Lord Of The Mysteries: A Slug of Time

Beneath the vast sky, bathed in the eerie glow of the Crimson Moon, Amanises and the children now stood outside the shattered remnants of the wooden building. The air was lighter, though the scent of blood and decay still lingered in the distance. The wind, subtle yet continuous, gently swayed the tattered fabric of their clothes.

Among the group, a little girl clung to her sister's hand, her grip firm. Unlike her younger counterpart, the older sister remained stiff, her gaze locked onto Amanises with hesitance and uncertainty. She had witnessed miracles—wounds vanishing, pain dissipating—but miracles were things distant, intangible. 

Amanises, in contrast, stood before her, flesh and blood; a real being.

Noting the wariness in the girl's stare, Amanises tilted her head slightly, her veil shifting with the movement. A moment passed then with the sway of the wind itself, she crouched to their level. A gloved hand reached forward, resting lightly atop the older sister's head. A gesture neither forceful nor fleeting, but one that sparked a sense of serenity.

The girl, despite her wariness didn't flinch and instead remained calm, surprising herself.

The little sister giggled beside her, her small frame pressing against her sister's side as she beamed up at Amanises with curiosity. "She's not scary!" the girl declared with the certainty only a child could have, her small fingers curling into the cold fabric of her sister's sleeve. "She's nice."

The older sister hesitated. Her breath stilled. Then, finally, she exhaled, her shoulders loosening ever so slightly as her fingers unwound from their tight grip.

Amanises's lips curled, the smile hidden beneath her veil, but present nonetheless. Her gaze then darted to the children surrounding them, noticing their skinny figure, the flesh of their skin sticking onto their bones, their big, curious and hesitant eyes. This caused a thought to cross her mind.

They are malnourished… She closed her eyes and a sigh parted her lips. The two childs in front of her, beamed with curiosity, giving innocent stares.

A brief silence stretched between them, the wind carrying a distant hum. Then, as if struck by the same realization, the sisters turned to each other with widened eyes.

Wait, we haven't even gotten her name?!

Amanises blinked. Her lips parted slightly before her thoughts clicked into place.

Oh, I haven't even introduced myself!

For a moment, neither party moved, as if locked in a comical standstill. Then, with a slight shake of her head, Amanises still crouched, placed a hand over her chest and offered a slight head bow as she calmly uttered with a smile,

"I am Morgane Nyx."

She hummed a bit, closing her eyes, before tilting her head, before slightly parting her eyelids and asking, "And yours?"

The two sisters grasped for a moment, and then the older one gulped slightly. She looked back at her younger counterpart, and then back at Morgane before spoking in a slight hum. "Uhh, we don't have a name…"

As Expected… Amanises was not surprised. Usually children born into slavery are sold from place to place since birth, with only a few possessing an actual name. Their slavers, of course, could not be bothered to name them; merely denoting them based on specific physical features or by simple codes. She sighed internally, thinking to herself.

Then, a small voice, hesitant, sounded from the group of children. "Um… do you have water?"

Amanises turned, her gaze settling on a girl, her lips parched, her fingers twitching. At the mention of water, murmurs spread among the other children. Some looked at her expectantly, others shifted on their feet, their hunger and thirst evident. Yet, their actions and expressions showed wariness with slight traces of growing hope within.

Amanises hummed in thought, placing a gloved hand under her chin. "Water… food…" She glanced at the group, their expressions twisting desperate. "I suppose that can be arranged."

Excited whispers spread in the air, but before any celebration could begin, Amanises added with a slight tilt of her head, "Though, I have someone far more suited for this task."

The children blinked, the murmurs pausing. "Someone else?" the little sister perched, tilting her head in confusion.

Amanises nodded, her voice carrying the faintest trace of mischief. "Yes, you see, I have this rather interesting magician 'subordinate'. A peculiar one at that."

The moment she spoke, the children's expressions shifted into curiosity and confusion, for none of them even knew the meaning of a 'Magician'. To pretty much all, it was the first time they had even come to hear of this term.

Thus, it caused their suppressed childish curiosity to flare as they tried to make sense of her words. However, just before their heads could fill itself with thoughts and speculations—

A soft cough sounded.

Amanises did not turn, but couldn't help but smirk, her amusement growing. The children, however, froze. Their eyes widened, as if only now realizing a simple, yet large absurdity.

There had been someone standing beside Amanises this whole time.

