Theo’s voice was slightly deeper than I expected, given his youthful appearance. However, his words immediately tainted my first impression of him. “I sure wish I had a pet like that.”
Lucius immediately jabbed his son in the side with his elbow.
“What?!” Theo exclaimed. “I’m just saying she’s pretty!”
“Really?” I gasped uncontrollably, already forgetting he had called me a pet. I couldn’t believe he really thought that. Was it just another joke? I saw Eli glance down at me with a look of annoyance, so I decided I should keep my mouth shut to avoid messing this up. I wasn’t sure if the two humans heard me speak or not, because Lucius continued to ignore me as he apologized on his son’s behalf.
Eli shrugged it off. “I can acknowledge the misunderstanding, but you are correct that I do not appreciate my servant being referred to as such. She is more valuable to my work than a mere personal pet.”
I realized immediately that there must be some meaning I wasn’t getting, because otherwise Theo’s next response didn’t make sense.
“Oh come on!” Theo exclaimed. “You can’t honestly tell me you don’t do things with her outside of your research! With a body like that how could you not?!”
Lucius smacked his son over the head so hard he almost fell off the cart. “Shut that damn mouth of yours!” He then immediately turned to Eli. “Magus Eliakim, please forgive my son’s insulting behavior. I’ll be sure that you see no more of him during your stay here in Boshra.”
Eli nodded without saying anything this time, and he motioned for me to climb onto the back of the cart. I hesitated briefly, still stunned by Theo’s comment. Did I really have a body that would be desirable to human men? Or at least some of them? And really, what I wanted to know…was it possible that my body could be desirable to Eli too?
I jumped slightly when Eli pressed his warm palm against my exposed lower back underneath my pack, nudging me forward. I immediately looked at him apologetically and hurried to climb in. He sat down next to me, both of us facing the opposite direction as our chauffeurs, with our legs hanging off the cart. I could feel one of his invisible wings touching my hip as the bottom portion folded outwards slightly against our wooden seat. Part of me wanted to reach out and rest my hand gently on it, but I kept my fingers to myself, clasping them together in my lap.
As Eli nodded to the man, and the horse-drawn cart began moving again, I kept my eyes trained on the trees for any signs of elderfel. The clopping of the horse’s hooves and the squeaking of the wheels filled my ears, combined with the slight rattling of the cart itself. I could tell that Eli wasn’t in the mood to converse with these humans right now, but he made an effort to try to gather some information.
“So,” he began, “I do have some questions regarding this town’s perception of pantherians. It is not uncommon that I might send her out on errands by herself. Is that a practice that might cause problems here?”
Lucius looked back at him with an understanding expression. “Rumors spread fast in this place, so if you decide to stay longer than a day or two, then everyone will know she’s with you. However, I wouldn’t recommend it if you will only be here until tomorrow. Pantherians are generally not welcome, whether they belong to someone or not.”
“I see,” Eli replied. He then looked at me meaningfully, and I quietly sighed in annoyance. However, unexpectedly he got a wicked grin on his face and he turned back towards the two men. As he began speaking, I suddenly wondered if ‘rumors spread fast in this place’ was what was on his mind.
“Theo, was it?” The younger man looked back at Eli in surprise. “Actually, I do understand where you’re coming from. My servant is quite beautiful. However, to answer your question, I can’t enjoy her in that way without breaking the spell that binds her. It’s very temperamental magic and even the slightest moment of indiscretion might undo it. The magic prevents her from turning on me, which is why I am able to give her a sword in confidence, however for me to harm her in anyway would break the spell.”
I just gawked at him, before abruptly looking away to hide my beet red face. I knew he didn’t mean it. This was all an act – all pretend. He was providing them with a rumor to spread, an excuse for why our relationship wasn’t like that, and yet…I couldn’t help but wish he meant it when he said I was beautiful.
I closed my eyes and tried to take a few controlled breaths as my embarrassment quickly shifted to pain. My chest ached, feeling crushed to hear something I knew couldn’t possibly be true. Thankfully, I managed to clear my mind before the tears gave me away.
It was obvious that Eli had noticed, because when I finally opened my eyes I saw that his expression was now reserved. Lucius had made a comment that he appreciated that Eli had taken the time to humor his son’s question, but that it wasn’t necessary, nor was it Theo’s business to ask. Eli said he appreciated the apology, but wanted to make sure that the wrong type of rumors didn’t spread about him.
“Given what you’ve said about the perception of pantherians here,” Eli was saying, “your son’s assumption would not do well for my reputation in this town. I am a Mage in pursuit of a higher understanding of magic, not some common slave owner.”
“Of course,” Lucius agreed, elbowing his son in the side again even though he hadn’t said anything recently. “And I will be sure that no such rumors spread regarding you. By the twin goddesses, you have my word.”
Eli nodded in appreciation and fell silent again.
Trying to get my mind off my aching heart, I looked up at the pale twin moons that were low in the sky, having risen already even though the sun was just passing its apex straight above us. They were barely visible in the bright blue canopy above the trees in the distance. I knew these celestial bodies were the two goddesses Lucius had mentioned, Edith and Freya.
