The days drifted by in the Blood Witch's abode. Nhea had found herself in strange circumstances; serving as a servant to the Blood Witch, Nekea, under Roe'nika's tutelage. Day after day Roe'nika drilled basic household skills into her. She'd clean jars and containers filled with weird smelling herbs. She'd wash dishes and clothes under Roe'nika's crimson eye. Roe'nika would constantly yell at her for making the simplest mistake and immediately correct her.
She would drill into Nhea good speaking habits and grammar, as well as teaching her how to write. Nhea would always be overwhelmed by the strange looking little curves and lines she'd etch onto a sheet of paper over and over again, till her wrists pained her. She wondered how anyone would be able to put such things to good use, but she never disobeyed a word from Roe'nika's lips.
Upon all these, Roe'nika began teaching Nhea basic combat as well. Nhea never dreamed of being a fighter, but listening to Roe'nika's laugh over and over again about her silly attempts at taking stances, pushed her all the more to be better at them. Roe'nika saw a great deal of improvement even in the few days Nhea had spent with her. Half of the time, Roe'nika was busy assisting the Blood Witch. The other half of the time, Roe'nika was busy instructing Nhea. The girl was clumsy and almost always didn't get things right. But her perseverance to defeat her own weakness always left Roe'nika in awe.
The girl began to leave a delightful impression on Roe'nika.
At the night of the fourth day, before they went to bed, Roe'nika dragged Nhea outside to the open space under the watchful eye of the hill upon which the Blood Witch's cove sat. Roe'nika said nothing until they reached the clearing that preceded an escarpment, a vast array of forest trees down below. The moonlight draped down upon the forest like a garment. The skies were cloudless, filled the distant cries of nocturnal creatures, and the chirping of crickets. Upon reaching the clearing, Roe'nika turned to Nhea, who had stopped just as she had, and said,
"Now, I believe its time for you to learn of an aspect of nature that defeats the understanding of many in the world. It is quite dangerous, and easily corrupts weak minds. Regardless of the power it grants, achieving mastery is more difficult than commanding that hill to jump onto the moon…"
Roe'nika paused, pointing at the hill upon which the Blood Witch's cove sat.
She continued; her voice as serene as the red trees themselves.
"It is called the Breath. An untapped form of energy, that flows just as the air does. Just as your breath is your life, and continually flows through you, the Breath flows through the earth itself. Interlocking itself between time and space."
Roe'nika gestured, stretching forth her arm, and opening up her hand. She closed her eyes, and before Nhea's amber eyes, a streak of mystic energy began to emanate from Roe'nika's hands.
It was like water, yet at the same time, like the air itself; invisible, yet visible. Nhea watched, her eyes wide open, as the energy danced within Roe'nika's palm. In a sudden movement, Roe'nika closed her palm, clasping the energy like a dagger. It began to sparkle and light within her hand, as she slowly took a stance.
As though she were nocking an arrow in a bow, Roe'nika gestured, her entire arm now glowing with seemingly electrical energy. She drew the imaginary arrow, pulling it hard.
Aiming at the trees down below, she released it.
Nhea saw a flash of red energy crack through the air like lightning, and before she knew it, a tree in the distance had caught fire, exploding with a boom that rang through the air, almost at the same instant she fired.
A slight wind made her skirt billow, as she watched the distant fire.
Roe'nika, breathing hard, approached her and said,
"Welcome to the Blood Witch's abode, Nhea. I felt you didn't get the welcome you needed. So here it is."
Nhea's wide gaze darted from the tree burning in the distance, and the grin on Roe'nika's face. Her mouth hung open, she now understood Roe'nika as being a very, very dangerous woman.
For a strange reason, a smile broke out on her face, and Nhea began to laugh.
She managed to word out a "Thanks", as she laughed.
"Really, thank you.", she said once more, looking into Roe'nika's satisfied face.
She studied her carefully before she said,
"It sure is a great way to relieve stress, isn't it?"
Roe'nika replied gleefully, cutting in before Nhea even completed her sentence.
"It sure is."
She continued, "And I'll teach you every bit of it…"
Nhea nodded in affirmation, her eyes brimming with excitement.
Roe'nika continued, "The knowledge of the Breath, is one of the reasons why our Mistress has isolated herself like this. The pagans— the people outside who actively worship Calor—call it an accursed knowledge;something that is not supposed to exist. Something that human beings are not supposed to control…"
Nhea listened to Roe'nika intently.
"However, our Mistress' studies and experiments cannot be conducted without this knowledge and its many, many forms. As such, she has locked herself away from the rest of the world, in relative peace, doing what she loves."
The two watched the tree burning far away in the distance. The forest seemed to watch alongside them, the red leaves on the trees swaying slightly in the light wind. Roe'nika suddenly broke the silence.
"Nhea,", she started, turning to her.
"May I ask; who exactly is that person you were mourning when I first found you? I believe he has to be someone very precious, that you would go so far to pry circumstance's hands open to search for a way to bring him back from the dead…"
Nhea looked at Roe'nika, and replied, her voice filled with a sort of longing.
