Chapter 11 - Riches to Rags

"Just a little more," encouraged Althea.

It took a lot of restraint to stop the childish complaints from spilling out. Training seemed more imperative than ever to gain some stamina at least.

[𝙾𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝙼𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚐𝚎]

𝙶𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚞𝚙 𝙰𝚜𝚌𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚕𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚕𝚜 𝚞𝚗𝚕𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚜 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚊𝚋𝚒𝚕𝚒𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝙺𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙰𝚛𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚝𝚢𝚙𝚎!

Ascension was a stat that not many books in the library spoke about. In fact, the only book that did was the Way of the Oblivion Snake.

Oh no. Orochi came to an abrupt halt, realising he had left the manual back at the mansion. His hands went to his side, freezing when he felt cold, hard scales. Pulling it out of his pocket, Orochi's hands caressed the book like a blind man reading braille.

"No way," muttered Orochi. "Was this thing following me?"

[𝙾𝚋𝚕𝚒𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝙼𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚐𝚎]

𝙸𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚖 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚛. 𝚄𝚙𝚘𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚛 𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚠𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚊𝚛.

Interesting, thought Orochi.

"Young Master, is something wrong?"

Althea had paused, waiting for him to move.

"Apologies. Let's keep going."

"I see a light at the end of the tunnel. We're almost there, young master." She spoke, quickening her pace.

Althea was right. The smell of sea salt wafted in from a light breeze, and even Orochi could now see the gates of heaven opening up. The walls growing damp as they neared freedom.

Warmth, sweet fresh air, and the sight of the Sapphire Sea in all her splendid glory coaxed a laugh of relief from Althea, a sweet musical sound joining the beauty before them.

Orochi looked around, his mind instantly thinking about the journey ahead, unable to savour the moment. As relieving as it was, they were not out of danger and nowhere near safety.

But no matter how much he wanted to move on, rest was a devilish companion that needed to be entertained.

Also… looking over at Althea in her tattered uniform, Orochi couldn't help but think he owed her at least that much. A bit of sleep, and they could move across the beach under the cover of darkness, with Althea leading the way.

After allowing Althea a minute longer to enjoy their virgin escape, Orochi ordered her to set up camp. In truth, he was hinging on the fact that Althea knew far more practical things than his modern, useless man mind did. Survival in the wild was definitely not a strong point.

The maid did not disappoint.

Within the hour she had set up a fire near the entrance of the cave, starting it with sticks from a bush and cloth ripped from her sleeve and collar. Now they truly looked like a pair of runaways.

Althea didn't end the surprises. Bowing to Orochi, she began acting as if they were in the mansion once again.

"Young Master, I will now prepare lunch. What would you like from the menu?" Her head was bowed, awaiting his response as Orochi stared dubiously.

What the hell was she on about? He looked around at their situation. Menu? Yet Althea's eyes were dead serious, taking him aback.

Out of pure curiosity, Orochi recited food he remembered from the mansion. "Urm… well… thousand-year eggs with venison cut and—"

"Apologies, young master. The kitchen is out of thousand-year eggs with venison cut and belly creme."

Orochi blinked.

"Then I will have the second—"

"Unfortunately, we're out of that too."

Orochi blinked.

Althea blinked back.

This girl…

"What is on the menu?"

"Fresh slow-cooked fish, young master. The fish, however, may vary."

Orochi looked at the sea, then at Althea. She was being serious.

"Very well. I will take that."

Althea bowed as she always did and sprinted mechanically toward the ocean.

"Is she just goin—"

Eating his own words, Orochi watched as the elf waded into the sea and dove beneath the waves.

A few minutes later she emerged, rising out of the water with two large, three-eyed wyvern fish under each arm.

"Well I'll be damned," muttered Orochi.

╰┈➤.

The fish smelled mouth-watering. Orochi might not have realised it, but the sound of his stomach rumbling reminded him that a growing body needed to be fed.

The fire crackled softly as Orochi watched the magic of cooking happen. Althea's maid uniform was barely holding together. The already torn fabric, now soaked, left the black skirt clinging short and uneven around her thighs. Sunlight painted strands of blonde hair that stuck to her cheeks and neck.

"You should dry your clothes," Orochi finally said. He didn't need his maid catching a cold.

A small smile appeared on Althea's lips. "When I was a child my mother used to take me sea diving all the time. When we resurfaced it was easy to dry ourselves with elven magic."

