NaNoWriMo-vel Chapter 6

Chapter Six - Chirpy Chirpy Cheep Cheep

“M-Miss Sh-Sharel!” Blank croaked, mouth going dry as he scrambled to his feet. “I, I seem to have gotten lost! I thought this was the lavatory but it obviously isn’t.” he explained, “I, I’ll be heading back to the dining hall.” Never mind the fact Blank knew he wouldn’t be able to get there on his own.

The whip cracked at his feet, tripping him flat on his back. A leather boot rested lightly against his sternum, before Sharel began to apply more and more pressure. “Are you certain that is all you were doing? You weren’t trying to find our vault and rob us, were you?”

Blank seemed indignant, “I most assuredly was not! I may be a humble scribe but I have no need to resort to thievery!” Though he struggled beneath Sharel’s foot, he couldn’t manage to get any leverage to throw her off balance.

“Save your strength, Blank. You don’t have what it takes.” Sharel grinned smugly as she dug her heels deeper into his chest. “But don’t worry, I won’t kill you. My cousins don’t have the patience and might do something stupid. Like attempt to break the enchantments our Uncle had placed on his worldly goods.” She lifted her leg off his torso and with smooth ease, bent forward to pull the scribe to his feet.

“Head back to the dining hall,” she commands, gathering the whip in one hand with a mere flick of her wrist. “You do know how to get back, don’t you?” she sneered.

Blank started out of the room, but the envelope in his breast pocket started to thump against him, aiming at the spot where Sharel was slowly sinking her heel in. Oh for Malj’s sake, he grunted as he retrieved the packet. Pulling out the contents, the parchment leapt right at his face, smothering him.

“Arrrrrrgh!” Blank yelled, landing painfully onto his back yet again. Sharel didn’t so much as ask him if he was alright. In fact, she actually stepped over his supine form. Snatching the parchment from his face, Blank furiously hurled it away. Only to have it crumple mid-air and fly towards the back of Sharel’s head. The bespectacled woman easily caught the scrap and carelessly tossed it at the scribe.

For something that was made out of paper, the impact made a sharp smack and left a red welt on Blank’s forehead. As he rubbed at the spot and blinked away the tears of pain stinging his eyes, he saw Sharel looming before him.

“Did you honestly just try to attack me?” She quirked a brow in disbelief.

“N-no! This stupid thing your Uncle left me started acting up!” Blank stammered, holding the now smoothened piece of parchment up to her.

Hello there, Sharry! The paper greeted as more words began to form.

“I no longer go by that name.” She narrowed her eyes.

Be nice to the poor lad, I know you’re not as cruel as you pretend you are.

“Just what do you know uncle?” She snorted, pushing her glasses back up the bridge of her nose.

Not as much as I’d like, which is why I hired this young man to document your answers for me. I’ve become rather forgetful, the last few years of my life and I fear I’ll keep that trait in my afterlife. So please, humor your Uncle Raoul, just this last time.

She looked unmoved, steely eyes staring uncaringly at the piece of parchment. “Why on Silar should I?”

The paper was blank, silent for the next half a minute before answering Because I remember how you were when you were smaller, when you were the one who stood up for your cousins and defended them, rather than the distant woman you are now. When you still smiled from simple pleasures such as watching the rain patter against the windows, rather than finding only happiness in the misery of others.

When you used to know what “blood is thicker than water” meant.

Sharel’s eyes softened, “Fine.” She moved to the door and pushed it shut before locking it, effectively sealing herself and Blank inside. “You needn’t be so melodramatic about the whole matter, Uncle Raoul.” Clapping her hands, the room lit up and Blank swore he could hear soft, animal cries murmuring behind him. And they were coming from the quilt?!

The leather-clad woman sauntered towards the mewling piece of cloth, cooing and hushing. The quilt snarled and barked as she drew closer, a portion winding around her outstretched hand. Blank heard ripping flesh and saw the wadded cloth stain red before the discoloration disappeared as if nothing had ever happened.

