Anaise

She walked to her lesson, deep in thought. The new spell that her teacher told her to master was devastating in its power. She considered herself wise enough to understand that the perils of working on it without oversight far outweighed her own giddiness and desire to master such power. Still, the old crone definitely should have warned her about the possible outcome. If she was looking just a tiny bit less away…

Her fingers clenched into fists.

It would be prudent for the teacher to receive the lashes instead it seemed. Anaise knew that murks were resistant to the direct Flow, but their fragile bodies would easily crumble from secondary effects. There was a reason why war-mages had trained a very particular set of skills. One would injure more with a flying boulder or a ball of fire compared to an impact or inflame spell.

She also had absolutely no intention to figure out which category the new spell belonged to, especially by using Erf as a target.

Worst of all, he would likely die from either of these effects. Murks were resistant but not immune and something like that would just result in a difference between quick and painless or slow and painful death.

Perhaps a harsher punishment would be required. Her teacher was of Kiymetl descent so execution was out of the question, but some bloodletting would not be. She was sure that her mother would find her decision acceptable, or even order a much harsher one herself. They had fields outside of the city for this type of homework! Moreover, there were plenty of lower rank wermages eager to teach the Lady of the House. Even within their own household. There weren’t many slaves around that could stir so much gossip around Aikerim’s Manor in a matter of days.

And have such an exquisite touch of his fingers. And timbre of his voice.

A shiver ran up her spine as she remembered the silver of his eyes. Anaise found herself enjoying his gaze lately. It was…different. He didn’t look at her like other slaves, nor her own family members. Her lectures on poise and politics have been most illuminating yet disheartening. She knew how to read the gazes of others by now. Unfortunately, most saw her as a mistress to fear or a Lady of the House to flatter. While the ones in power saw the young wermage, still unfit for her status.

His eyes reminded her of the playmates she had in the past. Back when her mother was just a fifth daughter of the Pillar Manor. Back when she was just another daughter of the Kiymetl. Now her mother was a Domina of her own Manor and she became the Lady of the House. And all the eyes that looked at her and saw Anaise disappeared. Replaced by the eyes that looked up to her status. Either by their own volition or by the encouragement of their mothers.

Until now.

When he looked at her yesterday there was something else inside his eyes. Something more. Not greed but thirst. Not for her status but for herself. And she found herself elated knowing that. The murk that made her grand-uncle listen quietly while he talked. The one her mother valued enough to consider building him an entire estate. And yet he looked at her. Not her mother, not even that greedy werdrake of Shebet with obscenely large horns. Her.

She liked that very much.

A hint of a smile came and went away. She had other things to deal with. Planning for her bath will have to wait for now.

Her teacher watched her storm into the room, “Anger, huh. An unusual emotion, especially for you. I would have told you to rein in your feelings but Dominas-to-be require steel in their hands.”

Anaise’s eye twitched.

“As long as you do not let it overwhelm you either,” Her teacher immediately sniffed.

“Explain,” She immediately demanded, mentally counting to herself the tally of transgressions. Allowing her teacher to gather the necessary firewood for her own pyre. It was a useful trick her mother taught her: show too much of your ire at them and they will cower and scamper away, quickly hiding their wrongdoings. Let them talk and they will tell you more by themselves.

“I believe you have realized it yourself,” The crone shook her head, “You might be a wermage and the young Lady of the House. But that is nothing for the Flow. Some things will always be out of your grasp.”

Anaise blinked.

“Do not look so confused, child. Our magic is powerful but we are no Gods and you should always know that. That is why each Manor has a Purpose. To Fight and to Shield.” Her fingers brushed over the symbol of scales on her sash, “To Trade and to Serve. Without us working as one whole, the Emanai would cease to be. Swallowed by ravenous beasts and rapacious neighbours. Use that anger to serve our Gods and our Land. And know that Flow is but their gift. Take from its plenty but know your place.”

Anaise looked quietly at her teacher for quite some time. Ruminating at the emotions bubbling within. Pondering.

She lowered her head in a slight bow, “Thank you, wise teacher. I shall commit this to my memory.”

