20
(Au/Ra- plz don’t waste my youth)
Tells
I hopped off the wagon and darted into that weird building with the tree as fast as I could. Mother Yeline was inside talking with some really buff lady when I interrupted them, which scared me a little, considering I really didn’t like talking to people anyways. I didn’t want to interrupt anyone.
“M-Mother Yeline, we need help. We have the fireblood. And my friends are paralyzed.” Both of them looked back at me. The woman next to her had really intense eyes that I really didn’t want to make contact with.
The woman started walking right up to me and talking really loudly. “Fireblood? Paralysis? That sounds familiar to what we dealt with. Is the fireblood alive?” She got right up to me, meeting me at about eye level.
I continued avoiding eye contact, racing to speak. “Y-y-y-yeah. It’s alive, but they need help outside.”
“Mother, I have just the sigil you can use. I’ll bring it right back.”
Mother Yeline had a look of worry on her face as the woman sauntered out of the temple and disappeared. Mother Yeline walked forward to me and pulled her green veil back for the first time. Her old gray eyes shimmered, the left one pure white and blind. She took my hand in hers and I stiffened up a little.
“Thank you, dear,” she smiled like a proud grandmother. “Bring them. Clinic too small for jinian. I help. Then we use fireblood for town.
A sort of warm, giddy feeling coursed through me. I was almost embarrassed, but confident and glad that I did something for her, for the people of the town.
“I’ll go get them.”
I ran out and lugged Adam and Brenden in with the help of shirtless Desmond. The stablehand took over watching the fireblood for us. Not that we were worried about it getting out, but we didn’t want to risk it waking up and trying to prick people.
The woman brought a book to the Mother. She was followed in by a sparsely bandaged man who looked like her twin. The Mother opened the book and began carving a very intricate sigil in the air.
Why does that book look familiar?
I didn’t know much about the books or whatever the magic was, but she seemed like she was struggling with it.
“I apologies. Will take time. Old age slows jzanmah.” Mother Yeline took labored breaths as a green orb appeared over Adam, pulling liquid from him.
The woman put a hand on the Mother’s shoulder. “Mother Yeline, do not strain yourself. These men have plenty of time, as my brother did."
"Appreciate concern, Milady, but I complete treatment for haste."
After about an hour, the green orbs had drawn all of the poison out of Brenden and Adam. They began sitting up, but their bodies fell back instantly, exhaustion overtaking them.
Mother Yeline stood slowly and held the book out toward me and Desmond. “One return book? Must begin fireblood dissection.”
The man with the bandages stepped in front of us. “Allow me to assist you, Mother. I am sure you have already been hard at work preparing for the sake of the town.”
The Mother’s eyes went wide with worry, “I shan't ask noble man for common task, not after Lady Simira retrieve book-”
“I insist upon it, Mother.” He took the book from her and walked out with a wide smile. His sister glared sharply at him, like a mother who was suspicious of her kid for sneaking food. Having seen that many times before from my own mother, I was sure she wasn’t trusting him for some reason. It was a little creepy, the way he was practically skipping out the door.
The Mother exited as well, leaving me and Desmond alone with our sleeping friends and the woman.
Did Mother Yeline say they were nobles? As in, nobility? They’re certainly dressed like rich people.
I kind of froze up and didn’t know what to say, so I sat next to Desmond and watched over Brenden and Adam.
“You were the ones on the road. Are you travelers? Mercenaries? You don’t look like you are, but you caught a fireblood.” The woman had a strong voice that commanded respect.
Desmond sighed and looked at her dismissively. “It’s a long story, but we ain’t hangin’ around here long. Let’s go, Tells. I gotta take a mean shit and I can already tell this one’s gonna be rough.” He hurried away, leaving me completely alone with the scary woman who was now grimacing at him.
“I’m not joining you for that,” I quietly said as he walked away, but he wasn’t listening.
She waited until he walked out and it was the two of us awkwardly standing there. Well, I was awkwardly standing there while she tapped her foot in an irritated and expectant manner. “Nobody has any respect here, I suppose. Would you care to answer my question, or shall I simply go fuck myself?”
“Sorry. Uh, yeah- yes. That was our first job. We’re just traveling.” I was looking at the ground the whole time, fingering at my bandage.
