>>Amber
If I actually stopped and thought about it. It would make sense. This tower belongs to the Master. Why would the first door that appeared after coming down have random mages in it?
It is obvious that the room would be used by people of importance.
I looked back at the five people looking at me. The arch mages are also recognized by their eye masks. It's an embroidered lace they wear to cover their eyes. Each mage has a rank from one to four. According to their ranks they have their assigned tower.
"My Lady?" Archmage May, the only female archmage repeated Hael's word in the form of a whisper while the others nodded. They were already suspicious of me.
"You should have called for me when you woke up," Hael said as he turned his body towards me, "I would have come to you."
For a moment I felt paralyzed but when he stepped towards me, I stepped back.
"I," I was at a loss. What do I even say? Should I just say, 'Sorry, wrong room,' and then shut the door? Then I'll be on my way again.
You know what? That's actually not a bad idea. Let me do that
"I'm so-" Something sharp hit the bottom of my feet making me wince, "Ssss," I immediately bent down to hold my foot. The heck? I brushed down and saw that a splinter was stuck in my heel, "God," I brushed it off but as the splinter got out, the heel began to bleed
"You should have called me," He looked at my feet, "You ended up hurting yourself." He began to walk towards me. The distance was merely of a few steps to begin with and as I raised my head to look at him, I noticed him coming down to my level
!!!??
He crouched down, reaching for my foot while the other four stared. It got me in a panic.
Hael's fingers reached down to me, "No!" I didn't let him as I stood up and backed away, "Don't touch me," I glared at him.
He paused while crouching down, "Why?" He asked while standing up, "It's not like I haven't cleaned your feet before, I'm just going to take a look."
The arch mages glanced at each other in confusion.
"Cleaned feet?" Arch mage Raiya furrowed his eyebrows, "Hael, what is going on?" Unlike May, he chose to ask about it.
Hael glanced at them, "Nothing out of the ordinary," He replied and looked back at me, "I'm just making sure my guest is fine,"
I hadn't realized at that moment where I was standing. My focus was on Hael and the four mages who stood behind him with suspicious gazes.
"Nothing out of the ordinary?" Raiya raised his eyebrows,
"My Lady," Hael moved towards me. Why the hell is he addressing me like that in front of other people? Isn't he scared about getting his past exposed?!
"Stop calling me that!" I stepped further back in fear, "I don't know you,"
He froze upon hearing my words. His expressions went grim, "You don't know me?"
I gritted my teeth and shook my head, "I'm sorry," I said, "I don't know where I am, I must have taken a wrong turn." Something felt odd, my feet felt a little too free, "I just want to go home." I looked at them through the door frame, most of the view was blocked by Hael now, since there wasn't much I could look at from the limited view but I could still feel the gazes on me.
"..." Hael's smile was gone but he kept staring at me, "You took a wrong turn? There's no turn to take," His voice got a little harsher and the others noticed it as well.
The arch mages looked at each other. I have no idea how, but I could tell they were giving each other concerned glances.
"I-" I cleared my throat, "I was wondering if there's an easier way to get down," I still kept my eyes on Hael
"..." He didn't reply
"I," My voice softened, "I just want to go home,"
He stared at me, "There is," He replied, then pointed his index finger at me.
"There is?" I wasn't excited or happy, just curious. Was he going to help me? Was he going to let me go home?
"You're already on it," He said
"What?" I didn't get it at first but then he pointed his index finger downward and I followed it with my gaze.
!!!!
I almost screamed, but before I could I slapped both my hands on my mouth after a loud gasp. My pupils shook as I looked down and my heart began to drum in my chest.
I was off the stairs. I didn't realize it, but since there was no railing, I just stepped back into the empty space and I was hovering in the air. Slowly, I raised my head to look at Hael again.
He was using magic to keep me there.
"Do you want to go down?" He smirked, making my heart skip a beat in fear. I shook my head violently. I had no idea he was keeping me safe by creating an invisible platform for me. If he undo's his magic, I will fall to my death.
"No," My voice came out small.
"You don't?" He folded his arms, "But I thought you took a wrong turn, aren't you lost?"
"I," I gulped. Now I was hyper-aware that I was floating and there was a pit right under me, but I was so scared I couldn't bring myself to look down again, "No," I said, "I just came here to ask for help," I wanted to ball my fists but at the moment it felt like I had no energy to do that.
"Really?" Hael then pointed at himself, "Then do you know me?"
