M.D.Syl
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Chapter 60 Colorless
🕑 Added 2023-03-07 10:57:18 +0000 UTCAuthor notes:
This chapter is dedicated to Kevin Green for supporting me on Patreon.
Thank you very much for your support!
(Apologies for not doing it last chapter, had a harsh day that day, just had to put the chapter out and get back to life asap. Life is life.)
Chapter 60 Kynator.
Lust can be addictive like any drug.
It’s not only the carnal satisfaction.
But also the intimacy and acceptance.
Once you add love into this dream mix.
There’s never going back - until death or war.
Koshavi, the Princess of Dreams
“Oh stop being mean to the poor girl,” says one woman in the group with acidic honey in her voice. To my surprise, I recognize her. It’s the same woman who helped Rushmia kill Master Navaro back at the tower, she even wears the same glittering golden outfit. Unlike before, her left eye is no longer a yellow gem. It is a soft blue eye, unmatching her right magenta eye.
She leans forward and holds my chin, forcing me to look into her unmatched eyes. “You look familiar, have we met before? Never mind… I apologize for my sisters’ behavior, but this shop does not provide any services at the moment. You best come again in two weeks, ok girl?” Her hand glides from my chin to my cheek, and her thumb traces my lips. She wears a big smile on her face. So apologetic of you… I get it! You have a pretty face and unmatched pretty eyes! My snake is so hard for you that I can't think... will you let my face go now?
Just a minute! Two weeks? I can’t wait that long! “I’m not a customer,” I murmur.
“Uh? Then what are you, short stuff? The delivery girl? The food? Or my little jar?” The tall redheaded woman yanks my hair back. I grimace, it hurts. The other women giggle or cover their mouths with unpleasant smiles. “Get out of here, you rotten pea, before I change my mind and turn you into my food. Got it?!”
Thanks for reminding me! Even if you look this good, it’s only an illusion. You’re nothing but a bunch of cannibals! And… “This is my home,” I say coldly, trying to keep my fear from showing on my face. “I’m the Maven of Mysteries’ apprentice.”
Their expressions of ridicule shift to horror in an instant. The woman in the revealing black dress lets go of my hair, and they all split a path toward the shop.
Only saying the hag’s name can have this effect?! I had no idea… who is she really?! Being one of this city’s rulers and a crime lord wouldn’t scare a group of mages… And who are these harpies anyway?
“I’m sorry…” Says the tall red-headed woman before I enter the shop, a small pouch floats toward me. “This is embarrassing, please don’t tell the Maven about this.” A look inside the pouch tells me it’s filled to the brim with magical gems.
“It’s just a misunderstanding.” The blonde’s voice is like an echo, I can see the terror in her blue eyes.
“Yes, pretty please,” adds the woman with the unmatching eyes. “Even if you have the Maven behind you, you want us on your good side~ We girls should stick together.” She’s just another Rushmia… a snake… I will kill you one day… I owe Navaro that much!
I pocket the pouch. Why should I say no to what looks like a few hundred gems? As for keeping this incident to myself… I’ll have to find out who these harlots are before deciding. I’m not going to make anyone my enemy before I know who they are… unlike you, bitches…
I enter the shop without saying anything. I want these women to fear the possibility I’d tell the hag what they did. My small revenge…
“I am back!” I declare as I enter the shop, but the hag isn’t at the counter. I head toward the cellar, but she isn’t there either.
I hear a man’s voice as I enter the library. “It’s serious, mother…”
The stranger’s voice causes me to hide behind a bookshelf. I listen to the hag’s familiar cackle. “Kikikikiki… when you reach my age, you’ll learn that nothing is serious, child… but if the Watcher of the Abyss wants to pick a fight with me, he’s got one, yes?”
“Are you going to call everyone back? Are we going to invade his plane?” The mysterious man asks in a hopeful tone.
“Ohh yeeess…”
“Good!” the man sounds relieved.
“Kikikiki… I want to introduce you to your little sister. Come in, child, come in. No need to be shy! This is your elder brother visiting!”
So… it’s another one of her former apprentices… What about the women outside? What’s going on? Should I be worried? What was that about having a fight with a Watcher of the Abyss and invading a plane? Who or what is the Watcher of the Abyss?
I step into the light of the small reading corner in the library. A warm pink flames crackles in the fireplace, a brown couch and a pair of sofas circle the fireplace with a small wooden table in the middle. I observe the man who occupies the sofa I usually sit in. A blue velvet eyepatch covers his left eye without fully hiding a scar that crosses it. While his right eye is magical, it glows in bright shades of blue and the pupil is a thin dot that’s barely visible.
