Moon Witch Ch. 04

Eventually, the general clears his throat. He stands and grabs from his table a few coins which he places in my hand. "While I have you here, I can give you this."

"What is this?"

"They're the coins from before our journey to the city. They're yours."

Shock drops heavily into the pit of my stomach as I recognize his meaning. "No. It's dirty money," I say stiffly. "I don't want it."

"Please. Take it. At the least, it will be something for you to buy some of your own comforts."

"Like I said, this isn't my home and there's no need to settle in here."

He has an expression of exasperation at my words. "So in the meantime will you pout like a child? Have you no need for anything?"

"No, actually, I don't, General Erik!" Why is it that the two of us always end up fighting? We stare at each other before he opens his mouth next.

"I meant it when I said to call me Eryx," says the general stubbornly.

I wasn't expecting the sudden change of subject. "What?"

"I-" He closes his eyes and sighs. "Excuse me. I've forgotten myself."

"I'm not taking that money, General Er-" I swallow down my words, not quite wanting to call him Eryx. "General, I can't take that money."

"I will keep it safe for you, then." He says smoothly, retrieving the coins from my hand. "It is a fair sum, Miss Selene. I hope that you can separate the events of that day from what this coin is really for."

"It was for the use of my body," I grate out angrily.

"No, it was payment for you saving my life." He gives me a hard look. "This may not make you feel any better, but what he took from your body he did without payment."

"That doesn't make me feel better." I look down, hating his words.

"I'm sorry."

The rest of dinner is silent as I finish my food. When I do get done, he disappears along with our plates, presumably back to the kitchen. I can't imagine that it would be self-service at King Rosland's castle, but I can't be mad at not having to be waited on hand and foot by servants. I eye the doorway warily. Maybe interacting with servants would be better than fighting with General Erik every day.

As if being summoned, he steps back in now. "Duty calls me now, Miss Selene. It seems that a matter has surfaced that I must attend to."

"Isn't it late?"

"There is no rest with what I do. If I am called, it is my duty to go." And so he bids his leave, showing me where I should use the facilities to get ready for bed. When the hem of his robes disappear from my sight, it is as if a breath I've been holding deep in my lungs is finally allowed to escape me.

I get ready for the night slowly, washing myself and pulling on a fresh set of robes. I decide that it's time I do some exploring of the palace. Though I'm exhausted from spending the day with Hes, I'm equally as curious to spend some time wandering around. Perhaps I can find the beginnings of my escape back home.

I don't know how to twist up my hair as Asa did for me, so I leave it down and set off. It's not long before I happen on a huge arched doorway with no door. Instead, heavy soft fabric hangs down that functions as a covering. A crack between the velvet shows me an expansive inside and I gape. I push myself inside, I can't help it.

The whole space is filled with books and scrolls and records. They don't seem to be particularly well organized, with stacks and piles littering the floor. A man who is sitting cross-legged on the floor notices me coming in and greets me with a smile. He says something to me in Gra'marian, but I shake my head.

"Sorry," I say. "I don't understand."

"Sorrean!" He says, the smile widening. "I studied a small amount, long time ago."

Despite his qualifier of 'small,' he seems to do well with Sorrean.

"That's great! I'm happy you understand me." Especially knowing now what Erik told me. I look around the room once more in awe, noticing the large amounts of books. "Is this a library?"

"I do not know 'library,' but this is a records room. We have many books." He seems not much older than me, though he stands much taller than me like the rest of Gra'marians seem to be. There is something that is endearing about him, though, with a lopsided pair of spectacles perched on his nose and a couple smudges of ink that decorate one side of his jaw.

"Am I allowed to read them?"

"Some no, but I can show you." He gets up from his seat on the floor, where I can see he has been furiously scribbling notes on some papers. "What kind of books do you want to read?"

"M-magic?" From what the general has said, I gather that people maybe aren't as sensitive to the word as I assumed they might be. He then leads me to a corner of the library that feels darker than the rest. Up close, I shiver. It's as if I can feel that these books are old, powerful with the knowledge within. One in particular draws my attention.

