13.

Lynn woke to Vivian’s servant looming over at the other bed, loudly flapping her blankets and sheets before tucking them in. The bed looked immaculate after she finished but the noise required to create the finished product left Lynn completely unable to embrace the wonders of sleep once again. Unfortunate, since his dreams tended to be more enjoyable than reality. In his dreams, his limbs equaled the usual number of four and his parents and siblings still lived. It was an escape back in time to before everything in his world died. He could dance with beautiful girls. Play with wooden swords with his little brother. Horseback ride with his sister. Hug his mother. Sit on his father’s lap and listen to stories. Lynn still had a bright future while he dreamed.

And...as he thought wistfully of dreams, Ida glared at him as if everything wrong in the universe currently had become condensed in his small broken body.

“Is there an issue Ida? What could possibly result in such a terrible look from a pretty face like yours? Have I woken to a bad case of bed head? Or perhaps I am currently lying in the bed you’re wanting to make? If that’s an overwhelming issue for you, you’re welcome to assist.”

Lynn reached for a small pile of clothing he had been able to coax Nyx into bringing him the previous night and drew out a white undershirt and a blue doublet. He noticed, with a shred of irritation, Ida glancing at his bare deformed chest and proceeded to slip his clothing on in a manner and efficiency that only a cripple with experience could. He kept on the trousers he had slept in. He had little motivation to strip them off with Ida hovering over him suspiciously. Lynn finished his morning dressing routine by strapping his fake leg on and clipping his empty sleeve closed.

Ida sniffed and exited the room with her nose pointed at the ceiling. Lynn sighed as the door slammed closed. He really didn’t know how he had achieved such a low appraisement from Vivian’s attendant. The woman had obviously been provided by Lord Ivory so it was possible he had told her to constantly contain contempt for him and keep Vivian away. But Lynn couldn’t comprehend why Lord Ivory felt so strongly against him as he did. As far as he was aware, the Jets had never done anything to slight the Ivory family. And Lord Ivory happened to be married with no sons so it didn’t seem to be wanting Vivian to marry and keeping her away from other men. Besides, as far as he could tell, no other men were treated like he was by Ida. Of course, maybe Ida just took a natural dislike to him from when she first met Lynn. It happened, some people simply don’t enjoy or mesh well with certain personalities.

The day began passing by painfully slow. Vivian appeared briefly to give him breakfast and assure him nobody knew where he currently hid. For all intents and purposes, he had disappeared overnight. But, naturally, fleeing the scene only made him appear guilty to everyone else. Vivian then left hurriedly and once again left Lynn alone with a few boiled eggs and some soft flakey bread. He popped one of the eggs in his mouth and began reading.

The book was titled Histories of Religions and Societies of Neo Regnum. Far from a page turner, the tome contained several hundred pages detailing each religion and society that had become public in the land of Neo Regnum over the last seven hundred years. Contained within it lay one of the only passages mentioning the Mortium people that Lynn had found in the last four years. It read, The Itarian Religion also contained a god of death named Xillian. White hair and gray skin create unique characteristics for this god. Xillian can easily be found in many of the religion’s hieroglyphics. Often, he is shown with green life flourishing about him on one side and black spindles of death spewing from the other. A certain fear and respect can be observed in the Itarian texts. But that is hardly an abnormality for religions when involving death. However, uniquely he is not only a stealer of life but also a giver of it and so the people sought out his favor to in attempts preserve their lifespans. Under the text there was a small redrawing of the god’s bust. From the drawing, Lynn immediately saw the similarities between Xillian and the men who had destroyed him home and everything he loved. The cold paleness of the blue eyes still gave Lynn a shiver.

He closed the book. After seeing another Mortium citizen after four years, Lynn could be certain the drawing matched Rin’s exact skin shade and hair. Xillian, a supposid god, had been from Mortium. Which meant his family hadn’t been the first victims in his country. But there were next to no other records about the people. In Countries and Cultures it mentioned a country across the ocean known as Mortium. It also briefly noted that Mortium was constantly at war with a neighboring country that remained unmentioned. Lynn had found these two books covered in layers of dirt and buried under a stack in a library in a forgotten corner of the nation. Most of the books had holes in the paper from rats and insects but somehow only dust had found these tomes. He risked bringing them with him across the sea and, deciding to follow up on the rumor that the Silvian Library contained a copy of every book written, had sought them out here. Fruitlessly. Each room in the library was dedicated to a different subject or subsubject. Before being locked up here, he looked through every spine of the travel and geography books as well as the religious texts. Not only did he not find these books, he found nothing with even the slightest mention of Mortium. He needed to get to the upstairs libraries.

