"Little man?" Aureum asked.
She had no clue what Spesavia was talking about.
"Mendax! That was the name, right?"
Aureum felt herself turn cold.
Why would he come? He was the one that left.
"What does he want?"
"So you already knew he was here?" Spesavia said. "You don't seem surprised."
"I saw him earlier," Aureum said as she grabbed a washcloth to wipe her neck.
She looked at Gemmo. The little boy was asleep on the big bed. Well, it was a normal bed, but he made it look huge.
"Does it matter?" Aureum said. "Mendax isn't of any use. Tell him to leave us alone."
"I'm not at the liberty to turn him away," Spesavia said. "He didn't even ask of you, if you were wondering."
"I didn't ask," Aureum said. "Enough about him."
Aureum went and flopped into the bed next to Gemmo.
"All he does is sleep? Is that normal?"
"It's maybe a bit worse than others, but all babies sleep a lot. They're still growing, and growing means sleeping. Maybe you should try learning from them."
Aureum turned her head back to Spesavia.
"First you wanted me to take becoming a sorcerer seriously, and now you want me to slow down?"
Spesavia shrugged.
"If you think you can improve yourself by giving all your effort in one day, you're the fool. More likely you're going to burn yourself out on it."
"And if I can keep it up? Will I improve?"
"Only if you train while you're aware enough to learn it properly. Didn't I already tell you this? If you train excessively tired, you'll only learn mistakes." Spesavia shook her head. "I'll have to ask for someone to watch over you."
"What about training for endurance?"
"Are you trying to become a soldier? Training your endurance and will is different from your technique. First learn your basics and patience, and then you can throw yourself to Bonumbas and fighting beasts if you want."
Aureum turned away. This meant she was looking at Gemmo's little chubby face again.
Now, instead of spending a few hours training every day and going on with her life, it was reversed. She spent a majority of her day training, and a few hours the rest of the day as free time.
Much like she had in the cave, but her attitude was different.
She wasn't trying to fill a void but chase a flame. But if the results were going to be different, it was too early to tell.
Aureum was still careful with layering. She did that first, when her mind was fresh and clear. Then the rest of the hours were spent with the spear. Thrusting, stabbing, and swinging. Until she felt sick.
Instead of sitting and becoming twisted inside and having nothing to hold onto, she preferred getting sick this way. She felt like she slept better.
What was all that time earlier wasted for…?
All the goofing off she'd done in the earlier part of her travels. She closed her eyes.
Then again, I wouldn't have met anyone else if I just holed up and trained. Maybe that would have been for the best in some cases, but…
There were still a lot of things she didn't regret. Her eyes snapped open.
"Has Gemmo been okay?" She said. "You said he's supposed to be imprinted… but he's been fine without me for days."
Spesavia drew the mist from the bottle. It dampened the sounds again.
"Don't let your training drain all sense from your head! Remember to be careful!"
"I'm sorry!"
Spesavia shook her head.
"Fine? Sure, he's been 'fine.' Just ignore the hours of crying he did for the first few days."
"Oh," Aureum said.
Spesavia shrugged.
"That's also normal. Maybe the imprinting was part of the monster's biology, and he'll be fine with somebody else. Once we get out of here, we can discuss it. Not before."
The older woman drew the mist back down into some bottle. The soreness began to really sink into Aureum as she continued to lie down.
Soon, she would be as deeply asleep as Gemmo.
"What are you thinking about doing with Mendax?" Aureum asked.
"Nothing," Spesavia said. "I'm hoping he'll do a few things on his own."
"What can he do? This is beyond us, let alone him."
Aureum didn't wonder why Spesavia didn't bring the mist up when they spoke of Mendax.
The answer was that it didn't matter.
"You're not hoping he… tells us things?"
Spesavia didn't answer.
Aureum thought about how Mendax looked when he told her what he was. She didn't want to. The memory came unbidden, like pain from brushing a bruise.
"You can't let him do that. He wouldn't be good for that."
She felt herself sink into sleep as Spesavia waited to answer. By the time the crone did speak, she barely heard it.
"On the contrary," Spesavia said. "I think he'll be perfect."
In her slumber, the words made no sense to her.
———————————————————
Hiems' next few days were the same as the many days before them. He did his menial chores and listened. The others continued speaking about everything and nothing at all.
He also took the time to look into the mana incompatibility. As much as he was able, at least, which wasn't too badly, all things considered.
He had only basic access to the Manor's library, but after a bit of searching, he did find writings on it. Then he had to sort through the dense language to parse for understanding.
When it finally came to him, it meant nothing.
It was just the message he had seen time and time before.
He hadn't been born for a peaceful or painless life, despite his bloodline.
Before he could go much further into this discovery, he was called for by one of the stable boys. Apparently he was needed by the guards of the manor.
This was unexpected. It hadn't happened since he had given Maledic all he could possibly know about Nix.
Again, this distance was probably so Hiems would be sorted into the servants amongst themselves. It slowly became obvious that without something egregious, they could deal with Hiems however they wished.
It was not Maledic he met with this time. A guard towered over him. He was tall and wide, with little fat.
"I hear you have training?" The other man asked.
Hiems nodded.
"It seems the pupil of the goodly Spesavia needs someone to overlook her student's training. You've been selected. I will ensure you have the actual training."
There was a pause. Hiems nodded again.
After that there was some basic testing. This included a few questions and a short spar where neither warrior tried too hard.
Hiems passed anyways. As Hiems was leaving, the guard had one last thing to say.
"Oh, it seems the Lord would also like to discuss this. It has to do with his guests, after all."
He walked out of the building in shock.
What is this?
But in the next few steps, he knew.
This is a trap.
He didn't understand exactly why, or how, but he could guess who.
