"Sure anything to make you feel better, I have a good one. Years ago I was reading about the species of sentient beings on this planet and your people were one of them. I read a story about a naarabian male that befriended a male elf. This elf, Xunil, was weak and frail but he was good at shaping magic. The naarabi, his name was Kwynnith, was mediocre at shaping but a skilled swordsman. Xunil was on a quest assigned by his elders to locate a lost elven artifact of great importance." Nina paused and cleared her throat, taking a slip of a ceramic cup of water near the bed. Realizing that Rose was most likely thirsty she offered the bedridden girl the cup and assisted her in drinking a bit before continuing. "They traveled together for a long time and eventually became lovers. During this time Kwynnith swore an oath to Xunil to protect him always, to become his guardian until the end of their road. They shared blood in a ritual of brotherhood. During this same week a terrible storm raged across the desert and the two of them got separated and lost their way."
"Fearing his chosen dead, Kwynnith was fraught with despair and begged the gods for assistance. The vigilant god, also known as the Darkwatcher, came to the naarabian because he was moved by the devotion Kwynnith showed and gave him the ability to track and locate his chosen over great distances and through even the mightiest storm." Nina said reverently as she looked down at Rose.
"Did he find his chosen?" Rose asked, her voice still a whisper.
Nina shook her head lightly. "The story says that he wanders still, searching for his lost love. I believe he found his chosen and they continued their journey together."
"I like that ending better." Rose smiled a bit and closed her eyes to rest, not the same trance as usual but the deep cavernous sleep that was usually reserved for humans.
~~~~
"Mira do you not even care about the fate of this girl? She obviously was harmed during her rest from the amount of blood she coughed up last night. If you say that this girl’s destiny is intertwined with ours she must be of some importance." Merik paced back and forth in their rented room and ran his fingers through his amber hair, fixing his similar-colored gaze on his queen several times as he paced nervously. "I know you remember that part of the prophecy as clearly as I do."
"The flower of the desert shall bloom from the seeds of an unlikely pair. She will wear a guise as innocent as the dew on a newly sprouted bud and as pure as the first spring rain. A child of the far east shall nourish her and uproot her from her home." Mira looked over at her nervous body guard. "The white queen ware her throne for the traitor in her midst will conspire to throw her to the lizard-king."
"Yes Merik I know the legend and I know the implications of the last line." Mira said softly as she sat down on the bed and sighed trying to shirk the dark thoughts in her head. "The pieces fit but I am wary of releasing this girl from her bonds, the consequences of our actions could have a ripple effect for generations to come."
"What about the talk of a second coming of the golden age?" Merik asked hopefully, being relatively unfamiliar with the other predictions from the elf prophet. "Do you know that one?"
"I do, but I am not permitted to share certain information with those outside of the royal family." Mira looked up at her most trusted lieutenant and caught his eyes. Holding those fiery amber orbs for a moment she looked deeper, searching for something she could not name. There were few alive that she could trust and among those were Merik and her own daughter. The only reason why she had endangered her daughter by allowing her to infiltrate the pasha's home was because she was the only one that could be truly trusted with the mission. "Am I doing the right thing Merik? I just don't know anymore."
"My queen, I have never failed to carry out your commands, but I am not of a mind to council you nor question your decisions." He said as carefully as possible in his baritone voice.
"I do not question your loyalty." She stated flatly.
"That is not the point my queen, if ever you issued an order contrary to our peoples' needs I would have a hard time following it." He said with a growing mischievous smile.
"Careful, that's borderline treason." She allowed herself a bit of amusement at his tone but doubted not his stern resolve. "I realize that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, we will help the girl if we can."
"I am glad to hear you say that my liege." Merik sat down in a plush chair by the window and took up his obsidian sword, running a specially-prepared stone across it to keep the edge fresh and sharp. "I think this ‘pleasure slave' as you call her is important."
"You're not paid to think." She jested at the tall, muscular elf.
~~~~
A few days had passed since Rose had been attacked by Vishna and since then her wound had healed nicely and her body had recovered from its self-induced trauma. The girls of the harem welcomed her back with open arms and praise and the pasha himself had come to check on her every single day since she had been wounded. She knew it was to make sure his treasure had not been marred but none-the-less it was nice to have so many people worried about her. Rose had not talked to Nina about their plan since that night but she still knew her part in it, and the time, had come.
"Nina, tonight I will make my move." Rose said softly as she bathed the young girl with the strongly scented water that strangely enough had the smell of the red desert rose, a rare flower that could only be found under certain conditions in the wilds of the desert.
"Good." Nina replied in her soft voice before grabbing a towel to dry herself off. "Rose can I ask you another question?"
"Sure Nina, you know you can. We're practically sisters already." Rose said through a growing smile, a genuine smile. It made her think of Neeshka ever since Vishna had been pulled out of the picture. Neeshka and Koral had been less obnoxious. Neeshka had even gone as far to apologize about her previous behavior and request that Rose forgive her. "What's on your mind?"
"Your people, they are said to be good with magic but I have not seen you use any." Nina had a questioning look on her face. "I have a bit of training in the mystic arts but my skill level is somewhat lacking. I'm better with the martial arts like swordplay and hand to hand combat."
