Chapter 2 - Roles and Responsibilities
Veil stirred from her slumber as the day-moon shed a sliver of light over her face. A few days had passed since Serapis had granted Veil her power, and a lot of that time was spent adjusting to her new life under Mistress Adelin. As soon as she was awake, Veil rose from the simple cot she had been sleeping on and began preparing for another day of training.
Having been transferred from Kamal's slave quarters, Veil was given a new residence on House Tenebri's main estate. Since it was still a slave's quarters, it was a small, simple hut with a cloth flap covering the entrance. The only things inside besides herself were the cot and a small collection of scrolls left by Master Sef for Veil to study. After stretching a little, she took one of the scrolls and carefully began to unfurl it.
Veil frowned as she looked over the document. The drawn figures of Tai-sa-tib combat stances were easy enough to understand, but the writing that accompanied it was a complete mystery to her. Even though Master Sef had told her that all she had to do was to study the stances, Veil grumbled as her own illiteracy kept her from knowing the full context of what she was seeing.
Resting the scroll on the cot and banishing the thought from her mind, Veil took in what she could from the pictures and started mimicking the stances. As she moved from one pose to the next, she barely noticed as the flap of her hut moved and Mistress Adelin spoke to her through the doorway.
"Ah, I see you're wasting no time improving yourself."
"Oh! M-Mistress!" Veil started, moving to bow as soon as she heard. "Sorry, I-I was just practicing these stances and I didn't notice you!"
"Raise your head, Tenebri Veil, there's no need to apologize. 'Time well spent is time spent serving Serapis,' after all," the Mistress said, smiling as she made her way inside. "And besides that, seeing you apply yourself like this is quite pleasant actually."
Veil allowed herself to smile as she heard Mistress Adelin recite one of the core tenets of House Tenebri. "Ah, thank you, Mistress! I've been trying my best, but the pictures only show me so much…"
"Yes, I can imagine. Honestly, I don't know why Sef would think that would be enough for you. While I believe that would satisfy most slaves, I've noticed you are quite a bit sharper than others in your caste. Which brings me to the reason I'm speaking with you."
"What would that be, Mistress?"
"I believe that for you to truly be of use to House Tenebri, you will need to improve your mind as well as your body. It would do you well to be able to outwit opposing slaves in the arena, and there is the possibility that you will have to fight dreamkeepers of higher, better educated castes as well. To that end, I would like to know how you came to be as relatively smart as you are. Surely Walker Kamal wasn't responsible for it…"
Veil struggled to avoid making a face upon hearing the name of her former master.
"He wasn't," she said quickly. "Nuha was the one who taught me."
Mistress Adelin smiled. "Nuha, you say? I admit, I'm unfamiliar with all of the House's members. Who exactly is this Nuha?"
"One of Kam- my old master's Servants. She's responsible for making sure his slaves know enough to handle working the fields, but when she can, she teaches us more! I really look up to her!"
"Do you now? Well, in that case, I believe she would be an excellent tutor for you."
Veil looked straight at her Mistress and smiled, her frills rising slightly as she did. "Really, Mistress?"
"Indeed. I would very much like to meet Servant Nuha and speak with her about this as soon as possible, if you would join me to do so."
"Of course, Mistress, but as soon as possible?"
"Naturally. 'Time well spent is,' well, you know the rest. And on that note, I imagine you haven't gotten around to your morning prayer quite yet. Would you care to join me in mine?"
Veil nodded. "Of course, Mistress! I'd be honored!"
Mistress Adelin smiled and extended a wing to Veil. Taking it carefully in her hand, the pair left Veil's hut and headed for House Tenebri's shrine to Serapis.
—
After finishing their morning prayers followed by a quick meal, Veil and Mistress Adelin headed to the farmlands responsible for keeping the people of Serapeum fed. As they walked along the sprawling length of the Hapi River which passed through Serapeum, they passed over irrigation channels that had been dug to provide life-giving water to the fields, eventually arriving at House Tenebri's own farm.
