《(VERY OLD)》 Part 1 : Purgatory What do you think makes a life? According to the Ternary Fundamentalism, the makeup of one¡¯s being is the mind, the body, and the soul. I think, therefore I exist ¨C or so it would be for the centralism of the ¡°mind¡±. Even so, it is possible to reduce one¡¯s mind through all sorts of torture, or to condition it as to prevent the theory of mind to form, or even the formation of self-concept and free will, for that matter. In this case, would one be called alive? Biologically, a being with a self-preservation function is enough to be called alive, even if it was so primitive that it had no self-awareness. If so, then a being without a sense of self, as long as it has a self-preserving ¡°body¡±, is alive. Putting it that way, then at what point in evolution does one becomes ¡°alive¡±, if not the formation of self? Moving on to the next point, what if both the mind and body are in a state where they cannot maintain the self? This, is where the ¡°soul¡± comes into play. Most ¡°dualists¡± would state that the soul is one with the mind, or that it is only a metaphysical concept to identify ourselves with. However, the ternary dogma stated that while the mind, like the body, can be shaped or warped, the soul will always remain the same and is thus separate from the former. In short, it is the very essence of our being, one that cannot be affected by the occurring of the physical world. In any case, one widespread belief is that all three of them had to be in harmony to fulfill the criteria of life, to be in work as one instead of three, discrete substances. However, even with the advancement of science and technology, ¡°life¡± remained as one of the greatest conundrum of the universe. As for me? Well, I have my own theory. I think, therefore I exist, and yet, ¡°thought" is but a conclusion of causality based on our past experiences and memories. Without them ¨C memories, we are, essentially, without thought. Memories are what makes a life... well, alive. They are the proof of the working of one¡¯s mind, body, and soul. Even after death, the memories lives on within the off-springs. Genetic memory is passed on through countless generations, becoming the spark of evolution as they accumulate, little by little until they become the proof of entire civilizations. They become culture ¨C language, art, and technology. In other words, the ultimate product of life. It doesn¡¯t matter if the memories are false or forged because in the end, our being alive is determined by our own sense of selves¡ªour own qualia. Even if others do not, as long as we perceive ourselves as alive, that in itself is proof that we are. I think, therefore I exist. In this case, it becomes; I remember, therefore I exist. At least, that was what I believed. And now, here I am, recalling the memories of my last life and yet, I am not alive. Without the mind and body to tie the memories, they are merely a transient abstract that has yet to pass by, as is my own being. I am but a soul, soon to be integrated into the anima mundi¡ª into the Infinite Sphere. Even so, I am content. I have my memories and therefore, I have my life with me. So I lied in wait, floating within the Void that is my new home. I waited and waited, though I don¡¯t know what I was waiting for or why. No one knows what awaits beyond death¡ª true death that comes after the soul disintegrates. I don¡¯t know how long I waited. Here, time is only a relative concept. Millennia becomes minutes, and seconds becomes eternities. I was eternal, yet impermanent at the same time. I don¡¯t mind, though. Like I said, I had my memories. I spent my meta-life replaying the events of the past, over and over and over. I am... content. ? ? ? There¡¯s something new within the Void; a flickering stream of light, worming through the darkness like a serpent. What is that? It¡¯s searching for something. I don¡¯t know how, but I tried calling out to it and it noticed me. And now it¡¯s heading towards me. Is this it? Am I going to be taken soon? If that¡¯s the case, I shall surrender myself. As it comes into contact with my soul, the swirling light twists and wraps around my being like a cocoon. This... what is this...? I feel fear, even though I am without mind. The light is interfering with my soul invasively and it feels immensely... repulsive. Let go of me!The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. < Identifying subject. Stand by... > What? Who is it? Who¡¯s there? < Essence imprint sampled. Please provide thought imprint for further identification... > What are you doing to me? < Identification successful; Nexus ID confirmed. Arbiter indolentFae, please stand by for Metempsychosis Protocol... > This is¡­? No! STOP IT! < WARNING: Soul purge required. Initiating SAP... > < ¦²¡Òn¡õ¡õ¡õ = ( 2% ) > DON¡¯T! Whoever is doing this, please stop! < ¦²¡Òn¡õ¡õ¡õ = ( 8% ) > Why? Who would do this? Is it Eyhan? < ¦²¡Òn¡õ¡õ¡õ = ( 14% ) > Whoever it is, if you can hear me, PLEASE STOP! Don¡¯t erase my memories! They are my... my... < ¦²¡Òn¡õ¡õ¡õ = ( 19% ) > Stop... those are.. don¡¯t... take it... away...! < ¦²¡Òn¡õ¡õ¡õ = ( 37% ) > I... what was I... thinking just now..? I see... the more I think of it..., the faster it is... taken... < ¦²¡Òn¡õ¡õ¡õ = ( 45% ) > Don¡¯t¡­ think about it! Shite... it¡¯s pointless. I can¡¯t help... but think of my most precious memories... < ¦²¡Òn¡õ¡õ¡õ = ( 66% ) > Why is... Who...? I... What was my name? < ¦²¡Òn¡õ¡õ¡õ = ( 82% ) > I... I can¡¯t... remember... < ¦²¡Òn¡õ¡õ¡õ = ( 93% ) > < Optimal rate reached; SAP successful. Re-initating Metempsychosis Protocol... > I¡¯m... I¡¯m being guided by the light. Where...? Where are you taking me? Who are you? Who am I? Why am I here? Why? Why? Why am I...? Why? Why? Why am I falling? Are you leaving me? Ah... no. Please, don¡¯t leave me. It¡¯s dark... It¡¯s dark... Why? Why is it so dark? I¡¯m alone now... I¡¯m alone... All alone... Why am I alone? Why is it getting darker? Why am I getting sleepy? I... Why do I feel so... tired... I... I think I¡¯m... I think I¡¯m going to sleep for awhile... < Soul injection successful. Initiating post-Metem Overhaul... > < Ternary Fundamentals concordance rate: 98%. > < Essential ¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? vitality rate: 87%. > < Genetic compatibility rate: 94%. > < ¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? and ?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? correlative adaptability rate: 65%. > < WARNING: ¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? and ?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? correlative adaptability rate is below optimal. Factoring with overall results... > < Conclusion: optimal rate unnecessary; no changes are made. Concluding post-Metem Overhaul... > PART 1 : Purgatory
Chapter 1 : Condemned Chapter 1 Condemned ¡¸Oy.¡¹a young man¡¯s voice called out.¡¸Brat.¡¹ ¡­Rude. I can feel something gnawing on my hair, pulling it. ¡¸Wake up,¡¹so the rude voice says. How about learning some manners first? In the meantime, I think I¡¯ll sleep some more. The moss and fern are very¡­ comfortable¡­ - Prick - Ow! What the hell?! I open my eyes and turn my head around to see a black bundle of feathers. It¡¯s¡­ a crow. It¡¯s a big, big crow with pitch black feathers. I quickly sit up and take on a wary stance against this bizarre adversary. It has the same height as me while I¡¯m sitting, and its wingspan is probably more than I am tall. It¡¯s certainly too big for a crow, so I guess it¡¯s more accurate to call it a raven? Actually, it doesn¡¯t matter because either way, that size is in no way natural. Though rather than its size, what estranges me the most is the eyes, the glowing red eyes, with reptile-like pupils that seemed too uncanny for the eyes of a bird. Wait, the real question is¡­ did this bird just prick the back of my head? ¡¸Hah, finally. I thought you¡¯dnever wake up. What a drag.¡¹ ¡­Hmm. That¡¯s the same voice as before, but I don¡¯t see him anywhere. Show yourself! ¡¸What do you mean, ¡°show yourself?¡± I¡¯m right here, witless brat!¡¹ I start looking around for the owner of the voice. Yes, the raven¡¯s beak may be moving accordingly to the words, but a bird can¡¯t talk, you know that, right? Shame on you for having the thought even cross your mind. So I look around, and I found that I am somewhere... dark, or it¡¯s probably just night. And the walls¡­ the walls towering around, covered in hanging moss and ivy-like plants. ¡­Where the hell am I? ¡¸Oy. Can you hear me? Can you perhaps understand me? Ahh, that¡¯s it. You can¡¯t even understand me, can you? You silly primitive creature©¤¡¹ Shut up, prick. ¡¸....What did you call me, brat?¡¹ Huh? Did I say that out loud? ¡¸You certainly did, snotty brat.¡¹ The raven let out a deep sigh. What the heck. Can birds even do that? Or rather, ravens don¡¯t speak. Well, not usually, at least. They croak. And yet, the raven here is talking fluently in human language ¡ª something impossible to achieve just by mimicking. So how is it speaking? ¡¸So who is what?¡¹ You. How are you speaking? ¡¸What? I¡¯m just speaking normally.¡¹ But how do you pronounce words? Are you using your tongue? You don¡¯t even have lips and yet you¡¯re moving your beaks. Are you using your beaks? ¡¸ What¡¯s with all the questions, brat? I¡¯m just speaking normally, you know. In fact, I¡¯m the one who should be asking you. Can you even speak properly?¡¹ Huh? Properly? ¡¸Yeah. You know, with your voice and mouth.¡¹ With my¡­ voice and mouth? ¡¸You¡¯ve been projecting your thoughts instead of speaking, but it¡¯s annoying, you know. My mind is filled with more important things than your petty thoughts. You know, if I were you, I¡¯d just speak normally. Can you even speak properly? Yeah. You know, with your voice and mouth.¡¹ You know, he¡¯s being infectiously repetitious. It¡¯s probably because he¡¯s a bird, you know. Now then, he said some important things just now. I have been ¡°projecting¡± my thoughts? Does that mean I¡¯ve been speaking, err¡­ I don¡¯t want to say, telepathically? Now that he mentioned it, I haven¡¯t been moving my lips at all. Well then, let¡¯s test it. ....... Let¡¯s try again. Umm¡­ How do you speak, again? I put more force through my throat, but still, nothing. No, seriously, how do people speak in the first place? ¡¸Hold on.¡¹ Huh? What is he... S?Stay back! I crawl back against the raven who¡¯s walking, or, hopping towards me, only to realize that there¡¯s a wall right behind me. ¡¸Oy. I¡¯m just going to check you, you know?¡¹ He stands there in front of me, too close for my comfort. Then he lays his sharp beak on the bare part of my chest, tracing upwards in a slow, intimate manner, up to the base of my throat, the feeling of which brought an involuntary shudder. Err¡­ did a bird just caress me? The raven just sighs deeply. Still a mystery. A bird, sighing. ¡¸It¡¯s a pain, but there¡¯s no choice. There¡¯s no choice, so you can continue that way of voicing your thoughts, because there¡¯s no choice, I guess. It¡¯s a pain, but I guess because there¡¯s no choice...¡¹ Huh? I tilt my head at him. His bird-speak makes his words so hard to understand. ¡¸How pitiful. There¡¯s no damage to your strings or voice muscles, yet for some reason, you can¡¯t utilize them. Your nerves lack the ability to move your voice muscles. How pitiful. I guess there¡¯s no choice but for you to keep sending your thoughts. It¡¯s a pain, but there¡¯s no choice.¡¹ Uhm¡­ in short, I can¡¯t speak? He¡¯s saying I¡¯m a mute? He said strings. Did he mean my vocal cords? For some reason, I don¡¯t doubt him. Even if he¡¯s a birdbrain, there seemed to be truth in his voice. I see no harm in believing his explanation for now. Not that I¡¯m giving up on being able to speak, though. But, this bird is really an oddball. He diagnosed me with muteness just by... nuzzling me with his beak? Somehow I feel a little bad because he kept saying that it¡¯s a pain. Well, just a little. Umm... thank you. The raven froze. I?I mean, for telling me my illness and for allowing me to, uh¡­ ¡°speak¡± to you. ¡¸Hmph. It¡¯s because there¡¯s no choice, you know? Otherwise, you wouldn¡¯t be able to speak. It¡¯s not like I think of your thoughts are important, but because there¡¯s no choice, so I¡¯ll just bear with your little and unimportant thoughts.¡¹ The raven looks away awkwardly while saying that. You¡¯re...umm, you¡¯re not... Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡¸Hmm?¡¹ You¡¯re not going to hurt me, are you? ¡¸Now why would I do that? I¡¯m not like those other savages here, you know. Did you perhaps wake me up because you didn¡¯t want the savages to find me? ¡¸What? Well, it¡¯s not like that. I just thought it would be fun conversing with you, you know? Though you turned out boring... Well, anyway, it¡¯s not like that.¡¹ Again, he looks away in the same awkwards manner. ¡¸Huh? What¡¯s with that look?¡¹ Hmm? Nothing. ¡¸Like I said, it¡¯s because there¡¯s no choice, you know?¡¹ Yeah, yeah, I get it. That¡¯s what I said while smiling, somehow knowing that this bird means me no harm. I had to fight the urge to reach out and pet him. Anyway, while he¡¯s in a good mood... Say, can you tell me where we are? I look around again. High walls surrounds the wide area in a square shape, mostly covered in hanging vegetation that shoot out the cracks. Moss and the like scatters all over the grounds, covering it almost entirely except for a few patches where the stone-paved ground is visible. There are two openings on the opposite walls, but it¡¯s too dark to see what lies beyond. On my back, there¡¯s a gazebo-like stone structure that stands in the middle of the area. Like the walls, it¡¯s covered in green. ¡¸Where? Well, we¡¯re in what I call area 346, right. Or was it 364?¡¹ No, no, I mean, what is this place? ¡¸Oh, well we¡¯re in the... you know, the thing. Where we always are.¡¹ Of course. That explains everything. My eyes adapted pretty quickly, it seems. I can now see the nearer opening where the walls parts and continues through the path. Somehow, the scenery reminds me of something. It¡¯s like... Like a maze or a labyrinth. ¡¸I don¡¯t remember the name of this place.¡¹the bird said in a regretful voice. Of course, you don¡¯t, you birdbrain. ¡¸But it¡¯s not important, you know? I mean, I¡¯ve been here for so long, and I never needed to know the name anyway.¡¹ I stand up and brush off the plant residues that stuck on my clothes. ¡­Clothes. Come to think of it, I¡¯m wearing clothing that I don¡¯t remember ever putting on. It¡¯s a sleeveless dress, reaching just above the knee. It has a light color ¡ª maybe white? It¡¯s dark, so I can¡¯t really tell. Also, no shoes. Whoever gave me these clothes forgot about the shoes. We¡¯re in a maze or some sort, aren¡¯t we, Mister Bird? ¡¸Hmm... something like that, I guess. A dungeon too. It¡¯s for corrections or something, I think. Detention, punishment, something. I don¡¯t remember.¡¹ What was that? Hey now... We¡¯re in a prison? ¡¸Something like that, I guess. A dungeon too.¡¹ A what?! Hold on, why a prison? Did I do something wrong? Why can¡¯t I remember anything? Wait, if this is a prison, then why are you here? Do you have a criminal record? ¡¸Eh? Well, don¡¯t know, don¡¯t remember.¡¹ ¡­Of course. He¡¯s a bird, after all. What did I expect? Well, in any case, I¡¯m not going to sit here and do nothing, so I walk towards one of the opening. I have nothing to start with, so I might as well begin now. ¡¸Hmm? Where are you going?¡¹ I¡¯m going to find a way out. ¡¸Ehh, just stay here, why don¡¯t you?¡¹ Sorry, but I want to go out. There¡¯s nothing to do here, anyway? ¡¸....¡¹ Wait a second. He¡¯s a bird, isn¡¯t he? And birds can fly, which means¡­ which means it¡¯s time for me to put on my most charming smile. - super-effective-smile attacks - Do you know the way out, Mr. Bird? ¡¸...Nope. Never gonna tell you.¡¹ Why not? ¡¸More fun that way, you know.¡¹ It shouldn¡¯t be able to do it, but somehow, I get the feeling that the raven is grinning. Darn. I guess it wouldn¡¯t be that easy. Is he planning to make me stay here? ...I¡¯m going anyway. I guess I¡¯ll see you around? ¡¸Eeh¡­? But this place is big, you know. You¡¯ll get lost, you know.¡¹ Then, help me? I cutely tilt my head at him. At least I intended it to be cute, but he just froze in shock. ¡­No, that might mean he¡¯s thinking about it? I can¡¯t believe it worked, he¡¯s thinking about it! ¡¸Then, you¡¯ll have to beat me!¡¹he suddenly shouted, nearly giving me a heart attack. The raven¡¯s eyes sparkled as though he just thought of an ingenious way to deal with me. Beat you how, exactly? ¡¸A game! We¡¯ll play a game!¡¹ The raven tugs on my clothes and leads me to the center of the gazebo-like structure, which is going to be the arena what this ¡°game¡±, I assume. Let¡¯s just go along for now. We face each other in the stone gazebo. His eyes are still so sparkling ¡ª you can¡¯t wait to play, can you? ¡¸If you win, I¡¯ll tell you which of the two passages is the better choice!¡¹ Suddenly, he plucks one of his feathers and looks at me with gleaming eyes. I think I see where this is going... ¡¸I will put this feather on one of the four supports of this structure, and you will have to guess which one with your eyes closed! Now, close your eyes!¡¹ Ah, yes. Of course, it had to be something like this, but¡­ why bother? It¡¯s not like he¡¯d gain anything from this. Is he testing me? Seeing how he acted earlier, he¡¯d probably help me either way, wouldn¡¯t he? Anyway, I close my eyes and hear his wings flapping. Then, I feel the touch of his feathers pressing on my face. ...He¡¯s covering my eyes? So he thinks I¡¯m not trustworthy? You don¡¯t have to cover my eyes, Mr. Bird. That makes me sad, you know. ¡¸I¡¯ll let you ask me two questions, to which I will answer ¡°yes¡±, ¡°no¡±, ¡°either¡±, ¡°neither¡±, or ¡°both¡±. But, it¡¯s two questions, and two only!¡¹ His feathers are pretty ticklish. I hope he grooms regularly because he¡¯s pretty much rubbing his feathers on my face. Oh, he said something about questions, did he? I smile to myself as a mischievous plan forms in my mind. ¡¸Eh! And you can¡¯t ask about which way to take, too!¡¹ ¡°Tch.¡± So he realized. Even though I want to embarrass him... well, it doesn¡¯t matter. Then, can I change the bet? ¡¸Mm?¡¹ If I win, you¡¯ll have to come with me. ¡¸And if you lose?¡¹ Then, I¡¯ll stay here and play with you. ¡¸...Alright, deal! Come on, then, where did I put the thing?¡¹ How about my questions? ¡¸Kowakhakha! You¡¯ve run out just now! Like I said, two questions only!¡¹ ¡­Was that his laugh? I can¡¯t really see his expression, but he sure is smug. Technically, ¡°can I change the bet¡± was indeed my first question and his ¡°alright¡± was yes. Which means, me asking about the questions count as the second, I suppose? How cunning. Either way, I had used my question the best way I could by raising the bet. As cunning as he is, a birdbrain is still a birdbrain. ¡¸Heh. Now, how are you going to guess?¡¹ It¡¯s on the spot behind me, right? ¡¸Huh?!¡¹ Well? ¡¸¡­No?¡¹ I pull away from him and turn around to see that the feather is indeed there. I look back at him with a big grin painted over my face. Well? ¡¸But, how¡­?¡¹ I¡¯ve got my tricks. Now will you honor my agreement, or will you turn back on your own words? ¡¸Of course not!¡¹ Well then, lead the way, Mr. Bird. Hehe! From how he spoke, he seemed to know his way around, right? Which means, maze guide acquired! The maze guide appears to be distracted, though, probably still thinking about how I beat him. Should I mention that covering my eyes does nothing to my hearing, and that I could hear his wings flapping? ¡­Nah. Let¡¯s let him stress about it for a while. --- --- --- After that, he led me to one of the passage and as per our agreement, he¡¯s coming along with me. Now then, please guide me to the exit. ¡¸Nay, why should I?¡¹ Eh? Are you going back on your word? ¡¸I only said I¡¯d come with you. I don¡¯t need to help you.¡¹ ....Ah. It¡¯s true that he didn¡¯t say anything about helping me. Hmm, I get it. Revenge for earlier, isn¡¯t it? What a sore loser you are, Mr. Bird, and now you think you got me played for a fool. Well, we¡¯ll see about that. There¡¯s got to be some way to make use of him. After all, he¡¯s a birdbrain, so how hard could it be?
Chapter 2 : The Dark Maze Chapter 2 The Dark Maze At first, I thought it was night because of the darkness, but there are no stars or other objects that could indicate the existence of a sky. Perhaps it¡¯s just a very cloudy night, or so I hoped. And then there¡¯s the temperature. There¡¯s no wind, and yet it¡¯s cold. The little clothing that I have does little to ease the chill. After a while of walking, I understood that this place is, indeed, a maze. With the intricate branches and structure, combined with the darkness, it should¡¯ve been hard to judge and decide the directions I was going. Well, should¡¯ve been. Why did I say that, you ask? Because I had acquired a ¡°cheat¡± of some sort. For example, after walking into the opening and meeting my first branching paths... ? ? ? A path to the left and a path to the right¡ªthe choice stood in front of me. Let¡¯s go with left, since there¡¯s nothing else to go on, anyway. Then, as I went on the left path... ¡¸Pfft!¡¹ ...Right it is, then. ¡¸Mm!¡¹ This pattern continued for next instances of splitting lanes. Every time, I had to resist the urge to chuckle or give him a remark. I feared that if he knew I can read him, he¡¯d stop giving any kind of reaction to my choices. I mean, I did say I want to take advantage of him, but I didn¡¯t know it would be this easy. Even so, Mr. Bird is abnormally intelligent for a bird. I can¡¯t help but doubt his obliviousness. It¡¯s possible that he knows that I know, in which case, it would be that I know that he knows that I know...so confusing. Anyway, even with a ¡°cheat¡±, I still can¡¯t make the time to wrap my head around all this. I feel like I¡¯m being swept by a river, doing what I can with what I¡¯m given with no idea what I¡¯m walking into. What else can you do when you wake up in the middle of a maze with only a talking bird to keep you company? Not to mention this unsettling darkness, everything just seems to unnerve me the more I think about it. Actually, it¡¯ not just dark. If I look properly, there¡¯s something else that renders me unable to see into the distance, like some dark-colored fog. Although, perhaps this fog may be why I can even see in the first place, as it seems to be giving a very faint light. Since there¡¯s no visible source of light, naturally, I shouldn¡¯t be able to see anything at all. I don¡¯t particularly fear the darkness or the eerie fog, though. Rather, it¡¯s the silence that bothers me the most. There¡¯s no wind, no sound at all. Not even the rustling of the leaves hanging on the wall.The only sound I can hear is my own footsteps and the occasional flapping of the wings of a particular bird. Mr. Bird is mostly walking©¤or, hopping on protruding parts on the wall, only using his wings to jump between platforms. One time, It was so quiet that the first time he jumped, it scared the heck out of me. I don¡¯t know if he noticed or not, but after that, he had been flapping his wings for no reason at all and does it in a way that made it sound unnecessarily loud¡ª -FLAPFLAP- Wah! ¡¸...Pfft?!¡¹ ¡­He¡¯s doing this on purpose, this damn bird. ¡¸Oy, brat. Have a name?¡¹ As rude as always. I¡¯m not ¡°brat¡±. I¡¯m... ¡­Huh? My name is¡­ I... my name¡­ I can¡¯t remember my name. In fact, I can¡¯t remember anything. Not how I got here, and not the time before then. But, to think I can¡¯t even remember my own¡­ ¡­¡±remember?¡± That¡¯s assuming I did forget my memories. What if I didn¡¯t forget anything after all? What if¡­ what if there¡¯s nothing to remember in the first place? ¡¸What? Don¡¯t you have a name?¡¹ I... I don¡¯t know, I replied honestly. ¡¸So you don¡¯t know your own name? How pitiful.¡¹ What about you, Mr. Bird? What do I call you? ¡¸It¡¯s not ¡°Mr.Bird.¡± It¡¯s ¡°Hadda¡±.¡¹ Hadda? I repeat his name that¡¯s foreign to my tongue. Not that I even use my tongue. ¡¸Yes, ¡°Hadda¡±. You should be grateful, you know? Only few can call me by this name, you know.¡¹ Okay, then... Hadda, is it nighttime right now? ¡¸Huh? Maybe? Can¡¯t tell. It¡¯s always dark.¡¹ So it¡¯s not night, then, which means we¡¯re probably pretty deep underground. Well, Hadda did say that we¡¯re in a ¡°dungeon¡± earlier, but there should still be light normally, right? Or should I not use normal standards in a dungeon-maze like this? ...Normal. What¡¯s ¡°normal¡±, anyway? What am I using as a basis when I don¡¯t remember as much as my own name? Thinking about it, I know and remember other, basic things such as words and languages. I know that living beings need air to breathe, I know that animals don¡¯t normally speak, and I know the difference between cold and warm. So why don¡¯t I know my own name? My answer to that is the same answer to the reason I¡¯m here, as well as everything else; don¡¯t think about it. If you don¡¯t think about it, there¡¯s no problem. What¡¯s important right now is to find the exit, right? As I came to that conclusion, another branch came my way. Well, same cheat I guess... ¡¸Go left.¡¹ Eh? ¡¸Go left.¡¹ Oh, umm... Okay. Why the sudden help? Is he feeling generous, all of a sudden? I don¡¯t think he¡¯s tricking me, at least. Instead, I feel like he¡¯s steering me away from danger, so I go along for now. ? ? ? ...That didn¡¯t happen only once. Every time, Hadda would direct me where to go and every time, I complied. I never asked for a reason. I just followed because he didn¡¯t sound like he was playing around. After some time, as my knees were about to give and my breaths were getting shallow, it appeared before us. A dead end, that is. Even though I said it¡¯s a dead end, it¡¯s actually a large open area with no other paths aside from the one we came from. With no way to go but back, it¡¯s still technically a dead end. Did Hadda make a mistake? ¡­No, he would¡¯ve said something if he did. Instead he just stayed quiet as if waiting for something. There seems to be more to this area than meets the eye. There are some objects of interest in this area that makes me think like that. First is a wide pillar located in the middle, serving absolutely no purpose other than a crappy, out-of-place ornament. Second is the fact that an area of the wall on the far side, directly opposite of the opening, stands out because it¡¯s clear of the usual plantation. I smell something. Yes, this smells like a puzzle, like a secret door or something, right? Well then, time to investigate the scene. I head over to the opposite wall and inspect it. Looking closely, there seems to be a narrow gap there, which I peek into. I can see lines in the darkness, blocks arranged in a mechanical way¡ªmust be some kind of mechanism to open the passage, but how to activate it? Should I ask Hadda? The bird in question stares at me silently, as if expecting something from me. I know now that there¡¯s something to be done here, and Hadda wants me to realize that myself. I also know that he wants me to ask him for help. Well, I won¡¯t. Hmm? Ego? I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I just thought I shouldn¡¯t keep relying on the bird, you know? This has nothing to do with my pride, or the fact that the bird will keep undermining my intelligence if I were to ask him for help. At any rate, time to investigate that conspicuous pillar in the center. I circle around the four-sided pillar. On two sides of the pillar are rectangular frames. Inside these frames there are solid figures, interlocking in a way that they fill the entire frame. At least, that¡¯s what it looks like at first. Looking closely, the figures seems to be blocks that runs through the pillar. ¡­I don¡¯t know what to make of this. I look at Hadda, and he is still waiting for me to beg for his great wisdom. Hah, in your dreams. ¡­Or so I said, but I really don¡¯t know where to start. - sigh - This is going to take a while, so I might as well rest for a bit. --- --- --- I rest my legs as I lay down, my back flat on the ground while I gaze up the darkness above, admiring the nonexistent stars. ¡­To be honest, I¡¯m scared. Not of my circumstance, but of how I¡¯m reacting to it. I¡¯m scared at how quickly I adapt to the situation, because it makes me wonder what would¡¯ve happened if I wasn¡¯t as quick in handling all this. I¡¯m scared that if I think too much about anything, I would lose my composure. What would I do then? What am I even doing now? Find an exit¡ªis that all there is to it? Three words to define my purpose, to define all that I am now because I have nothing else. I have no memories of anything else¡ª ¡¸Cluck, cluck.¡¹ ¡­That¡¯s when the bird starts making weird noises, clucking like a chicken while jumping around, then croaking at the sky for no reason. As I¡¯m wondering whether I should hit him in the head to fix it, our eyes meet. ¡¸...Bored...¡¹ Mm? ¡¸Bored...¡¹ - sigh - What is it, now? ¡¸ Bored. ¡¹ A shiver ran through my spine when his eyes flashed. I knew that instant that I¡¯m in danger, but it¡¯s too late now. As Hadda makes a beeline towards me like an arrow, there¡¯s nothing I can do but brace myself. He crashes into my side and quickly, brutally starts pricking me repeatedly with his beak. Stop it! I try to get away, but he pulls my hair to keep my down. ¡­At the very least, this made me too occupied to think too much about anything. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. --- --- --- I was twiddling with my messy hair (thanks to a certain bird) when I realized I don¡¯t even know how I look like. I grasp the hair in my hand, noticing how silky it felt to my touch. The color¡­ perhaps withish blond? A beautiful color, if I may say it myself. That¡¯s why I feel regret. It¡¯s only a matter of time before the white is covered in grime¡­ ¡­No, what are you saying? There¡¯s no way I¡¯m staying here for that long. I¡¯m finding that exit before this hair turns ugly. I¡¯m getting out of here and find the people who put me here and demand an answer from them, and I won¡¯t stop for as long as I breathe. Ah, come to think of it¡­ Hey, Hadda... ¡¸What?¡¹ You said earlier that there¡¯s never any sunlight here? ¡¸Yah, that¡¯s what I said.¡¹ Then all these green... how come they¡¯re alive? They don¡¯t get light, and I doubt there are people around to water them, are there? ¡¸The plants here are nurtured by the aether field. They practically don¡¯t need water nor light, as the field compensates for it.¡¹ Wait, what? Ae-what field? ¡¸Aether field. The entire maze is stuffed with high-concentration aether field. Because of that, the plants¡¯ vessels are also brimmed with mana. As it is the most rudimentary form of energy, it¡¯s simple for the plants to process the mana in their vessels into a form of other energies they can use, thus removing the need for synthetic nutrients. However, unconventional transpiration still occurs, by design, in order to supply the lifers with air. Vascular mana would be transpired to allow external mediator elements to diffuse, and then they would process it to produce¡­ okay, where did I lose you?¡¹ I think at ¡°aether¡±. ¡¸¡­Pitiful. You don¡¯t know anything, do you?¡¹ He¡¯s smirking. Well, birds can¡¯t do that, but I know he¡¯s making fun of me, dammit. ¡¸I guess I have to explain to you the basics, huh. Well, first of all, what do you know about aether?¡¹ Umm¡­ this much? ¡¸You¡¯re not raising your hands.¡¹ Exactly. ¡¸Pitiful. Then, are you aware of the natural cycle? Conservation of energy? Anything?¡¹ I think about it for a second, then I nod. ¡¸Are you sure?¡¹ It¡¯s something about how the amount of energy stays the same? ¡¸¡­Close enough. The total amount of energy within a closed system is constant because you can¡¯t create or destroy energy. On that take, aether would be the energy outside the system which you can use to add or subtract from it. Simply speaking, it¡¯s a source of energy outside of our perceivable world, which you can harness through the alignment of the subconscious of the will¡­ did I lose you again?¡¹ Umm¡­ ¡¸¡­- sigh - You know that the world is filled with matter, right?¡¹ Yes. ¡¸If matter is what fills our world, then aether is what ¡°fills¡± the world beyond our tiny four-dimensional world. Can you understand that much?¡¹ And¡­ we can harness this how? ¡¸ Alignment of the subconscious and the will. ¡¹ Right... What is he going to say next? Use the aether to make positive vibes that heal our souls or others from a distance? I never knew a bird could be into such things. ¡¸ You know, I feel like you¡¯re insulting me. ¡¹ It¡¯s just your feeling. Before Hadda could explain more, something interrupts us, something worse than the cold silence of the maze. The little warm in my body left me and the darkness that I had been accustomed to suddenly became terrifying, all simply because I heard it. The haunting bellow of a beast. ...H©¤Hadda¡­? ¡¸Hmm? ¡¹ What was that just now? ¡¸A lifer, probably.¡¹ A lifer? ¡¸Umm... something I said earlier. About detention, I think. Yeah, they¡¯re the ones that aren¡¯t allowed to go out.¡¹ You mean like¡­ they¡¯re prisoners? ¡¸Yah, something like that. Scared?¡¹ N?Not really¡­ I draw my eyes to the passage because that¡¯s where the sound came from. It was far away, but it was still enough to send freezing chills down my spine. At the end of the passage, I can somehow see the shadow of a hulking beast, slowly making its way towards us, eyes glaring and hungry. At least, that¡¯s how I imaged the source of the sound would be. There¡¯s nothing at the end of the passage, but why do I feel like something will show up there? Not to mention that Hadda guided me here, dictated which path to take as if to avoid something. As I thought, a prisoner that needs a place like this to lock it in¡­ what kind of dangerous creature would it be? ¡­As usual, don¡¯t think too much about it. Unable to rest after that, I stand up and face the enigmatic pillar before me. Now then, how does this thing work? ? ? ? For the last few minutes, I had been tinkering with the pillar, trying to figure out how it works.I tried pushing one of the blocks¡ªwhich was freaking heavy¡ªand as anticipated, they¡¯re the same blocks as the one on the other side of the pillar. The shapes of the blocks matched the ones across to it, too. Many of the blocks had extended parts near the touchable surface, and this made it impossible to keep pushing a block because the others adjacent to it would block it. I also noticed some kind of mechanical adhesive. It ran through the pillar, as well as on the sides of the blocks. While it made the blocks stuck to the frame and to each other, it also allowed for planar movement as well as sliding against the other. I don¡¯t really know how it works. It must¡¯ve been made with some kind of cutting-edge technology. By this point, I concluded that I had to dislodge some or all of the blocks to complete the puzzle. Meaning, I had to arrange the blocks and push them out of the pillars. So far, I¡¯ve only been doing trial and error; pushing one block after the other, only to find it¡¯s blocked by something on the other side, forcing me to go around and around the pillar. This is frustrating! I thought I could finish it as long as I keep at it, but how long can I keep it? Hey, it¡¯s harder than it sounds, you know. Don¡¯t judge. Anyway, this is taking too long. Take too long, and the owner of the sound earlier might just stumble into this area. I must be methodical. No more trial-and-error. I search around and spot some bushes around the corner of the area. I skip there and eye one good branch and crack it off. Thin branch acquired! With this, I shall conquer you, puzzle! With the new weapon in hand, I walk back near the pillar and find a comfortable place to sit down. ¡¸Giving up?¡¹ No, I¡¯m just trying a different approach. ¡¸Oh?¡¹ With that, Hadda flew beside me to see what I¡¯m working on. With the thin branch, I start drawing on the dirt the two frames that were across each other. Then I start drawing the blocks and how they relate to each other, which block is obstructing which, etc. Then I start drawing more frames, a lot of it, to do simulations and write the sequences on how to move the blocks, looking back and forth between my drawing and the frames on the pillar. Ah, Hadda flew away. Did he get bored watching me? Or so I thought, but he comes back with his own stick in his beak. ¡¸Let¡¯s play. ¡¹ I¡¯m busy. ¡¸It¡¯s a competition to see who gets it done first. Let¡¯s play! ¡¹ Eh? I meet his eyes to see them glow like they did in our first game. He¡¯s serious about this. Err¡­ sure. ¡¸I¡¯ll let you have that head-start because you¡¯re so pitiful, ¡¹ he said as he starts drawing his own frames. It¡¯s not like I really care about winning, but I start drawing my sequences faster after that. --- --- --- I¡¯m done. I see Hadda¡¯s side to see he¡¯s still about halfway done. ¡¸Oh, you are? ¡¹ Yup. ¡¸Well, you only win if your drawing is correct. ¡¹ It is. To prove it, I head towards the pillar and start working the first step, which is to push one of the blocks all the way out. I flex my arm and start pushing from one side. Uguuh¡­! ¡­... Ngaah¡­! Phew! I think that¡¯s all I can push. Then I circle around to the other side and start pulling. Heyaaah¡­.! Just give it up, block! I keep pulling and pulling, my arms nearly going numb when finally¡­ - BLAM ¨C ¡­¡­ I look down to see it landed right by my foot. Pfft, hahaha! I was this close to have my foot crushed! ¡­No, seriously. I should be more careful next time. Anyway, the block seems thin around the center, probably something to do with how the puzzle works. However, it sure felt much heavier than it looked when I pushed it. Could it be the friction that made it heavy, and not the weight? To test it, I lift the fallen block. ¡­Or try to. Yup, it¡¯s the weight, not the friction. After that, I continue to arrange the block when I realize how the ¡°adhesive¡± are keeping the blocks together. Even when there¡¯s nothing below them, the blocks won¡¯t fall as long as it¡¯s connected to the frame or to another block, which in turn, is connected to the frame. Whoever created this puzzle had this all figured out. Anyway, that aside, I realized one big problem, one that makes me unable to finish the puzzle. I can¡¯t believe that I missed it. I can¡¯t believe that I failed to realize¡­ ¡­I can¡¯t reach the upper blocks. From the start, the frame is too high for my comfort, but it wasn¡¯t until now that I noticed this. I tried to use the frame as a boost, but there just isn¡¯t enough foothold. I guess I can use the fallen blocks, but I don¡¯t imagine I can stack them on top of each other without taking too much time, remembering how heavy they are. ...Well, at least it¡¯s a probable solution. - sigh - ¡­ what to do¡ª ah? Claws suddenly grab my shoulders. Then, before I could react, I¡¯m already flying in the air. Uwaah! Hadda?! What are you doing?! ¡¸Just shut up and do your thing, brat.¡¹ Eh?! Ah¡­ you¡¯re helping me? ¡¸Hurry up. You¡¯re heavy, you know.¡¹ T?Then, closer. Hadda brings me closer to the pillar. ¡¸Here?¡¹ Now, a bit higher, please. ¡¸Done.¡¹ A little more. ¡¸Ok. Is this enough?¡¹ Tee-hee¡­ I¡¯m flying so high! ¡¸I¡¯ll drop you, you know.¡¹ Eh?! No, don¡¯t! Ah, I mean, here is good enough! Yep! ¡¸......¡¹ I¡¯m going to push it with my feet, so I¡¯m going to need your help for balance. ¡¸Do it.¡¹ With Hadda¡¯s help, I push the block with my feet as far as I could. Huff¡­ that¡¯s as far as I can do. After letting me down, Hadda goes around and pulls the block from the other side. To my shock, I see Hadda pulling it out with ease, then gently puts down the block instead of just letting it drop. ...He¡¯s strong. No wonder I couldn¡¯t do anything when he bullied me. ¡¸What next?¡¹ he turns to me. ? ? ? We continued on the sequence I had drawn. For the rest of the blocks, I pushed them while Hadda pulled from the other side. I¡¯m not sure why he¡¯s helping me. It could be that he wants to prove me wrong as fast as possible, or he¡¯d just grown bored watching. At any rate, I pushed so much that I can¡¯t feel my arms anymore. Because of that, Hadda did most of the brawn, and I ended up just directing which block to move. All in all, we make a pretty good team. Eventually, we¡¯ve removed enough blocks that I can see inside the pillar, which is when I noticed how the pillar would lack support if the blocks were to be missing, and that got me a bit worried. Then I see a thin beam of light inside the pillar, right in the middle. I put my head inside and see it coming from a small hole on the ceiling of the space. There¡¯s also a similar opening on the bottom, which would be connected by the ray if it wasn¡¯t obstructed by the blocks. ¡­Ah, I get it. All I need is to clear the beam¡¯s way so that it connects to the bottom. We never needed to push all the blocks out, just the ones that blocks the ray of light. Rather than completing the whole sequence, about halfway is just¡­ ¡­Wait a minute. You knew about this, didn¡¯t you? ¡¸...Pfft?!¡¹ So that¡¯s why he only drew that much. It¡¯s not that he wasn¡¯t finished, it¡¯s because he only needed to draw the sequence that far. Yeah, jokes on me, but didn¡¯t he do most of the muscle work? Silly bird. --- --- --- It didn¡¯t take long to finish. After a couple of minutes, most of the blocks are out of the way, and as Hadda pulls out the last block, the ray makes its way to where it¡¯s supposed to go. There¡¯s a rumbling sound and the ground starts shaking, followed by loud, clunking sounds coming from below the ground. I imagine massive gears are being roused beneath the pillar, through the ground and towards the closed passage. With a blaring sound like an erupting volcano, the wall starts to split, as would my eardrums if I were to stand just a little closer. Nonetheless, I¡¯m covering my ears right now because of how freaking loud it is. The massive gate slowly disappears into the adjacent walls and I can¡¯t help but freeze in amazement.This maze must¡¯ve been such a monumental project to build. How many people, money, and technology were needed to build something like this, I can only imagine. ¡­All this, to make a prison. What kind of sin would have to be committed to warrant this place as their punishment? And why am I here? ¡­I shouldn¡¯t dally. It makes me think too much. Let¡¯s go. ¡¸Mm.¡¹ Replying with a nod, Hadda hops off onto the ledges on the sides as I walk into the new passage. ? ? ? Sometime after the first puzzle, my eyes got heavier and heavier until I can¡¯t keep them open any longer. Finding a good spot, I hug myself and try to sleep, but the more I daze off, the more the chilly air seem to sting.My body is shivering as though I became more sensitive to the cool air, but there¡¯s nothing I could cover myself with other than my own limbs and a thin piece of clothing. Uuh... So cold... ¡­Hmm? There¡¯s something warm¡­ Hadda? Are you going to bully me again? I can feel his wings draw over me, protecting me from the cold. It feels... warm. His feathers are a bit ticklish, but I can deal with that. He¡¯s not saying anything, though. Could it be because he thinks I¡¯m asleep? Aah, whatever. I¡¯m too¡­ too sleepy¡­ Goodnight.
Chapter 3 : Encounter Chapter 3 Encounter And so, time passed by... ...Was what I would like to say, but there¡¯s really no way to tell time here. Personally, I¡¯d say we¡¯ve been travelling for a few days and have covered a fair distance during that period. Hadda didn¡¯t agree, though. ¡¸So weak,¡¹ was what came out of his beaks when I asked for a break. According to him, we¡¯ve only covered hours¡¯ worth of distance because of how many rests I needed. And no, I¡¯m not weak like Hadda said I am¡­ ¡­Am I? I feel like I¡¯ve walked a fair amount before tiring myself out. And that block from the first puzzle, I couldn¡¯t lift it not because I¡¯m weak, but because it was freaking heavy. ¡­Hadda could lift it, though. Quite easily as well. Is he perhaps freakishly strong? Or am I just that weak? ¡¸Yes, you are that weak,¡¹ he replied as if reading my mind. ¡¸I didn¡¯t read your mind. You thought that out loud.¡¹ Eh? Did I? Sometimes it¡¯s hard to know which thoughts are ¡°broadcasted¡±, and which are my own. How embarrassing. Anyway, we encountered more puzzles since that first one. Each of them were unique and difficult in their own ways, and somewhat provided entertainment for us in this dark, bland world. We¡¯d then play games to see who gets it solved first, and the bird always won because I¡­ ahem, I was never really into it. I just don¡¯t get it, you know. We could¡¯ve solved them much faster if we¡¯d worked together, but Hadda can¡¯t live without his stupid games. Those are the times with the puzzles, but when we¡¯re not doing those, there¡¯s just walking and walking, the boring, tedious work of putting your foot in front of the other. The boredom was killing us, so we chat it away. So, this dark mist is actually the field? ¡¸More accurately, the mist is how it¡¯s projected onto our senses. The field itself is intangible because it occupies a space beyond what we can perceive. We can¡¯t ¡°observe¡± it, but we can ¡°feel¡± it in how it gives us everything we need to live. Weird, right?¡¹ He earlier mentioned about how the aether field provided ¡°mana¡± for the plants, which in turn provides air. But that doesn¡¯t nearly qualify as ¡°everything we need¡±, does it? What about food? ¡¸What about it?¡¹ ...Come to think of it, when was the last time I ate? I mentally slap myself for being so slow. Do we even need to eat or drink? ¡¸ No, not here, at least.¡¹ Putting that mind-blowing fact aside, we then moved on to the topic I was most curious about; the other tenants. Lifers, as he had told me before, are prisoners that were ¡°sentenced¡± for life. He said that these lifers like to fight it out with other prisoners, even taking on the ¡°jailers¡±.Hadda said that there¡¯s only one sole lifer here, and that he hadn¡¯t seen it for a long time, only on some occasions that we hear the roaring of a mighty beast. Other than that, there¡¯re also prisoners who are to be released after some conditions are met. Hadda is one of this type and apparently, there are others too. Then, there are the ¡°jailers¡±, as I took to calling them. I¡¯ve never seen one, but Hadda said that unlike the lifer, these guards move in a coordinated pattern, patrolling the maze systematically. These would engage the lifer and crooks alike, keeping them running for their life inside the maze. Basically, they¡¯re a danger for everyone¡­ except for Hadda, which they avoid for some reason. ¡¸Well, the ¡°jailers¡± - snort - are smart enough to leave me alone. I don¡¯t bother myself with the lifer. He can¡¯t catch up to my speed.¡¹ Right¡­ Basically, he¡¯s saying that he ran away. And he said that so proudly, too. What about the lifer? What do I do if I meet it? ¡¸Just run. But you¡¯re so weak you¡¯d probably be invisible to him. He tends to like the ones who fight, and you¡­ ¡¹ ¡­I honestly don¡¯t know whether that¡¯s a good thing or not, but please stop with that pitiful gaze. As he told me, from time to time, a creature would appear here in the same manner as I did, creatures categorized as the regular prisoners, but they eventually fall prey to the survivalist lifer. Hadda described the lone lifer as a bipedal beast with two horns on its head. The image that comes to my mind is¡­ too scary to describe. Perhaps it was because of those bone-chilling roaring that I hear now and then. After spending so much time in darkness, I began to long for sunlight. It really drives you, you know¡ªnot being able to bask in the sun, or see the wide horizon in front of you, those small things really take their toll. Moreover, I want to see other people, and by other people, I mean humans. So far, I¡¯ve only met a talking bird and apparently there¡¯s also some kind of beast somewhere. I wonder if there are other humans here? If not, then there¡¯s even more reason to go outside. And so I started asking Hadda about the outside world. ¡¸There¡¯s nothing good about it. People fighting everywhere, lots dead and lots, lots more starving. The weak are always used and abused, and the rulers had no care for any glint of morals. No shame at all, the lot of them, people and gods alike, turning a blind eye and went about their own business. Kingdoms are terrorized by plagues. Men tyrannized by their kings and wives abused by their husbands. Sons sent to die, and daughters soiled for some extra slices of bread, until all but one is left of the family, powerless and left starving on the roads.¡¹ ...Well, that certainly got me by surprise. He seems to have some bad memories from the outside world. Maybe it has something to do with him being here? If it was me, I would certainly resent whoever put me here, but Hadda sounded like he doesn¡¯t even want to go out. ¡¸I?it¡¯s not always like that, though! Before then, it was really nice and peaceful, you know? They got this nice balance going, and we never needed to intervene! Besides, it¡¯s a long time ago, so things have probably changed, you know!¡¹ Wait, what? So, which is it? Does he want to go out or not? No, more importantly... Hey, Hadda¡­ ¡¸What?¡¹ What do you mean by ¡°we¡±? He froze. His beak opens to say something, but he apparently chose not to as it closes again, looking away from me. A clear sign of rejection. - sigh - He can¡¯t be budged when he¡¯s like this. He makes it so clear when there¡¯s stuff he doesn¡¯t want to talk about, and I guess it¡¯s because it has something to do with why he¡¯s here. I don¡¯t think I want to hear about it either if it turned out that he did something indescribably bad, like if he ate a baby or something... Nonetheless, I use the chance to keep probing. You said it was a long time ago, so how long exactly have you been here? ¡¸...For a while now. Quite a while, actually.¡¹ Oh? I didn¡¯t expect that. This was another topic he would turn his head away from. Is he starting to open up? ¡¸What¡¯s with that look, brat?¡¹ I quickly closed my mouth that was grinning all on its own. It¡¯s nothing. I better not push my luck, lest he¡¯ll close o me again. Sensing that the topic is uncomfortable for him, I change it, So, how long until we get to the exit? ¡¸Hmm? Exit?¡¹ Yeah. Isn¡¯t that where we¡¯re headed? ¡¸....¡¹ ... Hadda, do you even know where the exit is? ¡¸....¡¹ I stop walking. Now we¡¯re just staring at each other; me and the raven, in the middle of a dark hallway, surrounded by tall walls of the maze. Again, I was too slow to realize that the bird¡¯s position was no more than another prisoner, thus it would be illogical if he knew where the exit was. But then¡­ where had he been leading me to this whole time? ¡­Or rather, is he helping me in the first place? But you ¡®are¡¯ helping find a way out¡­ right? I asked again. ¡¸Yes, of course I am!¡¹ So where are we heading now? ¡¸A way out¡­¡¹ He sounded uncertain, yet I don¡¯t think he¡¯s lying. ...Ahh, I feel so stupid. I guess it¡¯s really my fault for being dependent on him when there was really no reason to believe that he knew the way out. Still, I need to know where we¡¯re going, if not the exit. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Hadda, please tell me where we¡¯re headed. Silence. He just stares at the ground for some time before finally raising his gaze to meet mine. ¡¸Someone...¡¹ Someone? ¡¸I¡¯m taking you to someone that knows?¡¹ He stops as if interrupted by something. His head darts left and right, then back at me. ¡¸Brat, let¡¯s play a game.¡¹ Eh? ¡¸It¡¯s a game where you run. You keep running until I tell you to stop. Can you play?¡¹ Yes? ¡¸Can. You. Play?¡¹ Y©¤Yes, I¡¯ll play. ¡¸Do it. Now.¡¹ Right! And so, I start running. Because I have next to no stamina, I¡¯ll have to carefully pace myself. I¡¯m running at a fast pace; almost sprinting, but not quite as fast to allow me to at hold on for at least a minute or two. With a flap of his wings, Hadda now flies beside me. Hadda? ¡¸The next part of the game is to go where I tell you to go.¡¹ Hadda, what¡¯s¡­©¤ ¡¸Go left.¡¹ So I did. I also stop asking questions because I have a gist of what¡¯s going on, but even then, I¡¯m already running out of breath. Hadda looks at me, but says nothing. He knows that I don¡¯t have what it takes to finish his ¡°game.¡± During that exchange, I hear a growl and now... footsteps? It¡¯s coming from the wall on the right. Does that mean... I thought it¡¯s behind us, but I was wrong. It¡¯s on another path parallel to ours, and on this rate, it¡¯s going to cut us off at the next intersection. Isn¡¯t it better to turn around?! I don¡¯t know how it will cut us off exactly, or how it even knows our position, but seeing that it¡¯s heading at the same direction as us... Hadda! ¡¸Keep going.¡¹ He¡¯s so calm. Why is he so calm? Doesn¡¯t he know what the lifer is planning? No, I¡¯m sure he knows. He always knows, whether if it¡¯s about the maze or the lifer¡¯s position. He was always three steps ahead right from the start, so¡­ why? The next intersection is just ahead¡­ ...Agh, to hell with it! I¡¯ll trust you, Hadda, but if you get us killed, I¡¯m going to make sure you go first! As we run into the fated intersected, a loud sound comes from the right path, like something large crashing into the wall. I glance at that direction and¡­ see nothing but a faint silhouette. ¡¸Don¡¯t stop!¡¹ I keep going straight, and some distance ahead, there¡¯s clearly a wall in the way. Oh, boy..., please let it be a turn or a fork. Please let it not be a dead end, anything but that. ............ ...Alright, it¡¯s a dead end. Hadda! ¡¸Keep going!¡¹ But it¡¯s a©¤ ¡¸Just trust me, brat!¡¹ Damn it, bird! I know I said I¡¯ll trust you, but this is just too much! It¡¯s not like there¡¯s some sort of hidden passage©¤ ¡­wait, a hidden passage? Here? But where, and how to open it? I don¡¯t see a lever or anything here. Not even a puzzle. Umm... Hadda? The bird in question stands silent, his back against mine, facing towards the corridor behind us. I follow where his gaze is fixed on, and there it is... A bipedal creature with two horns on its head¡­ ¡­was what Hadda described it as. But that description doesn¡¯t nearly come close to the beastly terror that attributes to the lifer¡¯s appearance. Its form, while it has a tinge of human, is nothing of the sort. Its body is large and muscled to the point that it seems unnatural, making its form look short and stumpy, yet it¡¯s easily twice my own height, having me look up even at a distance. Its large hands look like it can break my back with just a flick.... - shivers - Why did I even thought of that? It has little to no clothing, with only little fabric wrapped around its waist to cover its front as if to mock the concept of decency. The creature has a deformed head, more animal than human and adorned by two grotesque horns that curves upwards. His legs are bent unlike my own, like a bovine standing unnaturally with hooves on the end. It¡¯s slowly hunching its way towards us, as if taking joy in the fear of its trapped meal. I can see a grin on the distorted head as it walks over, one that sent shivers down my spine.And its eyes.... eerily white as is his hide, glaring at us like a predator does a prey. Hadda... I called out weakly, my legs morphing into jelly. ¡¸Behind us. Get ready to run.¡¹ - Clunk - Huh? This sound¡­ the hidden passage? ¡¸Go, NOW!¡¹ Right at that moment, the horned beast let out a piercing roar, and I... ...I... I can¡¯t. Why can¡¯t I look away from that thing...? Those eyes are looking at me as if I¡¯m some kind of... meal? My body won¡¯t listen. This is bad, I got to move. I got to... that thing¡¯s coming closer. Move, damnit, move! Shite... why am I on the floor? Did I fall? I can¡¯t feel any strength in my legs. It¡¯s already reaching out for me... What is it going to do, eat me? But Hadda said we don¡¯t need food or¡­ ...Hadda. Hadda is here. He plants his claws between me and the lifer, his large, jet black wings spread to all its might. The lifer, which had its attention fixed on me, snorted at the sudden annoyance. It moves as if to sweep the bird away, but then the roar came. A roar with the might of a great beast, a roar that shook the grounds and the walls of the maze. A roar that you wouldn¡¯t believe coming from a bird. The lifer steps back, now taking a defensive stance against the puny bird in front of it as it throws back a vengeful cry. Meanwhile my eyes freeze on the raven that just unleashed a dragon¡¯s roar, his wings still spread wide as he glances behind to meet my eyes. ¡¸What are you doing, brat?! RUN!¡¹ I start running then¡­. or I tried to, but I just fell instead. It¡¯s like my legs had been paralyzed and now I can¡¯t even stand up. Suddenly, I feel familiar claws clawing my shoulder as my body is suddenly lifted up, and then thrown at the recently opened passage. I look behind to see Hadda croaking at me, ¡¸Start running or I¡¯ll prick you to death! ¡¹ His voice shocks me back from that state, bringing life back to my feet as I stand and start running like my life depends on it. However, fear struck me and I glance back to see Hadda still where he was, standing off against the lifer. He¡¯s just a bird and yet, he¡­ I can¡¯t leave him. I have to go back! I stop and twist my body, but before I run back, another thought rises. ¡­I can¡¯t go back. Hadda told me to run, and so I should. I¡¯ve trusted him so far, and I know he¡¯s always, always three steps ahead. I trusted Hadda all this time, and I¡¯ll trust him now. And so, I start running again with a new resolve. ¡¸Go left!¡¹ I can hear Hadda¡¯s instruction from far behind, which I follow without hesitation, turning left on the fork. ¡¸THE OTHER LEFT, BRAT!¡¹ EH!? I spin my body, ignoring my strained muscles screaming at me as I turn and run into the opposite passage. A few steps in, I suddenly hear a familiar sound from the walls. Sure enough, I look back and see the passage behind me closing. Hadda, it¡¯s closing! I call out, broadcasting my thoughts as loud as I can. Come on¡­ where are you, stupid bird! Hadda!! There¡¯s no response while the passage closes, now leaving only a small gap. Then, I see the raven appearing from the corner, and following behind him, the beastly lifer, reaching out at him with bloodshot eyes. I instinctively step back as soon as I see it, despite it still being far away. It keeps swinging its hands, but the bird easily dodges, whipping in the air with abnormal agility. Hadda, over here! Hearing my call, Hadda positions his wings and then, defying the law of physics, launches himself towards the gap as if sprung by an invisible spring. He dives through the gap, and the wall closes behind him. --- --- --- ¡¸You¡¯re.., too loud, brat¡­ ¡¹ the bird said between shallow breaths. ¡¸Oy, what¡¯s wrong with you? He didn¡¯t get you, did he? Why are you squirming in pain? ¡¹ Unable to speak, I only answer with a teary gaze. Note to self; never stand in the bird¡¯s way when he¡¯s launching himself. Uuu¡­. Hadda¡­ ¡¸ Hmph, I see. You¡¯re overwhelmed by the feeling of gratitude for me, right? ¡®Tis okay, brat, for that lowly savage is nothing compared to my might. ¡¹ ¡­Can I this return this bird, please? And maybe have something more fierce in return, like a wolf or something? ¡¸What is it? Is your chest hurting or something? ¡¹ Yes... Because you used it as a safety bag. What would you do if there¡¯s permanent damage, you damned bird? I¡¯ll definitely hold you responsible if they grew up flat! Hadda¡­ ¡¸Speak up, brat. Which part hurts? ¡¹ Left¡­ ¡¸The left part? ¡¹ Other left¡­ ¡¸ Other left? What are you talking about©¤¡­ oh. ¡¹ I knowingly smile at him. He snorts at me, clearly annoyed by my lovely smile. ¡¸I was facing the other way, so¡­ ¡¹ So¡­? ¡¸Technically, it was my left. ¡¹ Pfft, hahaha! I can¡¯t¡­ ouch, ¡°other left¡±¡­ haha, ugh¡­ My chest and stomach are hurting, but I can¡¯t stop laughing¡­ ¡¸U©¤Ungrateful brat! ¡¹ he cried out before unleashing a flurry of pricks on me. ¡¸This is what you get! This is what you get! ¡¹ Ow, ow, ow! You¡¯re hurting me! ¡¸Your fault! Did you not see my might earlier! I saved you and you treat me like this, as if you didn¡¯t see my might earlier! Your fault! ¡¹ But all you did was run away, though. What might? ¡¸Croaaak! You insolent©¤ ¡¹ Hadda? ¡¸Ah? ¡¹ I give him a warm smile as I stroke beneath his beak. I¡¯m glad you¡¯re here. He becomes stone for a moment, as if not knowing what to say before returning to his haughty tone,¡¸Hmph. As you should be. ¡¹ I¡¯m sorry for thinking of exchanging you with a wolf earlier¡­ ¡¸Wolf? ¡¹ Before, there was still doubt in my heart, doubt about if this bird really was helping me, but it¡¯s clear now. I can trust Hadda, for he will keep me safe, just like he did before. ¡¸The wolf is no good. ¡¹ Eh? ¡¸¡­Let¡¯s go, brat. We shouldn¡¯t linger. ¡¹ Ah, right. Having rested a bit, we depart once more. ¡­I wonder, what was that thing with a wolf? I only said that on a whim, but Hadda¡¯s reaction isn¡¯t something I expected at all, and now I have a premonition¡­ ¡­Nah, it¡¯s probably just my feeling.
Chapter 4 : A Change of Pace Chapter 4 A Change of Pace ¡¸........¡¹ ......... ¡¸You¡¯re doing it wrong, brat.¡¹ ........ ¡¸- sigh - Why can¡¯t you understand such a simple concept?¡¹ Wha? it¡¯s because you¡¯re such a bad teacher! ¡¸Don¡¯t put the blame on me, brat! I was very clear on my explanation, so don¡¯t put the blame on me!¡¹ Everything you explained doesn¡¯t make sense! No sense! Nonsense bird! You¡¯re nonsense bird! ¡¸No, maybe you¡¯re just too much of an idiot?¡¹ Oh, yeah? Well, don¡¯t worry about me, then. It¡¯s not like I expected much from a birdbrain, anyway. ¡¸You what?! I took the trouble, and you¡¯re like this to me?! I took the trouble, so if you call me names again, I¡¯ll?¡¹ What? Peck me to death? ¡¸You know what? I might just do that.¡¹ Umm, wait¡­ Thus, I can only despair as the mighty beaks rain down once again. Ah, silly me. You must be confused because there¡¯s no context. Well, let me roll back a bit. Thanks to that encounter with the lifer before, I finally realized this world is a much more dangerous place than I thought. I need to come up with a way to defend myself. After all, I can¡¯t depend on the bird forever, can I? Then I remembered about the aether field Hadda talked about. If it¡¯s so amazing that we don¡¯t need food or water within its vicinity, then it should be something worth investigating, don¡¯t you think? So I threw my pride aside and asked Hadda about it. ¡¸Oh, you¡¯re asking me because you realize you¡¯re so weak? ¡¹ T©¤That has nothing to do with it. ¡¸It has everything to do with it. Listen up, brat. We are weak because of what we don¡¯t know, and you don¡¯t know anything. That makes you the weakest of all. ¡¹ By that point, I was already nodding my head in resignation. ¡¸Humph. Very well, I shall teach you the concept of magic. ¡¹ What? Magic? ¡¸Like I said before, one can make use of the aether through the alignment of the will and the subconscious to warp reality. Mortals call this ¡°magic¡±. You don¡¯t even know that?¡¹ ¡°Magic¡±, huh. Then, can you pull a rabbit out of a top hat? ¡¸Don¡¯t be ridiculous. Rabbits can¡¯t grow in top hats.¡¹ ¡­Then what¡¯s the point? ¡¸Listen up, brat. Since you¡¯re interested, I guess I¡¯ll teach you. Even though it¡¯s a bother, but it can¡¯t be helped.¡¹ If you¡¯re so unwilling, I¡¯m not©¤ ¡¸Since you¡¯re interested, I guess I¡¯ll teach you, so listen up, brat!¡¹ And so, that¡¯s how we got to where we are now. From what Hadda told me, the so called ¡°magic¡± is the method of using ¡°aether¡± in order to affect the reality around us. The way it works is by making use of an energy beyond our world to warp the fabric of our¡­ err¡­ actually, I¡¯ll just let the bird explain. ¡¸Reality is relative. If we change our perspective, no laws in the world can be absolute. To make it easy for your puny mind, imagine two parallel lines on a piece of parchment. In the plane of that parchment, it¡¯s an absolute law that those lines never meet, but we, outside that plane, can simply fold the parchment to make them coincide, or reshape the plane into a geometry on which the parallel postulate does not apply.Similarly, the aether beyond our world is like us to that piece of parchment. The aether can change our world¡¯s absolute laws.¡¹ Change the world¡¯s¡­ laws? ¡¸That¡¯s right. Mass-energy, charges, and motion can be added or substracted through magic. Conventional conservation of energy would no longer hold in a model universe connected with aether. Our entire world is a closed system, and by connecting to the aether, we open a corridor beyond that system.¡¹ So how do I open that corridor? ¡¸Alignment of the will and the subconscious. ¡¹ ...His explanation started so well, though. And so we¡¯re back to the beginning of the chapter, where I¡¯m hopelessly trying to comprehend this concept of, ahem, ¡°alignment of the will and the subconscious¡± by meditating for hours while the bird croaks out all kinds of cryptic hints, like ¡°reach out¡± or ¡°connect your mind¡±. ...Connect with what, exactly?! Am I supposed to pull out my brain out and put it somewhere?! Haah¡­ I don¡¯t think this is working out. ¡¸Well, I guess it can¡¯t be helped. Even I can¡¯t do it in a field such as this. It¡¯s just the maze¡¯s deterrent for the prisoners to the use of aether, so it¡¯s unlikely anyone can do it, because even I can¡¯t do it in a field such as this. ¡¹ ...Tee-hee, so basically, I did all this for nothing. Hadda? ¡¸Mm?¡¹ With a lovely smile on my face, I ball my hand into a fist. Can I punch you? ? ? ? Aside from the occasional puzzles, things had been uneventful since our encounter with the lifer. We would hear a beast¡¯s bellow now and then, but never close enough to be an immediate threat. Due to my, ahem, poor constitution, we had to take a rest once in a while. I was worried about the lifer catching up to us, but Hadda gave me three reasons that convinced me otherwise. Firstly, the lifer doesn¡¯t know its way around the maze like Hadda does. Secondly, while we¡¯re being avoided by the jailers for whatever reason, the lifer, on the contrary, is being constantly hunted. According to Hadda, a single jailer is enough to route the lifer. And lastly, the puzzles. That¡¯s right. The puzzles, which I thought was merely Hadda¡¯s way of having fun, turns out to be a mechanism of the maze akin to shortcuts and the lifer, naturally, has no clue on how to use it. And so, I could rest easy and nap whenever¡­ ¡­Or not. Just because it has a handicap, it doesn¡¯t mean that the lifer doesn¡¯t pose a threat. In fact, we¡¯ve had some close encounters with the lifer, with Hadda having me jog through some sections to avoid the beast. It was never like our first encounter, though. Recently, I had to run for one good length, not because the lifer was on us, but because Hadda wanted to make it lose our scent. ¡¸It¡¯s because your scent is especially strong. ¡¹ ¡­Are you telling me that I¡¯m smelly? Oy. Well, I don¡¯t care if you are. There¡¯s no source of water here, let alone a warm bath. Besides, there¡¯s nothing wrong with basking in one¡¯s natural musk... ¡­Hmm? No, I¡¯m not crying. This is definitely not a maiden¡¯s tears, what are you talking about. ¨C sniff ¨C Oh, and also¡­ I¡¯ve been training, you see, hehe...! Since Hadda¡¯s magic lessons didn¡¯t work out, I decided to start improving my constitution during our rests. Hayy¡ªya! I punched my fist with vigor against an invisible lifer. It¡¯s a headshot! Hash¡ªha! Because I wanted to somehow train my vocals as well, I also shouted out loud... well, silently. Hatt¡ªta! This time, it¡¯s a strike to the solar plexus. The beast went down, groaning in pain. ¡¸......¡¹ Hazz¡ªza! ¡¸......¡¹ Hadd¡ªda! ¡¸Brat. Just... stop.¡¹ ? ? ? ¡¸We¡¯re almost there.¡¹ We stand still as I observe the big passage before me. It¡¯s about thrice as wide as the normal corridors, and the walls on the sides just seem to keep going deeper into the path. It¡¯s different from anything I¡¯ve ever seen. Perhaps it leads to a different section of the maze? ¡¸Just beyond is no longer an area that I¡¯m familiar with, though I still remember the way to our destination.¡¹ You mean, to that ¡°someone¡± who knows the exit? ¡¸Hopefully. At the very least, that person should know what to do with you.¡¹ How far does this go? I ask as I step to the edge of the opening and see that the end is nowhere to be seen. ¡¸It may take quite a walk.¡¹ ...I get it now. Now I know why we had to lose the lifer first. This passage is just a single, straight path with no branching ways. Meeting the lifer while on this passage would mean that there¡¯s just no way to go but a straight line, and I for one can¡¯t imagine myself outrunning the horned beast. Just the image of it brought a shudder. Thinking about it isn¡¯t exactly productive, and it¡¯s not like I have any other choice other than following the route Hadda had drawn for me. So I walk into the large passage, unsure of what to expect. Even if we¡¯ve lost the lifer, the fact that it¡¯s beyond Hadda¡¯s ¡°map¡± makes me somewhat anxious. He did say that he knows the way to our goal, but it also means that he wouldn¡¯t know where to go if we were to encounter something else. Who knows? There might be another lifer there. The worst-case scenario would be meeting a lifer while still within the passage, or if the horned lifer were to catch up. Or both. ? ? ? It was indeed quite a walk. I became even more worried when I asked why the area ahead of us was outside of Hadda¡¯s knowledge. He actually went silent for a while, as if contemplating on how to answer without making me anxious, which he did by doing just that. ¡¸I just never got the chance.¡¹. ¡­That¡¯s a bold-faced lie. Just what is it? Something clearly prevented him from coming here, right? Could it be there¡¯s something more frightening than the horned lifer? Something that won¡¯t even budge against Hadda¡¯s dragon-roar? As always, the answer to that is¡­ don¡¯t think about it. Sometime later, I finally notice something outside the monotonous panorama of unending walls. It¡¯s too far to make out, but I can tell that it¡¯s moving. Hadda sees it too and it makes him stop, and that in turn makes me stop as well. The white figure is heading towards us. It seems to be walking, so if it¡¯s a lifer, it probably hasn¡¯t noticed us yet, or it¡¯s just not aggressive because it would be charging at us otherwise. ...Or maybe it¡¯s just a predatory tactic to let our guard down. As usual, I look at my mentor/guardian/bully bird. Hadda? The bird in question stands silent on the narrow footing on the wall, staring at the figure like he¡¯s deliberating on his next move. Hadda, what do we do? I ask again when he didn¡¯t answer. His silence is starting to make me worry. Well, worrier. ¡¸It¡¯s okay, keep going.¡¹ He sounded... unsure. Afraid, even. Even so, his command was voiced with determination. Hadda jumps down while I¡¯m still in thought. Now he¡¯s hopping in front of me, leading the way while I follow closely behind. As we got closer, though, he glances at me and does a nodding gesture, which I took as a command for me to take more distance.Icomply and start walking a fair bit behind the raven.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. We approach the new encounter, and now that we¡¯re much closer, I can identify the white figure in front of us. ¡­It¡¯s a wolf. ¡­Well, I say it¡¯s a wolf, but back when I just woke up, I had described Hadda as a bird, so you just know that it is, in fact, not just a wolf. Its fur is white. Pure, snow white as if it just came out of some polishing machine along with a top-of-the-line paint job bonus. I wonder if there are grooming services in the maze? Also, is it just me, or is this wolf glowing? Like, literally. The wolf¡¯s white fur seems to give off a faint glow, one that allowed me to spot it in the distance. How very odd. Finally, there¡¯s its size. Yup, you saw it coming. On all fours, it¡¯s as tall as I am. Yes, yes, it¡¯s the same thing with Hadda, but change the subject from a bird to a wolf? I think my head fits in that maw and then some, but I¡¯m not willing to make that bet. Also, it¡¯s a little on the furry side, it looks like. Especially around the neck and the tail is looking very... fluffy... ...Wow. Those snow white fur. So¡­ so fluffy and¡­ huggable. If I use that as a pillow then¡­ - cough - A?Anyway, me being as strong and mighty as I am, there¡¯s certainly no chance for me to outrun this tiger-sized wolf. Fight? I guess I can do that. If by fight, you meant pitting the bird against the wolf, that is. With only a stride between, both animals stop. The black raven and the white wolf, staring each other down with no signs of yielding. The raven¡¯s crimson eyes shone, reflecting the faint glow of the wolf¡¯s fur. I stare at them in suspense. The maze becomes more silent than ever as the air around them crackles. My heart feels as if it stops when I see the wolf opening it¡¯s mouth¡­ ¡¸Thou fucking bird. Begone from my sight. ¡¹ ¡¸Croak! Beautiful as always, cur.¡¹ Apparently, being able to talk is a trend among the animals of the maze. Also, the wolf¡¯s voice is an aspect of its own... ¡¸And what¡¯s this? Hast thou a fledgeling as thy biddy?¡¹ Yeah... ¡°his¡± voice. Since the fur is so beautiful, I thought it would be a girl¡¯s or a woman¡¯s, you know? Or at least, a bit more refined? Like Hadda, the wolf¡¯s voice is a male¡¯s, but it sounds older and... grumpier. It¡¯s more mature, and I would even say somewhat cool, if not for the... ¡¸For fuck¡¯s sake, bird. To think thou hast a little lass as thy fucking hen? Thou fucking knave.¡¹ ...indecent vocabulary. Not to mention that I can¡¯t understand half what he said. Anyway, his attention seems to be aimed at me now.He takes a couple ofsteps forward, but Hadda quickly moves in front of him. ¡¸Do you have no manners, mongrel? For you to mouth such?¡¹ Hadda stops mid-sentence and turns his head at me. ¡¸...Brat, you¡¯re a girl?¡¹ ...... ...Oh, the maidenly tears. Do I look so unsightly that he doesn¡¯t recognize me as a girl? Before the tears could, ahem, before I could reply, though, the wolf laughed. At least, I think it¡¯s a laugh. It¡¯s like a mix of growls and howling, as well as a drop of insanity. Anyway, despite their... umm, circumstances, they don¡¯t appear to be hostile to each other, so I brave myself and try ¡°speaking¡± to the wolf. You¡¯re not a lifer? The wolf slightly starts, then glares at me, making me step back instinctively. Then I remember that how I ¡°speak¡± is a rather intrusive method of sending my thoughts into their mind. ¡¸Ah, you see... The brat is unable to speak, you see?¡¹ ¡¸Silence, lowly pigeon.¡¹ The wolf lurches towards me, passing the raven while he¡¯s recovering from the insult. I step back, but the wolf promptly moves to my side with the intent of cutting me off.He inches towards me until I have my back against the wall. My gaze is locked with his bright, amber eyes, as he leans closer and closer to me. His maw opens slightly, revealing the many sets of fangs he had, and then... And then he woofed. That¡¯s right. He woofed, and I fell down on my butt. ¡­You think that¡¯s pathetic? Well, imagine a big tiger baring its teeth while you have nowhere to... argh, whatever. Yes, it was weak, sad, and pathetic. And to sprinkle some salt, the white wolf laughs even harder this time. And guess what! Hadda, my dear, trusted mentor/guardian/bully, is laughing at me too! ¡¸Aruuf! Arf arf auuwaa groawawa!¡¹ ¡¸Croaaak! Croaaakhawakhawakhah!¡¹ Such betrayal! Hadda, how could you?! I hurriedly stand up, but the wolf is still too close for my comfort. After he¡¯s done with the mockery, he leans close to me yet again, but I won¡¯t fall for it this time. ¡¸Thou...¡¹ Erm¡­ The wolf sends me another sharp glare, but I won¡¯t flinch or anything. N?Not much¡­ ¡¸Thou smell...¡¹ ...What. Yes, I know that I smell. Hadda told me before. Please, stop bullying me. I... umm, so you¡¯re not a lifer, right? I ask him again. I¡¯m not changing the topic or anything, you know. ¡¸Lifer? What could thou be prattling about?¡¹ Eh? Does he not know what they are? Y?Yeah, you know, as in¡­ there are lifers and conditional prisoners, as well as jailers...? ¡¸What art thou¡­¡¹ The wolf glances at Hadda, then he does what I perceive as something between a snort and a chuckle. ¡¸Aah, I see... The pigeon bird hath been giving thee crap ideas about this place, hath he not? Mark me, lass. Therein no such thing. Only ones who hunt, and ones to be hunted. The strong survives, and bawblings such as thou get fucked, got it?¡¹ Hadda let out an annoyed croak, but said nothing. He didn¡¯t refute it, but neither did he approve. ¡¸Oh, and by the way, Ye art being followed. I suppose the bird is too untaught to even realize.¡¹ ¡¸Aah, yeah. Too bad that I don¡¯t have the pup¡¯s sense of smell.¡¹ ¡¸What?! Don¡¯t slight me, thou fangless bird!¡¹ And so it ensued once again. More importantly was what the wolf had said. Something is following us¡­ could it be the lifer? Even though Hadda and I had gone through such measures to outmaneuver it. Doesn¡¯t that mean we should hurry? ...Wait. If the wolf were to travel with us... Umm... mister, would you mind going with us? ¡¸¡¸What?!¡¹¡¹ Oh, they¡¯re in sync. See that double quotes? That means they¡¯re in sync. ¡¸Surely thou jest, little lass! Nay shall I plod with this fucking fuckwit, pathetic excuse of a fucking birdbrain!¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯ll say the same! This good-for-nothing dog is no good for anything else other than his good-for-nothing slights!¡¹ Looks like they only join forces when they bully, me, huh. ¡¸Damn it. This is why I don¡¯t want to go here in the first place! But I have no choice...¡¹ ¡¸Wherein thy headings, anyway?¡¹ ¡¸I¡¯m just guiding the brat to meet that woman. You know, the escort?¡¹ ¡¸Thou mean Cheron, perchance?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, I figured if anyone knows what to do, it¡¯s her. If the brat doesn¡¯t belong here, she¡¯d have to escort the brat out.¡¹ ¡¸I see. I smell her, bit beyond thither. Thou fare the way?¡¹ ¡¸Yeah, yeah, I got it.¡¹ ...All of a sudden, they stopped their scorn of each other and left me out. This is confusing. ¡¸Brat. Let¡¯s go.¡¹ Hadda hops onto the wall-ledges and starts walking. I promptly follow, but stop and look back at the wolf. Are you really not coming? ¡¸Nay. Now run along, little lass.¡¹ Okay... well, thank you, then. ¡¸Huh?¡¹ You came here to warn us about the lifer, right? The wolf froze as if I said something wrong. Crap. It¡¯s true, though. Why would he be in the passage if not for that? He seems to have an extremely good sense of smell, so he might have smelled us and the lifer before coming here to warn us. He also asked Hadda if he knows the way, too. I¡¯m probably overthinking it, but he would probably show us if Hadda hadn¡¯t known the way. ¡¸Oy, brat. You coming or not?¡¹ Ah, hold on. I turn to walk away, but stop in my tracks again. Uh...I, can I.., I mean, do you have a name? ¡¸...Do you?¡¹ His eyes bore into mine, as if daring me to ask further. I won¡¯t, of course. Even if he doesn¡¯t feel hostile to begin with, I¡¯m pretty sure he can snack on me in a couple of big bites if he wanted to. The white wolf turns and starts walking away, apparently not interested in whether I have a name or not. Then, take care, I turn and walk away as well, though not before I hear him mutter in a low voice, ¡°you too¡±. ? ? ? Hmm, hmm¡­ ladida....~ ¡¸You seem happy, brat.¡¹ Eh? No, not really? The truth is, this mood is because I¡¯m currently recalling about the wolf. Seeing how they acted, he must¡¯ve been Hadda¡¯s friend. Though the way they treated each other suggested that something had happened between them. If only he came with us... - sigh - I think I missed a rare chance to get a fluffy tail to get cuddly with. I mean, Hadda¡¯s not bad at all, but those snow white fur seemed really fuzzy wuzzy, you know? Ah, don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m not stupid. It¡¯s just fantasy, after all. If it were reality, I¡¯d definitely get eaten. It had been some time after we left the long passage, and there¡¯s still no sign of the lifer. There was no reason not to believe what the wolf had said, and Hadda seemed to buy it too, so we were walking in caution against any sign of the lifer. One thing I noticed about this new area was how ¡°dynamic¡± it is. Before, the layout of the maze were just boring walls, forks, with occasional ¡°rooms¡± and puzzles. Here, there are different levels with stairs and stuff, as well as long, curved corridors and tunnels. Even the walls come in varying heights. Some corridors have towering walls like the ones we¡¯re used to, while others have as low as somewhere around twice to thrice my height. I wonder how the puzzles go here? I¡¯m a little bit excited to try them out. ¡¸Oy, brat.¡¹ Hmm? ¡¸Other than our goal, I¡¯m not exactly familiar with this area.¡¹ Yes? ¡¸Naturally, I wouldn¡¯t be able to know where to go if¡­ look, we need to prepare for the worst case, you understand?¡¹ Hadda, you mean¡­ ¡¸My point is, you need to know what to do when you¡¯re on your own, especially if you encounter the lifer. ¡¹ Hadda, a©¤are you going to leave me? ¡¸Of course not, idiot brat! Like I said, we need to prepare for the worst case, idiot brat!¡¹ I sigh a breath of relief. And here I though he finally realized how I won that bet of ours. So, what exactly must I do against the lifer? I start listening intently. This is, after all, him passing down his deep and profound knowledge of facing a lifer. He might even tell me how to roar like a dragon, like he did before! ¡¸Basically, you just run.¡¹ ¡­Huh? ¡¸Just run.¡¹ ¡­Hold on, where¡¯s the promised deep and profound knowledge? What about tricks? Or even some hiding tactics I can use? ¡¸Also, don¡¯t even try to hide or trick him. He can track you by scent, so tricks won¡¯t work. Basically, if you get caught, just run. Got it, brat?¡¹ ...Can I still exchange the bird with that wolf? ¡¸Are you listening?¡¹ Y?Yes. ¡¸- sigh -... Listen properly, brat. This is for you own sake.¡¹ I?I know! I mean, I am listening properly! But where¡¯s the promised deep and profound knowledge! ¡¸...Right. Remember, don¡¯t try to hide or trick him. He can track you by scent, so tricks won¡¯t work. And if you ever get caught?¡¹ Just run, I got it. I sigh in acceptance of my fate. What else can I expect from a bird? ¡¸Just run. Because he¡¯s stupid and he knows the maze as much as you do, just get as far away as possible, because he¡¯s stupid and he knows the maze as m?¡¹ Yeah, I said I got it. ¡¸...Right. And also, if you ever get cornered, it might be worth to try using the aether.¡¹ ...Eh? But you said it¡¯s not possible in the... aether field or something? ¡¸It¡¯s hard to do, butnotnot possible. The active mind and subconscious tend to resonate more in emergency or life-threatening situations.¡¹ I?Is that so...? ¡¸Yes... in theory, at least. So if you ever got into such situation, it might be worth to try using the aether, because it¡¯s possible... in theory, at least. Remember; to connect with the aether, you need to?¡¹ Alignment of the will and the subconscious, right?- sigh -Got it. In the end, it boils down to ¡°run away, no hiding or tricks because it won¡¯t work. Oh, but if you¡¯re really desperate, try pulling rabbits out of a top hat, it might work since you¡¯re on the verge of death and there¡¯s literally nothing else to do!¡± ¡­Ah well, it¡¯s not like we¡¯d be separated any time soon, right? Whoops. My premonition on the wolf turned out true, so I better not jinx myself. --- --- --- While lamenting my fate, we¡¯ve suddenly reached our destination. We arrive at an area that¡¯s near identical to the first place where I woke up. Inside the familiar gazebo-like structure in the middle, there¡¯s a figure. A lean, slightly tall human figure in black. I should be excited for finally seeing another human, and yet¡­ I don¡¯t know why, but my hair is standing on the back of my neck when I look at that person. ¡¸Yo, Cheron.¡¹ ¡° ...... ¡° So this is Cheron the ¡°escort¡±? I don¡¯t like her already. The person in question didn¡¯t respond to Hadda¡¯s greeting and is as still as a statue. She is covered from head to toe in a hooded, long black robe and I can¡¯t really see the eyes. I can, however, see her inhumanly pale skin as well as her dark-colored lips. ¡¸There¡¯s something I want to ask you, you see...¡¹ Hadda continued. For just a brief second, I see her lips forming into an ominous smile. Then she... ...Huh? She... disappeared? ¡°Honored Lord Hadda...,¡± the bone-chilling voice suddenly appeared from behind us, continuing before we could even look back, ¡°my master awaits.¡± I turn around to face her, but there¡¯s nothing behind me. ¡­She was clearly there, wasn¡¯t she? Hadda, where did she¡­ ¡­Huh? ...... ¡­¡­ ...Hadda? I keep looking around, but there¡¯s no trace of both Cheron and the bird. The heck. This is the jinx, isn¡¯t it. Hadda, s©¤stop playing around. Come out now. ¡­Is it just me or the air got colder just now? And was that a roar I heard just now? No, that was the wind, I think. Wait, I don¡¯t think there were ever any wind here? Huh?! W©¤Was that footsteps behind me?! There¡¯s no one, though?! I¡¯m alone here. There¡¯s absolutely no one¡­ ¡­Right. I¡¯m alone. All alone. ........ ...Okay. Calm down. First, let¡¯s retrace what just happened. It should be easy, right? Damn right it¡¯s easy. A woman in black just took Hadda away. There, easy enough. Haha¡­ Well, ¡­shite.
Chapter 5 : Prey Chapter 3 Encounter They say that all fledglings leave the nest eventually. I suppose Hadda, being a bird himself, would eventually let go of me as well? ¡­Heck no. First of all, Hadda is not a bird. Hadda is Hadda, and he will come back. He¡¯s not as irresponsible as to abandon me whenhewas the one who took me here in the first place. Heck, he knew the maze like the back of his wings. Knowing him, it shouldn¡¯t be too hard for him to find his way back here. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll come around¡­ ¡­¡­ ...Another roar. This time it¡¯s clearer and I know for sure now that it¡¯s not just my imagination.It was clearer, and closer.It was the same roar, I¡¯m sure of it. The horned lifer is coming. Now should I run away? If I do, then for how long? There¡¯s another option involving a certain wolf. I still remember the way back... I think. The last place we met was at the great passage, which is where the lifer would be coming from. Should I risk running into the lifer to get to the wolf, when it¡¯s not certain that he¡¯s still there, or if he¡¯d even help me in the first place? That would be too risky. Then again, if I run, it¡¯s only a matter of time before the lifer gets me. Uuh... where are you, Hadda? Where did you go? If you come back, you can bully me as much as you want. But please, don¡¯t bully me like this. ¡­No, calm down. This is perfect! I had wanted to fix my dependence on Hadda so that I wouldn¡¯t be a burden, and here luck presents me with a chance to prove myself. This is just part of growing up, the next chapter after leaving the nest, right? Everyone needs to grow up in the end, to take full control of their lives without the protection of parents Hadda. This is me, depending on myself. With a clear, if shaky resolve, I start running. I don¡¯t know how long I can do this, but if I am to meet my end here, I sure as hell will not go down without a fight. ? ? ? Every time I hear a roar, it sounds closer than the last. Just as I¡¯m thinking that, I come upon an elevation that seems to rise above the walls of the maze. Getting a vantage point might allow me to see the lifer, but that would meanitseeing me as well. Should I risk it? The lifer¡¯s tracking me already, so it shouldn¡¯t get worse than this. At least, I¡¯d know which direction I should avoid. As I make my way up the stairs, the walls become lower, but also thinner. By the time I can see beyond them, the walls have become thinner than my wrists, making it impossible to walk on. For the first time, I can see the maze at its whole. The new section that I¡¯m currently in has much lower walls and there are parts with multiple levels, with stairs and slopes as if it wasn¡¯t confusing enough. Meanwhile, the portion of the maze before the great passage resembles a colossal dome from the outside, even though it¡¯s really just a section where the walls are much higher. Like this, rather than a maze, I feel like I¡¯m trapped within a massive underground city instead. I narrow my eyes and attempt to search for the lifer around the low-walled sections, lowering my form to prevent it from seeing me as well. ...Well, turns out it¡¯s not that hard to find. Shivers run down my back when I see its pale form hulking through the corridors. It¡¯s closer than I thought, and way closer than I¡¯d like it to be, which means that it¡¯s time to go. Wait, it¡¯s stopped moving for some reason. Also, doesn¡¯t it look like it¡¯s looking this way? It can¡¯t be, right? ¡­Shite. Who am I kidding? My clothes and hair stick out like a sore thumb. Now this is where I run, and now that I know where the lifer is¡­ uhm, speaking of which, where did it go? It was definitely there a second ago. ¡­¡­ Another roar came. But it should be impossible. I clearly saw it just a second ago, yet this roar came from the opposite direction. Could there be more lifers? No, that can¡¯t be it. Hadda said there¡¯s only one. Could the maze be distorting the sound somehow? ¡­At any rate, let¡¯s run towards neither direction for now. The lifer doesn¡¯t know its way around the maze. Its basically in the same boat as I am, and that¡¯s where I get my advantage. Unlike me who has everywhere to choose, there¡¯s only one route that the lifer has to take to get to me. As long as I keep moving, that route will keep changing and it becomes impossible for the lifer to make logical choices, leaving it all to chance and endurance. Another roar, same direction, same distance as the last one. As I conclude that, I return my focus to running and breathing. It¡¯s life-saving-ly important that I run as long as I could. It doesn¡¯t matter how fast I am or which direction I am going, as long as it¡¯s not towards the sounds, that is. ¡­Talking about which, that just happened. A third roar came and for some reason, it came from directly ahead. It sounded close as well, but that should be¡­ impossible. It couldn¡¯t have moved that fast. As I thought, the sounds must be distorted, but in the off chance that it¡¯s not¡­ ugh. should I keep going forward, or should I©¤ ¡­¡­ T©¤The heck¡­? How? This time it came from just behind the wall to my right. What is this? Some kind of trick, a predatory ability to let my guard down? Is it masking its position so that I wouldn¡¯t know where to run? Before I can come to an answer, another sound came. A familiar sound. Then it¡¯s silent again. I take a couple of steps, and the sound comes back. The sound of footsteps, dull and heavy, coming from just behind the wall. It¡¯s right there, with just a thin wall separating us, so why isn¡¯t it moving anymore?The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. I continue to run again, and the footsteps, they... they¡¯re following me. I stop running, and it... when I stop,the footstepsstop as well. ¡­I understand now. I had a feeling, but I didn¡¯t want to recognize it because it was too terrible to be true. There¡¯s no question now. This thing, it¡¯s¡­ playing with me. This is a question of life and death for me, but for the lifer¡­ I¡¯m just a toy for it to play around with, am I? I understand that, but why? Why is it doing this to me? Is it fun to torture me so? Why is this happening to me? Why did I do to deserve this? And why can¡¯t I remember a SINGLE FUCKING THING?! ¡­It knows. It knows that I¡¯m afraid, that my mind is crumbling beneath the fear it had staged for me. And it¡¯s amused by it. My sight is¡­ am I... am I crying? Huh, how pathetic. Just what did I do to deserve this? And this thing here, this thing I call lifer seems bent on making my life for the worse. I start with a pace. It paces after me. Then I start running, and it runs after me. Even with a wall between us, we know exactly where the other is. Now it¡¯s left to chance on whether the next turn joins our paths or gives me a way to go further away from it. Luck is still on my side as the latter turns true. As soon as I make the turn, I run as fast as I can, ignoring the fact that the place ahead seems to be a puzzle area. The place is large and as all puzzle rooms are, has no other paths other than the one I entered from. ¡­The lifer is right on my tail, and now this¡­ could be my chance! Before, I had asked Hadda about the puzzles, and he told me that it would revert back after a certain amount of time. If I could just go through, then maybe it would close on the lifer¡¯s big, fat, ugly face. The puzzle itself is a large, thick, circular slab with drawings etched on its surface. There are five layers of the drawings separated by very thin gaps, going from the outer rim to an inner circle. There¡¯s some kind of slot on the center, just as there are some on the other layers. Figuring its¡¯s some kind of handle, I insert my hand and find a grip inside. I try moving it and to my great dismay, find it to be extremely heavy. Fortunately, the rings seem to turn on their own if I give it a tug. After testing the waters, I find that each layer of rings act differently than the other. One would rotate normally, another would only go one direction, and some would trigger other layers to turn along with it or does so after several turns of that particular layer. The duration of which they rotate also differs, making it all the more tricky. Looking closely, the drawings are somehow interconnected between the layers, so I probably have to connect them all to solve the puzzle. With that set as my goal, I start doing work, quickly but carefully. The whole ordeal with the lifer had awakened some innate instinct within me, and through it, I know that it¡¯s close. Driven by adrenaline, my mind works faster and before too long, I can see the finish line. I quickly work on the circles, not stopping even as my arms strained to handle the weight. Just a couple more. Just one more. There! Now all that¡¯s left is... Oh, crap. I messed up. All the layers are about lined up; the drawings connecting the layers into one big, cryptic picture. All the layers, except for the middle layer, which is¡­ one step off. One. One rotation away from its desired position. One push away. The problem is, that particular ring can only turn in one direction, and I can¡¯t just turn it all the way either because every three turns I make with the middle layer¡­ would also trigger the outer and innermost circle to rotate, destroying all the work I had done. Damn it. Damn it, damn it, damn it! FUCK! This isn¡¯t the time to make mistakes and I... Huff... calm down. There¡¯s always a way. I would start again from scratch, but there just isn¡¯t any time. Is there some kind of trick or loopholes I can use? Maybe just force it to turn? ......... Thatroar again. It probably noticed my lack of movement a long time ago. Is it trying to make me run by constantly bellowing out? Well, sorry, but this is the end of the line. I can¡¯t run any further unless I found a way to cheat this puzzle. ¡­Actually, that¡¯s exactly what I¡¯m going to do. I¡¯m going to cheat. I start by tracing my fingers, sensing for indents and the like on the surface of the big, cubic structure to which the puzzle is attached. Nothinglasts forever, no matter what kind of cruel god designed it. Not even the universe itself is exempted to the destructive eventuality of time. There should be some way to make maintenance possible. There has to be. Huh? This¡­ Ah, finally! There¡¯s a detent; a pin of some sort. There¡¯s a ring on it, which I promptly pull on. Doing so reveals a slot with a shaft in it. There are two shafts that are joined together, which has another ring on the connection. Bingo. I start pulling, and holy, it¡¯s heavy! Guaaaah! Give up, you bastard! - Clank - With a hard yank, the coupling finally comes off. The shafts disappears to the sides and a part of the cube¡¯s surface slides open. Alright, here we go. I look inside and what I see is¡­ well, something. It looks like an elaborate, convoluted union of gears, bearings, clevises, and other sorts of parts that I can¡¯t even comprehend the function of. As I cursed at the complexity of it, a sound came from behind me; the same heavy footsteps that will haunt me forever in my sleep. It¡¯s still a distance away, but the fact is, it¡¯s close enough for me to hear it. I run back to the puzzle and turn the middle layer. As soon as it starts rotating, I hop back to the aperture and observe the moving parts. Among all the moving stuff, there¡¯s one that looks like a ratchet. Gods, I hope this works. I yank at the pawls and even though I can¡¯t pull it off, I made it so that they wouldn¡¯t block the ratchet.Then I go back to the puzzle try turning the middle layer on the opposite direction. Heck yeah, it works! Upon completing the puzzle, there¡¯s a loud clunk and a crumbling noise, followed by the opening of a passage. However, feeling an ominous presence, I look at the passage behind me. Ah, fuck¡­ I was too focused on the puzzle to notice. It¡¯s right there, standing just a leap away. I can¡¯t help but take a couple of step backs under its gazw, hitting my back against the circular slab. Seeing me like that, the lifer just¡­ laughed. A depraved and malign laugh, gripping my body with fear. I run back to the open hatch. Looking inside, I find another a new set of parts moving, rotating and clicking. The lifer slowly makes its way towards me, breathing in the smell of my fear. At the center of the machine, a long shaft being inserted into a slot as the passage opens. It¡¯s located deep inside the mechanism. I can hear the lifer¡¯s heavy footsteps, now less than ten strides away from me. In a gamble, I reach in at the shaft and pull hard while it¡¯s still in motion. The countless moving parts grazes my flesh, causing excruciating pain as I let out a voiceless scream. After I¡¯m sure that I changed something, I pull my bloodied arm out and dart towards the new passage. Please, let this work. There¡¯s a growl from behind me, which is immediately followed by heavy steps, going faster¡­ and faster, and faster. I dive into the new passage. My weariness has finally caught up, and I can only look up in horror at the approaching lifer.The ingress fully opens, there¡¯s a click and in a sudden, abrupt manner, the gate snaps back, shutting close on the lifer¡¯s face. ............ ....I did it. I got away. Haha....ahahaha...! IN YOUR FACE, YOU BIG FAT BULLOCK!!! Haha¡­ phew. I can¡¯t believe it. I got away. There¡¯s still a gap there, probably because I broke the gate somehow. The shaft I pull must¡¯ve been a detent to hold the passage open for some time after the puzzle¡¯s completion, and by removing it, I made it close when it¡¯s supposed to be open. There¡¯s no way the lifer could get through now. Even if it¡¯s somehow able to complete the puzzle, it¡¯s broken now. There¡¯s no way to get the door open unless the mechanism is fixed. I can still hear the footsteps. Then I realize it¡¯s there, peeking through the gap, looking at... me. I stand up, staring at the horned beast right in the eye. Why? Why are you doing this? It responds with silence. Is it for survival? For amusement? Why? ¡­.. Can it not hear me? ¡­No, it seems to understand, because I can see a glint of its teeth. It¡¯s grinning again, as if it¡¯s finding my attempt at communication to be funny. Then it starts laughing. ¡¸Just keep running, little doe.¡¹ I froze yet again as the lifer spoke, its voice beastly and chilling to the core. ¡¸Keep running, and then, when I finally get to you...¡¹its long tongue snaked out to lick its own lips. ¡¸Oh, I will enjoy this.¡¹ ¡¸Keep running, little doe.¡¹ ¡¸Just keep running...¡¹
Chapter 6 : Maze Survival 101 Chapter 6 Maze Survival 101 ¡¸...Are you listening?¡¹ Y?yes. ¡¸¡­Listen properly, brat. This is for you own sake.¡¹ I?I know! I mean, I am listening properly! ¡¸...Right. Remember, don¡¯t try to hide or trick him. He can track you by scent, so tricks won¡¯t work. And if you ever get caught?¡¹ Just run, I got it. ¡¸Just run. Because he¡¯s stupid and he knows the maze as much as you do, just get as far away as possible, because he¡¯s stupid and he knows the maze as m?¡¹ Yeah, I said I got it. ¡¸...Right. And also, if you ever get cornered, it might be worth to try using the aether.¡¹ ...Eh? But you said it¡¯s not possible in the... mana field?something? ¡¸It¡¯s hard to do, butnotnot possible. The active mind and subconscious tend to resonate more in emergency or life-threatening situations.¡¹ I?is that so...? ¡¸Yes... in theory, at least. So if you ever got into such situation, it might be worth to try using the aether, because it¡¯s possible... in theory, at least. Remember; to use mana, you need to?¡¹ Alignment of the will and the subconscious, right? Got it. ? ? ? ...I wish Hadda was here. I wish I had listened properly to him. Think, what did Hadda say next? What do I do in this situation? As I think that, I look at the little trail of blood I leave in my tracks. My arm is still hurting with all the scratches from when I thrusted my arm into the machine. Hopefully it won¡¯t lead the lifer to me. ¡®Just run,¡¯ Hadda had said. But for how long? ¡®... don¡¯t try to hide or trick him.¡¯ Maybe because it can smell and track from far away that hiding doesn¡¯t work. In the first place, I don¡¯t know what Hadda meant by ¡°tricking¡± the lifer. The bird had calledit¡°stupid¡± before, so it might not have the capacity to work the maze¡¯s puzzles. If so¡­ why not tricks? Aah¡­ if only the bird was here to answer these lowly student¡¯s questions. Nevertheless, the puzzles seem to work, and I¡¯ve been trying to find as much of those as I can. And then there¡¯s that, ¡®...it might be worth to try using the aether.¡¯ Frankly, I don¡¯t know about this idea. Although it does seem tempting ¡°distort reality¡± and use it against the lifer with, the repercussions if I am to fail would be too much. I don¡¯t even know what the magic would do in the first place.If I were to align my will with my subconscious, would I be able to create mighty fireballs to shower the lifer with, or conjure flowers from the folds of my dress? That said, it¡¯s still nice to have a back-up plan. Though, rather than a trump card, it¡¯s more like a last resort, something to try when I¡¯m out of options and on death¡¯s door. Oh, another puzzle. Alrighty, let¡¯s do this thing. And then keep running, I guess? For how long, forever? ...Forever running away... There was something like that, wasn¡¯t it? Something... something about the lifer being chased endlessly by jailers. ...Then, maybe if I can slow it down, somehow... it would eventually get caught? .... ....... ............ Nope. I can¡¯t think of anything. All this thinking and running is having its toll on me. A nice, relaxing bath would bereallygreat right about now. Come to think of it, the wolf said that I smell. Maybe that¡¯s why the lifer could find me so easily? Hah. Perhaps my blood smells too. Thinking that, I raise my arm near my nose but smell nothing. Of course, if I do smell, I wouldn¡¯t be able to sense it, would I? Wait. Maybe if I... ¡®Don¡¯t try to hide or trick him.¡¯ ...Huh. I wonder if I¡¯m going crazy, but... ¡®Just run.¡¯ Shut up Hadda, you¡¯re not here. That¡¯s right, he''s not here. This is my choice to make, and I think¡­ well, I think it¡¯s worth a shot. It might be crazy, but so is all this. I observe the new puzzle as I start constructing the plan. Another thing about this area is that the puzzles seem to all have these huge cubes around. In the previous section, the machine runs through entirely under the ground, but here, the main mechanism is contained inside these cubes ¨C cheat cubes, I call them. With effort, I open the cube as I did in the puzzle before. Although the puzzle differs, what¡¯s inside the cube isn¡¯t strictly different. It always has the same core functions, mainly the timed detent that prevents the gate from being closed for a fixed period. If I remove that detent, the gate would immediately close or in the case that it¡¯s still in the process of opening, would close as soon as it fully opens. ¡­Hehe. I got it. This may be the riskiest thing yet, but the feeling that I¡¯m fighting back rather than just running away is¡­ exhilarating. Sure it might not work, and sure I might die from this plan, but at the very least, the lifer wouldn¡¯t be the only one having fun. ? ? ? Laying down a trap is as simple as playing it out in your mind. Playing it out for real, though, is not as simple. It¡¯s not like it¡¯s guaranteed to work to begin with, but even so, having something up your sleeve does make you feel better at times like this. My time is running out. I keep hearing the beast inching closer to me.My trick is as simple as it gets¡ªthat is, luring the lifer into the trap I had set for it. It sounds easy, and it would be if I wasn¡¯t the bait. Then I hear a bellow. I start running, knowing by instinct that the lifer is soon to follow. Left. Right. Left. Left. I count each step after making every turn. The path is clear in my mind, but I know that any misstep can be my last. Maybe I slip and fall, and the lifer catches up, or maybe I remember the way wrong. I don¡¯t have the chance to further contemplate the possibilities of failure because another roar came, sounding very, very close. Which means it¡¯s time for that. I look into what¡¯s inside my hands ¡ª a piece of red cloth crumpled into a messy ball. It¡¯s not red originally. It was white like my dress because, well, it actually is my dress. I¡¯d ripped it off and dyed it in my blood, sweat, as much musk as I can stain it with basically. It¡¯s probably too much to ask for, but I hope the lifer might mistake the stench from this thing to mine, maybe confuse it a bit and buy me a moment. So I throw it. I used all my strength, but it still didn¡¯t get thrown far. It¡¯ll just have to do. Now the lifer can smell two of me and has to decide which one to follow, then I¡¯ll have the time to prepare my trap. An ominous feeling dawns on me as I make the last turn. My hairs are standing on end and my instincts are screaming at me to run away. My trap is to the left of the fork, and to the right... was the lifer. ¡­Like I said, too much to ask for. I start running like hell is on my back, not caring about my aching arm or my tired legs. Its heavy footsteps tell me that it¡¯s chasing after me at full speed. It¡¯s right behind me, just skip and hop away. It¡¯s gotten closer now. Closer. I can hear footsteps as if they¡¯re right beside me. It¡¯s right behind me. I know from the sound of thumping, I know from the looming shadow, that it¡¯s reaching his hand out at me. But the opening is also there, right in front of me. The gate to my trap. I make a turn into the gap, just as I see from the corner of my eye, the lifer¡¯s large hand reaching out for me. It¡¯s like a boulder. My whole body feels numb from the impact. With this kind of effect, you¡¯d think the lifer crashed into me, but it didn¡¯t. It merely grazed me with its arm. I made it into the puzzle area, just barely. Judging by the sound, the lifer couldn¡¯t stop its momentum and crashed into a nearby wall. I probably have a few seconds before¡­ ¡°There you are, my little prey.¡± The lifer is right in front of the entrance ¨C the gate that opened after I ¡°completed¡± the puzzle. There¡¯s some kind of twisted hunger flashing in its eyes as the lifer starts walking towards me. I inched towards thecheat box, two crawls at a time. The lifer lumbers towards me, breathing the air around it as if they were intoxicating. Perhaps it is. It is my smell that he¡¯s breathing. My fear. Three strides. Though it hurts, I stand and support myself on the container. ¡°Where are you going...? There¡¯s nowhere to run, little bird,¡± it said, its voice more distorted than I ever heard it. I reach into the open vent, feeling my hand on the still parts while keeping my eyes on the beast. Two strides left. ¡°Hmm, little bird with tender flesh¡­ do you know what¡¯s going to happen to you?¡± It asked with a smile I didn¡¯t know it could make. One stride. No, I don¡¯t. But I know what¡¯s going to happen to you. As the lifer steps into the danger area, I firm my grip and pulled hard. I pull the detent out and in that instant, the mechanism starts moving again. The stone walls close in on the lifer, but not slowly. It¡¯s like a rubber, held by the contrivance of which I just broke, and now that nothing¡¯s holding it back, it snaps back shut ¨C with the lifer right in the middle of it. Hah! Whose flesh is tender now, you fu¨C ¡­Huh? Wait, that¡¯s not right. The gate¡¯s not closed yet. Or rather, something is holding it open. Something that was in the opening when it snapped shut. That ¡®something¡¯ now glares at me with eyes red as blood. That¡¯s just not fair. The walls here may be shorter and thinner than the walls in the first area, but they¡¯re still fifteen strides high of rigid stones. Being crushed from both sides is probably like having a stone tower collapse on you. So how come it¡¯s still alive? Let alone crushed, it seems like it¡¯s even pushing the walls, scraping its back on the stone as it slowly makes its way towards me. Haha, well the trap worked at least. It¡¯s just not enough to kill it, but now I¡¯ve bought myself time to get away¡­ is what I¡¯d like the think, but I can¡¯t stand. No, it¡¯s not because fear has me paralyzed. I can¡¯t physically stand or make any movements larger than a crawl. I think I broke some ribs when the lifer hit me back then. The lifer is pushing back against the compression, one hand out reaching wildly for me. It¡¯s just a matter of time before it manages to slip out and get me. What would the bird do if he was here, I wonder? He¡¯ll probably just fly away, right? Like he did when he left me all alone in this place. The lifer put one foot out, its reach getting closer and closer. Its eyes red and erratic, but still focused on me. ¡­Stand up, girl. This isn¡¯t the end. Ugh¡­ Stand up and run¨C ¡°Hey, pallid girl!¡± Then I¡¯m suddenly moving away from the lifer. What the¨C hey?! ¡°Don¡¯t struggle, I¡¯m trying to save you!¡± As he makes a turn, I look up at his face but with the way he¡¯s carrying¨C that is, with one arm like a baggage, all I can see is the back of his head. ¡°I said stop struggling, oy!¡± I¡¯m not! It¡¯s just that the way he¡¯s carrying me puts pressure on my broken ribs. Who are you? Where are we even going? He doesn¡¯t answer and keeps running, making practiced turns as if he remembers it like the back of his hand. Uh... hey? A large rumble comes from the area we left, probably the lifer finally breaking free. Meanwhile, the man still shows no signs of stopping. H¨CHey, where are you taking me? Answer me! As suddenly as he started, the man stops running. I turn my head to see a dead end in front of us. ¡°This should be it,¡± the man said. This should be what? Umm¡­ hey¨C Then he lifts my body, spins me around, and throws me at the wall. --- --- ---This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. Oh, gods¡­ Ow, ow, my ribs¡­ why did he throw me like¡­ huh? He clearly threw me at the wall, so¡­ where¡¯s the wall? ¡°You alright?¡±a voice came from the darkness. It¡¯s the same voice as the man who threw me. This guy, what did he do? I look and feel my hands around, realizing that we¡¯re in some dark, narrow place. There are walls on two sides, with slivers of misty light coming in from narrow gaps on the wall.One second we were in the maze, and now we¡¯re in a dark, narrow corridor. Just what is going on here? The man seems to notice my confusion and decides to address it, ¡°Ever wondered why the walls are so thick?¡± The walls? The walls of the maze? Is he saying¡­ I look around again. The width of this corridor seems to match what he¡¯s saying, and then the gaps on the wall...but how? How we came here aside, it really does make sense. Especially in that first section of the maze, the walls are too tall and thick for anyone to hear anything from beyond them, yet I could clearly hear the lifer¡¯s footsteps. If the walls are much lighter than they seem, that can also explain why my trap couldn¡¯t kill the lifer. ¡°Thewatchersshould be out for him right now, so it should be safe to use this passage, hopefully,¡± the man explained. Or, tried to explain. Watchers? ¡°Big oldExyshould be occupied with them too. If we¡¯re fast enough, we should be able to get away.¡± Eggsy? Who the hell is Eggsy? ¡°Can you stand? Should I carry you again? N?Never! I try to stand up, but a sharp pain causes me to hug the wall. At that point, the man rushes over and attempts to pick me up in the same way as before, so I push him back. ¡°Oh, sorry. I guess I¡¯m too used to carrying dead people.¡± No, it¡¯s¡­ wait, what did you say? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll do it right from now on.¡± With one move, he picks me up with both arms. Umm¡­ ¡°Alright, then. Let¡¯s go.¡± ...What is this? This is probably better than being treated like baggage, but it¡¯s somehow¡­ uncomfortable. Let me down. The man ignores me and starts walking at a fast pace. Thinking that I would probably slow us down otherwise, I decide to put up with this shame for survival¡¯s sake. With this new position he¡¯s carrying me in, I can now look at his face, though being in this dark place, I can¡¯t make out anything else other than his tall height and his dark hair. While watching him, he suddenly turns his head at me, making me realize that our faces are too close, so I turn my face away. ¡°The name¡¯s Thorne, by the way. What¡¯s yours?¡± M¨CMy name? I don¡¯t have one, though. Or rather, I don¡¯t remember if I had one. The man sighs at me, ¡°I understand. You don¡¯t want to share your name, that¡¯s fine.¡± Ah, no, that¡¯s not what I¨C ¡°But you know, I did just save your life. You should say thank you, at the very least?¡± There¡¯s no scorn in his voice, only¡­ irritation? I can¡¯t tell because I can¡¯t see his expression. I, uh¡­ thank you for¡­ saving me, I guess? Agh, that sounds really ungrateful. Erm, sorry, I meant¨C ¡°Not a talker, eh? Well, fine. Have it your way.¡± ¡­Ah. ¡°Were you the one who opened thegateback there?¡± I nod my head, ¡°Hah, what are you, a mute? I nod my head again. ¡°...Wait, seriously?¡± Yeah¡­ I can¡¯t believe I forgot about that. An awkward silence passes between us before he finally speaks out, ¡°So, uh... I can¡¯t really ask your name now, can I?¡± I shrug, or try to but just that little movement is already painful. ¡°Hmm, let¡¯s see¡­¡± Suddenly I feel his eyes scanning over me. Can he even see me in this dark place? ¡°I know! Let¡¯s just call you Little Fay. You don¡¯t mind, do you?¡± Little Fa¨C wait, you¡¯re kidding me, right? I shake my head furiously. ¡°You don¡¯t mind? Good! Then, Little Fay, I¡¯m going to take you to where my friends are.¡± ¡­What have I ever done to deserve? wait, what do you mean ¡°friends¡±? --- --- --- ¡°Thorne¡± stands in front of a dim, blinking light on a wall inside the corridor. I look at him curiously, unsure of what he¡¯s thinking. ¡°It should be safe to go out, I think. Do you think we should go out?¡± I tilt my head at him. How should I know? He chuckles, then pats my head for some reason. ¡°I don¡¯t want to run into a watcher in these parts, so let¡¯s go out.¡± I don¡¯t know what ¡°watchers¡± are, but don¡¯t touch my head again. Only Hadda can touch my head. I glare at him to convey my meaning but instead he pats me again with a smile on his face. Don¡¯t say I didn¡¯t warn you, Thorne. You better watch your fingers the next time¨C ¡°There, there. It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m sure it¡¯s safe to go outside,¡¯ he continues to stroke my head as if to comfort me. Having made a decision, Thorne walks towards the wall right under the blinking light and then ¨C poof, we¡¯re outside again. How in the hell¡­? ¡°You know, you¡¯re heavier than you look,¡± Thorne said before he gently puts me down against a wall and stretches his arms. ¡°Let me rest for a bit, okay?¡± Even though he said that, he keeps standing on where he was while staring at me with curious eyes. I meet his stare, his appearance finally clear in view for the first time. Even in this dark maze, I can still see the clear blue of his eyes as well as his brunette hair. He looks to be around his late thirties, wears dark colored tunic and pants, as well as a long, dark travel cloak that reaches his feet. Oh, speaking of his feet, there¡¯s leather covering them. That¡¯s right. He has shoes. Blasphemous. Utterly blasphemous. I have been barefooted for as long as I can remember, so it doesn¡¯t really bother me anymore. But now that I see him having that luxury, I feel wronged. We keep staring at each other, as if appraising the person in front of our eyes. Uncomfortable under his gaze, I finally tilt my head at him. What is it? ¡°Strip.¡± What? Did he just say... no, I probably heard it wrong¨C ¡°Strip,¡± he repeated, reaching his hand out at me. I back away against his approach while clinging to my modest apparel. Bastard! ¡°Why are you... come here, Little Fay.¡± Why?! ¡°Listen, it hurts to breathe, right? Let me have a look!¡± Back off! I slap his hand away. ¡°Why, you... ah, fine, but let me treat you at least.¡± Giving up, Thorne releases his cloak and after eyeing it for a bit, he suddenly tears it apart. ¡°Come here.¡± What are you doing? ¡°I¡¯ve been in a lot of battles, you know. I may not look like it, but I know a little bit about treating injuries,¡± he winked at me. So that¡¯s for me? He noticed that I¡¯m injured? Or rather, did we stop just to treat my injuries? ¡°Come now, we haven¡¯t got a lot of time,¡± he urges on, spreading the piece of cloth wide while comparing it to the size of my body. I nod at him. He seems trustworthy so far, and even if he¡¯s not¡­ it probably can¡¯t get any worse than ending up as sustenance for the lifer. --- --- --- ¡°There. Wasn¡¯t that bad, was it?¡± he said with a big smile plastered on his face. He really wasn¡¯t kidding. Within a few minutes, he had transformed his cloak into something akin to both a sling and a splint, wrapped around my chest and right arm. And then he used the leftovers to immobilize my right ankle, which is quite swollen and hurting really bad now. I have to say, he wasn¡¯t lying about knowing how to treat people, but¡­ It¡¯s the wrong arm. He probably did this to my right arm because it¡¯s bloodied from that stunt with the cheat box, but it¡¯s really my left that¡¯s broken. I tried to tell him, but he misunderstood my signs as reluctance to be touched by him. ¡°Quite good, aren¡¯t I? Told you so, you had nothing to fear,¡± he winked at me, again. Please don¡¯t do that. It¡¯s unsettling. Also, now that my arm and foot are like this, how am I even supposed to stand? ¡°Now then, we should go before we outstayed our welcome here.¡± Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re planning to carry me for the rest of the way? ¡°You ready? Here we go, then.¡± And... he picks me up. Ah well, let¡¯s cut him some slack. Since he¡¯s taking care of movement, that gives me room to think things over. First of all, he¡¯s a human. I didn¡¯t dawn on me until just now because of the whole running away thing, but when was the last time I saw a human being around these parts? That¡¯s right. Never. Thorne is the first ever human I¡¯ve seen in this place. Hmm? That Cher-something lady, you say? Well, she took away my Hadda, so I think it¡¯s only fair to think of her as an exception. And then Thorne said ¡°friends¡±, implying there¡¯s more people out there. Hmm? Before I realize it, he had stopped walking. Thorne? I can see sweat on his face even though we¡¯ve only just started to walk. Am I really that heavy? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Little Fay. Seems like we weren¡¯t fast enough,¡± he muttered with a mirthless smile. Eh, what do you mean? All of a sudden, everything starts to change. The air around us gradually turn crisp, and the mist becomes darker by the second. What is this? I look at Thorne with worry, but am met with a pair of eyes with dread in them. ¡°A watcher.¡± As he says that, I feel something approaching from around the corner. Thorne notices as well, because he immediately puts a stance as if he¡¯s ready to run. There¡¯s something there. Something¡­ but what? There¡¯s something dark swirling around the corner of my eye, but there¡¯s really nothing there¡­ except there is. I don¡¯t know how to explain it. I can¡¯t see it, nor can I feel it with any of my other senses, but¡­ I know it¡¯s there. ¡°Can you see it?¡± Thorne whispered, as if afraid it would notice us. That¡¯s¡­ is that a¡­ watcher? It¡¯s as if the air¨C no, it¡¯s like space itself distorts around it in a way that shouldn¡¯t be possible. The corridor seems longer than it actually is, and the walls seem to spiral around it. I can¡¯t see what it is, but¡­ I can see what it¡¯s doing to its surroundings. Just what is this ¡°watcher¡±? Before I can come to a conclusion, Thorne takes off, sprinting the opposite way. Wha?, hey?! Don¡¯t move so sudden. I¡¯m injured, you know¡­ Then I look at his face, at how terrified he is. The face that seemed so jolly just a moment ago now looks like the face of a man that has convinced himself a dead man. I look behind us to see the distortion in space closing in fast. It¡¯s hard to pinpoint its location, but I can tell that it¡¯s going after us. It¡¯s going to catch up. ¡°It¡¯s going to catch up,¡± he came to the same conclusion as he looks at me in a meaningful way. What does that stare mean? Does he has a plan? With how things are going, neither of us are getting away unless he leaves me behind¡­ oh. ¡­He wouldn¡¯t just drop me, would he? ¡°Sorry about this,¡± he gives me a smile again, one that¡¯s filled with regret. What are you... no, don¡¯t! Then he throws me again. Not to a wall or a secret door, just¡­ away. He threw me away. I should¡¯ve seen it coming. It¡¯s every man for himself here Ugh¡­ My vision is all blurry, and I can¡¯t really think with this... pain. Bastard, if he¡¯s going to leave me he could just drop me or something. There¡¯s no need to throw me so roughly. ¡°Don¡¯t be a baby, babe. It¡¯ll get much worse soon enough.¡± Eh? I look towards the voice to see Thorne still standing there. What are you still doing here? He lifts up a heptagon-shaped ornament he had hidden under his clothes and whispers to it, ¡°Athyra save us.¡± He releases the necklace, pulls out something else from his side and aims it upward. With the sound of a click, a bright ball of light travels upward from the object, illuminating the maze in a sphere of brightness. Within a few seconds, the light dissipates and the dark is back. ...That¡¯s it? A lightshow to fight off a being that distorts space? ¡°Don¡¯t worry. At the very least, I¡¯ll make sure they get to you,¡± he smiles at me. The dread on his face has been replaced by conviction. What do you mean? Who¡¯s ¡°they¡±? Was that a flare? For his friends? Even if you sent that out now, there¡¯s not enough time. Actually, why is he still here? Why isn¡¯t he running away? That ¡®thing¡¯¡­ that watcher is so close now. ¡°Heh... am I going crazy?¡± he mumbled as he positions himself between me and the passage we just came through. Thorne, what are you doing? ¡°For me to be this selfless¡­ I guess this place just busted my last screw,¡± he chuckled to himself. ¡°Or maybe I¡¯m just tired of it all and¡­ urgh!¡± Thorne? ...Something isn¡¯t right. Is he okay? Wait, is that¡­ blood? Right below him, a puddle of blood is beginning to form. What is... Thorne! His body falls lifelessly, revealing it in front of him. The watcher¡­ what did it do to him? Even this close, I still can¡¯t see anything but the warping of air around it. W¨CWhat are you? There¡¯s something in there, within the epicenter. I can¡¯t see it, but I know it¡¯s there. It¡¯s reaching out to me. What do you want from me? It has limbs¨C the tendrils that I can¡¯t see are all around me, probing around¡­ for what? There¡¯s no sense of touch, but I know it¡¯s wrapping around me, like a spider folding its prey in web. What is it... doing to me? This is bad. What should I do? I can¡¯t even stand, much less run away. Even if I could, that would mean leaving Thorne behind. There¡¯s a chance that he¡¯s already dead, but... I can¡¯t just leave him, not after what he did. ¡®Remember.¡¯ ...Hadda? Alignment of the will...¡¯ ...and the subconscious. ...Ahh, so this is it. My trump card ¨C no, my last resort. I close my eyes and start to meditate in the same manner as I did many times before. This time, though, I must succeed. ¡®It is within us and all around us, everywhere, and everywhen¡¯ I can feel the dark mass coiling around my fingers, going up my arms. ¡®Reach out...¡¯ They start to twine around all my limbs, and then my whole body. ¡®...and connect.¡¯ They finally swirl around my neck. The cold touch of it sends me shivers, even if I can¡¯t feel it in the conventional sense. But then, there¡¯s something else. Something is dragging my consciousness away, tugging at it in a tempting way. It¡¯s hard to explain. It feels like how you hear and feel your own heartbeat. Rather than discovering something new, it¡¯s like realizing something that has always been there, but was overlapped by the reality around us. It¡¯s everywhere. Inside the grounds and the walls. Within me... and the watcher. Somehow.... I feel like I can reach out to the watcher. They¡¯re... the same? Not exactly the same, but the dark mass feels to be made entirely of the same substance as... what do you call it, mana? aether? I focus my consciousness at the watcher, feeling my ¡°reach¡± against it. < Error: access restricted. > ...Who? I hear a voice¡ªis it a voice? Perhaps a ¡®thought¡¯ is a better description, preventing me from going further. I put in more force against the barrier. Go away! I scream back at the voice. Leave us alone! It pauses as if it¡¯s thinking, then it slowly pulls back from me. The next thing I know, the deformation of space is gone, and everything¡¯s back to the way it was; dark and quiet. Did it work? ¡°...Little Fay...¡± Oh, right! Thorne! I start crawling towards him. With every pull of my arm, the searing pain worsens and with every shallow breath I can manage, I feel my ribs creaking and groaning in protest. Just a little more... Thorne... is he okay? I think he lost a lot of blood. It even reaches to where I am now... huh? This isn¡¯t his blood, though... ...My blood? Am I bleeding? No wonder I¡¯m feeling kind of... lightheaded. When did this happen? The blood is coming out from my neck, where the watcher touched me. There¡¯s so much that I hardly believe I had that much liquid inside me. So... dizzy. My vision is darkening, and my limbs are going numb. Am I still conscious? ¡°Hmm, little bird with tender flesh¡­ do you know what¡¯s going to happen to you?¡± The lifer¡¯s eerie face appears in the darkness with a wicked grin. Then that face changes, the grin turns into a beak, and the pale skin turns into dark feathers. ¡¸Are you listening, brat? ¡¹ Hadda, you¡­ bastard. Why did you leave me? ¡¸Remember, alignment of the will and the subconscious. ¡¹ Yeah, I did what you told me to do, so¡­ will you come back? Hadda. ¡¸Remember, alignment of the will and¡­ ¡¹ The figure turns into haze, the world around me becoming distant as I drown into a deeper darkness. ? ? ? Blackness welcomes me into its fold. There¡¯s nothing but my own thoughts as I float through, drifting, unsure if my consciousness is even real. How did I get here? I remember passing out after that watcher, and Thorne¡­ I hope he¡¯s okay. ¡­Wait, that¡¯s not right. Thorne is¡­ dead. He¡¯s been dead for a long time, but it wasn¡¯t the watcher that killed him. It was something else, something far more horrible. But what was it? His friends¡­ Nile, Arty¡­ they¡¯re dead too. All of them. I was alone again, but then¡­ I can¡¯t remember. What happened after that? I remember seeing red. It was red everywhere, and then¡­ Eretz came. ¡­I remember a deal. I deal I made with a face in the blackness. What was it? ¡®Find that person.¡¯ Find¡­ who? ¡®Find the true king.¡¯ ¡­I see something. There¡¯s a light in the darkness. A small flickering light, with sounds coming from it. Sounds like¡­ whispers. I float towards it. As I get closer, the light turns bigger, and the whispers louder. They¡¯re no longer whispers. They¡¯re people¡­ talking. Suddenly, the light blinds me and the darkness disappears. ¡°Ssh, she¡¯s awake.¡±
