Chapter 9: 9. Alicia: A Seer in The Cage

The out of tune hum cracked and drew Alicia’s eyes to its source. She hadn’t noticed at first but her eyes had adjusted to the dim light and she could make out the shape of another person in the room. They swayed rhythmically, seeming to be paying more attention to the wall than their new roommate.

“Hello?” Alicia called out as she carefully picked her way toward the person. “Looks like we’re cellmates.”

They turned around and Alicia was met with a familiar face, one she hadn’t expected to meet. A woman, no more than five feet tall, faced her. Her eyes were scarred over and empty, little more than sockets, marring a face that could've at one point been considered beautiful even for her advanced age. A mat of salt and pepper hair was thrown in a bun at the nape of her neck. She smiled pleasantly of flowers and stepped toward Alicia with her arms outstretched.

“Ah, I had expected we would meet again soon,” Farah said, taking Alicia’s hand with both of her cold ones. “I had hoped it would be longer than it has been, though.”

“I thought of all the people that’s the one thing you would know, Farah.” Alicia gave her a gentle pat on the older woman’s hand with her free one.

“They’ve had me in this box for quite some time, you know—it dull the senses.” Farah tapped her temple with a long finger.

With that the spell carved into the door made more sense. It stopped scrying, yes, but more importantly it stopped any senses that might see outside of their cage as well.

“Hm, tricky. I’m sorry you’ve been taken by these horrid people, Farah.” Alicia stepped over to the window, it didn’t allow her to see much, just the sky above them. The walls must’ve been at least a meter thick.

She swallowed. It was too small a room to be trapped for a long time.

“How long have you been here, dear?” Alicia asked.

“I’m not too sure what year it is,” Farah said, tilting her head trying to remember. “I believe it was the year 2000 that the Order found out about my involvement.”

“A whole ten years?” Alicia said aloud, almost in disbelief.

That was ten years ago. They’d kept the poor woman there for ten years. Farah laughed, a chuckle that would set anyone not used to the woman off. All because she had a premonition and told her instead of the order.

“You’re already starting to blame yourself,” she said finally. “They would’ve eventually found out about me Rose, that’s the risk I took.”

Alicia visibly winced. She hadn’t heard that nickname for so long, she wasn’t sure how to feel about being called it again. Hearing Ventus call her the full name had already shaken her. Farah shuffled over to a door that Alicia hadn’t noticed at the far end of the room and waved Alicia over.

“It hasn’t been all that bad,” she said as she opened the wooden door, it looked as though it could fall off its hinges at any moment. “I might not be able to see out into the world but it’s given me time to take a look back at all my previous visions.”

The next room was a little more pleasant looking. So they hadn’t just dumped this poor old woman in a hole and completely forgotten about her. It was plastered white. A bed was set up in the corner with a wide array of pillows of varying sizes and colours. A few plants were set up here and there under arrow slits. The room was quite a bit brighter, the light walls reflecting the sun a little more.

A fireplace sputtered happily to one side of the room, a single comfortable high backed chair sat across from it. To finish the entire feel of the room on the mantle of the fireplace Farah had a few knick knacks and an old photo of a young family. It looked almost like any other granny’s room.

“Well at least you were kept somewhat comfortable.”

“Oh yes, they even let my son and grandson visit from time to time.” She smiled. “That’s what happens when the Order convinces your family that you’re dangerous. I tried to warn them, but you know, some children will do what they will.”

Farah’s nose wrinkled in disdain. Alicia had never met the Bahjat’s before she’d taken off, but she would’ve thought that if anyone’s warnings were to be trusted, it would be a seer. That was the Order of the Eternal Soul for you, though, they were masters at manipulation of facts. The worst kind of snake.

“I’m sorry, it’s my fault—” Farah cut Alicia off.

“There you go again, Rose, putting the blame on yourself when you are a victim of those who are really to blame.” She paused for a moment, sightlessly staring off into the fire. “They put us all in danger, and your family has been dragged right to the center of it all.”

