Crazy plans are like roller coasters—once you're on, there's no getting off, so you might as well enjoy the ride.
There
It took another three hours before Violan was satisfied with my disguise. About halfway through, I regretted even bringing it up. When she finally proclaimed herself finished, I slumped back into my chair with a weary sigh.
"Onyx," Vio added, "did you pack everything I wrote down?"
"Yes, Master," replied the boy, dutifully dragging in an enormous, undoubtedly pink luggage.
With that, Vio sauntered out of the room to deliver a far-too-sentimental farewell speech to his teary-eyed apprentice. I sighed again. Vio seemed more enthusiastic about all of this than I ever could be.
Onyx stood awkwardly against the wall, glancing around as if Violan's study were unfamiliar to him.
"So," I raised an eyebrow, "you're not changing your look?"
Onyx shrugged. "I usually don't need to."
Violan is beautiful in all the tales, though every story describes her differently. Sometimes she's a woman, other times a man. Sometimes tall, sometimes short. Mostly blonde, but occasionally brunette, or even ginger or black-haired. But you could always tell it was her by that fancy robe.
Speaking of robes, my favorite mage waltzed back into the room and tossed me one of her apprentice mage's cloaks.
"Shall we?" she asked, as if everyone hadn't already been waiting for her.
I gave her a curt nod.
"Oh, Shay," she began with infuriating enthusiasm, "let's pick a mage name for you!"
Just no.
"I'll choose it myself," I said, but Vio pretended not to hear.
"How about…" she pressed a finger thoughtfully to her lips. "Asmodeus!"
Onyx struggled to contain his laughter as he glanced at my expression.
"Absolutely not!" I protested.
It was a lost battle from the start.
"Welcome to the lust mages, Asmo!" Violan grinned, while Onyx tried to stifle his snickers in the background.
"Violan…" I warned, my voice deepening.
"Remember," the Grandmaster of The Lust Mages continued cheerfully, "never reveal your real name, under any circumstances… Asmo."
Onyx's barely-contained laughter became a series of hiccups.
"You'll regret this," I muttered under my breath, fully aware that Violan was playing me like a fiddle. She knew that I knew that I needed an alias. Lust mages and their ridiculous antics.
Finally, we set off. Vio donned her robe, and we clung to it. She pulled an antique-looking pocket watch from her pocket, and when both hands pointed to the number one, I felt the pull of Violan's magic wrapping around my essence, tugging me through the delicate fabric of space and time.
We arrived at Belizár's castle, a place so remote and hidden by magical barriers it seemed more secure than the Crosspherat. Upon arrival, we were greeted by a circle of dark-hooded mages and an array of strange symbols etched into the ground, swirling like some bizarre portal straight out of a movie.
Once the mages dispersed, I felt the protective magic ripple over my skin as the wards settled back into place.
"Welcome, Violan," came a deep, rumbling voice.
Belizár himself stepped forward, his apprentices standing obediently behind him. At the mention of Violan's name, they all bowed slightly.
"Thank you for the invitation, Belizár," Violan replied, her voice sweet like honey. Onyx and I followed suit with polite bows.
Belizár offered his hand, and after the briefest hesitation, Violan accepted.
"You look splendid," Belizár commented, glancing at Violan's attire. "Purple suits you."
"Thank you," she replied, her smile a touch too cold for comfort.
I didn't blame her. Belizár was a short, stocky old man with a meticulously curled mustache. If anyone else had half the influence he wielded within the magical market, Vio certainly wouldn't be bothering with charm. According to my research, Belizár owned around sixty-five percent of the shares in all auctions. Violan had secured herself a seat for tonight's event.
What surprised me, though, was that Belizár himself was guiding us to the guest wing. That alone spoke volumes about Violan's standing. As we walked, I glanced around, unimpressed by the castle's cold elegance. Belizár occasionally pointed out a painting or an urn, and Vio pretended to be politely interested, though her enthusiasm was clearly thin.
