Enu will be looking quite serious when he begins to talk. “There is something we must discuss, Aksu. By our laws, the punishment for one’s first crime is a fine, and enslavement the second. When you were enslaved I considered you guilty of two crimes - planning to assault a Mage, and assaulting a Mage. However, your subsequent actions have given me cause to reconsider this verdict. Over time it has become clear that you are not a seditious individual by nature - you have acted as the very model of how a slave ought, and moved so far as to proactively risk your life in service of the Empire without order to do so. I have become convinced that you did not, in fact, plan your assault in advance -”
(Aksu, listening with a rather anxious expression, will not interrupt but will give a definite nod at this point)
” - but instead acted without thinking. Whilst that was foolish, it is not a crime to make mistakes.
“As such, I must vacate my previous verdict - you remain guilty then of assaulting a Mage, but by your actions you have demonstrated that was your only crime. Therefore, by law, you are not a slave but a Freeman of the Empire. Your sole punishment is that of a fine, which I have determined shall be a period of indentured servitude lasting [insert a number of cycles/weeks/days Euan doesn’t know but which Enu could easily calculate], starting on [whatever the date was when Aksu was made a slave] and thereby ending…” Enu will pointedly look out the window towards the stars that mark the passage of time, then turn back to Aksu, smiling slightly, and drop much of the officious tone he’s been using. “…right about now, by my reckoning.”
Aksu will breathe out slowly, and find himself smilingly tentatively in response.
“I don’t know what to say Enu,” he gives a little laugh born of nerves. “Except…” he grows serious “thank you. Believe me I’m grateful. I certainly never intended to hit you when I did, and I have regretted it since. You’ve never given me cause for complaint as a master, but still my freedom is welcome. So … thank you.”
“There is no need to thank me, Aksu,” Enu replies, shaking his head. “You earned your freedom by your own actions, all I did was recognise that legally. I’m glad I could do so, though - it’s been strange to treat someone I’ve known since we were kits as a slave. If you didn’t have anything you wanted to rush off and do with your new freedom, I’d like to talk with you about where we all go next - I dread the idea of Lissana demanding we go straight to the Nightlands without time to prepare, we’d be frozen before we lost sight of Ur.”
“I think maybe having known you since we were kits was part of the problem,” Aksu gives a wry smile. I wasn’t plotting sedition, or to planning to attack you, but until I was enslaved I always thought of you and Lissana primarily as the people I’d grown up with, not as Magi. I think that was why I reacted in such a …” he pauses and looks for the right word “…such a childish manner.”In a strange way though, I feel it’s only since you enslaved me that I’ve really got to know you. I’ve enjoyed the time spent working for you here in the Ziggurat and - well, not wishing to sound impudent, but a few cycles ago I’m not sure I would have expected that.
“As to the future,” he sighs, “I understand Lissana’s anxiety to leave. While we remain here those of us who have not sealed off the connection the the mountain risk poisoning the people who live here, and those of us who have sealed it - well I don’t know how much time we have, the corruption is clearly building inside us, that’s only too evident.” He touches his own shoulder as he says that. “But I agree we must not go unprepared. It will achieve nothing if we leave in too much haste and die in the cold. Lissana’s not suicidal though. If the extent of the preparation required is pointed out to her, she’ll make time for it. She just may not realise how much preparation is needed at the moment. I’d certainly argue for speedy preparations over leisurely though, and I think in the end that’s what she wants too.”
“I’m not sure a slave is supposed to particularly enjoy their work,” Enu remarks, with something of a smirk. “But… thank you. It’s nice to hear I’m not some draconian taskmaster, particularly from someone whose opinion I trust.”
“Regarding the corruption, I’m hopeful having some position in Ur will give me the resource needed to actually work on the spell I mentioned to you before, to close off the connection internally. That may take some time to complete, however - creating a spell from scratch is not a simple task. In the meantime, I wouldn’t have thought Lisanna would be willing to stop to plan, given how she didn’t seem particularly keen to do so any time before now, but I suppose you know her thoughts better than I. Frankly, it would be difficult to know them less well. I do wonder how events here will change things in our little group - with our relative standings in the Ziggurat I don’t see that the current hierarchy will remain, but whether Assana would be placed in higher standing than Lissana I’m not sure.” He shakes his head, sighing. “Sorting it all out might keep us here quite a while.”
