Chapter Text
The crackle of lightning filled the air. I could hear it clearly, see the flash from behind my eyelids. People were talking. My body felt heavy, and everything was sore. I wanted to open my eyes, but it was too hard.
A strong breeze swept through wherever it was that I was laying. Hard rocks were digging into my back. Something hot and sticky was covering my left hand.
"Is he dead?" Someone asked, their voice echoing. No one answered. Someone gently nudged my head with something.
I forced my eyes open, my entire body screaming at me. A tall, elvish man stood near my head, foot raised, looking ready to kick me. He jumped back as if electrocuted. "Not dead!" He cried, rushing away.
Ignoring the pain throughout my body, I pushed myself up to better get a look around. What the hell is going on?
I front of me was nearly a dozen people, all glaring, most had a bit of fear mixed in. What was their problem? I was just laying there.
Two from the group approached me cautiously, a man and a woman. Both were tall, though the woman was slightly taller. She had pale white hair, and unlike the rest of the gathered people, not a scar touched her. She wore a heavy armor-like suit, making her look ready for war.
The man wasn't much different. He had her same crystal blue eyes but had red hair. Unlike the woman next to him, almost every inch of his body was scared, save for his face. A static aura surrounded him.
"Igarin, do you surrender?" The woman said deeply, a look of pure hatred in her eyes.
Igarin? My name was Amari. Was this woman delusional? "Sorry, I think you might have the wrong person. My name is Amari. Who are you?"
The two looked taken aback and stared at each other, momentarily, seemingly having their own silent conversation.
"We aren't fools. Your mind tricks don't work on us," the man replied, although a bit of uncertainty made its way into his voice. "Do you surrender?"
"Sure? I guess. I don't really know what I'm surrendering. Again, who are you people?"
The woman cleared her throat, "I am Thalene, one of the guild leaders of Domus Mali. This is my brother, the other leader, Rowan."
Their guild was called the house of evil. It was debatable what side I was supposed to be on. "So, you're villans?"
"What? No, of course not," Thalene said quickly, offended by the insinuation. "We are magical protectors of the city Suncross. We serve the magic council. Do you seriously not know any of this?"
I was a bit offended she thought I was lying about not knowing who the hell I was. "I told you, I'm Amari. I don't know who this Igarin person is."
The siblings exchanged another look. "Give us a minute," Rowan said as they went back to the group of people.
I repositioned myself again to be sitting. While they talked about whatever, I took in the surroundings. We looked to be in some sort of large crater. About ten feet away was a large black mark made from lightning.
I examined the group from afar. Everyone was covered in blood, dust, and ash. Most looked like they were ready to drop but listened intently to what the guild masters had to say.
I realized I didn't look much better. The sticky stuff on my hand was blood. I was in a white cloak, also covered in blood. Who wears white to a fight? Me, apparently. My hair was flat, clumped together with blood. Most of my clothes were shredded.
I thought back, trying to recall what this fight was about, but all I was met with was a black void of nothingness. The only thing I could remember was my name, Amari. However, the name they'd called me earlier, Igarin, struck a nerve, like I should know it, but nothing came to me.
I wanted some kind of reflective thing to see just how bad my face was, but I didn't have anything in my pockets.
A heavy weight dropped into my hand. I lifted the object to look at it. A mirror. A mirror had appeared out of thin air in my hand. I felt like I should be more freaked out, but the weight was oddly comforting.
I decided to question it later. As I suspected, my face was just as bad. A deep cut on my forehead had dripped blood down my right temple. My hair was standing weird, most likely from an electric shock.
I was thankful nothing felt broken. At the moment, I wanted to take a shower and fall asleep for a week. That idea was quickly stomped out as Thalene and Rowan cane back to me.
"Alright, here's what's going to happen," Rowan told me, "you're going to come back to our guild for tonight, and tomorrow, the magic council will judge you and decide what is to be done."
"But try anything, and the entire guild will be ready to take your head," Thalene threatened me. She looked dead serious. What could I even try? I was exhausted.