I nodded my head, "I do," The arch mages watched quietly.
"Who am I?" His smile widened.
"Hael," I replied, "You're Hael,"
"Hael who?"
Hael who? What's that supposed to mean? What am I supposed to say to that? Do I say what relationship we had? That I was his owner? His master? But why would he want me to say that?
"Y-you're," I had no idea what to say. Should I say we're friends? We were never friends though.
I felt so lost, I started to feel sick
"Hael," May stepped forward, "Stop teasing the girl,"
Hael glanced back at May, then looked back at me, "..." He stared at me for a while but I could tell he was thinking about what to do. Perhaps he was thinking about May's word, or maybe he was thinking about undoing his magic and letting me fall to my death.
I was distressed. I had no idea how much magic he had used so I couldn't even move a single step.
My heart pounded, the beat echoing in my ears but all I could do was stare at Hael with pleading eyes. Looking at me in that state seemed to calm him a little. I might be wrong, it felt like the tension on his face disappeared.
"Hael," May said again, "We don't have time to play games, we have a plan to discuss,"
"Fine," Hael closed his eyes, then looked at me, "Come here," He presented his hand to me, "Just walk over to me."
!!!
"J-just like that?" I said
"Yes," He answered.
"But," I glanced down, and I barely caught the glimpse of my feet before I shot my head up again, "There's nothing there."
"..." Hael's gaze moved away
!!!
Then he got his hand down and turned around to walk to the table leaving me there
NO!!!
OH MY GOD!!
He's leaving me here!!! Is he giving up on me??! OH! GOD! NO!! I closed my eyes shut in fear.
I was about to lose it when I felt the magic surrounding me.
Huh!?
I was lifted, my body began to float and then I was pulled into the meeting room. The door closed behind me as I entered and I was put on the ground
???
What? I looked at the five mages. They were back into their original position and were talking again.
"You said you had a solution." Archmage Loid said, "What possible solution can you have that can replace the saint?"
I stood up from the ground, still in confusion.
I'm saved... He didn't abandon me
I get that Hael must have used magic to pull me back in but why is he ignoring me now? I glanced at the mages, then at the door.
They're busy. So can I leave now? I stared at the door. But it was closed. Is that supposed to mean I can't leave?
"We're going to the miasma forest, so of course we need some assurance." I felt something odd, "We will be taking this lady too."
I sensed intense gazes on me.
Why?" May asked and I turned around to look back at the mages
!!!
They were all looking at me.
"She has holy power." Hael said, making my eyes as well as the eyes of all the others go wide. I couldn't see their eyes, but their expressions made me believe that's what happened.
Wait What?
Me?!?!? Holy power? What did he just say? Has he lost his mind or something?
May stepped forward, "Holy power?" She stared at Hael, "Holy power belongs only to the saint and we already have one."
Hael wasn't fazed, his body faced me as he leaned backward against the meeting table, "I don't remember there being any law stating that there can be only one Saint,"
May paused, she was clearly startled by Hael's statement. But his words got her thinking. She folded her arms and brought her finger under her chin as she took a thinking stance, "You're right. There is no statement about that." She raised her head and looked at me, "But I would like to confirm her power myself."
Hael stepped aside, "Go ahead," He had a calm expression on. I watched him nervously and he looked back at me with a soft sly smile on his face. As if he was confident.
No
He's wrong.
I barely have any affinity for magic, why would I have any holy power? It would make no sense. My family has no connection to a saint or to the temple or to the workers of the temple. And Holy Power is granted to a strong believer.
Like Illaris,
Arch mage May stepped in front of me, "This might get a little uncomfortable," She did not ask for my permission and placed her hand on my head.
I didn't agree to this. But nobody asked for my opinion.
But I guess it's fine. She'll use her power on me and she'll get to know I have nothing even close to holy power in me.
I'll get to leave then.
A soft glow emanated from her palm. My forehead throbbed as the heat of her magic made its way in. Gosh! It is uncomfortable! But soon after she started, her hand bounced off of me and she staggered a step back
???
I shot my eyes open and looked at her.
"Oh," She looked at her hand while everyone looked at her. I couldn't see her eyes because of the lace but her expressions clearly showed that she was shocked. She looked at Hael, "You're right."
WHAT!?!?!? My heart fell,
The other three mages frowned and May looked at me.
"She does have Holy Power,"
Wait. What!?!?!