To her left stood a black haired man with deep black eyes and a welcoming smile on his face. He donned a black, overhanging robe, with a red scarf draped around his neck, his pants had a checkered pattern of dark lines, and a classical hat adorned with red feathers rested on his head.

Immediately, the older sister felt a chill run down her spine. Her eyes widened, her expression twisting into utter disbelief and fear. Memories suddenly flashed before her eyes—

The first time she had met Morgane, while running from her persecutors. The lady helping her escape, weaving magic through the air, vanishing the two from the threads of reality. This very night when she had killed all those men—the slavers, the tormentors—for her, for her sister, for all the children.

Even when she had kept her utmost caution on the lady, remained wary of her at all times, somehow, she had completely failed to notice the man standing beside them this whole time, moving in absolute silence.

He had been there. Always. A silent figure standing at the edge of sight, reflected into the shallow streams of fate. Watching everything. He was present in all points of time and history, a silent observer watching the deservant die a thousand death.

The man tilted his head, smiling at the children, before redirecting his gaze to Amanises. "'Subordinate'? But aren't you 'MY' apprentice?" Amanises lips twitched indescribably, as she shifted slightly to peer at Merlin, Klein, their eyes staying locked for a while as the latter kept his smile.

He truly is a Fool! Both by title and actions… Amanises cursed in her mind and looked back at the children who now stood with dumbfounded expressions, their gazes constantly shifting from Amanises and back to Klein. 

Though she noticed the sisters still had their gazes fixated on her, with the older one stealing some glances on Merlin. Their curious eyes shimmered with hope and reflected Amanises veiled figure. This caused her to regain her composure, forming a warm smile on her face as she addressed the children. "Anyways… this is the magician I was talking about." 

Klein, maintaining his smile, tipped his hat and bowed like a gentleman. "I am Merlin Hermes. An ordinary wandering magician." He spoke in an amiable tone, instantly attracting the attention of the crowd of children. Among them, after a bit of contemplation, one raised his hand and asked.

"Umm… what is a 'Magician'?" His question earned a chuckle from both Klein and Amanises, causing the two to glance at each other.

Klein's smile remained, though it grew ever so slightly at the innocent question. He tapped his chin, humming thoughtfully before looking back at the now standing Amanises, who merely crossed her arms, tilting her head at him expectantly.

"Well, my dear inquisitive friend, a magician is…" Klein's voice trailed off as he flicked his wrist, snapping his fingers. Then, suddenly, out of thin air, a small shower of golden sparks erupted in between his fingertips. The children gasped in unison, as the golden light danced around Klein's fingertips, swirling and shifting like fireflies in the night, before taking the shape of a small golden bird, luminous and fluttering. It then flew and hovered above the boy who had asked the question.

The child, his mouth slightly agape, reached out instinctively, but the golden bird dispersed into nothingness the moment his fingers made contact. He let out a sound, somewhere between a sigh and a laugh, before looking up at Klein with newfound wonder.

"A magician is someone who can do this," Klein finally finished, chuckling as he gave the boy a wink.

The crowd of children immediately erupted into excited murmurs. If before they had only observed from a distance, now they closed the gap, forming a semicircle around the magician, their eyes sparkling with something they had long forgotten—hope.

"If you're really a magician," one of the bolder children spoke up, her arms crossed but her lips twitching upward with anticipation, "can you make us food?"

At this, the other children quieted down, suddenly reminded of their gnawing hunger. Eyes turned toward Klein with a pleading gaze, their small hands instinctively clutching at their empty stomachs.

Klein grinned, turning his head toward Amanises. "Oh dear, my esteemed apprentice, did you hear that? It appears the young ones wish for food."

Amanises' lips twitched. "Apprentice?" she echoed dryly, giving him an unimpressed stare. "Is it really important to mention that point over?"

Klein placed a hand over his chest, feigning deep offense. "Why? You should be proud," he sighed. Proud? I have been forced to be your apprentice for this role and now you want me to be proud too! Amanises cursed him further in her mind. 

Klein's gaze flickered toward the children, twinkling with mischief. "What do you think? Between the two of us, who looks more mysterious and enigmatic?"

"Enig… tic?" One of the children in the crowd spelled out incorrectly, while tilting his head, causing a sigh to part from Klein and Amanises.

The children fell into deep contemplation, their gazes shifting between the two. Amanises rolled her eyes, but a small smile tugged at her lips. Before the debate could grow further, she simply sighed and waved a hand.

"Just give them food already."

