Chapter Five: Persuasion
"Uhnn," Kagome came awake slowly. Her mouth was dry, her teeth felt fuzzy when she brushed her tongue across them. She tried to swallow, bad idea. It felt like she'd rubbed sandpaper across her throat. Her eyes seemed to be gummed shut, she couldn't open them wider than a slit. She tried to raise her hand, to rub the stuff out of her eyes, but couldn't seem to raise it up from under the covers. The covers were very warm, and very soft, and it took so much effort to move, to think. With a tiny yawn, Kagome fell back asleep, snuggling deeper into the fluffy covers.
"Wake up, wake up dear." Kagome blinked, trying to focus on the figure in front of her. Squinting, she stared, there was a wrinkled old lady, standing over her bed, smiling benevolently. But there was a pale, phantom image overlaying that of the old lady, that of a beautiful woman, slim with long silky hair and sculpted features. The image moved when the old lady moved, spoke when the old lady spoke, mirrored the old lady's moves exactly. Kagome felt a headache building at the corners of her temples.
"Two?", she asked, waving vaguely at the double image, her question came out as a whisper, barely audible, from her dry throat. Abruptly, the phantom image disappeared.
"Oh dear, I forgot I had that up," the old lady apologized, wiping Kagome's brow with a cool, wet cloth. "Just an old woman's vanity." the lady said in a breezy voice, with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Vanity?" Kagome echoed, frowning slightly in confusion. That was a mistake, her headache hit her full force, pounding at her forehead. "Don't do that dear. In fact, try not to move much at all. The sleep spell has some nasty side-effects." "Vanity?", Kagome persisted.
The woman's lips tightened imperceptibly. Kagome wasn't sure she'd seen it. "Oh yes, just a little illusion, the way I used to look when I was young.", the old lady explained with a sweet smile. "Your priestess' abilities allowed you to see through it immediately, even in your present condition. Your abilities are so strong." she beamed happily at Kagome.
"Priestess? Talents? How did you know? Who are you? Where am I?" Kagome's senses cleared abruptly, it was as if a fog had covered them. She sat up, struggling to throw the tangled covers from off of her. "You're safe, happy, warm cozy, you just want to rest" a voice seemed to whisper, buzzing in her ears. Kagome ignored it, pinning her gaze on the lady, she asked forcefully, "why did you bring me here?" The old woman's brows wrinkled slightly, the girl was recovering too quickly and the way she'd shrugged off the peace spell! Perhaps . . . perhaps the girl was too strong. Maybe she should just take her now, drain her energy, if the girl became more powerful, she could be a threat. No, her reason told her, she could control this girl, she'd done this dozens of times, she's just have to be a little bit more careful this time. Besides, the priestess talent was starting to die out. It had taken a couple of months to track this one down, she needed every drop she could get from this girl, even if it meant training her to dangerous levels. Pasting a grandmotherly smile on her face, she gently laid her hands on Kagome's shoulders, such firm young shoulders, murmuring, "don't get so upset dear, I brought you here to train you."
"Train me?", Kagome jerked out of the old woman's arms. "You kidnapped me! You-"
"Stop that!", the old woman ordered in a commanding voice, her small figure becoming suddenly imposing. She made a small gesture with her hand. "You. . " Kagome stuttered, and stopped. What had she been saying? Why had she been upset with this wonderful old lady? She looked just like the grandmother Kagome vaguely recalled from old memories and faded photographs.
"There, there dear," the sweet old woman soothed in a gentle voice, "of course you're upset. It's naturally a bit of a shock. But isn't it wonderful? You're a priestess, a sorceress!" "But I already know," Kagome tried to explain. "Really? It's not surprising that you've discovered your abilities already, they're so strong. . . " the old woman gazed at Kagome, and the peaceful warm fuzzy feelings melted away under that stare, Kagome shuddered. The woman looked hungry. Then the old woman started, dropping her gaze to the bed and reached out to smooth the rumpled covers. Now why had Kagome been afraid of her? She was just a harmless old lady, the grandmother Kagome had never had. "You see, abilities like yours need to be trained, honed," the old woman explained, "you need to learn to control them."
