Dawn's Farewell (11)
"I can't make something like that," Ornette replied, and Isisde threw a fit.
"Well, no helping it then. Discount it, you bastard! You rapist fuck! Before I sue you for rape!"
"Sue me? Fine, let's go! We'll get a legal clerk or lawyer and do this by the book! Let's see if some baseless testimony from years ago about a human raping an elf mid-level mage holds more weight than the original commission contract!"
Isisde visibly panicked, her lips trembling.
"The original contract...? You have that...?"
"Did you think I'd just let it slide? One hundred thirty gold coins aren't chump change, you know."
"You're bluffing, right? Huh? Threatening me like you did during the 'rape'?"
"You keep calling it rape, but you're the one who made the moves first. If you don't believe me, come to the guild. I'll show it to you myself."
Realizing my words weren't a bluff, Isisde's green eyes began to quiver. She glanced back and forth between me and Ornette, then let out a deep sigh. She even went full dogeza, pressing her forehead to the floor.
"Leonar.... Just let it go this once.... I'm really in a bind. I don't have a single coin right now.... We're not the type to be like this, right?"
"Then what kind of relationship were we?"
"We liked each other. Remember that cabin inn, second floor? Me and you, huh?"
"You just called it rape a minute ago. And I never liked you."
"No, no, that was just a joke. You're right. I slipped a sleeping potion into your canteen. It was my first time seeing such a beautiful human, and I lost my mind. Huh? So just knock off a hundred coins. No, fifty even."
I sighed and ran a hand through my hair.
"Got it for now. Let's handle the reason we came here first."
"R-Really?"
Isisde's face lit up as she hurriedly straightened the sofa.
"Is it okay for the city hall mage to keep her office like this?"
"This was one of the conditions I gave them to get in here...."
"Pathetic bitch. A mage who blows all her money on tattoos, finally lands a job, and abuses her power. Tsk tsk."
Normally, she'd have cursed me out for that jab, but now she knew she was thoroughly in the wrong and just gave an embarrassed smile.
"Come on, sit down. Leonar and the pretty little one there."
Ornette and I sat on the sofa, and Isisde knelt demurely in front of us. No need to go that far.
"Tea?"
"Like I'd drink anything you touched."
"Ahaha...."
"I'll have some. And snacks too."
Ornette suddenly chimed in.
"Oh? Sure, sure. Hold on."
Isisde scrambled up, poked her head out the door.
"Hey, you! Tea and sweet snacks for the guests! Hurry up! It's urgent!"
She knelt again upon returning, flashing a sycophantic grin.
"Just a bit longer. So, what's the pretty one's name?"
"Ornette. We came because you're curious about her true nature. You can figure it out, right?"
Isisde peered at Ornette with her green eyes.
"Dawn's radiant light—a really pretty name. But what exactly is she? Explain the full story first."
"Seems like an artifact from Orlean."
"O-Orlean...?! An artifact?!"
Isisde jolted upright at the name.
"That crazy bastard's dead? How? No way he got murdered, got old and died? Wait, he doesn't age? Suicide then? How?!"
"I killed him."
"What?! You killed Orlean? What nonsense is that? He was a high-level mage!"
I explained the Elodi Village incident to Isisde. Her face grew paler as she listened.
"Whoa, fuck.... I almost got done in just now...."
"That's why a mid-level mage like you shouldn't act tough."
"I thought you were a pushover like the first time we met.... Eek?!"
She flinched when I raised my fist.
"Anyway, that lunatic did something like that? Extracting human will and emotions and physically separating them? Ha, unbelievable."
"I'm not here for your take on Orlean's experiments. So what is she? Orlean reincarnated? A manifestation of his mana essence? Or something else?"
Isisde didn't answer right away, staring at Ornette for a long while. Ornette met her gaze steadily with her sea-blue eyes.
"She really does look like him."
Isisde muttered, then turned to me.
"You ever hear of Mementorix?"
"What's that?"
"A magic device that lets you reincarnate immediately upon death."
Does that mean Ornette really is Orlean reincarnated? Sigh, that'd be a problem. She's fragile and cute now, but who knows if she'll grow up and pull crazy shit later.
"But it's kinda weird...."
Isisde muttered again, scooting closer to Ornette on her knees.
"Normal Mementorix don't work like this...."
Isisde pinched Ornette's cheek, and Ornette slapped her hand away with a smack. Blue mana sparks flew where their hands met.
"Heeeng? So cute."
Another strong spark erupted when Isisde pinched the other cheek.
"Gasp! That's intense...."
Startled, Isisde rubbed her wrist and scooted back on her knees.
"Stop muttering to yourself and explain."
"Okay, here's the thing. From what you said, that Dawn's Farewell gem is definitely Orlean's Mementorix, right?"
