Galen Vesa

“Would it hurt you if you behaved once in a while? “

Altina rubbed the bridge of her nose. Her office looked as if she lived here for the past two weeks. Hastily discarded clothes and mountains of paperwork occupied every inch of available space.

“I try my best but sometimes…”

“A. Well, perhaps you do. You still had not chopped a single one of those idiots so perhaps you do take care.”

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, her eyes scanning my frame hidden under a baggy cashmere sweater and plain leather pants.

“You seem to like this peculiar style. Are you not fond of the dresses I bought you?”

Em, dresses? Ah, those… masochistic fashion statements requiring help and at least an hour to put on. I have nothing against looking pretty but going through all that commotion only to get dressed? Each and every day? Yeah, nope.

“They are fine. It’s just,”

I tugged at my baggy sweater where my pillows lurked underneath the fluffy fabric, held in place by a roll of bandage.

“This is less hassle.”

“Well, it is your choice but do note, showing off your body can be beneficial to you. People hate elves. People hate what you represent. At least give them something to gawk at and it shall make dealing with them so much easier.”

She has a point there. Guards pitching a tent were more forgiving. Although I don’t think she called me here just to talk about dresses.

“Did my presence here caused trouble?”

“Not yet, I believe. At least I haven’t heard of anything new regarding your fame. Should I expect some news?”

That’s not a question I want to answer and frankly, the wolf seemed to know that sooner or later there will be some news. Whether it will be caused by me or by someone or something else, that remained to be seen.

“A letter came from the temple.”

She continued after a while, her claws drumming against her desk. Probably a habit she indulged in for a while now, given how worn out that part of her desk was. Whatever her reservations were, she gave up and continued after handing me the letter.

“Her holiness sends her deepest regrets for her inability to visit us in a timely manner and invites you come and talk whenever you please.”

There was a lot of emphasis put in her letter on the talk aspect of my visit. I wonder why.

“Will you mind if I go?”

“If she is still breathing after you leave the place then, by all means go. I won’t try to stop you either way. I doubt if I even could. Our contract expired the moment I withdrew from the emerald guild. I cannot order you to stay. Ah, also there is the matter of your participation in the new guild. As a member of the board there are certain responsibilities and…”

I raised my hand to stop her.

“I don’t care and I don’t want it. Power and politics are not among my interest. As for gold, having gold is nice and all but I can live without gold if I have to.”

Surprisingly, I can live without a lot of things. Not many people realize that freedom can more often come from having less than from having more. For sure it does not come from getting indebt to four entities that regard you as a snack or some sort of entertainment. Or both most of the time.

“Whatever those four cooked up, I fail to see what good can come out of this. At times they may seem to pamper me or others around me but I’m quite certain there are some ulterior motives hidden behind their helpfulness and I must admit I thought you would knew better and outright refuse their offer.”

“I would have but…”

“But they promised you something you would not obtain otherwise?”

“…yes.”

Her ears sagged.

“Well, I’m not exactly a religious person but I pray the deal you made was worth it and won’t come back to bite your fluffy ass. Do tell me if they’ll try to abuse you. I’ll do what I can.”

There was something in her eyes while she looked at me, that I could not read. A surprise?

“Thank you but that is my price to pay. Will you forgive me my selfishness?”

“Your ears.”

“A?”

“For some reason I get the urge to crease them. As a punishment, gimme those ears.”

Her check tufts puffed out in embarrassment, but she did acknowledge my request with a nod, so I went around her desk and run my fingers through her fur.

“So, what now? We're no longer bound by a contract. Will you be kicking me out?”

“What? No… Sah, lower… No, I will not… oh yes, there…”

What an interesting sensation. Her fur is much softer than I thought.

“There may be some work for you later. We have… plans…”

Were she a cat, I think her purrs would be rambling at this moment. Perhaps I should not push it any further. My body had a tendency to do funny things to other people so I withdrew my hands.

“Well, since you don’t mind, I will impose on you a bit longer.”

“Sah. Stay, I do not mind. It may terrify you but there are people who like you.”

She rubbed her chin as if what she announced also puzzled her.

“About the board, you really don’t want the seat?”

“No. I have neither will nor skill for such role. Use my looks or my mana but that’s the extent of help I can give you in running a guild.”

