8.3

Jewel woke up in the feasting hall. Because of course she did. Only Gem got to wake up comfortable and safe if she fell asleep in strange places. Her Wyrm body’s bulk was an intractable weight of muscle, bone and scales without the support of her flame. No one in Kaeketeh could have moved her if they wanted to. She was hardly even in a different position from when she fell.

But at least some one had brought pillows and gotten a few of them under her head.

Speaking of Gem she was also here, curled up and still asleep enough it made the rest of Jewel groggy and slow.

Paul was absent but she could smell he had been here, the sun was just starting to rise and its light through the windows welcomed her tenderly. The sound of the river outside also murmured and spoke to her. With a timid gentleness that was appreciated for how drained she felt.

Even the stone of the feasting hall were soft and careful with her in their usual exuberance, the welcomes tempered by what was not exactly concern but an acknowledged frailty in her. Something Jewel could not deny she felt deep in the core of her body. Her flame felt stretched thin and low in a way she had not experienced for years.

Not since her very first flight had anything left her so utterly exhausted. Never was Jewel’s inner fire ever so low.

As she stirred, every movement brought a strange ache that had nothing to do with her muscles. She actually felt quite well rested if not for the dimness of the light within her.

She woke as Gem, and in that there was a new strain as well. Normally she was overflowing with the gift of her flame for her smaller self. But although not really a strain it took focus to push enough of her inner fire into her smaller self.

What should have been almost effortless was now a drag on Jewel’s attention in order to fill out what had been lost in gem’s flesh to the hours of sleep. The effort inspired a desire for air and Jewel breathed deep, and then yawned. Two voices echoing each other, one high, sharp, small and guttural, the other resonant and all consuming, rattling the windows and her smaller self’s bones.

Before Jewel could even finish closing her mouth from that wet humidity arrived.

The scent of silt and rotting eggs under mud followed and the upwelling of black mire pooled in the middle of the feasting hall just a bit before the pillows Jewel had woken up on.

As was custom Tsulogothulan wrought themselves together in burgeoning strands of flesh made as much of mire and muck as water. Bones that were at once branches and reeds weaving through flesh and skin that was both black mud and pale tissue that these years Jewel now recognized as the skin between a fish’s scales.

“My Lady and Countess Jewel, Apologies for arriving well ahead of even your break fast but your father, family and household insisted that I assure them of your health and wholeness after yesterday’s events in court.”

Jewel shook her head to try and clear some of the fog but even that felt odd.

“I believe I am hale, Good Sorcerer Tsulogothulan, but I am confused... and drained... my fire is lower now then even when it was after the war.”

If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

Tsulogothulan nodded at that and their eye finally emerged to fix on Jewel’s face with a softness of worry. With the official business settled the tone of office as her Father’s court wizard fell away to be replaced by her friend’s concerned reassurance.

“I’m not surprised that you have needed to pay some cost. We can add another act of a major working to the list and if I am not wrong it fully realized as your first curse upon a mortal’s flesh as well. Word of your Judgment is already well and truly cast to the winds of all Kaeketeh and should be well on its way to the rest of the known world by tomorrow.”

Jewel tried to work either of her heads to the task of following through on that but she found neither up to the task.

“Come again?”

The sigh was a familiar one, Jewel had apparently done something astounding to the Weird but she could barely even recall exactly what it could be. There had been the Countess’ footment, their captain had tried to sacrifice Seven of their number for the guilt of all of them.

But after that? Jewel remembered nothing certain, just a feeling of clarity of her conviction that there needed to be justice and that she had seen enough of death.

Tsulogothulan sighed and then stared at Jewel with that one deeply strange and far too large eye.

“All but a dozen at most of the guard of Kaeketeh have suffered some degree of your curse. The worst of which struck those in this room with you but threads of the working bled soon after from those until it reached nearly every single man who ever wore the Countess Bathory’s colors. Retired or otherwise!”

The Weird of the bog placed their hand on her coils and patted gently.

“That is over seven hundred men! It would push the waters of my domain to have done half of what you accomplished yesterday Jewel. And it would have been nowhere near as neat and gentle as you managed! You are more than owed to feel some strain from that.”

Jewel blinked, that was certainly more than she remembered being in the courtroom. But it still did not answer the slowly emerging question that came loose in her head.

“I see, but can you tell me what precisely it is that my curse, or enchantment or whatever actually did?”

That seemed to stall out her friend’s thoughts on the matter. Leading to an even more intense full body boggle as they stared Jewel up and down. Eye roving all over Jewel’s scales and then for some reason scattering to trace the rest of the room.

Come to think of it Jewel could feel a strange mingling of her own Wyrmflame and the more common fauxfire sort of pooled and writhing in the room.

“You can’t tell?!”

Jewel shook her head, a bit slowly. Everything still felt almost gummy in her head and blinking was not helping. Neither was shaking actually. Another yawn built up and crawled out of both of her throats.

“It’s the first light of dawn, Tsulogothulan, and I feel more exhausted than I did after fighting the battle that won a war. I honestly and truly cannot remember most of what I was even doing before I passed out!”

Her friend blinked slowly then sighed again and patted at Jewel’s throat where it met her shoulders.

“It’s best if you just see it for yourself”

Jewel’s stomach rumbled, both of them.

“Fine Tsulogothulan, but not until after breakfast. Let the kitchens and staff and everyone know would you?”

Then she was struck by another window rattling yawn breaking free.

And by the time Jewel opened her eyes her friend was gone.