The farm itself was much like the others in the area, and its fields bore a number of staple crops being tended to by slaves. Throughout the farm, groups of slaves were watched over by Servants who were recognizable as such by the symbol of House Tenebri tattooed on their wrists.
"I take it that Servant Nuha is not among the Servants in the fields?" Mistress Adelin asked, drawing Veil's attention away from her former workplace.
"Oh, no, she'll be in the farmhouse, Mistress. Probably helping my old master with something."
The Mistress nodded in response as the two continued on their way to the farmhouse at the far end of the fields. Veil looked at the approaching building with mixed emotions.
On the one hand, the building's clay and stone facade brought the harshness of Kamal's punishments to mind. Whipping sessions were dealt out not just to her, but other slaves at the Walker's whim, all for things like slow working or the crop output not quite adding up to what he had expected. Veil couldn't even remember how many times she'd been dragged over to the back wall, either to scrub another slave's blood from it or to have her own blood splattered over it by Kamal's whip.
On the other hand, the farmhouse was where Veil and the other slaves learned most of what they knew. From basic math and counting to the harvesting techniques needed for the various crops, many of those lessons were delivered within those walls. And the main dreamkeeper responsible for them was the Servant who had become a favorite of Veil's, and surely a favorite of many of the other slaves.
With her mind occupied with the past, Veil hadn't noticed that she and the Mistress had already passed through the farmhouse's doorway. As she realized she was suddenly indoors, her blood ran cold as she heard an all too familiar voice.
"Mistress! I wasn't expecting to see you today!"
Veil's instinctual terror faded and she stifled a chuckle as she looked at her former master, who was bowing low as he addressed their Mistress. Despite his considerable size, Kamal appeared almost minuscule by comparison to Mistress Adelin when bowing. Since his only clothing was a pair of well-used cloth pants, the wound Veil left him could plainly be seen on his back, a blistered sore roughly the size of her hand.
The garish red crater sitting in the middle of a sea of icy-blue fur made Veil smile as she continued to look at the man who had injured her many times in the same place on her back. Without realizing it, her hand had moved to feel the now healed scales there as the Mistress started speaking to Kamal.
"Raise your head, Walker Kamal," Mistress Adelin began, "I need to speak with you about one of your Servants. Tenebri Veil tells me that a Servant by the name of Nuha serves under you, correct?"
Kamal did as he was told, and Veil averted her gaze as she saw him spare a moment to glare at her.
"Nuha? One of my best Servants? What do you need her for?"
"Tenebri Veil will need to be better educated to succeed as an arena fighter, so I figured she'd do well to be tutored by someone she already knows and respects. Now, if you would be so kind as to bring Servant Nuha to me, I'll see that you will be compensated for the trouble."
"So, that's what this is, Mistress? More special treatment for the little slave bitch? She hasn't even been in a fight yet and you're already-"
"Now, Walker. Do not make me repeat myself."
Kamal bowed quickly. "Y-yes, Mistress."
Veil watched as Kamal left the foyer for another part of the farmhouse, grumbling as he left.
"That man…" Mistress Adelin muttered once he had left.
"Um, Mistress," Veil spoke up, "is he always like this with you?"
"Well, Veil, Walker Kamal has been part of House Tenebri for a long time, since the days when my mother led the House. Even considering our age gap, he's never been the easiest to get along with, especially given that I've never cared for his slave handling methods."
"Then, if it's alright to ask, why do you keep him around?"
The Mistress sighed. "Because, for all of his faults, he has proven consistently useful to House Tenebri. My mother kept him around because he kept the larders full, even during off seasons. And even after all this time, he continues to provide us that same benefit."
"Even though his slaves have to suffer for it?"
"His slaves do deserve better, and I apologize for the fact that they and you have had to endure his abuse. Even for all the good he does for the House, the way he treats his slaves is not how I believe Walkers, or any of the higher castes for that matter, ought to behave."
