When the morning broke all felt the pregnant air of expectation.
Questions to be answered, Answers to be given and perhaps gain some understanding of the immense unknown chasm that was lying in wait, much like a predator to swallow them whole.
Uilles had decided the Library would serve as their meeting place.
After all a great deal of knowledge was stored there and could be looked up within an arm’s reach, also Eilis had stated during dinner that books always had been a great love of hers.
Thus the old warrior had decided that in order to put her somewhat at ease, she needed to be surrounded by what she had stated to like. First Tyrhallan and Arn would enter before her and tell their side of the tale and how they had met up with her.
While Tyr’s story was significantly shorter he couldn’t help but press his uncle with unusual words.
“Don’t expect this to be a one way street.” Casting the man with a steel-like look of his own.
Uilles gaze had softened somewhat as he watched his nephew take his seat in one of the large red armchairs off to the side.
Arn’s story of their meeting had been a little longer and more insightful in who this young frail girl was and that she very much seemed ‘hunted’ by her past. It came with another warning.
A fervent promise that laid in the Master Mage’s eyes and actually didn’t even needed to be repeated out loud.
If harm would befall her, the man in front of him would unleash hell. Uilles almost admired the man’s loyalty to the girl, if he had not been through what he had been through. He wasn’t sure if the man’s devotion stemmed from simple affairs of the heart or perhaps another deeper lying motive, but it hardly mattered.
The man in front of him had not received his nickname without reason.
After assuring Arn that he merely wanted to have a few questions answered and did not wish to bring the girl any mental or physical harm, promising he would remain within the room when Eilis’s Interview would take place. He suggested the mage would take the other armchair opposite of Tyrhallan’s so they could help keep an eye on the situation or even ask questions of their own whenever they deemed it appropriate.
Three heads always knew more than one and Uilles also knew that one was more inclined to speak truthfully amongst friends than with intimidating strangers.
And so the hour had struck for Eilis, she had been nervously waiting in the room close to the Library so she might wait more comfortably then in the hallway itself, then she would have resembled a child awaiting its verdict and punishment and Uilles had wanted to make it clear to her that this was not the case.
Still all of the care in the world would not have helped ease the nervousness Eilis felt in her heart.
What would they think of her? She knew she could trust Arn and his resolve strengthened her, but truthfully she was terrified. Terrified of having her own conclusions to be proved correct.
To be deemed…a monster. Unworthy of Life and Happiness and forced to either be killed quickly or suffer a long and winding road of bitterness and torment.
Gathering all her courage her small hand reached for the elegant door handle. Pushing it down and bracing herself as she stepped into the large Library.
For a moment she was awestruck by the layout and the sight of so many books gathered together. Her coven’s library was nothing compared to the impressive walls that greeted her, cast in morning’s early light.
Only when she stepped forward Uilles betrayed himself by giving her a light inclination of his head before gesturing to the small bench in front of his desk. It clearly startled Eilis out of her moment of reverie and after a quick scan of the room, finding Arn and Tyrhallan there as well, her small frame seemed to stiffen less, allowing her to breathe again and step forwards more.
“Come closer Eilis, settle down if you please and before you ask, you are not in any sort of trouble when it regards any one of us. However in order to help you, we need to understand where you come from and who you are. So please young lady, enlighten us.”
Nodding in understanding Eilis raised her head a fraction higher, her will forcing her feet forward despite her mind screaming at her to flee.
Sitting down she closed her eyes before taking a deep breath. This felt like a confession of sorts, a confession of past sins and transgressions…
Wasn’t it? Her mind asked before she opened her eyes looking into Uilles and began to speak.
“I…my name is Eilis and…I was born on a farm, my mother and father were kind and simple folk, we lived on the edge of the Empire and in relative peace.” She started with some trepidation, looking up at Uilles in approval only a shift backwards in his chair followed as he kindly urged “Go on.” Before resting his head on his right hand allowing it to support it whilst appearing more relaxed, in hopes to soothe the young woman’s worries.
It seemed to work for she continued.
“I lived my earliest years there, it was when my ‘blessing’ was discovered. To have a magical gift…to simple farmers was like receiving a blessing from the Allmother herself. I was always told how lucky I was, how if I learned to control my gift I would be able to go to the Capital and do great things. I would go to a proper school and be able to climb in my station, to be offered a better life than what I had.” She smiled bitterly. “If only they had known…if only I had questioned more…” She uttered before she continued.