This speech sends a series of changing expressions over Aksu’s face beginning with a smile and ending with a definite alteration to the set of his jaw and a momentary bristling of the fur around his neck. He pauses before replying, and when he does his fur has settled down again.
“You just paid me the tremendous compliment of saying you valued my opinion,” Aksu ventures, “so if I might give it, then I think you unjustly underestimate Lissana. Yes she is undoubtedly troubled, but she is a person distinct from the madness, and that person has courage, compassion, and - when she’s lucid - a sound assessment of what’s important and a healthy willingness to listen to advice, all of which I would say are good leadership qualities. All she needs is help to come back to herself when the madness hits her, and someone to point out to her when the noise in her head has drowned out details that would be basic to most of us. She knows this herself and if what she’s missed is pointed out to her, she’ll readily rejudge the situation. Also her … episodes are becoming less and less frequent. I believe she could continue to lead us, and lead us well, given the chance.
“You’ve clearly achieved more recognition here in Ur than she has, and I’m happy for you, I know it’s something you’ve waited and worked hard for. Given your status here you could easily claim leadership of our group when we go to the Nightlands, it would be your prerogative, but I don’t believe Lissana deserves to be demoted to third in rank. Not that I have any problem with Assana, she’s very good - and I know you’d prefer her as your second. I just think Lissana deserves better than that. She is a Magus, and Assana is still a bonded one in name only at the moment.”
He pauses apologetically.
“Please don’t take any of this as meaning disrespect to you Enu. Believe me I respect both of you, even if you can never respect each other. But that is my opinion for what it’s worth.” He hesitates a moment before concluding. “I must also admit I’m worried about the prospect of delaying the trip to the Nightlands indefinitely - political wranglings seem to take forever here. Couldn’t we just try to reach some interim compromise? And as to the spell you’re working on … breaking off the link to ourselves would be wonderful, but as you say there’s no telling how long it might take and I suspect that to banish the taint altogether we will still need to journey to this temple in the Nightlands. More than just our lives are at stake here. I have no intention of rushing unprepared into the dark and cold - we suffered enough from being unprepared when we arrived in the Twilight jungles - but neither do I want to see us delay any longer than we have to.”
Once Aksu has finished, Enu looks as if he’s about to reply, then reconsiders, then repeats both acts a handful of times before sighing and stepping to the window, leaning his paws against the sill and looking out at the city below. A few moments later he speaks, his voice tired. “I don’t think I can agree with your assessment of Lissana - not in its entirety, at any rate. The idea that she would reconsider things once flaws in her plan are shown, or that she would take advice instead of rushing headlong into whatever has gripped her at the present moment, are not ones I share. Honestly, I think the responsibility of leadership only exacerbates her issues. But…” He raises his head to the sky, eyeing the stars overhead. “…I think it’s accurate to say I know her least well of all of us. So perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps she really does only need someone to help her.”
Pressing his palms against the stone, Enu will straighten again and turn back to Aksu. “The question then is, who? As you note, she is a Mage. If she was at her very worst and needed to be physically restrained it would be a significant problem for anyone who wasn’t also a Mage or Bonded One - not because it would be overly difficult, but because if anyone saw a Freeman grab her they would think they were witnessing the assault of a Mage, and I doubt many would listen to protests that it was by request. That’s not mentioning the part where whoever takes the role would be risking scorched fur quite frequently. So if what she needs is help, who can help her? I can’t see it being Assana, and even if I was prepared to get a little burnt from time to time Lissana certainly wouldn’t trust me.”
At this Aksu’s gaze drops to a point on the floor, about a foot in front and to the right of him. He doesn’t lift his eyes from there as he speaks.
