Chapter 16 Oshi.
Do not expect honor or fairness from your enemies.
Do not battle with honor. Do not fight fair.
Do whatever necessary to bring your enemy to its knees.
The only place for fairness, honor and glory is in your tales.
Nuriss, the maiden of war.
“W-what?” I ask startled.
The old sickly man pants and wheezes. My face catches stray drops of his spittle. “Tell the lady Rakisha that I’m coming! Tell the queen I am willing!!! I AM WILLING! You are her emissary! You will tell the queen! Yes?! Yes?! Yes?!”
“I apologize, I don’t know who lady Rakisha is sir.” I try to keep a polite tone. Despite his madness this man seems to be a mage, he can probably kill me with a flicker of his fingers.
“DON’T LIE TO ME!” He screams in my face. I force myself to remain calm, but my breath hastens despite my effort. “Don’t lie to old Orru! You tell the queen!! Tell the queen I am willing!!! I am not mad! You will talk to her I know! She listens! She always listens! She listens to everyone! But not to Orru! NOT TO ORRU!!!”
Rakisha is one of the twelve gods. The goddess of ambitions, rulership, and also betrayal. However, it’s a common human name too, especially amongst the nobility.
He can't possibly mean the goddess… I look around for help. The various mages present don’t seem to care for my distress, they don’t even offer an explanation for this insanity. I have to solve this myself. Let’s appeal to his madness…
“Queen Rakisha! Orru is willing!” I call out loudly in an attempt to stifle my fear of speaking aloud in a hallway crowded with men and women who can snuff out my life on a whim.
“Thank you!!! Thank you!!!” The old repulsive man plants two wet kisses on my cheeks and steps along the blue hallway mumbling to himself. “Oh my queen, yes! Aaahh yes! You are amazing as always! I can’t get enough of you your majesty! Aaahhh!”
“What was that?!” Janara seem more horrified than I feel.
“No idea…”
The slaves keep leading us on wordlessly. They don’t have tongues, they can’t speak.
“He could’ve killed you! Or Tukado knows what!”
“I know…”
“How do you stay so cold?” She demands to know, envy in her voice.
“It’s only for appearances. I was terrified!”
“Why didn’t you tell us you were a half-elf?” She wrinkles her nose and I hear a tinge of betrayal in her voice.
“Felt safer at the time. I’m sure you have your share of secrets that you aren’t sharing, I never asked did I?”
She winces, her hand jumps to her right cheek as she averts her green eyes. “You noticed that uh?”
Noticed what? Oh, she does have secrets… “None of my business anyway.” I shrug nonchalantly despite my curiosity, that’s my best chance to get answers.
Her shoulders sink and she keeps walking, silently looking down in order to avoid my eyes. After a few minutes’ walk, she stops and stares at me with intensity. “Does it really matter if he’s my brother?! We love each other! That’s all that matters! I don’t have anyone that would love me like that! And everyone around me just keeps dying! I…” Her voice crumbles and she averts her gaze again.
What?! Purson is her brother?!
I keep my expression as calm as I can, I know my ears are twitching, but since they're covered by my hair she can't see that.
Yuck! Her own brother! How can she even... So should I just tell her it disgusts me so much and lose one of my few friends and pawns in this hellish tower? Because that's a great idea! Just bear with it... And Rushmia is the one who I should be disgusted with to begin with. The moment I get enough power... she is dead!
Yuck Janara... you're disgusting...
Stop! I don’t have the luxury to judge her…
Besides… I can understand the loneliness, I’m pretty lonely too… and he’s the only person she can trust around here… Only one she won’t have to worry about being stabbed in the back or used… It’s sad, and disgusting sure. But it makes sense… This is a good secret... Maybe I can use it to blackmail her or him one day…
NO! Stop that! She’s a friend! Besides… I don’t need to blackmail her, we’re helping each other anyway…
“I didn’t say anything, and I’m not one to judge. First time I met him I wanted him for myself actually… you’re lucky you have someone that you can trust like that, even if he’s obnoxious at times.”
She chuckles “Yeah, he can be a little overbearing… wait, that’s it?!”
“That’s it what?”
“You don’t think I’m disgusting?”
I can't lie with a straight face... I'll avoid it the best I can... “Janara. I’m not saying it’s perfectly normal, or that it’s the right thing to do. Sure it’s disgusting and I can’t imagine doing it with my own brother. But after I’ve seen someone making young men and women kill and rape each other for sport, my definition of disgusting had changed significantly. Spend your nights with whoever you want, whatever makes you happy.” Done! Phew... the last thing I needed is turning her into my enemy over some disgusting incest that has nothing to do with me!
