Content warning:

Soul/mind manipulation to place a geas/demand on another. Can be seen as soul torture as well.

The stress makes what was probably like… an hour of time feel like 8 hours. Nobody is even back at the tavern yet. So, I end up heading up to our room and just collapsing onto the bed and curling around my core.

The little spark in my chest sits, flickering and happy. No longer a gnashing void of cold eating at my sanity. It… it still aches, but in a good way. Like a full belly after a long day without food.

“Fuck you.” I mutter, and fall into oblivion.

In the dream, the darkness keeps its distance as I clutch the new warmth.

In the calm I’m free to look about, and without the fear I’m able to spot little glitters of light in the void. I call out to the closest one, but something tells me she can’t hear me. That none of this is… real?

No it’s quite real, just not… physical. This is all a metaphor for… something? I know I could turn and get answers. But I don’t want to see Her eyes right now. So I try to ask.

“Why me?”

A hum, then a chin is resting atop my head, multiple arms reach around my shoulders and torso. She curls around me and stokes the little flame at my core. As she fusses over it a litany of old pain and rage and loss rumbles from her chest, bringing tears to my soul.

"I’m… nothing." I blubber through tears, "I’m not a hunk of muscle like that woman was. I’m not tempered for this. I’m so stupid and useless and–"

She drifts around me and grabs my chin then forces me to make contact with her four blazing eyes.

I cry out, try to pull away, to apologize and–

“I did not make you useless. I did not make you stupid.” She forces the words through my soul.

It hurts. Oh fuck it hurts so much. Her words are a cauldron of boiling soulfire poured through my eyes directly into my mind. I feel my sleeping body shudder and writhe as She jerks my head and chin back, hovers overhead. Threatens to pour more words into me.

“Please no. Please stop. It hurts so much. I’m sorry. I’m sorry.”

A huff. A spark of regret and disgust flits from Her as She releases me.

Then She is behind me again, that rage cooled as She wraps me in Her arms.

Unable to run or escape Her embrace, I curl around the spark, and hold back a scream.

For a terrible moment, I am frozen in fear at the arms that wrap around me. At the fingers that gently draw a pattern of caresses atop my hand.

Yrelia murmurs something, and my panic turns to relief.

I wiggle closer and mumble back nothings as the dream fear falls from my mind, replaced with the happiness of the soothing warmth at my back.

She hugs me close.

“What time is it?” I finally whisper.

“Half-way between afternoon and evening.”

My stomach lets out a growl of anger that has nothing to do with the spark at my core.

Yrelia giggles, “Did you not eat?”

“No.” I grumble and push my face into the bed, but eventually I stir and notice a blanket draped over me. Probably put there by Yrelia when she found me like this.

Then I remember what happened before my nap. What do I even tell her? Tell them all? Hey I went for a walk, nearly passed out from a severe cold ache in my chest. What? No, it's fine now. Turns out it’s a magical hunger. For what? Something called Amwella. How do I know that? Oh a giant woman told me, turns out she’s a Sun Spoken too and I’m scheduled to have… breakfast or something with her tomorrow.

Yay.

I start to think back to the dream, to the… to Her. It’s so hard to focus on it though…

Before my brain can get far Yrelia interrupts my thoughts.

“You don’t have to get up just yet,” She pulls me tight. “You were just so cute and I was always horrible at not just… not touching. Had to cuddle snuggle.”

“Is fine. I don’t want to go back to sleep.” I whisper back and kiss the hand closest to my face, “Was having a bad dream. I’m glad you were here when I woke up.”

“Oh good. Glad to help!”

A pause.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

I shake my head.

“Kay. Then let’s get you some food!”

We untangle and rise, when Yrelia steps back, places a finger to her lips and tuts at me.

“No no no… that’s not nearly appropriate attire for an evening out.”

I rub the sleep from my eyes, confused. “Out?”

“Mhm. I’m taking you out. To this lovely little spot I found.”

She waits, a flicker of worry.

“Oh… Oh! Okay.” I stutter out, my brain catching up. “Yeah that sounds really nice!”

