A Jewel's Worth[on hold]

CHAPTER 7 - THE STARTING LINE

The sound of the whip turned silent, and instead, I imagined the pouring rain. It washed away, whatever dirt-encrusted my body. I'd wondered of the colors of the sky and trees as it mixed to one pure hue. Unexpectedly, it turned dark and cold. I recognized the place by its smell of rat piss and droppings, and the red brick wall, stained with old and fresh blood. I could even distinguish, the last time I was held here by the Masters, by the number of scratched nail marks on that brick wall. I remembered being dragged by one of the guards, by the gate entrance and thrown into the whipping chamber for days with no light, no food, no water, and no company. I counted the days by scratching my nails into the wall. This place was like a second home, and my voice was my only solace.

The Mistress's breath reached my ears, and she repeated the words that defined me, "unclean! Animal! Only good for one thing— pain! Take it, you rotten piece of shit! Why won't you scream! Scream!"

Her breath grew ragged and tired, but she never ceased her lashes, whipping, and prayer. There was no God here. She struck me like a broken horse. Her madness grew to like the tear of my flesh. I'd hear the whip, thwack and crack— first she'd strike the shoulder, next the spine, and finishing off with the soles of my feet. The blood trailed down my back, till it soaked the crease of my ass. It chilled me to the bone.

I realized I'm still a slave.

"Wake up, Stack!"

There was no letter.

"You're trapped, Stack! Stack!"

I dreamt of freedom, yet I'm still back at the Master's household. I stained my lady's dress with the mud from the rain this morning.

"Stack! It's an illusion! You must wake up! Stack!"

Huh? What's that—?

"You filthy slave! I said, scream—" I heard another voice, and it wasn't this. It wasn't the mistress's voice.

"Stack! Wake up! I have no choice but—" I know that voice. I know her name.

Her name was— the Emerald Witch!

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!" I gasped into shock.

"You're alright, Stack. You're here." My sweat-soaked body felt numb, and my breathing grew fast as if I ran for miles without end. I touched my back to check whether it was real or a part of the training. Even though she told me, I'm in the physical plain.

"Stack, you're alright." Her arms wrapped around me as I kept breathing rapidly.

"The tears don't stop! It won't stop. I keep hearing the sound of her whip, over and over." I hugged her back tightly, yet she didn't care if I didn't let her breath.

It felt so real. "That's all in your mind. Breathe, that's it. You're doing well, Stack. Good. Now take this. You need to drink this." the Emerald Witch, whose name I learned to be Ame, extended a cup of her mystery flavored juice. Although it was the color of a horse's feces mixed with a moldy sort of doo, it tasted similar to the fresh blueberries I snatched once from Glacia when he wasn't looking. However, I had seen a sash full of blueberries with a note stuck under the haystack, it said, "Don't eat them all at once— G. P.S. Don't snatch from my batch again, or I might just prune the wrong twig."

She stopped hugging me but kept her hand on my back to rub soothing circles. I no longer felt her gestures to be foreign after I've spent so many months together with her in the forestry. I knew her kindness was genuine— something that's hard to find in this world.

"What happened to me? Why didn't I get out and why that vision?" I turned to look at her face, and she smiled. I couldn't help but try to return the gesture, but I only managed a sort of scowl mixed with pursed lips, that twitched by the corner of my mouth.

I still felt confused about the training's process. This was the first step towards strengthening my mind, but it's harder than I imagined. I kept returning to the Master's household. I kept being the slave.

"Remember when I told you, for you to face the Mirrors— you must first, face yourself." I nodded in understanding, but does that mean I have to fight against myself or something else?

"Stack?" I hummed as I looked at the painting on the wall. After so many months, I wondered, who was the Man in the picture next to her? It wasn't hard to tell who the woman was, the fiery red hair and the iconic green dress was uncanny. However, she looked happier, yet sad, at the same time. But that man, who was he? I thought of asking once, but it wasn't my business. I don't wish to pile up more to her troubles.

"Stack, are you listening?"

"Ah, sorry. What were you saying?" I tiredly breathed out the words. This training had me exhausted, and I still wasn't at my best. Not that I knew what my best was. I never imagined growing healthy skin, having healed wounds, and most of all, eating fresh food.

I heard her sigh, and I couldn't help but half-laugh at my absent-minded self.

"To face the mirror of Truth and Darkness, you must first look back at your past. But as you can see, it's not easy. You will relive your pain, loneliness, and more. These two Mirrors play, with the mind to find out whether you're strong enough to be King. But more than that, strong enough to protect not just yourself but those you trust your life with and love." she explained as best she could as my guide, and although I still felt at ends with this information— I hoped I didn't have to face my past. But I was curious about the first Mirror though.

"What about the Mirror of Fortune? Shouldn't I train for that too? You've sent me to the forestry, every week, against beasts like Caruta, to strengthen my body, but none of this connects to the Mirror of Fortune. You've never bothered to explain, Ame." I stood up to the fire hearth, extended my hands that shook every minute— an after effect from the illusion. My face seemed calm on the outside, but my body is a dead give away.

I felt her hands on top of my own, and she rubbed them around mine to give added warmth. I thought of what a mother could be like, and she's the first person that came to mind. The kitchen-maid raised me for a few years, but she wasn't as affectionate or even as motherly as Ame.

Suddenly, her hands tightened but then let go. I looked at her and thought I saw a tear streaking down her cheek.

"The mirror of Fortune is of not much importance. It'll simply test your desires. And what is it that you've always desired, Stack?" She stood firmly at the door to the bedroom, and I think I finally smiled genuinely for the first time.

"Freedom and perhaps, food." I laughed at her face when I mentioned the word food. Her eyes looked amused, knowing I've kept foraging food and hid it at every part of the house, but she always manages to put it back in its place. A habit I've grown through my life as a slave. Since she rescued me from the forestry that night, she's never judged me for my flawed upbringing or the scars covered around my body. I shrugged and went straight out of the forest to continue my training of magic.

(Word Count- 1,296)