She let out a loud sigh as the tension leave her shoulders. What a silly thing to be concerned about when we have to fight for our very survival every day. Yet maybe it’s a good thing that she’s so upset about it, she knows it's wrong, and there is more to living than just staying alive. I tend to forget that after the last hellish years I’ve been through. I hope I can be with someone I trust like that... Even without romance, I hope I can have someone I can trust at all... I already miss Wulf... When will I see him again? Will I ever see Ariena? Is she even alive?
I shake my head dispelling my thoughts as I hear her anxious question. “Do you think the others will think so too?”
I shrug. “Maybe? I can’t speak for them.”
“I know” She hugs me briefly, “Thank you!”
This simple humane thank you warms my heart. I need this, more hugs and warmth, more reminders that I’m a simple human being who should have normal feelings and normal concerns of a young woman. “How can you worry about those things if we might die tomorrow?” I ask, not hiding the envy in my voice.
“I just do! I can’t help it!” she chuckles nervously, “don’t tell me you’re jealous of my anxiety.”
“I guess I am, to a degree… When I first saw you and Purson I thought to take him for myself and let him join only if he ditched you,” I admit quietly.
“Can’t fault you for thinking about it, he’s amazing isn’t he?” there is obvious pride in her voice. Yuck...
“But then I just shut it off. I knew I couldn’t throw away potential allies over something like that, and those feelings just disappeared. The following days I saw you and Purson as mere pawns in my game. I didn’t feel, I didn’t care. I just kept up appearances for you and used you." Just like I'm doing now... Why do I keep doing this? "I just wish I could feel things like you feel them, I wish I had normal anxieties over being liked by some boy instead of constant schemes about how to stay alive longer…”
“We tried to use you too.” She admits with a slight heat on her cheeks. “We planned to use you as a figurehead to rule over the other neophytes, then dispose of you when I got my powers working. I came up with that plan, told myself we’ll keep you safe that way. That as long as you stepped down we won’t harm you. But we just wanted the power. It’s a normal thing to want power I think, the same way it’s a normal thing to feel. Don’t be too hard on yourself, we’re all fighting for our survival here.”
“I knew from the start you were planning to use me, you were very predictable. I didn’t worry about that I just…” just what? She has a point, so what if I used to see them as pawns? They saw me as a pawn too, we don’t see each other that way anymore, they became my friends, nothing is wrong with that! “…didn’t care about you guys. But now, I do care about you all.” I finish.
She nods in understanding and a happy smile blooms on her face. “I care about you too, and the others… There’s something about facing death together that makes it hard to see each other as complete strangers.”
I can’t help but agree. I'm not alone... I do have people I can trust...
We arrive at the apprentices’ dorms. This place is different than the neophytes’ rooms. The blue hallway is still filled with doors on each side but there is a lot more space between each door. The slaves instruct us to use our hands and open the right door with their gestures. Weirdly enough this door has multiple numbers, mine, Janara’s, and three others I do not recognize.
Opening this door reveals a small passageway with two doors, both are open. The first leads to a hexagon-shaped hall, each wall had a closed door with a different number. It’s a relief to see we still have private rooms.
Janara goes straight to her room, and I head to mine.
This room is larger than the one I used to have. The bed is double the size of the bed I had as a neophyte, and the room has a few more luxuries such as empty shelves and a window! A window? The view from the window shows a field of lavenders moving in the wind, from the height of the view this is the ground level.
There’s a small wooden plaque near the window, and an odd bluish-white gemstone right below it. I read the plaque’s content.
Channel mana into the moonstone and state your desired view
I touch the gem and channel my mana into it. “Show me the outside. At the level and floor I'm at.”
The window changes, now it shows foggy white clouds, I can’t see anything clearly through it.
I touch the moonstone and channel my mana again, it only takes about a single gem worth of mana. “Show me the city of Nurio, Vodit castle.” The image is instantly replaced by the familiar image of my home. People move around, the pair of guards at the entrance shift uncomfortably, at some point one of them scratches himself under his helmet. I can see my home like this! This is amazing!
After being glued to the window for a little while I notice something that disappoints me. The images repeat themselves. Adeline runs around with her basket the exact same way, a cookie falls off her basket at the exact same spot on the road, then the young guard scratches his head right on time and fix his helmet again.
This is the same five minutes, frozen in time repeating again and again.
Wait… if this view was prepared… this just confirms that the Sapphire Tower has control over the kingdom of Mansel’a… Not much I can do about it, but this is good to know regardless…
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Show me Kolag's room."
No response from the window.
Is it because it doesn't recognize Kolag? Or because it can't show rooms inside the Tower?