“All magically gifted need to be reported and inspected at the earliest sign of magic. I was reported to the magister when I made my favourite toy hover when I was 4 and a half, according to my mother. Apparently I liked to do that a lot from that point on and made a particular sport out of it.
My mother had been elated when she received the letter from the Tahjai, saying they would come an inspect my talents. I remember my father being less thrilled whilst I can barely remember them the look he gave my mother upon hearing this somehow stuck with me. I was too blinded by my mother’s promises of school and being taught by other mages to truly ask any further.
When they came I was 6 and they stated that if I was to perform certain tasks correctly I might be offered a place in one of the most illustrious covens of the Empire. They were of course lying.
Only the ‘right’ people go to those places and I was not even half of that. I was a peasant. But why bother a child with such details? They don’t need to know… they will learn their place in this world in due time. I passed their tests with ease and was praised and patted on the head. My mother believed they would put in a good word for me and that I would prove myself worthy. She filled my head with her own dreams of what the capital of the Empire had to look like and that I would be going there, amongst the rich and powerful, perhaps one that impress a good man and marry far beyond my station.” She shook her head wistfully. “Dreams of a poor deluded woman who believed the world was fair and balanced and the Empire was moral and noble.” She stopped for a moment reaching for the glass of water in front of her taking a sip before continuing.
“I was ‘picked up’ and met the Tahjai again when I was 7. My mother had been send a letter that they had found a coven that would accept me as an initiate and that I would have to be ready to depart within a month I believe. That day I said good bye to my parents expecting to see them again…but halfway on my journey I was informed I would not.
No associate left the coven, there would be no trips home. I knew I had been a burden, a hungry mouth to feed especially after the taxes had gone up and I had started noticing my mother’s swelling belly. I was ‘sold’ to the Tahjai for a pleasant and comfortable sum of 45 Draghe. Girls are always costly you know, they are married off and parents have to have a dowry in place. With me being a mage a new route appeared, instead of costing money I would be set off on a better path or so my mother kept telling me.
In any case my life was now tied to the coven and I best prove my worth as a mage to ‘pay off’ the debt to the Tahjai and the Empire, the Tahjai had said.” She sighed. “And I believed them, I never questioned them I accepted it after all where else was I supposed to go?
When I got to the coven and met my fellow initiates things became a bit more bearable. After all, I assumed they were all in the same boat too. We sought comfort with each other and during the earliest years of my life in the coven I was relatively happy. Of course a shadow always loomed over us, even plain me. For you see, every year men of noble birth and standing would come and 'select' their particular favourite. We were told it was a great honour to be selected and it would further our own positions.
Having a patron would mean the possibility to even study at the great Arcane Academy in the Capital. Naturally of course nothing begets nothing. Such a thing would only be possible for services rendered." Eilis stated glancing for a moment over her shoulder to Arn, wondering if she should continue. She had told him some of this before.
"The year Varania was selected we all believed she had gotten a fairytale's ending. A life of eternal happiness. Varania was two years older than me and beautiful. She had long flowing golden hair and was a great healer. She had the sweetest temper and bore a warmth that made you trust her instantly. It attracted one of these noble lords. He was charming to her even gave her a magical rose that couldn’t wither and die, but stay pristine. We all believed he was courting her, but…” Her voice turned silent the images in her head haunting her remembering what she had stumbled upon. Remembering what she had seen.
“I…I would soon learn of what they had done to her...let's just say that I wish I had been less curious that day and not been so eager to find out whether she would be leaving us. I wish I had not followed her down to the ritual chamber…Or at the very least I shouldn’t have hid like a coward in the shadows…" Eilis looked tired but continued.
“She had been called down to the ritual chamber a room they normally reserve for the monthly rituals and certain magical tests. She had been informed she would meet up with her noble lord there and that he would inform her of ‘her future’.
He was down there to greet her, together with another man. They both dressed in rich supple dark colours, they looked so like one another, that I assumed they were family. A younger brother perhaps? It mattered not. What mattered was that ‘her services were required…and of course she needed to prove herself’. A cruel test to see if she was ‘worthy’ of serving them.
