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 Episode 1 Scene 1

    Reading books used to be fun. I admit, my idea of fun was whack but hey, better than abducting a kid for a cross-country sexcapade in the back of an SUV after passively murdering her mother. In French, too.


    Damn Humbug, distracting me from my story. How did it start again?


    Right, the snowstorm.


    The snowstorm raged on the streets of Fenbay, pelting the side-walks with hail the size of ducklings. I ducked inside as the doors whizzed open, shook the snow off my coat, and looked out the glass panels at the flurry of frozen sky-mud. There was no pale fire outside, all of it snatched by the Zemblan. Wasn¡¯t the only reason I cursed Shakespeare though. I detested him for being an obfuscator of the truth. He sang with an empty voice, knew how to play with words, twist and turn them until they came back to bite you in the ass like an ouroboros with midnight juice.


    What I¡¯m trying to say is that Shakespeare was a liar. And I don¡¯t mean he was Bacon or something, I mean he lied like he wanted to be a real boy. He said the lines wouldn¡¯t end but the eternal summer was over and it was cold outside, even though man¡¯s eyes could still breathe, or whatever.


    He said that words would never die, but as I walked into the building, all I saw were tombs. Empty tombs. He was right about one thing though; life¡¯s a stage. I just wish it wasn¡¯t a two-stage modernist drudge through a sales pitch. Why couldn¡¯t we be in the one with the rapping Federalists? To be fair, being in the edgy, post-modern, fourth-wall breaking story with the throwaway references and lampshades wasn¡¯t much better.


    The old man snored at his desk. I rang the bell. He stirred. I rang it again. He grumbled as he awoke, and his beard flew over his eyes. He cleared his face, and stared at me through his overly large vermin glasses.


    ¡°Back again?¡± he said.


    I tried to hand him my library card but he crossed his twigs instead.


    ¡°Come on kid, why do this to yourself? Go do something healthier, something fun. I can hook you up to a JumpNet. Grandkid¡¯s been plugged in for months now so he¡¯s gonna take a break tonight. I can let you try it while he¡¯s off. How about it?¡±


    I pushed the card further in his face. He mumbled, took it, and swiped it on the strip. Click. I walked in, pushing past the revolving steel rods.


    ¡°We close at 9,¡± he said, before mumbling under his breath, ¡°I¡¯ll lock you in for real if you stay any longer.¡±


    He wouldn¡¯t. Didn¡¯t want my parents on his ass. I almost wanted to tell him to not worry about them, but I liked staying in the library till midnight. The glass panes on the outer walls ¨C the only crappy part of the building ¨C were dark and dead by then, like a honeycomb housed by zombie bees. The clock on the first-floor landing would ring at twelve like a windchime, echoing in the empty aisles with an eerie, ethereal tingling.


    My heavy boots hit the ground gently but the tiles still rang. Should¡¯ve worn my sneakers. All the shelves were empty, books put away for preservation, they said, but then what was the point of the library?


    The floor was clean despite the blizzard and rains afflicting the city for the past month, and the old man sure as hell hadn¡¯t cleaned the place. The library didn¡¯t have a robosweep either. No huddling figures in the corners, no blankets on the floor ¨C even the homeless didn¡¯t come here.


    Down several aisles, across another dozen book-less rows. The pitter patter of my feet, the thump thumping of the snow on the windows. Dusty cobwebs and the scent of synthetic tile-cleaning fluid. The lights dimmed this far in, like a dungeon or a crypt.


    I saw the light, and it was bright. The cramped aisles gave way to a reading room with plush cushions, rough rugs, and soft sofas. Here, unlike in the rest of the library, the shelves weren¡¯t emptied out graves but living, breathing tombstones with colorful spines and stenciled titles that shimmered under the orange hues coming from the ancient ¨C and possibly illegal ¨C reading lamps on either end of the room. I stepped down the stairs and strolled along the shelves, eyeing the books scrunched together on the wooden beams.


    There were only a couple hundred of them, and they weren¡¯t arranged in any discernable way. Historical fiction rubbed shoulders with self-help, fantasy neighbored geography, and musical compositions were sandwiched between romance novellas and science fiction. But the shelves were dusted, the floor swept, the pillows fluffed. I had no idea who was taking care of the place or why the books hadn¡¯t been shipped to Nebraska yet, but I wasn¡¯t going to complain about the only books in the city.


    I slid the ladder to the far side of the shelves and climbed near the ceiling. I pulled a green ribbon from between a hardcover and a paperback, both copies of a bildungsroman about a pipsqueak. It had been a wonderful read, albeit slow and hard to understand but I chalked that up to the centuries that lay between me and Dickens. I¡¯d read another tale he¡¯d conjured up, heard it was the best-selling story of all time back when stories used to be good enough to sell.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    The next book was an old one, referenced on the backs of dozens of other books and in the few magazines sprinkled around the shelves. It was a soft hardbound with flaky edges and coffee-stained pages. I¡¯d read this one at least twice over the past month. I handled it gingerly while stepping off the ladder. Safely on a sofa with a lamp trained just over my head, I opened the first page and began.


    ¡°It was a bright cold day in April ¨C¡±


    Sharp, measured footsteps, crafted by hand and worth a million bucks, echoed down the aisles. I frowned. The old man couldn¡¯t afford to sound like that. I sat up, breath held, staring at the darkness under the clock on the first-floor landing. The crisp steps stopped. The clock kept ticking.


    A gray shoe stepped into the light, followed by black pants so shiny they stood out against the dark aisle. White gloves emerged, cured leather too expensive to slap with. They pulled on black cuffs, revealing a slick black watch with crystal hands that gleamed all the way to my sofa. The cologne hit me then, it reminded me of what my dad¡¯s boss wore, only richer, more luxurious, more full of itself. A figure left the shadows.


    Perfect posture, sculpted face, chiseled jawline, and a designer haircut, tied together with a red tie on a wrinkle-proof, but still ironed shirt and a silk scarf so smooth it rippled. Kid wouldn¡¯t have been out of place behind the Wall Street bull.


    He glanced over the book in my hand, eyes flitting over the ribbon on the armrest. We said nothing. My eyes fell to the pages, he walked to the shelves.


    He went to the end of the bookshelves, and climbed the ladder in a motion as natural as mine. I peeked over the pages and saw him picking through a row. He pulled out a black leather bookmark and an old hardcover, descended, and sat on an armchair by the other reading lamp. I couldn¡¯t make out the title but there was a sculpture on the cover; some old guy with a curly beard. Judging by the state of it, it seemed like he¡¯d read that book quite often too.


    We read in silence. Or at least he did, I wasn¡¯t reading. I couldn¡¯t focus. I¡¯d never met someone who liked to read as much as I did, not even at school. The few sympathizers I¡¯d found online had been fakes; bots and assholes, most likely. But there was another question in my head that kept me from speaking.


    What was a guy like him doing in a place like this? If he could afford what he was wearing, he could afford to buy a few books. Would¡¯ve been cheap too, because no one wanted them. He could probably buy the whole library and ship it to his own private island or something. Then again, he was here, and he was reading. No point brooding over it, Jean, might as well continue reading yourself. I focused on the words.


    ¡°It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking ¨C¡±


    The ground shook and there were loud thumps as things fell behind me. Must¡¯ve been an earthquake. I glanced over. The books on the highest shelf had fallen out. I met the rich kid¡¯s gaze and we wordlessly grabbed some of the fallen books, swung the ladders around, and began shelving. The clock kept ticking. It was way past nine now. The old man was probably snoring in his seat, cursing me in his dreams.


    The last book was one I¡¯d already read as a kid. It was a religious story about a witch, a lion, and a cupboard or something. It was banned a couple of years ago, so finding a copy here was a pleasant surprise. The rich kid had a book in his hand too, a thick one with a dragon on its cover. We climbed the ladders together and reached the open space in the center.


    We stopped ¨C the space was too small. I tried squeezing the books on my end together but couldn¡¯t eke out a millimeter. The other shelves were full; how the hell did this fit in the first place?


    ¡°Push together.¡±


    I looked up. Rich kid pointed at the books on my side and then his. I nodded and pushed. He grabbed the books on the other side and pushed too, and we tried to squeeze the remaining books in. We kept at it for a good while, clock still ticking. Frustrated, I swung back to the edges, rearranged and tweaked every crooked book, and came back to the space. His ladder rattled as he did the same. We tried again, pushing harder, forcing every hardback to lock together, every paperback to stick. Not good enough.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take one with me,¡± he said.


    ¡°I¡¯ll take the other.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯ll you get past the librarian?¡±


    ¡°Old man doesn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°The machines do.¡±


    ¡°Machines haven¡¯t worked in years. I¡¯ve borrowed lots of books before.¡±


    ¡°Okay,¡± he said. ¡°But there¡¯s enough room here for one.¡±


    ¡°Put yours, it¡¯s a better fit.¡±


    ¡°I was thinking of reading this, it brings back some memories.¡±


    ¡°Same.¡±


    We stood awkwardly on the ladders, high above the ground, surrounded by books as the night drew on. It was about time for me to go home, the shuttles wouldn¡¯t run past one.


    ¡°Alright,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯ll just take the one I was reading before.¡± I made to replace the book but it wouldn¡¯t go in. Frowning, I reached in with my other hand.


    The rich kid looked on as I grunted and pulled out a book that had been hiding in the back of the shelves. The cover was dark and sooty, burnt and crumbling. The pages were stiff and crinkly, a dark mustard brown that reeked of old age. Rich kid shimmied closer and peeked. The title was illegible but I could make out an elegant font and golden letters embossed at the bottom ¨C the author¡¯s name, most likely. It read, ¡°One.¡±


    The back was singed black but it didn¡¯t seem like there was much there to begin with. This was the kind of book that needed preserving which meant they¡¯d probably toss it in a landfill. I gingerly opened the first page, rich kid breathing down my neck. The page was wrinkled and full of holes and burn marks, like an old firefighter¡¯s skin. Still no title, nor any useful details. All we got was an acknowledgement.


    ¡°For my sister, who was always a disappointment to herself first, and a joy to others second. If anyone else reads this, I beg you to stop. These words are not for you, this world, these characters, this story, none of it is for you.


    This tale is dark, humorless, and epigrammatic. Yet if you continue to read this despite my warnings, be warned, the plot might just suck you in, and refuse to let go.


    If you have yet to put this away, I commend you. Thank you for your indulgence, I hope this is an experience you won¡¯t forget.¡±


    As I finished reading, my hands warmed. The holes on the page expanded, the wrinkles collapsed, and the burns spread. Flames erupted on the page and I slipped. Rich kid reached over, grabbed empty air, and fell after me ¨C his ladder sliding away.


    I hit the ground and my lungs emptied out. Pain wracked through me and my vision blurred. Rich kid¡¯s head hit mine. The clock struck and the windchimes rang. Once, twice, all the way to thirteen.


    The world swam straight into the darkness.

 Episode 1 Scene 2

    Something rough rubbed against my hands. Sand. I hate sand, it gets in everywhere. I groaned. The swirling world settled and bright lights stung my eyes.


    I dragged myself up and hit something hard. I dug with my foot and unearthed a rope; old and rotten, edges frayed, no good for climbing. Not like I could¡¯ve climbed out. I couldn¡¯t see the sky, and the muscles of a shut-in weren¡¯t good for scaling circular walls, or even walls in general.


    The wall was a strange mishmash of colors and shapes with a thick but uneven layering of sand and grime. I eyed the rocks jutting out in random places but they were too far away from each other to be useful.


    What now, Jean? I asked myself. Starving to death in a well sounds tedious.


    I took a deep breath and yelled, ¡°Somebody, help!


    My voice bounced off the walls.


    ¡°I¡¯m stuck down here.¡±


    My echoes were the only reply.


    ¡°Help!¡±


    Help¡­ help¡­ help¡­


    I yelled for what must have been an hour before sitting down, throat burning, eyes watering. I was stuck. Couldn¡¯t even tell the time down there but at least I knew the sun was out. Where else could all that light have been coming from?


    With my back against the wall, I stared at the circle way above me. My voice probably wasn¡¯t reaching the top, echoes dying long before they could catch an ear ¨C assuming there was an ear out there to be caught.


    My pockets were empty, no phone, no ribbon, nothing. At least if I¡¯d had a book I could have read it while my body wasted away into the sand. Now that¡¯s a death worth dying ¨C poetic as fuck. I grabbed my knees and thought.


    How¡¯d I get here? What was the last thing I remembered?


    Sliding ladders and a burning book. A kid wearing a suit and a cozy room at the back of the library.


    I didn¡¯t remember falling down a well or getting kidnapped by a masked villain or anything. Rich kid didn¡¯t seem like the throwing-girls-into-wells type either. But then how in Wordsworth did I end up there?Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    The light was waning and I was panicking. Of course, as I panicked, my thoughts flew about the walls. I had to keep shouting for help; sounds carry farther in the night, maybe I¡¯d get lucky. I picked at the wall beside me without looking at it. I dusted off the sand and played with it absent-mindedly. There was nothing else in the sand at my feet, I¡¯d checked.


    Could I eat the rope? Probably not. I¡¯d read somewhere you could eat the leather in your shoes in a pinch. I hoped I didn¡¯t have to gnaw at my soles, although that¡¯d be pretty poetic too.


    I told myself to think. I must be missing something, something staring me straight in the face.


    My hand brushed something smooth. I jerked to the side and noticed a shiny surface where I¡¯d been playing with the sand on the walls. Smooth was probably an exaggeration; the thing was coarser than skin. But anything smoother than sand sounded good to me. I brushed away the sand on either side, trying to dig the thing out. I only had a few moments before the well would be plunged into darkness.


    A long green rectangle came loose, too soft to be a brick. I tried to yank it out but it was stuck tight. I planted a foot on the wall, grabbed both sides of the thing and pulled. My fingers were numb and my nails screamed in pain but I persisted.


    I crashed into the sand again as the thing came loose. Groaning, I caught my breath, and hissed as the sand stung my bleeding fingers. I sucked on my thumb, taste of metal and grit filling my mouth. I spat, and wiped the rest of my fingers off my clothes.


    In the dimming light, I searched the ground and found the thing a few feet away. I scrambled over and picked it up. My heart stopped.


    I flipped it open. Pages bristled ¨C a familiar, welcome sound. A book. It was a book.


    But then my heart sank. Empty. It was empty. I flipped through the pages, checked the back side, rubbed my eyes, prayed to the gods of literature, but it was no use. I flung it away. It hit the wall with a thud and I heard a few pages tear but I didn¡¯t care. They weren¡¯t even good enough to kill myself with.


    Fitting place for my end. A loner ignored by her own parents withering away unnoticed. So god damn poetic.


    I stared into the darkness above, and walked over to the book I¡¯d thrown away. I picked it up and brought it to my shoulder again, ready to fling it across the well. But I stopped, and my arm weakened, and I brought it to my chest. I pressed my face against the leathery cover, breathing in the distinct, book-y smell that reminded me of the secret room at the back of the library.


    When my life went to hell, that was where I¡¯d always go; straight to the books. I buried myself in tales of demons and werewolves, detectives and serial killers, even gods and video game developers. The weight of a hardback on my fingers, the crisp sound of a turning page, the woody aroma of paper, and the taste of every word lapped up by my voracious eyes; it¡¯s what I lived for, it¡¯s what I used to escape the dull, dry, dreary disappointment of my real life.


    But now my escape had become my prison.


    Bloody poetry.


    I looked at the book again and frowned. In the last vestiges of light, I could barely make out a title embossed onto the cover. As darkness fell, I read aloud:


    ¡°The House of Wisdom.¡±

 Episode 1 Scene 3

    Golden pillars lined a giant, open-air hall, propping up slabs of stark white marble. The air was hot but the ground was cold. I looked down and found myself barefoot. I flexed my toes, feeling out the shiny tiled floors which had a circular pattern extending out to the pillars and the walls beyond.


    A fountain ran silently in the center of the open hall with water flowing from the edges of a sculpture twisted into knots and tangled curves. The water was so clear I could see the patterns engraved into the bottom of the pool. Channels took water from the pool to the four corners of the hall where they fell into smaller pools lined with marble stools. The sunlight was so bright it made the splashes of water droplets around the fountain shimmer like glitter. Trees stood scattered around the hall, some so low I could pick their fruits without climbing them. A large silver dome stood against the pale blue sky, ornate markings shimmering under the sunlight.


    The empty book I¡¯d been reading was gone but I didn¡¯t care because between the pillars under the slabs of marble, were rows upon rows of bookshelves.


    ¡°Holy shit,¡± I breathed. I walked carefully towards the pillars, passing the fountain and the water channels. The familiar, comforting scent of paper and ink hit me as I neared the shelves made of fancy wood with intricate patterns carved into them. It must have taken ages to carve all those swirls and whirls, and unlike the dusty, disheveled shelves in the library back home, these were well taken care of.


    ¡°So many,¡± I whispered. I didn¡¯t know where to start so I wandered, admiring the scrolls stacked with paperbacks and hardcovers. An open space caught my eye. All the shelves curved around it and a hole in the ceiling let light flood in. In the movies, this would be the place with the magic sword or holy grail. Instead, as I approached the space, I pinched my nose.


    In the center of the space was a skeleton, long dead but still reeking of decaying flesh. It sat on a wooden chair and leaned on a table. There was a decayed quill in its skeletal hand, tip caked with ink. I stared at the open book on the desk.


    There were words on it. It wasn¡¯t empty! And if this wasn¡¯t empty, neither were the rest. I turned and sized up the endless rows of bookshelves stretching to the ceiling. It didn¡¯t seem like anyone else was there at the time, save for the skeleton, but there was food, water, shelter and more books than I could ever hope to read, so I would be fine. I didn¡¯t know how I got there nor where there was, but if it wasn¡¯t for the well I¡¯d been stuck in before, I¡¯d have swallowed my edgy atheism and concluded that I was in heaven.


    The book on the skeleton¡¯s desk was open so I stepped closer and frowned. The words flowed in a strange way, connecting in long lines cut off at random points. Shapes and symbols decorated the pages. I cursed under my breath, did I have to learn a new language to read these?


    I gently slid the book off the desk. My fingertips tingled and when I glanced at the book again I could read the words! They were still some strange squiggles here and there, but I could read most of it like I understood the language.


    Guess that was that for my atheism. Maybe if God had told me about the great library in the sky, I would¡¯ve read my mother¡¯s bible and paid attention during mandatory mass.


    I stepped away from the skeleton¡¯s desk, the odor was getting overbearing. I went back to the main hall, lay on the floor by a water channel, and flipped to the first page of the book. There was no title, but a short note on the first page gave me the book¡¯s name. The note was scribbled in the author¡¯s hand and read,


    ¡°After years of scholarly research, travel, and experimentation, I, Ave, have compiled my knowledge of the medicinal arts and present it to the world for the benefit of God¡¯s creations. Let it be known as the might of knowledge, of science and understanding, let it be known as the law, let it be known as the Cannon.¡±


    A book on medicine? I thought. Well, why not?


    I don¡¯t know how long I lay there reading the Cannon. As a book about medicine, it wasn¡¯t particularly thrilling, but the author¡¯s voice spoke through the squiggles, and he was incredibly charming. Almost made me want to go back and hug the skeleton.


    Finally, I reached the final pages. Ave¡¯s knowledge of medicine was pretty basic, I¡¯d had a better understanding of biology in the third grade, but I wasn¡¯t reading it for the science anyways. On the last page, he wrapped up his opinion on the origin of disease and bid farewell to me.


    The sun was lower in the sky and I wondered what I¡¯d do at night. Didn¡¯t seem like there were any lights around. I stood up, the Cannon still open in my hands. The back of my shirt clung to my skin, both with sweat and the droplets of water around the channel. I decided to read the next book in the shade. I closed the Cannon and it vanished.


    I blinked and checked the floor. I turned around but it wasn¡¯t there. I ran back to the skeleton but it wasn¡¯t on the desk either. I went back to the open hall and sat on the edge of the fountain. The book disappeared as soon as I closed it but not when I finished reading. The Cannon¡¯s disappearance made me uncomfortable but there might be another copy on the shelves. I checked the shelf to my right and scanned the spines for titles. I grimaced, they weren¡¯t organized alphabetically or in any way at all, as far as I could tell. I checked the shelf above and below that one, as well as the ones to either side, but couldn¡¯t figure out a pattern. I noticed that a few books were missing from some of the rows; did that mean there were other people here or that they didn¡¯t fit into the system by which the books were organized.


    As the sun dipped further down the sky, the blue dome caught my eye again. I¡¯d dismissed the inscriptions on it as decorations before but now that I¡¯d had some experience with the language, I could tell that those squiggles meant something. I recognized one of the squiggles, which read ¡°House,¡± and brought to mind the book I¡¯d picked up in the well.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    I resolved to not close any of the books I finished reading, so they wouldn¡¯t disappear, and stood up. After taking a sip from the fountain, I made for the bookshelves but my legs began shaking. No, the ground began shaking.


    Steadying myself against a tree, I noticed how the House itself was still against the backdrop of rattling earth. The water in the fountain didn¡¯t ripple nor did any books slide off the shelves. The dome caught my eye again, not because it was shining, but because it was rising into the sky. The palm trees and the pillars on the right followed, going up like a wave. Nothing on the left of the fountain ¨C where I stood ¨C was lifted but that wasn¡¯t particularly comforting as everything that had been on the right was now almost directly overhead.


    The giant marble slabs and pillars, and the uncountable bookshelves; all of it came crashing down. I closed my eyes and braced for impact.


    It never came.


    Instead, there was a soft pat. I opened my eyes and saw a kid, slightly shorter than me but dressed like a fifty-year-old business tycoon, standing in the middle of a forest with a green book in his hand. I recognized the book and the boy.


    ¡°You,¡± I began. ¡°You¡¯re the kid from the library.¡± He nodded and my eyes flitted to the book. He put his other hand over it, and met my gaze.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he said. ¡°The name¡¯s Demetrius Thornton. Pleasure to meet you again.¡±


    ¡°Jean Forster, likewise,¡± I said, taking a step forward. ¡°Could I have a look at that book? It¡¯s mine, I¡¯ve been looking for it all over the place. Thanks for finding it!¡±


    Demetrius blinked but didn¡¯t respond.


    ¡°Fine, we can share. Just let me take a look.¡± I reached for the book.


    Demetrius¡¯ eyes widened and he stepped back. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You can¡¯t have it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s my book.¡±


    ¡°No, it isn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Fine, it isn¡¯t. But it isn¡¯t yours either, so let me have a look.¡±


    He inched back. I frowned and stepped closer as he bolted.


    I ran after him. The underbrush was thick so neither of us made it very far, but he ran awkwardly, probably because of his designer shoes and suit. He side-stepped mud puddles and parted shrubs with his hands before stepping through. I caught up with him quickly, tears in my top and mud on my jeans.


    His scarf got caught on a branch, and I tackled him as he struggled. He fell face-first into the dirt as my brain rocked inside my head from the impact. I wrenched the book from his grasp and tried to get away but he grabbed my ankle and made me stumble. I kicked myself loose, tucked the book under my armpit, and lifted a branch out of my way as I ran.


    He caught up to me after a few too many thorny bushes and low hanging branches, but I¡¯d noticed his approach and turned to face him as he tried to claw at my back. He¡¯d hung on to his scarf by wrapping it around his front but I pulled it down and tried to run. He ignored the trailing scarf and ran forward to grab the back of my arm. I elbowed him with the other and decided to run back in the same direction he¡¯d come from.


    My boots squelched as they pushed his silk Hermes scarf into the slush behind the patch of mushrooms by the oak tree. He grabbed a fistful of my short, bristly hair, and wrenched my head toward the broken bark of the tree trunk. The rough bark scraped against my cheeks, making them burn red. I pushed back against the ground and pulled him toward me by the scarf still hanging by the frayed collar of his mud-splattered suit. His head crashed into my chest, knocking the wind out of me as I hit the ground. A bony hand reached for the book tucked under my armpit, so I shrugged it off and rolled out from underneath the boy.


    He stood up groggily and steadied himself against the tree but I was on my feet before him, and kicked the back of his knee, making him flop into the puddle, scattering scummy water across his red tie and pointed chin.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s not yours,¡± I said between rushed breaths.


    He put an arm under his shoulder and propped his head up with his forearm. I was about to kick him down again when he rolled over to lay face up in the puddle. His hair-gel mixed with the water, making dilapidated, rainbow colored halos around his head as the filtered sunlight struck the murky puddle. He looked at me down the bridge of his nose, and smiled, revealing a perfect set of reddened teeth.


    ¡°You haven¡¯t figured it out yet, have you?¡± he said. ¡°You looked smarter than that, but I guess that¡¯s just the cover.¡± Something changed as he said that; maybe his eyebrows became a little narrower, and more pointed, perhaps his shoulders broadened, or his cheekbones rose. I barely knew him but these changes made me hug the book a little closer to my side and keep my eyes fixed on him.


    He brought his hands to the center of his body, and fumbled around for the buttons of his coat, found there was only one left, buttoned it, and pushed his hands through the puddle and against the slime underneath. He brought a soiled leather shoe into the puddle and rose, water dripping off his coattails as he puffed his coat, and spit the redness of his teeth to the side.


    I put another hand on the book. ¡°Don¡¯t come any closer. I said we could share it, there¡¯s enough in there for the both of us.¡±


    He raised his eyebrows and nodded pensively. ¡°True.¡± He began walking toward me in a gait that was very different from the one he¡¯d had before. His legs were straighter, his chest and chin higher, and his feet landed firmly on the ground leaving prints, and parting every patch of grass down the center. ¡°True. You haven¡¯t learned the way this world works yet. Granted, I only figured it out a moment ago myself, but still, how regrettable.¡±


    I ducked and tried to tackle him, hoping to surprise him before he reached me. I dug a foot into the ground, stopping inches from the puddle. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten faster.¡±


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± he said, his voice far closer than I¡¯d expected. I turned around just in time to see his fist cover my field of vision. I fell back, face burning, head muddled with pain, and heard my feet sloshing through the water. I brought a hand to my face, and felt a tug beneath my arm as something slid out. I flailed to try and grab it but failed.


    There was no splash so I turned, and saw Demetrius standing behind me with the book in his hands, and face inches from mine. I lurched sideways as his leg swept mine, and crashed just beside the pond, hitting the damp earth with a thud. Pain shot through my head as my body refused to budge, becoming just another blob of color in my swimming field of vision.


    ¡°You messed up,¡± said Demetrius¡¯ voice.


    ¡°How?¡± I asked with a raspy breath.


    ¡°You were inside the House of Wisdom as long as I was, I presume, yet you didn¡¯t figure out how this new world works. You¡¯re either incompetent or incredibly unlucky.¡±


    ¡°New world?¡±


    He continued in his smug voice, ¡°So it was incompetence after all.¡±


    I coughed and felt the wind blowing past the tears in my clothes; it was sharp but not malicious. The sunlight was almost completely hidden by the clouds and canopy, like layers of blankets over a sick child.


    ¡°Wisdom loves me, the warrior,¡± he said as I saw his blurry figure walk into the darkness of the forest, taking the House with him.


    My limbs stayed stuck to the ground like iron rods, darkness encroached upon the edges of my vision, and my head began to float away. I managed to curse with the last of my strength, ¡°God damn it.¡±


    After a moment, there came a chuckle. ¡°You haven¡¯t even figured that out yet either? God is dead, in body, and on paper.¡±


    My consciousness slipped.

 Episode 2 Scene 1

    I came to when water struck me; or rather, when I struck the water. Disoriented, I squinted through quivering eyelids and saw a black mass resting on the ground a few feet away from me. A glowing, beady yellow eye met mine, and another gust of wind propelled me ¨C and most of the muddy water ¨C out of the puddle, and slammed me against the oak tree.


    Having had the wind knocked out of my lungs, I grabbed my chest and fell to the floor, gasping for breath. A shriek pierced the air as something whooshed past the top of my head and slammed into the tree trunk, sending another burst of wind barreling behind me which propelled me several feet across the gravely earth into a bush. My fingers twitched as my wits settled against the piercing shrieks in the background. The ground rumbled, shaking the velvety leaves of the bush. A sweet, tangy scent cut through the smell of wild plants and damp earth, and something sticky landed on my lips before trickling into my mouth.


    The world swam into view again with surprising clarity, and I became acutely aware of the misshaped red blobs hanging from the bush, as well as the numerous cuts and bruises on my body that were rapidly closing and fading. My disorientation abated, replaced by a heightening sense of control, energy, and urgency ¨C an adrenaline rush. Head abuzz, I picked myself up, and saw the black figure struggling in front of the tree. Its claws raked the ground, sending mud flying behind it. Wings larger than my body flapped in a frenzy, sending waves of air crashing around the beast.


    I felt the urge to rush forward and punch its back, but checked myself. A growing unease crept around the edges of my mind; I wouldn¡¯t go after bullies in school, let alone giant feathered monsters kicking up gale force winds, why was I so eager to fight a monster bird?


    I stared at it, wondering what it was, and it stopped for a moment. I blinked and it thrashed around even more wildly. Cracking noises caught my attention, and I looked up to see the tree sway, then collapse, as the giant bird jumped into the air, shaking orange residue from its shiny beak. Its eyes flickered in my direction as I abandoned all notion of fighting the thing, and ran.


    I dashed between the trees so it wouldn¡¯t be able to attack me directly, but the bird didn¡¯t seem perturbed in the slightest. It pushed gusts of wind towards me, kicking up a storm of dust, stones, and insects that followed me through the forest. I grabbed onto tree trunks and branches to steady myself using reflexes I never knew I had, and managed to not be blown off my feet.


    My breaths were measured but deep, and I stepped over or around every stone, root, and beetle on the ground while ducking under branches and low hanging vines. I even managed to avoid flying insects, and a strange, flower-like snake that uncoiled itself and shot at me as I passed it. After a while, I caught onto the bird monster¡¯s patterns, and ducked behind trees and rocks as gusts blew by. When it managed to peek through the canopy, it would shriek when it saw me alive and well.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    It chased me for what seemed like a few minutes, although the sunlight began to dim a lot faster than I¡¯d expected. Eventually its shrieks grew weaker, the winds threw up less rocks, and the forest became thicker, darker, more wild and mysterious.


    The forest vanished as I burst into a clearing. I dug my foot into the earth, and tried to spin back inside for cover but a wall of wind pushed me further out. An excited shriek rang through the air as a black shape eclipsed the sun behind the edge of the forest.


    I put my hands in front of my face as another burst of dirt and rocks assailed me but a large rock rolled onto my foot, making me bite the inside of my lips. The monster bird rose into the air, stalled for a moment, and swooped in with its beak pointed at me. I jumped to the side while it was still in the sky but it changed direction, its beak and eyes following me as I tried to make a break for the trees again.


    Realizing I wouldn¡¯t make it in time, I faced the monster bird, waited for it to get close enough that I could hear the wind whistling past its body, and jumped to the side. The bird didn¡¯t seamlessly change direction like last time, but it flapped its wings to come to a halt a few feet from the ground, which ended up kicking up so much wind that I was tossed across the clearing like a skipping stone.


    I felt a bone crack, and my ankle twisted in so many different directions in so many different ways that it could have been breakdancing. I lay sprawled face down on the earth, mind-numbing pain threatening to drown my consciousness. However, the edges of my fingers prickled and a tingling sensation rose up my spine, fighting against the pain, and winning. Soon, I could hear my breathing again, and gingerly put my hand under me, lifted, and turned my sore neck back to see why the monster hadn¡¯t come to finish me off while I lay prone.


    The answer: it was gone.


    My ankle was uncomfortable so I moved it around a little, stopping when it popped back into position. I sat there, searching the darkening sky for traces of the beast, but couldn¡¯t find it anywhere. Then I noticed that it was a shade darker around me than it was in the rest of the clearing, and looked up to see a wooden beam hanging over my head. Turning around, I saw a wall made of old logs that were covered in moss but weren¡¯t rotten at all.


    I picked myself up, abandoning a shoe that had a stone stuck in its sole, while keeping the other one on. The cabin had a door decorated with what looked like an olive wreath with bright purple leaves, and yellow flowers. On the door hung a plaque made of darker wood with ¡°Moxy Melsam¡± carved into it, as well as a smaller bit of a different kind of wood with ¡°and Elenor Cramer¡± scribbled on it in flaky blue ink. Near the bottom of the door was a rectangular hole covered by a golden metal flap with cracks spreading across the wood from where the flap was affixed into it. A gentle purple glow seeped out from under the door and flap.


    My heart pulsed violently, making me double over. I felt cold. Sweat dripped into my eye and raked against my back as my mouth dried up, and my lips began to crack. A burning sensation traveled up my throat before subsiding, leaving my insides raw and aflame.


    I gasped involuntarily, and stumbled into the door, making it creak in protest. My heart raced faster and faster, a constant hum ringing inside my ears, thumping against my chest, and making my head tap dance to a new age electronic dance number. The beat dropped with my eyelids.

 Episode 2 Scene 2

    I heard a voice ask me my name.


    ¡°Jean,¡± came the answer in my voice. ¡°Jean V. Forster.¡±


    What was I doing so deep in the woods?


    ¡°Looking for a book.¡±


    What kind of book?


    ¡°The one with the other books inside.¡±


    Why are you looking for it?


    ¡°I like reading books.¡±


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked the voice.


    ¡°Reading books is fun. Screw Plugin-readers. I¡¯m not old fashioned, everyone else is just dumb.¡±


    ¡°Now you¡¯ve lost me completely. I suppose it doesn¡¯t matter, you¡¯re lucid enough to wake up now.¡±


    A wooden wall greeted me when I awoke. I shuffled under the blanket as the leafy mattress ruffled underneath me.


    ¡°I would advise against consuming lastwind berries unless you are trying to go out with a bang,¡± said the voice. ¡°And if you intend to go out with a bang, please don¡¯t do so on my front door, I just had my apprentice clean it.¡±


    I turned to face the voice. It belonged to a blonde, middle-aged woman. Her bright green eyes caught my attention; they seemed to be swirling like a whirlpool leading to her pupils.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she said, snapping her fingers. I broke from my trance. What was that?


    ¡°Like I was saying,¡± she continued. ¡°Now that you¡¯re feeling better, you should leave before the ¨C¡± She peeked behind the curtains that hung against the wall without a window. ¡°Drat, the forest path is already closed. Guess you¡¯ll have to stay the night. My apprentice should be back anytime now, she¡¯ll take you to your room.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, but I don¡¯t want to trouble you with ¨C¡±


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± she said, sitting down on a chair beside the bed. ¡°We rarely get any visitors. Even the folk from Sett don¡¯t come into the woods anymore. Not since The Daily Scribbler ran that slanderous piece about the Raxxers.¡±


    ¡°Raxxers?¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re the cutest critters in the world, great for snuggling, and playing catch. They¡¯re famous around these parts but I won¡¯t blame you for not knowing about a monster so far from home.¡±


    ¡°Far from home¡­¡± I said. ¡°Wait, where am I?¡±


    ¡°Really? Raxxers are one thing, but not recognizing the Broken Woods is a little strange, V.¡±


    ¡°V? My name¡¯s not V.¡±


    ¡°One¡¯s beard, don¡¯t tell me you go by Jean? I¡¯m so sorry, I assumed you were a Cleffan because you didn¡¯t have any burn marks. I apologize, young Epilian, but seeing one of your kind this far on the other side of Illustair is quite rare.¡±


    I was about to say something but she put a finger against my lips and shushed me.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± she said. ¡°Your secret is safe with me. I¡¯m a Humanist anyways, so I don¡¯t care what the Bitanists say, you Statisticians have as much of a right to Illustair as anyone else.¡±


    Thoroughly lost in both body and mind, I decided to ignore everything the woman was saying and get a foothold to grasp what was going on. I asked, ¡°Who are you again?¡±


    ¡°Dear me, I forgot to introduce myself,¡± replied the woman, tugging the green scale-textured scarf around her neck. ¡°Witch Moxy Morgan Melsam, pleasure to meet you.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Ignoring the fact that she had introduced herself as a witch, I offered her a hand which she shook incorrectly. ¡°Jean V. Forster, likewise.¡±


    ¡°Yes, I know, you told me when you were waking up.¡±


    ¡°Wait, why were you asking me those questions anyway?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Just making sure you weren¡¯t an Inlineman, honey,¡± she replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world. ¡°Oh, and that reminds me, that book you were looking for ¨C¡±


    My eyes widened and my heart skipped a beat. In all the confusion between the bird monster and the witch, I¡¯d nearly forgotten why I was lost in the woods in the first place.


    ¡°The House,¡± I said, practically leaping out of bed. ¡°I have to find it. Him. I have to find him.¡±


    ¡°Him?¡±


    ¡°Demetrius. That bastard stole my book.¡±


    ¡°A book thief? One¡¯s beard, even death isn¡¯t kind to those sorts of people,¡± she said, a serious expression adorning her face.


    ¡°Damn it, he¡¯s probably miles away by now.¡± I sat back on the bed and put my face between my hands. Rows upon rows of bookshelves came to the forefront of my mind, marble slabs and pillars, fountains and the giant blue dome, the largest collection of books I had ever seen, and I¡¯d let it slip through my fingers.


    ¡°Excuse me.¡±


    I raised my head. ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°Did you call it The House?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, burying my face in my palms again. ¡°The House of Wisdom, that was the book¡¯s title.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she said.


    A brief silence ensued, in which I thought back to how Demetrius had taken the book from me. Remembering how quickly his personality had changed, I wondered if he had a multiple personality disorder of some kind. But he¡¯d said something else too, something which made Moxy¡¯s ramblings seem a little less crazy, but increased the overall craziness of the situation too high for me to digest.


    ¡°If it was indeed the House of Wisdom, then there is a way you could find it again.¡±


    ¡°Wait, really?¡± I asked, breaking from my train of thought.


    ¡°Yes, but first let me ask you, do you know what the Wonders are?¡±


    I was about to reply in the negative but checked myself, recalling the conclusion I¡¯d reached a few moments ago. ¡°Yes, of course.¡±


    ¡°Then I should probably tell you that that book you found was no ordinary book. It was the tome of The House of Wisdom ¨C one of the legendary Wonders.¡±


    I feigned incredulousness. ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± said Moxy, staring at me with her whirlpool eyes. ¡°Another little-known fact about the Wonders, is that they come in a set, with a predefined order and everything. And if you find one book in the series, you can use it to find the next one, then use that to find the next one, and so on.¡±


    ¡°So¡­¡±


    ¡°Since the House of Wisdom is the third Wonder, if you find the second one, it¡¯ll lead you straight to it.¡±


    I was elated, even if Moxy¡¯s facial expression suggested that this was not a reasonable plan at all, the tiniest possibility of being able to get back the House was enough to make me giddy.


    ¡°Do you know where the second Wonder is?¡± I asked.


    Moxy laughed uproariously, making me jump a little. It took her a while to settle down, after which she replied, ¡°Honey, if I knew where the Wonders were, do you think I¡¯d be wasting away in a rotten old hut in the middle of nowhere?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, maybe?¡±


    ¡°You make a fair point,¡± she said, suddenly serious again. ¡°I would almost certainly still stay in my hut; civilized society is too mundanely exciting for a poor little witch like me. Tell you what, I may not know where the other Wonders are, but I do know a guy who does. And I¡¯ll help you get in touch with him if you do me a little favor.¡±


    ¡°What kind of favor?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Nothing too troubling, in fact, it may be a blessing for someone so far from home. You see, my apprentice ¨C who still isn¡¯t back yet for some reason ¨C has lived her whole life cooped up inside the forest. She doesn¡¯t even go to Sett anymore, even though she used to love playing there as a kid. She¡¯s like a daughter to me; I raised her since she was suckling Camcot berries, and I want her to go explore the world, but she¡¯s probably too scared to go alone.¡±


    ¡°I see where this is going,¡± I said. ¡°You want me to take her with me?¡±


    ¡°Essentially, yes.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± I said. Why would I decline a guide, especially considering the conclusion I¡¯d reached a few minutes ago.


    There was a creaking sound from the front of the hut as a voice carried over. ¡°I¡¯m home, Mo.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that¡¯s her,¡± said Moxy, getting up from her chair. ¡°You stay here and rest, I¡¯ll tell Elenor about everything. The two of you can get going early tomorrow morning, I¡¯ll make the arrangements and prepare the supplies for the journey, don¡¯t you fret.¡±


    She left the room before I could stop her. I heard voices in the front of the hut, which, at one point, sounded like an argument. I couldn¡¯t make out what was being said, but it dragged on for long enough that my head felt empty once the voices died down. Exhausted, I pulled the blanket over myself, and shuffled around the leafy bed.


    Before falling asleep, I reminded myself of the conclusion I¡¯d reached regarding my situation. Adding what Demetrius had said about ¡®the way this new world works,¡¯ and Moxy¡¯s gibberish, I realized that not only had I met a real witch, I had also gone inside a wardrobe, of sorts. Years of reading had left my disbelief suspended in mid-air, so the fact that I was in a new world didn¡¯t faze me as much as it should have.


    What did disturb me was how hot it was under that blanket. I pushed it off, and went to sleep.

 Episode 2 Scene 3

    ¡°Want some more?¡± asked Moxy.


    ¡°Thanks, but I¡¯m good,¡± I replied, setting aside my plate, and popping the last piece of bread into my mouth.


    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± she asked, her back to me as she put away the dishes, and cleaned the strange triangular stove she¡¯d used to make breakfast.


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Glad to hear.¡± She finished cleaning up and sat down in front of me. There was another empty chair to my right behind a plate of eggs and a loaf of bread. Moxy looked at the untouched food and frowned. She yelled, ¡°Elenor, come down already, your food¡¯s getting cold.¡±


    ¡°Be there in a second,¡± said a voice from upstairs. I¡¯d already been surprised by how big the hut was from the inside, but after accepting that I¡¯d come to a new world, a little space-bending magic wasn¡¯t going to upset my sensibilities.


    ¡°Right, a little advice for the journey,¡± said Moxy, leaning closer. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have any burn marks, you should pretend to be from Clef. No offense, but Epilians aren¡¯t very well-liked around here.¡±


    ¡°No offense taken, but couldn¡¯t I just get some burn marks?¡±


    ¡°The people of Fore don¡¯t have just any burn marks, their burn marks are very specific, and they¡¯re tied to their social class, and city of birth. So unless you have campfires on your cheeks, you won¡¯t pass as a local in Sett.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± Branding citizens? This new world was already making me uncomfortable.


    ¡°Sett¡¯s the closest city, by the way. You take the forest path out the Broken Woods, and it¡¯s a few hours walk to Sett. Elenor will get you into Sett using my name but you¡¯ll want to find a way to get into the other cities. I recommend a caravan.¡±


    ¡°Where¡¯s the guy I¡¯m looking for?¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s in Bendeck, the capital. You¡¯ll need to go through four other cities first; Sett, Chart, Devel, and Bass. Once you get to Bendeck, go to the Black Kettle Bar at midnight, the guy¡¯s taken a shot of Coldwyrm there every night for twenty years.¡±


    So specific, I thought. But what if someone else was taking a shot of this Coldwyrm or whatever? I needed more to go on. ¡°What¡¯s his name?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Henry.¡±


    ¡°What does he look like?¡±


    ¡°Black hair, blue eyes, about six fingers taller than you. If you can¡¯t find him, just ask the bartender for help.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± I said, when I heard a knock behind me.


    ¡°Finally,¡± said Moxy. ¡°I thought I¡¯d have to go up there myself.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± said the voice I¡¯d heard yesterday as I heard another knock from the stairs. ¡°Yesterday was exhausting, what with the Flaxxers going into heat, and the Flopflappers migrating for the summer.¡±


    ¡°I told you, you didn¡¯t need to run the experiments,¡± said Moxy as a figure stepped into view.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, but you would¡¯ve complained about it the next day, I know you Mo,¡± said the brown-haired girl wearing sunglasses. She tapped the ground with the large metallic walking in her hand, and turned to face me with a big smile on her lips. ¡°And you must be ¨C¡±


    ¡°Jean,¡± I said, getting up to shake her hand. ¡°Jean V. Forster.¡±


    ¡°Mas,¡± she said, shaking my hand with one hand as she put her stick against the table, and fixed the red pin in her hair. ¡°Elenor Mas Cramer.¡±


    ¡°Jean, honey,¡± interjected Moxy. ¡°Like I said, you need to pretend to be from Clef. Elenor and I don¡¯t care because we¡¯re Humanists, we¡¯re shunned by society too, but you really don¡¯t want to be known as an Epilian around here.¡±


    ¡°Oh right,¡± I said. ¡°Sorry. The name¡¯s Valkyrie, Jean Valkyrie Forster, but you can call me Val.¡±


    ¡°What a lovely middle name! Make sure to introduce yourself properly from now on.¡±


    ¡°Will do.¡±


    Elenor had already sat down, and was about to finish eating her breakfast. She tapped the plate with her fingers while eating, humming a quiet tune that I couldn¡¯t hear. The light from the glowing moss that lit the room reflected off her sunglasses.


    ¡°So you¡¯re an Epilian?¡± asked Elenor between mouthfuls.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess,¡± I said, committing to the convenient explanation of my origin.


    ¡°What¡¯re you doing all the way here?¡±


    ¡°Looking for someone. He stole a book from me.¡±


    ¡°Damn,¡± she said. ¡°That sucks. I hope you get it back.¡±Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°Thanks.¡± I found this world¡¯s love for books incredibly heartwarming. Both Elenor and Moxy had expressed so much concern for the stolen book, something the people of Earth would have never done.


    ¡°Alright,¡± she said, picking up her dishes.


    Moxy moved to the sink and grabbed the dishes from Elenor. ¡°I¡¯ll take care of the dishes. You two get going. And Moxy, take the travel pack in the closet, we haven¡¯t heard from Sett in a while so it¡¯s best to be a little prepared.¡±


    ¡°Got it, Mo,¡± said Elenor, tapping over to the closet, and swinging a backpack onto her shoulders.


    ¡°Right, take care honey,¡± said Moxy, waving a hand in the air as she washed the dishes. Elenor walked to the door but I hesitated.


    ¡°How long have you two known each other?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I¡¯ve raised her since she was a baby,¡± she replied, not turning around.


    ¡°But ¨C¡±


    ¡°Come on Val,¡± said Elenor from outside.


    ¡°Hurry along now,¡± said Moxy, her voice lower than usual. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be stuck out there at night. I¡¯ve given Elenor all the supplies. Also, I left a fresh pair of shoes for you by the front door.¡±


    I looked at her back, she wasn¡¯t even pretending to wash the dishes anymore. After another call from Elenor, I left the hut. I threw off the one shoe I¡¯d been wearing before, and slipped into the leafy green sneakers with little Ms on them, that were leaning against the wall by the front door.


    ¡°Finally,¡± said Elenor, tapping her stick. ¡°Let¡¯s go.¡± She started walking toward the edge of the clearing, and I followed. As she reached the dense thicket of trees, she tapped them with the orb on top of her stick, and the trees dove to either side, making a path that stretched into the horizon through the green sea. I was far enough down the rabbit-hole to be unsurprised by this, but not enough to be unimpressed, so I let out a whistle.


    ¡°So do you know where that person is?¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I said.


    ¡°The person who stole your book.¡±


    ¡°No, but Moxy, your uh¡­¡±


    ¡°Mentor, step-mom, whatever.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, she had a lead that I¡¯m following right now. It¡¯s where we¡¯re going.¡±


    The trees swung back into place as we walked further down the path.


    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s why you¡¯re going to Sett.¡±


    ¡°Yep, then onto some other cities she mentioned. Chart, Devel, and Bass, I think. The guy with the info is in Bendeck.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going all the way to Bendeck? You¡¯ll need a good guide for that.¡±


    ¡°I have you, don¡¯t I?¡±


    She chuckled. ¡°I¡¯ll put in a good word for you at Sett. A few guys in the Fighter¡¯s guild owe me a favor or two, should knock off a few Inketts from their charges.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°You don¡¯t ¨C¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± she interjected, tapping her stick on the ground, and walking as briskly as ever. ¡°Mo took a real liking to you for some reason, kept talking about you for hours last night. I haven¡¯t seen her that excited in years, this is just my way of repaying you for that.¡±


    A booming roar rang through the air, sending flocks of pink birds flapping away.


    ¡°Raxxers,¡± said Elenor before I could ask. ¡°Don¡¯t mind them, they get a little loud when they¡¯re in heat. Nothing to worry about though, they¡¯d never hurt a bumblefly. Not unless you attack them first.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    ¡°What were we talking about again?¡±


    ¡°Guides. Look I¡¯m sorry but I feel like we¡¯re not on the same page here.¡± I stopped and faced her.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡± she asked, tapping her stick in my direction without facing me.


    ¡°When I asked Moxy for her help, she asked for a favor. She wanted me to take you with me.¡±


    She leaned her stick forward while pressing its tip into the ground. ¡°To Sett?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    Elenor turned swiftly, and tapped her stick on the ground. The forest path stopped closing for a moment but then the trees slowly began gliding back into place. Elenor rushed forward and hit the trees with her stick. They didn¡¯t budge.


    ¡°Mo! What the hell are you doing?¡±


    The vines hanging from the branches above her uncoiled, landing on the ground with a loud thud.


    ¡°Open the path, now, or I¡¯ll never speak to you again.¡±


    The vines flopped around on the ground.


    ¡°What do you mean that¡¯s alright with you? When I get my hands on you ¨C¡±


    A single vine separated from the bunch and began tapping the ground in a pattern. I watched quietly, both because of the strangeness of the event and because there was a distinct solemnity to the occasion.


    ¡°No, I will not. I¡¯m going to go to Sett, get a pinch of Tinpin, and cook up your potion for you.¡±


    The vine tapped.


    ¡°Why are you doing this? Why would I even want to go to Bendeck?¡±


    More taps.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care. That doesn¡¯t matter to me. You know it¡¯s never mattered to me.¡±


    The other vines slithered back into the underbrush.


    ¡°No, no, I¡¯ve never thought about them for a second. You raised me, not them. They can go to hell for all I care!¡±


    Elenor cut a pitiful figure standing in front of a wiggling vine, tapping the ground with her stick ¨C in frustration, I reckoned, because she wasn¡¯t walking anywhere. I couldn¡¯t see her face because she had her back to me, but I could see the frustration in her arms.


    ¡°No, I¡­ you¡¯ve been reading me, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    The vines tapped furiously.


    ¡°Don¡¯t lie to me. You promised you wouldn¡¯t do that. You promised!¡±


    This time the vine didn¡¯t tap on the ground. Instead, it slithered forward and gently knocked on Elenor¡¯s shoes. She kicked it away.


    ¡°You know what, fine! I don¡¯t need you. You¡¯re a liar, and an ass!¡± She turned away, face lowered to the side away from me, and began stomping away.


    The vines stood up, and after seemingly looking at her for a while, they turned towards me, and nodded politely. I nodded back.


    ¡°Come on Val, let¡¯s go. We aren¡¯t welcome here anymore.¡±


    The vine ¨C in all its inanimate fauna-ness ¨C seemed to shudder, as if it had been cut from its roots. The tip in the air leaned forward before stopping, lifting the leaf on its head towards Elenor¡¯s furious figure, then slinking back into the decomposing leaves and splintered twigs that blanketed the forest floor.


    As we left the forest, the path no longer closed behind us. Perhaps we were on a public path now, instead of the magical forest path from before. Or maybe we had been severed from the fantastical parts of the forest after Elenor¡¯s exchange with the vine. Either way, the overburdened trees and the tepid, humid air were no longer as oddly welcoming as before, having taken on a distinctly normal feeling that seemed incredibly out of place in this world of wonders. Now we were just two teens walking through the woods.


