Groaning I started rolling around. I was sore in so many places I wasn’t sure I had After being in the bed for a while I noticed I was still somewhere in the same building, and from what I saw, the room looked mostly the same as the room I had originally been in. The door was placed on the other end of the room, near the middle of the wall, while the bed was on the right side after entering. The walls were made of stone, while the floors were smoother as they looked polished, though the wooden ceiling was a nice touch. The lack of windows made me want to get some fresh air. However, I did notice more to the room on the other side of the bed’s headboard.
After sighing for a moment, I got up, removing some of the blankets on top of me. I found that I was still wearing the same kind of black pants and white shirt I had bought during the week I had spent at the Galleon.
Craning my neck up, and looking towards the back of the room, and saw a desk, with a familiar person behind it, “How do you like my office?” She asked me while writing something down on a piece of paper with a quill pen.
“It’s better than how I’ve spent the last yea- no, three weeks right? It’s still a bit of a blur,” I still genuinely thought and felt I’d lived a year longer than I had. I can still remember each and every one of those nights, every single second of that pain and fear.
“Huh,” she said without looking up, “Yeah, was just over three weeks, the fastest it’s been done. Though I think some would count the day you just spent sleeping, but it wouldn’t change much.” I didn’t even think to question that I’d just spent the last day sleeping. I was just surprised that I hadn’t slept longer.
Thinking back to when I had woken up I thought of what else had happened. “Wait, so everyone in Ingratus does that?”
She continued writing for a moment before looking up, “Nosey much, I’ve asked you like two questions since you woke up, and you’ve answered neither.” I stared at her for a while. Sighing, she added, “If you must know. No, not all the recruits, it’s mostly just established members of the guild.”
Through grated teeth, in a low voice, I questioned her, “So why did I?”
Giving me a flat stare she said, “See, you never answer my questions, you really should treat your elders better,” I’m sure she would have continued, but she went wide-eyed for a second, before seemingly studying me.
“What?” I asked.
After taking a second she said, “You remind me of someone, now, your name?”
“Why are you so fixated on it?” I probed, after a few moments she looked down at her paper and continued to write. “It’s Arthur,” I continued.
“Well that’s better, and I wanted to know it 'cause I really can’t keep calling you Blue-haired child in my head, it’s way too long. Anyway, Arthur. I have some good news for you, I know where that little slave you were so fixated on is, and you’ll probably get her soon enough.”
Slave? I thought for a few seconds, trying to remember, my memory had been a bit fuzzy since I woke up. “Wait, you found Rana?!” I exclaimed. I’d almost given up in that valley.
She tilted her head, “I said I would, didn’t I? Regardless your little record has gotten attention, if you continue at this speed you might be able to meet sooner than I thought.”
Breathing in sharply I asked, “Continue?” My breath caught as I felt myself start to shake at the prospect of enduring another hell like the valley. I tried to calm myself, taking deep breaths but as my breath caught, even more doubts and fears filled me, it felt debilitating.
Flinching, I felt a hand touch my back, I started to reel away until I realized it was just Aliana. “Deep in, slow exhale, it’ll help,” Aliana told me. I followed her instructions as she started rubbing my back, consoling me. Breathing in, holding it for a moment, then letting it out slowly. I continued this for a few minutes and, whatever it was, it wasn’t getting worse anymore.
After my breathing finally stopped shaking, through gritted teeth, I asked, “So, what’s happening to me?” She was silent for a minute, continuing to rub my back.
“Something that will get fixed by the end of your initiation. Probably.” She stated.
Wanting nothing more than to get through it I asked, “Is it something like the poisons?”
Hoping it wasn’t I held my breath. “No, the next part is just ensuring you know the basics about ether. Now, stop worrying about tomorrow, and focus on resting up for today. I’ll be at my desk, but feel free to either wander around or continue to sleep.”
She went back to her desk as I laid down my head. I wasn’t in perfect condition, but I was much better than I felt yesterday. I stayed there for a while, and I’m not sure how long it lasted, but I was content listening to the sound of scribbling notes onto paper. Occasionally I heard someone walk by the office, but there were never any actual visitors.
“Aliana?” I asked.
“Hmm?” She said from somewhere behind her desk.
Since I felt like I had calmed down enough, I asked, “You mentioned something about Rana earlier.”
Nodding she said, “Yeah, I did, didn’t I?” Pausing, I heard her put down her quill and papers shuffling. “Just a second, I had a report about it somewhere.” After a bit of clattering, and a few reports getting discarded, she found it, and after reading it over she continued, “So I know her current owner, how to contact them. There is also a bunch of irrelevant stuff; height, weight, blah, blah, and blah, you probably don’t want to know it all.”
She stopped talking for a few seconds, going completely silent, so I lifted myself from the bed and leaned against the headboard. When I looked over I saw that she had started returning to her previous reports.
“So she’s safe?” I questioned.
Not looking up she said, “She won’t die or anything if that’s what you are worried about.” I let out a breath I wasn’t aware I was holding and felt myself relax a little, maybe my time here wasn’t for nothing.