They were also the wives of the sun god Ephraim who watched over their husband’s creation mostly at night, while the sun god guarded us during the day. It was said that the twin goddesses would often rise early or late to greet their husband. And every few years, they would join in the sky, darkening the land to take part in their matrimonial rights.
The elves averted their eyes on such days, giving the trio their privacy as was respectfully due to them. Granted, the elves didn’t worship them by any means, but only acknowledged their rights as gods.
Freya, the smaller of the two, slowly danced around Edith as she surveyed the land below for half the year. During the summertime, as was the case now, she could be seen standing before Edith slightly off to the side. I had always appreciated Freya the most, because I imagined she understood what it was like to be small in comparison to the other two.
She was also unique in her own way, having neither the pale white glow of Edith nor the bright yellow hue of Ephraim. Instead, she was clothed in a beautiful red that gave the summer night a pink radiance. Freya was not a fan of the more temperate weather though, and would disappear behind Edith once the leaves on the trees began to fall, only for her to return when they reappeared in the spring.
It was never cold here, although I had been told by the elves that further north the rain sometimes turned into the snowflakes I had seen in books. Supposedly, it resembled fluffy white powder that was as cold as ice magic. They believed this frozen precipitation further north was the real reason why Freya hid behind Edith during those months. But personally, I secretly wondered if she was just sad to see the green leaves disappear.
While I didn’t really worship any of the gods or goddesses, I had to admit I was envious of them. They had something I never would – acceptance, and a family.
Lucius spoke up again, interrupting my train of thought. “I don’t mean to impose, but I noticed you both have blood on you. Run into some trouble in the forest?”
“Yes,” Eli admitted immediately. “We were unexpectedly attacked by a small group of elderfel. We managed to defeat them unscathed though.” He then tugged on the leather on his chest. “These clothes I
’m wearing actually belonged to one of them. My own were severely damaged in the fight, becoming unusable. I burned them with my magic in order to eliminate my scent.”
“Elderfel!” Lucius exclaimed. “What in the hell are they doing this far west?!”
Well, that confirmed what I thought about the elderfel living in the east, and the reason why my godmother had told me to go west. I knew it wouldn’t be a good idea to tell them the truth, otherwise they might not welcome us into town. Granted, it didn’t seem like we were heading directly into town anyway.
As we had neared the outcropping of buildings, Lucius had turned west, heading towards the land surrounded by the strange metal fencing. The unnatural sight made me uncomfortable, but I wasn’t sure why.
Humans could be seen in some of the fields, working the land, and the town noises became louder now that we were so close. The collective chatter of people towards the center reached all the way to the edge of town, along with the sound of clanging metal and trotting horses. In many ways, it didn’t sound much different than from being home, and I found the noise comforting.
I looked up at Eli, wondering how he was going to respond about the elderfel. I was glad he seemed to understand the need for discretion, answering before I could even formulate an excuse. “No idea why they were here,” he lied. “I thought it was strange too. I’ve heard that the elves live in this region, so maybe that has something to do with it.”
Lucius laughed. “Elves! Well, if they do live around here, then it must be underground. I’ve been as far south as the great mountain and as far north as the capital Xenith. I’m sure I would have seen an elf here or there if they lived nearby.” He then looked back at us suspiciously. “None of the elderfel escaped, did they?”
Eli immediately shook his head. “No, we got them all. I know better than to let one live – otherwise they’d return with reinforcements and hunt us down. Granted, I’m sure they live far enough away from here for it not to be a problem either way. I certainly don’t want to bring any trouble to your town.”
Lucius nodded. “Yes, that’s a fair point. Even if one did manage to escape, it would be weeks before they returned.” He then seemed pensive briefly. “I’ll have to let the town guard know to be on the lookout. Whether they know who killed their kin or not, they may assume someone from town was responsible.”
I immediately glanced up at Eli, concerned they were right and the elderfel would attack these people. While I already wasn’t much of a fan of them, I certainly didn’t want to bring death their way. Eli nodded towards me, as if to acknowledge my unspoken concerns and then replied. “I apologize if killing them has caused problems for you.”
Lucius laughed again. “Your concern is noted, but unnecessary. There would be no way for you to avoid the situation and no one would expect you to give up your lives for strangers. Needless to say, if they had run across anyone else, there wouldn’t be survivors to tell the tale.” He then beat his chest. “But we will be fine. We have magitek guns from the empire to protect our town.”
Eli and I exchanged a glance in confusion, unsure of what magitek was. I wanted to ask, my curiosity getting the better of me again, but held my tongue. Eli kept silent too, and I suspected he was concerned that his lacking knowledge on the subject would raise unwanted suspicion. Thankfully, Lucius continued speaking, seemingly proud of their unique weapons.
“My brother Tobias is who purchased them. He’s the one who has his land surrounded by that electric fencing.” Lucius pointed towards the unnatural cage-like structure that towered at least twice Eli’s height. “Tobias Vernon. Profitable man my brother is, though he is known for using his wealth for the benefit of the entire town. I believe the fence is why he needs the assistance of a mage. The magicite powering the damn thing must have expired, though I find that hard to believe since magicite that size should last a century.”