    The woods eventually gave way to open plains, and empty roads leading to a city just barely visible upon the horizon. Elenor walked five steps in front of me, a distance she maintained by furiously tapping her stick and increasing her gait whenever I tried to walk up to her. She didn¡¯t stop once we left the forest, but she did pick up her stick and refuse to tap during the last few paces when we had trees to our sides. She eventually brought it down on the crumbling stone road that the dirty, somewhat grassy forest trail gave way to, a few feet from the edge of the forest.


    We walked the rest of the way to Sett silent, save for the rhythmic tapping of Elenor¡¯s stick on the pebbles along the road. Somehow, it always seemed to make the same sound despite the unevenness of the road.


    It was only when the walls of Sett began to loom, and a throng of travelers started to coalesce around us that I noticed a whimper in the rhythmic tapping of Elenor¡¯s metallic stick, and a crack in her otherwise steely breathing.

 Episode 2 Scene 4

    ¡°Do we really have to sneak into the city?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Elenor, without further explanation.


    Instead of going through the gates the way Moxy had advised, Elenor led me through an old pipe that had once been a part of the city¡¯s sewage system but had fallen into disrepair over the years. Someone had sawed through the metal bars covering the pipe¡¯s mouth, and the muddy floor suggested it was being used frequently to avoid the spear-wielding guards standing by the main gate. Surprisingly, the pipe didn¡¯t reek of human refuse, despite it being caked onto the walls, probably because of a trail of purple flowers that spewed a thin stream of white vapor into the air. Elenor made me pop a bit of green jelly into my mouth to ¡®fight the Sweetflower poisoning.¡¯


    After we emerged into a decrepit house near the wall, Elenor made me wrap a brown rag around my head, leaving a little slit for me to see out of. We snuck out through the backdoor and began walking through a crumbling street scented with vomit, piss, and the unwashed bodies of dozens of pedestrians and beggars.


    Despite their evident squalor, the streets on this side of the city were alive with bickering, talking, and the noise of children playing. Every so often, some of the children would snap their fingers and sparks would jump out, making the adults around them scold or chase them. Near the corner, a group of kids managed to light a bearded middle-aged man¡¯s shirt on fire. The man had to tear off his shirt and stomp out the flames, by which point the kids had already escaped into the winding alleys and narrow pathways that crisscrossed through the wall of shabby, multi-colored buildings that lined either side of the streets.


    I noticed the flame-shaped burn marks on the kids¡¯ cheeks light up whenever they made the sparks come out of their fingers. This world¡¯s magic was fascinating, but confusing, especially because I was certain Demetrius had used it to steal the House from me, yet I couldn¡¯t remember any scars lighting up on his body at the time.


    ¡°In here,¡± said Elenor, pushing open the door of a muddy red-bricked building. The bright sunlight cast a shadow across the sign that hung over the door, so I couldn¡¯t read what it said as I walked in.


    ¡°Take this,¡± said Elenor, handing me a key.


    ¡°What¡¯s it for?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Your room. Upstairs, the second one on the right. We¡¯ll stay here while we look for a ride to Chart.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t we get there on our own?¡±


    ¡°We could probably get to the city walls but getting inside would be impossible.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t we just sneak in like we did here?¡±


    ¡°No, Sett isn¡¯t like the other cities in Fore. It¡¯s the only city run by the Side Party, so there aren¡¯t as many guards here, and the ones who are, are all registered with the Fighters Guild.¡±


    ¡°The Fighter¡¯s Guild?¡± I asked, as we left the building.


    ¡°Yeah, that one over there,¡± said Elenor, tapping her stick in the direction of a red, triple-storied building at the end of the street. There was a yellow building to its right, and a blue one to its left, both triple-storied but with markedly different designs. While the red one had large balconies, and thick iron balustrades outside scratched windows, the blue one was mostly made of stained glass with metal paneling, and the yellow one looked like a brick house stacked on top of a mud hut stacked on top of a bunch of iron rods with sheets of metal soldered onto them.


    There were different types of people outside of them too. The red one ¨C or the ¡°Fighter¡¯s Guild,¡± as the crudely written sign over the salon door called it ¨C attracted well-armored figures, most with a sword or spear slung across their back. These people, despite their scars and deadly weapons, chatted with each other like they were taking a coffee break at work. Groups of people walked into and out of the building, some lugging bags and nursing closing wounds, others exchanging plans for the day.


    The people around the blue building reminded me, at first, of the mindless drones buzzing around the high-rise office buildings back home. Most of them wore black suits on top of immaculately pressed white shirts, with bright blue ties and pocket protectors. Every so often, a person in ordinary clothes would appear, usually with a bag or pouch in hand, and depending on whether they were going inside or coming back out, they¡¯d have a nervous, satisfied, or profoundly dissatisfied look on their faces. A metal plate hung on top of the swiveling glass doors, with ¡°Finder¡¯s Guild¡± stenciled on it.


    Around the yellow building, people in ruddy, unwashed clothes mulled around with tiny trinkets and strange contraptions. Most ordinary people steered clear of this building, with the few who went in through the simple wooden door making sure to avoid the many unidentifiable objects littering the rocky courtyard and path. A glowing yellow sign made of rocks, rods, and feathers declared it the ¡°Fiddler¡¯s Guild.¡±


    Although most of the people around the guilds had the flame-shaped burn marks that the people of Sett had, a few had burns shaped like three wavy lines, or a water droplet. I saw one person around the Fiddler¡¯s Guild with a triangular burn mark, who ran inside with his cheeks alight while wildly waving a wooden claw.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to get a copy of the Gazette from the Finder¡¯s Guild, there¡¯s always an ad or two by mercenaries and guards,¡± said Elenor, tapping her stick in the direction of the blue building.


    ¡°And what should I do?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, just keep your face covered, I¡¯ll be back in a second.¡±


    A few people on the streets had been staring at Elenor¡¯s face for a while, but when the people around the guilds saw her, they either looked away or greeted her respectfully. Most of the pedestrians stopped staring at her after that, but I noticed a hooded figure near the alleyway continue to stare at Elenor¡¯s back as she entered the guild. A tall lady with a pickaxe noticed the figure and eyed them warily, prompting the figure to step back into the alley.


    I stood at the corner, looking at the guilds and all the strange and unusual people they attracted. The lady with the pickaxe stared at me too, suspicious of my hidden face, probably. I didn¡¯t meet her gaze but felt it bore into me nonetheless. The burn on her cheek was shaped like a water droplet, which shone with a soft gleam in the corner of my vision.


    Waiting for Elenor to come back, I looked at the buildings on the other side of the street. There was a store selling fruits and vegetables, one with dresses and shirts hanging from rods in the storefront, and a windowless store that just said ¡°Shop¡± on it. The uninviting d¨¦cor ensured nobody would go into the Shop, passing by its unassuming wooden door as if there was nothing between the colorful berries and dresses in the windows on either side.


    Elenor still hadn¡¯t come out yet. I was feeling a little hungry, so I walked over to the store with the fruit, only to realize that I had no money. The people in the store exchanged purple roots and orange pods for little scraps of paper at the cashier¡¯s counter while I watched a black-haired kid nibble on a bright yellow sphere. He met my eye, and raised the fruit towards me. I stared blankly at him until it clicked ¨C he was offering to share.


    While I hesitated, I looked around. The kid¡¯s parents saw him offer the fruit to me but their gaze didn¡¯t stop at the sight, and they continued picking more fruit from the stalls that lined the shop¡¯s walls. He offered the fruit again, and I found myself accepting it. I broke off a small piece and kept it for myself, giving back most of it to the little boy. The fruit was tangy, but had a sweet aftertaste.


    ¡°Thanks so much,¡± I said, crouching so I was at eye-level with him. ¡°I¡¯m Val, Val Forster.¡± I offered him a hand.


    He shook it. ¡°Kino Paley.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s such a lovely name! Well, I have to go now, but thanks for helping me out there, Kino.¡±


    He nodded. ¡°My momma says if you see someone in need, you better help them or else you¡¯re a tumbling Flopflapper.¡±


    The proverbs in this world were something else, I realized. ¡°Then you¡¯ve got an awesome mother. See you later!¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    ¡°Bye!¡±


    I wasn¡¯t interested in the clothing store, since trying on clothes with a scarf wrapped around my face was a dumb thing to do, and the ¡®Shop¡¯ wasn¡¯t all that intriguing either. I was about to cross the street to wait for Elenor, when a tall man with a package tucked under his arm opened the Shop¡¯s door from inside. He tucked the package into his robes, and eyed the crowd. His lips moved as he said something, and merged into the line of window-shoppers outside the fruit store.


    I looked away as he suddenly turned his head in my direction. Facing a dull red dress, I observed him from the corner of my eye. He vanished into the crowd, but I waited, went inside the clothing store, pretended to look at a few shirts, then came back out. I joined the stream of pedestrians walking to the fruit and vegetable store, but ducked into the Shop instead.


    There was no window, so the only light inside came from the candles that lined the walls. The room was empty, save for a wooden counter at the far end with nobody behind it. The only thing on the counter was a metal bell, which I tapped gently, making a ring echo around the dimly lit room.


    A muffled grunt came from the wall behind the counter, and a portion of the wall swung inward like a door. A white haired old man came hobbling into the room. His flowing white beard trailed the floor, and his bright green eyes shone from under drooping eyelids. He was hunchbacked, although it was hard to make that out since he was wearing a large purple backpack.


    ¡°Wasn¡¯t expecting someone today,¡± he said in a surprisingly deep voice.


    ¡°Just looking around.¡±


    One of his drooping eyelids lifted until I could see the candlelight reflecting off his eye. ¡°You don¡¯t come to the Shop to look around, young¡¯un.¡±


    ¡°Ah, sorry, I¡¯ll see myself out,¡± I said. I¡¯d already edged closer to the door. ¡°See you later, sir.¡±


    ¡°Wait,¡± he called out.


    I kept creeping closer to the door. ¡°I really should get going, my friend¡¯s waiting for me.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, I won¡¯t take too long.¡± He moved out from behind the counter. ¡°Clef or Epil?¡±


    I reached for the door, but there was no doorknob. ¡°Fore, sir.¡±


    ¡°Nonsense, you¡¯re not from Fore. A Forian could never find this place.¡±


    ¡°I stumbled inside, is all.¡±


    ¡°Like I said, that¡¯s impossible.¡± He was a few feet from me now. I could see the waves of wrinkles on his face. They sagged over the burn-marks on his cheek, and rippled across his large forehead and chin.


    I put a foot on the door behind me and pushed, but it didn¡¯t budge. His eyes followed my foot, and his other droopy eyelid lifted as well.


    ¡°Are those Moxy¡¯s shoes?¡± he said.


    I looked at my feet. ¡°Yeah, you know her?¡±


    The old man smiled. ¡°Of course, I do! This changes everything, come in, come in. Don¡¯t be afraid young¡¯un.¡± He waved for me to follow him as he walked to the door behind the counter. A handle appeared on the door behind me but I followed the old man because I¡¯d caught a glimpse of what was behind the door he¡¯d walked through.


    ¡°Have a seat, and don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t ask any questions you don¡¯t want me to ask.¡± He gestured to a leather armchair beside a low standing table, but I didn¡¯t sit. Instead, I gawked at the rows of books that lined the walls.


    ¡°So many¡­¡± I said quietly.


    ¡°Impressive collection, isn¡¯t it? Been collecting them from Headers and government storehouses for years.¡± He poured a drink from a boiling kettle into a little teacup, and put it on the table in front of me. He grabbed another teacup from the shelf where he kept the kettle, and sat on the larger leather armchair on the other side of the table. He didn¡¯t take off his backpack, so he was leaning halfway across the table.


    The drink seemed hot, but that wasn¡¯t why I didn¡¯t touch it. ¡°How did you know these were Moxy¡¯s shoes?¡±


    ¡°A simple deduction, young¡¯un. The craftsmanship, the style, the aura, all of it is patently Moxy¡¯s. Plus, those M¡¯s on the side ¨C classic Moxy Melsam.¡±


    ¡°So, you know her?¡±


    ¡°A little. We used to work together.¡± He took a sip. ¡°A long time ago.¡± He cast his gaze to the side and stopped speaking. I took the pause in the conversation as an opportunity to survey the room.


    There were four rows of books along the walls, each of them running all the way around the room with only the topmost row out of reach. Most of their spines weren¡¯t labeled, and the ones that were, were so faded I couldn¡¯t make out what they said.


    ¡°Excuse me, I was reminiscing,¡± he continued. ¡°Now can you tell me if you¡¯re from Clef or Epil?¡±


    ¡°As I said, sir, I¡¯m a Forian.¡±


    ¡°So, you don¡¯t want to tell me. It¡¯s fine, really. In case you haven¡¯t noticed, I¡¯m not exactly a Forian nationalist either. Here, look.¡± He straightened the wrinkles on his cheek with his hands, and showed me his strangely shaped burn-mark. It wasn¡¯t a flame, or a water droplet, or any other mark I¡¯d seen so far. Instead, it was shaped like a flower.


    ¡°Do you trust me now?¡± he said, letting his wrinkles fold up again as he went for another sip of tea.


    I frowned beneath the scarf. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t know what that is.¡±


    ¡°Really? Old age may have disfigured it a bit, but surely you can tell that it¡¯s a poppy?¡± he asked, teacup on the edge of his lips.


    ¡°Yeah, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Then you know what that means, correct?¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know about Project Poppy?¡±


    I shook my head.


    He looked at me strangely, drooping eyelids twitching irregularly. ¡°I see,¡± he said quietly, leaning into his backpack which was leaning into the chair.


    After a moment of silence, I remembered that Elenor was probably waiting for me, and decided to leave. However, I couldn¡¯t leave empty-handed. ¡°Um, sir,¡±


    ¡°Please, call me Ather, Ather Angel.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, my name¡¯s Val Forster.¡±


    ¡°Lovely name.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Mr. Angel.¡±


    ¡°Ather.¡±


    ¡°Right! Ather, I was wondering if you would let me read one of your books. I¡¯ll give it back before I leave the city.¡±


    ¡°Sure. You¡¯ve read more than three books, right?¡±


    Odd question, I thought to myself. ¡°Of course.¡±


    ¡°Then go right ahead.¡± He grabbed the untouched teacup on my side of the table as I stood up to look at the bookshelves. He drank it quietly while I perused his collection.


    To be honest, there wasn¡¯t a lot of perusing going on. There were no labels, and most of the books looked like they hadn¡¯t been touched in years. I didn¡¯t know where to start, so I grabbed one randomly. Opening the first page, I realized that it was a play by a playwright who was quite famous on Earth. I flipped through the Acts and Scenes, stopping at the Epilogue. I¡¯d already read this book in the library back home, so I didn¡¯t want to borrow it. But before putting it back on the shelf, I read the very last line.


    ¡°Let your indulgence set me free.¡±


    When I closed the book, it vanished. Holding my breath, I looked over at Ather. He was sipping tea while staring at the ground quietly.


    ¡°Thanks so much!¡± I said, pretending to hold something behind my back.


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, young¡¯un,¡± he said, not looking up. ¡°I hope to see you again. Farewell.¡±


    ¡°Likewise.¡± I walked backwards into the empty room with the counter. I sidestepped out of view of the door, took a few breaths to calm myself, and stared at my hands. The book was gone, just like the book I¡¯d read at the House. Since I knew this was a magical world, I tried to call for the book somehow. I thought of the title, the characters, the first and last lines, and whispered the author¡¯s name, but nothing happened.


    I needed to find a way to understand this world¡¯s magic immediately, both so I could return the book, and because I didn¡¯t want every book I closed to vanish before I could even read it! But how was I going to learn about magic without giving away my otherworldly origins?


    Wait, why was I trying to hide that in the first place? Someone like Elenor would give me an explanation about magic if I asked for it, and it was unlikely that would make her think I was from another world, but even if it did, why did that matter? As long as they didn¡¯t hand me over to the government for dissection, I¡¯d be fine. And I wouldn¡¯t have to dance around explanations about the culture and norms of Fore, either.


    If I had questioned my actions sooner, perhaps I could have asked Moxy for a better explanation of the Wonders. That would have helped me track down Demetrius more easily!


    Resolving to finally getting a grip on this world¡¯s mysteries, I opened the door of the Shop, and stepped into the crowd. I crossed the street, and went back to the place where Elenor had left me. The sun was descending, painting the sky behind the guilds a mix of red, orange, and blue. The crowds around the guilds thinned as people said goodnight to their colleagues, friends, and neighbors, and went back home. A few people went inside their guilds after saying farewell, while the number of people leaving the guilds decreased.


    Finally, Elenor¡¯s brown hair bobbed into view outside the Fiddler¡¯s guild. She tapped her stick, looking exhausted. I was walking towards her when I felt something tug my head from the side. I turned and saw a man with the end of my scarf stuck on his armor.


    ¡°Sorry young lady,¡± he said, trying to pull it loose without tearing it.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I replied. He was wearing full-body armor with a helmet and everything, so I couldn¡¯t tell what he looked like. His armor was so shiny, I caught a reflection of my face staring back at me. I also saw my eyes widen as I realized that my face was bare.


    ¡°Here you go,¡± he said, as the fabric came free, and he looked up.


    I grunted as the wind was knocked out of me. The armored man¡¯s surprised shout faded as I slammed into the ground, head spinning in a daze. I heard some loud tapping in the distance, as well as confused voices closer by.


    Pain shot through my knees as I was dragged across the floor, skin scraped raw against the abrasive floor. A hand caught me under my armpits, and my stomach lurched as the wind cut across my face. Finally, I felt a smooth wall behind me as I was put gently onto the floor. I caught my breath and turned my face.


    A hooded figure crouched next to me, the same hooded figure I¡¯d seen outside the alley near the guilds.


    ¡°Sorry about that, but there¡¯s no time to explain,¡± said the figure, leaning forward. The fading sunlight illuminated the corners of his fiery red hair, the tip of his crooked nose, and the edges of the nasty scar on his chin.


    ¡°Who ¨C¡±


    ¡°No time,¡± he interrupted. ¡°We need to get out of here now, Jean.¡±


    At first I thought the explosion had been in my head ¨C a product of this strange man blurting out my name ¨C but then there was another, then another.


    ¡°It¡¯s started!¡± he said, grabbing my hand and forcing me up. ¡°We need to get out before ¨C¡±


    Against the cacophony of explosions and screams, and against the backdrop of encroaching twilight, a single sound cut through the noise to echo inside my head. It sounded like a growl played on a harpsichord, and despite its obviously unsettling nature, it softened my heartbeat, and deafened the explosions to a quiet pop, and the screams to a simple whistle.

 Episode 2 Scene 5

    The red-haired man led me through winding alleyways, weaving between panicking civilians, and the occasional panicking guard. We were moving away from where I had entered the city, and the buildings on either side began to suggest that we were in a different part of town. The drains here were covered, the roads swept, and the houses weren¡¯t on the verge of collapse. The people who ran and screamed here, did so while wearing washed clothes that didn¡¯t have patches on them.


    I jerked to the side as the red-haired man turned into an alley I hadn¡¯t noticed was there, and began running down a deserted cobblestone path surrounded by smooth brick walls that blocked most of the dying sunlight. The tug pulled me from my state of confused compliance. I slipped my hand out of his, and stopped running.


    ¡°Where are you taking me?¡± I asked.


    He turned around, and reached for my hand again. ¡°Damn it! I said there¡¯s no time to explain. Come on!¡±


    I took a step back, and stared into his black eyes. ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere without an explanation.¡±


    He stamped his foot. ¡°We do not have the time for this Jean!¡±


    I stared back adamantly.


    He cupped his hands, and brought them to his forehead. Then he whispered while tapping his foot incessantly. He brought his hands back down. ¡°Look, Jean, I know this is a lot to take in, and you¡¯ve only just gotten here, but please listen to me. We need to leave Sett right now, or else something terrible is going to happen.¡±


    ¡°How do you know my name?¡±


    He brought his hands to his face, and took a deep breath. ¡°You told me, of course.¡±


    ¡°But I don¡¯t know you?¡±


    ¡°Yes, you do, will, have ¨C look, just trust me on this one, please? I¡¯m Ben, Ben Stane. And I would love to tell you everything about myself, and how I know you, and what we¡¯ve been through together, but this really isn¡¯t the place nor the time.¡± An explosion rang out as if to punctuate his sentence. ¡°See?¡± He reached for my hand again.


    I avoided it, and stepped back again. ¡°Those explosions are far away, I can get away on my own. Also, you seem to know what they are, what if you planted them or something?¡±


    ¡°Planted them? I don¡¯t need explosions to get you to come with me.¡± He narrowed his eyes. ¡°In fact¡­¡±


    I eyed him warily. ¡°Don¡¯t you even think about it.¡±


    ¡°Think about what?¡±


    Fingers clamped down around my arm as I was pulled along again. He had gotten behind me without my noticing it, and in my surprise, I forgot to resist. He had been in front of me, and I didn¡¯t blink nor look away, so I deduced that I had been foiled once again by my ignorance of magic.


    ¡°Let go!¡± I tried to slip out of his grasp again but to no avail.


    ¡°Why was I hesitating,¡± he mumbled to himself, barely loud enough for me to catch. ¡°Nearly forgot she wasn¡¯t all that scary¡­¡± He said something else but an explosion in the distance drowned it out.


    ¡°Where are we going anyway?¡± I asked, resigning myself to the situation for now. He held the upper hand as long as his magic was a mystery.


    ¡°Outside Sett, through the Eastern gate.¡±


    As the houses, and stores grew increasingly nicer in appearance, and the crowd began to emanate a sense of confidence, satisfaction, and melancholy that were characteristics of the economically well-off, a giant, blood-red wall emerged from behind the painted facades, and decorative trees. Ben ran straight towards the only visible gate, which was heavily guarded by fully armored soldiers who didn¡¯t seem perturbed by the explosions that were slowly encroaching towards the red wall.


    ¡°Halt, please present your identification marks,¡± said the lead guard ¨C a tall woman with a glowing red sword hanging unsheathed from a crystal belt.


    Ben didn¡¯t stop. The lead guard frowned, and the others readied their weapons. There was movement along the top of the gate, and the corners of the wall. Turrets swiveled, pointing their nozzles in our direction. There was a red line in the ground several meters from where the guards stood, only a few feet from us.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°This is your final warning, the F-A-F will not be responsible for the consequences.¡±


    ¡°Here we go,¡± said Ben, stopping just short of the line; turrets, swords, and tense eyes poised to strike him ¨C no, us ¨C down. However, instead of stopping me, he brought his other hand back, and used my inertia and his strength to propel me across the line, and straight into the assortment of readied weapons.


    With my heart jumping into my throat, I cursed myself for trusting Ben. Wind whipped past my face, and snatched the scarf that hung loosely around my neck. Flashing lights flooded my field of vision, some signaling death by magical machineguns, others declaring execution via shiny voodoo swords. I met the lead-guard¡¯s narrowing eyes as she reached for her sword, her mouth twisting open to order a swift end to my short and ill-advised adventure.


    Her pupils were a fiery shade of red, like tongues of flame licking the insides of a glass orb. I stared into them, convinced they would consume me. But the dancing flames froze, then flickered as her eyelids wavered, before being put out for good by the rocky road she collapsed onto. The ethereal lights that lit the upper corners of my vision puttered out as the turrets died down, and the glowing lines of magical swords and spears fell on the ground like emergency lights on a burning airplane as their owners joined the lead-guard on her mission to inspect the durability of the local infrastructure up-close.


    Familiar hands caught my arms, and we were running down the street again, a horde of hooded figures jumping out of view in our wake. A familiar crystal belt now adorned Ben¡¯s waste, with an unfamiliar black sword attached to it unsheathed.


    I couldn¡¯t stop to catch my breath, so my heart continued to pound in my throat, which meant I couldn¡¯t ask Ben for an explanation either. What kind of magic would let him knock out so many people in the time between him throwing me over the line, and the lead-guard giving the order to shoot?


    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± said Ben, his voice finally breaking me from my stupor.


    ¡°How did you¡­¡±


    ¡°No time to explain. We ¨C¡±


    ¡°Val!¡±


    ¡°Elenor?¡± I said, looking behind me.


    Adding to my count of strange things I had seen that day, Elenor came barreling up the street on the back of a tall lady, the same one who had stared at Ben and me outside the guilds. The tall lady¡¯s strides were huge, and her gait quick, but what really cut the distance between us was how she kept jumping and sliding over and around obstacles like a parkour specialist. Ben, on the other hand, had to weave through pedestrians ¨C most of whom gave us surprised or indignant looks ¨C and urban foliage like leafless trees and trash bags.


    ¡°Elenor? She should be outside the city, why is she here?¡± asked Ben, not stopping.


    ¡°You know her?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s complicated.¡±


    ¡°Let go of Val!¡± shouted Elenor as the tall lady jumped over a group of red-robed teens. Guards would show up from time to time, but they never unsheathed their magic swords, opting to wade into the walkways and chase us through the streets instead.


    ¡°Almost there¡­¡± mumbled Ben. A giant wall, shaped like the one outside the city but as tall as the inner wall, stood at the edge of a crossroads with a road leading through the heavily guarded gate, and another leading up to a mansion larger than any other building in the city.


    An audible grunt. The tall lady jumped onto a wall, and used it to launch herself at us. Ben stopped suddenly, brought his other hand back, and propelled me forward like he had at the previous gate. He grabbed me again several feet ahead, running even faster but with heavier breathing, and with a tighter grip on my arm.


    This gate was lined with dozens of guards, all of whom prepared their weapons as soon as they saw us. There were no warnings this time; the turrets swiveled to take aim, and charged at the same time. A fully armored figure stood on a raised dais between the turrets, two giant, glowing swords crossed behind their back.


    Ben stopped, and brought his other arm back. There was a grunt behind us. The figure on the dais said something I couldn¡¯t hear. The turrets lit up, the swords glimmered, and Elenor cried my name. I was expecting to be launched into the frenzy, my insides churning, cheeks burning, and heart racing through the mushy rollercoaster in my head.


    But instead of being shot forward like a stone from a slingshot, I was pushed aside, roughly, and slammed into a wall. An explosion flooded my ears, leaving them ringing before deafening me with silence. The pain of being shoved into a wall was superseded by the forceful wave that swept over me, and the shrapnel that hit my back.


    I took stunted, agonizing breaths. The houses on either side were on fire, and through the thick black smoke, I could see the edges of a hole in the ground. As my hearing returned, it began to retreat again as my ears were battered by more explosions ¨C not as loud as the first one, and coming from the direction of the gate.


    Ben appeared by my side, and tried to help me up. I tottered, unable to feel my legs. I could taste the blood in my mouth trailing down my raw throat. Ben grabbed my arm and slung it over his shoulders, before helping me through the smoke.


    On the other side, were more holes on the ground and on the walls. One of the turrets had been absolutely annihilated, as had the dais. Several guards lay unmoving on the ground, while others waved their swords at blurs that kept circling them at dizzying speeds, causing explosions that shook the ground and sent bodies flying.


    I tried to say something, but my words got caught in my throat. Ben tried to approach the chaotic scene from behind, eyeing the moving blurs cautiously, and humming softly.


    The humming helped me regulate my breathing, and calmed me down enough to untie my tongue. Still, I barely managed to squeeze out a question, ¡°What are they?¡±


    Ben stopped. One of the blurs had moved towards us.


    ¡°Raxxers,¡± he said, before standing his ground and humming with all his might.

 Episode 2 Scene 6

    The blur stopped moving, and I could finally make out what it was¡­ sort of.


    With luscious blue fur, and a wolf-like head and body, it was a beast that could almost have been cute and cuddly, or at least majestic. However, the three reptilian stingers on its back, and the purple forked tongue that flicked from its snout, removed any admiration a dog-lover such as myself could have held for it.


    The Raxxer became a blur again as it shot back into the fray, knocking a guard onto the ground as it followed most of the other blurs to surround the dual-wielding armored figure who appeared to be the leader of the guards. The figure kept the blurs at bay with glowing swords, while rolling out of the way of the explosions that seemed to spring out of nowhere.


    Ben and I continued to hobble towards the gate. Even if the guards saw us, they were too preoccupied to give chase, with the few who attempted to do so getting knocked out by the Raxxers.


    We were almost at the gate when we heard a grunt, a shout, and the clanking of armor. The tall lady had appeared out of the smoke, Elenor still clinging tightly to her back. Some of the blurs shot towards her, but she avoided them and their explosions with relative ease. The dual-wielding guard had also escaped his encirclement, and was dodging explosions while rushing towards us.


    Seeing that they were about to catch up to us, Ben planted his feet, brought his other hand back again, and propelled me forward in what had now become a familiar movement. Lurching forward, I managed to keep my wits about me. I was almost out of the gate, and anticipated Ben grabbing ahold of me somewhere right outside the city. A Raxxer sped by my side. Elenor shouted my name again, and the sound of the guard leader¡¯s swords slicing through the air pierced through the whistling winds whipping across my body.


    Ben¡¯s fingers wrapped around my arm as he pulled me to the side. A shadow flew over my shoulder, inches from my head, and crashed into the ground several feet in front of me. A familiar blade stood lodged into the earth just outside the gate. The air above the blade shimmered, and blue veins shot out of the blade¡¯s handle, stretching over and around us to form a forcefield that went all the way to the blade on the lead guard¡¯s back.


    Elenor and the tall lady were outside the field, and despite the tall lady¡¯s frightening use of her pickaxe, the forcefield remained intact. Even the Raxxers couldn¡¯t break through the field, the ones on the outside bombarding it with explosions while the ones inside clawed the walls while wailing like injured puppies.


    Ben didn¡¯t stop running, not even when the guard leader bounded within arm¡¯s reach. As we reached the wall of the forcefield, Ben kicked the blade on the ground, dislodging it, and shattered the forcefield. The tall lady had circled around the field, anticipating that we would escape, and so the guard leader, the tall lady with Elenor on her back, and Ben with his fingers digging into my arm, were converging just outside the city of Sett. The Raxxers howled, and their blurs began following us, leaving a trail of explosions in their wake.


    ¡°You know what? This is getting a little tiring,¡± said Ben, jumping sharply to the side, and dragging me along. ¡°We¡¯re outside the city, so it should be fine now.¡±


    The tall lady stopped, and stared at Ben, but the guard continued to charge towards us. The Raxxers circled us, kept at bay by Ben¡¯s humming, but the shockwaves from their explosions made my teeth jitter.


    We were in an open area with a few large rocks lining the paved road that led away from the city. There was nobody on the road, and no wildlife nor plants for miles. Torches were affixed to the rocks, creating fluctuating bubbles of light that stood out against the darkness of the night. The moon that had been lighting up our escape thus far, hid behind a veil of clouds as the red gleam of the guard¡¯s swords ¨C compounded manifold by its reflection in the guard¡¯s armor ¨C pierced the darkness like the eyes of a raging beast.


    The guard leapt, armor clanking, swords poised to fall like a burning guillotine. Ben and I stood stock still, me because I was scared out of my wits, and Ben because he had a penchant for theatricality. The tall lady threw her pickaxe. Elenor jumped off with her stick pointed right beneath her. But both were eclipsed in my vision by the blades slicing through the air as easily as they would probably slice through my skin. I couldn¡¯t close my eyes. There is something about imminent death that makes you stop like a deer in the headlights.


    Blades inches from my face, the guard jerked to a halt. The swords faded like the last traces of sunlight before merging into the darkness, a light clank the last sign of their existence. In the dim torchlight, I could barely make out the outlines of two figures standing beside the guard¡¯s silhouette, all of whom promptly disappeared into the shadows.


    My heart was racing. I couldn¡¯t digest anything that had just happened. Turning to Ben, the only person who could possibly explain what was going on, I began to speak but was interrupted by a now familiar cry.


    ¡°Val!¡±


    ¡°Elenor!¡±


    Elenor and the tall lady were closer to the torch, so I could see the concern on Elenor¡¯s face, and the anger on the lady¡¯s. Elenor¡¯s reaction surprised me. We had only known each other for less than a day, yet here she was, lines of worry crisscrossing her face with her bottom lip pulled back a little.


    ¡°Let my client go,¡± said the tall lady, addressing Ben. ¡°I won¡¯t ask twice.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± said Ben, letting go of my arm. ¡°She¡¯s out of the city, that¡¯s all I wanted.¡±A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    ¡°Come over here, Val,¡± said Elenor, beckoning with her hand.


    I didn¡¯t move. ¡°Why do you want me to leave Sett?¡±


    ¡°Like I said, bad things will happen if you stay in the city. I don¡¯t want you getting hurt, that¡¯s all,¡± he answered.


    ¡°Bad things like what?¡±


    ¡°Like what happened just now.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that¡¯s because of me?¡±


    ¡°No, but you could¡¯ve gotten hurt.¡±


    ¡°Why are you so concerned about me? I don¡¯t even know you!¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ complicated. Look, I¡¯ve gotten what I wanted, so I¡¯ll just go away now.¡± He took a step back.


    ¡°But what if I go back into the city?¡± I asked, taking a step closer despite Elenor¡¯s indignant tapping.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay, you can go back now.¡±


    Wait, what?


    Elenor stopped tapping. I was speechless. After kidnapping me from the streets, dragging me across the city, and fighting dozens of guards, all to get me to leave Sett, he said it was okay for me to go back?


    ¡°If you think she can¡¯t go back because of the guards, you don¡¯t have to worry about that,¡± said the tall lady, raising her pickaxe.


    ¡°No, I mean, if she wants to go back to Sett now, it should be fine. I just didn¡¯t want her to be in Sett back then. Twilight. I didn¡¯t want her to be in Sett during Twilight.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡± I finally managed to ask.


    ¡°Because it was dangerous.¡±


    ¡°Why was it dangerous then, but not now?¡± asked Elenor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go digging too deep into this, Elenor. There isn¡¯t always an explanation for everything. Relax a little, would you?¡±


    ¡°How did you know my name?¡±


    ¡°What did I just say?¡± I could almost hear the smile on his face. Oddly enough, it made me feel happy too.


    ¡°Answer her question,¡± said the tall lady.


    ¡°I did, Sally.¡±


    The tall lady¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°How did you ¨C¡±


    ¡°Know your name? Okay, you know what, I¡¯ll tell you all about it over a cup of Golpen juice.¡± He took a step forward.


    Sally raised her pickaxe. ¡°You¡¯re not going anywhere until we get some answers.¡±


    ¡°Look, I already agreed to tell you everything. It¡¯s a bit of a long story, alright? Let me have some juice, it¡¯s been a long day.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± I said.


    ¡°You sure we can trust him, Val?¡± asked Elenor.


    ¡°Yeah, I mean, he did just rescue me.¡±


    ¡°See?¡± said Ben, stepping forward and clapping a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Now let¡¯s go get that sweet, sweet Golpen juice!¡±


    Sally lowered her pickaxe, but kept a strong grip on it. ¡°Fine, follow me. They¡¯ll be looking for us in all the usual places, so we¡¯ll have to sneak in a little carefully.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not worried, everything should be fine now!¡± said Ben, cheerfully, as we walked off the road.


    ¡°At least tell me this,¡± asked Elenor.


    ¡°Wait for the juice!¡± said Ben.


    ¡°Just one question.¡±


    ¡°Fine, but only one, okay?¡±


    ¡°How did you get rid of the Raxxers?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s easy, I¡­¡± Ben stopped.


    I turned to look at him. ¡°Ben?¡±


    ¡°Crap, I forgot about the Raxxers.¡±


    As if on cue, a loud explosion rang through the air. It was too dark to see their bodies, so all we saw was a host of piercing yellow eyes surrounding us. They blurred as the beasts moved, leaving trails of light in my vision like afterimages from when you stare at the sun too long. Sally readied her pickaxe, and Elenor tapped her stick, which seemed to make the eyes closest to her halt momentarily. Ben wasn¡¯t humming.


    ¡°I still have no idea what¡¯s got these Raxxers so riled up,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°Agreed, they shouldn¡¯t be this aggressive, even in heat,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°They shouldn¡¯t be targeting us so specifically, either,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Well, since I¡¯ve already agreed to tell you everything, I might as well show off a little,¡± said Ben, stepping forward, and provoking angry growls from the stream of eyes. ¡°And¡­¡± He paused for dramatic effect, and I waited for the eyes to fade the way the guard¡¯s glowing swords had.


    An explosion rocked the ground, sending a shockwave that sent Ben reeling backward. He steadied himself, but I saw the disbelief in his eyes under the moonlight that had broken through the clouds.


    ¡°This isn¡¯t right¡­¡± he trailed.


    The Raxxers growled again, and numerous explosions rang out. Sally raised her pickaxe, and Elenor tapped her stick repeatedly. The eyes began to close in, slowly restricting the circle until the four of us were standing back to back.


    ¡°Ben!¡± I said, shaking his shoulder.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know what happened. Why didn¡¯t it work?¡± he mumbled in reply. Or at least I thought he was replying to me.


    ¡°Hum, hum that tune you were humming before!¡±


    ¡°The only reason it wouldn¡¯t work is if¡­¡±


    ¡°Ben!¡±


    The eyes stopped. Their slit pupils, the blue veins in their eyes, they stood out against the barely lit earth. The eyes blinked, and slowly receded into the darkness.


    ¡°Why did they leave?¡± asked Elenor, tapping her stick. ¡°There¡¯s no one else around.¡±


    ¡°We should go,¡± said Sally, eyeing the surroundings while keeping a tight grip on her pickaxe.


    I heard a mumble. ¡°What did you say, Ben?¡±


    ¡°My magic¡­¡± he whispered. ¡°It isn¡¯t working.¡±


    ¡°Was it burnt or shelved?¡± asked Elenor.


    ¡°Burnt.¡±


    ¡°That is odd,¡± she agreed.


    ¡°We can talk about this later. Right now, we need to get into the city,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°No, you don¡¯t understand. If my magic isn¡¯t working, it can only mean¡­¡± he looked at me, and his eyes widened. ¡°Look out!¡±


    I had the wind knocked out of me again as he shoved me back. I hit the ground, and my teeth rattled inside my head, and my stomach lurched and threatened to jump out of my throat. My swimming vision settled, painting an ethereal scene before my eyes.


    The silvery moonlight highlighted the contours of Ben¡¯s body. It deepened the depths of his eyes, the creases on his forehead, the crookedness of his nose, and made the scar on his chin seem like the serrated teeth of a great white. His hair was set aflame in a silvery blaze, the edges threatening to drip over like molten silver.


    His lips, perhaps the most unblemished part of his face, were stuck in place with, what I would retroactively imagine to be, my name frozen on it. The full moon made a crescent in his eyes, but the crescent didn¡¯t move, wax, or wane.


    A black cat rubbed against his legs, purring affectionately. It glanced at me, the moonlight painting its eyes white, and giving the pincers at the end of its whiskers an even more ethereal air. The cat jumped onto Ben¡¯s shoulders, and sat down as if to take a nap.


    ¡°Ben!¡± I shouted, moving towards him. A firm hand clapped my shoulder, fixing me in place.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, or you¡¯ll get stuck too,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A Limbog¡­¡± said Sally, her voice barely a whisper.


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t sense it at all,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t make or reflect sound,¡± said Sally. ¡°You can¡¯t see them coming either. Nobody knows where they come from, nor where they go after they¡¯ve gotten their target.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there, help me save Ben!¡± I said.


    ¡°It¡¯s impossible,¡± said Sally. ¡°Limbogs never let go.¡±


    At a loss for words, I looked back at Ben. His feet were illusory, fading into the darkness of the earth. Clouds obscured the moonlight, dousing the silvery fire on his hair, and erasing the crescents in his eyes. As the clouds shifted over the moon, he descended further into the void.


    The moon peeked out, but Ben was gone.

 Episode 3 Scene 1

    Quiet breathing greeted me when I woke up. It wasn¡¯t mine. I leaned against the wall in my room, careful not to break it. The sheets were damp, and I felt parched. I reached for the pitcher of water the innkeeper had left by my bed, and poured it into an earthen glass. My reflection stared back at me from the smooth surface of the water without a ripple to distort the image.


    Gray eyes stared back, a familiar sight, albeit one I didn¡¯t see all that often. My hair was a mess, and the oiliness of my nose told me I hadn¡¯t showered in two days. I winced; the cut on my back was still hurting. It hadn¡¯t even been that deep, but it hurt so much.


    This reminded me of home. On holidays and during the weekend, I¡¯d wake up without an alarm, and stay in bed, the accumulated warmth of the night keeping me company. I would usually turn on some ambient music, and drift in the afterglow of a full night¡¯s rest, not thinking, not worrying, not stressing about anything.


    I listened to Elenor¡¯s breath, letting the events of yesterday glide over me without staring at them too long. I let my questions go unanswered; how I got here, how did magic work, where was Demetrius, and did I want to go back? The question about magic lingered a bit longer than the others, not because I was thinking about it properly, but because it led to so many more.


    The many stories that I had read over the years, made me expect a direction once I fell down the rabbit hole. I expected some assistance, a guide, a little tutorial of sorts. An overly protective goat-mother might have been too much to ask for, but surely a world that put books on such an important pedestal would have a beginner¡¯s guide?Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Elenor¡¯s breathing wasn¡¯t like the ambient music I¡¯d ripped from the internet. It was rougher, like someone had put gravel into a noiseless video game sound effect. It didn¡¯t have the orchestral arrangement, the violin, the flute, the harp that went with the humming voice of a woman who¡¯d dipped her throat in honey. Her breathing was rough, disjointed, occasionally interrupted by another sound ¨C sometimes a whimper, sometimes a grunt.


    But it was warm, and real; something that music played from a lifeless device plugged into the wall all night, couldn¡¯t be. Those sounds didn¡¯t come from the synthesized chords of long-dead musicians, frankensteined together to press the right buttons in my head. They were coming from a living human being, who lay on the other side of the wall, lost in a dream world I would never have access to.


    Perhaps her thoughts were even stranger than mine.


    The breathing stopped. Sheets were moved, the floor was tapped, and the door was opened.


    I waited for it to close, but it didn¡¯t. Was she standing in the doorway, trying to recall a dream she thought she¡¯d had or had she left the door ajar, unclosed, stuck in the middle, and unable to come to a state of rest.


    I left my bed, and walked out of my room wearing the simple blue shirt and shorts Elenor had bought for me the night before. Barefoot, I stepped into the hallway, reached into the emptiness, and pulled the door closed. Back in my room, I slipped into the shoes Moxy had given me, and pushed my hair off my forehead.


    Then I gave in to my desires, and jumped back onto the bed, pulling the sheets over myself while trying to go back to the aimless drifting I¡¯d begun my day with. It didn¡¯t work, but I kept trying anyway.

 Episode 3 Scene 2

    ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± asked Elenor as I entered the dining area. There weren¡¯t a lot of people there, but it was so small that it felt congested anyways. Nobody but the innkeeper, who was going around dropping steaming bowls, had the flame-mark of Sett. Most of the people here seemed to belong to the guilds I¡¯d seen the day before.


    ¡°Yes, and you?¡± I replied.


    ¡°Fine.¡±


    The innkeeper came to our table, and handed Elenor and I a bowl.


    ¡°Sally and her team will take us to Bendeck. We meet at the Collar¡¯s gate in an hour,¡± said Elenor over a plate of a porridge-like mixture that smelled and tasted like oranges. The innkeeper called it Golpot stew.


    ¡°Which one¡¯s the Collar¡¯s gate?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You remember the Check¡¯s gate?¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Checks?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Checks, as in Cheeks. The middle class.¡±


    ¡°Sorry, we have a different name for them where I¡¯m from.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± she said as she leaned closer. ¡°Well, the Check¡¯s gate is the one we came through yesterday. The Collar¡¯s gate is in the Collar¡¯s part of the city, outside the walls.¡±


    ¡°Outside the walls?¡±


    ¡°Not even the Side party would let them live inside the city.¡±


    ¡°Why?¡±


    She shrugged. ¡°Because they¡¯re Collars. And believe it or not, this is the best city to be a Collar. At least you get to come inside the city, and the guilds won¡¯t deny your requests.¡±


    Getting to come inside the city was a perk? What had these people done to be treated so badly? The name suggested they were prisoners of some sort or maybe slaves. Either way, it drove home just how different this world was from mine. Wasn¡¯t there a history book somewhere that I could read to get up to speed? Oh, but it would probably vanish once I closed it!


    That reminded me, I needed to ask Elenor about magic. The jostling chairs, and slurping noises made me put it off until we were relatively alone. I also felt a little uncomfortable when I thought about it. Maybe I¡¯d slept off my cheerful optimism, and telling someone I¡¯d met two days ago that I was from a different world had begun to feel more problematic.


    ¡°It¡¯s getting cold.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I looked up.


    ¡°Your stew,¡± said Elenor, tapping her fingers on the table, rhythmically. ¡°It¡¯s getting cold.¡±


    ¡°Right.¡±


    We finished eating, and I followed Elenor out the back door of the inn. The sky was a pale blue reminiscent of clear tropical beaches and bleached overalls. The sun wasn¡¯t up high enough to surmount the rows of houses and stores that lined the street, but it began to peek through windows and open doorways as the morning drew on, and the buildings became smaller, and more run down. We encountered open drains and the noxious odors that accompanied them, just like we had near the Check¡¯s gate, only the children here weren¡¯t playing pranks on good humored middle aged men. In fact, there were barely any children or good humored middle aged men here at all.


    Instead, we found what one would expect such abject poverty to cause: a blanket of melancholy so suffocating it painted the light shooting through the holes in the walls a dull, dreary grey. The people here walked with their heads down, eyes on the ground. Surprisingly, I blended in well, since almost everyone had a scarf wrapped around their head and neck like I did. If anything, Elenor attracted some attention for not wearing a scarf, until people saw her dark glasses and walking stick which elicited the occasional looks of pity, even from the most wretched beggars asking for inketts while holding hats and pots with scraps of paper in them.


    The gate itself wasn¡¯t that different from the Check¡¯s gate, except the mood here was more somber, and the rows of houses kept going beyond the gate ¨C albeit with a noticeable drop in quality. The guards here stood around doing nothing, eyeing the crowd lazily while occasionally stepping forward to ask questions or take tolls from merchants with large backpacks.


    ¡°What if they stop us for what happened yesterday?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They won¡¯t,¡± answered Elenor.


    ¡°You sure?¡±


    ¡°Yep, the guards here aren¡¯t like the others.¡± We walked through the gate. ¡°Remember when I said even the Side party won¡¯t let Collars live inside the city?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s only partially true. The party¡¯s come under new leadership lately, and their leader¡¯s been loosening the rules. The guards here are all Collars, with their barracks just outside the city. They look the other way if a fellow Collar wants to move into a house inside the walls. They aren¡¯t officially allowed to be there, but nobody talks about it, so it all works out.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    We stopped outside a wooden house, just out of sight of the gate. Elenor tapped her stick, and wiped some sweat from her forehead. ¡°All of this is pretty new, too. Last time I came here, the Collars had only just started setting up shops inside the city.¡±


    ¡°You came her often?¡±


    ¡°Used to come every month. Had to stop last year because¡­¡± She paused. ¡°Because Moxy was acting weird. I thought she was sick, so I made her potions and supplements, and stayed in to take care of her.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s why you were out looking for something the night I came?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I got lost in the forest on my way back. In retrospect, she was probably trying to drive me out that night, but let me come back so I could leave with you.¡± She cursed under her breath. ¡°Do you see them yet?¡±


    ¡°No, although I only know Sally. Do you know what the rest of her team looks like?¡±


    ¡°She said it was a small team. They have a fiddler and his apprentice, who does a bit of finding on the side. They should be here any minute now.¡±


    Elenor tapped her stick at regular intervals, like a clock. I kept an eye on the streets. Although the people inside the gates had been wrapped up, and shrank into the ground, most of the people here were normal. Their poverty showed in the rags, and sun-beaten clothes they wore, but for the most part, they seemed like ordinary people. They talked and laughed, and there were kids frolicking in the streets, letting their laughter carry through the dirty alleyways.


    The only unusual sights were the wrapped-up figures walking to and from the gate, and the lines of marks on everyone¡¯s necks that explained why they were called ¡®Collars¡¯. The marks ran at the base of the neck, each shaped like a flame, and a dark shade of grey that made them look like tattoos. They didn¡¯t have any marks on their cheeks, so the people who covered their necks with scarves looked like they didn¡¯t have any marks at all.


    ¡°They¡¯re here,¡± said Elenor, breaking the rhythmic tapping of her walking stick.


    Two figures ¨C one considerably taller than the other ¨C broke from the crowds and walked over to us. Sally¡¯s piercing blue eyes peeked out from under the inconspicuous rags covering her face, making the whole getup even more redundant than you¡¯d think. The shorter figure to her side wore rags that barely hid the contraptions on his knees, and the contours of his face, such that I could identify him as the crazy man I¡¯d seen outside the Fiddler¡¯s Guild, even before he uncovered his face.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°You¡¯re late,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°My apologies,¡± said Sally. ¡°But I¡¯m afraid we will have to be later still.¡±


    ¡°My darned apprentice wandered off somewhere, and I absolutely must find him before we set off!¡± replied the man in a surprisingly young voice.


    ¡°We need to leave the city today,¡± said Elenor. ¡°We won¡¯t make it to the first rest-stop before nightfall unless we leave soon.¡±


    ¡°We understand, that¡¯s why we came here,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°You want me to look for him?¡± asked Elenor.


    ¡°The kid¡¯s a finder,¡± said the man. ¡°And a pretty good one, too. We¡¯d need an even better one to locate him.¡±


    ¡°You mean he¡¯s trying to hide?¡±


    ¡°He didn¡¯t want to go.¡±


    ¡°Then why force him along?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s¡­ complicated. And complicated stories are stories for the road! So how about it, could you help us out?¡±


    Elenor grumbled under her breath, but didn¡¯t seem particularly displeased. The compliment must have gotten through. ¡°Fine, but you¡¯ll have to knock off the provisions fee.¡±


    ¡°Fifty percent,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Seventy-five.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    Elenor led us back into the city, through the Collar¡¯s gate, and up the road leading to the guilds. She would stop to tap her stick, taking increasingly longer pauses as we neared the city center, and took us into some weird alleys before backtracking onto the main road.


    ¡°You were right, this kid is good,¡± said Elenor, stopping to tap the ground twice.


    ¡°And he isn¡¯t even a full-time finder! A right prodigy, that one. I¡¯d love to say it¡¯s because of my teachings, but I¡¯ve barely known him for two months,¡± said the man who still hadn¡¯t told me his name.


    ¡°How old is he?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Fourteen.¡±


    Elenor nodded her head. ¡°Definitely a prodigy if he can hide from me this long.¡±


    ¡°See why he¡¯s worth the wait?¡± said Sally.


    ¡°It¡¯s always nice having another decent finder along. Means I don¡¯t have to stay up all night by myself.¡± She tapped the ground again. ¡°I was trying to find him based off what I remembered about him from when we met yesterday, but it doesn¡¯t seem to be working. Did he know that I was the one who hired you?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, he did. Seemed stoked to be working with you, in fact,¡± said the man. ¡°I didn¡¯t imagine that he¡¯d run away at all!¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± said Elenor, putting her stick to the ground. ¡°Guess we¡¯ll have to split up and look for him. I need you guys to move around a little, and let me bounce my magic off you. Try not to step too close to buildings, and don¡¯t run out of earshot.¡±


    Magic? She was going to use magic?


    I followed her directions down the street leading away from the guilds, stopping just far enough that I could still make out the glint of sunlight on her glasses. The others stood in similar positions down the various streets leading out of the intersection while Elenor stood at the crossing, although I could only see Sally on the street to my left, since the man was hidden behind a ramshackle building.


    ¡°Focus on the sound, okay!¡± yelled Elenor.


    What does that mean? I thought. Focus on the sound? The sound of what?


    As if in reply, Elenor pointed her stick to the sky, and smacked it onto the ground. A crisp, clear crack accompanied the twang of metal hitting stone, and a puff of dust arose around the point of impact.


