Mages of Rubia ✔️

27

Ravana is thinking hard, half somewhere else during our lessons. He rubs his hand over my hair idly, probably not even noticing.

"How are you?" I ask softly.

"Hm? Oh, good. Just... something Lief said the other day."

"What was it?"

"He said 'I'm going to get better.' He's choosing it. I didn't fully realize you can choose to get better."

"Of course. It takes a lot of work, though. I never bothered with that."

He hums. "I don't... My mind is so... You know. How can I work on that? What do I do?"

"I'm not sure. My blocking and meditation have made my brain slow down, but you've tried that. And mine isn't as bad," I say.

He traces his thumb along the shell of my ear lightly, I tilt my head to give him room.

"I have to break down a barrier, Ezzy said. I've been learning tarot again, hoping it would help me to remember being human."

"Maybe you two should chat again."

-

I officiate the meeting. Esmeralda is worried at the danger, so they figured if something goes wrong I can try to suck one of them into my headspace. I watch with nervous anticipation as Ezzy gazes into the flame of a candle.

"You want to find your humanity," she says.

"Yes."

"But you already have it so close. Guarded and held to your chest."

"But--"

"No. You need to peek past it's shroud. Look into it's eyes."

She takes a deep breath, and places her fingertips on top of Ravana's. Their eyes fall shut at the same time.

"Do you see?" she whispers, something amplifying her voice.

"I feel it. It's heavy," he mutters frowning.

One of his arms is close to his chest, like he's cradling someone dead.

"You need to pull back the shroud."

His hand moves. "It feels like metal."

"Steel warmed with bonds," her voice echoes.

He seems to put an effort into moving something, his face tightening.

"I-I can't---"

They gasp, and snatch their hands away from one another. Ezzy gulps for air, a hand pressed tight to her chest. It seems burnt, smoking and smelling terrible.

"I'm so sorry, please, let me heal--"

"No! Don't--how did you bring that thing in there with you? That... monster!"

I tilt my head. Ravana sends a warped image to me so I can see what happened, looking guilty.

"It... It comes around when I get frustrated. A beaston."

"Isn't that what Lief is?" I ask.

"No. Yes. Partly. Complicated. That's actually his beaston. The one linked to him."

"And why is it in your head?"

He rubs at his horns. "Our uhm... It's complicated! We have a sort of thread connecting through Lief. If you get too close to someone with such a beast as a psychic it connects to you. Really the least of my concerns, but..."

Esmeralda stand up, blowing out the candle. She pushes it at Ravana.

"Just copy that ritual and... keep trying at that shroud. I don't want to be a part of this anymore. We're cool, but I can't be involved with your mind."