Chapter 7 : A New Beginning Chapter 7 A New Beginning ¡°Ssh, she¡¯s awake.¡± Ugh, so bright¡­ I open my eyes just to be blinded by a bright light. Behind that light, there¡¯s shadows, figures of people. ¡°Holy crap, you¡¯re right! She¡¯s finally awake!¡± a second voice came. ¡°Shut the bloody hell up, Lui. Do you want the whole kingdom to go after us? Why do you think we¡¯re going through the forest in the dead of the night?¡± said the first voice. ¡°That¡¯s right, Ricket. We¡¯re in the middle of a forest in the dead of the night, who do you think would hear us here?¡± ¡°Lui, you damn fool. Don¡¯t underestimate the guild. Who knows if they¡¯re listening in right now.¡± Ow, my ears¡­ so loud. Who are these people. My eyes slowly adjust, and I finally see that the bright light is actually just a dim oil lantern. Ugh¡­ I feel like I just woke up from a long nightmare. My head is still spinning, and my stomach is hurting. ¡­Wait, I know this feeling. This is¡­ I¡¯m hungry? While I¡¯m still in the middle of processing all this, another light is lit just outside the small cage I¡¯m in. ¡°Well, well... would you look at that.¡± A third person appears. The elderly man is dressed in dark, thick robes with subtle but fancy-looking embroidery sewn on it. He raises his lantern to get a better look at what¡¯s behind the wooden bars¡­ wait, bars? ¡­It¡¯s a cage. The three of them are looking at what¡¯s inside the cage. Which is me. Because I¡¯m inside the cage. ¡°Asleep for three bloody nights, and now she wakes,¡± the first guy spoke with chaff, then addresses me, ¡°got a name, girl?¡± ¡°Stop. It has no need for a name,¡± the elderly man said harshly. ¡°Yes, sir. I¡¯m sorry,¡± the first man backs off from the cage, giving more space to the old man. ¡­Is this real? I¡¯m finally out from that place? Even if I try to remember, my memories from there are hazy. That dream from earlier¡­ it was so vivid, so real that it¡¯s unreal. I was back to when I first met Hadda, and¡­ Thorne? Was that his name? It was so long ago. And now I¡¯m finally free¡­ well, sort of. Now I¡¯m in another, albeit much smaller prison that¡¯s made of wood. Did these people put me in here? Bloody fucking hell. Out of the oven and into a frying pan. At least give me some time to breathe, will you? Just now, I hear a whimper and when I look towards it, I see another cage. Actually, there are multiple cages with people inside, all of them young females, except for that one with a dark-skinned man inside, heavily chained up even though he¡¯s caged. ¡°This one¡¯s yours, right?¡± the old man points at my direction. Huh? Me? ¡°Indeed, I found her yesterday when we were going through Falreas,¡± the first man answered. ¡°It¡¯s a shame she¡¯s in that condition, but I believe we can still©¤¡± ¡°Actually, would you mind if I borrow it? It¡¯s so saddening to give away something like this before trying it out myself. After all, how often do we run into a faean like it?¡± ¡°Eh? But her value?¡± ¡°What value? It¡¯s already broken, anyway.¡± ¡°That may be so, but still¡­¡± While the two of them argues about god knows what, one of the lads, the one called Lui, is just staring at me. He comes up close to the cage and speaks in a low voice that couldn¡¯t have been heard by the other two. ¡°You have beautiful eyes, missus,¡± he said with a slight bow and a smile. Err... what? ¡°May I ask, the humble me, for the grace of your name?¡± No, go away. ¡°Tch, fine! I¡¯ll pay you a rate of the selling price! Happy?¡±the old man shouted. The other two are still at it, apparently. ¡°But... that¡¯s not all! We have to ensure her well-being, especially because she was unconscious for a long time. At the very least, I need to check on her health first.¡± ¡°Then do it now!¡± ¡°I... I¡¯m not qualified to?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± Lui broke in. ¡°...Can you?¡± the old man asks with a glare, clearly annoyed. ¡°Yeah.¡± With that settled, the other youth hands Lui a key. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, missus?¡± he smiles again at me, a smile so bright I can¡¯t believe in its sincerity. With the other two watching behind him, he opens the cage and reaches out his hands towards me. His blue eyes, coupled with bright blond hair as well as youthful, well-defined features, seems out of place in this kind of business. Or maybe he was the one to ensnare the girls using those looks -- tricked them into these cages to be sold or whatever? He begins his ¡°checking¡± of my health. Trapped inside the confining cage, I can¡¯t really do anything but to let him put his hands on me. ¡°Does it hurt?¡± he talks again in a suspiciously low voice, as if to prevent the others from hearing him. What does? ¡°You seem so calm,¡± he sighed, ¡°I don¡¯t think you realize the situation you¡¯re in.¡± I narrow my eyes at him. No, I think I get the gist of it. Obviously, we¡¯re not in some kind of happy trip. Judging from the cages, and the girls inside them¡­ people-trading, maybe? Hadda talked about this before. People treated as things. Slaves, he called them. Judging from the merchandise, they¡¯re probably a specialized kind that only trades specific slaves for a specific business. Sex business, to be exact. Which means, what that old man meant by ¡°trying it out¡±, is¡­ ¡°You¡¯re a silent one, aren¡¯t you?¡± As he says that, his hands begin reaching for the more intrusive parts. Meanwhile, I can see the old man watching the little show with hunger and anticipation. Much to my comfort, Lui stops before his probing before it gets too private and the old guy silently groans in disappointment. Lui locks the cage and turns at the others while sighing and shaking his head dramatically. ¡°...So?¡±the old man impatiently inquired. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine, but I would refrain from touching her for now. She needs rest.¡± The old man turns to me with longing in his eyes. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to hear that.¡± ¡°Now, now, my good sir. You wouldn¡¯t want to harm your precious faean, don¡¯t you?¡± Lui brazenly pats the old man¡¯s shoulder, ¡°I suggest you try again at dawn. Besides, look at how quiet she is. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be livelier after a little rest. Don¡¯t you like it better that way?¡± ¡°Hmph. Dawn, huh? That¡¯s still a few hours from now. We¡¯ll also be departing later in the morning...¡± ¡°And I¡¯m sure that¡¯s enough time for you, no? The few moments you¡¯ll share with her will be even more precious.¡± ¡°Hmph. Better than no moment at all, I suppose. I can deal with that. Meanwhile... You, let¡¯s discuss its rates with me.¡± Fortunately for Lui, the old man seems to have missed the insult in Lui¡¯s voice and casually walks away, dragging the other guy with him. ¡°...Fucking old pervert,¡± Lui muttered under his breath before he looks back at me with a smile plastered on his face. ...I don¡¯t think you have the right to say that, though. He¡¯s a fake doctor. He wasn¡¯t really doing anything other than feeling me up before, when he ¡°checked my health.¡± He¡¯s a fake pervert doctor. ¡°Finally, now that they¡¯re gone, it¡¯s just you and me. Should we have fun?¡±he winked at me. See? I told you. He¡¯s up to no good. ¡°Hey, I¡¯m just kidding. Don¡¯t look at me like that. Well, jokes aside, you really should rest, you know. Dawn is coming, so you¡¯d better be ready.¡± Ready for what? The old man? ¡°Just sit tight, alright? Things will get a little¡­ hot at dawn,¡± he said seriously, then turns and walks away from the cage. Wow, what a hateful guy. I start looking around to get a grip on the whole thing. Unless I¡¯m wrong and we¡¯re still in that place, it¡¯s currently nighttime in the middle of the forest. The weather seems cloudy because there¡¯s no source of light other than the few lanterns and fires lit around the camp. That¡¯s right ¨C a camp. There¡¯s a number of wagons and tents, as well as people sitting by the fire, dozily watching the darkness around them. They seem to be soldiers or, more likely, mercenaries judging by their attire.They huddle together around the fires to keep warm in the freezing air, while the people inside the cages are left shivering in the cold. On the wagons are cages much like mine, having two to three girls inside that are either sleeping or whimpering, perhaps from the fear or just from the cold. The only cages with only one person inside is mine and that man¡¯s cage. Speaking of ¡°that man¡±, it¡¯s really weird how they excessively lock his limbs when he¡¯s already inside a cage. He¡¯s also the only male, and that muscly built doesn¡¯t really suit the sex business like the rest, so why is he here? Some kind of special order for someone? Some lady with a kink for muscles, maybe. No, more importantly, I need to get out of here, because¡­ there¡¯s something I must do. Something¡­ something important... If you want to save them¡­ The deal, it was¡­ If you want to save them, play your part in Mer. ¡­I remember now. My deal with him. Hadda¡­ I unconsciously call out, driven by an indescribable feeling pressing down on my gut. Eretz¡­ Yammu¡­ Those three¡­ gods, they¡¯re still down there and I¡­ I left them¡­ ¡°¡­uu...¡° It¡¯s the same whimper from before. The sound came from the cage next to mine. There¡¯s two girls in it. One is sleeping soundly with her face hidden, while the other is silently crying. The brown-haired girl, who seems to be the youngest here, wears what little is left of her actual clothing. The numerous rips on what used to be her robe makes it obvious that she was assaulted. Through the holes, I can see red marks and gashes. Hey... I try to get her attention by knocking on the wooden floor. On the second try, she hears the sound and her face turns towards me. You there, can you tell me where we are¨C Wait, I didn¡¯t really think this through, did I? And now we¡¯re just staring at each other, so I just awkwardly smile at her. ¡°You¡­,¡± she stared with a trembling voice, ¡°why are you smiling like that? Don¡¯t you know what he¡¯s going to do to you?!¡± ¡°OY! Quiet there, slave!¡± After someone by the fire warned her, she goes back to her silent sobs. Before I even try to get her attention again, though, her face is already turned towards me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­ even though you must be scared as well...¡± Beneath her wet face and her long, messy hair, I can still see her lovely face. The pair of amber eyes that stare back at me shone in the darkness, all swollen from crying but still lovely nonetheless. It¡¯s alright. I know she can¡¯t hear me, but I say it, anyway. If anything, I do it to ease the heaviness in my chest, even by just a little bit. Although, for some reason, it seems that the girl has calmed down. It¡¯s going to be alright. I feel like¡­ I¡¯m doing the same thing someone did for me, long ago. By now, the girl has stopped crying and is just staring back at me. I¡¯m going to get us out of here. I promise. ¡°Gods, finally you stopped crying,¡± the girl I thought was sleeping suddenly spoke out. ¡°I... I¡¯m sorry, did I wake you?¡± ¡°Yeah, you sure did, you wuss. And you too, whitey. That she suddenly burst out like that is your fault,¡± she said, sitting up as she turns her attention to me. Huh? Me? Who the hell is Wythee? ¡°S?Stop that. She was picked out by the lord earlier, so¡ª¡° ¡°¡¯Lord?¡¯ What ¡®lord¡¯? You mean that old pervert? So what, you think she should break down and cry like you did? Do you need me to call for your mum?¡± ¡°...They killed my mother,¡± she replied with a voice so soft that it¡¯s a barely audible whisper. ¡°I¡¯m... the only one that¡¯s left. Everyone¡¯s gone...¡± ¡°Oh, really? Keep on crying then. I¡¯m sure she¡¯ll be very proud,¡± the other girl bites back with a snark. ¡°What¡­ N¨CNo, why are you...!¡± ¡°Well make her proud, then. Should you rightfully live your life in her memory is the greatest honor you could do for her. Else, there¡¯s nothing left of them. Not your mother, not your family, nothing.¡± ¡°Hey, I said be quiet! Noisy slaves,¡± a man by the fire shouted at us. ¡°...Tsk, ¡®slave,¡¯ my arse...¡°the girl cursed silently, and a solemn silence continues after. The fiery girl gazes at a distant flickering campfire, her clear blue eyes slightly reflecting the light. Her long, lustrous dark hair seems neater than it should be along with her clothes, very unlike the girl whom she shared the cage with. Needless to say, she¡¯s the kind of girl that turns heads. Along with the wuss? I mean, the brown-haired girl, the slavers seem to have some kind of standard with their, uhm¡­ merchandise. I honestly don¡¯t know how I should feel about that. ¡°...I¡¯m not supposed to be here. I have something important that I must do,¡± the dark-haired girl spoke in a low voice, almost a whisper. ¡°I¡¯m from a noble family, but it was such a coincidence that I passed through that lodge while in plebeian attire.¡± ¡°Plebeian attire¡±? Even though it looks even nicer than the old man¡¯s? ¡°A noble? T?Then... wouldn¡¯t you be released if you tell them that? And perhaps, you can also tell them to release us¨C¡° ¡°Oh, sure. And they¡¯ll blindly believe everything I say, listen to my every demand, and everyone gets to go home happily. Think before you say something, moron. And besides,¡± she nods towards me, ¡°I think she¡¯s got a plan.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Eh? And now they¡¯re both looking at me. Great. ¡°You¡¯re being strangely calm. Luis¨C I mean, that man from earlier said so too. Most girls would freak out when they know they¡¯re going to get special care in the morning, but not you. Because you wouldn¡¯t let them do that to you, would you?¡± she said with a rhetoric smile on her face.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Is¡­ is that true?¡± the brown-haired girl asks me with big wet eyes. Oh, what the hell. Don¡¯t look at me like that. I just woke up, for god¡¯s sake, and now you¡¯re going to rely on me for escaping? Well, she¡¯s not wrong, though. I don¡¯t think what I have in mind qualifies as a ¡°plan¡±, but it¡¯s true I have no intention to stay, because I also have something important to do. That¡¯s right. I have to save my friends. I quietly nod at them. ¡°Hah. What, you¡¯re a mute or somethin©¤¡± ¡°Really?!¡± ¡°Ssh! You moron, they¡¯ll hear us¡± the black-haired girl slaps the other girl¡¯s head. ¡°S?Sorry! So, umm... what you¡¯re going to do? Can you tell us?¡± Uh... that would be hard. I shake my head at them. ¡°She¡¯s right, wuss. We can¡¯t risk them hearing us.¡± Well, the truth is, I don¡¯t have any plan. However, even now in this situation, I don¡¯t feel hopeless at all. Not exactly a plan, but there¡¯s always the aether. My attention draws to the crackling campfire. Fire. Fire always works. Using them should be easy enough, but since we¡¯re in the middle of the forest, I might end up starting a wildfire if I¡¯m not careful. ¡°Hey, you. What¡¯s your name?¡± the noble girl asked. ¡°I?It¡¯s Farica, milady.¡± ¡°¡¯Milady?¡¯ What am I lady of, the cage? Just call me Latasha.¡± ¡°It¡¯s¡­ umm, an honor, milad¡ªI mean, Latasha.¡± ¡°There you go.¡± Oh? They seem to be getting along. ¡°And how about you, whitey? Mind telling us the word your mother identified as you?¡± I close my eyes, sit in a meditative position and start constructing a plan. ¡°Hey, I know you can hear me.¡± ¡­¡­. ¡°What¡¯s your story, anyway? How did you get here?¡± I¡¯d like to know that myself. ¡°And what¡¯s with your looks? You look like a ghost¨C¡± she stops speaking with a troubled expression, as if realizing something. Then she continues in the same unabashed manner, ¡°Did you wash your hair in too much milk? Oh, and where did your brows go? Did you lose them?¡± ¡°I¨CI think she¡¯s beautiful. Being different doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s wrong,¡± ¡°Hmph, fine. Then, freakishly beautiful. You know, beautiful, in a freaky way.¡± ¡°That¡¯s so mean,¡± Farica giggled. These girls... it¡¯s good that they¡¯re lively and all, but they might be forgetting their current situation. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ve read about people like you before.¡± ...People like me? I finally open my eyes and answer her gaze. She smiles seeing that she finally got my attention. ¡°Some say it¡¯s because of a curse, others say it¡¯s a gift. One book said they live in caves and are afraid of the light. There¡¯s even one that said they can cure diseases through intercourse.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Their limbs sell for quite a lot too in certain places. They use it for rituals and stuff.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s absurd!¡± I concur! ¡°Yeah, I guess I¡¯ve been reading a little too much,¡± she snickers at us. --- --- --- ...Alright, I think I got it. First thing¡¯s first; I need to get out of this cage. If I can make the wood decay to the extent that I can break them, I should be able to kick my way out. Heating them up should do the trick, and the nearest source of heat is a lantern hanging on a nearby tent. Lucky. ¡°Hey, Whitey, what are you doing?¡± ¡°Ssh,¡±I¡¯m trying to focus here! Eretz taught me about it once. Something called thermal decomposition ¨C using heat to break down material while depriving the process of air to stop a fire from forming. Using mana, I create a passage of mana between the lantern and the cage and through it, I carefully guide the energy emitted by the lantern towards the wooden beams in a continuous flow. Meanwhile I also create a vacuum bubble around the bar the passage is connected to. Once the flow is stable, I increase the pressure, significantly raising the heat applied on the bars. Since it¡¯s not a perfect vacuum, there¡¯s a chance a fire might form if it¡¯s hot enough. Whenever the wood seems like it will catch fire, I decrease the thermal flow to let the heat cool down, then continue on with that limit on heat. After several iterations, I finally find the sweet spot -- the rate of the thermal flow that creates the maximum heat without a fire forming. After a mere couple of minutes, the wood starts crackling and I start choking. ¡°You alright there, whitey?¡° the noble, Latasha asked me without a hint of worry. ¡°Umm... what is she doing?¡± Farica asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I think she¡¯s trying to get out. Look at the wood.¡± Conforming with Latasha¡¯s words, the wooden bars I¡¯m heating starts to give out vapor and blackens at several parts. ¡°But, how...?¡± ¡°She¡¯s apyromancer¡­ aren¡¯t you, Whitey?¡± Well, I don¡¯t know anything about being a ¡°pyromancer¡±, but this would indeed allow me to escape. Now that at least three beams have decomposed enough, I can kick my way out. After I stop the heating, I lean back and position myself to kick the decayed wood. With a deep breath, I ready myself. Here we go. Hiyaah! As I kick them, the beams creaks and bends, yet still stands in place. Latasha whistled at me, ¡°Easy, tigress.¡± Ignoring the pain on my feet, pull my legs in and kick again. Urryah! I broke through! I think I got a big splinter stuck on my feet, but that¡¯s not important right now. Promptly, I climb out through the gap and raise a thumb at the other two. ¡°Whitey, you numbcod, you were heard!¡± Latasha warned me, nodding her head towards the campfire. Eh? Oh... shite. As soon as I see the approaching light, I jump off the wagon and quietly run to the front of it. ¡°...Quack.¡± Uwah?! The heck are you?! On the front of the wagon is a big, feathery bird-like animal, with big, puffy body and small wings that are obviously too small to fly with. It has a bill like Hadda¡¯s, but not as sharp and looks flatter. The legs are short and stumpy, but the claws on its feet are large and, along with the legs, seems like they¡¯re made for jumping. Holy crap, it¡¯s a giant duck¨C ¡°Whitey, hide!¡± Oh, right. Excuse me, birdy. I promise I won¡¯t take advantage of you... ¡°Quack! Quack quack!¡± ¡°Shh! Shh!¡±Please be quiet! ¡°Whitey, the hell are you doing?!¡± Hell if I know! I haven¡¯t even touched him yet! Umm... not that I was going to touch him. ¡°...What¡¯s going on there, Fanny?¡± a man¡¯s voice came. Ah, curses. I can hear footsteps approaching. So your name is Fanny, huh? ¡°Quack!¡± Listen, I need you to be quiet. Can you do that for me? ¡°Quack! Quackquackquackquackquack!¡± Oh, for the love of god... I clamp his mouth shut with my hands, bring my face to his and stare at him right in his gleaming black eyes. Shut up or I will roast you for breakfast. ¡°.........¡± Good boy. ¡°Anyone there?¡± The sounds of boots and the clanging of metal tells me that he¡¯s already near the wagon. There¡¯s no way he won¡¯t spot me if I run now. As soon as he sees the broken cage, he¡¯ll wake the others up and things would be much more complicated then. What to do... ¡°What the hell?¡± I can hear the sound of him jumping onto the wagon. He¡¯ll see that one cage is broken and empty¡­ ¡°What happened here©¤ eagh?!¡± Eagh? Is that him acting surprised, or¡­ I take a peek, and find the mercenary leaning his back the two girls¡¯ cage¡­ wait, no, Latasha is strangling him! She must¡¯ve reached out at the man, and is now choking him with her arms. ...¡±Tigress¡±, huh? So she¡¯s not just talk, then. ¡°Quick, his sword!¡± I jump up the wagon and approach the struggling man. Latasha is wrapping her arms around his throat and arm, while Farica is holding the other. Carefully avoiding his kicking legs, I grab the hilt on the man¡¯s hip and¡­ try to pull the sword out. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right?!¡± Latasha shouted upon seeing me fail. Umm, crap¡­ Even after a third try, the furthest I can pull out is half, and the man tussling about isn¡¯t making it easier. Why would anyone use longswords, anyway! ¡°Just knock him out, Whitey!¡± Oh, good idea. I step back and launch a kick at the man¡¯s face. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m©¤ Gghaagh!¡± Switching legs, I kick him again. ¡°Uagh! Stop, I¡¯m not¡­¡° Here comes another! ¡°Gagh!¡± Have a taste of my feet! ¡°¡­ - gurgle- ¡° ¡°Whitey, I think he¡¯s¡­¡± I kick him again. And again. And again. --- --- --- ¡°Oh, my gods¡­¡± Farica brought her hand to her mouth. ¡°It¡¯s still too early to say that.¡± ¡°I?Is he dead?¡± ¡°Probably not. But someone probably will before dawn comes, so don¡¯t go pissing on yourself now, wuss.¡± With the man unconscious, Latasha pulls out the sword effortlessly. ¡°...That¡¯s a big sword,¡± Farica commented as her mouth forms into a big O. ¡°Yup. It¡¯s a two-handed sword. You don¡¯t see them around much, nowadays.¡± ¡°C¨CCan you use it?¡± ¡°Of course, I can,¡± she answered with a confident smirk. Uh, the weight of it aside, you won¡¯t even be able to swing it in that small cage, you know. Despite my doubts, Latasha positions the sword to a jab and with a quick thrust, she pierces the thick beam to a good depth, arousing big Os from both me and Farica. Then she assumes the kicking position I did, but instead of the bars, she kicks the hilt of the sword, breaking the beam the sword was attached to. ¡°Hold on.¡± Then she proceeds to strike an adjacent beam. This girl... I thought she said she was a noble? As Latasha works on it, there¡¯s movement in the tents. They probably heard the wood breaking or, earlier yet, the ruckus for the sword. With the second bar gone, both of them climb out of the cage. ¡°Shall we?¡± Latasha smirks at me, dragging the longsword behind her. Yeah. ¡°We haven¡¯t got a lot of time, though.¡± She¡¯s right. Lights are being lit inside the tents, and there¡¯s sounds of people rousing up. We might be able to get away if we use the darkness and go now. ¡°The others...¡± Farica¡¯s words reminds me of the other slaves here. There are five other cages, with at least ten girls and one man. My method of breaking the cages takes too long, and the all the keys seems to be held by one person, which is inside the biggest tent along with Lui and the old man as well as tons of guards. Which means, all we can do right now is to¡­ ¡°Whitey!¡± Latasha grabs my shoulders, ¡°you¡¯re a pyromancer, right? Can you make a bigger fire?¡± Eh? ¡°Hurry up and answer me!¡± she starts shaking me furiously. I nod at her. ¡°Oh, by Athyra¡¯s twat¡ªwhy won¡¯t you just talk? Whatever, I¡¯ll take care of the other cages. See if you can do something about the baddies. Use the fire or whatever!¡± Wait, what¡­ ¡°Oh, and see that guy?¡± she nods at the cage with the man inside. ¡°By the looks of it, the slavers see him as someone dangerous. Who knows? He might draw the attention off us.¡± Wait¨C ¡°Wuss, you¡¯re with me. I need you to coordinate the girls, make them listen to you. Do whatever you need to do, yell at them, cry with them, whatever.¡± Umm, listen¨C ¡°Eh? M?Me?¡± Hey, hold on a sec¨C ¡°We¡¯ll use our wagon to escape, so meet me back there, Whitey!¡± Then Latasha is off to the direction of the other cages, dragging Farica behind her. ¡­Seriously? She¡¯s going to rescue the other slaves? I stare at their backs as they go for the cages. By now, some people have come out of the tents and are warily watching the surroundings. I lower my posture and start crouching stealthily in the darkness. I should be able to get away like this¨C ¡°There! Thefaeangirl!¡± ¡°How the hell did she get out?!¡± ...Of course. I forgot that I practically glow in the dark. Oh, well, looks like I have no choice now. Now then, Latasha asked me if I could make a bigger fire, but how should I go on with that? Let¡¯s see now... Do you know what water is made of? It was something Yammu had taught me about. Even though there¡¯s no water, humid air is basically water in the form of air, so the same principles should apply. I start by disintegrating some of the humidity, breaking it down into rudimentary gases. As people start pouring out of the tents, I create a line of combustible gases between me and the slavers, with the campfire at the center. That¡¯s right. Come at me. Following the shouting, more people come pouring out from the tents. Some of them are making their way towards me, something they¡¯re going to regret soon enough. Here we go! Flame barrier! --- --- --- ¡­Umm, first of all, you didn¡¯t hear that thing I said out loud. At any rate, the effect was¡­ beyond expectations. Rather than a barrier, all I did was make an explosion as the rate of combustion was too quick to maintain the flame. How did this happen? Did I mess up with the energy exchange somehow? Even the people standing at a distance were blown away, including myself. The wagon the three of us were on were caught as well, so there goes our meet-up point. Wasn¡¯t that unconscious guy still on it? And not just him. The people that were nearer to the explosion¡­ they couldn¡¯t have survived it. In the past, I might¡¯ve felt something, asked questions like how many, or if they deserved it or needed to die. But after all I¡¯ve experienced, I¡­ ¡­I felt nothing. Because it was justifiable. They were the one coming for me. ¡°Fuck! She¡¯s a magus!¡± ¡°Get back, all of you!¡± Along with the shouting, I can hear groans and coughing through the smoke. Eh, maybe this isn¡¯t a bad effect after all? They won¡¯t dare make another approach before the smoke dissipates. I can¡¯t see them like this, but at the same time, they can¡¯t see me nor can they see the slaves. This should buy some time for Latasha. In the meantime... I turn towards the lone cage, and now that I¡¯m this close, I inspect the man inside properly. His dark skin suggests that he came from the south, or maybe his ancestors did. The dark, unkempt hair, matching his scruffy facial hair, implies that he had been in captive for a long time. He wears no shirt, just dark trousers that he seems to have worn for weeks or even months. There are scars on his body, some new and some faint. His sharp, black eyes had been staring back as if to intimidate me. On conclusion, he seems dangerous. There has to be a good reason on why he¡¯s so locked up, but this isn¡¯t really up for debate right now. The wind seems to be catching on because the smoke is starting to clear out. Talk about bad weather. Really, how am I supposed to get him out in time, and even if I manage to do it, he¡¯s still... oh? When did they get the cuffs off him? Actually, with the way they¡¯re lying on the floor, I think he got it off himself. ¡°You going to get me out, or you going to keep ogling?¡± His voice is raspy and weak, but still had a sense of threat in them. I could try blowing up a side of the cage, but¡­ you might get a few more scars. You wouldn¡¯t mind, right? One more to add to the collection. ¡°What¡¯re you doing?¡± Getting you out. I make another ¡°fire bubble¡± and compress it, thinking that it would lessen the range of its explosion. Unlike earlier, this one is much smaller in both size and concentration, but still highly explosive. With a prayer, I ignite the invisible bubble. --- --- --- Bloody shite¡­ I hold my wobbly head, cursing myself for being careless again. It was bad enough that I almost blew myself up once, and now I almost blew myself twice. The explosion was small as intended, but the force of it was so big it had taken me off my feet. Even now, my ears are still ringing from the loud bang. With my back on the ground, I wait until my sense of balance returns before trying to stand up. Before I could, however, someone jumps on top of me, straddling me with his hands on my neck. It¡¯s the man in chains. He¡¯s¡­ choking me. Why? I can see anger in his eyes, along with killing intent. He wants to kill me. Stop! I try to break free, my arms clawing at his arms and face, but¡­ crap, the difference in weight is just too great. Ugh¡­ gah¡­ someone... He¡¯s free, and I was the one who got him out. I shouldn¡¯t have freed him. ¡°Let her go!¡± someone called out, but the man strengthened the choke instead. ¡°She¡¯s a victim too! Let her go!¡± Something appears on the man¡¯s neck. A steel sabre, threatening to cut his throat. ¡°She got you out. Let. Her. Go.¡± I¡¯m on the verge of consciousness when his fingers finally loosen. As I painfully cough, I touch my fingers on my neck and feel the bruise that has formed. ¡°I thought I told you sit tight, little miss.¡± It¡¯s a familiar voice. ¡­Lui? It¡¯s really him. The fake pervert doctor. I get up on my shaky knees, staring at the new adversary. He only has one sword and at the end of it is the dark-skinned man, leaving me completely unguarded. A mistake on his part. ¡°Stand down. We don¡¯t want to hurt you,¡± he said, aiming the words at both of us though his eyes especially lingered on the other guy. Meanwhile, I focus on creating a compressed bubble of air. Lui notices something is wrong and threatens me with a glare. ¡°Whatever you¡¯re trying to do, stop?¡± Before he can complete his sentence, he¡¯s blasted away into the darkness. As I¡¯m about to run, however, more people suddenly charge in from the darkness of the forest. They move swiftly with trained movements, surrounding both me and the formerly caged man, pointing their sabres and guns at us. As if on cue, sounds of gunshots reverberates from beyond the smoke, followed by the clanging of metals and people shouting. It only lasts for a short while and after a few dying screams, the forest is quiet again. ¡°Phew, you sure pack a punch.¡± Back on his feet, Lui walks back to us while being supported by one of his friends. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡± he smiles at me, the same eerie smile that he had before. ¡°We¡¯re with theguild.¡±
Chapter 8 : Safe Chapter 8 Safe ...I¡¯m sorry. I stood by his side, grasping own my dress following an emotion I hadn¡¯t yet understood. Thorne was sleeping down on the makeshift bed of leather and cloth. Layers of bandage covered his entire upper body with blood still seeping through them. His face was dreary in his restless sleep, his cold sweat mixing with the red of his blood. I¡¯m sorry, I repeated those words like a mantra. ¡°Why do you look so sad?¡± He was awake. ¡°Come now, Little Fae. This¡­ isn¡¯t your fault. I made my choice knowing the risks.¡± Thorne raised his hand as if to pat me but couldn¡¯t muster the energy as it fell back into the bed. ¡°Could you¡­ smile for me please? I would really appreciate that.¡± I did as he told and gave him a forced smile. He chortled, but it was caught up by a painful cough. ¡°¡­Perhaps, you¡¯d better off on your own than with us,¡± he mumbled. His eyes were unfocused, blinking repeatedly as he found it harder and harder to not drift into unconsciousness. ¡°They won¡¯t trust you, but¡­ neither should you.¡± He passed out after that. The meaning of his words was something I didn¡¯t get until later. ¡°He¡¯s out cold again?¡± a voice came from behind me. An old man had walked to my side. The scrawny elderly man was the one who supposedly patched us up after they found us. They called him ¡®Thalvos¡¯, but it wasn¡¯t actually his name. It was just a nickname, one whose meaning I didn¡¯t know yet at the time. ¡°I still can¡¯t wrap my head around how lucky you were. Watchers rarely leave their victims alive, if ever. At any rate, you¡¯re still recovering as well. Come, I¡¯ll make something you can sleep on,¡± he suggested. I shook my head. How can I sleep when he¡¯s like that? He made a warm, understanding smile as he patted my back. His eyes gave off a glint of kindness, moving his hand to my head and stroking me as one would a child. ¡°It¡¯s alright,¡° his scratchy voice somehow gave me a feeling of safety. ¡°You¡¯re safe now, with us. Oh, come to think of it, we haven¡¯t introduced ourselves yet. Thorne said you¡¯re called Little Fay?¡± I put my palm to my face hearing that, an action which drew a soft laugh from the physician. ¡°We all know his habit,¡± he chuckled, ¡°though I suppose you couldn¡¯t have disproved the name. Thorne told me that you can¡¯t speak.¡± I nodded, then gave him a questioning look. ¡°You know, we didn¡¯t really approve his names at first, but it sort of latched on after a while, especially because his names fit us more.¡± He pointed at a lean elderly man who wore a thick fancy-looking robe that seemed out of place. He was tinkering with one of the cheat box, along with several other people. ¡°He¡¯s called Saint. Can you guess why?¡± I shook my head at his question. ¡°He was the lord of a great family once. The head of Cardinal Vane. He rose to power by crushing his enemies without mercy. Either way, he would capture his enemies alive after defeating them. Not just the leaders, but also the throng that worked under. Do you know why?¡± At some point, a smile had formed on Thalvos¡¯ face. ¡°He would have his prisoners pardoned, and they would call him a ¡°saint¡±. Only after they got out would the prisoners realize the price of their release. They would walk out, and the first sight they see would be their families, screaming as they burn on a giant pyre,¡± he ended with a chuckle. ...Eh? ¡°And then there¡¯s Nile. The lovely Nile. Thorne took the name from Nilantis, a beautiful flower that possesses deadly toxin in all its parts. They say she was the greatest assassin of our time, killed dozens of nobles without leaving a single trace. ¡®As alluring as she is deadly¡¯, he said. Thorne has always been a romantic.¡± At that point, I could only stare at him in disbelief. The warmth in his eyes was replaced by something I didn¡¯t recognize. Something cold and... twisted. ¡°As for me... well, my name was Jead back in the world of living, but my subjects always prayed for Thalvos¡¯ mercy when in my presence. They scream Thalvos¡¯ name so much that my own friends began to call me by that name. Ironic, really, now that I end up in the real dark god¡¯s domain.¡± When I realized it, the gentle stroking no longer felt gentle. I didn¡¯t dare move then, or even to look at him in the eye. I couldn¡¯t. His warm touch felt threatening, and it probably showed because he immediately addressed my anxiety in, perhaps, the worst way possible. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m not that much of a pervert. I myself prefer the sight of blood over pleasure, as most of us here do. Besides, I¡¯ve learnt my lesson from Nile about judging a book by the cover. You may look weak, but I¡¯m sure there¡¯s a story behind your reason for being here as well. After all, you must¡¯ve hurt a lot of people to be here, though I doubt it would compare to Thorne¡¯s record.¡± I defied my fear and looked at him again. His face was deformed with a smile so cold and wicked that it froze me. ¡°I suppose you didn¡¯t recognize his real name. They called him Lawthorne the Untamed, the Thousand-Slayer, the Scourge of Castaroth. He singlehandedly slewed through the ranks of the King¡¯s Legion, and with the Kingsbane in his hand, he felled the Sovereign of the Arallax in the pastures of battle. We respected him. We let him lead us through the maze simply because he is the best of us.Wasthe best of us.¡± His hand gripped my shoulder as he brought his face close to mine. ¡°You understand right, my little Fae?¡± Although my body was frozen, my eyes could see it. They were watching me. All of them. Jead, Nile, Saint, and several others whose eyes were just as cold. ¡°Thorne was the best of us. He was the reason we survived this long, and now he¡¯s likethat. I wonder whose fault that is?¡± It was only then I remembered. The maze was a prison. A worst kind of prison, for the worst kind of people. I remembered Hadda calling them ¡°savages¡±, and now I know why. ¡®They won¡¯t trust you easily, but neither should you,¡¯ Thorne had said to me. Then who should I trust, when even Thorne turned out to be one of the ¡°savages¡±? As expected, only Hadda... Hadda was the only one I could trust, and he was gone. Still gone. ¡°You should go back to sleep.¡± He was smiling again ¨C the same warm smile, except that it no longer felt warm. ¡°You¡¯re safe now, with us.¡± ? ? ? ¡°Wake up, little missus. It¡¯s sunshine!¡± I open my eyes to see a handsome blonde¡¯s face, to which I groan in annoyance. ¡°Terribly sorry, missus. I would¡¯ve let you rest, but you need to put something in your stomach. Come now, the girls are waiting for you.¡± I get up drowsily after some shakes. For some reason, I¡¯m using his support to stand up. Light greets me as soon as I step out of the hooded wagon. The sun had ascended just above the trees, giving off a soft glare of an early morning. It¡¯s actually the sun. The real sun. Last night was so hectic that I hadn¡¯t had the chance to think about things, but now with the sky blue and vast, it just dawned on me. Having been trapped in darkness for so long, for the first time since as long as I can remember, I finally feel sunlight caressing my skin and it¡¯s... ¡­How do I say it? Putting it bluntly, I don¡¯t like it. Not only does it sting, it also hurts my eyes. I would¡¯ve run back inside if it weren¡¯t for Lui grabbing hold of me. He somehow knew I would jump back into the safety of darkness. ¡°Yo, Luise! Nice lass you got there!¡±someone with a gruffy voice called out, though I couldn¡¯t see him because the sun is blinding me. ¡°Go suck a brad, Ald!¡± Luise barked back. Oh, right. It¡¯s not ¡°Lui¡±. It¡¯s¡°Luise¡±. He thought he could go undercover just by removing two words from his name. Well, he was right, because apparently the slavers never suspected a thing. As we make our way to wherever Luise is taking me, I take in the surroundings; the still wagons and the soldiers bustling about, taking boxes and sacks from one wagon to another, as well as other stuff that I mind as none of my business. I do understand that we¡¯re moving soon. ¡°That was reckless of you,¡± Luise said, pointing at my bandaged foot. ¡°Our plan was to attack just before dawn breaks, so you can imagine the look on our faces when the slaves let themselves free. No one saw that coming.¡± ¡°Whitey, over here!¡± I look over at the voice and see Latasha waving at us. Beside her are Farica and some of the rescued girls, the former being dressed in noticeably nicer clothing rather than the rags she wore last night. As we got closer, Latasha skips towards us, before suddenly hitting Luise in the head. ¡°Ow! What the hell, Tasha?!¡± ¡°She¡¯s a faean, you buffoon! Sunlight hurts her!¡± ¡°Wha¨C you don¡¯t need to hit me either way! Are you still mad at me? I told you, I was undercover!¡± ¡°Blah-blah. We don¡¯t need you here, go away,¡± she waved him away and takes my hand, leaving the dumbfounded Luise behind. I join the circle of ex-slaves under the shade of trees and Latasha hands me a bowl of broth. ¡°Here. It¡¯s nothing much, just some taters and soup, but it¡¯s warm.¡± Just as I¡¯m about to eat, I realize the girls are staring at me. I glare back at them and they hastily look away. However, when I lift the spoon, the stares come back. What do you want? Are they picking a fight with me? Then my eyes drop to the bowl in my hands. Quickly I pull it near my body, hiding it from their sight. It¡¯s my food, I snarled at them. ¡°You girls, she won¡¯t speak even if you stare that much,¡± Latasha said and finally they go back to idle chatter. Oh, were they expecting some kind of introduction from me? Sorry, but you won¡¯t get one. Latasha leans close and whispers, ¡°Someone told them about you. Now they can¡¯t help but be curious.¡± Curious? ¡°I told them actually, but Farica blew it out of proportions.¡± ¡°I did not!¡± Farica protested. Blew what out of proportions? As the two of them bicker again, I notice that the others are back to staring at us. One of the girls stands up and approaches us in sharp strides. Her short copper-colored hair swayed in the morning breeze as she walked over, showing off her bronze-colored skin with a sleeveless tunic. ¡°Umm¡­ excuse me,¡± the red-haired girl called out. ¡°What is it?¡± Latasha addressed her. ¡°Err... we were just talking about... now that all three of you are here, we wanted to¡­¡± ¡°Come on now, speak up, err¡­ what was your name again?¡± ¡°Y?Yes! It¡¯s Kaelyn, milady! What I mean to ¨C what we mean to say is... thank you! Thank you for rescuing us!¡± Before we can react, another girl stands up. This one is a charming blonde-hairedluphaen,with her fluffy ears and tail waving enticingly with every movement. She is perhaps the most eye-catching among the girls for being the only luphaen. She makes a magnificent bow to us while voicing out in a way that¡¯s almost shouting, ¡°T?Thank you!¡±If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. The rest of the girls follow, expressing thanks to us one after another. Even more girls that notice the event approached the group and do the same thing, leaving even Latasha stupefied. Latasha drops her gaze and starts playing with her fingers as she answers bashfully, ¡°I... it¡¯s... it¡¯s okay, but the ones that rescued us in the end was the guild, so¡­.¡± To her words, the red-haired girl replies, ¡°Even so, what you did was... when we had but given up, you came for us. You could¡¯ve have escaped yourselves, but instead you came for us, and for that, I¡­ we will never forget what you did for us.¡± The other girls nodded following her words. This seems to be something they talked about beforehand. ¡°Eh? All three of us?¡±Farica blurted out. This time, it¡¯s her turn to act in a sheepish manner, her face blushing as if someone confessed their love to her. Well, I understand what she meant, though. It was Latasha who went for them. All I could think about was escaping, and Farica was just being swept along. ¡°...We understand, so please, sit down,¡± Latasha said it in a hushed voice while timidly looking over her shoulders. Come to think of it, the guild soldiers are all looking over at the spectacle. Following her instructions, the girls all sat down, but their eyes are still looking at us in an expectant way, especially at Latasha whom is clearly bothered by it. A smile suddenly broke on her face as if she just thought of something. ¡°Ahem, that¡¯s right, you guys haven¡¯t met her, right? This girl is Whitey,¡± she pats my shoulder, ¡°and she¡¯s a pyromancer. She¡¯s the one that blew up all the bad guys.¡± ¡­Oh. Now they¡¯re looking at me. What a move, Latasha, to divert their stares like that. Even if you ask me stuff, I won¡¯t be able to answer, you know. ¡°Ah, I saw her last night,¡± one of the girls spoke out. ¡°She was surrounded by the slavers, but before they got to her, there¡¯s this huge wall of flames!¡± You mean the accident? ¡°Ah, the explosions? I was awake too, but then there¡¯s smoke all over so I couldn¡¯t see anything after that.¡± ¡°Oh, wow. I wish I could¡¯ve seen that. I was asleep but the sound woke me up, then I thought the forest was on fire! I was so scared but then miss Farica and miss Latasha came.¡± Don¡¯t worry, there were lots of moisture in the air. I would never let my own fire go wild. ¡°She¡¯s pretty!¡± Oh my. If I may say, you¡¯re also very¨C ¡°I know, right! Her hair and her skin are lily-white! If only it weren¡¯t for¨C¡± ¡°Oi!¡±, a girl beside her covers her mouth. ¡°Ah, umm¡­ s¨Csorry¡­¡± she said to me. Umm¡­ okay? With the girls lost in their own worlds, the three of us exchange glances with each other. As our eyes meet, a leer forms on Latasha¡¯s face. I feel like it¡¯s intended to irk me, but what came out is a beguiling smile instead. That¡¯s dangerous, Latasha. After I finish my soup, we say goodbye to the girls and walk with Latasha and Farica supporting me on each side. Again, I can walk fine, but being escorted by these two lovelies isn¡¯t so bad. Arriving to one of the hooded wagons, they set me down and Latasha hops in to get some things while Farica starts undoing my bandage. ¡°Eww, gross! That¡¯s what you get for running around with a piece of wood stuck in your foot,¡± is what Latasha said when she came back out with a handful of clothes in her hand. I raise a brow at her. I once had to run from a giant three-headed lifer with a spike in my abdomen. A tiny splinter on my sole seems like a trivial matter in comparison and frankly, it doesn¡¯t even hurt that much. ¡°It doesn¡¯t seem to be infected, so that¡¯s good. It should be applied with ointment after being cleaned up a bit with water,¡± Farica said as she starts her treatment. It was also Farica who tended to my wound last night, and she was so good with it that the guild¡¯s healers left her to it. ¡°Speaking of cleaning up, you need a soak, whitey. You stink like poo.¡± Hey, that¡¯s not fair, isn¡¯t it, seeing that they¡¯ve both taken a bath. I can tell because they look so clean and tidy. Not to mention, there weren¡¯t exactly any baths inthatplace, and god knows who long I was there. As Farica wraps my foot again, Latasha hands me the clothes in her arms. ¡°Here you go. There¡¯s a river nearby that we used to bathe. Can you take her there, wuss?¡± ¡°Sure,¡± she replied with a bright smile. Really, Farica? Seems like you¡¯ve accustomed yourself to that name, haven¡¯t you? Taking my arm around her waist, Farica guides me through the woods while holding my other hand, as if trying to support my weight with her height. It¡¯s a bit awkward because she¡¯s shorter than me, but she seems to be experienced in handling people much larger than I am. After a little walk, the sound of a running river becomes distinct and soon enough, the stream is in full sight. As the grounds in the region are relatively level, the flow of the river isn¡¯t particularly fast, but it¡¯s still fast enough that one would need to watch their footing. Luckily, the sun hasn¡¯t risen enough to light the banks, so it¡¯s possible to clean up without burning myself. ¡°Umm... I¡¯ll be back with medicine and a change of bandage, so take your time.¡± I smile and nod at her, but instead of leaving, she just stares at my feet with her mouth opening and closing. Curious, I lower my body so that she¡¯s staring at my face. This seems to catch her off guard as she makes a little jump. ¡°Y?You¡¯re amazing, you know. You and Latasha both.¡± Amazing? ¡°It¡¯s just like the others had said. The two of you were so brave, and I was only swept along. Truthfully, I¡¯m no different than those girls, so... thank you.¡± That¡¯s not true. Right now, I can¡¯t see most of the bruises and gashes on her skin because of the clothes she¡¯s wearing, which are several sizes bigger than her. Her hair is swept back and tied into a wavy ponytail with no bangs to cover her dainty face. Even though she has a petite build, she still got curves in the right places. Especially the top part. They¡¯re unmistakably bigger than mine, so definitely bigger than Latasha¡¯s poor planks. With how refreshing she looks now, there¡¯s no trace of the pitiful mess she was last night, none but the bruises on her arms and her face. She must¡¯ve gotten those when holding down that guy with the longsword. I caress the bruise on her face as I lift it to make her eyes meet mine. You were brave as well. You wouldn¡¯t have gotten this otherwise. Her twee eyes stare back at me before she suddenly breaks out in a suppressed laugh. ¡°It¡¯s...strange. You never say a single word, but it feels like you¡¯re speaking to me with that smile. It was the same last night. ¡®Everything¡¯s going to be alright¡¯¡­ was how it felt.¡± Really? Because that is indeed what I was saying. ¡°You¡¯ve been through a lot, haven¡¯t you...¡±she muttered as she looks down from my eyes. Eh? ¡°I, uh... I¡¯ll be leaving now. Don¡¯t forget to clean the wounds.¡± With that, she leaves me to my business. That last thing she said, she said it with a doleful voice. It¡¯s not until I took off my clothing and laid it on a rock that I finally understand. ¡°Been through a lot¡±, is this what she meant? My dress, the white dress which I had worn basically my entire life... well, it¡¯s not white anymore. It has become so marred and discolored by the many stains; dirt, sweat, blood... and to mention more, the various holes and rips leaves little to the imagination. My own body that it barely covered isn¡¯t in a much better condition as well, riddled with old scars in so many places. The girls back there were probably being courteous when they said all that because Latasha was right. I look like a ghost. After finding a flat surface in a shallow part of the stream, I sit down and let the flow do most of the work. With the calm sound of the river and voices of nature around, I let myself relax and thought about how everything became like this. ¡®You¡¯ve been through a lot, haven¡¯t you?¡¯ Yes¡­ yes, I have. With my eyes closed, I let my mind travel back in time. I try to remember, but all that come to me are bits and pieces of a nightmare. It was just¡­ darkness. Sometimes the darkness is red, sometimes it¡¯s another color. There were other people as well, but their names and faces have become blurs, like ripples in a stream. ¡­Only those three. Only their faces I remember clearly. She¡¯s wrong. I¡¯m not brave. There were times where all I could do was to run away. From people, from lifers, and fromhim...times where I wanted to stop running and just¡­ give up. But I didn¡¯t. Because I had to survive. But I did it. I survived. I made it out, so i¡¯ts okay to cry now, right? It¡¯s a strange feeling. With my life no longer in danger, the dam that held my emotions at bay is breaking apart. It feels like the waterworks can come out any minute. However, I can¡¯t let up.Not just yet. Because it¡¯s not over yet. Hadda. Eretz. Yammu. The friends I left behind. The friends I betrayed so that I could get out. I won¡¯t rest, not until the debt is repaid. --- --- --- After making sure to wash thoroughly, I stand up and start squeezing out the water from my hair. Aah¡­ feels good to wring the filth out of my hair. I feel like the water¡¯s color would change just from all the grime in there. - Thud - A sound intruded on me. At the direction of it is Luise, his eyes wide and mouth agape. There are pieces of wood on the ground around him, which he probably dropped. ...Yes? I tilt my head at him. ¡°I?I?I was... you see, my wood brought me here. No, firewood! I was collecting firewood!¡± he babbled uncontrollably, his eyes going everywhere before stopping at a certain place. ¡°I?I didn¡¯t mean to peep¡ªI mean, I didn¡¯t mean to stare!¡± Okay, but... my eyes are up here, you know? At that moment, a rustling sound comes from the bushes and another person appears. ¡°I¡¯ve brought the medicine, have you finished¡­¡°Farica walked out and stops when she notices Luise. As if struck by a spell, Luise¡¯s face turns beet red before running off shouting a spell,¡°Mannermyexcuses!¡± I raise an eyebrow at Farica. What¡¯s gotten into him? ¡°...despicable...¡± Farica? Why are your expression so dark? Realizing something, I look down at my own body. ¡­Oh. I didn¡¯t expect for Luise to be affected by a woman¡¯s bare skin. Even Latasha calls him a ¡°rake¡±, but seems like I expected wrong. Me? I suppose there was a time when something like this would faze me, but that¡¯s a long time ago. Out of all the things I lost to Purgatory, one of them would be my sense of shame. After that, Farica helps me treat my wound and dress me up. The clothing that Latasha gave me is a hooded coat with long sleeves and trousers. She probably chose them with my sensitivity to light in mind. What an attentive girl. ¡°Wow...¡± Farica is full of smiles after she finished dressing me up. I got infected and is smiling back at her. What is it? ¡°You look so different now that you¡¯re prim and clean,¡± she giggled, unaware of the knives in her words. She¡¯s basically confirming how terrible I looked before. You¡¯re unexpectedly blunt, aren¡¯t you? ¡°Oh, right. The commander has something to say to the rescuees. We should go and listen to what he has to say,¡± she said as she supports me again. Wait, the firewood¡­ I point at the pieces of wood that Luise dropped. --- --- --- When we got back, the girls are already gathered around in a semi-circle. I count 11 girls¡ª13 including me and Farica. We hand over the firewood to a nearby soldier, whom glares at Luise accusingly. It¡¯s true, though, to make a girl as small as Farica carry the things he dropped is not a knightly deed. Oh, but he might¡¯ve planned to fetch it later, huh. Sorry, Luise, I might¡¯ve done something unnecessary. ¡°Well then, now that you¡¯re all here, I¡¯ll start explaining the situation now.¡± The one who spoke is a man that looks too old to be holding a sword, wearing leather clothing under the steel plates that covers his breasts, shoulders, and shins. His voice carries a weight that easily hushes the crowd, and along with the overbearing presence he has, he must be ¡°commander¡± Farica spoke of. ¡°I¡¯m Chief Constable Orlev from Tarnlake, the leader of the task force that was sent to rescue you. The avlark my side is my second-in-command, Chief Aldwan. Currently, it is our intent to escort all of you back to thedrifter¡¯s guildin Tarnlake and decide what to do with you then. Now that we¡¯ve finished rationing the supplies, we will depart after lunch. The injured and the sick will be looked after by our medics. The rescuees are not to wander away from the convoy unless accompanied by the guild. You will be given three meals a day and taken care of to the best of our ability. If you need anything, ask any of the soldiers or alternatively, in an emergency, you can go directly to me, Chief Aldwan, or Luise. Are there any questions?¡± ¡°What about the slavers?¡± Latasha raised her hand. ¡°We will be bringing them with us to Tarnlake where they will be properly detained and questioned. They¡¯re going to be on a separate wagon which I advise you from going near. Rest assured, they¡¯ll be tied up and watched for the entire trip.¡± ¡°And what about the southerner?¡± she asked again. Southerner... oh, the one that tried to kill me? ¡°He will be treated as a prisoner until we can identify him. So far, all we know about him is that he was captured by the slavers to be sold to a different human-trafficking firm...¡± --- --- --- Latasha asked more questions after that, which were all answered by Orlev. In summary, the trip to Tarnlake will take a little over one week with one stop at a fort to resupply. During the rescue last night, out of the thirty-three opposition, there¡¯re only five to ten who are suspected to be slavers while the rest are just sellswords, six of whom died in battle. The plan is to carry the bodies in a separate wagon until the checkpoint, where they¡¯ll be identified and disposed of. Among the good soldiers, only two are representatives of the kingdom¡¯s peacekeeping force while the rest twenty-something are contracteddrifters¡ªsomething like mercenaries? Except that they seem to have some form of ranks and hierarchy, which makes them different from the people the slavers hired as guards. After the briefing concluded, I¡¯m called out by the commander along with the other two. Luise and Chief Aldwan is also there. You already know Luise, and as for the latter¡­ although he¡¯s wearing his armor, it¡¯s clear that he isn¡¯t human. With a fur-covered body and a head with bear-like features, he seems to be... anavlark, were they called? They¡¯re sometimes called the ¡°mountain people¡± or the ¡°werebear¡±, and as such, avlarks are a race of ursine hominids indigenous to the northern mountain ranges. Aside from the dark-brown furs, the scar across his dark-colored eye, and thereallylarge build, I can¡¯t really point out any distinct features that you would on a human face. ¡°Luise said the three of you were the ones who freed the slaves, true?¡± Orlev¡¯s dark eyes appraised each of us, causing an uncomfortable feeling like we¡¯re being judged. ¡°Err... yeah,¡± Latasha replied. ¡°We¡¯re sorry to trouble you, but we thought it would be better to lay out the situation as it is to the three of you.¡± ¡°Oh, so you were holding out on us?¡± Latasha puts her hands on her hips in a demanding manner. ¡°That¡¯s putting it crudely. I know you understand, Tasha,¡± Luise replied, begging her with his eyes to not act difficult. ¡°We thought it¡¯s better for you to recover and not worry over the details, but that might go back on us in... unexpected scenarios,¡± Chief Aldwan explained. As expected from an avlark, the chief¡¯s voice is heavy and gravelly, but not quite as to call it beastly. I know that avlarks are supposed to speak larkish, but here he is, fluent in the common tongue. ¡°Seeing that the rest of the girls seem to trust you, it would be better if you¡¯re the one to tell them whatyouthink they need to know, and what¡¯s better left out for emotional ease. That is, if you¡¯d allow me to explain?¡±Orlev asked for her permission. ¡°...Right,¡± Latasha finally gives in. ¡°Explain away.¡± ¡°First of all, you are Latasha of House Ardent, yes?¡± Latasha drops her jaw. ¡°How did you...¡± ¡°Luise told us.¡± Latasha turns to the aforementioned with a vicious glare. Orlev ignores that and turns to the other girl, ¡°and you¡¯re miss Farica, am I right?¡± ¡°Y?Yes,¡± the girl answered timidly. ¡°And you...¡± Orlev turns to me, ¡°¡­pardon, but I believe I haven¡¯t gotten your name yet,¡± Err... ¡°She¡¯s Whitey and she¡¯s mute,¡± Latasha answered in my stead. What¡­ wait, who the hell is Wythee? ¡°I see. Well then, miss¡­ ¡®Whitey¡¯, am I right to assume that you¡¯re a pyromancer?¡± ¡°She¡¯s not,¡± Luise cut in. At that point, his eyes meet mine, and his face flares up like it did back on the river. He quickly averts his eyes in a not-so-discrete manner. Hey, what are you thinking? Everyone will think you¡¯re a weirdo now... eh? Why are they staring at me too? ¡°Uhh... that, not just a pyromancer, I mean. Last night she usedair magicon me,¡± he explained. ¡°Luise, are you sure?¡± the avlark said. ¡°Yeah, and it was quite powerful, too. A normal person would¡¯ve been blown to bits.¡± Oh, uhm¡­ really? ¡°Did you really do that, whitey?¡± Now Latasha is staring at me with unbelieving eyes. I swear, it was an accident. I widen my eyes and look up at Orlev, hoping he¡¯d forgive me for almost killing his subordinate. ¡°...Aeromancy, huh.¡± Orlev put a hand to his chin, acting as if he doesn¡¯t notice my efforts. ¡°Ophitov!¡± Aldwan shouted. ¡°It takes great talent to master two elements, but for it to be air magic, the trickiest out of the five elements... and you used it on the wolf, no less!¡± he finished with a loud, bestial laugh. Hmm, it seems like I¡¯m not in trouble. Instead they¡¯re talking about how great I am for almost killing him. Luise, are you being bullied? In the first place, what kind of ¡°elements¡± are they even talking about? Oh, come to think of it¡­ I seem to remember something like this. If ¡°air¡± is one of the elements, the other four should be water, earth, thunder, and¡­ uh, four elements for the four phases of matter. What¡¯s the fifth one, then? ¡­Ah, is it that pyromancer thing? Is fire the fifth element? If that¡¯s true, then these people have a weird way of seeing how magic works. Either way, they seem to think that being able to use multiple elements is an amazing feat. If so, I wonder how they¡¯d react if they know I can use every element?
Chapter 9 : The Dread Chapter 9 The Dread ¡°You must be joking.¡± ¡°It¡¯s the only option we¡¯ve got. If you have a better suggestion, Luise, then do share.¡± ...Oh, you¡¯re asking what we¡¯re talking about? Let me retrace the topic for you. There were a few things to mention in the situation that Orlev brought up. First was about the supply. In short, there¡¯s not enough. Even with rationing, the supply will only last for six days, meanwhile if we take the normal route to the nearest town, the checkpoint would be reached in about twelve days. Take away the promise of three meals a day for the rescuees and feed the prisoners less, then the provisions can be stretched to maybe seven or eight days, but it¡¯s still not enough. Thus, Orlev¡¯s plan is to take the convoy through some place called ¡°Halhallart¡¯s Dread¡±, the route through which would shorten the distance to roughly a week. That was when Luise made that prior comment. ¡°Commander, youknowwhat they say about the place. And it¡¯s not some baseless drifter sensation, either. People who go in there¨C¡° ¡°Never came back, I know,¡± Orlev sighed as he massaged the spot between his brows. ¡°Considering its position,demonic beastsare bound to spawn there. The ones from the reports are often daring merchants who wanted to try new routes disregarding the warnings. They went in without taking the proper precautions. As opposed to that, we have twenty-four capable fightersandtwo magi with us. There will also be game to hunt there, so we might just make it without rationing the food any further.¡± ¡°Yeah, and you¡¯re sure we won¡¯t be the ones being hunted?¡± ¡°As I said....¡± ¡°Hey, why is it crazy to go through that Halhal place?¡± Latasha whispered to the girl beside her. ¡°My mom¡¯s patients used talked about that place,¡± Farica readily answered. ¡°It¡¯s said that the forest is host to monstrous creatures. There¡¯s some talk about ancient curses that desecrated the forest¡¯s ancients and twisted them into unholy abominations.¡± ¡°Basically codshit, right? Do you believe any of it?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe my opinion have any say,milady cardinal,¡± the brown-haired girl answered with a cold, cold smile. ¡°H?Hey, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± ¡°My, I¡¯m perfectly fine. Though it honors me that you worry as such for someone like me, lady cardinal.¡± ¡°Why are you calling me that? I told you to call me Latasha¨C¡° ¡°Oh, I wouldn¡¯t dare. After all, as someone who¡¯s not worthy enough to be told the name of your House, who am I to call you by your given name?¡± Latasha can only hold her tongue and let the wuss sulk. ¡°Oh, yes. What about you misses?¡± the big manbear, Chief Aldwan suddenly turns to us, ¡°Part of the reason we¡¯re telling you this was to know your judgements on this.¡± Farica makes a little jump in surprise while Latasha nonchalantly answers, ¡°Eh? Ah... rather than that, why aren¡¯t there enough in the first place? You would¡¯ve thought to bring more food if the mission is to rescue and bring slaves to safety.¡± ¡°Well¡­ to tell you the truth, that wasn¡¯t our mission,¡± Aldwan scratched his cheek as he answered. ¡°Wasn¡¯t the mission? What do you mean?¡± ¡°In the beginning, our mission was to track and apprehend a group of rogue raiders that had been operating a few months past. But during our investigation, we had received a vital intel regarding the targets, saying that the raiders were...¡± ¡°The raiders were actually slavers,¡± Luise cut in, ¡°and it was the very group that we¡¯ve been after for months.¡± ¡°...And I guess you¡¯re the intel,¡± Latasha leers at him. ¡°He was supposed to do reconnaissance on the raiders before the actual subjugation, not become one of them,¡± Chief Aldwan copies Latasha and leers at him as well. ¡°Hey, no harm, right? You would¡¯ve run into a nasty hostage situation if it wasn¡¯t for me. And come on, Tasha, you don¡¯t honestly believe I¡¯d do something like¨C¡± ¡°I still don¡¯t understand,¡± Latasha ignores Luise and speaks to Aldwan, ¡°that doesn¡¯t explain why you¡¯re lacking in supplies. Did you honestly not plan ahead?¡± ¡°We were supposed to use the raiders¡¯ supply for the trip back, but they were blown up in the fight. Not to mention that now we¡¯ve got a lot more people to feed now.¡± ¡°Blown up...¡± As she says that, Latasha looks at my way. Hey, it¡¯s not my fault... is it? ¡°Be that as it may, the fact is that our provisions won¡¯t last unless we go through Halhallart¡¯s Dread, but I want everyone¡¯s agreement on this,¡± Orlev said with a finalizing tone. In the end, everyone compromised with the route. The guild officers then go on to brief the guards while us three are tasked to convey this to the rest of the girls. Seeing that there¡¯s nothing I can do in this matter, I let Latasha and Farica do the job while I look around. The soldiers I see are all wearing different apparels. Some have leather armor and guns or crossbows, others wear cuirass with swords on their hips. There¡¯s nothing that says they¡¯re an organized fighting force rather than a bunch of sellswords, other than how they conform to Orlev¡¯s instructions and the uniform pin they wear, onto which an image of a white bird is carved. I curiously walk towards a carriage at the back, but am stopped by a guard saying that it it¡¯s ¡°dangerous¡±. Behind him, I can see people in robes and tattered armors huddled together with their hands tied behind their back. Some of them had familiar faces, such as the old man who had wanted to get a taste of me last night. Also, separated from the others, and the only man caged is the southerner. From how it seems, the guild is treating him like the slavers did. ¡°Know nothing about¡± my ass ¡ª the guild clearly knows something about him. Looking at him again, it¡¯s still bizarre how a man has so many wounds¡­ umm, actually, I might have more on my body, but seeing them on someone else¡¯s skin has a different feel to it. Like that odd shaped scar, for example.... oh, wait, it¡¯s not a scar. It¡¯s a... tattoo? It¡¯s a design of a sword with a majestic crown on top, intertwining the sword in an S shape is an eerie-looking snake. The tattoo was placed at the back, under the left shoulder. Ah¨C While I¡¯m looking at him, he had noticed my presence and glared at me, so I just quickly walk away. Involving myself with that kind of individual is a no-no. Time to go~ ¡°Quack.¡± Hm? Wait, is that... ...With the same round body and brown colored feathers -- It¡¯s him alright. The guild decided to bring him along for whatever reason. So you¡¯re here too, ducky. ¡°Quack?¡± As soon as he notices me, Fanny locks his sights on me and becomes petrified. Is he scared of something? How his small round eyes quiver in fear is so cute! Hi. ¡°Quack...¡± You know, they¡¯re saying that we don¡¯t have enough food." ¡°Quack...¡± You seem to have a lot of meat on you, huh. ¡°...sob, sob¡­¡± Oh, the others are having lunch. I should get back. See you around, Fanny~ My, shaking your head like that¡­ you really don¡¯t want to part with me, do you, cute ducky? As planned, we depart after lunch and the convoy is on the move again. I don¡¯t know what was told to them, but the girls seem to be coping up well with the situation, judging by the lively talk they¡¯re having. Being rescuees, the girls are given two hooded carriages to ride in, which is something I¡¯m really grateful of. It¡¯s a pity that Luise has to accompany us for safety reasons.Can¡¯t it be a girls¡¯-only carriage? ¡°Whoa, that¡¯s....¡± the red-haired girl spoke out. Incidentally, she¡¯s that girl who first spoke to us during that ¡®thanksgiving incident¡¯ earlier in the morning. ¡°Cool, right? It¡¯s stupidly huge, but it¡¯s still bloody awesome,¡± Latasha answered with a smug expression on her face. Oh, that sword is... ¡°I got it from that guy we clobbered. The soldiers let me have it when I asked for it,¡± she said with a face that says ¨C of course they wouldn¡¯t not let me have it ¨C while she unsheathes the sword and reveals its full length. ¡°It somehow suits you, Latasha,¡± Farica said cheerfully. ¡°Hey, so now you remember my name!¡± ¡°Ah¡­¡± ¡°Oh? That¡¯s a good sword,¡± Luise broke into the conversation. ¡°No one asked for your opinion, rake,¡± Latasha quickly dismissed him. ¡°Come on, Tasha. Is that how you treat an old friend?¡± ¡°Eh? You two knew each other?¡± The red-head inquired. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m her childhood frie¡ª¡° ¡°Acquaintance! He¡¯s my acquaintance, Kaelyn.¡± Luise only sighs at Latasha¡¯s attitude, shakes his head with a smile and says, ¡°Look, I may be intelligent and charming, but I also have my brawny knowledge. Let me have a look at that sword.¡± ¡°Pff, whatever. Here you go, I want to hear what kind of bugaboo crap that¡¯ll come out of your mouth,¡± Latasha passes him the sword. While Luise examines the object, Farica leans in at Latasha. ¡°What kind of childhood friend was he?¡± she whispered. ¡°It¡¯s ¡®acquaintance¡¯, wuss. And don¡¯t get tricked by his pretty face. He might be good with a sword, but he¡¯s acomplete and utter lecher. Didn¡¯t he flirt with whitey back in the cage?¡± ¡°Wait, you must¡¯ve recognized him back then, so why didn¡¯t you¡­¡± ¡°I refuse to be seen being familiar with someone who fits in so well into a slave-trading circle, thank you,¡± Latasha answered curtly, not even caring that the person in question is well within earshot. ¡°...This iswolfram,¡± Luise muttered with a serious look. ¡°E¨Chuh?¡± a weird voice came out of Kaelyn, the red-head. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it... these patterns in the blood grooves and the dark glint of the blade¡­ this sword is made from wolfram!¡± ¡°Oh, wow, a sword made out of wolf turd. That¡¯s amazing, rake,¡± Latasha snorted at him. ¡°No, Tasha, you don¡¯t understand. This is wolfram steel. The legendary Kingsbane was made from the same material.¡± ¡°Wolfram... you mean the ones made in the Graveforge?¡± Kaelyn asked with gleamy eyes. ¡°Yes, so you know about it. But the forge was destroyed along with House Castaroth and the only people who knew the process has never been seen since. Where did you even get this?¡± ¡°I got it from one of the sellswords last night,¡± Latasha answered. ¡°Which one? I need to interrogate him!¡± ¡°That¡¯s, uhm¡­¡± Latasha starts playing with her fingers, nervously glancing at me. ¡°He, umm¡­ he died.¡± ¡°Oh¡­¡± Luise said understandingly, following Latasha¡¯s gaze on me. ...For the last time, it was an accident. It¡¯s not like any of the guild guys got hurt from that, so all¡¯s well that ends well, right? ¡°Kyaah, amazing!¡± Kaelyn suddenly screeched while holding the sword she somehow snatched from Luise. ¡°Err, hey, that¡¯s dangerous, missus,¡± Luise tried to warn her, but the girl doesn¡¯t seem to listen. ¡°It really is wolfram! I¡¯ve heard so much about swords like these. They say the number of these swords that exist on the continent can be counted with one hand. They say that the alloy cut through armor like knife through butter. Isn¡¯t that amazing?!¡± she turns to us girls. ¡°Wow, she¡¯s a blade-head?¡± Latasha muttered under her breath. ¡°Y¨CYeah, amazing,¡± Farica answered courteously before whispering, ¡°Do you know what she¡¯s talking about?¡± ¡°Knife through butter¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure it has something to do with cooking. Oh, speaking of which, lunch was amazing. Did you cook?¡± Latasha asked back. ¡°To call it cooking is... I only mixed it up with some of the spices we have. If only we had herbs...¡± Ahh... how lively. This is how people should be. Real, normal people. Unlike the people from down there, who are probably closer to monsters¡­ ? ? ? As the evening grows dark, the forest ahead grows closer. In the end, the convoy stops at the edge of the forest to rest and to plan the route as well as countermeasures against beasts. Looking around, I now understand why going through this place would save a lot of time. Other than the roads, it seems as if the entire forest is surrounded by steep mountains, as high as eagles soar. Looking at it like this feels like I¡¯m observing a naturally created fortress, with mountains as walls and rivers as gutters. Putting it simply, you either go through it or go the long way around the cirque. While the girls are preparing for dinner, I sit by myself on a riverbank and play with the water. Of course, by play, I meant manipulating it with magic ¨C creating twirls in the flow or lifting up a ball of water. Fufu, my control is actually pretty good. I had good teachers and thanks to that, I amnow able to control all phases of matter. Hadda taught me about plasma and the atmosphere, Yammu told me about fluids, and Eretz trained me on controlling all kinds of rigid matters. Ahh, actually, come to think of it¡­ even though I said ¡°all elements¡±, Earth is the one thing I can¡¯t really do. Air, Thunder, Water, and Earth. Those are the phases of matter that the three coached me about. Although it seems Fire is regarded as an ¡°element¡± too here, but it didn¡¯t feel like it was. By the way, out of those elements, I found Air to be the easiest to control. They¡¯re hard to learn at first, but once you understand the mechanics, they¡¯re just like water, just with slightly different properties. Thunder was the hardest to control and was the trickiest to learn. Thankfully, Hadda took his time to explain it to me, and it became my best element instead. Lastly, Earth is... well, it¡¯s not like I can¡¯t manipulate them. I can move lumps of dirt or change them into thick mud before actually making use of them, but that¡¯s about it. Eretz said it¡¯s because of how tightly the bonds cling to each other. Other than Earth, I¡¯m pretty much good in everything else... ....is what I would like to say, but considering yesterday, that doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. I almost killed myselftwice, and almost jeopardized a lot of other things that made it justified for the southerner to try and kill me. Why did that happen, I wonder? Why is it different? ...The aether field! I completely forgot about that! Without the aether field, the rules that apply are different and that¡¯s what threw my magic off last night. Theoretically, I can make the connection to the aether much easier without the convoluted process and obstructions that is the field, which means... controlling Earth is something feasible now? Should I try? On second thought, that might be a bad idea. I mean, I almost killed Luise with Air last night. I would need to find or create a controllable environment if I want to try out my magic to its full extent, so I suppose now isn¡¯t the time. ...Hm? There¡¯s something there.... Don¡¯t tell me it¡¯s a beast? No, that¡¯s.... Small fluffy body the size of a small dog and big long ears just as fluffy, with fur white as snow and eyes red like my own... Those things... I believe they¡¯re calledrabbits. I know them from my phantom knowledge, just like I knew about many other things; luphaen, avlarks, wolves, birds, humans... Another thing to note is that the information seems to flow in as soon as it becomes relevant, like just now, I know about rabbits as soon as I saw one of them. If I am to explain, it feels like a forgotten memory triggered with the right conditions.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. However, there were some things that weren¡¯t like that, like Fanny¡¯s species. Latasha said that he¡¯s an animal calledscurry.Even after some time, there¡¯s still nothing about them in my head. Names and places too, nothing about them. Where did this knowledge come from? Why does it only cover certain stuff? It¡¯s like I have my own in-built compendium of the world, but things are missing from it. Come here. ¡°Squeak...¡± As expected of a wild animal, the rabbit is being cautious. Despite that, I lowered my hand at it invitingly. It¡¯s alright. Come here, you. Come to think of it, Farica said something interesting earlier this morning, that time at the river. ¡®Everything¡¯s going to be alright.... that¡¯s how it felt.¡¯ It was the thought I had ¡°sent¡± to her when she was crying yesterday. Also, I was able to make silence Fanny the same way. I wonder... I scooped up water with my hands and offered it to the rarebit. Here, little one. Ooh¡­ it really came! The rabbit makes cute sqeaking noises as it drinks from my palm. If my suspicion is true, then¡ª ¡°There you are, whitey.¡± ¡°Kya! A rarebit! So cute!¡± Oh, hi girls. ¡°...This is so creepy. The sight of you with that thing is something straight out of a book,¡± Latasha stares at me with a look of disgust. Err... what kind of book are you talking about? Looking excited for some reason, Farica flounces over and sits at my side. ¡°Can I pet the rarebit?¡± she said, reaching her hand out. ¡°Hiss!¡± the rabbit snarled at her. Umm¡­ wait, can rabbits even do that? ¡°Eek!¡± Farica pulls her hand back in fright. Hey, come on. She¡¯s a friend. I lightly tap the rabbit(is it even a rabbit anymore)¡¯s head. Taking Farica¡¯s hand in mine, I place her palm on the rabbit¡¯s little head. Be friendly, okay. ¡°...Squeak.¡± ¡°Wow... the fur feels so nice. It¡¯s so fluffy!¡± You¡¯re fluffy too, Farica. ¡°...Umm?¡± Ah, sorry. My hand moved on its own. I¡¯ll stop petting your head... in a little bit... ¡°Ahem! The girls wanted to eat together with everyone, so we were looking for you, whitey. We also need help with the cooking, and here you are being totally unproductive. Come on, let¡¯s go back,¡± Latasha said, heartlessly ending both of our dream worlds. ¡°Eeeh? But I want to pet it some more...¡± ¡°Come on, wuss. The guys said they found spices the bad guys used. Use them like you said you would.¡± ¡°Okay...¡± ¡¸ Turn back... ¡¹ Huh? I think I just heard something from the direction of the forest... Was it my imagination? Lifting the rabbit up, I let it curl comfortably in my arms as I walk back towards the convoy. ¡°Eh? Are you bringing it with us?¡± Farica asked eagerly. Of course. Latasha crosses her arm and says with a mocking tone, ¡°What are you even planning to do with it?¡± Isn¡¯t it obvious... I look at the cute little thing in my arms, it¡¯s tiny nose twitching in bliss and the round puffy tail is wriggling happily. It¡¯s dinner time, right? ¡°¡­Squeak?¡± --- --- --- ¡°...Open up!¡± ¡°N?No!¡± ¡°Come on, wuss. Say ¡®aah¡¯.¡± ¡°Stop it!¡± Those two seem to be having fun as always. If only I could speak, I would¡¯ve joined the fun, but I can¡¯t.... ...Except maybe I can? There were some who can hear my thoughts back then, including my three friends. I thought that it was only limited to certain individuals, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be the case. Rather, from the evidences so far, with the rabbit to top it off, I seem to be able to, at some extent, make them hear my thoughts. The ¡°telepathy¡± seems to be more palpable to animals, but to sentients, it appears to be much more subtle, as was the case with Farica. ¡°Are you not eating, miss Whitey?¡± the red-haired girl approached me. That¡¯s not actually my name, umm... Kaelyn, was it? Right. I should eat while it¡¯s warm. -chomp- ...Ah. Oh¡­ This is... ...This is meat. Real meat, not like those unspeakable things in Level Seven. This is proper meat, cooked and soaked in the rich broth, firm on the bite yet tender on the chew. This might sound weird or exaggerated, but this is the best meal I¡¯ve ever had. Actually, I thought that too on breakfast and lunch, but it¡¯s really different this time. Because there¡¯s meat. ¡°...Miss?¡± As the soup piped down my throat, a warm, satisfying feeling fills my stomach. This is it.Thisis the meaning of life. This, among the other things we do to satisfy our hunger. Hunger for luscious sustenance, hunger for heaping riches, hunger for carnal pleasures... If not for those, then we wouldn¡¯t be living, would we? Most people may not realize it, but it is only they who are deprived of them that feel truly alive. The constant struggle to survive... To resist temptation or to make a leap of faith, to know when to follow your instincts or fight it... I won¡¯t forget those memories, for better or worse. Even if I want to forget, I know. I know that I won¡¯t be able to. ¡°M?Miss Whitey?!¡± ¡°Is something wrong?¡± ¡°I?I don¡¯t know, she just started crying...¡± ¡°Hey, whitey, you alright? Hey, wuss! You didn¡¯t put anything weird in, did you?¡± ¡°O¨COf course not!¡± It¡¯s alright. I¡¯m sorry, it just... started coming out. I sniffled and tried to hold back the tears, but the steady trickling isn¡¯t stopping. I feel a pat on my back but I couldn¡¯t care less. Even as my vision goes blurry, I keep eating by the spoonful. ¡°...There, there. It¡¯s okay. You¡¯re okay,¡± someone tries to comfort me. Don¡¯t rub my head... -sniff- ¡°We¡¯re with you, miss Whitey. Miss Latasha and miss Farica too... the girls are all with you.¡± That¡¯s not my name... --- --- --- After the meal, I silently excused myself from the group and they let me go, thinking that I need some time to myself. That was just embarrassing. Who would¡¯ve thought a meal could make me tear up? Anyway, when pondering whether to sneak a peek at the prisoners, I saw the luphaen girl standing by herself. Her fluffy ears twitch in the cold wind, and her golden hair and tail sways along with the grass beneath her feet. Her eyes linger on the forest, even though there aren¡¯t really anything to see. I tentatively walk towards her, somewhat sneaking for whatever reason. There¡¯s something curious about her, but I don¡¯t know what it is. ¡°¡­Miss fae?¡± she suddenly turns her face to me. Ah. She sensed me coming? I guess those big ears aren¡¯t just for show. Umm, hi. ¡°...The night is dark, isn¡¯t it?¡± she greets me with a forlorn look as she gazes at the starless skies. Ah, yeah, it is. ¡°Umm... I haven¡¯t introduced myself, have I? I¡¯m Aira. I¡¯m sorry, but I don¡¯t know what to call you.¡± Me neither. ¡¸ Turn back... ¡¹ Huh? Did someone just... ¡¸ Homids...not welcome... ¡¹ ¡¸ Go away... ¡¹ ¡¸ We¡¯re not afraid... ¡¹ ¡¸ Retaliate... ¡¹ ...Who? I can¡¯t see anything, but I can clearly hear them. ¡¸ Kill... ¡¹ ¡¸ Eat... ¡¹ ¡¸ Food for the forest... ¡¹ ¡¸ We¡¯re ready... ¡¹ ¡¸ Turn back... ¡¹ ¡¸ Devour... ¡¹ ¡¸ Go back... ¡¹ Eat?! That sounds dangerous. ¡°Can you feel it too?¡± Eh? ¡°The forest doesn¡¯t want us.¡± The forest? They really were from the direction of the forest. ¡®People who go in there¡ªnever came back¡¯, wasn¡¯t that how the talk earlier went? ...I have a bad feeling about this. Do the guild people know? I saw the leader-guy earlier near the edge of the forest along with the other officers. I have to tell him, but... how? ¡°Something bad will happen if we enter... Somehow it feels like that,¡± Aira droned beside me. ¡­Ah, right! I promptly take Aira¡¯s hand and paced in Orlev¡¯ direction. ¡°M¡ªMiss?!¡± Shush, just follow me. I ignore the luphaen¡¯s hesitant steps and drag her all the way to where Orlev is. If I heard correctly, something is hungry. And I happen to know just how dangerous hungry creatures can be. --- --- --- ¡°...Is something wrong?¡± Orlev eyes us with a frown, proper given that I had dragged Aira here uninvited. With him is the usual guys¡ªthe bear chief and Luise, along with the two representatives of the kingdom¡¯s peacekeeping force. The latter are dressed in similar attires as the drifters with the exception of blue-colored armbands, etched on them drawings of a.... unicorn? Let¡¯s just say unicorn. They¡¯re wearing blue armbands with white unicorns sewn on them. Anyway, they seemed to be discussing something serious before we got here. ¡°Miss fae, I¨CI don¡¯t think we should be here¡­¡± Aira tugs on my clothes as if she wants me to drag her back out of this circle of tense-looking people. Instead I grab her shoulders firmly and stare meaningfully into her eyes. Tell them. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, girls, but please go back with the others,¡± the dark-haired rep annoyedly told us away. Aira shrinks under the scrutiny of his gaze. ¡°Ah, umm... sorry, we were just¡­¡± ¡°We¡¯re in the middle of an important discussion. If you would please¨C¡° ¡°Let her speak. The magus brought her. It must be something worthwhile,¡± Orlev objected. ¡°...Her?She¡¯sthe magus? This little girl?¡± the other, light-haired rep stares at me with disbelieve. ¡°Little girl¡±? You don¡¯t seem much older yourself, unicorn man. ¡°Little missus? Is there something you want to tell us?¡± Luise considerately asked me. For the first time, he actually seems like a proper gentleman, not a fake one. I nod at his question, and then point at the direction of the forest. ¡°The woods? I think she¡¯s trying to tell us something about Halhallart¡¯s Dread,¡± the dark-haired rep, whom from hence on I shall name rep one, reacted first. ¡°What about the forest?¡± Luise continues his inquiry. The question causes Aira to look at me with a face that¡¯s asking affirmation, so I nod at her, keeping a hand on her back as a mental support. ¡°It¡¯s... t?the forest is dangerous,¡± she said with a small voice. ¡°Yes, demonic beasts are most likely to spawn. It¡¯s well within our expectations,¡± rep one replied, keeping his condescending tone. Aira¡¯s ears droop to her side and her tail disappears under her skirt. I put more pressure on her back before she finally answers, ¡°No, it¡¯s not just that. Something.... something bad will happen if we go through.¡± ¡°Something bad? What do you mean?¡± the other rep, rep two pressured her. Are all of the actual peacekeeping force inconsiderate like them? Thank god they sent the guild instead, then. ¡°I?I don¡¯t know¡­¡± Aira answered. By now she¡¯s visibly shaking. ¡°You don¡¯t know? Now, you listen, miss¡­¡± ¡°Aira,¡± Luise helps him out. ¡°Miss Aira, what makes you say this?¡± ¡°Umm, a feeling¡­¡± ¡°A feeling, you say¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°...And you, magus, you vouch for her?¡± Orlev broke the silence and effectively passes the pressure onto me. Well, I definitely ¡°heard¡± something, so... yeah! If anything, I believe in my instincts, so I nod. ¡°I understand. Frankly, I don¡¯t like going into the forest in this darkness. What do you think, Ald?¡± he turns to the bear chief. ¡°What? Commander, you¡¯re not really considering this...¡± rep one said. ¡°I am,¡± he answered with austere. ¡°It¡¯s just a girl¡¯s ¡®feeling¡¯. You know full well that we don¡¯t have the resources.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not suggesting a different route. I just want a way to reduce the risks. What do you say, Ald?¡± ¡°Sir Lain is right. Our calculations are intended for us to journey through the forest day and night. If we were to change the plans...¡± said Chief Aldwan. ¡°I¡¯m not asking about the damn calculations. I¡¯m askingyou.I want to know what you think.¡± ¡°...If I may be frank, commander. My instincts are telling me to turn back, that something dangerous is watching our movements from within the forest. Of course, that¡¯s not a probable move.¡± ¡°So what do you propose?¡± ¡°We can call it a day, journey through only under the sun and have Sallis put protective barriers down at night. We¡¯ll be short on food, but if we sort out the supplies and hunt for beasts, we should be able to make it.¡± ¡°Feelings and instincts? You can¡¯t possibly base your judgements on this!¡± rep one, now identified as Sir Lain, cries out. ¡°...Affirmative, chief,¡± Commander Orlev ignored the rep and turns to his other trusty man, ¡°Luise, tell the men to further ration the soldiers¡¯ supply for an extra day, but leave the rescuees¡¯ as they are. We make camp here for now and enter the forest at sunrise. Safety measures will be as we discussed.¡± ¡°Will do,¡± Luise responded with a gleaming smile. He does a quick gesture of raising his right hand to the side of his head, his palm fully open and facing the person before him. Then he dashes away to the camp like the wind. ¡°What? You must be joking!¡± Sir Lain insisted in the wrongness. ¡°Am I?¡± Orlev responded with eyes so severe it could probably petrify a rabbit. Aira, for one, becomes stone under the pressure. ¡°F¨CFine. Just remember that you already failed the mission. If anything goes wrong, it¡¯s your head on the plate, commander.¡± Dragging the other rep with him, Sir Lain struts away from the scene. Also, something came out just now. The rep said that the ¡°mission had failed¡±, but what does that mean? ¡°Forgive him. He¡¯s not a bad guy, just troubled with the responsibility he has,¡± Orlev said to me and Aira after the reps are out of earshot. ¡°Uh-huh, right, he¡¯s not a bad guy, just a spoiled twat with a xenophobic stick up his arse. Remember when he called me ¡®rug material¡¯?¡± Chief Aldwan snarls at the air. ¡°...Good point.¡± ¡°Ah, no, see... that¡¯s funny,¡± Luise¡¯s voice suddenly appeared behind me, causing Aira to jump in surprise. Cute. ¡°Luise, I swear... I¡¯ll chew your tongue off one of these days,¡± Aldwan growled at him. ¡°Yeah? Well I need a new welcome mat. You seem to be the right color.¡± ¡°Shush! The young ones are here.¡± With a single gesture, the commander silenced the two before turning back at me and Aira. ¡°You seem troubled miss Aira.¡± ¡°Oh... umm, it¡¯s just... are we still going through anyway?¡± ¡°Yes, but we¡¯ll be travelling only at day and make camp at night, which will reduce the risks of night encounters since mostdemonicsare nocturnal.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, miss. The beasts won¡¯t stand a chance. We have over twenty drifters, including three A-class with us,¡± Luise comforted us. ¡°Three? You¡¯re a B, you bloody dumbfuc¨Cdu... dumbcod,¡± Aldwan coughs awkwardly. ¡°I¡¯m taking that Paragon test next month. You can bet your fur that I¡¯ll pass with flying colors.¡± ¡°At any rate, we thank you for your concern, miss Aira. Unless you have anything else to say, I suggest you go back and rest. We still have a long road ahead of us,¡± Orlev dismissed us. ¡°I?I will. Thank you, sirs.¡± Then, as we turn around and walk away, ¡°Not you, magus. I need to talk to you.¡± Eh? Me? I won¡¯t be having a conversation with you, you know. Her puppy eyes tell me that Aira wants to stay behind with me, but I wave her away anyway. Something the commander wants to tell me without the other girls knowing... it must be important. ¡°If I may say, ma¡¯am. Despite your short-bringing, you strike me as someone with good judgement. I want to ask you a favor pertaining her ladyship¡­¡± ¡°Short-bringing¡±, you say... And by ladyship, does he mean Latasha? ¡°If someone of her position was to be imperiled, it would have quite the impact on imperial relations. I¡¯m not asking you to use your magic. In fact, I implore you not to, unless absolutely necessary. You understand, right?¡± I quietly nod and he continues, ¡°She seems to trust you. I only ask you to be at her side, keep her from doing anything reckless and protect her when none of us can.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s Tasha, I can protect her just fine,¡± Luise mumbled at the side. ¡°No, I need you to keep watch of our ¡®guest.¡¯¡± ¡°...You want me at the back? Now that¡¯s just bad judgement on your part. You know how well I fight if it comes down to it. I can make a difference if we¡¯re attacked by beasts, I give you my word.¡± ¡°That¡¯s just it, Luise. If he were to break free when we¡¯re not in a favorable situation, the convoy would be at risk. You¡¯re the only one I can trust on putting him down.¡± ¡°...I understand.¡± I¡¯m not sure, but they¡¯re probably talking about the southerner. If he¡¯s that dangerous, then just leave him, will you. ¡°By the way, have you any luck finding out her ladyship¡¯s intentions on going this far north?¡± the bear chief asked. Luise shrugs his shoulders. ¡°No, but she must have good reason for all this, more so if it¡¯s something she won¡¯t tell me about.¡± ¡°She¡¯s not telling you? I thought you were her friend? Actually, how did you even know her ladyship, anyway? The difference between your statuses is like a princess¡¯ and a horse¡¯s.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t it a ¡®princess and stable boy¡¯? Like that romance book?¡± ¡°Your face looks like a horse¡¯s.¡± ¡°Guys, please. And Luise, I believe I gave you an instruction to carry out?¡± Orlev stopped them yet again. ¡°Aye, willo. That¡¯s how they say it, right?¡± (Luise) ¡°It¡¯s wilco, fishface.¡± (Chief Aldwan) ¡°¡­Sometimes I feel like I¡¯m leading a bunch of brats, not experienced drifters...¡± (Orlev, hopelessly massaging that bruising spot between his brows) --- --- --- Now that it¡¯s all taken care of, I walk back to find the girls stuffing the two carriages with mantles and blankets, most likely given by the drifters. It¡¯s really pleasant to see how good the soldiers treat us. They make sure we¡¯re kept warm and fed, and even occasionally strikes up a conversation as a way to check our emotional states, though that last one may be just them taking comfort in the lovely girls¡¯ presence. With myself as an exception for obvious reasons, I¡¯ve seen them engage the girls in small talk, often with smiles on their faces. They usually ask about how we¡¯re doing, if we need something, stuff like that. The girls are all shaken by the incident, but especially are the girls that weren¡¯t just kidnapped. Some of them were taken away, raped, and kept captive for months. Others had their homes raided and families killed in front of them. With such a contender, the drifters would have to be careful and proactive in initiating interactions, and that¡¯s exactly what they¡¯re doing and from what I¡¯ve seen, interpersonal skill seems to be something drifters are generally good at. That Luise, in particular, is building a steady fanbase with his smile. In an irrelevant subject, Farica is still sulking. ¡°I don¡¯t understand. She asked about the rarebit. (Latasha) ¡°Since you told herafterdinner, it might have shaken her.¡± (Kaelyn) ¡°Why is she mad atme? You and whitey were the ones who prepared the ingredients.¡± It¡¯s about that? Oh, Farica. What a gentle girl you are. After the beddings are ready, I go ahead and lay myself down. Latasha goes off to find Farica while the rest of the girls are having a heated conversation, if I¡¯m right, about who gets to share the carriage with us ¨C ¡°us¡± here meaning Latasha, Farica, and myself. They seem to treat that honor as some kind of... well, as some kind of honor. Covered in the warmth of layers of blankets, I let my eyelids close as I think about what I heard earlier from the forest. To me, it sounded like a voice, though not exactly. It... sounded like when my friends spoke to me. So that means... they weren¡¯t speaking ¡°normally¡±, after all? Damn you, Hadda. ¡°...Is she asleep?¡± ¡°Looks like it.¡± ...I¡¯m not, though. At some point, the two of them had entered the carriage and settled down in their own bundles of softness that the other girls made for us. Ah, I have an idea! I feel like these two are perturbed because of how I acted at dinner earlier. Maybe I should jump out and surprise them. That should show them that I¡¯m cheerful enough to be playful. ¡°Umm, Latasha, about her...¡± ¡°You¡¯re worried?¡± ¡°Yeah...¡± ¡°I know. The way she cried earlier... I guess she was holding it in. Then again, there¡¯s little way she can vent it out.¡± ¡°About that...¡± Uh... on second thought, I¡¯ll just pretend to be asleep. "You¡¯ve seen her dress too, right?¡± ¡°What about it?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just that... I grew up in a clinic. I know bloodstain when I see one.¡± ¡°You mean...¡± ¡°And this morning, when I took her to bathe, I... I saw her body...¡± ¡°...What did you see?¡± ¡°......¡± My body? My, you¡¯re unexpectedly naughty, aren¡¯t you, Farica? Fufu, she¡¯s probably talking about the charms of my¨C Erm... I can feel someone tugging on my clothes. With a second of hesitance, she pulls on my shirt and raises it all the way to my shoulders. ¡­For a so-called ¡°cardinal lady¡±, wouldn¡¯t stripping a sleeping girl be a rather disgraceful thing to do? ¡°...Gods...¡± ¡°H¨CHorrible, isn¡¯t it? It terrifies me just to imagine what she went through.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never.... How could anyone do something like this?¡± Ah. So they¡¯re talking about my scars. Rather than ¡°someone¡±, I¡¯m pretty sure most of them were caused by lifers, though not quite all of them. You¡¯d be surprised what people could do when they¡¯re not bound by chains of morals. ¡°These scars.... her powers... do you think she was a battle slave?¡± the not-so cardinal lady surmised. ¡°Battle... slave?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve read about a place in the south where they use slaves for battles. Although, with looks like that, I doubt they only used her for fights.¡± ¡°That¡¯s horrible...¡± Umm¡­ sorry, what? ¡°She probably escaped at some point, only to get caught again by some terrible luck. If she¡¯s what I think she was, it¡¯s probably best if we be careful with her. War and slavery... they¡¯re bad business. I don¡¯t think someone who had been conditioned for both would be a¡­ stable person.¡± ¡°Latasha, you.... what are you saying?¡± ¡°I¡¯m just saying, we might need to watch ourselves in case she suddenly, you know, loses it and jumps on us.¡± ¡°By the gods¡¯ grace... I can¡¯t believe you said that. Did you forget how she cried earlier? She¡¯s just a girl like us!¡± ¡°No, well¡­ a little caution would¨C¡° ¡°She needs us as her comfort, not to treat her like a madman! How could you even think like that?!¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry, Farica. You¡¯re right. It was presumptuous of me.¡± ¡°I... I know. I¡¯m sorry too... f¨Cfor shouting at you.¡± ¡°...It really makes you curious, huh? I really want to know what kind of past she had.¡± No, Latasha. Believe me. Hearing them both calm down, I let go of the tension and drift into a real sleep. You really don¡¯t want to know. ¡¸ Still there? ¡¹ ¡¸ Homids staying. ¡¹ ¡¸ Not turning back. ¡¹ ¡¸ Will come? ¡¹ ¡¸ Will come in. ¡¹ ¡¸ Will they come? ¡¹ ¡¸ What should we do? ¡¹ ¡¸ Tell Mother? ¡¹ ¡¸ Tell Mother. ¡¹ ¡¸ What do we do? ¡¹ ¡¸ Let¡¯s tell Mother. ¡¹ ¡¸ Tell Mother. ¡¹ ¡¸ Yes, let¡¯s tell Mother. ¡¹ ¡¸ She¡¯ll know. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mother always knows. ¡¹
Chapter 10 : Here Be Monsters Chapter 10 Here Be Monsters ¡°Savages¡±, Hadda had called them. Murderers, torturers ¨C these were the type of people Thorne¡¯s group was made of. The type of people that took me in. Regardless of how vile their past sins were, it was still better than roaming out there alone with the lifer constantly stalking me. We were a group of eight people. There was Saint, the mad tyrant who burned his enemies alive. Hemmy, the giant who could crush an adult man with his strength alone. Oude, the childslayer¡­ who was as his name implied ¨C a pure psychopath who murders children. All of them were monsters of their own kind. And then¡­ there was him. They called him Thalvos in honor of the dark god, but his true name was Jead, the inflictor. A pitiless ¡°interrogator¡± in life and a malevolent healer in death. He was the doctor of our group, but the only reason he knew of healing arts was because he had to keep his subjects alive for as long as he could, even if they wished otherwise. He always had this luster in his gaze on me, and he never even tried to hide it. One time, he caught me alone and approached me. He... didn¡¯t do anything, just whispered a few words. ¡°Patience, Jead. Soon...¡± I didn¡¯t know to whom he whispered those words to, but he did it with his mouth by my ear. Ever since then, I always tried to avoid even his sight, but something like that was impossible in a group so small. Amidst the nightmare were not all monsters, however. The person who found me, Thorne, was not a monster. ¡°I will protect you, Little Fay,¡± he¡¯d promised me, the girl who cost him his ability to walk. ¡°No matter what, you are in my care.¡± There was also Arty, the deathsmith. Contrary to his name, Arty was a kind old man with no taste for violence. Instead, he earned his place here as an inventor of weapons. He and Thorne met as enemies in life but ended up as trusted friends here. He even made the ¡®walkchair¡¯ for Thorne ¨C a self-propelling chair device that he made using parts he acquired from the ¡®cheatbox¡¯. ¡°Enemies for life, but bosom mates in hell,¡± was how Thorne described their relationship. Lastly, there was Nile. The beautiful Nile, who spent her living days as an assassin. Like Arty, she was Thorne¡¯s trusted friend, and perhaps more. I¡¯ve seen them act intimately when they thought I wasn¡¯t listening. Whenever Jead had to check on Thorne¡¯s spine, Nile would stay at his side, as if making sure Jead wasn¡¯t doing anything funny. She acted cold towards me at first, as everyone else was. After all, they earned their place here through the blood on their hands, so why should I be any different? Perhaps I¡¯m a monster just like them, only I can¡¯t remember ¨C that was what I had thought. Back then, I haven¡¯t yet realized I was a special case. ¡°You remind me of my daughter,¡± Thorne said to me one time. ¡°I fathered three children in my life, you know. Two sons ¨C twins, just entered the academy when I last heard of them. And my daughter¡­ she was only five when¡­¡± he stopped when he noticed the presence behind him. ¡°She should be around her age by now,¡± Nile stroked her black hair gracefully as she walked over. ¡°Yeah¡­¡± he smiled upon her arrival. ¡°She¡¯d be a wonderful lady.¡± ¡°Of course, as long as she takes after the mother. I just hope she doesn¡¯t take too much from the father,¡± Nile tittered. ¡°She¡¯d be a strong and beautiful lady, I¡¯m sure of it,¡± Thorne returned his gaze to me, ¡°¡­just like you, Little Fay.¡± ¡°Strong? Now that¡¯s funny,¡± a cold voice came. Even without turning my head around, I knew who it belonged to. ¡°She can¡¯t even run. Hemmy had to carry her around when he was already carrying you, so tell me, Thorne ¨C why would you protect a burden?¡± Thorne sent him a calm stare. ¡°No one has ever hurt Exy to that extent, Thalvos. Ever. And she¡¯s not a burden. She¡¯s the only one who can open the master cubes.¡± It was a lie. I had long since taught Arty how to operate the ¡®cheatboxes¡¯. Even without words, he understood after I showed him once. Yet, he pretended as if he didn¡¯t and instead asked for my help every time we needed to crack a box open. And I knew why. There was hunger in Jead¡¯s eyes, a hunger that would turn my blood cold even now. They were helping me, pretending they needed me because my ¡®usefulness¡¯ was the only thing keeping me safe from him. Sensing that gaze, Thorne pulled me closer to him and Jead snorted in mockery. ¡°How exactly can you protect her when you can¡¯t even hold your own weight?¡± he challenged as he approached him threateningly. Nile stepped forwards between them, adorning her face with a beautiful, yet deadly smile. ¡°Perhaps you want to see my way of protecting people?¡± she taunted. Soon after, Arty followed, and even Hemmy. ¡°Spineless I may be, I am still the leader of this group,¡± declared Thorne, who was failing to hide a smug expression on his face. Outnumbered, Jead raised his arms in yield. ¡°You are. For now...¡± What he had on his face was not the face of surrender. It was an unnerving smile. Finally, he left, and I was allowed to breathe again. ¡°See? This is why we should kill that bloody cunt,¡± Nile said, playing with a knife that suddenly appeared in her hands. ¡°Nile, we talked about this,¡± Thorne nodded his head at me, ¡°language, please. And as I said before, Jead is the only one who can¨C¡° ¡°Would you still say that after he finally makes his move?¡± Nile interrupted before he could finish. ¡°And you know you¡¯re not the only one he¡¯s going to hurt, don¡¯t you?¡± she said, subtly gesturing at me. ¡°¡­Alright, princess,¡± he sighed deeply. ¡°We will deal with him, but only when the time is right,¡± said Thorne dully before turning to me. ¡°In the meantime, I want you to stay where I can see you, Little Fay.¡± I suppressed a shudder. They just decided to kill a person like it was normal, with me being part of the reason no less. Part of me wanted to tell them no, but another part, the part of me that¡¯s scared of Jead, wanted it to happen. For the first time, I was glad for not being able to speak. Not long after, we opened another gate, bypassing the puzzle by using the cheatbox. Though it had been some time since our last encounter with Eggsy, a watcher was seen not long ago and it was decided for Nile, the fastest of us, to scout ahead. ¡°I¡¯m going away for a bit,¡± Nile said to me before she knelt down and suddenly pulled me into her arms. She whispered while hugging me, ¡°No matter what you do, stay with Thorne. Promise me.¡± I still remembered how somber her words were, and how her black eyes stared at Thorne, full of meaning. While waiting for Nile to come back, Thorne made sure to keep me by his side. ¡°Every one of us began with what we had when we died,¡± he told me. ¡°I was lucky to have a pistol with me, but the bullets had long since ran out. Arty had a bag of chemicals with him, and Hemmy was buck naked,¡± he laughed. ¡°We were defenseless against Exy, and the only way to survive is to take what other people had for yourself. I won¡¯t lie ¨C I did my fair share as well, but then... I realized, if we could all work together instead¨C¡° ¡°My, my ¨C is it story time again, daddy?¡± The mocking, yet threatening voice was unmistakably Jead¡¯s. Sensing my fear, Thorne pulled me behind him. ¡°What do you want, Thalvos?¡± He dared. ¡°Ah, yes,¡± Jead let out a sinister chuckle, ¡°Quite an honor that name you gave me. It does feel nice to be compared to a god.¡± ¡°That name was never meant as an honor,¡± Thorne scowled. ¡°What do you want?¡± ¡°What I want? I¡¯m a simple man, Thorne, like you are. I want to live. I want to get out. I want to fulfill my urges... the same urges I know you have.¡± I could feel Thorne¡¯s hand twitching, gripping me tighter. ¡°What¡¯s your point?¡± ¡°I respect you, Thorne. We all do.¡± Before I realized it, Oude had made his way to us with an unfriendly gaze. ¡°You were the best of us. You were the torch that led our way, but it¡¯s time to pass that torch to someone that can walk without a bloody chair,¡± Jead¡¯s expression was visibly vicious at that point, twisting from a harmless scrawny man to the sadistic torturer that he is. ¡°And I suppose that ¡®someone¡¯ is you?¡± Arty said, stepping beside Thorne to defend him. Following that was a loud thump, and once again the giant Hemmy stood with us. ¡°As you see, Thalvos ¨C the others have faith in me,¡± Thorne said. ¡°Oh, do they?¡± Jead smiled wickedly. Suddenly, Hemmy swung his arm and sent Arty flying to the wall. ¡°Arty!¡± Before Thorne could react, we were beset on all sides by monsters ¨C the inflictor in front, with the childslayer and the giant at our sides. ¡°The others won¡¯t stand for this,¡± Thorne gnashed his teeth. ¡°Others? Saint over there doesn¡¯t give a rat¡¯s ass about a crippled leader, and I don¡¯t see your girlfriend anywhere. Not to worry, Slayer, for I will continue your legacy, remember everything you taught us as I lead us out of this god-forsaken hell. Unfortunately, there¡¯s some things I¡¯ll have to change too.¡± Jead eyed me with malice. Thorne and I both knew what he meant. ¡°...You can¡¯t,¡± Thorne drew protective arms in front of me. ¡°You remember how long it took us to open the gates. We would¡¯ve never reached this far without her.¡± ¡°And yet, Arty¡¯s the one doing all the work now. I¡¯m no fool, Thorne. She¡¯s nothing but burden, and we have no place for weakness if we want to survive.¡± ¡°And what? You¡¯re going to leave her just because she¡¯s a little weak?¡± ¡°No, Thorne. I¡¯m not going to leave her all alone in this maze, nor am I going to kill her. After you¡¯re gone, I will¡­ care for her like you had. Unlike you who pamper her with bedtime stories, though, I have a way to make her pull her own weight,¡± he said with a fiendish smirk. Against that, Thorne retorted with a calm, yet belligerent voice, ¡°That won¡¯t happen. You will not touch her, not as long as I live.¡± ¡°I know that,¡± Jead sighed, then signaled with his hand. At that moment, Oude and Hemmy began their approach. Thorne turned to me and said only a single word; ¡°Run.¡± It happened so fast. Thorne pushed me away and I ran as he said. Behind me, I heard grunts and something getting knocked over, but I continued to run until a shadow looms in front of me. Hemmy blocked my exit, easily catching up with steps that cover leaps. With his overwhelmingly colossal physique, he took me down on my belly and I was forced to watch Thorne¡¯s struggle. Even without his legs, even when he¡¯s down on the ground, beaten and kicked on like some rascal, Thorne held on. He fought back with the fervor and valiance that earned him the many names he had. Eventually, it got to the point that Hemmy had to lift me up with his large, deformed hands, threatening to wring my body like a piece of rag. ¡°Do continue, if you so wish to end her suffering, O great Slayer.¡± With Jead¡¯s threat, Thorne stopped and looked at my direction. Only then he finally laid his arms down, dropping his knife and gun to the ground. ¡°Well, what do you know. He can be tamed, after all,¡± Jead laughed mercilessly. Oude then rushed over to the puzzle and started to work on it. Even though the gate was already open and the puzzle itself was broken, the machinery still worked and soon enough, whirring and clanking sounds came out from the box. Thorne! I tried to wriggle free when Jead dragged him towards the box. As his face was lifted in front of the vent, Thorne gave me one last look. His voice was too soft, yet I knew, and still remembered what he said. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Little Fay.¡± Then, his head was shoved into the vent, into the countless moving machinery that would easily tear flesh from bone. Thorne! Ugh, let go of me, Hemmy! I couldn¡¯t do anything. Even if it felt like time stopped, there was nothing. I couldn¡¯t even scream at him. Nothing I could do when Thorne¡¯s screams drowned out the whirring of machines, the noises of the tearing of flesh, and the sound of Jead¡¯s crazed laughter. Nothing I could do when the screams finally stopped, and his body fell limp. Stop... please... ¡°As the man who tamed the Untamed, I hereby proclaim myself the leader of this... what is this? Group? Gang? Whatever. Now then...¡± I didn¡¯t have time to grief, not when Jead turned his attention towards me, with that luster in his eyes and a wicked grin on his face. ¡°Your turn.¡± ? ? ? ¡°...ke...up¡­¡± Ugh... ¡°Wake up!¡± Eh? My eyes snap open to see a certain cardinal lady''s face. ¡°Latasha, you shouldn¡¯t be so rough," a gentler voice said. "Your face is so pale," Farica said as she reaches out to hold my hand. "And your hand is shaking." I''m fine. I pull my hands away. ¡°Was I too rough? Sorry, whitey, but you seemed like you wanted to be woken up,¡± the ladyship said with a look that¡¯s not apologetic in any way.There¡¯s a red mark on her cheek as if someone hit her very recently. Before I could even ponder about it, she points at it, and then at me. ¡°You did this.¡± Eh? "L¨CLatasha..." She ignores Farica''s plead and keeps accusing me. ¡°You did this in your sleep.¡± ¡­Ah, so they woke me up because I was trashing around. Now, I wonder if this will work? I join my hands in front of me and tilt my head to the side, unleashing the mightiest smile I have in my arsenal. I¡¯m sowwy? The next thing I know, she¡¯s tearing my cheeks off of my face. Then the opening at the back of the wagon opens and Luise¡¯s face appears. ¡°Err¡­ the scouts just returned. We¡¯ll be departing soon, just letting you girls know,¡± he informed, probably trying his best not to comment. After some short preparations, the convoy is raring to go. Like yesterday, Kaelyn is sharing the wagon with us along with two other girls. Luise is nowhere to be seen, and in his place is another man. He wears a hooded robe beneath the cuirass, and instead of a sword, all he has is a walking cane that has rounded ends with some kind of orb embedded inside one ofthem. He has sharp features on his face; thin lips, narrow eyes, and high-cheekbones. His shoulder-length hair is of a strange mix between red and grey, but that might be the light playing tricks. ¡°...Name¡¯s Sallis,¡± he muttered quietly as if speaking to himself. He¡¯s quiet most of the time, and from his slim build and attire, it¡¯s evident that he¡¯s not someone who relies on beefs. Rather, he seems to be what they call a ¡°magus¡±, people who use magic rather than brawn. Also, I have this weird feeling that he¡¯s watching me, but I can¡¯t seem to catch him in the stare. With a signal from the front, the convoy begins to move. The early sunlight soon disappears and replacing it are shadows of trees. Peeking outside, I see the soldiers vigilantly watching the surroundings as they ride on their horses. One of them notices me and gives me a wave, so I clumsily wave back before someone suddenly pulls me back into the wagon. I glare at her, but then I notice the stifling silence. The girls are being uncharacteristically quiet, and Sallis being so sullen isn¡¯t helping either. Even Latasha, the one who pulled me, seems anxious. Did she think some monster would grab me or something? I actually prefer them being noisy compared to this. Girls, it¡¯s okay. The drifters are guarding us. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. I give them all a smile. Farica seems to catch on, ¡°Umm, let¡¯s play something¡­¡± ¡°Like what?¡± Latasha said. Contrary to her tone, she seems eager to get rid of the uneasy atmosphere. ¡°Oh! Hold on¡­¡± Kaelyn pulls out a pouch, and opening it, she shows a bunch of various kinds of nuts inside. ¡°I¡¯ve been picking these up thinking they could be snacks, but I realized we had no way¡­ to¡­ crack them¡­¡± she trailed off towards the end, realizing how stupid it makes her look. ¡°Nice, ruddy!¡± Latasha gave her a big grin, causing a blush to appear on the red-head¡¯s face. The tension comes down after that as the girls join the chatter and the creepy guy fades into the background. ¡°The game is called ¡®Divvy and Naught¡¯,¡± Latasha explains with enthusiasm, ¡°Suppose we¡¯re a party of drifters, having raided a dungeon and found a chest of, say¡­¡± she starts counting the nuts, ¡°twenty-nine gold pieces. We each take any number of gold in turns until all the gold is taken.¡± ¡°Ah, I think I know that. It¡¯s an old method of fair share used by drifters,¡± Kaelyn said. ¡°Yes! You win if you have the most gold but lose instead if any of us has less than the ¡®fair share¡¯. In that case, the game continues with one less person, and the fair share changes as well.¡± ¡°Sounds complicated... what if there¡¯s only two people left?¡± Farica asked, already showing signs of dislike towards the game. ¡°I don¡¯t know... flip a coin? We continue until we get a winner, which will be me, by the way. I¡¯ve played this since I was a kid,¡± she declared with confidence. In the end, I won every round. Latasha sulked for some time. As noon came, the forward scouts return with hunted game and the convoy stops by a small stream for lunch. While waiting for the, oh magnificous meat, I watch the dull yet beautiful green around me as well as all the life in it. Frankly, it¡¯s hard to imagine that something dangerous resides here ¨C with how the birds sing their songs, and thickets rustling as small critters run pass ¨C it¡¯s just too peaceful. Over the stream, I can see the land starting to incline. Indeed, the planned route is for us to go through the edge of the forest, at the foot of the circling mountains and away from the dangerous inner part of the forest. ¡°Miss fae...¡± a small voice called out. I turn around to see the luphaen girl. What¡¯s up, Aira? ¡°Umm... the food is ready,¡± she answered, barely meeting my eyes. Ah, come to think of it... I grab hold of her hands, staring into her eyes as I send her my thoughts. It¡¯s only an assumption, but I think she¡¯s more susceptible to my ¡°telepathy¡± than others. She jerks back, but I hold on to her. Immediately her eyes swim around, ¡°M¨CM¨CM¨CMiss Fay? What are you...¡± she falls quiet. There¡¯s a glint in her eyes and a twitch of her ears before she continues, ¡°I?If you¡¯re asking aboutthat, I.... I haven¡¯t felt anything ever since we entered the forest.¡± I see. I smile and nod before letting her go. I haven¡¯t heard any of the voices either. Was it just a bluff? Some puny critters that didn¡¯t want their homes trampled, perhaps. Yet, something capable of ¡°speaking¡± like that can¡¯t be your average beast. After the rest, I decide to ride with Aira in the other wagon, just in case. I still remember my promise with Orlev, but it¡¯s not like there¡¯s anything risky Latasha could do in a moving wagon. Sallis is there to protect her, anyway, so it should be fine. Speaking of the magus, it¡¯s good to be away from his eyes, too. Both Latasha and Farica starts complaining when they find out I changed wagons, though. I don¡¯t get it. It¡¯s not like me being there would make any difference. The journey after feels rather uneventful until something appears in our path, sometime after lunch break. ¡°Anq¡¯vok...¡± the chief swore in a language I don¡¯t recognize. ¡°...This is a problem,¡± is what Orlev has to say about it. By the way, the three of us, Latasha, Farica and Me, are here for some reason. When the convoy suddenly stopped, we were called to the front. It¡¯s not like we¡¯re needed, but it seems that the three of us were established as some kind of representatives of the rescuees. ¡°Isn¡¯t there any other route?¡± Latasha asked. ¡°There is, but...¡± Aldwan ponders on it. In front of us is something I presume to be the road. A huge landslide seems to have happened, bringing a great deal of debris from the mountain further down the slope. Heaps of dirt, way higher than the horses can climb, clump in our way. ¡°There¡¯s no way we¡¯ll get around that. (Luise) ¡°I believe there¡¯s another road?¡±(Sir Lain) ¡°Hrrm¡­ it takes us through the center of the forest, though.¡± (Chief) It wasn¡¯t a long discussion. Time¡¯s not our friend, and we quickly decide to take the other route. After that, Latasha and Farica argue to share a wagon with me. I still don¡¯t get why they want to be with me, but in the end, it¡¯s decided that Aira is to be riding with us instead. That also means I¡¯ll be under Sallis¡¯ creepy watch again. Shite. We continue the journey, slightly going back the road and continuing off where the dirt path branched. Over time, the evening grows darker, and the forest grows dense. ¡°Like this, we won¡¯t get much sun even at midday,¡± Kaelyn said as she peeks out from the wagon, trying to get a glimpse of the sky beyond the barrier of leaves and treetops. ¡°Not to mention, it¡¯s really dark these past few nights. There¡¯s a chance we¡¯ll be in total darkness,¡± Latasha mentioned casually. ¡°No way, that¡¯s scary...¡± Farica said, intent on living up to the name of wuss. But indeed, it¡¯ll probably get very dark, with the trees this tall and the crowns that thick. I mind that in the day as they make more protection against the sun. The sun hurts me. I hate the sun. But darkness, I hate more. There¡¯s always something lurking beneath it. Always. ¡°It¡¯s so quiet.¡± Aria mumbled, her ears twitching as if to catch a grasshopper¡¯s hop. Earlier on the outer rims of the cirque, sounds of life filled the air. Now, there¡¯s nothing as much as an insect¡¯s chirp. It¡¯s too quiet and I don¡¯t like it. As per Orlev¡¯s plan, the convoy stops at sundown and we make camp. Sallis does some weird chanting and drawings on the ground, and some type of barrier is erected. I can¡¯t see anything, but when I get close, there¡¯s this soft humming ¨C like the air itself is vibrating. I can tell the composition of the barrier somewhat. It seems like it¡¯s one of those ¡°mana field¡± Hadda told me about. Interesting, I say to myself as I probe around the barrier. It seems to work by isolating certain spaces where the air density varies ¨C that seems to be the basic function, but it seems to be much more complex than that. For one, I think it redirects light to a certain extent, but that may just be a side-effect. Even though the night is dark, we¡¯re not using too much fire, just enough to see certain parts in the convoy. I imagine that if the fires were to go out, we¡¯d really be in total darkness. Because of that, some drifters are assigned to man the fire to make sure they don¡¯t get extinguished. After dinner, Commander Orlev briefs us on the barriers and how they work. According to him, it prevents beasts from seeing, smelling, or hearing anything from inside the barrier, and when push comes to shove, the barrier itself would restructure and hinder physical entrance. ¡°While it may sound omnipotent, it is far from it. I advise that we take care not to disturb the forest. Also, refrain from messing about with the barrier,¡± he instructed, and I think he meant that last part for me. I was just curious, you know. --- --- --- We went to sleep not long after dinner. However, during the night, something wakes us up. ¡°Hey, wake up!¡± Latasha shakes Farica awake. ¡°Unn... what is it...?¡± ¡°Did you hear that?¡± ¡°There¡¯s a commotion outside,¡± Kaelyn said in a low murmur. Being the first awake along with me, she¡¯s already in a position to jump out. As I am about to go out the back, Sallis¡¯ face appears right in front of mine. He looks over my shoulder at the other girls. ¡°...Beasts.¡± While the girls are still trying to apprehend that, Sallis grabs hold of my arm and pulls me out, almost causing me to fall over. Then he suddenly paused as if remembering something, looks back at the girls inside and says, ¡°The rest of you, stay.¡± ¡°Wha... hold on for a sec¨C whitey!¡± As Latasha shouts for me, Sallis drags me away into the dark. Now that I¡¯m outside, the commotion is apparent. The drifters are hustling around shouting instructions to each other, fires are being lit and weapons passed on. Even so, I don¡¯t see or hear any beasts. Stop pulling me, you brooding dickhead. Sallis suddenly stops and I freeze. Then I realize he stopped not because he heard me, but because Orlev is now standing in front of us, glaring down at the magus. ¡°Why did you bring her out?¡± he interrogated. ¡°She¡¯s a magus,¡± Sallis answered as if it¡¯s an obvious answer. Orlev shakes her head and points back to where we came from. ¡°Get her back to safety. She¡¯s a rescuee and I won¡¯t stand to put her in danger¨C¡° His words are cut off by a shriek. Not human. Clearly a not-human shriek, coming from the darkness of the forest. ¡°Here they come! Drifters, pair up in threes and assemble a defense line just behind the barrier!¡± Orlev shouts his orders, then turns back to Sallis, ¡°You keep away from the defense and stay on support,¡± he leans in, ¡°and you better give me your damn word to keep her safe.¡± ¡°...My word.¡± After he heard Sallis¡¯ response, the commander runs off while shouting more orders. Meanwhile, Sallis stares at me with his blank gaze. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the defense line,¡± he cocks his head towards where the shouting is. Uh... He specifically told you not to¡ªhey! The pulling again... I don¡¯t like him already. Actually, I don¡¯t like him from the start. As we stand by on the defense line, the voices quiet down and a nerve-wrecking silence takes over. Each of the drifters¡¯ eyes are locked to the darkness, beyond where the fires can light. It feels like the silence continues forever until a screech comes from the forest, followed by beastly howls. I can feel sweat dripping down despite the cold night. When I look at Sallis, his face is as calm as usual. What is up with this guy? It only takes mere seconds before shrieks and roars drowns out everything else. Some drifters twitch anxiously, but all of them stands fast, grips on the handles of their swords and fingers on the guards of their guns. ¡°¡­They¡¯re here,¡± the man beside me whispered as a shadow jumps out towards the barrier. ? ? ? ¡°I¡¯m going out,¡± Latasha rose to her feet. ¡°Eh? Wait, you can¡¯t!¡± Farica cried in protest. Latasha ignores her and grabs the wolf-something sword. Before she can leave the wagon, someone grabs her arm. ¡°Whitey¡¯s out there, you big wuss!¡± she shouted. ¡°The others are out there too! I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll protect her!¡± Farica shouted back, desperate to keep her friend inside the wagon. ¡°And what if they don¡¯t?¡± Latasha shot back, ¡°What if a beast slipped through and got to her? Do you think she¡¯d be able to call for help?¡± ¡°That¡¯s...¡± As her grips on Latasha¡¯s arm weakens, she yanks it off her. ¡°I¡¯m going out. If you want to keep being a wuss, then be one, but don¡¯t get in my way. As if being in here makes it safer, anyway.¡± Ignoring her pleas, Latasha jumps out the wagon, but not before hearing Kaelyn¡¯s voice, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Miss Farica! I¡¯ll bring her back!¡± Ugh, what a pain, she thought as she prepares her fist. Sometimes, even a cardinal lady has to get her hands dirty. Where are you, whitey? And why is it so dark? ? ? ? Swords sang with flesh, bolts whistled through the air. After the first shots, the drifters switched the guns to crossbows and has been firing it since. When the first beast broke through the barrier, swords were unsheathed, and the first spear took its blood. Screams of dying beasts are in harmony with the battle cries of the drifters. There are beasts of all sorts of forms ¨C four legged, six legged, fleeced and scaled, as tall as the wagons, and as small as wolves. They come like a stream, flowing out the forest with no signs of stopping. As the barrier breaks, Sallis keeps chanting, rebuilding parts that are broken over and over again. His efforts manage keep the beasts bottlenecked at several entrances. The drifters fight skillfully as well. They work with each other efficiently; crossbows at the back, swords and spears at the front. In the teams of threes, one attacks from the range, while the two at the front take turns drawing the attentions of the beasts. Despite being overwhelmed just seconds ago, everyone is fighting proficiently. We might get through the night like this. ¡°Demonics!¡± someone shouted. ¡°Watch out!¡± At that second, something whizzes pass, breaking through the barrier and lands behind me in a large splash. ¡­Splash? I look behind and see that it had extinguished a fire. Since when have beasts carry water balloons around? ¡°Hydra!¡± ¡°Anyone hit?¡± ¡°None. It missed.¡± ¡°Another attack! Watch out!¡± Another water-ball-bullet-thing launches off the darkness. It would¡¯ve been impossible to dodge an unseen shooter, yet thankfully, the viscous projectile misses us and lands on another fire. ...Eh? ¡°Stay focused! Keep the line and watch for the demonics!¡± More and more shots zipped pass, each of them missing, and... each of them hitting lit fires and lanterns. ...They¡¯re not missing. Oh, crap. They¡¯re aiming for our light sources! I turn to Sallis and while I¡¯m trying to think of a way to tell him, the look in his eyes tells me that he already knows. As more of the lights are gone, the others start to realize too, but there¡¯s nothing that they can do. The hydras are hiding in the shadows, far behind the line of beasts. Then, as the last fire goes out, complete darkness falls... ...or that¡¯s what I expected, but a light still shines over the battle. I look up and see a small, yet bright ball of light, pulsating above. This is Sallis¡¯ doing. He¡¯s using fire to make light. He¡¯s a pyromancer. Thanks to the light, the fight continues without us being blind. ¡°The back! Hydras at the back!¡± one of the drifters shouted. I look at Sallis, and I instantly know that he has the same thing in mind. ¡°Go.¡± Yes! I start running towards the back of the convoy. --- --- --- When I arrive there, it¡¯s as suspected. With all the fires out, the drifters fight in the darkness. From the many dying screams I hear, they never stood a chance once their sights are taken away. Come on... think! What did Sallis do? He generated light from a ball of fire, but how does it work... ¡°Uagh!¡± ¡°H?Help me!¡± ¡°I see light to the front! Retreat there!¡± ¡°No! We can¡¯t leave the prisoners! Stand your ground!¡± That last voice, it was Luise¡¯s. They¡¯re being killed off one by one. I got to figure this out, fast. Create an isolated space, evacuate the air inside and fill it with gas to be burned. Then, feed it with air, little by little. If it¡¯s done like this, it won¡¯t be bright enough... Manipulate the space? Seal in the heat, increase the pressure, stack the energy... what else? Damn it, there¡¯s no time. Let¡¯s just do it! Let there be light! ¡°Light! There¡¯s light!¡± ¡°It¡¯s the faean!¡± ¡°Drifters, reform!¡± With my ¡°light¡± in the fold, the drifters start to fight back. While dragging the wounded, they form a semi-circle line with the convoy at their back. Bodies were also left behind. Dead bodies, with pools of red beneath. Even with heavy losses, they fight with little signs of disheartenment.The barrier on this side is completely gone, yet as the beasts converge upon them, they each fight with ferocity, killing beasts one after another while watching a comrade¡¯s back. And then there¡¯s Luise. He is dancing. A dance of steel and flesh, whipping with light steps out of the line to wreak havoc, then retreating back two moments before the swarm got to him. Red goes his golden mane, dyed by the death wrought upon by the teeth that is his sword. At this point, it¡¯s unclear on which of them is the monster. The battle goes on, and even as the drifters wore down, they hold the line. Then something else appears. ¡°What in the hell is that?!¡± As someone exclaimed, I look at the direction that person pointed, and standing there is... something that could only be described as a monstrous beast. A large beast standing on two legs, covered in fur and standing almost as tall as Eggsy was.Its eyes hidden from sight, nostrils flaring behind the thick beard-like fur. Claws like swords and arms large as a man¡¯s waist. In conclusion, a dangerous-looking beast. ¡°It¡¯s a bloodytreewalker!¡± The ¡°treewalker¡± picks up something. He lifts it above its head for us all to see. ...It¡¯s a freaking boulder. ¡°He¡¯s going to throw! Shoot him!¡± The drifters with crossbows start shooting at it in a frenzy, and the treewalker drops the boulder with a growl. ¡°Everyone, keep the line while I¡¯m gone!¡± Luise shouted. ¡°Eh?! Where¡¯re you going, wolf?!¡± ¡°That thing will wreck us all if left alone! Give me a head start, guys!¡± With Luise¡¯s instructions, the crossbows all fire in unison, creating an opening for Luise to close in on the treewalker. Seeing the movement, the beast swipes at him, but he easily lowers his form and dodges the attack. What comes next is like a stand-off between a bee and a bear. One attack from it would be enough to scatter Luise¡¯s innards, yet he evades every single attack while slipping in a slash or two after each dodge. While it may seem that Luise takes the pace, his breath is raggedy and his steps are getting wobbly. He won¡¯t last long. The others try their best to cover him, but there¡¯s just too many of them, forcing Luise to defend himself from the beasts on his back as well. The treewalker takes its chance and, unable to dodge, Luise uses his sword to defend the attack. With a large ring, the steel blade snaps into two. ¡°Fuck!¡± he cursed. Is there anything I can do to help him? The ¡°bulb¡± I made is already giving off an intense light from the energy crammed inside. I¡¯m pretty sure it can kill that beast in one strike, but it might also kill everyone else in the process. ¡°Raargh!¡± With a bestial roar, someone jumps out, seemingly out of nowhere, and plants his feet in front of the treewalker, stopping its attack with his... bare hands? Am I seeing right? It¡¯s¡­ Chief Aldwan. He¡¯s currently holding one of the beast¡¯s arms. However, it still has one other free limb. It¡¯s going to attack! ¡°Ald! Watch out!¡± Promptly, I make another ¡°fireball¡± and launch it at the beast, making it so that it releases the energy inside once it collides. The power is much weaker than the one I¡¯m using as light, but enough to stagger the beast back and make its fur catch on fire. ¡°Vaosha,little magus!¡± The chief shouted at me, his voice sounding much more bestial due to agitation. Then, drawing it from his back, he took out his weapon that I¡¯ve never seen before; A large single-bladed halberd, the sheer size clearly not something a human would be able to handle. And here he¡¯s swinging it like a stick, not giving the treewalker a chance to counter. Even so, between Luise having no his weapon and the many beasts at their back, they¡¯re having a hard time. Suddenly, a familiar voice calls out, ¡°Oi, rake!¡± Following the voice, something is thrown and Luise catches it in the air while performing a magnificent jump. Immediately after that, he joined in on the chief¡¯s fight with a longsword in hand. ¡°Magus, watch out!¡± Out of the corner of my eye, I see something flashing as a waterball rapidly launches towards me. ¡°Whitey!¡± Before I can react, something crashes into me and I fall into the ground. I look down to see a girl on top of me. The back of her dress is burnt away and a large red gash appears across her back, almost like a burnt mark. ¡­Latasha? Her eyes are closed, and her limbs fell limp to her sides. ¡°Watch out, they¡¯re shooting again!¡± ¡°Faean! Get away!¡± Another of those waterball flies towards me, but it merely disperses as it hits the small barrier I just made ¨C a simpler copy of Sallis¡¯ mana field that stops molecular momentum. It seems that they¡¯ve realized I¡¯m behind the light and are now aiming for me. Bad luck, beasts, because this isn¡¯t a fire you can just put out. ¡°Luise, now!¡± I hear a certain bear shouting. And then everything goes quiet. My gaze is still on the girl laying on top of me. I lean near her face and can barely hear breathing. ¡°Tasha!¡± another voice called out. Not a moment later, Luise drops down beside me. His hands are visibly shaking as he holds her face up. At that moment, I realize the sound of fighting has stopped. The beasts have gone and the treewalker lies a corpse at the ground not far, the hilt of a longsword sticking out of one of its eyes. ¡°Where¡¯s my sword... rake...¡± a whimper came. Luise broke into a chuckle, though his expression is that of relief. ¡°You daft girl,¡± he said, tenderly stroking her hair. --- --- --- ¡°Why did they go away? They had us in the bloody pot,¡± Lain questioned. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I sure as hell don¡¯t like this,¡± the chief replied while scratching his head with those large bear hands. ¡°...Damage report?¡± Sallis¡¯ cold voice interrupts. ¡°Mostly minor injuries. Lady Ard¨C no, one girl and three drifters need treatment. And¡­ five casualties. They were at the back, when... the hydras came.¡± the chief looks down in regret. ¡°You¡¯ll have to answer for this, commander,¡± Sir Lain¡¯s statement drew a glare from the chief. It might not sound much from how it¡¯s described, but trust me, an avlark¡¯s angry face is the stuff of nightmares. To most people, at least. ¡°We were all in agreement,¡± his gnarly voice was almost as scary as the face that said them. ¡°Yeah, and he made the call,¡± Lain threw back at him. ¡°You, puny piece ofbong¡¯a anq¡¯v¨C¡° ¡°Enough,¡± Orlev tapped on the chief¡¯s shoulder. ¡°He¡¯s right, Aldwan. Iamthe commander. Ididmake the call. Sir Lain, Iwilltake responsibility, but only if we get out of this alive. So focus on that.¡± As the... discussion continued, my eyes go to a wagon that¡¯s been prepared to treat the injured. Latasha should be there, perhaps with Luise at her side. ¡°We¡¯ll visit her,¡± Farica whispered to me after noticing the target of my gaze. Her voice tells me how much she tries to hide how shaken she is from the events last night. I myself isn¡¯t that worried, though. Latasha will have to bear with a little pain, but the wound is shallow. She¡¯ll live. ¡°For them to raid like that, it must be...¡± ¡°Ademon. We¡¯re not prepared for this,¡± Orlev finished Aldwan¡¯s sentence, though he looks as if he regrets it upon saying the word. ¡°Bollocks. No one¡¯s ever seen a demon for what, decades?¡± Lain argued. ¡°I know no other way for them to work together like that. They wouldn¡¯t normally know to aim for our sight, either.¡± (Chief Aldwan) ¡°So, what? Should we turn back, then?¡± (Lain) ¡°Turn back where? There¡¯s no other way to go without starving.¡± ¡°M?Maybe we can meet a merchant caravan or something.¡± ¡°The roads north of Falreas hasn¡¯t been used since thewinter wars. We¡¯ll starve before we reach the nearest civilization. Why did you think the slavers were using it?¡± Farica looks at me anxiously. Out of us three, it¡¯s usually Latasha who contributes at times like this. The wuss¨C I mean, Farica has mostly been quiet and I obviously don¡¯t speak much. Looking around, I see Kaelyn and Aria watching from a distance. The former seems to still be lost in her head, has been since she woke up earlier after being unconscious for some reason, though I suspect the bruise on her forehead had something to do with it. Meanwhile, Aira is... well... her melancholic eyes seem to wander away to no apparent object, and her face tells me that she¡¯s worried about something. All of a sudden, that expression turns into fear, and the reason for that comes immediately after. ¡¸ Done... ¡¹ ¡¸ It¡¯s done... ¡¹ ¡¸ As expected of Mother... ¡¹ ¡¸ They¡¯re dead... ¡¹ ¡¸ All dead... ¡¹ ¡¸ Kyaha! ¡¹ ¡¸ All dead... ¡¹ ¡°NO....!¡± Aria¡¯s sudden scream draws everyone¡¯s attention. Kaelyn, who is beside her, puts her hand on the now crouching Aira in an attempt to console her. ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°No...¡± she sobbed, her voice trembling as she raises her hands to cover her ears, as if to block something. ¡°We¡¯re all going to...¡± ¡¸ Die... ¡¹ ¡¸ They¡¯ll die... ¡¹ ¡¸ Already dead... ¡¹ ¡¸ No, alive... ¡¹ ¡¸ Dead... ¡¹ ¡¸ Keep alive... ¡¹ ¡¸ More fun... ¡¹ ¡¸ Dead... ¡¹ ¡¸ Soon... ¡¹ ¡¸ Kyaha! ¡¹ ¡¸ Dead soon... ¡¹ ¡¸ They escape? ¡¹ ¡¸ No. ¡¹ ¡¸ Won¡¯t let them... ¡¹ ¡¸ Don¡¯t let them... ¡¹ It seems that this is only the beginning, yet for some reason, I¡¯m not afraid. In fact, I¡¯m looking forward to what these creatures have in plan for us. Crap, Hadda¡¯s antics may have rubbed off on me.