    ¡°Not good enough. Focus harder!¡±


    As Elenor raised her hand again, I closed my eyes. Her display was impressive, but being a part of this magic was more important. I took a deep breath. The crack came again, with the vibrations of the metal stick serving as accompaniment. After reaching my ears, they didn¡¯t fade. They bounced inside my head, getting amplified by every collision inside my skull until I was on the verge of exploding into a cacophony of noises. The vibrations flooded out of me, receding into the distance until I could hear my own heavy breathing and racing heart.


    ¡°Found him, come on!¡± said Elenor, running towards Sally, who began to run down the street before Elenor had even reached her. The man ran down that street too, well behind the other two.


    Yet I stood shell-shocked in place. I could still feel my heart thumping inside my chest, and the ghosts of the sounds that had taken over my head still haunted me like the static that plays in your ears if you focus on it too long. Several thoughts ran through my head, but I couldn¡¯t separate them from each other so I ended up thinking about nothing.


    I was jostled out of my stupor by a figure running down the street. The figure probably intended to pass by but had been walking to fast and clipped my shoulder. Thus, my already disoriented self fell on the ground.


    A loud thump, and a bunch of other ones. The familiar sound of flipping pages.


    I looked over to see a bunch of books strewn across the sidewalk, with a black-cloaked figure rubbing their head in the middle of the mess.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said the figure, standing up. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine.¡±


    I frowned. Something danced on the edge of my mind but I couldn¡¯t quite grasp it. ¡°Do you need any help?¡±


    The figure began collecting the books on the ground. Gleaming white hands ¨C almost too white to be real ¨C appeared from under the black sleeves to gather up the heavy tomes. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine, thank you for your concern.¡±


    Sunlight hit my eyes, making me squint. Something on the figure¡¯s wrist was shining. He looked up, and I met his deep, dark gaze.


    ¡°You¡­¡± I said, holding my breath.


    He left the last book on the ground, and ran.


    ¡°Get back here!¡± I said, chasing after him.


    It was him. Demetrius; the boy who had stolen the House from me, beaten me up, and left me to die! He was here, he was right here! Screw going all the way to the capital, that damned book thief was right here!


    I followed him down the street, up an alley, through a busy crossroad, and around an open-air fruit market. My chest hurt from all the frantic breaths I was pulling into my lungs, and my legs protested the extensive exercise, but I kept going. Demetrius didn¡¯t slow down at all, and I almost lost sight of him twice.


    I didn¡¯t have much energy to spare during the chase, but there was one thought that crept into my mind while I ducked around corners, and jogged up inclines: what was he doing here? I didn¡¯t have the time to ponder an answer. He disappeared around a corner near the inner wall, and I ran as fast as I could to make sure I didn¡¯t lose him.


    And there he was! For some reason, he¡¯d stopped near a house just before the wall. The gates weren¡¯t on this side, so he couldn¡¯t keep going down the larger road, and would have to go back into the alleyways where he could trip up on any number of annoying obstacles. This was my chance! I had to catch him during this rare moment of indecisiveness.


    It¡¯s funny how sound such flawed logic can seem to an oxygen-deprived, adrenaline-filled brain. I didn¡¯t stop for a second to wonder why he was suddenly so short, or how narrow his shoulders were, or how the patches near the bottom of the cloak all but announced that I had the wrong person.


    I tackled him from behind. My head hit the stone pavement, adding to the bombardment of dizzying and confusing experiences I¡¯d had in the past few minutes. He shifted, groaning straight into my ear. I forced my hand to move, and latched onto his cloak.


    A muffled voice said, ¡°Get off me!¡±


    I let go. It wasn¡¯t Demetrius¡¯s voice. I moved off the figure, and sat on the ground, breathing heavily. I looked around but there was no trace of Demetrius. I cursed, and stood up, but I didn¡¯t know where to go. He could be anywhere!


    I heard the familiar sound of metal on stone. ¡°Elenor,¡± I said, catching my breath. ¡°He was here!¡±


    ¡°Got it!¡± said Elenor. She ran over but was overtaken by Sally.


    ¡°Don¡¯t you dare move a muscle!¡± shouted Sally.


    I was too caught up in Demetrius¡¯s appearance to realize she wasn¡¯t talking about him, never mind the fact she didn¡¯t know what Demetrius looked like nor that he was the person I was looking for. Since Sally was charging straight at me, I looked behind me, expecting to see Demetrius running down the street. But the only thing behind me was the red-haired kid in the patched cloak, and an empty street. The kid was on his feet now, and his black eyes stared behind my head, with Sally¡¯s growing image reflected inside them.


    I turned, wanting to ask Sally where she had seen Demetrius, but she took a step to the left, and aimed her pickaxe over my shoulder. Fingers wrapped around my arm, and I was pulled to the side, straight into Sally¡¯s path. She stopped with her pickaxe stuck in the ground, inches from my feet.


    ¡°The first clients we get in over three months, and you run away on the day we¡¯re supposed to leave?¡± said Sally.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry¡­¡± said the red-haired boy hiding behind my back.


    ¡°The only reason my pickaxe isn¡¯t picking through your head right now is because of Jerome, you understand?¡± she continued. ¡°He was so stupidly happy when he told me he had an apprentice, I almost dug the moron a grave right there and then!¡±


    ¡°I never agreed to it!¡± said the boy.


    ¡°Yes, you did.¡±


    ¡°Grandpa made me do it, that doesn¡¯t count!¡±


    ¡°Now you listen here Ben,¡± said Sally as she reached for the boy¡¯s ears. ¡°Your grandfather just wanted what was best for you, so you better listen to him. Understand?¡±


    The boy avoided Sally¡¯s reach by moving me around. ¡°No!¡±


    ¡°Carol Ben Stane,¡± said Sally, slowly, through gritted teeth. ¡°If you don¡¯t come with us right now, I¡¯m going to drag your behind all the way to Bendeck!¡±


    I frowned. That name was familiar. The boy whimpered behind me, and grabbed my arm harder. I stiffened, and held my breath.


    Why did I do that? It was almost as if I was expecting to be thrown¡­


    Ben Stane.


    My mind blanked. I glanced over my shoulder. He had the red-hair, and the face had its similarities. But there was no scar on the neck, no weariness in the eyes, and he looked much younger. This wasn¡¯t the same person who had dragged me around the city, fought off all the guards, and vanished at the touch of a ghostly feline. He just had the same name, the same hair, and the same grip. It was all a coincidence. Just one, giant accident.


    I recalled a saying from a book I¡¯d read once. The book itself had seemed remarkable at the time, but hadn¡¯t aged well. The saying, however, was forever relevant.


    ¡°There are no accidents.¡±

 Episode 3 Scene 3

    I told the others I¡¯d seen Demetrius in the city, and that he was the person I was chasing. I told Sally what he looked like, and she told the guards to not let him leave. She also asked her contacts in the underground to keep an eye out for him at the unofficial entryways. Elenor and Ben tried to find him using their magic, but they gave up after sweeping the town twice. Jerome pulled out a strange box, cranked a dial, and pronounced that nobody in the city met the description I¡¯d given him.


    By early afternoon, I accepted that Demetrius had gotten away again. I cursed for five minutes straight, before calming down. It was a miracle that I ran into him again in the first place, and the plan to follow the Wonders was still feasible. I had to keep moving, and keep my ears to the ground.


    At the same time, I was keeping an eye on Ben, still unsure if he was related to the Ben I¡¯d met before. There was a nagging suspicion in the back of my head, perhaps unbridled paranoia, that kept urging me to investigate further, to get to the bottom of whatever was going on. But I didn¡¯t want to do it in front of other people. I had to talk to him alone.


    I also had to talk to Elenor about magic. Having gotten a taste of her magic, I couldn¡¯t hold back much longer ¨C I needed to know how to use it! I wouldn¡¯t be able to find Demetrius without learning magic, and I certainly wouldn¡¯t be able to defeat him and retrieve the House of Wisdom without it either.


    Between the search for Ben, and the subsequent search for Demetrius, our original plans had been ruined. It would be very difficult to reach the rest-stop on the way to Chart before nightfall. On the other hand, our inability to leave Sett was becoming infuriating. Ironically, despite the scarred Ben¡¯s intervention, it seemed like we would be staying in Sett longer than even we had originally anticipated.


    Although to be fair, he had only wanted us out of Sett for one evening. That was something I still didn¡¯t understand, because Sally asked around and found nothing out of the ordinary had happened save for the Raxxer attack that we had gotten caught up in anyways. Was that the thing he was running away from? Didn¡¯t seem like it.


    In fact, why hadn¡¯t Sally noticed any similarities between this Ben and the scarred Ben? She was there, she saw both of them. He even knew her name! There were so many things that I couldn¡¯t figure out, and I could only begin to make sense of them once we were out of the city, away from prying eyes and curious ears. But it seemed like we weren¡¯t going to leave the city today either!


    ¡°We could travel through the night,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°Monsters and bandits are more active at night, and the road isn¡¯t very well lit so we could get lost,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, just keep following me,¡± said Elenor. Sally considered it with a hand on her chin.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    ¡°We can use one of my groundbreaking inventions too!¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°Let¡¯s not,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this one is revolutionary. I should have it here somewhere,¡± said Jerome as he dug into his pockets. ¡°There we go!¡± He pulled out a large metal coil. I instantly had my misgivings.


    Sally stepped between Jerome and the rest of us with her pickaxe drawn. ¡°Jerome, you have a bag of inventions that actually work, please stick to them, alright?¡±


    ¡°Alright,¡± said Jerome. ¡°Just let me test this out.¡± There was a crackling sound as sparks danced around the coil, and lit up the rings in intermittent bursts of blue and yellow.


    ¡°What are you gonna call this one, old man?¡± said Ben, the only one who wasn¡¯t on edge.


    ¡°The Sun Rod!¡± said Jerome. Sparks flew to the top of the coil, which began to glow blue, yellow, and red. A high-pitched hiss pierced the air, growing more furious by the second, like a kettle agonizing over tardy tea pouring.


    ¡°Jerome, that thing is going to blow!¡± Sally yelled.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± said Jerome. He waved the coil haphazardly close to his face. ¡°It¡¯s harmless. Look!¡± He touched the tip of the coil.


    Buzz.


    Jerome recoiled. The coil hit the floor, and flashed before the hiss and the light both faded. I released the breath I didn¡¯t know I was holding, and Elenor¡¯s hand, which I also didn¡¯t know I was holding. The ground around the coil shone brightly. We were in the Collar¡¯s part of town, just outside the gates, and the passersby reacted with fright and curiosity.


    But mostly fright.


    ¡°We better go,¡± said Sally. She put her pickaxe behind her back, and grabbed Ben¡¯s hand.


    Jerome scooped up his coil while nursing his finger, and Elenor and I followed.


    ¡°With some slight modifications, I can ¨C¡±


    ¡°No, Jerome,¡± said Sally. ¡°We leave tomorrow, early morning.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Elenor. ¡°We leave right now.¡±


    ¡°You trust his Sun Rod?¡±


    ¡°No.¡± Elenor tapped her stick. ¡°I trust my magic.¡±


    ¡°I think we should leave today, too,¡± I said. ¡°Demetrius must have already left the city, which means he must be headed towards the next town.¡±


    ¡°I guess that is the point of this adventure,¡± said Sally. She sighed. ¡°Fine, we¡¯ll be counting on you to lead the way at night.¡± She faced Ben. ¡°We¡¯ll be counting on you too.¡±


    He lowered his head. ¡°I don¡¯t wanna go.¡±


    ¡°Ben, don¡¯t you dare start this again!¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Now Sally, don¡¯t scold him like that. His hesitation is understandable,¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°But they¡¯re the first clients we¡¯ve had in months!¡±


    I wonder why, I thought to myself.


    ¡°All the more reason to make sure Ben is on the same page.¡± Jerome looked Ben in the eye. ¡°Ben, I know the past month has been hard on you, but we need to move on. Your master was like an elder brother to me. I had a rough childhood, and an even rougher adulthood, and it was Postick who gave me a new life, a new reason to live! His passing hurt me immensely, and I would do anything to bring him back. But you know what he was like. He wouldn¡¯t want us moping around after he was gone, would he?¡±


    Ben shook his head, his eyes still hidden from view.


    ¡°You remember what he liked to say whenever anyone worried about his health?¡± asked Jerome.


    ¡°The meaning of life is that it stops,¡± replied Ben.


    ¡°But?¡±


    ¡°But it never stops because there is no meaning of life.¡±


    ¡°Exactly!¡± exclaimed Jerome.


    I¡¯d read the original saying before. It was a quote from a book by an author who loved turning his characters into bugs. It was a depressing quote, the kind one would expect from a modernist with too much culture on his hands.


    I liked this version better.


    ¡°Okay¡­¡± said Ben. He still didn¡¯t look up, but began walking down the street.

 Episode 3 Scene 4

    The journey to the rest stop on the way to Chart, was uneventful. It was a well-traveled road with plenty of people to keep us company, and Sally¡¯s threatening glare kept any potential troublemakers at bay. Jerome¡¯s coil kept everyone else away too.


    Sally tried to get him to stop, but couldn¡¯t bring herself to get close to him while he tinkered with it. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Elenor and Ben began leading our party, although the lanterns and torches held up by our fellow travelers lit the way quite well. Our hesitation from before seemed completely unwarranted.


    The rest stop was a collection of inns. A stone slab illuminated by a hanging lantern said the inns had been established by the government in 1455 A.B. for the benefit of all travelers, wayfarers, and wanderers.


    We rented two rooms, and Sally insisted we take turns standing guard for the night, electing to take the first watch herself. The innkeeper ¨C a tired middle-aged woman ¨C made Jerome quit working on his coil because the explosions were disturbing the other guests. As the night wore on, and the fatigue of a taxing day settled in, Elenor and I sat alone in our room. I sat on the side of my bed while she sat on the chair beside the lone desk in the room.


    This was the perfect opportunity.


    ¡°Hey Elenor,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah?¡± she replied.


    I was going to ask her how magic worked. I intended to ask her bluntly since I had already concluded that it didn¡¯t matter if she found out I was from Earth. But a strong paranoia took over my head as the words formed in my head, and I couldn¡¯t bring myself to do it.


    An awkward silence hung in the air.


    I took a deep breath.


    Elenor broke the silence, ¡°I¡¯m sorry we couldn¡¯t catch him.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± I said.


    ¡°The guy you were chasing. I¡¯m sorry we let him get away.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s alright.¡± I leaned against the wall next to my bed. ¡°He¡¯s an asshole, but a smart one. I¡¯m not sure there¡¯s even a point in me chasing him if I can¡¯t beat him.¡±


    ¡°Is he a header?¡±


    ¡°A what?¡±


    ¡°A member of the upper classes.¡±


    I recalled his shoes, scarf, and suit. ¡°Oh yeah, he¡¯s rich alright.¡±


    ¡°No wonder. His books must be incredibly powerful.¡±


    His books?


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said.


    ¡°But don¡¯t worry, we should be able to take him out if we work together,¡± said Elenor.


    I smiled. ¡°You don¡¯t have to go that far.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I don¡¯t have anything better to do.¡±


    ¡°You could go back to Moxy after you drop me off at Bendeck.¡±


    She pursed her lips. ¡°Maybe.¡±


    Heavy silence.


    ¡°Elenor¡­¡±


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Could you help me practice magic?¡±


    She sat upright in her chair. ¡°Me?¡±


    ¡°Your magic is amazing. The one you used earlier in the day.¡±


    ¡°It was nothing special.¡±


    ¡°No, I mean it. My ears are still ringing. I¡¯ve been thinking about it all day, and the only way I¡¯m going to be able to defeat Demetrius is if I can beat him at his own game. I need to know how to use my magic properly.¡±


    ¡°But if I couldn¡¯t find him today, then his magic¡¯s probably stronger than mine. Tell you what, I¡¯ll ask Sally and Jerome to teach you. They¡¯re better than me anyways.¡±


    ¡°No!¡± The more people involved, the more complicated the situation would become. ¡°It¡¯s a little embarrassing. I don¡¯t want the others to know.¡±


    She tapped her fingers slowly. ¡°Okay¡­¡± Her words trailed. ¡°Just how bad is your magic?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure.¡±


    ¡°Have you burned one yet?¡±


    What did that mean? ¡°No.¡±Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    ¡°Do you know how to burn one?¡±


    ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°Really? I heard the situation in Epil was bad, but not knowing how to burn a book is a little surprising.¡±


    I had to tread lightly because I didn¡¯t even know what kind of country Epil was. ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s pretty bad over there.¡±


    ¡°Which city are you from?¡±


    Crap, I didn¡¯t know any cities in Epil. ¡°I¡¯m from the countryside.¡±


    ¡°No wonder!¡± said Elenor as she shook her head. ¡°I was assuming you were from one of the free cities. It never occurred to me that people could live in the countryside there. It must¡¯ve been rough, huh?¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± I said, nodding.


    ¡°Are your family bandits?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°Nomads, we¡¯re nomads. Kept moving around, never stayed in one place for too long.¡±


    ¡°Makes sense. Total anarchy out there.¡± She nodded her head and stood up. ¡°But okay, I understand now. Epil¡¯s been in a sorry state for years, it¡¯s only natural your grasp on magic would be a little weak. For starters, you¡¯ve read more than three books, right?¡±


    I remembered being asked that question before. ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Good, and you know the rhyme?¡±


    ¡°The rhyme?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, the Magician¡¯s Rhyme. I know there¡¯s an Epilian version too, Mo said you swapped Bit or One with Static.¡±


    ¡°Must have been a city thing,¡± I replied.


    ¡°It¡¯s really not that important, but they teach it to kids all over the place. Help¡¯s keep a bunch of information in an easy to remember package. I¡¯ll sing you the version Moxy taught me first. It goes like:


    Draw from the endless well,


    Knowledge bound yet unbounded;


    On every shelf,


    Three apiece for life,


    Lest burnt for greed,


    Or taken on lease,


    One plants a seed,


    To be recalled in peace.¡±


    ¡°It sounds great but I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s just the basics. Three books on a shelf, each for life. You can burn them for power or give them to someone temporarily, but they¡¯ll always be yours once you put them on your shelf. Unless you die, in which case you can pass on your unburnt books.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡±


    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m just going to assume you know nothing about magic, and walk you through it.¡±


    ¡°Perfect,¡± I said, standing up. The room wasn¡¯t that big so we were just a few feet apart.


    ¡°Pick a book from your shelf by focusing on it.¡±


    I frowned. She¡¯d skipped a step. ¡°From my shelf?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, look into your shelf, and pick a book.¡± She skipped it again.


    I was about to ask her what a shelf was, when the nagging feeling in my head came back. Judging by the way she was speaking, looking inside this shelf or whatever, was almost instinctive for the people of this world. I couldn¡¯t have her doubting my origin.


    Wait, why couldn¡¯t I? I thought I¡¯d had this discussion with myself before. It was okay if she knew. She¡¯d either think I was lying or crazy, but I could live with that. Right?


    The candlelight reflected off Elenor¡¯s sunglasses, giving them an orange glow. Her glasses were still looking in my direction, and her fingers were tapping on the side of her hips, which would have made her seem impatient if she hadn¡¯t been tapping her fingers all the time.


    Okay, if I couldn¡¯t ask her how to look inside my shelf, then what was I going to do? Maybe I could try to do it on my own. A shelf, right? This was magic so it probably involved chanting something, or using some inner power like mana or energy. Maybe that¡¯s what ¡®shelf¡¯ meant?


    No, that wasn¡¯t it. I¡¯d tried to meditate and said ¡®abracadabra¡¯ before, thinking it might work in this magical world, but it hadn¡¯t. This shelf thing was something else.


    Maybe I had to take it literally. A shelf. I should picture a shelf. What kind of shelf? Remember the rhyme, it said three books. So, a shelf that could fit only three books. A small shelf, then. Just big enough to fit three big books, if it needed to. A shelf like the one at the back of the library back home.


    In fact, why picture just the shelf. The room, let¡¯s picture the whole room with its rugs and sofas, reading lights and ladders. Just one shelf though, a small one with only three books. No wait, it only had two books.


    Why did it only have two books?


    ¡°¡­Val!¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Elenor was shaking my shoulders.


    ¡°Are you alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡±


    ¡°I was worried. You weren¡¯t responding.¡± She was breathing quickly.


    ¡°I, I¡¯m sorry. I got a little carried away there.¡±


    ¡°Carried away?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I ¨C¡± I hesitated. ¡°I was in my shelf.¡±


    ¡°You were inside your shelf?¡± she asked.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I told you to look inside, not go inside!¡±


    ¡°Sorry.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± She walked back to the desk. ¡°When you say you were inside your shelf¡­¡±


    ¡°I was in a room with a shelf on the wall.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s impressive,¡± she said.


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Most people only picture a shelf, grab what they need, when they need it, and leave. I haven¡¯t heard of anyone going into a room before.¡±


    I grinned. The idea had come to me from an old television show I¡¯d seen on the internet. It was the best visual interpretation of a famous book series I¡¯d read as a kid, so I still remembered it.


    ¡°Is that how you always look inside your shelf?¡±


    This was my first time, I thought to myself. ¡°Yeah,¡± I said aloud.


    ¡°I¡¯d recommend shortening it to just the shelf. You don¡¯t want to be vulnerable in the middle of a fight.¡±


    ¡°Got it.¡± I brought my mind back to the room, but only imagined the shelf with a little bit of wall around it.


    ¡°You said you hadn¡¯t burned any yet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°Then pick any book and let me see how you use it.¡±


    I focused on the books, and my eyes widened. I recognized them. They were the books that had vanished when I closed them! The Cannon and The Tempest. So this was where they had gone.


    Oh no, I thought to myself. I wasn¡¯t going to be able to return them to old man Ather!


    It was a strange thought to have, considering how I¡¯d already left Sett and wasn¡¯t intending to look for it in the first place.


    ¡°Good, you¡¯re ¨C¡± She coughed and doubled over.


    ¡°Elenor!¡± I ran over to her. She was wheezing, and coughing incessantly. I grabbed a mug of water and she drank it. I helped her sit down, but her breathing was still jittery.


    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked.


    ¡°My fault.¡± She groaned. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I tried to take advantage of your ignorance.¡±


    I furrowed my eyebrows. ¡°What did you do?¡±


    ¡°I tried to read you. I know it¡¯s rude and invasive, but I just thought it¡¯d be easier to help you if I knew what books you had. Lousy excuse, I know. I shouldn¡¯t have done it. Totally my fault, I¡­¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± I said. She tried to read me. What did that mean? It sounded a little creepy.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I don¡¯t think I can help you anymore.¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s alright. I don¡¯t mind it at all, I just ¨C¡±


    The door opened. ¡°You ladies still up?¡±


    ¡°Sally?¡± I said.


    ¡°I heard some coughing. Is everyone alright? Want me to bring you some more water?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s okay,¡± said Elenor as she got up. ¡°Let me take over your shift, Sally. I could use some fresh air.¡± She grabbed her stick and left the room.


    I tried to follow her but Sally insisted I get some sleep. I tried to leave the room later in the night, but was stopped by a very cranky Sally hugging a pickaxe. Resigning myself, I fell asleep with the ghostly buzz of Elenor¡¯s magic fading inside my head, only to be replaced with the agonizing sound of her coughing and crying out in pain.

 Episode 3 Scene 5

    I was in the room, the room at the back of the library. Only it didn¡¯t look like the library of Fenbay. There were tall marble pillars, and the rugs lay on a pristine white floor that radiated a cool, pleasant air. The sky was a clear shade of blue with not a cloud in sight, and a golden dome stood against the horizon reflecting so much sunlight it made me see stars after I blinked.


    It was my little room from the library, only set inside the House of Wisdom. It wasn¡¯t exactly the room from the library, though. There was only one shelf, with just enough room to fit five books, or perhaps three big ones. At the moment, it had two tomes resting on top of it, their spines too faded to read from afar.


    The reading lamps on either side were turned off with their heads pointing at two armchairs, both of which had their back to me. I stood on the edge of the rug, my feet uncovered. I was wearing the clothes I had gone to sleep in.


    I had gone to sleep? So, this was a dream. It felt familiar.


    The sky darkened swiftly, like hours were passing between my breaths. Soon the dome was an angry red, the pillars a shade of pink, and the floor overcast. A clock ticked. It was the clock from the library, the one that had struck thirteen. It hung on the wall right over the shelf, all hands frozen at six.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    My ears rang with a grating noise, like chewing sand with no saliva. The sky faded, the golden dome¡¯s radiance died and it melted into the darkness. Just as the darkness was about to encroach on my entire vision, I heard a distinctly electrical buzz and the reading lamps came to life.


    There were two circles of light in an empty sea. Red armchairs floated in the illuminated spots, particles of dust visible in the beams coming from the cloth lampshades. I drifted towards the armchair on the right, careful not to trip over the rug I felt should still be on the floor. The grating grew louder. I clenched my teeth; the sound was infuriating.


    It was a comfortable chair. I rested my back against the pillow. It was almost like a bed. I looked over to the other armchair, and squinted.


    Someone was sitting there, but I couldn¡¯t tell who. Their image was blurred like a picture from a moving car. The grating sound was coming from the figure, and I finally recognized what it sounded like.


    The noise was literally noise. White noise to be exact. An endless series of greyscale pixels whizzing between the spectrum. Waves from exploding stars, radiating black holes, tiny cellular devices, and mishandled microwaves, scrambled in a code as old as all of existence, destined to outlive me, my loved ones, everything I knew, and everything I thought I knew.


    The noise was oddly comforting. I¡¯d heard some people liked listening to white noise at night, it helped them fall asleep. The idea had always seemed ludicrous to me, and despite the warmth in my heart, and the easing of my shoulders, it still seemed like a dumb idea to me.


    Couldn¡¯t they tell this thing was evil?


    Buzz.


    The lights flickered. The static heightened. And I fell into the depths of the armchair.

 Episode 3 Scene 6

    ¡°¡­are you alright?¡±


    I blinked my eyes. There was a silhouette surrounded by a bright light. A window with a person¡¯s face in it.


    ¡°Val, are you alright? Val!¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine,¡± I lied. My head was a brick, dumb and heavy. There was a weird buzz in my ear that I couldn¡¯t get rid of.


    ¡°Here, drink this,¡± said Sally as she passed a glass to Elenor.


    Elenor tried to make me drink the water but I waved it away. I put my hands against the bed and lifted myself into a sitting position. I accepted the glass from Elenor¡¯s hands and drank it.


    ¡°Were you having a bad dream?¡± asked Sally.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± I said, putting the glass on the bedside table. ¡°Maybe? I can¡¯t remember.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sleep with your head in the pillows, my ma used to say that made you have bad dreams,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, thanks,¡± I said.


    Elenor backed up and faced the window. The sky was a lighter shade of blue than I had expected, dawn must¡¯ve been right around the corner. We had planned to leave at the first sign of sunlight but I had probably messed up that plan despite having slept the longest.


    ¡°Ben and Jerome are downstairs having breakfast. We need to leave early to beat the crowds,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°How far is the city?¡± I asked.


    ¡°A little over an hour¡¯s walk from here, which is why most people wait until there¡¯s more light out.¡±


    ¡°You two go ahead, I¡¯ll be down in a minute,¡± I said.


    Sally nodded and left the room. Elenor didn¡¯t budge from the window.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°For what?¡± I asked.


    ¡°This must have been because of me. I must have messed with your head when I tried to read you.¡±


    ¡°Nah, that wasn¡¯t it. Besides, trying to read me hurt you more than it hurt me.¡±


    She released a breath. ¡°Yeah, I guess so.¡±


    ¡°Go get some breakfast.¡± I stretched and yawned. ¡°I¡¯ll be down after I change.¡±


    She didn¡¯t reply but grabbed her walking stick. I heard metal hit wood as she descended the stairs. Whatever she had tried to do to me was still weighing on her conscience. I remembered her saying Moxy had read her too. Was that why she disliked it?This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.


    I looked out the window. I smiled in spite of my nightmare. I took a deep breath and told myself not to dive too deeply this time. Just the shelf. Think of the shelf.


    It appeared in the back of my mind ¨C rich mahogany with a thin layer of dust. Two books stood on it, their spines pointing towards me. I fought back a little nausea that had been creeping up my throat.


    It¡¯s hard to describe what it feels like, still seeing everything in front of you while also seeing a floating shelf in the back of your mind. It¡¯s kind of like looking inside your own head. Very disorienting, and I never quite got used to it.


    I focused on the books. The larger one was The Cannon with its flaky hardback cover. The smaller one was The Tempest, a faded leather tome with golden letters. I focused on The Cannon as if I was reaching for it even though my hands were still. I felt its coarse cover, and the heaviness of the animal hide pages, like I was holding it between mental fingers.


    Something told me that opening its pages would cause something amazing to happen. That an ocean of light would burst forth, and rainbows would beam across the sky, fireworks would explode, and I would be able to do magic, magic so mystical it would make a white-bearded wizard go back to being grey.


    I pictured the book turning over so the spine would face away. It opened straight down the middle, and pages flicked by, racing all the way till the end of the cover and Ave¡¯s note. The back cover met the last page.


    Nothing happened.


    I¡¯d opened the book but nothing happened. There were no lasers coming out of my eyes, my muscles weren¡¯t any bigger, and I certainly didn¡¯t feel like I could jump out the bedroom window unscathed.


    Did I do something wrong? Was I supposed to do something else? Elenor said something about burning books. Was that it?


    I imagined The Cannon bursting into flames. I imagined the fire¡¯s tongues licking away at its spine, its pages wrinkling and shrinking into themselves as the fire consumed them, leaving ashes to fly with the wind before resting on the ground, unnoticed.


    But nothing happened. There were no flames, no ashes. The Cannon hovered in front of my imaginary shelf, held aloft by my imaginary inner hand with no flames to lick it. It floated like an imaginary man. A blindfolded man made unaware of his surroundings, and certain of only one thing.


    That he existed. In some form or another, he existed.


    What a strange thought. A little out of the blue. Like someone else was speaking in my head instead of my own voice.


    Curious. One would imagine having any voices in one¡¯s head would be grounds for seeking medical assistance. Perhaps I could begin to diagnose my condition on my own. Let¡¯s see¡­


    Painful dream I can¡¯t remember. Voices in the head. Ignoring all sense of time. Abandoning my cold breakfast downstairs. A severe case of self-delusion caused by an inability to be honest with myself which led to a wild-goose chase predicated on finding a needle in a haystack in a new world that already meets my needs and desires. Is that a sign of greed then? I could abandon the House and go around reading other books.


    In my pursuit of a greater goal, am I rejecting a satisfactory situation? Perhaps that is the cause of my current mental anguish. No, that¡¯s not right.


    More symptoms include pathetic passivity, lack of caution, self-diagnosing oneself without being a licensed professional, and talking to oneself in the voice of a condescending scholar.


    Conclusion: put back the book and go downstairs or Sally will drag you there herself.


    I proceeded to listen to my own advice and put The Cannon back on my shelf. Nothing changed. I let the shelf fade away, and looked out the window. There was a little more light out, but it hadn¡¯t been as long as I thought it had. I changed into a new set of clothes I¡¯d bought in Sett, and slipped into the shoes Moxy had given me.


    I went down the stairs, had breakfast, and prepared to leave the inn. We left way before the sun peeked out from behind the horizon, and barely saw any people on our way to Chart. Sally chased off some angry looking birds who had tried to dive at us with their pointed beaks, and Jerome scared away a pickpocket who had crept behind us, by showing off the sharp, rotating teeth that lined the mouths of his pockets.


    Other than that, we faced no trouble on our way to Chart, and came up to the city just before the sun was completely out.

 Episode 4 Scene 1

    ¡°Testing, testing. One, two, three¡­¡±


    A painful screech followed the words. A crowd was beginning to form around a tiny makeshift stage in the middle of the town square. Banners stretched across the street from building to building, posters plastered every visible wall in the vicinity, and flags blew in the wind as people waved them gleefully.


    One would assume it was a festival. Musicians stood next to the stage, playing strange instruments that had a passing resemblance to those from my world. Families came to the square with their children and elderly, all of whom seemed to be in good spirits. Food stands had been propped up on the outskirts of the square, ensuring that the scent of roasting meat and sweet fruit drinks wafted through the window from which I was looking down at the event.


    But reading between the lines, I found hints of unease, and the potential for unrest. Armed guards had cordoned off all roads leading up to the square, and insisted on checking everyone for weapons. All the shops around the square were shut tight, and their doors had been boarded up from the outside.


    Only one door was open, the one directly opposite the stage. The flags around this building were the largest, the posters the brightest, and the crowd the thickest. In fact, the front of the building had been painted with the same somber colors that contrasted sharply with the mood of the gathering.


    The colors were on the flags, the posters, the backdrop of the stage, and the building too. Even the people wore one of the two colors, making the square resemble a chessboard.


    A flag fluttered in the wind, blocking my view out the window. It was a black flag with a white rose and the words ¡®Side Party¡¯ written on it, just like everything else in the square today.


    As we¡¯d entered the city, the guards had warned us there was going to be a political event in the square, but Sally took that as an opportunity to book us cheap rooms near the best part of the Cheek¡¯s district. The rest of the inn was virtually empty, with a single old lady sitting behind the counter and looking out the window at the sea of people outside.


    Even she was wearing black and white.


    ¡°The sooner we get out of here the better,¡± I said to myself.


    ¡°What did you say?¡± asked Elenor who was sitting across the room.


    ¡°Nothing, it¡¯s just¡­ this thing outside has me on edge. I keep expecting something to happen.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Sally. ¡°The new leader of the Side Party likes to stir up trouble, but he isn¡¯t violent. And he sure isn¡¯t a big enough threat for the government to take him seriously either.¡±


    ¡°Why not? Doesn¡¯t the Side Party control Sett? And the crowd outside is nothing to laugh at,¡± I said.


    ¡°The Side Party¡¯s held Sett for centuries and the people outside aren¡¯t even a fraction of the city¡¯s population. Plus, most of them are Cheeks. No Header will vote for him, and their votes are the heaviest,¡± explained Sally. ¡°Now let¡¯s get going. The city of Devel is at least two days away, and the rest stop is pretty far away. We need supplies to camp out for the night.¡±


    I nodded. While I waited for Elenor to wear her shoes, the flag blew away. The crowd was denser now, a churning monochrome sea that made my eyes water a little. The guards closed off all entrances to the square except for the road besides the building with the white rose painted on it, and were redirecting newcomers there.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to split up to gather everything before the speeches start,¡± said Sally as we met up with Jerome and Ben downstairs.


    ¡°What do we need?¡± asked Ben.


    ¡°I¡¯ll rent some sleeping bags and a tent from the Fighters Guild. Jerome and Ms. Cramer, could you come help me carry them?¡± said Sally. ¡°Val, could you go with Ben to get some food and a few canteens of water?¡±


    She called Elenor Ms. Cramer? Must be because she contracted her.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Ben. ¡°Why don¡¯t I come carry the tent and stuff, let Elenor go with Val.¡±


    Sally narrowed her eyes and glared at him. ¡°Ms. Cramer is obviously stronger than you. Besides, we need to check in with the guild to formalize the assignment.¡±


    Ben looked away. ¡°Got it.¡±


    ¡°What kind of food do we want?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, just grab whatever suits your fancy. It¡¯s your quest,¡± said Sally.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°What about the reduction of the provisions fee?¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°Oh, I almost forgot!¡± said Sally. ¡°Is it okay to subtract it from the reward?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°Then let¡¯s go with that, if it isn¡¯t too much trouble.¡±


    I clutched the edge of the cloth I¡¯d wrapped around my head, to prevent it from blowing off. Elenor had insisted I wear it because I didn¡¯t have any marks on my cheeks. Most of the people here had three lines on their cheeks, with the people in the Collars district having three rings around their neck.


    We split up. Ben didn¡¯t know the way to the market, so Sally gave us directions. We left through the back door of the inn because the front door had been boarded up, and walked toward the city gates. The only open market was on the edge of the wall, at the border of the Cheek¡¯s district.


    Even here, the effects of the event showed. There were barely any people, only the cashier, and an old man wearing a purple sweater. The cashier eyed the old man warily, but the old man paid for his vegetables and left without a word.


    The market itself was incredibly dirty, and smelled of rotting produce. Flies buzzed all over the place, and trash covered the floor. The only clean parts were around the cashier¡¯s counter and near the entrance.


    I grabbed some Golpens and Camcots, since they were the only things I knew about, and Ben collected a bunch of other fruits and vegetables. The cashier weighed them on his balance and we paid for them with the Inketts Elenor had given us. Then we left the market.


    The streets were empty. I could almost hear the dust blowing in the wind. Dirt crunched under our feet as we strolled straight down the center of the road. I glanced at Ben. He¡¯d slung the larger bag of food over his shoulder, while I held on to a smaller one. We were walking to the store that sold canteens, but a thought came to me as we walked.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been out of Sett before?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Not really. I came to Chart once, but master didn¡¯t really let me do anything.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry about your master.¡±


    ¡°Nah, don¡¯t be. He was getting old anyways,¡± said Ben, kicking a stone. ¡°And he died happy too.¡±


    ¡°You know, I can tell Sally and Jerome to let you go back to Sett while they escort us to Bendeck.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay. Jerome was right, I need to move on. No point moping about him in an alley back home. They repossessed the house too when the old man died, so I got nowhere to go.¡±


    ¡°Who did?¡± I asked. Were there banks in this world?


    ¡°The government, of course. Inheritance is illegal in Sett. The only city in all of Illustair that does it.¡±


    ¡°Does what?¡±


    ¡°Take everything from you once you die,¡± he said.


    That was kind of morbid.


    ¡°But other than that, it¡¯s a good city,¡± continued Ben. ¡°Or at least, that¡¯s what everyone says.¡±


    ¡°Just because people say it, doesn¡¯t mean it¡¯s right.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I suppose so.¡± He kicked another rock. ¡°I wanna see the capital.¡±


    ¡°Bendeck?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know anything about it.¡±


    ¡°I heard it¡¯s huge. Bigger than any other city in Fore!¡± said Ben. ¡°I also heard the food there¡¯s the best in the world. Oh, and the buildings are all beautiful, straight out of a fairy tale.¡±


    ¡°That does sound lovely,¡± I said.


    ¡°And the best part is, it¡¯s got tons of books. They say even the Collar¡¯s district has books in it!¡±


    Books? For a world where magic ran on books, there had been surprisingly few book shops. In fact, despite keeping my eyes peeled, the only one I¡¯d seen so far was old man Ather¡¯s secret shop.


    ¡°We are definitely going to the capital,¡± I said.


    Ben giggled and raised a fist in the air. I joined in. It was comforting to know that little things like this were the same as back home. If expressions of joy, anticipation, fear, and other emotions had been drastically different, I would never have gotten used to Illustair.


    We arrived at the general store and bought a few canteens. We filled them up at the well right outside the store, and began to lug them all the way back to the inn.


    I recalled the thought I¡¯d had, looked at the red-haired kid beside me, and tried to remember the crazy Ben who had whisked me away.


    This Ben was younger and more innocent. If they were twins, this Ben was obviously the pampered one. If they were separated at birth, then while this one was picked up by a kindly old man, the other one must have been thrown into the river and picked up by a pack of wolves.


    We took a different path back, but weren¡¯t worried about getting lost. All roads led to the square in Chart. There were absolutely no people here. Even insects were crawling in the dark, with the sun so high in the sky.


    ¡°Hey Ben.¡±


    ¡°What is it?¡±


    ¡°You know, when I first saw you, I thought you looked a little familiar.¡±


    He stopped walking. Crap, was I too direct?


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s probably nothing. I¡¯ve met a lot of redheads, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Well¡­¡± Ben shifted, and his eyes traced the ground at his feet. He crept closer and said in a quiet voice, ¡°Maybe you met my family.¡±


    ¡°Your family?¡±


    He shushed me.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± I said in a lighter voice. ¡°Your family?¡±


    ¡°I was adopted by my master after he found me on the streets as a baby. He didn¡¯t know what happened to my parents, but he took care of me like I was his own kid.¡±


    ¡°I see. Your master sounds like a wonderful man.¡±


    Ben clenched his fists. ¡°I used to call him grandpa. I grew up calling him that. I only changed it to master after he died.¡±


    I frowned. It sounded like he really loved his master, and their relationship was essentially that of parent and child. ¡°What happened?¡±


    ¡°He told me the truth.¡±


    ¡°What truth?¡±


    ¡°That I was adopted.¡±


    ¡°Didn¡¯t you already know that?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡± Ben looked at me with a smile that wasn¡¯t a smile. ¡°Waited until he was on his bloody deathbed before telling me.¡±


    I didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°All those years, living a lie. And he could have told me. I wasn¡¯t going to think any less of him but no. He had to be a fucking liar, a goddamn coward. Admitted it himself.¡± Ben was shaking now.


    ¡°Damn it,¡± he continued. ¡°Why didn¡¯t he tell me sooner. I get not telling a little kid, but I¡¯m old enough to handle it, aren¡¯t I? Did he get some sort of weird kick when I called him grandpa? Was that it? Didn¡¯t have any kids of his own, so he pretended he did. Why, why wouldn¡¯t he tell me? Why?¡±


    I waited for his rant to end, walked up to him, and tried to put a hand around his shoulder but he swatted it away. He continued walking with his head lowered.


    Seeing him in that state, I couldn¡¯t bring myself to answer his question. But then I didn¡¯t really need to, anyway. The answer was trailing across the burn mark on his cheek.

 Episode 4 Scene 2

    ¡°Brothers and sisters, thank you all for being here this evening. I would especially like to thank the Chart branch of the Side Party, local party chief Dennis Smith, and whip Eliza Carton for all of their hardworking towards making this rally possible.¡±


    Ben and I were several blocks away from the square but we could still hear the voice. It was being projected from boxes lying in windows all over the city, and although some guards were attempted to get the people to turn them off, most of them walked around the streets with a notepad in hand, scribbling something whenever they passed a speaker.


    A guard met my eyes and his eyes narrowed. He was probably suspicious because my head was wrapped in a scarf. I¡¯d seen a lot of people in the square, with hidden faces, and the guards had even attempted to stop some of them from entering the square at one point.


    The guard took a step in my direction. I grabbed Ben¡¯s shoulder and ducked into an alley.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go,¡± I said.


    Ben was startled but didn¡¯t ask any questions as we bolted. I heard a shout behind us, then several more in reply. Clanking armor mixed with the words blasting out of the speakers.


    ¡°¡­ they said we couldn¡¯t do it. They said the only way to win was to appeal to Headers, to beg them for inketts, to work with the Front Party no matter how much we disagreed with them. Even today, they say this rally is a bad idea. They say it¡¯s dangerous for the leader of the opposition to come out here.¡±


    The voice was high-pitched and raspy, like someone was speaking at the top of their lungs after yelling for several hours. Cheers and chants would sometimes carry through the speakers, usually when the voice paused.


    We entered the inn through the back door. The old lady wasn¡¯t there anymore. The others weren¡¯t back yet, so we put away the fruits and canteens, and walked over to the window behind the old lady¡¯s desk.


    People, just people everywhere. The noise was deafening, the chants only mildly catchy, and the stage too far away to see. Despite all that, there was a certain energy in the air, an energy that was building up gradually. Even the raspy voice was getting louder, more high-pitched, more enthusiastic.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never seen anything like this,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°Don¡¯t they have rallies like this in Sett?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No. Since the Side Party¡¯s held it forever, no one even bothers to campaign there.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡±


    Honestly, I was surprised this world had a democratic system ¨C albeit with a limited franchise. In the books I¡¯d read, fantasy worlds had kings, knights, emperors, and feudal lords. If there was magic, there had to be a king. A magical kingdom that wasn¡¯t a kingdom was a dumb idea.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°They told us to give up,¡± continued the voice, so loud it almost hurt my ears. ¡°They told us to stop fighting! To let our brothers and sisters suffer under the Front Party¡¯s draconian policies. They told us to shun hope, to throw away our pride, to never think that things could get better than they already are. But we said no! We said no!¡±


    The crowd chanted, ¡°We said no!¡±


    ¡°When are the elections?¡± I asked.


    ¡°In a little over a month,¡± replied Ben. ¡°So we¡¯ll probably see more of these rallies along the way to Bendeck. Depending on how long we stay there, we might get to see the results too.¡±


    With all the smiles, and cheers, the happiness and joy in the air was almost palpable. It made me curious, however, why so many people could get so worked up about politics. It had always been strange to me, reading history books and novels set in those days, that people cared about stuff like this.


    Back home, I never gave it a second thought. Politics was messy, annoying, and kinda pointless. Even if your side won, nothing ever changed. I wasn¡¯t old enough to vote yet, but it was safe to say I wasn¡¯t going to change my mind in two years.


    My parents had strong opinions on it though, and they almost never agreed. Dad had been a social worker before going into real estate, while Mom had been a career politician all her adult life. During the little time we spent together, they always bickered about some policy, or new treaty, or whatever whoever the president was, was doing last Thursday. Suffice to say, thanksgiving was my least favorite holiday.


    Which is why the legions of raving fans that made this political rally seem like a concert looked silly to me.


    ¡°And what do you think?¡± I said, repeating what my parents always said at the end of their arguments.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± said Ben, repeating what I always said before leaving the table back home.


    ¡°Me neither.¡± I turned to watching the crowd again. When were Elenor and the others going to come back?


    ¡°Actually¡­¡±


    ¡°What is it Ben?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve started to care a little, recently.¡±


    ¡°Oh.¡± I tried to meet his gaze but he was still looking out the window.


    ¡°Yeah, it was a little before master died. The kids around the neighborhood started talking about this new guy who was shaking up the system. Most of them liked him cuz he was a troublemaker, like us. I never stuck around long enough to really get what was going on, but I used to hear parts of it.¡±


    The crowd started chanting again. ¡°We said no!¡±


    ¡°And then those words would come back to me sometimes. Like when I overheard one of master¡¯s friends say he could be cured at the Header hospital, but master refused because he wasn¡¯t qualified. Or when he gave me his own unburnt books after he died, cuz they were the only thing he could pass on to me.¡±


    ¡°We said no!¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Ben. He sighed. ¡°I¡¯d rather not think about it right now.¡±


    ¡°Should we have something to eat while we wait for the others?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Ben, turning away from the window. ¡°Where¡¯d you put the camcot berries?¡±


    ¡°On the shelf over by the door,¡± I said.


    I cast a quick glance over my shoulder. The crowd seemed to be bursting at the seams. The voice on the speakers was trying to cut through the endless chants, and eventually managed to calm them down. Although I joined Ben in the kitchen and washed some camcot berries, we could still hear the voice, and the noise from the square. There was a tiny black box in the corner of the living room too, although it was turned off.


    ¡°Once again, thank you all for coming. It was a privilege and an honor for me to speak to you here, but without further ado, I would like to introduce the star of this evening. A man who has revolutionized all of Fore, who fights for our well-being every day, and whose compassion is only trumped by his humility, the leader of the Side Party, Gecko Ross!¡±


    The crowd erupted.

 Episode 4 Scene 3

    ¡°Hello friends!¡±


    The crowd cheered and shouted, ¡°Gecko! Gecko! Gecko!¡±


    ¡°Alright! Lovely seeing you all out here tonight, thank you so much for being here. Thank you Alderan for an amazing introduction. Thank you, Dennis, Eliza, and everyone else who helped make this event possible. Let¡¯s have a round of applause for them!¡±


    The crowd applauded, cheered, and chanted. The energy here was at a peak.


    ¡°And a big and special thank you to the people of Chart who came here despite the obviously malicious intentions of the bastard guards and soldiers who are currently surrounding this square with orders to follow and kill the most enthusiastic people here!¡±


    It took a while for the words to carry, but then there was silence.


    Absolute silence.


    ¡°I never get used to this,¡± the voice continued unfazed. ¡°Everyone always shuts up so fast, it¡¯s kinda funny. Although, I thought they¡¯d get used to it by now, even if I haven¡¯t held a rally in Chart before.¡±


    Some soldiers began to shift. The one¡¯s closest to the window were glaring in the direction of the stage, and a few even had their hands on the hilts of their sheathed swords. But then the most well-armored one signaled for them to stand down.


    ¡°Right now, the dumbass soldiers¡¯ captains are telling them to stop confirming everything I just said. See, some of these maniacs may wanna jump into this crowd of innocent people, and swing their swords and cast magic to murder kids in public!¡±


    The people on the edge of the crowd looked back, saw the scenes playing out between the guards and their captains, and inched closer together.


    ¡°Ignore them for now. Also, you guys. Yeah, the ones powering the jabbers. Thanks so much for your help, but I¡¯ll take it from here.¡±


    There were some murmurs from the front of the crowd.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I can run them on my own. Go join the crowd. There you go!¡±


    The black box in the living room crackled to life even though it hadn¡¯t been turned on.


    ¡°Nice!¡± came the voice from the box and from outside the window. ¡°I¡¯ll let you in on a little secret, the Front Party leadership in Chart told me to stay away from the Header¡¯s part of town. They wouldn¡¯t let me hold this if I didn¡¯t agree, so I did. But I thought it was unfair for you all to have to endure my crappy speech alone, so let¡¯s make sure this reaches the rest of the city too.¡±


    There were some more murmurs, and even a half-hearted cheer, but the energy that had been accumulating had all dispersed to be replaced by a heavy sense of unease. Or perhaps the unease had existed beneath the excitement and had only been laid bare by the incendiary words of Gecko Ross.


    ¡°If I know that old coot up in the Tower, he¡¯s probably got some snipers trained on me right now.¡±


    What was this guy doing? I understand this wasn¡¯t really his fault, but he was fanning the flames too hard. The crowd was getting more agitated. The guards were on edge. The tiniest spark could set this place ablaze.


    ¡°The government¡¯s probably planning to round up everyone who came here and take you in for some reeducation,¡± continued the voice of Gecko Ross. ¡°Maybe a few men will wind up dead in the sewers, or some women and children will mysteriously disappear. Or perhaps guards will crack open some heads for minor infractions. The wells will be poisoned. A strange disease will appear and Chart will be quarantined. There¡¯s a very good chance that as soon as I leave, this place will go to hell.¡±Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I felt goosebumps on my skin but I couldn¡¯t tell if it was because he was saying the government would do those things, or because he was implying they would do those things because of him, and he was totally aware of it.


    If he was so sure these people were going to be punished, then why the hell was he saying all this crap? His words seemed to be designed to fuel anger at the government, but honestly, at that moment, I could only feel angry at him.


    ¡°Now don¡¯t get mad at me, this would have happened even if I hadn¡¯t insulted the guards or told you about their evil plans. Just seeing so many of you showing up at a rival party¡¯s event would¡¯ve been enough of a reason for them to crush you.¡±


    Ben and I were sitting out of view of the window, listening intently to the black box in the old lady¡¯s living room. I met Ben¡¯s eyes and confirmed that he was just as frightened and confused as I was.


    ¡°And you know why I can say this with absolute impunity? Why I know they won¡¯t come after me? Even if I wasn¡¯t the leader of the second largest party in Fore, or a damn good fighter, the reason I¡¯ve never been scared about getting killed for opposing the government, is because I was born a Header.¡±


    Gecko paused. The murmurs stopped.


    ¡°And you weren¡¯t. That¡¯s all there is to it. I was born a Header, while most of you in the crowd are Cheeks, with a few Collars who managed to sneak in somehow. And just because of those little marks on your body, you¡¯re going to look over your shoulders on your way home tonight. You¡¯re going to stay up all night worried for your family. You¡¯re going to know that your life and the lives of your loved ones are at risk because a stupid bug from the capital said some bullshit words that he won¡¯t have to face any consequences for!¡±


    That makes no sense, I thought. Why were these people going to be punished for his words?


