Kismet’s Tale

      He sat with the Emperor in his office. One of the Huntsmen presented one of the four artifacts that the Empire has. They were grayed out, having no color or hue.

“And so the age of magic dies,” the Emperor held the artifact on his hand. “I applaud you for your service, Mavin Tomas. Nonetheless, this is quite troubling knowing that all of the devices and artifacts that the palace and nobles have are useless.”

“Wasn’t this something you’d be happy about, your Majesty?”

“I would have been happy,” the Emperor placed the artifact on the table. “If it means that they would leave us alone. Some of them still hold them, but it is dying and they lack the power source.”

Mavin waited. The Emperor stared at the piece of paper. He held it in front of him with interest.

“Some of them can only use these powers on a limited scale now. The rest have to gather the crystals that are only concocted by the Empire and the Holmians. Do you know what this means?”

“They would have to cooperate or steal from us.”

“Exactly, now there are many of those who have the mark and the bloom and are capable of recycling them. Of course, those strong spells are unusable now.”

“You sound sure.”

“I don’t like how you address me, but you did something unprecedented. I told them that it was the ‘Ghost’ who crippled the world.”

“So you put the anger of the Magi and Nuller all on my back.”

“I did,” he smiled. “After all, it would have been fine. It is you after all. You would have not make such a scene if it was something you did not expect. Stay low, Mavin Tomas. There are people who are angry at what you have done.”

The Emperor took a silver arm prosthetic hand. “That hand is a masterpiece by the Doctor, you asked for it. I shall not ask what your goals are, but that woman shall be under your hand. We can still use her blood to achieve what I want. The three alliances are refusing to pay, and thus it seems that I have to make use of the Wilde’s family as a way to get those payments. Their leader is weak, he’ll cave in once he hears that you two are bonded by paper. Leave, I have much to do.”

Mavin took the silver hand and went to the door. He walked the Huntsmen-filled halls. Each Huntsmen who fought with him guarding stoically the halls. The hall he was walking on disallowed any visitors. Only the high-ranked servants were allowed to place their foot on these halls.

Mavin took a right, down a spiral staircase leading to the dungeon. This part of the dungeon was dissimilar where the ‘special’ ones were placed. Passing through one door you could see a noble being cared by nurses who specifically were sent to their cells to care for them. Inside said cell was a man holding a rifle, eyeing the nurse, watching and standing guard.

He continued walking the stone floor until he reached a certain cell. A royal huntsman nodded his head at Mavin. Mavin went inside this door, poked his head in and saw a woman in a tunic and pants staring dazedly at the wall. When Mavin took the first step, her violet eye darted to him. There was intensity behind that violet eye of hers. The other eye is covered by an eyepatch. Her hair was disheveled and she looked at Mavin with a calm anger.

“Hello, sounds like your meeting with the Emperor went well,” she said quietly.

Mavin observed her. He sat next to her while still holding that silver hand. She quietly stared at the wall with dulled eyes first, then glanced at him.

“What? I can’t exactly grow my hand back if you keep staring at that lump. Don’t tell me that you’re feeling pity now, Mavin Tomas.”

“I do not regret it. I don’t think I will.”

“You didn’t hesitate to swing that blade at me. The moment you got that look on your eyes, I knew that there was no stopping you from doing it. If anything, you had every right to slice my head, but you spared me. I only have a few moments with the Magi, but they taught me a lot. About the Great Silence, the customs, and the things that they do not fight. Besides,” she stopped herself. “Never mind, I’m way past irrational hatred.”

Mavin adjusted the prosthetic. There were adjustable gears on the elbow part that would connect to the stump on her left arm.

“That’s not the usual prosthetic I see them use.”

“It’s custom-made. I put a word from the Maestro to get you one. Natalya, the Emperor entrusts you to me, and I am to put you into my custody.”

“That’s fine with me.”

Mavin’s finger stopped. “I know that the crest can do, but not to the full-extend. Yours has faded and I cannot deduce on what the extent of your Imperator’s Crest can do.”

“So many times,” she muttered. “Never mind that, I want you to help me adjust this thing.”

She pointed on her left hand.

“That’s what I am here for,” Mavin opened the clamp on the receiving part of the silver hand. He connected it on the stump and made it hold on to it.

“Hurts?”

“It does.”

“I see.”

“I can’t tell you why I am not angry at you, Mavin.”

“Why?”

“Because it bothers you more than my anger,” she leaned forward, her lips an inch away. He could feel her hot breath. The way she looked at him shook his head. “I found it more effective. You are the kind who deals with anger better. You just crippled the leg of the Magi and the Null. You are unafraid of them as if you were expecting the full brunt of their anger. You know what would happen the moment you use that method to somehow lessen the emission of power. You placed a seal on it. Even if I pull out a gun, place the barrel on your mouth, you wouldn’t bathe an eye. You have a death wish of your own. I won’t tolerate that. It doesn’t satisfy me.”