“See that you will,” She sniffed, turning back to her usual droning voice of an upcoming lecture, “You should learn to recognize the signs of impossible spells-”

Anaise stopped listening, stuck deep inside her mind. Her usual lectures were rarely useful enough to pay full attention to, the crone spoke verbatim from the codices. Today’s lecture was just plain wrong. And Anaise had other things to worry about rather than taking notes of how the hole in the wall was just a product of her vivid imagination according to the dusty codices.

She did it. Somehow she did the impossible.

And now she was going to be quiet about it. She wasn’t like her brothers, nor like her second father. They were males and their loud and boisterous behaviour was expected. Anaise prized herself as a true daughter of her father and her mother. And she knew the value of patience and cunning. A hidden blade could be revealed at any time. A visible one was always known.

She would need to visit her grand-uncle. Perhaps as soon as this lecture would be over.

Alone.

Now that she was officially his student, Anaise didn’t need Erf to enter Virnan’s chambers. She also needed to be very careful with what she would say and having both of them in the same room would be a recipe for disaster. Anaise needed answers without getting uncomfortable questions in return. She also didn’t feel like trying to pry Virnan’s fingers from Erf’s neck yet another time.

Speaking of Erf, she should…include his lessons in her Flow training as quickly as possible. It was almost as if his mere presence alone was enough for her to progress at a breakneck pace. Anaise idly wondered if that is how her mother felt when he gave her yet another invention of his. She could understand their importance, but this Manor was not yet hers and the feeling was more muted.

Her magic, however, was.

With a tiny smirk on her face, she picked up her wax tablet. Perhaps she will have him ‘solve’ more of these impossible spells.

XXX

“I am coming with you.”

I slowly turned my head to the chest beside my face, “Um.”

“You heard me,” The owner of the chest crossed her arms, pushing it even further up, “I have no desire to learn about you being lost again. Especially by overhearing guards running all over the Manor.”

In the periphery of my vision, Yeva nodded along. It appears the decision had been decided without my involvement.

I frowned, “Who is going to watch the workshops?”

“I will,” Yeva interjected, patting some girl standing beside her. Most likely one of the younger slaves working with glass or soap, “Just because I am blind doesn’t mean I am alone or helpless. A simple guide is all I need. Besides, Most of the work today would be recovery anyways.”

Well, she was right about that. We have pushed the furnaces to their limits and beyond, getting that heat to the levels where it would turn glass fully liquid. Without access to pure oxygen and fuel, our designs were extremely inefficient and melted not only the products but everything else as well. Which meant that today would be spent mostly on salvaging the leftovers.

Granted that was the experimental furnace we have built to make the float glass. Which meant that other furnaces were still operational. However, these didn’t require significant oversight anymore. The process was simple and repetitive and was quickly grasped by everyone a long time ago.

The fact that everyone was sufficiently motivated with monetary compensation meant that Irje wasn’t as necessary anymore to watch them like a hawk, nor we were planning on spending an entire day out in the city either. Even if they all walked out while we were gone nothing critical would happen anyway. The most important products, the sheets of glass, were safely cooled down overnight and stored away from prying eyes.

Still...

I glanced behind me and sighed. Viter and a dozen or so guards stood waiting for our decision. And somehow I felt that all that horde would be unable to sway Irje, once she had come up with a decision.

“As you wish,” I nodded, chuckling as I received an affectionate pat on the head in return. It wasn’t really a big deal anyway, I was merely surprised by her sudden decision.

But deep inside I’ve understood her worry. If one of them had an altercation in the city the day before I would be likely ill at ease myself to let them out on the next day. With guards or not. The fact that she simply requested to come, instead of stopping me from leaving, told me that she at least took my plans into consideration.

“I will show you a proper place where you can get the toys.”

Or not.

My shattered opinions aside, our group had quickly organized itself and set out to the entrance. Viter was following me with a quiet determination while the rest of the bodyguards had plenty of experience with these types of events. Sulla was also around, most likely being the one who organized the group of guards in the first place.

I’ve spent some time talking to him too, mostly to familiarize myself with the intricacies of leading a small army or burly men around. But he had shown himself with a cunning mind too. Which I came to be reminded of once again.

