Issa’s arms slowly slackened around Kyrae as her breathing slowed. When the young elf realized her sister was losing consciousness, she jolted, but a firm hand on her shoulder stopped her from trying to shake her sister awake.
“Shhhh,” Ssyri’zh Onussa said in a soft voice. “The ussyri said she’ll need rest, remember?”
Kyrae sniffled and stuttered. “B-but what if she—”
Onussa smiled gently and gestured to the sleeping Issa. “See for yourself. It’s fine to hold her so long as you don’t disturb her rest, ea.”
Kyrae looked at the small, dark lania’el ssyri’zh coiled next to the bed and then back at Issa. The fear in her heart eased. Unlike the last evening, Issa’s expression was one of peace, even if Kyrae could see a bit of drool forming at the corner of her sister’s mouth. In time with Issa’s breathing, her one loose fang teased out from between her lips.
“W-will she really be okay?” Kyrae asked to ssyri’zh who’d saved her and her sister. “I heard the ussyri whisper something to you before she left.”
Onussa stiffened and turned her gold-eyed gaze away. For a while, she didn’t respond, instead staring at the symbol of Jaezotl above the door to their small stone room as if consulting the Serpent God for guidance. “Issa… the ussyri doesn’t know if she can be cured.”
Kyrae suddenly felt as though a cold winter rain had soaked her to the bone. She cut off whatever Onussa was going to say next, suddenly frantic. “Do you mean she’s… will she wake up? Will I get to see my sister again? Will—”
Onussa put up her hands to silence Kyrae. Gently, the lania’el woman slithered forward and embraced the young elf. She’s warm, Kyrae thought. Like Issa should be.
Kyrae’s tears started up again.
For a while, the ssyri’zh who had been a stranger not two days ago embraced the young orphaned elf. She shooed out the ssyri’iirt who came to check on them, pulling rank on the young man despite the fact his orders likely came from someone higher in the Temple.
Eventually, while gently rubbing Kyrae’s hair, Onussa softly spoke. “Issa’s curse has been pushed back for now. And, if she receives healing regularly, she may be okay.”
“T-there’s a ‘but’ in there. I know there is!” Kyrae blubbered.
“I… yes. Whatever has a hold on your sister has done something to her. And each time she goes without healing, if she’s not careful, the curse’s influence could grow. I’d tell you the rest, darn the consequences, but I don’t know it myself. I’m only ssyri’zh.”
“B-but I saw how the others were looking at you! W-when you helped me, they all stopped ignoring me.”
Onussa smiled sadly. “Respect can only go so far, young newbloom. For now, just focus on being the best sister you can be for Issa, okay?”
Kyrae nodded solemnly, but the ghost of a smile played on her lips. Newbloom! Onussa wasn’t like the other lamia acolytes who’d called Kyrae a boy. She’d even snapped at a few ssyri’iir with a clicking hiss when her patience had worn thin.
Onussa was the one who’d both found her and gone with Kyrae to Issa, trying to heal her sister where she lay half-buried in mud. Issa had opened unseeing black eyes briefly before going under again, and Onussa had half-dragged, half-carried the thin young lania’el to the temple. She’d given Kyrae a meal as well—something to keep her awake—and the young elf only later realized it was Onussa’s midday meal. The kind ssyri’zh hadn’t eaten until Kyrae was fed again, opting to stay by Issa’s side until the ussyri finally saw them.
While the pair watched Issa sleeping soundly, Kyrae thought of Onussa’s kindness. “Why did you help me?” she asked.
Onussa frowned. “Because it was the right thing to do. Really, you shouldn’t have had to climb all those steps before someone helped you.”
Now it was Kyrae’s turn to frown. She held no illusions as to why no one had helped her before Onussa. Thankfully the ssyri’zh was wise enough not to try to explain that part.
Onussa continued, “I was born in Ess’Siijiil, and I joined the temple as a ssyri’iir right around the time the human empire to the south started collapsing.”
Kyrae thought of all the human refugees on the streets, and the other strange peoples who’d come in by boat. “That wasn’t too long ago, was it?”
Onussa shook her head. “No. Perhaps two decades, but that’s a much longer time for a human than it is for a lamia or elf, Kyrae. I saw a lot there and I decided to learn about the humans to try to better help them. I only then realized I knew precious little about elves.”
“So you learned?”
Onussa hummed. “I did. But not just by reading.”
Kyrae glanced back at the sleeping Issa and yawned.
“Would you like me to tell you about my time in the Greatwood?” Onussa asked, using the elven term for a region of the elven homeland.
Kyrae nodded, and Onussa began, watching the young elf drift off to tales of a homeland she’d never seen.
