What if Alvah went left with the sword of woe and glee

Standing on the road. Sword in hand, Random with the Jewel of Judgement, Bleys Benedict and Caine just stepped through.

A thought crosses Alvah her mind. What are they waiting for... why are they here.
As usual a conflict of thoughts start,

Are they here for protection.
they might but remember the tales of Dalt at the gates of dawn?
I am not as important for that, they are here for the sword.
Exactly.. they do not care about you... they only care to use you till you have no use left.
They are family... Random, Bleys they showed they care.
Suuure.. care. They care for you as a cute little puppy. But you've bitten their hands to often already. They're waiting to put you down.

Her eyes glide over to the other way of the road. She could rush for it. Rush ahead Vek said he would follow.
They had caused trouble in Azcala before. Alvah looks down at the sword.

If i go i burn alot of bridges.
If you don't Azcala will never heal.
I am not in the power to heal it fully that takes time even with the sword
You will be glorious, blood will flow, flames will devour.
What if something bad happens. What if Vek..
oh stop it.. Vek.. mighty Vek. He will be a force beside you to achieve your goal.

"And now with this in hand. I can put a stop to things." It was only a mere whisper Vek might have heard.
She exhales a deep breath and with a most serene look on her face she looks up at Vek.
They know eachother now. Spend plenty of time together. He nods.
He already said he would follow.

Alvah doesn't look back to the other side and with Vek they rush over the Jeweled Road.

Lets burn that place to the ground.
Blood will flow....
Flames will devour....
Azcala will be freed
The sword seems lighter in her hands.

Half expecting to be stopped Alvah keeps her body tensed to defend from attacks behind them. Nothing comes.

After a bit, having left the Amberites behind them horses arrive where they are. Or they arrive where horses are and they ride on.

Vek does look at Alvah, is that worry in his eyes?
No he said he would follow.

Again his eyes upon her. Alvah speaks with a certainty she had never felt before.

They ride on in silence.

The borders of Azcala. The sword humms with a power it has picked up on Alvah her wishes on her plan, it agrees. It has tasted blood on their way to Azcala and now it will serve to free her people.

As Alvah or Avaxala was revered in the realm of Zunala the realm which had belonged to Xolotl. They decide to start there. And indeed is she welcomed by some as the deity which reputation has grown around her.
Avaxala starts her base her together with Vek. It is not much unlike their starting their gladiator school. Training people. Getting a trusted base. Having the resources the expand.
Word had reached others. Well perhaps not word perhaps they felt the power of the sword present.
Being ready for Tonacat to snatch it out of her hands Avaxala was surprised to see her mother.

Cihalas was careful with her ways and words but it was clear she wanted to get in the good graces of me. Alvah enjoyed it. She allowed it to continue.
Not late after Cihalas Aztilios came back. How pathetic. Alvah never liked the little weasel. Thinking she would ever love him or fall for him. Just to keep it in the family.... sickening.
When Alvah dismissed Aztilios and send him away.she had not expected him to return with some force.
He was convinced Vek was a bad i fluence. He swore to rid him out of my life.
And with an attack which harmed both Aztilios almost did rid Vek out of Alvah's life.

She was in time. Alcah nursed Vek back to health but seeing how fsr her family would go to destroy her happiness. Alvah was done. With the sword she decapitated Aztilios. No more would one come near her. Like a queen of blood and death, fire and passion she guarded Vek and her people.

Cihalas, after the death of Aztilios went away. Perhaps fearing Alvah or fearing her own neck.

Years pass, Vek recovered and stayed with her. Though Alvah. Or Avaxala had changed. She had become mean, cruel ruthless. She required loyalty or death from any of her subjects. An elite female guard of amazonian like warriors have been trained and are by her side often.

It was one night when Vek and Alvah retreated to their private chambers its that Vek spoke up. Alvah had changed. She was not the same and Vek could not find a shred of who she once was in her ways.

Avaxala laughed amused, mockingly. She spoke with such disdain. That who ever would want to be a sniveling litle bitch like that.
When Vek brought it up again. She would laugh and dismiss Vek. Untill one day he really didn't return.

The reign of Goddess-Empress Avaxala flourished.

A vision of herself on a throne the burning glow of a city, the sunset and the home stone all glowing bright. Lighting the mount of bones and skulls her throne rests on.

