Carmine

I turned. "You failed me Five."

Five's face twitched, but he did not look away from me. At least not with those non-directed eyes, he kept up his firm stature with his ams locked behind his back. He said, "I welcome your punishment mother."

I mused about that, while I touched my chin. "I will punish you later." For now, we need to prepare to leave. San Rosa might not have been so unwelcoming as I thought.

I said, "Even Acomn does not want me here. Remembering her words clearly it might be very likely I put the lives of these people in danger if I stay here.

"Well, I got one thing, an armed escort, and Canus felt obliged to put forward the offer of our marriage to his family tonight, which will be looked down upon I reason. I wish to be a fly on a wall in that room, so coming here was not completely useless."

Five opened his lips.

I looked back at Janilla, who sat on the bed, while I stood between them. "Janilla, you are staying."

"What?" She asked in dismay.

"Carrying you to Ascus is dangerous. Also, you know it might be a good idea to leave. I heard no tales of Para or my past friends being killed. So we can assume they are not merciless aimless killers. They just want me, right Five?"

"Yes Mother," Five replied.

I continued, "Then we can part ways here. You are not in Eathen. Corona will not be on your tail enough to care about you in another country. I already made arrangements with the King to find a place for you where your abilities can be useful."

She stared with an open mouth, but I already rested my vocal assertions. Janilla closed her mouth with a sad resolve. Then, she said it, "No."

We stared at each other. I spoke first, "Jani—"

"I want to learn more. I mean I am scared, but it is like you said. It is too late to go back, we are too far gone in this mad world." She took up the book. "The more I read the more I feel like I lived like a fool. I do not want to live like that anymore."

Where was this coming from?

"The Elamnites, these Gods, they knew more than us. In a way, they are your Gods. They did give you knowledge." I tapped the book's side as we exchanged directed glares between each other.

Janilla averted her eyes, "I guessed it is a choice between being a servant and being the master. Kind of reminds you of adventurers that seek the supposed wealth that is hidden in Elam. Corona always said those adventurers were fools and no such treasure existed. That was a lie."

Five replied, "No, Corona was right. Treasure is relative. To some people, the things Elam has are not considered treasures. To Valor they are not treasures. What you are going to find is nothing special. It is only knowledge beyond your wildest dreams. It cannot cure hunger.

"Besides, It is one thing to know about Elam, it is another to enter it. If you do not belong there you will be killed on the spot, no excuses. It is impossible for any human to blend into Elam society, they would only have to look at you."

Janilla asked, "The colored eyes that they called Eyes of Sun? They creeped me out when I saw San Rosa with it. Hey, Lady Carmine how long do you think it will be before they come again?"

I waved my hand and made a facial shrug. "They attacked us when we were on the road. It would be harder for them to kill us here. Too many eyes, I guessed."

Five replied, "Yes, Sun innovated it. One look and they would know." He looked at me. "Elam wants to keep up the lie. Rampant blatant attacks would cause humans to get scared and scared animals are more dangerous than predators if the situation is right."

"They will sneak in spies and agents trying to kill me?" I asked.

"Preferably," he replied. Five turned his head to look out of the window. "Trained Elamnites are good at hiding in plain sight. It will be hard to detect them."

That was what pissed me off. "Use your ability well for all of our sakes."

"Hm, Maiden Mother if it pleases you I can give you the narration of the royal family across the castle grounds."

"Na-narration?" I asked.

He pointed out of the window. "I can hear Acomn, Nor, Canus, their father and mother, Acomn's wife and a busybody noble that I assume is quite powerful in Tiam. They are all in the same room and there is some shouting as Canus has already made his wishes clear."

I lit up and clapped my hands in glee. "I am starting to like having you around. Tell me what they are saying. You might make me forget your punishment altogether."

Janilla groaned and shook her head. "This is why I want a sector bloom. I do not want my thoughts invaded by this—thing. He is not even Shyia. At least based on what I have been reading."

Five stared in her direction. "Your thoughts are not that important. Half the time you complain and berate yourself for bad choices you made. The rest of the time is spent musing over the terms you have been learning from reading Ada’s book.

"The real reason you want to stay with us is because you do not want to be alone," Five finished.

"Not important?!" Janilla jumped off the bed and I swiftly stood in her way as she bellowed. "Important, you were left for dead! You are an object, a thing, made in a lab a—"

"Desist this nonsense," I said with a flagrant wave of my arm.

Five almost retorted, but I made a sharp snap of my fingers and sent him a glare to silence him. He closed his mouth.

I said to Janilla. "Calm down, he does not know you okay. Just sit. Sit Janilla, sit." She sent death glares at Five. Janilla turned to go back to the bed. Five did not even look in her direction, for he was looking outside.

I motioned at him, and Five cleared his throat.

Five's voice instantly sounded like Acomn, "Brother are you mad? That child is not worth sullying the family name much less your jewels."

Then it shifted into Nor's younger voice. "They are a powerful nation. The marriage w—"

Another voice, feminine, "I could care less about how great her nation is I do not want no half-blood in our line. Least the line of the first son."

A gruff voice came in, "She is right Canus. As your father, I cannot approve of this. I never wanted such a union. Her father may have wanted such a thing, but I told him no. You were promised to another."

Acomn's slithering voice slipped in now. "Carmine walks these halls with a spear. A spear! She is mad I tell you, mad."

Now it was Canus's voice, "Mad, she did nothing wrong!"

The father I presumed spoke, "Nonsense, I have already said enough and my decision is final!"

Five shifted on his seat as we both stared at him with mouths agape. "You are truly amazing Five," I said.

Five smiled and nodded his head. "Ah, the father and most of them are leaving. It is only Nor and Canus now."

Five was still, his eyes staring downward.

"What is going on?" I asked.

Five motioned for us to be quiet. We waited. Five's face morphed as he tilted his head. "He is distraught. I think he is crying."

That blew my heart into specks of dust. The storm that was my life ruled the day. I should have known that was going to happen. Honestly, it was rare for marriages of faith and love to occur much less be allowed.

Five looked up, Canus's voice. "I will leave the country in Acomn's hands."

Nor's voice, "What do you mean?"

Canus again, "I am relinquishing the throne."

Nor's shouted, "What?!"

I said in disbelief, "No."

Canus spoke again, "I will run away with Carmine tonight. Do not tell brother. Just pass on this in the morning. Say I died or something. I will not leave Carmine, not in her dire situation. I can feel it, she is in danger and I must be there for her. Goodbye brother."

Nor's voice, "Bu—"

Five widened his eyes and said in his normal voice. "Canus has left the room."

That idiot. My lovely savior of an idiot. I wished I could be happy about this. If he did this some months prior I would be thankful, but now I was concerned for his sanity and safety.

"Janilla, I need you to write a letter. Five pack fast, faster than Canus, we are leaving now."