“What are you trying to say?”

She wrapped her silver hand around his head. Her forehead met his. “You’ve become my living collar. You are now bound to me because you are afraid that the Imperator’s Mark will manifest once again. I don’t know what’s stopping you from killing me, but I want you to realize that you have chained me.”

Mavin did not answer. He thought of the memory that existed in his head. How loathsome it was that it would have been easier to just off her. But that would be the same as attracting an evil that would bring ruin to the cities inhabited by mankind. Far from the east, there is an enemy that seeks to expand beyond their eastern islands. Mavin knew a method and he needed the advantage, just in case something goes wrong.

“That look on you is intoxicating,” she pressed her cheek on his and blew air on his ear. “You wound me, you hurt me, and yet…you are so…ah…I might go mad if I do that again. I understand now.”

“Understand what?”

She smiled. “Do you expect a woman to bare all her heart to you? Relax, Mavin Tomas, it’s not related to the Imperator’s Mark. Besides, I think you know more of the mark than I do. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, I do.”

“See?” she wrapped her legs around his waist and held on to the back of his neck. “It doesn’t matter now, but at least you know that I am bound to you. I don’t know what sort of method you have done—“

“I didn’t take your will.”

“Of course you didn’t,” she said. “That’s why I am surprised that you would do this. That you would allow this to happen.”

“It was the only way. Once they’ll hear and read the name of my family, they will hesitate. It will act as protection to you.”

She leaned her chin on his shoulder. Mavin’s face remained frosty.

“Natalya Tomas,” she muttered. “To think that the Emperor would do this so easily. Does he intend to use my blood as justification to win over the Wilde Territory?”

“He does.”

“You wouldn’t kill me because you still need me. That I can still help you.”

“The Emperor acknowledges you as a great fighter. He recognizes that there is potential in you.”

“Mavin, I can be your marionette, but never his. I will never listen to the Emperor.”

“I know.”

“That’s good.”

She rested her head on his shoulder. “I want to hate you, but you’d be happy. To think that we would be so twisted,” she chuckled. “Here I am foolishly sitting on the lap of the person who scarred me, took my left arm. I should kill you again, but I am…tired.”

Mavin didn’t know how to reply. He stayed still as a statue.

“On paper, you are mine,” she said. “Oh Mavin Tomas, you Struggler. You still have so much to do. I do wonder if you have given your heart to this self-imposed mission of yours. Even now, you don’t seem to care what I do. I wish you had that look on your face when you were helping people. That face of yours is certainly better than this stony mask you’ve been wearing around me ever since then. I want to rip that mask off your face. You’ve trained yourself to be harder than stone to fulfill this duty. Until then, I’ll be obedient.”

She got off him and took the coat that she hang by a nail. She wore her coat, adjusted her silver prosthetic. Mavin stared at her for a moment, closed his eyes, and stood up.

“You can ask Old Fred anything, within reason. He’ll attend to your needs no matter what.”

“I know he will. He might just be more welcoming to me now than he should be. Does he know?”

“Enough to understand that you’re being tied to me so you can be used by the Emperor. He knows about the societies under the veil, and he’ll come to understand the reason.”

“Such an unfortunate life I have. To be forcibly wed to the Ghost of the Dinia. I can’t even wear a proper ring without my left arm,” she chuckled. “That reminds me, where is my Ziba?”

“Your rifle?”

“Yes, where is it?”

“I’ll have it delivered. I guess you want to use a shooting range.”

“I need to get used to this hand,” she said. “It’s sensitive and I can feel some lingering essence in it.”

“I see,” they went to the door. The Huntsman let Natalya out and gazed at her silver hand. Natalya stared at the halls, then stopped, and smiled wearily.

“I look shoddy. You couldn’t even bring me a dress.”

Mavin ignored her as he continued walking. She matched his pace and kept on adjusting her silver arm. As Mavin walked, Natalya slowed her pace, and stared at his back. Mavin looked over his shoulder, wondering why he suddenly stopped.

“It looks like there are a lot of sources of power in the palace.”

“There are a lot of them.”

He studied her left arm. “Do you feel any absorption?”

“Nope, unfortunately, I do not. You did use my left hand as a sacrifice to achieve this. I hope that you do not regret this era that you have made happen, husband.”

There was mockery in her voice. She held a despondent look on her face as she followed Mavin around. Mavin repressed the emotion, the guilty conscience thrown to the back of his head. There was so much to do and yet it was not enough. Mavin pressed his knuckle on his forehead, and focused his mind on the affairs that the Emperor placed on him.