"Good," she said, the slightest smile on her lips. "We should go before another guild shows up. I can't promise your safety if that happens."
"How many other guilds are there?"
"Six, including us," Rowan told me. "There are twelve representatives in the council. If there is ever a tie, our guild breaks it."
"So you're the strongest," I said to myself. It took a minute, but I heaved myself off of the stone ground. I felt lightheaded for a few moments after standing up. That's probably the blood loss.
The elf who kicked me earlier walked up. "We've got company on the way," they told the two. "Bad company."
"A guild?" Thalene questioned. He shook his head.
"Them."
"Fuck," Rowan swore, "we need to go, now. Where are they coming from?"
"North, there's about five dozen of them," the elf said. "All powerful mages."
"Can you create an illusion?" Thalene asked, worry crystal clear.
They laughed sarcastically, "This big? Are you insane?"
"Dumb question, I know," she hissed back. "Come on, we got to go."
The elf whistled loudly, summoning the rest of the guild over. Most glanced at me skeptically, but quickly dropped their fear of me for fear of whatever was coming from the north.
"Jack, do you have enough energy to get us home?" He asked, turning back to Rowan.
"I told you to stop calling me that," he growled. "And of course I do."
"Great, then go," Thalene replied impatiently. "Ryul, stay here with me. We'll scout the group. Ning, head count?"
"Twelve, including Igarin," a girl replied. "Austin took Nyakwah back earlier after they took a knife to the heart."
"Isn't that bad?" I questioned.
"Nyakwah has really thick skin. They'll be fine," Rowan said. "Ever teleport before?"
"Don't know."
He smirked, and I could see some of the guild members brace themselves. How bad could it be?
It's pretty bad. I quickly learned teleporting felt like someone grabbed your spine and flung you far away. On top of that, a million tons of pressure weighed down of you. But you couldn't get hurt.
The second our feet hit solid ground, people were swearing at him, praising the gods, or throwing up their dinner. I was surprised by how well I managed to keep composed. Although it only increased my migrane tenfold.
"You stayed on your feet," Rowan commented. "Good for you."
"I thought you had storm magic?" I said. Double magic was nearly unheard of as far as I knew.
"I'm a jack-of-all-trades. I can use any magic with a weakness penalty. But when you train long enough, that penalty kinda dies away," he told me. "There are very few magics I can't use."
That wasn't scary at all. Note the sarcasm. "Ning," he called out. The girl from before pushed her way through the crowd. "Would you mind taking Amari to Austin to get his injuries looked at? I need to make a meeting for tomorrow."
"Yes, sir," she replied quickly. "Follow me, please."
Ning, like most of the guild, didn't appear completely human. She was beautiful in an inhuman way. She had a small nose and big bright eyes with long lashes. Unlike the rest of the guild in armor and pelts, she wore a floor-length grey coat with fur around the hood and cuffs.
She led me through a marketplace. Most people stared, and some children pointed. I felt exposed under tattered clothes and prying eyes.
"Don't mind the townspeople. They can get quite rude sometimes," Ning told me. "I'm Ning, by the way, we didn't properly meet."
"I'm Amari, but you already know that," I muttered, glancing around. "Could you tell me what happened back there? Why were we fighting?"
She glanced around nervously. "I don't think I should tell you. Rowan and Thalene might get mad at me, and I don't want to play discipline games."
"Discipline games?"
"Depends on what you did. Sometimes, it's an agility test, sometimes strength. They aren't fun," she told me, dread clear on her face.
"Sounds sadistic," I commented. She shrugged.
"There's always worse out there. Jail, enslavement, being hunted..."
"Thoes are your options?" She nodded, hugging her fur coat tighter and glancing around.
"Domus Mali is the only guild that allows non-humans to join. The masters had to fight for nearly a year to get it to qualify. Austin was their break point. He's the only human here."
"What about the leaders? They look pretty human."
"Well... they are human. But they're also Amazons. And don't ask how Rowan is considered an Amazon. None of us know, and he won't tell us," she told me.
