NOVEL NEXT Chapter 1.15
Jiriel, sitting in an armchair in front of the fireplace at her house, was reading a book. She got it on her way back from a merchant and was visibly enjoying it. Her wings were constantly changing pigmentation, and she made sounds of surprise and dismay while reading. Meanwhile, Nene and Oto were eating the chicken they had bought, or rather bartered that morning. Apparently, the Emissary did not need any food and joined for dinner only when she felt like “playing mortal”, or tasting something that interested her.
Nene wondered if she could have ever repaid them for their hospitality. Also, she was surprised how meat was commoner’s food in Kumhar: in the Principality, it was considered a delicacy, so much so that ordinary people rarely ate it. Who would have ever imagined that, in a land constantly threatened by the Evil One and its forces, quality of life was better than she was used to?
«Oto, are you and Jiriel a rich family?»
«I don’t think so. Maybe average? I go hunting, but I'm alone, so I can only catch small game. Luckily this morning, while I was following the tracks of a rabbit, I found some mushrooms»
«Oto is the bestest!», the Emissary shouted. «He can take care of himself even if he's still a child»
«I'm not a child anymore!», he protested.
«You both are, aren't you?»
The two humans exchanged a look. In the eyes of a celestial being, everyone was essentially an infant, but they couldn't let Jiriel treat them like that.
«In the Principality we are officially considered adults at fourteen», Nene replied.
«We are not in the Principality here», the angel teased her. «My house, my rules»
«What does “officially adults” mean?», Oto asked.
«It means you can get married, own land, a shop, start a family…»
The boy frowned. He was doing some maths, but he seemed to be struggling, even with the help of his fingers. He turned towards the armchair from which Jiriel's wings were peeping out.
«How old am I?»
«Fifteen, Oto»
«So… could I have already married you a year ago?»
Nene nearly choked on the water she was drinking. The light from the fireplace was overwhelmed by that of the Emissary, despite being nighttime. The angel scrolled noisily through the pages and tried her best to appear focused on reading.
«Hello?», Oto insisted.
Jiriel tossed the book onto the empty chair and leapt to her feet. Her face was purple, stiff, and she gave off so much heat that it almost felt like summer.
«I'm going to bed!», she yelled.
She ran towards the small door under the stairs, slipped in awkwardly, given her height, and slammed it loudly. Nene didn't move a muscle, unable to process what she had just witnessed.
«Did I say something wrong?», Oto asked.
«You... you just...»
She struggled to talk. The boy was perplexed, but then shrugged and went back to eating his boiled chicken as if nothing had happened.
«Oto»
«Uh?»
«Did you just… propose marriage to the Emissary?»
«Yup»
«You… you know that she… isn't mortal… a human being, like you or me, do you?»
«Of course I know that. So what?»
She covered her face with both hands. Why was he talking like she was the one being unreasonable? Was she supposed to acknowledge and approve of a boy's feelings for a divine entity?
«Nene, you know lotta stuff. Help me out. Was she angry?»
She sighed. There was no malice within Oto’s actions, yet the reality would have hurt him, she was sure about it. His was a forbidden love, anyone in their right mind would have understood that. Maybe, if she had let him do things his way, he would have figured it out by himself.
«I don't think she was angry. Maybe embarrassed? You told her something pretty deep out of nowhere. She wasn’t expecting it»
«I see. You're right. Should I apologise?»
«Maybe. I think you should wait until tomorrow, tho. Let her be for a while»
After dinner, Oto collected the dishes and put them in a bucket full of water. He told her good night and went upstairs, to his room in the attic. Nene’s place was in the main hall. Next to the basement was a trunk containing blankets. She picked up one, stuffed and soft. She curled up in the chair, made herself comfortable and warm, and picked up the book thrown away by the Emissary. She would have turned off the fireplace after reading a few pages. The volume was rather crude. It had a thick leather cover without any writing or decoration. The pages were heavy and the paper dull. She opened it. The text was written by hand, very densely. She read the first lines and figured it was a cookbook. Judging from how Jiriel was acting while reading, she would have thought it was something more exciting, but, after all, her Lady seemed to have a tremendous curiosity, especially for everything related to human culture.
