle with a wince.

His face schooled into learned impassiveness and disinterest. Nearly a century of practice had made the motion second nature to him.

Within moments, Essek felt himself shift back in the transport circle room of work, taking a cautious step out onto stone flooring, heeled boots making a soft noise against the surface. The only time he let his feet actually hit the ground within the place, other than in his office away from prying eyes and judgmental whispers. With a subtle wave of his hand, and a small flicker of purple later, the Shadowhands feet float just a handful of inches off the ground. A near instant relief punched a small sigh out of Essek, the pressure and weight on his ankles and hips easing considerably as he glided out the room and up towards his office. 

No one dared to talk to him on his way through the halls. Nothing more than polite greetings, or soft bows of heads his way anyway. Nothing of substance. Exactly as to be expected. Petty small talk was not commonplace, nor required to pass along information, so therefore was not something to be encouraged amongst those with status or power. Gossip and idle chatter always seemed to be something people with too much time on their hands took part in.

Not Essek. 

"Ah, Herr Thelyss! A pleasant and light morning to yourself!"

Caleb startled the drow out of his glide towards his office with atrocious Undercommon, or at least an attempt at Undercommon, face bright and smiling at the same time. Grimacing slightly at the butchering of his native tongue, Essek turned himself to face the approaching human and nod his head politely towards, trying to force the grimace into a more passable polite smile on his lips. "Light bless your morning, too, Professor Widogast" he non too subtlety corrected the greeting in Undercommon as he continued on his way, head held up slightly higher.

The human paused his steps for only a moment, listening to the difference in tones, brow furrowed just slightly. Blue eyes dart back and forth in the middle distance, as if physically trying to see the different sounds spoken to him. He resumed his previous pace with the Shadowhand as he pondered the correction, mouth silently forming around the sentences once more.

"Apologies, Shadowhand. I messed up there, did i not? I shall ensure that i brush up more on my spoken Undercommon." He bowed his head softly in polite apology, speaking in Common once again, the strange accent thick and prominent still on his tonuge. Essek rolled his eyes at the shift of language, and simpering, hand waving in front of himself to open his own door, entering the room briskly. The human followed him inside the room without invitation, something Essek would quickly wish to stamp out.

The nerve of the Empire filth to presume welcome when it was not given.

Making his way to his desk regardless, Essek went to open his right hand drawer out of sheer mechanical habit. His potions for his pain sat inside, each one lined up in perfect order in accordance to strength and need. He paused his hand mid way to the drawer, clearing his throat as if pondering, pulling back to turn to the human in the room. "And what do i have the...erm...the...pleasure of your company here, this morning, Professor Widowast?".

Essek mentally kicked himself for stumbling over such seemingly simple Common phrasing, the words still heavy in his mouth so soon in the morning. Luxon, he truly hated the clunky language. But perhaps conversations with the Empire human would help him to brush up on the language in a less clinical sense. Conversational Common certainly would assist in his liasons with members outside of the Dynasty more.

Caleb shoots a soft smile and nod, hand softly closing the door to the office with a click, before he turned back to face the Shadowhand. "I wished to ask about your Dunamancy, if i may. About how you can create your circles without using the schools of Conjuration, nor Transmutation. Ive never had the time, nor appropriate tutelage to delve and learn of such things." Pausing for a moment to gather his thoughts, Caleb shoved a hand under the fabric of his coat, under his arm, to pull out a thick book that had been strapped there out of sight. 

His spell book. 

Esseks eyes lit up just a fraction at the sight of the book being produces. He always found it rather fascinating to witness other magic users spell books in person. To see how their minds processed and stored information for their schools of magic and learning. It was often said that a wizards spell book could reveal more about the magic user than their minds alone could gleam. The drow tried his very best to not approach further than the side of his desk he currently hovered himself by, eyes scanning eagerly over the inches of book he could see. Trying to see through the cover and spine, hoping the pages could reveal anything of Caleb Widogast that lay secret. Anything that the mans file had not already told him.

The leather looked well worn, with small ribbon markers sticking out in various places, some fraying whilst some look much more recently added. The Shadowhand noted that the book looked much more recent and new than a spell book for a human Widogasts age should have been. He idly pondered if that book was perhaps a second book, where the first had been simply too full to contain much more pages within its grasp. The thought sent a small shiver down the drow at the possibility of the Empire human possessing such knowledge so young.

Caleb quickly flipped his way through the thick paper pages with, muttering softly to himself in his own native tongue, blue eyes sparkling with excitement. Essek watched on with rapt curiosity,  not having come across someone so eager to discuss the school he was a prodigy at. The school of magic that he used every day to remove the weight from his feet.

He wondered if Caleb even knew who Essek truly was, and the advancements to Dunamancy he had developed over his relatively short life. 

Probably not. 

He was slightly glad of that. For why, he did not entirely know.

"Here. I apologise for the roughness of my writing. I only got a quick look at the circle itself last night, of course." Caleb took several large steps over towards the desk to place his book onto the surface, hands smoothing the pages out with care. Essek paused at the sudden action, eyes glancing quickly between the wizard and the offered spell book that lay unprotected on his desk. Either Widogast was the most brain dead academic in all of Wildmount, or the human somehow had no issue with offering up his only means of magical knowledge to someone of the Dynasty.

It could have be all too easy for Essek to simply reach forward and take the book away, severing the humans ability to cast.

Essek kept his hands to himself, folded and clasped politely behind his back.

Essek grit his teeth slightly harder than necessary, forcing his body to lean over to look at the book presented before him. On the pages lay perfect copies of most of the symbols and glyphs of his transport circle. Perfect copies of his spell work and writing. His eyes snapped back up to look at Caleb, clear confusion and worry etched in the drows features. And pain. He could feel one of his hips locking up from the angle he had bent over to read, causing a sharp jolt of pain to begin radiating down one leg. Not that he let the pain show, eyes widening only the smallest fraction at the sharpness in the joint. 

Caleb continued to have the wide and excited smile settled on his face, looking to his side at the Shadowhand. "May we sit and discuss this for a moment, Herr Thelyss? Only if you have the time of course." His tone was soft and smile kind as he waved a hand to gesture softly towards the small couch to the side of the office. "I do not wish to presume you have more time than you actually do". 

Forcing his body to stand up straight once more, the hip joint popping loud beneath the mantle, Essek let out a slow practised breath to prevent him from making a verbal noise of pain, silently hoping the sound did not go noticed. The steady throb and ache continued to radiate down his leg as the joint settled itself back into place. "Another time, perhaps, Professor Widogast. As I stated before, if you require to ask such questions, please set up an appointment. I would then be able to assist in your requirements".

He knew his tone had been clipped and short as he made his way carefully to the back of his desk, trying to settle into the large chair as casually as he could fake. Caleb nodded as he closed his book with a small snap, securing it back into the curious straps that wrapped under his arms and around his back. Essek tried to not stare at the curious carriers, never seeing such a way to carry the precious books around before. 

"Thank you, once again, Shadowhand. I have a lecture this afternoon, which you are welcome to come in to attendance. Should you wish to hear the dull musings of an Empire wizard on the practical applications of Transmutation, of course". Caleb chuckled softly as he bowed his head politely, a few strands of that coppery red hair falling into his face. Such a striking and odd colouring for a human, and one that Essek didint recall ever seeing before. Or at least paid attention too in any capacity. 

"I shall endeavor to try and attend, should i have no further requirements for my attention" 

Caleb smiled softly as he left the office without another word, not wishing to overstay his welcome further than it had most likely been. Essek let out a long exhale the second the door clicked shut, hand instantly grabbing at the drawer handle to his right. Pulling the potion drawer open harsher than strictly needed, the Shadowhand fetched one of his stronger potions. The strong herbal taste assaulted his tongue as soon as he started taking it down is large mouthfuls, eyes closed tightly as he empties the bottle. Grimacing slightly at the taste, the potion went down fairly easy, the liquid thicker than water, but not enough to choke.

A slow tingle of warmth flowed through the drows pained joints, the immediate ache and throb melting away as the potion took its hold. Pulling out the small velvet pouch before removing his gloves, Essek emptied the contents of it onto his desk. 10 curious metal rings clink and tumbled out onto the surface, with slightly elongated hoops joined together. Essek mechanically and methodically slipped each of the ring splints onto his fingers, the cool metal helping to support and prevent the delicate joints from over extending more than the usually did. 

"And now, we work" 

Chapter Text

The afternoon arrived far quicker than Essek had fully expected. Not that he had been time watching, not at all. He would loudly dispute that presumption entirely, thank you very much. But Essek did head himself down the long hallways slightly quicker than he usual would allow himself in regular appointments, towards the smaller of the lecture theatres the building hosted. Mostly used for guest lectures, plannings being carried out for the court, and other means of no concern to the Shadowhand. But it currently had the use of being the temporary lecture hall of Caleb Widogast of the Empire. 

And Essek was very much not excited to attend the humans lecture. He was just... professionally curious about the human. 

About his magic. 

Making his way into the hall just before the lecture was officially due to begin, Essek took pause of the environment. It was full. There were a lot more faces inside than he had expected to see for an outsider, a visitor, hosting the hall. And most were not even drow of teaching age either. The Shadowhand recognised several faces as those from the various other branches within the court, some well into their second or even third lives. Those who should have known better than to attend a lecture of subjects they would have learned in past lives.

Keeping himself closer towards the back of the hall, tucked out of the way of others filing in, Essek softly dropped his floating cantrip, heeled feet landing quietly onto the ground beneath. He ideally wanted to have a seat, but they all currently had occupants in them. He knew he could just request one be freed for himself, but that would have shown weakness if he had. People could have known somehow that he needed to sit down because of his frail excuse of a body. No. Essek stayed on his feet at the back of the hall, watching the red head human make his way up to the podium in front. 

Seriously, how do humans even manage to get hair that colour?!

Calebs smile faltered for only the briefest of moments as he approached the podium, eyes widening at the sea of curious faces before him. Vast majority were drow, with one or two sun-touched elves scattered around. Those who had had seconds lives begin away from the Dynasty. He clearly had not expected as many to turn up to his introductory talk, fingers twitching with nerves. Essek narrowed his eyes just slightly, trying to gleam any twitches or motions from the other wizards face at all. Nothing but the soft and warm smile remained settled across soft and pale features, Calebs hands reached carefully into his coat to pull out a book. 

Not his spell book, Essek noticed. Too little ribbon markers for the spell book 

So the wizard had been far more intelligent than he initially gave him credit for.

Opening the book to a predetermined page, Caleb mouthed softly to himself as he skimmed his eyes over the page, nodding once at himself, seemingly satisfied at whatever he had looked at. Turning his attention back to the full hall, the human bowed his head low with hands clasped together in front of himself. A sign of respect to his betters, as he started to speak in accented Undercommon. 

"Welcome all. Thank you very much for attending todays talk. I must apologise in advance if my cadence and word choice is less than ideal" Taking a pause to read through his notes again, Caleb took another breath in, nerves already starting to settle at the lack of negative reaction to his speach. Translations for Undercommon lay within the pages, Essek deduced,  brow raised slightly. The human had said earlier that he would try and brush up on the language. But that had only been 5 hours prior.

Surely not. 

"But regardless, i am flattered and thankful that you have come to discuss, learn, and exchange knowledge with one another. And for me, i have only to offer Transmutation, and its practical applications. I understand, from speaking with your Shadowhand here, that Dunamancy is the school of magic most used within the Dynasty. It certainly is a fascinating branch of arcane to watch, and certainly one i shall take create wonder in learning more during my time here. But enough about a silly Empire wizards wants. We are here to discuss Transmutation" 

Essek could feel eyes on him. He could almost hear the shift and creak in seats as heads turn to look his way at the mention of his title. Keeping his face schooled to an impassive, but mildly curious stare, the Shadowhand nodded his head politely towards Widogast in gentle acknowledgement at being spoken of. Just enough to look polite, but not enough to look friendly with the human. He had spoken with him all of three times at most, which would be far from being considered friendly. 

The lecture continued on for an hour, with multiple demonstrations of small level magic from Caleb as he walked back and forth along the front of the hall. The man looked like he had been born to teach magic, Essek silently noted to himself. The human reached into a pocket to take out piece of copper wire, wrapping the piece around his index finger with a soft smirk at the curious frowns and looks from those in attendance. "Now, Transmutation can alter and adjust the property of an object. It can also assist in casting basic cantrips and spells such as this."  

Holding the wire up to his mouth, his other hand making a cupping motion around that one to conceal his mouth, Caleb made eye contact with Essek across the hall, eyes crinkling softly around blue eyes. Essek went to look away before freezing, eyes widening just a fraction. Beside his ear, he could almost feel Calebs breath dance against him, the humans voice whispering in Common "To your left, there is an available seat, Herr Thelyss. I suggest you take it before it gets taken from you". 

Blinking hard at thin air, breath leaving his lungs a touch more shaky than intended, Essek slowly slipping himself into the mentioned seat. Almost instantly the weight and pressure on his hips and ankles lessen and ease, shoulders dropping beneath his mantle a fraction more. He hadnt fully realise how much he had needed to sit down. He went to nod towards Caleb, the buzz of magic still thrumming around his head. Holding back a small smile, the drow lifted his hand to cover his mouth, knowing other eyes were now on him for the rest of the demonstration. 

"And how did you know i would require a seat, Professor Widogast? Presumptuous, no?" he whispered back in Common, knowing most of the court did not speak the language, if they dare try and overhear. Essek lowered his hand as he settled into the seat more comfortably, observing Caleb put the wire away with a wider grin. Almost smirking with his teeth showing. Humans had such blunt looking teeth, the Shadowhand pondered to himself, his tongue touching the edge of one of his own fangs lightly. 

"As you can probably guess from my demonstration, I can allow a piece of copper wire to be used in the same way a Sending spell can work, without expending precious magic. A very large thank you to Shadowhand Thelyss for humoring me with my demonstration there. And indeed, according to your reply, Shadowhand, a fascinating spell to be able to observe and use. Yes, i do indeed find great use for such a thing, Shadowhand. When the need requires." 

A lie. 

Essek could feel the edge of his lip quirk at how smoothly the human had easily slipped into non truths, in a language not of his own as well. It impressed the drow, and concerned him to a much smaller degree. How easily was Caleb Widogast able to lie and conceal things from him, and by extension, the Bright Queens court?  Further research would very much be required to determine that conclusion more. He knew that Calebs paperwork still sat within his wristpocket, requiring closer examining. 

Once the lecture ended, and polite bows were had between the human and various members of the court, Caleb let out a soft satisfied sigh, hands tucking his book back under his arm. Essek lingered in the back of the crowd, not wishing to make himself look eager to talk to the human. But also not to look uninterested either. 

There was plenty fascinating with Caleb Widogast. 

"Ah, Shadowhand Thelyss. Thank you once again for coming along. I do hope that i did not impede on your time too much with the invitation?" 

"Not at all, Professor. It was rather enlightening to hear from another magic user about their chosen school of use. And that demonstration near the end was certainly a novelty to most here, also" Essek replied back smoothly in Common, once again using his floating cantrip, raising himself a handful of inches off the ground to be more eye level with Caleb. The drow would never allow himself to been as smaller, weaker, than someone else.

Caleb really did have the most wonderful blue eyes. 

"Danke, Herr Thelyss. I am always happy to discuss such matters whenever you have need of me" 

Humming a soft noise of agreement, Essek allowed himself a soft look over his shoulder. Seeing the rest of the hall had finally emptied back out with the methodical swiftness that had been expected of the court, leaving both wizards alone, he turned his attention back to Caleb, brow raised. 

"I must ask though. How did you determine that I required to sit down during your demonstration. I was more than capable to stand". A reasonable query, he thought, gliding around the side of Caleb to begin making his way back up the steps. Essek already knew that Caleb would already be behind him. 

He was. 

The human was already predictable.

Caleb walked pace for pace beside the Shadowhand, looking over towards the drow often, expression slightly harder to read with each sideways glance. "Oh, well I...I have a keen mind" he muttered a little quieter, as if that had been some sort of suitable answer to the curiosity. Or as if he had been shy about saying such a thing.

Seeing the drows raised brow as they continued to make their way out of the lecture hall, and back towards Esseks office, Caleb cleared his throat softly. "I dont forget anything, is what i mean. But I mean...in the context of your query, Shadowhand? I saw the compression gloves within your court gloves. And going by the shape under your gloves currently, I would say finger splints also? But the slipped joint popping earlier was my main indicator that you required a seat." 

Fuck

Essek stopped suddenly in his journey, floating in the middle of a hallway, heart pounding quicker in his chest. Turning himself enough to look face on towards Caleb, the drow cocked his head only just, mouth pulled into a tight line. "And you gathered what form on conclusion for those...observations, Professor Widogast?" he muttered out quietly, trying to not let the worry and uncertainty echo or bleed into his question. 

Trying to not twist and fidget his hands together under the layers of fabric, Essek continued to look at the human with expectation and distrust. Calebs eyes remained kind and soft, and oh so very blue as the human looked up and down the hall slowly. Still empty. "I do not wish to make presumptions on the nature of needing such things, Herr Thelyss. But i have seen others use...accommodations such as yours within the Empire. Not quite as cleverly concealed as your own, granted."

Trying to keep the scowl or sneer off of his face, Essek listened with mild panic still in his features. "You are sorely mistaken, Professor Widogast." he all but hissed out, gliding further down the hallway, the footsteps of the Empire human in immediate pursuit. "There is no space for imperfection here within the Dynasty. Therefore, there is no such imperfection to be on display within the court of the Bright Queen" he added with self loathing sigh. 

No room for imperfection. 

No space for error. 

No time for pain. 

Caleb frowned just a little bit at the sharp tone, the ice that clung onto the words hissed his way. He couldnt stop his feet from following the drow further down the hallway, closer towards the isolated office that belonged to Essek Thelyss. "Herr Thelyss, i apologise if i caused offence in my approach, but i do not apologise for the concern itself. Well, i suppose its another difference between our nations that i am still trying to learn. What you call imperfections, i just call them by their name. My friends have a plethora of imperfections. I have imperfections, and yet i do not try to pretend such things do not exist. Meerly adapt around them."

"I have to pretend!" Essek all but snapped, stepping into his office, back still turned to the human. The perfect mask of indifference cracking just a fraction as he felt a strange tug and torment within his chest. He had heard, only through vague rumours whilst on liaison to the Empire, of others with similar 'imperfections' as him leading lives without shame, or a need to hide it from view. But it had only been rumours to the drow. 

Because if Essek had tried to listen much more into it, then he knew he would have started to believe that he wasnt as vile and damaged as he had been taught. 

Calebs soft footsteps walking around to the front of the drow broke the Shadowhand out of the internal panic. "Maybe so. But just know, if you so choose, Herr Thelyss, that you need not to pretend quite so hard around myself. To put it bluntly, i dont care. I dont care if you are the Shadowhand, or a simple drow in the street. Pain is pain, and when things can be put into place to alleviate such pain, then i do not see how that can be a bad thing". 

How could the human sound so sure...so sincere? Did he know nothing of the Dynasty? Of how all must be perfect, especially in their first lives. Mild imperfections could be excused and permitted for third or even fourth lives, but never a first. A first life was a fresh, new soul, made allegedly perfect by the Luxon. And yet, Essek remained in the middle of the office, as a sign that the Luxon could also make cruel mistakes. Like a sick joke to have one so gifted with Dunamancy be so pained and broken that the very hands he used for his spellwork could hurt too much to work. 

"I do not know how. Pain keeps me aware of the imperfections that need hidden. Keeps me aware of the differences that keep me ahead of the court. For if anyone else were to try and figure out such imperfections within the court...well" he sucks in a small breath, looking over to the human with a steely gaze, holding out his gloved hands with palms down. "Well that would be very dangerous indeed, Professor Widogast. And i certainly will not be allowing such things to potentially be revealed out to others. Now, shall you?" 

The unspoken threat lingered in the air between them both, Esseks eyes boring into the humans. Caleb kept the same insufferably soft smile on his face as he listened, shoulder half shrugging. "Its not my place to say anything outside of this room, Shadowhand. As I stated in that lecture hall, I am but a human from the Empire. Therefore my opinion on court matters are of little importance in the end, ja?" 

Stepping back just enough to give the drow some more breathing room, the wizard bowed his head softly. "If there's nothing else you wish to discuss, Shadowhand, then I shall be on my way.". Hovering by the door on his way out, Caleb turned to have a last look at the lingering Essek. 

"Also, clever use of that magic to float by the way. Takes pressure of the joints, i presume? very clever" he smiled a flash of teeth befotr retreating out the room. 

Essek was left standing there, in the middle of his office, confused, angry, and embarrassed. He had hidden his pain and imperfections so well for decades, and yet a human from the Empire had somehow seen through him in a handful of meetings. 

He would make sure the human didnt say anything 

Chapter Text

"Yes, my Umavi. You are correct, as usual on such matters"

The simpering, diplomacy, and utter boring nature of the weekly meetings with his Dens Umavi near enough always bored Essek to death. If he hasnt been a new soul, Essek would have suspected that he had somehow wronged the Luxon in his previous, to deserve such treatment. It always ended up with a circle of conversation every week. How his work within the court went. How his older brother was doing whilst posted away. How Essek clearly should have found a suitor by now. And how he should allow her to look through the eligible Dens once again. 

Lifting her tall glass up to take a gentle sip, Dietra Thelyss, Umavi to Den Thelyss, and Esseks mother, eyed her first born over the rim of the crystal with lilac eyes that lacked any warmth . "Well if i am correct on such matters, Shadowhand, then why must you argue and deflect from me so much? If i am so correct, then why much i hear each week with the other Umavis,  that you have yet to return any correspondence from their sons? Not acknolegded any of their courting gifts?"

Oh Light, how Essek wished he could just melt into the floor and become one with the marble. Maybe turn himself into a speck of dust and just float away from the conversation. Instead, the Shadowhand put on his most elegant and polite smile, nothing more than a soft upturn of the corners of his mouth, and nodded his head towards his mother. "And for that i shall deeply apologise, my Umavi, Light be ever upon you. I shall ensure that i do not bring further question and shame to your name by being so inelegant and rude in the future".