Before leaving the Order Alicia had always wondered how blind seers really were. Even without eyes, Farah seemed to know more about the people and the world than anyone else. Yet, for all her power she managed to miss the smaller things.

“Farah, I’ve been going by Alicia these days,” She said. “I’m not sure I’m ready or willing to be Rose again.”

The woman turned back to Alicia, and gave her a knowing nod. “Of course, dear, forgive the slip ups. The sight keeps me in the past too often.”

She picked up a metal stocker which had been propped up next to the fireplace and moved around the coals which had started going cold.

“So I suppose you don’t plan to stay with old Farah too long, yes?” She asked.

“As much as I love seeing you again, I need to go find my children,” Alicia replied, shaking her head and leaning on the chair’s backrest. “Though, I also don’t like that you’ve been kept here so long. Perhaps we could leave together?”

Farah shook her head and said, “No, an old woman like me would just keep you back. However, if you would indulge an old soul like me for a spell?”

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“Of course, is there something I should know?”

“You’re not going to like this, but it will be some time that you’ll be presented with the opportunity to escape this place.” Farah stopped and turned back to Alicia, her lips set in a thin line of worry. “Until then, it would be best for you and your little girl that you listen and learn as much as you can while you’re here.”

Alicia straightened up. “I thought you couldn’t use the Sight here?”

Farah took a seat and nearly disappeared into the deep chair. She drew up her legs and placed a light knitted blanket over her small frame.

“No, but there are things I didn’t know how to interpret fifteen years ago. Things I had plenty of time to stew on being holed up here with no distractions. You’re not going to like it, Alicia, but your children are in grave danger. However, they’ll be in more danger if you try to get to them now. They need time to learn—experience the world they’ve never been a part of.”

“That’s why I should be with them,” Alicia insisted. “My little Natasha doesn’t know what’s happening to her, and the boys, well they at least have each other.”

“And my husband—” Alicia put her head in her hands. “He trusted me more than anyone should. I can’t leave them to navigate all this on their own.”

Farah nodded with a sage look about her face, then she smiled sweetly. If she had eyes, they would be twinkling Alicia imagined.

“They aren’t alone. You have allies that will care for them.” Farah said.

“Allies?” Alicia looked up at the old woman quizzically.

“Yes.” She didn’t elaborate, and Alicia could tell there was something she wasn’t saying. “But, you should get some sleep, deary, take the bed. You look like you took a beating from a bear. Sleep will do you some good.”

Alicia nodded at the woman and straightened up. She wasn’t about to say no to a bed at that point. Now that it was mentioned she was completely tuckered and her head was pounding.

She took off the outer layers of her clothes and her dirty shoes before flopping onto the bed with a groan. It smelled heavily of flowers— her previous namesake the rose especially. She drifted away thinking about her family and where they might be now. She could only hope for now that they had made their way to Dinir.

Alicia’s sleep was fitful, dreams of shadows and long forgotten memories. there was no getting over the worry that threatened to overcome her.

She woke up sweat covered with a flash of heat coursing through her. Her mind had come to a conclusion: there was no way she could stay in this prison. She glanced over to Farah, now deep asleep on the chair, as much as she wanted to trust the old seer she couldn’t.

Alicia was settled on trying to leave as soon as possible. There was a doorway she could try to shift from, if that didn’t work she’d fight her way out. She may have not used her magic in a proper fight for years but she’d been trained by the best.

Alicia pulled off the thin sheet that was half strewn over her legs and walked across the dark room. The tiles were cold on her bare feet. It was completely dark out, the light that filtered through the thin slats in the walls was a soft silvery bloom and the firelight had lowered to a dim glow. The living quarters door opened with a quiet groan. Alicia looked back at Farah but her low snoring did not halt.