Nene had grown up believing that curiosity was something to be wary of, a double-edged sword. While humanity had discovered and invented things useful for everyday life, on the other hand, the desire for knowledge was a door for the Evil One, yet another weakness through which it could creep in. However, Jiriel was often consumed by that specific desire and seemed happy about it. Perhaps she was the only one allowed to, not having to fear the dire consequences. Nene felt a little envious. It was blasphemous to think, but… she was often curious too. She was fascinated by the bizarre moving puppets and was equally curious about that gigantic tree near town. She wanted to know more, about many things, but what if the Evil One came to visit her, offering her exactly what she wanted in exchange for her soul? Those thoughts would have kept her up all night. She was better off asking the Emissary for help, the following day. Her wisdom was vast, and she had promised to be her guide. She put out the fire, curled up in the blanket, and closed her eyes.
The sound of Oto's footsteps woke Nene up. The boy was going out at dawn to hunt. Nene opened her eyes. It was still very dark, she could barely see the first sunrays from outside. She peeked from under the blanket and saw him, with a bow and a quiver over his shoulder. When he was gone, Nene got to her feet. It was reassuring knowing that someone would get food for her too. Her favourite aspect of life at the monastery was when she and her dorm mates had to do daily chores together. It made her feel part of a family. It was time to start doing her part. By then she had fully recovered, she no longer had any reason to slack off.
She looked for the bucket where Oto had left the previous night's dishes. The water was filthy, the main reason behind the crockery feeling greasy and slimy. At the monastery, the cadets cleaned everything at the washhouse, but running water wasn't a thing in Kumhar. However, she remembered seeing a stream not far away, at the bottom of the hill, towards the road that led to the Principality. It was closer than the well in the city, not to mention that carrying clean water from Kumhar up there would have been a massive chore.
She went upstairs to Oto's room. The bed was unmade, and his stinky nightgown was thrown on it. She picked it up. She rummaged around for more dirty laundry, found an old cloak and a cloth hat that smelled of mould, and picked up those too. She needed some soap but had no idea where to find some. Was there any in that house? Worst case, she could have gone into town and bought it, but she had no idea how much soap was worth, or what she could barter for it. She owned only what she was wearing and the contents of her travel bag.
She had to ask the Emissary. She approached the small door under the stairs, avoiding asking herself if Jiriel needed to sleep at all, and knocked.
«My Lady, are you awake?»
She heard footsteps. She had never been down there before, but there seemed to be steps leading down to a basement, judging by the noise. The angel did not open.
«Nene? Is Oto gone?»
«Yes. I'm taking care of the laundry but… I was wondering if there is any soap»
The door swung open. Jiriel reached out a hand, gave her a large bar of white soap, and closed it again.
«What?!»
«I'm busy now! Come back when you're done»
«Yes, my Lady»
Nene picked up the smelly bucket full of dishes. With that in hand and dirty laundry under her arm, she walked out. A clear sky welcomed her, still reminiscent of the darkness of the night, illuminated just enough to distinguish the mountains in the distance and, of course, the seemingly infinite tree that she refused to accept was part of God's creation. Its sight was becoming familiar rather than shocking, therefore her mind chose to ignore it. However, just like an odd detail on a canvas, the more a human being tries not to look at it, the more a voice from deep in their soul teases them and instigates them to peek. Would hers have been considered an act of commitment by the Cloud Folk, rewarded and praised as in the tale of the old man who had climbed up to the sky? Or complete craziness as common sense seemed to suggest, a gesture inspired by dark forces, leading to an inevitable and deadly fall?
Nene had a headache. Since she had met the Emissary, she had been forced to reevaluate everything she knew. Part of her didn't want to. It was scary to imagine climbing that tree, unacceptable to think that Adanara's methods could lead to something good. Another part of her was both fascinated and terrified by the endless possibilities, eager to discover what the future held for her. A third part was just exhausted, tired of constantly having to make such an effort to understand. She thought of Elora more and more often. She had fantasised often about how things would have gone had she helped her escape. She also loved to imagine her next to her. How would have Elora reacted to the sight of the Emissary? What would she have done outside the Principality? Unfortunately, she would have never really found out.
