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Tavri thought about this for a brief moment before he spoke again. "We will leave you alone all you want, except when it is time to eat and sleep." He explained, looking at Melacio, then around the room a moment. "Your body requires both things to survive, you do us, and yourself, very little good if you wither away due to your lack of regard for your health."
When the things were unpacked into the room, the two assisting him pulled the cart back out and began to head out ahead of him. |
Melacio had felt this before. While Tavri spoke of looking after his well being, he knew in truth it was the alchemy they were fighting to preserve, not him. If another came with the same capabilities, he would be tossed aside and thought of as nothing. It was a discouraging existence. He could not be close to them...
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Tavri cleared his throat briefly as he watched Melacio, and he decided to add something. "It is not only you we are like this with, Melacio. There is a curfew on the city." He sighed though and looked out the door as a bell toll echoed outside. "If you are hungry, I would suggest you come along with me. That is the call for lunch. We eat in the main hall three times a day. You are not required to go, and you may prepare your own meals, but it will allow those of the Tribe who are perhaps... a little uneased by a newcomer to get to know you if you do not spend all your time shut in here. It is not very often that we accept an outsider into our home."
With that, Tavri began to head out of Melacio's room, giving him the option of following him or not. |
His love for his books tore him between providing for his body and enriching his mind and soul. Of course, he wouldn't be able to study nonstop...And this convinced him to set the book down and follow the man to this meal hall. Would it be like the grand banquet halls at the castle? he wondered.
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Tavri lead Melacio through the corridor to a set of stairs that took them from the higher level Melacio's new home was on, to the street level so they could walk down the path with everyone else. For food, everything seemed to shut down, but then again, they did not have outsiders wandering in to buy goods, if everyone was in the dining hall, there was no need to keep everything open.
The city seemed small and narrow, consisting of two tall rows of buildings that lead up to the even larger main hall. There was the place they ate, where their leader lived, and in the lower levels of it, it was wear Emma, and any other traitors were held. Bridges connected the buildings, with winding steps and lifts that took people and things to the higher levels. Large lanterns hung throughout the city, keeping the hidden civilization well lit with a gentle, warm, orange glow. The room they came into was a large, open room. Large wooden tables with chairs sat int he room, and there were already many people seated; women, men and children alike. Off against a wall were buffet style trays and plates, more than enough for the few hundred people that sat in the room. They were the largest group of Tribe in the area, yet it was a considerably smaller group for a city compared to the kingdom they'd taken Melacio from. The tall, dark skinned man lead Melacio to the food, standing in line with others and making idle chatter while they made their way through before he took the alchemist to an empty section of a table where they could sit with the others. Another ten minutes went by and every seat was practically full, the room filled with noise of chattering families and friends. Some looked curiously at Melacio, but they hesitated to begin conversation with him at first. Eventually however, they were curiously questioning him about his abilites. If it was true he would be able to bring Emma's sight back, and just what else he was capable of doing. |
Melacio noted the differences between the kingdom he once resided in and the city. Beyond the structures of the buildings, the overall layout, and the sheer size differences, he picked up the difference in the way the people acted with one another. The kingdom had a clear hierarchy. From royalty, to the court of nobles, the valiant knights, the powerful mages, the merchants, the farmers, the peasants...why, it was all divided. But here, the leader of the Tribe was dining with the others. He couldn't tell if there was any sort of structure amongst them.
Banquet attendances were few and far between for Melacio. Alchemists just weren't very welcome amongst the world he came from. The Tribal members' hesitance brought back the unwelcomed feeling he was so aware of. And then the questions flooded in. The moment one was brave enough to speak to him, they all joined in, overwhelming him with their curiosity. He took the time to address them, speaking with confidence about his field of knowledge. As long as the preparations were done properly, he would be able to use them to create eyes and the nerves to reconnect them to her brain. It would not be as tiring as a procedure as uniting a soul with a body, but it would still be taxing and require his vast amount patience, skill, and knowledge. Almost forgetting to eat, the alchemist took a break from the questions to dine. |
Tavri assisted in getting the excited members to quiet down when Melacio decided it was time he actually eat, and despite some hesitance, they settled back down into their normal routines, glancing curiously at Melacio from time to time, and soft excited murmurs swept through the room between bites of food.
After dinner was over, they cleared out and placed their dishes in bins on the end of each long length of the tables, where a group would return late to carry them away and clean them. They all worked together it seamed; they were a very large family. Tavri escorted Melacio back to his room where the rest of his things had been dropped off during dinner, sitting amongst everything else now. "You should have everything you need now, Melacio. Let me know if there is anything else you require, I live three doors down to the right on this level--just head toward the main hall and you'll find me." He planned on returning to his room after getting Enver back. The child was with his father, Kadan, being examined and branded, just as was any other member of the Tribe. |
Melacio settled in his room and began preparing the ingredients to utilize for the transmutation. By the time the candle went out in his room, his fingers ached, the tips bloody and burned from the materials he used. To keep the materials from being contaminated, he had wiped his hands constantly on his robes. He was sure the Tribe would offer him new clothes to replace his alchemist attire. While he was proud to wear one, the stigma made him want to relinquish the robes.