Veil blinked. "And how would that be, Mistress?"
"Well, the entire function of the castes is ascension. Each caste is a step toward the soul's purification, until its eventual unity with Serapis's true divine form in the heavens. To that end, I believe that it is the responsibility of those in higher castes to guide their lessers on the path to purification. To provide the means for them to rise higher, rather than simply using them as a foothold on their own path.
"Of course," the Mistress said with a gesture, guiding Veil's attention to the door Kamal had left through, "not everyone shares my views. And unfortunately, without people like Walker Kamal, the higher castes of House Tenebri would be hard pressed to be able to get anything done in service of Serapis."
A moment later, as if to punctuate Mistress Adelin's statement, Kamal made his return followed by a slender, dark-furred wolf girl. She had a silvery-white tattoo of House Tenebri's symbol on her wrist and wore a simple cloth dress. Veil's eyes widened and her frills perked up slightly as she immediately recognized the girl as Nuha.
"Well, here she is, Mistress. By Serapis, if this little scheme of yours ends up cutting into the farm's productivity for nothing…"
"Rest assured, Walker, you will be compensated for the trouble. I don't want to hear about you taking the difference in your expected yields out of some poor slave's hide. Again."
"O-of course not, Mistress," Kamal stammered, causing Veil to smirk. A swift glare from him caused her to pale, the smirk leaving her face as quickly as it came.
"And as for you, Veil, you'd better not fuck up once you're in the arena. Last thing I want to hear is that one of my former slaves made House Tenebri look even worse out there."
"Y-yes, sir. I'll do my best."
"You'd damn well better do better than that, you little-"
"That's quite enough, Walker Kamal," Mistress Adelin said, silencing the burly taskmaster. "Now, Servant Nuha, I imagine your master told you more or less what I need you for, correct?"
"Of course, Mistress," Nuha said with an even-toned voice, "Veil will be needing me to tutor her personally, right?"
"Indeed. I trust you will be up to the task."
"Yes, Mistress. It'll be nice to spend more time with Veil. She's always been an eager student, after all."
Veil smiled. "Thank you, Miss Nuha. I'm honored that you will be teaching me personally."
"Serapis preserve me," Kamal grumbled as he headed for the door. "If that's all you need me for, Mistress, I'm going back to work."
Mistress Adelin nodded in response, and Kamal trudged out of the farmhouse. Moments later, the remaining trio winced as his shouting could be heard from outside.
"I'm so sorry about that, Mistress," Nuha said with a bow, "Master Kamal has been in a bit of a foul mood since a few days ago. I've tried to ease his temper, but-"
"There's no need for an apology, Servant. To be honest, I expected it from him. Now, with that aside, I believe we've spent enough time here. Follow me and I will take care of everything regarding your future as Tenebri Veil's personal tutor."
With a nod and another quick bow, Nuha followed Veil and the Mistress outside. Veil quickly started filling her in on her experiences over the past few days as the three of them returned to House Tenebri's main holdings.
—
Once the group returned to House Tenebri's estate, Mistress Adelin wasted no time delegating the duties of setting Nuha up with quarters of her own to her Hands. A short while afterward, Nuha had been set up with a hut of her own, similar to Veil's hut but noticeably better furnished.
Inside the hut, in addition to the basic living accommodations given to Servants, the walls were lined with shelves loaded with a number of scrolls borrowed from the House's library. Nuha marveled at the sight of her new lodgings, and started poring over one of the scrolls with a wide smile on her face. Veil shared in her new tutor's excitement, while Mistress Adelin smiled faintly.
"I trust everything is to your liking, Servant Nuha?" The Mistress asked.
Nuha looked up from the scroll and bowed quickly. "Yes, thank you, Mistress. I believe this should be enough for me to get started with Veil's education."