Chapter 11 : Mother Chapter 11 Mother Daylight came, which means it¡¯s time to put my hood on. Sallis burned all the corpses at dawn after saying something about demonic necromancy, even the ones from the slaver incident. I don¡¯t what he meant, but I think he used some kind magic to burn the corpses because the flames only produced white vapor instead of smoke. They did some kind of ceremony after that, something about honoring Thalvos. Bleh. Latasha wakes up after smelling breakfast. She seems especially happy to see me for some reason. ¡°Well, fuck me. Not even a scratch on you?¡± All thanks to you, fiery princess, I give her a grateful smile. She has yet to fully recover, yet she keeps insisting on having her meal outside with the others. Once again, the girls huddle around in groups and engage themselves in small talk. It¡¯s okay, I guess. They need the distraction ¨C distraction from the monsters lurking in the woods. I find out more things about the girls during this time. Most of them had been victims of targeted kidnappings, but not all of them had it that easy. Aira, for one, had her home raided and her family killed, just like Farica did. Kaelyn¡¯s case seems to be difficult as well, but she refuses to tell, and we don¡¯t want to force her to. When the convoy is about to depart, a drifter comes to fetch me and Farica to the ¡°command¡± wagon. Latasha opts to go with, but Farica is objected to the idea. ¡°You¡¯re injured. You should be resting,¡± she said. Latasha rolls her eyes in objection, ¡°We¡¯re in the wilds. Beasts don¡¯t wait for injuries.¡± ¡°Latasha, I know how to make really hot spices, you know?¡± ¡°Huh? So what? I don¡¯t even like them. I told you, I hate hot spices¡­¡± Latasha trailed off as she realizes what Farica meant. ¡°I know,¡± the other girl makes a smile that doesn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°I also happen to know which bowl you always use.¡± ¡°You mean¡­¡± ¡°I heard they¡¯re good for your health. Don¡¯t you agree?¡± By the gods. Farica, you are one scary mother. Latasha finally gives up with that. When I arrive at the command wagon, I notice that it is being dragged by a certain scurry. Hey, Fanny! ¡°Quack¡­¡± he replied, for some reason refusing to meet my eyes. The officers have a questioning look for a moment when they see me dragging a certain reluctant luphaen with me, but they decide to let it be. After all, I can¡¯t tell them about the ¡°voices¡±, but Aira can. Now in this wagon, riding with me are Commander Orlev, the bear chief Aldwan, Luise, the magus Sallis, the rep Lain, Farica, and Aira. The bear chief is the one who speaks up first, his words aimed at the rep beside him. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Del¡¯More. If I knew, I wouldn¡¯t have... you know...¡± ¡°We all got the short end, chief. He was a good guy. A bit quiet, though.¡± ¡°Ah, yeah... he was pretty quiet.¡± Del¡¯More is¡­ was the other rep? Come to think of it, I think I saw one with a rep uniform in the pile of bodies burning earlier. Later, a signal is given and as the convoy begins to move, the commander starts the... meeting? Briefing? Whatever it is we¡¯re doing here. ¡°I¡¯ll get to the point. We need countermeasures against the demon threat. Any ideas?¡± Orlev started, but he is only met with silence. The wrinkles on his face seems to multiply as he concluded, ¡°I figured not.¡± ¡°We don¡¯t even know why they retreated,¡± Lain said. ¡°It¡¯s not just that. They were also holding back on us,¡± the avlark claimed, drawing confused looks from the guys. ¡°What makes you say that?¡± ¡°I can sense more of them last night, just hiding in the shadows and not attacking.¡± ¡°Well, that makes it weirder.¡± Aldwan nods in agreement. ¡°A demon does make it so much more complicated.¡± ¡°Heh, you talk like you¡¯ve fought one before,¡± Luise said with a sneer that says ¡®smartarse¡¯. ¡°As a matter of fact, I have. The commander too, in fact. It was more than twenty years ago. The last known demon encounter.¡± ¡°The Freak of Ballistar? No bloody way. You never told me, Ald,¡± Luise expressed his shock. ¡°Well it¡¯s not exactly a memory I¡¯m fond of, Luise. Frankly, I never expected to run into another in my lifetime. Just my cursed luck.¡± ¡°...What was it like?¡± Sallis, who has been quiet all this time, suddenly asked. ¡°In all intents, an abomination,¡± Aldwan answered bitterly. ¡°It kept on rampaging no matter how many men were thrown at it, and then there¡¯s how it amassed an army of beasts. It was practically a small war. A small and terrible war. You wouldn¡¯t believe it unless you¡¯re there.¡± The group went silent after that, probably reconsidering the danger we¡¯re all in. Eventually, we did come up with a defense plan. While it may not be perfect, with luck, it may hold. Basically, we¡¯ll have a defense circle with the girls and prisoners in the center. The next part of the plan is where I come in ¨C while Sallis is to focus on his barrier, I would be maintaining my own barrier. A barrier of fire. Sounds cool enough for you? We decided that our lives take more priority than nature preservation, so there will be no holds barred. I¡¯m sorry, trees and all the critters that live beneath them; I might have to burn some of you tonight. ¡°I deeply apologize for pushing this onto you. We understand if you refuse,¡± Orlev said with a sincere look on his face. I shake my head to let him know that I don¡¯t mind. ¡°Can I count on you, then?¡± I nod, and Aldwan chuckles at this for some reason. ¡°Blow some of them up, while you¡¯re at it,¡± he said. --- --- --- ¡°Battle plans? Is that it?¡± Latasha seems flabbergasted after hearing Farica¡¯s report. ¡°I think they¡¯re pretty good plans, though,¡± Farica opined, a finger cutely placed on her chin. ¡°So it¡¯s really a... demon?¡± Kaelyn joined in. ¡°They said it might be. Do you know anything about them?¡± ¡°Just what most drifters know....¡± ¡°Well we aren¡¯t drifters, ruddy,¡± Latasha snarked at her. ¡°Umm...¡± Kaelyn starts rubbing own her arm, realizing the girls are all looking at her. ¡°They¡¯re likedemonic beasts. You know¡­ beasts that can use magic, but it goes beyond that. Be it monstrous strength, unbreakable magic, or untouchable body...¡± the red-head explained. ¡°It almost sounds like you¡¯re describing an all-powerful being.¡± ¡°Actually, yes. They¡¯re one of the most feared menace in the continent since the dawn of history. The drifters¡¯ guild classified their threat level at category S. I think it¡¯s been a long time since the last one is subjugated.¡± ¡°Category... Ess?¡± Farica raises her eyebrow. Kaelyn starts explaining for us as she seems weirdly knowledgeable about this drifting business. The guild apparently classifies beasts and the like into threat levels, going from category F to A. According to her, F is for unaggressive beasts like rarebits, scurries, and livestock. Demonics like the unseen hydras last night would fall to category C, same as the treewalker. B is the really dangerous ones, while A is reserved for the monsters of monsters. I think that¡¯s the gist of it. ¡°Category S is an exception that doesn¡¯t fit into any of those. Demons fall into this because not only are they hard to kill, they also affect other beasts, making them do stuff that are otherwise not normal. Moving in a pack and coordinate with each other, for example.¡± ¡°Uwah... that¡¯s nasty. Like the boss of the beasts or something?¡± Latasha remarked. ¡°Uh¡­ I think so. There¡¯s alpha beasts as well, but a demon¡¯s control goes even beyond,¡± Kaelyn said, going along with her. ¡°Other than demons, there¡¯s only a few beings that are classified as category S, like the mythical dragons, or the dreadful dark-watchers.¡± Wait, did you just say ¡°watchers¡±? ¡°Pfft. So these drifters actually believe in dragons?¡± Latasha said, barely holding herself from breaking into a laugh. ¡°I¨CIt¡¯s part of their mission statement to asses all possible threats, so¡­¡± ¡°Just admit it, ruddy. They¡¯re a dreamy bunch.¡± Defeated, Kaelyn gives her a sullen nod. More importantly... she said something about watchers, didn¡¯t she? Could it be the same as those watchers? They¡¯re no threat to me, but it also means that his web is spun wider than I thought. I¡¯ll have to take care not to encounter one. --- --- --- Something incredible happened. Because the injured tend to eat less, there¡¯s leftovers from lunch and the bloke who distributed it is now at lost on what to do with it. I feel sorry looking at him standing there confused, so I decide to help him and walk up to the pot. ¡°Umm... miss magus?¡± he said on noticing me. I walk closer to him so that I¡¯m looking up from a lower angle and stare at him in the eyes. Finally, I give him a pouty smile, and his cheeks turn red, so much that they¡¯re like tomatoes now. ¡°...Here, you can have it.¡± But of course, kind sir. I accept tomatoes¡¯ kindness since it¡¯s rude to refuse. As I walk back with a new bowl of stew, I notice Latasha giving me the stink eye. ¡°I know you¡¯re hungry, but that¡¯s just awful, whitey,¡± she said, so I offer her some, but instead she runs away screaming, ¡°Don¡¯t make me an accessory!¡± What a weird girl. Again, I ride on the command wagon with the usual entourages. They give me weird looks, but I ignore them and eat my scrumptious stew anyway. They continue from what we left; discussing battle plans, escape plans, battle plan b, escape plan b, and so on. ¡°So when they¡¯ve converged on us, Sallis and the little magus will open up a point of the barriers to let the buggers in. Then, we can unleash all the ivv¡¯yok kivmai¡¯luk we can give them¨C¡° ¡°Commander Orlev!¡± ¡® A drifter on his horse interrupted the Aldwan¡¯s passionate presentation. ¡°Is something wrong, drifter?¡± Orlev calmly asked him. ¡°T?They all collapsed, commander.¡± ¡°Who did?¡± ¡°The drifters, sir. They just passed out, fell flat from their horses.¡± ¡°...Say again?¡± --- --- --- A new situation has unfolded. Over half of the drifters has, for unknown reasons, fallen unconscious. Like what the man earlier said, they seem to have suddenly lost consciousness while riding on their horses. Sallis is checking the bodies right now. According to him, they merely seem to be sleeping, but no one seems to believe him. Of course, it¡¯s hard for anyone to believe that eleven people fell asleep on the back of horses, at the exact same time. What a mystery. However, it¡¯s not just the drifters that passed out. ¡°What do you think is wrong with her?¡± Farica asked. I won¡¯t be able to tell you even if I knew. ¡°It¡¯s really like she¡¯s just sleeping. It¡¯s weird... she was just talking with us at lunch, not an hour ago,¡± she rambled, worry apparent in her voice. Maybe you should¡¯ve given her that hot spice? Among the girls, Latasha is the only one who is afflicted. Including her and the three wounded, there are a total of fourteen people who have, for inexplicable reasons, fallen ¡°asleep¡±. Against this new circumstance, Orlev has no choice but to stop the convoy. ¡°We¡¯ve confirmed that they all have some kind of injury from the battle last night,¡± Chief Aldwan stated. ¡°Is it poison?¡± Commander Orlev turns to the magus. ¡°...Not that I know of,¡± Sallis answered. As they discuss what to do, I quietly slip away and find somewhere I can be alone. I won¡¯t be of any help to them, anyway. Things just keep happening, and I can¡¯t seem to catch up. The situation is dire, yet I don¡¯t feel like it is. Farica and Luise is at Latasha¡¯s side being really worried for her, so why don¡¯t I feel the same? Huff... what happens now¡­? < Incoming transmission; ID, errlessLord. Establishing bipartite link... >Stolen story; please report. ¡­Eh? This is¡­ the nexus? It¡¯s been quite a while since I last interacted with it, but what¨C < Link established. > < Hello. > ¡°¡­¡­¡± < Hello? > ¡°¡­¡­¡± < Anyone there? > This voice... it can¡¯t be. ...Thalvos? < Ah, there you are. I thought I got the wrong albino. > How did¡­ is the nexus doing this? < Obviously. > My body turns rigid, my hands trembling as I make an involuntary gulp. Suddenly, the fear that I¡¯ve forgotten is coming back to me. ...What do you want? < Just a regular check-up. I wouldn¡¯t want you dying on the first week. > I grind my teeth, trying to control the emotions storming in me; fear, anger, and plain hatred ¨C all directed to this person. You could¡¯ve had me fooled, I snarked at him. You shoved me up here without any sort of preparation. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t want me dying.¡± < I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll be fine. You adapt fast. You know how to use what¡¯s around you, and you know how to think outside the¡­ conventional boundary. That said, if there¡¯s anything I can help you with, don¡¯t be shy to ask. > So you say, but I still don¡¯t know what exactly it is I¡¯m supposed to do. < That, you¡¯re on your own. > Bastard. He¡¯s doing this just to spite me. Another thing then. There¡¯s a ¡°demon¡± here that¡¯s threatening to kill everyone, and¡­ < You¡¯ll handle it. > How am I supposed to ¡°handle it¡±? I don¡¯t even know what they are! < Yes you do. You¡¯ve dealt with them before. Eight of them, in fact. > Eight? You mean¡­ lifers? Lifers are demons? < Broadly speaking. > I snort at the revelation. Then we¡¯re already dead. After all, there¡¯s no way these guys stand a chance against a bloody lifer. < Spare me your pessimistic values. How did you beat the lifers back then? > It¡¯s all because ¡®they¡¯ helped me. But they¡¯re not here now, are they? < You also have something now that you didn¡¯t before. > Something I didn¡¯t have¡­? ¡­The drifters? < Don¡¯t be ridiculous. > What is it, then? Magic? < Connection terminated. > ¡°¡­¡­¡± He left. From the way he spoke, he must only think of me as a tool. That is all I am to him; a disposable pawn. But he will pay. I don¡¯t care if it took years or decades, I will make him pay. After I free my friends, I will make him feel the hell he put me through. --- --- --- With the recent happenings, the drifters no longer have the men to execute the battle plan. In addition, it¡¯d be hard to be in a battle where we have to protect a large number of people with so few. In the end, it¡¯s decided that we stop for now to save strength for the night. Instead of defending against the beast, we¡¯ll be departing at sundown and keep moving until the sun rises. This decision is what I expected ¨C if lifers really are demons, than you might think of me as an expert, and the best, most effective strategy I know of is what I call run-for-your-life strategy. Basically, run whenever you can. I did that a lot and survived, and it seems the plan right now is to do exactly that; to run the entire night with swarms of beasts on our back. Sounds fun. There¡¯s a lot of things to consider. First, we would have to force the horses to run for fifteen hours hours straight in total darkness. Secondly, we now need the wagons to carry the unconscious men, which means an increase in load. That also means more spare horses to pull the wagons with, though. ¡°I want Sallis at the front with me. Light the road, and blow anything that gets in the way,¡± Orlev instructed. ¡°...Surely.¡± ¡°And also, I¡¯m hoping for the little magus to guard our back. Can we ask you of this? Like I said earlier, we understand if you want to refuse.¡± I agree, of course. This concerns my own survival. As the evening grows late, we prepare for the coming onslaught. Some wagons are emptied and to be used as the head of the spear, or back of the horse, while some others are discarded. I¡¯ll be at the furthest back with Luise and one more drifter to coach the horses. The commander and two other drifters will be spearheading along with Sallis. Chief will be guarding the rescuees, and the rest are distributed to man or guard the wagons. As the sun sets, the convoy begins to move at a steady pace. Darkness creeps, and I summon a ¡°firebulb¡± like I did yesterday. I summon three in fact, and ready to summon more because I will also be using these bulbs as explosives. Let the waves turmoil, let the river run. Be it beasts or demons, I dare you come, for I am ready. With myfirebulbs, I will blow you to a million burning smithereens. ? ? ? Hours of riding in darkness, and still no sign of the beasts. I guess this is to be expected, remembering that the raid started late in the night yesterday. I tried to remain vigilant, but between the darkness, the rhythmic bumping of the wagon, and the dull need to focus on the bulbs, I¡¯m starting to feel sleepy... ...That is until I hear an explosion from the front. I look at Luise, and we both know that it¡¯s time. ¡°It¡¯s Whitey, is it, missus?¡± he said to me, somehow still with a comforting smile adorning his features. Heck no. ¡°Never worry. I won¡¯t let those cursed beasts lay a claw on you.¡± Back to you, I smile back. I¡¯ll burn them before they can scar your pretty face. A screech came. From the back, and the flanks, all kinds of beasts give chase. Most of them can¡¯t really catch up, and the ones that do are immediately hit with a bolt in between their eyes. Some of them getreallyclose but get a bolt to their knees. ¡°Nice shooting, eh?¡± Luise winks at me, before suddenly his expression turns to dread. ¡°Treewalker!¡± I follow his finger and indeed, the creepy monster is just standing there in the darkness, like some creepy stalker. A creepy, giant stalker with bark growing out of its skin. Then it starts moving in a manner I¡¯ve seen before. ¡°Gods, it¡¯s going to throw a boulder,¡± Luise muttered with horror. Well, then¡­ here it is. My time to shine. Hopefully I won¡¯t kill myself with this. If I do, then... I won¡¯t be going back tothat place. You hear me, Thalvos? I¡¯m not going back there, and that¡¯s my prayer! Then I launch one of my firebulbs at it. There¡¯s a bright flash, followed by a shockwave that nearly causes the wagon to fall over. I look back at the fiery hell I left behind, feeling the heat and tremor even at this distance. I kind of expected this, but it¡¯s still quite amazing ¨C my supercharged firebulbs, that is. Meanwhile, Luise blankly stares at me with his mouth agape. I lightly tap his shoulder to get his focus back. The chase goes on. Rather than a rush of death, the convoy is keeping a steady run; slowing down when leading far up, then raising the pace once the horde starts to gain on us. When the beasts behind us are starting to crowd, I send them a bulb or two that I know they like. By this point, Luise no longer has any reaction. Actually, his face has been stone for a while now. ¡°Even though she¡¯s so small¡­ I don¡¯t know anymore.¡± he whispered to himself. I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re moping about, but pull your own weight, will you? ¡°Hydra!¡± A shout came from the front. Ah, here they are. Our special guests. Yesterday, the battle was turned upside down once the hydras came. Commander Orlev told us to expect the worst, so I we did. ¡°Hydras on our right!¡± the coach warned. As I look at that direction, watery projectiles are already in the air. All of them missed, but from the first barrage, it¡¯s clear what their targets are. ¡°Crafty little buggers. They¡¯re aiming for the wheels,¡± Luise cursed as he loads his little crossbow. They keep missing for now due to our movement, but one strike is enough to shatter the wagon¡¯s wheels. - SPLASH ¨C Or at least, it should¡¯ve been enough. Other than almost flipping the whole thing over, no real damage was done from that attack just now. I guess that¡¯s Sallis for you. We already predicted this kind of development, so instead of creating a large moving barrier for the whole convoy, Sallis made small concentrated shields on the outsides of the wheel. So far, it¡¯s working like it should. Ah well, you tried, hydras. Here¡¯s a bulb for your effort. - Ka¡ªBOOM - Mwahahaha! Fear me! ¡¸ Coming. ¡¹ ¡¸ They¡¯re coming. ¡¹ ¡¸ Ready. ¡¹ ¡¸ Ready? ¡¹ ¡¸ Get ready. ¡¹ ¡¸ They¡¯re coming. ¡¹ Oh, crap. The voices! What are they planning? Are they coming from the front? The flanks? The back? ¡¸ Now? ¡¹ ¡¸ Now. ¡¹ ¡¸ Go now? ¡¹ ¡¸ Jump. ¡¹ ¡¸ GOGO! ¡¹ ¡¸ Kyaha! ¡¹ ¡¸ Go! ¡¹ ¡¸ NOWNOWNOW! ¡¹ I feel a... premonition, so I look up, and there it is... Larger than a hound, with eight long limbs attached, currently falling from above. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Now that I¡¯ve seen it, I simply fling it away with air magic. ¡¸ Kyah! ¡¹ Now that that¡¯s dealt with, I look towards the front of the convoy and see no eight-legged creatures on any of the other wagons. ¡¸ Missed. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stupid. ¡¹ ¡¸ All missed? ¡¹ ¡¸ Missed. ¡¹ ¡¸ Failed. ¡¹ ¡¸ Uuu... ¡¹ ¡¸ No... ¡¹ ¡¸ Stupid. ¡¹ ¡¸ Tried... ¡¹ ¡¸ We tried... ¡¹ ¡°W?What was that just now?¡± Luise said, his face so pale as if he¡¯d seen Grim itself. I merely shrug at him. No idea. --- --- --- It felt like forever... Nah, I¡¯ve felt forever. It felt like four hours before the beasts stop giving chase and the first ray sets in, but it¡¯s not until the sun rises above the trees that the convoy finally stops. After making sure no threat is around, we make camp once again. There¡¯s no casualty this time so I was expecting a jolly mood, but what is this? Why so serious, everyone? ¡°They have us by our nose,¡± so Chief Aldwan said. ¡°Pardon?¡± rep Lain crosses his arms. ¡°The plan worked brilliantly. What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Some of the roads were blocked by landslides, so we¡¯ve diverted ways from the route. We¡¯re still heading in the right direction, but I simply can¡¯t believe they¡¯re only coincidences,¡± the chief explained. ¡°Heh, is this another one of your bestial instincts talking?¡± ¡°Listen now, you piece of¨C¡° ¡°Hey, Ald. Correct me if I¡¯m wrong, but aren¡¯t we quite deep in the forest?¡± Luise interrupted them. ¡°...Yeah, we are. We¡¯re in the centermost part, actually,¡± the chief answered, still glaring at the rep. ¡°It doesn¡¯t bring a good feeling, huh.¡± ¡°Nope. No, it doesn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s rest for now. Let the men and horses sleep. Hopefully we¡¯ll figure out what¡¯s causing this damn affliction,¡± Orlev ordered them. So here we are now, sleeping with the sun above our heads because the night is full of monsters. However, I can¡¯t seem to sleep so I head away to check on Latasha, and what I find is a heartwarming scene. They look nothing alike; one is a cool brunette beauty, and the other is a small, brown-haired darling. But sleeping together like this, they can easily pass off as sisters. What a cute pair they¡¯d make. ...Right. I should move on to what I came for. Sallis couldn¡¯t find anything, but clearly there¡¯s something wrong. ¡®Art thou willing, little lass? To know the ways of mana, whence they come, and how they form?¡¯ As I place my hand on Latasha¡¯s chest, I try to remember one of the things Eretz taught me. ¡®Within and without, agnize their existence. Feel the flow, the perfections, the wrongs...¡¯ I close my eyes and let my mind adrift, feeling the mana inside her melting with my own. Her steady breathing, pulsing of the heart, I feel it all. What¡¯s wrong with you, Latasha? I keep at it, searching every nooks and cranny within her for any abnormalities. And then... I think I¡¯ve found it. What do we have here? Not a poison, not a curse... it¡¯s something alive. Small, motionless, asleep, but alive, siphoning energy from Latasha¡¯s body. A parasite. I wrap my mana around it and I feel another connection. It may be the reason for her conditioned sleep, but there¡¯s something else it¡¯s feeding on. A passage of mana, connected to it like a string. There¡¯s some form of mana flowing into the parasite, and it¡¯s making it grow. The flow itself is miniscule, thus the growth is insignificant. But the string is pulsing, and if it becomes a pipe, maturation would come rapidly. Her body will be its first meal. She will be eaten from the inside, and I happen to know how nasty that would be. I jump out the wagon and follow the ¡°string¡± to the edge of the camp. ¡°Miss magus?¡± someone called out. Oh, it¡¯s uhm¡­ Right. You¡¯re tomato guy. You know, that bloke who gratuitously gave me the leftovers from yesterday¡¯s lunch. ¡°Err... you shouldn¡¯t go outside the barrier,¡± he reminded. Hmm, how to deal with this... ah, I know. I fake a wobbly walk towards him and grab his arm weakly. With my other hand holding my clothing near my crotch, I look up at him, faking a delicate look. His face, as expected, turns into tomatoes. ¡°Y?You need to, err... ahem, very well. I¡¯ll go with you,¡± he said as he starts leading me into the bushes. So far so good. ¡°Umm... here is far enough,¡± he stopped somewhere out of sight. I look at him in the eyes. His face is still red. ¡°Oh, right. Sorry. I¡¯ll look away.¡± Then he turns his back at me. This won¡¯t work, so approach him and start pushing him away. ¡°Eh? Okay, over here?¡± I shake my head while pouting my lips, then point at a further place. ¡°Right. I¡¯ll wait over there. Give me a holler when you¡¯re done¡­ wait, you can¡¯t speak. Huh? Hold on, so how am I supposed to¡­ eh? Miss magus? Crap, where did she go?¡± Bye, tomatoes, and thanks for your help...~ --- --- --- Huff... even now, my stamina is being tested. The chief said we¡¯re in the innermost part of the forest, so the source of the string can¡¯t be that far... I think. Looking at the position of the sun, it¡¯s probably midday. The convoy will depart at sundown, so I have until then. The air feels dense. Is it an effect of mana? The string is growing thicker too ¨C it¡¯s the width of my forearm now. I can also feel more strings. Lots more... hundreds, thousands, myriads. Countless of mana strings, connected to a point not that far ahead. I¡¯m close. ¡¸ Hraagh! ¡¹ Suddenly, with whatever intention, a creature jumps down in front of me. It has eight limbs andthe size of a large wolf, with four large black eyes on the front of it¡¯s.... I assume that¡¯s the face. The legs are long, adorned with reddish-brown hair as is the body and two large fangs protrude from somewhere beneath the eyes. ¡¸ I eat you! ¡¹ ¡­Hmm. Let¡¯s ignore that and keep walking for now. Oh? There¡¯s more of them. Lots more, behind the trees and hiding above on the leaves. I can see you, you know. What are you trying to be clumping together like that, a ball? With different colors and slightly different sizes, numerous giant spiders start creeping out of their hiding to see their guest. ¡¸ Homid... ¡¹ ¡¸ Homid? ¡¹ ¡¸ Uh-oh. ¡¹ ¡¸ What now? ¡¹ ¡¸ What now... ¡¹ ¡¸ Kyaha...? ¡¹ ¡¸ What to do? ¡¹ ¡¸ Mother... ¡¹ ¡¸ Get mother. ¡¹ ¡¸ Touch her. ¡¹ ¡¸ Touch the homid. ¡¹ ¡¸ Touch her. ¡¹ ¡¸ You go. ¡¹ ¡¸ You go. ¡¹ ¡¸ No. ¡¹ ¡¸ You go. ¡¹ ¡¸ Stupid. ¡¹ ¡¸ Coward. ¡¹ ¡¸ You stupid. ¡¹ ¡¸ Grr! ¡¹ ¡¸ Aaarr! ¡¹ ¡¸ Graah! ¡¹ Huh. They seem to be¡­ infighting. They don¡¯t seem to be paying attention to me, so I¡¯ll just continue walking. Don¡¯t mind me...~ ¡¸ Homid! Homid! ¡¹ Hmm? ¡¸ Stop! ¡¹ Something jumps in front of me again. Ah, it¡¯s the first spider, with the red-brown hair. Yeah? I answer. ¡¸ Homid... homid can talk! ¡¹ You need something? ¡¸ Homid need something? ¡¹ No, I asked you firs¨C uh, never mind. Can I meet your mother? ¡¸ Homid wants to meet Mother? ¡¹ That¡¯s what I said. ¡¸ Why? Homid dangerous! I eat you! Won¡¯t let you eat Mother! Won¡¯t help you! ¡¹ Then why did you ask in the first place... It¡¯s okay. I won¡¯t eat your mother. I just want to talk. ¡¸ Eh? Talk? But Mother said... ¡¹ I¡¯m not dangerous, I promise. Please, I really, really need your help. I need to find your mother. ¡¸ ...Okay! If Homid says so, homid will meet Mother. ¡¹ Huh? Well that was easy. ¡¸ You will meet Mother. Ah, Homid be careful, though. Mother scares even me some¨C Ah, m¨Cmother?! Didn¡¯t know mother¡¯s here! ¡¹ Eh?! She¡¯s here?! I turn around and watch my surroundings, and immediately my attention is drawn to a certain creature. Are you the mother? With longer legs, it¡¯s bigger than rest and even taller than I am. There¡¯s also those tiny yet scary-looking spikes on the legs. Bigger fangs, evil eyes, and hair that looks like it hurts to the touch. But it¡¯s not the ¡°mother¡±, because there¡¯s more similar ones crawling out from behind the trees. That¡¯s right. There¡¯s something else there, under the shadows, even larger. You must be the mother. Four eyes flash at me from the darkness, hiding in the shadows and watching from afar. Judging from the height of its eyes, the leg span can probably cover an entire barn. But it¡¯s not the ¡°mother¡±, because more eyes of similar heights shine from various directions. More and more of them are showing up. The spiky ones, the huge shadows, the little hound-sized ones are starting to gather too. There must be hundreds... thousands, surrounding me from all sides. So many is appearing, crawling about in waves. So many that it seems like the trees themselves are moving. ¡­¡­ ¡­¡­Oh. The ¡°tree¡± did move. I slowly trace the trunk of the ¡°tree¡± upwards with my eyes, following the sharp curves all the way up. Blocking the sun, rising well above the high treetops, is a humongous mass of black with eight crooked and really tall ¡°trees¡± attached to it. ¡¸ Homid... ¡¹ Umm, hi... ¡¸ Speak your business. ¡¹ I just want to talk.Wow, you¡¯re.... tall. ¡¸ Homid is a talker, it seems... ¡¹ Ah, well, I do talk quite a lot. What the heck are you doing?! This isn¡¯t the time to be joking around, stupid! Calm down, plan your words, and take your time¡­ ¡¸ Speak now, for you have intruded on my domain. Speak, or be nutrition for my spawns. ¡¹ Okay, maybe not take too much time, then. ¡¸ Homid females, soft flesh. Hmm... ¡¹ ¡¸ Tasty... ¡¹ ¡¸ Kyaha... ¡¹ Ah, that¡¯s right. If it¡¯s Eretz, then... I¡¯ve come here to terrorize you. ¡¸ ...What did you say? ¡¹ Oh, uhm.... Nice going, idiot Fay.
Chapter 12 : Halhallarts Dread Chapter 12 Halhallart''s Dread I can hear the thumping of my heart like hammering on wood. Cold sweat trickles down my cheek as my acquired instincts screams at me to get away. Not that I can, because they¡¯re everywhere¡ªbehind the trees, inside the foliages, or just there in plain sight, covering every stride of the ground like water covering the mud beneath. ¡¸Terrorize... me? ¡¹ I look up to see a ¡°cloud¡± slowly descending on me as the eight pillars that supported it creaks and bends in no way a tree could. When I realize it, in front of me is a set of four orbs. Dark hair covering the entire body, two fangs as long as I am tall potruded from the teethed maw. The two eyes on the sides as large as my head, and the ones in the middle like a full-body mirror, with my own reflection staring back at me. Yes, but I¡¯m willing to reconsider if you¡¯re willing to talk with me. Unsure of where to look, I stare back at my own eyes, picturing the me in the ¡°mirror¡± as my opposition. ¡¸...Tell me, whence.... did you come from? ¡¹ Nowhere that matters you. I just want to talk, and if you don¡¯t, I will terrorize you. ¡¸ Tererize? ¡¹ ¡¸ Teroraiz. ¡¹ ¡¸ What. ¡¹ ¡¸ What. ¡¹ ¡¸ Don¡¯ know. ¡¹ ¡¸ What it means? ¡¹ ¡¸ Homid words. Don¡¯t know. ¡¹ ¡¸It means ¡°to instill terror¡±, my children. This homid here intends to cause fear... and sorrow to us... ¡¹ ¡¸ What... ¡¹ ¡¸ No! ¡¹ ¡¸ Homid bad. ¡¹ ¡¸ Homid evil. ¡¹ ¡¸ Kill. ¡¹ ¡¸ Kill. ¡¹ ¡¸ Won¡¯t let homid teroraiz. ¡¹ ¡¸ Eat. ¡¹ ¡¸ Eat her. ¡¹ ¡¸ Eat. ¡¹ ¡¸Forgive me, little homid....Children can get bit restless...., especially if someone threatens their mother. ¡¹ .....I messed up didn¡¯t I? I might¡¯ve been a bit reckless coming here. Actually, why did I even come here for? For Latasha, or for myself? ¡¸What¡¯s wrong...? You were going to terrorize me....., why so silent? ¡¹ .................... (Thou art afraid, little lass?) Ahh... what am I remembering at a time like this? ( And ¡®tis for the better. Keep being afraid. Keep being alive.) ¡¸You stay wordless... and my children shall eat you. ¡¹ Eat me? What are you, a bugbrain? ¡¸Hmm? ¡¹ I didn¡¯t come here to be eaten by lumps of eight-legged dungnids. I came here to talk, and either you¡¯ll compromise or I¡¯ll make you. When I thought it¡¯s already as freaky as it gets, what comes next proves me wrong. It¡¯s a bizarre sound, like a symphony of clicks and hisses, accompanied by tappings and rubbings of various instruments. The symphony resounds through the woods, echoing like it would in a cave. Birds flew, and the few critters that were still around scampers away. That¡¯s how bizarre the sound is. The sound of the Mother¡¯s laugh. ¡¸You¡¯re amusing little homid..... However, I have no time.... to deal with the likes of you. ¡¹ ¡¸ Eat. ¡¹ ¡¸ I eat her. ¡¹ ¡¸ No. I eat her. ¡¹ ¡¸ Me. ¡¹ ¡¸ Me. ¡¹ ¡¸ I eat her. ¡¹ ¡¸ Me. ¡¹ Oh... you wouldn¡¯t want to do that, though. ¡¸ Why? ¡¹ ¡¸ Eat. ¡¹ ¡¸ Why? ¡¹ ¡¸ Why? ¡¹ ¡¸ Soft. Munchy. ¡¹ ¡¸ Why not? ¡¹ Trust me. You really, really don¡¯t want to eat me. Ehm... I wonder why? I need more bluffs. Think! Oh, right! Help me, nexus! Nexus, identify. < Identifying... > ¡¸What...? ¡¹ I said, ignify. I am capable of fire magic. Any of you makes a move, I¡¯ll burn you to ashes. ¡¸ No. ¡¹ ¡¸ Lies. ¡¹ ¡¸ Lies. ¡¹ ¡¸ Don¡¯t burn... ¡¹ ¡¸ Hate fire... ¡¹ ¡¸ Mother... ¡¹ ¡¸ Lies. ¡¹ < Identification succesful. > < Error: restrictions in place. > *ping!* A screen appears.
< NXId >
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ©¦2468©¦ ©¦99%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ©¦112©¦/124
Name Lyrfanas
Species Xalneer, Broodmother variant
Age 546
Offsprings 10,282,571,729 218 Xalneers 14,127 Esselors 304,163 Fallites 10,282,253,221 , 196 distinct species
Appelations Mother of the Swarm Eight Shadows Dread of Halhallart The Shadow That Skulks Guardian of the Cergian Ring Kill It With Fire
< ERROR : NXId access restricted >
< Subnex >
Name < Unknown >
Species Arachnid Demon
Gender Female, < unconfirmed >
Age < Unknown >
Titles Dread of Halhallart
Mana Affinity Demon ¨C Earth
Mana Pool ©¦112©¦
Threat Level Category ©¦S©¦You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.
Umm.... Well,thatshowed up. The number of offsprings is... ten billions... ..................... Let¡¯s ignore that for now. I don¡¯t even know why that data is even there. Her vim rate is 2468, which means she¡¯s freakishly strong. Not worse than a lifer, but this is also the first time I saw the number below¡ªpull rate, which is... 112/124? So she really is capable of magic, but... to what extent? Also, there¡¯s much less information than it should be. Something to do with the restriction..... perhaps? I¡¯ll have to ask Thalvos about that. Another thing to note is the data below ¡°subnex¡±. I¡¯ve never seen those before. Mana affinity and pool? There¡¯s also a threat category. Some of the data seems repetitive.... I wonder why? ¡¸I know bluffs when I see one..... Too bad, little homid. ¡¹ Bluffs, you say? I¡¯m in luck. I know....that¡¯s odd to say in this situation, but I think they¡¯re not fond of fire, judging from their reactions. There¡¯s also a data here that implies it as well. Going along with it, I summon firebulbs around me. One. Two. Three. Four. I summoned beyond what I can count with my fingers. ¡¸ Fire! ¡¹ ¡¸ Fire! ¡¹ ¡¸ No...! ¡¹ ¡¸ Hate... fire...! ¡¹ ¡¸ Get away! ¡¹ ¡¸ Grrr! ¡¹ ¡¸ Kyaha...! ¡¹ That¡¯s right. Fear the firebulbs for they are your demise! ¡¸Puny tricks. ¡¹ Tricks? I wouldn¡¯t be so sure about that. ¡¸Give me a reason..... to not just get this over with. ¡¹ There¡¯s a lot of reasons, want me to list them all? Keep talking. Buy time for me to think my way out of this. ¡¸Homid¡¯s words are excessive..... One chance..... One chance for homid to speak. Fail.... and I shall feed you to my children. ¡¹ ¡¸ Yess...! ¡¹ ¡¸ Tell her! ¡¹ ¡¸ Feed me! ¡¹ ¡¸ Good luck, homid! ¡¹ ¡¸ Eat...! ¡¹ Ah, well... that¡¯s it, I guess... ¡¸You will talk..... Amuse me, homid. Do not disappoint. ¡¹ ....I¡¯m not someone you¡¯d want to make an enemy of... Be brave. It¡¯s okay to be afraid, as long as you don¡¯t act cowardly. Be brave. I put down my hood as I strut closer to the looming shadow in front of me, using every mental strength I have to hide any quiver and to mask any resemblance of fear in my ¡°voice¡±. ...Do you not know who I am? .............................. .....Uh-oh... I don¡¯t like this silence. .¡¸.....Those eyes... you...? ¡¹ Oh? ¡¸Demon Lord...... you are spawn.... of Demon Lord! ¡¹ ¡¸ Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸ Eh? ¡¹ ¡¸ Demon Lord. ¡¹ ¡¸ Demon Lord. ¡¹ ¡¸ Spawn. ¡¹ ¡¸ Demon Lord. ¡¹ Ah... I was going to go with something else, but this should work fine. How nice of you to notice. Now can we talk? ¡¸.............. ¡¹ ¡¸ .............. ¡¹ ¡¸ .............. ¡¹ ¡¸ .............. ¡¹ Err... hey? ¡¸ ....Eat. ¡¹ ¡¸ Eat... ¡¹ ¡¸ Demon Lord... ¡¹ ¡¸ Eat... ¡¹ ....What? ¡¸ EAT. ¡¹ ¡¸ EAT. ¡¹ ¡¸ ME. FEED ME. ¡¹ ¡¸ EVOLVE. ¡¹ ¡¸ GET STRONG. ¡¹ ¡¸ Good luck, Homid! ¡¹ ¡¸ EVOLVE. ¡¹ ¡¸ EAT. ¡¹ ¡¸ EAT. ¡¹ Uh... what have I done? ¡¸A delight has come.....You, homid, shall be the mulch that nurtures the swarm.... We will grow strong.... with your sacrifice. ¡¹ Crap, I should¡¯ve gone with ¡°Envoy of the Dark God¡±. Nobody moves! I shouted, flailing my arms with exaggerated movements as I let the fuel burn entirely, making my firebulbs burn brightly than ever. The first one who makes a move, I will burn all eight of your legs. ¡¸ LIES. ¡¹ ¡¸ LIES. ¡¹ ¡¸ LIES. ¡¹ ¡¸ GO. ¡¹ ¡¸ GET HER. ¡¹ ¡¸ EAT HER. ¡¹ Yeah? Come get me, then. I start walking around in a circle, staring into as many eyes as I can while letting the flickering bulbs dance around me. And should you come, I suggest you keep in mind... the first one who makes a move gets it. ¡¸ ...Lies. ¡¹ ¡¸ More lies. ¡¹ ¡¸ Go. ¡¹ ¡¸ You go. ¡¹ ¡¸ No, you. ¡¹ ¡¸ Grr! ¡¹ ¡¸ Coward. ¡¹ ¡¸ You go. ¡¹ Yes, that¡¯s right. Let someone else try first. See if my words are lies. ¡¸I don¡¯t fancy having my children burned...., puny homid. ¡¹ Then don¡¯t tell them to eat me, four-eyes. ¡¸Why don¡¯t I just.... kill you right now? ¡¹ Why? Simple. See this little bright things? One of your kids try to have a go and I¡¯ll burn them, but ifyoumake a move, I¡¯ll turn this whole forest char, I swear it. ¡¸You think your lies works with me...? I¡¯ve lived too long.... to not know better. ¡¹ Exactly. You don¡¯t live that long by taking unecessary risks. Don¡¯t be stupid, do the smart thing. Don¡¯t wager your entire swarm just to eat one little homid. Everything I¡¯ve seen until now; the unlikely retreat and the use of afflictions.... it all seemed like a commander who wants to minimize losses from their own army. It was all tactical. It may be far fetched, but I really think she wants to keep her swarm safe, and that¡¯s a bet I¡¯m willing to take. ¡¸............. ¡¹ ............... We stare each other down for some time, the atmosphere so intense that none of the spiders dares to interrupt. ¡¸.....Talk. ¡¹ Let us go. Let the homids go peacefully through the forest. ¡¸...This forest is haven for my children.... Haven from those... who wills harm upon us. ¡¹ So you kill everyone who passes through here? To scare everyone else off? ¡¸If even one happens to survive, they will know.... They will want to use the roads... and we shall be hunted. ¡¹ That won¡¯t happen. I give you my word. ¡¸Words of little homid..... What would we do should your words fail you? ¡¹ My nails digs into my palms as I take a deep breath before I answer, ...me. You can have me. ¡¸ ...Homid? ¡¹ ¡¸ Yess... ¡¹ ¡¸ We can eat homid? ¡¹ ¡¸...You... will give yourself to us? ¡¹ Yes. If I break my words, you can eat me. ¡¸...No, we won¡¯t eat you.... I shall have you bear my brood, for those borne of Demon Lord¡¯s blood.... shall surmount all. ¡¹ Err... right, I¡¯ll be your whatever. Do we have a deal? ¡¸....I will dispell the eggs. You have two days..... leave our haven after the hosts awakens. Now, begone. ¡¹ ....Eh? That¡¯s it? How will you know if I keep my word? Suddenly, a searing pain strikes me, so intense that I almost fall on my knees. It begins on my shoulder, as if someone pierced a hundred needles filled with poison that burns through flesh. I.... I know this feeling. It¡¯s the feeling of having someone else¡¯s mana infest your body! Ugh... what... ¡¸...We are finished here. ¡¹ You... what are you¡ª ¡¸The words.... are sealed. For as long as you carry my mark, you also carry with you..... our pact. Should you fail, I will know..... and my swarm will come for you. ¡¹ As she said that, the pain gradually disappears, leaving only a lingering heat, just below my right shoulder. I grasp it, and find that the skin is hot to the touch even through the coat. ¡¸Begone, before my children¡¯s hunger gets the best of them. Begone, and know that I shall know. ¡¹ .....Eh? I... did I do it? With that question in my head, I turn and start walking away. As I approach the swarm, the sound of eight thousand legs fills the forest promptly as the sea of spiders parts to give me way. What a sight. Stopping midway, I turn back to see Lyrfanas¡¯ eyes watching me briefly, flashing as if to say ¡°I¡¯ll be watching you¡±, before her shadow rises back beyond the trees and disappears from my sight. .................. Hahh.... my heart isn¡¯t calming down. I don¡¯t think it will until I¡¯m away from this place... Still... this doesn¡¯t feel right. I¡¯m missing something, am I....? ¡¸ Homid! Homid! ¡¹ Eh? I turn back to see one of the ¡°little¡± ones hopping towards me, a few leaps at a time. These guys... they can probably jump over fortified walls, don¡¯t they? If they ever got out of this place, wouldn¡¯t it be bad? ¡¸ Homid! ¡¹ Y?Yeah. Ah, looking closely, it¡¯s that first spider. You know, the red-brown one with big eyes. ¡¸ You did it! You convinced Mother! Homid did good! ¡¹ Eh? Well, erm... thanks? ¡¸ Homid has courage. Homid has mana, too. Homid will become great. ¡¹ ...You¡¯re quite an articulate one, huh? Compared to the others, at least. ¡¸ Artycuelaed...? Homid words, don¡¯t understand. ¡¹ ....You speak well. ¡¸ I do! Hehe... Mother says I¡¯m special! Says I¡¯ve good mind. Says I¡¯ll be Mother someday. ¡¹ Right. Umm... was there something you need? ¡¸ Homid has name? ¡¹ Eh? No, I don¡¯t... not yet, at least. ¡¸ Too bad. Mine is Cylvanas! Only few in swarm has name, you know! ¡¹ I see... but why¡¯re you telling me this? ¡¸ Swarm future. Brothers, sisters, endangered if swarm isolated. Need connections. Homid connections. Preferrably strong homids! Bad relations might endanger swarm in future. ¡¹ ....................... No, actually, I¡¯m not really stro¡ª Whoops. I probably shouldn¡¯t tell her that. ¡¸ I put trust. Please keep friendship with Cylvanas and Mother! Brothers and sisters, too! Swarm needs connections. ¡¹ No, erm... well, your family just wanted to eat me. ....Alright. I¡¯ll keep my promise with your Mother, at the very least. Because I¡¯ll be kidnapped and eaten inside out if I don¡¯t. Or be used as an incubator for demon spiders. I honestly don¡¯t know which one is worse. ¡¸ Cylvanas have trust in homid. I bid you bye! ¡¹ With that, she¡¯s out of sight within a single leap. What incredible jumping powers. Oh, it¡¯s evening now. I should probably get back... Anyhow, that was.... surprising. So one of them actually reasons from a diplomatic standpoint, but it doesn¡¯t seem that the rest of thinks the same. ........Ah. Did Lyrfanas has the same motive for the deal? .............. ....I¡¯ll think about that later. --- --- --- Right now, I am faced with another crisis. In front of me is the commander, his aged face staring down at me like a parent would a troublesome child. ¡°...Where have you been?¡± Umm, saving your asses? ¡°Tch. Troublesome girl...¡± The unicorn rep scoffs at me. ¡°You¡¯re lucky we found you when we did,¡± the commander continued, ¡°don¡¯t wander on your own, or we might have to rope you down, for your own safety. Got it?¡± I timidly nod at him. ¡°And you.¡± ¡°Y?Yes!¡± Standing besides me, tomatoes answered nervously. ¡°You left a her in the middle of hostile territory, a mute girl who can¡¯t even call for help. What were you thinking?¡± ¡°I?I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t leave her out of sight inanycase, no exceptions.¡± ¡°Yes! I¡¯m sorry, Orlev.¡± Oy, what happened to privacy? After being dismissed, tomatoes runs up to me, a terrible frown contorting his face and his lips opening and closing, as if wanting to say, or rather, shout some angry words at me. ¡°Oy, you....¡± Hmm? I put on my most charming smile and he freezes and ripened in red once again before pacing off with a snuffle, leaving nothing but those two words. Oh, and... Lyrfanas seems to be keeping her word so far, because Latasha just woke up! Sluggish and light-headed, but very much awake. Farica hugs her when she did and Latasha couldn¡¯t do anything. Seeing them like this, you wouldn¡¯t really believe they¡¯ve only been together for less than a week... ¡°H?Hey? What is it wuss?¡± ¡°Latasha, you idiot....¡± I hear some sobbings, and Latasha pleads at me with her eyes. She must be really confused. Some of the girls have gathered as well with a relieved expression on their faces. During this touching scene, Luise shows up as well. He lets out a sigh of relief and stays quiet as he pats her head. ¡°What are you doing, rake?!¡± He ignores her and keeps rubbing her head as if to vent his emotions, stopping only after a punch to the face. The girls quietly giggles at the scene before us. The other drifters woke up as well. I probed them again, but I can no longer sense any of the ¡°eggs¡±. So far so good. --- --- --- ¡°Why can¡¯t we just keep moving like yesterday? And don¡¯t tell me more of those sixth-sense crap.¡± ¡°It¡¯s called instincts,SirLain. Survival mechanism formed through millenia of evolution, in case you don¡¯t know what it means.¡± ¡°And what have these... ¡°instincts¡± told you?¡± ¡°That we¡¯re heading into a trap.¡± ¡°Bullcrap.¡± ¡°No, the chief is right. There¡¯s too many risks if we move at night. I believe we just got lucky last time. We have a solid plan, and now we have the men to actually do it.¡± ¡°...You drifters have this... weird logic, you know? I as apropersoldier wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± After he said that, Lain turns his back and briskly walks away. ¡°I guess it¡¯s decided, then?¡± Chief said to the commander. It seems we¡¯ll be standing our ground instead of running this time. Hopefully it won¡¯t make a difference, but I¡¯ll to be ready too, just in case... --- --- --- Eventually, nightfall came. The girls cooperated with the plan too. I thought they would be reluctant to spend the night so close with their captors, but.... ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t this the one, wuss?¡± ¡°Yes, I believe so.¡± ¡°Hey, old man. If I recall, you were saying about how you wanted to have a taste of my friend whitey here?¡± Oh, that¡¯s.... the old pervert, isn¡¯t it. The man in question shifts uncomfortably in his bounds under the all the hateful gazes. ¡°I thought you were sleeping then, Latasha.¡± ¡°I was, before you woke me u¡ª.¡± ¡°Heh, fucking slaves. If they didn¡¯t come that moment, you and your white friend would¡¯ve been chained to my bed, screaming my na¡ªOfgh!¡° (old slaver) ¡°Who said you could talk?¡± ¡°Oh my, that¡¯s a bad place to put your foot on, don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Why, don¡¯t you think he deserves it?¡± ¡°No, but.... you might get filth on yourself.¡± ¡°...You¡¯re right.¡± Uh... they¡¯re having fun aren¡¯t they. Why isn¡¯t anyone stopping them? The drifters are turning a blind eye, and the girls are just snickering at the scene. There¡¯s a lot of grudge here, it seems. ¡°You wanted to have a taste of us. Well, why don¡¯twehave a taste of you first?¡± ¡°Mm? You have something on your mind, Latasha?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe. What do you think, girls? Should we teach them a lesson about female superiority?¡± The girls all cheer at that, and the slavers¡¯ faces goes blue. Scary! A mob of girls might be scarier than a demon... === === === === === === That night, everyone stayed awake. We waited hours, guns ready and eyes sharp, sleepiness kept at bay by our sense of dangers. Every rustling of the leaves gave alarm, and it eventually became a long and suspenseful night. I don¡¯t really know whether to feel relieved or disappointed when morning finally came. *sigh* Lyrfanas is keeping her word.... and now it¡¯s my turn to keep my end of the bargain, but how would I go about that? When the officers gathered in the morning, they all have baffled looks on their faces. ¡°...Now what?¡± The chief voiced what¡¯s in everyone¡¯s mind. ¡°Keep going, I suppose,¡± The commander replied. ¡°To tell you the truth, I was expecting something big to happen.¡± ¡°Heh, some instincts you have.¡± (Lain) ¡°Oy, you...¡± ¡°Now, now. We should be civil in front of the girls, shouldn¡¯t we?¡± Luise interjected them with a playful smile. ¡°Let¡¯s get back on track. We should assume the worst, but if there¡¯s no more attacks, we should be out of the ring some time tomorrow, maybe tonight if we push it.¡± (Commander) ¡°.....I don¡¯t understand. First everyone woke up as suddenly as they were out cold, and now this? Did the demon let us go or something?¡± (Chief) ¡°Perhaps... no one knows how their mind works. What do you think, Sallis?¡± ¡°....I don¡¯t know. Not enough empirical records on demon behaviours.¡± That¡¯s what he said, but why is he staring at me? Does he... know? ¡°How about you misses? What do you think?¡± The commander asks, out of courtesy to us as the girls¡¯ representatives. Or so I thought, but now that Latasha¡¯s finally here, she might have some insight. ¡°Eeh? Well, I don¡¯t know? Use the chance we¡¯re given, I guess?¡± ¡°....Certainly.¡± Ah, well.... better than nothing, I guess.... Since there¡¯s nothing on the table but theories on demons, everyone is dismissed to prepare for the decidedly final trip. Before we go back, though, the commander calls out to us. ¡°Are you well now, Lady Ardent?¡± ¡°Fine, I guess. Also, could you refrain from calling me like that? I¡¯d rather not have everyone know.¡± ¡°Pardon me. I have a favor to ask of you and miss Farica.¡± ¡°Favor?¡± ¡°I?I¡¯ll do my best.¡± (Farica) Eh? How about me? ¡°Actually, your magus friend went missing yesterday, and didn¡¯t turn up until hours later. I was hoping for you two to watch out for her.¡± ....Oh. ¡°Eh?!¡± Farica exclaimed as she turns towards me. Latasha just stayed silent, but.... hey, why are you looking at me like tha¡ª *POW* OW! The hell?! After hitting me in the head, she just stares me down like the commander did yesterday. They must be secretly related! Now, how do I get out of this.... *POW* OUCH! ¡°What are you even smirking about? Clearly you¡¯re not reflecting.¡± Eeh... it worked on tomatoes, though. Ah, maybe Farica will help me. ......Nope. She just looked away from me, probably scared of Latasha. Are you really a wuss? ¡°Hey, are you even listening to me? Don¡¯t ever do that again, you hear me?¡± Says the one who¡¯s been sleeping the entire time. ¡°Oy.¡± ..... *nods* ¡°Actually, I don¡¯t think you get it, so me and wuss will be watching you now.¡± .....*nods* I was told to watchyou, though. I signal the commander with my eyes and fortunately, he understands as he tells the girls to go back while we ¡°discuss more of the plans.¡± ¡°Okay, I figured you want to talk, but how would you do that?¡± Haha... I don¡¯t know, either. While I fidget as I storm my brain, I notice Sallis still there at the side, staring at me with curious eyes. ¡°Is something wrong, Sallis?¡± (Commander) Rather than answering the commander, he walks towards me and voices out a question directed to me instead. ¡°...Have you anything to do with?¡± ...So he really is suspicious of me. I can¡¯t let this chance go, so I nod. It only took the commander a few seconds to register the topic. ¡°You mean... aboutthis?¡± (Commander) Again, I nod. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me yesterday, when you...?¡± Uh-huh. *nods* ¡°....What did you do?¡± To Sallis¡¯ question, I raise my hands and make a link with my little fingers, doing a pinky swear with my own hands. Hopefully they¡¯ll understand. ¡°...A deal?¡± (Sallis) Oh, so quick!*nods* ¡°Deal? What deal?¡± (Commander) ¡°I believe she¡¯s saying that she made a deal with the demon.¡± ¡°.................¡± ¡°Demons have been proven sentient to a certain degree. An exchange may be possible, hypothetically.¡± ¡°..................¡± ¡°It may sound outlandish.... more so to you, who had actually fought with a demon before...¡± A few seconds passes before the commander¡¯s face is defrosted. ¡°.....Miss, is it true? You met with the demon?¡± Yeah! *nods* ...Eh? What¡¯s with that frown? ¡°Little miss...¡± The commander spoke to me as he puts his hands on my shoulders with a.... difficult expression on his face. I... I did the right thing.... I think? ¡°Never speak of this. Not to anyone, you hear me?¡± His voice was hushed and urgent. I look at Sallis behind him, and see him nodding in agreement. I quietly reply with a nod as I stare back into the commander¡¯s dark eyes, making sure he knows that I get his point. Making deals with a demondoeshave a bad ring to it... ¡°....So, about the deal... It has something to do with us going out safely, I take?¡± *nods* ¡°Then, is there something we should know, like our part of the bargain?¡± ................ ¡°....In short, ¡®keep the demon matter a secret¡¯?¡± (Sallis) ¡°Is that correct?¡± (Commander) *nods* Phew... well, that took some time. Naturally, it¡¯d be hard to explain what the deal was with just pseudo-sign language. ¡°It doesn¡¯t add up. What¡¯s the collateral?¡± Ah, well... To answer that, I point at myself. ¡°....What?¡± (Sallis) ¡°....I.... understand. I¡¯ll see what I can do.¡± The commander¡¯s face became even more furrowed. I¡¯m sorry... I wish I¡¯d thought of a better deal, but I do hope you¡¯re taking my well-being into consideration. After that, someone called out to tell us it¡¯s time to depart. Before the commander is about to go, he makes a final look at me with troubled eyes, so I just smile at him in response. The convoy departs, and thinking that the demon will uphold the deal, the commander assumes that there will be no more attacks. I think that¡¯ll be the case too, but... I still don¡¯t know Lyrfanas¡¯ motives on making that pact. I mean, Imayhave used threats, and..... offered her my body, I guess? Was that really all it took? She wasn¡¯t exactly affable either, unlike to what Cylvanas implied. There¡¯s the thing with the Demon Lord, too.... there¡¯s just too much that I don¡¯t know. (The words.... are sealed. For as long as you carry my mark, you also carry with you..... our pact. Should you fail, I will know..... and my swarm will come for you.) I slide my hand beneath my shirt to the part of my arm below the shoulder. The pain is no longer there, but there¡¯s something to the touch. Some kind of.... engraving, like the skin itself was twisted and deformed to form the mark.... (Never speak of this. Not to anyone, you hear me?) .............................. *sigh* I... may have outdone myself this time. Chapter 13 : The Wolf Chapter 13 The Wolf Stop. Stop. Stop. That was all I could think of then. I tried to fight... I really did. I clawed, I bit, I ran, but they always got to me. Then it repeats. I wasn¡¯t sure if they purposely let me get away, but at some point, I no longer had the strength to play their game. Maybe they¡¯ll get bored of me, was what I thought. Maybe Jead will finally stop laughing and let me go. ....That didn¡¯t happen, but something else did. I was delirious, but I remember hearing a voice. A woman¡¯s voice. The scouts had returned, thus the shouting, and then the fight. Someone got killed, his spine crushed by the giant¡¯s bare grip, and another got stabbed to death. Nile... she was the only one left. I wanted to help, but how? What could I do, when the most I could manage was lift a finger...? I lost consciousness at some point, and when I woke up, the ground was dyed in red, as was my body. It hurt to move, and it hurt to breathe. Even so, I stood up. My legs were shaky and my balance off. Then I spotted her not far away. Unlike Hemmy whose belly was cracked open, or Oude whose limbs were barely left, Nile¡¯s body was comparatively unscathed... other than the large bite mark on her throat and the blood pooling out of it. I limped towards her, stepping on blood and other.... stuff... which made squishy sounds as I stepped over them. Every step of the way, my body screams at me to stop, but I had to do it. I knelt down beside her, gazing over her mesmerizing eyes... one last time. I remember..... I remember being in her arms, wetting my face with her tears. Even now I remember her tight grip on me, hugging me like she wouldn¡¯t ever let go, all the while whispering to me, ¡°It¡¯s alright... I¡¯m here...¡± Her voice was husky and her arms were shaking. Still, she held me... ¡°It¡¯s okay... you¡¯re okay...¡± I wanted to reply to her. I wanted to wipe the tears from her face... to let her know I was okay. Then the fight started... her grief turned to anger, directed towards the people who caused my torment. She protected me... like a mother protecting her cub, she fought. She was so brave. So strong, and so... beautiful. And now... here she was, her lifeless eyes admiring a nonexistent sky, arms limp at her side as if she was asleep. Closing her eyes with my hand, I leaned down and put my face near hers, taking one last look before kissing her forehead. ...Thank you. That was the last of Nilantis... the flower who had the heart of a lion. I looked over the scene of macabre once more. The ground was red, adorned with human entrails. Limbs... scattered over pools of blood. ...Did you do this? I spoke to the presence behind me. ¡¸ ....Yes. ¡¹ I turned around and faced him. Blood was seeping out from his maw and his lustrous white fur now a sinister red. No doubt, he was the culprit to this massacre. ...Why? ¡¸ ........... ¡¹ Staying silent, he only turned his head towards something. I followed his gaze, and there I saw, lying on the ground.... His face was mangled and his clothes torn, but I will always recognize those eyes.... the eyes that mocked me as I voicelessly scream... the eyes that were alive and staring back at me. He was breathing. Jead was still alive. I slowly approached him, all the while keeping contact with his stare. I gazed down at him and saw... fear, in his eyes. Why? Why are you scared now, after everything you did to me? Even now, towards him, I.... what is this...? I¡¯m no longer afraid of him, instead what I¡¯m feeling is... anger. Not the anger that boils the blood, nor the rage that drives you mad. No, it was the anger that burned cold... one that would stay as long as I live. I put my body down on top of him, straddling him as I leaned close to his face. He was barely breathing, barely alive... I pushed my ear against his chest, feeling the weak thumping of his heart. You did a lot, you know... I trace my fingers up from his chest, up his neck and to his face. As I caress his cheek, I studied his eyes that quivered in fear. It was a strange feeling... because the last time I remembered, our positions were reversed. How did it feel? Did it feel good? You seemed so.... ecstatic... I kept throwing him questions that I know he¡¯ll never answer. It wasn¡¯t out of spite. Rather, I was truly curious on why he did all those things. Does it feel good to hurt people? To abuse the weak from a position of power...? I put my bloody thumbs on his eyes and started to push. Hey... answer me... His body started squirming beneath me, but I continued anyway. I continued even as his mouth made gurgled screams and his eyes started making squelching sounds. You said it was a ¡°need¡±... does it torment you not to do those things? ¡°Pl...ea...se... s...to..p...¡± Eh? Stop? I... said the same thing back then. I screamed at him to stop, over and over... but he continued anyway, and it didn¡¯t even have anything to do with how I¡¯m mute... ¡°...Pl...e... *gurgle* ¡° ....I get it. I put my hands away, put my forearm on his throat and placed my weight on it, blocking his airway. He jolted and squirmed, his arms shaking as he tried pointlessly to lift them. It took a few minutes before he stopped writhing. At that point, I can no longer see his eyes, but feeling his heart again, I knew what happened to him. I looked up at the black skies as I heaved. It was the first time I killed someone. ¡¸ ....Why? ¡¹ Huh? I looked back at the wolf, tilting my head at his question. ¡¸ Thou kill¡¯dst him. Why? ¡¹ ....If you knew what he did to me... ¡¸ I know... what that personage brought unto thee. Wherefore didst thou grant him mercy? ¡¹ I... didn¡¯t give him mercy... ¡¸ Thou of all knowest... ¡®twas mercy to give him a prompt end. ¡¹ Mercy.... I guessed it was a relatively quick death for him, unlike what he would¡¯ve done to me. However, I didn¡¯t think what I did was in line to ¡°mercy¡±. ¡¸ ...I kill¡¯d thy friend. Art thou not in ire? ¡¹ I looked at Nile¡¯s corpse as I thought about it. The wolf killed her, yet I didn¡¯t feel an ounce of wrath. Instead, all my rage was directed to the now dead person. If anything, my only regret was that she didn¡¯t die earlier... before they did to her what they did to me. ....What¡¯s the point? After searching for it, I found my dress a fair bit away. They had the decency to not rip it off of me, it seemed. It was the only clothing not completely drenched in blood, so I put it back on. Then I turned at him again and spoke to him, thanks... for saving me. Goodbye... Leaving those words, I started walking away, only to collapse a few steps away. As I clawed the dirt in pain, the wolf went beside me and lowered his back. ...Go away. ¡¸ Thou needst avail. ¡¹ No, go away. ¡¸ Dost thou wishest to survive, little lass? An so, dismiss thy ego and bethink thyself. Dost thou wishest a rat¡¯s end, bawbling and bechev¡¯d? ¡¹ Why are you talking like that? Do you even hear yourself? ¡¸ ......... ¡¹ Fuck off. I asked you to go with us last time, and you clearly refused. ¡¸ ...Thou art angsty, and ¡®tis dangerous to prowl the maze in such fare. Where did the bird go? ¡¹ He¡¯s gone, alright? And I don¡¯t care that he¡¯s gone. What I do care is you... bothering me. Fuck... off.... Then I passed out again. When I opened my eyes, I was on the wolf¡¯s back. ....Let me down. ¡¸ Let thyself down, canst thou not? ¡¹ ................ I gave up when I realized I couldn¡¯t even lift an arm, much less stand up on my own legs. As he traversed the maze with me on his back, he spoke to me, ¡¸ I shall go with thee until the bird is found. Until then, we will tarry together. It would be wise to acquaint each other, therefore. ¡¹ ........... ¡¸ Dost thou hast a name? ¡¹ ...Do you? ¡¸ ....Eretz, ¡¹ he replied, ¡¸ my name is Eretz. ¡¹ === === === === === === I wake up to find Farica¡¯s worried face in front of me. Her hand is on my cheek, as if she was just caressing me. ¡°Sorry, I just.....¡± Mm...? ¡°...Was it... another nightmare...?¡± ...It¡¯s another one of her looks. What is it, worry? pity? Now that I think about it, I may have dreamt of something... rather than a nightmare, it¡¯s probably just a bad memory haunting me. Ah well, all¡¯s good now. ¡°I have nightmares too... ever since that night, when they attacked my home...¡± Oh, umm.... Oh, crap. What should I say? ¡°Oy, wuss. Has she woken up yet?¡± Latasha walks into the room, a smile plastered on her face as soon as she sees me. ¡°Come on, we¡¯re having breakfast!¡± She runs up to me and grabs both of our arms, dragging both me and Farica out of the room. Aren¡¯t you being too excited... Then again, she was some kind of sheltered noble, so missing out on lunch for a couple of days must¡¯ve been hard. Going outside the room and into the hallway, I properly watched the surroundings; the stone bricks, the erected towers built onto the walls... I hadn¡¯t a proper look last night, but this place does seem like a ¡°fort¡±. It may be small, with only one common hall and a dozen other rooms, but this place seems like it would hold out on a small-scale attack.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. When we walk into the common hall, there¡¯s less people than I thought there would be. All the girls are there, though. ¡°Ehh... the commander is here?¡± Following Latasha¡¯s stare, I notice the commander eating at one of the long tables. He notices my stare and our eyes meets briefly, before we both go our own businessses. I might be just me, but I feel like he¡¯s been avoiding me somehow... ¡°I still can¡¯t believe we¡¯re keeping that a secret...¡± (Latasha) ¡°But... it¡¯s better like that, right...?¡± (Farica) ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t usually deal with this stuff.¡± They seem to be talking about the same thing I had in mind... that is, what the commander said yesterday, before we arrived at the fort. I believe his words were.... (In order to prevent panic and unnecessary aggression within the guild, military, or the local populace, I judge it better to keep the matter of the cergian demon between ourselves.) No one knew, other than me and Sallis, that this was done in part of the deal. In other words, it was for my sake. Some drifters disagreed at first, but after hearing the commander¡¯s sound reasoning, they all complied. Basically, once he used words like ¡°local safety¡±, ¡°retaliation¡±, and ¡°demonic aggression¡±, everything made sense. After he promised to personally report to the higher ups, no one had problems. Demons are, afterall, threats of national level and should be handled as such, which means reckless actions are thrown off the table. That¡¯s the logic, at least. It would seem entirely logical to bring this up to people who knows what they¡¯re doing, so everyone bought it. However, I don¡¯t know if he would actually do that. If he did... he would essentially break the deal and I would be put at risk if an action is made against Lyrfanas. .......... I think I¡¯ll put faith in the commander for now. If it happens that the deal is shoved to the grinder, then I¡¯ll just have to somehow avoid getting kidnapped by the spiders. Ah, more importantly, the fort seems to have a decent stock in their pantry. On the tables, there¡¯s a huge pot of soup, filled with mostly potato and salted meat. Needless to say, the taste is euphoric. We¡¯ve passed the most crucial time, so everyone seems to be in a jolly mood. Ah, come to think of it... I wonder where they put the prisoners? ¡°Oh, that reminds me... Hey, vintage! Where did you put the bad guys?¡± ¡°.....We sent most of them ahead to Tarnlake last night.¡± ¡°Ah, I guess it would be safer for us?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± ............ I¡¯m grateful with the timing, but... even the commander couldn¡¯t escape from her nicknames, huh. She really reminds me of a certain someone with that habit of hers.... ¡°Wow... how could you talk to him like that?¡± (Farica) ¡°Huh? It¡¯s fine, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°But, don¡¯t you think he¡¯s a bit... scary?¡± ¡°Eh? Why?¡± The commander is...? He is a little stern, both his face and actions are. Ah, I see. For little girls like her, he¡¯s probably somewhat intimidating. ¡°....Farica?¡± ¡°Mm-hm?¡± ¡°Why aren¡¯t you eating your peas?¡± ¡°Umm...¡± ¡°They¡¯re good for you.¡± ¡°...I see.¡± ¡°Could it be that you don¡¯t like green peas?¡± ¡°..............¡± ¡°I can feed it to you if you want to.¡± ¡°N?No thanks...¡± ¡°I mean, I will feed it to you.¡± ¡°....No...¡± Then, while Farica is being force-fed, Luise appears behind us. As our eyes meet, he winks at me flirtatiously. I just smile back at him, not knowing what to do. ¡°...What do you want, rake?¡± Latasha asked as soon as she noticed him, her spoon still in Farica¡¯s mouth. ¡°I want to talk,¡± he answered. His tone and expression turned serious, so it might be something important. ¡°Well, words away, then.¡± She replied with that beguiling smile of hers. ¡°I mean in private, Tasha.¡± ¡°Hmm... don¡¯t worry about Farica. She¡¯s a good little girl who eats her peas, aren¡¯t you, Farica?¡± ¡°I wod sbik a worrb.¡± (Farica) ¡°See? And I guess I don¡¯t have to ask you, whitey.¡± You¡¯re so rude. Luise sighs on receiving her reply, then looks as though he¡¯s thinking about it for a moment. ¡°...If you say so,¡± He replied. ¡°I say so.¡± (Latasha) ¡°...It¡¯s about why you¡¯re here.¡± ¡°Oh, that again.¡± ¡°Tasha, please. It¡¯s dangerous for you to be away from District Cardinal. Does Henley even know you¡¯re here?¡± ¡°Oh, shut up, rake. You¡¯re not the boss of me.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure your friends are curious as well, right?¡± ¡° *gulp* I am!¡± (Farica) ¡°Wha... who told you to talk!¡± (Latasha) ¡°Oh, shut up, Latasha. You¡¯re not the boss of me.¡± ¡°Hey, you....¡± Stopping her sentence midway, Latasha turns her head to look at me. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me, you too...¡± Eh? Not really, though. Whatever story you have is yours to tell, and I¡¯m not particularly curious. But... if I tell her I¡¯m not interested, somehow it feels inappropriate instead... .... *nods* ¡°Is that so... *sigh* Alright then, I¡¯ll tell you, but only if you lay off me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Luise replied with his trademark smile. ¡°...I was on my way to meet the Duke of Igwall.¡± ¡°....Eh?¡± (Farica) Duggov Iguall..? ¡°....What?¡± (Luise) At that instant, his eyes went wide. ¡°...Redrik Vane? You can¡¯t! He¡¯s a dangerous man, you know that!¡± ¡°Just because his father is a madman doesn¡¯t mean that he is, Luise.¡± ¡°You know that¡¯s not why I said that, Tasha.¡± ¡°Whatever! You promised not to spray my face about this, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m worried for you... as a friend. And why would you meet him, anyway?¡± ¡°.....None of your business.¡± ¡°Could it be... a betrothal?¡± Then Latasha stands up and grabs me and Farica¡¯s arms. ¡°Come on, time to go.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± (Farica) Eh? ¡°Tasha, pleas¡ª¡° (Luise) ¡°I have nothing more to say, rake. Let¡¯s go, Farica.¡± ¡°Ah, y?yes...¡± Just like that, Latasha walks away while dragging us, for the second time this morning. I look behind and see Luise there with a dejected look on his face. Hey, Latasha... ¡°Just ignore him, whitey.¡± But.... the meat is? ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± ............ ¡°Is it okay to leave him like that?¡± Farica asked once we¡¯re outside the room. ¡°It¡¯s alright. He won¡¯t mind.¡± The meat.... ¡°But to have someone like him worry for you... as expected of a lady from District Cardinal.¡± (Farica) ¡°Nah, really, it¡¯s just... wait, what do you mean by ¡®someone like him¡¯?¡± ¡°Oh, well... I overheard the guards making a fuss about it this morning. They called him ¡®Wolf of the Snow Forest.¡¯¡± ¡°Hah! He is a wolf, alright. And girls like you are the sheeps.¡± ¡°They said he¡¯s a prodigy drifter, youngest of his class and such.¡± ¡°Well, he might be a little good with a sword...¡± ¡°And there¡¯s also... you know...¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think he¡¯s handsome?¡± ¡°Wha¡ª I told you, didn¡¯t I? Don¡¯t get tricked by his face, he¡¯s really a rake!¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Come on, Farica. Why¡¯re we talking about him when we can do stuff?¡± ¡°Umm... like what....¡± Looking around, the girls are all chatting happily with either themselves or the elated guards. Basically, there¡¯s nothing to do but gossip around here. ¡°Like... a walk! Let¡¯s take a walk. My legs are so stiff after such a long time sitting on wagons.¡± --- --- --- ¡°Okay, lights off, everyone! We¡¯ll depart in the early rays tomorrow!¡± Following Kaelyn¡¯s lively instructions, the girls stops the chatter and goes to their makeshift beds. The room we¡¯re using is one of the larger rooms, probably reserved for important guests and such. Following a weird unspoken rule, a special space is given to the three of us, and I certainly don¡¯t mind since it means more room, especially with how I sleep. Apparently I trash around in my sleep, and the two suffered for it. ¡°I?I don¡¯t mean it¡¯s annoying or anything... my point is, it can¡¯t be helped that you have nightmares...¡± That¡¯s what Farica said after telling me about my demeanors. I glad that she doesn¡¯t mind, but the way she says it... she¡¯s not making me out as some kind of tragic heroine, is she? She fell asleep almost immediately after that. Meanwhile, even if I try, I can¡¯t sleep. I don¡¯t know why... maybe it¡¯s because of how I woke up this morning. For a minute then, I thought I was back in Purgatory, and it made me... anxious. And now my instincts are back, keeping me awake because my body thinks I¡¯m in danger... Latasha hasn¡¯t been back either since our walk, probably alone somewhere, staring at the moon. *sigh* I might as well join her. Now then, let¡¯s... ¡°Mmm...¡± Oops. This position is... she¡¯s clutching me with all her might. How do I get up? Oh, right. I¡¯ll use the pillow. Carefully, and slowly replace myself with the pillow.... ¡°...............¡± There you go. Sleep tight, you cute little thing. Going outside, the night breeze pricks my skin, especially around the face where it¡¯s not covered, so I put my hood on. I purposely avoid the patrolling guards because I don¡¯t want to have awkward ¡°converstations¡±, so I skulk around to find her. After only a few minutes, I found her, sitting on the waist-high stone wall on the side of the hallway. Her figure is... enchanting, leaning with the pillar on her back, the moon shining on her lustrous hair. While she¡¯s not technically a ¡°princess¡±, the picture right now screams that she is.... as long as she doesn¡¯t open her mouth. ¡°Who?what the fuck, whitey! You surprised me, sneaking up on me like that!¡± ...Get my point? That picture is lost now. ¡°You should¡¯ve said something. Geez...¡± Uh... well, sorry. ¡°Can¡¯t sleep?¡± *nods* ¡°Why the hood? It¡¯s night, in case you haven¡¯t noticed.¡± Well, it was cold, so?ah, hey! ¡°There you go.¡± ............... ¡°It¡¯s a shame that you need the hood at day. Such a waste of a pretty face.¡± I could say the same to you. Your beauty is ruined by your mouth. Suddenly, the atmosphere changes as she stares at me in the eyes, all serious. S?She couldn¡¯t possibly hear me.... could she? Crap, if she heard me... ¡°Listen, the thing I told you about this morning, I...¡± Oh... What is it? ¡°...Nevermind.¡± ...What? Hey, now you¡¯re making me curious. ¡°...You see, all my life I¡¯ve been treated as some sort of princess. As the heir of House Ardent, I was given the best you could offer in the district, and trust me, that¡¯s a lot.¡± Uh-huh? I nod away at her talk. ¡°Everytime a stranger knows my identity, they¡¯d either want to marry me, kidnap me, or try to earn a favor from me. So know you know why I¡¯d want to hide my real self. I mean, a noble is fine, but once they know I¡¯m an Ardent... you saw how the drifters react, right? They get all protective of me, going on about how big of a deal it is if I get hurt. I¡¯m sure they talked to you about that.¡± Uh... they did. ¡°You... don¡¯t see me like that, don¡¯t you whitey?¡± Her tone is sincere, so I smile at her and nod as a reply. ¡°Thought so... there¡¯s something about you, whitey. Something that makes me feel like I can trust you... like you won¡¯t ever lie or something.¡± Uh, no... I¡¯m actually a pretty good liar. There¡¯s this system on Purgatory¡¯s level two where I had to? ¡°You and the little wuss both didn¡¯t seem to change how you act with me after you knew who I am.¡± Because I don¡¯t know who you are. I don¡¯t even know what an Ardent is. ¡°...Hey, let¡¯s take a walk, whitey.¡± She said as she jumps off onto the ground. Again? She sure likes walks, huh. Then we walk on the corridors as Latasha talks about how confined she was in District Cardinal, and how her ¡°butler¡± was way scarier than the commander. ¡°And then there¡¯s this one time when he... whitey? Is something wrong?¡± Nothing, it¡¯s just... For a while now, I¡¯ve been looking over my shoulder because I feel like we¡¯re being watched. My alarms keep going off, but there¡¯s no one there. Then my fears are proven true as we approach a dark part of the corridor where there¡¯s no torches and the moonlight doesn¡¯t come through. I see someone there, sprawled on the ground. It¡¯s dark and you wouldn¡¯t normally be able to see where that person is, but I can see him. I stop walking and carefully tread towards him. ¡°Whitey? what is... hey, there¡¯s someone here!¡± You¡¯re stepping on him... Then she kneels down and start shaking his shoulders. ¡°Hey, dude. You okay?¡± ...It¡¯s no use. It¡¯s dark, but there¡¯s no mistaking it. That stain on his body came from the slit on his throat. It probably only took a few seconds. And also... I know that face. Tomatoes... Ah, I never did learn his name. I grab Latasha¡¯s shoulders to get her attention. It¡¯s definitely recent, so the perpetrator might still be around somewhere. ¡°Whitey, what is it?¡± There¡¯s no time to waste, so I immediately grab her hand and start running. ¡°Whitey, what the fu¡ªeh? On my hands... blood?¡± Come on, we need to call someon?Ofgh! ¡°Whitey!¡± Ow... what the hell...? Something flew into my face. A... fist? ¡°Now, now, girls... do me a favor and don¡¯t scream, alright?¡± This voice, who... ah! ¡°Whitey! Let go of her!¡± Hey, can¡¯t... breathe... This arm on my throat is... it¡¯s skin is dark. It¡¯s the southerner! ¡°I happened to hear you girls talking, and frankly, you came at the perfect timing.¡± (southerner) ¡°What do you want?!¡± (Latasha) ¡°Can¡¯t you figure it out? I¡¯m trying to escape, little girl, and you will be my ticket out of here.¡± Well, now... how do I get out of this situation? I can try electrocuting him... or not. Not while I¡¯m in his arms. Something, something... ¡°You care about this friend of yours? Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll let you trade places with her.¡± ¡°....No.¡± ...Thank god. She didn¡¯t panic and was able to think with a cool mind. It¡¯d be bad if someone of her position was to be kidnap? Ugh...! Suddenly, his grapple becomes tighter, strangling my throat even more. ¡°If you don¡¯t, she dies.¡± ¡°Wait, wait, wait! I get it, I¡¯ll be your hostage! Let her go!¡± ¡°Good girl...¡± Ah, that¡¯s it. I¡¯ll make my move as soon as he releases me. ¡°You promise you¡¯ll release her?¡± ¡°I promise.¡± ¡°.............¡± Then as Latasha walks near us, the man releases me. Now¡¯s my cha¡ªGah! That guy, he... he kicked me! ¡°Whitey! You black assfuck, why¡¯d you.... mmphf!¡± ¡°She¡¯s a pyromancer, which means she might burn me when I turn my back at her. Now, if you¡¯ll be quiet for a while.¡± Then he kicks me again while I¡¯m down on the ground. Augh! Bastard... ¡°Mmphf!¡± (Latasha) ¡°I thought a kick would be enough, but you¡¯re a tough one, aren¡¯t you?¡± Yeah? I¡¯ve had my times, and from my experience, people who hurt me don¡¯t end well! Then, as I am about to retaliate, a voice comes from behind him. ¡°Such a way to treat ladies. You¡¯re a disgrace to us men.¡± The attack came quickly, and the southerner barely dodged the slash. It¡¯s not stopping there. A barrage of slashes comes at him and under the pressure, he lets go of Latasha to face his new adversary. ¡°...You.... are the one they call the Wolf?¡± I run to Latasha¡¯s side and as I help her stand, I observe the confrontation. ¡°That¡¯s what they call me. My name is Luise, and I won¡¯t forgive how you used violence against them,¡± as he said so, he raised his arm and points his rapier at the opponent. ¡°Whitey, I¡¯ll call for help. You stay and help him!¡± As Latasha runs, the southerner starts to catch her, but Luise goes and stands in his way. ¡°I won¡¯t let you hurt them.¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t care if you¡¯re called the wolf or whatever. Stand in my way, and you¡¯re going to Thalvos¡¯ side without ever knowing who killed you.¡± ¡°A dark skinned man with the Rattler¡¯s mark, travelling north with a group of slavers? I know exactly who you are.¡± ¡°Hoh... then you¡¯ve gut balls, boy.¡± ¡°The wolf is not afraid of the snake.¡± I create a firebulb as they talk, then Luise put his arm in front of me. He looks at me and smiles as he says, ¡°I¡¯ll handle this, little miss.¡± Eh? ¡°Sometimes men wants to show off in front of pretty girls,¡± He continued as he winks at me. Seriously, what are you doing at a time like this? ¡°It¡¯s your choice, pup. Just don¡¯t come haunting me after they put you in your grave.¡± From his boot, the southerner pulls out a shortsword and holds it with his left arm. Then the two starts circling each other, testing each other¡¯s footwork. I watch them, ready to intervene if things get bad while carefully keeping my distance. ¡°...Before that,¡± Luise said, ¡°can I ask you something?¡± ¡°It¡¯ll be your last words.¡± ¡°...What happened to Ripley?¡± ¡°Who?¡± ¡°The man who was guarding your cell.¡± ¡°Oh, that little guy...¡± He grinned, his eyes flashing before continuing, ¡°I might¡¯ve slit his throat or something.¡± At that instant, Luise disappears from his spot and a slash comes down at the southerner. The latter manages to evade, but the attacks doesn¡¯t stop there. ¡°Ghh... not bad, brat!¡± ¡°You¡¯re one to talk, old man. This kind of fight isn¡¯t your forte, is it?¡± ¡°I was killing lords when you were suckling on your mother¡¯s hoots. Don¡¯t talk to me about fights.¡± ¡°Aye... killing them in their sleeps, right? I wouldn¡¯t call that a fight.¡± They¡¯re both ferocious. Luise¡¯s rapier has longer reach, and he dances with it like he did in the Dread. He¡¯s fast, and yet, his opponent is faster. Armed only with a shortsword, he manages to either dodge or parry every of Luise¡¯s attacks. His steps are quick and efficient, always moving to where Luise least expects he would. Even so, Luise still has the pace. ¡°Tch!¡± As he¡¯s being pushed back against Luise¡¯s relentless attacks, he jumped over the wall into the courtyard. Luise promptly follows, not leaving a second break for his enemy, bringing his sword down as he jumps over. There¡¯s a mistep when the enemy dodged the attack and seeing a chance, Luise thrusts in. Instead of evading, the southerner steps in, parrying the attack at the base of Luise¡¯s rapier, bouncing it away and leaving Luise open. Luise! I quickly make a firebulb, but at this pace... ¡°I got you now, boy!¡± *click* ............... ¡°Who¡¯s got who, now?¡± With a triumphant smile on his face, Luise points the flintlock at the southerner. ¡°...That¡¯s dirty, boy.¡± ¡°Is that something someone like you should say?¡± After that, Latasha came back with the guards, and the escaped prisoner was put back into his cell. ¡°Shit... how did he escape?¡± (guard) ¡°I¡¯ve heard tales about him that said he escaped the Five-Walled Prison on his own.¡± (Luise) Meanwhile, after briefing the guards about something, the commander heads over to me. ¡°...You again. Why is it that stuff always happen around you?¡± Hey, never asked for it. ¡°And... Luise. You did a good job.¡± ¡°...He offed Ripley.¡± ¡°I know... but you prevented our first lead on their guild in years from getting away.¡± ¡°...You think he¡¯ll talk?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I know for sure that he knows a lot. Finally we got the snake by its tail.¡± ¡°Snakes bite if you got them by their tail.¡± ¡°Hah! Always a smartass,¡± The commander remarked as he walks away. ¡°....That a new sword, rake?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah. My old sword got split in half by a treewalker. Maybe I should get one like yours instead. Then again, something that big will slow me down. Anyway... ¡° Luise flexes his arm as he continued, ¡°it¡¯s getting late. You should get some sleep, both of you.¡± ¡°Yes, yes....¡± ¡°Oh, and Tasha... about what I said this morning...¡± ¡°I know, rake. I¡¯ll keep it on mind.¡± Facing me, Luise leaves me another wink. ¡°...Goodnight, miladies.¡± Then he turns and starts walking away. ¡°...What the hell was that, whitey?¡± Umm... I don¡¯t know. His figure walking away is graceful, his steps light and firm, showing that he¡¯s a trained fighter. His golden hair turns pale under the light of the moon, adding to his handsome charm. I could see also from the fight earlier... that he¡¯s not an ordinary man. The Wolf, huh... Somehow... I have a feeling that he has big part to play in the future. A part in my plan to rescue them. Well, we¡¯ll see, I suppose... Chapter 14 : Tarnlake Chapter 14 Tarnlake Duggov Iguall, the ruling lord of an apparent ¡°cardinal¡± house, with a vastly developed fief supplying its large military force. Even among the cardinals, the house had become a major powerhouse, where even the nobility of the country in which his duchy resides regards him in respect... or at least that¡¯s what I got from these two¡¯s converstations. ¡°And... you¡¯re going to marry him?¡± Farica innocently asked the question, leaving Latasha confused, fiddling with her fingers as she answers, ¡°n?not exactly. It¡¯s not a thing yet, but it¡¯s a likely possibility. I¡¯m the only heir, afterall. Marriage would mean I¡¯d have to give up my rights to succeed, but then there¡¯s no one else to be the head.¡± ¡°Then the reason is... because you love him?¡± ¡°What?no, I¡¯ve never even met him.¡± ¡°Eh? But then... why?¡± ¡°It¡¯s complicated, wuss. A commoneer wouldn¡¯t understand.¡± Speaking of that, Latasha is some kind of high noble from a place called ¡°District Cardinal¡±, isn¡¯t she. And then there are ¡°cardinal houses¡± that resides in it. From what I¡¯ve learned, that ¡°district¡± is not part of this country, then? Ugh... I don¡¯t quite understand. While I¡¯m thinking, Latasha sighs as she stretches her arms out, looking at the sky with distant a distant look. ¡°...I need to get home,¡± she continues, ¡°geez, we¡¯re supposed to depart early in the morning. What the heck were they thinking, drinking all night like that?¡± ¡°That¡¯s how they mourn, lassies.¡± Suddenly, a deep growlish voice appeared from behind us. ¡°...Bruin. You scared me for a sec.¡± The owner of the voice is Chief Aldwan, who is apparently a ¡°bruin¡± now. Latasha, you know you just insulted his entire race, right? ¡°Ah, Chief Aldwan! How are the drifters doing?¡± ¡°Sober enough for the trip home,¡± the chief replied, ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be happy to know that you asked, miss Farica. And also, I apologize for this delay on their behalf.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not just the delay, bruin. The accident last night could¡¯ve been avoided if they weren¡¯t busy partying,¡± Latasha said, her hands on the hips in an attempt to look intimidating at the avlark who is nearly twice her size. ¡°If rake didn¡¯t show up, we would¡¯ve... wait, was he drunk, too?¡± ¡°Uh... not at that time?¡± ¡°I meant this morning, when he did that.¡± Sweat forms between the chief¡¯s eyebrows as he thinks about how to answer. ¡°Not... not exactly. I mean, not wholly drun?¡± ¡°So he was! That bastard, to play with a girl¡¯s heart like that!¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that. He was also saddened with our losses, and add to that, he also seemed heartbroken about somethi?¡± ¡°That¡¯s no excuse! A girl¡¯s heart is as fragile as a petal, you know! Next time I see him, I¡¯m gonna rip his... his... ¡± As Latasha searches for an ending to that, the chief quietly slips away. Umm... I don¡¯t really mind, you know. ¡°Latasha, calm down. She doesn¡¯t seem to mind...¡± Then Latasha looks at me as if to confirm that, so I smile at her and nod. ¡°How would you know? She can¡¯t speak, you idiot.¡± No, I really.... ¡°But, she already did that to him.¡± Farica replied, and finally Latasha calmed down. It happened this morning, not long after we woke up. When we were in the courtyard, some of the drifters came out from the common hall and among them was Luise. His face was flushed and the drifters seemed to be pushing him on to do something. After a series of nervous paces, he finally approached us, or specifically, me. Of course, we didn¡¯t know they were drunk at the time. ¡°Milady, If you¡¯d be so kind to grant me a private audience?¡± Was what came out from his mouth. ¡°No way, rake. I¡¯m not going to leave her alone with you." ¡°...Very well.¡± Then he held my hands, looking at me in his eyes as he said the next words; ¡°milady, first I laid my eyes on you in Falreas, asleep and defenseless, it was like my heart ceased its beating. I¡¯d thought to myself how I¡¯d found one of the fae.¡± My eyes were locked to his, but I could tell from the gasps that people were watching. ¡°And then I saw you, back then. Your scars, your weaknesses... and yet, you stood strong against peril and even confronted the great evil by yourself, disregarding your own life. You are an enigma to me. A beautiful, enchanting enigma. I want to know more about you. I want to know all of you.¡± Everything else were silent, not even the sound of breathing, in anticipation of his next words, ¡°After everything is taken care of, I shall meet you again. And when we do, will you be my bride?¡± Then it erupted. The guys cheered, and the girls squealed. Maybe taking that as a cue, he abruptly pulled me in as if to embrace or kiss me. That was when I punched him. It wasn¡¯t on purpose, I swear. It was instinct, kicking in when he suddenly pulled me closer. I didn¡¯t mean to, but the next thing I saw was him holding his nose, blood seeping out from between his fingers. ¡°Oh, she punched him.¡± ¡°She punched him.¡± ¡°Wow... as expected of Miss Whitey.¡± ¡°To fight off the wolf¡¯s advances like that, isn¡¯t this a first?¡± Just as I thought about checking on him, he stared at me with a dangerous flash in his eyes. ¡°One day, I will have you, my white tigress.¡± Anyway, that¡¯s what happened this morning. Remembering the whole thing, it just occured to me from what he said, that he knows about my deal with the demon. If the commander told him, the chief was probably told as well, seeing how the commander trusts him. And then there¡¯s that. Falreas, was it? The place where I was found. If I go there, I might find some hint on how this world connects with the underworld. However, now isn¡¯t the time. Maybe some day. Anyway, back to the present... ¡°Hold on, didn¡¯t he say something about whitey¡¯s scars?¡± Oh. ¡°How did he know about that?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s...¡± Farica continued with reservation, ¡°he kind of saw them. Back on the first day, when she bathed in the... river....¡± She stopped talking when she notices Latasha¡¯s expression¡ªthe expression that tells a certain wolf¡¯s bad ending. Honestly, for a man whom she apparently hates, doesn¡¯t she care too much about his manners? As the sun rises above our heads again, the convoy is ready to depart. With everyone gathered in the courtyard, the commander briefs us on the last part of our journey. ¡°Some of the guards will be escorting you back to Tarnlake along with the drifters. However, due to an errand, some of us including Luise and myself won¡¯t be coming with you there.¡± As soon as the commander finished, disappointment is openly voiced among the girls. I suspect they wanted to spend more time with the handsome wolf... or not. They probably just want the continuation from this morning. Romance, huh... Frankly, Luise has more than a decent face. He¡¯s quick-witted and is said to be a prodigy in his field. There¡¯s no real reason to refuse, but I can¡¯t myself in things like that, not before I¡¯m done with everything. ¡°Miss magus,¡± the commander called out to me after the briefing. A bit surprising, seeing how he¡¯d oddly avoided me during our short stay at the fort. ¡°...May I talk to you for a sec? I¡¯m sorry for my shameful behaviour, I meant no disrespect. The truth is, I needed some time to take in what really happened back there.¡± After looking around, the commander lowers his face near mine and speaks in a slightly hushed voice. ¡°As the commander of this mission, the mishap back on the Dread is my responsibility, and for that I apologize for how I¡¯ve involved you in the gruesome fights. We thought we saved you at first, but in the end, you were the one that got us out of that situation. By my honor, I won¡¯t ever forget what you did for my men.¡± There was earnestness in his eyes as he said that. As he turn to leave, he stopped as if he just remembered something. ¡°Oh, and remember. Don¡¯t tell anyone about that deal of yours. In fact, considering your appearance, I advise you to avoid the Church as best as you can.¡± Eh? Without further explanation, the commander walks away. As I watch his back, my eyes meets with Luise who then winks at me. ¡°Kyah! I saw that! You¡¯re sending signals to each other!¡± Kaelyn¡¯s excited voice rings in my ears. She¡¯s been particularly loud since Luise¡¯s proposal. Apparently, she thinks that Luise is her ideal image of a prince. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry, miss Whitey. The others are waiting for you at your wagon.¡± Right.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ...The Church, was it. Why would he say that? Certainly, a deal with a demon would make me a demon¡¯s advocate, enemy of the church, stuff like that. But what was that about my appearance? The spider said something about this. About a Demon Lord, I seem to recall. I wonder... Does this have something to do with my past life as well? ¡°Oy, whitey! We¡¯re waiting on you!¡± Coming... --- --- --- This time, the journey will only take a couple of days. Since we¡¯ve entered the more established roads, there¡¯s less chances of beasts attacking. In the first place, it¡¯s unlikely for beasts to attack a large convoy, so the stuff that happened back then was an exception. I watch as the surroundings change from desolate tundras to roads lighted with lantern posts. Before long, we pass by signs of civilization; merchants, patrols, and even a small town in the distance. Once we¡¯re nearing nightfall, the convoy stopped to spend the night by a riverside, the Grayborn River, I think the chief called it. He said we¡¯ll reach the city if we follow the river, so I guess that¡¯s what we¡¯re doing. ¡°Hey, bruin, so what¡¯s this ¡®errand¡¯ the commander was on about?¡± ¡°Well... to tell you the truth, they¡¯re forming a task force to complete the mission.¡± ¡°The mission? Isn¡¯t it to rescue the slaves?¡± ¡°That¡¯s part of it, honorable lass. The other part is to gain intel on a large network that¡¯s been taking ¡®resources¡¯ from this country. Luise told us that the slavers were supposed to meet a ¡®contact¡¯ from the slaver firm we¡¯re after at dawn, the day you were rescued, and that¡¯s when we were supposed to make our move.¡± At dawn, huh. Isn¡¯t that when I... oh. Dang it, does that mean it¡¯s my fault again? ¡°The country? So it¡¯s a national thing, then. Oh, is that why the reps are...¡± ¡°Yup. This mission was requested by Lephander¡¯s Safety Council.¡± ¡°I see...¡± ¡°Oh, and by the way, I feel like I need to inform you. We¡¯ve had a shadow stalking us for some time now, I suspect since we¡¯ve left the fort. I tried to confront him, but he¡¯s a slick one.¡± ¡°You mean someone¡¯s following us? How¡¯d you even notice?¡± ¡°Hmph. Don¡¯t underestimate a battle-hardened avlark¡¯s sense of smell. Anyway, I thought that considering your position, someone might be after your life.¡± ¡°Nah, I think you can leave him alone. It¡¯s probably just one of my uncle¡¯s spotters,¡± Latasha replied nonchalantly. ¡°Your uncle... you mean, the Imperial Spymaster?¡± ¡°Yeah. Wow, for a mere drifter, you sure know your stuff.¡± ¡°Haha, well, I wasn¡¯t always a drifter. I used to drink fancy drinks in fancy halls when I was young, no more than family obligation, I tell you. Met with the Spymaster a couple of times, in fact. Quite a man he was, capable of silencing anyone with just a stare. It¡¯s hard to imagine having an uncle like that.¡± ¡°Eh? Was he really?¡± ¡°Yeah. We were all scared of him, kids and adults alike. One thing I remember is how he didn¡¯t treat me differently just because I wasn¡¯t human, very unlike most of Lephander¡¯s aristocrats. I guess that¡¯s what makes ¡®em cardinals different. Ah, sorry, I meant no rudeness.¡± ¡°It¡¯s alright, bruin.¡± The night went on without much going on. Back on the wagons, I notice Farica holding some kind of slate in her arms along with other stuff. ¡°What¡¯cha got there, wuss?¡± Latasha asked her. ¡°I, umm...¡± Farica shows us what she brought; a black slate, a chalk, and a piece of wood with some kind of cloth wrapped on one side. ¡°I asked the guys at the fort for this, for her to write with,¡± she said while motioning at me. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s great, wuss! Now we can finally communicate.¡± Oh... so it¡¯s a writing slate. Taking the slate, I notice them both looking at me with anticipation. What am I even supposed to write? ¡°Umm... let¡¯s start with her name,¡± Farica suggested. ¡°Great idea. What¡¯s your name, whitey?¡± Uh... Crap. What do I say? ¡°Whitey? What¡¯s wrong?¡± I stare at the blank slate as I rack my brain on whether to make a name up or tell them. If I tell them that I don¡¯t have a name, they will surely pity me and I don¡¯t want that. Alright, then. I¡¯ll make up a name. ¡°Oh... could it be that you don¡¯t have a name?¡± N?No, it¡¯s not like that! I shake my head at her. ¡°Then... perhaps you don¡¯t know how to write?¡± It¡¯s not that either. To proof it, let¡¯s write something. ................ ...Huh? ¡°She wrote something.¡± (Farica) ¡° Yeah, it¡¯s one letter. ¡®I¡¯ what, whitey?¡± (Latasha) Hold on, how do I... I know what I want to write, but somehow I... can¡¯t think of the next word. ¡°Whitey, you...¡± No, I can. I know how to write. ¡°... ¡®I can... chalk?¡¯ ¡± (Latasha) ¡°I think she meant ¡®I can write¡¯.¡± (Farica) ......Why? ¡°Whitey...¡± No, don¡¯t look at me like that... ¡°Hold on, I brought something with me.¡± Latasha takes out something from inside her coat. A book? ¡°I snatched this from the fort. They had this little study that their sage owned, you see.¡± ¡°Eh? Is that okay? Aren¡¯t books expensive?¡± ¡°It¡¯s fine. They¡¯re a lot cheaper now that they¡¯re printed by machines.¡± She opens the book and shows us the first page. ¡°....It looks handwritten, Latasha.¡± ¡°.....I?It¡¯s fine, because I¡¯m a noble! Anyway, can you read, whitey?¡± Of course I can! .....I think. .... .......... ¡°Well?¡± It¡¯s not that I can¡¯t, but... I can read the words and I know their meanings, but... once they become a sentence, I just can¡¯t make sense of them. I have to read the sentence a few times, word by word, before I get the meaning. What the hell is wrong with me? ¡°I think she¡¯s having trouble.¡± (Latasha) ¡°Umm, it¡¯s okay! I can¡¯t read well myself. We¡¯ll learn together!¡± Farica said as she holds my hands, her eyes shining sincerely at me. ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a magus who can¡¯t read and write. Did you learn just by practice? Anyway, since it¡¯s come down to this, I guess I¡¯ll have to teach you both.¡± Latasha said to us. ¡°You¡¯d do that?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°Latasha, thank you!¡± ....I want to cry... In the end, they¡¯re convinced that I¡¯m illiterate... Hahh... this sure makes things a lot tougher. I can read to some extent, and if I practice, I think I can get better at it. It might be the same for writing, but how long would it take before I can effectively communicate with another? How long before I can start searching for what I need to know? I don¡¯t know what to do... .......... Maybe I can ask him? I really don¡¯t want to, but I don¡¯t really have a choice right now. I think I know how . Should I? ...Nexus, establish link with... What was it again? Oh, right. earlessLoud. < Error: Invalid ID > Huh? Did I say it wrong? ..... .......... ...errlessLord! Establish link with errlessLord. < Outgoing transmission; ID, erlessLord. Establishing bipartite link... > < Link established. > < ....You. > His cold voice sounded through the nexus. Frankly, it wasn¡¯t a voice I want to hear, ever. It¡¯s me. < What do you want? > ....How do I say this? < I¡¯m hanging up. > Wait, wait! It¡¯s just that... I just found out that I¡¯m illiterate, and... you know, it might hinder whatever it is you wanted me to d? < How much? > Eh? < How illiterate are you? > Umm... I can¡¯t write full sentences, and I can barely read. Even though I can listen perfectly well... < You sure about that? > Eh? < Nevermind. It¡¯s probably an error on your body construct when you were brought back. It may be connected to how you¡¯re mute. Just use the nexus, seeing you can read it just fine. > The nexus...? How? < Figure it out. > Ugh, this guy... < If there¡¯s nothing else, I¡¯ve got paperwork to do. > Wait, there¡¯s actually one thing... > That¡¯s right. There¡¯s that thing. < Be quick. > Tell me about the Demon Lord and the Church. Someone implied a connection between me and the first, then another warned me against the latter. And... does it have anything to do with my past life? < ........... > Hello? < Did I.... not brief you on this? > You never told me anything at all. < I probably forgot. > What the heck? This is my survival we¡¯re talking about here. < Anyway, I¡¯ll make it short. No, it¡¯s got nothing to do with your past life. The church you speak of is the Church of Athyra, a major religion with over sixty-percent the empire¡¯s population following it. Only a few select knows, but there¡¯s a surreptious order within the church, dedicated to prevent the return of the Demon Lord. One of the things they do is hunt down faeans like you. > You mean... genocide? < I guess that¡¯s one way to put it. They specifically target faeans with significant pull rates, so the death toll isn¡¯t all that high. It¡¯s kept secret of course, which is why I¡¯m wondering how anyone even warned you about it. > But... why? What¡¯s the reason? < The Demon Lord was an albino. One with an extreme amount of magic. They believe that his reincarnation would be in a similar body. > Just for that... To think such a thing is happening is... Now I¡¯m confused whether to make connections or to just lay low. Oh, and one more thing. Why can¡¯t I ¡°identify¡± myself? < You said one thing. > ...Cheapskate. < Don¡¯t forget about our deal. Do your part, and I¡¯ll release your friends. > Well, about that... seeing the circumstance, it might take awhile. < Of course. You need a life too. Just remember that the longer you wait, the more they spend their time down here. > < Connection terminated. > ...Right, then. I basically have all the time I need. That¡¯s important, because I¡¯m not just gonna break them out. He probably forgot, but among other things, I¡¯m a liar too. I¡¯m not just going to keep my part of the deal. I¡¯m going to destroy that place. It doesn¡¯t matter how long or how hard it takes. I¡¯m sorry, guys. You¡¯ll have to wait for me a little longer. --- --- --- The rest of the trip, Latasha made us read the book she has with her. With all that practising, my reading is... not improving. This might be harder than I thought. Anyway, ever since this morning, we¡¯d passed by more and more people going on both directions, noticable from the increasing sounds around us. Our caravan is particularly large and conspicuous, with five wagons and armored escorts. A few passerbies tried to sneak a peek inside the wagons, but were stopped, only getting a glimpse of the girls inside. ¡°Look, lassies. We¡¯ve arrived.¡± The chief is on his horse, his voice coming from beside our wagon as he remarked. ¡°Yeah, I can see that, bruin.¡± ¡°Haha, of course you can. Welcome to the walled city of Tarnlake, pride of the north, and center of drifter operations within the boreals.¡± I take a peek with Latasha to see outside. In front of us is a looming wall of around ten strides high, with several towers potruding as guard posts. Guards are visible stationing on the walls and around the closed gate in front of us. I can see a line in front of us, slowly going past an opening beside the gate where people are examined on entry. As soon as they see the chief, though, we¡¯re brisked past the queue. One of the guards walks beside the chief as he issues instructions to the guards above the wall to open the gate. ¡°Chief Aldwan, great to have you back. The commander?¡± ¡°Still away on the mission, but we have the rescuees here.¡± ¡°Really? That¡¯s great.¡± ¡°Hey, hey, don¡¯t try to look inside. You¡¯ll creep them out.¡± ¡°Ah, my bad.¡± We ride in as the gate opens, closing back once the caravan closes. ¡°The security is tight. Is it because of the raidings, I wonder?¡± Latasha said. As the convoy goes on into the city, we¡¯re hit by various sounds. The sounds of chatters and the clopping of horses on the road around us, and there¡¯s also clanging metal I suspect coming from a blacksmith or construction. One time there¡¯s a strong appetizing smell that makes us drool. A bakery, perhaps. I peek again to see the town outside, and the view is... something I''ve never seen before. People walking in groups on the sidewalks and carriages, some human, some not. Avlark, luphaen, human... all walking side-by-side without a single care of species. Then there''s the carriages, so many carriages with horses dragging them. There''s also baggage wagons that I see being dragged by scurries instead of horses. I look at the buildings, mostly around two to three stories high. I see smokes coming out from the chimneys, a given for a nothern city like this, I suppose. --- --- --- It''s been about an hour, the duration in which I was immersed in watching all the new things. I didn''t even realize Farica there beside me, her mouth open as she did the same. Did I have the same expression? Whoa! "Kyah!" Both me and Farica nearly fell when the wagon stopped. "Haha, morons," Latasha snickered at us. ¡°About time, my arse is getting achy," She remarked as walk past us and hops off the wagon. Farica promptly follows, and then the girls one by one.Putting on the hood, I jump outside following the others, ignoring the guy that was holding his hand out for me. Sorry, didn¡¯t see you, buddy. It''s hard to see with this hood on. The building we¡¯ve stopped in front of is a grand, large formal-looking building with white walls and more windows than I care to count. The area in front of the entrance is shaded, with pillars supporting the terrace above. Hanging from the terrace is several banners with a symbol, the same one as the one sculpted above the entrance¡ªa dove with a circular marking behind it, filled with intertwining lines. ...Huh. It seems that my impression of the drifters is wrong, huh. I thought they¡¯re some kind of militia vigilantes that help people out, but they seem to be much more established than that. ¡°Here we are,¡± the chief said to us. ¡°The drifter¡¯s guild.¡± Chapter 15 : The Guild Chapter 15 The Guild Perhaps awestruck or nervous, the girls quietly follows the chief into the entrance with stiff steps. Entering the building, the inside seems built to be as marvelous as the outside, with large adjoining staircases and chandeliers hanging low from the high ceiling. Balconies connected with the terrace outside are built overlooking the foyer. There¡¯s some tables here and there on the sides, and then there¡¯s some kind of reception desks, circling the large pillar at the center of the room. It would¡¯ve been an amazing view, but it¡¯s just too hectic for anyone to be engaged with the architecture. There are lines on the reception, and people are bustling about without even batting their eyelids at us. Well, at first, anyway. Nearing the reception desk, people start noticing us, and then, all of a sudden, someone from the balcony clapped their hands. Then more joined, one by one, until the entire hall explodes in applaud. ¡°They¡¯re back!¡± ¡°Those girls... were all of them kidnapped?¡± ¡°I count thirteen.¡± ¡°Huzzah, chief!¡± ¡°To the heroes, for rescuing our kidnapped damsels. Cheers!¡± ¡°Cheers!¡± (everyone in the room) Then they thump their drinks on their tables before taking a big gulp, ones that doesn¡¯t have drinks does it with imaginary ones. The girls all stop dead in their tracks at the abruptness of it all.Then the chief turns back and smiles at the stunned girls. ¡°Everyone made their best efforts to rescue you,¡± He said. ¡°The rescue was the most vital part, but it wasn¡¯t the only mission. The guild had their hands full trying to track the slavers for a about a month now, in fact. The offices had overtimes, and the drifters slaved on missions. We even got complains from our contractors because we had to ditch some important requests.¡± I¡¯m not sure if the girls are even listening, chief. Just look at their faces. ¡°Wow, they¡¯re beauties! I can see why people would want to kidnap them.¡± ¡°Hey, don¡¯t joke about that.¡± ¡°What¡¯s with hooded one? I can¡¯t see her face.¡± ¡°Hey, whitey. Why don¡¯t you take your hood off and see how they¡¯d react?¡± Umm... no. *shakes head.* As I thought, It¡¯s best not to stand out. I don¡¯t know how large this church¡¯s influence is, and the last thing I want is for some zealot to sneak in my room in the middle the night to slit my throat. I¡¯ve already got mommy longlegs to worry about. ...Then again, I¡¯m already standing out in a way. After a few words on the reception, some people came and offers to guide the girls away. ¡°You go on ahead, lassies. We¡¯ll meet again on dinner.¡± Leaving the chief and the drifters, we follow the people with office-looking clothes. I can see that we¡¯re being led up the staircase. At this point, the huzzahs have died down quite a bit. ¡°Umm...¡± Behind me, Kaelyn stands still at the bottom of the staircase, gripping her own palms as if deciding on something. Then she suddenly turns towards the hall and opens her mouth. ¡°E?Everyone!¡± she said with a clear and loud voice, attracting everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Sank you for rescuing us!¡± Then the aftershock came and the hall flares up once again. ¡°Anytime, pretty girl!¡± ¡°Huzzah.¡± ¡°Did she say sank?¡± ¡°Cute accent!¡± ¡°...Uu... *sob* ¡± Kaelyn continues up the stairs with a beet-red face. ¡°Haha, that¡¯s what you get for doing pointless stuff, ruddy.¡± ¡°Latasha, leave her alone! I think it was amazing.¡± ¡°T?Thank you, miss Farica...¡± ..... .......... At the third floor, the party is split and led to four different rooms. Again, it somehow became a given for us three to stay together. Opening the door into the room, Latasha promptly runs inside and jumps onto the large bed. ¡°A bed!¡± ¡°Latasha, shoes!¡± Looking at this, the man who guided us¡ªsmile-face chuckles. ¡°You can rest easy now. The bathroom is at the end of the hall if you want to take a wash. The bathing supplies is inside that cabinet beside the bed.¡± ¡°Yeah, got it.¡± ¡°Umm... Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Then I¡¯ll leave you to it. There¡¯s still things to take care of that we need your help with, so we¡¯ll come get you in the evening.¡± He leaves after saying that, closing the door behind him. ¡°Pfft, did you see that? He got a smile sculpted to his face!¡± ¡°Latasha, that¡¯s not nice, you know.¡± ¡°Well, it¡¯s kind of impressive, actually. Reminds me of the two-faced denizens of District Cardinal. Anyway, what should we do now?¡± ¡°He told us to rest, but... I don¡¯t think I can.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯ve said it. So what do you think of the city?¡± Latasha asked as she taps on the bed, inviting us to lay beside her. Farica does so as she replied, ¡°I don¡¯t know... I¡¯ve never been to a walled city before. This building too, everything¡¯s so lordly and beyond me. Is it like this too in District Cardinal?¡± ¡°Hmm... more or less, I guess. I¡¯m used to seeing stuff like this, but I get where you¡¯re coming from. I thought the guild building would be something like a tavern or inn, you know. Turns out it¡¯s something that could be mistaken as a senate office.¡± I thought that too, frankly. This probably means that the guild actually has some kind of political power in this country. That or they just have a lot of money. ¡°But the thing that surprised me the most is the people. In any city I¡¯ve ever been in, I¡¯ve never seen that many non-humans using the roads openly. Tarnlake seems more tolerant to racial difference,¡± Latasha commented. ¡°Is that so...?¡± ¡°Anyway, I don¡¯t think I can sleep either. Let¡¯s continue our reading lessons.¡± ¡°Ah, yes ma¡¯am.¡± ¡°First thing¡¯s first, from what you¡¯ve read so far, describe what kind of book this is.¡± ¡°Umm... it¡¯s a... romance? I mean, a romantic fiction that depicts the love between a reluctant bandit and a daughter of a noble family.¡± Eh?! ¡°I guess that describes it. Do you agree with her, whitey?¡± I thought it was about a biography. A lifestory of a bandit¡¯s rise to nobility through the help of an unlikely friend. The noble was a girl all along? How did I miss that? ¡°Whitey?¡± Ah, yes... *nods* I¡¯ll have to read it again later. Damn it, why is it so hard for me? ¡°Continue reading where you left off. Take your time and really absorb the paragraphs. Don¡¯t even think about skimming, speed-reading is for after you¡¯ve mastered effective reading.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± ..... .......... Even though Farica said she¡¯s not good at reading, I¡¯m the one who¡¯s been keeping the pages from being turned. By the time she¡¯s done reading a paragraph, I¡¯m still trying to understand the first sentence. She even acts like she¡¯s still reading, and knowing that just drops my head further. ¡°Latasha, we¡¯re done with the page... oh.¡± Hmm? ¡°She¡¯s... sleeping.¡± Sprawled out just like she was when still awake, the gentle sound of her breathing does tell me that she¡¯s asleep. ¡°Such a bad posture for a noble lady. Well, not as bad as yours, though. *giggle* ¡° ...Sorry. ¡°To be able to sleep like that... either she¡¯s very tired or she¡¯s just the type, don¡¯t you think?¡± Uh-huh. I don¡¯t know why, but we just watch her in silence after that. Then, suddenly, I feel a tug and my hood is off. I look at Farica, and for some reason, she¡¯s become flustered. ¡°Ah, I¡¯m sorry. I just thought... since it¡¯s only us in here, I... uh, sorry for being presumptuous, but it feels like you¡¯re wearing the hood not just because of the sun. Somehow, it feels like you don¡¯t want people to look at you? I?I¡¯m sorry if I¡¯m wrong...¡± Nah, you basically got it. I smile at her, telling her that I¡¯m okay with that. ¡°Also... I¡¯m sorry for yesterday. I just wanted some way to talk with you. At the very least, I wanted to know your name. I mean, somehow, calling you ¡®whitey¡¯ is just... wrong.¡± I don¡¯t really mind, though. Having a made-up name is much better than nothing at all. Oh, come to think of it, I still have to make up my own name. Ah, let¡¯s add ¡°Wythee¡± to the list of potential names, then. At some point, both of us dozed along. The light from the window turns dimmer as day turns to evening. I was in-between dreams when a knock jolts me awake. ¡°Yes?¡± Latasha replied to the knock as she abruptly springs up from her sleep, as if she was trained as such. ¡°Misses, I¡¯m sorry to disturb your rests. We¡¯re hoping we could ask you some necessary questions. It won¡¯t take long.¡± It¡¯s the voice of smile-face.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°It¡¯s okay. The door¡¯s open,¡± Latasha replied as she shakes Farica¡¯s shoulder, waking her from her nap. The door swings open, and beside smile-face is a kind-looking middle-aged woman. She has a warm and natural smile unlike the guy beside her. ¡°Thank you for your time. Now if you¡¯ll follow us.¡± ¡°Huh? Can¡¯t we just do it here?¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but some of the matters might be sensitive for each individual. Thus, we think it¡¯s better for the questions to be asked privately.¡± ¡°...Oh, got it. If so...¡± Latasha looks at both of us, then nodding to Farica whom nods back at her. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with her,¡± she continued as she puts her hand on my shoulder. ¡°As I said, it¡¯s better for this to be done in priv?¡± ¡°She¡¯s mute, and we know each other¡¯s stories, anyway.¡± ¡°Mute? I... I see.¡± Aw, man. Can¡¯t we just do it on the bed? I¡¯m still so sleepy. Going out of the room, we follow smile-face while Farica stays with the woman. Frankly, I¡¯d rather go with the woman. Take it from experience, he feels like he¡¯s wearing a cold mask. His face is trimmed and neat, his uniform is tidy, and his gestures are professional. Is he a drifter or a government worker? ¡°Here we are.¡± The place is a little room, with a comfy-looking couch and a pair of armchairs across the table. Taking our seats, the man pulls out a notepad and a quill pen along with the ink bottle. There¡¯s already some things written down in a list on the parchment. ¡°Firstly, my name is Yanes and I¡¯m a clinical officer for this branch. For the questions, I¡¯ll?¡± ¡°Hold on,¡± Latasha said, cutting off smile-face¡¯s words without reservation. ¡°Will what we say be considered confidential?¡± ¡°Yes... as long as it doesn¡¯t conflict with our duty to protect.¡± ¡°Right, then I¡¯ll be short. I¡¯m Latasha of House Ardent, cardinal house of District Cardinal. I¡¯m sure I don¡¯t have to explain. My reason here is my own and it¡¯s purely bad luck that I¡¯m involved in the incident. I¡¯ll be staying here before my escort arrive, which guessing to be... maybe a couple of days.¡± ¡°H?House... Ardent?¡± ¡°You can clarify that with bru? Chief Aldwan later. Is that enough?¡± ¡°But, the questions....¡± ¡°The questions are to decide on what to do with us, right? I told you everything you need to know.¡± ¡°I... I understand.¡± His voice is audibly shaking and I can see the sides of his mouth twitching nervously. His mask crumbled from the mere mention of Latasha¡¯s family, it seems. ¡°Then let¡¯s continue with whitey here. You can look at your list now.¡± ¡°Y?Yes... then, the first question is... full name.¡± ¡°Just fill it in as ¡®whitey¡¯ for now.¡± Hey! ¡°Actually, I was hoping she would write down her name here...¡± ¡°She can¡¯t. She¡¯s, err... she can¡¯t write.¡± ¡°....I see.¡± Ugh... ¡°Depending on the results, we might have to print out status cards, so we should be able to get her name then. Is that okay?¡± Status card? How would that help? ¡°Oh, that would work. Her name would show up on the card. What¡¯s the next question?¡± ¡°Alright, next is... basic information. Birth date, gender... most can be known through the card as well, I suppose.¡± ...... .......... In the end, most of the questions were unanswered and left to this ¡°status card¡± for some reason. Now the questions are switching from basic information to my background. ¡°Any family or relative we can contact?¡± ¡°....No,¡± Latasha answered as she looks at me for confirmation. ¡°Acquaintances before the incident? Perhaps a friend or...¡± ¡°Err... no.¡± For every answer, Latasha looks at me as she answers and everytime I nod at her. It¡¯s a bit sad how she always gets it right. ¡°Ok, this last one might be a bit difficult. At your own comfort, please describe your life before the incident.¡± There it is. I¡¯ve seen it coming for awhile, and now I¡¯ve got the time to think about it. Latasha looks at me again in it¡¯s clear from her eyes that she doesn¡¯t know how to answer this time. ¡°She... she was, umm...¡± I know what she¡¯s going to answer with, and I know how I¡¯m going to react. It¡¯s not exactly a good background, but look at me; a peculiar-looking person that can¡¯t read or write. Like that, it¡¯s as good as any. ¡°She¡¯s... she was a... battle slave...¡± Her voice was small this time. As she looks at me, I can see her looking for confirmation from me, more so than before. So I nod. At that moment, I notice her expression changing slightly. There¡¯s sadness her eyes, as if she regrets suggesting that notion, or maybe because I confirmed its truth. Either way, I might as well go with it. ¡°Battle slave? With that kind of build?¡± Smile-face looks at me up and down and somehow I feel insulted. Hey, I¡¯m stronger than I look, you know. ¡°It¡¯s not that. She can use magic. Powerful magic.¡± ¡°Magic? Pardon, but you said that she can¡¯t read.¡± ¡°I did. I guess that¡¯s just how talented she is. That¡¯s why you should have someone train her or something. You got that gloomy magus, right? ¡± Yanes¡¯ expression visible blanks out for a second, before continuing with his words, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but I find it hard to believe that an illiterate slave can become a magus. Also, Sallis is a contracted magus from the Zest-Flamel Society. This time, it was arranged by the Safety Council, but usually, such contracts aren¡¯t cheap.¡± ¡°Ask the chief. He¡¯s seen her magic. He¡¯d know that she¡¯s worth it.¡± ¡°Chief Aldwan isn¡¯t actually part of the branch. He has no say in the matter.¡± ¡°Oh, really? Then ask any of the drifters from the mission. Hell, ask Sallis himself! Or if it¡¯s credibility you want, just wait for the commander to come back and then ask him.¡± ¡°I... That¡¯s...¡± ¡°Geez, what¡¯s with you? Just test her magic. Honestly, I thought drifters are supposed to be friends of the people. Helping the people in need, to further the prosperity and livings of society. Those are part of the guild¡¯s social responsibility, is it not?¡± ¡°T?That¡¯s true...¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s wonderful! This would make a great report for me to take back to the District.¡± ¡°...........¡± Err... I guess everything worked out well in the end... The people you know, huh. And I happen to know Latasha of House Ardent. I suppose I¡¯m not off to that bad of a start afterall. In the first place, there¡¯s no way for her to know anything she¡¯d answered with if I can¡¯t speak and write, but Yanes seems to be too nervous to note on that. ¡°The commisioner wants to speak. If you¡¯re feeling it, you can go to the dining hall on the first floor.¡± ¡°Yeah, got it.¡± Now that we¡¯re done with the interview, we make our way back to our room. ¡°Did anything happen?¡± Farica asked as soon as we walk in. ¡°Nothing in particular.¡± ¡°Oh, okay. It¡¯s just that it took some time.¡± ¡°Ah, well... it¡¯s not that easy to answer the questions for someone else.¡± ¡°Oh, I see, umm... about that...¡± ¡°I¡¯ll tell you later. For now, let¡¯s go have dinner while and hear what that commissioner has to say.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Eeh? I wanted to sleep a bit more... ¡°Come on, whitey. I¡¯m famished,¡± Latasha said as she pulls me away from the bed. Later, my love... later. And so we make our way down. Once we arrive back at the foyer, there seems to be much less people. On the contrary, the dining hall seems filled with people. Rows of long tables with feasts and drinks on top of them. Candle chandeliers hang from the ceiling, unlike the electric ones back on the front hall. I can also see three large hearths at the sides of the room, each of them lit and gives off a feeling of warmth. There¡¯s a large array of people here, ranging from muscly, burly men to thin, scrawny people wearing the same clothing smile-face did. Mixed among them are the girls I¡¯m familiar with. ¡°Ah, there! That¡¯s them!¡± As soon as we walk in, I can hear Kaelyn¡¯s loud voice as the person herself points at us. ¡°Hey, it¡¯s not nice to point at people, ruddy.¡± ¡°Ah, s?sorry!¡± ¡°She was just telling us how you rescued the girls before the drifters came,¡± a guy on her side said. He¡¯s one of the big ones, making Kaelyn look miniscule beside him. From his muscles and scars, I say he¡¯s one of the field drifters. He seems younger than the chief, but old enough to have children of his own. Or maybe that¡¯s just because of his bald head. ¡°Oh, that. We wouldn¡¯t have made it without the drifters,¡± Latasha replied. ¡°Lovely and humble. No wonder the girls have so much respect for you. Hahahah!¡± He¡¯s... loud. In a different way than Kaelyn is. ¡°They call me Hork, by the way. Used to be the big one before Aldie came around. It¡¯s a pleasure to have you girls joining us,¡± the man introduced himself. ¡°I¡¯m Latasha. This here¡¯s Farica and this one¡¯s whitey. The white one can¡¯t speak, so don¡¯t expect to get much out of her.¡± ¡°Is that so...? It¡¯s nice to meet you girls.... huh? Where have I seen you before?¡± Hork said to himself as he looks at Farica intently. ¡°Haha, you¡¯re not even trying, muscles. You¡¯re way too old for her.¡± ¡°Wha? no, I¡¯m not trying to pick her up! It¡¯s just... miss Farica, was it? Aren¡¯t you the Weyhlmir couple¡¯s daughter?¡± ¡°Umm.... yes, I am,¡± Farica answered. ¡°I knew it! Your parents are the best healers I know of. Are they well?¡± ¡°T?They... they¡¯re, umm...¡± Farica looks down at the floor as her hands grips her shirt. Hork sees this and immediately understands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, girl. You don¡¯t have to explain.¡± He then proceeds to pat Farica¡¯s head. It¡¯s a bit funny with their height difference. ¡°Bad things happen to good people, I suppose. Half the guys here have used their services at least once, and I¡¯m sure they all have the same to say. Tell me, do you wish to become a healer like your parents were?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± Farica said outright, making Hork pull his hand back in surprise before bursting in laugh. ¡°Hahahah! Good, good! Now, how about the lass here? Why the hood?¡± Uh-oh. ¡°Come on, whitey. Just show us your face.¡± Eh... stop! I firmly hold the hood as Latasha tries to pull it down. Just as I thought she¡¯s about to, she suddenly stopps and acts as if she just remembered something. ¡°Err... sorry.¡± Huh? ¡°Sorry, muscles. She¡¯s a bit shy around strangers.¡± ¡°Ah, that¡¯s okay, that¡¯s okay. Rather than that, the girls saved you three seats, so why don¡¯t you join them?¡± ...She¡¯s not misunderstanding something, is she? As soon as I take my seat, I go for the tastiest-looking chunk of meat within my field of vision. It looks like chicken thigh, albeit twice, maybe thrice as big. Somehow, Fanny¡¯s image comes to mind. ........... Tastes like a chicken, though. Still divine, nevertheless. ...Huh? Why is everyone looking at me? They all seem to be using cutlery, while here I''m just gobbling them up with my bare hands. Isn¡¯t it okay, though? ¡°Wow... as expected off miss Latasha.¡± Latasha? I look beside me and see her eating, using cutlery like the others, but with grace unlike everyone else. Every cut, every stab of the fork is done with such finesse that makes her seem elegant. Even though she¡¯s still the same sharpie that I know, I can¡¯t deny that she looks so dignified right now. Meanwhile, right next to her is a hooded savage that eats her chicken by the piece. ......Oh well. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you to use knives and forks later if you want, whitey.¡± What... no, it¡¯s not like that. After that, someone rings their glass, ushering the rowdy hall to quiet down. ¡°Ahem. It seems that everyone¡¯s here?¡± An assertive voice sounded from the back of the room. There, I see a man dressed in neat fashion. His black hair is slicked back and his face trimmed. I can¡¯t see a wrinkle on his uniform, which is similar to smile-face¡¯s, but different in color. ¡°Greetings, my name is Ichard Anselov, commissioner of Tarnlake branch of the drifter¡¯s guild. To you, our heroic returnees, welcome back. And to the fair girls whom our heroes brought back, welcome to the guild.¡± His smile isn¡¯t natural, but still much more trained than smile-face¡¯s. He¡¯s a pretty good liar, I think. Cold and composed, using controlled and suggestive body gestures as he speaks. ¡°Months have foreign slavers took young, innocent people against their wills from our great kingdom. Months have we fought the scourge that preyed on the weak, but tonight at last, we¡¯ve recovered what¡¯s ours.¡± ¡°Huzzah!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± Someone shouted, and others follows with yelling or banging on their tables. Ichard waits for the clamor to quiet down before continuing, ¡°True, the scoundrels behind this are still at large, hiding back on their bygone country. Worry not, for at this moment, it is our own Chief Constable Orlev commanding the mission to hunt them down, with the wolf Luise Kayne at his side. The pesky slavers don¡¯t stand a chance, if you ask me.¡± Then more huzzahs and banging came. ¡°Down with the slavers!¡± ¡°The wolf will eat ¡®em all.¡± ¡°So trust me when I say this,¡± Ichard continues, ¡°it is us drifters that the kingdom looked to when our youngs were taken. It is our brave men that rescued the damoiselles, and it will be our names written when we eradicate the villains who snatched our people. And for that, tonight we feast. May the white fowl soar.¡± ¡°May the white fowl soar.¡± (drifters) ..... .......... ¡°Hey, ruddy. What¡¯s a commissioner?¡± (Latasha) ¡°Umm... a commissioner is the highest-ranked person in a branch of the guild. After that, there¡¯s a deputy commissioner, and then the chief constable.¡± (Kaelyn) ¡°Really? I thought it¡¯s just the alphabet rank.¡± ¡°The F to S rank is used for field proficiency, but there¡¯s also administrative ranks given to people who keep the guild running.¡± ¡°Huh... so it¡¯s like the threat levels? How good would an A be?¡± ¡°That¡¯s... well, you start at F, and become a fully-pledged drifter at D. At B you¡¯re considered the elites of a branch, and at A, you¡¯d be... the best?¡± ¡°The best indeed,¡± a growlish voice came from behind us. ¡°What the fu?, don¡¯t do that, bruin!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry, lassy. It wasn¡¯t my intent to scare you.¡± The look on his face tells otherwise. ¡°Ah, come to think of it, isn¡¯t chief Aldwan A-rank?¡± (Kaelyn) ¡°That be true, little one. Both me and Orlev are A-rank, though I¡¯m actually from Gerslow branch, a small town to the east of here. Meaning Orlev is the only paragon here.¡± ¡°Eh? But how about sir Luise?¡± ¡°The wolf is still a B, though it¡¯s expected that he¡¯ll be advancing some time soon.¡± ¡°B or A, he¡¯s still a rake. By the way, bruin, can I ask you something?¡± ¡°Sure thin?¡± ¡°How are non-humans treated here? I saw a lot in the city this morning, and there¡¯s a number of luphaens working here as well.¡± Oh, come to think of it... the receptionists were luphaens as well, weren¡¯t they? ¡°Unlike many other cities, in Tarnlake, there are no racial discrimination, and I believe we have the commissioner to thank for that. He¡¯d been pushing for race equality ever since he¡¯s had authority. Not to mention the policies he¡¯d put forward, most of which were turned down, but the ones that got through did leagues for the guild.¡± ¡°Yeah, and the connections helped, yes? If I¡¯m not wrong, Earl Anselov holds a number of shires in Lephander¡¯s boreals.¡± ¡°That¡¯s... correct. Ichard is the son of Earl Anselov. In fact, the area surrounding Tarnlake is one of his family¡¯s shires.¡± Oh... that might explain the lavishness. ¡°That explains the lavishness. I¡¯ve heard rumors that the earl¡¯s amassed quite a wealth from the development of his fiefs.¡± ¡°Haha, I suppose that¡¯s true. Anyway, administration asked me to tell you girls that tomorrow we¡¯ll be printing status cards for those who need them.¡± ¡°Status card?¡± (Farica) ¡°It¡¯s something you use for your identity, wuss. Usually it¡¯s issued by the county, but I guess the guild has the authority as well.¡± ¡°I realize that most of you are still underage, but you¡¯ll need them if you don¡¯t have any guardians to speak for you. I¡¯ll also help to establish yourself, especially for the ones that have nowhere to return to,¡± the chief explained. ¡°I... I see...,¡± Farica answered as she plays with the fork, looking all depressed again. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, lassie,¡± the chief comforted her, ¡°the guild will help you through and through, I give you my word. We¡¯ll take care of you until you can stand on your own feet and until then, if there¡¯s anything you need, tell us and we¡¯ll provide. That goes for all of you,¡± the chief said, looking over at all the girls. ¡°Make sure to rest well. We¡¯ll start sending you girls home in the morning, but if you want to stay for awhile, that¡¯s okay too. The guys will certainly enjoy the company. Hahahah!¡± With that bestial laugh, the chief leaves the table. ..... .......... With our stomachs full, we head back upstairs to our rooms. I can¡¯t help but let my mind wonder to the softness of the bed back there. Soon, my love... soon. ¡°Hey, erm... shouldn¡¯t we take a bath first?¡± (Farica) ¡°Oh, I suppose that¡¯s true. Last time was... two days ago, I think? Haha! This is the longest I¡¯ve spent in my natural musk!¡± ¡°Latasha, please...¡± ¡°What?¡± *sigh* I guess the bed will have to wait.... ...Hold on? What about Lyrfanas¡¯ mark? Crap. I¡¯ll have to find some way to hide it. Chapter 16 : Fay Chapter 16 Fay I couldn¡¯t breathe. I kept gasping for air, yet it still felt like I was drowning in the darkness. Then I heard his voice. He was right in front of me, yet the voice sound distant. ¡¸ Thou art safe, little lass... ¡¹ Slowly, his voice changed and warped, becoming into another voice... a voice unlike his own. A voice that would haunt me in my sleep from then on. ¡¸ Safe, now... ¡¹ N?No... ¡°You¡¯re safe now, with us...¡± I could see his face looking down at me, laughing at me. Even as I covered my ears, I could still hear it. Stop it! ¡¸ ¡®Tis in the past, little lass. ¡®Tis but a dream haunting thee... ¡¹ There was another voice, but the laughing easily drowned it out. I reached out into the darkness for anything I could find. I grab hold to it, hugging tightly and not letting go. I was so scared, so afraid of being alone in that darkness. I didn¡¯t know what it was, only that it felt soft and warm... and fuzzy. When I woke up, I¡¯d realized what I just did. I¡¯m... I¡¯m sorry. ¡¸ ...¡®Tis fine. ¡¹ I was holding on to him the whole time, wetting his face with snot and tears and then falling asleep just like that. I let go of my hands slowly and let my back fall to the wall behind me. The wolf just stayed silent, watching me with his eyes that seemed to glow in the dark haze. ¡¸ We¡¯ve tarried enough... ¡¹ As he said that, he lowered his back to me. Following his lead, I grabbed the fur on his back and tried to pull myself up. Ugh... ¡¸ ...Can¡¯t be helped... ¡¹ Huh? Wha?! Suddenly, he put his snout between my legs and hoisted me up, flinging me up onto his back. Oof! ¡¸ There. ¡¹ ...Do you have no decency... ¡¸ What¡¯s that, little lass? ¡¹ ...It¡¯s nothing. I just had to put up with it until I can walk on my own. After that, we walked and walked, and all I could do was watch the surroundings from his back. I didn¡¯t know where we were going, or the reason why he¡¯s even helping me. Eretz... ¡¸ Yes? ¡¹ Where are we going? ¡¸ For now, I shall find the bird. ¡¹ Why are you helping me? ¡¸ ....Wherefore did the bird avail you? ¡¹ He thought it¡¯d be fun. At least, that¡¯s what he said. ¡¸ ...Doth it matter? ¡¹ I didn¡¯t know why, but what he said irked me. When that person did what he did to me, all I could think of was I wanted it to stop. I didn¡¯t care how, I even thought of my own death just to make it all stop. I had given up. Then Eretz came and saved me for... no apparent reason? Just passing by, is that it? ¡¸ Thou mayst think such as sooth. ¡¹ Liar. Yes, I know I should¡¯ve been grateful for him saving me, but there was just no stopping. The words just flowed out like water rupturing through a dam. ¡¸ ...Why wouldst thou thinkest I would gull thee? ¡¹ I don¡¯t know. Maybe because you didn¡¯t want to save me at all. ¡¸ ...What? ¡¹ Maybe... maybe you were watching the whole time. Before I realized, he already stopped walking and was looking back at me from over his shoulder. At this point, I realized I had gotten too far. Even as I told myself to stop, I couldn¡¯t. Not when there¡¯s a storm inside of me, blurring the lines between facts and delusions. Maybe you were enjoying it. You enjoyed watching me and my friends suffer. You wanted it to continue. ¡¸ Whereof dost thou speak? ¡¹ You probably just stood there, doing nothing but watch because you got a kick out of it. Then one of them spotted you and attacked you, so you had no choice to kill them. But in truth, you didn¡¯t want it to stop, did you? ¡¸ ........ ¡¹ In fact, you want to do the same to me, right? Is that where we¡¯re going? To your very own lair, where no one can hear my screams as you eat my limbs piece by piece. You fucking sicko. You¡¯re just the same as them, aren¡¯t you?! All of a sudden, the wolf twisted his body and I fell down to the ground. I writhed in pain from the shock as the wounds from before acted up. ¡¸ ...Fine. ¡¹ I looked up to see the wolf looming on me. I don¡¯t know how, I could tell that he was angry. His mere glare pierced through all the accusations I was about to say. Fear crept up my back, and I immediately cursed myself. ¡¸ Thou rather I didn¡¯t save thee, so be it. ¡¹ Then he turned away from and me and started walking away. I was relieved he didn¡¯t hurt me, but as he walked further and further, uneasiness wells up in me. Wait, Eretz... I was screaming inside, not wanting to be left alone. I was so afraid of the darkness that returns when I¡¯m all alone, eating away at the mind, twisting it slowly until I become like him. I was scared because that person was there, laughing in the dark, his laugh drowning out my own voiceless scream. Wait... Before I knew it, the tears that I¡¯d thought I spent welled up as I was overwhelmed by the fear of being left alone. please, Eretz! I¡¯m sorry! I¡¯m sorry! Streams trickled down uncontrollably as I shouted out to him. The thought of being alone clouded my mind and all I could think of was to run up to the wolf and never let him go. Even so, I fell down as soon as I tried to stand up. Please, don¡¯t leave me alone.... I clawed the dirt as I tried to stand up, but there was no use. I couldn¡¯t feel any power in any of my limbs. I just cowered there, staring at the ground with watery eyes as I curse my own foolishness. When I¡¯d lost all hope, I felt a presence in front of me. I slowly looked up to see the wolf there staring down at me. I¡¯m sorry... He said nothing. He just stood there for awhile as if deciding whether to take me or not. Then he lowered his back at me, still saying nothing. ..... .......... We traversed the maze in quietly, with only the soft sound of his footsteps to fill the silence. I couldn¡¯t tell if he was angry or not. He must¡¯ve been. Eretz... I don¡¯t know how long we spent in the uncomfortable silence, but it wasn¡¯t until some time later before I said what I actually wanted to say. ...Thank you. At that time, it never occurred to me that there was truth to some of the wildness I accused him of. Thinking back¡­ with me in that condition, it was probably or the better... === === === === === === I watch the swirling in my cup as I stir it in thought. This morning too, I felt like I dreamt about the past. How long will that place haunt my dreams? Even though everything is going well, I can¡¯t help but have this feeling like something big¡¯s going to happen. I guess that¡¯s a given, huh... since there¡¯s no other reason why Thalvos would need to make the deal. Anyway, what should I do now? I barely have a plan, but now some things came up that would probably drag me down. First is my inability to read, and second is the thing with the church. Oh, I should probably count the spiders as well. With so much thing in the way, I¡¯ll probably need someone to help and protect me, at least until I know the extent of my own power. Luise seems like a good choice. He¡¯s quick-witted and respected as a prodigy among the drifters. There also seems to be a solidarity among them, so the other drifters would probably help me as well if I was in some kind of trouble. However, if I were to marry him, it might become a shackle once I need to search for that person. Hmm... what to do... *sigh* No point in worrying, I guess. I¡¯ll just have to go with whatever I have at hand. First step is to know more about myself. The Nexy won¡¯t identify me, so hopefully I¡¯ll get something out of this status card. After some time waiting, the door clicks open and someone comes out. ¡°Come in. Are you the last one?¡± I nod at him; A lean young man with blonde hair tied in a short ponytail, dressed in a lab coat with a face mask covering most of his face. ...Wait, lab coat? What exactly will be done to me? I walk inside the room and the first thing I notice is the suspicious examination bed. I say suspicious because there¡¯s shackling mechanisms on where the wrists, ankles, and the neck would be if I were to lie down. ¡°Let¡¯s see... any condition I should know of, miss...?¡± Umm... *shakes head*. ¡°Oh, are you the mute faean? ¡®Photosensitivity in the eyes and skin¡¯, then. Guess that explains the hood.¡± Right. ¡°Now, please lie down on the bed for the test. Oh, sorry, but your clothing will be in the way.¡± Ah, is that so... Then I start taking my clothes off starting from the coat. As I¡¯m about to take off the rest, the man grabs my hand to stop me. ¡°I don¡¯t mean all of it. Just the coat is enough.¡± ...Oh. I hesitate before laying down on the bed. I mean, why the restraints? I look at the man to somehow convey my doubts, but he only stares at me back with blank eyes. I wave my hand in front of him to get him out of his daze. ¡°Oh, sorry... I was just looking,¡± he muttered under his breath. Looking? ¡°I¡¯ve never seen a faean before, and there¡¯s so many myths around them. Maybe... if I could get a sample... *mumble, mumble* ¡° What? He awkwardly coughs before continuing, ¡°The restraints are just there for euphosys patients, so don¡¯t worry about it. Please lie on your side, facing away from me.¡± I do as he told, but still feel uneasy about it. I hear some clattering noise, so I peek behind me, and... Umm... that¡¯s a big needle. He notices what I¡¯m looking at as he looks at me in the eye and says, ¡°...Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± There¡¯s no way I won¡¯t worry about it! I also see another, smaller needle on his other hand. Why the hell would you need two?! ¡°Okay, now please bend your body so that your chin and knees are close to the chest.¡± Ugh... I don¡¯t like this. After I assume the fetal position, he pulls my shirt up so that my waist is exposed. ¡°Excuse me,¡± he said as he palpated the area on my lower back and wet it with some kind of cloth. I¡¯m guessing some form of antiseptic from the smell. ¡°I need you to stay still, okay?¡± Dude, you¡¯re making me nerv?OW! What the... is that the big one he just used?! No, wait... it¡¯s the small one? I look behind at him and see him still holding the big one. Looking closely, it really seems long and would probably penetrate deep. W?Will he really put that inside me? ¡°For this one, need you to stay very, very stilI.¡± Oh god... I have a feeling I won¡¯t like this very much. ..... .......... ¡°How was it, whitey?¡± Latasha asked me with a grin on her face. Judging from her reaction, she seemed to know what the process was. ¡°The little wuss cried, you know. I guess it¡¯s just as expected.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t cry!¡± ¡°Liar. Your eyes were red!¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, miss Farica. It was really so scary for me too,¡± Kaelyn interjected in a poor attempt to comfort her. By the way, Aira is here as well. Excluding sharpie, the ones here were examined to have our status cards printed. As for the other girls, most of them were already sent home this morning. After some time waiting, the door clicks open and a man comes out with my and Farica¡¯s cards. ¡°The cards need some time to display your status. Just keep it close with you and it¡¯ll pop right on,¡± the man said as he hands us our cards. I look at it and... it¡¯s just blank. ¡°Mine just says my name on it...¡± (Farica) ¡°Oh, mine too when I first got it. It shouldn¡¯t be long.¡± (Kaelyn) ¡°Whitey¡¯s totally blank, though,¡± Latasha said as she peeks at the card from behind me. ¡°By the way, I know about wuss and wolfie, but what about you, ruddy? What¡¯s your story?¡± ¡°Eh... me? I¡¯m just...¡± ¡°It¡¯s okay, Kaelyn. You can tell us,¡± Farica said to her. ¡°How did you get kidnapped? Was your home raided as well?¡± ¡°No, I... I wasn¡¯t kidnapped... ah, your card is showing something, miss Farica.¡± ¡°Hmm? Ah, you¡¯re right!¡± Farica exclaimed as she holds the card before her. Mine¡¯s still blank, so I quickly went to see what¡¯s written on hers.
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ©¦11©¦ ©¦87%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ©¦8©¦/26
Name Farica Weyhlmir
Species Human
Gender Female
Age 14 years old
Titles
Mana Affinity
Mana Pool
¡°Wow, how does it do that? I never told them my age. Is it magic?¡± ¡°Sort of, I suppose. I¡¯m not sure myself, but I read that there¡¯s a whole network that archives everything. The only people with access to it are the holy saint and the king-emperor. At least, that¡¯s what that book said.¡±A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. As they talked about that, something appears in my card. Letters are forming as if from nothing, and weird as it may, I can read it. Well... not exactly. I meant that I can understand the readable words, but... I can¡¯t read the rest, and it¡¯s got nothing to do with my illiteracy. Just... what the heck?
