I still don't own Chrono Trigger. I do, however, own the concept of kisch, as far as I know. If you wanna know what it looks like, look up 'hematite'.
Lyn's day started with Flea opening the door and pulling the blanket down. "Get up, I know you're not as lazy as you're acting, girl!" Flea snapped, roughly shaking the Human. Blinking, Lyn sat up, trying to remember where she was.
"Stop dawdling and get over here, for Magician's sake!" Flea called, already out of Lyn's small room and half-way across the main room. Recognizing the Mazoku's growing anger, Lyn stood and hurried over, not catching up until the mage stopped at the door across from Lyn's room, between the yellow and green tapestries.
Opening the door, Flea gave her new slave a warning look. "Don't touch anything. The books in here are worth more than you are." Lyn nodded, having understood the main gist of Flea's command.
As the comment had suggested, the next room was a library, though it also seemed that it was used for making potions. Black wood shelves lined two adjacent walls, while a heavy table took up most of the middle, with vials and various rocks and plants on it. Flea gestured, and two pair of candelabras began burning, one pair with the normal yellow flame, and one pair with the magical blue flame the Mazoku favored. The corner opposite the shelves was empty, which struck Lyn as odd.
Flea left Lyn standing just inside the door while she strode to the table. Choosing a rock, Flea picked it up, then held it out towards Lyn. She frowned when she noticed Lyn was still by the doorway. "What are you doing over there? Come here, girl."
"Sorry, Mistress," Lyn murmured, wondering idly in her sleep-addled brain whether any Mazoku was ever going to ask her name and use it, or if she was doomed to be called 'girl' for the rest of her life. She vaguely figured it would morph into 'woman' at some point, but she really wasn't sure. While she mused, Lyn came closer. She yelped slightly when Flea, exasperated, picked up her hand and forced the stone into it.
The stone was odd, black, but with a metallic silver sheen. It was heavier than its small size would suggest, and it was cold in Lyn's hand. Confused, she looked at her Mistress.
"Kisch," Flea explained. "A very unique stone, it reacts to the presence of magic. Now, since you've only healed when there's an injury…" Letting her sentence trail off, she took a knife from the table and attacked Lyn, leaving a shallow gash along the Human's arm.
The pain woke Lyn completely, while the shock of Flea's sudden action numbed her. It took a couple of heartbeats for Lyn to realize what Flea was wanting, and in that time blood welled in the cut and began leaking down her arm. Bringing her other hand up to cover the cut, Lyn realized that was the hand with the 'kisch'. Unwilling to see any reaction that might occur, Lyn closed her eyes before calling up her healing power.
As the wound healed over, Lyn was sure about something she'd thought she'd noticed earlier. Her tech was healing more than it had in the past, and it felt like it wasn't draining her as much, either. When the cut closed, Lyn opened her eyes, looking hesitantly first at the stone, then at Flea.
The Mazoku woman looked mildly disappointed as she took the stone back. "So… even yours isn't magic. And yet that makes no sense. Perhaps there's no element to it? Well, that would certainly be odd, but that might…" Paying absolutely no attention to Lyn, Flea walked around the table to the bookshelves, running a finger along the spines until she found the book she wanted. Pulling the book down, Flea put it on the table and opened it, muttering to herself as she read.
Lyn stayed where she was, shifting from one foot to another, trying to figure out if there was anything she was supposed to do. Nothing really came to mind, and Flea didn't seem to be wanting anything. Slowly, Lyn sank to the ground, trying to make herself more comfortable.
Flea spent most of the day working, not even breaking for any meal. Lyn wasn't sure what time it was when the Mazoku woman put down her quill and stretched. Looking at nothing in particular, Flea frowned, made a few more notes, then put both the quill and book down. Finally she stood and left the library, calling to Lyn to follow.
"Get out here, girl. It's time for dinner. You… stay here, girl, I'll send something up," Flea said, closing the door behind her. "Stay out of the library, and stay out of trouble." Lyn nodded, and Flea gave a soft sigh before going out the hallway door.
Pacing around the room, Lyn studied the bright tapestries. The yellow and blue both had black markings on them, in the flowing script she assumed was Medinian. The other two, violet and green, had red markings. It was all very pretty, and probably meant something, but Lyn couldn't guess what.