He has shoulder-length black hair and a stubble beard. His face makes my heart race. The broad shoulders and his athletic figure look really good in the black leathers he wears. Near his leg rests a white tiger with dim gray eyes. Damn he’s way too handsome, and that tiger… he feels like pure power and he’s definitely stronger than Balusha! No one should look this good… I wonder if I will also look so awe-inspiring a couple of years from now. I really hope this man is the one that doesn’t eat humans! If he’s a cannibal, it sucks!
“Your sister’s name is Inara. Inara, meet Kynator, your eldest brother…” Yes! Kynator! Hunter! That has to be him! I stop myself from jumping, barely holding my giddiness back.
The man gets up and offers me his hand for a warm shake. His exposed magical blue eye narrows as he observes me. “A pleasure to meet you, Inara…” I have a hard time containing my heartbeats to my chest. The tiger’s head flares in a silver flame for a brief moment, then goes back to its docile state at its master’s side.
“Kynator. Inara had chosen to walk your path, she refuses to feed on mortals’ souls. For now,” the hag adds. I feel the heat washing over my face when I see the respect in his blue eye, and his good looks only make it worse. I hope I get a chat alone with him later… it’d be nice if…
No. not for that! I just… I hope he can help me sort the mess in my head… How does he call the hag mother? How does he respect her knowing what she does?
He sits back on the sofa and I sit on the large brown couch. It’s ragged and full of holes so I usually never sit on it. Focus, I need to figure out what’s going on first. “Can I ask what’s going on? And who are the women outside?” If the hag had invited me to sit with them, might as well ask. She doesn’t care about politeness and tact that much.
“The women are my daughters. My apprentices,” Kynator says. “Have they done anything wrong? Tell me which one? The one with the red hair?”
Daughters?! More like a swarm of personal whores! This guy has a harem to himself… why am I not surprised… Kings do that… he’s more than a king… he could probably make a king beg him for mercy… As long as he doesn’t force any of those whores to be with him, I can’t fault him for keeping them… and it’s none of my business anyway… Regardless... sleeping with many women is a much better habit than eating human beings for power…
If I want revenge on that group of harpies… I’ll take it myself with my own power. Using him or the hag for my revenge will make them look for an opportunity to harm me later.
“Kikikiki… your brother had killed a mage. That mage has a powerful master. Everyone has a powerful master, yes? Your brother had come here for sanctuary…" The hag takes a deep breath. "No one touches my son! I shall declare a war!" She screeches, her hoarse voice turning high and pitched like that of an eagle. Then goes back to her usual tone. "I’ve called your other siblings as well, they shall be here shortly, should they choose to come to our aid.” She rubs her hands together in excitement.
“How long is shortly?” I ask quietly.
“A week at most.” the calm answer comes from Kynator.
“They have to finish their urgent business, yes? And they can choose not to come. It isn’t mandatory but a request from their mother.”
Kynator nods solemnly. “We stick together, especially when we need allies that we can trust.” The meaning is simple. All of her apprentices have a defensive pact of sorts, and they keep in contact with each other. Technically I am a part of that pact, even if I didn’t know it until this very moment.
I am not sure how I feel about it. Considering they are all much stronger than me, currently, it’s very beneficial. However, if I ever want to kill this hag… that goal just got as further away as it possibly could. Dealing with a group of powerful angry mages in addition to her?! Should I simply let it go? Forgive her for what she put me through? All that torture… Accept that I can’t change what she does and give up on killing her?
No! I will never forgive her! It just means I have to wait longer before I kill her…
I should at least consider it… I have a long time before I could become that strong… and I have my family to get back to… accepting her protection can be a good thing...
It doesn't matter, that power is currently it’s beyond me, so it’s not even an option.
“Oh Kikiki… I almost forgot. Young woman, you are back from your hunt, yes? What have you brought me?”
I smile and hand her the bag, it’s filled with dozens of dead creatures.
The hag accepts the bag and digs out the animals, putting them on the end table near her like toys. She collects them all and leaves the library, probably to her cellar. Kynator remains seated, he leans his head back in fatigue. “You’re not going to torture me too, are you?” I ask quietly.
“No, that… trial,” he sneers, “is not something I ever agreed to do. Not even for mother.”
How can you call her mother then? “I see… Can I ask you something?”
“Of course, little sister. Anything. I can’t promise I’ll answer though.” His wolfish grin makes my heart skip a beat.
Don’t even think about it! The guy has a swarm of women who will tear me apart! It'd be nice to have him stop them from doing that... Not worth it. Stop that. “Your reasons for not eating human meat and souls are ethical, right?”
