Chapter 53

"No".

"Please Alastair!"

"Leave. This conversation ends here".

"I can do it. Emilia said I'd be fine!"

Alastair gave Alexis a hard stare, hoping to maybe persuade her, and if that wasn't possible he would have to forcefully contain her.

"I've made up my mind. You're my Mage and you won't be going. Not until after my birthday, maybe even longer".

"It'll be much worse by then. It's bad now but goblins will attack the whole village if we leave it for that long! I'll take Adam and I'll bring along Hector!" She tried to persuade the extremely stubborn man who didn't budge at all at her words.

"If you plan on bringing them then I will also be attending".

"But you can't- you're- you have things to do and if you die in that"-

"How dare you assume that I'm so weak I'll die. I've fought in many wars Alexis", he warned.

"I know, but I can't let you come if it means risking your life", she said more quietly.

"Do you think I can let you go knowing the same fate awaits you?" He returned, standing up from his large chair and making his way to stand in front of her.

She glanced up at him knowing full well he wouldn't let her go. Her insisting would be futile and she would end up doing what he wanted. Because he was the Emperor…

'Ha, fuck that shit. I'm going even if it kills me!' Her thoughts were visible on her face and Alastair chuckled at the sight of them. His laugh sounded extremely ominous and Alexis felt a shiver of apprehension of what was coming.

"It seems you enjoy being locked up behind bars, my little fairy".

"N-No, I don't Alastair! I don't think that's necessary!" She backed away.

"Oh? With that mischievous look on your face, I think it is entirely necessary", he stepped closer to her.

Alexis, in lightning speed, ran for the office door but unfortunately Alastair's inherited ability made it easy to grab her and throw her over his shoulder. A feeling of déjà vu washed over her at the familiar angle.

'It's like my kidnapping all over again!'

Alastair was mercilessly running down the stairs, at a speed that made blood rush to Alexis' head faster than what should be healthy. And in her dizzy state she found herself laying in a familiar cell with the comforting voice of an old lady cackling away at the scene she saw.

"I'll get you back for this Alastair!" But he was long gone by the time she gathered the guts to scream out. "Why does he have to lock me up? This is demeaning!" She grabbed at her hair in frustration.

"You're an interesting gal aren't you?" The familiar voice made Alexis frown.

"No", replied Alexis, a grumpy look on her face, "just an unlucky one".

Unlike before, when she couldn't make out anything except the dim light above her she could see everything around her. Emilia said it was because her mana had grown used to inhibiting every part of her body.

She turned to where the old ladies voice came from and made out a thin figure with frizzed grey hair, the woman met her eyes with another cackle.

"It seems you're much better at using mana now, you can see in the dark".

"Yep, but I still can't get him to trust me with dealing with a few goblins", she muttered.

"Him? as in the new emperor? Was that him? The man who dropped you here?" She neared Alexis with curiosity.

"Yes, yes and yes".

"He's much more of a looker than I thought" she whistled.

"Yep".

"You're a lucky girl to snag such a catch", she continued.

"I didn't snag him!" She replied and only received a humoured-.

"Hmm", which she rolled her eyes at.

"So tell me, why are you here again?"

"He won't let me cure a goblin infested cave", Alexis replied with a pout. "I can do it, but he won't let me".

"Well isn't that because it's dangerous? Goblin attacks were pretty common when I was a young witch, it was a common form of death for normal people".

"I couldn't classify as normal even if I tried. And it's not like I want to do it, I'm doing it for him. And if I don't I'll end up dying anyway", she held her head as a headache surfaced at her stress inducing words.

"I guess you're right. I've never seen a girl as strange as you before"...

The words didn't comfort Alexis at all and she groaned the moment she heard them.

"Where I'm from I'm just a normal girl", she mused, she had always wanted to be special, but not like this.

"A place where you're normal huh… must be strange", the voice that spoke didn't belong to an old lady, but a man. Alexis turned towards the sound on her left and saw someone that could star as the next lead of assassin's creed. A hood pulled over a face with half of it hidden and a Prominent jaw visible.

Unsure of whether she should communicate with the dangerous looking man, she didn't speak.

"Shane is in a good mode today!" Teased the old lady.

"Shut up Sharon!" Came the mans voice.

'Ah yes, the two expressive comrades' Alexis was very familiar with the two's bickering.

"Aw is your mood spoiled because of silly me? Oh boo hoo".

The veins on Shane's head were probably throbbing beneath his hood.

"One day… kill her… escape… fucking castle" were the murmurs Alexis managed to understand the gist of what he meant.

"What was that my boy?" She called and received no reply from the seething man.

The old lady was silent after that and so was Shane, seconds passed and then minutes. Some enough it had been a full hour and all Alexis understood was that she had been sitting on cold floors for a while.

She moved and almost groaned at the cramp she felt. It was also much colder than it was earlier.

She looked around, searching for cracks in the walls even thin lines through the wall would do.

Anything.

But there was no cracks nor any lines. Nothing a draft could pass through and yet she could clearly hear the howling of the wind. She looked to the dim lantern above.

Her eyes searching the ceiling. There was a rope travelling along the walls, imitating a pipe. The low ceiling made it possible for her hands to graze it, treading carefully in case a spider might fall out of somewhere.

She pulled at it, and realised it was tough and dry. She furrowed her brows at her itching hands.

'Was it also poisonous?'

"Hey old lady, what's this thing?" She pointed to the ceiling and the old lady snapped out of her long daze.

"What?- oh that's just the magic repellant root".

"What?"

"It's all over this place so nobody can use magic to get out. It attacks your body until you stop using it".

"Oh… so it doesn't matter what type of magic?" She asked glaring at the rope with disdain.

'What a bummer'…

"I don't know, girl. I can only use light magic" her voice drifted off a bit as if she was falling asleep and Alexis decided it was best to let her continue. She was, after all, a wicked witch.

She made a draft with wind mana which made Shane curse at her. The branches reacted to it, vibrating and so she stopped immediately. Then electricity and again it reacted. She used earth and again it happened.

'What else?...'

She decided to use healing magic. It didn't react. But how could healing magic even help her? It was useless unless she got hurt. Being busy weighing her choices she wasn't aware of Shane's sharp eyes that widened in disbelief at the different magics she used in one go.

'That's four already' he had been trained with mana but was only proficient in using it for stealth and thievery. But he could make out different types unlike most individuals.

"No I can't use that one…" Alexis muttered, she was thinking to use shadow but that would only have Alastair get mad at her.

She gave up and slumped onto the ground. This was impossible.

"How many exactly can you use?" She heard Shane ask and turned to him in interest.

"How many what?"

"Types of magic?"

"I don't know. I haven't tried that much" she shrugged, glad he was speaking because it kept her mind off the empty darkness of the prison.

Before Shane could give a perplexed answer the door opened and angry footsteps were heard. Alexis turned to the source and stared at the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Relief flooded through as she jumped up towards the figure.

"Emilia!"

"I've come to help you escape".