Exill felt both feverish and cold at the same time. The whites of his eyes visible as he absorbed the implication of the notification. Glancing up, he saw Envy continue to glare at him, the edges of her amber eyes dyed crimson.
Suddenly, everything made sense.
Why he had felt so much pity when he first laid eyes on her. Why he had entered into such a crippling debt. For a brief moment, he questioned the very emotions he was feeling, because the sense of betrayal and doubt was too unreal.
It took everything to tamp down the primal anger at being manipulated so completely, and for so long. ‘Did she plan this from the start? Was it all an act?’ The questions endlessly whirled around in his mind.
More importantly, she was someone he had come to care about.
He checked the position of his spear leaning against the door frame, and confirmed Envy was similarly unarmed. There were better ways to confront her treachery, especially with the condition he was in, however the resonance from the divine amulet indicating the mental assault was ongoing left him no choice.
“How long have you been manipulating me.” His voice was like a sibilant whisper.
“What do you mean?” Confused by his sudden change in tone and demeanour, Envy was momentarily caught off guard.
“How long have you been manipulating me through [Enthral].”
Perplexed by the sudden hostility exuding from him, she spoke slowly and carefully, unsure how the encounter with the Aberration and the Priest had changed him.
“I don’t know what you’ve heard about Vampires and what they are capable of, but it’s just a myth. Do you think I would remain a slave if I could manipulate people so easily?” In spite of those words, she felt doubt. It was true that at times people fell to her suggestions, but it was not something she could induce at will.
At her stubborn denial over a proven fact, Exill felt his frustration surge forth.
“Out of all the people who have tried to manipulate and exploit me… you are the worst. Was it not enough that I guaranteed you freedom!? Were you so determined to turn me into your drooling slave?” He took a deep breath, feeling his voice crack from the pain, “I trusted you…”
It had been mere hours since horrifically parting ways with his longtime friend. If he hadn’t already been numbed by the recent loss, there was no knowing what he would have done in response to the betrayal.
For the next few seconds of silence, he gathered himself, ignoring the resonance that indicated the hurtful mental assault was ongoing. There was little choice, and he poured a prodigious amount of mana into the command directed at his slave.
In theory, he knew the strength and duration of slave commands were greatly affected by the amount of mana injected into them. The longest standing command was rumoured to last a week. That was one reason why slave owners preferred notarized contracts over spoken commands, because the former would last until eternity if the terms specified it.
“You will not attempt to [Enthral] me.”
Exill felt the amulet’s resonance immediately subside, and Envy’s eyes return to their clear amber colour. She stared at him confused, not quite understanding the restriction that had gone into effect.
“Did you just command me like a slave?” Her tone rose in disbelief. Apart from the one time he had ordered her to lower the weapon, Exill had never flouted his power over her. It was an incredible breach of their relationship, causing her eyes to turn crimson with hurt and anger. As soon as it happened, all that emotion and fire brimming within her was swiftly extinguished by his standing order, leaving her hollow and dismayed.
“What…?” She asked, horrified by the sudden emptiness that filled her. She met his cold, distant gaze, and the pieces of the puzzle slowly fell into place.
“Do you understand now what you’ve been doing to me?” Exill asked coldly. He saw the hint of realisation in her features. It was with considerable sadness that he recognised the little tells that hid her feelings. They had grown just that close over all this time.
For several minutes, Envy couldn’t answer him, lost in the sudden realisation that there was a fragment of truth to the myths surrounding her ancestors. She thought back to her first encounter with the Witchdoctor from the confines of her cell, taken by those clear emerald eyes that held none of the avarice and desire she was familiar with. She remembered the gnawing hunger and the desire to be free.
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“I… didn’t do it deliberately.”
Exill nodded tiredly. He didn’t doubt her words. If she was truly capable of controlling such power, she wouldn’t have remained a slave for so long. However that didn’t excuse the betrayal simmering in his heart, making him question if all the affection he felt had been real.
“When we return to Ark, I want you to sign a notarized contract preventing you from enthralling me.” He paused to release a soft sigh, “I also want you to keep your distance from me.”
He picked up the offending coin pouch that had instigated this discovery and limped to the master bedroom, softly closing the door behind him. Envy sat at the table for the next hour, staring at its weathered surface, lost in thought.