She walked along the south side of the hill. A little further, downstream, was a glade among the bushes. Nene could see it from up there. A small stream crossed it, perfect for washing clothes. She looked at the bar of soap Jiriel had given her. In the Principality, soap was usually made from vegetable fat, but there was soap of animal origin too. Yet that wasn't either. She rubbed her fingers over its surface. It bent as expected, but there was something different: for some reason, no matter how much she scrubbed it, it always remained milky white.
She reached the edge of the thicket of brambles that surrounded the glade. Finally, she heard the running water of the stream. She picked up a stick from the ground and, though her movements were impeded by everything she was carrying, she managed to push through the thorny bushes. A cosy place welcomed her, a small meadow crossed by a stream of crystal clear water, whose path ran between the small trees and rocks covered with moss. She knelt on the riverside and set to work, starting with the clothes. She dipped them in the water a little at a time, wet the soap, and then rubbed them against each other. The soap showed no sign of losing its whiteness, it simply melted and disappeared in the current. Nene thought it was magic, but she remembered how her Lady would have laughed at such a statement. There were so many things Jiriel knew and she did not. Was it perhaps a sign that she should have lingered in curiosity and asked the all-knowing divine being to answer the questions that tormented her? Starting with the simplest ones, perhaps.
The sun was already high when Nene finished her chores. The clothes no longer smelled, the glasses were finally transparent and the copper tableware turned out to be brass instead. She put everything back in the bucket and walked home. The colossal tree was exactly in front of her. Nene tried not to look at it, in vain. What was on its top? How did it come to be and grow like this? Why was a flock of clouds always wrapped around its trunk, hiding its foliage? If there was any, at the end of that massive thing. She tried not to ask herself if there was a top at all.
Lost in her thoughts, she arrived in front of the house, where, bizarrely enough, Jiriel was waiting for her. She was not wearing her cute, graceful pink dress, but her armour instead.
«Let's go!», she urged her.
«My Lady, are you all right? Why the armour?»
«Oh, this... I think it's scary to humans. Maybe because you use them during war?»
The emissary's cuirass was made of petal-shaped plates overlapping each other in a messy pattern. They were covered with several dark stains, burn marks, and even some chipping.
«Let me put away these first»
«All right, hurry up. Let's go to the witch!»
«Sure. I’ll need my cross»
Jiriel shook her head. She opened the door for her. Nene left the bucket with the dishes on the floor, then ran upstairs to leave Oto's clothes in his room. She had planned on making his bed too, but there was no time. She went back downstairs, tied the sheath of her sword and dagger to her belt and slipped the silver cross into an inside pocket of her cloak. She ran to the Emissary, not wanting to keep her waiting. When she was at her side again, her stomach grumbled.
«Are you okay? You look pale»
«I haven't eaten anything since yesterday», she explained.
Jiriel pretended to rummage in a pocket that did not exist. Nene thought she was hallucinating when she saw it, when she heard the sound of the stem being plucked from the branch. Yet it was there, before her very eyes, in the hand of the Emissary. A yellow apple appeared from a non-existent tree.
«There you go!»
«My Lady… h-how… what…»
«Just take it. Or do you want your head to pop?»
«But… but… did you just… what did you do?»
«Uhm… I don't think you've invented words for it yet… Let’s say it was magic! Hey, now I see why you like that word so much…»
«Magic?»
«I must admit, it’s convenient! If you can't explain it, then you call it magic! I finally got it!»
She accepted the apple hesitantly. Was it safe to eat it? Her stomach said yes. She just had to pretend to ignore the origin of that fruit. Jiriel led the way, as they headed towards the city. As she savoured the apple that came out of nowhere, Nene decided it was the right moment to seek advice from the Emissary.
«My Lady, I have a question»
«I LOVE questions!»
Jiriel looked at her for a moment. Her euphoric and maniacal expression soon turned serious.
«I'm listening»
«What is curiosity?»
The angel smiled. She looked up at the sky and with one hand held back a lock of hair that had fluttered on her face.
