Episode 8: the Illusion
10th of Solis
Dhaune had been with the Heroes for ten days now, and she had collected a lot of information on them. She didn't know how much of it Xana could use, but she recorded it all in her mind. She had recorded their fighting styles, for one. Yumi, Ulrich and William were more forward with their attacks, whereas Laura, Aelita and Odd tried to stay away from direct fighting, as they were better for ranged combat. Jeremie tried to stay out of the combat as much as he could, since he truly had no skill for it. He tended to give orders to the others, including Dhaune, whom he used to confuse the constructs.
Dhaune also studied their interactions more closely, especially since she had planted seeds of mistrust inside of their minds. It was interesting to watch—Laura and Aelita had apparently hated each other ever since they'd met, and after Dhaune had lied to Laura, having told the Fair that Aelita had said she'd belonged to a group of freedom fighters intent of assassinating the King to restore Elvhenan, the two could barely stand to look at one another, which had crippled what little cooperation had existed between them. William and Ulrich were rivals, and all it had taken was a lie about drow mating habits to stifle their relationship. Dhaune reminded Jeremie of Odd's past 'companions', and while at first the Wise Man didn't seem to mind, he changed his mind after the slave had lied about a look the Scout had given the Outcast.
Yumi was different. She was close with many of the group, even Jeremie and Aelita, whom she had only known for a short time. The slave had tried telling the Colonist that Ulrich had claimed to be the best martial artist in Capital Lyoko, and she'd only laughed and said that Ulrich had always been that way. She'd even tried saying that Aelita had said the Nihonjin culture was afraid of magic, and Yumi agreed, and even admitted that the Nihonjin feared things that were considered 'non-magical gifts' in Lyoko, like telekinesis. Dhaune actually admired Yumi's confidence in her friends.
In fact, Dhaune admired many things in Yumi. She was beautiful, strong and talented, as well as very knowledgeable of both Lyoko and Nippon cultures. This was not mentioning Yumi had wanted to help Dhaune from the start.
With some help from Laura, Dhaune had improved her illusion magic. She hoped this meant that the Fair trusted her. She also hoped this meant she could use her illusion magic on the teens without them becoming suspicious.
She got her chance when Jeremie asked Dhaune and Aelita to go down to a nearby river to bring back water. Aelita had been all too willing to help Jeremie, though even Dhaune knew that if Laura had asked her, or even William (whom Dhaune had convinced her wanted to help Laura destroy the remaining wilder elves), she would have shouted that she wasn't her slave.
"So… Dhaune, what do you think of Jeremie?" Aelita asked, not so discreetly. Oh, it was painfully obvious to Dhaune that Aelita had a crush on Jeremie. It was an easily exploitable trait.
She shook her head. "I don't really think anything of him, except that he's our leader and I respect him." She grinned. "Why? What do you think of him?"
The Outcast blushed. "I—I think of him in the same way. As our leader, I mean. And that I respect him. And… just between you and me…" Aelita blushed harder and spoke partly into her hand. "I also think he's really cute!"
Dhaune pretended she didn't know what Aelita meant. "For a shem, you mean," She said, her words harsh but not bitter.
Aelita recoiled. "No, not like that! You make it sound so condescending." She looked down to the river, which was clear and swift. It was also bitterly cold, turning Aelita's fingers blue as she filled the pot.
Dhaune filled her pot as well. "But you are one of the People. Aren't there rules about mating with shemlen?" While she did this, she created an invisible aura of sadness and broken heartedness.
The Outcast's shoulders sank along with her heart. "I'm not sure, but…" She looked back to the river. Had Edna spoken to her about rules like that? She could almost hear her hahren in her mind, scolding her for watching a cute human boy her age play soldier with his friends. Aelita could feel the shame that rose in her cheeks as Edna talked to her about purity of race. But all of these memories were hazy. She shrugged it off as her mind trying to keep Edna's image as pure as possible out of respect for the dead. "I can't help the way I feel."
"Are you sure he feels the same way?" Dhaune asked, continuing to project her aura. "After all, you've seen the way Laura looks at him. Human marriages aren't usually arranged for love, are they? And you've seen firsthand how they treat our kind. What makes you think Jeremie is different? What makes you think he cares about you as more than a pawn in a dangerous game of strategy?"
Aelita remembered clearly Jeremie writing off the elven culture as strange and incomprehensible. In all the time she'd known him—which was only a month in two days—he'd never asked her about her culture, or about her clan, or even about her vallaslin—what he so humanly called 'markings.' Did Jeremie not care about her in the same way she cared for him? Did he harbor those same racist feelings that made her hate Laura?