The taller man grabbed her wrist and stared intently at her hand. I can still remember the terror in her voice and the pleas of mercy. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing before I actually saw it with my own eyes. With his mind he snapped her fingers, one by one, ignoring her weeping and crying and screaming. He seemed to take delight at it… After he had done all the fingers on her hand he let her go before ordering her to heal herself. How Varania managed to do it I have no idea, but she did raising her head proudly as if to prove that bastard that she was more worthy than the pair of them.
What they said still chills my heart and mind to this day.” Eilis said looking forward at the desk with an empty look in her eyes and tears brimming in the corners of them.
“Impressive. But we’ll need to get that streak of pride out of her, compliance and submission is all that is required.” She shivered before she described how she had watched the two of them tear of her garments and silenced her screams by magically sowing her mouth shut. She had not wanted to remain and the last image that still burned her mind was how the two of them had put her on the examination table with such violence that Eilis was sure that what the men intended to do was more than just ‘take her’. Her trembling hands reached out for the glass of water again taking another sip and this time had more difficulty swallowing.
Tyrhallan meanwhile had said nothing but had looked horrified, before glancing at his uncle. What would he make of this, before turning to Arn.
How much had he actually known? Had Eilis told him anything of this?
Eilis continued.
“A few years later a man came for me. A battlemage called Teryn Avitus, apparently he had been a rather renown master of the battle field and seeing my potential for ‘force magic’ he intended to shape me into a proper weapon. He said so during our first meeting. He claimed that unlike many others he actually was looking for ‘the right’ apprentice. I could be one of those, provided I performed well at my tests. But, whilst I am quite skilled when there is no pressure, I am quite the coward. Whenever we had ‘live’ practices I would fumble or stiffen, much to his chagrin. It seemed not to deter him however as he became every more persistent even ordering the Madras to separate me and give me specialized training. He was adamant I became what he wished me to be, whether I wanted to or not.
Those years were horrible, but as I had grown into adulthood it suddenly stopped one day. I was told the Teryn wasn’t interested anymore and I could do as I wish and be a ‘burden on the coven and on society’. It mattered not. I had what I wanted, a life of my own. A life I would not have for long.
Of course I didn’t believe them at first, but when a month went by without incident I thought myself safe and it was then that they struck. When I was ordered to go to the ritual room I had not been suspicious anymore and….” She stopped looking up at her tattooed hands and painfully. “I still regret having been so stupid.” As her memories flowed back to her of that night she did the only sensible thing she could do to make them understand. And with a final “Forgive me,” she shared her mind.
[i]She couldn’t really see the shapes in front of her, but the whining still was as clear as bells.
[b][i]"I won't do it." [/b]
She heard herself answer, before a dark shape grabbed her wrist, the bony fingers that had grabbed her burned with a freezing cold. One that felt like the stabbing of a thousand needles. A pair of cold and cruel eyes watched her as Eilis cried out in pain, trying to object all the same.
"Submit Child! You have no say in this matter! Do as you’re told!"
"NO! I won't."
She fired back with anger pulling herself free before seeing another figure block out her light. The large shape with hungry eyes eyed her carefully. Before she saw something glint, or reflect the little light of the room. A blade was offered to her, a cruel, darkly shaped dagger.
Large hands encompassed hers forcing the cold steel into her hands.
She heard the whining again, a flash of yellow, or was it brown, it mattered not, she could hear the heartbeat carried through the Aether.
“You can do this Eilis, we can do it together. Once you do you will be able to have everything your heart desires….” A soft seductive voice offered, it was the Teryn’s. “Simply do this one small thing…for me.”
The innocent eyes of the being stared back at her.
“NO!” She heard herself scream in revulsion before casting the dagger aside.
Her mind worked more rapidly then, flitting through one moment after another.
"Then you leave us no choice."
“She is too tenderhearted and stubborn, again you promised me something you could not deliver.” She heard the Teryn say not completely understanding what he meant by it.
“Oh but I have a proper little leash in mind for her.” Her Madras promised.
She suddenly felt how cold magic thrust her against the wall, her hands forced above her head and how the Mardras ripped her clothes open.
“I vow as a loyal servant of the Tahjai that she will be exactly what you need her to be and do what you desire her to.” The woman spoke venomously as she glared at Eilis with malice and a hint of something else…jealousy?
"Mardras, I beg of you no! NO!NO!" Eilis heard herself scream out as she begged beyond hope.