"Show me squire M-819's room."
Still no response. Probably the latter... but to confirm that. "Shows me Andoma Rushmia's room."
No reaction from the window.
"Show me Manel'a's royal throne room." The view changes to an elongated hall with thick purple veils and a wide violet carpet. In the middle is the Silver Throne. The large silvery thrones has a pair of doves decorating the top of its backrest and a pair of bull heads under each armrest. Numerous purple banners with the Silver Hawk of Mansel'a hang from the ceiling.
The five minutes of visual had been taken at night, since the golden braziers are lit, and I can see the night sky through the tall windows above the Silver Throne. Likewise, Niro Zor Abliar, or Niro the III, the King of Mansel'a isn't present. Only a four guards in purple coats stand here and guard the empty room.
I see... "Where can I get more power?"
To my surprise, the view changes to the Sapphire Tower from outside. The frame circles the massive tower and I get a breath taking view of the glittering gem with the sun setting in the distance.
"Where can I find my mother?"
No reaction from the window.
It only shows locations... not people, and it cannot recognize people...
I leave the fake window device, disappointment wells in my chest. I check the room for other interesting new things. There’s a pair of ruby and sapphire gems on another wall, with a wooden plaque saying.
Red for heat, blue for cold, channel mana to change the temperature to your liking
I can warm and heat my room as I please now. Too cold or too hot takes too much mana, but I don’t have a need to do that.
The wardrobe contains three new sets of black robes. There’s a wand and a star embedded on the shoulder.
I change into the new robes, excited. Unlike the crass hemp neophyte robes, these new black robes are made out of high-quality linen. They come with a pair of black leathery boots, each are matched for me as if someone took my exact measurements. They did take them just now with all the weird checkups…
My new room also has a shiny silver mirror. If this is the luxury apprentices get, what about the mages themselves?
I look at myself in the mirror, turning around to check my profiles. I look much better than I remember myself from almost a year back. I’m still a bit skinny, but I no longer look like skin and bones.
And I’ve definitely gained some bust... I’ll have to make sure to eat well and gain some more weight. I’ll only have to watch for it once the fat stops being bust and start being something else… but as it stands I’m pretty far from that point… I love the way this robe looks on me… I wish I had a belt for my waist… My hair is a mess… I should buy myself a hairbrush…
A hairbrush for a magical gem… that’s a hundred gold coins for an item like a hairbrush… isn’t that a bit of a waste? I need these gems if I’m to get stronger…
If I look good I feel good, and if I feel good I can put more effort into getting stronger, treat it as a part of getting stronger and get a damn hairbrush… some perfume too… This feels nice… caring about my looks again, almost feels normal… maybe I’m not so far gone as I thought… I’ll make sure to take care of my looks. If this makes me feel good again, if this makes me feel like a person again… I’ll definitely do that!
For now, Let’s go check the area first, I wonder where that other door leads to…
Turns out the second door leads to a short hallway containing a bunch of shared facilities similar to the ones I saw when in my brief service as a clown-assistance to the apprentice Rose and her friends.
I move around and check each one.
A small relaxing room with couches and carpets. It’s empty at the moment. There are a couple of simple board games, a delicate thin smoking pipe on an end table, and even a bunch of shelves filled with books. I pull out a book in excitement, hoping for some magical knowledge as I read the title.
Flaming Hair Effrat and the Great Sapphire Dragon.
This is a bard’s tale… I sigh in disappointment and return the book to the shelf, I read it already as a child. The rest of the books are similar bard and mythic tales, not something that can improve my magic.
I’ll still enjoy relaxing here with a good book… or in my room… I don't recognize some of these...
I move on to the next room. This is a smaller version of the temple of Mayan, with a much smaller pool. There are only two hot air vents for drying clothes or hair. A separate toilet section near the doorway, and a pair of odd devices high on the wall, I have no idea what they’re used for. There are separate pairs of blue and red gems embedded in the wall, similar to the devices in my room, but no wooden plaque with an explanation.
I touch the gem with some mana and jump back with a yelp when the ceiling spits out a shower of warm water. Is this used to wash too? Why have both this and a pool? Why not soak? Who would want to stand under water like it’s some sort of rain anyway? Maybe it’s for thugs who only bathe when it’s raining…
Next is the kitchen, this place is equipped with a bunch of strange magical devices. I look at a layer of gold covering part of the marble counter and cover my mouth with astonishment. This place is filled with gold and gems, and they use this for everyday mundane devices! This layer of gold is clearly used to prepare food somehow! Gold! To prepare food?!
