Zero's Memories
POV: Alexandra
I could feel soft grass all around me as I woke up from having the memory catalyst spell cast on me. I sat up and looked around but did not recognize the area where I was. Did this spell transport me to somewhere new? I looked down at my body and noticed that I was not wearing the sweater, jeans, and knee-high boots that I had been wearing. Instead, I was wearing a black robe. I pulled up my sleeve on my left arm because I had a theory and saw on my left forearm a phoenix tattoo. I was in my uncle’s memory as him. It was weird to inhabit someone else’s body and it took getting used to the muscles and obvious physiological differences. I got up from my spot in the meadow. My feet naturally carried me to the southwest of where I was standing. As I walked along, I saw various creatures that I had assumed were pasture animals for farming. As I kept walking, I saw a large white house with several large windows. A young man with long brown hair and tan skin was in the garden to the side potting a plant. I found myself speaking in my own voice but involuntarily, “Tyleesh, have you been practicing the magic that I told you about?” Tyleesh looked up at me, his teal green eyes squinting to protect them from the sun, “Good morning Master Zero, I have been practicing. Do you wish to see it?” I nodded, “Show me.” Tylessh stood up and brought me over to an area in the garden that had an empty pot in it. He hovered his hands over the pot and said, “Reduc quod olim viveret.” Suddenly, a small green sprout sprung up from the soil. It grew until it sprouted into a red tulip. I stoically nodded at him, “Excellent. I think I can now show you the next magic that I have for you. Be prepared to see me in the morning, we will go on a short journey to a special place.” Tyleesh stood up from his crouching position, “Understood Master Zero. Can I finally see your face then like you’ve been promising?” Only then did I realize that my face was masked so that only my eyes were showing. I sighed, “We shall see if you are worthy of it. Be ready tomorrow.”
Tyleesh bowed at me and I walked off towards where I had come from. When I returned, a woman was standing there. I had recognized her from somewhere but I couldn’t place where I had seen her before. She smiled at me flirtily, “Zero, it is always a pleasure to see you.” She ran her finger down my chest and grabbed her hand, “I’m not in the mood for your incessant flirting, U. Just open the damn portal.” She sighed, “One day, Zero, you will look at me the way you did her.” I looked at her confused, “Who is her?” She gasped and shook her head, “Nothing. Let’s get going.” This woman that my uncle referred to as U must have known him as Talon since she had referred to Vanessa. I stored that thought in the back of my mind. She opened the portal and I walked through to a damp underground place that looked something like a dungeon. I saw a short, stubby figure walk toward me and I bowed on one knee, “My Lord, I have checked on the half-fae as you have requested.” Marquis Maigny’s nasal voice sounded out from above me, “And how did he do? Is he ready to learn the next magic?” I grunted, “Yes, my lord. He has picked up the revival magic quite nicely. I will bring him to the cabin tomorrow to test him out on the next phase.” The man turned and started to walk away, “Good if he passes I want to make sure you prepare his cell and understand that we will use this cow to threaten him with should he choose not to cooperate. Even though I want the cow dead, it has its uses.” Marquis Maigny let out a maniacal laugh as he walked out of the room. I could hear U sigh next to me, “I have seen the cow. I cannot believe he wants it dead when we could use it for so many things.” I looked at her, “And what things do you believe it would help with?” She looked up at me, her blue eyes trying to pierce my soul, “For one, we could brainwash it and use it to bring His Highness into The Order. Can you imagine how powerful it would be to have him work with us? He could have the cow and we could have his power. Who knows, maybe we could put him on the throne after we get rid of the King.” I shook my head, “Madam Melody is in love with King Lucien. He wants the King’s power but he also wants his daughter to be happy. Taking out the one obstacle in the way of that is much better for My Lord to achieve.”
The memory faded to black and I found myself once again standing in the spot that I had woken up in when I started my journey in the other memory. Once again, I had walked to Befent Manor where Tyleesh was standing in front of the house waiting for me. Tyleesh enthusiastically waved at me, “Good morning Master Zero! I am excited to see what you have for me today. I don’t even think I told young Theo where I was going.” Inwardly, I sighed at how careless Tyleesh was and too trusting. I imagined he had the same innocence and carefree attitude that Nystasia had. I wondered to myself if this was a fae trait. I looked down at the half-fae man, “Are you ready?” He nodded exuberantly and I led him towards the spot in the field that I had just come from where U was once again waiting for me. Tyleesh, who was walking beside me asked, “Who is she? Is she another of your students?” I shook my head, “This is U, she is an assistant of mine.” She smiled at him, “You’re kinda cute. Ready to go on a life-changing adventure?” He nodded so she turned around and opened a portal. I waved to the portal at him and he sighed, “I won’t be able to portal back, would she send me back when we are finished?” I knew what Zero’s internal thought was at that moment, even though I couldn’t hear it. He was thinking that he wouldn’t be sending him back. I nodded, “Of course, I wouldn’t leave you where we’re going.” Tyleesh smiled, nodded, then stepped into the portal. I followed after and emerged on the other side in front of a cabin on a hill. This was no doubt on Maigny’s lands. I walked to the front door and opened it, “Your next lesson is inside.”
