? Drakenoid Marshal, Instructor

  “She suppose to look after a forty conscripts, are you fucking kidding me. She barely looks past fourteen.”

  “I have it on good authority that she is ten.”

  “How is that any better?”

  The knight stares impassively at the officer. I simply wait until directed. We were standing in only the first set of walls of the fortress.

  “Am I to assume you are part of her packaged deal? Who is she that she requires a minder?”

  The knight gives his orders to the Drakenoid. Neither have said anything to me. I wonder how long this will take. His scales are black. I wonder if he traces himself back to the calamity as well.

  -We never did get an explanation on that.

  I just figure it's an over the top name for a dragon.

  “She can set up in Bravo's clinic.”

  Bravo? Another word taken from my previous world. It's weird when I run into them. Is it used the same here? I don't bother asking. I follow the knight. He seems familiar with the area. Where exactly is this? I am led to a new building that is part of the outer wall. It appears to be rather dusty and unused.

  I look over the area when something is snapped around my neck. I gripped the mana manacle as it turned on. My sister's illusion winks out as do my nails. I turn to my imprisoner. Unable to speak, why can I not speak? Damn it. I glare at the knight.

  “Orders from above should you show signs of insubordination. You are not to speak unless you are asked a question. You are not allowed mana to escape your body unless it's life mana. There were concerns about your loyalty, what with you walking around with illusions and all.”

  Not conscripted but a prisoner. He peers closer at me.

  “Strange, the scales still remain, I was certain they were…and your nails color are reminiscent of mithril.”

  I give the man a head butt. It bowls him over and he lands on his ass concussed. I use my life eye to ensure there is no cranial bleeding. Satisfied there is not, I locate some cloth and begin wiping down some surfaces. I left the man unconscious.

  -----

  “The hell you hit me with?”

  “My forehead.”

  He asked, I could answer. I had taken the time to make some silk gloves. They aren't the best but they will prevent people from looking at my nails. Got over two hundred agility. The all minor boon sweep doubles my stat thresholds. It shouldn't be hard to reach five hundred stats now. I also got the skill [Acrobatics], my system telling me I will always land on my feet.

  -Just like a cat.

  “Where did you get those?”

  I simply look at him as he points to my new fashion statement. Seems I don't have to answer. Good. Annoying to be forced to be silent, but it appears I won't be forced to answer.

  “I order you to answer me.”

  The manacle is forcing mental mana into me. I negate it. I look at the knight, curious to see if he will try again. I wonder how much mana the manacle has. Or is it the knight's mana that was used. It didn't take much to negate it. Not like I can spend the mana out here. Inside the soulscape was a different matter, it's why my gloves are a lovely shade of violet. The knight narrows his eyes at me. A chain manifested on my wrist binding them together, the chain continued into his hands. He gives it a tug and I stumble. As much as I prefer to showcase our difference in strength I have him lead me elsewhere.

  -----

  ? ? Gnome Commander, Count

  Wonder if their name ends in nae. The knight leads me to them. Starting to get hungry. When was the last time I had a drink?

  “I was under the impression our [Priestess] was here willing, Sir Timotran.”

  “Continued observation has led me to believe she is concealing facts about herself. She is brazen enough to assault me. I'm not sure how she is maintaining some of her illusion even as she is shackled.”

  “Why did you assault your knight, [Priestess]?”

  “I wasn't feeling particularly friendly after having a manacle placed on my neck. I simply wish to demonstrate that my head was harder than his.”

  The gnome sees the bruise on the knights forehead. He has the same chirpy laugh as the rest of his people.

  “You headbutted him. That is quite bold. I suppose I wouldn't be cooperative after being shackled either.” He eyes the manifested chain. “Were you not able to order her to follow, or do you like dragging around girls?”

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  The knight's indignation grows, “She was able to resist my order.”

  “Able to maintain illusions and negate mental attacks. [Priestess], I order you to explain.”

  I negated it, but it took a tenth of my mental core to do so. If any of them can engage this manacle I won't be able to hold out.

  -Let the next one through, I will answer for us.

  A good idea. So long as it is an order to answer. The gnome quirks an eyebrow. He pulls out a trinket with moveable lenses. They are color coated. He flips the purple one in place and looks at me through it. He then looks sourly at the knight.

  “Your charge does not have an illusion on her at the moment aside from a [False Soul] ring on her right middle finger.”

  “Thats impossible, her hand has scales, she has fangs and cat eyes. Her bleeding ears aren't even Pimar ears.”

  He seems rather observant. I start to sway a little. I should have drank while I had the chance. I was worried he would notice the smell, inviting even more unwanted questions.

  “And they all are part of her. She has chimera as her race. Tell me [Priestess], have you been grafting monsters onto yourself.”

  “In a manner of speaking, they are a part of my soul.”

  -You’re lightheaded.

  Shit, said too much.

  “Is she always this pale?”

  The knight looks at me and becomes alarmed.

  “She has not eaten since she has been in my custody nor drank liquids, I had confiscated her bloodskin as deeming it a risk.”

  “Bloodskin? A risk of what?”

  “She is drinking hydra blood to maintain consciousness, if she were to continue to abuse such it will impact her health.”

