Ferendil sighed sadly and Kisa looked at her. “What does ‘compensation’ mean?”

A pained smile crossed Ferendil’s features. “Compensation is Lord Zymeth and Lady Ferendil’s word for punishment, usually involving work that my Lady would rather not do.” Giron answered, looking pitifully at her. “The Tree knows you have more than enough to accomplish each day.”

She shook her head at Kisa’s guilt-ridden expression. “Do not worry Ms. Kisa, Giron overdid his statement…”

He immediately interrupted. “Overdid? I think not.” He started to tick off the activities in her daily schedule. “You wake up to find Lord Zymeth in your room, checking the written work from the day before and thus, starting the dawn with a sermon for whatever mistakes you may have made. A light breakfast before a morning of practicing battle skills, moves and tactics with the masters of the clan or with Lord Zymeth himself. Political debates and lessons in statesmanship follow and with that, reasoning and speaking with the Master Warlocks of the High Council. Research, formulation and the transcribing of the semi and highly corruptive spells and artifacts in the massive library and all this before your sleep a few hours after dusk.”

“And of course…” He looked at Kisa. “There will always be extra-curricular activities. Aside from your added burden now, she still has rounds with the sentries like today, conversations with the peasants and tribunes, training us, the Yellow Lotus and Lord Zymeth’s numerous private requests.” His expression hardened, his voice getting lower. “And all these must be done each and every day.”

A look of awe adorned Kisa’s face as she looked at Ferendil. < And I thought I had a full schedule… >

Shaking her head, Ferendil spoke in a weary tone. “Stop please. You know that these are things I must do. Ms. Kisa.” Kisa looked up expectantly. “Let us go. I shall show you where you are to sleep. And Giron,” She turned towards him. “Please inform the Yellow Lotus of what has happened if some still do not know.”

He bowed and left the two. Kisa stared at his retreating form and said quietly. "He cares about you."

Ferendil gave a small smile at this. "You would be surprised, he wasn't always like that. He used to look down on me, treated me like a leech living off his esteemed master."

Her smile widened at the memory as they started to walk down a different wing. The fixtures here seemed newer and the murals were of silver instead of the violet seen everywhere.

"Who was his master? Zymeth?"

She shook her head. "No. Perhaps you have heard of 'him'"

A mischievous grin spread across her face and Kisa looked at her quizzically.

"Crid-chalir" Chuckling at Kisa's puzzled expression, she continued, "Also known as the White Death in Serposa."

Kisa gaped at her, "The White Death?!? He was rumored to be the spy that broke our defenses during the Great Battle!"

An amused and slightly mischievous smile was on Ferendil's face as they continued down the deserted hall.

"I heard from my otousan's friends that everyone was afraid of him because nobody had any idea how he found out about our towns' defenses or what he looked like. Some people actually said he was a ghost!"

Ferendil laughed loudly at this even as Kisa looked at her indignantly.

"I'm serious! Everyone was scared of him, well, except my ot...er...I mean our great leader Kenji."

Ferendil closed her eyes, a soft smile on her face.

"Lord Kenji defeated him in the Final Conflict." Kisa said proudly.

Nodding, Ferendil replied, "Yes, I did have the painful misfortune to encounter Sir Kenji in that battle,"

"WHAT?!?" Kisa, wide-eyed with shock, staggered back, nearly toppling over a silver urn as she pointed a trembling finger at Ferendil. "You?!? You are the White Death?!?"

Ferendil smiled very pleasantly at her. "Did I not say that Giron is my right hand man? Next in command of the Yellow Lotus where I hold supreme? It is no longer a secret within the Lotus clan that I was and still am the 'dreaded' White Death." She chuckled, making fun of herself as her companion just stared at her.

"But...But..."

Ferendil silenced her with a gesture as they neared a gaggle of servants who were milling around outside a room. One of them came near the pair, bowed and said, "Lady Ferendil, the prisoner's bed has been placed next to yours."

Ferendil gave him a quick nod. "Good. Please bring lunch for we have eaten little since this morning."

The servants all stepped back, bowed and left.