Klein chuckled but did as he was told. Snapping his fingers, he spoke, "Granted." Golden light shimmered in the air before expanding outward in a soft pulse, followed by a thin layer of greyish white fog. The fog expanded and enveloped their small hands and entire bodies. It then solidified and formed a wooden cup of water in one hand, and a soft sandwich in the other. At the same time, the fog surrounding their bodies reformed their tattered clothes, turning them pristine and isolating them from the slight cold.

There was silence for a moment, as the childrens stared in disbelief. Then, as if the spell had finally broken, all instinctively moved, finishing their cups in one gulp, then hungrily and curiously examining the stuffed filled bread in their other hand. Some managed to shake their heads as they realized that the cup of water they had all emptied had been filled again, causing a number to readily finish it once more, before it returned. While one group was starstruck, the other eagerly and curiously munched on their sandwich, before exploding with joy. 

They had never tasted something this good!

In an instant, the surroundings turned lively as the children sat on the now cleaned ground; the dirt having been concealed by Amanises and ate to their content. Some came close to choking, but were a bit surprised when the blockage suddenly vanished. Naturally, Klein and Amanises, both wearing warm smiles, helped them.

 Amanises sighed, knowing their habits were ingrained by suffering. But as the minutes passed, the children finally began to slow down their rapid munching, realizing it wasn't a dream as they slowly savoured each bite.

Then, Amanises felt a tug on her sleeve. Turning, she met the eyes of the two sisters. The younger one, her mouth still full beamed up at her, while the older one hesitated for a moment before placing her cup of water on the ground, and balancing her remaining sandwich on it. She, too, looked up at the Knight of Misfortune. 

Amanises kneeled, leveling herself to them. "What is it?"

The older girl shifted slightly, grasping at hee soft fur coat that now covered her from the environment. Seeing this, Amanises reached out again, placing a gentle hand on her head.

"You need names," Amanises murmured in a soft, sweet voice.

The two sisters stiffened.

Amanises smiled. "Marianne." She turned to the older sister. "And Arianna." She shifted her gaze to the younger one, watching as their eyes widened with heavy emotions.

Marianne opened her mouth, but then closed it, her throat bobbing as she swallowed hard. Arianna, however, wasted no time. She lunged forward and into Amanises's already stretched out and inviting embrace. This Knight of Misfortune then looked at Marianne with a smile, as the latter finally relented and leaned into Amanises's, her head resting on her chest. Amanises' warmth spread as she tightly held them, making sure Arianna didn't spill her water and smear her body and hers with the sandwich.

Behind her, Klein smiled at the sight, but his smirk soon returned as he quipped, "Ah, I see how it is. I summon food, I summon clothes, and yet Morgane gets all the love and affection. Truly, fate is unfair."

Amanises shot him a side glance. "You get what you deserve."

Klein sighed dramatically. "Woe is me." He spoke in English, causing Amanises to let out a giggle while the few attentive kids tried to decipher his words.

Then they giggled, the tension that had once clung to them now replaced by something lighter, something almost resembling peace.

For the first time in their young lives, they were safe. And for the first time, they had something more than just survival—they had a future.

A future bright, a future peaceful.

…

The ground trembled.

From the cracks, black liquid gushed forth, thick and writhing, twisting into grotesque shapes. It stretched, split, and reformed, birthing horrors with too many limbs, too many eyes. The air trembled with their guttural cries.

Amidst the tide of shadow, a single speck of light emerged. Unlike the corruption around it, the light remained pure, flickering before descending onto an unassuming rock. Then—

A burst of color.

Gold, silver, crimson, azure—hues of reality itself surged outward, weaving through the darkness. It was neither blinding nor chaotic, but infinite. The rock quivered, ancient patterns carving themselves across its surface, black gems embedding along its edges. The environment surged with infinite knowledge.

A mirror stood where the rock had been.

Its surface reflecting the all encompassing sea. The past, the present, the endless possibilities of what could be. Within its depths lay infinity, the beginning and the end entwined.

A few steps before it stood a man clad in a clergyman's robe, his left hand idly tapping his chin. His golden eyes, bright and childlike, reflected the mirror laying on the ground. He observed it for a moment longer before stepping forward, reaching down as he grabbed the mirror bringing it to his face.

His fingers brushed against its cold surface, causing it to tremble before settling.

A bright white light pulsed across the glass, condensing into a string of words.

"Greetings. I am Arrodes."