"Yes," Kagome agreed smiling, "I need to learn to control them." Learn. The word brought Kagome back. "No, I mean I need to learn, but not here. I need to go to school. I'm sorry grandmother, but I have to leave," Kagome said apologetically, looking around for a door, some kind of exit. The air felt close, a little voice in her mind whispered, "how could she leave this nice old lady, she was deserting her grandmother, being disobedient, she should stay."
The old woman scowled darkly, this time it showed, turning her face into a hideous mask. The girl had broken through the spell. Again. She fingered her knife, hidden beneath the folds of her robe. If she couldn't persuade the girl to stay and learn, she'd have to settle for whatever power she could drain from the girl now. She didn't want to, she could get so much more power from the girl if the girl trained for a few months, exercising and expanding her magical abilities. But magical growth couldn't be forced. The participant had to be free of direct coercion, both physical and magical. Opening her mouth, the woman prepared one last entreaty, but if this didn't work . . . the woman's finger's tightened on the hilt of her knife. "I'm sorry."
Kagome stopped her search for a door and focused back on the old lady. The sweet little woman's eyes glistened with unshed tears, and her lips trembled.
"I didn't mean to disturb your life so much," the woman sniffed, and gazed woefully up at Kagome. "And if I'd had any idea how rough John was going to be, I never would have sent him. He was just supposed to ask you to come be my apprentice, but he does get carried away and," the woman's voice caught, "you really do need to be trained. Your abilities, if untrained can be a danger to everyone around you. I've made it my life's work to train young ones such as yourself. A few weeks, maybe a month, such a small price to pay for the safety of your family and loved ones. If you return now, untrained, with abilities as strong as yours, not knowing anything about them, it would only be a matter of time before something happened. Oh, it would seem like an accident, but it wouldn't be, not really. Haven't you ever wondered, why your family is so small, why so many have died? Your father, your grandmother? And even you? Don't you seem to pick up more bruises and cuts, more scrapes than other children your age?" Kagome gazed with horror at he old woman, a lump forming at the back of her throat. She had caused their deaths? Her abilities? They hadn't died till after she'd been born, and the accident that had caused her father's death, it had been so mysterious. Her father, her grandmother, had she killed them? Something pressed at Kagome's temples, something worse than a headache. It was indescribable, it pushed at her, accusing her. Her fault, all her fault. "Grandmother." Kagome's eyes teared, and she gulped, "father."
"Che, now look what I've done," the old woman tskked. "Don't be so upset, their death's were probably perfectly normal. I just had to impress the importance of it on you, because there is always the possibility, even if it is highly unlikely."
"Yes," Kagome agreed fervently, "I'm sorry, I had no idea. Please. Please let me stay here, and teach me how to control my abilities." "Of course dear," she released her hand from its hold on the knife hilt. That had been close. She'd have to tread very carefully with this one.
John relaxed his stiff posture, rubbing at his neck. He'd had to get into an awkward position to see through the crack in the wall of the old crone's crumbling house. Magic would've been so much easier, but the crone's enchantment spell on him made it impossible for him to spy on her magically. It made it impossible for him to do a lot of things. After a century, he still hadn't gotten used to all the restrictions, all the bindings. He made a futile gesture of repudiation, he couldn't even touch the chain that encircled his neck, its delicate links binding him unbreakably to the crone's will. Unbreakable for him, but not for the girl. He smiled grimly, he'd been worried for a few moments that the old hag would play it safe, knife the girl and suck her magic then and there. But the crone hadn't, the girl had fallen for that ridiculous lie. The crone'd been doing this for centuries, she didn't believe that anyone was capable of defeating her. John grinned wolfishly, soon he'd be free. He'd kill the hag himself, crush her hollow yellowed, bones, dip his claws in her blood. Hang her with the chain she'd bound him with over a century ago. Death would catch up to the crone.