Sharel started to stroke the quilt, murmuring gently as her fingers brushed over certain squares while tapping others lightly. She giggled and laughed, her entire personality had done a complete switch as far Blank could tell. When the quilt finally released the woman from its hold, Blank just stared at the long gash that had split along Sharel’s arm.

“It’s just a scratch.” Sharel shrugged, and disappeared behind the quilt. Only to emerge moments later holding a chair in one hand and a stool in her injured one that was now wrapped in tight bandages. “Now I believe you are required to ask me of some things my Uncle Raoul wishes to know about. But first, I wish to know you found this room.” She stated and kicked the stool towards the scribe.

Staring at the piece of furniture, the young man cautiously sat down on the stool before answering “The envelope started acting up and led me here.”

The parchment hovered in front of Sharel, It’s true!

Sharel grunted and folded her arm across her chest, her lips twisted in a wry smile. “I always suspected that Uncle Raoul knew of this room and that he simply chose to pretend it didn’t exist. You’ve just proven me correct. Alright, you’ve answered my question, I am ready to answer Uncle Raoul’s.”

The scribe suddenly started to scan his surroundings, “Ah! Err, wait a moment, I seem to have misplaced the...” he trailed off before finding what it was he was searching for. He leaned backwards, reaching for the discarded envelope that the parchment would hide itself in. His fingers brushed against it and curled inwards, dragging the envelope to his fist. Unfortunately, Blank failed to estimate the distance and found the stool tipping backwards.

He yelped and shielded himself in anticipation of the impact. What he felt instead was the whip winding around his torso and a sharp jerk that kept him from falling completely. He turned to face Sharel to see her effortlessly keeping him balanced despite such an awkward position.

“How did you come to be so strong?” He couldn’t keep himself from asking.

“I am under no obligation to answer your questions.” Was the crisp response, before she slowly pulled him back upright. “Now then, let’s get down to business. The guests may not be concerned whether or not you are present, but they shall certainly wonder why the host of the ball is not dining with them.”

Blank fidgeted with the envelope before digging his arm in to search for the materials he was to use to jot down Sharel’s secrets. Pulling out the small tome and the other writing implements, Blank then glanced at the parchment that now floated in front of him. “Alright, what is it you wish to ask of Miss Sharel?”

I wish to know how it was she ended up with one of Corsae’s Chosen and has become his Consort.

Both Blank and Sharel’s eyes widened at this revelation. The former wisely avoided looking into the bespectacled woman’s face and instead sat himself down on the floor to rest the tome on the stool and open the ink pot.

“Well, that certainly explains her unusual strength.” The young man murmured to himself as he licked the quill’s tip before dipping it in the ink.

“I can hear you, you know.” Sharel hissed.

“Sorry, didn’t realize.” Blank apologized quickly, though he didn’t seem all that frightened. “Now then, please repeat the statement written on the parchment before answering.”

Sharel quirked a brow at the young man’s even tone and found herself doing as he says. Somehow, having a quill in hand kept Blank calm, enabled him to keep his wits while allowing himself to become completely lost within her voice, her words. Each letter, each syllable flowing from her lips into his fingers, into the quill through the ink and onto the page. He found the rhythm to her speech, understood the nuances and subtle accents, and while he did not preempt her answer, neither did he scramble to take down her response.

He seemed as if he were one with Sharel, as if her thoughts were projected directly into his mind to allow him to fulfill his task with ease. It all looked so simple, but every good scribe knew this took an extreme amount of concentration. And Blank was not lacking in this quality whenever he was working. At his peak, there was nothing that would, or could, keep him from listing down every single word.

By this, Sharel was impressed and allowed herself to trust the young man with more than just the carefully calculated, cautiously chosen words she had been telling him. She found herself unable to deny him what it was he had been hired to record.

The truth.

“I suppose I should start from the very beginning...”

* * * * *

I suppose I should start from the very beginning, though none of that really matters when you think about it. After all, Uncle Raoul, you were there when we were growing up. We lived here in the Edelberton estate, our four families and some other distant relatives by marriage. It may sound strange that I am narrating to you my childhood, but that was where it began.