    ¡°I suspect a lot of lickers like me are listening to this on their jabber boxes from inside the inner walls. To them I say, come put yourselves on the line. You¡¯ve got the power, you¡¯ve got the social status. Come here and fight with your burnt brothers and sisters. Come on!¡±


    A group of people tried to leave through the road by the inn, but the guards wouldn¡¯t let them through. Several other groups detached from the main crowd too, and were trying to escape the square.


    ¡°To all of those trying to leave, do you wanna know why you were willing to come here even though I¡¯ve given this speech in every other city in Fore?¡±


    No, I thought to myself. No, we don¡¯t.


    ¡°It¡¯s because the papers aren¡¯t allowed to publish my speeches. It¡¯s part of why I say all this stuff. The Official Press and the Daily Scribbler would rather pretend I never speak than talk about what I say. Even the Gazette won¡¯t run my speeches, but that¡¯s because they¡¯re a bunch of spineless pansies.¡±


    I motioned to Ben. We were outside of the square but it might be a good idea to try to get as far away as possible. I peeped out the window and saw the guards drawing swords and pushing people back into the square.


    ¡°And since we¡¯re on that topic already, how about I explain why I¡¯m doing this. Why I¡¯m so blatantly challenging the government while obviously alienating my own supporters and putting their lives on the line.


    And the answer¡¯s quite simple. After centuries of lethargy and apathy, we need a little kick to get us all motivated. Because if we don¡¯t stand together all at once, they¡¯ll pick us off one by one. They¡¯ll keep us weak, disunited, and most importantly, afraid.


    Afraid to challenge the Header who got you sent to prison for talking back to him. Afraid to get justice for your friends killed by the guards for no reason. Afraid to look for your daughter who went missing even though you can hear her screams coming from a bug¡¯s window. Afraid to fight for a future where your vote counts as much as theirs, and where those on top can¡¯t stay inside their pretty little walls without having to breathe the same air as everyone else.


    A future where you don¡¯t have to burn an empty book just so you can be identified as socially inferior.


    You¡¯re lying to yourself if you think your life isn¡¯t terrible. You know that in the world we live in, your life isn¡¯t worth the dirt on a Header¡¯s foot. That your future was crippled the moment you had to devote a slot on your shelf to the Book of Chart, or even the Book of Bitany, and the rest to whatever cheap bundle of pages the Headers will throw out of their libraries.


    Don¡¯t you see, friends? You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain! Come, let us shape the future together. A future where all of us are equal. A future where your dreams can come true. Vote for the Side Party, and together, we will change this unjust system, together! We will make a more just, more righteous society.


    Let us start a new chapter in the book of Illustair. One where we are the heroes, our struggle is the plot, and our dreams the conclusion!


    Thank you all for giving me your time today. Stay strong and united, and nothing will stop us. Goodbye.¡±

 Episode 4 Scene 4

    I stood next to the box, even though there were no words coming out of it. Even the crowd outside the window was silent.


    Goodbye? After saying all that and putting us in this dangerous situation, he was just going to leave? At least tell the guards to clear the way, damn it.


    ¡°So that¡¯s Gecko Ross,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°Who the hell is he?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The new leader of the Side Party. I¡¯d heard he was stirring up trouble but I didn¡¯t know he was crazy.¡±


    You probably didn¡¯t know he was a douchebag either, I thought.


    ¡°We should leave,¡± I said, crouching to avoid being seen from outside the window as I made my way to the back door.


    ¡°What about the supplies?¡± asked Ben.


    ¡°No time, we need to get as far away as possible.¡±


    I looked out through a crack in the door. There were no guards in sight but I made sure to open the door carefully. I still had a foot inside when the jabber box came back to life.


    The now familiar voice of Gecko Ross, fiery leader of the Side Party, shouted:


    ¡°Go!¡±


    Explosions punctuated his command and a series of shouts arose from out the window. Throwing caution to the wind, Ben and I ran into the street behind the inn. We stuck to the shadows of the buildings to avoid the waning sunlight. Guards streamed out from buildings behind us, but none of them chased us.


    They had bigger things to deal with.


    ¡°Any idea where Elenor and the others could be?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The shop they went to is that way, near the center of the city,¡± he replied.


    Near the center of the city? I did not want to go there right now.


    ¡°What are the chances they¡¯re running for the gates and we can meet them outside?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They¡¯re probably coming to look for us.¡±


    Of course they would come looking for us, the inn was right next to the square. I resolved, at that moment, to always decide on an emergency rendezvous point before entering a city, and to always avoid politics like the plague.


    ¡°Fine then.¡±


    We sprinted across the road and made our way to the inner walls. All the windows and doors we saw on the way were shut tight. Small bands of people scurried around in the shadows like us, while some of the bolder ones walked around wearing masks and rags while brandishing makeshift weapons.


    The number of guards increased exponentially as we neared the inner walls. A group of people wearing black and white clothing had surrounded a guard and were beating him with sticks, stones, and household objects. Further in, groups of guards were pushing people to the ground or beating them with the flats of their blades.


    The first corpse we saw was an old man lying in a pool of blood with an arrow in his throat. A middle-aged woman was crying next to him while an angry mob assailed the wooden doors of the guards¡¯ barracks. Another scream pierced the air as we left that place behind.


    The jabber boxes that people had put next to their windows had mostly been taken away but the few that remained replayed the same words repeatedly:


    ¡°A state of emergency has been declared. All citizens are advised to stay inside their homes for their own safety. Failure to comply absolves the government from any responsibility for your wellbeing.¡±The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    Ben said that we were almost there, but I had been expecting to meet the others on the way. Had we missed them or did they leave the city after all? Or maybe they¡¯d gone towards the market, expecting us to still be there?


    As we reached the gate that led to the inner city, Ben grabbed me and ducked behind a building. Peeking out, we saw dozens of guards facing off against a mob of masked figures in black and white. The guards¡¯ swords were unsheathed and the turrets on the gate were whirring. There was a fully armored knight on a pedestal, just like the one in Sett.


    The mob stood behind a red semi-circular line that bounded the area immediately in front of the gate. To the right of the mob was the shop Elenor and the others had gone to, and on the left, were three familiar buildings ¨C the guilds. The red, yellow, and blue buildings looked almost identical to the ones in Sett.


    There was no sign of Elenor, Sally, or Jerome.


    ¡°This is your final warning. Disperse!¡± said the knight on the pedestal.


    In response, a single masked figure strode forward. Even the mob around him was confused by what she was doing. The figure turned around and took off the black sheet covering her clothes, and the mob hushed.


    At first, I thought it was just the Side Party flag: a white rose on a black background, just like the ones I¡¯d seen in the square. However, although the color scheme was the same, the flower was not a rose. It seemed vaguely familiar, as if I¡¯d seen it very recently, in fact.


    It was¡­ a poppy.


    The poppy was incinerated along with the rest of the masked figure, as the turrets began to shoot.


    The people in the mob scattered but none of them ran away. Taking cover behind buildings and trash cans, they threw stones at the guards behind the red line. One of them even came to the building we were hiding behind, but didn¡¯t say anything after seeing my covered face and the marks on Ben¡¯s cheeks. That person pointed a finger at a guard who then promptly collapsed with an icicle lodged in his head.


    The guards ran out of the red semicircle and fought the masked figures. Despite having better armor and weapons, the guards had a tough time beating back the figures because they kept ducking inside buildings or hitting the guards with magic.


    I grabbed Ben. ¡°They¡¯re not here, let¡¯s go.¡±


    As we left our spot at the corner of the alley, the ground shook. Looking over my shoulder, I saw a crater in the ground, a hole in the corner of the building, and a charred corpse. Screams, shouts, and explosions rang out in all directions.


    I had no idea where we were going. We couldn¡¯t leave through any of the gates because they were guarded, and the secret entrance we¡¯d entered the city through was on the other side of the city. The only thing we could do was hunker down in a relatively safe part of town and hope for the best.


    We ran to the outskirts of town and came across a group of unmasked people who ran inside a burning building right next to the wall. I heard boots marching on the ground and turned around. A contingent of guards was headed towards us. On the other side of the street were masked figures with Molotov cocktails and stones. There were no alleys to duck into nor any buildings to hide in, except for the burning one.


    ¡°What do we do?¡± I said, backing up against the wall. The guards and the figures ignored us as they inched closer to each other.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know!¡± cried Ben.


    The last vestiges of sunlight reflected off the guards¡¯ swords as they closed in. A tall masked figure snapped his fingers and lit a torch. He passed it to the person beside him and lit another one. The burning building was the brightest light source and since it was behind us, our shadows stretched between the two forces, soon to be trampled upon by their feet.


    ¡°Val,¡± said Ben


    ¡°Yeah?¡±


    ¡°Do you have any magic that could get us out of this?¡±


    Magic? Right, this was a world of magic.


    I imagined the shelf in the back of my mind, and it appeared. The Cannon hadn¡¯t done anything when I tried it, so I reached for The Tempest. It had a faded leather cover, with its title stenciled in golden ink. It opened on the first page, flipped through to the last page, and hovered in the back of my head.


    I didn¡¯t feel any different. Maybe it had given me some magical powers but I couldn¡¯t tell what they were? I snapped my fingers. I pointed them. I imagined hellfire falling raining down upon my enemies. But nothing happened.


    Was it useless after all? Maybe I couldn¡¯t use magic. Was it because I was from Earth? As the guards charged and the figures lit their molotovs, I prepared to avoid getting killed in the crossfire.


    However, I felt a strange sensation in my chest. It wasn¡¯t a bad feeling, in fact, it made me feel strong, more confident about myself. I could get through this, no sweat. Those swords didn¡¯t even look scary, and those cocktails? They were for drinking, dummies.


    Seriously, someone needed to stop that scuffle before people got hurt. Someone powerful, self-confident, and with just the right amount of crazy to risk getting burnt alive and sliced to pieces at the same time. Someone like that Gecko Ross character. Now that¡¯s a leader with presence.


    I was sure that if he¡¯d strode up into the middle of that fight, everyone would¡¯ve stopped and listened. In fact, I was so sure of it, I felt offended. An uppity douche like him fixing an important fight like this? Nay, only someone pure of heart, full of wisdom, honor, and integrity, could stop this battle.


    Someone like me.


    I let go of Ben and strode into the middle of the road.


    ¡°Hello friends! How about we put those nasty weapons away and have a chat, hmm?¡±

 Episode 4 Scene 5

    ¡°Hold!¡± cried the knight. The guards stopped but the inertia of their charge led them within striking distance of me.


    The masked figures hesitated but after seeing my covered head, they shuffled closer until they were right beside me. I had intended to mediate but judging by my appearance and the reaction of the masked figures, it wouldn¡¯t be difficult to assume that I was with them.


    The guards readied their stances.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± I said, confident my charisma would keep them at bay. ¡°Although you really should put out those piddling torches.¡± I pointed to the Molotov cocktails. ¡°And didn¡¯t anyone ever tell you not to run with sharp objects?¡± I faced the guards. ¡°What if you hurt yourselves?¡±


    The knight spoke, ¡°Another miscreant?¡±


    I feigned indignation with a hand on my chest and a foot behind me. ¡°Me? Never. I¡¯m just trying to make sure no one gets hurt. I want to resolve your hostilities, not partake in them.¡±


    ¡°You sound like a bloody bug,¡± said a masked figure behind me.


    ¡°Bugs can¡¯t speak, silly. I used to be terrified of spiders as a kid and I would have never gotten over it if they could talk. The thought sends shivers down my spine as we speak,¡± I said.


    ¡°Enough,¡± said the knight.


    The masked figures and the guards locked eyes. I was losing what little control I had over the situation. I needed something to shock them back into place. A daring strategy that nobody could predict which would give me total authority once again.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t want to say this, but I guess I have no choice.¡± I took a few steps towards the masked figures, until I could smell the smoke from their molotovs. I turned my back on them and stared into the knight¡¯s eyes. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡±


    The guards locked their gazes on me, looks of confusion and anger on their faces. The knight lifted his visor and squinted with his beady black eyes.


    ¡°A ruffian who dares disturb the peace of our glorious city,¡± he said.


    ¡°That is true,¡± I said, putting a hand under the rags that covered my face. ¡°However, I am no ordinary ruffian, and you would do well to keep that in mind.¡± I lifted the rags just high enough to show my empty cheeks and neck. I also flashed a white-toothed smile for extra measure.


    The knight crumpled his nose and slammed his visor shut. ¡°Squad, hold.¡± Then he addressed me, ¡°What house are you from, milady?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s none of your business.¡±


    ¡°My apologies, but we must ask you to vacate the area for your own safety.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not going anywhere.¡±


    ¡°Then we will have to take you under our protection.¡± Some guards shuffled forward.


    I raised a hand and they stopped. I tilted my head a little to the right and looked at the knight on his pedestal. ¡°What¡¯s your name?¡±


    The knight hesitated. ¡°I am the third captain of the Chart chapter of the Fore Armed Forces.¡±


    ¡°I asked for your name, captain.¡± I tugged at the rags around my eyes to better meet the captain¡¯s eyes.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    He hesitated. From up there, he must have seen me standing calmly between two hostile groups of battle-ready warriors. The molotovs ¨C which had somehow not exploded yet ¨C burning in the hands of the people behind me, and the reflection of sunlight ricocheting off the armor and swords of his soldiers, made the scene even more dramatic.


    The burning building to the side was now the most major source of light in the vicinity, and the flickering red glint it cast on my body paired with the aura of assuredness that I exuded, must have finally tipped the scale.


    ¡°Captain Casio Dent, milady.¡±


    ¡°Well then, Captain Dent, please order your troops to withdraw. I spotted several people in need of assistance up the street, and would appreciate if you would limit yourself to containing the chaos, rather than exacerbating it.¡±


    He nodded and motioned for his troops to retreat. Some of them stole glances at the masked figures and the burning building, confirming my suspicions.


    I let the rags fall over my face again. The figures behind me were getting agitated. There were murmurs of bug and licker. I swiveled to face them. ¡°I saw children running into that building. Instead of fighting a pointless battle, how about we go help them out?¡±


    A few of them looked at the building but most of them eyed me defiantly. One of them spoke, ¡°You¡¯re just another lousy bug. You can¡¯t stop the revolution of the burnt!¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not stopping anything. I came here because that douche on the jabber box asked me to come fight with you. Now, if you¡¯re here on the outskirts of town instead of in the middle of the fight, you¡¯re probably trying to protect that secret exit out of the city.¡± I pointed at the burning building.


    That was why I¡¯d made sure to get the guards to leave, rather than get their help rescuing the people in the building. Besides, those people had run into the building, so they were probably trying to escape the guards in the first place.


    ¡°Most of the usual spots are sealed, and the main gates are, obviously, blocked. If we wanna get kids like him.¡± I pointed at Ben, who jumped a little as a dozen eyes shifted onto him. ¡°Out of the city, we¡¯ll need to put out those flames.¡±


    I didn¡¯t wait for a response and ran straight to the well on the other side of the street. I started rotating the wheel attached to the well, which began lifting the bucket full of water.


    ¡°Fine,¡± said one of the figures as he grabbed another bucket lying next to the well. ¡°We¡¯ll talk after we¡¯re done.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s alright with me,¡± I said. ¡°In case you couldn¡¯t tell, I love talking.¡±


    He grunted in response as he grabbed the bucket I had lifted out of the well, poured the water inside into the bucket he was carrying, and ran back to the burning building. Other masked figures followed suit, grabbing whatever they could find and filling it with water before running back and attempting to douse the flames.


    I let a more muscular person take control of the wheel, and soon there was a train of people carrying water across the street. Even Ben helped out, which was a problem because we didn¡¯t have the time to help them.


    I caught up to him as he was pouring water on the front of the building. ¡°Ben, do you hear that?¡±


    ¡°Hear what?¡± he said.


    I threw the pot I was holding aside and heard it shatter. ¡°Someone¡¯s crying for help, come on!¡± I grabbed him and rushed inside the building.


    A few shouts arose, as well as some curses. Someone said, ¡°Stop them!¡±


    But the people who had been near me told them what I had said, and the shouts abated. That was the last I heard of them as I pulled Ben further into the building.


    The furniture was on fire. The walls were on fire. The ceiling, the floor, everything was on fire. Wooden beams lay smoldering in the living room, and part of the ceiling had collapsed in the kitchen. I tried to remember which way the wall was while avoiding the flames, and trying to breath as little smoke through my rags as possible. I let go of Ben¡¯s hand so he could cover his mouth with his shirt.


    I crouched and made Ben do it too, so we wouldn¡¯t be blinded by the smoke. However, we still couldn¡¯t find a backdoor. I checked the walls for a secret doorway but there was nothing there. Sweat trickled down my back only to evaporate immediately. My eyes stung and my lungs protested in agony.


    There was a creak above us. I shoved Ben aside and dove for cover as a wooden beam crashed into the floorboards. I coughed. ¡°You alright?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± yelled Ben over the crackling wood.


    I got on my feet and saw the floor. The beam had gone straight through to the basement.


    The basement.


    ¡°Ben!¡±


    He looked at me from across the hole in the floor.


    I pointed down the hole. ¡°Jump!¡±


    He shook his head.


    More creaks. The walls swayed.


    ¡°Ben!¡±


    The floor collapsed under him and he fell into the abyss. As the flames licking the walls behind me ignited the rags around my face, I followed Ben into the hole while tossing them off.


    A loud crash accompanied my jump, which was succeeded by an even louder, and more painful, crack, as my head met the ground.

 Episode 4 Scene 6

    I groaned. Pain racked my brain and my vision was swimming, but I had retained my consciousness. As my vision settled, I saw a redhaired boy lying motionless under a pile of burning wood.


    ¡°Ben!¡± I said as I made my way toward him.


    His eyes twitched as I dragged him out from under the debris. He coughed and blinked his eyes open. I smiled and slapped his cheeks lightly.


    ¡°Come on, we have to keep moving.¡± I helped him up.


    He stumbled when I let go, and held his ankle. He winced audibly. Cursing, I put his arm over my shoulder and stood up. He winced as I walked forward and tried to get as much weight off his bad foot as I could.


    The tunnel was dimly lit by torches whose smoke made them almost redundant. We hobbled along until we reached a ladder.


    ¡°I can climb with one foot, I think,¡± said Ben as he leaned against the wall.


    I let his hand slip off my shoulders and looked up the ladder that stretched out of view. I walked up to Ben, turned, crouched, and motioned for him to get on my back.


    ¡°No, I ¨C¡± he began.


    ¡°Hurry up, those guys might come after us,¡± I said.


    ¡°But ¨C¡±


    ¡°Oh, for the love of...¡± I backed up into him, making him double over. As I stood up, his hands wrapped around my neck. I grunted, grabbed the ladder with both hands, and slowly ascended into the darkness.


    There were no torches here so I could only keep putting one hand over the other, and hope for the best. A fainter darkness appeared above, and a breeze blew through my short, bristly hair. I grabbed the edges of the hole and lifted myself up. Panting, I let Ben get onto the edge first, before stepping onto solid ground.


    We were in a courtyard under the open night stars. The hole we¡¯d crawled out of appeared to be a well. Faint explosions echoed from beyond the walls behind us, as did cries and shrieks of pain and terror. The buildings on either side of the courtyard were shoddier than the ones that had been damaged in the fighting inside the walls.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    Supporting Ben on my shoulders again, I walked down the road leading away from the wall. Even if we¡¯d escaped the fighting, there would be guards searching the slums in the morning, looking for wounded rioters and their families.


    The Collar¡¯s part of Chart was a cesspool of poverty, disease, and misery. The streets were littered with junk and outlined by open sewage drains that overflowed with foul smelling wads of grey gunk. The houses were made of mud, with holes and collapsed walls to complement broken ceilings and tiny doorways.


    When we¡¯d first arrived, I¡¯d noted how much larger the Collar¡¯s part of town was here compared to in Sett. Sally had said it was because Chart had a larger population, and because Collars weren¡¯t let inside the city. Jerome had added that many Cheeks couldn¡¯t afford to live in the city either, so they moved outside the walls.


    He¡¯s also said that it was even worse in Devel and Bass.


    ¡°Where are we going?¡± asked Ben.


    ¡°Away from here,¡± I replied. Even though I wasn¡¯t sure if I was going in the direction of Devel ¨C the next city on the way to Bendeck ¨C I felt confident that getting out of the city was our first priority. Finding Elenor and the others, was the second.


    The streets were empty, and all the windows and doors that could be closed, were shut tight. Nobody wanted to be caught on the streets on a night like this, even if the guards were preoccupied with everything that was happening inside the city.


    I saw a pair of black eyes peeking out from a window, but they vanished as soon as I met their gaze. I kept to the shadows as much as I could, while avoiding the open drains. I breathed heavily but it was the sound of Ben¡¯s breathing that filled my ears.


    I shifted his arm further up my shoulder. His warm breath fell on my neck as he winced from the pain in his ankle. Finally, after what felt like hours of trudging along dirty mud roads, we left the ramshackle mud huts behind, and got onto a hunting path that wound through an open plain.


    Under the silvery moonlight, I saw a stone lying on a hill against the navy-blue heavens, and decided it would be a good place to get our bearings. The thought came to me immediately, just like all the other brilliant ideas I¡¯d thought up on the spur of the moment tonight. My brain seemed particularly impressive at the moment, even to me.


    Wind blew silver waves into the grass. A starry sky greeted me from above. Despite the soot in my hair, the dust in my mouth, and the injured friend on my shoulder, I felt pretty good. We¡¯d made it out alive to enjoy a lovely night.


    I climbed the hill and made sure to hide behind the rock before letting Ben slide off. I moved my stiff left arm and stretched my back. I took a deep breath and looked up at the moon and the stars.


    I could never have seen a night sky like this back on Earth. Although I¡¯d lost the House of Wisdom as soon as I¡¯d gotten here, and been involved in one misfortune after another, this sight almost made up for it.


    ¡°Val, are you alright?¡±


    I smiled. Cheeky little kid worrying about me despite the state he¡¯s in. ¡°Yeah, of course. Why wouldn¡¯t I be?¡±


    A soft thud, like something closing shut, echoed in my ear. As I exhaled the crisp night air, my energy flew out with it. The image of the front of a closed book imposed on my vision as I crumpled to the ground.


    The image faded until there was only darkness.

 Episode 5 Scene 1

    Lights flickered with an electric buzz, illuminating two armchairs. Giant white pillars held up the sky, and rows of empty shelves ran between them. The marble floor made cold shivers run up my legs.


    The sight was familiar, not just because it reminded me of the House of Wisdom and the room at the back of the library of Fenbay. I¡¯d been here before, and that experience had not ended pleasantly. I walked over to the armchair on the right but didn¡¯t sit down. Instead, I glanced at the figure sitting in the other armchair.


    It looked like a floating blob of white noise but something was different this time. The blob wasn¡¯t completely shapeless, it branched out in five directions, making what may have been four limbs and a head.


    Garbled noises came out of the figure, making the marble floor ripple, the pillars shake, and the lights flicker. The noises ended. I stared at the figure, trying to discern a pattern in its surface. However, staring at it made my head hurt.


    One of its protrusions pointed to the armchair I was standing beside. I accepted the offer and sat down. The protrusion on top of the figure moved up and down, as if it was nodding. However, the movement left afterimages in its wake, and I averted my eyes because the sight made me queasy.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Doing so made me notice the shelf in front of the armchairs. It was my shelf, with the Cannon standing on it. However, the Tempest hovered above the shelf, the way it did when I had used it during the chaos in Chart. It was frozen in place on the first page, which had nothing but the title of the book, and the author¡¯s name on it.


    In the corner of my eye, I saw the figure move its arm. The air rippled and white noise flooded my ears. I grit my teeth but my eyes stayed locked onto the Tempest. The first page lifted a little, fell back, and then flipped. Then the next page flipped. And the next. Then the next.


    Pages fluttered until the back cover hit the final page. The Tempest was closed and it slowly sank until it nestled next to the Cannon on my shelf.


    I gasped as a weight I didn¡¯t know I had been shouldering, was lifted off me. The figure pointed at me and my vision dissolved into tiny particles buzzing around erratically. Some areas began to attract more particles and became denser. Those areas formed a vague outline that loosely resembled the figure in the armchair.


    Then all the particles that weren¡¯t a part of the outline rushed into the protrusion that seemed like the figure¡¯s face. They continued to gather until they formed a roiling mass of particles so dense, they made a tiny black line on the figure¡¯s face. The black line parted in two.


    The figure spoke but as the words reached my ears, I was struck by an intense feeling of vertigo, and the particles that made up the figure dispersed. My vision stabilized for a moment, and I glimpsed the armchairs, the shelves, and the room before sinking backwards into the depths of the chair.

 Episode 5 Scene 2

    Stars dotted the sky and the moon blanketed the Earth with its silvery glow. A cool breeze blew past me, making my clothes flutter. It also made me wince as it brushed past the burns on my back.


    ¡°Val, you¡¯re awake!¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. I tilted my head but didn¡¯t get up. The night sky captivated my gaze and the smooth grass was too comfy to part with.


    ¡°Are you alright? Your back¡¯s all burnt, and you were tossing and turning in your sleep,¡± said Ben. He was sitting against the rock with his legs outstretched.


    ¡°Just a nightmare,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t even remember what it was about.¡±


    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t let your back touch the ground.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. How¡¯s your ankle?¡±


    He put a hand on his leg. ¡°It¡¯ll heal.¡±


    But it would take a while. Which meant we couldn¡¯t move very far on our own. ¡°Any idea where Elenor and the others could have gone?¡±


    ¡°A little. I found traces of them while we were running away.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, Jerome said you were a finder.¡±


    ¡°Not really, it¡¯s just what I¡¯m good at.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t like being a finder?¡±


    ¡°No, I mean, it¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t mind. It¡¯s just,¡± he said as he looked at his hands. ¡°I¡¯ve always wanted to be a fiddler; making things is so much more fun than finding them.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t you do both?¡± I asked.


    ¡°I could, but then I wouldn¡¯t be very good at either.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Elenor said you were a good finder. All you have to do is learn how to make things, right? Can¡¯t Jerome teach you that?¡±


    Ben furrowed his brows. ¡°That¡¯s not the problem. I already know how to make stuff, I just can¡¯t do it very well. Not unless I throw away my finding abilities.¡±


    How could he throw away something he already had? ¡°I¡¯m sorry, I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll have to burn them,¡± he said. ¡°My books. Unburnt, they¡¯re great for finding, but not so much for fiddling. I could change that if I burn them right but¡­¡±


    ¡°Then you wouldn¡¯t be able to use them for finding, anymore,¡± I finished.


    ¡°Exactly.¡± He looked away.


    I frowned. There was more to this than what he was willing to tell me. However, I decided not to push him on it. ¡°Well, you haven¡¯t burned them yet, so could you use them to find the others?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°I can try.¡±


    As he said that, I focused intently on his face. After what happened at the wall, I thought I had a rudimentary understanding of how magic worked but I still wanted to confirm a few things.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.


    His eyes stared blankly into the distance for a second, probably from having accessed his shelf. Next his posture shifted and his eyes darted swiftly in various directions. He focused on the foot of the hill and closed his eyes. He raised a finger and began moving it in the air as if he was tracing a route on a map. He opened his eyes and pointed back in the direction from where we had come.


    ¡°You mean they¡¯re still in the city?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, I said I found traces of them while we were running away, didn¡¯t I? They definitely left the city, and I¡¯m fairly certain they used the same exit we did.¡±


    ¡°But we didn¡¯t run into each other?¡±


    ¡°They left after we did. Probably an hour or two later.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I said. ¡°How do you know that?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s simple, really. Since we couldn¡¯t find them at the store and they weren¡¯t at the inn, they must have gotten caught up in an incident. By the time they were done, we were in the Collar¡¯s district, or at least at the wall.¡±


    ¡°Couldn¡¯t they have gone looking for us at the market?¡±


    That¡¯s what I had assumed when we couldn¡¯t find them. A comical error where we both went searching for each other but ended up where the other had started.


    ¡°No, they have Ms. Cramer. They wouldn¡¯t just assume we were still at the marketplace, instead, Ms. Cramer would have searched for us with her magic.¡±


    Of course! That made a lot more sense.


    ¡°But wait,¡± I said. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you find them with your magic while we were in the city?¡±


    ¡°My magic doesn¡¯t work that way. Ms. Cramer¡¯s magic works as far as she can hear, and it is a lot more effective than mine. All I can do is look for clues, and use them to answer questions and solve problems.¡±


    ¡°I see.¡± His was like a detective skill, while Elenor¡¯s was like echolocation.


    ¡°Which is why all we need to do now, is wait,¡± he said.


    ¡°Wait?¡±


    ¡°Yes, wait. Ms. Cramer should fine us soon enough.¡±


    ¡°You have a lot of confidence in Elenor. Did you know her before we met in Sett?¡± I eyed the red-haired boy sitting by the rock.


    ¡°No, but how could I not have confidence in her? She¡¯s the Broken Witch¡¯s apprentice! I mean, that¡¯s why I had so much confidence in you, after all. Even though you were doing something absolutely crazy!¡±


    I blinked. ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Well if you weren¡¯t the Broken Witch¡¯s apprentice, I would have never followed you into a burning building after you¡¯d been blazing magic for so long. That was so risky, burning your book to make sure we got out safely. My heart was in my throat the whole time!¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said halfheartedly while I considered what I had just learned. It made a couple of questions come to mind.


    Why had Elenor told him I was Moxy¡¯s apprentice, and what was that about burning books?


    ¡°You recovered so quickly too,¡± he continued. ¡°Master said it usually takes people a long time to recover from burning a book, especially if it¡¯s a powerful one like yours. Oh, I know!¡±


    I had shifted my gaze to the stars while wondering about what Ben had said but now I brought it back.


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you test your new burnt magic while we wait?¡± said Ben.


    I got up to look at him.


    ¡°Only if you want to, of course,¡± he said, quickly. ¡°I understand if you want to keep it a secret.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s just¡­¡±


    He waited for me to continue but I didn¡¯t. Honestly, my understanding of magic was still pretty slim, and I had no idea how to use this new burnt power he was talking about.


    ¡°Master said you can use burnt magic just like regular magic. Just grab the burnt book from your shelf and the rest should come to you naturally,¡± said Ben, as if he¡¯d read my thoughts.


    He was probably still using his detective magic, so maybe he was kind of reading my thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll try.¡±


    I pictured my shelf in the back of my mind, however, I couldn¡¯t find any burnt books. It was the same familiar mahogany shelf floating in an awkward part of my vision, with a large green tome and a smaller leather book standing on top of it.


    ¡°Huh,¡± I said. ¡°Guess I didn¡¯t burn it after all.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± asked Ben, his eyes widening. ¡°But you were using it for so long. Was it a large book?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t. I guess I must have stopped at the last moment.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s pretty impressive. Just what you¡¯d expect from the Broken Witch¡¯s apprentice.¡±


    That title didn¡¯t seem very flattering to me, but I didn¡¯t rebuke him. Elenor probably had a reason for associating me with Moxy, and I had a hunch what it was.


    ¡°Is there a way we could help Elenor find us without giving ourselves away to the guards?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, we can do this.¡± Ben snapped his fingers.


    And so, we waited by a moonlit stone on a grassy hill under the stars while snapping our fingers.

 Episode 5 Scene 3

    ¡°Val!¡±


    ¡°Elenor!¡±


    We reunited with the others as the moon reached its zenith. We¡¯d heard them long before we¡¯d seen them, as Sally¡¯s footsteps echoed across the empty plains, and the clinking of Jerome¡¯s contraptions rang up to the hill.


    Elenor was on Sally¡¯s back, and the large red gash on her thigh explained why. Jerome was also in bad shape, with soot all over his face, and the left side of his shirt in tatters. He was also limping slightly, favoring his left leg where his knee squeaked. Sally was breathing heavily and her boots were caked in mud, dirt, and ash, but she seemed fine otherwise. Her trusty pickaxe looked a little battered but it was still useable.


    ¡°Ben!¡± cried Jerome. ¡°What happened to your leg?¡±


    ¡°Twisted my ankle a little,¡± said Ben. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. More importantly, what happened to you guys?¡±


    ¡°Got caught in a little scuffle,¡± said Sally as she laid Elenor down beside the big rock. ¡°The F3 militia was trying to mediate between some guards and rioters, but things went sour and they ended up fighting both. Some of the guards recognized us and thought we were with the militia, and almost hit us with the turret.¡±


    That didn¡¯t sound like a little scuffle.


    I eyed the cut in Elenor¡¯s thigh. ¡°How deep is it?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not that bad,¡± said Elenor.


    Sally sat in front of Elenor while Jerome sat beside Ben.


    ¡°We need to cover it up,¡± said Sally. ¡°You said you¡¯d let me do it once we found them.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± said Elenor.


    Sally ripped up her own tattered robe and tied it around Elenor¡¯s wound. It helped slow down the bleeding but it was a temporary measure at best.


    ¡°We should have bought medical supplies,¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°We probably would have left them behind like we did the tent,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°We couldn¡¯t bring the food either,¡± I added.


    We were hungry and wounded, and the closest city was a cesspool of disasters. Even the refreshing breeze couldn¡¯t lift the cloud of melancholy hanging over us. Ben helped Jerome fix his mechanical knee while Sally and I tended to Elenor.


    ¡°I¡¯ll sneak into the city in the morning and get something to clean your wound with,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Don¡¯t, it¡¯s too risky. Besides, all the shops will be closed,¡± said Elenor.


    I looked at her wound more closely. It was long and narrow, so it was probably made by a sword or spear. Some dust and blades of grass was stuck around its edges, which I tried to clean with the rag Sally had given me. There was a stream nearby so I went to dip the rag in it.


    Crystal clear water flowed down the stream, reflecting silver moonlight in its gentle current. I thoroughly wet one end of the rag while ringing the water out of the other. I returned to Ben telling the others how we had escaped the city.


    ¡°¡­ and then she used her unburnt magic to persuade the guards to leave, and the rioters to help us put out the fire raging over the escape tunnel. It was amazing, she had us all eating out of the palm of her hand in an instant. Even I got caught up in it, and barely reacted when she grabbed me and jumped into the building.¡±


    ¡°You jumped into a burning building?¡± asked Sally.


    ¡°That would explain why the back of your arms are so raw,¡± said Jerome, looking at Ben¡¯s arms.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that impressive,¡± I said. I walked over to Elenor and began wiping the dirt, blood, and grass from her wound.


    ¡°No, it was! She even kept it running until we reached this hill. Kept it running continuously,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°That is impressive,¡± said Sally. ¡°Impressive mental fortitude, as expected of the witch¡¯s apprentice.¡±


    As Sally said that, I looked at Elenor, who was facing Ben while rhythmically tapping her fingers like she always did. However, when I glanced at her, she mouthed, ¡°Later.¡±


    ¡°It was nothing,¡± I said.


    ¡°What do you mean? You fainted from exhaustion! I even thought you¡¯d burnt your book,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t,¡± I said. I decided to change the subject. ¡°Is it okay for us to stay here? We¡¯re still close to the city.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± said Sally. ¡°But this is the best cover for miles. The road to Devel is on the other side of the city, and it¡¯ll be the first place the guards will check.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s in that direction?¡± I said, pointing straight ahead.


    ¡°The national border with Clef,¡± replied Sally. ¡°Correction, the heavily guarded national border with Clef.¡±This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    ¡°Can we get to Devel without the road?¡± Ben asked.


    ¡°Maybe, but it¡¯ll be hard with so many injured people,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I can walk,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°You¡¯re lucky we didn¡¯t have to cut your leg off,¡± said Sally. ¡°I¡¯ll carry you until it gets better, but it¡¯ll take forever to get to Devel like this. Especially because of Ben¡¯s ankle.¡±


    ¡°He can use my walking stick,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°Still, we¡¯d be in no position to defend ourselves if something happened. You hired us to keep you safe, and we¡¯ve already failed to an unforgiveable degree. We won¡¯t let it happen again, even if we have to wait a month for your leg to heal,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Can¡¯t you build something to help us walk, old man?¡± asked Ben.


    ¡°If I had the materials and a couple of years, sure,¡± replied Jerome. ¡°What we need right now is a healer. Know any good healers in Chart, Sally?¡±


    ¡°Not personally, but we could get one at the Healer¡¯s Guild.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯ll give priority to the guards,¡± said Jerome. ¡°We won¡¯t get a turn at the guild for weeks, assuming we aren¡¯t arrested before that.¡±


    ¡°Damn healers, sucking up to the government,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°I thought the guilds were closer to the Side Party. Why wouldn¡¯t the Healer¡¯s Guild help the rioters first?¡± asked Elenor.


    ¡°The guilds are all technically neutral,¡± explained Jerome. ¡°The Side Party takes the best care of their interests, so most guilds support them, but the only people with healing books are Headers and rich Cheeks, who tend to support the Front Party, which is why healers are usually partial to the government.¡±


    ¡°Are healing books that rare?¡± I asked as a thought came to my mind.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Sally. ¡°The government rarely gives out new ones, and when they do, they get auctioned off for insane prices. And since no one burns them, they get passed down within rich families. In fact, if someone gets a healing book, they¡¯ve pretty much guaranteed Header status for their family a few generations down the road.¡±


    I looked at Elenor¡¯s leg.


    ¡°I wonder¡­¡± I looked around while speaking, then stood up and ran back to the stream. I scoured its banks and found a spiky plant hidden under a rock just outside the water. I dug the mud around its root and picked up the plant, then ran back to the others.


    ¡°Sally, can I borrow your knife?¡± I asked.


    Everyone stared at the plant in my hand. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Sally.


    ¡°An Alver plant,¡± I answered. ¡°Knife, please.¡±


    She took off the knife hanging around her belt, and put it in my outstretched hand. I placed the Alver on the ground, unsheathed the knife, and chopped off one of its spiky leaves. I peeled off the skin, which got rid of the spikes, and revealed the soft, fibrous flesh inside.


    ¡°Anyone have a needle?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yeah, I should have one in here somewhere,¡± said Jerome as he rummaged through his pockets. ¡°Ow! Yep, here you go.¡±


    ¡°What are you trying to do?¡± asked Elenor.


    ¡°Disinfecting,¡± I said as I pressed my fingers against the peeled Alver, and a sticky liquid came out. I rubbed the liquid over Elenor¡¯s wound, ignoring her uncomfortable wincing. Then I used the knife to separate a thin fiber from the plant¡¯s flesh. I held up the needle, squinted with one eye, and threaded the fiber into the needle-head.


    ¡°Sally, could you hold Elenor¡¯s arms, please?¡± I said.


    ¡°Wait, tell me what you¡¯re going to do, first,¡± said Elenor.


    Since Sally didn¡¯t budge, I acquiesced. Really though, questioning the doctor was not good practice. ¡°I¡¯m going to stitch up her wound so it heals faster.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to stitch it?¡± said Jerome. ¡°Like a tailor?¡±


    ¡°Somewhat like that, yes,¡± I replied. Of course, only a fellow admirer of science could understand my intentions so quickly.


    ¡°I¡¯m not a piece of cloth,¡± protested Elenor.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, Alver juices are both antiseptic and anesthetic, your entire leg should be numb right now.¡±


    Elenor prodded her leg. ¡°Oh no, I can¡¯t feel my leg. No!¡±


    Silly girl. I looked at Jerome and shrugged. These unscientific people were so smallminded. Jerome met my gaze with a blank look. Had he succumbed to the pressure of the ignorant?


    Sally¡¯s eyes were widening and Ben was frowning while looking at me.


    ¡°You¡¯re using magic, aren¡¯t you?¡± said Ben.


    ¡°Magic is what the ignorant call Science!¡± I replied. ¡°I am merely using my knowledge of the medical arts to take care of my lovely patient.¡±


    ¡°Yep, she¡¯s using magic,¡± said Ben.


    I sighed. Communicating with cavemen was incredibly difficult. Well, I did not need to communicate with them to carry out my duty.


    I faced Elenor again. ¡°I highly advise letting our good friend over there hold you down, lest you overreact to the faint discomfort you may feel during the procedure. And hurry, the anesthetic effect should wear off fairly quickly.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s got a healing book¡­¡± Sally said.


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Elenor after another moment¡¯s hesitation. She tapped her finger and turned her face toward me. She took a deep breath. ¡°Go for it.¡±


    I stitched up her wound, rubbed some more of the Alver juice over it, then wrapped it with a cloth I had washed with stream water and Alver juice.


    ¡°And for you, Mr. Stane,¡± I said, turning to Ben.


    Ben jumped. ¡°Wait, I don¡¯t need to get tailored!¡±


    ¡°Of course you don¡¯t need stitches, silly boy,¡± I said, shaking my head. ¡°Let me see that ankle.¡±


    He reluctantly put his foot on my lap when I sat beside him. I put a stick behind his ankle and wrapped it tightly with some rags.


    ¡°Grab a stick to lean on and you¡¯ll be good to go,¡± I said.


    ¡°I see,¡± he said. ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Now do you see the value of the medical arts?¡±


    ¡°You can stop using your magic now.¡±


    ¡°No, there is still something I must do.¡± I took some peeled Alver, put it inside a piece of cloth, and scrunched it up as best I could.


    ¡°Rub this on your burns, Ma¡¯am.¡± I gave it to Sally.


    Sally rubbed the dripping cloth on her face and shoulders.


    ¡°Please pass it to the others,¡± I said.


    By the time I¡¯d replaced the Alver leaves inside the cloth a few times, we had all rubbed it on our wounds.


    I tied the cloth around my leg, stood up, and took a deep breath. ¡°This air is great! We should go for a jog. Exercise is the most important part of healthy living!¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to use your magic anymore, Val,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°But that¡¯s unsafe! What if something happens after I stop using it? The medical arts are the greatest lifeline known to humanity, foregoing them would be akin to suicide. Nay, murder!¡±


    ¡°Please stop using your magic Val,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°I need to make sure you have a safe recovery, Ms. Cramer. I cannot, in good conscience, abandon a patient before they are fully recovered.¡±


    ¡°Then just check again in an hour.¡±


    ¡°What if something happens within that hour? Complications and abnormalities do not have a clock.¡±


    ¡°But your magic does,¡± said Ben. ¡°If you burn it, you wouldn¡¯t be able to use your medical arts for at least a day.¡±


    I looked at the book hovering over the shelf in my mind. The pages were flicking back to the start at a swift rate but it wasn¡¯t even a hundredth of the way through.


    ¡°It is fine, I can use it all night.¡±


    ¡°Please don¡¯t. We may need it in the morning,¡± said Elenor.


    I nodded. ¡°That¡¯s true! In fact, I am certain we will need the assistance of the medical arts once we begin moving. Very well.¡±


    I let the Cannon fall back onto the shelf. I also let go of the breath I¡¯d been holding.


    ¡°Glad that worked out,¡± I said.


    ¡°Having a healer in the party is a blessing,¡± said Ben as he stared at me. ¡°But¡­¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve never wanted to punch a client so hard in my life,¡± muttered Sally.


    ¡°I think I¡¯ll let my legs rot next time,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t that bad¡­¡± remarked Jerome.


    I looked away.

 Episode 5 Scene 4

    We spent the night behind the rock on the hill, rotating watches to avoid getting ambushed by the guards. I didn¡¯t have any nightmares this time, which was a pleasant surprise.


    ¡°What¡¯s this about me being Moxy¡¯s apprentice?¡± I asked Elenor.


    Everyone else had gone foraging for food while I stayed back to look after her. It was still early in the morning and the sun wasn¡¯t out yet. I was rubbing Alver juice around her wound while Sally went to clean the cloth that we¡¯d wrapped around it.


    ¡°We can hide your empty cheeks and neck from most people by wrapping you up, but Sally¡¯s team would notice your lack of signs eventually, so I needed an explanation. The easiest one to give was that you were raised by Moxy like I was, and she didn¡¯t make you burn the Book of Sett, or the Book of Bitany, or whichever book the Bitanists of Fore make the poor burn to get a free meal at their temples. I had to tell them you were a Humanist though, so keep that in mind,¡± said Elenor.


    So that¡¯s why I didn¡¯t need to hide my face around them.


    ¡°Then why do I have to hide my face around other people? Can¡¯t I just say I was raised by Moxy.¡±


    ¡°Because most people don¡¯t know Moxy, or if they do, they don¡¯t respect her. It may have worked in Sett, but not in Chart or any of the other cities we have to go to now.¡±


    ¡°What was so special about Sett?¡± I felt like I already knew the answer.


    ¡°Because it¡¯s the only city controlled by the Side Party, who don¡¯t think believing in the god One instead of the goddess Bit is grounds for execution.¡±


    Of course. The party that just threw all of Chart into chaos is also the most respectful of religious minorities.


    ¡°Wait, then why are you hanging around uncovered? What if people find out you¡¯re a Humanist?¡±


    She smiled. ¡°I¡¯ll be fine. Most people who look at me don¡¯t think I¡¯m a heretic or whatever. They just think I can¡¯t read because I¡¯m blind.¡±


    Sally appeared in the distance, holding a wet cloth.


    ¡°That¡¯s not to say most people are mean,¡± Elenor continued. ¡°I really wouldn¡¯t be able to read if I hadn¡¯t met Moxy. She had this special book that you didn¡¯t need to see to read, and after I burned my first book, I could use magic to read the rest.¡±


    ¡°Your magic is pretty amazing,¡± I said.


    ¡°So is yours,¡± said Sally as she reached us on top of the hill. ¡°Ben¡¯s still gushing over it, despite the unpleasant side-effects.¡±


    ¡°I already apologized, alright?¡± I said.


    ¡°You didn¡¯t need to. You can¡¯t help a little personality warping with unburnt magic. However, yours is the worst case I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Sally smirked.


    ¡°That¡¯s not my fault!¡±


    ¡°Hey, I never said it was. It isn¡¯t a bad thing either, since it makes your magic more effective.¡±


    ¡°Does it really?¡± Sounded like bullshit to me.


    ¡°Depends on how you think unburnt magic works. Since unburnt magic can¡¯t manifest outside your body, is a change of personality a sign of how strong your magic is, or does changing your personality make the internal manifestations of unburnt magic stronger? Personally, I think it doesn¡¯t matter. Even if it doesn¡¯t make your magic stronger, it does at least show how powerful it is.¡±This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Unburnt magic doesn¡¯t work outside my body ¨C that was good to know. The Cannon helped me treat Elenor¡¯s wounds, but it couldn¡¯t heal her directly. Would burnt magic let me do that?


    Judging by how Ben thought I¡¯d burnt The Tempest after using it for so long, I guessed the way to burn a book was to let it flip all the way to the start. I considered burning The Cannon but I recalled the conversation I¡¯d had with Ben last night. To get the benefits of burning The Cannon, I¡¯d have to throw away the ability to treat wounds the way I¡¯d treated Elenor¡¯s.


    I decided to wait. I still didn¡¯t know enough about magic and didn¡¯t want to mess anything up. For now, I¡¯d make do with unburnt magic.


    I also had to be careful with the third slot on my shelf. The books I had now didn¡¯t improve my fighting abilities, so I needed one that did. I needed a book like the one Demetrius must have used to defeat me the day he stole the House of Wisdom.


    Could I use The Cannon or The Tempest to fight? Maybe. I needed to practice using them, first.


    ¡°How are we planning to get to Devel, now that Ben and I can sort of walk on our own?¡± asked Elenor.


    ¡°As long as Val¡¯s magic keeps you two in shape, we can afford to circle around the city. It should be safe to go onto the road after the first rest-stop but I don¡¯t want to risk it. We should aim for the second rest-stop and try to stick to flat ground for as long as possible,¡± replied Sally.


    ¡°How will we find our way without the road?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Jerome¡¯s great with directions. He¡¯s got this weird invention, and one of those high-clearance maps from his militia days. I never get lost when I¡¯m with him,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°He was in the militia?¡± asked Elenor. ¡°I thought he just made weapons for them.¡±


    ¡°He started out in the Fighter¡¯s Guild, if you can believe it. He was a genius with the spear, but when he joined the F3 militia, they made him guard the Fiddler¡¯s Guild in Bass, and ever since then, he¡¯s been making exploding torches and collapsing boxes.¡±


    I stared at the black-haired blue-eyed woman sitting in front of me as she told us about her friend¡¯s past. The burns ¨C or signs, as Elenor and the others called them ¨C on her cheeks were shaped like water droplets. Her red, leather shirt seemed strange and itchy, but it looked great with her black trousers.


    She¡¯d taken first shift last night saying she needed to sharpen the pickaxe peeking over her head, but she was probably just being responsible as always.


    ¡°How did the two of you meet?¡± I asked.


    ¡°We¡¯re not together.¡±


    ¡°No, I didn¡¯t mean ¨C¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m just messing with ya,¡± said Sally with a chuckle. ¡°We met in Devel during a guild assignment. The client needed a fiddler and a fighter, and there were no teams with that composition in the city at the time. The assignment went well and the two of us got along, so we formalized the team when we got back. Team assignments pay way more than individual ones, so it was something we were both looking to do anyway.¡±


    The guilds sounded like great places to find contacts in this world. I¡¯d been interested in the guilds for a while and this was the perfect opportunity to get some info.


    ¡°Can anyone join a guild?¡± I asked.


    ¡°If you can pass the test, yes,¡± said Sally. ¡°But they only hold their tests once a year.¡±


    ¡°When¡¯s the next one?¡±


    ¡°For the F3 Guilds, it¡¯s usually the thirty-first of December.¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s the date today?¡±


    ¡°Yesterday was the twelfth, I think, so today should be the thirteenth.¡±


    ¡°Of which month?¡±


    ¡°June.¡±


    ¡°Right, of course,¡± I said. ¡°Sorry, I¡¯m bad with time.¡±


    Sally laughed. ¡°It¡¯s okay. We¡¯ve got a saying back at the guild: time is fake. One of the smarter things us muscle-brains have come up with, that¡¯s for sure.¡±


    I smiled politely while considering the information she¡¯d given me.


    I had considered hiring some finders in Sett and Chart to keep a look out for Demetrius in those cities, but the money Moxy had given us wasn¡¯t enough to cover it. If I could earn some quick inketts in Devel before we left, I could maybe hire one there, or at least put out a reward for information.


    ¡°Oh, but if you¡¯re looking to join one, the Healer¡¯s Guild should be holding its tests in a week or two. You can give it a go once we reach Bendeck,¡± said Sally.


    That wouldn¡¯t help me look for him on the way, but it would be useful after I contacted Henry, Moxy¡¯s tip for finding the next Wonder. The thought reminded me of how much further I still had to go. We were still two cities away from the capital, and even that would only help me begin my search.


    After Ben and Jerome returned, we ate the berries and fruits they had collected, and helped Elenor to her feet. She could walk at a leisurely pace with the help of her stick but she set the pace for the rest of us.


    We left the hill and began making our way to Devel.

 Episode 5 Scene 5

    ¡°Jerome!¡±


    ¡°Give me a second.¡±


    ¡°Hurry the hell up,¡± shouted Sally as she swung her pickaxe at a swarm of red dots.


    Explosions rang out as brown pellets shot out of the swarm. Sally weaved between the pellets, dodged the small impact craters that littered the field, and swung her pickaxe through the swarm.


    However, the swarm was huge and the dots were incredibly fast. Only some of them splattered against the flat side of her pickaxe before falling to the ground. For some reason, the brown pellets didn¡¯t explode when they struck Sally¡¯s pickaxe, which annoyed Sally.


    ¡°Damned thing, can¡¯t you stop being resistant to magic and be resistant to magical explosions for a bit?¡± As her lengthy grumblings would suggest, she wasn¡¯t worried about the dots and their bombs, since she hadn¡¯t gotten hit once. Perhaps pissed off would be a more accurate description.


    I stood far away from the action, observing the battle with Elenor and Ben by my side. Jerome stood further ahead, just far enough that the dots wouldn¡¯t go after him but close enough that he could jump to Sally¡¯s rescue if he needed to. He was tinkering with a metal ring that could probably fit around my fist.


    ¡°Almost done¡­¡± he said.


