The other ascendants arrived during the evening, and while Viris was cooking dinner, Pria helped their servants bring their belongings up to their rooms and get themselves situated as well. They knew where to go more than she did, taking up residence in rooms they haltingly told her were their usual quarters. It made Pria a little sick seeing other elves cower and bow before her, refusing to meet her gaze and keeping their voices soft and subdued. She wanted to tell them they didn't need to act around her, but she couldn't. They wouldn't trust her unless she revealed herself.

It was exhausting, both the work and the onslaught of emotions. Pria just wanted to have dinner with Viris and call it a day. After catching glimpses of the other ascendants—first Yscera, the Cave Ascendant, then Naalu, the Seabound Ascendant, followed by the Forest Ascendant, Haden, Krist, the Field Ascendant, and finally Eurill, the Desert Ascendant—Pria could even say she wouldn't mind Rahu's presence. It would be better than any of their sly smiles and hungry gazes.

They weren't true lords, but they certainly played the part well.

It felt like it took a small eternity to trudge up the stairs to the top of the tower. Pria's feet—along with the rest of her body—ached, and that more than anything told her she'd gotten soft. Treks like that should have been nothing, but since she came to the tower, she hadn't actually had to walk much or do any physical labor.

It made her skin prickle thinking about it. Just a few months, and she was already so different from the person she'd been when she came to the tower.

When she finally reached the dining room, she couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief. She just wanted a moment to herself—something else she hadn't known the luxury of when she was still just another elf. Shaking her head, she went inside. There was no use in such thoughts now.

Of course, her one wish couldn't be granted. There was a dozen other young men and women sitting around the table, none of which she recognized. They were all in fine clothing with rich colors, so they couldn't be human servants.

Pria crept forward. Her usual seat was left open, and while Rahu was absent, Viris still sat in his usual spot. His expression was one of perfect politeness which told her all she needed to know.

Pria took her seat across from him, eyeing the others at the table. Their ages varied, but they looked to be between fifteen and twenty-five years old, the youngest a slim boy with dark hair and skin, and the oldest a burly young man with pale hair and paler skin. The woman next to her gasped when she noticed Pria, grinning at her.

"You're Pria, Rahu's new servant, aren't you?" she squealed. Pria winced at the assault on her ears and nodded. The others at the table were looking at them now.

"Oh my fates, it's so good to meet you! My name is Faye, and I'm Master Yscera's senior apprentice. So what's he like? Rahu, that is. Don't you think he's just so mysterious? Oh, I guess you wouldn't think he's all that special since you work for him and all."

Pria blinked. The girl introduced herself as a senior apprentice, so... "Does Yscera have more than one apprentice?"

Faye laughed, eyes and mouth wide. The others joined in, snickering like children. Pria flushed. "Yes, each ascendant has anywhere from two to ten apprentices." Faye raised her hands to her lips, but that didn't hide her smile. "The ones that can have apprentices, that is."

"Miss Faye," Viris interjected, setting Pria's plate down in front of her, "I would suggest you eat the food prepared for you by your gracious host and household instead of insulting them."

Faye's mouth gave an audible click as she shut it, a light blush dusting her cheeks. Pria glanced at the others at the table, but none of them looked the least bit ashamed, some going as far as rolling their eyes. She bristled at the blatant disrespect.

They could say whatever they wanted to about Rahu, but she drew the line at insulting Viris. He was a kinnara. That fact alone should garner respect from these little mongrels.

Though she was still curious as to why Rahu couldn't take on any apprentices of his own, Faye and the others were about the last people she wanted to ask. Right next to Rahu himself, of course.

She'd have to ask Viris about it later. For the moment, she just wanted to eat her food and get out of there. The thought of her bed and a bit of privacy was enough to have her practically shovelling down the chicken dish Viris made for dinner, pointedly ignoring the little smirks the apprentices gave her. She didn't care what they thought of her. They probably never knew a day of hardship in their entire lives, so why should she give a divine's shiny ass about what any of them thought?

When she finished eating, she thanked Viris for the meal and excused herself. Before she could get away, however, Faye stopped her. The woman grabbed her arm, eyes shining, and Pria resisted the urge to punch her for the touch. "Wait, Pria, I wanted to ask—would you like to come to our sparring practice tomorrow? It's tradition among the apprentices to train together while our masters have their yearly meeting."