The elves went back to camp, where Jeremie smiled at Aelita warmly. She hung her head and refused to look him in the eye. Confused, Jeremie looked to Dhaune. "Do you know if something is bothering her?" He asked.
"Aelita? Oh, no, she just found out that you have a crush on her, and that's awkward because the People forbid their women from lying with human men." Dhaune explained.
Jeremie's face turned pink when she said that he had a crush on Aelita, and an even darker shade when she brought up the forbidden love. "I—I don't want to lie with her," He said, unable to meet the slave's eyes as she created an aura of anger. "I just want… to get to know her…" The aura started to take hold. "How did she find out?" He asked.
Dhaune had actually heard Jeremie talking in his sleep when she was going through Ulrich's tent to find something she could use against him, but that wouldn't work to create mistrust among the Heroes. "She said that she overheard Ulrich talking to Odd about how you talk in your sleep." It was a plausible lie. Ulrich was a light sleeper, and he told Odd just about everything.
Jeremie glared over his shoulder at the Mercenary, and then stormed off. Dhaune faked a smile at him, one that almost looked sympathetic. In truth, Ulrich was probably her least favorite member of the group, if only because he was suspicious of her. They avoided each other most of the time, except when creating doubt about William. It was far easier to feed mistrust already there than to create it.
Dhaune found Yumi, and wanted to test a different kind of illusion. It would still cause subversion, so Xana would not mind, but it wasn't a dark spell. Not entirely, anyway. "Hello, Yumi. I wanted to thank you for yesterday." The day before, they had been waiting for Jeremie and Laura to convince the mayor of a small town to increase fortifications and train their guards better when a group of boys started barking at Dhaune as a way of saying she was ugly. Yumi had shouted at them, and it was then that Dhaune accepted her crush on Yumi.
The fact she had a crush on Yumi was not a surprise for Dhaune. She'd known for many years that she was a lesbian, though she'd never had a chance to act upon her feelings due to the generally held belief that she wasn't attractive—had she possessed red eyes and white hair, or even if her skin wasn't blotched, it may have been a different story.
Yumi smiled. As far as she knew, Dhaune was an insecure girl who saw Yumi as an older sister, or a close friend. It was almost as if Yumi didn't know how attractive she really was. "Oh, don't think anything of it, Dhaune. Really, I only did what was right." The Colonist said.
Dhaune shook her head. "But you didn't have to, and that's why I'm thanking you. Come on, Yumi, at least let me make you… tea or something!" She realized then that Yumi probably didn't drink tea.
Yumi tried not to take it personally and said, "No, really, that's okay."
Dhaune smiled. "Please?"
"Well… okay." Yumi smiled, and Dhaune grabbed a kettle from the aravel. She prepared tea over the fire, and enchanted the tea leaves. The slave really only knew how to make dark elf teas, which often involved ingredients found underground. This would be a fact that Dhaune would leave out when she presented it to the Colonist.
Yumi drank tea with her family, and she tried to hold back a cough that came from this particular concoction. Nevertheless she smiled and drank it, though the more she did the lighter her head felt. She shook her head, holding it in her hands. "Yumi! Are you alright?" Dhaune asked, concern honest in her voice.
She looked up at the dark elf, her vision blurry for a moment. Then, a strange and new feeling gathered in her throat. She looked away, her face turning pink. "Have…. Have I ever told you I like the way you wear your hair?" Yumi said suddenly, her vision clearing but everything around her looking awfully pink.
Dhaune was honestly taken aback, almost forgetting it was the tea and not truly Yumi. But there was such honesty in Yumi's eyes—was Yumi complimenting her because of the spell, or was she trying to ignore that feeling Dhaune already felt. "My… hair?" Dhaune asked. "No, you haven't. Thank you."
Yumi smiled. "It's very pretty, and it suits you. And I like that it is simple, not like the hairstyles some women wear in Nippon. Have you seen them? They take hours to do properly, and you have to sleep with a board under your neck to keep them perfect." She shook her head again. "But here I am, rambling. I was just trying to give you a compliment."
"I don't mind your rambling,"
12th of Solis
Ulrich watched as Yumi sat next to Dhaune at dinner, and as they chatted quietly to themselves. William seemed to notice it too, but didn't glare like the Mercenary did. He leaned over to ask Jeremie, "Have you noticed anything abnormal about Yumi recently?"
Jeremie got up and moved away from him. "I don't want to talk to you, Ulrich." He said.
Confused, Ulrich shook his head. Odd sat down next to him, and Aelita sat on his other side. "Shouldn't you go sit next to Jeremie, kitten? I thought the two of you were friends."
Aelita hung her head. "I don't really think he likes me. I think he's just being nice to me because he thinks that I'm important in his game." She said sadly.
"Aelita, that's crazy. He's crazy about you!" Odd said.