"Shall we continue our conversation inside?" She pushed open the door and gestured for her to go in. Her room was large and not as gloomy as most that they had passed by. A large window opened to a stone terrace overlooking the Lotus town square and there were several other smaller windows cut deep into the stone walls. Tall candelabras with real beeswax candles illuminated the 4 corners of the room and a wide table cluttered with papers, books and goatskin scrolls stood on one side next to a large dark wood closet. Her bed, imposing with four posts and drapes on the left corner, had a small and much plainer bed beside it.

One thing, however, caught Kisa's attention. There was a stand in the middle of the room, a large, thick marble bowl, polished and slightly gleaming against the gloomy light, adorned it. Ferendil merely watched as Kisa came closer to inspect it. The bowl was filled with glistening water, paper lotus flowers floated serenely upon its surface and a gnarled miniature tree with pointed dark green leaves grew on a bank at one side, shading the water partially.

Kisa's eyes widened and she turned to Ferendil. "Aren't these..."

A smile answered her as Ferendil also came closer, "The art of paper folding and the art of growing miniature trees. Origami and Bonsai."

Kisa stared at her even more. < She has to be a Dragon...No way a Lotus would learn pastimes of our clan's >

Ferendil's pale hands gently touched one of the flowers and watched as it bobbed up and down, spreading ripples throughout the bowl.

"During my first few days here, I remember making other figures, not this lotus. I showed them to Lord Zymeth and he never said anything but I could tell he didn't like it. I was confused as to why and showed it to Soban." Her eyes narrowed at the memory, "His reaction was typical as I would soon learn. He sneered at me, grabbed what I made and crushed it saying in his cackling old voice that it was nothing but garbage."

A leaf from the tree floated down to the water, rippling the surface once again. "Lotus clansmen apparently have a superiority complex over the other clans and well, they are Dragon skills and such, considered worthless." Ferendil shook her head and sat on the edge of her bed.

"It would be the first of many such incidents."

A knock on the door stopped their conversation as a troop of servants brought a small silver table for two and piled food upon it then bowed and left.

"But everyone bows to you over and over again when we pass."

Ferendil sat down at the table and started getting food for herself. "It's still there actually, the condescension towards me, only a lot have learned to do it behind closed doors out of fear." She looked up at Kisa and smiled. "Please sit down and eat. The food will grow cold."

She sat down uncomfortably on the high-backed chair, used to kneeling down for a meal. "People are afraid of you? You don't look scary to me at all."

Laughter soon turned to a slight choking fit and a panicked Kisa quickly gave her a glass of water. Ferendil gulped it down and sighed before starting to giggle.

"It's not because I look scary, it's because of the White Death."

The confused yet busily eating face made her elaborate upon her statement.

"You said that the White Death is feared in other lands right? He was also once feared here and still is, I suppose. When he first appeared some seventeen years ago, he was already a close acquaintance to Lord Zymeth and soon after was given an army of his own. Two months since he came, he was already a general whose elitist army has proven to be an asset in war. He also disappeared at times and came back with valuable information from the Serpent or Dragon making it easier for us to defend against them or attack back. He and his army successfully fended off the Horde and rescued Lord Zymeth from Sir Kenji. In time, he became known as an 'untouchable' within his clan for all his connections and a near impeccable record." She stopped and drank from a crystal goblet.

"Umm...near impeccable? Er..."

Ferendil apologized and said. "What I mean is a nearly perfect record as a high-ranking Lotus. 'Nearly' only because he was tainted by being 'paired' to one person."

A smirk twisted Ferendil's normally placid face. "Foolish little Dragon orphan seen entering and leaving his room." The smirk widened. "Foolish little me."

A frown crossed Kisa's face. Ferendil's story was getting very confusing. "I don't really understand...I thought you said you were the White Death?"

Ferendil nodded and replied, "At the time, only Lord Zymeth and the Zen masters knew this and nobody thought that the silly and mischievous little Dragon girl Lord Zymeth has running free around the keep is the same as the awful Crid-chalir." the smirk disappeared and a thoughtful look replaced it, "So many were disgusted by my mere presence and malicious rumors circulated like blood. Even within the Yellow Lotus, mutterings against the White Death’s choice of a ‘plaything’ were evident and Giron had the courage to tell his master that he agreed with these murmurs."