Spesavia.
Now he just had to guess what she was planning to get from this.
Before her machinations got him killed.
Does it matter?
He closed his eyes as he stood and banished that thought.
One good thing. He would be able to talk to her again. In fact, it was entirely out of his hands.
He felt his stomach turn. Like he was going to be sick.
Whatever he felt, he couldn't stop it now.
The change wasn't as abrupt as Hiems felt. All he saw was the results, the ripples. Not the undercurrents that caused them.
Spesavia was waiting.
She was usually waiting, in one form or another.
Whether it was buying time against Mors in a fight she couldn't win, or finding distractions to confuse Maledic, or even reaping the frustration in Aureum so she trained diligently, Spesavia didn't fight to win. She fought to survive.
This is how she had lived on the fringes for years.
A river took the path of least resistance to its destination. Whether it was a rushing rapid or an almost stilled little creek, this remained true.
So, what Spesavia did was wait. Or rather, she continued her research and potion crafting for Aureum.
After all, that was all she needed to do after she'd met with this Mendax. But, of course, Maledic had someone watching. Even that brief meeting between an old lady and a former traitor came to his attention.
Maledic was direct. He had a servant call for her, and Spesavia came.
"How have you been?" Maledic said. "Do your rooms still serve?"
"They serve," Spesavia said. "Another round of questions for me?"
This wasn't the first or second time Spesavia had been requested by Maledic. It was a common occurrence.
Never quite an interrogation, but he always took interest in what he found in her notes.
"Well, I do wonder about this one book," Maledic began. "A journal with lots of measurements and sketches of teeth in it."
"Heh," Spesavia scoffed.
She was impressed Maledic had even found it, lost as it was amongst all her other notebooks.
Just like him to fall upon the one thing that could be my undoing.
Still, she hadn't been stupid enough to write it plainly.
"Doesn't ring a bell," she said. "Must be another forgotten project. I'll need some more details if you hope for a better answer."
Maledic wrapped his knuckles once against the chair. He took a deep breath.
"No," he said. "I think that's enough on that. What are you doing with that boy?"
"Boy? What boy?"
Maledic seemed unconvinced by his expression, but that didn't matter too much.
"One of the servants under my house and protection. He came by your room."
"With the scales? Ohhh. Yeah, why wouldn't he come by? I asked him about his skin. Gave him something for it too."
"Out of the kindness of your heart?" Maledic said.
Spesavia grinned, her teeth in the sudden change of expression seeming too large for her face.
"I am a kindly old woman, after all."
"As you like, Spesavia. As you like."
"Anything else?" Spesavia asked.
"…I'll ask more questions once Mors returns from his search."
"Good," Spesavia crossed her arms and leaned in. "I require somebody to watch over my girl. The child is being a bit reckless in training."
"…And do you have someone in mind?"
"Not really. Anyone you would recommend?"
"I have a few warriors I could use, but I'll take my time choosing. Unless it's really urgent?"
"No, I can watch her myself for a few days, even if I'm not a trained fighter. I know enough for that. Then I'll be leaving?"
"Again, as you like, Spesavia."
This was all that was said between Spesavia and Maledic about it, but it was enough.
———————————————————
Hiems didn't wait to see Maledic. He headed there immediately and was let in by the guards stationed outside.
He kneeled before the old man had even turned his chair.
"So polite," Maledic said. "You don't have to bother with that."
Hiems felt his stomach sink. He could not see the undercurrents, but he had to fight the rapids all the same. The speeds at which they came didn't matter.
"Let peace rule you," Maledic said, as he turned. "I would not be the one to kill you."
Hiems felt the tension in his shoulders relax. He still didn't dare to look up.
"Did you seek Spesavia out?" Maledic asked.
"I did."
"Why?"
"I wanted to know more about what was going on."
"Curiosity isn't wise for you," Maledic said.
"I never expected to live," Hiems blurted.
It was… not a mistake. It was more habit. If he thought too long about any of the responses he gave to Maledic, he looked suspicious. If Maledic didn't know something, it was because he didn't ask.
A stupid and honest answer was safer than any cleverly made lie.
Yet, the result of those hours of answers came here.
"So, you want to die?" Maledic said.
Hiems was stuck on his previous answer. He didn't have time to reason through it.
"…I don't know, my lord."
Maledic sighed as he leaned back. The chair creaked.
"It is not unusual for someone like you to want to die," he said. "I, too, have my moments. But I remember that life itself is proof enough of its purpose to it. I do not know if these thoughts will help a man of your age."
There was something in the voice. Something true and worn. Hiems looked up.
"Try not to get yourself killed," Maledic said. "From all reports, you're one of the better ones."
It was not a question, so Hiems didn't respond.
"You took to the servile tasks given with as much grace as a fish flopping on a river bariverbank, could have done much worse."
Again, Hiems waited. There was a shift here. A shift that made reality feel a little too much like a dream.
The words were kind, but Maledic's eyes were dark. Like two polished black stones, Hiems could only see his reflection in them.
"You could have bullied those servants in a million ways with your strength, but you didn't. An adequate test of character."
Do I look stupid to you, my lord?
If he had toed one step out of line to hurt one of Maledic's people, it would be his life at risk. Any slight mischief would be seen as intent to harm. Any intent to harm would be seen as intent to kill.
Hiems didn't hate the Hidden Manor, but it was not a place friendly to him.
The only reason it was pleasant at all was because of what it lacked.
This trend of being lifted up…
Means I'm going to be brought down.
Hiems looked back at the floor.
"As you seem suitable in these smaller tasks, I would like to give you something bigger. You should already be aware of Spesavia's pupil?"
"Yes," Hiems said, with a deepening sense of sickness.
"I would like you to watch over her," Maledic said.