«Such a beautiful question…», she inhaled deeply, apparently in bliss. She closed her eyes and stretched her wings slightly. «Remember when I helped you look inside your soul? We’ve discovered that what you want most is to be loved»
«Yes, I remember»
«Curiosity is what I desire. Curious I am, curious I want to be. I won!», she celebrated.
«Can curiosity be an end?»
«I don't know. But it's what I am and I wouldn't want to be anything else. I exist for it, as you exist to find someone's love»
«And… what should curiosity be, to me?»
«I don't know about that. But maybe I can help you figure it out. Why don't you try to answer yourself?»
«Curiosity is a drive that can come back to haunt you»
Jiriel snorted. She looked at her exasperated and rolled her eyes dramatically.
«Nooo, that's what Oroel thinks. What’s YOUR answer?»
Nene looked down. She knew she was using the Archangel's teachings as a shield. She had to try harder.
«It scares me. I'm terrified of what I don't know. But… I feel like it’s calling me»
«What are you afraid of?»
«Of the Evil One, of being hurt… of getting scolded for it»
«I think the Evil One and scolding is something Oroel taught you to be afraid of, don't you think?»
«What about getting hurt?»
«Uhm… Curiosity could be dangerous for a mortal. When Oto was little I told him not to touch the pot when it's on the fire. He did it anyway. He cried a lot»
«My Lady… I don't know what to do»
«Easy. When you decide it's worth taking the risk, then you'll be curious too. Yave wanted us to be»
«To… be curious?»
«To be us. Yave is watching us, always trying to learn from us… Poor thing. Perhaps one day It will feel ready and will come to stay with us…»
«God… does learn?»
«Oh, that's a whole other matter. Nene, I will be soooo happy if you decide to be curious with me. Otherwise... Well... At this point it's nice to say something encouraging, but... how boring! Please become curious, pronto!»
The Emissary could menacing, wise, naïve, inept, kind, sympathetic, and incomprehensible. How all these qualities, and others even more difficult to understand, could exist in a single being, Nene couldn't hope to understand. Jiriel’s hopeful gaze, however, reminded her of a child when they ask to play together. She still wasn't sure she wanted to participate in that game of curiosity, but she was happy to have such a bizarre company. Nothing was ever boring around her. She smiled.
«I'll think about it. Thank you, my Lady»
Jiriel nodded satisfied. The two continued towards the city. Nene tried several times to talk about Oto's unthinkable declarations of the previous night, but the angel deflected the discussion every single time, so she gave up. It wasn't her plan to get involved, but Oto had asked her for advice. Unfortunately, the truth was that she also was ignorant in the matter, so she was hoping to better understand her Lady, or at least her most human and conceivable side.
«Nene, I know you just had an epiphany, but I need you to focus on what’s in front of us. Can you?»
«Yes, my Lady. Of course»
«Good. Let's recap: no threats, no violence, no Oroel. We're here to find out what the witch has to offer. I’m not hostile towards her, got it?»
«I… I hate her», she admitted.
«Oh. That’s bad. In that case, you just sit and watch. Remember, we're trying to find out if the witch can heal the Furies. Nothing personal, ‘kay?»
It was impossible for Nene not to feel strong emotions about it. Everything she knew, that she had been taught, suggested that sorcery was evil. As if that weren't enough, she couldn't forgive what the two sisters had put her through. Jiriel seemed to notice her inner conflict and sighed.
«Don't be afraid. They can't hurt you»
The masons working on the walls were walking idly beneath the scaffoldings. The guards looked bad as well. Everything in the city was slow that morning. The nightmares caused by Adanara's presence were bringing the entire community to its knees. Most of the travelling merchants had gone, but a few had set up their stalls again, and looked nearly as exhausted as the locals. In addition, Jiriel with her armour was getting a lot of attention. Nene walked behind her, staying very close, so close that she could feel her unnatural warmth. Everyone was holding their breath. Were they aware that something big was at stake? One thing was certain: unlike the previous days, people did give way to the Emissary, not out of fear or respect, but out of simple instinct.
They reached the manor. The guards on duty had gone from one to four. The painter who was decorating the facade was nowhere to be seen.
