₦airaland Forum

Chai, you people are making Nebud run for cover oh! LOL! Nebud is sorry. It sent me to apologize to all of you for the mistake it made. It had a lot on its mind, with Musa's disappearance and the uncertainty of its own future, that it was not thinking about the young uspec standing beside it, and its pansophy. If Nebud could take back this mistake that it made, it would, but it can't. Please, it's not perfect, but who is? Abeg bear with it

@Smooth278 I don't disagree but it's not so easy. Hopefully Nebud learns something from this.

@spixytinxy as in, trouble after trouble, it just wants to live peacefully but the forces won't let it

@HotB I agree, even Nebud shares your sentiments

@tunjilomo It's been asking itself the same question since it happened. Why indeed? It feels so guilty.

@phoenixchap Nebud is trying to be less ineptitude, but every time it thinks it's made a positive stride...anyway, me in my own small way, I have to help it now. Nebud has really suffered in this life, if I can make things easier for it, I want to do that. As to Arexon, chey, see Nebud's shame oh, hopefully the fire won't burn it too hot

@ayshow6102 thank you for reading

@Fazemood I won't lie, I was sad when I read your comment (especially the bottom part). Like, you've been with me on this story for so long. I remember when I was writing In-between and you always made a point of commenting after each chapter (asking questions, sharing your feelings...you really made it interesting), I really appreciated that, and that is why I really hoped that I could keep this story interesting for you. I'm sorry that I haven't done that. The truth is that Nebud is not a perfect protagonist. I find it very hard to write perfect protagonists especially when I'm writing from their head. It is definitely very different from the last one, I think the last two were much more straight-forward (there was a villain and our hero tried to vanquish it). With Nebud, it's a completely different type of story. And I do agree that it's long, when I started, I thought it would be a novella, but this is turning out to be the single longest book I've ever written (much longer than In-between), but it is going somewhere. The pieces are being laid now and there is an underlying thread to it all, but I understand that it could be a hard story to read (which is my fault). So, anyway, I just wanted to say that although it would be sad to see you go, I understand if the story no longer holds your interest. I just want you to know (in case that was your last comment) that I remember how much of an interest you've taken in this series, and how you've always made the point of commenting. I am VERY VERY grateful for that. Thank you and thank you for sticking around as long as you have even though Nebud has been annoying you

@maynation I wrote a song for you (more like edited from Holy grail):
It's amazing I'm in this maze with you, I just can't crack your code,
last week you're screaming 'Obehidryte', this week you're so cold
LOL. At least you still think it's interesting so that's good. I'm sorry that the updates can't be as long as you like. I have a lot of other things that I'm working on as I'm writing this, so the updates won't always be long. But sometimes they are long, sometimes they are short (this is actually the norm length of an update), but always they are consistently posted on Wednesdays and Saturdays

@olite93 Hmmm, I want to say more about Arexon, but I can't spoil it. Thank you, I'm happy you're enjoying it!

Part 20
--------

I had not had the time to fully appreciate the size of the library the last time I’d been here. Now, as I stared at the tall shelves and the stacks of tomes, I could feel nothing but awe. If I survived Chiboga I was going to use part of my wealth to build a library just like this one. I thought of that future dwelling which I would build. It would have a gymnasium like the one in the Kaiser’s Chateau in Katsoaru. My personal cleaning room would have a wide canal with falling liquid, just like the cleaning room in Lastmain. And my library would be like this one. I would have the best of everything.

If I survived.

My mind drifted back to Sensu. I could not help wondering if the uspec still lived. It had looked so close to death the last time I’d seen it. The thought of Sensu sent my mind journeying to Fajahromo and the vault in Damejo. There was something familiar about that name. It was as if I had heard it somewhere before. Recently. My thoughts stirred with the familiarity of the port, but no matter how hard I tried, I could not recall it.

Fajahromo. I thought of the uspec in its sibling’s vault right at that moment. Had it found my ring? Did it know of my identity? I found my mind shifting to thoughts of Lahooni. It was a hooni port. I imagined that it would be filled with quicksand, as the kute ports were filled with okun. Nothing like this boga port completely covered in fog. There would be portals in Lahooni, several of them. I wondered what the Kaiser’s dwelling would look like. It would be impressive, imposing. I tried to picture it. My birthright. And if I found the ring, I could claim it. I could become Kaiser. It felt so unreal. Was that my future then? Was that what awaited me if I survived this trial in Chiboga? That was of course, if Fajahromo did not reach the ring before I could.

The chiming of a bell pulled my focus back to the room. I watched as a wall dissolved, and an imp emerged from it.

I was taken aback to see an imp in this port. This was the first imp I’d seen outside of Aurelion. The imp wore a long black tunic with a very distinct engraving on the top left. It had streaked skin and empty eye sockets. It dropped to its knees in front of the young uspec and bowed till its head touched the floor.

“Bring me the tomes in this list.” Sophi tossed a small scroll onto the floor beside the imp’s head.

“Yes master Sophi.” The imp said. It picked up the scroll, stood, and went back into the gap in the wall.

We stood in front of one of several reading areas. These areas had circular tables and chairs around them. The area was encircled by more shelves, filled with books. All the furniture in the room was made of hard fog. I found the intricate designs mesmerizing.

Sophi pulled out a chair and sat. “You may sit while we wait, chief.” It ordered.

“Gratitude sirga.” I sat on a chair on the other side of the table.

The young uspec was alone with me today. There were other soldiers in the library, but the room was so big that I could not see a single one of them, behind the shelves.

“Are you wary chief?” the young uspec asked.

It stared keenly at me.

“What is there to be wary of sirga?” I asked.

“Well the war of course. You do know that it commences tomorrow, don’t you?”

Everyone knew that. In fact, Sophila had commanded a large feast for the evening, to celebrate the last night before the commencement of the war. The commander and the dons were to be there, as well as every other golden capon currently in the port. As a chief, I was not invited, but as Sophi’s guard for the day, Yakubo and I were to be in attendance. The soldiers were having a different sort of celebration in the barracks. There would plenty of cheap food and wine. Arexon gave orders for the soldiers to gorge on it. I wondered if they realized that they would die tomorrow. Yakubo and I were to be stationed in the Castle during the war. It meant that we would not be close to the real action for a long time. Not until the plenum broke through the defense in the hangar, and came into the Acropolis.

Sophian estimated that it would take months for that to happen. The first contingent of soldiers stationed in the hangar, would be marching there just before the feast in the Castle began. A hundred serf soldiers, fifty bosses, twenty five heads, and two gurus were part of the initial deployment. I did not know how they would all fit into the hangar, but I was glad that I was not one of them. So many of them would be dead before the end of the next day.

I sighed. I’d listened to Musa’s talk about the plenum and the chasm, and on the inter-port trail, it had simply been an amusing tail. I had thought of all the fighters and found them all to be fools. Perhaps if I had known how close I would get to the real war, I would not have thought so lightly of it.

Musa. That was another sore topic. Just thinking of the imp tempted me into a fit of rage. I knew that it had remained with me in Sensu’s underground cave. It had removed its appearance, but it had remained with me. Even though it had not spoken, I knew it had been there. How else could I explain the fact that the hard fog entrance suddenly softened when I was close enough to climb out of the hole? Then it mysteriously hardened while I was out. Musa had been standing there, with the key in the fog, but it had been silent. It had heard me call out to it, but it had remained silent.

I spent that night, and the ones that followed, in the barracks. That was three days ago now. Three days of hard battle training, of sparring with soldiers, officers, capons, anyone that Arexon appointed me to. I woke up in the morning. I ran a course of pillars and then I fought. I fought on a ground filled with okun, this Arexon did to simulate the blood that would stain the hard fog grounds during the battles. I slipped. I banged my body against the hard grounds, got back up and continued. I had lunch and followed the meal with fight. I fought until the next meal. And when the time for me to sleep came, what did I do? I slunk around like a thief, hiding behind dwellings to steal away from the barracks so that I could go back to my suite and check to see if my imp was safe. I yelled for it. But it never showed itself.

There was a part of me that was glad for the imp’s continual invisibility. I was not sure what I would do to it, if I found it now. Not when I was so angry. It would be better if my mood improved. But when it came to Musa, I was not sure that my mood could improve. Did the imp not know that I would worry? I would understand if it left, but why not tell me. Why not tell me before it went off on its crusade to find its heir? I thought of how ironic it was that I was the heir Musa so desperately wanted to find. In fact, it would serve the imp well if it left me in Chiboga, only to go to Damejo and find that I was the one it had searched for all along. I decided then, that I would never tell the imp of my true identity. That would be a good punishment for the worry that it caused me. As if I did not have enough to deal with, without having to worry about one foolish imp.

“Chief?”

I looked up at the young uspec, only then remembering that we’d been talking. “Forgive me sirga, my mind drifted.”

“So, you are wary then? The commander says that it is permitted for a soldier to be afraid. But you must not allow that fear to interfere with the performance of your duty. Do you understand chief?”

“Yes sirga. Gratitude.” It was difficult to keep the sarcasm from my voice. A young, giving me advice about fighting. I’d faced my death every week in the pits. I’d spent nine years looking death in the face and laughing it off. But this uspec who had never seen a fight, thought that it could lecture me on fear.

A small retinue of imps appeared. They all had their hands filled with tomes. One after the other, they placed heaps of tomes on the table. I was just about to reach for a tome when I saw an imp trip. It let go off the tomes in its hand, dropping them so that it could hold onto the side of the table for support, before it fell. The clumsy imp dropped the tomes right on Sophi’s feet.

The uspec jumped up. “You oaf!” It snapped. It struck out with its right hand and struck the imp on the side of its head. “Pick those up quickly before I have you whipped.”

“Yes master Sophi.” The imp hastily gathered up the fallen tomes and placed them on the table.

Sophi picked up one of the tomes and brought it over to my side of the table. It pulled out one of the chairs beside me. As it sat, it said, “this tome is something of a guide. A SYNOPSIS OF THE RELEVANT WORKS RELATING TO THE STUDY OF SPECTRA.” It read out the title. “I would advise that you read this first. We have all the tomes cited in this one, so you can choose which you would like to study in more detail.”

“Gratitude sirga.”

Sophi nodded. “The commander counsels that it is in the general’s best interest for all the soldiers in its army to be at peak performance of all their skills. That includes spectra.”

“You quote the commander a lot.”

“I quote all great scholars.” It replied.

It pushed the tome towards me. Then it reached out for another tome. It was the one that it had mentioned to the teacher, the tome about the blessed eye. I caught glimpses of the bolded title on the cover of the book, before the uspec pulled it towards it and began reading.

I ran my fingers over the title. A SYNOPSIS OF THE RELEVANT WORKS RELATING TO THE STUDY OF SPECTRA. I committed that name to memory. I wanted to remember exactly what tome to get for my education on spectra. I would acquire this book as soon as I left Chiboga. This and all the others relating to the magic. Then I would learn control of the magic of my eyes and become as dangerous as Manus. I found the thought appealing.

It bothered me that I still could not create an okun as Manus had done so effortlessly. I could speak through my pain emotion to the okun once it was created, but I could not pull it forth myself. I opened the tome and flipped through the pages. I was mesmerized by what I saw in it.

The tome began with a bibliography which contained the list of all tomes cited in this one. The tome was structured by referenced tome, and so the bibliography contained the name of the cited work as well as the number of the page in which the discussion of that work began. I glimpsed the names of tomes cited. Some had strange names, others had names with familiar terms. I saw one with ‘de trop’ in the title, and another which had ‘commoner’. ‘Irira’, the name stood out to me. I was just about to flip to that page, when just below it, I saw ‘irirakun’ and ‘emotions’ in the same title.

I chose to start at that page instead.

An irirakun is born with a deep bond to the souls of its spectrums. This bond is one which could enhance the irirakun’s use of spectra. In this tome, the authors show cases where an irirakun who’s learned how to reach to the emotions of its spectrums’ soul, is far superior in spectra than one who is not irirakun. But, with this preponderance of innate spectra skill, comes a difficulty with mastering the magic. Once an irirakun reaches through its emotions to the soul of its spectrum, it becomes overwhelmed by the sheer volume of emotions that the soul responds with. They are kindred spirits. But sometimes, kindred spirits set out, unknowingly, to cause harm to each other. An irirakun must first master the magic of its primary soul (the eye that it was born with), before it can unlock the magic of the eyes that it has acquired. This tome goes further to…

Sophi’s gasp, broke my concentration. With difficulty, I pulled my focus from the tome, to the eye of the young uspec who gazed at me in shock. “You are irirakun?” It spoke with amazement, “you have the magic of emotions!”

The scales on my neck were no secret. It was plain that I was irira, so, I saw no need to hide the truth. “Yes, sirga, I am.”

The uspec jumped up. “Sire keeps the liquid that we imbibe filled with emotion blockers. It has always said that it does it because it has seen the chaos which a single irirakun can unleash on an entire port.”

“Emotion blockers?”

“Yes, it is in the liquid that the soldiers stationed to the Castle imbibe as well. They are made with pansophy, used to hide emotions from those with the power to take them. Of course, irirakun can still find the emotions, but they must have a superior knowledge of the magic to be able to use it.”

Emotion blockers. It had to be what Xavier and Musa used to hide their emotions from me. The pious had found a way to give that to those without pansophy? That did not surprise me. Suddenly, my fight during my first day at the Castle made sense to me. That was why I had been unable to reach for their emotions.

“You are irirakun! You must let me study you Nebud. I am fascinated by the magic of emotions. Have you ever wielded it? Sire says that the emotion blockers are the price we pay for allowing iriras in our port, but I have never met a kun. I have seen many iriras, but never an irirakun. It must be fascinating.”

I realized that I had never seen the young uspec so animated. It stood, its hands by my arm on the table, as it peered down at me. I almost found the intensity of its excitement unnerving.

“Irirakun?”

This voice did not belong to the young. I rose my head, and found Sophian standing in front of our table. Immediately, I jumped to my feet and saluted the uspec. I congratulated myself for my alacrity, my seeming eagerness to salute it. I had to keep Sophian believing that I was truly grateful to it.

“In clover, chief.”

I let my hand fall down from my chest.

“Are you truly irirakun?” it asked, its voice as unanimated as ever.

“Yes sirga.” I replied. And then, on a stroke of pure genius, I thought to add, “does this displease you?”

“No, chief, not at all. In fact, it is quite the contrary. More and more each day, I am beginning to laud my decision to allow you keep your life.”

“I am truly grateful, sirga.”

It nodded. “Do you have practice with the manipulation of emotions?” it asked.

“Yes sirga.” I replied. “I have little practice.”

“We will change that. Starting tomorrow, I will have you trained by the pious. They will know how to improve your manipulation of emotions. They will even help you get past the spectra block that irirakuns are known to have. You will be our ultimate weapon chief.”

“It will be my honor, sirga.” I lied. I could not think of a worse prospect than being trained by pious. They had pansophy. They would find the secrets in my head. They could learn of Sensu and its underground isolation. They would know of the ring and see that the last brio was actually the coffer, not the ring that we had expended so much effort into finding. They could learn of Musa. And Arexon. They would learn of Arexon’s secret, they would see that Arexon had pansophy.

“The commander has pansophy?” Sophi’s voice was filled with shock.

“What?” Sophian snapped.

I stared disbelievingly at the young uspec. How had it known?

Sophi stared at me with its mouth agape. “I saw it in the chief’s thoughts, pater. The chief was thinking of the commander’s secret, and it said that secret was that it had pansophy.”

“Impossible.” Sophian spat out. “Well chief, what do you have to say for yourself?”

I was stunned speechless. What had I done? I owed everything to Arexon. It had saved my life, numerous times. It was Arexon who had led me to Isthum’s dwelling. If not for Arexon, I would never have found Sensu, and heard its message about the key. And how did I repay Arexon, I allowed a young uspec to steal my thoughts. How had I been so careless?

“Chief!” It snapped. “Would an inquest be necessary?”

I shook my head. The words started coming out my mouth before I could stop them. “Commander Arexon has pansophy. It used this magic to heal me when I was wounded in Aurelion. It is no secret amongst the high-ranking soldiers.”

Sophian’s jaw clenched. I saw its fury. I could not feel its anger emotion, but I could see the rage written plainly in its face. What had I done? What had I said? How had I said all those things? I could not think of why I would say them. I owed no loyalty to Sophian. Perhaps it was the threat of the inquest. But no, no, I could not have been so callous as to implicate Arexon for fear of an inquest, could I?

“The feast is beginning.” Sophian announced. “We must go to the great hall.” After saying that, the imperial one turned around and stormed off.

Sophi and I followed silently in its wake.

@tunjilomo well, I guess we'll see if it's a tantrum or not. Why is Nebud keeping its lineage secret? I don't really know for Nebud sha. I think it might be that it's not yet ready to accept what it is yet...

@maynation the wait is not too long now, update coming soon

@spixytinxy as in, that's the question oh, I guess we'll find out

@Rynne I like your persistence! Only time will tell

@barag thank you for reading and enjoying. I'll relay all of this advice about opening up back to Nebud. Maybe it will listen

@Fazemood we will fight oh! Chai, you're calling my precious Nebud ugly

@ayshow6102 wow, why so violent? Musa has every right to be hurt by Nebud's lies. After Nebud pretended that it was coming to Chiboga for Musa and then Musa finds out that Nebud was lying. Hopefully time will heal this rift between them

“Cala?” I asked.

“The heir to Lahooni. That is what the mighty Calam named it, Cala.”

“Master Cala.” Musa whispered. “I did not know this.”

“No Musa. The mighty Calam kept many things from you in those last days.”

“Why? I would have helped. I would have willingly agreed to be sapped if it meant that I could protect the young master. Why didn’t master Calam let me?”

“I do not know. I had just as many questions as you Musa, but the mighty Calam did not give me any answers. Only instructions.”

Cala. What a name? I thought. Cala. Nebud. Cala. Nebud. One name linked me to the uspecs that I had come from, the other linked me to nothing. Nebud was the uspec who’d been born in the slum and raised there. I was not Cala. Cala was an imperial, it was who I might have been if my progenitor and sire had lived.

“So Sophila has the ring?” Then why did it send us to the mines.

“Takabat was too smart to let a despicable creature like Sophila own something as import as Cala’s ring. It advised Sophila to hide the ring in the mines of Aurelion where it would be safe. Then, Takabat went back with Isthum to retrieve the ring. Takabat left this port with the ring.”

“What of the young master? Master Cala.” Musa asked. “What happened to it? Chike said that you left Lahooni with the young master in a coffer.”

“I was in no position to protect it. Takabat was a pious one. It was descended of a duke, Fajahr, who was still very prominent in an important port. Takabat took the coffer and the ring. It never opened the coffer, never let anyone see what was inside it.”

“Do you know where they went next, where it took the young master?” Musa asked.

“No. Takabat was not sure what the best way to protect the young one was. It was determined to put it in a place where no one would look for it, until the time came for it to be retrieved, and returned to its rightful place. That is why the ring was so important.”

“The last brio.” I said.

“Exactly.” It nodded. “How did you know?”

“Sophila was searching for the last brio. It sent a party to Aurelion to unearth it.”

“Aurelion? Why would Sophila think that the last brio was in Aurelion?”

“That is where Takabat told Sophila to keep it, is it not?”

“No. Takabat kept the ring in Aurelion, not the last brio.”

I frowned. “The ring is not the last brio?”

“Of course not. The last brio has been passed down from one generation of the line of the Kaisers of Lahooni, to the next. While the ring was something that the mighty Calam made. Why would you think the ring was the last brio?”

“That is what Sophila thinks.”

“Another deception by Takabat then. It must be. I was clear, I told the uspec that the ring was the key to the last brio.”

“The key to the last brio?” I was confused.

“You do not think that the mighty Calam would give me a coffer without also giving me the key to it.”

“The ring was the key to the coffer?” I asked.

“Amongst other things.”

“So, the coffer is the last brio.” I chuckled. It was a struggle to resist the urge to laugh. The last brio which Sophian and Sophila were going crazy over, had never truly been in their possession. Takabat had fooled them.

“What other things?” Musa asked.

“What?”

“The ring, you said it has other purposes. What?”

“Oh yes, Musa, that is important. That is what I have been waiting to tell you.”

“What is it?”

“The mighty Calam said that the ring is the key to returning Cala to its rightful place as the Kaiser of Lahooni. There is a secret in that ring, one that will expose Cala as a descendant of the line of the Kaisers of Lahooni. Once that secret is exposed, no one will be able to doubt Cala’s credibility. The mighty Calam made Cala its heir, it is a fact which cannot be contested. You must find the ring Musa, that is the only way that Cala can return to its rightful place.”

“First I must find master Cala. Please domina, think, is there no clue, nothing that you can give me to help me locate the young master? Anything will help.”

“If there was anything, I would tell you Musa. I want you to find Cala. It is my dying wish.”

