Kalie Rana

True to his word, Lux rarely left my side as I recovered from the Binding inflicted upon me by Valier and Alito. The spell, one rarely mastered by majin, but common amongst wild greater spirits, was one that I had heard of, but never felt. Devious, and subtle, it’s power is found more so in its side effects. While it’s intention is to immobilize and paralyze, its secondary effects are to pacify and soften. The perfect sort of spell for an enterprising light majin, prepared to do something only the Gods above would know.

So, staring at Valier, chained to the wall of the darkened brig, I was overrun with questions. And the bruised and swollen face that looked back at me, seemed to have little in the way of answers.

“Do you have an explanation?” I asked.

“If I told you that I wanted to have my way with you, what would you do?”

“First, I would probably make a point of draining every drop of mana from your body, just to watch you squirm.” Valier’s eyes widened slightly, but not much, on account of the swelling. “Then, after a few minutes of that, I would ask you again for the truth.” Although I intended it as a threat, Valier chuckled. My assumption was correct, he wasn’t looking to have his way with me. However, his purpose was still hidden.

“What do you remember of that night?” he asked.

“I remember that you were drunk, and you showed me your light spirit, Alito. Beyond that, much of it is a haze now.”

“I’m sure you remember your man there throwing me through the damn table. I sure do.”

“Watch your tongue and answer her questions. While you still can,” Lux said, with menace in his voice.

“What I was trying to do was obviously idiotic. It was supposed to be nothing more than a simple suggestion.”

“And that is?”

“Don’t get lost in the ceramic symphonies of the wondrous and dark Ravencourt. Remember who you are. Remember who they are. Before royalty, before Cerith, before anything, you are a majin. All that I ask, is that you remember that.” Something so simple, and yet it dripped with a meaning that I didn’t quite understand.

“Speak plainly.”

“You know what I mean Princess.”

“Are you an assassin? Who sent you?” Lux’s questions caused Valier to laugh maliciously, throwing his head back further drowning him in shadows.

“If I was, don’t you think I would’ve killed you when I had the chance, dear Princess? I’m no assassin, this was no assassination attempt. I’m sent by no-one. Loved by no-one. Missed by no-one. I’m merely in almost the right place, at almost the right time. And, if I was a step faster, and a hair more confident like your man there, I would’ve been able to see my goals through. Sadly, half a bottle of rum was what I thought I needed.”

“By Leona above! Can you just speak plainly for once!” I said, finally drawing up the ire that had been building in my stomach. “What do you want from me?”

“All I want is for the world to know the pain that we’ve gone through,” Valier mumbled as he spoke. “What I’ve gone through.”

“And how is it that you think that I would be able to do that?”

“Be yourself,” Valier spoke with no hint of irony. “And show them how wrong they were for what they did to us.”

“You’re speaking like it’s a foregone conclusion that I will even be able to meet the White Raven, let alone become someone who could sway his mind.”

“Kalie.” It shocked me to hear my name come from his mouth. From the moment that I saw him chained to that planked wall, the thought of the handsome, charismatic man I knew, was gone. But, just hearing my name on his lips, it brought it all back into fresh relief in my mind. “If the White Raven is a man of any sort of taste—any sort of refinement—he will choose you. There is no question in my mind that you are by far the most precious of jewels that will ever be presented before him. And only a fool would see it any other way.”

“I am no jewel. You’ve been blinded by your own majics.”

“Then you are a fool.” Valier spoke with no hesitation, as if he expected my response.

“Watch your tongue, you rat,” Lux’s words exploded from his mouth like venom, a far cry from his usual reservation.

“What? Do you disagree Mr. Ink-fingers? Do you see her as a jewel, or are you a fool as well?”

“Blinding, and magnificent, but no jewel.”

“That’s enough. Stop delaying the inevitable. Tell us the truth, and leave your twisting words out of it. What do you want? Why did you attack me?”

“I’ve told you already and I will tell you no more. Leave me to whatever fate awaits me,” Valier said, finally leaning forward, allowing for the tiny sliver of sunlight through the porthole above to cast light upon him. Finally illuminated, Valier’s face was nothing like it had been before. A large strap of bubbled and scarred skin ran from above his eye all the way down to his mouth. The scar made the edge of his mouth look more like a jagged tear. I found myself silent at the shock.

A creak from the ship cut the silence that filled the air.

“What happened to you?” I asked, trying not to let the pity I felt infect my voice.

“It is as it always has been for me, ” he said, leaning back into the darkness. Like a child, he pulled his knees toward him, obscuring his face even more.

“Without your glamour then—”

“Beyond right Princess. Ugly through and through. Irredeemable. That’s how all the rest of them see me, so I’m glad that you haven’t been blinded to that truth.” Valier kept his face tight against his knees as he spoke, revealing nothing.

“Then I will leave you here, and at the mercy of the Grand Admiral.” He remained still as I spoke. “But, I will be sure that Alito will not be harmed. I promise you that.” As I expected it would, that finally drew his attention from his legs.