Sighing, Lyn sat on the white rug, not daring to risk sitting anywhere else. When the door opened, she leapt to her feet, expecting it to be Flea returning, though the Mazoku hadn't been gone long. Instead, a Human woman came in, wearing green and carrying a tray. Because Lyn was not expecting to see her mother here, it took her a few moments to recognize Shanda.
"M-mother?" Lyn whispered. Her hand brushed against her necklace as she remembered the dark look in Shanda's eyes the last time they had spoken.
There was no such look in Shanda's eyes now, as she looked at her daughter. "Lyn! Oh, blessed Lady, you're okay!"
"Why are you here?" Lyn asked, shaking her head slightly.
Shanda motioned with the covered tray. "I…work in the kitchens," she said, her pride in cooking warring with the shame of working for the enemy. "I was told to take some food to Lady Flea's new… well, to you, in her quarters."
"Slave, mother. You can say it, it's what I am…" Lyn whispered, taking the platter from her mother and sitting on the ground. "Even you're calling her 'Lady'… Esaku was afraid of her… Who is Flea?"
"You don't… know?" Shanda asked incredulously, absently kneeling by her daughter. "I… well, I'm not sure, entirely, but… I think she's one of the Maou's three generals." The last part was rapidly whispered, as though Shanda was afraid.
Lyn froze, a piece of bread halfway to her mouth. "Oh. I guess… that would explain some things…" she muttered. She had assumed Flea was important, but not that important.
"But how about you?" Shanda asked, leaning forward. "You seem to be doing well, you even have jewelry. What's… been happening?" For a moment, suspicion darkened Shanda's eyes as she wondered why her daughter might be wearing a bit of mamono jewelry.
"I…" Lyn wasn't sure how to start, or even how much she should say. "My… tech has been very useful. Esaku… gave this to me as… a reward for my help." She didn't bring up what kind of help she had been. How could she admit to her mother that she had worked in the infirmary of the… enemy. To give herself more time to think, Lyn finished the bread and reached for the small segment of fruit.
"But… why are you here?" Shanda pressed.
Looking at something over her mother's shoulder, Lyn answered in a hollow voice, "Mistress found I could heal. Now… she is trying to find why techs are not magic." She looked at Shanda for a moment, a twisted smile on her face. "Did you know that my tech uses the same energies as the healer-mage's spells? And yet, it's still not magic." Lyn wasn't sure why she said that. Perhaps she just needed it said; perhaps she hoped her mother could accept it.
Neither slave noticed the tray was empty, as mother and daughter looked at each other. "How do you know that…? Lyn, just what have you been doing?"
"…Living." Lyn shook her head and sighed. "You should leave now. You don't… want to make anyone angry."
Shanda picked up the empty tray and nodded a little. "Yes… I think I should. I… don't want to cause you problems."
Lyn didn't reply to Shanda's statement. There was silence as the Human woman left, nervous in a way Lyn could only barely understand. Once more, Lyn realized that she was different from other Humans, and for the first time she began to realize how far the difference went.
Flea came in shortly afterwards, seeming agitated. Slamming the main door shut behind her, Flea crossed the room in a dozen quick steps, going to the library door. Before Lyn could do more than take a couple steps closer to the library, Flea was out again, a slender glass vial in her hand. "Maou Ozzie has decided that I ought to be in Chorun spying, and not here. Drink this."
While she was slow in reaching for the vial, Lyn did take it from Flea's slick fingers. Looking at the liquid, Lyn asked, "What… this do, Mistress? It… look like… kisch." Indeed it did, as Lyn tilted the vial first one way and then another, sending the thick liquid roiling, metallic swirls following the momentary currents.
Unimpressed with her slave's observation, Flea snapped, "Drink it, girl, before I pour it down your throat. And then you'd best go to bed. Lizard knows I won't want to put up with you."
Lyn uncorked the vial and downed the contents before she could think twice. It tasted hideous, like rancid herbs and bitter water mixed with some unknown metal. Lyn gagged, trying desperately not to vomit, while Flea watched dispassionately. Once they were both sure the liquid would stay down, Flea took back the vial and pointed towards Lyn's room, once more disappearing into the library herself. In no mood to argue, Lyn staggered to her room, sucking on a finger to get the aftertaste out of her mouth.
So... what was that potion Flea had Lyn drink? Find out, next chapter! And please, review...