She shrugged and left the table, walking slowly towards a window. "It's in the past, means nothing."

Kisa sat still and looked quietly for a moment before asking, "Ummm...How old are you, onechan?"

Sitting down on the thick windowsill, Ferendil cocked her head ant Kisa at this question.

"What I mean is that the Final Conflict was sixteen years ago and you were already fighting against us and well, you don't look very old..."

The rain fell down heavier from the skies as the flash from a thunderbolt turned the girl at the window into a silhouette. She paused for a moment. "I guess there is no wrong in telling you. I am thirty-three years of age, more of less."

She paused again, looking thoughtfully out into the rain as Kisa stared at her in disbelief. < Thirty-three years old! >

A lock of black hair fell across the Lotus girl's face and she unconsciously reached up and tucked it behind her ear. "I cannot be sure of my age. I could be older by a few years," she smiled, "Everyone here treats me like a child because of that. Oh well..."

"A child!? But you are thirty-three years old! How much older can everyone else be?"

Purple eyes blinked. "What do you know of Lord Zymeth?" She shifted on her position so as to face the visitor. "How many generations of your clan has he lived through?"

Kisa started to count in her head. < Umm...1...2...3...> "Four and a half, you being part of the half, am I right?" Startled, Kisa nodded quite unsure.

"I think so." Ferendil stood and started to walk, talking all the while. "Four and a half…I think we can assume that each generations would be around 32 years? If so, that would be..." she murmured a bit, "One hundred...and forty...four years," she grinned at Kisa's thunderstruck look.

"He is 144 years old!?!"

Ferendil shook her head. He wasn't born at your Lord Hideo's reign. Lord Zymeth was already somewhat old then. I would put his birth at perhaps another 200 years before? He is probably older though."

The wind howled suddenly and slapped wet leaves onto the glass window.

"Whoa! Three-hundred forty-four...He must be the oldest person alive!"

Shaking her head and smiling, Ferendil said, "No, I believe Sir Koril is older and maybe some other Master Warlocks here." She stroked the blade of a partially concealed weapon, "I am not even a tenth of their ages,"

Kisa turned to get a better look at what she was holding, "What's that?"

"This? This is the first gift Lord Zymeth ever gave me." She took it from its stand and showed it to Kisa. It was roughly six feet in length with a two foot blade, strangely shaped and gleamed silver. A lightning-bolt shape in gold served as a blade guard and similar gold bands were near the center of the black steel pole, silver runes etched between them. She spun it with ease and presented it to Kisa.

"My beloved Crid-ma, which served me well in the war and after."

Kisa held it, amazed by its lightness despite it being entirely made of steel. "It's a dragon weapon… like a spear."

The girl nodded in reply, "Indeed. I do not know how to wield Lotus weapons and thus, this was crafted for me. The White Death wields it differently from me, however. I will show you,"

Kisa handed it back and Ferendil took something from a drawer. It was a golden sphere with the Lotus emblem on it and attached to it were twin silver blades, long and curving on one end, spread and piercing on the other. Ferendil let Kisa see that the sphere was hollow and with care, slipped it onto the lower end of the Crid-ma. She stared at it a bit, it was now a double-ended weapon, so much more deadlier for the enemy and the wielder herself.

"I mainly used that end to gut opponents behind me and to make sure the lying dead on the battlefield truly are dead. She sighed and closed her eyes. "I am glad those days are long gone."

Kisa picked at the curving willowy designs of Ferendil's bed sheets, what she said mimicked the concerns of her father. < "I do not wish to start another war…" >

She traced the green and gold leaf designs and the russet brown tendrils reaching the farther corners of the bed. "It was really that bad?"

The drawer was shut, the weapon returned to its stand and Ferendil stretched a bit before answering her smilingly.

"Probably worse, and I would do anything in the hopes of it never occurring again." She closed the drapes when she heard Kisa yawn.

"Sleep a bit of you like. I have written work to do anyway."

Kisa nodded, eyeing her sleepily, "Thanks onechan.." She crawled into bed and in a few minutes fell into the oblivion of sleep.