"I can help you find some ones written in Sorrean," he says.

"I- I think I'm fine. Do I come to you if I wish to take any?"

"Yes, I can help you there." He points towards the front, then turns back towards me. "You are Hes's apprentice?"

I realize he must have made a conclusion based on my green robes. "Yes, I am Selene. It's very nice to meet you. What can I call you?"

"Byrne." The boy sticks out his hand. Ah, he must want a handshake. I stick my hand in his grasp, which he lifts before pressing his mouth to my knuckles. I fall into a fit of giggles, not able to control myself. He looks slightly hurt. "What is it?"

"There's no need for that, Byrne." I try to hide my smile. "I'm not a noble, just a nobody."

"You are not nobody," he frowns and then sighs. "My apologies, I thought that was common practice for Sorreans. I have not studied your people in long."

"It is for some people, just not me."

"I will have to make myself familiar with your customs, then. You will come again to help me learn?" He seems eager. I reassure him that I will, and he bustles away back to his papers. I allow myself to smile as I turn away. Byrne isn't like the other men I've met like Erik or Azrath - grimly confident or arrogantly commanding. More than anything, the bespectacled boy has an attractive quietness and earnestness about him.

I find myself thinking about what it would have been like to be forced to spend time with him instead of the general. I eye him being completely engrossed in what he's doing and wonder if I can ask him for help, or even for company. He seems more pleasant at the very least, and perhaps even more willing to help if I were to ask it.

I frown. I'm sure that there might be something I can offer to Byrne in exchange for some assistance for my plight. My first thought is that I can offer him some semblance of knowledge about Sorreas, but I fear that he would want something much more… gratifying. But then again, he does seem like he would be more of an attentive lover than Azrath, I think sardonically, before chastising myself, shaking those thoughts from my head, and looking away from Byrne's sitting figure.

At the wall of books, I look more closely at the one that had initially caught my eye. The cover is plain black with a gold trim, though the black is more of a heather gray from obvious wear on its surface. When I pull it out, the feeling of certainty soars in my chest.

The front is devoid of any title. I open the book and flip through its pages, finding not printed words, but a looping handwritten script that fills it in a language I don't recognize. Several pages feature images, painstakingly hand-drawn and colored. Though I can't understand them, there are corresponding labels along the margins.

I quickly try to comb through the other books, but find nothing else that quite piques my interest so. I grab the book and head back to where Byrne sits. He writers without really looking at his hand, his eyes moving quickly back and forth on the text he is reading while his hand simultaneously flies across the page. I have to admire his dedication and watch him at work for a few seconds before going closer.

"Um - Byrne? I'd like to take this book." I bend down next to him.

"I have never seen this before," he frowns, taking it from me and looking it over. "There is no label that says it belongs here. I think you may take it."

"I can?"

He shrugs, handing it back to me. "It does not belong to our books. Perhaps you will find some secrets hidden away in its pages."

So I thank him and scurry away lest he change his mind, resolving to come back to see him soon. At the least, he seems like he would be a wonderful friend - and gods know I can use some more friends in the palace.

Thankfully, I make it back to the general's room without getting too lost. When I make it back, I take a seat at the small desk and flip to the first page.

"What…"

I can't believe my eyes. I riffle through the pages of the book, bewildered. Whereas before all the script were in another language - I'm assuming Gra'marian - I can now understand everything on the page. It's not long before I begin reading, though, that I tire and fall asleep on top of the bed.

Over the next few days, I fall into a routine, in a haze of learning more than I could have ever imagined. It may not be magic, but all the knowledge that Hes has might as well be. I feel that the knowledge gives me power, that it will be invaluable in my own practice of potion making.

When I wake, I go directly to Hes, who continues teaching me about his own extensive knowledge of herbology. Particularly, he teaches me about what is local to the area, so many things that seem like useless weeds to me but in reality have interesting medicinal properties. He also tells me more about the palace and the people in it, the traditions and customs of Gra'marah. He even begins teaching me some words in their tongue, which I'm able to use in practice: a few times, someone comes in with some malady or another.