“You need potters,” He harrumphed in his usual no-nonsense voice.

“What?”

“You are looking for artisans to work with soft material, right? Someone who can work with soft clay would be quicker to pick up new skills than if they need to learn from scratch.”

“You are correct,” I mulled the new idea in my head, my mind aflame with possibilities, “You should definitely tell that to Domina. They could make the moulds too…no I need a smith for that. Not a blacksmith but one that works with delicate shapes. Brass or bronze at least but not gold - would be too expensive.”

I turned to him fully, “Tell Domina of your idea, and that I would require a few potters and one good smith. Smith is very important.”

He opened his mouth to respond but yet another voice interrupted our conversation.

“Erf? Are you leaving as well?”

“Lady of the House,” we both turned and bowed, while I continued, “Indeed, I still have to pick up a few more products today.”

Burly slaves brought her litter over as she lounged within. Ready for her own trip into the city.

“Well,” She glanced over at the horde I have accumulated, “At least you are sensible enough this time around. Don’t dally, however, my mother would like to talk with you in the afternoon.”

She glanced at Sulla, who quickly bowed away and left.

“Should I report to her as soon as I am back?” I asked.

“No,” She shook her head letting her locks spread over her lounging pillow, “You will be informed when she is ready for you. Or she might even visit the alchemy lab herself.”

“Is it about the hole in the wall?” I guessed.

“Wha-No!” She hissed as her cheeks matched her hair, “About your work, you dunce! So make sure you are ready for her, and cover it up properly.”

“Of course, Anaise.”

“Good,” She sighed as her tail jumped into her hands, “Make sure you have more of that conditioner of yours, my hair is starting to get duller. We will discuss my Flow lessons then... And bring the other t-thing you were talking about.”

I smiled with a slight bow, “It will be done, Anaise.”

“Off you go, then,” She allowed as her tail dragged itself across her kaftan, pulling it slightly askew, only to brush my cheek with its tip.

She languidly stretched, “Get your tasks done for I would expect your undivided attention this afternoon.”

Her clothes stretched with her movements and I did a double-take seeing a glimpse of pink within the fabric.

Did she?

Her eyes looked at me, full of mirth, a light giggle on her lips.

She did.

I stood there dumbstruck as she waved to her carriers to take her away. Watching her disappear past the gates. What did I get myself into? A sinking feeling in my stomach. I felt like I was sliding down a slippery slope into quite a dangerous future. And all my actions so far have only sped up my impending demise.

“Erf.” Two strong hands grabbed my shoulders from behind.

I jolted awake, “Yes Irje?”

“Why is the Lady of the House is trying to seduce you?”

I felt the fingers slowly digging in.

I placed a hand on hers, “I am sorry Irje. I know you told me to, but I should have stood my ground back then.”

She huffed, “Don't be. It is I who should have expected this. Especially from someone like you. And I still think that she is your best option.”

“In liking you, she will keep you safe from other wermages, either due to her affection or jealousy,” Yeva spoke as she approached us too, “That Censor is probably just the beginning of your future troubles. And she would be crucial in keeping us safe. We just hope that she won’t decide to take you all for herself.”

“I really wish it would not come down to that. It might be selfish of me but I have no desire of letting you go, nor do I wish to use her for her status only to throw her away afterwards. If I would even survive that.”

“I don’t think that would come to that,” Irje intervened, “Besides, wermages tend to have their own cadre of companion slaves whether they are married or not.”

She smirked, “You will have to have us like them in that case.”

I frowned, “I don’t believe that my sadaq should be like that.”

“We know,” Yeva touched me gently, “You know. She doesn’t. But that only means it will take her some time to understand and get used to it. That is all. Treat it just like you are treating the seals you are picking up for us. They aren’t for you or us. They are for others not to ask questions or issue demands.”

She smiled gently, “Remember Erf, you are dealing with beings of immense strength and influence. You aren’t ready to face them head-on. Use the soft touch as you were all this time. It doesn’t matter how they call us or what they think of us. What matters is how we feel among ourselves.”

