160 - The Freed S*aves Became Obsessed

Ashies is considered to lack many things. Emotion. Desire. Will. Some call her a well-crafted doll. It’s undeniable, but it’s only half true. In some respects, Ashies possesses desires similar to, or perhaps greater than, others. For instance, at this very moment. The specialized luminescent stones lining the ceiling of the subterranean city, Doomheim, emit a warm sunlight. The rays announce morning as they pour down across the city. Diligent dwarves partake in a simple breakfast before starting their day at the forge, as if by unspoken agreement. Clang, clang, clang, clang. The symphony of forging. A harmony so familiar to the dwarves that its absence would feel strange. For someone else, however, it was merely an alarm clock that forced them awake. Though she can't remember ever being told, Ashies has always loved sleeping since she was young. Napping in a bed warmed by gentle sunlight was one of the few joys in her life. While others woke up at dawn and roamed about, the pleasure of sleeping in alone was unmatched. Yet, the clamor of Doomheim allowed Ashies no such indulgence. The metallic symphony that assaulted her eardrums was not something she could ever come to enjoy. “Ugh….” Ashies shifted restlessly in her bed. Her delicate willow-like eyebrows furrowed. She didn’t want to get up. She wanted more sleep. Please, just stop. “Please wake up. The sun is already high.” But Karami shattered the remnant hopes Ashies clung to. What sun could he possibly talk about in the underground city, where the sky was unseen? Ashies felt a vague déjà vu from nonexistent memories. A cluster of maids came to wake her. Morning just dawned, yet they habitually lied it was almost noon. In the past, the cold kept Karami’s voice outside her domain, but not anymore. Now, his voice pierced right beside her bed. “Wake. Up. Now.” “Ugh...” Ashies turned her back, pulling the blanket over her head. Just five more minutes. Not asking for much, just five more minutes... Covering her ears, she resisted with all her might, but it was futile. Karami shook the blanket with vigor, thoroughly disrupting her slumber. “So, you’re still not awake? Still not? Still?” “Please… stop...” “Excuse me? Stopping? You dare to say ‘stop’ when your master commands? Oh no, this won’t do. Stand up. I’ll make sure you’re wide awake.” *** Breakfast at the Torbarne household was always a shared affair. No matter how busy he was managing the forges, Torbar insisted on eating breakfast together, unless exceedingly busy. However, the atmosphere was far from spirited. Torbar was inherently taciturn, and being around him made Felka uncomfortable. All he did was quietly eat his meal and leave. It was undeniable that the stiff dining ambiance grew livelier after Karami and Ashies arrived. “What are you doing? Why aren’t you eating?” “……” A table adorned with a vase of blue ice roses. Despite Karami’s question, Ashies continued to stare blankly at her own bowl. With the waning cold, she had grown accustomed to eating bread and warm soup by herself. Except for the first few days after arriving at Doomheim, she ate on her own. Yet, Ashies made no move this morning. Her slightly pouting lips subtly expressed her evident displeasure. “Is being woken from sleep really something to pout about?” Clearly, she still held a grudge over being forcefully awakened by Karami. “If Lady Ashies woke up on her own, I wouldn’t need to wake you. Or did you plan on sleeping your life away?” One of the few lessons Ashies learned from living with Karami was that debating with him only caused her detriment. Even with her sparse emotions, Ashies couldn’t help but feel something bubble inside just from Karami’s smirking demeanor…. “…Huh.” She exhaled deeply, calming herself. Ignoring him was the best course of action. As Ashies remained unresponsive, Karami knew he had to change his approach. ‘She must be really upset.’ Never did he anticipate that Ashies’ desire for sleep was this powerful. Here, a gesture of appeasement seemed necessary. “Sorry. I’ll let you have a nap later, so please don’t be upset anymore.” “......” “Soup isn't as tasty when it gets cold. Come on, open up.” "...Ah..." Holding a spoonful of soup, Karami waited. Ashies, seemingly refusing at first, eventually opened her mouth to accept it. She cast a fleeting glance at the gentle smile gracing Karami’s lips, but quickly averted her eyes upon meeting his gaze. Torbar, having observed their affectionate exchange, cleared his throat awkwardly. “Ahem. Do you have plans to go out again?” “We’ve traveled a lot recently, so we'll be resting here in Doomheim for the time being. Why do you ask, is something the matter?” “Rumors about a dragon surfacing have been circulating across the continent.” It started right after Ashies defeated the Orc King. Yorn's search for Ashies had Skadia scouring the continent, turning regions upside down. Thankfully, being a subterranean city makes Doomheim safer than other places, but they couldn’t let their guard down. “As of now, there’s no immediate trouble, but if Doomheim suffers any harm, we won’t just stand by.” The Meisters had surmised some insight into the current predicament. Ashies was perceived as a slave or servant taken from Skadia's lair, and they knew the dragon sought her, flying across the continent. While living with Ashies made them believe bringing her was the right decision, she still remained an outsider. If Doomheim and the dwarves were ever endangered, she would have to be sent away. “Understood.” Karami answered calmly as he already knew about the situation, yet someone else was visibly upset. “Everyone is so harsh. How can you