After about fifteen minutes of tedious small talk and antique paintings, we reached our room. You might wonder why we were even here, staying in the guest wing of an old mage's castle. Well, Violan wasn't here to buy anything.
Vio handed Belizár a small pouch, which he accepted with a gracious smile.
"Make yourselves comfortable," he said. "I'll ensure our appraisers run the necessary tests within the next couple of hours."
Violan gave a curt nod, and Belizár excused himself. Once inside, the room's opulence matched the corridors. With a graceful flick of her wrist, Violan snapped her fingers, dispersing the magic wards that had been placed to spy on us.
"Well, that's all the help I'll be," she declared, collapsing onto the couch and reaching for the remote.
"Thanks," I said, sitting beside her.
"The surveillance spells are still active in the corridors," she added, "so you'll need to deal with those."
I nodded, and before Vio could react, I snatched the remote from her hand.
She and Onyx stared at me, wide-eyed.
"Aren't you going to investigate?" Violan asked, puzzled.
"No," I replied simply, flipping through the TV channels.
Violan's mouth opened in disbelief. "Did I risk all of this just for you to watch TV in Belizár's hideout?!"
I nodded again. "The investigation started the moment we entered the castle."
Her mouth snapped shut, though I could only imagine the sharp retort she wanted to unleash. Instead, her eyes searched my face, unsure.
"You didn't come alone, did you?" she asked, incredulity in her voice.
I turned to face her slowly, a sly smile creeping onto my lips.
Violan's eyes flashed. "How could you put us in danger like this?!" she hissed, but I cut her off.
"Did you sense him?" I asked.
She paused, thinking. After a moment, she turned to Onyx, who shook his head.
"Exactly," I said. "It's like trying to find a ghost. You won't feel his presence. There's no magical defense in existence that can detect him."
"Is that possible?" Onyx asked, eyes wide.
I shrugged. "Yeah."
"You've made some very dangerous allies, Shaytan," Violan remarked, her gaze burning into me.
I met her stare, unfazed. She sighed and leaned back, and for a while, we just watched TV. Eventually, Vio sent Onyx to fetch us some food.
She sighed again, leaning her head against my shoulder. "Why are you even here?" she asked, looking up at me. "You're stressing me out."
"Would you send Onyx alone to enemy territory?" I replied.
We both knew the answer, though Violan gave me a look as if I had just asked her to marry me. She grunted.
"You're more caring than you look."
Was that a compliment or an insult? I shrugged.
"Anything interesting up for auction tonight?" I asked, steering the conversation in a new direction.
Violan glanced at me mischievously. "What do you think is my most popular concoction?"
I raised an eyebrow.
"Self-love potion," she grinned. "I'm the only one who knows the formula, so I bring just one bottle at a time and make a fortune."
I shook my head in thought. "Do I need something like that?"
"Unfortunately, I haven't managed to create a potion that alters nasty personality directly," she said with a sigh.
I laughed and slid away, causing her to flop onto the couch dramatically.
We spent the next few hours watching TV in silence until Onyx returned with three bowls of pasta.
As Onyx set the bowls down, I turned to Violan with curiosity. "So, what's your deal with these auctions? You're not just here to watch the show, are you?"
Violan's eyes lit up with a cheerful glint. "Oh, it's more than just a spectacle for me! I analyze the mages during the auction. Their choices reveal so much about them. What they buy, how they bid—it all tells me what they value. I can use that information to develop new potions and artifacts!"
I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Really? When did you start attending these auctions?"
At that, Violan froze for a moment, a flicker of something passing over her face. Then, with a sad smile, she replied, "My first auction was the one where they sold me."
The revelation hung in the air, heavy and unexpected.
"I attended countless auctions after that, mostly to buy lust mages. I had to understand the trade before I could start dealing with potions and artifacts myself," she continued, her voice softer now.
Her words echoed a hidden pain, and I could see the shadows of memories dancing behind her eyes. "It's quite a story," I said, trying to lighten the mood. "But you're the Grandmaster of The Lust Mages now. You've come a long way from being an auction item."
