Amicitia
Preface:
The night sky was bright with
stars and a moon so full almost nothing could hide from its light. The ancient castle and its grounds stood on
the side of a mountain, covered in lush foliage and thick trees, interrupted
only by the streams weaving their way downward and the few glens tucked away
for an adventurous soul to find. A soft
breeze rippled the clear water and rustled the resting leaves, then wound its
way playfully towards one of the many gardens on the castle grounds.
If there was anyone out at such a late hour they might
have reveled in the peace that the night had brought, but, most had long been
tucked in bed by now. Only a few were
still awake to roam the stone corridors of the massive structure. Most were spirits making sure that everyone
was, in fact, asleep. Only two were
among the living.
One was a middle-aged looking man with sandy hair
streaked with gray, sitting in his large office with papers strewn across his
desk. The other was a centaurian woman
who was busy preparing herbal concoctions for the new school year.
The
old castle had been modified only a few decades before to become Amicitia. It
was a university for all the magical nations to send their young adults,
teaching them to get along so that they might keep the fragile treaty between
the ever warring peoples. During the
summer months it was generally vacant but for the few teachers lingering to
continue their studies.
Tonight
though, it would be getting a new addition, the headmaster and healer alike had
been given the notification to prepare for the special arrival. Late into the hours of darkness as the
travelers would not move in the daylight.
Neither were sure what to expect, the letter had been so vague, but,
both new that if the shadow nymphs had asked for help—it must be of dire
import.
Chapter One:
Freedom
The warm, gentle breeze wound
its way up the ancient stones of the hidden castle.
It crested at the top of a guard wall,
twisting to wander along the narrow walkway nestled
there.
Frayed feathers littering the path
lifted and twirled as the wind said hello.
The woman, a frail statue with her marble face
turned upwards-
basked in the golden rays of sunlight.
Her lips twitched into a contented smile
as her fiery curls swayed and settled again.
Too long had she been enclosed in the subterranean
cell.
Too cruel were the slavers she had escaped.
She would revel in this freedom,
in this new life,
until she was ripped from it,
one way-
or another.
The flames licked the bottom of the
closed and bolted door, begging to be released from their prison as a howling
wind pushed and pulled them savagely.
Inside the room a gale screeched loudly, resembling a woman’s voice to
any who might be within earshot. In the
midst of the chaos a thin female figure was stretched out, her arms and legs
bound by unseen shackles.
Her body jerked with every crack of
the whip contacting her now mutilated back, the device of her torture just as
invisible as her restraints. At every
strike the flames and gusts of air pulsed from her and her mouth wrenched open
to let out a scream that never breached the surface of her lips. Her clothes had long since burned away as her
pain erupted in an inferno.
Amidst the tumult stood a wavering
form, standing with arms crossed over a slender chest, observing the
proceedings with a placid face, only his eyes showing his concern. He didn’t move once in the hour that it took
for the flogging to finally end, didn’t shift or tear his eyes away from the girl
for even a moment.
At last it ended and the raging
blaze retreated into its source. The
clink of chains jingled softly and she was released, collapsing to the floor in
an unconscious heap. The man approached
her almost lifeless form, watching as the blood stopped seeping from her, the
muscle and tissue beginning to knit itself back over the bones that had been
exposed.
“Adelice has placed new bandages and
ointment in her room.” He glanced to the woman who had addressed him, not
surprised that she had suddenly appeared next to him. She was transparent like most ghosts—and was
adorned in a wedding dress that accentuated what once might have been a
beautiful body. Had she been alive she
would have turned every head as she passed, the men yearning to know her and
the women wishing they could have her full lips, long silky curls, and perfect
curves.
The man didn’t spare another look,
but nodded to show he had heard. With
the flames gone his body was more substantial, more so than his ghastly
companion but not as solid as the tortured girl. Slowly he bent and scooped her into his arms,
careful not to touch her injuries. “Do
you think she is ready?” He asked as he
turned towards the exit.
