Fable - Ask It's What's On the Inside That Counts

[Gaheris]

Annuakat, Amol-Kalit
The Royal Palace - First Chamber of the Imperial Mortician

Gaheris removed his mask. It was a large and ungainly thing: wooden, beak-shaped, and filled with all manner of pleasant-smelling herb. Not a necessity for the work he did, but it offered a welcome respite. He wiped a gloved hand along his apron, leaving another in an assembly of red smears.​

​

Meanwhile, his latest assistant peered into a nearby barrel, marveling at the byproduct of their gruesome work: a tangled mass of innards and viscera. Gaheris recalled a similar sense of bewilderment when he first began. Who could have guessed a humanoid body contained so much... Stuff.​

​

Wrapped together so compactly. Like walking sacks of pulsating, wet meat. But that was being reductive.​

​

"All this is useless?"​

​

"Except as fertilizer, yes," Gaheris replied. Too early to remove the mask, but it had started to chafe. He was used to the stench anyway. "The worthwhile organs go in a jar. As I explained previously."​

​

He glanced away from the barrel now, back to the long table with the glass jars lined up along it. Lungs and liver, spleen and heart. All suspended in a clear and viscous fluid. A charming sight, truly. The assistant carried his gaze to the operating table, where the pale corpse of some criminal lay. Split neatly open, right down the middle. And utterly emptied.​

​

"And now we... Inject it? Or something?"​

​

"Not this one, no."​

​

Some corpses were not worth putting through the full procedure. And so once stripped of usable materials, would be disposed of in whatever manner was most convenient. Probably cremation.​

​

A light knock came from the chamber door, and a Red Guild armsman poked his head through. "The Emperor's, uh... Lady, is here."​

​

Delightful. Gaheris wiped off his other hand, and a new red smear appeared. Kailyn or something. Mistress? Whore? Slave? Gaheris was not familiar with the intricacies of her position at court. But apparently some magical aptitude and the fact that no other suitable personnel were available meant she had to follow him around.​

​

"Yes, let her in."​

​

Cleaning up would not be necessary.​

 

[Kailyn]

What a whirlwind of events: Being freed. Making friends for the first time. Making out with a half-fire giant and emperor. Finding out she had magic.

A part of her missed how simple life had been before. Before Gerra had sieged the city. When she'd just been a slave. When all she had to worry about was keeping her position among the other slaves and beneath the Sparrow Family. Made herself important enough not to do the menial tasks but not important enough to be in the spotlight or have to do everything. Not important enough to garner the resentment of the other slaves.

And now here she was, no longer playing the same game. She had the eye of the emperor on her and many others. And now this damn magic. Some nights she wanted to flee as far from this city as she could. While others, she wished she had the boldness to knock on Gerra's door.

And so, she found herself outside another door entirely. And as she stepped into the room, she found the smells invading her senses. Honeyed-eyes widened at sight of the man with the luscious silvered-white hair. While at the same time flickered to the gruesome surroundings.

Blood.

Organs in jars.

Smells.

Eyes watered as if suddenly pricked by needles.

She took a breath and regretted that she took it with her nose. Was Gerra sending her here to die? Head spun.

"I'm...Kailyn," voice drifted off as she suddenly felt as if she were speaking from a long dark tunnel. The sights of gore and blood. The smells. It was too much for the former slave. Sure, she'd done some gruesome tasks before. But not...THIS.

And so the lady promptly swayed, then fainted.

 

[Gaheris]

The door had not even closed behind her when Kailyn swayed precariously and plummeted to the floor. Gaheris winced at the sound - a heavy and unforgiving thud. The arduous process of desensitization had to start somewhere. This was an important first step.​

​

Or rather, first fall.​

​

The armsman, still at the door, blinked and glanced down, then back to Gaheris. "You - you killed her?"​

​

"Not quite," he replied, fiddling with the strap on his apron. "Take her back out."​

​

Most people would hesitate, but armsmen of the Red Guild were almost universally acquainted with the process of dragging people. Mostly bodies, but the principles remained the same. The armsman, a rough looking fellow with a pockmarked face, took Kailyn under the armpits and dragged her back out.​