“As if there was any other reason…” the white tiger at his feet yawns, exposing its sharp teeth.
I fold my hands. “But you still call her mother. How do you live with that? With what she does?”
He smiles, moving a hand on his stubbles. “She is my mother. She took care of me, provided for me, sheltered me, and treats me like her biological son. Is she a good person? No, she definitely isn’t. I don’t approve of everything she did or does, and there are some things I’ll never forgive her for. But she’s still my mother, and I still love her. Being a parent doesn’t mean you have to be a good person, and being a good person doesn’t make you a good parent…”
That… that oddly makes sense… “How old were you when she took you in?” I raise an eyebrow.
“Nineteen, you?”
“Twenty-seven.”
“Twenty-seven? You look like you’re sixteen at most.” He sniffs the air a few times. “Some elf, and o fae blood?! Gods above you’re an interesting one… a Quarterling? Are you fully healthy?”
He can tell that by sniffing alone?! “Yes, I am, thank you. Do you know what type of fae blood do I have?” I ask in excitement. This is a dead-end for me.
He shakes his head. “Your blood isn’t thick enough. Dark fae. Spring court. That’s for sure. You stink of black roses and star sharpies. I can smell a connection to the gravity element but that’s all I can get. It should put you in one of the following courts: The court of the Sphinx, The court of the Rakshasa, The court of Typhon, The court of the Rykari, The court of the great Amethyst dragon, et cetera. But these are the top main spring courts… There are plenty lower weaker fae under them. It should give you a direction where to look at least. I doubt a weak half-fae could've sire or birth a Quarterling. It has to be a powerful one.”
I’ve dropped the search for my bloodline origin in favor of strengthening my powers. I deemed it pointless because I had no idea where to start. There are so many fae types. Divided into light fae like the pixie who are supposedly friendlier to mortals, and dark fey who are openly malicious and directly harm mortal beings. As well as the courts of the four seasons which I still have no clue what they even mean.
But now I have a direction! “Thanks!” I say from the bottom of my heart.
He gestures in dismissal. “Don’t mention it. How long ago did mother take you in? What’s your current age?”
“It’s been about a year now, I’ll be twenty-eight in… in two days actually. What’s your current age? If you don’t mind me asking.” He’s so windy… and amazing and I wish…
Stop! Stop drooling over him! There’s no way he’ll look at you this way! Not to mention his pack of harpies! Just give it up!
He leans his head on his hand and his elbow on the armrest of his sofa. “I may not look like it but I am a hundred and sixty-nine years old”
See? He’s eight times my age, I should let go of the idea before I get burned…
Wait, if he’s a hundred sixty-nine, how old is the hag?
“How many incantation languages do you speak?” His voice is endearing, but it isn’t romantic. Ok… I guess I have a little crush on him, but it’ll go away after a while… I just have to keep my brain out of my breeches.
“One. I can make conversations in Myrsha, and I speak bits and pieces of Felul. I’d have more time to learn it if I didn’t have to hunt. But the hag made a bet with me that if I connect all of my mana pools within a year, she’ll give me something. So I have to focus on that…”
“The hag, uh?” Woops! The heat covers my face. He chuckles. My sheepish smile turns into a light awkward laugh. “How many pools have you opened or connected yet?” It feels like an elder brother checking the progress of his little baby sister. It’s a weird feeling for me, I am used to be the eldest sibling in my original biological family, but here I am the youngest. I have no illusions anymore, this is a family. Whether I like it or not I belong in it. The sooner I accept it the better.
I shift awkwardly in my seat. “I’ve already opened all ten. But I haven’t connected any mana pools yet. I just got five bottles full of souls, so now I’m hoping to connect my crown mana pool first…”
His white tigers rests her head in his lap, and he starts patting it distractingly. “Ah... that brings me back. The crown pool? An interesting choice, why not the gravity one?”
“I… my affinity with the crown pool is higher than gravity. I was hoping to be done with the hunting. If I could simply draw more mana from my surrounding to boost my meditations then…”
He chuckles. “Done with hunting? Sister, hunting had only begun for you. You’ll be hunting and hunting forever. If you think for a moment that you’ll be done with the hunting when you become a full mage, then think again. You’ll need to hunt for souls just to sustain yourself, not to mention getting stronger…”
He sighs heavily and looks at me with pity in his blue eye. “The more you advance in power, the larger souls you’ll need just for sustenance. When you get to a certain point, hunting those little silxu vine snakes will not be enough. Their ectoplasm is too thin, and you’ll need to find larger prey. That’s why most people prefer the easy path, mortal souls… I am not trying to dissuade you from your path, but you have to understand what you’ll face if you walk this path of a white mage…”
“White mage?” it’s the first time I hear the term.