Still, he had other avenues of information too. The boy, Rin, came from there but Lynn could barely look at him without feeling queasy, ill, and livid. The resemblance was simply too much. Constell’s brother, Owen, also seemed to know about Mortium and other surrounding countries which made him essential to his education as well. Lynn needed to question him more about how he managed to get to the continent.

But of course, he currently remained locked away in Vivian’s room so there didn’t seem like many questioning opportunities would arise today at least.

He closed his book and lay back on Vivian’s bed. He sank back into the feather filled comforter. It seemed she packed and brought her own bedding from all the way across the sea. The glass window let the sun’s beams fill the room with illumination and warmth. Silvian Island’s heat was unlike any place Lynn had visited in Neo Regnum. He had read books on how the island's location to the south as well as the warm ocean currents made this island’s temperature especially warm and the air wet and thick. Lynn was considering this as his eyelids became heavy, as if someone applied an adhesive.

Lynn woke with a start as Nyx skulked into the room. As per usual, the girl muttered words at a volume only she could hear as she approached him.

“How is my servant? Did he recover?”

“The patient suffered severe head trauma but recovered consciousness last night. Vivian Topaz lent him her servant to nurse for him but as of yet the patient has yet to say a word. The bludgeoning on the skull seems to be healing properly. It has swelled a great deal, as expected of a head injury, but I have treated it. The radius and ulna have already begun reattaching as to be expected of a youth of his approximant age.”

“Wait, Nyx. You mean to say he’s awake once again?”

“Correct.”

“But he hasn’t said a word yet?”

“Correct.”

“Is this common for victims of head injuries? To lose all forms of communication? And will he recover?”

“I have seen it occasionally before. I have also witnessed cases where the subject recovered and others where the subject remained completely incompetent for the rest of his or her life. I have learned of no means in which to properly predict the results of head injuries.”

Lynn cursed softly. “Well I appreciate what you’re doing to help me Nyx. Did you only come to update me about my servant’s status?”

“I was also told to inform you that last night Kaylin Garnet went missing. If she does not make contact with any other applicant or servant for another two days, she forfeits her place at the library. If that occurs then we are to assemble and be brought into the upper floors of the library.”

Lynn’s heart twisted. He was supposed to have met Kaylin Garnet and Fitz Jasper last night in his chambers. The possibility of her disappearance having correlation with his servant’s beating seemed uncomfortably high. And if she had been on her way to visit with him the other nobles would not have to make too great of an assumption thinking he had been involved.

He inwardly re-postured himself and kept his voice from wavering. “Thank you, Nyx.”

Nyx walked out but as she did she looked down at the ground outside the doorway before leaving with a confused expression on her face. Curious, Lynn went and peered out into the hall. Lolled across the stone hall lay a pale boy with a flop of white hair. He held a bouquet of red roses on his lap and wore a jacket that might be considered comely if not so ruffled. Asleep and seemingly oblivious to the world Rin lounged on the ground in front of Vivian’s doorway.

Lynn quickly glanced to either side of the hall and, upon seeing no one else, used his fake foot to jab Rin hard in the abdominal. Rin’s eyes rolled over to him as if bored.

“Lynn Jett.” He yawned. “Mind if I come in? Don’t worry, the flowers are for someone prettier than you. Not to say you’re not pretty, I meant no insult, just not as pretty to my eyes. You’ve just got more of a rugged look.”

Lynn debated slamming the door on the Mortium boy, but reason and curiosity won over. If he left Rin in the hall, the boy could tell anyone who passed by that Lynn happened to be inside. He realized he probably shouldn’t have kicked him but it had been an immediate impulse. So, he ushered Rin in to explain his situation and began to pray the Mortium boy wouldn’t twist it to his advantage.

“What are you doing here?” Lynn asked after securing the door’s deadbolt into place.