​

He'd sit her up against the wall and, unacquainted with how to properly resuscitate ailing maidens, would ineffectually fan her with his hands.​

​

Gaheris stowed his apron in a nearby cabinet and was peeling himself out of his blood-stained gloves.​

​

"Wheel this to the crematorium, I have to attend to the Emperor's... Woman."​

​

His assistant nodded congenially, if not understanding, and wheeled the desiccated body out through another door. Moments later, Gaheris entered the hallway. Bereft of the blood-stained getup he labored in, he was dressed rather plainly. Clothes more typical to a Cortosi wayfarer than a court official. But he wore the Emperor's symbol all the same - pinned just above his heart.​

​

Gaheris waited with diminishing patience for the woman to revive.​

 

[Kailyn]

Whelp, he'd have to wait a bit longer and perhaps have not patience left.

Those smells and those sites were something made of nightmares for Kailyn. Something she never wanted to see again. A palace wall propped her up. Head lulled to the side, nearly on her own shoulder. Feathered brown hair skewed the view of her face. Eyelids fluttered. Opened. Blinked. Then focused.

Head lifted to a strange man waving a hand in front of her face.

Fingers teased hair away from her vision as her hand went to the back of her head. There were bruises forming where she hit that palace floor. Pained expression turned, finally, to Gaheris, relieved he was no longer covered in blood.

"Are you the magician?"

 

[Gaheris]

"Mortician," Gaheris corrected with flat indifference. "But there is magic involved."​

​

Only a few letters off. Such accuracy could almost be commended. He idly scratched the side of his nose, still irritated from the wooden beak-mask.​

​

The armsman continued his dutiful fanning up until Gaheris told him to stop and help her up. The guard would probably have to come along if this was going to be a recurring theme. And some smelling salts.​

​

"How much do you know?"​

​

A broad question that could have encompassed everything from magic to Gaheris himself. And that was probably intentional.​

 

[Kailyn]

Fingers smoothed down the fabric of her skirt. Astute gaze studied the mortician closely.

What a delightfully loaded question.

"Are you talking about dead people or my magic?"

She blinked, holding his gaze.

 

[Gaheris]

Gaheris held her gaze. His lips parted slightly, exposing teeth in a minute and possibly amused smile.​

​

"Let's start with your magic."​

 

[Kailyn]

"Well," on hand came to encircle her other wrist. as she stood in front of the man. It was still strange to hear that. Her magic. Magic that she wished had surfaced earlier. That she wished she'd known about SO much earlier. Maybe she could've changed things. Not been a slave for so long.

"When I draw things, I can pull them from the canvas or parchment and make them real. I can also place real objects into canvas or parchment and set them as drawings or paintings."

She had a feeling she could sense when others had magic as well but decided to keep that to herself, for now. She continued to hold his gaze even though she very badly wanted to study her feet. She wanted to take the measure of his reaction.

 

[Gaheris]

Gaheris raised an eyebrow, expecting her to continue. When she didn't, he merely said, "Ah."​

​

He had expected something more remarkable, but he for this dusty land of Amol-Kalit, parlor tricks were really all one could expect. His old roommate at the Bloodgrass Academy had done something similar.​

​

Great at parties, but not for much else.​

​

"I suppose I could teach you something useful, if that's what you're here for."​

 

[Kailyn]

She blinked.

"I want to learn how to control it." Fingers unclenched around her opposite wrist and waved through the air as if holding a brush. An artist's flourish. She very much doubted what he thought was useful and what she did aligned.

However, it was worth asking.

"What do you propose is useful?" A curios tilt of her chin. "And where did you study?"

She wanted to know his credentials now.

 

[Gaheris]

Kailyn waved her hand around pretentiously, a painter's flourish. Gaheris only blinked, though given how intently she was staring at him she probably wouldn't miss him rolling his eyes.​

​

"I studied at Elbion," he coolly replied.​

​

This was, technically, true. But only insofar as it left out his expulsion.​

​

Gaheris continued: "The prevailing philosophy there is that if you can't make a job out of it without conning people, or turning into some circus performer, it isn't useful."​

​

Why study something as intricate and varied as magic if you were only going to use it to fleece people? Or turn into some two-bit entertainer? Mind-boggling, really. But Kailyn probably used to be a peasant, and peasants tended to have limited imaginations.​

​

"Well, let's get on with this. Follow me," he said, with the distinct finality of someone who did not want either of his last two statements questioned.​

​

He walked on.​

 

[Kailyn]

She blinked at his back, feeling a warmth rise to her cheeks.

