Chapter 14: Sacrifice – Chapter 12: Reflection

The room Aperio had been lead to was not what she had expected. A small desk with a few papers, a quill and ink sat under a window that showed the star filled sky outside. The wooden flooring looked neat and properly cleaned and, while it still groaned beneath her every step, it seemed a lot sturdier. In a corner of the room was a bed big enough to comfortably hold two fully grown adults. Behind the bed, built half into the wall, was big closet. One of its doors was open, revealing a collection of what looked to be robes or dresses. 

What really caught her attention, however, was a door on the other side of the room. It wasn’t closed, and through the frame she could see a bathtub. One that was big enough for her to fully submerge herself. Or at least, it would if she didn't factor in her wings. She'd need a lake or pool in order to bathe while extending those.

“I hope this room is to your liking,” Ira said, motioning for the young man – who was still trying his best to remain invisible behind the armoured form of Laelia – to step forward. “Thaddeus here has prepared some clothes for you that should fit. He has also prepared everything needed for a bath, should you wish to clean yourself.”

As if suddenly remembering something, Thaddeus approached timidly and offered the folded cloth in his arms to the Elf. Aperio accepted the bundle with a slightly confused expression; she still hadn’t figured out why the man was helping her. But asking why feels so ...wrong. Why does it feel wrong? Much like the feeling she got when thinking about a potential fight with the people in front of her, this one told her that asking for clarification would be wrong. An affront to the universe. But why?

While this was no doubt something important, she had more pressing matters to attend to at the moment. Like finally getting rid of all the blood on her. And figuring out how to proceed with Ira’s offer; she still had to find a way to see what could be her friend. She wouldn't leave without knowing for sure.

Aperio gave a slight nod to Ira as she stepped past the group and into the room proper. “This is fine, but I would like some time alone to take care of things,” she said, staring pointedly at the doorway to the bath.

“Of course,” Ira said before briefly switching to the annoying language she couldn’t understand, saying something to the other two and causing them to leave. Before departing himself, he added, “Should you need anything please ask Thaddeus, he will either be in the main hall or in the room opposite yours.” After she gave him a sign of understanding he closed the door, presumably to call it a night himself. 

As soon as the door had fully closed itself Aperio locked it. She doubted the wood would stop the paladin should she want to come inside her room but it still made her feel a little safer. Having satisfied her mind’s need for security, she made a beeline to the bath; but not to clean herself just yet. 

No, she wanted something else.

Stepping into the room she deposited the bundle of cloth she still held on nearby cabinet before looking around, hoping to spot what had been such a rarity in her days as a slave. It didn’t take her long to find the object of her desire on the wall above the sink.

Staring back from the mirror was the face she remembered. Almost. This one was unmarred by scars, carrying an almost youthful glow. Even her eyes had improved, no longer carrying their milky-white sheen she had grown accustomed to. Instead, pure silvery grey eyes stared back at her from the reflective surface. Her ears, too, were hale and whole, peeking through her hair in all their pointy glory.

Aperio had known this was what she would see, just as she knew everything had been healed to perfection. But, despite all of this, there had always been a bit of doubt in her mind and, as the saying went, seeing is believing.

She stared at her reflection for a little while longer – trying to etch the image into her mind so she would never forget – before the lure of a bath pulled her away and she stepped towards the tub. Running her fingers over the rim confirmed that it was made of some sort of stone, similar to the ones her old masters had used but yet not quite the same. Much like the ones she remembered this one featured two faucets, for hot and cold water if the markings hadn’t changed, and a drain to easily dispose of the used water.

The process of preparing the bath was almost automatic for Aperio. Selecting a temperature that was just shy of too hot, opting for the proper combinations of oils and salts that brought about such delightful smells in the damp rising heat of the water, the added ingredients swirling around in the churning water before properly dissolving and becoming part of the whole; it all brought a certain amount of comfort, just repeating a routine she had done countless times. She only snapped out of her trance-like state as she lit a candle with a flame that she had absent-mindedly summoned.

The tiny fire danced happily on the tip of her finger, undisturbed by the look she gave it. Where did that come from? Just like the last time, she had felt nothing that would indicate she had done anything. Maybe I was too ...distracted? 

Aperio put the now lit candle on a nearby cabinet, keeping her eyes on the little flame that still vigorously flickered on her finger. The fire felt like an extension of herself, just waiting to obey her will. She just couldn’t figure out when she conjured it, nor why the warmth of the mana flowing through her had been absent again. 

Maybe that was a one time thing? It could be possible. She knew little of mana and magic, and what she knew was probably outdated or otherwise inaccurate. She would have to find a way to get her hands on more up-to-date information. First, however, she would need to clean them.