Her face lights back up, “Normally I’d wait to do this during or after, but…”

Then she is pulling a stack of clothes up from behind the bed and holding them out to me.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

Soft rich red fabric embellished with frills and little beads that hang off a length of rope perfectly set to hold a small pouch or bag. It’s the top and skirt pair I’d seen on that first day out with them alongside a little pair of cute slippers and tights.

“I spied on you eyeing these, and couldn’t resist!”

A million little denials die on my tongue as I take them, eyes go a bit blurry, “You saw? You remembered and got them for me?”

“Mhm!” She nods proudly. And it’s then that I notice her own fashion. She’s wearing a soft purple dress with little floofs and silver sparkling glitter. It also parts on one side at the hip to reveal the soft skin of a leg. A series of jade rings dangling down one ear and her hair is done up too, fancy and elegant as it wraps around itself into a bun with just a little bit of stray hair.

“You look really pretty,” I whisper, clutching the new outfit to my chest.

She smiles, and her cheeks take on a rosy tint. “Thank you!”

And with that I change into my new outfit. My soreness is almost non-existent, and I sigh in relief as I strip down and see the noticeably reduced nature of all my cuts and bruises. After fiddling with the splint on my left hand I decide my fingers are healed enough to be okay without it for one evening.

I meet up with Yrelia in the common room. She’s leaning against a table alone.

Yrelia pushes off the table and approaches with a clap of her hands, “Ina! You look fabulous!”

I blush and can’t help but grin stupidly as Yrelia takes my hand and prompts me to turn and spin.

I obey, letting her take in all the angles “Wow. Wow. Wow.” She sings.

“Thanks!” I reply and pull her into a hug. “Seriously! It’s really comfy and perfect.”

“We’ll have to get you something even better before we leave Deledita. I’ve seen some amazing things in my explorations.”

Yrelia takes my hand in hers and leads me out into the streets.

It’s even more of a bustle than earlier. More travelers and traders making their way away from Lyttoral after the festival’s end. Weaving through the crowd, Yrelia pulls me toward the city center, then takes me down one of the smaller main streets.

“It’s a little place.” She explains as we slow, the street is fairly devoid of traffic compared to the others. “The owner is this little thing, super sweet, has been cooking for like… twice my age.”

“What kind of food does she make?” I know I won’t understand half of what she might say, but I am enjoying her enthusiasm.

“Oh she swears she can cook anything and everything! But I happened to bring her something a little special, part of the trade was that we’ll get the first bottles and a free meal out of it anytime we visit Deledita.”

“Bottles of what?”

She gives me a wink in reply, “Something special. You’ll taste it soon enough.”

When we arrive at an alleyway, Yrelia stops us.

“Okay, so, I kind of need you to close your eyes.”

“What? Why?”

She gives me a playful pout and rests a hand on one of her hips. “Because I want to surprise you? C’mon, I’ll guide you and stop you from tripping.”

As she takes both my hands, I obey with an equally playful sigh.

“Okay, watch your step here.” She murmurs as the smooth cobblestone gives way to rougher terrain. Then… “This part might be a bit tricky, we have a weird type of stairwell to go up. Here’s the handrail, yeah that’s it. NO PEEKING!”

I almost trip and my eyelids flutter for a moment, revealing winding wooden steps. “Sorry, sorry.”

Yrelia hums, and we take it slowly to avoid another near mishap.

“We’re about to reach the top, just like… two or three more. Then I’ll need you to wait here for a second!”

Once at the top, she presses my hands down on a curved thing and releases me.

“Seriously, no peeking. I’ll be back in like… two seconds!”

“O... kay?”

“No peeking. Be right back!”

And then with the pitter patter of footfalls I am alone. I can make out the beginning of a greeting at a distance, then hushed whispers. A slight breeze wafts a serenade of sweet scents over me.

“Yrelia?” I whisper after a few moments have passed.

More whispers, I recognise some from Yrelia.

“Okay okay, thanks so much!”

“Can I look now?”

“Okay okay okay. Open your eyes Ina!”