«I have to see the mayor», Jiriel announced.
«He's waiting for you», a guard answered.
«Please do something about it!» another complained. «I just wanna sleep…»
They entered the palace. It looked deserted. There was no noise from upstairs, a sign that the soldiers weren't training that day.
«Sonhir?»
«Coming!», he yelled from above.
«My Lady, what does the witch have to do with nightmares?»
«You see, her soul is kindred with the Evil One, and she can't handle its potential. Through her, he can influence the world around her. Basically, it's as if everyone can hear his voice, and it's easier for mortals to hear it when they sleep»
«You mean that… they might get damned?!»
«Oh, no. Nene, the Evil One doesn't spend all his time toying with your lifes. Sometimes he just wants to have a chat. But even just talking to him is way too stressful, for a mortal»
«What about you?»
«I could do it with no problem, but he doesn’t want to. Besides, I don’t even sleep!»
The Emissary's excitement was in stark contrast to the gloom that had taken over the city. It was kind of irresponsible of her. As much as she was sure of a possible happy ending in that affair, subjecting all of Kumhar to such treatment in the hope of discovering Adanara's secrets, in Nene's eyes looked more like an egoistic act dictated by Jiriel's insatiable curiosity. Curiosity was making her short-sighted and selfish, as expected.
The mayor peeped out from the stairs. He was smoking a pipe that filled the room with a scent of burnt grass, which reminded Nene of some incense used during religious services.
«Remember, Jiriel, you promised to take care of it. I want to sleep peacefully tonight, no matter what. My assistant won't set foot in here anymore, they're all exhausted, and I'm going crazy!»
«I do remember»
The man handed her his set of keys tiredly. Jiriel hesitated a moment before accepting them.
«Aren't you coming with us?»
«I’m done. Go downstairs, do what you have to do»
«Wait, we agreed that if the witch was telling the truth…»
«She spent all night screaming like crazy and cursing, you and all of us. I don't think you can get anything out of her. In any case, good luck. You too, girl»
That said, the mayor took a deep breath of smoke and holed up in his office.
«Who knows what happened to her... What do you think?»
«I don't know, my Lady. But I think we should check immediately, in case it's dangerous»
«I'd be very disappointed if she says no. Let's go»
They walked through the empty warehouse, beyond the door leading to the dungeon. The darkness was absolute. The brazier was off, there was only Jiriel's light to guide Nene. They approached the cell and heard some kind of erratic movement. They entered. Huddled in a corner, Nila was covering her eyes. By then accustomed to the terrible darkness of that dungeon, even the dim light of the Emissary was too much for her. Beside her, Adanara was lying on the ground, seemingly unconscious.
«What happened?», the angel asked.
Nila hesitated. She looked terrified. Surprisingly though, her body looked less battered than the previous day. It was filthy, but the cuts and bruises were gone. The same was true for her sister.
«Please help her!», Nila cried, almost voiceless. «Please!»
Jiriel rushed to Adanara. Nene followed her hesitantly. She wasn't eager to get close. She checked several times that the chains were tight and in place, and stayed behind the Emissary.
«What did she do? What an idiot!»
«P-please», Nila said. «She's sick, save her!»
«My Lady…»
«She must have tried to do something she couldn't handle… Like when she summoned the wind»
«Perhaps to try to escape», Nene suggested.
«It doesn't matter. Give me your cross»
«Yes, my Lady»
She obeyed. Jiriel turned it over a couple of times. The polished silver gleamed in her light. Nila grabbed the angel by the arm, to her great surprise.
«No! That will hurt her!»
«Trust, we need a pinch of Oroel’s… Listen, it's complicated, and I don't have time to explain! Lemme help your sister, will you?»
Nila backed away. She covered her face with both hands and stood there, sobbing. Nene finally found the courage to kneel before Adanara.
«How can I help you?»
«Hold her still»
Without hesitation, Jiriel pressed the cross to the witch's chest with both hands and put all her weight on it. Nene, fearing what might happen, obeyed. She grabbed Adanara by the shoulders, holding back the disgust that the mere touch caused her, just in time. The witch's eyes widened. Her body went stiff. She shouted.