Aelita simply shrugged and picked at her plate. Ulrich looked back at Yumi and Dhaune, who were giggling. "Have you noticed anything strange about Yumi?" The Mercenary asked, not taking his eyes of the two girls.
Odd agreed, "Yeah, she has been a little distant, hasn't she? She and Dhaune must be close, and I mean really close." There was insinuation in his voice.
"What are you saying, Odd?" Ulrich demanded.
"I'm just saying that maybe Yumi and Dhaune are… lovers. Or soon will be." Odd explained.
Ulrich's eyes widened. "You don't really think that, do you, Odd?"
"Is there a problem with that?"
"I've known you for thirteen years. If I had a problem with that, you of all people would know."
"That isn't what I meant—however appreciated," Odd crossed his legs, and before he explained, he asked Aelita if she was going to finish her food. She handed him her plate. "I'm just saying that you've denied having a crush on Yumi for so long, I almost began to believe it. Since Yumi isn't in a relationship with you, you can't really comment on it, can you?"
It wasn't that Yumi was in a relationship with Dhaune that bothered him, but the time frame in which it happened. Dhaune had been travelling with the Heroes for twelve days, and it seemed that Odd was right in his idea that they were soon to be lovers. Ulrich and Yumi had known each other for years, and in all that time, she'd never rushed into a relationship. This was out of character for her.
13th of Solis
Dhaune woke Yumi before sunrise, much to the Colonist's annoyance. "Do you have any idea what time it is?" She mumbled sleepily.
"Come on, Yumi. Get ready. I want to go into town before all the commotion starts, but we need to sneak out of camp after I wake William for his watch." Dhaune explained, and she left the tent. Yumi reluctantly rose, dressing quickly and sneaking around the aravel to wait for Dhaune. The dark elf joined her, and they snuck away.
It was a loud start to the day as Jeremie and Ulrich began fighting over virtually nothing. It was a heated argument, complete with insults and curse words. But it wasn't out of the ordinary since Dhaune arrived until they tried to justify their anger. Ulrich shouted that Jeremie wanted to use Aelita, and was angry just as a protective older brother would be. Jeremie shouted that Ulrich had been sharing Jeremie's secrets with Odd. Both protested that they had never said or done what they were accused of, and demanded to know who had lied to the other. Only one name came back—Dhaune. There was an awkward pause. "Ulrich, do you see a common denominator here?" Jeremie asked with his eyebrows furrowed in anger. When the Mercenary nodded, the Wise Man turned to the others in the party. "Has Dhaune told any of you things about us?"
William spoke up. "She said that Ulrich planned to buy Yumi off of her parents rather than court her properly."
Ulrich was shocked. "What? That's ridiculous!" But it was suspicious, surely. "She also said that you planned to use her once and throw her away because that was how drow mating habits worked."
The Vanguard shook his head. "No, that isn't true."
Laura looked at Aelita. "She said that you were part of a group that wanted to murder me and my father to put into motion a war that would restore Elvhenan," She said.
Aelita clearly was not impressed by this, as she crossed her arms and spoke almost monotone. "Laura, use your head. There are thrice as many humans as elves, including those in cities. The elvhen would perish in such a war. Groups that want a war like that exist, but only in Arlathan, and they aren't usually allowed outside the city walls." She explained. She uncrossed her arms. "She implied that you wanted to see me in slavery again."
"Believe it or not, Aelita, I am firmly against slavery." Laura rolled her eyes.
Odd looked around at the group. "Has Dhaune tried to turn us against each other?" He asked.
Jeremie looked at him. "It would seem so," He said. "The question is, but why?"
William walked over to Yumi's tent. "She and Yumi are close. Maybe Yumi knows something we don't." He opened the flap, and with a sigh, he said, "She isn't here!"
"What about Dhaune? Are they both gone?" Ulrich asked. Odd ran over to the aravel and nodded. "Shit! What if they ran away together?"
Jeremie grinned. "I can find out where Yumi is, at least."
Aelita looked at the others. "Let's not jump to any conclusions. Maybe Yumi found out before we did and gave chase to Dhaune," She said hopefully.
Jeremie closed his eyes and pictured Yumi, her eyes when they had last spoken. After a few moments, his eyes snapped open and he covered his mouth with his hand, and then he held his forehead in his hand. "I just saw something I shouldn't have seen," He muttered quietly.
William laughed. "What does that mean?"
"I don't think Yumi would ever forgive me if I said," Jeremie murmured. "Anyway, they're in town. If we hurry, we may be able to catch them."
Dhaune and Yumi sat in the tavern, laughing. "This has been so much fun! I don't remember ever smiling this much." Dhaune said, smiling amorously at Yumi.