"I can't wait to start!" Veil said, staring at the scroll-stocked shelves. "I can only imagine how much this will help me!"
"Heh, hopefully, you won't have to just imagine it for too long. To think though, first you got a blessing from Serapis Herself, and now both of us will be doing so much more for House Tenebri than we could have ever imagined!"
"Ah, your enthusiasm is quite infectious, I must admit. I will be looking forward to seeing how Tenebri Veil benefits from your tutelage, Servant Nuha. But on that note, I believe we should give you some space to prepare a proper curriculum for your pupil. As for right now, Veil, you should head out for some training with my husband."
"Of course, Mistress," Veil said with a nod.
"Goodbye for now, Veil. The next time we meet, I'll have some lessons planned out for you. I can't wait to teach you."
"And I can't wait to learn! Ah, thank you again, Mistress!"
"Think nothing of it, it's just the least of what I believe a Daughter of Serapis ought to provide those who serve under her. If only I had the kind of resources to give everyone an opportunity like this… But we've been speaking long enough. Come along, Tenebri Veil. You shouldn't keep Sef waiting, after all."
Veil nodded, and following a quick hug from Nuha, she left the hut with Mistress Adelin to find Master Sef. Nuha, for her part, devoted herself to looking through the various scrolls on the shelves, eager to prepare a curriculum for Veil.
The rest of Veil's day was filled with training with Master Sef. Rounds of sparring with their powers were interspersed with the Master teaching Veil the basics of Tai-sa-tib, lessons which he noted she "may need to know if another House refuses a fight with powers."
Veil followed along with the lessons dutifully. Over the few days she had been sparring with Master Sef, she had gotten better at controlling her plasma balls, and had even managed to singe him with them a few times, despite often ending up winded from the effort it took.
During a lull following one of their sparring sessions, Veil mentioned Nuha and the tutoring plan to Master Sef. He responded with a quiet chuckle when she noted the conversation she had with the Mistress earlier in the day.
"So," he said, patting down a now blackened portion of the fur on his chest, "part of this is because you wanted to understand the scrolls I gave you to study?"
"Yes, Master. I know you just wanted me to copy the stances, but the idea that there was so much more to know started eating at me a little. You're not mad about it, though?"
"Not at all, in fact I'll admit I was rather foolish thinking that just the pictures would satisfy your curiosity."
"That's a relief, I was kind of afraid of telling you about it," Veil said, looking down.
"Heh, what did you think I would have done? Ah, don't bother answering that. Even your superiors can make mistakes, Tenebri Veil. I will be the first to admit that I lack the same degree of foresight that my wife is blessed with. It does make sense that you should be educated, and I am glad that she was able to see that."
Veil smiled as she heard her Master's words. After a moment, she spoke up again.
"Oh, I thought of something else I wanted to ask, Master. Why exactly does House Tenebri need me to fight in the arena? I know my power is strong, but you know so much about fighting already, and, if it's not too much to ask, why don't you fight for the House?"
Master Sef burst out laughing, causing Veil to pull back. Her frills flattened and covered her face more than usual, and her next words came out rough and stuttered.
"S-sorry, Master, I know it's a dumb question…"
Veil felt her Master's hand on her shoulder, and looked up at him from under her frills. A gentle smile covered his face.
"Relax, Tenebri Veil. Your question isn't as foolish as you might think. The truth is, it's a question I've asked myself and my wife before, and the answer is politics between the Houses."
"Politics?"
"Indeed. Part of the reason the arena exists is for the Houses to have battles indirectly. A Son of Serapis like myself taking part would effectively count as a direct attack against another House, and from there, the whole thing would end up becoming a mess of rivaling Sons and Daughters trading blows with each other, and whole Houses falling because of it."
"Oh, I never really knew it could be like that…"
"Don't feel bad, House politics are a mess, and you're better off not having to deal with them. All you really need to understand is that you are uniquely gifted to support House Tenebri from where you stand. For now though, let's just focus on your training. You've been doing much better, and I'd like to see just how good you can get before your first match."