Alicia let go of the breath she’d been holding and inspected the doorframe. It was made of the same ancient wood that the door was. She picked at it and the particles came off like dust. Alicia frowned, not the best situation for shifting. Pulling from within her veins she took a mote of plasma into her finger and began the process of infusing the frame with magic.

She got two glyphs into the process of creating a shift path when she noticed that something odd was happening to the energy. Alicia stopped and heated the glyphs up to check them closer. They glowed like coals and Alicia could see that as they hovered mid air something within it had begun to eat away at the magic. A slow corrosion changed the magic so slightly that many people would not have picked it up.

“They thought of that, deary,” Farah said from her chair, she’d been quietly watching her inscribe the door. “From what my grandson says, there’s no shifting anywhere on the Order’s premises.”

She waved a lazy hand to indicate around them. “He’s heard of some nasty effects happening to those that have tried.”

Alicia was overcome with a flash of rage. There was no way she was going to stay here. How could she have failed so badly? The plasma that had been gathered on her fingertip burst forth overtaking her hand and forearm with fire. With a cry of frustration Alicia punched the frame, splintering it. The dry dust crackled as the smell of smoke filled the air.

She fell to her knees and sobbed, finally letting out the pain she was trying to keep down. The tears couldn’t be stopped now. Farah silently fetched an iron kettle and opened a door that was hidden behind a large wall tapestry. Alicia pulled up her knees to her chest and for a few minutes allowed herself to let the melancholy overtake her.

Leaving home alone and pregnant with her first child; dogged at every turn she took until she finally found a new home; having to lie and lie and lie—even to her own children. Alicia had shut away everything over the last fifteen years. Put her head down, kept moving, and hid everything away for the safety of her family. Now she was back in this world, but not in the way she so desperately had wanted.

Farah puttered around and eventually Alicia was brought out of her thoughts by the high pitched whistling of a boiling kettle. She looked up to see Farah began to pour it into a thick handmade ceramic mug. From another canister she pulled out a dipstick covered with honey and mixed it in. For a blind woman she seemed to not be hindered in any way. Farah shuffled over to Alicia with the mug in hand and gave it to her.

“Careful now, it’s hot.” Farah smiled and carefully sat next to her, with a low grown, pulling her thick wool dress to bunch in her lap. “There, see, a good cry always helps. Then to chase them away drink a nice warm cup of tea.”

Alicia took in a big inhale. She felt the pleasant warmth of the steam trailing off the tea fill her nostrils. It was deep, earthy with a hint of citrus and spice. She exhaled and with that let the fear and pain subside just a little. The dull ache in her heart still sat there though, like a layer of thick ash choking her throat. One sip. Then two. The liquid was scalding but her body could withstand the heat. The tea was rich in flavour, honey mixing with bright orange and ginger, other hints of spices rolled over her.

Alicia wiped her cheeks dry. Laughing a little as the two grown women sat on the ground, one crying like a child. It was silly after all these years to finally let herself be overcome. But it felt good in a way. Her face felt warm.

“See much better,” Farah said, patting Alicia’s leg. “It's hard, I know. In knowing what’s going to happen but not having the ability to truly change the outcome. We have to do what we can from where we are, Alicia.”

“I know, I know.” Alicia replied, her voice cracking as she tried to hold back more tears. “I just can’t bear the thought that I can’t be there to tell them it’s going to be okay.”

“They’re your kids, they’re going to be alright. They’ve got your spirit, I know it.”

Alicia replied with a nod, not knowing what she was supposed to say. Farah knew what was going to happen, she’d already seen it all, maybe there was still hope if she thought that.

“And anyway—you’re going to have your own problems here.” Farah patted Alicia’s knee again and looked up into the entry room.

That’s when Alicia heard it too. Someone was activating the door. The soft ticking of the lock being opened could be heard clearer on this side. Alicia tensed and stood passing Farah the half drunk tea. The door unlocked as Alicia froze. She was ready for a fight.

“Up so early, how unlike you, Rosana.” The cutting sound of Ventus’ voice sliced through the room.