Ryo awoke the next morning in a daze. His body was sore and weak. He heard light scraping noises coming from the desk beside the bed. He turned his head to see the mistress hunched over the desk, writing in some book. She would stop and mumble to herself now and then, before she continued writing. Hearing him wake up, she turned toward him and gave him a smile.

“Good, you are awake! I want to run some tests on you today, it’s not everyday one gets to meet a kitsune!” She told him, putting away her quill and closing the book.

“Quickly, dress!” She ordered, motioning him to hurry.

“Y-yes mistress.” He replied, stumbling out of bed.

He grabbed his clothes and quickly dressed, not wanting to make her angry. The mistress started placing scrolls, books, and strange tools into a bag. By the time he’d finished dressing, she was done packing and stood impatiently waiting for him beside the door.

“Hurry, there’s a busy day ahead of us.” She told him, as she unlocked the door.

She waved for him to leave the room, which he swiftly did. After he was out, she closed the door and locked it behind them. They passed Beth and Robert as the two were eating breakfast. They looked at him with pity in their eyes, but said nothing. What could they do? Whatever they said or tried to do would only get them all in trouble. He wished he could sit down and have breakfast with Robert.

“Don’t dawdle! You’re wasting time!” She snapped, noticing he had slowed down a tad.

Robert gave him a small wink, before turning around to eat his breakfast. Ryo guessed it was the old man’s way of saying “everything will be alright” though he sincerely doubted it would be. They walked out of the cabin and into a bright, beautiful morning. They walked to the edge of the clearing, right in front of an old willow tree. The mistress spun on her heels abruptly, almost knocking Ryo to the ground! She then placed her bag on the ground and rummaged through it.

“Have a seat on this and cross your legs.” She said, while unrolling a large, cream-colored cloth onto the ground.

The cloth was a large square, which had a strange circular pattern in the middle. Along the outside of the circle were writings in a language he didn’t know. Inside of the pattern were various shapes and symbols. The mistress placed gems, candles, and strange objects on the cloth. Everything seemed to have its own predetermined place. Although he did not understand what it was, he appreciated its beauty. He wanted to ask questions about everything, but bit his lip instead.

Last night she had given him permission to ask questions. But was that only about the cabin? It was best not to take a chance, so he just sat there in silence, watching her. When the mistress finished, she sat down in front of him. She reached over and grabbed his hand with hers. Then, with the other, she reached into the bag and pulled out a small knife.

“So, first let’s try the magic aptitude test.” She told him, taking the knife and inflicting a slight cut on his finger.

He flinched a little, not because it was painful, but because he was a little frightened. Ryo wasn’t sure what was happening, but hoped it wouldn’t be too painful. As a rivulet of his crimson blood oozed from the cut, she put the knife back inside of the bag. From it she then pulled out an almost translucent sphere, the size of a large apple. She grabbed the hand with the bloody finger and placed the orb on top of it.

As soon as the blood came into contact with the sphere, he watched it come to life. His blood seemed to seep into it, freely swimming around the sphere. The blood swirled around inside of it, slowly forming into… something. After about a minute of waiting, it took on a definite shape. The blood had condensed into a flat circle, with a square hole at its center.

Ryo glanced over to the mistress, not sure what was going on. But she was busy intently scribbling stuff on a scroll. She ignored him completely and was focused solely on the ball in his hands. From time to time she would stop and mumble something incoherent before writing again. When she was finally finished, she put down her quill and gave him a bone chilling smile.

“Excellent news! You can use magic, and a prime affinity of all things!” She told him, clasping her hands together.

“You, little boy, are a very rare specimen. Not only are you a kitsune but a prime user at that!” She said happily, taking the sphere and putting it back into the bag.

“I’m happy that you are happy, mistress.” He replied, giving her a slight bow. It was something he had been trained to say by his previous master.

“Are you?” She asked, the smile disappearing from her face.

“Y-yes, mistress.” He answered, looking away, afraid to meet her gaze.

“Do you have any idea what I’m talking about?” She shot back in a hasher, callous tone.

“N-no, mistress.” He quickly replied, fearing what she might do.

“Useless.” The mistress hissed quietly before asking him. “… Does the kitsune not teach their young magic?”

“Only after they turn ten, mistress.” He told her.

“I see. When did you leave the island?” She asked.

“When I was ten, mistress.” He told her, worried his answer would upset her. It was obvious to see that she was interested in the magic of his race.

“How unfortunate.” She mumbled disappointingly.

“Well, anyway, you can use magic, that much is clear.” She said, her predatory smile returning.