Veil nodded, her frills no longer covering her face. "Okay, Master. I'll do my best!"
For the rest of the afternoon, the two of them continued to practice. With a newfound understanding of her place in House Tenebri, Veil redoubled her efforts to improve her fighting ability and impress Master Sef at the same time.
—
In the days that followed, Veil continued to learn. In the mornings, she would head to Nuha's hut to expand her mind, and in the afternoons, Master Sef would teach her how to make the most of her body and her power. Her nights would be spent at her discretion, often resulting in her doing follow-up work on a lesson that she felt she hadn't gotten the most out of during the day. Each section of the day was preceded by a prayer to Serapis, which she devoted herself to fervently.
Eventually, the day of her first fight arrived, and just before noon, the leading couple of House Tenebri brought Veil to a small arena near the House's estate. The venue in question was unremarkable, bearing only the most basic details necessary for being referred to as an arena. The "ring" was a flat stretch of a sand dune surrounded by an oval of white rocks which divided it from rows of unimpressive stones that served as seating.
A makeshift podium stood at the middle of one of the long ends of the ring, where a tired looking avian dreamkeeper waited for contestants to register for their places in the ring. A few spectators had already shown up, most of whom seemed equally as tired as the master of ceremonies.
"Is this the right place, Mistress?" Veil asked. "It looks, well, like much less than I expected."
"Unfortunately, it is," Mistress Adelin said with a sigh. You're starting at the bottom, after all."
"At least there's a few spectators," Master Sef said. "Though it seems your opponent is nowhere to be found."
Hearing her husband's comment, the Mistress strode up to the podium to speak with the master of ceremonies. After a few moments and some clearly frustrated gestures, she returned with a resigned look on her face.
"The representatives from House Mut won't be arriving for a while. Seems they have better things to do than show up on time, and that's not even-"
"Hey, slave girl," the sleepy looking bird man said, catching Veil's attention while interrupting Mistress Adelin, who smacked herself in the face with one of her wings in frustration.
"Yes, sir?"
"You're Veil, right? House Tenebri's rep in this match? Got a warning for ya. House Mut put in a special request earlier today. They want your first match to be a fight to the death."
Veil paled and started to quiver. "T-to the death?"
Mistress Adelin wrapped Veil in a hug. "I'm sorry, Veil. We're the challengers, so we don't get a say in it. I was about to tell you myself, but…"
She turned and gave the master of ceremonies a glare, which he responded to with a shrug.
"Sorry, ma'am, I thought it would be easier to hear from someone closer to her caste."
Master Sef moved closer to the embracing duo. "Stay calm, Tenebri Veil. Remember, you trained to expect unfair conditions in these matches. Only in this case, you're finding out about them just before the match."
"I apologize. I honestly should've expected this sort of thing from House Mut. But Sef is right. It may be a dirty trick, but you can handle it. You haven't trained all this time just to be brought down here."
Veil looked up at her Mistress, and saw a kind, yet pained smile on her face.
"I… Y-you're right. Mistress, Master, I can do this."
Veil gave Mistress Adelin a firm nod, and the House's matriarch released her from her embrace.
"So," Veil said, turning to the master of ceremonies, "when exactly will my opponent be here?"
"Shouldn't be for about another hour," he replied. "There is something you should probably do before then, though."
The man pointed to a statue of Serapis a few yards away from the arena.
Veil tilted her head. "But, I've already done my midday prayer."
"Can't hurt to have a little extra favor from the Goddess, right? And not to be too grim, but confident or not, one slip up and this could be your last chance to pray to Her. I've seen too many overconfident fighters go out that way."
Veil paused for a moment. With a short nod, she turned to head for the statue.
"You're right. Thank you, sir."
With quick and determined steps, Veil approached the statue. One way or another, her next prayer to Serapis would prove to be one of the most important ones she would ever make.