"So, what are you?" I asked, scrapping that last question.
"I'm a Selkie!" She told me delightedly. "And Domus Mali's first official water mage!"
"Oh, that's cool!" I replied. "Why stay here instead of being in the water?"
"We're hunted for our pelts," she shrugged. "And besides, this place is may home! I'd never want to leave anyway."
"Your home? You live here?"
"Yeah! The whole guild lives on the island. I get to be around my favorite people every day. It's awesome!"
"Almost like a family," I heard myself murmer. I didn't remember thinking or wanting to say it. It was almost automatic. Family felt wrong to say.
"It is!" She cried happily. "We're like one giant dysfunctional family. But it's fun! We each get our own house, so if we want to be alone, we can be."
I wanted to reply, but she cut me off as we arrived at the end of the road. "And here's Austin's hut! This is where he heals everyone. His house is pretty close, I think. I can give you a tour after your trial tomorrow!"
Oh, yes... the trial. I was not excited about that, but at least one person believed I hadn't a clue what was going on. "Austin!" She yelled as we entered the tent.
"Hey Nin-Nin," a calm voice replied. "Can you help hold Nyakwah down?"
"I'm going to kill your boyfriend!" A gruff voice yelled back as we walked further in.
"I'm not the one who cracked your exoskeleton in twenty-seven places, am I?" The first, Austin, said back bitterly. "Now is really not a good time, Ning."
"Well, Rowan told me to bring Amari here."
Austin let out a long groan as we walked into the room he was in. Nyakwah was laid out on a cot, facedown, with cracks all over their body. Austin held his head in his hands.
"That fruity bitch needs to stop recruiting people on the battlefield," he growled. "I thought he already collected them all."
I glanced at Ning with a raised eyebrow. "Rowan and Thalene like recruiting people with new powers. We joke about them trying to collect people by their powers."
"Oh, well, we don't have a shadow mage yet. Unless that's you... whatever the fuck your name is."
Before a replied, a voice in the back of my mind whispered to me, the shadows shall never harm you so long as I live. They are your friend.
"Amari?" Ning snapped in front of my face. "You good?"
"Yeah," I told her, rubbing my temples. "Just tired."
"Sit down, I need a break from this fuck," Austin told me, gesturing to a nearby chair. Nyakwah let out a disgruntled yell.
"The blades did this?" Ning asked, examining Nyakwah's injuries. "Glad they were in the front. We would've been toast."
"What happened after we left?" Austin asked as he examined my wounds. I only freaked out a little when his hands started to glow.
"I'll tell you later," Ning said quietly. Austin shot a confused glance towards her but continued.
"Alright, so Amri-"
"Amari."
"Amari," Austin corrected. "What kind of powers do you have?"
"I don't know," I told him honestly. "I just woke up on the battlefield with no memories besides my name."
"Could've gotten caught in Rowan's crossfire. You definitely got hit with something electrical. But sadly, I can't do anything for amnesia."
"It's fine. I can figure it out," I told him.
"Alright then. All set," he told me. "Don't try to get the shit beat out of you again. I won't always be around."
"Are they going to be okay?" I asked, looking at Nyakwah. He brushed me off.
"They'll be fine. It's just their exoskeleton that's damaged. They are an Anansi."
At that, Nyakwah brandished a second set of arms that came from nowhere. These extra arms also had cracks and holes.
"It's going to be a long night," Austin sighed. "And apparently, there's going to be a magic council meeting tomorrow, so we're going to have to make sure this place doesn't burn to the ground. What's it even about?"
"I'll tell you later hun," Ning told him. "For now, I need to bring Amari to where he's going to stay tonight."
Austin sighed as he went back to trying to fix the Anansi's exoskeleton. He didn't seem pleased by this. "Bye, Austin! Bye, Nyak!"
She guided me out. "Now, either it's already done it, or it will do it later, but Ushti will bring by some new clothes for you. It's an air spirit and normally doesn't use a physical form, so don't be alarmed."