That response seemed to have quelled her cautious and judging look. For the moment. Swapping her glass for cutlery, the Umavi speared and ate small neatly wrapped vegetables that had been spiced and braised. A particular favourite of hers. A raised brow of appreciation of the meal appeared to be the most that anyone would be getting in terms of compliments from such a woman. Not that Essek ever expected, nor reacted to the closest thing to praise from the severe woman.

Esseks plate remained full and untouched, as did his drink. 

As always. 

"So what is this i have been hearing about an Empire human working near our Queen?"

Of course the woman would have heard about such matters. Umavis find out information fast. And Dens often spoke. And a novelty such as a red haired human teaching a lecture to most of the court surely would have found its way to her notice sooner or later. "You are correct in that hearing. From his file, he is here as a peace keeping leverage. To provide the court and Dynasty with one of their own, as well as their knowledge of various magics of the Empire. And in return, i presume, one of our own will be sent across the boarder for a time also. All very...exotic sounding to me"

Essek all but gagged at himself at the wording, knowing it would appeal to the 'old fashioned' thinking of his mother. The woman hadnt had a progressive thought in her entire life time. Maybe even the last. If it wasnt about upholding Den traditions, and public relations, then Umavi Thelyss did not like it. And that included Esseks own body. The Shadowhand knew that even with his rank and position of power, the woman in front of him still couldnt quite hide the curl of her lip in disgust whenever their eyes had to meet. How she purposely held things just slightly out of reach to overextend Esseks lax limbs to retrieve them. 

All out of shame. 

Shame that Essek felt within his own weary body. 

Shame that was directed towards him, and not his brother, Verin. Never Verin.

"I suppose so. I'll have to consult with the other Dens to see who would be best suited for such a curious undertaking. I would rather think Verin should be the one to go, seeing as he is the Taskhand, of course. Such a title would bring great honour to our Den if he were chosen." 

Dietra had always favoured her younger son out of the two she reluctantly bore. It remained as zero secret that the woman doted, or at least in the capacity that she could ever be capable of, over Esseks younger brother, Verin. She spoke of him to the other Dens over Essek. Often. And on more than one occasion, which resulted in Essek trying to poison the woman for it, stated that she would have far preferred the displeasure of birthing a son if Essek had been born second instead.

A horrific insult. 

Umavi Thelyss sniffed slightly as she finished her plate, laying the cutlery neatly on top,  napkin softly dabbing at the corners of her mouth. Essek knew the womans social cues enough to know that the evening with her had started to draw to a thankful close. Raising from his own seat, with the assistance of his cantrip, the Shadowhand made his way over to his mothers left hand side, his right arm offered to her. Dietra didnt so much as glance towards her son, hand lightly resting onto Esseks arm, hand wrapping around his wrist as she raised herself up to her feet.

Even in private, Den etiquette and rules remained firmly and expectantly in place. Familial relations did not matter. The Umavi must always be attended to from the left by a male, as only women could hold the honour of her right hand. Children were not exempt from expectations either. Esseks shoulder and wrist immediately ground in protest, the joints slipping at the weight pushed up onto it. But he grit his teeth harder, refusing to show even a modicum of discomfort in the eyes of a seemingly simple motion. 

Once the woman stood, donning her ornately beaded and decorated cloak, Essek bowed himself low, eyes downturned and towards the ground. "Thank you for gracing me with your time and attendance once again, my Umavi. May the Light shine upon you always" he simpered in practiced tones, hand already reaching out lightly grasp the awaiting hand on his mother, pulling it softly in to kiss at the Den ring on her middle finger. He remained bowed down as the hand slipped out of his own, the sounds of footsteps receding away. 

The light click of the door signalled that Essek was once again alone. A loud sigh escaped pained lips, the drow straightening up to drop his cantrip. He couldnt that say the enjoyed his mothers presence within his home. Very much not. But the meetings were a cruel challenge of necessity that occurred weekly, unless the Queen had request for either of them. Essek always hoped the Queen would have need for him during those appointed times. Anything to have to feign regret at not hosting his mother for her repeated questions and queries into his personal life for her own political and social gain. 

Running his hands over his face and through styled hair, Essek made his way back to his table, settling into his seat once more. The food had cooled significantly, but it mattered not. He was alone, without judgment or shame, to eat. In quiet.

Due to Esseks condition, the Shadowhan often found himself choking or struggling to swallow on food and fluids. Not to extent of being put into significant risk, at least not all of the time. But, at least to the Shadowhand, coughing and choking in front of other Den leaders or the Bright Queen herself? That was not acceptable at all. So the drow had long taken to ignoring his hunger and thirst until alone within his own home. Where, if he did struggle swallowing, no one could look at him like the flawed creature he felt. 

Picking up the long stem of the gently bubbling drink, Essek tested a small sip. It was crisp and light, just as he liked. He had purchased several bottles of various wines, as well as being gifted many more, during his liaisons across boarders for his work. Many were gifts from potential suitors that remained untouched in the back of his wine cellar. Hopefully to be forgotten about and not to be seen as accepting the others advances. 

Taking his first bite of the gently bite sized wrapped vegetables, Essek let out a small huff through his nose. He very much enjoyed cooking, when pain and energy allowed such a thing, and the quiet satisfaction of enjoying a good meal was one of the drows many pleasures in his relatively young life. Letting his eyes fall shut, just enjoying the depth of flavour within the bite, Essek finally and tentatively swallowed. 

Nothing

No tightness. No struggle. No choking. 

A good night then. Not that it couldnt change between mouthfuls. But after that first successful bite, the drow got a new wave of enthusiasm in himself. Cutlery very softly clicked and tapped against fine plates as Essek finished his meal in silence, only pausing to take larger sips of his drink. He coughed a small handful of times, but nothing too much of note for him. The meal had ended as a near enough success in Esseks eyes, with food and drink cleared, and no pain in his chest from choking either. 

With his stomach less aching as his food settled within it, Essek let himself make his way towards his office. May as well check over some paperwork before allowing himself to go to sleep. Settling his weight into the lightly moulded cushion in his chair, Essek pulled out several bundles of files from his wrist pocket. Thumbing through the files, half out of habit to just flick through the papers. Pulling out the thin file from the middle and flicking it open, Essek let out a long breath to settle in. 

Caleb Widogasts file. 

Essek hadnt had the moment to look more thoroughly through the entirety of the humans file. Not that he fully trusted what would be displayed on the papers before him. Of course not. Essek had already requested his own men to do a deep delve into the brightly coloured human themselves, to either debunk or confirm the humans alleged claims of achievement. Anything that could potentially be used as leverage, should Caleb Widogast begin to become a problem. 

To say that the human wizard had some achievements could be considered a woeful understatement. Esseks eyes eagerly looked over the various papers published and listed under Calebs name. Most were on different lines of study to do with Transmutation. One on the curious magics that resided within the ruins of the ancient city of Aeor. But none of the papers or achievements dated back further than five years. 

How odd. 

For a man of Calebs age, Essek would have presumed that the human would have at least co-authored or assisted with papers before publishing his own. Certainly whilst still being a student during his time at Soltryce Academy. And yet, none of the transcripts showed anything under Calebs name to indicate that to be the case. Frowning ever so slightly, Essek lifted the file closer, seeing the smallest of indicators that a page had been torn out. Only a few small whisps of paper pulp poked out from between the two other pages, the only indicator that a page had once lived there. 

Curiosity bubbled up inside the Shadowhand at the missing page, knowing that he himself had not removed any pages from the file upon receiving it. And that no one else could have access to his wrist pocket other than himself. Essek would very much question this with both the Lens, his information network, and Caleb himself in the morning. Perhaps it had been a small mishap, but perhaps something more. And Essek very much couldnt call himself the Shadowhand if he didnt have all information available for him. 

Pulling out his laptop and booting it up, Essek started to look up some of the papers cited as being authored by Professor Widogast. Opening near enough a dozen tabs, all with the different papers linked up, he started to read through. It wouldnt hurt to try and get a bit more understanding on the branch of magic, especially if it could prove to be more of a benefit in the future for him. 

Nearly two hours passed by as if it were only minutes, Esseks eyes drooping heavily as the words on his screen mumbled and shuffled around. He had been very much deep into reading one of the papers on the practical use of physical components in regards to spellwork. A rather compelling and interesting school of thought, in the drows opinion. One that he would rather enjoy debating on with the human at some point. 

Feeling his legs far too heavy to move, Essek simply shuffled the laptop enough out the way to lay his head in his arms on the desk. True sleep found the drow easily, body slipping into the steady motions of unwinding and relaxing. The position of being sat up didnt help with the pain within his body, but exhaustion had won out. Something that, in the very back of his sleep captured brain, Essek knew he would pay for dearly the next day. 

The relative comfort and ease of sleep held onto the Shadowhand as he lay against his desk, phone chiming quietly as notifications pinged in. The Lens had finished acquiring what had been requested, and would have the files ready on his desk before his arrival in the morning. Not that Essek had read the message, soft even breathing being the only sound around his empty living space, an elbow half hanging off the edge of the desk. 

Sleep held onto Essek, the worry of the dinner with his mother leaving him, and the curiosity of the human bubbling up in his mind. 

Chapter Text

No one dared to even so much as look Essek in the eye as he stormed his way through the hallways the next morning. His foul mood extremely evident with how he carried himself, near enough radiating off his person. He hurt badly. He knew that he shouldnt have slept at the desk the night prior, he truly had. But it was too late to chastise the actions of the night before, even as limbs ached and throbbed with discomfort beneath heavy mantle and robes. 

Its not that the sleeping itself had been uncomfortable. Not even the desk had been terribly hard against the Shadowhands arms and head either. But none of his limbs and joints had been properly supported and held through his rest, causing several of Esseks already looser joints to slip out of place. His head hurt, shoulders loose and crackling with each motion, and his temper was thin.

Bustling, irritated and aching, through his office door, the drow paused in the doorway, pace faltering slightly. A head of red hair stood in front of the Shadowhands desk, looking over the surface, back to the entryway. Essek took a few deeper steading breaths through his nose, more to not just snap and yell at the human to get out right away. As much as he wanted to just write off the day as a failure already, that was not an option he ever allowed himself to partake in. He was now allowed to admit defeat over his body. Not when perfection was expected of a new soul such as he.

"And what do i have the pleasure of your presence in my office then, Professor Widogast?" 

Caleb straightened up near instantly, hands grabbing several papers off the desks surface at the same time. "Ah, Shadowhand Thelyss. Good morning to you." Esseks eyes briefly flickered between the humans hands and the papers being stowed within a file in them. Making his way around to the chair at his desk, the Shadowhand rest his fists on the tables surface, leaning over it just so, weight pushing his shoulders back into place. Enough to look intimidating, but with the position not putting additional strain on his wrists and fingers. 

"You did not answer my question, Professor." Essek raised a practiced brow slowly, eyes boring into the humans with a stern look. "What are you doing in my office without an appointment? And what were you taking from my desk?". His annoyance and accusation seeped into the question, body leaning forward just a little more over the desk towards the human. He was glad that he had his cantrip on to remove the ache of having to actually stand. 

"Herr Thelyss, i apologise for being in your office without request to do so" The human wasnt looking Essek in the eye, or even near his face at all, eyes down at the file clutched in his hands. He looked like a child reluctant to hand over a toy. "I had found out youve had the Lens looking into me. I thought i had put all my past and papers into my file as is?". Caleb held tighter onto the documents, fingers quivering only slightly. Most wouldnt have even noticed the barely there motion. But Essek did. He had had decades to learn. He always noticed small tells like that, of things that gave peoples deception and dishonesty away. 

Standing upright once again and shrugging slightly, Essek continued to look intently at the human. "I did. As is my job here within the court. It is expected to be thoroughly looked into if you are to be anywhere near the Bright Queen. And your file was incomplete. Tampered with, if i had to guess. Very well done though, but not good enough to get past me". The torn out file paper has been very well concealed, Essek could admit. But the telltale fluff of paper pulp still barely contained between pages had been the only indicator.

"So now, i shall ask you for the last time, Caleb Widogast. What have you tried to steal from my desk?"

Essek refused to sit down in his chair, but remaining floating just a few inches off the ground, brow still raised as he looked across the desk at the human. It was petty, he knew, to remain in discomfort. But the thought of being lower, smaller, than the human during questioning was not acceptable. Caleb, for the most part, looked only marginally caught out. He kept the same averted eyes, but his teeth looked to be chewing on the inside of his lips. A nervous quirk no doubt. The human looked torn between an internal dialogue or argument, hands still firmly tightening on the file. Hit throat shifted several times to swallow. Another nervous tell.

"Fine. If your reluctant to relinquish the file, then either I request your immediate termination from this position, or I will have you physically restrained to take the stolen documents back. The choice is yours. Of course, you can simply hand whatever is worth risking your position here over. Do that, and i consider the incident forgotten about."

Essesk headache throbbed, hand hovering by his side, twitching to reach for one of his smaller potions. Just to take the throbbing ache away for a while. But he persisted, wanting the ridiculous matter of the file being returned to come to a conclusion first of all. He had suspected that it was the Lens file, going by the notification he had gotten whilst sleeping, and the lack of paperwork awaiting him on the desk. And with the human wizard now death gripping a file in his hands after breaking into his office, the presumption was obvious. 

How did Caleb break into the office in the first place? The Shadowhands blood ran cold for a moment, frown creeping up on his face, before schooling it back to the cold cool mask of indifference. Essek knew that he kept meticulous wards and protections along every inch of his office. High level arcana at that, too. He would have been alerted to anyone so much as breathing too close to his door without prior clearance. And yet, the Shadowhand hadnt been alerted to a single thing to signify that Caleb had been in the room.

Calebs head snapped up at the threat, eyes slightly wider with worry, head shaking quickly. "I do not wish for either of those options, Shadowhand Thelyss. Apologies. I...my original file does not paint me in a favourable light to others. So I tampered with it on my journey here on the first day to conceal that." The admittance still didnt make a lick of sense to the drow, gloved hands firmly held out in front of himself for his file. "I...id like to continue being known as Caleb, please. After all this. That's all I ask for this, Shadowhand' the human mumbled as he slid the file into his hand, head dropping down slightly again, hands picking at the hems of his coat sleeves. 

Not allowing Essek a chance to query the odd request, Caleb hurried himself out of the office, shoulders dropped down and hands stuffed firmly into coat pockets. A man with shame. A man with something to hide.  

Essek finally dropped himself into his chair, sighing quietly in discomfort, pulling the file closely to lay on the desk surface for inspection. The first handful of pages all seemed to be the exact same as Calebs copy that had been handed over originally. Just basic information of his name, academic study achievements during his younger years, and preferred magic use. Bringing the first file up to compare alongside, Essek started to go page by page, line by line, seeing what could have been so egregious that it warranted breaking into the Shadowhands office to hide and steal 

Reaching where the missing page should have been, Essek leaned forward slightly more, seeing the page now in the new file. More academic paper manuscripts, from the looks of it. Curious. He presumed that Caleb would have wanted to show off the papers and achievements he had made since his time in education. Reading through the titles slowly, slight pause came to the drow, eyes double checking the names of the co authors for the first two papers:

-A. BECKE

-E. GREIVE

-B. ERMENDRUD

No 'C. WIDOGAST' as the drow would have expected to have seen on the list. Checking over the other handful of papers that were listed on the page, the three co author names appeared again every time. But no Caleb. All were lead by Trent Ikithon, which didnt come as much shock to Essek. The Archmage taught many talented wizards at Soltryce, with many taking highly prominent careers after. 

Most of the papers pertained to the refinement of Residuum, and the theoretical applications of the substance in the enhancement of magical arcane cultivation of practitioners. The topic had potential, Essek mused to himself for a moment. The topic had been one he had queried and theroised about several decades ago, when he was younger with less responsibilities. He flipped the file page over as the thought left his mind as fast.  It went to Calebs own academic papers, just as seen the night prior. 

Frowning just a touch at the curiosity that bubbled inside, Essek flipped back to the prior page, checking the name and paper ID of the first noted paper. Pulling out his laptop, the Shadowhand quickly pulled up the relevant paper, checking the date of its publish. Opening a second tab, Essek pulled up the paper of Calebs that had caught his eyes before. Checking the date of that, the drow paused once again, lips pursing just a fraction, hand pulling out his phone and dialling without fully needing to look. 

"Yes, its me. I need another line of enquiry into Caleb Widogast. Find out why he had a 12 year gap between his education and his work. Check under both 'Widogast' and 'Ermendrud' for me. I want everything on my desk at your quickest convenience." Taking a moment of pause, Essek lowered his voice just a fraction "And be more discreet this time. Widogast somehow caught on to your investigation. That is all"

Placing his phone face down on the desk, eyes glancing over the two open files with bubbling curiosity. Essek knew that Ikithon had several students in unique programmes of study, most names that were known to the Lens. Caleb Widogast was a name that was not known to be a student of Trent Ikithon, and Essek would find out why. The Lens kept tabs on Ikithon closely, as much as they could without alerting the paranoid Archmage. Rumours circulated and travelled about the alleged study and teaching methods the mage would subject his 'chosen few' to. Not that Essek had put any stock into such a thing. Magic was meant to he hard to learn, and those who complain must have not wanted it hard enough.

He remembered the humans soft request of "Id like to continue being known as Caleb" which made the Shadowhand more sure that Caleb had gone by a different name whilst under the educational hand of the Empire Archmage. Using one hand to tap and scroll though the Residuum paper on the laptop, Essek used his other to open his potion drawer, taking a smaller bottle. A small modicum of pain could be dealt with, but the headache had been the biggest hindrance to his concentration. 

He would find out the mystery of Caleb Widogast. About the mysterious and enigmatic Empire human that turned heads wherever he went. And yet somehow went under the radar and disappeared for over a decade, without so much as a hint of academic achievement. He would find out why. He had to.

Tapping onto a new tab, Essek looked up the lecture halls schedule. Just out of curiosity, of course. Caleb had a lecture that morning, teaching another introduction to Transmutation. Perfect. Essek wanted to see if the human would act and teach the same if he didnt believe he were being observed by someone like the Shadowhand. To see if the human could slip up and reveal something interesting to what he thought would be just unknowing students. Downing his potion a little too quickly, triggering loud and pained coughing, the drow doubled over his desk, hand over his chest as the herbal liquid pained its way down his throat. 

Once the worst of the coughing had subsided, Essek waved his hand to cause Seeming to be cast upon himself. His appearance shifted just enough to look like a standard drow student, with long simply braided hair, and lightly silver freckled cheeks. Picking his mantle off to lay gently ok his desk, Essek lowered himself onto his feet, looking down at his hands for a moment. Students didnt wear court gloves, so they would have to go. Peeling the garments off lightly and laying them down beside the mantle, Essek rolled his wrists slowly, hearing them crackle and click softly. 

Stepping out of his office without his cantrip, Essek held back the twinge of pains that echoed through his knees and ankles. He never walked within the building, so the feeling felt near enough foreign. But it was a small sacrifice to check up on his investigation into Caleb Widogast. Trying to not keep himself as high held and prim looking, Essek unbuttoned just the top of his tunic, brushing the braid to hang over his shoulder, hoping that it looked more casual. 

He was the spymaster for a reason. The Shadowhand. He could do this. 

Chapter Text

"This was a stupid idea. An utterly stupid and awful idea" Essek grumbled and chastised himself beneath his breath. Each step felt uncomfortable and unnatural, so used to the use of his cantrip within the halls and walkways. He felt clunky and inelegant walking, so used to only being perceived, and expected to, glide. But Essek was not in the form of Essek Thelyss though. So the cantrip would have been too much of a give away for him to use. 

Finally making it to the lecture hall in twice the time he usually would have taken, the disguised Shadowhand ducked to a wall to pull out a notebook and pen from his wristpocket. Multiple other students seemed to be carrying them, so he supposed that he ought to as well. With the stationary in place, Essek tried to casually wander inside. Not too haughty, not too slouched over. Just...there. 

The lecture hall inside was still busy and full, but not quite to the packed and crammed capacity of the previous talk. Mostly becuase Essek had arrived just a touch earlier than before. He was determined to be able to obtain a seat this time. There were around a dozen or so empty spots dotted around the hall, with students milling and quietly chatting to one another. Mostly about their work, the upcoming lecture, and of course, about Caleb Widogast. 

"I heard that he picked on Shadowhand Thelyss in front of everyone last time. Isnt that some kind of weird mating call to Empire folk?"

"Nah, i read that humans do dances in only pairs to attract a partner. So old fashioned"

Rolling his eyes whilst slowly making his way down the hall steps, purposly keeping an ear out for snippets and chatter along the way, Essek got  a near enough front seat. He hadnt intended on it, but by the time he had gotten down there, it deemed one of the few left. But, as the Shadowhand thought, it would allow him a uniquely close up view of Caleb and his magic. And perhaps if the human slipped up, tried any clever tricks of the hands, then he would see. 

"-he was trained at Soltryce, right? So hes one of the old mages lot. Must be dangerous"

"Shut up, of course he is. Empire wouldnt send a normal Professor, would they? Not here"

They had a point, Essek supposed. The Dynasty wouldnt have allowed just a standard wizard to dare sully their halls and endanger the courts with reckless magic. Only a highly trained, skilled, and honed practitioner would have ever been dared given the go ahead to cross the boarder. Which made Caleb Widogast one of the most dangerous men in the room. Only one of them. The other sat in the front row, disguised. 

"Good morning everyone! Thank you so much for your patience whilst i set up today." The familiar cadence and voice of Caleb called through the hall, the human himself striding confidently across towards the podium, hands clasped behind his back. Once reaching the side of the podium, he took a deep low bow towards the room. Essek couldnt help but just stare, seeing the human do such a thing. He was a Professor, for Lights sake! Students should be the ones to bow out of respect to him, not the other way around!

Standing back up, Caleb smiled softly, eyes scanning over the faces in the room rapidly. At the same time, his hands tucked under his coat, unclasping one of his books from the holster beneath. Again, not his spell book, but the secondary notebook kept on his person. "I see a handful of newer faces here. Wonderful. For those here for the first time, i am Professor Caleb Widogast. I am here on loan from the Empire, and at your humble service, as well as the Bright Queens." 