    ¡°Do you want me to die to a swarm of specks?¡± shouted Sally.


    ¡°Specks can¡¯t kill someone of your size,¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°They can bloody well try!¡±


    ¡°And there we go!¡± He tapped the ring and it tingled.


    ¡°Gimme,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Wait,¡± said Jerome as he gripped the ring from two ends, and looked at the swarm through the hole. ¡°Right, it should be just big enough.¡±


    ¡°Come on!¡±


    ¡°Fine.¡± He threw it to her as she dropped her pickaxe.


    Holding the metal ring between her cupped hands, she jumped away from the swarm, and aimed. ¡°About time.¡±


    The ring buzzed and a bright light zapped towards the swarm of specks. There was a flash as it hit, and a loud buzz followed. Charred specks fell on the ground as Sally lowered her arms. She was breathing heavily but her clothes were untouched. Apart from a light dust on her boots, she¡¯d managed to avoid most of the debris from the explosions, too.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°Damn specks. Good thing they went for me or this would have been a lot harder than it was,¡± said Sally as she handed Jerome the ring.


    ¡°Good thing you had me, or you¡¯d have been here all day, trying to swat them outta the air,¡± said Jerome as he pocketed the ring.


    ¡°Oh, like you could have used that thing without me here to distract them.¡± Sally picked up her pickaxe.


    ¡°That¡¯s why we¡¯re a team, partner.¡± Jerome went up to the carpet of red dots and crouched.


    I started making my way over but Ben put a hand out to stop me. I looked at him and he pointed at Jerome.


    ¡°I don¡¯t think we got the boomers,¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°Lightning doesn¡¯t go through earth, does it?¡± said Sally as she joined him.


    ¡°Should we let them go?¡±


    ¡°No, they might come back with more specks. I¡¯ll try to use this pickaxe the way it was meant to.¡±


    ¡°You mean kill tiny brown monsters?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± said Sally as she struck the ground with her pickaxe.


    My knees shook from the impact and grass was blown all the way to where we stood. A few of the dead specks landed on my feet and I crouched to look at them.


    They were red spheres with no eyes, ears, or other discernable organs or appendages of any sort. Their skin was smooth, and the ones who weren¡¯t completely charred black, gave off a glossy sheen. A couple had been split apart, and dripped red blood and entrails.


    ¡°And another one,¡± said Sally as she brought the pickaxe down again.


    After a few more ground-shaking hits, Sally wiped the sweat from her brow, and motioned for us to come over.


    ¡°Sorry that took so long, these things are always annoying to deal with,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°It¡¯s okay,¡± said Elenor as she tapped her stick on the ground. ¡°I appreciate the thoroughness.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t sense any of them down there?¡± asked Jerome.


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    ¡°Perfect.¡±


    ¡°Did they drop anything?¡± asked Ben.


    Oh, was this like one of those video game worlds where monsters dropped items?


    ¡°No, can¡¯t expect a book from pests like these,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Darn,¡± said Ben, echoing my thoughts.


    Being able to get books from monsters sounded like my kind of video game. If I¡¯d found out that lame game my friends used to play ¨C Choices or something ¨C had stuff like this, I might have tried it.


    ¡°Honestly, this is the worst part of going off-road. Monsters rarely come onto the main roads these days,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Guess it was a good thing we hired you after all,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°Of course!¡± said Sally. ¡°We won¡¯t let these things trouble you at all. Just sit back and watch the show, Ms. Cramer.¡±


    ¡°I told you, call me Elenor.¡±


    ¡°As long as you¡¯re the client, I can¡¯t refer to you with your middle name.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s okay.¡± Elenor smiled. ¡°It¡¯s my first name.¡±


    ¡°Right, you were a Humanist,¡± said Sally. ¡°Still, it¡¯s guild policy.¡±


    ¡°What about Val?¡±


    ¡°She¡¯s a part of the client¡¯s party, not the client herself. That¡¯s different.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t tell the guild if you won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°But if someone finds out¡­¡±


    ¡°Just tell them I was part of the client¡¯s party, not the client herself.¡±


    Sally frowned. ¡°Then who¡¯s the client?¡±


    ¡°Make something up. Say it was Moxy,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°But it wasn¡¯t¡­¡±


    ¡°Is anyone going to go ask her?¡±


    ¡°Ask the Broken Witch?¡± said Sally. ¡°Alright, fine. No one can find the Broken Witch, let alone meet her. Pleased to meet you, Elenor.¡±


    Elenor smiled. ¡°Likewise, Sally.¡±


    Jerome clapped his hands. ¡°Now that that¡¯s settled, let¡¯s get going. I¡¯d like to reach that thicket of trees before nightfall.¡± He pointed far ahead.


    That didn¡¯t look like a thicket of trees so much as a slightly darker line on the horizon. Regardless, we kept walking.

 Episode 5 Scene 6

    We had to camp under the night sky, twice, before we reached the rest-stop.


    ¡°That should be it,¡± said Jerome as he pointed to a ramshackle mud-hut in the distance.


    The road in front of the hut was empty, unlike the road leading to the rest-stop between Sett and Chart. The hut itself was larger than any hut I had ever seen, standing at least three stories tall despite looking like it was about to collapse under its own weight at any time. If this wasn¡¯t a magical world, I wouldn¡¯t have felt safe going in there.


    ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Ben.


    ¡°Here, take a look,¡± said Jerome as he let Ben see the compass and map in his hand. I was standing between the two of them so I got a look as well.


    The compass looked like any old compass from a museum back home. Glass cover, pointy metal needle, and the four cardinal directions. I could confirm that the hut in front of us was to the East, and the sun was to the West of us.


    I stared at the map. It showed Sett, Chart, Devel, and Bass on the same major road, with the capital city Bendeck far to the East. There were no other towns or villages in between, with the only other markings on the map showing the rest-stops between the cities, and a blacked out part labeled ¡®Broken Woods¡¯ to the West.


    The map only showed the country of Fore, but it did label the desert to the South the ¡®Indent Desert,¡¯ and an arrow pointing South of the desert said, ¡®To Clef.¡¯ To the North of Fore was another blacked out space title simply ¡®The Ocean,¡¯ which also wrapped around the Eastern edge of the continent of Illustair.


    ¡°This does seem like the place,¡± said Ben.


    The rest-stop we were walking towards was labeled ¡®Villa Serenity¡¯ on the map, which was why we were having a little trouble reconciling ourselves to its appearance. However, the sun was approaching the horizon and we were tired of sleeping without a roof over our heads. I was especially looking forward to taking a bath, since dipping into streams wasn¡¯t enough to clean the grime on my knees.


    We approached the front of the hut and found a sign with ¡®Villa Serenity¡¯ lazily scribbled onto it. Sally opened the door and I crinkled my nose at the musty smell that came out. A bell rang, signaling our arrival.


    The inside was dim, with a candle burning on a window ledge. The window itself was so dirty it blended into the dirt walls. There was a counter at the back of the room, and I could barely make out some tables and chairs scattered across the rest of the room.


    There were other people here. A disheveled middle-aged man sat behind the counter, smoking a pipe with his legs on the counter. A couple of men sat on the chairs closest to the candle. The older one had a scraggly grey beard that hid his mouth, and the younger one was bald. Both wore the same outfit ¨C leather shirts and brown pants ¨C and their cheeks had the water droplet signs of Devel on them.


    Sally stopped and cast her gaze at the men by the candle. Jerome stepped up instead and led us to the counter.


    ¡°Hi, how much for a night?¡± asked Jerome.


    ¡°Ten inketts for a single, twenty for a double, thirty for a triple,¡± replied the man behind the counter, without getting up.


    ¡°Give us a triple and a double then, please.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll be fifty inketts.¡±


    Sally hit the counter with her hand and said, ¡°Hey dumbass, don¡¯t try to shank us without meeting our eyes.¡±


    ¡°What did you say?¡± The guy pulled his feet from the countertop and leaned into the candlelight.


    ¡°I heard you¡¯d come to this dump, but you¡¯re still here, Skinner?¡± Sally smiled.


    ¡°Sally?¡± said the guy, Skinner. ¡°Sally, the bloody miner, Josef. The hell you still doing with that pickaxe?¡± He lowered his voice while looking over at the couple by the candle. ¡°And did ya have to be so loud?¡±


    Sally leaned over the counter. ¡°Course I still have the pickaxe. Not all of us can afford to leave the guild to go live off a dead aunt¡¯s estate.¡±


    Skinner chortled. ¡°What estate? I got stuck with a bloody inn in the middle of nowhere. Nobody even comes here after they built the other road.¡±


    ¡°They built another road?¡± asked Jerome.


    ¡°Yeah, just a few miles North of here. It cut travel time by a day so they didn¡¯t even need to make a second rest-stop.¡±


    ¡°Must have built it recently because I¡¯ve never heard of it.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just finished it a couple of months ago. Now what can I get for ya?¡± Skinner opened a cabinet and pulled out a dirty glass bottle. ¡°I have some 1643 Cleffan wine, straight from Straf. We have some ale in the back drawer, and a little whisky that I wouldn¡¯t recommend to the kids.


    ¡°Just the rooms, Skinner,¡± said Sally. ¡°How much?¡±


    ¡°For you?¡± Skinner smiled. ¡°Sixty inketts.¡±


    ¡°The hell?¡±


    ¡°You still owe me for that rescue at the bandit¡¯s Den.¡±


    ¡°That was five years ago! Besides, I saved your sorry ass too, didn¡¯t I?¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    ¡°I never asked you to.¡±


    ¡°Neither did I.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Skinner as he wiped the counter with a dirty rag that only made the counter dirtier. ¡°Fifty-five and I¡¯ll forgive you for that sword you broke when we first met.¡±


    ¡°You beat me up for that,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°You deserved it. It was my favorite sword.¡±


    ¡°You know what, fine,¡± said Sally. ¡°We¡¯ll sleep outside. Come on guys.¡± She motioned for us to follow her out.


    ¡°Alright, alright,¡± said Skinner. ¡°Fifty?¡±


    ¡°Thirty.¡±


    ¡°Come on, you know I¡¯m not getting any business here. Cut me some slack.¡±


    ¡°This is still an official rest-stop, don¡¯t you get a subsidy from the government?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s barely enough for some beer. Can¡¯t expect me to drink beer.¡± He almost spat that last word out.


    ¡°Thirty-five,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Forty-five,¡± he said.


    ¡°Thirty-five.¡±


    ¡°You were supposed to say forty!¡±


    ¡°Forty? Deal.¡±


    ¡°No, no deal!¡± Skinner threw the rag to the side and rummaged under the counter. ¡°You know what, fine. Take em for forty. But you¡¯re paying extra for breakfast.¡±


    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to eat anything you cook anyway, Skinner.¡± Sally chuckled as she grabbed the keys from the grumbling Skinner.


    ¡°Not going to take us to our rooms?¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Screw off,¡± said Skinner as he sat on his chair and plopped his feet onto the counter again.


    I couldn¡¯t see what he looked like because of the low light, but I caught a glimpse of his face as Sally lead us to the stairs.


    His black hair was pulled back over his head, and a short, cropped beard ran just under his lips. His eyebrows looked like someone had painted tiny lines on lumps above his eyes. His black shirt was ripped in numerous places, revealing a dirty yellow shirt beneath it. The air around him reeked of the strange cigar he was smoking.


    There was nothing surprising upstairs. Our rooms were at the end of the corridor, next to the stairs that led up to the second floor. None of the rooms I¡¯d crossed seemed occupied, and the floor was covered in dust.


    There was a bath on the other end of the corridor. Elenor went straight for it so I waited in our room with Sally. Sitting on the bed, I tried to rub the dirt off the window but it was caked from the outside too. We lit the candle with a match from the matchbox on the dresser.


    At least this world had matches. I was wondering how far technology had advanced in this world. If they had so many books from our world, it made sense for there to be more inventions around. Yet, I hadn¡¯t seen any electric lights or cars, so far. Maybe the Header¡¯s kept them in their part of the cities.


    ¡°Is that guy your friend?¡± I asked, looking for something to talk about.


    ¡°Yeah, Skinner and I ran a few assignments together. He was one of the best fighters we had in the guild in Devel. Amazing with a sword, that guy. He could¡¯ve sliced the specks and boomers from a couple of days ago all on his own. That was before he lost his hand, though.¡±


    ¡°He lost his hand?¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah. Don¡¯t tell him I told you that. He likes to hide it under those tied up sleeves.¡± Sally sat on her bed. ¡°We never should have taken that assignment. Fighting monsters is one thing, but fighting people is completely different. The guild thought it was just bandits, but those assholes from Inline were involved.¡±


    ¡°Inline?¡± I¡¯d heard that name before.


    ¡°The government¡¯s secret police. They¡¯ve got their nose in everything from Sett to Epil. Nothing good happens when they¡¯re involved. The bandits were bait. Inline thought there were Project Poppy members in Devel¡¯s Fighter¡¯s Guild so they were going to kidnap us to extract some intel.¡±


    Damn, that sounded terrifying. ¡°But you escaped?¡±


    Sally laughed. ¡°Escaped? We beat their sorry asses into the ground! I must have smacked a dozen of them into the air myself. Course, we couldn¡¯t kill them or we¡¯d be rounded up for execution. Only reason they didn¡¯t send any more of them after us was because we ran back to the guild as fast as we could. Once the old farts on top found out what Inline had done, they made such a fuss the Official himself apologized.¡±


    ¡°But what happened to the people who tried to kidnap and torture you?¡±


    ¡°Nothing, probably. They might have gotten reprimanded for failing but nothing¡¯s ever gonna happen to someone from Inline. They¡¯re the government¡¯s most powerful combat force. Their existence alone keeps people from joining Project Poppy.¡±


    ¡°Is Project Poppy really that scary?¡± I asked, remembering old man Ather from Sett.


    ¡°I get what you¡¯re saying,¡± said Sally pointing towards me. ¡°The government shouldn¡¯t be able to use that excuse anymore. The Project¡¯s been dead for years. People come along claiming to be members but they¡¯re all posers, none of them have the sign. Inline has no reason to exist anymore, other than putting down any Collars or Cheeks who step out of line, of course.¡±


    I recalled Ather and the Shop. Despite seeing a guy go in and out of the Shop, I felt like what Sally said made sense. Ather had seemed tired, defeated even. I couldn¡¯t picture him fighting the government or causing trouble.


    ¡°You don¡¯t seem to like the government much, Sally.¡±


    Sally leaned against the wall and looked at the ceiling. ¡°They¡¯re a bunch of lickers who won¡¯t come down from their tower to look at the people they¡¯re supposed to be working for. They spend all their time bickering about which Header family gets to run which industry without a care for how those industries work or who the people working for them are. Bah!¡±


    She put a pillow under her head. ¡°I shouldn¡¯t be talking about politics so much. None of it matters, anyway, and it always annoys people.¡±


    ¡°What annoys people?¡± asked Elenor as she entered the room.


    ¡°Nothing,¡± said Sally. ¡°Just talking politics.¡±


    ¡°I guess that can be annoying. I don¡¯t mind, though. Never had to deal with much of it in the woods.¡± Elenor was drying her brown hair with a cloth while tapping her foot while walking. She¡¯d left her stick and her glasses in the room.


    I saw her eyes for the first time, they were grey and at first glance, didn¡¯t seem particularly different. It was only when they rolled over me with no hint of recognition that I noticed she didn¡¯t have any pupils. She put her glasses on as I stood up.


    ¡°I¡¯m next,¡± I said as I left for the bath.


    It was a simple bath, with a few buckets aligned against the wall and a drain in the corner. There was a bar of hard, yellow soap that I tried to clean myself with, but I couldn¡¯t find any shampoo. The bar of soap was unscented but it did help me clear the grime that had accumulated over the exposed parts of my body.


    It felt good being clean again. I wished I could change my clothes too, but I only had one set. I decided to buy some in Devel, another addition to the long list of things we needed to acquire in the next city.


    I left the bath rubbing the water out of my ears. My hair was short so I didn¡¯t have to worry about drying it the way Elenor had to, but I wanted to dry it out quickly so I could go to bed early.


    I heard a whisper. Turning around, I saw the two men I¡¯d seen sitting by the candle downstairs. The grey-bearded one was talking to the bald one in a hushed voice while looking at me. I kept my eyes on them as I crossed the hallway, and told Sally to be careful on her way to the bath.


    ¡°I don¡¯t like this place,¡± I said to Elenor as Sally left the room.


    ¡°I agree. Something feels strange but I can¡¯t quite tell what it is,¡± said Elenor. ¡°Worst of all, my magic doesn¡¯t work very well with these walls. I can barely tell what¡¯s happening in this room.¡±


    ¡°Guess we¡¯re keeping watch again, tonight.¡±


    When Sally came back, she told us the men had disappeared. She offered to take first watch but Elenor suggested Sally take the second because she wanted to check something with her magic.


    I went to sleep fully anticipating another nightmare. If I wasn¡¯t going to have a scary dream in a spooky hotel in the middle of nowhere, there must be something wrong with the universe.

 Episode 5 Scene 7

    I rubbed my eyes. No nightmares, that was a good sign.


    I stared at the ceiling. It was damp, earthen, and looked like it could collapse at any moment. I was glad we didn¡¯t have to stay here too long. I got up because I needed to use the toilet.


    Sally sat on a chair by the door. ¡°Hey.¡±


    ¡°Hey,¡± I said. ¡°You haven¡¯t been waking me for my watch.¡±


    ¡°Elenor told us not to. Said you weren¡¯t a finder so there was no point.¡±


    ¡°But you¡¯re not a finder either?¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve got experience. And well, I only agreed because I didn¡¯t know how strong your magic was. If you want, you can take the next watch.¡± Sally leaned on her pickaxe. ¡°I could use a nap.¡±


    ¡°Got it. Just give me a minute.¡± I opened the dark wooden door, which creaked as its ancient joints protested the sudden motion.


    The hallway was dim, dimmer than it had been when I went to sleep. Only the candle by the toilet was lit, the others having blown out or run all the way to the metal plates they rested upon. Gravel crunched under my shoes as I walked towards the candle, carefully checking for uneven ground.


    The hair on my arms stood up as goosebumps popped all over my skin. The air was cool and the faint rumblings of thunder echoed in the distance. I couldn¡¯t see out of the muddy windows that lined the hallway, but I could sense the humidity in the air, feel the chilly breeze that blew in through the cracks in the wall, and hear the muffled pitter-patter of raindrops pelting the walls of the building.


    The candle by the toilet flickered. There was a crack in the wall right next to it so it was only a matter of time before the tiny dancing flame vanished in the trail of a particularly powerful gust. I didn¡¯t know what time it was, but the situation reminded me of a phrase I¡¯d read in a book by my favorite author of children¡¯s stories.


    Among his tales of humungous peaches and incredible factories, was a story about a large but good-natured giant. But of course, no matter how large and good-natured he may be, he was still a giant, so he could only appear at a special time in the night. The story had made me frightened of staying up late as a kid, despite the giant¡¯s friendliness. That was because the name itself was terrifying to a child.


    Being reminded of the witching hour while walking down a dimly lit corridor inside a creepy inn in the middle of nowhere with a thunderstorm brewing overhead, made me walk a little faster. A little too fast.


    I tripped.


    A whistle rang in my ear and the orange glow that had so warmly lit up the corridor, vanished.


    Just the wind, I told myself. Screw the boy who went solo, there¡¯s no such thing as a witching hour, Jean.


    I stood up and rubbed the dirt off my chin. I couldn¡¯t see anything but I could probably crawl over to the toilet.


    But then what? I¡¯d have to call for Sally, most likely. I could ask her to bring the candle, and hope it didn¡¯t get blown out by the wind too.


    The wind still whistled through the cracks, and I imagined the thunderstorm was in full swing. Not just because the rumblings overhead had become more frequent, but because if the storm wasn¡¯t blotting out the moon and the stars, there would have been light filtering through the cracks in the walls.


    I felt the damp earth in front of me and slowly crawled to the toilet. When my hand hit the rotting wood that was the door, I stood up with my hands feeling for the metal plate that held the candle. I found it, but had no idea how to light it.


    I pushed open the door but there was no light inside either. Surprisingly, this door didn¡¯t creak. I rummaged through what seemed like the drawers beside the sink and hit a metal box. I grabbed it. It was rough on one side. I opened the box, took out the only match inside and struck it against the rough side of the box.


    It didn¡¯t catch. The door closed as I tried to light the match but I couldn¡¯t hear it close over the whistling winds that were just as loud inside the toilet as they were in the hallway. Finally, a flame jumped to life on the end of the match with which I lit the candle I had taken from the metal plate outside.


    I put the candle on the table by the sink, and relieved myself. After washing my hands, I was about to grab the candle when I stopped.


    What was that outside? Didn¡¯t sound like the wind. It was rougher, more gravely. It was also familiar.


    ¡°You sure¡­¡± said the hushed voice from outside.


    I carefully pressed my ear against the door.


    ¡°I told you, the one with the short black hair. That¡¯s the one the boss was talking about,¡± said another voice.


    ¡°The boss is amazing. He said she¡¯d be here and she really was. I had my doubts cuz nobody comes to this place, but that¡¯s probably why she came here.¡±


    ¡°He did say she was a slippery one. He was also right about her being dumb. She stayed here even though we were right here waiting for her.¡±


    ¡°Or maybe she knows but she doesn¡¯t care.¡±


    ¡°Come on, she ain¡¯t smart enough for that.¡±


    ¡°The boss told us not to kill her. He only wants us watching. That means he doesn¡¯t think we can take her.¡±


    ¡°If she¡¯s half as strong as the boss, then that¡¯s probably true.¡±


    ¡°Still, not being as strong as a little girl rubs my teeth the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°Screw your teeth. Just go back to watching the door. Don¡¯t get too close, she¡¯s got a scary character working for her.¡±


    ¡°Who, that icepick chick?¡±


    ¡°Sally Josef. The best cadet the army had seen in years. Shot through the ranks like my aunt¡¯s toenails do on toenail day.¡±


    ¡°Screw your aunt and her toenail¡¯s. I ain¡¯t afraid of some army chick.¡±


    ¡°Dumbass, she was almost recruited by Inline. Do you understand that? Inline. Forget the girl, Sally Josef could wipe the floor with us on her own. Now get back to snooping and stay out of her sight.¡±


    ¡°Fine, whatever. Let me take a leak first.¡±


    I heard footsteps.


    ¡°Damn, this place is dark. You got a candle?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, there should be one here¡­ what was that?¡±


    A piece of wood had fallen off the door and clipped the candle¡¯s metal plate on the way down, sending a clank ringing through the air.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    ¡°Sounds like it came from the toilet.¡±


    ¡°Was someone in there?¡±


    ¡°I dunno, didn¡¯t see anyone leave.¡±


    ¡°You were watching their door, right?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, except for when you called me, that is.¡±


    ¡°Shit, what if it¡¯s her.¡±


    ¡°It can¡¯t be. But if it is¡­¡±


    ¡°You still have that amnesia magic, right?¡±


    ¡°Yep.¡±


    ¡°Good.¡±


    I backed up. Was there another door? No, there wasn¡¯t. Could I use my magic on them? What was I going to do, heal them to death?


    I put the candle on the sink and grabbed the metal plate. I stood against the wall next to the door so that it would hide me when they opened it, but then I remembered the door opened outwards.


    The handle shook. I readied my plate and brought my shelf to the back of my mind. The Cannon wouldn¡¯t be much use, but maybe I could do something with The Tempest.


    ¡°Sirs!¡±


    ¡°Oh, um¡­¡±


    ¡°Skinner.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah, hey. How¡¯s it going.¡±


    ¡°Fine, just heard some noises here so I thought I¡¯d come look. Do you want to use the toilet?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I mean, I do,¡± said one voice. ¡°He came along because I was¡­ scared.¡±


    ¡°I see. Well, if you¡¯re scared, how about you come with me now,¡± said Skinner.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, I need to use the toilet,¡± came the bearded man¡¯s voice.


    ¡°I need to use it too,¡± said the bald man.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, nobody cares if you piss yourself where you¡¯re going.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡±


    A loud thud, a muffled groan, and another thud. A gust of wind blew out the candle, plunging me into darkness. I held my breath as the door handle clinked.


    The door whooshed open and an orange glow filled the room. The glow moved around, then the door closed and I released my breath.


    The door opened both ways, I noted with relief.


    There was a grunt outside the door, as if someone was hauling a sack of potatoes on their shoulders. Footsteps receded into the distance and my racing heart calmed.


    I gingerly opened the door but I couldn¡¯t see anything outside either. I peeked over the edge of the door and saw an orange glow fade into the distance.


    I jumped as thunder rumbled. Hugging the wall, I made my way back to my room.


    Something was happening in this inn. Those men were after me, and I had no idea who hired them. And whatever Skinner was trying to do, it didn¡¯t seem like he was up to anything good either. To be fair, he had one of the most obvious evil villain names of all time.


    As I reached the room, I hesitated outside. Something was missing, something you never noticed when it was there, but whose absence was deafening in the empty corridor outside the door to our room.


    Breathing ¨C I couldn¡¯t hear any breathing. Elenor should have been asleep, and Sally should have been sitting right by the door.


    I peeked through the door. The candle still burned quietly on the table but all the beds were empty. Sally¡¯s chair was overturned, and Elenor¡¯s sheets were strewn across the room. Sally¡¯s pickaxe and Elenor¡¯s walking stick lay abandoned on the floor.


    I tiptoed backwards, breathing as quietly as possible. I backed up into the door to Jerome and Ben¡¯s room and it swung open.


    Shrapnel littered the ground; lots of metal, wood, and stone. One of the beds had been completely destroyed, with splinters and feathers covering the floor around it. The other bed was smeared in a trail of blood that fell to the floor and led to the doorway I was standing in.


    Thunder rumbled as I took another step back.


    Elenor, Ben, Sally, Jerome, they were all gone. Was this a nightmare? Was I having one after all?


    Cold air brushed my skin and I shivered. No, this wasn¡¯t a dream. I couldn¡¯t afford to pretend like it was. Skinner, he was behind this. I had to find him.


    I grabbed the candle and cupped a hand around it. Back in the corridor, shadows danced a frenzied waltz around the earthen walls. My heart thumped in my chest, louder than the incessant rumblings of thunder overhead.


    Rain had cleaned a window of mud and grime, and I looked out of it. The world outside was grey, mirthless, and muddy. I hurried forward, sticking to the corners, letting the warmth of the candleflame fight the chilly air that burrowed into my bones, and hoped for a miracle.


    My shelf was ready, with The Tempest just a thought away. Fitting, considering the relentless rain and roaring thunder outside. I still wasn¡¯t quite sure what The Tempest did, but it had helped me through one inescapable situation, hopefully, it would help me through another.


    I stopped. Footsteps echoed through the air. They were coming from upstairs. I covered the candle as best I could, and crouched near the stairway. The footsteps went away from me, towards the center of the building. I stared at the top of the stairway while I climbed the stairs. I peeked over the edge of the final stair, covering the candle¡¯s glow with most of my body.


    I saw Elenor, Ben, Jerome, and Sally, strapped to chairs in the middle of a candlelit room.


    Two marble slabs stood in the center of the large, otherwise empty room that stretched over the entirety of the floor. On top of the slabs lay the two men who had been whispering outside the toilet, both of whom were struggling against the restraints that bound them face-up against the slabs. Their mouths had been stuffed with dirty rags so I couldn¡¯t even hear their muffled protests from where I stood.


    Skinner stood in the middle with a dark, robed figure I didn¡¯t recognize.


    ¡°Will you be able to fill your orders with these?¡± said the robed figure in a coarse, raspy voice that scratched the inside of my ears.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Skinner.


    ¡°Then get to work. I need three grade-twos by the hour, or we will no longer seek your services.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry,¡± said Skinner as he turned around and walked between the marble slabs. ¡°This shouldn¡¯t take long.¡±


    He gripped the men¡¯s heads and stared blankly with the look of someone reaching into their shelf. The men¡¯s struggles intensified but Skinner only tightened his grip. The blank look on his face vanished, replaced by furrowed brows and a wrinkled forehead.


    Grey smoke began floating out of the men¡¯s heads. It swirled like a whirlpool in front of Skinner¡¯s chest, a whirlpool that raged and boiled as it consumed more grey smoke. The men¡¯s struggles weakened, and their bindings loosened as their bodies shrank. Soon, their skin stuck to their bones, which in turn stuck to the slabs.


    The whirlpool of grey smoke solidified into a sphere and as the last wisp of smoke flew into it, Skinner grabbed the sphere and smiled at the robed figure.


    ¡°One Soul Orb, fresh out the oven.¡± Skinner threw the orb.


    ¡°Spare me the theatricalities, and finish your job.¡± The robed figure caught the orb.


    Skinner released the bindings on the men¡¯s corpses, and brushed their remains to the ground.


    ¡°You know, this would be a lot easier if you funneled more people to me,¡± said Skinner as he removed Elenor¡¯s bindings and slugged her over his shoulder.


    ¡°We are your customers, Mr. Tamp, not your suppliers.¡±


    ¡°You brought these guys to me, didn¡¯t you?¡± He put Elenor on a slab, tied her to it, then went over to Ben, who had a bloody wound on his head.


    ¡°No,¡± said the robed figure slowly. ¡°This was merely chance.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡± said Skinner. ¡°Guess Bit must be rewarding me for my patience, at last. Funny though, I could have sworn there was another one in this party.¡±


    ¡°My senses do not detect another,¡± said the robed figure.


    ¡°You Inliners use Bit¡¯s magic, don¡¯t you?¡± Skinner put Ben on the other slab and tied him up too.


    ¡°We make use of the magic granted by burning the Goddess¡¯ book, yes.¡±


    ¡°Funny, all those Collars out there with the same book as you, yet none of them can use it to become superhuman monsters.¡± Skinner walked up between the slabs. ¡°It¡¯s kinda funny, when you think about it.¡±


    ¡°Just get on with it.¡±


    ¡°Alright, alright.¡±


    Skinner grabbed Elenor¡¯s head after brushing the hair out of her face. She wasn¡¯t wearing her glasses and her eyes were wide open. Skinner grabbed Ben¡¯s head, keeping his hand away from the still bleeding wound.


    ¡°I need you two awake for this,¡± said Skinner. He shook their heads until Ben blinked his eyes open.


    Elenor didn¡¯t show any signs of waking up, which made my heart skip a beat. Ben struggled when he saw what was happening, but his mouth was gagged too.


    ¡°Hey sweetheart, you awake?¡± said Skinner as he shook Elenor¡¯s head while ignoring Ben¡¯s struggling. ¡°Move your mouth if you are.¡±


    Elenor didn¡¯t respond.


    Skinner cursed and put a hand on her throat. ¡°She¡¯s alive and she¡¯s breathing too quickly to be asleep. I¡¯m going to assume she¡¯s awake.¡±


    ¡°You sure?¡± asked the figure. ¡°We will only accept grade-two Soul Orbs.¡±


    ¡°Damn it,¡± said Skinner. He shook Elenor¡¯s head more violently. ¡°You better say something before I start punching out your teeth.¡±


    Elenor didn¡¯t respond but I saw her finger twitch. She tapped it lightly and then, I felt like she knew I was there. She tapped again.


    I took in a deep breath and snuffed out the candle in my hand.


    ¡°Fine then.¡± Skinner raised a fist into the air.


    ¡°Stop!¡± I yelled as I burst into the room.


    Skinner¡¯s gaze turned to me as the sound of rain outside subsided. The robed figure looked at me too, although I couldn¡¯t see beneath the shadow of their hood.


    The pages of The Tempest flipped in the back of my head, and a warm energy flooded my body. I felt confident despite the bleak circumstances, as if the melodramatic thunder and rain, the theatrical lighting, and the overly dramatic situation were completely ordinary.


    However, I felt like I was missing something. I had the will, the drive, the push, to do something amazing, but I needed direction, I needed a voice. I needed a character. One that could beat the odds no matter how bleak and hopeless the situation may be.


    Ruthless, cunning, and resourceful. For a situation like this, only one person came to mind.


    ¡°Goddess damn it,¡± said Skinner. ¡°I knew I¡¯d missed one of them.¡±


    I smiled. ¡°I see your brain is as empty as the abyss. Haven¡¯t you figured it out yet? The Goddess is dead.¡±


    A shockwave blew the room apart, sending Skinner and the robed figure flying against the wall, and making the roof collapse on top of us.


    Rain pelted my skin as I dove into the mud.

 Episode 5 Scene 8

    Rain splattered my head. The roof and walls were gone, blasted away by Elenor¡¯s magic. Skinner and the robed figure squirmed in the corner, Sally and Jerome lay in the wreckage of the chairs they had been bound to, and Elenor helped a groggy Ben to his feet.


    Normally, I would have raced to help my friends first, but I realized the most effective way to help them, was to take down our enemies. I dashed through puddles towards Skinner, frowning inwardly at all the mud that was getting on my shoes.


    Sacrifices had to be made for the greater good, I reminded myself.


    Skinner turned around, trails of muddy water running over the droplet sign on his cheeks. The robed figure jumped back, leaving Skinner alone in a pool of thick mud.


    I had no weapon, no offensive magic, and no training in any martial arts, yet I was running headfirst at a large, obviously well-trained man who had just sucked the life out of two people in front of my eyes after kidnapping my entire team of powerful magic users and experienced fighters.


    And I saw absolutely nothing to worry about.


    ¡°I knew I¡¯d missed one,¡± said Skinner as he picked himself up. His sleeves had been ripped, revealing how he¡¯d been able to grab heads despite supposedly not having his right hand.


    Sleek metal fingers glistened under the paltry rays of moonlight that escaped the roiling clouds blanketing the sky. Skinner¡¯s metallic hand seemed brittle at first glance and it didn¡¯t look like he could bend his wrist, but the ends of his fingers were sharp like needles. That explained why the bald man had been struggling more aggressively than the bearded one.


    Skinner lunged forward and punched with his metal hand, but I fell to my knees and let the momentum of my charge carry me forward as I skid through the mud. I rammed into his feet, but he didn¡¯t topple like I¡¯d hoped, probably because his legs were thick and sturdy while I weighed barely anything.


    I grabbed his leg and swung around behind him. Mud splattered through the air as his kick passed by my face. I pulled on the leg I was holding just as he put all his force into his kick, and he fell backwards, hitting his head on the muddy ground.


    I rolled out from under him and acquired a layer of wet earth all over my clothes.


    ¡°Damned kid,¡± cursed Skinner as he lashed out and sent water and mud splattering everywhere. ¡°Who the hell are you?¡±


    I saw Sally get to her feet in the corner of my eye, and noticed Elenor tapping the ground with her stick. Ben stood on his own with a hand on his head, but it didn¡¯t look like he¡¯d be much help. I couldn¡¯t tell where Jerome was.


    ¡°Who am I?¡± I said as I got to my feet. I made sure to keep the robed figure who stood next to a half-broken wall, within my sight. ¡°Interesting question, fascinating even. Although you¡¯re seeking a superficial answer, like a name or a description of my occupation, that question warrants a far deeper, more meaningful answer than one I can provide within the short time we will be able to spend together.¡±


    Skinner cursed and glared at me with infuriated eyes. The rain couldn¡¯t wash off the mud that painted his hair, but it did make some of it drip into his mouth and down his chin. He began lifting himself up but I couldn¡¯t let him do that so I prepared to tackle him again. But I stopped.


    ¡°Skinner!¡± yelled Sally. She dashed past me, splattering me with muddy water, and pointed a broken piece of wood ¨C likely a wooden leg from the chair she was bound to ¨C straight at Skinner¡¯s neck.


    Skinner parried it with his metal hand, and punched with his left. Sally swayed to her right and brought the sharp end of the wooden leg trailing down Skinner¡¯s arm. Skinner screamed and pushed Sally away with both hands, sending her shooting away from him.


    However, Sally didn¡¯t lose her balance, and stood ready to jump back at him again. ¡°You knocked me out after offering me a drink. I knew you¡¯d lost your hand, Skinner, but I didn¡¯t know you¡¯d lost your mind too.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve lost neither.¡± He flexed his metal fingers and charged at Sally.


    ¡°Behind you!¡± shouted the robed figure.


    Skinner stepped to the side, avoiding my sliding mud-tackle.


    I cursed and dug into the ground to stop myself. I¡¯d almost forgotten about that guy. I met the robed figure¡¯s gaze. ¡°Feeling hot under there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Mr. Tamp, we will not be paying for those orbs if we have to collect the souls ourselves,¡± said the figure, ignoring me.


    ¡°Yeah, yeah, just make sure you keep an eye on all of them this time,¡± said Skinner.


    The figure stared intently at me. ¡°I will.¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    Ironically, that¡¯s exactly when the figure was blown away by a shockwave.


    ¡°Takes you a while to prepare that one,¡± I said.


    ¡°Yeah, and I can¡¯t move while I¡¯m doing it,¡± said Elenor, breathing heavily. The area around her was clear of mud, but that just meant the earthy ground beneath her was thinner and more likely to collapse.


    Her attack uncovered a face I¡¯d been searching for. ¡°Ben,¡± I called out and pointed to the face. ¡°Help Jerome!¡±


    Ben nodded and trudged over to Jerome. Skinner eyed him but was distracted as Sally swung the piece of wood at him. The robed figure sat hunched in the corner, unmoving. Elenor tapped her stick on the ground while catching her breath.


    And I observed everything calmly.


    The puddle by my feet reminded me of Demetrius and the time he had stolen the House of Wisdom from me. I was winning our little scuffle until his unburnt magic turned the tide, and it was only now, after I had used unburnt magic of my own to turn the tide of this battle, that I finally understood how effective it could be.


    Skinner tried to stab Sally with his fingers but she hacked them away with the piece of wood, and struck his face with her fist. He growled and punched with his metal hand, Sally met it with her weapon, and they both locked their other hand together and began grappling.


    The robed figure suddenly turned, and a jet of water flew towards Elenor. I was about to call for her to dodge when she sidestepped it neatly, and charged at the robed figure.


    I ran to Ben as he raised Jerome out of the mud. I let The Tempest fall back onto my shelf, and used The Cannon to inspect Jerome¡¯s wounds. He had a vicious gash on his lower thigh, which I covered with some cloth I ripped from my shirt.


    I let The Cannon fall back onto my shelf and grabbed The Tempest again, noting that it had flipped back a few pages while sitting on my shelf. I felt a tug on the back of my shirt. It was Jerome. He pushed something into my hand, and I almost gave it back in fright.


    But then I realized what he wanted me to do, and accepted it.


    Then Ben tackled me to the ground as a freezing jet of water shot overhead. A boom resounded through the air, and the mud rippled. Spitting mud out of my mouth, I saw Elenor huffing while facing the robed figure, who was lying on the ground again.


    Skinner growled as he punched at Sally again, but Sally dodged it and thrust her makeshift spear at his neck.


    Alarm bells rang in my head, and to confirm my fears, the corners of Skinner¡¯s lips curved upwards. Then he brought his left arm to his chest, and broke the large piece of wood into splinters, before bashing Sally¡¯s head with his own.


    Sally tottered backwards, showing her back to him. He stepped forward and aimed his pointy fingers at the back of her neck.


    ¡°Sally!¡± I cried out.


    The ridiculously sharp fingers bore down towards Sally¡¯s neck, piercing through the raindrops in between the cold metal and the warm flesh. I could almost picture them cutting her skin, and jabbing all the way through her neck.


    But with a sharp twist of her feet, Sally let the finger drills rip the back of her shirt, and punched Skinner in the gut. Skinner doubled over, his head above Sally¡¯s crouched figure. Sally swung her other fist, aiming an uppercut for his chin.


    Thunder rumbled overhead, and lightning flashed, painting the battle on the de facto roof of Villa Serenity in black and white. Light also flashed off the metal hand that Skinner had brought towards Sally¡¯s hand, but the flash was gone when Skinner¡¯s spiky fingers scraped the back of Sally¡¯s arm.


    Neither could react in time, so two, long, bloody lines ripped into the skin on Sally¡¯s arm, while her fist connected squarely with Skinner¡¯s chin, sending him toppling backwards into the large pool of mud from which he had just crawled out of, moments ago.


    Sally winced as blood dripped from her arm and mixed into the muddy rainwater below, but she didn¡¯t stop. She rushed over to Skinner.


    I ran towards her as well, while observing Elenor¡¯s fight, in case she needed help.


    The robed figure had given up trying to use surprise attacks against Elenor, and resorted to whirlpools and dozens of water jets to try and clip the nimble girl. Elenor stepped between the robed figure¡¯s attacks, avoiding all of them with ease and precision. She was within striking distance of the figure.


    Sally jumped at Skinner¡¯s head, aiming to crush it under her feet. Skinner¡¯s eyes shot open and he rolled out of the way, spluttering as the muddy water flew into his mouth. Sally kicked his back with her other foot, and he grunted. She aimed for his head again, but ended up jumping backwards as he swiped at her leg with his metal hand.


    He pointed his spiky fingers at her and sat up, breathing heavily.


    ¡°It just had to be you, huh,¡± said Skinner, between breaths. ¡°Yui Sally Josef, the bloody miner. If it was anyone else from the force, I could probably take them out, easy.¡±


    ¡°Nobody else would be stupid enough to accept a drink from you,¡± said Sally as her eyes darted around, looking for an opening from where she could finish him off.


    Water splashed near them as the robed figure slammed into the ground. Elenor was breathing so loudly, I could hear her from where I stood, despite the sound of rain and thunder.


    ¡°This is your fault, you know,¡± said Skinner. ¡°I was promised a competent assistant.¡±


    ¡°I am not your assistant, Mr. Tamp,¡± said the robed figure, standing up as if nothing had happened. ¡°And considering how much assistance you have required of me, I think it is safe to say, I will be expecting a discount on these orbs.¡±


    ¡°Funny, you say that like you¡¯ve been helping.¡±


    ¡°I did not say anything funny, Mr. Tamp.¡±


    ¡°You did,¡± said Skinner as he stood up.


    Elenor had caught her breath. Sally had torn off the bottom of her shirt and wrapped it around the gashes on her arm. Ben had tottered over, and Jerome was tinkering with a black box.


    ¡°Because for some reason,¡± continued Skinner as he pulled out the Soul Orb from his pocket. ¡°You still think we can get out of this without a little¡­¡±


    He crushed the orb.


    ¡°¡­investment.¡±


    Grey winds howled around Skinner, as rain swirled around him. The winds blew the hood off the robed figure¡¯s head, revealing the face of a black-haired woman with raised cheekbones, furrowed brows, and enraged blue eyes.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± she shouted.


    Skinner faced her and smiled. ¡°Collecting my payment.¡± He pointed a finger at the woman and grey smoke began flying out of her mouth.


    The woman¡¯s screams were drowned out by the deafening thunder above, both of which masked a softer sound that I could only barely hear.


    Elenor shouted something but I couldn¡¯t tell what. The thunder was too loud. The ground beneath me shifted, and I slipped despite not moving an inch.


    Rain pelted my face as my heart lurched with vertigo, and the sky and the rain fell away from me.

 Episode 5 Scene 9

    Lightning flashed across the sky.


    I held my head in my hand, and raised my surprisingly heavy body off the ground. My clothes were caked with mud, and the rain had soaked every inch of my skin. The mound of mud that had once been Villa Serenity lay around me, parts of it washing away with streams of murky water, while others were raised in tiny hills.


    One of those hills moved, and dirty red hair peeked out from underneath. Ben appeared from the mud, followed closely by Jerome, who was still working on a black box. Sally helped Elenor to her feet, but Elenor let go of her hand even though she had no stick to lean on.


    Skinner¡¯s blurry figure stood on the other end of the mound of mud, the robes and remains of the black-haired woman lying next to his feet. When he turned his gaze towards us, my vision went a little blurry. Or rather, my image of him blurred when my gaze met the whirlpool in his eyes.


    Grey smoke swirled around him as he smirked at us. Crushing that Soul Orb had apparently fixed all his wounds too, because there wasn¡¯t a scratch on him. His hand was still outstretched, even though the entire building had collapsed, and an orb materialized in front of his palm.


    He gripped it. It was smaller than the Soul Orb he had crushed, but the swirling shapes inside were just as hypnotic, and the malevolent air around, just as insidious.


    ¡°Guess I¡¯ll have to leave this dump, after all,¡± said Skinner in a calm voice. As if he wasn¡¯t addressing anyone. He walked over to the remains of the black-haired woman and kicked them. Clinking noises came from the woman¡¯s pockets.


    Skinner bent over and began collecting the coins, showing me his back.


    I frowned. What was going on?


    I glanced at Sally and held my breath.


    Her mouth was frozen open, with the cloth on her arm slowly reddening. Elenor stood beside her, her figure still, not even her chest rose to indicate breathing. I turned to Ben, and saw him glaring at Skinner¡¯s back, unblinking. Jerome had a hand inside his black box, but wasn¡¯t tinkering with it.


    They weren¡¯t moving and their eyes showed no sign of recognition. I looked at my hands, and apart from a slight wooziness that I had been feeling ever since I¡¯d met Skinner¡¯s swirling eyes, I felt fine.


    ¡°Right, this one had nothing good on her,¡± said Skinner as he turned around. ¡°I¡¯ll need some inketts to get to Clef before they send more goons after me.¡±


    I met his gaze but didn¡¯t move. He began walking towards us and raised his hand the way he had done before he¡¯d sucked the life out of the black-haired woman.


    ¡°Maybe I should go to the Broken Woods instead. Lay low for a couple of years, make some more orbs with kids from Sett,¡± muttered Skinner. Grey smoke began appearing around his hand.


    I pounced. The Tempest¡¯s pages fluttered rapidly towards the front cover inside my head, as I felt my mind heat up.


    ¡°What the ¨C¡± Skinner stumbled backwards and the grey smoke disappeared.


    I¡¯d caught him by surprise but defeating him on my own would be a challenge. Luckily, the character I was playing, relished challenges.


    I charged at him as he raised his metal fist in my face. However, before my teeth could be knocked out of my skull, I dropped to my knees and repeated the sliding tackle I¡¯d hit him with before.


    It was just as ineffective, only this time, touching his skin made me feel like the air was being sucked out of my lungs. I saw grey smoke leave my body, but I clung on. He kicked and sent me sliding across the slippery, muddy ground.


    ¡°Why are you not frozen?¡± he asked.


    I coughed. There was an acute pain in my chest that made breathing incredibly difficult. ¡°It¡¯s too warm out,¡± I quipped, my voice barely escaping throat.


    I propped myself up with an arm and met Skinner¡¯s gaze. For some reason, he hadn¡¯t finished me off even though I was lying prone and defenseless. Had he realized I was waiting for him to approach? No, that wasn¡¯t it. He was staring at me intently, wondering something. Then, he approached.


    In the movies, the bad guys always came running at the heroes while shouting goofy phrases and insults. Even monsters would howl, or screech, or declare their evilness while barreling towards the protagonists in an exaggerated manner. But this was different, and I took the time to appreciate the cinematic setting.


    Under flashing lightning and rumbling thunder, a man walked towards me with a steady gait, his cold, metal fist glimmering under the feeble rays of moonlight that filtered through the dark storm-clouds blanketing the sky, while swirling grey smoke whistled past my ear. He left heavy footprints in the muddy ground, although the incessant rain would wipe them away as surely as this man wished to wipe away my life.


    His angry, yet curious gaze met mine as he reached striking distance. Even through the scent of rain and mud, I could smell the rancid odor that came from his body, as if he was a walking, rotting corpse.


    ¡°Who are you?¡± he said as he focused his gaze at me.


    I gasped as I felt something probing my head. It was an invasive force that drilled into my mind, heading straight towards my shelf.The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I panicked. I couldn¡¯t resist the force. It was going to take everything! My books, my memories, my thoughts, my mind, everything!


    My ears buzzed and the force was gone. I heard a scream as my vision returned from the battlefield inside my head, to the one outside.


    Skinner lay on the ground by my feet, shouting in agony and holding his head with his hands. He was shaking, and the grey smoke around him was gone. Muffled gasps came from his mouth, and his eyes bulged as if they wanted to pop out of his skull.


    He¡¯d tried to read me, I realized as the scene played out before me. His reaction reminded me of Elenor¡¯s from when she had tried to read me, although Skinner¡¯s was much more severe, probably because he had been more forceful.


    The Tempest still fluttered in the back of my mind and thunder still rumbled overhead. A thought came to me, and as I stared at Skinner¡¯s writhing, squirming body, I convinced myself that the idea was a good one.


    I could already feel the others begin to move behind me but I didn¡¯t move to help them or ask them if they were alright. Instead, I focused on Skinner the way he had focused on me, and tried to read him.


    I shuddered and my eyes widened.


    A flood of information began filing into my head. Information about Skinner.


    His name was Jukas Skinner Tamp, and he was an ex-member of the Fighter¡¯s Guild who left the guild to take over his aunt¡¯s rest-stop inn, after he lost his arm to an Inline operative during a raid on a bandit¡¯s lair.


    But running the inn was difficult and tedious, so Jukas spent all his time drinking and messing around, and left all the work to his daughter, Melissa. Jukas had slept around with many women during his life, but Melissa was the only child he knew he¡¯d had, so he¡¯d taken her in after her mother died.


    Melissa worked at the inn all alone for a long time, trying to get her father to stop drinking and spending all their money gambling. He raked in a ton of debt, and pissed off a lot of powerful people in Devel. Soon, they came knocking on the door of Villa Serenity, demanding money and apologies.


    Jukas watched from the stairway, pretending to be away, so they crowded around Melissa. She managed to calm them down, and promised them she¡¯d have the money for them in a month.


    That night, Melissa scolded Jukas, and threw away all his alcohol. It was only then that Jukas sobered up a little and realized the predicament he was in. He tried borrowing money from acquaintances in the guild, but no one trusted an old, crippled drunkard like him. He even tried begging on the streets, but only got some chump change.


    With the deadline approaching, Jukas sat in an alleyway with his head between his hands, sobbing. He didn¡¯t want his daughter¡¯s life to be ruined any further because of his actions. He wanted a way to make money appear, as if by magic.


    Magic, he¡¯d thought to himself. That was it!


    And so, he burned a book on his shelf, a science-fiction story about the inevitable reaction of human society to the crisis of overpopulation. He fainted as the book reached the front cover, and his shelf burned.


    It was night when he awoke. Jukas looked at his hands, and saw grey smoke flying out of them. He didn¡¯t know what his new power was, but he noticed the smoke was blowing to the left. He turned and saw a rat rummaging through the garbage in the alley.


    The smoke was leading him to the rat, and he instinctively grabbed it. As soon as it was in his grasp, the rat withered and died, and a tiny black ball appeared in the air. He grabbed it, crushed it, and felt the power coursing through his veins.


    He could sell this, and he knew just who he could sell it to.


    He returned to the inn and told Melissa he had done it, he had figured out a way to pay back his debt! Melissa didn¡¯t believe him, but he insisted it was true. Melissa was overjoyed.


    ¡°You did it dad!¡± she said as she ran over to hug him.


    He embraced her too. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, I¡¯ve got it all under control.¡±


    Then something happened. There was a wall in Skinner¡¯s memories, a wall around what happened next. I felt angry. What was he hiding? How did the story proceed? I needed to know, I wanted to read. Read, I wanted to read more!


    The wall burst and the memory continued.


    ¡°¡­under control.¡±


    Melissa sniffed. ¡°You smell funny, dad.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Jukas, still holding his daughter to his chest. ¡°I tripped and fell into some garbage, but it¡¯s alright now.¡±


    ¡°You tripped, huh?¡± Melissa whispered. ¡°I¡¯m glad to hear, you¡¯re back on your feet.¡±


    Jukas smiled. ¡°Yes, yes I am!¡± He let Melissa out of his embrace and put her at arm¡¯s length.


    Her smile was frozen, her lips chapped. Her cheeks had sunken in and there were wrinkles on her forehead.