«No!», Nila yelled.
Nila threw herself against the Emissary, who pushed her away effortlessly with one hand..
«Keep her at bay!», she ordered. «I'll take care of it»
Nene stood up and faced Nila. She remembered she had promised the Emissary not to harm them. All she had to do was to immobilise her. Normally, that would have been quite a feat, given their size difference, but Nila had been starving for days and had heavy chains on her wrists and ankles.
«The Emissary is trying to help her, you have to trust!»
«Ada!», the woman shrieked, charging again.
She wasn't listening. Nene threw herself at her. She grabbed her with both arms at belly height and threw herself to the ground. Despite the difference in weight, she managed to bring her down. Nila waved wildly and tried to hit and scratch her. Nene darted over her ignoring her feeble attacks. She sat on her legs, pinning them, and used all her strength and weight to also pin her arms to the ground.
«Ada! Ada!»
«The Emissary is not your enemy!»
«Liar!»
Nila continued to squirm but was soon exhausted. She gave up, threw back her head, made an inhuman scream, and wept. Nene was about to do the same, but tried to focus on what was happening. She observed Jiriel. The witch was twisting under the cross. Violent spasms made her assume unnatural positions. The angel spoke to her, without interruption. There didn't seem to be any coherence in what she was saying, she was just reciting a few sentences said by Adanara herself during their previous meeting. It looked like some macabre heretical ritual. It would have been, hadn’t it been performed by an angel wielding the cross.
«Keep calling her, we're almost there», she ordered.
Nila didn't react. How to blame her? She didn't trust them. From her perspective, they were purging her sister. As much as Nene had wished to do it several times, in that moment she had to trust her Lady.
«Nila, do as she says»
«You’ll kill her!», she whimpered.
«No, we are not trying to kill her. Please, you have to believe me. Nila…»
She let go of her hands and stood looking at her. Her actions left the herbalist confused. She didn't sit up, but she looked over to where her sister was.
«Ada…»
«”Have you found a new master already? Can't you do anything else but obey?”», Jiriel recited, perfectly imitating the witch's voice.
Adanara let out a gasp. She began to breathe deeply. She grabbed the Emissary's hands and tried to push her away. Jiriel let go of her. She withdrew the cross and smiled.
«Done! Good job, team!»
Nila squirmed under Nene. She let her go. Nila hugged her sister and caressed her face through tears. Adanara returned the gesture by raising an arm towards her.
«My Lady, what just happened?!»-
«She's ventured into places she's not ready for yet. Luckily we had a piece of Oroel at hand. Thanks to him she came back»
«The cross… What did you do to her with it?»
«Oroel exists to maintain order in this world. It's as if we've brought Adanara's soul back into the bounds familiar to mortals. She can't afford to venture out there. It was crazy to try»
«Witchcraft…»
«I guess you would call it that»
Jiriel approached the sisters. Nila hugged the witch in a protective gesture.
«Girl, you were about to mess up big time, you know that?»
«Die already», Adanara whispered.
«W-what did you do to her?»
«I reminded her that she belongs to this reality. But if you try to do it again without the proper knowledge, you could lose yourself forever»
«I bet you have a solution to sell me»
«I have some theories. Still better than what you just did, don't you think?»
«How c-can I help her?», Nila interjected.
«You can't. But I know someone who might»
«I know what you want in return…», the witch said
«Hey, I just saved your life! Why are you talking like I’m the bad guy? It’s an info exchange, from one scholar to another. What do you say?»
Adanara laughed and turned away. Such was her resentment against the Church, that she would rather die than collaborate with the Emissary.
«I will do it», Nila replied.
Her sister sat up and grabbed her shoulders.
«What are you doing?!»
«Ada, i-if you don't want to show her… Then I will. I can do it, with or without you», she turned to Jiriel. «In return, save my sister from the Evil One»
«Remember, mine's only a theory», Jiriel said.
«Deal»
Adanara slumped to the ground and covered her face. The Emissary glowed brightly.
«I'm gonna tell the mayor to release you!», she chirped.