Yes, I would not have this life, this secret, this curse, had it not been for the days of my youth. But I’m getting ahead of myself, aren’t I? The four of us were inseparable in our younger days. Kairhn was the leader obviously, he would come up with the most interesting and unusual adventures that made any mundane day memorable. Surge was the natural lackey who would scout ahead and run back to us to warn of approaching danger like our governess or any heavy handed nanny. Marlene was the decoy, the distraction, able to draw attention to herself by crying crocodile tears at will or screaming her lungs out.

I was the mature one, the responsible one. I was the one who cleaned up after them. It meant I wouldn’t get the brunt of the punishments for going along with them and not stopping some of their more dangerous games while at the same time not risking alienation from my cousins. Then again, even if I wanted to stop them, I had no ability to stop those three.

Uncle Raoul knew of their gifts and abilities, and he was also aware of mine or rather lack thereof. Not that I complained, mind you. I was comforted by the knowledge that these three would need me to keep them grounded, remind them of their mortality, and provide wise council. Had things remained the way they were, I might have grown to become a different person.

But they didn’t. One by one, they were sent away to hone their skills, enhance their abilities and develop their talents. We exchanged letters, saw each other during special days and went on the occasional adventure for old time’s sake. But I knew they would never regard me the way they had when we were younger. While they didn’t look down on me, they pitied me. Patronized me. And I hated them for it.

I made new friends, found new acquaintances and discovered my own talent. Beast taming called to me, drew me into its fierce, violent embrace. And for the first time, I was the one who took center stage. My cousins marveled at the creatures that bowed down to me, I had regained their respect once more for I had proven that I was still one of them. But I allowed myself to foolishly believe things would go back to the way they were.

It was the night of the new moon when everything went wrong. I had invited my cousins to watch my taming of a rare beast that lurked somewhere amongst the caves of Kalnore. I have to be honest, I felt insulted that only Surge had been able to attend. Marlene and Kairhn had previous engagements they could not afford to miss. Had I not always been there for their exhibitions and tournaments? The least they could have done was asked me if it were possible to tame on another time!

But no, I had been blind to the fact that if I have changed they must have as well. I committed the greatest mistake a beast tamer could make. I allowed my emotions get in the way of my focus. I would pay dearly for this lapse in judgment. The beast I aimed to tame was the ursa moss, the largest of bears in the whole of Kalnore. Moss grew within the bear’s fur before the sun would draw it out onto the surface. Ursa mosses are difficult to track and even more difficult to tame. They are a hybrid of flora and fauna and there were few successfully tamed ursa mosses. It would have made an incredible addition to my steadily increasing quilt.

Yes, the very same quilt you witnessed attacking me, Blakeford. Are you aware that a beast tamer must have a means for keeping track of the creatures that view them as master? Some choose log books, others used picture albums. I opted for a quilt.

In any case, Surge was the only one who accompanied me to the taming. It wasn’t often I would be able to share something such as this with my cousins and it infuriated me that Marlene and Kairhn weren’t present to witness my triumph. I would later be glad for their absencefor I did not succeed. The gods know Kairhn would have lorded this over me for eons to come and Marlene is incapable of keeping a secret.

Needless to say, I had failed to tame the ursa moss. A proper taming was a dance of power, of giving up one’s rule over the self to serve the other and it was the tamer’s duty to demonstrate that they meant no harm. That their authority was worthy of being followed. I was angry, distracted, and this enabled the creature to sense my hostility. I had no way of gaining its trust once it read my heart. But I was with Surge and I needed to prove to him that I was not the same boring cousin he had grown up with. I needed him to marvel at my skill and be in awe of having a creature bend to my will.

The ursa moss saw all that was in my heart, and retaliated. But rather than attacking me, it went for the source of my feelings. It attacked Surge.

“Stop beast!” I yelled, lashing at the bear with my whip. Moss and fur flew into the air as my weapon connected, but the bear continued to charge at my cousin. He seemed surprised, as if he had expected me to be able to stop the bear. I didn’t want him to be disappointed in me, not Surge. He had been the only one who would listen to me, follow me during rare times I’d go against Kairhn’s plans.