She sighed and lightened up. “Well, that creature evaded my envoy and put my brother out. You seem capable at the least. Where are you off to next?”
“We’re leaving soon. Going to the city down that way.”
“That’s perfect. We were planning to leave anyway once my brother gets new ribs. Will you have enough room for two more in your wagon, just until my brother and I encounter our officers?”
“Yeah, I think so. We’re returning it to a, um yeffen guy in a cabin, though, so we won’t be taking it the whole way.”
She raised a curious eyebrow. “So you’ve met Geren?” I nodded to her. “He’s kind and a man of his word, I was pleasantly surprised. A wise conversationalist, from my experience. It’s a shame Triali is so harsh on the yeffen.” She leaned in close and whispered to me, even though we were the only ones around. “You should take advantage of what you can get with that fireblood. They’re hard to get alive. I’m sure the village people would be more than happy to give you a wagon and a corty as payment.”
“We’ll… ask them what they can give. We did it for our own reasons, anyway.”
“There’s a lot of value in that fireblood. You’re certain?”
I nodded. I thought about how nice it would be to have basic necessities. Just the means to travel would be a vast improvement to our situation. A slim smile cracked my face as I daydreamed not being completely poor.
“Your name. I would like to know it.” She leaned back on her heel as she checked me up and down.
“Tells.”
“Just Tells? I’ve not heard a name like that before.”
“Yeah… it’s my- my street name.”
She raised her eyebrows in confusion. “Is a street name different from a real name?”
Oh no, my old name doesn’t fit how I look. She might get suspicious if I tell her.
“No.”
“Okay?” She shook the confusion off and stood up straight. “I am Lady Simira of house Amien, honorable to the Viscount Hazjiken Amien. Direct descendent of the first emperor of Triala.”
I don’t know what to do. Am I supposed to bow? What’s a viscount?
I slightly bowed and glanced up. She looked condescendingly confused. Maybe I wasn’t supposed to bow. “Sorry, I haven’t met a noble person before. Am I supposed to do something?”
A flash of curious humor crossed her face and she relaxed. “I… ha, I suppose many people don’t personally encounter or even see, for that matter, those who govern them. Actually, that is precisely why I am out here, but alas. You are Tells. Your respect is enough for me. What are your friends’ names?” She seemed very pleased to learn about us, so I tried to answer what she wanted.
I half gestured at each of my friends as I identified them to Lady Simira. “Adam is the… jinian, Brenden is the… um… nyadin, and Desmond is the one who left for a business trip.”
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I tried getting all the names of their new races right so I wouldn’t seem like a total outsider, but it didn’t seem like I sold it well enough. She was very curious, so she could probably tell.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know much about here.”
She put out a hand to stop me. “Don’t apologize for trifles. Your intent is telling enough.” She crossed her arms and cracked her neck before a thought dawned on her. “Why do you know so little? To travel with a jinian and nyadin, surely you have some worldliness.”
“That’s… hard to explain. We grew up together. Born and raised around each other. We didn’t… have any contact with cities or towns here.”
She leaned forward like a curious researcher. “So you’re from an isolated community, similar to this one?” I hesitantly nodded, which she must have picked up on. “What’s your goal in traveling, then?”
I turned my head toward the floor.
What am I supposed to do? What can I do? What’s out there for me to do? What would dad say?
“I don’t know yet. I’ll just do what good I can, where I can.”
“That’s noble, but a sure way to be taken advantage of.”
“I know. But I’ve learned… I’m learning.”
She nodded like she was impressed. “You’ve good sensibility, it would seem. Should it all be true.”
“I’ve got no reason to lie.”
“Truly. Why lie and attempt humor at a stranger unless you are selfishly deceiving, lack sanity, or pretend intellect?” She rolled her eyes like she was slighting somebody. “And yet I am plagued by it at every turn.”
I shrugged. “Well, I’m too dumb to lie and sane enough to know that.”
She chuckled and shook her head. “Ask man what his shortcomings are, and the fool will decree his greatness. One must be wise enough to question his faults and find the answers within. Only then may he feign true wisdom.” She snapped out of a thought and returned to the conversation. “Perhaps I’ve been reading too much of Djoteided’s work.” She must have realized my confusion. “He’s an old philosopher who poses some interesting questions. Had I the time and the people who’ve heard of him, I would talk for days. Truly, I wish everybody could read his works. We’d all be so much more complete people.”