    I heard a scream.


    ¡°No!¡± shouted Skinner. ¡°No! It wasn¡¯t my fault. It wasn¡¯t my fault!¡±


    He stood up, and glared at me, veins bulging on his neck. His thin eyebrows were furrowed, and his nostrils flared. However, his eyes glistened in the weak moonlight.


    ¡°I don¡¯t care who you are anymore. Die!¡± He punched at me with his metal fist.


    He was too close, I wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge.


    A fist collided into the back of his arm, making it miss me by a mile. Then another fist smashed into his face and he toppled over. A shockwave rippled across the muddy mound, sending Skinner¡¯s body hurtling across the ground. Then a black box flew through the air and exploded right next to him.


    ¡°Val, are you alright?¡± asked Ben as the others attacked Skinner.


    I let go of the breath I was holding. ¡°Yeah, thanks.¡±


    ¡°I couldn¡¯t move but I saw everything,¡± said Sally. ¡°It¡¯s a good thing you have such powerful anti-reading measures. As expected of the Broken Witch¡¯s apprentice.¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, looking at Skinner¡¯s body. ¡°Is he down?¡±


    ¡°He should be,¡± said Jerome. ¡°That was my strongest exploding box. That thing can take down a herd of flopflappers.¡±


    ¡°I think he¡¯s tougher than flopflappers, Jerome,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°But is he tougher than a herd of flopflappers?¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter, what matters is that ¨C¡±


    Sally froze in the middle of her sentence. The others were frozen as well. I looked up, and saw Skinner glaring at me from across the field.


    Thunder rumbled and lightning flashed across the sky. A familiar scene replayed itself as Skinner stalked over to me.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know who you are,¡± said Skinner, enunciating each syllable separately. ¡°Or what you did to me. But you dared to look inside my head. Killing you won¡¯t be enough. I¡¯m going to rip your soul from your body, slowly, then stuff it back in and do it again.¡±


    I smelled the odor of rot and decay that surrounded him.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to listen to your screams as I rip every toenail off your foot, chop your limbs off, and skin you alive.¡±


    I fell to my knees. Skinner chuckled. ¡°That¡¯s right, beg for mercy and I¡¯ll let you die faster.¡±


    The Tempest was getting dangerously close to the front cover but I wasn¡¯t worried. My character flourished in the face of adversity, he was always at his best when things looked the grimmest. Determined, confident, and resourceful; that was the kind of person Demetrius was.


    Skinner brought his fist back, his eyes locked onto my face. I pulled out the thing Jerome had given me, and raised it in front of Skinner¡¯s face.


    The air around me heated up, and my hair began to float. My vision was submerged in a sea of whiteness that withered away almost immediately. The fleeting flash of whiteness left behind a charred corpse with a half-melted metal fist, and a metal coil that still had sparks dancing on it.


    I let The Tempest fall onto my shelf, just as the tempest subsided.

 Episode 5 Scene 10

    Cold water splashed over me. Jerome put the blue box back into his pocket as I spit out water and shivered. I¡¯d agreed to let him throw water at me to get rid of the mud clinging to my clothes, but he didn¡¯t warn me it would be so cold.


    Water stood on the ground in pools and puddles. It had stopped raining but the sky was still overcast. Thunder rumbled in the distance. The storm hadn¡¯t died, just moved.


    Elenor dug through the mud, looking for something. Ben shook his hair and sprayed water all around.


    ¡°We need to leave before Inline comes to investigate,¡± said Sally, one hand on the bandages on her arm.


    ¡°Devel¡¯s still a day away and all of us are wounded,¡± said Jerome. ¡°They¡¯ll be searching for us as soon as we reach the city.¡±


    ¡°It should take them a while to realize what happened, shouldn¡¯t it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, every member of Inline burns a copy of the Book of Inline, which lets their superiors know where they died and how,¡± said Sally.


    That was an incredibly specific detail, I remarked to myself.


    ¡°Would they know we were here, though?¡± I asked. ¡°In the end, it was Skinner who killed her.¡±


    ¡°They must have only seen Skinner¡¯s face, but they probably knew there were more people here,¡± said Sally. ¡°Let¡¯s have a look at her.¡±


    We turned to the black-haired woman¡¯s corpse. Her robes were still intact, albeit a little muddy. Skinner had already taken all the gold in her pockets, although I questioned why she had gold coins in the first place.


    Weren¡¯t inketts the currency of Fore?


    ¡°It¡¯s because Inline works with forces from across Illustair. Gold works in Clef and Epil too, although the exchange rates are terrible and only the wealthiest trade in it,¡± answered Sally.


    ¡°She seems familiar, doesn¡¯t she?¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Sally, crouching by the corpse¡¯s face. ¡°Kara Tanner. She ran the May Cray Inn, it¡¯s where I was planning to have us stay, in Devel. Her husband should still be there but it¡¯s probably best to avoid the place for now.¡±


    ¡°All these years Bob thought she was cheating on him,¡± said Jerome, shaking his head.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°In a way, she was.¡± Sally stood up. ¡°No books, she must have burned all of them.¡±


    ¡°What about Skinner?¡± asked Jerome.


    I was closest to his remains, so I checked. His body was so charred, I barely recognized him as the murderous psychopath who¡¯d tried to suck the soul out of me. He had some inketts and gold coins in his pocket, as well as some strange smelling cigars and a lighter.


    Around his neck hung a necklace with a shiny black orb on it, and I had a hunch why he hadn¡¯t crushed this one. I buried it in the ground.


    ¡°Check under him,¡± said Sally.


    I turned him over with my feet. A small leather-bound book peeked from the mud. I picked it up and wiped the mud from the cover.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± asked Sally.


    ¡°The title¡¯s too faded, I can¡¯t make out all of it,¡± I said, squinting my eyes. The lack of light didn¡¯t help. ¡°The author¡¯s first name is Max, and the title says something about ethics and capitalism.¡±


    ¡°Explains his obsession with money,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°What do you mean? He couldn¡¯t have been using it all the time,¡± I said.


    ¡°Magic relies on the user¡¯s personality, their character, who and what they are. It¡¯s why the same book can give two very different results depending on who uses it,¡± explained Sally. ¡°But it¡¯s a two-way street. The user can change the magic, but the magic can change the user too.¡±


    ¡°Are you saying magic can change your personality?¡± I asked.


    Sally nodded. ¡°Unburnt magic especially. You¡¯ve already felt it, haven¡¯t you? It¡¯s a temporary change, but use it long enough and the changes might stick.¡±


    I eyed the book in my hand. I didn¡¯t find what Sally had said strange at all. Even on Earth, books could leave a mark. I remembered reading several books that made me spend hours staring at ceiling fans, or listening to music in the shower with the lights out. Not every book could do that, not every story had that special something that could make me think about my life in a new way.


    But when I found a book like that, the experience stayed with me forever. It was one of my favorite things about reading.


    Even when stories ended, they never truly ended.


    I threw the book to Sally. I didn¡¯t feel the urge to read it myself. At least not this copy. ¡°Can you sell it in Devel?¡±


    ¡°Probably, although it¡¯ll be hard making it so they can¡¯t trace it back to us,¡± she replied.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll figure something out.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I probably will.¡±


    Elenor walked up to us, tapping a familiar looking walking stick on the ground. ¡°Are we ready to leave?¡±


    ¡°Where are your glasses?¡± I asked, staring at her empty grey eyes.


    ¡°I¡¯ll get new ones in Devel. We need to buy new clothes too.¡±


    We looked at our clothes. Most of them were torn and ripped in several places, either from fighting, falling, or making bandages.


    ¡°I need to hide my face better next time, inside and outside cities,¡± I said. ¡°Those two guys, the ones Skinner made into skeletons, they were looking for me.¡±


    ¡°They were looking for you?¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°They even knew I¡¯d be here. They said something about a boss, probably the guy who sent them after me.¡±


    ¡°Do you know who it could be?¡± asked Sally.


    ¡°I can only think of one person who¡¯d want to keep an eye on me.¡±


    ¡°The guy you¡¯re looking for, the one who stole your book?¡± asked Elenor.


    ¡°Exactly.¡±


    ¡°So now we need to worry about finding him without being found ourselves,¡± said Jerome. ¡°That¡¯ll be tough.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out,¡± I said, staring at the cloudy sky. ¡°The only thing I know for sure is, we¡¯re camping out tonight.¡±

 Episode 6 Scene 1

    The buzz of electric lighting.


    Two armchairs on a marble floor, shelves lining the walls between marble pillars shooting up to marble slabs that blanketed the sky.


    And two books on a shelf, one green, one black.


    I sat on the armchair. I knew how things were going to go, by now. The figure was in the other armchair. Its outline was better defined but it was still just a blob of white noise with a few protrusions. Normally, I would wait for something strange and trippy to happen to me before falling into the back of the armchair and waking up with no memory of this dream.


    But this time, I decided to do something different. I tore my gaze from the figure and stared intently at my shelf.


    ¡°Hey, how are you?¡± I asked.


    After a brief pause, a garbled, gravelly noise resounded through the air.


    ¡°Sorry, I can¡¯t understand what you¡¯re saying,¡± I said.


    Silence ensued. I stared at the shelf, fighting the urge to look at the other armchair. The figure probably thought those trippy experiences helped me understand it better, but they usually just left me more confused than before. They did seem to make its outline more well-defined.


    ¡°Instead of trying to speak to me or showing me weird stuff, why don¡¯t you just write out what you want to say?¡± I proposed.


    A short burst of noise that sounded oddly like a yes. Then a book flew out from one of the shelves between the pillars. The book opened to the first page, which was blank, and hovered in front of me. Then words began appearing on the page, in an elegant cursive script that was still somehow easy to read.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    ¡°Hello,¡± read the text. ¡°My name is Static.¡±


    The ground shook and the words stopped coming, as if the writer had put up their pen.


    Then the words returned.


    ¡°It seems your tactic has worked for the moment, but it is very unlikely we will be able to communicate like this again, so I will make this brief.


    I am Static, one of the three gods of Illustair, and the only one who cares about the people who inhabit it.¡±


    The ground shook again. Some of the books began falling off the shelves.


    ¡°The other gods wish to destroy humanity to prevent anyone else from ascending into godhood and challenging the status quo. Fortunately, I have been able to keep them at bay for centuries while hoping that the next human to ascend will assist me in my struggle.¡±


    A pillar collapsed in the background. Pages flipped as the writing reached the end.


    ¡°However, all of that changed when you appeared, or rather, when the two of you appeared. I was caught completely off-guard and Bit, who had experience dealing with your world, managed to recruit the boy who came with you to her side.¡±


    Pillars continued to collapse, the marble slabs in the sky fell, and cracks snaked across the floor.


    ¡°And before I could contact you, she cut off her connection to the boy, and locked us back into a stalemate! Even now, she attempts to sever our communications while interfering with Illustair in some other way. It will undoubtable make your journey more difficult, but it is essential that we have this talk.¡±


    The lights flickered and the ground shook.


    ¡°I know I cannot compel you to do anything. I too, was once human, so I understand your suspicion. All I ask, is that you defeat that Demetrius boy, and gather all the Wonders before he does. It is the only way to save Illustair from Bit¡¯s machinations.¡±


    Everything collapsed except for my armchair and the reading light standing next to me.


    ¡°Although, perhaps I didn¡¯t need to tell you this. I get the sense you were going to do that anyway.


    You really do love reading books, don¡¯t you?¡±


    The light went out.

 Episode 6 Scene 2

    I woke up in the middle of the night, breathing heavily. Sweat trickled down my forehead.


    Another nightmare. But there was something else, something important. I could feel the memory of the dream slipping away so I clung to it as hard as I could. What was it about? Where did it happen?


    Who did I meet?


    My fists clenched around a handful of dirt. The ground was still moist from the rain, and since we¡¯d lost everything in Chart, we¡¯d spent the night on the bare earth under the open sky. The ground was cold, just like in the dream, but the marble floor had been colder.


    The marble floor had been colder.


    I remembered! The House of Wisdom, the dream had taken place in the house of wisdom. No, it wasn¡¯t the House, at least not exactly.


    The moon was out, but the trees blocked most of the moonlight such that it fell like a spotlight. Or a reading light.


    A reading light!


    The room! The room at the back of the library. I went there in my dream, or I dreamed I was there. And there were chairs, two armchairs. I sat in one and in the other¡­


    Someone else, there was someone else there but I couldn¡¯t remember who.


    The answer came to me but my memories began to fly away. I rolled over and jabbed my finger into the ground, stubbing a nail. The pain made me lucid. I held onto the word echoing in my head, letting all my other memories about the dream fade away.


    My finger traced the word on the ground. It was a name, a name I¡¯d heard before, outside my dreams. I could feel my memories collapsing the way the House had collapsed.


    The house collapsed? Was I thinking about the time Demetrius stole the House of Wisdom from me or when Villa Serenity collapsed in a big pile of mud? I couldn¡¯t remember, but it was important. This was all I remembered from the bad dream, I¡¯d held on to it with all my might.


    Wait, what did I hold onto? The House? No, I lost that. I shouldn¡¯t have lost it, but I did. Completely my fault, nobody else to blame. Not even the person I¡¯d met in my nightmare.


    My head hurt. My finger hurt too. I looked at it and found it was bleeding. I cursed and sat up. Did I hit my finger on a rock or something? There were drops of blood on the ground, but no rocks. There were grooves in the mud. Almost like a word or a name.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    I squinted and in the bleak moonlight I read the word on the ground, ¡°Static.¡±


    The grooves had splotches of my blood in it. I¡¯d written this, but I didn¡¯t remember doing so. All I remembered was waking up from a nightmare with no recollection of it.


    ¡°Static,¡± I whispered under my breath.


    ¡°Oh, you¡¯re up, Val?¡±


    I turned around. ¡°Elenor, you¡¯re on watch?¡±


    ¡°Yeah. Why are you up though, had a bad dream?¡±


    ¡°I guess,¡± I glanced at the word on the ground. ¡°But I can¡¯t remember what it was about.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s how dreams work. They¡¯re not real so they don¡¯t deserve to be real in your head either.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m too groggy to tell if what you said was pure genius or pure crap.¡± I stood up.


    ¡°Probably a bit of both,¡± she said.


    ¡°I¡¯m going to the stream but switch with me when I get back. You look like you could use some rest,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m fine. Just have a lot on my mind, that¡¯s all.¡±


    ¡°Let me guess, thinking about Moxy?¡±


    ¡°No, and I don¡¯t want to talk about it.¡±


    A stronger reply than I¡¯d expected. She was probably thinking about Moxy, after all. I didn¡¯t say anything else as I left the camp, making sure to step around Sally, Jerome, and Ben¡¯s sleeping bodies. I also made sure to step over the word I¡¯d scrawled on the ground, obscuring it with my footprints.


    At the stream, I washed the blood and mud off my finger. Then I applied some Alver juice so it wouldn¡¯t get infected. I¡¯d used The Cannon while applying Alver juice to the others¡¯ wounds, but I didn¡¯t do that for myself. It was a tiny cut and I felt like I knew how to use the stuff myself by now.


    I washed my face and gargled. The water was cool, clear, and drinkable, so I drank my fill. In the distance, I could make out the city of Devel, our next destination.


    Sally made us camp at a distance so we¡¯d stay hidden. Unlike the other cities, Devel¡¯s Collar zone was also warded off, although not by walls, so we needed to sneak in regardless of which part of town we wanted to stay in. Squinting, I saw the large canal surrounding the city as well as two canals that branched out from it, dividing the city into three areas. Two bridges were visible from where I stood, one connected to the area with small, earthen houses and huts, the other to the middle area, which was better lit and had nicer buildings.


    The only walls were around the first zone, which I assumed was where the Headers lived. If there was a bridge across the canal that led to that area, it was probably on the other side. Not that it mattered, since we wouldn¡¯t be going there at all.


    I was a little worried about Devel. So far, my experiences with cities in this world had not been pleasant. In Sett, I¡¯d been attacked by blurry wolves that made things explode, and in Chart, I¡¯d gotten caught up in political riots and almost died in a burning building.


    Sally assured me there was nothing to worry about. Devel was her hometown, she knew it like the back of her hand. We were going to go in, grab some supplies, and get out as fast we could. We¡¯d be out of the city in hours. Nothing could go wrong that quickly.


    Under the moonlight, Devel seemed blurry, hazy, almost ethereal, like a mirage or a hallucination. Or perhaps a dream, a dream like the one I¡¯d had that night.


    I left the stream and took over the watch from Elenor. The rest of the night passed uneventfully, giving me ample time to mull over the word that I had scribbled in the ground. But even when the first signs of dawn appeared, and the others began to wake up, I was no closer to unraveling the mystery of Static.

 Episode 6 Scene 3

    ¡°We aren¡¯t using the sewers?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No, the canals are cleaned regularly, and they fix the steel grates at the same time,¡± said Sally. ¡°That¡¯s why Devel¡¯s the hardest city to sneak into, it¡¯s the only city where the holes get plugged up.¡±


    We stood in the thicket where we¡¯d set up camp for the night. Now that the stars were hidden behind the veil of a pale blue sky, we could see Devel shimmering in the distance. Little dots scurried over the bridges as people went about their daily lives.


    Something buzzed by my ear. I swatted it away but it came back. I took a step back and saw the tiny bird hovering in front of my face. It looked like a hummingbird, with a long beak and tiny frame. It didn¡¯t have wings on the side like most birds. Instead, an appendage extended from its head, attached to a rotating wing. Like a hummingbird with a helicopter propeller.


    ¡°Oh, a tiker!¡± said Sally. ¡°That¡¯s a good omen.¡±


    ¡°Says who?¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°Says all of Devel.¡±


    ¡°Since when did you start believing in superstitions?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t believe it, but it¡¯s good to have a positive attitude.¡±


    Jerome stared at the city in the distance and sighed. ¡°I suppose you¡¯re right. We could all use a little positivity sometimes.¡±


    Sally slapped him on the back. ¡°There we go.¡±


    ¡°Is Ben back yet?¡± asked Elenor.


    ¡°No,¡± said Jerome. ¡°He said he was preparing for the worst.¡±


    Sally shook her head. ¡°Pessimists.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll go get him,¡± I said as I swatted away the tiker again.


    He was probably by the stream so I made my way there. The tiker followed me, the buzz of its rotating wing ringing in my ear. Annoyed, I tried to grab it but it fluttered out of the way. Eventually, I gave up and tried to ignore it.


    ¡°Ben, where are you?¡± I shouted. The stream flowed silently but I couldn¡¯t see him. Something fell, a rock or a stone. I peeked behind a rocky outcropping.


    Ben stood in front of the stream with his back to me. He lobbed a pebbled in the air and caught it. He took a deep breath, then threw the rock. There was nothing in front of him, so what was he aiming for?


    Movement in the distance. A flock of birds flew into the sky. Ben picked up another pebble. He lobbed it in the air, caught it, doing it again and again, until he could repeat the motion perfectly. Another deep breath, then he threw it upstream. The pebble skipped twice, thrice, four times, before vanishing from view. A faint plop announced the end of its journey.


    Ben cursed and clenched his fists. He said something under his breath but I couldn¡¯t hear it. I was so focused on what he was doing, I forgot what I¡¯d come to do. It was only when he saw me peeking at him that I stepped out.


    ¡°We¡¯re about to leave,¡± I said.


    ¡°Oh, right, sorry. I got a little carried away.¡±


    We began making our way back to camp.


    ¡°You¡¯re pretty good at throwing pebbles,¡± I said.


    He chuckled. ¡°I was practicing my magic.¡±


    ¡°Was it the same magic you use to find stuff?¡± I asked. It would make sense for magic like that to improve your accuracy.


    ¡°No, I was practicing my other unburnt magic.¡±


    ¡°Both your magics do the same thing?¡±


    ¡°With pebbles, yes. But they¡¯re very different, trust me. Sometimes I wish I could use both of them at the same time because they complement each other so well, but I guess that¡¯s a little too much to hope for. I¡¯m already fortunate enough to have two amazing books.¡±


    ¡°And the third?¡±


    He pointed to the flame signs on his cheeks. ¡°The Book of Sett. I¡¯m a Cheek, so I had to burn it.¡±


    ¡°Oh right,¡± I said, as if I¡¯d asked a dumb question.


    ¡°It must be really nice having three books on your shelf,¡± said Ben. ¡°The best part is, you aren¡¯t even a stupid Header! I can¡¯t stand them, and I know Sally and Jerome don¡¯t like them either.¡±


    ¡°I haven¡¯t even met one yet but I know I won¡¯t like them,¡± I said. These noble types always rubbed me the wrong way.


    ¡°There you are,¡± said Sally as we approached.


    ¡°Sorry, I lost track of time,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± said Sally. ¡°Alright, everyone knows the plan, correct?¡±


    We nodded.


    ¡°I¡¯ll go over it just in case. Ben, Elenor, and I will cross the Collar¡¯s bridge first. We¡¯ll pay the toll and let the guards inspect us. While the guards are busy with us, Jerome will fall into the canal with Val under his robes. We¡¯ll help Jerome out of the canal, and deal with the guards¡¯ complaints while Val will swim under the bridge with one of Jerome¡¯s air boxes on her head, and meet us on the other side.


    Then we get what we need and leave the way we came. Just remember to jump into the canal on the Collar¡¯s side, Val. The water¡¯s dirtier there so it should be easier to hide in. Any questions?¡±


    ¡°What if something goes wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It won¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°But what if it does?¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll figure something out when the time comes. Stop worrying so much, you met a tiker just now, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    I hadn¡¯t heard its buzz in a while so I looked around. ¡°It¡¯s gone though.¡±


    ¡°But it came to you! Now just stick to the plan and we¡¯ll be out of Devel in no time,¡± Sally lifted her pickaxe. Its handle was broken and its end had dents in it, but it was still an intimidating weapon. ¡°Honestly, I wanted to show you guys around a little bit. I¡¯ve been to every city in Fore, and even a few in Clef, but none of them can hold a candle to Devel.¡±


    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll come sightseeing one day,¡± I said.


    Sally smiled. ¡°Let me know when you come, I¡¯ll show you around.¡±


    ¡°Deal.¡±


    We walked to the road. There were only a few people there, probably because this road led to the Collar¡¯s bridge and most people who traveled between cities were Cheeks. Our fellow travelers looked as worn out and destitute as we did, with torn, patched clothes stained with mud and grease. They traveled in groups but spoke very little, and no one batted an eye when we arrived.


    I walked in the center of our group so I¡¯d be hidden from sight. Peeking between Sally and Elenor, I saw a stone bridge over a murky canal. At the foot of the bridge stood a couple of guards, their resplendent armor at odds with the filthy garb of the people they were checking. In the middle of the bridge were another couple of guards who surveyed the crowd, with their spears pointing to the sky.


    We joined the line in front of the guard on the left ¨C a dark-haired woman with a sharp gaze and a thick lower lip.


    ¡°Just as planned, alright?¡± said Jerome in a hushed whisper.


    I nodded as he wrapped his robe around me. I was glad he¡¯d washed himself in the stream before we left camp. I didn¡¯t risk using the air box yet, in case it ran out.


    ¡°Next,¡± said the guard in a neutral tone. It was early in the day and her shift had only just started, so she wasn¡¯t tired yet.


    ¡°Sally Josef from the Fighter¡¯s Guild. This is my teammate Ben Stane, and that is our client, Elenor Cramer. The big guy back there is my other teammate, Jerome Nandy. Here¡¯s my badge, Ben give her yours please.¡±


    ¡°Here.¡±


    ¡°And you, sir?¡±


    ¡°Ah, it should be¡­¡± Jerome stepped to the side and tripped.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    With a jerk, we stopped moving.


    ¡°That was close,¡± came the guard¡¯s voice from close by. ¡°Be careful sir.¡±


    Jerome chuckled lightly. ¡°I will, thank you.¡±


    I cursed. Things were already going wrong.


    ¡°Your badge?¡±


    ¡°Here,¡± said Jerome as he rummaged inside his pocket.


    I bit my lip. What was I going to do? The guards would find me for sure. Damn it, Sally, this is why we needed a backup plan!


    ¡°Hey, quit pushing,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°Is something wrong, young man?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s nothing, the people behind us are getting a little impatient, that¡¯s all. Hey, quit it, would you?¡±Stolen novel; please report.


    ¡°Please stop pushing,¡± said the guard. ¡°We¡¯ll all get through this faster if everyone cooperates.¡±


    ¡°Hey, I said sto ¨C¡±


    Ben bumped into us and a sense of vertigo gripped me. A splash and a wave of coolness told me the plan had worked. I put the air box around my head and breathed. The box¡¯s sides were transparent, but I couldn¡¯t see much in the brown water anyway. I heard another splash to my side, someone coming to Jerome¡¯s rescue, no doubt.


    I swam towards the bridge until I hit a wall of stone. Sally had told me the bridge extended underwater and I planned to follow it to the other side. Being able to breathe underwater was a strange experience. It was unnerving because I couldn¡¯t see anything and instinctively felt like I needed to hold my breath, but once I got used to it, it felt nice.


    My head hit something. I felt it with my hands. It was coarse but solid, the kind of stone the bridge was made from. It extended away from the bridge. I followed it until a bright red shape appeared within the murky, brown water.


    I surfaced.


    ¡°See, what¡¯d I tell ya? Tiker¡¯s are good luck.¡±


    ¡°We almost got caught, Sally,¡± I said as I climbed out of the water. My clothes stuck to my skin and the breeze made me shiver.


    Jerome put his robe around me and said, ¡°Good job there.¡±


    Ben pocketed the crumpled red rags. ¡°We should get you some dry clothes first.¡±


    ¡°Let her pick something she likes,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°No, it¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°I don¡¯t need to look good, just grab the first thing you find.¡±


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Sally as she walked out of the alleyway we were in.


    ¡°Good job back there, Ben,¡± I said.


    He put a hand on the back of his head. ¡°It was nothing.¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s right. You kept your head straight and got us out of a tough situation,¡± said Jerome, beaming. ¡°Being quick witted and resourceful are essential qualities for a good fiddler.¡±


    Ben nodded but didn¡¯t say anything.


    ¡°Hey, where¡¯s Elenor?¡± I asked.


    ¡°She was here a moment ago,¡± said Jerome. ¡°She must have gone with Sally.¡±


    ¡°That must be it,¡± I said, frowning. I thought Sally left alone.


    ¡°How are we splitting up this time?¡± asked Ben.


    ¡°Like we did in Chart,¡± said Jerome. ¡°You and Val go get food from the market, Sally, Elenor, and I will get the sleeping bags, tents, and other amenities.¡±


    ¡°That didn¡¯t work out very well last time,¡± I said.


    ¡°But you hadn¡¯t met a tiker then.¡±


    ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t believe in Sally¡¯s superstitions?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t, but I have a good feeling about today.¡±


    I exchanged a glance with Ben. He shrugged.


    ¡°Look what I brought!¡± said Sally as she returned with two bundles of cloth in her hands.


    ¡°Were they cheap?¡± asked Jerome.


    Sally gave him a pointed look. ¡°This is for Val, we can afford to splurge a little.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s going to get ruined in a day.¡±


    ¡°Again with the pessimism, Jerome. Besides, these were reinforced with magic so they won¡¯t tear easily.¡±


    ¡°Unless we want to make bandages,¡± Ben chimed in.


    ¡°We¡¯ll buy proper bandages this time.¡±


    ¡°Just give it to me and let¡¯s get on with it,¡± I said, cutting in.


    ¡°Right,¡± said Sally as she handed me one of the bundles.


    The cloth felt coarse and made me think it¡¯d be uncomfortable to wear. I opened the bundle and something fell by my feet.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± said Sally as she bent down to grab what had fallen. ¡°Should have told you there was a mask inside.¡±


    ¡°A mask?¡±


    I stared at the mask in her hand. It had a smooth, curved black surface that would probably extend just beyond my chin and forehead. There was a black leather strap on the back, with a golden buckle that made it look like a belt.


    ¡°Wrapping rags around your face isn¡¯t very reliable, but this mask is built to handle some rough falls and tumbles,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°How¡¯d you get this?¡± asked Jerome. ¡°Stuff like this is always in the Header¡¯s zone.¡±


    ¡°I called in a few favors,¡± said Sally, with a wink. She passed me the mask.


    I had no idea what it was made of but it did feel pretty solid. ¡°Won¡¯t this make me look suspicious?¡±


    ¡°You were going to stick out regardless, at least now you can do that in style!¡±


    ¡°Great.¡±


    ¡°Try it on,¡± urged Ben.


    I still had the rest of the bundle in my other hand so I passed it to Jerome for a second. I unbuckled the belt on the back of the mask, and pressed my face into the black surface of the mask¡¯s interior. However, when it touched my skin, the darkness vanished and I saw Sally¡¯s smiling face in front of me.


    ¡°Neat, right?¡± she said. ¡°You can see us but we can¡¯t see you.¡±


    ¡°Is it magic?¡± I asked, looking around. The streets were just as brown and gravely, the houses as derelict and poised to crumble, and the sky the same shade of pale blue as when I wasn¡¯t wearing the mask.


    ¡°No,¡± she said. ¡°It¡¯s made from tint.¡±


    ¡°Tint?¡±


    ¡°A rare metal mined in Epil. This mask is made from unrefined tint ore, which is why it wasn¡¯t that expensive.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s still worth a fortune!¡± said Jerome. ¡°How¡¯d you get the money for this?¡±


    ¡°I sold that book Val gave me,¡± said Sally as she rummaged inside her pocket. ¡°Here¡¯s your change.¡± She handed me five large strips of paper, each worth a hundred inketts.


    ¡°I can¡¯t take all of this!¡± I said.


    ¡°You defeated Skinner, it¡¯s yours.¡±


    ¡°We fought him together.¡±


    ¡°No, she¡¯s right,¡± said Jerome. ¡°We should have been the ones protecting you, but you ended up saving us in the end.¡±


    ¡°But ¨C¡±


    ¡°Just take it,¡± said Ben.


    I hesitated, then nodded and accepted the money. No point refusing it if they were insisting so much.


    ¡°You should get out of those wet clothes before you catch a cold,¡± said Jerome, passing me the unfolded bundle.


    There was a long black robe with large, upturned collars. The sleeves were a little long but the other measurements seemed fine. There was also a couple of brown undershirts and black tights, as well as three pairs of black socks. The cloth they were made from was soft but firm, leagues better than the crude stuff I was wearing.


    ¡°Do you like them?¡± asked Sally.


    ¡°They¡¯re amazing,¡± I said, sizing up the robe. ¡°Thanks Sally!¡±


    Sally smiled and lifted the bundle in her hand a little higher. ¡°I¡¯ll give you these once we buy some backpacks.¡±


    ¡°Thanks.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡±


    ¡°Oh right,¡± said Ben. ¡°Is Elenor still at the store?¡±


    Sally frowned and looked behind her. ¡°She helped me pick out these clothes for Val. I thought she was behind me but I must have lost her.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Elenor as she appeared around the corner. On her nose sat a new pair of sunglasses, which had sharp, angled edges that formed triangles. ¡°I got sidetracked.¡±


    ¡°Wow Elenor, those shades are amazing!¡± I said.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think you could look any cooler but I guess I was wrong,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°I haven¡¯t seen a pair like that in years,¡± said Jerome. ¡°Glad to see they¡¯re coming back into fashion.¡±


    Elenor smiled. ¡°They were the cheapest ones they had.¡±


    ¡°Great bargain then, I suppose,¡± I said.


    ¡°Right, get out of those wet clothes already, Val,¡± said Sally.


    I changed behind a pile of trash. The robe stopped just over my knees and didn¡¯t hinder my movements much, but the sleeves stretched beyond my hands. I considered rolling them up but it wasn¡¯t like I needed to hold anything yet. I left the dirty wet clothes on the pile of trash and joined the others.


    ¡°Wait, you guys don¡¯t know where the market is,¡± said Sally to Ben and me.


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± said Jerome. ¡°Guess I¡¯ll go with them, then.¡±


    ¡°Elenor and I can¡¯t carry the tents on our own,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°I¡¯ll come with you,¡± I said.


    And so, Ben and Jerome went to the market while Sally, Elenor, and I went to the camping supplies store. It was a tiny change to our initial plan, but it made me uncomfortable. The mask and robe didn¡¯t help either, since we were still in the Collar¡¯s zone. Sally and Elenor hadn¡¯t bought new clothes yet either, so we must have seemed like an odd bunch.


    Worst of all, it felt incredibly strange being able to look at people without them noticing. Even when they looked at my face, they never met my gaze.


    Unlike the other Collar¡¯s zones I¡¯d been to, Devel¡¯s didn¡¯t stink of sewage and human refuse, probably because all of that got channeled into the canals. Still, the roads were full of potholes and the people walking on those roads were just as obviously impoverished as the Collars in Sett and Chart.


    ¡°Here,¡± said Sally.


    The store was small and the sign on its wall simply said, ¡°Camping Supplies.¡± We bought five sleeping bags which we tied on top of as many backpacks. With two tents, a few canteens, pots, pans, and some bandages, we were ready to go. Sally gave me the other bundle of clothes, which had an extra robe, several sets of underwear, and another couple of shirts and tights in it. I offered the extra robe to Elenor but she refused, saying she didn¡¯t like long robes.


    ¡°Let¡¯s go here next,¡± said Sally, pointing to a store with glass windows showcasing dresses.


    I helped Elenor pick out a few shirts and pants, and convinced her to buy a cloak. Sally bought a set of green robes and brown clothes. She also bought a new pair of shoes, since her old ones had been ruined by mud and rain.


    I looked at my own shoes, the ones Moxy had given me. Despite everything I¡¯d been through, they were unscathed, and the little metal M¡¯s on them shone just as brightly as ever. Elenor¡¯s shoes were just like mine, except hers were brown while mine were green.


    ¡°That should be everything, right?¡± asked Elenor.


    I eyed the walking stick she was tapping on the ground. It was smooth and undented, but it had traces of mud and dirt on it.


    ¡°Let¡¯s get this too,¡± I said, grabbing a cleaning cloth. I handed it to Elenor. ¡°Take care of your walking stick with this.¡±


    Elenor accepted it but said, ¡°It¡¯s not a walking stick.¡±


    ¡°It isn¡¯t?¡±


    ¡°No, it¡¯s a baton.¡±


    I frowned. It did look like a musical baton, with a sphere on top and thinner end at the bottom, but it was a little too big to be conducting an orchestra with.


    ¡°My bad,¡± I said. ¡°But that just means you need to take even better care of it.¡±


    With everything we needed on our backs, we made our way to the alleyway we¡¯d set as our rendezvous point. Ben and Jerome were waiting for us with baskets of food which we promptly emptied into the backpacks.


    ¡°Do I need to dive into the canal again?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Well, they probably won¡¯t stop us on the way out,¡± said Jerome.


    I sighed. ¡°But it¡¯s still possible. Let¡¯s play it safe.¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Sally. ¡°It¡¯ll be fine. Trust the tiker!¡±


    ¡°The tiker won¡¯t help me get past the guards,¡± I said.


    I couldn¡¯t convince her in the end, and for some reason, I was swept away by her optimism. I¡¯d been anticipating disaster in Devel, but so far, I¡¯d gone for a dip, bought new clothes and supplies, and generally enjoyed myself for what may have been the first time since I lost the House of Wisdom.


    Maybe tikers really were good luck.


    People leaving the city walked between the two lines of people entering the city. The lines were bigger now, and the guards were grumpier because of the hot midday sun. The crowd leaving the city was thinner so our group stood out more than I would have liked. Still, the guards didn¡¯t stop anyone in front of us, not even glancing at most of them.


    Sunlight bounced off the murky water flowing gently in the canal below. As we left Devel, I felt a slight urge to stay a little longer. It was the best city I¡¯d been in so far. It was pretty, it was safe, and there were so many things Sally had mentioned that I wanted to experience, food I wanted to taste, sights I wanted to see.


    But Bendeck was just one city away. As I passed the guards standing in the middle of the bridge, I thought about Bendeck, and the lead Moxy had promised me.


    Henry, once I met him, I could finally begin searching for another Wonder, which I could use to track Demetrius, and reclaim what was rightfully mine! I could almost see the blue dome, and feel the coldness of the marble beneath my feet, and smell the musty air that only a giant gathering of books could possess.


    To top it off, the other Wonder was probably just as amazing. In fact, I should gather as many of them as I can. That seemed like a brilliant idea! I wondered why I hadn¡¯t thought of it before, and why it had come to me so suddenly, like an epiphany borne out of a daydream.


    I took a deep breath, and stepped forward with confidence. After an endless cascade of mishaps and inconveniences, things were finally looking up.


    I smiled. Guess that tiker was a good omen, after all.


    ¡°You in the black mask!¡±


    I stopped. Looking over my shoulder, I saw one of the guards staring at me.


    The guard pointed in front of himself. ¡°Over there.¡±


    I bit my lip as my heart began to race. I eyed the edge of the bridge; could I jump into the canal? No, even if I could make it, they¡¯d jump in after me. If any of them were finders, they¡¯d catch me instantly.


    ¡°You dropped something.¡±


    I blinked and followed his finger. A single sock lay on the stone.


    ¡°Oh, thank you,¡± I said as I grabbed the sock.


    The guard nodded. Sally and Jerome had taken position on either side of me, while Elenor and Ben stood right behind me. As the guard¡¯s gaze shifted, all of us loosened.


    Once the bridge was no longer within sight, someone chuckled.


    ¡°I¡¯m glad I wasn¡¯t the only one expecting something to go wrong,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°I¡¯m sorry I almost threw an exploding box at him,¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°Don¡¯t be, I almost smashed my pickaxe into his head.¡± Sally laughed.


    ¡°I almost sent him flying into the canal,¡± said Elenor.


    I let The Tempest fall back on my shelf. Then I tutted. ¡°Unbelievable, how dare you guys doubt the great tiker?¡±


    ¡°Unforgiveable,¡± said Jerome, shaking his head. ¡°We need to atone for our sins.¡±


    ¡°How can we possibly make up for what we have done?¡± asked Sally, feigning incredulity.


    ¡°I¡¯ll tie my hands over my head and spin in circles,¡± suggested Ben.


    ¡°No.¡± I shook my head. ¡°That¡¯s not good enough.¡±


    ¡°What if I do this,¡± said Elenor as she blew a raspberry.


    ¡°That¡¯s it!¡±


    We blew raspberries on the empty road. It was silly, childish, and made our lips hurt, but we didn¡¯t care. The sun shone brightly over our heads, a fresh breeze brushed past my skin, and flowers bloomed beside the road.


    Someone blew a raspberry close to my ear. ¡°Ben, stop it!¡±


    ¡°Huh? Stop what?¡±


    A tiny black shape hovered in front of me. ¡°Oh look!¡± I said. ¡°It¡¯s back!¡±


    ¡°It could be another one,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°Maybe,¡± I said, as the tiker buzzed past my ear and disappeared behind a tree. ¡°Or maybe it came to see us off.¡±

 Episode 6 Scene 4

    ¡°Oh, is it coming back?¡± I said as a tiny black shape shot out of the tree with a buzz.


    No, I realized, what I was hearing wasn¡¯t buzzing, but whistling, the whistling of wind being pierced by something sharp and deadly.


    A clang echoed as Sally jumped in front of me. An arrow fell to the ground, and the shadow of Sally¡¯s pickaxe fell across my face.


    ¡°Show yourself!¡± Sally yelled.


    Jerome and Ben stepped to either side of her, guarding our flanks. Elenor tapped her stick and Ben¡¯s face flickered in various directions. The pages of The Tempest fluttered in the back of my mind.


    Another whistle rang in my ear.


    ¡°Behind us!¡± shouted Elenor.


    I turned just in time to see the arrow get knocked out of the air. A pebble fell to the ground beside it.


    ¡°Nice one, Ben!¡± I said. I hadn¡¯t picked a character to play using The Tempest yet, because I wanted to know who was attacking us, first.


    ¡°They¡¯re behind those bushes to your right, Jerome,¡± said Elenor in a low voice.


    Jerome brought a black box out of his pocket and aimed at the tree where the first arrow had come from, but when he threw it, it was the bushes that exploded.


    ¡°On your left, Sally!¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°Got it.¡± Sally swung her pickaxe as another arrow appeared from behind the tree trunk.


    ¡°Why can¡¯t we see them?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Some sort of concealment magic,¡± replied Jerome.


    ¡°Behind you, Val!¡±


    I swayed to the side and a blur whizzed past my ear. My heart jumped into my throat. That was too close! This concealment magic was bad news.


    Another blur whizzed through the air, however, this one went towards the bushes. The bushes groaned as the pebble hit. I looked over my shoulder at Ben. His eyes were narrowed and he was taking long, deep breaths. Another pebble flew from his hand, this time to the tree trunk, and an arrow flew haphazardly to the side.


    Only finders could fight this battle, I realized. As Elenor gave directions to Sally and Jerome, and Ben shot more pebbles towards our invisible assailants, I made my decision.


    Taking a deep breath, I crouched and picked up a pebble. Another arrow whistled towards me. My eyes flickered as my hand jerked violently forward. Another whistle cut through the air, then the whistles died in a loud crash.


    A broken arrow plonked to the ground with a pebble stuck in its arrowhead. I raised my eyes and scanned my surroundings. I couldn¡¯t tell where our attackers were, but I picked up the tiniest details like crumpled leaves, broken twigs, dust in the air, and sounds of movement and breathing, and pieced them together to build a bigger picture.


    I intercepted another arrow, scooped up another pebble, then hurled it over my shoulder. A cry of pain followed. I stepped back until my back pressed against another.


    ¡°Val, you¡­¡± said Ben.


    ¡°Just copying your magic for the moment, Ben.¡± That was partially true, I was copying the effects of his unburnt magic, but only because it came with the rest of his character. I didn¡¯t know why I was hiding the details of my magic from him, but I did it anyway.


    ¡°I see,¡± he said.


    The arrows had stopped coming but we kept hitting them with pebbles and exploding boxes. They were probably concentrating on dodging our attacks, and it seemed to be working, judging by the lack of groans and cries.


    ¡°Watch out!¡±


    Fifteen arrows whistled through the air, surrounding us completely.


    I chucked two pebbles in quick succession, knocking as many arrows out of the air. Sally swung her pickaxe, smashing five of them to bits. Jerome¡¯s exploding box destroyed four, while knocking another one out of the way. Ben got the rest with his pebbles.


    ¡°Duck!¡±


    I immediately fell to the ground. A powerful shockwave reverberated, blanketing the area in silence. A further fifteen arrows hit the ground.


    ¡°They¡¯re gone,¡± said Elenor, breathing heavily.


    ¡°You sure?¡± asked Sally as she stood up.


    Elenor nodded. ¡°I could sense all of them clearly, but they were too fast for me to fight them directly.¡±


    ¡°How many were there?¡± asked Jerome.


    ¡°Five,¡± said Ben. ¡°Judging by where the arrows originated. Some of them curved to make the illusion we were being fired upon by fifteen people.¡±You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    I let The Tempest fall back to my shelf. ¡°Who were they?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t recognize any of them,¡± said Elenor. ¡°But they gave off a familiar feeling. Cold, enigmatic, and disgustingly self-righteous, just like that woman from Inline.¡±


    Jerome frowned. ¡°They shouldn¡¯t have been able to find us this quickly.¡±


    ¡°No, if it¡¯s them, it¡¯s possible,¡± said Sally. She didn¡¯t put away her pickaxe. ¡°We need to get out of here before they come back with reinforcements.¡±


    ¡°Do we stick to the road?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yes, we¡¯d be playing into their hands if we left the road. If we can reach the first rest-stop before nightfall, we should be alright.¡±


    We ran until I stopped to catch my breath. The others were breathing quickly too, but I definitely had the least stamina amongst us. We walked until the pain in my chest receded, then began running again.


    All the while, Ben and Elenor scanned the edges of the road. Jerome took point while Sally brought up the rear. Running in the middle of the formation, I felt a tang of annoyance at being a liability. I wanted to use The Tempest to play Ben¡¯s character again, but that would make me more tired, and I was already setting the pace for the group.


    No, the best thing I could do for the moment was keep my eyes on the undulating road and put one foot in front of the other.


    Water breaks were tense. Four people stood on guard while we passed around a single canteen. Our packs were slowing us down but we kept them. Although my mask let in light, it wasn¡¯t porous enough to let air through, so my face was soon covered in sweat. I took it off once I couldn¡¯t handle the smell of my own breath anymore. I made a mental note to punch holes in it or something.


    Our attackers didn¡¯t show up again. However, we couldn¡¯t calm our nerves. We jumped at shadows, shouted at trees, and Ben even spooked a bird with a pebble. The comfort of Devel seemed like a distant memory that faded with the sunlight.


    ¡°We should have captured that tiker,¡± remarked Sally during a water break.


    It wasn¡¯t enough to break the tension in the air, but we ended up walking the rest of the way ¨C a decision my aching feet were grateful for.


    ¡°We should have reached the rest-stop by now,¡± said Jerome.


    The sky was painted in hues of orange and gold. There weren¡¯t many trees around but thorny shrubs dotted the ground, casting twisting shadows across the coarse soil. Jerome tried to read a map with one hand, while holding a black box in the other. In retrospect, that was probably both inefficient and dangerous, but at the time, it didn¡¯t strike me as odd. We needed to be wary, cautious, alert.


    We needed to be paranoid.


    I frowned as white noise filled my ears. Something wasn¡¯t right but I couldn¡¯t tell what it was. The Tempest flickered in the back of my mind, but even with Ben¡¯s deductive abilities, I couldn¡¯t put my finger on it. I couldn¡¯t read this situation at all.


    Or could I?


    I focused my eyes and the world stopped moving, which was strange because it shouldn¡¯t have been moving in the first place. Information flooded my mind.


    ¡°John Ulfric Jenkins,¡± came the thought in my head. ¡°Fifty-four. Header from Bendeck. Member of Inline and leader of its Third Column. Father of Conis and Jenny. Burnt Book of Bitany, Book of Bendeck, and Book of Inline. Interprets Book of Bitany and Book of Bendeck to allow him to manipulate targets¡¯ minds.


    Current illusion has victims think time and space is passing faster than normal.¡±


    ¡°Over there!¡± shouted Elenor, breaking my concentration. The thoughts stopped flooding into my mind.


    An explosion blew a hole into the ground and someone screamed in pain. Or rather, someone¡¯s screams intensified. Drops of blood fell on the ground, appearing out of nowhere. The sun was high in the sky and we were still standing in front of the tree the tiker had flown into.


    ¡°Captain, what happened?¡± came a voice I didn¡¯t recognize. Ben chucked a pebble at it but it didn¡¯t seem to hit.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said the voice that had screamed. The speaker sounded like he was speaking through grit teeth. ¡°It felt like I was being read. All units, avoid giving away your position.¡±


    Sally jumped at the voice and swung her pickaxe but hit nothing but air. Ben shot another pebble and Jerome eyed our surroundings with a black box in his hand. Elenor bumped into my back.


    ¡°Was that you?¡± she asked in a hushed voice.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I replied. ¡°I read the illusion.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± she said. ¡°I don¡¯t think I could do something like that.¡±


    I frowned. Was the way I read things different because I was from another world?


    ¡°Are you going to do it again?¡± asked Elenor.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said. I already had The Tempest ready and was using Ben¡¯s character to find our invisible attackers.


    ¡°Hold on a second, we don¡¯t want them focusing on you,¡± said Elenor. ¡°Wait for my signal.¡±


    ¡°What signal?¡±


    ¡°This one,¡± she whispered. Then she shouted, ¡°Duck!¡±


    Our team crouched, but so did the person I was following. I took the opportunity to focus on them intently and more information flew into my mind.


    ¡°Clara Tay. Twenty-seven. Header from Bendeck. Member of Inline¡¯s Third Column. Wife of Hagel the blacksmith, mother of Sara and Julian. Burnt the Book of Bendeck, Book of Bitany, and Book of Inline. Interprets Book of Bitany to grant invisibility to fellow believers, allowing them to carry out their righteous acts in secrecy.


    Currently granting invisibility to Tay, Yao, Said, Banter, and Jenkins.¡±


    Clara screamed and five people materialized around us. Before she could recover, a pebble struck her forehead, and she crumpled.


    ¡°Clara!¡± cried the middle-aged man nursing a bleeding arm.


    ¡°Captain, watch out!¡± shouted the redhaired man.


    The Captain, Ulfric, became a blur, avoiding the black box that left a crater where he had been standing. A brown-haired man aimed his bow and shot five arrows which curved through the air towards Elenor.


    Elenor hit the ground with her baton, and the air in front of her vibrated, making the arrows fall like kites with cut strings. Ben shot a pebble at the brown-haired man, but he dashed to the side.


    They were insanely fast. That had to be magic, I was sure of it. And if that Clara lady could grant invisibility to her teammates, one of the others could probably grant super-speed too. I needed to read that person so we could take them out.


    ¡°Elenor,¡± I whispered. ¡°I need another distraction.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve already got one,¡± she said, signaling to her right.


    Sally jumped at the bleeding Ulfric¡¯s back. Somehow, Sally had managed to get outside of their encirclement and snuck up behind him.


    ¡°Captain!¡± shouted the brown-haired man, pointing behind Ulfric.


    Ulfric didn¡¯t turn, choosing instead to trust his men and dive to the side; a choice that let him keep his head as Sally¡¯s pickaxe swung through the air. However, his team was looking at him, giving me a window of opportunity to strike.


    I read the red-haired man.


    ¡°Gaben Yao. Thirty-two. Header of Bendeck. Member of Inline¡¯s Third Column. Brother of Yamten. Burnt Book of Bendeck, Book of Bitany, and Book of Inline. Interprets Book of Bitany to grant enhanced speed to fellow believers, to assist in carrying out the will of the goddess.


    Currently granting enhanced speed to Yao, Said, Banter, Jenkins.¡±


    Gaben screamed but his screams were cut off by an exploding black box. He fell to the ground, severely burnt and unconscious.


    Got him, I thought to myself. With this we should be able to round up the others with ease.


    ¡°Now, Nene!¡±


    My body froze with Ulfric¡¯s shout, not because I was afraid or surprised, but because my body refused to listen to my brain. It was like someone was holding my limbs and I couldn¡¯t budge without their permission.


    ¡°The girl is looking away,¡± said Ulfric. ¡°You did it, Nene.¡±

 Episode 6 Scene 5

    ¡°The girl is looking away,¡± said Ulfric. ¡°You did it, Nene.¡±


    My body was frozen in place. I couldn¡¯t even blink my eyes. My chest ached because my lungs refused to inhale, but I was using The Tempest so Ben¡¯s character kept me focused even as the gears in my head began to slow.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let her go,¡± said Ulfric, his voice coming from behind me.


    ¡°Understood, captain,¡± said the brown-haired man with his hands stretched in front of him.


    He¡¯s the guy who shot those arrows at us, I thought. They must have curved because of someone else¡¯s magic or because of the bow.


    Next to the brown-haired man stood a green-eyed woman who stared over my shoulder. In fact, my oxygen-deprived brain realized the brown-haired man was looking behind me too. Ulfric¡¯s footsteps came from the side, instead of behind m, even though I was an easy target.


    Which meant I wasn¡¯t the one they were trying to lock down. Sally stood on the edge of my vision, as still as a statue. The lack of explosions to my right signaled Jerome¡¯s incapacitation. Ben would have thrown a pebble at the brown-haired man by now, since he would have deduced the binding magic required the user to be completely still, which meant Ben was out of the equation too.


    The only person behind me was Elenor, and although it was safe to say she was frozen too, she was probably thankful her plan to confuse the enemy had worked. They thought Elenor was the one reading them and breaking their magic, which gave me the opportunity to read the guy who had frozen us.


    The brown-haired man hadn¡¯t blinked yet. Ulfric ran into my vision, no longer a blur now that Gaben Yao was unconscious. A sword shone under the midday sunlight. Ulfric ran towards me but his eyes stared over my shoulder.


