[55] The Sanguine Mage

Tyr was called away by his father as Tanisha rejoined the merchants table. Joha was chatting with Unn from the village, who informed him of who all the guests were. He didn’t have any visible reaction to Tanisha other than a glance at her. She could tell he understood this was a touchy moment for her even if he didn’t fully grasp wendigo culture. After a few more words Unn left the master and student to talk, noticing the desperation in Tanisha’s appearance.

“Will this be a problem for you?” Joha asked.

“I don’t think so. I am following the rules of my banishment and this is not the Salstar Domain,” Tanisha said as she looked over to the crowd around the Hands. “I don’t know though. Maybe it would be better if I left; she would tell my mother I’m here.”

Joha nodded. “Well, if you believe it is for the best. I will tell them you retired for the evening if the Isi family asks. A side effect of your maya training this morning.”

“Thanks.” Tanisha said. “Bjorn let’s g…”

Tanisha wasn’t able to finish her statement before a loud screech arrested everyone’s attention. Thyra’s wyvern panicked, flapping its wings in terror when it saw Bjorn from across the venue. No one was hurt, but a few people were blown off their feet from the might of the wyvern’s wings. Thyra quickly went to calm her familiar but was only able to when it could no longer see Bjorn. The Hand of the Salstar marched angrily towards the merchants table, Kolbein and Hrolf trying to calm her down.

“Lady Thyra, we can assure you this was not an attack on your familiar,” Hrolf said with haste. “These are the individuals that saved our people from certain death.”

Tanisha turned to face Bjorn and he used his body to prevent Thyra from getting a good look at her. Thyra approached the table, her veil preventing anyone from seeing her face but obviously glaring at the familiar. Joha stepped between her and Bjorn, the tiger demon doing a short bow of respect. She looked him up and down assessingly. 

“Hand of the Salstar Domain, my name is Joha Bhatia,” he said with a kind expression. “I would ask if you forgive my student’s familiar; he has an effect on creatures of draconic lineage.”

“Your student?” Thyra asked with venom. “What is that horrid thing and what did it do to Magnus? Mind magic is an assault on my familiar. I will not allow someone to make a fool of the Salstar domain, demon.”

“It was not mind magic. Bjorn is a chimera and he does not possess any such ability,” Joha responded. “I believe your familiar just sensed how venomous he is. I take responsibility for my student’s shortcoming in controlling her familiar and offer my deepest apology. We mean no offense to you or your domain.” 

“Bring the master of that beast here, demon,” Thyra demanded. “Let them speak for themselves.”

“Hand Thyra, the Isi family also apologizes for the inconveniences. We didn’t expect you and hadn’t accounted for Bjorn’s effect on draconic familiars,” Kolbein said hurriedly. “Surely we can solve this amicably.”

Tyr looked like he wanted to jump in as well but Hrolf held him back. The Hand was quiet for a moment as she apparently looked over the crowd although the veil meant know one knew who exactly she was looking at.

Thyra’s voice was calm but the indignation was evident. “I want to speak with the owner of that familiar, Elder Isi. Is there a reason you would refuse a noble house this request?”

Tanisha turned around and walked into the crowd that had formed. The tension in the air arrested everyone in the venue. Helina and Owen drunkenly stood beside her for moral support and Joha stepped out of her way. Bjorn tensed up with anticipation, he tried to look as calm as possible but ready to act at a moment’s notice. He was more than ready to kill this person if she threatened Tanisha’s life.  

“You… Freja?” Thyra questioned in disbelief. “What are you doing here? You have the audacity to attack my familiar with that creature.” She paused in contemplative silence. “Did you use the Salstar name to get here? Claw your way into this city and into this estate?”

Tanisha used maya to calm her mind and allow herself to feel confident by suppressing her anxiety. She found that when she did, anger started boiling up in her. Thyra may not have been the one to kick her out of the family, but she didn’t make life any easier when they found out she was a wizard. She was a cold abusive witch and Tanisha had to choke back the anger she felt towards the woman and everyone in the Salstar house.

“My name is Tanisha Scalebound. I think you have confused me with someone else who died a little while ago,” Tanisha said through gritted teeth. “We meant you no disrespect, Hand of Salstar.”