“Isn’t that obvious? I’m here to woo the Lady Topaz with my wrinkle-free face, silver tongue, disheveled appearance, and slightly wilting bouquet. I’m surprised someone as bright as yourself couldn’t put that together.” Rin smiled at Lynn’s lack of a response. “Oh, cheer up. I happened into Vivian this morning and she told me all about your current predicament. She still needed an excuse for avoiding her chambers in case anyone happened to note she is currently living with Nyx Opal and so we came up with this. I’m supposed to lurk about a bit creepily as if waiting for her to return to ambush her with my affections. I’ve simply gotta act the part of an average lovesick boy who is overcome with emotion due to Vivian’s beauty. I even have a bit of terrible poetry prepared somewhere if you’d like to hear it.” He began feeling around in his jacket pockets.

Lynn took a deep breath. “Fine. You can stay. But if you say a word to anyone else I’ll tear your throat out.”

“How gracious of you to allow me to do you a favor. And seeing as you’ve already promised to murder me for my birth, the concept of having my throat isn’t the most intimidating. Forgive me for not being too threatened. Ah! I found it.” He pulled out a crumpled scrap of paper that held scribbles and began reading. “You happen to be the most lovely love I’ve ever loved. In hundreds of years I’ll never see one more beloved. My home is wherever I find you. Whether hilled forest or under the silts too. Never have I ever left-“

“Please stop,” Lynn begged. “Is there anything else you need to tell me or are you simply going to continue on with your ramblings?”

“Probably the latter. I do love to ramble and there’s not a whole lot going on in the hall currently.” He stuffed the paper back into his pocket continuing his boyish grin. “But I’ll tell you what, I’ll leave it up to you to decide what I ramble about.”

Lynn’s throat dried and he attempted to take a breath but it came out as a spluttering cough. “Your people,” he croaked.

“You know, I half expected you to respond with ‘silence’ but you want to hear about Mortium? Well if that’s the case…where to begin? I’m assuming you want to take vengeance on my people for taking your city as well as your limbs and family. Now, keep in mind it’s been a long time since I last went to Mortium. I was a child when I left so I may not be the most reliable source on the matter.” Rin threw himself into a chair.

“You’re still a child.”

“True. But I was an even smaller one. Some of my countrymen have skin and hair like mine. White hair and gray skin. But there is a higher population that actually has more of a white or tan skin shade and almost everyone lacking my complexion instead has black hair and black eyes. There’s a certain social class between us. The country of Mortium is really actually a collection of city states. Every city is different so I can’t actually say whether I’m upper or lower class simply because it varies depending on what city I’m in. But, what is for certain, each of the cities I’ve been to have had some sort of classing for me due to my hair and skin.”

“Wait, back up. Each city has its own government? There isn’t a king or judges of nobles? Who enforces law outside of the cities?”

“No one. All of Mortium consists of an endless desert. The cities aren’t abundantly common, but no one, with any good intentions, lives outside them. Each city contains its own society with different cultures and relations with other cities. Each has an individually and tiresomely intricate government, but outside them is an endless lawless society. That area is, at least, pretty simplistic. Traveling is perhaps the most dangerous aspect of the country. With the exception of traveling on the ocean, no one cares what happens to travelers. On the ocean there is an island city which enforces safety for a tax.

“It is said that hundreds of years ago Mortium was one kingdom with set laws and a just king who enforced them. But the king also had an unsavory brother known only as, very imaginatively named, the Younger Brother who went behind his back and split Mortium with dark magic. There are several variations of why he did this, a lot say he did it because of jealousy for his brother’s position and the favor he held with the citizens, but others think it may have been a personal feud between the two. And there are others who say he was simply bored and wanted to see chaos simply for the excitement of it all. And there are a hundred more hypothetical reasons but, honestly, no one knows. Some modern citizens even worship the Younger Brother. Regardless of what drove the Younger Brother, the results are unarguable. He brought the end to an entire kingdom. Even their closest ally, the neighboring kingdom of Paxami, built a wall to keep both the citizens out as well as any dark magic and ceased all trade. Which naturally caused the people of Mortium to build a bit of resentment and hatred for Paxami as they starved in the wasteland of a broken kingdom.”

“The dark magic that broke the kingdom. What was it?” Lynn asked quietly.

Rin shook his head grinning his stupid grin. “I can’t tell you. To be honest, there are few strict laws here on Silvian Island, but that is one I can’t break. No one can discuss those powers unless they’re permitted into the upper libraries. If I did, it would result in me being sent across the ocean back to Mortium. But…I think you already know the answer to your question.”