“Yes. White mages are those who won’t use mortal souls for their advancement. Black mages are those that do. Do not mistake this for good and evil. I've met black mages who were good people. While some white mages can do horrific things, it’s only that we won’t indulge ourselves in mortals’ meat and souls, unless it’s a matter of life and death for us. We’re also usually stronger than black mages. We tend to constantly fight monsters for our food instead of enslaving the nearest population, and that provides us with a lot more combat experience.” He glides his fingers in front of his tiger's mouth as he speak, the tiger tries to bite them and he moves the fingers away just in time. They repeat the little game and the tiger catches the fingers by the end of his sentence.
“You consume large magical beasts on a regular basis?” I ask with astonishment.
He lets the tiger chew on his fingers. “Once a month, yes. Sometimes a fae.”
“Aren’t the fae sapient as well? What’s the difference between eating the fae and humans?”
He scratches his tiger's head with his free hand. “The fae are sapient , that is true. But they’re not of the mortal races created by the gods to inhabit Lukam, they’re magical beasts that absorbed too much mana and gained some intelligence. There are arguments amongst the white mages: Against, and for, using the fae as a source of food. But in the end, the fae aren’t exactly a family of humans with children and a puppy. They’re whimsical and often malicious entities who inhabit the ancient corners of Lukam. sapient or not, I will not stop myself when it comes to the fae. Their souls are simply too strong to pass on. You'll have to make the some concessions eventually, or our way of living simply won't sustain you. You'll see what I'm talking about... with time.”
Never! How do I know that? He has more experience... I know myself! And maybe I'm wrong? We'll see... I should change the subject, I don't want to think about it. “What’s the biggest thing you ever ate?”
He smirks, it’s obvious he’s showing off. But I don’t mind. This is a lot of new information for me. “A very young ruby dragon… Almost got killed...”
“Did you also kill it by yourself?”
He nods with the same smirk. It’s funny, this is the first time we’ve met but I get a mental image of an elder brother showing off to his younger kid sister. Despite how windy he looks, he has something childish deep inside.
“Sounds amazing! Take me to slay a dragon with you one of these days…” If he wants to show off then why not feed his ego a little? I might benefit from it and even if not, forging a good bond with him could be beneficial in the long run.
He chuckles. “Sure! One of these days. There aren’t many white mages like us, so we have to help each other whenever we can, sister.”
“You’re saying that most mages are cannibals…”
He shrugs and presses on the tiger's head, pulling his hand free. “Pretty much, and they outnumber us fifty to one. A lot of us break midway and feed on mortals’ souls. They’re much easier to acquire. And even if they’re not as beneficial to your power, you can acquire them in larger quantities to make up for it. They do prolong your life.”
“I imagine they hate us.” Balusha reacted weirdly when I told her I don’t eat human meat…
“Some do… scorn out of jealousy. But others respect us. Simply because they wish they could also be as strong as we are. Mentally strong mind you, not just magically. There are those that look down on us and those that are openly envious of us. Mages are people, and it changes from person to person…”
Makes sense… I guess it’s a social class of sort… good to know…
“I am not late, am I?” The feminine alluring voice belongs to Balusha. Instead of the dress I previously saw her in. The woman now wears a tight leathery outfit that emphasize her voluptuous chest and sticks to her thighs like a second skin.
Her completely black sclera-less eyes send a chill down my spine, and all that surfaces in my brain is *pain*.
“Hey sista. Good to see you again!” She sits down on the couch near me, warping her hand around my shoulders before I manage to get up and leave the room. “See that windy man over there?” her cheek touches my own as she points at Kynator. “He’s mine! So, if you don’t want to get on my bad side… hands-off! Capeesh?” Her long scorpion braid warps around my neck on its own, strangling me, the stinger points at my face with a hiss.
I freeze and lose control over my breathing. Not again! Not ever again! I will kill you… let me go!
Focus! Focus! I take a deep breath, struggling to inhale with the braid tight around my neck. Snakes...You monster! Tell that to his snaking swarm of harpies outside, not me! He doesn’t even see me like that!
“Lusha…” The man seems to be at a loss. He winces at me.
The hissing braid lets go of my neck. “Hey hon!” She glides toward him, bouncing her hips shamelessly, her braid letting my neck go.
I pant, trying to regain control, but uncontrollable shakes take over my body. I close my eyes and do my best to regulate my breathing, to stop hyperventilating.
“We’ve been over this, Lusha, you and me… it’s over… it was a mistake to begin with…” I can hear the pain in his voice.