"But?"
"But Mementorix don't activate like this. A proper one would revive him in his exact pre-death form."
"Really?"
"Yeah. It gathers your mana essence for one revival, in your original body. But she's not."
Isisde eyed Ornette up and down.
"You got a dick or a split?"
Look at this crazy bitch's phrasing.
"My gender has nothing to do with Mementorix."
Ornette's face hardened, and Isisde looked to me questioningly.
"No idea."
"Even if male or female, it's weird. No Mementorix reincarnates as a kid. Reversing time is beyond even grand mages."
"So what are you saying?"
Then the door opened, and a clerk brought in the tea tray Isisde had ordered.
"Give it here. I'll handle it."
Isisde snatched the tray and shooed the clerk out.
"Here, have some tea everyone. Ornette, right? Snacks for you."
Ornette sipped her tea, then started munching the snacks with satisfying crunches. She eats well despite her small frame.
Isisde took a sip from her kneeling position and asked,
"What experiment did Orlean do?"
"Separating human personalities.... Don't tell me...?"
"Not sure, but maybe."
"You mean Ornette's one part of Orlean's personality?"
"He was into that stuff. Kinda, you know? Girly for a guy."
"He separated his feminine side into Dawn's Farewell?"
"Anything else doesn't add up, and this does."
Isisde's theory made sense. It fit everything. But one issue.
"She says she has zero memories as the gem. How do you explain that?"
"Isn't that obvious? Gems don't have memories."
"But it's a separated personality. Shouldn't it see, hear, feel?"
"Only if it has a form. No eyes, nose, mouth—how? Duh? Are you braindead... Sorry!"
I started to flick her forehead but asked instead,
"Oh, but she does remember a couple things. An existence that desired her and one that treated her kindly? Right?"
Ornette ignored me, just eating her snacks and tea. She really doesn't talk much.
"Hmm, what could that be...."
Isisde frowned over her tea.
"The one who desired her was probably me. The gem vibrated every time I thought about recruiting a mage for the guild."
"Makes sense. Mana reacts to strong desires sometimes. Okay, then the kind one?"
"Orlean?"
"Mm, maybe. Kinda creepy. Like pseudo-romance with part of his own personality. As a kid like that."
Isisde glanced at Ornette and shuddered slightly.
"Don't belittle it like that."
Ornette suddenly spoke up mid-bite.
"It's not as vulgar and filthy as you elves make it sound."
"Oh? Upset? Sorry, sorry."
Isisde grinned awkwardly, clasping her hands in apology. But instead of going back to her usual indifference, Ornette fixed her with those serene sea-blue eyes—glaring?
"She looks really mad."
Isisde glanced at me pleadingly, but what could I do? I shrugged and changed topics.
"Another weird thing: she's not a total blank slate. She knows everything she should. Where'd that knowledge come from?"
"Maybe stuff she learned before separation into Dawn's Farewell. He didn't split right at birth."
"That's weird too. Then why no memories from before?"
Isisde scowled at my prodding.
"I don't know that far! I'm just a 250-year-old mid-level mage—how am I supposed to know a high-level mage's secrets?!"
"Useless as hell. Tattoo-poor poser."
"What's that mean?"
"Whatever. So conclusion: she's a specific separated personality of Orlean's? Not Orlean himself."
"My guess, yeah. Not certain."
"Got it. We're done here."
I stood, and Ornette brushed crumbs off her hands and followed.
Isisde grabbed my pant leg desperately.
"S-So you'll discount the fee, right?!"
"What? Why would I?"
"Argh! You said you got it earlier!"
"I said got it, not that I'd do it."
"You bastard! At least lift the coordinate recognition limit!"
"Then you'd run again. We'll take installments from your salary, like you said."
"What?!"
"Contract's there, so legal clerk can garnish your wages."
"Aaaargh!"
Furious to her core, Isisde started casting some lethal spell. But the blue mana in her hand fizzled out before forming. Her eyes were glazed over.
"Heeeeng, Leonar.... You were gonna kill me a sec ago, now suddenly so sweet.... That's cheating...."
Oh boy. She fell for Ornette's illusion. Ornette stared blankly at the swaying-hipped Isisde. Pity or nothing? Her eyes gave no hint.
"Let's go."
I led Ornette past her and out the room. From behind came Isisde's nasal, coquettish voice.
"Heeeng, Leonar.... Big sis will hug you. Come here.... I'll drain you bone-dry tonight, not a drop left, slurp slurp...."
Crazy bitch, tsk tsk.
"What's that coordinate recognition thing? Can't even walk out of the city?"
"Can't. Blocks recognition of spaces outside the city entirely."
Hell of a spell. Terrifying.