The Witch of Storn

Chapter 10

In a space familiar to Rey, high above her...

The being sat up in their chair (it was just a regular office chair this time), studiously consulting their clipboard. They read over the words which were written on the papers fixed to the board, making adjustments once in a while with a quill. In front of them, reclining in His throne and observing the being through half-closed eyes sat Him. After a few moments passed with only the scratching of the quill on paper and the flipping of pages to fill the silence, He opened His eyes. As he sat properly on His throne the being noticed and placed their clipboard and pen on the table, ears at attention and expectant. He spoke.

"Is the plan ready?"

They nodded almost as soon as the words escaped His mouth, answering just as quickly.

"Yes, Your Gloriousness. Rey Brien should be back in her rightful body very, very soon."

He nodded in approval. "Good. And when she is returned, what then? Will she not still die?"

"Err—yes, but..." The being stopped. They truly hadn't thought about it. If Rey Brien returned to her body only to die a little while later, they would still have to reincarnate her soul in a different body. They began to speak, but hesitated. He noticed.

"Yes? Is there something you have to say?"

"Your Splendorousness, I—I think it would be best if the soul in question is left alone."

One of His eyebrows ascended. "Oh?" He said in a voice that made them shiver. "Why do you think so?"

They gulped but answered the question. "Y-Your Wonderfulness, since the soul will still leave after its returning, would it not be best to leave it where it is now? She seems to be doing quite well—"

"Why wouldn't she be doing well? After all, she has lived through that life before."

"Well...well yes, but..."

"Silence!"

All was quiet once more. Behind their table the being's legs were trembling. He leaned on one elbow, cradling His cheek in the palm of the raised hand. After a long, nerve-wracking moment (for the being) He nodded to Himself, as if He had come to a satisfactory ending.

"Hand the case over to me," He said. The being just stared.

"Your Exaltedness—?"

"Did I stammer?" He barked, suddenly impatient. The being quivered and got to their feet as fast as they could, running around their desk to give the relevant papers into His waiting hands. He looked over the papers, ignoring the being standing to the right of His throne.

When He was done He looked at the being, who stood sharply at attention upon being noticed.

"From now on this case is in my hands." He ordered. The being nodded sharply, looking mildly relieved. The relief dissolved immediately He said the next words.

"However," as He said this He glared at them, "however, if a situation like this one happens one more time do you know what will happen to you? Do you?" He whispered the last question in a menacing hiss, making the being tremble visibly from head to feet.

They stammered out an answer, and He gave a pleased nod. Then He snapped his fingers and disappeared in a puff of glittery mist. The being collapsed to the floor, feeling like all the power had been sucked out of them.

The being made a solemn pact with themself that from that moment going forward, they would never slack off on work. At least, not until they became one of Them.

******

Rey sighed in relief as she rubbed her sore buttocks. She could feel the evil-eyed stare Malra was giving her from somewhere behind her but she was too tired to give a damn. Malra could take being ladylike and throw it into any abyss she could find; Rey could not be bothered anymore. She dared to think that even Rhaenar herself would not have cared about being ladylike at this point.

They had been travelling at a steady pace for the past two days. At the start of the journey Rey had been curious, constantly poking her head out the curtained windows of the carriage and taking in all the sights. After a few hours of nothing but sightseeing she grew bored and weary of the slight rocking motion that accompanied the carriage. Several times she almost asked the riders to stop so she could throw up the contents of her stomach, but a nasty smelling salve from Malra's bottomless bag had solved her nausea. They had camped in a forest clearing off the path the first night and the next morning Rey woke up itchy and with large purple bumps all over her body. Males gave her a potion to drink, and in an hour her skin was back to normal.

Everything had been hastily packed up; she and Malra had eaten their breakfast in the carriage. When she asked about their entourage, Malra informed her that they had woken much earlier than Rey had and had had their morning meals then. They left the clearing soon after that, and by afternoon they had arrived in Arsin. It was a bustling city, very similar to the Storn of Rhaenar's memories. Unfortunately they had just passed through as quickly as they had reached it, leaving Rey with only a few glimpses of the famed Asana markets and the rich orchards Arsin was known for. By dusk they had left Arsin, and they spent the night at an inn in an isolated village a few miles from Arsin. Now dawn approached, and Rey had been rolled out of her cheap but very comfortable bed by her unsympathetic attendant, who was presently frowning at her unladylike conduct.

"Lady Rhaenar!" Malra hissed into Rey's ear, startling the sleepy girl. She ignored the piercing glance Rey slid at her and continued. "It's not proper to scratch at your behind! Please stop!"

Rey stopped, only because she was no longer feeling the itch that made her scratch in the first place. Malra sighed in relief, looking round quickly to be sure no one had witnessed the spectacle that was the lady of Storn scratching at her butt like an illiterate farmer’s wife.  Nobody was paying them any attention. They were busy packing and getting everything ready for the coming trip. Malra escorted Rey to the carriage and went back to the inn to get their food. Alone for the first time in a while Rey’s fears returned to her. According to Malra they were almost at the border, and in a few hours she would be in Fort Fiore, leaving New Revonen behind. Not for the first time Rey wondered what living in Stormness would be like, and what the Stormness College of Magic would look like. More than anything else it was going to school she dreaded most. If she had become Rhaenar when the girl was much younger things would have been fine, as she didn't mind learning about magic and how ro use it. But Rhaenar was in her last year of school, which meant exams and tests and things she should know but didn't. Unfortunately becoming Rhaenar didn't automatically grant her the experience and knowledge Rhaenar had. If she truly wanted to do all that Rhaenar could do in the past Rey would have to learn it all over again. She was still lamenting the woes of education when Malra popped into the carriage again, this time with a large tray of food in her hands.

"Breakfast is served, Lady Rhaenar."

Rey cheered up at the dishes Malra presented before her. The inn might have been cheap and small but they served delicious fare. She dug in hastily, taking care to chew with her mouth closed and bite off small portions. Malra was watching her like a hawk, and Rey preferred to eat in peace without the girl hounding her about table manners and ladylike behaviour. When she was finished Malra left the carriage once more with the dishes and when she came back she knocked on the roof of the carriage. From the window Rey watched the guards and attendants act swiftly, checking one last time that everything was in its proper place and taking their positions in the entourage. Then from the front a sharp whistle rang out and they began to move.

"In about three hours we will reach Fort Fiore, Lady."

Malra said to Rey, who nodded absently. She wondered what Fort Fiore and in turn, Stormness, held in store for her. Later on she would recall that moment with some mirth. If she could go back in time, she would told the Rey of that moment to not worry too much about it, because Fort Fiore was not in her immediate future. There were other things to worry about. Having no knowledge of the future, however, Rey kept worrying, and the lump in her stomach grew more and more restless as they got nearer and nearer to their destination.