“Do you want me to leave?” She's daring him, just waiting for him to say yes.
“Of course I don’t want you to leave. We need all the help we can get!”
“Then you’ll have to bear with me for a little while…” I open my eyes to see her pushing the white tiger aside and helping herself onto his lap. She straddles him and moves her hands on his chest. He obviously doesn’t like it, but she doesn’t seem to care.
Seeing her so lost in him is unsettling, she obviously has issues. I’m just happy she’s no longer focused on me… phew… that… that was terrifying… I don’t want that pain again…
Her hand caresses his cheek. “I gave your daughters outside a good thrashing. You’re not angry with me, are you?”
“And if I say I am?”
Her braid strangles him as she chuckles. “Good! I love it when you’re angry! Take it out on me or I'll leave. Let’s go have some fun in the little room upstairs.” That’s my room, you bitch! “I am sure our little sister wouldn’t mind, right sista?” she gives me a black look.
Can I say no? Or you’ll just kill me if I do? I can understand how Berthold felt when I asked him to come with me to my room at the inn, I am pretty disgusting… I will apologize the next time I see him… Calm down. She won’t hurt me. The hag would be seriously pissed if Balusha does anything to me… “Actually I do mind, that’s currently my room and I don’t want a mess over there. How about I hire you a room somewhere?” I decide to brave this storm called Balusha head-on.
The woman arches, twisting to look back from Kynator's lap, and lifts a blond brow at me. “Oh she speaks! What’s your name sista?”
You rotten jar! I hope you die! I Will kilL yOu! “Inara.”
“Inara, uh? Wanna join us on a three-way, Inara? Maybe you can move his stony peas for me…”
Really?! One moment you tell me to keep my hands to myself and the next you want me to join you on a threesome. I won’t be surprised if you decide to kill me after we’re done because I touched your dear ex. Oh no, I am not walking into that one… “Sorry… he’s not my type and neither are you. So you two have fun… I am going to bed. Get your own room!”
“We have apartments of our own above your room, don’t worry about it…” Kynator is nice enough to settle my worries, but I still run out of there leaving Kynator to deal with his crazy ex. I want no part of that.
*~*~*
Power level: 3rd stage apprentice.
Mana pools status:
Crown-knot: Affinity 10: formed: 1 gem replenished per five minutes.
Neck-Bridge: Affinity 6: formed: max amount of gems drained per day: 66
Abdomen-storage: Affinity 5: formed: 6 gems. Conversion ratio: 6:1
Air: Affinity 4: formed: 18 gems
Fire: Affinity 2: formed: 9 gems
Light: Affinity 3: formed: 14 gems
Water: Affinity 6: formed: 27 gems
Earth: Affinity 1: formed: 4 gems
Wood: Affinity 2: formed: 9 gems
Gravity: Affinity 9: formed: 40/41 gems
Cantrip known:
Air: Shavi’s Breeze, Shavi’s Sword. Shavi’s Hair Dryer, Aria’s Enhanced Hearing.
Fire: Nuriss’ Flame. Effrat’s Firefly, Effrat’s Fire Breath. Sorladika's Lesser Heating.
Light: Noxi’s Light, Lako’s Blinding Light.
Water: Water Evocation, Water to Ice, Ice to Water, Water to Vapor, Vapor to Water, Mayan’s Icy Spike, Ayla’s Water Jet.
Earth:
Wood:
Gravity: Lumina’s Kinetic Burst. Tukado’s Repulse. Tukado’s lesser shield. Imari’s Minor Telekinesis. Imari’s Jump. Leo’s Pull. Leo’s Grounding. Alino’s Light Body. Alino’s Heavy Body.
Spells known:
Gravity: Alino’s weightless bodyb.
Focus capability: 11 patterns
Social status: Inara, Daughter of Mysteries. Apprentice to the Maven of Mysteries.
Wealth: 1854 gems. 1421 golden peas, 7 silver scales, 37 copper bits.
Items:
Magical necklace. Contain a 100 gems of general mana, can be drained like a mana pool. It’ll recharge by itself at the rate of five gems an hour.
1 simple healing potions.
1 potion of lightning body.
1 potion of mana, medium grade.
An enchanted belt with eight pouches, the enchantment keep the pouches’ content fresh.
Fresh rose petals, 25g
5 soul bottles. (Ownership Maven.)
Companions:
Languages:
Toml’a <People’s tongue> Fluent
Sinteo <Speech> Fluent
Myrsha <Gravity> 6/10
Felul <Wind> 1/10
Injuries and scars:
Comments
Alpenmann
Thanks for the chapter.