Lifting the blankets off of myself, I swung my legs over the side of the bed. Bracing myself, I pushed myself off of it. Even though I was prepared I started to stumble.
“Arthur!” Aliana exclaimed, all the while getting up from her desk, “I swear if you hurt yourself.” My legs strained from the sudden weight it was unaccustomed to.
Stifling a sob, I uprighted myself, but as I felt Aliana come under my arm, the pain lessened. “Thanks,” I told her.
“Yeah yeah, now let’s get you back to the bed for a second.” I didn’t argue with her, the only reason I was still standing was because she was supporting me.
Sitting down, she started to berate me, “Arthur, that was pretty damn stupid, you haven’t even moved in three weeks. Alright, new rule, if you are going to do something stupid, ask me first.” I opened my mouth to say something but she pressed her finger against my lips. “Nope, keep that closed, the lady is talking. Now, if you really want to move just put some damn ether into your muscles, then wean yourself off of it over time to build up that physical strength. If you have any questions I’ll take them.”
Deciding to start from the top of her list I asked, “New rule?”
“Easy, you are my underling, or at least working to become my underling, that’s the entire point of these initiation things I keep bringing up.” She said while lying down on the bed.
“So I’m working to work under you?” She nodded. As I thought of my next question I felt my mouth start to dry. “Ok, um. Second question, well it’s more of a statement. So I’m not sure if it was because of the poisons, or something else, but I’m not sure I can rely on my ether to actually support my muscles right now.” Hearing this Aliana propped herself up on her elbows before staring at me.
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Extending her hand she placed it on my back, “Alright, let’s get you fixed up, can’t have my little follower-to-be broken. Start moving your ether throughout your body, and just listen to and trust my voice. Better yet, just close your eyes completely.” Doing as she said I started to look inward, trying to sense my ether moving throughout me.
“Kiddo, I said to trust me. Breathe in, hold it, then let it out, slowly preferably.” Noticing I had started to breathe rapidly, I also began to hear my heart pound in my ears. Following Aliana’s advice, I began to regulate my breathing. Why was I so terrified of my ether, my own energy?
Turning my attention back towards controlling it once more, I tried to move it, to control it, but my effort was met with failure.
Contemplating what to do I heard Aliana, “Oh, I get it, alright, just trust me and keep doing what you were just doing,” Doing what she said I started to redouble my efforts. I was met with failure once more, but I also kept at it, trusting that Aliana would do something.
I felt a shock of sudden energy invade my body, I knew it was Aliana, but my body thought it was something else. My body thought that I was back in the valley, in the river being drowned. The pounding of my heart continued once again, while my focus started to dwindle. I had to fight the urge to try to claw at the sides to try to escape the river.
“Breathe. Just breathe Arthur, breathe, and trust me.” A voice said, cutting through the images in my head. “I need you to just listen to me, just use your ether, start moving it throughout your body, slowly filling up and moving throughout your veins,” She continued guiding, ever so slowly I felt her energy start to break something down. “That’s it,” She would say, or “We’re so close,” Just little things to keep me going.
“Arthur, I need you to push as hard as you can manage, just breathe in, and when you breathe out just let it all out,” Doing as she said, I managed to force some air into my lungs. “Just let it all out,” Exhaling, I started to wrestle for control of my ether. While doing so I felt it hit a blockage, I only felt a small trickle make it through, and the rest made little to no progress. That’s when I felt it, Aliana’s own ether tearing it down like a rabid beast.
Taking another breath, I once again focused all of my attention on breaking through the barrier that was blocking me. We struggled for long minutes, but I could feel pieces chip off.
Then all at once, I felt it, like a dam breaking, ether started roaring throughout the veins I had worked to create all those years ago. I moved it toward my aching muscles, allowing it to go through me and it hit them like cold water making me flinch. My fingers tingled in anticipation, my legs taught like a bow, my arms limber and flexible once more.
Exhaling, I fell backward onto the bed. “Feels a lot less constricted, thanks Aliana,” I said while flexing my fingers and feeling the ether respond to strengthen them.
Hearing Aliana mutter something I turned my head to look over, I saw that her breathing was heavy and labored. “Damn kid,” she said while lifting herself off the bed, “I’m impressed you could even get off the bed, well now you should at least be able to do shit yourself. Don’t bug me unless you are dying, I got work to do and you keep distracting me, it’s very annoying.” Aliana stomped off towards her desk after her declaration. Sitting down with a huff, and then sighing as she began to go through the stacks of paper on her desk.
Sighing I stared at the ceiling, letting the ether seep throughout my body. It was a comfort, to know that I had regained a little more control over myself. While basking in my own energy, I began following lines on the ceiling’s wooden patterns. Being the only part of the room that wasn’t made of stone, it interested me. Just a welcome reminder of society.
I let myself doze off, all while both absorbing and circulating ether. Doing what Ghezin taught me months ago, but what felt like an eternity to me. My body felt starved from the sensation, it grasped at every whisp of ether it could, barely letting any go by without passing through one part or another.
These, and many more thoughts, all raced through my mind, but eventually, it all faded away, all sounds, sensations, and sight.