  “Yet she appears ready to faint, did she tell you why she was drinking hydra blood.”

  “She made up an absurd lie.”

  “Which was?”

  “She said she needed blood for sustenance.”

  The gnome looks surprised at that. He turns to me.

  “Is this true?”

  “It is the only thing my body can absorb.”

  It is getting harder to stand. Half a mind to pull the knight down and tear out his throat.

  -Sister.

  Right, sorry. My anger is getting the better of me. The gnome continues to study me. Then asks the knight a question.

  “Have you actually any reason to think she is lying?”

  “It's absurd. An obvious lie.”

  My legs give out. The knight pulls my chains to force me to stand. I stagger up. Then I pull the chain myself. It causes him to stagger forward. I glare at him and sit down again.

  “The impudence.”

  “I wouldn't do that again, Sir Timotran. I am feeling some rather strong murderous intent coming from your charge.”

  The gnome shakes a bell, no sound emanates from it. A female Human attendant comes in.

  “I need you to bring up some food please, and bring Isabella.”

  The woman nods and leaves. She comes back with some bread and cheese. A Lamia woman is behind her.

  ? ? Lamia Knight, Competent Mage

  “You asked for me, liege?”

  “I need you to look over our new priestess body, she appears to be rather strange.”

  She slithers over and engages her life sight. Two triangles slowly rotating in her eyes. I negate her efforts, my arcane core against her life core. She relents after I burn down a quarter of my core.

  “She is preventing my sight from looking past her skin. What I can see is bizarre.”

  My jailer asks, “Which are?”

  “None of your business.”

  I like this knight. The gnome intercedes before Sir dipshit can respond.

  “Can you at least confirm that her scales, eyes and ears are real.”

  “Very much so. Anything else you wish to ask of me?”

  “Do you know of any condition or skill that results in only being able to drink blood for sustenance.”

  “None, my lord.”

  No question of why was asked.

  “I would like you to confirm that she can not absorb food. [Priestess], will you allow Isabella to watch you as you eat, assuming you can at least take in food?”

  “I can eat the food, I require a vow not to reveal what she sees beyond confirmation of my inability to absorb nutrients.”

  I grab my chain before Timotran can tighten my leash. He struggles against my grip but I do not relent. I glare at him. I do not know how much longer I can stay conscious but I will be damned to be treated like a dog.

  “Why you—”

  “Sir Timotran, do not provoke her, she is holding you at bay with one hand. Isabella, are you fine with her condition?”

  “I, Isabella, Life Knight under Count Ericnae, vow not to reveal the biological details of the priestess before me without her express consent.”

  You received a Vow of Silence

  I eat my bread as she stares with her green eyes. When I am done I sit and wait. She nods at me.

  “If you will permit me, [Priestess], I would like to discuss your stomach.”

  “Only in terms of whether I drew nutrients from what I ate.”

  She looks annoyed at that, no doubt seeing my digestive tract being a mix of rabbit and tiger.

  “The [Priestess] is not absorbing anything from what she ate.”

  “Sir Timotran, it would appear she is not lying.”

  “But blood sir, this is highly unusual.”

  I really wish I could scream. Isabella cuts her hand and presses it to my lips. I am unable to resist the offer. She pulls her hand away before I am anywhere near done, the bliss I feel I tramp down. I feel at least a little better. I don't curse her for it. Best to not reveal that. She watches with her eyes again.

  “Same permission to discuss whether you absorb anything, [Priestess]?”

  I fight for lucidity and nod to her.

  “She did. That it restored her vitals is a mystery to me, I suspect a rather strange skill at work.”

  “It would appear Sir Timotran that you have been starving our recent asset.”

  He pales at that, “I was so certain, I must remove her chains at once.”

  He grasps the manacle around my neck but it does not come off.

  “But why?”

  I want to know too. It's Isabella who answers.

  “You can't remove a manacle of obedience without the one shackled trusting you. It's a precaution built in to prevent jailers being murdered by their previous prisoners. Usually it requires an oath.”

  Fuck that. I stare at the knight, not disguising my hatred I felt.

  “[Priestess], will you swear an oath to not harm Sir Timotran?”

  “No, I would not leave myself defenseless to a man who shackled me based on his wrong assumptions.”

  “Yet, you would remain collared.”

  I simply stare at maybe Ericnae? My ability to defend myself is limited but not exhausted.

  -----

  I was led back to my clinic, I felt the remorse from the knight but I particularly don't care. The chain was dismissed but the manacle remained. A reminder that I could not trust this man. Apparently his death would also release me. It's only a hundred years at most. He turns to me.

  “[Priestess], I have wronged you and have harmed your trust greatly. I wish to give you my oaths to protect you, if you would have them.”

  “There is no oath I want from you, you have already failed your duty to me.”

  It was as if I had slapped him. I feel his despair and simply sit down and look out the window. I was not to be granted a different knight, no one would wish to protect someone who was so constrained. Can't protect someone who could be ordered to kill themselves.

  He cuts his hand and fills a glass. He gives me the glass and I simply pour it to the ground. I then healed his hand and restored his blood. I go back to looking outside.

  “But why?”

  “I will require something better, rodents perhaps.”

  Cruel, I've become cruel. He leaves me. To hunt rats perhaps.