I should stop being so surprised by this… I’m stepping on Sapphire… the largest sapphire I’ve ever seen…
Why hoard so much wealth and throw it around like that?! This…
“Oh hey there precious, I assume you’re new?” The alto voice wakes me up from my dazed thoughts. A short young woman is sitting near a table on the other side of the kitchen, her dark skin reflects the light in the room. Her long black hair is woven into numerous thin braids, and her face has traces of black scales on them as if she’s partially a lizard.
But most captivating are her eyes, she has a pair of amber eyes with two rings in different shades of orange. The eyes give out a dim glow. “Ummm… yes, I’m new,” I reply trying not to be too obvious about staring.
She grins, and the amber in her eyes flickers. “Name’s Oshi, Oshi Dark-heart, it’s obvious you’ve never met a half-fae before, tell me what do you think of me! Am I beautiful?” she takes a pose showing me her profile while placing her chin on the back of her hand. “Dangerous?” She grins and leans forward in a threatening manner. “Attractive?” She switches to a seductive pose stretching and lifting her hands above her head. “Mysterious?” She gives me a side glance lowering her head. “Or just crazy?” She sticks her tongue out pulling down her eyelid.
“We’ve just met, I haven’t formed an opinion yet.” I go with the diplomatic option. Definitely crazy…
“You haven’t told me your name, precious! It is common courtesy no?” She leans closer to my face and follows me when I take a step back.
“Umm… Marisha, do you mind taking a step ba…ahmmmm!!!” she kisses me right on the lips before I can react. I push her away angrily. What the hell is she doing?!
She retreats with a wince and spits on the floor. She starts coughing heavily, and ends up kneeling vomiting on the ground.
I watch her wide-eyed as I wipe my mouth. What on Lukam was that?!
After a minute of vomiting she wipes her mouth, shakes her head and stands up to look at me. The pupils in her amber eyes turn to slits, like the eyes of a snake or a cat, and a third ring is formed in her orange irises. “Pui! Yuck! What are you?! Are you even human at all?!”
That kiss gave her details about me... I’ll have to be careful around her in the future, and I’m not letting her kiss me again! “Next time you’re invading someone’s personal space ask for permission first! I’m a half-human, I assume you’re a half-human too?”
She circles me. Her amber eyes are a pair of glowing lights in the dark face, and the pupils turn round and big as the third ring in her eye fades. “Half fae? Like me? You look human though, that’s rare! I shall bet your fae blood originates from a beauty type hm? Nymph? Dryad? Naiad? Siren? No! I’ve tasted those and I've never tasted someone like you, hm? Red hair? Efreet? Gorgon? How far am I from the truth, precious?”
If she asks, she doesn’t know. It'd be nice to actually have answers... even from someone like her... “I don’t really know, I never met my mother, and the mage who did the checkup didn’t know or she wouldn’t tell me… what type are you?”
She straightens her back and puffs her chest with pride. “I’m a half onyx dragon! No matter what type you are coming from precious, very few half fae can contest my will, Marisha, you will obey me!”
Her amber eyes form three rings again as the last four words form a command that vibrates within my head over and over. A tiny portion of my conscious wants to bend my knee on instinct, but the majority of my brain remains the same. I am more human than fae, and the effect of whatever she intended to do isn’t as strong as she thought.
Instead, I get angry, extremely so. I can tell she just tried to control my mind, to command me to do as she pleases, to turn me into her personal servant. My hand rushes forward to her face, my mana already forming the four familiar patterns I have to eliminate her before she tries anything!
No! I’ll be executed! I slap her violently instead of blowing her head off.
She stumbles back, and the light in her amber eyes dims. I keep pushing forward, slapping, scratching, and punching her over and over, I can’t let this go.
She falls backward and I keep hitting her on the floor. I won’t be bullied! And I won’t be used! I just escaped slavery! She won’t take that away from me!
“Please!!! I’m sorry!”
I stop. “Don’t try this again, if you do I’ll…” an involuntary shriek escapes my lips, it feels as if someone dipped my head in liquid fire.
Her mouth is open, breathing out a violent stream of purplish vapors in my face. I can’t kill her, but this is over the line. No one said anything about causing permanent damage. I twist her head to the side, I can’t have those vapors in my face.
I grab her arm, moving my mana in the four familiar patterns. “Myrsha ritsa!!!”
Now it’s her turn to scream. She holds onto her arm stub in a desperate attempt to halt the blood shower. I grab her healthy shoulder and repeat the cantrip. “Myrsha ritsa!”
*cough cough* my lungs are on fire, these vapors are filling my throat. My vision blurs, and the world spins around me. I keep on coughing before passing into darkness.
*~*~*
Interlude 16.1
Janara
Janara’s heart beats wildly as the double doors in front of her open wide by women wearing gray.
