The Sin of Polais: Anis ch 5

The day Vargrain left, Anis watched as he galloped away with a sad expression on her face until he was no longer visible. She lowered her waving hand and stared at the ground for a while before returning to the mansion. Anis, wondered how long it would take Vargrain to return from the battlefield. She felt the emptiness of the house after Vargrain's departure, it reminded her of the time her family was killed. The emptiness left Anis feeling cold inside of her heart, she wanted to hear Vargrain's voice even though he had just left she was already feeling the loneliness that crept into her heart. She shook her head as if to throw away the loneliness she was feeling. She would not doubt is what she told herself. She wanted to believe, to believe that Vargrain will return safely back to the mansion and once more both would live quietly in the mansion like always with nothing changed.

Anis' thoughts were jumbled as she did her daily chores, which often involved cleaning the entire house, doing laundry, and shopping for food supplies, as well as tending to the garden in the back of the mansion, though she never really sheared the front of the yard as Vargrain loved nature and decided to let the weeds in the front grow to its content. A few hours go by, leaving Anis with nothing left to do, she laid down on the couch in the living room, the sunlight poured into the room from the window. Anis laid on the couch and thought deeply about how the war would continue, she thought of how she will greet Vargrain once he returned.

"I must smile. I must say 'welcome back'. I want to tell him everything. I want to give Var-sama my all." thought Anis as she laid on the couch.

Thus her days continued like this she waited for Vargrain's return. Anis slept after fulfilling her chores, the days continued on in this manner: morning chores, shopping, garden tending, and sleeping. Not much was left for Anis to do, she had no one she could talk to either for she lived alone with Vargrain inside of the mansion. She did not mind living alone with Vargrain, though whenever he would leave her alone at the mansion she was filled with a lonesome feeling as there were no other servants in the mansion to whom she could open her heart to. Anis was afraid of anyone aside from Vargrain and Agaret, as she knew of the discrimination that lived outside the walls of Vargrain's village. Anis had experienced it before the hatred thrown at her for being a High Elf breed because the people of Superbia had family taken from them by the high Elves, who had previously caused war with the Kingdom of Superbia.

Anis thought about the things Vargrain would be doing as she trimmed the garden. She sighed in a soft voice, "Var-sama, how I wish to see you..."

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The day that Vargrain had met Pusai, Anis was at the mansion as always doing her chores and relaxing in the living room reading a book that was taken from Vargrain's office. Anis enjoyed reading as it was the only way to sadate her loneliness and boredom, with Vargrain gone, she had no one to talk to, thus reading was often her solution. The sun was shining down on the table she sat at in the dining room of the kitchen lighting up the text on the book she read. The book was titled, "The Advanced Guidance to Magic".

There was a sudden knock at the window near the kitchen making Anis look up from her reading in wonder.

"Hmm...?"

Outside the window stood a white figure similar to Pusai's appearance, however, Anis could not see clearly as the sunlight that reflected onto the figure was too bright for her eyes to adjust to. Gradually, though, Anis' eyes readjusted themselves to the bright figure. The white figure had wings protruding from its back and long white hair that was longer than Anis could discern from the kitchen window. The figure then began to speak.

"Hello." said the white figure.

"Hmm? Ah... Hello...?" said Anis cautiously. She stared at the white figure in wonder as she spoke back to it. The white figure, then disappeared only to reappear sitting on the table that Anis had been reading on. "Eh?!" cried Anis in shock. "How did you?!"

"Do not fret. I'm not here to harm you girl." said the white figure in a calm manner as it poured tea for itself. "Have a seat, girl. I have come to give ou advice."

"A-advice?" asked Anis timidly as she seated herself. She was suspicious of the white figure, but she could feel a strong pressure coming from the white figure that oppressed her to sit.

"That's right, child. I've come to give you advice. Would you like to hear?"

Anis gave a look of suspicion, but nodded nonetheless.

"Very well, then child. Oh! It seems I have almost completely forgotten to introduce myself. Excuse me, for forgetting my manners! My name is Ivis, I am the one who governs the fate of the High Elves. Now then, your beloved, Var-sama is currently in trouble as he has been betrayed by Count Vani at the battlefield in the canyon with the Giants. If you wish to help him, now, is your greatest vantage. If you travel now and reach the village of Count Ito, you'll be able to reunite with Count Vargrain, but of course it is up to your decision whether or not you will go."

"Why are you giving me this advice, Ivis-san?" asked Anis with a worried expression. She could not completely trust this strangers advice, but Ivis' prescence gave an aura of truth.

"Because... It is all in order to set the balance back in order." answered Ivis as she sipped her tea.

"Balance?"

"Yes, the balance. Though even if I were to explain it now, you would not understand my meaning, therefore I will not tell you." Ivis gives a look of contempt as she sips the tea and sets it back on the table. Ivis then rises from her seat and flicks her hair with her hand. "Now, it seems my time here is up, so I will be taking my leave now, child. May the fortune of the Goddess, bless you." saying this Ivis vanishes much like how Pusai had.

"Eh?" Anis made a soft noise of surprise as Ivis vanished. She relaxed her shoulder as she thought of Ivis' advice. "Var-sama... What should I do?"

She was afraid. She didn't understand what had just happened, she tried to comprehend it, but couldn't. A mysterious being had appeared before her, warned her, and the vanished. It could not be said that the mysterious figure could be trusted, but Anis could not help, but feel that the figure was not lying about the advice given to her. Anis thought about the off chance that perhaps this advice was crucial to Vargrain and if she does not carry it out, what would happen? She gripped her hand to her chest and thought deeply about what it was she could do for Vargrain; what could she do about the advice given to her by Ivis.

In the first place what was Ivis?

Who is Ivis?

These thoughts circulated inside of Anis, but she had no time to worry endlessly about these thoughts. If it was for Vargrain, she would do anything for his sake. She made her decision, she would head out on a journey to Count Ito's village and find Vargrain. She would believe in the words of Ivis, even if it led her to a trap, she wanted to see him.

The next day, Anis prepared for her journey to Count Ito's village and left without a word after locking up the mansion.