"Magic?" Rose said softly. "No, I have not the ability to use magic as far as I am aware. But ware what you say, I know for certain that talk of magic will get you killed or worse."
"I know, but you say you know not a shred of magic?" Nina echoed with an arched blonde eyebrow. "Maybe you just don't know how to tap into it. Has anything strange ever happened when you were really scared or excited? Usually that's how the abilities manifest."
"No, not that I can remember." Rose tapped her chin thoughtfully and thought hard about her life and past. Something did stick out to her, a strange childhood event. "There was this one time when I was little. The pasha came in one night smelling of wine. His original target was me even though I was still wearing the sash you wear now, and I was scared. When he approached me I shouted out and told him to leave me alone. I was just a child I didn't know any better but as soon as I shouted I felt dizzy and the pasha turned from me to Neeshka, who also wore the sash."
"I regret that night very much. I could have handled the trauma better than my sister and I knew it but I was so afraid." Rose sighed softly and turned her gaze toward Nina. "Is that what you mean?"
"That's exactly what I mean." Nina said with a thoughtful tone.
"Is magic the reason your hands were glowing?" Rose asked now that curiosity had rooted itself into her mind. She remembered the details of the scene before she had passed out quite vividly.
"Yes. If you would like, I can teach you some basic techniques to access that same energy." Nina inquired as she pulled her clothing back on.
"If you think I can learn it, yes." Rose replied excitedly, she had always wondered how she would defend herself if, for some reason, she was out of the protective walls of the palace. She wasn't very strong and she had never been trained to fight. In the desert your enemies wouldn't give you time to prepare or defen
d yourself if they had the chance.
"Like I said, your kind is said to be adept at such things. I figure that since you've never been out of these walls you'd need a way to defend yourself. You don't seem like a fighter but you are intelligent, quick with your mind. Your eyes and your actions tell me that." Nina smiled broadly and sat down on Rose's favorite pillow. "I would like to repay you for your help some way, your freedom will be won but I also appreciate what you are doing to assist me. I feel like I owe you a greater debt."
"You owe me nothing. The needs of the many outweigh the few, as much as it pains me to say that." Rose believed that she could be willing to sacrifice herself for a good cause, but that had to be seen. "Even if you might not give me my freedom I would still get you the book, it seems important. But may I ask why this tome is such a big deal?"
"My station prevents me from sharing the information with anyone outside of my family." Nina looked up at Rose apologetically. "I do not doubt your loyalty nor do I question your integrity but I am not permitted to speak of it with anyone."
"Don't worry about it." Rose shrugged her shapely shoulders and cast her eyes out into the large harem room. "If your mother feels it is important enough to risk your safety it must be dire."
"The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few." Nina replied in almost the same tone Rose had used. She smiled a bit and followed the golden gaze across the room. "I volunteered anyway."
"So let's get started." Nina decided to change the subject before she started getting all sentimental and regretful again. She did not like the situation she was in; to lose her purity in such a way would be a disgrace to the family name. "First off you need to be completely relaxed."
"Alright." Rose sat cross legged on the ground and assumed her normal pose for sleeping, knowing that would help. Taking a few deep breaths she steadied her breathing and watched as Nina took a spot in front of her to continue. "What next?"
"Keep in mind before we start that it takes quite a while for most people to learn how to touch their true potential. Alright, I want you to focus on yourself. Head first, then your neck and torso. Feel the power in your arms, your legs and then your feet. Save your hands for last. Focus your concentration until you feel a slight tingling in them and you should feel it in your hands most keenly." Nina paused and looked over Rose as she closed her eyes and began. Using an ability that her tutors had taught her she shifted her eyes to the spectrum of magic. The room and world around them was so dull it was almost painful to see the lack of energy. It was like looking at a dark room at night with a few scattered candles representing people here and there. When she focused her gaze on Rose she gasped. She could see the energy coursing through Rose's body like the blood in her veins. White lights like small pinpricks glowing were being pulled not only from Rose but from the people and things around them. Rose was drawing power from the stones underneath them and the ground underneath that. "Oh my god."
"What?" Rose said in a slightly subdued tone as she opened her eyes and looked over at Nina. She noticed that the center of the elf's eyes had become large, so much so that her eyes looked like they were almost dominated by a dark blue. "What is it?"
"Rose you can stop now, that's enough." Nina's voice was wavering slightly and she closed her eyes to adjust them once again to the normal spectrum of light. Rose's eyes were visibly glowing a radiant shade of gold.
"I... I can't stop." Rose whimpered softly as she felt a surge of power hit her all of the sudden. She could feel the sapped energy flowing through her veins filling her up to the brim as if she had eaten way too much in a short sitting. The gentle, pleasant tingle became a burning sensation inside the pit of her stomach and she bowled over crying out in pain. Her voice became a hoarse whisper. "Nina please help me!"
"Oh gods Rose, stop! Stop!" Nina rushed over to her ailing friend and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Rose I need you to concentrate hard, you need to close everything off. It's almost like closing a curtain or shutting a door. Form a door in your mind, see the details, and tell me what it looks like."