“Why are you here?” I asked the uspec. “It sounds as if Takabat was a friend to you. Why did it imprison you here?”

“This is no prison Nebud, it is an isolation I choose. I have no pansophy. All it would take for my secrets to be exposed is contact with the wrong uspec. I know too much, I must die here. That is the only way I can think of to protect Cala. I know too much.”

“You would give your life for another so easily? One who may not even be alive.” I asked, doubtfully.

“Calami was my closest friend, it was as a sibling to me. For Calami’s offspring, I would give more than my life. Calami’s offspring, is as my own.”

“There must be a way to free you from here.” I stated, stubbornly. I did not want this old uspec’s death on my conscience. “You must take your life back. No uspec is worth dying for.”

“That is where you are wrong Nebud. That is where you are wrong. When you cherish someone, there is nothing you would not do for them. I cherish Cala, just as I cherished Calami. I am at peace with my isolation.”

Sensu’s words reminded me of Marcinus. I felt the familiar pang of guilt and pain which rose in me whenever I thought of the uspec.

“Isthum made the same offer the last time it was here, right after it told me of Takabat’s sibling’s visit.”

Alarm bells went off in my head. “Fajahromo was in Chiboga?” I asked.

“My my Nebud, you are well informed for a de trop. Yes, Fajahromo was here. Not here in this tunnel, but here in Chiboga. It visited Isthum. It wanted to know more about its sibling’s time in Chiboga. Before Takabat died, it had a plan in place to retrieve Cala and inform it of its parentage. In fact, just a few years before it died, Takabat was in contact with Cala. It said that it had the uspec with it, under its protection.”

“The young master lives!” Musa yelled. “Only a few years ago it was protected by a pious one. Perhaps Takabat told the young master of its lineage before it died. Perhaps the young master is looking for the ring itself.”

“That’s what Isthum and Fajahromo thought too.”

The alarm bells in my head were blaring now. “How is Fajahromo involved in this?”

“Fajahromo cherished its sibling. It loved Takabat. After Takabat was killed Fajahromo tried to do everything in its power to honor its sibling’s death. It was so desperate for a way to serve Takabat’s memory, that Isthum shared parts of our secret with it. Fajahromo is now determined to continue where Takabat stopped, and reunite Cala with its ring. In fact, now that I think about it, there was something that Isthum said.” My mind reeled. Fajahromo knew about my secret, about my ring. “Isthum said that Takabat had a secret vault in Damejo. Fajahromo was sure that if Takabat was going to keep the ring anywhere, it would be in that vault. Perhaps you would find more there, more than just the ring. Maybe Takabat left clues as to the whereabouts of Cala, where it had seen it last.”

“Thank you domina. Thank you so much. We will go to Damejo, we will find the ring. We will find master Cala and reunite them.” Musa swore.

“Good. Then I can die at peace. Waste no time. Go.”

My mind spun as the uspec struggled with its wooden stick to get to its feet. Fajahromo. Fajahromo! What did Fajahromo know? My mind went back to the pits of Hakute. I recalled the day that Takabat saved my life. Maxad had wanted to use pansophy to make me easier to kill, but Takabat had forbidden it. Now, I knew why. It was not because Fajahromo had asked it to look over me, as Fajahromo claimed. It was because Takabat knew who I was. Takabat, my protector, was dead. Just as this uspec would die, alone on an island in a cave. Just as Isthum had been slaughtered. Just as Calam had been killed. All so that I could live. And now, Fajahromo was searching for my ring. I could not let it take it.

“We must go to Damejo master.” Musa said. “We must leave this port.”

“Fajahromo is no friend to its sibling. It killed Takabat. If it is going in search of that ring, it is doing it for its own needs.”

Musa was alarmed. “Then we must reach Damejo before the uspec does. We must find Takabat’s vault first.”

Yes, I could not allow my ring to fall into Fajahromo’s hands. I had to leave this port.

“Sophila’s eye.”

No! I’ll come back for Sophila’s eye.

“Sophila’s eye. Sophila’s eye!”

I could not leave. Not without Sophila’s eye.

“We cannot leave Musa. Not yet.”

“What? But master, we came to this port for information on the young master. We know where to go next. We must leave before harm comes to the young master.”

I shook my head. “Not yet, Musa.”

It frowned at me. “We did not come to this port for the young master, did we? You have other reasons for being here.”

I said nothing.

Musa disappeared.

“Musa!” I yelled, swiping out with my hands, for it. “Musa!” There was no response. The imp was gone.

Part 19
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Of all places, the serf camp. Sophila cared so little for the security of the serfs that it did not even bother with placing guards at their gates. It was the only camp in the entire Acropolis which was unguarded. Musa and I walked through the gates unhindered. It was night now, so the orange hue of the daylight dots had been replaced by the resplendent red light of the clouds.

“Are you sure it is here?”

The streets were empty. There were several hovels in the camp, all arranged in neat rows. The hard fog streets had the same quality as those everywhere else in the Acropolis. The only difference here was that there were no landlocked canoes steering through the roads. Only the rare sighting of a serf rushing about on some business.

“I told you master, everything needed to find the place was in the key. It is made out of pansophic conduit, the metal that is mined in Aurelion. Isthum put its thoughts into that key, thoughts of the location where the treasure was hidden.”

“The treasure. What treasure? Did Isthum not say exactly what it was?”

“No master.” Musa shook its head. “It only referred to it as the treasure.”

“Perhaps it is the location of the last brio then.”

“And if it is master?”

I frowned at the imp. “We have had this discussion before Musa.”

“You want to give it to commander Arexon. I understand that you are indebted to the commander, master, but the last brio, belongs to the young master, it belongs to the heir to Lahooni. I believe that there is a reason why the commander could not find it in Aurelion. It is because I am supposed to find it, and return it to the heir to Lahooni. It is my duty, master.”

I shook my head. The last brio. How could so many people think they had the right to one ring? The plenum, Manus, Sophian, and now Musa. I almost chuckled. I contemplated telling the imp about my lineage. Maybe the time had come to share my secret with it. Why was I holding it back from Musa anyway? Musa deserved to know more than anyone else.

I sighed. I could not tell the imp. If I told it, it would want too much from me. This imp was bent on finding the heir to Lahooni and restoring the great uspec to its rightful place. But I wanted no part of it. What did I want? I realized as I walked, that I had never stopped to think of what I would do in the future. I laughed then. Future. What future did I have? Would I survive my desire to kill Sophian? If I succeeded what would happen next? The plenum was waiting right outside Chiboga. My mind drifted to the plenum and the war that Sophila was preparing for.

Perhaps I would be a victim of that war.

“I think your heir to Lahooni is dead Musa. What chances would one such as that have at surviving?” I felt grief as I spoke, but I knew that my words were essential. I did not want Musa to waste its time searching for something that could not be found.

“I disagree master. I think it lives. It is waiting for me.”

I stared at the hair on the imp’s head. It sounded so sure. Well, it was right on one count at least. The heir to Lahooni did live. For now, at least.

“This is it master.”

I frowned. We’d reached an empty space between several hovels.

“What?”

The imp released the key.

I waited to hear the clanging of the metal against the hard fog. Instead, once the key touched the fog, it softened. The hard ground underneath us turned into drifting fog, and we fell.

Luckily, it was a short fall. We landed on a cushioned ground. I could tell from the feel of the material that we had fallen on hardened clouds, the regular foam floor I had come to think of as the alternative to sludge. The tunnel was lit, white light sources hung from the roof of the cave. I did not like this, not one bit. If I had never been to Aurelion, I would not have minded this, but after Aurelion, I would forever be wary of tunnels.

I stood.

“Is this what you were expecting?”

Musa nodded. “The descriptions in the key are quite detailed. Although, this is where it stops. There is no more information in the key, other than, that this is the location of the treasure.”

“Treasure.” I scoffed.

“I hope there is information pointing away from this Acropolis master.”

“Why is that?”

“So that we can leave.”

“And how will we do that?”

“The same way we did when we went to the pious camp. I’ll take away our appearances and we’ll sneak out. I don’t think that we should be here when the war starts.”

I could not leave. Not without Sophila’s eye.

The tunnel followed a straight path. There were no bends in the road to get lost in, as there’d been in Aurelion. And the walls here were smooth. The ground was cushioned, there were no stalactites hanging from the roof. I took a deep breath of air and savored the cleanness of it. This was certainly a far cry from Aurelion.

“Have you ever heard of the fabled wealth of Lahooni?”

Musa smiled. “Yes master. It is no fable. Lahooni is the wealthiest port in this existence, at least it was before master Calam was killed. Now, all of that wealth is gone. Neither Salin nor the plenum have it. It must be somewhere.”

“Do you know where?”

Musa’s smile faded slightly. It turned to stare at me. “I do not.” It replied. I could not tell if it was lying.

“Do you think that it is the treasure that Isthum hid here?”

Musa shook its head. “This cave is not big enough to contain the wealth of Lahooni.”

I whistled. If the last brio truly was the key to that much wealth, I could see why Manus was so interested in it. And the plenum? No, the plenum had connected the last brio to Chuspecip. Sophila only wanted it to buy itself out of the mess it had gotten into when it killed Isthum. Again, I was left to wonder how one artifact could be so precious to so many people. I had the familiar fleeting urge to abscond with it. It was mine after all, left to me by my sire. I shook that thought away. Too many people wanted that artifact. I was not about to become one of them.

But what would I do if I found it? Give it to Arexon? Keep it for myself? I did not know.

“Master!” Musa’s hand clamped onto my arm. It pulled me back forcefully.

I frowned at the imp. “What is it Musa?”

It pointed at the ground I had just been about to walk into. I gaped at it. How had I not seen it? I had been so ensconced in my own thoughts that I had missed the obvious ditch. No, I looked closer, this was no simple ditch. It was filled with fog. I saw a sphere in the fog and frowned. There was something familiar about it. I looked around and saw even more red spheres suspended in the fog.

“Flow fog.” I uttered the words with awe. I took a step back, away from the fog and the globules of red liquid suspended in it. This was the boga equivalent to the kute lit okun. It was lethal to everyone not of the boga spectrum. I took another step back.

The ditch was several feet wide, much too wide to simply step over, or even jump. An uspec could only fly over this ditch, to the cushioned land on the other side. That land was like an island surrounded by flow flog. If only I could fly. I shook my head at that thought, flow fog, like regular fog, drifted. Even if I could fly, there was no guarantee that the flow fog would not drift out of the ditch and envelope me in midair.

I was starting to have a grudging respect for this uspec Isthum. First it had hidden the key to this place in a fake jeja residing in lit okun. That lit okun alone would have ensured that it was impossible for anyone but a select few kutes to get the key. Then it had left no clues of what the key led to. Instead it had used pansophy to put the thought of the location into the key, which ensured that only one with pansophy could find this place. And now this. It had surrounded the treasure with flow fog, a barrier that neither Musa nor I could cross.

Musa dropped to its knees, and its head fell into its hands. “No!” it cried, desolately.

“Come Musa.” I said. “We should leave. There is nothing for us here.”

“But we are so close master. We came so close.”

“So close to what? Neither of us know what this treasure is.”

“Whatever it is must be important. Look at all the care that Isthum went to, to ensure that it would never be found.”

I sighed. “There is nothing we can do now. Tomorrow is a long day for me. I should get some rest.”

Musa rose slowly. “Very well master.” Its shoulders sagged. It turned around, took one last look over its shoulder, at the flow fog, and then walked away.

I was just about to follow, when I heard a voice say, “Musa?”

We both froze.

Musa and I turned back around slowly.

“Musa?” The voice sounded old and strained. “Is that really you Musa?”

An uspec emerged from behind a bend in the island on the other side of the flow fog. It leaned on a piece of wood, as it made its way towards us. The uspec’s back was hunched. There was a single large cyan scale on its neck, and its ailerons were bent and crooked. This was the most aged uspec that I had ever seen. It looked like it was about to die.

The uspec collapsed onto the ground. For a moment I thought it was dead, until it pulled itself up and shifted into a sitting position. “My God! It is you Musa, osin of the mighty Calam, Kaiser of Lahooni.”

Musa drew closer. “How do you know who I am?”

The uspec laughed drily. “How could I not when I spent so much time with Calami? I suppose I have become so aged that you cannot recognize me.”

Musa’s eyelids pulled up, its face contorting into a mask of shock. “Domina Sensu?”

The uspec nodded. It was a very awkward motion. The uspec’s head was barely moving.

“Domina!” Musa fell to its knees. “I have been searching for you! Oh domina, what happened to you?”

The uspec coughed. “I knew one of you would come, I knew one of you would find me. I have held on for so long, just so I could speak to you. It would either be you or Chike, I knew it. In my entire life, I have never seen two more loyal imps. Calami was honored to have you both.”

“Thank you domina.”

“Who are you with Musa?”

“I am Nebud.” I said.

“Nebud. Chief Nebud, from your earrings and bands. Another one of Sophila’s serfs. Where do you hale from?”

I thought about lying, but then what good would it do? This uspec was about to die. “A slum in Hakute.” I replied.

“You must have an interesting epic.” It wheezed. “Can we speak freely Musa?”

“Yes domina.” The imp replied. “Master Nebud is my new master, you can trust it.”

The aged uspec repeated its strange nod. Sensu? I could not believe it. This was the treasure that Isthum had been hiding. Arexon thought that this uspec was dead, that Isthum had killed it. Why had it not?

“What happened domina? What happened after Chike left you?”

The uspec shook its head. “Takabat brought me here. You see Musa, the plenum found out about my existence. I was in Katsoaru when the mighty Calam was killed. Takabat knew that the plenum would search for me, and so it took me to the only port which the plenum had no hold over. It brought me here, to Chiboga. Takabat and Isthum led Sophila to believe that I had been killed, and Sophila relayed this information to the plenum. In exchange for Isthum’s protection, Takabat gave Sophila Cala’s ring.”

maynation:
I was thinking you could help me draw up a picture of an Uspec. I am seriously battling with its picture in my head. Especially the numerous eyes. Only you can do this, the picture doesn't have to be perfect. Just anything will do, even a sketch as far as it portrays the very picture of your imagination.

The truth is that I have gotten a request like this before, and I've passed on it, because I'm just not a good drawer. To be honest, I haven't really spent that much time thinking about what the uspecs look like. For some reason my brain doesn't work like that. So, when I read/write a story I never try to picture a character's face. But, I can try to describe what I think of when I talk about it. So, the uspec's face is like a regular human face but remove our two eyes and replace it with one center eye (right above the nose). And then depending on how old the uspec is, there would be eye sockets formed on the perimeter of their face. This could be evenly distributed around the outer perimeter (one on forehead, one on chin below the mouth, and then two on either side, maybe cheek and on the same level as the center eye). Or it could be clustered, like three eyes on one cheek and three on the other (I just thought about this and it just seems so funny in my head). Or it could be something else. Definitely, the position of the outer eyes form in different places for uspecs (its unique to the uspec), and only the center eye is in the same location for all of them. Anyway, I hope this helps. If there are any artists among us, maybe they can help us with a sketch of what I've described

Smooth278:
Nice... Upgrade on super powers coming up!!!

Well....we shall see

@tunjilomo lol, i hope so tooo oh!

@phoenixchap will it? Well, we shall see . I think Nebud could kill the young uspec. It doesn't want to, but I think it could. The only question is how it will deal with the repercussions of its actions. Which, I believe, is why it won't dare. It's only anger that is making it think all these thoughts

@Ultimategeneral welcome back!

@maynation thank you, glad you like it. A favor? Now I'm curious. Please tell me what the favor is...

LOL @decoderdgenius

@Botaflica Thank you for reading, glad you enjoyed it. I can't wait to see what will come of Nebud's knowledge if there's anything to gain from the tomes that is

@ayshow6102 thanks for reading. That's a good question. When will Nebud start flying? Well, when its body is ready.

@dragonstar14 thank you! Well, sometimes parts of the body just don't start working until they're ready too. Hopefully it happens soon

monalicious:
I love dis story already. Well done obehid. I miss nosezele though, when are they coming back?

Thank you, glad you like it. It's a short story though, and not finished, but if you want to read more you can continue on okadabooks. I miss Nosezele toooo!!! I'm busy with the other marked inspired book I'm working on, so I don't think I'll get back to the human realm till next year, although I'm not sure that I'll posting any more of the marked series books on Nairaland. I'm trying to get them published, so we'll see how that goes. Thank you for thinking of Nosezele

An uspec with some of its outer eye sockets formed rose. “If the pansophy is used accurately, the colored crystal will become invisible and the white one will take on the appearance of the colored.”

“Very good. Sit Tana.” The uspec sat. “Observe.” The teacher picked up a colored crystal and a white one, and then it transferred the appearance of the colored crystal to the white one. “Was my transfer obvious?” it asked.

“No Teacher Sum.” The uspecs replied.

“What did you not see Sophi?”

Sophi rose. “I did not see the appearance as it was transferred through you.”

“Very good. Sit Sophi. Now, you have all passed your preliminary exams, through which you showed that your mind bears the ability to learn pansophy. You have shown yourselves to be amenable to pansophy. You have also taken the introductory sciences. You have learned the basics of how to internally manipulate your lifeforces. You have done all of this, in preparation for the real thing, the exciting part, transferring lifeforces. How many of you chose to take another lifeforce before appearance?”

Sophi was the only one to raise its hand.

The teacher smiled. “Which lifeforce did you take Sophi?”

The uspec stood up. “I learnt about thought, Teacher Sum.”

“And why did you choose to take appearance now?”

The uspec looked down at its desk. “I didn’t…” its voice was a low mumble.

“Speak up please.”

It cleared its throat. “I did not choose to take appearance. My thought teacher instructed me to.”

“Yes, I did, didn’t I?” The uspecs in the classroom laughed. The teacher smiled. “And why did I instruct you to do this?”

“I do not know.”

“Be truthful Sophi.”

The uspec sighed. “Because I told you that I was ready for advanced thought.”

“You are not.”

“I am.” The uspec stated stubbornly.

“Who thinks that they can transfer the appearance the way that I just did?”

Sophi and two other uspecs rose their hands. “Come forward.” The teacher said. “Show us.”

One of the uspecs picked up the colored crystal. As soon as it touched it, its fingers turned the same shade of blue as the crystal. The other uspecs laughed. The uspec appeared flustered. More of its fingers turned blue, and the crystal remained as it had been. The uspecs continued laughing. Finally, the one doing the transfer gave up.

The teacher smiled. “You can return to your seat with the blue finger. Your fingers will remain blue until you are able to fix it yourself. Let this be a lesson to you all. Pansophy is not a game.”

The next uspec took a step back.

“You cannot change your mind now. You must finish what you begun.”

The uspec walked forward. It picked up the crystals. Several minutes passed in which nothing happened.

“Return to your seat.”

Sophi stepped forward. It picked up the crystals, and then it closed its eye. A few seconds later. I watched the appearance of the crystal, move through its skin. I could no longer see the colored crystal. It almost looked as if the crystal was in its body. But the appearance of the crystal stopped midway across its chest. Sophi opened its eye. It looked at its hand, where the colored crystal had been, and it smiled. Then it looked at the other crystal, which was still white, and it frowned. Then it turned to the teacher. The teacher pointed at its chest. Sophi’s shoulders sagged.

“That was a decent attempt.” The teacher said.

Sophi returned to its seat, and the lecture began. I found myself sucked in by the teacher’s words.

A finger poked at me, breaking my focus.

“I cannot get the teacher’s words out of my mind.” Yakubo said.

I frowned at it. “Which words?”

“Its words about the founder. Do you think it is true? Do you think the founder will return?”

“To be honest, I do not think about it. I don’t really care. Why do you?”

“I suppose we all need something to believe in. What better faith than Chuspecip? I am of an Uspecipyte port. It is a forgotten kingdom now, just one more annexed port that Sophila stole. But I still pray to Chuspecip. I pray that the founder will destroy Sophila and all that it holds dear. Just as Sophila destroyed all that I hold…held dear.” My confusion prompted Yakubo to explain. “My progenitor and siblings. We were commoners. We did not fight in the Kaiser’s army, but that did not stop Sophila from slaughtering them. I do not know why it saved me.”

“My condolences on the loss of your line.”

Yakubo nodded.

“Is Sophila’s serf army truly that strong?”

“No, the serf army is only in Chiboga. Sophila has a free army, led by golden capons. They are the ones that it uses to cease other ports.”

“And they are loyal to Sophila?”

“They are loyal to Sophila’s wealth.”

For some reason, I found that interesting enough to contemplate on. I was still musing over that when the lesson ended, and the young uspec, Sophi, emerged, with the appearance of the crystal on its chest.

“I made a fool of myself.” It said.

“You did better than the rest, sirga.” Yakubo replied.

“Not good enough. Pater will be disappointed.” Sophi sighed. “I do not want to attend the other classes. Let us go back to the Castle.”

“As you wish sirga.”

I was wary of the uspec. I was careful to keep copious amounts of space between us.