***
I woke up next to Kyrae, feeling more rested than I had in months. I hadn’t dreamt at all; the last thing I remembered was embracing Kyrae. But I had slept. Actually slept. Not whatever horrible thing I’d fallen into every time I closed my eyes these past months.
The shadows, too, were muted. I felt their presence around me, hiding in the corners of the room we were in, but they didn’t call to me the same way. They felt distant in the warmth of where I was, and I didn’t dare reach out to them.
What if I’ve lost my power? If I don’t have my shadow powers, then I can’t… I can’t… Do I need them? Do I want them?
I shoved the questions aside as I shook off the last of my slumber: I was in a strange place with no idea how I got here and I needed to know if it was even safe to be laying where I was.
A familiar warmth pressed against my scales as I shifted and yawned. Subconsciously, I’d curled around my sleeping sister and held her tight. For a long moment, I stared at Kyrae’s mop of hair. You did it; we’re safe.
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Then, I looked around: soft light from oil sconces bounced around a small room with black, well-fitted stone walls. A lania’el woman in Temple garments of green and white lay coiled next to the bed of soft linens my sister and I had been sleeping in. She looked to be sleeping as well, or at the very least dozing off; her head rested in her arms which rested on one coil of her black-scaled tail.
Behind her, a symbol of Jaezotl hung above a closed wooden door. The Temple!
My hearts started racing. I almost jumped up, but I remembered my sister, who took that exact moment to mumble in her sleep and snuggle against me. Do I wake her? It isn’t safe for me here, if they find out—
The ssyri’ssen next to me twitched and lifted her head up groggily. Why is she here?
Before I could think of what to do—faking sleep or making a quick slither for the exit—the stranger locked her yellow eyes with mine and they widened.
“You’re awake!” she exclaimed, and then whispered. “How do you feel?”
“G-good… but hungry,” I answered honestly, but hesitantly. Don’t mention the curse. “I was just tired is all. I think I had some bad food or something.”
The ssyri’ssen frowned, then sighed. “I… see. I’m Ssyri’zh Onussa. Your sister came to me after you collapsed.”
“From something bad I ate,” I cut in.
Onussa shook her head and smiled warmly. “It’s okay, Issa. Kyrae told me everything and the ussyri healed you for now.”
An ussyri? Someone that high up is coming here—has been here? What’s going to happen to—
Both of us jumped a little at the sound of a knock at the door, interrupting my thoughts. Kyrae started to rouse in my coils, mumbling something about food.
Onussa slid quietly over and answered the door, moving around it so that just her tail stayed back in the room. I heard her whispering, but didn’t catch what the other person said. “Thank you… yes she’s awake, but I don’t think—I understand, yes. I meant no offense… she’s still a child though and she hasn’t—alright, my apologies. Of course I will, thank you.”
While she spoke, the scent of cooked meat drifted in through the open door. My dry mouth started to water, and Kyrae crawled awkwardly on top of me, rubbing her eyes with a yawn.
“Do you really feel better?” my sister asked. “Oh, and the ssyri’zh with us, Onussa, wants to help us—I think.”
Before I could ask my sister anything, the ssyri’zh slithered back inside and the vague scent of meat became an overwhelming aroma. Onussa held two steaming plates piled high with meat glazed in something I didn’t even care to know, and I watched her sidle up to the rim of the bed to push them forward, handing one to each of us.
I took mine first, fast enough to make Onussa jump back a little. Kyrae took hers more slowly, and with a muted “thank you,” but she was the first one to eat. I stared at mine and sniffed; my mouth betrayed me by watering. This is too good to be true.
“S’okay, Iss,” Kyrae said around a mouthful of meat, swallowing quickly. “Onussa was the one who saved you, really. She used her magic, but it wasn’t enough—even though you opened your eyes a little—so she dragged you back here and bullied her way into getting the ussyri to see you.”
I tore my eyes from the meat to look up at the small Onussa, who wore a sad-looking smile. She looked away sheepishly. “It was the right thing to do. It makes me sad to think others may have refused you help.”
I thought back to the other times Kyrae and I had visited Temples. We got nice people sometimes, but a lot of the time we got turned away. How long until someone here kicks us out, too? And what then?
“Eat, Issa,” Kyrae pleaded. “Please?”
At my sister’s behest, I looked down at the plate again and the last of my resistance crumbled. My hands moved before my mind did, grabbing a piece and shoving it into my mouth whole. I didn’t even bother chewing.
I tore through the whole plate in moments, despite being watched.
While I was eating ravenously, Kyrae took a moment to ask Onussa, “Where’s your plate?”
“I’ll eat later,” Onussa replied candidly. “It’s important you two eat now, and my midday meal was large yesterday.”