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ©¦7©¦ ©¦64%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ©¦78©¦/
Name ¡õ¦Ó¦Ç¡õ¦Ñ¡õ, ¦­¦®¦©¦¤ IndolantFay
Species ¦£¡õ Human
Gender Female
Age 17 months old
Titles ¡õ¦Ñ¦Â¡õ¦Ó¡õ¦Ñ ¡õ¦Í¦Ä¡õ¦Ë¡õ¦Í¦Ó ¦µ¡õ¦× ¦¸¦Ç¡õ¦Ó¡õ ?¡õ¦Ë¦Ê¡õ¦Ñ¡õ¡õ ¦£¡õ?¡õ¦Ñ ¡õ¦Õ ¦¸¡õ¦Ò¦Ä¡õ¦Ì ¦¬¡õ¦Ñ¦Ó¡õ¦Ñ¡õ¦Ä ¦£¡õ¦Ä¦Ä¡õ¦Ò Master of Sins Indelible Survivor Champion of the Dark God She Who Deals With Demons
Mana Affinity
Mana Pool
....I don¡¯t know where to start. It seems that the data displayed here is similar to the subnex, but... what¡¯s with this? I can¡¯t read my own name, and then there¡¯s those titles. Also, my age is apparently seventeen months old. If I know correctly, there¡¯s five months in a year, so... three and a half years? Is that how long I was in Purgatory? And then there¡¯s that. ¡°Champion of the Dark God?¡± What the heck? All I did was make a deal! In any case, I refuse to be his champion! ¡°Hey, what about yours, whitey?¡± Oh, crap. If anyone sees this... ¡°Hey, let me see!¡± Shite! I gotta do something! < Request confirmed. Applying changes to subnex ID... > I hold my breath as Latasha snatches the card from my hand. I wait to see her reaction, but she¡¯s saying nothing. She mentioned something about a holy saint... is she acquainted? Don¡¯t tell me... is she going to report me to the church?! ¡° ¡®Fay¡¯, huh...¡± Eh...?
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ©¦7©¦ ©¦64%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ©¦78©¦/
Name Fay
Species Human
Gender Female
Age 17 years old
Titles Indelible Survivor
Mana Affinity
Mana Pool
It... It worked! Thank you, Nexy! You¡¯re as helpful as always! < ¡°Thank you¡± is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. Please restate your request. > Heh, as reserved as always, aren¡¯t you. ¡°Latasha, I want to see, too...¡± ¡°Ah, here.¡± As Farica looks at my card, a warm smile forms on her face. ¡°So it¡¯s Fay....¡± Ah, well... It was the only name I could think of, to be honest. ¡°What¡¯s with that? It suits you so much!¡± Latasha said that cheerfully, but it feels like she¡¯s forcing it. Somehow, she seems a little sad? I wonder if there¡¯s still something wrong with my status. ¡°Eh..? Why is her mana blank too?¡± (Farica) ¡°That¡¯s because you have to get tested for it. It¡¯s really expensive, though, so most commoners wouldn¡¯t probably take the test if it¡¯s not worth it.¡± (Latasha) ¡°Oh, she has a title! Both me and miss Farica only has the four above it.¡± (Kaelyn) ¡°Ah, yeah... it¡¯s only name, species, gender, and age.¡± (Farica) Hmm? That¡¯s weird. The vim and pull rate... ah, they¡¯re not from the subnex. Could it be that they can¡¯t see it, then? ¡°Excuse me, lassies,¡± a growl said from the doorway. ¡°Oh, bruin, You need something?¡± ¡°Someone came for you, said his name¡¯s Yacob. Is he the one you¡¯re waiting for?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, that¡¯s him.¡± ¡°And also, miss Kaelyn. A couple came for you. They¡¯re claiming to be your parents.¡± In reaction, instead of looking happy, Kaelyn seems terrified instead. ¡°M?My parents...?¡± ¡°Yes. Someone from the force contacted them and told them that you¡¯re here. You don¡¯t have to meet them, though.¡± I can see her being flustered over this. Could it be what I¡¯m thinking? ¡°Eh? Why wouldn¡¯t she meet them?¡± (Farica) ¡°You said you weren¡¯t kidnapped... ruddy, you...¡± (Latasha) ¡°I... I wasn¡¯t,¡± Kaelyn answered, stammering on her words. ¡°I wasn¡¯t kidnapped, I... I was...¡± ¡°...Sold?¡± ¡°...Yes...¡± Ah, so it really was that. ¡°...Why aren¡¯t her parents arrested, bruin?¡± Latasha asked with a cold voice. ¡°They claimed that she was kidnapped and denied any involvement with the slavers. The investigation is ongoing, but now they¡¯re pushing their right of custody to get their daughter back.¡± ¡°But... she doesn¡¯t have to?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right,¡± the chief replied as he points at the card in Kaelyn¡¯s hand. ¡°Your status card means you have the right to choose your own future. Of course, it all depends on whether she wants to go back or not.¡± The room goes silent as we all looked at Kaelyn. I can clearly see that the girl in question is troubled with the decision. Who wouldn¡¯t? I don¡¯t even know what¡¯s worse. To have your loved ones killed and then kidnapped to become a slave, or to be sold as a slave by them? And then, for the same people to come pick her up after she was rescued is just... well, weird. ¡°We can have them leave if you want, or you can leave with them,¡± ¡°I... I want to stay,¡± she replied as she looked up at the chief. ¡°I want to be drifter.¡± ¡°...Are you sure? To fight beasts and protect people, it¡¯s a harsh job even for men...¡± ¡°I... I¡¯m sure!¡± Kaelyn said adamantly, her eyes burning with determination. ¡°...I see. I was told it might come to this based on your interview... Very well then. You¡¯ll start at F-rank and do small jobs while Hork trains you. Is that okay?¡± ¡°Y?Yes! Thank you!¡± ¡°As for the others... miss Farica, you said you want to be a healer?¡± ¡°Ah, yes...¡± Farica replied. ¡°Rips said he¡¯s willing to take you as his apprentice.¡± ¡°Really? I... I¡¯d love to!¡± ¡°Oh, he¡¯s the guy who examined you, by the way.¡± ¡°EH?!¡± The chief laughs at her reaction. ¡°Don¡¯t be like that, little one. I know he¡¯s a bit off, but he kind of grows on you over time. Take it from me, but he¡¯s a damn good healer too. I¡¯m sure you¡¯re in good hands with him as your trainer.¡± ¡°That doesn¡¯t sound convincing when you guys call him ¡®Rips¡¯,¡± Latasha remarked, inciting another laugh from the chief. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± he replied, mimicking the creepy physician. ¡°Oh, god....¡± (Farica) ¡°Now, for miss Aira...¡± ¡°Y?Yes?¡± The luphaen voiced out in a small voice. She¡¯d been silent this whole time, sticking to her own corner. ¡°The commissioner himself offered you a position in our administration. There¡¯ll be people to train you in management and human relations. It¡¯ll be hard at first, but you can go at your own pace.¡± ¡°Yes... thank you...¡± She answered in a barely audible voice. Finally, the chief turns towards me and I know it¡¯s my turn to know my fate here. ¡°Now then, as for you, little magus...¡± ¡°Fay!¡± Farica interjected him. ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Her name is Fay.¡± ¡°I see... well, miss Fay, there¡¯s talk about getting you a mentor in magic. Of course, magi always sell their services high, so we had a discussion last night.¡± ¡°And...?¡± (Latasha) ¡°Well, in the middle of it, Sallis came in and elected himself. He said he wants to start tomorrow.¡± ¡°Eh? creepo did?¡± ¡°Aye. That creepo is a primage graduate of the Vikorian Institute and is a well-respected member of the Zef. Normally, his price is sky-high, but he said he even got an arrangement from his society to train her, free of charge.¡± ¡°But why would he do that?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, lassie. But one thing I know is that magi never do things for charity, not really. They always have something going on in their little heads and in this case, I suspect they intend to have the little miss join their society.¡± After explaining that, the chief turns towards me. ¡°That said, it¡¯s your choice. Sallis said that he¡¯ll be assessing you for further mentoring. If you pass, you¡¯ll be trained to be a certified magus.¡± Ah... isn¡¯t this it? If I become a magus, I will able to defend myself without relying on anyone else. Besides, I¡¯ll also be able to learn a few things about my objective... well, there¡¯s one problem, though. ¡°Latasha, is it okay? I mean, with how she can¡¯t read...¡± (Farica) ¡°What¡¯s that? She can¡¯t read?¡± (Chief) Whoa, he heard that? Avlarks and their hearings... ¡°If that¡¯s true, then it¡¯s certainly a proble?¡± ¡°It won¡¯t be a problem!¡± Latasha said, her voice bordering on shouting before continuing on, ¡°true, she can¡¯t read, she can¡¯t write, and heck, she can¡¯t even speak. Yet she¡¯s still capable of what she did, didn¡¯t she?¡± ¡°I... suppose that¡¯s true... but if she can¡¯t speak and write, then it would make all the more tricky. I¡¯m not sure Sallis would want to?¡± ¡°Oh, come on. You said he¡¯s a primage graduate. He should figure it out.¡± In reaction, the chief only stared at her wide-eyed in silence before suddenly bursting out in a big laughter. ¡°Hahahah! Well said, lass! Let him figure it out, and if he won¡¯t take you in, it¡¯s his loss!¡± Putting his hand on my shoulder, I can see a new vigor in his eyes as he says to us, ¡°You go, lass. Go and prove yourselves and make anyone who wronged you regret their decisions. Go, and don¡¯t let the world¡¯s sufferings bog you down. I remember, the commander once said?¡± ¡°Yeah, we got it, chief. Anyway, I have to go and meet the guy now,¡± Latasha said, cutting the chief off in the middle of his pep talk. ¡°Are you going to leave..?¡± (Farica) ¡°Eh?! Already?¡± (Kaelyn) ¡°Well, maybe. Maybe not right away. I¡¯ve got to get home before... err.. before my parents start worrying for me.¡± ¡°Oh...¡± We left the infirmary after that, leaving the chief behind. I wonder if he still had something to say... The foyer is busy like it was yesterday. Some people greets us with hearty smiles, but most don¡¯t even notice the five girls walking through the busy hall. ¡°Mistre?I mean, Latasha!¡± Some guy shouted at her. It was a man in a suit sitting on one of the table sets, now running over to us. ¡°Yacob. You got here faster than I thought.¡± ¡°I was in the area when I got word from your uncle. Oh my, greetings, miladies,¡± He said after noticing the rest of us as he does a small gentlemanly bow. ¡°Who is he, her boyfriend...?¡± Kaelyn whispered to us. ¡°How soon can we depart?¡± ¡°The carriage is ready at your word.¡± ¡°Oh... I see...¡± Latasha looks slightly disappointed for some reason. She may have wanted to spend more time with us. ¡°Kaely..? Is that you?¡± A woman¡¯s voice came from the entrance. I look there and see a red-haired woman with a man who¡¯s probably her husband. ¡°Oh my, it is you! We¡¯ve been searching for you. Come now, sweetheart. Let¡¯s go home.¡± The woman has a soothing voice and like her daughter, she¡¯s really nice to look at. Even so, her words don¡¯t reach the eyes. In reaction, Kaelyn quickly hides behind me. ¡°Kaely, dear...? Why are you hiding behind that suspicious person?¡± ¡°She... She¡¯s not suspicious!¡± Umm... I kinda am, with the hood and all. ¡°Kaely, come on... your brothers are waiting for you...¡± ¡°No!¡± Just as the woman is about to reach for her, Latasha steps in her way. I can see the woman¡¯s brows furrowing as she glares at her. ¡°Who are you? Why are you getting in my way?¡± ¡°Who are you? What makes you think she¡¯d do as you tell her?¡± ¡°I¡¯m her mother!¡± ¡°A mother doesn¡¯t sell her children to slavers.¡± ¡°That¡¯s... That¡¯s not true!¡± As they argue, I look behind me at the girl in question. The trembling, unconscious grasping, and dilated pupils... I¡¯ve had my share of terrifying experiences and from that, I know that what¡¯s happening to her right now can¡¯t be faked. She¡¯s afraid of her own mother. ¡°That¡¯s enough! She¡¯s my daughter! I have every right!¡± ¡°Mistress!¡± I see Yacob rushing in as the woman raises her hand, but at the last moment, Latasha stops him and takes the hit as the sound of the slap reverberates through the hall. Judging from the sound of it, it was a perfectly placed slap on the face. ¡°Latasha!¡± (Farica) ¡°It¡¯s your own fault, brat. You simply don¡¯t get between a mother and her daughter, your hear me? For now, I¡¯ll let you off, but yo?¡± The woman stops when Latasha shows her something in her hand. A... status card? ¡°This is who I am.¡± ¡°What....¡± ¡°Now if you don¡¯t want to be erased, never go near your daughter again, ever. If you understand, don¡¯t say a word. Just leave. Now.¡± The woman fidgets in place, her eyes darting around as her mind tries to process it all. In the end, she turns her back and darts out the entrance, dragging her husband with her. ¡°....Eh?¡± Kaelyn blurted out from behind me, probably confused on why her mother just left in fear. ¡°...I thought you lost it,¡± Farica said to her. ¡°I did. I got it made this morning, you see.¡± She turns at us with a smile on her face, disregarding the red mark on her cheek. ¡°Latasha... your cheek...¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing, wuss,¡± She replied, strangely glancing at me as she did so. ¡°Why... why did she leave? What did you show her?¡± (Kaelyn) ¡°Oh... just this.¡±
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ©¦19©¦ ©¦76%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ©¦14©¦/72
Name Latasha Ardent
Species Human
Gender Female
Age 18 years old
Titles House Ardent Heir Apparent
Mana Affinity Medium ¨C Water
Mana Pool 14
¡°That¡¯s... you¡¯re... ¡°Sorry for hiding it. I didn¡¯t want for you guys to start treating me differently. Oh, these two already know, though.¡± We stand there in silence for awhile. I look to the side and notice that the commotion has attracted some attention, and now some people are walking towards us. ¡°Oh, crap. They¡¯ll be asking questions... err, so, I need to go now. You all be good, okay?¡± Then, just as Latasha is about to leave, Kaelyn runs up to her and hugs her from behind. ¡°Hey, what...¡± ¡°Miss Latasha...¡± I can¡¯t see her face, but there¡¯s some audible sobbings. ¡°Thank you for everything...¡± ¡°Ah, yeah, but please let me go. Oi, wuss, help me out!¡± Farica walks up to them, but instead of separating them, she just hugs her from the front. ¡°Wha... you too?! Whitey, can you just...¡± Uh-huh. I look behind me and see Aira just standing there awkwardly. I smile at her as I offer my hand to the luphaen. ¡°Umm... miss Fay?¡± Come on. Grabbing her hand, I take her and we both join the group hug. ¡°Whitey, you numbcod...!¡± All of a sudden, I hear people clapping their hands around us. Oh, right. We were in the middle of the busy hall... Huh? Wha... there¡¯s another person joining in. No... it¡¯s a bear? ¡°BRUIN, WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?!¡± ¡°Oh, hey! Let me join in!¡± ¡°Me too!¡± Then, more and more guys rushed in, all of them the drifters that rescued us. In the end, we¡¯re trapped in the middle of a giant group hug, made up of a dozen sweaty, burly men and one big bear. ¡°This is harassment!¡± I hear Latasha shouting, but her voice is easily drowned in the excitement. This is touching and all... but, chief... please... I can¡¯t breathe.... ..... .......... We stand in front of the guild building as we watch her go inside the carriage. Even now, Kaelyn is still sobbing beside me. Makes me wonder how much tears a human has. I know for a fact that they run out at some point. ¡°Latasha...¡± ¡°Yeah, wuss?¡± ¡°Umm... take care.¡± Latasha just smiles at us, not the sarcastic smile she usually does, but a genuine, warm smile. It¡¯s only there for a second though, like a mirage. ¡°Hey, wuss. You¡¯re going to be dealing with blood and stuff, you know. Stop being a wuss, got that, wuss?¡± ¡°I know that!¡± ¡°And ruddy. You¡¯re even more of a wuss than wuss herself. You think you can take on a beast like that?¡± ¡°I?I¡¯m sorry!¡± ¡°And you, wolfie. I can barely hear your voice. How can you take care of other people when you can¡¯t even sound your voice out like an adult?¡± ¡°I... understand....¡± I think her voice is slightly better this time, but now that we¡¯re outside, it¡¯s even less detectable than before. Now looking at me, I expect Latasha to say something to me like she did to the others. She opens her mouth, about to say something, but stops herself in the end. ¡°...Take care, you all.¡± With a wave of her hand, the coach whips his rope and the fancy-looking carriage starts moving away. ¡°There she goes...¡± A rumbling growl came behind us and I see a looming mountain of fur blocking the sun for us. ¡°Did you also know, chief?¡± Kaelyn asked him. ¡°Aye. We said nothing because her safety was paramount at the time. Even now, it¡¯s best if we keep silent about this, else someone who wants her hurt might hear about it.¡± ¡°I get it... I just wished that she¡¯d told the rest of us. Don¡¯t you think so, Ai?¡± ¡°E..h? Oh, umm...¡± ¡°Hahah, but it sure was a storm! The cardinals only abide by the sovereign¡¯s words, you know. It¡¯s hard to imagine that someone like her just spent a night in our little guild.¡± ¡°Little, you say,¡± Farica remarked. I look towards the road again, but the carriage is now gone in the midst of the busy road. Latasha Ardent... Until the very end, she had that mask on with us. It¡¯s a bit sad, somehow. I feel like she¡¯d been forcing herself from the start with the noble act, and that¡¯s probably why I couldn¡¯t see her like that. She was good, really, as if she trained herself from a young age. If I didn¡¯t have experience in reading lies, I wouldn¡¯t have even noticed. Wherever she¡¯s going, I just hope she¡¯ll find someone to whom she can be open to. Now then, I still have my own problems to deal with. First off is... find a way to communicate. Yeah, that¡¯s the most important thing, I suppose. === === === --- --- --- === === === ¡°Mistress...?¡± ¡°What is it?¡± I answered the servant who¡¯s sitting opposite of me. I can tell from his face that he¡¯s worried, but that¡¯s what got me annoyed instead. ¡°Shall I find a healer for you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m fine, Yacob.¡± ¡°Were you hurt anywhere? During the time you were captured, did they do anything to yo?¡± ¡°I said I¡¯m fine.¡± I dismissed him rather heartlessly. Sorry, but I¡¯m not really in the mood right now. I just want to get home quickly. The ¡°trip¡± this time has been unbelieveable. I mean, to think I almost got enslaved by a bunch of low-lives... And now, I finally get to go home. Even so, the thought of having to continue with my daily life is just plain depressing. Maybe I can get a couple of days off? A week, maybe... A week of just laying there in my bed, reading my books. No, not all those science and history books. They¡¯re just a bunch of boring facts bind together. I meant real books, like this one I¡¯m holding, the one those two used to learn reading. Tales of heroic journeys, tales of heartwarming love, stuff like that. I especially like the ones that provokes your imagination, like that one about a hero blessed with the blood of dragon and then using his powers to defeat the evil dragon who wanted to eat the world. Yeah, that one was good... Of course, all those things are considered improper for the heir of House Ardent. I know it¡¯s selfish of me, but sometimes I think I¡¯m unlucky to have been born in this household. Because, well... the truth is, I¡¯m not good with people, and I¡¯ve never been. It scares me what they think of me, and what my actions will do to change how they see me. I¡¯m also sentimental, you see. I cry quite easily, and it¡¯s a wonder no one saw me cry the whole time. I made sure to wipe off the marks so that no one knew, but... It¡¯s kind of sad, really. All I ever wanted is to cave myself in my bedroom and read all year long, but the fact is... I¡¯m the heir. I have a responsibility to my family, and the people who work for the honor of my house. I also have an image to maintain in order for people not to look down on us. And that was how this version of Latasha was born. The girl who looks down on others, who does what she wants and doesn¡¯t even bother looking at commoners. This face that I made was probably inspired by uncle, and it had been working quite well... until now. I, who¡¯s always been scared of people, actually stepped up in order to protect someone else. Even now, I still can¡¯t believe what I did. The events of these past month changed something in me. I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s for the better or not, but... yeah, something definitely changed. ¡°...What is it, Yacob?¡± I said to him because he was staring at me weirdly for a while now. ¡°Ah, it¡¯s nothing... it¡¯s just that.. you¡¯ve changed.¡± I know that. ¡°Nonsense.¡± ¡°It¡¯s true, though. To think that you would ever stand up for the people you once called ¡°plebies¡±...¡± ¡°Shut up, Yacob.¡± Certainly, the people I¡¯ve met, the hardships I¡¯ve seen... they all made me realize the reality of the world, and all of a sudden, I feel like I¡¯m not that that scared of people anymore. For the first time, I felt the need to protect someone. Farica, Kaelyn, Aira, and also... her. She was unlike anyone I¡¯ve ever met. She never said a word, but... I don¡¯t know how to explain it. Like when she looks at you, her eyes just seem to reel you in and all of a sudden, you¡¯d find yourself unable to look away. And then you¡¯d feel like she spoke to you, directly to your soul... or something like that. And then when I saw her body, I... I was seriously about to tear up then and there. The terrible things she¡¯d gone through, the things she was probably forced to do, I... I can¡¯t imagine it. I don¡¯t want to imagine it... Fay.... I hope we¡¯ll meet again, someday... maybe she¡¯ll be a magus, and I¡¯ll be the head of the house. Maybe I can hire her to be my court magus. Yeah, that¡¯ll be good... ¡°...Hmm?¡± Wait, where are we going? ¡°Oy, Yacob. This isn¡¯t the road home. The district is to the southwest.¡± ¡°I¡¯m terribly sorry, mistress... your uncle said for me to take you to the Azure Palace. You see, he told this kingdom¡¯s king that you¡¯re here and now they want to greet you while you¡¯re in the country. There will be a fancy banquet and all to welcome you.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pass on that. Send word and some fancy gifts. Say I¡¯m not well or something, I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°Ah, well... that¡¯s what Lord Tevan thought you would say. He also said that there¡¯ll be someone there at the palace. The reason you came here, was what he said.¡± ¡°......Ah.¡± So uncle knew, huh... well, what did I expect? He knows everything, especially if it concerns me. I had given up on meeting that person long ago, but looks like I¡¯ll be meeting him, after all... ¡°Redrik Vane...¡± I blurted out absentmindedly as I stare at the evening sky, layered with a shade of crimson as the sky descends behind the mountain ranges. ¡°I guess I¡¯ll go meet the king for a bit. What¡¯s his name again?¡± ¡°Qwarius the Third, King of Lephander and Arch-treasurer of the Forholds. I think it¡¯s best if you remember him, mistress...¡± ¡°Whatever. He¡¯s just one of Redrik¡¯s puppets, anyway.¡± ¡°Mistress!¡± At least that¡¯s what uncle said. ¡°Oh, and Yacob. About all this... if they knew...¡± ¡°I know. ¡®Field trip¡¯, right?¡± ¡°Yes... thanks, Yacob.¡± Well then, it seems that my journey isn¡¯t over yet. ......... ¡°Yacob, if you keep looking at me like that, I¡¯ll have to retract what I just said.¡± ¡°Eh? No, please don¡¯t!¡± Indeed, I can¡¯t recall any time I¡¯ve ever thanked him and I feel kind of bad now, considering all the trouble he¡¯s gone through just to get me back safely. So yeah, I thanked him. Just this once. ¡°That smile, though....¡± ...Aagh! This guy... I may have raised the corners of my mouth a little when I said thanks to him, but why is he giggling happily like a girl now! ¡°Here, have a foot, courtesy of a cardinal lady, you fucking codtard.¡± ¡°Aah, I miss this mistress as well...¡± Ugh... Now I remember why I never thanked him... Chapter 17 : Becoming A Magus Chapter 17 Becoming A Magus We walk under the morning light, moving through the busy streets swiftly like a shadow. Too swiftly, perhaps, as I have to lope at his side if I don¡¯t want to get left behind. He doesn¡¯t seem worried about it, though. ¡°...This way,¡± I heard his voice through the crowd. Luckily, people tend to avoid us, so bumping into another person is not a likely occurrence. I¡¯m guessing it has something to do with how we¡¯re dressed; two hooded figures in the morning rays do seem a bit sketchy, especially when one of them has a magic staff in hand. After a bit of a walk, we arrive at an even more crowded area, with adjoining buildings of at least two-stories high chained at every side of the road. One of them is our destination; a building with a large plate above the entrance saying ¡°Far...something, ass... associ..¡±? Some kind of governmental association, I think. Is this the place? We enter the building and I take a breath of relief when I note that it¡¯s far less cramped inside. ¡°May I help you?¡± a woman in a dark uniform asked us. ¡°...Appraisal. Her,¡± Sallis answered as he nodded at me. After that, the woman says something to another person behind the reception window. We wait for a bit before the woman comes back after going through some files. ¡°We have a room available at twelve o¡¯clock. Would you like to wait?¡± ¡°No, private test.¡± ¡°Right, then I will need your magus credentials...¡± After rummaging through the folds of his robe, Sallis hands her a status card and the woman gives it a quick glance. ¡°Fifth-sphere... Eh? Zef?!¡± ¡°...Are you done?¡± ¡°Ah, yes! Right this way, please,¡± the woman replied, quickly switching back to her business persona, though some people have already stopped and looked at our way after her sudden outburst. She also made some kind of weird eye contact with the guy behind the window, probably asking him to inform someone about us. The woman leads us up to the second floor and then further into a rather quiet hallway. Antique wooden doors are lined up on one side, basking in the sunlight coming in from the opposite windows. We enter one of the rooms and the inside is... surprisingly bland. There¡¯s nothing in the square room except for a single pedestal in the middle and the object on top of it. Some kind of glass sphere? ¡°Then I will leave you to it. If you need anything, please use the switch on the side of the door and someone will come to assist you.¡± The woman leaves rather hurriedly after that. As soon as the door is closed, all sound from outside is cut off and the room falls into complete silence. Is this a soundproof room? I can¡¯t see any vent or the kind. Judging by the size of the room and the distance between the doors back in the hall, the walls are rather thick as well. While I¡¯m still figuring out what to do, Sallis nudges me on towards the pedestal. I just stand there, looking at my reflection on the glass, not knowing what to do. Uh... I look at him to show my cluelessness. ¡°Card. Insert it to the slot.¡± Sallis points at a little opening on the pedestal. I take out my card and put it into the slot, finding a perfect fit. ¡°Mana. Pour inside.¡± Pour mana into the glass orb. Right, then. I take a deep breath as I close my eyes, letting my consciousness slip away from the plane. Soon enough, I am able to feel the mana around me. I reach out to them with my mind, letting them flow into me so that I can have a better control. I sense them swirling around my body, going around the arms and towards my hand as I raise it at the glass orb. The mana flows over from my fingers and the orb seems to suck it in. ¡°...Good control,¡± I heard Sallis commenting behind me. After only a few moments, the glass ball¡¯s appearance seems to change as now I can no longer see my own reflection. There¡¯s a humming sound coming from it, like it¡¯s vibrating, somehow. The vibrations are becoming stronger by the second, moving along the length of the pedestal down into the floor, spreading across the room. I can feel heat coming out from the object, quickly spreading as it raises the room¡¯s temperature. The formerly quiet room is now filled with a resonant, rumbling noise as it vibrates along with the glass. Then, suddenly, the heat from the ball abruptly intensifies and I pull my hand away, just as a crack appears with a loud ring. ¡°Get back.¡± I feel a hand pulling me back, the same time as the sphere shatters explosively with a loud bang, large pieces of it now laying on the floor around the pedestal. ...Uh-oh. I look at Sallis¡¯ face, and plastered on his face is an annoying, knowing smile, as if he knew that was going to happen. Without saying anything, he presses the switch on the side of the door and a few moments later, the door swings open and a man steps in. ¡°Is there anything you need help with?¡± Sallis just stays quiet, letting the man look inside the room and decide for himself. ¡°Oh, uh... I¡¯ll get a three-five tester for you. Please wait for a moment.¡± We did so, after which the man comes back with a new glass orb that¡¯s nearly twice as big, around as large as my head. He ignores the pieces of glass lying on the floor as he approaches the pedestal, brushing some fragments off before placing the new orb and leaves the room. I do the same thing as earlier, though this time, the heat and vibration build up is comparably slower than before. It¡¯s only after a few minutes later that cracks starts appearing on its surface. I¡¯m ready this time, though, taking a few steps back as the orb detonates violently, more so than before. I look at Sallis again, expecting to find him smiling yet again. Instead, his face is frozen, his lips shut tight while his eyes are wide open, switching their targets between me and the shattered orb. With a staggered movement, he flips the switch again and the man enters almost immediately. His face makes the same expression Sallis made a moment ago as he stands there for a couple of seconds, before a tap of Sallis¡¯ staff on the floor snaps him awake. ¡°...I¡¯ll be right back,¡± he said as he rushes out the door. Meanwhile, I let out a stressful sigh. How many times will this happen? I mean, I¡¯m glad we don¡¯t have to pay for the broken orbs, but I don¡¯t particularly enjoy the time I wait alone with this guy. Another awkward moment of waiting in silence before a different, older man with a different uniform finally comes back with a new orb in hand. This time, it¡¯s much smaller, even smaller than the first one. It also seems to be made up of a different material, with a pitch black surface rather than the glass-like. He carefully places the orb on the pedestal and I try the process again, but am stopped by Sallis before that. Then I realize that the man is still in the room, watching my movements curiously. Me and Sallis both just stare at him. ¡°Oh, right... I¡¯ll be outside if you... something,¡± he said before leaving us alone, closing the door behind him. Then I continue on to repeat the process. The build up this time is drawn out, the heat intensifying gradiently, with no noticeable changes after fifteen minutes or so. Then I hear a click from the pedestal, and I turn to look at the source. Faster than I can react, something flies out towards my face. Wah! *thud* What the heck was that?! Sprawled on the floor, I hold my forehead in pain. I look at the object, which turns out to be my card. Instead of the usual dark colour, it¡¯s now a glowing bright red, as if it was just heating up in a furnace. There¡¯s smoke coming out of it too... ...I guess I¡¯m not touching it for awhile. ...Huh? Oi, what are you... I look at Sallis dumbfounded as he picks up the card with his bare hands, looks at it for a bit, then hands it over to me. ¡°Here.¡± ...You¡¯re kidding, right. Nope. Not touching that. ¡°Heat insulation. You did it, in the Dread.¡± Still not touching it. I might be able to do the same thing, but... nope. Maybe later when the risk is a little less than extreme blisters on the skin. ¡°Heat transfer,¡± Sallis said as he makes small waving movements with his hands. Following that, I can see the air around the card distorting as the heat flows out, bit by bit. I follow the heat waves with my eyes and notice it being absorbed by something on Sallis¡¯ chest. A... gem of some sort. A dark coloured gem he¡¯s wearing as a necklet. I notice it glowing slightly as the heat wave is absorbed, and now the colour is slightly brighter than before. Sallis notices my stare and comments on it, ¡°mana stone. Will teach you about it later.¡± I observe as the red of the status card slowly disappears, revealing the characters written on it.
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ©¦7©¦ ©¦63%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ©¦79©¦/
Name Fay
Species Human
Gender Female
Age 17 years old
Titles Indelible Survivor
Mana Affinity The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. High ¨C
Mana Pool ©¦79©¦
¡°....Intriguing.¡± What part? ¡°We¡¯re done here.¡± With that, Sallis turns and goes out the room, only to have the man from earlier standing in the doorway. Setting his sight on us, a big smile forms on his face as he greets us, ¡°greetings, Magus Sallis. I apologize for not having introduced myself earlier. My name is?¡± ¡°Busy. Can¡¯t talk.¡± Without as much as a glance, he nips on over towards the staircase. I quickly scuttle over to his side when the unintroduced man speaks out, ¡°Wait! I¡¯m the head of the Fallake Association! If you would just spare a minute?¡± ¡°No time. Got an apprentice to teach.¡± The man then darts to block our way again, the smile on his face even more forced than before. ¡°Now, now... we just need a few information for administration. I just thought that it¡¯s unusual for Zef magi to use testers other than their own. I¡¯m also eager to be acquainted with this apprentice of yours. What was the result? Just for the sake of curiosity...¡± Sallis reacts by narrowing his eyes while sighing in an annoyed manner. ¡°We all know what killed the cat,¡± he said as he sidesteps the man and continues downstairs. Behind us, I can hear the man saying in an indignant voice, ¡°What arrogance! Just because you¡¯re a fifth-sphere from Zef, doesn¡¯t mean you can just ignore us!¡± Even as we walk way, the man follows us while spouting angry remarks, making everyone we come across to turn their heads, whispering on what it is about. ¡°Sir! You haven¡¯t paid for the tests,¡± a woman said, just as we¡¯re about to go out the building. Sallis sighs in annoyance as he turns around to face both her and the loud man. ¡°How much?¡± ¡°The tests are twelve, twenty, and fifty-five treslings for each of the levels. Also, we oblige you to pay for the broken testers, which are five and fifteen regils each. The sum is... twenty-four regils and seven treslings.¡± So we have to pay for the broken stuff, after all... Beside me, Sallis rummages the hidden pockets inside his robe, taking his time with it while everyone in the room just watches us quietly. Without taking out anything, he then looks at me and says, ¡°...Do you have any money?¡± ...What? The angry man now has a sneer on his face. ¡°Someone call the city watch.¡± --- --- --- ¡°A magus of Zef, is it...¡± the officer said as he sits on the chair opposite of us, his narrow eyes watching every detail on our persons. I instinctively drew the tip of my hood lower, which drew a scornful click of his tongue. The man himself is wearing what I presume to be a city watch uniform, probably a senior officer¡¯s, judging from the pistol at his hip. ¡°Now then,¡± he said as he puts his helmet down on the table, revealing his perfectly bald head before he continues, ¡°why in the world would you refuse to pay?¡± ¡°...No money.¡± ¡°I¡¯m no vazey, wise-nose. You magi always have a stash or treasure you can sell, especially those of the Zef. Elaborate for me how you came to have ¡®no money¡¯.¡± Sallis takes a deep breath whilst answering his opponent¡¯s glare. ¡°Coin purse. Forgot.¡± ¡°So your forgot your money. That¡¯s different than no money, you git.¡± The man sighs in vexation as he lays his back on the chair, still watching us curiously. I don¡¯t really understand the exchange, but the bottom line is that he forgot to take his coins with him. Sallis had sent word to the guild earlier, so this problem will solve itself in time. Meanwhile, we¡¯ll just have to wait in this dark interrogation room, just staring at each other. However, his stare feels like it¡¯s becoming more and more curious at us. At me, to be exact. ¡°You there. Why are you hiding your face?¡± Umm... ¡°What¡¯s wrong? Cat got your tongue?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t speak.¡± ¡°Oh? Why, too scared? Hah. Don¡¯t worry, kid. I don¡¯t bite, not unless you murdered someone in this city.¡± Huh... ¡°So you¡¯re a girl. Rats, can¡¯t even tell with that blasted hood. Why hide your face? Fishy, if you ask me...¡± Well, that¡¯s... ¡°Come on, now. It¡¯s impolite to hide your face when you¡¯re being interrogated.¡± Seeing me not doing as he said, he stands up and heads over to me. Ah, crap... I¡¯ll make more trouble if I resist, and Sallis is saying nothing to help me. Call me paranoid, but the more people see me, the more likely the church will find me. With a flip of his hand, he pulls my hood off, revealing my face to him. Then he just stands there, his eyes locked to me with his lips slightly parted. His eyes seems unfocused, and from all that, I know that it¡¯s his first time seeing an albi? a faean like me. A few awkward seconds with his gaze on me before Sallis snaps his fingers and the officer blinks awake from his daze. ¡°Oh, uhm... *cough* err, right.¡± We continue to wait in silence, all the while the officer keeps stealing glances at me. Everytime I try to pull my hood on, he would glare at me threateningly, so I decide not to. A few moments later, the door opens and a hairy giant walks in. ¡°Morning, officer. I came here for them.¡± --- --- --- By the time we got back to the guild, the sky is dyed orange and the hectic period is over. I guess I won¡¯t be starting magic training today, all because a certain person forgot his coin purse. ¡°Hahah! For a renowned magus, you don¡¯t act your part! Oh, and by the way, twenty regils is a bloody lot for one teensy test. What happened there?¡± Instead of answering him directly, Sallis just looks at me. ¡°You can ask her.¡± ¡°Huh?¡± Making sense of what he meant, I think about it for a second. The way Sallis acted back then was as if my results are better left with not many people knowing. Then again, chief also knows about my matter with the demon, so it¡¯s okay if it¡¯s him, I guess. Thinking like that, I show the chief my card. Upon reading it, his jaw drops for a second, before he bursts into his trademark laughter. ¡°Hahahah! I¡¯ve seen a lot of things in, but this little one doesn¡¯t seem to run out of surprises, doesn''t she!¡± ¡°..We¡¯ll start tomorrow,¡± Sallis said without even looking at me, walking away into the building. I wonder... if I compare my stats to his, I should be able to know what they were being excited about. Nexy, identify. < Identifying... > < Identification successful > < Error : restrictions in place >
< NXId >
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ©¦21©¦ ©¦88%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ©¦70©¦/131
Name Sallis Tearfether
Appellations Firemonger
Species Human
Age 28
< ERROR : NXId access restricted >
< Subnex >
Name Sallis Tearfether
Titles Firemonger
Species Human
Age 28
Gender Male
Mana Affinity High ¨C Fire, Low - Light
Mana Pool ©¦70©¦
Skills Magus ¨C [Pyromancer ©¦5©¦, Photomancer ©¦3©¦]
Affiliations Zest-Flamel Society of Magic
Oh... there¡¯s some new stuff too. Did it not appear on the girls¡¯ cards because they were no data yet? Anyway, let¡¯s compare it to my status card.
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ©¦7©¦ ©¦63%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ©¦79©¦/
Name Fay
Species Human
Gender Female
Age 17 years old
Titles Indelible Survivor
Mana Affinity High ¨C
Mana Pool ©¦79©¦
I think I¡¯ll just leave it at that for now. I¡¯m pretty worn out from all the waiting I did today.Right, so... I seem to have a slightly higher pull rate than him. There¡¯s also my affinity, which just says ¡°High¡±. Well, that¡¯s confusing. I¡¯m supposing it should include what element it¡¯s referring to, but it¡¯s just blank. Oh, and now that I look at it again, the number after my pull rate is also missing. I wonder why? ..... .......... I decide to take a little walk around the guild. As I went, drifters would greet me as they all seem to know who I am¡ªFay, one of the four girls that stayed. Fortunately, no one¡¯s been curious enough to want to take a look at my face. Even if they are, I feel like there¡¯s some kind of misunderstanding that prevents them from asking. A series of shoutings pulls me away from my pondering, telling me that I¡¯m nearing the training fields. Yep, you read that right. Training fields. It was something I came across yesterday when they gave us the tour. There are two fields within the compound. One is used as a shooting range, while the other is for physical training and sparring. Other than that there¡¯s the large communal baths, one for each sex, and then the numerous rooms on the third and fourth floors. The second floor is mainly used for offices, while the first floor are for reception, infirmary, and guest lounges, as well as where the drifters take their missions. Anyway, enough about that. As I walk on the corridors surrounding the fields, I observe the people there training with their weapons. Most seem to use rapiers, but there¡¯s also some that use things like halberds and lances. Kaelyn¡¯s there too, her hair messy and her shirt drenched in sweat, somehow adding to her charm. She wields a single-handed spear, holding it under her arm as she slowly moves sideways against her large opponent. While her steps are clumsy, I can also see that she¡¯s somewhat trained at using staves. Within a single breath, she spins the spear in front of her, switching to both arms and then bringing it down from over her head. Hork, on the sharp end of the spear, simply catches it with the hilt of his sword and flings it back at her. ¡°Kyah!¡± a scream came as she falls on her hind. Okay... maybe not as trained as I thought. ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s some fancy moves, kiddo, but that won¡¯t help you. You ought to stop spinning your shaft so much. You¡¯ll be spearing beasts, not people!¡± ¡°Ugh...¡± She lay there on the ground for a while, taking her time getting back up. I saw her training this morning, so she must¡¯ve been at it for the whole day and is probably dead tired by now. I can see her legs wobbling as she gets up, using the spear to support herself. At that moment, our eyes meets and her expression perks up. With a bright grin on her face, she jumps up and down while waving at me, seemingly forgetting her exhaustion. That is, until a fist comes down on her head. ¡°What are you grinning at, twitty girl! Oh, and you¡¯re not allowed to have dinner until you¡¯ve fixed your footwork.¡± ¡°Eeeh!?¡± While watching them, I feel another pair of eyes on me. I look at the source and see Aira sitting on a bench inside the corridor. As soon as I look at her, she draws her eyes away, back to the redhead in the field. Finding that odd, I approach her to sit beside her. ¡°Miss Fay...¡± she greeted me as I sit beside her. Is everything alright? I ask her that because she seems rather out of it, like she¡¯s a little depressed somehow. ¡°I heard... that the magus is going to train you. Oh, and... I¡¯ve been doing well. Everyone¡¯s so kind to me, and they don¡¯t seem to mind me being a non-human. Yeah... I¡¯ll be alri¡ª¡° She choked on her last words and as she did, something in her eyes tells me that she¡¯s troubled by something. ¡°Actually... t?there¡¯s something, I... I want to t....¡± Her grip tightens on her thighs as she bit her lip, her gaze low and refusing to meet mine. ¡°...Sorry, it¡¯s... it¡¯s nothing...¡± Doesn¡¯t seem like it¡¯s nothing. ¡°...They say we were saved because it was part of their social responsibilities, but... do you think it¡¯s possible? To help other people without ulterior means?¡± She finally looks at me in the eye this time. Her expression tells me that she¡¯s asking this seriously, which makes me think about it for a while. Within my short experience of seventeen months, whether or not it¡¯s possible to help others without strings attached... To that question, I¡¯m going to have to say... no. there¡¯s no such person capable of such virtue, simply because it¡¯s not within our nature. Yeah, you call me pessimistic or whatever, but I¡¯m simply saying that from experience because no one I¡¯ve ever met... not even them had such magnanimity. ...No, I answered her. She somehow seems to understand, oddly smiling at my answer to that. Perhaps she¡¯s just tired from adapting to this new environment. If that¡¯s the case, then there¡¯s nothing to worry about. Besides, enough worrying about other people. I should start thinking about what to do from now on. Tomorrow, I will start practising magic with Sallis, and then the day after that too. Then what? I still haven¡¯t found a way to find information. Thalvos said I can make use of the nexus to read, but I¡¯m not sure how. I¡¯ll try it out when I get the chance. As for communication, it¡¯s a bit more complicated. For now, I might be able to try writing a few words and then use thought transference to help people understand my meaning. For now, the plan stays the same; get protection from the drifters while I confirm my own power. Depending on the result, I may or may not have to accept Luise¡¯s proposal. We¡¯ll see tomorrow... Chapter 18 : Our Nature Chapter 18 Our Nature I was still curious about Aira¡¯s behavior, so I went to check on her last night before bed, but she wasn¡¯t in her room. She and Farica might still be studying this late at night. Thinking that way, I went straight to bed. I was dreaming about something in my sleep. A dream about the deal with Thalvos, I think. I was somewhere dark, and he was there. Cheron and Grim were there too, just watching silently from the darkness. (Find that person.) I remember his face, pale as death and his eyes, darker than a moonless night. His voice was cold, as if he wasn''t speaking to me, but to something he sees ahead of him. As if he spoke to the future. (Find the True King.) I jolt awake when the door clicks opens, my body sweaty and my heart palpitating. My instincts jump in as I grab the candlestick on the bedside table, holding it like a hammer as I keep my eyes on the assailant. The door swings open, and standing there... is a hooded figure. ...Sallis? I blink my eyes a few times, pulling myself away from my daze. ¡°...Training field. Get your bearings.¡± You could¡¯ve knocked, I remarked at him as he closed the door, giving me time to change my clothes. Without even letting me bathe, he drags me off to the training field. Even though it¡¯s morning, the field is strangely empty, with the usual drifters hanging around in the corridors with their weapons. Why aren¡¯t they practising? ¡°Hey, Sallis. Emptied out the the field for your assessment or whatever,¡± the chief said as he walks out of the crowd. ¡°Thanks for the trouble.¡± ¡°Hahaha, these lot won¡¯t be getting stronger, anyways! I¡¯m just taking the necessary precautions, just in case something blows up. No offense, little magus.¡± Uh... okay. I understand how he thinks, but... is it really necessary to reserve the whole field for us? ¡°Come on,¡± Sallis said as he leads me to the center of the field. Looks like we¡¯re starting now, but... ¡°Look, it¡¯s her.¡± ¡°The chief thinks it¡¯s necessary to evacuate the field. Is she that powerful?¡± ¡°You bet that right. I¡¯ve seen it myself!¡± ¡°Hush, twitty girl.¡± People are crowding in the corridors, watching us expectantly, curious about the ¡°girl who blew stuff up.¡± Do I have to start like this? ¡°To start with, create a fireball and suspend it,¡± Sallis said to me, indifferent to the people watching us. Okay. I raise my hand and let the aether pull my mind adrift, gathering the air around me to form a firebulb above my palm before stepping away from it, letting it hover between us. I didn¡¯t have to do that, but it just feels cool. As the firebulb is formed, the crowds falls silence in anticipation. On the corner of my eye, I see chief walking back from the edge of the corridor, as if he¡¯s expecting the field to blow up or something. I¡¯m hurt, chief... ¡°Now, can you increase the intensity?¡±. As told, I increase the pressure and rate of combustion, letting the bulb burn hotter and brighter. Sallis stares at the bulb wide-eyed, even though he was the one who told me to do that. The bulb¡¯s starting to burn white when he stops me. ¡°...Next is aeromancy. Release the fireball¡¯s energy, contain the explosion with air magic.¡± Uh... what? If I release it now, we¡¯d be dead, you know. How am I supposed to contain it? Is he talking about some kind of barrier? Hmm... I think I can make a wall of dense air to absorb the shockwave... but how well would it do? And even if I do that, there¡¯s still the fuel that haven¡¯t burned off yet. Once I release the energy, the blast would spread the concentrated gases along with the flame, and they might just combust explosively. Maybe... if I can maintain a rotating column of air with enough kinetic energy, it would suck the flame in? ¡°Ready?¡± Eh... wha, wait! I see him raising his hand in slow motion, and from the movements of his mana, I know his intent. Within split-seconds, I create a spherical barrier around the bulb, and then start moving the air inside to form a wind funnel. The bulb is released and with a loud boom, the shockwave crashes against the barrier from the inside. The barrier breaks, and both me and Sallis are thrown back. Ow, ow, ow.... Crap... at least the force was reduced, somewhat... but it¡¯s not over yet. The flame is too intense, and that tiny swirl isn¡¯t enough! Quickly, I manipulate more air around me, moving them with increasing velocity while carefully keeping the flows inside the field. They catch the fire as they move through the bulb, the flame funneling through the wind like a fiery snake through a tunnel. Within seconds, we¡¯re surrounded by a giant whirlpool of flames. I can feel the heat on my skin as it moves violently, burning the ground beneath it before disappearing as suddenly as it had formed. I try to catch my breath as I glare at my ¡°mentor¡±. That person instead just smiles at me. What the heck? That was dangerous, you madfuck! ¡°Whoa...¡± ¡°What in the goddess¡¯ name...?¡± ¡°Miss Fay...! You were so cool~... See! I told you guys, you wouldn¡¯t believe me!¡± ¡°That¡¯s just crazy! She made a wall of fire!¡± No, I was... mitigating the damage. As silent as always, Sallis brushes past me as he says in a calm tone, ¡°come.¡± Eh? Are we done? Walking into the corridor, he ignores the people huddling by and walks straight towards the main building. ¡°Yo, Sallis. You¡¯re done?¡± I heard the chief asking. ¡°Yes. Will meet the commissioner now. Thanks for the trouble.¡± I follow him walk away, trying as best as I can to not pay mind to the stares boring into my back. Leaving the fields and into the main building, we go upstairs to the second floor, where it¡¯s already hectic this early in the morning. I look around to see if I can spot Aira, but no such luck, and she would probably be too occupied to notice me anyway, just as anyone here is too busy to mind us. We walk further beyond what I¡¯ve seen in the tour yesterday, the surroundings becoming more quiet and secluded. Shouldn¡¯t the boss be placed somewhere in the middle of it, though? Not long after, we¡¯ve reached the the office, marked by the large, wooden double doors with a golden plate beside it, which I can¡¯t read but most likely says ¡°commissioner''s office¡±. Sallis knocks on the door, something he didn¡¯t do when intruding on me, and a reply came from behind it, welcoming us in.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Why, if it isn¡¯t the magus,¡± Ichard greeted us as we walk in. I poke my head out from behind Sallis¡¯ back to look at the room. ¡°Oh, there¡¯s two of you!¡± He sits on the far side of the room, behind a large wooden office desk. Behind him are are wide windows that overlook the small park beside the guild, with the clear sky and large trees in view. In the middle of the room, sets of sofas are placed fancily like a lounge, with an intricately patterned carpet beneath. Also, the door on the side is most likely a private bedroom. If it''s like that, there''s probably a private bathroom, too. How fancy. ¡°How can I help you? Maybe you¡¯re done with your assessment? Haha, of course not.¡± ¡°I am done with the assessment.¡± ¡°...Hoh?¡± Getting up from his chair, he uses his hand to invite us to sit before he takes a place himself on the sofa opposite of us. ¡°And? Will you take her as an apprentice?¡± ¡°I will not.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± Eh? ¡°Why? Was her ability inadequate?¡± ¡°...No. I simply believe I am not competent enough to train her.¡± ¡°Not competent enough... I¡¯m sorry, but even if that¡¯s true, surely there¡¯s another magus who are able to...¡± ¡°None. No magi in the Zef will be able to teach her.¡± Hearing that, Ichard places his hand on the bridge of his nose, trying to process what Sallis just said. ¡°...Hooh... there¡¯s a lot to say about that, but since you seem so sure... but then, what would you say we do with her?¡± ¡°Inzhi, the arcanist, will stop by Tarnlake within a few days.¡± ¡°The geomancer...? You mean...¡± ¡°I believe that person has the interest and the capability to take her as an apprentice.¡± Ichard leans on the sofa after that, crossing his arms and narrowing his eyes at me. ¡°...Arcanist, ey...? You think she has the potential?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°I see... I won¡¯t doubt your judgement, but is that okay? Aren¡¯t the people from Zef expecting something from this? What will you tell them?¡± ¡°...That we would have their favor and good word.¡± ¡°Getting on the good side of one, possibly two arcanists, eh? I like the way you think. Alright, you¡¯ve convinced me. I will have someone inform the gates. Thank you, magus. You may leave now.¡± Sallis stands up from the sofa and turns to leave. Then, just as I am about to do the same, Ichard stops me. ¡°not you, lass.¡± As Sallis leaves the room, Ichard walks back to his desk, taking out a cigar from a silver case and lights it with a pistol-shaped lighter. He stands there, looking out the window, breathing out a puff of smoke as he speaks to me, ¡°Do you know? If you ask children what they want to be when they grow up, most boys would answer, a hero, a king, or some other horseshit like that. I¡¯m no different, of course. As a child, it was my dream to be someone big, someone who could make a change, someone whose voice matters in the big stage. And here I am.¡± I... didn¡¯t think he was going to give me a pep talk, since I thought he¡¯d be very busy. I¡¯m not sure what his point is... ¡°Luphaens, avlarks, humans... we¡¯re all just homids in the end, and yet, you can clearly see what difference it does to not be a human where human supremacy reigns. Tarnlake wasn¡¯t anything different. Just a decade ago, luphaens would be raped on the alleys, and avlarks slaved in the mines to the north. For years I¡¯ve fought for impartiality, and I learnt a lot about people. I learnt that they don¡¯t change no matter how hard you try to change them, so I focused on the younger generations. I taught them about the values that makes a life, of how beautiful the world would be if we are fair to one another. Look at this city now. That was the change I brought.¡± I just stare at his back idly, not exactly knowing what he¡¯s leading up to. ¡°There¡¯s a reason why I chose Sallis for the mission back then. I knew one of his professors¡¯, you see. He was bright as a student, a master of fire and talented in light magic. It wasn¡¯t a wonder that he graduated primage from one of the best institutes in the empire. And this exceptional man, did you know that his dream was to be an arcanist?¡± Well, he¡¯s not much of a talker, so... ¡°A hero, a king, an arcanist... I suppose even the magi dreams of becoming something great. Sure, there¡¯s other stuff like grand magi, or archmagi, but those are just fancy titles slapped to fancy people. Now, the arcanists, though... they know what real change is. They¡¯d shaped civilization for as long as the empire aged. Pioneers of any era, pushing the boundaries of our known world. That¡¯s what arcanists are.¡± Is... that so...? After that, he puts out the fire on his cigar after only a few whiffs before he turns back at me. There¡¯s passion in his eyes as he continued, ¡°I knew there¡¯s something about you, from the moment I first saw you walk in the hall yesterday. I was curious, so I asked around. You were a slave, correct?¡± Eh.. I thought that was supposed to be confidential. *nods* A smile forms on his face at my reply. ¡°From a slave, to an arcanist. If you really do become one, it would be one hell of a story to tell. I had my family¡¯s name and wealth, and was able to change this city. Sallis had his brilliance and became a great magus, perhaps an archmagus in the future. But you, girl... as an arcanist, you will pave the way for the empire¡¯s future. And so, before you leave, I just have a few words to say to you that I hope you will remember.¡± He then sits back on the opposite of me, his eyes staring through the shadow of my hood and into my eyes, as he said what he wanted to say all along, ¡°remember our nature. Remember your past, and of the darkness of people¡¯s hearts, but do not let it control you. Be strong, and be compassionate. And then, maybe one day, you¡¯ll be able to give light to the darkness of the empire.¡± ..... .......... I walk in the empty corridors, my mind on the meaning of what Ichard said. He seems to have put his faith in me, even though I¡¯m still nowhere near of becoming an ¡°arcanist¡±. Heck, I¡¯m not even sure what they do, but if becoming one gives me power, I¡¯ll be one. I wonder, though, what did I do to make Sallis think I have what it takes? Was what I did back then actually great? I¡¯ve yet to see other magi in action, so I don¡¯t know how a normal magus would be. ¡°Oh...¡± Hmm? Aira? As I walk, my eyes meets with Aira¡¯s who is walking the other way, towards Ichard¡¯s office. Beside her is an attractive luphaen woman, coupling her hands with Aira¡¯s. The woman¡¯s expression stiffened when she saw me, but didn¡¯t say anything as they continue to walk past me. I look behind at them, and notice Aira doing the same as our eyes meets again. Her mouth opens and her foot trips on other, but the woman still walks on without minding, dragging Aira with her. I watch them walk away and the whole time, Aira keeps looking back at me, all the way until they turn the corner. Something¡¯s not right... I quietly follow them, peeking around the corner as I see them walk into Ichard¡¯s office. Then a click tells me that someone must¡¯ve locked the door. I walk up to it and indeed, it¡¯s locked. There¡¯s no keyhole, though, so it must have a different locking mechanism. I put my ear against the door, but there¡¯s nothing to be heard. ............. The way she looked at me... I¡¯ve seen those eyes before. She was afraid of something. She was asking for my help. Ah, crap... I can¡¯t leave this alone now, can I? Deciding that, I briskly make my way through the building. Once I arrive at the bustling foyer, I see several people pointing and waving at me. Sorry, I have no time for that right now. ¡°Look, look! It¡¯s fire girl!¡± ¡°Miss Fay~ over here! Let¡¯s eat together!¡± I ignore Kaelyn¡¯s voice and head on to the entrance and out the building. Ichard¡¯s office was secluded, there was no keyhole on the doors, and the room was soundproof. But there¡¯s one place where I can see inside. I make my way out onto the streets and then to the small park, to the west of the guild. When I arrive there, I see couples flirting with each other, and elderly enjoying the shade and the view, be it the green or the young people. I proceed to a corner where there¡¯s less people and less chance to be seen, making sure that no one¡¯s around before I gather my mana. I get on my knees, gathering the air into a slightly dense ball of gas around my feet. Then, I jumped, using air pressure to launch me up. Ugh.. ow! Shite... the branches are sharper than I thought. Ah, well, good thing I¡¯m not stuck. Now, next is... find the window of the office. It should be... there. I see it. Using the same technique, I leap between the trees to one near the window, doing it silently as not to alert the people on the ground as well as the ones inside the office. Now with a decent vantage point, I can see clearly inside the office. Ichard is sitting behind his desk, his back towards me, and standing in front of him is the two luphaens. The woman seems to be talking to Ichard about something, while Aira has her gaze down on the floor, her hand gripping her dress nervously. I think Ichard just said something to her, because she looks at him after that, her eyes wide and... terrified? Wait, what... what is she doing? Why... why is she taking off her clothes? Aira? She proceeds to take off her garment slowly. She starts from her bodice, her skirt, and then her undergarments, exposing everything beneath to Ichard and the hidden observer outside the window. She kept her gaze down, her arms over her breasts and crotch in a measly attempt of decency. Aira! As if she heard me, she looks around the room alert, but fails to notice me in the end. After that, Ichard stands up and approaches her, putting his hand on her back as she visibly trembles under his touch. Then he leads her, nudging her towards the door at the side, leaving the woman in the office and closing the door behind them. I look at the windows of the next room and see that they¡¯re bolted shut with no apparent way to look inside, but I don¡¯t need to. I already know what would happen. Aira had nowhere to go. The guild is the only place she has left, and it''s either that, or struggle alone on the streets. (Remember our nature. Remember your past, and of the darkness with people¡¯s hearts.) I quietly laugh at my own foolishness. I should¡¯ve learnt by now, this idiot me. After all, it¡¯s our nature. === === === --- The night before... --- === === === ¡°I tell you, lad. I an¡¯t kidding,¡± my brother said to me, still chugging on his ale, emptying his second tankard for the night. There¡¯s no doubt that he¡¯s drunk by now. ¡°Come on, lil¡¯ bro. Drink! ¡®Tis all on me, haha!¡± ¡°Sorry, brother. I can¡¯t.¡± ¡°Hmphf! You bishops and your laws. I don¡¯t understand ye all.¡± ¡°You know how it is. Now, what was that about a faean?¡± ¡°Oh, right... where was I?¡± ¡°You detained a pair of magus, and one of them was a?¡± ¡°A faean! White hair and all! And she was poplolly, I tell you. Lil¡¯ young, but still the fairest I¡¯ve seen! Like, ya know those scrubbers at Frabber street? Mayna¡¯s got ¡®em smokin'' teats, ya know. Pity you won¡¯t ever get go at her, eh? Huh? What was I trying to say, again?¡± Gosh... call it familial duty, but I¡¯ve never enjoyed these drinks as much as he does, but for once, this little occasion has something worthwhile to it. Possibly something very, very worthwhile. ¡°The faean, brother. You were about to say something about her test result?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, that. So, I got ¡®em detained and shit, right. Then I took a look at their crap and stuff, and the lass had seventy-nine mana pool. Now, I an¡¯t a magus, but this Fallake guy thought it was a big deal, ya know. ¡° By the goddess... seventy-nine? A faean? If what he says is true... ¡°Oh, and hear thi?¡± ¡°You said they were from the guild?¡± ¡°Huh? Oh, yeah, cuz this avlark came and fetched ¡®em. Aldwan, I know that guy. Big avlark from Steadville.¡± ¡°I see...¡± I¡¯ll send word to the archbishop with the fastbird tonight. Then, first thing tomorrow, I¡¯ll have to see this girl for myself. I don¡¯t know what I¡¯ll see there, but the Order might have to take a move. And when they do, I¡¯ll be ready. ¡°Drink more, brother. Next one¡¯s on me.¡± ¡°Aw, bud! You¡¯re a good bro, all stiff that you are!¡± ¡°You deserved it, brother.¡± After all, you might¡¯ve just helped us on vanquishing the demon lord. Chapter 19 : The Reality We All Face Chapter 19 The Reality We All Face Step aside. I plant my foot on the floor as I look upwards at the face of the man looming before me, answering him with a defiant stare. His eyes narrowed at me, his expression stiff and his arms crossed over his chest, showing no signs of moving from that spot. ¡°I can¡¯t let you pass.¡± You knew. You know what he¡¯s doing. After witnessing what I saw, I immediately rushed to the commissioner¡¯s office, but... to think that of all people, the chief would stand in my way. I form a small fire above my palm, not bothering to insulate it so that he can feel the heat. ¡°You want to burn me, little magus? Like you did those people back in the forest?¡± I¡¯ve done worse. ¡°This. This is your problem, lass. You¡¯re too impulsive, then and now. You know, you shouldn¡¯t let your feelings control you and think about what you¡¯re doi? Gah!¡± the chief shouts as I kick him in the groin, bringing him down to his knees as he holds his preciousness in pain. I¡¯m not asking for a pep talk. I launch my foot again, aiming for the head, but he grabs my ankle before my foot lands on its target. With a swift movement, he pulls my ankle and pushes me down on my stomach, his body weight pushing the air out of my lungs. Agh! ¡°Please, just... listen?Anq¡¯vok!¡± he cursed as the fire burns his back. I turn my head to see the look on his face, but instead, what I see is a big, furry fist, filling up my view. --- --- --- I wake up and find myself back in my room. Looking out the window, I see the rays of a setting sun, casting long shadows into the room. Fuck... I lightly touch the side of my face. More precisely, the swelling on my cheek. Damn it, it hurts so much... ........ Aira! How much time has passed since then?! I quickly hop off the bed and run towards the door, but it¡¯s not budging when I pull the knob. I pull with all my might, but it¡¯s now clear that someone had locked me inside. Darn it... I could try blowing the door off the frame, but I¡¯m not confident enough that I won¡¯t get myself killed in this small room. Then... the window? I open the window and look outside, noticing a small ledge below the window, just enough for me to put my feet on. Alright... I can do this. As long as I stay calm, I¡¯ll be okay. Right, this room is on the third floor, and at this hour, the other rooms are most likely locked as well. Even so, if I can go to the edge and around the corner, there¡¯s a window that connects to the hallway. Okay, okay... come on, Fay. The longer you spend here, the longer Aira would be with that man. You can do this... I sharply inhale and steel myself as I climb over the window, using one foot to tentatively feel the ledge. I can feel the surface, but it feels more narrow than it looks. No, no... I¡¯ve done this before. Just a walk in the park. Carefully, I put both my feet out on the ledge, holding the window frame as to not die a stupid death. Although, at this height, I doubt I would lose my life. It¡¯s probably just... twelve strides? thirteen? Even if I fall, it¡¯ll probably be some broken bones, depending on how I fall... ah, what am I thinking? Focus. Aira is waiting. Just as I thought that, the door swings open and a hulking, furry figure walks in. ¡°...I knew you¡¯d try something like this,¡± Um... the chief sighed as I freeze in place, like a deer caught in torch light. This is awkward... ¡°Wait, I¡¯ll let you out, under the condition that you hear me out first. Even if you go there now, it¡¯s already too late.¡± What? --- --- --- I sit back on my bed, giving up on getting out. He may be an imbecile, but the chief is not a liar; Ichard was done with Aira, and there¡¯s already nothing I can do about it. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he said while motioning at my swollen face. Damn right, you gave me a concussion! Meanwhile, beneath his shirt, I can see some fresh bandages wrapping his body. Not sorry about your fur. Seeing that there¡¯s no chair in the room, the chief walks as if to sit on the bed at my side. Just as he¡¯s about to sit, I put my legs on the bed, leaving no space for him to sit on. ¡°... *sigh* I know you feel uncomfortable about what he¡¯s doing, but you don¡¯t know the whole story, do you?¡± I just stare back at him as an answer, impatient to get on with it. ¡°...After Hrakia¡¯s fall long ago, many of its population seek refuge into nearby countries, Lephander included. However, as expected after the Movals¡¯ ultimatum, we were treated like slaves, and this city was no different. ¡°Inhumans¡±, they called us. Every day, I watched my kinsmen being sent off against their wills to be meat shields against beasts. Every day, I hear about young luphaens disappearing in the alleys, only to have their bodies turn up the next morning. We... tried our best, me and Orlev, but there¡¯s only so much two people could do. But then, he came.¡± His eyes flared and his ears perked up as he reminisces further, ¡°he was relentless in the pursuit of his ideals, and that passion was what made us followed him. Even when it seemed the whole world was against us, he never wavered. Years later, this town became what it is now; a haven in a world where we¡¯re considered no more than vermins or slaves. Of course, I didn¡¯t know about his... quirk, back then, but consider this, little magus; It was him that achieved this peace, that humans and inhumans alike are able to coexist in this town. Do you wish to destroy that?¡± ...I see. I understand now. A person¡¯s virtues, if great enough, would cover up his wickedness, is that what he meant? Ichard had amassed a great deal of trust and rectitude, and should his closed-room activities are to be known, it would discredit everything he sought for. Without him to protect the status quo, Tarnlake would go back to the way it was. ¡°Listen, I know that despite your tendencies to act on impulse, you have the wisdom to understand. I can see it in your eyes; you¡¯ve gone through more than what most people do in their entire life, and that¡¯s why I trust you to keep your caprices in check. Am I right to trust you?¡± I pathetically nod at him and he rubs my head in response, like a parent would after lecturing his disobedient child. ¡°You know... that girl is lucky to have you looking out for her,¡± he said as he roughly ruffled my hair before turning to leave the room. I sit still and listen to his heavy footsteps, echoing through the hall as he walks away. --- --- --- I don¡¯t know what to do. I don¡¯t know what to think. I understand the chief¡¯s reasoning, but that doesn¡¯t mean that I have to like it. So I rushed out the room, though without knowing where to go, I just ambled around the guild building, hoping to run into Aira.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Then I saw her¡ªThe woman. Her fluffy brown hair hangs behind her supple shoulders, the guild uniform somehow emphasizing her sultry curves as she walks with her tail, the same fluffy color as her hair, peeking out from under her skirt. She was the luphaen who took Aira to Ichard. I follow her quietly from a distance as she paces to and fro, always holding one or two bundles of parchments in her hands, delivering them between the offices on the second floor. Most of the people here are too busy to give me more than a glance, but I still take care to attract as little attention, lest the luphaen might notice and run away from me.... would she, though? Judging from her behaviour when she saw me this morning, she probably would. Anyway, the intricate corridors and adjoining rooms makes it hard for me to follow her from a distance. I need to get closer... She¡¯s heading downstairs now, using the staircase near the training field. I follow her and soon enough, the sound of shoutings and clashing steels reach my ears. I look out at the field, noticing the new dark marks on the grounds below the feet of the training drifters. The woman looks out at them every now and then, but keeps walking to wherever her destination is. Meanwhile, I¡¯m just looking for a chance to confront her, patiently, and when she¡¯s alone, I¡¯ll... jump her? As long as she doesn¡¯t notice me, that is? ¡°Miss Fay! What a coincidence! I¡¯m done with the training, so let¡¯s eat together!¡± K?Kaelyn! I¡¯d love to, but this isn¡¯t the time?ah. The woman just turned around and... our eyes met. ......... Ah,I knew it! I knew she¡¯d run away once she¡¯d seen me! ¡°Wait, miss Fay? Where are you going? Wait...!¡± (Kaelyn) Her hair flows behind her as she runs, revealing some kind of faded tattoo on the back of her neck. I work my legs to try and catch up with the woman, but... she¡¯s fast, as expected of a luphaen. I¡¯ll be left in the dust at this rate! But I won¡¯t let her get away, not before I get some light to these questions that I have for her. Not that I have any way of questioning her, but I¡¯ll figure it out when the time comes. For now, I just have to get to her somehow, and then.... Oh, crap, she¡¯s getting away! ¡°What¡¯s this? What¡¯s going on?¡± ¡°Oy, don¡¯t run around in the corridors!¡± Voices of complaint reach me as I brush past people; this little chase has gotten more attention than I¡¯d like. Damn it, Kaelyn, why¡¯d you have to go and shout out to me? .......... Huff... I can¡¯t... I¡¯m out of breath... *sigh* I give up. There¡¯s no way I can catch up to her. Judging from the direction, she seems to be heading to the far end of the east wing. If I remember correctly, that place is... the storerooms? Why would she run where there¡¯s the least amount of people? Shouldn¡¯t it be the safer where there¡¯s a crowd, where I¡¯m more restrained in my actions? Except if... ...Let¡¯s head there for now and see if she¡¯s really there. --- --- --- ...She¡¯s really in there, in one of the storerooms. What is her intention? Is she hiding from me? I enter the room she¡¯s in, and there she is, standing there as if waiting for me. ¡°Miss Fay, is it?¡± ...Yes. I close the door behind me and make sure there¡¯s no other escape routes, but looking at her, that probably won¡¯t be necessary. ¡°...I had a feeling that you know what¡¯s going on,¡± she said, her grey eyes squinting to see me in the darkness, looking for my eyes under the shadows of my hood. ¡°You do know, don¡¯t you? About what he¡¯s doing?¡± Her posture, her gestures... they tell me that she has no intention of running away. Could she have purposely led me here? A trap laid by Ichard, because he knows that I saw something? ¡°...You hate me don¡¯t you, for what I¡¯ve done to your friend?¡± I wonder... ¡°I¡¯m right, am I? Come on, then. Show me what you¡¯ve got.¡± Contrasting her brave words, her voice trembled. Her bravado is starting to fall apart as I step towards her, tumbling against her own foot and falling against the stores at her back. Her ears are lowered and her tail is tucked between her thighs. Yet, she still shows no signs of running away, not even searching for a way to escape as her gaze is locked with mine. Why? If you¡¯re afraid of me, why did you bring me here in the first place? ¡°...Do it. Just do it quickly, whatever it is you planned for me.¡± ........... Ah, I see... I understand, now. Looking at it like this, it¡¯s quite obvious, isn¡¯t it? Goodbye. ¡°Eh? Wait! Where are you going?!¡± As I open the door to leave, I feel her hand grabbing my wrists, saying, ¡°aren¡¯t you going to take revenge for your friend?!¡± Revenge... was never my intent. I just wanted to see her perspective, and now I see it. I pull my hand out of her grip, ignoring her shouts, sounding like pleads now, as I walk away. This woman, she¡¯s just the same, isn¡¯t she? With nowhere else to go, with no choice to go along with her tyrant¡¯s wills. The same as Aira, and perhaps the same as the other female luphaens working here. The marking on the back of her neck... it was probably some kind of slave brand, and from what I heard from the chief, that kind of thing was widespread here before Ichard came around. She, who had experienced what this city was like, chose to live within Ichard¡¯s protection and goes along with his desires in exchange. No matter what kind of disgusting acts would be asked of her, it would be better than what she experienced back then... is that what she thought? ........ Even though I came to her for enlightenment, it seems that it¡¯s become more confusing instead. --- --- --- As I walk through the hallway back to the main foyer, I notice that it¡¯s more crowded than before. Is something going on? ¡°Yo, Orlev! You¡¯re ahead of schedule!¡± The chief¡¯s words guided my eyes to the source; standing in front of the entrance is the commander. Beside him is Luise and the other drifters he took with him, all with delighted, but tired expressions on their faces. ¡°It¡¯s the chief constable!¡± ¡°Commander Orlev, welcome back!¡± As the people at the front welcomes the returnees, my eyes are drawn to the top of the staircase at the other end of the room, to the cold eyes of the man standing there. ¡°Well, well... look who¡¯s here. Our hero has returned!¡± His voice, as usual, is laced with a business persona as it carried across the large room. He has that customary fake smile on his face as he walks down the stairs to greet his old friend. ¡°Commissioner, I¡¯ll have my report ready within the night?¡± ¡°Hah! Getting all formal on me, now? The report can wait, Orlev. Come, you look like you need a drink, friend." I watch them being led by Ichard to the dining hall, behind them the large group of people anxious to hear about the mission. It¡¯s somehow a little odd to see the commander, who had intimidated people with his overbearing presence, complying dutifully to someone who is probably half his age. I guess that amounts to how great Ichard¡¯s influence is. ¡°Miss Fay! There you are! Come on, let¡¯s eat!¡± Before I could react, someone grabs my arm and pulls me to follow the group. ¡°I have so much to tell you. I won¡¯t let you escape this time,¡± said the redhead while pulling me, a thoughtless grin plastered on her face. As we walk towards the dining hall, I feel a stare boring into my back and when I turn my head, I see the luphaen woman standing there at a distance, watching me with melancholic eyes. I wonder, what did she expect me to do? Or rather, what did she want me to do? From the way she spoke, she seemed to be burdened by the guilt of letting Aira go through what she herself went through years ago, maybe even now. ...I¡¯m sorry. Maybe she wanted me to relieve her guilt somehow. Maybe she wanted me to do for Aira what no one could for her. --- --- --- ¡°...so, like that, I think I¡¯m more suited with two-handed spears because they¡¯re more sturdy, you know? But Hork kept insisting that it¡¯s too heavy for me, that craghead...¡± As we eat, Kaelyn keeps on talking in-between chews, mostly about her training and other stuff that I don¡¯t really care about right now. Beside her, Aira makes small and listless movements with her cutlery as she plays with her food, barely eating her meal. Her complexion seems pale and her gestures are sluggish, her eyes staring into her plate as she loses herself in her own thoughts. ¡°By the way, Commissioner Ichard seems awfully close with the commander and the chief, don¡¯t you think?¡± Kaelyn said, and with the mention of Ichard¡¯s name, I see Aira shuddering, dropping her fork to the plate with a clang. ¡°Aira? Are you alright? You seem so pale...¡± ¡°Y?Yes, I¡¯m...¡± Suddenly, a shadow looms from behind Kaelyn and a giant hand presses down on her head. ¡°Aah!¡± ¡°Who said you could eat?¡± ¡°H?Hork?! No, but... I did all you asked!¡± ¡°By any chance, did you call me a craghead just then?¡± ¡°Y?You heard?! I mean, you heard wrong!¡± ¡°Hmm... ¡®Dzat so? C¡¯mere, twitty girl!¡± While they bicker with each other, I watch the person beside them, languid and indifferent to the world around her. Hey, Aira... I reach out to grab her hand, but she immediately pulls away at the touch, surprised at the contact. ¡°Ah... S?Sorry...¡± she said regretfully as she shoots her gaze back down at her plate, avoiding my eyes. As I thought, she¡¯s rather edgy. Her emotions must be in a mess right now, and yet, the fact that she¡¯s brought herself here to eat with us means that she¡¯s still trying to fit in; to adapt to her new life here. ...No, it could be that she just wants to be close to someone. I know how it feels to be alone when everything falls apart on you, and even though she probably can¡¯t say anything about her troubles, being near the people you trust is better than being alone. If only Farica is here, she might be able to comfort her with sweet words. Speaking of which, I haven¡¯t seen that girl in the last couple of days. She¡¯s probably busy with her new job as Rips¡¯ new assistant. ¡°By the way, Hork, I¡¯ve been wondering, why is Commander Orlev called ¡°commander¡±? Isn¡¯t he the chief constable?¡± (Kaelyn) ¡°That¡¯s..., he used to be military, and that¡¯s what people called him back then. It just stuck, I guess. It¡¯d be too confusing if we have two chiefs, anyway. Hahaha!¡± (Hork) ¡°Oh, and don¡¯t you think those three seems close?¡± Kaelyn asked, motioning at the people sitting two rows away. The three there; Ichard, the commander, and the chief, drinking together with an unapproachable atmosphere around them. ¡°Those three? They¡¯ve been friends from waaay before, since before Ichard even joined the guild. You could say that they¡¯re the pillars of the Tarnlake branch.¡± ¡°Eh? Even Chief Aldwan? I thought he was from Gerslow?¡± ¡°You mean Steadville. Before he became chief there, he was a drifter here first. He still hangs here a lot, though.¡± ¡°Oh, I get it... because they¡¯re so close as friends, right?¡± ¡°Hahaha! That¡¯s right, girl. Even now, Ichard is still trying to get the commander to be his deputy. The man in question wouldn¡¯t take the position, said he¡¯s more suited for field work. Not that it matters, though. Since there¡¯s no deputy, the chain of command falls down to the chief constable, so Orlev is practically already the deputy, but with less paperwork and more legwork.¡± ¡°I see, I see...¡± I observe the three from a distance, trying to hear what they¡¯re talking about amidst the sound of chattering people and clattering plates. Commander Orlev, he knows about Ichard too, doesn¡¯t he? He struck me as someone with upstanding moral values, but I suppose I was wrong again. Or maybe, is that the reason why he won¡¯t become Ichard¡¯s deputy? ¡°Miss Fay...? Is something wrong?¡± Kaelyn¡¯s voice made me realize that I¡¯ve been staring at them too long, so I turn back at my plate to continue my meal. Even so, the feeling of disappointment is still there, weighing on my mind. ...Huh. ¡°Disappointed¡±, am I? After everything I went through, it seems as though I still expected something more. How stupid of me. ¡°Umm... miss Fay, if you¡¯re worrying about him, don¡¯t worry! I¡¯ll protect you in place of miss Latasha!¡± Eh? I look at the direction she¡¯s nodding at, and there I see a certain wolf looking back at me, as if he¡¯s been staring at me for some time. The second our eyes met, his face beams up with a grin, like a brat who just got back from a field trip and can¡¯t wait to tell all about it to his mother. There¡¯s still the matter of his proposal, isn¡¯t there. Frankly, I don¡¯t want to deal with that right now, so I think I¡¯m just going to avoid him for now. ¡°Miss Fay, that... what happened to your face?!¡± ...Ah... I guess I didn¡¯t hide it well enough. ¡°Who did this to you?! Or perhaps, is it because of your magus training?!¡± Stop shouting... I pull my hood tighter as I look around, noticing the attention Kaelyn brought to me. Even the three across the hall had their attention here. I even see the chief looking at me with guilt. Don¡¯t worry, chief. I¡¯ll get back at you for this, somehow. At any rate, the wolf¡¯s been staring at me for quite a while now. What should I do...? Frankly, marrying him isn¡¯t really a bad idea, but with that arcanist alternative, the notion doesn¡¯t seem as appealing anymore. Sorry, Luise. I¡¯ll have to put your proposal on hold, at least until I get some closure on this matter with Ichard... or so I say, but he¡¯ll come after me, anyway. Now then, how do you escape a wolf? Heh, Eretz would know.
Chapter 20 : A Little Bit of Magic Chapter 20 A Little Bit of Magic Life is simple. In a modern civilization, we are always striving for the best in life. Among our peers, rivals, or even enemies, we always try to be superior in at least one thing, and make it out to be something that defines us. However, take away all that ego and privilege, then what¡¯s left is simple, really; eat, sleep, and grow. That is to say, eating this delish wonder means that I¡¯m having the time of my life right now. This slab of roast, served with a savoury sauce, crunchy yet tender on the inside that I can chew without worrying about my jaw. And then complementing the main dish; a thick and rich broth, drenched in it some kind of bran and meaty veggies. I don¡¯t even care what they are. As soon as they go into my mouth, each chew would take me to different tastes of bliss. Say that I¡¯m pitiful or whatever, but for me, this is what a good life is¡ªto have a meal without starving to death beforehand, or to be able to sleep in a bed whenever you want, without having to worry that a lifer might be around the corner. Yes, I feel like I¡¯m having it pretty good right now, and for that reason, I feel... guilty. Here I am, enjoying what I have and taking it for granted, meanwhile, those three are still down there... To tell the truth, I¡¯m scared. What if, by the time I got them out, it¡¯s already too late? They can¡¯t even use magic like I could, so would they fare against lifers? It should be fine as long as they stay and work together, but... would they? Without me there, would Yammu lose her sight again? Would Hadda and Eretz try to kill each other? If I¡¯m not there to keep them together, then... ¡°Miss Fay... are you listening...?¡± Huh? Ah, yes... ¡°Geez, you and Aira both are so out of it, these days! What¡¯s up with you two...?¡± I look at Aira, her expression so still as if she didn¡¯t even hear what Kaelyn just said. Hah... I guess there¡¯s no point in worrying about that now, when I¡¯m already in a mess myself. In the first place, what am I even worrying about? Those three were the ones who helped me, so who I am to be so arrogant as to doubt their survival? That¡¯s right, I have problems of my own... ¡°Ai? You¡¯re done already?¡± Kaelyn asked as Aira stands up from her seat. On her plate, the food is practically left untouched. ¡°What¡¯s the matter? You don¡¯t like the food?¡± ¡°S?Sorry... I¡¯m not feeling well...¡± the luphaen answered, turning to leave the dining hall. I watch her as she listlessly goes, clumping away with clumsy steps. Her wolf-like ears are drooped down as well as her tail, her legs wobbly as if she could collapse at any moment. ¡°What¡¯s with her...? Ah, maybe I should ask miss Farica to check on her? But she always seemed so busy, so I wonder if it would be a bother? What do you think miss Fay... Eh? Are you done too?¡± Taking Aira¡¯s slab of meat in my mouth, I stand up and look at the blonde-haired man, sitting a couple rows away. I pace towards the exit as I gobble down the meat along the way. Luise seems to be preoccupied with all that people around him, so he shouldn¡¯t notice me going out the hall. ...... ...Ah. He saw me. Well, time to go... Gulping down what¡¯s left, I rush out towards the exit, marching with large strides as fast as I can to avoid the wolf. ¡°Miss Whitey,¡± a charming, courteous voice greeted me as a flower suddenly appeared in front of me, its clement fragrance promptly reaching my nose. From the translucent threads and five scalloped petals down to its stem, the flower is painted in a stunning white. It was probably beautiful once, when its crown is not all torn and muddy. I look at the blue eyes of the person holding the flower, amazed by how fast he caught up to me. ¡°I found this Rosellion on my way back. So delicate and beautiful, yet sturdy on the stem. It made me think of you,¡± Luise said, a coaxing smile on his hunky face. ¡°Err... the journey back was harsher than I thought. It used to be pretty, but it¡¯s all mangled and ugly now. I apologize, of course I can¡¯t give this to you.¡± ¡°Hey, stop! You¡¯re not allowed near her!¡± Kaelyn shouted, running between us and pushing him away from me, her hands spread as if to block him. ¡°Kaelyn? No, I just wanted to talk to her...¡± ¡°No way! She¡¯s injured, and she needs rest!¡± ¡°Injured?! But, who would...¡± ¡°Now, now...¡± a growlish voice suddenly came behind him as a large furry hand appears on his shoulder. ¡°The lass is right. The little magus passed out this morning and only woke up recently. You should let her go to rest for now.¡± So chief said, but I can see the cold sweat between the creases of his eyebrows. Anyway, I should go now while I can. --- --- --- I make my way up to the third floor, skipping up the steps and tripping a couple of times in my haste. Upon reaching my destination, I sigh in relief seeing Aira just as she enters her room, locking the door behind her. I¡¯d feared that Ichard might summon her again, but it seems that he¡¯s actually sensible enough to care about the health of his luphaen ¡°friends¡±. She should rest while she can, so I probably shouldn¡¯t bother her since there¡¯s nothing I could say to help her, anyway. Now then, I should probably lock my own door so that Luise doesn¡¯t find me, but... Aira is still... I¡¯d thought that she seemed rather composed despite her circumstance, but I¡¯m not really sure now. Her eyes seemed so lifeless, and the fact that she¡¯s keeping quiet makes it all worse. Is she really okay? ....... After going into my room, I decide to leave a small gap on my door so that I can hear the sounds coming from the hallway. That way, I¡¯d know if Aira left the room. .......... .....I shouldn¡¯t sleep if I want to keep watch, but.... shite, this bed is so... soft and.... plush... Argh... I can¡¯t lie still. Stay awake, you. Looking at her state, Aira might just do something reckless. I can¡¯t sleep now. ....... Ah, maybe I should try playing with Nexy. < ¡°Playing¡± is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file. Please restate your request. > No, no, I don¡¯t mean that.... Thalvos said that I could use Nexy to read somehow, but how? Hmm.... you know anything about this? < Missing syntax; please specify a request. > Oh, geez... why are you still so reserved with me? Ah, come to think of it, there¡¯s something else I was able to read aside from Nexy¡¯s little windows. Hmm... where did I put it? Oh, there it is.
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ? ©¦7©¦ ©¦59%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ? ©¦81©¦/
Name ? ¡õ¦Ó¦Ç¡õ¦Ñ¡õ, ¦­¦®¦©¦¤ IndolantFay, ©¦Fay©¦
Species ? ¦£¡õ Human
Gender ? Female
Age ? 17 months old
Titles ? ¡õ¦Ñ¦Â¡õ¦Ó¡õ¦Ñ ¡õ¦Í¦Ä¡õ¦Ë¡õ¦Í¦Ó ¦µ¡õ¦× ¦¸¦Ç¡õ¦Ó¡õ ?¡õ¦Ë¦Ê¡õ¦Ñ¡õ¡õ ¦£¡õ?¡õ¦Ñ ¡õ¦Õ ¦¸¡õ¦Ò¦Ä¡õ¦Ì ¦¬¡õ¦Ñ¦Ó¡õ¦Ñ¡õ¦Ä ¦£¡õ¦Ä¦Ä¡õ¦Ò Master of Sins Indelible Survivor Champion of the Dark God She Who Deals With Demons
Mana Affinity ? High ¨C
Mana Pool ? 81
Right, I can read the status card like I read Nexy, but why? How does it work? I wonder...? Nexy, if you could please... < Request confirmed. Analyzing... >
[ Name, |¡õ¦Ó¦Ç¡õ¦Ñ¡õ|, ERROR: Access restricted. ]
...Huh? Wait, what? That¡¯s new. Let¡¯s try again! Nexy, if you would... < Analyzing... >
Appellation, |¦£¡õ?¡õ¦Ñ ¡õ¦Õ ¦¸¡õ¦Ò¦Ä¡õ¦Ì|, ERROR: Access restricted.
Appellation |¦¬¡õ¦Ñ¦Ó¡õ¦Ñ¡õ¦Ä ¦£¡õ¦Ä¦Ä¡õ¦Ò|, ERROR: Access restricted.
Appellation, |Master of Sins|: A transcendent title granted to those who¡¯ve mastered their own darkness. It is the conflux of seven; Master of Lies, Master of Blood, Master of Discord, Master of Malice, Master of Desires, Master of Hunger, Master of Pleasures.
Appellation, |Indelible Survivor|: Irritatingly persistent, eluding death when it is your fate. Even he who governs the underrealm cannot erase you.
Appellation |Champion of the Dark God|: You asked for it.
Appellation, |She Who Deals With Demons|: ¡°Make a deal with the demon¡±, a most heinous and profane taboo of the Church of Athyra. You have a demon¡¯s mark imprinted somewhere on your body, making you a target for the Church.
H?Hey, now... I thought you could only identify living creatures, Nexy. < False; the Nexus Identification System is applicable to all objects stored within the local Subnex database. > Objects? Does that mean I can identify inanimate things as well? The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. Identify. < Identifying... >
|Trifold Candlestick|: A candlestick capable of holding up to three candles.
...Well, now. Let¡¯s experiment on this. --- --- --- Time passed as the ticking of the longcase clock in the hallway fills the silence. I tried a number of things with Nexy, and it surprised me how much I didn¡¯t know. I¡¯ll elaborate on that at another time, because rigt now I¡¯m... too sleepy... Ah... maybe I should just sleep? *click* ...Oh. This sound... The sound of the lock opening is followed by a door swinging open, and then the nimble footsteps of a person. My guess is right, I suppose...? I go out my own room and follow her, following her as she makes her way through the dark corridors. I stay in the shadows, far enough from her lupine senses, but close enough so that I can stop her if she decides to do anything dangerous. Where are you going, Aira...? Eh... she¡¯s going up to the fourth floor? No, further up... the rooftops? What is she intending to do? Considering her mental state, could it be... I follow her out, and as soon as I open the door to the rooftops, the night breeze hits me like a gale. Ugh... the northern wind is so cold... I should¡¯ve brought something to keep me warm. Even at daytime, people rarely go up here, so it¡¯s no wonder that it¡¯s empty right now. Now then, where is she? Aira? I halt my steps as soon as I saw her. It¡¯s like something struck me when I saw her figure, standing there with her eyes closed, basking in the dim moonlight. Her hands are joined together in front of her chest, as if praying to the distant moon. Then, with her eyes still closed, she treads forward, her steps so light as though she¡¯s walking on air. Slowly, she raises her arms on her sides before joining it back together in front of her, her movement so gentle like she¡¯s swinging feathers instead of her own limbs. She repeats this a few times, and each time she does that, I feel something changing with the air around her. This is... mana? Is she doing this...? Aira continues on, stepping with her tiptoes to and fro, her arms twirling along with her. Like a stream of gold, her hair whirls following her steps as she moves from one turn to another. Behind her, her tail sways along enticingly, inviting me to join her. At this moment, she is the centre of the world. I can feel the very air around her tagging along as she lost herself in her own world, following a melody I can¡¯t hear. What is this....? Every twist, every turn... I feel like I¡¯m suffocating just watching her, but I can¡¯t turn my eyes away. As I freeze in place, a whirlpool of emotions attacks me relentlessly. Seeing her like this, it¡¯s as though she is crying. There¡¯s no tears, but it feels like she¡¯s in pain, pouring out all her ineffable suffering and sending it away. Through the silent dance, she screamed and screamed, defiantly protesting at the gods for the terrible fate they had given her. Stop it... I can¡¯t describe it. Every step of her dance is arresting, pulling me into an image that¡¯s blurring into the view before me. An image that I don¡¯t want to see. Stop it! --- --- --- It... disappeared? The chaos, the screaming, it disappeared all of a sudden. It happened so abruptly, as if her dance and what it brought with it was just an ephemeral dream. ¡°...Miss Fay...?¡± Oh, um... . She takes her time composing herself, looking at her own shoulders to hide her own face before finally looking at me. ¡°You saw...?¡± *nods* Back to her usual self, she drowsily walks to the wall-fence at the edge and leans her back on it, letting her body drop down to the ground. I approach her and sit down next to her, hugging my knees to lessen the cold. She stays quiet for some time, staring at something I can¡¯t see while rubbing her own fingers nervously. Her body shivers in the cold, her lupine ears tucking under the wind as her tail wraps around to give herself more warmth. ¡°...The spirit dance, do you know it...?¡± Eh? ¡°It¡¯s a dance used in Hrakian blessing rituals. That dance you saw in particular is an expression of acceptance, but even so, I....¡± Her words turned into a soft whisper, so small that I can¡¯t hear it before she switches the topic altogether, ¡°uhm... m?more importantly, we should go back to sleep. It¡¯s not good for our bodies if we spend too much time up... here¡ª.......You... you know about him, don¡¯t you...¡± ... *nods* Tears well in her eye as her body slumps back against the wall, sighing in a manner that I can¡¯t tell whether it was relief or of distress. ¡°Of course you do...¡± She looks up at the starry sky, her teeth clenching as she forces the tears from falling. ¡°My family... we were survivors of the Hrakian genocide. We travelled from border to border, living off everything we could, and everywhere we go, they called us heretics. We were... trying to get out of the empire when we?¡± her voice breaks just then, overwhelmed by her emotions. She takes in deep breaths, forcing herself to calm down before continuing, ¡°...¡¯We must forgive¡¯, that¡¯s what my mom used to say. ¡®We must forgive and endure. Even when the whole worlds hates us for what we are, we must persevere. And then, maybe someday, they¡¯ll learn to accept us as we have accepted them¡¯. That¡¯s what I¡¯ll do, Fay. I will endure.¡± She looks at me, her wet eyes betraying her unyielding expression. ¡°You told me that there¡¯s no such thing as selfless kindness, but you were wrong. There are people in this world capable of it, people like you. You are kind, and I know you¡¯ll try to help me, so, please... don¡¯t.¡± ...Eh? ¡°I?I know I¡¯m weak, I know I¡¯m not like you, but if I keep depending on other people, I will stay weak forever. So, um... please just leave me be.¡± That¡¯s what she said, but she¡¯s been holding my arm tightly for some time, now, as if she¡¯s afraid I¡¯d leave her if she let go. ¡°I¡¯m sorry... I promise I¡¯ll change, but for now... can you stay with me for a while?¡± *nods* At my answer, she lets out a weak smile. ¡°Thank you...¡± --- --- --- We stayed up there for who knows how long, sitting side by side in the silent cold. When Aira nodded off, we decided that it¡¯s time to turn in for the night, to rest in preparation for whatever the morrow holds for us. We went back to our own rooms after that. Here I am, lying on my bed, still unable to sleep. Her words weigh on my mind for some reason. If what she said were her true feelings, that naivety would drag her down someday. How foolish. Even if she hadn¡¯t asked me to lay off, I still wouldn¡¯t help her. I barely know her, and she has nothing to offer me, so... why did I do all those things? Why did I chase that woman? What is it I wanted to do when I rushed out for her this morning? The chief was right. At that time, I merely acted on impulse. When I saw what I saw, I just felt... angry. Even now, there¡¯s this uncomfortable feeling in my chest, like an abundance of energy sqeezed in tight, ready to burst with a mere spark. Aira was wrong about me. I am not kind. After everything I went through, I¡¯m anything but kind. If she knew the things I did to survive, she wouldn¡¯t have thought that way. If I ever had a heart, it¡¯s already broken a long time ago. (It used to be pretty, but it¡¯s all mangled and ugly now. I apologize, of course I can¡¯t give this to you...) I chuckle to myself. Him too, if he knew what I really am, he wouldn¡¯t have wanted me. After all, no one wants a broken flower. I won¡¯t help Aira. I have myself to worry about, with the Church and all. Heck, I might have demons on me soon enough. She even asked me to leave her alone, and it was never my business, anyway. ................... (The weak are always used and abused, and the rulers had no care for any glint of morals...) Yes, I know... I mean, that¡¯s just how the world is, right? What do you expect me to do? I can¡¯t just... (No shame at all, the lot of them, people and gods alike, turning a blind eye and went about their own business...) Shut up, Hadda! I?I know, I¡¯m... I¡¯m not like you. I don¡¯t have any reason to help her. (Everyone dies at the end, some with more regrets than others...) I... I¡¯m... (Which would you be?) --- --- --- ....... ...I understand. In the end, we¡¯re all living for ourselves. That is why, I¡¯m doing this for myself. I hop off my bed, head towards the staircase and then down to the second floor, noting a clock I pass by to see that it¡¯s already past midnight. The offices are dark and empty besides a few, and there¡¯s only a handful of lamps and candles that are lit. At day, this place is so busy and hectic, but now, there¡¯s only me here in the darkness. If I can¡¯t find him now, then I¡¯ll do it tomorrow. If possible, though, I¡¯d like to do this as soon as I can, before Ichard subjects Aira to his desires again. Even so, where can I find him? --- --- --- After some time searching, I notice a light coming from under the door near the main offices. There¡¯s a plate on the side of the door with words written on it. ...... Nexy... < Translating... >
¡°Chief Constable¡¯s Office¡±
¡°Who¡¯s there?¡± The voice came from beyond the door. As expected of him, still so sharp even this late at night. I open the door and see Orlev¡¯s tired face, a quill in his hand as it hovers over a piece of parchment on his desk. ¡°It¡¯s you.¡± Hello. ¡°Something you need, magus? Ah, pardon me. It¡¯s Fay, isn¡¯t it?¡± Promptly, I walk to his desk and snatch the quill in his hand. ¡°Hey, what...¡± On the parchment he was working on, I start to write, overwriting whatever he just wrote. ¡°No, wait... that¡¯s the report for the...¡± Here you go. Orlev exhaled in a frustrated manner, hitting his own face with his palm. ¡°I worked on that for the last three hours,¡± he complained, but takes the parchment back and reads it anyway. ¡°... ¡®I see regarding carp?¡¯ What are you...¡± Argh, darn it. I guess a few practices wouldn¡¯t be enough, huh. Let¡¯s try again. --- --- --- ¡° ¡®I know about Ichard¡¯, is that what you mean?¡± *nods* Orlev heaves out, the lines between his brows multiplying as he leans back against his chair. ¡°Somehow, I knew you were going to find out... this darkness of our guild. But then, what are you going to do about it?¡± The look in his eyes, they¡¯re different from the chief¡¯s, who¡¯d already taken things as it is and accepted them as part of reality. Instead, the commander is looking at me expectantly, as if interested to know what I have in mind. Am I right in thinking that he¡¯s conflicted with Ichard¡¯s leadership? ¡°Just so you know, Ichard is vital for the livelihood of Tarnlake. Without his influence, the Movals would¡¯ve attacked Lephander a long time ago. It¡¯s also in his power that avlarks and luphaens are able to live normally in this city.¡± I know all that. ¡°...Your eyes tell me that you already know this, and yet...? I¡¯m curious, do you have something planned?¡± Alright, then. To start with... Everything is as I suspected. Even if the people close to Ichard are discontent with how he plays with his subjects, there¡¯s nothing they can do about it because certain things get in the way. Without Ichard to keep the trust of the people here and protect the current peace with his politics, every ¡°inhuman¡± in the country might be subject to prosecution, or even the entire kingdom itself. That¡¯s why no one¡¯s ever did anything against him. However, I already have a resolution of my own. I¡¯m not a kind person. I also don¡¯t have any idyllic justice of good and bad because I know they don¡¯t exist. Just like the case with Ichard, virtue and wickedness are often two sides of the same coin. ¡°For the greater good,¡± and that¡¯s why no one¡¯s ever done anything; not Orlev, not Aldwan, and certainly not the luphaens that cowered under him. Even so, I don¡¯t care. I don¡¯t have that kind of value. Even if there¡¯s repercussions to come from this, I¡¯ll still do it. I¡¯m not doing this for Aira, nor am I doing this because what he¡¯s doing is ¡°wrong¡±. I¡¯m doing this for myself, and that¡¯s why what stopped everyone else won¡¯t stop me. With that kind of ideal in mind, I take a new blank parchment and start writing on it the details of the plan I have for tomorrow. --- --- --- When I realized it, dawn had come. I¡¯d spent so much time trying to get this plan of mine across to the commander, but without the proper writing skills, it was harder than I thought. Thankfully, he was quick to catch on, though my thought transference might¡¯ve helped with that. All that¡¯s left is for him to agree with this, and then we¡¯ll¡ª ¡°I can¡¯t let you do this,¡± he said as he rests his chin on his hands, eyeing me with a dangerous glint in his eyes. Eh? ¡°I don¡¯t even know your competence as a magus, and someone could get killed. I¡¯ve heard Sallis recommended you as an arcanist, but how can you guarantee that you won¡¯t lose control?¡± Well, that¡¯s... ¡°And even if you succeed, what then? In the first place, there¡¯s no guarantee that everything won¡¯t fall apart after that. A dozen luphaens are just not on the scale with the thousands living in this country.¡± That¡¯s where you come in. ¡°Don¡¯t smile at me. This isn¡¯t a game. At any rate, I can¡¯t betray my own guild. Ichard might have his dark side, but what he did for the people was well beyond that.¡± ¡°Tch.¡± I shouldn¡¯t have known it would be that easy. Now, what would convince him to help me...? I write the next word, hoping it would persuade him. ¡®Debt.¡¯ ¡°...I was afraid you¡¯d bring that up. Get me, I¡¯m very thankful for what you did for us back in the Dread, but what you¡¯re asking of me now is mutiny. I can¡¯t possibly betray my own values.¡± Ah, I see... so in the end, it¡¯s his own justice that hinders him from taking action. I¡¯d thought I could use those very values to convince him, or at least appeal to his personal ambitions if he had any. Seems like I was wrong again. ¡®Will do myself¡¯ ¡° ¡®Will do my...¡¯ you mean you¡¯re going to do it anyway?¡± I stand up from the chair and turn to leave the room. Just as I open the door, Orlev halts me, ¡°wait, why did you think I was going to help you? What would you do if I try to stop you instead?¡± I smile at him in reply, answering the threatening glint in his eyes with my own. You can try. I leave the room, not bothering to see his reaction. I don¡¯t really need him to agree, anyway. I¡¯ll just have to force his hands. --- --- --- At my back, the sun rises ever so slowly as it paints the sky blue. Even up here, I can still hear the bustling down on the roads. All the people living their lives peacefully, ignorant of the few that suffered for it. I take a whiff of the morning breeze, feeling the air with my every sense, telling myself that I¡¯m alive, here at this moment. Ever since I first woke up in this world, I always felt like I¡¯m out of place, like I¡¯m not really here somehow. So far, all I¡¯ve been doing is mirroring what kindness was shown to me to the people around me. Without knowing what to do, I was only replaying a broken record, but... it won¡¯t be like that anymore. From now on, I¡¯ll pave my own road. I¡¯ll do whatever I will and whatever I can, be it become an arcanist or finding the true king. I won¡¯t let anything stop me, not until my debt is paid. Perhaps... that is one reason I¡¯m doing this; to do for Aira what they did for me, to give some sense of satisfaction that I¡¯ve paid my due somehow. They gave me strength through what they taught me. They gave me power, yet I¡¯ve held myself back out of fear that I can¡¯t control it. But in the end, what¡¯s there to be afraid of? (We are weak because of what we don¡¯t know.) You¡¯re right, Hadda... the difference of the mana between here and there was what made me afraid. Up here on the surface, the mana is more... receptive, in a word. No... it¡¯s not just mana. Whenever I reach out at the aether, it felt like everything was pulsing with it; the air around me, the earth below my feet, even my very body. In the end, it¡¯s just a matter of knowledge. Once I get to know how the elements work here, I can use them. I¡¯ve gotten a grasp on air magic, somewhat, so I¡¯ll use that. Anything else would be too careless. Now then, with that sorted out, it¡¯s time for action. --- --- --- I braved myself one last time, emptying my mind and letting my long forgotten instincts take over. Up to this point, I felt like my body was underwater, but now I¡¯ve come out of the water and onto the surface. I can feel my own heart thumping, vibrating my whole body. Here we go. With a prayer to a nonexistent god, I jumped off the roof. Just as I do so, I create layers upon layers of dense air to cushion my fall in stages. First layer. My muscles wail at the shock, my whole body trembling at the mere pressure. Second layer. I see my reflection whizz past the third floor window. My target is right below. Final layer. I make the cushion densest, stopping my momentum momentarily. Within that instant, I create a shield of whirling air in front of me, just before I blast myself into the window. The glass breaks, shattering the pieces all over the room. The man, whose back was just at the window, is blown away over his desk, landing ungracefully on top of his fancy rug. ¡°Agh... wha... You?! What is? ¡° Not giving him the chance to complete the sentence, I blow him away again. The door breaks on its hinges upon receiving his body as he flies out into the hallway. I watch him slide across the floor, until a whimper catches my ears. I look back at the room and there, cowering in a corner, I see a young luphaen woman watching me with terrified eyes. Get out. She understood quickly, dashing out the door without ever looking back. I turn my attention back to the sprawled man, coughing away while trying to regain his bearings. ¡°What... in the bloodyfuck do you think you¡¯re doing?!¡± What I do best... I gather up another ball of compressed air on my palm, smiling mischievously at my opponent as I did so. Giving you the little bit of magic that you need. Following the rumbling of footsteps, numerous drifters appear around the corner with their weapons ready. ¡°It¡¯s the commissioner! He¡¯s under attack!¡± ¡°Who¡¯s the attacker?!¡± ¡°It... It¡¯s the little magus...!¡± ¡°What?!¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter who, protect the commissioner!¡± Huh... that¡¯s quick. It¡¯s as if they were just standing by nearby when I attacked. Oh, well... no matter. Here¡¯s where the fun begins. Chapter 21 : Let Sleeping Dogs Wake Chapter 21 Let Sleeping Dogs Wake Blow after blow, the drifters are hurled back against the pressurized air waves that I keep pitching at them. So far, I have no trouble keeping them back, but if Sallis and the A-ranks were to appear, I might be in real trouble. Deciding that I can¡¯t just stay here and wait, I create a wall of fire to impede the drifters¡¯ advance. ¡°Fire! Get away!¡± I hear one of them shouting. Soon enough, the corridor is blocked with flickering waves of heat. If this building was made of wood, the fire would¡¯ve engulfed everything pretty quickly. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t. Now then, what to do with this? ¡°You... you gormless tart! What are you planning to do?! Do you even realize who you¡¯ve made an enemy of!¡± Whimpering, Ichard shouted at me as he piteously creeps away from me. Not really... I grab his collar with my hand, a firebulb in the other, as I pierce him with my glare. I¡¯m not from around here, you see. Using air magic, I fling him back to his office. He crashes back first on his desk, the sound loud enough to be heard from across the flame because now I hear the drifters¡¯ affrighted shouts, fearing for their commissioner¡¯s life. ...Oh? After all this, he¡¯s still able to stand? I figured him as a desk-hugger that has never fought against beasts. I guess he actually trains his body. As I approach him, he keeps his eyes sharp at me while scanning the room for any means to escape. He¡¯s smart enough to know he can¡¯t fight back, so surely he realizes, the only way to escape is the window I came in from. Without turning his back on me, he steps back against the window, briefly glancing out at the broken frame. I know from his muddled expression that he¡¯s deciding on whether jump. I stop in the middle of the room, crossing my arms over my chest to see what he¡¯ll do next. ¡°...You want me to jump, don¡¯t you?¡± To his question, I impishly raise the sides of my mouth. ¡°Hah. Fine, let¡¯s do it your way,¡± he said, jumping out the window right after. He¡¯s more gutsy than I thought. Or is that ego speaking? To be fair, it¡¯s the obvious choice from his point of view. It was either risk a broken leg, or get burned alive. Well, then, I should get going. Straightaway, I run and jump out the window after him, using the same trick to cushion my fall. After landing smoothly, I realized that Ichard had made a run for it, out the park and into the crowded streets. ...I see what he¡¯s doing. For someone who claims to be fighting for the people, he doesn¡¯t seem too concerned about using them as meat shields. Heh, he¡¯s betting on my conscience to leave the townspeople alone. Lucky for him, I can¡¯t cause any casualty lest the commander might actually kill me. Nevertheless, I run after him into the busy streets, his figure disappearing amidst the crowd, hiding. Actually, now that I think about it, he might¡¯ve made my job a lot easier like this. Determined to finish this quickly, I form more firebulbs to hover around me and quickly charge one up, excessively overheating it before launching it up to the sky. --- --- --- It didn¡¯t take long for the chaos to be widespread. The firebulb itself detonated well above the buildings, far enough that there¡¯s no threat from the blast or the rarefaction that comes after. Excluding me, people nearby were brought down under the pressure wave. The ground shook, and the glass of windows creaked in shock, with several on the upper floors actually breaking into pieces. It only took seconds for the panic to ensue. People started running everywhere screaming, though it also only took a few before they noticed the firebulbs glowing brightly, hovering around me. Realizing that I¡¯m the perpetrator, the chaotic mass of people parts to give me way to my target. Like a sheep without his flock, Ichard stands there in the middle of the street with no one to protect him. Found you~ I saunter towards him. No longer able to hide among the crowd, it is all he can do to run now... or, that¡¯s what I thought. Surprisingly, he¡¯s not running away. Instead, he¡¯s just standing there with his arms raised straight above him. ¡°I surrender!¡± he shouted at me, almost joyfully. ¡°I surrender! I¡¯ll come to you, just don¡¯t harm anyone! Your issue is with me, not with the citizens of Tarnlake! You¡¯ll have to kill me before you harm any one of them!¡± Hah... really. Who was the one who thought to hide behind them? Even in situations like this, he just had to get more love from the people, doesn¡¯t he? ¡°Lay down your, uh, fire! I¡¯ll come to you, okay? Nice and slowly, lay down your fire...¡± he said in a pitiful attempt of persuasion. He thinks I don¡¯t see the crossbows aiming at me from the balcony, it seems. Well, then, why don¡¯t I play along? ¡°I¡¯m willing to talk. What are your demands, in exchange to leave the people of Tarnlake alone?¡± ...Bah. You know I can¡¯t speak, right? Are you even trying at this point? Following his lead, I slowly lower my raised arm and let the firebulbs burn away. With the slightest, concealed movement, I prepare myself to jump him. I watch him¡ªhis cold-sweats dripping down his face, his trembling fingers, his nervous stare... everything. The signal may come anytime, and if I miss it, then it¡¯s half a dozen steel bolts for me. ¡°I know why you¡¯re after me. I promise I¡¯ll give you what you want, so...¡ª¡°
