When Vynera first awoke, she had no way to know how much time had passed. Her body, protected as it was, gave her no sense of being asleep for so long; she simply woke, feeling refreshed. But the most important thing she noticed was she could no longer feel the ties to any of the abominations she had created. Either time, or violence, had ended them all. It was mildly discouraging, but Vynera had not depended on their presence, so she brushed the thought of them aside. She would have to start from scratch, but she had suspected that would be the case. Even though she had to start all over again, Vynera was confident enough in her powers that she almost welcomed the challenge.
So she spent time thinking about her next course of action. She knew she had been asleep for at least a hundred years, possibly more. Even if it was only the bare minimum, that was a lot of time to pass, and changes surely would have happened. Vynera knew she needed information, and from someone who was willing to give it. Coercion could work wonders in some situations, but in this instance, she needed a willing accomplice. She didn’t need to trust them as a person, but she needed to be able to assess that their interests would align. After all, trust had never gotten her very far in life. Pondering over the matter, she decided that a criminal might suit her purposes nicely. In the past she found that many criminal types made good servants, as long as she kept them frightened enough.
Using her transformation magic, she turned herself into a crow. Such birds were common among cities, and this would allow her to observe the people undetected. Or, rather, even if someone looked directly at her, they wouldn’t pay her much mind. It took her a little while to adjust to her smaller size, learn how to manipulate her wings, and make use of the air currents, but Vynera was nothing if not a quick learner. Soon enough, she was soaring through the sky towards where she remembered the closest town was. To her dismay, that town was no longer standing, but after resting in the ruins for a bit, she ventured a little further and found a living community.
From atop a signpost, Vynera watched the people, picking up on their mannerisms and ways of dressing. There was a languid sort of indolence to the way they moved and spoke; a lot of their clothing were impractical and showy, at least, for those who could afford it. Status and class seemed very important to them, as did the appearance of wealth. While the town wasn’t completely unarmed, it seemed as though the guards largely existed to protect the wealthy from those who might envy them their position. The town wasn’t walled, and didn’t even have proper guard posts. Vynera could only laugh internally at how easy it would be to take over such a town. Apparently the people had learned nothing from last time.
After viewing the people long enough to get a basic grasp for how to blend in, Vynera spread her wings and made one last stop as a bird. Flying over the town, she eventually found the city jail, a dark, squat, ugly building guarded by two men. She would have to find a way into that building. Satisfied with her findings, Vynera flew a little ways away from the town. Shifting back to her natural form, she took a brief rest. As impatient as she was, she knew altering her form again too rapidly wouldn’t be a safe move. Especially since she was feeling slightly sluggish from the effects of the sleeping spell. But, she could afford to wait. Sampling some nearby fruits, she replenished her energy.
For the next part of her plan, Vynera shifted her form to that of a male human, largely nondescript, but still being somewhat on the tall and broad side; she didn’t want to look like a pushover. Altering her clothes to look well off, but not too well off, she set off back to town. She took care to walk with a confident swagger, not wanting to look meek or like she didn’t belong. Presentation was everything. Even though she trusted her magic, if she didn’t act the part, her appearances would do little to protect her. And she didn’t want to reveal that she was awake. Not yet. Powerful magic was useful, but the element of surprise would make things that much easier for her. With this in mind, she approached the town jail.
“Excuse me sir, but ya can’t go in there.” One of the guards shifted to block her path.
“Not even if I really want to?” Vynera jingled her money pouch meaningfully.
“Well…” The guard’s eyes lit with avarice, but he didn’t move yet.
“I would only be doing my duty as a good citizen to ensure you and your parter are fit to guard this building. It’s dreadfully cold and the chill may dull your wits. The taverns are nice and warm and their services will lift your spirits.”
“Since you put it that way, my partner and I will thank you for being so dutiful.” Vynera passed the money pouch to the guard. He and his partner left, leaving Vynera free to enter the jail. She laughed to herself as she entered. No further guards were encountered as she walked through the hallways. Wandering past the tiny, barred windows of the cells, she heard the prisoners call out to her, some cursing, some pleading. Scanning those faces pressed against the bars revealed many kinds of people. Most of them acted too stupid for her plans, and a few seemed too smart.