In one instance, a man is led in by a couple other men. I'm horrified to see a massive burn wound, from shoulder to belly button. The skin is blistered and charred, and he's clearly in shock, his face sallow and pale.

Hes jumps into action. I'm ordered to give the man sleep sap while Hes bustles to the back. I do my best to administer the sticky fluid, trying to get across in my broken Gra'marian that he will be okay. My chest feels tight when I examine the wound, seeing how badly he has been injured. When his two anxious shepherds aren't looking, I lay my hand on his cheek and whisper protection over him so he that his pain will be dulled. As I do so, I feel the warmth at our connection that always tells me that my magic is flowing over him.

When we don't have sick people in the room, though, things are relatively quiet between Hes and I. He's a good teacher, giving me ample room to learn and to practice what he teaches me. Sometimes, when I'm focusing intently on something, I'll look up to seeing him with a smile on his face. They're the kind of smiles you give when you don't think they'll notice, tinged with an underlying sadness.

Today, I'm bent over the fire wiping sweat off my brow and boiling a host of greenery when I notice Hes giving me the same smile. "Hes, what is it?"

"You are sad."

"You make me feel better," I say truthfully, wiping my hands on my apron and straightening up.

"But I can sense it in you. When you speak of your sister, I see how your face changes."

"I miss her dearly. Not a day goes by when I don't worry for her or pray to the gods that she is doing well on her own."

"If she is anything like her older sister, she will be doing fine." Hes gives me a warm smile, with a signature shoulder grab. He looks me in the eye, but I look down as I tear up from his words. "I meant what I said when we first met. You are destined for great things, I know it. It wouldn't do well to worry too much about her when you have many events ahead of you still."

"I have to get back to her, Hes," I whisper. "I miss the life that I had."

"I know, aeya." He holds me close now, patting my back as tears begin to stream down my face. This man reminds me so much of my papa that I clutch the back of his shirt and begin to really cry now in earnest, thinking of all the family I've seemed to have lost.

I don't know for how long we stand, the older man comforting me. He wipes the tears from my cheeks and grabs me by the shoulders.

"You should take a break for tonight. Find something to do. Perhaps you can be outside for a bit and sit in the shade? Perhaps our records room has some books in Sorrean?"

"I've visited the library and met Byrne a few days ago." I sniff, feeling a little embarrassed at my emotions now that my tears are beginning to dry.

"Ah, Byrne. He's a good one." Hes pulls me close again and presses his lips against my forehead. "You are like the daughter I never had, Selene."

I feel warm to my fingertips and give a pleased smile at the ground. "Thank you, Hes. You're one of the only good things here for me."

"Don't think you are so alone, aeya. Eryx cares for you, too. I can see he minds you."

"I don't know, Hes. I think he and I are too different to get along. I - I don't think I can forgive some of the things he has done."

Hes laughs. "He does make mistakes. But he always does what he thinks is right, he is a good boy."

"You think everyone is good, Hes," I smile.

"Not everyone," he smiles and gently pushes me towards the doorway. "Now off you go, I will see you tomorrow in the morning."

I wave goodbye and head off, ready to get back to the room. Every day after working with Hes for a few hours, I grab some food in the same manner that I did with the General Erik and head back to the room to read. I've discovered that the book is mostly about potion making: so by day I study healing and by night I study magic.

The beginning section seems simple enough, with many notes about the properties of certain ingredients and how to use them. I'm able to read about not just the simple healing potions I have a grasp of, but magic surrounding love (infatuation, rather), fertility, luck, and a whole host of other things.

I've flipped ahead to see that deeper into the book is more… malignant magic. Hurting others and destruction. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand at attention when I first skimmed through some of the content, and I haven't been brave enough yet to dive into it. So for now, I've been making my way through the beginning portion thoroughly. I never get too far into reading until I fall asleep with my cheek pressed against the pages though, and that sounds like a perfectly acceptable way to end my day today given the day's difficulty in tasks and the emotional exhaustion I feel now.

