Work Text:
Claudia`s life was a Countdown towards her end.
Terry knew it, and so did everyone that looked at her.
Hair once dark brown now pure white.
Face once young , now aged decades.
Her Skin getting paler everyday, showing veins.
Eyes he had once lost himself in.
Leaf green eyes, that reminded him of Xadias beautiful forests…..
Now two pitch black holes, showing too much excitement and passion whenever she cast a spell.
Dark magic had a price just like following Aaravos did.
Unfortunately Claudia was too enchanted by his words to notice.
“ We will unite humans and magical creatures. No one will have to live in fear ever again “, He promised with that deep soothing voice of his.
False promises, lies.
Terry had seen Katholis castle, heard of Lux Aurea.
Ruins, hundreds dead because of Aaravos plan.
Humans used like pawns, on his path of revenge on Xadia.
He wanted to control both, shape them in the way he thought was ideal.
No matter the cost.
Maybe it would bring him peace, but certainly not everyone else.
Sadly Claudia didn’t seem to realize that.
Terry couldn’t really blame her.
She had suffered so much in the last years.
Why would she question what Aaravos had to say?
He was the one who showed her a new pourposse, picking up the pieces of her shattered heart.
She looked at Aaravos, eyes glinting in adoration.
She had looked at Viren in a similar way…..
Terry felt nauses.
“ This was a good start, rest now. We will continue this journey tomorrow.“, Aaravos said, a father proud of his daughter.
Wasn’t that what Claudia needed?
A comforting echo of what she had lost?
But was it really worth if she harmed herself so much by following it?
He knew that he had to talk to her, but somehow he was just never brave enough to.´
Claudia nodded, with a satisfied smile.
Aaravos disappeared into the air leaving Claudia and Terry alone standing in the ruins of the Moon Nexus.
His soldiers, a dozent humans, and a few skywing elves , made camp further into the forest.
No one would disturb them for a while.
Terry watched Claudia silently, for a moment.
She stood in front of him, back turned, silently watching the lake.
The Sun was setting an orange fireball, lighting the cloudy sky up in a light pink.
Bathing the Nexus in golden light.
He wondered what Claudia was thinking about.
Maybe about today's events.
Maybe even feeling guilty about taking part in them
That should have given him a spark of hope.
Instead her silence made him feel uneasy.
The old Claudia rarely had been quiet, it happened more often now.
One of the things that made him worry about her.
He walked to her side, gently taking her hand.
He wanted to say something, to ask if she was okay.
But for some reason he hesitated.
Maybe because this moment seemed so peaceful, so unlike everything that the last two weeks had been like.
He just wanted to enjoy it.
“ This could be the perfect scenery for a romantic date.“, Claudia said, but her voice sounded tired, and distant.
Terry felt a sting in his heart.
He forced a smile as he looked at her.
“ Yea, just like our evening in Moonshadow forest, remember the cute Adoraburrs?“he asked, feeling nostalgic.
A year since their first meeting, four months into their relationship.
They had rested their after a day of traveling, to collect something Claudia needed for a spell.
An evening, full of laughter, talks, and awkward dance attempts.
Claudia still didn’t face him, but she managed a smile.
He liked that it was softer, than the one directed at Aaravos.
“ Of course ! Those little guys, that kept getting stuck everywhere! We really should have taken a few with us!“, Claudia said in disappointment.
This wasn't the first time Terry heard her express her regrets about this.
He had always found Claudia's fascination with magical creatures to be adorable….
Now a part of him wondered what kind of dark magic she would have used them for.
The thought left a bitter taste in his mouth.
No, Claudia, at least back then wouldn't have hurt innocent creatures like that.
Like she hadn’t told him how she killed a deer to help her brother walk again.
„ That was out of desperation.“, he told himself.
„ How many has she hurt in the last years out of desperation?“, a voice in the back of his mind replied.
“ They seemed pretty happy in their territory, I don't think they would have been pretty happy, being away from their home.“, he said casually, interrupting the argument inside his head.
He didnt want to think negatively of Claudia.
She just wanted to protect those she loved.
Claudia sighed and turned towards him, frowning.
“ You are right, but maybe we can return there one day, you know when all of this is over.“ She proposed, motioning towards the ruins.