“What eye did my pater give you, chief Yakubo?”

“Mejo eyes.”

“Can you make hail?” The uspec asked excitedly.

“Not yet,” Yakubo replied, “I will have to take lessons.”

“There are tomes that you could read on spectra. You could learn from them. I would not take lessons on hail.”

“I am not much of a reader sirga, I would rather take lessons.”

“There are tomes on spectra?” I asked, joining the conversation.

The young nodded. “Yes, chief Nebud, there are. Do you enjoy reading?”

“Yes sirga.”

It smiled. “During your next shift, I will take you to the libraries and show you all of our tomes on spectra. There are many detailing the different types of uspecs’ reactions to spectra. To some it is effortless, while others take years to achieve fluency.”

“May I take that shift off?” Yakubo teased.

Part 18
---------

It was good that I was not one to gloat, because if I was, I would be in front of Arexon reveling in my victory. It was really no surprise to me that Sophian accepted me into Sophi’s guard. Why would it not? Sophian was too arrogant to think that I could kill it. In fact, it could not even fathom any scenario in which I would find it advantageous to harm its offspring. If I was a lesser uspec, I would slit the young uspec’s throat right at that moment.

I turned to my left.

Yakubo nodded at me, I nodded back at the uspec.

Perhaps I could not kill the young with Yakubo there. Yakubo and I had been assigned to the same shift. The young uspec was always to be accompanied by two soldiers whenever it left the Castle. Yakubo and I were its guards today. We walked along the hard fog road in the pious camp, between the bases that belonged to the Order of Remediation.

My mind darted back to Sophian’s stupidity. There was a part of me that wanted to harm this young uspec, solely because of the pain that I knew it would bring to Sophian. In my entire time in this port, I had not been able to identify anything that Sophian cared about. Until I saw its interaction with Sophi, earlier on in the day. Sophian only showed emotions with its offspring. I could see the progenitor’s bond whenever it looked at its offspring. If only I did not find it so inconceivable to harm one so young, especially one who had done me no wrong.

The surroundings became more familiar as the base of the Order of Fabrication emerged to our right. That was the base that we had been turned into imps in. Just the thought of that base had me cringing. I hated Aurelion, and anything that reminded me of it.

A glance at Yakubo showed that it shared my distaste for our current environment. I focused on the fog instead, on the way that it drifted about me, the cleanness of it. I had never appreciated fog, until I spent a week trapped in Aurelion. Not even the pits had been that bleak.

We took a right, staying on the path bordered by the Fabrication base. The remediation base to our left gave way to the base which belonged to the Order of Procreation. That base reminded me of the pits of Hakute and the hatch. For a moment, my eyes caught on the young uspec in front of me, and I saw my own offspring. It had been so long since I thought of that offspring, that I found myself shaken by the stirring memories. I shook the memories away, choosing instead to concentrate on my plan.

Sophian and Sophila would die. And the young uspec in front of me, the one that Sophian had so carelessly put under my protection, would be the means by which they were killed. Sophian was smart. At least that was my impression of the uspec. It was smart, and methodical. How could one with so much foresight, make the mistake of trusting me? Did it really believe that deeply in its own infallibility? An orange ray from the daylight dots, wrought a strange glitter in the rectangle in Yakubo’s earring. That glitter caught my eye. It reminded me of the weight on my ears and what the earrings I wore meant. Even though I smelled the fresh fogs, and walked freely on fine grounds, I was still just as imprisoned as I’d been in Aurelion. This life only had the illusion of freedom. I would not get the real thing until Sophian and its progenitor were dead.

Their deaths were my new obsession. I welcomed it.

We reached our destination, the base of the Order of Education. The base was completely sealed off by hard fog. There was an inscription carved into the hard boundary, which read the order’s name. Sophi walked up to the walls, and placed its hand against the fog. The fog softened and then drifted out of the way. The young uspec walked in first, then Yakubo, and I brought up the rear.

There was a neat array of dwellings in front of us. These dwellings varied in size, some having multiple layers, others only having one. Sophi led the way, between dwellings, to a large single layer one, cushioned between several dwellings. Two novices sat on a bench behind a long desk. They were positioned in front of a set of parted curtains.

“Salutations devout ones.” Sophi greeted the novices.

One of the novices inclined its head. This novice was the youngest I had ever seen. It had only two outer eye sockets formed and seven small iron spikes sticking out of its chest.

“You are late Sophi.” It scolded the young uspec.

The other novice also rose its head. This one appeared older than the other. It had four outer eye sockets formed and a partially filled chest. “Very late.” It said disapprovingly.

The uspec’s shoulders slumped. “Forgive …” it cut itself off, then squared its shoulders. It lifted its head and said, “I was delayed on imperial business.”
I almost laughed.

“Every uspec who comes here for knowledge is the same.” One of the novices said. “Imperial or postulant, you are all the same in our eyes. You will not receive any special treatment. Once the lesson begins, no one is allowed to disrupt it.”

“But I am only a few minutes late.”

“The lessons have begun.”

“Please.” Sophi begged. “My pater will not be pleased.”

“Perhaps you should have considered that before you chose to be tardy. Good day.”

Sophi took a deep breath, and then it turned around and walked around Yakubo. We were just about to turn around and follow the young, when we saw a pious one standing behind the drawn curtains.

“Sophi!” The pious one yelled. “Where are you going? I have been waiting for you to start the lesson. Come on, hurry up now!”

Sophi turned around. It was beaming when it ran past us, to the uspec standing by the curtains. “Salutations Teacher Sum.” It greeted with a bow.

Yakubo and I approached them. Once we got closer, we could clearly see the markings on the pious one’s fraise. Those markings showed that it was of the Order of education, it was a teacher.

“Salutations Sophi.” The teacher replied. “Tardy again?”

“Forgive me Teacher Sum, it will not happen again.”

The teacher laughed. “That was what you said the last time.”

“I really do try my best, I just got distracted, reading the tome of the blessed eye.”

“It is always one tome or the other with you Sophi.” The teacher shook its head. It held its hands behind its back, before it began walking. “But, why is it that you are never delayed reading tomes on pansophy. That is after all the education you are here to receive.”

“Pansophy is boring. I want to read about the exciting things. Like the tale of the great boga maker, the isle of shuns, and the blessed eye. I wish I had the blessed eye. But one must be touched by the founder to get it.” The young uspec grew quiet. “Teacher Sum, do you think that the founder will return? I will like to meet it. I would like to lay prostrate before it. Perhaps it will give me the blessed eye. Or, maybe it will allow me to siphon its route, like it did the great boga maker! Yes, I would like that.”

“You only seek to meet the founder to receive gifts from it. Your motives are not pure and selfless as every great hero’s is. You must be as selfless and altruistic as the great maker who the founder Chuspecip chose, or be as honorable and pure of heart as the ones that the founder gifted the blessed eye. Those are the only ones that the founder appears to.”

“Are there no good uspecs left then? Is that why the founder no longer appears to us? I wish for the old days, when there were uspecs who knew exactly where the founder lived. I would walk with the founder. I would give it gifts of silver and gold, of all the metals that we mined!”

The teacher laughed. “The founder desires no gifts. It is one that exists but does not. It needs no sustenance as it is the essence of spectral life which sustains it. It is the source of silver and gold, of the metals in the mines that you will own. You cannot give to the maker that which it can make.”

“What then can I give to the founder to make it choose me, to make it appear to me? I would protect it from the plenum. I would give every soldier in my army to its cause.”

“You have no army yet.” The teacher laughed. It stopped walking. “Besides, the founder does not need protection. It is the greatest being which exists in this existence. Only fools think that they can harm it.”

Sophi frowned. “You are wrong Teacher Sum. The plenum is close to catching it. They will destroy it if I do not get to it first. It is my destiny to save the founder and end the chasm. Kuworytes and Uspeciptyes will coexist again. I will return peace to this existence.”

The teacher bent to a squat in front of the young. It smiled patiently at it. “If you do not heed anything else I say, heed this. The plenum will win this war. They will not win it because they are stronger or wealthier than the founder. No, they will only win because the founder wills it so. This is our test. The founder is testing our faith. Those of the true faith must stay strong in their beliefs. When the trial is over, the founder will return and vanquish the plenum. Those that were faithful will be rewarded, and those that bowed to the plenum will be destroyed. That is why the mighty Sophila will never bow to the plenum. It is why you must remain steadfast. Remember that your loyalty to the founder comes before that which you give to any other uspec.”

Sophi bowed. “Yes, Teacher Sum. I am grateful for your wisdom.”

The teacher drew open the curtains and Sophi walked through. The teacher walked in after it. I counted twenty desks in the room they walked into. Only one of those desks was empty. Sophi sat on that one. The teacher walked to the front of the room. It had a large table in front of it. On that table, there were two bowls. One was filled with crystals of different colors, the other was filled with white crystals.

“Today we begin our lesson in appearance.” The teacher said. I looked around the room and noted that all of the uspecs in there were older than Sophi. Much older than Sophi. They all had several outer eye sockets formed and iron spikes on their chests. Some of them were so old, in fact, that they had all of their outer eye sockets formed and one or two of them filled. From the neckcloths on their necks, I could tell that they were also all novices, though I could not see the markings on the neckcloths clearly enough to say which order they belonged to.

“You have all learned the basics of pansophy. Now, we will learn of its practical applications using these crystals as examples. Before the conclusion of this course, you will all take the appearance of a colored crystal and transfer it through you, into one of the white crystals. What would you expect to happen if this exercise is performed correctly?”

Several uspecs in the room raised their hands.

“Tana.” The teacher called.

@decoderdgenius hope you enjoyed. Will you be the first again today ?

@Madosky112 it's complete oh, lol. Thank you for reading

@tunjilomo is it? Next one is about the same length oh. Nebud in action soon.

@Omittesb thank you for reading! Yes, oh, Nebud has really had a painful journey...

@Botaflica more coming

@ayshow6102 thank you for reading. As in...you may be right oh, well let's see

@Tuhndhay thank you! Haha, it's really super-bodyguard. What reunion are you waiting for?

@Datyhpebruv Saturday has come! Come and read

@Fazemood thank you for reading! Let's see what Nebud does next

Part 17
---------

It was a new day. The daylight dots shone their orange hue, as I marched through the barracks. It felt odd to walk around so freely. I was not now unperturbed by my serfdom, far from it, but I felt secure in my plan. All I had to do was wait for the perfect opportunity to enact it.

A cyan glow reminded me of the key that I’d found the day before, in Isthum’s dwelling. The purpose of that key was still a mystery. We’d pored over every area of the room, every nook and cranny, and come up empty. There were no secret locks which the key opened. None in the dwelling, and none in the entire walled off compound. Whatever the key led to, it was not in Isthum’s lot. The question now, was where was it? Was it a secret that Isthum had only felt safe enough to leave buried in its head? Had it taken that secret with it to the grave? Or perhaps, it had left clues in its dwellings? I did not know, but I thought, perhaps Arexon would.

I stopped in front of Arexon’s office, frowning at the raised voices I heard coming from behind the curtains.

“You cannot do this to me again.” Arexon yelled. I had never heard the uspec sound so desperate. “I have served your line faithfully. I have done much more than was ever asked of me. And what do I get in return? Another extension of my serfdom. I do not deserve this.”

“Perhaps if you had found the last brio, things would have been different. But you did not, and pater does not think that you have earned your freedom.” I recognized Sophian’s voice by the lack of empathy, before I placed its tone.

“By the contract I signed, I earned my freedom years ago!”

“Pater does not agree with you.”

There was something poignant about the silence that ensued.

“Did you speak to the mighty one on my behalf?” Arexon’s voice sounded strained. There were pleading notes in that voice. This was not like Aurelion when Arexon had begged, in its role as imp. The uspec was back as commander now, and I could hear the pride in its tone.

“I do not interfere with such matters.” Sophian stated flatly. “You know that.”

“How long is the extension this time?”

“Pater will be willing to reconsider after the conclusion of the coming war with the plenum. Your freedom will depend on how well you serve us, commander.”

“This is not necessary, you know that I would fight willingly for your line. When have I ever not? I know no other family save yours, where else would I go? Why not let me fight for you as a free uspec, instead of a serf?”

“I grow tired of this conversation Arexon. I have only come to relay pater’s ruling on the issue. Is it your desire to challenge the Kaiser of Chiboga?”

Arexon sighed. “Of course not. I will accept the Kaiser’s ruling.”

“Then affix your signature to the document.”

I heard ruffling sounds next. I used the opportunity that the break in the conversation afforded, to look around me. I noticed for the first time then, that the gurus who usually stood guard in front of the curtains to the commander’s office, were missing. There were no soldiers anywhere close to the office. Had they been ordered away?

“How long till the plenum arrives?”

“They mean to catch us as unprepared as they can.” Sophian replied. “In the week that you spent lazing about Aurelion, they closed up the parts of the inter-port trail around us. If you had been back sooner, we would have known of your failure to procure the last brio, and we would have acted accordingly. You see how much your failure has cost us? The plenum is amassing their armies on the inter-port trail around us. Our spies amongst the pious on the trail, tell us that the plenum plan to begin their attacks in ten days. We have already bolstered security at the hangar. It will take them months to break through. While they attempt, they will be left vulnerable to us. We will thin their numbers. We will win. I do not doubt it. The only question is how much it will cost us.”

“How much fighting power will be lost to death?”

“That is not what worries me. No, Chiboga is filled with our serf army. I do not care about serf life. The plenum cannot beat us, truly, they do not want to. We are Kuworyte, no, it will look bad if they succeed. They want to humble us, to show us their might. They will not retreat until we are made to pay with something we are loath to give. It might be annexed ports, or it might be the life of an uspec in our line. Whatever they choose, we will be reluctant, and they will slaughter our free Chiboga uspecs while we vacillate. Those uspecs will lose faith in us. Civil wars have started over less.”

I do not care about serf life. How tactless a thing to say to a serf? The lack of emotion in Sophian’s voice made it even worse. How could Arexon be so loyal to one such as this?

“Now that you are back, see that your soldiers are properly trained. Also, I want more guards for Sophi. Ranks of guru and higher. Bring me a list of names before the end of the day.”

“Yes sirga.”

The curtains to the commander’s office were pulled open abruptly. The parted curtains revealed Sophian walking out of the office. The uspec stopped short on sighting me.

I saluted.

“What are you doing here?” Sophian asked.

“I am here to speak to the commander, imperial one.” I kept my gaze fixed away from its face, and did my best to bury my hatred. I had just stumbled upon the perfect opportunity to begin putting my plan into motion.

Sophian turned around, stared pointedly at Arexon, and then turned back around and shook its head. It began walking.

“Permission to initiate, imperial one?”

Sophian crossed its hands behind its back and spread its legs. “In clover.” It ordered.

I took my hand down, and let it rest by my side.

“Permission granted.”

“I came here, to Commander Arexon’s office, to beg for permission to approach you, imperial one.”

It was obvious that I had surprised Sophian, because its face filled with shock. The expression only lasted for seconds before it faded. “Approach me for what?”

“To humbly express my gratitude, imperial one. I lied to you on the day we met. I am, was, a banneret, imperial one, I know what a grave sin it is to lie, especially on a subject as essential as faith. The truth is that I am not Kuworyte. I am irira. It is what I have been my entire life, imperial one, and the only uspecs who would accept me where Uspecipytes. So, when the imperial Manus asked me to come to this port on a mission, I felt honor bound to accept, even though I did not want to come to a Kuworyte port. The imperial Marcinus was very kind to me, I owed the line. And so I came here, and I lied to you. You had every right to punish me, imperial one, you had every right to kill me. But you did not. I will forever be in your debt for the mercy that you showed me. I am a skilled fighter, imperial one, and from now till the day I die, I am indebted to the one who had mercy on me, and saved me, when my own foolishness should have gotten me killed. Gratitude imperial one, gratitude sirga.” I was surprised by the ease with which I had delivered the speech I had rehearsed so thoroughly, many times in my head, during the previous night. Even Musa had been convinced when I delivered it to it after our breakfast. It was not until that moment, as I said the words to Sophian, with Arexon standing in the background, that I realized why they appeared so real. It was because I meant them.

“Your serfdom will ensure that you pay the debt you owe.” Sophian replied curtly.

It took everything I had to keep from reacting to the uspec’s words. I wanted to lash out at it, to pull my dagger from my belt and slash its throat right there and then. How could it respond like that after the speech that I had given? I had to remind myself of the plan. I could not act so foolishly now.

“Yes sirga.” I said, once my emotions were back under control. “I am grateful for the serfdom, imperial one, I am grateful for this opportunity to pay my debt.”

Sophian studied me quietly. It took much more interest in me now than it ever had before. Then it nodded dismissively at me, and then marched off. I turned around and watched while Sophian’s wings began flapping. It flew away.

“What was that?” Arexon sounded angry.

“What sirga?”

“That!” It snapped. “That speech of lies.”

“I meant every word.”

“Do not lie to me?”

“Why are you so angry?” I reached for its anger and exhausted it.

Arexon blinked at me. It stared blankly at me for the seconds it took for the stun to wear off. Once it did, I felt Arexon’s anger regrow. “Don’t ever do that to me again!”

“Yes sirga.”

“When did you become the perfect soldier? Saluting Sophian, apologizing, calling me ‘sirga’ so freely.”

“You asked me to serve commander, that is what I am doing.”

“No, what you are doing is lying. I want to know why. Now, dammit!”

“I meant every word I said.” I felt the rise in Arexon’s anger. “I did. You, not Sophian, were the imperial one I was referring to. You’ve given more than I can ever repay commander, I am in your debt. I have had time to think of all that you said, and all that has happened, and I see now, just how much you have sacrificed for me.”

Arexon stretched out its hand, and before it spoke, I knew what it meant to do. “Do you give me your permission to see for myself?” It asked, its words a challenge.

I sighed. “You cannot simply take me at my word?”

“No Nebud.”

“Very well, you have my permission, not that you’ve ever asked for it before. I should warn you, you may not like what you see.”

Arexon’s hand clamped around my arm, just below my silver armband. Its grasp was much stronger than it needed to be, but I could tell that the uspec was angry. I also knew that I was nothing but a convenient subject for its anger. It was not I who had caused the rage, at least not fully.

“Forget it.” Arexon said, after its search was done. “I warn you, forget about that plan. Not only will I never aid you, I will do everything in my power to stop you. Do not make me choose between you and Sophian, because I will not choose you.” Its hand came off my arm.

I was afflicted by Arexon’s words. Why not? What did it ever gain from its service to Sophian? “Sophian is no friend of yours.” I replied.

“And you are?” Arexon mocked. “Yesterday you wanted to kill me, today you want to befriend me. What, pray tell, will tomorrow bring?”

“I am not a selfish friend.”

“Are you not? I wonder what Marcinus would say in response to that.”

I took a step back.

My heart filled with a grief which I could not describe. Arexon’s mention of Marcinus brought back the guilt which I had worked so hard to bury. I suddenly felt as if the eye in my socket was attempting to burn through my face. I had no secrets from Arexon. The uspec’s expert use of its hidden pansophy ensured that it knew everything. It knew me better than I knew myself. What right did I have to seek friendship with another uspec who was my better? I had to reform my plan, I had to count Arexon out.

“Forgive me.” I said. Then I turned around and began walking.

Arexon stopped me. “It is I who should seek your forgiveness. I am hurt and angry at Sophian, and I cannot take my anger out on it, and so I chose you instead. I know that you did all that you could for Marcinus. Forgive me Nebud.”

I turned back so that I was facing Arexon, and I nodded.

“If you are offering your friendship Nebud, I will take it, but I will not betray another, older, friend for you. I cannot do it.”

“Sophian is no friend of yours.”

“You do not know Sophian Nebud, you do not know who it was before it lost all its siblings to its pater’s wars. You do not know what Sophian has been through, what it has had to endure. If Sophian appears cold, it is because it has to be. Sophian is the best friend I have.”

“Will you tell it of my plan?” I asked.

“No.” Arexon shook its head. “I do not need to, because your plan will not work. I will not aid you.”

I smiled. I could live with that compromise. I had to change my plan then.

“Why not just serve your years quietly and leave? Why obey a voice in your head over your own good sense? You should never have come here Nebud. If the voice tells you to kill yourself, will you do that too? How can one as arrogant as yourself, be owned by a voice you do not even know?”

“So far, the voice and I have agreed.”

“Perhaps. Or perhaps the voice has made you think that you agree. You will not succeed here Nebud. Sophila is not Marcinus. It will never trust you enough to be in a room alone with you. And even if it does, it will never let its guard down long enough for you to take its eye. This is where your mission ends. The voice in your head has led you to twenty years of serfdom. If you’re one of the lucky ones who make it through this war with the plenum, that is.”

“So, then I suppose it will be futile to ask you to put my name on the list of soldiers to guard Sophi.”

“Leave Sophi out of this Nebud, it is just a child.”

