Keisei was panting and whimpering in her uneasy slumber. Hands knotting in her sheets blanket trapped in the blanket she muttered the word 'no' over and over until she sat upright screaming in terror and threw a fireball at her door. It took a few moments for her to regain her composure as she sighed with her arm over her eyes the other hand on the ruined brand on her thigh that had at one point locked away her magic. After several minutes there was a timid knock on her door and Keisei struggled to get out of bed and hesitated looking at the door before she grabbed a shawl to drape over her shoulders and hide the scars on her arms. When she finally answered the door she was honestly surprised to see the darkling female on the other side of her door. After a moment's pause she managed a strained smile, "How can I help you....?" She trailed off looking at the girl hoping she would give her name.
With a small start the darkling placed a hand over her heart, "I am Fae.... I wasn't with the arena long but I was sold after my family figured out my magical talent didn't lie in becoming a priestess, I was studying with my main focus on summoning with some other useful combat spells."
Keisei looked on curiously, "Are you branded?"
Fae shook her head in the negatory, "No ma'am... said I wasn't old enough or skilled enough to bother, they just a suppressant collar on me."
Keisei frowned whilst she processed the information, "How old are you?"
Fae fidgeted for a moment, "I turned twenty this past equinox ma'am."
To say that Keisei was shocked would be an understatement as she mumbled, "By the goddess.... you are barely more than a babe...." Keisei trailed off in her thoughts and shook her head as she looked at Fae and said gently, "My name is Keisei not ma'am.... what did you need me for?"
Fae was uncomfortable to say the least as she looked up to Keisei, "I was wondering if you could possibly add a library of some sort?"
Keisei blinked a few times and face palmed as she pointed down the fall, "Library is down this hall, I forgot to mention it yesterday. If you see a shadow it is just Korobus the guardian of the library and also your assistant, you should be studying at your age and I have a magnitude of various monster and summoning books since I specialize in transfigurations, I can teach you some of my basic spells that will help you blend in once we are on the surface later."
Fae's eyes seem to light up at the offered help, "I would like that very much!"
With Keisei's conflicted thoughts after her nightmare she shooed the girl along, "Alright in the mean time go study!" And gave a long sigh as she walked down to the kitchen and started looking for booze and settled on ale since it was the easiest to gain access to and plopped down on the nearest bench. After her third or fourth pint the door slammed open and in walk the half-ogre and Minotaur both of which stopped upon seeing her. While Keisei was not fond of this reaction she sighed, "If I'm not mistaken Minotaur.... I am sorry I appear to have forgotten your name, but I believe you are a cleric right?"
The Minotaur nodded his cow like head and said in slow somewhat slurred speech, "Taurek..... Yes I am a cleric...Why?"
The speech caught Keisei by surprise but after a moments of thought it made sense since he had a mouth that was more suited to say 'Moo' than common tongue. Coming out of her thoughts she finished her ale and the mug disappeared making her mood sour a little, "Can clerics do anything to ease nightmares? A potion? An elixir? Anything?"
Taurek looked a little lost at her question but it was the half-ogre that responded, "Why in the abyss does the arena's little pet have nightmares for? What was the Master's bed to soft for you?"
Keisei was used to this reaction so she stood up and let her shawl slip from her shoulders and expose her hideous scars and the now ruined brand on her thigh and the lively light in her eyes guttered out and looked dead, "Olgar right? Hate to break it to you but I slept in the same kind of dank cell you did, endured daily beatings until I learned how to act broken, the perverted bastard bound my magic and tried to rape me once he was promised I couldn't fight back..." she gritted her teeth to keep further venom and poison escaping while venting her anger on the dumb ass who though she was nothing but a bed mate for the Master who she wished she had had the pleasure of killing. After a few deep breaths she looked back at Olgar and slowly let the change come over her and soon a red head with outrageous curls and freckled pale skin and vibrant green eyes looked at the two, "Everyone was always so kind to Berna but never Keisei.... because the Master left Berna alone and gave her no 'special treatment' and she was just a lowly human.... aren't you surprised that your current host and confidante are one in the same? I won't blame you for leaving once we get to the surface but until that point minding your manners would be appreciated." Deciding to forego sleep Keisei grabbed her shawl and headed to her room got changed and went to the training room with the urge to punch something.
Meanwhile back in the dining hall Taurek slapped Olgar upside the head, "Ouch! What in the nine hells was that for!?"
Taurek sighed, "I've had to heal her injuries frequently over the years that I had been in that arena, she has a reason to have nightmares and she kept everyone at arms length because she didn't want to give the Master things to hold over her, things she could handle but she didn't want someone hurt because of her stubbornness."
Olgar scoffed, "What makes her so special?"
Taurek chuckles, "She is... or was elven royalty... who doesn't love such a trophy?"
Olgar was stupid he knew that but even he could comprehend what Taurek was saying, "How long do you figure she has been down here?"
Taurek shrugged as he was getting food to eat, "Easily.... a century.... maybe longer?"
Olgar for once looked remiss in his attitude towards Keisei and sighed, "You won't think less of me for not apologizing right away will you? I think if I try now she may kill me..."
Taurek chuckled, "Most likely the wisest decision you have made since I have met you, for that matter she may take your apology as an insult." And just like that they fell into easy chatter while eating their respective meals leaving the abandoned princess to work out her demons in the training room.