Galen Vesa

When I was a child, I had a love for books. Mutual perhaps. If I try to remember, books were the closest thing I had to love before love died in me.

There were days, sometimes even weeks of calm in my first life when I almost belonged. Almost being the key word. Just in this or that institution people were too mellow to bother with me. In those rare cases I let myself fall into the arms of an old chair and let the passion for books take over.

I loved it.

Such an odd taste that is in my mouth. I can no longer understand why I did it. What pushed me into the worlds hidden behind the pages?

That I lost.

*Focus dolt, you are not listening. *

“No, I am not. Let us end for tonight. My mind wanders.”

And my back hurts.

Ever so slightly, more.

*Does something bother you? *

“No. Yes. I don’t know? I don’t care.”

Ask a stone if it’s happy to be a stone.

“I am what they made me. I use what I am. I do what I can and I don’t do what I can’t. ”

Though, at times I could feel something within me rebel against our choices. It desired action and I gave it none. To be of use. To burn. To cause pain. More pain I did not want.

I am a coward, I think. I don’t like pain.

*I see. Very well human. Go to sleep already but tomorrow you shall try to keep the spell going for as long as you can. Maintaining the shield should become your second nature and perhaps the repeated use will increase your tolerance. Then we might try some more advanced spells. *

That and the like she said. Every night when I laid my body to rest, she kept me practicing in our private place. We start with exercises Lair taught me. Then we do a few more Erta came up with. Focusing on breathing and guiding the mana flow within my limbs.

And trying not to scream in pain.

That one being the hardest one. I can stab my palm with a fork for all I want, and I feel nothing. I can put my fingers between the doors and the doorframe, shut them, slam them and I’ll feel nothing. Not a single thing. Not a tingle. Not an itch. Well, thanks to the spirit blessing, the doorframe would splinter before any could come to me but that is beyond the point. The moment I try to gather any meaningful amount of mana in any part of my body, I burn with pain. And it does not get easier with practice. On the contrary. I think it is getting worse. Like the pain in my back.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

*Galen, there is nothing wrong with your body. I can feel every bit of it as you walk, talk, or sleep. I can feel every wrinkle in the bedsheet under your butt and yet I can not feel any pain…*

She paused looking up.

*But I can feel you have company. Go, tonight lessons are over. *

She pushed me out, back into reality.

“Forgive me, I did not wish to wake you.”

Said the pervert with her hand sight-seeing the peeks of my pillows. I really, really should practice how to sigh. It would be oh so useful in such moments.

“Vi, either make up your mind or stop. You need rest.”

Her eyes were drunk with passion. I had to force her hand away from my body. It took a moment for her mind to regain control over her emotions and a while before the realization struck her. She stood frozen, unsure what to do or say.

“Don’t trouble yourself. Whatever you felt, it is fake. My body can do that to others. There are charms on it I cannot get rid of. Charms that can make others addicted. Make them do what they would not do otherwise.”

And a plethora of other similar and bothersome crap concocted by the scarlet witch and twisted askew by the spirit magic made physical contact with my body more dangerous than cocaine. It took me a whole minute to locate and cut off the mana flow to the charm affecting Vi. Yet she still stood there, between the crack in the curtains strung around my bed.

“Yes, you already told me.”

She cast a quick glance at Zee’s empty bed. The sloth been gone for several days on a request.

“And…”

Her nightgown slid off her shoulders.

“I have made my choice.”

She got on my bed and closed the curtain behind her. Erta rolled her eyes and gave us some privacy and, I am no hero. Logic saw nothing against it while Pleasure whispered to me all the ways I could use my extended tongue.

“Don’t be so stiff, I know what you are.”

Vi climbed over me and lowered herself so we could kiss.

“I paid for charmers before. I want the full package.”

I could not read her face. Neither I wished to. Instead, I relaxed and let the mana flow. Perhaps the charms would burn off some excess and my back would stop hurting.

Perhaps.

Vi rumbled with pleasure as the charms came to life.

Suffice to say, we got hardly any sleep.

She dropped nine golden coins on my pillow before she left.