“I studied a, uh… moral teacher, from my home… my dad did, so I did. A religious one, and a really long book, but I agree.”
She seemed surprised by that. “You can read?”
I nodded.
“The further I venture from home, the more I find myself surprised at what lies in this world.” She chuckled and sighed, fixing her posture. “Alas, let’s not digress. I should see to urgent matters. Thank you for the conversation, Tells.”
Then I remembered that one of my friends wasn’t here right now.
“You too, Lady Simira. I should also go meet my other friend now that I’m back.” I backed up toward the door and began turning around, but she was really quick and caught up right behind me.
“As do I need to check that my brother isn’t… courting.” She said that last word like she was trying to hold back from gagging. We both stepped outside and she bid me “Farewell.”
Then, to my dismay, we started walking in the same direction. I hated when I would say bye to people and then walk the same way as them. We both kind of made eye contact as we walked the same direction, and she scoffed to herself, a slight grin coming and going as she probably thought the same thing. It wasn’t until we both turned toward the door of the clinic and reached for the handle that I jumped back, trying not to intrude on her position by taking the door first. She looked at me, her eyes going wide and immeasurable disappointment forming on her face. She threw the door open and stomped in, and I quickly followed. I caught up to her just in time to see her brother pulling his face away from Vetia’s. He jumped back like a scared kitten, but Vetia smiled innocently, if not a little embarrassed.
“Why if it isn’t Lady Simira and my good friend Tells!” She sat up, more perky and energetic than before. The brother was sitting on a stool next to her bed, glancing out the window awkwardly.
“I’ve said it enough! My brother will not be seduced by some passing harlot!” Lady Simira stormed forward and pulled her brother from the chair by Vetia’s cot.
Almost pathetically, he raced to an excuse. “Sister, she was not coercing me into her bed. I’ve been spending time with her after she saved my life. She was in miserable condition just a few days ago, lonely and tired.” She gradually released her grip and stared disdainfully at him. “It is my obligation to be in her company during her recovery, after what I owe her.” He was the complete opposite of his sister. His voice was calming and easy natured, but still regal sounding.
“Brother, she is not the sole reason you are alive now. Nor should you forget that your arrangement and our station are of greater import than this lecherous cripple. Her services are appreciated, and she shall be repaid fully as of now. Kindly hold onto this for her, would you?” She dropped a small cloth pouch of coins in my hands.
Vetia spoke up in her proper tone. “Milady, I did what I could to help him of my own free spirit. If he, in his kind heart, seeks to repay me with his company then who am I, a lowly and pathetic peasant, to reject the will of my lord?” A bashful smile crept onto Lord Tarynn’s face and when he glanced down at Vetia, Lady Simira’s eye filled with murderous rage.
“She is quick with her tongue and vile all the more! Do not look at her as if you have fallen for yet another deceitful woman!” His face fell back into a submissive stare at the wooden floor upon hearing his sister’s voice. “No more shall she be anything to you. Come with me, brother, we must see to the fireblood bones.”
Lady Simira glared at the two of them until Lord Tarynn was at the door, like an angry Catholic mom who caught her son with the school hoe. As she turned around to join her brother in leaving, Vetia smiled and winked at him. I watched the entire scene in pure bafflement.
The second the door closed and without missing a beat, I whipped around and said “Bro what’s up with the gay shit?!”
Vetia’s eyes went wide as she checked back into reality. “I don’t know man, shit just hits different now, I don’t know.”
“Hit’s different? Bro! You a dude sucking tongue with another dude. You crazy as Hell!”
“Don’t say that, Tells, I’m already doubting reality enough as is! Dude, I don’t know how to explain it really, but I just started to feel things that I ain’t ever felt before. Maybe it has to do with, oh, I don’t know, the new body I’m in. It’s scary, but I kinda like it! I don’t know man, shit’s weird!”
“It hasn’t even been a week!”
