Galen Vesa

Greet. Bow. Smile. Tap the seal. Smile. Bow. Walk away.

A dress that left little to imagination and a plastic smile plastered on my face became a very essence of my days.

Bow. Smile. Bow again. Smile. Wave away.

The thumping of my seal counted my time as days became weeks and weeks became months.

Smile. Smile. Greet. Smile. Bow. Walk. Bend. Stamp. Smile. Bow. Smile. Bow.

Days slowly shrunk and even the most resolute flowers lost their petals.

Smile. Bow. Bow. Smile. Greet. Bow. Stamp. Bend. Smile. Stamp. Bow. Smile. Walk.

Trees doused the world with golden leaves and flocks of birds went looking for a warmer place.

Smile. Stand. Smile. Bow. Stand. Smile. Smile. Smile.

Even my dress changed into long and fur trimmed sleeves.

Smile. Smile. Smile.

Erta keeps on complaining about my new, over the knee boots. I’m getting blisters.

Smile. Stand. Walk. Walk. Bow. Bend. Smile. Stamp. Smile. Smile.

Vi keeps avoiding me. Zee’s not much of a company and Li hardly ever talks to me. I’ve slapped Tala hard enough to break her jaw. Chuko says she earned it, I don’t know. My arm just moved.

Bow. Smile. Stamp. Burn.

The seal melted in my palm and set the desk on fire. My face is stuck in a perverted grin.

“Karin, enough! Are you even listening to me?”

Should I be?

Where was I?

Why is a dog wearing a suit?

The trees look so bare, like claws raking the sky. Why are they looking at me? Twisting…

“I need a break.”

My own distant voice sliced the silence.

I had to use my fingers to count the time. I have not had a holiday for over five years and a world apart.

I walked to the open window and jumped. Erta’s charm activated before my legs touched the ground and I bounced up and away. Away and far, far away.

Ignoring the overcrowded streets, I jumped between rooftops, cutting through the air.

Within moments I reached the temple cliff and jumped pushed by the wind.

Fall from this high should kill. I breached the surface like a rock and sunk in the cold waters of the bay. All the while mana burned within me.

Cold waters of the sea closed above me. In dark silence I sunk, and no one stared at me.

Erta, what is wrong with me?

*Is that a rhetoric question? *

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Not laughing.

*Ah, forgive me. You are fine. Physically fit and well. A bit too well to be precise. Your mana gathers much faster than you use it. Your odd sensitivity makes it, peculiar. You must vent some of that energy. Just like a horse feeling the need to run. *

I stuck to the bottom of the bay and watched the waves roll over. Enchants and all the blessings burned my mana at a considerable rate.

Not fast enough to make a difference.

And the waves waved. Waved. Waved.

*Altina is looking for you. Take us to the shore, she is waiting. *

Swimming in boots don’t work. I pushed myself up and let the current carry me to the beach.

Impeccable, as always, the guild master waited at the edge of water. Slim and silver wand the length of my arm occupied her right hand while in the left she held a sabre. Even from afar I could feel the magic circling around her. How she found me?

I stopped to take off my boots, full of sloshing water.

“Karin? What is going on? You made us worry.”

I cast a glance at her, she did not lower her wand.

Holding the boots by their heels, I waited while the sea dripped out.

“Do you mind if I… leave for a while.”

I felt pounding in my head. Blood dripped from my nose.

Drip. Drip. Drip.

She came over and stopped within the reach of her blade. Her eyes judged me, and I knew I should have asked a different question. Is a place worth that much? I cleaned my nose against my palm, rubbing blood everywhere.

Crimson mist boils off my skin. And my eyelids close. I see fear. Should I ask? I ask.

“Do you mind if I come back at some point?”

Altina gave out a little sigh. Guards were gathering in a distance.

Fear. More. More. Fear.

“Not too soon, I hope. “

She sheathed her sabre but kept the wand at bay.

“It will take… a moon before it simmers down. “

She has no fear.

My body boils the sea away from my dress.

Pain.

She unbuttoned her shirt and reached for a leather pouch hidden there.

“For unexpected expenses.”

She put the pouch in my palm. She has no Color of fear.

“Go. I've cleaned up after Zee’s blunders, this is nothing compared to those. Come back rested because I will work your ass off for what you did. Those desks are expensive.”

Bow. Smile. Run.