Liquid Courage

~Chapter 16~

Nimaro was slow to blink, his eyes shifting from Mae to Omb.

"What help do you seek?"

"When the time comes, I will call upon you again, and you will come, without question or defiance. I require your aid to open a gateway back to Nubarra."

Nimaro lowered his head and closed his eyes. "You seek to walk her through the nightscape?"

"Yes. I already have an agreement with her. If she succeeds, I am to open a way back to her home world."

"I see," Nimaro replied as he looked to Me'Lau. "Bring the Scribe."

Mae was beginning to feel warmer, and the fear was slowing ebbing as the Pomme-Kitar, she had so quickly chugged, began to take effect. As she watched the scene unfold before her, all she could do was hope she hadn't overdone it, and contemplate the choices that had led her to this moment with cynical regret.

"While we wait, tell me of your offer."

"Strativar Ral'shin Stroff."

Nimaro chuffed at the name. "What good does such filth do for me?"

"It is what he can do for us both. Our people suffer for endless wars. He once spoke of peace and would have succeeded if your sister had not intervened."

"Yes, I do recall. To brand one of your own…" He sneered in disgust revealing his blackened fangs. "I care not. Peace does not free my Ji'vie. It will not make us equals."

"No, but it can free you from the Quarter," she replied as Me'Lau returned with a young Thay, a woman in dark brown robes, carrying a portable writing table. "It can give you safe passage to the other continent. You can go, take your people to the interior, beyond the abandoned city and into the untouched land where the other races are already too afraid to travel."

"Until the peace ends and we are cut off from our hatching pools. You would have me lead my Ji'vie to a slow and pitiless end. To thrive before our extinction!" he shouted, his tentacles arching and puffing above his head before returning to their calm, waving motion. "The risk is too great. If this is all you offer, you came with nothing to my table."

The Scribe had situated herself into the corner of the room, and Me'Lau had returned to his place at the table, as Omb began to laugh.

"Oh please, Nim. These are negotiations. Of course, I bring more than just this to the table. But why don't you just tell me what you want and save us both a lot of time."

"I have no interest in saving you time. What I want you cannot give; you already know this."

"But what is it that you want?" Mae asked, much to her own chagrin; the intoxicating effects proving stronger than she'd hoped, since she instantly regretted opening her mouth.

"I seek a freedom that cannot be obtained. My Ji'vie are bound to me. I feel their pain and know their desires. They seek to live as all others do, but our very nature prevents us from interacting with others."

"They're lonely," Mae remarked, feeling somewhat sad for them.

"They are a hive. It is literally impossible for them to be alone," Omb informed her, tapping her now empty glass upon the table.

"Guess you've never been alone in a room full of people before." Mae huffed, watching Me'Lau refill her glass.

Nimaro seemed amused by Mae's words, his lips curling back into a grin.

"If time is what you wanted to spare, then it is you who should have done as I asked."

"Fine. My real offer is what I brought to your table," Omb replied motioning to Mae. "You can have her."

"Hey! We're only here because I want to go home. You can't use me as a bargaining chip. And for future reference, you shouldn't give that stuff to alien lifeforms."

While she wasn't drunk, she was certainly feeling braver and at some point, her ingrained filter had been turned off. Unfortunately for Mae, she was still sober enough to know it.

"I accept," Nimaro replied, dipping his nose to her.

"Wait, what?!" Mae was perplexed by what had just happened. "Didn't I make myself clear? There's no deal if I'm not free to hold up my end."

"It is not you, but your knowledge I offer."

"When Omb summons me, I will answer, without questioned or defiance. I will give her access to the nightscape for the purpose of opening a way to the world of Nubarra. In exchange, I will accept no less than the knowledge of her servant, Elahemé of Nubarra," Nimaro stated very clearly in the direction of the scribe.

"You're going to be disappointed. I really don't know much at all," she commented as the Scribe, stood from her desk and carried a piece of paper to Omb. "Funny, you said this was your price to pay, but it didn't end up costing you a thing."

"It has cost me more than you think. You are a prize, Elahemé. One that I now must share," Omb replied as she signed the paper. "The deal is struck. I leave you with your payment, Nim. Enjoy your dinner, Elahemé."