“I see. I that case I accept your offer. However, instead of a board seat, I will pay you ten percent of Guild's yearly earnings. Paid in installments every moon.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Altina's voice stopped me by the door. I nodded in agreement.

“Good, now if you intend on going, put your damn elven ass in that dress I bought you and go through the front door like a civilized person! No jumping over walls. No sneaking in. No threatening guards. You got an invitation, use it!”

“Now, that would destroy my reputation if I went there like an honored guest, wouldn’t it? I think I will pass. I know which balcony is hers, I should be able to jump there from the gate…”

“Why you damn tree hugger! Don’t you even dare!”

I slipped out of her office before she could aim her crystal inkwell at me. I had little need for a fancy reception. A quick question or two and perhaps a slap or a kick or maybe a right hook would suffice but…

“As much as I am happy to do the hitting and kicking, master, I am with the wolf on this one. Unconscious people are difficult to interrogate.”

“Et tu twigy? Where have you been anyway?”

“Helping out.”

Aha. Sure. Haven’t seen her around for several days.

“Helping with what? I haven’t seen you around.”

“Work. Master, I am always within you.”

That’s not going anywhere aside from creepy, is it?

“So, done with helping out?”

“No. I have come to make sure you are presentable.”

She tossed me over her shoulder and carried me away from library and back to my room.

In the end, I had to submit myself to the cheering crowd of maids that came with the dreaded dress. Just where does their eagerness come from?

On the other hand, this one wasn’t so dreadful. A simple bodycon dress with long sleeves, made of black leather. Although It did have a long, fancy lacing instead of a zipper and an excessive collar of crimson fur with black and silver spots. Soon my arms were locked in gloves trimmed with cuffs of similar fur and gleaming no less than the dress. Both were made of the same, possibly reptilian skin.

I'm begging to doubt the wolf’s fashion sense. Alas, there could be no mistake of what kind of boots I got. I'm betting at least seven inches this time. Nah. Those look like nine, well, maybe a bit ten-ish…

Eh, whatever. If the serpent won’t want to cooperate, I'll be at least able to stab her with my heel. Or threaten her that she'll end up as my purse. Or something.

“Now, that is much better. People might even consider you as a person.”

Cora once more readjusted my hairs when others left. She had trouble deciding what kind of style would fit with this dress so after a long barrage of redoes, she left my hair unbound and just brushed them out. Instead of a fancy hairdo, she brought me a pair of outlandish clip-on earrings. Well, even with a sledgehammer a blacksmith wouldn’t puncture a hole in my ear, so clip-ons were the only solution.

“Where did you even got those?”

I poked the crescent moon adorned with rubies and watch it sway along its tail of black feathers. These must be worth a fortune.

“I have purchased them from a jeweler in the upper town. Are they not to your liking, master?”

How on earth should I know? I never owned or worn earrings.

“Shopping? Really? How? No. Don’t tell me. It’s probably something I don’t want to know. Is the carriage ready?”

Altina insisted I take it and ride to the temple like a civilized person.

“Yes, master.”

“Well then, keep an eye on them for me.”

“As you wish, master.”

Cora smiled. Odd. Recently she did that quite often. Anyway, I opened a window and stepped out. Not the most natural thing to do but at least it spares me going down the stairs in those boots. Nine inches and a platform… I’m sure there’s some sort of bet going on. Maids checking out how far they can push it before I trip against my toes.

Wind caught me before I managed to hit the ground, dust rushed away from beneath my feet and… I felt nothing. How odd. She’s been leaning against me, her invisible arms wrapped around my torso and yet my body did not care.

I freed myself from the queen’s arms and entered the waiting carriage but even then her presence did no wane.

“Wat are you plotting?”

“Oh,”

Her body became visible, sitting across me and watching the streets passing by the window.

“Nothing. I came to observe. Mortals are a curious thing.”

Her inhuman face carried a warm smile, as fake as her body that rode with me.

“Observe? Haven’t you come to collect your reward?”

She watched me for a moment, colors in her eyes spinning.

“No. That can wait. We have all the time in this world. There is no need for undue rush.”

Her eyes appeared to swallow all she saw as if it fascinated her. An odd contrast with the one I knew before.

“Your predecessor held quite a different point of view.”

“And you fear I am one and the same? To a point that is true. We are all one but at the same time we are ourselves. A whole and a fragment. A whole is what we are and a fragment is who we are. I am her as she was me. I knew her as she knew me. I remember… but I am not the one.”

