Chapter 12 - Elysia

"Is that my real name?" I asked.

"Of course! Why wouldn't it be?" She said gently, almost on the verge of tears.

"I hate to be the bearer of bad news but my memories are currently gone, so I have no idea who I am or who you are." I explained.

"I don't care! I'm just so happy you're alive. You don't know how scared and lonely I've been without you and Mira around." She embraced me, crying.

"You know Mira?"

"Of course! She used to work as a slave just like me and you secretly visited us and taught us how wonderful the outside world was. If you'd never visited us, I can assure you I probably wouldn't be here."

"I have many questions to ask you if you don't mind."

"There's a problem with that." She smiled awkwardly.

"Why's that?"

"Mira probably hasn't mentioned me at all to you. We didn't exactly leave off on the best of terms plus she's worried I might steal you for myself, which as usual she's right. What I'm trying to say is if you want answers you have to do something for me."

"What do you mean by stealing me? That's not important actually. What do you need me to do?"

"You have to kiss me." Elysia whispered.

"W-What!? Are you out of your mind!? You may know me from the past but in my current state, I've only just met you!"

"Why are you getting all flustered? You want those answers right?"

Wait! I have an idea.

"Fine I'll do it."

"Really? That easy? What are you planning?"

"Do you want me to kiss you or not?"

"F-Fine. I never thought I'd ever be able to do this with you. I've waited so long for this moment." She blushed and knelt on the floor in front of me.

As she closed her eyes, I pecked her on the cheek.

"There you go I kissed you." I grinned.

"You know damn well that wasn't what I meant!" She screamed in frustration, then punched me in the same place the slave master did. Intense searing pain exploded across my body and I whimpered pitifully. "You still choose her over me I see. Some things never change."

"There was... no need for that... what was your... name again?"

"Elysia. It's one of the two names you helped create that night. I'll explain later but first let's get you to the mansion."

"By the way I go by Zeke at the moment. Zandaka is a name I've only heard a couple of times so it feels weird to be called it."

"Slaves aren't meant to have names anyway. We're stripped off them when we are branded. Branding happens tomorrow. You should run whilst you have the chance."

"I can't do that. Not yet anyway."

"It'll be nice to have you around then, my love." She whispered under her breath.

"What did you just say? You were speaking really quietly."

"It's nothing my dea- I mean Zandaka."

The sun started dipping below the horizon, causing an explosion of vibrant colours to paint the sky before its eventual transition to darkness. Elysia helped me up and we entered the mansion.

The mansion was even bigger on the inside than it was on the outside. Delicate ornaments hung from the walls; everything in general was to the highest quality and design. It was incredibly overwhelming.

"If you go up the stairs and to the right, the second door will be where you and the other slaves will be staying. I'll come to check on you later but I've got to get some things sorted for tomorrow. Please don't defy Master Crowell and Mistress Mya whilst you're here and go straight to your room." Elysia warned me and left me near the rail. She quickly rushed into the room to the left.

Slowly I climbed the stairs and decided to heed Elysia's warning and head straight to the room. The slave owner sure packed a hefty punch, and I was in no shape to rebel or investigate with my body aching so badly. I'm sorry Kubo, you will have to wait a little longer for me to find you.

Eventually I reached the door to my, hopefully, temporary stay. The door was somewhat dilapidated and indicated the room clearly wasn't used often. Walking in, I was instantly suffocated by the gloomy atmosphere that shrouded the other three slaves. Even worse than the awkward silence was the fact that there was nothing but straw in the room.

As per usual, I was extremely anxious about striking up a conversation with people I'd never met before. But then, would they even be in a talking mood considering they are probably trying to get to terms with being slaves. I should be more worried in my situation but I feel pretty confident for some reason.

"H-Hello e-everyone. M-My name is Zeke. What are y-yours?" I stuttered nervously.

Goddamn it! My speech hasn't been this bad since I first met Mira and the others.

"Why would we share our names? We'll be stripped off them anyway." A man in his mid 20s covered in scars moodily replied. He had his black hair in a ponytail and was scarily buff. Like you could see his veins, and they looked like they were about to pop.