Orochi watched her kneeling by the fire as she set the fish over the flame, the motion pulling the skirt higher along her thigh.

"That's the first time you've mentioned anything about your past. I didn't know Snow Elves called Spirit Power magic."

In fact, not much was kept about any of the slave species of Nagalon in the library. Their histories would only be found in the bigger cities.

"Yes, we used to have our own, but it is forbidden for elves to use spirit power. Humans require a contract with the gods in order to use it. My people need only a connection to the elements."

Orochi nodded, noticing how she went quiet when talking about her history. Deciding not to press her, he smoothly switched the topic.

"When we get to Seabore City, we'll need to find a way in without attracting too much attention." Orochi leaned his head back against the rocky cave, thinking.

"That will be difficult. We have no identity cards. Right now we're more like runaway slaves."

Orochi perked up, an idea forming in his head.

"Slaves are brought to Seabore City all the time to be traded. That's how we'll get in."

Instantly Althea shook her head. "That's not possible, young master. You're a child. It'll be suspicious if you walk in with me. Too many questions will be asked about your origin."

"If only there was a way… what if I was the slave?"

A shadow of horror passed over the maid's face as she gasped, as if he had said something sacrilegious.

"Young Master! This must not be! We cann—"

Halting her complaints with a raised hand, Orochi pressed forward. "Is there a way?"

After some back and forth, Althea calmed a little, finally relenting, though clearly nervous to mention something.

"There is one way…"

Orochi followed her agitated movements with his eyes, making it clear she would have to spill the words before nightfall, when they would have to move again.

"With elven magic I can make it look as though you're an elf. It's called Illusion Magic. It uses the air element, creating mirages. That way we could sneak in…"

Orochi clapped his hands, satisfied. "Why didn't you mention this sooner? Elven magic sounds like an excellent solution."

Althea fiddled with the hem of her skirt, not wanting to look up. "...It is forbidden in Agalon for an elf to use her magic."

Orochi looked around, twirling his finger at their surroundings. "I think we're well past the law-abiding citizens path."

"Yes but… well, we are oath-sworn. It is impossible for me to do it unless…" Her eyelashes fluttered as she tried to look at him, knowing what she was about to say may be considered treason.

"Unless what? Speak." He felt like using authority sped things up with Althea sometimes.

"You relieve me of my oath to the Moon-Born family, young master. When an elf is born as a slave she bears the oath of her foremothers. All elves are bound by Word to never use elven magic. Only our physical capabilities are permitted."

"That's it?"

"It's not a simple thing, young master. First, slaves cannot be trusted. Oaths keep slaves in line—"

"I relieve you of your oath to my blood."

She sat there stunned.

A golden ring appeared around her throat. As she reached to touch it, the ring cracked and shattered into tiny pieces, fading into the air.

"Young Master…" Althea was teary-eyed, and before Orochi could say anything, she pounced on him, embracing him in a suffocating hug.

Finally pulling away, she bowed repeatedly in apology as Orochi tried to calm her down. While muttering her apologies, he rubbed his shoulder. It didn't matter to him if she swore an oath to the family or not. The Eternal Coil Oath still stood. Althea may not know it, but the oath to him was already above whatever she had given to the family.

Except now he simply had a more powerful slave in his retinue.

"So can you do it?"

"Yes, young master."

Seeing the resolve in her eyes and the clench of her fists, eyebrows knitted together, it was clear Althea was prepared to do far more than Orochi could imagine for him.

Good. Blind loyalty was the best type.

Orochi departed, saying he would get some sleep before their night-time journey. He headed deeper into the cave to find a flatter patch of stone to lie on. The warm flicker of the flames still reached him, and the faint light from the tunnel illuminated the paper he now stared at while lying on his side.

It was the contract he had found in the assassin's pocket. A sketch of Orochi, and below it a detailed contract warranting his death. Two stamps were present at the bottom. One of the Crow-Mother. The other, a snake engulfing its own tail, forming an eternal wheel.

The symbol of House Moon-Born.

"I will get stronger. I won't be like in my past life. This time there will be no hiding."

Orochi thought back to the very beginning. Imposter in the previous life had let life go by, ignoring the most meaningful call in everyone's lives. The call to adventure.

A call Orochi would answer.

A call whoever knocked on his door the day he died had given him another chance to take.

(ᴗ˳ᴗ)ᶻ𝗓𐰁