  1. See. It.
Time slows down for me as I watch his raised arm falling. I know what¡¯s to come after, so I hunched myself before springing up my legs, launching myself towards him with the help of air magic. I can hear the bolts whizzing pass, grazing my hood just a hair¡¯s breadth away from the skin of my cheek. I stop just in front of him and before anyone else could react, I do my work with the air around me, whirling them around the two of us before igniting a chain reaction, ultimately erecting a wall of flame around us. I hear some more screams from beyond the flame, and after that, drifters shouting to each other. Even through the roaring fire, I can hear the numerous footsteps surrounding my blazing barricade. Some of the bolder ones dared to shoot a few rounds of lead into the fire, but stops only after a short while, for fear of hitting their own commissioner. The thick steam rising from the fire is stopping the crossbowmen above from shooting as well. Now, then. We¡¯ve got all the space we need, lord commissioner. ¡°W?What?! You... just what?¡± he stopped short of breath just then, breaking into a coughing fit. Oh, I guess you should know, the flame¡¯s taking away all the air you need. You¡¯ll be dead in a minute. As if he heard me, his eyes quivers in fear. He falls down to his knees, incapable of even speaking as he desperately breathes for air. ¡°P?Please... just...¡± Have any of your girls asked you that? I stare down at him coldly, just watching him claw the ground as he makes his desperate pleas. ¡°I just... wanted to do what¡¯s best...¡± He¡¯s not even saying that to me anymore, staring off at a space to my right, at something I can¡¯t see. He¡¯s getting delirious from the lack of air, it seems. It won¡¯t be long before he loses consciousness. ¡°I¡¯m sorry...¡± he said with a weak voice and teary eyes. ¡°I¡¯m... sorry, Frea...¡± Huh? Just like that, he drops to the ground, unconscious. That last word... was it someone¡¯s name? His face when he said that was something I never expected to see from him. Sorrow? Regret? Could he actually be feeling guilty about everything... Ah, stop, it¡¯s too late for second thoughts now. Focus, Fay. At any rate, my part is mostly done. All that¡¯s left is to wait for that man to come and finish things up. So I wait in the heat, mixing up the air to keep both Ichard and myself alive. While I wait, I start hearing familiar voices mixing with the drifters¡¯ shoutings, calling my name desperately. One of them is Kaelyn¡¯s I believe. Her voice is husky, unmistakably crying as she screams my name. The other one belongs to Luise. He sounds desperate too... ..... ...I wonder, what are they going to think of me after this? Will they hate me for doing this, or fear me like the townspeople? Not like it matters. I was already prepared at the time I¡¯ve decided on my resolve, but it still leaves a bitter feeling to know that I might never meet them again. Just a bit, though... ...Argh, fuck it... ¡°Fay!¡± I heard a new voice shouting from beyond the flickering flame. Finally, the commander¡¯s here. It was getting a little hard to breath, and the fire had nothing to do with it... ¡°Commander, stop!¡± ¡°Oi, Orlev! Don¡¯t! The flame¡¯s too hot!¡± Following the voices, I see a shadow coming up from the other side. The flame dances around the figure as he passes through, moving faster than my eyes can follow. Something knocks my foot, and suddenly I¡¯m falling rapidly towards the ground, face first. Augh! I can feel the commander¡¯s weight on top of me as he clicks is pistol behind my head. ¡°Your flames. Snuff them out.¡± Ow... I got it, I got it! I create a vacuum to extinguish the flames, leaving only traces of vapor trailing upwards. The drifters that couldn¡¯t come close before immediately surrounds me. I sigh in relief when the commander finally steps off me, only to be replaced by two burly men, pushing me down to the ground and constraining any movement. ¡°Move, and I¡¯ll break all the bones in your body,¡± one of the drifters threatened. Yes, yes...This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°The commissioner?¡± the commander asked. ¡°He¡¯s breathing, sir!¡± ¡°Have Rips check him immediately.¡± ¡°Aye! But... what are we going to do about her?¡± Orlev returns his stare at me, a hint of despise in his gaze. ¡°Take her to the cells.¡± --- --- --- I lie on the cold, hard bed, thinking of what¡¯s to come next. With every tired breath, I take in the damp smell of the dungeon, shaking off the unpleasant memories that arise from it. I look at the thing linking my wrists; a large, metal handcuff with intricate patterns made from castings, with some kind of glowing gem embedded in it. It seems similar to the one Sallis had with him. A mana stone, was it? Looks a bit different, though. *sigh* There¡¯s still so much I don¡¯t know. If lack of knowledge is weakness, then I¡¯m as worthless as I can be right now. Anyhow, when I said ¡°dungeon¡± just now, I actually meant an actual dungeon, with the dark cells, poorly-lit corridors, and the claustrophobic stone walls that seem to close in on you. That kind of dungeon. It still amazes me how a paramilitary organization had the kind of fund to build this. Ichard being commissioner of the branch might have something to do with this, but... for an organization that mostly fights beasts for a living, just what the hell would this kind of place be used for? ...Nah, no use thinking about it. As time passes, I absently gaze at the mouldy ceiling, trying to ignore the hateful gaze of the beefy guard, sitting just outside my cell. Aside from that one guy, there seems to be a few more hanging out in the room around the corner. I can hear them chatting with a low voice, ¡°I never thought she could do something like this. I mean... she looked so frail and innocent...¡± (drifter 1) ¡°So you¡¯ve actually seen her face? She got that weird hood on the whole time, didn¡¯t she? Frankly, I was already suspicious of her from the start.¡± (drifter 2) ¡°Hah, whatever, you hornswoggler.¡± (drifter 3) ¡°No, it¡¯s true. I think there¡¯s a conspiracy for the commissioner¡¯s life, and she¡¯s the one the turncoats sent to kill him.¡± ¡°That, or she just snapped or something, decided to blow stuff up. You know how weird magi can get.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not... I don¡¯t think she¡¯s like that.¡± (drifter 1) ¡°What¡¯s with you? Why are you defending her?¡± ¡°You weren¡¯t there in the rescue mission. You didn¡¯t see her fight alongside the wolf.¡± ¡°...Pfft.¡± ...Suddenly, the man guarding my cell made a contemptuous laugh. ¡°Fools. Those twits got fooled by your honey face, but not me,¡± he said haughtily. I leer at him from the corner of my eyes. His face looks especially nasty under the dim light. ¡°I know what you are, I know from the start. Acting feeble and all, just to get close to the commissioner and stab him in the back. Oy, are you listening me?¡± Trust me, I wish there¡¯s some way for me not to. ¡°You fucking back-stabbing slag. You got the wolf seduced for this too, didn¡¯t cha? Well, not all of us are dimwits like him. I know you¡¯re working with that rattler guy to assassinate the commissioner. It was your last mistake to think you could ever try and get away with your life. I pray you¡¯ll die a slow death for it. I bet you¡¯ve never experienced pain in your life, haven¡¯t you? Just you wait, You¡¯ll? ¡° He stopped when he noticed me getting up from the bed. I walk up the bars and stop just by him, with only the thin poles of metal separating us while I gaze back at him quietly. I see him shuffling uncomfortably in his seat, grabbing the grip of his pistol nervously. You seem a bit skittish. ¡°W?What is it, bitch? You don¡¯t scare me, not with your magic sealed.¡± Sealed? Ah... is that what the handcuff is for? This thing is supposed to seal my magic, huh? ¡°H?Hey, what are you even trying?!¡± he shouted, terrified to see me aiming my hands at him. I naughtily smile at him in response. I want to see how well it ¡°seals¡± my magic. Do you mind? ¡°...What are you doing?¡± an authorative and familiar voice said from the end of the corridor. ¡°C?Commander!¡± ¡°Can I have some time with her, Raf?¡± ¡°Ah, yeah...¡± ¡°Raf¡± then stands with unsteady legs before rushing away from sight, a bit hastier than he needs to be. Meanwhile, Orlev walks up to my cell while watching me with frigid eyes. ¡°That firework of yours caused fourteen concussions and three ruptured lungs, all civilians. You¡¯re lucky no one was killed.¡± I held back. ¡°You caused a lot of fear, you¡¯ve realized. Sallis said you¡¯re too dangerous to be kept conscious, and Hork suggested that we should just ¡°slice her white head off before she could mutter a magic word¡±, so he said. Now everyone wants you hanged, and why shouldn¡¯t I?¡± I don¡¯t know. Why shouldn¡¯t you? I innocently smile at him, and the commander sighs at my attitude. ¡°The girls were begging for your life. Some of the drifters too, the ones that you saved in the Dread. They trusted you, and you betrayed them. How does that make you feel?¡± Better than betraying my own principles. ¡°You were so sure I¡¯d play in your plan. You¡¯ve never even thought of the possibility of me betraying you, have you?¡± We both stare at each other for a while, trying to find out what the other thinks before he ends it, turning around and walking away without saying another word. --- --- --- After that, I lay in the cell for hours, staring at imaginary shapes on the ceiling. The guard shift changed a couple of times, but none of them tried to talk to me like the first guy. In fact, some of them I caught stealing glances at me with curious eyes. I can almost hear their minds; ¡°why did she do that? Who is she really?¡± Truthfully, the answer is something I have for neither question. Just as I¡¯m getting sleepy, a new set of approaching footsteps draws my attention. The owner, a familiar blonde man carrying a briefcase and dressed in a labcoat, sticks out like a sore toe in this dungeon. Rips, he was called, I think. He¡¯s the guy that stuck a huge needle into my back and is the one currently training Farica in medical arts. Speaking of the latter, she¡¯s here too, looking even more lost than her mentor. I haven¡¯t seen her since... after Latasha left, I think. Last time I saw her, she was still the same little wuss, but... here she is, wearing that eerie labcoat in a scary dungeon, with an unfazed expression on her face. What kind of things did Rips teach her in these past few days? ¡°Rips? What¡¯s going on?¡± the guard asked him. ¡°I have to check her for euphosys and rule it out as a possible cause. Commander¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°Ah, sure. I don¡¯t get what¡¯s the point, though. Crazy or not, she¡¯s still a deadman walking.¡± ¡°Would you mind giving us space?¡± ¡°Huh? No, she needs to be guarded at all time?¡± ¡°She¡¯s locked in a cell and cuffed with a grade-six mana restraint. Are you afraid of a little girl that much?¡± ¡°But...¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Unless you want me to get something to treat your anxiousness with?¡± The guard runs away after that, leaving just the three of us in the dungeon. The two in front of me then make strange eye contacts with each other. ¡°...If you¡¯ve got something to say, say it now,¡± Rips said to the girl beside him. Farica nods and faces me then. ¡°Fay...¡± Hey, Farica. ¡°Did you... really do all those things?¡± *nod* ...Ah, don¡¯t make that face. ¡°Why?¡± she asked me, her voice slightly trembling. Well, that¡¯s... After rummaging through her pockets, she hands me a set of writing tools through the gaps. A writing slate, a chalk, and a small block of wood covered in cloth. ¡°Tell me.¡± It¡¯s complicated. ¡°Tell me,¡± she pressured, glaring at me with her hand still held out. I hesitatedly take the tools, but instead of writing anything, I just stand there with the tools in my hand, lookng back at her while I think of what to write. In the end, there¡¯s nothing I can write to her that would ease her image of me. When she realizes that, her face turns sour. ¡°...Of course. What was I thinking? There¡¯s no way you would¡¯ve told me.¡± I¡¯m sorry. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you, Fay. You tricked me. You tricked everyone. You manipulated us all to get to your goal.¡± ...Sorry. I give the tools back to her, but she slaps it back towards me, causing them to fall onto the cell¡¯s floor. After pulling away her scornful gaze, she marches away from the cell and up the stairs, her footsteps echoing grimly. It¡¯s not as if I didn¡¯t see this coming, but it somehow still leaves a bitter feeling when a girl like her looked at me like that. An innocent, naive girl she really is, but that expression... what was it? Anger, because I betrayed her trust? No, rather than hate, she looked like she was hurt. I wonder, did I look like that too back then, when I found out about Hadda¡¯s lies? How did he feel back then, knowing he¡¯s just lost the faith of the person who trusted him the most...? ¡®I trusted you¡¯, was what her face said, but what did she trust me as? All I did was do what I really wanted and be myself. In the end, the ¡®Fay¡¯ in Farica¡¯s eyes is not me, but someone else who has my face. ¡°...You must forgive her. Despite what everyone else thought of you, she still begged for your life. She said that there¡¯s a reason that made you do all of that.¡± He unlocked the cell door as he said all that, giving a somewhat dangerous eye signal at me. ¡°Don¡¯t try to run, okay?¡± Uhm... After settling on the cell¡¯s floor, he opens his briefcase and pulls out from the inside, a disturbingly familiar device. I instinctively backed out into a corner and seeing me like that, his eyes flashes ominously as he says to me, ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Oh, god... Not this again. --- --- --- ........... ¡°...Preliminary inspection shows no signs of euphosys, but I¡¯ll have to see the lab test to know for sure.¡± Putting his tools back into his briefcase, Rips then looks at me with a childish smile painted on his face. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you didn¡¯t try to run away, faean.¡± Even if I did, there¡¯s probably hundreds of soldiers waiting for me up there. Besides, I can probably break out anytime I want. In another case, something he said has been bugging me, so I grab the writing slate that Farica gave me and then... uh, where¡¯s that chalk that I dropped? ¡°Here,¡± Rips said, giving the missing chalk to me. ¡°Do you want to say something?¡± Just a question... I write the word and then show it to him. ¡®Yufhosys.¡¯ Rips takes the slate and chalk from me before correcting the word. ¡°It¡¯s written like this. ¡®Euphosys¡¯, it¡¯s an illness that attacks the mind. It makes you crazy and act like an animal, or so what most rabble would say. I don¡¯t believe that¡¯s how it works.¡± An illness? Like a disease? ¡°I¡¯ve researched on some... ¡®materials¡¯ a friend of mine acquired in the past. I¡¯ve found that the ¡®carrier¡¯, which I call ¡®Agent E¡¯, interferes with the brain and somehow warps our social inhibitors. That¡¯s why I think the symptoms varies from one person to another, because every individual interacts differently in their social environment.¡± Err... ¡°While some may lose all restraints, others may maintain enough to continue with their usual lives. For example is... do you know of the previous lord of House Vane, whom they called the Mad Lord? I think some of his victims called him ¡®Saint¡¯?¡± ¡°Are you planning to get another apprentice, Rips?¡± the chief¡¯s low voice cut in before the person himself appears from the shadows. That¡¯s weird... I didn¡¯t see him until just now. Was he deliberately hiding his presence? ¡°Chief Aldwan, you need anything?¡± ¡°I just came by to check on our little magus, see if you¡¯re treating him well. Hahaha!¡± ¡°...I don¡¯t get it?¡± Before Rips can even react, the chief hammers his fist on the poor man¡¯s head, knocking him out instantly. ...What? ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get you out now, little magus.¡± Um... ¡°What, him? Don¡¯t worry, Rips knows about your plan. I just thought it¡¯s safer for him like this. That way, no one will be suspicious of him breaking you out. ¡° You¡¯re here... to break me out? "Here, let me get that restraint off you.¡± Before the chief manages to unlock the magic handcuff, it falls off my wrist and drops down to the ground with a clang. ¡°...Huh?¡± I got it. ¡°How did you...¡± Same trick I did to break out of that cage back then. More importantly, shouldn¡¯t we go? Erm... chief? The chief just stares at the fallen handcuffs, mumbling to himself, ¡°she used magic even with the restraint... yar¡¯veh, vok...¡± Hey, chief! I snap my fingers in front of him. ¡°O?Oh, right! Err... here,¡± he said, dropping a big, empty flour sack in front of me. ¡°I need to get you out undetected, so...¡± You¡¯ve gotta be joking... ¡°Oh, and you should probably bring that,¡± he suggested, pointing at the writing slate. ¡°You might need it.¡± --- --- --- For the first time in seventeen months, I am being carried in a sack, heaved over the shoulder like a baggage. The chief carried me out of the dungeon and then through the guild building, during which I heard several people calling out to him. ¡°Hey, chief. You¡¯re going back already?¡± ¡°Aye, my guys back at Gerslow can¡¯t handle crap without me this long. Send my regards to Orlev, will you?¡± ¡°Will do. What¡¯s that you got in there?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing... just some junk I¡¯¡¯m getting rid of.¡± Then we got on some kind of horse-drawn vehicles. I think the guild is situated near the east gate, because the journey through the town only took several minutes. We stopped after going out the city gates. As soon as he puts me down, I jump out of the sack and take a long breath of the fresh air, before glaring at the chief with contempt. Can¡¯t you think of a better way? ¡°We shouldn¡¯t waste time. The city¡¯s on alert after your little light-show. They¡¯ll be searching for you once they realize you¡¯re not in your cell.¡± He points at a stationary carriage as he continues, ¡°we¡¯ll be using that one. We¡¯ll go to the checkpoint just a bit further, between here and Gerslow. I¡¯ll drop you off there. You go hop on the carriage first and wait for me.¡± Fine. Got it, I replied as I start walking. ¡°Oh, and be good to the guy we¡¯re travelling with.¡± Eh? I look back at the chief questioningly, but his back is already turned, his hand waving at the guardsmen at the gate. I continue to the new carriage and open the door, and... well, inside is a man I least expected to see. His cold eyes dimly lits inside the shaded carriage, his usual fake smile no longer on his face. We both stop in our motions, evidently not expecting to see each other here. Seriously, chief... what were you thinking? Why the hell is Ichard here? Chapter 22 : Departure Chapter 22 Departure ¡°It¡¯s all my fault...¡± ¡°Hey, shush. It¡¯s not, okay?¡± I said to her as I embrace her into my arms, softly rubbing her back to calm her down. I don¡¯t know why she¡¯s like this, but Aira has been depressed ever since they told us that miss Fayis condemned to death for attempting to murder the commissioner. Why did she do all that? The others are saying she¡¯s after the commissioner¡¯s life from the very start, but I don¡¯t get it. Who would ever risk becoming a slave just to kill someone she doesn¡¯t even know? However, wasn¡¯t she already slave in the first place? Was she, perhaps... being controlled by someone? While I was thinking all that earlier, Aira suddenly broke down, crying and saying that it was her fault. That¡¯s how we got to where we are now, with me trying to console her. ¡°What should I do, Kae...? It¡¯s my fault, and now they¡¯re going to kill her...¡± ¡°D?Don¡¯t cry, Ai. How could it be your fault? No one could¡¯ve known that she would... do all those things.¡± ¡°But, I... it¡¯s because I told her everything that she...?¡± She suddenly stops and closes her lips tight, as if to stop herself from uttering another word. ¡°Ai? What¡¯s wrong...?¡± ¡°She¡¯s gone!¡± someone shouted, gaining everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°The magus, she¡¯s not in her cell! She broke out!¡± ¡°....What?¡± --- --- --- ...She¡¯s really gone. It happened when Rips was checking her health. The doctor took a blow to the head, and it wasn¡¯t until much later that someone found him unconscious. By that time, the cell was already empty. When she learned about this, Aira finally calmed down, relieved, even. I was about to scold her that it wasn¡¯t right, that miss Fay is actually a bad person. I couldn¡¯t, not when I¡¯m feeling exactly the same. Some people from the city council came after that and ordered a lockdown and curfew, but the commander stopped them by saying that it¡¯ll cause unnecessary panic, and that if we were to capture miss Fay, we should do it outside city grounds where there¡¯s less stuff to blow up. The guild is now working together with the city watch to put out search parties into the outskirts. I applied, but the commander only allowed C-ranks and above. So while the drifters in the search parties prepare, I stayed put right here, with Aira and miss Farica. ¡°...We can¡¯t just sit here and do nothing,¡± I said to the others. ¡°The commander said we should stay put. There¡¯s not really anything we could do, anyway.¡± (Farica) ¡°But she¡¯s out there! Somewhere, running from us. Don¡¯t you see, they¡¯re treating her like a demon or something, when she really isn¡¯t!¡± ¡°...And what if she is,¡± Farica snapped back, a spark of ire in her eyes. ¡°She tried to kill the commissioner and hurt a lot of people. I also overheard the drifters talking. They said the commander is keeping it a secret, but she had contact with the demon in Halhallart¡¯s Dread. Maybe she¡¯s actually?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Aira cried out, standing up from her seat in agitation. ¡°She¡¯s not a bad person! There¡¯s a reason for all this!¡± ¡°I wished there was, but she never said anything when I asked her.¡± ...Wait, about what Aira said when she broke down earlier... ¡°...Ai? Earlier, when you said that it was your fault... what did you mean by that?¡± I asked her, because combining that with how she acts right now, it seems like she knows something about miss Fay. ¡°I... I can¡¯t tell you. If I do that, everything she did would¡¯ve been for nothing.¡± ¡°What? Did she tell you something?¡± Farica questioned as she grabs Aira¡¯s shoulders, causing the latter to falter as Farica continued, ¡°tell us. We promise we won¡¯t tell anyone.¡± ¡°...There¡¯s no way I can be sure of that,¡± Aira replied, taking Farica¡¯s hands off her. With that answer, I feel a pang somewhere. Does Aira not trust us? Why...? ¡°Ai...¡± ¡°I can¡¯t tell you, but she¡¯s a good person!¡± She yelled at us before hurrying out of the room. Farica balls her shaking hands into fists, turning around as to hide her face from me. ¡°Miss Farica, I... I¡¯m sure Ai didn¡¯t mean that. She¡¯s just been so depressed lately, and this incident?¡± ¡°She told her.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°Fay told her, but not me.¡± ¡°That¡¯s...¡± Oh no... What should I say? ¡°Um, I¡¯m sure miss Fay had her reasons. I mean, maybe it¡¯s just because she didn¡¯t want you hurt or something. Y?Yes, that¡¯s got to be it! Although, without knowing her reason, I know I¡¯m being unreasonable, but I know that it¡¯s?¡± ¡°A message.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just as you said, Kaelyn. Her reason. She might¡¯ve left something, a message to explain it all for us!¡± ¡°A message? But, how...?¡± ¡°I left that with her! Come on, Kaelyn, let¡¯s go!¡± ¡°Eh? ¡®That¡¯? W?Where are we going?!¡± I couldn¡¯t say anything as I let miss Farica drags me away. --- --- --- She took me to the dungeon. It¡¯s so dark and the air feels so humid and foul. It makes me sick how they made such a delicate girl sleep in here. ¡°Umm... miss Farica, why are we here?¡± ¡°When I met with her before, I left her tools she could write with. I was thinking, maybe she...¡± ¡°Left a message with it? Miss Farica, that¡¯s smart!¡± ¡°Huh? N?Not really, and I¡¯m not sure if she did leave a message, considering she doesn¡¯t trust us in the first place.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure that¡¯s not true! Just you see, the message will be there!¡± However, nothing is there. Standing behind her, I can see Farica¡¯s shoulders trembling. ¡°M?Maybe she left it hidden for us,¡± I said to her. ¡°...No. She didn¡¯t.¡± ¡°M?Miss Farica...¡± ¡°That¡¯s enough, Kaelyn. There¡¯s no message.¡± ¡°...I¡¯m sorry.¡± *clack* A strange sound, like a door unlocking, turns both of our heads. Moreover, the sound came from the inner part of the dungeon, even though it seems to be empty. ¡°Is someone there?¡± Farica asked. Meanwhile, uneasiness grows in me as something tells me, we should get out of here while we can. Why, even though there¡¯s no one there... ...Wait. That¡¯s not right. I remember Hork telling me that there¡¯s a special cell located in an isolated part of the dungeon, saved for extremely dangerous individuals. Miss Fay was supposed to be locked in there, but it was already... occupied... ...Ah. That¡¯s right. There was another prisoner. Which is weird, because we called out earlier, and no one answered. Even though there¡¯s supposed to be guards posted, why is there no one? ¡°Hello?¡± Farica tried again as she walks in the direction of the sound. ¡°M?Miss Farica, I think we should go...¡± Ignoring my suggestion, she continues to walk. ¡°Miss Farica, I really think we should go...¡± ¡°No, but... it might be her.¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be! She already escaped!¡± ¡°M?Maybe she came back...¡± ¡°Why would she?!¡± Despite my pleas, she made her way to the isolated section, and I followed because I couldn¡¯t leave her alone. Inside the room, there¡¯s a pungent smell which makes me feel even worse about this. What is this smell? Some parts of the room are unlit and I feel like there¡¯s something in there watching me, hiding in the shadows. ¡°...Kaelyn? Where does that door lead to?¡± Farica asked, pointing at the metal door, the only door other than that which we walked in from. ¡°I think that¡¯s the special cell.¡± ¡°Was someone supposed to be in there?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But it¡¯s open.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°And no one¡¯s inside.¡± ¡°...Yes.¡± I feel a chill running up my spine. Now, I just want to get out of this place. I don¡¯t know why, but I feel like we¡¯re suddenly in danger. I don¡¯t have my spear with me, if something happens... where are the guards anyway?! ...Oh god. There, hidden among the shadows, two bodies are laid in a mess of... that¡¯s... that was the source of the smell I whiffed on when we first came in here. The smell of blood. The both of us freeze when we see that. I know we should escape, but I¡¯m afraid to make a move. Something is here with us, something dangerous. ¡°...Kaelyn, l?let¡¯s go back.¡± ¡°Um... yeah.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere,¡± he said. Who¡¯s ¡°he¡±? I don¡¯t know, but the second I heard the voice, I pushed Farica out of the room and closed the door behind her. As I did, I feel a sharp pain on my back as an object is pierced into me. Even though I can¡¯t see it, I can visualize a steel blade penetrating my flesh. Someone¡¯s banging the door from the other side. I muster my will, ignoring the pain to shout at the person outside, ¡°Get help!¡± At once, I turn around to face the source of this dread. He emerged from the darkness, his dark skin glistening under the dim candle light. He¡¯s still at a distance away, which means the object in my back must be a knife he¡¯d thrown. I feel bad. Like really bad, as if I¡¯m going to die the second I turn my back on him. Crap... this situation... I¡¯m in a really bad position, aren¡¯t I? Injured, barely trained, and without a weapon. Meanwhile, the opponent is a legendary assassin and he seems to have another dagger with him. Good thing is, I know he won¡¯t throw that away because he needs a sure kill, but still... This is bad, this is bad... I¡¯m in real danger! (In a fight where you¡¯re greatly overpowered by an opponent, one unpredictable move can change the flow of battle. This especially applies against humans, because it¡¯s easy to underestimate a small girl like you.) Ah, I see, Hork. This is one of those situations. Unpredictable... that¡¯s it. Throwing away any chances of second thoughts, I run towards him. His arms moved, faster than my eyes could see, but I know from instinct that he just threw his other knife at me. I moved a bit to the side, and the knife ends up on my shoulder. Even as the pain screams at me to, I can¡¯t stop, else he¡¯ll take me down. Just as I got to him, he punches at me, but misses just as I lower my body. It¡¯s a move Hork taught me to use against larger human opponents, and one I practiced with him many times. I slide one leg between his legs and, as I ram his centre of weight, I bend my leg to lock his ankle, shoving him off his feet. ¡°Shit!¡± I did it! ...Ah, no. That¡¯s not good. As I thought, it¡¯s harder to do in a real fight. I feel him counter my grapple, twisting my arms and then throwing me towards the back of the room. I land on my back, pushing the object deeper into my flesh with a painful squelch. ¡°Uaagh!¡± Goddess...! I¡¯m going to die here. After everything I¡¯ve gone through... being sold by my own family, and then rescued, and the arduous training with Hork... just to die here...? I can¡¯t accept that! As I painfully try to stand, I notice that I didn¡¯t land on the stone floors, but on something soft instead. I look down to see what I¡¯m on top of, but the red liquid explains it all. The guards... they had weapons. Inside one of the dead guards¡¯ grip, is a spear. I lunge in and take the spear, take a position on my knees and point my new weapon at the assassin. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. I have a weapon now, and he doesn¡¯t. The table has turned, and yet... why is he smiling? ¡°I like the bricky ones. They usually last a little longer. I would¡¯ve tried to enjoy this, but I¡¯m in the middle of a breakout.¡± ¡°C?Come get some, assassin!¡± ¡°...As you wish.¡± === === === --- --- --- === === === Upon seeing me, Ichard widens his eye in shock, his mouth opening to shout or scream. Before he could do either, I jump in and close his mouth with my hands as I peer into his eyes, our noses almost touching. Make a sound, make a move, and I will really kill you this time. Slowly, I remove my hand from his mouth, and he seems to get my threat because he¡¯s being quiet. I take my seat opposite of him, meanwhile he¡¯s watching me with unblinking eyes. I can tell, he¡¯s genuinely afraid of me now. I grin at him, teeth and all, and to my delight, his face distorts with horror in response. After that, I abruptly stand up while baring my nonexistent claws at him and, as if to give me pleasure, he gives a small shrill in reaction. This little game continued until the chief climbs into the carriage, his large frame barely fitting through the door. At that time, Ichard couldn¡¯t take it anymore and just blew up at the chief. ¡°Ald, what in Thalvos¡¯ name is this?!¡± ¡°Shush, keep your voice down, Ichie. You¡¯ll alert everyone,¡± the chief replied as he sits next to me, taking most of the space and pushing me into the corner. ¡°But why is she here?!¡± (Ichard) ¡°Sorry, I lied about getting you to safety. Hey, don¡¯t look at me like that. This was Orlev¡¯s plan.¡± (Aldwan) ¡°Him?! This is him?!¡± ¡°Well, his and her plan. Mostly her, actually. Don¡¯t worry, she won¡¯t hurt you as long as you behave.¡± I¡¯m not so sure about that. ¡°She tried to kill me, you crazy gibface!¡± ¡°Believe me, if she did, you wouldn¡¯t be breathing right now.¡± Ichard breathes heavily as he tries to calm down, making sense of what the chief said. Indeed, this was the plan... sort of. I never expected for the chief to take part, or that I would be riding with this guy. ¡°Well, I suppose I have some explaining to do for both of you,¡± the chief said while waving his hand outside the window, signalling the coach to move. ¡°You bloody do, Ald.¡± ¡°Where should I start?¡± ¡°Whether you and Orlev mutinied, that seems like a good start,¡± --- --- --- ¡°...So, the girl set this up with Orlev, is that right?¡± (Ichard) ¡°Yeah, pretty much.¡± (Aldwan) Like an illusion, the shock and fear on Ichard¡¯s face warps into that of wrath. ¡°What if I don¡¯t cooperate?¡± he challenged. ¡°Then we¡¯ll reveal what you really are. You¡¯ll be ostracized by every aristocrat circle, lose your name and shame the family that you¡¯re so proud of.¡± ¡°You think I¡¯m stupid, Ald? Without me, the Movals will slaughter your kin.¡± ¡°Haha! That would¡¯ve been the case, but you see...¡± as he replies, the chief pats my back with his big hand, continuing, ¡°this little one happens to be rather close with someone more powerful than you. Truth.¡± Ichard snuffles in disapproval. ¡°Who?¡± ¡°Latasha Ardent, heir of House Ardent. Even the Movals wouldn¡¯t dare cross another cardinal.¡± Ichard props his forehead on his heads as he produces a strange sound, like an animal grunting. ¡°Then why did she let me live in the first place?¡± ¡°It just seems simpler this way. You should¡¯ve seen this was coming, with what you¡¯ve been doing with all those girls.¡± ¡°...That? This is about that?!¡± Throwing himself back against his chair, Ichard does an exaggerated, exasperating laugh. ¡°Hah! Yes, I confess! I made bed with the luphaens that I took in and kept safe. Me, I saved them from the injustice they faced years ago. It¡¯s my family¡¯s wealth that kept the fucking Movals on their leashes, so is it wrong if I ask for a little appreciation in return?¡± ¡°Appreciation... you say?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right! Just so you know, I¡¯ve never forced myself on them when they¡¯re unwilling. I let them decide their own schedule, and if they were feeling bad, I always let them rest. So, yeah, I took advantage of them, but that¡¯s the least they could do for me in exchange for what I did for the?¡± Before he could finish, the chief¡¯s fist already made its way. Blown by the blow, Ichard¡¯s body is heaved back against his seat, shaking the entire carriage. Even the coach notices and stops the horses. ¡°Everything alright in there?¡± (coach) ¡°Aye, everything¡¯s fine!¡± (Aldwan) The chief cracks his knuckles and flexes his arm while Ichard whimpers in pain. ¡°Phew, I¡¯ve always wanted to do that, see if I can wipe that gigglemug off your face.¡± ¡°Augh... you fucking animal!¡± ¡°Yes, I¡¯m one of the many animals you saved all those years ago. Consider this my thanks,¡± the chief replied as he grabs Ichard¡¯s collar and pulls him in, breathing down his face. ¡°I. Held. Back. But if you go out of your line again, I won¡¯t be holding back my punch. Do you bloody understand?¡± Ichard could only nod in response. After that, we continue the trip, mostly in quiet. Even so, there are some things I still don¡¯t understand. If Ichard never cared, then what had he even fought for? Based on what I heard, most of the people were actually against on inhuman rights then, so it couldn¡¯t have been to gain support as the commissioner. He said it was because he wanted to make a change, but was he telling the truth? Was all the good he did genuine or not? That¡¯s what I would probably ask if I actually believed in good or wrong, but the question stands. Could it be that he was different back then? ...Ah. I just remembered something. The name he muttered back then, could it be? To make sure, I write the word on my slate and taps on Ichard¡¯s leg to gain his attention. ¡°...What do you want...¡± I show him the word I wrote. ¡®Frea¡¯ Reading the single word on the slate, his arm drops, and his face turns to cold stone and with it, I know I¡¯ve shown something he never wanted to read. The chief too has a stiff expression, but says nothing about it. --- --- --- It took several hours before we finally came to a stop. I peek outside the window and notice that we¡¯re in a military establishment. Some kind of small scale fortification with wooden walls and makeshift scaffolding and towers. I hear the metal bangings of a smith and horses neighing, but aside from that, the place is barely populated. Suddenly, the chief throws a bundle of clothing to me and Ichard. ¡°Wear that and keep your heads low.¡± Ichard spreads out his, and it turns out to be some kind of hooded scarf. For me, what I got is a long dark-colored hooded cape. We both wear the new apparels. Ichard¡¯s hood-scarf covers his face in the shadows, enough to obscure his identity. Meanwhile, my new cape perfectly covers everything from my neck to my ankles and wrists. I pull the hood forward enough to cover my face, but there¡¯s still some strands of hair sticking out no matter how I try to tuck it in. At waist-length, it¡¯s starting to be an annoyance. I guess I¡¯ll have to cut them, one of these days. ¡°Oh, and... little magus, a message from Orlev.¡± the chief said to me, leaning in and continuing in a whisper, ¡° ¡®agents of the faith was in the area. They¡¯ll be searching for you.¡¯ That¡¯s the message. Make any sense to you?¡± Yeah, thanks. *nods* I¡¯ve regarded the possibility of this ¡°secret order¡± finding out about me after the stunt in Tarnlake. Not to sound too arrogant, but I think I can handle a group of overzealous fanatics. After putting on our new apparels, the three of us steps out of the carriage. A soldier greets the chief as soon as we got out. Aside from the pistol at the soldier¡¯s hip, his equipment seems more suited for beasts rather than men; a plated chain mail and a spear, as well as a large rounded shield with a symbol of a horned horse etched on it¡ªthe same symbol I saw on the reps back in the rescue mission. That¡¯s the symbol of this country¡¯s military, I think. ¡°...Only one wagon?¡± the chief asked the soldier, pointing at a coached wagon near the stables. ¡°There¡¯s no word from the other one. There was a landslide at the Red Cliffs, I presume they got held. The one that¡¯s here is the one heading south.¡± Upon hearing the news, the chief lets out a frustrated sigh. He faces me and Ichard and talks to us in a low voice as to not let the soldiers hear, ¡°that one¡¯s yours, Ichard. I¡¯m sorry, little magus, the one that¡¯s supposed to carry you isn¡¯t here, and we can¡¯t risk you lingering here for too long. Have you ever ridden a horse, before?¡± Err... not exactly a horse, but I have ridden a wolf before. It shouldn¡¯t be that different, right? *nods* ¡°Vaosha. Then we¡¯ll send Ichie off first.¡± ¡°...How long will I have to stay ¡®sick¡¯?¡± Ichard asked. ¡°As long as it takes. Now go, don¡¯t be a slowpoke and run along now.¡± ¡°You know that I¡¯m still your boss, right?¡± In reply, the chief bares his teeth in a beastly way. Ichard only scoffs back before getting on the wagon. With a lash of his harness, the coach motions the horse and the wagon starts riding away. I wave Ichard away, just to see that vexed expression on his face. ¡°...You really are too kind, little magus.¡± Sorry? ¡°You could¡¯ve killed him, and even though you didn¡¯t, you know you¡¯ll still be charged with murder, don¡¯t you? And yet, even though it would¡¯ve been easier to just put him off his misery, you still spared him.¡± Uhm, well... That¡¯s because I felt like the commander wouldn¡¯t have cooperated if Ichard dies in the plan. The thing with Latasha is just a big bluff, anyway. I barely know her, and even if I had the slightest relation, I don¡¯t even know how to contact her. Ichard seems to have bought it, so all is good, I suppose. ¡°...He wasn¡¯t always like that, you know.¡± Uh-huh? ¡°He was honourable, back then. Virtuous and passionate. A bit naive, but he had this flame that no one could extinguish. At times, it felt like it was personal to him. That name you wrote, I don¡¯t know how you even know that, but... do you know who that name belongs to?¡± I shake my head at him. ¡°Well.. he had a lady friend back when he was young. They were close, intimate even, but somewhere along the way, she... well, you know...¡± What? I look up at the chief interrogatively. ¡°...She was a luphaen. ¡° ...Oh. ¡°I know you may not see it with him like this, but I truly believe that the Ichie back then was true to his heart, and I think Orlev knows that too. Power... it corrupts people, especially young, inexperienced people like Ichie was when he first came to power.¡± Right... I don¡¯t think that¡¯s an excuse for what he did, though. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s find a horse for you.¡± With that said, we go to the stables, led by one of the soldiers. The stable itself is rather small for a military establishment, containing only eight stalls with only four occupied. ¡°Pick one, the big guy¡¯s gonna pay for it,¡± the soldier said. Alright, then. Since it¡¯s chief¡¯s money, might as well chose the best one. Hey, horsie. ...No reaction. Next horse. Hey, can you hear me? Can you understand me? ¡°Neiigh! *munch* ¡± Gah! Don¡¯t munch my hair! I push the horse¡¯s face away, and it retaliates by shoving me back with his head. I would¡¯ve fallen if the chief hadn¡¯t caught me. ¡°Haha, careful, laddie. These guys do tend to get a little excited when they see someone they don¡¯t know.¡± (soldier) Oh, great... As I brush the dirt off my cape, I examine the next horse, but... I wouldn¡¯t take it even if it did respond to me. It looks so sickly and weak that it might die before I could even get on. Hahh... that¡¯s strange. Thought transference isn¡¯t working with them. I¡¯ve actually thought of this before, but like how it works differently to different people, it could be the same for animals as well. I guess I¡¯ll just have to keep trying.... Huh? ¡°...Quack.¡± Well, aren¡¯t you a familiar face. ¡°Quack.¡± I nod my at the bird¡¯s direction to let them know my decision. ¡°The scurry...? This is the one brought back from the mission. You¡¯re not serious, are you?¡± (Aldwan) I am. By far, Fanny¡¯s the only one who reacts to my thought transference. The soldier accompanying us chuckles mockingly. ¡°Laddie, I don¡¯t know where you¡¯re from, but I¡¯m supposing you¡¯ve never seen one of them before. See, there¡¯s a reason why scurries are used for cargo and not people.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true, little magus. Compared to horses, they¡¯re a bit too... jumpy, in more than one way.¡± Jumpy? I look at Fanny¡¯s tiny legs and can¡¯t help but doubt that claim. ¡°I know they don¡¯t look like it, but these birds pack quite a kick,¡± the chief elaborated. I¡¯m still not convinced, but if being jumpy¡¯s the only problem, then he¡¯s definitely the one for me. You¡¯ll be good, won¡¯t you, Fanny? ¡°Q?Quack...¡± --- --- --- ¡°There, all good to go,¡± the soldier said, finishing up on putting the harness on Fanny. I hear a chink as the chief passes something into the soldier¡¯ hands, the latter giving a wave before leaving us alone. I watch the chief walk back to me as he puts his coin purse back in his waist pocket. ¡°I still don¡¯t understand you, little magus.¡± Err, me too? ¡°By the way, here¡¯s a little something for you,¡± the chief said as he gives me a small travel bag with lots of pockets. ¡°There¡¯s rations to last you for a few days if you use it sparingly. I also filled the waterskins in there for you. Also, there¡¯s about five regils in there. It should last you a few weeks.¡± Ah, thanks... ¡°So, I guess this is it. If we ever see each other again, it¡¯ll be a long time from now.¡± Chief... I walk up to the chief, standing on my tiptoes and promptly circle my arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. ¡°A?Oh...¡± the chief stutters, his hand raised at his sides awkwardly. I let a good time pass before finally letting go to leave with my new companion. Let¡¯s go, Fanny. ¡°Quack.¡± Fanny compliantly lowers his body, but his back is still too high for me to climb on. Fanny, lower... whoa! Swiftly but gently, chief lifts me up and puts me in place. With a tender smile on his face, he ruffles my head yet again, messing my hair even through the fabric of my hood. ¡°Be good now. I won¡¯t be around to help you next time.¡± Uh, yeah... ¡°Stay safe, little one, and let the white fowl soar in the skies you see.¡± I tilt my head at his farewell. I prefer the black raven, but thanks. I give him one last smile before turning forward to see Fanny¡¯s face, which is looking back towards me. I pet him gently below his bills, feeling his soft feathers on my skin. Be good and I won¡¯t cook you for dinner. ¡°Quack?!¡± Now go, Fanny! ¡°Q?Quack!¡± Well, then... Here¡¯s to start my journey into the new world. === === === --- --- --- === === === ¡°...Come on, come on...¡± As the checkpoint comes into view, I pick up the pace of my horse. I hope she¡¯s still there... ¡°Halt! Who goes?¡± I jump off the horse and walk up to the guard, showing the fowl emblem on the back of my status card. ¡°It¡¯s me! Luise, from Tarnlake!¡± ¡°The wolf? Are you here to? ah, hey!¡± I brush past the guard and briskly walk into the establishment. Without needing to look around, Aldwan¡¯s large, brown figure is already in view. ¡°Oy, Ald!¡± I called out to him, ignoring the guards at my back as I quickly approach the avlark. ¡°Luise? What are you doing he?¡± ¡°Where is she?¡± ¡°E, uh... who?¡± ¡°You know who, Ald!¡± ¡°I... I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± ¡°Oh, cut the crap. Orlev told me everything. You broke her out, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Ssh, oy!¡± he puts his hand on my face, probably to cover my mouth, but ended up brushing his fur all over my face. Yugh... ¡°Not too loud, laddie.¡± ¡°Mmpf mmphf!¡± (Get your hand outta my face!) --- --- --- ¡°...So?¡± ¡°Sorry, lad. She rode away hours ago. I was about to take off myself.¡± ¡°I see...¡± ...Damn it. ¡°Aw, don¡¯t be sad, laddie,¡± Aldwan said as he circles his arm around my shoulder, putting his entire weight on me. I can almost hear my bones creaking under the weight. ¡°Get off me, Ald!¡± ¡°Ahh, young love... I¡¯ve seen you with many women before, but this is the first time I¡¯ve seen you like this.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± ¡°Nah, you have to tell me first. What makes her different?¡± ¡°...Are you really asking me that?¡± ¡°Hahaha! True, she¡¯s just like a storm, isn¡¯t she. Probably the ballsiest lass I¡¯ve ever met.¡± With that said, the chief releases me with a shove and throws me off balance. I scoff at his rough demeanour. In response, he lifts up his eyebrows at me and couples it with a knowing smile. ¡°She¡¯s different, alright. But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s your reason.¡± ...I can¡¯t say that¡¯s not true. I know she¡¯s strong, I know it so well after she¡¯s proven it so many times, and yet, there are times when I see this expression on her face. I don¡¯t know what it is, but when I see it, I can¡¯t help but feeling like I want to protect her. That, and the fact that I know, she¡¯s not really that strong. The chief doesn¡¯t know, but I know. I saw her scars, the wounds she carried from the past. She looked so small and weak back then, and... I think it was at that moment that I fell for her. I wanted to give her a place she could confide into, to give her the love she never received. Yeah... that¡¯s what I wanted to do. ¡°...Did she really thought of everything all by herself?¡± ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard from Orlev, yeah. Most of it, at least.¡± I still can¡¯t wrap my head around it. She knew that there were two reasons that made Ichard¡¯s leadership vital to Tarnlake. One is that he had the people¡¯s trust and support, another is the fact that for the Movals, the Anselovs are business affiliates not worth losing over some religious zeal. So what she did was hit on those two factors. First she attacks and ¡°injures¡± the Ichard to make him go on a ¡°sick leave¡±, creating a chance for Orlev to take over. Orlev had been Ichard¡¯s go-to counsellor for a long time and everyone knew that, including the Movals. They should think that Orlev has Ichard¡¯s support and the change is merely a change of personnel and not of leadership. In other words, in the Movals¡¯ eyes, Ichard would be still in charge. She also purposely made a scene when she attacked Ichard, big enough to warrant the attention of the entire city. She made a demon of herself to make Orlev a hero for saving Ichard¡¯s life, as well as defeating the enemy that threatened the city. Thus, she created a momentum for the people to shift their supports to the new commissioner. All this, just so that her friend wouldn¡¯t suffer from Ichard¡¯s lust. ¡°Both the kingdom and the guild will go after her,¡± I commented. ¡°That depends. If Orlev plays his words right, this attack may be perceived as an attack on Lephander¡¯s noble, not the guild¡¯s commissioner. She¡¯ll be safe as long as she gets out of the country.¡± ¡°I guess I need to step up my game before I court her again.¡± ¡°Ay, never thought I¡¯d hear that from your mouth! Anyway, it¡¯s getting late. I should head off to Gerslow before sundown. Did you go here just to meet the girl or is there something you need from me?¡± ¡°Actually, yes. Orlev needs you.¡± ¡°Hah... really. I¡¯m gone for a few hours and he needs me already?¡± ¡°Something happened, Ald. The snake, he got away.¡± ¡°...What?¡± ¡°We¡¯re still looking into it. The city¡¯s locked down, but I doubt that¡¯s a problem for him. Orlev thinks he had inside help and they used the commotion Fay caused to escape. We¡¯re screening everyone at the guild now. We need your help.¡± Aldwan props his hands on his waist as he lets out a long and heavy sigh. Everyone feels the same; frustrated, losing our biggest lead against the rattlers after such a long time. This after Fay¡¯s get away, and the possibility that a traitor helped the snake escape, means that everyone¡¯s morale will be on the gutters back at the guild. ¡°...Was anyone hurt?¡± Aldwan asked. ¡°...Yeah. Welhow and Ferret, they were the ones on guard. Never even stood a chance, probably died before they realized it. Also, one girl was injured when he made his way out.¡± ¡°Anq¡¯vok... the guild¡¯s suffered enough losses in the recent weeks. Is the girl alright, at least?¡± ¡°Her life¡¯s not in danger, but... she got it pretty bad. She might have to give up on being a drifter.¡± ¡°So it¡¯s little Kaelyn, huh? Poor girl. She¡¯s a feisty one, would¡¯ve made a great drifter.¡± ¡° ¡®Bad things happen to good people¡¯ as Horky said. Do you have a ride? I don¡¯t think my horse can handle you.¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯ll take the carriage back. Hey, coach! How much for a ride back!¡± ¡°Same amount, chief!¡± (coach) ¡°For Goddess¡¯ sake, Ald. Do you have that much money to spare?¡± ¡°I sure do... huh?¡± The colour drains out of his face as he alarmly searches his every pocket. Finally stopping, I see him smiling awkwardly as he whispers to himself, ¡°that girl...¡± ¡°Is something wrong, Ald?¡± ¡°...Sorry, Luise. Can I borrow your money? I seem to have lost my purse.¡± === === === --- --- --- === === === I smirk to myself as I throw the coin purse in the air, filling the joy to hear the sound it makes. I said I¡¯d get back at you, didn¡¯t I, chief? Since it was getting dark, I decided it was safe enough to make camp. With no fire or shelter to keep me warm, I curl up against Fanny¡¯s body and bury myself in his warm feathers. I know what I want to do now. I know what I have to do. Thalvos told me to find the ¡°true king¡±, so that¡¯s where I¡¯ll start¡ªto the heart of the empire, District Cardinal. But before that... while I¡¯m still in the country, there¡¯s a place I¡¯d like to see. I have to head back north, to Falreas, the place where the slavers found me. I¡¯ll head out in the morning, but for now... I¡¯ll just sleep. ...It feels weird. I¡¯m probably being chased by many dangerous people right now, and yet I feel perfectly normal, whereas the comfort I felt back in the guild felt like a fleeting illusion. I guess I¡¯m too used to living on the run. I close my eyes and relax my mind, letting it drift into darkness. As sleep consumes me, memories of the past fill my consciousness. Not a dream, not a nightmare, just memories. Memories of them, and a time long past... Chapter 23 : Devil To Pay
Chapter 23 Devil To Pay
I don¡¯t remember much about those times at Level Three. When I try to remember, I could only see it through a blurry window. However, I feel like it was only yesterday¡ªthe chilling air that bites at my wounds, the dark walls looming all around, and the wolf, his beautiful white stained with red, roaming through the dark maze. There was a girl atop of the wolf, and that girl, was me. That puny girl, feeble and bloodied, lay on the wolf¡¯s back listlessly. She was the weak me from back then. In that dark, dark world, amongst all the blood and violence, I held on to the only grip I had. I remember that feeling well¡ªtightening my hands as I held on to the white wolf. We said nothing and spent most of our time in silence, but over time, I got used to the feel of his fur, to the rising and falling of his shoulders as he walked. It was the fear, you see. That fear of death, it clouded my mind with dark questions. I knew I was just a burden, and there was no logical reason why Eretz would help me. At that time, my life was completely in his hands... erm, paws. I was so sure he¡¯d leave me behind at some point. Then it came over me, what he said a while ago; ( Why did the bird help you? ) That¡¯s when I realized¡ªEretz thought there was some kind of reason for Hadda to help me. Truthfully, it was nothing more than a game. A bet, in fact, but Eretz didn¡¯t need to know that. Um... Eretz, you asked about the reason why Hadda helped me. ¡¸ Aye, little lass. ¡¹ I¡¯m not really sure, but, uh... he said something about how I¡¯m helping him too. He said I was... the key to, um... escaping this place. ¡¸ Is that so? ¡¹ Y?Yes, that¡¯s what he said, but I¡¯m not really sure what he meant. It was a lie, of course. Maybe, if I could convince him that I¡¯m important, he¡¯d ¡°keep¡± me for a while longer¡ªwas what I thought back then. At that time, I was thinking that Eretz, like the others, was also just trying to find his way out of this accursed maze. I could never expect kindness out from anyone, but I could, however, expect him to act out of his self-interest. Or at least, that¡¯s what I believed back then. As I travelled together with the wolf, my senses and my limbs grew numb. I was still bleeding from the injuries I received. Why I hadn¡¯t run out of blood yet, I don¡¯t know, but it was all I could take to just sit upright without provoking excruciating pains from my wounds. When I realized it, we were already in a different section of the maze. The ¡°dome¡±, as Thorne¡¯s group called it. It was their goal for a long time, thinking that it was some kind of structure at the centre of the maze where the exit is, or at least some hint to it. The truth is, it just looked like a dome from the outside. It was actually just a section of the maze where the walls are much higher. Coincidentally, it was also the place where I first woke up. At some point, Eretz¡¯ movement changed abruptly, like he was in a rush. The pace picked up, and he was suddenly running. Eretz? Is it Eggsy? ¡¸ The bird¡ªI smell him. He is near. ¡¹ Um... does he know? Hadda, I mean. Does he know it¡¯s us? ¡¸ ...Hold tight, little lass. ¡¹ Then it hit me like a brick. I found myself holding for dear life under the punishing pressure as Eretz sprinted through the corridors, faster than I could imagine. The walls blurred around us and the air became an unforgiving wind. I realized at that moment¡ªthe lifer never had any chance, not against this speed. And for some unfathomable reason, despite the mayhem of it all, I felt safer than I ever had. It made me think that no one could ever catch us. After that, it was a game of hit-and-miss. Unlike the raven, Eretz didn¡¯t know about the layout of the maze and was guided only by his sense of smell. He knew the direction he wanted to go, but not which path to take. It took long enough before we finally got to what seemed like the correct path. We followed it, only to be stopped by a dead end. ¡¸ He is just beyond thither. ¡¹ Eh? Beyond this wall? I couldn¡¯t believe it. We were so close. After all that work, only to be separated by a wall. Can he hear us from here? It was just a thought. Despite the height and thickness of the walls, I could hear the lifer on some occasions, even when a wall separated us. The watchers¡¯ corridors inside the walls might be accountable to this. The walls aren¡¯t as thick as they seem, and the spaces inside them may allow sound to pass through. ¡¸ OY! Hear me, thou foolish bundle of feathers! ¡¹ Eretz suddenly shouted, loud enough to make my ears ring. ¡¸ Thou art thither, art thou not! Answer me! ¡¹ With no answer, Eretz kept shouting, ¡¸ thou fucking pigeon! Shalt I break this wall and chomp thee, should thou not answer me! ¡¹ Still nothing. I saw this coming, considering the relationship of those two. Um, Eretz, let me try... ¡¸ ...And? What makes thou thinkest he would answer to thee? ¡¹ I flinched in fear when Eretz looked back his shoulder at me. His glare has always had its way of making me shrink back in submission. I was still terribly afraid him at that time. ¡¸ ...Pup, is that you? ¡¹ A voice came from the wall. It was him. ¡¸ What are you doing here? ¡¹ There was no doubting it. I realized I was unconsciously tightening my grip when I heard that haughty voice, but there was no helping it. As soon as I heard him, I was washed with a feeling I couldn¡¯t really recognize. All I know was that I wanted to see him. ¡¸ Never mind that. Come hither, fly over the wall. ¡¹ ¡¸ What do you mean, fly over the walls? That would be cheating, pup. ¡¹ ¡¸ Quoth who, thou bawbling pigeon? ¡¹ ¡¸ Quoth I, you flightless mammal. ¡¹ Hadda... I tried calling out to him. When I did, there was the sound of wings flapping and the next thing I know, there was a black raven standing in front of us. ¡¸ Why are you here, brat? ¡¹ Hadda...? ¡¸ Why are you with him? ¡¹ His red eyes glowed as he glared at us, and even though I couldn¡¯t read his expression, I was suddenly... afraid. So afraid that I couldn¡¯t breathe. ¡¸ Lay off the lass, thou pest. She is hurt. ¡¹ ¡¸ ...Hurt? ¡¹ He broke his gaze, and the feeling disappeared. He bobbed his head up and down as he observed me and the wolf. ¡¸ ...Did you change your fur, pup? ¡¹ ¡¸ This is blood, thou daft. ¡¹ ¡¸ Blood? Then, the brat too? What... happened? ¡¹ I can¡¯t remember what happened after that. Everything just went dark. --- --- --- When I came to, I was already laid down against the wall. I woke up to the feeling of something soft, and when I opened my eyes, Hadda was... ¡°nuzzling¡± me with his beak, like he did long ago when he checked my muteness. Hadda? ¡¸ Oh, you¡¯re awake. How are you feeling? ¡¹ Urgh.... I don¡¯t remember anything, but it seemed like I had lost my consciousness somewhere along the way. ¡¸ Are you hurting? ¡¹ Yes... the wounds, they¡¯re not healing. ¡¸ Of course. We¡¯re at Level Three, after all. ¡¹ As he said that, he looked over to the side. There, the wolf sat, his eyes glowed dimly as he silently watched. Still drowsy, I closed my eyes again without a care for the world. My arms felt like stone, and I couldn¡¯t even feel anything below my chest. My head was constantly spinning and cold sweat dribbled nonstop on my skin. In the darkness, I felt a soft touch¡ªa warmth that covered that protected me from the cold. I opened my eyes again, and there he was, covering my body with his large wings. He was just there at my side, saying nothing and yet, as I stared back into his eyes, I knew he was trying to say something. I waited for him to start and all the while images of our time together blurred into my head. All the puzzles, all the times helped me, and most of all... ...the moment he left me. That look he gave me when we finally found each other... it was as if he blamed me for being with the wolf. He blamed me, even though he was the one who left the first place. ...You left me. I didn¡¯t even bother hiding the contempt in my ¡°voice¡±. He stayed silent in response, and that only made my spite grow. Perhaps that being the reason, tears were welling up in my eyes. To hate him to the point of tearing up¡ªwas what I thought back then. Just as I was about to say more, Hadda finally opened his beak to speak, but what came out was not something I expected. ...No. Rather, it was something I already know. ¡¸ You are dying. ¡¹ === === === === === === I gaze down at her from above. Her blood-coloured eyes, devoid of emotions, pierces back at me. Her snow coloured hair touched the water as she looked up at me. This person... I don¡¯t know her. I touch the water, and the stranger inside the water did the same, joining our hands together from the other side. Even after all this, after all I¡¯ve been through, I still don¡¯t know who she is. Who is she? What is her name? Why was she in Purgatory? ...Who are you? There was only silence. Of course, I never expected for my own reflection to actually reply. It¡¯s just that... I thought that if I kept asking then, maybe, I could hear an answer from somewhere within me. Who are you? ......... Why are you here? ¡°Quack.¡± ......... ....Hi, Fanny. I look at the giant, horse-sized bird who is staring at me. His little black eyes glimmered with curiosity as he watches my actions¡ªthat is, talking to myself. You know, I had a bird friend, once. ¡°Quack?¡± I don¡¯t know, maybe you two were distant cousins or something. ¡°Quack.¡± Anyway, let¡¯s bring us up to speed. These past couple of days, I¡¯ve been riding north from the checkpoint, but honestly, I don¡¯t know where I¡¯m going. All I know was the guild saved us from the slavers at someplace to the north, and I haven¡¯t been with the slavers for long when the guild rescued me. Which means, this Falreas place shouldn¡¯t be too far away, but if I really want to get there, I¡¯ll be needing a map. My plan was to find that place and see if I can find anything useful, but just this morning, a cloud had appeared on the horizon. *grumble* ...Yup. A really dark cloud. The rations the chief gave me only lasted a total of two days, and now I have nothing to eat. Thanks to the chief¡¯s kindness, I have quite the sum of money. The problem is that there¡¯s nothing to buy. Maybe if I get back to the main roads, I¡¯ll be able to buy some food and perhaps a map from travelling merchants. It¡¯s quite risky, but I¡¯m already days away from Tarnlake, so... it¡¯s worth a shot. Let¡¯s go, Fanny. ¡°Quack.¡± --- --- --- After that, we started riding east towards where I last left the road. The journey is bumpy as always, but I figure it¡¯s much easier with thought transference. Unlike conventional horse riding, all I have to do is tell Fanny where to go, and he delivers. Fanny, forward. ¡°Quack!¡± Fanny, slow down. ¡°Quack.¡± Just like that. Moreover, he actually seems a bit faster than normal horses. Probably nowhere near warhorses, but it¡¯s still much faster than what his tiny legs should be physically capable of. Also, even though Fanny¡¯s running is ¡°jumpy¡±, his round, fluffy body acts as a cushion, so it¡¯s not that rough. I could get used to this. Fanny, go! ¡°Quack!¡± Wha¡ª With that command, there¡¯s a change in Fanny¡¯s movement. He lowers his neck and situates his body lower, before suddenly jumping towards the front. With this position, my body takes the brunt of the charging air as Fanny¡¯s jumping power transforms into forward thrust, moving leaps at a time. I hold on to the measly grip on the saddle¡¯s pommel, using all I have to not get blown away. Strangely enough, the feeling is somewhat nostalgic. After a few seconds of that burst of speed, though, Fanny breaks his pace and I¡¯m thrown from the sudden loss of momentum, landing gracefully a few strides to the front¡ª rolling on the ground before hitting a tree painfully.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. *crack* Ow, ow, ow... damn it, Fanny! ¡°Quack.¡± Are you... tired? A few seconds was all you could manage? ¡°Q?Quack...¡± So he could only maintain that speed for ten, maybe twenty seconds? Can you continue? ¡°Quack... *shakes head* ¡° There¡¯s blood on his feet, probably from the careless running earlier. Your feet... you¡¯re injured? ¡°Quack.¡± Ah, well, it can¡¯t be helped, I guess. Come here, I¡¯ll clean it up for you. We¡¯ve been riding for a few hours, so it¡¯s about time to get some rest, anyway. Problem is, I¡¯m getting hungrier by the second. Water is no problem as I can just summon them, as long as the air isn¡¯t too dry. Food is the issue here, and thinking that, my gaze automatically goes to Fanny. Or rather, his volume. ...Meat stock. ¡°Quack...?¡± What kind of name is ¡°Fanny¡±, anyway...? ¡°Quack.¡± Ah, come to think of it, I still haven¡¯t done that yet. Identify. ¡°Quack?¡± < Identifying... >
< NXId >
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ? ©¦23©¦ ©¦81%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ? ©¦10©¦/12
Name ? Fannas Gerrorias
Appellations ? Mount of Aedras Castaroth
Species ? Gallupteryx
Age ? 5 years old
< Subnex >
Name ? Fannas Gerrorias
Titles ? Mount of Aedras Castaroth
Species ? Scurry
Age ? 5 years old
Gender ? Female
Mana Affinity ? ?
Mana Pool ? ©¦10©¦
Threat Level ? Category ©¦F©¦
...Female?! ¡°Quack!¡± Sorry, I didn¡¯t know. Anyway, ¡°Fannas¡±, huh... so that¡¯s where ¡°Fanny¡± came from. What a fancy name. Also, ¡°Mount of Aedras Castaroth¡±¡ªis that the previous owner? The guy with the wolfsteel sword, or something... he died in the fire I made, I think. ...Have I heard that name somewhere? Hmm... probably just my feeling. I¡¯m sorry, Fanny. I think I killed your previous owner. ¡°Quack....¡± Now that I¡¯m your owner, I can name you whatever I want, right? ¡°Quack?¡±
< Subnex >
Name ? Meatstock
Titles ? Mount of Fay
Species ? Scurry
Age ? 5 years old
Gender ? Female
Mana Affinity ? Beast ¨C Earth
Mana Pool ? ©¦10©¦
Threat Level ? Category ©¦F©¦
¡°Quack?!¡± What, you don¡¯t like it? Fine.
< Subnex >
Name ? Fanny
Titles ? Mount of Fay
Species ? Scurry
Age ? 5 years old
Gender ? Female
Mana Affinity ? Beast ¨C Earth
Mana Pool ? ©¦10©¦
Threat Level ? Category ©¦F©¦
There, better? ¡°Quack...¡± What, it¡¯s exactly the same as before. ¡°Quack, quack!¡± Yes, it is. Stop complaining. --- --- --- Evening came, and my stomach is still growling. One good thing is that we¡¯re finally back on the road. Even so, there¡¯s no one in sight. No one at all. Maybe this area just doesn¡¯t have a lot of traffic. It must be nice, Fanny, since you only eat grass. ¡°Quack?¡± ....I don¡¯t like this. I¡¯m tired, I¡¯m hungry, and I feel like I¡¯m being watched. I can¡¯t see anyone, but yeah¡ªsomeone is definitely stalking me. It could be the Church, it could be Lyrfanas, or... it could be someone else entirely. Just as it¡¯s getting darker, lanterns are getting lit in the distance. Some kind of village or a small town, maybe. Thank god, I¡¯m already dying from the hunger. I mean, I could¡¯ve survived through the next day, but feeling like this brings back memories that are... less than good. If possible, I don¡¯t want to feel hungry ever again. Then again, no one would. That just makes me normal, I suppose. As I approach the village, I observe the buildings and the people. There¡¯s only a few people on the roads, all of them most likely on their way home. Most of the buildings seem to be housings, with only one or two floors high, mostly with thatchings as roofs. How quaint. There¡¯s a few buildings with third storeys too. A couple restaurants, and... Nexy. < Translating... > ¡¸ ¡°Balbeard¡¯s Traveller¡¯s Inn¡± ¡¹ ¡¸ ¡°Bed and Breakfast¡± ¡¹ A ¡°traveller¡¯s inn¡±. They even have stables for the horses. There¡¯s also some kind of wagon on the outside, packed with a lot of crates and sacks. No one¡¯s guarding it. Maybe, if I... ...No. Don¡¯t be stupid, Fay. You¡¯re already a fugitive. You have money, so just buy what you need and be on your way. Be good, Fanny. ¡°Quack.¡± After putting Fanny into the stable, I get off and walk into the inn. Inside, the layout reminds me of a... tavern? Aside from the tables arranged tidily throughout the room, there are stools placed near the counter, behind which a barkeeper is serving drinks to some patrons. Most of the lighting is done by oil lamps and candles, but there also seems to be a couple of electric chandeliers. There are not that many people, probably half a dozen or so, all of them keeping to their own. There isn¡¯t really anyone worth noting except for the cloaked man that¡¯s sitting alone on one of the stools. The reason for that is the longsword he has slung across his back¡ªsomething I figured as an uncommon weapon of choice. Aside from the wolf-thing sword Latasha took, I don¡¯t recall anyone having that kind of sword. Anyway, enough looking at other people. ¡°Evening,¡±: the barkeeper greeted with a grumpy face. ¡°Anything I can help you with?¡± I take out my slate and start writing on it. ? Food and map ? ¡°...What¡¯s this? Can¡¯t talk, lad?¡± The barkeeper eyes me up with curious eyes, and I pull my hood tighter in response. ¡°You¡¯re a shady one aren¡¯t you? Getting a room, boy?¡± *shakes head* ¡°Look, I¡¯m not a vendor. You get a room, and I¡¯ll serve you. Otherwise, buzz off. I don¡¯t have anything for you shady bunch.¡± Wha...? After saying that, he goes to serve the other patrons. What a jerk. *sigh* After three days of riding, Fanny seems to be on her limit, and more importantly, my buttocks has been aching badly as well. That¡¯s nothing a bed can¡¯t fix, but I can¡¯t shake off the feeling that someone¡¯s been following me. Spending the night here would be an invitation to whoever is after me. ¡°...Troubles?¡± Huh? ¡°Balbeard¡¯s not known for his hospitality, you see. You can¡¯t blame him, though. Can¡¯t be too careful way out here in the fringes.¡± Whoa, I didn¡¯t expect for the guy with the longsword to speak to me. And since when has he been sitting next to me? ¡°I noticed you with that slate. Are you mute or something?¡± Uh... He looks like he¡¯s in his middle ages, though he might be younger than he looks. I can¡¯t tell much with all that hair covering his face. His brown hair has grown out to cover his ears, and that coupled with his unkempt facial hair makes him look like some kind of vagabond. He¡¯s wearing travelling attires, no armour of any kind. Living on the road, maybe? At any rate, he¡¯s suspicious. I should leave. ¡°Wait. You see that wagon out there? That¡¯s mine. I have food and maps if you want.¡± ? You¡¯ll sell? ? ¡°I might even give some for free. You see, I was in the middle of a long journey, but something came up and now all that stuff is just baggage to dispose of. I¡¯m willing to give some to you. I only need a favour.¡± Uh-oh. That can only spell trouble. No thanks, goodbye. ¡°Hey, I said wait. I¡¯m not asking a lot, just information. News and rumours you came by.¡± ....... ¡°One dounce of food and a map. I¡¯ll give that much to you. How about it?¡± ....... ? Fine ? ¡°You came from the south, right? Did you pass Tarnlake, by any chance?¡± ? No ? ¡°Really? That¡¯s weird. Tarnlake¡¯s the only hub for merchants around here. It¡¯s rather odd if you didn¡¯t pass by there.¡± Is that so...? Crap. ¡°Well, to each their own. Anyway, I heard about some kind of accident there. They said a demon made an appearance in the middle of the city, but I find that hard to believe. I was wondering if you know anything about it. Is it true?¡± Who knows? I shrug at him, but instead he forms an unnerving smile in response. ¡°There¡¯s also another version of the rumour. Want to hear it?¡± His eyes lit dangerously as he continues, ¡°this version tells not of a demon, but a rogue individual that caused the chaos. It was a slave that the drifters rescued a few weeks prior. And this individual, if I remember correctly, his characteristics are... below average height, always wears a hood, and lastly, incapable of speaking.¡± ....... ...Ah. Fuck. I made a mistake. ¡°What a coincidence, don¡¯t you think, for someone with the exact description to be here, not twenty leagues north of Tarnlake.¡± I glare back at the man¡¯s threatening gaze, ready to fight to make my way out of here. ¡°Hey, now, I¡¯m not a threat, just a curious observer is all.¡± Oh, yeah? This is bad. I can¡¯t freely use my magic in a place like this. I should probably get out first, but an ambush might be waiting outside. Perhaps it¡¯s safer inside where there¡¯s people, but I don¡¯t know if they even care about collaterals in the first place. ¡°You don¡¯t believe me. That¡¯s to be expected, I suppose, if you¡¯re the least bit smart.¡± ...Maybe he¡¯s telling the truth? I don¡¯t trust him, but if he¡¯s with the church, well... I don¡¯t think they¡¯d hire anyone who looks like a beggar, but who am I to tell? Moreover, his appearance makes it seem like he¡¯d been travelling a long time, and yet I¡¯ve only made my spotlight days ago. But if he¡¯s not after me, then what is he after? ? What do you want ? ¡°You¡¯re travelling north, aren¡¯t you? It just so happens that I am too. I¡¯d be delighted to have someone as interesting as you to... talk to.¡± I scoff at him before standing up to leave. ¡°Also, you¡¯re being followed. Pros, by the looks of it.¡± I stop in my tracks and leer at him. He has this smug expression on his face, as if expecting me to be surprised. Well, guess what? I can handle them. ¡°You¡¯re thinking you can handle them. Well, you¡¯re wrong. I know these people. They have a lot of assortments in their arsenal, the kind that specializes in hunting people like you. These people have been doing this for centuries. If you pride yourself in your magic, they pride themselves in taking it down. You won¡¯t even see them coming.¡± ? Get to the point ? His vague smile turns into a knowing smirk before he answers, ¡°I can help.¡± --- --- --- ¡°Alright, everything¡¯s set,¡± the man said as he walks out the inn with nothing but a knapsack and his longsword. I can¡¯t believe he¡¯s giving all that stuff for free. ¡°I¡¯ve arranged everything with Balbeard. Now, you need to understand that this won¡¯t shake them off, not by a long shot. At most, it¡¯ll buy us a few hours, just enough to plan a counterattack.¡± He throws me the knapsack after that. Catching it brought out some unpleasant creaks from my knees. Ow... exactly how much is a ¡°dounce¡±? ¡°There¡¯s breads and mostly dried stuff. Nothing fancy, but I don¡¯t suppose you were expecting. The map¡¯s in there.¡± Yeah, I see it. So, then... the plan is¡ªin exchange for everything in the vagabond¡¯s wagon, the innkeeper will be ¡°reserving¡± a room for me and provide us with a change of clothes. Both me and this man thinks that the pursuers will make their move late at night when I¡¯m presumably asleep, but until then, they¡¯ll be hiding outside the village and watch for people going in or out. So I change my clothes, change my ride, and slip out of the village as a different person. ¡°Anyway, we should get going. The sooner we go, the more lead we¡¯ll have. You go on and take my horse, I¡¯ll take your scurry. Wait for me half a league north.¡± Right... I still don¡¯t feel good about this. I don¡¯t think he¡¯s leading me into a trap, but he definitely wants something from me. I do need his help on shaking off my pursuers, though, and besides, I can drop him anytime once we¡¯re out of the village . ¡°His name¡¯s Amor, that black one over there,¡± he said, pointing at the black horse that was used to pull his wagon. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He¡¯s a lovely little fellow,¡± he finished with a wink before going back into the inn. As per discussed, I approach his mount¡ªa black warhorse two heads taller than me. Even the drifters didn¡¯t have anything like this. Err... chill? The horse answers with a whinnying sound, one that sounded ominous. I hope this goes well... I¡¯m gonna climb you, okay? I start by placing my foot in the stirrup, which is higher than my waist height, and then using the saddle¡¯s pommel to pull myself up. I end up on my stomach atop the horse¡¯s back. ..... Alright, this is wrong. Ugh.... With effort, I finally manage to pull my leg over to the off side. My feet don¡¯t reach the stirrups and end up hanging free, but that¡¯s okay. Hopefully I won¡¯t need the reins either. Go forward. Amor starts walking forward, slowly and steadily. Phew. Fortunately, he must¡¯ve been disciplined by his owner, lest he wouldn¡¯t have listened to me. So far so good. --- --- --- After waiting by the side of the road for a few minutes, Fanny¡¯s figure finally appears, approaching from the direction of the village. On top of him is the vagabond guy. ¡°Hold, Fannas.¡± ¡°Quack.¡± ¡°Well, here we are, mysterious person,¡± he said to me as he gets off Fanny¡¯s back. I follow suit to exchange our rides. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I made sure not to be seen going out. But just in case, we should move immediately.¡± Right. I quickly hop on the scurry¡¯s back and watch him make adjustments to Amor¡¯s saddle. Just before he manages to get on, I summon little fire pops on his horse¡¯s feet, making Amor stand up on his hind legs in a fury, knocking the man off his back. ¡°Wha¡ª¡° Go now! ¡°Quack?!¡± Fanny, go! ¡°Hey, wait!¡± I heard him shout behind me as the scurry takes off. I don¡¯t know who he is, or what his intentions, but he¡¯s not someone I can trust. The reason? Because I didn¡¯t tell him Fanny¡¯s name. *Phoomb!* That¡¯s... a flare! Someone at some place ahead just shot a flare! Shite, so it was a trap, after all. As if signalled by the flare, I see figures appearing, riding on horseback. There¡¯s two riders ahead, but what is that they¡¯re holding...? ...Lances. They¡¯re holding lances. Big ones. Fanny, they¡¯re going to spear us. ¡°Quack!¡± Great, there¡¯s more of them coming up on the sides. Two, three, four... Damn it, they were waiting for me, and I just waltzed into their play. Now I¡¯m completely surrounded. Using magic on horseback is... can I even do it? There¡¯ll be more factors to account for¡ªdynamic aether columns, relative velocities, and a whole lot more of spatial plannings. Precision strike is a sure miss, so I¡¯ll have to launch attacks with large blast yields, but that¡¯s even riskier. With the enemies closing in, one wrong move will catch me in the danger zone. No, I can¡¯t do it. I¡¯ll have to break their line and get out of the enclosure first, but how...? ...... If I¡¯m surrounded from all sides, then the only way to go is forward, right? Fanny, when I say jump, you jump. As high as you can. ¡°Quack?!¡± This is a terrible bet, but I don¡¯t have any choice. The moment Fanny jumps, I¡¯ll use air magic for vertical propulsion to help. In the end, it¡¯s left to Fanny¡¯s own jumping power to decide. Here they come. I¡¯ll have to do this right, or both me and Fanny ends up as skewered meat. ¡°Quack!¡± Not yet, just a bit more... I see the tip of the spears moving in slow motion, one aiming for me, and another aiming for my mount. They¡¯re coming closer and closer, to the point where I can hear the clangings of the riders¡¯ armours. I imagine their breathing¡ªtheir effort of trying to stay calm while having their eyes dead on their target¡ªon me. Their grips tighten, and their elbows twists. From that, I know it¡¯s coming. In perfect sync, the riders thrusts in their lances. Jump now! I hold on to Fanny tightly as her body vaults into the air, less than a moment before the lances reach us. At the same time, I make a strong funnel of air currents to carry us upwards and over the two riders. Thanks to Fanny¡¯s and their momentums, we land a fair distance behind them. Keep running, Fanny! The assailants are converging behind me. For now, I¡¯ll just take it as good luck that they didn¡¯t bring ranged weapons with them. *Bang!* Whoah! Spoke too soon. That¡¯s a pistol, and they seem to have crossbows as well. But that doesn¡¯t matter anymore. Now that I have the lead, I can bombard them with my magic. Let¡¯s start with the firebulbs, shall we? ¡°Quack!¡± What is it, Fanny? ¡°Quack, quack!¡± Well, I have no choice, do I? ¡°Quack! Quack, quack¡ªquack!¡± They¡¯ll kill us if I don¡¯t! It¡¯s only a bit more before the firebulbs are all charged. Once I attack, they¡¯ll break out, so I need to kill them all in one strike. They¡¯re all gathered now. Shouldn¡¯t be too hard. Just a bit more... (Our choices are what we leave when we die.) Huh? Wha¡ªjust... shut up, Hadda! (Everyone dies in the end, some with more regrets than others. Which would you be?) Urrgh.... Fine! ¡°Quack.¡± Fine, I won¡¯t kill them! Given their numbers, outrunning them is almost impossible. If I kill them all in cold-blood, whoever is behind this will just raise my threat level and send more people after me. But maybe if I spare them, they¡¯ll see it as an act of mercy, and then they¡¯ll.... reconsider? If I do leave them alive, though, I shouldn¡¯t show them too much of my power¡ªminimize their profiling of me. ...Hah. So I just have to, somehow, non-lethally incapacitate them without showing too much of my magic. Easy enough. Rather, that was how it¡¯s always been. No resources, no fancy magic, just my wit and instincts.That¡¯s how it¡¯s always been back then. I already made up my mind when I started all this. I know there''ll be devil to pay, but that moment I broke through Ichard''s window, I was already prepared for the consequences. Get ready, Fanny. ¡°Quack.¡± We¡¯re just getting started.
Chapter 24 : A Fateful Encounter Chapter 24 A Fateful Encounter There are six riders in total. All of them are on sturdy-looking war-horses, all of which are probably more than capable of outrunning Fanny¡¯s speed. If I¡¯m going to fight back, I¡¯ll be limiting myself to what they know I¡¯m capable of¡ªair magic and the so-called fire magic. Complications aside, all I have to do is to create enough space between us for me to get away. Considering that we¡¯re in a tundra with lots of flat and open plains, outmanoeuvring them doesn¡¯t seem possible. Incapacitating them is the only way I can think of, but how would I go about that? Take down their horses? Knock them out? All available optionsare difficult without killing them altogether. Theoretically possible, just hard to do without having fully understood my grasp on magic. ...I¡¯ll just have to take care of them one by one. You up for this, Fanny? ¡°Quack!¡± They¡¯re starting to spread out with the intention of surrounding me. Now that they¡¯re no longer grouped together, I can start my attack. First up is the two with the lances, currently gaining on me from the rear. I start by sending low-yield firebulbs at them as warning shots. Even as the bulbs explode around them, the riders keep chasing after me as if they don¡¯t care about their own lives. Or perhaps, it¡¯s because they have something planned? Fanny, brakes. ¡°Quack?!¡± Just do it. As Fanny drops his pace rapidly, the distance between me and the lancers decreases drastically. Before they could react, I launch them off their horses and, with their riders no longer riding them, I fire small pops around the horses¡¯ feet. ¡°Shit! Wait...!¡± Keep going, Fanny. I look behind briefly to see the two heavily armoured men running across the plains, their armour making noises as they hopelessly chase their mounts. Two down, four to go. That said, the rest are armed with crossbows and guns, so it won¡¯t be as easy. It seems like they¡¯re not giving me a moment¡¯s rest, as they¡¯ve already started closing in with me in their weapons¡¯ sights. Pistols and crossbows¡ªthey¡¯ll need time to reload after every shot. Not to mention, I imagine it¡¯d be pretty hard to shoot a moving target while on horsebac¡ª *Bang!* Whop. With the bullet heading straight at me, I create layers of dense air barriers to block it, similar to the one I made to guard against hydra water-bullets. Even though it¡¯s not enough to completely block it, the bullet whiz past as it was derailed away from its original path. I counter by firing small firebulbs at the riders, aiming at their horses¡¯ feet. With their riders still in control, the horses keep running without so much of a reaction. After that, three of the riders keeps firing bullets and arrows. The pistols in particular seem to be shooting at a much faster rate than what should¡¯ve been possible. Is that some kind of new technology? While I¡¯m distracted on creating deflection barriers, one of the riders runs ahead in front of me. He¡¯s holding something¡ªsome kind of ovoid-shaped metal. He does something to it, and now smoke starts to come out from the object. And then he drops it on Fanny¡¯s path. Could it be...? Fanny, dodge that thing! ¡°Quack!¡± Fanny jumps to the side, albeit a tad bit late. As the metal egg explodes, the shockwave puts us off balance and I find myself thrown through the air. Wah! I try to land in position, but ends up sliding painfully for several strides. I look up just in time to see more of the metal eggs being dropped around me. I quickly put up shock barriers, but this time, no explosion came out¡ªjust thick, black smoke. I use air magic to blow them away, but the smoke flows out incessantly, taking mere seconds before my field of vision is wholly obstructed. Not to mention that my head is still ringing from the explosion. Ugh... what a pain in the butt. If I can¡¯t blow away the smoke, I¡¯ll just have to destroy the sources. Then, just as I¡¯m about to look for the metal eggs, one of the riders fires a gun from beyond the smoke. Augh...! Shit... that¡¯s not right. They shouldn¡¯t be able to see me either, so how the hell? Thankfully, it¡¯s just a scratch, but if I didn¡¯t hit the ground, it would¡¯ve been lead in my gut. Another bullet whizzes, and then a bolt after that, both of them landing far away from their mark. Strange... was the first shot a coincidence? Just in case, I start erecting barriers to cover from all sides. Not nearly strong enough to stop bullets or bolts, but they can at least slow the¡ª Fuck?! I hit the ground again¡ªnot to evade, but rather due to the shock of having a steel bolt embedded into my thigh. I scream¡ªvoicelessly¡ªfrom the pain, but manage to keep my head in the game. This can¡¯t be a coincidence. How can they shoot through the smoke? Unless, they¡¯re not using their eyes to aim? (They have a lot of assortments in their arsenal, the kind that specializes in hunting people like you.) ¡°Tch..!¡± Perhaps, they can somehow sense me when I¡¯m using my magic? With that assumption, I stay low on the ground. A few more bolts are fired, but none came near. After five more or so projectiles whizzed past, I¡¯m now sure of it. As long as I don¡¯t use magic, they won¡¯t know where to shoot. And then, once the smoke dissipates, I¡¯ll make my move and take them all down at once. However¡ªtake away my vision and make me unable to fight back¡ªis that all there is to their plan? They should know what I¡¯m capable of from Tarnlake, that I can blow them all away whenever I want. Or is it that they think I won¡¯t do such a thing with them being this close in proximity? ...Huh? The smoke has lightened, but the attacks have stopped for some reason. If this is really their plan, shouldn¡¯t they kill me before the smoke dissipates? Also... something doesn¡¯t feel right. There¡¯s a shift in the air and... it feels different now. ...Eh? I can see a figure through the smoke, walking towards me. He¡¯s on foot and seems to be holding something big in his hands. What is this? What are they planning? Finally, the smoke clears out and I can now see the man in front of me. He¡¯s dressed in ceremonial robes and is holding a large, mechanical staff in his hand¡ªI definitely didn¡¯t see him before. He¡¯s not one of the six riders that was attacking me, so where did he come from? Those six riders I mentioned are still on their horses with their weapons aimed at me, but no one is pulling the trigger. Instead, they seem to be looking at the robed man for the order. ¡°It is over, cursed one,¡± the robed man said, his face brimming with pride as he slightly lifts the heavy-looking staff. It is longer than he is tall and seem to be made out of pure gold, but that¡¯s not even the peculiar part. At the head of the staff is some kind of contraption¡ªwith moving parts and rotors, making ominous clicking and hissing noises along with a low humming. I start getting dizzy just by looking at it. That thing¡ªnow that I¡¯ve seen it, I know what it does. The change in the air I felt earlier is due to the mana disappearing from the area, and that staff is the cause of it. ¡°No matter how strong a magus can be, take away the mana, and they¡¯re no different than the common pleb.¡± I¡¯m kind of interested in how it works. Even if it makes my head ache, I can¡¯t help but stare at it with curiosity. ¡°It seems that you fell silent because of the shock of knowing your life¡¯s at its end. I know you don¡¯t have mana stones with you. It¡¯s over, demon¡¯s advocate.¡± This kind of technology is similar to the aether field back in Purgatory. Yes, I know they¡¯re at completely different levels, but still... maybe I can find something to help me beat Purgatory¡¯s field. That would certainly help me in my future battle against Thalvos. ¡°Stand down, archdeacons. It is I, Bishop Tyas, who shall pass down the Goddess¡¯ judgement on this heathen man.¡± Huh? Oh, right. Focus, Fay. I¡¯m kind of irritated from the pain on my thigh. If I don¡¯t end this sooner, I might just kill them outright. ¡°O¡¯ Holy Athyra¡ªMartyred Goddess, Giver of Wisdom, and Shepherdess of the Righteous Men¡ªbestow upon me the right to bring judgement down upon he who profaned your name. He who desecrated the Goddess¡¯ faith through union with the demonic, you shall be cleansed and purified of your sins!¡± I was expecting him to do something interesting with the staff, but in the end, he¡¯s just going to shoot me with a gun? ...Huh? Wait, hold on. What you just said right now... ¡°Begone, malice!¡± You said ¡°union with the¡ª¡° The gun fires its shot after that. But it wasn¡¯t the bishop¡¯s gun. Instead, blood starts to appear on his robes. His face contorts in shock as he drops his gun to the ground, his body following soon after. ¡°Bishop!¡± Two of the riders promptly jumps off their horses and runs over to the bishop¡¯s side, while the other two stays atop their mounts and maintains a watchful eye of the surroundings. Meanwhile, my gaze is already locked on the shooter, standing further than anyone could¡¯ve shot with a normal pistol. Then, like an illusive shadow, the figure dashes so swiftly that you¡¯d doubt he was a human. Before anyone could react, something round and heavy falls into the ground with a thud, though without so much as a glance, I already know what it is. Not wasting so much as a second, the mysterious attacker continues to the other rider. With a single slash, the horse falls with a pitiful whinnying as its hooves are cleanly cut. The man that was riding it, with his leg trapped under the weight of his horse, never had a chance to get away from the blade that came down on him. Seeing this, the last two living deacons positions themselves as to protect the bishop and aims their weapons at the attacker. ¡°No, this can¡¯t... Uwaagh! You bastar¡ª¡° The voice is cut short as the longsword is pierced through his throat in one clean jab, out the back of his neck and into the chest of the man behind him, killing them both in one stroke. With one quick pull, the vagabond pulls out his sword, splattering the blood and staining the green grass in red. Along with the bishop in his arms, the last deacon falls to the ground, the same moment as the now-headless man falls from atop his horse. Ah... I can¡¯t move... My whole body is tightening at the bloody sight. When I realized it, my arms are already hugging my own body, my hands clawing my clothes and shivering like crazy. Meanwhile, the vagabond turns towards me as he puts his longsword into the sheath on his back, not even bothering to wipe off the blood. He pierces me with his icygaze, one that made his earlier threats seem like child¡¯s play. ¡°...I don¡¯t get it,¡± he said to me while he casually rips some cloth from the bishop¡¯s robe and uses it to wipe the blood on his face. ¡°If what I heard is true, you could¡¯ve killed them right away. So either the rumour is exaggerated, or you¡¯re just that naive. Which is it?¡± ........ ¡° *sigh* I guess it doesn¡¯t matter, because either way, you disappoint me. I thought you were an interesting fellow, but look at you, shivering like a baby. To think that I saved the life of someone so... lesser. What a waste of effort.¡± After that, he puts his fingers on his lips and let out a sharp whistle. From the distance, the black horse, Amor, runs up to his side. He hoists himself up and looks at me one last time with that cold, lifeless eyes. ¡°...I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll ever meet again. Just remember¡ªI saved your life, so you better make sure it¡¯s damn worth it. Make yourself useful for whatever.¡± With that snobby remark, he starts riding away back south. I watch his figure disappear into the darkness of the night, my body still locked in place. Sometime later, I hear a footstep and suddenly, a shadow looms from behind me. ¡°Quack.¡± ...So you¡¯re fine, huh. ¡°Quack...?¡± Yeah, I¡¯m fine too. That was... close. When I saw this bloody scene, I nearly lost control. With all that violence, I felt as if I was back on Level Three. My mind just when blank, and my instincts were.... ...If that man had made a move on me in that condition, what would¡¯ve I done? I¡¯m sorry, Hadda. Even though I made my resolve not to kill them, I actually let myself lose control and almost killed the man who ¡°saved¡± me. After I calmed myself down, I look around at the macabre once again. All five men now lay lifelessly. One of the horses is still here, sniffing at his owner¡¯s headless body. Well, it¡¯s still alive and healthy, at least. The other one isn¡¯t as lucky. I look at the source of a pitiful sound, limp towards it, and stare down at the horse''s dying form. With its front legs like that, even if it survives, it can never stand on its feet ever again.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. He didn¡¯t have to do this. I go down on my knees and trace my finger on the horse¡¯s forehead, visualizing where its brain would be. He didn¡¯t have to do all of this. I take a deep breathe and clear my mind. After making sure it¡¯s at the right spot, I shoot a jet of supercondensed water with enough pressure to penetrate through the horse¡¯s skull. ...Idiot Fay. This could¡¯ve all been avoided had I finished this earlier instead of getting distracted by some stupid staff. ¡°...Ugh....¡± Eh? I turn around to look at the source of the whimper. Underneath his subordinate¡¯s bloodied corpse, the bishop grasps around in a desperate attempt to crawl away. When I approach him, he lets out a gasp and looks up at me with dread painted on his face. ¡°Pl..ea...se...¡± Ah... the image of him brought forth the memory of a certain sadist¡¯s dying moments, to my distaste. Earlier, you said ¡°union with the demonic.¡± ¡°Urgh... *gurgle* whatever you¡¯re gonna do... do it fast...¡± ...Have the church learned about my deal with Lyrfanas? ¡°Curse you... damned heretic...! Men like you... are the reason the Order exist...¡± ...Come to think of it, he thinks I¡¯m a man, doesn¡¯t he? He doesn¡¯t know much about me, and yet, this bishop, along with his ¡°deacons¡±, had come chasing me all the way here. Despite knowing what I¡¯m capable of, they still risked their lives to take mine. You may call them overzealous fanatics, but that kind of courage and determination is still something worthy to be admired. You too, I¡¯ll put you out of your misery. It doesn¡¯t seem fair for him to die without ever knowing who he was up against, so I take off my hood to show him my face. The second I did that, his eyes flared up, now glowing with hope as if he¡¯d forgotten about dying. He opens his mouth, and what comes out is a raspy voice befitting that of a dying man¡¯s; ¡°...Go..dess... ¡° I¡¯m sorry, I answered as I point my hand at his head, summoning more water while doing so. I¡¯m not your goddess. --- --- --- Now that that¡¯s taken care of, it¡¯s time for to examine the object of the day. I¡¯m talking about the staff, of course. Even now, the null field is still in place, as there seems to be a void of mana and the staff¡¯s contraption is still moving as well. Another thing that interested me is how the bishop acted. It looked like he was expecting my magic to be disabled with the device activated, which is curious, to say the least. Yes, there was a void of mana, but it¡¯s not like I need mana to use magic in the first place. Even though mana is certainly the ideal mediator to connect with the aether, any element can be used to mediate, so why did they think otherwise? As I though, there seems to be discrepancy between the knowledge those three taught me and the one known to this world. Anyhow, let¡¯s get to work. *click* Oh. The staff stopped moving as soon as I touched it, and the mana is slowly returning to its normal rates. Was there some sort of failsafe to prevent technological theft? Oh well, I¡¯ll just take it with me for now. ...Ugh. Damn it. As I thought, this thing is friggin¡¯ heavy. There¡¯s no way I can lift it, especially not with my leg like this. The bishop must¡¯ve been quite ripped beneath his robes to be able to lift this with one hand. Fanny, give me a hand. ¡°Quack!¡± .......... After fastening the staff to Fanny¡¯s saddle, I look around once more to see if I¡¯m forgetting something. As I thought, leaving all these bodies here doesn¡¯t feel right. I can burn them, but it¡¯d make it seem like I¡¯m getting rid of evidences. In the end, it¡¯s probably better if I leave them here for the church to find. Whether or not they find the bodies, the church will assume I killed them, either way. ¡°Quack.¡± Yeah, just let me take care of my leg first. Supported by Fanny, I walk a little distance away from the macabre before sitting down to treat my wound. I rip the cloth around the injury and thankfully, the bolt didn¡¯t seem to hit any major vessels... from the looks of it, at least. ¡°Quack.¡± Yes, it hurts as bad as it looks, you stupid duck. Now then, the first thing to do is to pull out the bolt. After that, clean the wounds and bandage it. Simple, right? Well, the last two parts are, at least. The first part, pulling out the bolt, is probably the worst part. I try moving the bolt¡¯s shaft a little, and it feels like the head is lodged in. If I just yank it out, I might as well bleed myself out. If I can make an incision to enlarge the wound, maybe I can pull it out, but I don¡¯t have the tools nor the know-how to do it. Now then, what to do... .......... I have something in mind, but considering I¡¯ve never used earth magic ever since I came up here, it might be a little risky. To put it simply, if I can gelatinize the bolt, I might be able to get it unstuck. Taking a firm grip on the bolt¡¯s shaft, I close my eyes and let my mind traverse away into the realm of aether. I probe into the steel bolt¡¯s structure and further, deeper and deeper into its lattices. Then, I start making the necessary changes¡ªdistancing the molecules, weakening the internal interactions... Ow... My head is starting to hurt. I guess doing magic on this scale is too arduous for the mind after all. At least I managed to get the bolt unstuck. I can pull it out now... ...I think. Here we go. Deep breath, Fay... deep breath. With one quick pull, I yank the bolt out. OW, OW, OW! ¡°QUACK, QUACK QUACK!¡± YES, it¡¯s as fucking bad as it fucking looks¡ªFuck! --- --- --- After that, I cleaned up the wound as best as I can with water magic and bandaged it with clothes I picked out from the dead zealots. I made sure to pick up spares as well to change the wrappings with. Before leaving, though, there¡¯s one more thing I want to take. I approach one of the bodies and take his gun to feel its weight in my hands. A gun, huh... It looks a little different from the ones the drifters used. When we fought earlier, it seems as though they were able to shoot a few bullets before they had to reload. Some new type of gun, I suppose? Hmm... having something like that might prove useful, so I decide to take it with me. Nevermind the fact that I don¡¯t know how to use it, or that it¡¯s probably too heavy for me to aim with. Speaking of which, when the vagabond rode away earlier, I saw the pistol on his hip¡ªmost likely the one he used to shoot the bishop. It seemed like a regular flintlock aside from its barrel, which was probably twice the usual length. That could explain how he made that shot. Maybe I can make upgrades like that as well. Of course, I¡¯ll have to learn how to use it first. Let¡¯s go, Fanny. ¡°Quack.¡± As I ride away, my thought goes back to the violent vagabond. Honestly, he kind of reminded me of someone, but I can¡¯t remember who. (...I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll ever meet again. Just remember¡ªI saved your life, so you better make sure it¡¯s damn worth it. Make yourself useful for whatever.) No matter what the truth is, he thought that he had saved me by killing those men. And that annoys me. I had it under control, jerk. ¡°Quack?!¡± At least, the two lancers got out alive. ...Or did he kill them too? Also, the way he moved earlier¡ªhe¡¯s definitely not a normal person. He was as fast as Luise was, maybe even faster, even with that longsword of his. Not to mention his marksmanship¡ªdisregarding the specialized barrel, to shoot from that far of a distance is still an exceptional feat. Above all else, however, it was his ruthlessness that makes him dangerous. That kind of man, with that kind of skill¡ªwho knows what he¡¯s capable of? (...I don¡¯t think we¡¯ll ever meet again.) *sigh* Because he said that, I¡¯m now certain that we will meet again sometime in the future. --- --- --- --- --- --- ...Is this it? ¡°Quack.¡± I take a look at the map again, and it does seem to be the right place. After following the map for two straight days, I seem to have finally arrived at Falreas. Judging from the overgrown vegetation around the roads,the forest seems to be devoid of traffic. Then again, I haven¡¯t seen signs of civilization ever since the fight with the church. I seem to remember someone saying about how the roads around here aren¡¯t used anymore. I was contemplating what to do when I get here because I don¡¯t really know what I¡¯m looking for. But now that I¡¯m here, I can feel some kind of mana network. It¡¯s similar to the one in Halhallart¡¯s Dread, but... purer, somehow. Can you feel it too, Fanny? ¡°Quack.¡± Follow it to the source. --- --- --- After a few hours of riding, I notice some change in the surroundings. As the mana veins become thicker, the bare trees become lush, grass and thickets start appearing in more density, and sounds of life start to fill the air. Be wary of beasts, Fanny. ¡°Quack.¡± Just like the case with the Dread, places with high mana density might be a common place for demonics to linger in, more so in a place so desolate like this. Worst case, I might run into another demon. Let¡¯s hope not... ...The road ends here, huh. ¡°Quack...¡± The road had been barely visible for a while now, but at some point, it was finally swallowed by the forest. The centre is still further in, though. Don¡¯t worry, as long as the sun is still up, we won¡¯t get lost. ¡°Quack, quack...¡± Trust me, I¡¯m a magus. We won¡¯t get lost. --- --- --- We got lost. The nearer we get to the source, the more tangled the mana veins became, thus resulting in us following the individual veins in circles and when we realized it, we no longer kept track of the direction where we came from. Damn it, Fanny. ¡°Quack?!¡± Hmm... I thought that if I focused on following a single vein, we¡¯d eventually arrive at the source, but that seems to be the wrong strategy. Maybe if I just keep following the general direction before it became tangled...? Okay, let¡¯s try that. --- --- --- ....It¡¯s no use. This is so weird. It¡¯s as if the veins are made to confuse people. Everything I¡¯ve tried seems to have only gotten us more lost. If we¡¯re still like this when night falls, we might be in trouble. Come on, help me out here, Fanny. ¡°Quack.¡± If there¡¯s one good thing, there doesn¡¯t seem to be any demonics here, despite the fact that there¡¯s an abundance of mana. I wonder why? At any rate, we¡¯re going nowhere like this. let¡¯s rest here for a bit. After that, we decide on a small clearing to rest in, and I use the chance to check on my leg. Speaking of which, my thigh is healing up pretty quickly since I somehow managed to avoid infection. It still hurts a lot, though. I had to pull it up on Fanny¡¯s back so that it doesn¡¯t hang whenever I¡¯m riding. Do you think I should change the bandages? ¡°Quack.¡± Okay, then. Aside from taking care the wound, I also decide that it¡¯s a good time for a meal. I take a piece jerky and a small slice of bread, and since Fanny¡¯s been working hard, I treat him to some dried fruit. Food doesn¡¯t seem to be an issue for now, as long as I keep track of what I have. It¡¯s a good thing I¡¯ve rationed it because now I don¡¯t know how long we¡¯ll be here. As I eat my fill, I admire the serene scenery all around me. And then, something just clicked. I¡¯ve been here before... I kind of remember walking through a place like this. I think I just woke up, and... I was frantic. I was running around calling for my friends and then... I think I blacked out. The slavers must¡¯ve picked me up after that. That means, the place where I woke up can¡¯t be too far. Even so, with all this veins in turmoil, I can¡¯t think of a way to get to there. Geez, it really does seem like someone¡¯s trying to keep us out, don¡¯t you agree, Fanny? ¡°Quack.¡± ...Except, maybe someone is trying to keep us out. Every exit is an entrance, which means, if the slavers did find me here, an entrance to Purgatory might be somewhere near. Taking his personality into account, Thalvos would¡¯ve left something to prevent people from going near. Perhaps, the chaotic veins of mana are something he left to confuse curious magi. If that¡¯s the case, then maybe I can just go ¡°deeper¡±? Mana may be manipulable, but aether is not quite so simple. If all this was done artificially, there must be some sort of aetheric passage for him to control it remotely. Maybe, if I ¡°sync¡± myself enough, I might just be able to see it, but... it might be quite risky. Fanny, I¡¯m going to try something. ¡°Quack.¡± I close my eyes and let the aether pull me away, but careful not to let go of my physical existence. Before long, my body becomes feather, and my sense of time is lost. Or better put, rather than lost, my own time is warped into the timeless sea of the aether. When I open my eyes, everything is... beautiful. The light, and the colours... they¡¯re beyond the range of what my physical eyes can see. Even though I¡¯m still in the same place as I was, somehow I feel warm, but also cool at the same time. I don¡¯t know how to put it. It feels alien, but welcoming and comfortable. Crap... Focus, Fay. If I lose it, my mind might not return the same as when it left my body. The passage is... there. I can see it. The colours are swimming around in a pattern, forming one glome after one another until it becomes some kind of pipe¡ªa hyperspace conduit, is one way to describe it. Got it! I pull my mind back, and the surroundings returns to normal in one blink. Phew, I haven¡¯t gone that deep for some time. ¡°Quack?¡± I got it. I know where to go now. Without wasting anymore time, I get on Fanny¡¯s back and we¡¯re on the move once again. Based on what I see, we shouldn¡¯t be too far. --- --- --- As the mana grew dense, the air grew heavy, and it¡¯s not without consequence. After some time, I started becoming lightheaded, and so did Fanny. Her steps became sluggish and clumsy, but we kept going anyway. There is an unearthly noise in my ear, like some kind ringing in high frequency. It¡¯s like in the back of my head, quiet and insignificant, but it grows more substantial as we walk further into the source. Perhaps, the reason why there are no beasts here is because it¡¯s too much for them too. I mean, the myriad of ¡°veins¡± have become so thick and tangled that it¡¯s no longer possible to distinguish them from one another. Rather than singular veins, they¡¯ve become a single large continuum of mana. Freakishly enough, some critters don¡¯t appear to be affected at all¡ªinsects, birds, rarebits... small animals and the kind. Maybe it¡¯s because they¡¯re less sensitive to mana? ¡°Quack.¡± Yeah, we¡¯re close. At a point where the ringing blocks out all other noise, we finally come upon into a clearing. I hop off Fanny¡¯s back and gaze at the sight before us. A misty pond¡ªwith strange dancing lights hanging at the surface of the water, and in the middle, a cubic structure stands. It has an opening the size of a door, and through it, all I can see is darkness. There are markings around the opening, inscribed upon the archaic stone blocks¡ªancient hieroglyphs that faintly glows. I''ve seen these markings before. Arranged like that, they can form... words. Through me you pass into the city of misery. ¡°Quack?¡± I slowly walk towards the stone structure, disregarding all the abnormalities. Everything else just seems and feels blurry and unfocused. Through me you pass into eternal pain. As I walk closer into the opening, I feel the darkness inside stretching its tendrils towards me. I step into the water as if the dancing lights noticed me, they briskly approach me and starts dancing around me, urging me to go forward. Through me you pass into the realm of the lost. Fanny¡¯s calling me, but her voice sounds so distant. Instead, my ears are flooded with the ringing, except it¡¯s no longer a ringing¡ªthey¡¯ve turned into whispers. Justice moved my errless Lord. The water rises to just beneath my knee and is neither cold nor warm. It pulsates like a heartbeat, along with the air around me. This place is alive... and the darkness in there is the beating heart. Thus, divine Darkness birthed me to Purge the sinners of their sins. The whispers... I couldn¡¯t hear what they were saying before, but now I can. Some are calling my Name, and others are saying the words along with me. Before me is Void, save thingsEternal, and eternal I endure. When I realize it, I¡¯m already in front of the temple. I squint my eyes to see inside, and there is nothing but the pitch black darkness, sucking me in. Abandon all faith, you who walk upon the cursed earth. Pushed by some otherworldly force, I walk into the opening and let the darkness swallow me. --- --- --- ...... ............ ...Huh? I look around, and all I see is stone. No darkness, no whispers¡ªjust old, mouldy stone blocks. What the heck...? I run outside the structure, and the markings are no longer there as well. Standing at the edge of the pond, Fanny tilts her head in a questioning manner. ¡°Quack?¡± Didn¡¯t you see what I saw? ¡°Quack? Quack quack.¡± But, the words... the whispers, they were calling my name. ...Wait, that¡¯s odd. My name? But what¡¯s my name in the first place? What did the whispers say, or were they even real...? Haah... As if all strength left my legs, I flop down into the ground, wetting everything below my chest. There is something here¡ªI know it in my gut, but that something is gone or hidden now. It could be that Thalvos realized I was here and cut off the connection. However, looking at Fanny¡¯s reaction, she doesn¡¯t seem to have seen and heard the same thing. In other words, it could¡¯ve been all just me. Aargh... I¡¯m so confused...! What the heck should I do now? ¡°Well, you¡¯re still young. You can do whatever you want to do.¡± Whatever I want to do... eh? What the crap?! Who¡¯s there?! I turn to look at the source of the face, and there, a woman is sitting atop a large rock at the edge of the pond, smiling at me. ¡°Hello,¡± she casually greeted me, which gives the opposite reaction of ¡°casual¡± from me. I scan the surroundings to see if there¡¯s any more people, and once that I¡¯m certain there¡¯s no one but her, I start looking at possible exits. Fanny is closer to me than she is to both of us, so a quick escape is more than probable. Is she a threat or not? To decide that, I start observing her features. Her gaze is sharp and so is her form. Even though she¡¯s sitting, I can¡¯t feel any opening. Her skin is slightly tanned, and she has a beauty mark near her left eye. She has brown hair, which is tied into a ponytail that reaches her upper back. In her hands, she holds a staff with a mana stone adorned on top. A magus...? ¡°Ding-Ding! But you¡¯ll have to be more specific than that,¡± she said as she lithely hops off the rock and into the water. I immediately take a wary stance, but the way she walks towards me doesn¡¯t seem to imply any threat. Even so, I can¡¯t let my guard down. ¡°This is one fateful encounter, no? Or so I said, but I don¡¯t know if you can call it that, considering that I followed you here.¡± Followed me? ¡°Uh-huh. All the way up here, in the middle of nowhere in a cold, desolate region of the country.¡± She admitted it herself that she¡¯s after me. If she¡¯s wants my life, she wouldn¡¯t have revealed herself and just killed me outright. Just what does she want? ...Nexy, ident¡ª ...Hold on. I¡¯ve been too focused that it just went over my head, but... did she just? ¡°Don¡¯t worry, kiddo. I mean no harm.¡± You... ¡°Yes?¡± You can hear me? She lets out an impish smirk before replying, ¡°Loud and clear.¡± Who are you? ¡°My name is Inzhi, and yours are Fay, right?¡± Yes. And what do you want from me? ¡°That depends. Did Sallis not mention me?¡± Eh? Sallis? ....Ah. You¡¯re... Inzhi, a geomancer. ¡°Correction; The Geomancer.¡± I remember¡ªshe¡¯s Inzhi, the arcanist who was supposed to be my mentor because of Sallis¡¯ recommendation. Of course, a lot of things happened and I just assumed that the plan was already down the drain. Why are you here? How did you find me? ¡°Now, now. I¡¯ll answer your questions, but you have to answer mine too.¡± ...Go on. ¡°So, then, Fay...¡± Her dark eyes gaze into mine, pulling me in as she opens her mouth to continue where she left off, ¡°do you want to be an arcanist?¡±
Chapter 25 : Beginning of a Legend Chapter 25 Beginning of a Legend ¡¸ Art thou willing, little lass? ¡¹ His voice echoed in the darkness behind my eyelids. ¡¸ To know the ways of mana, whence they come, and how they form? ¡¹ I¡¯m trying... ¡¸ Within and without, agnize their existence. Feel the flow, the perfections, the wrongs... ¡¹ I?I can¡¯t... I gave up and opened my eyes to find the menacing stare of the white wolf. I shrinked back under his gaze, looking away because I was too scared to look at him in the eyes. ¡¸ Try again, should thou wishest to live. ¡¹ No, I... I told you, I can¡¯t. ¡¸ Didst thou not connect with a watcher? Didst thou not avail thyself from within death¡¯s embrace? Make the connection. ¡¹ But I... why do I have to do this? ¡¸ Thou art to blame to be thus awaited by death. To be afeard is profound, but do not revel in fear. Take control, savest thyself. ¡¹ Even under his intimidating presence, I simply couldn¡¯t do what he was asking of me. I?I want to see Hadda. It had been a very long time since Hadda left. He promised he¡¯ll be back once he knew where to go, but such a long time had passed since. Perhaps through some bias, doubt was beginning to form. ...He¡¯s not coming back, is he? ¡¸ He will. ¡¹ How would you know? ¡¸ Because he gaveth thee, his word, and words are promises. ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t read him. Was it a simple lie to get me to drop the topic, or did he simply know the bird that well? What about you, then? Why are you helping me? ¡¸ ...Try again. Make the connection. ¡¹ No. ¡¸ ¡®Tis for thy own sake. ¡¹ So? Why would you care? Then I remembered my own lie¡ªthat the reason he was helping me was because he believed I was needed for them to escape. ...I lied, you know. ¡¸ Hmm? ¡¹ You don¡¯t need me to get out of here. I lied when I told you Hadda needed me. ¡¸ I see. ¡¹ I was taken aback by his reaction. Or rather, the lack of it. Is that it? ¡¸ Try again. ¡¹ No, like I said, I lied! There¡¯s no reason for you to help me! ¡¸ Try. Again. ¡¹ No, I replied, fooling myself with some stupid obstinance. I didn¡¯t want to be afraid of him anymore, so I stood up against his word. I won¡¯t, not until you tell me why you¡¯re helping me. ¡¸ Dost thou truly wishest to know, little lass? ¡¹ I nodded, and when his eyes flashed at me, I immediately regretted it. ¡¸ Because humans taste better when healthy. ¡¹ ...... ........... I did everything he asked of me after that and not out of will, I tell you. With me in that condition, there was nothing else I could do. Thanks to that, though, I managed to get a faint grip on how mana feels like. All the while, he also taught me about the theory, which was somewhat similar to what Hadda taught me. Time passed, and I got used to not being able to stand or walk on my own. Everytime we needed to move, Eretz used his own fur to leave clues for Hadda. It went on like that for some time, though unlike before, I held on to the hope of Hadda¡¯s return. Maybe it was because I had my mind occupied with Eretz teaching me, that my dark thoughts were pushed to the back of my mind. For the first in a very long time, I had hope. I had faith. And that faith wasn¡¯t misplaced, because he did return. ¡¸ I¡¯ve found it, ¡¹ was the first words that came out of his beak when we were reunited. ¡¸ I¡¯ve found the exit. ¡¹ I was elated to the point that my eyes started tearing up. Of course, I didn¡¯t let any tear fall because I didn¡¯t want Eretz calling me a crybaby again, or for the two of them to fight because of that. Even so, I should¡¯ve known that nothing was always so simple. ¡¸ ...The exit is very far away. The brat wouldn¡¯t make it. ¡¹ Eh...? I looked at Hadda, and I could tell from his eyes that he meant what he said. As my fear built up, I looked between the both of them, waiting for either to say something, and when they didn¡¯t, I asked them a question¡ªthe answer to which I didn¡¯t want to hear. Are you going to leave me? When neither of them answered nor even looked at me, my hope was all but crushed. We fell silent, and I could already see my death. Without them, I was hopeless. Without them, my life was forfeit. I just hoped it would come sooner than the lifer could get its hands on me. After all, such fate might suffer me worse than when Jead got his hands on me. ....No. It can¡¯t end like this---I had thought. There must be something we can do, right? ¡¸ ...We should go, ¡¹ Eretz said to the bird, and in response, I pathetically reach out to them. Please, wait... ¡¸ No. I¡¯m not going anywhere without the brat. ¡¹ H?Hadda... ¡¸ She is coming too, ¡¹ the wolf remarked while he approached me, lowering his back like he always do to urge me on his back. ...Eh? ¡¸ Go where? The brat won¡¯t¡ª ¡¹ ¡¸ Something we can do. Is that not what thou quoth, little lass? ¡¹ Y?Yes, I answered, flinching under his sudden gaze. ¡¸ Where is the exit? ¡¹ the wolf asked. ¡¸ ...From here, Down this path first, and then¡ª ¡¹ ¡¸ Away with the walls. I want a straight line from hither . ¡¹ ¡¸ What, you¡¯re planning to knock down the walls or something? ¡¹ ¡¸ Aye. ¡¹ ¡¸ That¡¯s impossible, pup. ¡¹ ¡¸ The little lass. She will maketh the connection. ¡¹ ¡¸ The brat? ¡¹ Eh? Suddenly, they were both looking at me. M?Me? ¡¸ Aye. The connection, thine hast thou made the mana. ¡¹ ¡¸ The brat has...? Oy, brat, why didn¡¯t you tell me? ¡¹ But, I... ¡¸ Little lass, thou shalt only act as a conduit for me, and I shall do the rest. ¡¹ A... conduit? ¡¸ No, that¡¯s too dangerous. If the flow is excessive, her body will rupture. ¡¹ ¡¸ And thus the scurvy halfbird shalt keep watch. ¡¹ ¡¸ No, if the flow is excessive, her body will rupture. She could die! ¡¹ ¡¸ So? ¡¹ the wolf snapped back, ¡¸ she dies nonetheless. ¡¹ ¡¸ ....... ¡¹ ......... I didn¡¯t think it would ever work, but aside from giving up and embracing my death, there was no other options. In the end, we decided to give it a try. Hadda started by leading us to what he said was ¡°the optimal entry point¡± from which we could start breaking down the walls. After arriving at said point, we begin our work¡ªor, they did, at least. I just sat down while Hadda... ¡°nuzzles¡± me and Eretz... sniffed around the wall. After they¡¯re ready, I was dragged by the wolf to what seemed to be the target. ¡¸ Touch the surface and make the connection. I shall do the rest, ¡¹ Eretz instructed. I looked at Hadda for confirmation, something I should¡¯ve known better not to do. ¡¸ It¡¯s okay, brat. I¡¯ll keep monitor and make sure the mana don¡¯t flood your systems, rupture your blood vessels or fail your organs. ¡¹ R?Right. ¡¸ Your eyes or brain might overliquify and leak out your orifices, but don¡¯t worry brat, I¡¯ll keep monitor and make sure the¡ª ¡¹ ¡¸ Let her focus, bird. ¡¹ Steeling my heart, I reached out to the wall and pressed my hand down on the cold stone. ¡¸ Make the connection. I will know once it is made. ¡¹ As instructed, I closed my eyes and did what they taught me. ( Within and without. Feel the flow, the perfections, the wrongs... ) ( Alignment of the will and the subconscious... ) Before long, I felt something tugging my consciousness, as if asking me to go with it. ¡¸ Listen to me, little lass. Do not let go completely, lest lose thyself in the... ¡¹ The wolf¡¯s voice sounded distant, but I did hear the first part. Don¡¯t let go... While still holding a firm grip on myself, I probed on whatever it is that was tugging on me. Don¡¯t let go... The mysterious ¡°entity¡± pulled me hard, and I could feel my grasp on the real world loosening. D?Don¡¯t let go...! Just as my grip started slipping away, another ¡°entity¡± grabbed hold of me. This one felt familiar, and as soon as the new entity coupled with me, I immediately know what, or who it was. Eretz? ¡¸ I shall start channeling. Little lass, Art thou prepared? ¡¹ R?Ready. Then, it happened. It felt as if thunder had struck me with all the force of the heavens. The current ran through its course as it fills the corridors within me uncontrollably, threatening to destroy me from the inside. Urgh...! ¡¸ She can¡¯t hold any more! Lower the intake, or release it now! ¡¹ Following Hadda¡¯s voice, the swirling energy inside my body starts to flow like a single continuum, going through my arm and towards my hand. As they converged, my hand felt like it was on fire. There was a loud bang, and then something pulled my body away from the collapsing wall. The sound of crumbling stone and rock thundered throughout the corridors, and when my mind was back, there was a gaping hole around where I placed my hand just a moment ago. Beyond that hole was another hole on the wall behind it, and then another, and another... ¡¸ It worked! ¡¹ the bird exclaimed while I was still processing what had occurred.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. I... did that? ¡¸ I did all the work, but aye. Thou did makest an amiable conduit. ¡¹ Just as I was feeling up, I turned to look at Eretz and witnessed the horror¡ªmy entire shoulder was inside the wolf¡¯s maw. I could feel his teeth gnawing at it. Uwaah! He¡¯s eating me! As I screamed, the wolf lets go of my shoulder. ¡¸ ...This is the only way I tap into thy consciousness. ¡¹ ¡¸ Yeah, brat. He pulled you away from the rocks, too. ¡¹ Why are you defending him, Hadda?! Somehow, I could see the wolf snickering at me. You... you were just having a taste of me, haven¡¯t you! ¡¸ Calm down, brat. He won¡¯t eat you. ¡¹ He will! He said so himself! ¡¸ What?! ¡¹ Hadda then looks at Eretz accusingly. ¡¸ Explain! ¡¹ ¡¸ I quoth such to stop her yapping... ¡¹ ¡¸ Are you going to eat her or not?! ¡¹ ¡¸ ...Who knows? ¡¹ As they bickered yet again, there was a haunting howl that crept out from distant passages. Then I realized, the noise when we made that hole¡ªit must¡¯ve alarmed Eggsy of where we were. ¡¸ I knew it was a mistake to bring you along! ¡¹ ¡¸ Hmph, I care not for thy bawbling worries. ¡¹ Guys...! ¡¸ That¡¯s it! We¡¯re leaving you here, you crazy pup! ¡¹ ¡¸ Leave me? Thou know nothing of rigid structures. Thou cannot dispell the walls without me. ¡¹ Guys, the lifer is... Suddenly, a violent surge of headache assaulted me and I groan in discomfort. ¡¸ Huh? Are you okay, brat? ¡¹ ¡¸ Tch. We must give haste. ¡¹ ¡¸ The backlash from the connection are taking effect. Are you okay, brat? ¡¹ I¡¯m fine... ¡¸ Considering how far the exit is, you might have to do this a few more times. Do you think you can do it? ¡¹ I nodded at him. It wasn¡¯t the question of whether I could do it. Rather, it was the only thing I could do then. ¡¸ Ok, let¡¯s keep going. Don¡¯t worry, brat. I won¡¯t let him eat you. ¡¹ ¡¸ Hmph. We shall see, bird. ¡¹ We continued our walk after that, using the holes to walk on a straight path. Each time we break more walls, holes are breached throughout the walls in a vast distance. Even so, our goal was far, and our journey was long. More time passed, and our final trip went mostly without trouble because we never ran into the lifer. I thought it was odd for it not to go after us, but then again¡ªwith the raven and the wolf with me, I felt invincible. Even Eggsy wouldn¡¯t dare come near us... or so I thought. As I continued to become a conduit for Eretz, my sensitivity to mana grew sharper until I realized the answer to a question I¡¯ve long been asking myself¡ªwhy wasn¡¯t I dead yet? I found the answer when I tried ¡°connecting¡± on my own, and discovered that something was interfering with the mana inside my body. I didn¡¯t know whether it was Hadda or Eretz, but one of them was keeping me alive. It being the wolf may had seem unlikely, but another thing I clearly remember was how the connection was made. Despite my fear of Eretz, during our union, his ¡°entity¡± always felt so warm. No, don¡¯t get tricked. He just wants to eat you. ¡¸ What¡¯s that? ¡¹ N?Nothing... We broke walls, and then we walked. Then we broke more walls, and walked some more. It had become so repetitive, but with each step, I could feel us getting closer to finally getting out of this godforsaken place. And eventually, we reached our goal. What... is that? ¡¸ That, little lass, is the exit of this level. ¡¹ The area which we¡¯ve arrived at was a large and circular one. There are more openings than I could care to count, each leading to corridors connecting to different sections of the maze. And then, there was the exit. Like a dark pit leading to the abyss¡ªa massive hole, and all I could see was the blackness of it. We have to jump down...? ¡¸ Aye. ¡¹ We can... finally get out of this place? ¡¸ Of this level, aye. ¡¹ That... what do you mean by ¡°this level¡±? Upon hearing my response, Eretz turns towards Hadda with an annoyed look. ¡¸ Did thou not explain to her, thou fucking halfwit? ¡¹ What are you talking about...? Before neither of them could answer, a raging roar blared through the air. My heart skipped a beat, and an icy chill ran down my spine. It was the lifer. I didn¡¯t know how he got past Eretz¡¯s or Hadda¡¯s senses, but Eggsy was near. ¡¸ We have to go, ¡¹ Hadda declared to us, ¡¸ we have to go now. ¡¹ As if on cue, the lifer¡¯s form appears from the hole which we came in from. Through some form of communication I couldn¡¯t hear, Eretz readily took a stance between us and Eggsy, while Hadda grabbed me and pulled me off Eretz¡¯s back. The beast unleashed a monstrous bellow, and answering it, Eretz let out an equally vicious growl. All this transpired as Hadda carried me off towards the hole. Wait, what about Eretz?! ¡¸ He¡¯ll catch up, won¡¯t you, pup! ¡¹ ¡¸ Just make sure she gets there, bird! ¡¹ The last thing I saw before Hadda throws me off the edge was the wolf¡¯s gallant form , challenging the charging beast as they were about to collide. Aah... And then I was falling, deeper and deeper into the dark, bottomless pit. === === === === === === Ouch! I wake up to a sorry lump on my head. ¡°Sorry, the road¡¯s a bit bumpy around here,¡± Inzhi¡¯s voice came from the front of the wagon. I get off my back and drowsily crawl towards the front, poking my head out the shade. Where are we? ¡°We¡¯re about five leagues north of Gristol. You know where that is?¡± Erm... no. As I answered, I rummage my bag and pull out the map I got from the vagabond. Nexy, the map please... "Say what?" N?Nevermind! < Translating... > Five leagues... north of... umm, so, around twenty leagues away from Boris Station? ¡°Closer to twenty-five, actually.¡± How much longer will it take? ¡°If all goes well, a little less than a week.¡± A week, huh... It¡¯s been three days since we¡¯ve started travelling together, and we¡¯re now back on roads with traffic. We pass by travelling peddlers quite frequently, and thanks to that, we could easily replenish our supplies. We are currently headed for a place called ¡°Boris Station¡± to board some kind of transport, because the District was simply too far away to travel with carriage. Hey, Inzhi¡ª ¡°Stop. What did I tell you?¡± Ah, I mean... ¡°teacher¡±. Right, this was one of her conditions to take me in as her pupil. ¡°What is it, Fay?¡± Do you have any other pupils besides me? ¡°Nope, I¡¯m not too keen on babysitting unless it¡¯s really worth it.¡± Ah, okay. In other words, she¡¯s saying that I¡¯m worth the trouble. I guess that much is obvious seeing everything she did just to meet me. It all happened three days ago¡ªthe so-called ¡°fateful encounter¡±... === === === === === === ...An arcanist? ¡°Yeah, surely Sallis told you what they are, right?¡± She replied with a bold smile, as if certain of what my answer would be. ¡°I know a lot has happened since he arranged our meeting, but I¡¯m still interested.¡± Interested in what? ¡°My, in you, of course.¡± Again, her eyes looked at me with brimming confidence. Indeed, I clearly remember of such arrangement was made, but now... I¡¯m sorry, but I can¡¯t anymore. ¡°Eh?!¡± Her eyes widened in surprise. ¡°Why not?! It¡¯s the Arcanum we¡¯re talking about, you know? As I thought, you don¡¯t really understand how much we mean to the community, don¡¯t you? I¡¯ll have you know that this is an opportunity of a dozen lifetimes!¡± Sorry, but I can¡¯t. There¡¯s somewhere I must go to. ¡°Where?¡± District Cardinal. The heart of the empire where the sovereign¡¯s throne lies. If there¡¯s any place I can find information about the ¡°true king¡±, that¡¯s the place to start. ¡°District Cardinal? For what purpose?¡± Well, that¡¯s... ¡°Ah, sorry, you don''t have to tell me. In any case, this makes it simpler,¡± she replied, back to her cheerful smile. Err... I just said no, you know. ¡°Yes, but you¡¯ll change your mind.¡± I don¡¯t think I will. No matter how enticing it could be to become an arcanist, I¡¯ve already decided that I won¡¯t waste anymore time and quickly do my part of the deal. Even though Thalvos said there¡¯s no time limit, I can¡¯t bear to think that they have to spend a second more in Purgatory, waiting for me to save them while I prance around, climbing my way up the social ladder. ¡°Whatever you have to do in the District, you won¡¯t get far when you have no name to yourself. You¡¯ll just end up in Angestile¡¯s ratholes. If you become an arcanist, you¡¯ll be able to access any archive you want within the empire¡¯s jurisdiction.¡± Oh? That didn¡¯t sound bad at all. Having access to all that information would certainly help me in the long run. ¡°Did I change your mind?¡± she asked with a mischievous smile. Can you answer my previous questions first? ¡°Eh? I already did, didn¡¯t I?¡± How did you find me? ¡°Oh... simply put, I have a... friend who¡¯s good at tracking people. He told me you¡¯d be at Falreas.¡± I¡¯m guessing you won¡¯t disclose your friend¡¯s identity? ¡°Nu-uh.¡± How long have you been tailing me? The reason I asked that was because of how hard it was for me to find this place, which means, either she found it the same way I did, or she was following me through all the entanglement of mana veins. ¡°I found you resting in the forest earlier. You were feeding your scurry.¡± And since when were you listening in? ¡°...¡¯Divine Darkness birthed me to Purge the sinners of their sins.¡¯ What¡¯s with that anyway? You were saying the Scripture of Damnation as if you were reading it out loud. I wouldn¡¯t expect a former slave to know about something like that.¡± Scripture of what? ¡°You don¡¯t know? The words inscribed on the doors of Purgatory. I only know the last bit, though. ¡®Abandon all, yada-yada...¡¯ didn¡¯t think you were of the faith.¡± Ah... It was interesting to know that the people here also know about Purgatory. I didn¡¯t know whether it was a myth or history, but it certainly meant that I¡¯m able to dig out something about it. ¡°Anyway, you agreed, right?¡± Sure, but... are you sure? You don¡¯t know anything about me. ¡°Sure I do.¡± I was a little worried. The church was definitely after me, and who knows if the spiders are lurking about as well. Hell, they might be watching me this very moment. If I make Inzhi an associate of any kind, she might get dragged in too. Listen, I¡¯m¡ª ¡°If you¡¯re worried about me, don¡¯t. I know the church is after you.¡± Eh? Then, why...? ¡°I don¡¯t care why they want you dead, and I won¡¯t ask questions about your past as well. All I know is, someone who went through all that trouble to help others can¡¯t be a bad person.¡± Oh... Orlev told you? ¡°Yup. He told me everything. So, anything else you¡¯re bothered with?¡± Umm... Before I could answer, Inzhi raised her hand to me. ¡°If there¡¯s nothing else, let¡¯s shake on it.¡± I joined my hand with hers into a handshake. Please take care of me. ¡°Likewise,¡± she said with that bright smile of hers. ¡°Oh, and by the way, first rule¡ªyou have to call me ¡®teacher¡¯.¡± Like that, we started our journey together. We departed a bit late because she was interested in the abnormal veins and had to took samples as we go. After that, we made our way out the forest and continue on south. She talked to me about a certain transport that would allow us to cross borders quickly, and that was how Boris Station became our destination. And then, just yesterday, in the first town we came across, she went and bought a wagon, just because my leg was still injured. She wouldn¡¯t even allow me to take turns, and instead she coached the wagon all day. And when we were running low on supplies, even though I told her that I had money, she insisted on buying the supplies herself. It might be that she just got a lot of money, but honestly, she was pampering me. When I told her that, what she said was, ¡°If you want to pay me back, learn more about this world and the customs.¡± Even though she said that, she was the one who had to teach me all that in the end. Because of how lacking my knowledge was, she mostly taught me aboutelementary stuff, as in, the common sense in this world, such as the calendar, the currencies, et cetera. Eh? There¡¯s six months in a year? ¡°Yep, six months a year.¡± Not five...? That means... rather than three years, I¡¯m actually two years and five months old.. ¡°Did you say something?¡± Nope. ¡°Anyway, just in case you don¡¯t know, there¡¯s seven weeks in one month, and seven days in one week. One year is 300 days, whereas a skip year has 299. One day is thirty-hours long, and....¡± === === === === === === Thinking back, there was quite a lot she taught me in the past three days, and even now, I¡¯m still learning. After silently washing my face with water magic, I put on my hood and walk out from the shades to sit on the coach¡¯s seat, beside my teacher. ¡°Morning, sleepyhead,¡± she greeted with a smile. I looked at the two creatures pulling the wagon. One is my cute and tasty-looking scurry, and the other is teacher¡¯s snow-white horse. She calls him White Snow, and when I learned that, I decided that I will never let her name my pets. ...Morning, Fanny, ¡°Quack.¡± ¡°Eh?! Why Fanny? What about me...?¡± Ah, yes. Good morning, teacher. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make me happy at all!¡± Okay. ¡°You don¡¯t care at all, do you. Anyway, how¡¯s the leg?¡± He said he doesn¡¯t want special treatment, so you should give him a little freedom. ¡°Haha. Your leg can talk?¡± Of course, not. I was just joking. You¡¯re so gullible, teacher.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not what I... * cough* Anyway, I hope you don¡¯t mind, but I took a look at that staff while you were sleeping.¡± Oh... the bishop¡¯s staff? And what did you find out? ¡°Not much. This kind of technology is unheard of. I¡¯ll have to take it back to my lab if I want to examine it further.¡± Heh, figures. ¡°...You do know that I¡¯m your teacher, right?¡± Of course, I replied with a jolly smile. The reason I¡¯m acting this way is because I feel like I¡¯ve learned a bit about her personality from the bias in some stuff she taught me. Well, it¡¯s not as much as ¡°bias¡± is it was the way she told them. Anyway, from these past three days, I¡¯ve discovered a few things about her; First, she¡¯s a bit of a cynic, even though she doesn¡¯t act like it. Second, she loves learning and discovering new things. Third, she likes women. The first two I picked up from her tendencies when she told me stories of this world¡¯s history. The last thing was because of something that happened just yesterday, when she caught me sleeping without my hood. Ever since then, I see her trying to sneak a look at my face from time to time. Of course, that¡¯s still within the normal range of curiousity. But then she ogled at my breasts. Anyway, it¡¯s just a guess. Do you think I¡¯m pretty, teacher? ¡°Huh?! W?Where did this pop out from?¡± I lean close to her from the side, letting our breaths touch each other as I continue, I¡¯m just curious as to why the slavers wanted me back then. ¡°Ah, uh... well, you¡¯re not bad-looking, I guess...¡± she said with a slightly blushed face, avoiding my gaze. I was rather popular when I was a slave, you see. Everyday, there were long lines for me and I was always so sore by the time I¡¯m done for the day. ¡°EH?! Y?You were that kind of slave?!¡± Huh? I thought you knew, teacher. ¡°No, I... it must¡¯ve been rough...¡± Yeah, I guess it was. Battle-slaves who could use magic were on high demand, after all. ¡°...Aah,¡± was the only voice that came out as she dropped her face into her palms. I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m teasing her like this. Her reactions are just so interesting. Now I know why Hadda kept bullying me... ¡°Eh? What?¡± Oh, it¡¯s nothing. --- --- --- --- --- --- From town to town, we pressed on. I watched in wonder as the environment around us changed from that of stark tundras, to the green and forested taigas. Trees became a common sight, and the chill in the air is replaced with the smell of spruce. During the period, I¡¯ve learnt a lot about my new companion. At some point, I ended up identifying her with Nexus, and, well... ah, I¡¯ll leave that for another time. Let¡¯s just say that everyone¡¯s got something they want to hide, and teacher is no exception. Anyway, after five more days, we¡¯re already getting close to our destination, faster than expected. Why did we stop? I asked my teacher when she suddenly stopped the wagon at the side of the road, just on the foot of a hill. ¡°Come with me,¡± she said as she hops off onto the ground. What about the wagon? ¡°It¡¯s okay, we won¡¯t be long. Just to the hilltop.¡± If you say so. We start hiking up the hill, leaving our two mounts to guard our stuff. We haven¡¯t got a lot, anyway. If there¡¯s anything precious to steal, it¡¯s our rides and probably the wagon itself. --- --- --- Somewhere halfway to the top, I¡¯m already out of breath. Slow down... huff... teacher... ¡°Come on, don¡¯t be a slowpoke.¡± Ah... geez... ¡°Come on, Fay! We haven¡¯t got all day!¡± she yelled at me from way above, jumping up and down and waving her arms at me. Just where does she get all that energy? After some more of the agonizing climb, I finally reach the top. Uaah... finally... ¡°For an ex-battle-slave, you don¡¯t have much endurance, do you?¡± teacher remarked, already making herself comfortable, sitting with her legs straightened out. This better be worth it... ¡°I wanted to show you something,¡± she said, nodding her head towards the distance. I look towards where she motioned, and indeed... ...it was probably worth it. A distant whistling ran through the air as the colossal machine approaches the station. Smoke swirls out from the chimneys at the various places, making a patterned trail in the sky behind it. It¡¯s wider than a house, and as long as... well, I can¡¯t really see the end. Even from this far, I can hear the screeching and hissing as it brakes and sets into the station. ...Ah. Crap. Was I making a weird face? I look beside me, and to confirm it, teacher is staring at me with an annoying smirk plastered on her face. ¡°Hehe. Just wait till you see the zeppelins at the District. I bet your jaw will fall off its hinges.¡± ...What is that thing? I asked her, diverting the topic. ¡°That, my Fay, is the biggest and fastest vehicle the empire has to offer.¡± That''s transport you talked about? ¡°Yup. It¡¯s capable of taking thousands of people throughout the continent in a matter of days or even hours. It¡¯s called the Terrestrial Rail Engine. You know, with the rails and stuff.¡± Terrestrial Rail Engine... ¡°Uh-huh. Or people just call it ¡°train¡± for short. There¡¯s only twelve of them in existence, and they¡¯re managed by a discrete body of the empire¡¯s administration, operating across national borders within the empire.¡± I see. I won¡¯t lie. These ¡°trains¡± seems rather incredible, don''t they. To be able to carry that much people that fast, it must be the pinnacle of transport in this world. Moreover, such things are not in my ¡°compendium¡±, and that just piques my curiosity more. Are we going to board that? ¡°Yes we are. Are you excited?¡± Not really. ¡°Eh? Not even a tiny bit?¡± Hmm... just a little, I guess. That¡¯s a big, fat lie. I¡¯m jumping in my own shoes right now. ¡°Now, listen. This is important. Once we get there, you need to do everything I say.¡± Eh. Okay, but why? ¡°Well, it¡¯s rather troublesome if we get caught.¡± Get caught? What do you mean? Once again, a mischievous leer adorns her face. ¡°We¡¯re sneaking on board.¡±
Chapter 26 : All Aboard Chapter 26 All Aboard I listen to my own breathing as I watch the passengers board the train, one by one. The line to the checkpoint is getting shorter and shorter, and teacher is still nowhere in sight. Uh... where are you, teacher? ¡°Hey, watch it.¡± Ugh, I keep bumping into people because the lines are so tight-packed. I glance around, watching the guys in uniforms do their duties and pray they won¡¯t approach me. I mingle in the crowd and make myself as small as possible, but even then, I feel like I¡¯m being watched... ¡°Hey, Fay!¡± Uwaah! I jump when I feel someone tap me from behind. To my chafe, I am met with teacher¡¯s amused face. ¡°My, my, why so jumpy?¡± Teacher... ¡°You¡¯re so fidgety like you¡¯re planning something illegal. How suspicious...¡± Teacher! I quickly close her mouth with my hand and look around to see if anyone heard her. Thankfully, it appears that no one did. ¡°Take a cool one, Fay. I know what I¡¯m doing,¡± she said, taking my hand off her face. ...Have you done it? ¡°Done and did. Fanny and Snowy are safe and sound in the cargo coach. Now it¡¯s our turn to board.¡± I sigh in relief, but my heart is still thumping loudly from adrenaline. Now that our mounts are aboard, it¡¯s our turn. I look forward at the checkpoint to see if there¡¯s anything we can exploit. The passengers are many and it was easy for us to sneak into the station so far, but the security from here on seems overly tight. There are many guards patrolling and guarding the various entry points, and it seems you have to get pass several checkpoints just to get to the boarding area. ¡°Look at this sea of people, Fay,¡± teacher suddenly said to me, breaking my focus. ...What about it? ¡°Travellers, pilgrims, nobles on vacations... so many kinds of people cross ways in stations like this, yet as strangers, they barely interact with each other. A rattler and a drifter could be sitting in the same cubicle and they¡¯ll never know. Who knows if the man standing in line behind you is actually a serial murderer? Interesting, isn¡¯t it?¡± Teacher, you¡¯re weird. ¡°Eeh...?!¡± Rather than the people, I¡¯m more interested in the train itself. Now that I¡¯m looking at it this close, I can somewhat see how it works. I see... so the rails provide a dependable surface for the wheels to move on, but what actuates the wheels in the first place? ¡°See those smokes coming out?¡± teacher said, pointing at the several chimneys along the length of the train. There were thick smokes coming out before, but now they¡¯re barely visible. ...Combustion? They¡¯re using the energy from combustion. ¡°Correct. Those smokes are actually byproducts from the coke they burn to boil water into pressurised steam, which is then used to push the pistons that move the wheels. One of those engines is worth fifteen thousand horsepower, and this train has four.¡± That¡¯s amazing, but... are we really doing this? ¡°Well, of course.¡± Won¡¯t they check the seats? ¡°They do, but we can just change places before they could. There are so many seats that the train is never full.¡± Even if she said so, I still feel a bit restless about the whole thing. She said she¡¯d done this before and to leave everything to her lead, but still... Hahh... to think the first practical lesson you¡¯re giving me is something like this... ¡°T?This and that are different!¡± --- --- --- We continued on the line and passed the first checkpoint, which was a simple inventory check. We kept most of our stuff with our mounts, including my pistol and the staves¡ªboth teacher¡¯s and the bishop¡¯s. Thanks to that foresight, we got through the first checkpoint with no problems. However, the next ones seem like a handful. I think it says ¡°identity check¡± or something, and the process is done individually in closed rooms. They¡¯re checking the tickets too, so there¡¯s no way we¡¯ll be passing that. What¡¯s more, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s just my feeling but... I seem to be getting the looks from people. Teacher, I seem to be attracting attention. ¡°Yeah, because you look way too suspicious like that.¡± Should I take off the hood? ¡°No, that may attract even more attention.¡± Oh, right. My hair stands out too much. ¡°Umm, well, that too.¡± Then, what do we do? ¡°I have an id¡ª¡° If it involves putting me in a bag, no. I¡¯ve had enough of that. Getting rid of a number of eyes on me is not worth being treated like baggage again. Stumped on ideas, we take a seat in the waiting area to think of our next move. We just sit idly as the crowd goes about and I immerse myself in observing the many kinds of people. As teacher said, it was interesting to watch the individuals. Their clothing, what they carry with them¡ª they tell stories of what they do, where they¡¯re going and where they came from. For someone who is new to civilisation, all this is fascinating. I¡¯ve simply never seen this many people in one place. I thought you¡¯ve done this before, teacher, I remarked when I thought we¡¯ve spent too much time waiting around. ¡°I have. We just need to wait for the right moment.¡± And so we waited. ...And waited. We just sit by while the number of people on the station decreases and the train fills up. Teacher, haven¡¯t we waited enough? ¡°Not yet.¡± ........ Teacher, the train¡¯s going to leave us at this rate. ¡°Second rule¡ªpatience wins the race.¡± ....... The train¡¯s signal whistles through the station, followed by the notable chugging as the train starts moving. Teacher, the ¡°race¡± is leaving us. ¡°....Okay, then. Time to go, Fay.¡± Like I said, it¡¯s already departing. ¡°Follow me.¡± ...I don¡¯t like where this is going. As the train slowly picks up pace, I follow teacher and stand behind the security fences for the checkpoints. Because of our conspicuous movement, some of the guards are watching¡ª signalling each other while glaring and pointing at us. We¡¯re being suspicious. ¡°Hold on. Just a little more...¡± I look around and notice one of the officers approaching us, his eyes and veins popping out as if he¡¯s about to strangle us. Uh-oh... ¡°Alright, Fay. Let¡¯s go now.¡± Suddenly, teacher takes my hand and drags me into a run. We jump over the security fences and past the two checkpoints. I can hear the officers shouting behind us and glancing behind, I see a horde of uniforms on our tail. ¡°You there, stop!¡± ¡°We got a hopper!¡± Teacher¡ª ¡°Get ready to jump!¡± The train¡¯s moving too fast! ¡°Just trust me!¡± Then, just as we approach the rails, I feel teacher¡¯s arms wrapping around me. Wait¡ª With me in her arms, she kicks off the ground into a jump. Just as I thought we¡¯re going to crash into the moving train, I feel my breath being forced out of my lungs as a powerful gust of wind pushes us, carrying us in the direction where the train is moving. --- --- --- When I realise it, we¡¯ve landed on our backs in a space between the coaches. ¡°Hehe, we made it,¡± she blurted out, before awkwardly letting me go when she realises I¡¯m still in her arms. ¡°Err... you alright?¡± Was that air magic? ¡°Oh? You noticed?¡± I thought you were a geomancer. ¡°The geomancer. Besides, you should know that affinities aren¡¯t limited to one element. As a matter of fact, I¡¯m quite adept in air magic as well.¡± I see. So that¡¯s why Sallis recommended you to be my teacher. ¡°...It was the other way around.¡± After getting our bearings, we move into the coaches to find seats. Rows upon rows of cubicles are placed neatly with unnecessarily large spaces in between, each probably holding up to six passengers. At a glance, it seems as if more than half of the available seats aren¡¯t occupied. ¡°Let¡¯s pick one besides the window,¡± she proposed, leading me to an empty cubicle at the side. I take my seat across her and make myself comfortable, gazing out the window to see the scenery moving past us. ¡°Heh, of course the first thing you¡¯d do is look out the window.¡± I ignore her comment because I¡¯m simply too engrossed in the view¡ªforests, plains, lakes, taking one¡¯s place after another like moving pictures. This isn¡¯t so bad... ...... The sun quietly rises above the horizon. The steady vibrations and chugging noise of the train have made me sleepy despite having a good night¡¯s sleep. Just as my eyes are getting fluttery, I snap awake when the door at the end of the carriage opens and people in uniforms walks in. Crap. Teacher¡ª ¡°Calm down. They¡¯re just selling confectioneries.¡± ...Oh. Teacher giggles at my reaction, more annoying than cute. ¡°They placed most of their security at the stations, so you can stop being so edgy.¡± I see. Because no one¡¯s usually crazy enough to jump on a moving train. ¡°Usually. By the way, we¡¯ve been travelling together for some time now, haven¡¯t we? Isn¡¯t it about time we do that?¡± Do what? ¡°Exchange status cards. I suppose you may not know it, but exchanging status cards are usually done between associates with intimate work relations. In this case, mentor and mentee.¡± Oh, okay. I¡¯ve already identified her some time ago, so the thought never even crossed my mind. Even so, I decide to go with it and take out my status card and hand it to her, and hers to me. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.
NXID
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ? ©¦39©¦ ©¦81%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ? ©¦142©¦/208
Subnex
Name ? Inzhi
Titles ? Geomancer
Species ? Human
Age ? 33
Gender ? Female
Mana Affinity ? High ¨C Earth ? High ¨C Air ? Medium ¨C Fire
Mana Pool ? 142
Skills ? Magus Geomancy ©¦6©¦ Aeromancy ©¦5©¦ Pyromancy ©¦2©¦ Photomancy©¦2©¦ ? Vimus Perception ©¦Master©¦ Strengthening ©¦Adept©¦
Affiliations ? Prae Ex Arcanum ? Dracwhyr Monastery
Nothing¡¯s changed since I last identified her. Still, seeing all this makes me curious. I¡¯m guessing that her ¡°perception¡± skill has something to do with how she¡¯s communicating with me. ¡°Eighty-six! With that much mana, you¡¯re already on par with sixth-spheres! And this title¡ª¡± As she cuts her own words, I see a sad expression flash on teacher¡¯s face, not more than a second before she moves on, ¡°is your card malfunctioning? I can¡¯t see your affinities.¡± Uh... yeah, though they said it¡¯s nothing permanent. I know it¡¯s not broken, though. I think it¡¯s just having trouble reading me. ¡°No wonder Sallis made up a fuss. With that much mana, you have more talent than him, and they said he was a prodigy.¡± So you say, but you have 142. Which is the highest number I¡¯ve seen so far, even higher than Lyrfanas. ¡°Yes, but your eighty-six is still way above the average magus, and take into account that you¡¯ve never had any proper education. Just imagine what you¡¯d become after I¡¯m done with you. By the way, teacher. Is the ¡°perception¡± skill the reason you can hear me? ¡°I should think so. I have some friends that talks in a similar way as you, so I¡¯ve grown quite accustomed to it.¡± Friends, huh... I too had friends like that. ¡°Anyway, I shouldn¡¯t hold this for too long. Here,¡± she said as she gives my status card back. After I returned hers, she suddenly sits straight and looks at me with a solemn stare. ...Teacher? ¡°It¡¯s been more than a week since you became my pupil, Fay. It¡¯s time we address this serious problem.¡± What problem? ¡°We need to talk about your attitude.¡± ....Ah. Attitude, huh. ¡°Not only am I your teacher, I¡¯m also twice your age. I want you to respect me as you¡¯re supposed to respect your mentor. Understand?¡± I understa¡ª Just asI replied, the confectionary cart passes by our cubicle. I thought it¡¯s just some unfulfilling snacks to keep your mouth busy, but it turns out that they have some heavenly-smelling meat as well. Teacher, buy that for me. ¡°Hmm? Which one... ah, hey! We just talked about this!¡± Okay, I promise I¡¯ll fix my attitude after you buy me that. ¡°Hmph, not a chance. You think I don¡¯t know you by know?¡± Ah... The meat cart is going away... You¡¯re horrible, teacher... --- --- --- In the end, she bought the food for me. I gobbled it faster than ever, but now I¡¯m regretting that I didn¡¯t cherish the taste. It was so delicious that I¡¯m worried about teacher¡¯s wallet. Teacher, should I pay you back? ¡°It¡¯s fine.¡± But... aren¡¯t you broke? ¡°What...? Where did you get that idea?¡± I mean, with how we had to sneak on board and everything. ¡°Oh, actually, I have a free pass because I¡¯m an arcanist.¡± Eh?! Then why did we have to do all that? ¡°If they knew who I am, they¡¯ll put us in the posh coach, and that¡¯s where all the blue-bloods are. Then we¡¯ll have sweaty nobles breathing down our necks, trying to curry out a favour from me.¡± Posh, as in... high-class? Wouldn¡¯t the food there be better, though? ¡°Well, yes. There¡¯s even snack buffets and all, but...¡± Say what? Buffets? I think we should go, teacher. ¡°But then we wouldn¡¯t have the space to get to know each other.¡± Eeh... that¡¯s fine, though. ¡°...We really do need to talk about your attitude.¡± Oh, uhm... I mean, I solemnly believe it is imperative that we head immediately to the posh coach, teacher. Teacher gives a frustrated groan before stressing her point, ¡°it¡¯s not just me, Fay. They¡¯ll be asking questions about you as well¡ªwho you are, where you came from, your relationship with me... And whether or not you tell them, rumours spread fast in the District, and mind you, the District is every train¡¯s final destination. You¡¯ll have the church back on your little butt before you can even say ¡®cardinal¡¯.¡± Oh... can we at least get the food, though? ¡°Oh, goddess... do you have anything else besides food in your head? You just ate up two whole slabs of meat, you know.¡± Better full than hungry, right? I said as I make an innocent smile at her. ¡° *sigh* I guess... food is really the best way to tame a beast, huh.¡± Are you saying I¡¯m a beast? ¡°No, no, it¡¯s a good thing. Frankly, I was worried because you felt like a twig when I carried you earlier. Keep eating well, okay?¡± Yes, ma¡¯am. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s continue our lessons, Fay. You still have years worth to catch up on.¡± Eeh? And so, to my reluctance, we start our lessons again. Aside from teaching me new things, she also made me recap on what I¡¯ve learned so far, saying that a week isn¡¯t nearly enough for me to absorb what other people do during their childhood. ¡°Name the sixth months and their attributes. In order.¡± Uh... first, there¡¯s Belhearth, the month of blossom. And then, Igyas, the month of fire, Yamhearth, the month of water, Farhearth, the month of harvest, Seryas, the month of dusk, and lastly, Grimyas, the month of darkness. ¡°Good. Now, how many days do they have.¡± Easy. The ¡°hearths¡± are fifty-one days, and the ¡°yas¡± have forty-nine. ¡°It¡¯s the other way around. Congratulations, you just failed in a test for five-year-olds.¡± Oh... well, I blame the teacher. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s rather boring to learn about calendars. Let¡¯s move on to bigger stuff. First, what can you tell me about the empire?¡± The empire is, uhm... an authoritative entity that stretches throughout the continent of Arallax. It was found by the cardinal houses over 500 years ago. Currently, the empire has over twenty countries, including Lephander, under its rule, and the empire itself is presided by the king-emperor or also known as the sovereign, the line of which coincides with the Yor...-something. ¡°The Yorsimer house. Their main family is the imperial family that has reigned ever since the empire¡¯s founding. How many cardinal houses are there?¡± Err... five? ¡°Seven. Six if you exclude the fallen house Castaroth. Name those six.¡± ...There¡¯s Ardent, Yorsimer, and... I forgot. ¡°There¡¯s the Yorsimers, the Ardents, the Vanes, the Grenhaems, the Movals, and the Pharsingals. You better remember them, because among the many countries under the empire¡¯s rule, the cardinals usually have the final say in matters. In other words, their power exceeds that of a king¡¯s.¡± Umm... what was the name of the ruined house, again? Teacher blinks in surprise at the unexpected question. ¡°It¡¯s Castaroth. Why?¡± What happened to them? ¡°You¡¯re interested in politics, I see. I¡¯ll just explain this briefly for you. Twelve years ago, the house of Castaroth incited a rebellion and challenged the king-emperor¡¯s right to the throne. The war ensued for three years and engulfed a great part of the empire into its midst, taking millions of lives. It was eventually settled in one decisive battle at the pastures of the District. The result shook the empire¡ª the sovereign was slain by the leader of the rebellion, who was killed afterwards and thus ended the war, but not without admitting his name into the hall of legends. His name was¡ª¡° Thorne... ¡°Oh? You know about him?¡± I¡¯ve heard a little about him. Or rather, I knew him. There¡¯s no way I can forget the first human I met in Purgatory. Thorne the Untamed, Slayer of Thousands and Scourge of Lords. As it turns out, he was a rebel, a manslayer, and also... my saviour. No matter what others may say about him, the truth is that I still owed him my life, even after his second death in Level Three. ¡°I suppose even slaves know of the story. Lawthorne Castaroth was the head of his house, and with his fall, he took with him his house and his allies. In the end, because of him...¡± ...Teacher? ¡°Ah, sorry... It¡¯s just... the impact of the rebellion was so great. There¡¯s no corner of the continent that wasn¡¯t affected by it. Hrakia¡¯s fall, and the subsequent devaluation of avlarks and luphaens, they were all made to happen by the outcome of the rebellion.¡± ...I see. Now I understand why teacher hides her true name. I¡¯m sorry, teacher. When I identified her days ago, I found something odd about her name, so I used Nexy to probe in further, and what came out was... < NXId >
Name ? Rutherea Castaroth
According to Nexy, teacher was born a Castaroth. Teacher... what does it mean when someone¡¯s last name is of a cardinal house? ¡°Well, it just means that they¡¯re someone from that house. In a noble house, there¡¯s what you call the ¡°main family¡±, which is the family of the head of the house. In houses like the cardinals, there can be dozens of families that share the same name.¡± So... if someone¡¯s last name is a cardinal, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean they belong to the main family? ¡°Correct. Although, throughout the history of the empire, several cardinal houses have changed leaderships due to power shifts between their families. Which of their family is the ¡°main¡± family¡ª each house has their own way to decide.¡± Okay, I think I get it now. So just because she¡¯s a Castaroth, it doesn¡¯t necessarily mean that teacher is Thorne¡¯s direct family, but rather, a relative? I want to ask more, but that may open up something that shouldn¡¯t be touched, so I let it put for now. We¡¯re talking about her family, after all. By the way, teacher. Like you said, we¡¯ve been together for some time now, but you still haven¡¯t told me anything about being an arcanist. ¡°Ah... I guess you¡¯re right. First of all, what do you know about us?¡± Just the stuff Ichard said to me, really. (Pioneers of any era, pushing the boundaries of our known world. That¡¯s what arcanists are.) ...Not a lot. ¡°I can¡¯t give you much since you¡¯re still an outsider, so I¡¯ll just tell you what everyone knows.¡± I give her statement a shrug. Fair enough. ¡°Now, to start... the founding of the Arcanum dated back to the early days of the empire. They started out as a small group of people who seek to preserve the knowledge and wisdom of the old era. As their members grew influence, the group also became more... exclusive.¡± You mean, like a secret society? ¡°Yeah. Exactly like a secret society. There were many magus groups that strive to hold the same influence as the Arcanum did, but none came close. In the past five hundred years, the Arcanum had helped shape the empire into what it is now, working from the shadows. And then, a few decades ago, they quit being secretive mingebags and revealed themselves to the public. Even now, we remain a pretty big stick in both the magical and cardinal community.¡± A big stick, huh. ¡°Yup. Each and every member of the Arcanum holds remarkable knowledge, enough to topple nations or bring them to prosperity.¡± And let me guess¡ª you¡¯re not sharing. ¡°No, not until we deem it¡¯s in everyone¡¯s interests.¡± And how exactly do you know what ¡°everyone¡¯s interests¡± are? ¡°That, my Fay, you will learn in time.¡± In other words, even though they¡¯ve revealed themselves to the public, they¡¯re still an exclusive society whose methods are a secret, keeping or sharing their knowledge however they judge. Heh, so you guys are still secretive mingebags, then. ¡°Prae ex arcanum.¡± ...What does that even mean?¡± A mysterious smile forms on her face, one that makes her seem nothing like the teacher I know. ¡°Keeper of secrets.¡± --- --- --- We passed the hours with teacher giving me more boring lessons. I asked her when we¡¯re going to learn about magic, but her answer was, ¡°When you¡¯ve passed the level of a ten years old¡¯s knowledge.¡± I sulked, and teacher finally compromised by teaching me about the system used by the magus community instead. ¡°As you¡¯ve seen on my status card, magic is written in the ¡°skills¡± section with numbers on it.¡± Yes, uh... geomancy six, right? Does that represent how good you are? ¡°That¡¯s putting it in a nutshell, but correct. For magic, it ranges from ¡°first-sphere¡± to ¡°seventh-sphere¡±.¡± Heh. So you¡¯re only a six. ¡°Wha¡ªI¡¯ll have you know that my skills are well beyond sixth-sphere! The only reason I¡¯m a sixth is because the advancement requirements are too much!¡± Are you sure you¡¯re just, you know, not skilled enough? ¡°Not in a hundred years. Those gormless twits in Bastion require me to have or have taught at least one disciple. I mean, I¡¯ve had assistants, sure, but never pupils, and they know that. Just when I¡¯ve decided to move up, they shoved that new condition in my face. They have a grudge on me, that I¡¯m sure.¡± Oh, I get it now. ¡°Hmm? Ah¡ªno, uh... it¡¯s not like that.¡± It¡¯s okay, teacher. We¡¯re both using each other. There¡¯s nothing wrong with that. ¡°R?Right. Mutually beneficial.¡± Well, that¡¯s only if you teach me right, though. ¡°Hey, enough with that!¡± She shouted, standing up from her seat with her hands on her hips. ¡°I¡¯ve put up with your disrespectful attitude too long, you oafish brat! I¡¯d think you¡¯d have learned a thing or two when you were still a¡ª Pfft. ¡°What is it, now!¡± Nothing, it¡¯s just... it looks as if you¡¯re talking to yourself, and now people are looking at you weird. In response, teacher glimpse around to see that indeed, the other people in the coach are looking at her. Her face reddens like a ripened tomato as she slowly, slooowly... sits back on her seat. ¡°Fay... you are cheekiest, cockiest brat I¡¯ve ever¡ª¡° Hold up, teacher. There¡¯s something important I must ask you. ¡° *sigh* What?¡± Are there any bathrooms in here? It¡¯s only natural. I ate a lot, and in consequence, I had to drink a lot, and there¡¯s only so much a human bladder could hold. ¡°...Nope,¡± she replied. Eh...? Really? ¡°Trains don¡¯t have bathrooms. It¡¯s common sense.¡± That¡¯s... doubtful. Why would you sell drinks if you don¡¯t provide a space to dump what comes out afterwards? Also, teacher answered while suspiciously avoiding my eyes, and I can also spot the edges of her mouth quivering as if holding something in. You¡¯re lying. ¡°I¡¯m not.¡± Teacher... ¡°Why don¡¯t you ask the officers yourself.¡± ...I forgot my slate in Fanny¡¯s saddle pouch. ¡°Oh no, what a pickle.¡± As I scan the coach for bathrooms, I put pressure on the spot below my stomach in a desperate attempt to hold it in. I would search for the bathroom myself, but I feel like it¡¯s going to burst any moment. If I stand and walk around aimlessly in this condition, who knows what kind of waterfall may occur. ¡°Mwahaha, so you can make this kind of face as well~¡± Teacher, please... ¡°There¡¯s bathrooms between the coaches. Just let this be a lesson for you to start respecting me as your¡ª¡° Thanks! Now that I know where they¡¯re at, I quickly head towards the end of the coach, unwillingly subjecting myself to the embarrassment of having the other passengers stare at my weird walk. Even so, the overflowing dam makes it impossible to think about my pride at this point. It¡¯s gonna leak...! Crap, crap, crap... --- --- --- Thankfully, I finished my business with minimal... I mean, nothing leaked. None at all. Having myself relieved, I head back into the coach and towards my cubicle, finding teacher just sitting there, her grin splitting her face. However, that only lasts for a second before her expression changes into a pretence of worry. ¡°You don¡¯t look well. Is everything okay?¡± Aargh. Does she have a grudge or something? The other passengers saw me earlier, and now she intends to embarrass me further by making me out to have some kind of stomach problems. ¡°Fay,¡± she exclaimed as she stands up from her seat and rushes over to my side, ¡°you¡¯re so pale. Are you sick?¡± I¡¯m fine. Wow, she¡¯s going this far, huh. ¡°You don¡¯t look okay at all. I?Is it my fault?¡± ...That¡¯s odd. Her voice and eyes feel like she¡¯s genuinely worried. Was her acting this good? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I wouldn¡¯t have done that If I... anyway, I¡¯ll take you to the infirmary ward.¡± Teacher, what are you talking abo¡ª ...Eh? Somehow, my body feels so heavy suddenly. Ugh... ¡°Fay, are you okay?! Holy... you¡¯re so cold.¡± My shoulder hurts. Did I bump it somewhere? Fuck...! It feels like someone is holding a torch to my right shoulder. And then, instead of subsiding, the pain intensifies, spreading through my body. Is this... poison? No, my right shoulder... Lyrfanas¡¯ mark? That means... < Covenant has been broken. > Covenant... broken? Nexy, what¡ª ...Huh? When did I fall to the floor? My knees... must¡¯ve given out, didn¡¯t they? I feel like teacher is calling me, but... the pain is drowning her voice out. Crap... My consciousness is... fading away...