She got oddly worked up at that, articulating everything in disbelief. “You did not see the way he put the moves on me bro! Got me feeling all cute and shit, heart racing, kicking my feet in the air, and I was, like, not ready for that! He just showed up and showered me with compliments man! I ain’t ever had that! It does things to you! You ever wonder why there are so many e-girls out there?! I can tell you why!”
“Sounds like a cope to me.”
Her eyes practically bugged out of her head. “Fuck you mean cope?! Bitch, you’re a chick now too! Oh… I see. I see what you’re doing here. I’m not crazy. You’re in denial. And even if you do still like women, that makes you more gay because you’re a woman now too! I’ve got new needs and new urges and that mothafucka played ‘em like a fiddle! I’m just tryna figure it out, man! You’re coping!”
“You’re in a coma in the hospital and your parents and friends are crying for you to wake up. Wake up. Wake up. Wake up.” I kept repeating “Wake up” with an emotionless face and walking closer.
“I’m gonna fucking kill you, Tells. And you know what? It ain’t a hate crime no more!”
“Wake up. Wake up. Wake up! Wake up!” I was right in her face staring blankly and talking louder and faster every time. Suddenly, wood slammed behind me, so I immediately stopped and stood normally.
“Is it really a hate crime if I loved committing it?” Desmond slammed the door open and marched in nonchalantly while taking a bite of a spiky yellow leaf.
Vetia looked past me to him. “Whatcha got there?”
“Crabs.” He burped and tossed the leaf on the floor just in time to make eye contact with the little man at the desk who was staring at all of us like we were lunatics.
“I wouldn’t touch that leaf if I were you. It’s been some nasty places.” Desmond kicked the leaf out the door, then walked past the desk and joined us by Vetia’s cot. “So what we talkin’ about?”
Simultaneously, Vetia and I said:
“Tells is a lesbian.”
“Vetia’s gay.”
Desmond’s eyes flickered back and forth between the two of us. He subtly nodded and then raised his eyebrows. “Can I watch?”
Vetia and I shared a look of disappointment, but understanding. I slammed Desmond’s balls with my fist.
He gasped as all the air left his body. “You planned that one, didn’t you? You know hot bitches bangin’ is my weakness,” weakly escaped his mouth. He leaned his head on the bed while wheezing and struggling to stand.
Desmond sniffed, raised his head in anguish, then sniffed again and looked inquisitively up at Vetia, who shifted very uncomfortably.
“Aren’t I a bit old for that, Mr. President,” she said as he continued sniffing. “All right! You can stop whenev-”
Desmond checked back into reality. “Shut up! Shut up, no! I’m not fuckin’- ew, it’s something else. Ne- nevermind. Anyways, what's with the rage monster who looks like she stands to piss? I miss something?”
“Vetia’s getting all tonguey with her brother and Lady Simira’s mad about it or something, I just got here.”
“It’s not- well- that’s true, but there’s more to it. I saved him with my magic, then I clocked out for a bit and guess who was next to me when I woke up? Hot guy, who is also really good at dishing out compliments and causing flash floods. And we’ve been talking for the past few days because there’s literally nothing else to really do, and you know, we like each other. That’s normal. That’s how normal relationships start.”
“Must be a side effect of being a woman.” Desmond shook his head apologetically. “Well, you know what they say. A lock ain’t a lock without a key.”
She was a little confused, but nodded. “Yeah, I’m sure there’s something there. Anyway, Tells is out here trying to tell me it’s gay to be straight.”
I casually shook my head. “I would never say that. You’re putting words in my mouth, making up these crazy delusions like I wouldn’t support you no matter who you love. Do you really value our friendship so little?”
Desmond cut in. “Tells is right. You’re crazy and delusional and should seek mental help. You do know none of us are real, right? We’re all just figments of your imagination. You know what, we’ll make the ride into the city a big therapy session. Just you and your three hallucinations dealing with your psychosis.”
She smiled uncomfortably, with a twinge of fear creeping through. “So true.”
I awkwardly looked at the floor. “It’s not just gonna be the five of us.”
Both of them locked eyes on me.
Vetia leaned in and raised an eyebrow at me. “What do you mean by that?”
“I told Lady Simira that her and Lord Tarynn could hitch a ride with us until their friends caught up to us.”
Desmond shrugged agreeably and Vetia froze like she was constipated with fear.