Capacity to use magic? Does that mean I could use magic? On the home island, they would groom those who could use magic to become elders. But he knew little about magic, or how it was used. The elders had told them that only those with “the gift” would need to know such things. It wasn’t until he’d left the island that he’d learned more about it. Even then, it had been limited to Robert’s stories and his previous master’s rantings.

“In magic there are five main magical affinities, air, water, earth, fire, and prime. Out of these, prime is the rarest.” She explained, interrupting his thoughts.

“Your affinity is important to know, because it tells you what magic is best for you.” She added.

“For example, someone born with the fire affinity will naturally have an easier time learning fire based magic. They also will notice that their fire spells are much stronger than normal. The downside of this, however, is this person will have a much harder time learning water magic based magic. Any water based magic they cast will also be weaker than normal.” She continued to explain, pulling out a scroll from the bag beside her.

The mistress unrolled it and placed it down in front of him. It showed the different affinities and a brief description of each alongside. The mistress had only mentioned five types of magic, but he could also see shadow and light magic listed on the scroll. He wanted to ask her about these, but she continued with her explanation.

“People born with a prime affinity won’t have problems learning any magic, their spells also won’t diminish in strength. The downside is, however, that you won’t learn spells any quicker, and your spells won’t experience any enhancement.”

Ryo felt overwhelmed with all this information. Not because it was hard to understand, but because he had been told he could use magic. Robert had told him that even the weakest magic users were feared and respected by normal folks. They could control mysterious forces and cast powerful spells on those who crossed them. It wasn’t something he had ever thought would happen to him.

If he learned magic, he could be of tremendous use to Robert when they escaped. Ryo knew that it was only a matter of time before the old man found a way. Plus, with magic, he might have a little more control over his own life. He hadn’t thought about such things before until he met Robert. The old man showed him that others had always been controlling him, the elders, the slavers, merchants, his previous master, and now… now this new mistress. The only problem was whether the mistress would teach him magic. Ryo doubted she would, for fear it would make it easier for him to break away from her clutches. He would need to think about this later.

“Thank you for the explanation, mistress.” He thanked her politely.

“Next let’s examine your mana body, bite down on this.” She told him, reaching back into the bag and pulling out a small wooden stick.

“Bit down on this.” She repeated, handing him the stick.

Ryo hesitated for a second before doing as the mistress asked. He wasn’t sure what she wanted to do exactly, but he knew he would have to endure any and all of these weird requests if he wanted to learn magic. Once he had it firmly in his mouth, the mistress grasped a hold of his wrists. She closed her eyes and began to chant something he couldn’t understand.

Small black tendrils sprouted around her hand, squirming frantically. When they touched his skin, he went cold, as if they were sucking the life and all warmth out of him. He watched as they bore into him, moving under his skin. His mind reeled back in pain as he bit down onto the stick. He tried to pull away from the mistress, but her grip was like iron.

Ryo writhed in pain as the muscles across his body spasmed out of control. He bit down so hard on the stick, that he thought it was going to snap in two. Tears streamed down his face, blurring his vision. The tendrils slithered their way deeper still into his body. It felt like they were trying to rip him apart. Usually when he experienced such intense pain, he would pass out, yet now something was preventing that from happening. Ryo could no longer breathe, his vision became gray and blurry. A white foam formed at the edges of his mouth, as his eyes rolled back in their sockets.

***

Hey kid, are you okay? Ryo heard someone asked worriedly.

Opening his eyes, Ryo saw a portly man kneeling over him, his face filled with concern. From the looks of him he was an older human, with beady blue eyes and grayish hair. The man wore strange looking clothes, but they seemed to be well made and tailored to fit him - tan baggy pants with a crimson sweater. Although they were simple in design, it was clear they were of high quality.

Everything felt sluggish, as if his mind was processing the world a second too slow. He tried shaking his head to dispel the feeling, but to no avail. Ryo then tried to stand up, only to find his body wouldn’t listen. Not sure what was going on, he panicked. Opening his mouth he tried to speak, but found his voice wasn’t working as well as he was accustomed to. The old man must have seen his panic and tried to reassure him.

“Don’t worry, kid, I’m not here to hurt you. I found you laying here in the middle of the path.” The old man explained.

“Were you at some sort of party?” The man asked, looking around to see if anyone else was around in a similar condition.

Not seeing anyone around, the old man looked back down at him. What did he mean by that? Ryo thought to himself, confused by what the man was saying. He then noticed the old man kept looking at something on top of his head. What are you looking at? Is something wrong? Ryo wondered, panic rising in his chest.