“She is as ready as she will ever
be.” The apparition began to dissipate,
her words echoing through the now deadly silent room. The man sighed and studied the broken girl he
clutched in his arms. In her fitful
sleep her face contorted in pain and she curled towards her carrier.
He gazed at her for endless minutes
as he lost himself in thoughts. At last
he came back to the present and transported her to bed, laying her gently down
then pulling her sheet to the small of her back. His eyes travelled over the sinews
reconnecting themselves and beginning to rebuild her back before he began his
nightly ritual of applying the ointment and bandages to help ease the pain.
She felt a warm breath caressing her
cheek as she lay with her head on the tear-stained pillow. She didn’t open her eyes but squeezed them
tighter still as if she could force the world away if she refused to open
them. She could feel her caretaker
removing the strips of cloth from the top of her back, gently tugging them free
from the new skin then wiping away the caked on blood.
She wondered if he knew she was
awake. She tried to keep her breathing
steady and to not flinch when he touched the sensitive flesh, hoping that when
he was done he would leave her in peace, hoping that he wouldn’t make her face
the day.
“The marks have healed very well! You should be
able to wear your robe with very little pain, and by the afternoon you will be
as good as new!” He moved away from her
to begin gathering her things, tying together her books and writing utensils in
a bundle, readying her black hooded robe made of silk and the backless dress
that matched, his attitude much more exuberant than the night before. She sighed and opened her eyes reluctantly,
mentally berating herself for whatever she had done to give away her emergence
from slumber.
He looked so happy as he fluttered
about, she wished that she could have that much enthusiasm for the new school
year. Slowly, carefully, she sat up in
bed, wincing as her back stretched and settled again. Today was the first day she would attend
classes with other species, the first time she would see many of the magical
creatures she had heard about only in whispers from her people and in the books
she had devoured over the last three months of summer.
William had finished getting
everything ready for her departure and approached her with her dress thrust out
towards her and his eyes averted from her bare frame. She stared at it for long moments, wondering
if she could refuse it then go back to bed and hide away. Seconds ticked by and he wiggled it, his eyes
darting to stare into hers, his exasperation apparent.
“Come
on! You can’t go meet everyone in the nude!”
He chided.
She lifted an eyebrow then rolled
her eyes and took it, slipping the flowing material over her head before
getting to unsteady feet. She was still
weak from the night before and she fell forward, caught in the fluctuating arms
of her guard. Irritated she huffed and
stood up straight, holding onto his forearm and wondering yet again how a ghost
could be so sturdy.
When she was sure of her footing she
stepped away from him and walked to the door, pausing as William forced her
robe and books into her arms. “You
should probably get something to eat at some point. I knew you wouldn’t eat yet so I don’t have
anything, do you want me to bring you something later? Also, try not to lose your temper
today...remember...everyone here is trying to learn to get along too. It won’t be easy on anyone and you’re all so
different...just...try to be patient...and write your words clearly or no one
will know what you’re trying to say.”
He had pulled open the heavy wooden
door that separated her room from the rest of the specter hall, letting in a
waft of icy air as the school’s guardians patrolled their home. They were under strict orders to allow the
new students at least some time to adjust before meandering around the rest of
the grounds during daylight hours. The
corridor itself was almost completely devoid of light, dusty and tattered
curtains hanging in front of grimy windows, cobwebs of varying sizes stretching
across the ceiling, it was just as creepy as any poltergeist could want.
Ea looked into the inky blackness,
spotted with rays of sunshine from the windows, and gripped her books
tightly. “If you try to stay in there
all day I will let them come in, and not even William will be able to keep you
safe.” The woman in the wedding dress
appeared again, glancing behind Ea to look at William, remembering their
conversation from the night before.
“I would let them in gladly, Charlotte.” He said it almost in Ea’s ear, a hint of joy
coloring his threat. “So what will it
be? Go to class, or hang out with them?”