"W-We'll still have to call each other something? Plus w-what else are we gonna do? M-Mope around?" I replied, unintentionally insensitively.

"Mope around!? I was just torn from my parents and shoved in a cage! I think I'm allowed to do that!" A girl who couldn't be older than 15 shouted angrily with tears in her eyes. She had short white hair, green eyes and freckles. She looked like she was used to being pampered with how delicate her hands were.

"I-I never said you weren't allowed to do that! I-I was just trying to cut the tension." I sighed.

"Tch! Men disgust me." The girl in the corner whispered. She looked about 15 as well. Twirling her curly reddish hair around her finger, she glared daggers at me then went back to staring out of the only window in the room.

Delightful! We have two dramatic teenagers and a tough guy. Man I miss Mira and the others already. From the looks of it all three of them looked pretty rattled by their experiences, so I decided to leave them be and claimed the last corner of the room, which unfortunately for me, was right next to the door.

Whilst I waited for Elysia to check up on the us, I decided to rest my eyes and actually process what had happened. I'd let those poor children be slaughtered, Ronan was severely injured, and then I get sold as a slave whilst still not getting Kubo back. I have no weapons now, no communication devices to tell Mira what happened. I'm a sitting duck.

Why couldn't I save those kids? Was it because I'm too slow and weak? I don't deserve to be called Master by Kubo if I ever get her back. A Master should protect their loved ones at all costs and keep them safe, and yet I don't even know where she is. The painful feelings of guilt and uselessness somehow exceeded that of my injuries.

I need to get stronger, but how? My mana is currently sealed off along with my memories plus my physical prowess is barely just above average. I hope Elysia provides some answers to the gaps in my memory. I wonder what she meant by her name was created due to me?

Come to think of it Mira said something similar when she was speaking to Kassandra about telling me her name the first night I stayed at their house. I thought it was strange that, from what I gathered, I knew her for some time but didn't know her name.

At some point I must've drifted into sleep as my thoughts became quiet. Suddenly, I was stood within a tiny run down shack staring at a much younger me talking to someone who I couldn't identify due to the darkness, whilst a young girl was curled up in the corner of the shack, but I also couldn't see who she was.

"I'm sorry... Zandaka run... Take your friend... I'm sorry I lied... Go... I love you... my son..." The figure quickly moved a cabinet, revealing a hole.

"Mother I don't want to leave you. Please don't make me." The younger me burst into tears.

"You have... to live... You must change... this world... You are special... Never forget that..."

The younger me embraced his mother, grabbed the cowering girl's hand and bolted through the gap with them. I felt an immense pain in my chest, similar to having thousands of knives piercing me at the same time. All of a sudden, a dozen guards appeared and dragged the mother outside. I couldn't move or see but I certainly could hear her screams as the guards took her. Was this a memory or a fabrication from my mind?

Awaking due to the door slamming into me, Elysia explained the next day's plans and process of branding. She then indicated for me to come with her, and she took me to her room to discuss my questions in private and out of the eyes of the slave owner, Crowell.

Her room was much better than the one us other slaves had been shoved into. She even had a bed, curtains, furniture, the lot.

"This will be the only time we'll be able to talk like this since Master Crowell doesn't want me to speak to you guys too often." Elysia whispered.

"That makes sense I guess."

"So what question would you like to start off with?"

"How did I meet you?"

"Well you see... Mira for a couple of weeks kept sneaking off on her breaks to go somewhere. I was curious what she was up to, so I followed her one day and saw her talking with you. Naturally as an annoying younger sibling figure I interrupted her conversations. Mira wasn't too pleased at first, but she accepted it after a while. You were the reason me and Mira looked forward to each day because back then, life was grim..."

"Why was it grim?"

"The previous slave owner was the definition of scum and... I'd rather not talk about him if you don't mind. He still gives me nightmares to this day after what he did to me and the other slaves."

"I apologise for touching on such a sensitive subject. Why did you think I was dead?"

"You disappeared without a trace after that night. You'd always, no matter the weather visited us every day, unless Mira went on errands, so I assumed you were dead also Crowell said that you'd been hunted down."

"I see. You keep saying I visited, does that mean I wasn't a slave here?"