Essek pursed his lips ever so slightly, eyes narrowing. The human was once again speaking Undercommon, but his notebook hadnt been opened once. Strange. The language was tricky for most non speakers to learn, and certainly in such a short span of time. He knew that the human had claimed that he didnt forget anything, but surely not to such an extent. Quickly looking over Caleb, eyes intently looking at the humans hands, Essek finally found his answer. 

The barely there remains of clay along the side of the wizards fingers. A barely there smug smirk crept up onto the side of Esseks hidden features. So the human hadnt learned the language that quickly, of course. He used Tongues to be able to listen and speak. Clever, the Shadowhand had to admit, and rather ingenious to utilise such a spell to teach students. But such a spell could only last an hour, and Essek didnt see the human casting as he entered the room. So at least a minute had already been used up before even stepping foot into the front. 

Coming out of his train of thought, Essek blinked slowly up, realising that Caleb was looking right at him. And the hall was near enough silent. The human had a soft smile on his features still as he looked expectantly. "In another world there, yes? Welcome back, regardless. I was asking if this is your first lesson here, and what your name was. If your comfortable sharing" . The Shadowhand quietly cursed himself for getting so lost in thought that he had now been singled out. 

Clearing his throat, and almost making an attempt to stand, Essek grit his teeth in discomfort, hip locking up. Of all the times for the blasted thing to no cooperate. Standing up regardless of the pressure in the joint, Essek bowed his head down towards the Professor, arms by his sides. "Of course, Professor Widogast. My name is...is Sylzian. No associated Den, as of yet. This is my first lesson under your eye, correct."

A small handful of whispers and mutterings shuffled around the hall behind Essek. To be expected. Those who had not been born into, or claimed by, a Den weren't overly common, but no unheard of. Mostly for those on a second life awaiting the arrival of their first life memories to return. Essek had not wanted to risk using a Den name and being more query to himself for the sake of an hour lecture.

Seeming satisfied with the answer, Caleb nodded and stepped up behind his podium, book flipped open against the stand. "Now, I know most used a form of Dunamncy here within the Dynasty. I do not, obviously" the human indicated to himself  eliciting some small giggles across the room. "I use Transmutation for the most part. Similar in result for certain spells, but vastly different in execution. Ah, Bey Sylzian, may I use you as a demonstration? Only due to you being already at the front"

Essek stammered under his breath before rising to his feet once more, nodding. Caleb indicated to a spot beside himself at thr front of the hall, to which Essek slowly stepped towards. His eyes remained carefully watching the human the entire time, seeing the man working close up. The strong profile and confidence that seemed to just radiate from the human, comfortable teaching. Standing beside Caleb, the disguised Shadowhand looked to his side expectantly, hoping to look like a curious student, and not a highly accomplished arcane user. 

"A prime example of the difference and similarities between both schools of magic. Now, Bey Sylzian, can you please produce Mage Hand to simply appear in front of yourself? And then ill shall do the same". 

Essek held back the urge to roll his eyes at the basic cantrip. He understood the reasoning for the request, as it was low enough in difficulty to put the humans point across. Without thinking, the drow in disguise lifted his left hand up, simply swirling his index finger around in a short circle. That was not the standard somantic for Mage Hand for dunamntic users. That had been Esseks own adjusted version to remove strain from his wrists. The small purple arcane hand popped into existence in front of himself, simply floating and waiting. 

Essek kept his eyes firmly in front of himself, hoping that the human didn't know the difference between casting motions for such a basic spell. Caleb raised his own hands, fingertips all touching, before releasing them one by one. A light amber crackle slipped from the wizards fingers, before his own amber Mage Hand popped up beside Esseks light purple one. Both simply floating for one minute, before fading away once again. 

"Wonderful! So you all can see the difference in the magic being used, but near enough identical results. One more request from you, Bey Sylzian, and then you can return to your seat. If you can use Message, please can you do so, and I shall demonstrate afterwards"

"Of course, Professor Widogast. I can do that" Essek grit out, turning to walk several paces further away from the professor. His hip hurt badly, a small limp showing in his gait. Not much, but enough to not have his pace consistent. Turning back to the Professor, Essek lifted both his hands up together, with thumbs and index fingers pinched before slowly pulling them apart. Fine purple sailing magic joined between each pinch, pulling thin and taut. The disguised drow tilted his head down, eyes glancing up towards the grinning Caleb and whispered "Thank you for the lesson, Professor. It has been most enlightening" before opening up the pinched digits, letting the magic take.

The students looked between the pair at the front, wide eyed and excited. Calebs smile grew on his lips as his eyes danced bsck and forth in the middle distance. He didnt reply, allowing the spell to drop, hand stuffing into a pouch along his belt. "That was perfectly done, thank you. So you all will be fairly used to the Dunamantic use of the spell. I prefer to use components, as they take less magic, and the physical feel of your spell working has a gratification to it. Like so" 

Caleb pulled out a strip of copper wire from his component pouch, holding it up. A couple of students giggled, unsure as to how something like that could work. Essek remembered the previous lecture with the component, a flicker of a smile along the corner of his lips, still standing off to the side. Caleb wrapped the wire twice around his hand, cupping them together to bring up to his mouth, obscuring his lips from view. 

Esseks body jumped slightly, the sudden feel of someone right by his ear starling him once again "I'm very glad that you have enjoyed the lesson so far. But no need for disguises in the future, ja?" came in Common. Esseks breath stuttered for only a moment as he listened to the message, eyes looking up to the smug looking human across from him as Caleb lowered the wire with a raised brow. 

"And how did you figure it out?" Essek whispered under his breath, just before the spell would drop, also in Common. Keeping his eyes firmly on the human in front, Essek tilted his head to the side just so. Still trying to act like a curious student. Caleb dropped his hands back down to his sides, the one hidden from the other students made the same finger twirling motion Essek had used to summon his Mage hand. 

Of course.

"Thank you so much, once again, Bey Sylzian, for your wonderful assistance here. You may return to your seat.' Caleb gave a soft bow of his head towards the hidden Shadowhand, feet carrying the human back to the centre once again. Essek made his way back to seat, sinking into it comfortably with the smallest sigh leaving him. He honestly barely paid attention through the rest of the lesson. Caleb went on about more differences and similarities between the schools of magic, where in the weave they pulled from, and how each school has different benefits and hinderences.

Seeing the lecture winding down, students packing up, Essek closed his notebook ready to slip out also. "Oh no, Sylzian, may I speak with you for a moment?" Caleb called out in Common, making the drow hiss in annoyance. Remaining in his seat, and feeling like a child, Essek waited. Most of the students filed out, a pair of them walking down towards their Professor. 

"Oh, Dyleris, I hope the lesson was ok for you today?" 

The female drow in question smiled and nodded softly, hands moving quickly in response, eyes watching the human intently as she did so. The other young woman beside her companion watched the first draws hands for a moment before speaking "It did indeed, Professor. Thank you again for using Tongues to translate. Your accent from Common makes lip reading harder. Your Undercommon is not terrible though"

Essek frowned ever so slightly, watching the interaction with intense curiosity and interest. The young woman, Dyleris, looked comfortable as she moved her hands to communicate, fingers bending and folding together. Caleb watched between the womans hands and face carefully and nodded, not talking until the student had finished. "So for next weeks lesson, I have adjusted it for you. Not by much, but we are using components to cast. Now I know you can do it. You need only sign the verbal with one hand, and the somatic with the component in the other, ja?" 

The pair of women went off, both gently communicating to one another with their hands, deeply enraptured in some sort of conversation, laughter and giggling eminating from one another. Essek couldnt help but stare after the pair, utterly fascinated by the entire thing, turning slightly in his seat to observe. 

"You know its rude to stare?" Caleb joked in Common, plopping himself down into the seat beside Essek, hands clasped on the tiny side desk that joined in front around his notebook. "So how did you enjoy the lesson today? Bit below your skill level though?"

"What were they doing? With their hands?" Essek blurted out, unable to quell the curiosity and need to know. It hadn't been motions for spells, as they went on for too long. But he hadnt seen such a thing before, his whole face echoing his fascination and bewilderment. "You were speaking, but she wasn't."

Calebs smile was so disarming. Essek couldnt help but watch the way the humans eyes crinkled just slightly at the corners when he did. "They were talking. Just not verbally as you and i do. She is deaf, so uses adapted language to communicate. Its sign language, motions used with the hands and fingers. Dyleris lost her ability to hear in her previous life, and the condition followed her to this one."

"But shes...shes smiling. She's got an imperfection, and shes smiling. She's..."

"In public? Yes. Because there is nothing shameful about a disability. Not in my hall, in the very least. Dyleris has had her lessons adapted to assist and accommodate her needs. Things like me using Tongues to talk, until my Undercommon is more up to par. And having visual lessons for spells as opposed to just verbal. Like the lesson you helped facilitate today" 

Esseks head swam slightly, sitting back in th seat, frown deepening. He hadnt ever seen someone in the court with any known imperfection, or 'disability' as Caleb had called it. His own got hidden well enough. The Shadowhand just presumed, possibly naively, that had been the way for the entire Dynasty inside and out of the higher Dens and court. That anything deemed as wrong wouldn't be allowed to be seen or spoken about.

"But she looked happy...I..." shaking his head softly and rising to his feet, Essek pulled the notebook closely to his chest. "Apologies. Thank you again for the lesson, it was...enlightening to be part of." He bowed softly, turning to leave the hall. How could someone be happy with not being perfect? Was he meant to be? How could he?

"Anytime, Sylzian. My office door is always open for questions. Anytime of the day or night" Caleb called up, smile in his voice. He pushed his notebook back into his holster, securing it into place. He had suspected that Essek had come to lecture near enough right away, but the movement for Mage hand had secured it. No one else used that motion for the cantrip, as it was a two handed spell at the best of times. The human was rather impressed that Essek had adapted the spell to suit his joints. 

He was curious if the Shadowhand had adapted other spells for such needs.

Chapter Text

"Oh, your the new student here, yes? We havent seen you around before."

Essek startled slightly from his internal conversation as he left the lecture hall, head turning to find the two women from before smiling towards him. Smiling was an odd thing to be directed towards Essek. People didnt usually smile at the Shadowhand. People did not smile brightly towards the Shadowhand! But there the two other students were smiling at him, at Sylzian, like he were their equal. Not at the spymaster to their Queen. They certainly would not have been so bold as to act so informal if he were not Sylzian.

"Yes. Im just here for today though. Temporary visitation to check in on Professor Widogast'.  Not a complete lie, but not the complete truth either. Not that Essek cared if he was the one deceiving students. His entire job involved deception, lies and secrets on both sides of the conversation. Lies were easy to spill from the Shadowhands lips, as they tasted bitter on his tongue, and could be spat out far quicker than the sweet comfort of rare honesty.

The two women smiled towards one another again, silently communicating back and forth for a few moments, smiles still present as their eyes flicked between one another and Essek. Essek felt himself becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the interaction of the two, not knowing what he should or shouldn't do in such a scenario. Should he stare and watch them move their hands in communication to one another? Should he turn and not 'eavesdrop'? He didnt even think people with other imperfections like himself could even be within the court buildings, let alone at lectures where others could see. Essek certaintly wouldn't have allowed himself to be seen so openly unable and damaged. His hidden imperfections were tarnish enough to his Den, let alone being so open around others with it. 

"We wanted to know how hard it was to learn the adapted spell you used in the demo!" the second woman chimed brightly, eyes sparkling slightly with excitement and wonder. Her companion nodded eagerly in agreement, eyes equally sparkling. Adapted spell? Essek cocked his head to the side only slightly, brow furrowed in thought as he tried to remember through the demonstrations. As if sensing his question, the silent drow smiled again, imitating the finger swirl in the air in front of herself with a smile that showed her fangs

"The Shadowhands spell motion. Was it hard to learn?"

"The...the Shadowhands...?" Essek stammered slightly, heart starting to beat faster within his chest. Is that what people, students no less, were calling his spell work? Did people notice that he adapted his spells to his limitations and pain levels? Trying to not overthink and stress about his cantrip motion being noticed by more than just the human wizard, Essek tried to go to his role as Shadowhand more. To obtain information. To figure out how else he had to hide his pain and imperfections from less obvious eyes.

Standing up slightly straighter, shoulders crackling a little beneath his disguise as they rolled backwards, Essek repeated the cantrip motion with a raised brow. The mage hand popped into existence in front of himself, with wide smiles appearing on the two womens faces. "This one? It took some work, yes. How so? How did you know it was from the Shadowhand?" Keeping his tone as light as he could, forcing a relaxed smile on his face, the mage hand expired and blinked back out of existence as Essek watched the awe sparkling in the students eyes. 

How odd. Both were very much into their second and third lives, if the Shadowhand remembered correctly. Therefore simple cantrips very much should not be as wildly exciting as they were to such members of society. The deaf drow, Dyleris, signed quickly to her companion, mimicking the motion for the spell for a moment before using both hands for another motion, which caught Esseks eyes. She used both hands to make a tapering motion starting from the center of her collar bones, and out towards the edge of her shoulders, thumb and middle fingers pinching together at the end. 

Esseks Shadowhand mantle. They had a sign for the Shadowhand

Essek couldnt help but watch the motion, more and more fascination with the communication welling inside. "Thats the one, yes! We've seen the Shadowhand use it before, mostly when he is heading to Court. Its so exciting to see!" the companion interpreted with a smile, nodding in confirmation. "We have the theory that he does it to look more cool and mysterious. Like hes too prim and proper to use regular cantrips, and too fancy to open doors himself" . The laughter bounced off the hallway walls, taking Essek back for a moment, mind reeling at the implication. 

Cool and mysterious? People thought that him adapting his magic was mysterious? He tried to hold back a small chuckle, wrist rolling slowly to help pop the tension within in. "What if...what if it isnt to look cool? Or if he was...i dont know...imperfect?" he asked with a shrug, already anticipating the backlash to come his way. The sneer of derision that would surely come. That always came from his fellow peers within the court. The sideways glances if he so much as moved too much during the long days of court, let alone if any of his joins crackled or popped.

"Imperfect? What, like disabled? Oh my gosh, do you think that he is?" The companion gasped softly, quickly interpreting it to her friend, both eyes widening a touch at the train of thought. "Someone in the Queens Court could be like us? Like being able to not hide away and be ashamed? That would be so cool. But i doubt it, really. No one sees the Shadowhand, and he doesnt talk to people. So i dont want to guess into his life. But its a nice thought though, that he could adapt his spells to help himself day to day. Like how Professor Widogast is adapting Dyleris spells for her." 

Essek gaped slightly whilst trying to not let his jaw just drop, looking between the pair with utmost disbelief. That was not how people usually reacted at the possibility of anything less than perfect. People didnt usually try and consider it as anything but shameful. Why werent they shooting the idea down dead in the sky? The disguised Shadowhand quickly left them after a short bow, beelining back towards his office, feet aching with each marching step he took, bolts of pain rocketing up from his feet through his knees. As he made his way there, sharp nails dug and dragged painfully into the flesh of his forearm, the sharp prickles and stabs of pain helping distract from his legs ache. It always helped for a short while. 

Just a small distraction. 

Slamming the door to his office shut the moment he entered, Essek dropped his disguise with a sigh. At the same time he recast his levitation cantrip, head dropping forward a touch at the ache easing in his legs with the shift in gravity. Digging his nails into his arm once again with the same pressure as before, Essek made his way back to his desk, intent on redressing into his gloves and mantle. To hide his ridiculous deception from the world. His foolish attempt at stepping in on the human, to catch Caleb Widogast unawares.

Foolish

But the bubble of excitement that had come at the same time simmered still just below the surface of his skin. At seeing the cool confidence of watching the human teaching, seeing his knowledge shine brightly with each word spoken. It made Esseks blood hum slightly just thinking of it, of Caleb walking across the hall with his head held high. Not hunched over and nervous when standing within Esseks office. But confident and assured of his own abilities, like he knew he was the smartest person in the room. 

Well, second smartest. 

Slipping the mantle back on with practiced ease, Essek slid his sleeves up to check on the damage he had caused to his forearm. He had broken the skin this time. Half a dozen small and shallow nail punctures lay across the skin, pinpricks of blood gathered along the surface from the damage he had inflicted. Groaning quietly in annoyance at himself for actually causing damage, and pushing the sleeve up to above his elbow, the Shadowhand pulled open his potion drawer to get some gauze and a small vial of alcohol that lay within near the back.

A soft knock at the door startled the man as Essek saturated the gauze with alcohol, standing sideways towards the door. "A moment!" Essek snapped loudly, hand fumbling to screw the cap back on securely, other hand keeping the sleeve held up to try and not have the fabric touch any of the injuries. He just needed a moment to compose himself. Just a moment to hide the crack in the mask he built. But Essek could never be so fortunate. Never have the sparks of fortune line up in his favour.

The door to the office opened regardless of his warning, the human wizard making his way in. "Herr Thelyss, I wanted to come and check u- your injured!" Caleb startled from casual to concerned. Essek held back both an annoyed growl, and a painful eyeroll at the blatantly obvious deduction from the supposed intelligent wizard before him. Forgoing using just the one hand to close to the bottle, the Shadowhand lay the saturated gauze down on the desk to do the job with both instead. 

Calebs feet carried him quickly to the drows side, concern showing in his pale human features as he took in the minor wounds against deep violet skin. Not that Essek tried to glance Calebs way, certainly not. "I do not need your pity in this regard, Widogast!" Essek hissed dangerously low in Common, resting his injured arm down to let his hand rest on the desk surface, his free hand picking the gauze back up. Just as he went to grab the saturated fabric, Calebs hand intercepted to retrieve it first, pulling it up instead. 

Anger flared within Esseks chest at the audacity of someone, a human no less, blatantly being insubordinate to the Shadowhand of the Bight Queen. His cheeks flushed in annoyance as he tried to pull the wounded arm towards himself. Calebs free hand shot out to grab the man by the wrist, grip firm but not tight. "You're injured." the human spoke softly, voice calm and quiet as he lifted the arm up towards himself.

Essek tried to pull it down, he really did, but the man was not built for strength in the slightest. A century of slipping into the shadows, and keeping himself barely held together with magic and willpower. Feeling the human able to just manhandle him to how he wanted made a strange stutter come up within Esseks throat, eyes unsure of where they should look. He didnt even have his gloves on either! 

"Nothing that is of concern to you. A minor inconvenience if anything" the drow tried to grouse and grumble, before hissing loudly in pain. Caleb pressed the saturated cloth against the wounds, eyes watching intently but kindly the entire time. Essek grit his teeth hard, pulling against the grip on his arm once again.

"You know, if you are trying to distract from the pain in your body, there are less harmful ways to do that, Shadowhand" Caleb muttered softly with a shrug as he wiped down the forearm carefully, pulling another loud hiss of pain from the drow in front of him. Essek swallowed hard, cheeks aflame at how scandalous it felt to be touched in such a familiar way by someone outside of his immediate familial circle. Not that Essek even allowed his own brother to touch him without gloves on. 

Finally able to think after the shock of the sting from the alcohol passed, the drow frowned at Caleb. "I dont understand what you are meaning, Widogast". His voice felt unusually small and unsure, his heart thudding harder behind his ribs. It felt strange to not immediately hate the touch against his wrist, nor the hold keeping his arm in place. Even if his shoulder started to ache from having the limb held up in such a way. The humans fingers felt warm against his naturally cooler skin, carefully cleaning the marks with precise motions. 

"Well, it probably isnt appropriate for me to say to someone of your rank, Shadowhand. So i suppose i shouldnt". 

Oh the human was teasing him. Essek tried to square his shoulders up, to make himself that little bit taller with the cantrip. Finally pulling his arm free of the gentle grasp, the Shadowhand grabbed his folded gloves, trying to at least save some of his decorum. "Caleb Widogast, if you have an opinion on how i deal with the state of my own failure of a body, then you may as well spit it out" the drow all but growled at the human, lilac eyes glaring up in the wizards direction. 

Looking not in the slightest bit concerned with the tone thrown his way, Caleb plops the slightly soiled gauze down onto the surface of the desk. Most of the alcohol had evaporated, leaving the fabric only slightly damp. "Fine by me. I mean, when i want to feel pain, but not fall into...old habits...there are other activities that can be done. At least in the Empire its less taboo for those sorts of things. Less hush hush amongst circles". 

"Oh for Lights sake, what are you trying to imply? I dont understand!" Essek snapped louder, standing directly in front of the human, breathing faster and shallower as he felt his patience battling his curiosity and annoyance at the same time. 

Caleb leaned forward enough to whisper against the Shadowhands pointed ear with a smirk against his lips "Im talking about BDSM, Herr Thelyss. I like to 'take care' of others, to tend to the needs they have. To hurt people in safe ways that makes the mind stop for just a little while" the human whispered softly, hearing the drows breathing catch in his chest. Esseks mind started to reel rapidly at the insinuation, hands opening and closing quickly by his sides, body feeling too warm all of a sudden. 

"You like to hurt people?" The Shadowhand whispered quietly, barely audible. "You...you want to hurt me?". He hadnt ever thought of anyone touching his body further than the occasional polite Empire handshake, or bumping into someone on accident. But to intentionally allow someone to touch him? To manhandle and 'take care' of his needs? Essek hadnt ever had such an interest before, just presuming he was just that way inclined. But the mere notion of the possibility of Calebs hands touching his skin again brought a small shuddering breath out of the drow.

Standing back to give them both some space, Caleb shrugged softly once again, blue eyes darker than before as pupils dilated. "I do. But only in the ways you would like, of course. And not in ways to cause harm and permanent damage. Think on it, at least. If you want some help to relax and not fall back on your own habits, then let me know. It will be with my utmost discretion of course" the human smiled shyly, his bravado withering ever so slightly. Caleb made his way back to the office door, seeing the flustered and confused drow still standing still. 

"And thank you, Herr Thelyss, for still using my name. I know you saw the file, and will no doubt be looking into that page. But please...stop looking" 

Chapter Text

Three weeks

Essek had held his curiosity, intrigue, and pain at bay for a whole three weeks. He had carefully avoided the human wizard, to the best of his professional ability, within that time. Only having the bare minimum of conversations, check ups, and reports being passed back and forth. And Caleb had seemed to be the infuriating mix of confident and aloof when teaching, and more uncertain and bashful when other staff members spoke with him in the corridors. 