Thyra laughed a hardier laugh than anyone would have expected. “How cute. So this is what became of you, the little wizard Shai. You became a whore of the material users. I believe this was worth the journey just so I could see you. The Lady will be ecstatic that you are here.” She turned to Kolbein. “I would be careful whom you associate your family with, Elder Isi. Especially strays like this one.” They could hear the smile stretched across the woman’s face as she turned back to Tanisha. “I hope you remember the terms of your banishment.”

“I have followed all the rules the patriarch set,” Tanisha said sharply.

Thyra took another step closer, which warranted a sharp warning hiss from Bjorn and a more defensive stance from the goblins at her side. She ignored the obvious hostility and leaned in close to Tanisha. She lifted half of her veil, revealing the crazed look on her face. Her eyes wide and glowing red and a smile revealed all of her sharp teeth. 

“We will be seeing each other again soon, Freja,” Thyra whispered. “Failure of the Salstar house, I can’t wait until the next time we meet.” She lowered the veil and stood up straight, clearing her throat. “Elder Isi, I accept your family’s apology. It is correct that you were not expecting me and therefore could not have taken the right precautions for someone of my status. Hand Isgeror here invited me as her plus one.” She clapped softly. “With this matter taken care of. I would love to enjoy the banquet.”

The Nazem Hand stood silently, not saying a word and meekly agreed to anything Thyra said. Kolbein took the lifeline to calm the situation and quickly walked the two Hands to a table, nervously exchanging pleasantries. Tanisha could feel that there was a tension in the air now; it felt like all eyes were on her. Tyr broke off from his family and joined the merchant group around Tanisha.

“Tanisha-Tanisha!” Joha called with a shake of her shoulder. 

She hadn’t realized that she was so angry she was exhaling maya, and not the normal blue but instead a greenish variant. She could feel her maya veins burning from the exertion and she could smell burning sulfur from the Infernal Planes deep in the enigmatic energy. She quickly got her breathing under control and settled down the swelling maya within her veins.

“I am okay,” Tanisha said, finally letting the maya mellow out her anger as well. “I think I am going to go, though.”

“You don’t have to leave because of that Salstar bitch,” Helina said, her words slurring. “She can’t do nothing. This ain’t her domain. In fact I’ll go over there and…” She started to walk towards them but Owen’s tail was wrapped around her waist and she simply marched in place.

Tanisha looked over to Thyra, who sat just a few tables down. She was already surrounded by people looking to make connections with such a high ranking member of the Salstar domain. The Isi family amongst them, most likely trying to curry some favor after what just happened. 

Tyr grabbed her hand and she stopped for a moment. “You don’t have to go. This celebration is for you and the others for what they did for us.”

“No,” Tanisha said as she pulled away. “I think I am done for the night, sorry.”

“We will be continuing training in the morning. Bright and early,” Joha said as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “We will work through the emotions you suppressed with the maya first, do not release them alone. It can be jarring when performing a cleansing on yourself for the first time.” 

Tyr walked her to her room and Bjorn was sure the young man knew he wasn’t going in with them by separating the pair with his tail once they had arrived. The young man took the hint gracefully when the three heads hissed in his direction. The doors closed and Tanisha deflated.

She stripped down in her room and sat in her underwear wrapped up in a comforter on the large futon meant for Bjorn. Her mind was working overtime to dissect her interaction with Thyra. The Left Hand didn’t have power here to do anything to her, but was she alone? Was Loki, the Right Hand, here as well, or worse, her mother? If the Isi really wanted her for political gain that ship had sailed. After Thyra’s threat to Kolbein to distance himself from her she wouldn’t be surprised if Tyr asked for the engagement ribbon back before the night was over.

“It started out as such a nice day, too,” Tanisha said to Bjorn, then let silence settle back in the room. “Isin, is that your real name? I can see parts of other people’s statuses now. Yours is Bjorn Isin Scalebound.”

She felt a flurry of emotions from the bond, but didn’t like the feel of their emotions mixing uncomfortably. She looked at the familiar’s heads and each of them seemed to be avoiding her gaze. 

Tanisha stood up and walked over to him. She began undoing the straps which held up his formal barding. It wasn’t like he could talk about it anyway. She undid the last belt and the barding fell away easily. She walked back to the futon and wrapped herself back up in the comforter.

“Well I guess we both have something we don’t want to talk about,” Tanisha said with a huff as she fell back onto the futon. “Oh, wait, I’m supposed to teach you how to read. Now’s a better time than any I guess.”

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