Next chapter: Training
"Uhnn," Kagome came awake slowly. Her mouth was dry, her teeth felt fuzzy when she brushed her tongue across them. She tried to swallow, bad idea. It felt like she'd rubbed sandpaper across her throat. Her eyes seemed to be gummed shut, she couldn't open them wider than a slit. She tried to raise her hand, to rub the stuff out of her eyes, but couldn't seem to raise it up from under the covers. The covers were very warm, and very soft, and it took so much effort to move, to think. With a tiny yawn, Kagome fell back asleep, snuggling deeper into the fluffy covers.
"Wake up, wake up dear." Kagome blinked, trying to focus on the figure in front of her. Squinting, she stared, there was a wrinkled old lady, standing over her bed, smiling benevolently. But there was a pale, phantom image overlaying that of the old lady, that of a beautiful woman, slim with long silky hair and sculpted features. The image moved when the old lady moved, spoke when the old lady spoke, mirrored the old lady's moves exactly. Kagome felt a headache building at the corners of her temples.
"Two?", she asked, waving vaguely at the double image, her question came out as a whisper, barely audible, from her dry throat. Abruptly, the phantom image disappeared.
"Oh dear, I forgot I had that up," the old lady apologized, wiping Kagome's brow with a cool, wet cloth. "Just an old woman's vanity." the lady said in a breezy voice, with a dismissive wave of her hand.
"Vanity?" Kagome echoed, frowning slightly in confusion. That was a mistake, her headache hit her full force, pounding at her forehead. "Don't do that dear. In fact, try not to move much at all. The sleep spell has some nasty side-effects." "Vanity?", Kagome persisted.
The woman's lips tightened imperceptibly. Kagome wasn't sure she'd seen it. "Oh yes, just a little illusion, the way I used to look when I was young.", the old lady explained with a sweet smile. "Your priestess' abilities allowed you to see through it immediately, even in your present condition. Your abilities are so strong." she beamed happily at Kagome.
"Priestess? Talents? How did you know? Who are you? Where am I?" Kagome's senses cleared abruptly, it was as if a fog had covered them. She sat up, struggling to throw the tangled covers from off of her. "You're safe, happy, warm cozy, you just want to rest" a voice seemed to whisper, buzzing in her ears. Kagome ignored it, pinning her gaze on the lady, she asked forcefully, "why did you bring me here?" The old woman's brows wrinkled slightly, the girl was recovering too quickly and the way she'd shrugged off the peace spell! Perhaps . . . perhaps the girl was too strong. Maybe she should just take her now, drain her energy, if the girl became more powerful, she could be a threat. No, her reason told her, she could control this girl, she'd done this dozens of times, she's just have to be a little bit more careful this time. Besides, the priestess talent was starting to die out. It had taken a couple of months to track this one down, she needed every drop she could get from this girl, even if it meant training her to dangerous levels. Pasting a grandmotherly smile on her face, she gently laid her hands on Kagome's shoulders, such firm young shoulders, murmuring, "don't get so upset dear, I brought you here to train you."
"Train me?", Kagome jerked out of the old woman's arms. "You kidnapped me! You-"
"Stop that!", the old woman ordered in a commanding voice, her small figure becoming suddenly imposing. She made a small gesture with her hand. "You. . " Kagome stuttered, and stopped. What had she been saying? Why had she been upset with this wonderful old lady? She looked just like the grandmother Kagome vaguely recalled from old memories and faded photographs.
"There, there dear," the sweet old woman soothed in a gentle voice, "of course you're upset. It's naturally a bit of a shock. But isn't it wonderful? You're a priestess, a sorceress!" "But I already know," Kagome tried to explain. "Really? It's not surprising that you've discovered your abilities already, they're so strong. . . " the old woman gazed at Kagome, and the peaceful warm fuzzy feelings melted away under that stare, Kagome shuddered. The woman looked hungry. Then the old woman started, dropping her gaze to the bed and reached out to smooth the rumpled covers. Now why had Kagome been afraid of her? She was just a harmless old lady, the grandmother Kagome had never had. "You see, abilities like yours need to be trained, honed," the old woman explained, "you need to learn to control them."