    I focused, clearing the fog in my head. I had to read the brown-haired man to break his magic. Why was I hesitating? He wasn¡¯t shaking, he wasn¡¯t blinking, and his eyes were focused as if he was casting magic. Was I doubting my ability to read him, was his confident demeanor shaking my resolve, or was my lightheadedness confusing me?


    Or maybe, I was wondering why the man was holding his hands in front of him when he knew he couldn¡¯t move. He was trying too hard to appear like he was the one casting the spell. The green-eyed woman, on the other hand, stared behind me with a relaxed gaze.


    I focused on her.


    ¡°Nene Banter. Forty-seven. Header of Bendeck. Member of Inline¡¯s Third Column. Burnt Book of Bendeck, Book of Bitany, Book of Inline. Interprets Book of Bitany to bind the wicked.¡±


    I gasped for air as Nene screamed. But her screams were cut short by a pebble that shattered her collarbone and an explosion that threw her several feet into the air. She didn¡¯t make a sound as she hit the ground. A shockwave knocked me down, pushing the air right back out of my lungs.


    I coughed as pain racked my shoulder. Dust covered the front of my mask, making it hard to see.


    ¡°Sorry,¡± said Elenor as she helped me up.


    I told her it was fine. She¡¯d managed to knock Ulfric back.


    Ulfric cursed. ¡°We picked the wrong one.¡±


    ¡°She didn¡¯t fall for the bait either,¡± said the brown-haired man.


    ¡°Surrender,¡± said Sally, as she walked towards the two with her pickaxe poised to strike. ¡°You can¡¯t win.¡±


    Sweat dripped from Ulfric¡¯s hair while blood dripped down his arm. The brown-haired man¡¯s bow was by his side, but without Gaben¡¯s boost, he wouldn¡¯t be able to shoot it before he was knocked out by Ben¡¯s pebbles or Jerome¡¯s explosions.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    ¡°Stand down, Icarus,¡± said Ulfric.


    The brown-haired Icarus looked at him and dropped his bow. ¡°Understood.¡± He met my gaze.


    ¡°Why did you attack us?¡± I asked, holding Icarus¡¯ gaze. I didn¡¯t know his magic because I hadn¡¯t read him, but he was probably the one making their arrows curve. Still, I was ready to read him if he tried something funny.


    ¡°We were going to bring you in for questioning,¡± said Ulfric. ¡°One of our fellow agents was killed near Devel, and we believe your group was involved.¡±


    ¡°You could have asked without trying to kill us!¡± Ben remarked.


    ¡°We never tried to kill you. We are the Third Column, we specialize in capturing our targets without killing them. We only used preemptive force because you were suspected accomplices in the murder of a fellow agent. We had to ensure our safety.¡±


    ¡°And if you had killed us by accident?¡± asked Elenor.


    ¡°Collateral damage,¡± said Sally. ¡°I know how they work; if they kill someone, it¡¯s a mistake, if someone kills one of theirs, it¡¯s grounds for execution.¡±


    ¡°Resisting arrest and injuring us is a punishable offence, as well,¡± said Ulfric.


    ¡°Stick a sock in it,¡± said Sally. ¡°We¡¯re on a guild sanctioned mission to protect our clients, and you attacked us. If you want to take us in, go file a complaint with the guilds.¡±


    ¡°We will,¡± promised Icarus.


    I pursed my lips. I knew we couldn¡¯t kill them because Inline would know we did it and would send more people after us, but letting our attackers leave left a bad taste in my mouth. They could call in reinforcements and come attack us again, and there was nothing we could do about it. Wait, maybe there was something I could try.


    ¡°Ask us your questions,¡± I said, addressing the still bleeding Ulfric.


    ¡°Excuse me?¡±


    ¡°You said you wanted to take us in for questioning, that shouldn¡¯t be necessary if we answer your questions right here.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m afraid that wouldn¡¯t work,¡± said Ulfric. ¡°The Second Column handles interrogations. We bring our targets back to them, and they make sure everything you say is true and accurate.¡±


    ¡°Can¡¯t they come to us?¡± asked Elenor.


    Ulfric shook his head. ¡°They¡¯re too valuable to risk on a mission like this. However, you can always come with us willingly. We intended to take you to our public outpost in Bass.¡±


    I didn¡¯t trust them enough to allow them to escort us there. ¡°We can¡¯t come with you, but we can come to your outpost and give you our testimonies.¡±


    Ulfric met my gaze and after a brief pause, nodded. ¡°The outpost is in the Header¡¯s district. Tell the guards you were summoned for questioning, and they should let you through the inner gates.¡±


    ¡°We don¡¯t need to do this,¡± said Sally, facing me. ¡°I¡¯ll be reporting everything to the guilds in Bass, even Inline wouldn¡¯t risk offending the guilds over something this trivial. They¡¯re already pushing their luck with this attack. Moreover, we¡¯ve already fended off the Third Column, and the Second Column is too weak to be a threat. We only need to worry about the First Column, but those guys aren¡¯t very good at capturing people alive, so they won¡¯t be deployed unless Inline wants to provoke the guilds.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t think they¡¯d send people after us this quickly, or we would have informed the guilds in Devel of our interaction with Kara Tanner,¡± said Jerome. ¡°But Sally is right, we do not need to submit ourselves to questioning in Bass.¡±


    I was about to frown but checked myself, feeling, for the first time, a gnawing suspicion in the back of my head, just behind the shelf above which The Tempest fluttered. I understood their concerns but why were they voicing them in front of Ulfric and Icarus? It would be better to let them think we would go in for questioning, then let the guilds take care of it. I also noted how knowledgeable Sally was regarding Inline¡¯s inner workings, and how flimsy Jerome¡¯s excuse for not informing the guilds was.


    I packed away those thoughts, intending to review them later.


    ¡°I feel like it¡¯s the most efficient way to resolve this misunderstanding,¡± I said, facing Ulfric. ¡°I understand your circumstances, so I¡¯ll forgive you for attacking us this time. We¡¯ll even help you bandage your wound and treat your teammates.¡±


    ¡°Val!¡± exclaimed Ben.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine,¡± I said. ¡°We¡¯ve already agreed to submit ourselves to questioning, and they know what¡¯ll happen if they try to attack us again.¡±


    I met Ulfric¡¯s eyes and held his gaze. I slowed my breathing, angled my chin, and took a few steps forward. My actions seemed odd to me, as if they weren¡¯t in character. I couldn¡¯t picture Ben doing something like this, which meant this wasn¡¯t me acting a part, even though I was still using The Tempest. This was me doing something completely off my own accord.


    I approached the captain, and stepped so close I could smell the blood on his arm and the rankness of his breath. He didn¡¯t move a muscle, almost as if he was petrified by Nene¡¯s magic. Nobody else spoke a word either.


    ¡°Do you have any children, Mr. Jenkins? Or perhaps a wife or a lover?¡± I said in a hushed voice only he could hear. ¡°You know, I love hearing stories about people¡¯s lives, there¡¯s always something exciting, something dark; a secret to take to one¡¯s grave, a skeleton lurking in the closet.¡±


    I smiled, stepping so close I could see the sweat forming on the middle-aged man¡¯s brow, the panic in his eyes, and the terror evident on his face as he thought about his life, his family, and his deepest, darkest secrets.


    ¡°But what I love even more than hearing about those stories,¡± I whispered into his ear, ¡°is reading them.¡±

 Episode 6 Scene 6

    ¡°It was incredibly reckless,¡± said Elenor, as she pushed a branch out of her way with her baton.


    ¡°You¡¯ve been saying that for an hour now. I already apologized,¡± I said, exasperated.


    We were searching for a source of fresh water while the others set up camp. I carried canteens and a metal pot to be filled with water for cooking, while Elenor carried a couple of canteens and tapped her baton in every direction before directing me to move.


    ¡°You went up to a member of Inline and whispered in his ear. He could¡¯ve stabbed you, taken you hostage, or bitten you on the neck!¡±


    I seriously doubted he¡¯d have tried to give me a hickie. ¡°I had my eye on him, if he¡¯d so much as twitched, he would have been rolling on the ground, screaming.¡±


    The ground was littered with thorny shrubs and stumpy trees, and Elenor didn¡¯t care to follow the relatively clear animal trails. I remarked at my new robe¡¯s durability. Even if thorns stuck to it, they didn¡¯t leave a single tear or pluck a single fiber. As much fun as it had been roughing it under the stars with only a few dirty rags and wild berries, I appreciated the convenience of having the right gear.


    ¡°Don¡¯t let your abnormally powerful reading ability get to your head, it does you no good having a big brain if it isn¡¯t connected to your body,¡± said Elenor.


    I sighed. Elenor was right, I¡¯d endangered myself for a little theatricality and unnecessary intimidation. Ulfric wouldn¡¯t have chased us with most of his team unconscious, and knowing they had been unable to subjugate a single one of us even at full strength and with the element of surprise. At the time, I thought it was a good way to ensure they wouldn¡¯t try to eliminate us before we reached Bass, since they knew we were going to inform the guilds about their actions.


    But they wouldn¡¯t have done something so risky for something so trivial. They said all they wanted were some answers regarding Kara Tanner¡¯s death, and we had already said we¡¯d submit ourselves to questioning. Assuming they weren¡¯t lying, the situation was easy to resolve.


    However, they were lying. I had noticed discrepancies in Ulfric¡¯s words while I was using The Tempest, but hadn¡¯t pointed them out at the time. First, even if they had the legal right to use as much force as they deemed necessary, why would they think they needed to use so much force to subjugate us? Even if we had killed one Inline agent, sending an entire team after us was overkill, especially considering how any one of Ulfric, Nene, or Gaben alone could have taken us down if it wasn¡¯t for my reading ability.


    Second, an organization like Inline should have known Sally, Jerome, and Ben were members of guilds, and were escorting us on a guild-sanctioned mission. If what Sally had said was true, Inline wouldn¡¯t have done something so provocative and risked the guilds¡¯ ire for something as small as the death of an agent they knew had been killed by someone else.


    And finally, if they only wanted information about Tanner¡¯s death, they could have accepted my offer to answer their questions there and been done with it. There was no reason to insist we go to Inline¡¯s outpost and be interrogated there. If nothing else, they should have tried to get some answers from us to help corroborate what we said at the outpost or so they¡¯d have some information to work with, in the event we didn¡¯t go to the outpost after all.


    No, they wanted to make sure we were caught, and going to Inline¡¯s outpost was most likely a trap as well. Rather than investigating Kara Tanner¡¯s death, Ulfric¡¯s team probably had another agenda: the Soul Orbs. Considering how powerful Skinner had become after using them, it was easy to imagine why a shady governmental group like Inline would want them. Since we knew how they were made, they wanted to silence us.


    But if that was true, I didn¡¯t regret my actions at all. In fact, we shouldn¡¯t have let them live at all. They were almost certainly going to attack us again, but this time, they wouldn¡¯t be trying to capture us.


    The somber realization didn¡¯t disturb me. If they attacked again, we¡¯d just have to defeat them again. What concerned me was how nonchalantly everyone else treated the situation. Apart from Elenor, who was always brooding about everything, the others barely seemed to care that a group of murderous assassins had us in their sights. They should have realized we¡¯d be attacked again.


    In fact, I¡¯d come to this conclusion while playing Ben¡¯s character with The Tempest. At least he should know the danger we were in. Yet when I¡¯d brought up my concerns, he¡¯d brushed them off saying we¡¯d reach Bass way before Ulfric¡¯s team would.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    He didn¡¯t know I was using my magic to imitate him, but he¡¯d been giving me weird looks lately. I thought he might be trying to figure out my magic, but if that was the case, he could have just asked, it wasn¡¯t like I wouldn¡¯t tell him. I already knew what his magic did, it was only fair I told him about mine.


    Even with The Tempest, I couldn¡¯t figure out Ben¡¯s relation to the Ben who¡¯d dragged me across Sett. I had my guesses, from time travel to long lost twins, but I couldn¡¯t say for sure. The only silver lining was it made me realize the limits of his deductive magic, so I was sure he didn¡¯t know I¡¯d come from another world.


    ¡°So reckless.¡± She shook her head.


    ¡°I got it, alright!¡±


    Elenor chuckled. ¡°We¡¯re almost there.¡±


    I grumbled. She really wasn¡¯t letting this go. I couldn¡¯t hear any running water yet, but I didn¡¯t doubt Elenor. She knew what was happening for miles around, in fact, she¡¯d probably eavesdropped on more conversations than she¡¯d admit.


    But we¡¯d been at it for half an hour now, and she¡¯d been on the lookout ever since we¡¯d left Ulfric and his team behind. Was she feeling guilty for not noticing the ambush? She had no reason to be, we¡¯d been distracted by that damn tiker. She didn¡¯t need to push herself so much, what if she ran out of magic?


    Wait, wasn¡¯t she using burnt magic? Maybe burnt magic didn¡¯t have a time limit like unburnt magic did. Once again, I felt the limits of my knowledge of magic. I resolved to buy a book or something, once I got to Bendeck. The lack of books in my possession was disconcerting.


    My foot sank into the ground. I grimaced and pulled it out, a coating of mud plastered all over it. I still couldn¡¯t hear any running water but there was a pond a little further beyond the mud.


    ¡°There¡¯s another way around,¡± said Elenor as she sidestepped the mud.


    A warning would have been nice, I thought as I rubbed my feet on the ground. ¡°We came here for the pond?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    Pondwater wouldn¡¯t be very clean, although rivers and streams weren¡¯t exactly Perrier either. Still, it was unlikely a pond like this would have drinkable water. Did Elenor not know about germs and waterborne diseases? That was another thing about this world that I found odd, if they had so many books from our world, why didn¡¯t they have stuff like water purification plants or a rudimentary understanding of biology?


    There were no cars, no lights, no modern medicine. To be fair, I hadn¡¯t seen a lot of modern non-fiction books in this world, but all this knowledge and the ability to utilize it directly should have at least started the industrial age.


    I followed Elenor over a rocky path, avoiding the patches of mud between the rocky bits.


    ¡°This is rainwater, so it should be fine,¡± said Elenor as she crouched near the water¡¯s edge and dipped a finger in.


    The water was a muddy brown color, with weeds sticking out of it. I didn¡¯t know how she could tell it was rain water, but even then, it wasn¡¯t necessarily safe to drink. I doubted her ability could tell what kind of microbes were in the water. Finding cholera with echolocation would be almost as farfetched as finding love in the time of cholera.


    ¡°We¡¯ll boil it back at camp.¡± I crouched and submerged a canteen. Bubbles of air emerged from the canteen¡¯s mouth, popping intermittently. ¡°Did we buy a filter in Devel?¡±


    ¡°What¡¯s a filter?¡± She filled her canteen too.


    ¡°Guess that¡¯s a no.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t that bad, I told myself, I¡¯d been drinking this world¡¯s water for weeks and hadn¡¯t gotten sick yet. Still, dying of dysentery was not on my to-do list, so I kept the canteen near the surface where the water was clearer. The deeper I looked, the darker and murkier it would get.


    Elenor cursed and slapped her forehead.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Just a bug,¡± she answered, wiping her hand on her clothes.


    I looked at her. She wore the black cloak I¡¯d picked out for her in Devel, as well as the black shirt and trousers she¡¯d bought for herself. With her shoes hidden in the grass and her black sunglasses on her face, the only color on her body came from the red pin in her hair.


    I needed to voice my suspicions, get a second opinion on them. I¡¯d already unpacked the packet of paranoia I¡¯d set aside earlier in the day, and those questions needed answers.


    Why did Sally and Jerome suggest we shouldn¡¯t go to Inline¡¯s outpost, in front of Ulfric and his team? Maybe Jerome could be that tactless, but I didn¡¯t peg Sally as someone who couldn¡¯t see the benefit of letting the enemy think we would listen to their request.


    Not informing the guilds in Devel about Skinner and Kara Tanner was also strange. Jerome¡¯s excuse for not doing so had been laughable, and they obviously knew being attacked by Inline was a real possibility.


    Being attacked right outside Devel was suspicious too. The roads were empty and there were no witnesses, but we could still see the city on the horizon when we were attacked. It would have been safer to bring us down at night, maybe after a couple days of tiring traveling.


    My canteens were full and I skimmed the top of the pond with the pot. I breathed. I was probably overthinking things. Sally¡¯s team had put their lives on the line for us several times. They were nice, friendly people, and I liked them. They¡¯d shared plenty of secrets with us, and we¡¯d talked about mundane and serious things together.


    Together, we¡¯d survived explosive wolves, political riots, crazy soul sucking murderers, the secret police, and mud. A lot of mud. If they wanted to kill me, they¡¯d had plenty of opportunities to do it. I could trust them, or rather, I had to. Bendeck was only one city away. I was about to complete the first step on my quest to recover the House of Wisdom, and I was not going to let unnecessary paranoia stop me.


    ¡°Hey Val.¡±


    ¡°Yeah Elenor?¡±


    ¡°Let me give you some advice.¡±


    I looked up. The pot was full and heavy, and despite my best efforts, still full of dirt. Elenor had finished filling her canteens a while ago and dangled her feet in the water. ¡°What is it?¡±


    She kicked the water, making the clearer upper layer mix with the murkiness below. ¡°Don¡¯t trust them. Sally, Jerome, and Ben, especially Ben.¡±

 Episode 6 Scene 7

    ¡°Why shouldn¡¯t I trust them?¡±


    The air was humid and insects buzzed by my ear. Elenor splashed her feet in the water, sending ripples across the surface.


    ¡°They¡¯re nice people,¡± continued Elenor. ¡°They¡¯ve saved our lives before, suffered a lot of pain to protect us, and even gone out of their way for our comfort and security.¡±


    I frowned. That wasn¡¯t grounds for suspicion, it was grounds for friendship. ¡°And their niceness makes them untrustworthy?¡±


    ¡°No, that was a disclaimer. Just wanted to let you know I like them.¡±


    ¡°Then why shouldn¡¯t I trust them?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re not our friends.¡±


    I frowned. I thought she was going to talk about the stuff with Inline, not question friendships. ¡°What do you mean? Of course they¡¯re my friends.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°What I mean is, they aren¡¯t helping us because they like us, they¡¯re helping us because it¡¯s their job. We hired them to take us to Bendeck. The second we reach the city, they¡¯ll be released from the assignment, and we¡¯ll be on our own.¡±


    That was true. They were on a guild sanctioned mission to escort us to Bendeck, and we couldn¡¯t rely on them after the mission ended. But that didn¡¯t mean we couldn¡¯t be friends. After all we¡¯d been through together, we¡¯d gotten pretty close. I could eat with them, laugh with them, cry with them, and rely on them to have my back.


    ¡°That¡¯s not enough of a reason,¡± I said. A part of me was happy I wasn¡¯t the only paranoid one but since I¡¯d been over those doubts in my head already, I shrugged off Elenor¡¯s concerns and stood up. ¡°Come on, the sun¡¯s going down.¡±


    Because of the battle with Ulfric¡¯s team, we hadn¡¯t been able to reach the first rest-stop in time, which was why the others were setting up tents back at camp. We needed to get back with the water so we could start cooking dinner.


    ¡°But what I love even more than hearing about those stories is reading them.¡±


    I stopped and turned around. ¡°What¡¯d you say?¡±


    ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything,¡± said Elenor, still kicking the water. ¡°Those were your words. You whispered them into that Inline guy¡¯s ears.¡±


    I frowned. She must have heard me with her magic.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t hear it with my magic.¡± She tapped her ear. ¡°I heard it with these.¡±


    ¡°Good for you,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard a lot of things, you know. Sally¡¯s complaints about having to keep track of her pickaxe, Jerome¡¯s mumblings about his inventions, Ben¡¯s tone-deaf humming. I¡¯ve heard you muttering crazy things in your sleep, something about books and armchairs.¡±


    My eyes widened. How much did she know about my dreams? Did she know about Static? Did she know about my mission? Humbug, I couldn¡¯t let her find out yet!


    ¡°Did I say anything else? I keep forgetting what my nightmares were about, please let me know if there was anything else.¡±


    She shook her head. ¡°Most of your sleep-talking is gibberish. You said something about bananas once, if that helps.¡±


    It didn¡¯t. ¡°I get it, you¡¯ve been eavesdropping on everyone. What¡¯s the point of bringing it up?¡±


    ¡°Because I¡¯ve heard more than sleep-talk about bananas, and humming,¡± she said. She stopped kicking the water and turned her face to me. The action surprised me, Elenor rarely turned to me while speaking if she wasn¡¯t already facing me. ¡°They knew Inline was going to come after us.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, Jerome said so, didn¡¯t he? It¡¯s not that surprising, considering everything that happened.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t get it, they knew we¡¯d be attacked outside Devel.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± I frowned.


    Elenor nodded. ¡°I heard Jerome discussing it with Sally. You were looking for Ben at the stream, and they thought I¡¯d gone after you.¡±


    ¡°What did they say?¡±


    ¡°Jerome was arguing with Sally. He said they should tell the guilds about Skinner and Tanner, but she said no.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    ¡°Why would she say that?¡±


    ¡°The same thing Jerome told us later, Inline wouldn¡¯t come for us that quickly.¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that mean Jerome was telling the truth? None of this means anything.¡±


    ¡°They kept arguing,¡± continued Elenor, putting up a finger to stop me. ¡°And Jerome said Sally didn¡¯t know Inline the way he did. They were ruthless, amoral, and unpredictable, they needed to prepare for the worst.¡±


    Sounded like Jerome had some history with Inline. ¡°If he was so concerned about it, why didn¡¯t he just go to the guilds on his own?¡±


    Elenor nodded. ¡°My thoughts exactly. It gets worse though. Sally agreed.¡±


    She did?


    ¡°But then¡­¡± I paused. ¡°They didn¡¯t tell the guilds.¡±


    ¡°They said they would.¡±


    ¡°But they didn¡¯t, did they?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they did.¡± Elenor stood up. ¡°But that would mean they lied to us.¡±


    ¡°Could have been a white lie. We were in front of the team from Inline.¡±


    Elenor shook her head. ¡°That makes no sense. Telling them we had already told the guilds would be a deterrent. Telling them we were going to tell the guilds, would make us high priority targets.¡±


    My eyes widened. ¡°They want us to get attacked again!¡±


    Elenor shrugged. ¡°Maybe. It¡¯s still possible something happened that made them decide not to tell the guilds after all. However, that was all they said at the time. I don¡¯t think they were ever alone again afterwards.¡±


    Elenor was right, they could have talked about it later and decided not to tell the guilds, although I couldn¡¯t think of a reason why they wouldn¡¯t. But there was a more important question on my mind.


    ¡°If they did end up telling the guilds while we were in Devel,¡± I said. ¡°Then why did Inline still attack us?¡±


    ¡°Maybe they don¡¯t care about the guilds after all? Honestly, Inline has the Front Party behind them, there¡¯s no reason for them to worry about the guilds. In fact, it¡¯s the guilds who wouldn¡¯t want to lock horns with Inline over an insignificant escort mission.¡± Elenor tapped her baton. ¡°What¡¯s more, the current Official¡¯s been shoring up power like crazy. Devel, Bass, and Bendeck are almost completely under his control, and his votes in Chart were rising just last year. If Gecko Ross wasn¡¯t such an absolute madman, the Side Party would have collapsed by now.¡±


    That was counterintuitive but I guess that¡¯s politics. ¡°Do the others know this?¡±


    ¡°Of course, they probably understand the situation way better than I do. I didn¡¯t know any of this when we left Sett.¡±


    ¡°You overheard it all, didn¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°People love talking about politics.¡±


    ¡°Nobody likes hearing about it though.¡±


    ¡°I do,¡± said Elenor. ¡°It¡¯s like a game, sometimes. One with really high stakes.¡± She began walking.


    I followed. ¡°If the others know the guilds aren¡¯t going to stop Inline, does that mean they said all that to make us feel better?¡±


    ¡°I doubt it. In my experience, they¡¯ve been forthright about our situation, most of the time. I think they wanted that team from Inline to know the guilds were involved.¡±


    ¡°Why? Like you said, that just makes us bigger targets.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Elenor tapped her baton on a tree trunk. ¡°They¡¯re hiding something, and I don¡¯t like being kept in the dark.¡±


    I had to walk slowly and carefully because of the pot full of water. It swished and swirled with my gait, threatening to spill. I made sure to test every step so I wouldn¡¯t trip.


    ¡°I agree, but I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anything we can do about it right now.¡±


    ¡°Yes, but stay vigilant. Inline is going to attack us again and Sally¡¯s team knows it. And¡­¡± She tapped me with her baton.


    I stopped and raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°When that happens, keep an eye on them too, okay?¡±


    I hesitated then said, ¡°Okay.¡±


    She nodded. We continued walking. The sun was so low it hid behind the short, stumpy trees around us. Elenor led us back through the shrubs although I was worried about snakes and scorpions.


    ¡°Oh wait,¡± I said.


    Elenor stopped, her baton on a stumpy, gnarled tree branch.


    I squinted in the dimming sunlight. ¡°You said I shouldn¡¯t trust Ben, but never told me why.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t know? But you told me I especially shouldn¡¯t trust him. You can¡¯t just say that for no reason.¡±


    ¡°I said I didn¡¯t know, not that I didn¡¯t have a reason.¡±


    I expected her to go on but she didn¡¯t. ¡°What reason?¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a hunch.¡±


    ¡°A hunch?¡±


    ¡°My intuition is strong.¡±


    ¡°It also isn¡¯t a reason.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s good enough for me.¡± She shrugged. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can think of something more concrete, all I¡¯ve got is a vague sense of unease. Something about him, it rubs me the wrong way.¡±


    ¡°Do you know what that something is?¡±


    ¡°If I did, I would have already told you. All I can say is, he¡¯s the only person who makes me question my abilities.¡±


    He makes her question her abilities; what the hell does that mean? ¡°I don¡¯t get it.¡±


    ¡°Me neither.¡±


    A long silence.


    ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on him.¡±


    ¡°Thank you.¡±


    We reached the camp as the last bit of red in the sky turned blue. The camp was by the road, since that was the only clearing and there was nowhere to hide. Ben stood by the campfire while Jerome fixed up the last tent. Sally sat between them with her backpack open in front of her.


    ¡°Finally, you¡¯re back!¡± said Ben with a smile. ¡°I was about to go looking for you.¡±


    I nudged Elenor with my elbow. ¡°Somebody wanted to dangle her feet in the pond.¡±


    ¡°A pond?¡± said Sally. ¡°Was it clear?¡±


    I shook my head. ¡°No, it wasn¡¯t.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s fine,¡± said Jerome. ¡°I have a filtering box. Just make sure to boil it afterwards.¡±


    Oh, so the people of this world did know how to clean water. A lesson against small sample sizes, I guess.


    Jerome filtered and boiled the water, while Ben and I cut vegetables for the stew. Sally washed the meat to get rid of the preserving salts, then put it into the pot with boiling water. We added the vegetables later, once the pot hung over the fire on a makeshift spit.


    The stew was warm and the vegetables had a strange texture that made me pucker my lips and roll my tongue. There was enough for seconds but I was full after one round. After cleaning up, Ben elected to take first watch, so the rest of us went into our tents.


    Elenor, Sally, and I got into the larger tent, which was big enough for all our sleeping bags and some equipment. We kept the tent¡¯s flap open, even though it let in a ton of insects, because the air was humid and three unwashed bodies smelled really bad.


    ¡°Goodnight,¡± said Sally, yawning.


    ¡°Night,¡± said Elenor, having put away her glasses.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, watching Ben through the flap. ¡°Goodnight.¡±

 Episode 6 Scene 8

    ¡°Stop!¡± yelled a bald, muscular man with a scar on his cheek. The huge sword on his back had ridges and spikes jutting out of its flat sides. The man stood on the front porch of the rest-stop ¨C a gloomy, triple storied building surrounded by a rotting wooden fence and a yard full of dried weeds. He glared at us and took three, large steps forward.


    I met his gaze and prepared to read him, The Tempest fluttering wildly in the back of my mind. Ben put a hand in his pocket. Sally traced her pickaxe¡¯s handle. Jerome reached for his belt buckle.


    The bald man pointed a big, stubby finger at my feet.


    I jumped back. Was this magic? Was he preparing to attack? Crap, I¡¯d taken my eyes off him. Was that his plan all along? If he knocked me out while I was staring at the stony ground, the others could get caught in illusion magic like the kind Ulfric used!


    ¡°You dropped something.¡±


    I stopped. What was he saying? It was a ploy to get me to keep my eyes averted from his figure, wasn¡¯t it? Well I wasn¡¯t going to fall or it. I forced my eyes away from the golden coin by my feet and fiercely met his flaming red eyes.


    ¡°Pick it up.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t the bald man¡¯s voice. Did he have a friend? This voice sounded familiar, did we have a traitor?


    ¡°Pick up the coin, Val,¡± repeated Elenor as she tapped the back of my knee with her baton. Then she turned to the intimidating bald man. ¡°Thank you.¡±


    The bald man grunted in response, and turned around, releasing me from his angry glare. I exhaled. Ben scratched the back of his head, Jerome coughed, and Sally continued to caress her pickaxe.


    ¡°At least I¡¯m not the only one,¡± I said, in a hushed tone no one else could hear. I picked up the coin and pocketed it.


    The bald man went inside the building but we didn¡¯t follow. The sun had only just begun its ascent and the air had that special early morning smell that made you want to go for a run with a flock of ducks. We walked past the rest-stop, pretending we didn¡¯t notice each other glancing at the door with wary eyes.


    We spent most of the day silent, trudging along towards Bass. Gravel crunched under my feet. Birds chirped in the distance. Leaves rustled in the breeze. The sun rose higher and higher, until our shadows vanished as if they had receded into our bodies. We stopped for a water break, saying nothing of importance.


    I mulled over my conversation with Elenor but there wasn¡¯t much else left to consider. I¡¯d kept an eye on Sally, Jerome, and Ben, but found nothing out of the ordinary. Their reaction to the scary looking bald man was also within my expectations.


    Clouds floated over the sun. We continued walking. The shrubs beside the roads gave way to a sparse blanket of dead, yellow grass. The stumpy trees were replaced by stumps, most of them so overgrown with fungi and rot, they held no hope of reclaiming their former glory.


    The clouds passed and the land was flooded with light. The sunlight brought with it heat, and the lack of plants amplified the simmering temperature several folds. As the sun began to dip, the shadows lengthened. We huddled behind a large rock to have lunch ¨C uncooked camcot berries, washed vegetables, and some leftover meat from breakfast.


    ¡°Will we reach the next rest-stop before nightfall?¡± asked Ben, finally breaking the suffocating silence.


    ¡°No,¡± replied Sally, inviting the silence to return.


    My left leg cramped but I ignored it. I used to exercise every day, so a little discomfort wasn¡¯t going to stop me. I almost tripped on a rock but I caught myself. These minor annoyances and setbacks faded from my mind within minutes. I had to keep walking. I had to get to Bendeck. I had to find Demetrius.


    What was Demetrius doing? He came to this world as clueless as I was, yet he understood this world, its magic, its rules, far quicker than I had. After our meeting in Sett, I hadn¡¯t caught wind of him once. Did he find a group of friends like I did?


    He had to know I was looking for him, so was he trying to hide or did he not care if I found him? Even after understanding how to use The Cannon and The Tempest, I didn¡¯t feel like I could defeat him. He probably chose the best books he could find in The House; his shelf would be envied by the richest of Headers.


    The sky was red, orange, and gold. With no plants to block the view, I admired the sunset. I admired the aesthetics of the event but it was the poetry that spoke to me. So many authors loved writing about sunsets. They could be a romantic backdrop, a sign of encroaching darkness, a symbol for a waning life.


    Or a sunset could be a sunset.


    Life wasn¡¯t as complicated as it seemed. Sometimes, turning off your mind and gazing at a sunset was good enough. That could be life. Simple, pure, and beautiful.


    Yet, complexity begets simplicity. A red circle on the horizon against a pale blue canvass may seem simple from the perspective of a seventeen year old girl walking down a road, but behind that painting was a story, rich and complex, that couldn¡¯t be captured by that image. The red circle was not a red circle, it was the sun ¨C a giant ball of flaming gas that had overseen the entirety of human existence. The pale blue canvass was the sky we had tried to tame for so long, only to realize it was a blanket, a blanket we could snuggle under without worrying about the monster under the bed.


    And the girl wasn¡¯t an ordinary person. She was young, foolish, and na?ve. She cut her hair when her mom told her to let it grow out. She read books in an age where books were obsolete and knowledge could be plugged straight into one¡¯s brain. After finding herself in an alien world, this girl hadn¡¯t moped around, she hadn¡¯t questioned her sanity. When things went out of control, she always reminded herself that she was always in control of one thing: her own future.


    This girl had ambitions, goals, dreams. She had hopes, fears, and concerns she couldn¡¯t voice aloud. Sometimes she even wondered if she could voice them inside her head.


    This girl was me. The picturesque scene had warranted some quiet introspection and I didn¡¯t regret it. I felt like I had a better understanding of myself. Ever since I¡¯d come to this world, I¡¯d never really stopped to think like this.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.


    Sure, I desperately wanted to retrieve the House of Wisdom and read all the books inside, but that didn¡¯t mean it was all I wanted to do. I was in a new world, a world where people weren¡¯t plugged into computer screens all day. It was a world where the sky wasn¡¯t gray with fog, where the land wasn¡¯t littered with plastic, and the sunsets were still pretty.


    Elenor walked in front of me. The rhythmic tapping of her baton soothed me and it fit the scenery. She tapped a slow, regular beat, like a clock with long seconds. As always, it made the same noise regardless of how patchy and gravely the ground was.


    Ben yawned. His pace was irregular, so he¡¯d shoot to the front of the party, only to fall behind a moment later. It would have been entertaining if it wasn¡¯t so repetitive and mundane. He could have thrown pebbles around but perhaps he didn¡¯t want to disturb the atmosphere.


    Sally walked in the middle of the road, taking long strides but pacing herself so she wouldn¡¯t leave us behind. Her breath was the least ragged, her shirt the least soaked in sweat. Her eyes stared straight ahead and never flickered. When a bug buzzed around her ear, she snatched it out of the air, and wiped her hand off her thighs.


    Jerome wasn¡¯t fiddling with his inventions for once. In fact, he was the only one looking pensively at the sunset like I was. His feet followed the rhythm of Elenor¡¯s baton, supplemented with Sally¡¯s footsteps. The red circle floated in his black eyes. It was in his eyes that I saw the red circle get consumed by the horizon.


    The sun was down and the shadows were up. We scrambled to set up camp. We had enough water to cook with, so all of us worked together to pitch the tents and light the campfire. As the fire crackled to life, Sally began chopping vegetables while Ben and I boiled water in the pot. Elenor tapped her baton on the ground. The campfire made her sunglasses mauve, like the color of Ben¡¯s clothes. Sally had chosen them and there was no time for the dejected fifteen-year old to exchange them.


    I stood up. The stars were out but the moon wasn¡¯t. I walked to the edge of camp and stared into the darkness.


    I recalled the gold coin that had dropped out of my pocket in the morning. I had money now, I could hire people to look for Demetrius.


    But what was the point? They weren¡¯t going to find him, he was too slippery. My only choice was tracing him with another Wonder.


    Another Wonder. Would it be as amazing as the House of Wisdom? Was it going to be something lame like pyramid or a skyscraper? If it was another library, I could give up on the House. No, Demetrius would track me, wouldn¡¯t he? He would want it too.


    Why did I care so much about the Wonders, anyway? I had books. Although, I¡¯d already reread The Cannon and The Tempest dozens of times since I absorbed them onto my shelf. I knew every medicinal plant, every blank verse. I was Ave, I was Prospero.


    My body shook. A hand lay on my shoulder. The hand squeezed and left my shoulder.


    ¡°You alright?¡± said Jerome, a warm smile on his face.


    ¡°Yeah, just thinking about stuff.¡±


    Jerome nodded. ¡°I like doing that too.¡±


    ¡°What do you think about?¡±


    ¡°Stuff.¡±


    I nodded.


    The fire crackled behind us. No one spoke. Jerome and I were out of earshot of everyone, except perhaps Elenor.


    ¡°The past.¡±


    I turned my gaze. Jerome¡¯s face was hidden in shadows.


    ¡°I think about the past,¡± repeated Jerome.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m thirty-four years old, you know. There¡¯s a lot of past to think about.¡±


    ¡°Does it make you sad?¡±


    ¡°Getting old? Not really.¡±


    ¡°No, your past.¡±


    ¡°A bit. I have my regrets, of course. But hey, everyone makes bad decisions. Lie to a friend, steal some berries, stay up late, chase cats, light old men¡¯s beards on fire.¡±


    ¡°Sounds terrible.¡±


    ¡°It was. Almost as bad as sinking all my youth into useless stuff when fiddling was my true destiny.¡±


    ¡°Your inventions blow up, even the ones that aren¡¯t supposed to.¡±


    He chuckled. ¡°They work when they need to.¡±


    I recalled the coil I¡¯d used to finish off Skinner. ¡°I guess.¡±


    ¡°I heard this was your first time so far from home,¡± said Jerome, still facing ahead.


    By home he probably meant Moxy¡¯s hut. ¡°Yeah.¡± Being in a different world definitely counted as far from home. ¡°It is.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve been handling it well. Don¡¯t you miss home?¡±


    ¡°A little,¡± I said. ¡°But home wasn¡¯t nearly as exciting.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably true.¡±


    I paused. ¡°Jerome.¡±


    ¡°Yes?¡±


    ¡°What does home mean to you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I was born in Bass, that¡¯s the city we¡¯re going to right now, but I was raised in Devel.¡±


    ¡°Sally was raised in Devel too, right?¡±


    He nodded. ¡°We¡¯re childhood friends. We did everything together: steal some berries, stay up late, chase cats, light old men¡¯s beards on fire.¡±


    I chortled. ¡°Nice.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, it was nice. We promised each other we¡¯d join the guilds together, and then do missions together!¡±


    I smiled. ¡°Guess you kept your promise.¡±


    Silence.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± he said finally. ¡°Guess we did.¡±


    ¡°Wait, wasn¡¯t Sally in the military?¡±


    ¡°And I was in the Orange Hats.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s the guilds¡¯ militia, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯d you join different organizations?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know. The Orange Hats offered better pay for fiddlers, the FAF promised retirement benefits to fighters. We don¡¯t really need to take guild assignments anymore, we have the money and our ranks are about as high as they can go.¡±


    ¡°Then why do you take them?¡±


    ¡°Because they¡¯re fun, and they keep the blood flowing and the mind whirling.¡±


    It didn¡¯t seem like he would sell us out to Inline for money. In fact, didn¡¯t seem like he¡¯d sell us out at all. I recalled my actions from earlier in the morning, and considered whether my paranoia had gone too extreme.


    ¡°Stop skulking!¡± yelled Sally. ¡°Foods ready.¡±


    I turned and walked back to the campfire.


    ¡°Jerome, didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± shouted Sally.


    ¡°Sorry, sorry,¡± said Jerome as he joined us. ¡°Just got a little lost in thought.¡±


    The food was good and the night went by quickly. In the morning, we started walking again.


    We crossed another rest-stop, this one a simple clay-brick building that couldn¡¯t have fit more than ten people in it. We passed it by.


    ¡°Why are the roads so empty?¡± I asked, breaking the silence with a hushed whisper.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± replied Sally, who stood next to me.


    The others had no answers either. The lack of fellow travelers filled me with a sense of foreboding but I didn¡¯t mull on it for long.


    We spent the night outside again, although we could have made it to the rest-stop if we¡¯d tried. The food was warm, the tents were cold, and the stars were bright. I didn¡¯t have any other meaningful conversations until the city of Bass finally appeared in the distance.


    ¡°Finally,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°Are we going to sneak in again?¡± asked Elenor.


    Sally turned to face us, her eyes resolute. ¡°I don¡¯t think we should go into the city.¡±


    She probably expected objections, but there were none. The long journey had been tiring but we¡¯d felt the tension build from the moment we left Devel.


    Devel had been the city of optimism, where all evil had been swept away by a tiny helicopter-bird. But we could tell that Bass was different. There were no lucky animals this time. There were no jostling crowds to avoid.


    There was only an eerie silence, one that promised an unhappy ending.


    There was no reason to go inside the city. We had food, we had supplies, and we knew there was something strange in the air. We also knew Inline had an outpost in the city, and they would be looking for us. We would probably be arrested at the gate, dragged into a dungeon, and tortured to death.


    But as the sun began to set, I recalled the painting I¡¯d made in my head, of the red circle, the blue canvass, and the tiny little girl. I had goals, I had ambitions. I had things that I needed to do. There would be risks, but I needed to take them.


    Demetrius could be in that city, the House of Wisdom tucked under his elbow. That was why I¡¯d come here in the first place. This entire journey, wasn¡¯t the whole point of it to find The House? I couldn¡¯t let a single opportunity go to waste. I¡¯d chickened out in Devel, and I didn¡¯t have the means nor the will to do so in Chart and Sett.


    But I was done being passive. I was done waiting for things to happen according to the script. It was time for me to go on the hunt.


    I took a deep breath. ¡°Let¡¯s go sightseeing.¡±

 Episode 7 Scene 1

    There would be no moon tonight.


    I shivered as I hugged the wall¡¯s surface. The sound of footsteps came from the top of the wall. A dim orange glow outlined long shadows along the ground. The glow stepped away as the footsteps faded. I felt a tap on my shoulder.


    Sally gestured to the side with her head. I nodded and tiptoed over. Jerome and Elenor were already waiting for me. Ben appeared from the other side, signaling the coast was clear. Elenor kept gently tapping the wall while Jerome crouched to the ground and stroked the tiny skull embedded into the earth.


    As he stroked the skull, the sand around it began to shift, before collapsing to reveal two holes on either side of the skull. If we removed the unnatural pedestal of earth the skull was stuck on, there would be enough space for us to crawl into the hole.


    Jerome sighed. ¡°It¡¯s a lot smaller than I remembered.¡±


    ¡°Nah, it¡¯s because we aren¡¯t kids anymore,¡± said Sally in a hushed voice.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we dig out the skull?¡± I asked.


    ¡°No,¡± said Sally and Jerome together.


    ¡°Taking it out will alert the kids at the orphanage, who¡¯ll rat us out to the guards for some candy,¡± said Jerome.


    Sally gave him a tired look. ¡°They won¡¯t tell the guards, this is their secret. However, if we dug out the skull, they wouldn¡¯t let us stay the night.¡±


    I pursed my lips. It would be hard finding an inn inside the city this late at night, and we didn¡¯t want to stay in the Collar¡¯s district outside the walls. These kids were Jerome and Sally¡¯s acquaintances, and were the people we intended to stay with.


    ¡°Movement up top,¡± said Elenor.


    I froze. Footsteps echoed, accompanied by an orange glow and long shadows. When the guard left, Elenor nodded. She was the only one who had moved when the guard approached, as she continued to tap her finger.


    ¡°Can¡¯t we apologize to them and fix it on our way out?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Maybe¡­ I have an idea, hold on,¡± said Jerome. He grasped the earth around the skull with one hand while clearing away the dirt beneath. He slowly lifted the patch of earth with the skull in it, and placed it to the side.


    ¡°At least her magic won¡¯t light up immediately,¡± said Sally.


    Jerome nodded. ¡°She shouldn¡¯t be that mad if we keep the skull buried. We should still head over and apologize.¡±


    ¡°Should we take it with us?¡± asked Ben.


    ¡°No, I¡¯ll set it up again once we¡¯re all inside,¡± said Jerome.


    I opted to go first. I wore my mask to keep the dirt from getting on my face but I took off the robe because it would catch too much earth. I squeezed into the hole, felt my hair scrape against crumbling soil and the bottom of the wall, and pulled myself forward with my arms. The hole was tight, even with the skull out of the way. I wiggled my way forward until I smacked into a wall of dirt.


    I breathed, particles of dust and soil getting into my nose despite the mask. I grunted. The soil above my head wasn¡¯t as hard as before and it felt colder, like the other side was exposed directly to the air. I pushed up with the back of my head and soil crumbled past my cheeks. I blinked as the breeze pushed some of the loose soil onto my mask.


    Someone prodded my leg. I shook the soil off my hair and pulled myself out. I shrank behind a box and dusted myself off while Sally emerged out of the hole. Ben came next, followed by Elenor. Jerome¡¯s grunts came out of the hole. It was still too small for him, even without the skull.


    When Jerome finally came out, breathing heavily and with his hair caked in dirt, he crouched and went back into the hole. After a while, he backed out again, and sat on the ground.


    ¡°Done,¡± he said, wiping the sweat and dirt from his brows.


    ¡°Remember to tell Camry to come fix it properly,¡± said Sally.


    Jerome stood up, ruffled his coat, and nodded at Sally.


    We were in the shadow of a large building, with trash piled up behind it. Sally led us to the back of another building, making sure to stay out of the light of the torches by the road. The roads were empty, the stores closed, and all the windows shuttered.


    My eyes flickered from side to side. My heart skipped and I glared at the object that had moved.


    Words entered my mind, ¡°Cat. Stray. One year old.¡±


    I blinked and the cat crumpled like paper. It was still breathing but I wanted to make sure it was alright. I was about to sneak over to it when a hand landed on my shoulder. If I hadn¡¯t just paralyzed an innocent cat, I probably would have read Elenor too.


    She shook her head. The others were already behind another building. I bit my lips, glanced at the cat, then followed Ben¡¯s figure behind a corner. A guard appeared on top of the wall, walking towards us. I ducked behind a box and waited for him to leave.


    Usually, we would have tried to blend in with crowds of pedestrians or walked down the streets with our heads down, but the streets were too empty. Even this late at night, there should have been drunkards going bar crawling, prostitutes doing house calls, or unsavory hooded figures stalking people from the shadows.


    We assembled behind a single storied, red-bricked building whose bricks weren¡¯t aligned properly and had too much cement between them. The windows were tinted green, and the curtains had fist-sized holes in them. I tried to peek through the holes in the curtains but there weren¡¯t any lights on inside.


    ¡°You do it,¡± whispered Jerome.


    ¡°They were always closer to you,¡± replied Sally.


    ¡°I¡¯ll do it,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°No,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°They don¡¯t know you yet,¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°You can be their big brother later,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°I don¡¯t want to be anyone¡¯s big brother, I just want to get inside before we get caught!¡± said Ben.


    ¡°Fine,¡± said Jerome. ¡°I¡¯ll do it.¡±


    He approached the center of the wall and knocked on the bricks. It sounded like he was knocking on wood. Jerome closed one eye and pressed the other one against a hole between the bricks.


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re out,¡± he whispered as he moved his head back.


    The brick wall opened like a wooden door, revealing a dark doorway and a shadowy figure. The figure pressed their fingers to their lips and shushed, then beckoned us inside.


    The floorboards creaked as I walked on them. The door shut, engulfing us in the darkness, but a hand ¨C which I recognized to be Ben¡¯s ¨C guided me forward.


    ¡°Stairs,¡± hissed an unfamiliar voice.


    I kept walking until Ben¡¯s hand lowered slightly, indicating I was at the stairs. I felt ahead with my feet and took a step down. As I kept descending, an orange glow appeared inside a doorway at the bottom. A brown-haired head went into the doorway, followed by Sally and the others.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t the kids asleep?¡± asked Sally, as I entered the room.


    Lanterns hung in the corners, shedding light on the muddy ground and wooden furniture. The room was small, with four beds lined up against the back wall, and a table in the middle. A black-haired boy, who looked around thirteen years old, sat on one of the chairs around the table. An even younger black-haired boy stood next to him, his face just like the older one¡¯s except for a scar on his forehead. They both had triangles on their cheeks, the signs of Bass that Ben had said were supposed to be mountains.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    ¡°Why aren¡¯t they asleep?¡± said the brown-haired girl who had led us in. Even though she was shorter than the boys, the look in her eyes, and the way she carried herself made me think she was older. ¡°The whole city¡¯s on a knife¡¯s edge and you¡¯re asking me why they can¡¯t sleep?¡±


    ¡°Betsy¡¯s asleep though,¡± said Jerome, gesturing at the head of blonde hair peeking out of the sheets in the furthest bed.


    ¡°Betsy¡¯s eight,¡± said the brown-haired girl through gritted teeth.


    Jerome chuckled. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed a bit, Camry.¡±


    ¡°Neither have you, old man,¡± said the brown-haired Camry.


    ¡°Yeah, he has,¡± said the older black-haired boy. ¡°You have a new knee, Jerome?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I do!¡±


    ¡°Did Sally break the last one?¡±


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    Sally glared at Jerome. ¡°Don¡¯t make them so easy to break, then.¡±


    ¡°If I make them too tough, it¡¯s hard to walk,¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°Have a seat,¡± said Camry.


    The younger boy offered me his seat but I declined. Ben stood next to me, casting lazy glances around the room. I stood behind Elenor and grabbed The Tempest off the shelf in my mind. I played Ben¡¯s character and imitated the way he was analyzing the dimly lit brick walls.


    The room was stocked with food and water, and there were a couple of doors in the back. The bricks were old, the lanterns well used, and the ground had piles of dust on it. The room was older than the kids, so either every house in Bass had a panic room, or these kids had incredibly paranoid parents.


    ¡°We have to apologize for using Corin¡¯s tunnel,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°I felt like someone touched it,¡± said Camry. ¡°I might have gone and checked if it wasn¡¯t so late.¡±


    ¡°We kept him in the ground,¡± said Jerome, in a low voice.


    Camry nodded, her eyes on the ground. The boys didn¡¯t meet our gaze either. We stayed in silence for a while.


    ¡°So why are you here?¡± asked Camry, finally breaking the tension as she poured Elenor a glass of water. The boys offered Jerome and Sally some snacks, while Camry poured me a glass of water too.


    ¡°We¡¯re on an escort mission to Bendeck,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°And these must be your clients?¡± asked Camry.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Jerome.


    Camry put away the metallic water-jug, faced me and Elenor, and smiled. ¡°My name¡¯s Bo Camry Kemp, but you can call me Camry.¡±


    I smiled back but then I remembered I was wearing my mask, so I nodded too. ¡°Jean Valkyrie Forster, but please call me Val.¡±


    Elenor tapped a finger on the table. ¡°I¡¯m Elenor.¡±


    ¡°And these are my brothers,¡± said Camry, pointing at the boys.


    The older one met my gaze. ¡°Idel.¡±


    ¡°Olive,¡± said the younger boy.


    Sally put down her cup. ¡°Now that introductions are out of the way, mind telling us why you¡¯re hiding in the basement?¡±


    Camry shook her head. ¡°You really don¡¯t know, after all. No wonder you haven¡¯t abandoned your mission yet.¡±


    I frowned. She wanted Sally and Jerome to cancel their guild assignment. They¡¯d get a huge fine if they did that, and they¡¯d lose a lot of prestige. Besides, they weren¡¯t the kind of people who¡¯d break their promises, and if this girl knew them nearly as well as I did, she wouldn¡¯t even suggest something like this.


    Not unless the situation was astronomically terrible. Like if the sky was falling.


    ¡°What happened?¡± asked Jerome, leaning forward. ¡°We were in Devel just a few days ago. Things couldn¡¯t have gotten that bad so quickly.¡±


    ¡°The cities are in lockdown. All of them.¡±


    ¡°All of them?¡± repeated Sally.


    Camry nodded. ¡°As far as I know, yes. The Official himself gave the order. I¡¯m not sure if there¡¯s resistance in Sett or Chart, but I know nobody¡¯s been in or out of Bass in two days. Even the secret entrances are being blocked by the guards.¡±


    Sally swore under her breath. Jerome narrowed his eyes. The older boy, Idel, refilled Sally¡¯s glass.


    ¡°And the capital?¡± asked Jerome.