"Wait…" she said, but it was already too late, before she could even speak the word, Omb had disappeared into the shadow beneath the table.

"She truly is so very rude," Nimaro said as Mae turned and looked up at him.

"Why would you agree to her offer? You could have asked for anything."

"She would never have agreed. Even as she came to me for help, you are the most she would have offered."

"She offered you what she rejected."

"That does not lessen your value to me."

"I suppose this makes me your, like slave now?"

"Nothing of the sort. You are still my guest. Me'Lau, our first course, if you please."

With a nod, Me'Lau left the room, and the Scribe brought the document over to Nimaro.

"I thank you, Scribe," he remarked at the sight of the signature.

"I will have this taken to the Quarter," the Scribe replied as she took the document and returned to her writing table.

"You may leave it with Sosa."

The Scribe bowed and desk in hands left the room.

"You do not see your value?" Nimaro questioned.

"Nope. Can't say I do."

"The Ji'vie know nothing of worlds beyond this one. They have seen no other sky, felt no other air, known no other life. Because of this deal, I can share with them your world. I can gift to them a glimpse of something beyond this existence. I can ease their desire for freedom if only for a moment. It motivates me to want for you to succeed."

"Right. She's using us both to get what she wants. Should have seen that one coming." Mae shook her head. "You really care about your Ji'vie, don't you?"

"They are all I have."

"I don't understand why I'm so afraid of you."

"It is instinct to fear the unknown. Everything within you, tells you there is danger. Some react by fleeing, others with violence. Even when I sacrifice…" his eyes narrowed as his tone filled with anger, "They do not see!"

Standing, Mae reached across the table and grabbed the decanter. Pulling out the stopper, she filled Nimaro's glass.

"Keep talking. I'm really good at listening," she said, as she sat back down and set the decanter between them, wanting to keep it close in case she needed another shot of courage. "Tell me what they don't see."

"They do not fight back." Reaching up he grabbed one of his tentacles and pulled it forward. "Our akress are intensely sensitive, and move of their own accord. I have full control over mine, but others do not. They must focus to keep them under control, and some are incapable."

Fascinated by the movement of Nimaro's akress, she pushed the decanter out of the way and set her hand palm up against the top of the table.

"Can you show me what you mean?"

"I can. I will loosen my restraint upon this one, but keep the others back. You need not fear, it will not harm you," he replied, releasing the akress he had been holding.

Its movement was like that of an octopus arm. Round, solid muscle, moved forward towards her sliding out from beneath the cloak still wrapped around Nimaro's shoulders. Pressing into her hand, it had yet to show its entire length as it continued to extend up her arm. It wasn't putting any of its weight on her, but as she moved her hand against it, it flexed against her palm, curving against it, giving her the sense of its strength. Twice the width of her arm, she had no doubt of what it was capable; had it wanted, it could have easily crushed her to death. And he had eight, attached to the top and back of his head.

"As they move, they gather information. They allow us to see everything even when we can see nothing. I know your heart rate, your temperature, the level of moisture in your skin. You have burns that are not yet fully healed."

"That is incredible," she replied with a gasp as the end, a rounded tip, finally revealed itself, rising to brush against her cheek. "Are all of them this long?"

"Yes. They are each nearly the length of this body."

It was difficult for her to tell, giving the way he was sitting, for her to accurately gage how long he was, but considering that as he was, he towered over her, and based on the size of the akress, he had to be at least 12 feet, even longer if he had a tail.

"When we become curious, agitated, excited, our akress respond in kind. It is nothing for a Ji'vie to defend itself, but each death would only fuel the fear the other races have for us."

"So, you don't let them fight back?"

"No. When my Ji'vie are attacked, if they cannot flee, I force them into a darkness. I turn them off in a way. It makes it so they feel no pain, and the pain will not be shared. Instead, they die alone. Their last memories are of nothing but the dark and silence."

"But you feel it, don't you?"

"Yes. I feel it so they do not have to."

"And their akress?"

"They will frantically attempt to take in every bit of information they can, searching for a way to wake and save the body. It is instinct, uncontrollable, and is seen as a violent attack, instead of desperation."

"I'm sorry," she remarked as his akress gently moved around her.

She was astonished by how it acted and reacted to her movements and by how soft and delicate it could be, despite how much power and strength it had.