“Thank you.” I couldn’t shake the feeling that the man that I had known was nothing more than a glamour through and through. A spell to hide his true face, and his true nature. But, a part of me, couldn’t accept that it was all fake. Not after I heard his last word, just as the door to the brig closed tightly behind me.

“Kalie.”

***

“And the prisoner? What will come of him?” I asked. Hark’s gaze was cold and as overbearing as it had always been. Even though this was the first time that I had been in the Admiral’s cabin, I doubt familiarity would’ve made this conversation any easier to have.

“When we get to Scuttleview, he will be transferred into the alliance’s custody. Most likely, the baron there will see him press-ganged back into service on one of the warships, below deck. He probably won’t see the shore for a few years.” Hark spoke plainly, and without any hints of empathy.

“All for that? That’s hardly fair.”

“He attacked you Kalie. He’s lucky he isn’t facing the stocks, or the headsman’s axe,” Lux interjected, the sound of my name not even phasing the Admiral.

“I suspect that wasn’t his intention. He was drunk and it was a spell gone awry.”

“You were in a coma for three-days!” He was retreading a familiar conversation, one that we had while we waited for Hark to be ready for us.

“And I’m alright now. So I don’t see the problem,” I said, turning away from Lux and focusing on the Grand Admiral. “Hark, tell me, say I was standing on deck, and he dropped something on my head by accident. If I were injured, and in bed for three-days following that, what would his punishment be then?”

“It would be something like—”

“Remember,” I said, interrupting his response, “the mistake and the effect are quite removed. His action was one that was more or less understandable, but its effect, and the effect caused by that effect were ones that were out of his control, and out of the scope of his intention. What would happen then?”

Hark looked at me with his usual harsh gaze. “I cannot allow for that man to remain on my ship. There’s an uncomfortable conversation happening below deck as we speak.” Hark lifted an eyebrow in my direction, confirming that I understood this wasn’t speculation, but absolute knowledge. Through majics or otherwise, the Grand Admiral knew that aboard the Tamer, things were about to roil.

“I’m not insisting that you keep the man. I don’t hold that power.”

“For now.” I shot a glare to Lux as he spoke.

“All that I’m asking is that he does not get punished as harshly. You never answered my question. What would happen if he accidentally hurt me some other way?” I asked.

“He would be relieved of duty with severely docked pay and no letter of merit.”

“So then he’d have a harder time finding work on an alliance vessel, but otherwise he’d be unpunished?” I confirmed.

“Correct.”

“Then do that. I ask that you treat this as an accident. Release him into Scuttleview, and call this matter over.”

Hark’s stern gaze stayed on me for several moments. It was funny, although I had only known the man for a handful of conversations over the course of the last month, the way that he looked into my eyes felt so familiar. So… familial. Not that he in any way reminded me of my father—he was much too certain-handed for that—but rather, he reminded me of grandmother. The feeling of wisdom beyond my understanding. I couldn’t help but feel my determination waiver slightly in the face of it. But, I kept my expression calm, by focusing on the immaterium instead. I watched as the mana in the room flowed into and out of Hark. It was entirely unconscious I knew, but the air in the room bent around him.

As his eyes flicked away from mine for a moment, I realized that rather than wisdom, in this situation it may have only been knowledge beyond my understanding. Following the momentary movement I realized that he broke from me to look at Lux. My attention returned to the Grand Admiral as he let out a long sigh.

“As you wish,” Hark took in another deep breath before continuing, “all that I ask is that you allow me to handle this. Do not interfere.”

“It’s your ship Admiral. I am not but a guest.” Hearing that Hark let out a deep raucous laugh.

“A farce that I am willing to go along with. But please, do be sure to make sure I am not shown to be a fool.”

“I guess that I have no choice but to try,” I said, uncomfortably. Seeing this, Hark’s laughter reignited.

“Oh, one more thing. Mr. Anipinna.”

“Yes Sir.”

“I’m sure this will come as no surprise, but you will no longer be needed in my cabin. In fact, I do request that you do your best to not be seen until we arrive back on land.”

“Ah,” Lux seemed caught off guard, but he didn’t argue. On the other hand, I didn’t need to adhere to the same sort of propriety.

“Admiral! That’s unfair, Mr. Anipinna only did what he did to protect me!”

“And I am doing what I must to protect him.”

“He’s right M’lady. There’s not much good that I would do at this point anyway. Our voyage is almost at its end, and at that point I would be leaving my post with the Grand Admiral anyway.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I could’ve sworn that I told you.”

“Obviously, you did not.”

“Well, I will be the one accompanying you all the way until Corvus castle. Your safety was a concern of the White Raven and the Ravencourt, so I was asked to accompany you all the way to the castle.”

“I guess that I might as well get used to having you nearby. Right?”

“I guess so.” Lux agreed with a smile.