Pria could feel the eyes of the other apprentices boring holes into her skin. She suppressed a shudder. She might not care what they thought about her, but they were still creepy.

Should she accept? She couldn't see the harm in it. She might even be able to learn a little from watching the apprentices train, and this might be an opportunity to get pointers from actual human mages. The aspects were good teachers, but they still didn't know everything people needed to know to cast magic.

Pria said, "Alright, I'll be there. Which room are you meeting in?"

Faye released her, patting her arm instead. "I'll just send a servant to show you tomorrow. Oh, this'll be so much fun!"

Pria didn't really see what was so great about it, but she smiled anyway. She nodded to Faye and excused herself for the night again, leaving the room and the other apprentices to their meals. The lot acted like any other pampered nobles, but it was nothing Pria hadn't handled before. Hopefully, something good would come of meeting with them.

She made her way down the stairs once more, ignoring her aching feet and rubbing at sore arms. Halfway to her room, a thought occurred to her and she stopped. She continued down a couple of floors but left the stairwell before she got to hers. Peering around the hall, there didn't seem to be anyone out. Pria hurried to the correct door and knocked.

A few moments passed but the door didn't budge. Pria was debating on knocking again when it finally cracked open, revealing a small boy with big eyes, sunken cheeks, and pointed ears sticking out from the sides of his head.

Pria inhaled sharply before easing on a smile. The boy's expectant look didn't budge, his blue eyes guarded. "Hello," she said to him. He didn't respond, gaze trained somewhere over Pria's shoulder. The familiarity of it all made her chest ache. She used to be this boy. Now, she was on the other side of the very clear line between them. Clearing her throat, she tried again, "I'm one of Master Rahu's servants. I came to see if the accommodations were to your company's liking."

The boy nodded and ducked his head. Pria knew from experience that he was hiding an expression of confusion, maybe even frustration. Her stomach twisted.

"I also came to see if any of you were injured," she said softly. The boy looked up sharply, wide eyes glimmering. "I know healing magic, and I can heal their injuries."

Finally, the boy opened the door all the way and stepped back, watching her closely. He was tense, she noticed with a heavy heart. Waiting for her to snap or strike at him, no doubt. She tore her gaze from him and scanned the room. It looked like a large barracks, and she was pleased to note it wasn't without its own comforts. Beds lined the walls, each one separated by a curtain much like the ones in the infirmary, granting a hint of privacy. At either end of the large space were square tables stacked high with empty plates like slumbering beasts. Viris saw to that, at least.

There weren't enough chairs for the dozens of wary elves inside the room, but they each had their own beds. Pria knew that was a luxury in and of itself. She'd certainly never known the comfort of a bed until she came to the tower.

It stung that they all watched her with such suspicion, but she understood. She put on a smile for them even if she felt more like crying. "Could the injured please come up here?" she asked, knowing that everyone in the room would be swarming her—if they were brave enough to step forward.

No, she knew they were brave enough. They just didn't trust her. Even if she was a servant, she was still human to them. They probably expected her to punish them for coming forward.

Finally, one man stood from his bed and approached her. His arm was neatly wrapped in bandages, and Pria was surprised. She thought back to Sive running around earlier and wondered if they were the one responsible for this.

She smiled at the man, gesturing him closer when he stopped, uncertain. When he was finally close enough, Pria slowly put her hand on his arm and tried something she'd been working on recently. She wanted to show off for these elves, make them feel like someone important cared about them. So, she tried a spell that was a mix between storm and healing magic, using the two of them together to accurately sense any injuries without even being able to see them. It was typically used to identify places with internal bleeding, but it would work for this, too.

Under his bandage, she could sense a long but shallow cut. Simple. She called on her healing, giving her magic to the man and using it to stitch him back up. He inhaled sharply at the feeling but didn't pull away. It took only a moment, and then Pria was unravelling his bandage. The skin underneath was smooth and unblemished.

The man's mouth twisted, and Pria understood. He wanted to be happy he was healed, but he was supposedly healed by a human. The same people that took away his ability to tend to wounds on his own.

He stepped back and showed the room his healed arm. Ultimately, even if they hated it, being healed by a human was better than working with an injury, but only barely. She knew there were still some in the room that wouldn't come forward with their injuries, but that was okay. She would be back.

It was a small act, but someday, she hoped they would understand the truth behind it. For the first time in a long time, an elf was using magic, and she was using it to help them.