I lunged after the bear, my whip winding around its thick neck before I pulled. Hard. And I felt my shoulders dislocate as the beast broke free to continue charging at my cousin. My screams of pain rang out through the mountainside, and that distracted my cousin enough to allow the beast to strike him clean across the head.

I watched, helpless, my arms dangling uselessly at my sides while Surge was lifted into the air from the force with his boater sliced to shreds. Blood streamed down his face and he fell down to the ground with a dull thud.

“SURGE!” I screamed, stumbling forward, losing my footing and landing face first. He neither stirred nor responded, the bear had stopped attacking, believing it had won against Surge. It then turned towards my fallen form. I had to think quickly, trying to calm myself to once again make an attempt at taming.

And that’s when Surge rose up. He seemed unmindful of his injury and held two blades by their hilts. He said naught a word, rather he laughed to draw the beast’s attention. The bear sniffed at the air nervously, sensing something was amiss with this human. But none of us could have missed the challenge that shone clearly in Surge’s eyes nor the cold, manic grin spread across his face.

I knew what that smile meant. I had seen it before during one of his tournaments. Whenever he took on this smile, his opponent never rose again. And while I would have understood Surge’s need to defend himself from the bear, I didn’t condone the slaughter of innocent creatures. Especially when it was my fault it was enraged.

“Surge don’t kill it!” I ordered him in the same way I had done when we were children. But my cries fell upon deaf ears as he mercilessly carved away at fur and flesh. I could smell the blood oozing out onto fur and moss as I stood transfixed, gaping before the scene unfolding before me. When his maniacal laughter ensued, I knew I didn’t have much time before he completely slaughtered the bear. I refused to be the witless witness. So I racked my mind for ideas, for something, for anything that could at the very least distract him. I had no weapon, no means of getting through to him. I could have summoned any of my pets to my side but I didn’t wish to risk their lives as well.

This was my fault, I had been too focused on the pent up resentment that festered in me. I had allowed it to get in the way of my taming and rather than creating a bond of trust and respect, I ended up instilling my rage and have sent an innocent creature to its doom. I could use the Tone of Authority to force the bear to retreat, but I knew Surge would only chase after it to finish what he had started. It was only when I saw the mad gleam in Surge’s eyes that I realized my cousin had forgotten his humanity and reverted to a primal state.

He had become a beast.

And that meant I stood a chance at taming him. The Tone of Authority had no effect on humans. Usually. We are conditioned to recognize the world differently from animals and beasts. This conditioning is what keeps beast tamers from controlling people, not that I’ve tried beforehand, mind you.

I cleared my mind of all anger and focused on calming thoughts. Whenever a tamer uses the Tone, they emit a certain brilliance from their bodies. The more sincere their desire to tame, the brighter the glow. I wasn’t aware of my radiance was when I used the Tone, but the attendants that were at the camp we set up thought a portion of the mountain had burst into flames.

I would be lying if I said this bit of information didn’t please me. But at that moment, I was too preoccupied with urging Surge to stop. The bear was no longer fighting to kill Surge; only that it was merely trying to defend itself.

“There’s no point to this, Surge. You’ve already won.” I reasoned. Surge paused mid-strike and glanced at my direction. I couldn’t tell if he was contemplating on finishing the bear, attacking me, or both. A strong gust of wind blew his hat off, and our eyes met. This allowed me to see into him, past his silly demeanor and causal nature; I saw that indeed he was a beast. I could scarcely believe that my cousin housed within his lanky, awkward frame a feral side that only managed to manifest itself in battle.

“If you slay your opponent, you will lose the match and be disqualified.” I continued; banking on the hope that it was his desire to win that made him fight so viciously. And I was correct.

Surge sheathed his blades before crumpling to his knees, “I, I’m so sorry Sharel. I just lost it.” He whispered, trembling. I would have given him a gentle pat on his head had my hands been of any use. Instead, I hushed him quiet, just like the way I did when we were young. I whispered to him with the tone still lingering in my voice that he should sleep.