Ea glared back and forth between the
two, her friends and protectors, then walked through Charlotte and into the hallway. “Well that was
rude.” She heard from behind her as she
started towards the doorway to the rest of the school, to her classes. She shrugged and glanced back with a wink,
noticing Charlotte
had raised an eyebrow and was eyeing her with a mixture of anger and playfulness.
“You never answered. Do you want me
to bring you food later?” William was
standing in the hallway now, looking after her like a worried mother hen. Ea shook her head in response then slipped on
her robe and covered her face with the hood, trying not to let them see her
pain as the fabric brushed against her newly healed back.
She didn’t dare look at them again,
knowing that if she did she would lose her nerve and have to be forced out
amongst the other students. Thankfully,
the only living being allowed in the ghastly lair was Ea, and occasionally
Adelice and Headmaster Seolo.
Unconsciously she touched her hood to make sure the slave mark was
covered, knowing that she would have to explain it if anyone saw.
She leaned against the door after
she closed it behind her, trying to contain her breathing and clutching her
books as elves, brownies, centaurs, other fairies, and various species bustled
to their classes. Her eyes travelled
over them as their eyes travelled over her, though she doubted they could tell. She probably looked like a necromancer in her
all black outfit; coming out of the specter hall.
With a deep breath she readied
herself and began weaving her way through the crowds, trying not to let anyone
touch her. To fight the panic she allowed
her anger in but not too much lest she lose control. Everyone was here to make peace. She kept repeating it in her mind over and
over again, refusing to let the memories of her enslavement and years of
torture bias her against the people she would meet. They weren’t the same, even the race that had
captured her, she had to believe that.
It felt like an eternity before she
finally walked through the door to her first class, Interspecies
Relations. Professor Sean, the only
human allowed within the walls of Amicitia, had been the psychic endeavoring to
unearth the mysteries locked deep inside her mind. It was a grueling task, the effort to undo
what had been done to her. At least she
knew the teacher though.
When she walked in she found that
many of the students had already arrived and were sitting together according to
their own kind, glancing suspiciously at those that their people had always
warred with. Well, she wasn’t the only
one on edge, and that was somewhat comforting.
There were few seats left and she wasn’t sure if she was ready enough to
socialize, so she slid into a seat in the very back of the class, touching her
hood again to make sure that it was still in place.
She wished, not for the first time,
that the stamp curving around her left eye could have been removed. She peeked at the scene around her, noticing
more than one person staring at her in either fear or hatred. In response she narrowed her eyes and gritted
her teeth, raw fury replacing her own anxiety.
What had she done to garnish such responses?! She thought when she saw a
few of the lighter species start muttering to each other while sneaking
glimpses of her and the other seemingly dark creatures, disgust apparent in
their features.
“HI! I hope you don’t mind but I was
hoping to sit in the back of the class.
I think it might be too difficult to see over my head, so it looks like
you’ll have a table-mate!” A booming voice pummeled her from to her right. She looked up to see who was addressing her,
and her eyes widened as the man, she presumed it was a man, pulled the seat
next to her out and plopped down.
Even sitting he was far taller than
her and she gulped, trying to get control of herself so she wouldn’t offend
him. She tried for a warm smile but only
managed something near to a grimace. “My
names Cuyler!” he declared, his loud voice gathering the attention from
everyone who hadn’t already been staring at the 7ft Minotaur who had made
himself comfortable next to her.
The silence stretched between them
as he waited for her to give him her name, a flash of agitation showing in the
honey brown pools he watched her with.
She blinked and began unpacking her things, taking out parchment to
write on. My name is Ea. She scribbled
as legibly as she could.
He looked down at the paper then
back up to her before he shrugged.
“Well, it’s nice to meet you Ea!”
He was so friendly it relaxed her nerves and a genuine smile threatened
to turn up the corners of her mouth up.
“So! You’re a necromancer right? I’ve never met one mind you... but I
don’t know too many species as pale and thin...and the attire kind of give it
away!”
She thought about it for a moment,
not willing to tell him what she was, yet not wanting to lie either. Her talents didn’t include raising the dead. Finally she shook her head. No.