“Do you want me to take these off? They have to be uncomfortable.” The old man said, reaching out to grab whatever was above him.

“You know my wife would think these things are pretty cute.” The old man told him, giving him a warm, comforting smile.

It was then he felt a strange sensation, one that he had long forgotten. It was his ears! Ryo could feel the old man tugging on his ears! But how was that possible? They were taken away years ago by his… by his… what? For some reason his mind wouldn’t go any further, like he had forgotten the words.

“Are these things real?!” The old man said, his eyes widening in shock.

***

Waking up, Ryo felt as if something had tried to crush his skull. His entire body screamed at him in anguish, like someone had savagely beaten him. When he tried to move his arms, he found that they wouldn’t really respond. For a long time he didn’t move, he just laid there in agony, giving his body time to recover. He tried to think back on his dream, but found it had vanished from his mind. But it also felt like the dream was right there, in front of him.

The sounds of the frantic writings of the mistress interrupted his thoughts. Every so often he could hear her mumble something before going back to writing. After laying there for some time, he mustered the strength to roll over. He propped himself up on his arms and looked to where the mistress sat. She was still busy writing something on parchment. When she finished, she quickly put the scroll away and shot him a strange, ambiguous look. Was she happy, angry, excited, or even scared?

“What are you really?! Who are you?! Tell me the truth!” She screamed, pulling out the control rod from the bag.

The runes around his collar lit up, as a dull pain wrapped itself around his neck. It didn’t hurt that much, but he knew it would only grow stronger in time. The collar couldn’t prevent him from lying, but it could punish him for it. He had learned long ago that there was no way around it. The collar couldn’t prevent you from lying, but it could punish you for it.

“My name is Ryo Riku, mistress.” He told her, as calmly as he could.

“I am kitsune.” He added. Once he’d finished answering, the pain around his neck disappeared.

“Have you ever learned or trained in magic?” She asked, narrowing her eyes as if doubting every word he uttered. The runes once again lit up and the dull pain returned around his neck.

“No, mistress.” He answered, shaking his head. Seeing the collar’s reaction, she became less suspicious of him and visibly relaxed.

“Why did you leave the kitsune island?” She asked, crossing her arms in front of her chest menacingly.

“I didn’t leave.” He hesitated.  “I was… forced.”

Once the elders branded him as a demon, everyone looked at him as if he was some monster. If it wasn’t for them, none of this would have happened. The anger he’d kept locked up and repressed all these years now threatened to break free, as he thought about the elders. It’s all their fault! All the pain, the torment, all of it was because of them! The mistress must have seen his reaction, because she then asked.

“What do you mean you were forced?” She prodded, furrowing her brows.

“The elders, they took me and traded me to a passing merchant.” He told her, looking down at the ground in front of him in shame.

“Why didn’t they just kill you?” She asked.

“It’s forbidden to spill the blood of another kitsune.” He replied, watching her from the corners of his eyes.

“Why?” She asked, growing annoyed at all that she didn’t know.

“I’m not sure, mistress.” He answered, as sweat pooled on his forehead.

Ryo could tell that the mistress wasn’t happy with his answer. But it was the truth! He just repeated what the elders had taught him back on the island. Plus, he didn’t enjoy thinking about his past. If he could, he would have forgotten all of it, long, long ago.

“Tell me about the soul ceremony.” She ordered.

“T-to be accepted as a kitsune, you must display your true self to the elders.” He stuttered, taken aback by her change of tone.

“Why?” She snapped back.

“I don’t know.” He told her, trembling now, acutely aware that his ignorance would surely enrage her.

“What happened when you displayed your true self?” She asked, reaching over and grabbing his chin, lifting it until he could see her eyes.

“The elders branded me a… demon.” Ryo mumbled. He wanted to look away from her, but resisted the urge. If he pulled away, she would probably strike him.

“A demon? Why?!” She asked, gripping his chin tighter still. Ryo could see that the mistress was suspicious of the validity of his answer.

“Th… they said a demon tainted my soul.” He stuttered.

“I see.” She replied, letting him go.

“Fascinating.” The mistress mumbled, putting the control rod down.

Pulling out a scroll from the bag, she picked up her quill and started writing again. He didn’t want to bother her, but there was a question he desperately wanted to ask. Ryo was willing to risk a beating to know something he had asked himself repeatedly over the last few years. This was probably his only chance to get an answer. Clenching his fists, he steeled himself before asking meekly.

“M-mistress?” He hesitated. “Am I a d-demon?”