“It’s a role in the past I’ll admit that I’ve taken upon myself and that Lissana has tolerated. I’ve certainly had scorched fur before and would willingly risk it again if necessary. I’ll admit,” he looks particularly awkward, “that I’m so used to the role, even if someone else were nominated, I think I’d find it hard to just stand aside and watch…”
As if it requires decision, he raises his head to meet Enu’s gaze. “I know I’m just a freeman, but once we’re leaving the city there should be less risk of any such gesture being seen and misunderstood. In the meantime I’d just have to hope that if extreme measures became necessary and I were seen Lissana returned to her senses in time to vouch for me before any sentence was irrevocably enacted. Again, it’s a chance I’d take if I had to. And I don’t see what other options we have. As you say I don’t see either yourself or Assana being able to perform that particular function.”
Enu nods in agreement. “She certainly hasn’t pressed for you to be punished before, but it would be most sensible to travel with others if we could - locals would know the terrain and environment better than us. I suppose if you were Bonded it would take care of any legal issues.”
“It certainly would,” Aksu gives a short, regretful laugh. “But I’m not sure that’s a realistic option. Back in the Drylands Lissana indicated once that she might consider Binding me, but she hadn’t learned the necessary spells because she didn’t believe that anyone would choose Bondage to a Magus with her … difficulties.
“And a lot has changed since then. There’s this corruption for a start,” - Aksu nods towards his shoulder again - “and I’m not sure acquiring a Bonded One is a priority for Lissana, even if it was I’m not sure that she’d consider me now that I’m so heavily tainted.
“Also,” he concludes with a helpless shrug, “it’s not really my place to broach the topic.”
“She may well be unaware of it, but Bondage to her would likely result in you finding it harder to restrain her, too,” Enu agrees. “A Bonded One is under a magical compulsion to cause no harm to their master, directly or indirectly - I strongly suspect that would impede you if you were to grab her, rather defeating the point. You would be better bonded to a Mage who trusts you enough to Bond you, yet would also permit you to act, for all practical purposes, as the Bonded of another.”
Aksu says nothing, he looks at Enu questioningly: a little confused, a little apprehensive. He seems to be waiting, unsure what to say…
Enu pauses a moment, looks at the ground to one side, then lets out a little sigh before turning his attention back to Aksu. “Aksu, I’m inviting you to be- …offering to make you….” He shakes his head, steeling himself. “I’m asking you to be my Bonded One. As I said before, I trust you. I’m convinced you will act in the interests of the Empire to the best of your ability, regardless of your standing in it, and so you deserve a position of authority. You would be able to aid Lisanna in the manner we discussed without fear of repercussion, and I would have the privilege of a Bonded One who is neither afraid to disagree with Magi nor unwilling to stop them from acting irrationally. I believe you would make a fine Bonded One to any Mage, and I… it would be my privilege to Bond you, if you are willing. I understand if you want time to consider first but… there’s my proposition.”
Aksu drops to one knee before Enu and bows his head.
“I am honoured Enu, thank you, more honoured than I can readily express,” he pauses. “I will however take time to think it over, since you offer me that chance. Even with the leeway you suggest, this would be a major commitment. I do not wish to take such a thing lightly.”
Enu nods. “Take what time you need, though as you were concerned with us staying here over-long I must mention it will take some days to perform all the necessary rituals. Fortunately I am familiar with the Lesser Binding spell, so if you accept then to perform it would be only a matter of finding time - I do not have a matrix capable of storing a spell of such energy so it will take some hours to cast safely, and I don’t expect we will have that much time free with the Ziggurat still in turmoil, but hopefully things will quiet a little over the next day or two. I would, however, require a week or two to learn the Greater Binding spell - it is one of the most complex spells a Mage would expect learn, simple only in comparison to the great rituals that none bar the most extraordinary Magi ever cast. That is the spell which would raise you to the ranks of the Bonded Ones, granting the aura of gravitas a Bonded One projects and creating the magical compulsion to cause no harm to the Mage. If there’s anything you wish to ask about duties, expectations, or other matters of Bondage, please feel free to ask and I will do my best to answer that which I can. In the meantime, consider yourself under orders from Enu of the Court of Faces to contemplate a matter of import - that should prove sufficient to keep away anything that would leave you without time to think.”