Knowing he had done all he could for the time being, he crept into his bed and laid down to rest. It would be a week of soaking for half the materials and drying for the other half before he could move onto the next step. |
Melacio was left alone, as promised, with the exception of for meals and the occasional reminder to rest at night. They did get him new clothing, disturbing him long enough to take measurements and have them made to be brought up the following day. They gave him a basic variety of clothing, though different from some of their own, and Melacio might begin to notice that the only real separation in ranks amongst the city were their clothing. Those who served as assassins wore a strong leather and those who did not, or the children too young to fight wore cloth. There were specific outfits that others wore during the work-day that signified specifically what their occupations were inside the city walls as well. However, Melacio might take note that there was no significant difference in clothing between someone like Kadan or Tavri and any of the other Tribe members either.
Tavri was perhaps the most openly impatient with Melacio. He wanted to get it all over with, unable to visit Emma or let her out of the cell until it was time to perform this on her. It was making him anxious, but he did not badger Melacio to hurry, he merely made sure he was the one assisting and checking on the alchemist so he was always in the loop. |
A week passed and now Melacio was standing outside of Tavri's door, giving it a light rap. It was night time, the moon bright in the clear sky. He was impatient due to the sensitive materials he had prepared. He continued to knock, gradually getting louder. They had perhaps an hour to preform the transmutation before the ingredients' effectiveness waned. And the longer it would take, the worse her sight would be until they would be of no use for them. Then...it would be another week...
He spoke quickly the second the door cracked open. "Get Emma and take her to an open, enclosed room immediately. It has to be the size of five of these quarters," Melacio said, gesturing to the homes of the Tribal members. His voice grew stronger to reflect the urgency. "The only ones present in the room can be me and her. And we have to hurry. I have only an hour." |
Tavri was a few minutes, grunting as he opened the door with a crying child in his arm. He stared at Melacio as he registered the urgency in the alchemist's voice. "...Alright. Meet me at the main hall, in a room on the first floor--it's the last door down the right corridor. I'll go get Emma." He hurried off with the child in his arms, still fussing up a storm.
He handed the child off once he was in the main hall, leaving him with his father while he went and carried Emma into a room used for training. It was enormous. He set her inside of the room and left her alone with Melacio when he was ready, only to linger outside of the room in wait, pacing back and forth. He had been as fast as he could, he only hoped that it was fast enough not to have to wait even longer. Emma stood there quietly, staring off into the darkness as she listened to the sounds around her with clear unease. "Melacio?" She called softly, furrowing her brow. |
The alchemist was quickly drawing the magic circle around the girl with a stick of chalk. The items he had spent the past week preparing rested in a simple bowl in front of her. Sweat began to roll down his brow, falling down upon the ground. The procedure would be easy. Just had to touch the circle, channel his power, utilize the materials, and repair the scars she had. He would have to concentrate to connect her nerves. It would not be as difficult of a procedure as linking Aidan's soul with his body. Not even close.
"Yeah, it's me. Just stay calm, Emma. This will take a few minutes. The only thing you need to tell me is what color eyes you want." |
Emma heard the chalk drag against the floor and her head tilted a bit to follow the noise while Melacio drew it around her. She didn't move, holding still as he told her to stay calm, trying to relax again. She could tell there was no one else in the room. "Colour eyes..." She repeated and looked a little surprised--she knew this had been planned, she'd heard Kadan tell Melacio to do it, but it was happening so fast. "Blue." Emma stated with the faintest smile.
Her eyes had always been blue, she saw no reason in changing them just because they were new. |
The remains of the chalk crumbled at his fingertips. He brushed off the dust and checked over his work. After drawing them for years, the lines and circles were perfection. Not a line was thicker than another and all were evenly distributed as the transmutation called for. Standing up straight, he shut his eyes and began to murmur the words to encourage the flow of energy to his hands. Slamming them down upon the base of the circle at his feet, he released it with a great flash of light. Had anyone disobeyed him and entered or peered in, they would have certainly been blinded instantly. Racing through the intricate lines of the magic circle, the flash first consumed the simple bowl before encompassing around the girl. His hands trembled as he felt her move some in response to the power he had released. Pressing them further into the circle, he sped up the process, sewing up the created eyes to her body.
Once completed, the room went black. The alchemist fell back from his kneeling position to his back as his eyes slowly opened to gaze up at the ceiling. |
When it was all said and done, Emma slowly dropped to her knees. Her eyes were closed, and she was honestly afraid to open them up. Would she really be able to see? Her hands reached to feel over her face first, taking it a bit slow, feeling over where the scars used to be and then over her closed eyes, smoothing her fingers over them slowly. The girl finally began to blink her eyes open after that, the world blurry at first, then beginning to focus as she looked around the room.
It was a room she was very familiar with, frowning as she began to stand and her eyes fell upon the alchemist lying upon the hard, cold floor. A couple of steps brought her beside him and she came into his view, staring down upon the youth. "Melacio?" She'd never seen him before, it was interesting putting a face to someone she had only ever imagined by voice. Her hand reached out though, offering to help the young man to his feet as she stood over him. |
Melacio's gaze moved from the ceiling to the young woman approaching him. His hands were still twitching from the strain of controlling high amounts of energy. His chest rose and fell slowly as he took in deep breaths. The rest of his body was still, drained.