When I woke once again I started to get out of bed. Aliana looked at me but said nothing. Pushing myself off of it I felt my body soar through the air, as I landed I felt some ether expel from my legs and soften my landing.
Straighting myself, I started to stretch, starting with my arms. Extending them outward as far as they could reach. Bringing them up I leaned over, touching towards my toes.
Pushing myself to my limits I reached for the floor, but I couldn’t reach. My body might’ve had strength increased by ether, but my flexibility was still lacking.
Groaning, I straightened myself up. “So how long have I been asleep?” I asked while stifling a yawn.
“Well. I would say it was a nice nap. Just about an hour or so since you fell asleep. You still have until tomorrow for the ether training, I’m sure most of it will be easy, but I would still recommend that you get some sleep tonight. Until then, do what you want, go explore, I’m busy. Now shoo.” Aliana said, waving her hands towards the door.
In false anger, I scoffed and walked towards the door. “Fine, I was already planning on it.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah, just get out of here kiddo, unless you are planning to do my reports for me.” As she was finishing I already started to close the door behind me.
I haven’t made a good memory in these halls yet. The only times I was in them I was either having an attack from poison or I was unconscious.
Looking down the halls, I noticed they had the same building styles as the rooms I’d been in smooth floors, rougher walls, and wooden ceilings. After looking down both hallways, I shrugged and moved down the hall to the right.
The hallway didn’t change much as I traveled. With doors, all labeled with names, lining both sides, the pattern never changed. It was also silent, only filled with the sounds of distant footsteps and an occasional scream.
Making my way down the hall I came to an open area. I saw pillars on either side of me, made and carved out of stone. Walking farther into the room I saw that they were holding up the next-floor balconies that looked down into the floor I was on, the bottom one from what I could see.
The middle of the room lowered a little, just a few steps down, into a floor of sand. Looking around the room I could see walls, lined with great tapestries and scenes of battles and strange beasts I hadn’t seen before. Torches flickered around me while casting shadows that danced around the entire room.
The room smelled of damp stone and dust, accompanied by the taste of metal in the air. Sitting against one of the many pillars, I saw someone descend into the sandy pit, their feet crunching against the sand underneath them, and then I noticed someone following them into the pit.
Their footsteps were lighter, barely causing the sand to shift underneath them. From what I could tell the first was a human male, I wasn’t sure about their age, but they looked tired, with disheveled hair. The second was a female kythraxian, I couldn’t tell much from them, as they kept a stone-cold face.
Behind all of them, there was a crowd of people, ranging from slaves to other members of the guild.
The human walked farther did the kythraxian did, then turned, facing her, and putting his arms up in the air. The kythraxian did the same, putting her arms in a readied pose.
I almost missed the first move, but the sand crunching under the human’s foot was enough of a warning. He launched off of his front foot, clearing the distance in a single bound, trying to land a kick against her head.
The kythraxian brought up her left arm to block the blow. The impact of the kick blew back some of the sand beneath them. The woman chopped at the man’s leg with her right arm, then immediately blocked the man’s punch with his right arm. Grabbing the arm, she dragged the man into her knee, connecting it with his nose. You could see the impact once again disturb the sand beneath them.
Reeling back the man wiped at the blood trickling down his chin, shaking it from his hand, he put his arms into a ready position. I noticed that a crowd had started to gather, watching like I was.
Approaching once again the man tried to kick her with his left leg, near her midsection. This time the woman stepped back, allowing him to swing through the air before stepping back in and throwing a punch. The man ducked under it, bringing up his fist in an uppercut as soon as her punch had missed. The punch landed near her stomach, causing her to step back.
Coughing, she flashed her teeth, showing a bloody smile, before twisting her body, bringing her heel towards the man’s head. He moved back, slightly, mirroring her movements from earlier, however, he failed to notice the second kick from her other foot, directly to his midsection. Connecting the man groaned, before receiving one more kick to the head, all three kicks were in one fluid motion, from one to the next.
The man looked like a puppet with his strings cut, crumpling to the ground soon after getting the kick to the head. The woman spat on the man, before walking towards the crowd and grabbing one of the slaves.
I couldn’t hear what she said over the crowd’s roaring, but I noticed the kythraxian sitting down after telling the slave something. The slave backed away, but just as fast I could hear a scream of pain I was all too familiar with. I saw a look of defeat and resignation on her face.
Seeing the slave start to follow the woman into one of the many halls I got up, and turned toward the hallway I had come from. Walking down I had flashes of Quinn come to my mind, about how she had been suffering on the floor of the Rosenin’s manor.
Tearing open a door, I looked over at Aliana who was sitting behind her desk, “Let’s get this shit done, expect me to be done with the ether basics by tomorrow,” She raised her eyebrow, then shrugged.
“Alright, just go down the hall to the right to the arena, sand pit, stone pillars, you can’t miss it. There should be one going on in a few minutes or so. Oh, and don’t ignore them, I don’t care if you already know it all, you are there to learn, and then apply it.” She stated.
Turning around, I headed back towards the arena, I won’t be too late. I can’t be…