Chapter 27 : Drachwhyr Chapter 27 Drachwhyr Cold stone, cold air, and parched throat. Those were the feelings I woke up to when I opened my eyes. The dirt ground I was familiar to had become hard, stark rock and the stone walls of the maze became cavernous walls and ceilings. In fact, ¡°cavern¡± was probably the best way to put it. Hadda! I cried out, only to have an eerie silence answering. Eretz! They were gone. The darkness became my only company yet again. I pushed against the ground and to my surprise, I was able to stand. Even though my clothing was still damp with blood, when I lifted it up, I found that my injuries had all but healed up. What the fuck¡­? I was baffled. The wounds wouldn¡¯t even close back in the maze, and yet, all that¡¯s left were scars. Leaving the strange matter aside, I looked around the unfamiliar area. Other than the looming walls and ceilings, distant shadows hinder my sight. If it weren¡¯t for the glowing rocks within the walls, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to see anything at all. Although my legs were unsteady after not having been used for some time, I walked towards one of the darkness that I thought to be a path. When I got there, though, I was met instead with a cliff. I looked far and below and felt despair at the vastness of this new place. Caves within caves, ceilings beyond ceilings, all joined together in a convoluted flux of rock and darkness. What I saw from above told me that I was just in a different kind of maze. So, we¡¯re not out yet... haha... I dropped to my knees and started laughing my heart out. That laugh turned into a shout, and then a scream of torment. At least, I wished I could actually scream because it seemed like the only thing that could help me keep my sanity. Just exactly what was it all for? It was a great time to cry, but no tears came out. I was too tired to even do that. Too tired to do anything. I didn¡¯t know what to do¡ª stay there and give up? Take a stand and do the same thing all over again? If I did, when would it end? Even if I miraculously found the exit again, where would I arrive next? With nothing to push me on, I just sat still like a lifeless doll. Perhaps it¡¯s better to just give up¡ª with that kind of thoughts, I lost my will to escape. That is, until my stomach made a strange noise. That¡¯s when I realised; my parched throat, my grumbling stomach... For the first time since my being came into existence, I was... === === === === === === ...Hungry... I open my eyes, blinking off my sleep to see the ceiling of the train. The chugging and the vibration of the train quickly washes off the nightmare I had. ¡°Really? You finally woke up and that¡¯s the first thing you say?¡± ...Teacher? I look to the side of the bed, and there, teacher is sitting on another bed. The tone in her voice was light, but her face is contorted in worry. ¡°I can get some grub for you if you want.¡± I¡¯m... kind of full, actually. ¡°Then why did you say you¡¯re hungry?¡± Eh? Did I? ¡°Uh, nevermind. More importantly, how are you feeling?¡± I¡¯m fine, I think. What happened? ¡°That¡¯s what I wanted to ask you.¡± I... fell unconscious? I remember feeling pain like when I first received the mark, just more... intense. Where is this? ¡°Infirmary coach. This is where you go to get treated or contained.¡± Contained? ¡°Yeah. The management wouldn¡¯t want their trains to spread diseases over borders, after all. It¡¯s okay, though. A doctor checked you out a while ago, and you don¡¯t seem to have anything. Said you have a trauma on your head or something.¡± A doctor? Did anyone see my face? ¡°No, no. I made sure of that. That aside, I want to know what happened.¡± I sit up and think on how to explain it, or whether or not I should. Either way, I have to know what happened in the first place. I need to go to the bathroom, I stated, getting up the bed. ¡°Hey, wait¡ª¡° Sorry, I¡¯ll explain later. The reason I¡¯m going to the bathroom is because there¡¯s a mirror I can use. When I arrive, I make sure to lock the door and just start stripping away my top until I can see the Lyrfanas¡¯ mark on my right shoulder. The ominous distortion of my skin seems to be the same as I remember it, except that it¡¯s now darker in colour, looking like a burnt scar. ...Burnt scar, eh? I did feel as if it was on fire earlier... To make sure, I take out my status card and see what¡¯s written on it.
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ? ©¦7©¦ ©¦58%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ? ©¦86©¦/
Name ? ¡õ¦Ó¦Ç¡õ¦Ñ¡õ, ¦­¦®¦©¦¤ IndolantFay, ©¦Fay©¦
Species ? ¦£¡õ Human
Gender ? Female
Age ? 17 months old
Titles ? ¡õ¦Ñ¦Â¡õ¦Ó¡õ¦Ñ ? ¡õ¦Í¦Ä¡õ¦Ë¡õ¦Í¦Ó ¦µ¡õ¦× ? ¦¸¦Ç¡õ¦Ó¡õ ?¡õ¦Ë¦Ê¡õ¦Ñ¡õ¡õ ? ¦£¡õ?¡õ¦Ñ ¡õ¦Õ ¦¸¡õ¦Ò¦Ä¡õ¦Ì ? ¦¬¡õ¦Ñ¦Ó¡õ¦Ñ¡õ¦Ä ¦£¡õ¦Ä¦Ä¡õ¦Ò ? Master of Sins ? Indelible Survivor ? Champion of the Dark God ? She Who Deals With Demons
Mana Affinity ? High ¨C
Mana Pool ? 86
[ Appellation, |She Who Deals With Demons|: ¡°Make a deal with the demon¡±, a most heinous and profane taboo of the Church of Athyra. You have a demon¡¯s mark imprinted somewhere on your body, making you a target for the Church. ] Nexy, can you analyse the mark? < Analysing... >
|Demon¡¯s Mark: Lyrfanas| This mark is the proof of a covenant with the demon, Lyrfanas. Status: |Broken|
Broken... what does that mean?
|Broken|: The terms have been breached and the covenant is void. Consequences agreed upon may follow the involved parties.
Ugh. That doesn¡¯t sound good at all. The terms of my agreement with Lyrfanas were for her to let the drifters go, which she did. That leaves to my end; keep her and her swarm¡¯s existence a secret. I left that for Orlev to deal with, though I guess this means he failed in the end. Damn it, Orlev. Now, about the ¡°consequence¡±¡ª I¡¯m pretty sure what happened was just the mark becoming ¡°broken¡±, and that the real penalty is yet to come. I remember her saying she¡¯ll either eat me or use me to grow her swarm. I don¡¯t know how far her reach is, but for now, I can only hope that it doesn¡¯t go beyond Lephander¡¯s borders. ¡°I can only hope¡±, huh... I hate those words, and yet, it¡¯s the kind of situation I¡¯m far too familiar with. While thinking of what to tell teacher, I head back. Still in the same position, teacher narrows her eyes at me as soon as she sees me, using her gaze to order me to sit across her. As I do so, I immediately feel guilt and anxiety, quaking in my own boots. ¡°...What happened?¡± Umm, well... No matter how I think of it, being her pupil means I will spend a lot of time near her. That means if Lyrfanas decides to come for me, she will be in danger too. It¡¯s only fair if she knew what she¡¯s getting into. Teacher, this is a bit hard to say. The truth is, I¡ª ¡°No, it¡¯s okay. I understand.¡± ...You do? ¡°We¡¯ve been together for more than a week. You think I wouldn¡¯t notice?.¡± N?Notice? I know she likes to peek when I bathe, but I thought I hid the mark well. Did I mess up? ¡°Your body is frail, isn¡¯t it? And this... you passed out because of the toll on your body from when I made you climb that hill, am I right? Fay, I¡¯m sorry, I didn¡¯t... no, I should¡¯ve known.¡± It¡¯s not your fault. ¡°No, it¡¯s my responsibility if I want to call myself your teacher.¡± It really isn¡¯t your¡ª Hold on, if I go with that, then I wouldn¡¯t have to tell her about Lyrfanas. To be frank, I don¡¯t know how she might react if she knew. There¡¯s a chance she will disown me, or worst case, she¡¯ll hand me over to the church or even kill me herself. Just don¡¯t make me do muscle work next time, I said, going with the lie. ¡°Don¡¯t get too carried away, you. I¡¯m sure your health isn¡¯t something we can¡¯t fix.¡± ...Actually, teacher. That¡¯s not it. ¡°Hmm? What is?¡± I can¡¯t do it. I can¡¯t lie, not after what I¡¯ve been through with Hadda. If I¡¯ve learnt anything during those seventeen months, is that lies always comes back to bite you, especially at times when you least expect it. If she is to become my enemy, then let it be by the truth and not a fraudulent betrayal. ¡°Fay? What is it?¡± Teacher, Orlev told you about me, right? ¡°Yup. He told me everything about you. Why?¡± Everything? ¡°Well, I assume... what¡¯s wrong, Fay?¡± There¡¯s one little detail he might¡¯ve forgotten. It¡¯s... easier to show you. Just as I¡¯m about to show her the mark, someone passes by in the corridor, reminding me that we¡¯re in a public place. ¡°Fay?¡± It¡¯s not the place. ¡°Is it important?¡± Yes, since you might change your mind about me. ¡°Well, now you¡¯re just making me worried. This better not be a joke you¡¯re playing.¡± It¡¯s not, I promise. I¡¯ll tell you sometime. Anyway... I stand up and stretch my back, letting out a big yawn while doing so. Let¡¯s head back and grab a drink on the way. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re not going back to that coach.¡± What do you mean? ¡°After you collapsed, I had to reveal my identity, so now we have to go to the where all the lords and ladies are.¡± Oh... can¡¯t you just not go? Refuse or something? ¡°Been there, done that. Now that they know I¡¯m here, the pesky ones will pester the staff and they, in turn, will pester us during the whole journey.¡± We¡¯ll just have to go, then. ¡°Heh, looks like you got your wish, huh, Fay? At least I know a way to make this profitable for us.¡± How so? ¡°You, Fay. You were a slave until recently. You¡¯re practically no one. If you want to make it on the big stage, what you need now is connections.¡± I groan in protest. I don¡¯t want to be on the ¡°big stage¡±, I chided, making a hand gesture to emphasise the last part. ¡°Becoming an arcanist means becoming a player, and take my word on this¡ª when the time comes, you will need allies.¡± And you think I¡¯ll find some here? ¡°No, but we can at least get your name out there, sell you out as my apprentice and let everyone know you¡¯re in the play.¡± Uh... I don¡¯t think that¡¯s¡ª ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the church,¡± she continued with an assuring smile, ¡°Worst case, even they have to think twice before picking a fight with the arcanum.¡± If you say so... ¡°Well then, shall we?¡± --- --- --- The nobility coaches are located right next to the infirmary. There¡¯s a guy standing by the door, but he lets us in after teacher shows him her necklace, which has some kind of symbol etched on it.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. When we walk in, I can immediately tell the difference in class from our previous seats¡ª rather than four open cubicles, there are two closed compartments on each row. Through the windows, I can see what seem to be lounges inside the compartments. Also, rather than having a food cart rolling around, each lounge seems to have its own confectioneries. An attendant leads us to our own compartment, which we found empty to my relief. We settle in, and I go straight to the snacks table to see anything interesting. Teacher, what¡¯s in these boxes? ¡°Always food first with you. Oh, those aren''t food though. Blair High teas.¡± Teas? ¡°The stuff that nobles drink. We can brew some here ourselves with the tea maker.¡± What about these other stuff? ¡°Crackers and pies. Why don¡¯t you try some?¡± I do just that, taking one of each of the many kinds of food, with teacher naming them as I eat. Unlike the usual food that fills the stomach, the ones here seem to be intended for taste, and what a taste they are. The pies are heavenly sweet and the tarts, even more so. There¡¯s also the mutton curry, which has a taste my tongue is unfamiliar with¡ªspicy sweet? There¡¯s also bread rolls, sponge-puddings, and jellies, all adding to my list of otherworldly delish. So far, though, my favourite is the meat-wrapped oysters, which teacher tells me is not actually a snack for nobles. ¡°Someone probably misplaced that here from the galley. Ah, well, you probably like them because of the meat. Hell, you¡¯ll swallow a raw fish if it comes down to it.¡± I stop eating when I realise I¡¯ve tried nearly everything, with the exception of the canned soups. I turn to look at the teacher and find her smiling weirdly at me. ...What? ¡°Nothing. I just like watching you eat. It¡¯s like watching an animal.¡± Are you calling me a beast again? ¡°No, no, I don¡¯t mean it like that. Anyway, you should go at it while you can. Not long now, we''ll be busy with the nobles.¡± Eh? I thought this compartment is empty? ¡°It is, but think about it. How many nobles do you think travel with large groups that they need rooms like this?¡± Not much? ...Oh. ¡°Socialisation is an integral part of the upper-class community. These compartments are designed like this to adhere to that. In fact, these rooms can be slightly soundproof, so high-class business dealings can be done as well without peering ears listening in.¡± So people will come here? ¡°Soon enough. I think they¡¯re still deciding who goes after who. Usually, the biggest names are first served, so you should pay extra attention to whoever comes in here first. The important ones will be bringing their bodyguards with them, but they don¡¯t mean anything by that. Just relax, nod away and follow my lead.¡± Yes, ma¡¯am. ¡°Oh, and keep the hood on. We wouldn¡¯t want anyone from Tarnlake identifying you.¡± After that, the teacher briefs me on how to carry my conduct. Since they¡¯re basically going to be ¡°informal tea socials¡±, she tells me that there won¡¯t be much courtesy. Not long after, the first person knocks on our compartment¡¯s door, and the teacher waves him in. The door slides open and an elderly man walks in with a hunched back. I feel my body stiffen as he drops his gaze on us. His eyes are sharp and even though he haven¡¯t said anything, my instincts are saying that something is threatening my life. When he closes the door behind him, I realise that he¡¯s alone. Teacher, this guy doesn¡¯t have any bodyguard¡ª I stop when I see teacher¡¯s face. At first glance, she appears to be relaxed, but I can see the tightening of the muscles near her mouth and her slightly dilated pupils. However, it only lasts a mere second as she immediately takes on a business smile, standing up and offering him a handshake. ¡°It¡¯s been a long time, Lord Tevan Ardent.¡± ¡°You seem well, Miss Inzhi. How has your trip to Bastion fare you?¡± The man replied with a scratchy voice as he took the offer before sitting down across us. ¡°It was well, and so am I. What about you? It¡¯s rare to see you walking around. Outside the District, no less.¡± ¡°I¡¯m on vacation. The north is beautiful at this time of the year.¡± ¡°I see. The taigas were certainly a sight, were they not?¡± ¡°Yes, they were. There¡¯s nothing like immersing yourself in nature, just watching white-tailed deer chasing one another in the snow. But I suppose I don¡¯t need to tell you that, don¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯m sorry, would you like some tea?¡± teacher asked in an unseemly manner for her. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t bother you.¡± ¡°It¡¯s quite alright. My companion and I are just about to have some, anyway,¡± she claimed, and no, we were definitely not about to have some tea. As teacher goes to the counter to brew the drinks, I find myself face to face with Tevan. Other than the light stubble, his face and hair are neatly trimmed in a way that reminds me of Ichard. One thing that differs, though, is his sharp blue eyes, similar to Latasha¡¯s, and the stare of which seems to default to either ¡°threaten¡± or ¡°intimidation¡±. ¡°I believe this is the first time we¡¯ve met...?¡± he greeted me with a composed smile and a new setting for his stare. He was simply observing me, but it felt as if I was naked under his gaze. I know he can¡¯t see my face, but I still instinctively pull my hood tighter. ¡°Oh, my apologies. My name is Tevan Ardent. I work for the imperial government and I live in District Cardinal.¡± Err... Crap. He¡¯s expecting me tomake an introduction. Well, I''m... Fay. I work as Inzhi''s bitchy apprentice and I live in whatever arcane hole she lives in. ¡°Ahem. Pardon, Lord Tevan,¡± teacher cut in as she comes back with our tea. ¡°She has a condition that disabled her from speaking.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± ¡°If I may, she is an apprentice that I¡¯ve recently taken in. However, due to a sensitive matter, I currently can¡¯t disclose her name nor her face.¡± T?Teacher! ¡°Hmm... apprentice, eh?¡± ¡°Yes, I believe she will be a valuable addition to the Arcanum.¡± ¡°What an interesting information to know. By the way, I hope you didn¡¯t run into any trouble in this country.¡± ¡°Trouble? Of course not. This is a peaceful country, where even the inhumans are free from Moval¡¯s clutches.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad if it is so. I just heard some talk, rumours really, that there¡¯s unrest brewing in Igwall.¡± ¡°Unrest? Everything seemed fine to me, but then again, I didn¡¯t visit that place.¡± Tevan raises his eyebrows in what seems to be fake surprise. ¡°You didn¡¯t? That place is between Bastion and Boris Station, though.¡± ¡°I had to take a detour to meet this new apprentice of mine. What sort of ¡®unrest¡¯ are you talking about?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m just being extra cautious. We wouldn¡¯t want another... ¡°rebellion¡±, after all.¡± Teacher gives a mirthless smile, widening her eyes in, guess what, fake surprise. What the hell is up with these two? ¡°You jest, surely. That¡¯s an absurd thing to do after Lawthorne.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, not everyone can learn from others¡¯ mistakes. Don¡¯t worry, Miss Inzhi. If there is such a plan, I will personally make sure to weed out the criminals, down to their roots.¡± ¡°That is, if there really is such a plan?¡± ¡°You are right of course. Still, you have no reason to worry. No matter what happens, I will ensure that the dynasty stays strong,¡± Tevan assured her, taking a final sip from his tea before standing up. At the same time, the train¡¯s whistle is sounded. ¡°This is my stop.¡± ¡°Still on vacation, I see.¡± ¡°Unfortunately, this pertains to work. It was nice to meet you, Miss Inzhi. And you too... miss apprentice.¡± Likewise, hunchba¡ª ow! ¡°Likewise, Lord Tevan.¡± After a final curtsy, Tevan turns to leave the compartment, but just before he leaves, teacher calls out to him, ¡°Lord Tevan, I think you¡¯re misunderstanding something.¡± ¡°Pardon?¡± ¡°Both as a member of the Arcanum and an augur of Drachwhyr, my priorities run concurrently to the people, and therefore, the empire. However, I don¡¯t necessarily answer to the reigning power.¡± ¡°...I see,¡± Tevan acknowledged with a smile which intentions behind is unreadable. He leaves after that without saying another word. As soon as the door closes behind him, teacher sinks back into the couch, heaving out a relieved sigh. What was that all about? Who was he? ¡°Before that, what do you think of him?¡± Him? He didn¡¯t speak much other than pointless chatter. His speech, his demeanour, and the way he hunched his back were all describing him simply as an old man. And yet, if there¡¯s anything I¡¯ve learnt from my two years at Purgatory, it¡¯s to always trust my instincts. In other words... I feel like he¡¯s dangerous. Teacher leans forward at me. ¡° ¡®Dangerous¡¯,¡± she said, ¡°is a serious understatement. He is the imperial spymaster, works directly under the Sovereign, and is the brother of Ardent¡¯s head. In a pyramid of shrewdness and disregard for humanity, he would be riding on a zeppelin, way above the top. ¡®Dangerous¡¯ doesn¡¯t even begin to describe him.¡± Mm... is that so? I replied indifferently. I have no clue what she¡¯s talking about. ¡°What¡¯s with that reaction? Forget about the church¡ª making him your enemy will ruin your evenings for the rest of your life.¡± Is he? ¡°Is he what?¡± An enemy? Or could I make him into an ally? ¡°My advice, Fay, is that you stay as far away from him as possible. If the arcanum protects secrets, his job is to pry out those secrets, tear them to pieces, and build it back as his own. By essence, he is an arcanist¡¯s worst enemy.¡± Right. So if he¡¯s dangerous, why did you tell him I¡¯m on the run? I mean, that¡¯s basically what you told him. ¡°Because he¡¯ll know about you, one way or another, and better not have him find out we¡¯re lying to him. I¡¯m not keen on breaking bread with him, but I don¡¯t want to have to look over my shoulders either.¡± Even so, if he is the head of Ardent¡¯s brother, that would make him Latasha¡¯s uncle, wouldn¡¯t it? When the time comes, this may become something I can exploit. By the way, you said something about being an augur of something. ¡°Oh. Augurs of Drachwyr, it¡¯s basically my job when I¡¯m not busy being an arcanist. We read the nature to predict the future.¡± As in, a soothsayer. Wow, I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d delve into that kind of thing. ¡°Hey, hold that look! I know people think of us as weirdos, but it¡¯s all actually very scientific. We observe nature not as some kind of disillusioned people in sketchy robes. No, we study them as clear-minded researchers.¡± Right... ¡°Tch. Whatever, you¡¯ll see for yourself. In the meantime, drink your tea, Fay,¡± she suggested. I tilt my head in question. ¡°The high water may have passed, but we¡¯re not done yet. There¡¯ll be more to come.¡± I nod at her and stare down at the swirls in my tea. The previously clear surface had become jumbled out from the train''s shaking. Somehow, my previously jolly mood has gotten muddy as well, and I have a feeling it won¡¯t get better anytime soon. Like on cue, someone knocks on the door and teacher answers in a clear voice, ¡°come in.¡± --- --- --- Noble after noble, we went down our guest list like a dying snail. When we got to our tenth or so group, I was starting to wonder if we¡¯d go at it the entire trip. But even then, teacher¡¯s face was still a gigglemug, so I set an example of her and steeled myself. Shedid most of the talking, though. All I did was nod on her lead, and one time, brewed a cup of tea. That¡¯s when she decided to set the third rule for me to never make tea again, ever. There were some differences I picked up on how she treated our guests. After Tevan, she no longer bothered to offer drinks to our guests, nor did she explain my circumstance. Instead, she only passed me off as ¡°not a talker.¡± By the time we¡¯re done with everyone, the sun is already setting beyond the mountainous horizon. Teacher... ¡°Yes?¡± I¡¯m having second thoughts. She laughs to that, throwing her back into the free couch without restraint. ¡°Don¡¯t worry! Arcanists don¡¯t usually talk with other people much, only when we have to.¡± You seem so used to it, though. ¡°Believe me, I didn¡¯t like it either. I wouldn¡¯t have jumped on the train otherwise. Anyway, how many people do you think you remember?¡± I wonder? The later ones didn¡¯t give much of an impression. ¡°That¡¯s alright. It¡¯s more important that they know you and not the other way around, but I do think there are some people worth knowing. Duke Marc is a sponsor for the Angestile Institute of Crafts, and Magus Keville is a big name in Zest-Flamel and has a lot of connections in Bastion.¡± I think I remember them. They were the only ones that had an actual interest in me. ¡°That¡¯s because the rest aren¡¯t influential enough to be associating with an arcanist and were just doing courtesies. Those two are interested in future partnerships with you, provided that you do become an arcanist. With this, all the trouble is worth it, don¡¯t you think?¡± Thank you. ¡°Huh?¡± A blank expression paints her face, so I elaborate, For doing all this. ¡°Ah, no, it¡¯s my responsibility. You¡¯re my pupil, after all. I don¡¯t have children, so you¡¯re the closest to family now, whether or not we know each other that well. Besides, it¡¯s just the beginning of our relationship. We still have a lot more to do from now on.¡± Umm... about that... I play with my fingers as I think on what to tell her. I figure it¡¯s time for her to know the full risks of taking me in and let her decide whether to keep me or not. Teacher, I want to talk about our relationship. ¡°Err... what?¡± You said these compartments are soundproof, right? ¡°Well, relatively...¡± I stand up and go to lock the door and close the curtains on the corridor windows. I turn back to face teacher, her eyebrows raising in confusion. ¡°Fay?¡± Don¡¯t say anything. These compartments aren¡¯t fully soundproof, after all. I walk closer to her, using my eyes to make her silent. Rather than telling her, it¡¯s easier to show her, so I start taking off my coat, and then my shirt¡ª ¡°Wait, stop!¡± she suddenly cried, looking away. Teacher? ¡°Fay, I?I¡¯m your teacher! No matter how you feel, we can¡¯t¡ª¡° You need to see this. ¡°Eh? S?See what...¡± She turns her face back to me, and I show her Lyrfanas¡¯ mark. ¡°That¡¯s...¡± This is a demon¡¯s mark, teacher. ¡°I know, I... I¡¯ve read about it before. I never thought it was real. No one did.¡± Her gaze locks on the mark as if forgetting how she acted just a second earlier. ¡°How... how did this happen? Has this been long?¡± No. it was when the drifter party went through Halhallart¡¯s Dread. I made a deal to get us out. ¡°The Dread...? So the rumours are true after all. What about the agreement?¡± I, uhm... promised to keep her existence a secret. But the mark is broken now, so I guess I failed. Haha... Upon hearing that, her face becomes stone, looking not at me, but at the wall behind me. ...Teacher? Not getting any reaction, I just continue on what I wanted to say. And so, about making me your apprentice, you might want to¡ª ¡°What were you thinking...?¡± Eh? ¡°Just exactly, what...¡± She takes in a sharp breath. Her voice is shaky, holding herself from shouting. To calm herself, she takes in a couple of deep breaths, holding her chest as if to keep her heart from popping out. ¡°...Are you sure it¡¯s broken?¡± With my tongue tied, I only nod at her question. ¡°...What will happen now?¡± I¡¯m... not sure... ¡°Not sure?¡± ...Nothing good ¡°You don¡¯t know. How can you not know...?¡± Both her voice and her gaze are calm now, looking straight at me without apparent emotion. Because of that, there¡¯s this feeling I don¡¯t know that makes me look away, unable to look at her in the eyes. Suddenly, as I look down at my feet, I feel teacher¡¯s arms wrapping me into a hug. Teacher? ¡°It must¡¯ve been scary...¡± I couldn¡¯t reply. Is she reprimanding me or comforting me? What do I do in this situation? ¡°When you passed out earlier, it¡¯s because of this, wasn¡¯t it? Was it painful?¡± Yes, but I¡¯m fine now. Then she lets go of me, keeping her hands on my shoulders as she continues, drilling into me with her sincere gaze, ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t let any demon come near you.¡± You¡¯re... still willing to... ¡°Of course I am, Fay. Come demon or church, as your teacher, I will protect you.¡± Are you sure about this? This mark means I¡¯ve dealt with a demon. Are you sure you want to have someone like me? ¡°What do you think was the reason I chose you in the first place?¡± I ponder her question, and when I can¡¯t point an exact answer, she explains, ¡°When I heard about what you did in Tarnlake and the reason you did it, I just knew¡ª you¡¯re the person I¡¯m looking for. And this mark,¡± she continued as she traced my shoulder in a tingly way, ¡°this mark just further proves that.¡± Not knowing what to say, what comes out of my mind is, Thank you. --- --- --- --- --- --- ¡°Wake up, child.¡± Mm... shut up, Yammu. ¡°You¡¯re sleep-talking. Come on, it¡¯s our stop.¡± Someone turns the lights on, launching an assault of photons into my eyes. I fortified my defences with the blanket I somehow have on me, but that gets torn too. ¡°Wake up!¡± I open my eyes to see teacher showing off her teeth with a stupid grin. I look out the window, making myself feel even more annoyed. It¡¯s still dark. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s just past midnight. Come on, then. I¡¯ll pinch you if you don¡¯t get up in five seconds.¡± Pinch away... She does just that. I wouldn¡¯t have normally minded, but the spot she pinched me at is a little troubling, so I get up in the end. .......... ¡°...Fay, we have to go.¡± Just a moment. There¡¯s still the soups. ¡°Geez, just how much are you planning to take with you?¡± Sorry, it just seems like a waste to leave all this free meal behind. After filling my bag with snacks from the compartment, I follow teacher out, off the train and into the barely-lit station. As I step out, I look around and see that we¡¯re the only ones getting off, odd considering how many people are on that train. Then again, this station seems deserted too. The tiles and walls are broken all over and there¡¯s no one in sight. It¡¯s like we¡¯re in the middle of nowhere. ¡°It does, doesn¡¯t it.¡± And I thought the District is supposed to be the last stop. ¡°Umm, well...¡± Teacher... I narrow my eyes at her, watching her swaying on her own feet suspiciously. ¡°Let¡¯s just say we¡¯re taking a detour.¡± Before she finished her sentence, I¡¯m already walking back into the train. ¡°Wait, wait, wait! Just hear me out for a second!¡± She grabs my hand, and I glare at her in response. I¡¯m going to the District. ¡°We will go there, all in time! Fanny is already off the train too, are you going to leave her here?¡± You can eat her or whatever. Bye, teacher. ¡°Oh, please. You¡¯re not an arcanist, yet. Going there now will have you in the spotlights, with everyone to fight and no one to help. You trusted me as your teacher, so trust me now.¡± ...How long will it take? ¡°How long...?¡± To make me an arcanist. ¡°That¡¯s... I don¡¯t know, Fay.¡± Take a guess. ¡°...A few years, maybe.¡± A few years?! ¡°D?Don¡¯t freak out. It took me a year of hard work myself. And that¡¯s just based on what I know about you, which isn¡¯t a lot.¡± Then, depending on my abilities, you can make it faster? ¡°Y?Yeah, basically...¡± As I pondered, the train finally leaves the station, leaving us alone in the darkness of the desolate station. I hope I won¡¯t regret this. What if I show you what I¡¯m capable of? ¡°Well, your mana pool already gave me a rough estimation, so¡ª¡° No teacher, I snapped at her, it doesn¡¯t. After I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s no one else, I walk to the centre of the station and close my eyes. ¡°Fay?¡± I start by summoning firebulbs, one after another and let them circle around me. I turn back and face teacher to see her wary stance at the sight my the firebulbs. Then, one by one, I join them together until they become one large sphere of energy. ¡°Superb control, but I think we should do this in a secure environment,¡± she noted, anxiety apparent in her voice. I teasingly smile at her, continuing to the next step by summoning a similarly-sized ball of water. In one swift motion, I merge the water and fire together, causing an explosive evaporation of the water into steam. ¡°Eek!¡± I chuckle as I saw teacher jumping back. Indeed, there would¡¯ve been a steam explosion if I hadn¡¯t suspended it in the same manner as firebulbs, making a new kind of bulb, made out of boiling hot steam. ¡°O?Okay, I get it now. You can use water magic too, so isn¡¯t it enough?¡± I¡¯m not done. Next, I make the steam and the fire into separate layers¡ª fire in the middle, steam on the outside, creating an ominously glowing sphere of vapour and fire. I heat up the fire even more, so hot that the chargedsub-particles start slipping out from the burning gases and into the outer layer. I start playing around with them¡ª moving the charges to create electrical currents inside the steam, and as more particles diffuse into the vaporous layer, the globe becomes more charged. Within less than a minute, it now looks like a miniature thunderstorm, with little sparks snapping at us dangerously. After keeping that state for a moment, I disperse the charges and cut off the fuel, as well as dispelling the vapour by swirling them around inside the globe, diminishing its own energy to stop it from going out explosively as soon as the globular barrier is gone. And now, aside from the somewhat raised temperature, it¡¯s as if nothing happened. Meanwhile, teacher, who¡¯d been showing an array of expressions, is now stuck with her lips pulled cheek to cheek. Well? ¡°...Well.¡± Want me to demonstrate more? ¡°No, that¡¯s enough. Fire, water, air, and thunder. The only person I¡¯ve heard capable of four core elements is the previous grand magus. You truly are...¡± Earth too, actually. ¡°Eh?¡± I start manipulating the dirt on the floor to demonstrate, making them dance around at our feet and throwing them together into a single shape which I roll around. As I¡¯m about to get more creative, I stop when I see the smile on teacher¡¯s face disappeared, from which I realise I¡¯ve somehow messed up. ...Teacher? She turns her back in silence and starts walking to where our mounts are. I trot up behind her, trying to catch up. Teacher, did I do somethi¡ª Umpf! I bump my face into her back when she suddenly stops. ¡°Do you know why I¡¯m called the geomancer?¡± she asked without turning back. Because... you¡¯re a geomancer? ¡°The Geomancer. There are no other geomancers,¡± she stressed, finally turning at me. Perhaps it¡¯s because of the darkness, but I can¡¯t read her expression at all. ¡°There are no known geomancers for hundreds of years. I¡¯m the only one, Fay. Was the only one. Do you get it know?¡± So, right now, you and I... ¡°Are the only two people walking on Mer capable of earth magic, yes.¡± Crap. I should¡¯ve known. ¡°Three months.¡± Eh? ¡°You asked me how long it would take. I can make you an arcanist in half a year.¡± I?Is that okay? ¡°What do you mean?¡± Earth magic is your thing, isn¡¯t it? ¡°Oh, wow. You¡¯re worrying about me? That¡¯s a first,¡± she snarked. ¡°For your information, you becoming a geomancer wouldn¡¯t hurt me in any way. If anything, it¡¯ll make me seem like a good teacher.¡± That¡¯s true, but still... ¡°It¡¯s all good, Fay. It¡¯s just... from the first time I¡¯ve heard about you, you just keep popping out these surprises. What you did to Ichard, the demon, and now this?¡± ...Someone did tell me I can be a bit impulsive. Teacher laughs it off, and the matter seems resolved somehow. However, on our way out the station, there¡¯s this tension between us. It can¡¯t be helped, I suppose. Until recently, she was the only one in the world and there¡¯s a good chance that earth magic played a part in getting her into the arcanum. In other words, I might¡¯ve injured her pride as my teacher, and when I become a legit arcanist capable of not only earth magic but also all other elements, wouldn¡¯t that bring her value down as ¡°the geomancer¡±? That¡¯s what I was anxious about, but as she said, I have no place to worry about that. We find our mounts waiting just outside the station, with only a single person guarding them. Teacher tipped the shady-looking man and once again, we are on the road. The night is dark and cloudy, making the road too dark for us to ride. Teacher does something to her staff and the mana stone starts glowing brightly. ¡°Photomancy,¡± she said. ¡°One thing you can¡¯t do.¡± Not yet, anyway. More importantly, where are we right now? Where are we heading to? ¡°This is a little place at the border between Lephander, Cordain, and Old Hrakia. There used to be a plan for an independent border town here, built as a sign of friendship between the three countries. It was quite a fuss, to the point that it was made as a stop for the Forholds train. Before the construction of the town was completed, the rebellion happened and Hrakia¡¯s fall followed. The plan never resurfaced since.¡± So... where are we going? ¡°I¡¯m taking you to the Drachwyr Monastery. I¡¯ll train you to be an arcanist there.¡± Right, so the monastery is in the middle of nowhere. Teacher titters at that. ¡°No, the monastery is two countries to the east.¡± Wait, what? What are we doing here, then? ¡°Remember when I said about a friend who helped me track you down? And a friend who speaks like you do? That friend will be picking us up here.¡± ...No way. Two countries, which means the journey is still long. Not to mention, what kind of person would want to come to this kind of place? I seriously doubt teacher¡¯s sense in picking friends. ¡°Around here, I think,¡± teacher said as she stops her horse. ...I don¡¯t see anyone. ¡°Quack.¡± Fanny says neither can she. ¡°He¡¯ll come, any minute now.¡± So we wait for a bit, watching our surroundings with the darkness staring back. It¡¯s currently nearing the end of Seryas, which means, the month of darkness is just a few days away. Thus, the nights of the north are becoming darker and longer, or so teacher explained to me. Soon enough, I hear the wind stirring the leaves and I suddenly feel like someone is watching me. Teacher, something is¡ª ¡°Do you know why they call it ¡®Drachwyr¡¯?¡± Eh? ¡°It¡¯s a word from the tongue of the old era that few know about.¡± As teacher rambles on, I feel the wind getting stronger. At least, I thought it¡¯s just the wind, but there¡¯s this deep rumbling noise, like a distant thunderstorm, coming closer and closer. No, teacher, listen¡ª ¡°People of the old era often used the word to describe ¡®power¡¯ and ¡®strength¡¯, but it actually does have a literal meaning.¡± My instincts start screaming as the ¡°storm¡± draws closer, making my blood run cold. I have to run, something dangerous is coming¡ª is what my body is telling me. Just like when I met the lifers. Just like with Lyrfanas. This is something I can¡¯t beat. Teacher! ¡°Do you know what that word means?¡± The thundering stops and the earth shook beneath our feet. It¡¯s dark, but somehow, I know something big just landed in front of us. Its breath is like the sound of a rumbling volcano, and the size of it... I can tell, from the looming shadow as its serpentine neck looks over to us from a height¡ª larger than any bird I know in my compendium. Much, much larger. I stand stiff, speechless as teacher turns to me, her staff giving a grim glow on her face. ¡°It means ¡®Dragon¡¯.¡±
Chapter 28 : The Hidden Vale Chapter 28 The Hidden Vale ¡°There are two kinds of people in this world,¡± teacher once said to me. ¡°Those who think them as mere tales, and those who¡¯ve seen one with their own eyes.¡± Dragons. Known to most as a race of mythos, as a race whose name has the same meaning as ¡°power¡± and ¡°strength¡±¡ª the creatures we call dragons, or in the old language, ¡°dracwhyrt¡±, are beings whose existence border between fantasy and reality. In any story, you¡¯d find the tale describing them similarly, as if from an established fact; creatures of awesome power, so great they were hauled as gods at some point in the ancient past before disappearing into the words of legends, vanishing from history altogether. Now they remain only as stories, fables for children and perhaps, something to rediscover for the people in the drifter¡¯s guild. In all intents, right now, the existence of dragons is but a myth. And here¡¯s one giving us a free ride. ¡°Pretty cool, right?¡± Uh... you¡¯re right. It¡¯s quite cold up here. However, the cold was the least of my worries. Imagine if the dragon decided, on a whim, to do a barrel roll. Around fifteen seconds after falling off the dragon¡¯s back, I would¡¯ve achieved my terminal velocity and reached the ground in no more than ten seconds, at which point the impact would shatter my bones and rupture my organs. Basically, my body would explode internally. Or maybe if the dragon decided, on a whim, to fly even higher. The difference of pressure would burst teacher¡¯s hypobaric bubble and expose us to the thin air. Before we could even feel effects like difficulty of breathing, we would¡¯ve lost our consciousness and, within a few minutes, died without a word. There were still more on the list of fatal possibilities, none of which I could prevent. At least the view is nice, I sneered, admiring the total darkness. ¡°It will be when dawn comes.¡± So we¡¯ll be up here until dawn, then. That¡¯s great. ¡°It¡¯s not that bad, is it?¡± If I don¡¯t think about the dumb ways to die, the mythical creature we¡¯re riding on, or my butt getting stiff, then yeah... "not that bad." ¡¸ Do not worry, little one, ¡¹ the mythical creature said. ¡¸ No harm shall come to you for as long as you ride upon my back. ¡¹ He didn¡¯t need to tell me that. Not only are we doing weeks¡¯ worth of travelling in a matter of hours, we¡¯re also making it impossible for Lyrfanas or the church to track us. Getting stiff butts is a small price compared to that. Maybe. ¡°Quaaack!¡± ...Though I couldn¡¯t say the same for Fanny. She and White Snow are caged inside the dragon¡¯s claws. For them, their fate is decided should the dragon relaxed his claws if even just for a second. I guess I should consider myself lucky. We flew for hours straight in the mostly starless night, with only the dim moon lighting the way whenever the storm clouds cleared up. Despite that, navigating didn¡¯t seem to be a problem for the winged creature. Finally, darkness dissipates and we are basked in the first light of the day. The dragon starts his descent, and I hold on with all my might when I feel my own weight going against me. I close my eyes and pretend not to hear the sound of the wind pressing against the bubble shielding us. My heart beats uncontrollably, cold sweat dribbles down my skin as I dare myself to take a peek and what I see is.... breathtaking. Literally, because we¡¯re dropping altitude pretty fast, but you get what I mean. The sun, warm and radiant, peeks out on the horizon where the clouds touch the sky. Below us, numerous peaks pokes out from the sea of clouds, one side painted in colors, the other still hiding from daylight. I hold my breath as we go below the clouds, watching as the condensed vapor flow around teacher¡¯s bubble like a river around a rock. Once the cloud clears, I can finally see the ground again. In the time the earth was hidden from us, the sun had brought colors to the colorless world, like a painting brought to life. ¡°See? Beautiful, right?¡± It¡¯s fine, I guess. ¡°Everything looks so small from up here. Once we¡¯ve landed, we¡¯d be back to being one of those tiny and insignificant dots down below, and in truth, that¡¯s what we really are. That¡¯s how the dragons see us from above. Doesn¡¯t that make you wonder about what our place really is in this big world?¡± Teacher, you¡¯re being weird again... Ranges of mountains streches across the land, forming a great natural wall surrounding a vast portion of land, much like the Cergian Ring circled around Halhallart¡¯s Dread. On the foot of one of the mountains, there¡¯s a tiny blot. As we descended, that blot grows in size until it becomes a cluster of small buildings¡ª a village, I think. As we approach the ground, the dragon starts circling around, gradually going lower before finally landing at a clearing near the village, shaking the earth upon touchdown. ¡°Ouch, Fay. It hurts.¡± Oh, sorry. I loosen my grip when I realise I was clawing teacher¡¯s waist. ¡°Afraid of flying, aren¡¯t you?¡± It¡¯s... unnatural. ¡°Err, hey, we¡¯ve landed. You can let go of me, now.¡± Teacher, I feel... sick... urgh. ¡°Huh? Wait, don¡¯t¡ª¡° And... there goes yesterday¡¯s meal. --- --- --- As soon as the dragon comes to a stop, we climb down from his back and I cherish the feeling of having the ground beneath my feet. If there¡¯s one thing to regret about having boots, it¡¯s that I can¡¯t feel the ground with my bare feet. Everything considered, the trip itself wasn¡¯t exactly pleasant, but the view in that last moments before landing made up for it, for me who¡¯ve seen so little of this world. ¡°Thank you, Gerra,¡± teacher said to the dragon. ¡°Sorry to trouble you like this.¡± ¡¸ There¡¯s no trouble when it comes to friends, Inzhi. Call upon me anytime, and I¡¯ll be sure to have your back, or lend you mine. There¡¯s no trouble when it comes to friends. ¡¹ Contrary to his words, his voice is a deep, rumbling sound that shakes the very being of whoever hears it, a voice that clearly indicates our feeble existence before these creatures of power that once ruled all of Mer. And still could, should they choose. His head alone is bigger than a carriage. His skin is adorned with vibrant red scales while his eyes, golden and reptile-like, are capable of paralyzing any creature with fear. Excluding that long, swaying tail, the dragon has a total of four-limbs including the wings¡ª no, wait, six limbs? The forelegs separates from the wings, and the latter looks limp now. Ah, perhaps the wings aren¡¯t actual limbs because they can¡¯t move on its own without the forelegs attached to it? While thinking about that, teacher slaps my shoulder and starts signalling something to me with her eyes. Oh, uhm... I bid you thanks as well, Gerra. And, uh... sorry for making a mess on your back. ¡¸ Don¡¯t apologize, for there is no better way to get acquainted. I should¡¯ve been more gentler upon knowing it was your first time on a malanic¡¯s back. ¡¹ ¡°Hey, what about me, Fay? You threw up all over my back as well.¡± Teacher... if you were a forty-strides long mythical creature with wings, sure, I¡¯d apologize. While teacher grumbles in complaint, a shadow looms over us as Gerra stretched his serpentine neck towards the sky. ¡¸ The sun is rising and the homids are awakening. I must now make myself scarce from the homid world. ¡¹ ¡°Right. Thanks, again, Gerra. It was nice to see you.¡± ¡¸ The honor is mine. Please give my regards to the people of the monastery. ¡¹ ¡°Quack!¡± Fanny says you give the best rides. ¡¸ My regards to you too, puny one. Until we meet again, younglings. Call upon me anytime and I¡¯ll be sure to have your back, or lend you mine. ¡¹ With those last words, the massive creature takes off again, leaving a large cyclone that nearly throws me off my feet. Before he¡¯s gone, though... Do your thing, Nexy. < Identifying... >
< NXId >
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ? ©¦1793©¦ ©¦89%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ? ©¦128©¦/268
Name ? Gerrahim
Appellations ? Torchwyrm ? Living Flame ? Gerra the Inferno
Species ? Neopyron Malanic
Age ? 301
< Subnex >
Name ?
Titles ? Torchwyrm
Species ? Fire Drake
Age ?
Gender ? Male,
Mana Affinity ? Demon ¨C Fire ? Beast ¨C Air ? Beast ¨C Thunder
Mana Pool ? ©¦128©¦
Threat Level ? Category ©¦S©¦
...Yup. He¡¯s at the level of a lifer, alright. And I just threw up on his back. Way to go, Fay. ¡°Nice guy, right?¡± I suppose... ¡°He is one of the strongest among the dragons. Bit of a birdbrain, though. But I guess they all are.¡± Really? That¡¯s kind of cute. It reminds me of a certain someone. ¡°By the way, I¡¯ve been wondering for a while, but can you understand what the scurry is saying?¡± I raise my eyebrow at her. Of course not. ¡°But you just¡ª¡° Really, teacher? Talking to animals? I may be a little bit of an oddball, but I¡¯m not mad just yet. ¡° ...Actually, we augurs can somewhat communicate with the wild. Oh well, at least you admit that you¡¯re an oddball, and who knows? Maybe being mad suits you. Maybe I¡¯ll see you seeking guidance from a raven, someday. Wouldn¡¯t that be a sight.¡± Maybe. ...Hopefully. We head out afterwards, out the woods and towards the sound of a ringing bell, which grows more prominent and urgent as we go closer to it. That sounds dire. ¡°You¡¯re right. Keep sharp, but don¡¯t look bitter. The people out here tend to be a bit edgy.¡± We go out the treeline and into the road leading to the village. There¡¯s a sign on the side of the road, probably the name of the village. < Translating... > [ Road''s End ] How initiative, Nexy. ¡°Sorry, what?¡± Oh, n?nothing. I¡¯m still not used to how someone can hear me. Recently, I¡¯ve discovered that I can tune the strength of my thought transference, making it so I can communicate with Nexy without other people hearing me. I just forget sometimes. When the village comes into view, what we see are people bustling about, some with bows and others with pitchforks in their hands..... huh? Wait, pitchforks? Teacher and I raise our eyebrows at each other, unsure of the situation, before deciding to enter anyway. ¡°Flee, outsiders!¡± A woman suddenly shouted at us, carrying a basket full of... arrows? Huh. ¡°This is a bad time to visit this cursed village, for winged abominations come raining down on us! Dragons, I tell you. Dragons of the olden days have returned!¡± ¡°Calm your hoots, woman,¡± another passerby said. ¡°¡¯Tis the fourth time this year and these ¡°dragons¡± have never as much as nibbled on any one of us nor our livestocks. We will be fine.¡± ¡°Oh, blind as you are, old man. Did you not see the beast circling about?! And those tremors, oh goddess... The dragon must have landed nearby, ready to feast on all these poor men!¡± While they continue bickering, teacher and I slip past them and into the noisy village. The villagers are running and shouting everywhere, the men carrying pitchforks, shovels and makeshift bows while the women safekeeps their children and arrows. Just a glimpse of a dragon, and everyone is ready for war. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. Now I get why we rode at night. ¡°Yeah, well... Gerra usually lands a bit further away. I think he was nervous having a stranger on his back.¡± Very funny, teacher. I follow teacher and head towards a two-storey building which Nexy identified as an inn. After we lead our mounts into the stables on the side, teacher starts unloading our baggage, so I do the same. Carrying all our stuff, we walk into the dim-lit inn. Aside from the burly innkeeper, everyone else seems to be out hunting dragons. Uh... teacher, why is he glaring at us? I asked, seeing the innkeeper shooting bolts at us with his eyes. ¡°Troubles?¡± teacher smiled at him. ¡°Yes. You,¡± the innkeeper replied with a voice befitting his gnarly face. ¡°Aaw, what have I done this time?¡± ¡°For the fourth time, Inzhi, they¡¯re dragons, not bloody cabs!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t they be both? And nice to see you too, baldie.¡± ¡°...Who¡¯s the lad? Some orphan you picked up?¡± ¡°She is my new apprentice. Be nice.¡± The big man stares me down, his big, thick, moustache twitching with his nose. Err... hi. ¡°Well? Aren¡¯t you gonna introduce yourself?¡± ¡°She can¡¯t speak, Raf. Mute.¡± ¡°And how is she supposed to be your apprentice, then?¡± ¡°We can speak telepathically.¡± ¡°...Of course,¡± he gibed, his voice laced with sarcasm. ¡°Should¡¯ve never asked.¡± He grumbled after that, mumbling about voodoo and crazy mountain monks. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯re going up. I¡¯m hoping you can take care of our pets. You know Snowy, and there¡¯s a brown scurry named Fanny as well. Oh, and this.¡± Teacher puts the episcopal staff on the counter. Raf then eyes the object curiously, its golden surface reflected in his eyes. ¡°This has the church¡¯s insignia on it. Why in goddess¡¯ name would you have this?¡± Teacher tilts her head with an innocent smile. ¡°Hmm?¡± ¡°...Nevermind. Forget I asked you anything. And yes, I¡¯ll take care of your mounts as usual.¡± ¡°Thank you as always, Raf.¡± Putting a hand on my shoulder in an intimate manner, teacher then shifts her attention to me. ¡°Do you want to rest up for a bit before we go?¡± Not only is she acting weird, she also has this similarly weird smile on her face. ...I feel like she''s showing off. What, and to who? Go where, exactly? ¡°Like I said,¡± she answered, taking me to a window to look outside. With a thumb, she points at the cluster of mounntains. ¡°Up.¡± ...Rest. Definitely rest. ¡°Hear that, Raf? I want the best room you have. That means the far-left on the second floor.¡± ¡°Hear what, exactly? And that room¡¯s being used by the village chief¡¯s visiting daughter. I can¡¯t just...¡± ¡°Far left, second floor. Chop-chop.¡± ¡°Ugh... fine. Just give me five minutes,¡± he grumbled before rushing upstairs. Amazing. He complied just like that. ¡°Yeah, well... I¡¯m a regular here,¡± she shrugged. I¡¯m sure the real reason has something to do with either her status as an arcanist or an augur. So... remind me why we¡¯re climbing a mountain? ¡°The monastery is just beyond the mountain. There¡¯s no way around, so we¡¯ll have to go through it.¡± Will there be more dragons there? ¡°Not that I¡¯m informed of. Dragons live in a different place. The monastery just serve as an intermediary between them and the homid world.¡± Well, that¡¯s kind of a relief. I can¡¯t imagine spending time with such powerful beings as an everyday thing. Why there, though? What relation does the monastery has with the arcanum? ¡°Nothing. Other than me, at least. The reason we¡¯re training you there is because my lab is set up there. Actually, I was an augur before I became an arcanist. Honest to heart, the monastery is the safest place that I know of.¡± So, the reason is safety, then...? I wonder if I¡¯m the reason she¡¯s paying that much attention to safety. ¡°At any rate, I¡¯ll train you there, thirty hours a day, seven days a week. We¡¯ll study together, eat together, sleep together...¡± Sleep together? Do you mean in an adult way, or...? ¡°Haha, very funny. We¡¯re both women. I have no such interest.¡± Yeah, right. I know lust when I see one. I was wondering when you¡¯ll jump on me. I jokingly said that to her, but her face stiffens with unease upon hearing that. ¡°W?What...?¡± Oh, please, teacher. I see how you look at me. And all those times you peeked on me on the rivers? Frankly, you¡¯re not being a good example here. ...Hmm? I expected her to laugh it off as usual, but why isn¡¯t she? ¡°Do I disgust you?¡± Eh? ¡°I... I don¡¯t know if you¡¯re joking, but it¡¯s true, Fay. I like women. Will that repel you?¡± I¡¯ve known that for some time. Why would it ¡°repel¡± me? ¡°How did you... anyway, you don¡¯t know, do you? Of course you don¡¯t know.¡± I don¡¯t know what? She takes in a deep breath before starting to explain. ¡°In mainstream Athyrian, same-sex romances are... not thoughttoo highly of. And by that, I mean forbidden. Condemned. Taboo, or whatever word you want to describe it as.¡± Eh? Really? ¡°Let me recite. ¡®If a man lies with a male as with a woman, and a woman lies with a female as with a man, they have committed an abomination and shall be put to death, their souls condemned to an eternal fire of lechery and discord.¡¯ Those are words of the Goddess, from the Hallow Commandments.¡± That... sounds like a mean goddess. ¡°Now you know why I helped you. I hate the church as much as you do. Because of them, I had to hide my nature from others or be condemned for being what I am. I¡¯m sorry for not telling you earlier, but just because I¡¯m a... a ¡°deviant¡±, that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ll go for you, okay? I¡¯m still your teacher and it¡¯s against my principles to have a relationship more intimate than that with my pupils.¡± But you peeked on me with lecherous eyes. Are you sure you¡¯re not sexually frustrated? That statement brings a fervent blush to her face. ¡°It was just a coincidence, I swear!¡± The first one might be, but the ones after that... ¡°No, that was, erm... curiosity.¡± About what? ¡°...Your scars.¡± My scars...? Right. There¡¯s that, too. ¡°Listen, I know I said I won¡¯t ask questions, but I just can¡¯t figure someone that went through something like, uh... ah, crap. Look, what I¡¯m trying to say is, if you want to talk, I¡¯m here for you.¡± Can I not? ¡°That¡¯s your choice, of course. But whatever you have in there, if you keep it bottled inside, it will tear you apart, one way or another. As your teacher, I promise you this; there will come a time when you¡¯ve come to trust me, deeply enough for you to confide in me.¡± I just smile at the pretty sentiment. Maybe. And maybe, at that time, you¡¯ll tell me about yourself as well. ¡°Haha... There¡¯s not much of a story there. I haven¡¯t got anything to hide from you.¡± She said that with her normal voice, but I¡¯ve seen enough to tell when someone is lying. That and with the nexus at my side, all I can hear are empty words. Everyone¡¯s got something to hide, teacher. Nothing wrong with that. ¡°Yes, I suppose you¡¯re right.¡± She looks outside the window with a distant look, the first rays of the sun reflected in her eyes. ¡°Nothing wrong with hiding what you really are. A freak, a deviant, an arcanist... everyone¡¯s got secrets.¡± Oh, don¡¯t start again... ¡°My point is, everyone¡¯s got secrets, but an arcanist¡¯s secrets can bring devastation upon the world. That will be the burden you bear when you become one of the Arcanum. Are you prepared for that?¡± Yes, I replied without hesitation. After all, I¡¯d need the power to tear the world apart if I ever want to face that person. I am prepared. --- --- --- The sun rose and the cool daybreak air gave way to the warm daylight. Having sufficiently rested, teacher and I prepared for the climb, taking only what we need for the trip. Everything else, including the mysterious staff, we left to Raf for safekeeping along with our mounts. ...Can¡¯t I just ride on Fanny? I asked, staring up at the humongous mount we¡¯re about to climb, my knees going weak already from the sight. ¡°Not possible. There¡¯ll be some places where horses and scurries can¡¯t go through.¡± Oh, how very reassuring to hear. ¡°If we depart now, we should arrive on the other side sometime around noon. Though, with you...¡± teacher glances me up and down with a jeering look, ¡°...we¡¯ll probably get there around evening.¡± I¡¯ll manage, I scorned as I walked ahead. It may be true, but it was still annoying how weak she thinks I am. With everything in place with Raf, teacher and I headed off to the side entrance of the village, which exits to the road towards the mountains. As we walked through the village, the hustling seemed to have quieted down a bit¡ª that, or the men were all still out looking for an imaginary dragon. We started our climb light, only carrying some food for lunch, a couple of water canteens, and though teacher doesn¡¯t know about it, the gun I picked up. Actually, she doesn¡¯t even know that I have it. As we walked on, the cobblestones beneath our feet turned into dirt and the road became steeper with every stride. Soon enough, the road disappeared, and teacher became my only guide on not getting lost. ¡°...Fay?¡± Yeah? ¡°It¡¯s a bit troubling if you¡¯re holding on to my cape like that.¡± I can¡¯t see where I¡¯m going. The sun hurts my eyes. Teacher sighs at my whining. ¡°Just don¡¯t make me fall, okay?¡± Okay. We probably fell four or five times after that, none of which were my fault. Just who put those rocks there, anyway? Nevertheless, we continued to climb as the hours ran by and the sun passed overhead. At times when my breathing became ragged, teacher would pretend she¡¯s tired and we would just sit and enjoy the view for a couple of minutes, which were indeed enjoyable, to say the least. Of all things I¡¯ve seen so far, the mountain view has probably piqued my curiosity of this world the most. Seeing all the colors mashed together, the smell of different leaves, and the green treetops touching the sky in the horizon... all of it, they just sparked something in me. I want to see more. More of what this world has to offer. Maybe, when I¡¯m done with Thalvos, I¡¯ll travel. ...Yes. Someday, I¡¯ll join the drifters and see more of the world. --- --- --- ¡°Here we are,¡± teacher said, stopping in front of an opening at the side of the mountain. A cave? Oh, she did say we¡¯re going through the mountain. ¡°Let¡¯s rest a bit here. There¡¯s nice shade and a nice view, so why don¡¯t we eat our lunch... or so I would like to suggest if you weren¡¯t already unpacking the boxes.¡± I¡¯m hungry. ¡°You always are...¡± After making ourselves comfortable, we open our lunchboxes, and teacher makes a shrill of disgust. ¡°Ugh. Raf has never been a good cook.¡± Speaking of whom, is it really okay to leave our stuff with him? ¡°It¡¯s alright. The monastery trusts him as their confidant, so we should as well. And I don¡¯t see why you need to ask that, seeing you¡¯re already gobbling down his... whatever it is he made for us.¡± *munch* It¡¯s pretty good, actually. Sure, it¡¯s not as flavorful as the fancy snacks from the fancy train, but Raf¡¯s lunch is much more filling, which defines ¡°good food¡± in my dictionary. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything coming from you, you voracious girl. You¡¯d eat anything in front of you." Not ¡°anything¡±... if it doesn¡¯t fill the stomach, then it¡¯s not edible. ¡°Heh, and I¡¯d bet you¡¯d even eat bugs if it ¡®fills the stomach¡¯.¡± I have eaten bugs before. I¡¯d rather not do it again, but if the situation calls for it, I would. ¡°Oh, uh... S?Sorry.¡± For what? ¡°For... making you remember stuff...¡± Oh... yes, right... Remember ¡°stuff¡±, huh? True, it still chills my spine on what ¡°hunger¡± made me do back then. Such a primal and powerful driving force. Thinking back, teacher¡¯s remark about me being able to eat anything might be true, after all. To be honest, I don¡¯t remember the memories from that place like I normally should. They¡¯ve become like old paintings hidden in the back of my mind, only taken out whenever I¡¯m asleep or remembering a specific moment. And the one who hid those memories, the one who kept these paintings away from me, was myself. Whenever I peek into a memory, it never felt like myself. No, it¡¯s like... I don¡¯t believe that weak, innocent girl to be myself, like I¡¯m denying that as my past. But if I do that, then I¡¯d be denying them as well. And to deny the time I had with them... how could I? Is that why I keep having dreams of the past? To remind myself of them, to treasure those times, no matter how bad it could get? ¡°Fay? Are you okay?¡± Huh? Yes, I¡¯m fine... Argh, damn it... Now she¡¯s looking like she feels sorry for me. ¡°...Hey, while we wait for the food to go down, why don¡¯t we talk a bit?¡± I tilt my head at the weird question. Sure. ¡°No, I mean... really talk.¡± O...kay? ¡°Here¡¯s how we do it. I ask you questions, but you don¡¯t have to answer if you don¡¯t want to. I just want us to get to know each other better, but nothing forced, alright?¡± I shrug at her. Ask away. ¡°Okay, first... what is your favorite colour?¡± I don¡¯t know. What¡¯s this got to do with anything? ¡°It¡¯s got to do with everything. Come on, work with me here, Fay.¡± Okay. Red. ¡°What kind of red?¡± Umm... the kind that¡¯s soft, but still sharp to look, if that makes any sense. The kind of red that reflects anything that looks into it. Sorry, I don¡¯t think I¡¯m making much sense here. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I get it. It¡¯s the red in your eyes.¡± Eh? I guess...? I was, in fact, thinking of someone¡¯s eyes, but it was someone else¡¯s instead of mine. ¡°Next¡ª¡° Hold on. It¡¯s hardly fair if you¡¯re the only one asking questions. ¡°...Fair enough. Ask away.¡± Are you fucking someone? ¡°Am I fu.... wha¡ª?! What¡¯s that got to do with anything?!¡± It¡¯s got to do with everything. Come on, work with me, teacher. ¡°You wily little... No, I¡¯m not...¡± Not what? ¡°I¡¯m not fu¡ª I¡¯m not currently in a romantic relationship with anyone!¡± Huh. I think that explains your frustration. ¡°Goddess¡¯ sake, Fay. I was going to take this slow, but you just had to ruin this, didn¡¯t you?¡± Just out with it, teacher. She takes a deep breath after the brief outburst. ¡°Your scars. What caused them?¡± Ding-ding! There you go. As I thought, this is what she¡¯s after. I don¡¯t know? Quite a lot of things. ¡°What things?¡± You¡¯ll have to ask about a specific scar, but now, it¡¯s my turn. My question is, who are you, really? ¡°You know who I am. I¡¯m the woman who¡¯s going to be your teacher, an arcanist of the Arcanum and an augur of the Drachwyr Monastery. Now, tell me Fay,¡± there¡¯s a vengeful glint in her eyes a she asks, ¡°have you ever had a lover before?¡± I don¡¯t where she¡¯s going with this. Is this payback from my first question? Yes, I answered without pondering too much about it. ¡°Really? What was¡ª¡° Nu-uh. My turn. What were you before you became an arcanist or an augur? ¡°I... well, I was a freelancing magus and researcher,¡± she answered as she scratches the back of her neck, glancing away before forcing herself to look at me in the eyes. Classic case of not telling the whole story. ¡°My turn. What was your lover like?¡± Again with that? She sounds like a jealous girlfriend asking about my previous partners. Except that she¡¯s not. There¡¯s an intent behind this question that I don¡¯t know about, and that makes me anxious. I don¡¯t know if I can say ¡°lover¡±, really. It was mostly to satisfy our urges rather than¡ª ¡°Ugh, stop. Just answer the question, please.¡± ...Beautiful, I confessed. Smart and cunning... but mostly beautiful. There¡¯s a weird smile, as well as an a-ha-I-got-you look on her face as if she had confirmed something. Not only that, but the ardent in her eyes says that she intends to dig more out of me. But enough is enough. Who are you running from? ¡°Eh? What are you...¡± The people who wants to see the extinction of your bloodline, perhaps? Or is it the shame of having the name of a fallen house on your shoulders? There it is. First shock and disbelieve. And then distrust. I can see it all played on her face as whatever misplaced faith she had in me crumbles into nothing. Guilt pangs me when I see the passion in her eyes gets snuffed out, now frozen cold, saying the words that her lips couldn¡¯t say. ¡°...I think we¡¯ve rested enough,¡± she said with a slightly shaky voice, standing up. Let¡¯s go, then, I agreed, following behind her into the chilly cave. I head out with surefooted strides, but my gaze keeps falling from her back to my feet. ....Ah, damn it... I¡¯m regretting it already... --- --- --- The cave is dark and humid, the kind that drives people away but feels like home for me. I suppose it¡¯s dark, cold places like this that are closest to the world that I know of, which is why I¡¯m having no trouble at all following teacher through the numerous passages. What is hard to handle, though, is the silence. With how the ¡°talk¡± ended earlier, a tough and silent wall was erected between us. Was it the right thing to call out her secrets like that? I honestly don¡¯t know, but she needed to back down. I can see her holding herself back from asking the hundred questions she has for me because now she understands that when you stare into the void, it gazes at you back. She knows that the second she starts peering into me, so will I peer into her. I don¡¯t think I was in the wrong. However, for the sake of our future relationship, this wall can¡¯t be here. I¡¯m sorry, I finally broke the silence. I¡¯m sorry, teacher, but ¡®you¡¯ started it. ¡°...I only intended to know you better, to see you better. But you had to make it like that, didn¡¯t you?¡± Teacher, I really¡ª ¡°Thank you, Fay.¡± Eh? She suddenly turns around with a mirthless smile that somehow strikes at my gut. ¡°Thanks to you, I realized how stupid I was.¡± Teacher? ¡°From the time when I first met you, I was already throwing myself in your arms, wanting to become this great ¡°teacher¡± that I delusioned myself to be, wanting to build a relationship where there¡¯s no place for it. I¡¯ve realized my naivety, now.¡± Something in her gaze made me swallow back the words I¡¯m about to say, missing my chance to reply. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you knew about my past, but I get what you were trying to say. I shouldn¡¯t be too trusting to anyone, especially if it¡¯s someone like you.¡± ¡®Someone like me¡¯. What does that even mean? I couldn¡¯t say anything in response, not as she turns her back towards me. Idiot Fay. Look at what you did. The wall is even higher now. ¡°Be careful. The cavern is large. If you take one wrong turn, you can get lost forever.¡± I nod in silence, knowing that there¡¯s no way she could see me with her back turned. In fact, I wonder if she will look at me like she did ever again. After spending some time in the narrow passages, we finally see light, but not the kind that we saw outside. This light is emanating from some kind of minerals embedded in the rocks, giving out a faint blue light. ¡°Farachite ores,¡± teacher explained with an emotionless voice that makes her feel distant. ¡°Otherwise known as gleamstones. They absorb energy in the presence of light, and illuminate in the lack of it. Within cave systems like these, the ores form a web where the rocks on the outer layer, where the light touches, shares the energy they absorbed to the minerals inside.¡± I see... I¡¯ve seen them before. Similar, if not the same minerals were also present in the caverns of Level Seven. Really, how much memory is this place going to bring back...? Suddenly, teacher stops and turns to me with a playful smile, stopping me dead in my tracks. ¡°Keep up, Fay.¡± Eh? Then she dashes off. ...... .......... ...Err, what? ( If you take one wrong turn, you can get lost forever. ) Oh, crap. I run after her, but despite all the practice I did in Purgatory, she¡¯s still way faster than me. Fortunately, there¡¯s plenty of gleamstones after that area, so I can clearly see which way she¡¯s going. Turn after turn, corridor after corridor, the shadows that formed from the numerous gleamstones dance on the cavern¡¯s walls and ceilings, giving the illusion that there¡¯s something else besides us in here. I chase after her lithe form, uncertain if she¡¯s actually going to leave me behind. Not leaving it to someone else¡¯s kindness, I run with all my might. Despite that, teacher outruns my field of vision before long, leaving me alone in the silent, dark tunnels. Wait, not silent. I can hear her footsteps and... another sound, like a stream of water. With that being my only lead, I follow my ears and instincts to choose which path to take. Coming out of a tunnel, I come upon a large area where both the sound of water and the footsteps came from. A stream of water falls in a cascade from a higher level, forming a glittering lake, shining from all the gleamstones beneath it. I would¡¯ve spared a minute to admire the rather captivating scene if not for the woman jumping spectacularly over the stream, glancing at me with a taunting look as she lands, before running off again. Teacher, wait! I run past the falling waters, following her up to the upper level and into a long, dark tunnel. There¡¯s no gleamstones, but there¡¯s light at the end of it. As I run approaching it, teacher¡¯s figure just stands there waiting for me with the bright sunlight behind her. Wait, sunlight...? It must be the exit. Finally. I stop at teacher¡¯s side, perching myself on my knees panting while she snickers at me from the side. Just as I¡¯m about to scorn her, my eyes adapted, and the view that was hiding behind the light comes into view. The tunnel-cave mouthed into a steep cliff, and beyond that... Pillars of stone loom in the mist, like pillars in a cave with the sky as the ceiling, rising high above the sea of trees and touching the sky above it. Tall and covered in green like mountains, these pillars form a forest of stone, connecting with another through their web of rocks. Before I could manage a comment, I feel my heart skip a beat as teacher suddenly jumps off the cliff. However, instead of falling down, her foot sets down gently on a thin, detached pillar, but she¡¯s not stopping there. Like a fairy dancing on water, she dances on the air that carries her, from stone to stone until she sets down on the nearest large pillar. Then she turns back at me, a gentle smile on her face as she reaches out her arm towards me, telling me to go to her side. I¡¯d like to follow her, but as I look down the cliff, I¡¯ve realized something for the first time in my life. Just like that time on the dragon¡¯s back, and that time when I dropped myself from the top of the guild building... I... am afraid of heights. The same wind that carried her is now trying to pull me off the cliff with every small tug. The image of me following her, and die trying... that¡¯s just an absurd way to die. ...Argh, fuck it! *jumps* I command the air to carry me just like she did, and the air did carry me, to the first footing and the next. I can¡¯t step gracefully like teacher did, so instead I¡¯m jumping from stone to stone swinging my arms like a madman, using all I have to keep in balance. The last jump... because it¡¯s the furthest distance, I use a more powerful force of air and, well... I end up using too much. Holy fu? ¡°Oof!¡± I crash into teacher and fly past the pillar. Or I should¡¯ve, but she caught me, swinging me around and into her arms as we fall together atop the pillar. We stare at each other for a bit, my heart still beating furiously. Or maybe it¡¯s her heart. I can¡¯t tell. ¡°This is becoming a habit, isn¡¯t it?¡± Oh, uh... I release myself from the life-saving hug. Or I try to, but she¡¯s not releasing her grip on me. I expected the same cold look she had on the caves, but instead she gives me a warm gaze. ¡°You¡¯re like an enigma.¡± Teacher...? ¡°When I first chose you, I was sure I couldn¡¯t have found a better person to be my apprentice, and I still believe that. Right now, we both have secrets that we can¡¯t tell each other, but not under my watch will I let that hinder us. I promised you, didn¡¯t I?¡± With my mind too occupied, I let her rub my head like a child. ¡°Someday, I¡¯ll tell you my whole story and on that day, you will tell me yours as well.¡± I tease her with a smile. Someday. ¡°Someday. But for now, let me welcome you.¡± As she says that, the air dances around us and clears the mist, revealing the stone forest in its whole¡ª the thousand pillars of stone, the blanket of trees beneath, and the mountains surrounding us in the distance. ¡°Welcome, Fay, to the Hidden Vale; home of the Dracwhyr Monastery,¡± she smiled. ¡°Welcome to my home.¡±
Chapter 29 : Becoming a... Monk? Chapter 29 Becoming a Monk Hunger. The most powerful driving force of survival, as well as our body¡¯s way to remind us that we need sustenance to keep living. My injuries from the maze was somehow healed. Yet another mystery to be shelved because I was still dying, only of a different cause. On the verge of fainting, I felt like I could go out at anytime. Every step I made could¡¯ve been my last, but then I saw it. The glitter of water, dazzling and inviting like a mirage. Before I knew it, I was walking towards it with a force I didn¡¯t know I had. I knelt down beside the large, shining body of water and scooped up the liquid with my palm. But before I could drink it, something hit me. It was something fast. It hit me on the chest, and with my body weakened from hunger, I was flung away. I quickly, messily got up and let out a bestial growl at the black bird that spread his wings as if to stand between me and the water. I charged at him like an animal, but he nimbly dodged and grabbed me with his claws, throwing me away again and again from the water. Still I kept going at him, attacking relentlessly with whatever limb I had. Before long, the bird finally backed away. As I advanced towards the water, however, something stood in my path again. This time, it was a huge, white wolf. I flinched when he snarled at me, showing the many teeth on his maw, but that hestitation only laster for a second. I charged in again, pushing all my weight against him. The wolf didn¡¯t budge. Instead, I heard something like a mocking laugh. So I bit. I bit hard and drew blood on the white fur. Suddenly, my back was on the ground, pinned down. A dozen sets of teeth on my throat nibbled on my throat, threatening to end me then and there. I should¡¯ve been scared for my life, but I wasn¡¯t. It was drink or die. It was their water, or mine. With that kind of conviction, I pushed against the wolf¡¯s maw. Then everything went black. Some time later, I woke up to the pain of something pricking the back of my head. I opened my eyes to see the raven¡¯s beak heading straight for my face. Ow! ¡¸ Oh. I think she¡¯s awake. ¡¹ ¡¸ Prick her again. ¡¹ Ow, stop it! I flailed my arm at them and tried to skitter away in a crawl. Before I could even sit up, I was pinned down again. The wolf didn¡¯t even lift a paw. He merely dropped his head on me. I glare at him, and his eyes shone a malignant gold as our eyes locked. His maw was right in front of my face and hot air washed over me everytime he drew breath. Get off me! I hit the wolf repeatedly with seemingly no effects. Then I stopped hitting and could only stare in horror as the wolf¡¯s maw opened. His teeth gleamed right in front of my face, and I drew in a sharp breath as I prepared to get my face chewed off. ...And that¡¯s when he licked me. His large, wet tongue slithered all over me. From my chest to the entirety of my face, I was covered in wolf saliva. Satisfied, he licked his own lips as if savouring my taste. ¡¸ Thou shall be a delight, little lass, ¡¹ he said, and I shuddered pathetically from his words. ¡¸ Stop that, you daft mongrel. We¡¯re not going to eat you, brat. ¡¹ I didn¡¯t believe him one bit, not when Eretz was doing what he did. I couldn¡¯t have known his expression, but I felt like the wolf was smirking at me. ¡¸ Thou hast taken a bite of me. Now, I shall take a bite out of thou as well. ¡¹ Ugh... Every time I tried to push his huge head off me, he snickered, amused by my pathetic attempts. Then I pulled on his whiskers. ¡¸ GROOAWAAH! FUCKING BITCH! ¡¹ The wolf pulled away in rage, rubbing his snout in pain while making whining sounds I didn¡¯t know he could make. I looked in my hand and see the strands of long hair that I pulled off his snout. ¡¸ Little lass.., ¡¹ he growled at me. ¡¸ I will fucking eat you. ¡¹ I held up the trophy in display. Try it. There¡¯s still more for me to pluck off, you fucking monster! The wolf ran at me, faster than my body could react. It was as if my legs were frozen as the white figure came approaching. Before he could reach me, though, a black shadow crashed against him with so much force that it took the wolf down with it. ¡¸ Stop it, you fool! ¡¹ Hadda pressed his beak down on Eretz¡¯s throat. I used this chance to head in for an attack, but just as I¡¯m about to kick the wolf in the face, Hadda flipped me. I fell to the ground, then Hadda used his claws to hold me down. ¡¸ Both of you fools, stop it now! We don¡¯t have time nor energy to waste for child-squabbles! ¡¹ Our noses almost touching, the wolf and I could only shoot glares at each other while Hadda lectured us. ¡¸ Is this the only thing you have left in you? If it¡¯s like this, you¡¯re no better than an animal. ¡¹ Hadda leaned in on the wolf. ¡¸ Remember, ¡¹ he whispered in the wolf¡¯s ear. ¡¸ Remember why you¡¯re here, pup. ¡¹ ¡¸ Grrr.... ¡¹ Despite that vengeful growl, the wolf seemed to have calmed down. Then Hadda turned to me and loosened the grip on my neck. ¡¸ You are weak, brat. You can¡¯t survive in this world on your own. That¡¯s why you need to depend on us. If you want to get out of here, you¡¯ll need to trust us. ¡¹ Oh, I can trust ¡®you¡¯ just fine. I leered at the wolf, lifting my chin. Him, I don¡¯t. ¡¸ Oh, you don¡¯t, don¡¯t you? ¡¹ the wolf laughed, belittling me. ¡¸ Zip it. I will release both of you now, but don¡¯t attack each other, got it? ¡¹ Hadda released his claws but stayed between me and Eretz. I stood up carefully, watching the wolf¡¯s movements as he did the same. ¡¸ Put this aggression away. We need to work together. Don¡¯t attack each other, got it? ¡¹ ¡¸ ...Aye, ¡¹ the wolf replied. Then Hadda looked at me, waiting for my answer. I crossed my arms, still eyeing the wolf behind him. Fine. Now that I¡¯m calm, the feeling of thirst crept back on me. That¡¯s when the water pulled my attention again. I took a step towards it, but the wolf quickly stepped in front of me with a forbidding glare. ¡¸ Indulge that water, lass, ¡¹ he snarled, ¡¸ and thy body shall melt to its bones. ¡¹ Lies. My hand was fine when I touched the water. ¡¸ It¡¯s true brat, ¡¹ Hadda cut in. ¡¸ The water is harmless in normal conditions, but turns into dreadful acid once it touches organic fluid. ¡¹ That¡¯s... ¡¸ Trust us, brat, ¡¹ Hadda stressed. ¡¸ We¡¯ve been here before. ¡¹ I was conflicted. I knew in my gut that Hadda was telling the truth, but my thirst was clouding my judgement. In that confusion, I found myself staring into the bird¡¯s eyes. They were red. A soft red, but with a gaze sharper than a sword. As I lose myself into it, I see my figure reflected in it. That small, white reflection amidst all the red¡ª what was it doing there? Lost, helpless, always getting itself caught by the tempest around it. Why? Why her? All she ever knew ever since she came into being was pain and despair, and yet she remained. She held on, because before pain and despair got to her, something else got to her first. That¡¯s right. The raven got to her first. ...Okay. ¡¸ Good. You will listen to what I say if you want to live. Do you understand? ¡¹ Yes. ¡¸ First, never trust your hunger. Second, if you see a mutt other than this pup, you run. Got it? ¡¹ ...Huh? ¡¸ Never trust your hunger. Only eat and drink what we allow you. ¡¹ Umm... Hadda¡ª ¡¸ Second, if you see a mutt other than this pup, you run. It is black in color and a little bigger than the pup, so make sure you don¡¯t mistake them. Also, it has three¡ª ¡¹ Hadda. Is that the ¡°mutt¡± you¡¯re talking about? ¡¸ What? ¡¹ I pointed at the darkness behind them, to the creature that hid within it. Even though Hadda described it as ¡°a little bigger¡± than Eretz, that was not the case. That was not the case at all. Three sets of eyes glowered at us from the darkness. Three giant maws, each large enough to swallow us whole, showed off the many sets of teeth it had. There was a screeching noise as its claws lurched out from the darkness, as if saying that it could stomp us down like the insects we were. ¡¸ Impossible. How...? ¡¹ As the wolf mouthed those words, the beast lifted up its giant paw above us. ¡¸ Oy! Get away, pup! ¡¹ ¡¸ I did not smell him coming. How? ¡¹ It all happened so fast. All I could see was white fur as something knocked the air out of me, pushing me out of the giant paw¡¯s way. There was a painful noise of flesh tearing and a gruesome splatter of blood. As I lay sprawled on the ground, I heard the bird screaming Eretz¡¯ name in dismay. And then everything shook. I was watching the scene unfold, my mind too occupied to notice the cavern floor crumbling beneath me. Before I knew it, I was falling again. This time, however, the darkness wasn¡¯t bottomless... ...because death awaited me at the end of it. === === === === === === Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. The panting of my breath drowns out the faint sound of the falling mist. I let out a sigh as I finally arrive at the stop of the stairs. I walk through the front garden while scanning around to confirm that no one is standing watch. I walk up and stand on the porch, right outside the large wooden door as I take a deep breath to brace myself. I push against the heavy door, making the wood creak and groan in a way that makes me wince. Then I walk in to find everyone¡¯s stares on me, the hall silent except for the faint sound of rain, making it all the more awkward. ...What the heck. They¡¯re all here. Uh... ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± the mentor said. ¡°Again.¡± I had to run some errands for my teacher. ¡°That¡¯s always your reason.¡± I¡¯m not lying. The moment I said that, his glare of death intensifies. He walks towards me, his footsteps thumping heavily against the wooden floor as if he¡¯s wearing boots instead of those flat slippers. Against that giant pressure, I shrink back in instinct. I?I¡¯m really not lying. ¡°Did I say you were?¡± Oh, then... ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what the reason is. I said for you to be here before sunrise, and you failed to meet. What does that tell you?¡± Uhm... those are some long-ass stairs to climb...? Behind him, I see the faces of my classmates falling into their palms. ¡°No, child,¡± Douzhen leans down at me with a terrible gaze in his eyes. ¡°It means that you are a worthless, undisciplined brat that doesn¡¯t know how to keep your own words.¡± ...You know what I think, mentor? I think you¡¯re just irritated because more of your hair fell off this morning, and now you¡¯re just taking it out on me. There¡¯s a series of gasps from the other students when I said that. ...Maybe I should start putting my ¡°mouth¡± on a leash. ¡°You¡¯ve learnt nothing, have you?¡± Oh, crap... There¡¯s nothing I can do as he lifts me up by the scruff of my neck with one hand, choking me as he carries me over in full display. I can see my classmate¡¯s faces as they look at me, some in horror, some in pity, and some in scorn. As I try not to choke on my own coat, Douzhen carries me across the large hall and into the back garden, in which he finally drops me. ¡°You will take the Heavenly Steps to Tenrin peak. If you¡¯re not there in time, I will start the trial without you.¡± The mentor then turns and scurries the other students out the building to depart. I watch hopelessly as they leave, all except for three students. While I was grieving my fate, one of those three suddenly pushes me down the porch and into the garden¡¯s wet ground, soiling mud all over me. I look behind and see the perpetrator snickering down at me. ¡°Your pallid ass deserved that, you little bitch.¡± He¡¯s a huge, muscular and stocky-looking kid with a face so square you¡¯d think his parents were boxes. He also hates me for some reason. ¡°Leave her alone,¡± a lean, brown-haired girl said as she bravely steps in between us. ¡°Look at her, Ranlan. One month inscribed, and she¡¯s still this pathetic. Even you should know what hopeless is when you see it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I do. That¡¯s what I think when I look at you.¡± ¡°Tch. You think you¡¯re so righteous, don¡¯t you? I can¡¯t wait to see when your face when you fail Tenrin. And you,¡± he turns at me, ¡°you won¡¯t last one more week here.¡± Funny. You said something similar when I first got here. ¡°Three days¡±, was that what you said? I jeeringly smiled at him, something I probably shouldn¡¯t do to someone that can give me a bear hug with one arm. ¡°I will make sure of it this time,¡± he threatened, turning to follow the others outside afterwards. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him,¡± Ranlan said as she helps me up, not even minding the mud on me. ¡°He¡¯s just insecure.¡± I flash a reassuring smile to tell her I¡¯m okay. To be honest, the way he treats me reminds me of a certain bird-bully. How can I hate him then? ¡°You¡¯re partly at fault, though. Not only were you late on the one day you shouldn¡¯t, you also said that to the mentor. No one talks back to Mentor Douzhen, let alone mention his hair problems. You should¡¯ve known that by now.¡± Uh-huh. Out of the blue, she narrows her eyes at me. ¡°...You weren¡¯t lying when you said you were running errands for miss Inzhi, were you?¡± I shake my head. Of course I¡¯m not lying. ¡°Oh, good. Anyway, I wish there¡¯s something I could do to help you, but you¡¯re on your own with the climb. And promise me that you won¡¯t bail out in the middle. Failing the Tenrin trial with your grades will get you kicked out.¡± Yeah, yeah... I promise. She shakes her head at my nonchalant attitude. ¡°Right, so... I have to catch up with the others. You stay safe, okay?¡± As she said that, I look over at the other person still here, just silently watching me the whole time. He¡¯s slim compared to Zethran, yet he is taller than the brute. His dark hair falls down to his eyes¡¯ height, obscuring his rather well-defined face. Even as I stare him down, he¡¯s not looking away. Instead, he meets my gaze with his keen blue eyes. I look back at Ranlan. What does he want? ¡°Hey, you got something to say to her, Anlong?¡± Ranlan asked him. ¡°I just wanted to make sure she¡¯s alright,¡± he replied. I¡¯m quite alright. ¡°She says she¡¯s fine,¡± Ranlan conveyed to him. I eye him curiously, wondering what he¡¯s thinking as he nods at us, leaving to join the others. With him gone, I turn to Ranlan to see a knowing smile on her face. What? ¡°Don¡¯t ¡®what¡¯ me, you vixen.¡± Again, what? ¡° -sigh- That poor guy. He can¡¯t hear your ¡®voice¡¯, so all he sees is this quiet and bewitching faean.¡± ¡°Bewitching?¡± You flatter me. Ranlan gives me a friendly, if not a bit too strong nudge on the shoulder. ¡°A somewhat accurate word, you witch. Just try not to push it.¡± I still don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. Without warning and for no reason, she suddenly pulls my cheeks hard and laughs at my torment. Stop it, Ranlan! ¡° ¨Cgiggle- Anyway, you be careful, okay? It¡¯s wet and the mist has yet to dissipate. That¡¯s the worst combination for a walk on the Heavenly Steps. Good luck, Fay.¡± Ah, you too. After Ranlan and everyone else finally leaves, I walk through the unnecessarily large garden, intentionally avoiding the attention of the few people here as I exit through back gate. As I start my what would be agruelingclimb, I think back on how I got here. It¡¯s like reading a story. One page, teacher was just welcoming me into her home. The next, I¡¯m suddenly part of this class full of, as Raf put it, ¡°crazy mountain monks¡±. Just how did I get here...? It¡¯s been two months since teacher brought me here. I remember when she introduced me to the people of the monastery. I¡¯d thought she wanted me to make connections with them, but I never thought she¡¯d make me join them in class. ¡°You need to train your body,¡± she said. ¡°Get inscribed in the Hall of Acquisition. It¡¯ll be fun,¡± she said. She also made it clear that she won¡¯t make me an arcanist if I don¡¯t become at least ©¦Adept©¦ in Strengthening, so here I am, spending my mornings with Jade class and my afternoons with my arcanist teacher. -sigh- Just put up with it, Fay. Quickly become an ©¦Adept©¦, and then I can just drop out and focus on magic, becase Zethran is right; I¡¯m not suited for this dragon-warrior-monk hogwash. I find it funny how they literally call themselves ¡°dragon warriors¡±, but no matter how wacky they are, they¡¯re still teacher¡¯s people, so I never showed them disrespect... ...Not usually, at least. Anyway, since I already agreed to it, I might as well give it my all. Assuming the others are going at a normal pace, the class should arrive at Tenrin in maybe two hours while the route through the Heavenly Steps would take double the amount of time. In other words, I simply only have to halve that time. Easily said, and now to get it done... I start my climb with a run, using both vimic and magic to empower my steps. With my strides transformed into leaps, I climb my way up the mountain of stone, one careful jump at a time. --- --- --- Climbing never was my thing, but the view atop the Heavenly Steps after an arduous climb can never bore me. Even though the mist is thick, enough sunshine has pierced through for me to make out the shadows of the pillars and footholds around me. Tired and dizzy from the climb, I close my eyes and just feel the wind on my face. The gust blows my hood off, but I don''t bother putting it back on as the sunlight is still faint. Taking the Heavenly Steps to Tenrin peak is not actually a longer route. In fact, unlike the ground route that circles around the pillars, this route is a straightforward path that¡¯s actually much less in distance. The reason this route takes a much longer time to take is because it takes you way up to the top of the stone forest. It takes you through the Heavenly Steps, the web of naturally formed bridges of stone that connect the great pillars to one another. When up here, it¡¯s only natural to take time on caution lest you¡¯d fall from atop the stone forest. This particular route to Tenrin, however, is so dangerous that students aside those of theJade class are not allowed to go near it. Hypothetically, if I just run without that extra caution, I can get to Tenrin peak with half the time it would take to go through the ground route. But as teacher said, ¡°creativity first, safety after.¡± ...That might not be the best thing to say in this situation, but it does point that safety is important. All things considered, I¡¯m going to put a little time into caution. It already took me one hour just to climb up to the Heavenly Ste¡ª fuck it. Fuck that name. I¡¯m calling it ¡°stone-web¡± from now on. Anyway, as I was saying, it took me an hour just to climb up here, so now I¡¯ve got maybe another hour to make my way to Tenrin peak. Using magic is actually forbidden up here, but there¡¯s no way I can get there fast enough with vimic alone, and there¡¯s no one watching either, so... < Incoming transmission; ID, errlessLord. Establishing bipartite link... > Huh? Hold on? < Link established. > ....... .....Thalvos? < Who else were you expecting? > No, it¡¯s just... it¡¯s been awhile. < You¡¯re panting a lot. Did I catch you in a bad time? > I¡¯m just doing some... climbing. I grasp my own arms to stop it from trembling. Whether it¡¯s from the cold or not, I don¡¯t know. What do you want? < What do you mean? Like I said, I¡¯m just checking up on you, see if you need any help. > Monitoring me, you mean. < -chuckle- You can say it however you want, faean. > It¡¯s ¡°Fay.¡± < Sorry? > I have a name now. It¡¯s ¡°Fay.¡± < ...-snicker- > W?What is it? < Nothing of your concern. More importantly, any progress on you-know-what? > Of course. What do you think I¡¯ve been doing? < Hmm... well, sorry for the justifiable underestimation. Well then, do tell? > Eh? < I want to hear about your progress. > ...... Stupid, stupid, stupid. You don¡¯t lie to a god, Fay. What the hell were you thinking? < Well? > I, err... have a theory about the fallen house, Castaroth. I think your ¡°true king¡± have something to do with... yeah, that. < And? > And, I¡¯m... currently following a lead. Right now, I¡¯m trying to get close with someone who might know something. < I see. Keep on it. > Hey, wait! Why are you keeping tabs on me? Didn¡¯t you say that there¡¯s no time limit? < Did I? > Yes, you did! < Deadline or not, the longer you take, the more your friends suffer. You of all people should now that. Or do I need to spell it out for you? > I... yes, I know that... < Also, regarding a ¡°time limit¡±, it¡¯s true that I didn¡¯t give you one, but it doesn¡¯t mean there is none. There could be a time limit from yourself, for one... > Myself? What do you mean...? < Nothing definite. I¡¯ll ring you when I found out more. For now, I¡¯ll leave you to it. > Wait, I still have? < Get your game up, Fay. Don¡¯t dissapoint your friends. > < Connection terminated. > As soon as Nexy shuts the connection, my strength saps away and I fall down to my knees. ...Phew... Talking to him again after so long was... taxing. Fuck you, Thalvos. There, I said it... Well, now... just what do I make of that converstation? Was he really just checking up on me, or did something happen that made him contact me? Damn it, and I wanted to ask him about Lyrfanas¡¯ mark, as well. Also whether or not I can share this whole thing with someone else. I have a feeling that teacher¡¯s going to ask me about that soon and I don¡¯t want to risk getting her on Thalvos¡¯ sights for that. I¡¯d hate to do it, but I¡¯ll have to ask for his permission... ...Argh, so frustrating. It¡¯s like he¡¯s my boss or something. What a joke. Now then, seems like Thalvos has ruined my pace with his abrupt ¡°check-up.¡± I have about one hour left before Douzhen starts the trial and it¡¯s just a straight path from hereon. I just have to jump between the rocks and take care not to slip and fall to my death. The mist is starting to clear as well, so that¡¯s good for me. Huff... Deep breath, Fay. Deep breath. Thalvos can wait, but this can¡¯t. Here we go... === === === --- --- --- === === === With the sun right at the horizon, the vale lay in a blanket of mist, with some of the highest peaks piercing through it. Aside from the stone forest and the true forest beneath it, the vale is also wreathed by a great many hills, notably around the foot of the mountains that walled around the region. Such places have been the foundations of not only the villages and halls, but also the geomancer¡¯s home. Though she prefers to call it her ¡°laboratory¡±, it also doubles as her home whereas her real residence, located a few hundred strides towards the mountains, was accomodated for her apprentice¡¯s livings. After making a makeshift bedroom on top of the lab, she has everything she needs to live there. Right now, she sits on the window-frame of her bedroom window, sighing as her gaze bore into the thinning mist that has yet to disappear. Her thoughts are with her feeble apprentice, probably somewhere up in one of the stone peaks doing a big trial with her classmates. She saw Fay up late the night before, experimenting with her magic, and that made Inzhi worried whether or not her apprentice woke up in time for the trial. She¡¯s never been good with mornings. However, the reason for her sigh isn¡¯t that. Ever since they came here, She and her apprentice had become closer. Intimate, one might say. Intimate but pure¡ª perfectly platonic. However, just yesterday, a chat with an acquintance revealed that some of the augurs see Inzhi¡¯s relationship with Fay as not only professional, but also romantic. Of course, Inzhi tried to clear it up, but no one seemed to believed her, figuring her to be shy about romancing her own student. In reality, no one would actually mind even if that were the case. The problem is that it¡¯s not the case. ¡°She¡¯s just my apprentice...¡± As she stares out into sky above the vale, she notices someone approaching her lab in a rush. She recognizes the man as Gihan, a friend of hers who is also an augur. She watches as Gihan catches his breath on her steps before furiously knocking on her door. ¡°Good morning, Ginny,¡± she greeted from the window above him. ¡°Oh, Inzhi! Thank god you¡¯re in,¡± he worded between breaths. ¡°Hurry down! There¡¯s an urgent meeting in the Hall of Elders, and we need you in as well.¡± ¡°Ah~ I¡¯ll pass. I¡¯ll let the old men handle it, ¡± Inzhi replied in a carefree manner, not even minding that Gihan is one of the old men she mentioned. Fay¡¯s bad attitude is evidently starting to rub off on her. ¡°This isn¡¯t the time to joke around! Every augur and drachtal were called in. You must come in!¡± He caught Inzhi¡¯s attention this time. There¡¯s very few possibilites that are big or urgent enough to warrant calling such a gathering. At the very least, it¡¯s something that could affect the entire monastery. ¡°What¡¯s the issue here, Gihan? What¡¯s the word?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not entirely sure yet. The condition is hectic, but the word ¡®demon¡¯ has been thrown around quite a lot.¡± Inzhi¡¯s stomach sinks upon hearing that. With a swift movement, Inzhi grabs her staff and jumps off the window, landing nimbly beside her friend. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± As they haste towards the Hall of Elders, Inzhi¡¯s mind is in chaos. Her conscience has been screaming at her to find her apprentice from the moment she heard the word ¡°demon.¡± Is it the broodmother from Lephander? Has it come to take her apprentice away? Despite her worries, it¡¯s all she can do to look up at the stone forest where her apprentice is, and hope that the faith she put in Douzhen is not misplaced.
Chapter 30 : Impending Chapter 30 Impending My arms spread free, the refreshing wind blowing in my face as my hair flows freely behind me. Never before have I felt so liberated. Like a fairy tiptoeing on water, I hopped my way through the seemingly floating rocks. Douzhen knew I¡¯m afraid of heights, otherwise he wouldn¡¯t have made me do this. What he doesn¡¯t know is that teacher has been taking me up here from time to time in order to train my vimic capabilities. Because of her, I¡¯ve become agile and focused enough to not falter at the height. Hmm? What is this blasphemy I call ¡°vimic¡±, you ask? Let¡¯s say that magic is the art of using mana to manipulate nature. That¡¯s completely wrong, by the way, but for the sake of simplicity, let¡¯s just say that magic is done by using mana to fiddle with the elements. Vimic is similar in that it also uses mana, but instead of using it to affect the things around us, vimic alters our own bodies. In orthodox science, mana is known to be a preeminent element with the property to affect and be affected by all other elements. It is believed that part of the brain can reach out to the mana, allowing us to control them at an extent. This is what we call ¡°magic.¡± Meanwhile, ¡°vimic¡± touches a different aspect of mana. In nature, mana exists as part of our life cycle. In places with high mana concentrations, for example, you¡¯d find plants and even critters that take in mana as part of their breathing and energy cycle. The monastery teaches that homids too, to some extent, are capable of assimilating mana into their systems, making it part of our ¡°inner energy¡±, or vi, as the monks called it. Through strict discipline and training, we can then use this vi to enhance ourselves in various way, such us making our skins like iron as well as making our punches have the force of bullets. (Teacher theorized it as the optimization and displacement of metabolism energy, which is made surplus by actively assimilating mana.) Yep, that¡¯s right. My punches make holes in brick walls now. ...No? Fair enough. I can¡¯t see myself doing that kind of stuff either. I mean, look at me. Do I look like someone who has an abundance of this ¡°inner energy¡±? During the one month I¡¯m inscribed, the best I could do with my vi is to jump maybe a little higher than normal, and that I could only achieve after weeks full of blood, sweat and tears. And yet, teacher put me in Jade class, which is where they put the best students in Acquisition to receive the harshest, most hardcore training under the guidance of Douzhen, or better known as Mentor Heartbreak. It¡¯s said that he likes to break your heart¡ª your literal heart, by working you past your heart¡¯s capacity... and I should know. ¨Ccries- Well, teacher said my Perception is good, at least. Not like it¡¯s gonna help with my daily heartbreak. Anyway, being the responsible teacher she is, Inzhi taught me a little trick she used to do back in her acquisition days. Instead of using my ¡°inner energy¡± whatsoever, I use what she liked to call ¡°dissimilated mana¡±, which is basically the mana we¡¯ve absorbed but isn¡¯t fully assimilated into vi yet. This dissimilated mana have already become part of our systems, but retains its amorphous property and thus can be controlled with magic. I can then pull it out from deep inside, and it would drag along a tiny bit of vi as well. Nifty, eh? Basically, what I¡¯m doing is half magic and half vimic. Thanks to that, I¡¯ve somehow managed to pull through the last month, albeit at the bottom of the class. Anyhow, back to what I was doing... I can see the Tenrin peak now. My classmates are there, but it seems that the trial hasn¡¯t started yet. As I approach it fast, I see one of the students noticing me coming. I wave my hand at him and expect him to wave back. ...Wait a minute. That''s not just any student. That''s Zethran. Uh-oh... As soon as he sees me, he rushes in towards the formation that connects the peak with the string of rocks that I¡¯m hopping on. Don¡¯t do it, Zeth! They¡¯re all too faraway to hear me. I can only watch in horror as I see his fist fly into the rocks. There¡¯s a thundering sound that echoes as the rocks are blasted into pieces. With one of its support gone, the stone-web starts crumbling. Have you ever had a dream, where you¡¯re on a really tall building and then the building starts swaying? If so, then you¡¯d have a vague grasp of what I¡¯m feeling right now. And if you have a fear of heights like I do, you¡¯d probably understand why I outright jumped in panic, off the only footing I had while using all I have to aim for the peak. Along with the initial jump force, the funnel carries me with a strong air current. As I approach the peak fast, I close my eyes, cross my arms in front of me, and brace for impact. --- --- --- -crack- An unpleasant sound came out when I tried to move my leg. -crack crack- Augh... is something broken? I think something¡¯s broken. Maybe somethings. As I lay sprawled in misery, a shadow looms over me. ¡°...It¡¯s you, huh.¡± I feel a familiar tug on the back of my neck, and then I¡¯m in the air again. -cough- Can¡¯t... breathe... He only holds me up for a second before dropping me back to ground, the impact of which made more unpleasant sounds. ¡°Did you do this?¡± Douzhen¡¯s figure towers over me. I strain my neck to look behind at where I just came from. The ancient pillars of stone where I was just on top of a second ago started collapsing. The rumbling noise, like a great earthquake, echoes through the vale as the boulders crumbled their way down into the forests below. ...Wait, it¡¯s not what it looks like? ¡°Did. You. Do. This?¡± I point an accusing finger at Zethran. It wasn¡¯t me, it was him. He sneers at the accusation. ¡°Me? Why are you blaming me for your stupid mistake? You know you¡¯re not supposed to use magic atop the Heavenly Steps, don¡¯t you?¡± He punched a rock on purpose to make me fall. ¡°What? Are you, the bottom student, accusing me, the top student, for something that you clearly did?¡± Disregarding my claims, Douzhen keeps his glare of terror on me. It''s very effective. ¡°Magic is banned on the Heavenly Steps, and you irrefutably used it, did you not?¡± Uh... ¡°Your disobedience caused this, and disobedience comes from lack of discipline. You know what I think? I think that¡¯s exactly what you need right now.¡± Oh, I see... So this is what Zethran is after. He doesn¡¯t even need to defend his case, because as he said, who¡¯d believe the bottom-sitter over the one at the top? Not to mention that I did use magic, and everyone saw that. ¡°I saw it, mentor!¡± Ranlan raises her arm up. ¡°Zethran punched at the connections between Tenrin peak and the Heavenly Steps. I saw it all.¡± ¡°She¡¯s lying, mentor!¡± Zethran shouted, dropping out of his calm facade. ¡°She¡¯s just making it up to defend her friend!¡± ¡°Oh? Are you, the second, accusing me, the first, of lying?¡± Whooo, go get him, girl! Before Zethran could reply, he¡¯s already lifted by the scruff of his neck, which is quite a sight considering how big he is. ¡°Did you do this, Zethran?¡± ¡°No, mentor, I swear?¡± ¡°You swear?¡± That mere two-word question is somehow enough to make Zethran swallow whatever claptrap he was about to spout. ¡°Those stones you destroyed are millennia older than you. They stood fast against wind, weather, and time in order to serve their purpose as part of the vast stone forest, and you destroyed them. You desecrated the Heavenly Steps, in addition of hurting a fellow inscribed. Do you know how heavy a crime that is?¡± ¡°M?Mentor, mercy for your student...!¡± Douzhen looks briefly at Ranlan. ¡°Treat her.¡± I watch their backs as Douzhen drags Zethran to a corner of the peak, away from the class. ¡°Are you okay?¡± Ranlan runs up to me, who is still sprawled miserably on the ground. I¡¯m fine. Thanks for helping me back there. ¡°He really crossed the line this time. I¡¯m going to report this to the elders, say that he tried to kill you.¡± I don¡¯t think that¡¯s necessary. ¡°Are you serious? You could¡¯ve died, you know?¡± Zethran knew I wouldn¡¯t die from that. He was also in position to save me just in case I couldn¡¯t make it. He only wants to kick me off Jade class, you know that. ¡° -sigh- Yeah, you¡¯re right... The mentor will report it, anyway. Still...¡± she looks over at where Douzhen and Zethran is, ¡°the view up here may be nice, but that is a lot more entertaining, don¡¯t you think?¡± ...You scare me sometimes, Ran. I stood up with Ranlan¡¯s help. I try to take a step, and then¡ª -crack- Whop, something broke, and I¡¯m falling down again. Thankfully, someone catches me before I hit the ground. T?Thanks, Ran? huh? Instead of Ranlan, what I see in front of me is Anlong¡¯s manly face. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked with such a gentlemanly voice. Err... thanks, I said, fully aware that he can¡¯t hear me. He draws his face closer to my own, his eyes scanning around my facial features as if to see something in my face that says ¡®I¡¯m in pain¡¯. You¡¯re too close. I can almost see your nose hair. ¡°She said ¡®thank you¡¯,¡± Ranlan said to him while patting his shoulder to say it¡¯s enough. He easily lifts me up and hands me over to Ranlan with a composed smile, then he walks away without another word. Ranlan stares at me accusingly. ¡°Did you see that? I was right next to you, but he got to you first. You know what that means, right?¡± Uh... he¡¯s faster than you? ¡°No, dully. It means he was watching you. You¡¯ve got him in your twirls, you little harlot.¡± Err... Have I? I look at Anlong again. Ranlan keeps saying he¡¯s interested in me, but is he, really? ¡°Tread carefully, Fay. You know that the girls from the other classes are gunning at him, right?¡± Eh? Him? Not the top ranks?Stolen novel; please report. ¡°Well, to be blunt, the second-rank is a brute gibface, and the third-rank is an antisocial mute with a hood glued on. Oh, I don¡¯t mean you.¡± I know, I know. It''s Douqi, right? ¡°With that said, Anlong is good-looking, mature?¡± And pretty ripped, too. ¡°?and will probably become an augur in the future.¡± Wait, what? From what I know, which isn¡¯t much, becoming an augur requires mastery in Perception. Let alone ©¦Master©¦, his perception isn¡¯t even good enough to hear my voice. Ranlan seems to know what I¡¯m thinking, because she elaborates after. ¡°Don¡¯t you know? Anlong is quite talented in air magic as well.¡± So? ¡°So... being able to use both magic and vimic means you¡¯ve got a talent on auguring, or so the elders say. Which reminds me, his father is an augur and an elder. You can bet that he¡¯s being taught some heavy augur stuff at home.¡± Hold on, roll back a bit. So being able to use both magic and vimic means? ¡°Err, no offense, but I don¡¯t think your vimic is, uh... ¡°real¡± vimic. Sorry.¡± ...That¡¯s harsh, Ran. Thinking about what she said, I let out a sigh. Teacher assured me that I¡¯ll be able to pull out my vi as long as I keep training, but I don¡¯t see that happening anytime soon. As Ranlan treats my leg, I look around the peak and, with no intent to, meet eyes with Zethran while he¡¯s being ¡°disciplined¡± by the mentor. He scowls at me, even going as far as to show me his uneven teeth. -sigh- ¡°What¡¯s wrong? You¡¯re sighing a lot.¡± I wonder why Zethran hates me so much? ¡°Oh, uh... you¡¯re asking me?¡± I boorishly look at her in response. Who else is there? ¡°Well, frankly speaking, you have no skill, Fay.¡± Ouch. ¡°You being in Jade class just doesn¡¯t sit well with him and, uh... I confess, it didn¡¯t sit well for me at first too.¡± You? Really? She scratches her head. ¡°Yeah, I mean... how to explain this? The rest of us worked really hard to get into Jade, but then this mute poplolly just waltzed in with a recommendation. From miss Inzhi, no less.¡± Ah... I get it, I think. But what do you mean by that last thing? ¡°You mean miss Inzhi? Your teacher is kind of a big deal, you know.¡± How so? ¡°She is an augur, to start with. But what earned her the honor is her becoming a member of the Arcanum. Just from having an arcanist amongst our family, the monastery¡¯s voice holds much more weight now, whereas before we were secluded and almost entirely disconnected from the outside world. Well, we¡¯re still secluded, but at least people stopped calling us ¡®crazy mountain monks¡¯. ¡± Right... Augurs, huh... Oh, right, you must be confused by now, so let me explain. In general, the society within Drachwyr Monestary is divided into four social levels. The common court makes up for the bulk of the valley¡¯s five-thousand-ish population. Their job is, uh... everything, I guess. From farming, hunting, cloth-making... everything that makes up the fundamentals of society. After that is the court of arms, which is comprised mostly of graduates from the Hall of Acquisition. Their job is to guard the safety of the vale from any kind of dangers, from outlawry to beasts and incursive outsiders. The third court is the drachtals. If you want to put it in a nutshell, you could say that drachtals are the elites that manage the community. As a member of the court of arms, you can become a drachtal by having the elders announce you through a strict trial. Even before then, the ones who can take the trial are only people who¡¯ve accomplished something great enough to earn the attention of the elders. Another popular way to become a drachtal is to graduate from acquisition as a Jade, which is why everyone is trying so hard to remain in the class. It¡¯s also why Zethran hates me, I suppose. Last but not least, there¡¯s the augurs. Seers and soothsayers, predicting what may to come from the movements of nature itself. If the drachtals keep the community running, then augurs would be the ones to define the purpose of the monastery. Within the monastic society, augurs are the only ones that actually come into contact with the dragons, and perhaps because of that, they¡¯re generally considered to have the highest authority within the vale. Out of all those, teacher belongs to the court of augurs. That on top of being an arcanist, she¡¯s actually a great person, isn¡¯t she? ¡°All done,¡± Ranlan noted as she tied the last of the bandages. ¡°It¡¯s just a sprain, but it¡¯ll definitely affect your performance on the trial.¡± Oh, good. -Bonk!- She slaps my in the head. ¡°Good, my rump! You have no chance to beat the trial to begin with, and now this?¡± Aw, you hurt me with your words, Ran. It¡¯s true, though. It all depends on the circumstances of the trial. Maybe I can pull it off if magic is allowed, but if it¡¯s not, then... ¡°So? What are you going to do?¡± I¡¯ll figure something out. Also, can I ask you something? She shrugs. ¡°Go ahead.¡± You mentioned how you didn¡¯t like me when I first got in. What changed that? She blinks in surprise at the unexpected question. ¡°You... turned out to be an interesting person when I talked to you.¡± Is that it? ¡°Uh-huh. That¡¯s it.¡± That¡¯s a lie, isn¡¯t it? Perhaps I did something that made her fond of me, but I don¡¯t remember anything like that. Maybe because she noticed my suspicion, she elaborates. ¡°Err... let¡¯s just say that there¡¯s something about you that attracts certain kinds of people.¡± What do you mean by that? ¡°Alright, gather around, Jade!¡± Douzhen¡¯s loud voice rang throughout the peak. Ranlan smiles at me, patting my shoulder as she lends me a hand to stand. ¡°Next time,¡± she said. With everyone gathered around him, Douzhen starts his briefing. ¡°The rules are simple; start from the Tenrin peak and use your skills to traverse the Heavenly Steps all the way there,¡± he points at the shadow towering behind the mist. ¡°Dragon peak, the highest pillar in the Hidden Vale. You can use any route you want as long as you start from Tenrin. Note that your performance in this trial will factor with your overall results. At the end of the trial, only the top twenty will remain in Jade class.¡± The students start whispering to each other, but is immediately hushed by the mentor¡¯s next words. ¡°Regarding the use of magic...¡± As I hold my breath, I notice Douzhen glancing at me, if just for a split-second, before continuing, ¡°...magic is allowed.¡± Ranlan pats my back, a bit too strongly, and looks at me with a face like she¡¯s even happier than me. ¡°I advise you all to take caution in the highest regard,¡± Douzhen continued. ¡°Some of your predecessors have lost their lives in this trial. Do not take this lightly. My advice; don¡¯t get ahead of yourself and keep sight of the larger picture. A living arm is better than a dead drachtal. I¡¯ll give you ten minutes to prepare.¡± --- --- --- ¡°Wow, you dodged an arrow, Fay.¡± Haha, yeah... more like, I got hit with one instead of two. I gesture at my leg. Anyway, you should start making allies soon. ¡°Allies? What do you mean? The stone-web? I mean, the Heavenly Steps won¡¯t be our only enemy. Douzhen didn¡¯t mention anything about attacking other students, did he? ¡°...Which means, once the test starts, people will start attacking each other.¡± I believe so. I¡¯m guessing that he gave us this ten minutes to start making alliances. She promptly grabs my hand. ¡°Got one.¡± Ranlan, my leg... You know I¡¯ll slow you down. ¡°Slow me down? Your magic will get me first place,¡± she titters. I smile at her. Just don¡¯t blame me if you end up switching ranks with Zethran. "Not in a millenia." We both look around to see prospective allies. It seems the others have started to figure out the same thing and are doing just that. It won¡¯t be long before they crowd around Ranlan, seeing as she¡¯s the number one in class. ¡°I think Anlong will want to be in the same team as you,¡± she whispered. ¡°You go find him while I try to speak to that antisocial Douqi.¡± Wait, how will I be able speak to him? Ah, there she goes... oh well. I¡¯ll find a way to communicate with Anlong. I suppose I can just use earth magic to write on the ground... ¡°Oy.¡± Mm? I look up at the voice to see Zethran¡¯s face, all scrunched up as if he''s bent breaking his personal record of malicious faces. Oh, uhm... what¡¯s up? I simper at him. ¡°You little bitch. He did that for you, didn¡¯t he?¡± Who did what? He grabs me by the collar and makes me stand on my tiptoes. ¡°Don¡¯t act dull. You¡¯re the one who benefits the most from magic being allowed. You sucked his prick, that¡¯s what you did.¡± ...Who is that? ¡°Don¡¯t ignore me, slag!¡± No, really, who is that? ¡°Hey, is that a person?¡± (some guy) ¡°Who is that, a mentor?¡± (some other guy) ¡°Huh?¡± (Zethran) There¡¯s someone on the stone-web, in the direction I came from. Thanks to Zethran, many of the footings near the peak is gone and a large empty space was created between Tenrin peak and the nearest pillar in that direction. Even so, the figure navigated without pausing as if it¡¯s no problem, jumping with such power and agility beyond anyone in Jade class. As the person lands on Tenrin peak, everyone takes a wary stance against him. ¡°...What the hell happened here?¡± the man said, looking back at the destruction that Zethran caused. ¡°Is there something you need, Brother Karyat?¡± Douzhen approached him, and seeing their mentor recognize him, the students relax. ¡°Brother Douzhen, you are called to the Hall of Elders,¡± the man replied. Judging by how Douzhen acknowledged him, this man called Karyat might be someone of similar rank¡ª a drachtal? His movements earlier does seem to support that. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but as you can see, Jade class are about to do the Thousand-Hop Trial. I simply can¡¯t leave them without supervision?¡± ¡°The trial can wait. It¡¯s urgent.¡± After cutting off our mentor, Karyat walks up to him and whispers something that makes his eyes go wide. ¡°...I understand, I¡¯ll be there shortly,¡± Douzhen answered before turning to his students. ¡°The trial is cancelled. I want everyone here to report back to the Hall of Acquisition to receive further instructions. Immediately.¡± There¡¯s gasps of disbelief when Douzhen said that. The students quietly murmur to each other, but no one questioned further. They all know better than to meddle in drachtal business. Meanwhile, I see Ranlan waving at me with Douqi and Anlong at her side. Just as I¡¯m about to walk over to her, a hand on my shoulder stops me. I look towards the owner of that hand and see Douzhen¡¯s face, all the more menacing when I see it from below. Umm... mentor? ¡°Not you. You¡¯re coming with me.¡± Eh? I¡¯m not going with the others? ¡°Do I need to repeat myself?¡± N?No, mentor. But why? I asked, despite his eyes clearly giving me a don¡¯t-ask-any-questions glare. With one swift move, he wraps one arm around me and hoists me up on his shoulder. ...This again, huh. Demerits of having a small stature; get used to being treated like baggage. I give one last look to my friends¡¯ confused faces as Douzhen jumps off the peak, hopping around the stone-web in superhuman speed. I wrap my arms awkwardly around him. Because of the way he''s carrying me, all I can see is the view beneath his feet, which is a splendid view of mountains, greenery, and a one-thousand strides drop. So I close my eyes, thinking that it would be better. It¡¯s not. --- --- --- It took mere minutes for Douzhen to reach the ground, and then another few for him to get to the Hall of Elders. It took me all I had to not get overwhelmed by how fast he moved. After putting me down, he glares at me with a terrifying glare, but I know he¡¯s just scanning me to see if I¡¯m alright. I look up at him, and his eyebrows knit together as if something just ran across his mind. Then he walks past me, and I can only stare mesmerized at his broad back. ...Huh. Gotta say. Being carried by him, feeling that strong, powerful force behind every step he took... made me tingle below the stomach. He¡¯s a bit on the old side, old enough to sit in the Hall of Elders, but at the same time, he¡¯s powerful enough to sit in the Hall of Elders. I mean, just look at him. I¡¯ve never noticed because I¡¯ve never seen him this way, but, whoa... even through his robe, I can tell that every microence of his body is brimmed with tight muscles. Tight, raw, bulging muscles. Imagine being in bed with him. With that kind of body, his prized tool must be? ¡°Fay!¡± Oh, teacher! She runs down the steps to meet me. She looks a bit worried for some reason. ¡°What happened? You seem out of breath.¡± Am I? ¡°And your face is... flushed. Are you sick?¡± Ah, no... the blood got to my head is all. I was carried all the way here by Mr. Heartbreak over there. ¡°Mr. Hear? ...Pfft. Is that what you kids call him over at Acquisition?¡± He¡¯s really mean. ¡°Hah. If only you knew him,¡± she shakes her head knowingly. She seems to know him well, doesn¡¯t she? Knowing that, there¡¯s a pricking sensation in my chest. I know this feeling well, it plagued me in Level Eight. The question is, who am I jealous at? ¡°Oh, sorry. You must be confused from all this.¡± Mm? Ah, right... what¡¯s going on? Realizing that I¡¯m dragging my leg, she puts her arm around me and helps me up the steps. ¡°You have a habit of breaking yourself, don¡¯t you.¡± Maybe...? Tee-hee. ¡° -sigh- Anyway, what¡¯s going on is that?¡± Hold on. If you¡¯re here, does that mean you¡¯re an ¡°elder¡±? She shoots me a blank look. ¡°We¡¯re calling in every augur and drachtal for this, but yes, I do have a seat in the Hall of Elders.¡± ...Hall of ¡°Elders¡±. ¡°I?It¡¯s complimentary, okay. It¡¯s got nothing to do with my age!¡± I smirk at her reaction. I know that being an ¡°elder¡± has little to do with age. Those chosen to sit in the Hall of Elders are the wisest augurs and the strongest drachtals. I for one know that teacher had very well earned her place there. Anyways, you were saying... ¡°Oh, right. There¡¯s a demon here.¡± I freeze. Because I suddenly stopped, both of us nearly fell over the steps. Then she realized what she just said to my face. ¡°I meant, there might be a demon here. Some of the augurs caught on some signs this morning.¡± ...Why was I brought here? ¡°Umm, that¡¯s...¡± Did you tell them? ¡°Of course not!¡± she cried. ¡°I promised you, didn¡¯t I? I only asked Douzhen to bring you in, because...¡± You want me to tell them myself. ¡°...Yes.¡± I breath in, deep. This might be it. I knew she was coming for me, but I never thought it would be this fast. We continue up the steps as more and more people arrive. I look up at the big building, smaller than the colossal Hall of Acquisition, but grander in its design. I suppose that¡¯s a given, since the people here are pretty much the one pulling the big strings. Do we have anything that says it¡¯s Lyrfanas? ¡°No. At this point, we can¡¯t even confirm the demon¡¯s existence yet.¡± So you¡¯re just grasping at wafts, here? ¡°There¡¯s no such thing as too cautious when it comes to demons, Fay.¡± Yes, I know that. I know that better than anyone. It¡¯s just that, doing this now might be jumping the gun a bit, don¡¯t you think? She stops and stands in front of me. Placing her hands on my shoulders, she lowers her face to my level. Just from her eyes, I can tell that she wants me? she needs me to do this. She leans in, touching my foreheads together as she continues in a trembling voice, if so slightly. ¡°I know this must be hard for you, but have faith. Have faith in me.¡± .......... I... That''s not fair. What can I say to that? She looks at me again, and I can only nod at her request. I¡¯m not one to trust people, but her... ...Her, I trust my life with. We continue on with teacher leading me by hand to the top of the stairs. We enter the gate and into the front hall, where some people are just standing around discussing something serious. Teacher nods at Douzhen who¡¯s just standing quietly in a corner, then we head toward another set of doors. Even through the thick wood, I can hear the clamor from inside the other room¡ª most likely the chamber where they do all the magic. Teacher gives me one last look. ¡°Are you ready?¡± As ever. I release my hand from hers and braced myself as she pushes the door open.
Chapter 31 : Hall of Elders Chapter 31 Hall of Elders The Elder¡¯s Hall. Here is where the big choices are made. I say ¡°big¡±, but it¡¯s usually stuff like lending out seeds and rations during bad harvests, or answering endeavors for wisdom at season¡¯s end, things like that. It¡¯s typically required to have at least one elder present in the hall because usually, one elder is enough to authorize such matters. Usually, one elder is enough. When something requires all elders to be present, it could be said that it concerns the valley¡¯s survival. There has been no such gatherings in the last decade, but today... ¡°All elders have arrived.¡± With that single announcement, the clamor is quieted and everyone looks towards us who¡¯ve just entered the room. The heavy door creaks and bangs as Douzhen closes it behind us, trapping us amidst the silent stares of the people inside. There are no chairs and no tables in the hall. Instead, the groups of augurs and drachtals are sat down on the matted floors. On the other end of the room, there¡¯s a wide, short podium on top of which five people sit¡ª the elders. ¡°I¡¯ll do the talking,¡± teacher whispered. ¡°You just follow my lead.¡± With teacher¡¯s assuring hand on my back, we walk towards the front while ignoring the curious stares of the people we walk pass. Those stares are particularly aimed at me, probably being the only person here that came uninvited. ¡°Sister Inzhi, I express my gratitude for your presence here,¡± the elder in the middle said. Gaolad¡ª the oldest of the augurs. With eyes that hide beneath his brows and a beard that sweeps the floor whenever he sits, people say it¡¯s impossible to read his face. ¡°My greetings to you, elders. I apologize for my tardiness,¡± teacher replied. ¡°Which, I¡¯m sure, stands for good reason.¡± This time, the one who spoke is Anmal, the only elder besides my teacher to have no facial hair obscuring their mouths. His face is reminiscent to that of Anlong¡¯s, not unexpected considering they¡¯re father and son. ¡°It is as you said, brother.¡± As Inzhi replied, Douzhen calmly walks past us and takes his seat on the podium. With his eyes on us, I find mine avoiding his for some reason. Erm¡­ don¡¯t ask. Teacher, however, stayed by my side as she continues to explain. ¡°I have reasons to believe that the issue we have here is related to my apprentice. However, I need to know what it is we¡¯re dealing with before I can decide how relevant it is.¡± ¡°Hmm¡­ very well,¡± Anmal clears his throat. ¡°Early this morning, a fellow augur encountered strong signs of a demon. We have called this meeting for the purpose of constructing actionable plans against it.¡± ¡°A demon...¡± ¡°So it¡¯s true?¡± Such were the stunned comments from the augurs and drachtals behind us. ¡°If there¡¯s a demon in the valley, we have to warn the people!¡± one of the elders said. ¡°We have to start safeguarding the cattle and have the fields protected by elite drachtals. If the demon is as cunning as the legends say, that¡¯s what it will go for. The people won¡¯t have anything to eat if the fields are destroyed.¡± Elder Jerchah, I think his name is. A drachtal responsible for managing the common court. It may sound like he cares about the common folk, but from what I heard from teacher, he¡¯s probably just worried about his own assets. ¡°Don¡¯t be rash, Brother Jerchah. We must handle this matter with care,¡± Anmal said. ¡°Bah, I am not being rash! This is a demon we¡¯re talking about, is it not?! If it¡¯s as strong as the legends say, even a hundred arms won¡¯t be enough! We must act quick!¡± ¡°And that¡¯s exactly why we need to be careful,¡± Gaolad spoke out. ¡°We all know the legends. We are all afraid of demons. If we carelessly let this news slip, that fear will breed panic, and our own destruction would be set.¡± That seems to have shut him up, but the others are already riled up from Jerchah acting up. Anxious whispers are heard from the others attending the meeting. ¡°How strong were the demons of legends¡­?¡± ¡°Strong enough to erase countries from history.¡± ¡°Will a lot of people die?¡± ¡°That¡¯s not the question. Will the valley even survive this?¡± ¡°My son just started acquisition¡­¡± ¡°Ahem. To what extent are we certain that it¡¯s a demon?¡± teacher asked, silencing the others. As expected of her, while the others are already thinking of far-fetched scenarios, teacher is asking the real question no one thought of; is it really a demon? ¡°No, we are not certain at all. But there are signs,¡± Gaolad answered. ¡°Signs?¡± ¡°A large trace of destructive mana, and the change in the behavior of the vale¡¯s beasts¡ª those were the signs reported by the brave augur.¡± ¡°Couldn¡¯t it be a demonic beast? An alpha, perhaps. They could also bring about the signs you¡¯ve mentioned.¡± ¡°The beasts you¡¯ve mentioned were, indeed, witnessed,¡± Gaolad answered with his hidden mouth. ¡°Two such beasts, in fact. Alphas of their respective kinds. Together, those alphas and their spawns cornered a party of three drachtals and one augur, only one of which survived to convey us this news.¡± Teacher, that¡¯s... ¡°I know.¡± A demon is known to bring beasts under its control. Unlike alphas, however, this control spans over multiple races, whereas an alpha can only control those of its own kind. There has never been a case with two different alphas working together... ...other than cases where a demon is controlling them, that is. Moreover, this particular demon is powerful enough to control two alphas, both of which being at least a |B|-level threat. The Mother... she is certainly capable of that. ¡°...Honored elders, augurs and drachtals, brothers and sisters, I believe there is something you must know.¡± Teacher looks at me, and I nod in confirmation before she continues. ¡°I have reasons to suspect that this demon is after my apprentice.¡± The elders look at each other before Gaolad speaks, ¡°And may I ask the reason why, elder sister?¡± ¡°My apprentice performed a demonic covenant, one that has been broken.¡± ¡°A¡­ demonic covenant?¡± Ah¡­ I guess it¡¯s the same everywhere. No matter what place, a demonic covenant is considered something of a heinous sin. Even the elders seem surprised¡ª Gaolad stops stroking his beard, and Anmal takes in a sharp, stressed breath. I can see the judgment in their eyes as they turn their heads to me. Scorn. Disgust. As is expected. Unlike the others, Douzhen''s features remain free ofemotion. I¡¯m glad I¡¯m not earning his disdain, but that intense stare isn¡¯t any better for me. Please stop it. ¡°Elders, please hold your judgments. With that covenant, my apprentice risked her own life to save the group of people she was with. She did it in the utmost honor possible.¡± Gaolad lifts his chin as his fingers begin molesting his beard again. ¡°And she said this to you?¡± he asked, skepticism clear in his grouchy voice. ¡°Yes. By my honor, her words are trustworthy.¡± Pfft. ...Stop it, Fay. This is serious. ¡°May I interject?¡± Anmal said. ¡°From what I¡¯ve read on demonology, a covenant would leave a mark on the promiser¡¯s body. May we see this mark?¡± I look at teacher, and as she nods at me, I take off my robes and the shirt beneath it. Not everything, of course. Just enough to show them the mark clearly, yet for some reason, the elders shifts their gaze in discomfort as I do that. Hey, I haven¡¯t even shown you the mark... ...Oh, right. In a community where everyone wears thick robes that covers everything from the neck to the wrists and ankles, showing this much skin might count as... ¡°improper¡±. Hey, you¡¯re the ones who asked to see it, you know. ¡°As you can see, on her right shoulder...¡± teacher lifts my arm to show them the horrible mark. The twisting and deformation on my skin, like an old burnt scar that gives you an ominous feeling when you look at it. Ah, they¡¯re staring.... Uwaah... he¡¯s staring so intently. I can¡¯t suck in my stomach for too long. Shite, let go of my hand, teacher... ¡°That¡¯s enough. We don¡¯t wish to embarrass the young one further,¡± one of the elders said. Teacher drops my arm and cocks her head at me as if to say -You think this squirt is embarrassed of anything?- and then, -The heck?- is what she mouthed wordlessly when she notices my ordeal. ¡°That said,¡± teacher looks back at the elders, ¡°there¡¯s no way to be sure if it¡¯s the same demon. I just believe it¡¯s in the monastery¡¯s best interest for everyone to know.¡± ¡°How long have you known this, sister?¡± Gaolad asked, his eyes still hidden beneath his thick, grayed brows. ¡°From the beginning.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re saying, you brought her here, knowing it would risk the safety of the vale?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°You are aware of the options we must weight now.¡±Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I am aware.¡± I can see her swallow nervously as she said that. This is her home after all, a fact that sometimes slip my mind. Meanwhile, various opinions can be heard from behind us. ¡°Eviction.¡± ¡°Damn right. She endangers us all.¡± ¡°Deathbringer. The old tales sing of a white-haired demon lord. I knew she was trouble from the start.¡± Gaolad silences them with a single raise of hand. ¡°Young Sister Fay, is it...?¡± Yes. ¡°Elder, she is?¡± ¡°No,¡± Gaolad cuts teacher off. ¡°I want you to speak for yourself, scribe. What will you do now, bearing in mind that your existence here endangers us all?¡± I want to follow what teacher wishes. If she thinks it better for me to leave, I will. If she wants me to stay, then I will stay. I just passed all the judgment and pressure to her. But she said to trust her, so I did. Looking at her smile, that¡¯s also what she expected of me. ¡°I see... then what does the teacher want?¡± ¡°I will follow whatever the elders decided. However, know that should she be evicted, I will follow her. If she is not to be one of the vale, you will also not hear from me ever again.¡± With those words, I can feel the agitation from the people behind us doused. The elders too, look at each other and seems as though they¡¯ve come to an agreement. ¡°The decision on this matter will be put on hold. However,¡± Gaolad turns to teacher, ¡°for the potential threat you¡¯ve brought us, we hereby pronounce you no longer suited for your seat among the elders, exile or not.¡± More unrest follows that declaration. And yet... ¡°I understand, elders,¡± teacher said without much of a pause. ¡°I will abide by your decisions.¡± --- --- --- After that talk about the covenant, the meeting moved on and I ended up becoming a wallflower in the party of old men, with serious chatter discussed over solemn faces instead of merry drinks. Hours were spent on planning countermeasures against the demon. Hours, wasted on making plans based on mere speculations. They didn¡¯t ask me anything about Lyrfanas, so I didn¡¯t tell them anything. I guessed it would be pointless to make plans against her when we¡¯re not even sure, anyway. Meanwhile, the thing about teacher¡¯s exile is put on hold for now. Hopefully, forever. By the time the meeting is over, the sun had long passed its peak. ¡°So?¡± teacher said as we walk out the Hall of Elders. So what? ¡°What¡¯s on your mind? What¡¯s the demon-expert thinking after all that?¡± Honestly, I doubt it¡¯s Lyrfanas. ¡°Why not?¡± It¡¯s just... it doesn¡¯t feel like her to go after me herself. She would¡¯ve sent her swarm after me instead. Also, if I¡¯m right about her, she wouldn¡¯t have left her children without protection. If she¡¯s really here, I figure her ten-billion children would be here as well, and I haven¡¯t heard anything about anyone seeing eight-legged creatures so far. ¡°So you think it¡¯s a different demon?¡± Maybe. ¡°Huh... well, it¡¯s good if it¡¯s really like that.¡± What do you mean? A demon is a demon, teacher. Also, it¡¯d be quite an omen for me to be encountering two demons within such a short span of time. As we make our way down the steps, I look back to see if I can catch a glimpse of a certain someone. That someone is currently with the other elders, talking about something. He knew, didn¡¯t he? ¡°Sorry?¡± Teacher looks at the direction I¡¯m looking at. He must¡¯ve known about me. That¡¯s why he didn¡¯t react. ¡°Err... Who are you talking about?¡± Douzhen, of course. ¡°Douzhen? There¡¯s no way. I never told anyone, not even him.¡± Maybe he knew from something else. Suddenly, teacher leans her face in front of me. That¡¯s dangerous to do on the steps, teacher. ¡°You¡¯re acting weird, you know.¡± Weird? ¡°You¡¯ve been acting really weird for a while now.¡± What do you mean? ¡°I mean, back then when we¡¯re showing your mark, and even now you¡¯re still... you¡¯re acting like...¡± her face contorts into horror as she comes upon a horrifying realization. ¡°Dear gods. You¡¯re acting like a girl.¡± Uhm... ¡°Are you sick? Are you hurt somewhere? Is someone bullying you at school?¡± But, am I not a girl... No, I just... if you¡¯re going to be exiled, I... ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± Even if you¡¯re right, you¡¯re still no longer an elder. ¡°That? You shouldn¡¯t worry about that. I wasn¡¯t being a very good elder, anyway,¡± Oh, that¡¯s okay, then. ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that too quick?!¡± More importantly, should I get back to Acquisition? I don¡¯t really want to, though... ¡°Oh, uh¡­ you probably should. Hold on.¡± She waves at someone that I recognize as Karyat, the drachtal from this morning. ¡°Elder,¡± he greeted as he approaches us. ¡°Karyat, you¡¯re going to Acquisition, aren¡¯t you? Could you escort my apprentice there?¡± He looks at me with appraising eyes. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, your pupil is safe with me.¡± ¡°Thanks, Karyat. I appreciate it,¡± she said before turning to me. ¡°I¡¯ll pick you up in the evening. Be good until then, okay?¡± Yes, yes. Wait a minute. ¡®Pick me up?¡¯ Suddenly there¡¯s a fist on my head. Ow! ¡°Promise me, Fay.¡± Promise you what?! ¡°That you¡¯ll stay with Karyat and not go running off on your own.¡± Err... why would I go? Another fist. Y?Yes, yes, I promise! The look she gives me after is something I can¡¯t quite comprehend. If I don''t know any better, I would¡¯ve thought she doesn¡¯t trust my word, but then, why make me promise in the first place? Not to mention that I don¡¯t see any use in ¡®running off on my own¡¯, as she put it. Heh. I guess this is how it is between us. Always with a wall between. A bit funny, really, considering how close we appear on the outside, close enough for that ¡°rumor¡± to show up. ¡°...See you in the evening, then, Fay.¡± Yeah, see you. Neither of us looked in the other¡¯s eye when we parted. --- --- --- I¡¯m sorry for the trouble, I said to the drachtal walking beside me. Teacher can be a bit fussy some times. ¡°A demon is after you, young sister. I, too, think it¡¯s best to have someone by your side at all times.¡± I should¡¯ve known teacher would do this. She can get overprotective at times, even though we don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s really Lyrfanas. Having someone protect me all day would really cramp me, you know. How do I get out of this¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry about your teacher,¡± Karyat suddenly spoke. ¡°I¡¯m sure the elders will understand her decisions.¡± Right¡­ Truth is, I don¡¯t even care if they kick us out or not. As long as we¡¯re together, teacher can still teach me, and I can still become an Arcanist. If anything, the lack of facilities may push her to finish the teaching faster. Just maybe. As we walk through the dirt path, I notice Karyat subtly stealing glances at me. Is something bothering you, mentor? ¡°So you¡¯re her apprentice, huh.¡± Um... yes? ¡°You¡¯re a faean, are you not? I¡¯ve never seen one of your kind before. I understand why she¡¯s very interested in you.¡± Yes, I am a faean... ¡°To tell you the truth, I didn¡¯t think she¡¯d find someone this quick, seeing how her life was being an arcanist and an augur. She really didn¡¯t seem to be the type to settle with another.¡± Umm. Somehow, his words seem... ¡°Inzhi has done more for the monastery than I ever could in a lifetime. The way I see it, she¡¯s still an elder, and I¡¯m sure I share this perspective with many brothers. I would gladly protect the one important person to her while she¡¯s not around. I feel honored to have her trust?¡± Mentor, are you curious about our relationship? ¡°.......Erm. ¨Ccough- ¡± You can stop prying around now. ¡°...I¡¯m sorry if it sounded like I was probing around. Inzhi is an important person to the vale, so naturally...¡± I don¡¯t mind, mentor. I can tell you what you want to know. ¡°Oh, well... the truth is, there¡¯s word going on that the relationship you share is... more than that of a teacher and apprentice. More intimate, perhaps. The two of you are, maybe...¡± Ah, I see. So the ¡°rumor¡± has spread, even though I¡¯ve only talked to a couple of people. Words do travel fast in such an enclosed community. Seeing she didn¡¯t say anything about it, it probably hasn¡¯t reached teacher¡¯s ears yet. I wonder how she¡¯d react when she hears this. Fufu. We¡¯ll see, we¡¯ll see... It¡¯s true, mentor. She¡¯d probably be too embarrassed to admit it, but she¡¯s not just a teacher to me, and I¡¯m not just a pupil to her. We¡¯d embrace each other time to time, to the point it¡¯s becoming a habit. ¡°-cough- Wha?¡° It¡¯s the kind of relationship where she¡¯d engross herself in watching me bathe, and I¡¯d let her. And then, at night, we¡¯d do all sorts of ¡®experiments¡¯, most of which we couldn¡¯t tell anyone about ever. Ah, but I suppose I can tell you how we?¡± ¡°Enough! I think I get now,¡± he turns his face away to hide the redness of it. How innocent these drachtals are. Honestly, I don¡¯t know why I¡¯m doing this. Well, I did. But I forgot. Maybe it was to take revenge on teacher for lying to me about the mountain path being the only entrance, or perhaps because I was curious about how the monastic community see such an¡­ unconventional relationship. It doesn¡¯t matter. Technically, I¡¯m not even lying. I just want to see her face when she hears it,at this point. ...Ah, it has become awkward. Damn it. The Hall of Acquisition is still quite a walk away too. I should¡¯ve saved that talk until later. Oh, well... === === === --- --- --- === === === Around that time, Inzhi is on her way towards her lab. She was walking in contemplation when a familiar voice calls out to her. ¡°Inzhi.¡± ¡°Ah, mentor?¡± She turns to see Douzhen walking up to her. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m quite fine. Why?¡± ¡°They won¡¯t exile you. They can¡¯t. They owe you too much. We owe you too much.¡± ¡°Oh, I don¡¯t care either way,¡± she chirped out. ¡°As long as she stays with me, I won¡¯t even mind getting evicted.¡± ¡°...I see. That¡¯s how important she is to you, is it?¡± ¡°Yes. She¡¯s my only pupil, after all.¡± Douzhen drew his brows together. Her only pupil, huh... The rumors he heard implied something more. ¡°Anyway, will you be okay?¡± she threw back his first question at him. From the previous meeting, it was decided that Douzhen will be leading the scout party in search for the unseen demon. Although they said ¡°scouts¡±, the team will be compromised of drachtals and the arms¡¯ elites. In other words, he¡¯ll be spearheading the monastery in the upcoming battle against the demon, thus her worry. ¡°Who do you think I am?¡± he replied with a taunting smile. If anyone from Jade were here, they¡¯d think it was an illusion. After all, such a smile is something he¡¯d show to very few people. ¡°You¡¯re the strongest living drachtal...?¡± ¡°That¡¯s right?¡± ¡°?and yet, you¡¯re still human.¡± She frowns at him, only to incite a chuckle from the other person. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine, girl. We¡¯re just out to confirm the demon¡¯s existence,¡± he said as he rubs her head. Inzhi shakes his hand off in frustration. ¡°I¡¯m not your student anymore, you know.¡± ¡°And you still call me mentor.¡± ¡°It¡¯s a habit.¡± At that point, she realizes she does the same thing to her own apprentice. So he¡¯s the source of it, she thought. Meanwhile, Douzhen rummages the inside of his robes and pulls out an envelope. ¡°Here,¡± he hands it to her. ¡°Err¡­ what is it?¡± ¡°You asked for a report on your girl¡¯s progress in my class.¡± ¡°Wow, I was... I only meant something like occasional updates or.... You wrote an actual report?¡± ¡°It¡¯s nothing bothersome. I have a profile on everyone in Jade class. Everyone I¡¯m expecting to stay, at least.¡± ¡°Thanks, mentor.¡± Inzhi reaches out to grab the envelope, but found that the man is holding it tightly. She looks at him questioningly. ¡°Open it after I¡¯m gone.¡± While Inzhi becomes confused at his words, the sound of the monastic bell rings softly through the wind. ¡°That¡¯s my call. I have to get the others ready.¡± ¡°Wait, mentor?¡± Douzhen stops her with another head-rub. ¡°When I come back, I¡¯d prefer if you call me by name.¡± Dumbfounded, she can only stare at his back as he walks away. She looks down to the envelope in her hands. Open it after I¡¯m gone. Those words makes her think there¡¯s something else in the letter aside from the report, and that scares her. It scares her enough to do exactly ashe instructed. Tucking the letter in the creases of her robes for later reading, she silently curses and hopes thatthere¡¯s nothing else in there aside from the report. After all, more complications is the last thing she needs right now. ¡°Don¡¯t let it be what I think¡­¡± she prayed to the empty air. Of course, it ended up being exactly what she thinks.