Aksu nods in understanding and gratitude.
“Thank you, Magus Enu of the Court of Faces, for not only the honour but for the thoughtfulness of your provisions.” He smiles, “I will think carefully but not overlong. I do not think I have any questions, but if I do I’ll bring them to you.”
He rises to his feet and bows once more.
“Until we speak again then.”
“Until then,” Enu concurs.
Only one or at most two sleep cycles will have passed before Aksu’s return. He will knock and enter tentatively.
“Magus Enu? Is this a convenient moment to speak with you? I come with an answer…”
“I don’t believe I have anything demanding my immediate attention,” Enu replies, setting aside a scroll of razor grass before looking to Aksu with a smile. “Please, make yourself comfortable. What decision have you come to?”
Aksu’s expression is an odd one, suggesting mixed emotions. Ignoring the invitation to be comfortable, he will once again drop to one knee and bow.
“Magus Enu, I wish to thank you once again for your offer of Bondage. It means a great deal to me and, as I have said, I am deeply honoured by it. I know you would make an excellent Master,” he takes a deep breath, “but I must refuse.”
He raises his head to look up at Enu. “There is no warrior in the Empire who should not feel privileged to serve you, so I owe you an explanation.
“Sincere as my regard for you is, no matter how much freedom you gave me to follow my own course, I have no doubt that if we live to defeat the Mountain you and Lissana will go your separate ways, and that would tear me in two.” He swallows hard and glances groundwards. “If I am honest I must admit my heart is bound to her. Were I to bind my spirit to you I would have the same urge to protect and follow you both. How could I make such a choice? And I know enough from my father to know that Bondage is no easy gift to bestow. Your sacrifice should be spent on someone who can offer you unadulterated loyalty. I regret that it cannot be me, but it would be dishonest and unrealistic of me to pretend otherwise, not to mention unfair to you - and Lissana” he adds, almost as an afterthought.
“I’ve given serious thought to your point that Binding to Lissana might impede my ability to restrain her, but I truly don’t believe it would. Whenever I’ve had to do so in the past my impulse has been to protect and comfort her, never to harm her. So I don’t see that any magical influence that barred me from harming her would act any differently from the compulsion to protect her that I’ve always felt…”
Enu’s whiskers droop a little at Aksu’s refusal, but as the explanation is laid out they return to how they were. A minute or so passes after Aksu finishes speaking where Enu is clearly struggling to put his thoughts into words, but he eventually starts to talk in a slow, measured tone. “I… cannot deny I’m disappointed, but I appreciate the consideration you’ve given this, Aksu. In particular, I must thank you for taking the time to explain your reasoning. I would still expect Bondage to Lissana give you difficulty in restraining her, but… I may be wrong. Does she feel the same way about you as you do her?”
The question clearly triggers some private memory that Aksu can’t help but smile at. “Yes,” he replies, “it seems she does.”
After looking at his desk and shaking his head once, Enu replies with a surprising warmth in his voice. “In that case, I suppose there is little else that needs be said. If Lissana has yet to acquire the necessary spells then departure will likely need to be delayed to give her time to do so - most Magi would take a little over a cycle to learn both, and I very much doubt she will be permitted to take copies of spells of the Third Circle outside the library, let alone Ur.”
“I believe that is her intention - to learn the spells before we leave I mean,” Aksu’s tone starts a little shy, but grows more businesslike “which should give us ample time to make proper preparation for leaving.”
He rises to his feet. “And Enu,” his own voice warms, “I cannot thank you enough, both for making me the offer you did, and being so gracious in response to my answer. Not to mention the care you’ve taken of me since - well - for the period of my indenturement. Don’t think I haven’t seen it. Circumstances being what they were, you could have been forgiven for treating me far less well than you did.”