Yumi opened her mouth to say something when Ulrich and Laura entered the tavern and approached them. Laura grabbed Dhaune's tunic, which had been graciously repaired by Aelita several days ago, and Ulrich grabbed Yumi. "Can we talk to you ladies for a minute?" Ulrich spat.
Yumi tossed a few copper pieces on the table, and they left the tavern. Ulrich and Laura didn't let them stop until they were outside of town, where the others waited. "Dhaune, I think you had better explain yourself," William hissed.
Dhaune realized her plan had come undone. "I—I don't know what you mean," She lied.
"You've been spreading lies about us, Dhaune!" Jeremie shouted. "Why would you do that? Even after we helped you? We trusted you!"
Ulrich pushed Dhaune. "Who are you working for? Who hired you to tear us apart from the inside?" He demanded.
Yumi pushed Ulrich. "Don't push her, Ulrich! I'm sure this is just a huge misunderstanding!"
Laura shook her head. "This isn't a misunderstanding, Yumi! Dhaune has been talking about us behind our backs, and you're the only one who didn't hear something!" Accusingly, she asked, "Did you have something to do with her plan?"
"What plan, Your Highness? I cannot believe Dhaune to be so malicious!" Yumi said.
Jeremie looked at Aelita. "Maybe Yumi is possessed?" He offered.
The Outcast shook her head. "Not possessed." She said, and she walked over to the Colonist and examined her eyes. "But… charmed is more likely."
Yumi pushed Aelita away. "I'm not under any spell! I love Dhaune, and you're all jumping to conclusions."
"Thank you, Yumi," Dhaune smiled.
"Yes, thank you, Yumi," A voice echoed Dhaune's, and the group jumped at this. Smoke traveled along the tree branches, and it collected in the form of a woman. She had skin the color of blue ash, and her eyes were yellow, but cold like amber. Jeremie recognized them as the eyes from the nightmare that had started it all. Her hair was as white as snow, and the black markings on her face came down from her eyes, her lips and a dot between her eyebrows. Aelita identified the markings of meaning 'fen'asha' or 'wolf woman'.
No one but Dhaune knew her, but the slave was the most surprised. "Matron Mother!" She exclaimed. Dhaune fell to her knees in reverence. "I am sorry that I failed you, Matron Mother." She apologized.
Xana laughed. "On the contrary, Dhaune. You did very well until now." She continued to praise her. "And it was brilliant of you to seduce the Colonist. How easily the secrets of friends come out when a human is in love." She laughed coldly.
Yumi felt her heart break into a hundred pieces. "…Dhaune? Please tell me she's lying."
Dhaune looked up slowly. "I love you, Yumi. I didn't mean for it to end like this, emma lath." She said, unable to lie anymore, unable to admit her treachery. How easily the lies had come when they trusted her, but now that they knew, she felt as small as she'd ever been. She stood, and in a last effort to keep Yumi to herself, she came up with an idea. "Please, come with us! We'll treat you better than any human ever could. Slaves will wait on you hand and foot. You can even see your brother again!" Dhaune begged her lover, as if luxury could make up for what she had done.
Yumi backed away, and angrily, she drew her Tessen fan and threw it. Dhaune was enveloped in smoke before it struck her, and she reappeared at Xana's side. "You heartless bitch! I trusted you, and you used me! You used all of us!" Yumi shouted as the spell faded. But her words were still hurt like the betrayal of a lover, and Dhaune realized the spell had worked so well because Yumi's feelings were secretly there, too. The guilt was like a vile, black weight.
The Heroes prepared to attack the drow, but in a burst of smoke, they were gone. Yumi started crying, out of frustration and because she felt like she was dying of something worse than death—betrayal.
Dhaune held in her hands on thing Yumi had given to her—a perfect river stone, worn down into the shape of a koi fish. It was smooth and cool, and as Xana entered Dhaune's new chambers, she hid it under her pillow. "I trust that the slaves were effective in preparing this room for the new general of my armies?" Xana said, pride in her voice.
"Yes, Matron Mother. I am very content here." Dhaune said as she tried to hide her sadness.
"Good," Xana smiled. "Oh, and bravo on your performance topside. I believe that the Colonist may never recover." She waved good-bye.
Dhaune hung her head in shame. She looked at her reflection in the mirror, and she'd never felt uglier. She grabbed the river stone and threw it as hard as she could, shattering the mirror like Yumi's heart. She wouldn't cry—no, crying was weakness. The general stood, and she called for an Overseer. "Fetch Hiroki Ishiyama. I wish him to be my personal servant, and no one is to lay a hand on him—do I make myself clear?" The Overseer agreed, and went to find the boy-slave. This was probably the only kindness Dhaune could afford to give.