Chapter 32 : "Masukis" Chapter 32 "Masukis" ¡°I challenge you,¡± were the words that started it all. Among the halls of Acquisition, there¡¯s one reserved for a very specific use. At the center of that hall is a large elevated area where two people stand, both of them threatening the other as best as a glare can do. Surrounding that circle are scribes from Acquisition, even those from the other classes, brimming the hall to witness the big fight. Yes, the ¡°big fight¡±. On the challenged side, there¡¯s Ranlan, the number one scribe from Jade, and number one in the entire Acquisition. On the other, there¡¯s Zethran, the big badchallenger. Although Karyat stressed it as a friendly spar, I doubt anyone would actually think of it like that. A fight between the top scribes¡ª naturally anyone, especially these competitively hardcore monks, would think the results will determine the ranks. If Ranlan lose, they might actually end up switching numbers. Don¡¯t you dare lose, Ran! It seems as though she heard me because she suddenly shoots me a glare, as if to shut me up. Why? Everyone else is cheering too. By the way, it might seem like a kids¡¯ bout on the surface, but may I remind you that everyone here are vimic experts training to be warriors, with punches that can bring down brick walls and stone pillars, as was witnessed just this morning. One punch is all it takes for someone to kill someone, especially if those ¡®someones¡¯ are the top scribes of Jade. So, to prevent anyone dying from a bout gone too far, Rules of the Spar were made. If I remember correctly, those rules are; One, keep your ¡°barriers¡± up at all times. This includes the audience outside the fight circle, because who knows? Two, the fight is over when one side is thrown out the ring or has their barrier broken. Alternatively, one can resign from the spar. Three, try not to kill anyone. Those are the rules of the spar... or at least, that¡¯s how I remembered it. The real rules are much longer than that, but meh, that¡¯s basically what they say. Right now, it¡¯s as if the room is vibrating with all the vimic activity. Every person here has a layer of vi protecting their bodies. Every single one, except for me, the one at very top of Jade... if the ranks were turned upside down, that is. I don¡¯t have any barrier not because I¡¯m confident or rebellious, but because I can¡¯t conjure one, or even know what it even is for that matter. The mentors keep saying ¡°barrier this, barrier that,¡± and I keep shouting at them in my head, ¡°bar my ass!¡± Ahem. Anyway, since I¡¯m practically naked compared to the others, I decided to hug the wall and stay as far away from the circle as possible. Atop the arena, Zethran pulls on a tight stance¡ª his head low with his fists raised high in front of him. His body is slightly moving from the movement of his toes, bouncing like a rarebit. A huge, ugly-ass rarebit. I can almost see the energy bursting out from him. With someone of his size, his stance becomes more menacing than it is on anyone else. On the other side, Ranlan is the polar opposite. Her arms are calmly put in front of her as if she¡¯s rubbing an invisible ball. Aside from her arms swaying teasingly, her body is barely moving, making her seem so open and relaxed. And then... ...There it is. That smile. Is it a taunt? A show of confidence? No one, not even those in Jade and the mentors, know the meaning behind that smile of hers. Zethran¡¯s form may be intimidating, but to tell you the truth, I¡¯d rather fight him than his opponent. There¡¯s no emotion in her movements whatsoever, thus making her actions impossible to predict, impossible to counter. That¡¯s it. Impossible to win against¨D that¡¯s the kind of feeling she gives off. I¡¯d laugh at the scene if it weren¡¯t for the tension in the air. It¡¯s always amusing to see the little one taking control with just her composure. Identify.
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ©¦54©¦ ©¦82%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ©¦11©¦/31
Name Zethran
Titles
Species Human
Age 17
Gender Male
Mana Affinity
Mana Pool
Skills Vimus ¨C Perception |Novice| Strengthening |Adept|
Affiliations Drachwhyr Monastery
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¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ©¦5©¦/18
Name Ranlan
Titles
Species Human
Age 19
Gender Female
Mana Affinity
Mana Pool
Skills Vimus ¨C Perception |Novice| Strengthening |Adept|
Affiliations Drachwhyr Monastery
Surprise, surprise. There are two monsters on the ring. Their pull rates apart, their physical abilities are way beyond a normal human¡¯s. Their skills seem very close, so it might come down to their wits and composure, which, so far, Ranlan seems to be ahead in. ¡°Ready.¡± ¡°Ready.¡± As the two sound their readiness, Karyat shouts out, ¡°Start the fight!¡± --- --- --- It happened so quickly. While Karyat was still on the first syllable of his words, Zethran already made his move. He¡¯s fast¡ª faster than conventional physics could¡¯ve allowed. With one swift step, he closed the distance before launching a back kick at Ranlan. The kick landed, or at least it seemed like it did. Then I realize she¡¯s already stepped away from it, her face one tride away from connecting with her opponent¡¯s strike. Zethran isn¡¯t stopping his attack there. Spinning his body, he follows up with another kick, and then another, his large frame enabling him to launch his attacks outside of Ranlan¡¯s range. With Zethran¡¯s every attack, Ranlan steps back, always just barely enough to dodge the attack. They¡¯re moving too fast for me properly see, but even I know that Ranlan isn¡¯t winning. She¡¯s been doing nothing but evading his attacks. At this rate, she¡¯ll be cornered. Come on, Ran. Fight back. ¡°Look at her hands.¡± Ah? The heck... Douqi? This hooded guy just appeared out of nowhere. Did he sneak up on me? ¡°Look at her hands.¡± Eh? ¡°She hits back, and Zethran will never know.¡±The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Her hands...? All I see is her backing away without a fight, still with that smile on her face like a wordless taunt. Her hands are just doing nothing either¡­ ¡­except that when Zethran attacks, she seems to do quick flips with her palms, as if she¡¯s parrying his attacks. Is that what Douqi meant? Regarding that guy, his face is as expressionless as ever, obscured by that hood he never takes off. His eyes, unlike mine, seem like they know where to look. As expected from the number three in Jade, he can probably read the tide of the fight. I think this is the first time I¡¯ve ever heard your voice, I said to him. ¡°Unlike you, I do have a voice,¡± he replied without even sparing me a glance. Uwaah... as dark as ever, this guy. ¡°Fight back!¡± Zethran¡¯s shout came from the circle. He¡¯s still not letting up, chaining his attacks in a series of ferocious punches and kicks, each strike faster than I can perceive. If I was at the other end of those, I¡¯d probably be an unidentifiable mess already. Ranlan, though, is still as beautiful as ever. Zethran can¡¯t lay a finger when she¡¯s dancing like that, but so far, her ¡°taps¡± don¡¯t seem to be having any effect on Zethran either. Meanwhile, with every of her opponent¡¯s strike, Ranlan gets pushed into the edge of the circle. Little by little, the girl is driven back until she¡¯s on her tiptoes, right on the edge. One side of the crowd cheered, while the other screamed. A knowing smile flashed Zethran¡¯s face as he launches the final strike. ¡­Should¡¯ve been the final strike, but something else happened instead. Even if you ask me, I¡¯m not sure what happened. Zethran¡¯s kick was already midway, but then he was kicked instead. I think. That¡¯s what it looked like. And now their positions are reversed. No, more than reversed; Ranlan is turning this into a game where she¡¯s the only player. Spinning her body, she barely touches the floor with the tip of her toes before she¡¯s in the air again, landing two strikes with each spin. Gone was that smiling girl, and in her place is a merciless whirlwind of kicks. For every attack Zethran made against her, she returned three. Spin after spin, she chased after Zethran relentlessly, until¨D ¡°Shit!¡± The entire hall held their breath as Zethran steps off the edge and falls flat on his back. Looking down at him, Ranlan decorates her face with the cheeriest smile I¡¯ve ever seen on her. ¡°I win.¡± --- --- --- I amusedly watch as Ran skips her way through the crowd and towards me. She stops in front of me with her arms crossed and a brow raised. Didn¡¯t break a single sweat, did you, I said upon noting her hearty expression, so relaxed despite the brutality she just went through. ¡°I heard you, you know. I was happy you were cheering for me¨D¡± Your welcome¨D ¨Dthen I saw you hiding all the way back here.¡± Uh, well... I bleed, unlike the rest of you. After that, she just stares at me in silence, making me think that she¡¯s waiting for me to say something. Err... what? ¡°Do I have to ask?¡± Oh, uhm... congrats for the victory. ¡°Not that, tinwit,¡± she slaps my head. ¡°Look around you.¡± Look around me? If there¡¯s anything, the crowd seems to have diminished somewhat after Ranlan¡¯s fight, probably because the battles after aren¡¯t really as interesting as number one and two. One other thing I¡¯ve noticed is that some people from Jade are looking this way, at Ranlan...¡ª no, they¡¯re looking at me? ¡­Oh. ¡®That¡¯. ¡°Well?¡° Well... ¡°Will you tell us what happened?¡± Erm... probably not? ¡°You¡¯re not allowed to talk about it?¡± Yeah, basically¡­ The meeting concluded that the demon matter is to be kept a secret until they¡¯ve made the proper preparations for evacuations and countermeasures and all that stuff. It¡¯s the same as what Orlev decided back in Lephander. Telling people now might cause panic and collateral, so right now they¡¯re just putting the valley on alert. ¡°So, umm.... what did you think about the fight?¡± Ah, she dropped the topic. How understanding. It was cool! I was hoping to see some trash-talk before the match, though. ¡°Trash-talking Zeth? That¡¯s how you get killed in a friendly spar, my friend.¡± So she said, but she seems like she¡¯s actually thinking about it now. You were so fast. I don¡¯t get why you didn¡¯t just finish him right at the start. ¡°It¡¯s harder than it looks. I knew I wouldn¡¯t win in a battle of endurance, so I had to finish him in one succession of attacks. I needed to get accustomed to his pace first and make sure I end it in one turn.¡± I see, I see. I have no clue what she¡¯s talking about. ¡°...But I guess I really could¡¯ve beat him earlier.¡± Why not, then? ¡°I just had this feeling that he was pulling his punches.¡± I look at Zethran in response. The burly hulk somehow noticed my stare and returns it with a glare of a thousand deaths. Impossible. ¡°As I said, it¡¯s just a feeling. Anyway, you might get called, you know,¡± she noted, cocking her head at the arena. Nah, he wouldn¡¯t call me, I said as I glance at Karyat who is arbitrating the current match. Earlier, I made sure to tell him nicely to not call my name for the spars. ¡°He¡¯s nice, don¡¯t you think?¡± Who? ¡°The new mentor.¡± ¡°New?¡± Karyat is only our mentor until Douzhen is back, you know. ¡°Back from where?¡± Ah, so she hasn¡¯t dropped it. ¡°...Just kidding. Still, it¡¯s a big change of pace. With Douzhen, it¡¯s like our classes are held with a whip behind us. Karyat is much more laidback. If only he can continue as our permanent mentor, right?¡± Really? I prefer Douzhen. ¡°Huh? Are you serious?¡± Yeah... why do you sound so surprised? ¡°Tell me why you like him better.¡± I don¡¯t know. I just... like Douzhen better. ¡°You¡¯ve said that, but what¡¯s the reason?¡± The reason is? the reason¡¯s not important, okay? I just prefer Douzhen as our mentor. Geez, why is she so fussy about this? ¡°Are you a masochist?¡± A what? Great, another monk terminology that I don¡¯t know. ¡°Wow, I never thought you¡¯d be into that kind of thing...¡± Like I said, what¡¯s a masukis? ¡°Alright, wrap it up!¡± Karyat waves his arm from the middle of the hall. ¡°Everyone go back to their own classes. As for you Jades, gather around.¡± Thanks to Karyat, I couldn¡¯t ask Ranlan what I wanted to know and we cut our talk short to go to him. The Jade scribes then sit surrounding their mentor as they wait expectantly for the news they¡¯ve been waiting for. ¡°I know what you¡¯re all thinking about. You all want to know what¡¯s behind the fuss this morning.¡± Everyone nods in approval, while I just rest my head to a random guy behind me. Just get this over with, Mentor. ¡°I can¡¯t tell you much for now, but I need you all to stay alert. You¡¯re not like the other scribes and I can guarantee that Jade will have a part in the coming crisis, so prepare as you will. Train hard, become better in every way you can because your lives might depend on it. Class dismissed.¡± --- --- --- ¡°I have to go home¡­¡± Ranlan said in woe. Go home, then. Karyat already dismissed us. ¡°But I don¡¯t want to leave you alone. What if Zethran tries something while I¡¯m gone?¡± You always have to be the hero, huh? I said softly. ¡°Sorry?¡± I smile at her as cheerfully as I can manage. You don¡¯t have to worry about me, Ran. Trust me. I¡¯ve faced bigger guys than him. ¡°Really¡­?¡± She eyes me doubtfully. Really. Now go, your family needs you. ¡°¡­If you say so.¡± I can see reluctance dragging her feet as she walks out the hall. She really is a worrywart, just like someone else I know. Honestly, that girl. How can she worry about me when she has so much else to worry about? Ranlan told me about her circumstance once. She was born from a humble pair of farmhands, though her father passed away to a disease years ago. Her house have loads of little ones and no father to support them all, so as the big sister, she had to take over the role. Every morning, she¡¯d wake up before the sun does to milk the cattle. After Acquisition, she¡¯d plow the fields until way past her bedtime, sleeping only after the night crosses over to the next day. That¡¯s like¡­ one-fourth of my bed time? Not only that, she also has five little brothers and an ill parent to take care of. Even then, she still has the time to train and keep her place at the top of Jade. That kind of person is my friend, and she is worried about me being bullied. Really, the levels of problems are worlds different. Take care of yourself before taking care of others, I said to no one in particular. By the time the sun is setting, most of the scribes have gone home and the hall is mostly empty. Umm, mentor. I¡¯m just going to go wait outside, okay? ¡°Don¡¯t go too far,¡± Karyat replied. I can somehow feel my classmates¡¯ curious stares after they heard that weird exchange, so I end up scurrying out the hall. When I¡¯m out, however¡­ Guh¨D Someone pins my shoulders pinned to the wall, and from the large looming figure, it¡¯s obvious who it is. ¡­Zeth. Shite, I thought he¡¯s gone already. Was he waiting for me all this time? ¡°Listen up, you slag, because this is the last warning I¡¯m giving you. Get out of Jade. You don¡¯t belong here.¡± Why don¡¯t I belong¨D Whoops. Stop it, Fay. Just nod quietly. ¡°Why? You ask why?¡± Uh¡­ ¡°The only reason you¡¯re here is because an elder referred you. You fucking cheated, that¡¯s why.¡± How about Douqi? He¡¯s Douzhen¡¯s nephew. Not to mention Anlon©¤ -Thump- He punched the wall right by my ear as he leans down at me, dumping his breath on my face with every word. ¡°Douqi. Third-best of Jade. He climbed his way up from the bottom of Acquisition. He worked to get his place. You didn¡¯t.¡± ¡­And did you? Nooo, no, no, no, no. Just no, Fay. Stop talking. ¡°¡­Me?¡± Uh-oh. ¡°I. Earned. It,¡± he voiced, anger and impatience apparent. ¡°I trained and I bled. I kept going even when my skin was coming off, just to get into Acquisition. I deserve Jade, and so does everyone else here. Everyone but you. Did you know? Ranlan works the farms to stay in Acquisition. Anlong trains night and day to keep his position in Jade. Kerdah has to graduate a drachtal to get treatment for his parents. To some of us, Jade is everything, but you don¡¯t care for that.¡± He pushes a finger to my chest. ¡°You have everything handed out to you. You don¡¯t know anything about survival. You don¡¯t deserve Jade.¡± ¡­You¡¯re right. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I look up to meet him in the eyes. You¡¯re right. I don¡¯t deserve Jade, unlike you guys who¡¯ve worked so hard to earn it. ¡°Hah! So you do understan¨D¡± But the thing about life is, I lean in to his ears, not everyone gets what they deserve. Then I knee him in the nuts and book it. --- --- --- Two minutes and three falls later, I finally decide to stop running. Huff¡­ Hwaa¡­ ¡­Okay, I lied. It wasn¡¯t by decision. At least I¡¯m safe now, I think. Zethran doesn¡¯t seem to be following me. Or maybe he¡¯s just hiding again, lying in wait until I let my guard down¨D ¡°Hey!¡± Ffffucking shite¨D Instead of Zeth, teacher¡¯s face is there in front of me. ¡°Ehehe¡­¡± T©¤Teach¡­ Ah¡­ Aaah¡­. My butt is all muddy, now. ¡°Jumpy little rarebit, aren¡¯t you.¡± I©¤If a beast suddenly attacks you, you¡¯d naturally jump out of the way¡­ ¡°And present yourself to the beast by sprawling on the ground? Wait, why are you so sweaty?¡± I was just¡­ running. She suddenly takes out her staff and starts waving it around at our surroundings. ¡°Is it the demon?! What are you running from?!¡± ¡­Karyat? ¡°Oh.¡± She walks over to me. Thinking she¡¯s going to help me up, I reach my arm out for her. Then she brings down her staff on my head. Ow! ¡°You promised to wait with him.¡± Yes, I know. I¡¯m sorry. ¡°I said specifically, ¡®don¡¯t go running off on your own.¡¯ So what were you doing, again?¡± Running off on my own. ¡°Precisely what I told you not to do.¡± Ugh. Thinking back, it¡¯s probably better if I¡¯d just run back into the hall and get Karyat like the little bitch I am. Again, I¡¯m totally in the wrong and I¡¯m sorry. ¡°Never mind, let¡¯s just go home,¡± she said with a sour tongue. Yes, ma¡¯am. --- --- --- Some minutes later, the lights of the laboratory building finally comes into view. What now?I asked. More writing lessons? ¡°No, let¡¯s just call it a day.¡± Okay, then. Here¡¯s fine, teacher. I can get to the house by myself. The ¡®house¡¯ is actually teacher¡¯s residence that¡¯s only a little walk up the hill from here. Only I sleep there, though. Teacher sleeps in the lab because I kicked her out. ¡­No, it¡¯s not like that. Bad wording. All I did was tell her that I wanted my own bedroom so we can sleep separately. You see, the nightmares¡­ they¡¯re getting worse by the day, and I didn¡¯t want to make her worry. So I asked for my own bedroom. I didn¡¯t know whether to be glad or sad when she understood quickly. I guess we did travel together, after all. There¡¯s no way she didn¡¯t witness my ¡°bad sleeping posture¡± during that time. ¡­Hmm? Teacher, I¡¯m fine on my own from here, I said when I realize she¡¯s still walking with me. ¡°Oh, no. I¡¯m sleeping at the house today.¡± Eh? ¡°What? Can I not sleep at my own home?¡± She seems serious. Is it because of the demon? Do I not get privacy even in bed? Damn you, demon. There¡¯s only one bedroom, though. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± And only one bed. ¡°Uh-huh.¡± So you¡¯re finally going to ¡®attack¡¯ me? ¡°Uh©¤huh¡­ wait, what?¡± You mean you¡¯re not? Usually, she¡¯ll just yell ¡°NO!¡± like that, but instead, she smiles impishly at me, ¡°Only if you break your promise.¡± I just did, though. ¡°Promise me something new, then.¡± Like what? ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t go after the demon.¡± Okay. I promise. That is the one thing I can promise. I¡¯ve had enough demons and lifers for life and afterlife. That¡¯s like a lot of lives. Going after a demon is the last thing I¡¯d do, and no one can make me. No one. ¡­Except maybe that guy. He¡¯s a hundred times worse than any lifer. Ah, come to think of it, there¡¯s something that¡¯s been on my mind for a while. Say, teacher¡­ ¡°Hmm?¡± What¡¯s a masukis? ¡°What?¡± she turns at me with wide eyes. ¡°Who taught you that word?!¡± A friend, Ranlan. She told me I was a ¡®masukis¡¯. ¡°Your friend¡­ do you think your friend is telling the truth?¡± Yeah, she¡¯s trustworthy. She¡¯s number one in Jade, after all. ¡°I see¡­.¡± she mumbled, looking into the distance as if deeply envisioning something. So¡­ what does it mean? ¡°Eh? Oh, erm¡­ it means that you¡¯re, uh¡­ someone who¡­ follows orders, I guess¡­¡± Am I? ¡°W©¤Who knows?¡± If that¡¯s what it is, I kind of see where Ranlan is coming from. She probably said that because I said I preferred Douzhen over Karyat, and the former did give out a lot of orders while he was mentor. ¡°We¡¯ll see if you¡¯re really a ¡®masukis¡¯ tonight.¡± Sorry? ¡°Ahem. It¡¯s nothing, Fay, It¡¯s nothing¡­~¡± === === === --- --- --- === === === Something happened in the Hall of Elders that night. The sounds of a desperate fist, knocking on the ancient door, echoed through the hall long after the valley had gone to sleep. When someone finally opened the door, the mysterious knocker fell flat into the floor inside. ¡°Who are you? Identify yourself,¡± the guard demanded. The man was too fatigued, and from the looks of his bloodied clothes, too injured to answer. He did manage a whisper, though. The guard had to lean in near his face to hear it. His voice was soft and rasped, but what he said then, the guard would never mistake those words. ¡°Demon¡­ is coming¡­¡±
Chapter 33 : Tough Love Chapter 33 Tough Love Death. The one thing everyone runs away from. Unseen, but always there, lurking around the corner. Waiting, always waiting, cold and patient for you to turn your back on it. Years, even decades away, but you know it¡¯s there and still you refuse to see it. You know it¡¯s coming, but everything you do, it¡¯s all to make yourself blind to it. But what happens when you do see it? Will you keep running, or will you embrace it? Or what if you could do neither of them? The answer to that was something I wished I had at that time. When I opened my eyes, the memories came rushing back; the three-headed monster, the floor that crumbled beneath me, and¡­ ¡­Eretz, he was¡­ ¡­But the time for grief didn¡¯t last long before the pain came surging in. I looked down at my abdomen, and realized I was already on my way to meet the wolf. Like needle through wool, a pillar of stone pierced through my flesh, keeping my body in the air like some kind of sick decoration. My limbs were no longer mine, and my consciousness was already at its limits trying to fence the pain away. Death was certain and yet, if I could die from something like that, I would¡¯ve died a long time ago¡ª maybe from blood loss, maybe from shock. Either way, I couldn¡¯t die even if I wished it. I can¡¯t remember if I did. My mind was adrift, running away because my body couldn¡¯t. I wanted to wake up, but then the pain would come back, so there I was, hanging like a boar on a stake, ready to be feasted upon. I waited for something to happen. Death or escape, I didn¡¯t know what it was I wanted, so I just waited... until I decided that I¡¯d waited enough, that it¡¯s time for me to wake up. ¡¸ Thou art afraid, little lass? ¡¹ It was a formless voice that spoke from memories, yet it was clearer than everything else. ¡¸ Keep being afraid. Keep being alive. ¡¹ Alive... The pain came back. The agonizing pain, unlike anything I¡¯ve felt before, the pain that reminded me of the one thing I had¡ª the only thing I had from the start. I am... alive¡­! I pushed, with the legs I couldn¡¯t feel, against the ground to try and pull myself out. A¡­gg..ah¡­ My foot slipped and gravity cheered as it pushed me down into the spike. Then I tried again, only to fall deeper. It came to the point where with every stumble, I prayed for the pain to finally kill me. Just¡­ killme¡­ I begged into the darkness. I couldn¡¯t take it. It was too much to live for, but something certainly wanted me alive. Something wanted me to endure this eternal pain for whatever sin I know nothing of. ¡¸ ...know the ways of mana, whence they come, and how they form... ¡¹ Magic... I closed my eyes and push the pain away again. However, this time, I wasn¡¯t running away. Like the time Eretz used me as a conduit, I let my mind slip into a realm beyond my own. ¡¸ Within and without, agnize their existence. Feel the flow... ¡¹ How¡­ did he do it...? The pulsating air, the veins of the walls... it all started to rush into my senses. Then I felt it. Like a member of my own body, I felt the stone, the rock in my gut and how it connects to the ground below. How did Eretz¡­ break those walls... I remembered how he gathered mana inside me before directing it into the wall, using raw energy to break the molecular bonds. I remembered the feeling, so I tried to imitate it, and... I did it. I don¡¯t know how, but before long, I was burning from the mana filling up. I directed it, transferring them from my flesh to the spike, then down towards the base. Not¡­ enough... I kept gathering more mana and kept directing it. It burned like a roaring flame inside me, drowning out the pain of flesh and replacing it with something else. Something more terrifying. -Crack- Finally, I could feel the spike faltering at its base. -Crack- -Crack- When I felt my body falling, I used all my strength to pull my body to the side and fell as the spike broke in half, with its pointy half still embedded in me. As soon as my skin touched the ground, all my senses came running back. All the blood, all the tears in my flesh¡ª no matter how many times I groaned and squirmed, they just wouldn¡¯t go away. I was cold and in pain, but I was free. I only had to pull out what¡¯s left of the spike, but then.... ¡­Something was there. Unseen, but always there, lurking around the corner. Waiting, always waiting, cold and patient for me tofree myself. Those three pairs of glowing eyes, all of them were burning with hunger, all of them were looking at me. I don¡¯t remember much of what happened next. I remember running, and not much of everything else. ¡­Yes. So much running. And then I was eaten. === === === === === === ¡°...-ke up...¡± Ungh... ¡°Wake up, Fay!¡± Nn..ngah...? I wake up abruptly to a throbbing pain in my cheek. Not only that, it feels as if a rock is on top of me. Oh. Not a rock, but a teacher. ¡­Teacher? ¡°Fay!¡± She looks panicked. Ugh¡­ What is it? Did something happen? ¡°You were screaming in your sleep, so... I had to wake you up.¡± I was¡­ ¡°screaming?¡± ¡°It¡­ felt like you were screaming.¡± I raise a brow at her. Right... ¡°I¡¯m not messing around with you.¡± No, I get it. Did my thrashing around wake you up? ¡°No... well, yes, but...¡± Sorry about that. She narrows her eyes at me, her gaze so full of emotion that I can¡¯t identify. ¡°Don¡¯t say that.¡± What do you mean? ¡°Never say sorry for things that hurt you as well.¡± ¡­Is that a new rule? ¡°Yes. Third rule¡ª¡° Fourth. ¡°Right. Fourth rule.¡± ¡­Do you feel sorry for me, teacher? ¡°......¡± You shouldn''t. It¡¯s just a nightmare, teacher.Just a nightmare... ¡°You don¡¯t sound convinced.¡± No, that¡¯s not¡­ ¡°Is everything fine, Inzhi?¡± a voice said from somewhere outside the bedroom. ¡°It¡¯s fine! Everything¡¯s fine!¡± Who? ¡°Ginny. A friend of mine.¡± ¡°Ginny?¡± It didn¡¯t sound like a girl¡¯s voice. More like an old man¡¯s. ¡°Gihan. Ginny. He¡¯s one of the elders. You met him yesterday.¡± Oh, I see. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡­¡­ The seconds tick away as we stare at each other in that awkward position; her on top, straddling me on the bed. ¡°¡­Huh. Maybe you are a ¡®masukis¡¯.¡± There¡¯s a dangerous flash in her eyes as she said that. T©¤Teach? ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m going away for a bit. Not a bit, actually. There¡¯s something I need to tell you first.¡± Go ahead, by all means. I sigh a breath of relief when she finally gets off me to sit at the side of the bed. It felt like I was in danger for a second there. So?I crawl to her side and sit beside her. It better warrant slapping me awake. ¡°One of the scouts returned last night.¡± Oh? ¡°Or morning. Didn¡¯t look at the clock.¡± Was it him©¤ I mean, was it Douzhen? ¡°No, it was one of his men. He was injured and has been unconscious since, but when he came, he said, ¡®the demon is coming¡¯.¡± I guess that¡¯s it for planning, then. ¡°Fay¡­¡± Uh-oh¡­ I know those eyes. I probably won¡¯t like what I¡¯m going to hear next. What is it, teach? I asked, steeling myself. ¡°Ever since that one person returned, there¡¯s been no word from the scouts.¡± I see. ¡°The elders fear they¡¯re already¡­¡± I just stare back into her silently, her next words already forming itself in my head. ¡°No, but¡­ Look. Your mentor, he¡¯s the best drachtal in the valley. I¡¯m sure he and the others are¡­ fine...¡± She trailed off at the end, doubting her own words. Suddenly, I feel a slight pain in my hands, then I realize my nails are digging into my own flesh. When I notice it, my heart is already beating faster than it should be. I release my hands as I take a deep breath. He was your mentor too. ¡°¡­¡­¡± Another moment of silence comes between us, until someone shuffling outside the room brings us back from our thoughts. ¡°So, about this¡­ they¡¯ve started evacuations on the fringes. It¡¯s been hectic.¡± How about the dragons? ¡°We¡¯ve already sent for help, but we don¡¯t know how long until word reaches them. In the first place, interfering with our world is against their law and¡­¡± So we¡¯re on our own? But, Gerra said¡­ ¡°¡­Everyone¡¯s been busy,¡± she said, derailing the topic, ¡°every drachtal and augur are called in to help. And now they need me.¡± Now? Like, ¡®now¡¯ now? ¡°Yes.¡± Okay, I¡¯ll get prepared right away©¤ ¡°They need me. Not you.¡± Her words stop me just as I¡¯m about to get my bearings. Then I look back at her. ¡­You¡¯re not doing this to me. ¡°I am.¡± Is she¡­ serious? She can¡¯t be. ¡°You, stay here,¡± she said in a voice I never thought to hear from her. It was not an advice nor a request. It was a command.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. No, I answered. ¡°As your teacher, I©¤¡± I said no. ¡°This isn¡¯t a joke!¡± she jumps up from the bed and glares me down. I glare back at her. And I¡¯m not joking. ¡°Damn it, Fay. Do you even know what could happen out there?¡± Yes, I do. I met one, remember? ¡°Of course. Lyrfanas. She¡¯s exactly why I don¡¯t want you going out there.¡± We don¡¯t even know if it¡¯s her! ¡°And what if it is her?!¡± All the more reason I should go out there! ¡®I¡¯m¡¯ the one who¡¯ve faced her before! ¡®I¡¯m¡¯ the one who can help the most©¤ ¡°Help?¡± She suddenly shoves me back, then continues to push me against the wall with a single arm. ¡°See? Can¡¯t even push me back, can you? And you want to help?¡± ¡­I can burn you, though. ¡°And burn the vale with me?¡± Or I can use water magic to©¤ ¡°That¡¯s not the point, Fay! You can¡¯t even fully control your magic yet! You¡¯ll just end up becoming another threat!¡± I shove her arm off me. And whose fault do you think that is? ¡°Excuse me?¡± If you were actually teaching me instead of©¤ ¡°I am teaching you!¡± About what? Colloquial writing? Which verbs to use? All you ever taught me was©¤ ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going to be with you forever?! Just because the people here can ¡®hear¡¯ you, doesn¡¯t mean the people out there can! Writing is the only way you can©¤¡± Oh, bite me! Three months! That¡¯s what you promised! You said you¡¯d make me an arcanist in three months, and it¡¯s been two fucking months already, and I¡¯m not even close! ¡°No, no, don¡¯t you go there©¤¡± You said I¡¯m more than just a pupil. What am I, exactly? What am ¡°I¡± to you? Just someone to keep you company? ¡°What¡­? Do you even need to ask that?!¡± The deal was just to make me an arcanist, ¡°teacher¡±. So what¡¯s with all the bullshite with Acquisition or whatever the fuck that is? Seems to me that you¡¯re just stalling©¤ ¡°I am not!¡± Then why all this pointless stuff you¡¯re making me do©¤ ¡°Because I care about you!¡± ¡­¡­¡­¡­ ¡­Because she cares about¡­ The sound of her heavy breathing is all I can hear. Her teary eyes, still glaring at me, are speaking words she¡¯d never say to me. (Because I care about you.) It took me a second to register what she said, and to understand what she actually meant. After taking a deep breath, I realize I¡¯m also out of breath, despite not actually ¡°speaking¡± like she did. ¡°Umm, Inzhi? Everything alright in there©¤¡± ¡°GINNY, WHAT DID I TELL YOU ABOUT ENTERING A GIRL¡¯S ROOM?!¡± The old man was only there for a near-instant before scurrying off somewhere, clearly afraid of teacher¡¯s wanton rage. As she turns her attention back to me, I realize something off in what she said. (Because I care about you.) And yet she wants to imprison me. All she¡¯s doing is yielding to her own fear of losing me. Does she not realize this harms me more than anyone? Hmph. Some ¡°teacher¡± you are©¤ ¡­.. Eh? ¡­Ow? After the impact, my field of vision is all jumbled up. There¡¯s a stinging pain on my cheek, and when I come to, I¡¯m already sprawled on the floor. Ow. That fucking hurts. She even had the nerves to hit me in the exact same spot as that wake-up-slap. Before I can say anything, my mouth are shut by her glare. Her lips are trembling, hiding the emotions beneath her voice as she says to me, ¡°Stay.¡± I¡¯m not your pet, is what I was about to say. Then I realize nothing I say will go through to her, and nothing she says will go through to me. Probably realizing the same thing, she turns around and leaves the room, slapping the door shut behind her. I start pacing around the room while looking for something to throw in fury, but everything¡¯s either too heavy or too expensive. Fuck. I can hear people talking just outside the room. I could try listening in, but I don¡¯t want to. Just¡­ shite. Fucking shite, fopdoodler, biggoty Fay. How did it come to this? What were we even fighting about¡­ Oh, right. About her grounding me. She¡¯s just scared of losing you. Yes, I know that. Doesn¡¯t make it right. What were you going to do if she let you go? I don¡¯t know. Something? Better than sit around and do nothing. What are you waiting for, then? ¡­You¡¯re right. I walk up to the window and just as I¡¯m thinking what to do next, a figure appears walking towards the house. ¡­Karyat. So he¡¯s the one who will be watching me. Maybe I could wait until he¡¯s inside the house, and then go out the window. ¡­No, that won¡¯t work. Karyat is a drachtal, not to mention that teacher and her friend is still here. I won¡¯t make it past the lab. Haah¡­ What to do, what to do¡­ Ow¡­ My cheek¡¯s probably really red, isn¡¯t it? My eyes as well. As if I¡¯d let Karyat see me like this. Thinking that, I jump into the bed and bury my face in the blankets, curling up like a pitiful pillbug. Maybe that¡¯s what I am. Just a sad, pathetic bug. That¡¯s your plan? Go back to sleep and wallow in self-pity? Leave me alone. --- --- --- The door creaks open and someone walks in. His steps are heavy, which means, not teacher. Which means, she already left. She didn¡¯t even say goodbye to me, despite the fact that we might never see each other again. What gives her the right¡­ ¡°Sorry?¡± What gives her the right to keep me safe? What if ¡®I¡¯ want to keep her safe? ¡°Umm¡­¡± Shut up, Karyat. I¡¯m not talking to you. What are you doing in my room, anyway? ¡°Inzhi and Gihan already left.¡± Mm... ¡°She told me to watch over you.¡± Mm... ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I promised her that I¡¯ll keep you saf©¤ where are you going?¡± he asked when I suddenly got off the bed. I look at him with a boorish stare, answering, Bathroom. ¡°Oh, okay.¡± Mm... ¡°Wait, your cheek¡­¡± He stops himself as he¡¯s about to say more. Yes, yes, bruised cheek, red eyes, the gentleman figured it out. Thanks for not asking. I go over to the closet and grab a towel and a change of clothes, then I walk past him and find my way to the bathroom. While I try to sort out my mind, I turn on the faucet for the tub. The pipes vibrate as the pump draws water from a nearby well, causing the house to make some creaking noises. Might take a while¡ªthe well¡¯s pretty deep and the equipment is primitive, as you¡¯d might expect from a place like this. Then, when I¡¯m about to close the door, there¡¯s a wild Karyat standing in the way. ¡­Can I help you? ¡°¡¯Don¡¯t let her out of sight, not even in the bathroom.¡¯ That¡¯s what your teacher said to me.¡± I see. He looks over my shoulders. ¡°Are you going to bathe?¡± Yes. ¡°You know, the weather¡¯s pretty cold. I think it¡¯s fine if you don¡¯t.¡± Ah, the water¡¯s started pouring. It¡¯s straight from the soil, should be warm enough. ¡°Are you still¡­ going to¡­¡± Oh. I was wrong. It¡¯s cold. Ignoring the man standing in the doorway, I start taking off my robes. Even without looking, I can hear him shifting uncomfortably as I take off my garments, piece by piece. ¡°Urgh¡­!¡± Karyat swiftly turns his body around, though I don¡¯t know if it was due to embarrassment, or disgust. Am I too unsightly for you? ¡°¡­Sorry.¡± So even to a hardened drachtal like him, this body is repulsive. I guess it was my own fault to have expected something different. ¡­It¡¯s cold. ¡°¡­...¡± Nothing that can¡¯t be fixed with a little magic, though. Teacher happens to like hot water baths, so just by tinkering with the mana stones under the tub, vapor starts raising from the water. Mentor. ¡°¡­..¡± Mentor. ¡°I©¤I¡¯m not looking...¡± Still shying his gaze from me, his body jerks when I suddenly approach him from behind. Would you be so kind? I asked as I hand my clothes for him to hold on to. He obediently takes it without saying anything. I smile to myself as I walk back to the tub, then turning the faucet as far as it allows. === === === --- --- --- === === === Karyat is in a predicament right now. He¡¯s frozen in place, with a bundle of clothes in his hands. Did I offend her¡­? he thought to himself. He only saw it for a split-second, but he did see it. He was told that she was a slave before, but¡­ he didn¡¯t think it would be that bad. That, combined with the sight of her bare skin, was what made him react like that. I should say something¡­ While thinking of all that, the faucet is turned to its fullest, causing the sound of falling water to fill his ears. Heated by the mana-stones, the vapor from the hot water rises, slowly filling the entire room. Karyat closes his eyes as he laments his fate. Clearly, something happened before he came here. He thought that Inzhi seemed emotional when he greeted her earlier, and then looking at her apprentice¡¯s face, it doesn¡¯t take a genius to know what¡¯s going on. And now he made it worse. He has to fix it. ¡°Pardon¡­ I don¡¯t find you unsightly. On the contrary, I find your body quite appealing¡­¡± Only after he said those words did he realize it sounded very wrong in this context. ¡°No, what I mean to say is¡­ huh?¡± Then he notices his soles getting wet. (Don¡¯t let her out of sight.) ¡°Oh, crap¡­¡± That moment, he realizes he¡¯d made a mistake, but by the time he turns around, it¡¯s already too late. There¡¯s nothing there but the foggy air and an overflowing tub. At the other end of the bath, a small ventilation shaft is left open. It¡¯s so small that you wouldn¡¯t usually think of anyone going through it. But she could. She intentionally kept the water on to mask the sound of her climbing out, and made all this vapor to make it harder for Karyat to see her shadow moving around. She even gave him her clothes to put his guard down, because who¡¯d think she¡¯d escape without them! ¡°Tch.¡± He underestimated her. He should¡¯ve understood from the start, that Inzhi wouldn¡¯t give such clear instructions unless there was a good reason for it. He rushes out the house like the wind and start running from there. She couldn¡¯t have gone too far. From what he¡¯s heard, she¡¯s much weaker than the others in Acquisition. Not to mention that she is without clothes. There¡¯s no way she can get away. Taking into consideration that she just fought with her teacher, and the fact that she just ran outside perfectly nude, her mind might not be in the right condition. She might be in danger! Thinking that, he runs down the hill with all his might. === === === --- --- --- === === === ¡­Is he gone? I poke my head out from behind the tub to see that Karyat has indeed left. Idiot. Phew, the vapor was starting to get too hot there. Okay, I finally have the space I need. Now what? ¡­.. ¡­¡­¡­. I didn¡¯t think that far, to be honest. Idiot. Say what?! F©¤First thing¡¯s first, after getting my bearings, I tread sneakily towards the front door, just in case Karyat is still around. But it looks like that he¡¯s not. Hot-blooded veterans like him are surprisingly easy to trick. Mwahaha¡­ On the way to the front, I notice the door to teacher¡¯s study is left open. It¡¯s never open before, nor have I ever seen her use the room. She mostly sticks to the lab ever since we start living separately. Driven by curiosity, I walk into the room to see if there¡¯s anything incriminating I can¡ª Ahem. I mean, to see if there¡¯s any news about the demon. The room is mostly empty. Teacher moved most of her stuff to the lab, so the room is bare except for a single piece of paper on her desk. There¡¯s an open envelope beside it. My detective senses say it¡¯s a letter. ¡­Whatever is in it is probably private. Which means, I have to read it. < Translating¡­ > ¡­Huh? It¡¯s not like what I thought it is. The way it¡¯s composed¡­ some kind of report?
Here is my conclusion on the subject; no strength, no agility, no endurance to speak of. Total weakling.
Pfft. This sounds like something Zethran would say to me.
A twelve years old can probably win in a fistfight.
¡­Okay, now it¡¯s starting to sound like Zethran.
Vimic cultivation are less than piteous when first inscribed. Frankly, the weakest I¡¯ve ever trained. The results from the physical tests are so low I thought it might be a mistake, but it¡¯s not. Makes me think that a banana peel could easily kill her.
Wahaha! Whoever the report is about must be really pathetic.
She also lies on a compulsive basis. Tends to disregard authority, and morals are dubious at best. Quite a bad influence on other scribes.
Wow, what a problem scribe.
No particular talent to speak of. Coordination is horrendous, she even trips on the lowest hurdles. Reflexes are superb, though with nothing to control it, she¡¯s nothing but a wild monkey with a stick. It pains me to say, it seems that magic is her only talent.
Pfft, compared to a monkey, now. Hahaha¡­ ¡­. ¡­I don¡¯t know who this is about. I truly don¡¯t. Ah, there¡¯s something more below.
But the most important thing to note is her mental health. In sparring sessions, she¡¯d talk to this imaginary ¡°Necksi¡± and often smile, giggle, and laugh by herself. The fact that she doesn¡¯t make a sound makes it even more disturbing. The most extreme case is when she¡ª
Oh, my mistake. That¡¯s the end of the report. There¡¯s nothing else. ¡­Or is there? There¡¯s another piece of paper hidden in the envelope. It¡¯s a bit crumpled for some reason. < Translating¡­ >
PS: Forgive me for doing this in the post-script of a letter, for I can¡¯t muster the courage to say this directly. I¡¯m just an old man, you see. Forgive me for being brazen. The elders have been questioning me for being an old bachelor, and you¡¯re at an age where you should start thinking about settling down as well. Also, it took me a while to realize it, but I am attracted to you. Very much, as a matter of fact. Despite our age difference, you and I get along well, but I believe we can make something more from it.I¡¯ve been thinking about our relationship. We¡¯re no longer mentor and pupil since you graduated Acquisition a long time ago, and I don¡¯t think what¡¯s between us is something to be called ¡°friendship¡± either. I know you may not feel the same. I know you prefer women, but I think, as an adult, you should think of stability above all else. I can give you that. Love may come a long way, but I¡¯m confident that I can make you happy©¤
¡­I¡¯ve read enough. A report and¡­ a love letter. I can¡¯t really tell the difference. Both are so stiff, but that¡¯s just like him, I guess. But honestly, what were you thinking? With your age, you could be her dad, you know? Are you a pervert? You a pervert? You¡¯re a pervert. Even worse,
I know you prefer women
What is up with that. You knew, and you wrote this anyway. You have no right to say that I¡¯m©¤ I mean, no right to say that someone else is mentally ill. ¡­Ah, damn it. My eyes hurt because of all the vapor earlier. I also seem to have inhaled too much, because my lungs feel heavy now. Does that even make sense? What? Don¡¯t ask me. ¡°¡­Was that our mentor?¡± Huh? There¡¯s voices coming from outside. Who? ¡°I think so.¡± (???) ¡°Good thing we hid. But what was he doing here?¡± (???) Wait, I know these voices. Quietly, I go to the front and slam the door open to greet them. ¡°Bugyaah?!¡± Hi. ¡°By the goddess, you scared me, Fay!¡± I grin at her. My, Ranlan? There was a weird sound, so I thought a pig must¡¯ve gone lost. ¡°Why you¡­¡± What are you doing here? ¡°We were coming to pick you up!¡± Pick me up? Saving that question for later, I turn to the guy beside her. ¡°Hello, Fay.¡± Anlong greeted me. Why are you even here, pretty boy? Do you have nothing to do? Is life so boring that you¡¯d rather hear me prattle about things you can¡¯t hear? ¡°Ahem. So¡­ What was the mentor doing here? And he left so quickly too. Something must¡¯ve happened,¡± Ranlan said. Karyat was assigned to watch over me. ¡°Watch over you? Why?¡± It¡¯s complicated. Anyway, I tricked him into thinking that I escaped. Your turn. What are you doing here? ¡°Oh, uh¡­¡± She looks over to Anlong, which in turns says to me, ¡°We need your help.¡± Cool. Let¡¯s go. ¡°Really?¡± (Ranlan) ¡°What did she say?¡± (Anlong) ¡°She said ¡®let¡¯s go.¡¯ This is easier than I thought it would be.¡± Is there any reason why it would be hard? ¡°N©¤No, not at all, but¡­ are you okay?¡± Yeah, I¡¯m okay. ¡°Are you sure? Your eyes are¡­¡± I said I¡¯m okay, Ran. Now are we going or not? They look at each other silently before Ran hops forward to lead the way. As I suspected, those from the Jade are probably helping out with the evacuations. Everyone except me. I know teacher will be angry with me, but she needs to know that I don¡¯t need protection. Not because I¡¯m strong, but because no one can protect me. Not her, not Douzhen, and certainly not that joke of a Karyat. Not from demons at least. ¡­Eh? ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Fay?¡± No, it¡¯s nothing. It¡¯s probably just my imagination, but¡­ was that a spider just now?
Chapter 34 : Where the Abyss Gazes Back Chapter 35 Where the Abyss Gazes Back ¡°¡­Her? You brought her?¡± He doesn¡¯t sound very pleased to see me. I guess I should¡¯ve expected Zethran to be here as well, else I would¡¯ve prepared something for the occasion. Is your bloodline alright? Why did you have to say that? Look, he¡¯s going to kill you now. What have you done? Curiously, the place Ranlan brought me to is a clearing somewhere in the forest, away from any of the villages. I said curious because there¡¯s no one to evacuate here, nor is it a route for one. Maybe the evacuees are hiding on the trees. Or maybe Zethran¡¯s face scared them off. The latter seems more likely. Where¡¯s the rest? I asked, looking around. All I can see are Zethran, Douqi, Anlong, and Ranlan. Quite an unlikely group of people. What is this, some kind of secret gathering? Count me out, please. ¡°The rest?¡± Zethran asked back, accidently flashing his beautiful teeth at me. The rest of Jade. Did you split chores or something? He makes an annoyed groan as he looks at the girl beside me. ¡°You didn¡¯t even explain it to her?¡± ¡°Umm¡­it¡¯s just us,¡± Ranlan said, turning towards me. ¡°The rest of Jade are helping with the evacuations.¡± Then why aren¡¯t you? ¡°We, uh¡­ slipped out.¡± ¡­Slipped out? ¡°Don¡¯t you think the elders are blinded by fear? Someone needs to do something. The scouts are missing, even villagers are, and yet all we¡¯re doing is helping people run away.¡± Oh, I think I get it now. So you¡¯re trying to do something brilliant on your own. ¡°It¡¯s not funny! We¡¯re Jade, we¡¯re supposed to be out there fighting!¡± And that¡¯s how it is. I can somehow see how it played out. Anlong is not a pushover, but being a gentleman, he couldn¡¯t refuse when Ranlan asked for his help. Next, Douqi¡¯s motives is as easyto see as the center of the sun, fat chance there. As for that one¡­ ¡°Hey, don¡¯t look at me. It was her idea,¡± Zethran said. Okay, sure, but why the hell would you go along with it? So, what is it that you need my ¡®help¡¯ with? ¡°Anlong said the elders consulted you about the demon. Wasn¡¯t that what why they brought you to the Hall of Elders?¡± Ranlan explained. Anlong? I look at the boy in question. He fidgets under my gaze, answering despite not being able to hear me, ¡°Uh¡­ my father said you encountered a demon before.¡± Anmal, huh. I seem to remember them saying it was all confidential. Of course, everyone knows nothing is confidential when it comes to family. Fucking church-bell. If that¡¯s why you came for me, you¡¯re planning to go after the demon? Tilting her head, Ranlan answers with a confident voice, ¡°Of course.¡± She¡¯s not serious, is she? No, she is serious. That¡¯s the kind of girl she is. And here I thought she only came to get me because I was absent from the group. To think that she actually needed my help¡­ ¡°So, umm¡­ You¡¯re helping, right?¡± ¡­I guess I should¡¯ve asked first. ¡°Eh?¡± I¡¯m sorry, Ran. I¡¯m not helping you. Not when it¡¯s a demon you¡¯re after. ¡°Hah,¡± Zethran snorted at me. ¡­Is something funny, Zeth? ¡°Figured that¡¯s what you¡¯d say. This is who she really is, Ran. Not Jade, let alone demon-slayer, just a little bitch.¡± ¡°Oy, you©¤¡± ¡°Zip it, Ant-ling. I told you guys from the start, didn¡¯t I? I told you that she¡¯s just a little pallid bitch that only knows how to pull pretty strings. Just listen to her. Despite everything Ranlan did for her, she won¡¯t even lift a finger to help her. Pathetic little coward.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not true!¡± Ranlan blew at him, ¡°I¡¯m sure she has her©¤¡± No, she¡¯s right, Ran. And if you knew better, you¡¯d run as well. ¡°I¡­ I won¡¯t run! If we don¡¯t fight, then who will? This is the time to stand!¡± Heh¡­ ¡°What are you laughing about?!¡± You always have to be the hero, don¡¯t you, Ran? Her face borders on confusion and disbelief when she asks, ¡°What do you mean?¡± The only reason you can say stuff like that is because you¡¯ve never been ¡®there¡¯ before. ¡°Been where, exactly?¡± Zethran challenged. Where the abyss gazes back. ¡°I¡¯m not afraid of death,¡± Ranlan steps in with a hand on her chest, ¡°I will protect the vale, even if I have to give my life.¡± Yes, of course that¡¯s what you¡¯d say now. When you¡¯re there, all that courage, all those ideals won¡¯t help you. And when you realize there¡¯s no one there to save you, only then, will you realize the meaning of fear. I drop my gaze down to the ground, not because I¡¯m unable to meet them in the eyes. My neck just happens to be tired. I¡¯m sorry, Ran. I¡¯m not going, and I hope you won¡¯t as well. Not bothering to hear her answer, I walk away and let them talk into my back. ¡°Uh, so¡­ she¡¯s not coming, then?¡± (Anlong) ¡°Let the bitch go, Ran. All this is a bad idea, anyway. We should just get back to the others.¡± (Zethran) ¡°No, I¡¯m not going back! Fay, I know you¡¯ll come! I¡¯ll wait for you! I know you¡¯ll come!¡± (Ranlan) I won¡¯t go, no matter how many times you say I¡¯ll come. There¡¯s this thing called foreplay, you know. If you go for it right away, no one will come. You¡¯d just go limp. Limp, as in, dead. It¡¯s fine if it was helping out with evacuations and stuff. But you want me to go after the demon. That¡¯s the one thing I can¡¯t do. Because I promised teacher. So you¡¯re leaving them, then? ¡­They¡¯ll smarten up on their own. And what if they don¡¯t? Four scribes against a demon? You have more chances on beating Mentor Heartbreak in a fist-fight. Don¡¯t you think I know that? It doesn¡¯t have anything to do with me. Does it? I¡¯m not going. The elders have a plan. They¡¯ll take care of it. If you¡¯re so sure, why did you leave the house? I¡­ I don¡¯t know. I thought there was something I could do, but¡­ I¡¯m not sure anymore. Perhaps, ¡®he¡¯ can help you. Eh? < Incoming transmission; ID, errlessLord. Establishing bipartite link¡­ > < Link established. > I stop walking. Not just walking, even the simplest act of breathing became impossible when I see that name. Errless Lord, also known as¡­ ¡­Thalvos? < It¡¯s me. > What¡­ but, why? I am not prepared for this, nor will I ever be when it comes to him. < The monastery will fall. Unless you want to fall with it, get out of there now. > The monastery will¡­ wait, how did you know where I am? < That¡¯s irrelevant. You don¡¯t have much time. Pack up and get going. > I¡­ I can¡¯t. < Yes, you can. There¡¯s nothing keeping you, is there? > ¡­Yes there is. I still need her. She said she¡¯d go with me if I get kicked out the vale, but would she go with me and abandon her home to demise? I can¡¯t possibly ask that of her, but what can I do? Lie to her? Even if I could, then what? She¡¯d never forgive me, and that¡¯ll be the end of our relationship. Just escape on my own, then? ¡­Can I really leave her behind, like I left them? < Are you listening? Time is wasting, and yours is running out. > No, I can¡¯t leave. < Care to tell me why? > Because I can¡¯t keep running forever. < ¡­I see. So that¡¯s your choice. > It is. I¡­ I¡¯ll stay. I¡¯ll stay here and fight the demon. Maybe we have a chance. Maybe, with teacher, with Douzhen, with Jade¡­ With everyone, maybe there¡¯s a chance. < Very admirable, but the demon is not the threat. > Eh? < There are worse things than demons in the world, Fay. Surely you know that. > Worse things than demons¡­ ¡­Like Grim. And you. But I¡¯m not so crazy to say that out loud. < Yes. Like Grim, as well as what¡¯s coming your way now. > What¡­? What are you talking about? What¡¯s coming? < Storm, Fay. Storm is coming, and it will kill everything unless you kill the demon first. > Storm? Wait, what are you©¤ < Connection terminated. > You son of a¡­ Aargh. Curse you, Thalvos! At least you know what to do now, right? ¡­Yeah. I guess I do. Running may be the best action to take, but when it¡¯s not an option, the only thing left to do is to take the initiative and attack. Well then, I¡¯m sure I won¡¯t regret this later. --- --- --- When I arrive, I am met with Ranlan¡¯s heartfelt smile. ¡°I knew you¡¯d come back.¡± Don¡¯t be smug. I return her smile, albeit missing the heartfelt part. ¡°See? I told you, Zeth.¡± ¡°Tch. Whatever.¡± Okay, so we¡¯re against a demon with an army of beasts, but that¡¯s the easy part. And here comes the hard part¡ªconvincing these guys to do it my way. Before you jump into anything, I¡¯ll tell you this first; I will only help if you agree to my terms. Thus, the gentle gaze of Zethran is on me once again. ¡°Oh, your terms? You expect us to follow your rules?¡± Ugh¡­ don¡¯t beat me up yet, please. It gets even better. N©¤No, not just rules. I expect you to follow my ¡®orders¡¯. And without question. Before the fiery door of hell could open, Douqi interrupts, ¡°Agreed.¡± ¡°Who the fuck asked you?!¡± (Zethran) ¡°What is it? What¡¯s going on?¡± (Anlong) ¡°She wants us to¡­ follow her orders?¡± (Ranlan) ¡°What do you mean?¡± (Anlong) We need a leader to direct the others. I¡¯m the only obvious choice here. ¡°Say what?!¡± Zethran spat at me. He always seems to have so much to spray. Hypersalivation? Erm¡­ T©¤There¡¯s two reasons why©¤ He raises his fists threateningly. ¡°More like two holes in your gut!¡± But there¡¯s one already¡­ ¡­I¡¯m the only one who knows what we¡¯re up against. I¡¯m also the most experienced in real battles. Lastly, I am able to discern the enemies¡¯ weaknesses better than any of you. ¡°That¡¯s three.¡± (Douqi) ¡°What is it? What is she saying?¡± (Anlong) ¡°Umm¡­ I¡¯ll explain later, Anlong.¡± (Ranlan) ¡°What makes you think you¡¯re better than any of us, you whiner!¡± (Zethran) Oh? Tell me, then. When was the last time you were in a real fight? And I don¡¯t mean those squabbles you call spars, where numbers are the only thing at stake. ¡°¡¯Squabbles?!¡¯ Okay, that¡¯s it. I¡¯m going to fuck you up©¤¡± Before Zethran even took a step, two figures are already in front of me. ¡°Stop it.¡± (Anlong) ¡°Behave, big guy. Hear her out first.¡± (Ranlan) Zethran clicks his tongue as he steps back, apparently calming down because now he asks, ¡°And your pallid ass has been in ¡®real¡¯ fights before, then?¡± I have. I was a battle slave in the first place. I had to fight to survive. Not only that, I also acquired a skill that allows me to analyze my opponents within seconds. ¡°¡­What do you mean?¡± Ah, I can¡¯t really tell them about Nexy, can I? Let¡¯s just say it¡¯s a special kind of magic. Remember those spars I correctly predicted? That¡¯s how I did it. ¡°That¡¯s not what I¡¯m asking.¡± Hmm? ¡°No, well¡­ you dropped a huge bomb just now,¡± Ranlan said. What bomb? ¡°You said were¡­ a slave?¡± You didn¡¯t know? ¡°No, I never... umm, sorry¡­¡± Come to think of it, I never told anyone, and teacher wouldn¡¯t go around telling people either. There¡¯s no way they would¡¯ve known.Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. Yes, I was a slave until recently. A battle slave, to be exact. Which is why, despite what you think, I know more about survival than any of you. I leer at Zethran, directing that last part to him. His brows knits together as his eyes wander in thought, probably not even noticing my remark. In that pleasant atmosphere, I continue, Look, we don¡¯t have time for pleasantries. Is there any objections with you following my directions? ¡°No.¡± (Douqi) ¡°N©¤No¡­¡± (Ranlan) ¡°¡­No.¡± (Zethran) Huh? Douqi agreeing may be an enigma, but you too, Zeth? Weren¡¯t you going to throw cheap racial insults at me? I still have more comebacks prepared, you know? There¡¯s even one involving anvils and your jaw. No, wait. More importantly, there¡¯s one other person here. ¡°W©¤What? Why is everyone looking at me?¡± the pretty boy said, clearly having no clue about what¡¯s going on. He¡¯s not coming. ¡°Eh? Why?¡± Ranlan asked. Do I even have to explain? He¡¯ll bog us down. ¡°But you can¡¯t do that to him!¡± Do ¡®what¡¯, Ran? It¡¯s not like he¡¯s got any special reason for this. I¡¯m sure he¡¯s just here because you dragged him along, anyway. ¡°Fay, you dumbwit¡­ he does have a reason!¡± ¡°She doesn¡¯t want me here, does she?¡± said the boy in question. No, I don¡¯t, I nod at him. Run along, now. Shoo. ¡°Well, that won¡¯t do. I¡¯m still going with you.¡± You what? I shake my head repeatedly at him. ¡°That¡¯s right, Anlong. Don¡¯t lose to her!¡± Don¡¯t encourage him, Ran. ¡°I don¡¯t care what you say, Fay. If you¡¯re going, I¡¯m going,¡± ¡°Nicely said! Hear that, Fay? You won¡¯t go anywhere without him!¡± Why is it about me, all of a sudden? What do you think, Zeth? ¡°You¡¯re asking me?¡± Yeah. You¡¯re my deputy. You take charge when I¡¯m not able. ¡°What?! Why me?!¡± (Zethran) ¡°What?! Why him?!¡± (Ranlan) I cock my head at him, not saying anything and instead just use my eyes to explain. Miraculously, the muscle-head seems to understand, nodding regretfully as he accepts the fact that he¡¯s the ¡°only obvious choice¡±. ¡°Tch, whatever,¡± he said as he looks at Anlong. ¡°You¡¯re right about him slowing us down. But he¡¯s able. Don¡¯t know shit about his magic, but I can vouch for him as a vimus. Also, despite how he disgusting he acts, he¡¯s quick with his fists and his wit. He should know what to do.¡± So¡­ ¡°He¡¯s worth it, is what I¡¯m saying.¡± ¡­Alright. I don¡¯t get what he meant by ¡°disgusting¡±, though. Okay, then, Anlong. You can come, but only if you hang back. Tell him that, Ran. Ranlan looks as if she still has questions about Zethran being my second, but didn¡¯t say anything and conveys the message to Anlong. The latter looks at me defiantly in response. ¡°Exempt that from times when you¡¯re in danger. Just allow me that one thing.¡± Eh? Why would you©¤ ¡°Oh, goddess¡¯ sake, just say yes, Fay!¡± (Ranlan) Well, whatever, I guess? It¡¯s not like I plan to be in danger. I¡¯ll leave that part to the diehard monks. ¡°She said yes!¡± I didn¡¯t say ¡°yes¡±, exactly©¤ ¡°Thank you, Fay,¡± Anlong said with sparkling eyes. ¡­You¡¯re welcome. ¡°Alright. Let¡¯s go, then!¡± (Ranlan) ¡°Don¡¯t get ahead of yourself.¡± (Zethran) ¡°¡­Let¡¯s go.¡± (Douqi) ¡°Let¡¯s go, let¡¯s go!¡± (Ranlan) Gods¡¯ grace, they¡¯re acting like we¡¯re on a field trip or something. Still, rowdy they may be, this kind of feeling is somehow¡­ nostalgic. Heh¡­ those three are even more like children than these guys. I wonder how they¡¯re doing after all this time? ¡°Demon hunter squad, let¡¯s go!¡± the girl exclaimed. Say what? I didn¡¯t say anything about going after the demon. ¡°Eh?!¡± You don¡¯t honestly think the five of us can take on a demon, do you? ¡°What the fuck are we doing, then?¡± asked the hulk. The missing scouts. There may be survivors with information that can help with the fight. That man too. Maybe he¡¯s still alive somewhere¡­ ¡°¡­So in the end, we¡¯re still doing evacuations then,¡± he replied, snorting at me. Yes. In the middle of their territory, so we might end up dead. If there¡¯s any of us still alive by the end of it, we might be able to get some useful information back to the others. ¡°You¡¯re already assuming not all of us is going back, then? Great speech, leader.¡± Just so you know, there¡¯s no guarantee on coming back alive. I directed those words particularly to Ranlan. ¡°I know that,¡± she answered. Yes, you know it, but do you know what it really means? What about your family? Who¡¯d feed them if you¡¯re not there? A pained expression passes by her face, but she replies with determined eyes, ¡°If the demon has its way, there will be no one to feed.¡± ¡­I see. How about the rest of you? This is your last chance to think it through. ¡°Hah. I¡¯m just a muscle-head, anyway. Dying in battle is the only way there is. Seize your glory and all that.¡± (Zethran) ¡°So you do know you¡¯re a moron.¡± (Ranlan) ¡°One more word from you, woman, and I swear¡­¡± ¡°...Demon or us. If it wins, everyone dies. I will make sure otherwise.¡± (Douqi) Surprisingly, Anlong seems to understand what I¡¯m saying. ¡°I¡¯m going if you are,¡± he said. Is he even using the same language? All right, then. Where did you put your weapons? They silently look at each other. ¡­You did bring weapons with you, right? ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± And so, I bury myself in my palms. I swear to gods, these idiot monks¡­ === === === --- --- --- === === === There were no fire in the valley. No columns of smoke, no disease, no flood or anything of the like and yet, from the game hunters in the forests to the farmers of the hills, everyone is packing. Rivers they crossed and mountains they climbed, but not to escape a forest fire nor a flood. No, it was to escape something far more terrible, something that would make natural disasters seem like blessings. Fear is apparent on each of their faces. For the villagers, that fear is ingrained from the stories they heard as children. For the scholars, the terror comes from historical evidence that showed how fearsome it can be. Everyone knew the old tales. Everyone knew the horror. Demons. Monsters that could overpower entire nations. Monsters that shook the continent and caused the Great Calamity five centuries ago. Against one of these horrors, what can a single valley do? However, this is no ordinary vale because here is where the Dracwhyr Monastery made home. Here is where the sky touch the earth, and here is where the augurs communicate with the heavens itself. The warriors of the vale are no ordinary men. But, they are still men. This is evident as the one hailed as the strongest drachtal now lie powerless in a refugee tent, far away from the glorious return he promised his people. ¡°Mentor, you idiot¡­¡± whispered the woman beside him. Douzhen lies unconscious on one of the sick bed, meant for refugees and not mighty warriors like him. Beside him, Inzhi stands still, not even daring to touch his seemingly fragile form. Her strong, brave mentor, so strong and respected that he earned a chair among the elders, and now¡­ However, he was alive. That was one thing to be grateful for. Missing an arm and nearly bled to death, but alive. According to the survivors¡¯ reports, Douzhen ordered a retreat and bought time for his men. Some of the scouts got away¡ª or what¡¯s left of it, anyway. The rest are still missing, lost perhaps, though more likely inside the bellies of the beasts. For Douzhen to survive was nothing short of a miracle. Reportedly, one of his men came back for him and dragged him from death, but that savior himself is now cold and buried, and thus there is no witness to what happened. From the bits of testimonies of the survivors, they were ambushed by an army of beasts, but the reports varied and no one knows the truth. With nothing to go on, the elders decided that safety takes precedence. Villages were evacuated and perimeters were set. Inzhi can¡¯t help but doubt that decision. The elders were relying on the help of the augurs¡¯ heavenly friends, but despite what her slit-eyed friend said, she doubted the mighty drachwyrs would come. It was against their law to directly intervene in matters of life and death, and this particular matter involves many of such. As she lies deep in thought, a man comes running into the tent, looking haggard and out of breath. ¡°Karyat?¡± she said upon noting the man¡¯s identity. ¡°Inzhi, your apprentice, she¡­¡± Out of breath, Karyat couldn¡¯t finish the sentence, but Inzhi didn¡¯t need hear the rest. Carried by the wind, she runs out the tent, running as fast as she can while wishing she was able to fly to her apprentice¡¯s side in a single moment. That wish becomes stronger when a group of people stands in her way, shouting her name for whatever reason. She merely jumps over them and continues on. That is, until someone catches her hand. ¡°Let go, Karyat!¡± ¡°Inzhi, wait! Calm down!¡± Thanks to that second of pause, she notices that she¡¯s not the only one in distraught. Everyone around her is running around, their steps in urgency as is the ringing of the warning bells. ¡°Geomancer!¡± one of the refugee comes running at her, grabbing her and asking for things she can¡¯t understand. More followed, and soon enough, she¡¯s already being pulled around amongst the sea of people. ¡°Inzhi!¡± She feels someone pulling her out of the mob, finding herself behind her Karyat¡¯s protective form. ¡°Everyone, calm down! Don¡¯t panic!¡± Even though he said that to the refugees, Inzhi heard it as well. Now that her own panic subsided, she realizes that mass hysteria has taken hold of the camp. She can no longer hear the ringing of the bells as it is drowned out by the screams and the shouts and the footsteps of a rampant mass. While she tries to keep herself from being overwhelmed, she steps towards the sounds and looks down the ridge at the edge of the camp. Like a great river, hundreds and hundreds of refugees come running uphill. Parents forget their children, men leave their wives behind. The slower ones get trampled, and the smaller ones get asphyxiated. They escape the safety of the villages and camps to start dirtying their nails with an impossible climb at the bottom of the ridge. Beyond that hell, there¡¯s nothing to be seen but a calm forest, hiding the perimeter within. ¡°Goddess¡­¡± she muttered, not even remembering her hate of the religion as she prays for salvation. ¡°Inzhi! Thank god you¡¯re here!¡± a familiar voice called. ¡°Ginny, what the hell is going on?!¡± ¡°Beasts, thousands of them, just at the perimeter! The men won¡¯t last long! The area beyond Falklar¡¯s camp will be overrun soon!¡± ¡°We need your help, Geomancer!¡± a drachtal comes running over. ¡°They outnumber us greatly, but if we can somehow impede their advances¡­¡± ¡°Inzhi, do you think you can cause a landslide down the ridge? If we bottleneck the enemies¡¯ forces, we might still stand a chance.¡± ¡°Landslide¡­?¡± Inzhi looks down at the chaos below, her heart gripped by the greatest fear she ever felt. ¡°You¡­ want me to kill all these people?¡± ¡°There¡¯s no other choice,¡± her friend said. That friend now looks so distant to her. Then, before she could get away, she¡¯s already surrounded by people spouting similar words. Elders, drachtals, refugees, they all sound the same to her. ¡°The people down there will never make it. Their sacrifice will ensure the continuity of the vale.¡± ¡°No one should have to do this. Inzhi, I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± ¡°If you destroy the main roads, the beasts will have no choice but to go through the pass. They numbers won¡¯t count for anything there.¡± There they are, already making plans a through z while all Inzhi can think of is how her apprentice might be down there, amongst the people she¡¯s going to kill. I¡­ must choose, don¡¯t I? Between the survival of the vale, the lives of the people below, and her missing apprentice¡­ she has to choose. A light rain falls as if the heavens blight her decision. She balls her hands, bites her lip and curses herself when she realizes, there was never any other option. Forgive me¡­ She repeats those words like a prayer, knowing full well that there will be no one there to forgive her. === === === --- --- --- === === === ¡°Is that¡­ blood?¡± I touch the substance and feel the texture of it. It certainly is. Blood, among other stuff. ¡°W©¤What do you mean by ¡®other stuff¡¯?¡± ¡­The bodies were probably eaten by beasts. Stay sharp, Ran. The two of us have been searching for some time, but we haven¡¯t found any survivors. All we found were bits of blood and flesh, leftovers of a gruesome feast that probably happened some time ago. Was it the scouts? Was it villagers? There¡¯s no way to know because there¡¯s no body anywhere. Starting to get frustrated, I look up and let the drizzle drop on my face. It started showering a while ago, didn¡¯t it? Even though the sky was clear when we departed, dark clouds now hover above the vale. ¡­Hey, can I ask you something, Ran? ¡°What is it?¡± Have you ever seen some kind of spider beasts around here? ¡°What?¡± They¡¯re like spiders, but larger than hounders. They¡¯re around this big©¤ ¡­What a pale face. Has she turned to stone? Ran? ¡°G©¤G©¤G©¤Giant s©¤s©¤spiders? D©¤Did you¡­ s©¤see one?¡± Umm, I¡¯m asking if ¡®you¡¯ saw one. ¡°No. I n©¤never heard of¡­ w©¤why?¡± Are you scared of spiders? ¡°Aren¡¯t you?!¡± No, not of spiders in general. If I have to say, I¡¯m only afraid of one particular spider. So those kind don¡¯t live here? ¡°No! Giant spiders don¡¯t exist anywhere, s©¤stop talking about it!¡± I see. So Lyrfanas¡¯ swarm is the only source of giant eight-legs. Which means, if what I saw earlier really was one of them¡­ ¡­No. Chances are little that it was one of Lyrfanas¡¯. It was probably a monkey or something. In the first place, there¡¯s little ways she could be here. I boarded a train and a dragon to get here, while the Mother only has her eight legs. There¡¯s no way¡­ ...Ah. My hand is already grasping my left shoulder when I realize it. The mark¡­ it could be that she¡¯s tracking it somehow, but even if that¡¯s the case, catching up in just two months is¡­ No, don¡¯t overthink it, Fay. There¡¯s something more urgent right now. As we make our way to the rendezvous, we keep our figures low as to avoid attention. We¡¯ve been in the middle of hostile territory for a while, yet we haven¡¯t seen a single beast. There¡¯s no roar, no sound, nothing. And that¡¯s what worries me. Something¡¯s not right. ¡°Yeah¡­ let¡¯s quickly meet up with the others.¡± Even as I nod in agreement, my steps feel heavy, as if something is pulling and telling me to go back and search again. But I decided against that because it¡¯s nothing but a misplaced hope¡ªhope that he is still alive somewhere. Not long after, we arrive at the place designated as the meeting point. Ranlan and I huddle together, hiding in the bushes while we look around. Noting that it¡¯s safe, she then clamps her hands together to make a chirping sound, answered by another similar noise. ¡°There they are,¡± she said as the three guys comes out of their respective bushes. ¡°So? Found anything?¡± Zethran asked as he approaches us, his sword dangling on his belt, looking more like a dagger on his side. ¡°No. You?¡± Ranlan asked back. ¡°Nothing. There were traces, but we found no one. There were no beasts either.¡± ¡°Same with us.¡± As those two talk, Douqi walks over to us, using his spear as a walking cane. Meanwhile, Anlong too has a shortsword on his belt like Zethran does. Yes, I convinced these fist-happy monks to get actual weapons. I even brought my pistol, though at this rate, none of us will get any chance of using what we brought. ¡°What now?¡± Zethran turns to me. ¡­We go back. ¡°Go back? After all this?¡± ¡°There¡¯s some regions we haven¡¯t searched yet.¡± (Ranlan) It¡¯s way too risky to search that far. ¡°But we can¡¯t just go back empty-handed.¡± It¡¯s not like I want that, but the longer we linger, the higher the risk of us never coming back again. Ranlan pouts at my answer, but goes along anyway. I pat her head for good measure. Good girl, good girl¡­~ We start making our way back, but the walk is heavier. Even after all that, we found nothing to show for it, not even a glint of information. All we found out was that the beasts ate a lot. Definitely helps with morale knowing there¡¯ll be nothing left of you. And it was all my plan, too. My plan, and my fruitless campaign. We¡¯d have been better off helping with the evacuations. Being a useful part in a useless whole is better than being a useless whole all by yourself. -rustle- Hey, keep it down, guys. We¡¯re still not out of the©¤ ¡°Fay!¡± Huh? Oof©¤ Following Anlong¡¯s voice, my face is suddenly met with the mud beneath us. I can hear the others dropping to the ground as well. I glance to my side to see Anlong¡¯s face close to mine, a finger on his lip to let me know what¡¯s going on. We hold our breaths as the earth moves beneath us, vibrating in harmony with the footsteps of the creature in front of us. Big, stout, as tall as teacher¡¯s house, with leathery skin painted in a vibrant green. It uses four folded limbs to walk rather slowly, dragging its bloated stomach as its protruding eyes dart around. ¡­No matter how you look at it, it¡¯s a frog. Nexy. < Identifying¡­ >
< NXId >
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ©¦357©¦ ©¦75%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ©¦33©¦/97
Name Akulay
Appellations Salamander of Redshire
Species Bufonaera, alpha variant
Age 51
< Subnex >
Name < Unknown >
Titles Salamander of Redshire
Species Alpha salamander
Age < Unknown >
Gender < Unknown >
Mana Affinity Beast ¨C Water
Mana Pool ©¦33©¦
Threat Level Category ©¦B©¦
¡°I©¤Is that the demon?¡± Ranlan whispered. No, it¡¯s one of the alphas. ¡°Really? But it¡¯s huge.¡± Size does not make a demon, but yeah, it¡¯s pretty huge. ¡°What do we do?¡± (Zethran) What do we do, indeed? This all seems too good to be a coincidence. There¡¯s one of the enemy generals with none of the footmen around. One could say that it¡¯s a golden chance to make a dent in the demon¡¯s forces, but things that come too easy are, more often than not, a misfortune in the guise of a blessing. From my experience, at least. It¡¯s a |B|-class threat. We can probably kill it, but it might be dangerous. The horde it commands will likely come charging at us if we attack it. ¡°I say we kill it. One quick strike, then we escape before any of those scalebacks even smell us.¡± (Zethran) ¡°We didn¡¯t come this far for nothing, right?¡± (Ranlan) ¡°¡­True.¡± (Douqi) ¡°I¡¯ll follow whatever you decide.¡± (Anlong) And that¡¯s their opinions. Not yet committing to a decision, I look back towards the creature to see its little bum dragging away. Let¡¯s just follow it for now while I try to analyze it. And so we tail the beast from a distance, using the thick vegetation as cover. Thanks to the trail of broken trees and other accidental destructions, there¡¯s no problem whatsoever in following the toad. So far, it doesn¡¯t seem to be noticing us, but one slip and it might start raining beasts. There¡¯s really no space to let up. Even though I say that¡­ ¡°Come on, Fay. You¡¯re falling behind.¡± W©¤Wait¡­ It¡¯s at times like these that I¡¯m reminded of the gap between us. The toad may be slow, but I¡¯m a snail. Ranlan even has to help me so that we don¡¯t fall behind to beast. Although he doesn¡¯t say anything, Zethran is surely snickering at me. And Anlong¡­ I even said that he¡¯d slow us down. Now look who¡¯s slowing who. I hate this. I hate this, I hate this. Nexy, please¡­ Oh, Nexy, my solace. I can always depend on you, right? < Analyzing¡­ >
Appellation, |Salamander of Redshire|: The gluttonous, infamous salamander that plagued the farms of Redshire for years before drifters chased it away. It is said that it was defeated after the drifters tricked it into eating poisoned meat.
Species, |Bufonaera|: Beasts that evolved from toads. Typically has a large appetite and a larger range of meal. They use their long tongue to snatch targets from afar, coating them in fast-acting neurotoxin while slowly dragging their prey into their humongous mouths. |Alpha variant|: This variant is much larger in size, but also much slower. Their weight doesn¡¯t allow leaping like their smaller counterparts, but makes up for it with the ability of mimesis, preferring to lie in wait for unsuspecting prey rather than hunting.
Neurotoxin and mimicry. We¡¯re in luck. Those abilities can only be found in beasts that rely on the element of surprise. It should be weak on head-on battles, let alone being on the side that gets surprised. I have a plan, I said to the others. Hopefully, it¡¯s a plan where no one dies.
Chapter 35 : Akulay Chapter 35 Akulay In the east, they say that toads bring luck and prosperity. Some shrines house statues of frogs because they¡¯re said to be the familiar of the eastern god of fortune. Imagine that. People actually worship these fly-munchers. Flies bathe in shit, which means, they eat shit, right? Anyway, it¡¯s a wide-spread concept in this country as well, though the good people of Redshire may say otherwise¡ªthe good people of Redshire, whose home was once host to the benevolent toad Akulay. The toad we¡¯re going to kill today. Don¡¯t touch the skin. You¡¯ll get warts. Ranlan laughs at that, more nervous than amused. We¡¯ve been following the alpha through the forest for a while now. I¡¯ve briefed the others and they should know what to do. Probably. Hopefully. All that¡¯s left is to find the timing. I hope it won¡¯t be long because I¡¯m tired of watching that giant rump desecrating wherever grounds it goes. That, and the rain is getting heavier by the minute. Our robes are soaked, and the mud seems to impede our every advance. Are you ready, Ran? I asked, and her eyes lit in anticipation. ¡°Always.¡± Do it now. On my mark, Ranlan leaps out of her hiding spot, flicking her arm as she throws one of her knives at the alpha beast. The knife finds its mark, but not a single drip of blood comes out of its skin. The toad stops moving and, in a speed that¡¯s impossible for its size, turns its head to the attacker. ( Ran, you¡¯re the fastest. Draw its first attacks. ) Like a bullet, a tongue lurches out at her. Ranlan jumps out the way as she throws another knife at its mouth. The knife lands at the inner part of the tongue. I don¡¯t know why I know this, but a frog¡¯s tongue is said to be one of the softest organic material in the world. True or not, the knife sinking deep into the base of the tongue puts some credit to that. The alpha starts charging at Ranlan, its eyes red and its stomps causing quakes with each step, clearly pained by that small piece of iron. Trees after trees fall, charged guilty for standing in the alpha¡¯s path and meanwhile, I notice the movement of two shadows at the corner of my eye. ( Observe its movements. Let Ranlan hold out as long as she can until you see the perfect moment to attack. ) The two shadows converges on the moving toad, which is too frenzied by anger to notice. A spear penetrates its back and a sword comes slashing down its face, hitting one of its eyes. ¡°GROAAAHK!¡± At the sudden attack, the beast flails about, its limbs and tongue lashing out at everything around it. Just as the two attackers withdraws from its back, there¡¯s a large watery explosion around the toad¡¯s body, launching them crashing into trees. ¡°Uagh! You fuck©¤¡± Zethran cursed. More water balls are formed around the beast, each one compressed dangerously before the alpha launches them at the two figures. ( The wildcard is its magic. Most likely it¡¯ll turn the table against you, but I¡¯ll take care of that. ) Before the water bombs reach their targets, they explode midway, too close to the beast for its comfort. I can see the toad yanking his head about to look for the cause. My, I wonder what caused that¡­ ah, whoops. I immediately drop to the ground as its gaze passes by where I am. Don¡¯t notice me, don¡¯t notice me¡­ ¡°Eat steel, you overgrown frog!¡± Taking Zethran¡¯s shout as a cue that it¡¯s safe, I peek out the shrub that hid me to see the unfolding battle. Aside from that hiccup with the first water bomb, they seem to be doing pretty well. Douqi with the spear, Zethran with the sword, and Ranlan with her daggers¡ªrather than three separate people, they behave as one entity¡ªgoing between trees and shrubs, launching strikes in turns while the other two make sure the striker can escape, moments faster than the toad could counter. The alpha only has one tongue, whereas its neck can only turn to a certain degree before it has to turn its huge body along. Three fast and organized targets is too much for it to handle without using magic, and speaking of which¡­ You don¡¯t learn, do you, summoning that many water bombs at once? Well, enjoy having them explode in your face. ¡°GRRAAKH!¡± What an ugly voice. You should be thankful that I¡¯m not using my firebulbs. Oh, but it¡¯s not like I can risk the sound and the subsequent horde of beasts, though. Although, hearing how loud the alpha is, we don¡¯t appear to have much time, anyway©¤ ¡­Ah. It saw me. Shite©¤ ¡°Fay!¡± -Bonk - Something pushed me. Even without looking, I knew that Anlong had pushed me out of the away and took the attack himself. By ¡°attack¡±, I mean tongue. And now I watch Anlong being dragged away gloriously by the alpha¡¯s slippery appendage. Pretty boy, you... you saved me from that? Rather than having me covered in frogdips that look like man seed, you''d rather have yourself covered in frog dips that look like man seed?If you live through this, remind me that I owe you a fuck and a drink. ¡°Anlong!¡± a girl shouted. Ran, see if you can get him! We¡¯ll cover you! ¡°I¡¯m going for it!¡± Rather than landing on the tongue, Ranlan lands on the hard ground because Anlong has already moved away, not only because of the tongue snapping back, but also because the toad jumped away. Jumped away. Jumped away. I repeated that because it shouldn¡¯t be possible. Something that big and heavy, jumping with a force proportional to its size, do you get it? I¡¯m talking about how it just jumped thirty strides away, and multiple times too. With how gravity works, it shouldn¡¯t be possible¡­ ¡­though I probably shouldn¡¯t be saying that, given there¡¯s giant lizards flying in this world. But wait, it¡¯s aeromancy, right? It may explain how dragons fly, but the alpha doesn¡¯t have that kind magic. How would that thing do that kind of feat? There must be some kind of¡­ ¡°Fay! I¡¯m going after him!¡± Huh? Wait, don¡¯t! Just as I run after her, someone else steps in her way. ¡°Stop.¡± ¡°Get out of the way, Zeth! Anlong¡¯s about to be eaten!¡± ¡°Yeah, along with you if you run off on your own, git!¡± He¡¯s right¡­ Ran¡­ huff¡­ Hold on... let me... catch my breath¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t act rashly,¡± Douqi said, suddenly dropping down from the trees above. ¡°So what, we should just let him die while we make more plans?!¡± Huff... Ran, that thing is intent on getting us one by one. It¡¯s probably going to use Anlong as bait. ¡°But, that¡¯s¡­¡± ¡°Think about it, woman,¡± Zethran lightly slaps her shoulder. ¡°It could¡¯ve jumped away anytime, but it waited for a chance to get one of us instead.¡± To get me, to be precise. Though for what reason, I don¡¯t know. Was it tactical, or was it Lyrfanas¡¯ will? Anyway, we¡¯re not going to abandon Anlong. What¡¯s important is that we don¡¯t act separately. ¡°¡­I understand,¡± she replied dejectedly. We won¡¯t have a problem tracking the alpha, I noted at the destruction it left behind, but the problem is its mimesis. And now it has a chance to use it. ¡°Mime¡­ you mean like mimicry? Like bugs?¡± said Zethran. Yes. But think about it; do you think normal mimicry would work for something that big? ¡°¡­Active mimesis?¡± Douqi said, catching on. Rather than a stationary camouflage, an active mimesis would allow the alpha to adapt to its surroundings, maybe even move without being seen. Probably. What we all need to keep in mind is, we¡¯ve lost our edge. We¡¯re playing the alpha¡¯s field now, not to mention it has Anlong as well. We¡¯re out of our bounds here. Any ideas? ¡°Can¡¯t you do some magic thing? Like detection magic or something?¡± ¡°Detection magic?¡± Magic isn¡¯t omnipotent, Zeth. I can¡¯t just©¤ Wait, that¡¯s it. Teacher may not be teaching me any magic of use, but I¡¯ve conducted experiments on my own with the facilities in her lab. Thanks to those late-night sessions, I¡¯ve opened up entirely new disciplines, one of which might help. While the others look at me expecting, I back away a bit and peek at my status card.
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ©¦11©¦ ©¦49%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ©¦106©¦/
Name Fay
Titles Indelible Survivor
Species Human
Age 18 years old
GenderA case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. Female
Mana Affinity High ¨C
Mana Pool 106
Skills Magus ¨C Aeromancy ©¦5©¦ Pyromancy ©¦5©¦ Hydromancy ©¦5©¦ Electromancy©¦5©¦ Geomancy ©¦3©¦ Photomancy ©¦1©¦ Cryomancy ©¦1©¦ Vimus - Perception ©¦Master©¦ Strengthening©¦Novice©¦
Affiliations Dracwhyr Monastery
¡­Photomancy. If active mimesis is the manipulation of colors, and colors depend on the light, then maybe I can do something about it. Looks like all those times I was late for Douzhen¡¯s classes will pay off after all. Okay, let¡¯s go. I¡¯ll handle the mimesis. ¡°Huh? But you just said you can¡¯t,¡± said Zethran. And now I¡¯m saying I can. Probably. ¡°¡­Probably, you say?¡± ¡°¡¯Probably¡¯ is good enough for me. Now let¡¯s hurry before Anlong is¡­¡± not finishing the sentence, Ranlan gulps down as she thinks about the scenario. ¡°Slow down. Worst case is we cut him out of the frog¡¯s belly,¡± Zethran said. If he intended to ease her, he failed miserably. We follow the alpha toad for the second time today, though this time, our only lead is the trail of crushed vegetation. We skip over wood and sink into mud¡ªwalking through this kind of terrain really strains your muscles, huh? It¡¯s already throbbing badly, in fact. We should finish this quick. ¡°That thing is a hazard,¡± Ranlan commented while looking at the slimy liquids on the destroyed trees¡¯ barks. ¡°Careful. The spit contains neurotoxin, remember?¡± Zethran warned her. ¡°You think I want to touch that?¡± ¡°¡­There¡¯s something there.¡± Douqi said, pointing at something amidst the path of destruction. Indeed, there¡¯s something there. Following the discovery, we stop and hide in thick shrubs to observe the object from a distance. It looks like... a mound... of the toad¡¯s spit... wetted by the rain, making it look even more soggy and barf-worthy. Right. That''s not the strange part, because the strange partis the shape of the mound. It''s shaped like a person. ¡°That¡¯s Anlong!¡± (Ranlan) ¡°What?!¡± (Zethran) Indeed, it looks like there¡¯s someone in that pile of¡­ ugh, oral juice, toad edition. ¡°Can¡¯t a bait be more obvious than that?¡± (Zethran) ¡°What do we do?¡± (Ranlan) Hold on. I cast my newly invented spell, luminobulb, into the air. It¡¯s like a firebulb, but it¡¯s made to have minimal thermal output and the energy is almost entirely used to produce light of various waves. I don¡¯t know anything about optics, but thanks to a certain bird, I do know some stuff about electromagnetism. Since light is an electromagnetic wave, I can apply the same principles. Rather than a simple light source, the luminobulb I¡¯m using is radiating electromagnetic waves with oscillating frequencies and wavelengths, thus the light it produces is a multitude of changing colors, creating a somewhat eerie atmosphere. The aim here is to hit the mimesis with as much spectrum as possible in the hopes that some of them will shine through the trick. Zethran whistles at the sight. ¡°What¡¯s it called? Rainbow ball?¡± It¡¯s called ¡®luminobulb¡¯. ¡°¡­¡­¡± ¡°¡­¡­¡± What? Why are you looking at me like that? Anyway, I direct the bulb to go to where the pile is, increasing the light output as it goes closer and closer to it. So far, there¡¯s nothing to be seen in the surroundings. ¡°Is it safe?¡± Ranlan asked. ¡­I don¡¯t know. ¡°Umm, Fay, can neurotoxins kill?¡± she asked again. Again, I don¡¯t know. Maybe. ¡°Then shouldn¡¯t we hurry?¡± I sigh as I look at Zethran, telling him with my eyes, -keep a leash on her-. Instead he replies with scornful glare, -that¡¯s your job-. Haah¡­ I guess it can¡¯t be helped. I put my arm in front of her. Yes, neurotoxins can kill if it¡¯s strong enough to cut off the brain¡¯s communications with vital organs, but©¤ ¡°What?!¡± ©¤But, Anlong is a trained scribe. Aren¡¯t you guys more resistant to poison than normal people? ¡°We are¡­¡± Then there¡¯s nothing to be worried about, I said, my gaze away from hers. Frankly, for all we know, Anlong might already be dead. But there¡¯s no need for her to know that. ¡°¡­Okay, I¡¯ll trust you, Fay.¡± Ouch. You¡¯re hurting my conscience. ¡°Oy, it¡¯s moving,¡± Zethran said, turning our attention to the apparently moving cocoon of spit. It¡¯s miniscule, but there¡¯s definitely movement. Being awake underneath all that¡­ I don¡¯t want to imagine being in his place. Pretty boy, I owe you a fuck, adrink, and another kind of drink. The kind where I''m the one doing the drinking. ¡°How long are we going to wait around?¡± Ranlan said. ¡°Ask the little boss, not me.¡± Zethran replied. Even if you say that¡­ Look around. The toad might be hiding nearby. Look for visual distortions and the like. As I say that, I increase the luminobulb¡¯s output, making it cover more than a twenty-stride radius. ¡°And I thought we¡¯re supposed to lay low,¡± Zethran said, nodding at the luminobulb. We¡¯re already past that when the fight broke out. Whether fortunate or unfortunate, no one spotted anything out of normal. It could be that the luminobulb is ineffective and the toad is still waiting for us to take the bait¡­ ¡°¡­Or it could be nowhere nearby and we¡¯re waiting around for nothing while Anlong is getting closer to death,¡± Ranlan responded to my conjecture. ¡­You¡¯re right. We should go get him. ¡°Whoa, whoa, hold up. You can¡¯t be serious, right?¡± Zethran said. If we¡¯re walking into a trap, then we¡¯ll deal with it. We¡¯ve already wasted enough time, and every second wasted is a loss. Well, that said, I tap Zethran¡¯s shoulder with a smile, can you go get him? His face warps into an ogre¡¯s. As if he wasn¡¯t already one. ¡°¡­If I die, I¡¯m going to possess you, humiliate myself in your body and then commit suicide,¡± He said. I nod quietly at that. Zethran starts approaching the object we assume to be Anlong while the rest of us spread out and watch his back from various perspective, still on the lookout for invisible toads. With every of Zethran¡¯s step, I keep expecting the alpha to jump out and snatch him like it did Anlong. After all, there¡¯s no other reason why it would leave a prize behind other than as bait. ¡­Then again, I shouldn¡¯t have assumed to know how a beast¡¯s mind works, because nothing happened. ¡°Thank god¡­,¡± Ranlan said. She and I are standing by while the boys pull Anlong out. It only took a few seconds to do that. Or rather, longer than that, and the ones pulling him out would¡¯ve fallen to the neurotoxin as well. That didn¡¯t happen, and when they pulled him out, his eyes are already open. ¡°Ugh¡­¡± Anlong looks around with unfocused eyes. ¡°Yuck. I won¡¯t be saving anyone from this next time, mark my words,¡± Zethran said, flicking his arms to get rid of the slime. ¡°Are you okay, Anlong?¡± Ranlan said as she helps the guys settle him down. ¡°I¡¯m¡­ alright¡­¡± pretty boy replied, still covered in frog saliva. Wow, so much for neurotoxins. He¡¯s not even unconscious, let alone endangered. He¡¯s still out of the game though, seeing he can¡¯t even walk on his own. That was brave what you did. Thanks. I¡¯ll be relying on you next time as well. Huh? Why are you glaring at me, Ran? Did I say something wrong? ¡°Fay¡¯s angry with you,¡± she said to him, ¡°she didn¡¯t want you doing what you did.¡± That¡¯s not what I said. Rather, please save me again the next time I¡¯m in danger. ¡°Never do that again, Fay said,¡± she said. She said. It¡¯s not me. In response, Anlong looks at me and meekly says, ¡°I¡¯d do it again¡­ as many times as it takes¡­¡± Yes, please do that. Ranlan gives a frustrated sigh, but seems satisfied with that response regardless before asking me, ¡°What now?¡± ¡°Well, if he wasn¡¯t before, he¡¯s definitely a burden now,¡± Zethran said. Anlong seems too out of it to mind that insult. Ran, you stay here with Anlong. We¡¯ll take care of the alpha. ¡°Why me?¡± Because you can run the fastest if something happens. Telling a girl to carry a guy and run is not something I¡¯d normally do. But they¡¯re not normal people, especially not her. Carrying someone bigger than her is merely chore for her. ¡°Wait wait wait, you still want to go after it?¡± Zethran said. Of course. We can¡¯t let it escape. ¡°Let it escape? How about letting us escape?¡± Listen, Zeth. For what reason did it leave Anlong behind? ¡°Who cares what the reason is? It¡¯s probably just full, or Anlong just tasted like shit.¡± ¡°¡­Oy. (Anlong) It wanted to escape. It probably thought that leaving him behind would leave us no reason to give chase. And why would it want to escape? ¡°She¡¯s right. It must feel like it was losing. And we can¡¯t just stop now.¡± Ranlan said. ¡°Even if she¡¯s right¡ªgoddess help us¡ªthere¡¯s no way we can catch up to it at this point.¡± Zethran explained. I don¡¯t believe so. It should be reduced to normal speed by now, exhausted, even. ¡°You¡¯re just making guesses, aren¡¯t you?¡± We have a good chance here. Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re getting cold feet now? ¡°Oh, my feet aren¡¯t cold, alright. Want to feel it with your face?¡± ¡°Stop it, Zeth!¡± ¡°We shouldn¡¯t waste time,¡± Douqi steps in between us. ¡°Tch,¡± Zethran puts his arms on his waist, his face visibly crunching up as he stresses about something. ¡°Aargh, whatever, you fuckclucks. Let¡¯s just finish this quickly,¡± he said grudgingly. Ran, I¡¯ll leave Anlong to you. ¡°¡­I don¡¯t want to say I¡¯ll leave the alpha to you guys, but¡­ I¡¯ll leave it to you guys,¡± she replied, forcing a smile. I¡¯m sorry, Ran. I would¡¯ve taken you along, but if by chance everything goes wrong, I want at least for you to escape. Not that it¡¯s going to go wrong, of course. Nothing¡¯s going to go wrong. Not under my watch. ¡°Just remember, anything happens, it¡¯s on you,¡± Zethran said, whispering so only I could hear. --- --- --- The three of us continue the hunt by following the trail of broken trees, led by my very own luminobulb. If my guess is correct, the alpha should be tired after all that jumping. It might be hiding not far from here. Keep your eyes sharp. Look for visual©¤ ¡°Look for visual distortions. Yeah, we got it.¡± Good, because I don¡¯t. Hopefully, the luminobulb will help us see through the mimesis. We¡¯ll see. Or maybe we won¡¯t, in which case, we¡¯re dead. ¡°Up ahead. That¡¯s where the trail ends,¡± Zethran pointed at an area maybe fourty, fifty strides forward. It¡¯s got to be somewhere around here, then. It must¡¯ve sensed us coming and decided to hide. Douqi, you take the top while Zeth treks the trail. I¡¯ll have overwatch. They both nod and make their way. As Douqi jumps up into the trees, I notice something strange on the edge of the luminobulb¡¯s area of effect. No, rather than strange, it¡¯s perfectly normal, which is what made it strange. The luminobulb¡¯s light is made to paint different shades of any object it shines upon. However, a region at the edge of the trail doesn¡¯t have such effects under the light and stays the same color, staying as normal as it would¡¯ve been under normal light. Coincidentally, it¡¯s also where Douqi starts his route. Douqi, your right! He heard me, but his reaction came a bit too late. Jumping away might¡¯ve reduced the impact, but it still launched him through several trees. Zethran tries to catch him in the air but fails as Douqi slips past his arms. ¡°Shit!¡± Zeth, watch out! Jump! He follows my direction and jumps, avoiding a sweeping attack. Duck! ¡°Oy, I can¡¯t see shit©¤¡± The attack hits him this time, sending him groveling through the dirt for several strides. I told you to duck! I can see through the mimesis, somewhat. It¡¯s easy to observe at a distance, but during a close-range battle, perhaps not so easy. Zeth, cover me! ¡°Really?! Look the state I¡¯m in, you clucktard!¡± he shouted, his back still on the ground. I summon a firebulb and a waterbulb at my sides. If I can¡¯t see the target, then the best thing to do is to attack a wide area, right? Thinking that, I combine the fire and water into another new spell. Before I can launch it, however, the alpha is already making its way towards me. Or it seems like it, judging by the crushing of trees and the like. ¡°Uyaah!¡± Following the battle cry, a sword flies into the air and stops seemingly midair, with its pointy half sinking into something I can¡¯t see. Most likely it struck the alpha¡¯s one good eye, because the shape seems to fumble around aimlessly now. ¡°Groaaakh!¡± Nice! Now get away, Zeth! I throw the steambulb at it just as Zeth jumps away from the alpha¡¯s range. As my attack reaches the target, an explosion takes place. Not a fiery one like my firebulbs, nor is it a watery one like the toad¡¯s water bombs. It¡¯s an explosion that quickly engulfs the area in a blanket of hot steam, swirling in an accelerating speed like a typhoon. A boiling hot typhoon. ¡°Fay, you bitch!¡± Zethran frantically puts his arm in front of him as the steam comes for him, but it merely goes around him like river around a rock¡ªjust a simple barometric barrier, really. He looks at me, half dumbfounded and half angry, and I wink at him in response. ¡°Groaaakh!¡± ¡°Oy, it¡¯s coming out!¡± Zethran warned. Get back, Zeth! Just as the alpha¡¯s shadow appears on the edge of the steam cloud, I launch a promptly-made firebulb at it. The impact is minimum, but it¡¯s enough to push it back in. While Zethran makes his way towards me, I make dozens of charged bulbs around me, some positively charged, and some negative. After ¡°enough¡± is made, I launch them all simultaneously into the steam cloud. There¡¯s a large flash as the chargebulbs release the particles inside, followed by intense streaks of lightning. Thanks to the steam cloud¡¯s movement, the charged particles diffuse into the steam, causing small and spread-out lightning instead of focused ones. Electric currents quickly cover the entire thing like a thunderstorm trapped in a dome. Before long, the smell of burnt flesh fills the air. I let it continue for one good minute before I decide it¡¯s enough and disperse both the steam and electricity, revealing the blackened body of the alpha, laying lifeless on the ground. One roast toad, coming up. ¡°You monster,¡± Zethran said with a vicious smile. I believe that¡¯s the first time you ever praised me. And it was well deserved. This was the first time I¡¯ve used thunder magic since coming up on the surface world. At least, it¡¯s the first time I¡¯m using it outside of a controlled environment. And the results were magnificent. Am I praising my own magic? Oh, yes. And I¡¯m not the least bit ashamed. I truly am powerful. ¡°Oh, shit. I forgot about Douqi!¡± Go get him. We can¡¯t linger. Then, just as Zethran is about to go find our friend, it happened. I should¡¯ve known. Yes, I considered it, but I should¡¯ve known that nothing¡¯s going to go right, ever. Just like a plot twist at the end of a chapter, something would always go wrong.
Chapter 36 : The Burden Chapter 36 The Burden Now, how do I describe it? A screech? A roar? I don''t know. It was loud, that¡¯s for sure. Loud like thunder trapped in an acoustic horn, played over and over until it stopped, as sudden as it had started.My eardrums would¡¯ve bursts if I hadn¡¯t made a sound-dampening barrier, which I didn¡¯t even know how to make, it just happened instinctively. ¡°Ugh, what in the goddess¡¯ twat?¡± I look to my side and see Zethran looking as confused as I am. Whereas normal humans would¡¯ve been bleeding from their ears already, he seems fine just by covering his ears. Damn monks. At any rate, the source of that¡­ ¡°roar¡±, I guess, is clear, as well as why it had stopped; the supposedly dead alpha, and the spear that pierced precisely into its throat. The man holding the spear then pulls it out with one clean yank. ¡°You missed a spot,¡± Douqi said as he flips his spear to get the blood off. ¡°Douqi? Ah, yeah¡­ but, what was that just now? A last death cry?¡± He asked that question to me, to which I answer, We need to run. They both understand what I¡¯m speaking of. That death cry wasn¡¯t just a death cry. It¡¯s a warning, an announcement that was broadcasted throughout the vale. And now everyone and everything that heard would have known about Akulay¡¯s death, along with our location. The three of us quickly make our way back to where Ranlan is. When we arrive, we find her already with an out cold Anlong on her back, ready to make a getaway. ¡°What happened? What was that sound?¡± she asked. ¡°No time to yap. We need to get the hell out of here,¡± Zethran answered. ¡°Ah, yeah. I figured as much, but did you get the ugly toad?¡± ¡°We did,¡± he said as he swipes Anlong off her back and carries him with one arm. ¡°But now we have to go.¡± Ranlan nods, then points at me. ¡°Douqi!¡± What? ¡°Well, no choice, then.¡± (Douqi) Eh? And suddenly I¡¯m in Douqi¡¯s arms being carried. Wait, what? ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± Zethran shouted, and then we¡¯re on the move. It can¡¯t be. After all this time, I¡¯m finally carried by someone the ¡°proper¡± way. And by that Douqi, nonetheless. I appreciate being treated like a girl for a change, but isn¡¯t this bothersome? Wouldn¡¯t a piggyback or slung over the shoulders be better? ¡°This is fine,¡± he said as if reading my mind. ¡°Anlong will cry if he sees this,¡± Ranlan giggled. --- --- --- The rain falls heavier by the minute as if to hide the presence of the beasts around us. I can hear Douqi¡¯s rugged breath as he carries me as well as my friends¡¯ footsteps, their feet sinking into mud as they run with their visions obstructed by the rain. The previously silent forest comes to life around us¡ªchirpings of birds become roars of beasts, and howls and growls cover the singing of insects. We know they¡¯re coming. We know the rain won¡¯t slow them as it does us, and we know we¡¯re all too drained after our fight with the alpha. Even if I¡¯m being optimistic, I can¡¯t imagine us outrunning the horde. I didn¡¯t expect the alpha to have that kind of last resort, to call upon its allies upon its death¡­ a mistake on my part. I missed that, and now my friends will pay the price for that negligence. ¡°¡­The grotto,¡± Ranlan said. The what? ¡°Oh, shit, she¡¯s right,¡± Zethran exclaimed. ¡°Fay, we won¡¯t make it back like this, but Fahjer¡¯s Hollow is just south of here, half the distance to the perimeter. If we can get to it, we can lose the beasts in the Heavenly Steps!¡± she said. Fahjer¡¯s Hollow. I¡¯ve been there once. It¡¯s one of the myriad of entrances to the stone-web. The climb is narrow, and to enter you must go through a grotto. That place, I remember, has long corridors of multiple levels and minimal lighting to light the way. The bottom level through which you enter is always flooded up to the knee. Not to mention, it¡¯s located further south, deeper into the demon¡¯s territory. No way, that place is a death trap. ¡°We¡¯re already in one.¡± We won¡¯t make it past the cave, Ran. Too many places to get ambushed in. Too many beasts. ¡°Not unless someone lures the beasts away.¡± It¡¯s clear whom she meant by ¡°someone¡±, but Zethrangoes against it anyway, saying, ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡± Ranlan stops running as she faces him, and we follow suit. ¡°It¡¯s my idea. And I¡¯m the fastest," she insists. ¡°Then I¡¯ll go with.¡± ¡°Douqi can¡¯t carry both Fay and Anlong, you realize?¡± If you think she won¡¯t make it, you should go with her, Zeth. I can run by myself. ¡°No, you can¡¯t. Shut up, Fay," Ranlan glared me down. ¡°They¡¯re coming,¡± Douqi warned, followed by screeching noises and suddenly we realize how little our time is. ¡°Go!¡± Ranlan shouted. Zethran stops her just as she¡¯s about to run. ¡°Take this,¡± he said, giving her some kind of necklace he¡¯d been keeping who knows where. It¡¯s a bright-red round ornament the size of a thumb that¡¯s attached to a string, but from the feel of it, it must be filled with mana, indoctrinated mana infused for a very specific purpose. She reluctantly takes the object. ¡°Uh¡­ I appreciate the sentiment, Zeth, but©¤¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like that, moron. That¡¯s a mana stone I asked Anlong to make. Supposedly it¡¯s worth nearly one uberlec.¡± Ranlan nearly drops the stone when she hears that. ¡°Anlong? Why would¡­ how did you even get permission for this?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± He turns to me, ¡°can you confirm the stone¡¯s power?¡± It¡­ explodes, I guess? ¡°Yeah, that much is clear, you incompetent magfus.¡± A mana stone deliberately created to be dangerously volatile. A mana grenade, in all intents and purposes. Easy to make if you''re a magus as long as the right materials are procured. The magi call themgimcracks, little more than your common bauble because of how impractical they are compared to making instant, albeit weaker fireballs. And don''t get me started on thehazard of spontaneous combustions. It''s a real risk, I know for a fact, because I made one such stone and it went bombastic in the lab when I left it overnight. Teacher thought it was one of herglowstone specimen, but really it was gimcrack I made in secret. Umm... don''t tell teacher. Judging from the concentration, this particulargimmy isprobably as strong as one of my superior firebulbs, strong enough to blow a house to cinders. This guy... he must''ve bullied the heck out ofAnlong to make it for him. ¡°Pull the string and count to five. Just make sure you don¡¯t get caught in it,¡± Zethran said. Ranlan narrows her eyes, thinking whether to take such a dangerous thing with her but shakes the thought off in the end.If one is about to lead a horde of hungry monsters into a merry chase, any help should be taken. ¡°Got it,¡± she complied. ¡°Are you sure you want to go alone?¡± Ranlan gives us her signature smile, mockingly tilting her head as she answers, ¡°You slowpokes will just slow me down.¡± Then she runs off, not giving us a chance for a comeback. Douqi is on the move again, still carrying me. I watch Ranlan¡¯s back as it goes smaller into the distance and dread fills me. She may be the best of Jade, but she doesn¡¯t know what it means to go after a demon. She doesn¡¯t know what they¡¯re capable of. ¡°She¡¯ll be fine,¡± Zethran mouthed, more to himself than to anyone else. ¡°She was right. I¡¯ll only slow her down,¡± he looks at me as if asking for my confirmation. I won¡¯t stop you. He cocks his head at Anlong whom he carries on his back. ¡°No, I get it. You want me to realize it myself. That¡¯s why you said that back then, right?¡± I keep silent. ¡°¡¯If you think she won¡¯t make it, you should go with her.¡¯ In other words, I should trust in her power to make it out alive. That¡¯s what you were trying to say, right?¡± ¡­Is that what he thinks? I keep silent again, hoping that he¡¯ll take neither confirmation nor denial from me. Because I meant what I said. ( If you think she won¡¯t make it, you should go with her. ) Because I truly don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t know how it will turn out. That¡¯s why I let Zethran make his own decision, because I don¡¯t know whether her plan would work, or whether it was the last time I¡¯ll ever see Ranlan¡¯s smile. ? ? ? We were ambushed as I¡¯d predicted. However, no beasts from the forest came after us, so it wasn¡¯t the tidal waves on our backs like I thought it would be. We took care of the few beasts there and by the time we got up to the stone-web, we were free of pursuers. ¡°Her plan worked out,¡± Zethran chuckled. We slowed our pace once we¡¯re up on the webs, partly because we needed to take a breath, and also because the fog is thicker when the rain is heavy. Fortunately, it also meant that I¡¯m allowed to walk on my own. ¡°Ugh¡­ where¡­?¡± Anlong said upon waking up, and Zethran promptly dropped him to the ground. ¡°Where¡¯s Ranlan?¡± he asked right after out of his sleepy daze. ¡°She went on a separate route.¡± Anlong being sharp as he is probably realized what Zethran really meant. Maybe that¡¯s why he didn¡¯t ask any further. We continued through the stone-web, hopping between floating rocks in the cold, obscuring fog for some time. We were going slower than we¡¯d like because the rain increased the threat of slippage. What good is it to escape beasts only to slip and fall to our deaths? That time spent getting our balances, to eye our footings before jumping over were time spent agonizingly. We were tired, we wanted to get home asq quick as possible and that thick, colorless fog does nothing to ease our minds. But then we see it. The fog cleared, and we¡¯re finally in view of the the Panear Line, the great ridge that split the vale into two, where the main operations camp should be, where teacher and the elders are stationed at. What we see instead are trails of smoke, coming up from a great wreckage of villages, both below and above along the ridge. The villages below the ridge, though¡­ they weren¡¯t wreckages. They were graveyards. Everything south of the ridge are buried under an exorence of dirt, as if it was hit by a landslide of historical magnitude. ¡°What is that?¡± Zethran asked. ¡°Seems like a landslide,¡± Douqi replied. ¡°Yeah, I can fucking see that. What caused it?¡± ¡°We should go further north, towards Acquisition,¡± Anlong cut in. ¡°Now why the hell would we go there?¡± ¡°The brief said, should the main operations camp be compromised, the command will move to the second assembly point, which is the Hall of Acquisition.¡± ¡°Huh? Did they really say that?¡± ¡°Yes. I paid attention, unlike someone else.¡± Taking Anlong''s words into heed, we take a detour and changed our destination. We considered waiting for Ranlan at the ridge, but there¡¯s no telling if anything¡¯s already waiting for us there. We start climbing down from the stone-web at the nearest exit to the Acquisition, the climb Jade usually takes when about to do the Tenrin test. It¡¯s a route we¡¯re so used to, but going through it in this kind of emergency brings about a feeling we can¡¯t explain. The climb down is even more painful than the hops¡ªeach move we make, each drop is made so slowly and carefully. Between the rain and our exhaustion, anything could go wrong. Then, when we¡¯re finally back on the ground, an arrow is shot at our feet to halt our movements. Not even a second of rest. ¡°Who goes there?!¡± someone called out. ¡°Put that away! Beasts don¡¯t walk on two feet!¡± someone else said. ¡°Actually, some does. But they¡¯re not hairy enough to be treewalkers, I guess.¡± While we¡¯re still trying to make sense of it, two men jumps down from the trees above, one with a bow, andthe otherwith a lance. From their light clothing and armor, they seem to be from the court of arms. ¡°Identify yourselves,¡± the one with the bow demanded. ¡°We¡¯re Jade scribes from Acquisition. We just got back from a special mission,¡± Zethran replied. ¡°What special mission?¡± ¡°Reconnaissance. Now if you would excuse us? We have a lot to report.¡± The two arms look at each other. ¡°How do we know if they¡¯re telling the truth?¡± bow said. ¡°Why are we even discussing this? They¡¯re human, what does it matter?¡± lance replied. ¡°But they might be spies or¡­¡± ¡°Spies your nuts! Do you think outsiders would know about the Jade system?¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Ahem. Excuse me, I¡¯m Anlong, son of Elder Anmal,¡± he butted in, raising his face so the two can see him clearly. ¡°Anmal? Is this kid telling the truth?¡± ¡°Why would I know what his son looks like?¡± Zethran steps forward this time, his large frame towering over the two older men. ¡°Listen, here. We¡¯re at war, and every second you spent bickering is a battle lost. Who cares if we¡¯re really who we say we are? We just came out of beast territory and came down from the Heavenly Steps, does that not say enough about what we can do to help? Why don¡¯t you take us to the drachtal in charge, or point us the right way.¡± The two look at each other again. Zethran sighs, frustrated. ¡°Or, we can just cap the crap out of you two and be on our way,¡± he added. The guards let us through after that, maybe because we managed to convince them, or maybe because they¡¯re not fond of personally meeting Zethran¡¯s benevolent fists. We quickly make our way to Acquisition, though I finally lost the strength in my legs on the way there, falling oh-so-gracefully into the mud. Anlong seems to have fully recovered from the neurotoxin because he¡¯s the one carrying me after that, the same way Douqi did. This time, though, it feels very uncomfortable for some reason. Maybe because he has this triumphant smile on his face, which he tries to hide but fails? ¡°Disgusting,¡± I heard Zethran muttering, but Anlong doesn¡¯t seem to mind it, if he even heard it. Or rather, where exactly are youtouching with your hands? Anlong, your image is plumetting in my mind. Your fans will be disappointed. Thankfully, my torment didn''t last long. When we arrive, the Acquisition we know of is no longer there. Instead, we find a fortified battlement ready for war. Trenches are dug out in multiple lines, almost every one filled with spikes. Makeshift towers are built on every entrance. I can see bowmen on every one of them, always keeping a watchful eye of the forests around them. There¡¯s a lot of traffic going in and out the entrances, the gap between the trenches¡ªwagons carrying supplies, and arms ushered here and there, everything was chaotic. We consult the first drachtal we encounter. They¡¯re easy to find¡ªdrachtals always wear long robes, even in war. We said we had ¡°valuable intel¡± and he directs us to some other drachtal. That guy, in turn, said to get our report to someone in the main operations camp. ¡°Isn¡¯t this it?¡± Anlong asked. ¡°No, the elders are at the Panear Line. Well, they were, before the beasts overran it. Who knows where they¡¯re at now? Run along, brats. I¡¯ve got things to do,¡± the drachtal said, waving us away. Then we search for someone else and spot someone who seems important when we enter the hall. He along with several others are circling a table with a large map of the vale on it. ¡°Who let you in?¡± he asked back. ¡°We let ourselves in,¡± Zethran replied. ¡°This isn¡¯t your playground anymore. Go away, don¡¯t bother the adults." --- --- --- ¡°Adults, fucking unreliable, the lot of them,¡± Zethran cursed. ¡°How could they kick us out without even listening to what we have to say?¡± ¡°It can¡¯t be helped. The last time the vale is under an assault of this scale is¡­ I don¡¯t know. A very long time ago? We¡¯re not prepared for this. I mean, just look at that,¡± Anlong points at the spike-filled trenches. ¡°Did it come to their minds that we¡¯re bottlenecking our enemies as much as our own forces? It¡¯s a matter of time before some wagon slips into the spikes, or for people to slip in panic when the beasts©¤¡± ¡°Okay, okay, I get it. So what do we do now?¡± Ah, good question. No one seems to know what¡¯s going on, so going to any drachtal is just a waste of time. We need to find the elders. You guys split up and ask around, find out where the elders are. I¡¯ll wait for you back here in half an hour. They do as I told. As the others go their own way, I find a tree to stand under and wait there. I can¡¯t even find a place to sit because they moved the benches to make space, and even then people still bump me time to time. This isn¡¯t a school anymore. This is a fortress. They seem to know how to deal with beasts, at least¡ªlimit the entry points, create bottlenecks, and let the mindless animals charge themselves to death. Of course, those spikes won¡¯t do much against a demon. What are they planning for when the horde comes? What are all those supplies for? If they''re preparing for a siege, then... there''s no "then", anymore. They''d be gone before Thalvos'' storm even arrives. After some time, I notice the increasing traffic. There¡¯s more and more people entering the barricade¡ªvillagers and refugees. At first, they come in small groups of no more than ten, but that number keeps increasing until it becomes a river. The camp is already packed like those little-fish cans in theposh coaches. How many more are they going to let in? As I think about that, the bell rings. ¡°Beasts, on the outer perimeter!¡± someone said,ignorant to what his words would cause. --- --- --- The screaming filled the air so quickly. One by one, the refugees started running inside the camp and one by one, the others followed. Suddenly it¡¯s all I can do to stay up on my feet. I¡¯m caught ina raging river with no choice to go with its flow, all the while I can hear the guards shouting, ¡°Everyone, calm down! It¡¯s not an attack!¡± No one heard it, of course. These people were probably there on the fringe villages when the first wave attacked. To them, the warning bells meant calamity, and that means my own as well. I¡¯m tired. My legs won¡¯t keep me up for long. The river, the sea swallows me faster than any beast could. I can¡¯t even see what¡¯s in front of me, and it takes everything I have to keep my head up so that I can breathe. Someone knocked my head from behind. I think it¡¯s someone¡¯s elbows, from the feel of it, someone in the same situation as I am; trapped, frantic, nowhere to go in this ocean of humanity. I feel my vision darken, ringing in my ears as the back of my head throbs. One fall, one tiny slip is all it takes to seal my fate, and here I am falling. But someone grabbed my hand before that happened. Before I can see who, I¡¯m already being led through the crowd. In that pandemic chaos, that hand that firmly grips mine becomes the only thing I can see, the only thing I can feel. --- --- --- I let my knees fall to the ground as I take deep breaths. My savior does the same. His well-defined face looks spent, still he takes the effort to not take his eyes off me, checking if I was okay. Thank you, Anlong, I said, for the first time regretting that he can¡¯t hear me. Just how many times has he saved me today? ¡°Berwen,¡± he muttered between breaths. What? ¡°That¡¯s where the elders went. Berwen, a village to the north of here.¡± ¡°I got the same,¡± Douqi said, appearing behind me like the ghost he is. I nod at them. Then that¡¯s where we¡¯ll be heading. But before we can even stand up, another bell is rang. A different bell. We look at the entrances to see the second wave of refugees coming, more than twice the previous number, approaching the camp. The guards stop them before they could get in. ¡°Stop! This place is full, go back to your designated areas,¡± he said to the person in front of the group, which seems to be part of the court of arms himself. ¡°We¡¯re from Hijirn¡¯s camp. It was overrun by beasts. Please let us in.¡± ¡°Impossible. The only place where the beasts could pass in large numbers is through the ridge, and we¡¯re still defending it.¡± ¡°Bullshite, there were hundreds of them!¡± ¡°We have to go,¡± Anlong said, sensing what I too see coming; another, bigger flood of refugees. The people inside the camp are already stirring upon hearing those last words. ¡°Calm down,¡± the guard said. ¡°We¡¯ll send reinforcements back with you to deal with the beasts.¡± ¡°¡¯Deal with them?¡¯ No, I¡¯m telling you, the perimeter is broken! They¡¯re through, and they¡¯ll be here any minute!¡± That did it. The refugees begin to shout at each other. The guard, that poor man, is shoved into the spikes by the people trying to get in. The refugees already inside stand their ground, acting like they own the place even though they only arrived hours, even minutes ago. The ones at the front face each other, shouting their respective arguments about who should stay, not realizing that by the time a decision is made, the drachtals will have already abandoned this place. Yes, the drachtals are leaving. I can see them already sneaking their leadership outside the camps and onto horse backs. Their jobs may be to defend people, but who can do the defending if the very people you were supposed to protect kills you first? We have to go! I said, motioning at a wagon without a coach. ¡°Where¡¯s Zethran?¡± Anlong asked, and as if on cue, a shout comes. ¡°You guys go! I¡¯ll stay here!¡± Zethran said from within the chaos. ¡°Are you crazy?!¡± ¡°Just go! I¡¯ll wait here for Ranlan!¡± Perhaps understanding something I couldn¡¯t, Anlong nods at him, then takes my hands again as we run towards the wagon. I look back to see Zethran running towards the fighting, trying to stop the refugees from killing one another. We get on the wagon, which seems to have cargo in it¡ªsupplies, fruits and bran, but mostly spices. ¡°No one will miss this,¡± Anlong said to himself as he takes up the coach¡¯s seat and starts the horses. Fortunately, the waves of refugees are coming from the south, opposite to where we¡¯re going. We do, however, pass by the dracthals that sneaked out of the camp. They call out to us, but Anlong ignores them. ¡°The arms are staying to stabilize the camp and here they¡¯re running away, the supposed ¡®leaders¡¯. Cowards.¡± ? ? ? We spent most of the trip in silence. Anlong knew where we¡¯re going and didn¡¯t need help with coaching, so we kept to ourselves, taking advantage of the wagon''s cargo to replenish our energy. It wasn¡¯t until we reached the northern pass that Anlong began to spoke, ¡°All those people back there, where will they go?¡± I¡¯m sure he was just talking to himself. He couldn¡¯t have been expecting Douqi to answer, and certainly not me. ¡°They were¡­ they were ready to kill each other for something like temporary safety. How could anyone turn against their own at a time like this?¡± It¡¯s clear from his voice that he¡¯s shaken from what happened earlier. I suppose it''s clear, given his age, that he''s never once been in a crisis, nor does he know how people react to it. For those fighting, the enemies are clear. But for those in the back, those kept in the dark would have different enemies. Where''s my family? Where should I go to get protection?Is there enough food for everyone? Those kind of worries, when given a little nudge, can push someone over the line. In a way, being on the frontlines is a privilige because those kind of worries don''t exist.There''s only one enemy, and all you need to do is to survive to the next day, and the next, until the war is over. Still, Anlong''s monologues are making me think. Sure, we killed the alpha, but then what? There were two alphas, not the mention the feared demon. Who¡¯ll kill them? And what happened to the ridge, to the main operations camp? Then what about that thing about the beasts breaking through the perimeter? If it¡¯s true, then it¡¯s the second time in one day, because I know the first perimeter should be south of Panear, and we know that place is already smoking. And also, Ranlan¡­ No, more urgently, what do we do upon arriving in Berwen? Who should we find, if we do find anyone, and what do we tell them? That we disobeyed orders, went rogue and killed an alpha on our own? Who the hell would believe that? While in my thoughts, the wagon stops and I realize we¡¯ve arrived. Well, maybe. We can¡¯t even get close because there¡¯s so many carts already lined at the road, probably with the same destination. ¡°We¡¯re here,¡± Anlong looks at me, ¡°my home, that is.¡± Right. Berwen is where Anlong grew up, where he still is. After putting the wagon at the roadside, we walk on foot into the village, a whole fifteen-minute walk, just to see the village¡¯s entrance. There¡¯s many people here, but it¡¯s not nearly as crowded as Acquisition was. It¡¯s a rather small village, too small and simple for something like an operations command. You¡¯d never think the elders are somewhere here, inside one of these wooden buildings. ¡°The village hall,¡± Anlong points at the largest building, ¡°if the elders are here, that¡¯s where they¡¯ll be.¡± Walking towards the hall, we see more and more familiar faces as we go closer. We notice some from Jade, and they notice us but says nothing, not even greet their formerly missing friends. Their faces are nothing like I remember¡ªsunken, lifeless eyes, face as pallid as a faean, they¡¯re nothing like the other kids I knew. Actually, I doubt they can be called kids anymore. ¡°What the hell happened¡­?¡± Anlong said, noticing his friends as well. ¡°¡­Fay?¡± a familiar voice called. I look towards it, and guarding the village hall¡¯s doors is Karyat, confused as he always is. ¡°M©¤Mentor,¡± Anlong stutters, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, w©¤we were©¤¡± ¡°Where the hell have you been?¡± Karyat asked, not to us, but to me and me alone. He¡¯s nothing like I¡¯ve seen him before. The previous Karyat would never dare to bare his fangs to Inzhi¡¯s precious apprentice, yet here he is, presenting hostility at me. Looks like it wasn¡¯t just the kids that grew up. I was away, doing what needed to be done. ¡°I was searching for you. Your teacher, we thought you were©¤¡± he stops himself, as if afraid to say anything further. Then he finally notices my companions. ¡°You guys?¡± ¡°Mentor, we killed one of the alphas,¡± Douqi said nonchalantly. Despite what I thought, Karyat calmly asks us, ¡°When?¡± ¡°Three, four hours ago.¡± ¡°¡­The beasts?¡± ¡°They came only after we killed it.¡± ¡°¡­Follow me,¡± he said quietly, and we do just that. Karyat leads us into the village hall, opening its heavy doors and closing it back after we¡¯re in. Inside is a similar set-up we saw in the Acquisition¡ªa large table with a map of the vale on it, surrounded by important-looking people. Except that I recognize these people; Ginny Oldface, Gaolad Mopface, Jerchah Milksop, and one other elder whose name I don¡¯t know. Last but not least, Anlong¡¯s daddy, Anmal Churchbell. Forgive me for the names. It¡¯s so that I can remember them better¡­ ah. Latasha, you¡¯re a genius. ¡°What is this?¡± Gaolad Mopface asked, clearly insulted by the sudden intrusion. ¡°Forgive me for interrupting, elders, but I think these children need to speak with you.¡± ¡°Who are they?¡± ¡°The people who stopped the Panear raid.¡± ¡°The what?¡± (Anlong) ¡°Hmm? Isn¡¯t this your child, Elder Anmal?¡± (Gaolad) ¡°Anlong? What¡¯s going on?¡± (Anmal Churchbell) ¡°Go ahead,¡± Karyat urged him, ¡°report to them everything.¡± --- --- --- We told them. Carefully, chronologically, about how my friends escaped Jade, and how I escaped Karyat. How we decided to hunt an alpha on our own initiative, the hordes of beasts that came after, as well as how we escaped by using Ranlan as bait. That last part was the hardest to report. ¡°And where is she now?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± Anlong replied. ¡°¡­You? Aren¡¯t you Fay? Inzhi¡¯s apprentice?¡± Ginny Oldface asked me. I am. ¡°Your teacher was searching for you. You should go meet her.¡± I will. ¡°I mean now. Let your friends finish the report.¡± I look at Karyat and he nods at me. ¡°I¡¯ll take you to her.¡± An uncomfortable silence fills the room as if they all wait for my answer. I don¡¯t like this. There¡¯s something unspoken between them, something about teacher they¡¯re keeping quiet about. ¡­Okay, I said, figuring the fastest way to know is to meet with her. Don¡¯t get me wrong, it¡¯s not like I¡¯m afraid of her. It¡¯s just¡­ meeting her again after what happened last time is something I need to prepare for. I guess I¡¯ll just have to improvise. I follow Karyat as he leads me through the dark hallways. The wooden walls somewhat dampens the sound of rain, but the windows do not. They enhance it, if anything. Karyat opens a door to another room, the dining room, large and filled with long tables, with a single, wide furnace warming and lighting the room. The room is empty aside from one person sitting at the table, with a bowl of soup left untouched in front of her. Her eyes is locked to something I can¡¯t see, her fingers gripping the spoon motionlessly. I can¡¯t tell if she¡¯s actually awake. She probably didn¡¯t even realize we entered the room. Come on, Fay. Take a deep breath. ¡°Inzhi,¡± Karyat called out. No answer. Karyat tries again, ¡°it¡¯s your pupil.¡± Still no answer, as if his voice didn''t even reach her ears. ...Teacher? This time, her head jerks towards us, and when she sees me, she¡­ I don¡¯t know. I can¡¯t see her face because the hearth is behind her. She stands up and walks towards us, and I instinctively take a step back. Is she angry? What do I say to justify myself? I try to think up words to defend myself, meanwhile she walks closer and closer to me. What¡¯s the worst can she do, shout at me? Maybe slap me again? If so, then I¡¯m ready for it. Hell, give it all you got, because I don¡¯t regret it one bit. I don¡¯t regret not becoming your obedient pet. Go ahead, I¡¯m ready. --- --- --- ¡­Or so I thought, ready for anything she¡¯d give me. I never expected for her to hug me so tightly, nor did I expect her to bawl her heart out into my chest. She¡¯s not saying anything, not one word. She only cried... and cried, and cried. It¡¯s all I can do to wrap my hands around her, gently tapping her to make sure she knows I¡¯m here, that she¡¯s not alone. I know what this is.I know from her shaking body, from her desperate attempts to stop her own screams from coming out, which she is failing at. I know what¡¯s happening to her because I was her. I still am. That¡¯s why it¡¯s so painful, because I know whatever I do won¡¯t change anything. Whatever I do, this, whatever it is, will still scar her forever. ? ? ? I watch her breathe as she lies on the bed, the gentle rising and falling of her chest, vigilant as if I¡¯m afraid she¡¯d suddenly stop breathing. Can you blame me for being afraid? The teacher I know was strong and proud, always so sure of herself. Even if it meant she was controlling me, I was still proud of her. I was proud to call myself her pupil. But this person, the woman that cried herself to sleep in my arms¡­ This isn¡¯t my teacher anymore. I¡¯m sorry, I said as I caress her head. I¡¯m sorry I wasn¡¯t there for you. I don¡¯t want to leave her alone, but there¡¯s nothing more I can do for her. I stand up, slip past Karyat and walk out into the corridors. I can hear him following behind. ¡°Don¡¯t you have questions?¡± he asked. Oh, I do, but not for you. I keep walking in silence, not looking back as I make my way. It took me opening two wrong doors before I let Karyat lead me back to where the elders are. Arriving back, I see that Anlong and Douqi is still here, sitting quietly while watching the elders debate on their next move. They were shouting at each other, yet they stop when they notice us coming. ¡°So?¡± Ginny asked. ¡°How did it go?¡± ¡°Not good,¡± Karyat answered. Before they can say anything else, my ¡°voice¡± drowns theirs. What happened? It¡¯s not a question. It¡¯s a demand, and I make sure they know it. ¡°It¡¯s rather hard to explain,¡± Gaolad answered while stroking his beard, still maintaining his elder persona effortlessly. Well, we¡¯ll see if you can keep that up. I don¡¯t need to hear their answer, anyway. I know what happened. That landslide at the ridge, the ¡°raid¡± they mentioned earlier, and the fact that teacher is a geomancer¡ªThe geomancer. I have all I need to piece it together. It¡¯s kind of relieving to see that kind of expression on all their faces. Shock, fear, utter denial that everything¡¯s happening in front of them. It¡¯s their mistake to not immediatelykick me out the vale, and an even worse mistake to let me see teacher like that. One firebulb for each one¡ªseems rather wasteful, but a befitting end for the people who hurt her, made her bear a burden she could never take. I¡¯ll stand on their ashes as I say to them¡­ what will I say, exactly? Ah, well. That¡¯s not important. Of course, JerchahMilksop is the first to go for the door, so I launch a steambulb at the exit and use a barometric barrier to keep it there. The rest of the oldies are just... watching, waiting to see what I¡¯ll do next. That''s what you do, right? Wait aroundas your people die, hoping something good will happen to change the tide. Someone is shouting my name. That guy and the one next to him have nothing to do with all this, so would you please go away? I don¡¯t care if you get yourself caught in the fire©¤ ©¤Ah, looks like someone has some guts, holdingmy hands behind my back in an attempt to restrain me. It must be idiot Karyat. Does he not realize that all I need to maintain my magic is a conscious mind? He¡¯ll be the first to burn for his ignorance. Ginny is next for betraying his friend. After that, everyone else. ¡°Stop it.¡± ¡­This voice. I thought he was dead. I turn to look at the entrance and there he is, not dead. He broke through the door and even ran through my steam, yet his gaze is still strong as ever. ...Was he there as well? Was he one of the people that hurt her? Because if he is, I¡¯d be very, very disappointed. I¡¯ll just threaten him with a firebulb for now¡ªwas what I meant to do, if his fist wasn¡¯t already on the way. ¡­Huh? Deja vu? Ah, that¡¯s right. It was at the guild back in Tarnlake, right after I saw Ichard and Aira through that window. I lost it then too, would¡¯ve probably burned the building to the ground if that bear guy hadn¡¯t knocked me out, just like what¡¯s happenin©¤ -Thunk-
Chapter 37 : Dead Girl Walking Chapter 37 Dead Girl Walking I was in a daze, frantic most of the time. I suppose that¡¯s why I don¡¯t remember much of what happened. I do remember three things, though; a giant three-headed lifer that wants to eat me, a spike of stone in my abdomen, and a very empty stomach. The last one seems to be a common problem because the big doggie seemed so intent on having me inside its belly. And so I was eaten. Not once, but twice. I remember being in the lifer¡¯s maws a couple of times, so¡­ how am I still alive? Well, I don¡¯t remember, but obviously I escaped twice. Perhaps I did something with magic, or maybe I fought out with my bare hands. Most likely it was the spike I had hanging from my gut. Imagine that; something that should¡¯ve killed me saving me instead. I ran whenever I could, which was all the time I¡¯m not on the wrong side of the lifer¡¯s teeth. Even when there was a hole in my body, I ran. Even when my strained muscles screamed at me to stop, I ran. My body was moving, but it didn¡¯t feel like I was the one moving it. I was a doll on strings, controlled by my instincts whose only purpose is to survive, and survive I did, as improbable as it was. I managed to escape at some point. I think I jumped into a hole or something, one that the lifer couldn¡¯t follow through. But escaping Kerberus was the easy part of survival. I finally got the spike out, but gods, the blood¡­ there was so much of it... I didn¡¯t feel any better when my consciousness returned because hunger, my old friend, came back. It was so bad that part of me thought putting the spike back would help distract me from the hunger. Another part considered cutting off my own limbs to fill the hunger with. I could only thank the gods that there was nothing to cut with hands with. Yes, I was delirious. My head was spinning, and breathing became a taxing effort. I think I fainted a couple of times, but hunger never failed at waking me up again and again. So I kept moving, searching for¡­ something, anything. That¡¯s when I encountered a lake. Similar to the one from before, if not slightly bigger. The same shining water, the same unstoppable need to drink them surfaced. But I didn¡¯t, because something stronger stopped me; a memory of someone¡¯s words that I barely remembered. (Indulge that water, lass, and thy body shalt melt to its bones.) My head was banging inside, threatening to knock me unconscious any moment so even if I tried, I couldn¡¯t remember who said that, but one thing I knew for sure was that I trusted those words. So I withheld from drinking the water, something that took my entire willpower to do. As I skim around the lake looking for a way across, something caught my eyes. It was something I¡¯ve never seen before. It was long, around as thick as my arm with a myriad of legs beneath it and a pair of large fangs on its front. An insect of some kind. I thought I was seeing things at first, but it was already in my arms before I realized it. I could only imagine its horrors, twisting its body in a measly attempt to escape me. And so I chomped. And chomped, and chomped, until there was nothing left of it. It didn¡¯t go down my throat easily, especially with those sharp-looking limbs that seemed to move even after separated from the rest of the body. But once I was finished, it was¡­ it was heaven. It was heaven to have a filled stomach. It was heaven to not be in constant hunger. But it wasn¡¯t enough. I looked around some more to see if there were more of the kind, and while doing so, I heard a splash. There was another creature there. A different creature, watching me from the safety of the water. It was partially submerged, but I could immediately tell from its shape that it was some kind of turtle. It started approaching me, and I it. It was big ¡ª much larger than a normal turtle, with the span of its flippers longer than I am tall. It had limbs that seemed to be made for swimming as it was doing now. Its shell was formed of intricate yet delicate-looking scutes, dyed in a color somewhere between the green of moss and the blue of the sea, covering most of its body but too flat for the turtle to hide in. Its mouth were opening and closing as if it was talking to me. No, itwastalking to me ¡ª shewas talking to me, but I was too entranced to hear what she was saying. The gentle swaying of her flippers was almost seductive as were her eyes, big and blue like the endless sea, seemingly drowning me as I gazed into it. I was captivated by her, so when she finally climbed up into the ground before me, I immediately took my chance. Her flipper was already in my mouth before she could react. ¡¸Kyaaaah?!¡¹ It was such a melodic tune, despite how panicked it was. But then she slipped away from me, and I felt so sad when she did. I reached out for her but it only caused her to swim further away. Wait, don¡¯t go¡­! ¡¸You are a bad person!¡¹ Disregarding the content, her voice was so pleasant to hear that I almost lost the meaning of her words. Ah¡­ you speak¡­? ¡¸Evil, bad child! To think that I wanted to you!¡¹ Help¡­ me? I¡¯m sorry¡­ please, I need your help¡­ ¡¸But you just tried to eat me!¡¹ I didn¡¯t mean to¡­ can we start over¡­? ¡¸You¡­ will not eat me? If you promise me, I will help you, child.¡¹ I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what came over me. Please, help me,I begged with teary eyes. ¡¸Ah, uh¡­ I will¡­,¡¹she said as she swam towards me again.It was cute how gullible she was. ¡¸Umm, it is okay, child. My name is Yammu. What is your©¤ Kyaaah?!¡¹ This time, her head was my target. I figured it¡¯d be easier to eat her if I killed her first, but then she slapped the back of my head, and the shock made me let go. ¡¸You promised!¡¹she screamed at me, swimming away with her glare kept on me, her eyes filled with accusation. But you said you¡¯d help me. ¡¸Go away!¡¹ I reached my hand out helplessly at my savior who was swimming away. Please, come back¡­ ¡¸No!¡¹ You said you¡¯d¡­ help me¡­ Then I blacked out again. When I opened my eyes, I was still in the same place, only the turtle wasn¡¯t there anymore. Hunger didn¡¯t leave, though. By far, it was my most loyal companion, one I never asked for. I realized that I could no longer movethen. My body finally gave out, but it was something I saw coming. I was a dead girl walking, had been for some time. At least I can finally escape this hell, was what I thought. Then I had a stomachache. Did I eat something bad, I asked myself. Was the bug poisonous, because it was the only thing in my stomach. It started out as an uncomfortable throbbing, and it got worse exponentially by the second. I was squirming in pain, one hand clawing the ground and the other clawing my abdomen, wishing I could just rip it out and end the misery. I didn¡¯t know what was happening, only that I was dying, as I had always been. ¡¸You are in pain¡­¡¹a melancholic voice said to me. I looked up to see her eyes gazing into me with sympathy. Why did you come back, was a question I couldn¡¯t ask. ¡¸Did you eat a bug?¡¹ I barely made a nod at her, and she nodded back with understanding. Then she scooped up water with her flippers and brought it near my mouth. ¡¸Drink,¡¹she said. But, water¡­ poison¡­ ¡¸It is, but your own acid is not strong enough to kill what grows inside you.¡¹ She looked towards something, and I followed her gaze. It was some pieces of the insect that I somehow missed. Except that the last time I remember, they were justpiecesof it. Well, they were, but they regenerated somehow, each piece becoming a new, separate bug. How many pieces was inside me, again? I chewed it up good, but could it actually regenerate from that? The pain got worse while I was thinking about that. Perhaps affected by what I saw, it felt like something was eating me from the inside. Somethings, hundreds, even thousands, growing with each passing second. ¡¸Please, you have to drink!¡¹her voice was full of worry. I refused her still, but she brought her flippers to my mouth anyway. When she saw me turning my head away, she forced the poison down my lips. It burned. My mouth, my throat, my insides were burning as it flowed into me. She scooped up more water. I couldn¡¯t move my limbs, and I could barely move my head. I shut my lips tight, but it still flowed in nevertheless. Don¡¯t¡­ gkkh©¤ There was nothing I could do as she poured cup after cup of acid down my throat. If I could speak before, this would¡¯ve burned me mute. Why? Why is she doing this to me, I questioned myself. Was it because I tried to eat her, and now she¡¯s having her revenge? She wasn¡¯t, of course. With hindsight, she was saving my life. When I thought I was finally done for good, I woke up once again. I could move my limbs somewhat, and despite the burning sensation in my throat, I was feeling relatively refreshed. ¡¸How are you feeling?¡¹ I turned to the voice and there she was, laying defenselessly on the ground. I understood she had saved me at that point because the creatures inside me were back to what they were before; mere nutrients to fill my stomach. ¡¸I am sorry for making you go through that. I wish there was another way,¡¹she said, her voice sounded like she truly regretted causing me pain. ¡­Thank you. ¡¸Umm, will you stop trying to eat me now?¡¹ ¡­¡­ In response to my silence, she stepped back into the water and eyed my cautiously. Why did you save me?I asked. ¡¸Why would I not?¡¹Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. I tried to eat you. What do you gain from saving my life? ¡¸Oh, foolish child,¡¹she said endearingly,¡¸you being alive is a merit in itself.¡¹ I tilt my head at her, unable to understand her words. ¡¸Life is delicate and precious. How could I let such a wonderful thing disappear in front of me? Would you not do the same?¡¹ Precious? Wonderful? The only life I knew of is that of suffering. ¡¸You poor thing¡­ you have been through so much¡­¡¹ You don¡¯t know anything. ¡¸But I do. I can see it in your eyes, and eyes are the windows of the heart. Yours are so¡­ hurt.¡¹ I couldn¡¯t understand it. Why? Why did her voice sound so sad? Why would she grieve for someone like me, who tried to eat her just moments ago? Shut up, shut up or I¡¯ll¡­ ¡¸Unfair,¡¹she said, her voice cracking under emotion.¡¸So unfair. You are still so small, so¡­ empty. There is nothing but pain.¡¹ Tears were already coming out before I knew it. It was like I had gone under some kind magic. What was she doing to me with mere words? ¡¸Come here, my child,¡¹she said, opening her arms ¡ª her flippers, I mean,offering a hug. I just fell into her then, my head resting on her while she pats me on the back. Her skin was cold and hard, but it was warm for me. I don¡¯t know how to explain it, and I didn¡¯t know how she did it. I didn¡¯t only feel safe in her embrace. For the first time in my short life, I felt loved, precious, and perhaps that was the reason for the buckets of tears I let flow. ¡¸Everything is alright¡­ You will be alright, I promise.¡¹ Her voice was calming, somehow making me believe that everything truly was alright. I didn¡¯t care that she could drown me in that position. My life was in her hands, and I was glad for it. She waited for me to calm down a bit before asking me,¡¸What is your name?¡¹ I don¡¯t, -hik- have a name¡­ ¡¸Mm¡­ well, mine is Yammu, and I will take care of you from now on. Would you allow me that?¡¹ Yes¡­ I answered almost immediately. At that time, I felt like I had found something I was searching for a long time. Someone I could confide in, someone whose bosom I could cry into. Someone to hug me and tell me that everything is alright. Would she still do that for me if she knew I would betray her in the end ¡ª I still wonder to this day. ? ? ? Red eyes greet me when I wake up. Deep, red eyes, the kind that¡¯s soft but still sharp to look at. The kind that reflects anything looking back into it. Those eyes speak to me, ¡¸Where are you going, brat?¡¹again and again he asks me, accusing me. ¡¸Where are you going?¡¹ Back, I answer each time. ¡¸Back where?¡¹ Back to you. I haven¡¯t forgotten. I never will. Everything I do, everything I will do, for as long as I live, they point to one goal only. I¡¯m coming back. I promise. ¡¸Youpromise?¡¹he laughed,¡¸Like you did last time, before you betrayed us?¡¹ I couldn¡¯t answer. He tilts his head at me. ¡¸Liar.¡¹ Then he disappears like a haze, like he was never there in the first place. I try to chase after him, but then, -Clank- ¡­..Ah. This again? They¡¯reslightlysmarter than the drifters, at least. Rather than cuffing my hands with ¡°mana chains¡± or whatever, they just tied my wrists to the chair or something behind it. Like this, I can¡¯t see how and what my hands are cuffed to, making it a risk to myself if I want to use magic to break away, as I could accidently burn my hands or something like that. Having visuals is very important in using magic. Without it, one could mistake the spatial calculations, and, well... guess what happens. I suppose this is the least I should expect after I tried to murder those prickheads. Maybe I should consider myself lucky that I¡¯m still alive? Ah, don¡¯t get me wrong; although I may have acted out of impulse, I regret nothing that I did. Those granpas deserved what I intended for them. ¡°¡­Fay?¡± Anlong sits at the source of the voice. He seems relieved to see me. He approaches me and puts his hand on my swollen cheek, speaking with a worried voice, ¡°Are you alright?¡± No, I¡¯m not alright. If my hands weren¡¯t bound, I¡¯d have shoved his arm and pushed his guts to the wall, but right now, there¡¯s nothing I can do but nod at him. ¡°I, umm¡­ I¡¯ve been watching you while you were asleep. No, I mean©¤ I volunteered to watch you until you¡¯re stable.¡± ¡°Until I¡¯m stable?¡± That¡¯s a never, then. ¡°Are you hungry? I can get you something.¡± I shake my head. ¡°Thirsty, perhaps?¡± Another shake. Actually, I could use some grub and water, but the thought of Anlong feeding me is¡­ well, you know. I¡¯m a[Master of Vanity], after all. The next few minutes I spent agonizingly under Anlong¡¯s watch. I don¡¯t know how he did it, but he must¡¯ve told someone about me waking up because someone knocks on the door not long after. Anlong opens the door, and I find myself looking away from the man walking in. He stares at me in silence, all the while it¡¯s all I can do to avoid his gaze. ¡°...You shouldn¡¯t even be alive,¡± he said, and I say nothing to reply. My heart beats uncontrollably as he approaches me, and then I hear something snap. The next think I know is that I¡¯m free of my bounds. I look up at my liberator to see no resentment in his eyes. Then my eyes trail to his right arm, or the fact that it¡¯s missing. How did I not notice that earlier? ¡°Come,¡± he said, turning his back to leave the room. I promptly follow. --- --- --- As we walked through the narrow wooden halls, I realize that we¡¯re still in Berwen ¡ª still in the village hall, perhaps, judging by the size of the building. I could hear clamor from both outside and inside the building, even through the heavy rain. For some reason, Anlong is following us closely behind, but I ignored him for the most part. Douzhen leads me to a room further away from the bustle. The further we go, the more familiar this place seems until we finally arrive. He looks at me and motions at the door. Knowing who¡¯s waiting beyond, I swallow my anxiety and knock on it. When no one answered, I look at my mentor and he nods, stepping back as if to give me some space. The door creaks as I push it open. Darkness greets me, along with a pair of eyes that belong to the woman sitting on the bed. Just from a glance, I can see the streaks underneath her eyes. Her disheveled hair that previously add to her charm now merely pictures the mess that she is. I close the door behind me and greet her, Teacher. ¡°¡­Fay? What are you doing here?¡± Nothing in particular. I¡¯m just checking up on you. She raises her eyebrows at that. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± she forced a smile. I let some moments of silence pass between us before I take the initiative. You know, I did things in the past. Things I¡¯m not proud of. ¡°I said I¡¯m fine, Fay.¡± You¡¯re not convincing anyone here, teacher. A wrinkle forms between her eyebrows as she thinks back to her outburst earlier. ¡°It won¡¯t happen again. It¡¯s just¡­ what I did was¡­¡± Necessary, right? You did it for the good of the many. ¡°¡­So you agree with what I did?¡± I tilt my head at her.What does my opinion matter? ¡°It matters to me.¡± It may have been the right thing. Or it may not. What right do you have to judge those people worth less than the people here? Her expression distorts to disbelief, her mouth opening but with no words coming out, I continue, Do you know how many people there were? ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. They said there were three to four hundred villagers, but¡­ goddess, it looked much more than that.¡± Three to four hundred, as opposed to everyone else. How did you make that decision, teacher? Because there¡¯s more people to be saved than there is to be killed? ¡°And what¡¯s wrong with that©¤¡± her voice breaks out, forcing her to take a deep breath before continuing, ¡°what else do we have but numbers? What else can we trust? The flimsy hearts of humans? Do you think the right thing to do was to save them and risk everyone else?¡± Like I said, what does my opinions matters? Or rather, what does anyone¡¯s? I approach her as her eyes start to tear up. Right and wrong, do you think you¡¯ll ever know the answer? No matter what anyone says, no matter what kind of calculation you make, do you think you can come to an answer you¡¯re satisfied with? ¡°I don¡¯t know, Fay!¡± she said, nearly screaming, ¡°I don¡¯t know anything!¡± No, you don¡¯t. But you made that decision anyway, a decision that you¡¯ll live with, whether you regret it or not. It¡¯s not right, it¡¯s not wrong. It¡¯s just something you did to survive. ¡°¡­So you mean to say, I killed all those people to save myself?¡± You can put the blame on others all you want. Blame the elders, blame the calculations. It¡¯s a good way to not take responsibility for your actions, by saying it was ¡°on orders¡± or it¡¯s the ¡°logical¡± thing to do. In the end, ¡®you¡¯ made that decision, not others, and definitely not the numbers. You did. ¡°¡­¡¯Take responsibility¡¯, is that what you¡¯re saying?¡± Yeah. ¡°Is that what you do to ease the pain?¡± It¡¯s what I try to do, at least. Someone else taught me that. ¡°And did it work for him?¡± I shrug at her. It worked for some time. He remained the man he was ¡ª strong, calculating, and a hero to his people, up until he blew himself up. She smiles, yet her eyes are cold. ¡°And that will be my fate, then? Slowly eaten by my own sense of rightness, until I decide I can¡¯t take it anymore?¡± Maybe... I sit beside her on the bed as another silence comes, hearing nothing but our own breathing and the faint sound of rain. ¡­Or you can do what I do. She looks at me, her eyes wet and questioning as I answer. ? ? ? I say nothing under Douzhen¡¯s demanding gaze. Instead, I wait for him to verbally ask me. ¡°...How is she?¡± he verbally asked me. I shrug at him. Same as everyone else. ¡°Which is?¡± Probably dead within the next few days. He sighs, I don¡¯t know of relief or frustration. ¡°I take it she¡¯ll be okay, then.¡± She willneverbe okay. I glare at him. Perhaps I¡¯m biased, but his insufferable ignorance is so irritating. He should¡¯ve known better. ¡°¡­So you haven¡¯t forgiven us.¡± I chuckle at him. Forgive you? For what, make her bear the devil¡¯s burden? ¡°She¡¯s a hero.¡± She¡¯s a mass murderer. Perhaps noticing the atmosphere, Anlong scuttles back to give us room. I look back at my mentor, asking, Where were you? ¡°What?¡± he asked back, clearly not expecting the question. Where were you? Where were you when she needed you ¡ª when the woman you supposedly ¡®love¡¯ needed you? His nose flares as he takes in a sharp breath. ¡°How¡­¡± Wherewere you? I can see him reaching for his sword, his fingers firmly on the handle. - Go on, slash me if you will - I challenged him with my eyes. ¡°Like I said, you shouldn¡¯t even be alive.¡± Where. Were. You? ¡°What does it matter? It happened, and we all share the same burden. We ¡ª the elders ¡ª were the one to give the order.¡± ¡°The same burden?¡±Shepulled the trigger. All they did was convince her to do it, and you think their burdens can compare? ¡°¡­What would you have us do, then?¡± he asked, letting go of his grip on his sword. His facial features visibly relaxed after he said that, and no longer I can feel the deadly intent that was clearly there a second ago. What he asked is not a rhetorical question, nor is it accusing. Somehow I know that my mentor is sincerely asking me because neither he nor the elders know what they¡¯re doing, like a child finally giving up on something they thought they could do themselves. ...And now you askme. The dark corridor is lit as thunder struck somewhere nearby. I look out the foggy window to see the nothing but blinding rain. How I want to just take teacher and run away from this place. But teacher loves her people, and¡­ no, that¡¯s wrong. I too have people I can¡¯t turn my back to. If anything, I decided that I can¡¯t keep running away. This is as good time as any to make a stand. ¡°Storm is coming.¡± ¡­What? Douzhen points at the dark clouds hovering above the vale. ¡°A big one, it seems. Cursed luck we have.¡± Storm¡­ is coming. That¡¯s right. I don¡¯t have much time. Storm is coming and along with it, something worse than a demon. According to Thalvos, something that will ¡°kill everything¡±. I¡¯m going, mentor. ¡°Go where?¡± To kill myself a demon. ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯s a good idea.¡± I threaten him with a glare. Don¡¯t try to stop me. ¡°Oh, I won¡¯t be the one to do that.¡± He nods at something behind me. I turned around, and there she stands in the middle of the corridor, the dim windows painting her figure with shadows of the raindrops. Her eyes tell me that she heard everything. ¡°Did you mean what you said?¡± she asked. ¡­Teacher. She still looks as misshapen as she was, except for her eyes ¡ª her eyes that were dead before¡­ there¡¯s a new fire in them. ¡°Fay,¡± I flinched when she called my name, my heart already beating faster before I realized it. ¡°I asked you a question.¡± This is her. She¡¯s back. Yes, I meant it,I said, answering her gaze. ¡°I can¡¯t let you go.¡± And I won¡¯t let you stop me. ¡°Yeah, I know,¡± a sly smirk forms on her face, ¡°that¡¯s why I¡¯ll go with you, instead.¡± Eh? She raises her hand, then slams it down on my head, ruffling my hair without a care. ¡°I understand now. Caging you is like trying to train a wild beast; tiring, expensive, and dangerous to us both.¡± T©¤Teacher¡­ I don¡¯t know if she¡¯s saying sorry or if she¡¯s just insulting me. ¡°Well, that said,¡± she turns to Douzhen. ¡°I suppose, as our common mentor, you¡¯ll try to stop us, now?¡± ¡°Not at all,¡± he replied, much to teacher¡¯s surprise. ¡°Or rather, the others are already waiting.¡± ¡°¡¯Others?¡¯¡± ¡°Mind you, we¡¯ll be going directly against the elders¡¯ decision. Especially you,¡± he points at me, looking me up top to bottom, ¡°you should change your clothes. We wouldn¡¯t want them to see a dead girl walking around.¡± Err¡­ what? ¡°I said it, didn¡¯t I? You¡¯re not even supposed to be alive.¡± Teacher narrows her eyes at me. ¡°¡­Fay?¡± Oh, crap... ¡°What did you do?¡± Well, someone ought to teach those butthead elders a lesson, so I¡­ ¡°¡­What?¡± Uhm¡­ Maybe I should¡¯ve left her crying in the bedroom.