“Rest and forget all that has happened. Do not try to remember. Do not allow any nagging doubts to worry you. I have cared for you and the others in our youth. The years have made no difference.”

He smiled up at me before his lids closed and I guided his body to the ground as best as I could, given my limited mobility. I knelt by him for a few moments, watching his chest rise and fall in an even, steady pace. At that point, flocks of birds took flight and the ground began to tremble. I started to rise when a large, reptillian hand broke through the rocky ground beneath me. The force knocked Surge and myself into the air before I felt the large appendage grip around my body. Instinctively I yelled out to Surge, to command him to awaken to save himself. But the acrid smell of blood rose stung my eyes and threatened to suffocate me. Blinking away the tears as best I could, I watched as my cousin’s sleeping form plummet to the ground.

And was caught by the very same bear he had tried to slay moments ago. I knew the ursa moss was not under my command and that there was a chance it would slay Surge. But the creature merely released its hold on my cousin before lumbering towards me. It growled low, but its target was not me but the enormous hand that held me captive. Was the beast trying to save me despite all its wounds? Despite how I was the cause of the pain it had gone through?

“Get to safety!” I ordered just before I found myself being dragged down beneath the soil. I suppose the only thing I could be proud of was that I did not give into panic or fear as I descended deep beneath the surface into a dark, underground cavern.

The hand belonged to an enormous snake-like creature with scales the color of polished resin. It stared at me with unblinking, slitted persimmon eyes while I wretched as its forked tongue lapped at me. I gagged at the stench of the saliva that coated my skin and suddenly felt my body absorb the disgusting liquid. Electricity jolted through me, but it felt incredible, wonderful, soothing. The ominous sound of cracking bones rang in my ears and I shrieked in pain as my shoulders snapped back into place. My body grew limp and my breathing came in haggard gasps.

“Well done, human.” A voice rang in my ears and my initial guess was it was the serpent. But no, it was the figure that stood atop the beast’s head. “I applaud you for your integrity and for your rare gift of perception.”

My brows furrowed in confusion, Perception? What is he talking about?

“Come now,” he clapped, and the serpent raised me towards the unknown figure. “There is no need to be modest.” When I was close enough to see his features, my eyes widened and my blood ran cold. I knew who he was and more importantly I knew what he was. He was one of the Nameless Many. A demi-god, one of those whom Corsae had bestowed favor upon.

He possessed paws as opposed to a human’s hands and feet, feline ears were pressed flat atop his tan-haired head and a long furred tail twitched to and fro behind him. Though he retained some aspects of his humanity, it was simply impossible to mistake him to be human.

“W-why?” I stammered weakly, it was all I could do to keep from screaming.

He grinned wolfishly, revealing sharp fangs. “You’ve interested me with your taming and you’ve won my respect for protecting the life of an untamed beast. Such a feat does not go unnoticed.” He clapped once more and the snake released its hold on me. I stumbled forward, allowing my legs to gain their balance before somersaulting backwards away from him. I did not know what he meant by his words, but when I stared into his face, I saw the hunger shining in his eyes. Again the serpent caught me in mid-air and held me captive.

It was not mindless panic or irrational fear that urged, nay, begged me to keep my distance from him. It was the way my body had grown warm and flushed when I was near him. I could not trust myself in his presence, and that was why I had to flee.

“So you can sense it.” He smiled and was extremely pleased “And it was not just mere luck or desperation.”

He wanted my flesh, and I knew I could do nothing to stop him. I was freed from the serpent’s grip only to be held captive in his embrace. I felt his palm rest upon my breast and I felt the fabric of my clothes dig into my skin briefly as he ripped my blouse open.

* * * * *

Sharel fell quiet after that. Her eyes were glossed over as if her mind was devoid of all thoughts. The silence eneabled Blank to emerge from his trance, his rhythm gone as his connection with Sharel was broken.

“M-Miss Sharel?” He cautiously got up before stumbling back down, realizing his legs had fallen asleep. The noise seemed to rouse the bespectacled woman out of her own reverie and for an instance, the expression on her face was primal. It didn’t take long for the cold, condescending glare to return.

“What happened next?” Blank asked.