“I do not harm children. Besides, I like the young uspec. It is a tomes-enthusiast, just as I. If I get the position, I will protect it. Surely, you saw that much in my head.”

“Yes, I saw your plan Nebud. I know that you plan to use me to get close to the Kaiser’s line and kill them. I will not help you.”

“Then help Sophi. Can you find a better fighter to guard the young?”

“You must think Sophian is a fool. It will never allow you to guard its offspring. Never.”

“Then there is no harm in putting my name on the list.”

Arexon sighed. “I know Sophian, you are wasting your time.”

“You know the version of Sophian you choose to see, I know the real thing. That uspec is as arrogant as any other imperial. It will want to make a success story out of me. It knows my skill, if it thinks that it can turn me into a soldier as loyal as you, it will try.”

“Very well, I will put your name on the list, if for no other reason than to have the satisfaction of watching you fail.”

@Madosky112 Thank you!

@tunjilomo So the lit okun kills most people that it touches, but there's no way of knowing which uspec will be safe and which wouldn't. But Nebud has already had experience with the lit okun, so it knows that its safe. As to the jejas, the lit okun doesn't kill them as they are creatures of the okun. Same way that the only uspecs with a chance of surviving lit okun are the kute uspecs who are tied to the okun. No, I haven't read any of Erikson's works

@popeshemoo lol, thank you for reading. I agree the start was kind of rough. i had to try to establish this new world before i could really delve into the characters and the intrigue, but I'm glad that you've found it worth the read As to the Servia story, I don't think I'll be completing that. I'm just going to focus on this one. I find it very hard to keep stories short, so if I get into that, I'm afraid it'll just spin out of control. I'm focusing on the marked instead.

@OluwabuqqyYOLO thank you for the recommendation, I'm really flattered and grateful! I'm so glad that this story means so much to you. And this was all you could read when you were sick wow, I'm really humbled. Thank you I'll tell you a secret, this story makes me look forward to Wednesdays and Saturdays too, so that I can see how everyone is reacting to the story. I'm happy you look forward to reading it as much as I look forward to posting

@Fazemood so you're still here? I thought you'd abandoned us oh, anyway, it's good to see you back. I definitely get how you feel, Nebud is not the most love-inspiring protagonist. Whenever I read a book tend to get engrossed in it like you've described, and the characters feel real to me, so I can definitely get annoyed when they misbehave. It feels so strange and quite mind-blowing to hear you describe my characters like this! But yes, I agree with you, I tend to like smart characters too, but sha, I don't tend to like villains, whether they are smart or not. haha. I like these questions and about Arexon...well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see . Anyway, I'm happy that you're still with us! Thank you!!!

@ayshow6102 So, no, lit okun does not affect Nebud. It didn't come in contact with it before the pits, it came in contact with it after. It was after it left the pits, that it found a swan and the swan led it to a pond filled with lit okun. It jumped into the pond fishing for jejas, without even knowing that lit okun was lethal. After that it met Musa and Musa told it how dangerous lit okun is

@Dathypebruv and that's important too, because it means that at one point Nebud was able to create lit okun...

@smooth278 thank you for reading! Indeed, it thickens!

@decoderdgenius I agree that Nebud has been through a lot. And it has learned the hard way that it can't trust people easily, and it has to be ready to defend itself. HAHAHAHAHA, it's funny that you think that I (a woman) am writing a book with men, but without women. The uspecs in this book are GENDERLESS they are not men.

@Tuhndhay Lol, thank you, I'm glad your enjoying it. More twists and turns coming

@Botaflica Thank you. As to the nature of Arexon's intentions towards Nebud, well, I guess we'll just have to wait and see if Arexon can truly be trusted, and why he's doing all that he's doing for our Nebud

@ayshow6102 I think the time you're talking about was in the slum, before it got to the pits. And then it came in contact with regular okun, but not lit okun. The first time it saw lit okun was much later, after it left the pits

@phoenixchap Does Arexon have a plan? Well, I think that there is a lot that Arexon can do, hopefully Nebud stays safe

@Jackossky I'm glad you like it

tunjilomo:
You've got more than just mere talents.

Lol! Thank you!!!

Had it really been so long since I’d last heard the prompting of that voice? It was not insistent now, just a gentle reminder, like a light prod to smoldering twigs. The fire was already set in me, and so all I needed was a little flicker to bring the flames back to life. I only had to recall the scourging that I had suffered at Sophian’s hand. I could not leave, anymore than I could have left Katsoaru without Marcinus’ eye. Only this time, I was not plagued with a million questions. I did not care why it was Sophila’s eye desired. I was just as eager for the eye as the voice in my head. Sophila’s eye, Sophila’s life, Sophian’s life. I would not be leaving Chiboga without them. Musa’s words about Arexon’s serfdom had reminded me of my plan, the one that had started to form in my head today.

The picture was starting to get clearer. One thing was sure, taking Sophila’s eye would be one of the most satisfying moments of my time in Chiboga. Second only to taking its offspring’s life.

The bosses stationed in front of the gate to the pious camp stood close to the sides. There was a large gap in the middle, but neither Musa nor I could walk through until they opened the gate. This marked another long period of waiting. I found that I did not much mind the wait. We stood outside, free from the stink of Aurelion, and the captivity of the barracks. There was just something refreshing about having my feet against the hard fog roads.

“Ajar!”

“Now.” I whispered to Musa.

The gates opened and we ran towards them. The canoe steering out had several novices sitting in it. We walked right by the canoe as one of the novices eyes locked on me. I doubt that it could see me, but with my paranoia, I could not help but fear the unknown. What if the novice had some sort of pansophy magic that could see things without appearance? There had to be some way that it could be done. In fact, I did recall reading a tome on that.

The canoe moved on, and my paranoia faded.

We found that crossing the gates was the hardest part. Once we entered the pious camp, we both remained silent. We were in pansophy territory now. We stayed close to the borders of the camp as we walked, choosing these backroads over the main ones which were certain to be more cramped. We made our way past several bases, none of which looked familiar. I knew that the bases closest to the gates belonged to the Order of Remediation, but I did not know which pious lived in the other ones.

At long last, we reached the base of the Order of Annihilation. Isthum had been a yielder. The base had a large banner over the open entrances. These banners had the sign of the order printed boldly on them. I could not see my imp, but I knew that Musa would shiver on seeing these signs. It did not like the yielders.

Isthum had its own lot.

According to Arexon, its first order of business tomorrow was to have this lot torn down, and all its contents inventoried. Sketches had been done, so it had warned against taking anything from the dwelling. Most pious shared lots. It was an indication of the esteem the Kaiser held Isthum in, that it was given a lot of its own. I put my key into the hard fog entry to the lot, and the fog went away.

“I cannot believe all that you have told me about Arexon master. We are indebted to it.” Musa said, though its tone seemed to contradict the words. I heard doubt in its voice.

The fog hardened once I passed through, and the key was no longer inserted in the fog. “I am indebted to it.” I stopped, just short of entering the pious one’s house and turned to stare at the imp. “If anything should happen to me Musa, I want you to take my wealth and leave this port. Go far away, and establish a life for yourself. Do not waste a second thought on me. Do you understand?”

“No master.”

“What?”

“No master, I do not understand, or agree. I would never leave you like that. Perhaps I should accompany you as I am now, without my appearance. No one would ever know.”

“No!” I shook my head. “Sophian and Arexon are both deep thinkers. They know of pansophy and the danger it could pose. They would not leave themselves unprotected from an attacker without appearance. You must never attempt this.”

“Fine master, but I will not leave this port without you.” Musa insisted.

It was stubborn, I thought with a frown. I could just imagine the imp staring at me with its jaw set, its gait oozing with conviction. It was loyal, I decided. Loyal to a fault. I nodded, but I remained silent.

The dwelling was unlit.

It was easy to make out the outer walls of the hovel, using the illumination provided by the clouds, but that light would only do so much in providing illumination. The dwelling was only one layer high, but that single layer was wide. We walked through one of the many open arches that led into the dwelling.

“What do you think we are looking for?” I asked.

“I do not know master. None of this makes sense. Why would commander Arexon save your life? Why would it tell you about this place?”

I had left out several aspects of the story which I told Musa, one of the key ones being the link that I shared with Arexon. I told it about Arexon’s pansophy and the uspec seeing that I was searching for Sensu, but Musa was having a hard time believing that it would give us this information out of the kindness of its heart.

“This all seems to have come down to one thing Musa.” I stated.

“Yes master, it all comes down to the heir to Lahooni. We must find it.”

I almost laughed. “No Musa, it all comes down to the last brio. What have you heard of it?”

There was a conspicuous silence, followed by a very unconvincing, “nothing master.”

“In all your centuries serving the line of the Kaisers of Lahooni, you heard nothing of it?”

“Yes master.” The imp stated.

I decided not to push. There were certain things that I had chosen to keep from the imp, so if it decided to keep this a secret, what right did I have to force it to speak? Besides, the last brio ranked very low on my list of priorities. That artifact meant too many things to too many people. I was not about to be one of them.

The inside of the dwelling was a startling mix between haggard and kempt. There were certain areas which were littered with shredded tomes and clothes. I walked past this disorder to a spot of dried blood on the ground. We were still close to the arches, so the beams of light from the clouds still allowed for partial view. I stepped past the blood, and walked into the real darkness, where the clouds light did not reach.

I was just about to turn back towards the lit area, when I saw a glow of pink light, coming from further off in the room. That pink light drew me. I walked towards it, wondering as I did, what I would find.

“I lied master.” I heard Musa’s voice beside me. “I do not know much about the last brio, but I do know that it was a thing handed down from one uspec to the next. The uspecs in the line of the Kaiser of Lahooni, were sworn to protect it. It was a secret master, one to be kept only by the uspecs in that line. That is all I know.”

“I believe you.”

We reached the source of the pink light. It was a strange room filled with several deep glass bowls of lit okun. Each bowl had a number of jejas swimming in it. I frowned. What was this fascination with jejas? I walked towards the bowls.

Something caught my eye.

Each bowl had stones at the bottom, little pebbles of different colors. But, in one bowl, I found pebbles that reminded me of the mine which I’d just left. Those pebbles reminded me of the metals, the bonbons, which the imps mined in Aurelion. I walked towards that bowl, and put my hand into it.

“Master!” Musa screamed. “The lit okun kills.”

I reached to the bottom, and grabbed a handful of the cyan colored pebbles.

Opening my palm, so that the pebbles were revealed, I asked, “are these pansophy conduits?”

One of those pebbles lifted in the air. I could not see Musa’s hand, but I knew that the imp was holding it.

“Yes master. How did you know?”

“I just returned from Aurelion, remember.”

I tossed the pebbles back into the bowl. My hand brushed a jeja on my way back up. I frowned at it.

“Do you know the one thing we have an abundance of in our slums?”

“Jejas?”

“Yes Musa. There are so much jejas. So much, that I consider myself something of a jeja expert. I know jejas.” I grabbed onto the jeja I had brushed against and pulled it out of the okun. “That is how I know that this jeja is fake.”

“Surely not master, it moves like all the others.”

“Touch it.”

There was silence and then Musa’s shocked voice. “It is made of rubber master.”

“Yes, it is. The question is why? Is Isthum a great collector of jejas, or did it build all of this just to hide this fake one. And in lit okun, that is perfect! What uspec would put its hand into lit okun?”

“You master.”

I laughed at the imp’s sulky tone. Then, I pulled out my dagger, and placed the sharp end against the squirming belly of the fake jeja. I tore it open. There, in the belly of the jeja, was a cyan key.

“I wonder what this leads to.” I mused.

Part 16
---------

I stood in front of my rented suite in the third base of the civilian’s camp. My hands instinctively went to my belt. It felt very nice to have the familiar weight back on me. Arexon had returned the belt to me, with all of its contents. Since the silver in the belt matched the silver of the chief’s uniform, I was allowed to wear it as I pleased. I had been so overjoyed to see the belt that I examined each content. It had been so long since that night in Katsoaru, that I had completely forgotten about the blue liquid which Manus had given me to counteract the effects of lust. The vial was there though, with a bottle of aqua-sight and a pouch of merit. My cutlass and dagger were included in the belt.

Arexon had had the belt in its private quarters. The uspec had kept the belt, and all of its contents, safe for me.

“The only thing worse than your arrogance, is your own stupidity. There is nothing worse than a fool who thinks it is wise. A fool who accepts its ignorance at least knows that it has much to learn.”

Arexon’s words echoed in my head. So many things that the uspec had said to me had been right. I could not help but think that even its insults had been accurate. I had been foolish. I had been foolish for so long. At least, before I started reading the tomes I’d known that there was much I did not know. Now, only a little over a year of enlightenment and I assumed that I knew everything? I sighed. How could I not have known about the Katsoaru thought bubble? How could a secret such as that have been kept so effectively? I was starting to wonder how many people knew. Had Yakubo known that day in the hangar? Of course Manus knew. Knowing Manus, it had probably asked me the question as a test to see if I knew. And by answering without mention of the thought bubble, I had illuminated it as to my own ignorance.

But Arexon was the surprise. How did an imperial become so good at playing the role of slave? There was so much about Arexon that I wished I knew. Arexon had pansophy, but Sophian did not. Why did Arexon not use its pansophy against Sophian? How could Arexon bow so easily? As I thought of the uspec, I could not help but contemplate other secrets that it hid. Who was Arexon really? Would I ever know?

With a shake of my head, I turned my focus from thoughts of Arexon, to thoughts of the imp behind the door.

Musa.

As I stood there, my hand around the hilt of the cutlass in my belt, I contemplated my state of mind. There was excitement. I was certainly happy to see the imp. I had missed its company.

I smiled.

Then, I rose my clenched hand and pounded against the door to the suite.

There was no response.

I frowned. Was Musa out? I knocked on the door again.

“Master?” The loud question preceded the disappearance of the fog. The fog went away, and there, standing inside the suite, was my imp.

I could not think of a single person that I had ever being happier to see in my life.

The imp ran towards me. Its wide sockets peered over me. “Is that really you master?” it asked. It ran its hands disbelievingly over my arms, tracing the silver bands on them.

“Yes, it is me Musa.”

The imp’s face lit up with a smile. “Welcome home master.” It released its hold of me and stepped aside. “Welcome home.”

I walked in, and the fog hardened behind me.

The suite was just as it had been the last time I was here. Whatever changes I had expected Musa to make, appeared then to have solely been figments of my imagination. The imp had not changed a thing. “How have you been?”

“Me?” Musa squealed. “I’ve been great. I’ve been free. You are the one that I am worried about. How have you been master?”

“Still a serf.” I stated.

Musa frowned. “I am sorry master, if there…”

I cut it off. “Don’t be sorry. I would rather it be me than you. Besides, I just spent a week in Aurelion, and I would never let you go there.”

Musa gasped. “You were in Aurelion master?”

I chuckled. “It is a long story.”

“I will cook your favorite meals master. Then you can have a long cleaning in the base okun that you like, and then you can tell me all about it.”

I shook my head. “Later. We have more important things to deal with first.”

“More important than a cleaning in a great okun?” Musa’s voice was filled with feigned shock.

I laughed. How I’d missed my imp’s humor. “Yes, Musa. But before that, tell me, truly, how have you been? You have not wanted for anything have you?”

It shook its head. “No master.”

“Have you been indoors this whole time?”

The imp cast its gaze down guiltily, then it rose its head up. “No master.”

“So Arexon’s pendant works.”

Musa’s jaw clenched at the mention of the name. It nodded, but it did not say any more.

“It is good to see you Musa.”

Musa smiled. “Me too master, me too. I prayed that I would see you soon. I was so worried for you master. I could not imagine all the terrible things that they would do to you. But I should have put more faith in you, I forgot how truly great a fighter you are. Now, you are a silver capon.”

I frowned. “How do you know of the ranks?”

“An imp draws too much attention in this place. The sight of an imp is so rare that I am easily noticed everywhere I go. That is not how I like to live. So, when I walk about, I go without appearance. I have learned much about this port that way. I know about the Kaiser’s serf army, and the commander it has leading it.”

I chuckled. “Trust me, whatever you think you know about the commander is only, at best, partially true. I doubt even Arexon knows who it is.”

“I’ve heard much talk this way master. Like, did you know that the commander Arexon is actually the imperial of the forgotten kingdom of Aboga? Its progenitor was too cowardly to fight the Kaiser in public and so as punishment, the Kaiser made Arexon a serf. Arexon was meant to die as a soldier, but it somehow managed to make itself valuable to the Kaiser. Now the commander is so valuable to the army that the Kaiser will not lose it. Not even now, when the term of the commander’s serfdom is long completed.”

That was news. “Are you saying that Arexon has served out its prescribed term of serfdom?”

“Many years ago. Now the Kaiser keeps looking for reasons to keep the commander in silver instead of gold.”

I stored this information for later consumption. Arexon’s term had long passed? Yet it continued to serve the Kaiser’s line with so much loyalty and conviction. Why? “How is your search going?” I decided to change the topic.

“My search, master?”

“For Sensu.”

Musa shook its head. “I’ve found nothing. There are no imps here master, none wandering about as I do. Which means that the only information that I can get is from eavesdropping on conversations. And there has been no mention of Sensu. I am beginning to lose hope master, I am starting to think that our journey to Chiboga was all for naught.”

“It is a good thing that I have a lead then.”

“You do?”

I nodded. “You are good with appearance are you not?”

Musa frowned. “I do not understand.”

“Where we are going, we cannot risk being seen. You must take away our appearance Musa.”

Musa’s eyelids pulled all the way up. “Where are we going?”

“To the pious camp. I have the keys.”

“It is really good to have you back master.” Musa said. Before it was done speaking, its appearance was gone. I gaped in shock at the empty space before me. Then, I felt a touch on my arm. “It is done master.”

I looked down and found nothing of myself. There were no green legs. I lashed out with my arms and found nothing to signal at my presence. “Do I have to worry that you will lose my appearance as Xavier lost Tantan’s?”

Musa laughed. “I transferred our appearances internally. My lung now appears as I do, and my liver as you. As long as I do not lose my organs, our appearances will remain with us.”

I could not help laughing at the teasing tone in the imp’s voice. “Let us go.” I said.

“Perhaps you could tell me at least part of what has happened to you while you’ve been away. I have been really worried about you master.”

“Alright, Musa.”

And so, I talked. I kept my voice low and cautioned Musa to listen with its extra hearing to make sure that we were not being watched or followed. Whenever we walked past a contingent of soldiers our conversation muted until they were behind us. This was the difficult part about travelling without appearance, we could not make use of any canoes. We had to walk all the way from the civilians’ camp, around the Kaiser’s Castle, to the Pious camp. The long walk afforded us with plenty time for me to tell my story. And so I told it all, even including my recent revelations about Arexon and the gift that it had given. By the time we reached the gates to the pious camp, it was late night.

I missed this. The feel of the fog around my skin and the red illumination of the clouds beaming down on me. For this moment, I was free. It occurred to me then, that I could leave Chiboga like this. Musa could remove the appearance from all of our things, and we could walk to the hangar and leave this cursed port. No one would ever know.

‘Sophila’s eye.’

@Madosky112 thank you! Glad you enjoyed it

@tunjilomo I would love to write about the life of Arexon too...if only there was more time. Thank you

@phoenixchap thank youuuu! I'm glad you're still enjoying it. I'll try to keep it coming

@cassbeat happy you showed your face thanks for reading!

@spixytinxy As in, when I saw how you stuck with Arexon I thought you were reading my mind. Nice prediction!!! Thank you for reading. I don't know if this update is long sha, but I hope it's enough to satisfy the hunger till Wednesday

@Dathypebruv I'm so happy you enjoyed it!!!

@ayshow6102 about Marcinus...I don't know if Marcinus will come back. We'll just have to wait and see

@Ultimategeneral I'm glad you enjoyed it. I hope I can keep keeping you glued

I cleared my throat. “I was not speaking of Aurelion.”

“Then…oh, I see. Yakubo told you.”

I nodded. “Why?”

“Why do you think?”

I frowned. “I do not know.”

“No smart ideas tumbling around that head of yours?”

I clenched my jaw. Why did Arexon choose to be so infuriating? Didn’t it see how difficult this was for me? I relaxed my jaw. “No.”

“You are not half as smart as you think you are then.”

“I only came to say gratitude.” I snapped. “I have said it, now I will go.”

“You will do no such thing!” Arexon snapped. “You will stand there and listen to whatever it is I choose to say. You will go when you are dismissed. Do you understand me?”

I did not respond, but I also did not leave. That was about as far as I was willing to bend to Arexon’s will. I had to remind myself that I would be dead if not for this uspec. I would have died after that first foolish mistake I made, stabbing the imperial. Arexon interceded on my behalf. It saved my life twice, and healed me when I was ill. I could endure this.

“The only thing worse than your arrogance, is your own stupidity. There is nothing worse than a fool who thinks it is wise. A fool who accepts its ignorance at least knows that it has much to learn. Do you even know what your first mistake was?”