Chapter 38 : Come and Get Me Chapter 38 Come and Get Me Stepping into the muddy ground, we pull our hoods tight only to find how little it does to protect us against the rain. Although our eyes are protected, it hardly matters because I can¡¯t see ten strides in front of me. ¡°How far are we going?¡± teacher asked upon reaching Berwen¡¯s borders. ¡°Just up that hill,¡± Anlong said, pointing up the incline as he leads us past the back gate of some farmer¡¯s barn, leading outside the village¡¯s fences. We continue with a trek uphill, occasionally looking back to make sure no one is following us. After a short while, a small clearing comes into view. Standing in the middle are several connected tents, large enough to make shelter for about twenty people. There¡¯s already people present, evident from the shadows cast from the lanterns inside. Anlong leads us in the tents, and as soon as we enter, the loud rain is quickly drowned by the silent stares of the people inside, tracing to us, and then to teacher. ¡°¡­Elder Inzhi?¡± one of the men called out. ¡°You¡¯re in this as well?¡± ¡°Yes, but¡­ I don¡¯t exactly know what ¡®this¡¯ is.¡± ¡°No one here knows the exact plan yet,¡± another man joined, ¡°but it sure is a relief to see a trustworthy face here.¡± I quietly slip away as they start to crowd around her. I wouldn¡¯t want anyone to recognize me. Looking around, my eyes meet with another on a familiar face. His gaze lingered over me for a while, probably curious if I¡¯m really who he thinks I am. Before I could get away, though¡­ ¡°Aren¡¯t you supposed to be dead?¡± ¡­Karyat. Ah, well, I suppose I could use some company. Yeah. This is a secret, but... I''m actually a dead girl walking, I wink at him. Seeing him giving no apparent response, I continue, I was Douzhen¡¯s beloved student. He simply didn¡¯t have the heart. ¡°...I see. He needed you alive to convince your teacher.¡± You''re wrong. It¡¯s ¡®my¡¯ help that he needs. He eyes widen, fire brewing behind them. ¡°Your help doesn¡¯t amount to the risk you''d bring. You shouldn¡¯t be here.¡± Oh¡­ I tilt my head, you¡¯re still not over that? ¡°You tried to kill us.¡± But I didn¡¯t in the end. ¡°Because Douzhen stopped you. He should¡¯ve put an end to you right then.¡± Is that what ¡®you¡¯ would¡¯ve done? He only keeps glaring at me as a reply, so I let him glare at my back because he¡¯s not being a very good company. Despite the hole he¡¯s boring into my back, I somehow know he won¡¯t tell on me. He already surmised his own argument on why I should stay alive without my help, so let¡¯s just leave it at that. I was looking around again to see if there¡¯s anyone else I know when Douzhen walks into the tent. Following behind him is that one elder who-shall-not-be-named. Because I don''t remember his name. ¡°Fay, there you are,¡± teacher said, suddenly grabbing my arm from behind. ¡°Keep your hood down. That man really wants you dead,¡± Him? ¡°Elder Hanre. He¡¯s the one who proposed you executed, Douzhen said so.¡± ¡°I apologize for the wait,¡± Douzhen started as he looks over us. ¡°First off, is everyone here?¡± With a few silent nods, he continues, ¡°We thank you all for being here despite knowing the risks. We¡¯re going directly against the final decision of the council and therefore can be branded as conspirators just by being here. I trust everyone here can keep their discretion as to what their whereabouts are during this time. We¡¯ll make this brief as possible.¡± He looks towards the elder beside him. ¡°Elder Hanre, if you may?¡± The man called Hanre steps forward. Excluding teacher, he would be the youngest among the elders, and would¡¯ve looked like it if he ever decided to trim that overgrown bush covering his entire jaw. He sweeps his gaze around us, pausing momentarily on either me or teacher before clearing his throat. ¡°The vale is in a crisis. It is my regret to inform you that we, the elders, decided that the best course of action is to sit and wait for help. Three out of the seven elders were against it, but alas, here we are¡ªthe people with the courage to fight, with those three elders among them.¡± Oh¡­ he included teacher among the three elders. In reality, the vote was actually two against four because teacher lost her right for a voice in the Hall of Elders. Elder Hanre sits on the carpeted ground, motioning the others to make themselves comfortable as well. ¡°I will now explain the plan.¡± ? ? ? Earlier, Douzhen said that they¡¯ll ¡°make this as brief as possible,¡±. As it turns out, that ¡°brief as possible¡± stretched on to hours. The plan itself is rather straightforward. The battle force will be split into two; the larger diversion team to lure out the beasts, and the hunter team that will infiltrate the demon¡¯s territory and kill it. Meanwhile the non-battle force will be handling the infrastructure needed, such us securing a supply and communication line between the two teams. Every part is thought out to the specifics¡­ except for one big hole. ¡°Elder, about the diversion team, how many beasts are they expecting?¡± The one who finally asked about it is Karyat. ¡°A few hundreds, at most.¡± ¡°A few hundreds? If we want to reach the demon, drawing out a mere hundred beasts can¡¯t be enough. There¡¯s thousands of them out there.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because most of the demon¡¯s spawns will be somewhere else,¡± Douzhen cut in. ¡°¡­That¡¯s right. And that¡¯s what the signal parameter is for, which is to start the plan at the exact moment when the demon¡¯s defenses are the weakest,¡± Hanre further explained. Everyone starts looking at each other, unsure about what the elder is talking about. ¡°Elder, my ¡®watcher¡¯ team is responsible for this signal, but what is it, exactly?¡± someone else asked. There¡¯s a hint of resignation in Hanre¡®s eyes, yet his voice is determined as he explains everything. Within the isolation of the vale, an elder¡¯s figure is the only source of both of wisdom and leadership, accumulated throughout their years of service to the three courts. Only the mightiest drachtals and the wisest augurs are chosen, thus it should be a rare occurrence to see one of the vale¡¯s denizens talk back to one of these esteemed elders. ¡°Demon! You¡¯re the demon¡¯s advocate!¡± ¡°You fucking snake-tongue!¡± ¡°Filthy coward. You¡¯d rather sacrifice others than risk your own life¡­¡± Here we are, openly throwing insults at one of those esteemed elders, as if competing to see who has the best slurs. It was a natural outcome. The signal parameter he integrated into the plan, the ingenuity, and the inhumanity of it¡­ not anyone could¡¯ve come up with it. Not anyone could bear that burden. It should be expected that he¡¯d be answered with such a glorious reply, and judging from his reaction, he did see it coming. Under all that flame, Hanre stays his gaze forward, silent and unflinching, patiently waiting for whatever comes next. ¡°¡­And you, Brother Douzhen? You¡¯re fine with this?¡± Karyat switched his target. ¡°Regretfully, yes. This plan¡­ as hard as it is to accept, it¡¯s the vale¡¯s best chance of survival.¡± Karyat¡¯s grits his teeth upon hearing that, his hands clawing themselves in frustration. The same vexation can be seen on basically everyone else, everyone but Hanre himself, who now turns his attention to teacher. ¡°¡­Inzhi, elder or not, your voice may be the one that matters the most. I¡¯m afraid this plan won¡¯t go well without your help.¡± ¡°Eh?¡± teacher exclaimed. Hanre, you fucking bastard. Just as I¡¯m about to stand, teacher pushes my shoulder down with one hand to keep me hidden in the crowd. She briefly glances at me, ordering me with her eyes, - don¡¯t you fucking dare -. ¡°I¡­ know better than most that sometimes, sacrifices are the only way we can achieve something,¡± she replied, answering Hanre¡®s eyes. ¡°I¡¯m with my mentor on this one. Inaction would be the worst action to take against a demon. We must take the initiative.¡± With her words, the crowd¡¯s rage is somewhat doused, only to be replaced by an equally constricting silence. ¡°Even you, Inzhi?¡± Karyat said. Not only him, others seem to be dejected as well seeing their favorite elder agreeing to the plan. ¡°Very well,¡± Hanre clears his throat, ¡°for those of you that still have questions, raise your hands. I will address all of your doubts to the best that I can.¡± ? ? ? Pretty much everyone had their hands raised. In the end, the meeting was cut short as only so much time can pass with two elders missing without raising suspicions. Most of the attendants were still upset long after Hanre left the tent. Some of them, I think, even directed that enmity towards teacher. It was nothing more than them stealing glances at her and then cursing in silence, but it was more than enough. I practically dragged her out of that place. The walk downhill felt much faster than the climb. I followed teacher with my head hung, my eyes fixed on her unperturbed steps while I try to figure out what¡¯s on her mind. Before I could, however, we¡¯re already back at the village hall. ¡°Fay," she called out as we walked through the foyer. ¡°The elders should be gone by now. If you want, you can sleep in my room.¡± Where will you sleep? ¡°Where else?¡± she shrugged. You want us to sleep together? ¡°Look, I just don¡¯t want you to end up at the stables.¡± ¡­Okay. You go on ahead. I still have something I need to do. ¡°Fay,¡± she grabs onto my hand. ¡°Don¡¯t do anything stupid.¡± I©¤I¡¯m not. ¡°Where are you going, then?¡± Teacher, I¡¯m just¡­ ¡°I won¡¯t let your hand go before you promise, Fay. Tell me what is it you need to©¤¡± Teacher, I need to pee. ¡°¡­Oh, err¡­¡± She finally lets me go after that. Geez, even though she promised not to keep a leash on me anymore. I suppose people can¡¯t change that easily. Although frankly, as annoying as it is, I find this part of her rather endearing in way. ...Well, just a bit. As darkness falls, so does it blanket the corridors. The storm has long covered the stars, leaving only the candles hanging by the doors to help me find my way. Just as I¡¯m about to go back after taking care of business, I notice a presence inside the main hall, the place where I did some¡­ ahem, inexcusable mischief towards the elderly. According to teacher, the elders should have already moved to a more secure location, while the original tenants have long been evacuated to acquisition. There shouldn¡¯t be anyone else left aside from a few guards and the people from the gathering earlier. I try to sneak a peek at the figure, thinking that I would play a little prank if it turns out to be Anlong. ¡­¡­ It¡¯s not Anlong. Standing alone in the darkness, Hanre traces his gaze over the empty table as if the map of the vale is still there. His mouth moves slightly, whispering inaudible spells to himself.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Elder Hanre, I walk out of the darkness to greet him. ¡°¡­You?¡± his eyes widened in surprise. ¡°How come you¡¯re here?¡± Save the act, elder. I know you saw me back there. Back in the gathering, he clearly noticed knew who I am. ¡°You know that I¡¯m behind your execution order, yet you openly approach me. So, I ask you again; how come you¡¯re here?¡± Exactly. How come I¡¯m ¡®still¡¯ here? Why are you letting me live? ¡°¡­Douzhen and Inzhi went as far as to hide you. I dare imagine what they¡¯d do if I actually killed you. But you didn¡¯t come out just to ask me that, did you?¡± You¡¯re right. I came here to warn you. ¡°Warn me?¡± If you even think of using my teacher as your scapegoat, I will burn you. And I promise you, Douzhen won¡¯t be around to stop me this time. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about.¡± You said in front of everyone that her involvement is crucial to the plan. You gave her a chance to stop your plan. ¡®She could¡¯ve stopped it.¡¯ That¡¯s what people would think if it all goes wrong. ¡°I see where you¡¯re coming from,¡± he sighed, breaking his gaze as he continues in a mellow voice, ¡°I understand now why Inzhi chose you as her apprentice. True, you may be sharp, but what you said couldn¡¯t have been further from the truth. It was never my intention to put Inzhi in a difficult position. Quite the opposite, really. I intended to establish the importance of her role, even if she no longer has her seat as an elder.¡± So you let her sanction the sacrifice the people of the vale, just like she did at Panear? I wonder how people would see her then? ¡°In the first place, the only people who knew what happened are the ones who were there, and then some select few. And even if the incident got out, why would anyone care? Why would they hold a grudge over some people from the south that they barely knew? Inzhi had done a great deal for the vale. Her friends far outnumber her enemies.¡± ¡°Some people from the south¡±¡­ except if this plan of yours is to work, it won¡¯t be just a few hundred people, wouldn¡¯t it? ¡°¡­No. But the blame won¡¯t be on her head. I¡¯ll make sure of that.¡± You say that, but you don¡¯t even seem to realize the biggest flaw in your plan. His eyes flicker with interest, returning his gaze to me. ¡°And that is¡­?¡± You can¡¯t make people agree that easily, especially if it involves putting their friends and families in danger. It¡¯s very likely that the someone will tell the elders about the gathering, and once they know©¤ ¡°Oh, they will. I¡¯m depending on that.¡± ¡­And you¡¯re okay with it? With the other elders knowing about your plan? You¡¯re okay with them persecuting you for not warning them about the coming attack? ¡°I have warned them. They simply decided to stand their ground against it.¡± I thought you were recruiting people? If they knew about the attack, they¡¯d have everyone defend Acquisition and leave you no pawns to use for your plan. ¡°Darling," he chuckled, "I already have enough people for that. Capable people. People that I trust, including your teacher.¡± Then you could¡¯ve just talk to her personally. Why even bother set up that gathering¡­ ¡­Ah. ¡­the signal? A listless smile forms on his face. ¡°The signal.¡± ¡­This guy. As I thought, he¡¯s just like that person. Only a certain kind of people can be this ruthless. By letting the elders know, it would let them prepare against the oncoming attack. While it may seem like the proper thing to do, Hanre¡¯s motives is that the longer acquisition holds against the horde, the more time would be bought for his plan to work. By the time they realize the severity of the attack, they would have no other choice but to cooperate with him. They¡¯d have no choice but to signal their own doom. ¡°¡­How many?¡± Eh? ¡°How many demons have you faced before?¡± With Lyrfanas, it would be nine. ¡­Just one. ¡°¡¯Just one¡¯ would give you more insight on the matter of demons than any of the elders. Now that you know the entirety of my plan, do you think it would work?¡± Oh, so now you ask me. ¡°I could always use a different perspective.¡± Well, here¡¯s my ¡°perspective¡±. You based this plan from how the demon acted in one battle. You based it from only one day of war. How can you expect it to work? ¡°It¡¯s exactly as you said. One day. One battle, one day of war. That¡¯s all it took for us to lose everything south of Panear. How much would be lost by the time a proper strategy is made?¡± ¡­He has a point. The demon could¡¯ve broken through the ridge if it didn¡¯t pull back its forces, so why? Why would it give up that chance, just because of an alpha¡¯s dying roar? If my guess is correct, then¡­ ¡­It will work, I answered, turning my back to leave. Just not in the way you think it would. ¡°I see,¡± he whispered, ¡°then that¡¯s good enough.¡± I walk back to where teacher is, but not before hearing him whisper behind me, "Good luck, demon hunter." --- --- --- ¡°You took your time,¡± was thrown at my face as soon as I walked in. Oh, sorry, were you waiting for me? ¡°I was on guard. You know, just in case something burned up.¡± Hah. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m too tired to even try. I take off my dripping wet coat and footwear, then take my place beside her on the bed. ¡­Well this is comfy. ¡°Would you rather sleep on the floor?¡± No, this is fine, I turn towards her. Due to how small the bed is, our bodies are almost touching under the blanket, with nothing but the darkness and the sound of rain to distract us from that closeness. If it was before, this distance would¡¯ve been awkward, but now, there¡¯s only a comfortable warmth. Teacher. ¡°Hmm?¡± Do you remember that promise you made? She clumsily withdrew her eyes from mine. ¡°Uhh¡­¡± You forgot. ¡°O©¤Of course not, but uhm¡­ I know I promised you three months, but I didn¡¯t know you couldn¡¯t write back then, so¡­ no, in the first place, I should¡¯ve©¤¡± Not that one. ¡°Eh?¡± ¡­Teacher, after this is over, can you tell me more about you? ¡°About me?¡± Yes. Everything about you. Your whole story. Her eyes widen as she remembers her words from back then. ¡®Someday, I¡¯ll tell you my whole story and on that day, you will tell me yours as well.¡¯ ¡°¡­Yeah,¡± she smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll do that.¡± ? ? ? I had a dream. It wasn¡¯t the usual visits to the past. This time, it was¡­ different. After teacher had gone to sleep, I found myself staring at the dark ceiling above us and there, hidden in the darkness, a pair of deep red eyes answered my gaze. ¡¸ Where are you going, brat? ¡¹ Back. I¡¯m coming back. I promise. ¡¸ You promise? ¡¹ he laughed, ¡¸ Like you did last time, before you betrayed us? ¡¹ I couldn¡¯t answer. Still couldn¡¯t. He tilted his head at me. ¡¸ Liar. ¡¹ Then he disappeared into the darkness, only to be replaced by another pair of eyes. A pair of glowing ambers. ¡¸ Little lass, hath thou found what thou art looking for? ¡¹ No, I¡­ I¡¯m working on it. ¡¸ Why art thou looking for it? ¡¹ To save you. ¡°Just them?¡± the voice came from beside me. In teacher¡¯s place was a luphaen laying down on her side. Her lips curved into a bewitching smile, whispering to me, ¡°They¡¯re not the only ones you left behind.¡± I had to leave. ¡°Why? We had everything. You, and me¡­¡± her hand reached out to caress my cheek. I reached out as well, and just then... ¡°Fay¡­¡± It was teacher¡¯s voice that finally woke me up. When I came to, a dim light is already pouring from the window. I look beside me to see teacher still sleeping, her figure hidden under the blanket. She called my name earlier. Was she sleep-talking? Then I hear a soft whimper, as if someone is silently crying. At first, I thought it¡¯s me, but I realize now that it¡¯s the person beside me. Teacher¡­ I start caressing her head, which seems to ease her because the tears stop¡­ or so I thought. ¡°¡­What are you doing?¡± she asked, her eyes wide open. Ah, uh¡­ She narrows her eyes at me, demanding an answer but suddenly realizing something. Her hand moves to her own face, feeling the wetness beneath her eyes. ¡°Was I¡­¡± Yeah. She can only look down in embarrassment at my answer. Thankfully, that moment didn¡¯t last long because a soft knock sounds from the door. I promptly jump over and slightly open the door. Anlong¡¯s face is what¡¯s behind it, his mouth breaking into a stifled smile upon seeing my face. ¡°It¡¯s time.¡± --- --- --- ¡°Is everyone set?¡± Douzhen asked as he looks over the faces of everyone present once again. Besides me and teacher, there¡¯s Karyat, Anlong, and four other people that I¡¯ve never met before. Out of those four, one is an augur, and the other three is a drachtal, judging from the color of their robes. The people here, if it¡¯s according to Hanre¡¯s plan, should be the vale¡¯s quickest and strongest. After all, we¡¯re the hunter team, the demon hunters with a mission to, as you can guess, hunt a demon. So¡­ why is Anlong here? ¡°We¡¯re all ready,¡± Karyat answered for all of us. ¡°Then all that¡¯s left is to wait for the second signal. This is your last chance to do what you need to do, but don¡¯t stray too far. The signal may come at any time.¡± He basically leaves us to our own devices after that. Berwen is pretty much abandoned by now. The diversion team has already departed to their starting positions on the first signal, so all that¡¯s left now are the hunters and a handful of guards. Other than the village hall, which we¡¯re currently using to shelter from the unending rain, all houses and buildings are closed down with the doors and windows bolted shut. The villagers must be planning on returning here if they took the trouble to seal up their houses. ¡°Of course. On another note, look over there,¡± teacher points at a certain person sitting alone in the village hall¡¯s porch. What about him? ¡°He looks down.¡± Uh-huh? I can guess why. ¡°Go see if you can cheer him up,¡± she urged with a weird smile on her face. How? He can¡¯t even hear me. And why should I do that in the first place? ¡°Trust me, you won''t even need him to hear you. Just go.¡± I¡­ guess she has a point? Having someone not at their best could bring down the rest, and since our target is a demon, the consequences of a failure is sure to be fatal for all of us. I understand that, but¡­ what¡¯s that wink for, teacher? You¡¯re not misunderstanding something, are you? Oy, what about our moment together last night? Resigning myself to teacher¡¯s antics, I approach the crestfallen boy, who somehow still manages to look handsome even with those huge bags under his eyes. Anlong, I greet him with a smile. He languidly smiles back at me, ¡°Hello, Fay.¡± Something weighing your mind? ¡°...They¡¯re fighting right now,¡± he said, and I don¡¯t need to ask who he¡¯s talking about. He stares at the distance, more asking himself than me, ¡°Do you think Zethran is still there?¡± He must be. Maybe Ranlan as well. ¡°The first signal this morning meant that the attack has begun. The people back there are all fighting for their lives and yet all we¡¯re doing is wait. I know it¡¯s for the greater good, but¡­ what if we fail? What if the second signal never came? What if¡­¡± Hey, I slap his shoulder, gaining his attention before raising a fist to him. ¡°Huh?¡± Come on. He awkwardly makes a fist of his own and bump it with mine. Keeping them in contact, I move my face in front of him so that our eyes meet. One thing I learned from my thought transference is that both skin and eye contact can enhance it, making it so that even normal people can ¡°feel¡± my thoughts, at least to an extent. Remember how we beat Akulay? ¡°Uh¡­ Fay?¡± We did it, Anlong. Us four from jade. We¡¯re the best the acquisition has to offer, and those two are at the top of jade. You don¡¯t think mere beasts can take them down, do you? He nods understandingly. ¡°Those two are strong, is what you¡¯re saying to me, right?¡± Yeah. ¡°You¡¯re right. I merely lack faith. Thank you¡­¡± With my job done, I pull away my hand. Or try to, because Anlong already has my wrist in his grip before I could react. ¡°Fay, there¡¯s no telling if we would survive this mission. This could be our last moments together.¡± Huh? ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to tell you something, and now that we¡¯re nearing the end, there¡¯s no longer anything holding me back.¡± A©¤Actually, I think this could wait¡­ ¡°The truth is, I©¤¡± ¡°Heads up!¡± the augur yelled. High in the skies above us, flocks of birds emerge from the distance. They converge unto one point and start circling around, forming a ring of wings that seems to get bigger and bigger until it finally disperses into every direction. ¡°That¡¯s the signal!¡± teacher shouted. Douzhen explosively broke out from the village hall¡¯s doors, blaring out, ¡°Let¡¯s move!¡± ¡°Fay!¡± teacher runs up to the porch. ¡°Can you keep up?¡± Of course I ca©¤ Before I could finish, I¡¯m already being carried. Guess who has me in his arms. ¡°Leave her to me,¡± he said. Teacher briefly raises her eyebrow before letting out a little smile. ¡°Take care of her, alright?¡± ¡°I will,¡± he turns his gaze to me, ¡°until death do us part.¡± I turn my face away and quietly thought, How about until I let myself down? She¡¯s not saying anything, but I swear I can hear teacher laughing in her mind. --- --- --- The nine of us made our way through the stone-webs like the wind, leaping from rock to rock like pebbles on a water¡¯s surface. The mist and rain are so thick, yet none of them showed any sign or fear of falling on the slippery surfaces. In fact, they all moved much faster than any jade could in a sunny day. Furthermore, Anlong who was carrying me was actually keeping up with their pace. Have I been underestimating him? If everything goes along the plan, the diversion team should¡¯ve encountered the enemy by now. Not only our time is limited from the survival of the diversion team, we¡¯re also racing against the onslaught of the refugee camp at acquisition. To put it simply, the longer we take, the more people will die. Hanre¡¯s plan predicted the demon to be somewhere near where Akulay was slain, and that¡¯s where we¡¯ll start. It didn¡¯t take too long before we start climbing down the stone-webs. Since it was too dangerous to climb down while carrying a person, Anlong had to let me go so that I could climb down on my own. Even though I went as fast as I could, I still seemed slow everyone else. Should I just let go and stop my fall with air cushions? As I thought that, I found teacher glaring at me as if she read my mind. Uhm, maybe that¡¯s a bad idea after all. ¡°Keep your eyes open. The demon should be around here,¡± Douzhen warned as soon as everyone is on the ground. ¡°There¡¯s something over there, one uberlen in that direction,¡± teacher pointed at a certain location. ¡°There¡¯s a trail leading there branching away from the horde.¡± ¡°Alright. Split into the teams we talked about and approach the target. Make the enclosure as wide as you can, but stay within sight of the nearest team.¡± We promptly follow Douzhen¡¯s instructions and split into three groups. With me are, of course, teacher, and one other drachtal that I just met this morning. I think his name was Jurgen or something. ¡°Make sure to protect us okay, Jurfan?¡± ¡°Of course, Elder Inzhi.¡± Oh, so it¡¯s Jurfan. Thanks, teacher. He introduced himself as the fastest of all drachtals, and his performance back on the stone-webs seemed to support that. ¡°Fay, you keep watch of the other teams.¡± Aye, teach. Incidentally, the team next to us is the one that has Anlong in it, and apparently, he¡¯s tasked with watching my team. For some reason, these long-distance eye contacts are much more awkward than the ones we had when he was carrying me. ¡°What is that?¡± teacher said quietly as she signals us to stop. Me doing my job, noticed that the other teams stopped as well. The reason for that is the object in a clearing right ahead. It looks like some kind of tree, or a rock formation. What really makes us puzzled, though, is the figure attached to it. ¡°That looks like¡­ a person?¡± Jurfan said. After making sure the area is clear, Douzhen gives us a bird-signal and we all come out of our hiding spots to approach it. After realizing what it is, I can feel everyone regretting ever coming near it. ¡°¡­Goddess¡­¡± Jurfan brought his hands to his mouth. Everyone else has their voices stifled, their eyes wide open, staring unblinkingly at the ¡°person¡± before their eyes. One person, possibly Anlong, drops to his knees. I can¡¯t blame him. This is, truly¡­ monstrous. In front of us is a pile debris, wood and stone, stuffed together with unimaginable force to form a demented monument. Tied to that monument is a figure of a person... or something that used to be a person. The limbs are all misshapen, bent and stretched in a way that shouldn¡¯t be possible. The skin is burnt, mangled, pulled apart to reveal the flesh that had been scraped away, perhaps eaten by beasts or crows. Some parts have little more than bones. On the head, the eyes and hair are missing, as well as most of the facial features a human should possess, leaving us no way to identify the corpse. ¡°¡­We should bury the body,¡± Karyat said. ¡°No, we don¡¯t have the time,¡± Douzhen replied. ¡°Then we should at least cut it down. No one¡­ no one deserves to end like this.¡± Without taking too much time, the body is put down and we offer a silent prayer to it. ¡°May Thalvos grant you an easy passing, and may Athyra accept you at her side,¡± Karyat said, holding the sides of the head tenderly as he closes the nonexistent eyelids with his thumbs. No one speaks a word after that. As they stand up to leave, I alone stay kneeling in front of the body. My hand covers the corpse¡¯s, opening the closed fingers to recover what¡¯s hidden inside. ¡°It couldn¡¯t be her, right¡­?¡± ¡­Of course not, I shake my head to the person behind me as I nimbly hide the necklace-shaped object inside my hand. ¡°I¡¯m going ahead. I¡¯m sorry, I can¡¯t¡­ I can¡¯t stay here,¡± Anlong said as he finally goes away. When no one is left but me, I lean closer to the face that no longer resembles a human, and then touch our foreheads together. I¡¯m sorry. With my legs feeling like stone, I stand up and back away. As I run to catch up with the others, I take a glance at object I just retrieved; a bright-red round ornament the size of a thumb, attached to a string. --- --- --- ¡°Are you okay, Fay?¡± teacher asked. Her weak voice tells me that she¡¯s in no place to ask that. Yeah, I just¡­ had to make sure of something. ¡°Make sure of what?¡± It¡¯s not Lyrfanas. I¡¯m certain of it now. She narrows her eyes at me. ¡°How come?¡± The Mother was cold and calculating. In contrast, this demon pulled out its forces from a winning battle when we killed Akulay, and then, that body¡­ It was a message. ¡°Eh?¡± A message written out of anger. I can¡¯t imagine Lyrfanas falling to wrath over a subordinate¡¯s death. This demon is clearly different. It must¡¯ve considered Akulay as a friend, or even family. It wanted us to know that. ¡­I remember this feeling. The last time I felt this was such a long time ago. It¡¯s not the anger that boils the blood, nor is it the rage that drives you mad. It¡¯s the anger that burned cold. ¡°Fay, what was the message?¡± I meet teacher¡¯s gaze, not even hiding the sickness in my eyes as I answer, Come and get me.
Chapter 39 : Reave Chapter 39 Reave It¡¯s been nearly a full day since the rain started falling, and still there¡¯s no sign of it stopping. The rivers overflowed and flooded the lowlands south of Panear, and now we¡¯re forced to take to the trees like the monkeys we are, desperately trying to avoid the raging streams below. Obviously I can¡¯t do that, but the monks can. Jurfan does it better than most, which is why he¡¯s carrying me on his back. Dead weight? Of course not. I can still do my job properly, which is to watch for the other teams. Teacher, they¡¯re signaling us, I said upon seeing Anlong¡¯s team waving out at us. ¡°Alright, let¡¯s see what they¡¯ve found.¡± As you can tell, I¡¯m doing my job properly. Sound signals no longer work as the stream below would drown any voice or whistle and now we¡¯re left relying on my eyes to tell what the others are up to. We follow where the signal indicates we should go and found a small piece of dry land situated a little above the flood. ¡°Did you find anything?¡± teacher asked her mentor. ¡°No,¡± Douzhen answered bluntly. ¡°This flood is making it hard for us to move around, and we can¡¯t keep jumping around like this, can we?¡± ¡°Maybe if we go further south¡­¡± Karyat suggested. ¡°How much further, a league? Two? No, brother,¡± Douzhen shook his head. ¡°All we¡¯re going to find is more water.¡± ¡°So what, we¡¯re just going to give up?¡± ¡°No,¡± Douzhen turns to me, ¡°but this is why we brought her.¡± ¡­Me? ¡°You found the alpha, did you not?¡± We got lucky. I only thought that the alpha would be somewhere the augurs couldn¡¯t see from the ridge, somewhere down south. In other words, It was just a guess. ¡°A guess would be our best bet right now.¡± His eyes stay on me and from that, I realize he¡¯s not going to let me off until I come up with an answer. ¡­It¡¯s a far shot, but I think I have an idea where it might be. ¡°Tell us.¡± I point at the swirling flood all around us. ¡°The water?¡± Douzhen said, following me to the edge. ¡°You think it¡¯s hiding underwater?¡± ¡°Well, that¡¯s just great,¡± Karyat clapped his hands. ¡°Anyone forgot their swimwear? Because I did.¡± I don¡¯t think we need to search it out. ¡°Yes, we do. If you want to kill something, you¡¯d have to find it first. Did they teach you anything at acquisition?¡± One thing I know they ¡®didn¡¯t¡¯ teach us is diving into enemy lairs and die a moronic death. Of course, that class might¡¯ve been too advanced for some people to understand. Karyat¡¯s just starting to throw needles with his eyes before Douzhen steps between us. ¡°What do you mean?¡± Douzhen asked, his gaze still stern on me. That ¡®thing¡¯ from earlier, I think it¡¯s a message meant for us. I think it knows we¡¯re coming. ¡°And you were planning to tell us when?¡± It¡¯s just a guess. You wouldn¡¯t have believed- ¡°Yes, we would¡¯ve,¡± he said as he briskly brushes past me and starts scanning the trees around us. ¡°Eyes sharp. It could¡¯ve been following us from the start.¡± ¡°You actually believe her?¡± Karyat asked. Douzhen looks at me again, and I swear there¡¯s contempt in his eyes as he says, ¡°I trust her instincts, ¡° - and only her instincts ¨C was what he didn¡¯t say. He finally looks away when I glare at him. Bastard. He thinks me some dangerous asset, or at least, some kind of convenient liability. Well, tell you what, he¡¯s not so wise either. He can¡¯t even realize the reason I went out hunting for toads in the first place was because of him. ¡°Elder, over there!¡± the augur shouted, pointing at a flooded area shadowed by the trees. Talk about timing. ¡°What did you see?¡± Douzhen draws out his one-handed spear, and the others follow suit. ¡°I don¡¯t know, but it was under the water and it was fast.¡± What did it look like? I walk up to the augur. ¡°I only saw a shadow, but it was big and slithered like a¡­.¡± he trailed off. Like a what? His eyes lose focus, now looking at something else behind me. I follow his eyes to the other side of land. A large shadow looms, its serpentine eyes shone as every alarm in my instincts rang hard. ¡°Fay!¡± At the corner of my eye, I see Anlong reaching for me, but before he or the giant shadow could reach me, teacher pulls me away with the tip of her staff. I land on my butt to see the tail end of the creature as it slithers back into the water. ¡°It got Tenrai!¡± Karyat shouted. Tenrai, the augur, was standing behind me just then. Teacher pulled me out of the creature¡¯s way, but he wasn¡¯t so lucky. ¡°Fay, are you okay?!¡± Anlong runs towards me, but Douzhen stops him with the blunt of his spear. ¡°Don¡¯t make rash movements, boy. Fay, was that the demon?¡± I don¡¯t know, I didn¡¯t get a good look. All I got was a glimpse, but¡­ it looked like¡­ ¡°It¡¯s coming back!¡± teacher warned. Just like before, a shadow appears. Faster than anyone could see, it goes back under the water¡¯s surface, taking with him another person. ¡°Curses, it was too fast!¡± ¡°Who did it grab?!¡± ¡°Jurfan! It got Jurfan!¡± This is no joke. Even the fastest drachtal can¡¯t follow its speed, and with this flood around us, we can¡¯t even see where it¡¯s coming from. Teacher, we need to pull it out of the water! Teacher stays her gaze on the raging flood for a moment before answering, ¡°We may not need to.¡± Eh? ¡°Fay, think you can electrocute the water?¡± You mean¡­ no, the currents are too strong. Any charge would dissipate before- ¡°It¡¯s here! North side!¡± Thanks to Anlong¡¯s warning, we somehow manage to jump out of the demon¡¯s way. I said ¡°somehow¡± because I still can¡¯t see anything other than a large shadow flashing by. ¡°That was too close!¡± Karyat cursed, and I know everyone is thinking the same thing. ¡°Curse the nine hells! How does something so big move so quick?!¡± ¡°Watch for ripples in the water!¡± ¡°How?! We¡¯re in a fucking flood, it¡¯s rippling everywhere!¡± ¡°Inzhi! Fay!¡± ¡°We¡¯re working on it!¡± teacher shouted back at her mentor, then looks back towards me, ¡°If I make an enclosure to stop the current, can you do it?¡± Probably, but how would you- ¡°Can you do it or not?!¡± Y-Yes! I turn to Douzhen and he in turn, barks at the others, ¡°You heard the lady! Buy the geomancer some time, in any way you can!¡± So he said, but how are you supposed to buy time when we don¡¯t even know how to defend against this thing ¨C is what I thought. Karyat, however, seems to have thought differently. With seemingly no hesitance, he jumps up to a nearby branch of a tree and starts dangling -- that is, hooking his legs around the branch and let gravity do the rest. ¡°What are you doing?!¡± Anlong shouted at him. ¡°¡¯In any way we can,¡¯ right?¡± he said as he starts swinging his body as if to make himself look more tempting. ¡°Goddess, is he really doing that?¡± Anlong mouthed. ¡°¡­As much as I hate it, that idiot might be right. There¡¯s not much else we can do,¡± Douzhen chided. ¡°Stay here with the kid, elder!¡± a drachtal said as he and one other goes off to nearby trees to do the same thing, though maybe not as flashy as what Karyat is doing. Just standing on a branch should be enough to present yourself as vulnerable targets. At any rate, that leaves only the four of us on the ground. ¡°What do we do now?¡± Anlong stuttered. Like he said, I said, summoning firebulbs around me. We do what we can. I send the first bulb, primed and charged, towards where the creature was last seen. An instant after the fiery orb crashes into the water, the shock comes, quaking everything around us while sending a tall pillar of water into the air, joining the rain as it pours back down. ¡°The hell did you do?!¡± teacher screamed at me. Buying you time! ¡°Oh, well¡­ don¡¯t stop now!¡± I don¡¯t intent to, I winked at her. With all these pillars of waters, it shouldn¡¯t be easy for the creature to attack us. Hence, it doesn¡¯t come as a surprise when the creature pounces out from the water right below the easier target, Karyat, whom must¡¯ve seen it coming and used the momentum from his swing to jump out of harm¡¯s way. ¡°He dodged!¡± Anlong broke out, but there¡¯s no time for celebration as the creature, without pause, continues towards the other two ¡°baits¡±. ¡°Scatter!¡± one of them shouted to the other before they jump onto other trees. The creature doesn¡¯t stop its attacks there, turning around and around between trees, leaving the three drachtals to helplessly, desperately jumping from branch to branch. ¡°Isn¡¯t there anything we can do to help?!¡± Anlong yelled out, his sword shaking in his grip. Douzhen furrows his brows, frustrated as well as he can¡¯t leave the kid and the two magi defenseless. Me? Well, there¡¯s one thing only I can do. Nexy, now! < Missing parameter; please state a subject to identify > Damn it, it¡¯s moving too fast. I can¡¯t keep my focus on it. Scratch that, there are two things only I can do, and one of them is my firebulbs. As if knowing what my thoughts are, Douzhen puts his hand in front of me. ¡°Don¡¯t even think about it.¡± Why the hell not? ¡°Firstly, you¡¯d draw its attention to us. Secondly, you¡¯d do more harm to one of ours instead of the enemy. ¡­Shite. He¡¯s right with at least one of the points. ¡°Loudu, get away from there!¡± Karyat shouted to one of the drachtals. An instant after, the demon whips the tree that drachtal is on top of, bringing the whole length of wood crashing down, but not before the man that was there jumped to another branch. ¡°That¡¯s right, we can dance all night, demon!¡± Loudu spat at the water. Less than a moment after, the snake comes back around. This time, Karyat¡¯s footing is the target. He, however, has more than enough time to get away before his tree suffers the same fate. ¡°Doesn¡¯t it feel like it¡¯s getting slower?¡± Anlong surmised. ¡°It¡¯s not. It just switched target to the trees,¡± Douzhen replied. He¡¯s right. In fact, it¡¯s not even bothering going for their footings anymore. It¡¯s just randomly destroying everything around our small island, not even sparing the smallest piece of drift wood. ¡°You three, get out of there!¡± Douzhen yelled out. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, elder! We¡¯re having the times of our lives here!¡± Karyat shouted back. ¡°Look around, you gibface! You¡¯re running out of trees to stand on!¡± Realizing what¡¯s happening, Karyat jumps back to land after instructing the other two to do the same. ¡°Holy goddess,¡± Karyat mouthed at the scene. There¡¯s nothing anyone can do but to look helplessly as the trees get destroyed by the dozens. Before long, there¡¯s nothing but water around us. ¡°Well, if there was before, there¡¯s no going back now.¡± ¡°Barriers!¡± With Douzhen¡¯s blaring shout, the air around us feels as though if they vibrate as everyone generate their vimic barriers. Before I can say anything, Anlong steps in front of me. - Stay behind me -, is what he said with his eyes. ¡°Inzhi, how much longer?¡± Douzhen asked. ¡°I don¡¯t need long. Just¡­ give me a second!¡± teacher answered, sweat forming between her brows as she struggles to concentrate. At that moment, the shadow appears again, except it¡¯s a shadow no longer. It rises at the far end of the unflooded grounds, hungrily gazing at us with its slit eyes. A serpent, in all intents and purposes. A giant serpent. Its body is of slick-looking scales that seem harder than steel, adorned with some out-of-place feathers here and there. Its head is large enough to swallow Fanny whole, with me on top of her. Nexy. < Identifying¡­ >
< NXId >
?n¡õ¡õ¡õ¦¤¡õ? ©ÈVim Rate©À ©¦799©¦ ©¦65%©¦
¦²?¦¤¡õ¡Þ? ©ÈPull Rate©À ©¦85©¦/134
NameIf you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Kukulkan
Appellations Wind Snake War Serpent Rainmaker Feathered Serpent
Species Chrysopherus, plumed variant
Age 192
< Subnex >
Name < Unknown >
Titles Feathered Serpent
Species Snake Demon
Age < Unknown >
Gender < Unknown >
Mana Affinity Demon ¨C Air Beast ¨C Water
Mana Pool ©¦85©¦
Threat Level Category ©¦S©¦
I knew it. A snake demon, just like the lifer back then. ¡­No, it¡¯s different now. This time, I¡¯m not just running away. It¡¯s the demon, for sure! As I tell the others, I focus at the demon again. Nexy, analyze! < Analyzing¡­ > ¡°Loudu, Bianan, with me!¡± Karyat roared. This time, the monks take the initiative and charge at the demon. Seeing this, Kukulkan unleashes a barrage of water bullets, similar to the ones used by hydras. The warriors raise their arms and the water breaks out as if they¡¯re protected by an invisible shell.
[ Appelation, |Feathered Serpent|: A great beast in the form of an airborne snake, believed in some cultures to be the god of wind and learning.
That¡¯s¡­ not good enough. Nexy, give me something else. < Analyzing¡­ > The drachtal called Bianan pulls out a bowgun and begins firing back. In reaction, the demon pulls itself back underwater, leaving them no option but to retreat, back into formation. Before they can, however, the demon jumps back out. Fast as an arrow, it lunges towards the bowgun user.
Appelation, |War Serpent|: A snake demon known to partake in the last holy crusade. It killed thousands of people in the war before the crusaders managed to drive it out of the continent.
Damn it, Nexy! That¡¯s not the kind of trivia I¡¯m looking for! < Analyzing¡­ > With a battle-cry, Karyat jumps in to save his friend. A loud ring sounds, like the shattering of glass, as the barriers of all three drachtals goes head on against the demon. Now that the enemy is grounded to land, they begin the counterattack.
Species, |Chrysopherus|: Evolved from a species of gliding snakes. Able to climb surfaces such as trees and rocks, and as does their predecessor, capable of gliding through the air. They prey using an unique venom that acts as a neurotoxin when coming in contact with dermal tissues, but becomes a lethal hemotoxin when injected into the blood stream.
Watch out for the teeth, a single bite can kill you! ¡°Poison?¡± Douzhen asked. Yeah, something called hemotoxin. ¡°Alright. You two stay back, I¡¯m going in!¡± Douzhen ordered us as he rushes forward, his spear wedged between his arm and his body. He shouts at the others, ¡°Drachtals, birdcage formation!¡± Swiftly, the drachtals adjust their positions and surround the demon on four sides. ¡°So you finally decided to come and play,¡± Karyat joked between breaths. Douzhen doesn¡¯t answer and instead attacks at the demon with a long-armed jab. The demon retaliates, but Karyat, standing opposite of Douzhen, seizes that chance to plant his sword deep into the snake¡¯s tail. From then on, the monks take control. Whenever the demon faces one direction, the person behind it sneaks a slash. Then as the demon turns its head to return the favor, the people at the side have their turns, preventing the demon from focusing on just one target. However, even as it¡¯s trapped between pins and needles, the demon doesn¡¯t show any sign of retreating. I don¡¯t like it because from my experience, that usually means the enemy is one step ahead. Teacher, how much longer? ¡°Don¡¯t rush me, Fay. I¡¯m going as fast as I can.¡± Uh, yeah, just¡­ just take your time, I answer as the demon swings its tail, sending one of the drachtals, I think Loudu, flying into the water. Just take your time. Then, in the heat of the battle, the snake suddenly coils its body, hiding its head under gigantic coils of beast meat. ¡°It¡¯s hurting! Keep at it!¡± (Karyat) ¡°No, wait-¡± (Douzhen) Just as the drachtals are about to charge in, the entire length of the demon¡¯s body whips out, like a spiral spring released after contraction. The movement is too quick and sudden that they never had any chance to dodge. Everyone gets blown away by that move, except for one. Douzhen is now the only one left standing between us and the demon, but that¡¯s not even the worse part. The worse part is, the demon is staring right at us. It knows. It knows what we¡¯re planning. Teacher! ¡°In a second!¡± The demon lunges out. Instead of evading, Douzhen stands his ground, raises his spear and throws it at the demon. A couple of days ago, he¡¯d probably hit a bull¡¯s eye, but now that he¡¯s missing his good arm, the throw goes into a completely different direction he intended, missing the demon completely. ¡°Fuck!¡± Douzhen cursed aloud, raising his only arm to meet the serpent head on. The other men shouted, hiding the one girly scream from the guy beside me as the unbelievable thing happens. The air hisses and a shockwave is sent our way. A certain man¡¯s barrier shatters, leaving nothing but his enhanced physical might to stand against the adversary. There he is, the mighty Mentor Heartbreak, holding his own against a monster the size of a house. One could argue if he¡¯s a monster himself, which unfortunately he is not. I can see his feet dragging against the ground. The demon is pushing him back, inching closer to us until it suddenly pulls back -- only to dive again at him. To everyone¡¯s surprise, Douzhen jumps forwards, meeting Kukulkan head on. When I expect to see a splatter of blood and probably flesh, I see instead my mentor jamming himself between the serpent¡¯s fangs. ¡°Holy shit!¡± exclaimed the boy beside me. Now that they¡¯re back on their feet, Karyat and the others also continue their attack. With Douzhen stuck in its maws, the demon can only whip its body around behind it as they steal free strikes onto every part of its body. Of course, I don¡¯t intent to miss my chance as well. That gaping maw seems like a good place to throw a firebulb into. Eat up! I launch the gurgling, flaming bulb of energy into the snake¡¯s maw, only to see it turn into a puff of steam as a sudden jet of water comes out. It came like a waterfall and hit us like a brick wall. The world spins around me and the next thing I know is I¡¯m no longer on my feet. Douzhen, struck by the brunt of the force, flies right past us and into the water. With nothing holding its front, Kukulkan easily whips the drachtals off his body, then continues to lunge right at us. Teacher narrowly blows us away from its path using air magic, which also feels like being hit by a brick wall. ¡°Fay!¡± teacher runs over to help me up. ¡°Fay, it¡¯s done!¡± Ignoring my creaking ribs, I stand up and summon the chargebulbs I need to bring storm into the water. ¡°What are you waiting for?!¡± one of the drachtals shouted. He hasn¡¯t surfaced yet. ¡°What, you waiting for it to come back up and eat us?!¡± ¡°She¡¯s not talking about the demon,¡± Karyat answered for me. Underneath the rampant water, nothing can be seen. We wait, and even as the seconds tick by, the awaited person has yet to surface. ¡°He¡¯s fighting down there!¡± teacher widened her eyes, pointing at the water. Eh? I can¡¯t see anything. ¡°He¡¯s buying us time,¡± Karyat muttered as he meets my eyes. ¡°He¡¯s buying time for you.¡± No one dares to say anything after that. I glance at teacher to see her agreeing with a nod, though with dread on her face. The demon has probably realized our plan at this point. Now it merely needs to escape teacher¡¯s enclosure to win. This might be our only chance to kill it. ¡°It¡¯s now¡­ or never,¡± Karyat urged, his voice betrayed by the doubt in his eyes. Of all the people here, Karyat is the one who knew him the longest. He¡¯s the only person outside the elders that dares to call my mentor ¡°brother¡± instead of the proper ¡°elder¡±. If he¡¯s truly Douzhen¡¯s closest friend, then his blessing should be enough. I¡¯m sorry, mentor. It¡¯s the math, you see. Always the math. Sacrifice one man to win everything or save him and let a thousand people die. The attack on acquisition has begun hours ago, and hundreds must¡¯ve fallen already. I know that, and I know the only way to stop it is to kill the demon, but still¡­ ¡­I can¡¯t do it. Because there¡¯s a face in the water. An elderly face with a wicked smile. The face of a man that shouldn¡¯t be here. ¡°Little Fae,¡± he called out. ¡°How many more are you going to kill?¡± I can¡¯t answer. Because he¡¯s not real. ¡°¡¯Not real?¡¯ I was real enough for you to choke the life out of me,¡± he leans in, whispering in my ear, ¡°I was real enough to hurt you.¡± He¡¯s not real, Fay. Not anymore. But the demon is. I know that. I know that he¡¯s not real, but¡­ ¡°But you still can¡¯t get over me,¡± he laughed, ¡°I was your first, wasn¡¯t I? Tell me, how many have you killed after me?¡± He¡¯s. Not. Real. ¡°Yet, here I am.¡± I close my eyes and try to shut him out, but his laugh feels as though it reverberates through my bones. You can do this, Fay. Again, I try to do the deed, but another face appears in front of me. She stands there, on top of the water that seems to calm around her, slowly walking towards me. Her limbs are all misshapen, bent and stretched in a way that shouldn¡¯t be possible. Her skin is burnt, mangled, pulled apart to reveal the flesh that had been scraped away. There¡¯s only nothingness in place of her eyes, yet I could still feel her¡­ glaring at me. ¡°Why?¡± is the only thing that came out of her lipless mouth. ¡°Why?¡± She¡¯s not real, Fay. But it wasn¡¯t me. It wasn¡¯t my fault. ¡°¡­Why?¡± It¡¯s not my fault. FAY! Huh? There¡¯s another face in front of me. A familiar face. Teacher¡¯s face. She¡¯s shaking my shoulders frantically, her lips moving as if she¡¯s saying something, but I can¡¯t hear her what she¡¯s saying- - SLAP - ¡°SNAP OUT OF IT!¡± Eh? Suddenly all the sounds come rushing back¡ªthe rain, the turmoil of water, and people shouting. ¡°The heck is wrong with you?!¡± Teacher? Ah, the demon- ¡°Is gone. The demon is gone. It escaped my barrier when you¡­¡± she narrows her eyes, leaning closer, ¡°what happened?¡± I¡­ I couldn¡¯t do it . Teacher pats my head, then pulls me into an embrace. ¡­Teacher? ¡°It¡¯s not your fault. It¡¯s not.¡± Teacher, what are you- A cry, like the bellow of a caged beast, forces my eyes to turn to someone else. In his hands, he holds the lifeless body. There are no tears in his eyes, but his scream is enough to strike fear into anyone who hears it. Because it¡¯s not just grieve. It¡¯s also anger. Anger directed to the one answering his bloodshot eyes. Anger directed to me. I know that gaze. I¡¯d know it everywhere. He wants to kill me, but why? Of all people, why must he be the one looking at me like that? His body should¡¯ve been paralyzed after his stunt with the demon¡¯s maws, and he should¡¯ve been exhausted after wrestling the demon underwater. No, it¡¯s probably only because of those things that the two drachtals barely manage to hold him down. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you do it?!¡± he cried out. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you kill the demon?!¡± I look again at the body on the ground. I know that face. The face of the only person outside the elders that dares to call him ¡°brother¡±. ¡°It¡¯s not her fault!¡± a female voice shouted. She is right. How could it be my fault? ¡°She could¡¯ve killed that thing! She could¡¯ve ended all this!¡± ¡°You would¡¯ve died as well!¡± It¡¯s not my fault. ¡°Why yes, thank you for not killing me. And now a thousand people will die in exchange! And Karyat, he¡­ he¡­¡± ¡°That¡¯s not fair! You can¡¯t force her to make that choice, no one can!¡± It¡¯s not my fault. You can still fix this. How? The demon. You know its weakness. No, I don¡¯t. Nexy couldn¡¯t reveal any weakness. There¡¯s nothing I could use, except for¡­ ¡­Except for that thing. That thing, with the body, it was¡­ A message. It knew we were coming. It wanted you to come. The demon already won the war long ago. All it had to do was to go back into wherever crevice it slithered out from. The armies of beasts would¡¯ve overrun every hall and village by the time its finished with its nap and yet it waited for us, even left us a message intended to provoke us. And thus, my conclusion; the demon is an idiot. Thankfully, I am as well. OY, KUKULKAN! I ¡°broadcast¡± as loud and as far as I can, ignoring the shocked stares of my friends. I KNOW YOU CAN HEAR ME! ¡°Fay, what are you-¡± A flash of eyes made her swallow her words. It¡¯s there in the darkness, hiding under the shade a fair distance away. I did it. I was the one who killed Akulay. I roasted that toad with my fiery bolts, and oh the scream it made was just beautifully pathetic. You must¡¯ve heard it too, right? I smile as I answer those serpentine eyes, Come and get me- Before I can finish, the eyes disappear. Something ripples under the surface of the water, faster than my eyes can follow. Then it jumps out right in front of me, its maw gaping wide before darkness envelopes. ? ? ? Darkness. There was only cold darkness and the sound, like tapping on wood, rhythmic and constant like heartbeats. Oh, and it was wet. The walls were cold and wet and¡­ bulging. That¡¯s all I could remember before the darkness fully took over. It¡¯s not the wetness that woke me up. It¡¯s the headache. Rain is still falling and I¡¯m still breathing, and I would¡¯ve rejoiced if it weren¡¯t getting harder to push the air out of my lungs. Also, I can¡¯t move my limbs. There was something about poison, wasn¡¯t there? As I experience all this, there¡¯s this giant snake that does nothing but¡­ stare at me. I tried to firebulb it when I first woke up, but whenever I try to focus, it feels like my skull would split open. I can¡¯t even turn my head, but just by rolling my eyes around, I can see that we¡¯re somewhere cold and¡­ foggy. Could it be the stone-webs? It must¡¯ve climbed up here after¡­ ¡­wait, that¡¯s not right. I remember being¡­ eaten? ¡¸You. Awake.¡¹ Oh, the snake speaks. No, it¡¯s not just any snake. It has a name. Kukulkan. Its eyes flash when I spoke its name. ¡¸Poison. Inside you,¡¹it said, its tongue snaking out with every syllable. ¡¸Slow, painful death.¡¹ There¡¯s something in his voice. Something that makes it feel like its¡­ ¡­Angry. You¡¯re angry at me. ¡¸At you, more, than others.¡¹ Because I killed Akulay. ¡¸¡­¡­ ¡¹ You attacked us. You¡­ started this. ¡¸We, survived. What we did, survival.¡¹ Was it survival when you killed all those people? ¡¸This place, hidden. Home.¡¹ You want to take our home from us. ¡¸Homid, took ours.¡¹ Not them. It was¡­ different people. ¡¸Homids, treated us, all same. We, same to you, when not.¡¹ ¡¸You hunted.You massacred.¡¹ Ugh¡­ I can¡¯t breathe. The poison¡­ ¡¸Drove us, away. From home.¡¹ ¡¸For nothing, but only sin. Sin, of our father.¡¹ ¡¸You, think us beasts.¡¹ ¡¸We, are not.¡¹ What¡­ are you then? Its forked tongue perks out, nearly touching me as it answered, ¡¸We. Are. Living.¡¹ ¡°Surprising, isn¡¯t it, to know the monsters are alive.¡± Him again. Why won¡¯t he just leave me alone? ¡°Are you surprised to know we¡¯re like you? Or are you afraid to see that you¡¯re like us?¡± Fuck off, Jead. My head starts ringing as my vision blurs out. Is this it? Is this how I¡¯m going to go out? With a ghost telling me what I am? You went through all that trouble in Purgatory, just to die here? But I am dying. You always are. I¡­ always am. That¡¯s true. It was always like this back then, yet I¡¯m still here. How? How did I survive back then? It was them. They helped me. You learned, but can you remember? Remember what? What Hadda taught you. ¡¸The active mind and subconscious tend to resonate more in emergency or life-threatening situations.¡¹ Life-threatening situations. Purgatory had an abundance of those, but ever since I escaped¡­ You¡¯ve forgotten. But now you remember. Alignment of the will and the subconscious¡­ Pain, like thunder striking my head, burning every nerve inside my body. But I can¡¯t stop, not yet. Reach out¡­ and connect. I can see it. Everything, and more. A world beyond ours, a world beyond time, seeping into ours. The aether. There¡¯s something else as well, something causing rippling in the world beyond. No, not something. Someone. ¡­Teacher. She¡¯s here. She¡¯s found me, and now she¡¯s¡­ fighting. The others as well. Help them. How? Reach deeper, further. Deeper, further¡­ I feel it. The rain, and the lightning crackling above. The particles swirling about, coursing charges through them. There¡¯s so much of them, crashing about randomly, except that it¡¯s not randomly anymore. They¡¯re moving in a pattern now. A pattern that I make for them. ¡¸Electric potential and insulation. That¡¯s how you create lightning. ¡¹ I¡­ remember. ¡¸The air makes insulation, and the charges make potential. ¡¹ I swirl the particles about, both above, below, and everything in-between. ¡¸Remember; positive to negative. ¡¹ Positive¡­ to negative. Positive charges within the storm, and negative charges here, where the demon is. ¡¸Insulate the charges and let them build. ¡¹ It¡¯s growing. The charges are growing wildly beyond control. But it¡¯s staying there, because the path is blocked -- by me. ¡¸Obstruct them, hold them apart until it can no longer hold them apart. ¡¹ It¡¯s breaking through, forces so great the clouds become like a blinking sun. ¡¸And when that happens¡­ ¡¹ The air crackles, and a bright flash illuminates the earth. ¡¸ Lightning will reave everything in its path. ¡¹
Chapter 40 : Aftermath Chapter 40 Aftermath There¡¯s a land to the south where rain is sparse. A land where waves of sand stretch beyond the horizon. A land where, perhaps, they would finally be left alone. They made the long walk, all the while the snake wondered why they needed to leave their home. So the snake asked the oldest and wisest of them all, the spider. ¡°Here be land of men,¡± the spider said. But why couldn¡¯t it be ours as well, the snake asked again. ¡°Men do not share. They think us beasts, waged war long ago, leaving only grudges.¡± The snake couldn¡¯t understand as she had not yet been born at the time of the great war. But the others trusted the spider, so the snake gave faith as well. They made the long walk, all the while the snake dreamed of a future where men could forget their grudges. The snake had hope. The men came for them. They came in their shiny scales. The spider led the others into battle, but the snake could not fight. The snake tried to talk, but the men offered only sticks that pierce flesh and tools that burn the air they breathe. The snake could only watch in horror. Why? Why must we fight? the snake asked. ¡°Because we are living,¡± the spider answered. The snake could not fight and slithered with the wind. But more than the fear of death, the snake was more afraid of losing her friends. When she came back, however, all that¡¯s left was a sea of red. The snake could not find her friends, and even the spider was nowhere to be seen. All she found was the scorpion, who hid under the sand. The snake took the scorpion on her back and they swore to never turn their backs against the other. They cried for their friends buried in the red sea and they swore to never abandon their friends ever again. The land of sand had nothing for them, so they travelled north back into the land of men, hoping to find a place where they¡¯d be left alone. The snake had hope. The men came for them again. This time, the men wore differing scales and had different tools. The snake tried to talk, but they cut the scorpion¡¯s tail off. They ran into a forest and hid under a pond, waiting for their wounds to recover while the men searched. The snake no longer had hope. She cried for the scorpion¡¯s pain and swore to never let the men hurt them again. Next time, she¡¯d be the first to strike. A frog who dwelled in the pond took pity, so the frog came to them and whispered; There¡¯s a valley to the east hidden by mountains. A vale where the stones rose high and the clouds hung low. A vale where, perhaps, they could hide from the rest of the world. Once again, the snake had hope. ? ? ? The room is filled with the sound of my own breathing. Cold sweat trickle down the back of my neck as I snap my eyes open. The ceiling that I¡¯m used to feels far away, and the room that was so familiar suddenly feels suffocating. I¡¯m back in my bedroom. Teacher¡¯s bedroom, actually, which I claimed as my own some time ago. I try to sit up, but fall back into the bed as waves of pain immediately begin their rampage on me. An incredible headache to start, as well as cramps all over my body. The worst of it, though, is the pain on my abdomen that feels like a festering wound. Overall, I feel like I¡¯m dying. As I lament my fate, the door swings open and a familiar face walks in. Surprise flashes pass her face before it turns into a gentle smile. ¡°Hey, you,¡± she chirped out. I smile back. Or at least I think I¡¯m smiling, if not for my face feeling so numb. Teacher. She sits beside me on the bed. Her expression is full of relief as she asks me, ¡°Hungry?¡± Starving. Not a moment later, my stomach answered as well, as if I wasn¡¯t clear enough. ¡°I suppose you would be,¡± she cackled. ¡°You¡¯ve been asleep for a whole week after all.¡± Say what? Seeing my confusion, she explains, ¡°It¡¯s all over, Fay. We did it. We won.¡± I blink at that statement and fall silent as I process it. I¡­ I see¡­ Looking outside, the sun seems to be up on its height, meaning the clouds had long dissipated by now. Thalvos¡¯ storm is gone, and the demon is long dead. I should be feeling glad, but instead, all I feel is¡­ sorrow. Ow, ow¡­ Involuntary thoughts pour out as I try to sit up again. Teacher helps me up, her expression turning into worry as she asks, ¡°Are you hurting anywhere?¡± Everywhere, I answered curtly. Especially considering that it¡¯s been a week, shouldn¡¯t I have recovered somewhat? As I think that, teacher¡¯s hand idly finds itself on top of my head. I wave her hand away and give her a serious look. It really hurts. This time, both her hands lock onto my head and start rubbing it with all their might. ¡°Of course it hurts,¡± she answered as she creates a wreckage out of my hair. And the poison¨C ¡°Is all but cured, thanks to you identifying it back then, by the way. The healers knew what to do once they knew what it is.¡± With that look in her eyes, I realize ¨C the past week felt merely like a long sleep to me, but if her care for me is as great as she displays, it must¡¯ve been a nerve-wracking week for her. With that in mind, I let my weight fall into her and put my arms around her. I know she likes this sort of thing, so just for this once¡­ She looks at me weirdly for that, tough. ¡°Ahem, well,¡± she softly pushes me away, ¡°I can¡¯t stay for long, so¡­ I¡¯ll be back with some grub.¡± she said, and just like that, she¡¯s gone like the wind. ¡­How about that caring for me as much as she displays, oy. With her gone, tiredness overwhelms me despite having had a week-long rest. Before laying myself back into bed, I decide to take a look at what¡¯s causing me so much pain. Slowly, I roll up my clothes to see, on my abdomen¡­ a pair of swells, surrounding what looks to be a large snake bite. They¡¯re nothing but bruises now, but I can tell from a slightly blackened area around them that they were much, much more worse before. As expected of a demon¡¯s poison, to still linger around after this long. Although they look ugly right now, they¡¯re really just additions to an already large collection in the long run. I have to wonder though ¨C I don¡¯t recognize these clothes I¡¯m wearing. Did teacher change them for me? If so, I wonder if that¡¯s the only thing she did to me while I was sleeping? Tee-hee. I lay myself back into the bed, letting myself sink into the softness. I just can¡¯t relax somehow. There¡¯s something¡­ nagging me at the back of my mind. Something horrible, but I just can¡¯t put my head around it. We are living. I repeated Kukulkan¡¯s last words as if it¡¯d help me find the meaning behind them. It doesn¡¯t. Seeing no apparent answer, I let myself drift into the most restless sleep I¡¯ve had in a long while. --- --- --- ¡°Are you good?¡± Uhm¡­ With the help of teacher¡¯s magic staff, I¡¯m finally able to balance myself, somewhat. I think I can manage, I said with no confidence. ¡°Heheh, look at you. Exactly like a newborn fawn with your legs shivering like that,¡± she snickers, then points at the staff in my hand, ¡°you break it, you buy it.¡± I look at the cheap-looking staff that she¡¯s had ever since I first saw her. Aside from that little stone that glows at the tip, it¡¯s really just a walking stick made of wood. If I happen to break it, I should have more than enough money to compensate her. I still have chief¡¯s purse with me, after all. Then I realize teacher is glaring. ¡°You¡¯re thinking that my staff is worthless.¡± I didn¡¯t say that. ¡°No, but you¡¯re thinking it. Just so you know, my staff is easily worth a noble¡¯s annual income. You could never pay for it.¡± I look back at the walking stick magic staff in my hands. Just what makes this thing so valuable? After that, we start making our way to acquisition because teacher failed to get me food, so we¡¯re going to where the food is instead. On the way there, teacher fills me in on what I¡¯ve missed during my long sleep. As we¡¯d hoped, the horde went into disarray as most of the beasts went feral after the demon was killed. The defense then managed to push the now disorganized beasts back into the forests. Only three days ago, they finally found and killed the last alpha, which was apparently some kind of insect beast. After that, the dragons came and wiped the vale clean of the now mindless beasts. Now this is where I feel something is off, but I say nothing about it. Teacher doesn¡¯t mention anything either, but I¡¯m sure she has thought of it as well. ¡°What about you, Fay? What do you remember?¡± she suddenly asked me. I remember I was taken away, and then¡­ you came for me. ¡°Everyone came,¡± she heartfully grins, ¡°we set a record on the fastest climb, I tell you. And then?¡± And then I made a thunder. Or was that part of the dream? ¡°As I thought¡­ it was you.¡± she grimaced. I tilt my head. You don¡¯t seem too happy about it. She sighs, shaking her head at me. ¡°I don¡¯t know, Fay. It¡¯s just¡­ seeing it with my own eyes, it¡¯s like witnessing the act of gods.¡± I¡¯m flattered. ¡°It¡¯s not a praise,¡± she replied curtly, ¡°do you know how many people, in all of known history, was able to do something like that with magic?¡± Erm¡­ not that many, I guess? ¡°Only one,¡± she leans in, ¡°the demon king.¡± Oh. That name again. The demon king of old ¨C he seems to keep popping out wherever I go. ¡­Wait, what about the gods? She blinks at my question, then looks at me as if I¡¯m stupid. ¡°Fay, I know you¡¯re a believer, but if you want to be an arcanist, you have to separate between faith and facts.¡± This time, it¡¯s my turn to look at her as if she¡¯s stupid. First of all, I¡¯m not a believer. She opens her mouth to retort, but I cut her off, I may believe in the gods, but don¡¯t think for one second that I have my faith in them. Secondly, aren¡¯t you contradicting yourself? Just now you regarded the demon king as something real, yet you don¡¯t believe in the gods?You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Well, this and that are different.¡± How? I mean, don¡¯t they come together? The demon king and whatshername goddess? ¡°Athyra, and no, they don¡¯t come together,¡± she holds her staff that I¡¯m holding to stop me from walking, making sure she has my undivided attention before explaining, ¡°It¡¯s a religion, Fay ¨C myth and figures created to explain the world in a way that suits them. Nothing more than that.¡± Except, I know for a fact that at least one god is real. Instead of saying that, I further argue, And how is the demon king different? She looks up, scratching her head as she thinks of an answer. ¡°It¡¯s all got to do historical validity,¡± she started, ¡°The arcanum worked together with historians and archeologists all over the world to determine the truth of the so-called ¡®calamity¡¯ that supposedly happened hundreds of years ago. Through the analysis on extensive samples of textual records and material cultures, it was concluded that a great war between two dominant races did happen, and that the existence known as the demon king was, indeed, real.¡± Umm¡­ Was I supposed to understand any of that? ¡°Simply put, the demon king exists in many, if not all cultures on Arallax. The athyrian saga, on the other hand, only exists in one culture ¨C the culture of the cardinals¡¯ predecessors, which became widespread as the empire expanded.¡± To put it simply, if there¡¯s enough records of it, then it¡¯s considered valid? She nods. ¡°Of course, the records have to come from different cultures. In the demon king¡¯s case, there are writings even from South Arallax which, back then, was a different continent altogether.¡± So the arcanum thinks the demon king is real, but not the gods. ¡°Here¡¯s to make it easy; which is more believable ¨C that humanity won using combined efforts and technology, or that some goddess stopped the war by sacrificing herself?¡± --- --- --- The same amount of people, if not more, permeates the grounds around the hall of acquisition as there were when it was a refugee camp. Fortunately there¡¯s also much more space now, so no one has to worry about getting stomped to death. The previous makeshift structures, mainly the spike trenches and towers, have mostly been broken down. In their place is a number of new buildings, wooden and provisional in their nature. ¡°That¡¯s the sick house,¡± teacher pointed at one of the new buildings, then at the other one right beside it, ¡°and that¡¯s where we go to eat.¡± They¡¯re putting food and sick people right beside the other? She shrugs. ¡°It¡¯s mostly physical injuries from the war, anyway. The main cause of plagues are dead bodies, which were¡­ already taken care of,¡± she ended with a forlorn look. Remembering something, I stop dead in my tracks. ¡°Fay?¡± she said upon noticing. Teacher, is this okay? I mean, am I not a fugitive still? She responses with what seems like a snigger, ¡°It¡¯ll be alright. Trust me.¡± But¡­ She ushers me with a wave. Since she looks so confident, it should be alright¡­ right? While I shrink my form in the crowd, she names the other buildings ¨C the storehouses, the lodgings, and taking the hall of acquisition itself, the communications center. I note at the traffic of birds coming in and out of that last one, imagining rows of augurs writing letters to their pet birds inside. ¡°There¡¯s few more places like this one, such as the hall of elders. Now imagine that ¨C the place where the elders sat are now covered in bird poop,¡± she laughed. Most of the makeshift buildings look the same, only the mess hall is different as it¡¯s designed to be open and airy, making it easy for people to walk in or out. It also makes it easy for people to relax, to eat and drink and chat while enjoying a bit of green. There are no chairs or tables, instead everyone is seated on the floor in large groups, calling for toasts and laughing at jokes. Looking at it like this, it doesn¡¯t feel like they¡¯d just survived through a war. As we enter the canteen, I feel several eyes on us. Then someone comes to us with fervor. Just as I¡¯m about to run away, that person greets us by name and gives us a small bow before leaving without saying anything else. After that, more people notice us and do the exact same thing, as if greeting us has become a custom. The heck? What is this, a trick? A trap? Teacher titters at my reaction. ¡°It¡¯s because of you.¡± Me? ¡°You killed the demon, after all.¡± I stare at her quizzically. So what, I¡¯m like a hero now? ¡°At the very least, you won¡¯t need to hide around anymore.¡± So you already told everyone about that battle. Why did you even ask me for confirmation, then? ¡°Told everyone? Silly Fay, everyone in the country saw your thunder. We didn¡¯t tell them, they asked us first. All we did was share with them what we thought happened.¡± I cross my arms and give her a skeptic look. So you told them that some magus apprentice called down an actual thunder and¡­ they believed it? She shrugs, ¡°It¡¯s easier to believe than if some lightning just randomly struck the demon.¡± Well, we were high up, so technically, the chances are¡­ ¡°Never mind that, Fay. It¡¯s not like it wasn¡¯t true, anyway¨C¡° She suddenly stops walking upon noticing something ahead ¨C one of the elders, Gihan, as well as a group of some serious looking people. ¡°¡­Why don¡¯t you get us some food, Fay?¡± teacher asked me without looking. Her arms move as if to prevent me from moving forwards. Yeah¡­ sure, I meekly comply. I walk towards the counter, glancing behind to see teacher approaching that group of people. I try to hear what they¡¯re talking about, but their voices are lost among the chatter of the many people here. The way they distribute food is the same as how it was in acquisition ¨C you pick up a tray and pick what you want to eat. Since everyone is free to choose what they want, there¡¯s probably no food shortages, which means they must¡¯ve reclaimed the grain storages to the south. The food themselves, though abundant on first look, doesn¡¯t have much variety. There¡¯s cornmeal bread and congee, as for meat there¡¯s stew and dumplings. There¡¯s also veggies and fruits to complete the set, but that¡¯s basically it. Still it¡¯s a luxury considering what this place just went through. At least for me, anything with meat is a luxury. As I get into the line, I realize that most of the people here are not practitioners. Refugees from the villages, perhaps. It reminds me that the vale¡¯s population is not just us, but also thousands of people with self-governing villages with the monastery right at the center, connecting the villages together and giving them protection from beasts and the like. ¡­Like this, I see why the elders didn¡¯t want to go on the offensive. They had all these normal people to think about and putting everything into one attempt to strike the demon would mean risking the lives of everyone in the vale. ¡°Ahem,¡± a lady coughs to catch my attention. She has a ladle in her hand, waiting on me. This person is probably here to hand us the food, so that people don¡¯t take too much? There¡¯s one problem though; she doesn¡¯t look like a practitioner, which means she most likely can¡¯t hear me. Two, I raise two fingers. I wonder if I¡¯m even allowed to take two portions? She narrows her eyes, possibly thinking that I¡¯m being rude. After that, I point to my picks of food, but because I can¡¯t say anything, I end up taking more time than others, enough to annoy the person behind me enough to click his tongue. Finally, the food lady gets annoyed as well and hands me the ladle without saying anything. I take it, but with one hand holding balance on teacher¡¯s staff and the other holding the tray, how am I supposed to do it? ¡°Tch,¡± the person behind me clicked his tongue again, just in case I didn¡¯t hear it the first time. ¡°Young Sister Fay?¡± someone called out, just as I¡¯m about to do something I¡¯ll regret. I look behind to see one of the drachtals from the demon hunt. I think his name was¡­ Loudu¨C Oops. Esteemed Brother Loudu, I correct myself. ¡°I am glad to see you up and about,¡± he smiled and upon noticing my problem, he approaches me and takes the ladle. ¡°Let me help you with that.¡± I look back at the lady and see her bug-eyed. ¡°S¨CSir Drachtal, sir!¡± the lady stuttered. Loudu replied with a smile, ¡°Good evening, missus. Oh, and this is Miss Fay. She¡¯s the one who killed the demon.¡± She looks as if she¡¯d drop her brows at any second. As I let Loudu help me, I glance at the person behind me and see shock on his face as well. I raise a brow and send him a snicker. Bitch. Then I walk away with my food. Ah, so satisfying. Not like he could hear me, though. ¡°I apologize for meddling,¡± Loudu said while sniffling a laugh. No, uh¡­ thank you, really. ¡°Anyway, you seem quite fine, young sister. The demon had taken away too many of our friends. Karyat¡¯s loss was devastating, and Anlong¡¯s in that condition as well. I couldn¡¯t bear to think we lost another.¡± ¡­Huh? ¡°You were so close to dying and everyone was worried about you. Inzhi, especially. Every night, she¨C¡° Wait, what did you say? ¡°Hmm? Everyone was¡­¡± No, what happened with Anlong? He frowns. ¡°You didn¡¯t know?¡± Tell me. ¡°¡­Back on the Heavenly Steps, he was the one standing closest to the demon when you¡­ when the lightning struck.¡± You mean he¡¯s¡­. He shakes his head. ¡°No, but he¡¯s been comatose ever since then. They¡¯re taking care of him in the sick house next door.¡± Comatous? What is that? What does it mean? That doesn¡¯t make any sense. He pats my shoulder, probably trying to comfort me, ¡°It¡¯s not at all your fault.¡± But what does comatous mean? It doesn¡¯t sound like he¡¯s dead or anything. Some type of incapacitated state, maybe? No, it doesn¡¯t make any sense because Anlong¡¯s an augur type in the first place. Why would he get himself into danger like that? ¡°It all happened so fast, young sister. When we saw you lying there, we thought you were dead. Elder Douzhen and your teacher went wild, and Anlong¡­ he was trying to get you.¡± ¡­I don¡¯t understand. He was trying to get me, when everyone else thought I was dead? Why? Why would he risk that? Ranlan used to say that he had certain¡­ feelings towards me, but I never understood, nor have I ever taken it seriously. How could someone have feelings so strong to justify that risk? What have I ever done for him to make those feelings form in the first place? ¡°Young sister, it¡¯s not your fault,¡± Loudu continued, ¡°Anlong made his choice. It was all his¨C¡° Thank you for your help, esteemed brother, I smile at him. Now I¡¯m sure you have other things to attend to. I won¡¯t take any more of your time. He knits his brow together. Just as he¡¯s about to answer, I turn my back on him and walk to where teacher was. Now that was rude, but I couldn¡¯t help it. The more he comforted me, the more suffocating it made me. If he continued, I felt like I¡¯d do something I¡¯ll regret. Some raised voices pull me out of my thoughts. And older voice trying to calm an agitated female voice, from the sound of it. ¡°Inzhi, you must understand¨C¡° ¡°Oh, I understand very well, Ginny. I understand that your pettiness knows no bounds.¡± Gihan has a very ugly expression on his face. A mix of anger and fear, though I can¡¯t blame him. Teacher can get very scary when she¡¯s mad. ¡°I get it. You people,¡° she mocked, ¡°you people are afraid. You couldn¡¯t even make the right decision back then, so why would you now? Tell me, when has cowardice bested our honor?¡± ¡°Inzhi, please¡­¡± he stops when he notices me walking towards them. Teacher follows his gaze, and her expressions too turns ugly when she sees me, but she immediately covers it and skips towards me. ¡°Nice. Thanks, Fay,¡± she said with a forced smile. She takes the tray on one hand and grabs my arm with the other. ¡°Inzhi, the elders made a decision! We¡¯re holding a tribunal, no matter if she¡¯s present or not!¡± Gihan shouted from behind us. She ignores him and keeps pacing away, dragging me behind her. Teacher, what did he¨C ¡°Ignore him, Fay,¡± she said with a particular voice -- a voice I know demands compliance. When she¡¯s like this, it¡¯s better to just keep quiet and do whatever she needs me to do until she calms down. After finding a quiet place, we sit down face to face. She immediately takes a bite as if afraid I¡¯d say something. Well, I¡¯m not. Instead I quietly eat my food. She takes glances at me time to time, expecting to hear something from me but I stay silent. Probably because she can¡¯t take it anymore, she¡¯s finally speaks out, ¡°So, uhm¡­ Fay, how are you feeling?¡± I¡¯m feeling fine. A bit giddy, maybe. ¡°Doing magic at that scale is strenuous to the mind. It might factor to why you were asleep for so long.¡± Perhaps. . We finish our food and still she looks as if she¡¯s waiting for me to say something. ¡°What do you want to do now? We can go back, or¡­¡± I want to visit the sick house. As she blinks in surprise, I continue, I want to visit Anlong. ¡°You¡­ knew?¡± Someone told me. Surely, you have a reason for not telling me. ¡°Fay, I never meant to¡­ it¡¯s just, you¡¯re still recovering. I was worried that you¡­¡± Teacher, please stop, I put down my bowl in a loud clang. Whatever your reason was, I still deserve to know the consequence of my own actions. If you can¡¯t even tell me that, how can I trust you as my teacher? She looks down at her own hands and mutters in a soft voice, ¡°I know.¡± What else? What other things are there that you¡¯re not telling me? She looks back up and forces a smile, reaching out to stroke my head. ¡°Hopefully nothing else.¡± Teacher, did you know? ¡°Hmm?¡± You have this habit of stroking my head when you¡¯re lying or anxious about something. She pulls back her hand, her smile disappearing in an instant. Possibly both, I finish. She widens her eyes, open her mouth, closes it again, frowns, and turns sullen. This myriad of expressions passing through her face, I could look at forever. In the past, I would¡¯ve gotten angry with this behavior of hers, but now I just find it¡­ endearing. I know she never meant to keep anything from me. She¡¯s just biding her time while she finds the right words. She must be afraid that whatever she has to say for me will hurt me or make me act rashly, and I can¡¯t blame her. I do have a history of doing things out of impulse. At any rate, she will tell me when she¡¯s ready, and I¡¯m willing to wait. After we¡¯re done with the canteen, she takes me to the sick house in silence. Her steps are a bit wobbly compared to her usual sharp struts, which makes me feel a little bad for pushing her. Well, just a little. ¡°I¡¯ll be waiting outside,¡± she said with a dispirited tone. I nod and enter the sick house by myself. It¡¯s usually restricted to most people, but teacher gave me clearance to the guard outside. It¡¯s funny how even though she¡¯s officially not an elder anymore, she still is in practice. Walking inside, the smell of antiseptic immediately fills my sense of smell. There are beds in a row on either side of a big room, every one of them with occupied. Some of the patients are being attended while others are just groaning in their sleep, but all of them have bandages wrapped around a part of their body. Some are even missing their limbs ¨C mark of a battle against a vicious beast. One of the healers waves me in and leads me to the very end of the room. There I see a familiar person, sitting on a chair at the side of the bed. Zethran, I call out. ¡°You little bastard,¡± he stands up upon seeing me, a slight smile on his face. We smack our hands together in greeting, though I almost have to resist the urge to just hug him there. No matter how relieved I am to see he¡¯s alive, he¡¯s still that Zethran. Said person then points his thumb at the bed. ¡°Your boyfriend¡¯s been sleeping like a baby for days now,¡± he said with a hint of mockery. I look at the bed to see a boy covered in bandages. Even through the wrappings, I can see that his skin is badly burned in several places. Fortunately, he doesn¡¯t seem to be missing any limbs. ¡°Meh, it¡¯s not so bad. At least he¡¯s still pretty,¡± Zethran muttered, giving me an ugly grin, ¡°You couldn¡¯t at least singe his face or something?¡± Oh, shut up. Suddenly I feel a weight on my shoulder, heavy enough that it almost throws me off balance. I turn to see Zethran¡¯s hand on my shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m glad you¡¯re alive,¡± he said, on his face a smile I can¡¯t believe he could make. I place my own hand on his shoulder. You too, Zeth. ¡°Pretty boy here is having it rough, but the healers said he¡¯ll be okay. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll wake up soon enough.¡± Yeah, surely. ¡°That just leaves us that girl.¡± As his words flow, I skip a breath. The air becomes heavy as an inexplicable feeling creeps the back of my neck. Not knowing what I¡¯m going through, Zethran continues on, ¡°They¡¯ve been sending search parties out, but every day, all we find are just more and more dead bodies. Mostly villagers who couldn¡¯t make it to the camps.¡± I tighten my grip on teacher¡¯s staff as if to break it. The sound of ambience fade until all I can hear is Zethran¡¯s voice. ¡°No worries, though. I¡¯ll find her, though the girl being who she is, maybe she¡¯ll find me instead. She¡¯s the toughest gal I know, there¡¯s just no way that she¡¯s¡­¡± he stops when he realizes I took a step back from him. ¡°¡­Fay?¡± My eyes dart to the floor dodging his eyes. I quickly reach into the pocket of my coat, part of me hoping that there¡¯s nothing there. I feel the cold touch of the object inside. Suddenly, I find myself struggling to breathe. ¡°Oy, what¡¯s wrong with you?¡± Zethran steps cautiously towards me, but I instinctively step back. I try to say something, but nothing comes out. Instead I grasp the necklace-shaped object in my pocket and lift it towards him. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ it can¡¯t be.¡± A pair of hands found their grips on my shoulders. Question after question he throws at me, questions I can¡¯t answer. I didn¡¯t know. I swear, I never knew. It wasn¡¯t my fault. When the shouts stop, he releases his grip on me. A shadow looms as he leans over near my ear, ¡°You knew, didn¡¯t you?¡± His voice is trembling ¨C from anger, from grief, I don¡¯t know. ¡°You knew, and still you let her go.¡± Someone else starts shouting as well with a reprimanding tone, possibly one of the healers. Then the large shadow disappears, walking past me and stops momentarily behind me. ¡°Sorry,¡± he slowly muttered, ¡°I just¡­ need some time alone.¡± I don¡¯t know to whom he directed those words to; to the angry healer, or to me. Only after the footsteps are gone I walk back to the bed. I feel my knees giving in as I drop to his side. I hold his arm, hoping that it would stop the trembling. You too¡­ will you hate me as well when you wake up? The only one answering me is a stifling silence. Will you wake up at all? I stay there, my gaze hovering on his sleeping face, wondering what his angry face would look like as he never once directed it towards me. I don¡¯t know how long I¡¯ve stayed, but when someone taps softly on my shoulder, I realize it¡¯s been too long. When I walk out of the sick house, I see that teacher is there waiting for me. She looks confused upon seeing me. She approaches me with tentative steps as if I¡¯d run away at any moment. Once close enough, she reaches out and pulls me into a hug. I hug her back. Only then I notice the wetness beneath my eyes.
Chapter 41 : The Truth of Ruth Chapter 41 The Truth of Ruth We decided to go back as the sun is hanging low. I wasn¡¯t paying attention on the way, so it comes as a surprise when she brought me to the lab instead of her home. Teacher¡¯s lab sticks out like a pine tree in a desert, being the only modern structure in the rather primitive community of the vale. The building pulls its own electricity to power the tools from a handmade ¡®thermal well¡¯ ¨C an artificial source of energy utilizing mana stones. From the outside, it¡¯s a staggeringly plain two-stories high concrete block with close to no windows. The inside, though, is where the magic happens ¨C literally. In the past month, I¡¯ve spent many hours experimenting with magic in this place, yet even now I still don¡¯t know what most of the equipment are for. When teacher first realized I was illiterate, she decided to postpone her magic lessons and instead taught me what most people would learn as a child. Neither of us knew that after one hundred days, she¡¯d still be teaching me how to write coherent sentences. In exchange, she granted me freedom to usesomeof the lab¡¯s facilities to experiment on my own. Those experiments so far have rewarded me with the so-called light magic and ice magic. I told teacher about the former, but I kept cryomancy to myself¨CI¡¯m afraid she¡¯d have a cardiac arrest if she knew I learned two previously-thought-to-be-unique disciplines of magic within the span of a couple months. ¡°Follow me, I want to show you something.¡± She is brusque in her steps, giving me the impression that she¡¯s been waiting to do this for a while. Is this it? Are we finally going to do it? After all we¡¯ve been through, all it took was me almost dying for her to finally come to terms with her own feelings. Still¡­ doing it in a science lab, huh. I thought this place is supposed to be sterile.She leads me through the lab and towards the specimen storage room where she keeps all her toys. Ooh¡­ will we be utilizing them? Teacher is kinkier than I thought. She pulls out her necklace and places it against an indentation beside the door. There¡¯s a click, and the door opens with a slight push. You¡¯ve never allowed me in here before,I said, curiously observing the objects inside the room. Shelves are arranged neatly to form rows through the room and placed on them in no particular order are various oddities ¨C some I recognize like the glowstone specimens and the bishop¡¯s anti-mana staff. Most of them, though, I can¡¯t comprehend the function of ¨C like that slab of stone that¡¯s for some reason wrapped in chains for example, or that creepy mask hanging in the corner. Out of all those peculiar and riveting objects, what she brings me to is a stick of wood. Actually, calling it a stick of wood is a bit of an understatement because it¡¯s closer to teacher¡¯s staff in size. It¡¯s about as long as I am tall, with one end neatly curving into a three-quarter circle the size of my head. At any rate, it¡¯s definitelywaytoo big for¡­ on second thought, I might¡¯ve misunderstood her purpose of bringing me here. She pulls the object off the shelf and hands it to me. ¡°It¡¯s about time you have your own.¡± I receive it, at the same time passing her own staff back to her. This new ¡®stick¡¯ feels similar to teacher¡¯s, both in touch and in weight. What is it for? ¡°...After all this time and now you finally ask?¡± I¡¯ve always thought that staves are merely ornamental in its purpose, a bauble to indicate a magus¡¯ standing. Thinking back, Sallis, a fifth-sphere magus, has a slick, expensive looking staff while teacher, a sixth-sphere and an arcanist, has a wooden stick. If staves really were vanity-fulfilling trophies, it should be the opposite. It¡¯s not for decoration, then. ¡°Of course not,¡± she sighs. ¡°Battle magi use staff with especially inductive threads sewn inside to help them better circulate the mana flow. Some staves also has built-in mana stones,¡± she points at the gem embedded on her own staff, ¡°making for a convenient energy source at hand.¡± So that¡¯s what makes them so expensive,I said, jabbing at her statement yesterday about how her staff is worth more than I can ever afford. While inspecting the wooden object, I realize that unlike hers and Sallis¡¯, there¡¯s no mana stone attached or embedded in any part of it. ¡°That''s not exactly the reason,¡± she answered with the most condescending look I¡¯ve seen her make. ¡°My staff is a bit special. Yours as well.¡± Ah, I see. It''s because it doubles as a walking stick.Sallis¡¯ staff wasn¡¯t nearly as long, he could only wave it around like a wand. ¡°Wha¨C no!¡± the woman quickly retorted. ¡°I used a special kind of wolfram alloy to make it. Biotic steel¡­ or biosteel if the Arcanum would just approve of the name already.¡± Wolfram?I pause, trying to remember from where I¡¯ve heard that word before. For some reason, the only thing I can connect that to is the word ¡®turd¡¯. ¡°Let¡¯s just say it won¡¯t be breaking any time soon.¡± She turns her back to me and walks over to the creepy mask. ¡°You can go on ahead to the house. I still have some things to do.¡± Actually, I¡¯ll stay, I said as she takes the mask off it¡¯s pedestal. She walks out back into the lab without looking at me. I know for sure now that she¡¯s been avoiding my gaze ever since the sick house, which led to my misunderstanding earlier. Regardless, I follow her out and watch from the side while she fastens the mask on a vise and starts doing her work with a pair of tweezers. She plucks something out, a small rounded contraption of some sort. Noticing me watching, she allows me a look. ¡°This beautiful thing is technology way ahead of our time. Literally one of a kind.¡± She throws it into the waste bin and I hear a sound similar to glass breaking. ¡°Or it would be if I can just make a working prototype.¡± After that, she continues to perform tests while I play the part of an assistant. She hums as she tiptoes from one equipment to another, seemingly working on not only the mask, but on several experiments at once. I should probably note that she only hums when she¡¯s nervous and she tends to overwork herself when avoiding something. Whilst in the middle of tinkering, she suddenly pauses. ¡°What do you think about Inra?¡± she asked, still refusing to meet my eyes. Umm¡­ is she a girlfriend you forgot to introduce to me? ¡°If I had a girlfriend, I wouldn¡¯t be wasting my time working on inventions that might raise the bar on technology for our entire civilization,¡± she snarked back at me. ¡°We have a tradition of gifting names to Acquisition graduates as part of the monastery¡¯s inauguration. As your only clanmate, I get to pick it,¡± she said with an attempt of a smile. So we¡¯re clanmates now,I give her a funny look.Is that how you got your name? ¡°Uh-huh. Been stuck with it for eight years now.¡± I decide to ignore the question on why she¡¯s thinking about my graduation and answered,Inra and Inzhi. I quite like it. She abruptly pulls away and continue her work on her glowstone project. She pounds with a hammer to crack a hole on the specimen and then injects some kind of liquid into it. The stone starts glowing dimly, but before she could instill all the substance, her hand slips and the rock falls onto the floor. Only then I notice her hand shaking. Because she¡¯s not moving, I lean down to grab it and when I rise back up, she finally meets my gaze. ¡°Rutherea,¡± she said, taking the specimen from my hands. ¡°Rutherea Castaroth¡­ is who I was before I became Inzhi.¡± Immediately I remember where I knew the word wolfram from. Wolfram steel, stronger and lighter than normal steel, said to be made in a special forge. The method of production, however, has long been gone since the fall of Castaroth. You worked in the Graveforge.Except it''s not really the forge. It''s earth magic¨Cthat¡¯show wolfram steel was made. ¡°I¡¯m surprised you know about it.¡± She answers with a smile, though it is a mirthless one. ¡°My family is¡­ was a long line of geomancers, kept secret and loyal only to the head of the house.¡± Thorne,I blurted out without thinking.What exactly happened? She spins the glowing rock in her hand nervously. ¡°It¡¯s as history says. He rebelled against the sovereign and put the empire into a three-year long war. Now that he¡¯s gone, they call him a savage, gave him names like the Scourge and the Untamed, claiming that he¡¯s a person who¡¯d even terrorize the members of his own house into obedient slaves.¡± Except that he¡¯s not.The Thorne that I knew, the man that protected me in Level Three was not like that. He was strong, yes, but gentle and kind also. She nods at my claim, which for her must seem like a mere guess. ¡°He was once wise and magnanimous as the head, but¡­ something changed. It was right after he came back from a venture outside the continent. He became paranoid and violent. My husband was one of the people who took the brunt of his abuse.¡± Your¡­ husband. ¡°One of Lawthorne¡¯s son, Faedras. I¨CIt was an arranged marriage,¡± she quickly added as if to clear some misunderstanding. After he changed, did he say anything odd? Maybe something regarding... a false king or whatnot? Teacher¡¯s eyes widen in surprise, but she answers nonetheless, ¡°Yes. In fact, the very reason for his rebellion was to challenge the sovereign¡¯s right to the crown.¡± Did he say something else? She stares at me for a couple seconds. ¡°You know, I honestly didn¡¯t expect you to show this much interest in my past.¡± ¡­Ah, sorry.In truth, it¡¯s not her past that I¡¯m interested in. ¡°No, it¡¯s okay.¡± She smiled, finally an earnest one, and one that dreads me with guilt. ¡°The truth is, I¡¯ve thought long and hard about these words I¡¯m saying to you. If you reacted indifferently, it would¡¯ve been very underwhelming.¡± She places her hand on my head and starts ruffling on habit. ¡°Now that I think about it, he was obsessed with finding something. Some kind of code, or a key¡­¡± A key? "Wait. No, it was. a... ''codex''. He kept repeating that exact word," she corrected before pulling out a seat from under the desk. ¡°Better make yourself comfortable." She sits down and urges me to do the same. "This is going to be a long story¨C astory of my truth.¡± --- --- --- Darkness had already fallen by the time she finished. Her face looks as if she just relieved herself of a great burden. I, however, don¡¯t feel remotely the same. I don¡¯t understand, I said, unable to hold back the anger rising in my gut.After everything they did to you, to your family, to your friends¡­ how can you just forget about it and move on? She splays her fingers against her chest, clenching the necklace beneath her clothes. ¡°You misunderstand. I may have let it go, but that doesn¡¯t mean I¡¯ve forgotten.¡± I¡¯m standing up before I realized it, my shadow looming her figure that seems smaller than usual. They hurt you, stripped you off everything you had. They made your life a living hell and you have every right to do that exact same thing to them. Even that time at the train, to the person responsible, you could¡¯ve... ¡°I can¡¯t anymore. Because I have everyone,¡± she said, hiding behind a fake smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t let go because I forgave. I let go because I didn¡¯t want the people around me to get hurt ¨C people like my teacher and my friends from the monastery, or a reckless pupil who¡¯s privy to getting herself into trouble. Besides,¡± she rises to level her gaze with me, ¡°it¡¯s not really me that we¡¯re talking about, is it?¡±The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Suddenly I find the words stuck in my throat. She uses the chance to slip past me and head towards the exit. Just as I follow her, she stops at the door. ¡°You¡¯re staying here tonight,¡± she said without turning her back. ¡°For once I¡¯d like to sleep in my own bed.¡± She slams the door behind her, leaving me alone with the storm that is my thoughts. We didn¡¯t bother switching on the lights, so the lab is now in complete darkness except for the little glowstone she left on the desk. I grab it and find my way to the second floor, to the makeshift bed teacher made for herself ever since I hijacked the one in her home. I let myself fall and bury my face into the pillow, curling up to once again become a pathetic bug. ¡®Find the true king.¡¯ I¡¯m getting close, I know it in my gut. Damn it, why did I lose my head just then? I could¡¯ve learnt more, but now¡­ now I will never learn the truth. Tell her. Tell her what? Everything. That¡¯s impossible. She¡¯ll never believe me. She trusted you by telling you her past. She gave you her most vulnerable secret, one that could¡¯ve put her in your mercy. You would be one hell of a pupil if you betray that trust. It¡¯s not about trust. If Thalvos caught wind of this¡­ Stop fooling yourself. It¡¯s all about trust. You¡¯re just afraid of letting people in, to let them see what you truly are inside. Shut up. ? ? ? I wake up to find teacher lying beside me. ¡­Teacher?I lean in to check if she¡¯s sleeping, and a feeling of guilt instantly washes over me when I notice the streaks beneath her eyes. She must¡¯ve came back sometime after I slept, probably to tell me something important, and I think I know what it is ¨C she tried to hide the matter, butthe ruckus at the canteen yesterday was enough for me to know that there''s a tribunal on my name. I decide to leave her be and head to the house for a quick wash before setting off to the Hall of Elders. --- --- --- I''ve always liked this path to the Hall of Elders. The trees are high and would block the sun until later at noon, allowing for a comfortable walk in the open without that annoying hood. The staff teacher gave me works well as a walking stick as it helps to alleviate the pain on my stomach as I walk, even if just a little bit. As I get closer to my destination, more and more fastbirds fill the traffic in the sky, and I start to encounter people ¨C drachtals and augurs walking past, some stopping to stare but everyone leaves me alone in the end. When I arrive at the Hall of Elders, what I first notice is all the litter contaminating the steps leading to the building, ranging from garbage to what I assume is bird excrement. Teacher told me about this, but I still can¡¯t believe how the great Hall of Elders has fallen into such a pitiful state. That thought just puts a smile on my face. I enter the foyer and thank heavens, it¡¯s not as bad inside as it is outside.The large wooden doors which lead to the main room is guarded by a man from the court of arms. I stand in front of him, but he refuses to let me pass. Let me in,I demanded, hitting the floor with my staff to create an intimidating stomp, but the only thing that comes out is a piteous tap. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ Uhm, please let me in.I repeated, without the thumping and with the addition of one crucial word. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but the elders are busy right now.¡± He suddenly turns flustered. His eyes are fixed at my hair, probably realizing who I am just now. But I need to see them now.Before teacher wakes up, if possible. ¡°Let her in,¡± a familiar voice came from behind me. The man jumps at the voice but readily answers. ¡°Right away, esteemed elder,¡± he said, stepping aside at last. Douzhen looks down at me. ¡°You¡¯re late. Your tribunal was one hour ago.¡± He looks around the foyer, searching for someone. ¡°Where¡¯s your teacher?¡± Is her presence required?I tilt my head in question. ¡°¡­No. And neither are yours. Your verdict was decided in your absence, but you should hear it anyway.¡± He leans over me to push the door open. Thanks to that simple movement, an annoying feeling which I thought has gone forever is now back. I try to ignore it as I follow him into the room, but it¡¯s quite distracting, even if I know it¡¯s just a biological response. Unlike the last time I was here, the room is mostly empty aside from two elders standing atop the podium. They seem to be discussing about something before we walked in. ¡°Young Sister Fay.¡± The one who first acknowledges me is Anlong¡¯s dad, Anmal. ¡°Your tribunal is already over. Why have you come here?¡± ¡°I figured she should at least hear it from us in person,¡± Douzhen answered in my place. For some reason, he¡¯s not taking his seat on the podium and stays at my side. I wish he would, because having him this close is¡­ exasperating. ¡°Where¡¯s Inzhi?¡± Gihan asked about his friend. She won¡¯t be coming, I replied, and that look of his face is almost as if he¡¯s relieved. ¡°Congratulations,¡± Anmal said without any hint of sincerity in his eyes. ¡°In respect to your superior perception skills, we graduate you from Acquisition and as of now, you are a full-fledged member of the monastery.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve only been here for two months. You were practically still an outsider and thus our laws wouldn''t have applied to you,¡± Douzhen elaborated. ¡°Tradition expects you to be given a name, but¡­¡± Inra.Now I know why teacher gave me that name, to make me a full-member so they can give me a full verdict. So you¡¯re promoting me just so you can punish me? ¡°Sister Inra, as per the tribunal¡¯s decision, you are to be placed in banishment from the vale for an indefinite period.¡± Gihan ignored my inquiry as he fingers his beard, copying Gaolad¡¯s act as the most senior elder. ¡°Your expulsion will be effective immediately on the 1stof Igyas. This decision is final and there will be no attempt for repeal. Do you accept your punishment?¡± You old blighter. I¡¯m sure you wouldn¡¯t be acting so high and mighty if teacher was here. ¡°I ask you again; do you accept?¡± I accept.For teacher¡¯s sake. Anmal smiles, but not at me. ¡°I guess that means you can stay your hands now, elder.¡± Instantly I jump away, feeling the sudden bloodlust that vanishes as sudden as it had appeared. The man from whence it came has his fists slightly tightened. Traces of a vimic strengthening is still around him, and it¡¯s at a level that could¡¯ve killed me with a single strike. What kind of mentor kills his student on graduation day?I glare at him, my anger overpowering that annoying feeling. He remains calm, waiting for the vimic aura to fully disperse before answering, ¡°It would¡¯ve never come to that.¡± ¡°Now, now, let¡¯s be civil.¡± Gihan tries to maintain his new persona even with cold sweat dripping down his forehead. Tell that to ¡®him¡¯. He¡¯s the one that tried to attack me. ¡°We apologize, Sister Inra,¡± Anmal said, not the slightest bit sorry. ¡°Elder Douzhen was only taking precautions. Youdidtry to kill us first.¡± ¡­Hmph. Fair enough, I guess. If we¡¯re finished here, may I excuse myself?I have to leave now before I do something I regret. Without even waiting for their answer, I turn my back and walk away. ¡°You are excused.¡± I¡¯m already at the door before Gihan completed the sentence. ¡°Remember; 1stof Igyas,¡± he reminded before I shut the door on their faces. The chatter outside the room immediately quietened once they see me walking out. What are they whispering about while looking at me? Why is no one coming up to me like they did yesterday? Like this, I can¡¯t figure out if I¡¯m a hero or a monster. I pace down the steps, putting my hood on because the eyes are starting to bother me. I intended go back as fast as possible while teacher is still asleep, but that proves to be impossible because she¡¯s already there, waiting for me at the bottom of the steps. I stop in front of her and try to analyze her expression, but she has hidden it well.Teacher,I greeted her. ¡°What did they say?¡± she asked calmly. ¡®Indefinite banishment¡¯¡­ but you knew that already. She stays silent, only turning around and motioning at me to follow her. They¡¯re giving me one month to leave.She hasn¡¯t said anything, so I started to expand on the details. Fifty days to pack up and¡­ say goodbye, I guess.Still no reaction from her. Seems too long of a time, so I¡¯m thinking maybe I should leave right away. Finally, she turns around. ¡°And you¡¯re okay with it?¡± I think¡­ it was all a mistake.I should¡¯ve went straight to District Cardinal. The only reason I came here was to be an arcanist, and yet¡­ two months, and what have I gained from this? What if Lyrfanas wasn¡¯t unrelated to this after all? What if me coming here was what caused all this in the first place? ¡°It¡¯s over, Fay. The demon is dead.¡± No, teacher. It¡¯s not over.I grasp the spot just below my right shoulder, where a demon¡¯s mark lies beneath the clothes. Kukulkan¡­ the snake demon was young and foolish. If it was Lyrfanas¡­I gulp involuntarily just by imagining her ten billion children coming down on us. It was a mistake. I should¡¯ve never come here. ¡°If it was, it¡¯d be a mistake I¡¯m willing to do again,¡± she responded without a moment¡¯s hesitation. Even at the cost of others? She smiles wryly. ¡°¡­You know, a girl once told me something about mistakes. She said, ¡®You can put the blame on others all you want. It¡¯s a good way to not take responsibility for your actions, by saying it was ¡°on orders¡± or it¡¯s the ¡°logical¡± thing to do.¡¯¡± That¡¯s... ¡°You can either blame others or carry the burden yourself, let it slowly eat you from the inside. Or, you can do what she does.¡± It was something I said to her, that time in Berwen. ¡®Or you can do what I do¡­¡¯ ¡°Redeem yourself. Everything you do, do it for what you owed¡­¡± Until there¡¯s nothing left to be paid. Her smile turns soft, as well as her voice, ¡°Those were your words, Fay.¡± ¡­That¡¯s right. It wasn¡¯t all for nothing, because I met her. Teacher, when I leave¡­I stop myself, afraid of what her answer would be. No, in the first place, this question is unfair to her ¨C to ask her to choose between her home and me¡­ Her smile disappears. ¡°No, I won¡¯t be coming with you,¡± she answered, knowing what I was about to ask. Ah¡­I guess I was fooling myself. Our relationship is only that of a teacher and a pupil, one that¡¯s only been for a short time. Asking her to leave the home she¡¯s been living in for over ten years, just for my sake, is a little overstepping it. Yes, uhm¡­ never mind. I know I should¡¯ve expected this but¡­ it still hurts. ¡°Fay, before you misunderstand¡­ do you remember our promise?¡± Her question only draws from me a questioning look. Is there any point in that anymore? ¡°The other one, back at the old station ¨C I promised that I¡¯d make you an arcanist in half a year. We have until the month of fire. We still have time.¡± Then the realization hits me.You mean¡­ She shoots me a determined look. ¡°I will make you an arcanist before then. If I should fail, then I will gladly come with you.¡± Teach¡­I drop my staff and jump into her, expecting a hug, only to be sidestepped. I send her an accusing stare.You won¡¯t hug me at such a beautiful moment? ¡°I¡¯d¡­ prefer not to.¡± There¡¯s pure terror in her eyes, as if she suddenly found that hugging me would kill someone. You used to like it so much, though. Don¡¯t you, ¡®Ruth¡¯?I call her by her pet name. She shakes her head in disapproval, but her cheeks are turning pinkish red. She coughs superfluously before offering a hand to me. ¡°Let¡¯s go home, Fay.¡± I happily take her hand with a smile.Shall we go home like this then? ¡°Uhm¡­¡± She looks at our coupled hands and her cheeks turn even redder. ¡°¡­Sure.¡± She pauses, then pinches my nose with her free hand. ¡°First rule; call me teacher. Have you forgotten?¡± Ayight, ayight, sowwy.I imitated how I¡¯d actually sound in that circumstance. She appreciates it by pinching even harder. --- --- --- After only a short distance, we realize that walking with coupled hands isn¡¯t as easy as we thought. ¡°Let¡¯s just walk normally.¡± She tries to pull away, but I refuse to let go. ¡°Err¡­ Fay?¡± I stop in my tracks, forcing her to wait on me. ¡­I just realized that I trust her. I rely on her more then what I thought could be possible for me. For all her faults, she is the only person I can trust my life with. Other than those three, that is. ¡°Fay?¡± ¡­I don¡¯t care anymore. Thalvos thinks he¡¯s in control of me, but he isn¡¯t. This will be the first thing I do that might contradict him. I¡¯ve always been afraid ¨C afraid of what the dark god would do if I dare defied him, but I¡¯m not anymore. Not with her by my side. Teacher¡­I look up at her.Can I tell you a story? She stares at me, deadpan for a moment before giving me a knowing smile. ¡°Of course.¡± It all started in a dark maze, I started.A girl woke up with nothing but the clothes on her back. And then, there was this bird¡­ ? ? ? The Hidden Valeis a place cut off from the rest of the world, blanketed by mist and surrounded by mountains. This almost-mythical placehad just survived through what is perhaps the most grueling demon encounter in the east for decades. The monastery and the villages were devastated, yet the area surrounding it is relatively unscathed. It¡¯s as if the demon only wanted what¡¯s inside the vale and ignored everything around it. Outside the cirque, at the foot of one of the mountains besetting the vale, is a little village named Road¡¯s End. There¡¯s only one inn in the village, owned and managed by a cranky man called Raf¨Ca man famous for grumbling about everything and even more famous for always putting up with whatever he¡¯s grumbling about in the end. ¡°Quack.¡± ¡°Yes, yes,¡± Raf grumbled, offering a bucket filled with feed of his own making to the brown scurry. ¡°Quack, quack!¡± The scurry greedily chows down the bucket. ¡°Slow down or you¡¯ll have stomachache again,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Quack!¡± ¡°Nutty bird. Just who in their right mind would have a bloody scurry for a ride?¡± he grumbled at the air. Unbeknownst to them, something is watching their movements from the shadows of the forest. ¡¸ I smell it. ¡¹ ¡¸ I smell homid. ¡¹ ¡¸ The bird. ¡¹ ¡¸ The bird smells of homid. ¡¹ ¡¸ I see a homid. ¡¹ ¡¸ Not that homid. ¡¹ ¡¸ Different homid. ¡¹ ¡¸ What do we do? ¡¹ ¡¸ Tell mother. ¡¹ ¡¸ Let¡¯s tell mother. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mother knows what to do. ¡¹ ¡¸ Mother always knows what to do. ¡¹
I talk, you choose. Sorry, not a chapter update this time. \ |¡ñ v ¡ñ| / Keeping a long story short, I''m planning to rewrite this fiction. The new version will have the same premise, plot, and characters. Not much will change, really, other than some big alterations to the style and, hopefully, the quality of the writing. Anyway, the poll will be open for one week, so take your pick; If it''s the first option, I will stop updating as soon as I finish the arc (of which there are 2 chapters left) and instead upload a new rewrite of the arcanist. Pros??>Enjoy a brand new Arcanist that has better writing and a more cohesive plot. Cons? >Starting a new game plus will result in you losing all progress. If it''s the second, I will continue this one while working on a rewrite on the side, which I will only start uploading after part 1 is finished (right now we''re about two-thirds of the way). Pros??>Continue with the story until the end of Part 1. Cons??>Once I start uploading the rewrite, you''ll wait longer until it catches up with the original. Spoiler: Want the long story? You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Spoiler: This will bore you. Spoiler: Seriously. Spoiler: Alright then, if you''re that interested... ¡¥\_(¥Ä)_/¡¥ I started working on this fiction as a hobby and an experiment. Recently, though, I''m beginning to take it more seriously, as in I''m actually considering taking it to a more professional level. So why the rewrite, you ask? Firstly, I feel like the current level of writing is inadequate. It may be fine on a glance, but if you look at it on a larger scale, the whole thing is a mess. The timeskip in the beginning is chaotic, and the overall pacing is on an excruciating snail''s pace. This isn''t what I wanted at all. The second reason is the style. If I want to achieve my goal, I''d need to gain more readership, and that means presenting the story in a more accepted way. Right now I''m writing in a rather unusual style (first person present) which is a questionable way to narrate, to say the least. The reason why I chose this style in the first place is because there''s some parts of the narration that couldn''t be done otherwise. However, I''ve learned some time ago that the same can be achieved with any other. Also, first person present will no longer be enough to cover the larger scope of Part 2''s plot. And there you have it. Rewrite is up! Hi, I''m back. Sorry for the longass wait. So... five months later and the rewrite is now online here on RRL. There will be some major changes to the story (perhaps more than what I promsed,) but the main premise should remain unchanged. I won''t say much of what''s different and let my writing do the speaking.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Anyway, thanks for putting up with me and my work for so long. You''ve probably forgotten about this fiction at this point, which is perfect because now you get to read a new start. I hope you''ll stick with me for a while longer. Cheers~