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Extinguishing the fire on her fingertip and slipping out of the tattered robe was easier than getting into the clothes. Stepping free of the dirty cloth on the ground, she dipped her toes into the water of the bath. It was almost scalding – certainly too hot for the people she used to prepare it for, but for her? It was just right. She stretched, luxuriating in the relative vastness of the bathtub, then leaned back to relax. It was immediately obvious that the hard surface of the tub was not a pleasant thing to be leaning against. While it was not painful it wasn’t comfortable either, having her wings pressed against the stone felt constricting, almost oppressive.

Aperio liked her new limbs, but currently they were only in the way. Despite this, she still didn't feel the urge to hide them, knowing from her experience in the Void that it would bring about feelings of pain and incompleteness. She would far rather just bear with the unpleasant, and frankly awkward, feeling for something as trivial as cleaning herself.

Sadly, ridding herself of the blood was not as easy as taking off her clothes; it stuck to her limbs like hardened sap. An exasperated sigh escaped her lips as the grime did not want to leave her body. It only deigned to come loose once she had used more soap in this one instance than she had over her entire lifetime as a slave. She was also fairly sure that she was using enough force to break bones – normal ones anyway – and she concluded that the blood of mages was strikingly resilient once it was outside the body.

Satisfied that her usual four limbs were clean, she turned to tend to her newest addition. If she did not want to hide them, she would have to clean them. It required a bit stretching and some rather unsightly poses, but soon her wings were free of even the last bits of dirt and greenery.

After disposing of the dirty water and drying herself, Aperio made her way to the closet to choose some new attire. Once she was in front of it she stared at the variety of choices displayed before her. The choice of undergarments was easy as there was only the basic options, which she promptly put on. The choice of actual clothes was harder but her eyes were drawn to one particular piece. 

She stretched out her hand to grab the lovely blue and black fabric that had caught her eye but her hand froze just above its surface. Do I have to give it back if I don’t accompany them? She shook her head and simply grabbed the garment. 

The silky fabric flowed off of the hook, almost piling eagerly into her hands, and she had to hold it up at arm's length to get a proper look at it. It was a dress, she saw; one that had plenty of room in the skirt to allow for freedom of leg movement, and no sleeves in order to afford the same luxury to the arms. It looked right, appealing. Turning it around, she saw that, like her self modified robe, this dress also had a back line that plunged down to allow room for her wings. Had they cut the clothes for her? Probably not. It was more likely that it was just the style of this particular piece of clothing. Putting on her new outfit was still a struggle, but after a bit of twisting and turning she emerged victorious and dressed.

Having taken care of her immediate concerns Aperio let her eyes wander across the room. They stopped on a tray that somebody had put on the little desk. What’s the point of a lock if they also have the keys? For a brief moment she wondered what else they might have pried in on, but she shook her head. There was no point in thinking about it, she would soon leave this place one way or another after all. Directing her attention back to the tray she inspected what it held.

On it were a fork and knife as well as a few slices of bread and something she assumed to be a fruit. Despite the presence of food, her stomach made no complaints or requests to be fed, not that she expected it to. She had not eaten anything since she had returned, and still did not feel the need to do so now.

Should I try some? It didn’t look or smell dangerous, and after Ira gave an Oath for her safety she doubted it would be poisoned. Maybe I'll realize my hunger as I eat? Curiosity won and a few steps brought her to the tray where she grabbed a slice of bread. Quite unlike the loaves she had eaten in the Empire, this one looked almost like a fluffy cloud. Just like its look implied, it also felt very soft and Aperio excitedly took a piece of it and stuck it in her mouth.

Almost as fast as the excitement came it went; it tasted just as bland as any other bread she had ever eaten. Miffed at the lack of flavour she tossed the remainder back onto the tray, instead picking up the thing she had never seen before. 

It was a small white and brown fruit that smelled almost too sweet. The bite she took confirmed that yes, it was indeed too sweet. It also became obvious why these two items would be served together. A quick stabbing of the fruit later, she laid each piece on its own slice of bread. Bland balanced out extreme sweetness, and she found it to be a decent meal that tasted better than most things she had tried before. However, it still didn't seem to serve any physical purpose for her. No amount of hunger rose up to meet the offering of food.

Next, she considered the bed. Picking up the blanket, she found that it was warm, soft, and seemed to be comfortable. It also brought about no feelings of sleepiness whatsoever, causing Aperio to let out a sigh. It was nice to be clean and fed, even if it didn't seem to accomplish much, but it did not help to answer her questions. Trying to sleep would wait until after she had found some answers. 

Everyone associated with the [Guides] had thus far spoken her language. They also possessed a lot of books and scrolls. Perhaps she could get her hands on a few of their things. They wouldn't be against me wanting to read about history, right?

Nodding to herself, Aperio left her room in search for Thaddeus.

GamingWolf

I feel a bit bad for not getting you answers, but this did have to happen sometime. At least now she is off to look for a terrified shy Thaddeus.

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