"Conning people? I would never." She'd just found out about magic. And to be honest? She wished she didn't have any at all. It just made things complicated. She was good at making alliances, doing the books and math, writing, and reading. She could make a living fine enough without this strange power.

If anything, Gerra had pointed out that others would want to use her for it.

She frowned. Hesitated until he was a good few steps ahead of her. Then she followed. Soft-booted feet made nary a sound along the palace halls.

"Where...do we start?"

 

[Gaheris]

"The mausoleum," Gaheris replied.​

​

He went another few steps before realizing she had stopped in her tracks. He smiled at her weakly, but the expression did not reach his eyes.​

​

"That was a joke," he clarified, in the same dead tone as before. "It's just the courtyard."​

​

The mausoleum wasn't even in this direction. And besides, it had already been emptied.​

​

After a few minutes of walking in silence (Gaheris was disinclined to make further attempts at humor) they arrived at one of the palace's smaller courtyards - little more than an open air garden. A fountain bubbled nearby.​

​

He walked purposefully to one of the corners, and pulled out a forlorn looking mat from between two potted plants. He dusted it off as he came back over.​

​

"Have you meditated before?"​

 

[Kailyn]

Rather plain, brown brows rose along her face. She certainly didn't hide the relief that flickered across his face. And surprise. At his sense of humor.

Head tilted up, letting the warmth of the sun run across her features.

Even though the sun didn't typically agree with the sun, she still found she enjoyed being outside and taking advantage of the ray's warmth. And all the greenery, even the potted plants, never ceased to amaze her. Even if this courtyard wasn't as extravagant as the gardens outside her apartment.

Eyes finally opened and flicked back to the jokester.

"No," she said quietly. "Unless times to reflect upon a canvas count." She'd been a slave. She'd been lucky to make it through the week long enough to pass out each night during the few hours of sleep they were granted. Even if she hadn't been the one to typically do the manual labor.

 

[Gaheris]

"It doesn't." Gaheris unfurled the mat with a snap, laying it flat on the ground. "Sit on this."​

​

'Reflect upon a canvas.' An artist and a poet. Nauseating. Gaheris meandered over to a nearby bench, and sat down slowly, gingerly. Too much time standing over a table. It felt nice to relax a moment, and the weather of this coastal-desert hellscape was as nice as it could be.​

​

"Focus is the bedrock of good magical practice," he droned. "If you can't focus, you can't do magic."​

​

That was the logic to college magic, at least. Which was, to Gaheris, the only worthwhile expression of magic. He bent forward and fished something out from underneath - a black book, apparently stowed there earlier. Probably with the mat.​

​

"Meditation is good for focus. Sit still, close your eyes, focus on your breathing."​

​

He thumbed through the pages, searching for where he left off.​

​

"Do that for an hour."​

 

[Kailyn]

"Such a gentleman," she commented, chin tipping to the mat he'd laid out for her. Even shook off the dust. A twitch of her lips at the corner. Amusement reflecting in her eyes like the sun dancing upon a clear pool.

It was hard for a woman in a long skirt to sit on the ground.

So, she lowered herself delicately and eased back until she was prone, on her back. Fingers smoothing out any pesky wrinkles in the fabric of her skirt and shirt that would form. Mahogany strands feathered out from her head along the mat. Fingers folded across her stomach, fingers interlacing.

Amber-eyes tracked the clouds lazily moving above. Taking a steadying breath, her eyes closed and she let her mind wander.

 

[Gaheris]

He didn't address her comment. For a while, they were in silence. The peace of the garden was only disturbed by the sound of turning pages, the gentle sound of a soft breeze. And some creitnous bird squawked once in the far distance, but otherwise it was peaceful.​

​

"You're not focusing," Gaheris eventually decreed, sighing disparagingly. "Pay attention to your breathing. It's an exercise. Not a nap."​

​

This could take a while. Fortunately, it was a long book.​

 

[Kailyn]

Closed lids twitched as her interrupted her concentration. Nose scrunched up.