The human was a walking contradiction. 

But it took three weeks for Esseks resolve to break, his head flopping against the back of his couch with a groan. His body ached. Badly. And the urge, the itch, to slip into his old habits nagged at the back of his mind. Why he was even contemplating the ridiculous wizards proposal felt like a mystery to the Shadowhand. But if it turned out to be some ruse to make a fool of him, then Caleb Widogast would be in for a world of torment. 

Lifting his phone up with a sigh, Essek dialed Calebs personal number that had been noted in his file. Barely three rings chimed out of the speakers before it connected on the other end. "Caleb Widogast. If you were being serious about hurting me to stop me hurting myself, then i require you at my accommodation right now. Ill send a car to your place in the next five minutes" the drow spoke down the phone seriously. He hung up before allowing the human to get a chance to respond. 

Lifting his phone down from his ear, aching fingers punching on the screen for a moment, Essek booked a car to go from Calebs residence to his own. His drivers were extremely discreet with all matters that they were tasked with. Their pay packets certainly demanded such discretion, after all. Sending the urgent request off, and getting single messaged confirmation as a reply, Essek dropped his phone down onto the couch beside him with a sigh. 

He was nervous.

The drow hadnt had many, if any, others beside his mother and brother inside of his residence in at least five or six decades, at the very least. And even then, those visitors had been nothing more than information and work related. People he would host a formal and polite dinner towards. And certainly none with the intention of touching him further than a handshake. A bolt of panic shot through Essek as he sat upright in the couch, brow furrowed deeply in worry and self doubt. 

What if it wasnt ok to have asked for that? The Shadowhand shook his head slightly at the thought. Surely, Caleb would have never offered such a thing if it had been such an issue. Esseks nails absentmindedly scratched and pressed into the inside of one of his thighs, the barely there bite of pain pulling the man back from his wandering doubts. He wanted to try anything to stop him from hurting himself, even if it was a failure in the end.

Just one instance of not letting the bite of pain against his skin by his own hand would be a win. To not break the skin that barely held his body together, or the feel of blood under his nails. Just one try, that was all Essek would allow himself. If it ended up with humiliation, then he would never try such a thing again.

The Shadowhand lingered on his couch in conflicting thoughts and worries, nails lightly scratching up his thigh beneath his robe. He wasnt even sure how much time had passed before his buzzer went off, causing the drow to jump and startle badly whilst hurrying to his feet. Shuffling across his floor to the door buzzer, Essek looked up to the small screen that linked to the main camera system there. 

Caleb Widogast. 

A sigh of relief washed in Esseks chest as he saw the black and white image of the human on the camera, his hand automatically reaching to press the entry buzzer. "Come in, Widogast." he tried to sound calm on the intercom. At least he hoped that he had. The door buzzed open, and the camera feed cut once more. Essek let out a slow breath, hands pushing though his hair, before pausing. 

He didnt have his gloves on. Nor his mantle. In fact, Essek didnt have much on at all, considering he was at home. The drow had on a thick knee length dressing gown, with silk pyjamas on underneath, and that was it. Sudden worry about decorum and 'proper etiquette' rushed through the Shadowhands head. Would it be strange to suddenly go and change into some more formal attire? Or to fetch his court gloves? 

As Essek contemplated in silent panic, the light knocking against his door snapped him out of it. Too late now to do much else. Trying to smooth his pained and panicked features into the usual mask of cool indifference, Essek opened up his home to the sight of Caleb. The human had a soft flush over his cheeks from the cold outside, a scarf wrapped up and over his mouth to keep the heat in his frame a touch more. 

"Please, come in. Shoes off, if you dont mind" Essek bowed his head before standing aside to give space for Caleb to enter. Bowing his own head back with just as much formality, the human stepped in enough to pass the threshold. Toeing off his boots smoothly, the humans hands slid the scarf off from around his neck, before starting to unbutton his coat. Essek tried to stop staring at the mans hands, the odd thrumming buzzy feeling creeping under his skin once again. 

"I must admit, Shadowhand, that i didnt expect your call tonight. But im rather glad you've taken me up on my offer. Please know, that i will go at your pace with all aspects." 

"Essek. In this setting...just call me Essek" 

Smiling softly over his shoulder towards the drow, Caleb let his eyes quickly scan the mans body before hanging his coat up. "Of course...Essek. Now, do you have any preferences? Hard limits? Places you prefer to be impacted?". Each question came out so casually. No more serious than asking about what lesson plan he had in store, or if a report had arrived onto the Shadowhands desk that morning. 

But Essek had no idea what any of those questions meant. Hard limits? His silence seemed to have been answer enough though, with Caleb turning with a slight tilt to his head. The drow tried to not shift from foot to foot, hips aching as he didnt use his cantrip whilst at home. He chose to bare his pain in its entirety whilst away from others eyes. He was exhausted and aching, shoulders slumped slightly beneath the robes. 

"Essek, i dont wish to presume. Please correct me if im wrong or overstepping here. Have you participated in this type of play before? Being hit? Being given pain in a measured way?" 

Essek quickly shook his head, cheeks quickly feeling hotter and hotter with a mix of shame and...something else that he couldnt pinpoint. He felt silly having asked for the human over, without knowing fully about what he had asked for. He wanted to hurt, to take his mind off the pain of his body, that was certain. Standing in the entryway still, the drow felt suddenly very small and foolish, nails digging into the palms of his hands. 

Caleb didnt laugh though. Essek had expected the man to laugh, or chastise. Anything. But Caleb simply stepped further into the mans home, hands pushed into his trousers pockets to keep them to himself. "Then i suppose we best start discussing things. Shall we sit down wherever is most comfortable for you? And no question or query is ridiculous, by the way." Caleb shrugged softly, that cool confidence seeping back into the human as he turned back to the very much not confident drow. 

"Oh..." Essek muttered quietly, looking down at his feet with a frown, as if suddenly aware of their existence. He hadnt walked unaided by his cantrip in front of others in decades. Not since his hips and ankles got worse. Not wanting to look less than he felt, the Shadowhand tried to bolster himself to his full height and walked back over towards his couch. There was the smallest limp in his step, hands clutched tightly by his sides as he went, before settling into the luxurious couch, feet tucking underneath himself. 

Seeing the location for the discussion chosen, Caleb settled by Essek on the couch, half turned to keep his attention on his host. "So i suppose my first question is to ask you what prior experiences you have with kink. If youve done impact play before, and if not, what other play types you participate in?" the human asked smoothly, the same soft smile lingering across pale features. The soft dusk light made Calebs red hair seem more like licks of fire at the tips, which made Esseks eyes unable to pull away from it.

"Oh..." the drow muttered quietly once again, cheeks hot as he forced himself to keep eye contact. "Experiences with kink..." he repeated slower, hands starting to twist together in obvious nervousness. "That would be none, Widgoast. Im more than sure that members of the court, and other faculty will no doubt have passed along the alleged rumours of my lack of...interpersonal relations". Essek sighed in annoyance, as he had been the subject of the Den rumour mills for several years at that point. On how the Shadowhand of the Bright Queen had never once been seen with a suitor, nor even taken a lover for the evening. 

Essek had just simply never had the want nor need for such things. 

Caleb licked his lips slowly, brow raising only slightly. "Interpersonal relations" the human repeated with a quirk to the side of his mouth. "Is that your courtly way of saying that you dont have much experience sexually wise?". Essek made a small indignant noise at the back of his throat, cheeks certainly multiple shades darker as he looked away from the human on his couch. "Kink and, in this case, impact play, does not have to be sexual, Essek. Im here to help you hurt in a controlled way, to stop you harming yourself in a dangerous way." 

It sounded so simple when put like that, Esseks eyes meeting Calebs once again, his heart thudding fast in his chest. "And you would still be comfortable in assisting me with this request? Even with knowing about my...inadequacies?". The humans soft smile and nod brought a flutter inside of the Shadowhands stomach, breathing quick and shallow. When had that started to happen? Readjusting himself on the couch, pulling his robe tighter around his frame. 

"Certainly, Essek. We dont even need to do anything tonight, if you dont wish. We can simply discuss your comfort, limits, safewords, and what your expectations are from all of this. And if you do decide you wish to try, then i shall go at your pace"

"What are you getting out of this?" Essek very much didnt mean to sound so accusatory, but he had been in the job long enough to know that nothing was one sided. A soft chuckle eminated from the wizard, Caleb running a hand through his copper red hair as he settled further into the couch. 

"I get sexual satisfaction from taking care of others. Not day to day, like helping my students, certainly not. But taking care of someones needs, whether its mundane like tending to their clothing. Or more intimate needs. I enjoy taking care of others, and i do a very good job of it" 

Essek very much did not make a small shuddering whine at the statement, thank you very much. He would deny he ever made such a noise until the day the Luxon pulled him out of his body and towards the Light. But Essek did admit to feeling that hot warmth welling in the pit of his stomach at the words as he swallowed hard. A sudden thought flashed into the drows head, lilac eyes blinking up towards Caleb. "Did you get sexually aroused before? When you were helping me with my injuries?"

"Yes" Caleb replied instantly, one shoulder shrugging slightly. "Does that bother you?"

"No"

"Would you like me to help you again, Essek? It doesnt have to be tonight, of course. As i said, we can simply have a discussion if you so wish"

Essek sucked in a deep breath through his nose, turning to look over at the human with flushed and embarassed cheeks. "Caleb, i am in a lot of pain right now. And i..." he paused, trying to think of the right words in Common, nails picking at the fabric of his robe closure. "I would very much like you to...to take care of me. To hurt me so i dont hurt all over". He knew the phrasing had been clunky, the words heavy on his tongue. But the wider smile that grew over the humans face, pupils dilating at the request, helped reassure Essek that his point have been put across well enough. 

"Then i suppose my first question is, Essek, is if you wish for impact tonight?" Calebs tone and voice hadnt wavered, even as his cheeks had a hint more colour across the tops, eyes slowly asssessing over the tightly wound up drow sitting across from him. Essek nodded slowly in response, shifting in mild discomfort from his position on the couch. His ankle ached, and he wanted to just stretch his legs out, but doing so would have ended up with his legs half on top of Calebs lap. 

"Now, the least painful, but still effective areas for this, would be your ass and maybe the backs of your thighs. I would only use my hand for now, of course. Less likely to cause bruising, and spreads out the pain across more surface area. So it stings less"

Essek continued to nod slowly, wide eyes blinking up at the calm human. Caleb spoke so matter of fact, like he was musing to himself rather than discussing hitting Essek across the backside. The drow shivered softly at the thought of Calebs hands that low on his body, mind starting to wander from the moment. "I liked you grabbing me" he blurted out without thought, eyes widening, hand covering his mouth. Oh, he had really had thought it had been an inside muttering, not spoken aloud. 

Sitting up slightly more on the couch, Caleb looked like a mixture of amused and fascinated. "Really?" he whispered, hand reaching out to pull the hand covering Esseks mouth down, the same firm but non constricting grip around the drows wrist. "You like being manhandled, Essek? Good to know" the human muttered, dropping the wrist from his grip one finger at a time. 

The pair went back and forth for several questions, lasting close to an hour. Most of the talking ended up being on Calebs part, with Essek replying when needed. His embarrassment and inexperience shining a bit too brightly, as he had to ask multiple clarifying questions. And yet, Caleb had never once judged, teased, nor chastised the drow for not knowing. Simply answering the questions, and checking that the Shadowhand fully understood. 

They both agreed to try out some impact play that night, to test the waters of Esseks own comfort levels with the scenario. The drow had decided to use the traffic light system to voice his willingness and comfort within the scene, finding it easier to use and less embarrassing than a strange safeword. Essek had also agreed to let Caleb take charge of the scene, seeing as the human had experience with such things, and evidently found sexual gratification from 'taking care' of others.

"Well, now that i think weve gotten most of the important parts out of the way. I think i want you over here now" Calebs voice dropped to something slightly darker, making the drow shiver slightly on the couch, nodding. He had explained to Caleb that he didnt see the scenario as something sexual, but understood if the human spoke or reacted to their actions in such a way. Slowly getting himself to his feet, Essek yelped loudly as he was grabbed by the forearm and pulled. 

Careful not to pull too much at the drows shoulder, Caleb pulled Essek with more ease than the Shadowhand would admit, over his lap, with Esseks hips pressed firmly into the side of his thigh. Using one arm to pin the drows shoulders and back down, Caleb let out a slow breath at the sight. Of seeing the powerful and dangerous Shadowhand bent over his lap, wiggling to try and get out. "Colour before we begin, Essek?" he asked softly. 

"its...im green" Essek stammered slightly, before yelping slightly again, not as loudly though as the first time. Caleb shifted further into the back of the couch, pulling Essek with him as he went. The drow felt a pillow pushed under his chest, to stop him being awkwardly flopped over onto the couches surface too much, his legs still hanging down towards the floor. The fabric also helped support his shoulders as he cuddled into it gently. 

Caleb slowly ran his hand down the length of the drows spine, over his robe, feeling the full body tremble that shuddered through Esseks body. Feeling his mouth tilt up into a half smirk, the human turned and slid his hand down the curve of Esseks backside, pushing the robe out the way slowly, hearing the stuttered breath from the man below him. Pausing his motion, hand still simply resting on the curved area, Caleb waited. 

"Green" 

"Thank you, Essek" Caleb whispered with a smile at the unprompted colour , hand squeezing the flesh of his backside ever so slightly. No more than a flex of fingers. "Im going to start very lightly now, ok? Barely more than a tap, to get you used to the sensation of being hit. And from there, im going to increase the pressure, bit by bit, until we find what helps your brain stop working, and body relax" he stated as a matter of fact, moving his hand in slow circles across the whole of Esseks backside. 

The drow cuddled tighter into the cushion, nodding quickly at the announcement, being told what was going to happen to him and his body. The first tap barely even registered, nothing more than fingers pressing firmer against his body. With a soft verbal confirmation that he would like to continue, Caleb continued to massage and rub from the middle of the Shadowhands back down to the tops of his thighs, placing light pats and taps in between the motions. 

The first firmer spank made Essek jolt, hips trying to pull away from the foreign sensation. It hadnt hurt, but it had been more of a shock, considering the previous dozen or so had been so tame and feather light. "Now we are getting to the fun part of the evening, Essek." Caleb licked his lips slowly, enjoying the feel of the drow wiggling on his lap very much. He was hard, and the human knew that Essek could most likely feel it starting to press against his pyjama clad stomach. 

Lifting his hand for just a moment, before bringing it down firmer than the previous one, Caleb bit his lip at the sight of Essek trying to bury his face into the cushion. The drow gasped softly at the impact, nails digging further into the fabric as he tried to not squirm as much. He was very aware of something poking into the sides of his ribs, knowing most likely what it was. He felt his body warm and staticky, brain already feeling marginally more quiet as he tried to let himself just focus on the sensations. 

The next hit came harder, the thudding impact echoing in the deathly silent and large room. The moment his hand made contact, Caleb paused. He slightly worried incase he had increased the pressure too quickly, hand resting on the small of the drows back to help ground both of them in the moment. Waiting for any pause to the play to be spoken out, the human heard the smallest noise seep out from the confines of the fabric cushion being held like a shield against Esseks face. 

The tiniest moan. 

He hadnt been aware he had even made a sound, the sharp spike of pain mixing in with something else within his body, blood pumping in his ears. Esseks hips squirmed at the lingering sting and burn against his skin, pushing against the side of Calebs leg with each motion. He felt himself near enough panting into the cushion, body trying its best not to tense in the anticipation of the next strike. When it came, harder still, another louder moan got punched out of the man. 

Licking his lips as he heard the sounds of pleasure starting to radiate out from below, Caleb ran the hand not spanking the drow up into soft white hair, petting through it tenderly. He knew that Essek had stated that the session would not be sexual in nature for the Shadowhand, but Caleb understood that sometimes bodies didnt do as people wanted, and he very much didnt want the uncertain man to be embarrassed if he hadnt been aware. "Your hard, Essek. I can feel you getting turned on from this. I need a colour to continue" Caleb purred softly, letting his nails slowly drag lightly against the mans scalp. 

"Hard?" Essek panted softly as he turned his face to the side to try and see Caleb as best he could, the cooler air out of the cushions embrace welcome. "Green...im not hard, im just...tensing. Ill relax. It just...feels good" he mumbled and admitted softly, before pressing his face back into the cushion, the tips of his ears a near plum colour. Caleb paused for a moment as he tightened his fingers into the drows hair, pulling Esseks head up gently from its safety in the fabric, bringing a small whine out the mans lips. 

"I didnt say you were tensing, Essek. I said you were hard. Push your hips forward for me" the human demanded softly, hand still resting on the small of the Shadowhands back. With the drows head lifted, Caleb could see the utter wrecked flush over Esseks face, lips parted and panting quietly. The squirmy drow complied and slowly pushed his hips forward against Calebs thigh, whimpering quietly at the feeling, mild confusion mixing with arousal flickering on flushed features. "Thats it, Essek. Shall i continue to spank you then?" 

Essek nodded quickly, head still held up by his hair, eyes closed. Caleb kept a hold of the drows hair, enjoying seeing the emotions and sensations showing on the mans face. Bringing his other hand down for an equally hard spank as before, the wizard saw the twist of pleasure wash over Esseks face, the soft moan tumbling out for him to hear. This time, Esseks hips pushed forward, rubbing firmer against Calebs thigh, the mans body wiggling for touch. 

Feeling emboldened, and to be just a little bit of a prick, Caleb brought down his hand with a loud resounding crack against the drows backside. A loud gasped cry left Esseks throat as his body jolted with the pain, before dissolving into a trembling moan. "Y-yellow..." he whispered out of breath, voice wavering. Caleb immediately released the mans hair, leaning his body back to give Essek some modicum of space to gather himself. 

"Is everything ok, Essek? Anything you need me to do?"

Silence echoed around them both, mixing only with Esseks trembling breathing, face hidden within the cushion. He wanted to kick the human out, but also not move off the mans lap. His mind spun and whirred with various thoughts, most of which new and frightening to the drow. His body hadnt reacted in such a way in decades, the urge and impulse for self pleasure long since ignored by Essek. He had simply never felt the want and need that others spoke of when it came to other people. Never felt the pull to have someone intimately, so Essek just never bothered trying.

"Essek, i need a verbal from you." Caleb muttered softly, slight concern lacing at the edges of his accented voice, feeling the drows body starting to tense a little in his lap. 

Turning his head to the side to free his face from the cushion, Essek let out a shaky breath. "It feels good...why? Why do i want it to feel good?". The question made a pang of sympathy snap inside Calebs chest, seeing the genuine uncertainty within the drow. Smoothing a hand through soft white hair, Essek melted into the touch, eyes fluttering ever so slightly as he pushed up for more. 

He wanted more. 

"Because your body likes it, Essek. Thats the simple answer. Because it feels good to you. And thats not a bad thing, to want to feel good. Was there any part you liked the most?" Caleb smiled softly, sensing that the scene was winding down to its end, his index finger slowly following up the length of the drows pointed ear. A shuddering whimper trailed out from Esseks throat at the touch, body shivering down the length of his spine, feet kicking and pushing at the floor. 

"All of it" the Shadowhand admitted with a whine, licking his lips. "The pain...pulling my hair...telling me what your doing. Not asking, telling me" the words kept tumbling out, heart beating fast and hard within his chest, but still making no effort to try and extract himself off of the humans thighs, robe still pushed up to the small of his back. "It felt good..." Essek mumbled to himself with a frown, his mind starting to catch back up to himself bit by bit. 

"Im glad it did, Essek. I enjoyed myself also. You looked wonderful when your relaxed and embracing it all. You took some fairly rough hits too, Essek." Caleb praised with a soft flushed smile, continuing to run his nails through the Shadwhands hair slowly and gently, to help them both relax and come down from the situation. "If you want this in the future, Essek, then i am more than willing to do so." Smirking to himself for a moment "And i liked pulling your hair, too. Putting the put together man before me in his place, whilst taking care of his needs, feels rather nice."

Essek whimpered softly as he nodded, starting to ease himself up and off of Calebs lap, hands pulling the robe around himself tightly. Breath catching just slightly as he sat down on the couch, the dull ache in his backside a strangely pleasant reminder of what had just happened. "Id rather like that, Widogast. I would very much appreciate your discretion in these matters still. But i would be...willing...to try this again. But please, i would like to be left alone for now. I will see you at work tomorrow, Widogast" Essek pulled himself closer on the couch, the flush still deep on his cheeks. 

Caleb watched the drows expression carefully, seeing no distress or discomfort there. "Of course. Ill see you tomorrow, Essek. And if you wish to ask me any questions before that, you are free to message me at any point. Nothing is a bad question, and most likely nothing i havent heard or been asked before. Ill see myself out, ok? You will go to bed and rest now" he smiled ever so slightly at the shiver from Essek to his little demand. Oh, the human was very much going to have fun teasing the uptight drow when he was allowed to. 

Getting his coat and boots back on,  wrapping his scarf securely around his neck, Caleb bowed his head towards Essek. "Car will meet you outside" the drow called over as he got himself to his feet to head towards his bedroom. "See you tomorrow, Widogast. Inform me when you return home also"

Caleb smiled as he bowed his head one last time before leaving to enter the awaiting car. Essek flopped into his bed with a sigh, curling around the various pillows that he required to hold his body securely and safely whilst he slept. He felt oddly calm and good, the buzz and tingling in his blood still there, but not quite as extreme. He was too tired to try and do anything about the lingering hardness teasing just underneath his robe, the drow not even bothering to remove the garment as he fell asleep. 

His dreams trickled back to the thudding and sharp impact of a certain wizards hand against his backside, with soft whispers of praise being cooed to him, and demands being hissed against his ear. 

Chapter Text

 (UNSAVED NUMBER) - 6:34am

How are you feeling after last night? -Caleb Widogast

Essek blinked slowly at the bright screen of his phone, trying to push the last call of sleep out of the corners of his eyes. He hadnt recalled passing his number over to the human, but remembered that he had been the one to call Caleb over his his place via his own personal number the night prior. Saving the number into his contacts, the Shadowhand sat himself up on the edge of his bed, going through his usual morning routine to prepare for the day.