Enu shakes his head, smiling. “I didn’t like enslaving you, Aksu, but the demands of the law were clear. The least I could do was treat you as a Keldian rather than property. I’m glad Lissana is planning to Bond you - it’s no secret that I consider many of her decisions poorly chosen, but if she listens to you and Assana on your trip to the Nightlands then I can’t see her leading you too far astray.”
Aksu smiles, opens his mouth to respond - then pauses and looks startled, as if the implications of Enu’s words have only just started to sink in:
“Wait… are you saying you still intend to let Lissana lead us? You’re not going to challenge her for the position?”
“Ah,” Enu replies, his face betraying that he said something he didn’t intend to. A few moments pass before he continues. “I ask you not to tell anyone this, Aksu, but… I will not be coming to the Nightlands. The Court of Faces is rather depleted of members at present; to leave for an indeterminate amount of time would be shirking my part in restoring order to the Ziggurat. I cannot fairly do that, nor will it be a cycle or so’s effort - I imagine it’ll take perhaps a full half-year to get things back to… well, whatever will be the new normal for here. If she listens to you and Assana, which is certainly more likely than her listening to me, Lissana should indeed still lead the group - as you noted, she is a Mage and Assana a Bonded One not of any higher-ranked Mage, and I would rather not leave those I had grown up with feeling like I was imposing some new hierarchy out of spite.”
Aksu looks stunned.
Then Aksu looks thoughtful.
Eventually Aksu speaks.
“I … can understand why you feel duty calls you to stay here,” he says slowly, measuring out his words, “and I will of course keep your secret until you feel ready to tell the others. But I … I hope your research into finding a way to sever the connection goes well. Once we reach the Temple in the Nightlands - I don’t know entirely what to expect - but there’s a chance that without you we may not entirely be able to break the link - or that whatever confronting it involves affects you too, even at great distance. When Lissana attacked the Mountain before, we all burned.” He looks seriously at Enu. “You may find that your time here is cut shorter than you would like anyway, if you remain connected to the rest of us - though I hope that’s not the case.”
Enu nods. “I intend to ensure it causes no issue… but possibly my ‘presence’ might be achieved in some method other than physically. It is the internal link that needs to be broken, of course, but it is not the only sort of link in the world. Since discussing the Anuki, Shamash and I have ended up in a hitherto unknown position - he remains attached to me, but the ‘contract’ that held him is different, hence his ability to… I suppose manifest would be the word. If he were to accompany you, possibly Bonded to strengthen the link, that may suffice for my presence. At the least, he would be able to serve as a point of communication if anyone decided they wanted to speak with me - though he has never done so in front of our little group, he is quite capable of speaking in a way that can be heard.”
Aksu nods slowly, trying to absorb this information.
“Such things are beyond my understanding but - if you think that would work, then I will trust in that. As I say, I hope the continued connection doesn’t endanger you when we come to the end…” he pauses “it won’t be the same without you, you know even if we can reach you through Shamash”.
Enu, unless he’s quick off the mark in avoiding it, will suddenly find himself enveloped in a brief and awkward, but heartfelt, hug.
After an initial moment of surprise, Enu will reciprocate in hugging Aksu.
“I’m actually going to miss you,” Aksu admits rather gruffly, before releasing him and standing back looking a little sheepish.
“I… will likewise miss you, and the rest of our group,” Enu replies, abashed. “I suppose that’s not so surprising, given we all grew up together, but there it is. Once you defeat the Bull I hope you’ll come to visit Ur again someday.”
Aksu looks rather sombre. “I hope so,” he replies. “If we live I’m sure we’ll come back this way.” He almost slips into reverie but then shakes out of it, adopting a more business-like tone. “I should probably not detain you further at the moment, but … thank you again, for everything.”
“It will be nice to see you all again when that time comes - your journey will doubtless take some time,” Enu replies. “And… I believe the phrase is”you’re quite welcome”. Lissana should be proud to have you as her Bonded One - if there is difficulty in her acquiring the spell or time to Bond you that I can assist in resolving please do let me know, I’d like to see you Bonded before you leave.”
“I will do,” smiles Aksu. “Thank you Enu.”
And with that, he leaves Enu’s chambers.