I ignored the insults. If Arexon could feign humility, perhaps I could too. But it was so difficult. “I did not mean to stab Sophian!” I yelled. I realized from my own tone that I could not feign humility as Arexon had. I was not Arexon, at least I had my pride.

“Of course you did not. Your hand went to your dagger all on its own.”

“I thought it had pansophy.”

“If an imperial chooses to touch you, you let it, whether or not it has pansophy. Especially when you know it has spectra. Or do you not understand how easy it is to end a life with the fogs? That you are still alive to act on your stupidity is a miracle the likes of which I have never seen before. But no, stabbing Sophian was not your first mistake. Would you like to try again?”

“Coming to Chiboga.”

“No, you made the mistake even before that.”

“If you know so much then why don’t you just tell me.” I snapped.

“Is Katsoaru Uspecipyte or Kuworyte?”

I frowned. Katsoaru? “Uspecipyte.”

“You walked into an Uspecipyte port, without once being asked ‘Tiyoseriwosin?’ and you were not alarmed. You did not even think twice on it. Uspecipytes are losing this war. If they allowed anyone to just walk into their port, they wouldn’t still have a port.”

I could not remember being more confused. “I do not understand.”

“What is a thought bubble?”

“It is narrow slots of fog in the hangar which leads to Katsoaru.”

“What does it do?”

“Security.”

“It ensures that no Kuworytes can enter the port Nebud. That is why they do not bother asking ‘Tiyoseriwosin’ at the hangar. That is why no one asks in the port. If you are not Uspecipyte that fog kills you. Now do you understand how foolish you were to even walk into it without knowing what it was? And then,” my mind spun as Arexon’s short derisive laughter ate away at me, “then you come from Katsoaru, to Chiboga and tell Sophian that you are Kuworyte. How foolish can you be?”

“Manus asked.” I said in my own defense.

“Yes, and Manus is certainly the golden standard.” Arexon mocked. “They had a Kaiser’s bout for crying out loud, one where hundreds of fighters were invited. You think they would give the plenum the opportunity to fill their port with Kuworytes unless they had guarantees?” I thought about those fighters in the inn, the night of the bout. Those were not Kuworytes as they’d claimed. They had not been hired by the plenum, but by Manus. The plenum had absolutely no hand in that. Arexon was right. How could I have known so little? I’d read about the thought bubble in a tome, I knew exactly what it was. Why did it not occur to me what it would be used for in Katsoaru?

“Why did you save my life? If I am so foolish, then why bother?”

Arexon sighed. “Because I got into your head Nebud, and for some reason, I decided that you were just like me. We are both imperials who’ve lost our lines to the chasm. We are both sole imperials of great lines who’ve had our inheritance taken away from us. I was once as arrogant as you are, but with time, I learned to change, and I became grateful to the people who helped me become what I am today. In my youth, Sophila was desperate for reasons to kill me. And I was just angry enough to give it those reasons. But Auxa, an uspec who’d been sentenced to years of serfdom for some minor offence, stopped me. Now Auxa is free. It has golden bands on its arms, and it has the position of duke in Sophila’s army. It advised me to do my time just as it had. It advised me to live. I just tried to do the same for you. If only I’d known what I was getting myself into.”

“I am no imperial.”

“You are not Calami’s offspring? You seem to think you are.”

“I am Calami’s offspring, I am just not imperial. I am not like you Arexon. I was never made imperial. My earliest memories are in a slum. I do not know what it means to be descended of a Kaiser.”

“But you are.”

“Why did you not tell me this? Why did you have to use Musa against me?”

“The offer I brought you, the one that said Musa would be given to Aurelion, that was fraudulent. I never told anyone about your imp. Not Sophian, not Sophila, and certainly not any pious. Your real options were serfdom or death. I thought that with your pride, you would actually contemplate suicide over serving. And so I made up the document about your imp, knowing how much you cared about it. Now, I see no more reason to keep up the charade. If you cannot serve anymore, then kill yourself. Nothing will happen to your imp. In fact, I will see that it leaves Chiboga with its freedom and your wealth. I have no more desire to fight with you Nebud. I have done as much as I can for you, now you must make your decisions for yourself.” Arexon returned to its chair behind the desk and sat on it. “You are dismissed.” It said.

The time that I spent on that spot had to be the most testing of my entire life. Suddenly, everything that I had thought I knew had shifted. Arexon was not the villain, and Musa was in no danger. My choices were serfdom or death. But whatever I chose, Musa would be fine. Serfdom or death, as if I would give Sophian the satisfaction. No, I could not. I had to kill it. I had to kill it and Sophila. I had to take my freedom back.

“I am not willing to die.”

“No one ever is.” Arexon spoke without looking up at me. “But can you serve? I will not smuggle you out of this port Nebud. I do not have the power to do it. Maybe I could have before you stabbed Sophian, but not now. Not when Sophian has gone out of its way to make sure everyone at the hangar knows to kill you if you are sighted.”

“If you can serve, I can.”

Arexon scoffed. “I am not nearly as arrogant as you are.”

I smiled. “I do not believe that.”

Arexon’s head rose. It stared at me. “For the first few years of my life, I was raised as a visiting imperial. My pater was imprisoned, but I was free. I was friends with Sophian and its siblings, before they died in their pater’s wars. Can you imagine that, going from friend to servant? It was the hardest thing I ever had to do. But I did it, because my desire to live outweighed everything else. So, you are right Nebud. If I can serve this line, there is no reason why you cannot.”

Serve them their deaths, I thought, but I did not say it. Although, a plan was starting to form in my head. After all this time in Chiboga, I was starting to see how all of my desires could be met. Sophila’s eye, Sophila’s life, Sophila’s offspring. I could certainly serve, for a while, at least.

“Gratitude sirga.” And I meant it.

Arexon nodded. It stood. “Come with me.” It ordered.

It moved towards a wall of fog on the other side of the room and I followed it. It placed its hand on the fog, and the fog went away, exposing a pleasant entertaining room. There were five lounging beds around a small okun pond with liquid rushing out from the bottom, and falling back into the pond. It was beautiful, and it reminded me of how desperately I needed a good bath.

I walked into the entertaining room. The hard fog reformed behind Arexon. “What do you know about the last brio?”

“Nothing.”

“Well, it is a ring, just like the one you are wearing, made by the same uspec who made yours. The ring is the most beautiful color that I have ever seen, a blend between cyan, red, and gold.”

“Do you have it?” I asked.

“If I’d found it, it would be with Sophian.” Arexon replied.

I nodded and kept my doubts to myself.

“I am going to give you something that I should not.” Arexon stated.

My heart rate spiked. “What is it?”

“A dwelling.”

I frowned. “What?”

“The dwelling of the uspec you came here in search of.”

“I do not understand.”

“Isthum.” It stated.

Isthum? “That is the uspec Manus came here in search of, not me.”

Arexon shook its head. “You and your imp came here in search of the same uspec. Isthum was the last one to see Sensu alive.”

Sensu. The name had a familiar ring to it. Sensu. Sensu! That was the uspec that Calam had entrusted me to. It was the one who’d had the coffer. “Are you saying that Sensu also had the last brio?”

Arexon nodded. “Sensu was brought to Chiboga with a coffer and its key, the last brio.”

“You’re saying that the last brio was the key to the coffer that Calam kept me in?”

“Yes Nebud. Isthum and Sensu are both dead, but if it will help in your search for how you came to be named de trop, then I will give you the location of Isthum’s dwelling. Perhaps, you will find something there that will help you, something that my soldiers and I may have overlooked.”

“Do you expect me to inform you if I find any such thing?” I asked suspiciously.

Arexon laughed. “No Nebud. But you must be careful. Take tonight off. You are a chief now, you can go the civilian’s camp whenever you please.”

“I can see Musa tonight?” I could barely control my excitement.

“Yes, you can see your beloved imp. Would you like the location of Isthum’s dwelling?”

“Yes sirga. Gratitude sirga.”

Part 15
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Yakubo’s words echoed in my head. ‘From what you just saw, does Sophian appear to be the kind that has second thoughts?’ That day came back to me. I remembered stabbing the sharp point of my dagger into Sophian’s wrist. I could hear its order for my death loudly in my ear. The fight came next. I’d defeated the gurus who’d tried to restrain me, but Arexon would not go down so easily. The uspec had broken my knee and then knocked the hilt of its cutlass against my head. Then it had waited.

I remembered that wait, the silence that ensued. I recalled wondering what Arexon was waiting for, why it hadn’t just killed me as Sophian had ordered. Then I remembered the direction of Sophian’s gaze. Arexon had been standing behind me, right where Sophian’s eyes had looked for the long time that preceded it sentencing me to the scourge. Had Sophian been staring at Arexon? Was what Yakubo said true? If Yakubo was right, then Arexon would have saved my life, not once, but twice.

“Why?” My mind reeled.

Yakubo shrugged. “For the same reason that Arexon sent healers to your room to ensure that you recovered. Who did you think was responsible for that? Sophian? Sophian has wanted you dead from the moment you stabbed it. Why would it send healers to care for you? Arexon sent those healers to you. Arexon had me stationed by your door so that I could make sure you were given whatever you needed. All the food I brought, the healers that came, it was all paid for out of Arexon’s purse.”

“You lie.” I stated.

“Why would I lie?”

“Why would Arexon go to so much trouble for me?”

“I asked myself the same question so many times. That was before I met Aliyah and Zane, before I understood how one person could come to care for another, to feel protective of them, as though their wellbeing was yours to ensure. Why do you think Arexon brought you on this mission to Aurelion?”

“For the reasons it said.”

Yakubo scoffed. “We did not need your help. As it turns out, Arexon’s knowledge of imps far exceeds your own. You ended up being a liability, one that has caused Arexon greatly. Why don’t you think about it? Think long and hard on why Arexon would bring one as arrogant as yourself, on a mission that required so much humility. What did Arexon have to gain?”

After saying this, Yakubo began walking.

I stared at Yakubo’s back as its questions were repeated in my head. The truth was that I did not know. Arexon had pansophy. Arexon knew about Musa from its use of pansophy on me. It must have known about my hatred of imps. So, why would it think that I would be an advantage. It was true that I could barely understand one umani tongue, but there were so many different tongues that my understanding of the one really did not make much of a difference. Yakubo was right, Arexon’s portrayal of an imp had been much too realistic for one who knew nothing of imps. Arexon had known exactly how to interact with the imps to lure them into given more than they normally would have. I thought of the imp Jojo, who’d led us on the tour, and the way that Arexon had interacted with it. And when Arexon called Zane ‘domina’. Those were both things that I could never have done. Arexon lied to Sophian, it had not needed me on that mission. So why did it take me along?

I ran towards Yakubo, catching up with it before it got out of view.

“Tell me!” I yelled. “If you know so much, then why don’t you just tell me.”

“Why should I?” Yakubo screamed back at me. At first, I thought the imp was angry, but a study of its lifeforces told me that it was in pain. Why? The imp, Aliyah. I knew of course. But I could not understand how Yakubo could come to care for an imp so much, in so little time. ‘…before I understood how one person could come to care for another, to feel protective of them, as though their wellbeing was yours to ensure.’ None of this made sense to me. The ground underneath me suddenly felt unsteady. I did not like this, I did not like Yakubo’s implications of the gratitude it believed I owed to Arexon.

“Please, my friend, tell me. If I have been wrong in my estimation of Arexon, I would like to know.”

Yakubo stopped walking. It took a deep breath, exhaled, and then nodded. “You are a chief now.” It said simply, before continuing along in its walk.

I walked mindlessly behind it. Surely, it did not mean to imply that Arexon took me along to ensure that I would be promoted to chief. That was ludicrous. Why would Arexon do such? “Arexon could not have known what I would become.”

Yakubo chuckled. “I find it amusing how selective your hearing is. Just now, in that room, don’t you remember Sophian’s words. ‘I gave you my word Arexon. I said that if the uspec merits the rank I will give it. It saved your life, I cannot very well reward it by taking away its eyes.’ Do you remember now?”

Yakubo was right, I had forgotten about that. “Arexon made a deal with Sophian before we left.” I was shocked. “For me.”

“For you to keep your eyes. Do you really think that Arexon needed you to save its life? In all my years serving the commander, I have never been able to catch it unawares.”

Pansophy. It was just how Musa had known when Yakubo was visiting. Its extra hearing made it so that it could hear the sounds of Yakubo’s feet even though it could not see the uspec. If Arexon could do all this, then it was even more skilled in pansophy than I’d thought. And if it was, then it would have heard the imp approaching, but it did not move. How did it know that I would intercede on its behalf? Had Arexon really risked its life to give me the chance to save it, and by so doing, earn my eyes? What kind of uspec was capable of so much planning?

I heard Arexon’s imp voice in my head saying, “Please forgive him domina,” as it pleaded to Zane on my behalf, and I realized that I knew nothing about this uspec. How could it so easily muster the humility of an imp as well as the pride of a commander?

We’d reached one of the docks in the Castle. There was a serf seated in the stern of one of the canoes. “Guru Yakubo!” It called out. “Sirga, commander Arexon asked me to steer you both back to the barracks.”

Yakubo nodded. We walked towards the canoe and climbed onboard once we reached it.

“Forgive me sirga, and congratulations. I did not know that it was Chief now.”

Yakubo nodded at the serf. It turned back around and began steering the canoe.

“What ails you my friend?” I asked, once I could no longer ignore Yakubo’s pain.

It sighed. “You heard the imp Nebud. You heard it. There was one thing that it could not do, only one thing that it loathed so much. And in exchange for its kindness to us, I have ensured that it will continue to do that one thing it despises, for the rest of the Kaiser’s life, and maybe even longer. How am I to live with this guilt Nebud? How? The commander was right, I should have left it in Aurelion. I should have left it as it was. Who am I to say what life would have been better? Now it is parted from its mate and forced to produce lust with another. How do I live with myself? How?”

We’d steered all the way to the pious gate of the barracks before I could even formulate a response. But, my mind must have been working in that time, because I could hardly believe the words that I heard coming out of my own mouth. After a boss sighted us, saluted, and yelled “Ajar!”, the hard fog gates were opened. We steered in before I began speaking.

“You say that Arexon convinced Sophian to save my life. Arexon made a choice for me, just as you made a choice for Aliyah. Arexon decided that I would rather be scourged and consigned to serfdom than die, just as you decided that Aliyah would rather be enslaved than remain in Aurelion. But Arexon did not stop there. It gave me loony to ease my pain after the scourging, and if you are right, then it also had a frosted beast sent to me to take away the effects of the drug. It sent healers to make sure that I would survive. It forced me into serfdom, but it also did its best to make sure that I would keep my eyes. It prolonged our stay in Aurelion, a decision it knew that Sophian would not approve of, in order to heal me from wounds that I inflicted on myself. It did not simply make its choice for me and then leave me to my fate. Do not abandon the imp to its fate. It must serve now, it must make lust. That is not something that you can help, but you may find other ways to ease its burden, to make sure that the new life you built for it is endurable.”

The canoe was docked now. Yakubo stared at me. “And if it comes to hate me as you hate Arexon?”

“It will not.” I replied.

Yakubo frowned. “How do you know that?”

I shook my head. “Because I do not hate Arexon. Not anymore.”

Yakubo smiled. “Gratitude Nebud. Gratitude my friend. I will do as you say.”

I tried to smile back, but I was replete with the feeling that the ground on which I walked was no longer as steady as it had been before. Did I mean it? Was my hate for Arexon gone?

“Where are you going?” I heard Yakubo screaming behind me.

“To see the commander.” I replied. I had questions, and it was about time I got answers. I marched to Arexon’s office with a single-minded focus. My head chose that moment to remind me of the green room, of Arexon’s continual threats against Musa. Perhaps the uspec had indeed saved my life more times than I’d known, and perhaps it had paid for my healing, but it had still been the one to deliver the ultimatum, me or my imp. It had still been the one to lock me in the green room.

I stopped in front of Arexon’s office, and was somewhat startled to see the gurus saluting me. It took me a while to realize that I had silver on my arms. I was a silver capon now, a chief, one rank above the gurus. I saluted them, and then brought my hand down. They did the same.

“Is the commander in?” I asked.

“The commander has said that it will not be seeing anyone, sirga.” A guru replied.

“Tell the commander that I am here to see it.” I ordered.

The gurus looked between themselves. “Yes sirga.” One said. It drew the curtains to Arexon’s office open and marched in. I heard their voices speaking in hushed tones before the guru returned. “The commander will see you.” It said.

I took a deep breath and steeled myself for the coming confrontation. Then I marched into the commander’s office.

Arexon’s office, like every room in the Castle, was a tribute to hard fog. The walls were made of fog. The shelves, the desk and the chairs around it were made of the same material.

Arexon was seated on the chair behind its desk. It had a partially filled goblet in front of it, as well as a tome, with a pen resting on it. The uspec’s stalking gaze followed each step that I took into the room. I did not know what to make of its stoic expression.

Suddenly finding myself at a loss, I did the easiest thing I could think of. I saluted.

“In clover.”

I stood at attention then.

“What is it Nebud?” Arexon’s tone was sharp.

I suppose I could not blame it for that. “I came to say…” I broke off. Why was this so hard to say? Why did I find it so much easier to despise this uspec? “Gratitude sirga.” I spat the words out.

Arexon frowned. “Gratitude? For what?”

“For saving my life.”

Arexon stood up from its chair behind the desk and walked over to the other side of that desk. It perched on it as it stared at me. It quirked its center eyebrow. “If I remember correctly, your exact words in Aurelion were ‘if you think that saving my life gives you a hold over me, you are wrong. I despise you.’”

@tunjilomo it will look like so for real!

@ayshow6102 thanks for reading! Yeah, that transferring memories thing is cool, because Sophian doesn't want anyone with pansophy touching it, so, it does it that way. It's funny that you mention that because Musa is actually coming back soon

@Tuhndhay Wow, you are speaking with Marcinus without me I have to go and speak to Marcinus myself now

@NoChill Sure! The link to the only other available marked book is: https://okadabooks.com/book/about/Crimson_Night/25954 please let me know what you think when you're done

The gurus came forward then. They led the way out of the room, and I followed behind Arexon. Everything felt good. The cool hard ground, the clean air, the slight brush of my tail, the weight of my ailerons. I could not say what exactly felt different, but I knew that my time as an imp in Aurelion had given me a certain appreciation for my uspec body.

The landlocked canoe that was waiting for us, was one of the army canoes. These were the canoes which I’d seen patrolling the civilians’ camp in my first week in this existence. Now, I looked wistfully back on that time. The canoe was bigger than most. The gurus sat on the front bench, behind the serf steerer, Arexon sat behind them. I took my seat behind Arexon and then we were made to wait until Yakubo arrived. It was carrying the imp. The imp seemed to be putting up a fight. It kicked at Yakubo, landing blows against the uspec’s chest.

Yakubo endured it. It brought the imp over to the canoe and climbed onboard with it. Arexon gave the order and the canoe began moving.

As if realizing that its fighting was pointless, Aliyah stopped. I felt the stillness behind me when the imp reached this point. The rest of our journey was peaceful. The hard fog gates were opened prior to our arrival. We made a right turn and moved around the walls of the Castle. Those walls were made of flow flog, the boga equivalent to our lit okun, we steered all the way through the road, which was sandwiched between the Castle on one side and the serf army barracks on the other. Until we reached our destination. These gates were not opened prior to our arrival. In fact, the soldiers manning these gates approached us. When they saw Arexon, they saluted, and then turned back around.

The gates opened shortly after.

We docked in the Castle and were escorted to a strange area. I had only been to the Castle once before, and that one visit would forever be etched in my mind. The conversation that I’d overheard and then my first meeting with Sophian. The scourging. That scourging was the reason why Sophian had to die. I could admit that I’d been wrong. I’d been wrong to draw blood, but I had apologized. Why was that not enough? My mind darted to Marcinus then. I thought of the uspec and wondered how it was doing. Was it passed the stigma of being shun? I hoped it was. Marcinus had spoiled me. Not all imperials were like Marcinus. Okay, I conceded that point. Perhaps Sophian had the right to draw blood as well. But the scourging that it had subjected me too was far more than the slight prick of my dagger against its skin. But it was imperial, and I was not.

Okay, so perhaps, the scourging as humiliating and painful as it was, was my just due for harming an imperial one. I was willing to accept it. Why did it have to add a twenty-year serfdom? That was the one piece that I just could not forgive. I could not forgive any uspec who was part of that. I could not forgive Sophian or Sophila or Arexon. Perhaps I had earned the scourging, which I doubted, but had I earned serfdom for such a small mistake?

The room we were led to was large. It was filled with tomes. My eyes bulged at the sight. Beautifully designed shelves, made out of extravagantly colored hardened fog, filled the room. None of these shelves were empty. I suddenly ached for the wisdom in this room, for the knowledge buried in the pages of the tomes. This was where the secrets to Chiboga were held, here in this room were the details of the serf armies, of the old Kuworyte religion, of everything I longed to know about the port I found myself in.