"I see it." Rose said softly as she gasped and looked up at the young elf with wide eyes. "The door, it's made of black metal, thick with golden rivets. The knockers are jackal heads each holding a ring in its mouth. It's so heavy Nina, I can't close it!"
"You have to close it. You're strong with magic, stronger than anyone I've ever seen! Close the door, use everything you've got!" Nina put her head on Rose's shoulder and wrapped her arms around the shaking woman trying to hold her tight and close. "I'll help you as best I can."
By this time everyone in the harem had come to witness the spectacle, for they could all feel the draw to her spot. Nina could sense eyes on her back but she quickly washed those thoughts away and tried to help Rose. The naarabian’s entire body was glowing bright and she was breathing heavy with rapid, ragged gasps. In her mind she saw the door Rose was referring to because she had physically seen the door herself near the home of her people. In her mind there was no doubt of Rose's part in this play. After a while she felt more than saw the door that Rose had described swing shut with a bang that knocked them both to the floor and caused several of the girls around them to stagger backward.
Nina recovered quickly and rushed over to Rose, she noted that the glow had subsided and her breathing was steady. Sighing in relief she put her hand on the furred forehead of her friend. "Are you still with me?"
"Blood and sands, I feel like I am going to burn from the inside out." Rose said with a grimace across her features. "What happened to me, what did I do wrong?"
"You didn't do anything wrong, I miscalculated your capacity. Your body attempted to absorb more energy than it was used to. The more you use it the easier it will become and the more you can absorb." Nina brushed her hand down the side of Rose's cheek. "I'm sorry; you could have been seriously hurt."
"It's alright but when does the burning stop?" Rose sat up and crossed her arms over her chest, bending at the waist and leaning forward. "It hurts."
"You absorbed too much, you have to release some of it. Your magical energy is like a fountain or in your case a waterfall, if you want to release it all you have to do is lift the dam and let it flow. Usually you would do that in the form of a spell or incantation but I don't know if I should let you try one with the amount of power you have stored." Nina scratched her chin with one hand and looked down at Rose. She had to think fast, it wasn't good for someone to hold in so much energy for long. "Okay, I have an idea I want you to make yourself invisible."
"What?" Rose said in astonishment. "How do I do that?"
"Magic and psychic powers are all based on imagery and visualizations. Some of them require hand gestures and movements. The more powerful you are and the more power you have the less you have to do to manifest a spell." Nina paused for a moment to let that sink in. "Take a chunk of the energy within you and put it to the side, turn it into a transparent shroud or blanket and imagine that you're putting it over your head. Let it cover your entire body, just drop it over your head and let it fall around you. You have to feel it happening."
"I'm trying." Rose said through gritted teeth. After a moment she looked up in astonishment and breathed a sigh of reprieve. "The pain is subsiding, what a relief."
Rose noticed that everyone around her was staring at her. Looking down at her body she noticed that she wasn't there. She was completely invisible and so was Nina because she could not see the elf ether. "Did I use too much?"
"Seems so." She heard Nina laugh in her light flitting tone. "You can cancel it now. Just cut the strings to it."
"Cut the strings?" Rose said in a questioning tone. "I don't understand."
"Just pull the blanket off of us or let it dissipate."
Rose attempted to follow Nina's instructions for at least ten minutes or more before she finally figured out how to turn off the magic. She scratched her head once she could see the little elf again and shrugged an apology. "Sorry, I'm new to all of this.
"
"No don't be! It took me months to master magic but true to what I have read about your people magic is almost like breathing for you." Nina had a newfound respect for the naarabi if they could manipulate magic so easily. If one that had no skill at all could manage such a difficult spell so quickly she could only imagine what the most experienced one could do. Once she recovered from her shock she turned to the girls of the harem and fixed them with a discerning eye. "Do not breathe a word of this to anyone."
All of them nodded their heads in agreement though Nina was sure that more than a few of them would let spill the waters if threatened the right way. Most of them were probably too scared of the display to think properly, magic was forbidden in most territories and met with fear and hostility. Nina lowered her voice and turned back to Rose. "We have to make our move tonight, no question. These girls are first and foremost slaves and they will obey their master for fear of punishment."
"I will. What else can I do with the energy I have stored?" Rose asked Nina curiously as she looked down at her hands in amazement. She had never experienced such power before and though the pull was seductive she knew she had to temper her use of it with prudence and care. She paused, wondering why she knew that but shrugged it off.
"Almost anything you can shape in your mind. The extent of this power is limited to the amount of magical energy you can store. You can throw a ball of flame as hot as the sun or walk in the sun and heat without the negative side effects that exposure would offer. The most powerful magi, those from the legends of the past, could move mountains or change the climate of the world with but a thought. I consider those to be unbelievable tales though, no one is that powerful." Nina said skeptically as she shrugged her shoulders. "You just have to use the energy within you and shape it with your will. There are limitations though. Most effects will only last so long, there are a few that you can shape and maintain for extended periods but making their duration longer or permanent is more difficult. Only skilled shapers can do as such."
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