Demiourgos (6 page)

"I... I can't stop." Rose whimpered softly as she felt a surge of power hit her all of the sudden. She could feel the sapped energy flowing through her veins filling her up to the brim as if she had eaten way too much in a short sitting. The gentle, pleasant tingle became a burning sensation inside the pit of her stomach and she bowled over crying out in pain. Her voice became a hoarse whisper. "Nina please help me!"

"Oh gods Rose, stop! Stop!" Nina rushed over to her ailing friend and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Rose I need you to concentrate hard, you need to close everything off. It's almost like closing a curtain or shutting a door. Form a door in your mind, see the details, and tell me what it looks like."

"I see it." Rose said softly as she gasped and looked up at the young elf with wide eyes. "The door, it's made of black metal, thick with golden rivets. The knockers are jackal heads each holding a ring in its mouth. It's so heavy Nina, I can't close it!"

"You have to close it. You're strong with magic, stronger than anyone I've ever seen! Close the door, use everything you've got!" Nina put her head on Rose's shoulder and wrapped her arms around the shaking woman trying to hold her tight and close. "I'll help you as best I can."

By this time everyone in the harem had come to witness the spectacle, for they could all feel the draw to her spot. Nina could sense eyes on her back but she quickly washed those thoughts away and tried to help Rose. The naarabian’s entire body was glowing bright and she was breathing heavy with rapid, ragged gasps. In her mind she saw the door Rose was referring to because she had physically seen the door herself near the home of her people. In her mind there was no doubt of Rose's part in this play. After a while she felt more than saw the door that Rose had described swing shut with a bang that knocked them both to the floor and caused several of the girls around them to stagger backward.

Nina recovered quickly and rushed over to Rose, she noted that the glow had subsided and her breathing was steady. Sighing in relief she put her hand on the furred forehead of her friend. "Are you still with me?"

"Blood and sands, I feel like I am going to burn from the inside out." Rose said with a grimace across her features. "What happened to me, what did I do wrong?"

"You didn't do anything wrong, I miscalculated your capacity. Your body attempted to absorb more energy than it was used to. The more you use it the easier it will become and the more you can absorb." Nina brushed her hand down the side of Rose's cheek. "I'm sorry; you could have been seriously hurt."

"It's alright but when does the burning stop?" Rose sat up and crossed her arms over her chest, bending at the waist and leaning forward. "It hurts."

"You absorbed too much, you have to release some of it. Your magical energy is like a fountain or in your case a waterfall, if you want to release it all you have to do is lift the dam and let it flow. Usually you would do that in the form of a spell or incantation but I don't know if I should let you try one with the amount of power you have stored." Nina scratched her chin with one hand and looked down at Rose. She had to think fast, it wasn't good for someone to hold in so much energy for long. "Okay, I have an idea I want you to make yourself invisible."

"What?" Rose said in astonishment. "How do I do that?"

"Magic and psychic powers are all based on imagery and visualizations. Some of them require hand gestures and movements. The more powerful you are and the more power you have the less you have to do to manifest a spell." Nina paused for a moment to let that sink in. "Take a chunk of the energy within you and put it to the side, turn it into a transparent shroud or blanket and imagine that you're putting it over your head. Let it cover your entire body, just drop it over your head and let it fall around you. You have to feel it happening."

"I'm trying." Rose said through gritted teeth. After a moment she looked up in astonishment and breathed a sigh of reprieve. "The pain is subsiding, what a relief."

Rose noticed that everyone around her was staring at her. Looking down at her body she noticed that she wasn't there. She was completely invisible and so was Nina because she could not see the elf ether. "Did I use too much?"

"Seems so." She heard Nina laugh in her light flitting tone. "You can cancel it now. Just cut the strings to it."

"Cut the strings?" Rose said in a questioning tone. "I don't understand."

"Just pull the blanket off of us or let it dissipate."

Rose attempted to follow Nina's instructions for at least ten minutes or more before she finally figured out how to turn off the magic. She scratched her head once she could see the little elf again and shrugged an apology. "Sorry, I'm new to all of this."

"No don't be! It took me months to master magic but true to what I have read about your people magic is almost like breathing for you." Nina had a newfound respect for the naarabi if they could manipulate magic so easily. If one that had no skill at all could manage such a difficult spell so quickly she could only imagine what the most experienced one could do. Once she recovered from her shock she turned to the girls of the harem and fixed them with a discerning eye. "Do not breathe a word of this to anyone."

All of them nodded their heads in agreement though Nina was sure that more than a few of them would let spill the waters if threatened the right way. Most of them were probably too scared of the display to think properly, magic was forbidden in most territories and met with fear and hostility. Nina lowered her voice and turned back to Rose. "We have to make our move tonight, no question. These girls are first and foremost slaves and they will obey their master for fear of punishment."

"I will. What else can I do with the energy I have stored?" Rose asked Nina curiously as she looked down at her hands in amazement. She had never experienced such power before and though the pull was seductive she knew she had to temper her use of it with prudence and care. She paused, wondering why she knew that but shrugged it off.

"Almost anything you can shape in your mind. The extent of this power is limited to the amount of magical energy you can store. You can throw a ball of flame as hot as the sun or walk in the sun and heat without the negative side effects that exposure would offer. The most powerful magi, those from the legends of the past, could move mountains or change the climate of the world with but a thought. I consider those to be unbelievable tales though, no one is that powerful." Nina said skeptically as she shrugged her shoulders. "You just have to use the energy within you and shape it with your will. There are limitations though. Most effects will only last so long, there are a few that you can shape and maintain for extended periods but making their duration longer or permanent is more difficult. Only skilled shapers can do as such."