I’m not a necromancer, and I will have you know I am much more tanned
than I was previously. She jotted
down.
He glanced down at the paper, the
students finally beginning to go back to their own discussions, though they
kept a wary eye on him. It was no wonder
he made them nervous. Minotaurs were the
only ones allowed to keep slaves after the treaty was signed, more specifically
they enslaved whoever tried to break it, and the rumors about them were varied
and generally horrible. He didn’t seem
too bad though, at least he was conversing with her.
A boisterous laugh escaped him when
he read that she considered herself tanner, no doubt because she still looked
like the palest ivory next to his sun darkened skin. “I bet you were almost transparent!” He didn’t seem to care if she thought him
offensive or not as he shook his head and pulled out a bag of some kind of
dried meat.
“You want some? You could use some fattening. You look like a puff of a breeze could blow
you away!” He thrust a very large slab
of it towards her as he spoke. Her
mouth, the only visible part of her face under her hood, twisted into a small
frown. “You do eat meat don’t
you?!”
She pursed her lips then timidly
reached out her hand, taking it and bringing the strange food to her mouth,
cautiously tasting a small bite and chewing thoughtfully. She turned her eyes from her sustenance to
him, for a moment worrying he might actually see them before she turned back to
her paper. This is delicious! What is it?
She jotted as she tore off a larger chunk, her body reminding her she
hadn’t eaten since the afternoon before.
“Why, it’s beef jerky! My pop made a huge batch for me before I came
here. Makes the best in our city!” He boasted proudly. The room had suddenly grown quiet as
Professor Sean entered to stand before his desk on the stage in front.
Ea had been about to write something
but paused and followed everyone else’s eyes.
She could tell that many of them were surprised to see a human in their
midst, as the entire point of the school was to keep them secret from the humans
by learning to become allies. “Good
morning everyone, my name is Professor Sean.”
He greeted, his purple eyes
scanning his students.
“Welcome to your first day of school
and your first class! I’m sure you’ve already guessed what the purpose of this
class. That means you will be ready to
dive right in?” He circled around to sit
in his large leather chair and look out at them. They were all confused and unsure what he had
planned for them and so kept their eyes riveted to him. “I want you all to spend the rest of this
class getting to know each other. More
specifically, I want you to get to know a species other than your own.”
He paused, waiting for questions and
protests. A few groans and mutterings
were his only response. “Alright,
assuming you have no questions, get started! I want you sitting next to someone
that your species didn’t get along with before the treaty. No more than groups of three. And I want you to have real conversations,
ask questions, and try not to get angry at the ignorance of your
classmates.”
No one moved. They all gaped in astonishment, not believing
that not only were they expected to go to school with these people, but that
they were actually supposed to talk to each other to. Minutes passed and still no one budged except
for one very large hand that flew in the air.
“Professor, we don’t have to move do
we? Ea here isn’t exactly big enough to
be a Minotaur...” Cuyler asked with a smile that might have been terrifying to
the others but only made Sean beam proudly.
“You are quite fine where you
are. Though I would like another member
to be in your group.” He let his eyes
drift over the other students as Ea watched him nervously, wondering who she
would pick as she continued to munch on her large hunk of dead and dried cow. A she waited she wrote something and passed
it over to Cuyler.
Everyone quickly realized that they
would be stuck with the two creepiest people in the class if they didn’t hurry
to be part of another group. The silence
erupted into scraping seats and flurries of movement as people bustled to find
two people to sit with. Sean shook his
head and waited for the chaos to settle, already having made his decision on
who would be going to the back.
Cuyler shrugged and looked down at
what Ea had said. Isn’t eating beef cannibalism?
He gritted his teeth and for a moment she watched, debating whether she
had asked something insulting. He pondered
for a bit then burst into laughter and shook his head. “No.
Cows are a completely different species than Minotaurs! Although, I would not suggest asking anyone
else something like that. A lesser man
might get angry about that kind of assumption!”