Well, my body did tolerate her presence. Maybe…

We want her.

Logic droned in my head. Yeah and I want a bra that can handle my pillows.

We need strength.

That I have too much of.

An image if a man stabbing me with a knife went through my mind. For an instant I felt the pain my body suffered in that moment. I had to close my eyes to steady myself. I had not felt pain in such a long time that even this simple memory felt excruciating.

We need strength. Strength the enemy cannot bypass. Gather any strength we can. We need her.

Wind cast me a curious look. I pat a seat beside me.

“Come.”

Her body floated over to my side her eyes eager. I took hold of her glimmering hand and brought it to my cheek. My dragon heart skipped a beat but beyond that, nothing happened.

“Would you still want to become mine?”

She leaned over to me, our lips less than a hair apart…

And she kissed my check instead and smiled.

“When your heart will truly allow that, I shall be there. Now I must leave. My sisters are complaining. If I stay any longer, we will gather their wrath.”

Then woosh she went while I sat there with a dumb stare plastered sll over my face. Did she just turn me down? Thank heavens that lizard could not see that.

The rest of the way I spent alone with my thoughts, pondering. So many unanswered questions kept rumbling inside my head that I had no idea where to start. Would that serpent know or even be willing to answer any of them? Would she know who has been pushing me around all this time? Why? And there was that message I believe meant for her.

“Miss?”

We arrived before I noticed and found myself staring blankly at the guild's guard that rode with the carriage and now opened the door for me. I had not seen his youthful face before, so I did not know his name but to my eyes he neither loathed me nor feared me. Rather, I would consider him a curious one and perhaps foolish since he stretched his arm toward me, offering his help.

Intriguing, he was a second one to offer such assistance. I took him upon his offer and held his hand as he helped me ease out onto the cobble stones of the temple's plaza. I have not seen this place before and I was unaware it existed but, well, perhaps that is how they build stuff out here. Back home every skyscraper would have an underground parking, here it seems, all important places would have a circular plaza with a fountain in the middle and a road going around it where carriages could load and unload visitors.

“Honored guest…”

Oh, I remember this guy. The temple guard that came to greet us, he was the one that took me on a little sightseeing tour of the temple when I last came here. This time however, captain's epaulets were shining on his shoulders. He visibly shivered when I offered him my smile.

“Her holiness is waiting.”

I thanked my guards and sent them away. I could go back alone. That way I moved much faster and, I wanted to take a stroll.

“This way please.”

“Not to the dungeons I hope?”

The knight paled and uttered an apology for his previous behavior. I could sense no anger in him and by the blob of mana I could feel ahead of us, we were going straight to the seer.

We passed through an excessively lavish chamber, possibly meant to impress arriving guests. It was stuffed with expensive items that held little to no value for me. What did pique my interest was the brief presence I felt from behind the door. Whatever that squamate did, seems like I wasn’t the only one planning to skin her.

My mana rushed out of my core and through my limbs while time came to a standstill. I pushed the double doors blocking my path and shoved them ajar, the force tearing the wooden wings off their hinges in a cloud and sparks and splinters. Ducking through that inferno frozen in time, I came to face a man wrapped in black cloth, suspended in air, his knife inches away from the serpents back. Grabbing his wrist, I snapped it like a twig while my other hand took hold of the intruder’s jaw. My thumb and index finger forcefully slipped into his mouth where a curious glass vial awaited. I pushed it out with my finger and let the time return to its rightful flow.

An explosion of wooden splinters peppered my back while the woman I held screamed in pain. A woman huh? I wouldn’t guess. Her shock lasted only a moment and she tried to free herself by assaulting my midsection with her legs. Judging by the crack I heard, something must have broken in her foot.

“You have two options:”

I said as the guards began pouring in.

“You speak and probably die a painless death, or I’ll make you speak and death will not find you until I am satisfied.”

She took quick store of her options. Between her useless arm I still held, her jaw my nails were digging into and the guards crowding behind me, she choose her final option, with her only free hand, she grabbed another dagger and rammed it into her own heart.

To her surprise, nothing changed aside from my water ring guzzling down some mana. She tried again and again until I broke her arm.

“I see.”

I whispered into her terror-stricken face while My eyes bean to bleed as Rage began to bubble up.

“Then we shall talk.”