"He…he was someone who took me and protected me, even when everyone else didn't care about me. When my mother…died, he was the one I went to. I always worried him a lot about my hair, and he always had something new to teach me about the world. I asked him about the stars, the moon, and the Sun, and he told me so many things about them. About the insects crawling on the earth, the birds flying in the skies, and the humans walking on the earth…"
Roe'nika listened as the girl poured out her heart to her, gesturing as she spoke. Nhea narrated everything, from her meeting with him in the alley, to his failed execution and her waking up in the forest.
"I-I just don't think that his time is up. I don't want him to go away. Not yet. At least, not until I pay him back…"
Roe'nika watched Nhea silently, as the girl sat on the grass, her hands tucked around her knees.
"How old are you?", Roe'nika asked, after taking a seat next to Nhea.
"I'm ten.", Nhea gleefully responded.
"Ten years old, huh…"
She paused.
The branches of the trees above began to sway harder as the wind blew stronger. Red leaves sailed through the air, dancing in the moonlight.
"Nhea, don't ever let anyone deceive you that you are weak…You are a strong one, sustaining all these things, and even dealing with a stranger like myself…All, for one person…That, is extremely impressive."
Nhea felt a goodness well up within her. It was rare for Roe'nika to compliment her. Most of the time, she was busy telling her what she was doing wrong.
"You're on a good path, and you're growing stronger every day, as clumsy as you may be…"
Roe'nika rustled Nhea's hair as she said this. It reminded Nhea of how Quantum rustled her hair.
The two sat upon the soft grass, as the leaves blew past them, carried by the night breeze, down to the forest below.
Early the next day, before the morning sun arose, Roe'nika was awoken by gentle knocks on her door. Nhea was still fast asleep on her mat, next to Roe'nika, for it was quite early. Opening the door, it was the Blood Witch herself, Nekea. It was most bizarre, for the Blood Witch herself, to come to Roe'nika's chamber to wake her up. Usually, it was the other way round. The Blood Witch almost never woke up early, and never had she woken up at such an hour.
Before Roe'nika could even word her surprise, Nekea spoke.
"Come.", she said. "Let us speak in my Sanctum."
Her voice was somewhat heavy, almost burdened. Roe'nika hastily followed, putting on her casual garments.
The Sun's light was barely visible. A few rays were breaking out, as it was approaching dawn. Nekea led Roe'nika to her work chamber .Holding a lantern ahead of her, she closed the door behind her.
They passed the body upon the Workstone. It had been split open down the torso and abdomen, with various parts of his inner being exposed.
Strangely enough however, it didn't seem as dead as it was supposed to be, to Roe'nika.
As they passed she pushed this to the back of her mind. She wondered what was bothering her Mistress, that she should call out to her so early.
They reached the table and Roe'nika saw a single sheet upon with with cryptic drawings and writings upon it.
Upon seeing it, Nekea seemed on edge. Clearly, something was seriously bothering her.
"Roe'nika." She started.
Roe'nika's eyes were fixed to her lips, her mind keen to every word she was about to say.
"I had a dream…or should I rather call it a nightmare…"
Roe'nika was alarmed. How could a mere nightmare push her Mistress to such an extent? She dealt with much more horrific things.
Nekea continued, "It amuses me, honestly; it has been quite a while since a mere nightmare pushed me so far…"
She cleared her throat, and as she spoke she referred to the cryptic drawings upon the sheet.
"I came to upon a large hand, like the hand of a god, much larger than the entirety of the Empire. It was vast, and I stood, my dress billowing in an unspeakable darkness. I turned and I saw the girl…the one you brought in…what was her name again…"
"Nhea.", Roe'nika said.
"Yes. Nhea. I saw her upon the mighty hand as well. She was glowing with a blinding light, and many men of the world knelt down before her. The details are still vague and choppy. Thank heavens I jotted them down…"
Nekea paused, her finger going over the sheet, and pressed forward.
"I was amazed at the sight. They were an uncountable number. And before them, I saw even more. Myriads upon myriads. All sorts of entities…Something urged me, and I turned once more. Then, I saw her. A woman. Astoundingly ancient. She sat at the center of the palm, and was sewing. Not garments. But flesh. She was sewing flesh... upon a man. A man with a body strikingly similar to the one which lays on my Workstone…The woman then turned to look at me, and I saw a horror beyond my comprehension….I woke up, suddenly, drenched in sweat…"
Roe'nika stared with deep concern as Nekea ended. Before she could even react, Nekea spoke once more.
"I simply felt the need to tell someone. Someone I trust. Beyond these things however, the body you presented to me…is astoundingly unique. Beyond anything I have ever worked with…Truly, I spoke too soon when I first saw it. Its features are superior to any organism on this planet, I daresay…"
Nekea slowly moved towards the body. Roe'nika followed suit.
"Roe'nika, I believe you may have struck gold".