By the time that he reached his dresser to get the last of his jewelry on, Essek paused, looking in the mirror. He didnt look as exhausted and tired as usual, the dull sheen that usually lingered across his cheeks slightly brighter. His sleep hadnt been the usual discomfort filled flickers of dreams that normally welcomed the drow either. The buzz in his blood lingered throughout the morning, creating a pleasant, if not terribly familiar, feeling though him. 

Pulling out his phone before slipping his court gloves on, Essek pulled up the text message window from the human, thumbs quickly typing out a reply. 

Essek Thelyss - 7:13am

I am well, Widogast. Last night was enlightening indeed.

The buzz of the phones reply came quicker than the drow had entirely expected. Essek sat at his vanity stool as he opened the message, seeing he had enough time to do so before heading to the office. Not much time, but enough.

Caleb Widogast - 7:15am

Im glad to have been of assistance.

My offer remains on the table for you, should you require it again. 

And any queries you have, im here to answer. 

Contemplating for a moment on if he should reply right away or not, Essek pushed his phone into the pocket underneath his robes, finishing his morning dressings. He could answer later. He couldnt be late. The Shadowhand was never late, even if it were early by mosts standards. Drow slept less, so days were longer than non elven races. Pulling on his tall boots and gloves, and giving himself one final check in his vanity, Essek stepped through his transport circle to the court circles room with a soft sigh. The thrum of arcana dancing along his skin like a warm breeze always helped to wash off the last of the morning tiredness that would linger. 

Activating his cantrip, the Shadowhand made his way comfortably through the hallways towards his office, glancing towards the lecture hall on his way past. He saw the small gaggle of students from Widogasta prior lectures already there, chatting and exchanging notes and spell components between one another. Amongst them were the deaf student and her companion, sitting against the wall by the door. Both were conversing to one another, eyes suddenly looking over towards Essek with excitement evident in their faces. A mild smirk played at the corner of the Shadowhands lips as he made his way over towards the lecture hall, and directly towards the two women, head held higher in the air. He could almost feel the air being held by multiple students as he approached.

"Is Professor Widogast in yet?" The Shadowhand asked as impassive and cold as he could in Undercommon, looking unamused towards the sitting students, trying to act as if he hadnt spoken to them before a few weeks prior. The companion nodded quickly as she hurried up to her feet, blinking quickly, before bowing her head deeply in respect. The difference in how she spoke to Essek and his disguised self was like night and day, yet the softness in her face remained.

"Yes, Shadowhand. Hes inside setting up the lesson plans for today" 

Not bothering to nod his head back, hands clasped behind himself, Essek made his way towards the lecture hall doors. He could see the two women out the corner of his eye communicating and signing 'shadowhand' with the pointed tapered gesture, excitedly watching him, tapping several students to watch as well. Smirking just slightly, which he would deny, he made his adapted mage hand motion behind his back, swirling his finger quickly in its circular motion, the spectral purple hand opening the door for him. He knew it was petty to perform for others amusement, but the excitement was rather thrilling to see and feel. It was a pleasant change to derision and being looked down on by the court, even with his station and rank. 

"Ah, Herr Thelyss! Guten Morgen!" Caleb beamed from the desk at the front of the hall, piles of papers bundled up in the humans arms, hair tied back in out of his face. The wizard looked to be in the middle of going seat to seat to deposit several sheets of paper onto each one. Essek let himself glide slowly down the steps, hands clasped behind his back, head held up. The air of authority and control. He could feel many students eyes on his back from the crack in the lecture hall door, watching the elusive Shadowhand eagerly. 

"Pleasant morning to you also, Professor Widogast" 

Caleb set the pile of papers back on his desk, leaning comfortably against the edge of it as he watched the drow head over towards him. "Is there anything i can do for you, Shadowhand? Its not often that a member of the court graces a mere Professor" the human wizard teased with a smile, eyes glancing over between Essek and over the Shadowhands shoulder towards the heads of students peeking through the door at the top of the hall. He knew most students didnt understand Common, as very few left the Dynasty. He knew that his students would be highly intrigued about seeing Essek outside of brief court appearances, let alone hearing them both speaking their second languages. 

"Indeed, Widogast." Essek started, cheeks raising in colour slightly at the top, as he lifted a hand to flick it towards the door over his shoulder. The shift in gravity caused the doors to slam shut, several squeals and chattering voices sounding from outside. Looking to check that no other prying eyes were watching him, the drow turned back to Caleb, shoulders and posture dropping just slightly from their tense held pose. No point holding himself quite as tight if Caleb already knew about his...imperfectness.

"I would like to request your...attentiveness...at your earliest convenience." 

Caleb tried to not smile at how prim and proper the request had been directed towards him. It certainly had been a first for him to be asked to spank someone in such a formal way. Clearing his throat slightly, arms crossing over his chest, the wizard cocked his head to the side slightly. "And what exactly are you requesting of me to do, Essek?" Caleb purposely used the drows first name, blue eyes watching intently at the unsure man in front of him. He didnt want to push Essek too far too quickly and frighten the man off.

Brow furrowing only slightly at his name being used as opposed to his title, cheeks colouring just a touch more, Essek cleared his throat quietly. He was the Shadowhand, he should be getting nervous about making a request. But the request for his own personal wants and needs. Needs? Essek paused slightly at that thought, looking down from the blue eyes of Caleb. Did he had needs? Did he need this? He wanted it.

"I would like for you to-"

"Look at me, Essek. When you ask for something, I want you to look at me" 

The drows head lifted again, swallowing hard as he met the humans eyes once more, the eye contact feeling more intense. Caleb had never raised his voice higher than a soft, quiet level that usually came from the wizard. And yet, Esseks heart started to race, mouth feeling dry and heavy for a moment at the instruction. "I would like to request you to...to repeat last night, once again. Please" the drow added on at the end, taking slow deeper breaths to try and settle his nerves. 

Hopping up to sit on the desk, Caleb pulled his phone out, looking between the screen and the Shadowhand with a shrug "Ill check when i have time, Herr Thelyss" He hadnt even turned the screen on, thumbs tapping over the dark surface to pretend he was busy. He was finding it was highly amusing the torment the high strung drow, seeing Esseks slightly unsure glance to the wizards hands. How cute, Caleb thought, seeing the Shadowhand trying to not fidget. 

"Seems like i may have some availability for you. When would you be requiring my attentiveness, as you put it?" The human hummed as he looked over the top of his phone towards the Shadowhand, brow raised in query. The mild blush that had threatened to spread over Esseks cheeks made the drow squirm just slightly, trying to not look so flustered and uncertain. 

"At...at your earliest convenience, if you may. Tonight, ideally, but i-"

"Tonight is fine with me. I can come back with you after work today, order something in, and I can take care of you" 

Caleb wasnt asking, he was telling him. And Essek felt a full body shiver travel down his spine as he simply nodded, mouth very dry all of a sudden. "I shall fetch you when im finished then?" The Shadowhand queried softly, none of the bravado left in his voice. 

Shaking his head as he tapped his phone slightly, Caleb stood down from his perch on the desk. "Nein, Essek. I will be collecting you when im finished. And I shall be checking up on you through the day. If your comfortable with such a thing?". He needed to check, to not overstep boundaries and limits. 

"That would be fine with me" the drow breathed back, turning to leave. It felt too much, too warm, too close all of a sudden. Thankfully he didnt get told to remain, or to answer any further questions. Forgoing the option to leave the hall itself, Essek simply used a Dimension Door to blink himself from the lecture hall towards his own office, thankful it worked. He was very much not going to go past students blushing!

Caleb Widogast -8:35am 

I very much look forward to assisting you once again, Essek. 

Tell me what you would like from me tonight.

Chapter Text

Caleb Widogast -3:37pm

I shall be collecting you in 53 minutes

What expectations are you looking for today?

Essek Thelyss - 3:39pm

I enjoyed being hit by you.

Essek worried his lower lips slightly as he looked down at his phone screen, finding slightly less embarassing to type that to vocalise his likes and dislikes to the wizard. It felt less worrisome of coming across impolite when he could simply type out his thoughts.

Essek Thelyss -3:40pm

I enjoy you bossing me around, also. 

And manhandling me.

Feeling himself taking on a much deeper hue along his cheeks, Essek clicked send and put his phone face down on the desk, intent on keeping himself busy with some paperwork. It was very important, as all things he did were. His mind started to wander to his phone, feeling it vibrate with an incoming message. 

He lasted a whole of two minutes before pushing the paperwork aside.

Temptation won out in the end.

Caleb Widogast - 3:42pm

That i can do, Herr Thelyss

I presume no one has dared put you in your place before, have they? 

Are you in pain today?

The last question caught the Shadowhand off guard slightly, shifting in his seat. He didnt bother replying to the messages, pushing his phone onto the other end of his desk to remove the temptation altogether. Ridiculous. He had allowed himself a single indulgence with the human, and now found himself near enough stuck to his phone incase another message would come in. Essek huffed softly to himself as he busied himself with work, rolling his wrists every few minutes out of habit. The joints crackled and popped softly with each motion, no pain behind the movements. 

Time ticked on by slowly, but surely, as time always does. 

The knock at his office door was what snapped the drow out of his work, head lifting to see Caleb Widogast stepping into the office. "Apologies, I lost track of time" Essek started to clear up his desk, bundling files and paperwork together to push into one of his drawers. Anything to not have to allow Caleb to see the near perpetual blush that remained high on his cheeks and the tops of his ears. Thank the Light that he wore his ear caps to cover them, like any self respecting member of the court should, of course. 

Remaining at the doorway, hand holding securely onto the strap of his satchel, Caleb watched with calm attention. "Of course, Herr Thelyss. I expect that we may begin once we reach your accommodation? Especially due to...potential prying eyes along the way?" Essek nodded without verbal answer, rolling his wrists slightly again, before fetching his phone to push into his mantle pcoket underneath the robes. The thought of being seen being grabbed and pushed around in such a way was humiliating. Should be humiliating.

So why did his pulse quicken at the idea?

"Then shall we depart?"

Nodding once again, gliding over to the door, Essek breezed by Caleb without a second glance, exiting the office. "Come. Widogast. The circles are downstairs. Or have you already forgotten your sense of direction here?" the drow called over his shoulder, waving his hand to shut and lock the door the moment the human began to follow. A small smile threatened Calebs face at the haughty and pompous tone taken with him, feet carrying him after the drow. 

The human could see the slight tension held within Esseks shoulders, how the Shadowhand held them up higher than usual. He would query that soon enough, shuffling his satchel up onto his shoulder better as he followed along. Neither spoke anything else as they approached the transport circle room. It was thankfully empty, as most who worked there had either already gone for the day, or would be remaining deep into the night due to drow only needing to trance as opposed to sleep. 

Seeing the blissfully empty and cold room, Essek made his way over towards the back, towards his own circle. Almost back to his own home, to let himself feel his pain and inadequacies in their entirety. No. He wouldnt be on his own this time. He would have a guest coming along to 'tend to' his wants. 

"Now, Herr Thelyss, you did not answer my question earlier, although i do already suspect one answer to it." Caleb muttered near the drows ear, making Essek shudder softly as he muttered the incantations to activate his circle. "I asked if you were in pain today. And so, i expect an answer, Essek. Not to embarrass you, nor to make you uncomfortable, nein. Its for your own safety, to know what i can and cannot overdo with your body" Caleb watched over the Shadowhands shoulder as the soft purple swirl of dunamantic power melted and swirled within the lines on the floor, flaring them to life. 

"My shoulders today. And my ankles" Essek stated in a tight and clipped voice, stepping into the transport circle just as he dropped his cantrip, feet lightly touching the ground of his home. Caleb transported in just a second after, stepping out smoothly. The Shadowhand stepped out of the circle slowly, whole body almost wilting by several inches as he let the whole mask of 'Shadowhand to the Bright Queen' slip in the span of a minute. The tight jawed face of indifference melted into a sigh of discomfort, making the drow look much younger than he presented himself to be outside of the confines of his home. 

Caleb watched the change in the drows body language and posture shift in front of him, hearing the ache of the day leave him in one deep sigh. The wizard stepped forward to Esseks side, hand hovering over the mans back, but not touching. "Let me help you undress and change, ja?" he asked softly, seeing the slight shift of discomfort in the Shadowhands posture still, Essek stepping over towards his vanity to perch himself at the mirror. "Or would you rather i tell you that i am going to get you changed?" Caleb spoke slightly louder. 

Esseks hands paused as he went to pull one of his gloves off, eyes glancing up in the mirror to meet Calebs. The humans lips curved into the start of a small smirk at the reaction, making Essek look back down at his hands again. "I would, yes." the drow admitted with a small huff, pulling at the fingers of one glove roughly. "I have been the one in charge all day, being the Shadowhand and-"

"And you want to let your brain shut off, just for a little while, yes? Take your mind off your body, and just be Essek?" Caleb supplied with a soft smile, making his way to the vanity. Kneeling down in front of the drow, Caleb lifted Esseks hands up by the wrists, slowly starting to remove the silk glove with such care and reverence. Barely tugging or pulling roughly at each finger, the human slowly eased the fabric down the Shadowhands forearm and hand, folding the garment carefully after to place it on the vanity. 

Essek could only watch with silent wonder, seeing the watchful and intense look from the kneeling wizard. Licking his lips slowly, mouth feeling drier suddenly, the drow lifted his foot to start removing the tall boots himself. A soft hand pressing to his knee from the human stopped him, lowering it back down, before Caleb adjusted Esseks foot to rest against his thigh. "Im going to unlace them now, then ill remove your mantle" Caleb explained with the same methodical and calm tone of voice, hands pushing the Shadowhands robe up enough to get access to the top of the boots. 

"Do you get sexual gratification from doing this, Caleb Widogast?" Essek asked quietly, curiosity welling up too much not to enquire. 

"Yes. Does that bother you, Essek?"

A pause rippled between the pair. Did it bother Essek to know that the man kneeling in front of him was getting sexually aroused at the simple act of helping him undress from his work clothing? That the basic act of unlacing his boots was something to bring arousal to another? "No. It does not." Essek muttered back softly, cheeks warm as he looked down at his hands in his lap, massaging his wrist softly. It didnt hurt so much as feel a little looser than it did on most other days. Not enough to cause much concern for him, though, but the drow did feel more aware of it. 

Caleb slowly started to unlace the boots bit by bit, fingers moving as carefully as he could to prevent the laces being tugged too hard, cheeks going a soft flush of red along the tops, but not saying anything. Essek watched with curiosity at the blush creeping up on the humans face, how Caleb used one hand to cradle the back of his calf and ankle to ease the boot off with the least amount of strain the the joint as possible. 

The whole motion felt oddly intimate, to have someone kneeling in front of him to delicately move his body in gentle ways. For nothing more than to ease his discomfort, when he couldnt even afford himself such a thing. Keeping his mouth shut, Essek watched with the same curiosity and fascination in his eyes, as he felt Caleb move on to his other boot. The careful fingers repeated their previous actions, easing the tall heeled boot off slowly, before placing them neatly aside the side of the vanity leg. 

Clearing his throat softly, more to stop himself feeling unsure and awkward at the beats of silence, Essek slid his foot off of the humans thigh, feeling how warm the man beneath him was. "Now your mantle, Essek." the human smiled soft up towards the Shadowhand, lifting himself higher up on his knees to be more level with the drow in front of him. Blue eyes looked over the mantle itself, trying to silently discern how the garment held together, not seeing any obvious clasps, buttons or hooks. 

"Tucked under each collar bone, near the shoulder joint, is three small hooks that hold it in place against the robes" Essek supplied with a soft smirk, seeing the fascination swirling in the wizards eyes. It made his heart race slightly at knowing something that the human didnt, as silly as the notion felt. Sliding his now bare hands up to the mantle, the Shadowhand pushed his fingers under the metal, deftly undoing the three small hooks on the left side with decades of knowledge and practice. "Like so. Simple but well hidden"

Caleb nodded softly as he leaned in ever so slightly to look at the hooks at the front, before turning his attention to the other side. Deft, but less slender, fingers slip under the edge of the mantle, trying to find the small tricky hooks beneath his fingertips. "Very discreet indeed" he muttered to himself, slipping the hooks free after a second attempt. Very carefully lifting the metal mantle off of the drows shoulders, Caleb moved the piece onto the vanity, fingers touching over the finely made metal delicate and light. 

Essek held back a small squeak as he watched the human stand up in front of him, the rather more evident bulging at the front of Calebs trousers close to his face. The drow sucked in a small breath, eyes closed tightly as he held his body as still as possible, as if it would make him invisible to the other man. It wasnt as if Essek hadnt seen other people aroused before, but he very much hadnt been so close to someone who had been aroused by him specifically. Certainly not within the last handful of decades that he could recall. He very much had not been in any sort of position to have someone get aroused by him, that he knew of. 

And yet, there Essek was, sitting by his vanity, with someone very obviously turned on. In his home. At his explicit request. 

Taking a step back after laying the mantle down, Caleb looked over at the flustered drow with a raised brow, seeing the deep blush over the mans cheeks. "Are you uncomfortable, Essek? You have your words to stop at any point." the wizard reminded him with a slow steadying breath, not seeming to make any effort or acknowledgment to his arousal. He looked just as relaxed and calm as when he had stepped into Esseks office. 

"No, i...im fine, thank you. Just not something i have much...any...experience with, im afraid" Essek apologised as he raised himself to his feet, knees popping as he straightened his legs fully. Slipping the robe he wore beneath his mantle off carefully, the drows thinner frame became more evident, wearing just a pair of black leggings, and a black silk blouse beneath. Out of his court clothing, the Shadowhand looked far less imposing and smaller, the droop in his shoulders more obvious without the physical shield of material and metal on top to hold him up. 

Raising his eyebrow slowly at the admission whilst taking a step over to catch the robe at its removal, folding it carefully, Caleb looked over the drows shoulder into the vanity mirror. "Any? By any experience, you mean...?" Caleb trailed off slightly, laying the folded garment on the vanity seat gently, taking a step back once again, eyes still watching Esseks reflection. 

"Oh, Light." Essek whispered to himself, breaking eye contact, walking over towards his wardrobe to fetch some more casual clothing.  "Any means any, does it not? Nothing, Widogast. Until yesterday evening, i had not had anyone not of my Den within my premises. Le-let alone touch me...at all" the drows voice fell away to less confident levels, hands pulling out silk lounging leggings, and a long sleeved high neck blouse in a deep midnight blue that looked near enough black in the dimmer lights.

Caleb paused, feeling like he had a punch to his gut, eyes looking over at Essek with slightly wider eyes. He had been so bold to have presumed that the Shadowhand had simply been naive about kink and impact play. But to have been inexperienced about any type of intimacy or physical relations made the wizards cheeks heat quickly. He didnt want to feel like he had taken advantage of the sitaution, nor of the Shadowhand. Consent and enthusiasm mattered more than simple pleasure. "I...i was the first to touch you like that, Essek?" 

"Yes"

Stepping behind a small changing partition, Essek finished changing out of his worth clothes in silence, hanging the other clothes up over the top of the partition. Staying behind the physical barrier for a moment, hand running through short hair, Essek took several slow deep breaths. "I can activate the transport circle, Widogast, if you wish to leave. I shall not begrudge you if you have changed your mind for my request. Luxon knows that ive had enough grief over the years within the dens for my...inadequacies, and evident lack of manners for refusing to be courted"

"Why would i leave? It does not bother me, Essek. As i have explained yesterday, these do not have to be sexual in nature for you to partake in them. They can simply be stress relief, and ways to feel pain without harming your body in a dangerous way. They are only sexual if you wish for them to be." 

"But you find the scenarios sexual in nature, yes?"

"I do"

Chewing his lower lip for a moment before finally regaining the courage to step out from the partition, hand pulling the thick plush robe around himself tightly, Essek looked up towards the wizard through his lashes. "Then i would like to continue, Caleb Widogast. If you are still amenable, that is?"  he muttered quietly, not feeling quite able to meet the humans eyes, worried that he could be mocked or rejected still. 

"Then where shall we go, Essek? Im very amenable to wherever you wish for me to hit you." 

Esseks brain stuttered only slightly, blinking hard. It sounded bad when worded that way. And yet the drows cheeks flushed at the idea, hands clutching the robe around hismelf tightly, as if it were a physical barrier to protect himself. "The...the couch was...fine" the lamely ended with a slight frown to himself. He was getting frustrated at himself for not knowing what to say, or to voice the wants that hummed in his veins. 

"Just fine? Did you like being over my knee to be spanked, or just the spanking in general?" Caleb smiled softly, stepping over towards the sheepish drow, lifting the mans head up with two fingers under his chin. A small gasp shuddered out of Essek at the motion, swallowing hard as he was made to look up towards the taller human, breathing coming slightly quicker. 

"I...i liked it over your knee, Caleb" Essek breathed quietly, heart rate picking up as he tried to will his blush away. The human nodded slightly, eyes darting back and forth slightly in thought. Essek very much did like the blues of the wizards eyes, the colour contrasting yet complimenting very well against the copper and fire red of his hair. 

"You said your shoulders and ankles were hurting today, so the couch may not be ideal. Come, Essek" Caleb near enough announced, walking over towards the Shadowhands bed, and perching himself on it, calves resting firmly against the edge of the bed. With seeing the drow not making an attempt to move, the human raised his brow slightly, hand held out. "I said come here, Essek" his tone dropping significantly. 

A sudden shudder went through the Shadowhands spine as he shuffled over towards Caleb, hands still tightly clutching his robe to himself. He never had guests over to his home. He most certainly did not have anyone else other than himself over in his bed! His cleaner was the only other being who had ever so much as seen the inside of his room. The drow stood unsure and uncertain in front of Caleb, bottom lip being worried by fanged teeth.

"Nein, none of that now, Essek" Caleb chastised without malice, hand coming up to pull at the drows lower lip, making Essek release it from being chewed up and worried. The human let his thumb linger against Esseks lower lip for a moment before lowering it and leaning back slightly on the bed, watching expectantly. "Well? Over you go then"

Essek couldnt help but just stare wide eyed at the confident smirk shot his way, eyes looking at the humans lap and face a handful of times. "Just...just lay over?" he weakly argued, but not making an effort to move away or show any discomfort in the request. Calebs hand moved again to slowly wrap around the hand Essek had to clutch his robe shut under his neck, fingers warm against the drows cooler body temperature. 

