Agent of the Dragon

Rhysa came to herself when she reached the bottom of the passage. With the return of self-awareness, pain rushed in on her again. She managed to close the door to the passage, and reluctantly decided it was time to put on her disguise once more.

She took a deep breath to brace herself, and closed her eyes. Despite preparing herself, she whimpered with the smallest trickle of power through her channels. She reestablished the covering illusion quickly enough, but the Masking of her ability took longer.

By the time she was done, tears had leaked from behind closed eyes. Once she had the disguise in place, she hooked it into the Mieryth persona so she wouldn’t have to maintain it, even on a subconscious level, the way she’d been doing up to this point. Unfortunately, while it would take no power to maintain, it would disappear and reappear whenever she switched out of and into the Mieryth persona. She wouldn’t keep it linked indefinitely, but she needed to let her channels heal at least a little before actively using them again.

Dyram shook his head. “That’s just incredible. How you can do that.”

Rhysa shrugged. “At the moment, I wish I didn’t have to. Let’s get Armina upstairs.” She resumed being Mieryth before entering the room Armina was in.

Armina, it turned out, was able to help a little. When Mieryth leaned over to examine her, Armina opened her eyes and winced slightly. “I haven’t felt this bad since my husband’s death several years ago.” Her voice slurred a little.

“Thank the gods you’re all right. I was afraid that thing had killed you.”

Armina’s mind might be blurred, but Mieryth saw her eyes narrow suspiciously. “I nearly was. How did you survive?”

Dyram stepped into her field of vision. “I helped a little.” His was voice self-deprecating, but gave the impression he had accomplished it on his own.

Armina looked at him. “You’re the ghost that’s got Crysta worked up.” It wasn’t a question, but Dyram nodded anyway. Armina sighed. “I guess it’s just as well you’re around. I don’t think we would have survived without your help.”

Mieryth cleared her throat. “How are you feeling? Can you stand?”

“Maybe. With help.” She offered a hand. Mieryth helped her climb to her feet. Armina stood, swaying slightly as if testing her balance. She glanced at Dyram. “Was that your body we found upstairs?”

He nodded. “Thank you for being respectful about cleaning it up.”

Armina’s mouth twitched. “Was that why you helped us? Because I was respectful of a long dead body?”

He shook his head. “It didn’t hurt, but no. That’s not why I helped.” He grinned. “Let’s just say I didn’t want things to get crowded down here.”

She nodded understanding, then put her hand on Mieryth’s arm. “Let’s go up. I think I can walk now.” Mieryth took a couple of slow steps, her arm braced in case Armina needed support.

The return trip took much longer than the trip down. Armina had to stop several times, and Mieryth had to rest a couple times herself. In between panting breaths, they spoke as they walked.

“I suppose you want to keep your existence secret?” Armina’s question seemed to amuse Dyram.

“Hiding was done as soon as--Crysta, was it? As soon as Crysta saw me that first time. It was only a matter of time before everyone knew of my presence here. When you had to be rescued, I gave up all hopes of remaining hidden. How else could you explain Mieryth’s condition, not to mention your own?”

“At least this way he comes to light as helpful, if a little mischievous.” Mieryth tried to keep the pleading from her voice.

Armina looked at Mieryth. “And you. You’re taking this awfully calmly.”

Mieryth laughed. “That’s only because you were unconscious when I collapsed. Oh, don’t worry. That thing barely touched me before Dyram stepped in. Even so, it was unpleasant.”

“That’s not exactly what I meant, though.” She indicated Dyram with her head. “You’re taking his existence calmly. And you’re speaking about him as if you’ve known him for a while.”

Mieryth shrugged. “I have. He’s helped me over the past couple of weeks. Mostly talking things over.” Mieryth laughed softly. “Did you really think I could be that level headed about Taryn on my own? He’s helped me keep things in perspective.”

Armina snorted. “I’d wondered. I was beginning to think I’d hired a saint.”

Mieryth gave her a startled look. “Hardly that.”

“I must say, I’m impressed. I know being Taryn’s body servant is difficult.” Mieryth snorted at the understatement, but didn’t interrupt. “Truth to tell, I think you’re wasted in that capacity. The way you’ve handled yourself over the weeks, not to mention the past couple of hours, demonstrates that. You make decisions and stick by them--and take responsibility for them, too.” Armina looked at Mieryth. “You’re a little young, but your capability can make up for that.”

“Young for what?”

“I’d like to take you on for castellan training. In essence you would be my apprentice.”