“Thank you Yeva, We should have such conversations more often. If only to make sure that we are both in agreement since such decisions can only be taken together.”

“Right,” Irje glanced around, “This is important and we should talk about this more, but we should do it in the afternoon.”

“Besides, if you really want to look, you could just ask,” She smirked as she pulled her tunic sideways, giving me a generous view of her sideboob.

My hand met my face with a resounding slap.

XXX

As I predicted, no one tried to bother us today. It was hard to tell, however, whether that was due to the lack of prepared plans or due to the horde of people following me.

In fact, the only unwelcome attention I received was when I got dragged in to see the ‘artisan’ that Irje felt to be ‘adequate’. I stood there contemplating whether I should accept Irje’s shenanigans in stride or crawl into a corner while two women loudly discussed the dimensions of my package. I did put my foot down when she suggested that I should show my junk for a proper reference, however.

Only to hear raucous laughter in turn.

But even that ordeal had come to pass. Forgotten by the new emotions.

My hand gently caressed the sleek body of the guitar. It was finished, but not yet complete. I still had to install the fret wires and the strings themselves.

Just like their counting system, Emanai musical instruments used a rather archaic system. Just five tones with the sixth having the double of the first frequency - an octave. And that was for a good reason. These were the ones that sounded the best together. The simplest fractions that our mind had picked up as most melodious.

But a single pentatonic scale was not enough for me. I didn’t want just happy, easy notes. I wanted them to cry. I wanted my music to have sad and eerie undertones. I needed twelve tones instead of five - chromatic instead of pentatonic. And that meant I had to either spend days explaining the new system to the artisan or a few hours at most, finalizing the fretboard myself.

I also heeded the half-advice and half-warning of Aikerim. Stirring up even more commotion by giving away knowledge for free was not in my plans today.

I couldn’t stop smiling for yet another reason. The look of pleasure on Irje’s face as she caressed her medallion. A large silver tree covering the familiar scales. Its meaning clear: she was a part of Kiymetl but not directly beholden to it anymore. Another one just like that was safely inside my pouch.

For Yeva.

A tree. A symbol of freedom and power. Knowledge and drive. I initially suggested that we should make a design together but I was instantly shut down and told to think about their desires for a moment. For they desired something of mine. Despite what Yeva said, these medallions were different for them, a symbol of ownership turned into an amulet of promise.

I also offered to make them out of gold and put gems inside. I had been shut down once again. The Golden Gestr on my neck was sacred. Golden medallions on theirs were dangerous. Not only it would attract some greedy hands, for it alone might pay for someone’s freedom. But they will be noticed more just like I was whenever the Gestr shone outside.

We crossed the gates and I waved the bored guards off, leaving only me, Irje, and quiet and determined Viter. I set my feet toward my home first to leave the guitar. But the sounds of a commotion made me frown. And then - speed up my pace as much as I could.

One of the voices belonged to Yeva.

I rushed into the opening in front of my house only to see Yeva surrounded by a crowd of red ears and tails. Her guide nowhere to be seen. She stood her ground but I could sense how stressed she was already.

One of the werfoxes turned his head at our arrival and said something. One by one they turned to face us instead. A familiar face among the crowd. Amalric. The recently arrived brother of Anaise.

What the hell did he want? Especially from Yeva?

My hand clenched on the pouch. I tried to ignore the sinking feeling in my stomach hoping I was fast enough.

“So here you are, slave,” He murmured walking slowly to me.

Suddenly finding herself ignored, Yeva quietly moved around and joined our side, staying close to Irje. I sighed and passed the guitar to Viter.

The good news was that he wasn’t interested in Yeva.

The bad news was that he was extremely interested in me. And not in a good way, based on his haughty looks.

Great. Just great. Like I didn't have enough on my shoulders already.

I didn’t say that, obviously. Instead, I bowed slightly to the delegation in front of me.

“How can I help the Young master?”

Snusmumriken

You thought I wouldnt make it? Well, I thought so too, but I got just enough time in the end. Still the same as usual - yadda yadda - next Thursday as long as everything works out. I have a new and busy schedule.