"I can be heavy handed if you would prefer, Essek. So either be a good boy and get over my knee, or ill make you be one" 

Essek would very much deny he whimpered, whimpered, at the threat, pupils dilating rapidly at the prospect. The drow swallowed hard as he looked down at the hand wrapped around his wrist, breathing catching in his chest slightly. Slowly, very slowly pulling the robe off, leaving him in his silky lounge wear, Essek eased himself up onto his bed to climb over the humans lap. 

It was humiliating. 

Should have been the moment the Shadowhand called a stop the whole thing. 

But Essek felt a shot of thrill at being spoken to in such a way. 

"Good boy" Caleb praised softly, pulling one of Esseks pillows over to let the drow wrap his arms around to support his chest and shoulders. "That wasnt so hard now, was it? All that fuss for nothing" the human cooed softly, hand slowly petting through the drows white hair. The touch felt strange but very welcome, Esseks body relaxing as he cuddled into the pillow comfortably. 

Essek could feel the humans arousal pressing against his side once again, his cheeks heating up at the thought of what Caleb could possibly look like beneath his clothes. If the soft flush on pale cheeks travelled further down. Why was he thinking of such things? The Shadowhand never once had such thoughts running through his mind. Essek took a few slow breaths, trying to ground himself and focus on the pillow beneath his face. "You like me being over your lap?" he asked to the side, voice surprisingly steady. 

"I do"

"Why?"

Caleb chuckled softly at the questions, fingers still running lightly through soft white hair. It was good that Essek was asking questions. It meant that the drow felt more comfortable to be able to ask them. "Honestly? I like feeling you squirm on top of me, Essek. I like the feeling of you coming undone, relaxing, and squirming on top of my lap" the human answered casually, swapping hands on the drows hair to let it slowly run down to Esseks shoulders, touch light enough to not pin the man down. Enough to keep a touch at all times in contact with the drow to reassure and ground

"Squirming? I do not squirm!" Essek protested as he tried to look over his shoulder at the wizard, brows knitted together in indignation. His whole look didnt carry off the anger and threat he had intended. Mostly because he was in his pyjamas bent over Calebs lap, with flushed cheeks and blown wide eyes. 

Raising a brow slowly at the loud denial, Caleb raised his hand to bring it down firmly, but not quite as sharp as the night prior, against Esseks backside. A loud smack resonated in the room, the drow yelping slightly as he jolted forward into Calebs lap more. "Oh really? Because you certainly become rather squirmy when i get you warmed up now, Essek. Especially when you start getting hard against my thigh" 

Essek panted softly, burying his face into the pillow, cheeks aflame at the words. Why were they making his stomach coil with heat? He knew that he had told Caleb prior that the man could speak and act however needed for his own needs whilst tending to Esseks wants, but he hadnt expected the humans talking to have affected him in such a way. Or be directed at him. Another gasped yelp shot out of Essek as another blow landed against his backside, hips shifting slightly at the mild sting it left behind. 

Turning his head enough towards Caleb, licking his lips slowly, Essek let out a small shaking breath. "Keep talking to me...please?" he asked quietly, blushing hard as he hid his face once more. Caleb bit his lip for a moment, using his hand to slowly card through the drows hair, tightening it only enough to tilt his head up, lifting it off the hidden safety of the pillow. A small whimper trembled out of the Shadowhands lips at the light tug against his scalp, eyes half lidded. 

"Certainly, Essek. If only to hear those lovely noises you let out more and more" Caleb purred softly, ending with another harder blow to the opposite cheek. Essek moaned softly, body starting to shift and squirm against Calebs thigh and lap, fingers digging firmer into the pillow beneath, shoulders crackling a little as he adjusted. The human could very much feel that Essek was getting physically aroused against him, besides the obvious flush and dilated pupils adorning deep skin. The knowledge of being the one to touch the Shadowhand in such a way, of being the first to do so, felt like a rush. To be the one to bring pleasure to such a being made Calebs own arousal throb slightly. 

Letting down several quick but less intense spanks, Essek moaned quietly, hips rocking forward slightly to rub against the wizards leg, breathing starting to come out in shorter quiet panting. The hot coil in his gut started to build up and intensify with each impact against his backside, eyes fallen closed. He could barely focus on hearing Calebs words, but the cadence and accent made his pulse race and blood buzz pleasantly. 

Caleb bit his lip as he felt the drow squirming on his lap, feet kicking slightly behind himself with each impact to silk covered skin. Oh, Caleb really wanted to just slip those clothes down enough to leave deep handprint against the mans backside. One day though, if he were lucky enough to earn that privilege. Letting down another harder blow, Essek keened loudly, breathing coming faster and harsher, hips near constantly wriggling against the wizards leg for friction. 

"Oh, Essek, are you about to make a lovely mess of your clothes?" 

Essek whined quietly as he shook his head the best that he could, knowing that it was a lie. Essek wasnt naive at not knowing what an orgasm was. He had been inconvenienced many times over his life by unexpected arousal and erections. But mostly the Shadowhand had just quickly masturbated to get the sensation away, basking in disappointing and hurried climax to let himself return to study and work. Nothing had felt like the deep hot bubble of heat that felt like it had been threatening to consume him from the inside out. 

Another sharp blow, and the drow cried out, body tensing for a moment before shuddering a handful of times. Caleb groaned softly as he felt the distinct damp patch against his leg, the hand that had been inflicting the blows soothing over Esseks back. The drow fell silent, body suddenly very slack, head pulling against the grip Caleb had of his hair. 

"Essek?" 

No response

Caleb gently lay the Shadowhands head down on the pillow, facing the side to allow him to breath, hand soothing down the mans back slowly as concern bubbled up within the wizard. Only a few moments later, Essek mumbled quietly, eyes fluttering slightly as he came around, breathing now evening back out to more steady and deeper levels. "Essek, what was that? Are you ok? You just...passed out" Caleb sounded concerned, one hand smoothing hair out of the drows face and away from his forehead. 

"My...my heartrate dips and blood...blood pressure drops sometimes...with a lot of...exertion" Essek mumbled softly, not making much effort to remove himself from his rather comfortable position draped over Calebs lap, eyes fluttering ever so slightly. "Hasnt...it had not happened in quite some time though, i must admit" 

"What? Passing out from coming too hard? I cant imagine that being a normal occurance either" 

Essek chuckled softly for the first time, the sound making the human smile to himself. "No. Ive never lost consciousness from...that. That in itself was very much a first, Caleb Widogast. And i apologise for scaring you" Letting himself get eased up, Essek turned and perched himself on Calebs lap side saddle, legs stretched out on the bed surface in front of himself, head swaying ever so slightly as he let the dizzy sensation subside. 

Keeping one hand on the small of Esseks back, the other other on the drows thigh, Caleb tried to keep his breathing steady at the weight and pressure of the drow directly over his erection. "Another first for me then? Im honoured to do so. But if this is to happen again, i shall keep in mind your...proclivity for passing out when you come then. But i...i must dampen the mood, Essek. I must request that you please get off my lap as you are feeling rather nice on top of me" 

Essek, slightly emboldened at the feeling of the wizards erection underneath himself, and from a rather mind numbingly good orgasm that he had never had before in his relatively short life, settled his head onto the humans shoulder, tilting up to his ear. "But im very comfortable where i am, Widogast. And i thought you rather liked me being squirmy?" he breathed, hearing a small groan echo out of the man, feeling Calebs hips press up against him, the hardness of the wizards erection pressing against his stinging backside.

It felt strange, feeling someone using his body for their own pleasure. To feel someone so openly aroused and turned on, letting their body succumb to its own wants and hormones that coursed through veins. Essek rocked his hips side to side, just a little, feeling the curious and rather exciting feeling of someone else's erection beneath himself. And the soft groans and sighs of pleasure coming from the human very much spurred the Shadowhand on, making Esseks heart rate start to pick up it's pace once again.

Tilting his head up feel hips lips brush lightly over the humans softly curved ear, Essek breathed hotly agaisnt the skin, eyes closed  "Another first for you, Widogast" he breathed softly, feeling the wizard rocking his hips up against him steadily "Your the first to touch me...the first to make me climax...the first to make me pass out...the first in my bed chambers...and the first to press against me in such a way"

Each soft statement came with a slow roll of the Shadowhands hips, Esseks cheeks a deep violet at the motions, unused to such lewd feeling movements. But the reactions from Caleb made it feel worth it. The human gasped softly with each declaration, arms circling around the drows waist, eyes screwed up tightly as he tensed for a moment, breathing stuttering. 

Slipping himself off of the rsther comfortable lap of Caleb, Essek stood up on the floor, making his way over to fetch some clean pyjamas for himself. Caleb panted softly as he ran a hand through his hair slowly, blue eyes firmly watching the enticing drow in front of him "Id like to thank you then, Essek. For giving me honour of being your firsts in many aspects. I hope that they were pleasant enough for you?" 

Risking a soft smile, Essek nodded with his back to the human, hands pulling out another silky set of pyjamas. "Very" he muttered softly, not hearing Caleb get up to his feet. The drow jumped slightly st the hand resting lightly between his shoulder blades, head snapping up to look at blue eyes. 

"I'm going to get you some water and a healing potion ok? It's a lot of exertion for your body, especially if you aren't used to such play before" 

Nodding without speaking, Essek slowly made his way back to his privacy screen to get changed into clean clothes. It hadn't registered for a solid three minutes that he had left Caleb, an Empire human, unsupervised and alone to walk around his home. A home he hadnt allowed anyone but his mother to enter at his deep reluctance. Yet, it didnt feel as worrisome to invite Caleb in. 

Climbing up onto his bed once changed, the soiled clothes in a small heap behind his screen, Essek felt himself curling up around several of his pillows. Eyes slowly drifting, the drow tucked his knees up towards his chest, relaxing as he waited for Caleb to come back  

Chapter Text

Essek slept through most of the evening in next to no pain or discomfort to cling to edges of his consciousness, stirring slightly in his pillows, rest delightfully easy and restful. Eyes opening slightly, the drow bleary eyed and slightly confused for a moment with his surroundings, looked around his bedroom before it all came back to him. 

The human being in his home. 

The spanking and squirming

The pull against his hair

The...

"Oh, Light" Essek whispered to himself in Undercommon, hurrying up into a seated position at the head of his bed, pushing the larger pillows aside, looking around the quiet and dark room. He couldnt hear anyone around him, nor see Caleb with his dark vision anywhere. He was alone. Pausing to look down at himself, Essek realised that he had been tucked into his bed, blankets gently wrapped over his body as he had slept. A glass of water, a small potion, and a note lay on the small wooden table beside the drows bed, his phone plugged into its charger. 

"Essek,

Drink the water and healing potion beside this note.

I let myself out and posted your house key back through your mail slot. 

See you at work after this weekend. 

If you require my care before then, just message. 

CW"

Placing the note back down on the table, before dutifully downing the herbal healing potion potion with barely a grimace from decades of requirement, followed by the glass of water, Essek slid himself up onto his feet, toeing into some slippers. Picking up his phone, the bright screen causing the drow to squint severely as it shone to life, Essek checked on the small handful of notifications that he had. Mostly just benign updates on various court matters that barely involved him. It appeared to be just past 4 in the morning.

The most that he had slept in one go in a very long time. 

Pulling up his chat thread with Caleb as he started to pad his way slowly through his home, Essek yawned softly into the back of a hand before rubbing at one eye with the heel. There wasn't going to be much sleep happening now, the Shadowhands body rested and awake for the day. May as well try and get some work done whilst he is made to rest over the weekend. Not that there ever was such a thing as rest when being the spy master to the bright queen. 

Essek Thelyss - 4:12am

I got your note. 

It is appreciated. 

Caleb Widogast - 4:14am 

Im very glad to hear that, Herr Thelyss. 

I hope that you slept well. Do drow not trance as oppose to sleep? 

Essek snorted slightly at the forwardness of the question as he made his way to his front door, finding the promised keys splayed and laying on the floor. It felt odd to have had someone walk so comfortably and easily around his home as he slept, and yet it didnt fire off as much panic as the Shadowhand knew that it should have. Lightly placing the keys into the small bowl by the door, as to not make too loud a noise, Essek padded over to the kitchen for something to eat, propping his elbows on the kitchen island to look at his phone. 

Essek Thelyss -4:17am

You should be asleep young man.

And I prefer sleep to trancing for my joints. More time to rest them.

Caleb Widogast -4:18am

I dont sleep much anyway. 

Can i call you?

Pausing as he reached to grab a meal shake from his woefully sparse fridge, Essek chewed his lip for a moment at the idea of hearing Calebs voice more, outside of a more tailored and organised setting. Sending a simple "yes" back to the human felt easy, thumb pressing send without second thought. Opening the bottle of salted caramel flavoured meal replacement shake, the drow decanted it all into a glass to take to his study, sighing softly. The moment the bottle finished pouring, Esseks phone started to vibrate with an incoming call from Caleb. 

"Widogast"

"Good morning to you, Herr Thelyss. Are you doing well?" 

Throwing the empty bottle away and looking down at the glasses contents with slight trepidation, Essek abandoned the idea of going to sit and work in the study, in favour of sitting on his couch with the glass and phone. Somewhere more comfortable to tuck his legs up under himself whilst he let the day creep up on him in the perpetual dim and dusk that lived in the city. "Very, thanks to you, Caleb Widogast. I presume that you departed without incident?" How formal sounding. Diplomatic. Essek took a mouthful of the drink without thinking much of checking if the human minded him doing so, other hand settling the phone on the arm of the couch. 

Tightness and struggle came like a shot in the drows throat as soon as he swallowed, a small noise escaping as the mouthful painfully made its way down towards his stomach. Essek tried his best to keep his choking to a minimum, hand clamping over his mouth to hide the noises of his struggle until the liquid finally finished its sluggish and painful descent downwards, eyes pricked with tears. Heavier breathing came between fingers as the drow kept his mouth covered for a moment to try and catch his breath, putting the glass down a little firmer than intended on the table. 

"Essek? Essek, what was that? Are you ok?" Calebs worried voice broke through the silence and heavy breathing of the drow, making Essek take a slow stuttering breath in, trying to force his discomfort to disappear in an instant. He was used to not being able to swallow at times. It came with his condition, usually at the least convenient of times. But the Shadowhand took great care to not have anyone else be subjected to the possibility of him struggling and being less than perfect in others eyes. He didnt want their pity and panic if he couldnt catch his breath from a simple sip of wine, or if something hurt to swallow. 

"Y...yes, i am fine. No need to worry, Widogast." 

"Essek? Do not lie to me, please. If you wish for me to help you and attend to you needs, i need a bit of honesty in regards to your wellbeing and health."

Sighing slightly again as he glared at the traitorous glass in front of him, Essek ran a hand through his sleep messy hair. Would he want the human to 'attend' to him more? A pang of guilt washed over the drow, knowing his answer was a yes. "I often choke and struggle to properly swallow. Its unsightly and...and an annoyance at my shortcomings more than anything. I do not eat nor drink unless i am within my own home, due to not wishing anyone else laying sight to me...struggling. I hadnt thought before taking a mouthful of my drink..."

Silence stayed on the other end for a handful of moments. Too many moments for Esseks comfort to not allow his mind to start thinking of the worst. The drow sighed slightly to himself. This, presumably, was where the human would start to distance himself from the imperfect and pitiful Essek Thelyss. Away from the worthless man who could do nothing more than elevate someones status with his name. Not with himself. He knew, if it were not for his Dens staus, then he would have been cast aside the moment his condition has been discovered. 

"Essek? Who in their right mind would make you feel ashamed for trying to eat or drink in front of them? As long as your not unable to breathe at all, not in a way that cannot be intervened with, I honestly do not mind not care if you make some noises. Please, if you wish to have your drink, it bothers me not at all. I just wished to, rather selfishly, hear your voice."

Finger hovering over the hang up button, Essek paused with a deep frown pulling up into his brow. "Why? Why don't you care? Why do you not mind if I choke and make...childish sounds of struggle?" He asked, voice cold and clipped, but wavering only slightly as his stomach ached to have something to fill it, having only the small mouthful to try and nourish it. "Why are you so interested in someone so...imperfect?"

A small breathy chuckle sounded through the phone, and Essek could almost imagine the half sided smile from the human on the other side of it. The soft half smile that he saw rarely himself, and directed freely towards students and faculty. The drow wondered for a moment if Caleb was on his own couch, or at his study. Or, Light damn it, in his bed, whilst talking to the Shadowhand. 

"Imperfect? No one is perfect, not even the Kryn Dysnasty itself. And yes, that's most likely teetering on treason of me to say so." Caleb laughed softly as he swallowed audibly on the other line. "But im interested in you, Essek Thelyss, as the Dunamatic prodigy of the Dynasty. I'm interested in you as the curious man who tried to sneak into a paranoid wizards lecture to spy on him, ending up as part of a demonstration with said paranoid wizard. I'm interested in you because you looked at my full file, saw who I was, most likely have the Lens pulling up those old files, and yet still can look me in the eye and call me Caleb."

"Because you are Caleb Widogast. I admit, I have requested the lens to look into the name on those papers. It's my duty to do so, as you understand. Your welcome to tell me yourself, but I wouldn't simply just be comparing your verbal notes to what's written down once the file lands on my desk"

"No. I think I'll leave that to the Lens. I'm not that man any more Essek, so his story doesn't really feel like mine to tell. For the most part. For the less important details, at least."

Essek nodded thoughtfully to himself, hand reaching for the glass once more, just cradling it with both hands, the chill of the glass cooling his palms. "Of course. Now, why did you wish to call me, Caleb Widogast? Surely not to hear me choking on something in my mouth?" 

A spluttered coughing sound came from the other end of the phone, making Essek frown to himself with only a slight pout. He would very much deny pouting. He must have worded something wrong in Common, or not caught onto some strange double meaning speakers of the language often used. The blasted language felt so strange to navigate at times. "Scheiße, Essek!" Caleb gasped out before laughing a touch more breathy than usual. The sound made the drows pulse start to pick up.  

"Nein, I did not call you to...hear you choke, as you put it. I was being rather selfish, wishing to hear you once again. My mind was replaying the evening, truth be told and..."

Essek didn't realise he had been biting down on his lip quite so hard until the prickles of pain registered, making him release it quickly. "And?" He asked quietly, taking a small sip of his drink. Thank the Light it went down without incident, the drow able to enjoy, or tolerate, the salted caramel flavour a fraction more. He ate less than he most likely should have, mostly due to nausea and the worry of choking. And work. Work took up most of the Shadowhands time that he neglected his own body too often.

"And i was feeling rather turned on from thinking back to you over my lap" Caleb replied with another soft chuckle, all breath and no sound, like a stuttered exhale meeting the drows ears. The Shadowhand swallowed hard as he looked at his phone with slightly unsure eyes, shifting to get more comfortable on the couch, pulse picking up just a little. 

"Where are you? Right now, in your home?" 

"I'm in my study, at my desk" A sound of wood scraping against wood echoed through the phone. A chair dragging against flooring, to prove the humans point of his location to the man on the other end of the phone. "And you, Herr Thelyss?" the wizard near enough purred down the line. Essek could almost see the half grin gracing pale human features.

Taking another quick and successful sip before placing the glass down, Essek licked his lips slowly to clear away any remaining salted caramel on his lip. "Im on my couch" he replied simply, pulling the phone slightly closer towards himself on the arm of the couch, as if it would pull the wizard physically closer to him at the same time. A ridiculous notion, yet it didnt stop the thud thud of his heart beneath his ribs

"The couch i bent you over my knee on?"

"Oh Light!" Essek squeaked out in surprise at the question, cheeks going a deep plum very fast. "Yes...it is, yes" he added quieter, shifting ever so slightly in his position at the back corner of the couch. A slight jolt shivered through the drow as he looked down at himself with a mix of confusion and curiosity. The tenting at the front of his pyjamas made the man make a small "oh" sound under his breath, swallowing hard. He very much was not getting turned on at the memory of Caleb bending him over his knee. No, Light, he was not. 

"I very much enjoyed that evening, Essek. And this evening too, i must admit." Caleb chuckled breathy though the phone, breathing slightly heavier sounding than before. Esseks mouth felt far dryer than it most likely should for someone who had had a drink only a minute or two previously. The drows hips shifted slightly as he tucked his legs up under himself slightly firmer, pulling a cushion onto his lap to cuddle tightly into. Definitely not to push some mild pressure down into his lap itself.

"Are you hard, Essek?"

The question felt like cold water running through the drows veins. Like somehow being caught doing something he shouldnt. How ridiculous for the Shadowhand to feel like a caught child. Looking around his surroundings quickly, but seeing nothing out of place, the drow let out a slow shaking breath as he looked at his phone again. "Why? Are you?" He was trying to deflect, that much was obvious. To try and test if his answer would have been appropriate or not to voice. The drow felt dread at the prospect of him being turned on and aroused on one end of the phone if Caleb had been purely just sitting wanting to talk to him. 

"Very." 

One word. But the word shot straight down into the drows core, a small trembled noise escaping his throat. Pushing the cushion slightly harder into his lap, Essek tried to keep his composure, to try and ignore the pulse and throb that his body was starting to ache for. The unfamiliar pull and want that arousal would bring through his blood. His usual course of action had often been to just wait such a thing out until it went away. But each time the drow tried to ignore the hardness beneath the cushion, Essek would think of Caleb. Of Caleb hard. 

Because of him 

"Oh." 

Esseks mind very quickly started to wander, curiosity and arousal mingling together making a small whine leave his throat without warning or intent. Did humans look the same as drow beneath their clothing? He was fairly sure that it was something he had read prior. Were rumours true that humans had hair over their body? Did Caleb have hair over his body? What colour was it, and did it match the striking hair on his head? "Me too" the blushing drow muttered softly, not entirely sure that the phone had even picked up what he had said. 