    ¡°All roads to the capital are closed. The army¡¯s been mobilized near the first rest-stop, but that¡¯s all I know. Even the Headers in Bass have no idea what¡¯s going on in Bendeck.¡±


    ¡°Wait, they¡¯re not letting Headers pass either?¡± interjected Elenor.


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Camry. ¡°Some of them protested at the Front Party offices but they were greeted by members of Inline. Most of them hightailed it back to their mansions but the head of the Rand family wouldn¡¯t budge.¡± Camry paused, then continued in a quieter voice, ¡°Nobody knows where he is.¡±


    Sally¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°They arrested a Header?¡±


    Camry nodded.


    In the corner of my eye, I saw the frown on Ben¡¯s face. It was more intense than mine, as if he had seen something I hadn¡¯t. I followed his gaze to the younger boy, Olive.


    Olive¡¯s black hair fell on his face, hiding one of his brown eyes. However, his other eye was welling up under the orange torchlight. His lips were pursed and his fists were clenched tight. He wouldn¡¯t be that tense for the head of a Header family.


    ¡°I¡¯ve never heard of a Header getting scolded, let alone arrested,¡± whispered Jerome.


    I recalled the chaotic rally in Chart. The leader of the Side Party, that crazy Gecko Ross, had said he could do whatever he wanted because he was born a Header. He¡¯d incited a riot, confident he wouldn¡¯t face any repercussions for it.


    ¡°What about the guilds?¡± asked Sally. ¡°You said we should abandon the mission, are the guilds not allowed to send people outside either?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± said Idel.


    Sally sighed. ¡°I feel like I didn¡¯t really need to ask that question.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s not all,¡± said Camry. I met her eyes with my own. She looked away. ¡°The Official ordered the guilds to cease all operations immediately.¡±


    ¡°What?¡± cried Sally.


    ¡°He can¡¯t do that,¡± said Jerome. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have the authority. The Orange Hats would revolt!¡±


    ¡°That shouldn¡¯t be a problem anymore.¡± Camry stared at Jerome. ¡°You really don¡¯t know what happened?¡±


    ¡°No, we don¡¯t,¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°The notices are all over the rest-stops. Anyone outside the cities is probably trying their hardest to stay out, yet you snuck in.¡±


    ¡°We didn¡¯t go inside any stops.¡±


    ¡°Alright, then I¡¯ll explain everything from the start. A few days ago, something happened at the capital, and the Official sent out orders to close all the cities and guilds, and assure the people that these emergency measures were only temporary. He also ordered everyone to comply with the FAF soldiers, and Inline, so they could resolve the issue quickly.¡±


    ¡°What happened at the capital?¡± asked Sally.


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure. The Official¡¯s notices said there was a terrorist incident but I¡¯ve heard some people who work in the inner city say that wasn¡¯t all of it. There was a terrorist incident, most probably Project Poppy again but...¡±


    ¡°Project Poppy?¡± interjected Jerome. ¡°They¡¯ve been dead for years.¡±


    ¡°They were probably laying low for a bit,¡± suggested Sally.


    ¡°No,¡± insisted Jerome. ¡°The entire organization fell apart years ago when they lost all their core members. They couldn¡¯t have recovered this quickly. It¡¯s probably an imposter. They used to inspire a lot of imitators.¡±


    The Tempest fluttered in the back of my mind. I recalled old man Ather from Sett, he didn¡¯t seem dead, at least not yet, although his eyes didn¡¯t have a lot of hope in them. I also noted how much Jerome knew about the Project.


    ¡°I don¡¯t understand,¡± said Elenor. ¡°Even if there was an incident in the capital, that¡¯s not enough of a reason to shut down the entire country.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± said Camry. ¡°They weren¡¯t telling us everything. The Headers know a little more than we do, but not much. Apparently, the incident happened at the parliament, and several members of the Front Party and the Down Party, were killed. Nobody from the Side or Middle parties got hurt at all.¡±


    ¡°That does sound like something the Project would do,¡± admitted Jerome.


    Olive stood up.


    ¡°Olive?¡± said Jerome.


    The little boy didn¡¯t respond. He went to a table on the side.


    ¡°The F3 Gazette was shut down too,¡± continued Camry without glancing at her brother. ¡°Only the Official Press and the Daily Scribbler are allowed to print, but they don¡¯t say anything useful.¡±


    ¡°At least that hasn¡¯t changed,¡± said Sally with a chortle. ¡°Where are all the guild members?¡±


    ¡°Nobody knows for sure, but they¡¯re probably at Inline¡¯s outpost. There are rumors going around, saying Inline raided the guilds before the Official¡¯s orders were announced.¡±


    ¡°By Bit,¡± swore Sally. ¡°What hell is going on?¡±


    Olive returned with a faded piece of parchment in his hand. He handed it to Camry.


    ¡°Idel found this yesterday, it was pasted on the inside of our house. As soon as I read it, I made everyone come down here and locked all the doors.¡± Camry put the parchment on the table.


    I couldn¡¯t see what was written on it. The light was too dim and I was standing too far away. However, I noticed Jerome¡¯s eyes widen and his breath pause. Sally squinted, trying to read it. Elenor tapped her finger but her expression didn¡¯t change.


    ¡°That¡¯s a card,¡± whispered Jerome. ¡°A Poppy Card.¡±


    I focused on the parchment and saw the flower printed in the corner. It looked exactly like the sign on old man Ather¡¯s cheek.


    ¡°What does it say?¡± asked Elenor.


    I leaned forward but still couldn¡¯t make out the words.


    ¡°I¡¯ll pass it around and you can read it for yourselves, but the gist of it is: Project Poppy is declaring war on the government, pledging to continue fighting until their demands are met,¡± said Camry.


    ¡°They¡¯re holding the country hostage,¡± said Jerome, in an angry voice.


    ¡°No, their demands are on the back.¡± Camry flipped the card. ¡°They want to abolish the extra votes given to government officials, since all of them are members of the Front Party. They also want Inline to disband, the FAF to pledge neutrality in their conflict, and the Orange Hats to be released. The guilds must be allowed to operate again, and no more fear, intimidation, or force must be used to resolve political disagreements.¡±


    Jerome snorted. ¡°A little hypocritical, I¡¯d say.¡±


    Camry ignored him. ¡°They also demand the release of all political prisoners, the confirmed neutrality of the papers, and they want the Official to order a new election, one where he is not allowed to participate.¡±


    ¡°They¡¯re not even trying to get them to agree to their demands,¡± said Jerome. ¡°This is an obvious ploy to justify their actions, the Project is well known for its deviousness.¡±


    Camry shook her head. ¡°No.¡±


    ¡°No?¡± asked Jerome. ¡°What do you mean, kid? You think you know the Project better than I do?¡±


    ¡°No, I meant this isn¡¯t their justification for their actions.¡±


    Sally frowned. ¡°Is there something else?¡±


    Camry didn¡¯t respond, choosing to pass the card around instead. Olive stared blankly at the bottom of the card as it passed from Camry¡¯s hand to Sally¡¯s.


    Sally took in a sharp breath. ¡°By Bit¡­¡±


    Jerome leaned over and his eyes went wide. ¡°This can¡¯t be real¡­¡±


    Elenor reached forward and yanked the card from their hands. Then she passed it to me.


    ¡°Read this for me, would you?¡± she asked, her voice serious but annoyed.


    I grabbed the card and confirmed what Camry had told us. Then my eyes drifted to the bottom and I read aloud:


    ¡°We fight in the name of our friend and ally, the late Sir Maximilian Gecko Ross, who was martyred by the vicious hands of the government¡¯s dishonorable assassins, on the sixteenth day of June 1666 A.B. May you rest in peace, comrade.¡±

 Episode 7 Scene 2

    I twiddled my thumbs.


    There was a pebble on the ground and I stared at it. As the light from the lantern flickered, the pebble seemed to change ¨C holes appeared in different places, edges carved on one side became depressions. Idle thoughts to distract myself.


    All I wanted was the House of Wisdom. I wanted to sit on the cold marble floor, raise a book above my head, and read it against the sky. And now I was stuck in the middle of a civil war, just one city away from my destination.


    I clenched my fists. It was unfair. I was the one who found the House, but it was stolen from me. And now after all the pain I had endured, all the hardships I¡¯d faced, and the challenges I had conquered, I was forced to stop right before the finish line.


    Someone kicked the pebble.


    I looked up. Sally paced around the room, lost in thought. Jerome sat on the corner of the closest bed, staring at the empty glass in his hand. Idel stood with Camry, who was looking at Sally and Jerome with a trace of worry in her eyes. Olive still clutched the card in his hand as he stood on the bed where his youngest sister was sleeping.


    Camry had told us Gecko was Olive¡¯s idol, his hero. Olive was already a member of the youth wing of the Side Party and helped at the local party office whenever he had some free time. His room upstairs was plastered with pictures of black and white roses, and the black-haired, blue-eyed man who had incited a riot in Chart.


    I recalled the rally in Chart, and particularly, I recalled Gecko Ross. I still thought he had been a reckless, arrogant, and selfish person who put his political aims above the lives of ordinary people. The damage done to Chart that day could not have been light, and since the whole incident had obviously been planned, he knew there would be casualties yet went with it anyways.


    Yet, my heart felt a little empty. I wasn¡¯t sure if it was because of the somber atmosphere in the room, or the gloomy expressions on everyone¡¯s faces, or if I truly felt sad about Gecko¡¯s death, but I did feel something.


    The Tempest was still fluttering in the back of my mind. Before letting it fall on my shelf, I used Ben¡¯s character to analyze my own emotions.


    I didn¡¯t know Gecko Ross. I didn¡¯t like him, I didn¡¯t agree with his methods, I didn¡¯t think he was a good leader in any way, nor a good human being. It made no sense for me to feel sad. I was being irrational.


    Besides, I wasn¡¯t sure if he was dead. The words of a crazy terrorist group didn¡¯t carry much weight. Even if he had died, there was no way to be sure he had been killed by the government, so wasn¡¯t Project Poppy sending the country into chaos based on a hunch?


    I let The Tempest rest, then took a deep breath. There was one last thing to consider.


    I may not have liked the person, nor his methods, but maybe I felt sad because his message resonated with me.


    The social hierarchy in Fore was terrible. The Collars lived in poverty and squalor, while the Headers lived safe, luxurious lives. I¡¯d only ever seen the Headers district of Sett, and I¡¯d rushed through that while being chased by Raxxers. The only significant memory I had of Headers was of Gecko Ross himself.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    I almost wanted to chuckle. In the end, he¡¯d been wrong. He thought he could get away with anything because he was a Header, but then he¡¯d gotten himself killed. But then his death had been a success too, it had upset the social order, just like he wanted to.


    There was something else too. If the guilds were effectively disbanded and all missions had been suspended, Sally, Jerome, and Ben had no reason to take me to Bendeck. Considering the situation, it wouldn¡¯t be right for me to ask them to do so.


    But I couldn¡¯t give up. I needed to get to Bendeck. This was the first step on my journey to reclaim the House of Wisdom, and no civil war was going to stop me. I¡¯d go to Bendeck alone, if I had to.


    Would I be alone? I glanced at Elenor. She could come with me. No, she was only doing this because Moxy had wanted her to see the world, it was unreasonable to expect Elenor to go through so much on my behalf. Sticking to me for so long was more than what I deserved, anyway.


    I heard a murmur. A yawn.


    ¡°Get off me,¡± mumbled a young voice from the back of the room.


    Nobody was near her bed, so I wondered who she was talking to.


    ¡°You woke up early,¡± said Camry as she walked over to the bed.


    A tiny figure sat up on the bed. Her blonde hair reflected the orange lamplight in strange ways, with a sort of metallic luster.


    ¡°Who¡¯re they?¡± asked the little girl, rubbing her eyes. Her hand fell away and her eyes widened. ¡°Uncle Jerome! Aunt Sally!¡± She pulled off the sheets, revealing a lilac nightgown, and ran up to Sally to give her a hug.


    Sally hugged the little girl, and put a hand on her head. ¡°Hey there, Betsy, you¡¯ve grown up, haven¡¯t you?¡±


    ¡°No, she hasn¡¯t,¡± remarked Jerome with a smile. ¡°She still sleeps like a baby.¡±


    ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± said Betsy, releasing Sally and giving Jerome an annoyed look. ¡°Big sis made me go to sleep early.¡±


    ¡°And I never said you could get up, so go back to sleep,¡± said Camry.


    ¡°But Aunt Sally is here,¡± said Camry, in the voice little kids make when they¡¯re about to insist things go their way.


    ¡°Come on, let her stay up a bit,¡± said Jerome. ¡°We¡¯re about to leave, anyway.¡±


    I glanced at him. They were going through with the mission?


    ¡°Jerome¡¯s right, we can¡¯t stay for long,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°But you just got here!¡± said Idel.


    ¡°I didn¡¯t think the situation was this bad, we can¡¯t risk getting stuck in Bass. I still need to think of a way to get into Bendeck, too,¡± said Sally.


    Yes! With Sally¡¯s team¡¯s help, I could make it to Bendeck to meet Henry, and begin searching for the House.


    ¡°You¡¯re still going to Bendeck?¡± asked Camry. ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous. If they¡¯ve killed Gecko Ross, Bendeck could be a warzone right now. Not just Project Poppy, the Ross family and their supporters won¡¯t let this go without a fight. Inline¡¯s First Column will be there too, along with the FAF! This is no time to be working on a guild assignment.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said Sally as she turned to me. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Val, Elenor, but I¡¯ll have to terminate our contract.¡±


    I frowned. But she said she was going to Bendeck?


    ¡°I understand,¡± said Elenor.


    I looked at her. Her face was indiscernible, as always, but she wasn¡¯t tapping her finger on the table.


    ¡°Same for me,¡± added Jerome as he stood up. ¡°My apologies.¡±


    ¡°Are you going to Bendeck too?¡± asked Camry.


    ¡°Yes, but not with Sally.¡±


    Sally faced him, her eyes slightly narrowed. ¡°How much do you know?¡±


    ¡°A bit. He likes to play things close to the chest, doesn¡¯t he?¡± said Jerome, with a smile.


    ¡°Who are you talking about?¡±


    ¡°Both of them.¡±


    Sally nodded. ¡°Are you going to the Project or ¨C¡±


    ¡°The Orange Hats. I have nothing to do with the Project.¡±


    ¡°Not anymore.¡±


    Jerome looked away.


    ¡°And what about me?¡±


    I looked at the owner of the voice. Ben stood next to the wall, and looked at both Jerome and Sally with a thoughtful expression.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t it obvious? Stay with the kids here. You¡¯ll need to look after Elenor and Val, too,¡± said Jerome.


    Ben was about to say something but someone else spoke up first.


    ¡°No.¡± Elenor tapped her finger on the table.


    ¡°No?¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°He won¡¯t need to look after us, because Val and I are going to Bendeck.¡±


    I smiled. I could always rely on Elenor.


    ¡°It¡¯s too dangerous, at least wait for things to calm down. We¡¯ll hear from the capital, soon enough,¡± said Sally.


    ¡°The only reason we need to hurry, is because we need to be there when it happens,¡± said Jerome.


    ¡°When what happens?¡± I asked.


    Jerome looked at me and said very slowly, ¡°The revolution.¡±

 Episode 7 Scene 3

    ¡°Screw the revolution,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°Should have said that to their faces,¡± said Camry.


    ¡°They ran away before I could.¡±


    I stood in the basement, several hours after Sally and Jerome had left. They had been too fast for the rest of us to stop them. It was almost daytime but the curfew was still in place, so there would be no crowd to mingle with, but there would be a lot of light to help the patrolling guards see us.


    ¡°Should we try to follow them?¡± I asked Elenor. Both the finders were with us, so tracking them would be a simple matter. Whether we could catch up to them, was a different question.


    She shook her head. ¡°Let them go, they didn¡¯t make this choice lightly.¡±


    That was true. I felt close to Jerome and Sally, they were some of my closest friends in this world, and I was sure the feeling was mutual. We¡¯d gone through a lot together, so their decision to leave us behind while they went to Bendeck alone must have been a tough one.


    Besides, they¡¯d left behind Ben.


    I glanced at the red-haired boy. He was sulking in the corner, without his usual thoughtful demeanor. He¡¯d been unwilling to leave Sett with us at first, but now he was objecting to being left behind. He wasn¡¯t just friends with Jerome, he was Jerome¡¯s apprentice, entrusted to him by Ben¡¯s previous master and foster father, Postick. Even if Elenor and I couldn¡¯t be considered part of their team, they should have at least taken Ben with them.


    Then again, that just proved how serious the situation was. From what I could make out of their cryptic conversation, Sally and Jerome were going to throw themselves into the middle of the conflict. I also finally knew why Jerome knew so much about Project Poppy: he was a former member. Or at least, that¡¯s what their conversation implied.


    They weren¡¯t going to be working together, although they were probably on the same side. I didn¡¯t know what Sally was going to do, but it seemed like Jerome was going to work with the Orange Hats ¨C the guilds¡¯ militia ¨C who Camry had said had been rounded up by Inline.


    I felt the cold mask on my face. Going to Bendeck with this on would be suicidal. The government would pounce on me, and if they saw I didn¡¯t have any signs, they might think I was Epilian or a rebel Header trying to run away.


    But I had to go. I was too close to give up.


    ¡°How far is the capital?¡± I asked no one in particular.


    ¡°Around five days by road, a little less if you go off the road,¡± answered Elenor.


    ¡°Why is it faster to go off-road?¡± I asked.


    ¡°It¡¯s faster if you cut through the mountains. The roads circle around them, near the river by the foothills. It¡¯s shorter but building a road there is tough, and it¡¯ll be hard trekking through it, too.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯ll be harder to track us, though. Alright, let¡¯s go through the mountains.¡± I faced the door.


    ¡°Don¡¯t go,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°Why not?¡±


    ¡°Sally and Jerome were right, it¡¯s too dangerous. The situation should be resolved in a few days. This isn¡¯t the first time the Project has tried to stir up trouble. Things always settle down quickly,¡± said Ben.


    ¡°I can¡¯t afford to wait,¡± I said as I stood up.


    ¡°Why not? The guy you¡¯re chasing wouldn¡¯t be stupid enough to go to the capital in the middle of this mess,¡± said Ben.


    But I wasn¡¯t looking for him in the capital, I was chasing a lead to a Wonder. Demetrius could afford to wait, but I couldn¡¯t. Besides, I felt like Demetrius wasn¡¯t going to let a civil war interfere in his plans.


    According to Static, Demetrius was being guided by Bit. He already had a head start and the gap between us was only widening.


    The thought made me frown. I hadn¡¯t given much thought to what Demetrius was doing while I chased him. He couldn¡¯t know about Henry, the guy Moxy told me to meet in Bendeck, but Demetrius could have found another lead to the Wonders.


    In fact, the whole reason I was searching for the other Wonders was so they could lead me back to the House of Wisdom, so Demetrius was probably using the House to track the other Wonders. He might even be after the same Wonder I was!


    I looked around. Sally and Jerome had left most of the supplies and gear here, wanting to travel light and to help the kids deal with the next few days. All the stores and markets were closed, so I couldn¡¯t take the kids¡¯ food.


    I¡¯d just have to make do with whatever I found outside.


    ¡°Thanks for the hospitality, Camry,¡± I said. ¡°Is it alright if I go out the way I came in?¡±


    Camry nodded. ¡°I¡¯d rather you stayed but I won¡¯t stop you from leaving. Thanks for coming, Val. Be careful.¡±


    ¡°Stay safe,¡± said Idel.


    Olive glanced at me but didn¡¯t say anything. Betsy gave me a quick hug and said, ¡°Could you tell uncle Jerome and aunt Sally to come visit more often?¡±


    ¡°I will.¡±


    ¡°How will we avoid the guards?¡± asked Elenor.


    I smiled. I was glad she was coming along. ¡°Make sure they don¡¯t see us, and if they do, take them out.¡±


    ¡°Sounds foolproof,¡± said Ben, dryly.


    ¡°Got any better ideas?¡± I said.


    ¡°Yes. You ever hear stories where people throw pebbles to distract giant monsters, then rush through?¡±Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s do that.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re going to throw pebbles?¡± asked Camry.


    ¡°Don¡¯t doubt my pebble throwing abilities.¡±


    ¡°How¡¯s that going to help us leave the city?¡± I asked.


    ¡°You¡¯ll see, come on.¡±


    We went upstairs. Only Camry came with us, while Idel made sure Betsy and Olive didn¡¯t follow. Elenor tapped on the back door and signaled that the coast was clear. I peeked out.


    The dusty roads were empty but the sun was shining brightly. The air was dense with silence, suffocating silence. There were no guards on the walls, but one would probably appear soon.


    Ben stepped out, picked up a pebble, and juggled it with one hand.


    ¡°You should stay inside, Camry,¡± he said as he clenched the pebble in his fist and pulled his hand behind his shoulder.


    Camry peeked out like I had.


    Ben chucked the pebble then waved hurriedly for us to run. I grabbed Elenor¡¯s hand and followed him, hugging the wall and crouching to stay as hidden as I could. There was a loud crash in the distance, one that couldn¡¯t have come from a tiny pebble.


    I heard footsteps above us as guards raced towards the sound.


    ¡°What did you do?¡± I asked in a hushed voice as we continued to run.


    ¡°The outer walls aren¡¯t very well kept. All you have to do is apply the right amount of force in the right places, and whole chunks of it will collapse,¡± he said.


    I looked over my shoulder. There was a sizeable hole in the wall near the edge of my vision. I saw tiny figures running towards the hole, leaning out over the edge to judge how much damage had been done. They were probably scouring the area for the culprit. They¡¯d end up blaming the Project, just another senseless act of terror by Project Poppy.


    ¡°It¡¯s here,¡± said Elenor.


    We stopped. Ben bent down and dug into the earth. The soil gave way and the tunnel appeared. I was the last one to step inside. I cast a glance at the city behind me.


    The air was still quiet. I couldn¡¯t see the guards from here, but they were probably raising a ruckus near the hole. Camry and the other kids were underground like most of the other Cheeks in the city. Was it different in the Headers district? Most Collars couldn¡¯t afford basements, so was their district full of life or were the people more subdued because of what was happening in the country?


    I crouched down and crawled through the hole.


    I shook the dirt off my clothes as I came out the other side. The skull was still standing on the pillar of earth Jerome had left for it when we first came through.


    ¡°Won¡¯t they see us running across this open field?¡± asked Elenor as she tapped her baton on the ground.


    ¡°What else can we do?¡± asked Ben.


    ¡°The Collars district is outside the city. Can¡¯t we walk onto the road from there?¡± I asked.


    ¡°They¡¯ll be guarding the Collars district and the road too,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°Then should we wait for nightfall?¡± I asked, biting my lower lip. We should have stayed with Camry for the day.


    ¡°Well, there is one thing we could do,¡± said Elenor, slowly.


    ¡°What?¡± I asked.


    ¡°The river¡¯s that way, right Ben?¡± she said.


    ¡°Yes,¡± he replied.


    ¡°Do you know how to swim?¡±


    I grew up in Fenbay. They taught us how to swim almost as soon as we learned how to walk.


    ¡°Yes,¡± I said.


    ¡°I¡¯m not very good at it,¡± said Ben. ¡°But I won¡¯t drown.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯ll have to do,¡± said Elenor as she shuffled along the perimeter of the wall.


    The river appeared a few minutes later. I could barely make out the Collar¡¯s district in the distance. The river itself was murky, probably full of waste and human refuse. Clumps of dirt appeared sometimes, pulled away by the powerful current.


    ¡°There¡¯re people above,¡± whispered Elenor while she tapped her finger on the wall.


    The guards didn¡¯t move. They were probably told to keep a watch on the river. Although we could hide ourselves underwater, they would notice us splashing into the water. We needed a distraction.


    ¡°Got any more pebble tricks, Ben?¡± I asked.


    ¡°None that could help us in this situation,¡± he said.


    I frowned. My books wouldn¡¯t be much help either.


    Tap.


    I glanced at Elenor. ¡°Any ideas?¡±


    ¡°There is something I could try, but if it fails, we¡¯ll be found out for sure,¡± she said.


    It was the best choice we had. ¡°Go for it.¡±


    Elenor stopped tapping the wall. She grabbed the top of her baton and brought it to her lips. Her fingers grabbed it like a flute and she took a deep breath, then blew.


    A familiar tune began to play. It was an old song, one I¡¯d heard on Earth. Back when my grandpa was still alive, he used to play it on one of his ancient machines, something called a CD Player. I remembered sitting next to him on a rainy afternoon, listening to his squeaking rocking chair while lamenting my inability to play with the neighborhood kids because of the weather. He¡¯d tried to talk to me but I¡¯d ignored him. In the end, he pushed a button and listen to the song.


    I was never particularly close to my grandpa, nor to any of my family, for that matter. Yet, hearing this song made a layer of sadness drape over my shoulders. I couldn¡¯t shrug it off.


    The song promised that the world was a beautiful place, full of trees of green and clouds of white, red roses too under skies of blue. It was a whimsical song, na?ve and hopeful. I couldn¡¯t take it seriously, not when it talked about rainbows and laughing children. It was corny. It was cringeworthy. And it was old as all hell.


    Worst of all, it was a lie. A sweet, sweet lie, but a lie nonetheless. The world wasn¡¯t wonderful. It was full of sadness, pain, and loneliness.


    My shoulder shook and I blinked.


    ¡°Jump,¡± hissed Elenor.


    I heard a splash. I didn¡¯t move.


    Ben cursed and grabbed me by the arm. I rushed into the cold water, smooth Jazz still playing in my head. There were no cries of alarm from above. Ben pulled me forward underwater but I slipped from his grip. I swam forward, squinting my eyes in the murky depths. I could barely make out Ben¡¯s figure in front of me, but I could see that he was struggling.


    This time, I grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. He began struggling, so I helped him surface. Peeking from the surface of the river, I filled my lungs and glanced back at Bass.


    We¡¯d surfaced in the shade of a tree, so I wasn¡¯t worried about the guards spotting us. The walls were far away, and I could only barely see the Collar¡¯s district in the distance.


    Elenor surfaced beside us. Muddy water dripped down her glasses, and her brown hair stuck to her head.


    ¡°How far does this river go?¡± I asked, between breaths.


    ¡°To the ocean,¡± replied Elenor.


    ¡°Does it go to Bendeck?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be faster to follow this?¡±


    ¡°No, it curves around the mountain and runs along the road. We¡¯d be found at some point.¡±


    ¡°So we have to go through the mountains after all?¡±


    ¡°Yes.¡±


    I thought for a moment then nodded. I took a deep breath and prepared to go underwater again. We should put some distance between us and the city.


    ¡°Wait!¡± cried Ben, who was still gulping for air.


    ¡°Oh, my bad,¡± I said.


    We waited for Ben to catch his breath before diving back in. I kept close to the surface and surfaced once I thought we were far enough away.


    I dragged my soaking wet body out of the river and caught my breath. It was only then that I noticed I was wearing my mask. I¡¯d gotten so used to wearing it, I hadn¡¯t questioned the lack of water splashing onto my face.


    Ben lay sprawled on the ground, breathing furiously. Elenor pulled herself out of the river and tapped her baton on the ground. I shook my clothes, then took off my robe. Elenor did the same. We went off to the side behind a tree and began to dry off as best we could.


    ¡°Where¡¯d you learn that song?¡± I asked, as I scrunched up my robe.


    ¡°It¡¯s one of the books I read. The second one, to be precise,¡± Elenor said, wringing the water from her hair.


    Had she read the sheet music or something? ¡°Was that burnt magic?¡±


    She shook her head, sending drops of water my way. ¡°No, it¡¯s unburnt magic. The baton lets me play it, but all my magic does is tell me what notes to play.¡±


    An interesting way to work around unburnt magic¡¯s inability to affect the outside world. The music definitely effected my state of mind, and it lulled the guards into not noticing us.


    ¡°I see.¡±


    ¡°Why were you asking?¡±


    I cursed. I couldn¡¯t tell her I¡¯d heard it at my grandfather¡¯s house on a different planet. ¡°No reason, it sounded like something I¡¯d heard before.¡±


    ¡°Really?¡±


    ¡°Yeah.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s strange, it was a book Moxy gave me personally. She said nobody in the world had ever read a book like it.¡±


    ¡°It wasn¡¯t exactly like the song I¡¯d heard before.¡±


    ¡°Epil must be a wonderful place.¡± Elenor laid most of her clothes on a rock under the sun.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, thinking about my grandpa and his old CD player. ¡°It sure is.¡±


    We stood in silence, waiting for our clothes to dry. My skin was still wet and the chilly breeze made me shiver.

 Episode 7 Scene 4

    A giant mountain touched the empty blue sky.


    There were no clouds but the sun hid behind the mountain, giving the mountainside a dull, grey color. A dense forest stretched into the far distance in the East, while smaller mountains ran to the West. The faint sound of running water told me the river lay beyond the forest.


    ¡°At least nobody¡¯s following us,¡± said Elenor as she tapped her baton on the ground.


    ¡°Are you covering our tracks?¡± asked Ben.


    ¡°Of course.¡±


    There was no path, not even a game trail. We picked our way through the shrubbery and wild grass. Elenor raised her hand and we stopped. I was about to say something when Elenor pointed to a bush.


    I narrowed my eyes and read the tiny green serpent that had blended into the bush. It was even swaying in the breeze, in sync with the leaves. The snake froze and information flooded my mind.


    ¡°Sasper. A tiny serpent that camouflages itself inside leafy bushes and trees. Injects victims with magic toxins that immobilize prey within seconds, regardless of size and species. For reasons unknown, its victim¡¯s bodies become green after death.¡±


    We walked slowly around the Sasper, making sure to give it a wide berth. A part of me wanted to stomp on it, especially because it lay prone in the aftermath of my reading, but I decided not to risk it. Ben and Elenor could have taken it out from a distance, but chose not to, so they must know something I didn¡¯t.


    I asked them about the Sasper once we¡¯d left it behind.


    ¡°There was no reason to,¡± explained Ben.


    Elenor nodded. ¡°It¡¯s not like you could extract the venom or sell any part of it.¡±


    Snakeskin purses weren¡¯t a thing in Illustair, I noted to myself.


    We took a short rest at the base of the mountain. The mountain¡¯s sides were steep and crumbly, and there was a deep ravine between the mountain in front of me and the ones to the West.


    ¡°There¡¯s no reason to climb the whole thing,¡± I said.


    ¡°We should skirt around the edges, going as high as we can without climbing it with our hands,¡± said Ben.


    I nodded. It would make the journey a little longer but it was safer and less tiring. We could make up for the lost time by walking faster.


    ¡°Actually, the quickest way through might be over there,¡± said Elenor, tapping her baton in the direction of the ravine.


    ¡°Do you know how deep it is?¡± I asked. We would waste a lot of time going to the other side, especially because the mountain was too steep and crumbly on that side.


    ¡°Not much, just a few dozen feet. It¡¯s a straighter path to Bendeck than climbing the mountain and the drop isn¡¯t very steep. We could walk on it.¡±


    I shook my head in amazement. Elenor¡¯s magic was ridiculously effective for this sort of stuff. However, it wasn¡¯t like her magic was foolproof.


    ¡°What if there are a ton of monsters down there?¡± I asked. ¡°We don¡¯t know if the other side is climbable, either.¡±


    ¡°I think we can handle most monsters, and if a dangerous one appears, we can use your reading ability to incapacitate it while we run,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°She has a point,¡± said Ben. ¡°It¡¯ll be easier than climbing the mountain, and shorter than skirting around it. Let¡¯s give it a try.¡±


    I relented. After snacking on some wild camcot berries, we made our way to the ravine.


    The mountainside was sharp, with rocks and boulders poised to roll down into the chasm below. Like Elenor had said, the ravine didn¡¯t have a steep drop, so we could walk all the way to the bottom along a winding trail of crumbling dirt. This was probably the result of several landslides.


    The bottom of the ravine was dark and lifeless. The mountain hid the sun, and the sky wasn¡¯t bright enough to light up the dry soil and spiny plants beyond a dreary shade of black. It would get better as the sun reached its zenith, but for now, we had to trek across the barren landscape while watching our every step.


    Everything was silent. Even the air was still in this place. I could hear the echoes of our breathing and the thumping of my heart, as if these sounds had been amplified inside a recording studio. The end of the ravine wasn¡¯t in sight, but judging by how far the mountain went, it couldn¡¯t be that far ahead.


    It had taken us a day to get to the mountain, and it would hopefully take us less than a day to pass it. I didn¡¯t want to be stuck in that ravine during the night.


    Sunlight never came in, even after hours of walking on the barren, desolate ground. I looked up and saw why. Thick clouds blanketed the sky, prolonging and intensifying the darkness that covered the ravine. The clouds looked heavy with rain, which would mean mud and mudslides. It would be best to get to high ground before the heavens burst.


    We didn¡¯t speak while we crossed the ravine. Sometimes Ben would juggle a pebble, sometimes Elenor would miss a beat with her baton, but usually, it was the same pattern. We breathed, our footsteps fell, Elenor¡¯s baton tapped the earth, breathe, walk, tap, breathe, walk, tap. Over and over again under a veiled sky.


    Elenor skipped a beat, probably lost in her thoughts or she could have noticed movement somewhere. I glanced at her and saw the frown on her face. She rarely made facial expressions so I stared at her.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± Ben asked her before I could.


    ¡°There¡¯s something up ahead,¡± said Elenor in a quiet voice. ¡°Something I can¡¯t see with my magic.¡±If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I surveyed the empty land in front of me. It seemed like more of the same, an endless stretch of grainy topsoil and weeds. But I focused, reading every bush and bramble. Elenor¡¯s burnt magic was incredibly overpowered. She had seen all the way down the ravine from the foot of the mountain, could identify people for miles around, and could even cause shockwaves with her control of sound. For her to be unable to see something, it had to be extraordinary.


    The horizon had a dot on it. As we approached, it grew to be a dark hole in the hitherto unbroken ground. The hole wasn¡¯t very big and since the sun was still covered by clouds, I couldn¡¯t see inside it at all.


    We stood on the edge, looking down at the abyss.


    ¡°What is it?¡± I asked.


    The Tempest was already fluttering in the back of my head as I played Ben¡¯s character. Yet, even with his deductive skills, I couldn¡¯t figure out what lay inside the hole.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯s worth finding out,¡± said Ben as his eyes skimmed the hole¡¯s perimeter.


    I followed his gaze and my heart skipped a beat. The hole¡¯s edges were curved, as if someone had carved them with a scalpel. Looking at it as a whole, it seemed frighteningly close to a perfect circle. A perfect circle of darkness.


    ¡°Val, can you read it?¡± asked Elenor.


    I tried focusing on the hole, on its edges, on the bottom I couldn¡¯t see, yet nothing happened. ¡°No,¡± I said. ¡°I can¡¯t read it at all.¡±


    Then the clouds shifted and the sky brightened up just a bit. Under the pale sunlight, I could barely make out the insides of the hole.


    It wasn¡¯t very deep. If I jumped in, I could pull myself out with my own hands. However, I wouldn¡¯t dare jump in for real. I had goosebumps on my arms and a single bead of cold sweat trickled down my back.


    At the bottom of the hole, lay a ring of statues. They were old and decaying, covered in moss that shouldn¡¯t even be able to grow in that godforsaken ravine. All the statues were different. Some were old men, others little girls. Some were tall enough to almost reach the top of the hole while some lay virtually buried under the earth.


    The soil inside wasn¡¯t the grainy, arid kind I was standing on. The ground near the statues teemed with life. Grass grew in tufts along the statues¡¯ feet and insects crawled on stony faces.


    The statues¡¯ faces were so lifelike, it was as if real people had turned to stone. The various emotions frozen on their faces also suggested the same. Some were happy, some were sad. A few of them were crying while others clenched their teeth and glared at me.


    I met one of their gazes. It was a tall, slender youth. He wore a stony robe and hair that didn¡¯t stick out much. I shivered as I looked at him, because the smirk on his face was so arrogant, so full of self-confidence and playful mockery, I almost became angry.


    I wanted to punch that guy in the face. That¡¯s what you did to people with smirks like that. I had to take him down a notch, show him he wasn¡¯t as amazing as he thought he was.


    The nerve. A statue smirking at me! My blood boiled and began breathing heavily. I took a step forward.


    Then I clutched my head in pain.


    Static filled my head, along with a high-pitched whistle. It ended and I gasped for breath. The first thing I noticed was how precariously close I was to the edge of the hole.


    The next thing I noticed, was how close Elenor and Ben were to jumping at the ring of statues. Elenor had a wistful expression on her face, with sunken, drawn out cheeks, and quivering eyebrows. Ben had a giant smile plastered on his face, but his eyes were about to overflow with tears.


    I grabbed Ben¡¯s outstretched hand and flung him back. I lunged at Elenor just as she jumped into the air. I clenched my fists around her leg, stubbing a finger as I pushed her to the side. My foot slipped and the ground beneath me crumbled.


    I slid. Rocks and gravels rubbed against my clothes, and even the high-performance clothes Sally had bought for me couldn¡¯t fight against the friction as my left thigh was rubbed raw.


    I coughed and blinked the dust out of my eyes. I glanced behind me.


    I had stopped right in front of a statue. It was a statue of a little girl. Her eyes were wide and vacant. She couldn¡¯t have been older than ten. A strange cat curled around her shoulders. This cat had several eyes and even as a statue, I could tell it had a silky coat of fur.


    I looked away from the statue, and scrambled to my feet. Elenor¡¯s voice vaguely registered in my head as her figure appeared over the edge of the hole. Ben appeared beside her and he stretched an arm into the hole.


    I grabbed it and he pulled me up.


    I collapsed onto the ground, breathing quickly and irregularly. I gulped some saliva that had caught in the back of my throat.


    ¡°Val! Val, are you alright?¡± asked Elenor as she put her hands on my shoulders.


    I nodded because I couldn¡¯t speak. The little girl¡¯s gaze still flashed in front of my eyes, filling me with dread.


    ¡°We should get out of here,¡± said Ben as he helped me onto his shoulders.


    Elenor led the way with her baton, never looking back once at the hole of darkness. Ben stared resolutely ahead as we stumbled away from the hole.


    But I couldn¡¯t help myself. I glanced over my shoulder for a split second, unable to resist the phantom of the little girl¡¯s stare.


    There were no faces. All of them had turned their backs to me. Even the little girl and her cat weren¡¯t looking at me anymore.


    The phantom in my head disappeared and I regained some calm. My breathing smoothed out and I kept staring at the statues out of curiosity, not compulsion.


    What were they and why were they here? Could this be linked to one of the Wonders? I couldn¡¯t let an opportunity like this slip by. I needed to investigate. If there was even the slightest chance that they were related to the Wonders, I needed to seize the opportunity immediately.


    But first I needed to regroup. Ben and Elenor were in no shape to deal with those statues right now, and I couldn¡¯t just go rushing back into the middle of the ring with no plan.


    In fact, I couldn¡¯t rush anywhere because my legs felt like jelly.


    Right, plan and prepare. I would calm my nerves, gather some more information, then confront the ring of statues again. Calm down, plan, and prepare. That¡¯s what I had to do. No big deal. I could do this.


    As I glanced away, I caught something the corner of my eye. The ring wasn¡¯t perfect. A single statue stood just out of line, hidden from my sight by a couple of larger statues who stood too close together.


    This statue had a young face, a young face with a sad smile. His gaze was calm. When I met it, I couldn¡¯t help but catch my breath. His eyes sparkled with minerals, unlike the dull grey stone the rest of his body was made from. Its eyes looked like a sky full of stars. For a moment, I even thought I caught a golden streak run across it. Probably a trick of the light.


    We left the ring of statues behind. It took two hours for us to calm down and collect our wits. It took me another hour to convince them to go back. We got into an argument but I eventually won. This time we knew what to expect, so we could handle it. Just don¡¯t look into their eyes, and don¡¯t let your thoughts wander.


    The clouds were gone and sunlight lit up the whole ravine. The storm had passed without bursting over us. In the brightness, what had been a desolate wasteland now showed signs of life. Insects wriggled beneath the soil, greener plants poked through the dead weeds, and a few birds began to peck at the ground.


    It bolstered my confidence. I felt like I could face the statues and their trials. The sunlight galvanized Elenor and Ben too, as they didn¡¯t seem as opposed to returning to the hole. In fact, they were anticipating it.


    We kept walking while retracing our steps. Elenor tapped her stick and Ben looked for signs in the ground. After a while, I frowned. I used The Tempest and Ben¡¯s character to inspect the area on my own.


    Footsteps. Signs of our passing. I followed them until I realized I was too far away from the center of the ravine, which was where the hole had been. I backtracked, focusing intently on the ground.


    Eventually, I noticed something odd. The footsteps I was following, my footsteps, which had been facing North, suddenly faced South on the next step.


    Elenor stood next to me, tapping her baton on the ground, her eyebrows furrowed. Ben had followed different signs that led him to the same place. I crouched and dusted off some topsoil.


    It blew away in the wind.

 Episode 7 Scene 5

    It was raining. We¡¯d caught up to the storm.


    Water splashed as my feet crashed through a puddle. The mask shielded my face from the rain but my hair and body were soaked. Ben and Elenor weren¡¯t faring any better. After the incident with the statues, we had lost a lot of time and felt the need to push through the storm instead of waiting for it to pass.


    Ben estimated Jerome and Sally would be reaching Bendeck soon, assuming they went over the road ¨C which was unlikely. This meant they were probably already inside.


    I ran a hand through my hair and a drop of water formed on my forehead. It trickled down my nose and onto my lips. The trail of water was uncomfortable. I lowered my head, took off my mask, and rubbed my face with my wet hands.


    Gray eyes stared back at me. My reflection rippled as water droplets dripped from the sides of my head and fell into the puddle. My face was distorted but my gray eyes stared back at me, unwavering.


    I kept the mask off.


    Elenor tapped her baton on a puddle but there was no splash. Instead, the water trembled, and only rippled from the raindrops. I walked a little faster because I¡¯d fallen behind. Ben wiped the water off his face and shielded his eyes with his hands as he peered into the distance.


    ¡°I can see it,¡± he said, his voice loud enough to cut through the din of heavy rainfall.


    I squinted but I couldn¡¯t see anything except for grey skies, muddy fields, and rain. I didn¡¯t feel the need to use The Tempest, despite the appropriate weather. Instead, I followed Ben¡¯s lead.


    We took shelter under a gnarled tree, which stood alone in an empty field. On the horizon, a mountain jutted out of the ground like a tooth.


    ¡°That¡¯s Bendeck?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What do you see?¡± asked Elenor.


    ¡°A mountain.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s called the Hill,¡± said Ben. ¡°It¡¯s the most important place in all of Fore.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m guessing it¡¯s where the Headers live?¡± I said.


    ¡°That¡¯s right. All the big shots. Heads of all the major families, military generals, landlords, and of course, politicians.¡±


    Politicians, I thought to myself. I¡¯d always found this world¡¯s political situation odd. Despite having a strict social hierarchy, it would sometimes feel like a liberal democracy from Earth. Even if the electorate was skewed, it was still a somewhat democratic setup.


    They probably didn¡¯t let Cheeks or Collars run for office, which was why there could be a bunch of career politicians inside the tiny Header community. The parties themselves seemed more inclusive, or at least the Side Party did. They seemed to let Cheeks and Collars manage things to a certain extent. Then again, perhaps the other parties wouldn¡¯t organize a rally like Gecko did in Chart.


    ¡°But that¡¯s not why it¡¯s the most important place in Fore,¡± continued Ben.


    ¡°There¡¯s something more important than Headers?¡± I chuckled, dryly.


    ¡°Look.¡± He pointed to the Hill.


    I squinted and noticed something strange. The mountain was unnaturally symmetrical, it must have been carved by people. Like any normal mountain, it became thinner at higher altitudes. However, the peak was different, it was bigger than the tip of the mountain.


    There was something on the peak. A building of some sort. A palace, perhaps?


    ¡°That,¡± said Ben. ¡°Is the Senate.¡±


    The Senate. That must be the parliament the parties wanted to control.


    ¡°That¡¯s where all the bigshots are?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Yep, all the representatives from the cities, foreign dignitaries, and the Official himself, have offices inside the Senate.¡±


    ¡°Why is it on top of the mount- the Hill?¡± I asked.


    ¡°What do you mean?¡±


    ¡°Doesn¡¯t that make it easier to attack?¡±


    Ben chuckled, then he giggled, and then he broke down into laughter. I was surprised, Ben wasn¡¯t the kind to laugh so hard he wouldn¡¯t reply to a question.


    ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± I asked.


    ¡°Attack the Hill?¡± he said, still fighting his laughter. ¡°That¡¯s the craziest thing I¡¯ve ever heard.¡±


    I frowned. ¡°Why? Project Poppy said they were starting a war, didn¡¯t they? If someone with long distance burnt magic showed up, they could attack the Senate from a lower point on the Hill. Hell, they could blow up the tiny base of the building and send it falling.¡±Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    Ben started laughing again. I felt a strong urge to punch him but I couldn¡¯t muster the energy. The air was humid and walking through the rain had drained me.


    Elenor put a hand on my shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t mind him.¡± She poked Ben with her baton.


    ¡°Ouch!¡± he cried. He rubbed his arm, barely managing to stifle his laughter. ¡°What was that for?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t laugh at her just because she doesn¡¯t know how big the Hill is.¡±


    I squinted at the mountain city. Now that I thought about it, it was probably huge up close. The space between the Senate and the rest of the Header¡¯s district was substantial, too.


    Still, Ben¡¯s reaction was a little extreme. My knowledge of magic was limited, but all the burnt magic I¡¯d seen so far was incredibly powerful. Maybe there were some limits I didn¡¯t know about, perhaps no magic could work outside a certain distance, but I felt like magic in this world couldn¡¯t have those kinds of universal rules.


    After all, magic came from books. Books were too different, too diverse for limits like distance or power to apply the same way to every magic.


    ¡°That¡¯s not it,¡± said Ben as he glared at Elenor. ¡°It¡¯s nor its height that stops people from attacking it, nobody has ever even tried to attack the Senate.¡±


    ¡°Why not? That would be the fastest way to bring down the government. If that¡¯s what Project Poppy wants to do, they must have tried to attack the Senate,¡± I asked.


    Ben shook their head. ¡°It¡¯s not just the government up there. The opposition sits there too. Then again, Project Poppy didn¡¯t care about the official opposition in the Senate before Gecko Ross took over the Side Party. Still, they¡¯d never dare attack the Senate directly.¡±


    I frowned. I still didn¡¯t get it. On Earth, attacking the parliament was the way most revolutionaries and dictators tried to take over the government. From Fawkes to Napoleon, if they didn¡¯t try to blow up the parliament, they at least threatened to do so.


    ¡°First,¡± continued Ben. ¡°There¡¯s the fact that only Headers can get into the Hill, and no Header is about to take down the government. Gecko Ross was a special case, an outlier. I haven¡¯t heard of any other Header willing to oppose the government in any way, beyond tiny disagreements of course. And trying to hit the Senate from the Cheeks or Collars districts on the ground is impossible.¡±


    I guess there weren¡¯t any long distance magics that could hit that far.


    ¡°Second, there¡¯s a magical shield around the Hill, and another shield around the Senate. No bombs, arrows, or rocks could ever get through.¡±


    ¡°Hey, that sounds like people have tried to throw stuff at them!¡± I remarked.


    ¡°No, the government boasts about the impenetrable Senate all the time. They like to show off.¡±


    ¡°Ever think it was a ploy to stop you from trying?¡±


    ¡°Nope.¡±


    How could he be so sure?


    ¡°The third and most important reason is: not only do Inline and the Fore Armed Forces have their headquarters there, which means its full of the most powerful magicians in the world, the Official himself is there too.¡±


    ¡°So?¡± I asked. The Official was like their president. So what if he was in there? If anything, that should make it more enticing. You could take out the president, the parliament, and the heads of the army and secret police, all in one go!


    Ben blinked. He opened his mouth then closed it. ¡°So?¡± he repeated. ¡°So? What do you mean, so? He¡¯s the Official. The Official!¡±


    ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean anything. Just because he¡¯s the most powerful person in the country doesn¡¯t mean he¡¯s the strongest person too. He¡¯s a politician, not a soldier.¡±


    Ben shook his head. ¡°I really want to laugh right now, I really do. But I can¡¯t. Goddess, this is tough. Don¡¯t tell me you two don¡¯t know about the Official? Every kid in Fore grows up hearing stories about him. That¡¯s the way it¡¯s always been.¡±


    I furrowed my brows. That¡¯s the way it¡¯s always been?


    ¡°The Broken Witch doesn¡¯t like history lessons,¡± said Elenor. ¡°She says they¡¯re boring.¡±


    ¡°She must have been shy, considering how prominently she features in those history lessons,¡± said Ben. ¡°Did you ever ask her about the Official? Or about Fore? This country, and how it came to be the way that it is?¡±


    ¡°No,¡± said Elenor. ¡°Never crossed my mind.¡±


    Ben cursed. ¡°Fine then, it¡¯s time for some education. Listen up, kids.¡±


    ¡°Elenor, hit him with your baton again,¡± I said.


    ¡°Sure.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t! Okay look, I¡¯ll make it simple. Who founded Fore, around one thousand, six hundred, and sixty-six years ago?¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± said Elenor.


    ¡°Me neither,¡± I said.


    ¡°It was the Official, the Official!¡±


    ¡°So the first Official made the country,¡± I said.


    ¡°No, I mean yes. But that¡¯s not the point!¡±


    ¡°Then what is it? You said you¡¯d make it simple!¡±


    Ben grit his teeth. ¡°I am! Damn it, why don¡¯t you understand.¡±


    ¡°Why don¡¯t you make it easier to understand?¡±


    Ben yelled, ¡°One thousand, six hundred and sixty-six years ago, the Official made the country of Fore. And that Official, the first Official, the only Official, is the same man who sits on top of that mountain, the one we call the Hill, inside the building on the peak, the Senate. Does that make sense? Is that easy enough to follow?¡±


    He breathed heavily. The rain continued to pour.


    ¡°Oh¡­¡± I said.


    Elenor stood silently, leaning against the tree trunk.


    ¡°He¡¯s been alive for almost two thousand years. He¡¯s run the country forever. He carved out its boundaries through war and conquest way before any of his opponents were born. The only people who would ever dare to attack him directly would be the President of Clef or the Goddess herself! Gecko Ross, Project Poppy, all they¡¯ve ever tried to do was threaten the system enough for the Official to grant them some concessions. That¡¯s it. That¡¯s all anyone has ever tried to do.


    So now do you get why I was laughing at you? Why the idea of attacking the Senate is the dumbest, most ludicrous thing I¡¯ve ever heard? I¡¯ve grown up hearing stories about the Official and how he can make his enemies explode at a glance, flip continents with his fingers, and make the world spin on a whim.


    They say he was blessed by the Goddess Bit herself, and became her champion. They say he owns one of the most powerful books in all Illustair: one of the six Wonders that are the origin of all magic in the world. They say he killed the Epilian God Static. Think about it: he killed a god.


    The Front Party has never lost an election. That isn¡¯t because they¡¯re the most popular nor because the Headers¡¯ votes are worth more than the Cheeks¡¯, it¡¯s because the Official runs the Front Party, and nobody wants to make him angry.


    Bit may be our goddess, but I¡¯ve never met a person who venerates her more than they do the Official.


    Most people love him. The rest respect him. All of them fear him. He hasn¡¯t shown himself to the world in centuries but nobody has forgotten him. We can¡¯t. Even now, nobody says his name lightly. They always praise him the way I just did, make sure his name hasn¡¯t been uttered in vain.


    He¡¯s the king who isn¡¯t a king. The immortal who isn¡¯t immortal. The god who isn¡¯t a god. He¡¯s the most powerful man in the world.


    Suigon Flecht, the Official of Fore.¡±