Terry winced slightly.
He tried to ignore how her eyes pierced through him.
She had sounded too careless, too cold for his liking, as if today was just a hard day of work.
Well maybe because that was what Aaravos called it.
A sudden surge of angry determination gripped him.
He gripped her hand tighter.
“ Why not go now, we can pack together our stuff, and ride out by nightfall!“, he suggested, enthusiastically.
He knew how Claudia properly would respond.
He still clung to the possibility of getting surprised
She shook her head.
“ We can`t, you heard Aaravos he still needs us.“, She said in a mixture of disappointment and guilt.
A mixture of frustration and hope rose in him.
She was deeply loyal to Aaravos but maybe if he managed to convince her of going away with him for a few days…..
He could save her from this dangerous path.
Dark Magic, Aaravos.
They could start a simple, peaceful life in Xadia.
Forgetting Aaravos and her own self destruction.
He reminded himself to slow down.
Claudia in her current mindset would propaply not like his plans for their future.
One thing after the other, for now they just needed to get out of here.
„ I think an all powerful startouch elve like him can take care of himself for a few days.“, He joked.
Apparently Claudia did not find it funny.
She let go of his hand, her eyes narrowing.
“ You don't like him.“, Claudia claimed sternly.
Somehow it felt like she was accusing him
Terry was surprised that she hadn't figured it out sooner.
He was getting slightly nervous.
Was this the right moment to voice his doubts?
To tell her about Aaravos true nature?
How much would that hurt her?
He didn’t want to hurt her at all.
He took a deep breath.
“ No I don't. He hasn't given me much of a reason to.“, Terry said calmly
Claudia tilted her head to the side in confusion.
„ Why? He has helped so many , since I freed him !, Humans, even elves after what they did to him!“, Claudia said defensively.
Aaravos had grown quite the following over the last year.
Poor, desperate, power hungry, all over Xadia and the human Kingdoms.
„ How did joining his cause help any of them? They are just his pawns now used to destroy everything and everyone that stands in his way.“, he said sternly.
Claudia rolled her eyes, in annoyance.
“ You`re starting to sound like Ezran, Callum and Soren ! It's not Aaravos' fault if some people are too stubborn, to see that he wants to change things for the better. They think just sitting around, talking will be enough to settle all of our differences,but it's not. We need a real change and Aaravos knows that!“, She explained, crossing her arms.
She was starting to get angry.
He had known that this conversation wasn’t going to be easy.
Yet hearing her be so enchanted by Aaravos made him doubt if it even made sense to argue with her
“ And to achieve that change we have to go around destroying whole cities, villages and magic sites. Look around you Claudia ! How does this destruction solve everything! Talking may not be the answer, either but it has to achieve more than this ! Aaravos doesn’t want us to because he doesn’t want peace. He wants us to be his pawns running around enacting his revenge“, He said gesturing to the ruins with his hand.
He didn’t mean to say the last part but it also felt freeing to finaly voice his frustrations.
Finally tell Claudia what had been on his mind from the day Aaravos was freed.
Claudia's face hardened, Terry`s chest tightened with dread.
“ He was there for me when dad died. I thought I was going crazy, you helped but still the pain, the nightmares were getting worse everyday. He was there teaching me how to deal with it, reassuring me that everything will be okay. He knew what it was like, you know because of his daughter, and that's why he couldn't stand to see me drown in my grief. He's angry at Xadia, at the startouch elves yes, but doesn`t he have a right to be?They are ones who forbad humans magic, that banished us for finaly finding a way to survive. Our attacks on them and their allies arent meant to harm anyone, Aaravos just wants to teach them what it was like for us. To struggle everyday, to desperately try and keep our loved ones and ourselves alivbeforee , and sometimes to still lose them. Maybe that’s a lesson they need to learn they can accept us.“, Claudia said calmly.
A part of Terry understood her.
He wasn`t human, but being with Claudia had taught them a lot about them and their history.
He had also heard children’s stories about startouch elves.
How cold and distant they where, obsessed with the greater good putting it over all other lives.
He understood and yet he still didn't aggree with Claudia`s mindset.
