Maladies
Rachel and Rebecca appeared within a vast hall. The walls and floors were crafted from a material that seemed a fusion of living wood and polished metal, with vines of green, chocolate brown, and golden yellow weaving through the slats. Blossoms in every shade bloomed along walls, ceiling, and floor, filling the air with a fragrance so tranquil that it lulled the heart. Anyone who entered with malice would find their intent stripped away, replaced by docility.
This was Rachel's family home—one of them, a home of the Azalstin of the Azmin. She was Azmin, a daughter of the ruling family, and this place belonged to her and her siblings.
Rachel inhaled deeply, a childlike smile lighting her face as though she'd just come home from school after a long day spent daydreaming about games.
'Where are you, Cramnal?'
Her telepathic call echoed through the entire three-story house. When her brother Cer responded, she was not surprised.
'We are in Anis' quarters, Rachel.'
Rachel's brows knit. Why still in Anis' quarters? Had she misjudged Anis' state, been too hasty in assuming improvement? She motioned for Rebecca to follow. Without another word, they took two steps forward and vanished.
The walkways within most Azmin homes were walkways through the layers and all one had to do was think about where they wanted to go, house members and their guests were always taken to where they wanted, intruders could become lost within the layers for an eternity.
They reappeared in a corridor where the metallic wood walls were wrapped with vines of pale blue and light violet. From them bloomed only white flowers, glowing faintly like moonlight. At the end stood a set of massive purple-wood double doors,etched in runes of ancient Trannisa and Azmin. The instant they approached, the doors swung inward.
Inside, two of her brothers waited in the front sitting room. Bre rose at once, striding to her with a smile that strained under its weight. He hugged her firmly, then released her too quickly, the gesture betraying his unrest.
He was tall, with amber hair that caught the light, pink eyes vivid as gemstones, and a face that softened into four deep dimples when he smiled. But today his dimples only deepened his sadness.
"Go in, Rachel," he said after a long pause. His voice was tight with love and concern. "Anis is awake… but disoriented."
Rachel's smile dissolved into a sharp frown. Anis… disoriented?
Her gaze shifted to Mis, who sat on a sofa in a haze, his eyes vacant. She walked past him and placed an orange spark of light against his chest. His dazed gaze cleared for a heartbeat, and he smiled faintly at her. Then, just as quickly, his eyes glazed over again.
Of course Mis would be like this. Twins are such an anomaly, Rachel thought, already turning toward Anis' bedroom.
The door before her was a masterpiece—lilac glass veined with rose-colored metal, forming curling lines and broken loops. No hinges, no knob. Only symbols, unique and glowing faintly. Rachel pressed her own, and Rebecca pressed hers beside it.
Only Anis could create these sigils, binding them to a person's true name. Without one, entry was impossible. It was her gift as the Fate Weaver of Trannisa Realm.
The door shimmered, warping like a reflection disturbed in a pool of water, and the two women stepped through. For three long seconds, they felt themselves pulled forward by unseen hands before they emerged into Anis' chamber.
Cer, Cramnal, and Struns stood helplessly before her. Anis was upright, her long purple hair falling around a face of ethereal beauty, eyes amethyst, bright yet disturbingly vacant. Her body was stiff, unnaturally rigid, as though every joint refused to bend.
Rachel frowned but held her tongue. She needed to see, to measure, to decide.
In the corner, Emil sat in a gold-and-purple chair, his eyes shut, his body haloed in sparks of purple, gold, and turquoise that darted and shimmered around him. His expression was tense as if he were engaged in intense work. His green healing magic and grey mental mixed cleanly with his sorceric spells.
He did not have a large pool like Rachel had, but he had learned how to wield sorcery well from his sister. It combined with his innate magic and added intent, focus, and direction, making the semi sentient.
They moved to the three balls of light around him, first moving in tentatively, testing, then engulfing each without prejudice. As they worked here another thread his healing magic streamed forward into Anis. Rachel nodded in satisfaction.
The three men standing guard were silent, their confusion and helplessness plain. They were ready to catch Anis should she fall, but none dared touch her.
Rachel opened her sight. Knowledge magic moved from her, threaded with sorceric intent, and her vision shifted. She studied Anis' aura, spirit, and inner flow.
Her usual calm aura had shattered. It crackled with chaotic static, frizzed outward like wild wool instead of clinging to her body. Worse still, a black energy crawled over her skin, searching endlessly for entry. Within the storm swirled three tight knots of chaos, shifting constantly over her frame. They latched hungrily to spirit, soul, and mind, feeding like parasites.
One of the knots drifted across her sister's face. Rachel watched it drink mental energy, grey whisps gently flowed into the knot like smoke drifting from a small fire, draining Anis' will into nothingness. Rachel watched as her sister ever so slightly swayed and her fate eyes closed.
Then a fourth knot coalesced.
Rachel's eyes narrowed as she asked the silent question in her heart. When the answer came, she stepped forward.
At the same moment, another spark of light bloomed before Emil and joined the constellation already circling him. His struggle was clear—he was trying to unravel the knots one by one. But against such chaos, his strength was far from enough. Still he persevered, never stopping, not even pausing, his determination plain on his face.
Anis was their sister, an important factor within the realm. She would not be lost to the first glimpse of chaos the realm had seen in decades.