15 The Mistress

Seaghan Lues

I look outside.

I see nothing but leaves falling all about like no end. The four moons of Medeis shine the brightest in this kingdom. Night owls sing songs that haunt a being's soul. Bats fly all about in flock as they search for food. I feel the breeze creep up my skin and up my neck. This is the Land of Eternal Autumn and Darkness – the Kingdom of Potio.

"Anything?"

I look back, and there she is. She is already legal as a Head in black plaited hair and black silk dress with a buttoned bodice and pleated skirts. I cannot help but be in a bow as flat as a table with my arm keeping my head steady – the Poti sign of respect.

She taps me on the back, and I stood back up. "Nothing yet, mistress. She should send a message right now if things go well."

She gives a brief smile and walks back to her table. "You do understand that finding that Fortitudo is the first step in our plans, right?" she asks rhetorically.

I freeze. I do not know how to answer the question. "Y- Y- Yes, mistress," I stammer.

She gives a menacing chuckle. Out of a sudden, she points her walking staff right up to my face. "Then why have you not heard from her? Damn it, Seaghan! I trusted Danaca to find the Scirese Fortitudo because you said she's a good hunter. Why hasn't she returned?"

Once again, I do not know how to answer. Danaca has not been in correspondence with me for days. It's almost a week. She should have been back here at Potio. Our moves will not commence if we hear nothing from her.

Out of a sudden, a meticulously folded bird flies into the room. It flies intrically around the room as if looking for a landing spot. Suddenly, it finds its ways up to my fingers. I notice the folds of the bird. The beautiful folded neck is like the shape of a crane. The wings are tiny triangles folded for it to fly. With my sweaty palms, I unfold the paper crane to see its contents.

The text is written in cold blood. What had happened to you? The writings are too illegible to read, but I try my best to understand what she's saying.

First plan is a fail. The Scire Fortitudo is impossible to find. I proceed with the second plan. Infelix infiltration is a success. Send word to Mistress Quasso. Prepare for next phase once break out is a success.

Seaghan, I write this to you with warning. Be wary of a blue enchantress from Scire. That's right, blue – the color of sorcerers. She is an enchantress but she has colors and Arts of a sorcerer. Find her and finish her. Find the girl with golden locks of hair and green eyes. She is a threat to us. Be careful. She is good with attack spells. Use the boy, Romain. He's a boy with copper brass hair and amber eyes. He might be a student of Scire National High School. She might even like him.

Never fear Scire. There are few Practitioners around there for its pyre and stakes. Get the girl. End her soon, and once 'tis over, we can proceed with the next phase. Scorch the budding plant before it becomes a tree, my love. I'll see you soon.

-Danaca

I look up to Mistress Quasso and see her expecting a response. I walk away from her pointed walking staff. Somehow, I fear that she would strike me with that heavy thing. I think it is enough to kill a person.

"Well?" she asks impatiently. "What did she say?"

"She failed."

"And?"

"But she succeeded with the second plan."

Out of a sudden, her staff become ablaze. From where I stand she lifts up her staff as if she would strike. Without me moving an inch, she cuts through my ear. It falls off the floor. I feel my temples bleed out. Still, even though I fear, I keep a straight face. We all have to make sacrifices. If my ear shall pay the price for the Medeis Unification, so be it. I dare not even look down to see if the ear can be sown back.

"What else does she say?" she asks again, in a more heightened tone.

"Be wary of a blue enchantress and use a schoolboy as a collateral."

A blue enchantress. . . How is that even possible? We, sorcerers, have the color of blue and violet. Enchanters have green and yellow colors. Even Mistress Quasso seem amazed by this. I look into her eyes, but it speaks none. She takes her seat by her table as she thinks of a possible move. As she thinks, all of a sudden, she takes a glass and throws it towards the wall.

I look into the messenger bird Danaca has delivered, and suddenly, it burns away to dust. Right. It has served its purpose. It can be done away with after I have read it. I look again to Mistress Quasso, and still, I feel that she is not gone. All of a sudden, she begins throwing whatever is near her. Quills and papers fly all over the room like birds in the sky. Vases and bottles break like chimes in the wind. Still, I don't move an inch. I believe she can also done away with me if her temper goes on.

As the breakables run out, I see fall on her knees and break into tears. As much as I do not want to go near her, I still do. I take out a kerchief from my pocket and hand it over to her. She takes it into her eyes as she rises up.

"Follow Danaca to Infelix, but first deal with that blue enchantress. I don't care what Danaca said in her message. Deal with her."

All of a sudden, she walks away with a heel lagging behind her. I believe it has been scratched by one of the broken glasses all about this room. I better cast an incantation and clean this up.