We stopped in an open area in the library. There was a black desk, and behind it, two uspecs pouring over open tomes. I recognized both of them. One was Sophian, the other was the young, Sophi. Two gurus stood at attention behind them, and there were two more standing by shelves. The two gurus we’d come with halted by two more shelves.

“Assiduity!” Arexon called out.

We all saluted, Arexon included. We stood in salute watching as Sophian continued to point at its tomes. Sophi looked up.

“Commander!” it yelled, running towards Arexon.

“Sophi!” Sophian snapped.

The young stopped in its tracks. It turned around to face its progenitor, its shoulders drooped. “Forgive me pater.”

“Come back here.”

Sophi returned.

“Sit. Continue your study.”

“Yes pater.” The uspec sat on one of the stools behind the desk, and made a studious effort of reading the tomes.

Sophian saluted. “In clover.” Our hands fell back to our sides and we stood at attention. It turned to face one of the gurus behind it. “Fetch the pious.” It ordered.

“Yes sirga.” The guru saluted, before marching out.

Sophian’s gaze trailed over each of us. This uspec could do unemotional better than anyone else I’d seen. I realized that the most animated speech I’d heard from it, was just moments earlier, when it had snapped at its offspring. Then Sophian’s gaze fell on the imp and it appeared shocked. Its shock faded only seconds after it appeared. I had never seen anyone exert so much control on their facial features. I could not help but remember that cold face staring at me while I was scourged.

“You are late.” Was the first thing Sophian said.

“Apologies imperial one, we were delayed.” Arexon replied.

“By what?”

“We lost a member of our team.”

“Are you trying to be coy Arexon? Who?”

“Nebud.”

Sophian’s gaze darted to me. “And you decided that the uspec’s life was more important than finishing your mission on time. Did I not make you aware of the stakes?”

“I do not leave soldiers behind.”

Sophian’s gaze locked on Arexon’s face. Sophi peeked up from its tome, long enough to make sure that its pater wasn’t watching, then it completely discarded the tomes altogether and chose to watch us instead.

“You do as I say commander. And your mission was to be done with haste. Both of the soldiers you took with you were expendable.”

Arexon did not respond.

“Where is the artifact?”

“It was not there.”

“What?” Sophian’s face was as impassive as it had been in the start.

“It was not there. We checked everywhere.”

“That is when you were not checking everywhere for Nebud...”

“It was …”

“You interrupt me?” Even this Sophian said coolly.

Arexon was silent. “Apologies imperial one.”

Sophian sighed. “You do not want to fail me Arexon, not now.”

“We searched everywhere; it was not there. I checked every cove, even the ones that weren’t on the map we found in Isthum’s dwelling. It’s either Takabat never had the last brio there to begin with, or someone removed it before we could.”

“We will wait for the pious.”

Arexon’s jaw ticked. “When have I ever lied to you Sophian, why would I start now?”

Sophian stared at Arexon. “We will wait for the pious.” It said, before turning back around.

Sophi’s head dropped.

Sophian walked back towards its offspring and continued its lesson. At first, I thought the tongue they spoke was foreign. Then I listened closer and realized that it had to be a dialect of the boga tongue. There were words I could just barely make out, but the accent was too strong to say for sure if it was, ‘read’ or ‘red’, I heard.

“The pious, as you requested, sirga.”

Two pious ones walked in behind the guru. One held a jug with a cyan liquid in it, the other held a cyan goblet.

“Imperial one.” They both bowed in greeting.

Sophian’s head rose. “Commander, do you submit to an inquest?” it asked, its tone flat.

“Yes sirga.” Arexon replied.

Sophian nodded.

The pious holding the goblet, placed its free hand against Arexon’s shoulder. I did not need to be in the pious one’s head to know what it was doing. My curiosity was piqued though. Would they find out about Arexon’s pansophy? Or was Arexon’s pansophy strong enough to evade them? I could hardly stand the suspense.

Finally, the pious took its hand off Arexon. Both pious placed their hands on the cyan goblet as one poured the cyan liquid into the goblet. Then they both stopped in front of Sophian’s desk. Sophian pointed at the table and they placed the goblet on it.

Sophian took its time, pointing at more things on the tome, and speaking to its offspring, before it straightened. It picked up the goblet and drank its contents.

I saw its shock for the second time in that visit. “The uspec saved your life?” this shock did not wane as quickly as the shock of seeing the imp.

“Yes, imperial one.” Arexon stated.

Sophian stared at me. At long last, it pulled its gaze away and the shock faded from its face.

“Very well then.” Sophian said. “The mighty one will be displeased and disappointed in you Arexon. If only Takabat was not already dead, I would kill the uspec myself for this wasted week. You will have the rest of the day off, and then you will start battle preparations with your two new chiefs.”

“Two new chiefs?” Arexon asked.

“I gave you my word Arexon. I said that if the uspec merits the rank I will give it. It saved your life, I cannot very well reward it by taking away its eyes.”

For some reason I did not realize that ‘the uspec’ Sophian referred to was me, until the gurus appeared in front of us. They placed earrings on Yakubo’s ears with the silver rectangle instead of the crosses that it’d had. Then they moved onto me, and I was giving the same earring. I was a chief then, one rank higher than a guru. It was the lowest rank with three outer eyes. Marcinus’ eye was safe.

The silver band came next. We were both given one silver band which was fastened about our arms. And then Yakubo was given its new eye.

“Assiduity!” Arexon called out, once all the bedecking was done.

We saluted, but I could tell that none of us felt particularly grateful.

“In clover.” Sophian said, “I did you no favors, you earned it.” Then, “dismissed.” It ordered.

“What of the imp?” Arexon asked.

“What imp?”

“The imp we brought with us. It was very helpful to us in Aurelion. If you permit, I would like to keep it as gratitude for its help.”

“Serfs do not own imps.”

“I know, but you offered me one, once before. I would like to take you up on that offer now.”

Sophian’s dismissive gaze scanned the imp. “It looks like a collectible. Do you have lust?”

“No.” the imp replied.

A pious one grabbed onto the imp’s neck. It began its screaming again then, fighting to be freed.

“It lies.” The pious said, speaking over the crying imp.

Sophian nodded, not the least bit perturbed by the screams. “It will be given as a gift to the mighty one then. My pater likes imps such as this.”

“Please Sophian,” Arexon begged, “this imp was kind to us. It made our search easier.”

Sophian’s gaze devoured Arexon. “Is it now a great suffering to serve the Kaiser in its castle, making lust. Don’t worry, the imp will be given no other work than that. That is my reward to it.”

“Please, let me have it.”

“You think you deserve a reward for your terrible performance?” Sophian glared at the imp. “Shut it up.”

A pious touched the imp and it fell to the floor. Yakubo took a step towards the imp, but Arexon’s look stopped it. I could tell how much effort it took to keep Yakubo from running to it.

“Take it away.” Sophian ordered.

The unconscious imp was carried away by a guru.

“I dismissed you.” Sophian said.

Arexon saluted, turned and stormed off. Yakubo and I walked away at a much slower pace.

“I enjoyed watching Arexon get humiliated.” I said, once we were standing outside the library.

Yakubo shook its head. When it stared at me, I saw the pain of the imp’s fate etched into each furrow in its face, and in the wet gleam of its eyes. Then it spoke, its voice pained. “How can you be so ungrateful?” It demanded. “Arexon is the only reason you are still alive.”

“And I saved its life in Aurelion as well. Now we are even.” I replied curtly, annoyed by Yakubo’s mention of an act I wished to forget. I would not be bound to Arexon.

Yakubo sighed. The words trailed softly from its lips. “I am not talking about Aurelion, I am talking about your first day in the Castle. Why do you think the imperial one chose to have you scourged after it had given the order to have you killed? Why did it let you live? From what you just saw, does Sophian appear to be the kind that has second thoughts?”

Part 14
---------

The imp Aliyah stood frozen just outside of the enclosure. It had its body turned towards us, and its head facing back as its eyes stared with horror at the duel between the imps.

With a sigh, I reached again for the anger I felt in the room, and exhausted it.

The imp that was fighting against Zane struck out with its sharp blade. The strike was unexpected, and so the imp did not evade it in time. With the opponent’s one last explosion of fury, it stuck its blade into Zane’s neck.

“Zane!” Aliyah yelled.

That yell, combined with Zane’s cry of pain, and the thud the other imp made when it hit the ground, was enough to stir the other imps who’d managed to sleep through the earlier chaos.

“What is it?” Hoarse voices called, as they rose slowly from their sprawled positions.

“We are leaving.” Arexon stated. It released the cyan object.

At that same moment, Zane cried, “Go Aliyah.”

Right as Yakubo yelled, “come.”

Zane took a step towards the enclosure. It staggered and then it fell on its face against the hard, bumpy, ground of the coarse floor. Yakubo stretched out its hand and grabbed a hold of Aliyah’s upper arm before the imp could run to Zane.

“Take care of her Jacob.” Zane said.

Aliyah fought against Yakubo’s hold.

The ground softened.

We were pulled into the portal which Arexon must have activated using the cyan object that it had revealed. I resigned myself to a suspenseful journey. I would not know the fate of Yakubo and the imp until we reached our destination. Had the imp Aliyah fought free of Yakubo’s hold to go back to the imp Zane? Had the imp Zane perhaps crawled into the soft quicksand before it hardened? Or, maybe the imp Aliyah had pulled Yakubo out of the portal in its desperation to reach the one that it was bound to. So many different outcomes, I thought as blackness enveloped me. Whichever way it turned out, I was just happy to be out of Aurelion. After the pits of Hakute, I’d thought that I was free of all prisons of the sort. I sighed.

Streams of white light broke in, pouring into my eyes. That light reminded me of the life that I was returning to, and the enemies that awaited me. Sophila, and its eye. Sophian.

And Arexon.

The first thing I noticed about the area we were led to, was the freshness in the air. It was nothing spectacular. It was not scented as the pious one’s office had been, or filled with the fog that the natural air brought. This place was indoors, I concluded, still it smelled of a cleanness that was completely alien to Aurelion.

I opened my eyes.

We were in a chamber. The walls of this chamber were tinted black, so it was impossible to see outside. But the chamber reminded me of the ones we’d walked into where our appearances had been changed.

I despised tears. Just the sound of it filled me with ire. I turned to find four people in the chamber. The imp Aliyah had returned with us, but not the other, Zane. It was the imp who cried now, its snivels as irritating as a shriek. I had to fight down the immediate urge I had to shut it up. Then I remembered that I did not need to fight it anymore, I was no longer in Aurelion.

I smiled.

“Aliyah…” Yakubo’s patient voice awed me. Did it not find the sound as displeasing as I did?

“Don’t call my name!” Aliyah yelled at Yakubo. “Zane!” it sobbed. “How could you just leave Zane there?”

“It will be alright.” Yakubo replied. It seemed Yakubo, no longer seeing the need to feign being an imp, had reverted to the general ‘it’ in place of the pronouns the imps so faithfully clung to.

“How will he be alright?” It screeched. “We left him in the atmosphere. The sky will never let him go. They are rivals. He told you. He told you!”

“Forgive me.” Yakubo apologized, apologized, to the imp. “I tried…” it was pleading.

Aliyah turned away from Yakubo and ran over to Arexon. “It is all your fault Alexa!” It screamed as it grabbed onto the front of Arexon’s dress and pulled at it. It pulled with enough force to rip the dress.

Pushed beyond reason, Arexon struck the imp with the back of its right hand. The imp released the cloth and fell on the floor. It stared at Arexon with its mouth open and its palm against its slapped cheek.

At long last, the chamber was silent. Aliyah appeared too shocked to keep up with its shrill cries.

Arexon’s fist struck against the walls of the chamber. It rose its hand to repeat this action, but its movements were halted by the ripped dress. It grabbed hold of the ripped ends and completed the action, tearing the dress in half. Then it let it fall, and walked out of the pieces.

Aliyah watched all of this with its mouth still agape.

This time, when Arexon banged against the walls, I imagined I heard them shaking. Was it made of glass then? I wondered.

The black tint of the surrounding walls went away.

Two gurus came into focus. As soon as they saw us, they saluted. I hated Sophila’s serf army, so it was a testament to how much more I loathed Aurelion, that the sight of the gurus actually brought joy to me.

One of the gurus stopped saluting and marched away, through the curtains behind it. The other remained as it was.

“Who are you?” Aliyah asked. The imp’s question was met with silence.

It pushed itself off the floor, and hurdled in, wrapping its arms around itself. Then it said, “Jacob,” in a tentative voice. Tears still streamed from its eye-sockets, but it did not cry as it had before. Even its whimpers were greatly reduced. It wiped at its eyes before saying, “Jacob, please answer me.”

“Sirga?” Yakubo turned to Arexon. It saluted then.

“Oh God.” The imp said, as more tears came out of its eyes.

Arexon’s impassive gaze trailed from the crying imp to Yakubo. It shrugged. “You may do as you please.” Then it turned back to stare at the guru.

“Gratitude sirga.” Yakubo walked over to the imp. Aliyah drew back, moving away from it. Yakubo stopped. “I am Yakubo,” it said, “an uspec in the identity of an imp. We are all uspecs with the identity of imps. We came to Aurelion on a mission.”

The imp’s eyelids pulled up exposing its entire empty sockets. “Uspecs.” It said to itself.

Yakubo reached out.

“Don’t touch me!” The imp yelled. “Why did you bring me with you? Am I part of your mission?”

Yakubo shook its head. “No, of course not. You were kind to us. I only sought to repay the favor.”

“You should not have bothered. I despise your kind! I hate you, all of you!”

“Not Calami.” Yakubo’s voice was gentle.

“How dare you! Oh my God! You should have left me there. I would rather rot in Aurelion than serve another uspec.” It fell to its knees, “Zane.” It cried into its hands.

I felt something stare in me. It took time for me to identify this as compassion. No, I realized with rising levels of disbelieve and rage, I was pained. I felt this imp’s pain. I was disgusted. No, I shook my head, turning away from the stirring sight of the imp weeping. How could I feel so different? Again, I felt that dissonance which I’d felt so long ago in Lastmain. It was as if there were two people in me. One felt nothing but compassion for the crying imp, while the other was annoyed by it.

Again, Yakubo reached for the imp. This time, it did not just pull back, it yelled out. It yelled out loud and for so long that I should have struck it. I should have. What did the imp have to weep about? Yakubo had disobeyed its commander all out of a desire to release the imp from Aurelion. It should be grateful. That is what I should have been feeling. That is what a part of me felt. But there was another part. A part that was sorry for the imp. Sorry for the life that it would lead, for the love that it had lost.

“Stop it for god’s sake!” Arexon yelled at Yakubo. “Leave the imp alone. It will come to terms with its new reality soon enough.”

“What is its new reality?” Yakubo asked.

Arexon whirled, its anger at Yakubo now showing. “What did you think? Did you think that you would get to keep this imp? That it would belong to you?”

Yakubo’s sockets widened. “Why not?”

“Because you are serf!” Arexon spat out. “Serfs do not own imps.”

“What will happen to it?”

“That is for Sophila to decide, you fool!” Arexon turned back around.

The imp’s weeping made the ensuing dearth of words more pronounced.

“Please commander.” Yakubo dropped to its knees in front of Arexon. “Please, I beg you! I did not know. I simply thought that life outside Aurelion had to be better. Please, let me have the imp for some time at least. Perhaps we can smuggle the imp out, let it stay with Musa. Musa can take care of it, Sophila does not have to know. Punish me commander, but please don’t take your anger out on the imp. Please.”

Arexon took a deep breath and then it exhaled. “Get up Yakubo.” It said.

Yakubo stood.

Arexon placed its hand on Yakubo’s shoulder. “The imp helped us, if I can help it, I will. But you should know that the gurus will return with pious ones, and once the pious ones see the imp, we will not be able to smuggle it out. They are more loyal to the Kaiser’s line than to me.”

“What then?” Yakubo panicked.

“I will tell Sophian how helpful the imp was, and I will ask to keep it. That is the best that I can do.”

“Gratitude sirga. Gratitude.” Yakubo bowed.

Arexon nodded. It squeezed Yakubo’s shoulder before releasing it. “You can be infuriating Yakubo,” it said with a smile, “but your heart is always in the right place.”

The curtains were opened. Three pious ones walked in, followed by novices. The novices rushed over to the seats by the other wall of the room, outside the chamber. I noticed then that there was some sort of panel on the wall. Buttons were pushed and the glass disappeared.

Arexon walked out first.

I waited for Yakubo to follow, but it did not. It was standing beside the imp. The imp’s tears had stopped. It was staring around the room now, watching all of the uspecs with a fear-filled gaze. Yakubo extended its hand out, to help pull the imp to its feet. The imp stared at that hand and then at the uspecs. But it did not put its hand in Yakubo’s.

“The imperial Sophian is eagerly awaiting your presence, commander.” A pious one said, its curious gaze darting between Arexon, the imp and Yakubo.

“Come Yakubo.” Arexon ordered.

Yakubo hesitated, but eventually, it approached Arexon.

Arexon saluted the gurus, then it brought its hand down. The gurus did the same. “Bring the imp along.” It ordered.

“Yes sirga.”

We walked out through the curtains. I became aware of the effort that Yakubo exerted to keep itself from turning back towards the imp. It would move its head back, just slightly, and then forcefully jerk it back forward. It was quite an amusing display.

I recognized the room that they led us to. It was the same room with the chambers where our appearance had been changed from green to brown. First, we were made to walk through the clouds, after Yakubo and I took off the trousers. Our bodies were reformed in those clouds. The first thing I felt was my scales. I wanted to run my fingers against the scales, and reassure myself of their presence, but the morphing had paralyzed me. The only movements I made were those induced by the clouds. After some time, I felt the gentle scratch of my tail against my legs. Then, finally, my ailerons.

Once I wrested control of my legs from the clouds, I moved out of them, back into view of the room with chambers. Arexon was already out. I saw the imp standing in a corner of the room, between two gurus.

Yakubo emerged.

We were led back into the chambers. This time, I phased out the pious ones words and the pricking of the styluses as they returned my appearance. It still felt a little unreal, that we had finally made it out of Aurelion. I didn’t realize, till that moment, how much I’d doubted that our departure would actually happen. Now we were out, my life debt to Arexon was paid, and I could finally concentrate on my truly important task, planning Arexon’s death. Then Sophian, and then Sophila.

I smiled.

The door to the chamber was opened and I walked out as an uspec. A green uspec. I looked at my arms, my legs, and ran my fingers over my neck scales. It was all there. My height and bulk had been returned. This was a good day.

“Assiduity!” One of the gurus standing by the imp yelled.

Immediately, Yakubo and the other gurus turned to face Arexon and they saluted. This still did not come natural to me, and so it took me much longer to realize what the command meant, understand that it also applied to me, and then decide if I was willing to salute. I had survived Aurelion, but I was still a serf, Arexon still held all the advantages. Plus the added ones that it had no doubt gotten from surfing through my memories.

I saluted.

Arexon saluted and then it said, “in clover,” with a smile on its face. “It is good to be back in our bodies is it not?”

“Yes sirga.” Yakubo and I replied, and at most one of us meant it. Arexon would die soon, I reminded myself, it was only a matter of time.

“We go to present ourselves to the imperial Sophian.” Arexon ordered.

“Yes sirga.”

“Come imp.” Arexon called.

The imp did not move, it remained as it was, standing in its corner.

“Sirga?” one of the gurus asked, unsure of what to do.

“Bring it.” Arexon ordered Yakubo.

@ayshow6102 WOW!!! That's a really good catch! Arexon did use pansophy on Nebud in that inn, the first time they met About the hiding emotions, well, we shall see...it is indeed possible that Arexon could be hiding its emotions with pansophy, but there could also be other explanations...Lol, frosted beast? Nebud? Well, who knows, maybe

@Rynne what an interesting feeling. I don't know why you have it either, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see

@Madosky112 It's really something sweet in Aliyah...haha, that's funny

@olite93 Thanks for the interest! As of now, there is only one book in the marked series available. You can read it on okadabooks: https://okadabooks.com/book/about/Crimson_Night/25954 Please leave a comment when you're done (letting me know what you thought of it), thank you!

@phoenixchap hahaha, very funny. Well, the lengths of the updates that I've had recently are the regular lengths of the updates. I think before this the updates were unusually long. The parts vary in length, some will be long. Please don't sap me sha, so that the updates keep coming

@Smooth278 Well, the next update is here so come and enjoy

Part 13
---------

Arexon led us down a maze of tunnels.

These tunnels were just as cramped as all the others in Aurelion, so we had to form a single line. As we walked, we entered into some particularly tight tunnels with large, rough bumps sprouting from the walls. The bumps scraped against my skin, abrading my flesh. I stared at the blood, but I was too gleeful to feel the pain.