The sun is still high in the sky, and I decide to visit the fountain in the middle of the courtyard. I've discovered that honeymint grows at its base. I chew on the leaves with my eyes closed. It reminds me of hot summer days when papa took me and Era out to play. The three of us would get distracted hunting for honeymint. When we did find it, we would laze in the shade, frolicking and making matching daisy crowns for the three of us before picking a thick bunch to take home to mother.

As I swallow down what's in my mouth, the cooling sweetness of the mint fades just as my memories do. I sigh and decide I'll pay a visit to the library, say hello to Byrne and see if there are any other curious books. I also make the decision that I will try to find out more information about how I might escape. The general is gone, and I'm not sure if Hes has the same sense of blind loyalty to the crown to his pseudo son. Byrne, though, may at least possess knowledge that can help me.

I'm briefly reminded of his bright smile and realize I want to see it again. Our interaction may have been fleeting, but I've thought several times that it would be nice to go visit him. Since I've been dismissed by Hes early today, I have the energy to go to the library and try to come up with ways to escape. It's only a bonus that Byrne will be there. My inner voice is decisive, trying to simmer down any feelings of excitement I may have about seeing the librarian again.

I'm wandering around, trying to remember which way to go when I hear some conversation. I think I can ask them for directions so I follow the voices I hear, which are farther away than I thought.

When I round the corner, I freeze. I've come to a dead end where on the ground is a woman, crawling forward on her hands and knees. She is naked save a set of delicate chains wrapped around her breasts and her stomach. I wince at what look like laundry clips pinching her nipples. A leather collar is fastened around her neck and a leash is attached.

I'm filled with dread when I see who is holding the other end of the leash. King Azrath grins down at his pet, saying something sweetly in low tones. She giggles and sits up onto her knees, looking up at him through her lashes.

She says something, and then presses forward so her mouth rests against his crotch. She kisses the erection I can see he has through his robe before reaching in to pull it out. I want to tear my eyes and my body away, but my feet are glued to the ground.

His hardness flops out, swinging obscenely in front of her pouty lips. It looks much less intimidating when it's not near my own body, but still makes my belly clench when I lay eyes on it. She covers the head of it with kisses, giving her king sultry eye contact while doing so. I see her tongue flicking over the head and it twitches.

It's as if this is an unspoken invitation for her to take it into her mouth, which she does now. The head of his cock disappears in between her full lips, and I see her tongue wiggling underneath to stimulate him. The king says something and the woman immediately thrusts her whole head forward so a significant portion of his cock disappears into her mouth, hitting the back of her throat violently. She moves her head back and forth, making sounds of choking as his thickness makes the top of her throat bulge.

Her face reddens, but she continues to impale herself until her nose reaches his pubic bone, looking up at King Azrath. He pats her hair and says something, after which she releases it from her throat and gasps for air, all the while looking pleased. She smiles up at him widely.

The king strokes the top of her head, then wraps his fingers in her hair and presses her lips onto his hardness once again. I see it sink into her mouth at a seductive pace before it's once again all in her mouth and her throat. The king begins to plunge into her mouth viciously with a guttural moan, increasing his pace until he's fucking her mouth with abandon, the head of his cock hitting the back of her throat with every thrust.

She can barely breathe, struggling in to take breaths in between the king's thick appendage blocking her airway. Her face is as red as ever. She's reciprocating his enthusiasm, though, making little moans as the king's grip on her head makes her body sway back and forth. I feel a surge of heat rise from my core when I notice her fingers sliding between her pussy lips, furiously rubbing at her slick nub.

The sight of this couple is so indecent. Yet I can't help the thrill that goes through my body as I sweep my eyes over their act of sole pleasure.

She gives loud moans, then her body tenses as she continues to flick between her legs. She cries out as tremors run through her, her mouth still being used by her king. He breathes heavily, grunting as he then pulls her head away from his crotch. He slides his long fingers over his hardness quickly now, milking the head. I'm in for another shock as he tenses, one hand still in the woman's hair, and shoots out a milky liquid onto her outstretched tongue.

She wags her tongue, then closes her mouth and swallows with exaggeration. He pets her head once again, both of them seeming pleased with what they've done.