She quickly jotted an apology and
turned her head down. “No worries! I
guess it is a fair question. I do want
to know though, what exactly are you? I
mean if you aren’t a necromancer?” She
gulped and started to breath heavier, unsure how to answer. Her people weren’t part of the treaty, in
fact, no one knew where to find them, including her. As far as everyone else was concerned they
had died out, they were myth and legend.
Before she could come up with a
response, Sean broke into the awkward conversations that had begun to take
place around the timid groups. “You,
Rhea.” Everyone turned to look at the
elegant blonde woman that he was pointing to.
Her eyes widened and she stared at him with crystal blue orbs.
“How
did you know my name?” She blurted out.
He smirked, “I’m a psychic. I want you to join Ea and Cuyler in the back
of the class. I do remember saying I
wanted groups of three.” Her mouth fell
open and she stared at him. The three
other people she was sitting with, as well as the rest of the class, gave her
pitying looks.
“Them?
But...why me?”
“Because I said so.” Was his only answer to her horrified
question. He waved a hand at her to move,
ignoring the equally terrified Ea. The
girl sighed heavily and got up to go sit with her new partners, only Cuyler
seeming not to be upset. “Now, at the
end of the week I will want a ten page report on your new friends and their
kind. This means you will need to get
past small talk.” He turned back to the
papers on his desk, trying not to look back at Ea as she screamed at him
mentally.
Her amber eyes were glowing with
emotion, so much so that they became visible through the black fabric dangling
over her face. Rhea looked equally
panicked as she took a chair and sat facing them. “Welcome Rhea! I’ve never met a Light Fae
before!” Cuyler said in his jovial tone,
something Ea was realizing was quite normal for him.
She was trying not to
hyperventilate, to control the emotions threatening to overtake her. “I’m sure you’ve guessed, but this is
Ea. I’m not quite sure what she
is...” He said then looked between the
two women. Rhea was looking back and
forth, trying to five the impression she was calm though the smell of the ocean
betrayed her own nervous.
The scent of fire assaulted their
noses as Ea reached out a shaking hand to write down her answer. I am a
Rogue Fae. “Oh!” Cuyler said, nodding. “I have no idea what that is.”
Rhea’s eyes had narrowed and she
stared in shock and suspicion. “They are
a myth! No one has seen them in hundreds of years!” She growled.
I cannot account for the last few
years, but I assure you as of seventy years ago they most certainly did. Ea wrote as she watched Rhea carefully.
“Seventy years? That would make you older than my own father!
Do your people age slower along with keeping the secrets to using more than one
element?!” Her agitations apparent as
she hissed her question, trying not to let everyone else in the class hear her
words. No, we age as you do. And we do
NOT use more than one element, not really...we need...motivation...to be able
to tap into anything other than our primary power. My age was slowed so that the proper
incentive could be found to help me reach my...potential.
The air around Ea was getting hotter
as her control slipped, all of her repressed emotions surfacing with the girl’s
insolence. “I see.” Rhea said in clipped
words, glancing over at Cuyler who had decided to let the two girls settle this
themselves. “So you can work that kind
of magic? I didn’t know any of the fae had
the ability to keep themselves young forever...but...I’ve heard the Rogue fae
have a tendency to keep everything to themselves. Apparently even their existence!” She snarled in return, the moist feel of
water beginning to fight with the heat from Ea.
We
do NOT have that kind of capability. But
your people do! And at least SOME in your cities know we exist! Ea’s
handwriting was getting sloppier the more angry she grew. Before Rhea could retort anything Ea reached
up and momentarily pulled her hood back to show her full face then hid it again
to keep anyone other than Cuyler and Rhea from seeing it.
Everyone had been purposefully
ignoring them so it wasn’t a problem, even when both Rhea and Cuyler gasped in
shock. It had only been a second but
they had seen it. Something that
couldn’t be, at least according to the treaty.
Ea appeared no older than a mere 18 years and there, curling around her
left eye, were the silver swirls, stars, and moons that depicted the mark of a
slave. A slave of the Light Fae.
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