“I cannot properly recall what followed afterwards.” Her steely gaze never wavered, but Blank could tell she merely chose to tell him she didn’t. He didn’t think it would be wise to pry her for anymore than she was willing to give. But she was not his employer, Kairhn was though only in name, only to keep the complicated matters as they are rather than making them even worse. His real employer was in the very same room. In the form of the low-hovering piece of paper. Glancing to the parchment, Blank waited for Raoul to give him further instructions.

Good enough for me. The words read, and for the life of him, Blank couldn’t be certain if it was written in good faith or resignation.

“We are done, now. Miss Sharel.” Blank murmured before he began his routine of clearing away. He held out the envelope to the paper expectantly while the sheet began to fold itself

“Wait,” Sharel piped up, “Uncle Raoul, I have to know how you found out. I have gone through great lengths to keep this a secret. There isn’t a soul alive that would know of my gift!”

The parchment unfolded itself, You mean no one knows those montly gatherings you’ve been attending were only excuses so you could hide when you take beast-form?

Sharel pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose, a smirk now on her lips “Sarcasm loses its edge if not spoken, dear uncle.”

Without warning, she grasps at her throat to fight back a scream from escaping. Slowly, she was lifted off the chair by unseen hands, and before Blank’s eyes, her body started to shift. Dark blue-gray fur began to force its way onto the surface of her skin. Her ears seemed to grow larger, longer, drooping down to her shoulders. Transfixed, Blank could do little but watch as Sharel’s face elongated into a snout while her body retained its size and most of its bipedal structure. Her glasses had fallen off, clattering noisily on the floor but they remained whole as Sharel was lowered to her side, twitching.

Was it not for actually witnessing the transformation, Blank might have gone into a catatonic shock upon finding the harsh, whip-toting Sharel had taken on properties of a fluffy, lop-eared hare. He watched her, dumbstruck, as she felt the floor for her glasses and once she located them, carefully tucked them away in what remained of her clothes. Resting on her haunches, Sharel began to asses her new form before she calmly faced Blank.

His expression the perfect physical manifestation of his name only made Sharel sigh, “I do not know which beast I will turn into or when. None of it is of my choosing. I am bound to his will, his choices for I am his Consort.” She clenched her fist and slammed it against the floor. As polished stone cracked and powdered from her blow, Blank couldn’t help but notice how her face was twisted and filled with rage that seemed impossible for a gentle, fluffy bunny to project. “Do you have any idea how hard it was; how long it took for me to come to terms with this arrangement? I have tried to hide from him, to bury myself in some god-forsaken wasteland, but every attempt has been a failure.”

And failure is sometimes worse than death to an Edelberton... the parchment printed to itself before folding away into the envelope.

“C-can you change back to a human again?” Blank stammered.

“Not until he’s had what he wants,” Sharel whispered venomously, and Blank couldn’t help but picture her as a lioness who had just witnessed her cubs slaughtered in front of her. The scribe thought it was best to take his leave, but she decided to take her anger out on him but as he finished packing away, she suddenly spoke.

“Do you know why I became a beast tamer?”

“Um, because you found a talent no one thought you possessed?” Blank recalled her words from earlier and turned to face her. Only to have blood rush up to his cheeks upon finding that she had started to remove her clothes. The leather peeled off with difficulty, the fur had made the already tight clothing even more constricting.

“M-M-Miss Sharel!! W-what are you doing!?”

“I’m making myself more comfortable, because soon I must be in peak condition. When he comes for me.” She snarled, as best a hare could. She stood up straight, as straight as any human before clapping to dim the room. “In the event you were interested, I became a beast tamer in order to have things to care for and control. Once I tamed things, they were mine and I would make sure they’d never leave me. The tables may have turned, but he made a mistake of thinking he’s tamed me.”

With her back turned to Blank, the young man wouldn’t have been able to see the vicious smile plastered across her muzzle. Perhaps the reason why the demi-god had chosen her was because he could not tame her. The door leading to the rest of the estate opened just as Sharel disappeared behind the quilt, declaring “I shall never be tamed!”