Harm and Harmony

-Chapter 47-

Day: 23

Days Left: 5457

Lives Saved: 0

As it was still cold in the house due to the gaping hole where the fireplace had exploded, Corinna and Harmony once again had to go down into the basement to sleep.

"I could fix it," said Corinna, examining the hole, estimating the dimensions.

"You could fix the wall?" Harmony asked, holding up the door to the basement.

Corinna glanced back at the chimaera. "I could make a whole new fireplace."

"You can!" said Harmony, overall impressed.

"I've only made two before, and I wasn't alone, but I remember everything."

"But we don't have any bricks."

"I'll make them from scratch." Corinna shrugged. "Definitely need to get some supplies though."

"We can go to Ivette's tomorrow. Need to trade her some food anyway."

The young woman grinned, then turned around. "Do you have a tape measure?"

After quickly finding a tape measure amongst her collection of them, Harmony assisted Corinna by holding the end of the tape. The young woman wrote down the measurements in a new red notebook that Harmony had given her so that she wouldn't take up any space for memories in her white one. Once that was complete, Corinna listed all the tools and materials she would need, which the majority Harmony already had somewhere in the basement and was taken upstairs ready.

*

"Would you need help making it?" asked Harmony, joining Corinna inside the tent in the basement.

"I will do for the roof if you don't mind," answered Corinna, squirming and wriggling until she found a comfortable position inside the small tent. "You can steady the ladder."

"If we can find a ladder."

"I can always make one..." She then giggled. "Or I can sit on your shoulders."

Harmony gave a quiet snort upon picturing the image.

A green light appeared outside of the tent; the wisp had left its doll's house and made its way to Harmony, whizzing around her before settling on her arm.

"It seems to like you," said Corinna, leaning in closer towards the emerald light.

"Only because I'm food." Harmony brushed the wisp carefully into her hand, then transferred it to her other, repeating the action, finding it soothing and calming. "It wants me for my mana."

"Wouldn't that be dangerous? What if it sucks out all of your mana?"

Harmony chuckled. "No, I'll be fine. They don't take that much. It'll only be dangerous if there were hundreds of them and for a long period."

"Are you a mage like Ivette?"

"I think I am." Harmony gazed upwards in thought. "I don't remember casting any spells, but that's because you can't use magic in the Eternal Abyss. I still have all the knowledge and stuff and the mana." She reached her hand out to Corinna, passing on the wisp.

The wisp was reluctant to leave the chimaera-shaped food but soon noticed a new meal and rested on Corinna's right wrist- where the magical contract was that Corinna had made with the queen.

Harmony stared for a long time at the wrist before finally saying, "that's a powerful spell there."

Corinna stopped smiling at the wisp and looked up at the chimaera. "It is?"

"Well, the mage who cast it is powerful, but it seems that binding spells are not their speciality. If I could use my powers down here, I could break it."

"You could?"

"It'll take a day or so at that level, but I could." She paused. "Do you want it to be broken?"

Corinna gazed down at her wrist, where the wisp was still swirling around. "No..." She transferred the wisp back to Harmony. "I think that even without the contract, my family would be executed if I tried to escape."

As the young woman spoke, Harmony had watched her lips, seeing them move yet no sound escaping. Just as she had expected.

Noticing how intensely Harmony was staring at her, Corinna lowered her head as a gentle heat rose in her cheeks. "It's not that bad of a deal. I just have to stay for my whole sentence, and that won't happen."

Yet again, Harmony did not hear any of this.

"Have you been trying to talk about the contract?" she asked.

Corinna frowned. "Yes. Why-" Her eyes darted to her wrist. "Could you not hear?"

Harmony nodded. "The spell prevents you from talking about it. I can't hear any of it."

"But why would she- I don't see a reason why that would be necessary."

The chimaera shrugged. "I don't know since I can't hear what it's all about. But I assume it's because you committed high treason against the crown, something that they didn't want to get public." 

Corinna frowned in thought before gasping and retrieving her notebook. "If I can't say it, then I'll write it down!" She found a free space and the pen touched the paper, but it remained stationary. No matter how hard she focused, the pen refused to move and write. 

Sighing, Harmony said, "I'm afraid that won't work. The spell will prohibit you from revealing the contract no matter the form. Can't say it, can't write it, probably can't even mime it."

Lowering her notebook, Corinna's eyes fell on her wrist.

"Whatever deal you made, they really don't want others to know about."

As they laid down to sleep, Corinna traced the word 'treason' on the back of her neck. She couldn't understand how the protests that her family and she did would warrant such a powerful spell. She wanted to know why the queen did this.

But it wasn't like she could ask her.

*

"Upon further reflection, We decided that the sentence was too severer punishment for you and your family's actions," answered the queen. As usual, she sat upon her throne that she had created in Corinna's mind. "Despite your recent treachery, the Warren-Earl-Best family has served the Crown loyally for several generations. That service will not go unrewarded."

"Then please, Your Majesty, why must I not speak about the arrangement?" asked Corinna Warren.

Queen Corinna leaned on her arm-rest, studying the young woman before replying, "if another prisoner learned of your special treatment, it would make you a target, Miss Warren."

This only created more confusion for Corinna. Why would the queen help her? Now that she thought about it, the queen had helped her a few days ago. She had woken her up before the clay golem had attacked her. 

"Why is Your Majesty helping me?"

The queen remained silent for a long moment. "We wish you a good night, Miss Warren." The image of the queen and the throne vanished from the young woman's mind.