We were leaving Aurelion.

The odor did not get to me as much as it had previously. The sores on my feet no longer bothered me. Not even the tightness in my ankle could bring me down. A part of me knew that our reception would be chilled. Our mission had been to find the last brio, and according to Arexon, we had failed in that. I did not have it in me to care, not when freedom was so close.

I heard the imps behind me whispering to themselves and then laughing. They spoke an umani tongue. These two imps were close, lovers, I reminded myself, like Musa and the imp that had been sapped. I still found Yakubo’s attachment to them puzzling. Yakubo was a good soldier. It respected Arexon. I had never seen Yakubo disobey an order. But it had, to bring these two along with us, out of Aurelion. It was obvious from Arexon’s lack of speech that it was not happy about the latest development. It had made no more moves to stop them though. I wondered what Yakubo intended to do with them. These were imps who despised service, did it think that they would serve it freely?

The thought of imps took my mind back to Musa. I wondered what my imp was doing at this moment. Was it safe? Had it found the uspec Sensu that it had come here looking for? I did not know. I wondered when I would be able to see the imp again. My enlivened spirit sunk with the realization that I was not returning to freedom, but serfdom. I would be an uspec again. But I would still be a serf, I would still belong to the Kaiser. There would be no Musa to welcome me back from this voyage.

The lighting in the tunnels that we walked in changed.

I’d noted earlier on, that the tunnels all seemed to be lit with the same white lights. However, the digs had different colored lights, and since the digs had open archways, the lighting from them tended to spill into the tunnel lighting, giving a different hue to the tunnels. The tunnels around the daylight digs for example had a soft blend of white and yellow lights. These tunnels we walked along where lit differently.

I saw hints of blue streaming in, mixing with the white tunnel lights. This was proof that the exit Arexon led us to was in a dig which belonged to a different gang. The imps behind me must have made this realization, because Aliyah gasped.

“Alexa…” there were traces of bewilderment in its voice. “Where are we going Alexa? Did you get lost? There are okuns in the daylight digs.”

Arexon did not turn, but it responded. “I prefer the okuns in these digs.” There was no equivocation in its voice. The commander had returned, no longer playing the role of timid imp.

“Stop!” Zane ordered. “Are you trying to get us killed? You’re heading into the atmosphere digs, they belong to the sky gang. The sky and the sun are rivals.”

Arexon kept going. “Feel free to turn around and return to your digs.” It replied.

“No,” Yakubo called out, stopping. It was in front of me, so once it stopped, I was forced to stop as well. Yakubo turned. It was a struggle for it to turn in the narrow confines of the tunnel, but it managed, and received several bruises for its efforts. “Come with us.” Yakubo insisted.

“I do not understand.” Aliyah said. I heard shock in its voice. I, however, felt no need to subject myself to the torture of turning my body in these tunnels. “There really are a number of clean okun in the daylight digs. Trust me Alexa, please, let’s turn back around. It’s like Zane said, it’s not safe in the atmosphere.”

Arexon was forced to stop moving. It was several paces ahead of us, as it had continued to move when Yakubo stopped. Now, it made the torturous turn and walked back towards us. Arexon glared at Yakubo. Yakubo’s head hung in shame. It felt strange to not be the recipient of Arexon’s ire.

“Alexa…” Aliyah begun.

Zane cut it off. “Don’t you understand Aliyah, they are not going to the okuns. If they were looking for okuns, they wouldn’t have brought us all the way over here.”

“But…” Aliyah stopped. “Then where are they going?”

“That’s a very good question, one that I would like an answer to, right now.” Zane replied.

Arexon’s gaze turned from Yakubo to the imps standing behind me. There was no smile on its face. Its look was impassive, chilling in its lack of animation. The commander had truly returned. “As I said earlier, feel free to turn around and return to your digs.”

“Not until you tell me where you’re going.” Zane spat out.

Aliyah gasped. “Please Alexa.” It pleaded. “Where are you going? You have not gotten a real understanding of Aurelion since you’ve been staying with us. You’ve been protected by Zane’s reputation. Aurelion is not a safe place, you could get snuffed. Let us all go back to our digs and we can discuss this.”

Arexon nodded. “You should go back to your digs Aliyah.”

“But where are you going?” It cried out in frustration. When Arexon would not respond, it turned to Yakubo. “Jacob?”

Yakubo’s head lifted. Its mouth parted, but before it could speak, Arexon snapped. “Be silent.” Yakubo’s mouth closed.

“Who are you?” Zane asked.

“Please, they have been kind to us.” Yakubo said to Alexa. “We cannot leave them here. Please.”

“You are leaving Aurelion?” Aliyah asked. “But how?”

“Who are you?” Zane repeated its question.

Arexon stared at Yakubo for a long time, before it took its gaze back to the imps. “Our identity is no concern of yours.” It stated. “Yes, we are leaving Aurelion. If you keep your mouths shut and follow me, we will take you with us. If you do not, then we will leave without you. Make up your minds quickly, I will not offer this again.”

“I will not go anywhere without knowing who you are.” Zane stated.

“Then you will not go anywhere.” Arexon replied. “We are leaving.” It said to Yakubo. “Now.” Then it turned around.

Yakubo cast a pleading glance behind me. Pleading, I shook my head at it. Why did it care so much if the imps chose to say? They had made a good life for themselves here. Would it truly be better in the Acropolis, where imps are forced to stay indoors? I was beginning to think that Yakubo had lost its mind. Unless it wanted the imps for another reason which I could not understand.

“You can trust us Aliyah, I give you my word.” Yakubo said.

“How can I accept your word when I do not even know who you are?” Zane barked.

“Now, Jacob!” Arexon snapped.

Yakubo turned around.

Arexon began walking.

“I trust them Zane. Besides, what do we have to lose if they’re lying? But if they’re telling the truth, then we could be out of Aurelion. They didn’t have to bring us with them. Let’s go babe.”

Zane sighed.

I was already moving, but I could tell from the sounds of hurried steps behind me, that the imps had decided to come along with us.

“If this is some sort of setup with the sky, you will all regret it for the rest of your stay in Aurelion.”

No one made any response to Zane’s threat.

“Forgive me…” Yakubo spoke in a low voice.

“Be quiet.” Arexon snapped. “I will deal with you when we return.”

We walked along in silence after Arexon’s reprimand. No matter how much I thought about it, I could not understand why Yakubo would risk displeasing the commander, all so that it could bring two imps with us out of Aurelion. It was perplexing.

Arexon stopped.

“We are turning left.” It spoke in hushed tones. “The dig we are looking for is the only one connected to this tunnel. We might get lucky and have the dig be empty. If it isn’t then we must be silent and fast. With any luck, we’ll slip by the imps in the digs. The less imps that know how we left, the better.”

“That’s it.” Zane replied. “Your exit is in a dig? Don’t you think that if such an exit existed the imps would have found it already.”

“You may choose to believe whatever you like.”

Arexon continued on, despite Zane’s huffing.

It did not take us long to reach the dig. Blue light poured forth from this dig. I took one step in, and noticed that we had not gotten lucky. The dig was filled with clothed imps laying on the floor. This was a big dig, one of the largest that I’d seen. It wasn’t surprising that it also had the highest number of imps. I did not like our chances of making it through without being caught.

We followed behind Arexon, walking stealthily, over and beside sleeping imps. I heard a distinctly unpleasant noise rising from several of these imps. It was interesting that imps could make so much noise while sleeping. Luckily, Musa did not have this affliction.

Arexon stopped in front of a large pillar in the center of the dig. We were so far into the dig now that we could no longer see the archway which connected to the tunnels.

Arexon placed its hand against the pillar, and it morphed into something else.

As soon as Arexon touched it, the hard wall exterior of the pillar disappeared, revealing an empty enclosure, with hard quicksand flooring.

“My god!” Aliyah screamed.

Arexon hissed and Yakubo groaned. I would have struck the imp if I had not gotten distracted by another.

An imp sat up, roused by Aliyah’s scream. As soon as the imp saw us, it let out a loud shriek and flung a pickaxe in the air, towards me. I grabbed the implement, and turned around, just in time to see about twenty imps standing now. My sight was fixed on one in particular. The imp walked through the now revealed area, moving over the quicksand, with a sharp blade in its arm. The blade looked like it had been made from the end of a pickaxe.

Arexon’s gaze was fixed on the imps who’d woken, and so it did not see the one that was silently approaching it from behind.

Before I had time to think about what I was doing, I rose my pickaxe in the air, and threw it towards Arexon.

Arexon’s gaze turned to me. It stared at me as the pickaxe circled in the air, approaching it. It all happened in seconds, but the look that Arexon and I shared seemed to be drawn out, lasting much longer than the time it took for the pickaxe to reach its target.

The pickaxe landed in the imp’s empty eye-socket. The imp fell back, into the open area. Arexon appeared baffled. I was much more surprised than it was. I could not believe that I had saved Arexon’s life. It was an impulse, one I regretted as soon as it was over.

But then I remembered Yakubo’s words, “You owe it Nebud, you owe the commander your life. There is no debt greater than that.” And I was filled with an intense sense of relief. I had repaid my debt. Arexon saved me, and now I had saved it. I was no longer indebted to it. I no longer had to keep the commander’s secret, and I no longer had to feel any guilt about my plan to take its life.

Arexon walked towards me, as the imps drew closer, now incensed by the one that I had snuffed.

“Pull that imp out of there.” Arexon ordered Yakubo. Yakubo rushed to follow its command.

“Stun them.” I heard Arexon say to me.

“What?” I turned to stare at it.

“Stun them Nebud, take away their anger.”

I frowned at it. How did it know? Pansophy, of course. The uspec had been in my head. It probably knew more of my memories than even I did. Again, I was filled with my incessant need to kill this uspec.

At the moment though, it was right.

I reached for the imps’ angers. There was much of it. An imp rose up a pickaxe, preparing to strike at Zane, as the others mobilized, going into position to surround us. I reached through my anger to theirs, and exhausted them. I took every single spark of anger I could feel in the room, and forced it to burn out. It meant that there was one huge burst of anger, one strike from the imp with the pickaxe which was so clumsy that Zane easily deflected it. One blind leap forward by the other imps.

And then nothing.

They all stopped. They stared at each other and at us, and for the brief moments that followed, they had no desire to fight us. This was our window of escape.

“Come. Now!” Arexon ordered.

Yakubo ran into the enclosure, Arexon and I followed behind it.

I watched Arexon reach for something underneath its feet. It scraped off its skin and then pulled out a cyan object. I could tell from a single glance that the object had been made from a hooni neck scale.

“Please wait sirga.” Yakubo pleaded.

Aliyah and Zane were still outside. Zane was fighting with an imp. There must have been one who didn’t have anger then, one who hadn’t been fighting from that.

“Zane!” Aliyah called.

“Go on Aliyah.” Zane cried. “I’m right behind you.” It promised, just as it dodged a sharp point aimed at its neck.

olite93:
What a wonderful read... I feel so much for master calam and calami such good hearts... Please wats d freq of update. How often does obehid update

Thank you for reading, I'm glad you've enjoyed it so far. I agree, Calam and Calami are...good

@tunjilomo what indeed...we will see

@ayshow6102 thank you for reading! we shall see if that is indeed the imps' fate

@Botaflica thank you for reading! Thank you, I'm glad you're seeing it, and liking it

Part 12
----------

I was surprised by how easy it had been to get the clothes. The hardest part had been apologizing to an imp. An imp! But I got past that, and once I did, Zane made it clear that my fighting skills would be welcome in its gang. A part of me thought that it had been a little too easy, as if Zane had already been prepared to give me the clothes if I apologized. Arexon, I thought. I shook my head, banishing the uspec from my mind. I would have to deal with it once it returned, but I did not have to now.

Zane rose and walked out of the room, leaving Yakubo and I alone for the first time since I returned.

“Apologies my friend.” I said to it. “I know now that you did not betray me to Arexon.”

Yakubo frowned at me. It watched me pensively for several moments before it said, “you know.”

I nodded.

“You must not tell anyone. Arexon saved your life Nebud, you must keep its secret.”

“I never said Arexon saved my life.”

Yakubo laughed. “You could not have found your way back to us if you had a map of this place Nebud. Besides, Arexon told me once it found you. You owe it Nebud, you owe the commander your life. There is no debt greater than that.”

I was irritated by the words. I did not owe that uspec a thing. I wanted to scream. Instead, I clung to my earlier resolve and chose to cast Arexon out of my mind. “How long was I gone?” I asked instead.

“Counting the number of meals and slumbers, I would say eight days. Arexon found you after you’d been missing for two days.”

“Eight days!” I could not believe it. If Arexon found me after two days, then I was unconscious for six days. Six days unconscious and in the care of Arexon, the uspec with pansophy. I knew now that there was not a single thought in my head which Arexon would not already know. I’d wanted to kill the uspec before because of the anguish it had caused me, but now I had to kill it for the truths it had stolen from my head.

“You owe it Nebud, you owe the commander your life. There is no debt greater than that.”

I wanted to stab myself in the head, just to cast the memory away. Yakubo’s words echoed in my head. I did not like to owe things, especially not a debt as grand as that. But I could not deny that the uspec had saved my life. I was surprised that I had survived for two days in the state that I had been in that crevice. I probably would not have survived another. But I had to kill Arexon. I could not let it live.

“Why did it keep me for six days?” I asked cynically, even though I already knew the answer. It had done it so that it could siphon my memories and find even more ways to hold me captive.

Yakubo smiled. “Your wounds were infected Nebud, Arexon had to help you heal.”

For six days? Musa would have done it in minutes. I opened my mouth to speak, but then the curtains were drawn aside, and the imp Aliyah walked into the dig. Its mouth hung open when it saw me. Then it smiled.

“Ned! We’ve all been so worried about you.” It knelt in front of me and wrapped its arms around my neck. It placed a kiss on my cheek and pulled back, before I had the presence of mind to extricate myself from its embrace. I had to fight down the urge to strike the imp. How dare it touch me without my permission? I took a deep breath, and then exhaled. The mission was complete, I reminded myself, we would be leaving Aurelion soon, and returning to normalcy. I could not wait to see my green skin returned, along with my bulk and height. I ached for the feel of my scales on my neck, for my tail, even my ailerons, which still had not turned to wings for flight. I could not wait to be free of the constant putrid odor of this place. To be away from the bumps in grounds and walls. I thirsted for the feel of drifting fog against my skin, and the luminescence of our nighttime clouds and daylight dots.

“Has Alexa seen you?” The imp’s voice was filled with excitement. Then it frowned. “If I’d known you’d be here, I would have waited to go to the eating room so that you would have something in your belly. No worries though, we will rectify that tomorrow. So, anyway, has Alexa seen you?”

“No.” Yakubo replied, smiling at the imp. It was obvious from the way the imp smiled back at it, that they had developed some sort of camaraderie in my absence. “Ned found his way back to us, all by himself. Zane was so impressed, he made Ned a part of the gang. Didn’t you notice his trousers?”

Yakubo’s grasp of the imp pronouns was shocking. Weren’t we only supposed to be sheltered in this dig for a night? How had they managed to stay here for the entire time that I’d been gone. Yakubo was wearing worn yellow trousers just like the one that I had on. The color of our trousers matched that of the tunic that Alexa wore, and the clothes Zane had on. It was the color of the sun gang, as I’d been told.

“That is so great.” Aliyah smiled at me, before transferring its smiling gaze to Yakubo. Yakubo smiled back at it. “Alexa will be so happy to see you. We’ve become fast friends, and I could really tell that she was worried about you.”

Worried about me? Arexon? I chuckled. It was all part of the act of course.

Yakubo flattened itself. It laid down flat on its back. I had to admit that the bumps on the floor in this dig were not as coarse as those in the other parts of Aurelion. Someone had made a lot of effort to ensure the comfort of this dig. It still smelled as bad as everywhere else in this place. It was nowhere near as appealing as the cove which I had woken in.

“So, where did we stop?” Yakubo asked.

Aliyah laughed. “I believe it was in Damejo.” It giggled, its gaze turning to me. “Perhaps we should bring Ned up to speed.” It offered.

“No.” Yakubo replied, “Ned is not interested in this.”

The imp stretched out its leg, and poked Yakubo’s arm with its toe. “Don’t be unkind.” My eyes travelled from the toe against Yakubo’s flesh, to Yakubo’s smiling face, and then back to the toe as it was now being withdrawn. It was obvious that Yakubo did not mind this treatment by an imp. “Would you like to hear what we’ve been talking about Ned?”

“Yes.” I replied, curiously.

Yakubo sighed. “Very well, I will bring it-him up to speed, quickly.” I caught Yakubo’s slip, but I wasn’t sure that Aliyah had, because the imp’s smile did not waver. “Aliyah had been telling me her life story. She and Zane grew up in the same village. They were childhood lovers, and they were killed before they could marry and consummate their marriage. That is how they both came to be imps with lust. They soon found that their lust was in high demand. They were asked a series of questions by the pious who first found them, and from those questions, the pious found out about their special gift. Their eyes were then taken, and they were sold as a bundle to the Kaiser of a port close to where their spectral existence life begun. They served that Kaiser for three decades, forced to make lust in public, for the consumption and entertainment of the Kaiser and its guests. Their first time together was at the Kaiser’s behest. They were both unhappy. They’d been free in their umani life, and found that service, especially of the kind that they were forced to give, did not suit them. Eventually, they plotted to escape.” Yakubo turned to Aliyah and smiled sweetly at it. “I covered all the pertinent details. I’ll let you continue from there.”

Aliyah laughed. I did not know how I had not noticed this before. There was a strange quality to the imp’s laughter. It was quite mesmerizing actually, almost musical. Was this what Yakubo found so intriguing about the imp?

“We plotted unsuccessfully to escape. But it all changed on the night that an uspec, a prince,” it chuckled, cutting itself off, “no I believe they call them imperial, came visiting with its imps Chike and Monica. Chike and Monica. I may live for an eternity, but I would never forget those names.”

“What of the imperial?” I asked, wondering how many Chikes there could be, who served imperials.

“Ned!” Yakubo scolded.

Aliyah just smiled. “I would not forget it either. In all the time that I have spent in this existence, I have never met a kinder uspec. Its name was Calami.”

I almost forgot how to breathe.

“Calami was only meant to be in our port for a day. We belonged to the Kaiser of a small boga port, whose line had once been great friends with Calami’s line. The visit was obligatory. It was obvious from the preparations the Kaiser made, that it was trying desperately to impress this visiting imperial. It even saved us, keeping us from producing lust for a full month, so that we could be at peak vigor during that visit. It did not know that Calami would find the lust so distasteful. As soon as Calami realized what we were doing, it stopped us and stormed out.

Zane and I were whipped for that.

Chike and Monica found us bleeding and tied to a whipping post. They were making preparations to leave the port, but they stopped what they were doing when they saw us. Somehow, they convinced Calami to have us released, and given exclusively to the uspec. I do not know how it managed it, but Calami had us transferred to its suite for a week. It gave us growth to heal our wounds and told us that it had no demands of lust from us. Instead, it let its imps tell us stories. I had never heard imps be so free in front of their master, but these imps were. There was nothing that they would not say with Calami in the room.

All we’d known was boga fog and sludge grounds. The imps told us that this was not the norm. That in the richest boga ports, there were great monuments made of hardened fog. Hardened fog, can you believe that? Well, neither did we, but we loved the stories. They said that there were grounds made of foam. They talked about large bodies of okuns. Of ports that were built on or surrounded by okun, like our human islands. The worlds they’d travelled to were filled with wonder. Uspecs who were as kind as their masters, uspecs who they chose to serve for the magic that they could siphon. Magic that they could take freely. Magic! The only uspec in our port who had outer eyes was the Kaiser, and it only had two imp eyes. We learned from the imps that the Kaiser’s magic was to produce fogs, not that we ever saw it.

But then the imp, Chike, who’d been with Calami the longest, showed us the magic. It was mesmerizing. First, he pulled out quicksand and showed us how that magic could be used to teleport things. We begged him to use the magic to teleport us, but he couldn’t, not without his master’s permission. But he told us to wait. Wait. We hated that word at the time. We were impatient. We thought that they would leave without us, and we would be forced to go back to the humiliating task of making lust for uspecs. Still, we had no choice but to wait, and so we did.

Chike showed us okun. Pure, beautiful okun. It was so large that it filled the room. Then he showed us clouds. Can you imagine that? Clouds, right there in the middle of the room. I remember Calami teasing Chike about how much it was showing off for us. Monica said it was because I was pretty, and Calami chuckled, as if it understood. An uspec who understood that we had feelings, emotions. They teased each other then, and they all laughed. Zane and I could not believe it, but we could not stop watching.

Then Chike showed us hail.

We were so engrossed by it, that they told us stories. Chike and Monica told us stories of mejo ports, ports that were filled with so much hail, that everyone in it had to wear coats. Calami hated those mejo ports. It preferred hooni, it was something that they laughed about.