Violan chuckled, though it was tinged with sadness. "Yes, I suppose I have. But every experience has shaped me, and I refuse to forget where I came from... and observing the dynamics can be... enlightening. It really helps me strategize for my own work."
"Strategize how?" I leaned in, genuinely curious.
"For example," she explained, her tone becoming animated, "I can identify the weaknesses of certain mages based on their purchases. If I know a mage is desperate for power, I can tailor my potions to appeal to that desperation. They give away so much in their desires too. I can use that information to craft even more effective concoctions. It's all about understanding human nature, really."
I scooped some pasta in my mouth and hummed approvingly.
"So what's the craziest thing you've seen at an auction, Onix?" I asked.
He leaned forward, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "Oh, there was this one time when a rival mage tried to steal a fellow lust mage right from under Master Violan's nose! It turned into a whole magical showdown!"
"Really?" I gasped, laughing. "What happened?"
Violan smirked, clearly amused by the memory. "Let's just say I'm not one to be trifled with. I turned that mage's own spell against him then added some of my own spells... While he was distracted by his own growing desires, I cast a charm that locked him in a cupboard, rendering him utterly helpless. I used that time to win the auction fair and square."
"Nice!" I chuckled.
Violan nodded, her gaze distant. "Lust mages have it tough though. There was a time when I made the Potion of Clarity to help people see their true desires. But mages didn't react well. They feared what they'd see."
"Why?" I asked.
"Because," she replied, her tone turning serious, "it would expose their insecurities. They'd rather blame us than confront themselves. One tiny miscalculation in the market, and we're in danger. Mages still see us as inferior."
Onyx chimed in, "There was a lust mage who mysteriously vanished after a botched auction. Everyone thought she led others into temptation, but it turned out she was framed. It's always us who get blamed."
Vio nodded. "They see us as a threat. Lust mages are always under scrutiny, always suspected of influencing important figures. There was one time we were all interrogated because of some political unrest. They just needed a scapegoat, and we fit the bill."
I sighed, feeling a weight settle in the room. "It's unfair."
"Welcome to our world," Violan said with a wry smile. "But that's why we keep going. One way or another, we'll change the system."
I couldn't help but smirk. "Well, if nothing else works, I'm sure you could always just seduce all the mages into making world peace."
Violan laughed, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "You might be onto something there! Who could resist my charms?"
"Me of course," I leaned back smugly.
Onyx chuckled, enjoying the banter. "You really are something else, Shay."
"Indeed, but I don't mind," Violan said, still grinning. "It's a tough job being in the presence of Shaytan's delightful company as it is. What would happen if he actually tried to pursue me? Total chaos."
"Delightful? That's a bit of a stretch," I shot back, rolling my eyes. "But hey, at least I keep you entertained."
"Entertained, or just plain exasperated?" she countered playfully, and I couldn't help but laugh.
As their laughter echoed around the room, I leaned back. Violan was right; there was a certain allure to her chaotic charm. But beneath that playful facade lay a fierce determination—a desire to change the very world that often marginalized her kind.
I glanced at her, the way her eyes sparkled with emotion and power. It was hard not to admire her tenacity. "Alright, Vio," I said with a smile on my face. "Let's see just how far your charm can take us today."
I pulled out my phone and snapped a quick selfie with Violan and Onyx at the table, the remnants of our meal—dirty dishes and all—scattered around us. It was a messy but candid capture of our chaotic afternoon.
Violan raised an eyebrow, curiosity etched across her face. "What are you doing?"
"Just documenting our lovely dining experience," I replied with a smirk. "Making sure my overprotective friends won't try to barge in to save me if I don't report back," and with a grin, I typed a quick message to Alex.
She chuckled, shaking her head. "So you're sending them a life signal?"
"Exactly! If they see I'm alive and well, maybe they'll give me some space," I said, glancing at Onyx, who was stifling a laugh.
Violan leaned closer, peering at the screen. "Let's hope they appreciate your sense of humor," she said, her eyes twinkling with mischief.
I admired the photo in which I made a face that exaggeratedly mimicked a comically dying person. They definitely will.