Mieryth stumbled and put a hand to a nearby wall to steady herself. She was a bit young for that. By several years. “Who’ll see to Taryn?”

Armina smile had a hint of fangs. “She can do without until we find someone.” Dyram burst out laughing.

The three fell silent for a couple of minutes, then Armina spoke up. “Dyram, what was this place? I thought it was a brothel of sorts, but the more I see of it, the less that makes sense.”

“I don’t know for sure. They were closed off when my father bought the place. Closed, but not sealed. Given the...um...accommodations, I’d have to say the original owner liked to hold certain kinds of parties. It would also explain the rather forgetful architecture of the manor. Only those whose interests lay here would really notice the building.”

“I wonder what else I never knew about this place.”

“How are you going to introduce Dyram, Armina?”

“I’m not sure. It’ll have to be carefully done, or there will be constant attempts to exorcise him. Dyram, do you have any suggestions?”

“Straight out and open. Sneaking around to introduce me a bit at a time will spook some into trying to exorcise me.”

“If we treat him as normal from the beginning, it will be easier for people to accept.” Mieryth glanced back and forth between Armina and Dyram.

Armina shook her head doubtfully. “That may be asking a bit much. Mieryth, in Mestin Reach, you’ve probably seen some very odd things. You’re probably used to it. I’m not sure how many people in the house will be able to take it with such aplomb.”

“I think we should recruit Crysta.”

Armina stopped dead at Dyram’s suggestion. “Why?” Shock at the suggestion was clear in her voice.

“Hear me out,” said Dyram. “She’s the one who keeps screaming about ghosts. If we can get her to--‘accept’ is probably too much to ask. If we can keep her from running screaming every time I show up, it will go a long way to preventing overreactions.”

Mieryth nodded. It made sense. If the one person everyone knew tended to overreact was at least calm about it, they would assume nothing was actually wrong. “I’d like to add Sterling. He’s adamantly refused to acknowledge ghosts exist. Even after I said I’d seen Dyram. If we can get a well known skeptic to acknowledge his existence, I think others will have more of an impression he is real.”

“It’s got possibilities.”

Armina thought for a bit, then nodded. “I think you’re right, but let’s keep the initial contact small.”

They emerged from the corridor and looked at the gaping hole leading into Mieryth’s room. “I’m going to have to find a new place to sleep. Where should we do the introductions?”

Dyram spoke up. “I’d suggest the central room of the upper level. The one attached to where you found my body.”

Armina shrugged. “That’s as good a place as any. Dyram, will you wait for us there? I want to get this done as soon as possible.”

Later that night, Mieryth sat in her new room and looked at Dyram standing in her desk. “I think things went well.”

Dyram nodded. “I expected Crysta to be hysterical. I’m glad I was wrong. Oh, she was scared. At least at first. But she seemed to relax after a bit.”

Mieryth nodded. “And Sterling finally had to admit you exist. He and Crysta will start spreading the word about you. We’ll take you around and introduce you to everyone in a couple of days.”

There was a lull in the conversation. Dyram gave Mieryth a direct look. “You said there would be an explanation?”

“I did.” She stood and locked her door, then she dropped her disguise.

Rhysa closed her eyes to center herself. When she was ready to begin, she opened them and looked at Dyram. “You’ll need to stand up for this.”

“Should I manifest?”

“No. I’m going to need to stand inside you.” Dyram blinked. Rhysa smiled at his expression. “It’ll feel odd, but it’s necessary.”

Dyram shrugged and stood in the middle of the room. Rhysa walked to him, took a deep breath, and stepped into him. A slight pressure tingled on her skin as she occupied the same space he did. She closed her eyes again, and established a link to him. Sharing her experiences would take precise control, she didn’t want him reliving her whole life--or certain state secrets--but he did need a certain amount of her history.

Images began to flash through her mind as Dyram experienced being Rhysa. There were images of slavery, of training, of pain, of joy, of duty, of loyalty, and finally of her assignment. She opened her eyes and stepped out.

Dyram stumbled back a couple of steps. He looked at her, his face devoid of expression. He closed his eyes and shook himself. “That was...bizarre. I see now why you waited for this. It will take me some time to recover from that.”

“Of course.”

Dyram opened his mouth, then closed it and left the room through a wall. Rhysa stared at the spot he’d walked through and hoped she hadn’t made a mistake. She shook herself out of the reverie; it was time to recreate her disguise so it wasn’t linked directly to persona. She didn’t want to risk having the disguise fall away because she let her mind wander. Recreating the disguise, however, was the work of only a couple of minutes now she’d had a chance to recover from her experience with Lenora.

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