The curator hands her a cotton kirtle, a thick black dress, a velvet traveling cloak as well as sturdy leather boots and woolen hose. Her arcanist apparently lives far to the north in the frigid mountains. Whatever the other item is that the arcanist purchased, the curator hands it to her in a bag without another word.

“Now, you must remember, whatever you do, you are not to purposefully cause or inflict harm upon the conduit. Should harm befall it, you will do everything in your power to address the situation and remedy it. You are to ensure your conduit never purposefully suffers from hunger, extreme temperatures, sleep deprivation, or other inhumane conditions.”

Raelyantha again reflects on the fact that as her own person, it was acceptable to society that she starve and suffer. But now that she is of use to someone else, she is entitled to basic dignity. She is trading agency for security. But what agency does one have when they live in abject poverty?

You will be happy with the arcanist, though.

She does not know where the thought comes from, but it rises to the surface of her mind and lingers as she again takes in the sight of the magnificent Dusksong Arcanist—commanding, imposing, and worthy of her respect. She shivers in anticipation.

“I understand. She will be my treasured pet; my most valuable possession.” The arcanist puts on her own cloak, one that looks like it is made from the night sky, shimmering darkness with sparkling diamonds. She extends her hand, palm up, and Raelyantha delicately puts her fingers into the arcanists palm like a lady about to be led in a dance. The arcanist winks. “Come Raely, it is time I take my new pet home.”

Raely. Her new owner had called her Raely. A name she… A name she had thought she didn’t like, only a few moments ago. But maybe she does like it. It sounds right. Diminutive and unassuming. “Yes, Lady Elyri, ma’am.”

Lady Elyri grins. “You are beautiful.”

Heat creeps into Raely’s cheeks and she can’t hide her smile as the arcanist leads her out of the consortium’s headquarters and into her waiting carriage.

The inside is already warmed, and Raely wonders if the arcanist is already using her to channel flarium or lectrum in order to heat the carriage, or if it’s an ongoing spell that is self-sustaining somehow.

“No, I am not channeling from you. Not yet. The makers of these carriages equip it with stored arcanum—flarium, fiarrum, lectrum, and squallum specifically.”

For a quick second, she wants to ask why her new owner seems to be able to read her thoughts, but shakes her head. Of course her owner should be able to read her thoughts, it only makes sense. It’s perfectly natural that an owner should have access to the thoughts of her property.

“It’s the collar. I said it wouldn’t hurt, and it’s only natural that I should have access to your thoughts. It ensures you do not do anything to plot against me.”

It’s only natural. It’s perfectly natural. Her hand reaches up and the metal around her neck is warm. Not just warm. But warm and comforting.

The carriage lifts into the air, carried by an arcane wind and they soar northward.

“You can look out the window. I know you probably have not seen much of the world,” she says it like she’s giving permission to a kitten to play with a ball of yarn. “Go on.”

Raely pushes aside the dark curtains covering the windows and looks down at the terrain beneath them. She watches as the lights from the city of Faerress fade away and farms and fields overtake the landscape.

“There is not this much greenery where we are going. The Mietross Mountains are cold and icy, and dangerous to brave on your own.” Her owner has issued an order. She doesn’t know how she knows it’s an order, but she can somehow just tell. She is not to go into the mountains on her own.

“Yes, Lady Elyri.” She tears her eyes away from the sight below her and bows her head to her owner. “I shall stay inside.”

“Good girl. I paid a lot of money for you and promised to protect you. I would be a terrible arcanist if I let my channeler walk straight into danger. Now, go on. Back to taking in the sights, Raely.” She again smiles like she’s indulging a pet in a forbidden past time.

Raely does not need to be told twice, she looks back out the window as the sun is setting. “Where are we?”

“I would guess we are over the Sylln Forest,” her owner replies. “Your homeland.”

The song in her mind swells, drowning out everything else in her mind. There are words, but despite how loud it is, she can’t make them out. “My home is where you are,” she says. She doesn’t know why, it just feels like the right thing to say. “I belong to you, I belong at your side.” Thoughts about her people and the hardships they endured during the occupation, annexation, and migration fade away; half-forgotten dreams to only be remembered in the moments before full wakefulness.

“My kitten. Good girl.”

Raely gets the strangest feeling that her owner had just been testing her and she passed. She smiles even as she looks down at the deep and dark forest she knew she had spent at least a few short years calling home, even if she couldn’t remember them. But she feels nothing, and even as she tries to bring some sort of sentiment to the surface, all she can do is hum along to the song repeating itself in her head.

“How much further until we are home, Lady Elyri?” She continues to gaze out the window as the dark forest gets more distant as they soar over farmlands. She’s so grateful to the arcanist; she has a home now. She will give the arcanist everything she asks. Having a home is worth the trade.

“Not too much longer. If we were traveling by regular carriage, we would still have some days to go. But I want to set some expectations before we arrive.”

Raely draws the curtains closed and sits straight, facing her owner directly, hands clasped in her lap. “Yes, Lady Elyri.”

“Oh, you are a good kitten indeed. Well worth the money.”

Raely tries to hold in a smile. Her owner praised her. Her owner likes her. “Thank you, Lady Elyri.”

“You will have your own suite of rooms at my castle. I will allow you to rest and acclimate yourself for a senday, and then we will have the bonding ritual where you will be formally and arcanely pledged to me; that is when you will become my channeler and I your arcanist.”

“I’ve never been a channeler for anyone before,” she says, hoping it’s not out of line for her to speak up. “I’ve never gone through this ritual.”

“Don’t worry, little pet. It won’t hurt.” She reaches across the carriage and places her hand on Raely’s knee. “And channeling does not hurt either. I will keep you safe. I know that channeling cellaestum can cause some painful side effects, but I will make sure you do not experience that. And I will teach you to do the same if you decide to use arcanum directly, too.”

“You will allow me to use arcanum, too?” She does not want to, though. That’s how she ended up in such a horrible situation to begin with.

“Not just allow. But teach you. In time, yes. When you feel comfortable.” Her thumb rubs back and forth across Raley’s knee, rhythmic and comforting. “I can tell that something about the idea disturbs you. I won’t pry further tonight. I have the right to, you know. But we have plenty of time together, plenty of time to build trust and let each other in. I do not want to rush this, my little kitten.”

The song in her head rises. She can still hear the wind against the carriage and hear heartbeat in her ears, but the music laces itself around her thoughts. She can trust her owner. She will trust her owner.

“I trust you,” she says.

“Good. There may be a time in the future when I am unable to spellcast and you will need to use arcanum to protect yourself.”

“Like if you… Die?” Lady Elyri looks like she is Umile; intelligent, strong, and large. But the Umile do not have the longest lifespan. Just a century, give or take a few years. Raely’s Sylln ancestry extends her own natural lifespan to at the very least double of that of Lady Elyri’s. The arcanist already looks like she has at least forty years compared to Raely’s twenty-five. She has very little time with her new owner to begin with.

Lady Elyri squeezes Raely’s knees. “That, too. But I mean that we might encounter situations where I give you a longer leash and you are required to go out on your own. I would never knowingly send you into danger, but you might encounter it. I want you trained to be able to spellcast on your own. I need to protect my property, but you need to make sure you can also protect my property.”