"Our existence is difficult. By keeping them contained to the Quarter I keep them safe, but there is a cruelty in that as well. One day, perhaps I will be able to change that, but for now, it must remain as it is."

"Are you sharing this experience with them?"

"No. I did not wish them to know your fear. When they meet a new species, I want for them to feel accepted. Until that is possible, I will keep them from the disappointment."

Mae had been so fascinated by Nimaro that she hadn't noticed Me'Lau's return to the room until he cleared his throat.

"This is Clausop, a traditional first course of Thay royals. Please enjoy."

"Thank you," Nimaro said as Me'Lau set a bowl of a thin red soup before each of them. "You are becoming distressed."

"Yeah, well, I'm basically being cuddled by an alien and just got served what looks like a bowl of blood soup. It's a sobering experience."

"Would you like another drink?"

"No. Actually, I'd prefer not to be afraid of you. I'd prefer not to be afraid of anything without a good reason, but it's just not in my nature. And it's not healthy to be drunk all the time."

"No, it is not," he replied, as he turned towards her. "I can remove my akress if you wish."

"I'm actually enjoying how cool it feels. I'm not used to how hot it is here yet."

"Mae, if you wish not to fear then you must choose not to fear. Accept the truth of what we are; understand and know us. Change your perception and your instinctual response maybe controlled. This is the first lesson each of my followers receives. I would ask you make your vows to me, but they will not have the same effect on you as they do of those born of this world. Yet, I would still welcome you as an acolyte, should you be willing. There is much you may be able to learn. I can sense in you something I cannot place."

"Oh, well, I accidently drank of the river of life. Omb said I stench of it. She really does say the most flattering things."

Nimaro chuckled.

"I see," he replied before turning to Me'Lau. "Prepare an acolytes kit, and the next course."

"As much as I appreciate the offer, I think I have some sort of an agreement with Omb. She already calls me her servant."

"The kit is not what you think. It is a way for us to understand the magic you possess," Nimaro explained.

"Then I can stop you right there. I possess none. What you see is all that I am. A seamstress, costume designer by profession, and I was a wife, and a mother, not in a traditional sense though. I don't know if I can learn from you or if she is planning to train me. I don't even know how you plan to extract your payment, but if I can't complete the task Omb wants done, she will never call on you. I don't know what I'm doing here. I'm not even sure that here was the only place for me to go. All I know for certain is that I don't want to mess up this agreement and ruin the only chance I know of to go back home."

"I understand your concern. I can even sympathize with it. So, I tell you, until you have vowed to an Aspect, you are free to explore your options. Whatever deal you made, unless it specifies that you are her follower, you are not beholden to the path of shadow. I believe I am the best option for you to complete your task."

"You don't even know what my task is."

"Omb has asked that you rescue Strativar Stroff from the dungeon in the city of Ix. And by offering you to me, in exchange for my aid, she has ensured that I will aid you into succeeding in this task."

"Okay, so you do know," she replied grabbing the decanter and refilling her glass, realizing that she wasn't going to make it through the dinner without a little help to keep her nerves and fear at bay. "So then, why are you my best option?"

"Like Tag'thyr, Ix is a city of two Aspects, where one is more dominate than the other. There, the light of Balen'thelm shines brightest. To Omb, it is an unbreachable barrier. To us, it is but a nuisance. Light may banish shadows, but it does little to vanquish one's nightmares. And while there are far more dreamers found beyond the walls of Ix than Ji'vie in Tag'thyr, they are not warriors. They are priest and healers. They offer no threat to one who is not a Ji'vie."

"So, I vow to you and you will provide me with the training I need?"

"Normally, yes. But for you the vows have no meaning. Allow me to take my payment early, and I will provide you with training in exchange."

"Any chance you'll let me think about this when I'm not slightly inebriated?"

"If you will humor me for the remainder of the evening, I will give you until the day following the next full moon."

"Deal," she replied before lifting her glass and taking a swig.

Nimaro was far better company that she could have imagined he'd have been. He was soft spoken, polite, and courteous. Over the course of their meal, he proved to be a delightful conversationalist, and by the end, Mae wasn't entirely certain her enjoyment could be attributed to the buzz of the Pomme-Kitar alone.