After looking everyone over many times, and asking a few, well-placed questions, she found the man she wanted. He was quite average in height and build with the slightest shadow of a beard. In his face, Vynera could see a degree of intelligence that was workable. He wasn’t very old, only slightly younger than her own appearance, and was therefore more impressionable.
“I have a proposition for you, but only if you don’t screw it up by doing something rash. I’m coming in now; if you try to escape or harm me, you will regret it,” Vynera said, making sure to put just enough threat in her words to catch the man’s attention. The man nodded to show his compliance, or at least his understanding, of her words. By the look on his face, Vynera could tell he was already trying to find a way to turn the situation to his advantage. But she was pretty sure that things would go according to her plan, not his. She held all the cards. Satisfied, Vynera opened the door and stepped inside the cell, shutting it swiftly behind her. The man looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to say something of interest to him. Vynera liked the look of impatience, but wondered if it would cause her trouble later on.
“First of all, I want your name.”
“It’s Jyshen, and you’d better get to the point before I get bored. You don’t seem to be in a position to risk that.” Beneath the prisoner’s threat, Vynera could see the uncertainty. She got the impression that he suffered from a lack of power and control. She would soon fix that to her own ends. As the prisoner spoke, Vynera wove a looping illusion around the cell to prevent anyone else from peering in on her private business.
This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
“Patience, my friend,” Vynera said, her tone faintly dry. After all, they certainly were not friends, and they never would be. Vynera didn’t have much reason to look for friends; only accomplices and servants. Before he had time to chafe at her presumption, Vynera dropped her disguise spell, revealing her true appearance instead of the plain, broad man he had originally seen. Like many in Ivelcour, he held magic with awe and suspicion. For a few moments, the prisoner was silent, trying to come to terms with what he witnessed and what to say about it.
“Who are you?” he finally managed. Vynera laughed, the sound bell-like and mocking.
“Has the world forgotten the name of Vynera?” she asked.
“You can’t be! Vynera is a myth of Solumina.”
“Oh, a myth, am I?” said Vynera, advancing towards Jyshen until she was face to face with him. “I assure you I am as real as you, and perhaps more so.” Her last words were merely whispers in Jyshen’s ear. She laughed again, this time low in her throat.
“What do you want?” Jyshen was trembling now. While it was known that magic was real, it didn’t feature in the day to day lives of most of the people in Ivelcour. Very few magic users had stayed behind when the schism happened. Having a magic user in front of him, claiming to be a long dismissed legend, was difficult to comprehend.
“Your loyalty, unquestioning and unwavering,” Vynera said flatly, showing she meant business.
“What’s in it for me?”
“You get to live. Working for me will prove a lot more advantageous than rotting in this cell. If you don’t serve me, I’m sure one of your fellow prisoners would be more than happy to…” Vynera turned, as though to leave the cell.
“No, wait! I’ll do it!” Jyshen had no desire to stay in that cell. The guards were abusive, and he still had years left to serve. Even when that was over, there was no guarantee that he would be let out as promised.
“I thought you might see things my way. Now be still. I’m going to cast a spell on you. I promise it won’t hurt.” Vynera’s tone was mocking, not reassuring, but Jyshen followed her instructions, afraid of the consequences otherwise. Jyshen closed his eyes as though bracing himself for pain. Vynera muttered her disguise spell, making her and the prisoner look like the two guards she had bribed earlier.
“Now follow me and let me do the talking. I wouldn’t advise trying to run. I can, and will, kill you if you betray me.” Without bothering to see how Jyshen was taking her words, Vynera left the cell and started down the hall. Only the cautious sounds of footsteps behind her told Vynera that Jyshen was following. They met no one as they exited the jail and then left the town. Once they were far enough away, Jyshen let out a very audible sigh of relief. He was trembling slightly, but Vynera paid this no mind; she didn’t care about his comfort or emotional wellbeing.
