The Red Jade Girl

We plant seeds in our next generation when they are young, these seeds will only start to show once they are older. So be careful what seeds you choose to plant. -Sal Cuhan

-=+=-

I sat down with Demeter in our stopped time, I began to teach her more complicated algebra. She listened intently, she was perhaps the only other person of my age that found this subject interesting. After going over the fundamentals she asked a question, "Is there any magic class that uses this kind of math in-depth?"

Recalling what my teachers would talk about I recalled a story they told me about, "I believe talismasters use versions of even more complicated mathematics focused on the art of magic inscriptions."

She leaned back in thought, "Talismasters? I never heard of them."

"They are a lost art, not many even know the ancient inscriptions once used," I answered, even I felt a bit disappointed that these lost arts may never come back.

"Well," she sat up, "They discovered it without any previous knowledge on it existing, so I think the chances of finding it again are high."

I held my legs to my chest, "I think we should get going, we have jobs to do."

Demeter got and reached out her hand to pull me up, "The spell will wear off in tenish minutes, we just have to wait it out."

Standing up I finally thought about the original reason I began to hang out with Demeter, "Hey Dee?"

She turned around, "What's up?"

I took a deep breath, "I want to tell you who I really am."

She crossed her arms, "I'm guessing it's bigger than I think, but I'll work through it."

"Okay," 'inhale' 'exhale' 'inhale', "I was the princess of Gorgonia." I stared dead straight at her.

"Ahhh huh," she fiddled around with her mouth, "That is uhhh interesting, hmmmm, did you run away here?"

I was not expecting that kind of response, "No, I was captured and brought here by Zeke, why they left me here and didn't put me in prison I have no idea."

Demeter sat on the ground twiddling her thumbs, thinking. I stood up preparing for the worst, it was probably two minutes but for me, those two minutes felt like ten minutes.

"So this is why," she stood up, "Your magic is blocked, you feel guilty for what you did, you feel attachment for what you lost, and you don't know what to do as your mind tears your apart." She said matter-of-factly.

"Well uhh, yeah, that's what Eleusis basically explained," I gulped, "So what do you think of me now?"

She laughed, "If you think my opinion of you would change to something negative your wrong," she put her hand on my shoulder. "It did change my opinion a bit, but it made me more curious and attracted to you than anything."

I froze in shock, I didn't understand these feelings I began to get, "Why is that?"

"Everyone in that city is the same to me, I mean, I am sure they are all fine people," she clarified with a smile. "But everyone in that place is the same, driven by circumstance, all they want is to be more successful. Be it a soldier, a mage, an Official worker, no one pushes themselves to be more than the status quo." She was walking around as she spoke, then looked at me with the last statement, "You are someone who comes from somewhere completely different, driven by completely different factors. I was getting depressed living the same life as everyone else, perhaps you can be my own light."

'She needs me? She doesn't hate me for who I was?' More light began to shine down lighting my path. There was hope for me, there were people that cared about me.

I began to cry, tears of happiness, relief, it was a good feeling I never had even at the castle. The time spell began to wear off, but as it did I began to get a sharp pain in my head and I collapsed to the ground.

"Amei!" Demeter screamed as she ran towards me. My mind began to fade into a world of sharp jades, there was a broken red jade statue of a girl staring at me, surrounding her were my past self covered in black and the Mad King.

Before my mind disappeared from the real world I heard a voice yell at Demeter, "Hold her still! She is falling int-"

Woosh, I was now stuck in this jade realm with the girl and my nightmares. The red jade girl was broken apart, her arms here missing their upper half, and floated in the normal place they would be. Her right leg also missed its upper half and the left leg was attached but missed chunks of it. Her stomach and chest also had huse missing pieces. Small pieces of jade floated around her as she walked around.

The girl laughed like a mad woman, "Hellllllo Annnnndroooomedaaa, or is it saaaageeee?" I didn't respond, she clicked her tongue, "Why areeeee youuuu not talkiiiiing?"

"Wh- who are you?" I stuttered out.

She threw a jade in my direction scratching my cheek, "Youuuu doon't know meeee?" She cocked her head one way, "That's suuuurpriiiiising sinceeeee yoooou have meeeee in youuuuu." She smiled, "Thiiieeeffff."

At that word, the nightmares next to her began to walk towards me, "Shit!" I looked around and had nowhere to run, no weapons, and could only stay and fight with my fists as the nightmares came closer and closer.

The nightmare version of myself lashed out, I dodged then kicked in a recovery. I managed a strike and knocked it down. The nightmare of the mad king then approached with a heavy sword, it was slow but as the sword came crashing down I could feel the force behind it. The sword did leave it open so I used that to my advantage went down the middle, grabbing the mad king and slamming him down in a chokehold that Demeter taught me.

I forgot the other nightmare was still in commission but soon remembered because she grabbed me on the shoulders with full force and threw me all the way back. I couldn't recover in time and both of them tackled me and held me down.

I was completely immobilized, I struggled and struggled but could not breakthrough. I heard the jade girl approach, she laughed with each step.

"Ooooooh youu foolish thiiiinggg."

I closed my eyes in anticipation for the worst but heard a voice in my head, "Sol!" Magic began to burst through my veins. The nightmares latching on disintegrated and I could finally stand up. Magic began to drip through my pores dripping all the way down my fingers. The voice once again sounded, "You will not take this girl, you won't have your way, Sol!"

The Jade Girl who was named Sol apparently could also hear the voice, "Thaaaat sideeee wasssss alwaaays toooooo soft." Sol began to sprint at me in full force

"Attack!" The voice yelled, I immediately after feeling the magic power once again but my finger into the lightning spell position, a spell I learned way back in gorgonia.

"Sephis!" I yelled as I launched lightning at Sol, it was so powerful it flung me back as well, as I hit the ground I awoke from the jade world. "Huuuuuuuuhh" I sat up quickly and inhaled deeply.

"Amei!" I felt Demeter hold me tighter in her arms, I also instinctively clutched back. She held me for a few minutes as I regained control of myself. As I slowly made myself I noticed a man sitting close behind us.

The man smiled, "Hello there,"

Before I could ask Demeter spoke out, "His name is Biznur, he helped me stabilize you as you fell into you-"

"You fell into your Realm of Enlightenment, or I should say you were dragged into your Realm of Enlightenment." The man took over the conversation.

I sat up sitting next to Demeter, "What do you mean?"

"An external force that was put into your Realm of Enlightenment finally awoken and tried to take you over." He answered as if it was normal to him.

"Why was there an external force in me? Am I going to be okay?"

The man nodded his head in reassurance, "You are going to be fine, well as long as you have my help."

"What do you mean as long as she has your help?" Demeter spoke up.

Biznur put his hands up telling her to calm down, "It has to do with her first question, and external force only enters a Realm of Enlightenment if the person has consumed Sol's Venom."

Demeter and I both gasped, "So you mean-."

He cut me off, "Yes, you are a Warlock."