Part Two: What They Tended

Reopened Wounds

It was nighttime when Manu finally was able to move on his own. Aanya stayed with him, learning fast that at her height and size it was difficult to support him while he tried to walk. Every movement sent pain through Manu's stomach, and although he wished Aanya had chosen a different spell to heal him with, he was grateful that she had made the effort to try. He did not tell her that, had she flipped to the next page of his tome on healing magic, and grabbed both the starfish and the jar of bee pollen right beside it, she would have been able to heal him completely. Now that the wound was sealed, however, he would be unable to cast any further magic on it unless he decided to open himself up.

He and Aanya sat in his study, now no longer a secret, and he answered her questions as she walked around. The curiosity on her face was so childlike, so innocent, it was almost as though she was just a common girl and not a queen. It was endearing, and made Manu sad that she had been forced into the life of royalty.

"What's this one about?" She asked, pulling a dark leather bound book from a shelf. She opened it, flipping through the pages.

"That's the diary of a dark mage from centuries ago." Manu told her. He had rarely read the book and kept it more as an amusing novelty. "He was convinced that he would be able to bring the dead back to life using magic. It goes on for years and years until he discovered, instead, that he could stop death, but not reverse it."

Aanya raised an eyebrow and put the book back in the shelf. "What was his name?" She asked.

Manu thought for a moment. "Plagis, I think? I'm not quite sure, it's not a story that the Magisterial College really wants people to be told about."

Aanya pulled another book from the shelf right below it. This one was bright red with golden binding, and a image of a claw embossed on the front. She opened it, and her eyes got wide. "This one is about dragons!" She exclaimed.

Manu smiled, wishing he could laugh but knowing the pain would not be worthwhile. "That one is written by an elf." He told her, making her eyes go even wider. He enjoyed being able to share these secrets with someone else, especially with Aanya, especially considering how their relationship had suffered the past week. "He was the first elf to go into the anatomy of dragons, writing about their inherent magics, and documenting their histories."

Aanya flipped the pages hungrily. "How did he learn about them?" She asked. "Aren't they dangerous?"

Manu chuckled, sending stabs of pain through his abdomen. "Dragons are incredibly intelligent creatures, actually." He informed her. "The oldest ones are capable of speaking, and they are some of the oldest creatures in the world."

"Have you ever met one?" Aanya asked, looking at Manu. "When you lived in Xadia?"

Manu blinked, realizing he could not remember. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "But I think that if I had, I would remember."

Aanya looked back at the book, and slowly closed it and looked at Manu with her golden eyes. "Do you miss Xadia, Manu?" She asked him quietly. She looked concerned, as though she felt pain inside knowing that Manu had been gone from his homeland for so long.

Manu felt no such pain, other than the wound in his chest caused by an elven assassin. He smirked. "How can you miss a place you don't remember?" He joked. "To me, Duren is my home."

Aanya put the book back in the shelf. Something was clearly on her mind. "How have you hid so well, all these years?" She asked him. "Right under the nose of the royal court, from the College - how?"

Manu took a painful deep breath. "I'm a Moonshadow Elf," he pointed to his horns and his eye markings. "And moon magic is the magic of illusions. I've had an illusion over myself all these years, and whenever I've had to use moon magic, I've always claimed to have some sort of primal source nearby."

"Illusions," Aanya started. "Like the one that the other elf had hiding her?" Aanya tilted her head questioningly. She pushed her hair back behind her ears, and for a moment, Manu was distracted by a glimpse of a small strand of silver hair hiding within the blonde. Manu was not sure if her voice was an accusation or if he was merely projecting how he knew he himself would have asked the question.

He nodded. "She had me fooled. I learned my lesson." He pointed to his stomach. "I think I'll be careful letting strange women into my house from now on."

Aanya rolled her eyes, and returned her attention to the books. Manu watched her. "People can't know, Aanya." He implored her. "The scandal would-"

"Oh, I know." She told him. She did not turn back to him, more focused on looking at a diagram of a ritual Manu could not discern from where he sat. "If they knew you were an elf, they would kill you, no question about it."