She still thought fighting for Aaravos using dark magic was about protecting those she loved.
Because for her it always had been like that.
She didn't even realize that now her dark magic had become a tool for Aaravos to enact his revenge.
“ Why would they after, Aaravos took so much from them? Huge parts of their culture, homes, family and friends. After we helped in those attacks. You can blame elves for not helping humans when they struggled without magic even for banishing them after they discovered dark magic when all they wanted was a way to survive. But is what Aaravos is doing to them any better? How can we coexist if we keep trying to destroy each other?“, He asked, feeling uncomfortable.
He suddenly wished they had stayed on the topic of their past dates.
It would have been easier than this.
Claudia's eyes narrowed, her expression hurt.
“ So you are taking their side now?“, Claudia asked voice dangerously low.
This had been a mistake.
He should have known that Claudia wouldn't listen to him.
She believed in Aaravos in dark magic.
Why couldn’t she believe him too?
He felt a lump on his throat.
He should apologize for upsetting her, change the subject to something lighter.
He looked at her, eyes, hair skin, marks of dark magic.
She wouldn't accept that Aaravos was trying to lead the world into ruin.
Perhaps it was time to share another problem he had with Aaravos with her.
„ No!….I'm sorry it's just ... .I want this all to stop…..the constant fighting….I can see how it wears you down and…..I worry about you.“, Terry said, voice shaking slightly.
Claudia seemed to process his words for a moment, then her expression softened.
“ You`ve seen me use dark magic for years Terry. I`ll be fine and if it gets really bad I will just take a break.“, She said reassuringly.
Terry was glad that she wasn`t mad at him anymore, yet he couldn’t help but feel regret about not having doubts about dark magic earlier.
“ That's just it. Aaravos doesn't seem to let you take breaks! You damage yourself for hours everyday and he doesn't care. You never used dark magic so much in the last years as you do now! It's affecting you Claudia, physically and mentally and I don't know how long you can keep going like this!“, Terry said in desperation.
Doubt flickered over Claudia's face for a moment, she looked to the ground.
Had she asked herself this question before?
Was there doubt about her overuse of dark magic in the back of her mind?
Her face lit up again, and she looked at him smiling.
“ I can until Aaravos wins, which he told me won't take long.“, She said optimistically.
Terry did not trust a word that Aaravos said, and hoped that this time the startouch elf had been lying too.
He did not want to see Aaravos win.
“ What if he’s wrong? What if it takes longer than expected? How much will using dark magic destroy you until it's over?“, He asked in frustration.
“How much will be left of you?“
He wondered if Claudia had asked herself this question too.
He certainly had every night, often lying awake for hours, in her arms.
Claudia was silent for a moment, deep in thought.
Then she sighed.
“ It's not that damaging if you`re careful. Besides, no one said fighting for peace would be easy.“, She said, sounding tired.
Terry didn't want to bring up his thoughts on Aaravos' idea of peace again.
It was no use anyway.
At Least he could still open up to her somewhat.
He had overestimated himself earlier
Believing that he could open her eyes, about Aaravos, a mastermind of Manipulation.
He couldn't do that, but maybe he didn't need to.
Claudia took his hand between hers, tracing fingers over his knuckles.
“ If it helps you, I will remind yourself to rest from time to time. We could maybe take a one hour break after my ordinary training sessions with Aaravos. One small or big break , depending on what Aaravos wants us to do after the battle.“, She said, expression excited, like always when she had an idea.
Terry couldn't help but smile.
He felt relieved, that the tension of their previous argument seemed to have lifted.
He was also glad that Claudia clearly wanted to make an effort to look after herself.
Perhaps, that was a good start.
The first step of her rejecting her self destructive path.
It would take time for her to realize the full truth about Dark Magic and Aaravos.
But like with peace and coexistence it would happen, eventually, and he could wait.
“ That sounds great! We could use the next one to have a real date, maybe we can find a meadow to sit and watch the sunset, well if the time fits!“, He agreed, happily.
Claudia, grinned, wrapping her arms around his waist.
She kissed him, and he returned it, blushing.
At that moment he was sure he would stay by her side no matter what.
Nothing would let him abandon Claudia.
Not dark magic, and not Aaravos.