"Hush now Eilis, stop your insolence...it won’t…we’ll I am not going to lie, it will hurt and I will enjoy every second of it. You have destiny within your grasp and still you dare to refuse your betters! You’re nothing more than a whore who can sling spells. That is all you are. A spoke in the wheel of the Empire. And darling get this in your head, you will never be in charge of the reigns. You are a tool. Nothing more! A body of decaying flesh and a spirit that can tap into the Aether. You’re as valuable as a rat. Your worthy to be tested on, to be used and discarded. Now stop your whining and crying and accept your Fate."
Spellwoven fingers were set against her skin. She shivered reliving the sensation as the memories brought back a hint of the excruciating pain. Long dark pointy nails dipped in tainted blood drew the lines upon her.
“Please…” She breathed in pain.
She had fought so hard, but the magic straps had held. Her torture had continued as he had watched on.
His eyes. She would never forget his eyes. That lifeless look of utter hunger, drinking in her struggle with extreme pleasure as the ink was set into her skin.
He enjoyed this, he even came closer to inspect the Mardras’s handiwork.
She felt his large rough hands upon her bare skin, taking her face in his hand, raising her chin slightly.
“She will be exquisite when you’re done with her.” As the hand moved down over the new lines drawn by the Mardras he ran it over her ribs, almost as if he was counting them.
Suddenly she felt the strong fingers set against her temples. Invading her mind and forcing her to listen. Forcing her to obey…
“Dear little Eilis,” A voice spoke inside of her mind. His voice, but why did she suddenly stop struggling. Why did her body suddenly act without her willing to do so…
“Kill it Eilis. That is all you have to do. One deep plunge, one stab…that’s all it takes…” The voice edged on, but now it seemed mixed with something else. She felt the straps loosen their grip on her, his hand putting the dagger back into hers.[/i]
"Rid yourself of your weakness."[/i][/i]
She wanted to vomit, she wanted to pass out from the pain. She wanted to be far far away…but she knew it would be only part of her memory that they would not be able to see.
Soon enough the pain became to horrifying for her body to handle and a sudden darkness stopped the visions, freeing the men from Eilis’s memories.
She sat there trembling in front of the desk, like a little bird unsure what the men would say, unsure if she should continue anymore.
She felt empty she felt broken and damaged, but what other choice did she have.
Tyrhallan had gripped the armrests during the memory, his own teachings and morals flared up in anger as he had listened and watched what had occurred.
Uilles simply stared at her with a knowing warm gaze.
Uilles having seen war before and having seen other ‘practices’ was not as surprised at his nephew was. The boy after all had grown up in rather sheltered surroundings. He didn’t visit brothels and thus never saw the workings of the sadder and in his eyes unfair part of life.
The world where dog eats dog and a man would sell his wife to pay off a debt to another.
Even Belisio had such a part to it. A part many never saw.
He decided to speak.
“Eilis…whilst I know it must be painful…do you know how you escaped your predicament and came to be here with us?” He asked intending to see this through to the end.
Tyrhallan flared up in anger.
“Uncle give her a moment! Bearing such a weight on one’s soul. To tell such things to strangers is no small matter! She’s only a gi…”
“She’s only a girl? My dear Tyrhallan, you should know by now that she is not just only a girl. Or else the Tahjai and the Empire would not be trying to find her and simply replace her with another. We must discover, why her? What makes her special. Why go to such lengths?”
The knight groaned in protest not liking that his uncle spoke within reason.
A small voice piped up.
It was Eilis.
“I killed him.” She said with a tremble in her voice. “We struggled and I killed him. I knew I had to flee before the Madras could finish the ritual so I force spelled her and fled, I’m not even sure I was successful. I fled and ran because I knew that if they would catch me I would surely be tortured and killed. I killed a prominent battlemage after all, a Teryn. It was luck that saved me and I stole to clothe me, to be able to be less noticeable. I knew I had to leave the Empire and so I sought out the refugees that were planning to leave. They spoke of a smuggler who for the right price would be able to take me to Belisio. So I went there and offered him the only thing I could. Myself.
But only after we reached Belisio. But the war overtook us and we became entangled in the battle. I could barely stop a Vaimese battleship that going to plough through the deck of our little barge. I managed to do this until help arrived…She got everyone out and I lost consciousness after that. I woke up in the medical bay, next to Arn.” She said as she glanced at the mage with hope in her eyes.
“I was frightened at first, but he calmed me down and explained things to me. He was the first kind soul I had seen in…years.” She ended with a painful but loving smile, trying to keep control over her emotions.
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