"Yes," Kagome agreed smiling, "I need to learn to control them." Learn. The word brought Kagome back. "No, I mean I need to learn, but not here. I need to go to school. I'm sorry grandmother, but I have to leave," Kagome said apologetically, looking around for a door, some kind of exit. The air felt close, a little voice in her mind whispered, "how could she leave this nice old lady, she was deserting her grandmother, being disobedient, she should stay."
The old woman scowled darkly, this time it showed, turning her face into a hideous mask. The girl had broken through the spell. Again. She fingered her knife, hidden beneath the folds of her robe. If she couldn't persuade the girl to stay and learn, she'd have to settle for whatever power she could drain from the girl now. She didn't want to, she could get so much more power from the girl if the girl trained for a few months, exercising and expanding her magical abilities. But magical growth couldn't be forced. The participant had to be free of direct coercion, both physical and magical. Opening her mouth, the woman prepared one last entreaty, but if this didn't work . . . the woman's finger's tightened on the hilt of her knife. "I'm sorry."
Kagome stopped her search for a door and focused back on the old lady. The sweet little woman's eyes glistened with unshed tears, and her lips trembled.
"I didn't mean to disturb your life so much," the woman sniffed, and gazed woefully up at Kagome. "And if I'd had any idea how rough John was going to be, I never would have sent him. He was just supposed to ask you to come be my apprentice, but he does get carried away and," the woman's voice caught, "you really do need to be trained. Your abilities, if untrained can be a danger to everyone around you. I've made it my life's work to train young ones such as yourself. A few weeks, maybe a month, such a small price to pay for the safety of your family and loved ones. If you return now, untrained, with abilities as strong as yours, not knowing anything about them, it would only be a matter of time before something happened. Oh, it would seem like an accident, but it wouldn't be, not really. Haven't you ever wondered, why your family is so small, why so many have died? Your father, your grandmother? And even you? Don't you seem to pick up more bruises and cuts, more scrapes than other children your age?" Kagome gazed with horror at he old woman, a lump forming at the back of her throat. She had caused their deaths? Her abilities? They hadn't died till after she'd been born, and the accident that had caused her father's death, it had been so mysterious. Her father, her grandmother, had she killed them? Something pressed at Kagome's temples, something worse than a headache. It was indescribable, it pushed at her, accusing her. Her fault, all her fault. "Grandmother." Kagome's eyes teared, and she gulped, "father."
"Che, now look what I've done," the old woman tskked. "Don't be so upset, their death's were probably perfectly normal. I just had to impress the importance of it on you, because there is always the possibility, even if it is highly unlikely."
"Yes," Kagome agreed fervently, "I'm sorry, I had no idea. Please. Please let me stay here, and teach me how to control my abilities." "Of course dear," she released her hand from its hold on the knife hilt. That had been close. She'd have to tread very carefully with this one.
John relaxed his stiff posture, rubbing at his neck. He'd had to get into an awkward position to see through the crack in the wall of the old crone's crumbling house. Magic would've been so much easier, but the crone's enchantment spell on him made it impossible for him to spy on her magically. It made it impossible for him to do a lot of things. After a century, he still hadn't gotten used to all the restrictions, all the bindings. He made a futile gesture of repudiation, he couldn't even touch the chain that encircled his neck, its delicate links binding him unbreakably to the crone's will. Unbreakable for him, but not for the girl. He smiled grimly, he'd been worried for a few moments that the old hag would play it safe, knife the girl and suck her magic then and there. But the crone hadn't, the girl had fallen for that ridiculous lie. The crone'd been doing this for centuries, she didn't believe that anyone was capable of defeating her. John grinned wolfishly, soon he'd be free. He'd kill the hag himself, crush her hollow yellowed, bones, dip his claws in her blood. Hang her with the chain she'd bound him with over a century ago. Death would catch up to the crone.
Next chapter: Training