"This whole situation is cause for alarm, but no, I'll freak out because of the spirit," I sighed. I just wanted to sleep. No matter how hard I thought, I couldn't remember what had caused the fight or why I was so tired.
"Just a warning," she told me with a small smile. "Either Rowan or Thalene will be by tomorrow morning for you. Neither are nice about waking others up, so fair warning, set an alarm."
"Good to know," I replied as she guided me to a large hotel-looking building.
"You'll stay here for tonight, and depending on the verdict, you could get your own place on the island."
There it was again. Depending. If. Maybe. No one sure. How could I possibly prove I was innocent? I didn't even know who I was! For all I know, I am guilty.
"Yeah, that'd be nice," I muttered.
Her smile turned sad, "Here." She handed me a key from her coat pocket. "Second floor, first door on the right."
"Good night," I told her, walking into the building. Her response was quiet as she headed back farther into the island. The building was utterly barren. Not even the chirping of crickets or the singing of birds could be heard. And it was cold, even if it was only fall. It felt like winter.
There was no one at the front desk, but I took some of the complimentary chocolates from the basket on my way past.
The staris were wide and deep, the perfect length to make it hard to walk up them one at a time, but harder to take a step between each stair. Perhaps this place was the true house of evil.
As promised, the key opened the first door on the right. The inside of the room was just as bare as the rest of the hotel. Plain tan tiles, creme walls, white sheets, and a door to the bathroom. It was a bit depressing.
I was pleased that a fresh set of clothes was on the bed with a little note. Hope these fit well! -Ushti.
I didn't even bother checking the size as I walked to the bathroom. Taking off my clothes wasn't the right phrase. It was more like peeling. A mixture of my blood and others stuck the once white robes to my body.
A disgusting mix of blood and mud was caked under my fingernails. The only clean thing I had was the connection chain for my cloak. A silver rose on one side and a cluster of thorns on the other.
It's a reminder that even the most perfect of things have their flaws. Embrace those flaws, Amari.
I told the voice in my head to shut up. It must have been important enough for me to put a charm on it before the fight. I felt bad handling it with my filthy hands. My left was still covered in dried blood.
It took me nearly an hour in the world's least temperature regulated shower to finally be clean of any blood or muck. I almost felt bad being so dirty in the pristine room. Everything was so bright.
By the time I was done, my skin was red and raw. I'd scrubbed way too hard, but I felt better being clean. I didn't know whether to be flattered or offended that Ushti had brought me large clothing. While it was almost the perfect length, it hung from me like a skeleton. This made me feel a bit ashamed at how thin I was.
I tried to put it out of my mind. Simply make it until tomorrow. But the sheets were cold, and the mattress was as hard as the rocks that I woke up on mere hours ago. Somehow, sleep took me.
Wandering through the forest had always been my favorite activity. The soft ground under my feet, the total silence and aloneness of it, it was perfect. No distractions, no orders, no-
Crack.
Damn it.
"Hello, Madam," I said, turning around. The cold hand of dread gripped my heart. It was shooed away by a soft laugh that filled the air.
"Do I look like your mother, Omen?"
"Hello, Armaros," I responded, this time a smile crept to my face. "Heard the news yet?"
"Your brother is gone? Yeah, I heard," he replied, plopping down next to me. "Do you mind?"
"You wouldn't leave even if I did," I pointed out, resting my head on the tree. "Know anything yet?"
"There's a court meeting tomorrow. Wanna watch?"
"You know it," I replied with a smirk. "Those things can get interesting. Think my mom will allow it?"
Armaros snorted, "You think she cares what you do? She only needs you alive to control him."
"Truer words have never been spoken, my friend," I told him, examining my nails. "Think he's okay?"
"Shouldn't your shadows tell you that?" He replied with a similar smirk.
"They already have. So long as he's not here, he's better."
"It is a disappointing world when you can say that, and it is truthful." I watched as he stretched out his wings as a loud bell filled the air.
"Time to go disappoint."
"This is why we're friends."