Lynn swallowed. “If I am accepted into the upper libraries you’ll discuss it with me though?”

“Sure. Granted, I’m still young and barely know anything about it. Honestly, you’d be better off taking books off the shelves upstairs and learning that way.”

“Okay, you’ve given me a lot to think on…thank you.” The last two words had to be forced from his lips but somehow he managed them.

“I take it that you’re implying you’re finished with my company?”

“For now, yes. I need to think for a bit and I can’t do that with you tittering about poetry.”

Rin laughed. “Well if you change your mind, I’ll be right outside the door tittering away longing for a beautiful girl to acknowledge my presence. Ah, and be certain to slam the door as I leave.” He backed to the door, unbolted it and walked backwards out into the hall, hands raised defensively still clutching the flowers. “But please! You must understand how I feel. Don’t turn me away!” The corners of his mouth revealed a grin as Lynn slammed the door.

Several hours passed as Lynn recorded exactly what Rin had said and how it correlated with his own experience with the people from Mortium. Every detail Rin had told him seemed to be true based on what he knew but it still seemed possible that Rin had manipulated certain things to mislead and trap him. Everything had to be studied with immense scrutiny. He wrote until if felt as if his fingers might snap apart from cramping.

Lynn fell asleep at Vivian’s desk with a piece of parchment serving as his pillow. He woke to Ida’s soft snores. Rubbing his eyes, he glanced about. The room’s illumination came from under the door and the moonlight from the window. Everything in the room felt wrong. He stood up and went to the door, placing a hand on the wood, it creaked open ever so slowly and he peered out of the crack. The lanterns throughout the hallways were kept constantly lit so Lynn could easily see down the abandoned corridor. The sad bouquet of flowers Rin had been holding earlier lay at the foot of the door but other than that it seemed unchanged from its usual. Still, Lynn felt his hairs stand on end and closed the door. Most likely, the feeling was no more than a cold snap during the night causing him to shiver a bit.

Lynn didn’t sleep anymore throughout the night. He lay on the soft straw bed he currently borrowed from Vivian, but his heart couldn’t seem able to beat slow enough to allow sleep. When dawn’s light eventually beamed through the window, he still remained alert. However, when he heard Ida rising he closed his eyes and forced his breathing down to a pattern that resembled a sleeping man. After she finished getting ready and exited, his eyes bolted back open. He scanned his writings from the previous day, making certain to memorize each new fact about the kingdom across the sea. Several of his thoughts still appeared scrambled on pages incoherently so, pushing through his fingers’ stiff soreness, he rewrote a great deal so it appeared in a more competent syntax.

Lynn stood after a long while and began to pace around the small room in discomfort. His right leg of flesh seemed to become as stiff as the wooden one. The room suffocated Lynn. He had once spent an entire winter in a cabin up in the mountains but this felt different. He could always leave the cabin in favor of the, less desirable, frigid air of the outdoors. It seemed to him the difference between the two situations was he had made a choice to stay in the cabin with only books to keep him company day in and day out. The current isolation didn’t feel self-inflicted. The entirety of the situation felt more like being imprisoned and having his agency revoked.

Lynn peered out the window and noted the sun had only just begun to set in an orange blaze even though it seemed like the day had stretched to multiple its usual length. The sight of the orange setting sun made him curious as to where his meal had gotten off to. The day before Vivian had sent him three meals through Ida but he hadn’t seen her since she left in the morning. It didn’t really matter to him, he had been taught how to fast by his parents as a child and had gone days without food on several occasions after his family’s fall. But still. Everything still felt off, just as it had the night before. The atmosphere weighed down on him, he needed to get out of this room. Lynn took a breath and stepped out into the hall, closing Vivian’s door behind him.

It felt refreshing to be moving his leg in a fashion more exerting than pacing a cramped bedroom. Lynn carefully checked each hallway before rounding corners until he found himself at the door of Nyx Opal. He knocked to no response. Then, he reached for the handle and, upon finding it unlocked, swung it open. It appeared exactly as he would have expected from an individual such as Nyx. Small beams of light entered from the curtain covered window revealing minuscule dust hanging in the air above a table and shelves filled with jars. Two beds seemed shoved as far off to the side as possible, both insulated only by thin blankets. Lynn noted a pile of clothes he recognized as Vivian’s but she herself didn’t seem anywhere nearby.

In a moment, Lynn realized he knew where she might be.