I barely caught a look of guilt that passed across Kyrae’s face. I didn’t understand the reason why.
Once we’d finished, I tried to slither up out of the bed, but Onussa put a hand on my shoulder. I hissed and she frowned.
“You can’t leave yet,” she said with a sigh.
“Why not?” I snapped.
“There’s someone coming to see you,” Onussa said. “That’s all I can say.”
Instantly, I felt my hearts beat faster. What were they going to do with me?
“Can I leave?” Kyrae asked suddenly.
I whipped my head around and looked at her curiously. She gave me a look that I knew very well meant “keep quiet, I have a plan.” Okay, Sis.
Onussa stuttered. “Well, uhm, yes. I suppose it is just Issa who needs to stay here.
Kyrae narrowed her eyes, “Why is that?”
“I… can’t tell you. I want to, but I can’t.” The ssyri’zh looked down guiltily.
“I won’t let anyone hurt Issa,” Kyrae said, and the venom in her words shocked me.
Onussa looked back up quickly and put her hands out placatingly. “I promise you I will not let that happen. I also promise you I will do my best so that you two are not separated.”
Separated? Who would want to do that?
“Separate us?” Kyrae asked—because even if I picked up on it, my sister was probably expecting it.
“I…” Onussa started.
Someone knocked on the door heavily. “Ssyri’zh Onussa. Please be ready.”
Onussa said something I was fairly sure wasn’t actually a bad word under her breath and rose, taking our plates. “The people coming are important, okay. Please try to be nice to them.”
She sounded almost scared, and the plates shook in her hands.
Kyrae clung closer to me. “I’ll be nice if they’re nice!”
I nodded. “Me too. And, uh, I’m still kinda hungry.”
That last comment managed to get a small smile from Onussa. “I’ll see what I can do. Oh!” she quickly moved back from the door and handed me a linen from inside her vestments. “Wipe your faces with this, please.”
I stared at the clean cloth. “But it’ll get dirty.”
“Okay,” Kyrae said, cutting me off and swiping the cloth from the ssyri’zh. “We’ll clean up.”
Onussa gave a small smile, and the man’s voice behind the door yelled for her again. “I’ll be right back,” she said quickly. “Please stay in this room.”
I tried to protest, but Kyrae shook her head and advanced on me with the too-nice linen. Onussa, meanwhile, slipped out the door and closed it behind her with her tail. My sister started wiping my face for me and I grunted, trying to move away.
“You’ll just smear it around if I let you do it yourself!” she said, half-honestly and half as a cover.
“What was all that about?” I asked. “Didn’t you say we could trust Onussa?”
“We can,” Kyrae says. “But I don’t think we can trust the people above her. I don’t think you noticed, but what she gave me was her meal. Us elves don’t usually eat that much meat, and the Temple certainly wouldn’t give me that much just like that.”
“But what abou—mmmph” I said into the cloth as she pressed it over my lips.
“Open,” Kyrae said tersely. “All the way—I need to make sure you don’t have lines of sauce on the sides of your face.”
I did as she was told and popped my jaw open all the way.
Kyrae continued in a whisper, “I don’t think I was supposed to have anything to eat. That’s also why I haven’t been bathed or given something to wear.”
Something to wear? I glanced down and saw that my old clothes had been replaced with a long, clean, undyed shirt that went past where my elf-like torso met the larger scales of my tail. It felt so soft I hadn’t even noticed I was wearing it. Except the swollen spots on my chest where it rubbed and itched, of course, but everything did that to me lately. I checked my hands and arms too: even under my nails had been cleaned.
A glance at Kyrae showed she was still dirty, although someone had cleaned her face and made a pass at her hair. Her shirt, too, was the same ragged one she had before. I remember when we bought that with our own money—and when it was clean.
“Onussa did what she could,” Kyrae admitted, locking her green gaze with my own. “Whatever’s going on, I’m not supposed to be a part of it.” She finished wiping my face down and took the last clean corner to wipe around her own mouth.
I closed my jaw and tried to get any big bits of meat out of my teeth with my tongue. “Well I’m not going to leave you behind. Ever. They help both of us or neither.”
Kyrae looked down sadly. “But your curse…”
“Screw my curse! I’ll just come back here when it gets bad. You heard Onussa—all I need is healing. And I’m clean right now, so I can probably get a job easy. I’ll make enough for both of us, you’ll see!”
“Issa…” Kyrae’s tone was said, but a slow smile spread across her face. “Thanks, Sis.”
I nodded sharply. “Yeah! And anyone who gets in my way’ll—”
I was interrupted by two sharp raps at the door. Before either of us could answer, the door opened.