I do, and am greeted with the sight of Yrelia, Tasii, Kque, and even Jevita standing amidst a garden of color. All are dressed in various beautifully vibrant clothes.

Three little clay tables, only about a foot off the ground, populate this building’s rooftop garden. Curling all around us are vines with blooming flowers and weird fruits all about.

“Surprise!” Yrelia giggles and rushes over to take my hands.

“Wow, Ina, you look great!” Tasii says.

“I… what is all this?” I ask, confused.

“A celebration! A proper one!” Yrelia pulls me over to the group.

I can’t help but notice Kque’s silence and worried look at my unsplinted fingers. But she only says, “We wanted to make sure to have one before leaving.”

“But… What are we celebrating?” I ask as I eye a large bottle of some strange dark liquid, five empty glass bowls, and an assortment of fruits and little wrapped candies on the central table.

“You, for one! A sort of welcome to your new life party!” She says, pulling me to sit on the grass with the rest of the group.

“But…” I look among them, then move to rub at my eyes as they threaten to leak. “I… You really shouldn’t have. But thank you.”

“It only gets better.” Jevita pipes in as she moves to sit before the bottle.

Yrelia turns politely, but avoids looking directly at her.

I wince, guilt staining the anxious joy. I should have talked to her, said something, tried to help fix this. Selfish stupi–

And then the dream is in my mind again, A wave of nausea and pain slams into my brain. Her rage burns at me until my thoughts twist away from the half remembered thought.

Luckily my flinch is small, and almost everyone is turning toward Jevita. But Kque notices, and only gives me a worried raise of an eyebrow.

I shake my head, give her my best smile to tell her I’m fine, and turn to watch Jevita uncork the centerpiece. Immediately cold steam begins to rise from the top. After a few seconds she reveals a smaller bottle of clear glittering liquid, opens it and empties it into the larger one.

With a quickness I didn’t know she had, Jevita re-corks the first as soon as the last drop is gone. Then she lifts the large bottle and begins to shake the entire thing.

“What is it?” I whisper to no one.

Tasii begins to answer, but Yrelia shushes her. “She’s never had this! Let it be a surprise!”

“Had what?”

“It’s a mix of Lyttoral brewcraft,” Jevita supplies. “But with an Arudian crystal touch.”

Yrelia gives her a sour look, “No hints! You’ll ruin it.”

“She won’t!” I sputter out. “I wasn’t allowed near magic stuff, Barely any alchemy even. I spent years begging my Sangoma to let me study Arudian script so I could read some of their stories. I only know that they have magic, but not how it works.”

Jevita snorts, shakes the bottle with more rigor. “It’s not magic. Magic is when you can’t explain a thing. Can’t establish patterns and formulas. The Academy has had Cultivation locked down for centuries.”

“See? I don’t know what any of that is.”

Yrelia looks down at her hands, while Tasii and Kque are suddenly hyper focused on Jevita.

Jevita notices this, and huffs in annoyance. “It’s fine. Practically common knowledge.”

Tasii nods. Kque whispers, “Just… um… stick to surface level then? Keep it simple?”

“Yeah… Okay.” Jevita pauses for a moment. “So… Alchemy’s main ingredient is the water from the Jade Sea. Right?”

I nod, then add. “Filtered and enchanted through the Dune Wall.”

“Sure. Well, The Academy uses gemstones found growing from an eternally frozen lake.”

She sets the bottle down onto the clay table, then uncorks it. A white mist prickling with glittering crystals hiss out. Suddenly a white foam begins to bubble forth, but before even a drop can spill Jevita has taken it back up and is filling the five bowls.

They all move to gather around the table, each in front of a bowl. Yrelia pats the ground next to her and I scoot up.

“So…” She grins at me, flourishes a spoon, and pops it into my hand, “How about you try a little bite and we’ll go from there?”

“What is this?” I poke the settling mass of glittering foam, then gather up a smidge on my spoon.

“Inghetata.” Jevita supplies as she begins to plop little green fruits atop her bowl.

I can’t help but notice Yrelia’s quick glare at her from the corner of my eye as the spoon hovers an inch from my mouth.