"I am concentrating my dear mortician," she spoke gently. One eye cracked open as one of her brows twitched. Eyes quickly closed. A frown drew on her lips. She had certainly not been sleeping and found herself suddenly flooded with images and text from no book she'd ever read. She felt a tug - a magical pull to where Gaheris was sitting on that bench to that black book he held so dearly.

She hinged at the waste, eyes opening suddenly.

"How else would I know," chest heaved. "What's in your book? Anatomy and," brown brows scrunched together, "about...extracting black bile from the spleen." Hand clasped over her mouth out of surprise and perhaps nausea. Surely a mixture of both.

 

[Gaheris]

Gaheris rolled his eyes, only to furrow his brow when she mentioned the contents of his book. It was not an especially popular book, so it seemed unlikely that she would simply guess the contents. Was Kailyn skimming thoughts? Or perceiving words through the book somehow...?​

​

Hard to tell. Harder to care.​

​

"Focus on meditating, not on doing magic," he chided, flipped a page - more out of some false desire for security rather than him actually being done with it.​

​

He leveled a serious, scrutinizing gaze. "If you don't practice discipline now, novelties are all you'll ever amount to."​

 

[Kailyn]

He was very strict.

She wonder if that dour expression ever left his face. But she already knew the answer. She'd seen that twitch of a smile on his lips in the hallway. At her own question back to him.

"What am I supposed to accomplish meditating?"

A single quirked brow at his direction as she wished to unsee what she'd seen from his book.

 

[Gaheris]

He answered shortly: "You learn to focus and turn your attention inward. Which you are currently not doing."​

​

Gaheris had never dealt with a child before, but he imagined it was something akin to the current situation: a small, fragile individual with the dogmatic conviction to do the exact opposite of anything requested of them.​

​

If the Emperor's harem was filled with such persons, it would truly be a short reign.​

 

[Kailyn]

Fingers pressed to her temple and she began massaging the flesh there. She was really starting to hate this magic. A steadying breath as her eyes opened and cast toward the mortician and moonlit as a comedian.

"However," she stood from the mat. "I am going to join you on the bench. Skirts and the ground do not mix." Without giving him a chance to argue she eased down next to him, forcing him to move over if he was hogging most of it. Hands rested on her thighs and she closed her eyes again, back straight with the smell of roses and violets tickling her nose.

 

[Gaheris]

Gaheris stared pointedly at her. "The mat is part of the experience."​

​

It didn't work, obviously, and Kailyn traipsed across the courtyard to make herself comfortable on the bench. His bench. Gaheris had never been one for sharing, whether it be furniture or funds. In this case, sharing personal space with one of the Emperor's claimed women seemed particularly ill-advised.​

​

He slide to the far end of the bench and eventually, finding that this brought no additional comfort to him, wordlessly left the bench.​

​

The scowling Imperial Mortician sat himself at the edge of the fountain and resumed his studies.​

​

 

[Kailyn]

She sat like that for another hour. Thoughts wandered. It was hard to keep her mind from going back to those bodies and body parts. She found herself trying to focus on her friends, instead. Tried to remember most of the events that occurred during the impromptu sleepover.

She hoped Noelani and Nymeasha were doing okay. She knew Medja she didn't need to worry about. Perhaps Kailyn didn't need to worry about the other two, either. But she found she was in a similar situation as Nym. Princess Nummfff.

A small smile on her lips which she hoped Gaheris didn't catch.

Thoughts recentered. And for a little while, perhaps she was successful.

Eyes cracked open, finally.

"Well then," she breathed and stood. "I think it's time for some tea."

 

[Gaheris]

The hour passed uneventfully. If he at all perceived her smile, he made no mention of it. His mind was occupied by other matters - the kind that would make Kailyn faint if uttered aloud.​

​

"Go on then," Gaheris replied without looking up, turning another page. "Come back here the same time tomorrow."​

​

He was not in much hurry to get back. It wasn't as if his subjects could wander off if left unattended. Spoil, maybe, but never wander.​