We all went into the cabin where U took a seat in the corner away from the table with the box in it. Tyleesh gasped, “It sort of smells in here. Are you sure this is where we are supposed to go?” I nodded at him, “Yes, this is where you will face your next task to prove that you are worthy of becoming my apprentice.” So that was the ploy to get Ty to be following him around. I had wondered what magic Zero had shown him to rope him in. My uncle was proficient in fire magic, I knew that for sure but I had wondered what it was that he could have done to draw in Ty, an earth and water user. I walked over to the table where the box was laying, “I had to bring this in from another realm, especially so I do hope you can appreciate the lengths that I am going through to take you on.” Ty stepped hesitantly towards me, “I really do appreciate you, Master Zero. I want to learn all you can teach me. I want to be useful to House Batiste and by extension the King of Vellum.” U scoffed from the corner, “Right, I very much doubt his magic is all that good. And to think he can serve House Batiste…” I shot her a glare, “Quiet U!” I turned towards Ty again, “Would you like to shut her up and demonstrate your plant revival magic?” Ty nodded at me with a determined look on his face, “I very much would like to shut her up.” I walked over to a shelf that had a long-dead houseplant on it. This was my uncle’s cabin that he lived in while he was part of The Order and he had bought the plant to make it seem more like a home. He never had a green thumb, my mother told me all about my uncle when I was growing up. He would often try and fail to keep a garden and houseplants. I placed the pot on the floor in front of U and waved at it, “You can try and revive my plant.” Ty stepped forward and said his magic words again. The plant sprouted and grew much larger than the plant he had revived yesterday. He smiled at her, “I grew it larger to show my power. Don’t doubt me. Okay?” She bobbed her head in affirmation. Ty turned back to me and walked back over to the table where I was standing.
When he came to a full stop, I opened the box to reveal bones carefully placed to resemble a fully assembled skeleton. Ty jumped back at the sight of them, “A-are th-those bones?” I nodded, “Yes, I want to see if you can revive them much as you did with that plant. Do you think you can do that?” He backed slowly away from the box, “I…I don’t know if I want to do that Master Zero. I had read that this type of magic is forbidden in this realm.” I scoffed, “To become my apprentice, you must dabble in forbidden magic. What I do is not for the faint of heart. I can always erase your memory of the magic that I taught you and send you back.” He gasped, “No! I don’t want that! I will try.” He sighed and stepped up to the box and looked down into it. I could see the hesitation still in his eyes as he raised his hands. He looked up at me, “The same spell?” I nodded at him, “Yes, it should work.” He sighed and said, “Reduc quod olim viveret.” The box rattled after Ty cast the spell and ligaments began to attach the bones together. Muscles started to form around the bones then a dark blue skin appeared around the muscle. White hair grew from parts of the body. As soon as the man was formed, he opened his eyes to show an ice blue color. He sat up, “Where am I? Why am I so cold?” I handed the man a blanket to wrap around himself, “You are in a realm called Vellum. My friend here brought you back from the dead. I know you want to exact revenge on the one who was responsible for your death.” He nodded, “Yes, she…she took everything from me, and now she will pay.” I patted the man on his shoulder but I felt a chill run down my actual spine, “You will get the chance eventually but first I must train you.” I looked over at U, “We need to ensure that Tyleesh here gets to where he belongs.” Ty stepped forward, “Did I do well Master Zero? Will you take me on?” I nodded at him, “You did very well. I will send you where you belong and we will begin.” I helped the man out of the box and kept him steady, “We do not use names where we are going so you shall be known as W.” U opened up a portal and stepped aside, “I am taking W where he needs to go. I will open another portal here for your destination. Is that acceptable Zero?” I nodded at her, “That is acceptable.” She took W from me and lifted her arm to open the second portal. I beckoned Ty to walk through and he did. The portal closed right after that as U smiled at me, “That led directly to his locked cell. This one will lead to the dungeon. You can explain things to him there.” I grunted at her, “Let’s go then.” We walked through into the dungeon where you could hear rattling and shouting down the hall. I made my way to the sound, “It really is no use, Tyleesh, you are useful to us now and you will stay in that cell until we are done with you.” He looked up at me with hatred, “What if I refuse to do that forbidden magic for you?” I maniacally chuckled at him, “Then we will kill your precious sister and Alexandra Batiste. We have people all around them that could easily take them out.” He sank to the floor and started to sob, “Do not kill my sisters. I beg of you.” He said my sisters as if he had already had a connection to me. I felt really bad that they had used me to keep him in line and vowed I would help in any way I could to get him out. The memory faded as his sobs were heard in the pitch black. I opened my eyes to find Talon staring at me. I looked up at him, “We need to get him out very soon.”