It confused him. He had been so tired after uniting Aidan's soul and body. But he hadn't expected to feel this...exhausted...after such a small procedure. Was this a consequence of the alchemy? He tried to move his hands, but they only involuntarily twitched still. As he rested, only able to gaze at her extended hand, he could feel energy building, allowing him to speak. "I can't move," he admitted, his voice barely audible. "Just...need a moment." He sighed. |
Emma looked down at him a moment and let her hand drop down. "It really exhausts you so much?" She sat down slowly beside him, not ready to go outside and be taken away again. She knew that's how it would go.
"...Thank you, Melacio. I am... glad to be able to see again." She admitted slowly while they waited for him to regain enough strength to move around again. She looked sad though--she could see, but here she was, held captive by her own people yet again. She just wanted to run back to the castle and see Aidan. Letting out a heavy sigh, the girl rested her jaw in the palm of her hand, leaning her elbow into her knee a bit. She could never leave Enver here through. She knew they would train him. She'd heard his cries when they branded the child, it had sent her into a fury that she could only unleash upon sturdy steal bars and cold, solid concrete flooring and walls. Enver was too young to remember it though, after it healed, the child would know no differently what had happened to him. But if she did not get out of there, or if Aidan never came for her, he would suffer the same harsh training she was getting ready to relive for the third time since they first captured her as Theodore. As they sat there, the door slowly creaked open. Tavri had waited long enough, and he'd heard the soft murmur of Emma's voice in the large, echoing room. "Emma..." Emma would not look at Tavri though, her eyes narrowing a bit. "Where's Enver?" "You cannot see him yet, you know that. I need to take you back now, please don't make this hard, Emma." |
Melacio began willing the energy building in his body to aid him in at least sitting up. He refused to be vulnerable, laying on his back like a fur rug, freshly skinned. He could feel her emotions emanating from her small form. To protect her, he spoke up.
"You cannot stress her out. If you do, there's a high risk of her body rejecting the created eyes. And then we'd have to start this process all over again." It was a lie, but well told. Alchemists often found themselves pleading for ingredients or patients to use their crafts on. Pleas were desperate, heartfelt, or right on target to get whatever they needed or desired. He was uncertain with how much this young man really cared for Emma, so he had to use what he knew irked the man. The waiting time. |
Tavri paused at Melacio's words and he frowned slowly, looking at him as if he were trying to figure out if he was lying or not. "How long does it take for us to not have to worry about this?" He asked with that frown still clearly on his face. He didn't want to have to keep Emma locked up so long, waiting for training, but if they could not train her--training would put a lot of stress on her body, he knew it would, if what Melacio said was true, then he did not want to have to start this all over again.
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Melacio pondered over how much time would be believable and how long she could possibly craft an escape.
"I don't know how...strong she is," he admitted, looking over the girl. "If she is too weak, she may need no less than a month for her body to fully integrate and accept the new eyes. She knows herself better than I do." |
Emma stared at Melacio curiously, her head tilting to the side a bit as she studied him. She didn't look particularly pleased with this news either, however. Did Melacio know what this news meant? That could mean another month of time in that cell, locked up until she was able to be released for training.
"I want to speak with Melacio alone about this, Tavri, let me talk with him, and I will go back quietly tonight." Tavri contemplated this for a long moment before he nodded and stepped back out slowly, closing the door again. Emma stayed close to Melacio now, leaning in a bit more to speak so softly. "Speak quietly, he's listening, I can assure you that much." She whispered lowly, frowning a bit. "What are you doing? It's not true, what you say, is it? They will keep me in that cell until I am ready to be retrained." |
His lips barely brushed her ear as he whispered back. "You're telling me you don't have an escape plan in mind? I'm trying to buy you time. Or do you want to jump straight into this...'retraining?'" Moving away some, he spoke louder. "How is your sight? Are you adjusting to your new eyes well?"
An extra conversation for Tavri to listen to, masking their true one. |
"I don't. I don't really want to be retrained, either, but the sooner I can see my son, the sooner I can figure out how to get out of here. I cannot leave without him." She spoke soft and quick, just so there wasn't too much of a gap between their other conversation's replies.
"My sight is fine, Melacio. I feel fine." |
"Then we'll say a few days to not draw too much suspicion..."
Louder, he said, "Don't push yourself...If you ever feel pain or your eyes feel strained, close them and rest. I don't know how long it'll be before I feel like myself again." |
Emma nodded a bit in response. "Are you staying here with them, Melacio?" She knew he'd been kidnapped as well, but did he want to return to his old life? She highly doubted it, but felt it wouldn't harm anything if she asked.
"Alright, but I'm sure I'll be fine a in few days. I'll be careful." She replied in a normal voice, rubbing her cheek a moment as she sat there. "Do you think you can stand now? I'm sure someone could assist you back to your room for the night, Melacio, if you need the assistance." |
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