"Im glad, Essek. Your welcome to take care of it, if you wish." Caleb breathed out a soft groan, making the drows cheeks flush deeper. "Equally, if you would rather hang up and pretend this call never happened, I shall not be upset." Essek licked his lips slowly, his mind and body battling for control over thr situation, breathing getting heavier as he pressed firmer onto the cushion. 

"I dont...i mean I don't usually..." 

"Tell me, Essek. You can say it" 

Taking a deep breath in through his nose, eyes closed tightly even though no one else could see him, Essek cleared his throat. "I dont touch myself, Caleb Widogast. Nor do I usually get sexually aroused. Perhaps once every year or two it occurs." The drow paused, hips squirming slightly against the cushion as he bit back a small whine. "And I most certainly have not been aroused three times in two days either, Caleb Widgoast"

A pause came through the phone, before a soft breathy chuckle that seemed to shoot straight between the Shadowhands thighs. "Am I being told that I'm another first for you Essek Thelyss? That i can turn the spy master of the Dynasty on to the point of temptation? I can lie and say that the thought of you aroused isn't arousing in itself, because it very much is" Soft, almost panting, breaths came through the phone speaker. 

"Are you...Caleb Widogast, are you touching yourself whilst on the phone to me?" Essek did not intend for himself to sound so strung out, his question coming out either a slight whine. The Shadowhand did not whine at the thought of Empire humans masturbating to the sound of his voice. Even if said Empire humans were entirely awful to look at and imagine. 

"Yes."

"Can I see?" 

The second the question left Esseks mouth, a wave of shame and panic spiked through the drow. Bolting to sit upright to scramble for his phone, Essek ended the call without any other word, eyes wide. Had he just really just asked to see? Why in the Luxons Light would he want to have seen something like that? To have seen Caleb Widogast touching himself. Did he get a flush over his cheeks when he was alone touching himself? 

Shaking the thought from his head, heart pounding in his chest as he looked at his blank screened phone in mild panic. "Perhaps he didnt hear." He muttered in Undercommon, one hand holding the phone, the other firmly pressing the cushion into his lap.

*ping*

Jolting a little at the buzz and notification sound on his phone, Essek very slowly looked down to the phone. He was seriously contemplating just pretending to have just vaporised from existence. 

Caleb Widogast- 4:42am

[Photo Attachment]

[Photo Attachment]

Take your time, Essek. I'm not shy about these things.

Adrenaline shot through the drow as he saw the notifications pop up, lower lip harshly trapped between his teeth. No, he couldnt open them and look on a whim. Pushing the cushion off himself, Essek awkwardly made his way towards his study, hoping to bore and exhaust the burning want near enough burning through his skin. 

He kept his phone face down through the rest of the morning, forcing his way through emails and paperwork. Essek had to consciously remind himself to stop pressing his thighs together so tightly, his arousal slowly ebbing as time ticked by like syrup. 

The phone remained face down.

Chapter Text

The phone remained face down. 

The phone remained face down when Essek left his study late in the morning to stretch his limbs out. It remained face down by the sink when he went to take a shower that afternoon to scrub his skin clean and raw. It even remined face down that evening when the drow went to make himself some tea whilst he tried to think of what he wanted to order in for something to eat. 

That was when Essek finally lifted his phone to look at the device properly. Purposely ignoring the chat window that displayed three notifications, the Shadowhand went about picking a noodle soup dish, with a side of dumplings from a regular of his, ordering them to be left outside his door. He very much did not wish to speak to whoever got sent to deliver the food. He left good enough tips on the app to ensure that no one would dare try and linger longer than required near his home. 

Leaning on the kitchen island with both elbows as the tea steeped, Essek chewed his lower lip, eyes looking at the awaiting text window with the human. 15 hours. He had held out not looking at the phone for just over 15 hours, the temptation high the entire time. He had nearly caved as each minute had achingly ticked by, but felt a mild sense of pride at his own perseverance. It felt like carrying a dangerous weapon around his home, the curiosity and intrigue of what the photos could be waiting for him like a lit fuse. "Oh this is utterly ridiculous. Its just a photograph!" he muttered to himself, finally tapping to open the chat box 

Taking a soft sip of tea, the first proper intake of any food or drink since waking up early that morning, besides the woeful smattering of sips of his meal shake, Essek read the message last sent by the wizard, before finally pressing on the first photo attachment, heart rate starting to beat faster in his chest as it popped up. 

"Oh, Light!"

The image looked to have been taken from the front camera of Calebs phone, held at the humans arm length to look down onto himself, his eyes looking up into the camera. The human had certainly been sat at his desk, as stated on the phone, and wearing some comfortable if threadbare cotton pyjamas. From the angle being held from above, Essek could see Caleb had his copper red hair tied up in a loose ponytail, a few strands escaped to fall around his face. The light of magical globules making the human look more softly pale and curious in the image as the drows eyes looked over Calebs face. 

The human had his lower lip bitten, cheeks very obviously flushed and red, and pupils blown wide. Barely any of the blue of the wizards eyes could be seen. Essek swallowed hard as he looked at the photo intensly, his own cheeks feeling warmer as he looked at the frozen moment in time. Of the captured second of want and pleasure on the wizards face. Of the look being given to the camera itself. Essek licked his lips slowly as he swiped to the next image, expecting much of the same. 

Oh, he was very wrong. 

The second image was not of Calebs face, but of a pointed down view that captured down the length of the humans body, presumably leaning back in the study chair. Not that much of it was on view except a small slither of pale lower stomach. Esseks breath caught as he could see copper red hair trailing from navel to lead down to just under the waistband of the pyjama bottoms. So humans really did have body hair. The rest of the image had Calebs fist inside the pyjamas, barely able to be seen peeking out, besides the cloudy white streaks of mess that lay against the humans thumb and across his navel. 

Essek let out a held breath, shaking slightly as he guiltily zoomed in closer to the image. Towards the shiny wet mess on the pale soft looking skin of Caleb Widosgast. To see the physical proof of arousal from the man laid out bare in front of him closer. That somehow, someone as uninteresting and imperfect as Essek Thelyss had caused such a result from the Empire human. The notion brought a small smile of pride against his lips, eyes hungrily looking over the image, near enough examining every pixel on the screen. 

His ignored arousal flared to life with renewed fire as the looked at the images, tea long forgotten and over steeped. The Shadowhand hadn't expected the have actually received those types of images from Caleb, even though he had asked. Why would anyone just do such a thing on a whim? The idea brought a flutter in his empty stomach. The thought of just taking a snapshot of pleasure to send to another. A single fragment of time that showed all the emotion and want that words would fail to encapsulate. 

Should he send one back? Would Caleb appreciate to get one sent back to him?

Essek dismissed the thought as quickly as it had dared to enter his head, swiping off the photo quickly to pull up his emails. He couldnt allow himself to linger on strange and unfamiliar feelings welling up inside of himself. The want to just look at the two photos again and again. To zoom in and examine every detail of the humans face and expressions. And mess. 

A notification popped up on the drows phone to say that his food had arrived to be outside of his door, awaiting him to collect it. Leaving a decent tip on the app, the Shadowhand left his phone on the kitchen island as he went to the front door, peeking through the peephole. Thankfully the delivery driver has left already, well aware to just drop the food off and leave the premesis as soon as possible. 

Food successfully retrieved, and settling into his couch, Essek chewed softly on one of the soft dumplings with a soft sigh of contentment. He very much enjoyed the flavours and textures, finding comfort with that specific restaurants food. A soft buzz alerted him to his phone that he had brought over with him to the couch, popping another dumpling into his mouth as he opened his phone up. 

Caleb Widogast -8:02pm

Do not forget to eat today, Herr Thelyss. 

Chuckling into his mouthful, chewing slowly, Essek pulled up the camera of his phone. Pulling the dumpling container up onto his lap, the noodle soup container carefully wedged between his leg and the arm of the couch as to not spill. Lifting his phone up enough to show off his dinner sitting on his lap, Essek snapped the photo, sending it before he could second guess and worry about it. 

Essek Thelyss -8:04pm

[Photo Attached]

Is this adequate enough, Professor Widogast?

Caleb Widogast -8:04pm

It will do for now. 

Id like to try it some time. 

The whole photo looks good enough to eat. 

Essek chuckled softly as he took a mouthful of the soup, a soft groan of joy escaping himself as he sipped some more of the broth. Re-reading the last text, the drow physically cocked his head to the side ever so slightly. Mouthing the message to himself, not entirely understanding if he had fully gotten the meaning in Common. 

Essek Thelyss -8:06pm

Is that a double meaning, Widogast? 

Caleb Widogast -8:07pm

Yes, Essek. 

I was flirting with you. 

Well, i was trying to at least. 

Essek Thelyss -8:09pm

I dont follow. 

How is commenting that my meal looking good enough to eat somehow flirting?

Caleb Widogast -8:10pm

What else is in the photo, Essek?

The drow frowned slightly as he put the empty dumpling container on his table, pulling up the sent image once again. Perhaps he had had something in the background that looked edible. Something clearly missed when he had sent the image. He had only sent a photo of his food, so he didnt quite understand what the...

His thighs. 

He had taken the photo on his thighs. 

Essek Thelyss -8:14pm

You are a terrible man, Caleb Widogast. 

Caleb Widogast -8:14pm

There we are. 

And i have heard that before. 

But the statement still remains true, Essek.

Blushing furiously as he hurriedly finished his soup, drinking down the remaining broth, dropping the empty container beside the cleared dumpling one. Essek felt a sudden temptation to send a photo of his cleared meal, lower lip chewed slightly by his fangs. Pulling the empty containers back onto his thighs, the drow snapped another photo before clicking send, cheeks still flushed at the humans comment. 

Caleb Widogast -8:20pm

Good boy. 

Squeaking ever so slightly at the praise, hand slamming his phone face down onto the couch. The Shadowhand very much did not get flustered from something like praise! Most certainly not! His job was to interrogate and find out the secrets and information that could put his Queen and country at any risk. So he very much should not have been as affected by the two simple words typed out to him as he was, cheeks warm and flushed. 

Essek lied to himself, claiming the warmth on his cheeks and stomach were due to having a proper meal inside him for once.

He lied to himself when he went to shower, very much not imagining a certain humans hands gently running the soap over his arms and shoulders, massaging and easing the muscles.

And Essek lied to himself when he cuddled up in his bed, not thinking of his several longer pillows were the embrace of a red haired wizard.

And when the drow woke the next day, aroused and flustered, he lied to himself that it was all a coincidence. 

--

The weekend passed far quicker than the Shadowhand wanted it to. Not that Essek actually ever had time away from working anyway. When he wasnt sitting in court by the Queens side, he was in his office. When he wasnt in his office, he was interrogating and gathering intelligence. Essek very rarely had time to himself, except the small slithers of time in the evenings in his own home, where he could complain and ache and grumble in privacy and peace. 

Gliding through the halls, passing the now familiar gaggle of students that were waiting for their morning lecture with Professor Widogast. Keeping his eyes turned forward, head held high, Essek ignored the soft whispers and mutterings from the students, making his way towards his office. He had work to see to, and could not allow himself to be distracted. 

The drow only stayed within his office for a short time. Time enough to grab the file that he knew would be awaiting him on his desk, and to stow a handful of smaller healing potions into his robes. He knew that he was going to end up needing them soon enough. He always did with this aspect of his job. 

Letting himself have one small sigh before leaving the office, Essek started to head deeper and further down within the courts, the lights dimmer than usual, and more guarded figures lining doors. Not that any would have dared to impede the job of the Shadowhand. To stop the work and will of their Bright Queen. So each set of figures would bow deeply and step aside for Essek, the drow not even paying them any mind as he flipped through the file within his hands. 

Stopping in front of a heavy metal door, a single guard waiting outside of it, the Shadowhand snapped the file shut with a loud snap. "So where was this one picked up then?" he asked, tone uninterested and cold, as if referring to a piece of discarded furniture. The guard stood further to attention, looking nervous. Probably new to the job. Or at least new to seeing the work that Essek would carry out. 

"Baxxozan. Just outside the barracks. There were two others, but both finished themselves off before forces could stop them though. Same method as they all usually take to prevent capture, Shadowhand." The young looking guard replied quickly, breathing fast and nervous. He looked ready to collapse or run. "Is it true that we've never taken one of them alive before?" he risked asking the question, voice slightly quieter incase of sudden repercussions, curiosity lacing his tongue. 

Essek looked down at the front of the file, and then at the door in front of himself again, straightening his spine. "Correct. We have not currently managed to hold a Volstrucker within our containment yet. Not alive at least. Today shall be rather enlightening then. Open the door. I will call if anything is required. Otherwise...ignore anything you hear" Esseks tone was emotionless and cold, face devoid of emotion. He was not currently allowed to be Essek Thelyss. He was the Shadowhand of the Bright Queen. Her spy master. The being who would kill, torture, and main to get the information that he needed. 

And he had a living Volstrucker currently in his possession. 

Chapter Text

His prisoner was alive. 

That simple fact did not bode comfort to the Shadowhand in a way that it should have. A Volstrucker had been captured alive, and he was the one to get information extracted. 

This was the job of a spy master. The job that no one else would carry out under the weight of their own disgust and guilt. The weight and knowledge that Essek would walk proudly into the court of his Queen and present as if nothing had happened. That was the Shadowhand

Gliding into the dimly lit room, the young guard peering in for only a flash of a moment, Essek held the file tucked under one arm, the other hand flicking the close the door, hearing it lock behind. The room itself was not bare at all, as it's intent and design. Bare and empty would mean he couldn't conduct his job properly. No, the room had exactly what he needed all around.

The center of the room held the captured and alive Volstrucker, seated and bound securely to a heavy chair bolted to the floor. Each finger trapped and held down by straps to prevent magic usage, a thick leather strap bound across chin and mouth to prevent speech. Multiple straps and shackles held the prisoner from neck to toe, binding limbs, torso and hips to the chair to prevent even a modicum of movement

Standing in front of the Volstrucker, a young human woman in her early 20s from Esseks observation, the Shadowhand opened the file once more, glancing between his prisoner and the paper in his hands. 

"You were found attempting to break through the Bazzoxan barracks, after assassinating three of our finest soldiers in cold blood. Your fellow Volstrucker all ended their own lives, as they no doubt get taught to do so, to prevent capture. You, however, were incapacitated and captured before you were able to do such a task. A great shame to yourself, no doubt."

No questions yet. Just stating facts that had been given. Establishing the groundwork for things to come. And to lull into a quieter sense of false security. "What were you doing in Bazzoxan?" The drow asked as he flicked his wrist, the leather strap gagging the prisoners mouth falling to the side, hanging by a buckle at her left ear. Most gasped, or coughed when their mouths were uncovered from bindings. Some would cry out and start begging their gods for help, or snarl towards their captor.

But Essek knew the rumours of Volstrucker. The quiet dark whispers of their training and teaching. 

The woman simply stared blankly up towards the Shadowhand, eyes cold and soulless for someone so young, hands trying to flex within their confines, muscles and tendons tensing with each attempt. Her breathing remained steady and slow, even if her pulse was obviously thudding in the side of her neck. A betrayal of her body, showing the panic that was surely pulsing through her.

Tutting softly as he made his way around the right hand side of the restrained woman, Essek slowly placed the file down on a long metal bench. His hands near enough danced over the various instruments that lay beside the file, an assortment of tools for him to cut, pry, rip, and press information out of people. And he would get the information out. Anything to stop harm coming to his Queen, and therefore, to himself.

Picking up a thick metal pick, holding it flat against his wrist and palm to keep it hidden from view, the drow turned and sighed in mock annoyance, face still cold and impassive. "Let's begin with something easier then, shall we? Your Zemnian, correct? Most Volstrucker get...collected from the Zemni Fields as children?" It was a bit of a guess, but the Lens had heard many Volstrucker speaking Zemnian in the few instances of being close enough to them.

The woman sneered slightly, a barely perceived twitch of her mouth and tensing of her jaw. But Essek always noticed the smallest of details from people trying to hide information. Stepping the her side, the Shadowhand lay his hand almost friendly onto her shoulder, just above where several thick restrains crossed over his prisoners torso and arms.

"I asked you a question, and I expect an answer" 

A sudden bolt of electricity shocked through the womans whole body, Esseks face impassive and cold as he held onto her shoulder for a handful more seconds. The Volstrucker didnt scream, didnt cry out for the pain to stop. She simply grit her teeth and tensed up as it happened. It was almost unnerving to see the lack of pain and response from someone, the Shadowhand removing his hand from his prisoners shoulder. 

The Volstrucker panted quietly, head dropping down to her chest a little as she caught her breath. "I asked you a question" Essek repeated with just as much calm as before, hand moving to the womans shoulder once again. Another harsh bolt of electricity shocked through her body as the drow held on, lilac eyes looking intently over every small and miniscule movement whilst he hurt her. 

A small choked sound of pain slipped past the Volstruckers teeth, head strained backwards from the tensing in her muscles, eyes shut tightly. After several seconds of the spell, Essek lifted his hand away once again with a small flick, as it shaking something nasty off of his finger tips. The woman gasped louder as she let her head drop forward, breathing louder and heavy, a few beads of sweat already forming against her temples. 

"Y-yes" 

Essek felt himself grin slowly as he glide around towards the front of the woman, hands behind his back. He made sure to school his features back to impassive before she could see his face properly. "See, that wasnt so hard, now was it? What were you doing in Bazzoxan? You may as well tell me.  You can either tell me what i wish to know, and you can end yourself in whatever pitiful way you get taught to do. Or i send you back to your master and let his disappointment be the end of you"

Receiving no response besides the slowing panting, Essek pulled out the spike and stabbed it quickly into the back of the womans hand. Finally, the Volstrucker screamed. A flicker of a smile crept up on the side of the Shadowhands mouth, seeing the break in the resolve of someone trained to withstand torture and torment. Keeping the implement in the back of her hand, Essek leaned forward just slightly whilst still gliding. 

"Why were you in Bazzoxan?"

The Volstrucker spat slightly in front of herself, just missing Essek. She looked to be very much trying to reel in her cry of pain, tears prickled in the corner of her eyes, jaw shut tight in an attempt to keep herself quiet. Essek knew that it would take far more than just two cantrips and a single wound to make someone with her level of training speak. 

Several hours, and three healing potions to himself later, and Essek was getting tired. Not that he would show it to his prisoner. The woman currently lay unconscious, head draped forward, blood dripping from a split lip into her lap. The Shadowhand had gotten very little information out of her for the reason for the attack on Bazzoxan besides that she was to find someone. Four hours of work to get a single piece of near useless information. 

Pulling the woman up by her hair, hand slapping across her face, the Volstrucker groaned as she came back to consciousness, tears drying down her cheeks as she mumbled in Zemnian to herself, still slightly out of it. "Who were you trying to find in Bazzoxan? Who was so important that it cost the lives of several of your comrades?" he asked, annoyance now starting to creep into his voice as he kept the grip on the womans hair tight, her head pulled back taught.

"Bren..." 

FInally, a name. Essek released the womans hair as she whimpered only slightly. A pathetic and small sound, as she lowered her head again, spitting out a mouthful of blood. "Will you kill me, Shadowhand?" she asked in accented Common. The first sentence, and first question she had dared to pose since the drow had entered the room hours ago. Her voice wavered slightly with disuse and from pain. 

"Death is too great a mercy. Who is Bren? Answer for an answer" 

The woman seemed to perk up, only slightly, as she lifted her head to look at the man who had been torturing her for hours. "Answer for answer." she confirmed quietly, eyes rolling for a moment as she fought to not slip under the comforting hold of unconsciousness. Not that Essek would assist her discomfort in the slightest. "Bren...looking for Bren...Ermendrud..." she grit out, hands still trying to move and shift within their bindings. 

Essek froze as he stared at the woman for several seconds. The name felt far too familiar to not have heard it before. No, that didnt feel right. He hadnt heard it before, he didnt think. Perhaps written down? Bren Ermendrud. B.Ermendrud. The missing sheet of published papers.  Turning to the door slot, Essek pushed it aside to the guard posted just outside of it. "Get me Caleb Widogast, now!" he hissed before turning his attention back to his prisoner. 

The woman wheezed slightly as she looked at Essek slowly, a mix of saliva and blood dripping down her chin. "Can you kill me?" she asked quieter, no longer fighting and trying to get out of the bindings. The Shadowhand glide over slowly, using a finger to tilt the womans chin up to face him better, earning a hiss of discomfort from her. 

"I can, if i wanted to. But we arent done yet, you and i. How are the Volstrucker ending themselves before capture? There is no signs of poison in their blood, nor injury to cause death" 

"If i tell you, i sign my own death warrant" The woman whispered quietly, the first true sign of panic showing in her eyes as she looked up towards the drow. It was as if something had been lifted from in front of her eyes, no longer looking quite as soulless and blank. She tried to shake her head slightly before feeling the back of Esseks hand across her cheek, a loud crack echoing around the room. Tears slowly started their fresh journey down bloodied and bruised cheeks, stinging as they touched cuts and wounds. 

"Then you shall tell me anyway, for i care not" Essek intoned with a shrug, walking back over towards the instrument table once again. A whine of panic filtered through the room, the Volstrucker trying in vain to wiggle slightly, evidently already aware of what would be coming if the Shadowhand went over towards the bench. She started crying in Zemnian, strings of words tumbling out in a language that Essek didnt understand, hot fat tears tumbling down the womans face freely. 

She no longer looked like the cold frightening Volstrucker that the Dusk Captain had captured. She looked like a frightened girl strapped to a chair. Essek didnt care. He wasnt allowed to care. Deceit and lies came in many forms, and tears and begging always came out eventually. "In Common. Do not make me ask again" he sighed, purposely sliding a knife along the metal of the bench to made sound. The woman whimpered louder as she cried harder, now fully fighting against her restraints. 

Her Zemnian cries continued to sound out, words jumbling over one another in some places, but the steady stream continued to flow from his prisoner as she sobbed. Essek slammed the knife back down on the bench before grabbing the woman by the shoulder once again. Her cries froze near instantly, lower lip trembling badly as she tried to compose herself just a little. 

"Back of the neck...shock me there...please..." 

Esseks blood ran cold as he pulled his hand away, staring down at the woman with shock in his eyes, just as the main cell door opened. "As you requested, Shadowhand. Professor Widogast" the guard stated quietly, letting the very confused Caleb be led inside before shutting and locking them all in once again with a click. The air felt heavy and tense as the drow looked over at his requested guest.