"Nope. Honestly, I didn't know where you lived but Mira definitely did. Whenever she got the chance when out for errands she'd always take longer than the other slaves and coincidentally that was when you'd make your rare absence."

"You keep mentioning this "night". What happened?"

"There are two perspectives to that night. Mine and Mira's. For me, you, for the first time, had entered the mansion. Previously, you had flat out refused to enter purely because of the owner. You wanted to speak in private, so I took you to this exact room and you explained in a much more vivid detail of the outside world and its wonders. You gave me a book containing fairy tales as a present.

As you left you said about me giving myself a name since neither me nor Mira had one at that time. You don't know how happy about the fact that someone had given me a present for the first time made me as well as giving me the stories that I cherished so much to me. I truly am grateful to this day.

However, if I'd known that would've been the last time I'd see you I would've said some more things. After you left, Mira entered my room, and we decided our names since you'd essentially told us to. She looked like she was in shock but tried hiding it. Once we'd decided, she left. I think she went with you because she was nowhere to be found when the screams echoed throughout the house."

"What screams?"

"The previous slave owner, Crowell's father, was found murdered in the kitchen with many knife wounds. I was relieved that that monster was dead until I realised that Mira had disappeared. Crowell, who'd known about you visiting us wanted you and Mira hunted down as you were the prime suspects.

Thankfully, Crowell is nowhere near as cruel and evil as his father, but he interrogated me for weeks about who you were, where you lived. That's the only time he's been horrible to me though... You're lucky he hasn't noticed who you are."

"How old were you when this transpired?"

"Twelve years old."

"I'm so sorry for leaving you behind. I don't exactly know what happened that night concerning Crowell's father, but we should've taken you with us."

"It's not your fault. You wouldn't have been able to take me with you anyway. I'm tethered to the house via a curse. I can't go more than a ten-mile radius away otherwise I immediately start having my life sucked away."

"That's horrible. Who would do such a thing?"

"My parents. They needed money so they sold me. A god deemed my life to be 10 gold, yet they were paid 5 so the God cursed me."

I hugged Elysia as she teared up. I feel so guilty. Had I known about the curse when I was younger or was I simply too infatuated with Mira to care? What God would allow slavery let alone curse the child for being sold!? This world is so messed up. This world needs to change.

My priorities have changed. First, find Kubo and release her, then break this curse on Elysia. If they want me to, I'll help my fellow slaves to escape. My memories can wait.

"I've missed this." Elysia sobbed. "Why did you and Mira have to leave me?"

"I'm going to do what I didn't before. I'm breaking your curse, and we are going to explore the world alongside Mira, Kubo and the others. I promise you."

"Who's Kubo?"

"My uh... I don't know how to describe her. She's like a daughter to me, and she's similar to a familiar. It's complicated."

"I see. Wait are you talking about that girl with the angel wing?"

"Yes!"

"There's a problem with you getting her back. You need some strong mana to unseal the place where she's at."

"Crap. Quick question: Did I ever display an ability to use mana when I was younger?"

"Actually yes. You were incredible considering you were only about 13."

"That's reassuring. I should probably head back before anyone starts getting suspicious. I will get you out of here soon. Just wait a bit longer."

"Before you go, how's Mira doing?"

"She found a group of friends, and she found me a couple of weeks ago. She won't tell me about her perspective though because of some condition of this blood pact I made with her around the time of our disappearances.

"She's always been stubborn but I'm glad she's doing well. And Zandaka?"

"Yeah."

"Thank you for everything."

"Don't thank me yet."

I quickly headed to my room, many questions answered but many more springing to mind. My injury had mostly healed whilst I was sleeping earlier. Benefits of having fast regenerative powers I guess.

Something suddenly dawned on me.

A couple of days ago, I spoke with an entity that temporarily gave me a portion of my powers back and said to say hi to Kubo, his sister. I may not be able to use my mana because of the curse but Kubo could. Does that mean I could summon that entity similar to Kubo with the rest of my powers? This would mean that I could unseal Kubo wherever she may be.

I need to see if anyone can assist me with the ritual of summoning a familiar but if they can there's hope.