“Hmm? No, I don’t see or sense any demon or devil presence in you.” She answered casually, without looking up, as she continued to write.

Ryo had clearly heard what she said, but his mind didn’t seem to fully internalize it. This was the very reason they had forced him off the island. His life as a slave, the torture, the mutilation, all of it was because the elders deemed him to be a demon! He had even believed that deep down perhaps he was one. Questions bombarded his mind, as he tried to make sense of it all.

Would the mistress lie to me? No, why would she lie, she had no reason to. Then why would the elders call him a demon? Did they make a mistake? Or did they do it on purpose? What was all of this for then?

Then a single thought reverberated through his mind, clear and true. I’m not a demon! His mind finally processed it, and tears fell from his face freely flowing down his cheeks onto his lap. It felt like an immense weight had been lifted from his chest, despite still being shackled in the collar.

“Although you are not a demon or devil, you aren’t exactly normal either.” The mistress remarked glibly, dipping her quill into ink before she continued writing.

Wait… what? He thought to himself, thinking he might have misheard her.

“When I was looking at your mana body, I got a glimpse of something, something… peculiar on your soul.” She added, tapping the quill feather against her lips.

Fear gripped his heart as he listened to her words. The weight that had just left him moments ago now returned anew, bearing down on him somehow heavier than before.

“I have never seen or heard of such a thing before! When I tried to interact with it, it pushed me back. Which tells me...” She mumbled, before making a quick note on the scroll.

What does it tell you? He wanted to ask, but he bit his lip instead. If he interrupted her train of thought, she would definitely get angry. The mistress wasn’t even talking to him, just mumbling to herself.

“I’m guessing your elders saw it and didn’t know what it was either. Out of ignorance they called it demonic and forced you to leave.” She remarked, setting the quill aside and looking over her work.

“With this I might make progress in my research!” She squealed in delight, before lifting the scrolls she had been writing on up in front of her.

Cough… cough. After clearing her throat, the mistress rolled up the scrolls and put them back into the bag.

“From what I can see, your mana body is abnormally strong. If I had to guess, I would say your mana body is comparable to that of an adept. My theory is that whatever is on your soul is affecting it.” She explained, bringing her attention back to him.

“I will need to think of some experiments, to learn more about it!” She remarked excitedly, clasping her hands together and wringing them in excitement.

“Oh, I…” Ryo started to say, before the mistress motioned for him to stop talking.

“The only thing that seemed normal was the mana mind. Which is to be expected from someone who hasn’t used magic before.” She finished saying, before opening up a small notebook from under her robes and reading something from it, now ignoring him entirely.

So, something is attached to my soul? He wanted to learn what it was, what it meant, but guessed he would know in due time. From the way the mistress acted, he didn’t think it was anything harmful. Plus, whatever it was had possibly made him stronger. Although he had no idea in what way, it seemed like something he should be happy about, or at least not any sadder. The mistress had mentioned something about his mana body being strong, but he had no idea what she was talking about.

The most important thing, however, was the fact he could use magic! He had often listened and revered the strength of mages from Robert’s stories. Ryo desperately wanted that strength for himself. All the pain he had experienced was because he had no way of defending himself. Plus, if he could learn magic, then he could help Robert. The mistress’ voice snapped him out of his fanciful thoughts.

“Okay, that will be it for today. I’m afraid if I push you anymore, I would break you.” She said disappointingly, standing up.

“T-thank you, mistress.” He said, quickly standing up as well.

“Clean up all this and take it back to the cabin. Place it in front of the door, and I will handle it later.” She instructed him, motioning to all the materials on the cloth.

“Yes, mistress.” He answered.

“I will be gone for a few hours. Help the cripple around the house until I call on you again.” She told him, bending down to fetch the scrolls she had written on from the bag.

The mistress walked towards the cabin, leaving Ryo alone with his swirling thoughts. He slowly picked up the materials until he saw her disappear behind the garden. After a few minutes of waiting, he opened the bag back up and pulled out some of the scrolls she’d left behind. Ryo tried to read them, but they were written in a language he didn’t know. Quickly realizing there was nothing to be gained from them, he put them back in the bag.

Ryo set about examining the other materials and tools the mistress had brought. They looked very expensive, and probably were, Robert had mentioned to him that magic required a lot of coin. But the old man had been talking about magic scrolls at the time. He thought how cool it would be if he had his very own magic tools. After a few more minutes, he thought it best to hurry up and clean. It probably wouldn’t end well for him if the mistress caught him rifling through her belongings like that.

***