talk about expelling someone so casually?” Felka cast a look filled with disappointment towards Torbar. "Father, you know better than anyone how unfortunate she is. Shouldn't you be stepping in and stopping this?" "This is not for you to interfere in." "Father, that's heartless of you. But then again, you were guarding the furnace even when Mother was on her deathbed." Felka abruptly stood up, hastily clearing his dishes before storming out of the house. Torbar, unfazed by Felka’s exit, continued to quietly scoop his soup. "The atmosphere during meals here is quite intense, isn’t it?" Karami commented, gently wiping Ashies' mouth. Ashies accepted his touch without question, as if it were the most natural thing. “So, Miss Ashies, would you mind checking on Felka once you're done eating?” “Why…?” “At that age, kids can really go astray if they're not guided. It might be better for someone like you, a woman, to talk to him rather than me, don't you think?” Was that so? Ashies tilted her head, but soon nodded. Ashies disliked seeing others in sorrow. Especially when it came to someone she had known for so long, like Felka. She left the house and went looking for him. Not far away, she found Felka, huddled over with his knees drawn up. “Felka.” “Sister? What are you doing here?” “Karami told me... to follow you. He said you might go astray. Felka, you mustn't let that happen... don’t go astray.” Felka chuckled at her honest confession, void of any pretense. It would be a lie to say it wasn’t frustrating to converse with Ashies. Yet, as a conversational partner, she was unmatched. Genuine and straightforward, without any deceit, she conveyed her true feelings. As a result, Felka didn’t feel the need to hide his own emotions. “I’m not going astray. It’s just... I don’t understand it. How can he feel no familial love? I’m certain he dislikes me and Mother.” “Torbar... dislikes... you?” “I can’t explain it otherwise. Why did he even marry, and why was I born? I don’t understand.” Ashies tilted her head slightly in thought. Currently, Ashies was learning emotions one by one. Like painting various colors onto a blank canvas. A small dot on a white background stands out like a flaw in a gem. No matter how small, it was always visible. The same applied to emotions. Unlike before, she could now detect hidden feelings from someone’s gaze, tone, and intonation. Even the most subtle ones. What Ashies discerned from the interaction between Torbar and Felka wasn’t a sense of disdain. Especially from Torbar's side. It was difficult to articulate. Even though it was her own impression. It was an emotion Ashies hadn’t yet defined. An unfamiliar feeling. The closest comparison was the feeling she got from Karami. The warmth in her chest and the comfort brought to her heart when she accepted that emotion. Why did Felka think otherwise? Ashies couldn’t fathom it. But there was one thing she was sure of. Ashies gently stroked Felka's head. Just like Karami had done for her once. Awkward in its first attempt, the gesture was gentle. “Sister?” “Torbar… doesn’t hate you.” “What?” “Because, Torbar is your father… isn’t he…?” Felka’s eyes widened in surprise, and shortly after, he broke into a giggle. His laughter soon turned into outright chuckles. “Why… are you laughing?” “No reason. I just never imagined a day would come when you would comfort me.” To think that Ashies, of all people, would provide solace. It wasn’t as if he suddenly found Torbar agreeable, but the mood of gloom certainly lifted. In contrast, Ashies appeared slightly pouty. “…I'm not a fool.” “Oh, of course not. I know very well you're not a fool, sister.” “Felka. I don't like that.” Ashies' sulking expression meant that Felka had some work to do to console her. *** In a town beyond the Aisengar border. Time in the bustling city came to a sudden halt. People remained frozen in place, seemingly fleeing from something imminent. Their contorted expressions vividly conveyed the terror they faced. The enormous shadow cast over the town belonged to Skadia. Despite the knights’ valiant defense against Skadia’s onslaught, it was to no avail. They froze in place without even a scratch on his scales. That was all they managed. The only one left was the town lord. He lay prostrate on the ground. Crash! As the icy-scaled behemoth's foot shifted, the frozen human statues shattered into millions of fragments. Even though moments before, these people had been sharing laughter in conversation, the lord could do nothing despite their tragic demise. He trembled, gulping down the fear gripping him. “Once more I ask you, is the princess of Prisian here?” Demanded Skadia, the very source of the calamity. The lord, fighting against lungs that felt frozen solid, finally managed to speak. “We, we don’t know. I’ve never even heard of the Kingdom of Prisian.” “Truly?” “Yes! I swear to God, we’ve neither heard nor seen any princess!” In the frozen world, a silence ensued. The lord couldn’t even swallow in the dry frigidity. “Is that so?” “Yes!” “Very well… then perish.” “...What?” Without even giving him time to retort, the lord, still on his knees with his head just slightly raised, became part of the icy décor. Without remorse, Skadia ascended to the skies. This was the fifth city now, frozen over by Skadia. Yet, nowhere yielded any trace of Ashies. Discovery would come if the world were scoured, but by then, Ashies’ beauty might fade. Signs of the curse weakening were already discernible. Time could no longer be squandered. Ashies needed to be found immediately. For that, the mirror's aid was needed. Though the mirror was shattered, it could be repaired. Skadia knew of a race particularly