By the time they reached Vynera’s little hut in the swamp, Jyshen was noticeably winded. Vynera laughed at him callously. He said nothing in response, partially because he was tired and partially because he was afraid of Vynera. Even though she was smaller than him physically, she must have been powerful for her name had survived a hundred years. And, even if she was lying about her identity, she wasn’t lying about harnessing magic, and that left him distinctly at the disadvantage.
“Welcome to my humble abode,” said Vynera, opening the door and gesturing for Jyshen to enter. Her tone of voice was anything but humble.
“This is the house of the great Vynera? I would have expected better.” Vynera could sense that her prisoner was beginning to doubt her, and that doubt could be dangerous to one of them. She just had to make sure it was him, not her, that felt the sting of retribution. But, for now, she could appreciate that he was at least brave enough to take his shots where he could.
“Why don’t you come in and have a seat?” she asked sweetly, fluttering her eyelashes slightly. Vynera knew that her only powers did not lie in her ability to manipulate magic. If Gerrest had still been around, he would have been able to warn Jyshen that Vynera’s sweet tone was more dangerous than her apparent anger.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Jyshen walked in the low doorway, Vynera only barely behind him. The room was dimly lit and somewhat dusty; Vynera hadn’t put much effort into cleaning the place yet. A stairway going up lay opposite to the door and a short hallway opened up into a simple kitchen. In the kitchen was a stove and a table with two chairs.
“Please, sit down.” Vynera was still talking sweetly, but if Jyshen had been a more observant person, he would have noticed the subtle poison that she could never quite untangle from her voice. Not realizing the full nature of who he was dealing with, Jyshen took the offered seat.
“Now that we’re here, what does the ‘mighty’ Vynera want of such a humble low-life as myself?” His tone was sneering, and Vynera didn’t like this despite the fact she did quite a bit of sneering herself. For a moment she was tempted to do something particularly vile to this young man, but then thought better of it. Something struck her about their earlier conversation. The word Solumina was one she didn’t know, and he had said the myth belonged to them, not his own people. Perhaps he truly didn’t know what she was capable of. As vicious as she could be, she also had an inclination to practice restraint if it would suit her better in the long run.
“I want two things: information and your services. But before we get started, let me offer something as a show of good faith.” Concentrating on the sources of magic beneath them, Vynera started a spell, which quickly cleaned up the dust in the room, leaving it in much better condition than when they arrived. Her second spell was one that set a large feast before Jyshen. It wasn’t an easy spell, to set up, but once set up, it was very easy to cast. Fortunately for Vynera, she had it waiting for her to simply activate it. By the way Jyshen attacked the food, she guessed that it was better in quantity and quality than the jail fare he was used to. Vynera ate much more slowly, with a certain deliberation. Her body hadn’t needed food while she rested, but she had used a fair bit of magic since awakening, and magic was more dangerous when she was hungry or fatigued.
“So, tell me about this Solumina,” Vynera said crisply once Jyshen’s ravenous feasting started to slow.
“Hmph. It’s a city across the mountains. They come down here a lot, with their noses in the air, and tell us we need to…” Jyshen stopped himself.
“Keep going.”
“Guess you could say their mission was to get us to shape up ‘cause they believe you’re coming back. We didn’t.” Jyshen shrugged his shoulders. He thought they were stupid, but it turned out they just might have been right. He still couldn’t be sure that he was in the company of ‘the’ Vynera, but she definitely knew her magic. “Even if they’re right, they always thought they were better than us. Most of the time we just ignored them,” he said.
“Excellent. So, you truly didn’t believe I existed?” Vynera asked, rather pleased at this news.
“Well, most people believe you did exist, at some point. But, no one really believed you were coming back. Not around here, at any rate. But, I’ve heard that the people in Solumina are very rigid and their whole lives are dedicated to stopping you when you came back.”
“Hm. Obviously they will be the larger threat then. I’ll have to think this one over. Feel free to enjoy the rest of your meal,” Vynera said, rising to her feet. Jyshen didn’t have much interest in doing anything else at that moment, so he didn’t bother asking Vynera where she was going or what she was about to do. It wasn’t as if he was in a position to stop her either way.