> Galen Vesa

“Keep the book safe and hidden.”

I ordered and the wind took it away from my lap. The diary vanished as if it never been there yet the memory of it remained. I reached for the bottle to refill my glass and found it empty.

I have never drunk so much in my life and yet I felt steady. Perhaps that significant increase of mana density around my liver had something to do with it? Another charm the witch put upon this body?

I certainly did not appear drunk. Tipsy, maybe. Drunk? No.

What difference did it make? Magic would not let me fall. Or so I convinced myself as I rose and tiptoed to the sink and washed my glass.

Politics.

I never had any notion of it. On many occasions Sam tried to explain the subject to me yet each and every time he failed. My voting rights were limited anyway. But here? Elven infighting mattered to me even less than that. Yet…

Sharp jolt of pain dropped me to my knees. Again.

It started with an itch between my shoulder blades and grew in strength from there. Now the pain robbed me of any notion of control over my body. As if my spine wished to melt through my skin. For all I knew it could be so.

“My love, your vessel requires your attention.”

The wind pressed her lips against my back and sipped. The pain lessened instantly. The more mana she absorbed the better I felt.

The sad reason why I let her do so while a wave disgust generated by her touch flown through me. I already knew that measure gave nothing but temporary reprieve. The pain would return the moment my mana recovered.

Pain.

Not so unlike from the one I felt before I reached for the knife.

I gathered myself and shuffled along the wall to my bedroom where I dropped flat on the king-size bed in my dress. Without help I had no chance to peel it off me anyway and different matters required my attention.

Lair’s teachings helped me master some control over the mana flow within my flesh. If I were to be bold enough to claim it as my own. I no longer felt sure of that. Ever since we escaped that dungeon I had the most peculiar notion that it ~fit~.

More so, that it ~allowed~ itself to fit me. Although I cannot be sure whether the feeling came from the body or the mana gathered within in. Whenever I meditated and went to look at it, I knewit looked back at me. Snoring lizard be damned. If that thing ain’t sentient I may as well consider myself normal.

Moss came and rolled me off the bed. Her slim fingers quickly worked the ribbons holding the dress around me.

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Moss. Or should I say Lafirra? I grabbed the rim of her dress and lifted it up. I already knew she did not bother herself with any undergarments. Or perhaps they forbade her to wear any to extend her humiliation? Whatever the reason I could not find what I looked for.

Had the book been fabricated? Could that priestess compel the spirit against me? Moss did not move nor did she stopped me. Perhaps…

“Can you show me our secret?”

I asked remembering the phrase from the diary. The image still fresh in my mind.

At first she did not react. Then she took a step away from me and undone her own dress to let it fall to the floor. Her milky body shone with reflected moonlight.

And in that brightness, one by one, black feline spots began surfacing all over her body. The result of the fun they had with a brush and a bottle of ink. A memento Lafirra decided to keep.

“Are you still in there?”

She tilted her head to the left, her odd smoky eyes bearing no hint of presence or understanding.

Forced by the need I once more called upon the repulsive wind.

“Is the person she once were still present? Can she be released?”

At once the spirit took on her corporal form then gently placed a kiss on the slave’s lips and sighed.

Saddened, the queen turned to stand before me.

“That one is but a prisoner of its mind.”

She cleaned her lips with visible distaste.

“Foul magic my love. Foul dark magic. Do not concern yourself with it love.”

“You did not answer me.”

“Yes. The chain can be shattered and the body restored but the price my love, you may not like to pay.”

And for once she vanished of her own accord.

A prisoner. Just how much awareness does she have? More so, what my presence here must have done to her mind? I am sure Guilt won’t like it. Not in the least.

Once more I looked into her eyes.

“Allynna died a long time ago. What you are seeing is but a twisted shell of her that I use. I did not wish this upon her nor did I want what has become of me.”

I slowly blinked and at the same time let my third eyelids close. When I opened my eyes , black marbles stared at the unmoving girl.

“Her promise to you I shall keep. Let that be a price for the use of her body.”

A solitary tear escaped from one of her eyes.