Eli still didn’t say anything and neither did I. We both felt uncomfortable about the situation, uncertain of how we could help, or decline to help, without blowing our cover. What exactly was magicite? And did most mages know how to help in this situation?
Lucius continued. “But don’t take my word for it. My brother can give you the details of what he’s needing.”
Eli nodded. “Of course. And thank you for the ride.”
I looked up to see that we were already almost there now. The dirt road that ran around the city branched off and led right up to an opening in the fence. It appeared as if two sections of the fence had been slid sideways, doubling the metal wires in two layers. I imagined these sections could be pulled together to seal off the entrance like a gate.
An older man with white hair and a hunched back was sitting in a wooden booth just on the inside of the opening. He remained in his seat as we approached. Lucius called out to him cheerfully.
“Gregor! Good day! Please let my brother know I’ve brought him a mage who happened to be passing through.”
While the older man didn’t get up, his eyes brightened. His voice was raspy. “Oh wonderful! Tobias will be extremely excited to hear this!” He then pulled out a small metal object with a long finger-like protrusion coming out of the top. Holding it up to his face, he spoke to it, causing my head to tilt in confusion. “Landon, can you hear me? Your uncle is here with a mage.”
Much to my surprise, the disembodied voice of a young man came crackling out of the metal object. “Perfect! It was going to be weeks before we could get the magicite gauntlet replaced! My father will be so excited to hear this! We’ll meet the guy at the house.” The voice then paused, suddenly sounding awkward. “It is a guy, right? I don’t want to offend them if it’s a female mage.”
Gregor confirmed that it was a guy, being able to see Eli’s head clearly. He then looked up at Lucius, as if nonverbally asking if the request to meet at the house was alright. Our escort nodded, snapping the reigns to get the cart moving again. As the horse continued forward, Lucius waved to the old man. “I’ll stop by to visit when we return, Gregor. I don’t want to waste the mage’s time.”
Gregor nodded in approval, finally getting a good look at us as we passed. His eyes widened slightly when he saw me, before abruptly squinting as if to see me better. I couldn’t imagine why. I wondered if it was because these people weren’t fond of pantherians, but his expression didn’t seem hostile. I just looked away and ignored him.
Eli leaned in towards me to whisper once we were inside the gate. His hot breath made me flush, and I tried to keep my eyes off his full lips. He didn’t even have a hint of facial hair like I might have expected from someone who was partly human, and I wondered if he was unable to grow it like the elves. “You’re doing really well,” he whispered.
I just shrugged in response, trying to hide my red cheeks by turning my head. I didn’t feel like I was actually doing anything that deserved praise. I was only keeping my mouth shut and letting him do all the talking – nothing too special about that. I just needed to make sure I kept my temper under control while we were around them, so I didn’t lose sight of the goal. I was also beginning to realize that, while I certainly didn’t want to be a slave for real, I didn’t mind so much pretending to be his slave, especially if he continued to treat me respectfully in public. Maybe this arrangement wouldn’t be so bad after all.
I also really liked that no one was looking at me with disgust for once. I’d take being ignored over that any day.
Eli noticed that he had embarrassed me, chuckling softly at my reaction to his comment. And I unexpectedly discovered I had a new favorite sound. My ears drooped as I began to feel pathetic by that realization. He picked up on my change in demeanor but didn’t say anything, instead focusing on our surroundings again. The ride to the house wasn’t as long as I expected.
Chapter 5: Magicite
When the cart came to a stop, we immediately hopped out, seeing that we were next to a series of large wooden buildings. I wasn’t familiar with human architecture, but I assumed the build
ing closest to us with all the windows must have been the house. Despite its dead appearance, especially compared to the living buildings created by the elves, I had to admit it was beautiful in its own right.
The house was painted white and had a massive porch that wrapped around one side. There were numerous chairs sitting underneath the overhanging roof, many of which had strange curved bottoms. I wasn’t sure how someone could stay stationary in one without automatically rocking back and forth from just sitting down.
But maybe that was the point?
The roof appeared to be covered in a thin layer of dark gray metal. It was dark inside, so I couldn’t see into the windows, most of which had the curtains drawn back to allow the sunlight in.
The elves produced light by manipulating plants with magic to create a bright luminance. Once the modification was made, the roots automatically pulled magic out of the earth to power the bright glow. I wasn’t sure what humans did for light though. I assumed maybe they used fire.
The other buildings in the distance were painted red, varying in size. I suspected one of them must house some kind of cattle, because I could hear them calling out to each other. The air was also thick with the smell of fertilizer, reminding me of the earthy scents in the elven forest. It was different than what I was used to, but it wasn’t unpleasant.
Another young human male about our age was coming around the side of the house with a metal object strapped to his back – it immediately piqued my curiosity. It was just slightly longer than my short blade and didn’t look sharp. I had no idea what it was, but suspected it might be a weapon. The human had his hands free though, so that was a good sign that he wasn’t hostile.
Soulbound to a Dragon Page 6