She adjusted the bracelet holding the Luck+ enchantment, feeling the cold emptiness that suddenly filled her heart. Exill had quietly promised a better fortune in this life when he clasped it on her wrist. Instead, feeling abandoned more than ever, she resented the man who had pledged everything she wanted and more.
***
Exill awoke with a start to find himself alone on the bed, half expecting Envy to be curled up beside him. Rubbing his bleary eyes he looked out the window. Judging from the amount of light pouring in, it was late morning. A steady thrum of activity could be heard from the living room as well as subdued voices.
Coming out of the room, he was greeted by the sight of patients milling about the common room, while Dyna triaged and took payment from the departing patients. He brushed past the people lined up and quietly let himself in to the treatment room.
Tsarra was explaining to the warehouse loader the treatment options for broken fingers, her voice was calm and reassuring and there was no hint of indecision in her tone. He washed his hands and examined the patient’s digits that had already been paralyzed by his apprentice.
“She is right, it is better to regrow the tips of your pinkie and ring finger and shouldn’t cost more than 300 Denars for the whole treatment.” He said, while reaching for a length of string.
With the warehouse loaders permission, he tied off blood flow to the fingers, before circling the affected area with a sharp scalpel, cutting deep into the bone. A sharp twisting motion cleanly detached the crushed fingertips and all Exill had to do was channel healing magic while pinching closed the residual flap of skin.
He had become so proficient in the procedure that it took less than thirty seconds to complete for each finger. Funnily enough, it took longer to poultice and bandage than the operation itself.
“You should have woken me.” He glanced back while washing his hands, smiling softly to take the edge off his rebuke.
“Um… I tried, but Envy wouldn’t let me. She said you needed to rest.”
“Ah, that is understandable then.” He admitted, feeling a dull pain at the mention of Envy. He knew just how persuasive the Murderess could be. Gently squeezing her elbow, he coaxed Tsarra to take a break. “Just for ten minutes, then you can rotate with Dyna.”
Time passed quickly as everyone fell into the accustomed rhythm of their roles. The volume of patients had also dropped to half its peak on their first day here, giving the staff plenty of opportunities to rest in between. They closed the Clinic a little early after sending the last patient off.
“I heard that you defeated the Aberration!” Dyna exclaimed at the table, no longer able to contain herself. “Father said the motion to relax curfews is likely to pass in the next few days.” She continued to pester him for details on what it was like to face an abomination few had survived.
Exill once again explained what had transpired that night, glossing over the clash with Verill, his subconscious still recoiling from the encounter.
“Are you feeling better now? I was worried when you didn’t turn up for a few days.” He asked, wondering if she suffered from some ailment.
Dyna looked embarrassed for a moment, remembering the night she had impulsively stormed out. Her father had scolded her, lecturing that engagement rings meant nothing on their own. The first person to finalise marriage would relegate everyone else to the position of mistress.
“Yes, I am better now.” She simply replied, holding her delicate chin up. “Father would like to know how much longer you intend to stay at Virigo because he would like to arrange a small celebration for your victory. He also extends an invitation to the hot springs.”
Exill had notified Councilman Coran he planned to stay for ten days from the outset, until time dilation from the Aberration messed up his schedule. It was currently the ninth day, and Coran was likely testing the waters, hoping to extend the Witchdoctor’s stay.
“How much have we earned so far?” He asked Tsarra, who had become their unofficial treasurer with her quick mental calculations.
“I think we will have just under 2500 Denars by the end of tomorrow after settling all the taxes and Guild dues.” She replied promptly, having anticipated this question.
“Tomorrow will be the last clinic day as we discussed, I need to return on schedule.” He replied to Dyna’s earlier question. Combined with the 1500 Denars waiting for them back in Ark, and their savings, it should be tight but achievable. It was unfortunate, but there wasn’t much time remaining for the next loan instalment and he intended to settle it all in one go.
“As for your invitation to the hot springs… I don’t mind, provided Tsarra is on board.” He had noticed the Dwarf’s eyes light up at the invitation.
There was no longer any reason to be cautious as the runic throwing bones indicated there wasn’t any lingering danger, besides, it was a good opportunity to relax after working so hard for the past week. With the way his Apprentice had kept everything from falling apart, she deserved this little reprieve and more.
Envy looked away while Tsarra nodded eagerly.
“We’ll drop by after work tomorrow.” He confirmed.