adept at creating and repairing such objects. The dwarves, hidden away in their subterranean retreats. Skadia took flight toward Doomheim. --- "Father, of all people, you should know how unfortunate she is. Shouldn't you be stepping in to stop this?" Felka implored. "This isn't something you should be involved in," Torbar responded sternly. "Father, you lack any sense of family. Then again, you were at the furnace even when Mother was dying," Felka retorted. With that, Felka stood up abruptly, hastily gathered his dishes, and fled the house. Torbar, unfazed by Felka's departure, continued calmly with his soup. "Dinner time feels awfully tense here, doesn't it?" Karami noted as he gently wiped Ashies' mouth. Ashies accepted his touch without question, as if it were the most natural thing. “Miss Ashies, after finishing, could you check on Felka?” “Why…?” “At his age, it's easy to go astray without guidance. Wouldn't it be better if you, a woman, talked to him instead of me?" Was that so? Ashies tilted her head, then nodded. Ashies disliked seeing others in distress. Especially someone she had known for so long, like Felka. She left the house and went looking for him. Not far away, she found Felka, huddled with his knees drawn up. “Felka.” “Sister? What are you doing here?” “Karami told me to follow you. He said you might go astray. Felka, you mustn’t let that happen.” Felka chuckled at her straightforward honesty, void of any pretense. It would be a lie to say he didn’t feel occasional frustration when talking to Ashies. Yet, as a conversation partner, she was exceptional. Genuine and straightforward, she conveyed her true feelings. As a result, Felka didn’t hold back his emotions. “I’m not going astray. It’s just... I don’t understand him. Does he have no familial love? He must dislike me and Mother.” “Torbar... dislikes... you?” “That’s the only explanation. Why else would he marry or have me?” Ashies tilted her head slightly in thought. Currently, Ashies was learning emotions one by one. Like painting various colors onto a blank canvas. A small dot on a white background stands out like a flaw. No matter how small, it’s visible. Emotions were the same. Unlike before, she could detect hidden feelings from someone’s gaze, tone, and intonation. Even the most subtle ones. What Ashies sensed from the interaction between Torbar and Felka wasn’t disdain. Especially not from Torbar. It was hard to articulate. Even though it was her perception. This was an emotion Ashies hadn’t defined. An unknown feeling. It was akin to the feeling she got from Karami. When she accepted that emotion, her chest felt warm, and her heart at ease. Why did Felka think differently? Ashies couldn’t fathom it. But there was one thing she could confidently say. Ashies gently stroked Felka's head. Just like Karami had done for her once. Awkwardly, at first, but the gesture was gentle. “Sister?” “Torbar… doesn’t hate you.” “What?” “Because, Torbar is your father… isn’t he…?” Felka was so surprised his eyes went wide, and shortly after, he burst into laughter. His quiet chuckle soon turned into boisterous laughter. “Why… are you laughing?” “Oh, no reason. I never imagined a day would come when you'd be the one to comfort me." Of all people, he never thought Ashies would be the one offering solace. Of course, it didn’t instantly make him fond of Torbar, but the previously gloomy mood lifted. In contrast, Ashies appeared slightly pouty. “…I'm not a fool.” “Oh, of course not. I know very well you're not a fool, sister.” “Felka. I don’t like that.” Ashies' sulking expression meant Felka would have to work a bit to console her. *** Beyond the Aisengar boundary, in a nearby city. The bustling city's time came to an abrupt halt. Residents froze in place, seemingly mid-flight from something terrifying. Their contorted expressions vividly conveyed the horror they faced. The enormous shadow looming over the city belonged to Skadia. The seasoned knights did their best to stave off Skadia's attack, but to no avail. They froze in place without even a mark on his scales. That was all they achieved. The only one left was the city’s lord, who lay prostrate on the ground. Crash! When Skadia’s massive foot encased in icy scales moved, frozen human statues shattered into countless fragments. Even though these people, moments ago, had been sharing laughter in conversation, the lord couldn’t act despite their tragic demise. Trembling, he nervously gulped in anticipation. “Once more I ask, is the Princess of Prisian here?” demanded Skadia, the source of the calamity. The lord, fighting against lungs that felt frozen solid, finally managed to speak. “We... we don’t know. This is the first we’ve heard of the Kingdom of Prisian.” “Is that true?” “Truly! I swear to God, we’ve never even heard or seen any princess!” In the frozen world, a silence ensued. The intensity of the cold kept the lord from swallowing. “Is that so?” “Yes!” “Very well… then perish.” “…What?” Without any time to respond, the lord, still crouched with his head merely raised, became part of the icy decor. Skadia departed without hesitation, soaring into the sky. This was the fifth city frozen by Skadia already. Yet nowhere was there any sign of Ashies. If one searched the world, she would eventually be found, but by then Ashies’ beauty might fade. Signs of the curse weakening were already manifesting. No more time could be squandered. Ashies needed to be found immediately. For that, the mirror's aid was essential. Though the mirror had shattered, it could be repaired. Skadia knew of a race exceptionally skilled at creating and fixing such items. The dwarves, dwelling secretively beneath the earth.