Calebs confusion deepened as he stood near the door, staring at the pair in front of him. Essek had blood flecked on his cheek and hands, obvious exhaustion and pain showing in his face, and a tortured woman strapped to a chair beside him. It didnt take a genius to figure out what the drow had been doing. Essek shifted over to stand in front of the human, blocking Calebs view from the bloodied and crying woman. 

"I need your cooperation in things, right now" The drow hissed, anger and confusion showing in his eyes. He looked cold and calculating. Essek looked how everyone in the courts described the Shadowhand to be, and Caleb finally saw what they had meant.

"Now who is Bren Ermendrud, and why was this Volstrucker tasked with collecting him?"  

Chapter Text

"Was? What did you say?"

Caleb felt his brains stutter slightly at the name coming out of the drows mouth, the hiss of anger being directed towards him in the moment. He knew logically that Essek would have discovered the name in its entirety soon enough, especially with the file sheet being returned to the Shadowhand. But the Shadowhand had said "him" and not "you" when referring to  the name Bren. The human hoped that the drow hadnt fully figured out his involvement, pulse racing as he tried to keep eye contact the best that he could. 

"I said..." Essek growled slightly as he swallowed down another small healing potion, stowing the empty bottle into his pocket, clinking gently against other empty ones, hand shaking as he did so, exhaustion showing on his face. "Who is Bren Ermendrud, and why is this Volstrucker the one tasked to fetch him?" The name sounded clunky and wrong on the Shadowhands tongue, mouth trying to form the Zemnian name with his Xhorhasian accent, causing the drow to skip the first R sound of the surname, as well as soften the R sound in Bren, causing more of a "Bwren" sound to be spoken. 

Caleb would have found it terribly endearing in any other circumstance.

The woman continued to cry quietly to herself in the seat, pulling against the restraints with no luck of true escape from her current situation. She hadn't looked up since her quiet request of death to the Shadowhand, body starting to tremble from the shock of the pain and injury to her body, yet still trying to keep it under control to the best of her ability. To the best of her training. Each breath caught and tugged at injuries and bruising along her torso and throat, the restraints tight and unforgiving, breathing coming in mild wheezing from screaming.

"Fetch him?" Caleb asked quietly, eyes dancing over the Shadowhands features for any signs of deception and mistruths, schooling his own into long learned blank and impassiveness. He could see the exhaustion and discomfort in the shorter mans face, evident of hours of interrogation. Schooling his features to the interrogator that he had been taught to be so many years ago, Caleb blinked slowly. "For what reason, has she explained? I'm surprised she even spilled the name of her intended target so freely."

The woman sniffled quietly as she was ignored by the men for the moment whilst they spoke to one another, her fingers slowly shifting and tugging against the individual small restraints that held them, blood helping them shift ever so slightly within the bonds, creating just enough slack. Her eyes flickered up to Esseks back to check that she was being left alone before continuing to slowly ease her hand through her bindings, inching them bit by bit to remove one finger at a time. She faked crying, sniffling louder, as she grit her teeth hard, slowly easing her fingers out.

"Oh? How much do you know of the Volstrucker programme then, Widogast? Your Zemnian also, are you not, so you can translate her ramblings if required." Essek wasnt asking. He never asked kindly for things when in that room. He took and demanded, and would get the answers he sought so badly for. That was the job of the Shadowhand, and he took pride in doing his job well. And Caleb Widogast would provide the assistance that he would need, when it was needed.

Caleb swallowed hard and nodded as he peered over the drows shoulder, brow furrowing deeply, face shifting from confusion to anger. "More than you, evidently!" He snapped as he shoved past Essek roughly to grab the now freed arm of the Volstrucker, pinning it roughly to the arm of the chair once again, fingers interlacing with her own to stop her moving them. To prevent her being able to cast without causing injury to the both of them. "Take your eyes off them for even a moment and they act! Do you know nothing, Shadowhand?!" 

"They end up killing themselves before i get the chance to 'take my eyes off them'" 

He hadnt intended to shout at Essek. He really hadnt. But seeing a shadow of his past in front of him brought up horrible anger and resentment within Calebs chest. That woman could very easily have been him not too long ago if circumstances had been only marginally different. If paths had been altered only by a degree of change. The Volstrucker panted and growled in renewed anger, trying to pull her arm free, the rest of her body still painfully pinned into the bolted chair. "How are you working beside Crick scum? How dare you betray your own people! Betray the Empire!"  She spat out in Zemnian, feeling the vice like grip against her hand, heat building and burning her palm as she spoke, Calebs fingers sparking with fire as he held tight. 

Caleb pinned the womans arm down, forearm facing up, as he started to strap her back into the chair once again with his free hand, small wisps of flame flicking from his fingers as he pulled his hand out of being interlaced with her own at the last second, small scorch marks left behind against her skin. The womans body language changed at the simple switch of arm position within seconds. Her spine went rigid, eyes wider as she looked over at the other human with a mix of panic and recognition flickering through them, eyes hurridly taking in Calebs features, brain putting the pieces together. "Shadowhand, you said you could kill me! Kill me, please! Please, kill me before he does!" She screamed out, eyes refusing to leave Calebs, fresh fear welling in her eyes. 

Essek went over to the bound and bloodied womans other side, frowning slightly between her sudden change in composure, and the simple motion Caleb had done to her arm to cause such a change. "Why is she scared of you?' He asked quieter towards the man, head cocked to the side slightly to watch the pair. It was fascinating to see the prisoner he had failed to fully break finally snap and show more than just freed tears and reactive yells of pain. This was fear he could see in her face. True fear. He shifted enough out the way for Caleb to step by him to move the womans other arm to face it upwards also, her crying near inconsolable at that point. 

"She knows what this means. Knows who I am now. What i know about her. What we both share and can exploit from the other." Caleb muttered softly as he tightened the leather strap around the Volstruckers wrist tightly before looking over towards Essek with a cold stare. "Because she was looking for me, Shadowhand. Well, the man i used to be. She was tasked to fetch me, and i shall not be taken." 

The Volstrucker started begging and sobbing in Zemnian, a string of useless pleas and utterances for death to be granted to her, tears rolling down her cheeks as she stopped fighting the straps on her body, head hanging down. Her hair, matted with dirt and blood hung in front of her face as she whispered for anyone to let her die, to be free from the disgrace she had brought upon herself. To bring some sort of honour to the Empire with her death.

"If you want to know how to shut a Volstrucker down...to get information out of them, then watch closely, spy master" the wizard whispered into the drows ear, voice dripping with distain, slipping a knife off of the table loudly, pushing his own sleeves up towards his elbows as he did so. "I asked you once to not think of me different when you discovered my past. To use my name still. That request is still in play" he added with a slightly sad look towards the drow before his gaze hardened at the woman. 

"You've found me. What does he want with me then?"

The woman took in a shuddering breath as she looked up towards Caleb, sniffling quietly as she blinked tears away, more joining them in quick order. "Bren, he wants you to come home. Please, just come home. All will be forgiven if you come home. Kill me if you must for failing in my task, but he will forgive your mistakes if you go home to him. You were always his favourite, Bren." she hurriedly tried to get out before the first press of the knife lay against her forearm over cloth, her body tensing, the trembling near enough violent through her body. 

Caleb used the blade to cut free her arms from the simple black linen that covered them, exposing deep thick scarring and geometric, near surgical neat lines from elbow to wrist. They looked like angry chasms against the womans pale skin showing the violence that had inflicted them. Some looked old, many years healed and faded to nothing more than slightly shiny welts against flesh, whilst several were still angry and pink and evidently newer in their acquisition.

Essek had, of course, seen images of such violent markings on Volstrucker corpses that had been obtained over the years, but hadn't been able to figure out what they meant, or why they all wore such markings. The running theory had been some sort of indicator to identify one another when out of duty. The other theory had been that it was to tally and mark their victims on their skin, like grim badges of honour.

Following the movement from Caleb, the drow saw that the wizards own arms were covered with bandages, the shirt bunched up around his elbows, hands steady and unflinching as he gripped the handle of the blade tighter. "My name is Caleb Widogast. That other man died with the fire. He is very much aware of that fact. And no, I shall not be returning to his side. He does not get to own me any more"

Pushing the tip of the blade into one of the thicker markings, scar opening up easily beneath the sharp metal, the Volstruckers eyes glazed over, going near unresponsive but awake and conscious, a whimper slipping out of her throat as blood oozed down the side of her skin, cut nasty and vicious with the old scar tissue at the edges. Caleb let out a humourless chuckle as he looked up towards Essek, brow raised, lifting the blade away to let it bleed freely.

"That is how you disable a Volstrucker, Shadowhand Thelyss. They all learn to dissociate and hide away in their own heads during training whilst the cuts are made. For this aspect only, of course, they do. She will be fairly useless for a while, until she comes back out of it" he spat slightly, voice laced with the same venom as before, tossing the knife back onto the table with a loud clatter, heading towards the door. 

"Caleb, wait!" Essek snapped loudly, grabbing the humans upper arm in a bid to stop the man, fingers popping slightly with the tight grip, shoulder crackling with motion. "She asked me...begged me to kill her. Said to shock the back of her neck during interrogation." he muttered quieter as he leaned in towards Caleb, as if the woman could hear in her far away state. He needed answers for his own curisoity, as well as for the Bright Queen. 

"Its how they got taught to end themselves, should they get caught by enemies. No second guessing, no waiting for instruction otherwise. One quick shock to the base of the skull to fry the brain stem. Fairly merciful considering the training and methods used by them on others. Cowards, the lot of them." Caleb shrugged as he looked to the woman slowly, his cold features softening ever so slightly. 

Flashes of a young boy sitting in a dark room with fresh cuts decorating his arms flickered to the wizards mind as he looked away from the Volstrucker. Memories of screaming and begging to die echoing around his skull.  He could almost smell the blood and magic coming from himself, hand scratching at the bandages without thought, feeling the long past burn and itch of what lay beneath. Esseks eyes flickered to the motion, brain quickly stating to catch up to himself. 

"You went through the same training, did you not, Caleb? Its how you know so much about them." 

The human turned his lip up slightly in disgust, eyes going cold once more. "Free her arms. Let her finish the job herself. She wouldn't dare go back to her master, and she had nothing else of use to give. And yes, I did a lifetime ago" he near enough growled, knocking on the cell door to be let out, hands pulling his shirt sleeves down roughly to cover himself properly once again, jaw tight and tense. "If you wish to discuss this, Shadowhand, now is your only time. I shall not be repeating this interaction again"

Essek, spurred on with the lure of information, hurriedly unlashed the womans wrists, before following the human back out of the cell. The Volstrucker remained motionless in the chair, arms still resting face up on the arm rests, breathing shaky and shallow, tears silently rolling down her cheeks. 

"My office then. With me, Widogast' The Shadowhand snapped darkly, gliding ahead of Caleb and to make his way back up towards his office. He needed to get the information out of the human before he closed up again. Needed to finally figure out what and how Volstrucker were trained. To answer all the questions dozens of corpses refuses to tell. Flicking his hand, the blood on the drows hands fizzled away to leave his fingers clean and pristine, gloves tucked away in his pocket to prevent getting them messy.

The splash of blood on his cheek remained, unnoticed. 

Caleb near enough marched silently behind the drow up towards the office, neither man talking or even looking towards another person as they entered. Several students hurried out the way, seeing the blood on the spy masters face, worry and caution whispering around. Several court members glanced Esseks way as he went past, used to the Shadowhands methods, and leaving him be as if it were another day. 

Once the door to the office clicked shut, Caleb started to roll his shirt sleeve back up, breathing slightly heavier and uneasy as he stepped over to the front of Esseks desk. "I had gone through the Volstrucker program as a young man, Essek. I failed the final exam, though. Failed" Caleb let out a humourless laugh at the word as he started to roughly unwind the bandage on his left arm with little care for the limb and fabric, still not meeting the drows face as he moved. Essek sat heavily in his desk chair, exhaustion starting to rapidly catch up on him.

"Failed is such a ridiculous way to look at it. But I failed in my teachers eyes, so I was taken off the programme and...away for a while. I have no doubt that you have read the papers that I had co authored in regards to the theoretical applications of Residuum for magical enhancement?' 

"I managed to have a brief look through the papers, yes. What does that have to do with the Volstrucker programme." Esseks mind felt more sluggish as he ached all over, his fingers and wrists swollen from use. He was trying to keep the trains of thought, the threads of information, together.  

Caleb pulled the rest of the bandage off, eyes finally meeting the Shadowhands as the material dropped onto the desk without ceremony. 'Because it wasn't theoretical, Herr Thelyss. On paper it was kept as theory, but I was the practice. The first success." He explained near casually, laced with bitterness at the end, stepping around the desk to kneel beside the tired drow, exposed arm held out in front of the man. 

The same geometric and surgical lines and scars showed over the humans arm, slightly less precise than the other Volstruckers. But Calebs contained faint green tinges just under the skin in several places, where the scars were wider and looked to have healed badly. Looked to have been prevented from healing from something or other. Essek sat up straighter in his chair, breath catching in his throat as he looked at the injuries.

"May I?" He asked quietly, hands hovering over the skin but not touching, looking towards Caleb for a moment and permission. Caleb nodded tightly, fist tight and shaking ever so slightly as he held it out, resisting the urge to pull his arm away and hide the marks once again. Essek very gently ran a finger over the markings, over where the faint green lay just under the skin at the mans wrist. "Are you telling me, Caleb, that you had Residuum put into your skin? You...the dates on your papers would put you at nothing older than 16 at that time!" 

A child! Esseks stomach churned slightly at the thought of Caleb as a child having such a thing sliced and inserted into his skin. He was many things, but the Shadowhand was very much above torturing and experimenting on children! He would have far sooner sliced into his own flesh than to strap a child down for a test! Who in their deluded mind would have used a mere child for such reckless experiment? No, not experiment. Torture!

"The younger we were, the easier it was for the crystals to not reject from us" Calebs voice came out quieter, less sure of himself, fist loosening slightly. "Sixteen was just the date the paper was published, Essek. I was thirteen when the first test was carried out. When the first time i was taken to the lab." he admitted, eyes looking down at the marks with sadness in his eyes, his free hand reaching out to move Esseks touch up near the bend at his elbow. 

"This was the first one that was implanted in. My thirteenth birthday present, actually. I woke up early that morning, so excited, and was led down towards the lab. I thought i was finally able to start learning more advanced magic, now that i was his prodigal apprentice. Told me to sit in the chair with my arms resting face up" Caleb spoke quietly, voice feeling further away as he felt the cooler touch of the drow on his marks. "He strapped my arms so tightly down, so very tightly. Gave me a strip of leather to bite down on as he cut without pain relief or hesitation. It took me seven minutes to lose consciousness. He was sewing up the insicion when i finally lost consciousness." 

Essek wanted to vomit, wide eyes looking at the man kneeling beside him, palm softly resting over Calebs forearm. "Th-thirteen?! You were just a child, Caleb..." he stammered slightly, mind reeling at the implication that each of the Volstrucker that had been found had been tortured as children. To have received such treatment so young. That the reason the woman down in the cells reacted in such a way to Calebs blade was due to trauma from receiving even worse treatment. The thought of daring to harm a Dynasty child in such a way brought bile to his throat "A child...why...why would someone do that?" 

A snort of bitter laughter came from the human, eyes still watching Esseks hand sadly. "Why do mages do anything? Knowledge. Power. He didnt wish to potentially harm himself if it meant that something would go wrong. So he did the next best thing. Test and practice on prodigies of magic after they got hand picked by him. Take them on as apprentices where no one would look or ask for the sad children, and make them into his Volstrucker. Or let them die in the process."

"The crystal near enough killed me that night, Essek. It burned so badly and tried to push itself back out of my skin. The fever was so high, i thought i was going to combust from the inside out...but i survived. It took, and eventually healed. And i got stronger and more powerful because of it. And so, my teacher wrote his findings down, shoved more crystals into my arms, and made me test my abilities again and again on enemies of the Empire. Against innocent people, i came to find out in time."

Esskeks phone started to buzz loudly as it rang, screen lighting up as the drow lifted it out of his pocket. The Dusk Captain. "She will be dead. They are going to tell you that shes dead" Caleb muttered quietly, starting to pull his arm away. Essek rest his palm on the wizards arm lightly to pause his movement as he answered the phone, putting int onto speaker. 

"Shadowhand Thelyss, the prisoner has been found deceased in her holding cell. The Volstrucker has appeared to have gotten her arms out of her restraints. We currently do not know how she has ended her life, but she has been found unresponsive and deceased in her remining bindings."

Essek glanced over at Caleb and gave a small nod, thumb stroking absentmindedly at the mans scar as he looked at his phone screen. "A shame. I got the information I needed from her, for now. Send her back to Rexxintrum like other Volstrucker that end up in our hands. And I want notes of any and all known Volstrucker, past and present on my desk at the earliest convenience."

"Yes, Shadowhand. It will be done"

Essek hung up the phone and pushed it away just slightly with a sigh,  resting his forehead on the desk with a sigh and light thud. "Caleb, she killed three men in Bazzoxan to try and fetch you. If you tell me that you are in danger because of them, I can put protections in place. But, if any Volstrucker get inside the court, or to Rosohna itself, then I cannot make you a priority. The Bright Queen must be kept safe above all else" 

"Essek, I have spent years keeping myself hidden from them. There is no need to worry now about my safety. I can very much look after myself" Caleb replied quietly, using his free hand to slowly rub the pained and tired drows back gently, below the mantles edge. "I can only apologise for the trouble that has been caused for my past. A past i thought had died with my name nearly 15 years ago"

More questions kept flooding into the Shadowhands head, as with each new piece of information, more confusion and queries took its place. Unable to lift his head from the desk, body throbbing and aching all over, Essek groaned quietly to himself, trying to force his body to cooperate and sit back up. It was unbecoming for him to be slouched and flopped over in such a way, especially in front of someone else. 

"Do not apologise for things out of your current control, Caleb" 

"Perhaps you should try and take your own advice from time to time, Essek" Caleb let out a small genuine chuckle, hands carefully easing the drow to sit back in his chair properly, one hand resting on the back of Esseks head regardless of the chair high enough to do so, fingers lightly running through the short undercut. "Are you able to block off the rest of your day to rest? Surely such a thing could be permitted after such interrogations from the Shadowhand?"

Nodding simply as he swallowed hard, Essek lifted his phone up to shoot off a handful of texts to both the Dusk Captain and Taskhand, informing them that he would be working out of the office for the rest of the day, and for any information to be emailed or text to him. Any important and vital updates were to be called immediately though. Sending the last message, the drow pushed his phone back into his robes with a sigh, rolling his wrists with a pained wince. 

"Now either you can stand up on your own, or ill pick you up, and take you back to your place." 

Essek frowned slightly, slowly forcing himself to stand. After giving himself the small luxury of sitting, his body didnt want to move, the aches and slipping joints causing a small hiss of pain to escape. The thought of the human manhandling him, dragging and carrying him through the halls to the transport circle, made the drows cheeks flush and heart race. Good or bad, Essek wasnt entirely sure at that point. 

"You will do no such thing, Professor Widogast" Essek huffed out, using his fists on the desk to help pull himself to his feet, elbows locking with a loud click, knees and hips making small pop sounds as they straightened. Caleb rose at the same time, scooping up the discarded bandage to start covering his arm once again. The human barely even looked at himself whilst wrapping the cloth, evidently so used to the motions that he could do it by muscle memory alone. 

"Wont i? I told you, Essek, i am not embarrassed and shy about such matters. I can and will carry you if i need to, if it stops you causing more injury to yourself" 

Swallowing slightly as he cast his floating cantrip, ache easing only minutely on his ankles and knees, the drow tried to make eye contact with Caleb, before looking away again. The mans blue eyes felt too intense to try and stare at. Ironic after multiple hours staring someone down whilst they had been writhing in pain. "You wouldnt dare. Not with so many of the court looking. It isnt..." he trailed off slightly, Caleb stepping up towards him, hand pulling his sleeve down to cover the bandages smoothly, brow raised. 

"Wouldnt i? Do you wish to test that theory, Herr Thelyss?"

Maybe, Essek thought to himself with a start, hands trying to distract themselves by patting around his person for his gloves. How unbecoming it would be for someone of the Queens court to be seen without the proper attire on in public. It was bad enough that he had walked up from the interrogation without the garments on in the first place. But twice? No, that would very much end up as a talking point to his Mother. 

Oh, Light, his Mother. Essek had dinner with her the next night, which he very much dread already. 

Pulling himself out of his mild dread spiral, hands still uselessly patting at himself, the drow found Caleb closer than before, standing by his side, almost just behind a shoulder. "You didnt answer me, Essek. Will you manage getting to the transport circles safely? Or do you require other transport to get home?" The teasing tone had dropped, now with genuine concern and softness that the Shadowhand was very much not used to. 

The human leaned down to Esseks potion drawer, pulling out a larger healing potion for the man, pressing the bottle into his hands. Essek didnt fight the silent demand, closing his eyes as he downed the herbal potion with as few mouthfuls as needed, several aches easing within his hands and shoulders. Some of the swelling in his wrist eased, but not fully dissipated. It never did.

"I can Teleport us" 

Us? Us?! Essek mentally kicked himself for the slip up, dropping the empty bottle into his small bin beneath the desk. He had just presumed that the human would be coming along with him, cheeks going a quick shade of plum as he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. Pulling out a few components from his wrist pocket, eyes not meeting Calebs, Essek slowly flexed and closed his free hand, the joints clicking loudly with each motion. 

"Then let us be on our way, Essek." Caleb slid to stand behind the drow, hands softly holding onto the mans hips, chin propping on his shoulder to watch him work. Essek knew that Caleb knew that touching that close was not required for a Teleport spell, especially not that close. The small thrill of being touched so causally sparked through the Shadowhands spine as he focused on the verbal part of the spell, eyes closed to help him concentrated more.

"Your shaking, Essek" he heard whispered softly against his ear just as the spell took hold, both human and drow flashing out of the office and into the main entryway of the Shadowhands home.