Her matter of fact tone made Manu unweary, but he knew he could trust his sister with his safety. "I'm purchasing the Chamakeela estates." He told her, unsure if she knew or not. "I don't know if I'll be able to be at court for awhile."

Aanya looked up from the book and looked over her shoulder at Manu. "I'm not letting you out of my sight until you heal fully." She informed him, using her royal tone. He could see in her eyes that this was one thing she would not change her mind about.

Manu smiled, remembering how stubborn their mothers had been during their lives. "I can heal it, Aanya." He told her. "There are other spells I can use to heal what's left." He did not tell her that he would have to cut himself open to do so.

Aanya turned around fully. "Fine," she conceded. "But I'm going to watch you do it." There was a hunger in her eyes, one that Manu recognized from his time at the College. She had tasted the power of dark magic, and it had changed her. She wanted more of it, like all humans did once they used the dark arts for the first time. Her silver lock of hair now would be a permanent reminder to her of the power she had once wielded, and she would never be able to forget it.

Manu felt his eyes widen in surprise and shock. It was strange, not wearing the illusion, and suddenly being very aware of his difficulty controlling his facial expressions. "I don't really think you need to be there for it, Aanya." He fought to regain his composure, and was glad that Aanya was not able to read his mind. It was better she believe he doubted her stomach, rather than know the reality of him doubting her intentions.

Aanya met him once more with her stubborn stare. "You didn't see any blood today, did you?" She asked, gesturing with her free hand at the ceiling above them. "I cleaned it all up. I was the one who healed you the first time. I'm not a child anymore, Manu. I'm growing up faster than either of us would prefer."

Knowing Aanya would refuse to have it any other way, Manu conceded and nodded. "Alright." He said, pointing at a cabinet on the other side of the room. "Bring me the starfish legs and the jar of yellow powder right next to them."

Aanya, putting down the book she had in her hand, strode to the cabinet and opened it. Even from on the other side of the room, the smell of preservatives was overwhelming. Aanya rummaged through the contents for a few minutes, but then finally pulled out the milky jar of yellow dust and a curled starfish leg. She held the jar with confidence, but clearly was a bit put off by the tentacle. Manu wondered if, when she had healed him, if she had hesitated to touch the strange ingredient. Probably not.

Turning around in his seat, Manu grabbed a knife from the desk behind him. It was one of the sharper ones that he had, and he could not remember why he left it out. Oh well, he thought to himself. He wiped it against his pants, trying to push out of his mind that in a few moments it would be cutting through his body.

Aanya put the jar and starfish part down on the desk, and looked hesitantly at the black knife in Manu's hand. "I've never seen metal like that before." She noted. "What is it?"

Manu flicked the blade of the knife, which made a soft click instead of ringing like one would expect. "It's obsidian." He told her, running a finger down the smooth edge of the blade. "It's a rare material that comes only from the volcanoes near the Breach. It's relatively easy to break if you hit it hard enough, but it's an incredibly sharp and sturdy material."

"Why do you need it?" Aanya asked.

Manu kept his attention on the knife, not wanting to meet his sister's eyes. "I need top reopen the wound." He told her plainly. The idea was revolting to him, but he reasoned he would rather do it than have to suffer with the pain for whoever knew how long.

He opened the jar of pollen and poured some of the fluffy dust onto his desk. Then, he grabbed the starfish leg, rolling it in the pollen until it was coated. He felt his nose itch slightly, a side effect of the pollen, but he ignored it. Then, he took the knife in his other hand, and he lifted up his shirt.

"Manu," Aanya said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Are you really sure this is necessary?" She asked.

Manu looked down at the large pinkish scar that marked where he would be cutting. "Yep." He said, putting caution to the wind and slicing open his wound without any warning.

Aanya cursed, something Manu had never heard her do before.