“Let her in,” Master Rushmia orders, and the slaves gesture for Janara to enter the room.
This hall, which could only count as a living room is huge. Janara had never seen such a big hall, not even while working for Baroness Nuk Talissa. Janara’s eyes can’t help but wander on the various artifacts, drawings, and antiques that decorate the blue gem walls. Janara’s eyes end up on master Rushmia who lays on the red couch with a thick book in her hands.
Unlike how Rushmia normally presented herself, here in her home she looks like an entirely different person. Her wavy black hair is loose, and she no longer wears her decorated red robes. Instead, she wears a silken blue nightgown which reveals quite a lot of her fair skin.
A handsome young man with shoulder-length blond hair stands near the couch. He holds a tray with small pieces of meat. Janara gulps and averts her gaze since the man is butt naked. Although she can only see his backside, it’s still too distracting. Other than his head, he does not have a single hair on his body, which is weird for a man. She can’t help but compare him to Purson in her mind.
“Leave us.” Master Rushmia orders. Both the slave in gray and the naked man nod and leave. Janara can’t help but follow the naked man with her eyes until he disappears behind one of the inner doors.
“When you become my apprentice, I can let you borrow him.” Master Rushmia says without getting up from her couch. The suggestive smile on her face causes Janara to blush.
“That’s ok… I love Purson, but thanks…” she mumbles.
“Suit yourself. Have you made up your mind? Need I remind you that you still have a week to decide?” Master Rushmia’s attention goes back to the book in her hands.
“No. I want to become your apprentice!” The only way Janara is going to survive in this mad tower is if she hides under bigger wings, and Master Rushmia has the biggest wings Janara had ever seen. Will she also be like Master Rushmia one day? Owning her own slaves, taking an apprentice under her wing?
Master Rushmia closes the heavy book with a thud, and gets up from her couch in a fluid motion. Janara can’t help but be envious of Master Rushmia’s gracefulness, will she really be like Master Rushmia one day? She can’t wait for that day!
“Once you become my apprentice, there’s no going back dear~ From the moment you become my apprentice, you effectively become my daughter in everything but blood. This is more than a working relationship, we’ll be bound for life. Are you sure this is what you want?” Master Rushmia draws closer to Janara, her red eyes stare deeply into Janara’s soul.
Janara gulps. The woman in front of her is larger than life. She’s strikingly beautiful, graceful, powerful, and rich. She has everything! Little Janara from Winemaker village adopted as a daughter by this amazing all-powerful being? “Yes!” does Janara even need to think twice?! This is the only way to ensure her survival! Hers and Purson! Maybe her friends too…
“Good! Then let us sign this magical contract!” Master Rushmia gestures for her to sit down and gives her a parchment filled with odd symbols.
“What do I do with this?” Janara asks, her excitement wells in her chest.
Master Rushmia hands her an empty inkpot, a quill, and a knife. “Fill this inkpot with your blood, and copy the symbols to the parchment using your blood.” Master Rushmia explains.
Janara winces as she cuts her wrist and does as Master Rushmia instructed her. She knows she’s making a deal with the devil, but if this devil will keep her and her friends safe in this mad tower, and even provide her with such luxury, it’s worth it!
Once she finishes copying the runes, Master Rushmia nods with satisfaction. The mage cuts her own wrist and adds more runes on the parchment. Janara stares dumbfounded at Master Rushmia’s blood, it isn’t red, it’s sparkling orange, is she even human? It’s too late to regret anything, the blood runes on the paper shine with unknown magic, Janara is tied up to this woman now, for life!
*~*~*
Power level: 1st stage apprentice.
Mana pools status:
Crown-knot: Affinity 10:
Neck-Bridge: Affinity 6: formed: max amount of gems drained per day: 66
Abdomen-storage: Affinity 5:
Air: Affinity 4:
Fire: Affinity 2: open: 6 gems
Light: Affinity 3:
Water: Affinity 6:
Earth: Affinity 1:
Wood: Affinity 2:
Gravity: Affinity 9: formed: 41 gems
Cantrip known:
Fire: Nuriss’ Flame.
Gravity: Lumina’s Kinetic Burst. Tukado’s Repulse. Tukado’s Lesser Shield. Imari’s Minor Telekinesis. Leo’s Pull. Leo’s Grounding. Alino’s Light body. Alino’s Heavy body.
Focus capability: 8 patterns
Social status: An apprentice.
Wealth: 200 gems.
Items: 2 healing potions.
Companions: X
Injuries and scars: Missing two thirds of the right middle finger. Burned face. Burned throat. Burned lungs.