Behind Avaxala a figure walks up. Hands placed on her shoulders.

Tonacat behind his now ruling granddaughter still the ultimate ruler of the realm.

With a yell of shock Alvah sits up right. She doesn't sweat often but her side of the bed feels wet. Looking next to her she sees Vek.... she didn't wake him. Good. He is breathing, not hurt... it was a nightmare.

Sitting up she swings her legs over the side of the bed. And as she does the feeling creeps up... Alvah feels physically sick. It had not happened often that she did... Rushing to her chambers bathroom she hurls out all that was in her stomach and more.

It feels like hours till finally her body settles. Feeling drained and confused Alvah doesn't even get up of the cold stone floor. The cold helps her stay awake.

~it was just a dream.~

With legs pulled up and arms over her knees she burries her face huddling up like a little ball. Alvah just starts to cry.

Footsteps near her. Door opening and through tears and lashes she looks up who it is.

~Random THoughts~

Looking to her right she sees Random leaning against a wall in the hallway of the Waymet. He motions with his finger for silence and for Alvah to follow him.

Walking down stairs to the coming room a single man leans sleeps near the bar. The hearth is square affair with coals showing its early in the morning.

He pats a seat by the coals, smiles at the sword in her hand. "Stir the coals. Put that thing to some good use. I smelled coffee last night so I'm going to see if any is hot."

She thinks how awkward it would be to stir coals with the huge blade but turning she sees that though the weight in her hand is the same its size has changed. Now it seemed no more then a long red obsidian blade a foot long.

Returning with two large tankards, a coffee pot, and loaf of crusty rye bread he sets the coffee to boil.

"You know many things have been said of my reign but it is nearly universally agreed by my siblings that bringing coffee to Amber is a sign that it is my goal to be benevolent to my people. Can't say I disagree. Oberon, among his many faults, was a tea drinker. By bringing coffee to Amber it has been discovered in uncountable shadows. Apparently including the one this waymet is in. I see the sword is being cooperative. It will do that. I can sense it trying to woo you with dreams. The jewel is blocking its attempts to reach out to others of your line but it can stop it contacting you because you hold it. Its sentience is of a non-verbal kind but my understanding is that it wishes to give pleasure and pain. Hence the name. I didn't see your dream but the stone tells me the sword is attempting to lure you into taking it to Azcala. Expect it to play with your head. "

He sighs, removing the jewel of judgment. "Life was simpler when inanimate objects didn't poke around in my head. I can't get a straight answer from it. You know i was always a hedonist. My brothers fought between each other for everything. Anything one had the others wants. Our whole family is fraught with personal competitions. Eric & Corwin. Osric & Benedict. Elfwine & Finndo, Llewella and Fiona. And the family has its fair share of kin that for one reason or another hate the homeland. Borlak, Orasolla, Nina and Emilie, Delwin and Sand, and of course Dalt for a long time. The next generation is full of the same kind of conflicts but for the most part they were not raised under Oberon's thumb. Once i walked the pattern I spent most of my time in shadow just to get away from the drama. "

He pats a spot between the two of them. "Put the sword here. You are safe to release it. Its not going anywhere. "

After she does he says, "I told you all that because that blade has an intellect and an ego of its own and it will try to control you. Now that you've touched it I can sense it is trying to convince you to go to Azcala. No matter what the blade says, offers, or wants, the moment you entered Azcala Tonacat would seize the blade and probably put you in his family sacrifice rotation. The sword is powerful but not enough to help you defeat Tonacat. I am working on something else for that."

---

While listening to Random and now and then giving the sword a glance as it lays between them, Alvah looks tired, ashamed, worried. It is a look that hasn't touched her face often, gratefully she smells the coffee, indeed benevolent king. Though the slight smile that sparked at the scent and thought of coffee fades quick as Alvah once more glances at the sword. Her eyes do actively avoid Random's.

In a soft voice staring at the coffeepot Alvah replies after a moment.

"I'll be honest, i was scared to pick it up. Though when i saw it was Xolotl something just snapped and i had the urge to ram it through his chest. He was already withering away though. "

Alvah looks worried at the sword.

"The dreams will stop right? After i release it? After we hid it away? Tonacat will not find me, or it..... right?"

For the first time she looks up since they sat down to look directly at Random.

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