"I understand." Rose said simply as she listened on.

"If you expend too much energy in one day you will get very weak. There are some that can absorb large amounts of energy and expend it but those few have been practicing for years and years. Legend has it that naarabian shapers could use their own body's energy to cast if they were taxed beyond their limit but I wouldn't attempt that if I were you. It can be dangerous and damaging." Nina put a finger on her cheek and tapped it gently. "There are other rules but honestly those are the most important and the only ones I can remember off hand, like I said I was never a good study."

"You seemed to have introduced me to this gift just fine." Rose said with a big smile.

"Well you seem to have a natural aptitude for it. I figured you would, something about you makes me think you're destined for great things." Nina smiled and turned around as the double doors of the chamber opened and the two guards that delivered the prajma weed walked in with the familiar burner. "It is almost time, we should prepare for tonight. I'm coming with you."

"Nina, no! I can't put you in that position. I was spoiled by the hands of this man; I can't have you suffering the same fate." Rose said as she ran her fingers through Nina's long, soft hair. "I would not be able to take it."

"Don't worry. He won't be able to see me. Once he drifts off to sleep I can get us out of this place." Nina put her hand on Rose's thin fingers and smiled broadly. "It warms my heart to know that you're looking out for my best interest."

"I took you under my wing, you are my responsibility. I don't take such tasks lightly." Rose said as she stood and began walking toward the matron's former room so they would not catch the brunt of the prajma weed. She knew that Nina wasn't really allergic to it because not long after she had recovered Nina had told her and called it a good way to get Rose alone so they could talk more. The girl was smart, very smart. Rose had to respect her for many reasons but mainly because she was a mere child with a mind like a quarrian sand pit, nothing could escape it. "My word is my bond."

"Rose can I ask you a serious question that you may not fully understand?" Nina asked as they retired to the side room and sat down against the far wall underneath the barred window.

"Of course, though that is an odd way to start a conversation I think." Rose smiled a bit and watched the girls gather around the bone bowl to get their daily fix. She was glad she had never taken well to the prajma weed; it apparently had a slightly addicting effect to it.

"For a long time I have served the elven court with devotion. I have been assigned a few bodyguards since then." Nina looked up at Rose with her eyes sparkling in the sunlight wiggling its way through the obsidian bars. "Will you be my guardian like in the story of Kwynneth and Xunil?"

"Nina." She said softly as she looked down at the shorter girl then back out to the main room of the harem. For a moment she was quiet as she pondered the question. Nina had done so much for her but this type of commitment was something she had trouble fathoming. She knew it stemmed from not having any friends growing up, she had been alone most of her life regardless of the fact that there were always other girls in the harem.

Rose couldn't help but sigh and look down at Nina and her beautiful blue eyes. Nina was the closest thing she had to a friend and Maudette and Neeshka were the closest thing she had to family. Regardless of her trepidation she felt as if she and Nina had a bond. From the instant they had met she felt like they were destined to be together.

"I take it from your silence that is a no?" Nina said dejectedly.

"Not at all, I just need some time to think." Rose smiled down at the young girl and pulled her close by the shoulder. "You are the only friend I have in this world."

"I have never been able to make friends; every other elf I have interacted with has either been older than me or too mixed up in politics or study to care about having a friend. I feel like we are bonded together at some level I cannot see." Nina rested her head on Rose's shoulder and sighed softly. "It's funny you know, I've never taken to anyone this quickly but there's just something about you I trust. I feel like I have known you all of my life."

Rose knew not how many hours had passed but she watched the light from the window shift across the floor as the burning orb that was the sun moved on in its daily trek. Her mind swirled with questions but she could not answer them all at once. The bond Nina felt was obviously mutual, for Rose could not deny she had taken a liking to the girl. "Nina, I would be honored to be your guardian."

"Oh thank you!" Nina's ecstatic tone broke her calm exterior instantly.

"I must ask though, what do you need protection from?"

"This is the part you may not understand." Nina said simply with a shrug. "My mother's current status will not hold forever and the truth of this world is that everything is dangerous or it is dead."

"So how does this whole thing work?"

"I don't know exactly." Nina replied sheepishly. "I guess we exchange blood and an oath?"

"Well then," Rose stood up for a moment and straddled Nina's lap. She got a bright red blush from the elf and giggled; knowing Nina had misunderstood the gesture. With a light nip to her lip she drew a line of blood. She leaned forward and bit Nina on the lip only enough to draw a little blood from her as well then kissed the elf full on the lips making sure to exchange a few drops between them. She held the intimate gesture for a moment then pulled back and looked directly into Nina's eyes. "I swear to protect you to the best of my ability, may our bond hold strong eternal."

Nina, flushed and taken aback by the highly personal gesture, cleared her throat a bit and shifted looking a bit uncomfortable from the proximity. "I accept you as my guardian and closest friend, may the gods themselves watch over our union."

Rose felt warmth wash over her and sat back down next to Nina, knowing from her look she felt the same. The knowledge that Nina had shared with her thus far was a demonstration of the trust they felt for one another. Without a doubt she was sure that the informal ceremony had caught the attention of the remaining gods, she knew in her heart that the bond they felt had been strengthened in that passing moment.

"That was unexpected." Nina said after a long moment of silence had passed between them. She giggled softly and put her hands over her cheeks to cover the blush she knew was coming. "I have never kissed anyone in that manner before."

"I figured that a gesture of intimacy was required to solidify it. I think I was right." Rose chuckled down at the naïve young elf and hugged her shoulders tight. "I think the gods approve of our pairing, guardian and charge, friend and sister."