That was when they told us that Monica did not really belong to Calami, that they were only taking her along till they reached the isle of shuns.”

I frowned. Why would an imp go to the isle of shuns?

“What is that?” Yakubo asked.

“It is where the uspecs send their shunned ones.”

“Why would Monica go there?”

“She wasn’t. You see, there is a port which borders the isle. That port is a mejo port. When you reach the trail to the isle of shuns, you could continue on towards the isle, or you could veer off the trail, and go to Permafrost.”

Yakubo and I looked at each other.

“Permafrost?” Yakubo asked.

“This is an imp secret, passed by word of mouth between imps. Permafrost is the main ice-mountain, the Cathedral of our faith in Sada. It is where the wrath of Sada is located. We had not heard of the wrath at that point, or even of Sada, or ice-mountains. But they told us about it all. They told us that Monica was on her way to Permafrost. Calami had freed Monica from a brutal whipping in Aboga, and by her choice, was sending her to the one place where imps could be free and protected, without uspec supervision. Chike had been to this place. He described the coves sculpted out of the hails in these mountains. He talked about the beauty of it, the magical quality, and we were stunned.”

Chike had been to where the wrath of Sada was located? This connected to Xavier in my mind, and alarm bells went off, but I shut them down and focused on the story. It was turning out to be more interesting than I had thought.

“As all good things do, our week with them came to an end. We watched them pack up to leave. They were happy. We were so jealous of them. We were jealous of Monica who would soon have her freedom and even of Chike who seemed so happy with his service. We would have given anything to be in their shoes.

And then the day came for them to leave and Calami told us that it had bought us. We were going with them. That was the happiest day of our lives in this existence. There were routes that they had to take, Kaisers that Calami was obligated to visit, but eventually it would reach the Isle.

Every day with them was like an adventure. We saw new ports. We saw magic. We saw the riches of this existence, all while we travelled in style. Calami had the wealth of its line at its disposal and it did not begrudge us a thing. Zane and I talk about those months as the honeymoon we never got to take. We swore that we would never again be forced to make lust for an uspec. When we traveled with Calami, we were given our own rooms in its suite. We made love, in private.

Then we reached Damejo, border to the isle of shuns, and home to Permafrost. Chike offered us a choice then. He said that we could continue on with him and his master, and becomes imps of Calami’s illustrious line, or we could go with Monica and have freedom in Permafrost. It was a hard decision, much harder than we had ever thought such a choice would be. But in the end, we chose freedom. We chose Permafrost. Chike and Calami led us to the isle and left us with Monica. We were on our own from there.

The trail to Permafrost is treacherous. There are glacial winds which blow all around, making it impossible to see through them. Monica told us to think of the journey as our final test. We had to pass through purgatory to reach heaven. We got separated in those winds. Zane and I found ourselves lost and alone and freezing. We fell asleep one night and woke chained to the back of a hail canoe. The uspecs that found us sold us to the pious. After we denied having lust, we were told to choose between sapping or mining. Chike told us about sapping, we knew that we did not want that. But no one had told us about mining, especially not mining in Aurelion. We chose mining and the pious ones sent us here, to Aurelion.

Sometimes, when I think back on our honeymoon months, and how happy we’d been, I wonder if we brought this on ourselves. Why did we choose Permafrost? Things could have been so much easier if we’d stayed with Chike.”

I doubted that. I kept the comments to myself though. I did not tell the imp of Chike’s fate. I did not tell it of the slaughtering of my progenitor and sire. Of Musa’s castration and how it had been sold to a passing trader.

The curtains were drawn open.

We all turned to face them, and saw Zane holding them open for Arexon to walk through. Arexon had a ‘thank you’ for Zane, before it walked in. Its gaze flickered over me, stopping only for a moment on my trousers. Then, as if remembering its role, Arexon jumped up and screamed.

“Ned! Where have you been?”

It ran towards me and embraced me as Aliyah had. It took a considerable amount of effort to keep from flinching. Especially when I knew that Arexon had pansophy. Arexon pulled back.

“You must be desperate for an okun.” Arexon said.

I nodded, a little euphoric at the idea of an okun.

“Well then come.” Arexon grabbed onto my arm and pulled me up. I rose to my feet, as quickly as I could, and then extricated my arm from Arexon’s pansophic hold. “You too Jacob. You haven’t cleaned since we got here.”

Zane chuckled.

It wasn’t till the three of us where standing by the curtains, that I realized what this actually meant. We were not going for a cleaning in an okun. We were leaving Aurelion. Finally! I could not have been happier, or more eager to go.

Yakubo must have come to the same realization because it immediately stopped.

“We are going to the okun. Now?” It said, straining the ‘okun’.

Arexon frowned. “Yes.”

“Aliyah. You and Zane should come with us.” Yakubo stated.

“Yakubo.” Arexon’s growl was too low for either Zane or Aliyah to hear. “No.” it snapped under its breath.

“Yes, Aliyah and Zane come with us. I bet you could use a good cleaning.” Yakubo insisted. I had never seen it take this tone with Arexon. It was usually all ‘yes, sirga’, ‘no, sirga’, ‘how may I serve you, sirga?’ This was an interesting change. It was obvious that Yakubo had gotten too close to the imps. It was not willing to leave them in Aurelion.

“Why not?” Aliyah rose to its feet smiling. It held hands with Zane and walked towards the curtain.

From the glare that Arexon gave to Yakubo, I knew that there would be repercussions for its action. All I cared about was that we were finally leaving Aurelion.

The five of us walked out of the dig.

cherriex:
So finally @obehiD,been counting days for next and Saturday is a few hours already, fingers crossed.���������waiting.

Yes oh, Saturday is here. Come and read

@tunjilomo You know I have to have as many twists as possible

@phoenixchap Well, this episode is actually the regular length, I think the ones I'd been posting before were long, haha. Thank you! More coming soon

@popeshemoo yes oh, people can surprise us...there m...let me just keep quiet so that I don't spoil anything

@Tuhndhay Thank you for reading and enjoying the twist! Hopefully your questions will be answered in the not so distant future

@barag thank you for reading

@spixytinxy I said that the update will be longer than the last one, and it is longer than the last one. This is the usual length of the parts, its just that some parts are uncharacteristically long . Thanks for reading

@Botaflica Yes oh, Nebud can sha be very stubborn sometimes. And even now that Arexon saved it, it's still angry with it. Chai...smh, anyway, we shall see what happens with this stiff necked Nebud

@ayshow6102 thank you for reading. Pansophy is not in my power to give oh! According to Musa, it's only the pious that can give pansophy, so I don't know if Nebud is going to get that one. We'll just have to wait and see

@Madosky112 Thanks for reading and rereading!!!

@cassbeat thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it

@HotB As in ehn...in fact...lemme just stop typing before I now come and say too much.

Arexon sighed. It shook its head. “I do not believe in abandoning my troops. I brought you with me on a mission and I would not leave without you, or your corpse. I said I would not intercede, not that I would leave you in Aurelion. Besides, I know how attached you are to that ring. It only makes sense that you would fight to keep it.”

“I know how attached you are to that ring. It only makes sense that you would fight to keep it.”

“You’ve been using your pansophy to siphon my memories, haven’t you?”

“From the first time I met you. How did you think I knew about your special relationship with your imp?”

“Yakubo.” I spat out.

Arexon chuckled drily. “Yakubo is loyal to a fault. It would not betray another like that. Sit!”

“No! if you think that saving my life gives you a hold over me, you are wrong. I despise you.”

“I know. I know you planned on killing me.” It stared at my face and then its lips bent in a wry smile. “Plan on. Sit anyway.”

I sat. Reluctantly. It wasn’t till I was sitting, that I realized how smooth the ground was. There was no bump. I inhaled then too. This place smelled good. It smelled clean, like the eating room. This was no dig.

“What is this?”

“A cove, one of the coves that we came here in search of.”

“For the last brio.”

“Yes.”

“And did you find it?”

“No.”

Arexon had not found the last brio? “Have you found the other coves?”

“Yes. No last brio.”

“So, the mission is complete.” Without me. I added to myself. “It is unfortunate that you will be taking bad news back to your masters.”

Arexon’s lips pulled together. It stared silently at me.

“You are a shame to Arigad’s legacy.” I stated.

Arexon’s jaw clenched. “You know nothing about my progenitor.” I reached for its anger and I felt it.

I smiled. “I know that your progenitor had pride. Self-respect. It had thought you had the same thing when you formed your first eye-socket at the tender age of one.”

Arexon laughed. “Arigad had no pride. It begged for its life. It went down on hands and knees and begged Sophila to spare it. It told Sophila that it would serve it in anyway it pleased. Sophila took Arigad’s center eye and replaced it with its own, and Arigad did not put up a fight.”

Bells went off in my head when I heard that. Sophila’s center eye, the one that I had come here to take, had actually belonged to Arigad? But Arexon was still speaking and so I could not ponder on this.

“Arigad is a liar. It had time to write its final tome because Sophila gave it that time. It wrote its tome from a cell in Sophila’s prison, not from the Castle in the Aboga acropolis. And I was not one year old when I formed my outer eye socket. Truly, have you no sense, how would you believe tripe like that? No uspec forms its outer eye sockets that young. I was ten when my first outer eye socket formed. Arigad’s final tome is fiction. Arigad was a liar and a weakling, who spent eight years in Sophila’s prison. It told me to survive. That was what Arigad said to me, ‘survive for you are the last of a great Uspecipyte dynasty.’ I spit on Uspecipytes. I spit on Chuspecip. And I spit on Arigad, the weakling who took its own life. Sophila offered Arigad a chance to fight for our freedom. A fight between Sophila and Arigad in an equipoise. If Arigad won, it would receive Aboga back, if it lost, it would die honorably, and I would be raised as a Chiboga duke. Arigad killed itself instead, and I was made a serf. Don’t talk to me about Arigad Nebud.”

I was stunned. I did not realize, until that moment, how sacred Arigad’s final tome had been to me. I had read it over so many times and believed every word in it. But according to Arexon, all of it was false.

“Eat that. We’re leaving.”

A black fruit fell on my lap. I remembered this fruit. It was an okun fruit, or rather the black fruit which grew from a weed in the okun. I recalled the energy boost that it had given to me on the occasions that I had imbibed it. I chewed on the fruit slowly, all the while considering Arexon’s words.

Arigad, a coward. Not the valiant Kaiser I had imagined it as, but a coward.

I did not know what to say, but it was obvious from the look on Arexon’s face that it was past the point of speaking to me. I had truly offended it, I realized. For a moment I felt regret. Arexon had saved my life. But then I remembered all the reasons I had to hate Arexon. I remembered the way that it had used Musa against me. I was a serf because of Arexon. No, I would not soften towards it.

“Get up. We’re leaving. We’ve been delayed in Aurelion for long enough.”

I finished off the fruit. It was obvious that Arexon no longer cared if I followed behind it, because it stormed out of the cove. I jumped to my feet and ran after it. I realized, after walking through a wall, that the walls where actually just fog made to appear like the walls of a dig. I did not have much time to ponder on that. I had to run a little to catch up with Arexon. It was walking fast, leaving me with no other choice but to match its pace or get lost. Something told me that if I got lost again, Arexon would not return to find me.

Arexon was a mystery. I think the most puzzling part was that it had pansophy. Why did an uspec with pansophy serve ones without it? I remembered then that Arexon did not have the full range of spectra. But where did Arexon gain pansophy? I had so many questions. As the questions flooded my mind, I thought about Arexon as a ten year old, probably expecting its progenitor to fight for it. Whether Arigad won or lost, Arexon’s life would have been better. But Arigad chose not to fight, and Arexon was made a serf. I could not imagine how betrayed the young Arexon must have felt. How had Arexon managed to rise to such a high rank in Sophila’s army despite all of that? With pansophy, I imagined. Perhaps the pansophy was a gift from Sophila. I did not know Sophila, but I highly doubted that it was the kind to give pansophy to a serf. I could not know for sure, but I was almost certain that no one in the Kaiser’s line knew about Arexon’s pansophy.

Which made my knowledge of it, a powerful weapon, one that I could use against Arexon when the time came.

Arexon navigated the tunnels flawlessly. It did not seem to hesitate at any crossroads. It just knew exactly where to go. I was starting to doubt that this was Arexon’s first time in Aurelion. How else would it have such an expert knowledge of the place?

We walked for so long that my ankle began to throb. Arexon was no healer. It must have given me growth then, to heal my wounds. Apparently, it was not enough growth to fully heal me, and leave me painless.

I was relieved when at long last Arexon stopped.

“Follow this tunnel till the next crossroads and then take a left. That will take you back to the dig with the curtains.” Arexon spoke with its back to me. “When you get there, you will tell them that you snuffed the moon gang members yourself, and found your way back. Do not mention me. When they ask you how many, say too many to count. Zane will be impressed. At that point, you will apologize to the imp for touching its girlfriend and you will promise not to do it again.”

“I will not apologize to an imp.”

Arexon turned to face me. Its tone was flat as it spoke. “If you do as I say, when I return you will be wearing clothes. If you do not, you will be naked as you are now, and I will leave you in Aurelion. The choice is yours.”

Arexon vanished after saying that.

I was so shocked by its sudden disappearance, that it took me a while to realize that it had simply transferred its appearance to something else. That realization filled me with the dreadful knowledge that Arexon was quite skilled in the use of pansophy.

Part 11
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I felt cold. My teeth chattered, but I could also feel myself sweating. I saw shapes dancing around in front of me. The shapes spoke. I could not understand what they were saying, but I saw enough of their mouths moving to know that they were forming words. The ringing sound in my head could be their voices, I thought. My eyes closed.

Sweat poured down my body. I blinked, suddenly feeling an overwhelming surge of strength. Where was I? My legs ached from being bent at the strange angle. My back was bruised from the bumps on the walls behind me. The bottom of my feet felt numb. I moved slightly, trying to ease the pain in my leg, but the slight move made the ache in my ankle even worse. There was a burning in my side. The burn was followed immediately by a jolt of pain. I was too weak to move. For some reason, I knew that I should be checking for shapes, and listening for the sounds that the shapes made. There were no shapes. What did that mean? I felt tired. A ringing noise filled my head. My eyelids suddenly felt too heavy to keep open. My eyes closed.

I heard voices.

“It’s been days Navid. I know you want to catch the stray, but he’s not here. We’ve searched everywhere. Perhaps it’s time we give up this search.”

“A few more days.” Was the hesitant response.

Days? That word should have more significance to me, but it didn’t. Why did it, or did it not? I felt so confused. Where was I? I could not feel my legs. My body burned, as if I was being consumed by heat that only hail magic could inflict. I felt a sticky moistness about me. I was sweating, I realized. But even with the sweat and the heat I felt, I heard myself shivering. It felt as though the blood coursing through my veins was freezing, while my skin burned. I tried to open my mouth, but it was too hard. More voices. No. Not voices. A ringing. Days. I closed my eyes.

I saw a figure dancing. The figure had long hair, which spun as it twirled. It lashed out with one hand and struck out with a foot. Other figures fell. I saw a figure stiffen. One minute the figure was standing with its arms spread, as if to strike the dancing one with the long hair, then the next it was standing still, like a statue. The dancing figure touched another and that one fell. More figures came and, one after the other, the dancing figure defeated them all. Then the dancing figure was the last one left standing.

It walked towards me. My mind told me that there was something significant about this dancing figure and the way that it turned others into statues with a single touch. For some reason, my mind linked this dancing figure to another, a name, Musa. Musa. The name stirred feelings in me, feelings of joy mixed with apprehension. Musa. My mind churned the name over and over again. The dancing figure walked towards me.

I could not move.

A hand brushed over mine.

‘Pansophy,’ I heard a voice say in my head, just before my eyes closed.

When I woke, I was laying fully sprawled, on my back.

I tried to move, but I couldn’t. I could not as much as pull my eyelids open. I could tell from the feelings of the ground underneath me, that I had been moved. It all came back to me at once. Yakubo, the expedition that I’d gone on. I’d gotten myself lost. Then I’d been accosted by imps who’d wanted my ring. I felt the ring on my finger, so I knew I still had it. I remembered squeezing myself into a crevice in a moonlight dig to keep myself from being seen. I remembered the pickaxe in my side, and my broken ankle. My ankle felt stiff now. I could not move it, but I did not feel much pain coming from it. And my side? There was a slight twinge, but nothing as bad as when the pickaxe entered me.

I reached for the lifeforce in my pain and went into myself. A thorough search showed that the pain I felt were healing pains. My wounds had been healed. But why and by whom? I tried to remember the things that happened after I’d been in the crevice. I remembered waking up a few times and seeing the imps still searching for me. I remembered hearing them say that they’d been searching for days. Days, I thought with a forlorn sigh. Arexon and Yakubo would be gone by now. Arexon had said the mission would only take a day or two. They would not have gone looking for me. I was stuck here, as an imp, for the rest of my life.

I was suddenly starting to wish that whoever saved me, hadn’t bothered.

Saved me. Musa. No. Not Musa. It could not have been Musa, Musa was not in Aurelion. But, for some reason, I was certain that the imp that saved me had pansophy. I did not know why my brain made this connection, but it did. It took me a lot longer to remember the last thing I’d seen before losing consciousness the last time.

An imp dancing.

It touched another imp and that one turned to stone. Extra form? Or maybe even lack of motion. Either could have been responsible for what I saw. But definitely pansophy. The imp had touched my ring. I recalled the voice in my head saying ‘pansophy’. An imp with pansophy in Aurelion. Could it be Musa? It seemed like the kind of thing that Musa would do.

I remembered another pertinent detail then. The imp had long hair. Musa did not have hair that long. Although, it could have grown its hair out to that length. No, it wasn’t Musa. Musa would not grow its hair out. And Musa would not be in Aurelion. Perhaps if it thought that I needed aid, then maybe it would have come. But Musa had no way of knowing that I was in Aurelion, with the identity of an imp.

Then who was my savior? I did not like this. An imp with pansophy. An imp with pansophy who’d saved my life. I would be indebted to this imp then. Perhaps I could pay it back with the rest of my life, which I would spend here, in Aurelion, I thought sourly.

‘Pansophy.’ The voice filled my head.

I was expecting the touch before it came. A hand brushed against my side. It poked at my side, where the pickaxe had lanced me, and then it withdrew its hand and moved to my leg. It repeated its poking on my ankle. The pain was slight with both pokes.

The imp was touching me a… the imp was touching me. It’d had me unconscious for I don’t know how long, and now it was touching me with ease. The imp would already know everything about me then. It would have poured through my mind. I knew that I should be furious, but I could not summon the strength for that. I felt strong, much stronger than I’d been in the crevice. The imp must have fed me then. Knowing what Aurelion was like, I knew that the imp would have had to go to a lot of trouble to sneak food out of the eating room, and bring it to me. Then I remembered an important fact, the imp had pansophy. It could easily have taken the appearance away from the food, making it even easier to sneak. What did it matter? I was not an uspec anymore. I was stuck in Aurelion. Why should I care what the imp saw in my head?

If I wasn’t so absorbed with my own thoughts, I would have registered the fact that I could move sooner. As soon as I realized this, I jumped, springing to my feet.

It was a tiny dig. The dig was so small that I could see every wall. I frowned. See every wall? How was this possible? There did not seem to be any entrance to this dig. It was completely enclosed. Then how had I been brought in?

The imp was standing with its back to me. It wore a tunic, a short tunic which stopped just above the back of its knees.

“I took away your motion so that you could heal.” The imp said, turning around.

I frowned. I knew this imp.

The ring. I thought, shaking my head. I’d forgotten one key thing about how the ring worked. It did not identify pansophy in all that touched it. Only in uspecs.

Arexon.

“If you do anything to disrespect anyone, and they take it upon themselves to discipline you, I will not intercede.”

Arexon’s warnings from the day that we embarked on this journey to Aurelion, filled my mind.

“You said that you would not intercede. Why did you?” Why? Why! I could honestly say that I would rather have died in that crevice than been saved by Arexon. Arexon! I hated this uspec. I was going to kill it! But then it saved my life and now I felt indebted to it. I wanted to go back in time and fall in deeper on that pickaxe.

Arexon had pansophy. How could I have been so foolish? It knew everything by now. Even the slowest pansophy practitioner would know everything in the amount of time that I had been unconscious.

Arexon was frowning at me. “You have a startling way of showing gratitude.”

“You should have left me there to die.” I replied. But why would it, when it could save me and have one more thing to hold over me. Only if I let it. I was still going to kill Arexon. I was going to kill it, if it was the last thing I did! How dare it save my life!

“You would like that, wouldn’t you?” Arexon walked forward and sat on the floor. “Sit.” It ordered.

“Why did you come back for me?” I demanded, ignoring its order.

Smooth278:
Time for Nebud to learn some more magic... Healing spell maybe

maybe... let's see, update is here!